RTHK: Kremlin says Biden's Putin comment is unforgiveable US President Joe Biden's reference to Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a "war criminal" over his military operation in Ukraine is "unacceptable and unforgivable," the Kremlin said on Wednesday. "We believe such rhetoric to be unacceptable and unforgivable on the part of the head of a state, whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world," said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the state news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti. Peskov was responding to a question about an earlier comment made by Biden with regard to Russia's military operation in Ukraine. "I think he is a war criminal," Biden told reporters earlier on Wednesday. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-03-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Xi: Teamwork will expand BRI benefits 08:28, March 17, 2022 By CAO DESHENG ( China Daily COVID cooperation also urged in phone calls with Indonesian, Turkmen leaders President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo vowed on Wednesday to strengthen high-quality cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, as well as coordination in the framework of the Group of 20, in order to promote bilateral ties. In a telephone conversation, the two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine situation, agreeing that members of the international community should facilitate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine to avoid a massive humanitarian crisis and get the negative effects of sanctions on the world economy under control, in order to not affect global economic recovery. It was the second phone conversation this year between Xi and Widodo, with the previous one held in January. Xi hailed the sound development of the bilateral relations, saying that China and Indonesia have set an example of solidarity and cooperation between major developing countries. China is ready to maintain close communication with Indonesia to advance new progress in bilateral friendly cooperation and inject greater stability and positive energy into regional and global development, he said. Xi called on both countries to continue to intensify cooperation on the COVID-19 response and implement major cooperation projects, including the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, to ensure high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between them. As long as relevant projects are beneficial to the development of Indonesia and the countries' cooperation, China will maintain a positive attitude about them, he said. Xi underlined the need for both countries to uphold global market stability and ensure smooth operation of the supply chain, advance the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, firmly safeguard the open and inclusive regional cooperation architecture with ASEAN at the center and promote solidarity and cooperation for mutual benefit and win-win results. China supports Indonesia in playing its role in holding the presidency of the G20 in hosting the Bali Summit this year, Xi said. The Indonesian president commended the bilateral cooperation in recent years and expressed his hope that China will continue to support Indonesia in the construction of the regional comprehensive economic corridor and green industrial estates. Noting that the GDI will help realize the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, he said that Indonesia fully supports the initiative and stands ready to intensify communication on it to jointly make contributions to promoting global development. Also on Wednesday, Xi had a phone conversation with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the country's president-elect, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. They pledged to actively advance the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries to benefit the two peoples. Xi hailed the strategic partnership between the two countries, saying bilateral cooperation in various fields has reached a historic high. China attaches great importance to the relations with Turkmenistan and will continue to support its internal and external policies, resolutely oppose external forces interfering in its domestic affairs, and work together with Turkmenistan to build an even closer community with a shared future, he said. Xi stressed the need for both countries to continue to advance collaboration on energy and natural gas, and to promote Belt and Road cooperation to enlarge the scope of their mutually beneficial cooperation, in order to enhance the wellbeing of the two peoples. He also urged the two countries to maintain timely communication and close cooperation on major issues, support each other, uphold true multilateralism and make contributions to promoting the democratization of international relations and global fairness and justice. The two Turkmen leaders spoke highly of the achievements in the development of bilateral ties in recent years and said Turkmenistan will continue to pursue the policy of friendly cooperation with China to boost pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) BEIJING, March 16 -- The Security and Defense Sub-Committee of the China-Nigeria Inter-Governmental Committee convened its first meeting on March 16 via video link. The meeting was co-chaired by leading officials of the Office for International Military Cooperation under Chinas Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Permanent Secretary of Nigerias Ministry of National Defense. Heads of related departments under the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and the Chinese Ministry of State Security, as well as heads from relevant departments of the Nigerian side also attended the meeting. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on communication and cooperation in fields of security and defense and issues of common concern. Joe Barrera, Ph.D, is the former director of the Ethnic Studies Program at UCCS. He teaches U.S. Military History and Mexico/U.S. Border Studies. He is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. Police and sheriff's deputies respond to a crime scene near Alamosa in this file photo. 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. Today is the day for the wearin of the green to be sure, and for raising a shot of Jameson or a pint of Guinness in a celebratory nod to Baltimores Irish heritage or perhaps celebrating with a generous plate of corned beef and cabbage. You can easily win a free drink today from your friendly publican if you ask a neighboring barfly the following: Did you know that we are not alone, that there are 15 other places across the world named Baltimore, and in addition to our Baltimore, there are six others in the United States alone, and can you say where? Advertisement And heres the answer. Theres a Baltimore to be found in Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Vermont. And there are eight outside of the U.S., and one of them is Baltimore, Ireland. The relationship between our Baltimore and Baltimore, Ireland, is historically a deep one. The name Baltimore, which derives from Baile-an-ti-mor, is Gaelic and means Place of the Big House, also is associated with the Calverts, the Barons of Baltimore, of whom George Calvert was the first. Advertisement It was George Calvert who chose for his barony in 1625 the name Baltimore for his large estates in Ireland that were granted by King James I of England for his services. The first Lord Baltimore never occupied his seat but some of his descendants visited the County Cork domain, The Baltimore Sun observed in a 1928 article. When it was suggested in 1928 that Mayor William F. Broening become the first Baltimore mayor to visit the other Baltimore in Ireland, he exhibited robust enthusiasm and extreme naivete. That isnt a bad idea, the mayor told The Sun. Where is this Baltimore, anyway. Never heard of it before. Our Celtic cousin is a picturesque fishing village on the southwest coast of Ireland facing Spain, some 60 miles or so from Cork and almost 240 miles from Dublin, that dates to Druidic times. This corner of Ireland has great natural beauty. The coast is not unlike that of Maine. Both have many bays and islands and the shores are rocky and steep, the Sunday Sun Magazine reported. The westernmost shores of Ireland are 400 feet high, yet winter winds bring the salty spray far inland. One Marylander who visited Baltimore, Ireland, was Frederick Douglass who arrived in 1845 after fleeing slavery, and while no trace exists of his time there, he did mention in a letter home: I find myself regarded and treated at every turn with the kindness and deference paid to white people. When I go to church, I am met by no upturned nose and scornful lip to tell me, We dont allow n--s in here! The last time Baltimore, Ireland, really made the news was in 1958, when the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Emerald Island Club, operating under the name of the United Irish Societies of Baltimore, collected 10 tons of clothing as a gift to the brethren in the old country, reported The Sun in 1991. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 12 This is an aerial shot of the Baltimore Beacon (Lot's Wife) in Baltimore, Ireland. (Handout ) Frank Hennessy, a well-known Baltimore radio and public relations personality, was sent to Ireland to make the presentation in person, with Joseph R.L. Sterne, The Suns London bureau chief, there to report on the ceremony that was held on St. Patricks Day. The village priest, the Rev. Edward J. Lambe, seemed to take umbrage at the generosity of the Baltimoreans across the sea, reported Sterne. Weekend Watch Weekly Plan your weekend with our picks for the best events, restaurant and movie reviews, TV shows and more. Delivered every Thursday. > Look at these people, the priest said. Theres no sign of want. They are dressed as well as many of the people in Baltimore, Maryland. These people are industrious, intelligent and have a good standard of living. We dont want to be beggars to anybody. For once, a flustered Hennessy tried to explain to the priest that this gift was about friendship and not charity. After the ceremony, Lambe invited Sterne to his rectory, and while pressing a glass of Jameson into the newsmans hand, explained he was upset because he had not been consulted about the arrival of the gift and of the unfair picture it painted of the Irish in Baltimore, Ireland. He then asked Sterne, Are you Catholic, me boy? who answered, No father, Im a Jew. Advertisement Ah, Lambe answered, we Catholics and we Jews have to stand together against the bloody Protestants. Sterne reported that they both broke into gales of laughter and clapped each other on the shoulder as they polished off the last of the Jameson. It was the most authentic St. Patricks Day I shall ever know, wrote Sterne, who later became editor of the newspapers editorial page, and died last year. After yet another scary pandemic winter, spring is just around the corner. Restaurants are dusting off their patio tables and chefs are ramping up for ramp season. Many city residents are counting the weeks until the return of the Baltimore Farmers Market & Bazaar on April 3. While we wait, one of the markets popular stalls is inviting guests to its new restaurant in Midtown-Belvedere. Advertisement Mera Kitchen Collective technically opened in November, but, writes founder Emily Lerman in an email, a combination of omicron and then building issues meant it stayed closed through March. Not the start that I ever imagined, Lerman said. Time for a do-over. This Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., Mera is hosting what Lerman dubs the grand re-opening for the grand opening we never had. On the menu: locally-brewed beers, spiked lemonade and wine. The address is 1301 N. Calvert St., the former Stang of Siam location. Advertisement Mera Kitchen Collective welcomes guests to a new restaurant in Midtown-Belvedere. (Jill Fannon/ Handout photo courtesy of Mera Kitchen Collective) Bring the Wharf Rat home How would you like to own a piece of Wharf Rat history? Jesse Sandlin, the Sally Os chef and owner who recently purchased the Fells Point bar, is selling the old Wharf Rats contents through an online auction. Among the goods: topless wooden mermaids from behind the bar, a ship figurehead and a nude bronze sculpture that Sandlin says weighs an obscene amount. Theres also a vintage, English-style telephone booth, kitchen equipment and outdoor seats and tables. The auction closes March 21. As for the restaurant that will take the place of the Wharf Rat, Sandlin wouldnt disclose much even the name. She hopes to have it open this summer but acknowledged, I dont know if thats realistic. Peter Chang is a James Beard award nominee The common denominator in most dishes at Peter Changs restaurant is the presence of fiery chilies along with the flavorful Sichuan peppercorn, which combine to deliver the effect of Ma La, which is Mandarin for hot and numbing. (Stephen M. Katz) Peter Chang, the chef behind Cantons NiHao and an eponymous restaurant thats soon to arrive in Columbia, was nominated for a James Beard award in the Outstanding Chef category after being named a semifinalist. Not among the nominees: Charlestons Cindy Wolf, who had been a semifinalist in the Outstanding Chef category and Carlos Raba of Clavel Mezcaleria, a semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid Atlantic. Winners will be announced at the Beard Foundations June 13 awards ceremony in Chicago. Slutty Vegan brings a pop-up to Baltimore. Could it be the start of something serious? (Handout photo courtesy of The Slutty Vegan) Slutty Vegan, the buzzy plant-based burger business founded by Baltimore native Pinky Cole, is coming to Charm City next week. During the one-day pop-up, Cole will offer entrees like the One Night Stand, but she has hinted it could be the prelude to a permanent restaurant. Advertisement I couldnt be more excited to finally sluttify my hometown of Baltimore, Cole said in a release. Who knows if we sell out of burgers, we may just have to open a location here! With four locations in the Atlanta area, Coles business has attracted a cult following, and round-the-block lines, since it opened in 2018, with celebrity fans like Missy Elliott. Coles food truck, aka the Big Ol Slut, will be in Baltimore Monday as part of a national tour. Check Instagram for the exact location, to be announced at 10 am that day. Look for menu items like the Hollywood Hooker with slut sauce. Every entree comes with fries coated with their signature seasoning called, what else? Slut Dust. More progress at Lexington Market, but the opening gets pushed back again A portion of the old Lexington Market next to a newly-built and downsized Lexington Market (lower right) that harkens a radically different marketing approach, seemingly abandoning the traditional market structure Tuesday., March 1, 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff) (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun) Like many crab cake lovers, Ive been following the negotiations between Faidley Seafood and Lexington Market. The future of the iconic seafood stall is looking even more certain with the news this week that the market should receive $5 million in federal funding, meant to help small businesses pay for the ever-increasing cost of building materials. Advertisement The money comes courtesy of the American Rescue Plan, a federal program that provided $641 million to the city of Baltimore in response to the pandemic. A release from the office of Mayor Brandon Scott said This allocation will also enable Faidleys Seafood, a Baltimore institution, to remain in Lexington Market a huge win for Baltimore City. Dish Baltimore Weekly Get the scoop on that new restaurant, learn about chef changes and discover your favorite new recipe. All your Baltimore food news is here. > Seawall developers also announced two additional vendors this week: Hominy Kitchen, a soul food restaurant that is currently at the old Lexington Market, and bubble tea shop Kokee Tea, which has a location at the Annapolis Mall. The market, originally set to open early this year, and then in late summer, is now scheduled to open this fall, according to Scotts office. City officials shut down ghost kitchen in Hamilton Inspectors with Baltimores health department shut down a food trailer located on the 5600 block of Harford Road for violating noise regulations. According to a tweet from Councilman Ryan Dorsey, who represents the area, the facility was branded with a Wendys logo and was causing residents to lose sleep with noise and traffic from delivery drivers. Advertisement The health department website lists the spot as belonging to NBRHD Kitchens/Reef Kitchens, a ghost kitchen company with a rapidly-growing presence in Baltimore. Customers must order the food through delivery apps. In Hampden, multiple trailers, including a Wendys-branded kitchen, have been set up just off 41st Street near the Union Collective, serving labels Milk Bar, Stock-Up Mart, Van Leeuwen and more. A spokesman for Reef Kitchens did not immediately respond to questions from The Sun. A busy week for the Mason City Municipal Airport continues, but this time with some positive news. On Wednesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced over $100 million in funding for airport infrastructure to be distributed across Iowa. Mason City is one of the airports set to receive funding in the way of approximately $1.5 million. "The funding that was released today is historic," airport manager David Sims said. "The state of Iowa has never provided this level of infrastructure funding to airports in the past." Iowas commercial airports play a vital role in supporting the economic development and prosperity of our state, and we need to ensure that continues to be the case for many more years to come, Gov. Reynolds said in a statement. This significant investment will help maintain momentum and encourage ongoing growth through transformative projects that will greatly benefit Iowans and other travelers that utilize our air transportation system. Sims said that the $1.5 million in funding is massive for Mason City, as it is currently intended to fund a set of new hangers at the airport. Originally, part of the federal funding received through the CARES Act was going to be used for the new hangers, according to Sims, but the funding from Gov. Reynolds allows for the federal funding to be used exclusively on the new terminal project. What to know about the Mason City Airport expansion The Mason City Municipal Airport is heading towards building a new terminal in 2022, what do you need to know about the upcoming project? Those airport hangers are already designed and are just awaiting the beginning of construction, according to Sims. "We are very, very excited," Sims said of the funding. "We're very grateful to the Governor's office for seeing the need and providing the funding." In addition to Mason City, the Des Moines, Dubuque, Eastern Iowa, Fort Dodge, Sioux City, Southeast Iowa and Waterloo airports are all set to receive at least $1.5 million in funding. The Des Moines airport is set to receive more than half of the available funding, netting a total of $58.7 million. The funding news from the Gov. Reynolds continues what has been a hectic past few days over at the airport. At the tail end of last week, SkyWest announced that it would be discontinuing its service in Mason City causing the airport to seek a new provider over the next few months. Mason City Airport is currently in the midst of planning its over $13 million terminal project, which aims to build a brand new airport terminal to replace the current one. Sims hopes construction will begin on that project later this year. Daily flights are offered to and from Chicago O'Hare International Airport through SkyWest, and will continue to be until a replacement airline is secured. Zachary Dupont covers local government and business development for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at 641-421-0533 or zachary.dupont@globegazette.com. Follow Zachary on Twitter at @ZachNDupont Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Since 2019, the Mohawk Square building in Mason City has sat vacant with a massive hole in its roof and no movement in repairing the damage. In 2022, the city is stepping in to try and save the historic building. On Tuesday, the Mason City Council reviewed a year-long option to purchase Mohawk Square from its current owners, who, according to director of development services Steven Van Steenhuyse, are making no effort to restore the building. The option to purchase totals $302,840, which is just over half of the $574,100 assessed value of the building, according to Van Steenhuyse. While the city is making the effort to sign the purchase option, City Administrator Aaron Burnett wanted to make it clear that the city has no intention of buying Mohawk Square from its current owners. The reason for the purchase option, according to Burnett, is to allow the city to perform a survey on the integrity and safety of the building and to determine how much repairs would cost. This is to give the building a real chance to be bought and restored by developers, because without that information, buyers have not been interested. "One of the biggest issues you face when you're trying to get a development to happen is uncertainty," Burnett said. "Unfortunately, Mohawk Square suffers from a lot of uncertainty." According to both Burnett and Van Steenhuyse, interested developers have toured Mohawk Square, but without an idea of how much damage there is in the building, nobody is willing to buy the property. "By having the option we are able to give that certainty," Burnett said. "We'll be able to clear up some of these issues that have been causing issues for any developer to move forward on that property." Burnett said that following the council's approval of the purchase option, the city would be able to move to establish the study "as soon as possible." Van Steenhuyse, who has been in the interior of Mohawk Square, said that while he doesn't know for sure, he is optimistic about the state of the building. However, there is the distinct possibility that the building is in need of more structural repairs than it would seem to the naked eye, and if that's the case, Burnett said that demolition would then be the likely option. But either way, the study will need to be performed before the future of the building can be evaluated. Mohawk Square, located at 22 North Georgia Ave., used to be home to Mason City High School before the school moved to its current location on the east side of town. Within the old building, several relics of the high school still remain, including the entirety of the old theater which Van Steenhuyse said is still in good shape. Prior to the building being closed, it served as an office building, housing organizations such as Cerro Gordo Public Health, Iowa Legal Aid and the Elderbridge Agency on Aging. In May of 2019, the building's roof collapsed in on itself following a severe rain storm. If the building is able to be restored and the city finds an interested developer, Burnett indicated that Mohawk Square is likely to become housing in the very distant future. Members of the city council responded positively to the agenda item, and expressed excitement over the potential rehabilitation of the building. "I'm excited to see how this turns out," council member Paul Adams said. The city council ultimately approved the purchase option unanimously. Zachary Dupont covers local government and business development for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at 641-421-0533 or zachary.dupont@globegazette.com. Follow Zachary on Twitter at @ZachNDupont Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 The Cosmopolitan Group held their first meeting in 1934, with the goal of fellowship between races and nations, representatives of which are to be found in Mason City For the first meeting 75 members were present, representing seven nations and two races. Mason City had members from 30 nationalities and the club would exclude no one due to racial differences. Artemio F. Arroyo was selected as the Cosmopolitan Club president at the second meeting. A.F. and his wife Carmen presented programs about Mexican culture and taught Mexican cooking through the Cosmopolitan Club. The club goal was education and communication. A. F. was born in Metamoros, Mexico. Arriving in Mason City in 1930, he continued to remain in contact with relatives in Mexico and kept abreast of the political and economical situation in Mexico by reading Mexican newspapers. 1930 saw the family living on North Delaware while he worked at the packing plant. In 1940, the family was living by East Park in the home they owned. A.F. was the janitor at the Methodist Epipcopal church and had completed his first citizenship papers. A.F. and Rev. Elias Rocha, a Mexican Migrant Minister with the Methodist Episcopal Church provided a Sunday service and Sunday school in Spanish for Mexicans in Mason City during the winter months. A. F. was a noted speaker in the Mason City area promoting understanding and communication of and between Mexico and the United States and the Mexican population in Mason City and others in the city. In 1935 A. F. spoke to the Epworth League regarding the religious situation in Mexico. In 1942 in his speech to the Womens Society of Christian Service he highlighted that there were 353 Mexican persons in Mason City and spoke about their work and education opportunities. To the Kiwanis that same year he spoke on Mexicans in Mason City. Introduced as the leading Mexican resident in Mason City, part of his speech was to inform the group that the Mexicans living in Mason City had all arrived later that 1929 and intended to stay here. They now consider themselves Americans, he said, and do not consider themselves part of the country south of the Rio Grande." Tales from Elmwood-St. Joseph is a collaboration between Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, the Globe Gazette and KCMR Radio that highlights the life of a Mason City resident. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Four people died and one person suffered serious injuries Wednesday in a two-vehicle crash in Clinton County, the Iowa State Patrol reported. The crash occurred at 4:54 p.m. in the 4100 block of Iowa 136. According to the initial crash report filed by Iowa State Patrol Sgt. James Lancaster, a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze sedan was westbound in the 4100 block of Iowa 136. A 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan was eastbound in the same area. The two vehicles collided head-on. The driver of the Cruze was killed, while the driver and two passengers of the Odyssey were killed. A passenger in the Odyssey suffered serious injuries and was transported to MercyOne Clinton Medical Center in Clinton. The condition of the crash victim was not available late Thursday. The names of the victims were not released Thursday pending notification of family. The crash remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol. The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Clinton County Sheriffs Department, Andover Fire and Ambulance, the fire departments from Goose Lake and Charlotte, and the Clinton County Medical Examiner. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Old Dominion University will start a satellite campus at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research for a manufacturing engineering technology degree program. Officials announced the partnership during an event Thursday morning at the Institute. ODU is launching its first four-year degree in manufacturing engineering technology at its Norfolk campus. Under a partnership, the Institute will host third- and fourth-year undergraduate-level classes for the degree at the Danville campus. "People throughout this area will now have a chance to get an associate's degree ... and then finish up that third and fourth year here," Betty Jo Foster, interim president at the Institute, said during the announcement. Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville will launch a corresponding associate degree in manufacturing engineering technology to serve as a pipeline to the workforce and pathway to the four-year ODU degree. The two-year associate degree will eventually be available to all of the state's community colleges. "This partnership will serve as a cornerstone of the Virginia defense manufacturing community," Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw said at the event. The bachelor's and associate degrees are part of the Virginia Maritime Industrial Base Consortium's "Talent Pipeline Initiative." The program's purpose is to develop job-ready workers for defense and industrial-base employers through an enhanced K-12-to-university training pipeline. "Gov. [Glenn] Youngkin, your governor, understands the moral, the economic imperative that a strong defense industrial base presents, particularly in the maritime domain," Crenshaw said. "He is a champion of our defense manufacturing community." Workforce shortages in the Navy and defense-contract industries especially manufacturing engineering technology are at an all-time high, said Brian O. Hemphill, president of ODU. "We must do more to ensure that workforce needs, both today and tomorrow, are met," Hemphill said during the announcement. "Without question, ODU will be a major player in modernizing the manufacturing workforce when we think about the defense industry." Students in Southside Virginia will also be able enter the program through the Academy for Engineering and Technology, and career and technical dual-enrollment programs. Workers in the industry will also be able to enter the program. "The expansion of ODU's presence in Southern Virginia really offers a real regional step, a regional opportunity also, for our students," Hemphill said. The classes will be offered with on-site, virtual and hybrid options, using advanced manufacturing lab space at the Institute. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded a $5 million grant to the VMIBC, which earned the federal designation as a Defense Manufacturing Community. The VMIBC includes ODU, the Institute and 30 other organizations. Anyone interested in learning more about the associate and bachelor's degree programs in manufacturing engineering technology can visit www.ialr.org/manufacturing-engineering-technology to complete an interest form. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Virginia Parole Board operations have ground to a halt with nearly 400 pending parole cases stalled in the wake of last weeks decision by Senate Democrats to reject four of Gov. Glenn Youngkins appointments to the board, leaving only chairman Chadwick Dotson. The board members had been on the job six weeks and were in the process of reshaping the agency. Its an unworkable position, and its absolutely unconscionable what they have done for purely political purposes, Dotson, a retired judge and former Wise County commonwealths attorney, said this week in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Ive spent about every moment since then trying to figure out what the fallout is going to be on our operations here. The consequences of the Senates decision the result of a back-and-forth dispute between Democrats and Republicans were immediate. The number of inmate parole cases pending has climbed to 378, and Dotson between 50 and 75 of those involve inmates whom parole examiners have recommended be granted parole. Nineteen cases were on the boards docket Wednesday for discussion or a decision 17 of those came with a recommendation by examiners to grant parole. I dont know how the Board would have voted on these cases, but these are generally the cases with the strongest argument for parole, Dotson said. But we cant proceed on those now, which means that victims who are kind of waiting to hear whats going on arent going to get any resolution, he added. And families of offenders, and the offenders themselves who are up for parole, arent going to get any resolution one way or the other. Board decisions to grant parole require, in most cases, at least three member votes. More serious cases, such as inmates serving a life sentence for first degree or capital murder require four votes. In the short period the board had been in place, no inmates had been granted parole. The board voted to deny parole in 177 cases, but examiners had recommended against granting parole in all but one of those cases. The other 176 were largely cases in which parole had been denied many times, and the board felt there was a risk to the community to release these offenders, or that parole would minimize the seriousness of the offenses charged, Dotson said. Another immediate consequence of dissolving the board, Dotson noted, is that parolees who are arrested after allegedly violating the conditions of their parole will remain incarcerated until members of the parole board can make a decision in their cases. We cant make those decisions now, so people will be held indefinitely, Dotson explained. Some people might say, Well, they allegedly violated their parole, why do we care? But Dotson said some of those cases are relatively minor technical violations that dont always result in charges, and the parolees could be released after further review by the board. But with no board in place, their rights, their freedom, have been taken away with no recourse. Senate Democrats rejection of four of Youngkins picks for the parole board was the latest move in an escalating dispute over state appointments in the legislature. On Feb. 8, Senate Democrats balked at Andrew Wheeler, Youngkins choice for secretary of natural resources, who had been director of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump. House Republicans then rejected 11 appointments by former Gov. Ralph Northam, including three of his picks to the State Board of Education. House Republicans also blocked Angela Navarro another Northam pick from receiving a full six-year term as a judge on the State Corporation Commission. The General Assembly then led by Democrats first elected Navarro in 2021 to complete the unexpired term of Mark Christie, who became a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Then on Thursday, Senate Democrats rejected four of Youngkins five picks to the Parole Board, which Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham, called retaliation by the Democrats. It wasnt us who escalated the war, OK? said Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax. After scuttling the parole board appointees, Senate Democrats issued a news release saying the rejection of the parole board appointments was in response to Youngkins refusal to appoint the 11 Northam appointees that House Republicans removed last month. It appears Youngkin will not be allowed to reappoint his now-scuttled choices for the parole board. They include Tracy Banks, a longtime attorney and law professor from Charlottesville, who served as the boards vice chair; Cheryl Nici-OConnell of Chesterfield County, a former Richmond police officer who survived being shot in the head while on duty in 1984 and left to pursue a career in social work; Montgomery County Sheriff Charles Partin; and Carmen Williams of Chesterfield, who was a language access and immigration legal services manager for the Project of Empowerment of Survivors for the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. Three of these members had quit their prior jobs to come do the work of the people, Dotson said. And they were just tossed aside. Dotson said that based on his reading of the law, once the General Assembly adjourned Saturday, that was it for this particular group of nominees. The Senate could have walked it back before the session ended. If theres some way to get around that, I dont know what it is, Dotson said. I believe there will have to be four new nominees. Dotson said it doesnt appear his colleagues could be reinstated during a Special Session, if Senate Democrats could be persuaded to reconsider. Virginia Code is very specific about what can be taken up during such sessions, he said. A Youngkin spokeswoman did not immediately return a message for comment on the governors plans for the parole board. Dotson said its unfortunate that his colleagues have been booted, because I was really impressed with their dedication and seriousness in the short time I got to know these individuals. The members were fully on board with the attitude that their jobs are not political and that we have to do the right thing all the time, Dotson said. We have to be above the partisan politics going forward because these decisions affect real peoples lives. There are victims depending on us to give these cases serious attention, and family members of the offenders are somewhat victims themselves, so we need to take into consideration everything. Its too important for politics, he added. In the six weeks the board had been together, Dotson said the members had begun to reshape the agency with a focus on maximum transparency. In the past, the parole board kind of voted in secrecy [and] they didnt get together as often as I feel like they should have to discuss cases and do the work of a board, Dotson said. So we instituted regular board meetings, the taking of minutes and parliamentary procedure. And I implemented a process to try and prevent some of the issues that I think involved the recent parole boards. In 2020, the Office of the State Inspector General in at least nine reports found violations of law and board policy, including the parole board freeing felons convicted of murder without first reaching out to victims families as required by law. Dotson said he put in place a procedure whereby the board would discuss at its weekly meetings any cases of inmates who had received recommendations for parole by agency examiners, and determine whether an extra step was needed to investigate any red flags and make sure a victims input was received. All of this would occur before the board took a vote. So we would discuss everyone where theres a grant for parole recommendation, he said. In addition, every time there was a case where an examiner recommended to not grant parole and someone on the board thought we might want to consider parole notwithstanding that recommendation thats placed on our agenda. We had just started in the last two weeks to actually discuss some of those cases, because it took us awhile to kind of get this procedure in place, Dotson said. But now every one of those cases grinds to a halt. Every single one. INDIAN WELLS, Calif. Greensboro native John Isner fell to Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Wednesday in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. Elsewhere in the tournament, Rafael Nadal became the second player in ATP Tour history to start a season 18-0, edging Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) on Wednesday in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. Only Novak Djokovic has gotten off to better starts since 1990. The Serb went 26-0 to begin 2020 and 41-0 to open 2011. Nadal rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the second set to lead 6-5. Opelka held after three deuces when Nadal netted a forehand chasing the Americans drop shot to force the second tiebreaker. Nadal led 4-1 in the tiebreaker when Opelka struggled on his service returns. On his serve, though, the 6-foot-11 American closed to 4-3, hitting winners on a drop shot and a forehand. Again on his serve, Opelka closed to 6-5. But Nadal closed it out by pulling Opelka out of the court and the Americans backhand landed wide. There were no service breaks in the first set. Opelka fought off the only break point in the seventh game with a smash and forehand winner. Nadal held at love for 6-all, forcing the tiebreaker. Opelka led 3-2 with a forehand winner down the line. Nadal won the next five points, all on errors by Opelka, to take the set. Nadal improved to 19-0 against American opponents since losing to John Isner at the 2017 Laver Cup. Nadal, a three-time champion in the desert, advanced to the quarterfinals against wild-card Nick Kyrgios. The Australian advanced to his first ATP Tour quarterfinal since winning Washington in 2019 after 10th-seeded Jannik Sinner withdrew because of illness. Taylor Fritz fired 14 aces in outlasting Alex de Minaur, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Fritz next plays Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals. Kecmanovic overcame 14 aces by No. 6 seed Matteo Berrettini in a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory. GREENSBORO Police arrested a woman and detained a 19-year-old and a juvenile in connection with a bank robbery Wednesday afternoon. Officers responded at 1:12 p.m. to the Bank of America at 1500 S. Elm-Eugene St. for a reported robbery, police said in a news release. The manager told police that the suspects were still in the parking lot. Police charged 34-year-old Shunta Readen with common law robbery; resist, delay and obstruct a public officer; and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. It wasn't clear Wednesday if the other two were also charged. Police said after Readen and the 19-year-old entered the bank, Readen passed a note to a teller advising it was a robbery and the teller activated a robbery alarm. Police did not disclose how much money was taken or recovered. UPDATE: Officials say Mr. Overton has returned home safely. ------------------------------------------ GREENSBORO Officials are looking for a missing man out of Greensboro. The N.C. Center for Missing Persons and Greensboro police issued a Silver Alert late Wednesday for 39-year-old Cory Fletcher Overton. Overton is described as an African American male, standing about 6 feet and weighing 180 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black knee-length jacket with short sleeves, blue/gray T-shirt with a Special Olympics graphic, blue jeans and Nike leather sneakers. Overton is believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment. Anyone with information is asked to contact Greensboro police at 336-373-2435 or Guilford County Crimestoppers at 336-373-1000. GREENSBORO When 4 Leagues Media created the short film "Tethered" five years ago, viewers wanted more. So the locally-based independent film production company expanded the award-winning short into a feature-length film. On Friday, the psychological thriller will premiere at Red Cinemas on Battleground Avenue, Carousel Cinemas Alamance Crossing in Burlington and in at least 15 other theaters around the country. 4 Leagues Media has produced short films since 2015. "Tethered" director and cofounder Daniel Robinette is happy to see the company's first feature film finally make it into theaters. "When we started shooting short films with this group, I always said, 'The goal is to create a feature film. Once we do that, the goal is to have it picked up by a distributor,'" Robinette said. WANT TO GO? What: "Tethered" When: Showtimes on Friday through Sunday are 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. 6:05 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Showtimes on Monday through Thursday are 3:30, 6:05 and 8:30 p.m. The film will play at least once a day in the second week. Where: Luxury recliner room, Red Cinemas, 1305 Battleground Ave., Greensboro Tickets: $9.50 for 1 and 3:30 p.m. shows, $12.50 for evening tickets Length: 1 hour, 28 minutes. Not yet rated. Note: On Friday, some local cast and crew plan to attend the 6:05 and 8:30 p.m. showings at Red Cinemas. Thanks to the efforts of the Piedmont Triad Film Commission and others, this area is a prime location for filmmaking. But not all films make it into theaters like "Tethered." Robinette's company shot the short film and low-budget, 88-minute feature film on Wild Wing Farm in the Thomasville area. Its 400-plus acres protected the production from sounds of passing cars. In "Tethered," a blind teenager named Solomon and the hunter he befriends are tormented by a mysterious creature lurking in the woods. Solomon abides by three rules. They are on a cassette tape left by his mother. The First Rule: When you hunt or scavenge, do it for two one for the forest and one for you. The Second Rule: When your will is almost gone and you feel like giving up, find comfort in singing our song. The Third Rule: You must never, ever let go of the rope. "Part of the mystery is what happened to Mother," Robinette said. "And why did she leave him with those three rules?" Although the film is not yet rated, it qualifies as PG-13, Robinette said. That means some material may be inappropriate for those under age 13. The history of "Tethered" begins with its short film. The company spent a few months writing the script and then shot it over a long weekend in Thomasville. The film won awards after its release in 2017. "There were a lot of people and critics saying that they wanted to see more, they wanted to hear more about the story," Robinette said. "We had more about the story we just didn't have time to tell it in a short film." After making a few more short films, 4 Leagues Media decided to write a feature screenplay for "Tethered." It took about a year. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic continued, the company decided to proceed with filming but with caution. Over 15 days in January 2021, all filming took place outside. The set was closed to all but cast and crew. The crew wore masks. Everyone ate individually-packaged meals. They underwent testing and temperature checks. They came directly to work and went home. And they all stayed healthy, Robinette said. Jared Laufree of Walkertown plays Solomon and Brody Bett of Greensboro plays Solomon when he was younger. Hollywood actor Kareem Ferguson appears as Hank the hunter. Veteran film and television actor Alexandra Paul plays Solomon's mother. Her past work includes John Carpenter's "Christine" and most notably nine seasons on TV's "Baywatch." Chris Demm of the "Two Guys Named Chris" radio show on WKRR-FM (Rock 92) has a cameo with a voice role. Some viewers who praised the short film might be disappointed with the feature, Robinette admitted. "It's a slow-burn film," he explained. "It takes its time." Although most of the company's short films fall into the horror genre, the stories are more psychological than violence and gore, Robinette said. "People who are huge horror fans who want to go out and see 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' if they see 'Tethered,' they're not going to get what they want out of it," he said. He hopes that "Tethered" opens doors to more feature films. But for now, the premiere of "Tethered" is the focus. "I can't wait for the audiences to see it," he said, "and hear their reactions." Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 336-373-5204 and follow @dawndkaneNR on Twitter. Officials say it could take days or even weeks to free a massive container ship stranded near Gibson Island since Sunday evening. U.S. Coast Guard officials still were trying to determine Wednesday how to refloat the nearly 1,100-foot Ever Forward, a Hong Kong-flagged vessel, that was on its way out of the Port of Baltimore heading to Norfolk, Virginia, when it ran aground outside the Craighill Channel east of Gibson Island and Pasadena. Advertisement The channel, a 700-foot wide path that is dredged to a depth of 52 feet to accommodate large cargo ships, is the main artery for freight coming to the port by sea, said Kipp Snow, who directs the transportation, distribution, maritime logistics department of the Community College of Baltimore County. The container ship Ever Forward, which ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay near Pasadena, is seen from Downs Park on Monday. (Jeffrey F. Bill/AP) Water depths adjacent to the channel range from 25 feet to shoals of 17 feet, according to nautical charts, and the Ever Forward, owned by Evergreen Marine Corp., needs about 43 feet of water to safely operate. Advertisement Its essentially stuck in the mud, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Cynthia Oldham, a spokesperson, noting the Ever Forward is particularly large for a cargo ship and is stacked with containers, making it more difficult to refloat the vessel. Evergreen has appointed salvor Donjon Smit to join the rescue operation and experts are assessing the vessels grounding condition, the weight of its cargo and the tidal range at the location as they plan to refloat the vessel, according to a Thursday company news release. The Ever Forward can carry up to 12,000 of the truck-sized steel boxes used in global trade that can be readily shifted between ships, trucks and trains. The Coast Guard is investigating how the ship ran off course Sunday night and has not disclosed any findings. Oldham said she did not know if a local pilot was operating the vessel at the time. Maryland law requires foreign vessels to employ a pilot licensed by the state to operate the craft in state waters. The Association of Maryland Pilots did not respond to a request for comment. Along with technical experts, a salvage team, naval architects and divers, the Coast Guard was looking at a couple of options to free the Ever Forward, but had not decided on one yet, Oldham said, noting that some processes could take weeks to free the ship. When a massive ship runs aground, crews may attempt a combination of both dredging underneath the vessel, and using tension from tugboats to set it afloat, Snow said. It could take days or weeks, Oldham added, to free the cargo ship. While officials decide how to free the ship, the Coast Guard has ordered the crew of the Ever Forward to check fuel levels every four hours, as a large drop would indicate fuel spilling into the bay. No environmental hazards have been noticed, officials said, and nobody has been injured. The Coast Guard established a safety zone close to the ship, asking mariners to avoid the area and requiring those who must pass through the channel to travel in one-way traffic. Advertisement The Morning Sun Daily Get your morning news in your e-mail inbox. Get all the top news and sports from the baltimoresun.com. > Evergreen Marine, the Taiwanese shipping company that owns the Ever Forward, did not respond to requests for comment this week. Evergreen Marine also owns the Ever Given, an even larger container ship that became wedged across Egypts Suez Canal last year, blocking all traffic in the vital waterway and disrupting a global shipping system that already was strained by the coronavirus pandemic. It was freed March 29, 2021. The Ever Forwards grounding in the Chesapeake Bay a year later is not impacting the global supply chain nearly as much, officials said, as ships are still able to pass by the marooned vessel. The ships grounding has not prevented other ships from transiting into or out of the Port of Baltimore, Port of Baltimore Executive Director William P. Doyle tweeted Wednesday morning. Business and commerce related activities at the Port of Baltimore continue as normal. Snow said that while the ships impact on the supply chain is minimal compared to the Suez Canal grounding last year, there would be various, small ripple effects from the Ever Forward, which is carrying a variety of general cargo, remaining stuck. Really, the only impact is the cargo and the freight aboard the vessel, as the shipping lines customers will have to wait longer to get their goods, Snow said. But as the vessel misses its next port calls, revenue and wages could be lost and there could be extra costs to reload the ship. Advertisement The Associated Press contributed to this article. RALEIGH North Carolina is entering a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday. I know that we have turned the corner on this pandemic, Cooper said at a news conference, where he announced how his administration will modify its approach to evaluating the spread of the respiratory disease. We believe that the worst is over. Today is about how we approach the future, the plan for preparing, informing and also encouraging individual responsibility and empowerment here. Starting next week, the state will adjust how it reports COVID-19 data and will reallocate resources as the disease becomes an endemic part of everyday life, much like the common flu. Data will continue to drive our response as it has through the entire pandemic, but some metrics no longer measure the moment, said Kody Kinsley, North Carolinas Secretary of Health. Some that you are used to seeing, like the percentage of positive tests, will no longer be our focus. After reporting COVID-19 data on a mostly daily basis for the past two years, the state will now present metrics for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. The states COVID-19 dashboard will change to represent seven key metrics of the revised pandemic response. Among them: wastewater sampling, total case trends, booster rates and COVID-19 variants currently present. The dashboard no longer will include contact tracing data and will report case data and positive tests on a weekly basis. Coopers announcement comes almost exactly two years after his executive order requiring schools to close for two weeks and other parts of North Carolina started to shut down as COVID-19 began appearing. At the beginning, our country was short of the most basic tools, Cooper said. Weve got our children back in school. We kept our economy going. We saved lives. And now we turn the page on the pandemic knowing that we have the tools for people and businesses to make the right choices for themselves. COVID-19 trends in North Carolina have improved following a holiday surge. Daily cases have plummeted. After reaching a pandemic-record of 44,833 new cases recorded on Jan. 13, recent figures have teetered around 1,000. Three times this week, the state reported fewer than 1,000 new cases per day, including just 373 cases on Monday. Hospitalizations are also down, with 799 people hospitalized throughout the state as of Tuesday. By comparison, on Feb. 15 the state was reporting 2,870 hospitalizations. But Kinsley noted that data on the number of new cases no longer presents an accurate picture of COVID-19 because home tests are not reported to the state. Instead, he said its important to look at metrics like booster rates, hospital admissions and wastewater testing as an early indicator of increases in other metrics. After allowing a statewide mask mandate to expire last July, Cooper focused on giving cities, counties and school districts the liberty to enact their own mandates, based on the individual levels of spread in different parts of the state. In February, however, the Democratic governor said that declines in key metrics and easy access to vaccines meant that local governments and school districts that still had masking requirements in place should lift the restrictions. Despite the pandemics positive trajectory, Kinsley encouraged North Carolinians to be diligent in minimizing spread. While COVID is now a threat we can manage, he said, it has not disappeared. Severe Weather Preparedness Week (March 6-12) passed in North Carolina with little fanfare. Most residents were probably not even aware of the occasion. But severe weather and tornado preparedness in particular is something we ought to take very seriously. Ask the residents of Parrish, Ill. Actually, we cant. On March 18, 1925, Parrish was wiped off the map quite literally by the Tri-State Tornado, the deadliest in American history. Its 695 victims had no warning that the storm was coming. An excerpt from the Urbana (Ill.) Daily Courier from March 23, 1925 five days after the tornado informs us that in Parrish, not one of the 100 houses that sheltered the 500 population remains standing. Two public buildings, the Methodist church and the schoolhouse are left, all the rest of the village having been swept bare. Survivors of the storm, we learn, dragged the ponds in the vicinity of Parrish and recovered 26 bodies. (The eventual, official death toll in Parrish was 33.) According to several reports, many victims were carried aloft and spit out of the maelstrom a mile away their bodies in unspeakable condition. Others suffered a fate similar to that of George Boland, a deputy sheriff in DeSoto, Ill. He was picked up and carried away, but his remains were never found. The Tri-State was a monstrous, mile-wide, catastrophically violent twister that formed in eastern Missouri, near Ellington, and traveled northeasterly across southern Illinois, and finally, into Indiana. At the time, there was no ranking system for tornadoes, but experts have concluded that the Tri-State would easily qualify as an EF5 on the modern Enhanced Fujita scale. Its winds exceeded 300 mph powerful enough to destroy virtually every type of structure, and even strip the bark from trees. EF5 is a dubious distinction achieved by only one or two tornadoes out of every thousand. But even that rare classification understates the singular fury of the Tri-State, which holds multiple records. To this day, neither its duration (3 hours on the ground), nor its distance traveled (an incredible 219 miles) has been matched. It also ranks among the fastest-moving: its average speed was 62 mph, but at times, it raced along at 73. It would hardly be a stretch to describe the Tri-State tornado as supernatural, a term defined by Websters as not explainable by known natural forces or laws. Even modern meteorologists are baffled by the tornados exceptionally long, continuous path and nearly unparalleled ferocity. The National Weather Service declared the Tri-State a rare event occurring only once in several hundred years. The weather forecast for the affected region on March 18, 1925, called for rains and strong, shifting winds. There was no mention of tornadoes, for a couple of reasons: First, no one at the time could accurately predict the likelihood of twisters, and second, since the 1880s, use of the term tornado had been forbidden by the weather bureau. It would remain so until 1950. Even farmers, who have long been acknowledged as experts on weather and storms, were blindsided by the Tri-State. Part of the reason for this could be that, for much of its path, the tornado did not look like a funnel at all; rather, some witnesses described it as a boiling mass of clouds churning along the ground. The funnel was often shrouded in hail, torrential rain and debris. This was not the case near Biehle, Mo., where, according to survivors and damage assessments, the Tri-State was a double-vortex tornado meaning it consisted of two distinct funnels. Biehle was one of several towns and villages practically annihilated. The Tri-State tornado reached the pinnacle of its intensity as it slammed into Murphysboro, Ill., where it killed 234 people the largest single-city death toll ever by a tornado in the U.S. Its 300-mph winds scoured the earth and yanked railroad tracks from the ground. Most of the town was reduced to rubble, which promptly burst into flames. Dozens of people, trapped under tons of debris, were incinerated. North Carolina averages about 13 tornadoes per year almost exclusively EF1s (winds from 73-112 mph) and EF2s (113-157). Fortunately, we have never experienced an EF5 (260-318 mph). Lets hope we never do. Charles Davenport Jr. (cdavenportjr@hotmail.com) is an op-ed columnist and freelance writer. He lives in Kernersville. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Arianne Wing is the co-author of Noodles Through Escargots, and co-owner of the L.T. Sue Co. Tea Room and Emporium, benefiting the restoration and preservation of China Alley. She may be reached at ariannewing@gmail.com The Syrian Democratic Council issued a statement on the 4th anniversary of the occupation by the Turkish occupation and its backed- mercenaries. The statement read " The Turkish state launched an aggression against Afrin on January 20, 2018, and after 58 days the people of Afrin, the People's Protection Units, the Women's Protection Units and the Asayish forces proved peerless resistance in the modern history . The Turkish army and its affiliated terrorists whose numbers are estimated at more than 50,000, occupied the city of Afrin, where they used dozens of planes and hundreds of tanks, in addition to internationally prohibited weapons, through which they committed war crimes against humanity." The statement added, "The Turkish aggression left majority of the people of Afrin emigrating from their land, homes, and olive trees. The years of occupation also left catastrophic consequences on Afrin, its history along with looting, killing, kidnapping and demographic change processes." The statement stressed, " We in the Syrian Democratic Council call for an immediate end to Turkey's occupation of Afrin, we reiterate that the issue of liberating Afrin has priority not only in Syria but the entire region. The statement called on "the United Nations to assume its responsibilities in the safe return for IDPs of Afrin, and expelling all occupiers from it. " " When and whether you go gray depends a lot on your genetics, though several studies have tied graying to stress. Grace Cary/Getty Images Your head contains hundreds of thousands of follicles, and each follicle is charged with producing one hair. Before hair emerges, other cells known as melanocytes determine the hair's pigment. Once a hair's color is set, it's set. When our hair turns gray, it's because of reduced amounts of melanin, and when hair is completely white, it's because it lacks melanin altogether. That's partly because of we lose the amount of stem cells that can become melanin-producing cells. But why? Advertisement Scientists aren't exactly sure. It could be those stem cells wear out or they become damaged. The support systems that help keep them working could also fail. But our hair follicles also simply produce less color as we/they age. So it makes sense that as each strand of hair dies and falls out and new strands regenerate in their place, their color will be lighter over time. Genetics and Graying But when and if you go gray is mostly influenced by your parents, as our genetics seem to have the most control over what comes out of each hair follicle. Scientists have been trying for decades to determine what's happening with our genes and cells when hair goes gray. Not only because they want to solve the mysteries of gray hair, but also because our hair might reveal information that's useful in treating other conditions related to aging. In 2004, for example, researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston were studying melanoma, which involves an overproduction of melanocytes in the skin that can lead to skin cancer. While trying to learn more about the nature of melanocytes, the researchers found that hair might go gray as the supply of melanocyte stem cells is depleted. Even before those stem cells are completely gone, though, they begin to make errors, such as depositing the pigment at the wrong place in the follicle so they have no effect on the hair [source: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute]. The results of a 2009 Japanese study published in the journal Cell indicated that stress can in fact cause gray hair, but not the type of stress that comes with a teenage driver or an impending job interview. Rather, researchers found that genotoxic stress, in the form of ultraviolet light and chemicals, damages our DNA and could cause the depletion of those melanocyte stem cells. Though research seems to indicate that we could stop the DNA damage by removing the genotoxic stress, the researchers estimate that just one mammalian cell is subjected to 100,000 such stressors in one day, making complete avoidance impossible. Remove the Stress, Reverse the Gray? But a small 2021 study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons is the first with measurable evidence that links everyday stress to gray hair and says it's even reversible. The researchers analyzed individual hairs from 14 volunteers. They compared the results with the volunteer's "stress diary," in which they tracked and rated their weekly level of stress. The researchers were surprised to discover that hair color was restored in some participants when stressors were eliminated. "Understanding the mechanisms that allow 'old' gray hairs to return to their 'young' pigmented states could yield new clues about the malleability of human aging in general and how it is influenced by stress," study senior author Martin Picard, Ph.D., said in a press statement. Picard is an associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University. "Our data add to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that human aging is not a linear, fixed biological process but may, at least in part, be halted or even temporarily reversed." Take that, gray hair! Different Hair Colors Though hair comes in a variety of hues, there are only two types of melanin, or pigment. Eumalin is a dark brown or black pigment, while pheolmalin is reddish yellow. When the two combine in varying levels, as dictated by genetics, they produce the wide range of hair colors we all sport. Advertisement Originally Published: Jul 29, 2009 Turning Red On Disney+ (PG) Grade: A Pixars Turning Red channels its inner Judy Blume as it explores puberty with unflinching honesty. Somewhere Blume, 84, must be smiling. Judy was wading in these waters 50 years ago complete with predictable accusations that puberty is too hot a subject for teens to handle. Blume responded to the controversies surrounding her books with a shrug and a smile. I have news for you. Your kids are going to go through puberty, whether you like it or not, so why not help them? Blume said once to overheated parents. Turning Red lets women tell a coming-of-age story about girls. Domee Shi directs, the first woman to helm a Pixar film alone. The writer, producer and lead actors including Sandra Oh - are all powerful women. No wonder Turning Red is so free of compromise about how girls grow up. Shi appropriates a familiar Disney trope a fuzzy creature to serve as a multi-purpose metaphor that highlights menstruation, maturation and helicopter moms. Center stage is Mei Lee, 13, a precocious Chinese Canadian girl being raised by a controlling mother who wants her daughter to respect tradition, love her parents and skip puberty. Alas, Mei Lee heads for the dark side of the tween moon right on schedule eighth grade. Her battle with her body is brought to life in classic animated fashion she turns into a giant red panda whenever her body gets overly excited. At 13, thats roughly every hour. Her mom initially assumes the mood swings are just Mei Lee becoming a woman. Were going to get through this together, reassures mom. I have Ibuprofen, vitamin B, a hot water bottle and pads. Oh, that adolescent trauma could be so simply subdued. Mei Lees middle-school-life crisis blends physical changes (I dont like the way I smell), emotional extremes (I will not hesitate to do a spontaneous cartwheel if so moved) and mother-daughter separation pains (Im figuring out who I am, mom. Im afraid it will take me away from you!) Mei Lee is a deliciously confused girl. Fortunately, she has wonderful friends who form her warm and fuzzy blanket. They embrace their best friend, Panda and all. That love gives Mei Lee the courage to confront, and ultimately subdue, her inner demons. My panda, my choice, mom, she says, echoing her dads Buddhist advice not to push away the bad stuff, but to make room for it. The story will end in tween girl heaven: At a boy band concert. Some things never change. Footnote: Disney, the distributor, has chosen, initially, not to release Turning Red in theaters, but rather only on Disney+. My bet is that the Mouse House was a little worried about how its blunt tale of a Blume-ing teen girl would be received in neighborhood multiplexes. Pshaw. Go big or go home, Walt. Double down on Pixars delightful period piece about a red panda. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Benefis Health System broke ground Thursday on what will be its largest expansion into the Helena area. The $44 million, 64,000 square-foot Helena Specialty Center is being built on 3.25 acres where the Capital Hill Mall used to stand on Prospect Avenue. According to Kaci Husted, vice president of business development and communications, the center will have 34 exam rooms and a 16-chair infusion suite. Husted said there will be eight physicians based in the center at the start, but there will also be accommodations for caregivers who do not live in Helena, but work within the Benefis system. This center will mostly focus on providing primary and specialty care services. According to Benefis officials, the site was chosen primarily due to its convenient location and size. It is expected to open in late 2023. Benefis is expanding services to an area traditionally served by St. Peter's Health and PureView Health Center. A 2021 study on The Economic Impact of Montanas Hospitals by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana and released by the Montana Hospital Association showed that 65.9% of Benefis patients live in Cascade County and 3.8% live in Lewis and Clark County. It also showed that 76.1% of St. Peters patients live in Lewis and Clark County and 1.9% live in Cascade County. The Great Falls-based health care provider has expanded around its home area, but Helena marks the first real expansion outside, Benefis officials said. Husted said there may be times when physicians from Great Falls need to travel to the Helena area to provide treatment or services and this facility will have space for them. "We have a lot of people who would come to Great Falls for treatment," Husted said. "This will make things easier for them." John Goodnow, chief executive officer of Benefis, made similar comments the night before and expressed enthusiasm for the project at an invitation-only gathering Wednesday at the Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern Hotel. He said that "Benefis loves Helena," and added the health care provider has been serving people from Helena for a long time who have come to Great Falls, oftentimes for services not available in Helena. "This will be way more convenient, to be able to do it here in your own community," Goodnow said. "I think we have a great site and I think it will be good for the Helena economy too. We are just tickled to be here and can't wait to get the new big facility built ... and to be part of Helena." Amy Linder, division operations director for Benefis Health System, they have physicians here and community partners. She said the employees are part of the community and have already found ways to get involved. Linder said they have joined with Carroll College to address the states nursing shortage. Weve seen some of those students coming out and we are excited they are taking care of us, she said. Linder said Benefis has always worked with local providers. She said the urgent care facility on Washington Street, known as Benefis Northeast, is seeing 25-35 patients daily and expects the number to increase. The facility will remain open after the specialty center opens. Dr. Gregory Tierney, Benefis' chief medical officer, said the center will offer access to cancer care, cardiac care and surgical procedures such as outpatient joint replacements, podiatry, urology, general surgery, ear, nose and throat surgery and gastroenterology. He said the center is designed with facilities for physicians visiting from Great Falls. He said they will also recruit physicians who will live in Helena. He said Montana is a big state and people are used to driving long distances. "But when you are not feeling well, when you're battling a disease or have limited mobility, traveling isn't something you are eager to do," he said. "The old model of requiring patients to travel to us is being flipped. We are bringing services to you." The center was designed by LPW Architects and Benefis has partnered with Sletten Construction for building. Benefis said the facility will create 207 jobs in the Helena area by 2030. Husted characterized this project as the "first big expansion outside Great Falls." Though it technically marks the fourth facility Benefis will operate in Helena. In July 2021, Benefis opened a 4,800 square-foot urgent care facility in an old IHOP building on Washington Street. Last October, the company purchased Helena Imaging, which provided two more outpatient radiology locations in town. Those facilities now operate under the name Benefis Helena Imaging. Paul Fulbright, manager of radiology, said Benefis plans to spend $2.5 million to upgrade those offices. Husted said they have opened facilities in small towns like Havre, which is closer to Great Falls, but nothing within the scope of this new center. Staff Writer Phil Drake contributed to this story. Love 16 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Baltimore City judge sentenced two juveniles to serve 30 years in prison for the April murder of 41-year-old Fabian Mendez, who was carjacked and dragged with his car in the Baltimore Highlands neighborhood. Mendezs murder April 2 was one of a series of violent incidents in the Highlandtown area of East Baltimore that left the Latino community there on edge. Two 16-year-old boys and a 13-year-old girl attempted to carjack Mendez, who was on his way to work around 9:30 a.m. on the 100 block of North Conkling Street. Advertisement The teenagers assaulted Mendez outside his 2010 Toyota Camry before getting in the car and attempting to flee. Baltimore Police said Donyae Witherspoon, who turned 17 days after the assault, confessed to driving the car and striking Mendez, who was then dragged for several blocks. Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced the teenagers sentence and other recent murder convictions in a news conference Tuesday touting her offices record. She introduced a new interactive dashboard that tracks prosecutorial data, such as city conviction rates. Advertisement Mr. Mendez was carjacked and then run over and dragged several blocks to his death in a crime that shocked the city, Mosby said. Witherspoon and Terrance Wilbon, now 17, were charged with murder and tried as adults. The identity of juvenile defendants and their related court records are typically kept secret under a law passed by the General Assembly in 2020, but Witherspoon and Wilbons identities were made public because their case remained in adult court. They pleaded guilty to first-degree murder March 8 and were sentenced to life in prison, suspending all but 30 years, with five years of probation. The 13-year-old girl was charged as a juvenile. Juvenile court records are not public. Roland Harris, Wilbons defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment. The Office of the Public Defender, which represented Witherspoon, declined to comment. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > Mosby also announced recent guilty pleas by Leon Lomax, who was 17 when he was charged with shooting and paralyzing Tamar Brown in 2015, and Trevor McDole, charged in 2019 with fatally stabbing 57-year-old Alex Bland and fatally beating 75-year-old Joyce Anderson, who later died from her injuries. Lomax, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder March 7 for shooting Brown twice in the back on July 17, 2015, in the 4600 block of Reisterstown Road in the Lucille Park neighborhood. Brown was paralyzed and died in 2019 at age 24 from complications of the shooting, Mosby said. Lomax has not yet been sentenced, according to court records. He was represented by the public defenders office, which declined to comment. A Baltimore judge sentenced McDole, 28, to life in prison suspended all but 40 years with five years of supervised probation, said Mosby, who called the sentence a victory. Advertisement McDole, of Canton, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder March 7 for fatally stabbing Bland and injuring Anderson during an altercation Sept. 28, 2019. Police found McDole naked and running from a rowhouse on the 1800 block of East Lafayette Avenue in the Broadway East neighborhood. Police found Blands body inside the rowhouse and located Anderson, who was unconscious and later died from her injuries in December 2019. McDole was represented by the public defenders office, which declined to comment. Editors note: The Helena Independent Record received this email Thursday afternoon from Valerie Hellermann, who is executive director with Hands On Global. Members of Hands on Global left last week for Siret, Romania, on the Ukraine-Romania border to establish a medical relief team for those fleeing the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This is the third email Hellermann has sent to the newspaper and others. Portions of this email have been edited for clarity. This morning crossing the border we saw 2 youngish women saying goodbye to their husbands. Long hugs, many tears. I couldnt take their photo and intrude on what could be a final moment between them. I barely held back my tears thinking, could I say goodbye to my husband or son knowing he was an unprepared untrained soldier against a ruthless enemy? Very busy day at a shelter with 450 people. There is a wonderful solidarity among the Ukrainian people , the school dorms turned into shelters with volunteers cooking, doing laundry helping each other. There is no laughter in the halls and serious phone conversations in hallways as people try to connect with loved ones and get updates on their homes, their community. What is gone what is left. The refugees express gratefulness and appreciation for our medical care and there are many hugs and tears as people break down for a moment before returning to their stoic stance for their children. It is hard. Our driver is from Kharkiv (northeast Ukraine), which has been under bombardment for weeks and suffering incredible destruction. His face has more lines everyday. He has left his home and business and stays with a relative in Chenivfitzi (Chernivtsi) in a 2-bedroom apartment with 15 people. Our team (is) working really well together. Triage, consultation treatment and pharmacy. We have a great translator the mighty Oleg . And today a lovely young woman volunteered all day to translate. She refused to be paid when we offered her some money. Coming back across the border it was really cold but as we waited for our passports to be stamped. We get 4 everyday. There was a beautiful sunset and we turned around to see the full moon rising. How is it there can be such beauty on this planet and such manmade devastation? Valerie Hellermann Executive Director Hands On Global Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obliged to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A woman experiencing delusions sat in Montanas Cascade County jail for 125 days while waiting for a bed at the state psychiatric hospital. A man with schizophrenia spent 100 days last year in the Flathead County jail on the hospitals waitlist, at times refusing food and water. A man complaining of voices in his head was jailed for 19 months awaiting a mental health evaluation. Montana State Hospitals forensic facility, which evaluates and treats patients in the criminal justice system, has always had a waitlist, court records show, but the pandemic has lengthened it. As a result, people have been behind bars for months on pending charges without adequate mental health treatment. Some have undergone long stretches in solitary confinement as jail staffers have struggled to respond to their needs. Others waited so long that courts dropped the criminal charges against them altogether. Some were arrested again on more serious charges. In Montana, as elsewhere, mental health advocates, attorneys, and sheriffs say part of the problem is a widespread lack of services to help people with serious mental illnesses. So the criminal justice system functions as the catch basin for the nations limited mental health system. The treatment system failed people, said Matt Kuntz, director of the Montana chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Theyre locked in their mind, and theyre locked in jail. It is the saddest end to a series of tragedies. The psychiatric hospital, overseen by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, is under intense scrutiny after a federal investigation revealed that as the facility struggled with massive staffing shortages its main campus failed to protect patients from falls and covid-19, which led to at least four deaths. The hospitals federal funding is now in jeopardy. Its forensic facility a few miles from the main campus doesnt receive federal money, and so it wasnt part of that oversight. But staffing problems plague the forensic site, too. As of March 14, permanent staffers filled 46 of the facilitys 81 full-time positions, said health department spokesperson Jon Ebelt. Contract workers and hospital employees trained for both the forensic site and the main campus helped plug some of the gaps. As of March 1, 71 people were waiting for treatment or an evaluation at the 54-bed forensic unit, Ebelt said. People with an evaluation in hand or those facing especially serious criminal charges may jump ahead in line. In one case, court documents show, state officials wrote to Flathead County prosecutors they couldnt venture a guess as to when there will be a bed available. Attorneys were trying to get admitted Ilya Khmelev, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had allegedly violated a restraining order. After he spent 85 days in jail, a judge dismissed the charges against Khmelev in June 2021, citing the hospitals unreasonable delay. Within days, he was arrested again, this time for allegedly trying to push his way into a house. He waited 15 days for a transfer to the state hospital for treatment. A Kalispell judge dismissed that case in January because Khmelev was deemed unfit for trial. Khmelev could not be reached for comment. Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said caring for people with a mental illness while they await trial or treatment strains detention staffers. Everybody is really trying to do everything they can, Heino said, referring to jails, local mental health services, and the state hospital. The limitations on how many mental health professionals we have, thats an issue across the board, an issue across the U.S. right now. Some judges have rebuked the hospital for failing to meet its obligations. In 2020, Cascade County District Court Judge John Kutzman dismissed the case of Jose Remigio Zapata, who was waiting in jail for a state evaluation while facing charges of child sexual abuse. He is presumed innocent and he has spent the last year and seven months in jail, Kutzman wrote. This train wreck lies at the feet of the State Hospital. Remigio Zapata could not be reached, and his attorneys declined to comment. The health department declined a request for an interview with its director or the state hospitals top boss. Ebelt said staffing shortages at the hospital didnt directly affect the forensic units waitlist. He blamed the increasing delays on too few beds and psychiatrists, numerous court-ordered admissions, and pandemic protocols. As of March 16, the state reported only 63% of the forensic facilitys beds were full despite its waitlist. Ebelt said admissions are limited because units are broken out by gender and beds may be reserved for patients away for court or medical appointments. Lewis and Clark County Attorney Leo Gallagher said the most frequent hang-up hes seen as a prosecutor has been people waiting for an evaluation by the state hospital, which assesses whether they are mentally competent to stand trial. Jurisdictions or defendants attorneys can pay for a local evaluation instead, but that requires money and health professionals. These folks can be parked in the county jail anywhere from six months to eight months, Gallagher said. Its been going on for years. It has become more acute lately. Shylah Hanway, now 20, was arrested in 2020 for allegedly exposing herself to a minor and spent nearly four months on the hospitals waitlist. A Cascade County judge had ordered the forensic unit to treat her for disorganized schizophrenia. Hanway, who continues to grapple with mental health issues, declined to make a statement through her lawyer. In that case, she spent large chunks of time in solitary confinement in the Cascade County jail, records said, at times refusing to shower or clothe herself, and not eating for days. The initial charges against her were dropped after her attorney argued the wait violated her right to due process. But before that happened, she was charged with a separate felony for allegedly punching a detention officer who tried to persuade her to eat. After 114 days, a bed opened at the hospital. But once released from treatment, she was sent back to jail to face the assault charge. Her lawyer, Daylon Martin, said she still believed she was someone else, a woman in her 30s with 23 kids. Hanway got out on bail in May 2021 but was arrested again the next month. This time she was accused of kidnapping a child who, according to court records, Hanway thought was her daughter. Again, an evaluation deemed she needed treatment, and again she went on the hospitals waitlist, sitting in jail an additional 125 days. You put someone with a mental health issue by themselves in a cell, theyre not getting what they need, Martin said. They got worse waiting to go to the state hospital. Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki said softer approaches are more likely if someone is charged with trespassing or damaging property. He said things get complicated if someone with a mental illness harms another person. I understand theyre mentally ill, but I cant just let them go for fear that they will continue to victimize others, Racki said. Although violent crimes committed by people with a mental illness often grab attention, theyre rare. People with a mental disorder are much more likely to be the target of a crime than those without. State lawmakers are studying Montanas criminal commitment process and have discussed the need to recruit more mental health providers and increase oversight of the state hospital. But the next legislative session isnt until 2023. Meanwhile, Hanway, who already spent much of the past two years on the hospitals waitlist, is back in jail, this time on criminal mischief and theft charges. As of March 16, she had been in jail for 22 days. 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. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 2 Montana is set to be designated free of invasive mussels as the state moves to delist Tiber Reservoir as a mussel-positive waterbody. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recently launched the delisting process for Tiber. The agency is taking public comment through March 25 and will hold an online public hearing next week to consider stripping "known existence of aquatic invasive mussels, from the agencys rulebook on invasive species. In 2016 larvae called veligers, from either invasive zebra or quagga mussels, were detected during water sampling at Tiber. A suspected positive sample was also detected at Canyon Ferry Reservoir that same year. The detections were the first in the state, drew a governors emergency declaration and quickly saw the Legislature fund a significantly beefed up watercraft inspection and water sampling program. Decontamination stations at the two reservoirs soon became a fact of life for boaters, increasing education campaigns such as the states Clean, Drain, Dry, program, and regulations mandating inspections for out-of-state boats and those traveling east to west over the Continental Divide aimed to protect mussel-free waters. Waters infested with invasive mussels have seen a multitude of consequences, from negative impacts on fisheries and other aquatic life to significant costs associated with cleaning and keeping infrastructure clear of the mollusks. Estimates of a worst-case infestation in Montana put costs north of $200 million. But the detection of veligers does not always lead to the detection of an adult population, as veligers may be transported on watercraft or a few adults might release veligers but ultimately fail to breed due to environmental reasons. The accepted method of testing for mussels involves a fine-mesh net followed by an inspection of its contents under a microscope. Since those first samples at Tiber and Canyon Ferry, the state has analyzed thousands of samples without another positive detection. A newer method, analysis of eDNA, is growing in detection applications as well, but microscopic analysis remains the current standard. With Canyon Ferry designated a suspected positive based on a single sample, three years of negative samples allowed the reservoir to be delisted in 2019. The three-year mark is based on the known biology of mussels and the likelihood that if they were present, adult mussels would have been found. The bar is higher with positive samples from Tiber, requiring five years of negatives to qualify for delisting after more than one sample tested positive for veligers. Wed be considered nationally mussel-free, said Thomas Woolf, FWPs aquatic invasive species bureau chief. Because weve not had that evidence (of mussels) for five years, its something where we may have dodged a bullet. Woolf noted that Colorado has seen waterbodies go through the same multi-year quarantine process as Canyon Ferry and Tiber, be delisted and remain mussel-free. The news around aquatic invasive species is not all good, however, as inspectors stopped a record number of boats coming into Montana carrying adult mussels. And last year an unlikely source, aquarium moss, was found containing mussels. The data tells us we still see a threat coming, Woolf said. Mussel-free doesnt change the vectors coming into the state, and its important that we continue to address it. With boating season quickly approaching, a few inspection stations are already open. Removing Tiber from a positive waterbody designation will allow a shifting of resources to other stations, Woolf said, and some new stations run by conservation districts are also slated to come online this year. Steve Harada, executive director of Montana Walleyes Unlimited, believed the removal of Tiber is a positive development. I think its a good deal for sure, he said. For one thing itll make access easier, and its all about getting people out fishing. Harada has worked as a tournament director on Fort Peck where anglers have incorporated extra protocols with FWP to clean boats. He believes the design of Montanas program has been good, for example allowing watercraft to be inspected at border stations such as Wibaux before coming into the state. The organization will continue to support invasive species prevention with its mission of enhancing warm water fisheries. The federal Bureau of Reclamation operates Tiber Dam. Resource division manager Jeff Baumberger said that following the positive detection the bureau conducted inspections of the dam face and riprap. The bureau had previously conducted water sampling for invasive species and will keep at it, he said. We will continue to operate Tiber Reservoir as we have in the past, and there are no restrictions on the reservoir, he said. Were happy its negative for sure, and were hoping it stays that way. Public comment Public comment on delisting Tiber Reservoir as a positive waterbody will be taken through March 25. Mail comments to: Tom Woolf, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT, 59620-0701. Or email: Thomas.Woolf@mt.gov FWP will hold an online at 1:30 p.m. on March 21. More information is available at www.fwp.mt.gov. Tom Kuglin is the deputy editor for the Lee Newspapers State Bureau. His coverage focuses on outdoors, recreation and natural resources. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The state Supreme Court said in a Tuesday order the Montana Attorney General erred in halting a ballot initiative from going out for signature-gathering. The proposed ballot initiative aims to add new environmental protections to stretches of the Gallatin and Madison rivers. The courts unanimous opinion, written by Chief Justice Mike McGrath, also indicated that the attorney general lacks the authority to reject a proposed ballot initiative on the basis that it amounts to a government taking of private property. And in a nonbinding, concurring opinion, McGrath went further, writing that the authority to determine the constitutionality of ballot proposals rests solely with the courts not with the AG. The court directed Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen to approve a final signature petition form to allow the environmental groups proposing the initiative to start collecting signatures to place it on the ballot. The groups have until June 17 to collect the 30,180 signatures needed to put the proposal to a statewide vote in the 2022 general election. They also need signatures from 5% of the voters in at least 34 of the states 100 House districts. Ballot Initiative 24 would apply Montanas Outstanding Resource Water designation to 35 miles of the Gallatin River, from the Yellowstone National Park boundary to the Spanish Creek confluence, and to about 55 miles of the Madison River, from Hebgen Lake to Ennis Lake. It would also amend the designation to prohibit temporary pollution sources. The law authorizing the designation currently applies only to year-round sources of pollution. Knudsen had rejected the proposal in late January, following his offices legal sufficiency review. He wrote in a legal memo that the ballot initiative would amount to a private property taking under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article II, Section 29 of the Montana Constitution, without providing compensation to potentially affected property owners. Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, one of the groups backing the measure, filed a petition with the state Supreme Court challenging the AG offices finding last month. Cottonwood executive director John Mayer said the proposal is aimed at combating water quality degradation in the two rivers. Last year, Republican lawmakers passed a law revising the AGs role in determining the legal sufficiency of a proposed ballot initiative. Previously, the AGs office could only block a proposal if it didnt comply with constitutional and statutory language for submitting ballot issues to voters. House Bill 651 now requires Knudsen to determine the substantive legality of the proposed issue if approved by the voters, giving his office broader authority to reject proposals. The seven justices unanimously ruled that Knudsens legal finding misapprehends and misapplies the law that applies to constitutional takings and contradicts the statutory scheme creating the attorney generals review process. While the federal and state constitutions include provisions prohibiting the government from taking private property without some degree of just compensation, the justices wrote that the environmental groups proposal doesnt match up with how previous court decisions have defined takings. There are two ways a governments action can rise to the level of a constitutional taking, they wrote either through a permanent physical invasion of property or by an action that eliminates all economically beneficial uses of the property. Knudsen had argued that in order for I-24 to be constitutional, it would have to compensate the property owners who would be affected by the Outstanding Water Resource designation. But the Attorney General provided no authority for this proposition, and as a matter of takings law, it is incorrect, the justices wrote. They added that nothing in the proposed initiative prevents affected property owners from suing the state to recover damages. The justices opinion goes further, writing that Knudsens determination shows the impropriety of using an opinion about regulatory takings to determine if a ballot issue is insufficient. In addition to the new legal sufficiency changes added by the Legislature last year, Republican lawmakers also gave the AG the power to add a warning label to signature petitions for proposed ballot initiatives that could hurt business or private property interests. Knudsen did just that, in addition to blocking the proposal based on his belief that its unconstitutional. It would not make sense for the law to call for an advisory statement (which would be appended to a valid petition) to be warranted for a reason that would also render the petition invalid, the justices wrote. Two other conservation groups, Gallatin Wildlife Association and Montana Rivers, are also backing I-24 and both signed onto the petition as plaintiffs. "We are extremely gratified that the Montana Supreme Court overruled the Attorney General, Gallatin Wildlife Association President Clint Nagel said in a press release Wednesday. This is a win for all citizens of the last best place. Mayer, with Cottonwood, said despite whats amounted to a six-week delay to start gathering signatures for the petition, he expects to get enough residents to sign on by the June deadline. Everyone in Montana wants clean water, Mayer said. Not that many people want rich out-of-staters building vacation houses and destroying our water. But theres a growing list of business groups and local officials, especially those in and around Big Sky, who are pushing back against the proposed initiative. On Wednesday, the Montana Chamber of Commerce issued a statement in opposition to I-24, referring to previous attempts by conservation groups to add the Outstanding Resource Waters designation to part of the Gallatin. The designation is the highest water designation that is typically reserved for extremely sensitive areas like national parks, and the (Department of Environmental Quality) and the courts have repeatedly declined to make such designations in this area, the group wrote, adding that it would hurt job creation and halt workforce housing progress. In a statement, AG spokesman Kyler Nerison argued that the ruling was consistent with Knudsens finding that the ballot initiative would bypass the normal review process established in state law. Instead of coming to this obvious conclusion, the Supreme Court justices engaged in legal gymnastics to align with radical environmentalists and maneuver toward an outcome that even two liberal Democrat governors rejected, Nerison wrote. Questionable legal authority But in a separate, concurring opinion, McGrath went even further in questioning Knudsens legal authority under the new law. He wrote that only the courts have the power to reject a proposed ballot initiative for running afoul of the constitution. McGrath wrote that the attorney general lacks such power, and the Legislature equally lacks the power to confer it upon him. That portion of the courts opinion was co-signed only by Justice Dirk Sandefur, and isnt binding as a legal precedent. Citing a 1986 state Supreme Court opinion regarding a proposed constitutional initiative, he noted that the court has taken a careful approach to those issues in the past: We should hesitate to 'interfere with the constitutional right of the people of Montana to make and amend our laws through the initiative process.' Anthony Johnstone, a constitutional law professor at the University of Montana, said that while the courts have at times tossed out initiative proposals that are clearly unconstitutional, the right of Montanans to directly engage in the legislative process is an area where theyve historically treaded lightly. No one can go into the Legislature to challenge a law as unconstitutional before it gets passed, Johnstone said. He added that the constitutionality of I-24 can still be challenged if it makes it onto the ballot and is passed by the voters. Because theres a final bite at the apple if it actually becomes law, thats usually been a reason not to scrutinize the initiative as closely before its in effect, Johnstone said. Partially because you dont actually know how its going to work until its in effect. Love 19 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Inmates at Montana State Prison who suffer from mental illness have new guarantees under a settlement inked last week between Disability Rights Montana and the Montana Department of Corrections. Along with a range of services, training for employees and restrictions on solitary confinement, the settlement also requires an independent monitor be appointed by Disability Rights Montana and the corrections department to ensure the terms are carried out at the prison outside Deer Lodge. In order to comply with the services required by the terms of the agreement, the Department of Corrections is also required to request three additional licensed therapists, three additional mental health technicians and two additional activities coordinators to be funded by the 2023 Legislature. "This settlement represents huge gains for the humane treatment of inmates with severe mental illness," Bernadette Franks-Ongoy, executive director of Disability Rights Montana, said in a press release announcing the settlement on Wednesday. "Inmates with severe mental illness will now be provided appropriate care, treatment and housing not to mention access to mental health experts and most importantly restrict the use of solitary confinement." Disability Rights Montana was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and Wisconsin firm Foley and Lardner LLP. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court against the corrections department in 2015 alleged violations of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by providing inadequate mental health services and punishing incarcerated people for behavior caused by their mental illness. In their press release Wednesday, DRM said conditions have improved at the state prison since the lawsuit was filed, thanks to the state Legislature and officials at the corrections department and the prison. Still, since the lawsuit was filed, 12 people with severe mental illness died by suicide at Montana State Prison. A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections said late Wednesday the department brought legislation in 2019 to codify some of these practices. The Montana Department of Corrections initiated significant reforms in restrictive housing practices at Montana State Prison that improve behavioral health services provided to inmates while also maintaining safety and security at the facility, Carolynn Bright said in an emailed statement. This settlement ... affirms our effort and commitment to providing a safe and rehabilitative environment at MSP and our other facilities. The 19-page settlement states that within six months, all cells used to house inmates with severe mental illness shall have clear windows that allow natural light into the cell, beds with a pad and a toilet and sink with potable water. Before the lawsuit, inmates suffering from several mental illness had been housed in "safe cells" on the restrictive housing unit, which, according to DRM, required those inmates to use a hole in the floor as a toilet. The settlement also requires those isolation cells only be used for emergencies, and when an inmate is placed in the safe cell, they are housed there only as long as a qualified mental health professional determines necessary. The prison's infirmary, according to the settlement, shall be prioritized when decisions are made about inmates experiencing a mental health crisis. Inmates with severe mental health will also be guaranteed at least four hours per day outside of solitary confinement, unless a mental health professional determines the inmate poses an imminent risk of harm. The prison, meanwhile, will update their policies, such as developing individual treatment plans for each individual who is determined to have severe mental illness and mandating a minimum of 30 hours of training for all correctional officers who work with those prison populations. While I am under no illusions that these reforms will be implemented overnight as a result of the settlement, I believe this represents a huge step forward, ACLU of Montana Executive Director Caitlin Borgmann said in Wednesday's press release. We still have a long way to go to reinstate the dignity of incarcerated individuals in Montana, but it can no longer be said that solitary confinement exists for mentally ill individuals at the Montana State Prison. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DECATUR It's not every day that a high school junior speaks to legislators. I spoke to the House Appropriations Committee about the Three Circles stipend and why it should be increased, said Jami Keck, an FFA member and student at MacArthur High School, during the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday morning. The Three Circles grant gives our teachers more money outside of school to help us with our activities and all the things we do outside of school. The Three Circles of FFA are academic subjects, supervised agricultural experiences and career development, all critical components the the ag education students in the Dwayne O. Andreas Ag Academy receive in Decatur's high schools. Zach Shields, executive director of the DPS Foundation, spoke at Wednesday's luncheon to give an update on the ag academy, which this year serves 435 students. Founded in 2018 thanks to a grant from the Howard Buffett Foundation, the Ag Academy's first cohort will graduate in May. Other than in 2021, due to the pandemic, enrollment has grown every year and will likely top 500 students next year. With that many students, the program is outgrowing the available space at the two high schools, Shields said. Interest has been so high that Buffett has offered another $9 million grant, which will fund the construction of the FFA Agricultural Education Center on U.S. 51 south of Red Tail Run, a place that will include classrooms, a theater, test plots, labs, and an arena that Decatur can share with surrounding communities' programs for shows and events. The hope is to have that center open by the middle of the 2022-23 academic year. With ag education and FFA coming back in districts surrounding Decatur, Shields told the chamber, it stood to reason that Macon County's largest district should offer it, too. But at the time the academy was organized, not everyone believed that urban kids would be interested. The enrollment has proven that wrong. A lot of these 435 kids had no prior interaction with agriculture beyond maybe driving past soybean fields, Shields said. So watching soft skills develop, watching them become leaders within the building, has been so meaningful. Students who were too shy to order in a restaurant now speak to large groups comfortably, he said. MacArthur's FFA chapter was named as one of the top 10 FFA chapters in the country recently, out of more than 8,000 chapters nationwide. The state FFA wants to hold its annual convention at Eisenhower High School, where enrollment is 62% minority students, and girls comprise about half the students. Ag Academy activities are driven by student interests. The students wanted animals, but the Living Science Farm, on the grounds of American Dreamer STEM Academy, wasn't zoned for farm animals. So, student Lily Sherrod took the lead in a presentation to the Decatur City Council asking for the farm to be rezoned for their needs, and it was. The support from the community, Shields said, has been enthusiastic. Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHICAGO Eugene Parker, a physicist who theorized the existence of solar wind and became the first person to witness the launch of a spacecraft bearing his name, has died, his son and the University of Chicago said Wednesday. His son, Eric Parker, said Eugene Parker died peacefully at a retirement community in Chicago on Tuesday, about a decade after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He was 94. NASA administrators and university colleagues hailed Parker as a visionary in his field of heliophysics, focused on the study of the sun and other stars. He is best known for his 1958 theory of the existence of solar wind a supersonic flow of particles off the sun's surface. "Dr. Eugene Parker's contributions to science and to understanding how our universe works touches so much of what we do here at NASA," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. "Dr. Parker's legacy will live on through the many active and future NASA missions that build upon his work." Parker recalled in 2018 that his solar wind theory was widely criticized and even mocked at publication. He was vindicated in 1962 when a NASA spacecraft mission to Venus confirmed his theory and solar wind's effect on the solar system, including occasional disruptions of communications systems on Earth. The experience became part of Parker's identity as an educator and mentor. "If you do something new or innovative, expect trouble," he said in 2018 when asked to give advice to early career scientists. "But think critically about it because if you're wrong, you want to be the first one to know that." Parker was born in 1927 in Houghton, Michigan. He studied physics at Michigan State University and California Institute of Technology, then worked as an assistant professor at the University of Utah before coming to the University of Chicago in 1955. Eric Parker said he and his sister, Joyce, simply knew their dad was a scientist and didn't learn about his stature in the field until later in their lives. The elder Parker would occasionally rise from the dinner table to jot down an idea, his son said. But his children most remember Parker as an involved dad and an avid hiker, camper and craftsman who carved busts of famous figures from wood and made much of the family's furniture. "He always felt like workaholics were missing out," Eric Parker said Wednesday. "He loved his job and he would tell you that when he discovered physics, he would have done it as a side gig because he enjoyed it so much. But he would also go on and on that if you're getting over 40 hours a week in your job, you were missing out on the rest of life." In addition to his children, Eugene Parker is survived by his wife, Niesje, and three grandsons. NASA honored Parker's scientific contributions in 2018 by naming a spacecraft after him that was destined to travel straight into the sun's crown. The Parker Solar Probe's successful launch which the then-91-year-old Parker attended has since provided unprecedented close views of the sun. Angela Olinto, dean of the physical sciences division at the University of Chicago, accompanied Parker to the launch. She recalled his seemingly boundless energy in the early morning hours preceding the launch and his childlike grin when everything went smoothly. "He was this ideal of a physicist: a person who has a strong intuition, who can see one step ahead and who can then sit down and show the intuition is correct," Olinto said Dr. Nicola Fox, director of NASA's Heliophysics Division, said Parker "was a visionary," adding that she will miss sharing the latest data from the probe's travels with him. "Even though Dr. Parker is no longer with us, his discoveries and legacy will live forever," Fox said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A police officer was killed and another was injured early Thursday morning outside Motel 6 formerly Bonneville Motel in Bonne Terre, Missouri, about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis. Missouri State Highway Patrol Spokesperson Dallas Thompson said the officers were dispatched to a disturbance at the motel at about 12:24 a.m. As they approached the door of the room where the disturbance was reported, a man exited the room and began firing shots at the officers with a handgun. Both officers, Patrolman Lane Burns and Cpl. Garrett Worley, were struck by gunfire. Thompson said they returned fire, killing the suspect. Thompson said Burns was taken to Parkland Health Center in critical condition. At 3 a.m. Bonne Terre Police Chief Doug Calvert confirmed that Burns died. Lane didnt make it, Calvert said. They tried. Officials said Worley was flown to a St. Louis hospital where he was undergoing surgery for a gunshot to the lower leg. At 3:30 a.m., Thompson said the MSHP Division of Drug and Crime Control was in Bonne Terre heading up the investigation. They were not releasing any information about the suspect at this time. Thompson indicated they were unsure what the suspect's connection was to the community. Both officers were full-time officers for the Bonne Terre Police Department. We will post more information as it is made available. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 There are as many opinions about what to do with our clocks as there are people. Those who have given the options theoretical thought wont be able to find with anyone who agrees with them precisely. We welcome the U.S. Senates decision to eliminate time changes, and we hope the House follows suit and President Biden signs the bill. The proposal makes Daylight Saving Time permanent. And thats where some groups raise concerns. Its worth pointing out this has been tried before in the U.S. During a national energy crisis in 1974, the federal government initiated nationwide permanent DST for two years. But people disliked going to work and sending children to school on dark winter mornings. Permanent daylight time makes already-late winter sunrises one hour later New York, Chicago and San Francisco sunrises about 8:30 a.m.; Minneapolis, Detroit and Seattle sunrises about 9 a.m.; in some US areas sunrises after 9:30 a.m. After two years of permanent DST, Congress bowed to pressure and rescinded the decision a year before the legislation would have expired. So theres an immediate no change position because we tried it. Once. Fifty years ago. We can agree life is significantly different than it was in 1974. Health benefits and issues caused by daylight saving time are hard to directly measure. Nationwide studies have been almost impossible to conduct. So arguments like colder winter mornings can be made without acknowledging the winter mornings are always cold. If were going to discuss the sleep advantages and disadvantages, we should start by considering that in excess of one-third of American adults sleep less than the suggested minimum seven hours a night. And two-thirds of American teens sleep less than their minimum recommended eight hours. Some of us like the change. Others of us are irritated and often more affected in negative ways by either change. For that group, never worrying about changing alarm clocks and car and appliance clocks would be a wonderful and long-wanted change. Illinois is already on board with the change taking effect as soon as the federal government OKs it. We support this change, while acknowledging the precedent has been set to rescind the idea. Or we can all agree that time doesnt exist and is a meaningless construct. But Congress would never agree, and wed miss weekends Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy and windy this evening with scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy and windy this evening with scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The scene of a crash outside the small town of Ringgold, MD, that ended the manhunt for ex-Baltimore County Officer Robert Vicosa and his alleged criminal accomplice, Tia Bynum, on Thursday. The two had been on the run after allegedly kidnapping his two daughters, ages 7 and 6, from his estranged wife in York County, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Richardson/Baltimore Sun) An investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office found major concerns with how local police in York, Pennsylvania, handled a court order against a former Baltimore County officer who killed himself and his children, officials say. The attorney generals office said in a statement it was unable to share details of the findings publicly but noted that it sent a letter to the local district attorney outlining its major concerns with certain lapses and decisions leading up to this tragic situation. Advertisement Pennsylvanias top prosecutor began looking into the matter after ex-Baltimore County officer Robert Vicosas estranged wife filed a private criminal complaint in November alleging York County Regional Police Chief Timothy Damon blocked a protective order for her and her children. Vicosas wife secured the order Nov. 14 from a Pennsylvania judge but was informed by two York police officers early the next morning that Damon had put a stop to the order, according to her complaint. Advertisement Robert Vicosa went on the run Nov. 15 with their two daughters, and shot and killed the two girls, ages 6 and 7, along with an accomplice and himself, as authorities closed in on them three days later. Vicosas wifes attorney, Harold Goodman, said Thursday that the attorney general investigations found was no criminality, noting it would have required proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Still, he said, the findings included huge, serious lapses by the police department. We, my firm and I, intend to vigorously pursue civil rights and other civil claims for [Vicosas wife] and on behalf of her two deceased, murdered children, against police and others, to vindicate their rights, Goodman said. The attorney generals office said her criminal complaint had been withdrawn. A spokesman for the York police agency did not respond to a voicemail left Thursday. York Police previously said the department searched Vicosas home on the afternoon of Nov. 15, despite a judge approving a search warrant the night before. By the time police got there, Vicosa and the girls were gone. Giana and Aaminah Vicosa, whose father, Robert Vicosa, an ex-Baltimore County cop, kidnapped them from his estranged wife in Pennsylvania and went on the run. He shot and killed the girls and his accomplice, along with himself. (Handout / HANDOUT) In her private criminal complaint, Vicosas wife said she was given no explanation for why the police chief blocked her protective order. Advertisement The York County District Attorneys office confirmed it had received the attorney generals offices letter Wednesday but said it wasnt able to provide details about its contents. Any information provided to us by the Office of Attorney General will be reviewed, fully considered and analyzed against the information we already have, said Kyle King, a spokesman for the department. King also noted the district attorney, David W. Sunday Jr., had initiated a working group in the wake of the killings to understand how to prevent similar tragedies. King said Sunday has met with local police chiefs and victims groups over the past few months. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > Vicosa led police on a four-day manhunt in November that stretched from Cockeysville to York County, Pennsylvania. He and his alleged accomplice, Tia Bynum, a Baltimore County police officer, were accused of kidnapping Vicosas two daughters, Giana and Aaminah Vicosa, from his estranged wife in York County. Police, who pleaded with Vicosa and Bynum to drop the girls off at a safe location, said the two committed a robbery and carjacking while fleeing. They also were accused of holding Vicosas wife captive the weekend before the manhunt, with Robert Vicosa accused of drugging, threatening and sexually assaulting her, which is why The Baltimore Sun, as a matter of policy, is not identifying her by name. The situation concluded tragically Nov. 18. A brief police pursuit ino Western Maryland ended with a car crash. Police found Vicosa, Bynum and the two girls inside the car with gunshot wounds. Three died at the scene and one girl was flown to a hospital where she later died. Advertisement Vicosa was fired by Baltimore County Police last August, which his mother previously said led him to snap. Internal affairs records indicated Vicosa had been found guilty of being sexually inappropriate with subordinates, including watching inappropriate videos, making sexual remarks and leering. A trial board demoted him from sergeant to officer and took away 45 days of leave. Charges brought in 2021 accused him of insubordination, sleeping on the job and refusing to be trained. A trial board took away 20 days of leave and he was then fired. Vicosa previously served as a sergeant in the Catonsville precinct, while Bynum worked in Baltimore County Polices Criminal Investigations Bureau. BRISTOL, Tenn. New Bristol Chevrolet co-owner Scott Graap loves East Tennessee and leapt at the opportunity to acquire another regional dealership albeit one located just a few feet from Virginia. Graap and his staff celebrated St. Patricks Day by welcoming Twin City dignitaries and residents for the grand opening of Bristol Chevrolet at the former Bill Gatton Chevrolet location on West State Street. Graap is also co-owner of Johnson City Nissan and Oak Ridge Nissan in Oak Ridge. We have a store in Johnson City about 20 miles from here. We were really blessed there so when this store became available, I told my partner Steve Harrell II we should buy it, Graap said after helping cut the ribbon. The folks in the Tri-Cities have always been really kind and gracious and this would be a good part of our journey to continue there. Of course, Gatton had a really good name. He hands the baton off to us and we just keeping going, Graap said. General Motors rejected another possible buyer for the Bristol store, he said, which helped open the door for this group. General Motors had been soliciting my partner for several years to buy a Chevy store so this is the first one that came available where we felt like we would like to buy it. We looked at three or four others, but they werent for us. Ive been in this East Tennessee area since 1994, and I think well be able to continue that success, he said. Dealership General Manager Kevin Stanton, a Greeneville native, said the new owners are working hard to earn the communitys business. We have three other stores, so we bring our expertise. We are working to get a bigger selection of new and used cars in here thats the biggest thing I think we can change, Stanton said. Everybody knows there is a (computer) chip crisis right now, so its hard to get inventory, but were working with GM to try and get extra inventory to try and serve the community. Stanton said Chevrolet is among the most popular brands on the market. The big trucks and SUVs are the hottest thing on the market. The Suburbans and Silverado trucks are definitely the cars that everybody wants, Stanton said. And theyre bringing all the new electric vehicles, which is exciting. Bristol Chevrolet is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The service department is also open six days per week, with Saturday hours from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A rash of break-ins along State Street near downtown Bristol has resulted in the arrest of a Charlotte, North Carolina, man, police said Thursday. Danny Charles Wilburn Jr., 43, faces three counts of burglary, three counts of petit larceny and possession of burglary tools. Additional charges are pending in both Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee, according to Bristol Virginia Detective Lt. Steve Crawford. The burglaries were reported between March 11 and March 14 at businesses along West State Street. Crawford said the incidents occurred during the overnight hours at a floral shop, restaurant and muffler business. Each of the businesses reported broken glass doors and stolen items. Crawford said investigators used video surveillance and interviews to identify a suspect. Crawford said an individual, later identified as Wilburn, used bricks or blocks and threw them through glass front doors to enter the businesses. Various items and money were stolen, he added. Crawford said Bristol, Virginia police took Wilburn into custody. He is being held at the city jail without bail. Wilburn is also under investigation by the Bristol Tennessee Police Department in connection with incidents on that side of State Street, Crawford said. He may also be linked to another burglary in Bristol, Virginia. The detective described Wilburn as a transient person who may have family in the area. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The director of Virginias Department of Environmental Quality on Thursday declined a request for public involvement in an upcoming two-day review of the Bristol, Virginia landfill but offered other paths of communication. Director Michael Rolband responded to a Tuesday request from the group HOPE for Bristol that sought access to the work of a panel of landfill experts and the chance to express the groups concerns over odors and emissions from the landfill which is sparking the review. The panel is expected to be in Bristol on March 21 and 22. The original request sought public access to observe the panels work, livestreaming of its meetings and an opportunity for public comment regarding the landfill, its impacts and potential decision-making. Rolband wrote the sessions are not required to be open to the public, and the 11-member panel coming from across the U.S. and Canada has a very limited time in Bristol. As you know, the Department of Environmental Quality is going beyond its regulatory role in this situation and taking the unprecedented step to contract with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to provide technical resources to the facility, in order to help the facility identify technical and practical solutions for addressing the issues. To be clear, this contractual work is to provide technical support and information to the facility and is outside the scope of DEQs normal permitting and enforcement authorities and activities, Rolband wrote. Pursuant to the contract, Virginia Tech University is convening a nationally recognized panel of engineering experts with specific expertise in the challenges that face the facility. The meeting of this contracted group is not required to be open to the public, he wrote. Rolband went on to explain the panel has only two days to study, review and discuss very technical issues related to the landfill design, mitigation measures to date, extensive data sets and volumes of documents related to this facility and then collaborate on engineering options that may be feasible and practicable for addressing the issues at this facility. The panel is expected to complete its work and issue a report by April 25. That final report will be provided to the facility and to DEQ and will then be available to the public and posted on the DEQ website, as soon as possible, Rolband wrote. The agencys priority is to help the city and the community by finding technical and practical solutions to address the facilitys issues, as well as potential funding to implement these solutions. Whatever next steps DEQ takes within its regulatory purview, whether they are part of an enforcement or permitting action, we plan to include opportunities for meaningful public engagement, the director continued. He further directed regional DEQ representatives to communicate with members of HOPE for Bristol. Both by our actions to facilitate the development of technical and practical solutions and in our engagement to date, we take seriously your concerns regarding the facility and we hope to continue to have an open and engaging working relationship going forward, Rolband wrote. To that end, I am asking Jeff Hurst, regional director for DEQs Southwest regional office, to establish a schedule to periodically meet with you. I have also directed that he and Renee Hoyos, director of DEQs Office of Environmental Justice, work together to ensure that our technical and environmental justice staff jointly participate in those meetings to work collaboratively with you to address your concerns, Rolband wrote. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ABINGDON, Va. A public-private project designed to assess the regions critical mineral assets and apply them toward economic development was unveiled Wednesday. Evolve Central Appalachia, or Evolve CAPP, brings together a university-led research effort with public, private and academic interests in hopes of creating new industrial opportunities for Southwest Virginia, eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and portions of Tennessee. It was announced Wednesday at the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator in Abingdon as a project that aims to harvest the industrial, environmental and economic potential of rare earth elements, critical minerals and nonfuel, carbon-based products all out of waste coal. It is designed to generate a new industry and to create better environmental conditions in the Appalachian basin by accelerating waste coal cleanup, according to a statement. The research coalition includes Virginia Tech, the University of Kentucky and West Virginia University. We have a very large, diverse team with a lot of different backgrounds on the economic side, engineering, processing, community engagement, workforce development. We have all these different players, so my role is to facilitate their expertise and put everything together, Richard Bishop, a Virginia Tech professor and the projects principal investigator, said. The project has received $1.49 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a database of what types of minerals, elements and resources are available and accessible in a specific region of the four states, including the Southwest Virginia counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Wise and the city of Norton. State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, said the region is uniquely positioned to emerge as a key player in the race to produce critical minerals used to manufacture devices and items in our everyday lives. Currently the market on these minerals is dominated by China, which presents a national security issue, Pillion said. Working with House Majority Leader Del. Terry Kilgore, this session we sent a bill to Gov. Youngkin that declares the removal of waste coal from previously mined sites in the coalfield region as a matter of public interest. The Commission on Electric Utility Regulation may review information on the approximate volume and number of waste coal piles present in the coalfield region and options for cleaning up such waste coal piles. This is a major public health, conservation and economic opportunity for the region that aligns with the goals of this research initiative. Bishop said much work lies ahead. We know there is a resource here. We need to move it to that next stage so we know where that resource is, how much is there and what new opportunities can ... create new business opportunities, economic development opportunities and jobs in the region, Bishop said. Were trying to assemble all the information that has already been done, fill in those gaps and assemble all the known information and try to get the low-hanging fruit. Kevin Andrews, a member of the project leadership team and vice president and supervisory geologist of Marshall Miller & Associates of Blacksburg, said work began earlier this year. Were working in the second quarter of gathering information and very much in the compilation phase, Andrews said. We are starting to have the database compiled where we can look at general things and make decisions as we go forward do we need to collect more data? How might we use the data to move forward with the resource as part of the second phase? Andrews said the size and scope of entities involved in this effort separates it from anything which preceded it. Well incorporate everything that has been done to this point, Andrews said. I think whats different here is a lot of efforts in the past were a certain set of researchers, smaller scale. There are 24 industry partners, multiple universities, consulting firms, people who are very familiar with the geology of the area and how things work in the area, as far as mining goes. The initiative has identified seven objectives including: Determine the quantity and distribution of resources in the region. Formulate strategies to utilize coal waste streams to produce useful fuels and materials. Evaluate regional infrastructure and identify industries that may benefit from REE and CM production. Develop strategies to encourage business development. Guide research and development of new technologies. Frame plans to establish technology innovation centers. Implement stakeholder outreach and education initiatives. The community colleges will serve as workforce training centers if businesses are established, Kris Westover, president of Mountain Empire Community College, said. Weve always had a connection to training and mining, and we recognize the huge value and potential this project has. And we recognize the need to train a workforce with the processes and the needs that are going to come out, Westover said. Were waiting to see what the process will look like, what the workforce needs will be, and I love the idea of internships and trying to create a dual-enrollment model for high school and community college students to build that STEM pipeline and have that workforce ready. The coverage area also includes 38 counties in eastern Kentucky, 12 counties in Tennessee, including Claiborne, Hancock and Roane, and 24 West Virginia counties. A room at the Business Incubator will serve as a lab and storage area for information and samples, Andrews said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A North Carolina man pled guilty to federal charges stemming from using the social media platforms Snapchat and Grindr to target teenage boys from Southwest Virginia. Jonathan Avery Shumate, 53, of Warrensville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of minors. According to court documents, Shumate used both Snapchat and Grindr to contact teenage males attending Oak Hill Academy near Mouth of Wilson in Grayson County, Virginia. According to reports, Shumate allegedly offered to provide vapes and vaping materials in exchange for the 16- and 17-year-old boys sending him sexually explicit photographs and nude videos of themselves. In addition to communicating online, Shumate traveled to Oak Hill Academy to deliver the vaping supplies, and also offered to provide oral sex for the juveniles while requesting that they perform oral sex for him, according to court documents. Shumate is scheduled to be sentenced June 21 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Im sorry that she couldnt hang on until today, Ashley Judd said of her mother to the crowd while crying. The late Ray Charles also joined the Hall in a ceremony filled with tears, music and laughter. Anthony Johnson, 45, has been charged with possession with intent to distribute a schedule II drug, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm while in possession of drugs and carrying a concealed weapon, according to the Bristol Virginia Police Department. Caleb Greer, 29, has also been charged with possession of a schedule II drug. Russias unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine calls for the United States to respond with the diplomatic and economic tools we have in our hands. One that the Biden administration has been reluctant to use has been American energy. As I noted in my last column, the United States imported 200,000 barrels of crude oil and 500,000 barrels of other petroleum products per day from Russia in 2021, purchases that funded Vladimir Putins regime. Our countrys leadership in energy production, however, should allow us to stop importing Russian energy and export our energy to other countries. Since I wrote that column, President Joe Biden moved to ban Russian energy imports. It was a welcome step, but the hesitation in taking it and the subsequent efforts by the White House to stop stronger measures indicates that the administration still does not grasp the power and potential of domestic energy production. President Biden issued the ban on March 8. He did so as negotiators on Capitol Hill worked on legislation not only to ban energy imports, but also to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and its ally Belarus. The congressional action under discussion would have been stronger than the presidents, so his administration followed up its ban by pressuring Congress not to go any further. The bill that came to the floor could have been much stronger. I voted for it only after Democrats blocked a better bill offered by Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) that would have further restricted Russian trade and opened up American energy production. In a sign of the muddled direction of this administration, just a few days after blocking a bill that would have stripped Russia of normal trade status, President Biden called for Congress to send him a bill that does so. The White House has seized on the import ban as a convenient way to explain high gas prices and push its underlying domestic agenda. A reporter asked President Biden on March 8 about gas prices, What can you do about it? He responded, Cant do much right now. Russia is responsible. Anyone who has filled a gas tank since Jan. 20, 2021, when the president was inaugurated, recognizes his statement as disingenuous. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the national retail gas price for the week of President Bidens inauguration was $2.48 per gallon. Before Putin invaded Ukraine, it had soared to $3.62 per gallon an increase of more than a dollar. Russia was not responsible for depressing American energy production. Vladimir Putin has committed many wrongs, but he did not cancel the Keystone XL pipeline or issue a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands. Those wounds were self-inflicted thanks to the Biden administration. The only other response the administration has besides deflecting blame is urging Americans to buy electric vehicles. Such a suggestion probably leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of Americans when they consider that the average transaction price for an electric vehicle is $62,876, according to a Wall Street Journal article that cites recent Kelley Blue Book data. If buying a used electric vehicle, a buyer has to look at how much the battery has diminished and whether it will need a new battery pack or modules, which can cost more than $10,000. Price aside, plenty of other factors limit electric vehicles as a solution to the present energy crisis. I brought up one of them at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing; following the White Houses lead, House Democrats chose to discuss electric vehicles rather than urgent problems and realistic solutions. The issue I raised at the hearing was the range of electric vehicles. During good weather, I could not drive an electric vehicle from one end of the 9th Congressional District to another without recharging. Axios reported that cold weather diminishes their range even more. In Norway, electric vehicles lose about 20% of their driving range and take longer to charge, and AAA found that the loss in range when the cars heater is on at full blast could be as high as 41%. Taking these facts with others I have previously noted, such as cost, the insufficiency of current charging stations and the inadequacy of todays electric grid to support new electric vehicle infrastructure, electric vehicles are clearly inadequate for addressing our near-term energy challenges. The solution remains obvious to everyone but the White House and congressional Democrats: more domestic energy production. Morgan Griffith is a United States Congressman representing the 9th District of Virginia. His Washington D.C. office can be reached at (202) 225-3861. Newtons search for a new city manager came to an end on Wednesday. Jonathan Franklin, 35, signed a contract to become the city manager for Newton during a special called meeting of the Newton City Council on Wednesday. Franklin will begin work on May 6. Its been 15 years since weve had a new city manager. We started this process in late November. Its taken a while to get here, but we think we got the right person, Newton City Councilman John Stiver said. As we were trying to come up with how to describe the new city manager, we wanted somebody that was energetic, somebody who was outgoing and somebody who was action oriented. Franklin is currently the administrator of Louisburg, North Carolina, a town of around 3,400 people, he said. More than 13,000 people were residing in Newton in April of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureaus website. Franklin has roughly 11 years of experience in local government management, he said. Franklins base salary will be $150,000, according to the employment agreement between Franklin and the city of Newton. During his time as the town administrator for Louisburg, Franklin developed the towns first strategic economic development plan focused on community development, business growth and retention and downtown rehabilitation, according to a news release from the city of Newton. Franklins financial management, utilities experience and innovativeness impressed the city council, Stiver said. During his time with Louisburg, Franklin obtained over $25 million in grants and loans for various municipal and economic development projects, which also impressed the council, Stiver said. Franklin said he started looking into Newton after he found out the former city manager resigned. I found that they (Newton) had a very committed group of elected officials, very dedicated group of staff members, Franklin said, and a community that was really supportive of what the city council and the staff are doing. Thats three really important aspects of a city, especially when youre city manager. Franklin and his wife Lauren are excited to move to Newton based on what they have seen and heard about the community, he said. Franklin is most looking forward to meeting people. Building relationships with the city council members, both individually and as a whole. Getting to know the staff, learning their needs, what their goals are and what theyre interested in accomplishing in their individual departments, Franklin said. Also, getting to know the community. Lauren and I make it a point to be a part of the community and get to know as many people as we can. So we look forward to just meeting everybody and becoming a part of the city. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. At least three black churches have been set on fire across the South since the Charleston episode, and three others have also burned, though investigators have not yet ruled their fires arson. Perhaps these incidents, spread across cities in four states, were conducted by a single individual or a small group of people coordinating online. But isn't it just as plausible that copy-cat soloists are trying to convey their sick approval of the Charleston murders? Either way, black church bombings and other forms of racial intimidation long preceded the Internet era. The Hickory City Council approved a new 210-unit development by voting unanimously to rezone roughly 19 acres on North Center Street on Tuesday. Charlotte-based Lat Purser & Associates sought the rezoning from medium density residential to planned development. The company is working with a local group, the Horse Barn LLC, which has owned the property for more than a decade. Tuesdays vote was the culmination of more than a month of often passionate discussion over the project. The company held two community meetings on its own initiative and the matter was also heard by the Hickory Regional Planning Commission last month. The proposal has attracted strong opposition from members of the neighboring Moores Ferry community, who have cited concerns including traffic and density. The fact that the new properties will be rentals is a sticking point for many of the residents, who felt that such a project would tend to devalue the neighborhood. At the planning commission meeting, residents expressed their views in terms that were often emotional. Moores Ferry resident John Clarke said the project would be a major cataclysmic change in the character of this neighborhood. Mike Sigmon, another resident, was tearful as he said rental people dont take pride in their neighborhood. The criticisms of renters promoted a strong reaction from some members of the planning commission. Member Bill Pekman chastised residents who made the comments, saying he was concerned (about) the disparagement of somebody who has to rent a home. Boos, jeers and a cry of, There goes the neighborhood rang out in the chamber during the planning commission meeting when the board voted to recommend approval for the rezoning. While many of the same concerns were aired at Tuesdays meeting, the tone was much more subdued. In an attempt to preempt a repeat of the planning commission meeting, Mayor Hank Guess stressed that disruptions would not be allowed. Clarke, who spoke again at Tuesdays city council meeting, addressed the remarks from the planning board. He said his comments were completely maligned by some of the members on that board and I was rather irritated to hear some of their closing comments. Speaking in a less impassioned tone than he had at the planning commission, Clarke reiterated his view that renters were not appropriate residents for the area because they will not invest in the community in the way Moores Ferry residents do. Were talking transient people, people that are not necessarily here for the long term, Clark said, adding: Theyre not going to have the roots and the decision to make this their home as was done by the people that bought those lands, built those homes and created Moores Ferry to what it is today. Bruce Meisner, a Moores Ferry resident and former Hickory city councilman, said he thought the proposal was at odds with the Hickory by Choice 2030 Comprehensive Plan because it has a higher density than the surrounding community. If you believe in your heart that two units per acre is consistent with 10, then we just need to throw away Hickory by Choice, Meisner said as he held up a copy of the plan. Its just a numbers game now and will prostitute Hickory lands to the highest bidder and the willy-nilly planning and zoning. Representatives of the developers and the owners were among those who spoke in favor of the project. Jack Levinson, a senior vice president, again focused on the companys history of projects in Hickory, which include development of Preston Ridge in the Startown Road area and the management of the One North Center building in downtown. He said the company has a track record of maintaining ownership of the overwhelming majority of its properties and company officials will ensure the new project fits well in the area. The project will have high-quality design characteristics to be harmonious with the surroundings, Levinson said. We do not develop cookie-cutter design nor are we a tract builder that builds multiple housing units looking similar. He also pointed to the changes the company made to the plans after meeting with the neighbors. The changes included reducing the number of homes from 258 to 210, moving the entrance on 42nd Avenue Drive NW so it was farther away from Moores Ferry, increasing the rear setback from 30 feet to 50 feet and reducing the height of town homes at the back of the property from three stories to two. In addition to the 42nd Avenue entrance, the property will have two access points onto N. Center Street. The company plans to refurbish the old barn on the property for such uses as a meeting space and fitness area. One of the speakers asked if the developers could change the plans to move the third entrance from 42nd Avenue to First Street NW so that it would flow to a road with a traffic light. Levinson said the company could not do that because that route would require going through property the developers and their partners do not own. The developers have estimated the homes will rent roughly in the range of $1,000 to $3,000 per month. Levinson said they will have a screening process for prospective residents. Aside from the developers and owners, Brad Lail, another former Hickory City councilman, and nearby resident Cliff Moone spoke in favor of the zoning change. Lail said the process would give the city more power to influence the development of the land than it would have under the current zoning. When he spoke before the planning commission last month, Lail disclosed that his mother has an interest in the project. Moone said he was impressed with the way the developers went about the project and that the project would help fill the need for new housing in the city. Something that will enhance the area The council decision was unanimous. Mayor Hank Guess, Councilmen Tony Wood, Danny Seaver, David Williams and David Zagaroli and Councilwomen Charlotte Williams and Jill Patton all supported the rezoning. Before the vote, several of the council members elaborated on the project. Councilwoman Charlotte Williams said she is a resident of Moores Ferry who shared some of the concerns of her neighbors. However, she said she believed the developers have done a good job working with the neighbors and that the project will ultimately be of benefit. The response that we have gotten and the quality of the development, I think, will surprise us all and will turn out to be something that will enhance the area, Williams said, adding that the rental units could create opportunities for commercial and retail development around that area. Wood said he was in favor of the proposal because it meant the land would be developed by a company that has a history of working in the area. In many cases, he said, investment companies will come in and buy up property to rent in a process that has little oversight. I think about, how can we mitigate risk?, Wood said. And this is a known entity of known quality. Seaver noted the citys long-term efforts to attract young professionals and the need to have housing that will support that demographic. So now theyre coming, weve got to have a place for them to stay, Seaver said. Kevin Griffin is the city of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. " " Wikimedia Commons ( CC By 3.0 A vat of indigo blue dye in the process of production. Indigo was one of the first plants the British attempted to grow when they arrived in North America. There was a time, not all that long ago, that if you wanted your toga or whatever to be a different color, you'd have to go find something in nature to dye it with: maybe mud, maybe an insect, or the seed, flower, root or leaves of a plant. Advertisement Color Before Chemistry Before 1856, when a teenaged British chemist named William Perkins accidentally formulated the first synthetic dye while trying to find a cure for malaria (he produced mauveine, which was an intense purple color), harvesting natural resources for dyes was a big deal. "Until Perkins' discovery, anything that had color clothes, shoes, rugs, tapestries was dyed with either a plant, a bug or a mineral," says Donna Hardy, the president and founder of the International Center for Indigo Culture. Perkins discovered the means of making purple cheaply and in large quantities before that, purple dye was very precious; the most reliable source was to extract it from the dessicated mucus gland of a sea snail. Blue was easier to come by, and useful because it could be mixed with other colors to make purples and greens, but before the advent of synthetic dyes, getting pigment out of the land was laborious. To make anything blue, you needed indigo, an organic compound found in the leaves of certain plants most notably indigo plants in the genus Indigofera (from India or South America), although other plants such as woad (Isatis tinctoria) contain indigo compounds, too just in much lower concentrations. The first Indigofera used by Europeans was grown in the Far East (the word indigo comes from the Greek word for India). Indigo was highly valued in the West, but Europeans wanted their own source of indigo that wasn't so expensive. That's where the New World came in. Advertisement Indigo in North America Until indigo dye was synthesized in Europe in 1882, a species of Asian Indigofera was a huge cash crop wherever it could be grown. "In the 1600s, Europeans colonized North America, and immediately started trying to grow crops of economic importance," says Hardy. "Indigo is one of the first plants the British attempted to grow when they got to North America. They tried growing it in Jamestown, the Dutch tried it in New Amsterdam present-day New York City. The French had some success in Louisiana, but nobody had much luck until Eliza Lucas came along." In the 1730s, 16-year-old Eliza Lucas, whose father was lieutenant governor of Antigua and who had an interest in botany, was put in charge of three of her father's South Carolina plantations. She and her father had no idea what to grow there, but he sent her seeds from Antigua, and indigo seemed to Eliza to have the most promise. She married a man named Charles Pinkney who wrote down the instructions for how to grow and process indigo, and after a while they made enough seed to hand out to the neighbors, which started an indigo bonanza in the Southern colonies. Advertisement Indigo and Slavery "Before indigo, rice and deer hides were the main exports from Charleston," says Hardy. "Native American slaves were the first export." Of course, Eliza and Charles Pinkney didn't figure out how to grow and process indigo their slaves did. The import of African slaves began to ramp up in the southern colonies as a result of the indigo boom in the mid-18th century. In fact, one of the biggest indigo promoters of the time, Moses Lindo, who went to Charleston from England to act as inspector general of indigo coming out of the Port of Charleston, owned a slave ship called the Lindo Packet, with which he imported enslaved people from Barbados to Charleston. And the indigo fever and the dependence on slave labor that came with it didn't end in South Carolina. "Slavery wasn't even legal in Georgia until indigo became the main export in South Carolina," says Hardy. "The [British] governors in Georgia decided to legalize slavery to keep the indigo industry going." Georgia's ban on slavery ended in 1751, and by the beginning of the Revolutionary War 15 years later, the enslaved population of that state had grown to over 18,000. Though the American colonies winning their independence from Britain tanked the indigo market, it was quickly replaced by rice and cotton. For its part, England turned its attention to India for its indigo needs, where British colonists forced sharecroppers to grow indigo for hardly any money. The legacy of slavery followed indigo around until it was replaced by synthetic indigo in the early 20th century, when it slipped into obscurity. Advertisement Is Indigo the Future of Sustainable Clothing? These days, indigo dying is considered a curious historic oddity, but, according to Hardy, indigo has the potential to be part of the solution for the broken garment industry. "The chemical formula for natural and synthetic indigo are the same, but the synthetic dye has stuff like formaldehyde in it, and synthetic dyes are all petroleum based," says Hardy. "The way we manufacture and dye clothes isn't good for people or the environment. And slavery is still a thing in the garment industry." Now That's Ancient The oldest piece of indigo dyed cotton fabric was found in Peru in 2009. The scrap is 6,000 years old. GREAT NEWS!!! That was the lead statement from Peggy Holoubek Hainy on Monday, March 14, who just days earlier made a public plea on Facebook and posed the question, WILL WE STILL BE FARMING ON MARCH 16TH? Mullins just called and said the county gave them all the permits they needed, continued Hainy, who is a dairy farmer of nearly four decades. So, milk will continue to be picked up as usual, she said in her social media post, responding to news that came directly from their farms milk buyer, Mullins Cheese. We would like to thank everyone for the support and all the calls that were made to help, she continued. Meeting is canceled for tomorrow. Price County officials make the right call The tomorrow she is referring to involved Tuesday, March 15, and a pair of meetings that were scheduled to take place. The first was the monthly meeting of the Price County Board of Supervisors. The second, more important meeting when it came to milk trucks running on county roads was the Price County Highway and Transportation Committee meeting slated for later that same day. That committee, as of Monday morning, still had an agenda item of, Milk haulers exemption to spring weight restrictions. Due to numerous calls from local farmers, local milk processors, co-op leaders, state and regional officials, and even staff from the states assembly, senate, and executive branch, the situation was resolved by mid-day Monday. Please let people know so they dont drive up for a meeting, Hainy later shared on that same Facebook post quoted earlier. I made a few phone calls, and it is my understanding that an agreeable solution has been worked out, wrote Joe Hoey, a staffer member for State Senator Janet Bewley, in an email sent to Hoards Dairyman late Monday. This message is to let you know that calmer heads prevailed today, wrote Bob Kopisch, the chair of the Price County Board of Supervisors. We reached an agreement with Mullins so milk will continue to be picked up as usual. With that, there will NOT be a meeting tomorrow, continued the email from Kopisch that landed about an hour before officials from Madison began sharing the news of an agreement in Price County. Given that positive turn of events, we updated the Hoards Dairyman Intel, A Wisconsin county poised to stop milk trucks, to reflect the news. A kind-hearted champion By all accounts, Don Mullins deserves a heap of praise. That was the one name that routinely surfaced over the three-day ordeal. The Mosinee dairy processor sources milk from 625 dairy farms throughout Wisconsin. When Mullins caught wind of the situation, he began making phone calls over the weekend and even called all his patrons in Price County to alert them of the situation. We appreciate the administration of Price County to allow us to pick up the milk, said Josh Mullins, co-owner of Mullins Cheese. While the milking-hauling situation was resolved in a reasonable fashion, not one of these Price County dairy farmers should have dealt with this matter as state statutes allow for milk trucks to carry on, even during the spring thaw. Just take the shortest route to get to the farm. Thats been the guideline in the past. It will be a good guideline for years to come. Let the milk trucks roll. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2022 March 17, 2022 The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman. Members of Lakeshore Technical Colleges Professional Agricultural Student (PAS) organization participated in the 18th annual Midwest Regional Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge Competition held in Fort Wayne, Indiana February 16-18. The event was co-hosted by Michigan State University, Purdue University, and Ohio State University. Twenty-three teams from two-year and four-year colleges competed. LTCs teams placed third and fifth. It is satisfying to see our students succeed in this highly-competitive, deep dive type learning experience, said LTC Dairy/Agribusiness Instructor Craig Lallensack. When we get back to campus, we see our students thrive with a fuller understanding of their program areas. The team placing third consisted of Lily Charapata, Elizabeth Benicke, Zoe Ertel, and Kaylee Pingel. The team placing fifth consisted of Kelsie Bramstedt, Brendan Wenzel, Alex Diersen, and Trey Hafkey. The Midwest Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge is an event hosted by the dairy industry for students to work as consulting teams while exploring a real dairy operation from all angles. Local farms provide a variety of records and mentors guide the students through the process of looking for trends within the farm operations. Teams present their findings and recommendations to a panel of judges who question them and provide feedback. PAS is a student-led organization that allows students to build and sharpen their skills so they are ready for the workforce. The students are enrolled in a variety of agriculture related programs including agribusiness science and technology, dairy business management, and dairy herd management. For information about Lakeshores agriculture related programs, visit gotoltc.edu/programs-and-courses/degree-programs. About Lakeshore Technical College Each year nearly 10,000 people enroll in courses at Lakeshore Technical College. They rely on LTC for job preparation, to earn a degree, upgrade a specialized skill, train as an apprentice, or seek a high school equivalency. LTC faculty and staff meet students where they are in life and help them get one step closer to achieving their goals. LTC is a nationally recognized technical college. The college was ranked the #2 two-year college in the nation for adult learners by Washington Monthly, #20 in the nation for two-year college educational outcomes by WalletHub.com, a top-150 two-year college by the Aspen Institute, and a top 10 Bellwether Award finalist for the third time in four years. Approximately 800 students graduate from LTC each year, and LTCs associate degree graduates earn a median salary of approximately $52,000 per year. In addition to the Cleveland campus, LTC serves students in Manitowoc and Sheboygan, and offers classes at additional sites throughout the district. Visit LTC at gotoltc.edu. Contact: Teri Sturm, Marketing Copywriter Phone: 920.693.1144 Email: teri.sturm@gotoltc.edu Press Room: gotoltc.edu/about-us/ltc-news The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman. Vytelle is progressing on a five-year plan to provide accessible hormone-free bovine in vitro fertilization (IVF) to producers across the globe. Part of the five-year plan, initiated at the conclusion of their Series A Funding, promised to double the laboratory capacity to produce bovine embryos through in vitro fertilization. Vytelle's integrated technology platform combines Vytelle ADVANCE, a breakthrough in vitro fertilization technology, with Vytelle SENSE, an animal performance data capture system, and Vytelle INSIGHT, an artificial intelligence based genetic analytics engine. The platform provides progressive cattle producers the technology to make reliable data-driven mating decisions that improve the predictability of genetic progress replicating the right genetics faster through the most modern hormone-free in vitro fertilization process. Vytelles integrated platform has seen rapid growth since its launch in 2020, currently serving cattle producers in 21 countries. Cattle producers across the globe require rapid genetic progress to meet the growing protein demand from consumers commented Kerryann Kocher, CEO of Vytelle. Were delivering accessible hormone-free in vitro fertilization solutions for producers to replicate their elite genetics faster, closer to their operation. The three laboratories will be operational and accessible to cattle producers within the first quarter of 2022. New York, USA Located in Albany, New York, dairy and beef seedstock producers will be able to access Vytelles hormone-free IVF through on-farm ovum pick-ups and satellite locations, coming soon to the region. Texas, USA The Brock, Texas laboratory is situated near the recently added, Hoofstock Genetics POWERED BY VYTELLE satellite in Ranger. The Brock laboratory will add even greater flexibility for producers in Texas and across the United States to access Vytelles hormone-free IVF. Florida, USA Serving producers in the Southeast region of the United States, the Gainesville, Florida laboratory will meet the growing demand for a reliable hormone-free IVF solution. Producers are able to access Vytelles reliable bovine hormone-free IVF solution by bringing as few as one donor to any of the more than 20+ satellite locations across the United States or by scheduling an on-farm ovum pick-up. Visit www.vytelle.com to learn more. Lisa Lowery, MD, MPH, Named One of West Michigan's Most Influential Women March 17, 2022 The College of Human Medicine is happy to share that Lisa Lowery, MD, MPH, has been announced as one of West Michigans 50 Most Influential Women by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Dr. Lowery assumed her role as the inaugural assistant dean for diversity and cultural Initiatives in 2020 after initially serving as an associate professor of Pediatrics and Human Development with the college. She has been instrumental in developing important DEI-related programming and resources for students, including further focusing portions of curriculum on health disparities and racism in medicine. Beyond her work in academia, Dr. Lowery is also a section chief for Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Spectrum Health and division chief of Pediatric Subspecialties at Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital. Lowery is also active in the community, having served on executive boards for the Urban League of West Michigan, the Grand Rapids LGBTQ+ Health Consortium and Wedgwood Christian Services. Being nominated and selected as one of West Michigans Most Influential Women is truly an honor, Lowery said. It is important for me to give back because I am a product of this community. I also give back because I desire to make things better for those who come after me. Per her profile by the publication, Lisa Lowerys work is driven by her passion for developing a health care system that better reflects the communities and patients she serves. She continues to meet with students of all ages, from elementary through college to encourage careers in medicine. Recruiting more minority faculty members and encouraging more minority students is a key priority for her, even helping to expand one of the colleges pipeline programs despite what is certainly considered a heavy workload by all accounts. The Business Journal is now on its 25th year of acknowledging and honoring amazing women from throughout West Michigan. Those honored represent a wide spectrum of professions and industries as well as organizations and interests. But all are considered leaders. According to Business Journal editor Tim Gortsema, what makes this years honorees so influential is that they can be described as vital and critical." Congratulations to Dr. Lowery on a well-deserved honor. To mark International Womens Day 2022, Information Age is publishing a special series, Women in IT Leadership. We speak with 15 women in various tech roles across Australia about how they got their start in the IT industry, their approach to leadership, and how to encourage more females into technology careers. This week, we speak with Ange Ferguson, Chief Transformation Officer at Thoughtworks. #iwd2022 #breakthebias ** Raised in Melbourne with teacher parents, Ange Ferguson believes she got lucky in the lottery of life. Growing up, everyone we knew were either teachers, nurses and pharmacists; professions that had names. So my exposure to IT was limited in terms of a future job prospect. Her introduction to computers came in the 80s via her father who taught mathematics and physics, and had set up a computer lab at the school at which he worked. "Then in 1995, I remember using the internet for the first time I was 17 and Id just arrived at university. It was exciting to use this technology that connected people to the rest of the world. The idea of global connectivity and closing the cultural divide across nations had her hooked. Ange then switched from studying philosophy of logic at Melbournes Monash University to a degree in computing. This led to a part-time job working in tech support for a major bank, and from that moment she has hasn't looked back. Joining Thoughtworks In 2006, she joined Thoughtworks Australia as a program manager, and has since held consulting and leadership positions in Australia, India, China, South East Asia and the UK. Thoughtworks is a global technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design and software engineering. At the time, Thoughtworks was expanding and was looking for project management people. What struck me were the people who were really excited about what they were doing. She adds the enthusiasm for their work was refreshing. Often, in project management you work in cultures where people are not hugely motivated. You spend time trying to convince them not to hide at their desk and to get excited about their job. Here, its the opposite, sometimes I have to say 'hold on, we need to catch our breath! She fell in love with the staffs culture of excitement in their work and the global connections the company had to offer. Becoming CTO Sixteen years on, she holds the position of chief transformation officer. As a professional services company, rather than a product company or banking business, the variety Ive experienced working here is massive! I love learning new things. Working as a consultant, typically there will be a new problem to solve, either every six to eighteen months. Its like having a new job and thats what keeps me excited. Since taking on leadership roles, more opportunities have opened up for Ange. Initially, she began as head of delivery in Australia, the job expanded to the same role in India, and then extended to the Asia-Pacific region. When I started we had less than 1,000 people, now were over 10,000 people across 17 countries. At Thoughtworks, there is 50 per cent participation of women in our Australian workforce, and around 40 per cent representation globally. Ange is especially proud of the companys First Nations Delivery Centre. Here we are focused on creating opportunities for First Nations people in Australia this sector is massively underrepresented. There is a huge amount of opportunity for this, and I love being a part of it. Technology is part of every industry, Ange says. Its not going away, if anything, expansion and the speed of change are increasing, not decreasing. There is a huge amount to be done and finding more amazing people to do the work, is part of the challenge. Worldly connections Ive been taken to places both conceptually and geographically to countries that I would have never imagined. The skills we have in technology are portable and create amazing sets of opportunities. The potential of connection is super exciting for me. Ange is also on the advisory board for Hitnet, the program bringing health-related information and services to some of the worlds hardest-to-reach people. I am pretty work-driven, but I spend time with friends and family, and work on Hitnet. People expect execs to be all about the job, when its a constant balance to look after areas in your life that make you who you are, so you can be your best at work. Model Farms High School students Daniel and Daniella put their cyber skills to the test. Image: supplied Its the scenario cyber security experts have been fearing for years: hackers have launched a mass infrastructure attack on targets around the world and Sydney is next this is what school students around Australia faced this week during Grok Academys Cyber Live, an immersive cyber security training event. Cyber Live tries to gamify the cyber security learning experience through fictionalised news footage, a world map filled with objectives to complete, and a custom built set of apps mimicking those used in the real world. Grok Academy is a digital skills training charity headed by Dr James Curran, a co-author of the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. He told Information Age the purpose of Cyber Live was to give students a taste of what its like working in the cyber security industry. The thing is that cyber is a really exciting job and we really wanted to capture some of that energy and excitement, but also provide the reward of succeeding and feeling like you have actually protected people, Dr Curran said. The program teaches security topics like cryptography (including the use of cyphers and steganography), how to spot a phishing attempt, and web application security. For Dr Curran, the aim was to train the next generation in digital skills through an engaging program that teaches expertise the industry needs in response to constant industry calls for more cyber specialists. Growing an oak tree Each of the big four banks Westpac, NAB, CommBank, and ANZ partnered with Wednesdays Cyber Live event in a cohesive sign of support for the training program. Its easy to be cynical of major banks motives, especially when they are involved in schooling. After all, Commonwealth Banks long-standing Dollarmites scheme started being kicked out of state schools in recent years following an Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) report into school banking programs raised concerns that vulnerable young consumers were being exposed to sophisticated advertising and marketing tactics. But NAB Chief Security Officer Sandro Bucchianeri told Information Age there is no competitive advantage when it comes to cyber. Bucchianeri stressed there was not an official partnership between the banks when it comes to cyber security, although they do share anonymised threat intelligence in order to keep each other safe against the latest techniques and bad actors threatening systems. But there is also a longer-term goal in how the big four collaborate around cyber security. The gap continues to widen from an educational cyber skills perspective, the NAB CSO said. And an oak tree doesnt just grow overnight you have to constantly water it. Weve partnered with the Grok Academy to make sure we are all watering the same oak tree so that it grows into this massive, beautiful oak tree that provides protective shade, so to speak, for the Australian community. Better education Bucchianeris metaphor speaks to the nationwide need for tech professionals, something that has long frustrated Dr Curran who is clearly passionate about digital skills education. Dr Curran told Information Age the next Australian Curriculum which still needs ministerial approval will necessitate teaching students specific cyber security and privacy concepts. For example, years 7 and 8 will learn the importance of multi-factor authentication. He expects the updated curriculum will go a long way to teaching the next generation about cyber security and digital skills more broadly, but he also wants parents to advocate for improved technology literacy in schools. Its something that is really important and I think the only way were going to fix it is to have frustrated tech parents go into their childrens schools and say its not good enough, Dr Curran said. And drag some of our schools kicking and screaming into the 21st century. If the new poll by Goucher College is correct, there should not be a problem in getting voters to approve it. So there should be no compunction about putting it to a vote in the next election and letting all the voters, and not just a small portion chosen for the poll, vote (Voters in Maryland support legalizing recreational marijuana by a 2-to-1 margin, March 14. Of course there may be some problem with the way legalization is run and who gets to profit by it, but that is a problem to be solved if the marijuana legalization legislation gets passed. I personally would vote against it, as it can impair mental activity and that could be a real problem like drinking. Advertisement Stas Chrzanowski, Baltimore Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter. Grattan Institute is calling for an overhaul of the visa program. Photo: Shutterstock IT workers could be big winners from a reset of Australias temporary skills migration program that the Grattan Institute has recommended to fix an unpopular program that it calls the worst of both worlds. Australias current temporary skilled migration program is unpopular with the public, squanders many of the potential benefits of temporary skilled migration, and enables unscrupulous employers to exploit workers, the thinktank concluded in launching a report that made 11 recommendations for improving the sponsorship of foreign workers. Recognising that the current Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa program had seen employers sponsoring a growing number of low-wage workers with few skills, the report recommends that temporary sponsorship should be overhauled, with a new Temporary Skilled Worker (TSW) visa that could be used to sponsor workers in any occupation. Freezes on the minimum salary threshold for TSS visas stuck at $53,900 since mid 2013, although some labour agreements allow salaries as low as $48,510 meant that employers are sponsoring a growing number of low-wage workers with few skills who are being paid less for in shortage jobs than Australians would receive for comparable work, the institute warned. Exploitation of sponsored workers abounds, which further undermines public confidence in the program, the report notes, adding that it is practically impossible for the federal government to identify skills shortages in a timely way. Underpayment of foreign workers has been documented for years in government audits that have spawned data-sharing agreements and active compliance programs yet over 50 per cent of sponsored workers now earn less than the typical full-time Australian worker, Grattan warned, up from 38 per cent in 2005. Australia has been left with the worst of both worlds, the reports authors conclude. The new TSW visas would allow employers to sponsor foreign workers for any job paying more than $70,000 per year, and that the sponsored worker is paid at least as much as an Australian would be paid for the same job. The changes would also see abolition of labour agreements permitting sponsorship for lower-wage jobs. Based on these changes, Grattan Institute analysis suggests that the number of full-time jobs eligible for temporary sponsorship would increase from around 44 per cent today to as much as two-thirds of jobs. Other recommendations include allowing workers with a TSW visa to switch jobs within Australia without losing their visas; allowing those who become unemployed to stay in the country for up to 90 days; and indexing wage thresholds to average weekly ordinary time earnings (AWOTE) which increased by 2.1 per cent in the year to the latest reporting period. Employers sponsoring high-wage workers would be offered accreditation, as well as five-day processing and fewer checks on intra-company transfers. Benefits for the IT industry The new TSW regime would particularly benefit the IT industry, where salaries tend well above the proposed $70,000 threshold. Out of 73 technology-related roles where recruitment firm Hays tracks average salaries in Australia and New Zealand, just two of those roles Level 1 and Level 2 end-user support have average salaries below $70,000. That would make the proposed TSW visa particularly beneficial for employers that are increasing their technology headcounts to support enervated digital-transformation agendas. Some 39 per cent of technology companies reported staffing levels above those before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the most recent Hays Salary Guide, which found that 72 per cent of technology companies are in a growth phase and 79 per cent expect a significant increase in their business activity. Yet just 1 in 4 technology companies are confident they need to achieve their objectives this year, and 64 per cent believe skills shortages will impact the effective operation of their organisation this year. Such deficiencies have increased the importance of policies to improve access to key talent and 58 per cent of technology leaders said they would consider employing or sponsoring a qualified overseas candidate to fill the gap, the report found. To improve access to qualified overseas candidates, Grattan also recommended the new visa regime eliminate the requirement for English language proficiency for workers earning more than $120,000 per year and offer visa-holders who are earning more than $80,000 per year a clear pathway to permanent residency, a point the institute has previously advocated. The new TSW visa would allow workers to stay and work in Australia for up to four years, Grattan recommended, with no restrictions on renewal. Labor has been promising to close the pay gap for overseas skilled workers for years if it wins government, and Grattan Institute called for bipartisan support for the new visas during the upcoming federal election. A better-targeted, streamlined temporary skilled work visa would lift Australians living standards, attract global talent, boost the budget, and reduce exploitation of workers. CONCORD Cabarrus County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) lieutenants Nicole Shapiro and Kaleb Frady took first place at the North Carolina Office of EMS (NCOEMS) Regional Paramedic Team Competition. The competition was held on March 11 at Surry Community College in Dobson. That same day in Hickory, Cabarrus paramedics Nicole Jernigan and James Hoover took second place at the regional competition at Catawba Valley Community College. The NCOEMS competition consists of comprehensive written and demonstration exam components that test paramedic skills and training. Shapiro and Frady are both Nationally Registered Paramedics whove served Cabarrus EMS for six years and are currently relief supervisors. As champions, their team will advance to the North Carolina State Paramedic Competition in May. With two top-10 finishes, Cabarrus EMS holds onto its reputation as one of the best agencies in the state an advantage that Cabarrus County EMS Deputy Chief of Administration Justin Brines says helps the agency recruit top talent. Brines, who was on the team that won the 2016 regional competition, oversees Cabarrus EMS training and skill development. Its great to see our paramedics receive recognition among their peers, Brines said. Were poised to provide employees with the training and equipment they need to be successful. As fun as it is to see it play out at the competition, the real proof is the level of care and service we provide our residents. Follow the work of Cabarrus EMS and learn about career opportunities with the agency at facebook.com/cabarruscountyEMS. A North Carolina firm and another just across the Virginia state line are joining a select coalition of environmentally conscious investors pushing federal officials to require that companies provide a complete picture of how their operations are contributing to climate change. Asheville-based Earth Equity Advisors and the Sustainable Investment Alliance headquartered in Fancy Gap, Virginia, are among 75 organizations banking on their $4.7 trillion in combined assets to get the attention of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler. In a letter to Gensler this week, the group calls for regulations that will force companies to report the full scope of their greenhouse gas emissions, not just what is released directly by their own operations. In most cases, carbon emissions indirectly linked to companies dwarf what their facilities themselves release, the letter argues. These so-called Scope 3 emissions, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are generated by a companys pre-production supply chain, through energy use during production, and when finished products are delivered and eventually used by consumers. In short, they involve any activity related to a companys operations that happens away from its own facilities, including when employees drive to or from work, or take business trips. Transition risk A study of 25 major global companies released in February by the Germany-based New Climate Institute found that 87% of their greenhouse gas emissions were tied to such value chain aspects of their business and not on actual production. Yet despite the fact that Scope 3 emissions often represent the largest portion of companies carbon footprints, they typically are not part of firms greenhouse gas emissions disclosures. That lack of environmental transparency, the organizations argue in their letter to the SEC, leaves investors like them especially vulnerable. Judson Meinhart, a Winston-Salem-based adviser with Parsec Financial Wealth Management, agreed. Comprehensive emissions information would shed light on how well companies are positioned to manage and lessen climate change transition risk, he explained. Investors would be far better equipped to discern stronger companies from those with a need for improvement, and in turn better accomplishing the goals of an ESG (environmental, social and governance) investor. Reuters recently reported that in 2021, a record $649 billion poured into ESG-focused funds worldwide through Nov. 30, up from the $542 billion in 2020 and $285 billion a year earlier. ESG funds now account for an estimated 10% of worldwide fund assets. Paris alignment The signers of the SEC letter say such trends signal a tidal shift in how investors approach decision-making and leverage their influence. Shareowners are increasingly concerned about climate change and the systemic and material risk it builds into the global economy, they say in their letter. Reporting of greenhouse gas emissions is the bedrock of sound investor decision-making on climate and transition risk. Investors need robust, complete, and comparable disclosure of emissions data to determine which companies are aligning their business activities with Paris (Agreement) targets, thereby minimizing transition risks and which are failing to prepare for the rapidly accelerating and economy-wide transition. The Paris Agreement is an international action plan, signed in 2015 by nearly 200 nations, to combat climate change. Former President Donald Donald Trump pulled the U.S. from the pact in November 2020. President Joe Biden signed an executive order last month to reaffirm the U.S. commitment. Earth Equity Fund CEO Peter Krull was not available for comment, a spokeswoman said. Sustainable Advisors Alliance founder and CEO Pamela Stamper-Brandt did not respond to requests for comment. Full scope The EPA considers emissions from the following sources as Scope 3: Production, transport and delivery of goods and services from outside the company. Transport and distribution of the companys own products. Property and equipment. Fuel and energy-related materials. Waste generated in operations. Employees commuting and business travel. Property or equipment leased from outside sources. Property or equipment leased to outside sources. Use of products after theyre sold. End-of-life disposal of products. Franchises and investments. John Deem covers climate change and the environment in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina. His work is funded by a grant from the 1Earth Fund and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. 336-727-7204 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Dyson is a company that never rests on its laurels, with brilliant tech that it upgrades and updates regularly. Its latest launch is an upgrade to its most awarded styling tool, now radically redesigned, bringing new and reengineered attachments powered by enhanced Coanda airflow. Dyson's best-performing and most-efficient Airwrap yet has launched, the Dyson Airwrap multi-styler. The company says its engineers are "relentlessly dissatisfied" and challenged their own design to miniaturise and multiply the Coanda effect, pioneering a personalisable styling tool to deliver a range of styles for different hair types, without extreme heat. It also notes its next generation styling barrels featuring a rotating cool tip, make achieving curls and waves faster and easier with no extreme heat. Blending the results formerly achieved with two barrels into one attachment, now users can style the full head, creating clockwise and anti-clockwise curls and waves, without the need to switch attachment mid-style. Re-engineered brush attachments deliver precision shaping with enhanced Coanda performance, alongside an all-new dual-purpose Coanda smoothing dryer. Combining two attachments in one, the Coanda smoothing dryer hides flyaways in a single pass, with no extreme heat and transforms into a powerful dryer with the flick of a switch. A Wide-tooth comb attachment, engineered for curly and coily hair, helps to add shape, volume, and length as it dries. Dysons comb teeth are designed with soft curved tips to glide through the hair, with no sharp edges to catch, pull or cause damage. For the first time, Dyson says existing Dyson Airwrap styler owners can upgrade to these latest attachments, whilst retaining the original machine. We're told this builds on the sustainable mindset adopted throughout the machines development designing in a digital world reduces the reliance on physical prototyping, as a result drastically reducing the energy and materials used. Through this iterative process of trial and error, engineers have been able to miniaturise air vents to achieve a level of airflow velocity, pressure and control never seen before. James Dyson said: Most styling tools ignore that hair types are very different what attachment may work for one, could be detrimental to another. The advancements in the Dyson Airwrap multi-styler build on the success of its predecessor, through relentless research, user trials and advancements in computational fluid dynamics. The result: direction change barrels for faster and easier curling, reengineered brush attachments for more precise shaping, and an entirely new, dual-purpose Coanda smoothing dryer. Our ability to control airflow delivers enhanced Coanda performance to curl, shape and hide flyaways without extreme heat. Efficient Engineering Since its launch on 10 October 2018 in New York, Dyson engineers across the world from labs in Malmesbury UK, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, have worked in unison, to make a tool that is faster, more versatile, and easier to use1. Sophisticated simulation allows engineers to refine each attachment in minute detail and more quickly. Engineering lean machines is a core principle at Dyson: developing long lasting, high performing and efficient products using fewer resources, empowering the next generation of engineers to design a more sustainable future through science and technology. This can be seen throughout the Dyson Airwrap multi-styler, from the very motor that powers the tool through to the increased efficiency, enhanced performance, ultimately resulting in reduced energy consumption Jen Atkin, Dyson Global Styling Ambassador, said: The Dyson Airwrap is a styling revolution and unlike any other tool back when it first launched and still today. Now, the tool does even more, allowing owners to personalise to suit their styling preferences, personalised for their hair type. You can ensure every attachment in your box delivers your desired style, specific to your hair type. Something you thought couldnt get better, just did. At the heart of the Airwrap story sits a radical idea: to combine a fast, high-pressure motor to power a phenomenon known as the Coanda effect, allowing users to curl, wave, smooth and dry hair without the need for extreme heat. The Coanda phenomenon occurs when air, propelled at the right speed and pressure, naturally follows an adjacent surface, entraining surrounding air and with it hair. The Dyson Airwrap multi-styler utilises powerful and precise airflow to deliver wet to dry styling, styling hair from damp (80% dry), reducing the reliance on extreme heat and preserving the hair from unnecessary damage. Buy Direct from the people who made it The new Dyson Airwrap multi-styler is priced at AU $899 and will be available from 16 June on Dyson.com.au and in Dyson Demo stores and from 7 July in third party retailers. When purchasing from Dyson direct, new attachments are fully compatible with existing machines and owners can upgrade their full set for $249. Owner bundles are available in both standard and long barrels to cater for long and short hair. To buy, learn more and experience the Dyson Airwrap multi-styler, visit the Dyson Newsroom. A range of attachments engineered to suit any hair type. North Carolina continued to decline in new state unemployment claims last week, this time to 2,536, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. Claims were down from a revised 2,646 for the week that ended March 12. The pandemic low has been 1,848 claims for the week that ended Jan. 1. With no COVID-19 pandemic UI programs available for North Carolinians since Sept. 4, the claim totals represent new regular state unemployment-benefit claims. U.S. Labor listed 13,198 North Carolinians drawing regular state benefits as of March 5, down from a revised 14,666 the previous week. The state was 20th in the nation in the number of unemployment filings, up one from last week. A bump in N.C. claims is likely soon related to the Dec. 18 fire at a QVC distribution center in Rocky Mount. The company announced it was closing the facility, affecting 1,953 employees. In a WARN Act notice filed with the N.C. Commerce Department, QVC said it would begin permanently letting go of employees Feb. 1. On Monday, North Carolina has received a $4 million federal workforce grant to help about 650 QVC workers. The funds come from the federal Employment Recovery Dislocated Worker program. Employees in a 10-county area were affected by the plant fire. Overall, claims in N.C. have been down in part as employers remain reluctant to lay off workers in a tight job market. Both initial and continuing claims for regular state-funded unemployment insurance compensation have been trending downward for the past few months, said John Quinterno, principal with South by North Strategies Ltd., a Chapel Hill research company specializing in economic and social policy. Improvements in the labor market likely account for some of this, as people are less likely to be laid off and may have an easier time finding work due to tighter labor markets. National outlook The national filing of initial UI claims was at 214,000, up 15,000 from the week that ended March 5. As of Feb. 12, only New Jersey and New Mexico are receiving federal extended pandemic UI benefits. That means that almost all of the UI claims currently being reported are with state Labor departments. This recovery is radically different from the painfully slow one that followed the Great Recession, said John Quinterno, principal with South by North Strategies Ltd., a Chapel Hill research company specializing in economic and social policy. A key difference is the massive amount of support provided by Congress to households, businesses, and state and local governments earlier in the downturn. Without that support, our recovery trajectory likely would have resembled the long, slow climb that occurred after the Great Recession, Quinterno said. Quinterno said that the seemingly low unemployment rate (pandemic low of 3.9% for N.C. in January) needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The states labor force data does not distinguish how many workers are full time, temporary or part time, or how many jobs people are working. The U.S. Labor Departments U6 Index does include those individuals. The states U6 jobless rate was 8.4% in December, while the U.S. rate was 7.2% in January. U.S. Labor updates the state U6 rates on a quarterly basis. Yes, employment has risen while unemployment has fallen, Quinterno said. But, to the extent people have left the labor force entirely despite preferring to work, their absence may make the unemployment rate look better than it really is. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. William Fulton is making plans to move into new quarters as demand for his fresh juices continues to increase. Fulton, the owner of The Jugo Bar, recently announced plans to move into a basement kitchen in the Commerce Plaza building at 411 Fourth St., at the corner of Spruce Street in downtown Winston-Salem. Fulton has been producing his juices at the shared-use commercial kitchen at the Enterprise Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive but said the time has come to find a dedicated space. (The Enterprise Center) has been great, but its a shared space, Fulton said. My demand has been growing, and this new space offered me a dedicated fridge and freezer. This will help so I can ship the juices. Fulton mostly sells his juices at Winston-Salems Fairgrounds Farmers Market and at farmers markets in Charlotte and Raleigh. That is changing, though. He now does online sales through Jugo Bars website, and he hopes to have his juices listed soon on Walmart.com and Amazon.com for regional orders. The Jugo Bar Website: TheJugoBar.com Facebook: Thejugobar (@chopandchew82) Information: melonjugo@gmail.com or (980) 432-3108 The Jugo Bar jugo (pronounced HOO-go) is Spanish for juice sells its juices in such local stores such as Buies Market, Harvest Market, Sayso Coffee and Triad Seafood Market. The latter is run by Fultons brother, Archie Tuttle. Jugo Bar juices are freshly squeezed (or pressed) and contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives so they are sold fresh and require refrigeration. They are frozen only when they are going to be shipped. Fulton, 51, started The Jugo Bar in earnest in 2020 during the initial months of the pandemic. He had been selling digital platform ads for newspapers for years but decided he was ready to try something new. He left his job at The Star in Shelby and enrolled in the 12-week Providence Culinary Training program in Winston-Salem. I was playing around with the juices at the farmers market before COVID just to see how they would do. Then I got serious after Providence, he said. The inspiration for The Jugo Bar, though, dates further back to Fultons childhood in the Happy Hill neighborhood. When I was growing up, we used to have a fish market on Waughtown, and we sold watermelons. My dad (the late William J. Lindsay) used to make me juice with watermelons, Fulton said. As an adult, Fulton would make watermelon juice for friends and family. I would make it for cookouts and people for a hobby. Then finally I said, I need to hone these skills. He has branched out beyond watermelon. Jugo now has 43 flavors. Many are combinations of fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices. Flavors include Pineapple Jalapeno Cilantro, Blueberry Sage, Basil Limeade and Bellmango (bell peppers and mango). Beet It contains beets, Fuji apples, oranges, turmeric and ginger; 24 Carrots is a similar mixture with carrots in place of beets. Fulton said he loves getting creative with different flavors, something he started doing as a kid. I used to get crazy with the Kool-Aid, he said with a laugh. Fulton also is a beekeeper, so the juices often contain local honey from his own hives or those of others. He sometimes juices his own sugarcane, too, or will use raw sugar. I never use processed, granulated sugar, he said. Fulton generally sells the juices in 16-ounce bottles for $10, but he will do half-gallons on request. Fulton said he is starting a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to help him renovate his new kitchen space and buy equipment and a van. People also can make donations on The Jugo Bar website. He is hoping to have the space renovated and ready to move into by June. Part of Fultons motivation in the business involves providing healthy, fresh food. He has been helping another brother, Bishop Todd Fulton of Mount Moriah Outreach Center in Kernersville, start an urban farm school in Kernersville. He also has been involved with Renew Forsyth, a program of the Institute for Regenerative Design and Innovation, to foster regenerative agriculture and community development. Fulton said he thinks more about health these days, and he personally wants to drink fresh, all-natural juices instead of those store-bought, powdered mixes of his childhood. But The Jugo Bar, he said, is really for his 5-year-old grandson and the next generation. It kind of all started when I was shopping for my grandson. I couldnt believe the ingredients in some of these juices. I looked at the back labels and said, No, Im making my grandson fresh juices, he said. Jugo Bar is mine for now. But Im setting it up for my grandson. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The mother of a student at Paisley IB Magnet School was charged with having a handgun on school property on Monday, after deputies searched her car and found the weapon. Fancie Kay Brown, 30, was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, which is a felony, along with two misdemeanors: simple assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. School officials said authorities seized the gun without incident and that no one was ever threatened with it or in any danger Monday. The misdemeanor charges come just days after authorities allege Brown struck a student while intervening in an off-campus fight between that student and Browns daughter. Authorities said that during the fight on Friday, Brown got a handgun from her vehicle but did not point the gun at anyone. Authorities said that they did not make any charges initially against Brown because she was considered a victim. After authorities investigated more and looked at videos provided by bystanders, they decided to file charges against Brown. The fight occurred at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Gilette Street, just off the northeast corner of the Paisley campus, authorities said. Brown said Wednesday that her only intention in getting the gun was to scare away the children who were around. During the fight, she said, she mistakenly believed that she and her daughter were getting attacked by more than one student. That is when I went to my vehicle, Brown said. I did pull my weapon out. I did not have it chambered. I didnt even cock it. I had no intention on shooting any children or even shooting that child. I had no intention of doing anything but simply scaring all the kids away everything happened so fast. I didnt know what was going on. Brown said the girl who attacked her daughter was angry because her daughter had told Paisley staffers that the girl had tried to attack her friend a few days before. Plus Brown was on edge anyway, she said, because her daughter is a cousin of William Miller, the 15-year-old Mount Tabor High School student who was fatally shot last September by another student while at school. Brown said when she showed up around 2:40 p.m. Friday to pick up her daughter, other children started gathering around, and Brown could hear them saying the two girls were going to fight. I have my daughter by the hand and were heading to the car, and Im saying nobody is about to fight, Brown recalled. I said that loud and clear, we are leaving, we want to leave, my daughter never wanted to fight from the beginning we wanted to go, we didnt want anything to happen that happened. According to Brown, the other girl, not her daughter, started the fight. She pulled her by the hair, started beating my daughter in the head, Brown said. To defend my daughter, I did swing on the girl a few times back. She didnt like it that I was hitting her, so she actually pulled my hair and drug me to the ground and started beating me on the head. Brown said she knows that shes a parent charged with striking a 12-year-old, but that the girl was bigger than both her and her daughter, who is 11. My daughter just was so defenseless, Brown said. It is hard as a parent to see your child in front of you getting the crap beat out of them and to not physically do anything, whether you are striking back or trying to push them off. I had one arm on my daughter, trying to pull her back, and I was using the other one trying to get the girl off my daughter. Brown said she got scrapes and scratches on her arm, elbow and shoulder, and that she and her daughter were both scanned for head injuries in a hospital emergency room Friday. Her daughter came away from the fight with a loose tooth, Brown said. Deputies responded but found the fight over when they arrived, according to Annie Sims, a spokeswoman for the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office, which investigated the case. On Monday, Sims said, Brown came to Paisley to follow up on the investigation by a school resource officer. While talking with the officer and another deputy, Sims said, it was determined that Brown had the handgun from the Friday fight in her vehicle. Deputies searched her vehicle and found the gun on the floorboard. Brown appeared before a county magistrate Monday and received a $5,000 bond. She was not being held in the jail Monday night. Brown said that law enforcement officers told her that she was still considered a victim. Authorities said it is possible for someone to be a victim of a crime even though that person has been charged. Brent Campbell, a spokesman for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said that the system cant comment on anything that happened off-campus. He noted that Natasha Woods, the principal at Paisley, sent a message to parents Monday night telling them that no one was ever threatened or harmed, and we do not believe students were ever in danger during the Monday incident at the school. Campbell said the system does not send out messages about off-campus incidents like the fight Friday night. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Salem Academy and College and Bookmarks will host Chelsea Clinton in conversation with Salem President Summer McGee at 7 p.m. April 4 in the Elberson Fine Arts Center on Salems campus, both organizations said Wednesday in a news release. Clintons visit is part of the colleges 250th anniversary celebration. Chelsea Clinton is the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. We are delighted to welcome Chelsea Clinton to Salems campus, McGee said. The conversation with her will be casual in format and promises to be highly informative about the importance of educating future generations of girls and women in the area of science. The cost to attend the event is $25 and includes a copy of Clintons book, She Persisted in Science, the college and Bookmarks said. Attendees can donate their books back to Bookmarks as part of its program to increase access to books for children in Winston-Salem. The event will focus on Clintons new book for young readers called She Persisted in Science, which was released March 1, according to the news release. The book is published by Penguin Young Readers Group and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. The book contains the stories of women who became scientists and is part of Clintons No. 1 New York Times bestselling She Persisted series. Salem Academy and College is focused on developing health leaders and change agents in STEAM fields. In her book, Clinton writes, Being a woman in science isnt always easy. Sometimes women are told that their ideas arent smart enough, their research isnt good enough simply because theyre women. But that is not true. The world needs everyones scientific discoveries. To buy tickets, people can visit bookmarksnc.org/chelseaclinton. In addition, She Persisted in Science is available at Bookmarks at 634 W. Fourth St. in downtown Winston-Salem. Clintons book features stories about Florence Nightingale, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, Ynes Enriquetta Julietta Mexia, Grace Hopper, Rosalind Franklin, Gladys West, Jane Goodall, Flossie Wong-Staal, Temple Grandin, Zaha Hadid, and Ellen Ochoa. The book also includes stories about Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and Mari Copeny, Autumn Peltier, and Greta Thunberg and Wanjiru Wathuti. Clinton also is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World. As well, Clinton is the vice chairwoman of the Clinton Foundation. Bookmarks is a literary arts nonprofit organization and independent bookstore that works to increase access to books in Winston-Salem. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Not long ago, J.J. Fadel had never heard of NATO, a military alliance of countries aimed at protecting one another in the event of an attack. But after Russian invaded eastern Ukraine on Feb. 24, J.J., a freshman at Reagan High School, can talk about NATO, Vladimir Putins popularity among Russians and how it all ties into higher prices at the gas pump. In many classrooms throughout Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, including Jonathan Amos Honors World History class at Reagan, the Russia-Ukraine war has been incorporated into lessons, with topics ranging from the displacement of people from their homes to the way nations have maintained power through economic decisions. It meets a lot of different objectives in our World History standards, from economic interdependence to conflict and resolution, Amos said. And were tapping into that so that students know that these are real-world events playing out, that theyre living history. Theyre not just studying it, but living it. More than a casual conversation on current events, teachers are digging deeply into the conflict in ways that align with North Carolina social studies standards, which calls on students to think critically about history and what is going on in the world. Social studies looks different than when most adults were in history class, said Courtney Tuck, the school districts director of social studies. We sat and heard someone tell us what happened, when it happened and who it happened to. We took a lot of notes and gave that information back on a quiz or test. Our instruction today is very much focused on inquiry. The students are the ones doing the thinking rather than being presented with it. The school district provides materials and resources, including videos of speeches and news articles from the Associated Press and Reuters, for teachers to use. In Amos class, he asked students to read several documents and debate the question: Should everyday Russians be held accountable for the actions of military invasion? They split into teams, built their cases then debated oe another. J.J. and her partner, Sophie Olsen, tried to make the case to K.J. Ford and Nola Simpkins that Russian citizens should be held accountable. Reading from their classroom material, Sophie and J.J. pointed out that Putin was overwhelmingly elected in 2016, an indication that the Russian leader has widespread support in his country. K.J. and Nola were assigned to argue that Russians should not be held accountable. K.J. said that Russians likely dont support the invasion because it could spark World War III, something citizens would not want. After the students debated their points, they talked about what they really believed. They came to the consensus that the average Russian citizen should not be held accountable for Putins actions. Amos said the days lesson was an example of students deepening their understanding of world events. Theyre building skills; theyre talking to one another and hopefully, building their own understanding, he said. Using a current situation that is unfolding in real time can help the material feel relevant, Tuck said. It engages them in a way that things from 200 to 300 years ago dont, she said. Besides understanding the material, Sophie said she sees another need to understand what is going on in Ukraine. This is scary to think about, and we should be aware, she said. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Two people died and two others lapsed into critical condition. Dozens were left hungry, scared, wet and cold. More likely than not, since they resided in a for-profit assisted living center that had already attracted the attention of government regulators, the victims were poor. And make no mistake, every single one of the 98 residents trapped inside the Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center during a winter storm Jan. 16 was a victim. Three staff members, more than likely underpaid and overworked, showed up to care for residents. Not long after the desperate residents phoned 911 begging for help, the outrage flowed. Earlier this week, in a report compiled by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, we got a first glimpse at the price for such abominable behavior: undisclosed penalties including fines and withholding of Medicaid payments. And thats about it so far. Fines and withheld payments for new admissions levied after men and women suffered. Deeply troubling The initial report from Thomasville police the next morning was, to put it mildly, jaw-dropping. Panicked calls the evening of Jan. 16 summoned police to Pine Ridge in the aftermath of snow and ice that ground to a halt the entire region. Two residents had died and two transported to local hospitals. Three employees God love em showed up to care for the 98 residents, many of whom needed help with basic tasks. Obviously the weather and road conditions contributed to the inadequate staffing issues with the facility, said police Capt. Brad Saintsing in that report. Others would submit that low wages and tough working conditions played a role, too. Perhaps worse, as as we learned Tuesday, Pine Ridge had an emergency preparedness plan for dealing with bad weather that just sat there. What we found is that, although they had a plan, they never pulled it off the shelf. Staff didnt know they had it, Emery Milliken, deputy director of the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation, told legislators Tuesday. The cost? Undisclosed penalties. Fines. The hell of it is, regulators knew or should have known if they read their own reports that Pine Ridge had a history. Since 2018, the operators of Pine Ridge have been fined more than $120,000 for infractions that arguably resulted from not having enough staff. More than 40 deficiencies, verified by investigators through interviews with staff, residents and the centers own records, were noted. They included leaving incontinent residents in soiled undergarments for more than an hour, restricting visiting hours for relatives of a terminally ill patient and leaving residents without a shower for more than two weeks. And for all that, the operator of Pine Ridge, Principle LTC, based in Kinston, was fined and got a stern talking-to, which resulted in promises to do better next time. After the mess in January, even Gov. Roy Cooper joined in the chorus of ringing criticism. This is deeply troubling, the governor said. We must make sure that were looking after people in these kinds of facilities and the matter should be fully investigated and thats what I expect to happen. Maybe it will. Money talks Whether the governor meant to I doubt it was intentional his choice of phrasing was interesting. These kinds of facilities. By that, Cooper likely meant what bureaucrats refer to as congregate living settings nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and the like where people live for long periods in shared spaces in shared buildings. According to the state Division of Health Service Regulation, North Carolina had 423 licensed nursing facilities as of December 2021 looking after more than 38,000 residents. Pine Ridge most certainly fits those definitions. No doubt, many of them are fine places deserving five-star reviews where caring (and adequately compensated) staff look after our elders and those whose afflictions require assistance with love and patience. Then there are others that wind up as key players in horrid tragedies. Remember the name Danby House? Thats the spot in Winston-Salem where employees encouraged residents to fight and then videotaped it. Two workers were convicted of misdemeanors earlier this month, and a civil lawsuit filed on behalf of the victims was settled late last year. An isolated incident not indicative of the care on offer at Danby House most likely, but still those staffers were hired. Even in the chaos at Pine Ridge, a small cadre of workers moved by the plight of those in their care, did their level best. You cant read that report and not feel a sense of sadness for both what happened to the residents and for those three staff who were trying so hard to serve the needs of 98, Milliken said. A legislative committee is reviewing reports about Pine Ridge, and various law-enforcement agencies conducted investigations. Pine Ridge, for its part, issued a statement in which its operators said the company has been working diligently to address issues that occurred. Mmm-hmm. Similar pledges no doubt were uttered after previous fines and violations. Maybe a systemic follow-up look at Pine Ridge will yet turn out to have more bite than undisclosed penalties. But maybe, especially after learning about previous fines and wrist-slapping reports, the time for a deeper dive was years before a winter storm in January. Two dead and two left in critical condition while others begged for help demands better. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The largest residential project in downtown history will begin to rise soon at the former home to the Lincoln Journal Star. Jeff Kanable, a project executive with Trinitas Ventures, said deep foundation work has already started on the project, located on the northeast corner of Ninth and P streets, and work on pouring concrete footings should begin in the next couple of weeks. Kanable said the company still plans for the development, called Atmosphere Lincoln, to be "majority complete" by August 2023. Trinitas bought the former Journal Star building at 926 P St. in September for $6 million and started demolition right before Christmas. Plans call for about 320 student-oriented apartments, ranging from studios to five-bedroom units, in a building that will take up the western half of the block bounded by Ninth, 10th, P and Q streets. The building will rise to six stories on the Q Street side and 13 stories facing P Street. It will have an underground parking garage with 95 stalls, but Kanable said the bulk of the residents will park in the adjacent Market Place garage on the corner of 10th and Q. The development also will have a number of amenities for its residents, he said, including two outdoor courtyards with grilling stations, game zones, a yoga studio, fitness center, study lounges, a cafe and community gathering spaces. Trinitas plans to start pre-leasing of units this fall, but Kanable said it is not yet ready to announce what monthly rents will be. This is the second downtown Lincoln development for Trinitas, which built the 8N Lofts, a 172-unit student-focused apartment building at Eighth and N streets that opened in 2016. "Downtown Lincoln is a community we have developed in before, and we are extremely excited to be working in, traveling to and living in Lincoln once again," Kanable said. Unlike with 8N Lofts, Atmosphere Lincoln will not be utilizing tax-increment funding, even though Kanable estimated its price tag at north of $85 million. He said the company evaluated TIF and had discussions with city officials about it, but "we ultimately determined that TIF wasnt the right fit for our development." Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. COLUMBUS Orion Ross, the man barricaded in a bedroom at 33rd and Vine streets with Felipe Vazquez as Lincoln police closed in around the house to arrest him Aug. 26, 2020, said before they made their escape attempt Vazquez asked him if he could "shoot out." "What did you say?" Chief Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Bruce Prenda asked Ross, who took the stand Thursday at Vazquez's first-degree murder trial for the fatal shooting of Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera. "What you do is what you do," Ross answered. "Because it's his life." By the end of the day, the jury would hear from Vazquez, too, after the state rested its case against him after eight days of testimony and evidence. Vazquez said he'd looked out and saw one officer in the front yard on his radio, then looked out later and saw one with a shield. He said his plan was to shoot at a tree in the yard to scare the officers away. "When they hear gunshots they're gonna run straight for cover," Vazquez said. He said by the time police looked back up, he and Ross would be down the street on the way to what they called the bat cave, a place close to nearby Wyuka Cemetery where they hung out with friends. A friend would be waiting there to pick them up. Vazquez said he fired while inside the bedroom after Ross smashed the window with a mug. Then they jumped out. "Everything just happened so quick. Someone came around the tree. Boom. I felt like a cannon left my hand," Vazquez said. He said he squeezed again. Boom. Shots were coming from the left side, Vazquez said. "I hear someone screaming. I was just like, 'Oh, I just know something bad happened,'" he said. "I just kept running." Vazquez and Ross ran in the direction of an officer blocking traffic on Vine Street, who was aiming her gun at them. Defense attorney Nancy Peterson asked Vazquez why he didn't shoot her. "It was never my intention to hurt an officer," he said. Vazquez admitted he lied to the sheriff's deputy who interviewed him later that day, after he was arrested after being chased out of a nearby house by the owner and holed up for a short time on his porch as police trained rifles on him. He said he was still trying to take everything in. "I didn't believe what happened had happened," Vazquez said. A video, shown to the jury earlier in the afternoon, showed him mostly silent but at times quietly singing to himself as he waited for the deputy in an interview room. Peterson asked Vazquez if he intended to shoot Herrera or any of the officers. "No, ma'am," he said. "I regret it every day." Ross said they stood in front of the bedroom window that faces Vine Street, and Vazquez asked if he could "shoot out." He said Vazquez "upped the gun," pointing it at the window, while he pulled the curtain back and threw a mug to break the window. Ross said he thought the plan was to fire a shot to scare police, so they could get away. "I just remember him ... lowering it," he said of Vazquez and the gun that day. "Then where did he go?" Prenda asked. "Out the window," he said. Ross said he followed. He doesn't remember hearing the sound of gunfire or even where Vazquez was when he fired the shots. "I've spent the last two years trying to forget that day and the days before it," Ross said. But, he said, he remembers hearing an "agony-type scream" from one of the officers. Herrera had been shot in the chest and later died of his injuries. On cross-examination, Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon asked Vazquez if he'd seen officers standing by the tree and on the sidewalk, why did he fire toward it. "You could've fired that gun in the air," he said. "Yes, I could've," Vazquez said. "You're just firing at the tree and the officer just happened to show up?" Condon said, incredulously. "Yes, sir," Vazquez said. Closing arguments are expected Monday in Platte County District Court, where the trial was moved because of pretrial publicity. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A man who briefly shared a jail cell with Felipe Vazquez last year testified at his trial Wednesday that Vazquez told him "it was either him or the cop," so he fired the gun. One shot struck Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera in the chest on Aug. 26, 2020. He died 12 days later. And Vazquez is on trial for first-degree murder and six other felony charges. On the stand Wednesday afternoon, Christopher Brewer, 29, said he was in a cell at the Lancaster County Department of Corrections in February 2021 when Vazquez was transferred from the Youth Services Center after turning 18. In a conversation a day later, he said Vazquez told him he was there for shooting at an officer. Brewer said Vazquez told him he'd been on a trip with a friend and had come back to Lincoln not long before Aug. 26, 2020, when police showed up at his father's house at 33rd and Vine streets, surrounding the place and looking to arrest him on a warrant. Brewer said Vazquez told him officers on the other side of his locked door told him to come out. "Instead of opening the door, his friend handed him a gun," Brewer said. He said Vazquez broke the window to escape and saw an officer, Herrera, standing in front of him. "He said to me he looked at the cop and it was either him or the cop, and he said that's when he fired," Brewer said. He said Vazquez told him he fired twice, then jumped out the window and heard the officer yelling and reaching for his stomach, as Vazquez and his friend, Orion Ross, took off running, another officer firing four shots and missing. On cross examination, Brewer, who admitted being a three-time convicted felon, said he didn't recall a 2016 conviction for lying to police. Defense attorney Nancy Peterson asked why Brewer didn't tell law enforcement about the conversation with Vazquez in an initial statement that April, instead opting to wait more than five months to share the information as part of a "get out of jail free" deal with prosecutors. Peterson pressed about additional legal trouble Brewer had gotten into for selling meth after the initial interview. "You didn't have $15,000 to get out of jail, did you?" she asked. "No," he said. As part of the deal to testify, Brewer got out on a personal recognizance bond without paying any money and his charge was reduced to an attempted delivery. "Jail is miserable, would you agree with me on that?" Peterson asked him. "Somewhat," Brewer said. "It just depends on how you take it." He's gone to jail a lot, he said, but prison is a big deal, and he doesn't want to go. "And you would do whatever you could do to minimize the amount of time that you would have to spend in prison, correct?" she asked. "Yes," Brewer said. The case continues this week in Platte County District Court, where the trial was moved because of pretrial publicity. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Lincoln student Alex Hamric pleaded with Nebraska lawmakers to, at a minimum, recognize the impacts of climate change, but the 14-year-old was doubtful that his words would hold any weight. Hamric was one of five individuals who, during a hearing Wednesday, advocated for the Natural Resources Committee to advance a resolution (LR102) for the Legislature to acknowledge that the world is in a "climate and ecological crisis" that was caused by humans and that lawmakers have a "moral obligation" to take steps to mitigate the crisis. "It is the smallest step you can take in the right direction," Hamric said. The committee did not vote on the resolution. According to States At Risk, a project studying the effects of climate change across the United States, Nebraska is projected to see a 70% increase in widespread summer drought by 2050. The state currently averages about 15 days at dangerous temperatures each year. By 2050, that average is expected to rise to 40 days. Students attending Prairie Hill Learning Center south of Lincoln drafted LR102, which was introduced by Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic postponed a hearing on the resolution at the time. Since then, Wishart said, several of the students involved have graduated. Teacher Jordan Hope said the resolution started as a class project studying climate change and how laws are made to mitigate it. Eventually, she said, schoolwork wasn't enough to satisfy some students. "It's not enough to write fake bills and resolutions when real change needs to be made," Hope said. Hamric, who first testified before senators when he was 12, said he thinks most lawmakers regard this resolution as a learning experience for students, rather than a real piece of legislation. Most lawmakers won't listen to anyone under the age of 25, he said. Of the eight-member committee, only Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha asked the students any questions. Cavanaugh asked Willa Hamric, Alex's twin, if she had any suggestions for what the Legislature could do to combat the crisis. Willa suggested the state expand on its wind energy potential rather than relying so much on oil. Wishart noted that lawmakers are currently debating how to allocate American Rescue Plan Act funding, including a proposal to use $150,000 to update a 2014 climate change report by University of Nebraska scientists. In total, five people spoke in support of LR102. No one spoke against it, although Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, chair of the Natural Resources Committee, said there were four written submissions against the resolution, as well as one in support. Wishart encouraged committee members to back the resolution as a way to support younger generations that will feel the heavier effects of climate change. "Give me the chance to have a future," Alex Hamric said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha kept the spotlight focused on what he argues is the urgent need for prison, programming and sentencing reform as the Legislature labored Wednesday through a full day of debate on a budget bill that includes setting aside funding for a new state prison. Mushrooming inmate numbers and Gov. Pete Ricketts' proposal to build a new $270 million state prison to replace the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln have placed the issue squarely before state senators this year. Lathrop, chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, argued that current prison overpopulation has reached a crisis stage and reforms recommended by a Crime and Justice Institute study are needed now to prevent ongoing growth in prison population and accompanying costs. "The can has been kicked down the road," he said. "We have a crisis now." Nebraska's prison population has reached 152% of designed capacity; the Legislature's Appropriations Committee has recommended setting aside $170 million in a cash account awaiting future decision on whether to proceed with construction of a new prison; and recommendations for prison reform will come before the Legislature later in the form of LB920. A number of senators argued that the state cannot build itself out of the prison population challenge without justice reforms. "We need a plan," Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington said. "Otherwise, we add 200 beds a year for, I guess, forever." Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha said the Legislature needs to adopt "a strategic and thoughtful approach to the challenge" which he earlier suggested should include investing in his North Omaha community. Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha said the "rural-urban divide" in the Legislature is demonstrated by recommended funding in the budget for trails and water projects compared to "significantly less investment in urban areas." McKinney, Wayne and Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha are supporting a $250 million allocation of federal pandemic recovery funds to address housing and other needs in North Omaha and South Omaha. Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said the state has added 808 prison beds since he's been in the Legislature and "we haven't moved the needle" in terms of addressing the prison population challenge. Sentencing reform and adequate programming are "the two key issues" in resolving the problem, Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln said. Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln told his colleagues that there needs to be "more access to mental health services" in the prison system. LB920, the criminal justice reform bill, was advanced to the floor by the Judiciary Committee on a 6-2 vote. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Feature: Greek wineries eyeing China's growing market Xinhua) 08:29, March 17, 2022 ATHENS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Greece's wine industry has made great strides in recent years, gaining recognition worldwide. China is one of the markets which Greek winemakers now aim to conquer, experts told Xinhua recently in Athens. Some 250 wineries from all regions of Greece presented about 3,000 wines of all types at "Oenorama 2022," the largest exhibition of Greek wines in the world, which took place here between March 12 and March 14. After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the exhibition returned, offering visitors a chance to taste the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages. Since 1994, the launch date of this annual event, Oenorama's General Manager Constantine Stergidis has witnessed the remarkable progress of the Greek wine industry, which he described as "very dynamic." "We have many new wineries, small ones that are opening, which is good, because this creates a critical mass for Greek wine and Greece's wine industry abroad," he said. "We are starting to make more progress in viticulture, which is very important for the final product," he added. In recent years, Greek wines have won quite a few international awards, and they are becoming increasingly popular in demanding markets such as France. The past five years have seen a steady increase in the average price of a bottle of Greek wine, which proves this point, Yannis Voyatzis, former president of the National Inter-Professional Organization of Vine and Wine (EDOAO), told the Greek daily Kathimerini recently. During the years of the Greek debt crisis, the country invested in its wineries, doubling their number from 635 to 1,295. Between the northern parts of the country and the Island of Crete in the south, the authorities list 120 Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) and over 30 Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) for Greek wines. Enterprise Greece, the country's official trade and investment promotion agency, has recently released an analysis based on Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) figures, according to which the total value of Greece's wine exports was 72.05 million euros (79.4 million U.S. dollars) in 2020 and 84.83 million euros in 2021. Based on 2020 data, Germany with 37.68 percent was the top export market for Greek wine, followed by the U.S., Canada and France. Although China imported 0.59 percent of Greece's wine output in 2020, the International Trade Center's (ITC) "Export Potential Map Greece" shows that the country is a promising target for Greek exporters. "It is potentially an important market, because I think that the Chinese are very well-versed in the history of Greece and wine is part of our history. Many of our vineyards are in areas of archaeological interest or are tourist destinations, like Santorini," Stergidis said. "China is an extremely important market or potentially important market for wines of Greece. I think that as wine becomes more popular in China, then in just a few years' time, we will see Chinese drinkers getting closer to Greek wine," Master of Wine Konstantinos Lazarakis, told Xinhua. Aris Tselepos is a second-generation vintner at Tselepos Wines, which since 2015 has established stable cooperation with its partners in China. "In the last few years Greek wine has established itself in the world market and it is doing its next steps in the market of Asia as well," he told Xinhua. "My experience has told me that it is a market with a huge growth the last few years. We export the products of all three of our wineries and we see a huge growth year after year, expecting to keep growing and keep strengthening this partnership," he said. (1 euro = 1.10 U.S. dollars) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) A Douglas County judge on Wednesday released an 18-year-old Millard West senior on his own recognizance after hearing the details of the deadly shooting of the young mans best friend. Blake W. Miller has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the Saturday night shooting death of 18-year-old Tanner Farrell, a Ralston High School senior. Miller was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Tuesday afternoon. Millers attorney, William Bianco, told Douglas County Judge Marcela Keim that he and Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine had talked about the conditions of Millers release before Wednesdays court hearing. Kleine had agreed to letting Miller out of jail, Bianco said. Kleine has said Miller, who was drinking beer with two friends at his house, pulled out his .22-caliber rifle and pointed it at Farrell. Miller pulled the trigger, thinking it was unloaded, and shot Farrell in the chest, Kleine said. Millers parents were not home, he said. It just shows you what can happen when somebody who doesnt apparently know what theyre doing is handling a firearm in an inappropriate manner, and we see the results, Kleine said Tuesday. Kleine said the manslaughter charge indicates that Miller unintentionally killed Farrell as he committed an unlawful act, which was pointing the gun at another person. Bianco said Wednesday that Miller wanted to finish up at Millard West this spring and attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall. He is working on a farm to raise money for his college tuition, Bianco said. If convicted of the manslaughter charge, Miller faces up to 20 years in prison. Farrells parents, Tiffany and Jason Farrell, said in a statement Tuesday that their son and Miller have been best friends for years. We are deeply saddened by the news that (the manslaughter charge has) been filed, they said. We love Blake as one of our own. We want Blake and his family to know we are here and in support of them all. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OMAHA Despite the dirt, the rips and the wear and tear, Erin Sorensen knew that somebody out there had to love the battered, stuffed bunny she rescued from a Dundee neighborhood street. Its the whole reason I picked it up, she said. It had the look of Someone is missing this rabbit. Her dog, Scout, spotted the bunny on a March 3 walk. Sorensen waited for traffic to clear near 52nd and Burt streets, then raced out and grabbed the grimy animal. She got a few looks as she carried it home, but as she posted pictures of it on various social media platforms, she just knew shed have it home, safe in the arms of its owner, by dinner. But it didnt happen. What happened instead is kind of cool, too. On her posts, people told her about their favorite stuffed animals and how it still hurts that they were lost. Others shared stories of the loveys of their childhoods that they cherish today as an adult. Sorensen is a deputy editor for Hail Varsity, and others suggested she share her bunny tale with Husker Nation via its social media channels. I dont know how many Husker fans want to know about a pale-violet bunny, she said, joking. A few wanted to know why she was wasting her time, rescuing a stuffed bunny that looked like it had been run over once too often. Didnt she have better things to do? Those were easy to answer. Im somebody who notoriously lives on the internet. Im very consumed by the internet, Sorensen said. The world stinks right now. It can be overwhelming some days, especially when there is a war on the other side of the world. When you find a little piece of good, its worth fighting for. One of her posts caught the eye of Danielle Allore-Taylor of Spring Arbor, Michigan, who has 1 million followers of her TikTok channel, A_tall_glass_of_anxiety. It just so happens that she restores stuffed animals to their former selves, and her followers love the stories of transformation. She liked Sorensens lost rabbit tale as well. It pulled on my heart strings. This bunny is in really rough shape, Allore-Taylor said. Since its my specialty, I wanted to help out in some way. So away went the bunny to Michigan, where it has been given new life. Allore-Taylor gave it a wash, new stuffing and a makeover, which revealed its true colors. As with many of the hundreds of restorations that she's done, she put a little heart memory envelope inside its body with a piece of its old stuffing and some pink and purple thread that had been ripped off. I really, really hope we find the owner of that little bunny, she said. You know someone was walking with their kid and it fell out of the stroller. I thought it was super heartwarming that Erin went out of her way to rescue it, and I got to be part of the story. Sorensen, who can be reached at hello@erinsorensen.com, is sharing new posts of the transformed bunny in hopes that it will be more easily recognizable to its owner. She knows it could still be a long shot. But she takes heart from someone who told her how they found a ring, tried to find its owner and failed and then miraculously connected with them by accident 23 years later. I hope it doesnt take 23 years, she said. If no one steps forward, shes still mulling ways to make a difference with the rabbit, which has reminded many people of the Knuffle Bunny book series. Maybe, she said, she can bring bunny along and read one of those books to some elementary school students. And rest assured that bunny will have a home with her, and will be well loved. I still feel hopeful we can find the true owner, she said. What is driving me, even though its small, in this corner of the world in Omaha, Nebraska, is it could just bring some joy. I want to see that joy through, and Im really hopeful that we do. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Susan Bulgrin, who owns three local Culvers restaurants, is donating 100% of this past Tuesdays sales to Chef Jose Andres World Central Kitchen to benefit Ukrainian refugees and those going hungry inside Ukraine. Between her stores she said she raised about $50,000. The community was very generous and definitely supported this fundraising initiative. And I am so thankful, I am so grateful, said Bulgrin, who owns Culvers restaurants on Todd Drive and Cottage Grove Road in Madison, and one in McFarland. Bulgrin said shes been watching the news and realizing that the people of Ukraine, refugees and those inside Ukraine, are in dire need of food. They are struggling mightily, she said, noting she read that some havent eaten in three days. World Central Kitchen is quickly expanding its #ChefsForUkraine response to distribute food, including hot, fresh meals, in five countries. It has opened a kitchen and food supply depot in Poland, on the border with Ukraine, and has multiple warehouses active in Lviv where trucks are filled with food to reach cities such as Odessa and Mykolayiv, according to the organizations website. The group is also supporting restaurants to serve meals in Ukrainian cities including Kharkiv and Kyiv, which remain under attack, according to its website. The organization says it has served a million meals and is active in 55 cities in Ukraine with 330 distribution points. As a restaurateur, Bulgrin said, she feels compelled to help raise money for food and water. Theres a real crisis, she said. People are going without As I looked at that, I said, What can I do? And one of the things that Ive learned is that theres a wonderful organization called World Central Kitchen that actually goes into these areas that are in desperate need. And they cook for people. They train people who are on the ground, and they work with them to try and do whatever they can to feed people. Andres started the organization in 2017, focusing on Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Its amazing what they do, Bulgrin said. Whether its Ukraine or any other country thats in desperate need, I just wanted to make sure that (the Ukrainian) people realize were here to help them and to support them. Bulgrin said shes not sure yet whether she will do another fundraiser for Ukraine, but its possible. Eric Skrum, a spokesperson for Culvers, said the majority of Culvers restaurants are independently owned and operated, and participating restaurants displayed Make Your Meal Matter signs Tuesday and donated sales amounts from 10% to 100%. Skrum said Wednesday he didnt know the total raised. Culver Franchising System owns and operates six restaurants that are donating 10% of Tuesdays sales to World Central Kitchens efforts, Skrum said. Bulgrin said the lines in her stores and drive-thrus were long Tuesday, but not as long as they were in October when the company sold its limited-time CurderBurger. It wasnt like that, she said. Thank goodness. Read more restaurant news at go.madison.com/restaurants. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The woman accused of killing her housekeeper in McHenry, Illinois, then dumping her body in a cornfield in central Racine County in 1999 had her fate handed to her in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday. LaRoche, 67, was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Peggy Lynn Johnson-Schroeder, 23. First-degree intentional homicide carries with it a guaranteed sentence of life in prison. The defendant also was convicted of hiding a corpse for dumping Johnson-Schroeders body. Assistant District Attorney Diane Donohoo said during closing statements that LaRoche she believed was jealous of Schroeder, who was loved by the family. LaRoche had hired Schroeder to be a housekeeper after Schroeders own mother died. LaRoches children described Peggy as kind, sweet and quiet. The defendants only daughter said: Everybody loved Peggy. In contrast, LaRoche was described as somewhat of a screamer and one of her younger sons said: We had a rocky relationship. Several of her children said LaRoche was abusive to Schroeder over several years. She was jealous, Donohoo said of the defendant. This is the classic jealous woman case. LaRoche also told people that Schroeder was sleeping with her husband, although there was no evidence of that. Donohoo quoted the old saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Linda LaRoche was the woman scorned and hell hath no fury like Linda Laroche, she said. History The Racine County Sheriffs Office was dispatched to Raymond on July 21, 1999, after a passerby found a young womans body in the first row of a cornfield. The woman was badly beaten, had broken bones, was malnourished and evidence suggested she had probably been tortured. The medical examiners report indicated Schroeder had multiple injuries that all contributed to her death, but it was an infection from the injuries that ultimately led to her death. The infection was necrotizing fasciitis, a rare bacterial infection that is sometimes referred to as flesh-eating. The young woman had never been arrested, so her fingerprints did not turn up any identification. She was buried in a Jane Doe grave and went nameless for 20 years until modern methods of DNA testing turned up an identification. Once she was identified, investigators learned that Schroeders father had abandoned his family when she was young and her mother was deceased. She was described in court as cognitively slow. She met LaRoche at a free clinic where the older woman was working as a nurse. LaRoche offered the young woman a job helping at her house with housework and her six children, according to testimony. LaRoche told investigators she took Schroeder in because she identified with her situation. She, too, had lost her mother while she was still quite young. I had a troubled childhood, LaRoche told investigators. I didnt have anyone, either. When Schroeder moved into the home, she brought almost nothing with her besides a two-person tent. Closing statements The case presented by the Racine County District Attorneys Office was largely circumstantial. It has been almost 23 years, so there were no witnesses to Schroeder being dumped in a cornfield, no DNA, fingerprints or surveillance video. Complicating matters was the fact Schroeder was not killed by a gunshot or knife wound. While she had many injuries that contributed to her death, it was the untreated infection that ultimately killed her. Donohoo acknowledged the circumstantial nature of the case, noting the defense used the word as if circumstantial was a dirty word. She explained circumstantial evidence is evidence from which the jury could draw a reasonable conclusion and is admissible in court. Donohoo added the circumstances, when taken together, points to who the killer is, which is the defendant. The states case rested on two points. The first is that the witnesses painted a picture of ongoing and escalating violence against Schroeder by the defendant, in what the state called a chronic abuse situation. We dont know what the final blow was, and we dont have to prove that, Donohoo said. We have to prove the actions of the defendant were a substantial factor that led to the death. The second point is that Schroder had lied for years about Schroeders whereabouts, going so far as to fabricate a social message supposedly sent by Schroeder two decades after she had actually died. After years of lying to her family, Dohohoo continued, LaRoche began lying to the police about the circumstances of Schroeder leaving the Johnson household, telling various people at various times that she (LaRoche) dropped Schroeder off at the hospital, at the train station, with her grandmother. Donohoo added, LaRoche was the substantial actor that caused those injuries that led to the chain of events of Peggy Johnsons body in a cornfield dead in Racine Defense closing Carl Johnson, who was on the team that represented LaRoche, argued that there were flaws with the states case. He pointed out when Schroeders body was found in the cornfield, 25% of the upper body was covered in burns, a V had been carved into the victims forehead, her nose was broken and her ear was damaged. Some of the injuries were 3 to 8 days old; yet, no one in the house reported seeing her like that. When are all those things supposed to have occurred? he wondered. Despite those questions, the jury came back with a guilty verdict in fewer than 4 hours. They could have found LaRoche guilty of a lesser charge, but concluded the heaviest charge was appropriate. In a statement issued after the guilty verdict was announced, Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said The Sheriffs Office will never forget or stop working a cold case homicide. While the deaths of Peggy Johnson, Amber Creek and Juanita Zdroik were once cold case homicides, these cases are shining examples of the hard work and dedication of the members of the Sheriffs Office in creating closure for the victims families. I would like to thank all the professionals who assisted in bringing Peggys killer to justice. "For anyone involved in any other homicide, you need to worry. It is not a matter of if, but when, you are held accountable. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Approximately 75% of all U.S. drug deaths in the past year involve opioids, and the majority of that 75% included fentanyl. Now, drug users in Wisconsin will be able to legally test their drug of choice for a prevalence of the synthetic opioid thats at least 50 times more potent than morphine. A bipartisan bill that became Wisconsin law on Wednesday decriminalized fentanyl testing strips. Previously, only authorities such as law enforcement agencies were allowed to use fentanyl testing strips, since they are considered drug paraphernalia. Now, anyone in the state can have access to them. The strips are effectively a litmus test: Dip the strip into some water and then dip the strip into some of the drug. Within a minute or two, a different number of lines will appear or the color of the strip will change color, depending on the brand of the strip, indicating whether fentanyl is present in the drugs. If MDMA or cocaine or other substance tests positive for the much more dangerous fentanyl, a person might not use it, and avoid an overdose as a result. The bill Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed Wednesday was co-introduced by five Democrats and two Republicans, including state Sen. Van Wanggaard, a Racine Republican and a retired Racine police officer. With easy access to fentanyl, drug dealers are lacing all types of illegal prescription and nonprescription drugs, such as Xanax and Adderall, Wanggaard said in a statement Wednesday. Decriminalizing testing strips will allow law enforcement officers, firefighters, medical providers, and others to test substances like these. Racine County is planning on distributing them to the public, but plans on how to do that have not been finalized. The Milwaukee Health Department announced plans Wednesday to distribute 1,600 testing strips. The testing strips will be a valuable tool to help prevent death from overdose. I applaud the work of Supervisor Ortiz-Velez to make these strips available and easily accessible to the community, Shakita LaGrant-McClain, director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement. The most important step is keeping people alive so they can get the treatment and help to give them the best quality of life possible. Such programs have shown to be successful in preventing overdoses when implemented elsewhere. Theyre commonly found in bowls on bar counters in and around San Francisco. New York Citys health department already distributes them and has pamphlets on how to use them. Also Wednesday, Evers signed two other bipartisan bills related to drugs. Increasing the severity of the penalties for the illegal manufacturing, delivery, and distribution of fentanyl. Appropriating $1.5 million to create a state database that tracks use of methamphetamine and opioids statewide. But the Legislatures Joint Finance Committee, presently controlled by Republicans, would have to sign off on the spending before the Department of Administration could give the job to a vendor. Wanggaard said the changes to Wisconsin law related to fentanyl will save lives, period. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORWAY The Muskego-Norway School District is asking voters to approve $46 million in new borrowing, but officials are not saying how much the proposal would increase property taxes. School Superintendent Kelly Thompson and her staff have declined to provide forecasts showing the impact on property owners of a referendum facing voters in the April 5 election. The school district, which includes Lakeview Elementary School in the Wind Lake area, currently collects $30 million annually in property taxes. Voters will cast ballots April 5 on two referendum questions seeking authorization to borrow a combined $46.4 million to expand and upgrade facilities at Lakeview and at Muskego High School. One question would authorize $27.8 million in borrowing and the other an additional $18.6 million. If approved, the borrowing would be paid off using property tax increases over the next 15 or 20 years. But officials say they cannot provide estimates on how much property taxes would go up. School Board President Chris Buckmaster said there are other variables that make it impossible to calculate how much property taxes would increase if the referendum passes. We dont have the ability to forecast, Buckmaster said. Another School Board member, Kevin Zimmerman, also said officials could not tell voters how the referendum would affect property tax collections, also known as the districts tax levy. Its impossible to say what our tax levy will be in the future, Zimmerman said. Other school board members either declined to comment or could not be reached for comment. The board voted earlier this year to seek voter approval for new borrowing as part of a school district budget that currently stands at $71 million. The property tax rate of $7.15 per $1,000 of property value means the owner of a typical $300,000 home now is paying $2,145 a year to fund the public schools. Officials promoting the referendum contend that the property tax rate could remain unchanged, but they have declined to explain what other adjustment would be necessary to achieve that, except that it involves paying off old debts. Officials also have declined to say how much property taxes would decrease as a result of that adjustment, and then how much taxes would go back up if the referendum is approved. Thompson could not be reached for comment about the referendum despite multiple requests over several weeks. In an email, Thompson referred questions to district business manager Julie Kelly, who responded in another email with a chart showing only the referendums potential impact on the property tax rate not on actual tax collections. Nowhere in the districts informational materials about the referendum does it state how much property taxes would be increased to pay off the proposed new $46.4 million in borrowing. Voters in 2016 approved a $43 million referendum to build the new Muskego Lakes middle school and make other changes. Even with that borrowing, the district reports that property taxes decreased annually, from $33.5 million in 2010 to the current level of $30.3 million. The Muskego-Norway School District has been working hard to control costs and increase operating efficiencies, the district states in its informational materials. We are proud of this rare combination of top performance coupled with responsible spending. But on the question of the current referendums impact on future property taxes, the district states only: All current debt obligations would continue to be paid as they are scheduled now, regardless of whether or not we add debt. Voters on April 5 will decide whether to borrow $27.8 million to build an addition for a new gymnasium at Lakeview Elementary School, to convert an old gymnasium into a cafeteria, and to build an addition at Muskego High School for new science, technology, engineering and math programs. The second question seeks another $18.6 million for other construction at the high school, including additions for medical and health science programs. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A first-time elected official will represent the 4th Aldermanic District, located in south-central Racine, after the April 5 election. Who that will be remains up to the voters. Sitting alderman Edwin Santiago Jr. is not seeking re-election. Santiago is in the process of fighting felony charges filed against him related to an alleged drunken driving incident from February 2021; if found guilty, he would no longer be able to serve in public office in Wisconsin. Now, Amanda Paffrath and Michael Schrader are running to represent the 4th District. Each received the same set of questions; here are their answers. If elected, what is your budget priority?Paffrath: I want to ensure the stabilization of the city services budget and recent money from the American Rescue Plan Act dollars will help for the next few years. These federal dollars will also offer an opportunity for new ways to invest in programs that directly benefit the lives of Racines residents, such as the Financial Empowerment Center, homeowner repair grants to fix up houses in our neighborhoods, etc. I will always prioritize spending on programs that have an impact, support those in need and result in outcomes that improve the city as a whole. I also feel strongly that we must support economic development projects. Schrader: Eliminate wasteful spending and giveaways to developers and reallocate those resources to update the parks and improve the streets. This would include eliminating the DRC (the Downtown Racine Corporation, which is a nonprofit and not run by the city but does receive some public funding) and the BIDs (Business Improvement Districts), as they are not cost effective uses of the taxpayer dollars. Additionally, we need to comprehensively rezone, especially the redlined areas, to a lower density to lower taxes and encourage homeownership and investment. As it exists, the poorer areas have been zoned with higher uses, and with those come higher taxes and assessments, making these properties unavailable to most and discouraging people and businesses from moving in and investing in these properties. What is an action the City Council can take to help ensure a thriving business district Downtown? Paffrath: It is important that city resources and departments are accessible and information shared to all businesses in the citys districts. For downtown specifically, the City Council should continue to support the Toole Downtown Design plan that was adopted. The plan calls for moving Highway 32 from Main Street, adding a bike lane, changing all the one-way streets to two way and increasing stop signs to slow down traffic. The plan also includes plans to redesign Monument Square to be more accommodating as a place to gather for individuals and as a venue for events. Schrader: There is no simple solution as the Main Street Business District is too far removed from I-94. Time is what drives route choice, and to detour off the freeway is a minimum of 30 minutes; realistically, people are not going to do that. Unless a spur freeway connection from the lakefront to I-94 or the proposed extension of 794 from the airport south is built, the Main Street Business District cannot be more than a local business hub. That being said, parking meters need to be eliminated and a much more diverse retail base needs to be established. What is an action the City Council can take to reduce poverty in Racine? Paffrath: I believe we can make investments in residents through programs that help improve economic mobility, including the continued support of workforce development initiatives to residents through pre-apprentice training programs and providing opportunities like the YWCAs high school equivalent degree program. Both programs will help reduce poverty through education and training in the skilled trades. Lastly, I support the creation of a community health clinic next to Julian Thomas Elementary School. The link between poverty and access to health care is clear and the creation of this federally funded clinic is a huge step toward access to care and the economic impact it has for families. Schrader: How do we reduce poverty? First, recognize the evil of redlining and invest in areas that were in those zones historically. Second, reduce the permitting fees for those wanting to open small businesses or improve their property. A few hundred dollars is not much to the wealthy, but it is the difference between eating and starving to the poor. The poor dont want handouts; what they want is the ability to be self-sufficient and better their lives. Save the parks, fix the streets, lower the taxes these things help everyone, rich and poor alike. Parenthetical clarifications added by The Journal Times. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MADISON Assembly Speaker Robin Vos came under fire Thursday from both Gov. Tony Evers and former President Donald Trump for politically crosswise statements he made a day earlier backing baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, but opposing the legally impossible decertification of the results. Vos also dismissed as foolish a Republican state lawmakers use of a violent metaphor after being booted from a closed meeting with election deniers on Wednesday. Speaking at a WisPolitics luncheon Thursday, Evers, a Democrat up for re-election in November, said repeated claims of fraud in the 2020 election by top Republicans, including Vos, has only amplified the call for decertification something that has now been urged by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, whom Vos hired last year to review the election at a taxpayer cost of $676,000. I think hes one of the smartest people Ive ever met and I think this is one of the dumbest things hes ever said, Evers said in reference to Vos claim of widespread fraud. Robin Vos could end it today and say, Gableman, go home, stop your circus, Evers added. Trump, who has repeatedly called on Wisconsin Republican lawmakers to decertify the 2020 election, laid into Vos for agreeing with nonpartisan legislative lawyers who say the Legislature cant decertify the results. President Joe Biden defeated Trump by nearly 21,000 votes and multiple reviews have found no evidence of widespread fraud. Wrong! Trump said. If you rob the diamonds from a jewelry store, if you get caught, you have to give the diamonds back, votes should be no different. There is so much fraud, as Vos knows, that this should be done quickly and easily, added Trump, a Republican, who notably made more than 30,000 false or misleading statements during his four years in office. Trump also pointed to a resolution Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, introduced seeking to reclaim the states 10 electoral votes already cast for Biden, a measure GOP leaders say they will not take up. On Wednesday, Ramthun, a Republican candidate for governor, called Vos a bully and said the only way to deal with bullies is to punch them right back in the nose after Vos kicked him out of a meeting about decertifying President Joe Bidens 2020 win in Wisconsin. Ramthun, who has been pushing for decertification, which nonpartisan legislative lawyers say is constitutionally impossible, said in an online interview posted on YouTube that he was angry with Vos after the speaker did not allow him in the closed-door meeting that day. It was the perfect opportunity to punch him right in the nose and say go pound sand, but I was concerned about the collateral damage, Ramthun said after Vos kicked him out of the meeting. Theres only one way to treat a bully and thats to punch him right back in the nose but in this case I couldnt take the chance because he could have just ended it and said, Fine Im outta here and left. And then it would have been on me. He added, I mean, Im hypothetical here. Ramthun spoke with reporters in the hallway as the meeting was ongoing and said it should be open to the public. Vos, who has clashed with Ramthun before, called the meeting to discuss the legalities of decertifying the election with attorneys and advocates who support it and those who say its illegal. Vos reacted Thursday to Ramthuns comments, saying in a statement that Rep. Ramthun says a lot of foolish things, this is one more on the list. Ramthun did not immediately return a message Thursday. Ramthun is one of several Republican candidates running for governor, including former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and businessman Kevin Nicholson. They are seeking to take on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Gableman lawsuit update Gablemans one-party review, which was originally planned to be finished last fall, has dragged on due in part to multiple legal challenges, Republicans have said. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Rhonda Lanford on Thursday agreed to add three additional individuals subpoenaed by Gableman to one of the ongoing lawsuits related to whether or not the former justice has the authority to demand in-person interviews as part of his probe. Gableman filed new subpoenas late last year seeking in-person meetings with Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the state Department of Administrations chief information officer Trina Zanow and Sara Linski, a technical services employee with the Elections Commission. Lanfords order allows the three individuals to join the ongoing lawsuit. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RACINE The citys two biggest unions are mad at City Hall. Fighting between unions and governments often occurs out of the public eye, typically around negotiating tables. But two Racine Fire Department leaders made their anger known during the public comment portion of a City Council meeting on Tuesday night. The unions Local 321, which represents Racine firefighters, and the Racine Police Association are still operating under contracts that had been set to expire on Dec. 31, 2020. But no new contracts have been approved since, so those contracts remain in effect. Additionally, under new rules imposed by the city that require just two firefighter-paramedics to be assigned to ambulances, firefighters say they are being stretched thin and are unable to respond to medical emergencies appropriately. Stalled Collective bargaining sessions were held in December 2020 and January 2021, but the parties were unable to make progress, City Attorney Scott Letteney said in an email Wednesday. Mediation followed but came to a standstill. Now the two sides the unions and Mayor Cory Masons administration are arguing about what they are allowed to argue about, adding another layer to their already icy relationship. According to Jose Carbajal, who has been president of Local 321 for six years, the city wanted to change some of the language regarding health care coverage for union members. The unions wanted those changes to be negotiated through collective bargaining. The city didnt think that was necessary. The sides are now awaiting a ruling from the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission on what is allowed before they meet at the table again. Letteney said that Local 321 made clear during the mediation process that negotiations will not continue until the health care conflict is resolved. Both parties finished filing briefs with WERC in July 2021, and have been waiting for a response for eight months and counting. Even as the sides await the WERC response regarding health care benefits, the city says the unions could come forward with proposals about other benefits and negotiate them separately, but the unions have not done so. As a result, police officers and firefighters are not able to receive some of the new benefits offered to non-unionized city employees such as 3% raises for employees who actually reside within city limits and an extension of paid parental leave from 2 weeks to 8 weeks. According to Letteney, during the mediation meetings in early 2021, it became clear ... that a major area of disagreement was whether the parties are permitted by law to bargain regarding health care plan design. The unions were not willing to bargain regarding any topics until the issue of whether the parties are permitted by law to bargain regarding health care plan design was resolved. There have been agreements in the past two years, but they have been minor and impermanent. Letteney said: I note that the city and the unions did work together, and come to an agreement, to implement the Common Council negative COVID-19 status resolution, which required non-vaccinated employees to test for COVID each week. Carbajal, who raised his voice and had his microphone turned off for surpassing the 2-minute time limit during Tuesdays public comments, accused the city of not acting in good faith. He said: I feel its time the city keeps with their motto of being a Labor City and talk to the two oldest unions in the city. The longer the standoff goes on, the more damage could be done to the citys services. Were falling behind on benefits and wages, and our call volume is increasing. If we want to be an attractive employer, they have (the city has) to acknowledge that our wages and our benefits are falling behind, Carbajal said. Firefighters last received pay raises in 2015, and that was before their health care benefits were trimmed at the end of 2019. According to a 2015 job posting, Racine firefighters annual pay range is $49,695.56 to $66,260.74. According to Indeed.com, the average base salary for firefighters in Wisconsin is $56,516, which is 11% above the national average. The Racine Police Association did not respond to requests for comment on this report. Ambulances City Hall has been battling with the police and fire unions since not long after Mayor Cory Mason took office on Nov. 7, 2017. There were protests on the steps of City Hall in fall 2019 when the city was in the process of changing health insurance plans for all employees, which passed costs from taxpayers to the public employees and their families. Mason had argued that, in pursuit of allowing the city to balance its 2020 budget, the other options would have been worse. The City Council narrowly approved those cuts, sparking lawsuits that are still being battled in court. More recently, directives from City Hall are compromising firefighters ability to respond to medical calls while also wasting resources, Carbajal said. This year, the city reduced the number of first responders on ambulances from three to two; that idea was pitched by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan research organization. I dont put a lot of stakes in their (Wisconsin Policy Forums) study, Carbajal said in a phone interview Wednesday morning, adding that he believes the City Council is listening to distant researchers rather than actual first responders who work in Racine. Not only does decreasing the number of paramedics on ambulances decrease their capabilities of responding to emergencies, but it likely failed at saving money, he said. Ambulances and engines Theres three primary types of ambulance responses: Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support and ALS1, a heightened level of ALS. For BLS calls, such as a broken arm or another injury that would not be considered life-threatening, only two paramedics are needed to respond. As such, having two people on the ambulance isnt an issue. For ALS and ALS1 calls, which can include life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, three paramedics have to respond. But City Hall has mandated that three firefighters-paramedics cannot go on the ambulance. So now for ALS calls, an ambulance and another vehicle staffed by an additional 3 to 4 firefighter-paramedics have to respond. As such, hundreds of calls that previously involved just one ambulance and three firefighter-paramedics responding now involve two vehicles and as many as seven firefighters, when only one ambulance and three paramedics are really needed. Medical responses make up approximately 17 of every 20 calls to which the Racine Fire Department responds, and BLS calls are a minority of them. In 2017, there were 2,553 BLS calls, 4,035 ALS calls and 5,472 ALS1 calls to which the RFD responded. As such, according to Carbajal, the RFD could be over-responding to perhaps 70% of all emergency medical calls. Year over year, calls for service continue to rise within the RFDs jurisdiction. In January, Fire Chief Steve Hansen told the City Council that response times are getting longer since the staffing of ambulances was dropped from three to two. Coinciding with the changing of the ambulance staffing policy, the city also cut nine firefighter positions in the 2022 budget. No one was actually let go, since those positions had been unfilled. But by cutting those positions from the budget, increasing the RFDs staffing became nearly impossible. On unions Mason, a Democrat, has been trying to present himself as pro-collective bargaining. Last month, he publicly applauded, and was publicly applauded by, Teamsters Local 200, which represents the union within the citys Transit Department, which officially became a city department this year. It is a climate now where employers are working very hard to not recognize workers collective bargaining rights in the workplace. We did the exact opposite here in Racine, Mason said upon signing the contract for transit employees Feb. 1. We said We want to acknowledge your rights, that we acknowledge that you bargained these wages and benefits and working conditions in good faith. Both Carbajal and RFD Lt. Tim OBrien, who also spoke at Tuesdays City Council meeting, said they were glad to see the citys administration supporting unions. But, they also felt Mason was giving greater respect to that new union while ignoring the already established unions. I think that is great and Im happy and welcome the Teamsters, OBrien said. But Im confused why such a friend of labor (referring to Masons administration), in a city that embraces the hard work of unions, havent sat down with the two longest-standing unions with over 70 years of service to the city and its citizens in meaningful negotiations. Carbajal made clear he loves being a firefighter in Racine, and wants to stay here. Although he now lives in Muskego, hes a Park High School graduate and his job is focused on performing service for his hometown: Thank God I get to be a firefighter here. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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 View Results LEXINGTON Over a dozen vehicles will need drivers for the upcoming Vietnam Veteran Parade, March 26 in Lexington. I think its great that the museum is willing to get involved and offer their vehicles for the parade, said Steve Zerr, one of the organizers of the parade. Now we just have to find the drivers. The Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles requests that anyone wishing to drive a vehicle get in touch with Zerr at the Dawson County Veteran Service Office. Drivers will need to be available March 19 at noon to check out the vehicles and get familiarized at the museum. Last year the drivers had quite a bit of fun just getting the vehicles ready, said Zerr. Most were veterans, so it brought back memories. Zerr added that anyone wishing to have an entry in the parade to contact the Veteran Service Office. Weve had plenty of interest, especially due to the upcoming election, he said. This is really the only parade before the primaries. Whats more American than an election? A hamburger feed is also set to be held at the end of the parade route, near the YMCA, starting at 12:30 p.m. March 26. A free will offering is encouraged. Holocaust survivor Peter Feigl will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre as part of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leaderships spring lecture series. The event also will be streamed on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/viterboethics. Born in Berlin, Germany, Feigl and his parents eventually fled to Vichy France to escape the Nazis. In summer 1942, the Vichy government, in collaboration with the Nazis, began rounding up Jews and deporting them to German concentration camps in Poland. On Aug. 26, 1942, unbeknownst to Feigl, who was in a Quaker summer camp, his parents were arrested and deported to Auschwitz, where they were killed within a month of their arrival. With the help of the Quakers, Feigl was sent to the predominantly Protestant village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Sheltered in the surrounding area were nearly 5,000 people, among whom were 3,500 Jews, including many children. In the village, Feigl was given false identity papers and sent as a boarding student to a high school in Figeac, France. From there, after escaping arrest during a German raid in May 1944, Feigl escaped to neutral Switzerland over barbed wire fences with the help of the Jewish underground. Feigl immigrated to the U.S. in July 1946, where he served three years in the U.S. Air Force. For 35 years, Feigl pursued a career in international sales of aircraft and related services in the private sector and spent more than five years as a senior negotiator in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Since retiring, Feigl has traveled around the world speaking about his experiences and two diaries he wrote detailing his experiences during the Holocaust. In 1954, Feigl married Leonie Warschauer, and they have two daughters. He is now a volunteer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He would share his story in his book, One Man, Two Voices: Peter Feigls Diary and Testimony. This presentation is free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary, but seating is limited. Wearing a mask is recommended. This event is being held in conjunction with Viterbos annual Teaching the Holocaust Workshop for educators. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 UW-La Crosse is among the most military friendly schools in the country, according to the 2022-23 Military Friendly Schools survey. UW-L earned a gold designation for 2022-23, an improvement over the silver received in 2021-22 and the bronze received in 2020-21. Jane Brannan, UW-Ls veterans education benefits coordinator, says the rating underscores the universitys growing commitment to student veterans and their families. The Military Friendly School designation affirms our institutional services and support for student veterans and military family members, Brannan says. They are valued students and members of the campus community, and our entire university plays a role in serving and supporting them. UW-Ls student body includes about 175 veterans and about 175 military family members. Many of the former have recently returned from deployments around the world. UW-L serves these students in a number of ways, including through the Veterans Lounge in the Student Union a place where veterans can relax, study, receive benefits information and connect with other veterans. Nationwide, more than 1,800 schools participated in this years Military Friendly Schools survey. They were evaluated using survey results and public data, with particular emphasis on student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence, and loan default rates for all students and student veterans specifically. The full results will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com. This is the second distinction UW-L has received in the past several months regarding student veterans and military members. Last fall, the ROTC Eagle Battalion was named the best ROTC Battalion in the Midwests 3rd Brigade. The region includes 42 military science programs at all sizes of colleges in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The U.N. estimates that nearly 6.5 million people have now been displaced inside Ukraine, on top of 3.2 million who have already fled the country. Patrons at Lyndon Diner in Lancaster were treated to a performance by the Paloma School of Dance this morning as part of the school's St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl. Lyndon Diner was one of the first stops of the day for Paloma, along with Stubby's, Annie Bailey's and Tellus 360. The school is scheduled to visit eight more establishments for St. Patrick's Day, including Taproom, Springhouse Brewing Company and American Bar & Grill. They also plan to make an evening round on Friday night before another tour on Saturday. You can check out the lineup below, along with a video of their performance at Lyndon Diner. ADOPTION EVENT: In celebration of St. Patricks Day, the Humane League of Lancaster County, 2195 Lincoln Highway East, will host a reduce fee adoption event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 17-Sunday, March 20. All potential adopters are required to go through Humane Pennsylvanias adoption screening process (approval is not guaranteed). For more information or to view available adoptable animals, visit humanepa.org/adoption, or meet them at the shelter during scheduled operating hours; you may also call 717-393-6551; email adoptlancaster@humanepa.org. TURKEY SUPPER: Caenarvon Fire Company, 2145 Main St., Narvon, will host their spring turkey supper Saturday, March 19. Gates open at 12:45 p.m. Drive-thru only. Meal consists of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, dinner roll, corn, green beans, pepper cabbage, cranberry sauce, peaches, whoopie pie and water. Cost is $18. MEETING: The Strasburg Heritage Society will meet Monday, March 21, at the Presbyterian Church, 101 S. Decatur St., Strasburg. Refreshments start at 6:30 p.m. with meeting beginning at 7 p.m. Herb Fisher will present History of the U.S. Flag. All are welcome. 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. Even though COVID-19 cases are dropping in Lancaster County, Nick Barakos still wears a KN-95 face mask in public, which frequently draws questions from virus skeptics. Thats when he pulls out his cellphone. He scrolls through photos of him in the intensive care unit at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital, where he was near death and spent 36 days on life support last February struggling to breathe as a COVID-19 patient. I love it when people ask me that, said Barakos, 57, owner of Kyma Seafood and Johnnys Bar & Steakhouse in Stevens. The reason? Because its an opportunity for the East Cocalico Township man to tell his story. After setting a record as the COVID-19 patient who spent the longest time on a ventilator in the history of the Ephrata Borough hospital, Barakos left the ICU unrecognizable to his family. He had lost 60 pounds from his 5-foot 10-inch frame and so much muscle mass he was too weak to raise a fork to eat. He even needed to learn how to walk again. Prolonged time on a ventilator a machine that forces oxygen-rich air into fluid-filled lungs like Barakos is not ideal. The longer you go on a vent, even without COVID, you run into long-term problems, said Dr. John Jack Joseph, a WellSpan pulmonologist and one of the doctors on the team that treated Barakos. Patients on a ventilator can develop such complications as muscle weakness, recurring infections, pressure ulcers, hyperactive delirium and post-traumatic stress syndrome, among others. More than 30 days on life support isnt a COVID-19 record. That was set by a 53-year-old Lebanese man who spent 118 days on a ventilator in the United Kingdom in 2020. Full recovery, though, eludes many. Emerging research including a 2020 study by the National Institutes of Health has shown a mortality rate of ventilated COVID-19 patients of roughly 40%. Hes an outlier, theres no question about it, Joseph said of Barakos, who has since resumed his usual routine. Its a remarkable, but long comeback. It has been a little more than a year since COVID sent Barakos to the hospital and today marks the two years since the first two COVID-19 cases were reported in Lancaster County and Pennsylvania saw its first death. Barakos, who has a full gym in his basement, has always been strong and healthy, one to eschew doctors and a fuss. He was not yet vaccinated. Sister, I dont want to die Barakos, who has a full gym in his basement, has always been strong and healthy; one to eschew doctors and a fuss. So, when Barakos broke down on the phone during the last conversation he had with his older sister, Vickie Saltos, before medical staff intubated him, she said it was all she could do to hold herself together. Sister, Saltos said he told her, I dont want to die. Saltos said she told Barakos, Youre not going to die. Youre in a good place. But in private, doubts plagued Saltos with each bad report. There were so many ups and downs, but mostly downs, said Saltos, 59, of Springettsbury Township in York County. Saltos added, You could see him gradually deteriorating. I cried the whole time. I was devastated. The visitor bans at the time also added to her grief. Saltos sought creative workarounds with Zoom calls and daily text messages to encourage Barakos, even though it would be months before he ever read one. She also made trips to Ephrata to sit in her car outside his hospital room and cry. But it was the palliative care call that left her undone. Palliative care is focused on providing symptom relief to improve the quality of life. At WellSpan, the palliative care team typically reaches out when a patient has a terminal diagnosis. With COVID-19 patients, palliative care gets involved when a patient is in ICU and not progressing, said Ryan Coyle, a spokesperson for the health system. Chris Saltos, Barakos brother-in-law, said he asked the palliative care staff, Can we give him a fighting chance? He was our miracle After more than five weeks on a ventilator, Barakos kidneys and liver started to shut down. At one point, doctors gave Barakos a 30% chance of surviving, family members said. He was our miracle, Allison Sigman, ICU clinical coordinator, said in a press release. On the day Barakos was intubated, Lancaster County had 82 COVID-19 patients on a ventilator, according to state health department data. During the time Barakos was intubated, more than 5,000 Lancaster County residents became infected and 45 COVID-19 patients died. WellSpan staff called Barakos an inspiration. Gerri Harris, one of Barakos regular nurses, recalled that dark time. Nobody was making it, Harris said in a statement. Harris added, No matter what we did, patients seemed to die. There seemed like there was no rhyme or reason to this disease. And then Barakos showed signs of improving. We definitely won the lottery, Saltos said. Hes still around. A long and challenging rehab followed his discharge. Greek and, self-described, prone to expressing his emotions, Barakos got choked up throughout retelling his return from the brink of death. And hes grateful. Earlier this month, he donated $10,000 to WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital for the ICU staff he credits with saving his life. The money, Coyle said, will be used to renovate the employee lounge. With Pennsylvania on the precipice of hitting 44,000 COVID-19 deaths more than 1,600 in Lancaster County since the start of the pandemic, Barakos laments the loss of life. Its a virus, Barakos said. It doesnt discriminate. I think we could have saved a lot more lives if people had gotten vaccinated. Lancaster County could have a new jail up and running and soon as late 2026, according to a project timeline County Commissioner Ray DAgostino presented at a Thursday Prison Board meeting. The presentation did not delve into specifics of the next phase, the design of the facility, but the timeline notes that the commissioners will form a design advisory committee this summer. On Thursday, Commissioner Josh Parsons said the commissioners had no details yet to share about the design committee, including who may serve on it. The commissioners acknowledged again at Thursdays meeting that the public will be able to provide input in the design process. DAgostino and Parsons laid out plans at Thursdays meeting to hire an owners representative for the entire project, to shepherd the $100-million-plus endeavor through the design, land development and construction phases. When you're looking at the scope of a project like this, probably the largest in the history of the county, when you're seeking all the different services and steps that are needed, you need someone dedicated someone who is going to basically to eat, sleep, breathe and drink this project, DAgostino said. The commissioners will vote to approve a request for proposals, as early as this month, to select the representative, DAgostino said at the Prison Board meeting. Democratic County Commissioner John Trescot on Thursday joined his Republican counterparts, DAgostino and Parsons, in his first Prison Board meeting. Prison reformers present requests Several activist and advocacy groups were on hand Thursday to lay out recommendations for the new jails design, most of them revolving around expanded programming for future inmates, including more reentry, mental health, recreational, job skills and educational services, in tandem with larger criminal justice reforms to limit jailing people altogether. Jean Bickmire, president of the advocacy group Have a Heart for Persons in the Criminal Justice System, presented a 21-page report to the Prison Board, laying out detailed policy prescriptions that strive to treat the countys incarcerated population with more dignity and humanity, and to move away from unprecedented incarceration rates that prevailed across the nation in the 1990s and 2000s. We want people to feel valuable, even though they're going into incarceration, Bickmire said Thursday. The jails greater mission should be connecting inmates with services and resources that will help them return to society so theyre ready to lead productive lives, according to Bickmire. The environment in which one resides is a key factor toward peoples beliefs in themselves and influences their behaviors, the report reads. The building should not contribute to the punishments that inmates face when incarcerated. Being separated from family and the greater society is their punishment. The report cites recommendations from a Miami-based consulting firm, CGL, which works in the development and management of correctional facilities. They include more natural light in jails, access to fresh air and views of surrounding nature to improve the emotional well-being. Other policy prescriptions from Have a Hearts report include: Cell blocks, or pods, organized to serve different populations based on need, and cells with no more than two people assigned to them. Single cells are ideal. Hot showers with privacy doors. A center for work release programs. A medical unit specifically for women inmates. A dental unit. Spaces for wellness activities like yoga and exercise. A dedicated library space with a larger set of books. A legal library available beyond digital tablets. Hearing rooms for court cases and space for attorney visits. Bickmire also cited work from CGL that claims a single correctional facility cannot adequately serve more than 1,000 people. Greg Newswanger, a city resident and member of Lancaster Friends Quaker Meeting, pointed to a planned facility in the New York City borough of Manhattan that would have only 886 beds. A new borough-based jail plan calls for a total of 3,300 beds for the entire city of 8.8 million people. Certainly, we don't need (a jail) larger than the one Manhattan is planning, Newswanger said. Criminal Justice and Policing Group of Lancaster Friends were among several faith-based and activist groups who backed the report from Have a Heart. In previous public comments, Lancaster County Warden Cheryl Steberger has called for the new facility to include some 1,200 beds, much more than the current facilitys daily population, which has hovered between 700 and 800 this year. Thats a marked decrease from a decade ago, when some 1,300 people charged or convicted with crimes were housed inside the current five-story prison. A surplus of beds would allow officials to better sort and move inmates, Steberger said in December. She cited the COVID-19 pandemic and chicken pox outbreaks at the current prison as reasons to plan for more space than today's daily prison population. Financial moves prepare for project Thursdays Prison Board meeting was the first to delve into new details regarding the next steps in the new jails development since the county closed on a 78-acre tract of land in Lancaster Township, the future site of the new facility. County officials bought the property from the Kreider family for $3 million. The previous owners have used the land as a farm and vacation spot. They will continue to use the property as they have until construction begins, DAgostino said. The county negotiated a rent-free lease with the Kreiders, who agreed to maintain the property until construction starts, according to DAgostino. The countys board of commissioners have also moved forward this year on funding ongoing efforts to build a new jail. In January, they approved the creation of a new capital improvement fund, cash set aside for maintenance, repairs, goods and construction of $50,000 or more. An initial infusion of $13.3 million from the general fund will be offset by federal stimulus funds. And last week the commissioners approved a transfer of $500,000 from the fund to go towards early expenses in developing and maintaining the former property before construction begins, projected for summer 2024, according to the timeline made public on Thursday. Last week, the countys director of budget services, Patrick Mulligan said at a commissioners meeting that cost estimates for the new prison site includes $375,000 for preliminary costs to site development, $100,000 for the county's owner representative and the remaining $25,000 for securing the site with fences and signs, for instance. On Thursday, DAgostino said the preliminary costs may include hiring an architect this year. A priority list of planned expenses eligible for the capital fund include several items related to the new prison site. They include the $3 million purchase of the 78-acre property, $100,000 for design and development of a new prison this year and another $500,000 for design and development next year. The list also shows another $4.5 million for design and development spread between 2023 through 2026, potentially paid for with a bond sale. A $100 million item for construction of the prison in 2026 is also on the list, potentially paid for through bonds. Counties and local governments can "sell bonds to investors, essentially a large loan for long-term projects. They must in turn pay investors back with interest, usually over many years. How is it that one of Lancaster Countys top law enforcement officers was able to steal more than $200,000 over the course of five years without being noticed, as is alleged in a statewide grand jury report unsealed Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals office? That report, laying out the states case against former Lancaster County Drug Task Force chief John Burkhart, paints a picture of a law enforcement unit where lax oversight over cash seized from accused drug dealers created the conditions where it was possible for theft to occur. All of that money should have been destined for deposit so that it could have been used to help battle the drug epidemic, the report said. Instead, it went into John Burkharts pocket. When District Attorney Heather Adams first announced that at least $150,000 in DTF money was missing in June 2020, she said weaknesses in the units operations had been addressed. Following the Grand Jurys report detailing those weaknesses, LNP | LancasterOnline asked her to detail what changes had been made. Oversight The report says the officer in charge, Burkhart, was given carte blanche in running the unit. How is the DTF now overseen to ensure the chief detective and district attorney are more actively aware of its operations? Adams: The Drug Task Force holds meetings every other week, and I attend those regularly along with the Chief and Deputy Chief where investigations and court cases are discussed. We also meet separately at that time with the command staff where we discuss any other issues that need to be addressed. Additionally, from a financial end, we instituted annual audits of the DTF evidence and evidence storage facilities by another Detective Sergeant assigned to the County Detective Unit. Since Sgt. Montz and Cpl. Dutch have been in place, they are also doing random spot-check audits to ensure that the evidence is being handled appropriately. Seized cash The grand jury report details how money is counted on the scene of an arrest and then recounted at the office to ensure the amounts match. Who counts the money on the scene, and how is it counted to ensure that no skimming occurs? Adams: A supervisor and a detective count it at the time of seizure at the scene and a supervisor and a detective count it once at the office before it goes into evidence. The report states there was no log of when the DTF evidence safe was accessed or security cameras watching the safe. Is this still the case? Adams: We have security cameras monitoring numerous locations. We purchased a new safe and have installed state of the art technology with a tracking mechanism for auditing purposes. Seized bank accounts The grand jury report details how bank accounts belonging to accused drug dealers were seized under Burkharts leadership, a bank issued a check payable to the DTF, which was then deposited into the county general fund. The county controller then issued another check for that amount, which the report said Burkhart would cash at a bank under the assumption that he would place the cash in an envelope in the DTF safe. It also said Burkhart had sole responsibility over the cashing of these checks and transfers to the safe. Is that system still in place? Adams: Now two detectives deposit the cash at all times. Also, we have worked with the Controller to create a pre-forfeited bank account, and all seized cash is now deposited into that account. Once forfeited, the controller moves the money by electronic transfer, which greatly reduces the amount of cash on hand. Additional steps Adams also said other weaknesses in the handling of seized cash have been addressed, including: Regular audits of seized items are conducted with the help of a new evidence management system. An evidence technician is now responsible for seeing that evidence is actually stored in the location where it is listed as being stored, which the report said they were not previously doing. Multiple layers of security have been added at the warehouse, including updated personal access codes for officers whose duties require them to access seized items. Secure areas of the warehouse are now monitored as an extra layer of security. While we cannot discuss every change that we made, we added multi-layer security measures, made significant changes in policy and procedure, particularly with the way evidence is maintained and tracked, and hired a new sergeant and corporal that between the two of them have over 50 years experience in managing drug investigations/units, Adams added. We are confident that with all of the changes that we made we eliminated the opportunity for such a scenario to occur again. A 52-year-old Paradise Township man was charged after he threw a pipe bomb into his neighbor's property on Monday, according to Pennsylvania State Police. David A. Kritzberger's charges include possession of weapons of mass destruction, aggravated assault, risking catastrophe, bomb threats, recklessly endangering another person, harassment and terroristic threats, according to court records. A neighbor called police after Kritzberger threw an explosive device on the edge of their property around 7:58 p.m. on Monday, according to an affidavit of probable cause. A second call to 911 reported a man said he had a bomb. Kritzberger was yelling incoherently when troopers arrived, according to the affidavit. He went back into his house and came out several minutes later and walked "aggressively" toward the troopers. Police used a Taser on Kritzberger after he didn't listen to the troopers' commands, and Kritzberger kicked one of the troopers in the groin twice after being arrested, state police wrote in the affidavit. Remnants of a pipe bomb were found at the property and a neighbor later told police that Kritzberger was acting erratically and threatened to blow himself up earlier in the day, police said. He later came out of the front door, holding "something that was shooting sparks" and threw the item at the neighbors garage. Police found an open "and nearly empty" bottle of heavy magnum rifle powder on the floor of Kritzberger's living room, with gunpowder spilled across the floor and hallway, according to police. As of Wednesday afternoon, a docket for Kritzberger was still listed as inactive. In November 2019, the Lancaster County Drug Task Force announced the arrest of Jordan Luis Morales, identifying him as the leader of a major drug-trafficking enterprise. The district attorney's office said investigators seized about 1-3/4 pounds of cocaine, along with heroin, cash and three handguns during searches of his Lancaster city home, storage units and vehicles. Morales had been a major drug dealer in the area in the late 1990s before he was arrested in 2000 and later was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison. After his 2019 arrest, the prosecutors office said it was continuing to investigate Morales activities and that more arrests were possible. That would prove to be true, but not as investigators could have imagined. It turned out that how evidence in the Morales case was handled would prompt the district attorneys office to drop charges against Morales altogether. It was a new investigation that grew out of the Morales affair that culminated Tuesday with the arrest of John Burkhart, the former head of the countys drug task force, on charges he stole $200,000 from evidence seized by the task forces agents over a period of five years. Firing, then discovery of missing funds Soon after District Attorney Heather Adams took office at the beginning of 2020, Burkharts actions in the Morales investigation drew scrutiny. According to the report of a statewide grand jury released Tuesday in conjunction with Burkharts arrest, Adams office was looking into "allegations that Burkhart conspired with another law enforcement officer to provide false or misleading information in a search warrant and later amended an official report of a DTF detective, without that detective's knowledge, in order to bolster false information in the warrant's affidavit of probable cause." Following a meeting about the matter with Burkhart and other staff, Adams fired Burkhart on March 2, 2020 citing the Morales incident and a number of other job performance problems. Less than two months later, on April 20, Adams office dropped charges against Morales. It was after the case was dropped that investigators discovered that cash seized during drug arrests was missing. That discovery was made by Adam Weber, who took over as acting head of the task force after Burkharts firing. Weber operating under the assumption that Morales would be in touch with the DTF immediately upon his release from incarceration to retrieve his seized property, accessed the DTF safe that held the seized monies, the grand jury report said. But after searching the safe, Weber only found a single envelope related to the Morales case containing just $912, not the $28,000 police had seized from him. Three other envelopes were missing. To conduct a more thorough search, Weber asked for assistance from another detective. Together, they pulled out all of the envelopes in the DTF safe a large floor safe approximately 6 feet in height and continued to search, the grand jury report said. After it became clear that the remaining funds seized from Morales were not in the safe, they began to search fruitlessly throughout the DTF offices, including inside desks, ceiling panels, and cabinets. A detective called Burkhart to ask about the missing money. Burkhart, who had been fired six weeks earlier, denied any knowledge as to the whereabouts of the envelopes, simply stating that they should be in the safe. Seemingly unconcerned, Burkhart also confirmed that the monies from the seizure of Morales bank account should be in the safe in cash form. Clearly this was not the case, the grand jury report said. Until his firing, the only people who had access to the safe were Burkhart and the second-in-command of the task force, the report said. The discovery that funds taken from Morales were missing prompted a wider internal investigation that ultimately uncovered the scale of the thefts. After announcing that at least $150,000 in task force funds were missing, District Attorney Heather Adams turned the investigation over to the state Attorney Generals office in June 2020. Dropping charges a matter of ethics Burkhart, when reached by phone Wednesday and asked if hed answer some questions, responded absolutely not and hung up. He was released on $25,000 unsecured bail on Tuesday after being charged with theft, forgery, tampering with records and tampering with evidence. Adams declined to comment on specifics of what Burkhart was accused of falsifying in the Morales case, but she said his actions required the charges to be dropped. We are duty-bound to disclose any exculpatory evidence to the defense in any given case, she said in an email. If prosecutors had proceeded with the case and had called Burkhart to testify, she said relying on that testimony, given the nature of the information, we knew would undermine the publics confidence in the judicial system. Therefore, the charges in that case were dismissed. One of Morales attorneys, Christopher Patterson, said only that DTF documents related to the case were revised. As for the charges, he said investigators found some substances and we were contesting it. There is no longer a public court case file associated with Morales October 2019 arrest, which would indicate that it was likely cleared under Pennsylvanias clean slate law. Morales, who avoided prosecution as a result of Burkharts actions, died at age 56 on Oct. 31. Today Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 40F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 40F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Mostly sunny skies. High around 70F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Columbia Borough police THEFT COLUMBIA: Aicia Ellen Nadolny, 33, of Columbia, was charged with theft by unlawful taking after stealing $7,794.50 worth of online lottery tickets while employed at a business in the 900 block of Lancaster Avenue at 10:37 a.m. on Nov. 11, police said. Nadolny then cashed the winning tickets at the same business, police said. Manheim Township police STALKING MANHEIM TWP.: Derek C. Plank Jr., 24, who is homeless, was charged with three counts of stalking after driving around and continuously honking his horn outside a property in the first block of Village Drive where he was not permitted to be at 10:57 a.m. on Feb. 26, police said. Plank was charged with an additional count of stalking after sending multiple text messages to the resident of the same address and returning to their property, violating a no-contact bail condition, at 8:22 p.m. on March 4, police said. Manor Township police INDECENT ASSAULT MANOR TWP.: Ventura Toj Martinez, 27, whose last known address was in Guatemala, was charged with corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor and indecent assault after groping a child in the 100 block of Nursery Lane sometime between 2 p.m. and 3:37 p.m. on Jan 8, police said. Martinez had offered the child a diamond ring in exchange for a hug, then groped the child, police said. New Holland police DUI EARL TWP.: William C. Stone Jr., 51, of Gordonville, was charged with two counts of driving under the influence after crashing with another vehicle at Redwell and Peters roads at 5:20 p.m. on March 8, police said. Stone, who had multiple empty beer cans inside his truck, had a BAC of 0.12% at the time of the crash, police said. Northern Lancaster County Regional police BURGLARY EAST PETERSBURG: An would-be burglar attempted to enter the front door of the East Petersburg Borough Water Plant at 5181 Main Street sometime before 3:04 p.m. on March 14, police said. Pry marks and scrapes appearing to have come from a metal object were found on the front door of the building, police said. RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLE WARWICK TWP.: A 2009 Chevrolet Sivlerado pickup truck which had previously been reported stolen was recovered in the 100 block of Chukar Court at 4:34 a.m. on March 15, police said. Investigators believe the vehicle is related to a series of thefts in the area at the same time, police said. THEFT WARWICK TWP.: A vehicle was reported stolen from a residence on Cardinal Road at 6:57 a.m. on March 15, police said. The vehicle, a 2015 Ford Fusion, was stolen overnight or early in the morning, police said. WARWICK TWP.: Numerous unlocked vehicles were broken into, resulting in the thefts of several items, in and around the 100 block of Chukar Court sometime before 8 a.m. on March 15, police said. At least one handgun was stolen from an unlocked GMC Sierra, and a vehicle was also ransacked nearby in the 300 block of Cardinal Road, police said. VANDALISM WARWICK TWP.: A fence post was ripped from a fence, causing more than $500 in damage, at a residence in the first block of Kurtz Drive at 9:18 a.m. on March 14, police said. Pennsylvania State police BURGLARY FULTON TWP.: An unidentified burglar broke the glass window of a door of a residence in the 1900 block of Lancaster Pike and then tore apart baseboard heaters throughout the house and stole $50 in copper piping from a bathroom sometime before 11 a.m. on Feb. 17, police said. PROVIDENCE TWP.: A would-be burglar attempted to force their way through the front door of a residence on Lancaster Pike, causing $150 in damage to the door and lock, at 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 18, police said. CRASH ELIZABETH TWP.: Two 23-year-old male motorcyclists, of Lititz and Manheim, collided with one another in the parking lot of a gas station in the 500 block of Furnace Hills Pike after one of them unexpectedly accelerated out of control toward a fuel pump at 2:01 p.m. on March 11, police said. Both motorcyclists were transported to Lancaster General Hospital, though only the Lititz man was believed to have suffered a serious injury, police said. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF QUARRYVILLE: A stop sign with pole was thrown at the door of a residence in the 100 block of Groffdale Drive, damaging the door, sometime between 11:57 p.m. on Feb. 25 and 12:52 a.m. on Feb. 26, police said. An unidentified vandal knocked on the door and then threw the entire stop sign, police said. EDEN TWP.: Large rocks were thrown at the door and windows of a residence on Hess Road, causing a combined $400 in damage, around 2:30 a.m. on March 6, police said. THEFT FULTON TWP.: A resident in the 100 block of Keys Road was scammed out of $700 after purchasing a hood for a classic car on Facebook and then never receiving the item at 7 p.m. on Feb. 25, police said. Strasburg Borough police THEFT STRASBURG: A political sign was stolen from the first block of West Main Street at 8:50 a.m. on March 5, police said. Correction: Penn Manor does not control the capacity limits of district students enrolled at Lancaster County Career & Technology Center. Penn Manor students were not overbooked, but the district has a high number of students on the waiting lists for some CTC programs. When: Penn Manor school board meeting, March 7, with board member Nickole Nafzinger absent. What happened: Board member Christopher Straub informed the board of increases in Penn Manor students attending Lancaster County Career & Technology Center. Penn Manor increased its overall capacity for both half-day programs for juniors and full-day programs for seniors by 200 spots since the pandemic began, raising the limit to 1,700 spots. Background: The district has a high number of students on the waiting lists for some CTC programs. As many as 74 half-day hopefuls find themselves on a waiting list for the welding program. Another nine students are eager for their acceptance into the construction or culinary programs. Problem and solution: The heart of the problem lies in transportation, as Penn Manors half-day juniors attend evening sessions. Straub noted, Were trying to match up demands. The district is looking into possibly moving students to other campuses, he added. Transitioning some students into morning programs is also an option. President Carlton Rintz said he is hopeful everything will be sorted out for the students, calling the situation a great problem to have. Familiar face: Josh Fisher, a 2005 Penn Manor graduate, is returning to the district as a middle school teacher until the end of the year, before moving up to the high school for a permanent position. He served multiple tours in the Navy and is studying biochemistry at Millersville University. Quotable: Im extremely excited to come back and contribute to the community I grew up in, said Fisher, who has two kids in the district. Graduation requirements: Penn Manor High School Principal Baron Jones reviewed the five possible pathways to graduation for seniors. The board voted 8-0 to place the discussion of the state-mandated requirements on the March 21 agenda. Jones said each pathway will allow students to demonstrate they are career and college ready. None of the pathways would lower district standards or expectations, he said. Students would need to score proficient on at least one Keystone exam and below basic on none. The Career Technical Education Pathway will have students complete a competency certification, program-continuation readiness promise or an industry-based assessment for their given program. The Alternative Assessment Pathway is for students to demonstrate their understanding by taking an alternative to the Keystone exams, like the ACT, SAT, PSAT, AP class exams and the ASVAB a career aptitude test. Entrance to the military, an acceptance letter to a four-year college and dual enrollment will also satisfy this pathways requirements. The last pathway is referred to as Evidence-Based, asking students to provide three forms of documentation that align with their career goals to guarantee success. These pieces of evidence may be industry certifications, internships, military enrollment or a letter indicating full-time employment. Construction update: Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Phil Gale told the board the high school renovation is moving along pretty smoothly as the project enters its third and final phase. The cafeterias furniture will be sold in preparation for the new items coming in. The kitchen will also be gutted, and new appliances will be installed over the long break. Contractors have said they are optimistic of meeting the deadline to finish the job by the end of summer. Saying goodbye: The board approved the retirement of 19 educators, staff ranging from elementary to high school level. The majority of these retirees will say their last goodbye at the end of the 2021-22 school year, but some will continue on through the summer. Whats next: The school board will meet March 21. Cal Reparations Task Force: Yale Prof. Traces Long History of Racism in Public Health Dr. Carolyn Roberts, a professor at Yale University, provided to the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans detailed descriptions, both verbal and visual, of the horrific experiences Africans endured during the transatlantic slave trade. A historian of medicine and science, Roberts said the trauma descendants of enslaved Africans suffered during transportation to the United States was only the beginning of a broken relationship between African Americans and the United States healthcare system. It is important for us to recognize that many critical issues that we are wrestling with today have long, old, and deep historical roots, Roberts said. These include racial bias and disparate medical treatment, race-based medicine, and medical exploitation. In our historical analysis, we must consider not only American slavery and its afterlife, but also the transatlantic slave trade. ADVERTISEMENT The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced oceanic migration in human history, a passage that was responsible for transferring between 10 million and 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th century, Roberts said. A majority of the African people taken captive were young women and men who were on the cusp of starting families. This generation of Africans ended up contributing to the enrichment of the enslavers, Roberts said. For the voyage, Africans were placed in tiers below the decks of cargo ships that would sail up to 5,000 miles across the ocean Roberts said to make sure that the enslaved stayed healthy for the duration of the trip and arrive to their destination alive, slave traders hired medical doctors. A majority of enslaved people who arrived in the United States arrived onboard British slave ships, Roberts said. British slave ship medicine was based on systemic violence and dehumanization. (The doctors) performed invasive and forced medical inspections. Women and girls were pinned down and their legs were held open so that doctors could see if they had previously borne children. Drugs, whips, and pistols were used by slave traders if the enslaved women and men did not comply with the medical practitioners orders. Roberts said it was common for doctors to assume that Africans had the capacity to withstand extreme physical pain. Roberts was one of several experts that spoke during the public, mental and physical health segment of the two-day meeting held in January. ADVERTISEMENT Dr. Tina Sacks, an associate professor at UC Berkeleys School of Social Welfare; Dr. Cassondra Marshall, UC Berkeley Public Health professor of Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health; Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC (formerly Positive Resource Center) in San Francisco; and Melissa Jones, executive director of BARHII (Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative) were other panelists during the meeting. Roberts did not stop with the horrific details captured Africans suffered on the high seas. She forewarned the nine-member panel about a graphic image she was about to display. It was a black-and-white photo of a human cadaver on a gurney. Surrounded by White doctors, the image depicted a surgical examination being performed on a Black man. These acts of inhumanity had an adverse effect on Black Americans, Roberts said, and the resulting cruelty and racism endured 157 years after slavery was abolished in the United States. So, a new management of healthcare enters the world. This is a form of healthcare where medical violence against Africans and African descended people became an acceptable normative, an institutionalized practice for over a century in the context of the British slave trade. This forced Black people into a unique and troubling relationship with Western medicine before they set foot in the United States, Roberts explains. It also created a new understanding of the doctor-patient relationship, a relationship that was violent, personalized, extractive, and exploitative, she argues. Over the years, the enslaved Africans and their freed descendants learned to trust themselves by concocting their own medicinal formulas. They developed their own medical systems. They blended medical knowledge from Africa with medicinal plants in the Americas, Roberts said. However, they could not avoid White doctors who began to use their bodies to advance medical science. Roberts holds a joint appointment in the departments of History/History of Science and Medicine, and African American Studies and a secondary appointment at Yale School of Medicine. Robertss research interests concern the history of race, science, and medicine in the context of slavery and the Atlantic slave trade. Its a sobering moment when we began to understand the health impacts of multigenerational racism and oppression, Dr. Cheryl Grills, a member of the Task Force, said. The Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans will have its eighth meeting at 9:00 a.m. on March 29 and March 30. To watch or participate, join the livestream here. Celebration of Life: Gwendolyn Florence Green Born with activism in her blood, Gwendolyn Florence Green, was created to lead with Love. At three pounds this baby girl came into the world on April 22, 1925, in Oakland California. Her parents, Rosalie and Edward Smith, along with her grandparents were involved in numerous community organizations, trade unions and churches in determination to improve the lives of African Americans in their community. Gwens journey into activism began the day her grandfather, Robert L. Williams, took her by the hand as he canvassed the neighborhood for signatures for a petition to force the Oakland District Attorney to hire a Black secretary. An initiation victory for the community, this led to her grandfather and many more elders guiding Gwens life commitment to social and economic justice for African Americans. During a social event while in the Armed Forces, Gwen met Arthur E. Green. She shortly moved to Colorado to marry him on June 14, 1944. The couple settled in Boulder where Gwen gave birth to her first-born daughter, Claudia Ann on April 16, 1945. ADVERTISEMENT Boulder proved to be harsh for Gwen and her family. The African American community was very small and were often mistreated. After a year, she and Arthur returned to Oakland to live a life of activism. Back in Oakland, Gwen was encouraged to volunteer with the Oakland chapter of the NAACP. When volunteer work eventually led to a fulltime job, she was exposed to civil rights work on the national level by attending the National Convention in Oklahoma City, 1952. Gwen and Arthur then moved to San Diego, where they had their second daughter Robin Louise on May 5, 1956. Two years later, the family moved to Los Angeles after Arthur received a promotion. After moving to LA, Gwen joined the Los Angeles Chapter of NAACP. She also joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church and served at Ward AME, Brookins AME, and First AME Church. During this time, she developed a 40-year friendship with Bishop H. H. Brookins, another activist and community leader. In 1960, Gwen and Arthur co-founded the New Frontier Democratic Club, the largest Democratic Club in the state of California to this day. That year, Gwen also met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., after sitting with his wife, Coretta Scott King, during his speech at Second Baptist Church. Coretta shortly became one of Gwens lifelong friends. In 1962, Dr. King requested Gwen and local LA pastors, Rev. Larry Odom, Rev. Maurice Dawkins, Rev. James Hargett and Rev. John Doggett, formed the Western Christian Leadership Conference (WCLC), currently known as SCLC. Working as Administrative Assistant to then President, Rev. Larry Odom, Gwen helped raise millions of dollars in Los Angeles for civil rights work in the South. ADVERTISEMENT In 1963, Gwen was appointed Regional Coordinator for the March on Washington. Two years later, she was asked by Dr. King to serve as Assistant Director to Hosea Williams for SCLCs Summer Community Organization and Political Education project (SCOPE). While working with SCOPE, she became Mama to thousands of college students who went south to help African Americans register to vote. Gwen joined many activists in marching through six states in the South and 120 counties providing voter registration and education. In the 1970s, Gwen served as a Senior Deputy to Senator John Tunney. She then serves as a Council Aide to Councilman Robert Farrell. Gwen assisted in the campaign to rename Santa Barbara Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In 1989, Gwen worked with noted labor leader Ophelia McFadden in the establishment of what is now SEIU Long Term Care Workers, Local 2015. She was an instrumental part in convincing the Board of Supervisors to authorize the unionization of home care workers. After the homecare workers were unionized. Gwen went on to work with the union for 26 years, advocating for the rights workers to receive a living wage. Gwens political involvement was strong throughout California. She worked on campaigns for and befriended many historical civil rights leaders. She also continued to work closely with community-based organizations. Gwen was truly a political animal, from her love of attending political events to her daily viewing of MSNBC. She enjoyed traveling, jazz concerts, and going out to eat. But she was the happiest when she was soaking up the sun near a pool or beach with a good drink! Above all, was her love for her family and friends. She was especially proud of the achievements and milestones made by her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Towards the end of her life, Gwen met her special caregiver, Rayette Caldwell, a loving friend to her until the day she passed. Gwendolyn Florence Green departed this life on February 4, 2022, leaving an indelible legacy of service, leadership, and compassion. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Claudia and former husband, Arthur. She leaves to cherish her memory, daughter, Robin Smith, granddaughters Summer Wheaton, Marissiko Wheaton, and Joanna Smith, grandson Robert Earl Caldwell, Jr. granddaughter-in-law, Shana Caldwell and great-granddaughters Claudia Caldwell, Jocelyn Polk, Taylor Hosendove; cousins Llyod Stewart, Pat Barton, Jacqui Willis, Brandon Brown, Marley Brown, former sons-in law, Frank Wheaton and Jesse Smith and many other family members, and friends. Gwen worked for over 70 years to uplift this nation and empower its people. This country improved because of her many contributions. She will be truly missed. Well done thou good and faithful servant Matthew 25:23 Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Directs Over $2 Million of Federal Funding to Student Financial Relief Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) in South Los Angeles, one of the nations four historically Black medical schools and a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, has allocated more than $2 million of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) authorized in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to provide financial relief directly to students, it was announced by David M. Carlisle, president and CEO of CDU. Our students are the beating heart and soul of CDU and, like so many people in communities everywhere, have experienced many hardships throughout the pandemic, shared President Carlisle. CDU is grateful to have access to this funding to provide financial relief directly to students for addressing academic, financial, childcare, housing, food insecurity or health/mental health pressures they are currently facing. Together we can continue along the path to achieving excellent health and wellness for all in a world without health disparities. ADVERTISEMENT The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 provides $39.6 billion in support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. CDU, which was founded in 1966 in the wake of the Watts Uprising to address inequities in healthcare, will use more than $2 million of the Universitys HEERF allocation from ARP to directly assist students who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. CDU is providing direct aid ranging from $1,250-$3,800 to nearly 800 students, with distribution of the funding beginning this week. Multiple criteria were considered to determine which students receive funds and the value of those disbursements. Students with certified financial hardships as a result of COVID-19 make up the largest group of intended recipients, followed by students who have a significant unmet need according to their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Financial hardships, disadvantaged student statuses, federal poverty guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the unmet needs of Pell and State Grant recipients were also taken into consideration. The University is also prioritizing this funding for its currently enrolled undergraduate students. Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, located in South Los Angeles, offers nearly 20 graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs in medicine and healthcare. The University is recognized by the State of California as a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and is a federally designated Historically Black Graduate Institution (HBGI). Ranked as the #2 school in America for student and faculty diversity and the only historically black university west of Texas, CDU has been repeatedly cited as a top school in the nation for its graduates early career salaries and for providing high-income careers for previously low-income students. Visit https://www.cdrewu.edu for more information about Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Destinys Child Kelly Rowland Kicks off Disneys Dreamers Academy Grammy-winning superstar Kelly Rowland said she knows the importance of dreaming big. The Atlanta-born co-founder of the pop supergroup Destinys Child, Rowland, told NNPA Newswire that she was and remained inspired by other Black women. Whitney Houston made me realize I can achieve my dreams, Rowland said. Janet Jackson, [Beyonces] mom, and there are others. All of them are inspirations. ADVERTISEMENT Rowland proved an inspiration to 100 young and impressionable students who descended upon Disney World for the four-day 2022 Disney Dreamers Academy. Serving as this years celebrity ambassador for the program, Rowland led the students called Dreamers and others in a parade along Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. This program really touches me, Rowland declared. I know how important it is, especially for students of color, when you think of the STEM aspect of this. We need STEM and STEAM because theres such a big void there. The Disney Dreamers Academy aims to empower students to make their dreams come true. With slogans like Be 100 and the opening day theme of Dream Bigger, organizers at Walt Disney ensured that students remained enthused throughout the program. I came here with one dream and left with another, Disney Dreamer Alumni April Breedlove declared. The Atlanta-born Breedlove graduated from the Dreamers Academy in 2019. She graduated from the Georgia State Perimeter College in 2021 with an associate degree in computer science and remains on course to earn a bachelors degree from Kennesaw State University in 2023. ADVERTISEMENT In October 2021, Breedlove began interning as an incoming software engineer at Walt Disney World. Anything is possible, said Breedlove, who graduated high school at 16. I dream of creating a program called Code Cuisine, where I will teach kids the fundamentals of computer coding in exchange for food pantry donations. I envision Code Cuisine becoming a program that will benefit people all across the country. Participants in the academy have traveled from across the country to attend. Disney picks up all expenses, and officials said some students had never been on an airplane. The teens some of whom began demonstrating entrepreneurial skills by the age of 13 spend four days participating in hands-on workshops in fields they selected. The students are encouraged, mentored, and instructed by experts, motivational speakers, and celebrities. I want the students to know and have the courage and confidence that their dreams matter, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Vice President and DDA Executive Champion Tracey Powell. And that their dreams are so important, and it can come true. All they have to do is believe in themselves. Watch as Kelly Rowland and Disney Dreamers speak with the National Newspaper Publishers Associations Let It Be Known Live morning show. DGA-winning Director Stanley Nelson Discusses his Oscar-nominated Documentary, Attica On September 1971, over 1,000 prisoners, mainly African-American, Latino, and Afro-Latinos rebelled hard against racism and the horrific conditions and brutal treatment at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Their anger simmered for five days and then the state, initiated by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, unleashed a reign of terror against the prisoners. When the smoke cleared and the onslaught was more than 43 people dead. The Oscar-nominated documentary Attica is directed by renowned director Stanley Nelson and co-director Traci Curry. Nelson recently pulled a major upset at the Directors Guild of America Awards where he won the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for Attica. ADVERTISEMENT Nelson is a MacArthur Fellow and known for documentaries examining African American history and experiences. Also, he is a recipient of the 2013 National Humanities Medal bestowed upon him by President Barack Obama and he has won three Primetime Emmy Awards. Among his notable films are Freedom Riders (2010), Wounded Knee (2009), Jonestown: The Life & Death of Peoples Temple (2006), Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice (2005), A Place of Our Own (2004), The Murder of Emmett Till (2003), and The Black Press: Soldiers without Swords (1998). In an interview with Bill C. Myers, Stanley Nelson shared about his life and career as a documentary filmmaker, the challenges of being an African American filmmaker, and his thoughts on the Oscar nomination for the documentary Attica. Click here for the full interview. To learn more about Bill C. Myers click here: http://www.billmyersinspires.com Ephesians Christian Center Reaches Beyond Church Walls ECC pastor and members demonstrated the spirit of Christ by contributing to the Jenesse Center and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park The spirit-filled worship led by Pastor Art Dyson and enjoyed by the members of Ephesian Christian Center recently extended beyond the church walls to positively impact the Jenesse Center and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. Last month, ECC congregants united with First Lady Andrea Gibson Wright and the Point of Grace Womens Ministry to donate gently-used purses filled with toiletry items to a local womens shelter. Initially, the two churches were stymied in finding an organization wiling to accept contributions in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I reached out to a few groups and never received a call back, recalled ECC First Lady Amanda Dyson. Finally, l finally received a call back from the Jenesse Center and theyre going to accept our donations. ADVERTISEMENT A nationally-recognized nonprofit, Jenesse Center is the oldest domestic violence intervention program operating in South Los Angeles. Its array of services and programs have assisted thousands of women and children and educated the community-at-large about the importance of attaining peace in homes and relationships. Dyson was well aware of Jenesses efforts and happy for the opportunity to share with the organization. My daughter-in-laws mom, Pam Williams, is a Mary Kay Independent Sales Director and she donated a $1,000 of new full sized Mary Kay products, including socks and nail polish, lotions and creams that l know will be a blessing to Jenesse, Dyson said. Im so pleased to be able to give this along with boxes of toiletry items donated by our church. ECC members blessed more people during a visit to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park where they joined the Buffalo Soldier Mounted Calvary Unit (BSMCU) in acquainting visitors with the significance of the military company. Pastor Art serves as a chaplain with BSMCU, a group dedicated to maintaining the history of the famous Buffalo Soldiers. BSMCU troopers represent the famed Buffalo Soldiers, who were members of the United States Army in 1866. The regiments consisted of all African American men, former slaves and members of the United States Colored Troops who fought during the Civil War, explained Dyson, adding that many troopers were the first rangers assigned to many of the nations parks. At the celebration, men dressed in frontier uniforms while women were adorned in hoop dresses and parasols. BSMCU embodies troopers and women of the West (WOW). WOW members each portray a woman of color who was instrumental in helping to build the west. Their stories and the Buffalo Soldier stories make for a fact finding adventure into history, she said. Allensworth Park was originally a town founded by Lt. Col. Allen Allenworth, a former slave, and four other settlers in 1908. It is the only California town to be founded, financed and governed by African American. By 1910, this California town located 30 miles north of Bakersfield had blossomed into a thriving community filled with land-owning African Americans. Unfortunately, water problems plagued Allensworth and by the 1950s, the town lacked drinkable supplies. Eventually, most inhabitants moved away, but a former resident lobbied the state to designate the original settlement as a historical site in 1968. Six years later, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan authorized the establishment of Allensworth State Historic Park. ADVERTISEMENT Throughout the year different events occur, which are designed to showcase the valuable history and contributions of this early African American township, Dyson said. We received appreciated the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. First Lutheran Church Hosts Venice Black History Celebration The congregation of First Lutheran Church of Venice (FLV) and its REACH (Racial Equality and Connecting Hands) ministry will conclude its Black History Celebration, on Sunday, March 27, at 10 a.m., in the sanctuary located at 815 Venice Blvd., in Los Angeles. According to Pastor John Palka, the program will feature a vibrant and educational presentation highlighting the little-known story of Black contributions to the Venice community. Also, the service will salute the artistic expression, gospel music and culture of African Americans as well as include Vicar Kirk Bauer and a sermon by Pastor Palka. The REACH ministry team was established at First Lutheran Church in 2020 after a number of church members took a class authored by Lutheran Pastor B. Keith Haney titled, One Nation Under God: Healing Racial Divides in America. ADVERTISEMENT The purpose of the REACH team is education and outreach. In addition to the pastor, the members of the ministry are Hal Printup, Kathryn Dunst, Carol Raines-Brown and Phil Hughes. Hughes shared, We believe that those called by Christ to be part of His body the Church form one of the most diverse communities on the face of the earth. Printup, a Native American, said, By honoring the contributions of our Black brothers and sisters, we honor the value of all people of color. Early In 2021, Venice residents received Betsy Goldmans annual calendar which focused on Celebrating Black Contributions in Venice. Profiles of the contributors will be displayed during the service. The REACH team is grateful to Betsy for permission to use the contents of the calendar and highlight the work of some of Venices distinguished citizens, said Dunst. The service will close with the history and legacy of Black gospel music including a tribute to Thomas A. Dorsey, referred to as the Father of Gospel Music. Program participants include vocals by Raines-Brown, flute by Dr. Dawn Norfleet, marimba by Joseph Mitchell, drums by Ronald Turner, piano by Kevin ONeal, and guitar by Daryl Darden. Also, the FLV Praise Band will perform. ADVERTISEMENT The community is invited to attend. For more information, contact First Lutheran Church of Venice at 310.821.2740 or visit FLVenice.org. Ida B. Wells and Kawaida Womanism: Considering the Mission and Meaning of Woman Part 1 This offering is in rightful homage and deep appreciation, not only for Nana Ida B. Wells-Barnett, but also for the awesome and audacious women of Us, the Malaika and Matamba, the Simba and Senut who created and put forth in thought, dialog, discourse and practice what we now call Kawaida womanism. It is they who engaged in the practice of Kawaida womanism before it was given its name and challenged the Simba, Saidi and Senu, the men of Us, to feel, think and act in ways more worthy of them and more in line with the best of our culture and Kawaida philosophy. They asked us to rid ourselves of oppressive practices of sexism in all its forms and to prefigure in our practices and relations the good world we all want and work and struggle together so hard to bring into being. ADVERTISEMENT Here in this month and historical moment of uplifting and raising Black women, we raise our beloved, beautiful, brilliant, sacred and soldier sisters along with the models and mirrors they have learned so much from and whose legacy they seek to emulate by the ways they live their lives, do their work and wage their struggles. And we focus on the women, not in opposition, erasure or superiority to the men, but always in principled and personal interrelationships, stressing each of their own weight and ways and the special and particular gift each gives in unique and equal measure and meaning. Indeed, Seba Tiamoyo Karenga and Seba Chimbuko Tembo, Kawaida womanisms major theorists in defining it, state that, Kawaida womanism is culturally grounded thought and practice directed toward the liberation of African women as an integral and indispensable part of the liberation of African people as a whole. And this liberation includes not only freedom from oppression, but also the creation of conditions necessary for the well-being, development and flourishing of women, men and children in family, community, society and the world. Moreover, Seba Tiamoyo and Seba Chimbuko state in particular, Kawaida womanism involves struggles directed toward reaffirming the equal dignity and divinity of African women, achieving and protecting their human and civil rights, and increasing their capacity to live free, full and fulfilling lives in relationships of reciprocity and good. In this regard, Kawaida womanism seeks to provide and practice an African-centered womanism as a culturally distinct, self-determined and self-standing intellectual and social project, not needing to turn or refer to others for vision, values or validation. Therefore, Kawaida womanism seeks sources and support from African culture, continental and diasporan, ancient and modern for its intellectual and practical initiatives. The Kawaida term womanism, then, is not taken from Alice Walkers womanish womanist, which she defines as a feminist of color and thus a darker form of White feminism, i.e., purple v. lavender. Rather, the Kawaida term womanism derives from Ida B. Wells category and concept of womanly woman and her use of it in defining the mission and meaning of woman in an expansive and open-textured way. ADVERTISEMENT Thus, in this and her other intellectual work and personal and social practice in a wide range of activities, she provides a critical source of Kawaida womanism. And we pay rightful homage to her and the enduring model, mirror and legacy she left us. It was not only in her incisive and insightful writings that Nana Ida B. Wells Barnett defined the mission and meaning of woman and womanhood, but also in the way she lived her life, did her work and waged her personal struggles and participated in the collective liberation struggle of her people, the African American people. For she, like other great leaders and activist intellectuals at all levels realized that ultimately, the criticism of the pen must be joined with the criticism of practice, corrective and transformative practice. And that practice is none other than righteous and relentless struggle on every level of life. Born in the hell and horror of the Holocaust of enslavement to James and Elizabeth Wells, she was raised in resistance by her father and mother who taught her the importance of education, the foundational value of family and community, and the moral imperative of righteous and relentless struggle. She comes into her own in the midst of struggle, resisting both racism and sexism, wherever she found them. At the age of 16, Nana Ida assumes the responsibility of guardianship for her surviving siblings after the tragic death of her parents and infant brother during a yellow fever epidemic. She also continues school, teaches and counts on her grandmother and aunt to assist her in childcare and to ground her in the best of our culture, reaffirming the foundational value of family and community. She was also an activist and a wife and mother, having married and produced four children with the distinguished lawyer and rights activist, Ferdinand L. Barnett. And she writes of having to balance different but interrelated duties without neglecting or being inadequately attentive to each. Nana Ida is also famously a journalist, writer, researcher and anti-lynching activist with an unbreakable courage and commitment, defying death to do research, speak truth to the people and to power and organize to resist the savagery of lynching, racism and other oppression in its various forms. She defiantly asserted that, the way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth on them. However, she knew this was a first step and ultimately requires an active resistance at every level. She thus was an activist in a wide range of fields, including racial justice, civil rights, human rights, anti-lynching activism, voting rights for women, economic boycotts, political organizing and confrontation, and the advocacy and practice of armed self-defense. Yet, she is in the context of her time also concerned with considering, defining and the fulfillment of the mission and meaning of woman and womanhood. Her writings vary in definitions with some commentaries in contradiction with her best ideas and constant practice. When this occurs, it seems to be focused around what all Black women had to deal with: defending their reputation, reaffirming their moral character, and continuously waging heroic struggles, as Nana Anna Julia Cooper wrote, to keep hallowed their own persons. Thus, there is a constant need and will to defend the moral character and bodily sanctity of the Black woman while not restricting or restraining her to domestic life without the possibility and support for choice among many paths to pursue in coming to the fullness of themselves. In her important article titled, Womens Mission (1885) written in Thomas Fortunes paper, New York Freemen, Nana Ida B. Wells outlines essential aspects of her concept of the mission and meaning of being woman in the world. Some of the context is particular to her faith, Christianity, but her specific definition of womens mission on earth speaks to central concerns and concepts relevant and resonant in todays dialogs and discourse on being woman, especially Black women, African women in the world. The anchoring idea in Nana Idas conception of the mission and meaning of being woman in the world is agency, the capacity and will to choose and act in the interest of good in the world. It is by social context and self-determination, a liberational understanding and message. She asks, What is or should be woman, and dismisses trivialities, self-masking, self-deforming, flesh-and-fashion focus, soullessness and selfish self-presentations and practices as ultimately unworthy of woman. And she calls instead for a womanly woman with inner strength, intellectual and spiritual brilliance, ethical grounding, a world-encompassing consciousness and mission, and a steadfast commitment to carry it out against all savage challenges and seductive changes. Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org. Opinion: On State of the State, Gov. Newsom and Republicans Offer Clashing Views Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered his fourth State of the State address. Before Newsoms speech, California Republicans posted a video of Assemblymember Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Newhall) countering the main points in the governors upcoming address. ADVERTISEMENT After he spoke, state Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), who is a candidate for Governor, delivered the official Republican rebuttal. Newsom delivered his 18-minute speech from the auditorium of the California Natural Resources Agency in front of a joint session of the Legislature. For him, the address was unusually brief. He remarked as he began speaking, I dont imagine there are many people outside these walls waiting on the words that will be said here tonight as the people of Ukraine continue to come under assault Newsom touted that California is a beacon of democratic principles offering opportunity to all. Take our Constitutional officers here tonight, he said. They include the daughter of an Arkansas sharecropper, an immigrant from the Philippines, the daughters of parents born in China and Greece, one raised by a teacher from Panama, and the proud son of undocumented Mexican immigrants. Newsom used the expression The California Way to laud Californias leadership in research, innovation, entrepreneurialism, and venture capital. It is why California is the Worlds fifth largest economy and why its GDP growth consistently outpaces the rest of the nation and most other large Western democracies, he said. In December alone Newsom boasted, 25 % of Americas jobs were created right here in California. A million new jobs in the last 12 months. More new business starts during the worst of the pandemic than Texas and Florida combined. ADVERTISEMENT Under Newsoms administration, Californians have received the largest state tax rebate in American History. He continued his speech, listing more accomplishments. We raised the minimum wage. We increased paid sick leave. Provided more paid family leave. Expanded childcare to help working parents. And this year, with your support, we will do something no other state in America has done provide health for all, regardless of immigration status Although there are numerous achievements for which the Governor can take credit, other daunting challenges Californians face every day remain. In their rebuttal, the Republicans zeroed in on those problems, which they describe as Newsoms failures due to one party state rule. Valladares began her pre-rebuttal of Newsoms address by saying, You can expect big claims about California leading the way on any number of issues. But if you want to know the real state of the state, just look around, as she stood in front of a homeless encampment. In every community, impoverished, mentally ill and drug-addicted Californians are living and dying on the streets. Half of the countrys unsheltered homeless live on our streets, she said. Another Newsom failure Valladares point out is a tidal wave of crime that is washing over our communities. She attributes the increase to watered-down prison sentences, early release and the elimination of cash bail promoted by elitist politicians and activist district attorneys. In his rebuttal, Dahle focused on high gas prices. California has, by far, the highest cost at the pump. Cross the state line in any direction and youll save $1 a gallon, he said. Our prices are even higher than Hawaii, an island out in the middle of the Pacific. Dahle expressed concerned that, when the current governor was running for office, he talked about his big plans to fix the housing shortage by adding 3.5 million new homes by 2025. Unfortunately, the big talk has brought no results. Another Dahle concern is, a mass exodus has swept across California. People and businesses are leaving the states hostile business climate. That has real consequences. Newsoms order to shut down business to mitigate COVID-19 spread disrupted lives in so many ways, according to Dahle. He also said that California schools were closed longer than any other state and the administrations mask and vaccine mandates as well as other COVID protocols were stricter than any other state, causing learning loss and health challenges among students. Newsom acknowledged the gas crisis in his State of the State. Look, no ones naive about the moment were living in, with high gas prices and the geopolitical uncertainty fueling them. In January we proposed to pause the gas tax increase. Now, its clear we must go further. Thats why working with Legislative leadership Ill be submitting a proposal to put money back in the pockets of Californians, to address rising gas prices. Speaking about homelessness, Newsom noted that, Just a few years ago, California lacked any comprehensive strategy. In just three years, we not only have a comprehensive plan, were also requiring new accountability and providing unprecedented investments for cities and counties on the front lines. He admitted, And while we moved a record 58,000 people off the streets since the beginning of the pandemic, we recognize we have more to do. Newsom talked about tackling education problems by introducing a new grade hes calling transitional kindergarten, and expanding before and after school programs. He is also funding universal school meals and child savings accounts. Unapologetically, Newsom said, our lockdowns, distressing as they were, saved lives. Our mask mandates saved lives. Your choices saved lives. California experienced far lower COVID death rates than any other large state. Fewer than Texas, Ohio. Fewer than Florida 35 %, to be exact. Whether they heard Newsoms speech or the Republican rebuttals, Californians are aware of the state of the state as they are filling up their gas tanks, searching for a house to buy, trying to rent an apartment or deciding whether they should continue wearing a mask in public. What they need to hear from Democrats and Republicans is less rhetorical crossfire and more detailed proposals aimed at solving the many challenges of living in California. It's a great place to visit or shop The new street is nice but shops have disappeared I have no reason to go there Vote View Results Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee: House Has Votes to Pass Reparations Bill For several years Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has picked up the mantle to lead efforts to create a commission to study reparations for African Americans, and now the Democrat from Texas and others believe they finally have the votes for passage in the U.S. House of Representatives. This has been a 30-plus year journey, Congresswoman Jackson Lee declared. We had to take a different approach. We had to go one by one to members explaining this does not generate a check. ADVERTISEMENT Congresswoman Jackson Lee said this week that theres now enough votes in the House for passage of the historic piece of legislation. If the measure passes and ultimately becomes law, it will create a commission that would hold hearings with testimony from those who support and oppose the idea. Reparations is about repair and when you repair the damage that has been done, you do so much to move a society forward. This commission can be a healing process. Telling the truth can heal America, she said. If the Senate doesnt join the House in passing the bill, the congresswoman said she and others would push President Biden to sign an executive order to create the commission. The White House didnt immediately respond. Congresswoman Jackson Lee added that there has never been another time in which she has garnered so much support and momentum for H.R. 40, the reparations legislation that focuses on truth, racial healing, and transformation. ADVERTISEMENT Congresswoman Jackson Lee recently reflected on the long-overdue redress to African descendants of slaves. She also praised the resiliency of Black Americans. I want to give credit to the giants that were and are Black Americans. They are giants, Congresswoman Jackson Lee declared. I want to give credit to the everyday mom and dad who get up every day and get to work and provide for their family. Im going to give those who came up on the farms or stayed on the farm and raised nine and ten and twelve children, she reflected. The Congresswoman continued, I want to give them the honor that they deserve, and that is to recognize the insurmountable odds that some of them had and how they continue to plant seeds of respect and dignity in their children. Has anyone addressed the question of slavery and its comprehensive impact on Black Americans in this country? This is what H.R. 40 will do. While the bill doesnt place a monetary value on reparations, it does focus on truth, racial healing, and transformation. The bill would fund a commission to study and develop proposals for providing reparations to African Americans. The commissions mission includes identifying the role of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, forms of discrimination in public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and lingering adverse effects of slavery on living African Americans and society. Congresswoman Jackson Lee, who sits on numerous House committees, including the Judiciary, Budget, and Homeland Security, has made the reparations legislation her top priority during the 117th Congress. I think if people begin to associate this legislation with what happened to the descendants of enslaved Africans as a human rights violation, the sordid past that violated the human rights of all of us who are descendants of enslaved Africans, I think that we can find common ground to pass this legislation, Congresswoman Jackson Lee pronounced. Can anyone imagine that weve never gotten a simple, effective, deeply-embedded, and well-respected apology? The Congresswoman is further encouraged by the support of the most co-sponsors (166) in the bills history, which dates back decades to former Democratic Rep. John Conyers Jr., of Michigan, who first introduced the legislation in 1969. In an earlier NNPA interview, White House Senior Advisor to President Biden and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond sounded an urgent tone about the administrations commitment to ensure racial justice, accessibility, and equity concerning Black America. Richmond told the Black Press that the administration supports Congresswoman Jackson Lees H.R. 40. We do support a commission and H.R. 40, We know we cant wait. We have to start acting now, Richmond declared. We dont need a study to tell us that systemic racism is out there. We dont need a study to tell us that redlining in Black communities has been treated a lot differently. Richmond continued: We dont think the Black community should have to wait on a study, we need to deal with systemic racism right now and, yes, we support the commission, but its not going to stop us from acting right now. ____________________________________________________________ SauceWalka aka The Drip God Calls Hyde Park Goods the Next Big Thing in Streetwear Hyde Park Goods, a Texas-based streetwear company, is gaining momentum by the day. A brand that usually remains under the radar, rumors of a collaboration between the brand and SauceWalka, aka The Drip God, continue to spread. As South By Southwest (SXSW) approaches, SauceWalka was seen sporting their merchandise during a recent meeting with rapper Kanye West while on tour. He also recently called Hyde Park the new street designer. While youre hopping from mixer to panel to show during SXSW. You might stumble upon some of the most desired hats and tees coming of Austin next week, said SauceWalka. If youre lucky. Fans of the brand began speculating that a collaboration between Hyde Park and SauceWalka will drop soon once a bright orange post appeared on the brands Instagram page. While the collaboration has yet to be confirmed, it would be within Hyde Parks usual operation of collaborating with other brands such as Cool Kicks LA, Proper HTX, and Urban Necessities at SneakerCon. To this day, I still implement elements from graffiti and breakdancing into my designs, said Hyde Park Jacob, the brands creative director. After getting arrested a lot in the late 90s doing graffiti, and getting all my spray pain and sketches confiscated, I learned to screen-print and spent hours teaching myself graphic design. ADVERTISEMENT Jacob also continued with, But if it doesnt move me, if it doesnt delight people, then it shouldnt be done. As collaboration rumors continue to gain traction, friends of the company have hinted that another colorway in the Iris Puffer Bag will also drop, and that the accessory will mirror the trajectory and adoption of Nikes Jordan sneakers in the marketplace. I cant comment on any collabs directly, stated Angela Shen, director of operations. Youll have to roll up your sleeves to find us in the SXSW crowd and see for yourself. Hyde Park Goods make their products in-house. This year theyll be adding rugs and bags to their collection. Due to high demand and an exclusive password to access its online drops, getting your hands on their products may not be easy. The brand has a strong presence on social media, including Instagram and Youtube. Hyde Park Goods can be found online at hydeparkgoods.com. The Fragrance Foundation Announces The Fragrance Day 2022 Spring is right around the corner, and The Fragrance Foundation (TFF) has selected March 21 as The Fragrance Day 2022. Learning what makes a fragrance excellent and right for you, is a lifelong exploration and a journey that I have just started on. To that end, being able to learn from TFF is a joy and an opportunity to learn and share. The goal of TFF is to introduce consumers everywhere to the transformative power of fragrance, and The Fragrance Days goal is to shine a spotlight on the latest trends that are influencing and shaping the industry. For 2022, these include a reinforced commitment to sustainability and fragrances that feature ingredients promoting wellness and self-care. ADVERTISEMENT The Fragrance Day 2022 also serves to unite the fragrance community around the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the critical need to ensure that the industry accurately reflects the populations it serves and provides opportunities for people of all backgrounds to build and shape lasting careers. The free event will be held on Monday, March 21, from 9 a.m. PST to 2 p.m. PST, and features exclusive content and real-time opportunities for the public to virtually engage with their favorite brands, industry experts, and influencers. The event will also include findings from Dr. Pamela Dalton, Research Scientist, the Monell Center on COVIDs effect on the sense of smell. The first 1,000 people to register will receive a complimentary Scent Journey Kit, courtesy of The Fragrance Foundation. Register here: https://fragranceday.org/ Among the more than 30 participating brands are: Aerin, Cartier, Givenchy, Harlem Candle, the premier of Billie Eilishs new fragrance, Eilish Eau de Parfum, and World of Chris Collins, the first African American-owned brand to be featured in Bergdorf Goodman and Sephora. Some 100 retailers will also participate, including Macys, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, bluemercury, Ulta, Nordstrom, and Victorias Secret. New this year will be notable influencers paired with new TFF members to share their perspectives. These include Kudzi Chikumbu (@sircandleman), Tiff Benson (@tiffbenson), Emma Vernon (@perfumeroompod). Beauty Editor and Brand Consultant Katie Becker will also interview fashion designer Francisco Costa, creator of the perfume brand Costa Brazil. The Fragrance Foundation is the premier resource for industry expertise, innovation, and education. United under the mission statement to inspire the world to discover the artistry and passion of fragrance, The Fragrance Foundation is devoted to nurturing talent, celebrating the creativity of perfumers, engaging consumers to increase appreciation for the world of fragrance and driving diversity, equity and inclusion. Follow The Fragrance Foundation on social media: @fragrancefoundation. Ukraine, Refugees and Racism Our hearts, prayers and support are with the people of Ukraine. No one should suffer such violence and loss in what is supposed to be a civilized global society. We as members of humanity are doing the right thing in providing support for all we can help. But there is also an even greater tragedy occurring which we have seen played out repeatedly in the midst of human suffering and loss. That tragedy is the one of racism and we see its presence in the midst of this war. First, the incidents of African students residing in the Ukraine being denied departures even though they have been waiting as long as the Ukrainians. The reason given: Ukraine citizens first. ADVERTISEMENT The test of citizenship, the color of the skin of those seeking to leave. The Nigerian mother and her daughter who waited just as long as the White Ukraine mother should not have been denied exit because she was Black. The 1700 Black students in the Ukraine should not be denied exit because they are students or Black, when such tests have not applied to any Ukraines other than the men being required to report for military service between the ages of 18 and 60. Next, we see the president of Ukraine put out a call for military help in terms of manpower to fight the Russians. Would-be fighters from several African countries seek to volunteer as mercenaries but are told they must pay $1000 and get visas in order to come to the Ukraine. Reason given: the fee is for airfare and visas to neighboring countries since they cant fly directly into the Ukraine. But none of this became an issue until Africans volunteered. As if Africans were not alone, a number of students from India, some in medical school, have also complained of being denied transportation to make room for White Ukrainian citizens when all were waiting equally for transportation. This is racism. It is interesting to see how the European (White) world appears to have no limits on the outpouring of housing, food, clothing, and every need that such refugees are having. This is truly the humanitarian thing to do. But where was the same level of outpouring for the Afghan people when America pulled out or, even closer, how is it that at the Mexican/American border of San Diego, California and Tijuana that Haitians who have been waiting, some as long as two to three years, are still denied refugee status under the same Title 42 used by President Trump to keep people out? ADVERTISEMENT It now appears that border officials have some discretionary authority under that very law, which is now being used to admit Ukrainian refugees who have made it to the very same Mexican border where Haitian and other refugees are still waiting to cross. Here is the pattern of racism: in the Ukraine, if you are Black, you are denied exit. At the Mexico/American border, if you are Black, you are denied entrance because the Ukraine refugees can go ahead of you in the line. The common factor in all these cases is the racism of putting white refugees ahead of people of color for no reason other than the color of their skin. Here we sit in America with White Republican lawmakers blocking dollars for Child Tax Credits which will help working families; universal school lunch funding expiring; and the failure to fund so many things needed by the American people seeking to exit the pandemic, but we appear to have funds with no limit for Ukraine. We should help them, but charity starts at home and then spreads abroad. If we are going to provide global help, and we should, then lets make sure that we have policies that treat all fairly without making the color of ones skin the determining factor in establishing their humanity. Something to really think about. Dr. John E. Warren is the publisher of the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint. US Black population: The biggest growth is in smaller cities Brandon Manning and his wife were both born in the U.S. South and had been itching to return, but Manning didnt want to go back to his native Atlanta because of the traffic, housing costs and sprawl. So, when he was offered a job teaching at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, the couple decided to give the smaller city a chance. They werent alone. The largest African American population growth in pure numbers over the past decade didnt take place in Atlanta or Houston, long identified as hubs of Black life, but rather in less congested cities with lower profiles: Fort Worth; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Each gained between 32,000 and 40,000 new Black residents from 2010 to 2020, according to 2020 census figures. Meanwhile, Black residents left the nations largest cities, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, by the tens of thousands. ADVERTISEMENT The sprawl of a Houston or an Atlanta, its just massive and traffic makes it hard to get around, said Manning, an assistant professor of Black Literature and Culture, who moved to Forth Worth from Las Vegas. We wanted something that was manageable. The Mannings are part of an emerging pattern of Black migration from larger cities to smaller ones, primarily in the South, according to Sabrina Pendergrass, an assistant professor for African American and African Studies at the University of Virginia. After a decadeslong migration by Black people to Atlanta, theres this feeling that it might be tougher to get an economic foothold if you wanted to open a business, Pendergrass said. In cities like Charlotte, theres not as much competition. From the 1910s to the 1960s, millions of Black Americans took part in the Great Migration, moving to northern cities to escape the overt racism of the Jim Crow South. But many learned over time that racism was also pervasive in northern cities, in less-obvious but equally insidious forms such as home loan restrictions that reinforced segregated neighborhoods. Now, in a trend known as reverse migration, some of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those original migrants have been moving back to Southern cities for years. According to the 2020 census, African Americans make up 14% of the U.S. population, 58% of whom live in the South. Those figures could vary slightly, as the Census Bureau reported last week that 3.3% of the Black population was undercounted in the 2020 census, a rate higher than in 2010. Moving back to the region was important to the Mannings, who have relatives in Jackson, Mississippi. ADVERTISEMENT We needed to return to the South to be closer to family and closer to a way of life that we were more familiar with, Brandon Manning said. Fort Worth, Columbus, Jacksonville and Charlotte all saw explosive growth _ from 15% to 24% _ in their overall populations over the past decade. The Black population grew at about the same rate in three of the cities and exceeded it in Fort Worth. For this report, The Associated Press focused on individual cities rather than larger metropolitan areas to get a more nuanced sense of where Black population growth took place. Columbus is the only city included in the newest areas to which Black people are moving that is not in the South. David Jones recalled that when he visited his grandparents in Columbus in the 1970s and `80s, the restaurant scene consisted of Ponderosa after Ponderosa. Now, he said, its a real city with diverse eateries and a vibrant culture. Jones discovered the change when he moved there from Washington in March 2020 to pursue a romance and be closer to family. It has that Midwestern relaxed nature. Its more relaxed than D.C., where everything is a little more stressful, certainly more expensive, he said. The people here are just more genuine. Theyre not always looking to get something from someone else. I think its refreshing. Ohio State University, a large number of corporate headquarters, a diverse manufacturing base, a relative low cost of living and a burgeoning arts community make the city attractive, said Columbus Councilmember Shayla Favor. There are a lot of opportunities for individuals to move upward, Favor said. The citys politics reflect the influx: A U.S. congresswoman and the city council president, police chief and schools superintendent are all African American. Columbus also has had an influx of Somali immigrants, reflecting the fact that roughly 10% of Black people in the U.S. were born in another country. Black professionals moving from northern cities to Charlotte to take banking and tech jobs over the past decade not only helped North Carolina become more of a purple state politically, they also brought along their culture. Pendergrass notes that she learned Chicago steppin, a popular style of dancing, not in the Windy City but in Charlotte, where she was doing research. In many ways, its a case of cultural boomerang, just as Black culture in northern cities was shaped by the experiences migrants from the Great Migration brought from the South, Pendergrass said. Now we have people moving South, and they are almost remixing it in this Southern context, Pendergrass said. ___ Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP. Words of the Week You Meant It For Evil; God Meant It For Good Scripture: Genesis 50:20 It looks like as a people, we are going backwards instead of forward. Our voting rights are at risk. The Senate wont pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. ADVERTISEMENT Our history is being silenced. They dont want you to teach Critical Race Theory in our public schools. Our lives dont matter. The police oce received a two year sentence for killing a young man during a trac stop for hanging an air fresher from the car mirror! You meant it for evil! But, God can turn it around for our good. Its time for good moral people to stand up for justice! Its time to mobilize and build back better communities. Its time to invest in our children. Its time to make changes in our lives. Its time to stop killing one another. Its time to live together in peace. Its time to forgive, but never forget. Its time to love. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28) ADVERTISEMENT You meant it for evil; God meant it for good. The book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. The word genesis, in both the Hebrew and Greek means in the beginning. Genesis is a book of beginnings that introduce central theme of the Bible creation, birth, genealogy, and history of origin. Genesis is composed of a total of 50 chapters that biblical scholars divide into two parts based on geographical location. The history of the biblical patriarchs is found in Genesis. Genesis is a book about relationships Gods relationship with creation, Gods relationship with humanity, and Gods relationship with individual human beings. In Genesis, we meet Abram who later becomes Abraham, who has two sons Ishmael and Isaac; Isaac, who has two sons, Jacob and Esau, and Jacob, who has 12 sons, and one of them is Joseph. The life of Joseph is the main subject of chapters 37 50. The character of God is reflected in Josephs life. The Favor of God In the book of Genesis, youll notice many stories where the younger son is favored over the firstborn son. But, the sovereign God selected whomever God wanted. God divinely chose these men. Somebody said, Favor aint fair. But, I disagree, because God, the creator of the universe and all therein, can use anyone God chooses. After all, God is in control. Joseph was Jacobs favorite son and he adorned Joseph with an ornamented robe. Joseph was an annoying 17-year-old younger brother. He tattled on his brothers to their father. Joseph was endowed with the gift of prophecy. He was a dreamer and could see into the future. He foretold a time when he would rule over his brothers and sisters and father and mother. His brothers hated him and were jealous of him for his dreams (Genesis 37:5-11). But, Jacob kept the matter in his mind. The truth is, God chose Joseph to be Jacobs favorite son. God chose Joseph to be first among his brothers. God already had a plan for Josephs life. In todays scripture text, Josephs dream came to fruition. The Faithfulness of God Before his dreams came to fruition, Joseph went through some unfortunate events in his life. Joseph brothers plotted to kill him. Gods chosen people will have dicult days. You may have Gods favor on your life, but please understand, the enemy is plotting to steal, kill, rob, destroy and discredit you. Dont let the devil use you! Rebuke the devil and he/she/they/them will flee! God is not going to allow Gods dream to die in you. God appoints people to rescue dreamers. God used Reuben, Josephs eldest brother, Jacobs firstborn, to try and rescue Joseph. Lets not kill him. Throw him in the cistern here in the desert. Reuben had planned to rescue Joseph and take him back to their father. Joseph was striped of his ornamented coat. Later, his brothers dipped the coat in animals blood, presented it to their father and said a ferocious animal had devoured him. While Joseph was in the cistern, a caravan of Ishmaelites, also known as Midianites were coming. Judahs suggested selling Joseph to them when they arrived. They sold Joseph for 20 shekels of silver. In Egypt, the Medianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaohs captain of the guards. This is the first stage in the movement of Gods plan for Israel. Gods people would move from Canaan to Egypt. Joseph obtained a favorable position in Potiphars house. Then Potiphars wife falsely accused him of sexual misconduct. His cloak was torn from him and shown to Potiphar. He was then unjustly thrown in prison for attractiveness and moral integrity. But Josephs gift of grace his ability to interpret dreams rescues him. Your gifts make room for you, and brings you before great people (Proverbs 18:16). Finally, Joseph became Egypts second in command because God was with him. Joseph had favor, and the sovereign God was faithful to Joseph. A Future with God Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. When Joseph was 30 years old, he was put in charge of Egypt as second in command to Pharaoh, only. Joseph predicted 7 years of abundance and 7 years of famine. He stored grain during the years of abundance. When the years of famine spread over the whole country, Joseph, now 39 years old, sold grain from the storehouses to the Egypt and Canaan. When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent his ten sons there to purchase grain. Josephs brothers bowed down to him. On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Josephs family became known to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all; so Jacob went down to Egypt. God had made Joseph forget his troubles. God had made Joseph fruitful in the land where he suered. Joseph forgave his brother because he understood, You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. We have this future hope: God will rescue you and me from all our troubles. God will wipe away every tear. God will take care you. Stop crying and complaining. Receive Christ! Only believe you are favored by God and know that God is faithful. God is working it out! God is working it out for your good! God will turn your worry to witness and worship, pain and problems to praise, God will turn your brokenness and burdens to blessings , grief and grumbling to grace. God will turn your maniacal mess to a merciful ministry frustration to a faith journey. God will turn your stress, sickness and sadness to salvation. You meant it for evil; God meant it for good. In the name of Jesus, Amen! The Rev. Dr. Mary S. Minor is the senior pastor of Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church, 3719 W. Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles. Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system to help fill in missing words in ancient writings. The system is designed to help historians restore the writings and identify when and where they were written. Many ancient populations used writings, also known as inscriptions, to document different parts of their lives. The inscriptions have been found on materials such as rock, ceramic and metal. The writings often contained valuable information about how ancient people lived and how they structured their societies. But in many cases, the objects containing such inscriptions have been damaged over the centuries. This left major parts of the inscriptions missing and difficult to identify and understand. In addition, many of the inscribed objects were moved from areas where they were first created. This makes it difficult for scientists to discover when and where the writings were made. The new AI-based method serves as a technological tool to help researchers repair missing inscriptions and estimate the true origins of the records. The researchers, led by Alphabets AI company DeepMind, call their tool Ithaca. In a statement, the researchers said the system is the first deep neural network that can restore the missing text of damaged inscriptions. A neural network is a machine learning computer system built to act like the human brain. The findings were recently reported in a study in the publication Nature. Researchers from other organizations including the University of Oxford, Ca Foscari University of Venice and Athens University of Economics and Business also took part in the study. The team said it trained Ithaca on the largest collection of data containing Greek inscriptions from the non-profit Packard Humanities Institute in California. Feeding this data into the system is designed to help the tool use past writings to predict missing letters and words in damaged inscriptions. The researchers reported that in experiments with damaged writings, Ithaca was able to correctly predict missing inscription elements 62 percent of the time. In addition, the tool was 71 percent correct in identifying where the inscriptions first came from. And, the system was able to effectively date writings to within 30 years, the team said. Yannis Assael is a research scientist with DeepMind who helped lead the study. He said in a statement that Ithaca was designed to support historians to expand and deepen our understanding of ancient history. When historians work on their own, the success rate for restoring damaged inscriptions is about 25 percent. But when humans teamed up with Ithaca to assist in their work, the success rate jumped to 72 percent, Assael said. Thea Sommerschield was another lead researcher on the project. She is the Marie Curie Fellow at Ca Foscari University of Venice. Sommerschield said she hopes systems like Ithaca can unlock the cooperative potential between AI and humans in future restoration work involving important ancient inscriptions. She said the system had already provided new information to help researchers reexamine important periods in Greek history. In one case, Ithaca confirmed new evidence presented by historians about the dating of a series of important Greek decrees. The decrees were first thought to have been written before 446/445 BCE. But the new evidence suggested a date in the 420s BCE. Ithaca predicted a date of 421 BCE. Sommerschield said that the date change may seem small. But it has significant implications for our understanding of the political history of Classical Athens, she added. The team is currently working on other versions of Ithaca trained on other ancient languages. DeepMind has launched a free, interactive tool based on the system for use by researchers, educators, museum workers and the public. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from DeepMind, the University of Oxford, the University of Venice and Nature. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - AI Used to Fill in Missing Words in Ancient Writings Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story artificial intelligence (AI) n. the development of computer systems with the ability to perform work that normally requires human intelligence restore v. to make something good exist again ceramic n. objects made by shaping and heating clay society n. a large group of people who live in the same country and share the same laws, traditions, etc. origins n. the cause of something or where something comes from potential n. a possibility when the necessary conditions exist decree n. an official order for something significant adj. important or noticeable implication n. a result or effect Architect Diebedo Francis Kere of Burkina Faso has won the Pritzker Prize, the worlds highest recognition in building design. The 56-year-old Kere was honored Tuesday for his "pioneering" designs, said Tom Pritzker, He is chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, which awards the prize. The architects works, he continued, are "sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants in lands of extreme scarcity. Kere is a citizen of both Burkina Faso and Germany and lives in Berlin. On Tuesday, he said he was the "happiest man on this planet" to become the 51st recipient of the famous yearly prize. Kere is famed for building schools, health centers, housing, and other and public spaces across Africa. His buildings can be found in his homeland, as well as in Benin, Mali, Kenya, Mozambique, Togo and Sudan. "He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten," Pritzker said. Kere won special praise for his 2001 project to build a primary school in Gando, the village where he was born. Unlike traditional school buildings, which use concrete, Kere's inventive design combined local clay and cement to form bricks. The material helps keep the building cool in a hot environment. A wide, raised metal roof protects the building from rain and helps air flow. Kere involved the local community throughout the design and building of the school. The number of students at the school increased from 120 to 700, the Hyatt Foundation said in its release. The success of the project saw the creation of an extension, a library and teachers' housing in later years. Kere "empowers communities through the process of architecture, the Pritzker statement added. It praised Kere additionally for loyalty to social justice and community empowerment. Kere is the first African to be honored with the Pritzker. In his native Burkina Faso, citizens celebrated the win. "In the current pain of the security crisis, our country must remember that it is also the nation of exceptional men like Francis Kere ," said Ra-Sablga Seydou Ouedraogo, of the non-profit Free Afrik. Nebila Aristide Bazie, head of the Burkina Faso architects' council, said the award "highlights the African architect and the people of Burkina Faso." In 2017, Kere designed the Serpentine Pavilion in London's Hyde Park. The highly sought contract is given to a world-famous architect every year. He was also one of the architects behind Geneva's International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. "I am totally convinced that everyone deserves quality," he said in his office, where he celebrated his award with his team. "I'm always thinking how I can get the best for my clients, Kere added, noting that his clients include people who can pay and those who cannot. He said, "This is my way of doing things, of using my architecture to create structures to serve people, let's say to serve humanity." Im Caty Weaver. Caty Weaver adapted this story from an Agence France-Press wire report. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story architect n. a person who designs buildings sustainable adj. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources region n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way client n. a person who employs a professional person or organization for services library n. a place where books, magazines, and other materials (such as videos and musical recordings) are available for people to use or borrow concrete n. a hard, strong material that is used for building and made by mixing cement, sand, and broken rocks with water clay n. a heavy, sticky material from the earth that is made into different shapes and that becomes hard when it is baked or dried cement n. a soft gray powder that is mixed with water and other substances to make concrete inhabitant n. a person or animal that lives in a particular place scarcity n. a very small supply of something An American company has presented a new space vehicle built to explore the moon. California-based Venturi Astrolab uncovered its working model of the vehicle last week. The explorer, or rover, is called FLEX. Astrolab officials say the four-wheeled rover was designed to be sent to the moon by the American space agency NASA. FLEX was developed to transport astronauts and cargo and support a series of lunar activities and experiments. If NASA chooses to use the vehicle, it will become part of the Artemis program. That program aims to return humans to the moon as early as 2025. It also calls for establishing a long-term base on the moon that could one day launch astronauts to Mars. FLEX could become the first astronaut-transporting vehicle to visit the moon since NASAs Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Apollo 17 was the last of six American manned missions to the moon. Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recently test drove the vehicle. He said in a video released by Astrolab that rovers used during the Apollo missions were built purely for exploration purposes. But, Hadfield added, FLEX was designed to support astronauts landing on the moon for long-term stays. Once you get there, youve got to be able to move things around, he said. You also need to transition the equipment that keeps you alive and that enables the activities. Hadfield added: When we settle somewhere, we dont just need to get people from one place to another, but we need to move hardware, cargo, life support equipment and more." Apollo 17s rover set a moon speed record of 17.7 kilometers per hour. Astrolab chief Jaret Matthews says FLEX can move just as fast. He told Reuters such a speed is kind of a practical limit for the moon," where gravity is one-sixth that of Earth. Matthews is a former rover engineer for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Vehicles designed for the Apollo missions operated with astronauts sitting and driving the vehicles like a car. With FLEX, astronauts stand in the back and control the vehicle with a joystick device. The vehicle weighs about 500 kilograms, but can carry loads up to 1,500, Astrolab officials say. With its sun-powered batteries fully charged, FLEX is designed to operate continuously for up to eight hours. Matthews said the vehicles energy storing system can survive the extreme cold of a lunar night and the rover can operate in total darkness. Video of the test drive showed FLEX driving over sand and rocks in the California desert near Death Valley National Park. After the test, Hadfield said "it was huge fun driving the vehicle. Im Bryan Lynn. Reuters and Astrolab reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story cargo n. goods that are carried in a vehicle manned mission n. an important project or trip (especially space travel) that is carrying, staffed or performed by one or more people transition v. to change from one system or method to another practical adj. suitable or useful for a situation that may involve difficulty joystick n. a vertical handle used to control a computer game or piece of machinery battery n. a device that provides and stores electricity for certain electronic devices A North Korean missile launched from an area near the capital reportedly exploded soon after liftoff Wednesday, South Korea's military said. The South Korean military said the incident appeared to be a failed missile test. The launch comes as some experts predict that the North is preparing to test a powerful weapon in its greatest provocation in years. The United States and South Korea have warned that North Korea may be preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) over a long distance. That would be the biggest test since 2017. Such a test would also violate United Nations Security Council resolutions placing limits on North Koreas missile program. Details of the missile explosion and the possibility of civilian damage were not immediately known. It is the 10th launch of its kind this year as North Korea continues to modernize its arsenal. Experts say the country is trying to pressure other nations into making concessions while denuclearization talks are frozen. The missile blew up when it was less than 20 kilometers above the earth, an unidentified South Korean military official said. The cause of the explosion is not known, the official added. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said the launch came from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, the Norths capital, around 0030 UTC, but gave no other details. Lee Choon Geun is with South Koreas Science and Technology Policy Institute. He said the missile likely exploded less than a minute after its launch. He said if the missiles toxic fuel fell on civilian areas in North Korea, then it would likely cause major health problems. So far, there are no outside reports of such damage in North Korea. The failed test showed the danger of North Koreas decision to launch from an airport close to a populated area, experts said. North Korea's newest and largest ICBM system, the Hwasong-17, was first shown at a military parade in 2020. North Korea has not tested an ICBM or nuclear bomb since 2017 but has said that it could start testing again because denuclearization talks with the United States have stopped. The North Korean missile activity has caused increased training among South Korea and U.S. forces in East Asia. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier recently led military exercises in the Yellow Sea. And air defense artillery at Osan air base in South Korea increased training measures, U.S. forces in Asia said. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story provocation n. an action or occurrence that causes someone to become angry or to begin to do something arsenal n. a collection of weapons concession n. something that you allow or do to end a conflict or reach an agreement toxic adj. containing poisonous substances We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked members of the United States Congress Wednesday to do more to help his country against the Russian invasion. Wearing a military green T-shirt, he said, We need you right now. The Ukrainian president delivered the speech to Congress over a video link. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced him with a cheer in Ukrainian glory to Ukraine. American lawmakers stood up for a time to cheer Zelenskyy at the start and at the end of his speech. Zelenskyy said: "Remember Pearl Harbor, the terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Just remember it. Remember September 11th, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories, into battlefields. He also used the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., saying: "I have a dream, these words are known to each of you today I can say. I have a need; I need to protect our sky. "Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people," Zelenskyy said. And he showed a video with images of death and destruction that ended with the words Close the sky over Ukraine. The Ukrainian president continued his appeal for what he describes as a humanitarian no-fly zone. But he offered an alternative, calling for air defense missile systems like the S-300. He also appealed for more warplanes and stronger economic measures against Russia. Zelenskyy ended his speech with a direct appeal to American President Joe Biden. He spoke in English, You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Appeals to Western nations Zelenskyys speech to the U.S. Congress followed similar appeals for help before the parliaments of Europe, Britain and Canada. Nearly two weeks ago, he also met over video with some U.S. lawmakers. At the time, he also asked for a no-fly zone, a term for closing the airspace over a country, and for more aircraft. Speaking from the White House, Biden said Zelenskyy speaks for a people who have shown remarkable courage and strength in the face of brutal aggression. Courage and strength that's inspired not only Ukrainians but the entire world." The U.S. president then approved an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine bringing the total to $1 billion this week. Were going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead, Biden said. The new weapons, Biden said, include 800 anti-aircraft systems to make sure the Ukrainian military can continue to stop the planes and helicopters that have been attacking their people and to defend their Ukrainian airspace. The support does not include the no-fly zone that Zelenskyy had requested. The Biden administration said earlier that it has sent hundreds of Stinger missiles, Javelin anti-tank systems, radar systems, machine guns and ammunition. Other military equipment included helicopters, boats, satellite imagery and personal protective gear. Biden has said U.S. troops will not fight on the ground in Ukraine. He has also rejected the calls for a no-fly zone and additional warplanes as too risky. Such moves could bring the U.S. and NATO allies into a direct conflict with Russia: a nuclear power and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Im Jonathan Evans. Hai Do wrote this story for VOA Learning English. ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story alternative n. something that can be chosen instead of something else; a choice courage n. the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous brutal adj. extremely cruel or harsh We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Oregon Health Authority on Wednesday, March 16, is reporting steep declines in weekly COVID-19 cases, but the agency also reported higher death numbers. Two Linn County deaths were reported Wednesday, although no details were provided by OHA. OHA reported 35 new COVID-19-related deaths Wednesday, bringing the states death toll to 6,933. There were 355 new confirmed and presumptive cases, for a state total of 700,660 since the pandemic began. Linn County on Wednesday had 16 new virus cases for a total of 26,296. Benton County added seven new cases, bringing its total to 14,963. The COVID-19 death toll is 241 in Linn County and 65 in Benton County. Hospitalizations: As of Wednesday, there were 242 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon, 18 more than the day prior. Overall, however, the weekly trend statewide is downward, OHA said. Thirty-six patients are occupying intensive care unit beds, two more than the day prior. Fourteen patients were on ventilators, according to OHA statistics. Of 672 adult ICU beds in the state, 101 are available, a 15% availability rate; 380 out of 4,296 adult non-ICU beds are unoccupied, a 9% availability. Staffing limitations are not captured in OHA data and may further limit bed capacity. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day or lengths of hospital stays. The region that includes Linn, Benton, Marion, Polk, Lincoln and Yamhill counties has 10 adult ICU beds available (10%) and 56 adult non-ICU beds available (8%). Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Vaccinations: OHA reported 2,926 new doses of coronavirus vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Tuesday. More than 3.1 million people have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and more than 2.8 million people have completed a coronavirus vaccine series. The seven-day running average is now 2,377 doses per day. Nationally: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported 25,913 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, making the U.S. case total more than 79.4 million. There were 1,364 new deaths recorded, bringing the countrys death total to 964,831, according to the CDC. Cody Mann covers Benton County and the cities of Corvallis and Philomath. He can be contacted at 541-812-6113 or Cody.Mann@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @News_Mann_. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. If not for Jane Does courage, former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, a man who stands convicted of raping her and now faces spending the rest of his life in prison would no doubt be on his way toward securing a second term representing this area in the Legislature. The following is taken from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office calls-for-service log at the substation on Foster Road as well as the Guadalupe Police Department's calls-for-service log. Incidents listed were reported in the unincorporated area of Santa Maria and Orcutt or in Guadalupe, unless otherwise indicated. At least three people are being sought by Santa Barbara County sheriff's investigators in connection with a pair of business burglaries that occurred Sunday in Los Olivos, including one in which the suspects ripped an ATM with no money from the wall of a Grand Avenue market, according to a spokeswoman. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine 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 Wisconsin dairy and corn and soybean farmers have been benefiting from higher commodity prices, which continue as farmers prepare for spring planting, says Wisconsin Farmers Union Vice President Darin Von Ruden of rural Westby. He and his wife, JoAnn, and their son, Brett, have about 120 cattle on their beef and organic dairy farm, including about 50 milking cows. They also raise corn, barley and alfalfa, all as feed for the cattle. The Von Rudens own 230 acres and rent another 125 acres. In talking with farmers, I think overall that dairy (farmers) had an average year last year, Von Ruden said in an interview in early February on his farm. I talked with some who had been struggling. Some of the government payments that came out last year helped get them over the top and to be able to actually make a few dollars, Von Ruden said. So that was a positive sign, although wed like to receive (income) from the marketplace versus getting a subsidy from the government. With current milk prices, Von Ruden said, It looks like theyll at least be up to cost-of-production levels. But what will input costs look like? Von Ruden noted that corn and soybeans are inputs for the dairy industry, and prices of those two commodities have gone up. If corn and soybean farmers are doing good, it usually means that dairy farmers are struggling a little bit, Von Ruden said. The biggest concern for corn and soybean farmers probably is the rising cost of fertilizer, he said. Fertilizer prices have been on a steady increase over the last six or seven months or so. Its been nice having a price thats covering your costs anyway, Von Ruden said of the prices that corn and soybean farmers have seen for their commodities. Overall, it certainly is going to help pay down the debt from the previous six or seven years of lower prices. But its going to take another two or three years of (good) prices for corn and soybeans to really get back to an even playing field. The outlook for beef and pork producers isnt quite as bright, partly because of higher costs for the corn and soybeans used for livestock feed. Von Ruden is optimistic about the outlook for his familys farming operation in 2022. Right now everything is looking good, he said. We had decent moisture going into last fall, and weve had snowfall in the winter. The forecast (for Wisconsin weather) is for somewhat average rainfall, Von Ruden said. So hopefully that will help with getting the crops in the ground and getting them growing. Probably the biggest concern that most farmers have right now is input costs. German wheel. Juggling pins. Hula hoops. And solar panels. Theyll all be playing a role in the Solar-Powered Circus, the first public performance in the new Madison Circus Space building on Madisons East Side. The shows on March 25-26 will celebrate two enormous successes for the nonprofit group: the completion of the Madison Circus Spaces $1 million capital campaign to build its new home, and the finale to a nearly $61,000 fundraising effort to outfit the roof with solar panels this spring. Originally when we started planning the show, it was meant to be a fundraiser for the solar project, said Stephanie Richards, an aerial member at MCS who teaches youth aerial silks there and helped run its fundraising efforts. We wanted it to be an opportunity to publicly launch the solar project and really build awareness of sustainability and energy conservation in an arts organization. ... And then we met our solar goal faster than anyone expected, she said, laughing. So now its just a big celebration and awareness-building of sustainability in the arts. The show will feature close to four dozen local performers in energy-themed acts, using circus disciplines such as aerial dance, slackline, hooping, German wheel and more. Professional comedy juggler and Guinness World Record holder Josh Casey will emcee. Madison Circus Space started in a rented warehouse in 2013. When that building was slated for redevelopment, the group decided it was time to build a facility customized for circus arts including trusses for trapeze gear and wide-open spaces for stilt-walkers. But actually raising $1 million half of the total cost of the 10,400-square-foot facility was a dream come true. Never in my mind did I think wed be standing here in this building, said Danielle Lee, treasurer and hoop instructor at Madison Circus Space, and we made it through a pandemic as well. The new building had only opened in October 2019 when it had to close five months later because of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. Over the following months, core volunteers figured out ways to carefully reopen. We have a really strong community of people who worked together, Lee said. MCS, for example, worked out a way for building users to reserve time in advance to come in for socially distanced practice. Meanwhile, the group exceeded its fundraising goal for solar by some $2,000, thanks to gifts from individuals and grants from MadiSUN Backyard Solar, RENEW Wisconsins Solar for Good, Focus on Energy and Hammond Climate Solutions Foundations Solar Moonshot. The extra dollars were put toward other energy-saving technology such as LED lights, smart thermostats and destratification fans in the buildings largest room to circulate air from the ceiling to the floor, which is expected to lower heating costs by more than 20%. Conservation and sustainability have always been a part of the mission of MCS. Its something that our board of directors is really passionate about, Richards said. We have some really passionate members who championed the project for solar, not just (giving) money, but who really pushed through and made it happen. Installation of the solar panels will begin April 15, said MCS member Mike Clipson, who helped raise money and coordinate the project with local vendors (he also built glowing LED juggling clubs for the upcoming show). Mays electricity bill for MCS will be nothing, Ill bet, said Clipson, thanks to plenty of sunshine that month and little need for air conditioning. Lower energy bills will free up money for two other goals for MCS: more youth outreach and the hiring of staff for the building, which currently is all volunteer-run. MCS offers classes in hoop dance, aerial arts, capoeira, trapeze, yoga and more. The groups 60-some members also get a key fob allowing them to come into the building 24 hours a day. Clubs that meet there regularly are open to all and include Acro Club, Wheel Club, Madison Area Jugglers and Hoop/Flow Jam. During the pandemic, we decided to make clubs free, Richards said. So anyone in the community can drop in, although participants do need to sign in first at madisoncircusspace.com/clubs. MCS also has a new line of solar-themed merch, such as shirts with a logo featuring sunbeams. There are circus spaces around the country that didnt make it through the pandemic, Richards said. We are super-fortunate to have made it through and be OK. Thats why this particular event, the Solar Powered Circus, is so exciting, added Lee. The one thing thats been really missing the last couple years has been live shows. Weve had people coming back for classes, people teaching and members practicing. But shows really tie it all together. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Susan Bulgrin, who owns three local Culvers restaurants, is donating 100% of this past Tuesdays sales to Chef Jose Andres World Central Kitchen to benefit Ukrainian refugees and those going hungry inside Ukraine. Between her stores she said she raised about $50,000. The community was very generous and definitely supported this fundraising initiative. And I am so thankful, I am so grateful, said Bulgrin, who owns Culvers restaurants on Todd Drive and Cottage Grove Road in Madison, and one in McFarland. Bulgrin said shes been watching the news and realizing that the people of Ukraine, refugees and those inside Ukraine, are in dire need of food. They are struggling mightily, she said, noting she read that some havent eaten in three days. World Central Kitchen is quickly expanding its #ChefsForUkraine response to distribute food, including hot, fresh meals, in five countries. It has opened a kitchen and food supply depot in Poland, on the border with Ukraine, and has multiple warehouses active in Lviv where trucks are filled with food to reach cities such as Odessa and Mykolayiv, according to the organizations website. The group is also supporting restaurants to serve meals in Ukrainian cities including Kharkiv and Kyiv, which remain under attack, according to its website. The organization says it has served a million meals and is active in 55 cities in Ukraine with 330 distribution points. As a restaurateur, Bulgrin said, she feels compelled to help raise money for food and water. Theres a real crisis, she said. People are going without As I looked at that, I said, What can I do? And one of the things that Ive learned is that theres a wonderful organization called World Central Kitchen that actually goes into these areas that are in desperate need. And they cook for people. They train people who are on the ground, and they work with them to try and do whatever they can to feed people. Andres started the organization in 2017, focusing on Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Its amazing what they do, Bulgrin said. Whether its Ukraine or any other country thats in desperate need, I just wanted to make sure that (the Ukrainian) people realize were here to help them and to support them. Bulgrin said shes not sure yet whether she will do another fundraiser for Ukraine, but its possible. Eric Skrum, a spokesperson for Culvers, said the majority of Culvers restaurants are independently owned and operated, and participating restaurants displayed Make Your Meal Matter signs Tuesday and donated sales amounts from 10% to 100%. Skrum said Wednesday he didnt know the total raised. Culver Franchising System owns and operates six restaurants that are donating 10% of Tuesdays sales to World Central Kitchens efforts, Skrum said. Bulgrin said the lines in her stores and drive-thrus were long Tuesday, but not as long as they were in October when the company sold its limited-time CurderBurger. It wasnt like that, she said. Thank goodness. Read more restaurant news at go.madison.com/restaurants. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One of two suspects sought by police for a Jan. 8 homicide in La Crosse has been taken into custody. Karvel T. Freeman, 35, of Madison, was arrested March 9 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on a La Crosse County warrant. Freeman and Nelson D. Brown, 25, of Rockford, Illinois, are accused in the gunshot death of 36-year-old Ernest Knox during an after-bar party at a Rose Street apartment. Freeman and Brown both face charges of first-degree intentional homicide and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Brown also faces felony charges of felon in possession of a firearm and bail jumping. Brown remains at-large. La Crosse police say his location remains unknown and that the investigation is active. Freeman is being held without bond as a fugitive from justice in the Rutherford County Jail in Tennessee. He has a court hearing set for March 30. Knox died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. According to a witness at the scene, Brown discharged the firearm after being signaled by Freeman. Anyone with information about Browns whereabouts is urged to call the La Crosse Police Department at 608-782-7575. Tips can anonymously be provided to the La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers at 608-784-TIPS (8477) or online at lacrossecrimestoppers.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Brown County man, who investigators said bragged during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that he had pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home, was charged this week with six criminal charges and was arrested Wednesday in Ashland. Riley D. Kasper, 23, of Pulaski, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon to inflict bodily injury, civil disorder, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and other related offenses. Pulaski is about 15 miles northwest of Green Bay. Kasper also currently lives in Ashland, and until a recent eviction, had lived in Saxon, about 30 minutes east of Ashland. Court documents filed Tuesday allege that Kasper sprayed what is believed to be pepper spray toward police officers, then later in the day bragged to another person on social media, to whom he had sent video, As you can see in the video, it was my group that busted the first gate and kept chasing the cops down and pushing them back at the capitol. The next day, court documents state, to another person on social media, Kasper said, You charge that line and start spraying they start running for cover like youre coming at them with an ak, a reference to an AK-47 automatic weapon. There is definitely something satisfying about pepper spraying cops in riot gear, he added, according to court documents. During the battle with police, Kasper said in a Facebook message quoted in a court document, one (officer) got pulled into the crowd and slammed on the ground on his back and his club, pepper spray, cuffs, radio everything got ripped from his belt, somehow I took out my baton and got right down in his face and screamed just go home then stood up offered him a hand to get up and give him his radio back cause I had that lol ... Im pretty sure dude thought he was gonna die that day lol, Kasper added. At a court hearing Thursday in Madison, Kasper was ordered released from custody on conditions set mostly by prosecutors in Washington. But local federal prosecutors also asked that he be placed on a GPS monitor, so he will remain in custody for another day until a GPS unit is brought to Madison from federal pretrial services in Eau Claire. According to a statement of facts prepared by FBI Special Agent Justin Mosiman in Milwaukee and filed in court on Tuesday, the FBI received a tip from a confidential source that included screenshots of a Jan. 7, 2021, Facebook post by Kasper. It included images of a man dressed in camouflage spraying pepper spray during the riot outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Through other videos posted on YouTube, the man was ultimately identified as Kasper. The confidential source told investigators he knew Kasper from high school and was in the same grade. The source said he was friends on Facebook with Kasper and that on Jan. 7, 2021, Kasper posted images of himself at the Jan. 6 rally staged by then-President Donald Trump. The rally shifted toward the Capitol, where Congress was meeting to certify the results of the presidential election, which Trump had lost to Joe Biden. Trump supporters claimed the election was stolen. Last week, a member of Kaspers family also identified Kasper as the man seen in images taken at the Capitol, wearing the same clothing as the person seen in the YouTube videos, the document states. Facebook account According to the document: A search of Kaspers Facebook account, authorized with a search warrant, detailed Kaspers drive from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., along with posts about the Trump rally, including one that carried the words, Be there. Will be wild. Kasper sent videos to another person in private Facebook messages showing rioters pushing and breaking down a fence at the Capitol. When the recipient replied, Thats nuts you were right there when they pushed that fence back lol, Kasper responded (Expletive) yeah bro! and added, he didnt drive 14 hours for nothing. Kasper also bragged that he pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home, gently brazed many others several times. I basically organized my own little militia and we (expletive) took over Congress. He also described being shot with rubber bullets inside the Capitol. The next day, he sent another Facebook friend messages in which Kasper described driving to Washington, D.C., then fought with cops all day got pepper sprayed more times than I can count, maced, hit with batons and (expletive) shot and then kept going until now ... Kasper wrote that many were planning to go back for Bidens inauguration, telling the message recipient, You better not (expletive) out this time, Im giving you a bunch of time to plan and prepare lol. He urged the recipient, You just gotta come next time. Its pretty exciting. Its like the most real version of paintball ever. But with pepper spray, flash bangs, and tear gas grenades to throw back at those (expletives). And a huge team of people who all got your back. And will beat the cops off of you if they ever get ahold of you. Other cases Earlier this week, Kevin Loftus, of Eau Claire, was sentenced to three years of probation for entering the Capitol during the riot. Brandon Nelson, 29, of Madison, and Abram Markofski, 24, of La Crosse, were each sentenced to two years of probation last year for their actions during the riot. Cases are still pending against two other men who were arraigned in Wisconsins Western District. Kasper currently has two open criminal cases in Brown County, one a felony case in which he was charged in 2020 with forgery and a misdemeanor disorderly conduct case from 2019. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A judge on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old Windsor man to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing, dismembering and attempting to incinerate his parents in the family fireplace. I cannot conceive of a way to fulfill my duty to protect the public that I serve were I to perceive that at some point in time, an individual who committed these crimes should be released back into that public, Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland said in sentencing Chandler Halderson to the stiffest punishment the state of Wisconsin allows. It took a jury only two hours on Jan. 20 to find Halderson guilty of two counts each of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and falsifying information about a missing person in the deaths of his parents, 50-year-old Bart and 53-year-old Krista Halderson, last July. It followed a week and a half of often-gruesome testimony and other evidence asserting that Halderson shot his parents in the home they shared, then cut up their bodies before first trying to burn them in the family fireplace and then dumping them along the Wisconsin River and at the rural property of the partner of his then-girlfriends mother. Before asking Hyland to hand down the sentence he ultimately did, prosecutors described Haldersons upbringing as nearly ideal, with two married parents who cared about him and access to good schools, housing and opportunity. Almost every homicide Ive prosecuted theres been a fairly tragic backstory of the defendant violence, drugs, just tragedy. You often are left with an explanation not an excuse but an explanation as to why a crime occurred, Deputy District Attorney Andrea Raymond said. Theres not an explanation here. Chandler grew up with a life of privilege. Deputy District Attorney William Brown noted that among the factors the court is supposed to use in deciding whether a convicted murderer should ever be eligible for parole is whether that person has rehabilitative needs. But he had no idea of what they are. He seemed to be a pretty normal kid, with a pretty normal life who did a pretty abnormal thing. ... We dont know what his rehabilitative needs are, he said. And if you dont have that, Im not sure how much you can consider that factor. One of Haldersons attorneys, Crystal Vera, made clear that the defense wasnt asking for future parole, just a chance that a court could consider it at some point. Its not a process that is a guarantee, she said. She acknowledged that Halderson didnt have the kind of background thats common among other convicted murderers, but noted his relatively young age and how that could factor into future rehabilitation. Chandler is young. He just turned 24, Vera said. There is a lot of growing up, there is a lot of adulting that hes going to miss out on that hes going to have to do in an institution, that ultimately is going to affect who he becomes in the future. Appeal vowed Halderson had been silent through the trial, refusing to testify in his own defense or speak to his attorneys about the events of that month, according to a court filing earlier this week, and appearing unmoved by testimony. Vera and Haldersons other attorney, Catherine Dorl, called no witnesses, and in a motion entered last Friday, Halderson attempted to skip his own sentencing a bid Brown called an affront to the publics interest and that Hyland rejected. That changed for a few brief moments Thursday, when Halderson spoke to the court for the first time by saying he would appeal his conviction and asking for any attorneys listening and willing to take on my appeal (to) take a moment to please reach out to me. Its not that I do not have feelings, its that I was warned to not show them in the scrutiny of this case, he said. Asked after the hearing if their client had ever expressed to his attorneys his desire to appeal or that he had any problem with their representation, Dorl cited attorney-client privilege in declining comment. Family speaks In victim impact statements filed with the court before Thursdays hearing, two people who identified themselves as Haldersons brother Mitchells fiancee and a best friend to Bart and Krista called on Hyland to impose life behind bars. The friend, identified in court documents only as JAH, called Krista a bubbly person who was kind, considerate and encouraging, and Bart was remembered for helping his sons attain Eagle Scout status. If Chandler could do this to his own family, just imagine what he could do to someone he did not love, the friend wrote. Mitchells fiancee, identified in court documents only as CAN, said Krista always made me feel at home and called Bart a great handyman who helped us set up many things when we moved into our new home. As for Halderson, given the fact that he was capable of such calculated and horrific acts of murder, I do not believe my family would be safe if he were to ever be released from prison, she writes. Motive unclear Haldersons choice to remain silent through most of the case has left court officials and the public with little clue as to his motive. Prosecutors believe Halderson killed his father after Bart Halderson discovered his son had been lying to the world for months or years about attending college, having a job at American Family Insurance, being part of a rescue dive team and, most recently, being hired to work in Florida for SpaceX. He was arrested on July 8, a day after he told the Dane County Sheriffs Office his parents had left for a Fourth of July trip to the family cabin with an unidentified couple on July 2 and never returned a story investigators soon started poking holes in. In reality, prosecutors argued, Halderson shot his father in the back on July 1 and his mother a few hours later when she arrived home from work. As he sought over the holiday weekend to cover up the crime, Halderson kept his parents body parts in a freezer in the basement, the prosecution theorized, even as his then-girlfriend spent the night. Some remains were never found. Grandmothers note The only member of the Halderson family or its circle of friends to call publicly for a chance at parole for Halderson was his paternal grandmother. In a handwritten note Raymond read Thursday, Haldersons grandmother said she loved her grandson even though what he did was horrific. I cant believe his parents would want him to be incarcerated for life. Hyland said that wasnt something he could do. I cannot grant to Mr. Halderson the generosity of spirit that his grandmother has for him, and which his own parents would surely have had if he had just owned up to what he had deceived them about, he said. I cannot say to the community here in this room or at large in this county that Mr. Halderson should have the ability to be reviewed and be considered for release back into our community at any point, despite his young age. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos came under fire Thursday from both Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and former President Donald Trump for politically crosswise statements he made a day earlier backing baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election while opposing calls to decertify the results, something experts say is impossible anyway. Vos also dismissed as foolish a Republican state lawmakers use of a violent metaphor after the lawmaker was booted from a closed meeting with election deniers on Wednesday. Speaking at a WisPolitics luncheon Thursday, Evers, who is up for reelection in November, said repeated claims of fraud in the 2020 election by top Republicans, including Vos, have only amplified the call for decertification something that has also been urged by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who Vos hired last year to conduct a one-party review of the election at a cost to taxpayers of $676,000. I think hes one of the smartest people Ive ever met and I think this is one of the dumbest things hes ever said, Evers said in reference to Vos claim of widespread fraud. Robin Vos could end it today and say, Gableman, go home. Stop your circus, Evers added. Trump, who has repeatedly called on Wisconsin Republican lawmakers to undo the will of the voters and decertify the 2020 election, laid into Vos for agreeing with nonpartisan legislative lawyers who say the Legislature cant decertify the results. President Joe Biden defeated Trump by nearly 21,000 votes and multiple audits and reviews have found no evidence of widespread fraud. Wrong! Trump said. If you rob the diamonds from a jewelry store, if you get caught, you have to give the diamonds back, votes should be no different. There is so much fraud, as Vos knows, that this should be done quickly and easily, added Trump, a Republican, who notably made more than 30,000 false or misleading statements during his four years in office. Trump also pointed to a resolution Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, introduced seeking to reclaim the states 10 electoral votes already cast for Biden, a measure GOP leaders say they will not take up. On Wednesday, Ramthun, a Republican candidate for governor, called Vos a bully and said the only way to deal with bullies is to punch them right back in the nose after Vos kicked him out of a meeting about decertifying President Joe Bidens 2020 win in Wisconsin. Ramthun, who has been pushing for decertification, which nonpartisan legislative lawyers say is constitutionally impossible, said in an online interview on YouTube that he was angry with Vos after the speaker did not allow him in the closed-door meeting that day. Heated words It was the perfect opportunity to punch him right in the nose and say go pound sand, but I was concerned about the collateral damage, Ramthun said after Vos kicked him out of the meeting. Theres only one way to treat a bully and thats to punch him right back in the nose, but in this case I couldnt take the chance because he could have just ended it and said, Fine Im outta here, and left. ... And then it would have been on me. He added, I mean, Im hypothetical here. Ramthun spoke with reporters in the hallway as the meeting was ongoing and said it should be open to the public. Vos, who has clashed with Ramthun before, called the meeting to discuss the legalities of decertifying the election with attorneys and advocates who support it and those who say its illegal. In response to Ramthuns comments Thursday, Vos said, Rep. Ramthun says a lot of foolish things. This is one more on the list. Ramthun did not return a message Thursday. Ramthun is one of several Republican candidates running for governor, including former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and businessman Kevin Nicholson. They are seeking to take on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Lawsuit update Gablemans review, which was originally planned to be finished last fall, has dragged on due in part to multiple legal challenges, Republicans have said. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Rhonda Lanford on Thursday agreed to add three additional individuals subpoenaed by Gableman to one of the ongoing lawsuits related to whether the former justice has the authority to demand in-person interviews as part of his probe as opposed to testifying before a legislative committee. Gableman filed new subpoenas late last year seeking in-person meetings with Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission; the state Department of Administrations chief information officer, Trina Zanow; and Sara Linski, a technical services employee with the Elections Commission. Lanfords order allows the three individuals to join the ongoing lawsuit. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Columbia County Board approved a resolution that will allow ATV/UTV traffic on county highways with a few segments remaining closed due to high levels of vehicle traffic. A process that began in 2017 was completed on Wednesday morning in Portage during the County Board meeting where supervisors voted to approve an ordinance that would allow ATV/UTV traffic on all county highways with a select number of sections staying closed. All supervisors voted in favor of the ordinance except Sup. Nancy Long. She stated she has concerns about safety with opening county highways. Ellen Pulver of the Columbia County ATV/UTV enthusiast club has been attending meetings and doing research on the topic since last August when the Traffic Safety Commission reexamined this topic for the first time in years. Sup. Jim Foley said this ordinance has been in the works in one way or another since 2017 and in that five years the county has done a lot of work on this topic. She said it could cost the county $20,000 more to leave select segments of county highways closed to ATV/UTV traffic than it would if the board opened up all county highways to the use. That figure comes from information from the highway department stating it would cost around $10,000 to post signage for open segments and a total of $30,000 to post signs for all openings and closings of county highways to ATV/UTV traffic. Columbia County Highway Commissioner Chris Hardy said the reason portions of county highway are closed to ATV/UTV traffic in the proposed ordinance is because those roads experience high rates of vehicle traffic. Hardy explained the highway department evaluated traffic data of all county highways in the last several months. The department focused on average daily traffic, or ADT, data. If the ADT was over 1,000 the road way was considered to have too much vehicle traffic to open to ATV traffic. An ADT of 1,000 means about a vehicle every minute, Hardy said at a highway committee meeting earlier this year. With that much traffic, it would be a safety concern to open those roads to more traffic such as ATVs. The goal is to keep the roads safe for everyone and adding ATV traffic to these segments would be unsafe. At a highway committee meeting in Wyocena in February there was a discussion about connecting routes. Supporters said it could be difficult to get from one place to another if the proposed segments will be closed. Hardy said there are other ways to get from place to place without risking the safety of motorists. The ordinance passed Wednesday morning opens all county highways to ATV/UTV traffic, except the following segments: County Highway (CTH) C from State Highway (STH) 16 at Rio south to STH 60, and from STH 60 south to the Dane County line CTH CS from CTH V in Dekorra east to State Trunk Highway 22 in Lowville; excepting the municipal portion within the Poynette village limit CTH CX from Marquette County line south to the intersection with Northside Drive in the City of Portage CTH I from Dane County line north to village of Arlington limit CTH J from State Trunk Highway 113 in Lodi east to CTH V in Lodi; then from CTH V in Lodi north to Kent Road in Dekorra CTH P from U.S. Highway 51 east to the Village of Pardeeville limit CTH P from State Trunk Highway 44 east to the Village of Cambria limit CTH P from Village of Cambria east limit then east to State Trunk Highway 73 in Randolph CTH Q from State Trunk Highway 60 in Arlington north to Village of Poynette limit CTH V from Ryan Road in Lodi east to Smith Rd in Lodi; then from Meadowlark Road in Dekorra north to CTH B in Dekorra CTH EF from State Road 33 to CTH E CTH F from State Road 33 to Marquette County Line CTH CM from CTH CX to CTH F There are a number of other rules and regulations outlined in the ordinance. These include that all ATV/UTV operators must follow federal, state and local ordinances. All riders under the age of 18 must wear a helmet when operating or riding an ATV/UTV. Operators must also have a Wisconsin DNR registration number clearly visible at all times. ATV/UTVs are not allowed to go faster than 35 mph and when within 100 feet of pedestrian or 150 feet from house cannot exceed 10 mph. ATV/UTVs must have working headlights, taillights and brake lights with head and taillights turned on at all times. They also can only be operated on the extreme right side of the paved surface of the road. The ordinance also states ATV/UTV shall not operate on county highways between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sup. Liz Miller asked if the county ordinance could be stricter than the current Wisconsin ATV traffic law. Corporate Council Joe Ruf explained the ordinance cannot be made stricter than the state statute. This was the topic of discussion at the numerous Traffic Safety Commission and Highway Department meetings. Ruf said that county had to follow the state law otherwise there could be the potential of 72 different ordinances for ATV/UTV traffic. Sups. Jon Plumer, Chris Polzer and Harlan Baumgartner all spoke in favor of the ordinance. Five years has gone into this ordinance and Im voicing my approval for this, Plumer said. The ATV/UTV clubs are very passionate about this topic. I think this ordinance is a good start. He added the highway committee will continue to monitor ATV/UTV traffic and make adjustments over time. The ordinance will need to be published now that it has been approved. After the publication of the ordinance, the highway department will begin installing signs showing ATV/UTV riders when the county highway is open or closed to traffic. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MIDDLETON In her junior year at Portage High School, while her classmates were learning geography and math, Marcy Egan Gorski learned to lip read. In 1971, when she was 16, Egan Gorski developed a tickle in her throat. What started as a day off of school turned into 10 days in isolation at Divine Savior hospital in Portage. She lost her hearing within 24 hours of that initial tickle. Multiple spinal taps confirmed her diagnosis: Spinal meningitis. They told my parents that they really didnt think Id live, she said. Once her condition improved, she was allowed to continue recovering at home, returning on Christmas Eve. I was considered a Christmas miracle, she said. When youre young you heal fast. Egan Gorski says she was sick for around 6 weeks, returning to school in January with the help of note takers and a speech therapist. She remained deaf and described the change as "being in a vault." For 24 years, Egan Gorski said prayer and community support kept her hopeful that one day she would hear again, but found it frustrating. I didnt want patience, I wanted a lightning bolt, she said. That lightning bolt came in 1995, when UW Madison announced an experimental surgery to install a cochlear implant on a deaf patient. Dr. G Mark Pyle was looking for an adult candidate who had lost their hearing after acquiring speech. Egan Gorski fit the criteria. At the time, Egan Gorski was raising two young boys, Alex (6), and Harry (2). One day, something Alex said inspired her to reconsider her options. [Alex] said I wish my mommy could hear, she said. I thought maybe now is a good time to start looking. This brought her to Dr. Pyle. She was able to get into his office by requesting a hearing check. I sat down and told [Dr. Pyle] Im the one youve been looking for. After appealing her insurances denial of the experimental procedure, Egan Gorski was approved for the procedure. Dr. Joseph Roche, a cochlear implant surgeon with UW Health, said surgeries like these werent as common in 1995 as they are today. Implantation really took off in the mid-90s, said Roche. Implantation was a very, very, very specialized procedure. For Egan Gorski, though, experimentation wasnt an issue. Her priority was just to hear again. There was absence of fear. I knew I was going to hear again, said Egan Gorski. Post-surgery, the challenge was to relearn what shed spent 24 years without. Music, she said, was something she particularly struggled with. According Roche, this is a common issue. A middle C on a piano versus a trumpet versus a French horn versus a flute is going to have a different sound to a hearing ear," said Roche. The implants struggle being able to pick up the finer details of the sound signal. He added that Egan Gorskis previous ability to hear was an asset in this case. Since her initial surgery, Egan Gorski has continued to advance her equipment, now completely digital. Shes taken up public speaking, sharing her story with small groups, even attending a convention in Dallas, Texas with the Cochlear Implant Club International. When I got my hearing back, I mean it came with a wave it was just awesome," Egan Gorski said. Because of people like Egan Gorski, the procedure has evolved over the years, now including people as young as a year old, as well as those who are over 100. The subjective information we receive from the patient is imperative to guiding what we do every day, says Dr. Sara Misurelli, assistant professor of surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and clinical audiology supervisor. The goal is that improvements will always be made. Three children have died from flu in Wisconsin, the first reported pediatric influenza-related deaths this flu season, health officials said Thursday. In a state report earlier this month, when two of the childhood deaths had been attributed to the flu, there had been 10 pediatric flu deaths reported nationally so far this flu season. The state Department of Health Services declined to say where in the state the deaths occurred. The children were younger than 18. It is important to remember that along with COVID-19, other communicable diseases such as flu are circulating in our communities, State Health Officer Paula Tran said in a statement. Each of these alone can pose serious health risks for children, and co-infection can occur. The state health department urged Wisconsin residents 6 months old and older to get vaccinated against influenza, saying the number of flu cases and hospital admissions is rising throughout the state. Flu shots are especially recommended for people who are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill, such as those who are pregnant, over age 65 and those with chronic health conditions. About 39% of state residents have had flu shots, lower than last year. Flu activity has been relatively light this season statewide and nationally but has picked up a bit recently. Flu typically peaks in winter but can last through spring. In Wisconsin, three children died from flu during the 2019-20 season. There were four pediatric flu deaths in 2018-19 and three in 2017-18. Nationally, in 2020-21, only one pediatric flu death was reported, not in Wisconsin. Since flu deaths became nationally reported in 2004, the national total previously ranged from 37 in 2011-12 to 199 in 2019-20, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In a social media post Thursday, Nataliya Akulenko wished her Ukrainian father, whom she calls her role model, a happy 81st birthday. He was born right before the Nazi occupation of Ukraine and spent his early years learning to survive, she wrote. Now he is a refugee, and yet another fascist regime is destroying his country. The moral of this story? None. Akulenko, 51, who lives on Williamson Street, talks to her 75-year-old mother every day via online video messaging. But internet service can be spotty in rural Western Ukraine, where she begged her parents to go to escape a week before the Russian invasion. Her brother is still in their hometown of Kyiv, the besieged capital of Ukraine. I have to sometimes make a real effort to stop thinking about that and focus on daily life here, said Akulenko, who works for the Madison Parks Department in community services. Akulenko and a small group of Ukrainian women living in Madison have held two rallies at the state Capitol since the Russian invasion, which began Feb. 24, upending the lives of 44 million Ukrainians. They will hold another at noon Saturday on the State Street side of the Capitol in support of their homeland. Another organizer, Ruslana Westerlund, 49, who has lived in the United States since she was 22, is still trying to line up speakers and has messages in to the governors office and mayors office. We want leadership to say something, Westerlund said. Were at that point where were done telling stories. We want leadership to step in. Ukraine is an independent and beautiful country. And we just want people to know all about us as people and our love for our country and fight for independence over several centuries. Anton Shirikov, a UW-Madison doctoral candidate in political science from Russia who studies media and propaganda will speak, she said. Olga Daubs, who with her husband runs Gravity Photo Company on Rimrock Road, and came from Ukraine in 2016, is another organizer. Shes bringing in her daughters classmate, Anastsiia Miroshnikova, who is from Kharkiv, a city in northeast Ukraine, and escaped not long after the airstrikes began. Miroshnikova, now living in Ohio, told Cincinnati TV station WLWT about sleeping in underground bunkers after the first attacks. She escaped by hitchhiking into Poland and then flying to Germany and on into the United States. Westerlund, in her memoir From Borsch to Burgers, recounts her story of living in a small town in central Ukraine and emigrating to Minnesota in 1995, four years after the breakup of the Soviet Union. She moved to Wisconsin in 2013 to do educational research at UW-Madison and now works as an educational consultant. She said a central message of the rally will be to ask the U.S. to streamline its visa system and expedite the immigration processes. Nobody wants to just come and stay here. People want go back to their country. Westerlund said she is a proud U.S. citizen who votes. I am very Ukrainian and Im also very American. Im proud of both of my countries and I love them very much. And now my heart breaks for my country. The first rally was Feb. 26, two days after the war started, and the next one was a week later. It was improvised, Akulenko said. We didnt have a permit because we just felt that we had to do something. About 150 people came out for each of the first two rallies, she said. Now they have a permit for two more. Olga Matsyuk, 31, another Madison rally organizer, was born in Ivano Frankivsk, in Western Ukraine, close to Poland, and immigrated to the United States when she was 6. She moved to Madison after college and is a business analyst in the health care industry. Her grandmother is still in Ukraine along with uncles and cousins. Matsyuk said trying to get money and supplies to her family in Ukraine has been hard. The situation has been particularly challenging for her grandmother. Shes been through this before and for her to be seeing this and living through it again, its hard on all of us, she said. Matsyuk said her goal is to raise awareness and get support from community leaders. Ultimately there were decisions that have been made in policy over a whole lot of years that has left Ukraine disarmed. So, it is important to understand that history and how it escalated to the situation thats going on today. Akulenko, the parks department employee, has been fundraising for United Help Ukraine (razomforukraine.org) and Wisconsin Ukrainians (facebook.com/wisconsinukrainians). She also raises money for Friends of Chernobyl Centers, a group based in Madison and Bethesda, Maryland, to help communities in Ukraine that have been severely affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear incident. She said the first thing she does each day when she wakes up is check if her parents and brother are online, to make sure theyre still alive. Then she starts looking at the news. In the evening, its the worst because thats when the Russians are shooting and shelling even more. I have to stop looking at news in the evening and try to calm down so I can sleep. If you go What: Support Ukraine Madison rally When: Noon Saturday Where: State Street side of the Capitol Organized by: Friends of Ukraine Fundraising concert What: Yellow and Blues Music for Ukraine, A benefit concert featuring The Cash Box Kings, a Madison blues band, with special guests Jimmy Voegeli and Mel Ford, will raise money for Ukraine refugee relief When: 7 p.m., April 2 Where: The East Side Club, 3735 Monona Drive Cost: The suggested donation at the door is $15 More: Community Shares of Wisconsin is the fiscal sponsor for the benefit concert. Money raised will go to UNICEF Protect the Children of Ukraine, UNHCR Ukraine and CARE Ukraine Crisis Fund Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When a staffer from CBS news magazine 60 Minutes called Sen. Kathy Bernier's office, she didn't hesitate to take the call. The national news organization wanted to interview the Lake Hallie-area Republican about her statements that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in a fair and free presidential election. "I didn't have to think long and hard about saying yes to that," Bernier said. A crew from 60 Minutes interviewed her at a hotel in Madison on Feb. 8. The segment lasted about 15 minutes during the episode that aired Sunday. 60 Minutes was the highest-rated prime-time program on Sunday, averaging 8 million viewers, according to Nielsen's ratings. Bernier said she voted for Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020 and generally agreed with his policies. However, she is discouraged at his attacks on the election process, both in Wisconsin and nationwide, since he lost in November 2020. Overall, Bernier was happy with the experience of being on a nationally-viewed news program. "There was a lot more detail," Bernier said. "I sat in that chair and answered questions for two hours." Even last week, leading up to the airing of the episode, Bernier's office was verifying information with 60 Minutes to make sure everything was accurate. "The folks at 60 Minutes were very professional. They verified, and verified, and verified information," she said. "What impressed me was their attention to detail. It was an honor and privilege to sit for 60 Minutes." The reaction has been somewhat expected, she added. "It's about 50-50 of calls coming in to yell at me, or to praise me," she said. Bernier says her Christian values have led to her decision to break with Trump and Republicans who say, without offering proof or evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen." When she receives negative emails, she writes back the words of the Bible verse II Peter 2:1, which warns about following false prophets. "I will not apologize for speaking the truth," Bernier said. "I've had people from across the country calling me, telling me I'm a liar and not a Christian. I don't dislike Donald Trump for his 'mean tweets.' If he really cared about the Republican Party, he would step back and stop spewing lies about the election." Bernier, who served as Chippewa County Clerk for 13 years before being elected to the Legislature, knows election laws and has routinely defended the practices implemented across the state. She doesn't hold back on her thoughts on former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who is investigation the Wisconsin election outcome. "Their logic baffles me," Bernier said. "We've made months of review on election integrity. Michael Gableman (in his report) came out with nothing new. I can't grasp what they are thinking; we can't decertify the election. He's a charlatan, in my opinion." But no one should think Bernier, a staunch Republican, has had a change of heart. She quickly criticized Joe Biden's job as president. "I can't stand the left or the right they are driving me crazy," Bernier said. "I don't know what they want from (Assembly leader) Robin Vos, or from me." Bernier announced in January she would not seek re-election. The 15-minute segment also featured an interview with Secretary of State Doug La Follette, and Meagan Wolfe, head of the non-partisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, which was established by Republicans under then-Gov. Scott Walker. The news piece also focused on Gableman's investigation into the election. Besides Bernier, no Republicans would agree to appear on the national program. TWIN FALLS Abortion rights advocates say the impacts of an Idaho bill limiting abortion will be felt by residents in the Magic Valley. The legislation would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy by allowing potential family members to sue a doctor who performs one. If signed, the law would effectively ban abortion in Idaho. The bill passed both the House and Senate and is awaiting a signature or veto from Gov. Brad Little. Idaho already has so many restrictions on the books that this six-week ban really does put abortion out of reach for most Idahoans, said Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, the Idaho state director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. When I think about the rural communities that we serve in Twin Falls, people who already have barriers to accessing health care, this bill is going to affect them way more. Idaho has five facilities that offer abortion services. Planned Parenthoods Twin Falls Health Clinic provides abortion services to residents across southern, central and eastern Idaho. If the bill becomes law, the Twin Falls Planned Parenthood clinic will remain open, and health services not impacted by the bill will still be offered. Texas-styled Idaho abortion measure advances in House A House panel of Idaho lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bill that would ban abortions after cardiac activity is detected in an embryo at about six weeks of pregnancy by allowing extended family members of the patient to sue a doctor who performs one. Nationwide, Planned Parenthood said abortion services make up 3 percent of services performed. The vast majority of people using Planned Parenthoods health services have low incomes and use services such birth control and emergency contraception, HIV testing, LGBTQ services, mens health care, pregnancy testing and services, and STD testing and treatment. Anti-abortion advocates say the bill is necessary to protect unborn children. Although life begins at conception, a detectable heartbeat is a key indicator of the existence of life, Rep. Steven Harris (R-Meridian), the bills sponsor, said in a statement. This bill makes sure that the people of Idaho can stand up for our values and do everything in our power to prevent the wanton destruction of innocent human life. It isnt just abortion rights advocates who have raised concerns about the bill. The bills provision that allows any family member to sue a physician for providing an abortion has some people seeing potential for frivolous lawsuits and other ways for the legislation to be abused. That vigilante aspect is definitely a form of government overreach, and starts a slippery slope of surveillance of my members patients and their practices that we think is really concerning, Idaho Academy of Family Physicians Executive Director Liz Woodruff told the Times-News. The academy represents more than 800 family physicians and said the bill is an intrusion by the government into the confidential relationship between a patient and their physician. Its always problematic when theres a level of government overreach that comes in to the clinicians room and makes a current and accepted medical practice illegal, Woodruff said. I think Idahoans generally want to uphold the rights of private citizens to make decisions about their own health care and well being, Woodruff said. The people of Idaho respect that important and confidential relationship between a physician and patient. Idaho already has stringent requirements on abortion, including prohibiting public and private insurance from covering the cost, requiring the procedure to be covered out of pocket. The state also mandates a 24-hour waiting period and requires patients to review informed consent materials. All of those restrictions put together, and then having to have it happen before six weeks makes it nearly impossible for anybody to get an abortion in Idaho, DelliCarpini-Tolman said. Idahos bill to block most abortions in the state was modeled after a ban in Texas, which took effect in September. In the first month that the Texas ban was in effect, it eliminated 60 percent of in-state abortions. Clinics in neighboring states reported a 600% increase in services provided to Texas residents, and in some places created backlogs of up to three weeks. DelliCarpini-Tolman expects similar exodus to some of Idahos neighboring states for abortion services. Were going to have a similar drop, and were going to have folks needing to seek care outside of Idaho in bordering states, she said. For Twin Falls residents, the closest abortion provider will be 571 miles away in Eugene, Oregon. In Northern Idaho, services are available in the Spokane and Pullman, Washington, areas. Idaho Senate passes bill to allow family members to sue abortion providers Republicans in the Idaho Senate on Thursday passed a bill on party lines that would allow family members of a pregnant woman to file civil lawsuits against medical providers who perform an abortion after cardiac activity is detected in the embryo or fetus. DelliCarpini-Tolman said her organization and others are planning legal responses if the governor signs the bill and are having further conversations with organizations like Northwest Abortion Access Fund about how to help patients access care. Our focus is to figure out how we can continue to care for patients as best we can or help them access the care they need in neighboring states, DelliCarpini-Tolman said. Little has so far signed every abortion bill thats come across his desk, but opponents are hopeful that aspects of this bill change that. I really hope that Gov. Little thinks about his constituents and thinks about whats right for Idaho, and whats right for Idahoans, DelliCarpini-Tolman said. Because this isnt it. Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates will host a rally against the bill 10 a.m. Saturday on the steps of the Capitol in Boise. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 BOISE A bill that would add additional penalties for assault or battery upon utility workers is headed to the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives. On Tuesday afternoon, the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee voted to send Senate Bill 1321 to the House floor with a recommendation it passes. If passed into law, the bill adds employees of public utilities and consumer-owned utility companies to a list of personnel protected by additional penalties if they are the victim of assault or battery. Utility companies and public utilities include power and electricity providers, water departments and gas companies. If the bill passes, battery with intent to commit a serious felony upon utility workers would be punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Under the bill, the penalties for assault and other offenses would be doubled. Personnel already on that list include judges, police officers, marshals, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Department employees and emergency medical services providers. Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle, and Rep. Linda Wright Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, sponsored the bill after saying there has been an increase in confrontations, violence and threats made against utility workers over the past three or four years. Eric York, a lineman with Idaho County Light and Power out of Grangeville, told the House committee hes been a lineman for nine years and supports the bill because of a 2018 experience while he was working to supply power. I was parked on a county road and had a guy storm out of his house with a shotgun in hand and he hit me in the head with the shotgun, held the gun to my head until I gave him the keys to my rig and he got in my rig and drove off, York testified. He hit me hard enough in the head to where I was bleeding and had a mark there for quite some time. York said the suspect was caught and prosecuted and served 30 days in jail. He didnt really get in too much trouble for it and from my perspective, I was just a lineman there doing my job on a county road and he had beef with us and was looking for a way to show that, York testified. York said he has had other incidents in the field, too. It seems like a gun is involved too many times, so I am very in favor of this bill, York told the committee. Jason Hudson of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, or AFL-CIO, said utility workers often find themselves in dangerous situations alongside law enforcement or emergency responders. Utility workers may be called upon to shut off gas or electrical power before firefighters can enter a home to fight a fire. Utility workers are also sometimes called to restore power to neighborhoods and businesses after a driver crashes a vehicle into a powerline. As such, Hudson said their jobs are essential and they may find themselves in volatile, stressful situations where they experience aggression or violent confrontations. Two conservative legislators questioned the need to add additional penalties for assaulting utility workers after noting the other personnel on the list were first responders or agents of the state. Maybe allowing utility workers to exercise their Second Amendment rights would be an easier solution to this, said Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg. But most legislators on the committee voted in favor of advancing the bill, which passed 11-3. Those folks work round the clock selflessly to bring the power back on for those of us who live remotely as well as those that live in urban areas, said Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy, R-Genesee. Those are just people doing their job. Its discouraging that this level of intimidation is being placed on these folks just trying to keep the power on, Troy added. With legislative leaders working toward their goal of wrapping up the 2022 legislative session at the end of the next week, the Idaho House could take the bill up at any time. If it passes the Idaho House, the bill would go to Gov. Brad Littles desk to be signed into law, vetoed or allowed to become law without Littles signature. The Idaho Senate already voted 31-2 to pass the bill on March 1. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOISE The Senate Education Committee easily passed a bill requiring graduates of Idahos medical school to practice in the state for at least four years or pay back any tuition subsidized by public dollars, along with a resolution to add 10 more seats to the schools enrollment capacity. House Bill 718 outlines contract requirements for students who are accepted into the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho Regional Medical Education Program, better known as WWAMI, at the University of Idaho or the University of Utah. WWAMI is Idahos only medical school that is partially funded by state dollars, and the medical school that produces the most rural physicians for the state, with incentives available for those who decide to practice in a rural area of Idaho. The program is part of the University of Washingtons School of Medicine, but every applicant who joins the Idaho branch is an Idaho resident. The school admits about 40 students per year, some of which are reserved for Idaho students at the University of Utah. The program costs about $80,000 per year at the University of Idaho, with state support covering roughly half of tuition. Dem. senator worries about chilling effect The bills sponsor, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, said he has heard from WWAMI students in the past whose future plans did not include practicing in Idaho, and the intention of the legislation is to provide an incentive for students to give back to the state. Moyle said he worked with the University of Idaho to develop the bill. I know its probably nothing theyre jumping up and down about and saying, We love this bill, but they also know its a concern, Moyle told the committee. They also know its good for the state of Idaho. Students in the program would commit to entering active, full-time professional practice in Idaho within one year of obtaining a license to practice medicine or finishing a residency or fellowship. The reimbursement obligation would not be subject to interest and could be suspended or waived based on hardship or other specific circumstances related to military service. The obligation would apply to students who enroll in the WWAMI program at the University of Idaho or the University of Utah in fall 2023 and beyond. Idaho ranks near the bottom of states in the country for its number of active primary care physicians, and 49th for active physicians overall. According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, nearly every corner of Idaho, or 98%, has a shortage of primary care physicians. Only Sen. David Nelson, D-Moscow, voted against sending the bill to the floor, but Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, said she had reservations as well and might change her vote. I know we offer scholarships to many of our students to attend our public universities, and we dont require that they stay in Idaho when they graduate, Ward-Engelking said. And I dont believe we do this for pharmacy or dentistry or the veterinarian program, so it seems like were singling out one group and requiring them to do it. And Im worried this might actually disincentivize them to come here. Nelson said he heard from many WWAMI students who were unaware of the proposal and thought it was unfair. If I had a child that wanted to be a doctor, I would be uncomfortable that in-state tuition came with a contract that they had to come back, Nelson said. And I guess I also think this could have a chilling effect on people applying. Other states in WWAMI have similar provisions to proposed Idaho law Montana, Wyoming and Alaska have a similar contract with medical students, but Moyle said he doesnt know how long those contracts have been in place or if it has produced the desired results of more students staying in state to practice medicine. I do know one started it, then the next, and it snowballed through all of them, Moyle said. They must think its working, or they wouldnt all be doing it. No other individuals testified about the idea at the committee meeting. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and should receive a vote by the full Senate in the coming days of the session. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Editors note: This column first ran in Dec. 4, 2014, in the Times-News and at Magicvalley.com. The original Hansen Bridge, built in 1919, was the first rim-to-rim span across the Snake River Canyon. It preceded the I.B. Perrine Memorial Bridge, first known as the Jerome-Twin Falls Intercounty Bridge, by nearly a decade. While engineer R.M. Murray was building the Hansen Bridge, he came up with an idea to span the canyon at a point between Shoshone Falls and Pillar Falls. On May 1, 1919, Murray and Twin Falls County commissioners, led by chairman T.E. Moore, inspected the site about one-third mile below the falls and declared the plan feasible, according to the next days edition of the Twin Falls Daily News. The Snake River Canyon will be spanned at Shoshone Falls with one of the largest suspension bridges in the United States, forming at once a connecting link of large commercial possibilities between the north and south side counties and affording a new and unique view of the waterfall of immense scenic possibilities the article says. At 1,143 feet long, the bridge would have been almost twice the length of the Hansen Bridge and would have cost $350,000 nearly $6 million in todays money. Murray proposed charging tolls, which he said would pay for the bridge in 15 years. Eight-inch cables hanging from 120-foot towers at both rims would have suspended the bridge about 400 feet above the river. The bridge never was built. Neither was the railroad bridge similarly proposed for the same location. Mychel Matthews reports on agriculture and rural issues for the Times-News. The Hidden History feature runs every Thursday in the Times-News and on Magicvalley.com. If you have a question about something that may have historical significance, email Matthews at mmatthews@magicvalley.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 0 Angry 0 It. Is. Really. Happening. In-N-Out Burger, Idahos most wished-for, begged-for, sought-after restaurant chain, is planning to open a Treasure Valley restaurant. In-N-Out Burger has applied for a permit to build and open its first Gem State location at 3520 E. Fairview Ave. at The Village at Meridian. Based on Meridians similarities to parts of In-N-Outs home state of California, this makes sense, right? (A Golden State restaurateur described Meridian as little California to me last year.) The Irvine-based chain is seeking approval to construct a 3,879-square-foot In-N-Out Burger with drive-thru located on 0.642 acres of land, according to Meridian city records. For burger junkies, this would be epic. Back in 2017, I conducted a poll of Idaho Statesman readers asking which chain restaurant should come to Boise. It was a landslide. A decisive 44% of the 4,588 votes were cast for In-N-Out Burger. The next closest restaurant was White Castle at a mere 8%. With so many Californians moving to Idaho, In-N-Outs popularity is no shock. Its a West Coast icon. If not legend. Now its up to the city of Meridian to get this project plowing forward. Normally, In-N-Out Burger restaurants take four or five months to build after construction begins. But it seems likely to take longer in the current climate of slowed supply chains. Not to mention in construction-crazy Meridian. When might it open? An email to In-N-Out Burgers marketing communication specialist was not immediately returned. On that note, will Boiseans get to stuff their faces with In-N-Outs food inside city limits someday? The Meridian restaurant probably wont exactly ease traffic congestion in that part of town. It will be in the empty lot to the west of The Village at Meridian entry along Fairview Avenue in front of Axiom Fitness. Boises eventual In-N-Out fate remains to be seen. In 2020, Denny Warnick, In-N-Outs vice-president of operations, told me that, While we are still in the earliest planning stages, we do anticipate serving Double-Doubles in Boise in the not-too-distant future. Cross your fingers, fast-food fiends. And in the meantime, prepare for a long line in Meridian. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Marie-Elena studied creative writing, art, and photography at University of Nebraska at Omaha, graduating with a BA in Studio Art -Visual Media. She moved to California from Nebraska in 2019 and is happy to call Calaveras County her home. Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input. The announcement last month that Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, would build a 960,000-square-foot data center at the intersection of Cole and Kuna Mora roads in Kuna was met with great fanfare. The center represents an $800 million investment, bringing 1,200 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs. But one of the big concerns is water, which data centers need for cooling. Its been reported that some data centers use as much as 3 million to 5 million gallons of water per day the equivalent of a city of 30,000 to 50,000 people, according to a recent article by NBC News. Google last year requested 1.46 billion gallons of water a year, or 4 million gallons a day, for a new data center in Red Oak, Texas, according to Bloomberg News. One study put the average data center at 1 million gallons of water a day, or the equivalent of 3,333 households. Thats about half the size of the city of Kuna, which has about 6,200 households. Some cities, particularly in drought-prone areas of the country, such as the arid West and dry Southwest, are pushing back on approving data centers over water worries. But the data center in Kuna is expected to use only 70,000 gallons of water per day on average, according to Meta spokesperson Melanie Roe. That would be the equivalent of about 230 households, which would be forgive the pun a drop in the bucket. Roe said Meta has designed its data centers to use 80% less water on average than the industry standard including the Kuna center. WATER POSITIVE GOAL Facebook made an announcement in August that it has a goal of being water positive by 2030. This means Facebook will return more water to the environment than we consumed for our global operations, according to the announcement. Although Meta has not announced any plans for a water restoration project in Idaho, the company has launched several such projects across the country and reported restoring about 595 million gallons of water in 2020, with a potential to restore 850 million gallons of water per year. Virginia Tech doctoral student A.B. Siddik, who was the lead author on a paper looking at the environmental impact of data centers in the U.S., estimated that a 960,000-square-foot data center with advanced cooling systems would consume almost half a million gallons of water per day. However, hyperscale data centers, like the one in Kuna, use proprietary systems that combine cooling technologies and local climate conditions, Siddik wrote in an email to the Idaho Statesman. Thats something Roe pointed out, adding that the climate in Idaho will allow Meta to cool the Kuna data center with outdoor air for more than half the year. Over the last decade, these technologies, including allowing our data centers to be cooled with outside air, have enabled our data centers to operate 80% more water efficiently on average compared to the industry standard, Facebook wrote in a release in August. And we see opportunities for additional gains in the coming years, particularly as our infrastructure grows, and well need to develop water-efficient designs for different climates. A proposed 2.7 million-square-foot data center in South Korea is planning to use the climate in Sejong to cool the center 72% of the year, according to an article in Data Center Dynamics. METAS WATER RIGHTS So where will Metas water come from? Roe said the company will use the water rights that came with the land the company purchased, and there would be no need to apply for new water rights. Our project will not increase the demand on the aquifer, as no new rights were created, Roe wrote in an email to the Statesman. Meta owns four parcels of land for a total of 485 acres, according to land records with the Ada County Assessors Office. Each of those parcels came with water rights of varying types, amounts and original owners. Roe said Meta would not share its water rights information, but the Idaho Department of Water Resources was able to locate the individual water rights that are associated with the parcels. There are seven separate water rights, some dating back to the 1960s, with original owners that included Iowa Beef Processors and longtime farm families. Combined, the water rights amount to a total of 12.6 cubic feet per second, which is 6.8 million gallons per day. However, not all of those water rights are designated as industrial. In all, 2.2 cfs is designated industrial and 3.2 cfs is designated commercial, with the rest designated for irrigation, domestic and stockwater. If Meta were to use just the commercial- and industrial-designated allotments, that would be 5.4 cfs, which is the equivalent of about 3 million gallons per day, more than enough for its purposes. Meta will build water and wastewater facilities on 160 acres of land in the park and convey them to the city of Kuna, according to a development agreement the city and Meta signed in December. The industrial park still sits about 4 or 5 miles from the nearest water and sewer main lines, Kuna Mayor Joe Stear told me in a phone interview. Ideally, the city would like to loop in the industrial park water facility with the city water system at some point, but the wastewater facility likely would be reserved solely for the park as it develops, Stear said. MORE TO COME? Meta said the Kuna center would be its 15th in the U.S. and 19th in the world to help support Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other services. Facebook built its first data center in Prineville, Oregon, in 2009. Prineville, a rural town of about 10,000 people, is now home to nine data centers, with two more scheduled to open next year. The company operates 18 data centers, spanning more than 40 million square feet of data center space, including 34.2 million square feet of campus capacity in the U.S., and 5.4 million square feet of global space planned for sites in Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Singapore, according to an article in Data Center Frontier. Its probably worth noting that a 960,000-square-foot building takes up about 22 acres of land, a mere fraction of the total 485 acres Meta purchased out there. Metas campus in Altoona, Iowa, will become its largest cloud campus with the addition of two new data centers, according to Data Center Frontier. The new capacity will boost Altoona to more than 5 million square feet of data center space, pushing it past the companys Prineville campus (4.6 million square feet). The Facebook Altoona data center campus is 202 acres. Could Metas data center be but the first of many more to come? I think we will have to look at water usage and figuring out exactly how that all plays out, Stear said. I think water usage is probably one of the biggest things we look at. Scott McIntosh is the opinion editor of the Idaho Statesman. You can email him at smcintosh@idahostatesman.com or call him at 208-377-6202. Follow him on Twitter @ScottMcIntosh12. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 If you ever want to meet me at 5 p.m. at a restaurant in Downtown Twin Falls on a random Tuesday, I will guarantee you this: I will be there by 4:55 p.m. and Ill already have a table. Yes, Im one of those people. Ive become so notorious for my punctuality that a good friend of mine who always used to show up late now competes with me to see who can get to our meeting place first. I developed this habit from my parents who were always loading my sister and I into the car WAY too early for reaching our destination just in case we hit traffic. I guess its fitting that I worked in TV News in my first life and became a lawyer in my second life, where deadlines are a constant. If you miss a deadline in those professions, there are REAL consequences. In TV News, you can wreck an entire live show if you miss deadlines. When it comes to the law, missing a deadline can literally lose you a case before you even get to try it. Deadlines matter, and they should. Meeting deadlines accomplishes several things. Most importantly, it shows respect. Respect for your colleagues, your friends and the people you are serving. If I show up 15 minutes late to the 5 p.m. meeting we have scheduled, thats me telling you my time is more valuable than yours. Professionally, when you fail to meet deadlines, you are telling your bosses, colleagues and co-workers their work is less valuable than yours. That brings us to Sandpoint Mayor and would-be Democratic gubernatorial candidate Shelby Rognstad. As of this writing, Rognstad is excluded from the Democratic Primary for Idaho Governor because according to the Idaho Secretary of State he missed the deadline to actually register as a Democrat before running on the Democratic ticket for governor. To be fair, Rognstads campaign is challenging this ruling. Furthermore, Rognstad claims he switched party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in the Fall of 2021, but somehow this didnt get recorded. Im not sure how that happened. I successfully switched my 30-year affiliation with the Republican Party to the Democratic Party in a matter of seconds, but well table that for now. Dont get me wrong. I really like Mayor Rognstands desire to fight against Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Prosperity extremists in our state. Ive written extensively about how the Right-Wing Party wants to keep you poor and chase your children out of this state so they can prop up Idahos elite to your detriment. However, if you want to fight Idaho extremists, you have to respect deadlines, at the very least. Rognstads campaign claims Idahos Secretary of State is excluding him from the ticket based on a technicality. They may be right. But, if they win, that means they get on the primary ballot based on a technicality. Either way, this is the equivalent of showing up 15 minutes late to a meeting in downtown Twin Falls because of traffic. Beyond the legal wranglings of this particular case, there is a deeper and more personal failure that seems all too prevalent among too many Idaho Democratic leaders: a lack of discipline which translates into a lack of respect for the people who volunteer their time to get them elected. If Im a volunteer ready to knock on doors, make phone calls and solicit donations for Mayor Rognstad, what am I doing right now? Granted, he can still be a write-in candidate for Governor. However, as a volunteer, what do I tell voters? Hes an Idaho Democrat who believes in prosperity and families, but remember, its spelled R-O-G-N-S-T-A-D As a Democratic volunteer who has logged as many hours as anyone in this state, I can tell you volunteers respect a candidates commitment, organization and discipline. In other words, candidates who respect a volunteers time and effort. Showing up late literally and figuratively sends the wrong message to supporters. In a state where Democrats are always fighting an uphill battle, why would Democratic leaders choose to roll rocks down the hill at their volunteers? Mayor Rognstad has my vote in the primary, even if I have to spell it out. But Im not happy about it. I cant stand when people are late. By the way, if you dont like this column, dont blame me. Its because a Democrat missed a deadline. Jeremy J. Gugino is a Democratic communications volunteer. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Old Dominion University (ODU) will start a satellite campus at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research for a manufacturing engineering technology degree program. Patrick & Henry Community College (P&HCC) will launch a corresponding associate degree in manufacturing engineering technology to serve as a pipeline to the workforce and pathway to the four-year ODU degree. Officials announced the partnership during an event Thursday morning at the Institute. ODU is launching its first four-year degree in manufacturing engineering technology at its Norfolk campus. Under a partnership, the Institute will host third- and fourth-year undergraduate-level classes for the degree at the Danville campus. People throughout this area will now have a chance to get an associates degree ... and then finish up that third and fourth year here, Betty Jo Foster, interim president at the Institute, said during the announcement. The two-year associate degree being piloted at P&HCC eventually will be available to all of the states community colleges. This partnership will serve as a cornerstone of the Virginia defense manufacturing community, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw said at the event. The bachelors and associate degrees are part of the Virginia Maritime Industrial Base Consortiums Talent Pipeline Initiative. The programs purpose is to develop job-ready workers for defense and industrial-base employers through an enhanced K-12-to-university training pipeline. Gov. [Glenn] Youngkin, your governor, understands the moral, the economic imperative that a strong defense industrial base presents, particularly in the maritime domain, Crenshaw said. He is a champion of our defense manufacturing community. Workforce shortages in the Navy and defense-contract industries especially manufacturing engineering technology are at an all-time high, said Brian O. Hemphill, president of ODU. We must do more to ensure that workforce needs, both today and tomorrow, are met, Hemphill said during the announcement. Without question, ODU will be a major player in modernizing the manufacturing workforce when we think about the defense industry. Students in Southside Virginia will also be able enter the program through the Academy for Engineering and Technology, and career and technical dual-enrollment programs. Workers in the industry will also be able to enter the program. The expansion of ODUs presence in Southern Virginia really offers a real regional step, a regional opportunity also, for our students, Hemphill said. The classes will be offered with on-site, virtual and hybrid options, using advanced manufacturing lab space at the Institute. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded a $5 million grant to the VMIBC, which earned the federal designation as a Defense Manufacturing Community. The VMIBC includes ODU, the Institute and 30 other organizations. Anyone interested in learning more about the associate and bachelors degree programs in manufacturing engineering technology can visit www.ialr.org/manufacturing-engineering-technology to complete an interest form. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The State Board for Community Colleges named a new leader on Thursday, defying Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who one day earlier called for the board to restart the hiring process and appoint an interim chancellor. The board named Russell A. Kavalhuna as the next chancellor of Virginias 23 community colleges, succeeding Glenn Dubois, who will retire at the end of June. Kavalhuna is president of Henry Ford College in Michigan, a community college founded in 1938. His appointment ends a tumultuous hiring process that the governor criticized for excluding Youngkins administration, lacking transparency and neglecting the Virginia Community College Systems most significant needs. But no delay was necessary, the board insisted Thursday, because it had met all of the governors concerns. Youngkin first raised alarm last week, writing a letter to board Chair Nathaniel Bishop, accusing the board of refusing to collaborate with his administration. The governor called for a meeting with Bishop and members of the hiring committee, a briefing on the boards strategy and a list of nominees. At least one of those requests was met, as Youngkin and Bishop conferred twice. But Youngkin still felt excluded from the decision-making process, he wrote in a second letter Wednesday obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Our exclusion from your search process for the next chancellor was disappointing, and I strongly recommend that the selection committee appoint an interim chancellor and restart the process, Youngkin wrote Wednesday. He asked the board to appoint one or more business leaders to the hiring committee and to accept a member of Youngkins administration as a nonvoting member. He pledged not to pick the chancellor himself, saying he was unaware of which finalists the board had chosen. Undeterred, the board moved forward late Thursday, naming Kavalhuna its new permanent chancellor. The announcement came after the board spent at least three hours in closed session discussing the hire. Kavalhuna, a former federal prosecutor and commercial airline captain, was executive director of flight operations at Western Michigan University College of Aviation before becoming president at Henry Ford College. In Youngkins opinion, the community college system hasnt done enough to support workforce development or grow enrollment, said Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for the governor. There are 300,000 unfilled jobs in the state, his office has said, and since the pandemic, the number of jobs in Virginia has dropped by 200,000, ranking Virginia 43rd for job recovery. Plus, enrollment in Virginias community colleges has dropped 27% in the past decade. The next chancellor needs to reverse these trends, the governor has said. While there are outstanding individual schools, Virginia needs an entire system that supports all Virginians in the pursuit of gaining skills, furthering their academic goals and equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in an ever-competitive world, Porter said. But derailing the hiring process wasnt necessary, the board wrote Thursday in a response to Youngkin. It said it had already satisfied the governors concerns. To include the administration, the board said, it contacted the secretaries of Education and Commerce and Trade soon after their appointments. The input of the administration was critical to our work and the evaluation of our candidates, the board said. To incorporate members of the business committee in the hiring process, the selection committee added Jason El Koubi, interim president of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. We, too, prioritized the importance of talent development, the board added. The board publicized the job posting last summer, attracting nearly 50 candidates, and posted updates on the committees progress to the VCCS website. But the VCCS failed to update that site. On Thursday, the web page indicated the board was ready to conduct round one interviews. In reality, it had made far more progress. The transparency, administration input and business involvement Youngkin sought has been accomplished, the board said. Therefore, there is no need to delay nor repeat the process. The board also touted Kavalhunas focus on workforce development throughout his career. Russ Kavalhuna is a transformational higher education leader who is uniquely prepared to move forward our community college system and elevate it to be the best in the nation, Bishop said in a statement. The new chancellors priority will be to connect unemployed and underemployed residents with businesses suffering talent shortages, he said in a statement. There is broad and bipartisan agreement that families, communities and economies are stronger when more people have access to community colleges, Kavalhuna added. On Tuesday, the Marion Fire Department was recognized for becoming certified as a medium rescue provider by the North Carolina Association of Rescue and Emergency Medical Services Inc. This recognition was presented by Mayor Steve Little to the Marion firefighters during the regular meeting of the Marion City Council. The certification came after hosting much training at the Marion Fire Station and acquiring the equipment necessary to conduct medium rescue, according to a news release. Firefighters attended more than 336 total hours of technical rescue, technical rescue vehicle, machine and agriculture, emergency medical care, traffic incident management, hazardous material and water rescue classes. These classes were held at nights and on the weekends so that volunteers from the community could attend the classes as well, said Fire Chief Ray McDaniel. Prior to the department receiving this certification, several of its staff members already had these certifications. McDaniel said the Marion Fire Department would like to thank Marion City Council members, the McDowell County Board of Commissioners and local businesses, who donated funding and equipment that was necessary for this certification. This certification is another service that can help further ensure the safety of citizens and visitor of Marion, according to the news release. Ukrainian, Russian presidents may hold talks in coming days: Ukrainian presidential advisor Xinhua) 08:30, March 17, 2022 Xinhua file photos of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Work is underway to prepare the documents that could be signed during the meeting of the two leaders, Podolyak said. KIEV, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak. "Obviously, the only way to end this war is direct talks between the two presidents, and this is what we are working on in the current talks," Podolyak, also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, was quoted as saying. Work is underway to prepare the documents that could be signed during the meeting of the two leaders, the official said. The Ukrainian side has high hopes that ceasefire will be achieved in the near future, he added. The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link and continued into Wednesday. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Several human rights NGOs and civil society activists have renewed their condemnation of the continued use of children as child soldiers by the Polisario and denounced Algeria as responsible for the human rights violations affecting children under the separatist militias in Tindouf. The condemnation was expressed during an international conference on the recruitment of Sahraoui children in the Tindouf camps, organized by the NGO Africa Culture International, in association with several civil society activists from the Moroccan Southern Provinces. The participants denounced the exploitation of children in armed conflicts and their obligation to bear arms, as this is considered by the international community as the worst violation of human rights. President of Africa Culture International Dianko Lamine said the Algeria-backed Polisario does not hesitate to recruit children aged 12 to 13 as soldiers, and to exhibit them in military parades. The NGO said cases were reported to it, as an NGO working in the region, by a group of mothers who preferred to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisals. The children thus find themselves deprived of their childhood to join the ranks of the militias, with all the psychological impact this implies. Multiple calls have been made by international rights NGOs calling on Algeria to ensure full respect of childrens rights within its territories including the Tindouf camps, notably after a series of articles and videos have been released and their authenticity was confirmed by the UN and the European Parliament- showing the shocking scale of the exploitation of children as soldiers by the Polisario. Algeria has not reacted so far to the blatant violations of childrens rights by its Polisario proxies deplored the participants in the Conference, who urged the immediate release of all children who have been forced to be in military uniform. They called for criminalizing all parties or states that sponsor or arm the Polisario for its involvement in child recruitment. They pointed out that the indoctrination and enlistment of children by the Polisario in wars is a crime against human beings in general. This practice contradicts the principles of human rights and the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates education in the principles and values of freedom, equality and tolerance in a manner aimed at consolidating the personality of the child. The phenomenon of child soldiers in the Tindouf camps constitutes a danger for the entire North African region. These children could easily be recruited by terrorist organizations in the Sahel, they explained, calling on the international community to adopt serious measures to deal with this phenomenon. Dozens of Gambians arrived in Bujinha this week fleeing the border area with Senegal, which has launched an operation against Casamance separatists entrenched on the border between the two states. On Sunday, Senegal announced a military operation in this southern region of the country to dismantle the bases of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC). Casamance, separated from northern Senegal by the Gambia, has been the scene of one of the continents oldest conflicts since independence fighters went underground with rudimentary weapons after the repression of an MFDC march in December 1982. The rebellion has thrived on the peculiarities of this fertile region, which is largely isolated from Senegal by the Gambia and prone to feelings of neglect. Several thousand people have died in the conflict. Since Sunday, Gambian residents frightened by artillery fire have begun to flee their homes for safety, away from the operations of the Senegalese army. The number of displaced persons in The Gambia remained unclear on Wednesday. However, a resident of Bujinha estimated that more than 100 people had entered the village from the border. A neighboring village has also received displaced persons, according to the same source. The Gambian government has promised to help the displaced and President Adama Barrow has ordered reinforced patrols near the border, saying he would protect the small state against any foreign threat. Casamance rebels, accused of trafficking in timber and cannabis, have often taken refuge in the Gambia or Guinea-Bissau, which also shares a border with Senegal. The Chadian pre-dialogue between the government and politico-military groups resumed this 16 March 2022 in Doha, Qatar. The participants would harmonize their positions and the question of the number of representatives should be resolved. The pre-dialogue between the government in NDjamena and Chadian political-military groups was suspended shortly after it opened on Sunday in Doha, Qatar. The participants gave themselves three days to agree. This was finally believed to be done on Tuesday evening. The number of representatives was set at 10 representatives from the political-military side and 10 from the government side, he said. These quotas, particularly the number of political-military groups present at the pre-dialogue, 52 in total, were one of the issues that had contributed to the interruption of the work just after its opening. Chidi Djorkodei accuses the regime in NDjamena of having created rebel movements to try to dilute the others. Today we know that there are politico-militaries who have been manufactured. They are citizens, civilians, exiles, etc., who have become political-military overnight. Things like that were fabricated to fill in the gaps. All this has irritated the real [political-military] movements, which are not numerous, denounced Dr. Sitack Yombatinan Beni, vice-president of the Transformers in charge of reform and governance. In regards to that, the 72-hour suspension decided on Sunday, March 13, was extended on Wednesday, March 16, by 48 hours. The political-military groups have not yet agreed on a list of 10 delegates to represent them in the negotiations. The plenary meeting that was supposed to take place was therefore postponed. Also, the participants in the Chadian pre-dialogue are not out of the woods yet. In order to proceed, they must now deal with the issue of the role of Qatar, which has not yet agreed to act as mediator. According to Mr. Djorkodei, if Qatar refuses to mediate, the meetings could be relocated to Saudi Arabia or Turkey, which had offered to take on this responsibility. This pre-dialogue is crucial because it is supposed to allow the participation of all Chadian rebel groups in the inclusive national dialogue to be held in NDjamena in May. Several non-governmental organizations and civil society activists denounced, on Wednesday before the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), the tragedy of the exploitation of children in the Tindouf camps, their military enlistment and the serious violations of their rights by the Polisario militias. In an address during the general debate of Point 03 relating to the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, Aicha Duihi, the president of the Sahara Observatory for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (OSPDH) denounced in the strongest terms the enrolment of Sahraoui children within the Polisario militias. The children of the Tindouf camps find themselves forced to undergo military training and to participate in acts of vandalism and intimidation, but also in a propaganda war fueled by violence and hatred, added Aicha Duihi, who was also addressing the gathering on behalf of the international NGO Promotion of Economic (PDES). The polisario continues to exploit schools and school programs in the camps of Tindouf to indoctrinate children with its ideologies, calls for violence and hatred, while praising war, which is against the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates education for principles and values of freedom, equality and tolerance so as to consolidate the personality of the child. Today, the Polisario persists in creating an atmosphere of tension within the camps, praising military heroism and encouraging arms carrying among children during all ceremonies and celebrations, she noted. Several other civil society activists participated in the debate, including Moulay Lahsen Naji, the president of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (CIDH) and member of the Unity Network for the Development of mauritania, who denounced the serious violations committed by the Polisario and particularly the enforced disappearances. He cited in this connection cases of many missing persons and called for clarification on the fate of Ahmed Khalil said Carlos, who used to live in Tindouf camps. Just because he dared to express his opinion against the Polisario leaders he was kidnapped in 2009 by Algerian intelligence agents and since then no one knows where he is, whether he is dead or alive. For the Sahraoui activist Nour Bouhanana, the massive recruitment of children by the Polisario front is a source of great concern, especially since these children are indoctrinated without pity and without any moral responsibility. It is imperative that Algeria respects the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Protocols and that the UNHCR assumes its responsibilities to protect these children and allow them to have a normal childhood with a sense of security and the hope of a better future and a decent life, insisted Nour Bouhanana. Figure showing a sample of bone cancer cells (from the U2OS cell line) viewed in three colors: a red membrane label, a green nuclear label and, in blue, phototagged cells that form the letters UFO. UFO stands for 'Ultrawide Field-of-view Optics'. Credit: Pin-Rui Su (Chien Lab). Metastases in cancer are often caused by a few abnormal cells. These behave more aggressively than the other cancer cells in a tumor. Miao-Ping Chien and Daan Brinks, from two different universities, are working together on a method to detect these cells. Their research has now been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. A patient diagnosed with cancer has increasingly better prospects nowadays because the medicines are becoming more effective. However, one risk remains. Even after the tumor has shrunk, it can start growing again after a while and spread to other organs. This aggressive spread through the body is usually caused by a small group of cells. "These cancer stem cells behave differently from other cells and therefore have a significant impact on cancer recurrence," says Miao-Ping Chien of Erasmus MC, who works closely with Daan Brinks of TU Delft. Their collaboration is a cross-pollination between two multidisciplinary labs located just fifteen kilometers apart. Brinks says, "It's easy to just jump on the bike or in the car to get to the other lab to do a few more tests at the end of the day." What is special about their story is that they are not just colleagues but also partners. The couple came to the Netherlands together to join forces in cancer research. Detecting a few cells that behave differently in a tumor has been a major challenge in the field of cancer research for many years. Chien says, "We've known that they're there for a long time, but the Holy Grail is to be able to sequence precisely those cells, to find out their DNA and RNA content. Merely examining the outside of the cell is not enough for these special cells. Although certain characteristic substances can be found there, the so-called biomarkers, these are quite changeable in such an aggressive cell." To know how those cells really work, Chien and Brinks need to decipher the genetic sequence. This makes it easier to determine how these cells work and also how they can be destroyed. Determining the genetic profile of cells has been possible for some time now, but determining the profile of individual cells has only been possible for a few years. Video showing the research method of Brinks and Chien. Credit: UFO Biosciences Deviant behavior Chien and Brinks had to combine a whole range of techniques to be sure they had got the right cells. By working with two labs to piece together and fine-tune a complicated process, it is now possible to detect aggressive cancer cells, light them up, separate them from the other cells and then determine the RNA sequence. "The first question was: how do these aggressive cells behave? For example, we know that they move around more than other cells. And that they don't split up into two cells, as in normal cell division, but into three or four cells," explains Chien. So she had to look for such cells in a biopsy specimen, that is, a piece of cancer tissue. Imaging, lighting up and analyzing The two researchers needed a microscope that could image a very large number of cells simultaneously as well as software to analyze the images. Together with the people working in their labs, they developed a microscope that continuously studies the images and "sees" which cells are exhibiting abnormal behavior. This behavior of aggressive cancer cells unfolds within a time scale of minutes to hours, but analyzing this behavior needs to be done much faster. "After all, you don't want the detected cells to have already moved again," Brinks explains. The microscope directs a light beam onto the detected aggressive cancer cells. The cells light up because the tissue has been treated with a special substance in advance. Next, the lit-up cells are selected and these are now ready for RNA sequencing and analysis. They only need a few to a few hundred cells. Medicines "We can now determine the genetic profile of the aggressive cancer cells. This was not so easy to do at first, because you have to deal with all the challenges of imaging, selecting and determining the RNA sequence in one go. Everything in the process has to work properly," says Chien. "And if you know what's going on in those cells, you can develop medicines based on that. We've succeeded in discovering a mechanism within a few months, whereas others needed quite a few years with the existing techniques. We just happened to come out with it at about the same time. Maybe, with our method, it can eventually be done within a few weeks." The two are now setting up a company called UFO Biosciences, so that researchers from all over the world can send in cell samples or pieces of cancer tissue for analysis. According to them, there is already a great deal of interest from other universities and research institutes. Explore further Migrating through small spaces makes cancer cells more aggressive More information: Daan Brinks, Linking the genotypes and phenotypes of cancer cells in heterogenous populations via real-time optical tagging and image analysis, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41551-022-00853-x Journal information: Nature Biomedical Engineering Daan Brinks, Linking the genotypes and phenotypes of cancer cells in heterogenous populations via real-time optical tagging and image analysis,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00853-x Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Heavy alcohol use is associated with missing work, but the scope of that relationship has not been well understood. Now, based on survey data from more than 110,000 U.S. adults with full-time jobs, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have quantified the extent of the problem. Among U.S. adults working full time, an estimated 9%almost 11 million full-time workersmet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder, a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse consequences in one's social life, work life or health. The findings are published online March 17 in the journal JAMA Network Open. Analyzing the survey data, the researchers found that people with severe alcohol use disorder reported missing 32 days of work each year because of illness, injury or simply skipping work, more than double the number of workdays missed by individuals without alcohol use disorder. In all, workers with alcohol use disorder missed more than 232 million work days annually. "Alcohol use disorder is a major problem in the United States and a big problem in many workplaces, where it contributes to a significant number of workdays missed," said senior investigator Laura J. Bierut, MD, the Alumni Endowed Professor of Psychiatry. "The problem likely has worsened during the pandemic, and we need to try to do more to ensure that people can get the help they need to deal with alcohol use disorder. The new data also point to an economic incentive for employers and policymakers to address the issue." Bierut and her colleagues analyzed data gathered from 2015 through 2019 via the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey is administered every year by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which asks individuals over age 12 about their use of alcohol and other drugs over the previous 12 months. Alcohol use disorder is diagnosed using a series of questionssuch as whether an individual tried to stop drinking but couldn't, spent a great deal of time sick from drinking, or continued to drink even after having a memory blackout. Those surveyed who did not meet criteria for alcohol use disorder missed about 13 days of work annually, but individuals with mild alcohol use disorder missed an average of almost 18 days. Meanwhile, those with moderate alcohol use disorder missed nearly 24 days, and those with severe alcohol use disorder reported missing 32 days of work each year. "Often, people who miss that much work lose their jobs," said Bierut, who also directs the Washington University Health & Behavior Research Center. "But our hope is that the workplace might be a point of contact where intervention can occur. You're there eight hours a day, and when an employer begins seeing these difficulties, perhaps instead of firing a person, they could take action to assist with that individual's recovery." The researchers found that although people with alcohol use disorder represented about 9.3% of the full-time workforce, those with drinking problems accounted for 14.1% of total workplace absences. Alcohol use disorder was more common among men, younger people, those who identified as white or Hispanic and those with lower incomes. The analysis included only full-time workers. With more people working remotely during the pandemic, problems with excessive absence may be harder for employers to spot. The pandemic changed many things about how people work, and it also changed alcohol consumption patterns. For example, in the early days of the pandemic, from March through September 2020, alcohol sales increased by 20% compared with the same period in 2019. Further, the latest data indicate that sales have remained at about that level ever since. "We specifically chose to stop our data analysis the year before the pandemic began so that we could be more confident in our findings," said first author Ian C. Parsley, MD, a psychiatry resident. "Having more people working at home could change the associations we saw before the pandemic began. The amount of alcohol consumed since people have been working from home more has really just gone through the roof. That's not something that's just going to resolve itself, even as we slowly come out of this pandemic." Bierut said it's likely that the loss of the routine of going to a job has contributed to problems. "Work has the benefit of giving us structure: You get up in the morning, get dressed, go to work," she explained. "But many people lost their jobs during the pandemic while others worked at home and lost that structure. We've lost our guardrails for certain types of behaviors, so if anything, I think it's likely alcohol use disorder is having a greater impact on the population and on the workforce than it did in 2019. And as our findings show, it was having a big impact in 2019." Explore further Alcohol problems are severely undertreated, researchers report More information: Workplace absenteeism associated with alcohol use disorder from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2015-2019, JAMA Network Open , 2022. Journal information: JAMA Network Open Workplace absenteeism associated with alcohol use disorder from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2015-2019,, 2022. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.2954 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Faced by one too many obstacles on the way to achieving their personal goalswhether an important, valuable or fun onepeople may experience an action crisis where they start questioning their pursuit and even feel like giving up. With their experiment, reported in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Social Psychological Bulletin, a research team at the University of Quebec in Montreal (Canada) recommends mindfulness meditation, such as body scan, as a viable method to reduce the likelihood of going through such crises orin case one still arisesbetter cope with the situation. In their experiment, the research team recruited 121 volunteers who were told that the study was to examine the link between focused attention and goals. Firstly, the participants were asked to identify an important and current personal goal before indicating their motivation and baseline action crisis measures. Examples for the goals included "finish my bachelor's degree" and "produce a second film." Then, they were split into two groups. One of them would do a mindfulness body scan, a meditation exercise in which a person focuses on their sensations one body part at a time. The other group would spend their 15 minutes reading magazines. Finally, all volunteers read scenarios describing an action crisis toward their goals and completed a questionnaire designed to assess how they felt about their pursuits now. Having confirmed that the first group performed significantly better in coping with the imagined ill-fated scenario, the researchers are hopeful that a several-week-long mindfulness training should also help people cope with "real, full-fledged action crises." "This study provides the first evidence supporting that mindfulness is not only a predictor of action crises but might also influence how people cope with them once they occur," says the team. "Our findings also highlight the importance of noticingthrough meditation for instanceour cognitive and emotional states in goal pursuit and treat ourselves with compassion when things are not going as planned." The researchers also point to earlier neuroimaging evidence that confirmed mindfulness training, for example, an eight-week-long mindfulness-based stress reduction program, was able to change the brain networks involved in the eradication of fear. Explore further White people trained in mindfulness were three times more likely to help Black people in staged scenarios More information: Ariane S. Marion-Jetten et al, Coping with the crisis: A mindfulness manipulation positively affects the emotional regulation of action crises, Social Psychological Bulletin (2022). Ariane S. Marion-Jetten et al, Coping with the crisis: A mindfulness manipulation positively affects the emotional regulation of action crises,(2022). DOI: 10.32872/spb.7225 Provided by Leibniz Institute for Psychology Credit: CC0 Public Domain Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday the country will "stick with" its zero-COVID strategy, state TV reported, as the world's most populous nation battles its largest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. The country where the virus emerged in late 2019 has largely kept subsequent outbreaks under control thanks to a combination of strict border controls, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns, and has not reported any coronavirus-related deaths for over a year. But the highly transmissible Omicron variant is posing a stern challenge to that strategy, prompting authorities to close off cities including the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, home to 17.5 million people. The world's second-largest economy has gone from reporting under 100 daily infections just three weeks ago to more than 1,000 per day for over a week. More than 2,400 cases were reported Thursday, according to the National Health Commission. Speaking at a meeting of China's top leaders, Xi said the country should "continue to put people and life at the forefront, stick with scientific accuracy and dynamic-zero, and curb the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible," according to state broadcaster CCTV. Beijing must "raise the level of scientifically accurate prevention and control and continuously optimise disease control measures", the report quoted Xi as saying. He called to "strengthen technological key areas like vaccination, rapid testing and drug research" to make virus curbs more "targeted", CCTV said. Xi also urged tighter virus controls at ports of entry and stressed the need to "swiftly control local clustered outbreaks". Tens of millions of people are currently under stay at home orders across China to try and stamp out the latest outbreak. - Flare-upsBeijing's communist leadership has made its handling of the pandemic a matter of political capital, saying the low death rate demonstrates the strength of its governance model. Racing to tamp down outbreaks in multiple cities, Chinese officials have also moved to free up hospital beds over fears the virus could put the health system under strain. Northeast China's Jilin provincewhich has reported thousands of cases over the past weekhas built eight "makeshift hospitals" and two quarantine centres to stem the surge in infections. State news outlets this week broadcast footage of dozens of giant cranes assembling temporary medical facilities in Jilin, which has only around 23,000 hospital beds for some 24 million residents. Authorities also said people with mild cases could isolate at central quarantine facilities, having previously sent all patients with any symptoms to specialist hospitals. The latest flare-ups have prompted long queues to form outside mass testing sites and seen tight controls at ports, raising fears of trade disruption. In ShanghaiChina's biggest city and home to 25 million peopleauthorities have closed school campuses, locked down some residential compounds and launched a rigorous round of mass testing, according to state media. Explore further China boosts bed spaces as Omicron outbreak spreads 2022 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Many countries, including the UK, have toughened their approach to formula milk products that claim to reduce allergy risks. But elsewhere, consumers are still being persuaded to buy products that make health claims without high quality evidence, reports journalist Melanie Newman in The BMJ today. The health claims have been made for hydrolysed milka type of formula milk containing cows' milk proteins that have already been partly broken down. This is supposed to make it easier to digest and help prevent problems such as colic and constipation. Over recent years, researchers have gradually debunked most claims that infant formula reduces the risk of babies developing cow's milk allergy and eczema. As such, several countries including Australia and the US have changed guidelines that previously recommended using hydrolysed formula to prevent allergies, while the UK recommends specialist formula only for the treatment of suspected IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy and only when the product is extensively hydrolysed. This growing consensus in the scientific community against the role of formula in allergy risk reduction has not, however, led to the withdrawal of products that make such claims elsewhere in the world, explains Newman. For example in China, the largest and the most rapidly growing formula market in the world, Nestle heavily promotes its NAN HA product as one that will reduce the risk of allergies. The company says its activities are guided by evidence from the German Infant Nutritional Intervention (GINI) study, but in June 2021 the European Food Standards Agency rejected Nestle's evidence from the GINI study because of methodological limitations. Nestle said, "Allergy is a major concern for parents. Our aim is to use our research and innovation to provide them with infant formulas that can help prevent and manage allergies in babies." They acknowledged the EFSA's opinion but said this "does not reflect the GINI 20 year follow-up results ... which further strengthen the evidence of efficacy of our partially hydrolysed infant formula." Meanwhile, Danone vigorously promotes its partially hydrolysed formula (Nutrilon HA stage 1 and stage 2) for allergy prevention in countries such as Russia, despite a 2018 policy saying it will not advertise or promote infant or follow-on formula for children under 12 months of age here and in other countries where babies are at higher risk of acute malnutrition, illness and death. Danone said that in Russia Nutrilon HA stage 1 and stage 2 are designated by local legislation as "food for special medical purposes" and not breast milk substitutes. "As such, these products are for patients who have been diagnosed with a medical condition, and are prescribed by a healthcare professional." But Nigel Rollins of WHO's Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health says that childhood health disorders are commonly used to market products with claims based on weak evidence. "Families are vulnerablethey are seeking to do the best for their child but do not have a knowledge base on which to form their judgments," he says. "They are easily influenced by marketing that identifies a problem and provides a solution in the form of a product." For Victoria Sibson, director of the First Steps Nutrition Trust, only robust research should be used to evidence claims. "Breast milk substitute companies exploit regulatory loopholes to get away with making claims about their products which are not backed up by robust research," she says. "Legal but inappropriate marketing misleads parents and healthcare professionals, who are unable to make informed decisions on which formulas to use, especially in the case of clinical need, whether this is perceived or real." Explore further Infant milk formula does not reduce risk of eczema and allergies, according to new study More information: Formula milk companies continue to push allergy products despite flawed evidence, BMJ (2022). www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o630 Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) Formula milk companies continue to push allergy products despite flawed evidence,(2022). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.o630 Danilo Schulz sits during a Corona quick test at the Johanniter Corona Test Center in the Palace of Culture in Dresden, Germany, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Credit: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa via AP The German government on Thursday defended its decision to let many pandemic restrictions expire at the weekend, even as the country hit a new record high for newly confirmed cases. Germany's disease control agency reported 294,931 new cases in the past 24 hours. The Robert Koch Institute said there have been a further 278 COVID-related deaths, taking the overall toll since the start of the pandemic to 126,420. "We are now entering a new phase of the pandemic in which we, like almost all of our neighboring countries, can do without most of the protective measures," Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after a meeting with Germany's 16 state governors. The decision to end many pandemic restrictions on Sunday, including the requirements to wear masks in public settings and limit spectators in stadiums, was criticized by the states, who can still introduce their own restrictions in virus hotspots going forward. Germany's powerful industry lobby group BDI had also warned against a "generous" lifting of measures, saying it would be irresponsible in light of the current surge in infections. Experts say mobility data show people are increasingly meeting others, facilitating the spread of the virus. The surge is also fueled by the highly transmissible omicron subvariant known as BA.2 that now makes up more than half of all cases in Germany. Past easing of rules and reports about similar action in other countries have also conveyed a mistaken impression that the pandemic is over. Meanwhile, German lawmakers debated proposals for a general COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all adults, which Scholz has backed. Opponents of the measure have suggested mandatory vaccination only for people over 50, while others reject the idea altogether. A final decision on making vaccinations compulsory isn't expected for several weeks. Explore further Coronavirus pandemic not over, German health minister warns 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Danny is a writer and a Calaveras County native. He studied creative writing and marketing at San Francisco State University and has previously done work as an automotive journalist. He is happy to be back and writing about the local community. Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input. Street scene in Jerusalem: About 25% of Israel's ultra-Orthodox population lives here. Credit: Yossi David, Universitaet Mainz Ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel have been more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than other segments of the Israeli population. A variety of reasons might be responsible for this. Professor Yossi David of the Department of Communication of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is investigating, among other things, the role of digital media in the health and safety practices of these religious communities. As evidenced by the study now published, using new media can make a significant difference in improving compliance with government health guidelines. The study is based on a representative survey of 500 ultra-Orthodox Israeli adults conducted during the second COVID-19 wave in the fall of 2020, i.e., before vaccinations were available. "Study participants who accessed certain websites and social media were more likely to adhere to government health guidelines, such as wearing a mask. This suggests that in times of crisis digital media can promote safer behavior in authoritarian communities," concluded Professor Yossi David. He conducted the survey together with Dr. Baruch Shomron, a postdoctoral fellow in his group at Mainz University. The research has now been published in New Media & Society. Ultra-Orthodox communities contributed significantly to the incidence of infection in Israel The high COVID-19 mortality in Israel in 2020 can be partially explained by the disproportionate number of ultra-Orthodox community members tested positive. The Ultra-Orthodox community members are about 13% of Israel's population, but they accounted for 28 to 37% of all COVID-19 cases. In the ultra-Orthodox population, the mortality due to COVID-19 was six times higher among the elderly generation (60 years of age and older) than among the same population in the rest of Israel during 2020. A variety of reasons have been proposed for explanation. It has been suggested that people in this group perhaps failed to comply with government COVID-19 regulations, such as the prohibition of attending weddings or funerals, while another suggestion points to cramped housing conditions and a lack of health information. "With this in mind, we wanted to investigate how the danger posed by high COVID-19 case rates could be mitigated by information and communication technologies," explained Professor Yossi David. Modern technology is used far less frequently in ultra-Orthodox groups than in the rest of Israel. There are 1.2 million members of ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel leading a secluded life, following Jewish-Orthodox laws, and distancing themselves from Western influences. Rabbis oversee many aspects of daily life, including the adoption or use of new technologies. As cell phones became ever more ubiquitous in everyday life, rabbinical committees eventually approved so-called kosher devices, which allow people to make phone calls but not to access other functions such as text messaging or the Internet. The community's traditional mediaprint media and radioare also supervised by rabbis and adhere to ultra-Orthodox rules, online news websites are prohibited. Only 47% of participants in the study with Internet access at home The study conducted by JGU Israel Professor Yossi David and Baruch Shomron was based on a survey of 500 Jewish ultra-Orthodox Israelis at the height of the COVID-19 crisis in November 2020. Half of the participants were men and half were women, with an average age of 40. The interviews were conducted by the Askaria polling company, which specializes in conducting surveys among the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel. The findings reveal that women were more likely than men to follow government health regulations, such as wearing a face mask, observing social distancing rules, or complying with hygiene measures. In addition, acceptance of COVID-19 regulations increased with age, while no association was found with socioeconomic status or level of education. The use of digital media varied: Almost all respondents, 99%, owned a cell phone, but 419 people or 84% said they used only a 'kosher' device. Only 47% of respondents had Internet access at homea finding consistent with data from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics. News websites were accessed by 20%, but only 8% read mainstream Israeli news websites. Thirteen% use social media. Investigating whether the use of digital media could reveal something about compliance with government health regulations, the following picture emerged: Ultra-Orthodox individuals who frequently used the Internet either for study purposes or for essential websites and appssuch as for e-bankingwere more likely to comply with COVID-19 rules. In contrast, using the Internet for work, e-mail, online shopping, or other purposes has no such effect. In addition, the study found that individuals who used social media were more likely to follow COVID-19 rules than participants who did not. Finally, communications researchers David and Shomron found that reading mainstream Israeli online media contribute to the level of adhering to the government health guidelines, while ultra-Orthodox websites did not. Health communication needs to be adapted to the needs of the population "Health communication needs to be adapted to the needs of all segments of society, to their media habits and cultural beliefs," concluded Yossi David and Baruch Shomron. "In times of national and international emergencies, digital media could serve as an effective means of communicating with authoritarian and closed-off communities, including those that reject science and spread conspiracy theories, extreme right-wing groups, and conservative, insulated religious groups." Since October 2018, communication researcher Yossi David has held the Israel Professorship at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, which was established at the Department of Communication. Before coming to Mainz as the first Israel Professor in Communication Science, David worked in the field of political communication and empirical methodologies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. More information: Baruch Shomron et al, Protecting the community: How digital media promotes safer behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic in authoritarian communitiesa case study of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, New Media & Society (2022). Baruch Shomron et al, Protecting the community: How digital media promotes safer behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic in authoritarian communitiesa case study of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/14614448211063621 New lighting recommendations support better sleep, wakefulness, and general physiological health. Credit: Pixabay, Pexels (CC0, creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) The light we experience across our daily lives has a major influence on our body rhythms. Modern lifestyles, with 24-hour access to electric light and reduced exposure to natural daylight, can disrupt sleep and negatively impact health, well-being, and productivity. A new report publishing March 17th in the open access journal PLOS Biology addresses the issue of exactly how bright lighting should be during the day and in the evening to support healthy body rhythms, restful sleep, and daytime alertness. Professors Timothy Brown from the University of Manchester, UK, and Kenneth Wright from the University of Colorado Boulder, US brought together an international body of leading scientific experts to agree the first evidence-based, consensus recommendations for healthy daytime, evening, and nighttime light exposure. These recommendations provide much needed guidance to the lighting and electronics industries to aid the design of healthier environments and to improve how we light our workplaces, public buildings, and homes. A key question tackled by the new report was how to properly measure the extent to which different types of lighting might influence our body rhythms and daily patterns of sleep and wakefulness. Light affects these patterns via a specialized type of cell in the eye that uses a light sensitive protein, melanopsin, that is distinct from the proteins in the rods and cones that support vision (and upon which traditional ways of measuring "brightness" are based). Since melanopsin is most sensitive to light in a specific part of the visual spectrum (blue-cyan light), the new recommendations used a newly-developed light measurement standard tailored to this unique property, melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance. Analysis of data across a range of laboratory and field studies proved that this new measurement approach could provide a reliable way of predicting the effects of light on human physiology and body rhythms and could therefore form the basis of widely applicable and meaningful recommendations. An important next step will be integration of the recommendations into formal lighting guidelines, which currently focus on visual requirements rather than effects on health and well-being. Additionally, increasing sophistication in LED lighting technology and the availability of low-cost light sensors are expected to increase the ease with which individuals can optimize their personal light exposure to best support their own body rhythms in line with the new recommendations. Brown adds, "These recommendations provide the first scientific consensus, quantitative, guidance for appropriate daily patterns of light exposure to support healthy body rhythms, nighttime sleep and daytime alertness. This now provides a clear framework to inform how we light any interior space ranging from workplaces, educational establishments and healthcare facilities to our own homes." Explore further LED face masks are popular on social media for glowing skin, but they could disrupt your sleep More information: Brown TM, Brainard GC, Cajochen C, Czeisler CA, Hanifin JP, Lockley SW, et al. (2022) Recommendations for daytime, evening, and nighttime indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep, and wakefulness in healthy adults. PLoS Biol 20(3): e3001571. Journal information: PLoS Biology Brown TM, Brainard GC, Cajochen C, Czeisler CA, Hanifin JP, Lockley SW, et al. (2022) Recommendations for daytime, evening, and nighttime indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep, and wakefulness in healthy adults.20(3): e3001571. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001571 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Thirty-five generic drug manufacturers will make a more affordable version of Pfizer's anti-COVID pill for the world's poorer nations, in licensing deals announced Thursday by a UN-backed organisation. The global Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) signed agreements with three dozen manufacturers to produce the oral COVID-19 treatment nirmatrelvir for supply in 95 low- and middle-income countries. US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer signed a licence agreement with the MPP in November. The MPP, in turn, issued sub-licences to the generic drugs makers. The deals announced Thursday will "help ensure access to our oral COVID-19 treatment for patients in need around the world", said Pfizer chairman Albert Bourla. "The MPP sub-licensees and the additional capacity for COVID-19 treatment they will supply will play a critical role to help ensure that people everywhere, particularly those living in the poorest parts of the world, have equitable access to an oral treatment option against COVID-19." The sub-licences allow manufacturers to produce the raw ingredients for nirmatrelvir, and/or the finished drug itself co-packaged with the HIV medicine ritonavir. Protease inhibitor The 35 companies involved include 19 in India and five in China, the MPP said. The rest are spread across Bangladesh, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Jordan, Israel, Mexico, Pakistan, Serbia, South Korea and Vietnam. A licence has also been offered to a company in Ukraine, which has not yet been able to sign due to Russia's war in the country. Six companies will produce the drug substance, nine will produce the drug product and the others will do both. "Nirmatrelvir is a new product and requires substantial manufacturing capabilities to produce," said MPP executive director Charles Gore. Nirmatrelvir is known as a "protease inhibitor" and works by blocking the action of an enzyme the coronavirus needs to replicate. A low dose of ritonavir is administered to slow down the breakdown of nirmatrelvir inside the body. Because the combination does not target the fast-mutating spike proteins that stud the surface of the coronavirus, it should be more variant-proof than other treatments, such as synthetic antibody infusions, as well as antibodies evoked by most types of COVID vaccine. Royalties waived The 95 countries covered account for around 53 percent of the world's population, including all low- and lower-middle-income nations. Pfizer will not receive royalties from the sub-licensees' sales of generic nirmatrelvir while COVID-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. Following the pandemic, sales to low-income countries will remain royalty-free. Sales to middle-income countries will be subject to royalties of five percent for the public sector and 10 percent for the private sector. The Geneva-based MPP is a United Nations-backed international organisation that works to facilitate the development of medicines for low- and middle-income nations. While the search for vaccines has resulted in multiple products being approved for emergency use in the pandemic, the hunt for treatments for those who have already caught the disease has not been as fruitful. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the sub-licensing was a positive step but was concerned by the deal's limitations, with large countries like Brazil, China, Malaysia and Thailand left out. Such nations "will be left with limited options other than to buy high-priced treatments directly from Pfizer", said Felipe de Carvalho, MSF's access campaign coordinator in Brazil. 2022 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Researchers have identified a link suggesting that lithium could decrease the risk of developing dementia, which affects nearly one million people in the UK. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, conducted a retrospective analysis of the health records of nearly 30,000 patients from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. The patients were all over the age of 50 and accessed NHS mental health services between 2005 and 2019. The analysis suggested that patients who received lithium were less likely to develop dementia than those who did not, although the overall number of patients who received lithium was small. Their findings, reported in the journal PLoS Medicine, support the possibility that lithium could be a preventative treatment for dementia, and could be progressed to large randomized controlled trials. Dementia is the leading cause of death in elderly Western populations, but no preventative treatments are currently available: more than 55 million people worldwide have dementia, with Alzheimer's disease the most common form. "The number of people with dementia continues to grow, which puts huge pressure on healthcare systems," said Dr. Shanquan Chen from Cambridge's Department of Psychiatry, the paper's first author. "It's been estimated that delaying the onset of dementia by just five years could reduce its prevalence and economic impact by as much as 40 percent." Previous studies have proposed lithium as a potential treatment for those who have already been diagnosed with dementia or early cognitive impairment, but it is unclear whether it can delay or even prevent the development of dementia altogether, as these studies have been limited in size. Lithium is a mood stabilizer usually prescribed for conditions such as bipolar affective disorder and depression. "Bipolar disorder and depression are considered to put people at increased risk of dementia, so we had to make sure to account for this in our analysis," said Chen. Chen and his colleagues analyzed data from patients who accessed mental health services from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust between 2005 and 2019. Patients were all over 50 years of age, received at least a one-year follow-up appointment, and had not been previously diagnosed with either mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Of the 29,618 patients in the study cohort, 548 patients had been treated with lithium and 29,070 had not. Their mean age was just under 74 years, and approximately 40% of patients were male. For the group that had received lithium, 53, or 9.7%, were diagnosed with dementia. For the group that had not received lithium, 3,244, or 11.2%, were diagnosed with dementia. After controlling for factors such as smoking, other medications, and other physical and mental illnesses, lithium use was associated with a lower risk of dementia, both for short and long-term users. However, since the overall number of patients receiving lithium was small and this was an observational study, larger clinical trials would be needed to establish lithium as a potential treatment for dementia. Another limitation of the study was the number of patients who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which is normally associated with an increased risk of dementia. "We expected to find that patients with bipolar disorder were more likely to develop dementia, since that is the most common reason to be prescribed lithium, but our analysis suggested the opposite," said Chen. "It's far too early to say for sure, but it's possible that lithium might reduce the risk of dementia in people with bipolar disorder." This paper supports others which have suggested lithium might be helpful in dementia. Further experimental medicine and clinical studies are now needed to see if lithium really is helpful in these conditions. Explore further High levels of lithium in tap water linked to lowered rates of dementia More information: Association between lithium use and the incidence of dementia and its subtypes: A retrospective cohort study, PLoS Medicine (2022). Journal information: PLoS Medicine Association between lithium use and the incidence of dementia and its subtypes: A retrospective cohort study,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003941 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Seven in ten long COVID patients experience concentration and memory problems several months after the initial onset of their disease, with many performing worse than their peers on cognitive tests, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Half of the patients in the study reported difficulties in getting medical professionals to take their symptoms seriously, perhaps because cognitive symptoms do not get the same attention as lung problems or fatigue. In a study of 181 long COVID patients, 78% reported difficulty concentrating, 69% reported brain fog, 68% reported forgetfulness, and 60% reported problems finding the right word in speech. These self-reported symptoms were reflected in significantly lower ability to remember words and pictures in cognitive tests. Participants carried out multiple tasks to assess their decision-making and memory. These included remembering words in a list, and remembering which two images appeared together. The results revealed a consistent pattern of ongoing memory problems in those who had suffered COVID-19 infection. Problems were more pronounced in people whose overall ongoing symptoms were more severe. To help understand the cause of the cognitive issues, the researchers investigated other symptoms that might be linked. They found that people who experienced fatigue and neurological symptoms, like dizziness and headache, during their initial illness were more likely to have cognitive symptoms later on. They also found that those who were still experiencing neurological symptoms were particularly impaired on cognitive tests. The findings are of particular concern given the prevalence of long COVID as a percentage of the workforce: the Office for National Statistics estimates that 10-25% of COVID-19 sufferers go on to have some degree of chronic illness. "This is important evidence that when people say they're having cognitive difficulties post-COVID, these are not necessarily the result of anxiety or depression. The effects are measurablesomething concerning is happening," said Dr. Muzaffer Kaser, a researcher in the University of Cambridge's Department of Psychiatry and Consultant Psychiatrist at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, who was involved in the study. "Memory difficulties can significantly affect people's daily lives, including the ability to do their jobs properly," he added. The researchers say their results support other findings that suggest society will face a 'long tail' of workforce illness due to long COVID. It is therefore important not just for the sake of individuals, but for broader society, to be able to prevent, predict, identify and treat issues associated with long COVID. "Long COVID has received very little attention politically or medically. It urgently needs to be taken more seriously, and cognitive issues are an important part of this. When politicians talk about 'Living with COVID' that is, unmitigated infection, this is something they ignore. The impact on the working population could be huge," said Dr. Lucy Cheke, a researcher in the University of Cambridge's Department of Psychology and senior author of the paper. The findings, published today in two papers in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, are among the first results of an online studycalled 'COVID and Cognition' - monitoring the symptoms of 181 long COVID patients over 18 months. The majority suffered COVID-19 at least six months before the study began. Very few people had been ill enough with COVID-19 to be hospitalised. A further 185 people who have not had COVID-19 are involved in the study for comparison. Cheke added: "People think that long COVID is 'just' fatigue or a cough, but cognitive issues are the second most common symptomand our data suggest this is because there is a significant impact on the ability to remember. There is growing evidence that COVID-19 impacts the brain, and our findings reflect that." "Infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 can lead to inflammation in the body, and this inflammation can affect behaviour and cognitive performance in ways we still don't fully understand, but we think are related to an early excessive immune response," said Kaser. Study participants were recruited between October 2020 and March 2021, when the Alpha variant and the original form of SARS-CoV-2 was circulating in the population. Participants will continue to be monitored, using both symptom reports and objective cognitive tests, to see how long their symptoms persist. The study currently has no data on long COVID associated with the Delta or Omicron variants of coronavirus, although a new cohort is now being recruited to test this. The researchers say further research is also needed to understand the complex effects of COVID on the brain, cognition and mental health. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines describe post-COVID-19 syndrome as 'Signs or symptoms that develop during or after infection consistent with COVID-19, continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.' The study found that even among those not admitted to hospital, people who had worse initial symptoms of COVID-19 were more likely to have a variety of ongoing symptoms (including nausea, abdominal pain, chest tightness and breathing issues) weeks or months later, and those symptoms were likely to be more severe than in people whose initial illness was mild. It also found that people over 30 were more likely to have severe ongoing symptoms than younger people. "It's important that people seek help if they're concerned about any persistent symptoms after COVID infection. COVID can affect multiple systems and further assessment is available in long COVID clinics across the UK, following a GP referral," said Kaser. Explore further Attention and memory deficits persist for months after recovery from mild COVID More information: Panyuan Guo et al, COVCOG 2: Cognitive and Memory Deficits in Long COVID: A Second Publication From the COVID and Cognition Study, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2022). Panyuan Guo et al, COVCOG 2: Cognitive and Memory Deficits in Long COVID: A Second Publication From the COVID and Cognition Study,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.804937 Panyuan Guo et al, COVCOG 1: Factors Predicting Physical, Neurological and Cognitive Symptoms in Long COVID in a Community Sample. A First Publication From the COVID and Cognition Study, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2022). DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.804922 The researchers are now recruiting adults and children for the next phase of their study. More information is available at: www.camblab.psychol.cam.ac.uk/ ticipate-in-research Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Medications for opioid-use disorder (OUD) are associated with lower death rates and improved quality of life for people in recovery. But which of the most commonly used medications for OUD are most effective? And how does that effectiveness improve when coupled with behavioral therapy? A new study conducted with Case Western Reserve University, and recently published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, examined those questions in hopes of improving recovery rates for what has become a national epidemic. Since the early 2000s, the United States has seen alarming and unprecedented increases in opioid-related deaths nationwide. In Ohio alone, the death rate from accidental opioid-related overdoses increased 1,081% from 2000 to 2017, according to the state's Department of Health. The study The researchers analyzed data from nearly 82,000 Medicaid claims in Ohio. They examined the length of time between when a person started and stopped taking each of the three common medications for OUD: methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. The medications in the study are used to treat OUDs for short-acting drugs such as heroin, morphine and codeine, as well as semi-synthetic opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone. The longer the time span between starting and ending the treatment, the more effective the medication. Conversely, people who discontinued their medications sooner were less likely to stay in treatment. The research found that overwhelmingly, methadone was associated with the lowest risk of treatment discontinuation, followed by buprenorphine, then naltrexone. Among patients on buprenorphine, after a period of time, the risk of discontinuation of treatment was similar to that of methadone. Researchers also found that medication-assisted treatment, coupled with behavioral health therapy such as counseling, increased success in patient retention. "Treatment retention is the lens through which we did this research," said study co-author Krystel Tossone, a research assistant professor at the university's Center on Trauma and Adversity at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. "If you want to keep a patient on medication-assisted treatment for a longer period of time, methadone is the best option." Implications Tossone said she hopes the research demonstrates the need to expand access to methadone and buprenorphine treatment, noting that medications for OUD aren't always available in some areas. For example, although it's got the shortest retention period of the three medications, naltrexone is often the only medical option available in some areas, she said. "We want to reduce barriers to treatment on a systemic levelto make sure that people who want to get treatment have access," she said. "If you think about any chronic conditions, do we do limit access to medication? Could you imagine if only one diabetes medication was available? The stigmatized nature of opioid use disorderand its treatmenthas created such barriers." Joining Tossone in the study were: Pengyue Zhang, from Indiana University; Robert Ashmead, Tina Bickert, Emelie Bailey, Andrea Bonny, Nathan Doogan and Aimee Mack, from Ohio State University; and Schuyler Schmidt from the Ohio Department of Medicaid. Explore further Ohio has room to expand medication-assisted opioid treatment More information: Pengyue Zhang et al, Examining differences in retention on medication for opioid use disorder: An analysis of Ohio Medicaid data, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (2021). Pengyue Zhang et al, Examining differences in retention on medication for opioid use disorder: An analysis of Ohio Medicaid data,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108686 The moment when Susan Timmins learned her infant daughter had a critical heart defect is seared in her memory. "It was life-altering," she said. "Cataclysmic." It also was just the beginning. Her daughter would need three heart surgeries before she was 3 years old. It was pioneering treatment in the mid-1980s, and it put the family in uncharted medical territory. But it worked. And after a childhood filled with visits to the pediatric cardiologist, they found themselves in a new kind of uncharted territory when her daughter prepared to go away to college. Timmins had spent 18 years overseeing her daughter's care. How does a parent hand over such responsibility? "It was clunky and bumpy at times," said Timmins, a restaurateur in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area who contributed to a new report about managing transition of care in people with congenital heart defects. "If we had had professional guidance, this would have been amazing." The report, published Thursday as an American Heart Association scientific statement in its Journal of the American Heart Association, aims to help families in similar situations and updates best practices first spelled out a decade ago. It's also a call for health care systems to invest in helping the growing number of adults with congenital heart issues, said Dr. Anitha John, who led the expert panel that wrote the statement. "The support that we institute in their care during this time period can really help with maintaining lifelong health care," said John, medical director at the Washington Adult Congenital Heart Program at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. Families play a vital role in the transition process. "As part of the process, parents or caregivers need to change their role as the primary caregiver to the person that's in more of the supportive role. Someone who's still there to help, but not the person that's necessarily calling the shots," said John, who also is an associate professor of pediatrics at George Washington University. The need for guidance has grown as the number of survivors has grown. Timmins, who sits on the board of the Adult Congenital Heart Association, said that when her daughter was treated initially, few people were thinking about the distant future. "The surgeons themselves didn't expect these babies to live to adulthood," she said. So when those children became adults, medicine wasn't ready for them. The statement notes that in developed nations, adult survivors of congenital heart problems now outnumber children with the same conditions. The statement describes several potential models for transition programs and recommends milestones in knowledge that young patients should reach as they age, from having a basic understanding of their condition to grasping how medical insurance works. The statement emphasizes the need for flexible, individualized approaches, especially for patients who also have neurocognitive delays. It also notes systemic issues affecting transition that need to be addressed. Overall, less than a third of the nearly 1.4 million adults living with congenital heart issues are getting specialized care. Part of the problem is access. The statement cites an estimate that half of the U.S. population lives more than an hour away from a reputable adult congenital heart defect center. Survivors who are uninsured, Hispanic or have a lower income are most likely to be affected. Even among people with access, getting young adults who don't feel ill to focus on their health can be a challenge, John said, which is why it's important for health care professionals to talk to patients early. "They are going to have this the rest of their life, and they need to discuss with a doctor about who they should follow up with throughout their life." The entire process, John said, is a family affair. It still is for Timmins and her daughter. These days, Timmins' role is less as director of care than as a sounding board. "She calls me her memory keeper. She has all her medical records, but she points out that she had all the surgeries before she was 3. She doesn't remember them." With no expert guidance when her daughter moved away for college, Timmins said the two of them had to go by instinct. She had to learn how to phone in her own prescriptions and make her own appointments. There were emotional challenges, too. Timmins had always been a fierce advocate for her daughter. When it was time to hand over responsibility, she faced the question of what to do with all that ferocity. "How do you let that go?" Following her child's lead worked giving guidance and support when needed, and letting go when she was ready to take charge, Timmins said. "But following your child's lead with professional support is ideal." Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. The image shows how the spike protein increases the levels of Iba-1 protein in brain-resident immune cells known as microglia. This protein is a marker (an indicator) for the activation of these immune cells and its levels increase during inflammation. Credit: University of Huddersfield Huddersfield researchers were among the first to demonstrate how the induction of brain inflammation accounts for neurological damage in COVID19 patients and now, their findings have been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. The study, published in the journal Molecular Neurobiology led by the University of Huddersfield's Dr. Mayo Olajide, describes how the spike protein used by the coronavirus to enter human cells can have a similar effect on the brain's immune cells as it does with the rest of the body. Dr. Olajide, who's previous research discovered how the onset of Alzheimer's disease can be slowed and some of its symptoms curbed by a natural compound that is found in pomegranate, conducted the potential impact of the Spike Glycoprotein S1 using immune cell lines obtained from mice and is now applying for funding to develop the research further using brain cells from humans. "Following our hypothesis," said Dr. Olajide, "we are now questioning when the coronavirus has affected the brain, could this pose a risk for neurodegenerative disorders further down the line, like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's?" How the coronavirus activates the brain's own immune response According to Dr. Olajide, whilst other research demonstrated the mechanism of why the virus was able to gain access into the brain through the nose, theirs was among the first to demonstrate how the coronavirus activated the brain's own immune response. "It may not be multiplying in the brain, but when it gets into the brain, it can actually induce immune responses and this explains some of the trends people have reported when they have been infected such as continued brain fog and memory loss," he said. Dr. Olajide believes if adequate funding can be achieved the research could prove significant. "The thing with COVID research is so many researchers speculate but less actually carry out the experiments needed to prove their research because it takes such a long time to complete." Dr. Olajide is a Reader within the University's Department of Pharmacy in the School of Applied Sciences. His academic career includes a post as a Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Drug Research at the University of Munich. His Ph.D. was awarded from the University of Ibadan in his native Nigeria, after an investigation of the anti-inflammatory properties of natural products. Explore further Covid can infect brain cells: study More information: Olumayokun A. Olajide et al, SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein S1 Induces Neuroinflammation in BV-2 Microglia, Molecular Neurobiology (2021). Olumayokun A. Olajide et al, SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein S1 Induces Neuroinflammation in BV-2 Microglia,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02593-6 Heres a quick guide to some arts and cultural events coming up in the week ahead. Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival (Thursday-Friday, March 17-18) The 42nd annual festival returns to the Dennison Theatre at the University of Montana on Thursday-Friday. Hear top student musicians from the visiting groups, from middle-school to college, the UM faculty combo, and the festival guest combo. Both concerts start at 7:30 p.m. in the Dennison. Masks are recommended. After Fridays concert, Stave & Hoop will host an after-hours jam session. For tickets, go to griztix.com. ZACC Mini Show opens (Opens Friday, March 18) The 10th anniversary Mini Benefit auction for the nonprofit Zootown Arts Community Center opens in its main gallery, with more than 80 artists. The styles range from classic Missoula weirdness to landscape, in sizes small and budget-bidder friendly to larger pieces for those who want to go big, physically and financially. The opening reception is Friday, March 18, from 5-8 p.m. The bidding opens on March 18 at 5 p.m. for both the silent and live auction pieces. The show will stay on view through March 30. The auction is Saturday, April 2, in the Commercial Building at the Missoula County Fairgrounds. Go to givergy.us/2022ZACCMiniShow for tickets or more information. Brian Maguire: In the Light of Conscience (Opens Friday, March 18) Brain Maguire, an artist from Ireland, makes work that in the modern era is more associated with filmmakers and correspondents: Large-scale paintings that document the aftermath of war. Hes traveled to Juarez, Mexico and the large border zone and Syria and South Sudan. This MAM exhibition, his first in the United States, surveys the gamut of his work. Maguire spends his summers in Hope, Idaho, and has been working with the MAM on an upcoming show on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women that will go on view in 2023. The paintings arent cutting away any of the horrors of its subject matter. The MAM notes that the exhibition contains images that may be upsetting to some viewers. Some paintings reference human rights abuses, graphic images of war and human remains, and that the show is designed to promote dialogue and understanding. The show is on view in the Carnegie Galleries through Aug. 13. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. MCT heads Into the Woods (March 10-13, 18-20) Missoula Community Theatre revisits the classic fairy-tale musical by the late Stephen Sondheim, in which a handful of Brothers Grimm fairy tales are filtered through his unique musical and lyrical sensibility. As the federal and local guidelines have been relaxed, MCT has been able to bump up to a larger cast size and re-opened the orchestra pit for live musicians. David Cody of the University of Montana School of Music is acting as music director he filled that role in a 2010 production of the show from UM that was produced at MCT. Masks are optional indoors now. The show runs Friday-Sunday, March 18-20. For tickets, go to mctinc.org. Live music at Free Cycles (Saturday, March 19) The Spills, a self-identified soul mountain punk jam grass folk group and the the Skurfs, the citys long-running mountain surf band, hit the community bike shop, so pedal on over. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Spills start at 7 p.m. and The Skurfs go on at 8:30 p.m. All ages. Cover is $7 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds, as is the nonprofits policy. Sasha Bell Band, Trans Future, Brute Finesse (Saturday, March 19) A triple bill of Missoula bands heads to the Show Room. Indie-pop songwriter Sasha Bell came up through the Elephant 6 Collective in the late 1990s and early 2000s as part of the Essex Green before relocating to Missoula, where shes started her own band and recorded a new album, Love is Alright. Trans Future formed amidst the pandemic, led by vocalist Kateena Bell and guitarist Chris Knudson of the late gonzo-rock group Rooster Sauce, with Jason Word and Jesse Rockwood on bass and drums, respectively. Also catch late 80s throwback hip-hop with Brute Finesse. Doors to the Show Room open at 7, shows at 7:30 p.m. $10, all ages. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Congregant Michael Snyder loads a pallet with donated food. Congregants of Kneseth Israel Congregation in Annapolis held a food drive for the Jewish holiday of Purim and donated 424 pounds of food to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank, March 17, 2022. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette) While some Annapolis residents celebrated St. Patricks Day, members of the citys Jewish synagogue rang in a different holiday known for merriment and festive costumes by donating hundreds of pounds of food to a local food bank. Members of Congregation Kneseth Israel hauled 425 pounds of food into the Anne Arundel County Food Bank in Crownsville on Thursday in celebration of Purim, a Jewish holiday marked by food sharing and other acts of altruism. Among them was Glenn Carr, who came up with the idea for the food drive. Advertisement I wanted to engage our congregation with some community outreach, and putting this in the spirit of the holiday is a perfect opportunity for that to happen, said Carr, who has attended the synagogue on Spa Road for more than 30 years. Purim is celebrated annually to commemorate the saving of the Jewish people from genocide in Persia in the fifth century B.C. as told in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. The story goes that Haman, the right-hand man of Persian King Ahasuerus, decided to kill all of the Jews in Persia. But thanks to the advocacy of Esther, a Jewish orphan and the kings new wife, Hamans plan was foiled and the Jews of the kingdom were saved. Advertisement Over two days during the Hebrew month of Adar, Jews gather for feasts and carnivals, often masquerading in costumes and masks. There are four mitzvot, or commandments, on the holiday: listening to a reading of the Book of Esther, eating a festive meal, sending food gifts to friends and giving charity to the poor. The congregation took a few liberties with the interpretation of the holiday by combining the latter two commandments, said Rabbi David Sislen, who has led the synagogue since August. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > It totally encapsulates the imperative of the holiday, Sislen said of the food drive. Judaism puts a premium on doing commandments that help other people. Doing tzedakah, or voluntary acts of righteousness, that dont benefit themselves at all, theyre doing it only to help the beneficiaries of this project. The food arrives at a critical time for the Anne Arundel food bank as the number of donations tends to wane after the new year, said Susan Thomas, the food banks chief operating officer. This is a huge help right now. Its definitely the time of year when donations are down, Thomas said. But what weve also seen recently is stores are struggling to keep food on the shelves, and so our retail rescue donations are significantly decreased, which makes food drives like this even more important. While Kneseth Israel has participated in food drives before, tying one to Purim was a novel and wonderful idea, said Michael Synder, who along with two other members, Walt Beckerman and Eliot Cohen, stacked cereal, jars of tomato sauce and other dried goods on the food banks loading dock. Sislen said he was proud of the congregation of 100 or so members for rising to the occasion. Some even made special trips to the grocery store to buy highly sought-after items, like breakfast bars and nutritional shakes, he said. The initiative has raised morale in the congregation and showed that future food drives could be possible, Carr said. Advertisement I think we should always reach out to those who are less fortunate, in general, he said. Its the first time were doing this and you dont know what the response is gonna be, whether you have less than a box [of food] or what, but the response has been tremendous and overwhelming. A former BeeHive Homes employee is accused of physically assaulting two residents last December, according to court documents filed in Missoula Municipal Court on March 9. James M. White is charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. On Dec. 7, city police responded to BeeHive Homes, an assisted living facility on River Road, for a report of an assault on an elderly person. The first victim, who has a developmental disability, told officers one of the caregivers had punched him in the face, causing injury and pain. Video surveillance shows White violently pulling the victim into a chair in the facility living room while yelling at him, court filings say. He proceeded to hold a glass of water above the victims head and threatened to pour it on him. White then picked up the mans feet and slammed them down on a walker. Footage later shows the victim returning to his room. White then went into the mans room several times throughout the evening and was the only one seen in there. At one point after leaving the room, White was seen clutching his own hand, as if he had struck something. The following morning, the victim had an injury on his eye. A few days later, on Dec. 17, officers again responded to BeeHive for a report of an assault that had previously occurred. BeeHive management told investigators they found footage of White assaulting a second resident. Officers reviewed the video, which showed White in the brain care unit with a second victim, who is unable to speak due to a traumatic brain injury. White can be seen trying to get the man out of the chair he was sitting in. The victim doesnt stand up, and the footage shows White grabbing the mans hand. He then punched the second victim in the neck and throat area. The man stood up to try to defend himself, and White pushed him down onto a couch so hard the couch tipped over and the man almost fell over the back of it. He stood back up and White again pushed him, this time into the center of the living room. Charging documents say Whites listed address has been demolished and his number is disconnected, so law enforcement hasn't contacted him yet. John MacDonald, a brother of the first victim, said his family is grateful to hospice workers for responding quickly to his brothers injuries. Our family is thankful and indebted to the visiting hospice staff who recognized and reported (the victim's) assault-related injuries, MacDonald said in a statement. Their quick action and assistance enabled us to get him moved immediately and protect him from further harm. We are deeply troubled by what weve learned about the verbal and physical assault of (the victim) and at least one other resident at this facility and by this employee. However, MacDonald expressed frustration with the prosecution process and the lack of felony charges in his brother's case. We are angry and frustrated that the county attorney chose not to file felony charges, despite investigators making a strong case and recommendation that they were warranted and appropriate, MacDonald said. Weve been forced to question this prosecutors commitment to doing whats right to protect the vulnerable when it doesnt involve an easy win. Missoula Chief Criminal Deputy County Attorney Matt Jennings explained the county attorneys office reviewed the two investigations, but they didnt meet the language in the state's Elder or Developmentally Disabled Abuse or Aggravated Assault statutes. "Unfortunately, those statutes require a serious injury," Jennings said. "The language is too limiting, and I wish the Legislature would address this to give greater consequences for offenders that abuse vulnerable people." The Montana Elder and Persons With Developmental Disabilities Abuse Prevention Act defines a "physical injury" as death, permanent or temporary disfigurement or impairment of any bodily organ or function. The Aggravated Assault statute defines "serious bodily injury" as bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death, causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function or process of a bodily member or organ. Or the injury can reasonably be expected to result in serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function or process of a bodily member or organ. White started working in BeeHives traumatic brain injury unit in 2011, BeeHive Homes Missoula Owner Ty Harding said. All employees are required to pass a background check prior to being brought on Whites returned no criminal history, he added. The allegations were reported to BeeHive ownership the morning following the incident. An internal investigation was done, and White was fired that day, Harding said. The incident came as a shock and disappointment to all of us, Harding added. We have cooperated fully with Adult Protective Services and the local police who investigated the incident. The family encourages anyone with information on Whites whereabouts to contact authorities. White is described in court documents as being a white male with brown hair and blue eyes and in his early 30s. He is estimated to be 5 feet 9 inches tall and 210 pounds. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 10 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. There have been fewer neighborhood complaints and fewer interactions between homeless residents of Missoula and police since a private security firm was hired to patrol neighborhoods adjacent to homeless shelters and authorized camping sites, according to a city official. Weve heard from some of you council members, weve heard from Poverello staff and neighbors in the area that there just arent concerns coming from neighbors in the frequency they were in the last year, explained Emily Armstrong, the citys Reaching Home manager. She was giving an update to the city councils committee of the whole on Operation Shelter, the project the city launched in 2021 to provide services for unhoused individuals rather than allowing illegal urban camping. Armstrong was scheduled to give a presentation on the expansion of the temporary safe outdoor space, the authorized camping site, the Johnson Street emergency winter shelter and increased staff collaboration. But, due to time constraints and a high level of interest, she spent most of the time on the citys contract with Rogers International, a private security firm. Armstrong said data shows that there were fewer instances of police being called since Rogers was hired. Looking at law enforcement calls from February of 2022 and 21, the numbers at both the Poverello Center and (the Johnson Street winter shelter) were both down by a pretty significant amount, she said. (The Rogers International staff) are very involved in the work were doing. Theyre not just an outside team thats separate. Theyve become a really valuable source of information and support for the folks were working with. City council member Daniel Carlino has been posting his concerns on social media about why the city has a contract with armed, private security guards who work for a for-profit company. Armstrong noted that she understands theres been a community conversation happening about the contract with Rogers. I want to acknowledge the concerns and hesitations, she said. Im a social worker by training and Im very attuned to the marginalization of populations who are already over-marginalized and already over-surveilled. And in building this contract, that was very much a lens that we took in thinking about what can and does security look like with these populations. She said the goal with hiring Rogers was to keep both homeless shelter clients and neighborhoods around the homeless shelters safe with 24/7 security. She noted that Rogers staff were trained in de-escalation and mental health first-aid techniques. A six-month review of the citys contract with Rogers is coming up soon, Armstrong said, but initial anecdotal feedback from neighborhoods, agency staff and homeless shelter residents has been positive. That has led to smoother shelter operations and fewer neighborhood concerns. We are now seeing that (interactions with Rogers staff) are minimizing the trauma interactions (with police) that have been happening in the past, she said. Fewer (neighbors) are showing up to neighborhood meetings and calling city council members. That indicates that theres less concern. Armstrong said there are still incidents and concerns, but the city and shelter staff are able to address those more quickly now. City council member Kristen Jordan wanted to know why the private security staff are patrolling neighborhoods around the shelters rather than just the shelter sites. She also wanted to know why the city didnt just hire more city police officers to do the job that Rogers is doing. Armstrong said that the reason why they patrol neighborhoods was because the city got lots of requests from neighbors around the shelters. She noted that schools near the shelters have asked for security to just patrol the area as well. They are patrolling neighborhoods and the initial reason for hiring a security firm was we were hearing from neighbors that they were feeling unsafe, Armstrong said. We talked with local businesses and heard from neighbors that they want that support. Armstrong also noted that the city is using $670,000 of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to keep Rogers staff in place through October of this year. For the Missoula Police department to do that same work, it would cost roughly $2.5 million. Carlino then mentioned a letter that was posted on the Poverello Centers website many months ago, before the security contract was finalized, which noted that the staff of the Pov had mixed feelings about private security. (When the Missoulian first published a story on Rogers International in October of 2021, Pov director of development and advocacy Jesse Jaeger said the shelter staff supported the idea of having private security staff in neighborhoods around the shelter so they could focus on serving clients.) Im concerned the Pov staff has mixed feelings about this, Carlino said. He asked Armstrong if Rogers staff had the authority to use force on our neighbors and whether they have body cameras. Who is overseeing this, like, why do we go through the process to get body cameras on all our police officers yet we just hire a private, for-profit company to then have guns and survey our neighborhoods? Carlino asked. Our police force has a lot of oversight. These people, Im curious if they have oversight from the city. Armstrong replied that the security staff do have the authority to use force and are armed. However, they are not allowed to carry guns into shelters. She also noted that any situation that would require the use of force is probably outside the scope of what they should be handling and they should call law enforcement before it escalates to that level. But in certain instances safety could be an issue. Armstrong also said that the companys day-to-day operations are overseen by their own staff. Before the body camera issue could be answered, Rogers president of operations David Pritchard had problems with his microphone and got cut off. Council member Mike Nugent noted there have been people implying that the city should be spending that $670,000 on something else, such as an effort to house more people. He asked Armstrong what the citys efforts around Operation Shelter would look like without a security presence. Armstrong replied that Operation Shelter was put into place because there were serious challenges with urban camping in neighborhoods around the Poverello Center last year. She noted that people without houses were often put in unsafe and unsanitary situations. Without Rogers, thats what these projects look like, she said. Folks in the area not getting their needs met. Anecdotally, Rogers staff is doing amazing things for the folks theyre interacting with. Theyre helping people into their own homes and getting extra blankets and bringing folks to another staff person. Theyre really trying to integrate and do security in a unique way and know a lot of people individually. Council president Gwen Jones noted that there has been a lot of discussion in the past about the security contract and a lot of work happened last year. Security versus law enforcement is actually a form of constructive intervention with the clients rather than trauma from a law enforcement interaction, Jones said. Its a much better tool. City communications manager Ginny Merriam said the city's citizen services manager has received zero complaints about Rogers International. "She has also had zero complaints from neighbors about safety and unsavory behaviors around Johnson Street, which is very different from last year," Merriam said. "It is important to note that the city engaged Rogers after years of complaints from neighbors of the Poverello and the Emergency Winter Shelter last winter at Johnson Street. Most of the public safety issues do not require police officers. The presence of security officers seems to have a preventative effect." Armstrong's office has not received any complaints about Rogers either. Merriam said that Lydia Arnold, a spokesperson for Missoula Police, said she checked with shift supervisors and administration and has found no complaints filed about Rogers International either. In a statement to the Missoulian, Poverello Center executive director Jill Bonny said the organization's initial concerns and goals were to maintain solid collaboration with the city and Rogers International. "Weve had excellent communications with them throughout this year and we look forward to evaluating security with the City and Rogers," Bonny said. "To meet our mission, the Poverello Center strives to reduce barriers for people accessing shelter and to meet people where they are through a harm reduction framework. Along with communication, this will be the lens we use when we evaluate our winter shelter efforts and security." You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A University of Montana professor in the College of Business is stepping away from his current classes following students' calls for his firing or resignation for racist remarks he made in private communications. Although he is stepping away, Clayton Looney still remains a UM employee and will continue to receive his salary, according to campus spokesperson Dave Kuntz. The news of Looney's decision was first reported by the Montana Kaimin. Looney's classes will be covered by existing faculty in the department for the remainder of the semester and he is expected to return to campus next school year, Kuntz said. At the beginning of March nearly 150 people attended a protest in front of Main Hall to call for the firing or resignation of Looney for using racial slurs against Black people and Muslims. In the private communications, Looney used the "n" word, made jokes about Muslims wearing "towel wraps," and other racist remarks. The university launched a Title IX investigation into the matter, but deemed it a non-workplace issue earlier this fall. Isho Tama-Sweet, an assistant professor of accounting, in an email Wednesday broke the news to students in one of Looney's classes that he would no longer be teaching for the remainder of the semester. In the email, Tama-Sweet provided details to complete the midterm exam and that he would be available during the scheduled class time on Thursday to answer any questions about the test or course in general. He went on the apologize on behalf of the Management Information System Department for "the difficult situation this semester" in the class. "And I want to assure you that we are committed to your success in finishing this class and continuing your progress toward your degree," Tama-Sweet wrote. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Ashamed of Congressman Matt Rosendales representation of Montana, and no longer feeling represented by our increasingly polarized political parties, Gary Buchanan, a financial advisor and longtime public servant, has filed as Independent for U.S. House. The Billings resident with a long track record of working with Republican and Democratic governors plans to appeal to voters who, like himself, occupy a middle ground abandoned by parties drifting right or left. There's an eight-lane highway down the middle of Montana politics. I think both parties have gone to extremes. And I think the only growing segment in Montana politics are Independents, Buchanan said Tuesday. The last straw was Rosendale becoming one of just three U.S. House members to vote against supporting the people of Ukraine. That Montanas only vote in the U.S. House would go against a democracy being sacked by the Russian Federation, was embarrassing. Buchanan was already frustrated by a Rosendale bill introduced weeks earlier to deny aid to Ukraine unless the United States first built a steel wall, 30-feet-tall, along the U.S. border with Mexico. But running as an independent isnt easy in Montana. Buchanan needs 8,722 valid signatures supporting his candidacy. Those signatures have to come from voters in U.S. House District 2, which includes, Billings, Great Falls, Helena, Livingston and all points east. I have until May 31 to get those signatures...And were not going to pay people to get signatures. I dont believe in that, Buchanan said. That makes it more difficult, but I think its attainable. Also more difficult is interacting personally with the public and the press. Politicians have shied away from doing both, Buchanan said. He plans to be his own spokesman and restore in-person, public meetings, which have become rare occurrences for Montanas elected officials. Surprisingly, Buchanan has been received well in Helena, he said, where many were caught off-guard by being drawn into the states Eastern congressional district last fall. The community hugs the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. Several Helena residents had argued for inclusion in the west last October when congressional districts were drawn. Helena is a community Buchanan knows well. He served on the Montana Board of Investments, including a partial term under former Democratic Gov. Ted Schwinden, and a four-year term as chairman under Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Buchanan was also chairman of the state Board of Crime Control. That experience of working with elected officials like former Montana budget director Dave Lewis, and Bob Brown, a former Montana secretary of state, helped shape Buchanans sense of what conservative government representation should be, he said. Government needs to be functional, and the job of assuring it is functional belongs to the people elected. Its no coincidence that Brown, the Montana Republican Partys 2008 candidate for governor, also now identifies as an Independent. I've served half-a-dozen governors, Republican and Democrat, and have been an Independent for a long, long time. So, I know what it's like to be an Independent. What I'm finding out is how many more Independents there are, Buchanan said. And it is the frustration with the fringes of both parties that are really starting to drive people to no longer be interested in party politics. And I think we can provide a place for them to have some influence. Buchanan has an extensive financial background as an executive for D.A. Davidson, Dain Rauscher and his family investment business Buchanan Capital. But hes served on the Montana Capitol Development Board, the state Banking Board, the Montana Power Authority and several others. Those experiences have formed his sense of what turns Montana economic development. High tech is extremely important. And it's great to have technology in certain parts of the state, but I think we are making major mistakes when we forget agriculture, Buchanan said. The right-to-repair issue and agriculture interests me a lot. On natural resources, I think we should be drilling more oil. I do see a future where electric vehicles will be working and taking over, but now what we're showing is a vulnerability. And I hear some of the best drillers in the state criticizing the situation and they should be drilling. If you just look at the lands that are already under lease by the oil companies, well, get going. You got the leases. Drill. We need the oil. Do it the responsible way. Buchanan was a leader in the effort to end cyanide heap leach mining. Mine all gold, but dont destroy Montana rivers in the process, he said. The states original tourism programs were created 40 years ago and Buchanan, a month shy of 73, had a hand in it. Its extremely important that Montanans have access to hunting and fishing on public lands. Hes a former chairman of The Nature Conservancy and an honorary member of National Trout Unlimited. There are nine other people registered as candidates for the Eastern House District. Republicans James Boyette, of Bozeman, Kyle Austin, of Billings, and Charles Walkingchild of Helena will face Rosendale on the June 7 primary. Democrats Mark Sweeney of Phillipsburg, and Billings residents Penny Ronning and Skylar Williams are primary opponents. There are also three Libertarians in the race, Roger Roots, of Livingston, and Sam Rankin, of Billings and Samuel Thomas, of Missoula. Candidates dont have to live in the district to run, though they must reside in the state at the time of the election. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BILLINGS Conservation groups are suing Gov. Greg Gianforte's administration to obtain records related to its decision to drop legal claims against a mining executive over decades of pollution from several mines. The groups, Earthworks and Montana Environmental Information Center, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in state district court in Lewis and Clark County. They said they've been seeking the records since late November. Gianforte spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said the governor's office fulfills records requests in the order they are received and is fulfilling the groups' request on that basis. After Gianforte took office, his Republican administration quit a legal action that sought to block Idaho-based Hecla Mining Co. and its president, Phillips Baker Jr., from involvement in two proposed silver and copper mines in northwest Montana. Baker was an executive with Pegasus Gold, which went bankrupt in 1998, leaving state and federal agencies with tens of million in cleanup costs at several mines, including the Zortman and Landusky mines near the Fort Belknap reservation. A state "bad actor" law enacted in the wake of the Pegasus bankruptcy punishes companies and their executives who don't clean up mining pollution. Under the law, companies and their senior leaders can't receive new mining permits until they've reimbursed the state for past cleanup costs. A separate legal challenge is pending against state officials for allegedly failing to follow that law. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Baltimore Police Department will use a new crime reporting system, joining law enforcement agencies across the country, in a change required by the federal government. The transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, which is mandated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will increase the number of crimes reported. The new system requires law enforcement to report multiple crimes, up to 10, that might be associated with a single incident. Advertisement For example, a burglary at a home in which the burglar assaults a homeowner would result in the entry of at least two separate crimes, the burglary of the home and the assault of the homeowner. Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison touted the changes at a news conference Wednesday, saying the new system will improve data collection. Advertisement This new reporting system provides greater specificity in reporting offenses, enables us to quickly see the bigger picture of an incident, allows for the collection of more detailed crime-related information, helps give context to specific crime issues, identifies patterns and crime in a timely manner and affords greater analytic flexibility of the crime data collected, he said. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > But Harrison said the change will increase the number of offenses. With NIBRS, reported crime numbers will seem higher than [in] the past for certain offences categories. This does not mean crime has increased. It just means the way crimes are reported has changed, allowing us to fight crime more effectively, he said. Previously, under the FBIs Summary Reporting System, the same incident would have required local law enforcement to report only the most serious offense. In 2020, the FBI said 9,880 law enforcement agencies have provided NIBRS data to its Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Baltimore County previously transitioned to the new system in February 2021 and launched an online dashboard with stats. City officials said the new police data will be posted starting later this spring but didnt give a launch date. This is part of a large strategy to enhance the way that we use data across all levels of city government, especially in regards to the safety of our residents, Mayor Brandon Scott said at the news conference. Harrison said the city began the transition last year, and since then, the department has invested in technology such as a new records management system. We have new technology, but it has taken us time to transition, but we started last year, he said. Pastor Tim Campbell loves to make people smile, and he generates grins when he dresses as Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. In a white suit, black western bow tie, black dress shoes and cane, he becomes The Colonel. (Making people smile has) always been his goal even without The Colonel, Tims wife Brenda Campbell said. He loves to make people smile. Campbell likes to go out as The Colonel as much as possible. The pandemic has made that difficult. He said he is excited to start going to events again. I dont want to go home and take this off. I want to leave it on and go somewhere, Tim said. If we go to an event or something, Ill say, Man, I look too good just to go home and change clothes. Lets go to Walmart. Well go to Walmart, walk around and Ill do a dozen pictures with people. Tim, 64, is the pastor at Icard Church of God. Tim has been a pastor since 1982 and The Colonel for 11 years, he said. One thing he said he hopes to do in the future is officiate a wedding as The Colonel. Tim talked about his time as The Colonel. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Becoming The Colonel The Colonel started, when I was pastoring in Burnsville. There was a camp for handicapped children in Burnsville. Its called Camp Funshine. They always celebrate every year. They would have a big celebration. When it starts, it goes from Monday through Thursday. They were celebrating a milestone for KFC. I cant remember what it was. It was an anniversary. They asked me to be Colonel Sanders. People said I looked like Colonel Sanders. Id never played Colonel Sanders before. So, I had a white Easter suit, I found me a cane at the Goodwill, ordered a tie and I got my beard trimmed down like his (signature Van Dyke). It was wonderful just being with those kids. Ill never forget one young man. He looked like he was maybe 25. I came out of the cabin where I got dressed. Hed come to take me over there (to the celebration.) Ill never forget he walked up to me, looked at me, put his arm around me and he said, Well, I thought you was dead. He was a sweet, sweet fellow and we laughed about it. I have to explain to a lot of people that Im not really Colonel Sanders. Ive had people come up to me and say, Wow, are you the real Colonel Sanders? And Id say, No, if I was real Colonel Sanders, Id be almost 132 years old. Community work It has been slow through this pandemic, but we try to go out in the community and spread cheer everywhere. Thats my motto, Spreading cheer everywhere. We have been in the rest homes. I went as The Colonel. Of course, I go as a pastor but I go dressed as The Colonel. Sometimes, I get invited to go to birthdays. Ive got a birthday song I sing. I call it, The Colonels Birthday Song. On the last day of last year, we did an anniversary party. I entertained as The Colonel and Brenda went with me. We sang a couple songs and played a game with them. Sometimes, well go to KFC and buy about four dozen cookies to take to businesses. Well go in and say, We want to bring you a gift for working so hard. We take cookies to the hospital and the rest homes. We take cookies there and give them to the workers, especially during this pandemic. Weve done that twice. Favorite things to do as The Colonel Tim: I love going to restaurants. I love walking in a restaurant as The Colonel and them not knowing Im coming. Weve been to JDs Smokehouse. Sometimes well go to a KFC when they dont know were coming. Weve got a list of restaurants we want to go to, but we havent been able to get out. Nellies Southern Kitchen in Belmont, the Jonas Brothers dad owns that restaurant. We want to go there. I love going to parades. Were hoping to go to Mayberry (Mount Airy) this year, and do the parade there. But its a matter of finding somebody to drive me in the parade. I dont know what were going to do about that. Brenda: Bended Knee Outdoors, you love to go there. Tim: Ive never been there as The Colonel though. I would love to go to an event at Bended Knee Outdoors as The Colonel. (Bended Knee Outdoors is a farm in Granite Falls where veterans can go to hunt, fish and ride horses.) Prayers for veterans Brenda: Since he found out about Bended Knee Outdoors, hes had little soldiers in the church. Tim: We pray for our veterans, Ive got little toy soldiers. I keep them in the church and I ask people to take them home and put one in a place where every time they see that little soldier, theyll say a prayer for our veterans. We really support our veterans, especially during this time. They dont get the support they deserve. Government secrecy doesnt require a high-level security clearance, a locked vault in the bowels of some labyrinthine bureaucracy or clandestine meetings in smoky backrooms. All it takes to keep you in the dark is a Facebook or Twitter account. Elected officials embrace social media when it suits them, using the websites and mobile apps to amplify their message. But when critics use those channels to register dissatisfaction, too many thin-skinned politicians play virtual hide-and-seek, erasing comments and blocking users to evade public scrutiny. That kind of subterfuge is hostile to the very notion of representative government and its unlawful. The First Amendment protects citizens right to communicate with their representatives through any platform used to conduct official business. Preventing people from weighing in is a form of censorship. Its a pretty simple principle: if you are, as a public official, taking up space on a social media platform, you really shouldnt be blocking constituents, said Brooks Fuller, an attorney who serves as director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition. Its a relatively clear legal issue. Federal judges blew the whistle on President Donald Trump for blocking his critics on Twitter. That highly publicized case put the Washington digerati on notice, but that doesnt necessarily mean your city council and school board members understand their online obligations. I think the higher up you go in state and federal government, the less likely it is, Fuller said. The closer you get to local government, I think the more likely you are to see it. In my experience, that assessment rings true. For the better part of a year, a county commissioner unrepentantly zapped my comments from his Facebook page, and it ultimately took legal action to convince him to mind his manners. The ordeal started in late 2020 when the Gaston County Board of Commissioners filed a libel suit against The Gaston Gazette over its news coverage, then dismissed the doomed measure a month later upon realizing a public body cannot be defamed. As a First Amendment advocate and former Gazette reporter, I figured the countys incompetent attempt to intimidate the press warranted a response. So I shared my disappointment with Commissioner Tracy Philbeck, then the boards chairman, writing on his Facebook page that he should have consulted the University of North Carolina School of Government or requested an advisory opinion from the state attorney general before deciding to sue. A self-styled Tea Party populist, Philbeck had long claimed to be a fiscal conservative. I suggested he take responsibility for his leadership failure and personally repay the $3,600 in taxpayer money commissioners spent to prepare the meritless libel suit. The short-lived Gazette grievance enjoyed a longer lifespan than my Facebook comments, which were quickly purged from Philbecks page. Repostings yielded the same result. Engaging the commissioner on Twitter earned me a place on his block list. After current Gaston County residents told me they, too, saw critical comments disappear, I sought help from the Duke University First Amendment Clinic. Professors Sarah Ludington and Nicole Ligon, adjunct professor Amanda Martin and Duke law students Danielle Siegel, Ben Rossi, Olivia Sone and Zane Martin provided top-notch representation. With an expertly drafted civil complaint in hand, we prevailed upon Philbeck to stop removing negative comments and blocking people from any social media account he uses for public business. We signed a settlement agreement on March 4. As of this writing, the commissioner has kept his word. On occasion, tweets complete with screen captures showing evidence of politicians unlawful blocking bubble to the surface in my Twitter timeline. Fuller isnt sure if thats just the tip of the iceberg. I dont have a lot of empirical evidence about how prevalent it is, he said. I think there are probably a lot of folks who suffer in silence. If local officials are ghosting you on social media, Fuller suggests alerting the city or county attorney, who can then instruct the offending party to reverse course. Not all will be as recalcitrant as my friend Commissioner Philbeck. And even he eventually saw the light. Any public servant who isnt willing to be transparent, after all, has no business holding elected office in the first place. Corey Friedman is an opinion journalist who explores solutions to political conflicts from an independent perspective. Follow him on Twitter @coreywrites. To find out more about Friedman, visit www.creators.com. Share this: March 17, 2022 by Leah LaCivita Category: Energy Resources and Conservation Automakers are planning to produce nearly one million electric vehicles (EV) in 2022, and with these new cars will come a need for a strong EV charging infrastructure. State support of EV use is already robust: There is a sales/use tax exemption for the purchase of new or used EVs and a separate exemption for the purchase and installation of EV infrastructure (i.e., EV charging station). Additionally, Washington already began developing a charging infrastructure way back in 2010 as part of the West Coast Electric Highway, which features EV fast-charging stations every 25-50 miles along I-5, U.S. 101, and California Highway 99, spanning from Whistler, British Columbia, to the California-Mexico border. Governor Jay Inslees proposed 2022 budget includes $22.9 million to build out the states EV charging infrastructure, and the 2021 federal infrastructure package dedicates $7.5 billion to building a nationwide network, with plans to spend another $2.5 billion specifically in rural areas or other communities that may not attract third-party vendors like Charge Point or EVgo. Given the new funding available and the role that EVs can play in lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, many local governments are planning to add EV charging stations in their communities. This blog will look at a few items to consider. The Basics An EV charging station is a free-standing piece of equipment that delivers an electrical charge to a vehicle when it is plugged in to the charger. There are currently three charging levels (1, 2, and 3), which are categorized by the voltage at which electricity is delivered to a vehicle. Notably, a single charging station can only offer one level. At 100-120 volts, Level 1 is the slowest charging option, similar to the electricity coming from a standard wall outlet, which is enough to power small household appliances. A Level 1 charger can easily be installed at a single- and/or multi-family structure without overwhelming the existing electrical system. However, at this low voltage an EV would have to be plugged in for several days before achieving a full charge. At 220-240 volts, Level 2 charges significantly faster than Level 1 An EV with an empty battery can gain a full charge in 8-10 hours. This voltage level is what powers a standard dryer, which means a Level 2 charging station requires grounding and ground-fault protection. With proper installation and permitting oversight, Level 2 chargers can be installed at single-family homes and in multi-unit developments. Level 3, also known as DC Fast Charge, offers 400+ volt charging, making it the fastest and most efficient of the three level, reducing the 8-10 hours on a Level 2 charger to a mere 1-2 hours. Any structure that lacks the high-voltage supply required for Level 3 (i.e., single-family home) cannot support these chargers. As EVs become more sophisticated, todays median-range models can go from 200-220 miles on a fully charged battery pack more than half the distance between Seattle and Spokane. On average, though, U.S. drivers rack up only 29 miles/day, and many EV drivers use public charging stations to top off or charge the battery just enough to get to the next destination. This can mean an EV owner may spend an hour or more shopping or eating in your community while charging their car. Seeing the potential economic benefits, some local governments develop zoning codes to encourage EV charging stations near malls, commercial hotspots, a downtown corridor, or a similar location that offers easy access to amenities. GIS-enabled applications like PlugShare makes it easy for drivers to locate charging stations across the country and for local governments to use when considering where to target new stations. Regulating EV Charging Stations Many Washington cities have code provisions that create standards and regulations for EV charging stations, and depending on the charger level (voltage requirement) may restrict its location to specific zones. Another approach is to require conditional or special use permits for high-voltage (i.e., Level 2 or 3) charging stations. The sample codes below make use of one or both approaches, sometimes simultaneously: In contrast, Des Moines Municipal Code Sec. 18.205.060 permits any type of charger in all zoning districts but specifically does not allow them in the right-of-way (ROW). In 2021, the state legislature adopted HB 1287 (codified as RCW 19.27.540). Among other things, it tasked the Washington State Building Code Council with adopting rules for EV infrastructure installation: Any new construction that includes parking facilities must dedicate 10% of parking spaces to accommodate EV charging. In a similar vein, here are local governments that require new or retrofitted developments to dedicate space to EV charging stations. Covington Municipal Code Sec. 18.50.170 applies different EV charging station requirements for new development, depending on the zone in which the development is located. Edmonds is considering changes that would require the installation of EV chargers in most new developments, including one per each new single-family unit. A draft code amendment was proposed to the city council in mid-February with a public hearing planned for March 22. King County Ord. 19316 requires new multi-unit developments and substantially remodeled developments to dedicate 10% of their parking spots to EV charging stations and to set aside an additional 25% for future EV charging station installation. Mountlake Terrace Municipal Code Sec. 19.126.040 includes a table that identifies what percentage of parking spaces much be devoted to EV charging, depending on land use type. Pierce County Ordinance 2021-46s requires all single-family homes built after January 2022 have appropriate electrical supply and a parking space with EV charging or a nearby outlet for charging. Exceptions are made when there is no public utility or commercial power supply, or the homes do not have garages or other on-site parking. Approaches to Encourage EV Adoption In the U.S., the transportation sector is the largest source of GHG emissions, making up 29% of the national total. EV adoption at all levels (household, organizational) can help a local government meet its GHG reduction goals. Actions taken to promote EV adoption include offering incentives for/removing barriers to the installation of EV charging stations (including in residential areas) and replacing gas-powered fleet vehicles with EVs. Incentives Local governments have relaxed requirements or otherwise offered incentives to encourage the installation of EV charging stations. Walla Walla Municipal Code Sec. 20.156 allows an EV charging station space to be included in the calculation for minimum required parking spaces that are required in a development. Quincy Municipal Code Sec 20.38.035(B) incentivizes various 'green design elements for new construction, including a maximum 10% bonus density credit for the incorporation of (s)olar design, electric vehicles, and other energy alternative considerations into new developments. Tacomas five-year Electric Vehicle Charging Station Pilot Program, launched in 2019, incentivizes EV charging station installation by temporarily lifting the occupancy permit requirement (and associated costs) for property owners who wish to install EV charging equipment in the ROW near their property. Equipment installed through the program can stay in place, but the homeowner may be required to obtain a ROW occupancy permit after the program ends. The city offers a helpful FAQ. Municipal fleet electrification Some municipalities have decided to transition part or all their fleet to EVs. King County Municipal Code Ch 18.22 calls for the executive to transition the countys bus, rideshare, and county-owned vehicle fleets to 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2043. Other local governments with green fleet programs include Seattle, Bellingham, Clark Public Utilities, and Pierce Transit. These jurisdictions have also built out the local EV charging infrastructure and often operate charging stations for municipal as well as public use. When the EV Charging Station Is Municipal Owned Some local governments operate chargers in/around their facilities to support EV adoption (including among employees) and/or to power their EV-based fleets. For example, Bellevue owns and operates 23 EV charging stations, the majority of which are located on city facilities and are publicly available. City staff are working to install additional charging stations at city hall and in major city parks and to change codes and permitting processes that will make it easier for individuals to install charging stations. Other municipalities operating charging stations include Pierce County, Puget Sound Energy, Clark Public Utilities, Chelan County, Snohomish County, and Tacoma. When the local government is the owner/operator of an EV charging station, it raises the issue of whether to include a fee for public use of these stations. If a local government does not charge a fee, will this violate the gift of public funds prohibition in the Washington State Constitution? Our Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: To Charge or Not to Charge blog covers this issue in detail, and there has not been any new guidance to settle the question of whether free EV charging can be defined as a public good or if it benefits only a narrow group of individuals. Instead, local governments have taken a variety of approaches. Some offer free public charging, such as Chelan County, while others charge for usage, including Tacoma, which charges $3 per a 5-hour session, and Seattle, which charges $0.33 per kilowatt/hour (kWh) during weekday hours and slightly less outside of those times. Another option is to offer EV charging for free but apply a parking fee. Snohomish County PUD takes this approach at a parking garage located next to the Angel of the Winds Casino, a popular destination for live shows. Conclusion While the new federal funding and a possible new state funding for building out EV infrastructure is welcomed news for local governments, it should be noted that our Climate Action Funding and General Resources webpage offers additional funding sources to consider. Happy driving! MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions. Its Marko Lucich, not Mark OLucich, and hes not Irish Catholic, hes Serbian Orthodox. And even though hes lived in Butte since he was 3, hes not a Butte native. He was born in Anaconda. So how is it that hes one of three grand marshals who will be in Thursdays St. Patricks Day Parade in Butte after the previous two were nixed by COVID concerns? In short, hes beloved here and thats Butte. People think my name is OLucich, he said, laughing. Really, its just an honor. I really see Butte and Anaconda as melting pots of ethnic backgrounds. And I think its a good example of our family, where theres many different nationalities in one family. Lucich grew up in Butte and was a juvenile probation officer here for 28 years before he was named executive director of the Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce in 2003. He stepped down in 2016 due to medical reasons and has had several brain surgeries in recent years, but hes doing well and was smiling and laughing on Tuesday as he looked forward to the parade. Father Tom Haffey was named grand marshal for the parade in 2020, but it was canceled just after COVID-19 hit in March 2020. Lucich was marshal last year, but that parade was canceled, too. This year, grand marshals are John and the late Monica Cavanaugh of Cavanaughs County Celtic, but all three will be in the parade that starts at noon Thursday in Uptown Butte. For the record, Lucichs father, Johnno Lucich, was Serbian and served as undersheriff in Anaconda before he became chief deputy U.S. Marshal when Marko was 3 and moved the family to Butte. Markos mother, Donnie, was a Lazetich and also Serbian. Marko has an aunt in Anaconda, Mary Laughlin (now Young), who is 100% Irish but her daughter, Milana, is half Irish, half Serbian. But really, its all good in Butte. Author Agnes Getty put it this way decades and decades ago: Even the people were paradoxical, she wrote. One might pass in the course of a single block as many as 25 nationalities to say nothing of the many cross strains. At the corner of Park and Main on a Saturday afternoon one could brush elbows with the world. Its the people, from so many places and so many backgrounds, that make Butte special, Lucich said. In Butte, anyone can get in on anything, including St. Patricks Day. I mean, during the summer we have the Serbian Fest, we have the Folk Festival, we have An Ri Ra, and then the Fourth of July parade, celebrating our independence, he said. So if you just look at one month in one year in Butte, Montana, you have so many different things going on that are so significant in our lives. There are more examples of the community getting behind everything we do, he said, including fundraisers for those who are hurting or have mounting medical bills. People did that for Lucich in 2016 after hed had numerous scans, tests and surgeries to diagnose and treat a brain condition known as a chronic subdural hematoma. This community has a heart of gold and Im just blessed I moved to Butte, Montana, he said. Its from the heart. Its not a facade. Its from the heart. Lucich expects a big crowd for the parade and other St. Patricks Day festivities in Butte on Thursday. The weather is cooperating and people are just excited to come out of their houses and be together with other people and celebrate, he said. Love 6 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The state psychiatric hospital is more than $7 million over budget, largely due to its growing reliance on contract staff, state officials said Wednesday. The Montana State Hospital has seen its ranks of full-time staff decline since early 2019, according to figures Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Meier presented to lawmakers on Tuesday. The hospital's fix in the time since has been an increased use of contract employees, who sometimes make more than twice as much as full-time employees. Testifying before a different legislative committee on Wednesday, Meier said the state hospital is $7.4 million over its budget for the current fiscal year alone. "The majority of it is reliance on contract staff over state staff," DPHHS Chief Financial Officer Kim Aiken told the budget committee. Meier's Tuesday presentation showed contracted certified nurses assistants billed hours last year jumped 700%, from 2,000 hours billed to 16,000. Vacancies in full-time staff have gotten lawmakers attention in the last two days: full-time registered nurses, for example, are experiencing a 72.5% vacancy rate. The cost of contract staff is simply the market rate, Meier said. The issue is retaining full-time staff, and while the department has approved wage increases for hundreds of employees in recent months, Meier's described his approach as a strategic, long-term effort, rather than making snappy decisions. "One thing I will say is that we didn't get here overnight," he told lawmakers. "These are long-standing issues that have continued to incrementally get worse as it relates to staffing in particular." As a result of significant noncompliance with federal health rules uncovered by inspectors last month, the state hospital will also be required to conduct a root cause analysis in concert with a third party. While that analysis is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in order for the hospital to continue receiving federal reimbursement dollars, DPHHS began searching for a contractor to stabilize the workforce since late last year. "I think we can be more strategic about how we're training, how we're onboarding, how we're staffing and trying to maintain as much consistency as possible within certain units," Meier said Wednesday. But the deficiencies identified by CMS have resulted in deaths, four of which were deemed preventable and a fifth that the state hospital failed to investigate, according to CMS. Lawmakers for weeks have urged more immediate action in light of the urgent situation in Warm Springs. During a Wednesday meeting of one of the legislative-created committees that recommends how the state spends hundreds of millions directed to Montana under part of the American Rescue Plan Act, state Rep. Kim Abbott, D-Helena, asked about the possibility of using some of those funds to address the staffing problems. Last year Gov. Greg Gianforte approved the creation of a program that offers up to $12,500, plus money to offset taxes on that amount, to health care workers who move to Montana and take eligible jobs. Abbott asked Scott Eychner, administrator of the Workforce Services Division in the state Department of Labor and Industry, if there had been any discussion of using ARPA money for retention in addition to recruitment. "It seems like what we're missing is retention," Abbott said, citing the state hospital's budget shortfall. "It feels like we're sort of pouring water into a bucket with a hole in it if we're not addressing retention." Eychner said health care workers are in a "seeker's market" and that traveling staff have all the bargaining power. He said while there have been conversations about using ARPA funding for retention efforts, there are no specific proposals yet and that he thought other state agencies or leadership outside the Commerce department would be better suited to make those suggestions. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Missoulas first known resident grizzly bear family may awake from hibernation to a crowd. Although the sow and three cubs of the year havent yet been seen this spring in the mountains around Snowbowl Ski Resort, a group of activists have already sent letters to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and other state and federal officials calling for the grizzlies protection. And although the quartet has a record of raiding human food sources in the Lavalle Creek drainage northwest of Missoula, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists have no pre-set plans for what to do when the bears emerge from their winter den. Theyre not even sure where that den is. Were trying to be ahead of the situation, said Brett Haverstick of Wilderness Watch, one of 26 environmental and conservation organization members who wrote to Haaland, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams and FWS Grizzly Recovery Coordinator Hilary Cooley about the family group. "Those bears are much more valuable alive than dead particularly the female. If they get into any human food, that kill order might be sought. We think theyre not only essential for our community and identity, but also for what bears mean for biological recovery and the future of grizzly connectivity in the Northern Rockies bioregion. Theyre particularly important for dispersal into the Bitterroots. The letter suggests relocating the grizzlies to the Sapphire, Pintler or John Long mountain ranges southeast of Missoula. That region lies outside the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, which has around 1,000 resident grizzly bears. It is also outside the Bitterroot Ecosystem, an area designated for grizzly recovery along the Montana-Idaho border wilderness and roadless areas. FWP Region 2 bear manager Jamie Jonkel said the mother bear has no radio collar or DNA details on file. However, he suspects the sow is the same one that broke into a LaValle Creek chicken coop in 2020, and then did it again exactly a year later in 2021. Last fall, that grizzly and her cubs were tracked breaking into several food sites, including an unoccupied cabin with freezers full of rotting meat. Jonkel said as of this spring the grizzly and her offspring arent considered conflict animals yet. If she comes back out of hibernation and doesnt break into a house immediately, well go out of our way to relocate her or give her another chance, Jonkel said. But once you get a bear breaking and entering home sites, you cant really relocate that to another community. And she learned some bad stuff last fall. If I have to set a trap for a bear that ripped open the front door of a house, that would be a conflict bear. To complicate matters, the Legislature passed a new law prohibiting state FWP bear managers from relocating a grizzly captured in a conflict situation. That means the state staff must contact federal FWS bear personnel to move the bear, kill it at the site or let it go. Relocating grizzlies that have become habituated to human food has multiple complications. Some grizzlies return to concentrating on natural food sources and avoid future trouble. Others seek out the first sack of dog food they smell. Bear managers also have to consider the existing occupants of a relocation site. Jonkel said the last thing he wants to do is move a trouble-prone grizzly bear into a place where people have never had resident grizzlies and whose food may not be bear-proofed. Grizzly bears have been spotted and tracked along the northern fringe of the Missoula Valley for at least a decade, but few appear to have denned or become active users of the area. Thats likely to change as the bears explore southern routes into the Bitterroots and the remote areas extending toward the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the southeast and the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem to the northwest. To get ahead of that, a group of Missoula volunteers have started organizing a Bear Smart Community project aimed at keeping both people and grizzlies safe. Retired FWS grizzly recovery coordinator Chris Servheen is one of the project leaders. We need to get off the idea that you just call FWP and they magically make bears disappear, Servheen said. Thats just the symptom. Responding afterward is not the solution to the problem. Its just a never-ending bunch of dead bears. Bear Smart was developed in British Columbia, and has been successfully deployed in Red Lodge, Virginia City and soon Whitefish. Its first step is to map problem areas locations like the Rattlesnake, Grant Creek, Butler Creek and Pattee Canyon areas where chicken coops, compost piles, orchards and other bear attractants proliferate. The next step is an action plan to raise community awareness of the problem and encourage better behavior. Servheen said it would build on Missoulas Be Bear Aware effort, which developed a buffer zone around the city with enforceable ordinances to discourage leaving attractants where bears can get them. We need to get everybody in the community to feel theyre part of the solution to this, Servheen said. Bears are not an expendable commodity. We can do better than that. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Eight suspected members of a gang whose aim was to control Columbia, according to the Howard County states attorney, have been indicted by a grand jury on a variety of charges. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced Wednesday that the men, all members of the criminal gang 59 Hoover, were indicted on March 2 on charges related to criminal gang activity including murder, attempted murder, robbery, assaults, weapons offenses and felony drug distribution. Advertisement Tavon Hawkins, 32, of Baltimore; Antonio Haywood, 30, of Baltimore; Terrence Hux, 35, of Pikesville; Anthony Jenkins, 34, of Columbia; Jeremi Lewis, 34, of no fixed address; David Wainwright, Jr., 34, of Ellicott City; and Daquan Woodson, 20, of Columbia, were all indicted and are being held without bond. Justin Harper was also charged in the case. He is serving an 18-month sentence that ends in May at the Central Maryland Correctional Facility, according to the county executives office. These indicted individuals put our residents, our neighbors, our friends and our families in danger and that is unacceptable, Ball said. We are now one step closer to holding these suspects accountable for providing some closure on crimes that have disturbed our community going back a decade. Advertisement Ball thanked Howard Countys police department, sheriffs office and state attorneys office for their diligence and professionalism that delivered a significant blow to violent crime here in Howard County. We expect by taking these violent offenders off our streets [it] will have a real impact on our communities, said Police Chief Gregory Der. A national criminal organization, the Hoover gang formed in Los Angeles, California, and the local sect 59 was first detected in the county in 2005, according to Rich Gibson, states attorney for Howard County. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > This group of individuals that we indicted represents the core members, the leadership of the organization, the people that are integral members and pivotal members of 59 Hoover sect in Howard County, Gibson said. The crimes alleged in the indictment span two years, beginning in 2020. The natural competition for gangs are police and other gangs, Gibson said. There werent other gangs in the area to kind of limit that rate of growth. Advertisement Gibson said other members of the gang are still at large. We, the leadership, as well as the community, work tirelessly to root out any gangs or criminal activity, Gibson said. We are not going to tolerate this kind of behavior. ARCHIVED - More Spaniards move out of Spain to live and work abroad The UK was one of the top 3 countries of choice for Spanish expats, most of them aged 16-64 According to the latest data from the INEs Register of Spaniards Resident Abroad (PERE), the number of people with Spanish nationality living abroad reached 2,742,605 on January 1, 2022. This represents an increase of 3.3% (87,882 people) with respect to the data from the same day last year. In the year of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Spanish population living abroad increased, but by a more modest 1.4%. By continent, during 2021, 59% of those registered abroad were resident in the Americas, 37.2% in Europe and 3.8% in the rest of the world. During 2021, though, the largest increases in Spanish expats were to countries in Europe, with 45,313 Spaniards choosing to emigrate elsewhere on the continent. The bulk of them were of working age between 16 and 64 years old. Specifically, 15.5% of those registered in the PERE on 1 January 2022 were under 16 years of age, 62.3% were aged 16 to 64 and 22.2% were of retirement age 65 or over. The most popular foreign countries for Spaniards to move to, with the largest increases in relative terms, were Morocco (10.8%), the United Kingdom (9.6%) and Colombia (9.3%). The Spanish population decreased in Ecuador (-1.1%), Uruguay (-0.4%), Bolivia and Peru (-0.3% in both countries). Image: Archive MUSCATINE Like many Iowans, Muscatine city, county and school officials say they too are feeling the pinch at the pump as gas prices soar. But thanks to bulk purchasing, accurate forecasting and some built-in budget cushioning, officials said they do not anticipate the recent hike in gas prices to significantly impact services. The average price of gas in Iowa on Thursday was $3.89 a gallon down 2 cents from a week ago, but up 56 cents from the last month and nearly $1.09 higher than a year ago, according to AAA. In Muscatine County, prices were higher, with the average price of regular gasoline selling for $3.965 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. Iowans, though, were paying about 39 cents less than the nationwide average for regular gas. Despite uncertainty as to how soon gas prices will level off or decline, both city of Muscatine and Muscatine County officials said residents should not have worry about reduced services or increased fees. City of Muscatine Finance Director Nancy Lueck said it was too early to quantify the impact rising fuel prices will have on city services and operations, but expected the city to be able to shoulder the increased cost. "The city departments did budget for increased gas rates, but (these current prices) are probably higher than what we have included in the budget, so we will be monitoring the gas cost in the various departments," and adjusting department budgets as needed on a "case-by-case" basis, Lueck said. "If the departments bottom line on their budgets is higher than estimated, and this could be due to a number of things, we do allow for one more budget amendment which will be in May of this year," Lueck said. "So we will be going through all of the budgets for fuel and any other increased costs." For those residents who depend on transportation through the citys MuscaBus service, Lueck added that the city was not planning on increasing any MuscaBus fees as a result of higher fuel prices. "The transit operation specifically has received a lot of federal grants that will assist in covering those kinds of increased cost," Lueck said. Other city departments that may be impacted by rising gas prices include the Muscatine police, fire, public works and parks and recreation departments, including refuse collection. Lueck added she did not foresee needing to cut solid waste collection days. We will need to monitor the services throughout our city, but again we do monitor the bottom line within our departments, she said. We also dont have any budget cuts (as a result of the gas increase) planned at this time. For Muscatine County, while departments such as the Sheriffs Office and County Engineer use the most gas, County Budget Director Sherry Seright assured that county services and operations should not be greatly impacted by price increases due to the county's practice of buying gas in bulk. "Our county departments fuel their vehicles at the engineers pump and are invoiced monthly for their usage," Seright said. "So far, there has been no impact because when (the engineer) buys in bulk, theyre buying it cheaper than you can get it at the pump." County officials have budgeted for a 20% increase in fuel costs for the fiscal year beginning July 1, increasing to $149,000 from $124,000 budgeted for the current fiscal. "With the amount we have budgeted and the amount that the departments use, unless something goes completely haywire, I dont expect well be doing anything any different this year, Seright said. "I wouldnt expect that were going to cut costs in any other areas based on fuel prices. Muscatine Community School District communications director Tony Loconsole, in a statement, said a majority of the the district's shool buses (40 of them) run on propane. "That (propane) runs around $1.52 per gallon," Lonconsole wrote. "We've been sparsely using our gas-powered school buses. In addition to that, the district does have a fleet of gas-powered vans, along with several gas-powered vehicles at MHS. Fuel prices have not forced us to cancel anything yet, but it is something we are closely monitoring. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the set of Netflixs live-action anime series One Piece on Thursday, which is filming on location at Cape Town Film Studios. One Piece is Netflixs biggest production project in Africa to date in terms of scale and budget, covering South African labour, infrastructure, and suppliers, the Presidency said in a statement. The production involves more than 50 South African cast members, over 1,000 crew member jobs, and an Academy of Creative Excellence mentorship programme for more than 30 young creatives and technicians in collaboration with the SA Film Academy. The Presidency said that Cape Town Film Studios represents an investment of over R1 billion since 2010 to create a state-of-the-art film studio complex. The studios are the premiere film production destination in the southern hemisphere. It said the complex had enabled over 100 productions, with a collective budget of over US$2 billion (R29.8 billion). Cape Town Film Studios has been the catalyst over the past 12 years for the Western Cape to benefit from the significant multiplier offered by the film industry, generating an estimated R7 billion per year and totalling more than R100 billion to the region over this period, said the Presidency. Similar facilities are envisaged with the development of eThekwini Film City in Durban later this year. Photos of the visit are embedded below. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has announced the conclusion of the much-anticipated high-demand radio frequency spectrum auction. The auction involved six qualified bidders: Cell C, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, MTN, Rain Networks, Telkom, and Vodacom. Between the six operators, they bid just less than R14.5 billion to acquire sough-after cellular network capacity to help build out their 4G and 5G networks. If collected, the money will go to the national fiscus. Icasa reported that the main auction stage, which ran from 10 to 17 March, comprised 58 rounds of bidding. There was one unsold spectrum lot of 2x10MHz in the IMT800 Band. Icasa will license this spectrum in future. The next stage in the auction process will be the assignment round, which is purely an administrative process and will be held on Tuesday, 22 March 2022, to determine the actual spectrum ranges to be assigned for all the lots bought in the various bands, Icasa stated. This was our inaugural radio frequency spectrum auction, and we are really grateful to have reached this stage without any hassles and challenges from the first day of the actual auction to date, said Icasa chairperson Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng. This shows South Africas capability as an investment-friendly destination. Modimoeng also thanked the Icasa staff involved for their stamina and commitment to ensuring that the spectrum licensing process was completed successfully. This auction was indeed in the best interest of all South Africans, as will be the subsequent licensing interventions post governments revision of the Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN) Policy, Modimoeng stated. MTN said that the R5.2 billion price it bid compares favourably with global benchmark averages of approximately $0.083MHz-POP according to Coleago Consulting for spectrum in similar auctions. This is the first time in approximately 17 years that spectrum has been released on a permanent basis in South Africa and increases MTN SAs total permanent spectrum holdings from 76MHz to 176MHz, the mobile network operator stated. The spectrum has been allotted for a 20-year period and on a technology-neutral basis. MTN SA said it would use the spectrum to enhance 4G and 5G connectivity and the capacity of its network, while also expanding rural, peri-urban, and urban network coverage. Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub also promised to extend their 4G and 5G network coverage to more parts of the country and improve quality of service, while addressing the cost to communicate. Although the outcome of the spectrum auction pricing was high, Vodacom is pleased with the outcome of the auction, which is a win for all of our customers who can in the coming years benefit from even wider coverage, faster speeds and enhanced network quality, Joosub said. The licensing of new spectrum in South Africa is also expected to accelerate post-pandemic economic recovery and fast track digital inclusion. Vodacom said the amount it bid would become payable 30 working days after Icasa awards their spectrum. Opt-In Auction results Spectrum lots Acquired in Opt-In Auction and associated revenue Bidder 700 800 2600 3500 TOTAL (ZAR) Telkom 20 R1,504,815,407.10 Liquid Telecom Cell C Rain 20 10 R1,151,274,105.50 Revenue R2,656,089,512.60 Main Auction Stage results Spectrum lots acquired in Main Auction Stage and associated revenue Bidder 700 800 2600 3500 TOTAL (ZAR) Telkom 22 R608,800,000.00 Liquid Telecom 4 R111,000,000.00 Cell C 10 R288,200,000.00 Rain 10 R280,100,000.00 MTN 20 40 40 R5,152,100,000.00 Vodacom 20 80 10 R5,381,600,000.00 Unsold 20 Revenue R11,821,800,000.00 Totals per operator Total spectrum lots acquired per bidder and associated financial commitment Bidder 700 800 2600 3500 TOTAL (ZAR) Telkom 20 22 R2,113,615,407.10 Liquid Telecom 4 R111,000,000.00 Cell C 10 R288,200,000.00 Rain 20 20 R1,431,374,105.50 MTN 20 40 40 R5,152,100,000.00 Vodacom 20 80 10 R5,381,600,000.00 Unsold 20 Total Revenue Generated R14,477,889,512.60 Now read: Spectrum chaos in South Africa A car crashed into a trailer that was separated from a semi-truck Wednesday afternoon, blocking American Canyon Road, the California Highway Patrol reported. The incident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. east of Flosden Road and west of Interstate 80 near the border of Napa and Solano counties, according to Officer Jason Tyhurst of the CHPs Solano County bureau. A trailer detached from a semi and was left behind by the driver, who was unaware of the mishap, Tyhurst said. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Later, an oncoming car struck the detached trailer, causing minor injuries to the driver. Eventually, the truck driver returned to the scene after realizing the trailer had been lost, according to Tyhurst, who said the case is not being treated as a hit-and-run incident. The Napa County Sheriffs Office announced the closure of American Canyon Road in a Nixle alert at about 4:25 p.m. The road reopened at about 5:47 p.m., the agency later reported. American Canyon will spend $1.6 million as it continues trying to solve its water crunch by participating in the tag-team effort to build Sites Reservoir 75 miles away in Colusa and Glenn counties. Were almost there," City Councilmember David Oro said. "Its further along than ever. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: Subscribe for $5.99 per mo The city is the only Napa County city that doesnt get some of its water from a local reservoir. It depends on highly variable State Water Project supplies coming from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through the North Bay Aqueduct. Instead of building a local reservoir, the city in 2017 joined about 30 cities, water districts and agencies trying to build Sites Reservoir. Sites is to cost about $4 billion, store water pumped from the Sacramento River and be larger than Lake Berryessa. On Tuesday, the American Canyon City Council agreed to pay $1.6 million over three years for the latest Sites planning phase, regardless of whether Sites ever gets built. If we cant make this happen, its a sign of a failed state, in the state of California, if we cant bring more water, Oro said. The idea for Sites Reservoir dates back a few decades, with the Sites Project Authority forming in 2010 to manage the effort. The present construction schedule has a groundbreaking in a couple of years and water being delivered at the end of the decade. Sites reached a milestone in December. The California Water Commission, after reviewing environmental reports, proposed benefits and financing plans, determined the project is feasible. That keeps the project eligible for $800 million in state money. American Canyons homes, businesses and industries use about 2,800 acre-feet of water annually. The city has a 5,200-acre-foot annual allocation from the State Water Project, but the state usually reduces this to an average of 3,200 acre-feet annually, according to city reports. Given water squeezes amid droughts and planned growth, the city wants another water source. Sites would provide 4,000 acre-feet annually. I think thats what attracted all of us to this more reliability and more supply, Mayor Leon Garcia said. California hasn't seen large, new reservoirs created in recent decades in part because of environmental concerns. Sites proponents point out that the project wouldn't dam a river, but rather would pump in Sacramento River water. But Sites has critics. The Natural Resources Defense Council last year stated the planned Sacramento River water diversions could harm salmon and other fish. Water stored in Sites would later be released back into the Sacramento River when needed. American Canyon would get its allocations from the Delta through the North Bay Aqueduct, just as it does its State Water Project supplies. American Canyon decided in 2017 to be part of the Sites effort and agreed to pay $120,000 for planning that year. In 2019, it agreed to pay $240,000. Now comes the $1.6 million over three years. A future funding piece will be helping to pay for construction. City Manager Jason Holley said that, beyond state and federal funding, construction costs would be paid by the participating agencies, such as American Canyon. The Sites Project Authority would issue bonds and American Canyon would help pay for the financing as part of the water rate upon delivery. Among the other Sites project members are the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Irvine Ranch Water District, Westside Water District, Davis Water District and San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. Garcia and City Councilmember Mark Joseph said American Canyon's water delivery system faces a challenge that the Sites project won't solve. That's the location of the North Bay Aqueduct's Delta pumps in Barker Slough in Solano County, where water quality is poor and rare fish can restrict pumping. "It is the Achilles' heel of our water system," Joseph said. "The sooner we can fix it, the better. But the possible solution is an entirely different project that involves relocating the Barker Slough pumps to the Sacramento River south of Sacramento. Solano County and Napa County water interests have explored relocating the pumps for more than a decade. Cost is a barrier. You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Downtown Napa will soon be seeing new signs. The Napa City Council unanimously approved a new signage program Tuesday, set to be funded by the Downtown Napa Association through the Downtown Napa Property and Business Improvement District (PBID) at a cost of $450,000. About $50,000 to $100,000 is still needed, however, to install planned signage at city buildings and signs located outside of the PBID. The PBID, created by property owners in 2005, is funded through a tax assessment on properties in the Downtown Napa and Oxbow areas. The signage update is needed because the citys current downtown signs are over 20 years old and have deteriorated over the years, according to economic development manager Neal Harrison. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. They have patched-over fonts, different colors and incorrect information, Harrison said at the meeting. A good example of that is the visitor center moved from Main Street to First Street and the signage hasnt moved with it. Harrison added that downtown Napa has been enhanced in various ways over the past 20 years, and the current signs also dont account for that. The new signage will allow the Riverfront and Oxbow districts, for example, to have signage associated with them. Additionally, Harrison said, new signage will help direct and orient people, contributing to an improved traffic flow. Signage also unifies the city and promotes the citys brand, he said. And the new signage would help improve traffic flow by enabling people to find where theyre going quicker. The city started the search for new signage back in 2018. Harrison said the city selected the Pasadena-based Hunt Design firm to create a sign package for the city, and the City Council selected one of two options, Option A, in August 2019. According to a previous Register story, the city planned to fund the sign overhaul with $75,000 left over in the citys redevelopment agency. But, Harrison said, no funding stream was ultimately identified. So we received this packet of designs, we had some staff changes, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and the packet just sort of sat there, Harrison said. Then, in May 2021, Harrison and parking manager Tony Valadez approached Craig Smith, executive director of the Downtown Napa Association, about funding for the sign program. Harrison and Valdez ended up pitching the PBID to fund the signs, and the PBID was enthusiastic to help support the project, Harrison said. The team then selected the local firm Well Design Premium Signage to fabricate and install the signs. Hunt Design has also been brought back to help ensure design standards are correctly implemented, Harrison said. The design of the signs will make use of reclaimed wood and slow-rusting Cor-Ten steel as a nod to Napas winemaking history, Harrison added. Phase one of the installation, which involves the replacement of existing signs, is set to cost $125,000. Valdez said at the meeting that installation of the replacement signs will potentially begin in April. The goal is to fabricate and install these signs as quickly as possible, Valadez said. The reason being, we dont want to have a mixture of new signs and old signs throughout downtown. We want a cohesive look, so once we start the installation of these signs, we want to keep going to completion. Phase two, the installation of brand new signs, is scheduled for 2022-2023, at a cost of $325,000. Phase two is basically new signs, parking identification signs, parking directional signs, surface lot ID signs, Valadez said. Those would all be new signs that dont exist out there today. The new signs also include five large gateway markers, with tentatively planned locations that could move, Valadez said. The largest a horizontal gateway containing a circular medallion with a DOWNTOWN NAPA title is set to be located at the corner of California Boulevard and First Street, near the trio of roundabouts adjacent to Highway 29, Valadez said. A vertical gateway bearing the same title will likely be located at the corner of First Street and Soscol Avenue on the west end, Valadez said. And, on the east end of the same intersection, a vertical gateway is planned to identify the Oxbow District. Another vertical downtown Napa sign with a different design would be located at First and School streets. And a final vertical gateway would be located on the riverfront, on the corner of Third and Main streets. Councilmember Beth Painter said funding the plan through the PBID seemed like a win-win scenario. She said that itd be nice to find some way to fund the city signs as well, and pointed out that the city, as a downtown property owner, pays into the PBID. I think were going to want to make sure we have the same sense of pride with our signage for city hall and community services and other buildings that were going to be living with for a little bit, Painter said. Councilmember Mary Luros said she felt that if the PBID is willing to cover the $450,000, the city can come up with the rest of the money needed for city signs. You can reach Edward Booth at (707) 256-2213. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A five-hour debate over the promise and risks of opening a charter school in Napa ended with another setback for the schools supporters Tuesday night. After hearing dozens of clashing comments by those endorsing or attacking the Mayacamas Charter Middle School, a divided Napa County Office of Education board rejected a petition to allow the self-governing academy to open this August. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Despite an evaluation that more favorably viewed Mayacamas academic quality than did the Napa school district that vetoed the plan in December, five of NCOEs seven trustees voted against the charter, deciding it would imperil Napa and American Canyon public schools by draining off students and attendance-based state education funding and thus risking further layoffs and program cuts for more than 16,000 students for the benefit of a few hundred of their peers in a charter school. The vote against Mayacamas was a difficult decision for trustees including Gerald Parrott, who called the charter school project admirable but unaffordable for the Napa Valley Unified School District. Unfortunately, I think Ill vote to deny, as much as I hate to, he said. Maybe at a different time, it could be amazing; I think that right now, its not the right time. I want to keep those funds in place and help NVUSD do a better job with what they have now. Trustees Janna Waldinger and Jennifer Kresge dissented, siding with parents who urged the county office to open up a school option for families seeking the closer teacher support possible in smaller classrooms. I strongly believe that by denying this petition, we are doing a disservice to many of the children in this community, for now and in the future, said Kresge after the vote. However, a majority of NCOE board members sided against Mayacamas, citing one of eight conditions state law allows for vetoing a charter school: a harmful impact on its community. A local or county education board can make that finding if it decides the charter is unlikely to serve the interests of the entire community, weakens academic programs at existing schools in its district, or duplicates existing school programs. The foundation organizing Mayacamas has one more chance to make its case for launching the school, by filing a second appeal with the state Board of Education. It was not immediately clear whether and when supporters would take that step. The (foundation) board was surprised by the vote, and we have not yet decided on next steps, Jolene Yee, one of Mayacamas two lead petitioners, said in an email late Tuesday night after the NCOE meeting. We are considering our options. NVUSDs loss of students to a newly opened charter school stands to siphon off per-student funding, because Californias per-student model does not credit districts for attendance at charters, according to Joshua Schultz, the county offices deputy superintendent. Furthermore, Schultz added, allowing charter schools to open threatens the Napa districts ability to save money by shrinking its physical footprint to match a shrinking student population. One concern is that the district will have to make decisions on closing schools, which becomes harder if every closure leads to a new charter application, he told trustees. If Mayacamas opens, the Napa school district would run $426,436 into the red by 2026-27, compared to a nearly $8.6 million end-of-year balance it would otherwise have, according to a report Schultz presented to the county board. Speaking on Mayacamas behalf at the meeting, the schools co-petitioner Lauren Daley again defended the uniqueness of the academys academic model and the strength of its budget, adding that Napa public schools stand to receive more state money as California extends kindergarten to 4-year-olds in the next few years. Daley also questioned whether adding a charter school with a few hundred students would pose a real risk to the Napa districts budget, linking most of its troubles to past overspending and its resistance to schools outside its direct control. In fact, it is the districts decisions and actions that are accelerating this decline, she told trustees. Tuesdays rejection marked the second defeat for the nonprofit Napa Foundation for Options in Education, which applied in September for a five-year charter through 2027 to operate Mayacamas inside downtown Napas former St. John the Baptist Catholic School building. The school would debut in August with 180 students and gradually raise enrollment to 336 by its fifth year, according to the charter application. Backers outlined a curriculum that would emphasize close teacher-to-student attention and a technology focus based on the model of New Technology High School. (Later in the meeting, New Techs principal Susan Miller said no discussions have taken place between the school and Mayacamas organizers, and emphasized the school welcomes incoming freshmen from all middle schools in the district.) On Dec. 9, the Napa Valley Unified School District board unanimously rejected the charter, attacking what its members called slipshod planning and scant attention to English learners and special-needs pupils, and a rickety budget it predicted would force it to close midway through its second year. Twelve days later, Mayacamas petitioners appealed to the county education office, which can approve a charter that has been turned down by a local school district. Napa school board rejects proposed Mayacamas Charter Middle School NVUSD's seven trustees all voted against the petition, which would have created a self-governing middle school in time for the 2022-23 year. NCOE trustees decision followed a slow-motion debate that extended from late afternoon deep into the evening, as more than 70 parents, teachers, principals and others logged into the video-conferenced meeting traded allegations that Mayacamas backers seek a de facto private academy for an elite few on the taxpayer purse or that the Napa Valley Unified School District and its employee unions are squeezing out families seeking alternatives to its larger conventional schools. Pointing to the coming shutdown in June of River Middle School a former charter academy built on a model of a smaller student body and close teacher-to-pupil guidance several parents warned that rejecting Mayacamas would drive families out of the public school system entirely, to homeschooling or private schools. Charges of elitism lodged against the Mayacamas project chafed at Tamara Dreyer, a supporter of the charter who objected to what she described as fearmongering about the schools effects on the larger district. To put fear into all these individuals is very disheartening because theyre not seeing the big picture, said Dreyer, who called Mayacamas smaller enrollment a valuable asset for her son as he copes with social anxiety. Napa needs choices. My fear is that more people are going to leave, (that) theyre going to go to private school or homeschooling because our middle schools are not working. Among the parents speaking out against Mayacamas creation were residents of American Canyon who saw no benefit for their children at a school even one with a unique educational model that would require a nine-mile morning commute to downtown Napa. Parent Heidi Zipay urged charter school backers to instead steer their energies toward improving schools across the whole district rather than trying to re-create academies like River, which has the smallest enrollment of Napas grade 6-8 campuses. River was a nice school, and charters have their time and place and season, but I think that season has passed in California, she said. It may come back in the future, but that time is not now. Speaking for the boards majority, trustee Sindy Biederman acknowledged the passionate support Mayacamas has gained from some parents particularly those believing such a smaller school is necessary for their children to thrive but concluded the resulting loss of state funds, which are based on a school districts attendance, would badly wound NVUSD even as a shrinking school-age population continues to force school closures and layoffs. I know the (Mayacamas) petitioners have their heart and soul in it, but if we cant take care of 16,000 kids now, how are we going to do it later? she said, predicting a charter schools diversion of students would undo three years of cost savings by NVUSD most of it, in the form of campus closures, staff cuts and other economies, urged by the county office itself in a 2019 letter to the district. Biederman urged dissatisfied parents to pressure California to reform its school funding policies. Were sitting here fighting for crumbs, and it shouldnt be that way, she said. With student counts dropping every year since 2015 and forecasted to continue shrinking for most of this decade, NVUSD has approved the closure of four schools, canceled a planned second middle school in American Canyon, and signed off on various job cuts to keep its budget reserves above 3% a level below which California can take financial control of a district. NVUSDs sole active charter school remains Stone Bridge, a K-8 academy with a low-technology Waldorf curriculum. After leaving a Carneros campus damaged by the 2014 South Napa earthquake, Stone Bridge moved last August to the campus of Mt. George in east Napa one of two elementary schools, along with Yountville, the district closed in 2020 because of low attendance. You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In response to Russias brutal invasion and heart-wrenching war against Ukraine, some Napa Valley businesses are looking for ways to support the beleaguered nation. One Napa Valley winery, Patland Estate Vineyards, is donating 30% of their total online sales for special reasons of their own. Michael Patland, assistant general manager of the winery, said his father and mother were both born in Ukraine: My father, Henry Patland, was born in Ukraines capital, Kyiv, and my mother, Olga, was born in the western part of Ukraine in a city called Lviv. Henry immigrated to the United States in 1978, while Olga immigrated first to Israel in 1977 and then to America, where the two met in San Francisco. Most of our family left the country at that time, but we do still have some left, Patland said. My fathers second cousin still lives in Kyiv, and we also have many friends living in Odessa and Kyiv. Patland said Henry and Olga traveled to Ukraine to visit friends and family as recently as November 2021. When they were about to leave, the rumors first reached us that Putin was planning an invasion, he said. We didnt believe it would really happen and are horrified that it has. We didnt believe something like this would happen in this day and age. Patland said some of their friends and family have escaped to Poland and Hungary, while many others have chosen to stay in Kiev and volunteer to help in the war. So far the response has been very strong, he wrote. Online sales have spiked in the last three days since we announced this, and weve also received numerous calls, texts and emails expressing support. Patland donations go directly to the Sunflower of Peace Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting Ukraine with medical and humanitarian aid. Other wineries are also pitching in, too. Napa Valley winemaker Helen Keplinger, owner of Keplinger Wines, donated to a Lithuanian nonprofit that moved Ukrainian orphans from Ukraine to Lithuania. Honig Vineyard is donating 50% of all tasting fees collected during the month of March to provide relief to families and communities impacted by the crisis in Ukraine. In a press release, the Honig family called on friends, neighbors and fellow vintners to join in their effort, with the winery offering an option on their website for customers to add donations for Ukraine when purchasing wine. This is a humanitarian crisis of epic scale, Michael Honig said in the release. There are so many who have had to flee their homes and do not have access to shelter, food and clothing. We want to help in any way we can. Restaurants, as well, are pitching in. I rented a room in a familys house in Kyiv for a month on AirBnB and booked a bunch of food and history tours there, too, said Jennifer Bennett, owner of Lovina restaurant in Calistoga. I messaged them all that I wasnt coming, but that the reservations were a donation from my small business to theirs. Bennett has also raised nearly $3,000 through a birthday fundraiser on Facebook with all the proceeds going to the World Central Kitchen charity that is helping feed those affected by the war. For my birthday this year, I'm asking for donations to World Central Kitchen, Bennett wrote on Facebook. I've chosen this nonprofit because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope you'll consider contributing as a way to celebrate with me. Another Calistoga restauranteur, Sasan Nayeri, owner of Evangeline, plans to donate a portion of their sales to Ukrainian refugees. We definitely would like to participate in this enormously important campaign to help feed the Ukrainian people and refugees, he wrote in an email. We do not want to sit idly by. Nayeri and his team have also stopped serving products having anything to do with Russia, So no more Sobieski, Russian Standard or Beluga caviar, he said. One of Napa Valleys most popular restaurants, Bistro Don Giovanni, has changed the name of a popular vodka drink to the Ukrainian Mule and is donating 100% of the proceeds of the drink to the Ukrainian Red Cross. If your Napa Valley business is helping support Ukrainian humanitarian efforts, please let us know. Email tfcarl@gmail.com with the details. Denmark, Finland support European Commission proposal on Russian oil sanctions Bulgaria to seek exemption from EU proposed Russian oil embargo Biden says he is ready for additional sanctions against Russia Switzerland braces for serious power shortage Uruguay freezes ambassador appointment to Ankara after Cavusoglu's gesture Czech Republic to seek exemption from proposed EU embargo on Russian oil imports Charles Michel on the likelihood of Moldova's EU membership Resistance Movement actions to resume tomorrow early morning Elon Musk is invited to UK Parliament for buying Twitter Disobedience march reaches France Square, rally starts US crude oil shipments to Europe hit highest level in April NEWS.am digest: Large-scale protests being held in Armenia to demand PMs resignation Armenia Defense Minister meets with Georgian PM UK bans imposes sanctions on 63 individuals and organizations in Russia EU plan to completely ban Russian crude oil threatens Hungary's energy security EU interested in expanding energy cooperation with Azerbaijan Germany: Gradual EU ban on Russian oil imports could lead to 'supply disruptions' Opposition demonstration reaches government residences Aliyev insists so-called Zangezur corridor 'is already a reality' Slovakia seeks exemption from EU oil embargo for three years Defense Ministers of Armenia and Georgia sign cooperation program for 2022 Romanian President approves entry of Stryker Brigade and US fighter squadron into country Dollar goes up, euro also rises in Armenia EU studying possibility of providing military assistance to Moldova Public demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation Opposition supporters move toward Armenian parliament building EU envoys can not agree on Russian oil Armenia Security Council chief briefs Georgia PM on Karabakh conflict settlement process Armenia deputy police chief says law enforcement has right detain MPs Large-scale opposition rally starts in central Yerevan Many teenagers in New Zealand are illiterate AFP: EU proposes to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill Arestovich says Israel could supply Ukraine with weapons Azerbaijan used in Karabakh war Parliament speaker threatens Armenian opposition, clergy Armenia opposition MP: Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan will not hold office in new government Beijing closes over 60 subway stations due to COVID-19 outbreak Bayramov, Roquefeuil discuss Azerbaijan-Armenia relations normalization process Armenia FM meets with US National Democratic Institute president Armenia ruling force MP: Opposition will not achieve its goal Armenia 2nd president Robert Kocharyans son blocking road with citizens in Yerevan Oklahoma bans almost all abortions Number of children in Japan falls to record low Karabakh President meets with of Free Homeland-UCA parliamentary faction members Armenian judge waves Artsakh flag at Ironman Triathlon (PHOTOS) There is still lot to do in 'October 27' case, says Armenia Prosecutor General Ambassador Wiktorin to finance minister: EU ready to continue providing assistance to Armenia government Armenia Prosecutor General admits there are difficulties in investigation of 'March 1' criminal case Copper price is stable 3 COVID-19 new cases confirmed in Armenia American Armenian youth hold protest rally outside Armenia embassy in Washington Japan protests against North Korean missile Gold is getting cheaper U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue issues joint statement Newspaper: Armenia Patrol Guard Service head to be summoned to Investigative Committee to give explanation Armenia parliament regular sittings continue Newspaper: Armenia opposition members falling into National Security Service trap by opening links Civil disobedience protests resume in Yerevan Earthquake shakes Armenia-Georgia border zone Microsoft urges to abandon Internet Explorer Mark Milley: Potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing EU: Poland fines in rule of law dispute now top $170 million Putin and Lukashenko discuss ongoing situation Greece and Bulgaria say new LNG terminal will help reduce dependence on Russia German vice chancellor calls for rapid construction of LNG terminals Rally of Resistance Movement takes place in France Square Robert Kocharyan takes part in opposition march Mario Draghi calls on EU to abandon requirement of unanimity in making foreign policy decisions Finland and Sweden not yet decided whether to join NATO Croatian president uses veto power to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO Slovakia will seek exemption from the EU embargo on Russian oil imports NEWS.am digest: Blinken meets Mirzoyan in US, people detained during protests in Yerevan Turkish Foreign Ministry on meeting of special envoys in Vienna Opposition rally in central Yerevan starts with Sirusho's performance Italy to face serious issues in winter if Russian gas supplies are cut off now Johnson announces new military aid to Ukraine in amount of 300 million euros Resistance Movement rally on France Square in Yerevan EU hopes to adopt sixth round of sanctions against Russia at next EU Council meeting Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Spitak Spain extends OVID-19 entry restrictions Vayk joins demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation Putin and Macron discuss Ukraine Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block road from Vayots Dzor to Yerevan Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Vanadzor demanding PM's resignation Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block Gyumri-Yerevan highway Sirusho: Today I will join our compatriots in France Square Third meeting of Armenia and Turkey special representatives held in Vienna Dollar rises slightly after long decline, euro also goes up in Armenia Civil disobedience actions in regions: Yerevan-Goris highway blocked Azerbaijan settling occupied Armenian Hadrut, Shushi cities of Artsakh New colors and new services: Team Telecom Armenia completes rebranding Armenia legislature speaker receives France-Armenia Friendship Group delegation France senator: We are leaving for Armenia with Senate group Putin signs decree on economic measures against unfriendly countries Armenia legislature speaker: Authorities have repeatedly proposed dialogue to opposition Backpack action of protest being held outside Armenia parliament (PHOTOS) Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD statement does not correspond to reality Armenia defense minister receives Kansas National Guard delegation Armenia Police: Yerevan-Sevan motorway reopened Ned Price: Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting will launch US-Armenia strategic dialogue Mirzoyan, Nuland discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement process The Sergeant Audie Murphy Association has a new chapter at Fort Meade, and its members are making an impact. The Fort Meade SAM-A is a nonprofit organization established Sept. 1, 2021. Its members are noncommissioned officers who have earned the SAM Award and actively develop and sustain a professional NCO corps, Army readiness, and safe communities. Advertisement The president of the organization, Sgt. 1st Class Prince Yohannes, spearheads members involvement in projects that benefit the fort, such as area beautification, Wreaths Across America, a volunteer shopper program at the commissary, and helping with the Marthas Kitchen project. Sgt. 1st Class Prince Yohannes, president of the Fort George G. Meade Sergeant Audie Murphy Association, speaks with Intelligence and Security Commands Command Sgt. Maj. William M. Rinehart and his wife during the Sergeant Audie Murphy Award ceremony at the post theater on Dec. 9, 2021. (Mr. Alex Collazo) This year the association is adding more to its plate with the Nike missile restoration project, organizing and leading the Tribute to the Fallen event, a Special Olympics fundraiser, and blazing a new Audie Murphy fitness trail. Advertisement It all started in 2019 when Yohannes approached garrison leaders with the idea to bring a SAM-A to Fort Meade. They liked the idea and asked Yohannes to take the lead and establish a chapter. Establishing a SAM-A requires the support of the garrison command sergeant major, who oversees and validates the association, and at least one Sergeant Audie Murphy Award recipient who is assigned to the fort and is involved in the community. With all the elements in place, Yohannes started a biweekly study hall at the McGill Training Center, where candidates study for the rigorous multi-board examination process required to receive the SAM Award. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Yohannes moved his study group to virtual meetings. Guest speakers from all over the globe would attend virtually to provide valuable insights and motivation to the aspiring candidates and members of the group. One year later, 12 soldiers and one honorary soldier completed the selection process and received the award, earning the right to establish a SAM-A at Fort Meade. Members of the SAM-A council are Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Lairscey, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Rodriquez, Sgt. Maj. Nathaniel Piper, Sgt. 1st Class Andrea Collins, Maj. Marvin Phillips and Yohannes. The Sergeant Audie Murphy Award medallion rests on the chest of Sgt. 1st Class George Lehman as he holds his family close while posing for a photo during an award ceremony at Fort George G. Meade on Dec. 9, 2021. (Mr. Axel Collazo) Membership in the Sergeant Audie Murphy Association is a privilege and contains the highest caliber of non-commissioned officers in the U.S. Army, said Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Behnkendorf. Fort George G. Meade is honored to continue the tradition by hosting a chapter of SAM-A on this installation. It is imperative that we recognize and support these members who strive for greatness. Those who seek out the award do so not for the elite recognition but to grow as leaders. They are available to support their garrison, fellow service members and contribute to the surrounding community. They recognize that strength comes from teamwork, selfless service, duty, respect, loyalty, honor, personal courage, and integrity. Advertisement Going through the award process helped me identify what kind of leader I wanted to be and who I was as a leader, Yohannes said. It allowed me to be consistent as a leader and as a soldier. The award process gave me a fuller understanding of what it is that I fight for and what it means to go the last 100 yards for a soldier, Yohannes continued. The Audie Murphy [award] is not something you go after because you want an attaboy or pat on the back. Its because the selectees understand the expectations that will be placed upon us, because we want to make changes for the betterment of our organizations and communities. Audie Murphy is the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. He received every combat award for valor, 33 total, including the Medal of Honor, available from the U.S. Army, and five awards for heroism from France and Belgium. The SAM Award is an elite award for NCOs whose leadership achievements and performance merit special recognition. The award recognizes those NCOs who have contributed significantly to developing a professional NCO corps and a combat-ready Army. Awardees exemplify leadership, characterized by personal concern for the needs, training, development, and welfare of soldiers and their families. To discover more about the association, follow it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fortmeadesamc or contact the association directly: Sgt. 1st Class Yohannes (president) 1-618-409-3294, Staff Sgt. Rodriquez (vice president) 1-301-677-8699, or Sgt. 1st Class Collins (secretary) 1-573-872-9375. Fort George G. Meade Maryland is the nations platform for intelligence, information, and cyber operations. The youth organizations of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun Party and of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) are holding a protest in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia. The ARF Youth Union of Armenia on Wednesday had issued a statement which reads as follows, in particular: "The de facto authorities of Armenia continue the actions serving solely the interests of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem, trying to make the Armenian people face another catastrophe. On Thursday, March 17, at 13:00, the ARF Youth Union of Armenia and the Youth and Student Organizations of the Republican Party of Armenia will hold a joint action in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, reminding the acting foreign minister that he does not represent the real interests of the Armenian people. At around 10:30am on Thursday, Private Eduard Rustamyan (born 2003), a conscript, was found dead in a military unit located in the southern part of Armeniaand with a gunshot wound. An investigation is underway to fully find out the circumstances of this incident, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. Earlier today, the MOD announced that at around 9:10pm on Wednesday, Private Albert Siroyan (born in 2002), a conscript of a military unit of Armenia, was found deadwith a gunshot wound to the jawin a combat position located in the southeastern direction of the country. An investigation is underway to fully find out the circumstances of this incident. I am increasingly worried about the plight of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)], at the brink of a humanitarian crisis, just as the worlds attention is focused on the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, MEP Marina Kaljurand, has noted this in a statement she issued Wednesday. The statement continues as follows: On 8 March, the natural gas pipeline supplying Nagorno-Karabakh was damaged in an area under the control of Azerbaijan. Despite freezing temperatures, the pipeline has not been repaired yet and the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh has been without gas supplies already for a week. It is urgent that unhindered access is provided to the damage site without delay in order to restore supplies as soon as possible. At the same time, reports of ceasefire violations have multiplied since early March, along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact, as well as on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reports of Azerbaijans high-calibre mortar shelling of several Nagorno-Karabakh villages. Over the past weeks, Azerbaijani army loudspeakers directed at these villages have been calling on the local Armenian population to leave the area, intensifying the psychological pressure and threatening the use of force. I am seriously concerned by these developments and the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and strongly condemn any hostile actions aimed at civilians. I reiterate my call for the speedy resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement and recall the EUs readiness to step up assistance to build confidence and address humanitarian and other issues. We are concerned with the situation in the region and in some parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. "We have been noticing regular ceasefire violations since the beginning of March. Russian peacekeepers in its area of responsibility are taking appropriate measures to ensure stability and control the situation, and thanks to these efforts no armed incidents have been registered since 13 March. As far as the border is concerned, we advocate the speedy launch of the delimitation process, with the establishment of a relevant bilateral commission. We are aware of the grave humanitarian situation in connection with the accident at the gas pipeline, and we are in contact with both sides, Armenia and Azerbaijan, in order to resolve the problem. We should exclude steps which would create problems for residents and civilians and aggravate the already difficult humanitarian situation," she said. The Azerbaijani armed forces have been periodically violating the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh over the past few days, using not only small arms, but also mortars towards the villages of Khnushinak and Khramort in the Martuni and Askeran regions. The gas pipeline supplying Karabakh, which is under Azerbaijani control, was damaged since 8 March. Since then negotiations are held with Azerbaijanis, but they prevent the beginning of repair works. Despite numerous appeals about the urgency of solving the problem and assurances of the Karabakh authorities that it is being solved together with Russian peacekeepers, the people of Karabakh have been deprived of gas for over a week. The processes of the last two weeks, the escalation created by Azerbaijan, and the humanitarian issues show that there is no appropriate environment, there are no actions to talk about peace, and they are not sincere on the part of Baku. The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsperson) of Armenia, Kristine Grigoryan, stated about this in a press briefing Thursday. Grigoryan explained that her respective concern is related to the fact that the statements need to be confirmed by actions. According to her, Azerbaijan's policy of pressure and intimidation to de-Armenianize, however, is consistent. She emphasized that after her recent visit to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), intensive Azerbaijani shelling and natural gas outages were registered, and an unbearable humanitarian situation was created there. Grigoryan added that she is familiar also with the reports on the situation in Nerkin Hand village of Armenias Syunik Province, where the Human Rights Defender's rapid response team has gone in order to get acquainted with the living and security conditions of the local population. President Vladimir Putin's statement on the "self-cleansing" of Russia referred to people fleeing the country amid a special operation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, TASS reported. "Many people show themselves to be, Russian speaking, traitors. They themselves disappear from our life, some leave their positions, some leave active service life, some leave the country," Peskov said. At the same time, many citizens want to support the Russian president not just emotionally, but effectively. According to the Kremlin spokesman, there are a majority of such people. On Wednesday at a meeting on measures of socio-economic support of the regions, Putin said that Russia is currently undergoing a process of self-purification of society. According to the head of state, such a process will only strengthen Russia and allow its citizens to withstand any external challenges. The five preconditions presented by Azerbaijan to Armenia are preconditions for capitulation under the guise of "diplomacy." The chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. "The peace declared by the Armenian authorities means surrendering; that is, they present surrendering and capitulation as 'peace.' The clearest of those [five] points is the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan; that is, the renunciation of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], which means the de-Armenianization of Artsakh. The next, under the so-called 'opening of communications,' means the opening of the 'Zangezur corridor,' which is the annexation of [Armenias] Syunik [Province]. Under the name of '[Armenia-Azerbaijan border] delimitation and demarcation,' they are already carrying out the occupation of the territories of Armeniawithout resistance," he said. The human rights activist noted that the Armenian authorities do not respond to any encroachment by Azerbaijan, and this raises great suspicions. "This means an internal agreement, a conspiracy. And if any response is heard from any ruling side, those secret documents will be publicized by that side," he added. As for the fact that Armenia applied to the OSCE Minsk Group on the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and presented respective proposals, Ishkhanyan noted: "Does Armenia not have its [own] position? I do not think that in this tense Russian-Ukrainian crisis situation, the Minsk Group has time to deal with the Artsakh, Armenia, and Azerbaijan issue. The matter is different here. In the event that Armenia is ready to surrender under the name of 'peace' and some international organizations, countries decide to deal with regional issues, they will resolve the issues in favor of Azerbaijan. Why? Because Armenia is ready for concessions. And if one side is ready for concessions, they will not go against the other [side]." YEREVAN. The Minister of Finance of Armenia, Tigran Khachatryan, on Thursday met with the delegation led by Dimitri Gvindadze, the outgoing Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Yerevan Resident Office. Gvindadze introduced EBRD senior banker George Akhalkatsi, who will take over the post of new head of the EBRD Yerevan Resident Office in May, the Ministry of Finance informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. The finance minister noted that the working discussions with the EBRD are always at a high level, and there are all the necessary preconditions to advance and effectively implement joint programs and ideas. According to the minister, protection of economic interests is a priority for Armenia at present, especially in the context of recent regional developments. Gvindadze, in turn, thanked Khachatryan for the effective cooperation with the Ministry of Finance of Armenia. Subsequently, the interlocutors discussed the green economy, water infrastructure, the development of the urban environment, and the improvement of the transport network in Armenia. Russia believes that components of biological weapons have been created on the territory of Ukraine, the head of radiation, chemical and biological defense of the Russian Armed Forces, Igor Kirillov, said, TASS reported. According to him, the laboratories of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov and Kharkov received $32 million in funding from the United States. He said that the US has invested $1.6 million to study the ways of disease transmission to humans through bats. "Examination of documents in part of Project P-781 to study the pathways of disease transmission to humans through bats showed that the work was conducted at the laboratory in Kharkov in conjunction with the scandalous Lugar Center in Tbilisi. The Pentagon's total costs for its implementation in Ukraine and Georgia amounted to $1.6 million, most of which was received by Ukraine as the main contractor," Kirillov said. According to him, the Russian Armed Forces have a document confirming the direct participation of the Pentagon in the financing of military biological projects in Ukraine. Kirillov noted that Ukrainian biolaboratories continue to destroy biological materials and documentation of research on dangerous viruses. Kirillov said the Russian Armed Forces have documents confirming the transfer of bio-probes from Ukraine to third countries, including Germany, Britain and Georgia. "It is necessary to note a number of documents confirming the fact of the transfer of biosamples selected in Ukraine to third countries, including Germany, Great Britain and Georgia. There are official documents, confirming the transfer of 5 thousand blood serum samples of Ukrainian citizens to the Lugar Center in Tbilisi, which is affiliated with the Pentagon, and 773 biological samples were transferred to the reference laboratory in Great Britain. An agreement has been signed to export unlimited quantities of infectious materials to the Loeffler Institute in Germany," Kirillov said. According to him, "the analysis of received information suggests that Ukrainian specialists are not aware of the potential risks of transmission of biomaterials, are used, in fact, under the table and have no real idea of the true purpose of the research conducted. If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy doesn't sign a peace treaty with Russia, he will have to sign an act of capitulation, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said. His remarks came during an interview to the Japanese TV channel TBS, excerpts of which were cited by BELTA agency. "Russia offers Ukraine, I know it for sure, an absolutely acceptable version of the agreement. And today it is still possible for Ukraine and Russia to agree and for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign this agreement with Russian leader Vladimir Putin," Lukashenka said. "If Zelensky does not go for it, then, believe me, he will have to sign an act of capitulation within a short time," he said. "I am practically convinced that we will not have to go to war with Ukraine. The West will not succeed in dragging us into this conflict. We have enough intelligence not to be dragged into this conflict, as we are being pushed into this conflict today by the Americans together with their partners," the president said. Lukashenko said that "in the last week Ukraine launched two Tochka-U missiles on the territory of Belarus. Fortunately, we managed to shoot them down. Therefore, if they provoke us constantly, we will have to respond," he said. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan received the delegation headed by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar. The delegation also included the head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, as informed NEWS.am. The EU Special Representative said that, as part of his mandate, he will try to help Armenia and Azerbaijan overcome the conflict and normalize relations, noting the importance of small steps, including improved infrastructures. In his turn, the Minister stressed that Armenia attaches great importance to the establishment of peace in the region, and active discussions are taking place on unblocking the roads. During the meeting, issues related to the improvement of infrastructures in border communities were discussed. The Minister presented the current situation and the process of the works to the EU Special Representative. In her turn, Wiktorin assured that Syunik and border communities will be in the center of their attention. More than a year after a landmark $650 million Facebook privacy settlement was approved, checks for $397 each may finally be arriving for nearly 1.6 million Illinois users of the social media platform. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Hawaii issued a ruling Thursday upholding the class-action settlement over Facebooks alleged violations of Illinois biometric privacy law. Barring further appeal, the money will go to Illinois class members within 60 days, according to Chicago attorney Jay Edelson, who filed the lawsuit against Facebook nearly seven years ago. Advertisement Were gratified that the 9th Circuit rejected the frivolous appeal by a couple of objectors, Edelson said Thursday. We expect that their efforts to hold up the settlement are now over and Illinoisans will get the benefit of this historic settlement. In February 2021, a California federal judge issued final approval of the $650 million settlement, but the payout was delayed when an appeal was filed on behalf of two Illinois class members, Dawn Frankfother and Cathy Flanagan. The pair objected to the awarding of $97.5 million in attorneys fees, as well as $5,000 incentive awards to the named plaintiffs. Advertisement The appeals court heard oral arguments last month and ruled Thursday the district court did not abuse its discretion by granting the attorneys fees and incentive awards. Kendrick Jan, a San Diego attorney representing the appellants, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. In April 2015, Edelson filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of plaintiff Carlo Licata, alleging the social media giants use of facial tagging features without consent was not allowed under Illinois privacy law. The case was moved to Chicago federal court and then California federal court, where it attained class-action status. The settlement class included about 7 million Facebook users in Illinois for whom the social network created and stored a face template after June 7, 2011. To qualify, Facebook users had to live in the state for at least six months over the previous nine years. More than one in five eligible Illinois Facebook users filed a claim. Estimates of the payouts to class members have ranged between $350 and $400 as the settlement took shape. Edelson said the final tally after expenses and fees will come in at $397 for each class member. In November, Facebook announced it would shut down its facial recognition system amid growing concerns over the widespread use of the technology. As a result, Facebook said it planned to delete more than a billion facial recognition templates it had stored, putting an end to the feature that automatically recognized if peoples faces appear in memories, photos or videos. The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which was passed in 2008, is considered the strictest in the U.S. and requires companies to get permission before using technologies such as facial recognition and fingerprint scans to identify customers. Advertisement The Illinois act includes a private right of action, which allows individuals to sue for damages when they allege privacy violations under the law. Several attempts by legislators to weaken the biometric privacy act and make it harder to bring lawsuits have failed. In addition to Facebook, there have been a number of high-profile lawsuits brought under the law. Last summer, Six Flags Great America agreed to pay $36 million to settle a class-action privacy lawsuit over the use of fingerprint scanners at the entry gates of the Gurnee theme park. Last month, Texas filed a complaint in state court alleging Facebooks facial recognition technology captured the biometric identifiers of Texans without their consent, a violation of the states own 2009 biometric privacy law. The lawsuit was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, as the states biometric identifier act does not allow for private right of action. Ben Whiting, a partner at Chicago-based law firm Keller Lenkner, which is representing Texas in its Facebook lawsuit, said the courts have been consistent on upholding state biometric privacy laws. The law right now is as strong as it has ever been, Whiting said. I dont think that theres any indication that the courts are going to change course on that in the future. Advertisement Alexandra Franco, a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law and an expert on privacy law, said the $650 million Facebook decision would deter other companies from using biometric technology without consent in Illinois. Franco said she expects more states to follow Illinois lead and adopt their own biometric privacy laws in the wake of the Facebook settlement. But as people become increasingly desensitized to using fingerprints and facial recognition for everything from accessing their smartphones to buying a cup of coffee, privacy laws can only act as guardrails, slowing the inexorable advance of biometric technology in everyday life, Franco said. I do see that eventually, states will be adopting models closer to the Illinois model, which in the future could slow down the indiscriminate use of these technologies, and at least could make these businesses think twice about potentially misusing, sharing or selling the data to other businesses or third parties, Franco said. rchannick@chicagotribune.com Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of top news as of 17.03.22: The situation in Ukraine remains highly tense. Authorities in Ukraine have accused Russian forces of bombing a theatre as well as a pool facility in the besieged city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians, including pregnant women and children, have been sheltering. Satellite images of the theater, shared by private satellite company Maxar, showed the words children clearly etched out in the ground in Russian on either side of the building. The Russian defense ministry, however, denied attacking the building and accused the Azov Battalion, a far-right Ukrainian militia, of blowing it up, according to the RIA news agency. It provided no evidence to support the allegation. Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that a neutral Ukraine along the lines of Sweden or Austria could be a possible compromise to end three weeks of onslaught in the east European nations. His comments came after FM Sergei Lavrov also said neutrality was taking center stage at the talks. According to international law, neutrality refers to an obligation of a state to not interfere in military conflicts of other states. This includes avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO or Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Two soldiers have already been found dead in Armenia in a series of deaths confirmed in combat positions and military units. One of the Armenian soldiers was found dead with a gunshot wound to the jaw Wednesday in a combat position located in the southeastern direction of the country. Criminal case has been opened on the death under the article on causing to commit suicide. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Private Eduard Rustamyan was found dead in a military unit located in the southern part of Armeniaand with a gunshot wound as well. An investigation is underway to fully find out the circumstances of these incidents. The international community is concerned with the situation in the South Caucasus and in some parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as well as with the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh [Artsakh]. For over 1,5 week for now there is no natural gas supplies in Karabakh after the accident happened on March 8. Since then Azerbaijan did not let Armenians visit the scene and start repair works. Although Azerbaijanis should have started the repair works, the pipeline has not been repaired as of Thursday noon and the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh has been without gas supplies for a week. In the meantime, reports of ceasefire violations have multiplied since early March, along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact, as well as on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reports of Azerbaijans high-caliber mortar shelling of several Nagorno-Karabakh villages. Over the past weeks, Azerbaijani army loudspeakers directed at these villages have been calling on the local Armenian population to leave the area, intensifying the psychological pressure and threatening the use of force We are concerned with the situation in the region and in some parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, said Russian MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova. She also spoke about preparing a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We welcome the readiness of Baku and Yerevan to start preparing a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, she noted Meanwhile, MEP Marina Kaljurand said she is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Karabakh. I am increasingly worried about the plight of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)], at the brink of a humanitarian crisis, just as the worlds attention is focused on the aggression of Russia against Ukraine, she, in turn, said. The Armenian authorities statements that they are ready to negotiate peace talks with Azerbaijan and develop relations with Turkey provoked discussions. Protests were held Thursday in Yerevan near the MFA and government buildings as the demonstrators said that the de facto authorities of Armenia continue the actions serving solely the interests of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem. We are here to raise our voice against the authorities serving pro-Turkish, Turkish-Azerbaijani interests, one of the protesters told reporters. The demonstrators said that Armenian FM does not represent the real interests of the Armenian people. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The sides discussed the situation around Nagorno Karabakh. The Armenian and Russian leaders exchanged views on the Armenian-Turkish dialogue, the latest regional developments, and the situation in Ukraine. Earlier, the Russian president has officially invited the Armenian PM to pay an official visit to Moscow in spring. The Armenian PM, in turn, invited Vladimir Putin to Armenia. Handelsbanken, a Swedish bank, will suspend financial transactions with Georgia and Armenia as of March 21, according to Georgias Business Formula portal. And the reason for this decision is the Ukrainian crisis. The bank has confirmed that it will restrict the possibility of accounts with Georgia and Armenia, as the bank sees a high risk of transit transfers from these two countries to those under sanctions. According to Handelsbanken, this measure, however, will affect only a small number of people, most of whom are corporate clients. Work on the organization of a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia will take place after finding a formula for the handover of Donbass to Ukraine, the adviser of the head of the Office of Ukraine president Mykhailo Podolyak said, UNIAN reported. "Regarding the occupied territories, Ukraine's position remains unchanged: it is impossible to change the borders of the country. However, I believe that we must be sober in our judgments. De jure Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk remain part of Ukraine, but we de facto do not control them, the Russian administration works there. One of the key issues remains how to manage these territories." Asked if Donetsk and Luhansk are being considered for return to Ukrainian control, he said. "Negotiations are continuing. We are looking for a legal formula. When it is found, the presidents of Ukraine and Russia will continue negotiations at a special meeting," Podolyak noted. "As soon as we finish working on the condition, we will begin organizing the meeting. That will be the topic of the next few weeks. But the location does not matter to us. Anything but Russia is possible." The United States will allocate $180 million in military aid to NATO's Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, this year as part of a scheme called the Baltic Security Initiative, the Estonian Defense Ministry made the announcement, AP reported. The ministry said the budget package approved by the US Congress represents an increase of more than $10 million in security aid to the three countries over last year. "The United States has shown a clear initiative in the current security crisis, both in supporting its NATO allies in the east as well as in Ukraine and in drawing international attention to Russia's actions," Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said. "The congressional decision shows that the United States is committed to protecting our region and clearly understands that defending its own country is tied to the Baltic states," Laanet said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region last week and assured the three Baltic states of NATO protection and American support. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana, the Foreign Ministry press service informed NEWS.am. During the meeting, Mirzoyan presented Azerbaijan's steps toward creating a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. Mirzoyan also spoke about the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan's ceasefire violations, and the facts of psychological pressure on civilians. Ararat Mirzoyan expressed satisfaction with the political dialogue between Armenia and NATO. In this context, the sides highlighted the importance to the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan as an effective tool for the development of cooperation. The sides touched upon the participation of Armenian peacekeeping units in the international peacekeeping missions and Armenia's contribution to the strengthening of international security and stability. The sides also exchanged views on the process of the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. On the same day the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs addressed the North Atlantic Council, where he touched upon Armenia-NATO cooperation over the past 30 years, the consequences of Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh, humanitarian issues, particularly the return of Armenian prisoners of war, access of international organizations to Artsakh, as well as the prospects and possibilities of settling the Karabakh peace process within the OSCE Minsk Group, negotiations between Yerevan and Baku on a non-conditional peace agreement and other issues of international and regional agenda. A staff member prepares for the launch of Chicago-based startup Fresh Street, a curbside pickup online grocery platform in it's first location, a West Ridge strip mall, on March 15, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) Stopping on the way home to pick up groceries may soon feel like a NASCAR pit stop for some Chicago-area shoppers. Online grocery startup Fresh Street is launching Friday from a 10,000-square-foot former clothing store in a West Rogers Park strip mall, hoping to carve out a new niche in the booming digital grocery industry by focusing exclusively on expedited curbside pickup, so-called click and collect. Advertisement The concept is simple: no in-store shopping, no delivery service and three times the curbside capacity of a typical bricks-and-mortar grocery store. Customers can schedule a pickup in as soon as 30 minutes, pull into a designated parking space, pop their trunk and drive off with their groceries. Advertisement Were focused on faster turnaround times, better availability, getting people in and out of their parking spot quicker we should be able to do that in under a minute, said Mike Sayles, 33, co-founder and CEO of Fresh Street, who previously headed up sales for Chicago-based Ferrara Candy. If were doing our jobs well, youre interacting with us as little as possible. Mike Sayles, founder and CEO of Chicago-based startup Fresh Street, a curbside pickup online grocery platform. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) The pandemic has fueled a major shift to online grocery shopping, with nationwide sales growing by 64% in 2020, and another 12.3% last year, topping more than $122 billion, according to research firm eMarketer. The Chicago market got more competitive last month when Farmstead, a California-based online grocer, launched its service with free delivery to the city and suburbs out of a 30,000-square foot warehouse in Franklin Park. Fresh Street is the latest retailer to enter the fray, challenging national delivery giants such as Amazon Fresh, and local bricks-and-mortar chains such as Jewel and Marianos, which have also beefed up their digital capabilities amid increased demand. What sets the newcomer apart is its sole focus on one fast-growing area of the online grocery business curbside pickup. Our goal is that we should be competitive with in-store grocery prices at Jewel, at Marianos and other local grocers, Sayles said. We will be more affordable than their online platforms. Click and collect ordering online and picking up at the store accounted for about 35% of digital grocery sales in the U.S. last year, or nearly $43 billion, according to eMarketer. The curbside pickup market share is expected to climb to more than 40% of online grocery sales by 2025, the research firm said. Staff prepares for the launch of Chicago-based startup Fresh Street, a curbside pickup online grocery platform, in its first location, a West Rogers Park strip mall, on March 15, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) Blake Droesch, an analyst covering retail and e-commerce at eMarketer, said curbside pickup is a happy medium for digital grocery services, offering the convenience of online ordering without the added expense of delivery. Its an advantage for consumers as well as retailers, Droesch said. Its an interesting idea for a startup, considering how costly delivery infrastructure can be. Advertisement Tucked in next to a Famous Footwear store in the Lincoln Village shopping center on the citys Far North Side, Fresh Street retrofitted a former Dress Barn clothing shop as a small grocery fulfillment center, with walk-in coolers, freezers and storage racks. The grocery store is the first of 10 planned for the Chicago area, with locations in Naperville and Darien on the near-term shopping list, Sayles said. Fresh Street has 17 employees at its launch, including seven working at the inaugural store. Bootstrapped with $4 million in funding from family and friends, Sayles will be looking to venture capital firms to finance future expansion in the Chicago area and perhaps beyond. A native of upstate New York with a University of Chicago MBA, Sayles came up with the Fresh Street concept about a year ago, in part based on his own frustration with online grocery shopping, where substitute items, higher prices and scheduling challenges made the experience less than ideal. Chicago-based startup Fresh Street, a curbside pickup online grocery platform, is launching March 18. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) Droesch said traditional grocers were caught off guard by the spike in demand for curbside pickup during the pandemic, and many are still struggling to adapt to the growing trend. Curbside pickup is not as logistically difficult as deliveries obviously, but it still requires these grocers to sort of rearrange things in order to meet the demand, Droesch said. Sayles said traditional 60,000-square-foot bricks-and-mortar grocery stores are not built for curbside pickup, and often farm out online delivery to third-party services such as Instacart, adding a middleman, expense and delays to the process. Focusing on localized curbside pickup enables Fresh Street to keep costs down, provide more consistent product availability and a faster overall experience, he said. Advertisement Six customers can park and load up in front of the store every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. That gives Fresh Street an initial capacity to serve about 2,000 weekly customers, with plans to expand. Sayles expects most customers to come within a 3-mile radius of the store, which would encompass suburban Lincolnwood and several Chicago neighborhoods including Rogers Park and West Ridge. Chicago-based startup Fresh Street is launching March 18 from a 10,000-square-foot former clothing store in a West Rogers Park strip mall. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) The mobile app and desktop ordering promise no substitutions and only real-time inventory. Sayles said Fresh Street will stock both national and Chicago brands, with the ability to customize selection at the store level to suit local tastes. Becoming a neighborhood online grocer will be the key to the stores success, Sayles said. Fresh Street recently launched a targeted marketing campaign using social media and at least one old school advertising platform to reach nearby potential customers. Weve even got some billboards up now around the store, Sayles said. Thats obviously a very traditional marketing tactic, but when you have this defined radius where you need to win, you can really focus on using every medium available in that 3-mile radius. rchannick@chicagotribune.com Speaking at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on St. Patrick's Day at Capitol Hill, Biden said Putin is "a murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine," NBC News reported. "Ireland and the United States and working together for the first time now," Biden said. "They're on the United Nations Security Council ... and the European Union. And Putin is paying a big price for his aggression, and they are part of the reason the cost is going so high." The president also mentioned his upcoming phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday, joking that Xi remembers everything I said. Jokes aside, Biden continued, He (Xi) does not believe democracy can survive in the 21st century." Biden added that the world is facing a tipping point in history that happens every few generations. China bears responsibility for using its influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. His remarks came ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's phone call with Xi Jinping. "We continue to call on all nations, especially those with direct influence with Russia, to use whatever leverage they have to compel Moscow to end this war of choice. We believe China in particular has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and to defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support," Blinken said. "Instead, it appears that China is moving in the opposite direction by refusing to condemn this aggression while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter. And we're concerned that they're considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment to use in Ukraine. President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression and we will not hesitate to impose costs," he said. As the war in Ukraine rages on, United States intelligence officials recently found evidence that Russia may have reached out to another superpower for some help: China. It is one of the few nations that has not denounced Russias invasion of Ukraine. But soon after the alleged request for help, Chinese and Russian officials were quick to deny the exchange even transpired (where Russian leaders reportedly asked for specific weapons and economic aid). Chinese officials also denied any willingness to help Russia. Still, a day later, a top China official met with Jake Sullivanthe U.S. national security advisorin Italy, where he apparently warned China to stay out of the Russia conflict. The war of words simply highlights the difficult position that China is in right now, said June Teufel Dreyer, political science professor and the University of Miamis veteran China scholar. She also teaches about the politics of Asia, along with U.S. defense policy. China has been very circumspect and denied even knowing the Ukraine invasion was going to take place, but most people dont believe this, said Dreyer, who also leads the American Association for Chinese Studies. But Putin went to China recently, for the Paralympics, so many believe that at that time he may have warned Chinese President Xi Jinping there would be some action against Ukraine. And they likely had a less than cordial conversation. This could explain why Putin left conspicuously before the banquet. Now, the communist nation is staying mute for a multitude of reasons, according to Dreyer. They will want to sit on the fence as long as possible, she said. First, Chinese leaders likely want to maintain a strong relationship with Russia for economic reasons. China is the largest consumer of Russian oil. In addition, both nations have maintained authoritarian governments, so they are isolated among many of the worlds most powerful nations that are democracies today. However, Chinas economic health also depends on its positive relationships with the western world, and the United States in particular, who is its top trade partner, Dreyer noted. It also relies on a strong relationship with Germany and other European nations for growth, and many of these countries are strongly opposed to the Russian-led war in Ukraine. The out and out invasion into Ukraine galvanized public opinionnot just in the U.S. but in other nations as well, Dreyer said. The western powers and European countries got nervous because they are thinking, today its Ukraine, but tomorrow its us. So, there are important geopolitical forces at work here, and China would rather not be seen as backing this situation. Joaquin Roy, international studies professor and the Jean Monnet chair and director of the Universitys European Union Center of Excellence, agreed with Dreyers assessment that China is being silent. Roy added that Chinas top priority is a stable marketplace and that, like the rest of the world, the Asian giant struggles to understand what Putin is after. China is not for a domination of certain parts of the world, as the former Soviet Union was, or as it appears is motivating Putin, said Roy. For China, the world is actually a market, and it needs to have a market that is stable. Though Russia has apparently sought support from China, Roy doubted that any aid beyond some funding would be coming. The European expert noted that China is also wary of how the war may be interpreted within its own borders. Anything that actually would represent a danger for that amazing miracle that it has constructeda super authoritarian state in the political sphere and super capitalistic in the economic sphereChina doesnt want that to change, Roy said. Dreyer echoed the notion that China has concerning domestic problems, which include another COVID-19 surge (driven by the omicron subvariant BA.2) that has prompted many lockdowns in Shanghai and Shenzhen, the financial centers where the nations two stock exchanges are located. News reports indicate that these lockdowns could also impact the global supply chain. So, are there benefits to China staying neutral? They are helping Russia in a way by not condemning the war, she said. And Russia is hurting financially, so China is happy to buy their oil. In fact, Dreyer says that she thinks the opportunistic Chinese may be taking advantage of the moment and negotiating lower rates on Russian oil. The Chinese are clever and dont like to pass an opportunity up, she said. But there are also drawbacks to staying silent. The Chinese also do not want to be seen as supporting a war that is creating a humanitarian crisis, Dreyer added. Not to mention that China probably cannot afford to bail out Russia, as its economy is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet Chinas stance also indicates a shifting economic and political climate. For example, the fact that Putin might now need Chinas help to achieve his goalto restore Russia to its imperial gloryis a feather in Xis cap. Back in the days of imperial Russia and the Soviet Union, China was subordinate to Russia. Now, Putin is the weaker partner. And he doesnt look like the type of person whose ego will be comfortable with this, Dreyer pointed out. Yet, no matter what, he will owe the Chinese now. Meanwhile, Putins dogged stance on Ukraine may not help him foster a stronger bond with China. I dont think Chinese leadership is interpreting him as a partner [as he pursues this invasion and potentially more aggression], Roy said. China clearly sees the EU as a market and isnt seeking to antagonize those countries or the United States. Neither the Chinese military nor the political leadership really welcome a violent competition with the U.S. Experts urge govt to provide roadmap to normal life Experts urge govt to provide roadmap to normal life Three University of Hong Kong microbiologists, including government adviser Yuen Kwok-yung, have urged the government to decide on a roadmap to returning to normal life, so people can regain confidence and hope. Yuen, David Lung and Siddharth Sridhar made the appeal in an article they co-wrote and published in Ming Pao Daily on Thursday, in which they proposed a series of changes to anti-epidemic policies. They said the SAR government failed to learn from overseas experience when other countries opened up, and a lack of preparation for an outbreak had led to over 4,000 deaths, mostly of the elderly. They said medical teams should therefore be sent to visit elderly people at home, answer their questions about Covid-19 vaccines and inoculate them. The experts said there's no need to insist on sending Covid patients with mild symptoms to isolation facilities, and refraining from doing this would reduce inconvenience for infected people and cut administrative work for civil servants, allowing them to focus on those more in need of help. The facilities should be set aside for the elderly, young children and the chronically ill, or those whose homes are unsuitable for isolation, they said. The HKU experts said although it seems this wave of infections has peaked, the city may still see thousands of cases per day in the coming months. The government must introduce mitigating measures before every eligible person is inoculated with two jabs of BioNTech or three Sinovac shots and Hong Kong has a sufficient amount of anti-viral drugs, they said. These include allowing close contacts of patients to resume work as long as they test negative for Covid every morning and wear two masks or an N95 mask when they go out, the experts said, adding this is especially important for medical workers, carers, paramedics and others who provide emergency or logistical services. Flight bans should be lifted, as the number of imported cases are like a drop in the ocean compared to local cases, the experts said, adding that fully vaccinated Hongkongers should be allowed to self-isolate at home to free up rooms at quarantine hotels. When the vaccination rate exceeds 95 percent, hopefully by summertime, the government can relax social distancing measures, but at the same time the vaccine mandate should be expanded to cover more places, including public transport, they said. The objective of a vaccine pass is not to punish the unvaccinated, but to protect them from being infected and developing serious illnesses or dying from the disease, they said, adding that the measure will greatly reduce the workload of those in the healthcare system. The experts said as its medical capacity increases, Hong Kong hopefully will be ready to brave a sixth wave of outbreaks in the future, and gradually resume normal life the way Singapore has, and be rid of the inconvenience brought by all the anti-epidemic measures. The experts also warned against carrying out universal testing without having the capacity to trace and isolate patients. If theres a resurgence of cases or a new wave of outbreaks shortly after such a large-scale and expensive testing exercise is conducted, it would definitely leave the public very disappointed, as they are extremely fatigued after fighting hard against the epidemic in the past two years, they said. Chief Executive Carrie Lam addressed the experts call for a roadmap to returning to normal life at her Covid briefing on Thursday. She shot down the suggestion by the three University of Hong Kong microbiologists that Hong Kong should relax social distancing measures by the summer - as long as the vaccination rate reaches 95 percent. Lam said that while officials are trying to boost the vaccination rate, society may be unhappy if a goal is set that's hard to attain. Cathay reroutes flights to avoid Russian airspace According to FlightRadar24, flight CX255 adopted a different route to London Heathrow on Wednesday. HK Customs seize suspected red sandalwood worth HK$7m The seaborne consignment was discovered in Kwai Ching. Photo: Courtesy of the Information Services Department Hong Kong Customs seized a total of around 5,000 kilograms of what they suspect to be endangered red sandalwood at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound and Hong Kong International Airport on Wednesday. Such quantities of the wood would have an estimated market value of over HK$7 million. A seaborne consignment, which had arrived from Malaysia, was discovered at the Kwai Ching compound, with a smaller air consignment being seized at the airport. The latter had arrived in Hong Kong from India. Investigations are ongoing following the seizures. Under Hong Kongs Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of HK$10 million and imprisonment of 10 years. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that it will soon release additional documents pertaining to the operation of Pentagon-funded biolabs in Ukraine. Moscow believes they have been involved in bioweapons research, RT reported. Russian military specialists in weapons of mass destruction are analysing documents obtained from staff members of the Ukrainian labs, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a daily briefing. He claimed they detailed "implementation by the US in Ukraine of a secret project to study the ways humans can be infected by bats", which was done in Kharkov. The official said the same Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine in the Ukrainian city worked for years to study under which conditions wild birds carrying flu could cause an epidemic in humans and to assess the damage that would result. Konashenkov didn't explain why such research should be considered military in nature, as assessed by the defense ministry. The spokesman further said more Ukrainian documents will soon be released on the transfer of human samples from Ukraine to the UK and other European nations. The materials will be accompanied by Russian military assessments of the work they detail, he said. --IANS san/arm ( 211 Words) 2022-03-17-20:02:06 (IANS) At least two-dozen disgruntled MNAs of Pakistan's ruling PTI have been shifted to the Sindh House after the police action in the Parliament Lodges, claimed PTI's estranged leader Raja Riaz on Thursday, Geo News reported. Raja Riaz claimed that if Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan assures all MNAs that no action will be taken against those who decided to vote against him on the day of the no-confidence motion, they are ready to go back to the Parliament Lodges. PTI MNAs Malik Nawab Sher Waseer and Riaz said that around 24 PTI members have been staying in the Sindh House right now. They said that many others are ready to come here, however, the PML-N is unable to accommodate all the members. Riaz, who is a member of the Jahangir Tareen Group, said that the disgruntled members would vote for the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan in "accordance with their conscience", Geo News reported. Waseer also said he would not contest the next general elections on a PTI ticket. While Riaz claimed that 24 members are staying in the Sindh House, senior journalist Hamid Mir said that according to his counting, "20 PTI MNAs are present in Sindh House". He said that several disgruntled leaders are avoiding the camera; however, he said that all of them have confirmed that the reason for staying at the Sindh House is out of fear. "The disgruntled members fear that the government will take action against them similar to the March-10 raid by police on the Parliament Lodges," Mir said. --IANS san/ ( 275 Words) 2022-03-17-20:10:03 (IANS) COVID-19 pandemic reveals problems in U.S. food system: The Guardian Xinhua) 08:31, March 17, 2022 LONDON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the food system in the United States and exposed the problem of power consolidation in its food industry, The Guardian said in a recent report. "Long before most of the emergency rooms were overloaded, it was the food system that showed the first signs of the enormous impact the pandemic would have," said the report published on Tuesday. Supermarket shelves were running empty and restaurants were closed. Farmers were forced to dump milk into their fields or kill their stock because the country's meat processing plants were overwhelmed or shuttered, according to the report. "And it wasn't just farmers or the restaurant owners or the agricultural industry that suffered: hunger spiked across the country," it said, adding that the pandemic pushed food insecurity in the United States to new heights, from 11 percent to 15 percent. In 2020 alone, an estimated 60 million Americans turned to food banks, 50 percent more than the year before, said the report. "The biggest problem is power -- and power being concentrated in the hands of a few," Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, was quoted as saying in the report. According to an analysis by The Guardian, nearly 80 percent of dozens of everyday grocery items are supplied by just a small number of companies; only four firms control half the market in chicken processing, some 70 percent of pork and over 80 percent of beef; and four biotech seed companies control half the world's seed supply. Consolidation of power can also be found in food insecurity, said Andy Fisher, the author of "Big Hunger," noting that food banks and food stamps programs are "all tied into corporations." Fisher said that a large number of food stamps went to the hands of big players like superstores and supermarkets, including Walmart, Target, and Costco, according to the report. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI/PRNewswire): Heroes of 1971 tells the stories of the fearless warriors who fought heroic battles to liberate Bangladesh, redrawing the map of South Asia in what is still considered the most conclusive military victory--in a 'just war'--in contemporary history. Written by serving and retired officers of the three services to celebrate the memory of the four Param Vir Chakra and seventy-six Maha Vir Chakra awardees of the war, the essays in this book first appeared in The Tribune, Chandigarh. From the exploits of Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon who rose to the occasion for the Flying Bullets at the Srinagar airfield to the capture of prisoners of war at Faujdahat by Brig. Anand Sarup's 'Kilo Force', this book catalogues it all, while the big-picture analyses by veterans, top bureaucrats and journalists help set the scene and enable readers to understand the war better. Editor Bio: Rajesh Ramachandran is the Editor of The Tribune, one of the oldest newspapers of the country, and a former Editor-in-Chief of Outlook. For nearly three decades, he has worked with some of India's largest publications and a TV channel in New Delhi, reporting on war and insurgency, and writing on politics, political economy, government affairs and conflict. The edited volume of essays and archival material, Martyrdom to Freedom: 100 years of Jallianwala Bagh, published in 2019, was his first book. Endorsements "The written accounts showcase the emphatic victory of our armed forces over Pakistan. These writings will serve as a tribute to the gallantry of all those who were part of the historic war effort." - General Bipin Rawat, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC; Chief of the Defence Staff "These articles, written by the country's defence writers, including retired and serving defence serving officers, commentators and analysts, will serve as a tribute to the gallantry of our officers and men." - General MM Naravane, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC; Chief of the Army Staff "Written by the country's top defence writers and analysts, these articles will serve as a tribute to the gallantry action of all air warriors. The 'Golden Hour' of the IAF has been aptly captured in the articles on our warriors." - Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC; Chief of the Air Staff "Captivating compilation of articles ... The naval battles during the war have been evocatively covered, highlighting some of the finest moments in Indian Navy's history. On the occasion of Swarnim Vijay Varsh, this publication aptly commemorates our victory and pays homage to our valiant soldiers, sailors, and air-warriors."- Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC; Chief of the Naval Staff HarperCollins Publishers India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins India publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian Subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2,000 titles across 10 imprints. Its authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, JCB Prize, DSC Prize, New India Foundation Award, Atta Galatta Prize, Shakti Bhatt Prize, Gourmand Cookbook Award, Publishing Next Award, Tata Literature Live Award, Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, BICW Award, Sushila Devi Award, Prabha Khaitan Woman's Voice Award, Sahitya Akademi Award and the Crossword Book Award. HarperCollins India has been awarded the Publisher of the Year Award three times: at Publishing Next in 2015, and at Tata Literature Live! in 2016 and 2018. HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Egmont, Oneworld, Harvard University Press, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 17 (ANI/NewsVoir): Siddha Group, one of the leading developers in East India has joined hands with the Sejal Group, a noted name in Mumbai to deliver a masterpiece. The group has been taking huge strides in the fast growing Mumbai real-estate market. The efforts soon brought them in the limelight and was conferred the Emerging Developer of the Year (Metro) at the inaugural version of The Economic Times Real Estate Awards | WEST 2022. Standing tall on Link Road in Kandivali, Siddha Seabrook is built to embody high ambitions and aspirations. The tallest tower in Kandivali West, the 57-storey residential tower offers spacious and premium 2 and 3 BHK homes. One can indulge in an opulent life with a host of amenities with superb connectivity. With the proposed Dahanukar Wadi metro station on the other side scheduled to start soon, Siddha Seabrook has a Jain Temple in the premises, a dedicated Club on Floor 8, a pool, gym, library, community hall, mini-theatre, games room and other features to accentuate your leisure. The Construction is being undertaken aggressively. More than 15 floors have been casted in the last 5 months and work for Jain temple is going in full swing. Despite the pandemic, Siddha Seabrook promises to offer possession by December 2022, within the committed timeline. Our latest induction has been at Wadala, the heart of Mumbai. Siddha Sky Wadala is in the growing residential and commercial hub in the heart of the economic capital, giving it an advantage of connectivity with all the other areas and great proximity with business hubs and infrastructural projects. A complex of 3 towers with 39 storeys each, the project boasts of it robust locational advantage and serene living with plentiful amenities for everyone. Mukul Tyagi, who has joined Siddha Group as a Chief Executive Officer is a well-known name in the construction industry. He has over 30 years of experience in Real Estate, Contract Management, Sales and Marketing and has completed many multi-storey construction projects such as Township, Group Housing, IT/ITES Buildings, Malls, Commercial Complexes, Hospital and many more all across the country within timelines. Kolkata's skyline is changing because of Real Estate stalwarts like Sanjay Jain, Managing Director of Siddha Group. With over 20 years of experience in implementing high-value real estate projects, he has taken the Group to great heights. His leadership, dedication, and values helped the Group to deliver several Kolkata projects on time. Website: siddha.group/projects/siddha-seabrook We believe a house is not mere bricks and mortar. Neither is it a place where you just live encased in four walls. We believe in homes. The special place that helps you discover the real you. Your life's focal point beckoning you time and again. Our aim is to partner you in this art of homemaking. Since inception in 1986, we have been creating home and workspaces with a difference, to make good living affordable in Kolkata, Jaipur, Mumbai and now in Bangalore as well. Led by Group Chairman Chandra Prakash Jain and Group Managing Director Sanjay Jain we create and sell high-quality housing in India. We dovetail upmarket design, superior materials and excellence in construction to deliver, at the least, comfortable homes at convenient prices, within the committed time frames. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 17 (ANI/PRNewswire): The comprehensive, industrial-grade air quality monitoring device comes in 14 variants and helps detect a wide range of air pollutants and particulate matter providing real-time actionable insights for diverse industrial needs. Ahmedabad-based environment monitoring technology solutions provider, Oizom, launched its recent innovation - AQBot - an industrial-grade, single-parameter air quality monitoring device. The compact, light-weight, feature-rich device empowers industries & consultants with a smart monitor for specific and target pollutants. AQBot was launched recently during a webinar attended by at least 250 people across 30 countries. The industrial-grade single-parameter air quality monitor provides trustworthy data in real-time for actionable insights for safety to the plant managers and helps initiate prompt action in advanced industrial set-ups. AQBot is available in 14 variants which help detect a wide range of air pollutants such as SO2, NO2, NO, TVOC, among others in addition to particulate matter like PM1, PM2.5, PM10, PM100 and noise. Equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex A-72 processor that enables it to handle multiple processes simultaneously, AQBot comes with 2GB RAM with 8 GB eMMC ROM that allows industries to store air quality data for 12 months in case of network connectivity disruptions. Commenting on the development of AQBot, Vyas, CEO, Oizom, said, "Industrial air quality monitoring systems are required to be compatible with different communication protocols be it MODBUS, CANBus, RS-485, RS-232 in addition to wireless communications like GSM, WiFi, LoRa, among others, which can be used to provide insights about industrial air quality. Unlike most other air quality monitoring solutions, Oizom's AQBot is communication-agnostic and resolves bottlenecks of existing solutions with greater efficiency. To avail prompt actionable information, users can also rely on an on-device display powered by web-based user-friendly software." AQBot has wide-ranging applications such as Environment Health and Safety (EHS) monitoring, Indoor Air Monitoring (Industries), Process-control and Leak Detection, among others, making it an ideal choice for a variety of industries. AQBot can effectively be used as a comprehensive air quality monitoring system for Paper & Pulp Industries, Textile Industries, Leather Industries, Fisheries, Cement Manufacturing Industries, Thermal Power Plants, Food & Beverages Industry, Mining Industries, Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP), Meat Processing Plants, and Dairy Industry, among others. "At Oizom, we aim to change the way industries monitor air quality in and around their premises by incorporating industry 4.0 capabilities. Our recent breakthrough, AQBot, which has been developed after extensive research and development, has minimum dependence on the manufacturer once deployed. It is a comprehensive air quality monitoring system that offers accurate data with automation capabilities that helps suits the Industry 4.0 requirements," Vyas further added. In fact, to scale up air quality monitoring requirements and get a macro-picture, AQBot can also be integrated with multiple AQBots installed at strategic locations in a simple, cost-effective manner. Oizom is currently building a local network of distributors across the globe to let its innovative products reach every corner of the world. Other Oizom products include Polludrone - Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System, Odosense - Odour Monitoring System, Dustroid- Ambient Dust Monitor, Weathercom - Automatic Weather Station and Envizom - Data visualization & analytics software, among others. Oizom is a Smart Air Quality Monitoring solutions company offering data-driven environmental solutions for better decision making. Using our sensor-based hardware, we monitor various environmental parameters related to air quality, noise, odour, weather, radiation. Oizom has deployed more than 1000 monitors across 47 countries. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 17 (ANI/BusinessWire India): The Evercare Group today announced the launch of the Evercare Foundation, a non-profit organization working towards equitable health for all and the development of more resilient health systems across the low- and middle-income countries in Africa and South Africa. The Foundation will serve as the philanthropic arm of the Evercare Group and will build on the footprint of Evercare Group of 29 hospitals, 13 clinics, 88 diagnostic centres and have access to 11,400 caregivers, serving over 3.3 million people in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya. Speaking at the 18th Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition (DIHAD), Massimiliano Colella, CEO of Evercare said, "The Foundation presents another key avenue through which we can continue to deliver meaningful change and positive impact to traditionally underserved communities. Through focused partnerships and deliberate investments, the Evercare Foundation will continue to build sustainable development across our areas of operation." Low and middle-income countries continue to suffer from insufficient investment in healthcare, leading to often highly strained and burdened systems that are unable to keep up with demands of patients, especially in these times of the pandemic. According to the World Bank, if current trends continue, up to 5 billion people will be unable to access health care by 2030 with 56% of the population lacking sufficient health-care coverage in rural areas globally. Joumana Atwani, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs of the Evercare group and Lead of Evercare Foundation said, "The Foundation is driven by an ambition to create long-term positive social change for vulnerable communities who have a fundamental right to good health and wellbeing. Through the Evercare Foundation, we aim to focus on communities who have limited or no access to quality healthcare." To realize our vision of 'a world with equitable health for all,' the Foundation will primarily focus on women and children - with priority being on women and girls' adolescent health and wellbeing, including ante and post-natal care, screening for non-communicable diseases such as breast and cervical cancer. In children's health the Foundation will focus on treatment and rehabilitation for congenital birth defects and trauma related conditions and children related disease prevention and immunization. One example is of 5-year-old Abdul Rehman from Pakistan, who was born with congenital deafness and whose family could not afford the treatment. Surgeons at Evercare Hospital Lahore successfully inserted a cochlear implant free of cost and now Abdul can hear for the time and able to attend school. The Foundation will equally invest in initiatives related to human resources in health and leveraging the Evercare Group's integrated healthcare corridor to strengthen health systems by supporting clinical trials and complex healthcare cases across borders. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 17 (ANI/NewsVoir): COLOURS OF OBLU, a brand by Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, grows its portfolio with the highly anticipated opening of OBLU SELECT Lobigili on 24 March 2022. Conveniently located in Male Atoll, the resort is just a 15-minutes speedboat ride from Velana International Airport. In the Maldivian language of Dhivehi, 'Lobi' means love and 'Gili' means island. Lobigili is, in essence, the island of love. Blessed with verdant foliage, this five-star adults only resort features 68 contemporary beach and water villas - all assuring gorgeous views of the incandescent turquoise-blue lagoon. With the resort's exclusive Lobi PlanTM guests can immerse in a blissfully carefree stay. This generous plan includes specialty fine-dining, unlimited beverages, spa services, Indian Ocean excursions, a selection of non-motorised watersports as well as a fully stocked minibar replenished daily. Romantic Dine Around Experiences OBLU SELECT Lobigili continues with the brand's tradition of exceptional fine dining, elevating the mealtime experience with playful and fun touches. At Ylang-Ylang, the All-Day Dining Restaurant, delectable world cuisine with intimate nooks for couples and a unique book corner are unmissable. The Swing Bar with its chilled out beachside vibe is beyond perfect. It features chic hammocks, swings and a stunning infinity pool that is one of the largest in the Maldives. Evenings come alive with handcrafted, aromatised cocktails and hypnotic DJ and Live Band performances that spark passion. That is not all. As specialty dining experiences, there is Gaadiya 17 Food Truck serving grab-and-go game meat grills to be relished in a fun, open-air setting on the beach under starry skies. And an exotic ONLY BLU Underwater Restaurant, one of the largest underwater restaurants in the country, where guests can experience impeccable modern gourmet cuisine with a pairing of red and white wines. Indulgent and Exhilarating Island Life From romantic sunset cruises to snorkelling at the marine-rich house reef, from kayaking over brilliant cyan waters to yoga on the beach and fitness sessions at an overwater gymnasium - there is an enchanting palette of experiences to revel in. A standout experience is ELE | NA The Spa - designed exclusively for couples and adults. The tranquil spa complex features four secluded double treatment rooms with couples bath. Exclusive locally inspired spa treatments include, -Lobi Dhooni (Love Bird) - A choice of coconut shell massage or Maldivian sand massage, coconut body scrubs, nourishing scalp treatment, face mask and bath ritual. -Hithun Hithath (Heart To Heart) - A couples therapy that uses organically treated bamboo stalks to massage the body followed by a relaxing facial and bath ritual. -Dhekanbalun (You & Me) - This couple's detox package flushes out toxins through hot and cold stone therapy followed by a crystal face massage and bath ritual. Guests can also choose to stroll over to neighbouring Ailafushi island and mix it up with a different world of enchanting sights, sounds and culture. Jorge Amaro, the General Manager of OBLU SELECT Lobigili, says, "We are excited to welcome our first guests. Whether they seek the romance of solo travel, a one-of-a-kind celebration with friends or sharing some intimate 'us time' with their partner, our secluded sanctuary offers a perfectly chilled-out getaway amidst surreal ocean vistas." The COLOURS OF OBLU portfolio also includes - OBLU SELECT Sangeli, OBLU NATURE Helengeli and OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi (opening in early May 2022). COLOURS OF OBLU, a brand by Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, offers vibrant destinations that bring the magical beauty and big-hearted hospitality of the Indian Ocean alive. Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts is a dynamic and fast-growing international hospitality company. Currently, the company is operating six resorts within the Maldives and is set to further expand in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. AH&R's distinguished portfolio comprises THE OZEN COLLECTION, COLOURS OF OBLU, and By Atmosphere, with a rich diversity of experiences within each of these brands. The two new COLOURS OF OBLU resorts include OBLU SELECT Lobigili opening on March 24, 2022 and OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi opening in early May 2022. OBLU SELECT Lobigili Website: www.coloursofoblu.com/oblu-select-lobigili COLOURS OF OBLU Website: www.coloursofoblu.com Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts Website: www.atmospherehotelsandresorts.com This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) IndiGo operated the largest number of flights among the private airlines and evacuated 7,629 Indian citizens from Ukraine under 'Operation Ganga', a senior company official told ANI. Chief Commercial Officer of IndiGo Willy Boulter said the operation was challenging in view of the timelines and resources. "There were moments when we were flying six-seven A321 flights as part of Operation Ganga at the same time, with over a thousand people involved in managing and crewing these missions. But the fact that we are well-practised in irregular operations, helped us to perform these flights at short notice," Boulter told ANI. Despite the challenges posed by the Ukraine conflict, the government ensured that about 22,500 Indian citizens have returned home safely. The majority of the people who have been evacuated under Operation Ganga are medical students. Boulter said they established its base in Istanbul, it was relatively short flights to the relevant airports, Bucharest, Budapest, Rzeszow, Suceava and Kosice and evacuated over 7,000 Indians. "IndiGo brought back 7,629 Indian citizens across 35 flights from five cities - Bucharest, Budapest, Rzeszow, Suceava and Kosice from February 28 to March 11. We operated the largest number of fights amongst private airlines as part of Operation Ganga. Most of these flights carried relief material during their onward journey while bringing back evacuees on the return leg via Istanbul," the IndiGo official said. He said the entire IndiGo crew, which was part of Operation Ganga, felt pride and emotional during the operations. "There have been heart-touching moments wherein the crew went a step ahead to comfort the students being flown back home. Besides handling the passengers emotionally, gestures like buying chocolates for these students from their own pocket, showcased the true spirit of such missions. Many of our crew felt a great sense of pride to be able to take part, and were happy to put up with the inconveniences of long trips away from home in order to serve the nation," Boulter said. (ANI) US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Mastercard have partnered to foster digital empowerment of women in India through an initiative called 'Project Kirana'. Project Kirana is a business development and digital financial literacy programme for women entrepreneurs that aims to increase revenue streams, expand financial inclusion, and enable the adoption of digital payments and other digital tools by women-owned-and-operated kirana shops. The two-year programme, implemented by DAI and ACCESS Development Services, is working in select cities of Uttar Pradesh, according to a statement released by Mastercard. Officials of USAID and Mastercard on Thursday made a joint visit to the shops covered under Project Kirana in Lucknow. USAID Mission Director to India and Minister Counselor for International Development Veena Reddy and Executive Vice President, Sustainability and Founder and President Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth Shamina Singh visited small convenience stores operated by women entrepreneurs. "It was enlightening to engage with women entrepreneurs in Lucknow today. Increasing the participation of women in the formal sector, especially the digital economy, is critical to the well-being of people and the growth of economies," Reddy said. "At USAID, advancing women's digital financial capabilities is a key component of our work to increase equitable economic empowerment. Through this partnership, Mastercard and USAID are addressing the gender inequalities that limit the ability for women-owned businesses to grow and thrive," she added. Since Project Kirana's launch in November 2020, more than 2,100 women have benefitted from the programme. Together, USAID and Mastercard are supporting women participants to build financial and digital literacy skills on topics such as banking, digital payments, saving, credit and insurance; improving basic business management skills including inventory management, accounting, budget management and customer loyalty; and addressing cultural and gender norms as well as other barriers to women becoming successful kirana entrepreneurs. The programme provides customised training on business and financial management, leadership development, digital payments, and access to financial services through digital tools, applications, video content, in-person training, and peer networking opportunities to reinforce learnings grounded in real-life experiences, the statement said. Commenting on the project Shamina Singh said, "Project Kirana is an extension of Mastercard's commitment to empower and enable micro and small businesses with technology, products, insights, and catalytic philanthropic funding. Small businesses owned or led by women consistently outperform peers." "Yet, they are at risk of being left behind in an increasingly digital economy without tools and training that meet their needs. We are proud to partner with USAID to develop capacity-building programmes that unleash women's entrepreneurial spirit and their potential to be drivers of a digital, inclusive India," Singh added. (ANI) As per Variety, Sweeney has joined Dakota Johnson in the upcoming project. However, the details of her role have not been disclosed yet. In the comics, Madame Web is a paralyzed, elderly woman with myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder requiring her to connect to a life support system resembling a spider web. 'The Defenders' fame S.J. Clarkson has come on board to direct 'Madame Web'. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, the duo behind Jared Leto's upcoming vampire chiller 'Morbius', will write the screenplay. (ANI) In a major relief for Jussie Smollet, an appeals court ordered the release of the former 'Empire' star from jail actor Jussie Smollett released from jail on Wednesday, just seven days into a 150-day sentence for faking a hate crime. In a 2-1 ruling, the justices ordered Smollett released pending the appeal of his conviction, on the condition that he post a USD 150,000 bond, Variety reported. Smollet was sentenced to five months in jail last week for allegedly staging a hate crime in which he lied to authorities about being jumped by two men who yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him. Smollett's attorney, Nenye Uche, had warned that Smollett was the subject of threats and could face physical harm while in custody. He also argued that Smollett was likely to be kept in solitary confinement, which could damage his mental health. He also argued that Smollett was likely to be kept in solitary confinement, which could damage his mental health. The office of the special prosecutor called the claim "factually incorrect," in a response to the motion. Smollett was originally indicted in March 2019 with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report, claiming that, while on his way home from a Subway sandwich shop, two men attacked him late at night. Those charges were dropped later that same month. (ANI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's series 'Servant of the People', which inspired him to enter into politics, is back for streaming on Netflix in the US. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the satirical series originally streamed on Netflix from 2017 to 2021. 'Servant of the People' follows a teacher (Zelenskyy) who unexpectedly becomes president after a rant against corruption goes viral on social media. The show ran for three seasons and ended when Zelenskyy decided to run for President of Ukraine in 2019 under the banner of a new political party floated by him 'Servant of the People'. After much demand from the public due to ongoing Russia's military operations in Ukraine and the heroism of Zelenskyy in defending his country, Netflix is currently streaming the series for its US subscribers. Russia launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24 which was condemned by the Western nations. Zelenskyy, recently addressed the US Congress, virtually. The President called on the United States to do more to help Ukraine in its "darkest time", according to a media report. "In the darkest time for our country, for the whole Europe, I call on you to do more. New packages of sanctions are needed, constantly, every week until the Russian military machine stops. Restrictions are needed for everyone on whom this unjust regime is based," CNN quoted Zelenskyy as saying. The Ukrainian President received a standing ovation from the US lawmakers both at the beginning and the conclusion of his address. (ANI) You may have noticed a lot has changed on the corned beef beat since I started covering what happened to the big Jewish delis in Chicago in 2018. I ranked the 17 best corned beef sandwiches from 31 restaurants Id visited by then the following year. By 2020, most remained open for takeout on St. Patricks Day, despite the first pandemic dining room closure mandate, which took effect the night before. Last year, you could get 24 great corned beef sandwiches across the city and suburbs, and even a free sandwich from Mannys, then running its unsuccessful customer mask challenge. [ Readers Choice Food Awards: Vote for your favorite Chicago restaurants, bars, pizza and more ] This year, weve seen more changes on the corned beef beat. Boeufhaus, which ranked in first place for best corned sandwich, has finally reopened in the Humboldt Park neighborhood after a two-year pandemic closure, but hasnt added corned beef sandwiches back to its menu. ChiTown Sandwich Club seems to have closed in Lakeview East. City Mouse is long gone, along with the whole Ace Hotel in the West Loop. Harringtons is back, but with catering only from a new location in Portage Park. Perrys Deli has given up its last vestige at the Bacci Pizzeria in the Loop. Rye Deli & Drink in Greektown has temporarily closed, promising a new menu this spring. Ive added three new entries to my list: Romanian Kosher Sausage Company, The Chicago Diner and Wyler Road. Romanian, by the way, would have made the best ranked list in 2019, but at the time, we only included restaurants with some on-site dining. Further proof that nothing stays the same. The best, new, notable and nostalgic corned beef sandwiches (plus a little pastrami) in Chicago and the suburbs, in alphabetical order: Original corned beef at A.P. Deli Original corned beef sandwich at A.P. Deli. (Louisa Chu/Chicago Tribune) Joe Eddy Battee created a corned beef recipe for side hustle sandwiches at the corner store his father opened in 1984 on the South Side of Chicago. They made the Black-owned business a destination. The extended family now has three locations that offer generous helpings of the luscious meat. To maximize the delicious mess, get fries tossed in A.P. sauce the delis take on mild sauce. $13.21. 1759 E. 75th St., 773-288-4931; 10758 S. Michigan Ave., 773-821-8480; 15033 Dixie Highway, Harvey, 708-596-2270; apdeli.com Advertisement The Bensonhurst at Bergsteins NY Delicatessen The pastrami sandwich is one of the favorites at Bergstein's NY Delicatessen deli in Chicago Heights on Nov. 28, 2008. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) The suburban strip mall storefront doesnt look promising. But once inside, you will be transported to a neighborhood shop with sandwiches, potato pancakes and delicacies by the pound. Family patriarch Harris Davis was born and raised in Brooklyn, and inspired his son William to go into the Jewish deli business with the whole family. $10.49. 200 Dixie Highway, Chicago Heights; 708-754-6400; bergsteinsny.com Advertisement Corned beef at Chief ONeills Pub & Restaurant Corned beef sandwich on marble rye bread in 2019 at Chief ONeills pub and restaurant in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) This Irish public house in the Avondale neighborhood makes a lovely classic corned beef, and a beautiful Reuben too. Co-owners and spouses Brendan and Siobhan McKinney opened in 1999, and theyre now famous for their glorious Sunday brunch buffet. When weather permits, you can picnic in the backyard, and imagine youre far away on the Emerald Isle. $15. 3471 N. Elston Ave., 773-583-3066, chiefoneillspub.com Advertisement Corned beef at Eleven City Diner Corned beef half sandwich with Swiss cheese on rye bread plus coleslaw side at Eleven City Diner in Chicago. (Louisa Chu/Chicago Tribune) The Jewish-style deli-meets-theatrical American diner opened in 2006 in the South Loop neighborhood. Each slice of corned beef is laced with lean and fat. An unofficial rule: You have to get the matzo ball soup, too. Every glorious orb comes topped with a perfect carrot cube. $17.99. 1112 S. Wabash Ave., 312-212-1112, elevencitydiner.com Advertisement Corned beef at Frances Deli and Brunchery Corned beef half sandwich on challah bread with pickle and coleslaw side at Frances' Deli in Chicago. (Louisa Chu/Chicago Tribune) Chef and owner Derek Rylon brought his brunch game when he joined the restaurant, founded in 1938, just a few years ago. He kept the deli classics, including the beloved corned beef sandwich. Just remember to get your fancy pancakes, French toast and waffles early, since Frances closes at 3 p.m. $12. 2552 N. Clark St., 773-248-4580, brunchonclark.com Advertisement Corned beef at Half Sour Corned beef sandwich with mustard on rye bread in 2019 at Half Sour in the Printers Row neighborhood of Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) This new-school, deli-inspired, all-day cafe opened at the end of 2017 in the Printers Row neighborhood. Look for housemade corned beef and other specials on the chef-driven menu. Check the restaurants Instagram for doughnut specials, and remember to take a peek at the cocktail list too. $16. 755 S. Clark St., 312-224-1772, halfsourchicago.com Advertisement Corned beef at JBs Deli Corned beef sandwich with mustard on rye bread at JB's Deli in Gordono's Pharmacy in Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) Jeff Bendix decided to help save deli culture by opening a Jewish-style deli inside his pharmacy in Andersonville. Not only has it worked out for over 20 years, but the radiant sandwiches set a high bar. The deli finally added a website, and you can even order online. $13.95. 5501 N. Clark St., 773-728-0600, jbsdeli.com Advertisement Pastrami on rye at Jeff & Judes Pastrami sandwich with whole grain mustard on marble rye bread by Jeff & Jude's restaurant in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago on November 30, 2020 (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune) The pastrami sandwich at Jeff & Judes is thickly cut and covered with so much black pepper, you might get the sniffles just looking at a picture of it. But its also absurdly tender and aggressively seasoned. In other words, it might not be everyones ideal, but itll demand attention either way. $18. 1024 N. Western Ave., 773-661-1227, jeffandjudes.com Nick Kindelsperger Advertisement The New Jersey Bypass at Kaufmans Bagel & Delicatessen The New York Special from Kaufman's: Corned beef, chicken liver and onions on rye. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Kaufmans is the only place around town where you can clearly order your choice of meat fattiness (regular, deckle, lean and super trim). The lowest-priced happens to be the fattiest and the most flavorful. Owner Bette Dworkin seems to always be there, overseeing every silky slice in the store. $15. 4905 W. Dempster St., Skokie; 847-677-6190; kaufmansdeli.com Advertisement Reuben at Mannys Cafeteria & Delicatessen A half-pastrami, half-corned beef sandwich from Manny's. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune) In New York, they have Katzs. In Los Angeles, they have Langers. In Chicago, we have Mannys, the best deli experience in Chicago especially if Gino Gambarota is making your sandwich, which hes been doing for about 40 years. Fourth-generation owner and operator Dan Raskin now runs the family business founded in 1942. $20.95. 1141 S. Jefferson St., 312-939-2855, mannysdeli.com Advertisement Hot corned beef at Max and Bennys Corned beef half sandwich on rye with pickle and coleslaw side at Max and Bennys in Northbrook. (Louisa Chu/Chicago Tribune) The huge restaurant, deli and bakery, opened by Lester Schlan and named for his sons, is the epicenter of Jewish life on the North Shore. Get the tender corned beef in sandwiches piled so high, the fragrant house-baked rye can barely contain it. Plus look out for Reuben egg rolls, an occasional special. $13.99. 461 Waukegan Road, Northbrook, 847-272-9490, maxandbennys.com Advertisement Moons Famous Corned Beef at Moons Sandwich Shop Sit at the lunch counter, open since 1933, and get the house-made, thin-sliced, warm West Side specialty on soft rye with mustard, pickle, lettuce and tomato. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) This warm bear hug of a sandwich remains as reliable as the diner counter shop. Its been open since 1933, and a lot has changed in the neighborhood, where new buildings dwarf the little store. Inside, the phone never seems to stop ringing, while the short order cooks hustle, and they always remember your pickle. $12.50. 16 S. Western Ave., 312-226-5094, moons.homestead.com Advertisement Hot corned beef at Morrys Deli Corned beef sandwich with mustard on rye bread at Morry's Deli in Hyde Park. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) Morry Orman, father of celebrity financial adviser Suze Orman, opened his Jewish-style deli in 1960. Now its a hub of the Black community in the Hyde Park neighborhood. A lot of skill and history goes into slicing the meat to precise pink ribbons in this unassuming storefront setting. $9.99. 5500 S. Cornell Ave., 773-363-3800, morrysdeli.com Advertisement Corned beef rye bagel at New York Bagel and Bialy Corned beef sandwich with mustard on rye bagel at New York Bagel and Bialy on Touhy Avenue in Lincolnwood. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) This suburban bagel shop is still open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you time your visit right, you might get a bagel still hot from the oven. The meat may be warmed in the microwave, but after your first bite through the crackly, chewy crust, all will be forgiven. $8.49. 4714 W. Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood; 847-677-9388; newyorkbagelandbialy.net Advertisement Romanian Kosher Sausage Company Corned beef sandwich at Romanian Kosher Sausage Co in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago on March 15, 2022 (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) Youll find a tiny sign, behind the meat counter, on the far left of the pale blue tiled wall, listing just a few sandwiches at the market open since 1957. Next to the corned beef, the XL doesnt mean extra large; it means extra lean. You can always order two sandwiches, which a counterperson will carefully make on a shelf behind the cash register. Do note theres no seating inside, but you eat outside in the free parking lot next door. $6.99. 7200 N. Clark St., 773-761-4141 Advertisement The Wall Street at Schmaltz Deli The Wall Street at Schmaltz Deli in Naperville. (Louisa Chu/Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune) The Jewish-style deli named for golden chicken fat is not afraid to keep things fatty. Its a simple, solid sandwich served with pickles and a side of endearingly irregular housemade bagel chips. The flagship Naperville moved to Lisle, and theres another location in Wheaton, both celebrating their 15th anniversary with double-stuffed sandwiches. $12.29. 390 W. Front St., Wheaton, 331-806-3670; schmaltzdeli.com Advertisement Uncle Rube at Steingolds Deli Uncle Rube sandwich with corned beef, smoked sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye bread in 2019 at Steingold's delicatessen and cafe in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) Aaron Steingold opened the Jewish-style, Lebanese-influenced deli with wife and co-owner Elizabeth Abowd in 2017. Now next door to the Music Box Theatre on the Southport Corridor in the Lakeview neighborhood, they expanded with a bagel bakery too. Look for a new market soon at the pioneering, newish, Jewish deli. $17.75. 3737 N. Southport Ave., 773-661-2469, steingoldsdeli.com Advertisement Corned beef at The Bagel Corned beef sandwich with mustard on rye bread in 2019 at The Bagel in the Lakeview East neighborhood. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) The Bagel has bounced around since it first opened in 1950 in the city, then the suburbs, and back again to where it stands in Lakeview. Nothing seems to have changed with the corned beef, or the wonderfully sassy staff, no matter where or when you visit. $14.75. 3107 N. Broadway, 773-477-0300, bagelrestaurant.com Advertisement The Chicago Diner The Radical Reuben sandwich, with corned beef-style seitan, at The Chicago Diner in the Lakeview East neighborhood of Chicago on March 15, 2022 (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) The trademarked Radical Reuben sandwich (piled high with corned beef-style seitan, grilled onions, peppers, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and dairy or vegan cheese) has become an icon beyond Chicago for good reason. The vegetarian (or vegan sandwich) is so good on its own, plus comes with lots of side options including fresh-cut fries or fantastic thin and crispy housemade yucca chips. Its available at the original diner in Lakeview East, and the sister shop in Logan Square. $16. 3411 N. Halsted St., 773-935-6696; 2333 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-252-3211; veggiediner.com Advertisement The Corned Beef at The Corned Beef Factory Corned beef sandwich with mustard and Swiss cheese on rye bread at The Corned Beef Factory sandwich shop in 2019 in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) This might look like a slick new operation, with rustic chic decor and cute Kraft paper and butcher twine packaging, but the actual factory has been around since 1948. Owner Ted Lagios still uses the same recipe for the meat, which is also sold wholesale. The shop, though, just opened in 2015, making sandwiches fast and piled high, only on rye bread. $12. 1016 W. Lake St., 312-666-2536, cornedbeeffactorychicago.com Advertisement Reuben at The Goddess and the Grocer "Mile High Reuben" sandwich with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on marble rye bread in 2019 at The Goddess and the Grocer in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) Chef and owner Debbie Sharpe makes beautiful Reubens, layered with classic corned beef or turkey pastrami. A big part of her business was catering to rock stars, until the pandemic hit. No wonder their carefully crafted sandwiches seem made with a superstar touch. $12.50. 1649 N. Damen Ave., 773-342-3200; multiple locations; goddessandgrocer.com Advertisement Hot corned beef at The Onion Roll Restaurant & Deli Corned beef sandwich on rye bread at The Onion Roll Restaurant and Deli in Oak Park. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) When you walk through the Jewish-style deli, open for over 50 years (no one seems to remember exactly when it opened anymore), the wood-paneled dining room sets the stage for your elemental sandwich. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing fancy, but all you need. Plus, it pairs great with the matzo ball soup. $13. 6935 W. North Ave., Oak Park, 708-383-2548, theonionroll.com Advertisement Corned beef at Vienna Beef Factory Store A corned beef sandwich at the Vienna Beef Factory Cafe in 2006 in Chicago. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) Founded in 1893 by Austrian-Hungarian Jewish immigrants Emil Reichel and Sam Ladany, this is the maker of the iconic Chicago-style hot dog and the patented official corned beef of St. Patricks Day. The factory and shop moved south to the Bridgeport neighborhood, but its all the same. You could buy ingredients to make sandwiches yourself, but at least once, get one from the experts. $11.99. 3847 S. Morgan St., 773-435-2298, viennabeef.com Advertisement Reuben at Wyler Road Reuben sandwich at Wyler Road in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago on March 15, 2022. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune) An old corner store was transformed years ago to a cafe space, where Wyler Road opened in 2015. Its Reuben is just one of their stunning creative sandwiches. You can get it with thick yet tender slices of corned beef or make it vegetarian with seitan. I highly recommend their crunchy housemade potato chips, but youll have to choose from original, salt and vinegar or spicy dusted flavors. $13. 3581 W. Belden Ave., 773-661-0675, wylerroad.com Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. The pageant was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 16 (March 17 IST), after being delayed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. During Singh's soul-stirring rendition, the pageant's candidates and organisers raised their candles. The words "a prayer for peace" bannered at the screen behind the stage. Singh, from Jamaica, dressed in a graceful fuchsia dress for the event. She passed the crown to Miss World 2021 Karolina Bielawska from Poland. Indian-American Shree Saini from the US bagged the first runner-up title, followed by Olivia Yace from Cote d'Ivoire as the second runner-up. Femina Miss India World 2020 Manasa Varanasi represented India at the 70th Miss World. She reached the Top 13 contestants but could not make it to the Top 6 finalists. (ANI) Coming out in the support of Ukraine, veteran star Arnold Schwarzenegger recently made a strong appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin via a video message. Urging Putin to end the war in Ukraine, Arnold said, "I'm sending this message to various different channels to reach my dear Russian friends and the Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine," Schwarzenegger said in a nine-minute address. He added, "I'm speaking to you today because there are things that are going on in the world that have been kept from you, terrible things that you should know about. Let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine." As per The Hollywood Reporter, the 'Terminator' star spoke about how the fighting was instigated by Russia in February, explaining that the invasion has been "declared illegal by 141 countries, that many civilian buildings (such as a maternity hospital) have been bombed, that there's now a massive refugee crisis and that thousands of Russian soldiers have died." "The world has turned against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine. The destruction that Russian bombs are raining down on innocent civilians has so outraged the world that the strongest global economic sanctions ever taken have been imposed on your country ... This is not the war to defend Russia like your grandfather or your great grandfather fought. This is an illegal war," he emphasised. Arnold also opened up about his father's dark history as a Nazi sergeant when tackling the Russian government's false claims that its troops are engaged in a "denazification" of Ukraine. "(My father) was injured at Leningrad and the Nazi army he was part of did vicious harm to the great city and to its brave people," he said. "When my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government. When he left Leningrad, he was broken -- physically and mentally. He lived the rest of his life in pain -- pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of those terrible years and pain from the guilt that he felt. To the Russian soldiers listening to this broadcast: You already know much of the truth that I'm speaking. You've seen it in your own eyes. I don't want you to be broken like my father," Arnold shared. Schwarzenegger concluded the video with a message to Russian protesters who have risked imprisonment to take to the streets to voice opposition to the war in Ukraine. "The world has seen your bravery," he said. "We know that you've suffered the consequences of your courage. You have been arrested, you've been jailed and you've been beaten. You are my new heroes. You have the strength of Yuri Petrovich Vlasov. You have the true heart of Russia," Arnold said. Arnold's video has garnered over 6.7 million views on Twitter. (ANI) Confirming the demise of Oksana, her troupe, the Young Theater, issued a statement that read, "During the rocket shelling of a residential building in Kyiv, a well-deserved artist of Ukraine Oksana Shvets was killed." As per The Hollywood Reporter, Oksana was 67. She had been awarded one of Ukraine's highest artistic honors, the title of which roughly translates as 'Honored Artist of Ukraine'. On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, almost 600 civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in Ukraine since the start of the conflict. (ANI) A small preliminary study from Northwestern Medicine has shown that a blood test may identify the risk of stillbirth and placentitis in pregnant individuals who have had COVID-19. The finding published in the journal PLACENTA illuminates a link between placentitis and the circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus. Research has shown pregnant people with COVID-19 have a higher risk of stillbirths and other pregnancy complications. Anecdotal reports have also reported potentially higher cases of stillbirths caused by certain variants, leading to increased concern in the scientific community. Scientists identified a link between COVID placentitis, in which the virus infects the placenta, and these poor outcomes, but can only diagnose instances of placentitis after delivery by examining the placenta. "Right now, we don't know if there's placentitis until after the fact," said Northwestern's Dr Leena Mithal, the paper's first author. "We're laying the groundwork for further studies so that in the future, people who are diagnosed with COVID during pregnancy may be able to get a test that will help identify pregnancies that may be at higher risk of stillbirth or fetal distress." Mithal is an assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending physician at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Dr Jeffery Goldstein, the director of perinatal pathology at Feinberg, led the study and is the corresponding author. Placentitis affects between 1 per cent and 2 per cent of pregnant people infected with COVID-19. Unlike many pregnancy complications, the risk of placentitis and stillbirth isn't linked to the severity of the virus. Dr Elisheva Shanes, a co-investigator of the study and assistant professor of perinatal and autopsy pathology at Feinberg, said that makes predicting which placentas are at risk next to impossible because an asymptomatic infection could just as easily have complications as a very sick person. Using a biorepository of blood taken from pregnant people during the pandemic in 2020, the scientists looked at the blood of participants who had tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy -- six who were positive for placentitis and 12 controls who were not. Then, scientists at the Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution looked for RNA of the virus in maternal blood using the same PCR-based test usually performed on nasal swabs. Of those who had placentitis, two had low levels of viral RNA (called viremia) in their blood; none of the controls did. One of the people with viremia had a stillbirth, and the other had a good infant; all participants who tested negative for the marker delivered healthy babies. "The part of the placenta infected by the virus is also the part that's in contact with maternal blood," Shanes said. "So if there's an infection in these cells, the virus may also be found in the blood. If a pregnant person had COVID and no placentitis, we wouldn't expect to find the virus in the blood." Most pregnant patients with COVID-19 will go on to have normal pregnancies. Improved versions of this test and additional studies to validate the finding could help obstetricians develop plans for those who are at a high risk of placentitis and stillbirth, Shanes said. Investigators plan to conduct follow-up studies with larger pools of participants and hope other labs will build on the small body of literature to further validate the findings. The best way to protect both the parent and baby is to get vaccinated, the authors said. In their observations, stillbirths have been more common in unvaccinated patients. "We don't know why viremia does or doesn't affect some people, but the vaccine does seem to protect against severe complications," Mithal said. (ANI) The high court had on Tuesday dismissed all the petitions seeking direction to the government for allowing hijab inside classrooms. The court had also stated that wearing hijab is not an essential part of Islam. The Amir-E-Shariat of Karnataka, Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Rashadi, on Wednesday gave a call for a state-wide bandh on Thursday, which has been supported by hundreds of organisations across the southern state. "Expressing our anger against the sad order of the Karnataka High Court regarding hijab, a state-wide bandh will be observed on Thursday," Rashadi stated, as he appealed to the entire Muslim community to support the bandh between 6 am and 6 pm on Thursday. The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the Campus Front of India (CFI) have also supported the bandh call. Both the organisations maintained that the high court verdict is against the constitutional rights of an individual. CFI office-bearers said that the high court verdict is against individual and religious rights. --IANS mka/arm ( 207 Words) 2022-03-16-20:30:06 (IANS) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has warned of disciplinary action against farm organisations or their leaders who participate in the Lakhimpur Kheri meet scheduled to be held on March 21. The SKM said that some leaders dissolved the coordination committee of the Morcha and declared themselves as 'Samyukt Kisan Morcha' and issued a statement in the name of Balbir Singh Rajewal from Chandigarh for convening a national meeting at Lakhimpur Kheri on March 21, while the real Samyukt Kisan Morcha has decided to observe a nationwide day of protest on that day. "The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has no relation with the farm organisations and leaders who formed the 'Samyukt Samaj Morcha' and 'Samyukt Sangharsh Party', including Balbir Singh Rajewal and Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who disrupted the meeting. "We still appeal to them to desist from any such act which threatens this historical unity of the farmers. We would like to warn all the farm organisations that any organisation or leader participating in the Lakhimpur Kheri meet on March 21 will be subject to disciplinary action," the SKM said in a statement on Wednesday evening. SKM added in the statement that farm unions and leaders who formed parties and contested elections in Punjab under the name of Samyukt Samaj Morcha and Samyukt Sangharsh Party were out of the SKM, at least till April. These organisations that contested the elections despite warnings from the SKM were completely rejected by the farmers of Punjab, it added. As per the statement, the seven-member coordination committee of the Morcha had called a meeting of representatives of all the organisations at the Gandhi Peace Foundation in Delhi on March 14 to decide the upcoming programmes of the Morcha. But the members of Samyukt Samaj Morcha and Samyukt Sangharsh Party led by Balbir Singh Rajewal and Gurnam Singh Chaduni forcibly reached the venue and occupied the meeting hall to start a parallel meet, claimed the SKM statement. "We were astonished to see these leaders dissolve the coordination committee of the SKM and declare themselves as the Samyukt Kisan Morcha by issuing a statement in the name of Balbir Singh Rajewal," said the statement. --IANS avr/arm ( 376 Words) 2022-03-16-23:06:02 (IANS) Congress dissenters, or the 'G-23' group seeking a sweeping overhaul in the party's functioning, met at senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's residence and over Kashmiri food, discussed their strategy to take their point to the party leadership, specially the Gandhi family. After the meeting, the group issued a statement, reading: "We believe that the only way forward for the Congress is to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all level... in order to oppose the BJP, it is necessary to strengthen the Congress party. We demand that Congress party initiate a dialogue with like-minded forces to create a platform to pave way for a credible alternative in 2024." The group was elated as apart from the initial members, some more leaders including Mani Shankar Aiyar, Patiala MP and former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur, senior leader P.J. Kurien, former Punjab Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Raj Babbar, and Kuldeep Sharma were also seen arriving at Azad's residence for the meeting. Shankarsinh Vaghela and Sandeep Dikshit were also taking part. Vaghela has been in the Congress in the past but his present status is not clear. The meeting is being held to devise the further strategy after the CWC endorsed Sonia Gandhi's leadership. The group has already reached out to the like-minded leaders within the Congress. The Congress President on Tuesday removed state chiefs of five states and after which loyalists started targeting the dissenters. However, one of the members Vivek Tankha dismissed the word 'rebellion', saying: "There is no rebellion." He also left early. Talking to IANS, Dikshit said: "The Congress President should have accessibility, acceptability and accountability." --IANS miz/vd ( 292 Words) 2022-03-16-23:08:03 (IANS) The BJP leader reached Asansol to attend a party meeting where he, while speaking to reporters said, "Mamata Banerjee is conspiring to make West Bengal another Pakistan and this is the reason she and her party leaders talk about partition." The BJP leader further said, "The industries that have been shut down in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has a major role in it. Mamata Banerjee has always been against Biharis. Industries in the state are being shut so that the people from Bihar leave the state and then it will be easy for her to convert West Bengal into Pakistan." "Banerjee supports the statement of the "Tukde-Tukde" gang and she somewhere wants that the state becomes another Pakistan," said Singh. Around 40 lakh people from Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia are forced to work outside of the state because of the closure of industries, he added. (ANI) After registering a thumping victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, a meeting was held at BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalize the new state cabinet. BJP National President JP Nadda, national general secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh, UP Chief Minister-designate Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, UP BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh, Keshav Prasad Maurya, and Dinesh Sharma who were deputy chief ministers in the outgoing state government attended the meeting where names of 36 candidates for Uttar Pradesh Legislative council were also discussed. Discussions were also held on the names of prominent faces who will be invited for the swearing-in ceremony, which, according to sources, is likely to be held after Holi. The BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. Adityanath will be the first Chief Minister in the last 37 years to return to power after completing a full term in the state. Adityanath, a monk-turned-politician, won his first-ever Assembly election by a margin of 1,03,390 from Gorakhpur Urban constituency, defeating the Samajwadi Party candidate Subhawati Upendra Dutt Shukla, who secured 62,109 votes in the recently-concluded UP Assembly elections. (ANI) It seems like Netflix does not believe in "sharing is caring" phrase. As per Variety, the streaming giant will soon launch a test letting primary account holders pay an additional fee for users outside their households. Basically, it's an attempt by the company to address illicit password-sharing. During a test period, Netflix will try out its approach in three countries: Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, and would cost approximately USD 2-USD 3 extra per month if the users in those countries choose to opt-in. "We've always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans. While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households -- impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members," Chengyi Long, director of product innovation at Netflix, wrote in the blog post. It's been reported in Netflix's blog post that the first feature would allow Netflix subscribers on standard and premium plans to add sub-accounts for people they don't live with. Each sub-account would include a separate login, profile, and personal recommendations. To enable the new sub-accounts, the main account owner will receive an email with a code that they'll need to use to verify the additional devices are a part of their household. (ANI) I've seen "Starcatcher" three times now and it has grown on me on each occasion. Others loved it from the get-go with far more gusto than I the insatiable fascination with this particular story has bemused me at times but, especially now that Rees is gone, the piece feels wise, poignant, honest and, well, understanding of our hopeless desire to never grow old. The Lost Boys yuk it up with the best of 'em in this show, but they also talk about the darkness that surrounds those unlucky enough to be lost in one of the world's many caves, hoping to catch at least a partial glimpse of a star. The preliminary round of discussion was held at Vikasa Soudha on Wednesday, with regard to extending the internationalization of education for degree, post-graduation, and engineering courses, the facility which at present is made available for diploma courses. It was discussed in the meeting to introduce Twinning Degree programmes for the above courses. Speaking at the meeting, C.N. Ashwatha Narayana, Karnataka Minister for Higher Education said, "At present MoU with Montgomery County community college of Pennysylvania has been implemented. The same needs to be extended for other courses which will be in accordance with the internationalization of education." Responding to Minister's proposal, Kannika Choudhari, HE Envoy, Pennsylvania, USA, suggested entering into MoUs with Athens State University, York College (Pennsylvania), Harrisburg Univerisity of Science & Technology, Indiana University (Pennsylvania), Husson University, Thiel College, Alvernia University and Misericordia University to achieve the desired objectives. "The students taking up these courses will be sent to American Universities in specific years of their studies and paid internships will be part of these courses. This also enables students to get employed in the USA after completion of their course, if they desire," Narayana said. Once the MoUs come into effect, the students can have a Twinning Degree of 6 years, Integrated Post-Graduation of 5 years, Twinning Post-Graduation of 4 years, M.S.Nursing (Integrated), and M.S.Biochemistry (Integrated), he stated. He further said, "There are huge opportunities for those who have pursued graduation in Nursing and Health Administration. To make most of this, the officials have been instructed to draw up the modalities on introducing such courses." These MoUs will facilitate opportunities to study higher education at the global standards. The expenses of selected students from SC/ST and other backward communities will be completely borne by the government. If needed, the educational loan from banks will also be made available, he told. P.Pradeep, Commissioner, DCTE, Prof.Lingaraju Gandhi, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore City University were present. The Bangalore City University and Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, USA exchanged letters of intent on Wednesday, which would allow for English learning and pursuing an integrated course in Computer science. Lingaraja Gandhi, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore City University, and Kannika Choudhary, HE Envoy, Pennsylvania, USA, exchanged the letter of intent and related documents. After implementing the MoU, the students of Karnataka can be benefitted from the English learning programmes of Harrisburg University and further can become part of the American academic activities. (ANI) Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways, on Wednesday, inaugurated first of its kind pilot project for Hydrogen based advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) that will be a huge shift from fossil fuel and towards the conservation of our environment. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India Hardeep Singh Puri and RK Singh, Minister of Power, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Heavy Industries Minister were present at the launch. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. along with International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) initiated this Pilot project to study and evaluate the world's most advanced FCEV Toyota Mirai which runs on hydrogen, on Indian roads and climatic conditions. This aims at spreading awareness about Hydrogen, FCEV technology, and disseminating its benefits to support hydrogen-based society for India. Gadkari said, "Green Hydrogen can be generated from renewable energy and abundantly available biomass. Introduction and adoption of technology to tap into the Green hydrogen's potential will play a key role in securing a clean and affordable energy future for India." "FCEV powered by Hydrogen is one of the best zero-emission solutions. It is completely environment friendly with no tailpipe emissions other than water," he added. Green Hydrogen offers huge opportunities to decarbonize a range of sectors including road transportation and is gaining unprecedented momentum globally. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri while addressing on the occasion said, "We are here celebrating new technology. This technology of ethanol combination is a great success. I have invited my counterpart from Brazil as an example and it will be a delightful exchange of ideas. PM spoke of green energy and this is a win-win idea. We are in an interesting transition. Investment required for traditional energy was not coming earlier but now it's coming." Union Power Minister RK Singh stated that fossil fuel capacity comes down to 33 per cent. We believe that environmental problems need to be addressed. India is committed to a cleaner energy and low-carbon path for achieving accelerated economic growth. Through the launch of this pilot project, India moves a step closer toward transportation powered by Green hydrogen which is going to be a key technology option of the future with the significant application, he added. (ANI) Informing about the meeting, the Chief Mnister took to his official Twitter handle and said, "Chaired a pre-budget session meeting with the ministers and BJP-IPFT MLAs today. Had a detailed deliberation on House's strategy for the upcoming budget session." The five-day budget session of the Tripura assembly will begin on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Verma will present the State Budget for the financial year 2022-23 on the first day of the Session. This will be the last Budget of the BJP-IPFT government before the State goes to Assembly polls early next year to elect all 60 members of the Legislative Assembly. (ANI) Saints after watching 'The Kashmir Files' requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allocate them land in the Kashmir valley so that they can re-establish the Vedic traditions there. BJP leader from Indore, Deepak Jain booked two theatres and watched the film with hundreds of 'sadhus' on Wednesday. Mahamandaleshwar Radhe Radhe Baba, a seer who watched the film said, "Kashmir is the land of Lord Kashyap, Lord Shankaracharya's place of worship. In Vedic times, Kashmir was known by the name of Pandits. Today all the saints, Mahamandaleshwar, Batuk had come to watch the film." He added, "To destroy the Vedic traditions, heinous crimes were done and the Kashmiri pandits were ill-treated. The new generation should be aware of these facts." "I want to thank PM Modi for the decision to scrap Article 370. I also request the PM to allocate the land in Jammu and Kashmir to the saints so that we can establish the Vedic traditions there," Mahamandaleshwar Radhe Radhe Baba added. He also added that the state and central government should add it in school curriculums or special screenings for the students should be arranged. While speaking to ANI Jain said, "Today we got the film screened for our Mahamandaleshwar and saints so that the society can know the reality of the ill-fated act that the Kashmiri Pandits had to go through." He added, "The reality of genocide of the Kashmiri Pandits has been shown in the movie." "After 2014, our nation is changing and so is the thought process of Bollywood film-makers. Various patriotic films are now being made, which were earlier not made in such good numbers or the censor board and the government would not let them released. This has changed now," Jain said. 'The Kashmir Files' has been directed by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others. It was released on March 11. Several states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Karnataka, Goa, Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh have declared the film as "tax-free". (ANI) Ravi said, "We thanked PM Modi as due to his name and work we have won in Goa." Goa acting Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Sawant, BJP Goa president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, General Secretary Satish Dhond along with CT Ravi met PM Modi in Delhi ahead of government formation in Goa. Ravi added, "The date of oath ceremony will be decided by central observers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan." The BJP, which fell one seat short of the majority figure in Goa, is set to retain power in the state with the help of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and independent candidates. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in Goa, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly, leaving Congress with 11 seats at a distant second position. Independent candidates bagged three seats while two seats each went to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak (MGP). Revolutionary Goans Party and Goa Forward Party (GFP) got one seat each. (ANI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday said that the film 'The Kashmir Files' shows half-truths and added that not only Hindus, but Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs were also murdered in Kashmir. "I watched 'The Kashmir Files', the film is made on the terrorist incidents that happened in Kashmir. The entire film is focused on only one family but in the end, the main hero emphasized that not only Hindus, the people of different religions including Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs were also murdered. But this film has been made to send only one political message that only Kashmiri Pandits were displaced," said the Chief Minister after watching the film. "Half-truth is shown in the film. It is not appropriate to show one side in the film. If they (BJP-led central government) want to do politics through this and doing preparations for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then they are taking the country in a very wrong direction," said Baghel. He further said that even today the problem of Kashmiri Pandits has not been solved and no attempts have been made for their resettlement. "This is the period of 1989-90 when VP Singh was the Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani were leading at that time. Jagmohan was the Lieutenant Governor at that time. No attempt was made to stop the Kashmiri Pandits, but he asked the Kashmiri Pandits to leave. President's rule was imposed there, but the army was not sent there. Even today the problem of Kashmiri Pandits is the same; 370 has been removed, but no work is being done for the resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits," said Baghel. Further criticizing the film, the Chief Minister said that the film has given no solution to the problem and only gave a lecture. "Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ruled for 6 years then and now there is Modi's government for 8 years, Numerous days have passed since Article 370 was removed but no attempt has been made to solve their problem (resettlement).Even the film was unable to show any solution. When a director makes a movie he has to show the solution to the problem he is raising but the director fails to provide a solution in the film and only gave lectures and this government only did politics by removing Article 370," he said. He further said that the film has shown intense violence which will not have a good impression on a child's mind. Emphasizing that it is necessary to find a solution to the problem, he said that "the Government of India has so far not done anything in the direction of resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits." "The lead actor of the film also narrated the bloody part of Kashmir's history, saying that Buddhists, Sikhs and Muslims were also murdered at that time," he said while lamenting that the film showed nothing on the other part of the story. "However, all the things are said in the speech of the hero. Whether a Buddhist or Muslim, all were murdered, temples and mosques were also destroyed," he said. "It seems like an attempt has been made to promote someone's ideology but I believe that the way the message has been delivered in this film will not be successful," he added. When asked about the censor board should act for showing so much violence in the film, he said nowadays censor board has no importance. "Showing such violence will not have a very good impact on society. I condemn it. There can never be any support for terrorism but it is not appropriate to show one side and one part," he added. Talking about making the film tax-free in Chhattisgarh, the Chief Minister said, "BJP people are asking me to make the film tax-free, even the director of the film asked me to do so when the director met the Prime Minister why didn't he asked for making the film tax-free across the country." The film 'The Kashmir Files' focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s. 'The Kashmir Files' has been directed by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others. It was released on March 11. (ANI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has again summoned Trinamool Congress (TMC) National Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee here in the national capital next week in connection with an alleged coal scam. Abhishek has been asked by the ED to appear before the investigators on March 21 while his wife has been asked to appear on March 22, said sources. Abhishek was earlier summoned by the ED in connection with the case and he had appeared before the investigating officers in Delhi. Abhishek and his wife last year had moved the Delhi High Court against the summons issued by the agency last year in September which was dismissed on March 11. On March 11, a bench of Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar had denied the relief to Abhishek and his wife over the summons by ED over appearing in the national capital since they are the residents of Bengal. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing ED raising Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) said that the jurisdiction of ED is not 'confined' to any particular area or a police station. Following the court's order, ED issued summons to Abhishek and his wife. On September 6 last year, Abhishek was questioned over eight hours here in Delhi in connection with the coal scam. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) started the probe in the coal smuggling case and the ED initiated a parallel investigation. The CBI registered the case in November last year. It is alleged that illegally mined coal, worth several thousand crores of rupees, has been sold in the black market over several years by a racket operating in the western parts of West Bengal where the Eastern Coalfields Limited runs several mines. On February 21 last year, a CBI team visited Abhishek's residence and summoned his wife and his sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir over the alleged connection in the coal scam. After quizzing Rujira, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials said that they are not satisfied with her reply. (ANI) Many factors like women, caste combination, education qualification, age and performance of the MLAs will be taken into consideration before the formation of the Yogi government 2.0, said sources on Thursday. Several rounds of meetings have taken place within the party after poll results on March 10. "Many new leaders who joined the BJP within months before the election have also come out victorious and they are likely to be inducted into the government. However, what is come out from the exercise that has been carried out so far is that without a doubt the caste combination of a particular region and the representation of the elected MLA from that area will be taken into consideration while announcing cabinet," the sources said. According to sources, there was open public displeasure against several ministers and MLAs of the last term largely owing to the fact that these leaders would hardly go and meet people in the constituency. "Like Bihar, this time in Uttar Pradesh women voters who stood up in huge numbers to vote for the party were instrumental to BJP winning a majority in the state. It is also given to understand that the women representation in the Yogi Cabinet will be a substantial one and quite a few women MLAs would be inducted," sources added. In the next couple of days, the BJP will also be finalizing the candidates for MLC elections on 36 seats. A few ministers, who have also been MLCs before, are likely to get repeated. "What are the big shocks in this election for the BJP was the loss of Keshav Prasad Maurya who was a deputy Chief Minister in Yogi 1.0 government from Sirathu. Given his experience as well as popularity it is being said that he will be made an MLC. Congress turned BJP leader Jitin Prasada is also likely to be repeated as an MLC as he has been a minister in the Yogi government," said sources. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made at least two visits to the national capital after the election results to meet top leaders of the party. Among the other leaders from the state who attended these meetings include Dinesh Sharma, Keshav Maurya, BJP State President Swatantra Dev Singh, Uttar Pradesh General Secretary Sunil Bansal. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a part of a few meetings, most of the meetings have been taken place in the presence of BJP national president JP Nadda, general secretary organization B L Santosh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP Uttar Pradesh election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP UP in charge Radha Mohan Singh. BJP Uttar Pradesh core committee held a six-hour-long crucial meeting on Wednesday to discuss the formation of government in the state. The BJP emerged victorious winning 255 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The SP was the second largest party with 111 seats and its ally SBSP secured the win in six constituencies. Mayawati's BSP was reduced to only one seat. (ANI) The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Karnataka government on a plea challenging the appointment of only one member from the Muslim community to the post of chairman of State Minority Development Corporation. A bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose issued notices to the Karnataka government's Department of Minority Welfare Haj and Wakf, Chairman Karnataka State Minority Corporation and Managing Director, Minorities Development Corporation. The apex court sought response within six weeks. The top court was hearing an appeal filed by Karnataka state Christian minority community person, Anil Antony, challenging the January 18, 2021 order of the High Court by which it had dismissed plea against the appointment of chairman of Karnataka State Minority Development Corporation only from the Muslim minority community. Appearing for Antony, advocate GS Mani contended before the bench, that petitioner sought equal participation and representation of other minorities communities person for the appointment of Chairman of Karnataka State Minority Development Corporation. The plea stated that petitioner has challenged the arbitrary appointment of IAS officers as chairman of Karnataka State Minority Corporation only from the Muslim minority community right from the inception in 1986 and till date, without giving equal participation and representation of other minorities communities like Christian, Sikhs, Jain, Parsis and Buddhist. "The High Court has failed to consider the discrimination was done to the persons belonging from other minorities religion viz. Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jain and Buddhists by the respondent state authority in the matter of appointment of Chairman to the 2nd Respondent, Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation Limited," the appeal against the High Court order stated. The High Court had dismissed Antony's petition seeking appointment of members from Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jain and Buddhists also as the Chairperson of the Corporation on a rotation basis within the time frame fixed by the court.(ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that while the land port development had been ignored in the country since Independence much progress has been seen in the past 10 years, boosting the strength of the economy. Shah, speaking on the occasion of the 10th Foundation Day of the 'Land Ports Authority of India', said that while India should have focussed on improving road transport and land port after Independence but the due priority was given in the last 10 years following which unprecedented positive changes have been seen. "In the last 10 years, the Land Ports Authority of India has overseen unprecedented developmental work," said Shah. He also stated that "India faces different challenges and opportunities at land borders with seven neighbouring countries". Shah underlined that India's trade corridors are very essential. "We face different challenges and opportunities at our land borders with seven countries (China, Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Nepal & Bangladesh). We have strong relations with Bangladesh and it is reflected in the trade corridor with the neighbouring country. Our trade relations with Bangladesh are evolving," said Shah. He added, "Almost 600 years ago, India and China had trade relations across the world." The Home Minister said, "The developmental work initiated by the Authority in the last 10 years is being appreciated by everyone." Shah also stated that "the feature of the Authority is not only to check bill of lading for business activity but promote the economic activity without comprising the security of the country". (ANI) Looking to get a feminist magazine off the ground, a young woman pitches her idea to a cavalcade of uninterested men. Only one gives her the time of day, and he happens to be a purveyor of porn in the San Fernando Valley. Why not serve up some male nudity along with those serious-minded articles, he suggests? A spoonful of sugar and all that. She hates the idea. Hates it. But having no other options, she agrees. Thats the premise of Minx on HBO Max, a snappy workplace dramedy drenched in the sunny glare of early 1970s Southern California. Beefcakes alongside meaty ideas may sound like an unlikely pairing, but thats true of the shows central duo as well. Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond) is earnest, uptight and inexperienced, but shes also clear about the value of a magazine that takes womens agency as its raison detre. Doug (Jake Johnson) is the confident, louche, easygoing publisher who wears his shirts generously unbuttoned and understands the kind of hustle that keeps his scrappy company afloat, with magazines such as Feet Feet Feet and Bodacious Butts. Advertisement From left: Jake Johnson and Ophelia Lovibond in Minx. (Katrina Marcinowski/HBO Max) Shes the iron nightingale, hes the swashbuckling sleaze: Can they make magazine magic together? To start, Joyces proposed title, The Matriarchy Awakens, is tossed overboard for the far catchier Minx. But actually getting the magazine going is a complicated stop-start process that kicks up all kinds of dust along the way a good amount from Joyce herself, who sees this venture as an X-rated Faustian bargain. Only gradually does she come around to the idea that in order to lead the liberated charge, the pages of her magazine will also need to be a spectacle of schlongs. A plethora of peni. A delirium of you get the idea. I like all the business practicalities in play. Minx intends to offer readers female emancipation with mature but thematically appropriate material, Joyce says, sticking to euphemisms in their pitch to advertisers, whereas her partner is more blunt, with an eye on the bottom line: Womens liberation, what does it mean? Well, Ill tell you what it means to me: It means liberating women from the $400 million in disposable income they spend every year. Advertisement With Doug, what you see is what you get. And Johnson goes all in, oozing dirtbag, pinky-ringed charisma: A smut peddler who apparently isnt exploiting those around him. Its a performance at once smarmy and jaunty and it goes down like candy (not unlike John C. Reillys portrayal of Lakers owner Jerry Buss in HBOs Winning Time). Youre rooting for Doug to succeed, which is why it feels like such a setup to make Joyce a wide-eyed scold by comparison. Feminists can be fun! I mean, not here obviously, but just generally! Series creator Ellen Rapoport has cast the role well, because Lovibond finds all kinds of ways to tap into the humanity behind the characters exhausting facade its unclear if Joyce is even a good writer or editor; all signs point to no and Im not saying she has to be likable. Far from it. But she becomes increasingly wearisome screen company, in part, because it takes her so long to meet people where theyre at, even people who are already on her side: I am in business with a man who doesnt respect or value me. But he does. At least thats how Johnson is playing him. She just thinks respect should look more respectable. Joyce is not as progressive as she thinks, which is a canny in-show critique of the character. But its also worth thinking about how Minx is constructed and why it prioritizes the point of view of a feminist who appears to have no community of women in her life, outside of her new female colleagues at the magazine and her unshockable older sister (the very funny Lennon Parham as a suburban mom who, upon meeting Dougs crew, notes: Your lives are so fun, all I do with my mouth is yell). Does Joyce seek out any women to commune with about these issues she claims to be so passionate about? Who knows! Well, theres that one time when shes shuttled off into a kitchen with the wives of the mobbed-up truck drivers who are responsible for distributing the magazine, which proves to be a legitimately enlightening experience, but for the most part its as if she were grown in a petri dish labeled feminist and then sent out into the world with a placard around her neck announcing: I am woman, hear me roar. We dont know how this Pasadena-raised country club princess came to her worldview or why, and that feels like an important piece thats missing. But look at me, being the buzzkill (Im the shows conception of Joyce!) when Minx just wants you to have a good time. Doug and his magazine compatriots, from left: Oscar Montoya, Jessica Lowe, Idara Victor and Jake Johnson in Minx. (Katrina Marcinowski/HBO Max) The thing is, Joyce cant read a room to save her life and its an annoying trait. But also, I get it: Sometimes you spend so much time fighting a world that wants to deny you even a crumb of equality or validation that you become single-minded and cant recognize another way of doing things or admit when your principles ring hollow. So much of the show is focused on Joyces learning curve, course-correcting bit by bit, and yet shes neither the smartest nor the most interesting person in the room. That would be Dougs assistant, Tina, who is brought to life in a wry performance from Idara Victor. Shes savvy and skeptical and shes the closest thing Doug has to a confidant at work. A font of information about how the business actually functions, shes also the lone Black woman in the office. Whats her story? Would love to know. (At a bar after work, Doug orders drinks for the two of them: A Makers and a banana daiquiri the daiquiri is for him. Love this detail.) Visually, Minx is a hoot filled with polyester as far as the eye can see and I was especially taken with the purple-and-green madras plaid maxi dress Joyce wears, going full Breck girl, to mingle among a more conservative set on their hunt for potential advertisers. There are other visual elements worth mentioning. Minx is not coy about nudity when it comes to any gender, but its primarily focused on the abundance of male centerfold models who parade through the magazines offices to drop trou. The show is downright cheerful about the glories of the male appendage, but only in its relaxed state. Its a decision you notice precisely because of the modesty exhibited later on, in an entirely different context; during a prelude to sex, the camera suddenly averts its gaze, conspicuously framing things just above the guys pelvis. It becomes clear where the shows comfort level with full-frontal male nudity stops, and its at the bedroom door. Minx 2.5 stars (out of 4) Where to watch: HBO Max Advertisement From left: Jake Johnson, Ophelia Lovibond and Stephen Tobolowsky in Minx. (Katrina Marcinowski/HBO Max) Nina Metz is a Tribune critic nmetz@chicagotribune.com What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. Sign up for our Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. Delhi's Saket court has shown displeasure with a builder Mukesh Khurana for leveling scandalous allegations with deliberate intention to lower the dignity of the court. Additional Sessions Judge Atul Kumar Garg in an order passed on March 15, 2022, dismissed an application moved by Khurana, sought further adjournment for hearing in the bail matter, said it appears that the Counsel for the applicant is brow-beating the Court by making the allegation, which amounts to leveling scandalous allegations with deliberate intention to lower the dignity of the Court and with malafide designs to get the matter adjourned. The court further said that the history of the present bail application reveals the mechanization of the applicant for adjourning the matter on one ground or another. He obtained the interim bail vide order dated April 13, 2021, since then, he has been enjoying the interim protection. The Counsel has misled the Court earlier stating that the applicant had gone to Mumbai or he is not aware of the order passed by this Court. However, he had partly complied with the order as directed by this Court. It is also a matter of fact that there is no transfer application pending before the Ld. Principal District & Sessions Judge (South) by this time. The court direction came during the hearing of an application sought adjournment on behalf of the applicant/accused Mukesh Khurana stating that he has moved an application under Section 408 CrPC seeking transfer of the instant bail application from this Court to any other competent Court of concurrent jurisdiction in view of the grounds and contentions as alleged by the applicant. The court, after hearing the arguments, noted that "I have heard the arguments. The necessity of filing of this application has arisen because the accused/ applicant does not want to get the appearance of the accused/applicant in the Court as directed." The court further said, it appears that the entire effort of moving this application is just to adjourn the matter. He either has to challenge this order securing the presence of the applicant as directed by this Court before the High Court or to argue the case before this Court. Mukesh Khurana, Promoter, Director and majority shareholder of Rudra Buildwell Projects Pvt. Ltd. is a builder, who has allegedly duped several home buyers. One such case is the latest FIR against Mukesh Khurana, in a series of FIRs registered against him in the recent past. The FIR stated that Mukesh Khurana and others made several false representations regarding the delivery of flats within time, and other representations, thereby induced the Complainant to book 11 flats in the project named "Palace Heights", taking 75 per cent upfront payment. Later it came to light that the said 11 flats allegedly had also been sold to 11 different home buyers, and around Rs 2.39 crore were taken from them also. Accused Mukesh Khurana had sought anticipatory bail in the matter, wherein he was granted interim protection in April 2021. However, Advocate Mudit Jain, appearing for the Complainant argued before the Court that the accused Mukesh Khurana had given a false and fabricated affidavit and that he is guilty of perjury in Court. He further pointed out that Mukesh Khurana was directed to appear before the Court, however, he has deliberately not so appeared before the Court. Advocate Jain further submitted that several FIRs registered against builder Mukesh Khurana and he has already spent around 7 months in jail and that he has destroyed the dreams of hundreds of victims for their dream homes, apart from arguing that he is guilty of siphoning off crores of rupees from the Palace Heights project, due to which there is a huge delay in the construction of the project. (ANI) The accused has been identified as Pondson John connected with St Mary's Syrian Orthodox Church. The alleged incident happened on March 12 and 13. The Class 12 student was taken for counselling to the priest. According to Police, the Class 12 student in her complaint said that the priest misbehaved with her when she went for counselling on March 12 and 13. The police have registered a case under sections 3,4,7 and 8 of the POCSO Act. (ANI) The newly elected chief minister said that people will be able to lodge complaints against corruption via WhatsApp. "99 per cent of people are honest, because of 1 per cent the system breaks down," said Mann. Mann had also taken to Twitter to post, "On the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh ji, we will launch the anti-corruption helpline number. That will be my personal WhatsApp number. If anyone asks you for a bribe, send it to me by recording a video/audio of it. A strict action will be taken against the corrupt. Corruption will no longer work in Punjab." A day after Mann assumed office, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government took the first step towards fulfilling the promises which it had made during the run-up to the state assembly polls - a corruption-free government and controlling drug menace in the state that shares a border with Pakistan. The AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly. (ANI) Derogatory remarks made by Trinamool Congress MLA Manoranjan Byapari against people from Bihar have stirred up a political row with both Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal slamming the Mamata Banerjee-led party in West Bengal. Byapari had last year said 'Ek Bihari, sau bimari' (One Person from Bihar is equal to 100 diseases). The TMC leader also said that Bengal should be "disease free". The Trinamool MLA's comment captured on video had been shared on social media by several BJP leaders, including Suvenda Adhikari who reshared it recently. [{a0c43539-4242-47fd-b602-897e4dc179e6:intradmin/Capture_cxPUolV.JPG}] The Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari had said, "First TMC leader Mamata Banerjee labels Biharis and UPites as 'Bohiragotos and now this clarion call to make Bengal free of Biharis." Notably, the TMC has fielded actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha popularly known as "Bihari Babu' for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in the forthcoming bypolls. Meanwhile, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said that if the people of Bihar stopped working, the heartbeat of the country will come to a stop. Speaking to ANI, Jha said, "I hail from Bihar. I feel sad that when people of Bihar are targetted. What crime have we committed that we are targeted in different states? This is not the first time that this has kind of statement was made in Bengal against people of Bihar." "The people of Bihar are working in different states, in different positions, in different categories. If one day they decide that they will not work, then I am sure that the heartbeat of the nation will stop. Everyone should understand this before making statements," stated the RJD leader. Blaming the central and state government for the condition of the people of Bihar, Jha said that Bihar has been turned into labourer supply state. He said, "Over the last years, the Centre never tried to bring investment in Bihar. When it comes to Bihar, a dozen trains are given, in which our brothers and sisters get loaded like cattle and go to other states as labourers." "This suits the present character of capitalism. In this system, we find abuses apart from the minimum wage. This system has to be changed. That is why we call for special attention to Bihar and demand special status. Otherwise, India will never be able to become a 5 trillion economy," added the RJD MP. (ANI) The festival of colours Holi is knocking on our doors and so is the spring equinox. India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions and Holi is one of the country's festivals that fill one with jubilation and festive cheer. Holi is essentially the festival of colours, which signifies the victory of good over evil, but it is celebrated across the country in varied ways. Here are some of the inimitable and popular ways of celebrating Holi in different parts of the country. 1. Holi in Uttarakhand In Uttarakhand, Holi celebrations are called Kumaoni Holi. Going by the name, it is apparent that the celebrations take place in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. The common names for the festival are Kahila Holi, Khadi Holi and Baithaki Holi. During the festivities, people make a 'toli' (gathering of people) and sing and dance to folk tunes going around the city, while sporting traditional attires. The musical affair also signifies welcoming the spring season-- the start of the sowing season for the farming community. A night before Holi, people also gather around to light the Holika pyre. 2. Holi in Punjab Hola Mohalla, a popular three-day-long fair that is observed at Punjab's Shri Anandpur Sahib is a big festive event for Sikhs around the world. The festivities include a display of martial arts, horse-riding, and reciting poetry, primarily to pay homage to the bravery of Sikh warriors. Later the festival is followed by dance, music and spraying of colours. 3. Holi in Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh's Lathmar Holi is one of the most famous Holi celebrations that take place around the country. In Barsana, Mathura and Vrindavan areas, respectively known as the towns of Radha and Krishna, Holi begins from Basant Panchami and continues for more than a month. Thousands of devotees and tourists visit the towns to witness this frenzied version of Holi. On the day of Holi, women run after men with 'lathis' or sticks and playfully hit them during this celebration. The men, on the other hand, come prepared with a 'dhal' or shield. Other towns like Kanpur and Gorakhpur also arrange fairs popularly known as 'Holi Mela' to celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm. 4. Holi in Rajasthan Popularly known as 'Royal Holi', Holi in Rajasthan is observed at a grand level and is organized by the royal Mewar family of Udaipur. People practise the traditional rituals of Holika Dahan a night before Holi, followed by the royal cavalcade including several decorated horses and the royal band proceeding through the city. 5. Holi in Maharashtra With great gusto and anticipation, the people of Maharashtra celebrate 'Rang Panchami' or 'Shigma'. Festivities start after the sunset on Purnima with Holika Dahan, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The next day, people apply gulal and spray water on each other. The celebrations are incomplete without the preparation of 'Puran Poli', a sweet buttery flatbread made with chana dal with the stuffing of jaggery, coconut, cardamom, and butter or ghee. When you return home after playing Holi, the heavenly bite of this piping hot scrumptious dish is enough to satisfy your cravings. 6. Holi in Kerala The traditional manner how people celebrate Holi in Kerala is known as 'Ukuli' or 'Manjal Kuli'. People visit the temple on the first day and continue with the festivities on the second day. Instead of applying gulal, the people of Kerala play Holi with turmeric or other natural colours. With 'Bura Na Mano Holi Hai' being the tagline of the day, Holi unites the varied people of India. While different states have their own methods of observing the festival, the above mentioned are some of the popular ways how the festival of colours is celebrated in India. (ANI) Delhi government on Thursday distributed Rs 5,000 each as the pollution subsistence grant amount to 83,183 construction workers, to support them. These construction workers had not received the grant in November 2021 from the Delhi government due to the non-completion of the renewal process. Notably, the Delhi government had distributed the pollution subsistence grant of Rs 5000 to all construction workers registered with Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (DBOCWWB), during the ban on construction activities in the national capital given high pollution levels in November last year. The Delhi government had announced an assistance of Rs 5000 each, to the workers and Rs 250 crore was released for this. Delhi government has already given a pollution subsistence grant of Rs 5000 each to 4,91,488 construction workers registered with DBOCWWB. A total of Rs 245 crores have been distributed as welfare measures for construction workers and now additional Rs 41.9 crores will be distributed among 83,000 construction workers. Delhi currently has 8.5 lakh registered construction workers. The amount of Rs 5000 will be credited to the accounts of the registered construction workers in the next two working days. All construction workers registered with the Construction Workers Welfare Board before 24 November 2021, when the ban on construction activities was imposed, are eligible for a pollution subsistence grant. In a statement, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "The Delhi government is standing with construction workers at every step. These workers are builders of our nation and strengthen our country. Our cities, buildings, and nations stand because of their hard work today. Therefore, the honour and interests of the workers are the main priority of our government." "This step will help the Delhi government in assisting all construction workers in Delhi. There are around 11 lakh construction workers in Delhi, of which 8.5 lakh are now registered," he added. In view of some eligible workers not receiving pollution subsistence grants due to bank account amendment problems, Dy CM Sisodia urged the construction workers to get their bank amendment done on an e-district website free of cost, so that their applications are processed in the next payment cycle. After registration, all construction workers can also get the benefit of various schemes introduced for their welfare like education, health benefits, marriage, maternity, pension, etc., he said. (ANI) Slamming the Congress' G-23 leaders, party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday said political parties face ups and downs, that does not mean rebellion. "Sonia Gandhi is open for talks to every Congressman. When it is needed that we should fight together, some politicians (G-23 leaders) are making statements against the party. If they have the right intentions, why do not they talk to Sonia Gandhi," Chowdhury told ANI. "When these politicians were made ministers in UPA government, did they ask that the posts should be given considering democratic process? Everything was hunky-dory back then because we were in power. Political parties see ups and downs, that does not mean rebellion," added the Congress leader. Following the poll debacle of Congress in five states and a row and accountability over leadership, G23 members held a meeting at Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad's residence. Besides Azad, G23 leaders include Shashi Tharoor, Kapil Sibal, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manish Tiwari, and others. After the meeting, the Congress' G23 leaders on Wednesday said that the only way forward for the party is to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels. The results of five assembly polls came as a shock to the Congress which was hoping to do well to revive its prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and to fend off the emerging challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress to replace it as the fulcrum of anti-BJP politics in the country. The party is slated to elect a new party chief later this year at the culmination of organisational elections. (ANI) Adityanath while interacting with locals said people have started playing Holi from March 10 onwards as the Bharatiya Janata Party made a historic win in Uttar Pradesh for the second consecutive term. "People have started playing Holi from March 10 onwards itself. I want to thank you for choosing a government of law and order. This election showed that truth will always triumph," he told media persons. In the visuals, he was seen distributing sweets and chocolates among the children who came to greet him. Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil. (ANI) Shab-e-Barat, which is also known as the "night of forgiveness," is observed between the 14th and 15th night of the Sha'aban, the eighth month in the Islamic Calendar. This year, the celebration of this auspicious Muslim festival will commence on the evening of March 18 and end on the evening of March 19. This occasion is celebrated with great fervour all over South Asia, including in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Turkey and Central Asia including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. The word 'Shab' has Persian origins and it means night while 'Barat' is an Arabic word that stands for salvation and forgiveness. On the night of Shab-e-barat Muslims all around the world ask forgiveness for their sins from Allah. "The day is believed to be extremely pious, for it is said that the Almighty readily forgives those who pray sincerely, and ask for their sins to be washed. Additionally, the night can be used to seek mercy for the deceased and ill family members. It is also believed that on this night, Allah decides people's fortune for the year ahead, their sustenance and whether they will have the opportunity to perform Hajj (pilgrimage)," said Muhammad Abbasi, Noorul Islam Niswan School, Lucknow. Although the main prayers and Holy Quran recitations start at night, the vibrancy and festiveness start as soon as the day commences. Muslims across the world celebrate the occasion differently depending upon cultural diversity and local traditions. The history of this festival dates back to the time when the twelfth Imam of the Shia Muslims named Muhammad al-Mahdi was born. The night of Shab-e-Barat is celebrated as his birthday. On the other hand, the Sunni Muslim community believes that on this day only, God saved the Ark of Noah from the flood. This is why people across the globe celebrate the day. Shab-e-Barat has an 'energy' of its own and people have their own distinct story about this day. During daytime, people prepare delicious sweets, Halwa, Zarda and other things to enjoy and distribute among their neighbours, relatives, family members and poor people. Many also visit the graves of their loved ones to pray for eternal peace of the souls. Some also fast on Shab-e-Barat. Mosques are decorated and many of them have periodic recitations and announcements throughout the day, before preparing for the main events of the night. Maulana Hamid Bilgrami, Panjetani Masjid, Lucknow, explained, "After sundown on Shab-e-Barat, Muslim devotees start their prayers with 'Isha Ki Namaz'. The prayer session continues for the entire night and till the next day before the azaan, they eat Sehri. The fast for Shab-e-Barat starts is observed after that." In conclusion, the literal meaning of Shab e Barat can be translated to the night of Atonement. It has numerous names as per the different cultures worldwide, such as Cheragh e Barat, Barat Night, Berat Kandili, or Nisfu Syaaban. Due to the virtues of the night, it is one of the holiest nights in Islam. (ANI) According to an official statement, the Dindoshi Police of Mumbai arrested two people from the Santosh Nagar area in the city. Both the accused had arrived from Bihar to allegedly sell the cannabis in retail in Mumbai. A total of 3 kilograms of cannabis were seized from the two accused. Police further said that an investigation on the same is underway. (ANI) With the Marina City buildings rising in 1962, the 50,000 strong St. Patrick's Day extravaganza is led by Illinois Atty. Gen. William G. Clark (second from left), Mayor Richard J. Daley, Lord Mayor Robert Briscoe of Dublin and Stephen M. Bailey. (Chicago Tribune archive) Get out your green, Chicago! St. Patricks Day is next Thursday but were getting an early start due to Saturdays dyeing of the Chicago River a 60-year tradition and downtown parade a 65-year tradition. The South Side and Northwest Side parades follow Sunday and others are planned in the suburbs. Advertisement The city is expecting an influx of people to celebrate the events, which have not been held in person since 2019, due to the coronavirus pandemic. A lucky few, however, stumbled upon a surprise river dyeing last year. Why are these rituals such a big deal in Chicago? Lets take a look back at how they came to be, the people of Irish heritage who have left their mark on the city and revisit Tribune movie columnist Gene Siskels take on the most iconic Chicago-based St. Patricks Day movie of all time which was filmed here and included scenes from the 1993 downtown parade The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford (my fellow Maine Township High School District 207 alum). Advertisement Bobby Biggs, a deputy U.S. marshal, says in the film: If they can dye this river green today, then why cant they dye it blue the other 364 days of the year? Well, Biggs, there was that one year the river was dyed blue to celebrate the Chicago Cubs World Series win and the result was underwhelming. Maybe it was missing the luck o the Irish? (Sorry, had to sneak one cheesy line in here somewhere.) As always, check out @vintagetribune on Instagram and give us a follow @vintagetribune on Twitter. See you next week! Kori Rumore, visual reporter Chicago history | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Todays eNewspaper edition City workers use vegetable dye to turn the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day in 1976. (Mario Petitti/Chicago Tribune) You feel like youre a king for a day If you cant dye part of Lake Michigan green a suggestion straight from Mayor Richard J. Daley then how about the Chicago River instead? Heres how it became an iconic Chicago event, as told by those who lead the crew. Read more >>> Advertisement Stephen Lamb holds a shamrock in 1926. (Chicago Tribune historical photo) Photos: Irish heritage in Chicago From the notable the first president of the Irish Free State to the adorable, here are rarely seen photos of Irish people, culture and activities in Chicago from the Tribunes archives. See more >>> The O'Leary family plot that includes the graves of Catherine and Patrick O'Leary of Great Chicago Fire infamy is at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Aug. 30, 2021. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) A new chapter for descendants of one of Chicagos most famous Irish-American residents Catherine OLeary Even more than 150 years later, the apocryphal tale of a family cow kicking over a lantern in the barn on DeKoven Street has haunted several generations of OLearys and made their name synonymous with the citys destruction. Catherine OLeary and the family cow, Daisy, were exonerated, but the mark against the family remains, they said. Descendants say theyre embracing their Irish heritage and want to finally put the old rumor to rest. Read more >>> Mayor Richard J. Daley, center, led the procession as the Irish painted the town green on March 15, 1957, starting with a parade of 10,000 down State Street in Chicago. (Chicago American) Marchin Irish Chicagoans first held a St. Patricks Day parade in 1843 but it didnt become a yearly tradition until Mayor Richard J. Daley revived it in the mid-1950s. Advertisement Read more >>> In this newsclipping, Mickey Rooney is flanked by Mayor Richard J. Daley, right, and Michael Howlett, as they lead the annual St. Patrick's Day parade on State Street in Chicago, March 17, 1976. (Bob Fila/Chicago Tribune) Getting a position Politicians jockey to stand as close to the mayor as possible during the downtown St. Patricks Day parade. Inevitably, someone steps out of line as actor Mickey Rooney did in 1976 and favor. Read more >>> Irish eyes smile on Chicago during the St. Patrick's Day parade along Dearborn Street on March 16, 1985, as one of the city's finest meets a small Irish charmer much to the delight of the sidewalk contingent. (Frank Hanes/Chicago Tribune) March 17: Captured by Tribune photographers Remembering in photos how the city has celebrated St. Patricks Day through the years. See more >>> Patricia O'Connell is crowned queen of Chicago's St. Patrick's Day Parade by Mayor Jane Byrne in 1982. (Chicago Tribune) Queens in green Tribune columnist Rick Kogan recalls another Chicago St. Patricks Day tradition the crowning of a parade queen. Advertisement Read more >>> Kathy Anderson has made the cape for the queen of Chicagos St. Patrick's Day Parade since 1985, just as her grandmother did for decades beforehand. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) A cape fit for a queen Vintage Chicago Tribune Weekly The Vintage Tribune newsletter is a deep dive into the Chicago Tribune's archives featuring photos and stories about the people, places and events that shape the city's past, present and future. > Since the 1950s, one family has handcrafted the slipper-satin cape worn by each years St. Patricks Day queen. Read more >>> St. Patrick's Day revelers frolic in the snow near the intersection of Delaware Place and State Street, on March 18, 1984. A late winter snowstorm made going tough for those out to celebrate the wearing of the green. (Michael Budrys/Chicago Tribune) Youre gonna need a thicker coat In 1984, for example, it snowed more than 4 inches! Heres a data-driven look at the craziest St. Patricks Day weather in Chicago history. Read more >>> Harrison Ford starred as Dr. Richard Kimbel in the 1993 movie "The Fugitive," which filmed in Chicago. (Warner Bros., The Fugitive) Gene Siskel on The Fugitive: 4 stars (out of 4) Read why the Tribune movie columnist chose the movie as his Flick of the Week in August 1993. Advertisement Read more >>> Sign up to receive the Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter for more photos and stories from the citys past and the Tribunes archives. Senior Manipur BJP leader Thongam Biswajit Singh is among people credited with changing the fortunes of the party in the state. The BJP won a majority on its own for the first time in Manipur and Biswajit Singh's name has been doing the rounds as a candidate for chief minister's post in the northeastern state. The BJP retained power in Manipur by winning 32 seats with its main rival Congress managing to win only five seats in the 60-member assembly. The National People's Party has won seven seats, Janata Dal (United) six, Naga People's Front five, Kuki People's Alliance two seats and Independents three seats. The BJP contested the election with Chief Minister Biren Singh as a key face but the party is yet to take a decision on the next chief minister. Biren Singh had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday in Parliament and had termed it a "courtesy visit". When Thongam Biswajit Singh joined the BJP from Trinamool Congress about six years back, not many were sure he would turn out to be a key leader behind the party's impressive growth in the state. He was seen to be in contention for the Chief Minister's post in 2017 but he supported N Biren Singh's candidature. Biswajit Singh was given key portfolios in the government. A four-time MLA, Biswajit Singh was seen to have played a key role in sealing BJP's alliances with the Naga People's Front and National People's Party in 2017 for forming the first BJP-led government in the border state. Biswajit Singh, who has risen from a humble background, won this year's assembly polls from Thongju. His supporters said he did not campaign in his constituency and devoted time to other seats and his wife campaigned for him. After Biswajit Singh joined BJP, he was disqualified under anti-defection law and won a bye-election by a big margin. Assam chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor, had recently lauded Biswajit Singh's efforts for strengthening BJP in the state. "The contribution made by Biswajit cannot be undermined. Any time there was an issue in Manipur, he promptly called me and immediately agreed to either speak or call of the central government to solve the issue. He holds a big place in his heart for the people of Manipur," Sarma had said. Biswajit Singh is also credited with exposing "several scams" during the Congress rule. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed as observer and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju as co-observer for the election of BJP's legislature party leader in the state. The meeting is expected to take place early next week in Imphal. Biswajit Singh is also seen to have decent clout among MLAs in his support and speculation over the choice of next chief minister continues. Biswajit Singh had on Thursday refused to comment on speculations doing the rounds about him in the race for the next Chief Minister of the state. "I don't want to comment on that. We don't have any group among ourselves, that is for sure. The BJP is a democratic party and leadership will decide this (the CM issue)," he said. (ANI) Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan has said that the handlooms played an important role in the freedom movement and it is necessary to protect the interests of the handloom sector. This statement by the Governor came after Chillapalli Mohana Rao, who is Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (APCO) met Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan at Raj Bhavan on Thursday. In a tweet today, the Andhra Pradesh Governor's office wrote, "Andhra Pradesh Governor Sri Biswabhusan Harichandan has said that the handlooms played an important role in the freedom movement and that they are considered a symbol of the Indian culture and it was necessary to protect the interests of handloom sector." Chillapalli Mohana Rao briefed the Governor on the steps taken by the State government for the sustainability of the handloom sector and the schemes implemented for the welfare of weavers in the State. During his meeting with the Governor, Rao said that the handlooms sector requires all the encouragement that can be given, as it was the handlooms sector that provides livelihood to more people, after the agriculture sector. He sought the intervention of the Governor on the issue of the proposal of the State government to exempt the handloom products from the purview of GST by the Centre. He further explained to the Governor on the steps taken by the APCO to set up its retail showrooms in the International Airports at Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Gannavaram, to showcase the latest handloom products with modern and attractive designs, brought out by the cooperative society. (ANI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad and other MLAs of the state on Thursday celebrated Holi outside the state assembly. Prasad and MLAs had applied 'gulaal' to each other. Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil. (ANI) Acting on specific information regarding the movement of anti-national elements in the Karhama Kunzer area of Baramulla, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Jammu and Police and CRPF in the said area. During search operations, one terrorist associate of proscribed terror outfit LeT/TRF was arrested by the joint search party. He has been identified as Waseem Ahmed War. Incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition including one hand grenade, two AK-47 Magazines, and 20 live rounds were recovered from his possession. Accordingly, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Kunzer. Further probe into the matter is underway. (ANI) Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt on Thursday visited Army Base Hospital and met Harjot Singh, the Indian student who had sustained bullet injuries in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, said Army officials. The Minister enquired about his health and treatment facilities at the Army hospital. Harjot was shifted to Army's RR Hospital in Delhi for further treatment on March 7, after sustaining bullet injuries in Ukraine. Earlier, the student had told ANI that he sustained multiple injuries after bullets were fired upon his car in which he was travelling in Kyiv in Ukraine."This is February 27 incident. We were three people in a cab on our way to the third checkpoint where we were told to return due to security reasons. While coming back, multiple bullets were fired at our car due to which I sustained multiple bullet injuries," Harjot Singh said. The Indian student said he regained consciousness at 10 pm on the night of March 2. The Indian student is pursuing studies in Information Technology in Kyiv. He was flown back to India on an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft as part of the Central government's evacuation programme "Operation Ganga". The army official further informed that the Minister appreciated the functioning of the new OPD complex created in the hospital with modern facilities for patients. (ANI) India's National Security Ajit Doval co-chaired the second India-Indonesia Security Dialogue with Indonesia's Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mohammad Mahfud. "They discussed issues including cooperation in counter terrorism, maritime, defence and cyber," said the Indian Embassy in Indonesia. Doval and Mahfud signed the MoU for Security Dialogue to further strengthen cooperation on political and security issues. He also met Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Ibu Retno Marsudi and exchanged views on bilateral, regional, and global issues. "Both leaders reiterated commitment to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between both the countries," said the embassy statement. Both the countries are also enhancing bilateral defence relationships with militaries carrying out joint exercises. Last year in September, Indian and Indonesina navies begin bilateral two-day maritime exercise in the Sunda Strait. Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kadmatt participated in the exercise 'Samudra Shakti' with the Indonesian Navy September 20-22, aimed to strengthen the bilateral relationship, enhance mutual understanding and interoperability in maritime operations. "The exercise will also provide an appropriate platform to share best practices and develop a common understanding of Maritime Security Operations," Indian Navy had stated. Exercise 'Samudra Shakti' was conceived in 2018 in pursuance of India's Act East Policy, and has matured in complexity over the last two editions to involve conduct of complex maritime operations including Military Interdiction Operations (MIO), Cross Deck Landings, Air Defence serials, Practice Weapon Firings, Replenishment Approaches, and Tactical Manoeuvres. --IANS sk/vd ( 280 Words) 2022-03-17-19:16:03 (IANS) Even a week after the declaration of the assembly polls results, suspense over the chief minister of Uttarakhand continues. Meanwhile, the newly elected BJP MLAs in the state have been asked to stay in the state capital from March 20 onwards for the next few days. The Assembly polls results were declared on March 10 and the BJP had appointed central observers for the election of the legislative party leader on March 14, but even after a week there is no certainty of when the new chief minister will be elected. The BJP has appointed defence minister Rajnath Singh and minister of state of external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi as the central observers. The BJP has retained power for a second term in Uttarakhand by winning 47 seats in the 70-member House. A party insider claims that the defeat of incumbent Pushkar Singh Dhami from Khatima is the main reason behind the delay in the election of the new chief minister and formation of a new government in Uttarakhand. "After Dhami's defeat, first of all the party leadership will take a call on whether he will be given a chance or not for successfully leading the party to a historic victory. We are clueless about the formation of the government even after eight days of the declaration of the poll results," an Uttarakhand BJP leader said. It is learnt that the BJP leadership is trying to find a suitable formula acceptable to all without going against its own stand. "Our leadership is discussing several possibilities for the formula for the formation of the new Uttarakhand government and it is likely to be revealed in the next one or two days," a BJP source said. The BJP, meanwhile, asked all the newly elected MLAs to be in Dehradun from March 20 to initiate and complete the process of the formation of a new government. "All the BJP MLAs have been asked to stay in Dehradun for two-three days from March 20. We believe that our leadership has given this direction to call the meeting of the legislative party to elect a new leader and stake claim to form the government. The swearing in will be held soon after," a party insider said. --IANS ssb/bg ( 384 Words) 2022-03-17-19:20:03 (IANS) Lucknow wore a colourful look as the city's Sarafa Market kept with century-old tradition by celebrating Holi with much pomp and show on Thursday. This special Holi is celebrated in Lucknow a day before the festival of colours for almost 100 years. After playing with colours during the day, a Kavi Sammelan and cultural program are also organized in the evening at Sarafa Market. "This time Holi is also special because kesariya vibes in the entire state and the country. This time we played Holi with saffron gulal instead of red gulal," Vinod Maheshwari, president of Chowk Sarafa Market told ANI. Holi is incomplete with 'thandai'. Raja Thandai, one of the oldest and most reputed sweet shops in the Chowk area in Lucknow is adding saffron tinge to its thandai this year, thanks to the political verve all around. The owner of Raja Thandai said "this time thandai has 'kesariya' flavour as the 'kesariya' government formed once again in the state. However, thadai will cool all the heat." Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a massive victory in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Meanwhile, in Varanasi, the mood of Holi was set by folk songs by local artists at Ganga Ghat. In Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister-designate Yogi Adityanath attended a function on the occasion of 'Holika Dahan' on Thursday. Adityanath while interacting with locals said people have started playing Holi from March 10 onwards as the Bharatiya Janata Party made a historic win in Uttar Pradesh for the second consecutive term. "People have started playing Holi from March 10 onwards itself. I want to thank you for choosing a government of law and order. This election showed that truth will always triumph," he told media persons. He also distributed sweets and chocolates among children Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday stated in the Legislative Council that he will initiate action against Dharwad Rural DySP M.B. Sankad for lodging an FIR against the Speaker of the Council Basavaraj Horatti. JD (S) MLC Bhoje Gowda raised the issue and stated that the Chairperson holds a constitutional post. A case had been registered against him under the atrocity Act violating the guidelines, showing disrespect to the post, he added. He stated that protocol has not been maintained and the government has washed its hands off the matter after suspending a sub-inspector. A DySP is responsible for this incident and action must be taken against him, he demanded. Bommai stated that it is recorded in the protocol guidelines that after the post of the Governor, the post of Chairperson is most important. Whenever legal action is taken against persons holding constitutional posts, protocol has to be followed. "The protocol has been violated, after learning about the development I had spoken to the Chairperson. He had obtained a stay from the High Court. We have already initiated action against the sub-inspector. We are also considering to take action against the investigation officer, the DySP," Bommai stated. U.B. Venkatesh and Saleem Ahmad, both Congress MLCs, said that whenever there is a similar incident, action is initiated only against junior officers and the senior officials are protected. The government can't keep quiet at a time when the Speaker is insulted, they added. Opposition leader in the Council B.K. Hariprasad stated that the sub-inspector belonging to the Dalit community has been made a scapegoat in the case. The Akhila Karnataka Valmiki Nayaka Mahasabha lodged a complaint against Horatti and five others in Dharwad Rural police station in connection with a dispute over the management of an educational institution. It was alleged that though Basavaraj Horatti is not the chairperson of the Sarvodaya Trust but he is misusing his authority and exercising the powers of the chairperson. --IANS mka/bg ( 342 Words) 2022-03-17-20:28:02 (IANS) The Indian government has progressed on the path of ensuring that bilateral relations with our immediate neighbours are cordial. While a long-pending land boundary agreement with Bangladesh was signed and implemented only half-a-decade back, India has moved swiftly to aid Sri Lanka in the growing debt crisis with China. Though Bhutan has remained firmly within the Indian government's ambit of foreign policy, it is still unsure about the Motor Vehicles Agreement to be signed between the sub-regional BBIN grouping (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal). In order to discuss the next steps to operationalise the agreement for the free flow of goods and people between the four countries, a meeting of minds was organised last week. Interestingly, the BBIN meeting was the first in-person meeting since the pandemic struck in February 2020. The officials from the four countries finalised the wordings of two separate protocols aimed at passenger and cargo movement with an additional enabling agreement. Such an enabling Memorandum of Understanding goes a long way even without the Bhutan's approval yet. Naturally, this pending ratification from the Bhutanese government would be required to implement the project in full flow. India is always appreciated the common shared history and culture that exists between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India. By operationalising the MVA Passenger and Cargo Protocol, a significant step has been taken to realise the full potential of trade and people-to-people connectivity between the BBIN. Fostering greater sub-regional cooperation has been marked as the way forward for India. However, the Bhutan government's concerns over sustainability and environment while dealing with this project have also been accorded due sensitivity and importance at this juncture. Prioritising remaining a carbon-negative country, it is unlikely that Bhutan will change its position on the subject even though India remains hopeful that it would. Even though progress on the project has been gradual, several trial runs have now been successfully held on the Bangladesh-India road route for passenger buses and cargo trucks. Contentious issues like insurance and bank guarantees, along with the size and frequency of freight carriers into each country, are also up for finalisation now. International agencies, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, have evinced interest in the project. To safeguard the interests of both countries, an immediate upgradation of physical and commercial infrastructure on the India-Bangladesh border has been successfully undertaken over the last two years. In fact, land as well as sea ports have been prioritised as part of the $750 million scheme of the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation Programme of the World Bank. In an unfortunate chain of events, the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to a situation where green exports to Bangladesh have been affected immediately. Since India has been able to maintain a surplus of wheat, Bangladesh has requested that some form of aid may be given at the earliest. Even though Bangladesh has been steadily buying more wheat from India over the last few years (60 pert cent of Indian wheat has been bought by Bangladesh alone in the current financial year), India has also begun to see a major uptick in exports across the globe. Recently, India also evacuated a Bangladeshi student as part of India's ongoing mission to bring its citizens out of Ukraine. After India's successful first stint in the rescue operation, neighbouring countries like Nepal have also reached out to India for help. Over the last two years, the relationship between India and Bangladesh has improved with the latter launching its nationwide Covid vaccination drive after India's contribution of 2 million vaccine doses. Celebrating the golden jubilee of its independence from Pakistan and the centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, it was decided that December 6 would henceforth be commemorated as 'Maitri Divas' between the two countries since India had recognised Bangladesh 10 days before the liberation took place. With this constant improvement in relations and numerous projects coming to fruition, a great deal has been achieved between the countries. It is natural to expect the relations, trade and people-to-people connect between these countries to improve further. --IANS arm/ ( 685 Words) 2022-03-17-20:36:05 (IANS) Illinois has won a court order to award 60 new craft cannabis growing licenses, allowing a major expansion of the industry to newcomers. The development came as a judge lifted the injunction that had held up awarding the licenses until litigation was settled. Sangamon County Judge Gail Noll on Monday restored the applications of 11 applicants who had sued, challenging their disqualifications by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Advertisement The agency may now reconsider those applications, and is expected to rank all applicants to see who qualifies for a license. In case of a tie among top scorers, the department would hold a lottery to determine the winners. The department issued a statement that it is evaluating the ruling to determine the best way to move forward as quickly and efficiently as possible while maintaining our commitment to a fair and equitable licensing process. Advertisement The department indicated it will post any updates on its adult use cannabis webpage, and will be in touch with all remaining applicants in the near future. Craft growers hailed the decision as a major victory for applicants trying to get started in the business. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > This is a tremendous boost to the Illinois craft grow industry, said Scott Redman, president of the Illinois Independent Craft Growers Association. Hopefully, this will trigger the department to announce the winners, and we can get those licenses issued. Flowering cannabis plants are illuminated by artificial lighting at Prescribd, a cannabis cultivation company, at one of its cultivation centers on July 17, 2021, in Bridgeview. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Last summer, the state awarded the first 40 craft grower licenses, along with infuser and transporter licenses. As an indication of the difficulties in getting started in the cannabis industry, many of those businesses are still trying to get up and running. The state was required by law to award another 60 craft grow licenses by Dec. 21, 2021, but was held up by court orders. Another 185 dispensary licenses are held up by court orders while litigation challenging the application scoring process drags on. Many applicants complained that consultant KPMG scored identical submissions differently, and that white, wealthy, politically connected applicants did much better than minority applicants. On Tuesday, state officials announced a new, simplified online application for 55 new dispensary licenses to be awarded this year. The new system will replace previous applications that required hundreds of pages and costly consultants and investments. Currently, there are 21 licensed cannabis cultivation sites, and 110 retail stores in Illinois far fewer than in most other states that have legalized marijuana, and with almost no minority owners. Advertisement rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com Noting economic, political, and strategic equations are changing all over the world and major world powers are in a tussle, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that India's defence needs have also increased and constant modernisation of the armed forces is the need of the hour. In his address after inauguration of a seven-storeyed Flight Control System (FCS) integration facility at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory here, he said: "Keeping ourselves ready is our top priority and we are constantly working to enhance our strategic capabilities. Be it technology or products, services or facilities, their advanced and fasterdevelopment is the need for the hour." Lauding the DRDO for playing a crucial role in strengthening national security, he said that the FCS is a unique project not just in the country but in the entire world and is an embodiment of the new energy of new India. "This energy is of technology, commitment, institutional collaboration among public sector, private sector and academia and above all, of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. The complex will also provide simulator training to the pilots of combat aircraft, and Rajnath Singh described this as one of the most important components of the complex. The simulators provide an opportunity to learn by making mistakes without the possibility of any kinds of losses, he said. Commending DRDO and L&T for developing hybrid technology, he expressed confidence that it will increase the productivity of construction process, promote optimum utilisation of resources, reduce losses due to wastage, and will be helpful in speedy completion of projects. In hybrid construction technology, the column and beam elements of the structural frame are built with steel plates, and the columns are concrete filled steel hollow cross sections. The slabs are partially precast and all these structural members are assembled at site. Concreting is done simultaneously to make the structure monolithically cast, thus eliminating any dry joints as in case of precast construction. In this case of concrete-filled hollow sections, the steel provides a permanent framework to the concrete core which reduces the time and effort drastically as compared to conventional construction. Rajnath Singh described the hybrid technology as an important milestone for the construction sector and hoped that in the coming times, India will become one of the leading countries in the field of construction technology. He expressed hope that although the mandate of DRDO is to develop futuristic technologies, its spin-off benefits will be available to the civilian sector as well. "Our traditional construction industry is generally considered to be labour intensive, high risk and low on productivity. But, the way DRDO has constructed the FCS complex through hybrid technology, our infrastructure projects will be completed in a low cost and time-bound manner in the times to come," he said. He called upon the DRDO to continue exploring new possibilities in construction technology and contribute to nation building through new innovations. The FCS facility is a building with the plinth area of 1.3 lakh square feet. The construction has been completed in 45 days, setting a unique record of completing a permanent building of seven stories with hybrid construction technology for the first time in the history of construction industry in the country. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman, Dr G. Satheesh Reddy and other senior officers of DRDO and state government were also present during the inauguration. --IANS mka/vd ( 594 Words) 2022-03-17-21:28:02 (IANS) Four persons were arrested by Jammu Cyber Police with the assistance of Rajasthan police for allegedly duping people under the name of providing helicopter tickets for Mata Vaishno Devi shrine through fake websites, said the cyber police, Jammu on Thursday. The cyber police, Jammu in a statement issued on Thursday said, "With the assistance of Rajasthan Police a gang of fraudsters has been busted for offering fake online to and fro helicopter tickets to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine through fake websites. During the raid, the cyber Police Jammu team succeeded in nabbing 4 fraudsters including the kingpin." "After receiving cyber fraud complaints from Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board helicopter service providers of the board and number of complaints from the pilgrims regarding fake online sites and helicopter ticket fraudsters who were duping innocent pilgrims claiming for providing online helicopter tickets and looting hard-earned money from them," the statement said. The statement further said, "During the course of investigation of the case technical team of Cyber Police Station obtained information from the domain providers the fake websites based on which, domain registration details, as well as other details of around 40 fake websites, was obtained. The technical team zeroed in the common IP user and found out the whereabouts of these fraudsters and also found that they were operating from Kota Rajasthan." Based on the proceedings, a team of three Inspectors along with an official was constituted by the Cyber Superintendent of Police Jammu - Naresh Singh and the team was sent to Rajasthan to apprehend these fraudsters, said the police. The Cyber Police team with the cooperation of Rajasthan Police succeeded in arresting four fraudsters including a kingpin who was involved in creating these fake websites and duping people. These fraudsters were identified as Sunil Chawla, Deepak, Gajanand and Monu Pankaj. The police also seized incriminating material from the accused and after obtaining transit remand brought them to Jammu for further investigation into the case of the fake ticket. (ANI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday greeted the citizens on the occasion of Holi and wished that the festival of colours infuses positive energy in everyone's life and makes the spirit of nation-building stronger. In a message, the President said, "On the auspicious occasion of Holi, I extend my greetings and best wishes to all our fellow Indians, living in the country and abroad. He further said, "Holi - the festival of colours, marks the onset of spring season, bringing joy and zeal in our lives. This festival is a living example of social harmony and togetherness. Children, youth, men and women of all ages and backgrounds celebrate this festival with full enthusiasm." "I wish that this festival of colours infuses positive energy in everyone's life and makes the spirit of nation-building stronger," he added. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu also greeted the people on the occasion and said, "I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Holi - the festival of colours." He further said, "Celebrated with traditional fervour and enthusiasm throughout the country, Holi is a time for family and friends to come together and rejoice in the spirit of spontaneous, joyful celebration of life. The lighting of the bonfire on the eve of Holi symbolizes the triumph of virtue over evil." "On the auspicious occasion of Holi, let us strive to strengthen the bonds of friendship and amity that hold our society together. May this festival bring peace, harmony, prosperity and happiness in our lives," added the Vice President. Meanwhile, people across different parts of the country participated in 'Holika Dahan' on Thursday. Holika Dahan or Choti Holi is a major part of this festival. This traditional ritual involves the burning of an effigy of a mythical demoness named Holika. It is an important ritual that precedes Holi which is celebrated on the full moon night of the Phalgun month, according to the Hindu calendar. According to mythology, it's a way of celebrating Lord Vishnu's act of vanquishing Holika. In Delhi, people were seen participating in Holika Dahan in Gol Market area. In West Bengal people were seen performing the ritual in the Kankurgachi area of Kolkata. Also, Durbar Mahila Coordination Committee, the largest organization of sex workers celebrated Holi in the red-light area in Sonagachi, Kolkata. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with his wife Sadhna Singh, participated in 'Holika Dahan' at Second Stop in Bhopal on Thursday night. 'Holika Dahan' was performed hours ahead of Holi in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also performed Holi 'poojan' and 'Holika Dahan' at his residence in Jaipur. Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister-designate Yogi Adityanath attended a function on the occasion of Holika Dahan in Gorakhpur. Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil. (ANI) Joining an elite group of countries working on various aspects of Arctic, India on Thursday released its Arctic policy "India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development". "India's Arctic policy would play an essential role in preparing the country for a future where humankind's biggest challenges, such as climate change, can be addressed through collective will and effort. India's Arctic policy shall be implemented through an action plan, and an effective governance and review mechanism involving the interaministerial Empowered Arctic Policy Group," Union Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh said while releasing the Policy document. Implementing India's Arctic policy will involve multiple stakeholders, including academia, the research community, business, and industry, he said. India's engagement with the Arctic dates back to a century when the Svalbard Treaty was signed in February 1920 in Paris. India is already undertaking several scientific studies and research in the Arctic region. "Indian researchers are monitoring Arctic glaciers for their mass balance and comparing them with glaciers in the Himalayan region. India has also been actively involved in studies related to the Arctic oceanography, atmosphere, pollution and microbiology," Singh said. Over 25 institutes and universities in India are currently involved in Arctic research and about a 100 peer-reviewed papers have been published on Arctic issues since 2007, a release from Ministry of Earth Sciences said. In 2014 and 2016, India's first multi-sensor moored observatory in Kongsfjorden and the northernmost atmospheric laboratory in Gruvebadet, Ny Alesund, were launched in the Arctic region. Until 2022, India has successfully conducted 13 expeditions to the Arctic, the release added. --IANS niv/vd ( 276 Words) 2022-03-17-20:20:02 (IANS) After the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban last August, it was believed that the new regime would not allow the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan, however, the cross-border terrorism increased in the area. The Taliban is unlikely to take actions to constrain TTP and there is every possibility of escalation of violence and unrest in the Af-Pak border area, reported International Forum For Right And Security (IFFRAS). The Afghan Taliban's rise to power was considered a "strategic win" for Pakistan but at the same time, provided an unmistakable boost to the TTP. According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), 207 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan in 2021, an increase of 42 per cent compared to 2020. Around 335 lives were lost in these attacks. PIPS notes that the TTP alone was responsible for 87 attacks, an increase of 84 per cent relative to 2020. The TTP claimed an additional 42 attacks in the month of January 2022, reported IFFRAS. As the events have evolved over a period of a few months post-Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 and escalation of violence in the Durand Line area. It is believed that some recent attacks by the TTP, planned and launched from Afghanistan, had infuriated Pakistani authorities, prompting them to approach the Afghan Taliban and remind them of their commitments made during the Doha Accord. Moreover, the gravity of the security situation of the tribal areas in between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the massive presence of TTP in the area were explained by the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) 29th Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team report, published in the first week of February 2022. It stated that TTP still has between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters in Afghanistan. The report claims family members of TTP fighters in Afghanistan wished to resettle in Pakistan under assurances to reintegrate, reported IFFRAS. The TTP's two key demands are the imposition of Sharia in Pakistan and the release of the group's prisoners. In a way, Pakistan has brought down upon itself this precarious situation, as in December 2021, TTP cadres who were in white and grey lists of the Government of Pakistan were released, said IFFRAS. Moreover, the TTP got furious as Pakistani Security Forces conducted raids in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Swat, Bajaur, Swabi, and North Waziristan and killed and detained their cadres. In Pakistan, there was a thinking after the Taliban's takeover that the new regime would not allow the TTP to use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan, given the Afghan Taliban's long-standing association with Pakistan and in the manner of its promises to the US and other countries regarding terrorist groups functioning from its soil. But the truth is that the Taliban is unlikely to take actions to constrain the TTP -- its ideological twin, said IFFRAS. (ANI) Six countries - including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States - have requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine, the UK permanent mission to the UN said on Wednesday. "The UK and [Albania, France, Ireland, Norway, and the United States] have called for a Security Council meeting on #Ukraine. Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians. Russia's illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all," the mission said on its Twitter page. The development comes amidst the continued efforts by Russia and Ukraine to reach a negotiated settlement through the talks being held in Belarus. While the fourth round of talks continued on Wednesday, a few details emerged suggesting that talks might be reaching some headway with a Ukrainian delegation member saying that the two sides are now willing to reach a compromise. "The positions of the parties were very different and we have only now begun to reach some kind of compromise," Ukrainian delegation member Mykhailo Podolyak told the Ukraina 24 broadcaster, he added that Kyiv and Moscow will reach a peace agreement sooner or later, Sputnik News Agency reported. Podolyak also later tweeted that a draft peace plan circulating in the media calling for severe concessions from Ukraine was actually just a draft of the Russian side's request. "Briefly. FT published a draft, which represents the requesting position of the Russian side. Nothing more. The side has its own positions. The only thing we confirm at this stage is a ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops, and security guarantees from a number of countries," the tweet said. Earlier in the day, the head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said that the preservation and development of Ukraine's neutral status, the country's demilitarization, as well as issues related to the size of the Ukrainian army, had been discussed at the talks. The Ukrainian side proposed "the Austrian, Swedish version of a neutral demilitarized state, yet a state with its own armed forces and navy," he said. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later today that this option "can be seen as a real compromise," Sputnik News Agency reported. "[Ukraine's] neutral status is now being seriously discussed in conjunction with security guarantees, of course," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. A businesslike spirit at the talks gives hope that it will be possible to agree on the issue of the neutral status of Ukraine, the minister added. (ANI) Over-exploitation and illegal fishing by China is hurting the world's marine resources and livelihoods. A new report titled "Sink or Swim: The Future of Fisheries in the East and the South China Sea", the overexploitation of marine resources would lead to irreparable economic and biological losses, reported International Forum For Right And Security (IFFRAS). China has been the worst offender in the 2021 IUU Fishing index, which maps illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in 152 coastal countries. Chinese ships can be found everywhere in the world. The big vessels not only catch illegally, overexploit the marine resources but also leave a little for local boats by scooping up a major haul of fish. The problem of Chinese distant water overfishing has spread to the Pacific, South America, and Western Africa, reported IFFRAS. An armada of Chinese fishing vessels is encroaching territorial waters far away from China to find seafood, which has raised alarm even in friendly countries like Argentina and Mexico. The conflict is major in China's backyard, South China Sea (SCS) and East China Sea (ECS), where small nations like the Philippines and Indonesia regularly blame China for violations, reported IFFRAS. Fishermen in the western African Nation Sierra Leone have blamed China for overfishing, which they claimed affected their livelihood. Stephen Akester, an adviser to Sierra Leone's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, said "The Chinese fleet has been taking the profits of the fisheries for 30 years and the impact on fish stocks has been terrible. The resources are disappearing, fishermen are suffering, and families are starving. Many have just one meal a day." Palau, a small Pacific island nation, is facing overfishing by Chinese vessels in the protected water that is a sanctuary for sharks. Victor Remengesau, Director of Palau's division of marine law and enforcement, has expressed concerns over illegal fishing and the possibility of coronavirus infection from the Chinese crew, reported IFFRAS. "It's an unlawful entry. We may care about Covid and the spread of COVID, but we can't just let people do whatever they want, and disguise illegal activity," he said. Ray Mabus, former US Secretary of the Navy, said Chinese activities were exacerbating the problem of illegal and unregulated fishing, which was posing threats to maritime boundaries, national waters, and global marine resources. "China's distant-water fishing fleets are of particular concern because their predatory fishing activities are unmatched in their sophistication, scale, and harm," he said. According to NGO Global Fishing Watch, researchers used an unprecedented synthesis of satellite imagery and machine learning to find the dark fleets, which do not share information about their locations and carry out fishing illegally, reported IFFRAS. Now climate change is going to cause depletion of fish and other marine resources from SCS and ECS, China will be aggressively fishing in other parts of the world to meet rising domestic demand. It may become a major source of global friction in near future. (ANI) US Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged five agents with spying and harassing Chinese nationals living in the United States who have been critical of Beijing, the US Department of Justice said in a press release. "Two complaints were unsealed, and one amended complaint was authorized today in federal court charging five defendants with various crimes related to efforts by the secret police of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to stalk, harass and spy on Chinese nationals residing in Queens, New York, and elsewhere in the United States," the Justice Department said. "Fan 'Frank' Liu and Matthew Ziburis were arrested yesterday in the Eastern District of New York, while Shujun Wang was arrested this morning in the Eastern District of New York. The other two defendants remain at large," the press release further said. The individuals allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes to target Chinese nationals living in the United States because their political views and actions are disfavored by the Chinese government, the release said. US media reports said the Chinese agents targeted lawyer and political activist Arthur Liu, who helped organize pro-democracy demonstrations when he lived in China. A democratic congressional candidate in the state of New York Xiong Yan was another target, he had been involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Sputnik News Agency reported. "The Ministry of State Security (MSS) is more than an intelligence collection agency. It executes the Chinese government's efforts to limit free speech, attack dissidents, and preserve the power of the Communist Party," said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. "When it exports those actions overseas, it violates the fundamental sovereignty of the United States and becomes a national security threat. These indictments should serve as a stark warning to the MSS and all foreign intelligence agencies that their efforts at repression will not be tolerated within our borders," he added. Notably, in February, a Canadian court had held that a Chinese government agency Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO) was involved in espionage activities "that harm Canada's interests". The court was hearing an application challenging the denial of citizenship to a Chinese couple who had worked for OCAO in China for 20 years. The court upheld the denial of citizenship saying that it was reasonable "given the evidence available to the officer," reported National Post. OCAO is an agency under the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The UFWD is a department of the CCP that works to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of the CCP, according to a US-China Economic and Security Review Commission report. (ANI) General Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday (local time) said that the US will ramp up attacks on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan branch (ISIS-K) in summer as they are re-constituting itself and will be able to conduct attacks out of Afghanistan in 12 to 18 months. "We are coming out of the winter; traditionally this would now begin the fighting season," McKenzie said. "It is my expectation that ISIS-K attacks will ramp up in Afghanistan as we go into the summer," said McKenzie in his final appearance before Senate Panel, reported Tolo News. The US CENTCOM commander added, though the Taliban have been suppressing the terror groups across Afghanistan but warned that ISIS-K will ramp up its attacks in the summer even in Kabul, reported Khaama Press. McKenzie said that the Taliban did not help themselves by releasing one thousand ISIS-K affiliates from Afghanistan's jail following their takeover in August last year. The US General's concern over ISIS-K in Afghanistan comes as the de facto authorities in Kabul deny the terror group to be a threat to Afghanistan or other countries from Afghanistan. Political analysts believe that the Taliban must make plans to tackle ISIS-K, reported Tolo News. "If the Islamic Emirate wants to have the ability to counter ISIS-K and other groups, it must have the intelligence and operational plans," said Sadeq Shinwari, a military veteran. The Taliban denied McKenzie's remarks as baseless. "There are no documents to prove these allegations. The Islamic Emirate has full control all over the country and will not allow anyone to pose insecurity in the country," said Bilal Karimi, Deputy spokesman for the Taliban. Earlier, the UN Security Council said in a report that the number of ISIS-K fighters has doubled from 2,000 to 4,000 in Afghanistan. (ANI) The US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairperson Gregory Meeks on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the Karnataka High Court's verdict on wearing Hijab in educational institutions saying that the decision will restrict freedom of expression and effectively make girls choose between their religion and their right to education. "Disappointed by the court's decision to restrict freedom of expression, effectively making girls choose between religion & their right to an education," said the Congressman. "Whether in the US, India, or anywhere, how minority communities are treated is a true measure of a society," he added. The US congressman has been chairing the US house committee on Foreign Affairs since 2021. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi on Tuesday held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions saying they are without merit. In its order, Karnataka High Court observed that the Holy Quran does not mandate the wearing of the hijab, and stated that it is a cultural practice and is used as apparel as a measure of social security. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest outside college over being denied entry. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions.On February 10, the High Court had issued an interim order stating that students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issued the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case were concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgment. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States is responsible for foreign policy legislation and oversight. The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would list for hearing after Holi break, appeals challenging Karnataka High Court's order that dismissed petitions against the ban on Hijab in educational institutions. (ANI) Anthony Alvarezs little sister sat under a banner with an image of her late brother and his daughter that read Justicia Para Anthony Alvarez, swinging her legs and chanting his name at Federal Plaza on Wednesday evening. Say his name! Anthony Alvarez! his family and a crowd of about 50 supporters chanted, led by Alvarezs cousin, Roxana Figueroa. Advertisement The protest was in response to Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxxs decision Tuesday that no charges would be filed against the officers who killed Alvarez, 22, and 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Toledo and Alvarez were fatally shot in separate incidents in late March last year in the course of foot chases. Their deaths led to calls for the Chicago Police Department to implement guidelines on foot pursuits. Advertisement On Tuesday afternoon, Foxx announced that prosecutors determined both officers reasonably believed they were in danger when they opened fire because Toledo and Alvarez were carrying guns the nights they were shot. Community members gathered downtown Wednesday at Federal Plaza to respond to Foxxs announcement. After speeches from organizers, supporters and Figueroa, the group marched up the street to Foxxs office. Activists gather to protest in Federal Plaza in Chicago March 16, 2022, after Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx announced that no charges would be filed in the shooting deaths by Chicago police of Adam Toledo or Anthony Alvarez. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Figueroa said she and her family were disappointed to learn of Foxxs decision, but they will continue to fight for justice. She said she tried to put herself in the officers shoes and went back to watch the videos of her cousins shooting. Theres no reason why our family and I should keep rewatching those videos, listening to Anthonys last words in order to try to understand why Kim Foxx came to that decision, she said, holding back tears. Theres no reason why we should keep hearing his last words to understand that. Veronica Alvarez, Anthony Alvarezs mom, said she felt angry and disappointed Tuesday, but seeing how much community support is behind her family made her feel better. I feel content for the support and for the people, she said. The people that believe in us, the people that are supporting us, the people that believe in justice. Alvarez said her family will continue fighting until Officer Evan Solano is held accountable for shooting her son. Advertisement Alvarezs family filed a lawsuit last month alleging the city bears responsibility for the death in part because police had no foot pursuit policy when he was shot. On Tuesday, Toledos family also filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and against Officer Eric Stillman. Deepak Chopra, an Indian-born American author on Thursday (local time) called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "sexually impotent psychopath" as Russia intensified its attack on Ukraine. Chopra made the statement in a daily show with Trevor Noah where he discussed his book "Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth", inspired by a lyric from Bob Marley, who said some people are so poor, all they have is money. He also discussed the importance of measuring success through joy, his Freudian analysis of Vladimir Putin, and how an AI chatbot is helping to prevent suicides globally. Talking about Russia-Ukraine war and how the world is at the mercy of Putin, he said, "A Freudian analysis of Vladimir Putin is that he is a sexually impotent psychopath who is taking his rage out through mass murder. He belongs in a cage at The Hague, ultimately." Earlier, the International Court of Justice on Wednesday ruled that Russia should suspend its military operations in Ukraine immediately. Calling the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) order relating to the ongoing war as a "complete victory" for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday asked Russia to 'immediately' comply with the order even as the ongoing peace negotiations in Belarus appeared to reach some headway with the two sides ready to make compromises. "Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice. The ICJ ordered to immediately stop the invasion. The order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further," Zelenskyy said on Twitter. The ace author also suggested Russians to participate in civil disobedience and massive peaceful strikes against Putin. "And the only way, by the way, he can -- there is no military solution to it. One solution could be, again, a Gandhian, Mandelian solution -- if the Russians participated in civil disobedience and massive peaceful strikes and paralyzed the country," said the author. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were the proponents of civil disobedience movements. It was peaceful agitation against the British Government, wherein, the people voluntarily disobeyed the orders and writs of the government. He also said that Putin was restricting the flow of information from the Russians by banning Twitter. "Now, they would do it if they knew what the facts are. But now, he is cut-off all the media and Twitter and all that," said Chopra. Chopra had earlier Tweeted about Putin saying "Karma never loses an address". As per it, bad things happen to bad people or maybe in the next life, something bad can happen to them. Explaining the Karma, he said, "It's an echo from the past. I have seen, very rarely, tyrants--whether it's Saddam Hussein, or it's any of the recent people from Libya, Qaddafi, Idi Amin -- they all had very terrible ends. I believe in the law of Karma, it's an echo from the past." Russian forces had launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia. (ANI) The US welcomed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order asking Russia to suspend its military operations in Ukraine on Wednesday (local time), State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. "We welcome the Court's order and call on the Russian Federation to comply with the order, immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine, and to establish unhindered humanitarian access in Ukraine," Price said while adding, "The United States will continue to act with our allies and partners in support of Ukraine." Earlier, the ICJ at The Hague ruled that pending the final decision in the case, Russia must suspend the military operations that it commenced on February 24 in the territory of Ukraine. The US Press statement highlighted parts of the order including the court's acute awareness of "the extent of the human tragedy that is taking place in Ukraine" as well as the "continuing loss of life and human suffering." The Court also observed that it did not possess any evidence substantiating Russia's claims that genocide had been committed by Ukraine in the Donbas region, the press statement said. Ukraine on February 26 had filed an application at the ICJ to initiate proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Ukraine seeks to address what it calls "Russia's groundless claims" that genocide has occurred in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine and establish that Russia has no lawful basis to take military action on the basis of those "false" claims. Ukraine had also requested the ICJ exercise its authority to indicate provisional measures to preserve Ukraine's rights and limit the ongoing and irreparable harm to the Ukrainian people as well as Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. "By thirteen votes to two, The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine," the ICJ said in its order laying out provisional measures, adding that "Both Parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve." Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. (ANI) Shaanxi Y-8 ELINT spotter plane from China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was spotted southwest of Taiwan's main island and was challenged by Air Force planes issuing radio warnings telling the Chinese plane to turn back immediately, reported Taiwan News. The military also said it deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the activities of the PLAAF electronic intelligence aircraft. The highest number of PLAAF aircraft intruding into Taiwan's ADIZ on a single day so far this year was recorded on January 23, when 39 Chinese planes were spotted. That number was the highest since early October 2021, with a record of 56 planes being set on October 4, CNA reported. A version of the Y-8 reportedly crashed into the South China Sea near Vietnam on March 1, according to a report confirmed by Taiwan's main intelligence agency, the National Security Bureau (NSB). Media in Taiwan reported that following the alleged crash, no Y-8 planes appeared in the country's ADIZ from March 2 to March 7, reported Taiwan News. (ANI) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi may visit India soon, a first high profile visit from China since border stand-off in Galwan Valley in Ladakh. However, it is learnt that Wang's visit to India is being worked out. Meanwhile, neither the Chinese embassy in Delhi nor the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the proposed visit formally. This will be the first high profile and physical meeting between the leaders of both countries after Galwan clash and the beginning of the border stand-off that started in May 2020. The key objective of Wang's visit is to restart physical engagement and also invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS meet to be hosted by Beijing later this year. It is pertinent to mention that India-China stand-off at border is still continuing as multiple rounds of military and diplomatic discussions did not reap results. India has called for complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh at all friction points. Earlier, the 15th round of Corps Commander level talks between India and China was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on March 11, 2022. India and China agreed to maintain the security and stability along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector during the 15th round China-India Corps Commander Level talks, said the Indian Army Spokesperson. The two countries carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on January 12, 2022, for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. India and China have been holding talks on the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh area to resolve the standoff. The talks held till now have resulted in the resolution of the North and South Bank of Pangong Tso, Galwan and Gogra Hot Spring areas. According to the sources, both sides will now focus to achieve a resolution of balance at friction areas. Recent statements by both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution have been encouraging and positive in nature. India also highlighted that India-China relationship are going through a very difficult phase and made it clear to Beijing that peace and tranquillity at border are the basis for good bilateral relations. (ANI) "Visiting private & state Univ's today in Kabul, UNAMA Dep. Head @Metknu met students, academics and managers urging equal access to education for boys & girls as a fundamental need for a stable and economic prosperous Afghanistan," UNAMA News tweeted. Earlier, several members of the Movement of Change for Afghanistan Party (MoCAP) held a protest in Kabul city calling for women's access to education and work. They also urged the Taliban to establish a commission for addressing the challenges faced by the women in the country, according to TOLOnews. The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year. Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated. The Taliban have committed and continue to commit human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, a massive rollback of the rights of women and girls, censorship of and attacks against the media. Moreover, people in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, that have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system. (ANI) Permanent representative of Ukraine in United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya said that the Russian appeal to UN members for supporting their "humanitarian" draft resolution is outrageous. "Russian appeal to UN members to support most egregious hypocrisy - "humanitarian" draft resolution by a serial killer is outrageous. UN members may like to think twice before they dive into the blood of children & adults executed by the Russian military in Ukraine," Kyslytsya tweeted. Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, sent a letter to the UN on Wednesday, where they expressed their concern over the Ukraine situation and asked the international community to make efforts to minimize the humanitarian consequences for Ukrainian. According to the letter, "We firmly believe that it is the duty of the international community despite geopolitical differences to make every effort possible to minimize humanitarian consequences for the civilian population in Ukraine." "The only way to do this is a clear demand on behalf of the UN security council to all parties concerned to strictly observe international humanitarian law," the letter added. Russian Federation further blamed the western countries for promoting the anti-Russian line by politicizing the humanitarian issues. Earlier, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague ruled that pending the final decision in the case, Russia must suspend the military operations that it commenced on February 24 in the territory of Ukraine. Ukraine on February 26 had filed an application at the ICJ to initiate proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. (ANI) Seoul [South Korea], March 17 (ANI/Global Economic): As the Korean government will lift the mandatory self-quarantine measure for fully vaccinated residents from March 21, demand for overseas travel is expected to recover. According to the tour industry on the 16th, flight reservations have continued to increase since the government announced to exempt vaccinated travellers and residents from self-quarantine on the 11st. Flight reservation on Interpark Tour from the 11th to the 13th increased 873% year-on-year and 281% from the previous month. This is also an increase of 54% compared to November 12-14 last year, when expectations for the overseas travel increased before the spread of Omicron variant. An official from Interpark Tour said, "Flights to vacation spots such as Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan are particularly popular. Following Saipan, which does not require self-quarantine when entering and departing the country, reservations for flights to Guam and Hawaii are also expected to increase after the government lifts quarantine measures." Tour agencies are also actively carrying various marketing events. Hana Tour will resume its marketing campaign 'As you dream, unfold' until April 30. It is also offering time sale and early-bird promotions. In particular, demand for honeymoon trip is expected to increase. An official from Hana Tour said, "Since the government announced that it will lift self-quarantine for travellers, inquiries about honeymoon trip between April and June have been increasing rapidly." Hana Tour will hold an 'Online Honeymoon Fair' for a month in March to introduce popular honeymoon destinations such as Maldives, Cancun, and Hawaii. It is also preparing group honeymoon tour packages to Europe. In addition, Hana Tour will also release 10-day tour package to France, Switzerland, and Italy departing in late April or early May. Modoo Tour will also hold a time deal event that offers discounts of up to 31% on overseas tour packages. Customers can receive 1,000 Modoo Tour mileages that can be used as cash by solving the quizzes on its website. However, there are also some concerns that it is still too early to expect that travel demand will recover to the level of before COVID-19. It is pointed out that the recent surge in travel demand is due to the base effect of falling demand over the past two years. (ANI/Global Economic) The United Nations along with the United Kingdom, Germany and Qatar will host an international pledging conference in Afghanistan on March 31, in support of the humanitarian response, local media reported. People in Afghanistan facing food insecurity and malnutrition crisis and those experiencing acute hunger will touch 23 Million in March 2022, TOLO News reported citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' statement. According to the UN agency, in July 2021, the number of people suffering from acute hunger was 14 million, adding that 95 per cent of the population are not eating enough and this percentage is touching almost 100 in female-headed households. "I urge the Member States to dig deep for the people of Afghanistan at this time and to continue their generous support for the life-saving efforts," Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative, Ramiz Alakbarov was quoted as saying by TOLOnews. "It is a figure so high that it is almost inconceivable. Yet, devastatingly, it is the harsh reality," Alakbarov said. Alakbarov painted a picture of hospital wards filled with malnourished children, many weighing at age one what an infant of six months would weigh in a developed country, with some "so weak that they are unable to move". Acute malnutrition rates in 28 out of 34 provinces are high with more than 3.5 million children in need of nutrition treatment support, said Alakbarov. He explained that since mid-August, over 2,500 nutrition treatment sites across all 34 provinces, both urban and rural, have been serving 800,000 acutely malnourished children, "and we plan to reach 3.2 million affected children this year". "We also aim to reach one million people through vocational skills training, one million children through school feeding, and millions more people both directly and indirectly through programmes that will protect and boost the agricultural livelihoods upon which so much of the population depends," Alakbarov added. (ANI) The visit comes at a time when the world is witnessing a crisis in Ukraine. Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Recently, the UK Foreign Secretary had spoken on the crisis in Ukraine with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar "A telephonic discussion with UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz. Exchanged perspectives on the Ukrainian situation," Jaishankar had tweeted. Truss last visited India in October last year for two days, during which she met with Jaishankar and said that partnership with India is absolutely crucial. Truss stressed that both countries should work together on the set plans for the future. (ANI) Zhyvytsky gave in-detailed information about the looting through the Telegram on March 16, reported The Kyiv Independent. The city sustained heavy fighting since the Russian forces launched its military operations in Ukraine on February 24. Russia has been facing immense pressure from the international community to stop its military operations in Ukraine which has created an immense humanitarian crisis with thousands of refugees from Ukraine fleeing to the neighbouring countries to the West. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague ruled that pending the final decision in the case, Russia must suspend the military operations that it commenced on February 24 in the territory of Ukraine. Ukraine on February 26 had filed an application at the ICJ to initiate proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. (ANI) A retired Cook County judge was among more than 100 people who were arrested by investigators in central Florida as part of a six-day undercover human trafficking campaign called Operation March Sadness 2, the sheriffs office said Wednesday. Daniel Peters, 66, of Palos Hills, told detectives he is a retired judge in the Cook County 4th Subcircuit and a special assistant for legal affairs at the Cook County sheriffs office in Illinois. Peters retired from the sheriffs office last year. He was charged with soliciting a prostitute, according to a statement from the Polk County sheriffs office. Polk County is about 55 miles east of Tampa and about 65 miles southwest of Orlando. Advertisement Mary Wisniewski, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Chief Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County said in an email, Court records indicate that a Daniel L. Peters served as a judge from Aug. 1, 2011 to Dec. 1, 2014. However, Wisniewski said the office was unable to confirm that this is the same person who was arrested in Florida. During the operation, detectives identified both prostitutes who posted online ads and those who were seeking out prostitution online in an effort to identify and free any victims who were being forced into prostitution or anyone who was participating in human trafficking, the sheriffs office said. Detectives also identified adults who engaged in inappropriate communication with people they believed were children. Advertisement Undercover detectives communicated with alleged solicitors online and arranged to meet at a location where they were arrested. Members of anti-trafficking organizations also were on-site to speak with prostitutes to determine if they were victims of human trafficking and were offered resources and counseling. Of the 108 people arrested as part of the campaign, there was one woman from Florida charged with human trafficking, four men from Florida arrested for preying on children online, 26 arrested for offering to commit prostitution and more than 70 arrested for seeking out prostitution. The oldest person arrested was a 67-year-old man and the youngest was a 17-year-old boy, both arrested for soliciting a prostitute. The arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators alone makes this whole operation worthwhile, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and victimizes those who are being trafficked. Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help and find and arrest those who are profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Johns fuel the trafficking and victimization. Where there is prostitution, there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction and broken families. The campaign, which began March 8, was coordinated by the sheriffs office with the help of police from nearby towns, including Winter Haven, Haines City, Lake Wales and Auburndale. Also participating was the office of the state attorney 10th Judicial Circuit, members from the Florida Department of Children and Families and anti-human trafficking organizations One More Child, Heartland for Children and Selah Freedom of Sarasota. sahmad@chicagotribune.com The operations of Chinese companies under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Indonesia have become a hazard for the country's environment, disturbing its ecological equilibrium resulting into population displacement. Chinese companies' operations have been exploiting the natural resources of Indonesia and disturbing its ecological equilibrium. Their activities have not only threatened the flora and fauna, but the indigenous population causing their displacement, The HK Post reported. Batang Toru Forest of Indonesia's Sumatra Island has been home to roughly 800 Sumatran Orangutans, on the 'Critically Endangered Species' list. Furthermore, environmentalists argue that the project threatens the Sumatran tiger and Sunda pangolin. These already endangered species have come under threat due to the construction USD 1.6 billion Batang Toru Hydro-Power Project, under China's ambitious Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), by China's Sino Hydro Corporation Limited. The site of the Project is located near a fault line, a concern not mentioned in its environmental assessment, but raised by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), the report said. Moreover, the Hydroelectric Power Project has been rated as the riskiest environmental project in history by scientists who have approached Indonesian President Joko Widodo for the protection of Batang Toru Forest. Besides, the threat to wildlife in the region, the proposed dam would adversely impact the livelihood of over 100,000 people downstream. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping last year in April had championed the philosophy of "open, green and clean cooperation to make BRI development sustainable" in his speech at the Boao Forum for the Asia Annual Conference, The HK Post reported. However, Chinese double standards of sustainable development through the BRI are obvious as Chinese activities while developing zinc mine in Northern Sumatra, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail and the Probolinggo-Banyuwangi highway have beendestroying the environment in the country. PT Dairi Prima Mineral Project (DPM), in which China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group has majority stakes, is going ahead with USD 630 million zinc mining project. The project is within a few hundred meters of the villages Sopokomil and Parongil and lies in the seismic zone. Most of the nearby residents are indigenous farmers and have raised concerns about the likely rising acidity of soil due to sulphuric acid, generated as by-product of the mining operations, The HK Post reported. Separately, China's Tsingshan Group is constructing a USD 700 million nickel-based processing plant at the Morowali Industrial Park under the BRI. The project threatens nearby Indonesian marine life. A USD 165 million Probolinggo- Banyuwangi highway project being carried out by the China Communications Construction also lies on an active Wonorejo fault, The HK Post reported. (ANI) A New York-based lawyer, popularly known as the key participant in the pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989, Jim Li was stabbed to death by a client after his decision to stop working with her. The accused was identified as Xiaoning Zhang, 25, the American Newspaper The New York times reported. According to Li's colleague and friends, the client grew furious after Li conveyed his decision not to work with her following which she threatened to kill him. Zhang returned to the law office with two knives on Monday morning and then she stabbed Li in the chest and neck. The police arrested Zhang on the murder charge but neither she nor her lawyer could be reached on Tuesday. Jim li, a doctoral student in Constitutional law at Beijing University, became a legal advisor in Beijing. In the Tiananmen Square protests, thousands of protesters began their protest against the Chinese Communist Party, criticizing corruption and calling for democratic freedoms. He was the key participant in the pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square. After the Chinese government cracked down on the demonstration, he escaped to Wuhan where he was arrested. He spent nearly two years at Qincheng prison. After release from jail, he immigrated to the US, and studied at Columbia University for a year and then completed his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin Law School. He, later on, started working as an Immigrant lawyer in New York. (ANI) As many as 180 media outlets out of 475 have been closed in Afghanistan in the past seven months following the takeover by the Taliban in August this year, local media reported. On Tuesday, Afghanistan's National House of Journalists in its latest survey said Afghan media outlets have been affected the most after the Taliban takeover as a result only 290 media outlets are active in the war-torn country, Khaama Press reported. A recent survey released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) indicates that about 43 percent of Afghan media outlets have shut down their operations, leaving almost 60 percent of journalists unemployed. Head of Afghanistan's National House of Journalists Sayed Yaseen Mateen said that reason behind the mass closure of media was economic woes and migration of professional media workers in the country. Apart from the economic woes and stoppage of foreign support of the media in Afghanistan, the lack of access to information cited by Afghan journalists is said to be another big issue for media in the country, Khaama Press reported. On the other hand, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always denied the claim. They said that the closure of media outlets in Afghanistan is owing to the stoppage of their donors. They denied having restricted Afghan journalists and media, Khaama Press reported. The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year. Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated. The Taliban have committed and continue to commit human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, a massive rollback of the rights of women and girls, censorship of and attacks against the media. Moreover, people in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, that have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system. (ANI) Taking to Twitter, Indian Embassy in Indonesia informed, "National Security Adviser Ajit Doval co-chaired the 2nd India-Indonesia Security Dialogue with Mohammad Mahfud, Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs. They discussed issues including cooperation in counter-terrorism, maritime, defence and cyber." Two years ago, India-Indonesia hold their first security dialogue during which both the nations agreed on operational cooperation in security and counter-terrorism. These dialogues are seen as a tool to strengthen the diplomatic relation between the two countries. Earlier, in January, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar exchanged views on the present situation of Myanmar and Afghanistan with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.Jaishankar also agreed to take forward the bilateral ties between the two nations and to work closely in the G-20 Troika. The G20 Troika refers to the top grouping within the G20 that consists of the current, previous and incoming presidencies -- Indonesia, Italy and India. India will assume the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders' Summit for the first time in India in 2023. (ANI) Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Tariq Bashir Cheema accused the Pakistani government of threatening its lawmakers from casting vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tariq, citing the interview of PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi on a Pakistani channel in which he severely criticized the government, said that he had spoken his heart out on Tuesday, Geo News reported on Wednesday. While speaking at the interview, Pervaiz said that all the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) allies are "100 per cent inclined" towards the opposition party. "It is Khan Sahab's duty to reverse the tilt. But I believe the time to send a delegation (for assuring support) has passed. Had he done this earlier, this could have been avoided," Pervaiz was quoted as saying by Geo News citing Pervaiz's interview to Pakistani channel. Despite Pervaiz's statement claiming that the government's allies are joining hands with the opposition, Tariq refuted all the speculation and said, "If we have to tilt towards opposition on the no-trust move, we will announce our decision very clearly and properly." Tariq further accused the Pakistani government of mishandling Punjab and its governance system, adding that, "now no one is responsible to take responsibility of Punjab's current situation." Meanwhile, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders have claimed that Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is planning to ambush Sindh House in Islamabad. "The lives of MNAs, including women members, are not safe as the PTI-led government is hell-bent on terrorism, therefore, we [MNAs] had requested the Sindh government to provide the Sindh police security, said a joint statement released by PPP Member of the National Assembly (MNAs). The Opposition parties in Pakistan are Pakistan Tehreek-e-InsafPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan. (ANI) Moscow, March 17 (ANI/Sputnik) - The Lithuanian parliament unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the UN to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine at a meeting on Thursday, according to the vote's results. The Seimas of Lithuania appeals to the UN so that "the civilian population can safely leave war zones and territories ... controlled by Russia, as well as safe convoys with humanitarian aid are provided; and the airspace over the territories in question, as well as over Ukrainian nuclear power plants and nuclear waste storage facilities, is declared a no-fly zone." All 100 lawmakers who were present at the meeting backed the resolution, as broadcast by LRT. (ANI/Sputnik) While responding in legislative House, Tsung-tsong said that he hoped the construction of satellite's base could start in 2024 in the east or southeast area of Taiwan and by 2025, the entire work would be completed, Taiwan News reported citing CNA. He further stated that they are scheduled to launch their first satellite in 2026. The Ministry Of Science and Technology (MOST) manages the launch centre for small rockets in the Pingtung county village of Hsuhai near the southeast coast and the major satellites are launched overseas, mostly in the US. The Ministry is currently looking for different sites like eastern or southeastern areas closer to the equator. Taiwanese space organisation, National Space Organization (NSPO), has termed 2026 as the year when the country would be able to launch its locally made satellites from its own territory. A Chinese Y-8 ELINT spotter plane had entered the southwest of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday. But the Taiwanese military, which is prepared for such activities, had said that it had deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the activities of china's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) with electronic intelligence aircraft. The highest number of PLAAF aircraft intruding into Taiwan's ADIZ on a single day so far this year was recorded on January 23, when 39 Chinese planes were spotted. (ANI) Pakistan's finance ministry has sought an update from its ambassador to China, Moin ul Haq, on Islamabad's request for USD 21 billion financial packages amid the country's deteriorating economic conditions, media reported citing reliable sources. According to Business Recorder, Pakistan requested China for financial support of about USD 21 billion through rollover of existing loans of USD 10.735 billion and USD 10 billion as deposit fund, to meet future financial needs and deal with financial challenges. On February 18, this year, the Pakistan Finance Ministry in a letter to its envoy said that several agenda items came under discussion during Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China on February 3-6. This includes those submitted by the Ministry of Finance that included rollover of all financing facilities (SAFE deposits of USD 4.0 billion and commercial loans of USD 6.735 billion) upon maturity - one SAFE deposit of USD 2.0 billion maturing on March 23, 2022. Pakistan has also requested for provision of a deposit fund of USD 10 billion. In addition, State Bank of Pakistan has proposed enhancement of currency swap arrangement to USD 15 billion. Islamabad's financial condition is in a precarious situation under the inefficient leadership of its Prime Minister Imran Khan. International Monetary Fund (IMF) had allocated additional Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to its member countries in August 2021 with the aim of assisting them to fight the COVID-29 pandemic. Business Recorder said that China's share in the allocation came to SDR 29.22 billion. Pakistan's Ministry of Finance has requested Chinese concurrence for the use of a portion of its share either bilaterally or through a mechanism put in place by the IMF. "Pakistan's proposals submitted to the Chinese leadership may be followed with the relevant Chinese authorities. Any initial response on the proposals may also be shared with the Finance Division," Business Recorder sources quoted Finance Ministry as saying in its new communication of March 15, 2022 with Pakistan's envoy to China. (ANI) Various ministers including Indian Deputy Chief of Mission Namgya C Khampa, Nepal's Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, jointly inaugurated the hospital building, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. The event was also attended by embassy officials and local government representatives. Speaking at the event, Khampa reiterated that the project was a testament to the multi-faceted, strong and robust development partnership between India and Nepal. Minister Karki appreciated the continued support of the Government of India to Nepal. According to the press release, the project, built at the cost of Nepali Rupees 22.60 million, is one of the 75 projects being inaugurated this year in Nepal as part of "India@75 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" which celebrates 75 years of India's independence. The hospital is provisioned with 15-bedded indoor capacity with maternity section, 24 hours emergency examination rooms, children's ward, operation theatre, waiting hall, pathology lab, rooms for doctors and medical staff, office, toilets for women and guests and furniture and hospital equipment to provide improved health care to the people. The release further stated that since 2003, India has taken up over 523 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal and has completed 467 projects. Being close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of this project reflects the Government of India's continued commitment to continue to collaborate with the Government of Nepal in its socio-economic development and augmenting its physical infrastructure, especially in the health sector. (ANI) "It was a pleasure to speak with President-elect @sukyeol__yoon. Conveyed my congratulations on his recent victory in the Presidential elections in Republic of Korea. We discussed the potential of further deepening the India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership in many areas," PM Modi tweeted on Thursday. Earlier, PM Modi congratulated Yoon Suk-yeol on his victory in the South Korean Presidential elections, the prime minister's office said in a statement. Yoon Suk-yeol, a candidate from the conservative opposition People Power Party, has been elected the president of South Korea, with all ballots counted, according to the country's national election commission. The presidential elections in South Korea were held on March 9. The voter turnout was 77.1 per cent; more than 34 million people out of over 44 million voters cast their ballots, Sputnik News Agency reported. Yoon gained 48.56 per cent of the vote, and his main rival, Lee Jae-myung, a candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, got 47.83 per cent, according to the agency. (ANI) Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered to be released pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) In a scathing ruling that was to send Jussie Smollett to jail for the first few months of his probation sentence, Cook County Judge James Linn last week told the convicted actor that sometimes the hammer of justice has to fall. Less than a week later, an Illinois appellate court lifted Linns hammer back up at least partially. Smollett walked out of custody Wednesday evening after two appeals court judges agreed his 150-day jail sentence should be put on hold while his appeal is pending. Advertisement That decision, however, applied only to Smolletts jail sentence, which Linn had ordered would begin immediately, perhaps anticipating the appeal move and ensuring Smollett spend at least some days behind bars. The actor still must serve the 30-month probation term while his case makes its way through the higher courts, and he is still on the hook to pay more than $120,000 in restitution, according to his legal team. The city sought $130,106 in restitution from Smollett to recoup the cost of overtime for police investigating the case. Smollett already forfeited his $10,000 bond to the city in 2019. Advertisement The conditions of Smolletts probation are relatively lenient. He can travel without restriction and may report by phone instead of showing up in person, Linn said last week. [ Judge: Defamation suit over whiteface comments by Jussie Smolletts attorney can proceed ] Meanwhile, the restitution money is not due for 30 months, according to his defense team, and the appeals process may well have run its course before then. In general, appeals can take months if not years to fully resolve, especially if efforts are made to take them beyond the appellate level to the state Supreme Court. In comments to reporters outside the jail after Smolletts release, defense attorneys said they were eager to launch their appeal in earnest. In the coming months, the higher court could read and consider briefings from both sides, and may request to hear oral arguments before making a decision. Smollett will stay free at least until then. We have real, definitive issues for appeal, and thats why (the appellate court) made the decision that they made, attorney Tamara Walker told reporters. Nenye Uche, center, gesturing, a defense attorney for Jussie Smollett, speaks to the media outside Cook County Jail in Chicago on March 16, 2022, after his client was released pending an appeal. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) A jury convicted Smollett late last year on low-level felony charges alleging he lied to police after staging a phony hate crime attack on himself. He was sentenced at a dramatic hearing last week, which ended with Smollett loudly proclaiming his innocence and raising his fist in the air as he was led into custody. The one-page order issued by the Illinois Appellate Court stated that Smollett was to be released from Cook County Jail after signing a $150,000 recognizance bond, which would not require him to post any money. The three-judge panel was split 2-1, with Justices Thomas Hoffman and Joy Cunningham agreeing to grant the motion. The only explanation offered in the order was that Smollett has never been convicted of a violent offense and would have completed his sentence of incarceration well before his appeal is decided. Advertisement In dissent, Justice Maureen Connors wrote only that she would deny this motion. Smolletts case has an unusually complicated history, meaning there are many potential arguments to explore on appeal. Wednesday night outside the jail, Smolletts attorneys focused largely on an argument that Smolletts second prosecution violated his rights against double jeopardy. In this country, you cannot punish a person twice, and while everyone was focused on the sensationalism surrounding this case, people were not focused on the constitutionality of the prosecution, attorney Nenye Uche said. It is unconstitutional to charge someone twice. Nenye Uche, center, a defense attorney for Jussie Smollett, speaks to the media outside Cook County Jail in Chicago Wednesday night after his client was released pending an appeal. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Smollett was initially charged by the Cook County states attorneys office in February 2019. However, the 16-count indictment was dismissed without notice the next month, in exchange for Smolletts agreement to forfeit his $10,000 bond money and in acknowledgment of community service he had performed. The abrupt dismissal in such a high-profile case led to great confusion and proved to be fertile ground for conspiracy theories. At the request of a former appellate judge, a special prosecutor was appointed to determine if Smollett should be charged again and investigate whether there was any wrongdoing in Cook County prosecutors handling of the case. Advertisement The entirety of the first prosecution was invalid, Judge Michael Toomin ruled, since States Attorney Kim Foxx had not properly recused herself from the first proceedings. Special prosecutor Dan Webb brought Smollett up on new charges in early 2020. Foxx has defended her offices handling of the case and has been critical of Smolletts sentence. Smolletts team has already tried to get Smolletts second case thrown out on double-jeopardy grounds. Legal experts have speculated that the argument would have little chance of success; double-jeopardy protections generally only kick in once there is a guilty plea or a trial has begun. And Toomins ruling voided the entire first prosecution start to finish. However, Smolletts attorneys have recently stated that the $10,000 Smollett paid in his first case qualifies as punishment, and any further punishment on top of that would violate his rights. Potentially complicating the matter: There was no judges order concretely defining the $10,000 as a fine or restitution, and Smolletts prior legal team in 2019 denied that any quid pro quo deal was made with prosecutors, saying charges were dropped outright and Smollett voluntarily gave up the money simply so he could move on with his life. Smolletts attorneys have also recently argued that the initial dismissal of charges amounted to an immunity deal, or a contract with the state that the second prosecution violated. Advertisement Attorneys said Wednesday night they were hopeful that the higher court would focus on the legal issues, not the media firestorm or the potential politics of the high-profile case. There is no room for politics in our court system, and our appellate courts in this great state do not play politics, Uche told reporters. mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com jmeisner@chicagotribune.com According to the Afghan side, artillery shells, including firing from heavy and light weapons, were noticed in some districts of Nangarhar province. Artillery shells were also fired in residential areas of the Sarkari and Marawara districts of Kunar province from across the border. In addition, Pakistani aircraft and drones also violated the Afghan airspace in the Kunar province. An Afghan Foreign Ministry delegation, including defence and interior ministry officials, is scheduled to visit Islamabad to discuss the border issue with their counterparts. After the initial elation over the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan in August last year, Pakistan's euphoria is now subsiding in the face of increased terrorism at home. The Pakistan government had hoped that a friendly regime in Afghanistan would ease its concerns about the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). What has happened instead is a spike in terror attacks in recent months, said a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS). Pakistan claims that many of the terror attacks were planned by militants hiding inside Afghanistan. (ANI) The commission titled "Repatriation and Connection" was ratified at the "cabinet meeting" on Wednesday, Khaama Press reported. This comes a few weeks after the Deputy Prime Minister of the "caretaker government" Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar called on Afghan investors to return to the country. The formation of the body came after a cabinet meeting of the government. According to the statement, the commission will liaise with Afghans who have left Afghanistan so that they can return to their homeland. Following the Taliban takeover in August last year, thousands of Afghans left the country fearing reprisal from the Islamic group. The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year. Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated. The Taliban have committed and continue to commit human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, a massive rollback of the rights of women and girls, censorship of and attacks against the media. Moreover, people in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, that have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system. (ANI) The agreement was signed between the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Government of Sri Lanka, during Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksha's two-day visit to India. This agreement was signed after Rajapaksa held a meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi today. The Ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of mutual interest and economic cooperation. This signing of the credit facility comes a day after Rajapaksa on Wednesday met PM Modi and thanked him for extending support for the Sri Lankan economy. PM Modi spoke about the central role that Sri Lanka occupies in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and its S.A.G.A.R (Security and Growth for all in the Region) doctrine. Modi reiterated that India would continue to stand with the friendly people of the neighbouring country. Sri Lanka has seen its national currency getting devalued significantly against major international currencies, in addition to crippling fuel and gas shortages and daily electricity cuts. As Sri Lanka faces a severe economic crisis, India has continued to assist its neighbouring country in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and to mitigate its adverse impact and its developmental priorities. India provided more than USD 500 million in foreign currency swaps to strengthen Sri Lanka's foreign reserves, taking the total up to USD 900 million. India also extended the repayment time frame for the USD 500 million debt of Sri Lanka under the Asian Clearance Arbitration. Espousing India's Neighborhood first policy, Jaishankar said that India stands with Sri Lanka. "Neighborhood first. India stands with Sri Lanka. USD 1 billion credit line signed for the supply of essential commodities. Key element of the package of support extended by India," Jaishankar tweeted. (ANI) A US court has dismissed Pakistan's motion to stay enforcement of USD 6 billion penalty imposed against the country in the Reko Diq case by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in July 2019, according to a media report. Emphasising that it was not entitled to review such an arbitrability argument with respect to an ICSID award under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), Washington DC's District Court dismissed Pakistan's motion for stay enforcement, reported The Express Tribune. Notably, the ICSID imposed a USD 6 billion fine on Pakistan on July 12, 2019, over a breach of the Australia-Pakistan Bilateral Investment Treaty and denial of the mining lease to the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) at Reko Diq in Balochistan in 2011. Ruling on the matter, a British Virgin Islands (BVI) court also attached Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) assets in New York and Central Paris to enforce the award, according to the media outlet. Pakistan argued that it had not waived its sovereign immunity under the FSIA since no valid arbitration agreement existed, the media outlet reported citing Investment Arbitration Reporter (IA Reporter). The court, however, noted that the US statute implementing the ICSID Convention required courts to give awards "the same full faith and credit as if the award were a final judgment" of a state court. According to the IA Reporter, the court closed its order by emphasising that the award was final and that in the application of Articles 53(1) and 54(1) of the ICSID Convention, Pakistan was obliged to comply with the award, reported The Express Tribune. Notably, Reko Diq, located in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, is one of the world's biggest untapped copper and gold deposits. Development of the asset has been stalled for nearly a decade because of a long-running dispute. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will hold the second India-Australia Virtual Summit on 21 March, informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in its weekly briefing on Thursday. The summit follows the first virtual summit that was held on June 4, 2020, wherein both sides enhanced their bilateral relations to a strategic comprehensive partnership. During this summit, the leaders will take stock of progress made on various initiatives under the comprehensive strategic partnership and the summit will lay the way forward on new initiatives and enhanced cooperation in a diverse range of sectors between India and Australia, informed MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. Bagchi further said that both the leaders are expected to commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility, and education among other issues. "The leaders will also discuss views on regional and international issues. The summit highlights the importance both countries attach to their bilateral relations as well as their close cooperation on global and regional issues," he stated. The ministry said that India-Australia's comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained the momentum of an upward trajectory with both countries continuing to collaborate closely despite the COVID-19 pandemic in areas such as science and technology, cyber defence, critical and strategic minerals, water resources management as well as public administration and governance. Notably, PM Modi and Morrison met in Washington DC for the first in-person meeting after the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2021 on the margins of the Quad Leaders' Summit and jointly launched the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) in Glasgow on the margins of the COP26 in November 2021. (ANI) Moscow [Russia], March 17 (ANI/Sputnik): The UAE is ready to provide assistance to find a peaceful solutions to the conflict in Ukraine, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Thursday. The diplomat said that during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow earlier in the day they discussed new aspects of the crisis in Ukraine, including efforts for a political settlement. He noted that the UAE welcomes all mediation efforts by all active international players to bring positions between the parties closer and achieve peace. "I would also like to use this opportunity to emphasize that the UAE is confident that the parties are capable of reaching mutual solutions and reaching a solution that suits everyone. In this regard, the UAE is ready to provide all necessary assistance to the parties to reduce suffering and bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict. We hope that a ceasefire will be reached in the near future," the minister told a joint press conference following the talks. (ANI/Sputnik) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to pay a two-day visit to New Delhi from March 19 for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. Speaking at a weekly media briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that this will be the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Japanese Prime Minister Kishida. "India-Japan Summit will be held on March 19th. At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida will be undertaking an official visit to New Delhi from 19-20 March for 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will be the first meeting of these two leaders," said Bagchi and noted that the last annual summit took place in Tokyo back in 2018. Underscoring the importance of the bilateral ties, the MEA spokesperson said both India and Japan have multi-faceted cooperation within the ambit of their special strategic and global partnership. "The summit will provide an opportunity to review and strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, so as to advance partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," he added. Last year witnessed increasing bilateral and multilateral engagement between India and Japan, and further strengthening of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The two sides maintained the momentum in ties through virtual meetings and phone calls despite the pandemic. Prime Minister spoke to the then Japanese Prime Minister Suga on April 26, 2021, to exchange views on the management of the pandemic and for strengthening cooperation in the post-Covid-19 world. Both nations also witnessed further strengthening of bilateral security and defence cooperation. (ANI) The government said on Thursday that it has highlighted the effect of continued stringent COVID-19 restrictions on the academic careers of thousands of Indian students enrolled in Chinese universities and noted that it will continue to urge the Chinese side to adopt a congenial stance in the interest of students to facilitate their return. "Our embassy in Beijing, our consulates and ministry have been taking up this matter with the relevant authorities in China on numerous occasions, since the restrictions were imposed," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a regular media briefing. "We have highlighted the plight of the students and how the continuation of these stringent restrictions are putting the academic careers and education careers of thousands of students in jeopardy," he added. Bagchi said External Affairs Minister S Jaishanker personally raised this question with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in September last year. Stating that India has note statements made by a Chinese spokesperson, Bagchi said the Chinese side has not given any categorical response on the return of Indian students. "We will continue to urge the Chinese side to adopt a congenial stance in the interest of our students and they facilitate an early return to China," he added. Over question on reports of Wang Yi's possible visit to India, the MEA spokesperson said there was no information to share at the moment. "I don't have any information to share on this, at this moment," Bagchi said. Reports in the media have said Wang Yi will undertake a visit to India with Beijing to host BRICS summit later this year. If the visit takes place, it would be the first such ministerial visit since border stand-off in eastern Ladakh in April-May 2020 due to actions of the Chinese Army. There has been disengagement of troops from certain areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and talks have been held between the two sides for disengagement from other areas. The 15th round of Corps Commander-level talks between the two sides was held last week at Chushul in Eastern Ladakh. (ANI) United States President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday, as part of the ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between Washington and Beijing, the White House said. According to a White House statement on Thursday, the two leaders will discuss mutual between the two countries and, managing the competition between US and China as well as Russia's military operations in Ukraine. "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will speak with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China (PRC) this Friday. This is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC. The two Leaders will discuss managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russia's war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern," a White House readout said. On March 15, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi in Rome. Sullivan raised a range of issues in US-China ties, with "substantial discussion" of Russia's war against Ukraine. "Sullivan raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine. They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China," the White House said. Prior to that, US had warned China of the consequences of helping Russia bypass sanctions. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves. Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in Ukraine. (ANI) Ahead of the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly, Pakistan's Leader of Opposition and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif has suggested the formation of a national government excluding the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). "A national government excluding the PTI should be formed for the next five years," the Daily Times quoted Sharif as saying in an interview with a news channel. However, the PML-N president clarified that the idea resonated with his personal thoughts, adding that the new leadership that comes into power should work with all the dedication so as to set a benchmark. Speaking on the PTI's plan to hold a rally before the no-confidence motion, the PML-N leader said that this seems to be the government's "warning" against voting in favour of the no-confidence motion. "They (government) are warning them of violence, but we do not plan on resorting to violence. They want to clash with the constitution and the law," the media outlet quoted him as saying. Sharif also refuted the claims of horse-trading ahead of the no-confidence motion session and said that he would apologise to the country if these claims turned out to be true. Further taking a dig at Imran Khan government, Sharif said, "Records of dacoity have been broken in Pakistan [...] The government bought oil at the most expensive rates, but it could not buy cheap gas." Acting on mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan, the Opposition parties in Pakistan submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the PTI government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan. (ANI) Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered to be released pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Just less than a week into his 150-day sentence, Jussie Smollett walked out of Cook County Jail on Wednesday evening in silence, guarded tightly by supporters who escorted the actor wordlessly into a waiting SUV. His attorneys, however, had much to say: They were very elated that an Illinois appeals court had ordered Smollett released pending his appeal, were eager to try to overturn his conviction, and were adamant that sensational media attention and political machinations thwarted Smolletts chance at a fair trial. Advertisement Weve been complaining about the disparate treatment of African Americans in the judicial system, attorney Nenye Uche said. Regardless of what you think about this case the real question is, should Black men be walked into jail for a Class 4 felony? Shame on you if you think they should, thats a disgrace. The one-page order issued by the Illinois Appellate Court stated that Smollett was to be released from Cook County Jail after signing a $150,000 recognizance bond, which would not require him to post any money. He was convicted late last year of staging a hoax hate crime on himself, and last week Judge James Linn ordered him into custody immediately as part of a probation term. Advertisement The three-judge panel was split 2-1, with Justices Thomas Hoffman and Joy Cunningham agreeing to grant the motion. The only explanation offered in the order was that Smollett has never been convicted of a violent offense and would have completed his sentence of incarceration well before his appeal is decided. In dissent, Justice Maureen Connors wrote only that she would deny this motion. Smolletts release after almost a week in custody marks the latest twist in a roller-coaster case that captivated Chicago ever since the then-Empire actor reported to police that he was attacked outside his downtown condo in January 2019 by two men who shouted racist and homophobic slurs and put a makeshift noose around his neck. Actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County Jail after he was ordered to be released late Wednesday pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence for staging a fake hate crime on himself on March 16, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) The release order came just two days after Smolletts attorneys asked the appellate court to release the actor from jail while his appeal is pending, arguing that Smolletts time in custody could put his mental and physical health at risk. Uche said that when he told Smollett he was about to be released, the actor grew emotional. He pushed his hands on the glass and his eyes got teary and he said, I nearly lost hope in our constitutional system, Uche told reporters. Special prosecutor Dan Webb opposed the move, writing in a motion Wednesday that Smollett relied on half-truths and misleading statements, at best, to manufacture an alleged emergency and win his release on bond. Not only is Smollett not being held in solitary confinement, but the Cook County sheriffs office (has) made public the specific measures that are being taken to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of Mr. Smollett while he serves his jail term, Webb wrote. Advertisement Just outside a jail gate, Smolletts attorneys said they were looking forward to an intellectual conversation about whether the actors second prosecution was a violation of his rights against double jeopardy. The special prosecutor had taken over after an initial case against Smollett was dropped by Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxxs office in exchange for his forfeit of his initial $10,000 bond. Our appellate courts in this great state do not play politics, the attorney Uche said. When this case was initially re-indicted, when this case was prosecuted, when this case was sentenced, at each of those steps I wondered whether Chicago had seceded from the union. Because in this country you cannot punish a person twice. Attorney Heather Widell said it was unfair that, due to the overwhelming negative media coverage about Smollett, he walked into court feeling that he needed to prove his own innocence. Thats patently unfair, thats not how the system works, thats not how the system should work, and the sentence that Judge Linn doled out was completely devoid of any sort of intellectual curiosity or prowess, she said. Uche said the actor did not eat during his six days in custody, though he declined to say why. Advertisement Ice water, thats been his food and liquid, he said. I can only imagine if I was in jail for something I didnt do, I wouldnt be eating. News cameras had begun gathering outside Cook County Jail around 6 p.m., waiting to capture Smolletts first steps out of custody. A man wandered by with a cigar in his hand and regarded the reporters warily. Next time I get county time, Ill say, Judge, let me out too! he said to nobody in particular. Smollett had been housed in protective custody since his sentencing last Thursday, with cameras in his cell and an officer with a body-worn camera outside his door at all times, according to the sheriffs office. Advertisement Linn ordered Smollett into protective custody at his attorneys request. Smollett had no contact with other detainees, but could have time outside his cell to make phone calls and watch TV, the office said. Smollett was convicted of low-level felonies in December when a jury found that he had lied to police about being the victim of a hate crime attack. Prosecutors argued at sentencing that he denigrated real victims of hate crimes when he staged a phony assault on himself involving racial slurs, homophobic epithets and a noose. Judge Linn sentenced Smollett to 30 months of probation, with the first 150 days to be served in Cook County Jail. In addition, he must pay a $25,000 fine as well as $120,106 the amount of restitution the city sought to pay for its overtime costs investigating the case, minus the $10,000 Smollett forfeited to the city when his first case was dropped. Smollett declined to speak before sentencing, but after Linn handed down his decision, Smollett surprised the whole courtroom by standing up to proclaim his innocence. Jussie Smollett, center, leaves Cook County Jail in Chicago on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered release pending his appeal. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) If I did this, then it means I stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans in this country for over 400 years, and the fears of the LGBT community, he said. Your honor, I respect you, and I respect the jury, but I did not do this. And I am not suicidal, and if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. Smolletts attorneys tried in vain to get Linn to stay the sentence pending appeal, but the judge declined, saying that while the wheels of justice turn slowly, sometimes the hammer of justice has to fall. Advertisement As he was escorted out of the courtroom, Smollett threw a fist in the air and yelled, I couldve said I was guilty a long time ago! Earlier this week, Smolletts brother Jocqui posted a video to Instagram saying, He is very stable, he is very strong, he is very healthy and ready to take on the challenge that ultimately has been put up against him. The family also released audio of a menacing phone call received by one of Smolletts siblings, which uses racist and homophobic terms and threatens harm to Smollett in jail. The sheriffs office countered with a statement urging the family to report these alleged calls to local law enforcement. As with all individuals in custody, the safety and security of Mr. Smollett is the Sheriffs Office primary concern, the sheriffs office said. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com Advertisement mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com The acquisition of Gwadar port, exclusion of Baloch firms and labour from Gwadar in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has heightened pre-existing feelings of marginalisation in Balochistan, with Baloch nationalist forces either wholly rejecting the project or voicing for greater share in these projects. In response, tribal forces in Balochistan have opposed CPEC and nationalist groups have been involved in acts against the project. Consequently, instead of uniting multiple voices, especially regionalist forces, CPEC has served to further exacerbate the divide between state and regionalist forces due to the exclusionary and Punjab-centric planning. Gwadar has seen protests against CPEC in the specific context of fish resource exploitation by Chinese trawlers. Many of the local fishermen vacated their fishing spots due to the construction of Gwadar port in hope of a better future. However, the federal government granting fishing permission to the Chinese fishermen ignited widespread unrest. This unrest culminated in a 28-day sit-in in 2021, led by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), in which a massive number of people, including men, women, and children, participated. The protesters ended the sit-in after an agreement with the federal government. The government accepted all the demands of the protesters, calling these demands legitimate. However, many Balochs fear that these demands would not be fulfilled by the government. A recent bomb blast on a Chinese convoy symbolizes the deep distrust of regionalist forces against China-led development, which they view as extractive and exploitative. CPEC is adding to accumulated separatist feelings among the Baloch population. While Pakistan now sees the CPEC as the key to "lifting" millions of Pakistanis out of poverty, at the same time controversy will continue to hound the ambitious infrastructure-building project. In the past, China has pressured Pakistan to review its 18th constitutional amendment (2010) - in particular, its transfer of powers and resources to the provinces - so that CPEC projects could be advanced without "provincial hurdles." Ever since the CPEC's inauguration, there has been controversy about the eastern and western routes of the scheme's projects. Provincial and nationalist forces have highlighted what they see as the deliberate neglect of the western route, which lies along more underdeveloped regions of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Balochistan provinces without intersecting the more developed Punjab provinces, which is on the CPEC's eastern route. The original route-planning was altered in ways that only benefit central Punjab. (ANI) The Indian government has progressed on the path of ensuring bilateral relations with its immediate neighbour Sri Lanka amid the worsening economic situation in the island nation. Sri Lanka on Thursday signed USD 1 billion credit line with India for procurement of food, medicines and other essential items. The agreement was signed between the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Government of Sri Lanka, during Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksha's two-day visit to India. Analysts say that foundations have been laid for improving relationships with its immediate neighbours within the SAARC community. Though India has attempted to better relations between the countries, neighbours like Pakistan rebuffed these overtures to further fall into the debt trap of the Chinese government. While Sri Lanka also signed numerous similar agreements with China, it was quick to understand after the Hambantota debacle that these wide cast loans at negligible interests were a trap. At this critical juncture, Sri Lanka sought Indian support. As has been the case at different times, India intervened to help Sri Lanka tide over the immediate difficulties with a series of economic package announcements like a USD 1 billion line of credit, a currency swap arrangement of USD 400 million and a debt deferral of USD 515 million for two months. These announcements were necessary for Colombo to escape from the debt trap of loans that China had cast through numerous contractual agreements. Additionally, these would help in the purchase of essential food items, pharmaceutical products and oil for the beleaguered Sri Lankan nationals, who are facing severe economic hardships. Indian private sector has also evinced interest in cooperating /capacity building in sectors like hospitality, food processing, cement as well as pharmaceutical production. It must also be noted that Sri Lanka took the opportunity to invite the Indian Prime Minister to the BIMSTEC summit in Columbo at the end of this month to engage in substantive bilateral talks. On the issue of Tamil reconciliation, India has consistently pushed for the devolution of power to North and East Sri Lanka, to which the Sri Lankan authorities have finally responded. A committee of experts has been instructed to submit a draft on the issue within two months to the President's Council in Sri Lanka, after arriving at sufficient consensus amongst the Sinhalese majority. Against this backdrop, many Sri Lankan families went on record, as per the local dailies, to state that there now existed a feeling amongst Sri Lankans that India had stepped in when they needed them the most. (ANI) The IISD is a forum that brings Minister Mahfud and NSA Doval together to discuss and enhance cooperation between the two countries on political and security issues. At the second IISD, both discussed several shared priorities, including review of the current global and security issues, countering terrorism and violent extremism, and enhancing maritime, defence, and cyber security cooperation, according to an official statement. Recognizing the importance of a traditional friendly relationship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, Minister Mahfud and NSA Doval expressed confidence that the IISD would strengthen the cooperation between them to overcome common challenges and identified opportunities for further close collaboration in the field of political and security issues.At the meeting, Minister Mahfud and NSA Doval signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Security Dialogue between the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Security Council Secretariat of India. NSA Doval also met Indonesia Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi. Conveying his gratitude to Minister Mahfud for hosting the meeting in Indonesia, Doval extended an invitation to host Indonesia in India to co-chair the third IISD. (ANI) The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has once again turned it into a safe haven for terrorist outfits, said a research analyst of a Netherlands-based think tank. Aaron Magunna, who is an analyst of the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS), made these remarks at the 49th Session United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). "As the recent terror attack on a Shia mosque in Peshawar has illustrated, the implications of this are not limited to Afghanistan alone. Terrorism is once again on the rise throughout South Asia," said Magunna. After the initial elation over the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan in August last year, Pakistan's euphoria is now subsiding in the face of increased terrorism at home. The Pakistan government had hoped that a friendly regime in Afghanistan would ease its concerns about the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). What has happened instead is a spike in terror attacks in recent months. According to the EFSAS analyst, the growing number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan highlights that Pakistan and Pakistanis have now also become primary targets for attacks. "For the Pakistani military establishment, its systemic support for fundamentalism and terrorism, all in the name of strategic depth, has now come to undermine Pakistan's own national security," he said. Magunna stressed that the main victim of this support for terrorism is the innocent Pakistani civilian population. "In Peshawar and elsewhere terrorists target ordinary civilians who have had no say in their country's foreign policy pursued by a small elite." "Without institutionalizing democracy and political accountability in both countries, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan will further spiral out of control. This will increase civilian suffering in the two countries in which the needs of the many have been sold for the wants of the few for so long," he added. In the interest of the Pakistani population and the international community, the EFSAS analyst said UNHRC must put additional pressure on the government of Pakistan and hold it accountable to fulfill its legal and moral obligations of promoting and protecting human rights. (ANI) Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Thursday said the strong relationship between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will only grow in the times to come and the strong bonds of friendship are bound to flourish and achieve new heights. Speaking at a felicitation function organised by the Indian community in UAE at the India Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi, Justice Ramana said one of the major reasons for the strong ties between the two nations is that Indians constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in the UAE and they have significantly contributed to the development of the UAE over the years. India and UAE share a strong friendship and relationship, not only now, but historically, said CJI Ramana. "One of the major reasons for strong ties between two nations is that Indians constitute one of the strongest ethnic groups. Nearly 3.5 million Indians are living here comprising 30 per cent of the total population, Indians have contributed to the development of UAE over the years," he said. CJI said one of the most significant things about the Indian diaspora in UAE is their contribution to India. Whenever there is been a calamity or requirement to set up and contribute they have always delivered. I remember when Kerala faced floods, it was our Gulf brother and sisters who helped those in need," CJI added. CJI Ramana said it reminds him of famous lines of a Bollywood movie 'mera joota hai japani yeh patloon englishtani sar pe laal topi rusi phir bhi dil hai hindustani'. "Wherever I go my advice is always to not forget your motherland and don't detach roots. Sustain and promote your culture, celebrate festivals, organise and join cultural events. It's through these concerted efforts that you can promote brotherhood between communities and sustain much-needed solidarity. Each one of you represents what India is known for and what India stands for. Be good, do good, be honest, you will certainly be rewarded," CJI said. He suggested the organisations of the Indian diaspora in UAE think about creating a legal assistance centre to help those in need of such assistance in India. National and state legal services authorities in India, which takes care of the legal service needs of 70 per cent needy population totally free of cost, would extend all possible help in dealing with the legal problems of the needy persons in India, he said. Justice Ramana said he had a meeting with the Minister for Law of the UAE and other dignitaries on several important issues, including pending extradition orders and consular access to visit Indians who are in prison there. On the judicial side, there are some bilateral agreements that India and the UAE have entered into which will help both nations. The event was also attended by Supreme Court judge Justice Hima Kohli, Sanjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador for UAE among others. (ANI) India has called for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday. Bagchi's remarks came during the weekly briefing of MEA where he reiterated India's stand on the Ukraine situation. "We have been clear and consistent, we feel that the only way out is through diplomacy and dialogue which has been emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his conversation with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," he stated. Bagchi said that India at the United Nations has been highlighting the need to respect the UN charter and the territorial integrity of countries.The MEA spokesperson also informed that Operation Ganga, launched for the evacuation of Indian nationals in war-torn Ukraine, is still underway. "We have evacuated over 22,500 Indian nationals from Ukraine. As this is a developing situation, there might be some people in isolated pockets. As per our knowledge, some 15-20 people are there who want to come back, while the rest do not want to leave. We, particularly through our embassy in Warsaw, will continue to help any Indian citizen who wants to return," he said. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves. Russia has been facing immense pressure from the international community to stop its military operations in Ukraine which has created an immense humanitarian crisis with thousands of refugees from Ukraine fleeing to the neighbouring countries to the West. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. (ANI) Pakistani dissidents have accused the country's "deep state", that is, the military and an array of intelligence and security outfits of Pakistan, of targeting its critics living in exile abroad, according to a media report. These dissidents, living in exile in well-governed democracies with sturdy rule of law in place, are pursued by killers and conspirators for which they unanimously accuse Pakistan's deep state, reported Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS). Reportedly, a chain of Pakistani dissidents is being targeted in the US, the UK, the Netherlands and France. According to the media reports of several countries where Pakistani dissidents have taken refuge, the threat is increasing and Pakistani nationals living in exile are concerned for their personal safety. The dissidents, including journalists, bloggers and analysts have unanimously held the Pakistani military, especially the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), responsible for this. Pakistan's attempts to stifle the voice of dissent are reflected in several cases. In December 2020, Karima Baloch, who campaigned for an independent Balochistan, was mysteriously found dead in Toronto, Canada. In a similar fashion, Journalist Sajid Hussain, known for advocating human rights violations in Balochistan, disappeared in March 2020 in Uppsala, Sweden, before being found dead in a river two months later, according to the think tank. The Pakistan-origin British are "very infiltrated" by those loyal to the military, said the exiled analyst and writer, Ayesha Siddiqa, who wrote Pakistan Army Inc. exposing the multi-billion business dealings by the Pakistan Army. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern regarding the surveillance of exiled Pakistani journalists. "We are aware of a number of cases that have not been made public. It's widely understood that these types of threats could only come from Pakistan's military or intelligence services," the think tank quoted CPJ's Steven Butler as saying. According to the International Federation of Journalists, Pakistan is the world's fifth most dangerous country for journalists. As per a 2020 world press freedom index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Pakistan 145th out of 180 countries. (ANI) "Votes in favour -14, votes against - 0, abstentions - 1," Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations (UAE) and President of the Security Council for the month of March, said. The UAE Mission to the UN described this as a crucial step forward that the UNSC needed to take to address the situation in Afghanistan. The UNAMA is a UN Special Political Mission established to assist the state and the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development. UNAMA was established on 28 March 2002 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1401. Its original mandate was to support the implementation of the Bonn Agreement (December 2001). Reviewed annually, this mandate has been altered over time to reflect the needs of the country and was extended for six months, on 17 September 2021, by UN Security Council Resolution 2596 (2021). (ANI) Amid the controversy surrounding the horse-trading of Pakistani lawmakers, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday responded to criticism from the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan by stating that the poll body has nothing to do with the no-trust motion against him. A number of dissident lawmakers from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have said they would vote on the no-confidence motion tabled against Imran Khan in "accordance with their conscience". In response to this, Cabinet ministers of the Imran Khan government asked Pakistan's top electoral body to play its role over reports of floor-crossing of the members of the national assembly (MNAs), under Article 63-A. In a handout issued on Thursday, the ECP said that it was the speaker of the National Assembly who acts as a presiding officer during the process of election and no-trust move against the Pakistan prime minister, ARY News reported. The ECP rejected the interpretation of the Imran Khan government on the disqualification under article 63-A. The election body said this article sheds light on the disqualification in case of floor crossing and the party head will apprise the presiding officer that is the speaker and chief election commissioner with regard to the declaration of the defection of the lawmaker. This handout comes a few days after ECP issued notice to Imran Khan over alleged violation of the code of conduct before the first phase of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) local government (LG) elections and summoned him on March 14. The ECP served notices to PM Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and others for attending a public gathering in Lower Dir ahead of KP LG polls, reported ARY News. The election commission also issued notices to Speaker National Assembly (NA) Asad Qaiser, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, federal ministers including Murad Saeed, Pervez Khattak and the provincial minister Anwar Zeb Khan for visiting Lower Dir to attend the public gathering. As differences between the powerful Army and Pakistan Prime Minister continue to grow over several issues, it appears that Pakistan's powerful military establishment is fed up with the Imran Khan-led government. The economic mismanagement, poor governance, and Khan government's failed foreign policy in the last three and a half years are evident reasons for his anticipated ouster from power in the coming weeks. The opposition parties have brought a "no-confidence" motion against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the National Assembly on March 8. If all goes well, it is expected that the voting on the no-trust motion will take place in the last week of this month. (ANI) As discomfort between the powerful Army and Pakistan Prime Minister continues to grow over several issues, it appears that Pakistan's powerful military establishment is fed up with the Imran Khan-led government. The economic mismanagement, poor governance, and Khan government's failed foreign policy in the last three and a half years are evident reasons for his anticipated ousting from power in the coming weeks. The opposition parties have brought a "no-confidence" motion against the ruling Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) in the National Assembly on March 8. If all goes well, it is expected that the voting on the no-trust motion will take place in the last week of this month. There are indications that Khan may fail to save his government this time as besides the military establishment's unhappiness, there is also better coordination between the opposition parties and Khan's key allies - Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). After failing to dislodge the Pakistan army-installed 'hybrid regime' of Khan, through street protests, the nine-member opposition alliance 'Pakistan Democratic Movement' (PDM) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) signed the no-confidence motion against the PTI government on March 8. The originally 11-party grouping, PDM was formed in September 2020 with the sole purpose of dislodging Imran Khan from power through street protests and parliamentary maneuvering. But those attempts failed since the PTI government got support from the powerful military establishment. But things have changed now. The civil-military relations are at a new low and there is growing tension between Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. At a public gathering in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 10, Imran Khan admitted that General Bajwa advised him against calling names of opposition party members; the advice he refused to follow. In addition, he took an indirect jibe at the Army that "Allah did not allow us to be neutral as only animals are neutral", in context to the establishment's neutral stance in the no-confidence motion episode. All these incidents have further weakened civil-military relations, besides the Khan government's incompetence of handling economic and foreign policy issues. These differences between PM Khan and General Bajwa have given an opening to the opposition parties to start a political movement against the PTI, with a possible nod from the army establishment. That is evident from the proactive participation of PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif and PPP's Asif Ali Zardari in the attempt to oust the government. Both leaders have been jailed and harassed by Imran Khan, with the establishment's support, since he came to power in August 2018. More importantly, PPP and PML-N have set aside their political differences - even if temporarily - to join hands to remove Khan from power. Even PTI's 'Jahangir Tareen' group has signaled its reluctance to support the Imran Khan government and endorsed PML-N's stance of removing PTI's chief minister Usman Buzdar in Punjab. For PM Khan, it is a 'do-or-die' situation, and therefore, he is leaving no stone unturned to win over the disgruntled as well as opportunistic coalition partners, especially PML-Q and MQM-P, to save his government. So far, his allies have given mixed signals, some even in support of the opposition, as the negotiations are still underway between them. Unless PM Khan heeds to their demands, or gives them some concessions such as the chief ministerial position to PML-Q in Punjab, it will be difficult for the PTI government to survive the no-confidence motion this time. Opposition parties hold 162 seats in the 342-member lower house, 10 short of the majority votes required to oust PM Khan. The combined strength of the PTI government and its allies in the national assembly is about 179. The opposition seems confident that it has the required number needed to shunt Khan. The military establishment may sacrifice Khan on the pretext of gross "economic mismanagement" in the last three and a half years of the PTI rule. Khan has abjectly failed to handle Pakistan's economic crisis. He has appointed four finance ministers and about half a dozen finance secretaries since 2018. He was also reluctant to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After accepting the funding in 2019, the IMF programme was suspended because Pakistan failed to meet IMF conditions for it. The plan was again revived in November last year after the PTI government agreed to tougher conditions, including raising oil prices and electricity tariffs. But in an attempt to woo the public and counter the opposition's pressure, PM Khan cut domestic fuel costs and power rates, measures seen as putting the IMF program in jeopardy. The recent political developments in Pakistan have caused great concerns in China, as the governance instability in the country will impact China Pakistan Economic Corridor activities in the coming months. As a result, the deputy head of Mission of Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, Pang Chunxue, met the PML-Q leadership on March 13 to discuss the current political situation and convey that China wants political and economic stability in Pakistan. Clearly, the coming weeks are going to be very difficult for Imran Khan, as he faces a no-trust motion in the parliament. For the opposition alliance, this is possibly the last attempt to dislodge the PTI government before the 2024 general elections. For now, odds are in favour of the opposition. (ANI) Turkey, Poland agree on more diplomatic efforts for Ukrainian crisis Xinhua) 08:32, March 17, 2022 ANKARA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Poland agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to end the Ukrainian crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "We mainly discussed the developments in Ukraine and Russia, as well as our bilateral relations. As two NATO allies, we had a detailed exchange of views. In this process, we will continue our consultation and cooperation with Poland," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in the Turkish capital Ankara. Duda paid a visit to Turkey on Wednesday to discuss with the Turkish president ways to defuse the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Erdogan welcomed the Polish president in Ankara as part of Turkey's mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. "We continue our attempts to achieve a ceasefire," Erdogan said, adding that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will continue "shuttle diplomacy" visiting Ukraine on Thursday after his talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Wednesday. Erdogan said he would attend the NATO summit in Brussels on March 24 and hold talks on the process regarding Russia and Ukraine. The Turkish president also praised Poland for hosting Ukrainian refugees. "Having hosted the largest number of refugees in the world for eight years, Turkey understands Poland best," he said. Duda, for his part, said the main issue of the talks with Erdogan was the Ukrainian crisis and they also discussed the refugee influx from Ukraine to Poland. "Today, approximately 2 million refugees have entered Poland. According to our calculations, 100,000 people cross the border every day. Today we can talk about a refugee crisis," Duda said. Elaborating on bilateral ties between Turkey and Poland, the Polish president said his country wants to enhance cooperation with the Turkish government in the defense industry in addition to the economic collaboration. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Motorist Jesus Gutierrez, who had been waiting in line since around 3 a.m., gets a tank of free gas pumped by volunteer Justin Kerr at a BP station in Albany Park on March 17, 2022, in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) During a trip to a gas station last week, perennial political candidate Willie Wilson watched the numbers tick up, the cost to fill his gas tank even surprising the wealthy businessman. If I take notice of high prices ... what about people not in the income bracket Im in? Wilson told the Tribune. Advertisement Thus, an idea was born, and Wilson decided to dedicate $200,000 for gas Thursday morning, offering people $50 gas cards at the pump until funds were exhausted later that day. But the good intention yielded a messy reality: People hurting from record-high gas prices came out in droves, causing traffic jams and unmanageable crowds at times. Some reported using nearly their last drop of gas to get to the station only to be turned away due to a chaotic, Black Friday-like scene. Others reported a smoother process and were grateful for a break at the pump. Advertisement The complicated rollout of the good deed came from a complex Chicago figure. Wilson has run for Chicago mayor twice, challenged U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for his Illinois seat and even started a long shot presidential run, all with a political through-line that is hard to pin down. He has donated to Democrats but takes some conservative positions. He has said he voted for former President Donald Trump. Wilsons wealth is self-made, the son of a Louisiana sharecropper who hasnt had formal education past seventh grade. He rose to own McDonalds franchises and later a plastic glove distribution business. Though his political bids have never garnered a majority backing across the city, he has generated much support among Black Chicago voters, in part due to his frequent and generous giving, distributing masks during the pandemic and sometimes helping people with property tax bills, bailing people out of jail or otherwise offering cash handouts to those in need. He won 13 of the citys 18 majority Black wards in the 2019 mayoral election, overall finishing fourth out of 14 candidates. Look, Chicago is my town. Im responsible as a human being to help those who cannot help themselves, Wilson said Thursday morning, as city and suburban residents flocked to 10 service stations. Wilson hired around 100 people at about $15 an hour to fan out across the selected service stations in neighborhoods from Rogers Park and Calumet Heights to Albany Park to pass out $50 gas cards and help people fill their tanks. The average price of regular was $4.84 per gallon in the city of Chicago on Thursday, up from $3.28 a year ago, according to AAA. Some who sought out the free gas, such as Robbie McGlory of Berwyn, described Wilson as generous. It went really smooth for me, McGlory said. I know there were like a few people cutting in line and they had issues with that, but they tried their best to keep it organized. Advertisement McGlory said Wilson actually pumped her gas, and described a buildup of cars wrapped around the block as she left. It was cool, she said. Others voiced frustration with how the process played out. I literally sat in the line for about an hour til I got almost to the front, said Chantine Adams, a Humboldt Park resident who tried to get gas at at Pulaski Road and Grand Avenue. Adams said she nearly reached the front of the line, when a police officer rerouted her and funneled her toward an exit. She ended up paying for gas in a different location. It really upset me. I was already on an empty tank of gas, Adams said. I was literally driving the last of my gas to get there. Its already hard with everything going on here in Chicago, the economy, the gas prices, rent still have to be paid. Advertisement People took to social media to lodge complaints. One person responded to Wilsons initial Facebook post saying there were too many people at the gas station on 28th (Street) and Kedzie (Avenue), adding that the line is all the way down to 26th and Kedzie wrapped around all the way (past) Homan and 26th. They said they left the house at 3:45 a.m. but still missed out on this one. Another user wrote: Im burning gas trying to get gas. But Wilson said the long lines underscore the great need among people in the city. He said he has heard from community members who have enough gas in their car to drop their kids off at day care but then cant afford to refill to make it to work. He pointed out that city residents frequently tolerate lines and traffic jams. These are people here that need to get to work, need to have food, Wilson said. There are traffic jams when (people) go to a Chicago Bulls game. ... Why dont they complain about the Chicago Bulls? Wilson said his only regret was not putting aside more money, so he plans to hold another gas giveaway on March 31 with a larger sum of money at around 25 service stations, hitting locations, such as the Harvey area, that were left out of Thursdays event. Wilson donated some 30 million face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic to the city of Chicago, Cook County Jail, the Fraternal Order of Police and numerous area hospitals, among others. Hes also donated millions to individuals who lost their job during the pandemic and to more than 1,000 churches. At times, Wilson has been accused by opponents of using his generosity to pander for votes, but his supporters dont see it that way. Wilson has said he wants to use his wealth to address inequities in Chicago. Advertisement There is a great anti-establishment spirit that is still prevalent in the African American communities on the South and West sides, the Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of St. John Bible Church, told the Tribune in 2019. People are tired of the continued disinvestment, they are tired of the broken promises. It does something to the hearts of the people to see this man, who made it up the ladder, but comes back to give. mabuckley@chicagotribune.com oolander@chicagotribune.com According to the sources, the development came during a meeting of the PTI's political committee chaired by Imran Khan in Islamabad on Wednesday, reported The News International. Imran Khan has directed the spy agencies to monitor the lawmakers' location, movement and record their phone calls. The premier also ordered them to strictly monitor Sindh House and submit a report to him on a daily basis. Notably, this comes after dozens of dissident PTI MNAs came out in open on Thursday and moved to Sindh House citing security concerns. Meanwhile, Imran Khan tasked Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to placate the disgruntled lawmakers of PTI to thwart the Opposition's no-trust move, according to the media outlet. Amid growing discontent against the Imran Khan government, the Opposition parties in Pakistan had submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. (ANI) The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has expressed its deep concern about the detentions of journalists and the increasing restrictions being placed on media in the country. "UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) expresses its deep concern about the detentions of journalists and the ever increasing restrictions being placed on media in Afghanistan. Time for the Taliban to stop gagging and banning. Time for a constructive dialogue with the Afghan media community," the UN mission in Afghanistan tweeted. The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year. Earlier this month, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Taliban authorities have carried out far-reaching censorship and violence against Afghan media in the district and provincial centers. According to the rights group, the situation facing journalists outside Kabul appears much worse than inside the capital, particularly for women. Journalists in the provinces have described Taliban members threatening, detaining, and beating them and their colleagues who were trying to report the news, the HRW said. Many journalists have felt compelled to self-censor and report only Taliban statements and official events. Women journalists have faced the most intense repression. "Taliban harassment and attacks on journalists outside major urban areas have largely gone unreported, causing media outlets in outlying provinces to self-censor or close altogether," said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch. "In many provinces, the Taliban have virtually eliminated reporting on a wide range of issues and have driven women journalists out of the profession." (ANI) As many as 20 people participated in the protest in the evening. BHRC head Samad Baloch and other members Naseer Dashti and Qambar Baloch were present at the demonstration. Jamshed Amiri, the head of the Iranian Wing of BHRC were also present. Besides them, prominent present among those present included Munir Mengal of BVA and his associates Lakho and Hidayat Bhutto, Shaukat Kashmiri and Nasir Aziz of United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP). Later in the evening, a conference will be organised on enforced disappearances at Geneva Press Club. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) earlier had expressed alarm over reports of a fresh wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan, including most recently, Hafeez Baloch, a postgraduate student at the university in Islamabad. Cases of enforced disappearances are endemic to Pakistan and there are reports of a fresh wave of "missing persons" in the country. Experts believe that the missing persons may be dead, their mutilated bodies dumped into ditches. They may be interned, locked in some detention centre of dubious legality. (ANI) Violence against women in Pakistan continues unabashed, it has witnessed rising cases of harassment under the Imran Khan regime. There is a surge in domestic violence, rape, acid attacks, while, forced conversions and marriages, discrimination in job opportunities have become a norm, reported International Forum For Rights And Security (IFFRAS). Every successive government has failed to ensure a safe and open atmosphere for Pakistani women as none wanted to irk radicals who cited religious practices for suppression of women's rights and even to deny basic liberties. The current Imran Khan-led government is no exception to it. Rather the problem appears to have worsened in his regime, reported IFFRAS. Interestingly, Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has joined hands with its bitter rival Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), in opposing Aurat March - an annual event held on International Women's Day on March 8 to highlight women's issues. Risks arising from the radical religious and traditional practices, including honour killings, have made the life of Pakistani women harrowing, said rights activists, reported IFFRAS. A global report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation has mentioned that Pakistan is the sixth most dangerous country for women. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2021 published by the World Economic Forum, Pakistan has featured in the worst four countries. The patriarchal attitude that is invigorated by the radical religious practices is the main reason for the women's rights abuses, reported IFFRAS. Pakistan's government has also failed to stop the forced conversion of women from minority communities. As per media reports, over 1,000 such girls are abducted in Pakistan annually and 70 per cent of them are minor. They are forced to change their religious identity and married off, often sold off. United Nations `Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women' expressed concerns over the "uneven" application of gender equality policies and programmes in Pakistan as well as raised alarm over violence against women, forced marriages and honour killings. The prosecution and judicial services in Pakistan have very little to offer for women victims as the loopholes in the law ensure the perpetrators are not punished and even charged, Rimmel Mohydin, South Asia campaigner at Amnesty International said. In September 2020, a French woman stuck on the highway to Lahore after her car ran out of fuel. She called the police helpline but there was no help. She was raped by two locals in front of her two children. It created a huge uproar in Pakistan over the safety of women. However, Lahore's top cop Umer Sheikh blamed the French woman for asking why she did not take the busier road, reported IFFRAS. Pakistani Prime Minister, who is an Oxford graduate, blamed women for the rising crimes against them. He asked women to cover up to prevent temptation in any society where vulgarity is prevalent and hence there are consequences. Such statements have the effect of further traumatizing and silencing survivors of sexual violence by placing the blame on them, instead of on those who carry out the crime and the system that enables rapists, reported IFFRAS. (ANI) India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations TS Tirumurti on Thursday reaffirmed India's commitment to partner with Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for development projects while speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). It is important to "address critical socio-economic national challenges of LDCs," said Tirumurti while speaking at the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, he added that the debt and liquidity problems of the LDCs need to be managed. He also called upon the developed countries to deliver on their 'climate action' commitments including measures to achieve net-zero emissions. He added that quality infrastructure initiatives in LDCs should follow financial responsibility and viability to avoid unsustainable debt burden and be accompanied by technology transfer. He further added that India's development projects with the LDCs are recipient country-owned and demand-driven. The 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries is being held in two parts: The first was held at the UN Headquarters in New York today at which adoption of the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) was considered. The second part will be held in Doha from March 5-9 2023, where world leaders will gather with civil society, the private sector, young people and more to build new plans and partnerships for the delivery of the DPoA over the following decade. (ANI) China is promoting new ways to engage Nepal post- Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact ratification, a grant of USD 500 million developmental assistance from the US to Kathmandu. This exploration starts with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit. The foreign ministry in Beijing has apparently concluded in its review that China's presence in Nepal is weakening. President Xi Jinping is sending Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Kathmandu to explore ways to turn things around, says the Chinese official, reported Shambhu Kattel, writing in The Annapurna Express (ApEx). China decided to send its foreign minister to Kathmandu while the Chinese Communist Party was holding its Annual National People's Congress, suggesting an unusual level of urgency at the unfolding events in Nepal. Unlike what has been reported in sections of Nepali media, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the Chinese official's ApEx spoke to say Wang's upcoming visit is both unplanned and unprecedented. Chinese officials say Wang's main agenda in Kathmandu is to reassess Beijing's geopolitical and security challenges, as China no longer feels secure in Nepal. "Implementation of the BRI projects in Nepal is important for Beijing," says a second Kathmandu-based Chinese official who has long liaised between Kathmandu and Beijing. He was also speaking on the condition of anonymity. "But this time Beijing is more worried about the security challenges emanating from the compact's approval," During his visit, Foreign Minister Wang will also take stock of the political climate in Kathmandu, reported ApEx. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is also unhappy with its Kathmandu-based diplomats for their supposed failure in curbing anti-Chinese activities. The Chinese foreign ministry believes its Nepal representative, Ambassador Hou Yanqi, has failed to stop anti-Chinese activities and to effectively coordinate with Nepali political parties. A Chinese official associated with China's diplomatic corps in Kathmandu told ApEx that in the lead up to the compact's endorsement, there was a lack of coordination among the Chinese agencies handling Nepal. Also speaking anonymously, he said the communication gap between Beijing and the Chinese Embassy was also growing. The official also blames ineffective coordination between Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu for the MCC compact's endorsement. Nepal's federal parliament did ratify the compact, as the Americans wished, but in the run-up to ratification, Beijing tried mighty hard to stop it. It sees the USD 500 million development grant to Nepal as a part of America's strategy to encircle China. What is beyond doubt is China's anger at the compact's parliamentary endorsement, said Kattel. Ambassador Hou's leadership had started coming into question at the start of 2021 when she failed in her brief to keep the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) united, reported ApEx. Beijing sees the current Nepali Congress-led government as pro-Western and anti-China. But its favourable perception of CPN (Maoist Center) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) led by Madhav Kumar Nepal has also changed after the compact's ratification. The Chinese official says the CCP is unhappy with Dahal's double standards on the MCC compact. The MCC saga has been a sobering experience for China. Beijing is reportedly reassessing its relations with Nepali leaders, particularly those it had trusted before. (ANI) Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, who is on his maiden visit to the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday held talks with the UAE Justice Minister and the head of the Emirates Supreme Court. The discussion was focused on the Indian expatriates in the Gulf country and for closer judicial cooperation between the two nations. CJI Ramana, accompanied by Indian Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir and Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohli, held a meeting with UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Federal Supreme Court President Mohd Hamad Al Badi, and Supreme Court Judge Abdul Rahman Al Balushi on issues concerning Indian expatriates. Addressing a felicitation function organised by the Indian community in the UAE at the India Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi, he said: "Today we discussed some issues which are bothering the Law Minister and the Ambassador." "There are around 175 people whose extradition orders are pending and when the Ambassador brought it to notice, we represented it to the UAE Law Ministry to look into this and try to expedite these extradition orders. "There is 105 transfer of sentence orders and that too will be expedited. One more request was for access to visit Indians in prisons. These are humanitarian issues which we need to take care of," he said. "After this, there was the matter of judgments regarding the workmen who were terminated and those verdicts not being implemented. They said they will review the numbers given every six months," he added. "In family courts, we've seen legislation made by the UAE government to protect traditional laws of Indians who are non-Muslims so that they can follow their laws. They have agreed for this and it seems they have created some courts," he said. One of the difficulties, he said, is that there are not enough interpreters. "They'll say they'll take care so people who don't understand Arabic can use interpreters. "The UAE Minister has promised the issues will be taken care of. I appreciate the Ambassador's hard work and sincerity," the CJI said. He said that India and the UAE share strong friendly ties and that the two nations have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. "One of the major reasons for strong ties between the two nations is that Indians constitute one of the strongest ethnic groups. Nearly 3.5 million Indians are living here comprising 30 per cent of the total population. Indians have contributed to the development of the UAE over the years," he added. CJI Ramana also said that suggestions could be made to the organisations like the Indian Culture Centre to think of creating a legal assistance centre to help those in need of legal assistance in India. --IANS jw/vd ( 468 Words) 2022-03-17-20:28:03 (IANS) Pakistan has witnessed an unprecedented rise in attacks and arrests against its Shia minority, who make up between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of the Sunni-majority country, a media report said on Thursday. The Pakistani police have launched a religious crusade of sorts against Shia Muslims. Only last week, in Punjab, "police beat up and arrested 22 Shia Muslims, including seven women, who were taking part in a ceremony to mark a Shia martyr". And now, the Islamic State terrorists have joined the fight against them, Islam Khabar reported. The Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) took responsibility for a devastating attack at the Shia mosque of Koocha Risaldar in Peshawar on March 4 that left more than 60 people dead, the report said citing a translation of an ISIS statement by the SITE Intelligence Group. The Islamic State is a Sunni Muslim terrorist group. It considers Shias heretics and has claimed several previous attacks in Pakistan but the Shia mosque bombing is the biggest and the deadliest yet, the report said. The anti-Shia Muslim campaign first began gathering pace on social media last September, demanding that Shia Muslims were declared heretics. The hashtag "infidel, infidel, Shias are infidel" began trending. The same month, Sunni Muslims took out a massive procession in Karachi calling for the beheading of the "heretic" Shias, the report further said. Many Shia families and prominent people among them have gone into hiding after they were named as targets for assassination on the charge of blasphemy. Blasphemy is a capital offence in Pakistan and even unsubstantiated allegations can lead to mob violence and lynchings against the accused. At the forefront of the anti-Shia campaign in Pakistan are two hardline Sunni Muslim groups, Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat (ASWJ) and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). ASWJ had previously been banned in Pakistan under the Anti-Terrorism Act before it was lifted in 2018 but is still globally considered a terrorist organisation. Sectarian persecution of Shia Muslims has been a long-running fracture in Pakistan, exacerbated by the proxy wars fought on Pakistan soil by Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shia-majority Iran, as well as the US's 'war on terror', according to reports. The Taliban has added another complication for Pakistan. After assuming power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have launched an operation to wipe out ISIS-K from the country. That has forced the fighters of the terror group to cross the border into Pakistan to take shelter. That is largely how they end up in Peshawar where they are now carrying attacks against Shias. Growing anti-Shia terrorist attacks by Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) has left Pakistan literally clueless on how to handle the situation which, the international community is quick to point out, is mostly its own doing by trying to develop relations with terror groups antagonistic to one another as a matter of policy, the report said. (ANI) India emphasized that humanitarian action shall be guided by the principles of humanity and should not be politicised while reiterating its previous calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Thursday (local time). "Allow me to underscore that it is important that humanitarian action is always guided by the principles of humanitarian assistance, i.e., humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. These measures should not be politicized," India's Permanent Representative to the UN TS Tirumurti said at the meeting. The UNSC session was called following a request by six countries including the UK, US, France, Albania, Ireland, and Norway to discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. "We reiterate our call for the immediate cessation of hostilities across Ukraine. Our Prime Minister has reiterated this on several occasions and called for immediate ceasefire and emphasized that there is no option but the path of dialogue and diplomacy," Tirumurti further said. India's representative also raised concerns on the ongoing humanitarian situation, including the displacement of thousands of people internally and the outflow of more than three million refugees to neighbouring countries. He also highlighted India's contribution in addressing the worrisome situation. "Keeping in view the dire humanitarian situation unfolding in Ukraine, India has already sent over 90 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to Ukraine and its neighbours, as part of nine separate tranches of humanitarian assistance delivered thus far since 1st March. These supplies have included medicines and other essential relief material. We are in the process of identifying other such requirements and sending further supplies in the coming days," Tirumurti said. Talking about India's evacuation of its citizens from conflict-ridden Ukraine under Operation Ganga, Tirumurti said, "India has ensured the safe return of about 22,500 Indians from Ukraine. We have also assisted nationals from 18 other countries in that process. We are deeply appreciative of the facilitation rendered by the authorities of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries in ensuring their safe return." "We stand ready to continue to engage on these objectives in the Security Council, as well as with the Parties, in the coming days. We continue to underline the need to respect the UN Charter, international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states," Tirumurti said. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry today expressed disappointment over the "unfriendly actions" of the Slovakian authorities which expelled three Russian diplomatic staff. "We are disappointed by the unfriendly actions of the Slovakian authorities which expelled three Russian diplomatic staff under false pretexts. It goes without saying that the decisions taken by Slovakia will not go unanswered," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. However, the European Space Agency today announced it has suspended the Russian-European Mars mission over the Russia Ukraine war."We deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine. While recognizing the impact on scientific exploration of space, ESA is fully aligned with the sanctions imposed on Russia by its Member States," ESA said in a statement. (ANI) Pakistan's political crisis deepened on Friday after 24 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sought refuge in Sindh House ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. MNAs said that if PM Khan assures them no action will be taken against them, they are ready to go back to Parliament Lodges, reported Geo News. PTI's disgruntled member of the National Assembly Raja Riaz said that many other ministers are ready to come here, however, "Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) is unable to accommodate all the members." Speaking to Geo News, PTI MNAs Malik Nawab Sher Waseer and Riaz said that around 24 PTI members have been staying in the Sindh House right now. Riaz, who is a member of the Jahangir Tareen group, told journalist Hamid Mir that the disgruntled members would vote for the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan in "accordance with their conscience." Waseer also said he would not contest the next general elections on a PTI ticket. Meanwhile, MNA Ramesh Kumar announced that he has parted ways with the PTI, reported Geo News. The senior journalist said that several disgruntled leaders are avoiding the camera, however, he said that all of them have confirmed that the reason for "seeking refuge" at the Sindh House is out of fear. According to sources, PTI members who have currently "sought refuge" at the Sindh House include Raja Riaz, Nawab Sher Waseer, Rana Qasim Noon, Ghaffar Wattoo, Noor Alam Khan, Riaz Mazari, Basit Bukhari, Khawaja Sheraz, Ahmad Hasan Dehar, Nuzhat Pathan, Ramesh Kumar, and Wajeeha Qamar. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Abdul Qadir Patel told Geo News that the disgruntled members of the PTI are "living peacefully in Sindh House," and "will leave after ousting Niazi [Imran Khan]." Meanwhile, Imran Khan directed his civilian intelligence agencies to closely observe the location, mobile phone data, and the movement of lawmakers, and report it to him on a daily basis. The Opposition parties in Pakistan had submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the PTI government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan. (ANI) At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of Algeria Ramtane Lamamra, Foreign Minister of Tanzania Liberata Mulamula and Foreign Minister of Zambia Stanley Kakubo will visit China from March 18 to 21. Hubei Media Group: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference on March 16 that the international community must stand in solidarity and Japan calls on China to take responsible action on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Besides, the Japanese government has announced multiple sanctions on Russia after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out. The Prime Minister called the southern Kuril Islands Japans inherent territory which is illegally occupied by Russia, and said Japan considers revising its National Security Strategy to comprehensively strengthen Japans defense capability. What is Chinas comment? Zhao Lijian: On the Ukraine issue, China has been making positive efforts to deescalate the situation as we are committed to promoting peace talks and proposing our initiative to resolve the current crisis. Our position is objective, fair, constructive and beyond reproach. Due to the aggression of Japans militarism in modern history, Japans moves in the military and security fields have always been followed closely by its Asian neighbors. We have noted that some political forces in Japan have been using the Ukraine issue as a pretext recently to deliberately play up external threats and seek stronger military forces and capability. A stern warning to Japan: The victorious outcomes of the World Anti-Fascist War should be earnestly respected and upheld. The Japanese side should deeply reflect on history, draw lessons from the past, respect the security concerns of its Asian neighbors, stay committed to peaceful development, and do more things that benefit regional peace and stability instead of the opposite. AFP: Staying with the Ukraine crisis, theres mounting evidence now of several Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. Yesterday, Russian forces are believed to have attacked a theater in the city of Mariupol. Hundreds of civilians were thought to be sheltering inside at the time, and the Russian word for children was clearly painted on the ground outside. And yet they still attacked, killing an unknown number of civilians. My question is given that China has not explicitly opposed Russias invasion of Ukraine, should we assume that China therefore has no problem with this kind of indiscriminate killing of civilians? President Biden has called President Putin a war criminal. Does China agree that Russia may have committed war crimes in Ukraine? Zhao Lijian: On the Ukraine issue, China has made its view known that the international community should focus on two things, namely, peace talks and avoidance of a large-scale humanitarian crisis. We have also made huge efforts in this regard. China has proposed a six-point initiative on easing the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and has taken real actions. We will continue to provide new humanitarian assistance as needed. I want to stress that Chinas position on peace talks is consistent. You may refer to Chinas statements on hotspot issues including Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Palestine and Israel. When it comes to civilian casualties and humanitarian situation, I wonder if you were equally concerned about the civilian casualties in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Palestine. Do these civilians mean nothing to you? Do not forget Serbia in 1999, or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Did you show any care about civilian casualties there? If not, then you are in no position to make accusations against China. Chinas position is aboveboard, objective and just. But the US, NATO and some western media are very hypocritical, especially as some reports smack of racism. We suggest some media focus more efforts on things that are conducive to promoting peace. They may advise the US and NATO countries not to supply ammunition or add fuel to the flame, but to sit down and build peace by talking with Europe, Russia and Ukraine. Phoenix TV: China has always emphasized its impartiality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But there are comments that Chinas position is becoming increasingly uncomfortable and awkward as the situation develops. What is your response to this? Zhao Lijian: I have elaborated on Chinas position on the Ukraine issue many times. Unlike that of a few countries, Chinas position is aboveboard, objective, fair and beyond reproach. Speaking of uncomfortable, it is those countries that delude themselves into thinking that they can lord it over the world after winning the Cold War, those that keep driving NATOs eastward expansion five times in disregard of other countries security concerns, and those that wage wars across the globe while accusing other countries of being belligerent, that should really feel uncomfortable. I learned that cats, dogs and trees in Russia will be sanctioned. I also heard that Tchaikovskys Swan Lake is axed. But Tchaikovsky was a famous composer, who died over 100 years ago. What faults can be found with him or his Swan Lake, a timeless masterpiece of ballet? Xinhua News Agency: Could you share with us the arrangement for Algerian, Tanzanian and Zambian foreign ministers visit to China and Chinas expectations? How does China see the relations with these three countries? Zhao Lijian: I just released the information on the visits by Algerian, Tanzanian and Zambian foreign ministers. China and Algeria enjoy deep friendship. Algeria is the first Arab country that established comprehensive strategic partnership with China. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Algeria relations have experienced comprehensive and profound development. The two sides have supported each other firmly on issues related to each others core interests and major concerns, actively promoted Belt and Road cooperation, and achieved fruitful outcomes in practical cooperation in various areas. The two countries have stood together in combating COVID-19, and maintained close communication and coordination on international and regional affairs. China attaches great importance to developing China-Algeria relations, and stands ready to jointly elevate China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level. The upcoming visit will be Foreign Minister of Tanzania Liberata Mulamulas first visit to China since she took office. China and Tanzania are comprehensive strategic partners with long-standing friendship. Our traditional friendship, forged by the older generation of leaders on both sides, is passed on to this day. Under the leadership of Chinese and Tanzanian heads of state, the bilateral ties witnessed rapid growth, with increasing political mutual trust and robust practical cooperation across the board. We have firmly supported each other on issues concerning each others core interests and major concerns, and maintained close communication and coordination on international and regional affairs. China always views and develops relations with Tanzania from a strategic height and long-term perspective. We are ready to work with Tanzania to strengthen Belt and Road cooperation, implement the nine programs under FOCAC and achieve more new outcomes of the bilateral cooperation. This will also be Foreign Minister of Zambia Stanley Kakubos first visit to China in his current capacity. Zambia is the first country in southern Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China. Our two countries enjoy traditional friendship. In recent years, bilateral cooperation in various sectors has made remarkable progress and the traditional friendship continues to deepen. China stands ready to work together with Zambia to further consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation in various areas, strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, and deliver benefits to both countries and peoples. Bloomberg: Chinas ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong said while meeting regional leaders in Lviv that we have seen how great the unity of the Ukrainian people is, and that means its strength. He also said China was a friend to Ukraine and respected its state, and then it wanted to help Ukraines economy develop. Does the foreign ministry support the ambassadors characterization of Chinas position here? Zhao Lijian: We of course support our ambassadors statement. China supports all efforts conducive to realizing deescalation and political settlement and opposes any act that is counterproductive to reaching diplomatic resolution or even leads to escalation. We will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation in Ukraine and stand ready to contribute our efforts to overcoming the humanitarian crisis. Associated Press: The US Justice Department has accused five men of harassing Chinese dissidents in the United States on behalf of the Chinese government. What can you tell us about this? Did the Chinese government do this? Did it instigate harassment? How does the Chinese government respond to this accusation? Zhao Lijian: I am not aware of the specifics. In principle, I want to emphasize that China firmly opposes the US unwarranted denigration and smearing against China by making excuses. China always asks Chinese citizens to abide by laws and regulations in host countries. We have never asked and will never ask Chinese citizens to do things in violation of local laws and regulations. The accusation of transnational repression schemes is totally made out of thin air. The US attempt to hype up China threat and tarnish Chinas reputation is doomed to fail. The US side should abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, stop groundless accusation and smearing against China, and do more to promote China-US relations. AFP: US regulators yesterday revoked the telecommunications license of Pacific Networks, saying that the companys ownership by the Chinese government raised significant national security and law enforcement risks. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on that? Zhao Lijian: I noted relevant reports and would refer you to competent authorities of China for the specifics. In principle, I want to point out that the US, without providing any facts about offense, revoked the Chinese companys license in the US with the excuse of national security again. This flagrant abuse of the national security concept and the use of state power to hobble Chinese companies gravely undermine international trade rules and hurt the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, including American users. The Chinese government supports relevant companies in defending their interests in accordance with law, and will continue to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. Bloomberg: The German newspaper Bild says that Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tried to fly to Beijing recently, but his plane turned around halfway. Did China invite Lavrov to Beijing and is this report accurate? Zhao Lijian: Youd better ask the German newspaper where it got the information. Reuters: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague delivered a binding order saying the Russia must immediately suspend military operations in Ukraine. Whats the Chinese governments comment? Zhao Lijian: China has noted the ICJs provisional measures based on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. China will not comment on the specifics as the judges perform their duties independently. In fact, apart from Chinese and Russian judges, four judges have released their declaration or separate opinion on the Order. A judge noted explicitly that he was in favor of the Order indicating provisional measures due to the current situation in Ukraine and the suffering of the people, instead of the legality. Chinas position on the Ukraine issue is consistent. We support Russia and Ukraine in continuing to properly resolve the relevant issues through negotiation and consultation, and the international community in playing an active role in peacefully settling disputes. All parties should avoid making the issue more complicated. Bloomberg: The former head of Britains foreign intelligence service said that only Xi Jinping can influence Putin and stop the war in Ukraine. Has Xi been speaking to Putin about the war? What have those conversations been about if that happened? Zhao Lijian: I noted the relevant remarks. China has been promoting dialogue for peace and making efforts for peacefully resolving the Ukraine crisis. Such efforts include the phone calls and personal efforts made by President Xi Jinping with leaders of relevant countries. China will continue to play a constructive role in the Ukraine issue. However, it takes the one who started the issue to resolve it. I want to stress that those who caused the Ukraine crisis should reflect on the roles they have played, earnestly shoulder their due responsibilities, take concrete actions to ease the situation and solve the problem, instead of shifting the blame onto others. Reuters: Just now you said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has had phone calls with his counterparts. How many times has Xi spoken to Vladimir Putin recently? How many times has he spoken to the President of Ukraine recently? Zhao Lijian: We have released readouts on President Xi Jinpings phone conversations with leaders in a timely manner. China will continue to promote peace talks and play its due role in the Ukraine issue. I would like to emphasize that China is a major country with the most laudable record and credibility when it comes to peace and security. Any attempt to deny Chinas efforts and distort Chinas intention is irresponsible. We hope relevant sides can help to ease the situation in Ukraine in real earnest, rather than willfully spread disinformation to shift blames, instigate confrontation and reap profit from the situation. I have a few question for you to ponder. The US claimed to defend peace by working on NATOs five waves of eastward expansion. Is peace achieved? It said it was to prevent war in Europe. Is war averted? It advertised its commitment to a peaceful settlement of the crisis. But from providing military aid to beefing up military deterrence, did it do anything good for peace? China always independently decides its position and policies based on the merit of the matter itself. We welcome all diplomatic efforts conducive to the political settlement of the Ukraine issue, and support Russia and Ukraine in conducting dialogue and negotiation to seek a political settlement that accommodates both sides legitimate concerns and is good for lasting stability and security in Europe. China will continue to play a constructive role in seeking and achieving peace and development. Follow-up: Since there hasnt been so much information about calls between Xi and Zelenskyy lately, does that mean that Xi hasnt spoken to Zelenskyy very much lately? Zhao Lijian: You are right. I hope you can pay closer attention to the information released by our Foreign Ministry. The foreign ministers of China and Ukraine spoke on the phone. We have already released the information, but there was no phone conversation between the two heads of state. Follow-up: Does China plan on speaking to President Zelenskyy? Zhao Lijian: I have no information to offer at this point. Reuters: According to the UN Charter which China has signed up to, Article 2, Principle 3, All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered. Article 2, Principle 4, All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. Does China believe that Russias actions in Ukraine adhere to this? Zhao Lijian: We have answered similar questions many times at this podium. Chinas position on the Ukraine issue is aboveboard, objective, fair and constructive. Our aim is clear: to work for deescalation and end the conflict as soon as possible. We believe that Chinas position will be understood and supported by more and more countries. Chinas position conforms to the common interests of relevant parties and other countries in the world and can stand the test of history. Reuters: The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the fact that China hasnt pronounced itself against Russias aggression is totally inconsistent with what China repeats over and over again about the sanctity of the UN Charter and basic principles in terms of the sovereignty of nations. Whats Chinas comment? Zhao Lijian: We noted Secretary Blinken also claimed that China is already on the wrong side of history in his statement. Such smear against China fully exposes the US Cold War mentality featuring bloc confrontation. China is firmly opposed to such remarks that do no good to solving the problem. On the Ukraine issue, China has been independently making its judgment based on the merits of the matter itself in an objective and just manner. The Chinese side always maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed. We attach importance to the security concerns of all countries and support all efforts that are conducive to peaceful resolution of the crisis. As a responsible major country, China will continue to play a constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability. International media lately mentioned many times that George Kennan, former US ambassador to the Soviet Union, suggested to the US government in the 1990s that expanding NATO up to Russias borders would be the most fateful error of American policy. Many well-known experts on international relations across the world have also made such advice. Regrettably, the US government turned a deaf ear to this, and was bent on advancing NATOs eastward expansion, for five times already. The US decision on NATOs eastward expansion is directly linked to the Ukraine crisis now. I read a report the other day that Tulsi Gabbard, former member of the US House of Representatives, said the crisis could have been ended and the war easily avoided if the US had simply promised not to accept Ukraines becoming a member of NATO. But they chose not to do so. The key to solving the Ukraine crisis is in the hands of the US and NATO. We hope the US and NATO, the culprits of the crisis, can reflect upon their roles in the Ukraine crisis. They should earnestly shoulder due responsibilities and take real actions to ease the situation, resolve the problem and end the conflict in Ukraine at an early date. We also hope that the US can truly work with most developing countries in the world to stand on the side of peace and justice and help to ease the Ukraine situation soon. Reuters: A few weeks ago, your colleague noted that according to the Russian defense ministry, Russia was only targeting military targets in Ukraine. Reports have emerged that civilians have been targeted in a number of areas. For example, there were reports saying civilians waiting in line for bread were killed in a city close to Kiev. Whats the Chinese governments position on civilians being targeted in this war? Zhao Lijian: You didnt follow me when I was taking previous questions, did you? I just spoke at length about our statements on the Ukrainian civilians and Im not going to repeat over and over. Bloomberg: Can I just follow on what we asked earlier? Chinas ambassador to Ukraine said that China would never attack Ukraine. Does that mean China will not supply Russia with weapons or other assistance that could be used to attack Ukraine? Zhao Lijian: Is this your own interpretation? China has made statements on this on multiple occasions. Such association has no grounds whatsoever. The following question was raised after the press conference. Q: According to reports, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake jolted Japans northeast coast off the Fukushima prefecture on March 16, leaving four dead and 97 injured and triggering a tsunami advisory. What is Chinas comment? Are there any Chinese casualties? Zhao Lijian: A powerful earthquake struck waters near Japans Fukushima prefecture last night. We mourn for the victims, and express our condolences to the bereaved families and the wounded. The Chinese Embassy in Japan, the Consulate General in Niigata and the Consulate General in Sapporo immediately activated the emergency response mechanism and urgently checked the situation and verified relevant information. We have received no report of Chinese casualties so far. Our Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic missions in Japan will continue to closely follow the situation of the aftermath of the earthquake and the aftershocks, and will provide necessary assistance for Chinese citizens in Japan on a timely basis. A mid-afternoon gang-related shooting sent one person to the hospital and forced Kamiakin High School into a lockdown Wednesday. People in two vehicles driving in the 1100 block of Cleveland Street started firing at each other about 3:10 p.m., according a Kennewick police media release. A passenger in one of the vehicles, Adrian Torres-Garza, 23, was shot in the hip. He stopped at Second Avenue and called 911. Officers found him and he was treated at a hospital. Police learned Torres-Garza was one of the primary aggressors, and he was booked on suspicion of drive-by shooting. A mid-afternoon gang-related shooting sent one person to the hospital and forced Kamiakin High School into a lockdown Wednesday. The incident happened near Kamiakin High School and triggered a lockdown at the school while police searched the area. Investigators continue to look for other suspects and believe the shooting was gang-related. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact Kennewick police by calling 509-628-0333. Clockwise from top right: Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Gerard Butler and Julia Roberts (Rex) The Irish accent is consistently voted one of the most attractive in the world, yet even some of the worlds finest actors have trouble with it. Leonardo DiCaprio tried, as did Julia Roberts (twice), and dare we even mention Brad Pitt? Today (17 March) marks St Patricks Day, and if you have no pub and/or beer plans, why not experience the next best thing: reminiscing about the wonkiest Irish accents in film history. New to this great lineage of bad accents is Wild Mountain Thyme, a romantic drama released in the UK in early 2021 and so inexplicable that even literal Irish actors seemed to speak with fake Irish accents in it. Such is the evil power of this particular bit of fakery, though Hollywoods bastardised visions of Ireland so all-encompassing and destructive that few can survive it. To celebrate this most Irish of days, weve ranked 10 notorious times American filmmaking has treated the country and its people with absolutely no respect. 10. Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York (2002) Quintessential California beach babe Cameron Diazs decision to star in Gangs of New York lies somewhere between gutsy and foolish. Playing an Irish sex worker and pickpocket, Diaz tries her best but is inarguably out of her depth. In fairness, Leonardo DiCaprio is just as wonky here in the accent stakes, but, with his messy goatee and slight paunch, he at least looks the part. 9. Justin Theroux in Charlies Angels: Full Throttle (2003) Diaz handed the bad Irish accent baton over to her Charlies Angels co-star Justin Theroux, just one year after the release of Gangs of New York. Youd think that playing a flamboyant Irish mobster named Seamus OGrady would help make Therouxs performance a camp delight, as opposed to aggressively shrill. Reader, it did not. 8. Pierce Brosnan in Taffin (1988) If you havent seen Brosnans pre-Bond action film Taffin (and you absolutely have not), you still may have seen a specific 14 seconds of it, with the actor commanding his love interest to leave his home using a delivery that can only be described as Tommy Wiseau-esque. But Irish viewers have even more reason to be confused, namely that Brosnan is from the Republic of Ireland but speaks in an incomprehensible Northern Irish accent throughout. His line Then maybe you shouldnt be living heeeerrrre is entrenched in cinematic lore. Story continues (Rex Features) 7. Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away (1994) Tommy Lee Jones stars as an IRA terrorist who makes bombs while playing U2 on his stereo inadvertently summing up the grim taste level of this forgotten thriller. Its not quite as offensive as Joness accent, though. 6. Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly (1996) and Michael Collins (1996) What did Ireland do in 1996 to deserve not one, but two horrid Julia Roberts performances in which she butchers the Irish accent? She slightly gets away with it in Mary Reilly, a psychological horror movie so uber-serious that it veers into pure camp, but she sticks out like a sore thumb in the historical biopic Michael Collins. Few other actors have ever been so poorly miscast. 5. Gerard Butler in PS I Love You (2007) The Scottish actor publicly apologised to Ireland for his work in this terrible romantic drama, which says it all, really. At least we can rest assured that its unlikely hell attempt it again anytime soon. 4. Chris ODonnell in Circle of Friends (1995) A Hollywood-ified circus of Irish woe built on the premise that Minnie Driver is too repulsive to find love Circle of Friends features a cavalcade of accent horrors. Its most egregious, though, is Chris ODonnell, who essentially speaks in his normal American accent but throws a few ahh-roit thens in for good measure. (Rex Features) 3. Tom Hanks in Cloud Atlas (2012) It might be incorrect to place Hankss performance in Cloud Atlas on this list, because its difficult to discern whether hes actually playing an Irish person. Sure, the character is described in the script as Irish gangster turned-novelist Dermot Hoggins, but Hanks seems to be playing him with what sounds like a Cockney accent. Whatever the truth, it is quite breathtaking to behold. 2. Literally everyone in Wild Mountain Thyme (2020) Wild Mountain Thyme is a treacly romantic drama that, thanks to the surreal accents of its stars, broke the internet upon the release of its trailer. The film, starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan, is a veritable feast of poorly-accented horror. Set on a mystical Irish farm in an indiscernible year (is it 2019 or 1953? Who knows!), the film features a cast of incredibly talented A-listers mercilessly bludgeoning the Irish accent beyond all recognition. Christopher Walkens is straining for Mullingar but sounds more like Pirate Christopher Walken; Blunts is baffling; then theres Jamie Dornan, who is actually Irish but sounds like someone whos never set foot in the country. 1. Tom Cruise in Far and Away (1992) Tom Cruise is actively terrible in Far and Away, a bizarre Ron Howard adventure film that marked the second of three wildly divergent collaborations with Cruises then-wife, Nicole Kidman. His Irish accent is fluttery noise, there one minute and gone the next. But it speaks to how we ended up here: non-native speakers have been fed so many stereotypes about Ireland over the decades that few can spot the real thing anymore. The Daily Beast ReutersTroops sent into Ukraine to back up Russian forces say they had no choice but to leave because Russian military was in shambles and they deceived us at every step.Soldiers from the breakaway state of South Ossetiaspeaking to South Ossetian leader Anatoly Bibilov at a meeting publicized by the independent news outlet MediaZonarattled off a list of complaints about faulty equipment, lack of leadership and intel, and brainless tactics.South Ossetia, which relies heavily on military and f Kharkiv children show off circus skills in the nursing home where they're being sheltered. Haven Orecchio-Egresitx More than a dozen children from Kharkiv, Ukraine fled without their parents when Russia dropped bombs. The kids, students in a circus school, traveled three days to Budapest. Now a local woman looks after them while they live in three donated units at a nursing home. BUDAPEST, Hungary On the fifth floor of a nursing home in Budapest, 18 residents decades younger than the average live together in three units. The children, who range in age from 7 to 16, were students at a circus school in Kharkiv, Ukraine, which has since been turned to rubble in the war. On March 5, when little was left in the city, they had to flee their homes together. The trip to Hungary was three days long, and only two mothers and a teacher accompanied them on the journey. "When they realized they have to run, teachers started to call around to see how they could get the children out," Irena Aizelman, a Budapest woman looking after the group, told Insider. "A lot of them came without parents. Some don't have them. Some can't leave the country because they work in the government they're doctors or in the fire department." In Hungary, there's been no assistance from the government during the refugee crisis. The country is historically anti-migrant, but the government made an exception for Ukrainians fleeing the war. When they arrived in Budapest with nowhere to go, and nobody to look after them, Aizelman, a volunteer, stepped in. She enrolled them in a local circus academy so they could immediately resume their studies. She also sees to it that they are getting medical and dental treatment. Now she's trying to find a child psychologist who can help assess their trauma. "They're wonderful. They're all in good spirits," Aizelman said, as the teens laughed and joked, and and did handstands in the tiny room. "Right now it's like a trip and we're trying to make it is fun as possible." Soon, though, the reality of the situation will set in, she said. Story continues Damaged vehicles sit among debris and in Kharkiv city center in Ukraine, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. AP Photo/Pavel Dorogoy They carry hope to go home, but it's unlikely Kira, 16, sat on the floor of one of the nursing home units Wednesday. Unprovoked, she began to tell her story. When she was five years old, she said, her father died. A year later, her mother died and she became an orphan. Her best friend's mom became her guardian, and that's who she's lived with until last week, she said. "There were bombing airplanes flying above our building," Kira told Insider of the day she fled. "There was no cellar, so we went down to the first floor." She and her best friend didn't know where to go. They were scared, she said, and then a bomb dropped nearby. "The windows started to shake but didn't break, so we ran to the neighbor's on the third floor. He wasn't home," she said. "We went up to my apartment, and took our things, our papers, and ran to a different neighbor." That family let the girls in to spend the night. They prayed before bed that they would be spared, but then there was another round of explosions. The adults told them to go to the hallway. "As soon as I sat down, there was a blast, an explosion. Debris started to fall on me and the doors flew out," Kira said. "I was bare feet and running outside, but turned back to put my clothes on." Kira and her friend then went on the run again, looking for another building they could take shelter in. She said that there were Russian military "bombing planes" flying low overhead as they ran. They found another building, but then a missile fell very closely "and the windows and doors fell out," she said. "Then we waited for those neighbors so we didn't go alone and ran again," she said. "We didn't know what direction to run." Kira started to tell Insider that at that point she and her friend laid belly down on the ground and Army crawled looking for another building, and found a home with a cellar, but then she started sobbing. The other kids in the room embraced her, and then Aizelman cut her story short. "We want them to talk about the happy things now," she said. Irena Aizelman, of Budapest, volunteered to look after 18 children who fled a warzone in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Haven Oreccchio-Egresitz It takes a village Since the children arrived, a few other adults have joined them. The first week, Aizelman prepared all the meals for the children and the adults in the group, but it became too overwhelming. She reached out to a restaurant owned by an active member of the city's Jewish community, and he now does the cooking. The primary goal, she said, is keeping them safe and positive in the first few weeks in Budapest. There's no long term plan for their future yet. Aside from being refugees, they're also regular teenagers, so Aizelman is trying to accommodate those needs as well. For example, many of the donated clothes were large and outdated, so Aizelman is trying to organize and swap donations with other groups to get the most modern outfits for her group. She's also taken them shopping for small treats, like perfume. The group has received some donations, but not enough to stretch out much longer. "Unfortunately, we didn't have any kind of help from the government. That's how it works," she told Insider. "For now, we still don't know what we're doing." Marina Shafit provided translation services in Budapest. Read the original article on Insider Overhead shot of a Broward County bus in the Fort Lauderdale Police Department parking lot. WPLG Local 10 Two people are dead after a shooting on a Broward County bus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Thursday. Authorities said several others were injured in the shooting and a subsequent car crash. The suspected shooter is in custody at this time, police said. Four people were shot onboard a Broward County public bus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday, according to authorities. Fort Lauderdale police said four people were transported to a local hospital as a result of the shooting. One victim was pronounced dead on the scene and a second victim later died at the hospital. Two others remain hospitalized. WPLG Local 10 reported law enforcement officials said one person is in critical condition, while another suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities said the suspected shooter is now in custody. There is believed to be no further threat to the public at this time. Fort Lauderdale Police (@ftlauderdalepd) March 17, 2022 As a result of the shooting, the bus came to a stop in the parking lot of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, authorities said. An eyewitness told WPLG that the bus driver turned down a busy street to get to the police station following the shooting. The maneuver caused a car crash which injured an additional three people who were treated on the scene, police said. This story is breaking. Please check back for updates. Read the original article on Insider CONCORD, NH Here are some share-worthy stories from the New Hampshire Patch network to talk about tonight. PM Patch NH features stories, info, and posts from the past 24 hours. Thank you for reading Patch in New Hampshire. The 25-year-old from New Hampshire, with connections to Hooksett, Manchester, Nashua, and Salem, had active drug cases when she disappeared. After reaching an agreement, the NH Department of Education closed its case against Carl Benevides when he surrendered his credentials. Jamie St. Laurent of Hudson was accused of dealing crack while Kyle Jones and Kerry Fredette of Nashua were arrested on possession charges. Increased call volumes in other parts of the city and a lack of $1.4M for a 4th ambulance prompts a shift of some fire department resources. Nashua Fire Rescue was called to Vine Street on Wednesday for an apartment explosion and flash fire that caused structural damage. Plus: Concord, Loudon men, Dunbarton woman arrested on drug charges; man accused of stalking, breach of bail; 6 assaults on East Side Drive. Part 1: SAU 8 has entered into a letter of intent with CenterPoint Church to buy 37-acres of land along Clinton Street for a new school. Part 2: While there are no buyers, SAU 8 will begin discussions to make Rundlett taxable; district has other parcels that could be sold. Part 3: Taxpayers have limited options when faced with district decisions; YMCA wants a new building, getting to "yes" could be difficult. Story continues Dozens of Democrats vote for GOP reform of bail reform bill; education feedback survey; executive councilors want to draw political maps. ALSO READ: Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch Health workers unload a patient from an ambulance at Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong on March 15, 2022. Emmanuel Serna/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Hong Kong is wrestling with the deadliest COVID-19 wave in the world right now, per capita. Most elderly adults in Hong Kong are unvaccinated due to a combination of confusion and mistrust. Nursing homes have become hotbeds for Omicron transmission. After two years of holding back the coronavirus near-perfectly, Hong Kong is suffering a brutally punishing wave of new Omicron infections the deadliest in the world right now, per capita. "We have about 30,000 [new] cases a day," Dr. Edwin Tsui, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection controller, said on Wednesday during a news conference. Though Omicron infections are also rising in other spots around the globe that have held the virus at bay until now (like New Zealand) Hong Kong is in the uniquely painful position of having very few of its elderly adults fully vaccinated. That is a big part of the reason why the per capita death rate in Hong Kong is so high right now. Since late December, when local transmission of Omicron began in Hong Kong, 4,634 people have died. Previously, only 213 people in Hong Kong had died from COVID-19 in all of 2020 and 2021 combined. During this wave, which took off in February, 89% of deaths have been among people who did not receive two doses of a vaccine, and most of the deaths have been in unvaccinated victims 60 and up. Older people in Hong Kong have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the world Just 36% of Hong Kong residents over the age of 80 have had two doses of a vaccine from either Pfizer or Sinovac. The vaccination rate among younger people in Hong Kong is far higher, with more than 88% of people aged 20-59 years old receiving two doses so far. Reasons for the low vaccination rate among the elderly include fear, confusion over whether the vaccines are safe for people with preexisting conditions, and mistrust of the government's handling of the pandemic. "The government has never truly taken consideration of the elderly in every single measure and policy it has carried out since the start of the pandemic," unvaccinated 72-year-old Sit Pui-yu told the South China Morning Post. Story continues Terry Lum, a professor of social work at the University of Hong Kong, told the New York Times the government has not moved swiftly to shut down misinformation. "When that misinformation is circulating and no one comes out to clarify the information, and we have such low cases, the people wonder, 'Why would I take the risk?'" Lum said. Hong Kong's lagging elderly vaccination rates are outliers compared to the rest of the world, where the older you are, the more likely it is you've been fully vaccinated. In the US, more than 85% of people over the age of 75 are fully vaccinated, while in the UK 96% of seniors over the age of 80 have had two shots. Those higher than average vaccination rates among elders reflect the recognition that elderly adults are some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19's nastiest consequences, including death. The virus is spreading through nursing homes With the Omicron variant able to spread more quickly and more easily than previous versions of the virus did, unvaccinated elders in Hong Kong are at greater risk now than ever before. "Some care homes have seen all residents infected, according to my understanding," Elderly Commission chairman Dr. Lam Ching-choi told the South China Morning Post earlier this month. "Very unfortunately, the death rate among the elderly will continue to rise as we currently do not have enough resources from hospital beds and isolation facilities to medication." Hong Kong has hurried in recent weeks to rush the construction of several makeshift hospitals and patient isolation facilities, with bed locations including a cruise ship terminal, a gym, and an unincorporated patch of land that sits next to mainland China. Hundred of healthcare workers are also being brought over from the mainland to help with the surge. Hong Kong SAR Government News (@newsgovhk) March 16, 2022 Professor Lau Yu-lung, a government adviser on vaccines, said even elderly patients with symptoms should go ahead and get vaccinated as soon as possible. "We can vaccinate them as long as they don't have a fever, since all elderly people have coughs," he told the Post. Workers wearing personal protective equipment clean next to cabins at a temporary isolation facility housing COVID-19 patients in the San Tin area of Hong Kong on March 16, 2022. Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images On February 24, Hong Kong also issued a new vaccine pass requirement for anyone over the age of 12 entering public spaces, including gyms, hair salons, supermarkets, mahjong parlors, and malls. Walter Cheung Shu-wai told the Post that his 94-year-old mother received her first dose of Pfizer's vaccine last week, and she had no noticeable side effects. "Our family had been thinking about it for more than half a year. We see that the epidemic is getting more and more serious since the fifth wave of infections, and it would be risky if my mother gets infected," he said. "I guess we all need to calculate the risk." Read the original article on Business Insider Five candidates hoping to become the next Terrebonne Parish schools superintendent were given the opportunity Tuesday night to explain why they are the best person for the job. Following brief introductions, each candidate participated in a 30-minute public interview with the School Board, followed by five-minute conclusions. The interviews were held at the School Board offices in Houma and were also streamed live on Facebook. The candidates are seeking to replace Philip Martin, who plans to retire when his contract expires June 30. The applicants are: Related: 5 candidates want to lead Terrebonne's public schools. Here's what we know about them. Cory Butler, Terrebonne school system's supervisor of child welfare and attendance. Bubba Orgeron, the school district's assistant superintendent. C. Michael Robinson Jr., chief academic officer of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system. Mark Torbert, the Terrebonne school systems supervisor of secondary education. Clyde Washington, assistant superintendent of the Rapides Parish school system. The board will select its next superintendent 6 p.m. Tuesday and will begin contract negotiations in April. Martins current pay is $185,000 a year. Though the candidates come from different backgrounds they agreed on several goals, such as rebuilding after Hurricane Ida, student success and recruiting and retaining good teachers. Butler said building a strong rapport with teachers is paramount to retain staff. Sometimes just opening a door and being able to say good morning means a lot, Butler said. People have things going on their lives. It cant just be about data. Teachers and students are not numbers. If we treat people correctly, if you show people how much you value them, the sky is the limit. Having experienced Hurricane Ida and its aftermath, Orgeron said the road to recovery is long but not impossible. I looked beyond the buildings and I looked at the faces of the teachers, of the principals who were getting their schools back, at the flexibility and resiliency of the teachers, Orgeron said. They got back without question and did it. You cant say enough about that. With that said, we still have a long away to go. Were not over it. Weve got to keep moving and stay on top of the project managers and architects. Weve got to be part of the process. We have to make sure they understand the urgency. Story continues Robinson said the role of superintendent is more than just a job. This is a calling for me, he said. This is not lip service. When I am given the opportunity I am going to come in and you will receive a 100-day plan that will actually outline the work that I will be doing and making sure that work is in alignment with the vision that you have as a board. You may say, I dont know how hes going to do all that. I dont know either, but I did and I made the time for it because thats what our job is. Thats what our work is. If we cant do that, then were in the wrong position. This is my hearts work. This is what Ive been working toward my whole life. Torbert said it is important for school leaders to be visible during sporting events and other school activities to show the community that they care. Its important that everybody sees you, he said. People underestimate the power of seeing that administrator standing on the sidelines. Its important to drive across the state to Lake Charles to watch a swim meet. Also: Terrebonne Superintendent Philip Martin to retire after coming school year Washington said every school employee is crucial because they all work in concert toward the same goal of educating children. Everyone has a role in this district, he said. You have to make everyone feel valued, appreciated and respected for the work that they do. From the bus drivers who pick up the students to the cafeteria workers who feed them, everyone has a role to play. Everyone has to engage, educate and empower in some way. The five applicants are hoping to lead Louisianas 13th largest school district. Terrebonne enrolls about 17,000 students and employs 1,700 teachers and staff with a budget of nearly $200 million a year. Videos of each candidate can be viewed at tpsd-la.schoolloop.com. The applicant must receive at least five votes from the nine-member to be selected. Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp. This article originally appeared on The Courier: Interviews: 5 Terrebonne schools chief candidates highlight plans From left: Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Matt Gaetz of Florida; Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia; and Thomas Massie of Kentucky. All voted against the Russia trade bill. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The House of Representatives passed a bill to halt normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus. Eight House Republicans voted against the bill on Thursday. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Thomas Massie were among them. The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with both Russia and Belarus amid the war in Ukraine. The Suspending Normal Trade Relations With Russia and Belarus Act, which passed by a 424-8 margin, allows President Joe Biden to increase tariffs on products coming from the two countries and requires the US trade representative to seek suspension of Russia's participation in the World Trade Organization. The legislation must now pass the Senate and be signed by Biden to be enacted into law. This move came one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to Congress, and a week after the House also voted to enact tougher sanctions on Russia and ban the importation of oil from the country. Seventeen members of Congress, overwhelmingly Republicans, voted against that measure. Belarus, though not the primary aggressor in the conflict, is a close ally of Moscow and has allowed its territory to be used by Russian troops for staging invasions. While Congress has been relatively unified in calling for Russia to be punished and for the US to support Ukraine, some on the right flank of the party have adopted a different tactic. Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina faced criticism from members of the GOP after he called Zelenskyy a thug at an event with constituents. Here are the eight Republicans who voted against the bill on Thursday: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina Rep. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin Rep. Chip Roy of Texas Most are on the right flank of the Republican Party and among the most loyal supporters of former President Donald Trump. Story continues Greene, for her part, bemoaned in a Thursday floor speech, "All we're hearing on the news is Ukraine." She added, "Washington seems to care more about sending our sons and daughters to a potential war" than more pressing domestic issues. Biden has repeatedly pledged not to send Americans troops to Ukraine. Massie told Insider in an email that "this bill allows Biden and future Presidents to sanction virtually anyone they choose anywhere on the globe without Congressional approval," which he later tweeted about as well. Boebert told Insider in an email that Congress "keeps focusing on distractions abroad and not our own challenges brought on by Joe Biden at home." She said she believed the bill had "bad language" that could empower Biden to sanction people who "simply hold traditional views of life and family and restrict access to abortion." Roy told Insider via email that he would have supported the bill if targeting Russia and Belarus were the sole focus, but he took issue with the legislation because it would "permanently empower the President with the unilateral authority to issue sanctions against anyone who he deems responsible for an undefined 'serious human rights abuse.'" Biggs released a video statement echoing the concerns of the other Republicans, saying the bill would give Biden too much power and allow him to "define what a human-rights abuse is." Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) March 17, 2022 Gaetz tweeted his support for Biggs' position, writing that he "voted with Biggs for these reasons and others!" Grothman and Bishop had not released any statement on their votes as of Friday morning. Read the original article on Business Insider A 72-year-old accountant entrusted to look after a portion of the New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund is accused of spending the investment money on gambling, home repairs and credit card payments. Now hes facing federal prison time. Wayne Triche, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, March 16, to wire and tax fraud charges in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Prosecutors said the charges stem from allegations that Triche embezzled money from the fund that he was supposed to invest in life insurance policies. Instead, hespent it on a slew of personal expenses over the course of eight years, prosecutors say. Triche faces up to 23 years in prison on both charges when hes sentenced in June. Defense attorneys representing Triche did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment. The New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund administers survival, disability, retirement and death benefits for members of the New Orleans Fire Department and their families. Firefighters pay into the fund through monthly deductions from their paychecks, and the city of New Orleans also contributes. A board of trustees manages the funds investments with financial consultants. Triche started working with the fund as a certified public accountant at the company American Pension Consultants, according to federal court documents filed with his plea agreement. APC was owned by another man, George Russell, and together they pitched the New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund on an investment opportunity in 2003, prosecutors said. The trustees declined, opting instead to pay APC $5 million to purchase life insurance policies, court documents state. Russell died in 2007, prosecutors said, leaving Triche to take over management of APC and the pension funds investments. The alleged embezzlement scam started two years later. From 2009 to 2017, Triche is accused of embezzling $937,658 from life insurance policy payouts. Story continues Prosecutors said he hid the fact that APC had received more than $4 million in policy payouts by telling fund representatives that the investments werent profitable. In reality, court documents state, Triche used the money to gamble at casinos, pay his mortgage on a commercial property, pay a civil judgment in a federal court case against him, cover his property taxes and pay for home improvements as well as other general living expenses. Triche also never reported that income on his tax returns between 2011 and 2014, prosecutors said. A grand jury indicted Triche on 38 counts of wire and tax fraud in 2019, court documents show, and he tried unsuccessfully to have the case dismissed. A judge denied the request in 2020. Triches trial was slated to begin March 21 before he pleaded guilty. As part of the agreement, Triche pleaded guilty to just two of the original 38 counts. He also agreed to pay $937,658 in restitution to the New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund and another $329,895 to the IRS. Hes scheduled to be sentenced June 14. Navy vet lied about paralysis, crash with drunk driver in $1 million scheme, feds say Fire chief charged city $22,000 for overtime he never worked, Louisiana police say Bookkeeper funded gambling habit by embezzling fees from 10 HOAs in Alabama, feds say The Chinese play Leading Actor, produced by Shaanxi People's Art Theater, has launched a nationwide tour which will visit several Chinese cities, including Beijing from April 15 to 17 and Shanghai from April 22 to 24. Based on the award-winning novel of the same by Chinese writer Chen Yan, the play premiered in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Feb 25, receiving critical acclaim. Actors and actresses from Shaanxi People's Art Theater performed. With a creative team that includes scriptwriter Cao Lusheng and director Hu Zongqi, the play follows the life story of a famous Qinqiang Opera actress, Yi Qin'e, who spent over four decades learning the ancient art form and becoming a success. Known for its high-pitched singing and dramatic performing style, Qinqiang Opera is a genre of traditional Chinese folk opera popular in Shaanxi. Chen's novel, set against the backdrop of different times of China from 1976 to 2016, also reflects the changes of the country as well as the ups and downs of the ancient art form. The novel won the 10th Mao Dun Literature Award, one of China's top literature awards. (Getty Images) Alabama Rep Mo Brooks released an ad touting the fact he spoke at the Stop the Steal rally before the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol in a new Senate ad as a means of currying favour with former president Donald Trump and his supporters. Mr Trump had previously endorsed Mr Brooks, a longtime supporter, but told The Washington Examiners David Drucker that he was considering rescinding his endorsement due to the Alabama congressmans performance in the Senate primary. Mo Brooks is disappointing, he said in a telephone interview. Im determining right now, has Mo Brooks has he changed? Mr Brooks is running against Mike Durant and Katie Boyd Britt, the former chief of staff to Sen Richard Shelby, the retiring Republican Senator whom they want to replace. One source of the former presidents ire seems to be the fact that at a Trump rally in Alabama last year, Mr Brooks told supporters to look forward to 2022 and 2024 instead of being despondent about the 2020 election, which Mr Trump and his supporters claim was stolen from him. Im disappointed that he gave an inarticulate answer, and Ill have to find out what he means, he said. If it meant what he sounded like, I would have no problem changing [my endorsement] because when you endorse somebody, you endorse somebody based on principle. If he changed that principle, I would have no problem doing that. On Thursday, Mr Brooks released an ad with footage of him speaking at the Stop the Steal rally at the White House Ellipse before Mr Trumps supporters marched to the Capitol and breached the complex to overturn the 2020 election results. On January 6, I proudly stood with President Trump against voter fraud, he said, before labelling Ms Britt open-border and a Republican in name Only. Thats why President Trump endorses me and Mitch McConnell opposes us. Alabamas primary will be held on May 24. The Amarillo Police Department released information it is investigating about a domestic violence aggravated assault and officer-involved shooting on Wednesday afternoon. According to a news release, at 3:35 p.m., Amarillo officers were dispatched to Sunrise Elementary on reports of a domestic violence aggravated assault that occurred in the 1000 block of Ricks Street. One victim was found and taken by ambulance to an area hospital with serious injuries, the release states. The Amarillo Police Department is investigating an incident of domestic violence aggravated assault and an officer involved shooting, Wednesday afternoon in the 1000 block of Ricks. Amarillo officers then went to a residence in the 1000 block of Ricks, where the assault allegedly occurred and the suspect was thought to be located. Police said a suspect met officers outside and was holding a gun. Both the officer and suspect fired their guns, according to the release. The suspect was shot and taken to an area hospital for his injuries. Amarillo Police Detectives are still investigating this incident. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo police investigating assault, officer-involved shooting SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) Veteran slugger Kris Bryant has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year deal to join the Colorado Rockies, according to a person familiar with the agreement. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because its completion is pending a successful physical. Bryant is headed to his third team in eight months after spending his first six major league seasons with the Chicago Cubs, who traded him to San Francisco last July. The 2016 NL MVP and World Series champion batted a combined .265 with 25 homers and 73 RBIs last season, and he pounded out eight hits in the Giants' five-game playoff loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite a midseason slump that precipitated the trade, Bryant earned his fourth career All-Star selection during a solid rebound from a rough year at the plate in 2020. The Rockies clearly liked what they saw: Bryant landed a huge free-agent deal to move to Colorado as a middle-of-the-order bat and a fielder who can play third base, first base or in the outfield his most likely position with the Rockies, who have Ryan McMahon at third and C.J. Cron at first. Bryant also is an obvious candidate to join Charlie Blackmon among the Rockies' designated hitters. Bryant is a career .278 hitter with 167 homers, 487 RBIs and an .880 OPS, but he is about to get the full benefits of playing at hitter-friendly Coors Field, where he has batted .263 (15-for-57) with two homers, nine RBIs and a .757 OPS in his career. The 2015 NL Rookie of the Year's right-handed swing will offset the left-handed slant to the outfield lineup for the Rockies, who haven't won a playoff game since 2009. The signing indicates Colorado still wants to be competitive in the NL West despite its roster upheaval over the past year-plus, including last year's trade of Nolan Arenado and the impending probable departure of Trevor Story. The Rockies signed free agent shortstop Jose Iglesias to a one-year deal on Wednesday, seemingly an acknowledgement that Story's productive tenure with the club is over. The two-time All-Star hit 158 homers for Colorado. Story continues Iglesias hit .271 with 27 doubles, nine homers and 48 RBIs last season with the Los Angeles Angels and Boston. After several seasons as one of the majors' top defensive players at shortstop, Iglesias curiously struggled in the field last year in Anaheim, committing a career-high 16 errors before the Halos released him in September. In 2012, he was the flashiest, funnest guy to watch I had ever seen in the field, said Rockies right-hander Daniel Bard, who played with Iglesias in Boston. It was like, Oh, my gosh, if he can just piece it together, hes Omar Vizquel. Hes like a magician with his hands. He also brings an energy. Hes pieced together a really awesome career. Ive been impressed with him since the day I met him. The Rockies also agreed to a one-year contract with longtime Pittsburgh right-hander Chad Kuhl, now a top candidate to fill the spot in the starting rotation vacated when Jon Gray signed a four-year, $56 million free-agent deal with Texas. I believe in myself, Kuhl said. Im committed to being a starter, but Ive always been a team guy. Its always been my nature to try to win, so whatever I can do to help is what I am going to do. But I believe that is going to be to start. I believe I add a lot of value as a starter. Kuhl went 5-7 with a 4.82 ERA last season, making 14 starts and 14 relief appearances. He is 25-30 in five major league seasons with the Pirates, although he missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in late 2018. ___ AP freelance writer Jack Magruder contributed to this report. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports 94th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon - Arrivals (Invision) Academy Award nominee Ariana DeBose discussed her first big brush with rejection and how she felt so checked by The Devil Wears Prada in a new interview. Appearing on Thursdays (17 March) episode of Marc Marons podcast WTF with Marc Maron, the West Side Story actor talked about being eliminated from season six of So You Think You Can Dance in the first week of public voting. My god, what a bruise to the baby, baby ego, DeBose, who was 18 at the time, told Maron. I was voted off in front of six million people, but mind you the ratings on ABCs Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin were higher than that particular nights viewership, she added. Explaining the significance of her short-lived stint on Foxs dancing reality television show, DeBose told Maron that, while it wasnt her big break, it redirected me to New York after spending a month in college in North Carolina, and deciding it wasnt for her. At this time, she told Maron she was focussed on her professional career and didnt have much of a personal life, before catching his use of the word ambition. Its funny you bring up that little word ambition, she said, before telling Maron about how she left the cinema crying after watching The Devil Wears Prada because she wondered whether she was too ambitious. I felt so checked by that film. Youre watching Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), youre watching Andy Saks (Anne Hathaway). Two women in different positions in an industry and they both have ambition, she explained, adding, It wasnt a movie about the perils of ambition but it was just like: what are you going to stand for? DeBose, who has been a professional dancer all her life, has been nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielbergs 2021 reimagining of West Side Story. In the run-up to the Academy Awards, on 27 March, the 31-year-old took home both the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Bafta awards for the role. Mar. 16An Artois man that was found guilty of the first-degree murder of a teen that was killed in 2015 appeared in a Glenn County courtroom last week for sentencing. Alfredo Rodriguez Ruvalcaba, 60, who was arrested and charged with the death of 16-year-old Melissa Esquivel-Flores, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with a separate and consecutive 10 years for a gun enhancement. At the hearing, several members of Esquivel-Flores' family spoke, illustrating the betrayal they have felt for the last seven years because they considered Ruvalcaba a close family friend. When delivering the sentence, the judge said while California law mandated a sentence of 25 to life for the murder charge, he gave Ruvalcaba some leeway on the gun enhancemnet charge due to his age. "In all honesty, I cannot see that a consecutive 25-to-life would serve the interests of justice in this case," said the judge. Ruvalcaba will also receive credit for 2,227 days served. Glenn County District Attorney officials said Ruvalcaba drove to the home of Esquivel-Flores in Nord on July 4, 2015, and brought her back to his shop in Artois while she was wearing only a bra and underwear. After having sex with her, Ruvalcaba is believed to have shot the victim in the face with a shotgun. At the time of the investigation, deputies learned Esquivel-Flores had last been seen by her father at their residence in the late evening of July 3 during a gathering that Ruvalcaba also attended. Esquivel-Flores was found dead on July 4 in a shop at 3619 County Road D near County Road 28 southwest of Orland by her father around 1:14 p.m. Ruvalcaba, who was reported to have been a close friend of the girl's family, was confirmed to be associated with the shop where the teen was found. "The girl's father had been looking everywhere for his daughter," said Detective Greg Felton in 2016. "He stopped at the shop when he saw (Alfredo) Ruvalcaba's truck parked at the shop." Story continues The next day, Ruvalcaba was found lying in a roadside ditch just one mile from where the body of Esquivel-Flores had been found. The Glenn County Sheriff's Office said Ruvalcaba was suffering from an undisclosed medical condition. He was arrested on an arrest warrant out of the Chico Police Department and transported to a medical facility for treatment. In his jail booking photograph, his face had cuts and contusions. Felton said Ruvalcaba's truck was found at the 3619 County Road shop where the Chico teen's body was found and detectives also recovered the shotgun believed to be the weapon used in the girl's death. In January 2016, Glenn County Sheriff's detectives, in cooperation with the Glenn County District Attorney's Office, obtained an arrest warrant for Ruvalcaba, charging him with suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sodomy, along with special allegations of use of a firearm in commission of a felony, including murder, sodomy and kidnapping. During his testimony, Ruvalcaba said Esquivel-Flores willingly came with him to his shop the evening of July 3, 2015, and said they "made love" on a bed in the office. After going outside to urinate, Ruvalcaba said he returned to find Esquivel-Flores looking down the barrel of a shotgun, with her foot near the trigger. "It was very quick the shot went off," said Ruvalcaba. "I had no time to do anything." Ruvalcaba said he then attempted to kill himself with the same shotgun but missed and grazed his lip with the bullet. He then took 40 anti-anxiety pills, drank some beer and a bottle of tequila and walked out into an orchard. Prior to her death, Ruvalcaba was also accused of sexually abusing Esquivel-Flores when she was 12 and 13 years old. He was arrested in Butte County in January 2013 on the sexual abuse charges but posted $1 million bail and fled to Mexico. Butte County officials were unsuccessful in having him extradited, and it is unknown when he returned to the U.S. Ruvalcaba faced the possibility of life without the possibility of parole. The original charges filed in the case included first-degree murder and sodomy of a minor, for which the district attorney planned to seek the death penalty but the DA's office decided to drop capital punishment in 2016 in favor of pursuing life in prison without the possibility of parole due to a lack of evidence for one of the charges. Ruvalcaba's attorney, Jesse Santana, said he will be appealing the murder verdict. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Attorneys for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert argued in a Kentucky court Thursday that a 90-day suspension imposed by the state's racing commission would essentially end his career. Baffert is asking a judge to delay the suspension for a failed postrace drug test by Medina Spirit that led to his disqualification as last year's Kentucky Derby winner. Baffert's attorneys argued the suspension should not be imposed until he has had a chance for an appeal hearing with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. That hearing is scheduled for April 18. Baffert was not in the courtroom Thursday. If he's forced to serve his suspension now he's never going to get those days back if he wins on appeal, Baffert's attorney, Craig Robertson said Thursday. We're talking 90 days that would take place over the entirety of the Triple Crown of horse racing, which includes the Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes run in May and June. Robertson said the suspension would ban Baffert from racing anywhere and force him to dismantle his business. Baffert is also suing Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, in federal court to challenge a two-year suspension from the Louisville track. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate said he would issue a ruling Monday on the request to delay Baffert's suspension. Wingate said whatever his decision is, it would be certainly end up in the state Court of Appeals. Lawyers for the horse racing commission on Thursday called Baffert's conduct unprecedented and said he had four medication violations in a year's time, including two in Arkansas where Baffert paid a $10,000 fine. He went on a spree" of violations, attorney Jennifer Wolsing said. Baffert presents an elevated risk of re-offense. Baffert has argued that the steroid in Medina Spirit came from a topical ointment, rather than an injection, which is banned. But horse racing officials said in court Thursday that no matter the source, the corticosteroid betamethasone was found in the horse's system on race day, which is not allowed. Story continues The horse racing commission denied a request from Baffert to delay his suspension earlier this month. The suspension was set to begin on March 8 but that was delayed pending Judge Wingates decision. In February, racing commission stewards suspended Baffert for 90 days with a $7,500 fine and disqualified Medina Spirit for having the corticosteroid betamethasone in his system last May. Medina Spirit died in December from what Baffert said was a heart attack following a workout. A necropsy revealed no definitive cause for his death. BEAVER A large number of downtown Beaver businesses will donate portions of sales proceeds Saturday to humanitarian efforts in war-torn Ukraine. Emmanuel Panagiotakis, owner of Emmanuel Fine Art Photography at 605 Third St., is spearheading the effort, with money to be donated to a relief fund organized by SS. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Church in Ambridge. Panagiotakis, a native of Greece, already donated $1,666 from a raffle he conducted for some of his framed photos. His photo gallery will donate 20 percent of sales Saturday. Participating retailers will offer their own designated percentage of sales to the Ukrainian relief fund coordinated by SS. Peter and Pauls church, where the bishop of the diocese will transfer the funds to a bishop and diocese in Poland along the Ukrainian border to help buy food and clothes for refugees crossing the border. Participating businesses include Sangha Center Yoga, Beavetown, Courtney Laughlin Frame Studio & Gallery, Kathleen's, Boutique No. 443, Cirelli's Fine Jewelry, Two Rivers Olive Oil Co., Sieger's Jewelers, Miller's Shoes, Castletoys and Games, Shirley Shoppe, The Hostess Gift Shoppe, Allan Jewelers, Wildwood Boutique, Don's Deli, Crave Mexican Grill, Fischer Hardware Co. and Mario's Woodfired Pizza. Others might join in. Look for a Stand With Ukraine sticker. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver businesses to raise money for Ukraine residents Intuition Ale Works plans to release a new craft beer Hey Putin, Go F--- Yourself! a Belgian-style Tripel, to raise money for humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. At least one other Jacksonville bar and restaurant is reaching out to help Ukrainian residents. Intuition Ale Works, 929 E. Bay St., is brewing a special craft beer to raise money for humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. Named "Hey, Putin, Go F--- Yourself", the brew is a Belgian-style Tripel that will be released in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans and will be available in early April at the brewery's downtown taproom, the craft brewer said in a Facebook post on Monday. The fundraising initiative is part of the international "Brew for Ukraine" project launched by Pravda Brewery in Lviv, Ukraine. Restaurant news for you: Sign up for our weekly Dining Notes newsletter Coming soon: More than 25 restaurants are in the works for Jacksonville in 2022. Here's a list. Proceeds from Intuition's new beer will be donated to nonprofits and will provide immediate aid and recovery, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance to those affected by this conflict prioritizing the most vulnerable during the humanitarian crisis, Intuition posted. To donate or for more information: www.brewforukraine.beer. Times-Union writer Gary T. Mills contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville's Intuition Ale Works crafts new brew to help Ukraine Jon Civils, the man accused of killing his dog by starvation, faces 39 months in prison after his first appearance in Craven County court on Thursday. Civils, 29, of New Bern was arrested on Mar. 16 after a Craven County Sheriff's Office investigation revealed a dog named "Sugar" had nothing on her stomach but a plastic bag and pieces of hard plastic, according to law officials. Officials said she was also found covered in her own feces and urine. Previous reporting: New Bern man arrested, charged with starving his dog to death Augustus Willis, a Craven County assistant district attorney, said the investigation discovered Civils was the animal's sole carrier from Feb. 9 until the day of the dog's death, Mar. 14. During that period, he is believed to have neglected Sugar in her crate and witnessed her slowly "shrivel" until she weighed half of her normal body weight, 25 pounds, said Willis in district criminal court. Based on the alleged animal cruelty revealed in the investigation, Willis requested to increase Civils' bond from $10,000 to no less than $50,000. Craven County's Judge David McFadyen granted his request and Civils bond is now set at $75,000 under the condition that if he was to be released, Civils is not to be in possession of any animal during the pendency of the case. The investigation is still ongoing. Civils was appointed a court attorney and is to be in back in Craven County court on April 6. Reporter Symone Graham covers local public safety for the Sun Journal. Have a story tip or idea? Send it her way at sgraham@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: New Bern man makes first court appearance in animal abuse case The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday it will intensify its crackdown on illegal practices like companies offering online linksclickbaitthat trick users into downloading malicious apps, as part of its broader efforts to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests. The comments came after China Media Group's annual consumer rights gala on Tuesday to celebrate the annual World Consumer Rights Day exposed a string of online services and electronic products that infringe on consumers' legitimate rights and interests. The ministry said three apps that were found to have deceived users into downloading malicious apps in the name of offering free Wi-Fi services, have been punished: all online app stores have been asked to remove the three apps, including the one whose name roughly translates as a Wi-Fi cracking wizard. The top industry regulator said the companies concerned will be punished in accordance with laws and regulations, and it will also arrange third-party testing agencies to conduct comprehensive technical testing of all Wi-Fi connection apps, and deal with any problems found. When it comes to companies such as Ma'anshan Baizhu Network Technology Co Ltd that were found triggering consumers into downloading bundled apps, relevant provincial communications administrations will conduct deeper investigations into the problems and punish them in accordance with laws and regulations, the ministry said. Chinese IT information website Zol.com said on Wednesday it has immediately ceased its cooperation with Ma'anshan Baizhu Network Technology Co Ltd, and has closed its platform for software downloads. Ma'anshan Baizhu Network Technology Co Ltd was not immediately available for comment. According to the ministry, more efforts will also be made to ensure the security features of smartwatches tailor-made for children. It will strengthen technical testing, supervision and inspection of children's mobile smart devices. If the devices fail to meet safety standards, the firms concerned will be punished in accordance with laws and regulations. Migrants cross the Rio Bravo in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to surrender to US authorities in El Paso, Texas, to seek political asylum in the US, May 13, 2021. David Peinado/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Biden administration is preparing for a potential influx of migrants from Mexico at the Southern border. Axios reported on Thursday that a potential influx could top 170,000 people. A Trump-era COVID-19 policy, which is being rolled back, had initially halted the entry of migrants seeking asylum. The Biden administration is preparing for a potential flood of migrants from Mexico once the Trump-era COVID-19 protocols at the southern border come to an end. According to an Axios report on Thursday, Biden officials are preparing for an influx of migrants at the Mexico border that could top 170,000 people if a policy, known as Title 42, is nixed. Title 42, which began under Trump in May 2020, has allowed the US government to cite public health concerns due to the pandemic as a rationale to deny entry to migrants seeking asylum. Progressives have criticized the policy, which has been challenged in federal court. Earlier in March, a federal appeals court in Washington, DC ruled that the US could continue to apply the policy, but with limited use. On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention terminated Title 42 "with respect to unaccompanied noncitizen children." CNN, however, reported that the Biden administration had partially pulled back the order. According to figures from US Customs and Border Protection, there were nearly 155,000 encounters with migrants along the US-Mexico border. That figure increased in February to nearly 165,000. According to the latest CDC data, the US is averaging just over 30,000 daily new COVID-19 cases, down from a peak of over 800,000 in mid-January. This story is developing. Please check back for updates. Read the original article on Business Insider (Reuters) - Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has confirmed in an undertaking to the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) that it would stop opening new accounts for users in the Canadian province, the regulator said on Thursday. The dispute between Binance and OSC started in June last year, when the exchange announced its decision to quit Ontario after a regulatory crackdown on crypto exchanges in the province for allegedly failing to meet securities laws. However, in December, Binance notified investors that it was allowed to continue its operations in Ontario while still being unregistered in the province, the OSC said. In the undertaking, Binance also made a slew of other commitments, including halting trading in existing Ontario accounts, with certain exceptions that the company said were necessary "to protect investors". The crypto exchange also offered to provide fee waivers and reimbursements to certain Ontario users, and said it would hire an independent third party to oversee the implementation of its commitments. While Binance's business boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with retail and institutional investors alike warming to crypto, the company has come under heavy fire from regulators around the world. The crypto giant also withheld information and kept weak money-laundering checks even as it said it welcomed government oversight, Reuters reported earlier. (Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in a joint press availability with Fiji acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyumduring Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday confirmed that a U.S. citizen was killed in Ukraine. CNN reported that the citizen was identified as James Whitney Hill, 67, who was born in Minnesota. The outlet cited Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's Interior Minister. Blinken said during a briefing that he had no further details about the incident yet. The Pentagon would not confirm the death, while the State Department told The Hill no more details could be shared at this time. Police in the Ukrainian region of Chernihiv said in a Facebook post that an American was among the people killed by a heavy artillery attack but did not detail where in the city the attack occurred. Chernihiv, located in the northeast of Kyiv, has been under heavy bombardment from Russian forces, with its governor estimating that 53 people were brought to morgues in the past 24 hours, The Associated Press reported. The news follows the death of U.S. journalist Brent Renaud, an independent filmmaker who had previously contributed to The New York Times. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, launching a full-scale assault that has faced stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces heading into the fourth week of the campaign. The U.S. has said it will not put troops on the grounds and has resisted calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine over fears it could spark a larger conflict with Russia. The Department of State issued "do not travel" advisories to U.S. citizens for Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Laura Kelly and Ellen Mitchell contributed. Updated at 6:49 p.m. By Simon Lewis and Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he agrees with President Joe Biden that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine and U.S. experts were gathering evidence to prove it. Biden told reporters a day earlier that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was a "war criminal" but the White House later said no formal determination had been made on potential violations of international law since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. "Personally, I agree," Blinken said in a news conference at the State Department. "Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime," Blinken said, adding that he finds it "difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise" after the destruction over the past few weeks. The Kremlin called Biden's comment "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric." Moscow says it is conducting a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" its neighbor and has rejected claims of targeting civilians. Blinken recounted recent incidents of Russia bombing hospitals, schools and a theater where civilians were sheltering, and said they were part of "a long list of attacks on civilian, not military, locations across Ukraine." Washington's new Ambassador at Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, would lead State Department efforts aimed at "documenting and evaluating potential war crimes being committed in Ukraine," Blinken said. "We'll make sure that our findings help international efforts to investigate war crimes and hold those responsible accountable," Blinken said. The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, visited Ukraine and neighboring Poland this week after the court opened an investigation into possible war crimes in the conflict earlier this month. (Reporting by Simon Lewis and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio) Olga Smirnova dancing in "The Nutcracker" in 2015. Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images Star ballerina Olga Smirnova has left Moscow's renowned Bolshoi Ballet, after speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "We cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe," Smirnova wrote on the Telegram messaging platform last week, adding, "I never thought I would be ashamed of Russia." The Dutch National Ballet announced on Wednesday that Smirnova has joined the company, and the team is "thrilled and energized," Artistic Director Ted Brandsen told The Washington Post. "She's a beautiful artist and a beautiful person. There's something really magical about her; she dances with her entire soul. So to have her join our company is wonderful even though the situation behind it is so tragic and so awful." In addition to Smirnova, Brandsen said the Dutch National Ballet has also hired the Brazilian dancer Victor Caixeta, who left the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg in protest of the invasion, and three Ukrainian ballerinas. The company is quickly trying to raise money to bring on more dancers from Ukraine, he said, adding, "Everyone in the whole ballet world is trying to do what they can." You may also like Russian state propagandists laugh at new 'correspondent' Tucker Carlson in Colbert sendup GOP senator says a war between NATO and Russia 'would end pretty quickly' The Senate just voted to abolish Standard Time and make Daylight Saving Time permanent A young man who spent his final days afraid for his life was fatally shot in a van outside the Bronx, riddled with bullets after pulling a knife on his attacker, police and family said Thursday. Both the victim and shooter were inside the van with others when it pulled up to E. 172nd St. and Harrod Ave. while a quarrel broke out between them just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, cops said. When 18-year-old Dellin Scarlett flashed a knife his rival shot him and kept pulling the trigger, shooting him in the chest, shoulder, abdomen and both arms and legs, cops said. Police sources said investigators believe the shooting was gang-related. He had problems with people in the street. Hed stopped going to school. He had to run for his life, said his brother, Dean Scarlett, 24. He said his friends were changing, and he wasnt going to be chilling with them anymore. But now its too late. His brother, who works as a security car and a for-hire livery driver, came upon the crime scene, which was close to their home, but didnt know at first his brother had been mortally wounded as he tried to navigate around it. He figured out what happened after he got out his car and went into a nearby bodega, where he overheard police officers talking about the killing. He was defending himself. Hes not that kind of guy. Hes not a provoker, his brother said. The teen was a junior at Lehman High School, but hed been skipping class to stay clear of danger, his brother said. People streamed in and out of the teens home with flowers, consoling his grief-stricken family Wednesday night. He was one of three brothers and three sisters, Dean Scarlett said. We had fun when Id take him to my place, said his brother, who lives in Manhattan. Its the first loss my family has ever had of someone close to us. Cops have made no arrests in the killing. He had a good spirit. Were heartbroken, his brother said. We demand justice be served. In the face of a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, China's Ministry of Education has launched a variety of arrangements to maintain the provision of education at various levels while ensuring effective epidemic containment, placing increased emphasis on mental health. At a recent video conference on epidemic control and prevention, the ministry stressed the importance of paying more attention to the mental health of teachers and students and providing them with timely psychological assistance. The ministry called for the monitoring of the health of school staff, students and their family members, improving response mechanisms against the epidemic, and enhancing the coordination between school and home. The ministry also said that the online platform, developed and rolled out by the ministry following the outbreak of the epidemic, that allows students in primary and middle schools to study at home, has recorded 6.9 billion views and has recently been enriched with new resources, including after-class service and family education. As the country enters the second phase of graduate-school enrollment, the ministry has asked universities to take into consideration the local COVID-19 situations, and to put the health of staff and students first when making plans for examinations and interviews. Bob Rae, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations speaks at the General Assembly 58th plenary meeting in New York on February 23, 2022, on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Canada's Mission to the United Nations trolled a Russian diplomat by making edits to his letter. The letter denounced a proposed resolution against Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine. A Russian diplomat then snapped at Canada on Twitter, quipping that the country isn't on the Security Council. Canada's Mission to the United Nations on Thursday trolled a Russian diplomat by marking up the diplomat's letter denouncing a UN resolution condemning attacks on civilians by Russian troops in Ukraine. The letter, written by Russia's UN representative Vassily Nebenzia, urged member states to ignore a proposed humanitarian resolution in regards to Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, and accept its own draft resolution. Canada's UN representative decided, however, to post copies of the letter to Twitter, and made edits in red ink. In the edited letter, Canada slammed Russia for being the "primary cause" of war in Ukraine, "bombing schools and hospitals," violating international law, and more. "Thank you [Russia] for your letter dated March 16. Please see our suggested edits below," Canada tweeted, including a copy of the letter with the edits. Canada Mission UN #StandWithUkraine (@CanadaUN) March 17, 2022 "We want you to know just how little we care about the human life that we have destroyed in Ukraine, and how much disdain we have for you, the membership of the UN, and for this entire institution," Canada said at the end of the letter, mocking Russia for its ongoing bombardment of civilians across Ukraine. Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's deputy permanent representative to the UN, lashed out at Canada on Twitter and made fun of the country for not being on the Security Council for over two decades. "Thank you [Canada] for this kindergarten-level Russophobic libel!" Polyanskiy wrote. "It only shows that your diplomatic skills and good manners are at lowest ebb and gives an idea why your country's bid for a non-permanent seat in #SecurityCouncil was voted down twice in 20yrs by UN membership." Story continues He then added a thumbs-down emoji to conclude the tweet. Canada's last time as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council was in 2000. This story is developing. Please check back for updates. Read the original article on Business Insider (Reuters) -Canadian Pacific Railway will lock out its employees in 72 hours if there is no agreement with a union, the company said on Wednesday, a move that would potentially disrupt the movement of grain, potash and coal at a time of soaring commodity prices. CP has commenced work stoppage contingency plans and will gradually work to wind down its Canadian operations, unless the parties come to a negotiated settlement or agree to binding arbitration, the company said. The company said it had tabled an offer to address issues of wages, benefits and pensions but it was rejected by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) union on Wednesday. "Delaying resolution would only make things worse. We take this action with a view to bringing this uncertainty to an end," CP's chief executive officer, Keith Creel, said. The union confirmed that it had been served with a lockout notice from Canadian Pacific and said, "At the bargaining table, CP continues to dismiss our members' demands and are unwilling to negotiate the issues they have created." TCRC is willing to remain at the bargaining table until the lockout deadline on March 20 and beyond to reach a negotiated settlement, it said in a statement. Canada, Russia and Belarus are among the main sources for the world's potash, a key input required for producing nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Concerns about fertilizer supplies have peaked since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and sanction on Belarus. Canadian federal mediators are assisting the two sides in talks and the government is encouraging both parties to consider making the compromises necessary to reach a fair deal, Minister of Labour Seamus O'Regan Jr said in a statement. The Canadian government can seek to pass legislation that will order workers back to their jobs if they strike. (Reporting by Radhika Anilkumar and Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) By Rod Nickel (Reuters) - Days ahead of a possible shutdown of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd due to a labor dispute, manufacturers are rushing to move autos and chemicals, Nutrien Ltd is pre-positioning fertilizer in the United States, and grain handlers are asking farmers to hold off on crop deliveries. CP, Canada's second-biggest railroad, notified the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference on Wednesday that it will lock out 3,000 engineers, conductors and yard workers early on Sunday, barring a bargaining breakthrough. CP says the main issue is the union's demand for higher pension caps, while the Teamsters also flag concerns about pay and benefits. Shippers say there are no significant workaround solutions in a vast country that depends primarily on two railroads to haul freight, and already has a trucker shortage. The vessel lineup in Vancouver, Canada's biggest port, is 20% larger than it was before severe British Columbia floods late last year, said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp, a company that monitors Prairie grain handling and transportation for the Canadian government. Russia's war with Ukraine has hiked demand for grain and fertilizer, two of CP's main commodities. "The circumstances are far more dire than ever before for any kind of railway work stoppage," Hemmes said. "I could not conceive of a worse time." Nutrien could weather a CP shutdown lasting a few days, since it has moved potash from its Canadian mines to U.S. stores ahead of spring planting, said interim Chief Executive Ken Seitz. A longer shutdown, however, would force Nutrien to consider slowing potash production, Seitz said, even as the company wants to boost output to satisfy soaring global demand. "We find this situation particularly frustrating, given the need for crop nutrients in the world," he said. "If (the shutdown) is measured beyond days, we could find ourselves in a situation where we have to throttle back production." Story continues The manufacturing sector, still recovering from U.S. border crossing shutdowns by protests, is desperately trying to find alternative ways to move everything from cars to chemicals and machinery for the oil and gas sector before any rail shutdown starts, said Dennis Darby, CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters industry group. Manufacturers and food processors are likely to slow production if CP shuts down next week, because most operate with little inventory space, Darby said. The last major railway labor disruption was an eight-day Canadian National Railway Co strike in 2019. But in the past 12 years, there have been 12 stoppages due to poor weather, blockades or labor issues, according to the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association. Grain handlers are slowing farmer deliveries of crops to their storage facilities for fear that there will be too few trains to haul them, said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, whose members include Cargill Ltd and Richardson International. Switching to trucks is suitable mainly for short distances, Sobkowich said. There is little opportunity to make greater use of CN Rail with its grain transport having fallen behind in recent months, he said. Asked if CP managers could operate some trains themselves, a company spokesperson said the railway would not be able to run during a lockout. (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Chicago; Editing by Marguerita Choy) WWLTV YouTube A white Catholic high school student in Louisiana was arrested and charged this week after he was caught on video attacking a Black classmate by throwing cotton at him and then whipping him with a belt, authorities said. The Terrebonne Parish Sheriffs Office said Tuesday that the ninth-grade student from Vandebilt Catholic High School has been arrested for simple battery and a hate crime and taken to the Terrebonne Parish Juvenile Justice Center. The 15-year-old has yet to be identified. A video of the teen attacking the other student went viral last week. In footage provided to WWL-TV, a white male student walks over to a Black classmate sitting at a table in a crowded Vandebilt lunchroom. The white student throws cotton at the Black student, then repeatedly whips the Black student with a belt. We cant sweep this under the rug, Vandebilt alumnus P.J. Allridge, who is a friend of the victims family, told WWLT. Terrebonne Parish Sheriffs Office said on Facebook last week that the incident appeared to be racially motivated, and took place during school hours. Good! About time someone sets the example, Facebook user Jackie Outhouse wrote in response to the post. No human being should ever be treated in the manner this young boy was treated, Carey Clement Redmond said. A 9th grade student KNOWS better than to act like that. He deserves his consequences. Under no circumstance should this be tolerated. Schools Superintendent Apologizes as Parents Slam Horrifying Slave Auction The sheriffs statement added that the victims parents met with detectives as part of the investigation. The parents of the victim also met with the schools administration and they are diligently assisting the parents with addressing this non-acceptable episode, the sheriff added. The victims family shared a statement with WWLT, saying they hope the incident will serve as a lesson to others. We will continue to pray for our school community as a whole, that we not only get through this together, but that we each learn a valuable lesson from what has taken place, the victims family said. Story continues Vandebilt Catholic High School is a private school in Houma, Louisiana. The institution, which requires applicants to submit to interviews before theyre accepted, says its mission is committed to spiritual formation and academic excellence in an environment rooted in Catholic values and in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The school mostly serves Catholic students of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and is the only Catholic school in Terrebonne Parish. Vandebilt Catholic High School did not immediately respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. (This March 17 story corrects to show Xi's comment came from a meeting of the standing committee of the Politburo, not the Politburo meeting, paragraph 5-6) BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country to take more effective COVID-19 measures and minimise the impact of the epidemic on economic development, state television said on Thursday, as the country battles a new wave of infections. China is fighting its biggest wave of locally transmitted COVID cases since it contained the initial outbreak centred on Wuhan in 2020. Even as much of the world has relaxed or ended coronavirus restrictions, millions of people in northeastern China are under lockdown and authorities have imposed restrictions on business activities and cargo transport in major cities such as Shenzhen. More than two dozen regions have reported infections in the past few weeks, despite a tiny caseload by global standards, putting pressure on China's "dynamic-clearance" policy that aims to curb flare-ups quickly as they arise. China should curb the momentum of the virus spread as soon as possible while sticking to the "dynamic-clearance" policy, Xi told a meeting of the standing committee of the Politburo, the ruling Communist Party's top decision-making body. Officials in areas with serious outbreaks should treat COVID control work as their top priority, and those whose dereliction of duty caused the outbreak to get out of control must be held accountable, state television reported, citing the meeting of Politburo's standing committee. (Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Frances Kerry) BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that it firmly rejects U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken's comment that China's unwillingness to condemn Russia is inconsistent with China's position on the U.N. charter. China always believes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states should be upheld, said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, at a regular press conference. In an interview https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1086835380 with NPR on Wednesday, Blinken said the fact that China "has not stood strongly against" Russia's aggression in Ukraine flies in the face of China's commitments as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council responsible for maintaining peace and security. "It's totally inconsistent with what China says and repeats over and over again about the sanctity of the United Nations charter and the basic principles, including the sovereignty of nations," Blinken said. (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) President Xi Jinping of China appears on a screen during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Olympics on Feb. 4 Credit - Gabriela BhaskarThe New York Times/Redux Jake Sullivan looks flushed and his jaw is clenched. Across from President Joe Bidens National Security Adviser, over a row of ferns at a matching table draped in blue cloth, sits Chinas senior foreign affairs official Yang Jiechi, his mouth frozen in a sanguine smile. The official photograph released by Chinas state-run news agency of the two men sitting face to face on March 14 in Rome is a snapshot of how Beijing wants to be seen at this moment as Chinas sometime ally Russia continues its deadly invasion of Ukraine: as a confident, emerging power facing a frustrated and worried United States. The reality is more complicated. Russias President Vladimir Putin is hoping Chinas leader Xi Jinping will see Russias invasion of Ukraine as another step forward for the two countries broader effort to push back against the worlds democracies. Russia is courting Chinas support of its assault on Ukraine and hopes China will prop up Moscows faltering economy battered by sanctions. But if China further backs Russias aggression with significant monetary help oreven more unsettlingweapons, the blowback from the U.S. and European countries could threaten Chinas long-term effort to rise as the dominant global power. What China decides to do about Russias needs could mark a turning point in both the war in Ukraine and U.S.-China relations, and the outcome of Chinas choice will define what a new global order looks like. Will China continue to try to reshape the current global economy in its image by participating in it? Or will China join Russia behind a new Iron Curtain of sanctions, cut off from the U.S. and Europe and left to navigate a new monetary system and trading framework? Yang Jiechi, left, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, right in Rome on March 14 Jin MamengniXinhua/Alamy This is really a crucial moment and potentially a turning point, says Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. They really are siding with the Russians. They are more closely aligned with the Russians than theyve ever been. Story continues China and Russia have occasionally had a strained relationship over the past several decades. Moscow and Beijing fought a border war in 1969 along the edge of Chinas northeast territory, and the two countries have never developed strong person-to-person ties across their shared 2,500 miles of border. As China has risen in global influence, Russias leadership have resented the prospect of becoming a client state of Beijing. But Chinas leaders are now leaning toward Moscow much more heavily than they did when trying to appear neutral following Putins seizure of Crimea in 2014. When Xi and Putin met at the opening of the Beijing Olympics on Feb. 4, the two agreed their countries relationship would have no limits and no wavering, according to a Chinese government description of the meeting. That was two weeks before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. This has presented the Biden Administration with a delicate and growing challenge in how to talk to China about its assistance to Russia. The seven hours of talks between Sullivan and Yang inside the Rome Cavalieri hotel were intense and reflecting the gravity of the moment, a senior Administration official said, adding that the two officials had an extensive conversation about Russias war in Ukraine. Sullivan made it clear that the U.S. and European allies would consider cutting off Chinese financial institutions involved in backing Russias war financially, said a person familiar with the discussions. Broadly, Xi Jinping has calculated that the U.S. is in decline and Western democracies have failed, Glaser says, and that Russia is one ally that can work alongside China to create a different international system thats more favorable. But with Russias violent effort to take Ukraine, that assessment comes with considerable risk for China. If Russia emerges weaker from its war in Ukraine, and China backed it, China could suffer major economic backlash. China relies heavily on its trading relationships with European countries and has worked hard to prevent Europe from restricting trade. That would be huge, if China ends up with a vast amount of countries around the world that are aligned against it because it has sided with Russia, Glaser says. Convincing European powers to punish China could be a tall order for President Biden, whos had to work hard to convince Europe to limit its financial and energy ties to Russia. Biden is set to travel to Europe next week to meet with NATO allies, and Chinas degree of support for Russia will surely come up in those meetings. U.S. officials want to prepare allies for how to respond if China begins contributing more financially or militarily to Russia. Meanwhile, Xi showed the importance he puts on keeping lines of communication open with European powers when he joined a video call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on March 8 to talk about the war in Ukraine. This moment has put on a collision course two competing objectives of Chinas foreign policy, says David Shullman, a former senior U.S. intelligence analyst on East Asia. China wants Russia to be its partner in building a new global order, but it also wants to be viewed as a responsible power that can someday lead the current one, or at least be at the center of a new system of global governance and connectivity, Shullman says. If China provides Russia with drones, surface to air missiles, or other weapons, It would very clearly demonstrate that we have a break in what we expected out of the world order, Shullman says. It would be clear that China had very firmly sided with Russia against the democratic world and against developed democracies. By Josh Horwitz and Martin Quin Pollard SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - To keep factory lines open in the face of COVID curbs Chinese firms are asking workers to eat, sleep and work in bubbles isolated from the wider world, sterilising premises as often as three times a day and testing for COVID daily. Dubbed "closed-loop management", this approach has been part of China's efforts over the past two years to keep local transmission extremely low by global standards. It was used for example at the Winter Olympics in Beijing to seal event personnel off from the public. It is now being touted by local Chinese authorities as a solution for companies who want to stay open as the country tackles its biggest outbreak in two years. Many of the harshest curbs have been applied in manufacturing hubs such as Shenzhen, Dongguan and Changchun, forcing numerous factories to shut. Apple supplier Foxconn said it was able to restart some production at its campus in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen after it put such an arrangement in place. State media outlet Securities Times said on Thursday that television maker TCL Corp, chip fab Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, and Apple supplier Shenzhen Deren Electronic Co Ltd were keeping factories in affected areas open via closed loop systems. The companies did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla is planning a similar arrangement for its Shanghai factory, Reuters reported on Wednesday. On Thursday, Shenzhen, which has suspended buses, subways and all non-essential economic activity in a week-long containment programme, said it will allow firms to resume work in an "orderly" manner. TOUGH REQUIREMENTS Creating such bubbles, however is not easy. Foxconn said it could only apply the bubble on campuses that included both employee housing and production facilities. Jin Yong, a factory worker in Shenzhen, told Reuters he had not stepped out of the electronics plant where he works since late February, when they started operating a "closed-loop" system for more than 2,000 workers. Story continues While it was slightly depressing to not be able to leave for a walk, he said he felt that it was a good approach to battle COVID. "We have to take a COVID test every day. And every day we have to maintain a special code showing that weve been tested within 24 hours," he said, describing the factory site as self-sufficient with a barber shop, canteen and fruit shop. The workers live in dormitories. Companies also need to strictly follow government guidelines for how to manage staff inside the bubble. A notice from the Dongguan city government on Tuesday said firms had to control the flow of people on their sites to prevent large groups from gathering and to stop people from dining in the canteens. One industrial zone in Dongguan went a step further by telling firms that they needed to cap the number of workers per 100 square metres at 10 people and sterilize factory floors, elevators and canteens at least three times a day. But few factories will be able to meet such requirements, said Shenzhen-based Renaud Anjoran, CEO of quality control firm Sofeast Ltd, estimating that only hundreds out of the tens of thousands of factories in Shenzhen would have the resources to conduct closed-loop management. He was not optimistic, for example, for small plants like his own of about 150 workers that was asked to suspend work on Wednesday evening. He worries losses could amount to "millions of yuan" if production stops for more than two weeks. "At least in 2020 some of the down time was during Chinese New Year, and we were forced to delay the re-opening a bit. This 2022 lockdown is much, much worse for manufacturers." (Reporting by Josh Horwitz and Martin Pollard; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee in Taipei; editing by Brenda Goh and Jason Neely) A 24-year-old was killed in a Target parking lot in Oakley Thursday, police said. The shooting caused shoppers to cower in the store fearing an active shooter. However, Alias Phillips was targeted by the suspect who shot him, according to Teresa Theetge, Cincinnati's interim police chief. As of Friday at noon, police had not announced any arrests in the killing. According to police communications, police are searching for two men armed with semi-automatic handguns with extended magazines in connection with the shooting. Police said the suspect or suspects fled the scene, and they were searching for a gray sedan. Police responded to the Oakley Station shopping center around 1 p.m. and found Phillips suffering from gunshot wounds, police reported. He was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he died. Cincinnati Police respond to a shooting that left one man dead, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at the Target parking lot in Oakley. Theetge said the SWAT team was called to the scene to secure the Target store. She said no customers or other bystanders were injured in the shooting. Jazmine Williams, 23, of North College Hill, said she was in the Target's electronics section when she saw people "darting" toward her. Though she didn't hear any gunshots, an employee told her to run because there was a shooter, Williams said. "It happened very, very fast," Williams said, adding that she and other people inside the store fled the building for the neighboring Chick-fil-A. "It was really scary for me, yes, because I've never been in a situation like this before," she said. Mayor Aftab Pureval speaks to members of the media as police investigate a shooting that left one man dead, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at the Target parking lot in Oakley. Police also responded to the nearby Esporta gym, Theetge said. Mark Johnson was working out at the Esporta gym prior to the police response. He said there was a loud dispute at the front desk, a man was shouting surrounded by a crowd of people. "Everybody stopped what they were doing," he said. "No one was working out because they were so loud." When Johnson left the gym, there were multiple police officers inside, he said. Story continues Investigators have not said if this dispute is related to the shooting. According to Cincinnati police data, there has not been a fatal shooting in Oakley since 2013. In the past five years, there have been five non-fatal shootings in the neighborhood, the data says, three of which were in 2021. Anyone with information about the shooting is being asked to call the Cincinnati Police Department's homicide unit at 513-352-3542 or CrimeStoppers at 513-352-3040. Tips can be left anonymously. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati police identify victim of Target shooting at Oakely Station China has established around 570,000 public legal service centers at all levels, covering legal consulting, legal aid, and mediation, among other services, said the Ministry of Justice. In 2021, volunteer lawyers with a national volunteer campaign on legal aid handled more than 5,000 legal assistance cases, accepted over 74,800 legal consulting requests, and delivered 1,010 lectures promoting the rule of law. They also helped resolve over 1,400 disputes, data from the ministry showed. Efforts also enhanced the quality and efficiency of public legal services, with more than 2,000 operators in place for the national public legal service hotline. National and provincial-level websites for legal services were also set up, according to the ministry. Since the law on legal aid went into effect on Jan. 1, legal assistance agencies nationwide have been earnestly implementing the law as procedures were streamlined for people in difficulties to get easier access to legal assistance. A few weeks ago, I wrote a column suggesting that homeless families move into the empty governor's mansion in Sacramento. I wondered what others would think of the idea, so I attached a survey to the story, and oh, readers, you were not shy in your opinions. Plenty of you thought it was a terrible idea, but it was the ones who didn't who surprised me the most. Two responses stood out. The grandson of former California Gov. Goodwin "Goodie" Knight, Jonathan Weedman, was unequivocally in favor of repurposing a house that has "special meaning" for his family. "Hell, yes," said Weedman. "Turn the mansion into a facility that can help." Weedman's parents, Carolyn Knight and Charles Weedman, were married in the mansion in the summer of 1955, slicing through a six-tiered cake and walking down a white runner laid across the mansion's ornate carpets. They divorced about 12 years later. Carolyn was beautiful, loving, caring and progressive. But she was also a "very fragile soul" who suffered from untreated mental illness, Jonathan Weedman said. She died by suicide when Weedman was 10 years old and she was 36, a few years after the divorce, the defining event of his life and one that set him on a path of working for nonprofits in a bid to help others. Goodie Knight, who was governor from late 1953 to 1959, discovered his daughter's body in her garage a day after she died, and Weedman said his grandfather never recovered. Two months later, Knight died of a stroke. Weedman said that for a long time, his family didn't talk about his mom's death openly, but they ultimately decided speaking out could help others with mental illness and serves as an example that brain disease happens to people from all backgrounds. "If it gives anyone pause, a moment of reflection that someone in their world may be suffering its totally worth it," he said. Weedman sees the places where mental illness intersects with homelessness and believes our responses to the dual crises need to be creative. He knows his mom would agree. Story continues "If it's empty, and unused, and uninhabited, what better way to honor my grandfather, grandmother and parents' memories than to take this beautiful old home and turn it into a place that can help the most vulnerable in our society?" he wrote. Of course, there were many people who brought a different outlook. "You have to be out of your damn mind to think housing homeless in the governors mansion is a good idea!" wrote Jackson Brown of Signal Hill (not the singer, who spells his last name with an "e"). "This isn't the Soviet Union where people piled into communal housing. RIP common sense." Michael Peterson of Palm Springs suggested that ideas like mine are what earns California its reputation for craziness. "Nothing says 'your state has failed' better than letting the governor's mansion descend into homeless squalor," Peterson said, adding, "I'm not a NIMBY." Patty Nash of Riverside wondered about my intellect after reading the column. "If you can't figure out the concerns it's because you are STOOOPID," she wrote. "Most of these people are there because of their long term choices." Many voiced concerns like Nash's about the suitability of currently homeless people living in a grand house believing that the majority of those on the streets are mentally ill or addicted to drugs or alcohol, and can't be trusted to properly care for such a home. "Druggie bums would destroy it," predicted Robert Price of Atascadero. In fact, about 40,000 out of California's 160,000 unsheltered people are mentally ill, with about 10% of those having severe mental illness. But those with severe mental illness, or the addictions that often accompany it, are often the most visible and troubling. Some who wrote in have lived experience when it comes to dealing with that 10%, and raised relatable concerns. Sara from Lakewood (who asked that her last name not be used) said that she lived next door to an abandoned building that homeless people took over. "They left giant piles of trash in the yard and caused a rat infestation," she said. "They got into horrific and violent fights in the middle of the night." It all came crashing down, literally, when the building caught on fire, threatening nearby structures. Sara said she believes we need more shelters, but she doesn't want that kind of activity near her kids, and honestly, who does? "The L.A. Times attacks people for not wanting shelters in their neighborhoods, but refuses to acknowledge the reasons why," she wrote. Fair enough. Acknowledged. No one deserves to live in unsafe conditions, and I absolutely agree that those in homeless housing must be good neighbors and that those running housing facilities need to make sure their tenants understand what that looks like. But despite problems with the idea, real and imagined, the majority of the 200-plus people who responded didn't oppose the notion. A few even went all in with me, seeing it as an emblematic comment about the discrimination and stigma homeless people face, a pushback on the sense that "the homeless" are a monolithic bloc too far gone to live among civilized society. (More than one respondent advocated for shipping homeless people to empty spaces, from the Southwest desert to Lancaster.) "It's a cool symbolic gesture which could help a couple of families. Why not?" said Kevin Jensen of Bakersfield. "It would make a powerful statement about our state's commitment to addressing this crisis, as well as being practical," said Larelle Hendon of Santa Ana. "The root cause of NIMBYism is that we do not see homeless people as 'one of us.' We do not see that we are all connected; that suffering by anyone is a problem for us all." Others connected with the idea of more small-scale housing for homeless people, bringing them into communities in single-family houses or other limited settings that can give the dignity of a home while calming neighborhood fears that often accompany larger facilities. "[T]he problem is the thought of a massive, industrialized shelter," said Andrea Bersaglieri of La Mirada. "No one wants that in their neighborhood! If there were one house on each block or in each neighborhood it would be a game changer. We really would all be in this together." Jason Gonzalez, who lives in the Hollywood Hills, agreed with Bersaglieri. "Everyone homeless has a different situation," he wrote. "The chance to fill a special place with a special family or person should not be wasted due to a pompous attitude about the [mansion]." The Old Governor's Mansion State Historic Park is seen in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP) That brings me to the second response that struck me, and really made my point better than I ever could. It came from a 17-year-old named Joanna Garcia Gonzalez, who lives in Downey. She wrote that she grew up living in "other people's homes because my mother did not make a stable income for a comfortable living." She thinks allowing families like hers people who just need a little help, and a little security to live in the governor's mansion is a "great" idea. "My younger self would be very happy if my family was offered to live in the governors mansion because my mother wouldnt have to worry about finding a temporary home just for her kids to feel safe," Joanna wrote. I hope Joanna's words kick you in the gut. They hit me that way. She grew up so insecure about her housing, with all the hurt and hardship that brings, and yet she thinks of how it makes her mom feel instead of focusing on her own experience. I've been covering homelessness for a lot of years, and I've met as many people like Joanna as I have people with severe mental illness. For every person you see incoherent in the street, know that there is a mom and her kids parked someplace in a beat-up car, hoping no one sees them, fearing they will be split up if they are found, desperate to make it to the next paycheck to rent a run-down room for a few nights. Or a dad too ashamed to seek help because he can't figure out how to make enough money on his own. Or a young person aged out of foster care with nowhere to go and no one to help, maybe running from a house where they weren't accepted, or faced harm. The one constant I've learned is that there are a million reasons people are homeless, and none of them are simple. But most of them, somewhere along the line, are about a person who needed help, needed someone to see how their lives were falling apart. Like Joanna's mom and Carolyn Knight. "Everybody deserves a home, but not everyone is fortunate enough to live under a roof," Joanna wrote, again with the empathy. "I strongly believe that the governors mansion is of more use to homeless people than to the governor himself." Me too, Joanna. May your future be stable, with a roof always over your head. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Tribal courts can now prosecute all people accused of sexually assaulting and trafficking Native Americans on tribal lands. They can also try non-Native defendants charged with abusing Native children, stalking Native people, obstructing justice and assaulting tribal police. The jurisdictional shift was tucked into the massive spending bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on Tuesday. The bill not only spells out how the federal government will spend $1.5 trillion, it also reapproves and updates the Violence Against Women Act. In the past, the act had only allowed tribal courts to prosecute non-Native perpetrators of domestic violence. More: Why tribal leaders say criminal jurisdiction is so important Tribal leaders have pressed for decades to regain jurisdiction over more crimes on tribal lands to keep women and children safe and prevent violent people from exploiting legal loopholes. Native women experience violence at rates that far exceed the U.S. average. Dozens of tribal leaders traveled to the White House on Wednesday to hear President Joe Biden speak about the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Biden highlights tribal court provisions Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and other tribal leaders celebrated the changes Wednesday at the White House, where Biden spoke about the broader Violence Against Women Act. The president mentioned the laws tribal court provisions twice, drawing huge rounds of applause. No one, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, should experience abuse, period, said Biden, who helped write the original Violence Against Women Act as a senator in 1994. It expanded to cover tribal courts in 2013, but hadnt been updated since. The new provisions carry extra significance in Oklahoma as tribal, federal and state courts adjust to the landmark Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma. State courts cannot prosecute crimes that involve Native Americans on tribal lands covering much of eastern Oklahoma. Many of those cases have fallen to federal prosecutors. The change in federal law means tribal courts can prosecute more of those crimes. Story continues The news arrives at a pivotal moment. The Supreme Court plans to hear oral arguments next month over whether Oklahoma courts should also be able to prosecute non-Native defendants accused of crimes against Native Americans on tribal lands. The states attorneys have argued those cases can fall through the cracks because of limits in federal court capacity and tribal court jurisdiction. Health care: Huge boost for tribal clinics left out of federal spending bill What is the Violence Against Women Act? Hoskin said the updated Violence Against Women Act will allow the Cherokee Nation to do more to protect women and children who live on its reservation, which covers 14 counties in northeast Oklahoma. The nations courts prosecuted more than 100 domestic violence cases involving non-Native perpetrators and Native American victims in the past year, Hoskin said in a statement. We must all commit to advancing full protection and safety of our Native women and children in Indian Country from years of prey and violence, he said. Im encouraged that federal leaders from the White House to Capitol Hill also recognize the importance of this critical mission. For subscribers: Two Oklahoma tribal nations have central role in Arkansas debate Lawmakers have been trying since 2018 to reapprove the Violence Against Women Act and add more provisions for tribal nations, such as making sure tribal law enforcement agencies have access to federal criminal databases. Their efforts started to gain traction last year after backers agreed to drop proposed restrictions on abusers access to guns. It was finally reauthorized in the spending bill passed last week. Congress also agreed as part of that to spend tens of millions more dollars to help Oklahoma tribal and federal courts respond to the McGirt decision. The ruling currently applies to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, Quapaw and Seminole nations. The Violence Against Women Act, meanwhile, applies to all tribal court systems that opt in. Especially egregious cases likely will still be heard in federal courts, where judges can hand down stiffer penalties. Tribal courts can impose sentences of three years per felony conviction, adding up to no more than nine years combined. Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs for the USA Today Network's Sunbelt Region. Reach her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: VAWA reauthorization allows tribal courts to prosecute more cases Jussie Smollett will be released from jail pending the appeal of his conviction for staging a hoax hate crime against himself and then falsely reporting it to police, an appeals court ruled in a 2-1 decision Wednesday. The ruling comes one week after the former Empire star was sentenced to five months in an Illinois jail for the hoax, which occurred in 2019. Smolletts attorneys argued that the disgraced actor would have finished out his sentence by the time the appeal process had been completed and raised concerns that he could be in danger of physical harm if he remained in Cook County Jail. The court ruled that Smollett can be released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000. This means he is not required to put down money but agrees to appear in court when required. It was not immediately clear how soon Smollett would be released, according to the Associated Press. Judge James Linn sentenced Smollett to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation last week after a nearly seven-hour hearing. He was ordered to pay restitution of just over $120,000 and a $25,000 criminal fine after being found guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct in December. Smollett made a false report to Chicago police in January 2019, when he claimed he had been attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs at him and wrapped a rope around his neck, prosecutors said. He told police the assault occurred in the middle of a frigid Chicago night while he was out picking up a Subway sandwich. Police initially investigated the alleged incident, which Smollett claimed happened in the upscale neighborhood of Streeterville, but ultimately shifted focus to probing whether Smollett paid brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo to stage an attack after first investigating the brothers as persons of interest. Smollett orchestrated the fake hate crime, paying the two men $3,500 to help him, prosecutors said. Linn called Smollett a charlatan who pretended to be a victim of a hate crime because he wanted attention, calling the hoax premeditated to the extreme. Story continues The judge said the evidence against the actor was overwhelming. Youve been lying and lying and lying about this case, Linn said. More from National Review The Apple Bistro restaurant in Placerville has famously spent more than a year fighting state and county officials over its refusal to enforce COVID-19 safety rules, racking up well over $1 million in fines. Ultimately it was an issue over a water-well permit that humbled the restaurants defiant owner. The highly visible restaurant located just off Highway 50 was evicted Thursday morning by El Dorado County sheriffs deputies, said county spokeswoman Carla Hass. County officials suspended Apple Bistros permit. Last month they secured a court order requiring the restaurant to close. Apple Bistro paid a $2,400 fine and submitted an application for a new permit. The county turned it down because the restaurant didnt have a permit for the well it was using for its water supply, Hass said. At that point the restaurants landlord arranged to have the eatery evicted, she said. She didnt have the identity of the landlord. We conducted a lawful eviction pursuant to a court order that was related to a landlord-tenant issue, said Sgt. Eric Palmberg, a sheriffs office spokesman. He declined further comment. A call to Apple Bistro Thursday afternoon was met with a brief recorded message saying that, as of March 7, it had paid for its county permit. So, we are just waiting on them, but we are open 5 to 5 Monday through Friday. Come join us. Have a fabulous day. The mailbox was full and could not accept new messages. There was no talk of eviction on the restaurants Facebook page Thursday afternoon, though there was a request for financial help. Many of you have asked how you can donate to help the Apple Bistro and our fight, the post says. Well here it is, follow the link below and join us as we fight back. No Mask Allowed FOR EVERYONES HEALTH AND SAFETY, reads a sign at Apple Bistro in Placerville on Feb. 1, 2022. The link directs to a fundraising website. The goal amount: $900,000. No donations were listed as of 3 p.m. Thursday. Thirty miles east of Sacramento, the eatery had become well-known during the pandemic less for its baked goods and Eggs Benedict and more for owner Jennette Waldows defiance against authorities attempting to enforce COVID-19 safety rules. Story continues Despite pulled permits, court orders and massive fines, the restaurant with sweeping views of the El Dorado County foothills continued to serve customers. Increasingly, the bistro and its owner had become a cause du jour for conservatives furious about pandemic-era rules and the fines that came with them. In rebuffing local and state officials and refusing to pay fines north of $1 million Apple Bistro had railed against a government that, early in the pandemic, supplied financial help to the restaurant. In September 2020, seven months after the first rounds of public health precautions went into place and stay-at-home orders obliterated local economies, El Dorado County awarded Apple Bistro restaurant $22,736 in relief aid under the federal CARES Act. A month after the county delivered COVID relief money, Cal-OSHA hit the restaurant with a $108,000 fine for failing to protect workers, not requiring masks and not installing acrylic screens at cash registers and between tables to prevent the spread of COVID. Around that time, Apple Bistro plastered signs in the restaurant mocking and disparaging mask-wearing and the states enforcement actions. As free Americans we will not comply with unconstitutional medical or political mandates that violate our basic rights, one sign said. Officials werent amused. Months later, Cal-OSHA tossed in a pair of $675,000 penalties for failing to abate the problems. The total fine of nearly $1.46 million remains the agencys largest COVID citation against any employer. Cal-OSHA levied scores of big fines in the first year of the pandemic. Inspectors fined hospitals for failing to provide adequate safety equipment and hit meat processing facilities that were ground zero for major outbreaks. The workplace safety agency went after Californias own prisons, which seeded deadly outbreaks, the inspectors said, in part because of their failure to follow basic safety measures. Yet a Sacramento Bee investigation published Thursday found that, even two full years into the pandemic, many of those employers have yet to pay. In some cases, problems remain unabated altogether, records show. A sign inside the Apple Bistro in Placerville on Friday, July 24, 2020, discourages the use of oxygen deprivation masks and latex dirty germ spreader gloves. The owner of the restaurant has refused to close down indoor dining, acting against a July 13 California public health order requiring restaurants to temporarily stop indoor dining, as well as other measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 after a resurgence in many California counties, including El Dorado County where the Apple Bistro is located. The drawn-out appeals are part of a widespread public and private-sector pushback against Cal-OSHAs COVID-19 penalties. The increase in appeals has sent the states workplace safety group on a hiring spree to try to keep up and has left critics fearing the state is going soft on companies that ran afoul of pandemic rules and simply factor legal fights into their bottom line. The Bee analyzed the cases of 110 employers fined at least $10,000 in the first 12 months of the pandemic. Of those, only 41 have paid anything, and their payments amount to just $469,468. Thats less than half of the combined $1,144,565 they were fined. Some employers who faced tens of thousands of dollars in fines settled their penalties for only a few hundred. Meanwhile, El Dorado County pulled the restaurants permit for failing to require employees to wear masks, among other violations. Then, when the restaurant continued operating, the county issued a cease-and-desist notice. The owners didnt respond, so the county and the state sued the restaurant in November. The case was among the most visible glimpses into the limits of enforcing COVID-19 safety rules. Last month, a Superior Court judge ordered the restaurant closed until it gets a new permit. The restaurant refused to comply and vowed to keep fighting. Months ago the restaurant strung a banner, visible from Highway 50, declaring, No Mask Allowed FOR EVERYONES HEALTH AND SAFETY. On the door to the restaurant, a bumper sticker from the far-right website InfoWars said: The media is the virus. Waldow couldnt be reached for comment. But she has accused Cal-OSHA of trespassing on our rights, in a video she created for the restaurants website. The video is under a link thats labeled Say no to tyranny. And say no Waldow did until November. Cal-OSHA records show the bistro paid about $13,000 of its fines. Cal-OSHA says the restaurant owes the state more than $1.3 million. Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa A. Schiffel The Delaware County prosecutor says she intends to oppose any bond for a Columbus man charged with attempted aggravated murder for shooting at occupied vehicles March 11 on Interstate 71, hitting three plus a police cruiser Jonathon Myers, 21, of the city's Northland neighborhood, had his first court appearance Tuesday via video from the Delaware County jail. He was transported there after his release from OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he was taken for treatment of gunshot injuries after exchanging gunfire with police. I-71 shooting VIDEO : Columbus police release dashcam video of man firing at officers, 911 calls Columbus police and the Ohio Highway Patrol said Myers crashed a 2014 Ford Fusion into a cable median off the left or west side of northbound I-71 around mile marker 123, north of the Edward Powell Road overpass and the Gemini Place / IKEA Way interchange in the portion of the city of Columbus in Delaware County. Myers is accused of then getting out of the vehicle, running back and forth across I-71, arguing with a female passenger who also got out of the car, and firing shots at passing motorists on the interstate. Columbus officers in I-71 shooting identified, more details released Delaware County Common Pleas Court Magistrate Alexis Hartman presided over Myers' initial appearance, scheduling another hearing for Monday at 2:30 p.m. with Judge David M. Gormley to determine what his bond should be. Warrants on Jonathon Myers, the suspect in the I-75 shooting case Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa A. Schiffel has filed a motion to deny Myers' bond. "There are five pending warrants on him in Franklin County," Schiffel said. "He posted bond in those matters ... and then he failed to appear in court." Records show those five Franklin County Common Pleas Court warrants include: Felony charges of possession of cocaine, possession of fentanyl and receiving stolen property from an offense on Nov. 12, 2019. A felony charge of failure to comply, fleeing and eluding, on Dec. 12, 2019. A felony charge of harassment with a bodily substance on April 30, 2020. Felony charges of illegal manufacture of drugs (fentanyl), trafficking in fentanyl (two counts), possession and trafficking of cocaine, and receiving stolen property involving a stolen gun on Sept. 24, 2020. A 28-count indictment with multiple charges of trafficking in fentanyl and possession of a weapon while a convicted felon (weapons under disability) on Nov. 11, 2020. The trafficking charges come with a major drug offender specification that, if convicted, would carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 11 years each. Story continues In addition, there is a warrant in Franklin County Municipal Court for Myers' arrest for a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. He was also arrested for domestic violence in 2020, but that case was dismissed, records indicate. "I don't know that he's likely to come back to court (if released on bond)," Schiffel said. "And I need to make sure my community is kept safe by requesting that he be held without bond." Magistrate Hartman also set a preliminary hearing for Myers at 3 p.m. on March 25. Ohio is seeing more homicides and suicides, and guns are more often involved, report says Altogether, Myers is accused of hitting three vehicles on the interstate with gunfire plus a Columbus police cruiser before officers shot him. One of the three vehicles struck carried two student members of the Madison High School wrestling team and two coaches who were traveling to Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center for the state wrestling competition. A UPS truck was also struck along with another vehicle. Myers's case will also "very soon" be presented to a grand jury which may consider evidence to warrant additional charges, said Schiffel, who did not speculate what those charges might be. Schiffel and attorney Christopher Junga, Myers' public defender, both told Hartman that Myers was expected to change attorneys. Myers answered only "Yes maam," to Hartman's questions and appeared by duck below his camera so that only the top half of his face was visible in the courtroom. This is the latest incident of gun violence Schiffel has had to prosecute, including two shootings inside Polaris Fashion Place and one nearby. Schiffel said that all of it is being handled aggressively whether the offenders live in Delaware County or elsewhere. Our Polaris shootings coverage: One of two Columbus men accused in one of two Polaris shootings is convicted, faces up to 14 years Polaris gunman sentenced to 13 years for shooting inside Delaware County mall Final Polaris Fashion Place shooter is sentenced to 11 years for 2019 incident Columbus man gets 11-to-13-year sentence for Polaris Fashion Place shootout in March 'I'm very, very anxious.' Shooting at Polaris reported for second time in two weeks Some in Polaris mall during shooting couldn't reach 911 "Regardless of where you're from, if you come into Delaware County and you shoot at law enforcement or you shoot in a public area like the mall, we're going to hold you fully accountable for your reckless behavior," she said. Dispatch reporter Bethany Bruner contributed to this report. dnarciso@dispatch.com @DeanNarciso This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware County prosecutor opposes bond for accused I-71 shooter The Browns and Baker Mayfield are in a race to the bottom, outdoing each other in a series of public humiliations that cement Mayfields status as a true Brown. First, the Browns started playing footsie with Deshaun Watson, who is available in a trade now that a Houston-area grand jury declined to charge him in a series of sexual assault cases. (Over 20 massage therapists are still pursuing suits against Watson, and he could be suspended by the NFL next season.) As the Browns openly pined for Watson, Mayfield posted a Notes App farewell to Cleveland on Tuesday night, thanking Browns fans. But Watson has a no-trade clause, meaning he can essentially pick his destination. On Thursday morning, he rejected the Browns, making it likely he ends up with one of the three NFC South teams seeking a QB. But from Mayfields perspective, the damage was done. He requested a trade Thursday, putting out a statement through ESPN: Its in the mutual interest of both sides for us to move on. The relationship is too far gone to mend. Its in the best interests of both sides to move on. Mayfield wants to be traded to the Colts, who are in the market for a quarterback after dealing Carson Wentz. The Browns instantly and publicly shot him down. They are not accommodating his request, according to an ESPN report. Mayfield struggled with injuries and inconsistency last year, and Odell Beckham Jr. immediately shined with the Rams as soon as he escaped Mayfield and Cleveland. The Browns have been sick of him since, with Chris Mortensen reporting on Wednesday that they want an adult at quarterback instead of Mayfield and that he probably is going to be moved. Just not exactly when and where he wants, maybe. Authorities have arrested 108 people, including alleged child sexual predators and those seeking prostitutes, in a six-day undercover human trafficking operation in Florida. Among those taken into custody were four Disney employees and a retired judge, police said. "The arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators alone makes this whole operation worthwhile," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday. "Where there is prostitution, there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction and broken families." During their operation, which they called "Operation March Sadness 2," detectives found prostitutes who had posted online advertisements through various websites and social media platforms to identify people who were seeking them out. They also identified adults who they thought were inappropriately communicating with children. Undercover detectives then communicated online with these suspects before meeting them at a location and arresting them. Members of anti-trafficking organizations also responded, speaking with prostitutes and offering them services and counseling, the sheriff's office said. The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested 108 people during a six-day human trafficking operation called Officials identified four Disney employees as among those arrested. Xavier Jackson, 27, worked as a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort for Walt Disney. Judd said Jackson sent inappropriate photos of himself and messages to an undercover detective who pretended to be a 14-year-old girl. He was charged with three counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor and one count of unlawful communication. "We protected some little girl someplace that was groomed or potentially groomed by these evil, deviant criminals, thugs, that's all they are," Judd said about the four suspects at a press conference. "They're dangerous people." Related video: Trial underway for N.Y. man accused in sex trafficking case The three others, who were allegedly attempting to solicit a prostitute, were identified by Judd as: Wilkason Fidele, 24, who worked at the Cosmic Restaurant at Walt Disney World's Tomorrowland for four years; Shubham Malave, 27, who is on a visa citizenship from India and worked as a software developer for Disney; and Ralph Leese, 45, who spent nearly four years working in IT for Disney. Story continues "He's married," Judd said about Leese. "So I'm sure Disney's not pleased. I bet his wife's not pleased, but we're pleased that we arrested him." In a statement to CBS News, Disney confirmed that Leese, Fidele and Jackson have been placed on unpaid leave. It added that Malave is not an employee of the company. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd speaks during a press conference about a recent human trafficking operation on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Authorities also arrested a man who worked at a local family amusement park in Orlando called The Fun Spot and a former Florida judge. Both were allegedly seeking prostitutes. Judd said Daniel Peters, 66, told detectives that he used to be a judge in the Cook County 4th Sub Circuit Court and a special assistant for legal affairs in the office of professional regulations at the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Illinois. He was charged with soliciting a prostitute. "He requested an attorney," Judd said. "Well judge, you need an attorney. You got problems." Judd warned that his office will continue to arrest those who violate the law. "What amazes me is we could do another operation starting next week and fill this board up again," he said. "And be sure of one thing: These chiefs and I will do just that. We'll be back and if you violate the law, we're going to take you to jail. That's a guarantee." Sue Bird's workout U.S. weighs alternatives to a no-fly zone over Ukraine Russia continues relentless assault on Ukraine's cities Another batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff on Wednesday arrived in Hong Kong to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team consists of 300 members, including doctors, nurses, radiographers and administrative staff from 22 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. Led by Zhang Zhongde, vice president of the Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Guangzhou, members of the team specialize in areas including infectious disease, respirology, cardiology, intensive care and traditional Chinese medicine. Most of them have rich experiences in anti-epidemic work and are proficient in Cantonese and English. They will work with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to provide medical care at the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo and help control the latest COVID-19 wave as soon as possible. Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam expressed her gratitude to the central government's full support for the HKSAR, and welcomed the mainland medical team arriving in Hong Kong. "I am very grateful to the mainland medical staff who overcame many difficulties in coming to assist Hong Kong to fight the epidemic," said Lam. Lam said that the top priority in the current anti-epidemic work is to reduce the number of deaths, severe cases and infections, and Hong Kong is in serious shortage of medical staff in public hospitals, urgently needing support for treatment of critically ill patients. On Wednesday, Hong Kong registered 14,454 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 14,818 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. Ed Sheeran on stage (PA) (PA Wire) Ed Sheerans hit Shape Of You is coincidentally similar and has distinctive differences to a song by another artist he is accused of copying, a music expert has told a copyright trial. American forensic musicologist Anthony Ricigliano concluded in a report that it was objectively unlikely that any similarities between the 2017 track and the song Oh Why by Sami Chokri result from copying. Mr Sheeran denies that Shape Of You rips off the 2015 song by Mr Chokri a grime artist who performs under the name Sami Switch. Mr Chokri and his co-writer Ross ODonoghue claim that a central Oh I hook in Mr Sheeran and his co-authors song is strikingly similar to an Oh Why refrain in their own composition. Sami Chokri (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire) Mr Ricigliano gave evidence over his analysis of the two songs at an ongoing High Court trial in London on Wednesday. Lawyers for Mr Chokri and Mr ODonoghue allege that when the two songs melodies are transposed into the same key the progression of notes is the same. They also claim the rhythm of the tracks melodies are almost identical, their use of instrumentation creates a strikingly similar sound and texture and the vowel sounds in the chanted tune further enhances the similarity in musical sound and texture. Mr Ricigliano, who was instructed by the Shape Of You co-writers lawyers but told the court he was completely impartial, said in a report that he considered the extent of the alleged similarities between the two songs to be overstated. He wrote that the overall design and musical development of the melodic, harmonic and lyrical content in the relevant phrase in Shape of You are distinctively different from that utilized in Oh Why. Mr Ricigliano added: Such similarities as there are, when placed in context, in my view lack significance in relation to the allegation of copying from Oh Why. They are commonplace forms of expression, both in terms of use by other writers and by Mr Sheeran himself. My view is therefore that it is objectively unlikely that any similarities result from copying. Story continues Ed Sheeran (Joshua Bratt/PA) (PA Wire) Mr Sheeran has argued in his written evidence that his songs Oh I phrase uses a basic minor pentatonic pattern which is entirely commonplace. In his report Mr Ricigliano paraphrased a quote from composer Leonard Bernstein, writing: The pentatonic scale is humanitys favourite scale and is so well known that one can find examples of it from all corners of the Earth. In court, Andrew Sutcliffe QC, representing Mr Chokri and Mr ODonoghue, asked the expert: You accept dont you Mr Ricigliano that despite all your research you have not found any examples in any corner of the earth over the past 200 years which sound phonetically the same as the chorus in Oh Why and the post chorus in Shape Of You. Thats correct, Mr Ricigliano said. Do you not find this extraordinary? Mr Sutcliffe asked, with the expert replying: No. The barrister described the two song phrases as appearing within months of each other and suggested they sound almost the same. I would disagree with the characterisation, Mr Ricigliano said, adding that the two are coincidentally similar and there are distinctive differences. The expert said that from his analysis of Mr Sheerans work there was nothing in there that he did which doesnt reflect back on what he had done before, adding that his conclusion was that this was written by him and his associates. John McDaid (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire) Another music expert, Christian Siddell, who was instructed by Mr Chokri and Mr ODonoghues lawyers, is due to give evidence on Wednesday afternoon. The three Shape Of You co-authors Mr Sheeran, Snow Patrols John McDaid and producer Steven McCutcheon launched legal proceedings in May 2018, asking the High Court to declare they had not infringed Mr Chokri and Mr ODonoghues copyright. In July 2018, Mr Chokri and Mr ODonoghue issued their own claim for copyright infringement, damages and an account of profits in relation to the alleged infringement. The trial before Mr Justice Zacaroli continues, with judgment expected at a later date. Teacher Anibal Hernandez, from left, Paula Barcenas, 16, Denyse Molina, 16, and Jessica Montes, 16, listen during a history class at Sotomayor Arts and Sciences Magnet on March 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Schools in Los Angeles County are testing hundreds of thousands of students for the coronavirus each week. Its a great way to get a picture of infections in the community because the students and staff are tested routinely, not only if they show symptoms. If the virus was spreading quickly and quietly with asymptomatic cases, this process would show it. But it is showing the opposite. The rate of prekindergarten through 12th-grade students in Los Angeles County who tested positive in early January was, unsurprisingly, high at more than 14%. At the time, keeping a mask mandate in place just made sense. Infections have plummeted since then, and in the first week of March, the positivity rate among county students was less than one-third of 1%. L.A. Unifieds coronavirus rates are similarly low for teachers and students, a district spokesperson said. Add to this encouraging trend the relative mildness of the dominant Omicron strain and its reasonable for the Los Angeles Unified School District to consider lifting its indoor mask mandate to align with state policy and the practice in most other L.A. County school districts. The state's indoor mask mandate for schools was lifted Monday, and most districts followed suit. The issue is under discussion at L.A. Unified, which has kept its mask mandate so far. Alberto Carvalho, the districts new superintendent, appeared to support lifting the mandate when he tweeted on Tuesday: Either we follow science or we follow nothing. Change is coming. It's just not feasible to hold on to mandates until the risk from COVID-19 is zero. It is unlikely the virus will go away entirely. Meanwhile, fully vaccinated people are highly protected against hospitalization and death. If the situation should worsen, it would be easy to require masks again. Of course the teachers should be part of the discussion about changes to mask policy. And they are; the district agreed to negotiate changes to the mandatory mask policy with the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, and a new poll of its members found that of the 60% or so who responded, 58% want to keep the mandate. Teachers are among those who have been through an especially rough time during the pandemic, and the schools dont want them to feel that their safety is jeopardized. But in-person classes have been operating safely even through the worst days of Omicron in late December and early January, and at this point all L.A. Unified teachers either are vaccinated or have a valid excuse not to be. Story continues The infection risk for teachers is reduced further because close to 90% of LAUSD students 12 and older also are vaccinated. Fewer elementary school students are vaccinated, but a recent study, not yet peer-reviewed, found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was much less effective in this age group than for older children and adults, so its unclear how much safety would be improved by higher vaccination numbers. Its the only vaccine approved so far for younger children. Nevertheless, when it comes to COVID-19 policy, the district has to be sensitive to the fears of a battered staff and community. If the district lifts the mandate, it should still encourage the use of masks, as the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do, and provide some additional safety measures, such as allowing teachers who have particular health concerns such as having baby or other very vulnerable family member at home to require masks in their own classrooms. It's a shame that the district failed to put in place a system of metrics identifying what levels of infection or other conditions would automatically trigger or end mandatory masking. But it could do so now, in consultation with the teachers union. Ultimately, the district must base its decision on data and science that balance the needs of the teachers, staff, students, parents and the community at large. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Dr. Mehmet Oz at a town-hall-style event in Newtown, Pa., on Feb. 20. (Marc Levy/AP) Celebrity surgeon and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz said he will renounce his Turkish citizenship if elected. My dual citizenship has become a distraction in this campaign, Oz said in a statement to Yahoo News and other outlets late Wednesday. I maintained it to care for my ailing mother, but after several weeks of discussions with my family, Im committing that before I am sworn in as the next U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania I will only be a U.S. citizen. Oz is running for the GOP nomination for Pennsylvanias open Senate seat. The race is shaping up to be one of the most expensive and important in the country this year. His promise to surrender his Turkish passport came after a local outlet, PoliticsPA, reported earlier this week that Oz would forgo security clearances if necessary in order to maintain his dual citizenship with Turkey. The daytime talk show host and cardiothoracic surgeon was born in Ohio to Turkish immigrants and served in the Turkish military in the 1980s to maintain his citizenship there. According to PoliticsPA, Oz said he needed to maintain it in order to more easily return to Turkey and supervise the care of his mother, who has Alzheimers. I can love my country and love my mom, Oz said, according to the outlet, two months out from the May 17 primary. Oz at a campaign event in York, Pa., on Feb. 5. (Hannah Beier/Reuters) Ozs campaign manager disputed the exchange, writing on Twitter, Dr. Oz never said this. I was standing right there. Ive asked the reporter to correct his reporting as its inaccurate. Also you can have a dual citizenship and full security clearance in congress. Even asking this question is ridiculous. PoliticsPA, however, stood by its reporting. Ozs main opponent for the Republican nomination, David McCormick, has highlighted Ozs dual citizenship in recent months. In Ozs statement, he accused McCormick of using the citizenship issue to launch bigoted attacks. If elected, Oz would be the first Muslim U.S. senator. The bigoted attacks my opponent Dave McCormick has made against me as the child of immigrants are reminiscent of slurs made in the past about Catholics and Jews, Oz said. It is a sign of McCormicks desperate campaign that he has resorted to this disgraceful tactic. It is completely disqualifying behavior for anyone aiming to serve in the United States Senate. Story continues According to Senate rules, Oz would not need to renounce his Turkish citizenship, as members of Congress do not have traditional security clearances and are instead privy to sensitive information due to their elected office. There is also no rule against dual citizens running for office: Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, for example, was elected in 2012 but didn't renounce his Canadian citizenship until two years later. McCormick is a former hedge fund manager who moved from Connecticut to pursue the GOP nomination, competing against Oz, who moved from New Jersey. (Oz received his MD and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, while McCormick is a western Pennsylvania native.) David McCormick at a campaign event in Coplay, Pa., on Jan. 25. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images) Oz made the comments reported by PoliticsPA at an event in which he attacked his opponent over allegations that McCormick's hedge fund made money off Pennsylvania taxpayers. McCormick, a former George W. Bush administration official, has also been criticized by Oz for his business ties to China. McCormick, for his part, is looking to shore up his conservative bona fides. His new TV ad features a Lets Go Brandon chant, which has, in a somewhat convoluted way, become a Republican catchphrase to disparage President Biden. While Oz benefited from early name recognition, a Fox News poll last week showed McCormick leading him 24 points to 15. McCormick has benefited from millions in outside television advertising including $5 million contributed by Chicago hedge fund chief Ken Griffin attacking the celebrity doctor. Oz says he has spent $10 million of his own money on the race in an attempt to counter McCormick. Another GOP candidate, Carla Sands, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Denmark under former President Donald Trump, has also spent millions of her own money on the race but has lagged in polling. All the Republican candidates in the race are currently lobbying for Trumps endorsement. Trump originally backed former congressional candidate Sean Parnell for the seat, which is being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey. Parnell subsequently dropped out of the race after losing a custody battle in which a judge ruled he had committed some acts of abuse in the past. Earlier this week, McCormick held a campaign event with Parnell. Im with him; I think hes the right guy, Parnell told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after the event, adding that he was unsure why Trump had not endorsed McCormick. Meanwhile, the frontrunner on the Democratic side in both polling and fundraising is Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who served as mayor of the town of Braddock, located in suburban Pittsburgh, and previously ran for Senate in 2016. Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman at a Democratic Party event in Harmony, Pa., on March 4. (Keith Srakocic/AP) Fettermans national profile grew in the aftermath of the 2020 election, when he pushed back against baseless accusations of voter fraud in Pennsylvania via cable news appearances and social media. He has been touring every county in the state, including those that are traditionally more conservative, a strategy he successfully pursued during his 2018 campaign for lieutenant governor. Fetterman has pushed a progressive platform, including Medicare for All and marijuana legalization. Rep. Conor Lamb, a relative moderate, is also running for the Democratic nomination but has lagged behind Fetterman as the national party continues to stay out of the race. Lamb has picked up some key endorsements including those from Philadelphias mayor, building trade unions and top party leaders but has trailed Fetterman by double digits in most polling. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who represents part of Philadelphia, remains in the race but has struggled with fundraising. All three candidates have said that if elected they would vote to remove the legislative filibuster, a Senate rule that has been used to stymie a number of Democratic priorities in Congress. Oz, Sands and Kenyatta, who is Black, would all make history in a state where every senator has been a white man. Both the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and the University of Virginias Center for Politics rate the November general election as a toss-up. The Pennsylvania race is seen as one of the Democrats best chances to pick up a Senate seat in what is widely expected to be a bruising midterm for the party. In addition to the Senate race and a number of competitive House races, Pennsylvania has an open governors race, since Democrat Tom Wolf has reached his term limit. The state has seen a number of narrow results in big races lately, including the last two presidential races and Toomeys 2016 reelection, all of which were decided by less than 2 points. Finn Russell will be on the bench in Dublin (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire) Scotland talisman Finn Russell has been dropped to the bench for this Saturdays Guinness Six Nations showdown with Ireland in Dublin. Edinburghs Blair Kinghorn takes the place of the highly-regarded Racing 92 stand-off, whose performances in this years tournament have been the subject of scrutiny from some critics. Your Scotland team for Saturdays @SixNationsRugby game against @IrishRugby has been confirmed. Watch Head Coach Gregor Townsend share his thoughts on the team through our website. https://t.co/onBKnY0QJj pic.twitter.com/QHPzLJdvDV Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) March 17, 2022 The omission of Russell, who is named among the replacements, is particularly notable since head coach Gregor Townsend has made only two changes to the side that started last weekends bonus-point victory away to Italy. The other alteration is in the second-row, where Jonny Gray, who has missed the last two games through injury, returns in place of his Exeter colleague Sam Skinner, who drops to the bench. London Irishs Ben White and Glasgows Fraser Brown are both listed among the replacements as the Scots bid to pull off an upset and finish their campaign with three wins from five matches. An Atlanta Braves institution is on the move. At least he got a ring on the way out. Longtime Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has agreed to a six-year, $162 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan. BREAKING: Freddie Freeman has agreed to terms with the Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million deal according to @JeffPassan and me. Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 17, 2022 The deal will end a 12-year tenure in Atlanta for Freeman, who capped his time there by winning the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. During his time in Atlanta, the 32-year-old Freeman also earned five All-Star nods, three Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove and the 2020 NL MVP award. In 2021, Freeman finished the regular season with a .300/.393/.503 slash line, 31 home runs, eight stolen bases and a league-best 120 runs, then hit .304/.420/.625 with five homers in the postseason. While aging first basemen don't typically see strong interest in free agency, Freeman's consistency at the plate was enough to convince some of baseball's biggest spenders to kick the tires. The Braves obviously looked into keeping Freeman, but ended up trading for Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson and signing him to an eight-year, $168 million extension instead. The addition of the universal DH in MLB's new collective bargaining agreement may have opened more doors for Freeman. A first baseman seeking a long-term deal, he will have more ways to get in the lineup as he ages now than he would have prior to the lockout. Freddie Freeman left his mark with the Braves. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Freddie Freeman says goodbye to Atlanta Hours before news of the signing broke, Freeman posted a heartfelt message to Braves fans. Dodgers eventful offseason continues with Freddie Freeman signing Story continues When the MLB lockout hit, it looked like the Dodgers were on their back foot. In the span of a few days, the team lost longtime starting shortstop Corey Seager to the Texas Rangers on an enormous 10-year, $325 million deal and midseason trade acquisition Max Scherzer to the New York Mets on a record three-year, $130 million deal. The team wasnt exactly hurtling toward the NL West cellar (it did manage to re-sign the always underrated Chris Taylor), but it entered hiatus clearly needing to make some moves. Those moves have now been made. It didnt take long for the team to re-sign Clayton Kershaw on a one-year, $17 million deal, and now it has signed Freeman to the largest free agent contract in Dodgers history. With Freeman, the Dodgers will be adding a major weapon to an infield that was already looking pretty good, even without Seager. The team will simply move Trea Turner, acquired last year in the Scherzer trade, back to his usual shortstop position and keep veteran Justin Turner at third. On the right side of the infield, Taylor, Max Muncy and Gavin Lux are all options at second base, while Freeman will probably see the vast majority of time at first base. Thanks to the magic of the new universal designated hitter, the team can also rotate around pretty much any of the above names. Oh, and it has top 100 prospects Miguel Vargas, a corner infielder, and Michael Busch, a second baseman, waiting in the wings after playing the majority of their games in Double-A last season. The Dodgers are going to be fine. A court-appointed psychiatrist has found double-murder suspect Austin Alvarez incompetent to stand trial, but the Fresno County District Attorneys Office is asking for a second opinion. The 23-year-old Alvarez is charged with the Christmas Day murders of his grandmother Magdalena Alvarez, 58, and Meisa Rashid, 39, the owner of a convenience store in Orange Cove. Alvarezs defense attorney Mark Coleman told Judge James Kelley Wednesday that Dr. Howard Terrell, a forensic psychiatry specialist, examined Alvarez, at the courts request, and found him incompetent to stand trial. Prosecutor Kelly Smith urged the judge not to rule on the doctors findings, yet. He suggested having another doctor examine Alvarez. The judge agreed and appointed Dr. Tamar Kenworthy, a psychologist, to interview the defendant. Kelley set a new hearing on April 6 to discuss the second evaluation. Alvarez is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. If he is found competent to stand trial and is convicted on all counts, he faces up to 84-years-to-life in prison. The murders of Magdalena Alvarez and Rashid shocked the Reedley and Orange Cove communities. Rashid was the longtime owner of Primo Market in Orange Cove. Fresno County Sheriffs deputies said that on Christmas morning, Alvarez went to a home in the 17000 block of Goodfellow Avenue, just outside of the Reedley city limits, where, for an unknown reason, fatally shot Alvarez and Rashid. Alvarez also fired several gun shots at his father who was sitting in a parked car outside of the home. Alvarez missed as he fled the scene in a pickup truck. Law enforcement officers from the Fresno County Sheriffs, California Highway Patrol and the Reedley, Sanger, Orange Cove and Kingsburg police departments, found Alvarez a short time later, about 10 miles away near American and Anchor avenues in Orange Cove. He was arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail where he remains. Bail is set at $4.5 million. The Fresno Police Department is seeking the publics help in identifying a murder suspect from a 2020 shooting. Officers responded to a report of multiple shots fired on Dec. 29 at Fairmont and Holt avenues and found 17-year-old Jaylin Johnson with gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives learned that Johnson had been dropped off by a friend at Fairmont and Marks avenues and was walking to a nearby home when the suspect in a silver sedan allegedly fired multiple shots at him. A silver sedan is seen on surveillance video after a homicide in Fresno on Dec. 29. 2020. Jaylin Johnson, 17, was shot and killed. Wounded, Johnson tried to flee the area but the suspect got out of the car and chased him and fired additional shots, striking him several more times. Johnson did nothing to provoke this senseless act of violence, police wrote in a news release. Police said Johnsons bother, Devin Johnson, was shot and killed at the Bowlero in February 2022. Investigators dont believe the shootings are related. Anyone with information is asked to call detective Benny Barnes at 559-621-2421 or can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867. Gabrielle Union. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Gabrielle Union criticized Disney's response to Florida's Parental Rights in Education legislation. Union said corporations should not "fund hate and oppression." "The damage is done," Union said. Gabrielle Union criticized Disney for its response to Florida's Parental Rights in Education legislation, dubbed the "Don't say gay" bill, while on the red carpet for her Disney-produced remake of the 2005 film "Cheaper by the Dozen." Union who stars alongside Zach Braff in the Disney+ remake was asked about the controversy surrounding Disney's proximity to the bill, which has been described as a piece of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. "Somebody asked me, 'Are you disappointed?' I'm disappointed when my order isn't right at In-N-Out. I don't even think that's a word that you could use for something like this, where children's lives are literally hanging in the balance," Union told Variety at the "Cheaper by the Dozen" premiere. "We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression," she continued. "Period. The damage is done." Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union (far left) in "Cheaper by the Dozen." Disney+ Florida's Parental Rights in Education legislation would prevent schools from discussing gender or sexual orientation with kids in kindergarten through third grade. Florida's state legislature has passed the bill, and it's expected to be signed by the state's Governor Ron DeSantis. Earlier this month, LGBTQ+ activists protested outside Disney theme parks in California and Florida, demanding the company publish a forceful rebuke of the bill. A statement from the company last week, however, seemed to dodge the bill entirely. "We understand how important this issue is to our LGBTQ+ employees and many others," the statement read. "For nearly a century, Disney has been a unifying force that brings people together. We are determined that it remains a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect." Story continues The Orlando Sentinel has also reported that Disney donated money to sponsors of the bill. Disney character "furries" take photos with guests. Business Wire/AP Images On Monday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek sent a memo to Disney employees, which was reviewed by Insider, that explained the company's initial response to the bill and promised to stop "all political donations in the state of Florida" pending a review. "As we have seen time and again, corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds," the CEO said in the memo. "Where we may differ is in the tactics to get there. And because this struggle is much bigger than anyone bill in any one state, I believe the best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create, and the diverse community organizations we support." LGBTQ+ staff at Disney sent a letter on February 28 to leaders at the company requesting the company make a public statement, Variety reported. Read the original article on Insider The late autumn of 2015 beheld a memorable occasion in Chinese history: At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward a new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, setting in motion a profound reform of China's economic development. In the following years, this philosophy, key component of "Xiconomics," or the economic wisdom of Xi, has been continuously developed and enriched, producing a growing resonance across the world and an increasingly far-reaching impact. With a strong awareness to balance human and nature, the economy and the society, the economic foundation and the superstructure, efficiency and equity, as well as the present and the future, the philosophy not only offers a guide to high-quality development in China, but also enlightens the global community in addressing development challenges. Conserving nature In desert-capped northeastern Kenyan county of Garissa, neat and dense solar panels line up to form an "energy oasis" to benefit thousands of local families and businesses. This Chinese-built plant, also the largest solar power station in East Africa, has set Kenya on the path of achieving green energy sufficiency. The Garissa solar plant is a miniature of China's years of overseas implementation of the concept of green development, a vision Xi has kept advocating against the backdrop of pressing environmental degradation and fragmented global environmental governance. "Clean waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver." This aphorism of harmony between environmental protection and economic development, also dubbed the "two mountains" concept that Xi has repeatedly brought up on various occasions at home, made its international debut in September 2013 when the Chinese president visited Kazakhstan, and has been reiterated by him on global occasions ever since. "To protect the environment is to protect productivity, and to improve the environment is to boost productivity," Xi said in a speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate via video link in late April of 2021. "We need to speed up efforts to foster a green way of development and secure a win-win economic growth and environmental protection, so as to build a homeland of coordinated advancement of economy and the environment," he said several months later at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Xi's thought on coexistence between the humankind and nature has not only set the course for the green transition of the Chinese economy, but also resonated with the rest of the world. In 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme's 27th council meeting adopted a decision on promoting China's ecological civilization. Besides, the "two mountains" concept has become the work philosophy of Laos' Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. "Xi's overarching thesis," The Diplomat wrote in December 2021, "allows mankind to go beyond the mode of production and consumption triggered by the Industrial Revolution, and enter into a more advanced stage of development, marked as a harmonious co-existence with nature." Promoting equity "Today, the world is very unequal indeed ... half of all assets around the world are now controlled by the richest 1 percent of the global population," founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab wrote in "The Fourth Industrial Revolution." The global development imbalance Schwab noted in his book in 2016 has even worsened amid the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and new technology applications. In this context, the new development philosophy proposed by Xi, with a focus on promoting equal development opportunities, has not only set a guideline for China's own development, but also offered a recipe for narrowing the global development gap. "The international community should keep its eyes on the long run, honor its commitment, and provide necessary support to developing countries and safeguard their legitimate development interests. Equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules should be strengthened, so that all countries will benefit from the opportunities and fruits of development," Xi said in January 2021 at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda via video link. "We need to work together to steer global development towards a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. To this end, I would like to propose a Global Development Initiative," Xi said via video at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021. Guided by Xiconomics, China has been trying to promote common prosperity with a series of measures, such as adjusting overly high incomes through channels like taxes, offering more help to low-income groups through the provision of stronger public benefits, and expanding the size of the middle class. To realize common prosperity, the nation should first "make a bigger and better cake" through joint efforts of the people, and then divide and distribute the cake properly through rational institutional arrangements, read a statement released after China's annual Central Economic Work Conference held in December 2021. Moreover, China has been walking the talk to help developing countries enhance their self-reliance and sustainability through a variety of projects, such as promoting the Belt and Road cooperation, establishing the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, and building agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa. Xi's economic thought, which focuses on improving people's well-being in a long-term and effective way, is worth learning as it reflects a comprehensive and profound philosophy on governance and development, said Naeem Bukhari, chief executive of Pakistan's Human Capital Management Institute. Noting Xiconomics' emphasis on balance, Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, said keeping balance in many aspects is very important for avoiding tensions and conflicts. Building future "We need to focus on current priorities, and balance COVID response and economic development. Macroeconomic policy support should be stepped up to bring the world economy out of the woods as early as possible. More importantly, we need to look beyond the horizon and strengthen our will and resolve for change. We need to shift the driving forces and growth models of the global economy and improve its structure, so as to set the course for long-term, sound and steady development of the world economy," Xi said in January 2021. One year later, Xi said at the 2022 World Economic Forum virtual session that "countries around the world should uphold true multilateralism. We should remove barriers, not erect walls. We should open up, not close off. We should seek integration, not decoupling. This is the way to build an open world economy." The remarks by Xi, with a thorough analysis of the constraints facing world economic recovery and a good grasp of the global development trends and economic rules, came in time for a worldwide sustainable development agenda challenged by COVID-19, a weak world economy, poverty and turmoils. Guided by Xi's wisdom, China has adopted strong measures to coordinate pandemic control and economic growth, expanded high-level opening-up, actively built a "dual circulation" development paradigm, and upheld multilateralism and win-win cooperation to share its development opportunities with the rest of the world. While China's solutions have facilitated consensus in the international community, its actions have injected a fresh momentum into global sustainable development. Xi's economic thought emphasizes that the right to development should be shared by countries around the world, said Natee Taweesrifuengfung, president of the Thailand-based Siam Think Tank, adding that the thought, which calls for jointly building an open world economy, is devoted to pushing forward global sustainable development. A Geraldine man who pleaded guilty to drug and sex offenses, including conspiracy to commit human trafficking, now wants to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he received incorrect advice from his lawyer during the plea process. His lawyer agrees, court documents indicate. A hearing on that request will be held the same day Judge Shaunathan Bell set for Rex Durant Tidmore's sentencing. Tidmore, 64, pleaded guilty earlier this month to a total of 26 criminal counts. According to his motion to withdraw his guilty plea, he entered the plea with several issues preserved for appeal. The charges included sodomy, charges related to human trafficking and child pornography, and drug charges. According to the motion filed, 22 of the charges related to one case, and Tidmore entered a plea on four additional charges. "The Defendant was wrongly advised by the undersigned that an appeal would relate back to all counts in which the Defendant pled guilty," defense attorney Aubrey Neeley wrote in the motion. "The undersigned now views his advice to defendant on the matter to be substantially and materially wrong." Neeley writes that the plea was entered on the day the trial would have begun "under considerable time constraints," and he didn't give sufficient consideration to the entire plea and its wording. "Being properly informed of the consequences of a guilty plea is absolutely constitutionally mandatory for said guilty plea to be knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently given," Neeley continued. He said Tidmore should be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. He said the error is his alone, and his client should not suffer the consequences of it. The state objects to the withdrawal of the guilty plea. Deputy District Attorney Robert Johnston responded to the motion saying Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure call for withdrawal of a guilty plea when needed to correct "a manifest injustice." Story continues Tidmore pleaded guilty "knowingly, voluntarily, and with a full understanding of the consequences of such a plea," he wrote. According to Johnston, Tidmore's attorney asserts as grounds for the withdrawal that he meant to reserve additional issues for appeal. "The state has no objection to the Defendant reserving additional issues for appeal not named at the time of his plea," the objection states. "The State objects to the pleas being set aside," Johnston continued. The state was ready to go to trial when Tidmore entered his pleas, he explained. "The victim has a right to rely upon those pleas as a final judgment in this case," he wrote, with the understanding that issues could be appealed. "There is no justification for vacating his lawfully entered plea," Johnston wrote. Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Geraldine man says wrong advice from lawyer led to guilty plea Volodymr Zelensky. Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock Continuing his virtual tour of Western capitals, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the German Parliament in Berlin Thursday morning. The Bundestag is not known as an exciting place under normal conditions, yet, if anything, the circumstances were even more dramatic than of Zelenky's appearance before Congress: Proceedings were briefly delayed, apparently because a rocket attack on Kyiv interrupted the video link. The tone of Zelensky's speech was different from his U.S. remarks, too. While he called America to realize its ideals, Zelensky chided Germans for shirking their responsibilities and re-enacting a painful past. Appealing to German's recent history of communist rule and national division, Zelensky insisted Nord Stream 2, the controversial gas pipeline that connects Russian and Germany "is a weapon." "You always said, 'It's business, business, business,'" he continued, but Ukraine knew better. Now, Zelensky concluded, Ukrainian and other critics had been proved right: The pipeline was "cement for the wall" separating free Europe from the zone of Russian domination, and German opposition to European Union membership for Ukraine was yet "another brick." As in Congress, Zelensky received sustained applause from his audience. But after brief parliamentary maneuvering, the Bundestag quickly returned to its scheduled agenda, which included official recognitions of birthdays and instructions on mask wearing. The contrast between the gravity of Zelensky's speech and the apparent indifference of the Bundestag is playing badly in the German press. It also suggests German politicians are far from ready for a permanent defense policy shift let alone war. Berlin's response has not been altogether indifferent, of course. In a surprise move earlier this week, the German government announced it would buy 35 F-35 jets from the United States, part of a broader effort to reach NATO's 2 percent target for military spending by member states, but also to better integrate with U.S. and other member forces. Yet there's a difference between promising money for planes that won't be delivered any time soon and intervening in a conflict that's already underway and unlikely to end in the near term even if the bombs stop falling for a time. Story continues Despite the memories of the Berlin Wall which Zelensky tried to raise, geopolitical conditions don't change overnight. Germany's drift toward more active participation in the Western alliance is a development to be welcomed. But Germans still face looming dilemmas about their priorities in a world where civilizational blocs threaten to replace the undifferentiated global order of post-Cold War imagination. Germany won't be able to stay on its preferred agenda forever. Zelensky, the U.S., and Germany's European allies should keep up the pressure. You may also like Russian state propagandists laugh at new 'correspondent' Tucker Carlson in Colbert sendup The Senate just voted to abolish Standard Time and make Daylight Saving Time permanent Trevor Noah disturbed by Kanye West's harassment of Kim Kardashian: 'Terrifying to watch' Approximately 200 people gathered at West Hartford Town Hall to show their support for the Ukrainian people, as well as their disdain for the attack on that country by Russia. Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysewicz, State Rep. Edwin Vargas, and Mayor Shari Cantor were among the speakers, who praised the local community and the state for their generous support of refugees, and continued efforts to encourage leaders to take steps toward ending the conflict. Anne Foley, a West Hartford resident was there with her husband, Tom Farrell. They said they simply felt it was important. Were against the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, and we want our government to do all it can to support the Ukrainian people and government, Foley said. I think rallies in general make a difference. I dont know if a little rally in West Hartford will, but I think its one way for people to express what they want their government to do. We want to express our solidarity and extend our thoughts to the Ukrainian people, Farrell said. I also think that its important that the American people recognize that at some point theres going to be a more serious confrontation with Putin. The more people are aware of this, and we speak out for people now, I think people will be more likely to prepare for what we need to do in the future. Ihor and Oksana Mikhalyuk, who are both Ukranian, made the trip from Wethersfield for the event. They said they specifically wanted to show support for their homeland, including the many relatives they still have there. Oksana said she regularly talks to her family, and everyone has been okay so far, but the fear and anxiety runs very high. Everyday, we call them, and its quite difficult, Oksana said. We just wanted to show support, Ihor said. Its terrible whats happening there. I have no words. Lamont said the same types of rallies have been taking place across the state and the country. He urged people to call Russian friends and relatives and let them know about the outrage, as they have likely been under a media black-out about the invasion. He said the U.S. government should be giving Ukranian people military support, and that citizens should help in other ways, including supplies, medical and financial support. Story continues We ought to give them all the support we can to help the Ukranian people continue to stand up and survive this, he said. Literally the entire world has come together in support of the Ukranian people, Bysewicz said. Whats been inspiring... has been to see the courage that the Ukranian people have been in fighting back against the Russian invasion. Its been inspiring to see the people of Poland and surrounding countries have stepped up and have welcomed literally more than a million Ukranians who are seeking freedom and safety. Its been incredibly inspiring to see how the people or our state and county have stepped up to help. Cantor said there are many efforts locally that can help Ukrainians, which will be on the towns website. She said she was thrilled to see the support of everyone who came out. The world has been inspired by the courage, bravery and fortitude of the Ukrainian people to protect their democratic country from tyranny, she said. We have to fight to protect democracy fiercely, with eyes wide open. For more information, visit www.westhartfordct.gov. Russell will have to make do with a place on the bench in Dublin (PA) Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend insists he would prefer to focus on why he selected Blair Kinghorn to start at stand-off rather than the demotion of talisman Finn Russell to the bench for Saturdays Six Nations clash in Ireland. The Racing 92 number 10 has not been at his brilliant best in this years tournament but eyebrows have been raised by the decision to replace him for a formidable trip to Dublin with 25-year-old Edinburgh player Kinghorn, who has made only one start for the national team. Asked what Russell has done to merit being one of only two players to drop out from the side that started last weekends bonus-point win away to Italy, Townsend said: Id prefer to focus on what Blair has done and how well hes played and how hes deserved his opportunity, which he certainly has with his performances throughout the season. We see this as an opportunity for Blair. Hes been in really good form. He wasnt available for our match (in Rome) last week (due to personal reasons) but the week before that he played his best game of the season against Connacht. Hes come on twice off the bench and shown what he can do in that (Scotland) jersey. He started against Tonga and played really well and hes built on that performance so we believe this is the right time, the right game for him to play in. Asked how Russell reacted to the news that he will not be starting in Dublin, Townsend said: OK, yeah, fine. Like any conversation when you give someone news that theyre not starting, theyre initially disappointed but they support the team. Finn will support Blair, as he has done this week. Townsend seemed reluctant for the focus to be on Russells omission and dismissed the suggestion that his decision should be viewed as a risk. (PA Wire) Every selection is an opportunity, said Townsend, who has restored Jonny Gray in place of his Exeter colleague Sam Skinner in the second row. There is no exact science. Like any game, you put a lot of thought into it and put out the team you believe is going to give you the best chance of winning. Its about what you feel is right based on training and games. We know Blair has done really well and earned this opportunity, and also with how were looking to play the game, with Blairs strengths. Hes a very good passer, an excellent runner, he has a long-kicking game and he moves well between phases. He senses where the space might appear in the defence very well. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) on Thursday reiterated his pledge to veto new congressional district maps, just minutes after the state Senate gave final approval to a proposal that has roiled Concord for months. As recently as last week, Sununu had publicly urged the state Senate to make amendments to a House-passed map that would have created one solidly Democratic district and one that would likely elect a Republican. But the Senate defeated proposed amendments to the map, defying Sununu's wishes. Sununu said he would not sign the legislature's proposal. "The proposed Congressional redistricting map is not in the best interest of New Hampshire and I will veto it as soon as it reaches my desk. The citizens of this state are counting on us to do better," Sununu said in a statement Thursday. The dispute between a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled legislature stands out in a redistricting process that is usually marked by partisan bickering. Sununu has sided with redistricting reform groups who say the legislature's proposals unnecessarily break up communities of interest and reduce competition in two districts that have a history of electing both Republicans and Democrats - even if Democrats have been on a recent winning streak. The map lines, approved on a party-line vote in the state House and with only a single Republican defector in the state Senate, would represent the biggest change to the way the Granite State elects its representatives in more than a century. Until several Supreme Court cases in the 1960s, New Hampshire went 80 years without redrawing its congressional district maps. In the decades since, the lines have been largely static: The 1st District includes Manchester, the state's largest city, and communities along the eastern border with Maine. The 2nd District includes Nashua and Concord, the capital, and runs north through the White Mountains to the Canadian border. Story continues Both districts have been hotly contested in recent decades. In the last 30 elections, dating back to the 1960s, Republicans have won the 1st District 18 times and the 2nd District 21 times. More recently, Democrats have won the 1st District in six of the past eight elections, and the 2nd District in seven of those eight elections. Reps. Chris Pappas (D) and Ann McLane Kuster (D) won reelection in 2020, when President Biden carried their districts with 52 percent and 53 percent, respectively. Former President Trump carried Pappas's slightly more conservative 1st District by a 48 percent to 47 percent margin in 2016. The new boundaries proposed by the legislature would move several more conservative towns into Pappas's Concord- and Nashua-based 1st District. The result, according to calculations made by one redistricting expert, would put Pappas in a district that Trump would have carried by a 50 percent to 48 percent margin in 2020. A separate Democratic proposal, shot down in the legislature, would have made only cosmetic changes to the two districts to bring their populations roughly in line. New Hampshire is one of only five states that has yet to finalize new maps for U.S. House districts. It is also the smallest still on the board. The others - Missouri, Ohio, Florida and Louisiana - all have many more representatives in Washington. Pappas already faces a difficult reelection challenge later this year, and several prominent Republicans are running for the right to challenge him. Matt Mowers, a former advisor in Trump's White House who lost to Pappas in 2020, is running again; so is Gail Huff Brown, a former television news reporter and the wife of former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who served as Trump's ambassador to New Zealand. State Rep. Tim Baxter (R) and Karoline Leavitt (R), another veteran of Trump's White House, are also running. Some Republicans in New Hampshire believe Sununu's insistence on keeping the two seats largely the way they are reflects his belief that the GOP can win both seats in a good year. Sununu helped recruit Jeff Cozzens (R), a craft brewery owner whom local Republicans see as a strong candidate, to challenge Kuster. Cozzens faces state Sen. Harold French (R), state Rep. Jeffrey Greeson (R) and Robert Burns, a former elected official in Manchester, in the Sept. 13 primary. Though redistricting reform advocates defend the districts as drawn today, their initial shapes reflect the legacy of discrimination. In other states, discrimination through redistricting has sought to deny racial and ethnic minorities the right to elect a member of Congress who looks like them; in New Hampshire, one of the whitest states in the nation, the lines were initially drawn to split Manchester and Nashua, two cities with substantial Catholic populations, in order to deny Catholics the opportunity to elect one of their own. Anti-Catholic bias is no longer a concern; the last Republican to hold the 1st District, former Rep. Frank Guinta (R), is Roman Catholic. But both Democratic and Republican map proposals still split Manchester and Nashua, the state's two largest cities. Happy Thursday, Huntington Beach; and happy St. Patricks Day! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note. Police officers visited the high school for a career fair. Also, its time to spray for mosquitoes again. Finally, the Hoag Health Center has scheduled a blood drive. First, today's weather: Mostly sunny and nice. High: 76 Low: 51. Here are the top stories in Huntington Beach today: Early Wednesday morning, HBPD officers attended the HBHS career fair. They gave students a starting point for those who want to pursue careers in law enforcement. We are always happy to talk about the work we do in the community & potentially meet the next generation of the HBPD, officers said. (@HBPoliceDept) A heads-up if you like to walk in Harriet Wieder Park. The OC Mosquito and Vector Control District will be conducting targeted mosquito control efforts on Thursday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. They will apply Vectobac WDG by truck. (@CityofHBPIO) The Hoag Health Center will host a blood drive on April 9 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come to the parking lot at 19582 Beach Boulevard. Donors will receive a limited edition t-shirt. The venue strongly encourages appointments! (@hoaghealth) The HB City School District released its latest COVID numbers on Monday. The District confirms a total of four cases out of 5,513 students and teachers. There are two at Seacliff Elementary and two at Dwyer Middle School. (HBCSD) The City is responding to the repeated dissemination of anti-Semitic flyers. OC Human Relations and HB Listens have scheduled community dialog sessions to discuss ways we can address hate speech, build community and empower residents to stand up against hate. The first session is in person on March 29 at the Senior Center at Central Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the second is virtual and takes place on April 6. (@CityofHBPIO) From our sponsor: Todays newsletter is brought to you by Ring, a Patch Brand Partner. We all know that Ring is the leader in video doorbells for home security. But did you know that Ring now makes a home security system that is getting raves from consumer electronic experts? (Reviewers at CNET called the new system known as the Ring Alarm Pro a giant leap for home security). So why the kudos? Story continues In a nutshell: the Ring Alarm Pro can protect your home both online and off. It includes a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router to help you get reliable physical and digital security in one, innovative device. Now you can help protect your home with all the benefits of the Ring Alarm, to keep your home safe and secure, while experiencing fast, reliable connectivity. To learn more about the system CNET called the future of home security or to build your own custom system, you can visit Ring here. Today in Huntington Beach: St. Patrick's Day at PC Grommets Kids Club (10 AM) Purim Celebration at the Hebrew Academy (10 AM) St Patricks Day Pub Crawl & Block Party at Fred's Mexican Cafe & Cantina (3 PM) Thirsty Thursday at Hurricanes Bar & Grill (4 PM) Nice Bits! Comedy Competition at The Rec Room by Off The Wall (7:30 PM) From my notebook: Our Hopeview Track neighbor is ISO an eye doctor for exam in the 92647. (Nextdoor) A Huntington Harbour neighbor saw an army of jellyfish taking over the Huntington harbor! (Nextdoor) More from our sponsors thanks for supporting local news! Featured businesses: Loving the Huntington Beach Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved: Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can subscribe Get your local business listed in front of readers Send me a news tip or suggestion at huntingtonbeach-ca@patch.com Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday! See you tomorrow for another update. Sylvia Cochran About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8. This article originally appeared on the Huntington Beach Patch A coronavirus vaccination site at a community centre in Singapore. (AFP via Getty Images file photo) SINGAPORE A Moderna booster shot provides significantly better protection against COVID-19 for those above 60 years old who had taken Pfizer jabs, compared with a third Pfizer dose. After seven days, the average antibody level among those who had a Moderna booster was about twice as high as those who were administered a Pfizer dose, according to researchers at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). The findings announced in a press release on Thursday (17 March) also show that 28 days after a booster, average antibody levels in those above 60 were 84.3 per cent for those who had taken the Moderna booster, compared with 72.8 per cent for Pfizer. The outcomes were consistent across all COVID-19 variants of concern, from Alpha to Omicron, the study added. However, antibody levels were similar in younger adults regardless of whether they had received a Moderna or Pfizer booster. Lead researcher Dr Barnaby Young, who is the head of the NCID's Singapore Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network, said having a higher antibody level is likely to offer greater protection against Omicron. "Taking Moderna as a booster shot may offer better or longer protection for older adults as well, as our research has observed a higher anti-spike antibody titer and a stronger neutralising response of the vaccine against the Omicron variant," he added. The study also found that adverse vaccine reactions, while common, were mild and short-lived. Such common reactions include pain at the injection site within 72 hours of a booster, and muscle pain arising from fatigue. For those 60 and above, fever and weakness occurred more frequently among who had received a Moderna booster dose. No participant had experienced any serious side effect, the study showed. These observations complement other international trials and provide "reassuring" local data that a third dose of mRNA vaccine is safe and effective at boosting the immune response, the NCID said. Story continues The study, conducted between 12 October and 3 December last year, involved 100 participants who had received the Pfizer shots as their primary series of COVID-19 vaccination. Of them, half were above 60 years old. The study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, was published on Thursday in the research repository SSRN. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either a Moderna or Pfizer booster shot. Blood samples were collected 28 days before the booster as well as seven and 28 days after the shot. The study will continue to follow participants and monitor the waning of antibody levels after their booster shots, with additional blood samples to be collected after six months and one year, the NCID said. The current phase of the study, which started on 3 January, will cover up to 200 participants who had earlier received either the Pfizer or Moderna shots as their primary series. They will be randomly allocated to receive either Pfizer, Moderna, as well as Covaxin booster shots. The NCID said that it plans to extend the study to other vaccines, including Nuvaxovid, and could involve up to 600 participants ranging across ages and ethnicities. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) arrives to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 for votes regarding nominations including Federal Communications Commission Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel. Today is Wednesday. Welcome to Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. Follow The Hill's tech team, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@millsrodrigo) and Rebecca Klar (@rebeccaklar_), and cyber reporter Ines Kagubare (@ineskagubare) for more coverage. Democrats introduced a new antitrust bill that would give antitrust enforcers more agency to block and break up large mergers. Meanwhile, Instagram rolled out new supervisory tools for parents to track their teens' activity. Let's jump into the news. New antitrust bill on the block Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), introduced a bill Wednesday that would give federal antitrust enforcers greater power to block and break up mergers. The Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act would allow the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice to reject large merger deals without a court order. It would also give the government power to retroactively break up deals that resulted in a market share above 50 percent or "materially harmed" competition, workers, consumers, or small or minority-owned businesses. Who's in: The proposal is backed by a coalition of progressives in both chambers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.), and follows a series of proposals introduced in Congress targeting the market power of tech giants. And who's not: Several antitrust reform bills have made their way out of committee in the House and Senate, but none have passed a full chamber. The Warren and Jones proposal may also face a tough road ahead. The bill lacks any GOP sponsors, and it is also notably missing Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), the chairs of the Senate and House antitrust panels, among the list of co-sponsors. Read more about the bill. Track your teens Story continues Instagram on Wednesday morning launched a "Family Center" with supervisory tools for parents to track their children's time and activity on the platform. In the new Family Center, parents will be able to view how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits. They will also be able to monitor their teen's use on the platform, including being able to view and receive updates on what accounts their teens follow and the accounts that follow their teens. Instagram will also let parents set notifications for when their teens share they've reported someone. Read more about the updates. SURCHARGES STARTING NEXT WEEK Lyft announced Wednesday that it will add a $0.55 fuel surcharge to the price of each ride starting next week in an effort to help its drivers offset rising fuel costs. The company told The Hill in an email that the full amount will go directly to drivers. In a statement, the company said, "Recent gas price increases are making all types of transportation more expensive. And this has a direct effect on drivers. So, starting next week, Lyft is adding a $0.55 fuel surcharge to each ride that'll go directly from riders to drivers-100% of it." Read more here. BITS AND PIECES An op-ed to chew on: The internet is on the verge of the next fundamental change Lighter click: the hardest worker in news Notable links from around the web: The grassroots giant: How Google became a lobbying powerhouse (Protocol / Ben Brody) Has Ukraine "Won the Information War"? Not So Fast. (Mother Jones / Ali Breland) Ukrainian Influencers Bring The Frontlines To TikTok (The Verge / Mia Sato) VIRTUAL EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT The Future of Education-Thursday, March 17 at 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT After two years of virtual and hybrid learning, many students are still playing catch up. The federal government has provided billions of dollars in relief funds to school districts across the country. How have state officials been using these funds and how can equity issues be tackled? Join us at The Hill's annual Future of Education Summit for headliner conversations with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) and Govs. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Chris Sununu (R-N.H.). Save your spot here. One last thing: Officials may provide drones Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) wears a Ukrainian and American flag pin during a press conference on Thursday, March 3, 2022 to introduce the Banning Russian Energy Imports Act. Biden administration is weighing supplying Ukraine with killer drones called Switchblades that can pinpoint personnel and military equipment accurately, NBC News reported, citing two congressional officials briefed on the matter. Manufacturer AeroVironment has previously sold two types of Switchblades to the U.S. Special Operations Command: the Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600, the network noted. The 300 is used for targeting personnel, while the 600 is used for targeting equipment like armored vehicles, such as tanks. The 600 can travel up to 50 miles and for as long as 40 minutes, NBC reported, citing the manufacturer. The set up time for the drones can take just minutes and they can be programmed to aim at targets miles away. Read more here. That's it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill's technology and cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. We'll see you Thursday. What happens when a country drops all of its social distancing rules before the coronavirus pandemic is over? We might be seeing that happen in Europe now. Over the past week, half of all European countries have shown significant increases in daily COVID-19 cases. "The next wave in Europe has begun," Dr. Eric Topol stated on Twitter. Cases in Finland skyrocketed by 84%. Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom all recorded worrying spikes. Many of those countries already had high daily caseloads because omicron had widely spread in January and February. The Netherlands, for example, reached a peak of 7,000 new weekly cases per million people in mid-February. After that, it fell, but remained at 2,000 per million, higher than even the peak in the United States, and now it is rising again from that high point. Therefore, the surges in most European countries are already starting from elevated levels. In a tweet, Dr. Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, said that the original version of omicron appears to be superseded by BA.2, a new variant of omicron that might spread more quickly. This is precisely what many had predicted when Europe and the U.S. prematurely declared victory over coronavirus. Then, in January, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, already reeling from a scandal over him holding parties during the lockdown, told everyone to tear off their masks. Fiona Loud, policy director at Kidney Care U.K., a group looking after the immunocompromised and those needing kidney transplants, said, "Quite simply, the immunocompromised community feels abandoned, having already spent two years under COVID-19 stress." Now coronavirus cases in the U.K. have risen by about 200% since Feb. 23. On March 14, more than 170,000 Brits were infected with COVID-19. Could common-sense measures like wearing masks have prevented some of those cases? Yet the Johnson administration continues to push forward with ending protections. For example, the U.K. is getting rid of mask measures even for air flights and does not require testing passengers. In fact, the Johnson administration thinks the U.K. can defeat the pandemic simply by stopping efforts to keep score. For instance, they are canceling applications that keep track of cases, harming health officials' ability to track health conditions. Kings College London Professor Tim Spector said, "It is disappointing that as we hit record levels of COVID, [Transport Secretary] Grant Shapps is saying we're safe. It is like they just want to get rid of the data and move on." The government is putting the elderly at risk, Prof. Spector said, and it could cause hospitals to be overfilled. Dr. Topol is concerned that the same thing will happen in the United States. "Now is the wrong time to become complacent. Our vaccination and booster rates have left us in a highly vulnerable position, worse than many low and middle-income countries," he wrote one week ago. Now indicators suggest COVID-19 may already be on the rise in the U.S., too. The CDC tracks virus measurements in wastewater across the country. In the past two weeks, they have seen a 40% increase in COVID-19 levels. That is typically a leading indicator of new cases spreading. According to Forbes, CDC scientist Amy Kirby said, "increasing levels of COVID-19 detected at wastewater sampling sites could reflect a bump in infections due to changing COVID-19 safety guidelines, such as the abandonment of mask mandates." This would be in line with the trends in Europe. Over most of the past two years, the U.S. has recorded a spike in coronavirus cases a few weeks after similar spikes in Europe. Will the U.S. be able to slow the spread? Past experience suggests it's not likely. Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. St. Patrick's Day started as a religious holiday. Ranieri Pieper/Shutterstock St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration that often involves beers and parades. It is historically a religious day that was made popular by Irish American immigrants in the 1700s. In the '90s, the Irish government began promoting celebrations to increase tourism. When you think of St. Patrick's Day, you probably think of a day-long party. St. Patrick's Day is often a time for parties. Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters Particularly in the United States, March 17 is seen as an excuse to wear green and drink Irish beer. The history of the day, however, dates back hundreds of years, and our modern iteration is vastly different from the St. Patrick's Day celebrations of yore. The holiday honors Saint Patrick, a patron saint and missionary. Saint Patrick and his followers, played by actors, lead the annual St. Patrick's Day parade on March 17, 2016, in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. Charles McQuillan/Getty Images Saint Patrick is known for spreading Christianity throughout Ireland during the fifth century. He lived a typical human life, but legends about the saint developed around the seventh century, three hundred years after he died. One of the most famous legends about him involves a shamrock. The story goes that Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to a non-believer, according to Britannica. In the 17th century, the church held an official feast day in honor of the saint. Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrate St. Patrick's Day in 2019. Gareth Fuller/ WPA Pool/ Getty Images Irish people began observing St. Patrick's day around the 10th century, but the first official feast day in the saint's honor took place in 1631. The feast was held on March 17, which is believed to be St. Patrick's death date, according to History.com. In addition, the celebration was more more religious than uproarious, with the law requiring Irish pubs to be closed. St. Patrick's Day as we know it today took shape in the 1700s. St. Patrick's Day was a respite. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters Because St. Patrick's Day occurs during Lent, the celebration was viewed as a break from the sobriety required during the weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter, according to Time. The first New York City parade in honor of St. Patrick's Day took place in 1762. A St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City. Craig Ruttle/AP While New York City's parade is the largest today, the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in 1601 in a Spanish colony that would today be Florida. Story continues In 1762, Irish military members serving in the British army marched down the streets of New York. The parade made them feel connected to their Irish roots despite being far from home, and soon it became a tradition. St. Patrick's Day celebrations got bigger in the United States as the Irish immigrant population grew. President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline O. Kennedy attend a St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1958. Boston Globe / Contributor / Getty Images When the Irish potato famine hit in 1845, mass amounts of people began migrating to the United States from Ireland. Many of the Irish struggled to find work upon their arrival and were treated as outsiders, and the media often depicted them as drunk and violent during this period. St. Patrick's Day felt like an opportunity to reclaim their heritage, as History pointed out. Public attitude toward Irish Americans became more positive in the early 1900s. Attitudes toward Irish-Americans shifted in the 20th century. Scott Eisen/Getty Images Irish Americans became an important voting block in the US, making public sentiment toward them more positive, according to History. President Truman attended the 1948 New York St. Patrick's Day parade, as listed by the Census Bureau. Chicago first dyed its river green for the holiday in 1962. Workers dye the Chicago River green as part of the city's annual St. Patrick's day celebrations in Chicago. REUTERS/John Gress Chicago is known around the world for the tradition, as CNN noted. According to Time, the color green wasn't officially associated with the holiday until 1798, the year of the Irish Rebellion. Before then, the color blue was often tied to St. Patrick's Day because it was featured in the royal court and on ancient Irish flags. Irish soldiers chose to wear green in contrast to the red British uniforms, making it the color of Ireland and St. Patrick's Day. The United States made March the official Irish American Heritage month in 1991. March is the official Irish-American Heritage month. Michael Nagle/Getty Images March was picked as to coincide with St. Patrick's Day. The official marking only made the celebrations of the holiday more exciting in the US. St. Patrick's Day didn't become a non-religious celebration in Ireland until the late 20th century. St. Patrick's Day was a religious event in Ireland until the late 20th century. Shutterstock Pubs in Ireland still had to be closed on the holiday up until the 1970s, according to History. But Ireland embraced the celebratory side of St. Patrick's Day in the '90s to bring tourist revenue to the country. The Ireland St. Patrick's Day Festival typically attracts over one million attendees. St. Patrick's Day is now celebrated around the world. St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration. NurPhoto / Contributor / Getty Images New York City typically hosts the largest St. Patrick's Day celebration, with smaller events usually taking place in Dublin, Ireland; Tokyo, Japan; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. You'll find people wearing green all over the world on March 17. In-person St. Patrick's Day celebrations are back in full force this year. Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade. Chris Jackson / Staff / Getty Images Many of the 2021 St. Patrick's Day celebrations were scaled back or done virtually, but in-person events are taking place in 2022. New York's parade is expected to bring in 150,000 attendees, and Ireland even made Friday, March 18 a national holiday in addition to March 17 so people can enjoy the celebrations even more. Even Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting in on the in-person festivities this year, attending the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, England. Read the original article on Insider By Mohi Narayan NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Reliance Industries Ltd, operator of the world's biggest refining complex, may avoid buying Russian fuels for its plants following Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, a senior company official said. "Even if we can source some of the feeds (from Russia), probably we will be out of it because of the sanctions," Rajesh Rawat, senior vice president and business head cracker, told an industry event on Wednesday. Reliance buys Urals crude and straight run fuel oil for its refineries from Russia. The private refiner mostly buys its petrochemical feedstock from the Middle East and the United States. Sanctions on Russia have prompted many companies and countries to shun its oil, depressing Russian crude to record discount levels. Rawat said in India most of the oil supplies from Russia are going to the state-run companies. "So probably, those feed streams will still continue, or may have a lesser impact compared to the private sector players. Because we deal with banks, and also even if we can source some of the feeds (from Russia), probably we will be out of it because of the sanctions," Rawat told the Asia Refining and Petrochemical Summit. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp has bought 3 million barrels of Russian Urals crude and Hindustan Petroleum has bought 2 million barrels of the oil through tenders. (Reporting by Mohi Narayan, Writing by Nidhi Verma; editing by Barbara Lewis) BERLIN (Reuters) - The growing number of Ukrainians seeking refuge in Germany will become a "big, big challenge," Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday. Speaking after talks with the leaders of Germany's 16 states to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, Scholz said that despite the challenge it should be relatively easy to help Ukrainians settle in given that they don't need visas to enter Germany and they have automatic access to healthcare and education as well as language and integration courses. German police have so far registered just under 190,000 Ukrainians who have fled Russia's invasion of their country. (Reporting by Joseph Nasr and Andreas Rinke; Editing by Hugh Lawson) The need for backbreaking labor to advance trade and transportation on the upper Connecticut River attracted about 400 Irish workers to a crude riverside camp in the late 1820s. With pick and shovel and a perilous, pre-dynamite blasting method, the workers built the Windsor Locks Canal from 1827-29. On Sunday, the Ancient Order of Hibernians Hartford Division No. 2 and the town of Windsor Locks will dedicate a permanent memorial in their honor. The 4.5-mile waterway skirted the Connecticut River between Suffield and Windsor Locks, bypassing treacherous rapids that had slowed commercial traffic. In that age, years before famine drove legions of their countrymen to American shores, the Irish workers were isolated and there was little interaction with the Yankee population. The laborers were virtually forgotten until Windsor Locks citizens determined several years ago that the workers efforts should be honored. The first of what advocates hoped to be an annual remembrance was held in 2021. At the time, the Hibernians launched a fund-raising effort to build the permanent memorial, event organizer Chris Kervick said. Overlooking the canal and the site where some workers were buried, the memorial is to be unveiled amid pomp that will include municipal officials in formal dress and top hats. The event will be a celebration of the accomplishments of these laborers as well as a remembrance of their sufferings on our behalf, Kervick said. The former first selectman has been working on a book about the Irish canal builders for years. He said Wednesday that he has finished seven chapters and has about five more to complete. Drawn from labor pools in New York City, the workers included some women, who cooked communal meals in a giant cauldron and bore 15 children who were baptized in the riverside shanty town, now the site of the Windsor Locks Commons shopping plaza on Main Street, Kervick said. The canal builders worked from dawn to dusk, digging and carting dirt. Story continues Unlike many canals of the time, the Windsor Locks Canal is lined with stone. Canal planners rightly determined that the churn and wash from paddle-wheel steamboats would degrade the waterway walls, Kervick said. So unlike other canals of the time that have folded and filled in, the Windsor Locks Canal is still clearly outlined. A state trail skirts the waterway along the former tow path. The continuous water connection from the Connecticut River valley farmlands above the rapids through to Hartford and points south provided farmers with expanded markets and investors with freight fees in the private business venture, according to a description on the state park website. The canal also carried passengers, including Charles Dickens in 1842, until the railroad largely supplanted its people moving and freight functions in 1844. The canal, however, was used for years after, both for recreational and commercial purposes, providing hydro power for factories and mills that sprang up on its banks. There is no available tally of Irish workers who died of disease and from accidents, but its probably 30 to 50, Kervick said. Part of the danger came from blasting methods employed then, he said. Workers on a blasting crew, who were paid a well-earned premium, filled holes with black powder, lit a rudimentary fuse and ran like hell, Kervick said. He has found a couple of the workers graves in a Suffield cemetery; others lie in unmarked graves beside the river. Most workers returned to Ireland after the canal was finished, but some stayed, including Michael Guinang, also spelled Guinane, who died in 1870 and is buried in St. Mary Cemetery in Windsor Locks, Kervick said. The celebration of the canal workers kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. with an Irish Singalong at the Hungry Rhino Pub at 47 S. Main St., Windsor Locks. The memorial dedication is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. at the lower picnic area in Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park. U.S. Rep. John Larson is to give the keynote address. After the ceremony, a traditional Irish music session is scheduled at Luppoleto Brewing Company at Dexter Plaza on Main Street. Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com By Marco Carta ROME (Reuters) -An Italian appeals court on Thursday reduced the prison terms imposed on two American tourists who were originally given life sentences for the 2019 murder of a policeman in a case that shook Italy. The court ruled that Finnegan Lee Elder, who was 19 at the time, should serve 24 years in jail for stabbing Mario Cerciello Rega to death in central Rome. His friend, Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth, then 18, was handed a 22-year term. He did not handle the murder weapon during the attack but was tussling with another police officer. Elder admitted the killing but both he and Natale-Hjorth said they had acted in self-defence because they thought the two policemen, who were not in uniform at the time, were thugs out to get them after a botched attempt to buy drugs. The two Americans, who both came from California, say Rega and his colleague, Andrea Varriale, did not identify themselves as police. Varriale denied this. The appeals court did not immediately explain why it had decided to reduce the prison terms. However, one of Elder's lawyers said he would appeal against the verdict to Italy's supreme court as well as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. "The sentence is a compromise that we do not like," Renato Borzone told reporters after the ruling was delivered, saying there was no solid evidence to prove that the police had identified themselves before seeking to stop the two Americans. Elder and Natale-Hjorth had come to Rome on holiday and tried to buy drugs from a local dealer in a tourist hotspot. They told the court that they were cheated, but managed to snatch a bag off an intermediary as he tried to get away. They subsequently agreed to meet the dealer again to get their money back in exchange for the bag, but instead the two policemen showed up. Elder said the pair attacked them. Police say Cerciello Rega, who had only recently got married, was not armed and was stabbed 11 times by Elder with an 18-cm (7-inch) blade that he had brought with him from the United States. Story continues A lawyer representing Cerciello Rega's wife welcomed Thursday's ruling. "We are satisfied... No sentence will be able to alleviate the pain of Cerciello Rega's widow, but the sacrifice of a state official was not made in vain," Massimo Ferrandino said. (Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Nick Macfie) By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - Princess Aiko, the only child of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, said on Thursday that taking part in rituals as an adult member of the imperial family remained "rather tense" for her, and marriage is still far in the future. Japan's imperial family became the centre of global attention last year when Aiko's 30-year-old cousin Mako defied widespread opposition to marry her college sweetheart after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the stresses of her tumultuous engagement. Mako's marriage to Kei Komuro, a commoner who works in a law office in New York, meant giving up her title and leaving the royal family according to imperial family rules - a situation that Aiko, who just turned 20 and became a full-fledged adult royal in December, will face if there is no change. Women cannot inherit the Japanese throne and royal life is circumscribed. Aiko's mother, Empress Masako, gave up a life as a diplomat and has struggled for years with what the palace terms an "adjustment disorder." In her debut news conference, Aiko, who spoke carefully and occasionally smiled shyly, said she was mainly focusing on her studies for now and that the reality of being an adult royal was just sinking in. "For the first time I've taken part in a number of palace rituals, and I was rather tense. It seemed strange that I was being part of things that only my parents had done up to now." Asked about her future plans and views on marriage, Aiko said she had just finished her second year at university, studying Japanese literature, and still has no clear picture of her future after that. "For me, marriage still seems far in the future and I haven't really thought of it. I have no particular thought of my ideal partner, but being with somebody and we can make each other smile seems perfect." Aiko, who wore a pastel yellow suit and pearl necklace, avoided comment about her cousin's marriage. Story continues Instead, she described being raised "peacefully" and gave unusual glimpses of palace life, including jogging around the grounds with her father and a time she and her parents tried to sit together on a surfboard at the beach and ended up tumbling into the water. "I've been mostly raised without worries, so I tend to do things at my own pace," she said. "From childhood, I've been a little shy, so I'll try hard from now on to conquer this." (Additional reporting by Rikako Maruyama; Editing by Mark Heinrich) The Lexington man accused of leading police on a low-speed chase earlier this week was denied a bond reduction, as a Fayette District Court judge ruled he was a flight risk and a danger to public safety. Timothy Davis, 42, has been charged with first degree fleeing or evading police, kidnapping, criminal mischief and multiple counts of wanton endangerment after he allegedly kidnapped a woman and then evaded police during an incident Monday. The chase laste about an hour and a half, according to court records. Hes being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing in court on Thursday, meaning his case will be sent to a grand jury. During Thursdays short hearing, Davis asked Judge John Tackett if he could reduce his bond to a lower amount. That request was denied by Tackett. The judge deemed Davis a danger to the community and a flight risk based on the allegations from Mondays incident and the significance of previous charges Davis has faced for allegedly fleeing police and failing to comply with sex offender registration. Davis was previously convicted of sex crimes in Florida involving two teenage victims, according to Kentucky police records. Hes a move-in offender. Davis allegedly led Lexington police on an hour-plus chase Monday morning, which ended at his home on Breckenridge Street where he surrendered to officers. Police said officers tried to initiate a traffic stop with Davis after previously receiving a report of a kidnapping, but Davis fled from officers after the woman was able to escape from the vehicle. The victim later told police Davis restrained her with the intent to inflict harm, according to court records. During the chase, Davis disregarded stoplights and drove through medians, grass fields and parking lots to try to avoid police, according to court documents. Davis also reversed into a police cruiser, which caused property damage of roughly $1,000, according to court documents. In January 2019, Davis led police in Pulaski County on a pursuit that ended when he ran out of gas, according to court records. Court documents say Davis went into the opposite lane of traffic multiple times during the chase and even attempted to hit a deputy head-on with his vehicle. Davis case will be sent to a grand jury, which wont determine guilt but will decide whether theres enough evidence to indict him on the charges hes currently facing. The grand jury could also decide to bring additional charges against Davis or decline to indict him. You are here: World Flash Ukraine has integrated its electricity transmission network into the European energy system, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. "Ukraine has become a member of the European Energy Union. The unification of Ukrainian and European energy systems has been completed," Zelensky tweeted. Ukraine, which was importing electricity from Russia and Belarus, last year set a target to integrate its energy system into the European network of electricity transmission system operators by 2023. According to media reports, 15 nuclear units at four Ukrainian nuclear power plants generate about 55 percent of Ukraine's electricity needs. Thermal power plants produce 29 percent of Ukraine's electricity, while the rest is powered by other sources or imported from abroad. A Stark County jury convicted Terrel J. Lipkins, right, of murder and all other counts tied to the shooting death of Jenny Norris, 65, of Canton. He is pictured here with defense attorney Aaron Kovalchik. CANTON A Canton man was convicted of murder and other charges tied to a fatal drive-by shooting weeks after a second suspect was acquitted. A jury found Terrel J. Lipkins, 23, of Canton, guilty Thursday following his trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court. More: Pair arrested in connection with Canton killing Jenny Norris, 65, was gunned down on Aug. 7 as she stood outside her Canton home on Belden Avenue SE talking to neighbors. Canton police and the U.S. Marshals Service later arrested two suspects. The first, Javier Blood, was acquitted on all charges last month at trial. Lipkins was the driver and was seen on video shown during the trial toting a gun similar to the one seen during the shooting. The case was heard by Judge Frank Forchione and prosecuted by Stark County Criminal Chief Dennis Barr and First Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Mlinar. Lipkins was represented by defense attorney Aaron Kovalchik. Reaction to Terrel J. Lipkins' trial verdicts Kovalchik, declined to comment due to a possible appeal filing. Barr declined to comment until after Lipkin's sentencing hearing, scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. Lipkins faces a minimum prison term of 15 years to life on the murder charge. He also was convicted of felonious assault and gun-related charges that could bring additional prison time. More: Trial begins for accused gunman in Canton fatal drive-by shooting Javier Blood looks to the ceiling in a sigh of relief after his acquittal on all charges in the shooting death of 65-year-old Jenny Norris, of Canton. The Stark County Prosecutor's Office alleged Blood was the gunman and Lipkins acted as the driver. More: Javier Blood acquitted on all charges in Canton fatal drive-by shooting Video showed Blood getting into the front passenger seat of the vehicle at several locations hours and moments prior to the shooting. At both trials, the state played video of Lipkins driving his girlfriend's car the day of the shooting, one similar to the vehicle used during the fatal shooting. Witnesses testified at both trials hearing several shots and seeing the back driver's side window down with a gun hanging out and firing. Reach Cassandra cnist@gannett.com; Twitter @Cassienist This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jury convicts Terrel Lipkins, second drive-by shooting suspect Empire actor Jussie Smollett was ordered released from jail Wednesday after a court agreed to stay the sentence a judge handed down last week, according to court documents. Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and probation after he was convicted of falsely reporting to police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019. A court granted a motion Wednesday that he be allowed to be freed on bond pending an appeal. The motion asked that the sentence be stayed, or put on hold. Smollett walked out of jail around 8 p.m. local time, wearing a mask. He got into a waiting vehicle and did not answer any questions. Smolletts attorneys said last week they planned an appeal, but the judge at the sentencing denied their requests to stay the sentence.A jury convicted Smollett in December of five counts of felony disorderly conduct. Smollett, who is Black and gay, claimed that he was brutally assaulted in Chicagos Streeterville neighborhood early Jan. 29, 2019. Authorities said he orchestrated a phony assault. Smollett has denied that and said he is innocent. Cook County Circuit Judge James Linn excoriated Smollett at sentencing last Thursday and said he fabricated the hate crime to gain attention. Youre just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, Linn said at sentencing. Smollett had claimed that two men punched and kicked him, used racist and homophobic slurs, threw a chemical in his face and wrapped a noose around his neck. Authorities said he recruited two brothers who worked on the set of "Empire" to stage the attack. The brothers are not criminally charged in the case, and their attorney said last week that they "regret their role in the case and hope that the sentence today brings closure to the affected people of Chicago." Linn last week sentenced Smollett to 30 months probation, including 150 days in jail. He was also ordered to pay around $120,100 in restitution to the city of Chicago, and he was fined $25,000. Story continues Smolletts attorney, Nenye Uche, said after the actor left jail Wednesday that the process has been unconstitutional. Smollett was arrested and indicted in 2019, but charges were dropped in a deal that involved community service and forfeiture of a $10,000 bond. A special prosecutor was appointed, and Smollett was indicted in 2020, which led to the conviction and sentence. In this country, you cannot punish a person twice, Uche told reporters. Smolletts attorneys plan to appeal the conviction and criminal case. They argued for the stay of the jail sentence by saying Smollett would be likely serve the 150 days of jail time as the appeals are pending. Mar. 16WASHINGTON Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, M.D. joined a press conference following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to Congress Wednesday morning. Senators Moran and Marshall will be traveling to Poland and Germany this weekend to gain more insight on needed security support for Ukraine and NATO readiness. "America should do what America does best protect freedom and liberty for our own citizens and for people around the world," said Sen. Moran. "President Zelenskyy's address to Congress was a powerful and moving reminder that the United States must continue to take action to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia's unprovoked attack, assist refugees fleeing Ukraine, support our NATO allies and make certain Vladimir Putin pays for his aggression. The United States has the capability to provide further resources to Ukrainians through defensive military equipment, food aid and medical supplies to give Ukraine a fighting chance not only to survive but to win. We must demonstrate through our actions that we stand with Ukraine and our European allies in the fight for democracy." "I do believe the Unites States can do so much more that we can show more compassion and we are doing that by helping getting food and medical supplies to the people of Ukraine," said Sen. Marshall. "Our sanctions on Russia could be much stronger and President Biden is delaying implementation of so many of the sanctions we are basically continuing to fund this Russian war. I do believe we can get MiG-29s, A-10s, more drones, and more anti-aircraft missiles, but President Biden has to step forward and start leading. I am committed that there will be no American bloodshed in Ukraine this has to be a war that is led be Europe. We will be standing beside and behind but we don't want American pilots in the air space or American boots on the ground. We must do all we can to help the brave people of Ukraine." Story continues A response to the speech Both Moran and Marshall were moved by Zelenskyy's remarks. "President Zelenskyy's address to Congress was a powerful and moving reminder that the United States must continue to take action to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia's unprovoked attack, assist refugees fleeing Ukraine, support our NATO allies and make certain Vladimir Putin pays for his aggression," said Moran. "The United States has the capability to provide further resources to Ukrainians through defensive military equipment, food aid and medical supplies. We must demonstrate through our actions that we stand with Ukraine and our European allies in the fight for democracy." "The courage and bravery of the Ukrainian people have inspired all of us. President Zelenskyy challenged our nation that if you want to be a leader of the world you have to be the leader of peace. But, you can't obtain peace if you are leading from behind we need President Biden and Europe to step up and lead," said Senator Marshall. "We have the ability to show more compassion and to get more humanitarian aid. But, there is so much more that we could do short of American boots on the ground and American pilots in the air. We can arm Ukrainians and get them MiG-29s and A-10s. But, our sanctions have to be real right now our President is just shouting in the wind. Specifically, President Biden's sanctions on Russian energy don't go into effect until June 24th once again our President is late to act." Senators Marshall and Moran joined Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) in introducing a resolution calling for Vladimir Putin and members of his regime to be held accountable for the numerous acts of war crimes, aggression, and human rights abuses conducted under his watch. The resolution passed unanimously in the Senate yesterday. Kanye Wests Instagram account has reportedly been suspended for a post attacking The Daily Show host Trevor Noah with a racial slur. The rappers account has been locked for 24 hours by the social media platform after he insulted Noah, the writing partner of Kim Kardashians boyfriend Pete Davidson. Instagrams parent company Meta views Wests posts as a violation of Instagrams policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying, according to TMZ. In his post attacking Noah, West (now known only as Ye) repeatedly referred to him as a k**n after the comic said that the situation between West, his ex-wife and Davidson was terrifying to watch. The phrase is described by Urban Dictionary as a Black person who is anti-Black. The Independent has reached out to Meta for comment. Following the outburst, Noah addressed the racial slur head on in a reply that has since been removed due to Wests Instagram suspension. He also addressed the situation at length in the reply. There are few artists who have had more of an impact on me than you Ye. You took samples and turned them into symphonies, Noah wrote. You took your pain and through the wire turned it into performance perfection. I thought differently about how I spend my money because of you, I learned to protect my child-like creativity from grown thoughts because of you, s**t I still smile every time I put on my seatbelt because of you. He added: Youre an indelible part of my life Ye. Which is why it breaks my heart to see you like this. I dont care if you support Trump and I dont care if you roast Pete. I do however care when I see you on a path thats dangerously close to peril and pain. Kardashian filed for divorce from West in February 2021 citing irreconcilable differences and was declared legally single on 2 March. West has made several public appeals to Kardashian to reunite their family; the couple share four children North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm together. Story continues He has also repeatedly used Instagram to attack Davidson, who began dating Kardashian in October last year. After one of his social media rants against the Saturday Night Live comedian, Kardashian told West he was creating a dangerous and scary environment for Davidson. Someone will hurt Pete and this will be all your fault, Kardashian wrote, as seen in screenshots posted by West at the time. By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea recorded a record 621,328 new daily COVID-19 cases and a daily record 429 deaths, authorities said on Thursday, as the country which once took an aggressive anti-pandemic approach is set to end COVID restrictions. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the highly infectious Omicron variant was driving the record wave of infections and while a public survey revealed many expected to catch the virus, few feared serious health consequences. Daily infections are far higher than health authorities had predicted. On Wednesday the government said it expected the wave to top out with daily cases in the mid-400,000. Less than a month ago it had predicted the peak of the wave would come in mid-March at 140,000-270,000 daily cases. KDCA official Lee Sang-won said some 70,000 cases and 200 deaths were missing in tallies over the past couple of days, apologising for errors in its compiling procedures. But he said the current wave has been stronger than expected and could continue to beat its predictions. Despite the numbers, the government shows no sign of rethinking plans to remove almost all social distancing restrictions in coming days and weeks, and public opinion appears to support those moves. It has pushed back a curfew on eateries to 11 p.m., stopped enforcing vaccine passes, and plans to drop a quarantine for vaccinated travellers arriving from overseas. A decision on whether to ease further measures, such as a current six-person limit on private gatherings, is expected as early as Friday. South Korea also mandates masks in all public indoor and outdoor spaces. Though it never adopted a "zero COVID" policy and never imposed wide lockdowns, South Korea once used aggressive tracking, tracing, and quarantines to control new cases. That has been largely ended or scaled back, though it still tests widely. South Korea has avoided the crisis unfolding in places like Hong Kong, limiting deaths and serious cases largely through widespread vaccination, experts have said. Story continues Nearly 63% of the country's 52 million residents had received booster shots, with 86.6% of the population fully vaccinated, the KDCA said. A government analysis of some 141,000 Omicron cases reported in the country over the past year showed that there were no deaths among people under 60 who had received a booster shot, Son Young-rae, a health ministry official, said on Wednesday, adding that COVID could be treated like the seasonal flu. "We see this could be the last major crisis in our COVID responses, and if we overcome this crisis, it would bring us nearer to normal lives," Son told a briefing. In a survey released on Tuesday by Seoul National University's graduate school of public health, the number of South Koreans who think they are likely to contract the virus was the highest since its surveys began in January 2020, at around 28%, but the number of those who worry about a serious health impact from the infection was the lowest, at about 48%. "People's awareness about the virus' danger has clearly changed," said professor Yoo Myung-soon who led the study. "Despite the Omicron variant's much higher infectivity than Delta, its relatively low fatality appears to have alleviated people's concerns." (Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry) Russian President Putin and President Biden in Geneva The Kremlin on Wednesday said President Biden's comments calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" were "unforgivable," according to Reuters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the Biden's statement "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric on the part of the head of a state whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world," according to Russian state news agency TASS. Biden on Wednesday called Putin a "war criminal" for the first time, upping American rhetoric and jumping ahead of a legal process that can take years. "I think he is a war criminal," Biden told reporters at an event at the White House. The State Department has initiated a process officially designating Putin a war criminal, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday. Biden's remarks came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's virtual address to Congress, in which he made an emotional plea for more help. Zelensky has implored the U.S. and other allied nations to impose a humanitarian no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying, "Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people." Biden has resisted the move because of concerns that it would trigger a larger war. The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution backing a war crimes investigation into Putin and Russian forces. The bipartisan resolution urged the International Criminal Court in The Hague and other nations to launch an investigation of war crimes committed by the Russian military during its invasion of Ukraine. The fighting in Ukraine has displaced more than 3 million people since the invasion began on Feb. 24, according to estimates from the United Nations. By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia was putting "colossal" energy into talks on a possible peace deal with Ukraine but did not see such "zeal" from Kyiv, and agreement had yet to be reached. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said talks were continuing and Russian negotiators were ready to work around the clock. "Our delegation is putting in colossal effort," Peskov told reporters. "I repeat again, our delegation...is ready to work around the clock and has demonstrated such readiness - but unfortunately we don't see such zeal from the Ukrainian side." Ukraine says it is willing to negotiate to end the three-week-old war that erupted after Russia invaded its neighbour, but will not surrender or accept Russian ultimatums. "Negotiations are complicated. The positions of the parties are different. For us, fundamental issues are inviolable," presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in a tweet. Russia's invasion has killed thousands of people, displaced more than 3 million and raised fears of a wider confrontation between Russia and the United States, the world's two biggest nuclear powers. Putin calls it a "special military operation" that he says was necessary because NATO's enlargement threatened Russia, and to halt what he called the "genocide" of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Ukraine and its Western backers dismiss the claims of genocide. They believe Russia launched the unprovoked war to subjugate a neighbour Putin calls an artificial state. Russia says the West - and its media - has ignored the persecution of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, which was part of the old Moscow-dominated Soviet Union before winning statehood upon its break-up in 1991. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Putin on Thursday he would be happy to host him and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy for talks. Russia has said such high-level talks would only happen to seal a deal. Story continues WEEKS OF TALKS Talks on trying to find an end to the conflict began on Feb. 28, four days after Putin ordered troops into Ukraine. Some talks have been in person at the Belarusian border or in Belarus while others have taken place on video conference. Russia wants a neutral Ukraine and a written guarantee that its former Soviet neighbour would never join the NATO military alliance. While scolding the West at a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin said Russia was prepared to talk. "On the principal questions for Russia and its future - a neutral status for Ukraine, demilitarisation and denazification - we always were ready and are ready now to discuss at talks," Putin said. Peskov said that if Ukraine agreed such a document and adhered to it then Russia "could very quickly stop what is happening." Asked about a Financial Times report that Ukraine and Russia had made significant progress on a tentative peace plan, Peskov said: "It is not right - there are elements there that are right but on the whole it is incorrect." U.S. stocks edged lower on that statement.. The FT did not immediately commment. Russia's chief negotiator, Kremlin adviser Vladimir Medinsky, said on Wednesday that Ukraine had suggested an Austrian or Swedish variant of neutrality. "We need a peaceful, free, independent Ukraine - neutral and not a member of a military bloc, not a member of NATO," said Medinsky, who was born in Soviet Ukraine but graduated from the prestigious Moscow Institute of International Relations. Ukraine's Podolyak said Kyiv was seeking legally verified security guarantees, a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops. Ukraine has repeatedly said it will never accept Russian control of Crimea or two Russian-backed rebel regions in eastern Ukraine which Moscow formally recognised as states three days before the war. Western officials said significant gaps remained. "Both sides are taking them seriously but there is a very, very big gap between the positions in question," one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Those...who saw President Putin addressing the nation yesterday would be forgiven for thinking that Russia was not in compromising mood," another official said. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) Lafayette School Corporation March meeting, on March 14, 2022, in Lafayette LAFAYETTE, Ind. This month's Lafayette School Corporation school board meeting was anything but mundane as agenda items included emergency repairs and emotional farewells. Monday night's meeting saw a tearful goodbye between board members, an eighth-grader standing up for change within the school district, the appointment of two new principals and the approval of an emergency resolution to fund repairs for Murdock Elementary School. The emergency resolution to fund repairs at Murdock The LSC board approved an emergency resolution to fund roof repairs for Murdock Elementary, which experienced significant water damage in late February due to severe weather conditions, said Eric Rody, LSCs Chief Financial Officer. Buckets were placed throughout the school to catch the water leaking through the roof. In normal circumstances, the board would advertise for bids and approve a bid at a later date. Due to the importance of the repairs, the board bypassed the advertisement period and immediately accepted bids. More: Opera singer, local students to share songs, stories from women's suffrage movement The board will be hiring the Etica Group, an Indianapolis contractor, as a project consultant at the cost of $28,500, which is around 6 percent of the total cost. The board estimates that the project will cost around $750,000. Sprague announces retirement After 20 years, Rebecca Sprague announced that she will be leaving the LSC school board, saying she will be moving to Virginia with her husband. Sprague appeared teary-eyed as her fellow board members shared a few memories with the audience. Its been an absolute pleasure working beside you, for a long time, too. Its going to be very difficult to find someone of your integrity and honesty and character, said Kay Walton. Its hard for me not to be emotional because shes been my buddy for a long time. Its hard to lose her from the board, but its also hard to lose her in my life. I know we will stay friends and stay in touch, but its difficult and she knows I love her, and I wish her the best. Story continues Rebecca Sprague, LSC's sixth district school board member, gets teary-eyed as her fellow board members share their memories of Sprague during the Lafayette School Corporation March meeting, on March 14, 2022, in Lafayette After wiping her eyes, Sprague spoke to the board and audience about her experience at LSC. This has been one of the best things apart of my life. Ive really enjoyed this service to the community. I was a young parent at Murdock and the principal was Diana. She called me up and just said that there was an opening, and the board was looking to appoint someone, and she thought I would be a good fit and thought I would be interested, said Sprague. I knew nothing about school boards, so I was like, OK, sure Ill do this! And Im so glad that I said yes. The people that I have met and the things that Ive learned and the lives that I know we have touched. This had been a really good board to work on. The LSC has 45 days to find a replacement for Sprague's seat. The new appointee would be a resident from the Sixth District. If the board is unable to find a replacement, a local judge will appoint someone in her place. A plan for free feminine hygiene products During public comment, Brandon Hawkins, the principal at Tecumseh Junior High School, introduced Ava Bittinger, an eighth-grader who shared her concerns about the relative inaccessibility of free feminine hygiene products. Students in need of the products now have to go to the nurses office, but Bittinger asked the board why the items weren't readily available in the girls bathrooms. More: Teen girls are missing school because they don't have access to feminine hygiene products CNN stated in 2019, according to a study, a startling one in five teens struggle to afford period products or have not been able to purchase them at all. And one in four teens have missed class due to access to menstrual hygiene products. This just goes to show that if we were to a stock period product in the school bathrooms, students wouldnt have to worry about missing class, said Bittinger. Bittinger shared with the board testimony that her fellow students wrote about their experiences regarding the lack of access to period products. I was at cheer practice and I didnt have any feminine products. I was too scared to ask someone for a product. If there would have been products in the bathrooms, then I would not have had an issue and I wouldnt have to worry. Anonymous, said Bittinger. Another testimony was read. Last year, I got my period and no one in the bathroom nor in the class had any products. I had to use waded-up toilet paper and I didnt know that the nurse had any. As a result of not having any product I bleed through my pants. To address this issue, Bittinger offered up a plan to the LSC board on how to afford the change she wants to bring to LSC. Ive come across this company called August, who work directly with schools to supply these products. Ive gone ahead and nominated our school to them directly. If they dont get back to us, I have other options in mind. We could apply for a grant through the YWCA, we could set up a fundraising page or we could have yearly or monthly drives. Im asking you to create a sustainable solution to this problem by including funding in the annual budget to supply period products at all LSC schools. The audience and board applauded Bittinger for her willingness to stand up for such change. The board told Bittinger that they would reach out to her later this week to discuss the topic in more depth. LSC board appoints two new principals Before the end of the meeting, the LSC board appointed two new administrators in the LSC district. The board recommended and approved Denise Des Enfants as the new principal at Murdock Elementary School. Prior to this promotion, she served as Tecumseh Junior High Schools vice principal for the past nine years. The board recommended and approved Frank Meyer as the new principal at Tecumseh Junior High School. He had served as Avon High Schools vice principal for the past nine years. Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: LSC meeting addressed leaking roof, board member's farewell Photo credit: Lamborghini / ANADOLU AGENCY The Felicity Ace, a cargo ship carrying roughly 4000 VW Group vehicles from Germany to Rhode Island that sunk in the Atlantic on March 1, held exactly 85 brand-new Lamborghinis when disappeared under the water. Most of those 85 cars were Urus SUVs, but 15 were Aventadors, the company confirmed to Road & Track. Lamborghini has since ended production of the Aventador, but CEO Stephan Winkelmann confirmed during a roundtable interview with European journalists on Thursday it plans to restart assembly specifically to replace the 15 Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae units lost at sea. "We put our heads together, and luckily, we are able to replace those cars, so there will be no loss for our customers in the U.S. due to the sunken ship, Winkelmann said. "And all the rest we are able to replace. The Aventador was tricky, but we made it." The Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae was meant to be a final send-off trim for the V-12 supercar, with 770 horsepower, active aerodynamics, and four-wheel steering. It's set to be replaced with a hybrid-powered car next year. The 70 remaining Lamborghinis that went down with the Felicity Ace are all still in production, so there won't be any problem getting replacements for customers, according to the company. Lamborghini hasn't shared an exact timeline for when customers can expect to receive their replacement cars, but told Road & Track it's prioritizing affected buyers. "We are working to prioritize production capacity to ensure that the orders will be replaced as soon as possible," the spokesperson said. "We will try to minimize the impact on customers as much as possible." Other VW Group brands have been hard at work attempting to replace their lost cars. Bentley told Automotive News it "found a solution" to replace 100 of the 189 pre-sold Bentleys on the ship, while the remainder should be replaced by the end of the year. Audi told the publication all 1800 of its cars aboard the ship will be replaced as well. You Might Also Like U.S. should fully clarify biological military activities: newspaper Xinhua) 08:35, March 17, 2022 BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States should act responsibly and provide a thorough clarification regarding its global biological military activities, including those in Ukraine, according to an article published in Wednesday's edition of the People's Daily. Russia has recently disclosed information on the United States' biological military activities in Ukraine, lifting the veil on the U.S. "biological military empire," the article said. The United States is the world's most active country in the biological military field, the paper said. In recent decades, the territory of its "biological military empire" has continued to expand, with its own data showing that the U.S. Department of Defense has controlled hundreds of biolabs in over 30 countries under various names. The alleged military biological research in Ukraine is only the tip of the iceberg, it added. There is an international consensus on ensuring universal compliance with international treaties, making use of multilateral verification. However, the United States views its global biological military activities as its own business, with the consequence that nobody can bring it under control, the article said. The United States obstinately asserts that it will decide for itself whether it has been abiding by the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and it refuses to accept any investigations by other countries. Meanwhile, it falsely labels any country making inquiries as "spreading disinformation," which is a form of logic typical of bandits and an act of hegemonism, according to the article. The United States should stop unilaterally obstructing the establishment of a BWC verification regime, as observing the convention is not about shouting slogans, and the authority of international law must be preserved, the article said. Under the frameworks of the United Nations and the BWC, the international community should examine the documents unveiled by Russia and in the meanwhile, listen to the explanations from the United States in a fair and just manner, said the paper. This would help restore the international community's faith in the United States' fulfillment of international duties, and would help enhance the global bio-safety level, it added. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Flash Turkey and Poland agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to end the Ukrainian crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "We mainly discussed the developments in Ukraine and Russia, as well as our bilateral relations. As two NATO allies, we had a detailed exchange of views. In this process, we will continue our consultation and cooperation with Poland," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in the Turkish capital Ankara. Duda paid a visit to Turkey on Wednesday to discuss with the Turkish president ways to defuse the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Erdogan welcomed the Polish president in Ankara as part of Turkey's mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. "We continue our attempts to achieve a ceasefire," Erdogan said, adding that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will continue "shuttle diplomacy" visiting Ukraine on Thursday after his talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Wednesday. Erdogan said he would attend the NATO summit in Brussels on March 24 and hold talks on the process regarding Russia and Ukraine. The Turkish president also praised Poland for hosting Ukrainian refugees. "Having hosted the largest number of refugees in the world for eight years, Turkey understands Poland best," he said. Duda, for his part, said the main issue of the talks with Erdogan was the Ukrainian crisis and they also discussed the refugee influx from Ukraine to Poland. "Today, approximately 2 million refugees have entered Poland. According to our calculations, 100,000 people cross the border every day. Today we can talk about a refugee crisis," Duda said. Elaborating on bilateral ties between Turkey and Poland, the Polish president said his country wants to enhance cooperation with the Turkish government in the defense industry in addition to the economic collaboration. Mar. 17It's a bit of a cold shock, but its for a good cause. The annual Polar Plunge returns this weekend to Lee's Ford Marina. The Polar Plunge helps to raise money for Special Olympics Kentucky, the sports training and competition program that gets children and adults with intellectual disabilities out exercising and participating in both individual and team sports. This year, Pulaski's Polar Plunge is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. at the dock at Lee's Ford. For those who have not pre-registered, Saturday registration begins at 10 a.m. As the name implies, the point is to take a leap into Lake Cumberland, and although the weather has been decent this week recently, March lake temperatures are not the warm, welcoming temps seen during peak tourist season. In fact, at last year's Polar Plunge the lake's surface temperature was at 47 degrees. Amy Roberts, controller at Lee's Ford, said that this year's temperatures should be about the same. As of right now, it looks like the air temperatures might be about the same as last year, too. It was around 52 degrees last year, and current forecasts show Saturday is predicted to be in the same range. Still, that's better than in years past when the event was held in February, Roberts said. "We did it in March last year, and it was so nice that we begged for another date in March this year," she said. Lee's Ford Marina is one of this year's sponsors, along with The Harbor Restaurant, the Don Franklin Family of Dealerships, Somerset 106-WYKY, Texas Roadhouse and the Toyota Motor Corporation. Roberts pointed out that Lee's Ford doesn't make any money off of the event, and it's important for them to help raise money for such a good cause. "It's just a fun event for us to be involved in," she said. "The owner (JD Hamilton) likes to jump in it. .... It's something for us to do in the winter time that's fun." Story continues Last year, around 50 people took the plunge, raising about $16,000, according to Special Olympics Kentucky. They are two ways for people who want to participate to take part, either by taking the Plunge with the group on Saturday or signing up to take a Personal Plunge in a creative way. Both types of "Plungers" can register at lakecumberlandplunge.com. All participants will receive an official Polar Plunge shirt and will be eligible fore extra prizes. Individuals 18 and older must raise a minimum of $75, and those 18 and under raise a minimum of $50. To the editor: It is astonishing that any responsible person would make the bizarre claim that an attempt to set a Catholic church ablaze with Molotov cocktails was not a hate crime. (South Shore priests say 'no reason' to suspect hate crimes despite group's claims, 2/28/2022.) That is, exactly, what Maureen Simmons, a pastoral coordinator at Sacred Heart Church in Weymouth, did when she dismissed the August 2020 arson attack on her parish as a crime of opportunity. The Catholic Church in Massachusetts seems to be in a state of institutional denial when it comes to attacks on Catholics. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops documented more than 100 such incidents, which occurred nationwide from May of 2020 to October of 2021. More: South Shore priests say 'no reason' to suspect hate crimes despite group's claims The Archdiocese of Boston needs to open its eyes and catch up with the rest of the country in recognizing this serious problem. C.J. DOYLE Executive Director, Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, Boston How to submit a letter to the editor to The Patriot Ledger Please note, our newsroom is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Letters mailed to the newsroom may not be received and reviewed in a timely manner. Therefore we are asking readers to submit their letter to the editor through email at editpage@patriotledger.com. Letters should be 200 words or less. To give everyone a chance to be heard, we allow one letter per writer every 30 days. Please include your name, town and daytime phone number for verification only. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Catholic Church in MA needs to recognize increase in hate crimes BBC viewers have condemned the decision to restore Little Britain to iPlayer with many of its most offensive scenes intact. The controversial Noughties sketch comedy was removed from the streaming service in 2020 following a backlash over scenes featuring its creators and stars, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, in blackface. Earlier this week, the series was restored to iPlayer with scenes in which actors wore blackface or yellowface edited out. However, many people on social media have pointed out examples of offensive scenes that were left in the re-edited series. The Telegraph journalist Anita Singh shared screenshots from a sketch in which a character played by Walliams is describing an Asian student over the phone. The character says the student has yellowish skin and a slight smell of soy sauce, referring to him as the Ching-Chong Chinaman. Other offensive characters to have remained in the series include Anne, a nonverbal patient at a psychiatric hospital, and Vicky Pollard, a teenage mother whose depiction in the series has been criticised as classist. The series began trending on Twitter, with many people suggesting that the series edits hadnt gone far enough. So Matt Lucas and David Walliams have cut the blackface from Little Britain to reflect the changes in the cultural landscape (and get it back on iPlayer) yet this has stayed in pic.twitter.com/w9LzkuvE1c Anita Singh (@anitathetweeter) March 16, 2022 All of Little Britain was bad, wrote one person. None of it was funny. Andy being a fake disabled person using a wheelchair because he can stand up (which happens!), Anne the nonverbal disabled character, the transphobia, fatphobia... just bin it all. Lets just say it. Little Britain was always 100 per cent repellent nastiness, wrote another. Story continues @BBCiPlayer youve put #littlebritain back on being careful to remove the racist #blackface characters but left in the anti-working class and the prejudices against the disabled, wrote someone else. Little Britain is a bully, pass it on. https://t.co/SDJHQLbILL Dr Mhairi Brennan (@mhairi_brennan) March 16, 2022 In case you were wondering Desiree DeVere appears to have been edited out of Little Britain. Characters such as Emily Howard, Vicky Pollard, Andy and Anne remain. pic.twitter.com/82fmWhcQjY Scott Bryan (@scottygb) March 16, 2022 Some people, however, argued that the series offending content should be left intact, claiming that it was intended to satirise prejudice rather than perpetuate it. Critics, however, have claimed that the series was punching down in its approach to comedy. Personally I dont think Little Britain should be edited, wrote one person. It was one of the most popular shows on the nations biggest television station. People need to be reminded of what they found funny in the 00s. And stop pretending that we were some sort of tolerant, accepting, nation. The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment. As Russia launched its attack on Ukraine and news of hundreds of thousands of refugees flowing across the border to Poland reached Alex Carrigg, traveling there to document it just felt right. The Westport resident, whose family has been involved in local real estate for decades, has spent several years as a freelance photographer documenting protests and political unrest in the U.S. and said hes always wanted to cover international events. I just bought a plane ticket, he said. In early March, he arrived in Krakow, Poland, with his photography equipment. Right when I arrived, I saw children and mothers on the sidewalk in the nighttime with luggage and jugs of water. They were just sitting there with nowhere to go, he said. A young child holds tightly to his teddy bear after crossing the border with his mother in Medyka Poland on March 5, 2022. Capturing the scale of the crisis Carrigg said he initially intended to travel into Ukraine itself to document the conflict. But he decided against it when he got to Poland, partly because of logistical problems with entering the besieged country and partly because, with the surge of refugees into Poland, he didnt have to in order to capture the scale of the crisis. 'Threat the whole world is facing': Former Apponequet student in midst of Russia-Ukraine war You just see so many people, you realize that thats the story, he said. He traveled to the Polish city of Medyka, which has become one of the busiest crossings for refugees since Russias invasion of Ukraine began, and farther up the border toward Belarus. It was quite chaotic, he said, with cars, buses, ambulances, vehicles of every kind being used to shuttle Ukrainians. In his photos, refugees bundled in coats and blankets against the freezing temperatures balance luggage and small children as they wait in lines, climb onto buses and interact with armed border guards. Some of them clutch essential documents in plastic bags, or a precious item like a stuffed animal or guitar. Most look harried or dazed. 'All the conditions are there for a severe humanitarian disaster' Story continues Almost every Ukrainian Carrigg met was a child or infant, mother or elderly person. Some of them had been traveling for nearly a week and were still not at their final destination. They find hope because theyre somewhat safe in Poland, but the journey is still so long, he said. The faces of traumatized children stick in his memory the most. Some are mad, scared and cold. But others just look lost. Its really sad to witness, he said. 'I don't know what to do': Ukrainian mom now worries about life in US Ukraine children find rest on the second floor of a busy train station in Warsaw Poland on March 10, 2022. Carrigg said he was struck by the kindness Polish locals showed the refugees, like a border guard he saw give a teddy bear to a young Ukrainian girl who was crying. Some locals offered to take Ukrainians into their homes indefinitely until they could get back on their feet. That takes a lot of empathy, he said. Two Ukrainian refugees cross into Poland from Ukraine carrying only blankets and a small bag. They look towards the humanitarian relief that welcomed them in Medyka, Poland on March 5, 2022. He said he worried too about the refugees health. Many of them had no choice but to travel in cramped buses and trains and stay in overflowing lodging, all in freezing conditions, while the pandemic has not ended. You can see this is a vulnerable population. Theyve been traveling without sleep, theyre cold all the conditions are there for a severe humanitarian disaster, he said. Carrigg left Poland on March 11, after spending 10 days there. He said he hopes his photos can be a piece of the puzzle of the conflicts historical record. Documenting difficult situations like the plight of refugees is crucial to hold those in power accountable, he said. A single photographer can only give a glimpse of the total conflict, he said. Audrey Cooney can be reached at acooney@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Russia-Ukraine war: Westport photographer documents refugees in Poland Two managers of a Long John Silvers restaurant in Illinois sexually harassed one of their teenage employees, then retaliated against her when she said no, federal officials say. In a federal lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the two adult men were accused of making lewd comments toward the girl, touching her without consent, proposing sex and sending sexually explicit text messages and videos. And when the teen alleged that Long John Silvers refused to investigate her sexual harassment, which she objected to, she said her hours were reduced in retaliation, according to a March 17 news release from the EEOC. Now the fast food company has agreed to pay the former Centralia employee $200,000 as part of settling the federal lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed June 25, after officials say Long John Silvers refused any pre-litigation settlement as part of a conciliation process. We applaud the courage of the young woman who came forward to report this harassment, Gregory Gochanour, regional attorney of the EEOCs Chicago District Office, said in the release. No woman should be forced to work in this kind of environment, and her willingness to come forward helped protect other vulnerable young women from suffering the same treatment. In a statement to McClatchy News, a spokesperson for Long John Silvers said the company cares deeply about the safety and wellbeing of our employees. Our policies, procedures, and training programs are designed to keep employees protected. We do not tolerate harassment of any kind, the March 18 statement said. We were extremely disappointed to learn of the allegations that led to this settlement. We have worked closely with the EEOC and local crew members to investigate and take corrective action. The employees involved in the matter are no longer with the organization. Additionally, we strengthened our workplace safety trainingwith particular emphasis on harassment, diversity, and inclusionacross the enterprise. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a safe workplace for all. Story continues The company has 190 seafood restaurants across the country. In settling the lawsuit, Long John Silvers also agreed to harassment prevention policies and training on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation. The company also must post notices about the settlement and periodically report any sex discrimination complaints to the EEOC for two years, according to the news release. The EEOC is committed to addressing sexual harassment in the food service industry, particularly where the victims are vulnerable workers such as the teenagers targeted in this case, said Chicago District Director Julianne Bowman. The EEOC hopes this case will serve as a warning to employers to monitor their workplaces for harassment and respond appropriately to complaints. Centralia is about 270 miles southwest of Chicago. Chipotle store ignored young Washington workers sex harassment complaints, suit says Burger King employee was sexually harassed by her manager at work in NC, lawsuit says McDonalds franchise failed or refused to hire Black applicants in Wisconsin, feds say Discount furniture chain wouldnt hire women because theyre a distraction, feds say Flash Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak. "Obviously, the only way to end this war is direct talks between the two presidents, and this is what we are working on in the current talks," Podolyak, also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, was quoted as saying. Work is underway to prepare the documents that could be signed during the meeting of the two leaders, the official said. The Ukrainian side has high hopes that ceasefire will be achieved in the near future, he added. The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link and continued into Wednesday. Crime A California man was sentenced to 21 months in prison in connection with dozens of burglaries and thefts of user fees on various national recreation lands, including in Arizona. A federal judge sentenced Brian D. Lisanti, 51 of Weimar, California, last week for his involvement in a scheme to burglarize user fee collection sites at the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona, according to prosecutors. Lisanti pleaded guilty to destruction of government property by breaking into a fee envelope collection tube on the Coronado National Forest near Safford and to stealing $1,408 from a fee envelope collection tube at the same forest near Green Valley in 2020, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona. By pleading guilty, the defendant also admitted that between July 23 and Nov. 8 in 2020, he committed at least 42 burglaries and stole government funds from fee collection sites on recreation lands in Arizona, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. Prosecutors say Lisanti broke locks on fee collection tubes and stole money recreational users had deposited as fees. Reach breaking news editor Mike Cruz at michael.cruz@azcentral.com or on Twitter at @mikecnews. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brian Lisanti sentenced for thefts on recreation lands in several states Marilyn Manson performs during the 2019 Louder Than Life Music Festival. Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images Marilyn Manson's former assistant Ashley Walters submitted an amended sexual harassment lawsuit on Friday. Her team said that she was threatened with legal action were she to speak out in any interviews. They added that the alleged intimidation was part of the reason for the timing of the lawsuit. Marilyn Manson's former assistant Ashley Walters alleged that she was threatened with legal action if she were to participate in Evan Rachel Wood's documentary "Phoenix Rising," which is centered around Wood's allegations of sexual assault against Manson, according to a new lawsuit filed by Walters on Friday. Walters submitted a new complaint after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael L. Stern had asked her team to file an amended complaint by March 11 after calling into question the timeline of her allegations in relation to the two year statute of limitations. "On January 7, 2022, Defendants sent Plaintiff an email through her counsel, threatening to take retaliatory legal action against her if she 'participate[ed] in any interviews about Mr. Warner or reveal[ed] any confidential information' about him," Walters' attorneys wrote in the complaint, referring to Manson by his birth name Brian Warner, mentioning that Wood was sued for sharing her allegations in her documentary. On March 2, ahead of the release of Wood's documentary, Manson sued Wood for defamation, calling her allegations "a malicious falsehood that has derailed Warner's successful music, TV, and film career." Walters, Manson's assistant between 2010 to 2011, initially sued the artist over alleged sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress in May 2021, according to court documents. Manson's team has challenged Walters' lawsuit, denying all of the allegations and claiming that they are past the statute of limitations. In the lawsuit, Walters alleged that Manson forced her to work for two days straight, during which she says she feared Manson's frequent violent and angry outbursts. Story continues Walters accused Manson of pushing her onto his "influential industry friends and associates," including an actor, who forcefully kissed her, in September 2010. She also alleged that Manson harassed her by forcefully kissing her. Though the allegations remain the same in Walters' amended suit, her team added to its reasoning as to the timing of the lawsuit's submission. "Plaintiff was unable to recall many of the physical and emotional abuses until the fall of 2020 when countless repressed memories flooded back to Plaintiff after meeting numerous other victims of Defendants and obtaining counseling from a mental health professional," the amended complaint said. Similarly, with the first complaint, Walters reiterates that through meeting with Wood, Esme Bianco, and Ashley Morgan Smithline, all of whom have sued Manson over alleged sexual abuse, she was able to process the weight of what Manson allegedly did to her. At a January hearing, Walters' team initially offered supporting arguments for the delayed timeline, alleging that Manson had threatened Walters about speaking out in 2019. "It took Plaintiff years, speaking with others in the support group, and attending therapy, to understand the extent and wrongfulness of, and recall all of the abuse that Warner subjected her to. She continues to unlock suppressed memories to this day," the amended lawsuit said. Attorneys representing Walters and Manson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Critics are slamming Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as one of Vladimir Putins useful idiots after the Republican gave a speech on Wednesday with numerous false or misleading claims about the Ukraine invasion that echoed Russian talking points. The far-right congresswoman gave a speech on Facebook Live on Wednesday night following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys address to a joint session of Congress. In her remarks, Rep Greene said, If we truly care about suffering and death on our television screens, we cannot fund more of it by sending money and weaponry to Ukraine to fight a war they cannot possibly win. She also claimed without evidence that Ukraines 2014 revolution was a US-backed coup, that major US political figures like Joe Biden and Mitt Romney have business interests in Ukraine, and that the source of the invasion was misconduct on both sides by Russia and Ukraine. Commentators were quick to pounce on the remarks, with some like writer Matt Yglesias calling them, just bizarre, while others pointed out how the Georgia legislators remarks echoed past apologists for Hitlerand present-day Kremlin propaganda. You know, that Hitler fellow is a bad egg, but theres no reason to help Europe, Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project wrote on Twitter, mocking the GOP rep following her speech. Putin is targeting and slaughtering civilians in a brutal unprovoked war against Ukraine, a sovereign democratic nation, added Ms Greenes fellow Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, writing on Twitter that, only the Kremlin and their useful idiots would call that a conflict in which peace agreements have been violated by both sides. Putin is targeting and slaughtering civilians in a brutal unprovoked war against Ukraine, a sovereign democratic nation. Only the Kremlin and their useful idiots would call that a conflict in which peace agreements have been violated by both sides. pic.twitter.com/Ld9WomOStd Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 17, 2022 "You know, that Hitler fellow is a bad egg, but there's no reason the help Europe." https://t.co/r9zPJLI3p5 Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) March 17, 2022 Outside of the backlash from Washington insiders, others pointed out that very little of the main points of Ms Greenes speech were factually accurate. Story continues Though Joe Bidens son Hunter has had significant business dealings in Ukraine during his time as a lobbyist, and is under federal investigation for his business practices, the president himself isnt accused of business interests in Ukraine by anyone beside right-wing conspiracy theorists. In the fall of 2020, an investigation by Senate Republicans found no evidence of Joe Biden wielding any improper influence over Ukraine based on his sons business relationships. Theres also no basis to Ms Greenes comments that Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or climate envoy John Kerry all have financial interests in Ukraine. Nor is it accurate to say, as the Georgia rep did in her speech, that Ukraine is a country which government only exists because of the Obama State Department helped to overthrow the previous regime, a popular Kremlin propaganda line. In truth, the 2014 revolution in Ukraine that toppled the former president Viktor Yanukovych began when he reneged on plans for a trade and political deal with the European Union in favour of aligning with Russias Eurasian Economic Union instead. Mr Yanukovych fled the country after security forces shot and killed protesters in Kyiv and the Ukrainian parliament voted unanimously to remove him from office. It is technically true that both sides, as Ms Greene claimed, the other has violated the 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements between Russian and Ukraine, which sought to end the simmering regional conflict between the two countries, though most international observers agree the present invasion is the result of unprovoked Russian aggression and revanchist ambitions. The Independent has reached out to Marjorie Taylor Greenes office for comment. A suspect has been arrested after allegedly robbing and threatening Dutch Bros Coffee workers with a knife in Merced on Tuesday, according to authorities. At about 4:54 p.m., officers responded to a report of a man brandishing a knife at employees at Dutch Bros Coffee, located in the 500 block of West Olive Avenue, according to Merced police Lt. Emily Foster. Police said the adult male and adult female employees were assisting customers in the drive-thru outside the building when the suspect, identified as Andrew Cline, 30, allegedly threatened them with a large knife and stole an employees umbrella. Officers located Cline a short distance away along M Street and took him into custody. According to Foster, officers recovered the knife and the umbrella. Cline was booked into Merced County Jail on suspicion of felony criminal terrorist threats and second degree robbery, according to jail records. He remains in custody in lieu of $150,000 bond. Timothy Starks, a 20-year-old rapper known as Baby Cino, walked out of a Miami-Dade jail on Wednesday afternoon after posting bond on a gun charge. Minutes later, as the red Nissan he was riding in turned onto the Palmetto Expressway, he was suddenly ambushed by a gunman in another car in a wild daylight shooting in the middle of traffic. Starks died in the hail of gunfire, shot in the head. He was still wearing the wristband given to inmates at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Miami-Dade police on Thursday publicly identified Starks and a friend who picked him up from jail, Dante Collins Banks, 20, who also was wounded in the attack. Detectives have not identified a suspect, but did say a dark-colored vehicle was seen fleeing the area at a high rate of speed. The shooter fired at least 40 times. Multiple law-enforcement sources say the shooting is being probed for links to a series of public ambushes in recent months believed connected to Miami street gangs. That includes the January ambush murder of rapper Wavy Navy Pooh, who was shot to death in his car near Zoo Miami, and the murder of Brianna Sutherland, who was ambushed while driving on Interstate 95 on Valentines Day. Investigators do not believe she was the intended target. As for Starks, he was associated with a Little Haiti area gang known as Boss Life, according to one source. Online, where many local rappers can rise to fame quickly, Starks did not have a major presence. His main song, entitled Big Haiti Shottas, features him and a crew rapping about violence at an apartment building on Northwest Third Avenue and 56th Street. The video, which has over 21,000 views, is also dedicated to Gary Melo Laguerre, an 18-year-old gunned down in a drive-by shooting in 2020 outside a Brownsville market. Starks had been arrested in Opa-locka on Tuesday night by members of Miami-Dade Polices Robbery Intervention Detail unit. According to an arrest report, a RID detective pulled Starks over on Opa-locka Boulevard and Northwest 19th Avenue, for having an obstructed tag. When he was stopped, he was moving as if he was concealing an object consistent with the shape of a firearm, the report said. Story continues Officers searched the car and found a fully loaded Glock 32, the report said. According to jail records, Starks was booked into TGK just before 2 a.m. Wednesday. After posting bond, he was recorded as released at 2:10 p.m. The shooting happened within the hour, starting on the Palmetto near Hialeah, with the Nissan slamming into a concrete barrier wall. Investigators are now trying to determine if Starks and Banks were followed from the jail and how the attackers knew they were being released. Miami-Dade Police is handling the investigation and the surrounding circumstances regarding this incident, according to corrections spokesman Juan Diasgranados. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were pictured as they landed in Oman after a two-hour flight from Tehran. The two British-Iranian nationals, who had been detained in Iran since 2016 and 2017 respectively, are on their way back to the UK after being released. Both are set to be reunited with their families in Britain late on Wednesday. The British government said a third detainee, Morad Tahbaz, who holds US, British and Iranian citizenship, was released from prison on furlough as part of the same deal. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. A 68-year-old American man has died in the city of Chernihiv in Ukraine as Russian forces struck the city, local authorities have said. James Whitney Hill, often called Jimmy or Jim by friends, died when Russian troops launched heavy artillery attacks on unarmed civilians, according toThe New York Times. Mr Hills identity was confirmed by Anton Gerashenko, an adviser at the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, as well as his family. He had travelled with his Ukrainian partner Ira to Chernihiv in December so that she could receive treatment for multiple sclerosis, friends of Mr Hill told an Idaho broadcaster this month. They were trapped in a hospital in the city. His sister, Katya Hill, told CNN that her brother was killed after going out to buy food as the Russian bombardment of the city intensified. As things were deteriorating in the city ... my brother was the one that was going out to the store to bring back what food he could find, she said. Another sister, Cheryl Hill Gordon, said in a Facebook post Mr Hill was waiting in a bread line with several others when they were targeted Russian gunfire. Mr Hill posted on Facebook during his final days, writing that his wife had been admitted to the intensive care unit. He said they wanted to leave but were unable to find safe passage. Jimmy Hill, 68, died as Russian forces struck the city of Chernihiv, northwest of Kyiv (James Whitney Hill) We could try a breakout tomorrow but Iras mom doesnt want to, he wrote on Facebook on Monday. Each day people are killed trying to escape. But bombs falling here at night. Risk either way I only have wifi a few hours a day. We have enough food for a few days. Intense bombing. still alive, he added a day later. Mr Hill was found dead with his passport, which stated that he was from Minnesota, The Wall Street Journal reported. The State Department confirmed the death of an American on Thursday. We offer our sincerest to the family on their loss, a spokesperson said. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment. Story continues His sister, Cheryl Hill Gordon, said her brother had been teaching throughout Europe, mostly in Ukraine, for the last 25 years, The Journal reported. His Facebook page said he taught at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Ms Hill said he had two children and loved baseball and fishing. Ms Hill said her brother had been home for Christmas but had returned to Ukraine to help Ira get treatment. We want to take a family with children out with us. Its not safe here. But its not safe, Mr Hill wrote on 13 March. The Journal identified Mr Hills partner as Iryna Teslenko, but he called her Ira, noting in a social media post that she was too weak to travel. Not allowed to take photos. Spies throughout city. Bombing has intensified, no way out, he added on 15 March. Intense bombing! Still alive. Limited food. Room very cold. Ira in intensive care, he wrote. This map shows the extent of Russias invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images) Sibling Katya Hill said her brother only left Ira to look for food. She said she last spoke to him on 5 March. When the bombing increased, the men in the hospital were asked if they wanted a gun. And Jim said, No, Im not carrying a gun. And he said, But if you give me a fishing rod and some bait, Ill try to catch some fish. They did not get his joke, she said. My brother had the sense of humor in the family, and he retained his humor, except for the last couple of days that we were in contact. I think he was realizing how bad it was getting, she added. He just was not going to leave Ira, she told The Journal. He would never abandon her. The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page. Flash A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday urged the U.S. side not to undermine China's legitimate rights and interests in any form. If the U.S. insists on going its own way, China will definitely take strong countermeasures, said spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a regular press briefing when answering a query on the Ukraine issue. Taking remarks of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki as an example, Zhao said that Psaki said China will face significant consequences if China supports Russia's "invasion." She also said that China and Russia "only make up 15 to 20 percent of the world's economy. The G7 countries make up more than 50 percent. So there are a range of tools at our disposal in coordination with our European partners should we need to use them." Such remarks by the U.S. reflected thinly-veiled bullying and intimidation and exposed the ingrained Cold War zero-sum mentality and bloc confrontation, said Zhao, adding that they represented another product of the U.S. philosophy of doing things "from a position of strength." In terms of the Ukrainian issue, Zhao said that China has been independently making its judgment and expounding on its proposition based on the merits of the matter in an objective and just manner. He added that China has been calling for dialogue and negotiation, working for deescalation of the situation and putting forward China's initiative to resolve the current crisis. "Any disinformation that dismisses China's efforts, misrepresents China's intention and slings mud on China with lies is irresponsible and unethical," Zhao said. Sanctions are never effective means to resolve problems, Zhao stressed, adding that China opposes all forms of unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" by the U.S., and will resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals. Wielding the baton of sanctions while seeking China's support and cooperation simply won't work, said Zhao, stressing that the Chinese side urges the U.S. not to undermine China's legitimate rights and interests in any form. If the U.S. insists on going its own way, China will definitely take strong countermeasures. I am in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, with my family. This is the town where I grew up, where I went to school, where my parents live. At the moment, things are fairly calm here. Yes, we run to the bomb shelters when the sirens blast, but it was way scarier in Kyiv. We try to stay useful to our local and, let me point out, very active volunteer movement. It is our cure against depressing thoughts. We weave the camouflage nets, called kikimory for Ukrainian tanks and soldiers. Next to me is a mother and a daughter maybe 12 years old. The space is bone chilling and the girl is tired now. We need to finish, says her mom. It is our contribution. Do not slack, Barbara! Lets show our resolve and finish. We witness a never-ending flow of people bearing gifts to the local volunteer hub. I see four people, each carrying a corner of a mattress. I see others carrying plastic bags with food and clothing. A grandma steadying herself with a cane is carrying two oranges and a home-made jam in an avoska (a homemade knit bag). She is mumbling to herself, easy, easy. Ukrainians weave camouflage nets, called kikimory, for tanks and soldiers. More: Zelenskyy makes a bold challenge to Biden. Can America be the leader for peace? More: Ukraine war diary: A father prepares to leave his kids and fight for Ukraine We are at the farmers market talking to a guy at the dry goods section. If you have ever bought from me, you know I have the best corn meal, he says. I have not bought from you before, I reply. I am from Kyiv. Oh, thank God you are here now! Hold on. Take this for your children. Cookies. This is from me. For free. Everything is going to be all right. Olga Yakovenko with her family I am recording a video for my special-needs students. Two remain in Kyiv. A young girl who cannot walk independently basically has to live in her bathtub layered with blankets. Her family lives on the 20th floor of a high-rise with no chance to run to the basement each time the sirens blast. I want to encourage them, but instead they encourage me. Of course, we will see each other again! Everything will be all right. We are hanging on. Take care of yourself! See you soon! Story continues My sister and her family are in Hungary. Her young daughter is trying to make sense of the calm, slow pace of Budapest everyday life. Mom, look, they are EATING APPLES OUT ON THE STREETS! We are trying to convince friends from Kyiv to leave and join us here. My friend answers, No, thank you. We are staying. We do not want to compete with people from Bucha and Kharkiv who lost everything. We have not been able to get in touch with our loved ones in Makarovsky suburb. Friends from Irpin suburb, I cannot fathom what you are experiencing right now. I wish I could use the Harry Potter spell that awakens the giants. I wish I could use it to get our Motherland Statue to shelter people with her shield. Snowdrops indicate the arrival of spring in Ukraine. A retired teacher hands over her cash that she has been saving for her funeral to the volunteers. She wants it to go to the internally displaced people. She says it is not the right time to die. Snowdrops are here. It is the first sign of spring. There is no scale to measure everybodys contribution to the victory. Do what you can where you are with what you have. Barbara, do not slack! Soldiers, live! And return us our mason jars in which we packed your provisions. Joanne Rowling, send us your good charms so that we could awaken the giants for our protection, and walk outside on our peaceful streets eating apples! More: Opinion: I am from Kyiv and I am a professor in Iowa. Ukrainians need the world's help. Olga Yakovenko About the author and the translator Olga Yakovenko is from Kyiv, Ukraine. This piece was translated by Maryna Nading of Decorah, Iowa. Nading writes: "Our (extended) families live in the same apartment building in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. It is one of those bleak-looking gray panel buildings built throughout the socialist bloc countries in the 1980s. But there has always been much happiness inside those walls until recently. Olgas family lives on the fourth floor, and my family lives on the third floor. Our parents are friends and still live in the same apartment building. Olga and I grew up and left. I am now Iowa-based. I teach anthropology at a liberal arts school, Luther College. Olga lives and works in the special education field in Kyiv. Maryna Nading "Russian invasion displaced Olga and her Kyiv family, who endured a hellish car escape from Kyiv under exploding skies to the relative safety of Khmelnytkyi. Their family of five, plus the in-laws, moved in with her parents in the same apartment where Olga grew up. I vividly remember a black piano that had the honored place in the corner of their living room. I wonder where nine people find room in their small apartment. I know they are in a better situation right now than many in Ukraine. "For Olga, her childhood home still offers shelter and comfort, something millions of Ukrainians have lost. Our families continue to be friends, and now my sisters girls play with Olgas youngest child between the trips to the makeshift bomb shelter when the sirens are wailing. Olga, her husband, and her older children started volunteering two days after their arrival to Khmelnytskyi. Olga has allowed me to translate her poignant observations about these weeks of hellish war in Ukraine. I share her belief that before too long we, Ukrainians, will be able to go about our peaceful lives." This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Opinion: Displaced Ukrainian families give and receive reassurance Students at Long Beach City College, which has forgiven $2.1 million in debt for 7,990 students from spring 2020 to summer 2021. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In the spring of 2021, $600 stood between Endele Wilson and his dream of earning a teaching credential from Long Beach City College. Wilson, 47, started taking courses in 2019, a few months before the pandemic hit and just before he lost his job as an elementary school music teacher. He took on multiple jobs as a musician and found an overnight shift at a gas station to support his eight children. When he was about 18 units away from completion, he got the bill that stopped him in his tracks. He didnt qualify for financial aid, he said, because of low grades years ago at another community college. Confronted with $600 in unpaid enrollment fees, he couldnt register for classes until he settled the balance. I didnt know what to do, Wilson recalled. Even working two jobs, I dont make enough money to do anything but survive. Enrollment at California Community Colleges has plummeted nearly 20% during the pandemic to about 1.3 million students from fall 2019 to fall of 2021, according to state data, leaving campuses worried about their future, and potential students with fewer opportunities offered by higher education. College officials have said pandemic-related hardships have propelled students to choose jobs over education, and online classes were barriers for low-income students without digital resources. But new research suggests that colleges policies around unpaid balances may also be contributing to the enrollment decline, while creating lasting financial harm for the institutions and students. A report published Thursday by the Student Borrower Protection Center , a nonprofit advocacy group focused on student debt, attempts to quantify the scope of the issue. Using data from three California Community College districts and student demographic information, researchers estimate that from July 2020 to June 2021, some 321,000 community college students accrued a collective $107 million in debt to their campuses. Researchers projected estimates for the system based on the percentage of students affected in three diverse districts: Compton, Lake Tahoe and Peralta, in northern Alameda County. The report was provided jointly to The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit newsroom covering education, and The Times. Story continues In addition, The Hechinger Report obtained data from seven community college districts, representing 19 of the 116 community colleges in the California system. Though there is variation in what each district tracks, the data show tens of thousands of students in debt to their community colleges, roughly in line with the researchers estimate. The records include data on a range of institutional debts from colleges and districts including Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, the three-campus Contra Costa College District, the nine-campus Los Angeles Community College District and the three campuses of the Coast Community College District in Orange County. The pain from these debts is not felt evenly, researchers said. They impact low-income students at a much higher rate, said Charlie Eaton, assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Merced and co-author of the report. These debts are widening inequalities in who gets a degree, and it inflicts financial turmoil. When students owe money to their colleges even small amounts they can be barred from re-enrolling. Schools can refer students to state tax collectors to have their tax refund garnished or send them to debt collection companies, which often charge high fees. Colleges often dont recoup much money, and former students can have their credit destroyed. Students accrue the debt for a number of reasons, according to experts and college officials. Sometimes, they enter into a payment plan for tuition and cant keep up. Other times, theyve paid tuition in full, but owe money for overdue parking, library or housing fees. Sometimes students owe a fine after failing to return a computer or calculator on time. The number of students in this situation likely grew during the pandemic, Eaton said, although its difficult to know by how much. Its not known how many students wanted to re-enroll but were prevented from doing so because of their debt. The California Community College chancellors office does not track this information. Nor does it keep tabs on what happens to a student in debt. It also doesnt regulate how colleges handle unpaid fees. Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley acknowledged the problem. Too many students are struggling with hardships that make even modest debts a barrier to enrollment in community colleges, he said. Oakley said community college students who needed financial assistance during the pandemic are some of the "most deserving recipients" of federal relief, and believes they are worthy of investment due to their overall impact on the economy. We also know that for every dollar taxpayers invest in community college students, they see a significant return on that investment over the life of the student, he said. The cost of community college varies based on how many units a student takes and the price of textbooks. One Los Angeles campus estimates an annual cost of more than $2,300 in tuition, enrollment fees and books based on a 14-unit course load; a campus in Northern California estimates $2,500 for the school year. That does not include expenses for transportation, housing and other basic needs. Enrollment at California Community Colleges has plummeted nearly 20% during the pandemic, and research shows that debt policies may be a contributing factor. Above, Long Beach City College on March 16. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Community college tuition can be free for students in good academic standing who qualify for state and federal grants through the federal financial aid application FAFSA. The California Promise Program waives enrollment fees, as does a Los Angeles-specific program. But Eaton and his fellow researchers uncovered ways in which students can get tangled in financial aid bureaucracy. Some colleges allow students to enroll before their financial aid is approved and disbursed, they found. If they fill out the paperwork incorrectly, they can receive less money than expected and cant bridge the gap. Or, when students withdraw partway through the semester, schools must return their federal financial aid to the Department of Education, and the students must repay their school, even if they only attended classes for a few weeks. The Department of Education currently offers waivers for this process, if a college can prove a student dropped out for a pandemic-related reason, but available data show that many students havent gotten relief. Some 2,100 students in the Los Angeles Community College District who withdrew between fall 2019 and summer 2021 owed federal aid reimbursement money to their school, according to data from district officials produced in early March. In total, data showed that students owed the district $10 million for all debts. Compton College decided to clear 2,702 students debt during the pandemic, to keep them enrolled, said President Keith Curry. The median debt forgiven was just $41. If you owe $41, and youre not coming back to school because you owe $41, thats problematic, Curry said. Californias public colleges and universities have wide discretion in how to handle student debt collection, and practices vary. Some try to collect the money on their own. Others use private debt collection agencies. Some forward the debt to the state Franchise Tax Board to garnish tax refunds. Although some schools paused the use of debt collectors during the pandemic, the practice can have lasting effects on your ability to rent an apartment, to get a car loan, to get a credit card and to fully participate in the economy, Eaton said. Meanwhile, the chancellors office has continued running its tax-offset program. Participating schools send the office names of students with past-due balances, and the information is sent to the state Franchise Tax Board. Students then may have their state tax refund and any lottery winnings garnished. According to the chancellors office, 21 districts, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and Riverside, serving about 96,000 students participate in the program. Seven others are seeking to participate. Officials at Rio Hondo Community College in Whittier decided to pause participation in the tax-offset program for current students before the start of the pandemic and will not restart for at least three more years, said Stephen Kibui, vice president of finance and business. The campus typically gets back about 40% of what its owed after allowing for a 25% administrative fee, he said. The college also previously worked with a debt collector, but scrapped that when the 33% fee was too high, and students credit was being damaged. For now, Rio Hondo is using federal relief money to waive current student debt, which Kibui says benefits both students and the college. The campus has lost more than 8,000 students since 2018-19, with enrollment dropping from 33,500 to 25,000. The college is in dire need of students, Kibui said. We are not adding any financial hardships to any of our students. Several other community colleges and universities across the state including the Los Angeles Community College district have used their federal relief funds to forgive student debt, in hopes that students will stay enrolled or dropouts will return. The LACCD colleges canceled about $20.2 million in student debts, according to a spokesperson. Just under $10 million in debt remains from the previous two academic years, according to district records. Long Beach City College, for example, has forgiven $2.1 million in debt for 7,990 students from spring 2020 to summer 2021, according to the interim executive vice president of student service, Nohel C. Corral. Individual debts forgiven ranged from $100 to $5,000. Twenty-one community college districts, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and Riverside, participate in a program that garnishes students' state tax refunds over past-due balances. Above, Long Beach City College. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) The decision meant thousands were able to continue with their education. Wilson was one of them. For him, the timing was critical. If his debt were not forgiven, I would have had to stop school, he said. Its my hypothesis that if people stop for two semesters, its not as easy to get started again I could have easily been fully sidetracked. This story was reported in partnership with The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit newsroom covering education issues. Butrymowicz, D'Amato and Kolodner reported for the Hechinger Report. Colleen Shalby is a Times staff writer. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President Biden signs an executive order regarding project labor agreements at Irownworks Local 5 in Upper Marlboro, Md., on Friday, February 4, 2022. It's Wednesday, welcome to Overnight Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. The Biden administration has announced another $800 million in new military assistance for Ukraine in the wake of an urgent plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for more help to beat back Russian troops. We'll detail what's in the package and what Ukrainian officials still want, plus Biden's comments after he introduced the new lethal aid, and Zelensky's impassioned pleas to Congress and lawmakers' reactions. For The Hill, I'm Ellen Mitchell. Write me with tips at emitchell@thehill.com. Let's get to it. US announces $800M Ukraine aid package The Biden administration said Wednesday it will send new military assistance for Ukraine that will include anti-aircraft defenses, drones and other weaponry. The $800 million in new assistance for Ukraine, paired with $200 million authorized over the weekend, brings the total new aid for the country to $1 billion over the past week. What that includes: The new aid will help provide 800 anti-aircraft systems to combat Russian planes; 9,000 anti-armor systems to help destroy Russian tanks and armored vehicles; 7,000 small arms such as machine guns and shotguns; and a total of 20 million rounds that includes artillery and mortar. A 'long and difficult battle': "I want to be honest with you: this could be a long and difficult battle," Biden said. "We are united in our abhorrence of Putin's depraved onslaught, and we're going to continue to have [Ukraine's] backs as they fight for their freedom, their democracy, their very survival," Biden added. "And we're going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead." Timing: Biden's speech came hours after Zelensky delivered a personal and emotional plea to the U.S. Congress asking for a no-fly zone over his country and more assistance to beat back Russian attacks on civilians and major cities. Story continues Zelensky, who spoke in both Ukrainian and English during his address, invoked Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in urging Americans to consider what the toll has been for Ukrainians to see their cities come under relentless attack from Russian missile strikes. What Ukraine still wants: Specifically, Zelensky called for sending warplanes to Ukraine after requests to the U.S. to help directly send Soviet-era fighter jets to the country fell through over concerns by the Biden administration that such a move would escalate the fighting to a conflict between Russia and the U.S. and NATO. Zelensky also addressed Biden directly at one point, saying "being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace." Biden did not respond to questions during Wednesday's event about what it would take to send fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine. For a list of everything the U.S. is sending to Ukraine, click here. Read the full story here. A MESSAGE FROM AM GENERAL Zelensky lights new fire under Congress Members of Congress give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a standing ovation Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confronted Americans on Wednesday with a graphic portrait of his country's suffering in the face of Russian hostility, delivering an impassioned speech that challenged both the policies of the Biden administration and the conscience of a Congress that's now vowing to escalate its response. While Zelensky failed to secure the backing for his most urgent request, the creation of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, his subsequent plea for less drastic interventions - including more anti-aircraft weapons and tougher economic sanctions - won the enthusiastic support of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Zelensky's strategy: If those positions weren't exactly new, Zelensky's gripping appeal seemed to reinforce them. Some lawmakers said that was his strategy all along. "The point of the no-fly zone request is to make us feel guilty that we can't do the no-fly zone, so that we work even harder on everything that we can do," said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who served as a pro-democracy official at the State Department. "It's brilliant. It's exactly what he should be doing." While warning against Congress trying to "micromanage" the administration, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, predicted that Zelensky's speech would prompt lawmakers to seek additional ways to defuse Russia's aggression. "You can't leave the speech without thinking to yourself, what more can we do? And I think that will be the question a lot of members are asking," Murphy said. Read more on the speech here. Here are five takeaways from Zelensky's virtual address to Congress. SIGN UP NOW Don't miss a beat! Get on the list for NotedDC, The Hill's new insider take on the heartbeat of politics and policy, coming soon. A MESSAGE FROM AM GENERAL Biden calls Putin war criminal Biden on Wednesday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "I think he is a war criminal," Biden told reporters at an event at the White House. White House press secretary Jen Psaki, questioned about Biden's labeling of Putin, said his comment speaks for itself. "The president's remarks speak for themselves. He was speaking from his heart and speaking from what he's seen on television, which is barbaric actions by a brutal dictator through an invasion of a foreign country," she said. Efforts underway: She noted there is a legal process underway at the State Department about designating Putin a war criminal. Harris backs the label: Vice President Harris, while in Romania last Friday, said intentional attacks against civilians are war crimes. In Poland on Thursday, she voiced support for a war crimes investigation into Russia over its strikes on civilian areas. "We have been clear that any intentional attack or targeting of civilians is a war crime. Period," she said last week. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview aired on Wednesday that the U.S. is looking into whether Russia is intentionally targeting civilians and journalists, saying it would constitute a "war crime" if Russia was doing so. Blinken's comments come as journalists in Ukraine have been killed and hospitalized this week while covering the Russian invasion. Read more here. SULLIVAN WARNS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART AGAINST CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, on Wednesday and warned Russia against using chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, according to the White House. The message: Sullivan "warned General Patrushev about the consequences and implications of any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine," White House National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement. Sullivan also reiterated the United States' "firm and clear" opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and vowed to continue imposing penalties on Russia in coordination with allies, she said. "Mr. Sullivan told General Patrushev that if Russia is serious about diplomacy then Moscow should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns," Horne said. A long-awaited conversation: White House press secretary Jen Psaki later told reporters that the call was the most senior discussion between the U.S. and Russia since Secretary of State Antony Blinken last spoke to Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. That call took place in February, before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the large-scale invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago. The last disclosed call between Sullivan and Patrushev occurred on Nov. 17. Sullivan has also periodically engaged with Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuriy Ushakov. The White House did not offer a particular reason for why Sullivan called Patrushev, who is the secretary of the Russian Security Council, on Wednesday. Earlier: Biden administration officials have warned publicly for the past week that Russia could use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, saying that Russia is spreading false claims about the U.S. supporting chemical weapons development in the country in order to create a pretext for further aggression. "We have real concerns that Russia could use a chemical weapon, another weapon of mass destruction," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on CNN Tuesday. "This is something we're very focused on." Read the full story here. ON TAP FOR TOMORROW WHAT WE'RE READING That's it for today. Check out The Hill's defense and national security pages for latest coverage. See you Thursday! A satellite image taken on March 16, 2022 showing destroyed Russian helicopters on tarmac at Kherson airfield. Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies A satellite image shows Russian helicopters destroyed at Ukraine's Kherson International Airport. Ukraine's military said the attack happened Tuesday. It is not clear how many helicopters were hit. Ukraine said earlier this month that it destroyed 30 Russian helicopters in a different attack. A satellite image shows destroyed Russian helicopters at a Ukrainian airport after an overnight attack. The image, taken on Wednesday by a Maxar Technologies satellite, shows the aftermath of a Tuesday strike by Ukrainian forces at Kherson International Airport in the south of the country. Ukraine's military said it hit the airport on Tuesday. It is not clear what kind of weaponry was used in the attack, or how many helicopters were destroyed. CNN reported on Tuesday that at least three Russian military helicopters were destroyed. There is no indication of whether there were any casualties in the attack. Ukraine previously said that it destroyed 30 Russian helicopters on a Kherson airfield on March 7. Russia captured the city of Kherson on March 2. It was the first major Ukrainian city to be seized by Russia in its invasion, which it started on February 24. Read the original article on Business Insider A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows that the telescope is now in-focus. It also teases us with a look at the full capabilities of this remarkable piece of technology. We are still months away from the first 'wow' images from the James Webb Space Telescope. Still, the team in charge of getting the telescope ready to probe the universe was very excited to share the latest image they acquired. "We have fully aligned and focused the telescope on a star, and the performance is beating specifications. We are excited about what this means for science," Ritva Keski-Kuha, deputy optical telescope element manager for Webb at NASA Goddard, said in a press release on Wednesday. "We now know we have built the right telescope." JWST telescope alignment evaluation image labelled NASA STScI The bright star at the centre of this image, named 2MASS J17554042+6551277, was used as a calibration target by the team putting Webb through the 'fine phasing' stage of the telescope's mirror alignment. Credit: NASA/STScI The bright star at the centre of the above image was the primary target for Webb, which helped the team bring the telescope into focus. However, the truly great part is what the image captured around the star dozens of stars and galaxies in the background, picked up due to the remarkable sensitivity of Webb's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument. According to the mission team, Webb is already delivering the finest resolution infrared images ever gathered from space. The telescope is also exceeding all of their expectations, so far. "More than 20 years ago, the Webb team set out to build the most powerful telescope that anyone has ever put in space and came up with an audacious optical design to meet demanding science goals," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in the NASA press release. "Today we can say that design is going to deliver." SEVEN STAGES TO SCIENCE Story continues There are seven stages to properly aligning Webb's 18 hexagonal mirror segments. First, the mirrors are simply aligned to the spacecraft itself, ensuring that they will all point at the same target. Second, by imaging that target with all 18 mirrors, the individual segments are adjusted, so the target is centred on each mirror and brought into sharper focus. Third, the mirrors are adjusted to aim the light from the target gathered by each mirror at the exact same point on the secondary mirror (and thus the same point in the instrument). This is known as stacking. The fourth stage is known as 'coarse phasing,' where they adjust the individual segments to bring them all together, so they act like one large mirror rather than 18 separate mirrors. The fifth stage, known as 'fine phasing,' is similar to step four but with much smaller adjustments. This is where we are now. JWST primary mirror selfie Feb11 v Mar11 NASA Two selfies of Webb's primary mirror show the initial stage of the alignment process (left), and after the current 'fine phasing' stage (right), revealing the progress they've made so far. Credit: NASA/Scott Sutherland The final two stages will be to ensure that the light the mirrors gather is properly centred on the instruments inside the telescope, and then skip back to stage five and repeat the process, just to remove any tiny misalignments that may still remain. Once all that is completed, Webb can finally get down to science. CANADA'S CONTRIBUTION As a contributor to the JWST mission, along with NASA and the ESA, the Canadian Space Agency has provided two essential instruments to this new space telescope. The first, the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), is quite possibly the most crucial instrument for Webb's mission, allowing the telescope to: use the stars as cosmic reference points to determine its position in space, pinpoint the celestial targets astronomers want to observe, track moving targets across the backdrop of space, and maintain a steady, high-precision lock on its celestial targets. Fine-Guidance-Sensor-JWST-CSA Canada's stellar navigator on the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: Canadian Space Agency Integrated into the same unit as the FGS is the second Canadian contribution, the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, or NIRISS. Working alongside Webb's other instruments, NIRISS will contribute to our understanding of the universe. Most remarkably, though, this instrument will also allow astronomers to closely study exoplanets alien worlds orbiting distant stars. Collecting detailed information on their atmospheres may even reveal which of these worlds are capable of supporting life. James Webb This artist's impression shows the James Webb Space Telescope floating in space. Credit: ESA/Northrup Grumman Flash Chen Xi, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth via video link on Wednesday. Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee's Organization Department, said China stands ready to work with Cambodia to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including civil service administration, to further enrich the connotations of the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership between the two countries. Aun Pornmoniroth, also Cambodia's economy and finance minister, expressed gratitude to China for its aid in Cambodia's economic and social development. He said Cambodia is willing to continue to deepen practical cooperation and further advance bilateral ties. The two sides witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries' civil service departments. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus commemorated the first anniversary of the mass shooting in Georgia that killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women. On March 16, 2021, Robert Aaron Long, 22, went to Youngs Asian Massage in Cherokee County and killed Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; and Paul Andre Michels, 54. He then drove to Atlanta and fatally shot Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. Long pleaded guilty to murder and other charges related to the incident in Cherokee County and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in July 2021. In a statement, Biden commemorated the first anniversary of the Georgia mass shooting, saying that the victims murders underscored how far we have to go in this country to fight racism, misogyny, and all forms of hate and the epidemic of gun violence that enables these extremists. "In the aftermath of these senseless deaths, the vice president and I traveled to Atlanta to meet with leaders of the Asian American community," he added. According to Biden, Asian American women are being targeted based on their race as well as their gender." In a separate statement, Vice President Kamala Harris called the shootings "a horrific attack." One year ago, we witnessed a horrific attack on eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. We must do everything we can to ensure all Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities are safe from violence, discrimination, and fear. Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 16, 2022 "We must do everything we can to ensure all Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities are safe from violence, discrimination, and fear," Harris tweeted. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, including legislators Judy Chu, Ted Lieu and Grace Meng, took to the Capitol on Wednesday to condemn the rise in anti-Asian violence while honoring the mass shooting victims. Story continues One year ago, a gunman targeted 3 Asian-owned spas in Atlanta where he killed 8 people, including 6 Asian women, in an act of hate. Watch as we join @SpeakerPelosi and @CAPAC colleagues to mark the anniversary of this senseless tragedy. #StopAsianHate https://t.co/new9x6EVeK Rep. Ted Lieu (@RepTedLieu) March 16, 2022 We cried together then, but since then our tears have only continued to flow, said Meng, who recalled other recent acts of violence against Asian American women. As these stories show, these crimes are continuing, and we will not be safe until we end the xenophobic rhetoric that puts lives in danger, Chu noted in her speech. And thats why we rely on all Americans, all of you of all ethnicities, to stand up and to stand together to stop Asian hate. Biden also signed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act at the White House later in the day. "This law broke the dam of congressional resistance and cultural resistance and it brought this hidden epidemic out of the shadows," he noted. Featured Image via Arirang News Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Judge rules UNC non-admittance of white and Asian students, race-based admissions not discriminatory 52% of COVID-19 Deaths in SF Are Asian American Chinese Journalist Missing After Reporting on COVID-19 in January Revealed to Be 'Under State Supervision' Black and Chinese Community in SF Join Together to Remember the Murder of Vincent Chin Anthony Alvarezs little sister sat under a banner with an image of her late brother and his daughter that read Justicia Para Anthony Alvarez, swinging her legs and chanting his name at Federal Plaza on Wednesday evening. Say his name! Anthony Alvarez! his family and a crowd of about 50 supporters chanted, led by Alvarezs cousin, Roxana Figueroa. The protest was in response to Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxxs decision Tuesday that no charges would be filed against the officers who killed Alvarez, 22, and 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Toledo and Alvarez were fatally shot in separate incidents in late March last year in the course of foot chases. Their deaths led to calls for the Chicago Police Department to implement guidelines on foot pursuits. On Tuesday afternoon, Foxx announced that prosecutors determined both officers reasonably believed they were in danger when they opened fire because Toledo and Alvarez were carrying guns the nights they were shot. Community members gathered downtown Wednesday at Federal Plaza to respond to Foxxs announcement. After speeches from organizers, supporters and Figueroa, the group marched up the street to Foxxs office. Figueroa said she and her family were disappointed to learn of Foxxs decision, but they will continue to fight for justice. She said she tried to put herself in the officers shoes and went back to watch the videos of her cousins shooting. Theres no reason why our family and I should keep re-watching those videos, listening to Anthonys last words in order to try to understand why Kim Foxx came to that decision, she said, holding back tears. Theres no reason why we should keep hearing his last words to understand that. Veronica Alvarez, Anthony Alvarezs mom, said she felt angry and disappointed Tuesday, but seeing how much community support is behind her family made her feel better. I feel content for the support and for the people, she said. The people that believe in us, the people that are supporting us, the people that believe in justice. Story continues Alvarez said her family will continue fighting until Officer Evan Solano is held accountable for shooting her son. Alvarezs family filed a lawsuit last month alleging the city bears responsibility for the death in part because police had no foot pursuit policy when he was shot. On Tuesday, Toledos family also filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and against Officer Eric Stillman. A third of teachers surveyed in a report released Thursday say they have experienced at least one incident of verbal or threatening violence from students during the pandemic, and many in the profession said they wanted to transfer or quit education altogether. The American Psychological Association's survey of nearly 15,000 teachers, administrators, psychologists, social workers and other school staff members across the country also found that more than 40 percent of school administrators reported verbal or threatening violence from parents during the 2020-21 school year, when the survey was conducted. Although many schools had implemented remote or hybrid instruction during part of the coronavirus pandemic, the survey found substantial rates of student physical violence against teachers and school personnel, including physical attacks and students throwing objects and using ordinary objects as weapons. Related video: New poll finds that 55% of teachers want to quit earlier than they had planned The findings highlight the challenges facing teachers and school staff members as students return to classrooms after having spent months away from in-person learning and bring the trauma of navigating a pandemic with them. I think that schools feel pressure to catch students up, but if were not looking at tending to mental health needs, as well, that could be a concern, said Jill Cook, the executive director of the American School Counselor Association. Schools cannot help students who have faced learning loss and interruption during the pandemic catch up if their social and emotional development and their mental health needs arent tended to, she said. Cook said she has heard from school counselors and others across the country that there have been more fights and more disciplinary issues than had been the norm before the pandemic. Just this month, a 14-year-old Washington state boy was charged with attempted assault after he was accused of putting his belt around a teachers neck during class; a South Florida teacher was taken to the hospital after she was attacked by a 5-year-old student, authorities said; and a senior citizen substituting in DeSoto, Texas, had chairs thrown at him. Story continues I think you have some unique issues that have come up through the pandemic that have been especially overwhelming for educators, said the chair of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Violence Against Educators, Susan Dvorak McMahon, a professor of psychology at DePaul University. The association presented its findings to some members of Congress and the Education Department on Thursday. Tracy Cooper, a 22-year veteran school bus operator in Orange County, Fla., said during the presentation Thursday that working conditions continue to deteriorate and get more dangerous as the turnover rate for drivers and other school personnel increases. Low pay, long hours and the threat of violence make it so you have fewer and fewer experienced drivers sticking around, she said. They can get the same or better able to pay in a safer job almost anywhere. Cooper said she has had a student on a bus attempt to push her down and a fairly new colleague who immediately quit after she was bitten badly by a student while working a new bus route. Cooper said bus drivers also face threats from parents. A few months ago, a parent threatened to have me fired because I was simply carrying out safety measures, the mask policy required by the school district, she said. Just because a parent disagrees with the school system policy doesnt give them the license to make threats or block the buses from moving, and thats what that parent did on that day. Cooper said "the workplace violence is intensified when we dont have enough experienced staff who are properly trained." Twenty-two percent of school staff members such as paraprofessionals, counselors, instructional aides and resource officers reported that they had experienced physical acts of violence in the school setting during the year, the survey found. School personnel also reported violence in the form of aggression from parents and other adults. These rates of violence are extremely problematic and may contribute to teachers and school personnel wanting to quit or transfer, the organization said. Becky Pringle, the president of the National Education Association, said in a statement that the report highlights a growing problem for our nations educators a worrisome rise in both verbal and physical attacks. While the sources and motivations behind violence in schools vary greatly, the solutions are clear as day more staff, more training, and more attention to mental health needs, Pringle said. And yet, schools are not given the funding needed to hire, train, and retain necessary staff at their schools like counselors and social workers and were already in the middle of a dire educator shortage. This crisis of violence should unite educators, students, families, and politicians around the common goal of ensuring that our public schools are the safest, healthiest, and most just places in our communities, she said. We need to address the mental health needs of students and educators, as well as school staff shortages both of which undermine the learning and growth of our students and the safety of our educators. The survey found that 29 percent to 34 percent of school staff members, administrators and mental health personnel reported interest in quitting their careers or transferring schools. Almost half of all teachers reported they desire or plan to quit or transfer their jobs due to concerns about school climate and school safety, the group said. As of January, 44 percent of schools reported having at least one teaching vacancy, and nearly half had at least one staff vacancy, according to data released last week by the Education Departments National Center for Education Statistics. More than half of those vacancies were because of resignations, according to the data. The American Psychological Association said in its report that schools needed comprehensive, research-based solutions to address issues of violence. The group recommended supporting the well-being of educators and students by establishing mental health programs for educators and personnel and increasing the number of trained teachers, psychologists and social workers to address student needs, as well as using trauma-informed practices. The organization also said federal policies were needed to invest in growing and diversifying the educator workforce, increase funding for programs that train educators and increase funding for programs that provide school-based mental health services. It also recommended anonymous reporting and assessing students and school personnels perspectives every year. Byron McClure, a school psychologist who also spoke Thursday when the report was presented, said ahead of the briefing that students may experience violence in their communities, which can trickle into school environments and create an unsafe learning environment. Aside from students lashing out, teachers can also experience vicarious trauma, picking up on the trauma that our students bring into the school environment, he said. McClure said it was imperative to have mental health professionals collaborating with school staff and educators, as well as working directly with students and parents to meet the needs of the school community. We cant do this alone, he said. A U.S. Army veteran is heading back into the war zone more than a decade after his retirement. Matthew Parker, who has 22 years of military experience, couldnt stand scrolling on his phone through images of Ukraininans fleeing homes that were being destroyed by Russian forces. But it was the plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the formation of the International Legion asking people with combat experience to stand with his country that gave Parker the final push to take action. Video Transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] MATTHEW PARKER: It's not easy on any human being to watch suffering. [CHILD SCREAMS] It's really not easy for a soldier who's been in combat to see it, because we've seen it up close. You know it's avoidable. The Russians are violating the law of war. - Parker served 22 years in the army and retired in 2011. He is now the owner of a security-training business in South Carolina. For Parker, the Russian invasion on Ukraine is personal. MATTHEW PARKER: I had a soldier that worked for me years ago who was Ukrainian. And he'd come to the United States, become a citizen, and his family told him to become a soldier, because he had to give something back to his new country. He told me about his little sister and he told me about his mom, who are still in Ukraine. The tipping point for me was a week before the invasion, when Putin was so blatantly lying about what his army was doing on the border and what they were going to do. When he recognized the separatist regions as independent. Because my soldier's mother and sister lived in Crimea. They were forced to leave. - Parker says as he prepares to leave for Ukraine later this week, his personal mission is to bring his soldier's family to safety, hoping the soldier's daughter, who Parker views as his own is safe and alive. MATTHEW PARKER: I'm going to go find them. I will find his mother and I will find his sister. If they're still somewhere near, you know, Odessa, I will go find them. And if I can get them to safety, I will. If they're safe, you know, I'll just check in on them and see how they're doing. Story continues I remember when she was four, we sent her Christmas gifts, including a winter hat. I think it had like, Mickey Mouse on it. She wouldn't take it off. She said it was from her brother's friends in America. - Parker says he couldn't stand scrolling through images of Ukraine on his phone that showed people fleeing for their lives, homes being destroyed by airstrikes, and families forced to say goodbye to loved ones at the border as they had to stay behind to defend their home. The final push for Parker to take action is when Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called for the formation of an international legion, asking for people with combat experience to stand with his country. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] - But some are raising the question if it's legal for Americans to volunteer to fight in Ukraine. The United States Department of State website says citizens are not barred from serving in another country's military. MATTHEW PARKER: I applied to join the legion, was accepted. The Ukrainian embassy and defense attache does an interview, looks over your paperwork, confirms your military record. I am now helping 26 volunteers through the process of getting approved to go to Ukraine. I have a network of volunteers that we've established that will pick us up at the airport and either take us to a couch, spare bedroom, or a hotel so we can get some sleep if we get there late, or they'll bring it straight to the border. - Parker is leaving behind two daughters and two sons. He never envisioned returning to combat after hanging up his uniform and boots for the final time. He says the fight isn't just about defending Ukraine, but about saving democracy in general. MATTHEW PARKER: Every single one of us when we joined raised our right hand and said, "support and defend the Constitution of the United States." We accepted a role above us. To me, this is a continuation of what we signed on for, to support and defend. But in this case, it may not be the constitution of the United States. This is more serving mankind, serving people. What Putin is doing is wrong. Every hospital that's bombed, every baby that's killed, every pregnant woman that's killed, every orphan-- that's all our problem. If you're worried about the price of gas, if that should be a consideration right now, is the price of gas, and you're not watching the news, and you're not horrified by what's happening, your priority's askew. Gas is expensive. But so is a life. The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, which serves nearly 500,00 active, inactive and retired Ohio public educators, approved a cost of living bump for eligible retirees. (Columbus Dispatch photo by Doral Chenoweth III) Photo taken Dec. 26, 2018. The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio board approved a one-time, 3% cost of living adjustment for eligible retirees starting July 1. Retirees who retired before July 1, 2018 will receive the boost on the anniversary of their retirements. It'll be 3% of their base pension check. Under the current system, teachers can retire at any age after 34 years of service, but in 2026 the requirement was scheduled to be 60 years old and 35 years of service. The Ohio STRS board eliminated the 60 years old requirement. More: Ohio teachers could see retirement benefits improved after years of austerity cuts It marks the first improvements to benefits for Ohio's second-largest public pension system after several years of austerity measures. From 2013 to 2017, the pension fund cut the annual cost of living adjustments until it finally eliminated them altogether. Teacher Julie Sellers and retiree Elizabeth Jones said in a written, joint statement that "A one-time COLA is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what STRS retirees need and deserve. Likewise, elimination of the age threshold for full retirement benefits is a positive change but the result is that it's still harder to retire today than it was 10 years ago." STRS said reforms made in 2012 and strong investment returns mean the system can afford to make the benefit improvements. STRS Ohio: 'I wouldn't even invest my own money in this': Ohio teachers' pension board pans $65 billion pitch STRS has roughly $98 billion invested on behalf of 500,000 Ohioans. Public employees in Ohio do not participate in Social Security so the retirement systems are their main pension resource. Collectively, the state's five pension funds hold more than $218 billion invested for 675,000 government employees, 1.1 million inactive members and 485,000 beneficiaries. Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio teachers' retirement system approves benefit increase Police in North Dakota said Wednesday they have arrested a woman who was the former roommate of an 18-year-old college student who was killed nearly 15 years ago. Anita Knutson, a student at Minot State University, was found stabbed to death in her apartment on June 4, 2007. The Minot Police Department said that Nichole Rice, 34, was in custody. Rice was at work on Minot Air Force Base as a civilian when she was arrested without incident, Police Chief John Klug said at Wednesday evening news conference. Anita Knutson / Credit: Minot Police Department "It was a relief," Klug said of the arrest. "It was good to know that finally the one case that we've had hanging out there that we just could not get to a solution was finally over." Rice, who was Knutson's roommate at the time of her death, is charged with murder and is being held at the Ward County Jail, police said. "There was never enough to arrest her but I would say she was always a person of interest in this case," Klug said when asked if Rice had previously been cleared. On June 4, 2007, Knutson's father had called the police because he hadn't heard from her in several days, KXNET-TV reported. In the yard outside her apartment, Anita's father showed police a sliced window screen that led to her bedroom window. When police arrived at the scene, they found Knutson stabbed to death in her bedroom, covered with a large housecoat. "My heart goes out to the family," Klug said. "I wish we could have solved this sooner but at the same time I'm glad to say that we have the person responsible for the murder of Anita Knutson in custody." Sue Bird's workout Fearing Russian shelling, Ukrainians try to shield their heritage Snake catcher removes carpet python from car's headrest via Twitter Russian activists and journalists discovered threatening messages painted on their apartment doors on after Vladimir Putin delivered a speech calling for a self-cleansing of society from scum and traitors. Dont betray your country, bitch, read one message painted in white on the front door of a journalists apartment. Anna Loiko, a journalist for the opposition news site SOTA, which has closely covered protests against the war in Ukraine, was among those targeted. Activists Dmitry Ivanov and Olga Misik also received such messages, which featured the symbol Z that Russia has tried to use to drum up support domestically for its all-out war against Ukraine. Putins World War Z Has Created a New Swastika This is the message left for me by anonymous defenders of the homeland, Ivanov wrote on Telegram alongside a photo of his defaced door. My apartment has undergone cosmetic procedures, Misik quipped on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/QNw9t3RXJz Olga Misik (@thorkiman) March 16, 2022 The anonymous messages come less than 24 hours after Putins Wednesday speech which publicly cheered on the self-cleansing of society that has happened inside Russia as a result of the Kremlins devastating war against Ukraine. Many prominent Russians left the country, while hundreds were detained and charged for protesting Moscows aggression. Claiming that the West is relying on national traitors inside Russia to divide the country with their slavish consciousness, Putin took aim at those who have echoed calls from the international community to stop the war. He bashed those with ties to the West and accused them of cozying up to Europe and the U.S. to feel like they belong to a higher caste. Russian people will be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into their mouths, he said. Story continues I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to respond to any challenges. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday stood by those remarks, and appeared to confirm the reports of activists and journalists being intimidated with spray-painted messages. Well, you know, in such difficult times and in such responsible, emotionally elevated situations, a lot of people show their true colors. And so many people show themselves as traitors. They disappear from our lives, Peskov said in an interview with Meduza. Some such people simply leave the country, while others violate the law and get punished for it, he said, adding that: This is how the cleansing [that Putin spoke of] happens. Asked whether Putins notion of a cleansing had anything to do with the acts of vandalism against those whove spoken out against the war, he said that was likely just a result of people who support the president emotionally expressing themselves. Very many want to support the president not just emotionally, but in a meaningful way. Theyre the overwhelming majority. While stifling criticism of the war at home, the Kremlin on Thursday also defied an order from the United Nations highest court demanding that Moscow halt its war against Ukraine. Peskov told Russias RIA Novosti news agency that the Kremlin would not take this decision into account. The international court has such a concept as the consent of the parties. There can be no agreement here. In this case, this is something that we cannot take into account, he said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A sign the color of the Ukrainian flag with a peace symbol The Russian journalist fined for holding up an anti-war sign during a live broadcast on a state-run news channel told CNN on Wednesday that leading up to the now-viral protest, she was "feeling a cognitive dissonance" between "my beliefs and what we say on air." Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at popular Russian broadcaster Channel One, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour the dissonance "kept increasing every year." "The war was the point of no return," she said. "I realized that I either would need to do something or we would reach a point of no return and it would be more and more difficult to do anything." On Monday, Ovsyannikova ran behind a news anchor holding up a sign that read: "Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They're lying to you here." She was quickly detained by authorities, and on Tuesday was fined around $270 for organizing unsanctioned actions. Russia's Investigative Committee is probing whether Ovsyannikova might also be charged with publicly spreading false information, The Associated Press reported. Ovsyannikova said she hopes to avoid criminal charges, but does not currently fear for her life or those of her children, who she said are safe. The journalist also described how she carried out the protest. She told CNN that Channel One is largely an open area, so she seized an opportunity to burst pass a guard in front of the studio with her poster. "I wanted to show to the world that Russians are against the war, the majority of Russians," she said, adding that even Russians supporting what they are being told is a "special military operation" are pacifists. "Our life changed overnight. Russians are really scared by what's going on." Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, in what President Vladimir Putin called a "special military operation" intended to save Ukrainians from genocide and "denazify" the country. Story continues State-run news channels and outlets are unable to even refer to the invasion as a war, and must instead call it a "special military operation" or face up to 15 years in jail under a new law passed by the Russian Parliament. Ovsyannikova said Russia is divided evenly between those who support the war and those who don't, but said supporters are "brainwashed," including her own mother. "State propaganda is blaring from every state TV channel from morning until night," she said on CNN. "There is an information war." Because of her protest, Ovsyannikova said more journalists were resigning from government-controlled news channels. "I think this is becoming a public demonstration," she said. "Many are feeling a disconnect between reality and what we say on air." Bars and pubs across Sacramento are getting ready for the return of full-scale St. Patricks Day celebrations. The last time crowds filled local establishments for St. Patricks Day was in 2019. One year later in 2020, lockdowns stemming from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurants and bars to close and made people stay at home. Then in 2021, while many bars did have St. Patricks Day celebrations, they had to follow strict mask requirements and capacity limits. This year, bars and restaurants told KCRA 3 they are hoping for big crowds. That includes Jamies Broadway Grille. Staff members inflated green, white and orange balloons Wednesday night in preparation for their Thursday night St. Patricks Day celebration. By Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine are necessary, even if they squeeze energy supplies, because Tokyo one day could need allies to counter China in East Asia, said Taro Kono a former defence chief and ex-foreign minister. "We need to tell the people in Japan that in order to protect ourselves we need to help the others too," Kono told Reuters. "If there is any aggression anywhere on this planet, we need to stop them," he added. Japan counts neighbouring China as its top national security threat, followed by North Korea and Russia. Some officials in Tokyo, including Kono, worry Russia's attack on Ukraine could embolden Beijing to act against Taiwan too. Taiwan, which Beijing consider a renegade province, lies only around 100 kms (62 miles) from the nearest Japanese island. It's capture by Beijing would also put Chinese forces within close to maritime trade routes that sustain Japan's economy. China's "spending on forces is four times more than our national defence budget. Japan alone couldn't fight against the Chinese forces if they invade Japan," said Kono, who last year ran against Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a Liberal Democratic Party leadership race. Kono remains influential in the ruling party and a conspicuous presence on social media with 2.4 million twitter followers, more than any other Japanese politician. Kishida appears to have public backing for sanctions on Russia, although many people want the government to impose additional measures, according to an opinion poll published by public broadcaster NHK on Monday. Of 1,223 people it surveyed 42% agreed with the sanction with 40% wanting more. Kishida on Wednesday said he plans to revoke Russia's most-favoured nation trade status and widen financial sanctions on the country's elite. Tougher sanctions on Russia, which describes its attack on Ukraine as a "special operation," could mean a halt to Russian imports from two energy projects on Russia's Sakhalin island, north of Japan, that account for about 8% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and around 4% of its oil. Story continues On Thursday in parliament, Kishida said Japan had to weigh its energy security when considering whether to halt those imports. Japan could find it hard to replace Russian LNG, because it has agreed to divert other gas shipments to Europe to help it cope with any interruption in Russian gas supplies. "If we decided to ban the import (of Russian gas), we will really need to conserve the energy like right after Fukushima," Kono said, referring to the energy crunch that swept the country after the Fukushima nuclear disaster forced it to shutdown its reactors. (Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Michael Perry) DUBAI, United ARAB EMIRATES (AP) The Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday invited warring sides in Yemen for talks aimed at ending the civil war in the Arab worlds most impoverished country, a conflict now in its eight year. However, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have already rejected Riyadh the Saudi capital were the GCC is headquartered as venue for talks. A Saudi-led coalition has been at war in Yemen since 2015, seeking to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The Saudis have been trying to oust the Houthis from key territories, such as the capital of Sanaa, which the rebels control. The Houthis said they would not attend talks in Riyadh, saying Saudi Arabia cannot be a mediator or host since it's a party in the war. The Houthis say they would instead be open to talks in a neutral country. GCC member states Kuwait and Oman have attempted to mediate in the past. For more than a year, the Iran-backed rebels have pushed back against U.N. and U.S. efforts to relaunch peace talks, focusing instead on trying capture the city of Marib to complete their control over the northern half of Yemen. That effort has resulted in significant losses for the Houthis as they battle Yemeni forces supported by Saudi air power and Emirati-backed fighters. Yemen's conflict erupted in September 2014 when the Houthis overran the capital and forced the government into exile. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, including at least 14,500 civilians. A U.N. appeal on Wednesday raised $1.3 billion, less than a third of what had been targeted to help Yemenis avoid starvation. Some 161,000 people are likely to experience famine in Yemen in 2022. GCC Secretary-General Nayef al-Hajraf told reporters Thursday that the talks planned for March 29 through April 7 were the latest effort to try and bring the Yemenis to the negotiating table. The solution to the crisis is in the hands of Yemenis, he said. Story continues Al-Hajraf did not name the Houthis specifically but said the GCC invites all Yemenis without exception to take part in these talks with the goal of discussing political, military, security, economic and development obstacles in Yemen. He stressed the location of the venue for the talks should not be the focus of concern. The Houthis had already said Wednesday following reports by Reuters about the GCC effort that they would not take part in talks in Saudi Arabia. Without the group at the table, it's unclear if any progress can be made. There have been no substantial peace talks since the 2018 negotiations in Sweden that ended fighting in and around the port city of Hodeida. Since then, the Houthis have pressed offensives in northern and central Yemen, reaching the outskirts of the crucial city of Marib, the last stronghold for the government in northern Yemen. The Houthis control northern regions bordering Saudi Arabia. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. Koch Industries has defended its decision not to pull out of Russia even as other western companies flee. Charles Krupa/AP Sens. Chuck Schumer and Ron Wyden fired at Koch industries for continuing to do business in Russia. The pair said the company was "putting their profits ahead of defending democracy." The company has defended its decision as the best way to protect its employees. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed Koch Industries on Thursday after the multinational giant confirmed that it will maintain its current business in Russia. "Koch Industries is shamefully continuing to do business in Putin's Russia and putting their profits ahead of defending democracy. The noxious stench of Trump still hangs over Koch Industries," Schumer said in a joint statement with Sen. Ron Wyden, the chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated his call on Wednesday for American companies to immediately leave Russia. "All American companies must leave their market immediately because it is flooded with our blood," Zelenskyy said during his emotional address to Congress. Koch Industries said on Wednesday that its Guardian Industries subsidiary would continue to operate two glass manufacturing companies in Russia that employ roughly 600 people. The company did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. "While Guardian's business in Russia is a very small part of Koch, we will not walk away from our employees there or hand over these manufacturing facilities to the Russian government so it can operate and benefit from them (which is what The Wall Street Journal has reported they would do). Doing so would only put our employees there at greater risk and do more harm than good," Koch President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Robertson said in a statement. Koch, one of the US's largest privately-held companies, is led by Charles Koch. Koch, and his brother David before his death in 2019, organized and funded a vast network of political groups that undergirded conservative politics. The brothers did not particularly like Donald Trump, but Koch's political network has lavished spending on stopping President Joe Biden's agenda. Story continues Congress has recently taken steps to help Ukraine fend off Russian aggression with $13.6 billion in emergency military and financial aid. They're also inching towards revoking Russia's trade relations with the US, opening the door to slap new tariffs on its goods. Schumer and Wyden threw their support behind revoking tax breaks for American firms still operating in Russia, signaling that legislation would be unveiled soon. The Journal reported that the Kremlin has started to threaten Western companies, threatening to arrest any remaining local officials or seize the assets of businesses that are exiting the Russian market. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for nationalizing the operations of some companies. Major names like McDonald's, Coca-Cola, IBM, and others have shuttered their businesses in Russia in the wake of its war against Ukraine. Some companies like McDonald's have made clear that they are only pausing operations, though it remains unclear how long the Russian military campaign will last. Robertson said that Koch condemns Russia's "horrific and abhorrent aggression" against Ukraine. He clarified that Koch is cooperating with any sanctions. Read the original article on Business Insider Morning, people of Shirley-Mastic! It's me again, Debora Whitehead, your host of the Shirley-Mastic Daily. First, today's weather: Partly sunny. High: 63, low: 45. Here are the top 4 stories today in Shirley-Mastic: MMS Community Library features an author event with Shirley resident Donna Tischner. Come hear author Tischner discuss her romance novels on March 19 at 1 p.m. Copies will be available for purchase and signing, registerathttp://communitylibrary.org. (MMSCL) Are you looking for skate classes in Shirley? Local business, GR8SKATES can help you! All are welcome to join the classes scheduled every Saturday from 10:30 -11:30 a.m. Tutoring is $20 per class and $5 for the skate rental. The GR8SKATES is located at 30 The Green, Shirley. (GR8SKATES) Patchogue St. Patricks 2 Mile Run/Walk is set for this Sunday. March 20 is the big day for the community to celebrate the fun holiday in the Village. The race starts at 11:45 a.m., rain or shine. (Patchogue CofC) Nearby News: A woman was struck by a SUV while crossing North Bicycle Path in Coram. The crash happened on Tuesday, March 14, around 7:30 p.m. The woman is identified as Merlin Martinez. After the accident, she was transported to Stony Brook Hospital where she was pronounced dead. (Daily Voice) From our sponsor: Todays newsletter is brought to you by Ring, a Patch Brand Partner. We all know that Ring is the leader in video doorbells for home security. But did you know that Ring now makes a home security system that is getting raves by consumer electronic experts? (Reviewers at CNET called the new system known as the Ring Alarm Pro a giant leap for home security.) So why the kudos? In a nutshell: the Ring Alarm Pro can protect your home both online and off. It includes a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router to help you get reliable physical and digital security in one, innovative device. Now you can help protect your home with all of the benefits of the Ring Alarm, to keep your home safe and secure, while experiencing fast, reliable connectivity. Story continues To learn more about the system CNET called the future of home security or to build your custom system, you can visit Ring here. Today in Shirley-Mastic: Family Literacy MMS Community Library. (9 a.m.) The Only Requirement MMS Community Library. (12:15 p.m.) Illustrators Workshop MMS Community Library. (4 p.m.) From my notebook: " For the second year in a row, residents have voted a Suffolk County eatery as the best upscale restaurant on Long Island, according to a new report. Tellers An American Chophouse in Islip was voted the 2022 best upscale restaurant by Long Islanders, according to an announcement from Bethpage Best of Long Island." (Daily Voice) " Centereach first graders are doing their part to help Ukraine. The students are running a coin collection, which has become a schoolwide initiative leading to hundreds of dollars raised. The class at Our Savior New American School started the coin collection and their teachers said they expected to collect a "few" dollars. Their little collection turned into a school-wide collection, and students started to empty their piggy banks and donate their funds. Other students donated their snack money." (News 12 Bronx) Suffolk County publishes coronavirus case update for March 14. (Press Release Desk) More from our sponsors thanks for supporting local news! Events: Metal for Tesla at Tesla Science Center. (March 19) American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert Day: Understand Your Risk. (March 22) Add your event Gigs & services: Loving the Shirley-Mastic Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved: Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe Get your local business listed in front of readers Send me a news tip or suggestion at shirley-mastic@patch.com Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another update! Debora Whitehead About me: Have a story idea? Please contact me! I would love to hear from you!Wife, mom, foodie, traveler, and nature lover. This article originally appeared on the Shirley-Mastic Patch SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked for a second time to decide whether a state law requiring gun owners to have a firearm permit is unconstitutional a question the court previously declined to answer. The case involves a White County resident, Vivian Claudine Brown, who was charged in March 2017 with possession of a firearm without a Firearm Owners Identification, or FOID card. The charge was filed after her husband had called the White County Sheriffs Office to report that she had fired a gun in their home. When officers arrived, they found a rifle beside her bed but no evidence that she had fired it. Nonetheless, she was charged with the crime. But a circuit judge in White County threw out the charge, saying the Illinois law requiring potential gun owners to fill out a form, provide a picture ID, undergo a background check and pay a $10 fee to obtain a FOID card was unconstitutional, at least as it applied to Brown. The judge said it imposed a burden on Browns Second Amendment right to keep a firearm in her own home for self-defense. The Illinois Supreme Court is pictured in Springfield. The circuit court went on to say, even though Browns attorneys never raised the issue, that it is impossible to comply with the act in ones own home. Thats because it would mean anybody who had knowledge of a firearm in the home and exclusive control over the area where it was kept could be construed as possessing the gun and therefore would have to have their FOID card on their person 24 hours a day. The state appealed that decision directly to the state Supreme Court, but in April 2020, the high court declined to answer the question of the laws constitutionality. Instead, it said the White County court had rushed to rule on the laws constitutionality when it could have decided the case on other grounds, namely that the General Assembly never intended the FOID Card Act to apply in the home. More: Stoltzenburg named Senior of the Month The Supreme Court then sent the case back to White County with instructions to enter a modified order that did not touch on the constitutionality question. Story continues The White County court did that, but then in an unusual move, Browns attorneys asked the court to reconsider, arguing that the modified order forced Brown to take a position she didnt want to take and one that would ultimately be overturned on appeal, thus delaying any final resolution of the case, possibly for years. The circuit court agreed and reinstated the charges against her. Browns attorneys then filed a new motion to dismiss on constitutional grounds. The judge then upheld that motion, finding that any fee associated with exercising the core fundamental Constitutional right of armed self-defense within the confines of ones home violates the Second Amendment. The state then appealed that decision back to the Illinois Supreme Court. During oral arguments Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Garson Fischer argued that the law imposes only a minimal burden on people wishing to own firearms and it serves a legitimate state interest of keeping guns out of the hands of felons and mentally ill individuals. It imposes a de minimis burden on law-abiding citizens to allow the state to determine whether they are, in fact, a law-abiding citizen who has the absolute right to possess a firearm in their home for self-defense, or falls into one of these high-risk categories, he said. The FOID Card Act is the mechanism by which the state answers that question. Fischer also noted that Brown never applied for a FOID card in the first place and therefore should not be allowed to argue that the law was overly burdensome. More: Heartland Community College Lincoln names new director Appellate defense attorney David Sigale, however, argued that the law imposes a significant burden because it provides for criminal penalties against those who dont comply, even if they are otherwise entitled under state and federal law to own a firearm. In addition, he argued that the law is duplicative because there are already state and federal laws prohibiting people with felony convictions or certain kinds of mental illness from owning a gun. He also noted that the screening process the state uses to determine whether someone falls into one of those categories is fallible, which results in people who are eligible for a FOID card having to file appeals, and sometimes even hire attorneys, to overturn a wrongful denial. So the burden is not de minimis, and the effect is not de minimis, Sigale said. It is not quick, it is not easy. Some of the justices, however, still seemed to question whether the Supreme Court even needs to address the constitutional question. Chief Justice Anne Burke questioned why Browns attorneys asked the White County court to reconsider a decision that effectively dropped the charges against her. Is it ethical for a criminal defense attorney to move to vacate an order that grants his client complete relief? she asked. Attorneys on both sides, however, argued that it was because the order that the White County judge would have issued dismissing the charge on the grounds that the FOID Card Act doesnt apply to possessing a gun in ones own home probably would not stand on appeal. Justice Mary Jane Theis also hinted that the court could send the case back to White County as it did before. She then asked Sigale what his ethical obligation would be in defending Brown before an appellate court if the White County court dismissed the charge on statutory grounds and the state appealed to the Fifth District Court of Appeals. I guess, at best, I would have to say something ethically along the lines of, if the Fifth District agrees with the position of the circuit court and that original order, then we'll take the dismissal and go home, Sigale said. But I would not argue that the trial court was correct. The court took the case under advisement but did not indicate how long it might take to issue a decision. The case has drawn the attention of national gun control advocates such as the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Everytown for Gun safety, along with gun rights advocacy groups like Guns Save Life Inc., and the Firearms Policy Foundation, all of whom submitted or contributed to amicus briefs in the case. The city of Chicago and Cook County also filed an amicus brief in support of the FOID law, saying it has been an effective tool in helping them combat gun violence. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. This article originally appeared on Lincoln Courier: The FOID Card Act doesnt apply to possessing a gun in ones own home Industrial Container Cargo freight ship with working crane bridge in shipyard at Iron Ore Mine Factory Plant in Narvik Norway. vichie81/iStock/Getty Images Plus A yacht owned by Russian oligarch Vladimir Strzhalkovsky is stranded in Norway, as local oil suppliers have refused to refuel it. Russian oligarchs who have been sanctioned have fled to places like Dubai and the Maldives. Norway cannot seize the superyacht because Strzhalkovsky has not been sanctioned by the EU. A superyacht owned by a Russian oligarch is stranded in Norway because local oil suppliers have refused to fuel the vessel, The New York Times reported. The yacht, Ragnar, is owned by Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, a former KGB agent and longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 68-meter (223-foot) custom service yacht has been stranded at the Port of Narvik since February 15, according to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. Norwegian fuel suppliers said they did not want to help entities associated with Russia, per NRK. "Why should we help them?" Holmlund Oil Service's general manager Sven Holmlund told NRK. "They can row home. Or use a sail," he added. Rob Lancaster, the yacht's captain, told NRK Russian fishing boats could operate freely and buy fuel at Norwegian ports. He also referred to Norwegian authorities' actions as discrimination. "I understand that discrimination is prohibited in Norway. We are a western crew of 16 people on board. We have nothing to do with the owner of the boat," the Brit told NRK. "I understand that Russian fishing vessels account for 20% of the economy in northern Norway. It is to Norway's advantage that they get to operate here," he added. After Russia began an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the European Union and other countries sanctioned multiple Russian oligarchs and members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle. Strzhalkovsky has not been sanctioned by the EU, which prevents Norway from seizing the yacht, The Times reported. However, politicians have urged the EU to sanction more individuals with connections to the Russian state. Story continues Russian oligarchs who have been sanctioned have fled to places such as Dubai and the Maldives, where they won't face extradition laws. In countries that are members of the EU, like Italy and France, millions of dollars worth of yachts, superyachts and villas have been seized. "We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains," President Biden said at his State of the Union address in early March. Twitter accounts have been set up to track Russian jets and yachts. As of early March, sanctions have cost the Russian elite more than $80 billion, amounting to about a third of their collective wealth. Read the original article on Business Insider As part of an international pressure campaign on Russia, authorities from around the world have seized almost a half-dozen superyachts belonging to billionaire oligarchs allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The yacht seizures since the Feb. 24 invasion are "just the beginning," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters this week, with more action expected soon as an international task force works to identify further assets that can be seized or frozen. Here are the superyachts government officials have seized since Russia invaded Ukraine last month. Lady M Detained Superyachts Of Sanctioned Russian Billionaires (Giuliano Berti / Bloomberg via Getty Images) Authorities in Italy seized a 215-foot superyacht called the Lady M this month. It's owned by Alexei Mordashov, Russia's richest businessman, and its estimated to be worth $27 million. The vessel, which requires a crew of 14, has six guest cabins, a pool and a gym. But it pales in comparison to another of Mordashov's yachts, the $500 million Nord. The 464-foot vessel, which has two helipads and a waterfall and can accommodate 36 guests, was anchored this month in the Seychelles, where the U.S. and European Union sanctions dont apply. Lena Image: The yacht Italian officials also seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, owned by the energy magnate Gennady Timchenko. Estimated to be worth $8 million, it has five cabins and can accommodate 10 guests. SY A The SY A short for Sailing Yacht A is one of the world's largest superyachts. Valued at over $440 million, the 469-foot vessel, owned by the fertilizer magnate Andrey Melnichenko, has eight decks, multiple elevators, an underwater observation area and the world's tallest masts. It was seized in the Italian port of Trieste. Valerie Image: The 85m long yacht Authorities in Spain seized Sergei Chemezov's Valerie, a 279-foot superyacht that had been moored in Barcelona. Chemezov, a former KGB officer, heads the state conglomerate Rostec. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez touted the seizure on La Sexta television. We are talking about a yacht that we estimate is worth $140 million, Sanchez said. Story continues Amore Vero Image: Amore Vero, a yacht owned by a company linked to Igor Sechin, chief executive of Russian energy giant Rosneft, in a shipyard in La Ciotat, near Marseille, southern France, on March 3, 2022. (Nicolas Tucat / AFP - Getty Images) Officials in France announced this month that they had seized the 289-foot Amore Vero, which was undergoing repairs in a shipyard near Marseille. When they arrived, authorities said, they found the crew preparing for an urgent departure, even though the repair work was scheduled to last through April. The $120 million boat, which has seven cabins, is linked to Igor Sechin, described by the U.S. Treasury Department as a close ally of Putin's. TECUMSEH A Tecumseh teenager is raking in the dance awards and being recognized for his kindness. Dylan Cunningham, 15, of Tecumseh has collected several awards for his dancing as well as the Spreading Kindness Award at the recent StarQuest Competition in Toledo. Dylan Cunningham, 15, recently won the Spreading Kindness Award at the StarQuest Competition in Toledo. It is something his studio, Dance With Heart Studios of Adrian and Manchester stresses, but he said he also gets a lot of that from his mom, Deb Cunningham. Dylan, his sister, Sydney, and Deb are continuously reaching out to the community to help where they can. There is a long list of community activities Dylan has participated in on his dance resume. He is a very special kind of kid. I was super proud when he got the special kindness award. They were talking about how thats not an award that they give out at all of their competitions. Its literally a kid that stands out to them, that they see doing good deeds and offering good deeds and they have to be recommended by someone who is with their competition. That describes Dylan, Deb said. Even with the Big Brother Big Sister program we have with our dance studio, he has a little brother that absolutely adores him, looks up to him. I think hes a good role model for kids. I think its important for him to spread the awareness for boys that will make boys definitely know that dancing is fun, that you can enjoy it. Dylan Cunningham, 15, of Tecumseh, left, is pictured with his choreographer, Anya Noveskey, at a Dance Masters of Michigan event. Noveskey owns Dance with Heart Studios in Adrian and Manchester. Dylan is always spreading that awareness whether acting as a mentor or just helping his friends deal with bullies. He tells his friends that they need to do what makes them happy and to not let it bother them. It is very important to me. I just show it in my own way. Sometimes I go out and say, Hey, lets go out and do dance, and see if they want to. Two of my friends like it, actually, and I wear my dance stuff a whole lot, like Dance with Heart Studios stuff. I'm wearing my DWHS hat right now, Dylan said. Dylan Cunningham, 15, is pictured dancing with his sister, Sydney, as DC Comics characters The Flash and Supergirl. Dylan got into dancing from watching Sydney perform. Dylan got into dancing after watching Sydney perform at many dance recitals. He knew that sitting on the sidelines was not for him. So he joined dance at age 11. Story continues The team always included him and made him feel like he was a part of it, and that is why he wanted to give it a try. From there Dylan said he fell in love and just had fun. At all his sisters competitions and recitals, he wore shirts that said, "Sydney's biggest fan," and now she wears one for him. Dylan Cunningham, 15, of Tecumseh, right, who has been raking in awards for his dancing and kindness, is pictured at the 2021 production of "The Nutcracker" at the Tecumseh Center for the Arts with his sister, Sydney, left, and Anya Noveskey, owner of Dance with Heart Studios in Adrian and Manchester. Dylan played the Nutcracker Prince and Cavalier. He recently won Mr. Dance of Michigan at a Dance Masters of Michigan event in Redford, which means he will be competing for the national title of Mr. Dance of America in Nashville, Tennessee, in July. He has been competing for two years and would have been competing for three years had it not been for the pandemic. His dance resume is filled with numerous awards during that time. He performs a wide variety of dance including acro, ballet, Cecchetti, jazz, lyrical, musical theater and tap. He just started modern dance but has been in each of the other types from 2 years to 4 years. Dylan Cunningham, 15, of Tecumseh is pictured with his viola. Along with being an award-winning dancer, he plays in the Tecumseh High School orchestra. In addition to practicing three days a week from 3 to 9 p.m. and then one day a week for about an hour, Dylan is in the Tecumseh High School choir and orchestra where he plays viola. He'll also learn welding next year at the Lenawee Intermediate School District Tech Center. He wants to dance for a living, however. His dream job would be to work on Broadway. I think of welding as being my nighttime job and dancing as my daytime job, Dylan said. This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Teenage dancer from Tecumseh is spreading kindness wherever he goes By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Iraq war veteran who allegedly formed a militia he dubbed the "Proud Boys of North Texas" pleaded guilty on Thursday to a single count of assaulting or resisting police, a charge related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol in an effort to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election. The plea from Lucas Denney, 44, of Texas, marked an abrupt shift in the case. Earlier this week, prosecutors had signaled they supported his emergency request to release him from jail and drop criminal charges because they had violated his rights to a speedy trial by failing to secure an indictment until about three months after his December 2021 arrest. In a surprise move, Denney opted to withdraw his emergency request to have the case dismissed, and pleaded guilty instead. He did so even as federal prosecutors warned in a virtual hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that they had not ruled out filing additional criminal charges against him in the future. After that revelation, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss urged Denney to briefly take a recess and confer with his lawyers. After the recess, Denney said he had not changed his mind, and admitted to intentionally hitting a police officer with a pole as the officer was protecting the Capitol grounds. "It was a plastic pole. It was like a PVC tube," Denney said. Denney is one of more than 775 people facing charges for their role in attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The government's criminal complaint alleges that before the attack, Denney and a co-conspirator who also faced charges discussed organizing a militia to go to Washington, D.C. "The 6th is going to be bigger than the last rally. I cant tell you everything I know over media here but its gonna be big," Denney allegedly wrote in a message. "We will need linking up with proud boys though. Ive been in contact with a few different chapters." Story continues The complaint says that after Denney arrived at the U.S. Capitol, he started grabbing metal barricades and trying to pull them from police, screaming "Who ya'll protecting?" Investigators said that after a police officer sprayed crowd control spray, Denney grabbed a metal pole and tried to swing it at the officer. He eventually managed to make his way into the lower west terrace of the Capitol, where the crowd pushed back against police riot shields while screaming "Heave-ho!" In a court filing earlier this week, prosecutors urged the judge to sentence Denney to a prison term somewhere between 57 to 71 months, while Denney's lawyers are asking for a range of 41 to 51 months. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by David Gregorio) Tokyo school officials announced they are dropping controversial dress code policies for high school students, including those regulating hairstyles and underwear color and patterns. Around 200 schools run by the Tokyo metropolitan government will implement five changes to the rules at the start of the new academic year beginning on April 1, according to a Mainichi Shimbun report. The new changes will scrap long-held rules that prevented high school students from changing their hair color or wearing a two-block, a hairstyle that is long on top and short at the back and sides. Tokyos metropolitan government will also drop rules dictating underwear color, the practice of punishing students with a form of house arrest and ambiguous language in the guidelines on what is considered typical of high school students. Yuto Kitamura, a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, said these changes signal a major step forward," according to Mainichi Shimbun. While Kaori Yamaguchi, another member of the board, praised the move, she said it took the government too long to address the issue. Japanese people have been taught to believe that it is a virtue to simply abide by the rules, Yamaguchi said. I hope this will be an opportunity for people to discuss what we should do to create a society where rules are observed in a way thats acceptable to everyone. The recent changes came after Tokyos Board of Education surveyed 240 schools in the city, asking parents and students about their views of the policies. The result found that the majority of people in education and students believed the 216 regulations were outdated. Some schools are expected to retain a few of the rules, reportedly at the request of parents and students, including showing proof that a students hair is naturally curly or a certain color. Students in Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu, also answered a survey about the similar dress code in their city, stating their complaints that the rules had caused them stress and limited their self-expression. The issue was first brought to the publics attention in 2017 after an Osaka student, then 18, filed a lawsuit against the government for forcing her to dye her naturally brown hair black, which irritated her scalp. She won the case in February 2021 and received 330,000 yen (approximately $3,190 at the time) in compensation. Featured Image via David Monniaux (CC BY-SA 3.0) Story continues Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Cathay Bank Foundation donates $1 MILLION to help fight anti-Asian hate Asian Man Beaten and Robbed of Around $15K at Bank in the Bay Area Asian Woman in SF Followed, Robbed of $16,000 Rolex at Gunpoint American Psychological Association apologizes for role in perpetuating systemic racism Mar. 16HENDERSON What started as a simple idea tossed around by a handful of State Highway Patrol troopers concluded Tuesday morning in the Skipper Forsyth's Bar-B-Q parking lot with a couple of dozen law enforcement officers from multiple agencies gathering to honor the memory of Henderson State Trooper Brent Montgomery. Donning black and blue #BrentStrong T-shirts, they had just completed a 4.4-mile run from Satterwhite Point Road, near Kerr Lake, to North Garnett Street. It was touted as the 4.40 Memorial Run for Montgomery, who died one year ago from Tuesday due to complications from COVID-19. His State Highway Patrol call sign had been C4.40. "Once word got out, you see how it grew," Highway Patrol Sgt. Elliott Fuller said. "The community got involved and supported us." Another 15 or so people gathered nearby at Vance County Middle School to walk in Montgomery's honor. District C4 of the Highway Patrol, which encompasses five counties including Vance, was represented, as was the Henderson Police Department and Vance County Sheriff's Office. The Raleigh Police Department, SBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration also sent forth participants. First Sgt. Jeff Rowan of the Highway Patrol was a chief organizer and thanked Skipper's and Vanco Outdoor Equipment for their support. Those two businesses last year spearheaded a fundraiser for Montgomery as he fought COVID, drawing hundreds of supporters. "We had support from a lot of businesses in the community," Fuller said. "Once they found out about it, they thought it was a good thing and they wanted to honor Brent. His family was there to support us. It was a really good thing and the Lord blessed us with really good weather for it too." Montgomery's fight with COVID and his subsequent passing galvanized the entire community last year, reaching far beyond law enforcement. But Tuesday was a way for law enforcement members, particularly of the State Highway Patrol, to send Montgomery's family a message. Straight from the troopers. "He was just part of C4," Rowan said. "He was a great guy. He was a training officer that a lot of us learned from. He was kind and level-headed. He was just a key part of our team up here. He's greatly missed. We think about him all the time and this is just a small way we can remember him and to remind his family that we're still thinking about him and care about him." Critics are slamming Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as one of Vladimir Putins useful idiots after the Republican gave a speech with numerous false or misleading claims about the Ukraine invasion that echoed Russian talking points. Donald Trump meanwhile has used the occasion of Volodymyr Zelenskys virtual address to Congress to brag about his supposed rescue of the Nato alliance this despite his history of derogatory remarks about the alliance. People forget so quickly, with the help of the Fake News, that it was me that got the 20 out of 28 delinquent Nato countries to start paying the money that they owed in order to rebuild a floundering Nato, the former president claimed. His son, Donald Trump Jr, has been mocked on social media after he suggested his father should join Americas Nato allies for high-stakes talks about the war in Ukraine. He said sending President Joe Biden to talks would embolden our enemies further whereas his father would get something done. In Capitol riot investigation news, far-right extremist and sometime-Trump adviser Steve Bannon attended a US District Court where the contempt of Congress case brought against him by the 6 January committee is being heard. On a Gettr live stream from outside the building he told his followers: This is all noise. We are dedicated to take down the illegitimate Biden regime and stop it in its tracks every day of the week. And were doing a pretty good job. Key points Bannon orders followers to take down the illegitimate Biden regime Trump brags about supposedly saving Nato Donald Trump Jr is mocked for saying his father should join Nato talks Jan 6 documents reveal detailed plan to storm government buildings Marjorie Taylor Greene panned as useful idiot for Putin after speech Tim Kaine pans GOPs wild attack on Bidens Supreme Court 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell A Virginia Democrat derided the GOPs labelling of President Joe Bidens Supreme Court nominee as soft on crime on Thursday and characterised the wild criticism of her as unserious. Story continues Mr Kaine spoke to The Independent in the Capitol basement after one of his Republican counterparts, Sen Josh Hawley of Missouri, tore into Judge Ketanji Brown Jacksons sentencing record on cases of individuals convicted for possessing child sexual abuse images. John Bowden reports from Capitol Hill. Tim Kaine pans GOPs wild attack on Bidens SCOTUS pick Ketanji Brown Jackson 21:09 , Oliver O'Connell Today, the White House is proud to continue the tradition of a vibrant green fountain for St. Patricks Day. pic.twitter.com/ZAaqxTV7IL The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 17, 2022 White Houses China pivot complicated by Russian invasion of Ukraine 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell President Joe Biden set out to finally complete the pivot to Asia, a long sought adjustment of U.S. foreign policy to better reflect the rise of Americas most significant military and economic competitor: China. But Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine has made that vexing move even more complicated. Chinas government has vacillated between full embrace and more measured responses as Russian President Vladimir Putin prosecutes his war, making the decisions for Biden far more layered. Biden's China 'pivot' complicated by Russia's war in Ukraine Koch Industries wont leave Russia 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell Koch Industries says it will not pull its business out of Russia, defying the trend set by other corporations of suspending their in-country operations to protest the invasion of Ukraine. According to the Washington Post, the company, one of the largest privately-owned businesses in the US, employs 122,000 people around the world, with just over 600 working at a subsidiary, Guardian Industries, inside Russia. The company said it would continue its operations in Russia because to do otherwise would put its employees there at greater risk and do more harm than good. Graig Graziosi reports. Koch Industries wont join the more than 400 companies who have left Russia The lone no votes to revoke Russias trade status 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell 424-8, House easily passes bill to revoke Russias normal trade status, sending bill to Senate. The lone NO votes: Boebert Massie Gaetz Biggs Greene Bishop Roy Grothman Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 17, 2022 Some GOP states seek new police units for election probes 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell Republicans responding to the myth of widespread voter fraud are turning to a new tactic to appease voters who believe the claims: election police. The efforts to establish law enforcement units dedicated to investigating election crimes come as Republican lawmakers and governors move to satisfy the millions of voters in their party who believe former President Donald Trumps false claims that widespread voter fraud cost him reelection in 2020. Some GOP states seek new police units for election probes North Carolina AG asks for probe in Mark Meadows voter registration 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell The North Carolina Attorney Generals office has asked the State Bureau of Investigations to look into the voter registration of Mark Meadows, Trumps former chief of staff, per a department spokesperson, Charles Bethea of The New Yorker reports. NEW: The North Carolina Attorney General's office has asked the State Bureau of Investigations to look into the voter registration of Mark Meadows, Trump's former chief of staff, per a department spokesperson. My @NewYorker report (below) prompted the investigation: https://t.co/WTvjfm0wIJ Charles Bethea (@charlesbethea) March 17, 2022 As White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows aggressively pursued baseless theories that his boss, Donald Trump, lost the 2020 election because of voter fraud. The New Yorker investigation dug up Mr Meadows voter registration form, and found something unusual. On the line where he was supposed to write his home address, the Republican reportedly put down 495 McConnell Rd, Scaly Mountain, North Carolina the address of a mobile home hes never owned. Mark Meadows may have committed voter fraud, report says American teacher whose wife was too sick to flee Ukraine has died 20:11 , Oliver O'Connell A 68-year-old American man has died in the city of Chernihiv in Ukraine as Russian forces struck the city, local authorities have said. James Whitney Hill, often called Jimmy or Jim by friends, died when Russia performed heavy artillery attacks on unarmed civilians, according to The New York Times. Mr Hills identity was confirmed by Anton Gerashenko, an advisor at the Ukrainian Interior Ministry. He had traveled to Chernihiv in December so that his partner Ira could be treated for multiple sclerosis. They had become trapped at a regional hospital there. American teacher whose wife was too sick to flee Ukraine has died GOP legislator asks trans teen if they will go through the procedure 20:05 , Oliver O'Connell When 14-year-old Avery Jackson appeared before a legislative committee in Missouri this month to testify against a bill that would ban transgender women and girls from participating in school sports, a Republican state senator asked invasive questions about their body. Alex Woodward reports. Missouri Republican asks transgender teen if they will go through the procedure Josh Hawley goes after Biden Supreme Court pick for record on sex offenders 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell A right-wing senator whose support of the protesters who subsequently attacked the Capitol last year and who became the stuff of headlines and furious editorials is now speaking out against the judicial record of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Joe Bidens nominee to the Supreme Court. Josh Hawley delivered his criticism of Ms Jackson in a lengthy Twitter thread published on Thursday morning. The Hawley criticism even got a mention in Thursdays White House press briefing: The @PressSec responds to Sen. @HawleyMO criticism saying that "in the vast majority of cases involving child sex crimes and sentences," the sentences handed down by Judge Jackson "were consistent with or above what the government" recommends. Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) March 17, 2022 John Bowden reports from Washington, DC. Josh Hawley goes after Biden Supreme Court pick for record on sex offenders House votes to strip Russia and Belarus of favoured trade status 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell The US House of Representatives backed legislation on Thursday that would remove most favoured nation trade status for Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine, which would allow higher tariffs on imports from the two countries. The House voted 424 to 8 in support of the bill. Reuters Russia warns it has the might to put enemies in their place 19:47 , Oliver O'Connell Russia has issued a harsh warning to the United States and its allies, threatening to put the West in its place. The menacing words come from Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and current deputy secretary of the countrys Security Council. On Thursday, Mr Medvedev accused Western nations of a disgusting anti-Russian conspiracy. Nathan Place has the latest on the threat. Russia warns it has the might to put enemies in their place Fewer Americans file for jobless claims last week 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs continue to fall amid a strong job market rebound. Jobless claims fell by 15,000 to 214,000 for the week ending March 12, down from the previous weeks 229,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Fewer Americans file for jobless claims last week Marjorie Taylor Greene panned as useful idiot for Putin for conspiracy-laden speech 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell Critics are slamming Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as one of Vladimir Putins useful idiots after the Republican gave a speech on Wednesday with numerous false or misleading claims about the Ukraine invasion that echoed Russian talking points. Josh Marcus reports. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Putins useful idiot after conspiracy theory speech Blinken retweets viral Arnie clip appealing to people of Russia 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell Secretary of State Antony Blinken has retweeted a viral video posted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr Blinken says that in addition to the brutal violence in Ukraine perpetuated by the Kremlin, we are also seeing a war of the truth versus tyranny. He adds: As @ Schwarzenegger explains, we do not blame the people of Russia, and we need you to know what your government is hiding from you. The former governor of California and movie star addresses the video message to his dear Russian friends and Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine. He says there are things going on in the world that are being kept from you, terrible things that you should know about. After explaining what is going on in Ukraine, Mr Schwarzenegger asks the Russian people to help him spread the truth about the human catastrophe that is happening there. Watch the full video below: We are not just witnessing a brutal, violent Kremlin-led attack on the Ukrainian people, we are witnessing a war of the truth vs. tyranny. As @Schwarzenegger explains, we do not blame the people of Russia, and we need you to know what your government is hiding from you. https://t.co/QK8zhwsOnR Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 17, 2022 Biden and Xi to meet for talks on Russia-Ukraine crisis 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet virtually on Friday to discuss Russias war in Ukraine and managing competition between the US and China. The two are meeting as Russia shows few signs of relenting on its assault of Ukraine. This is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the [Peoples Republic of China], a statement from the White House said. Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC. Biden and Xi to meet for talks on Russia-Ukraine crisis Roger Stone has a wild plan to reinstall Trump as president 19:03 , Oliver O'Connell Theres a lot of ifs in this... Roger Stone has a plan to install Trump as POTUS: After GOP takes the House, make Trump Speaker. Then wait for Bidens Cabinet to remove him from office via the 25th Amendment. Then impeach Kamala Harris for denying the effectiveness of Ivermectin. Then make Trump POTUS. Voila! pic.twitter.com/vTcA1lThea The Republican Accountability Project (@AccountableGOP) March 17, 2022 Blinken confirms death of American citizen in Ukraine 18:55 , Oliver O'Connell Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that an American citizen was killed in Ukraine on Thursday. He did not provide additional information. Sec. Antony Blinken confirmed that an American citizen was killed in Ukraine on Thursday but did not provide additional information pic.twitter.com/oUNfbP5sJm NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 17, 2022 Blinken: US documenting potential Russian war crimes in Ukraine 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he agreed with President Joe Bidens characterisation of Russian atrocities in Ukraine as war crimes and said US officials are currently collecting evidence that could be used to prove such crimes were committed. Andrew Feinberg reports for The Independent from Washington, DC. Blinken says US documenting potential Russian war crimes in Ukraine Infamous Jan 6 rioter in court later today 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell Danny Rodriguez, the 6 January rioter who famously broke down during interrogation and tearily confessed his participation in the insurrection, will be appearing in court virtually today as his case proceeds. Mr Rodriguez admitted during a police interview that he attacked police officer Michael Fanone, who has become one of the most important critics of the Republican leaderships response to the events of 6 January 2021. Judge ABJ ruled in December that Danny Rodriguez's confession to the FBI is admissible at trial: https://t.co/Dxg3WrhHsk Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) March 17, 2022 St Patricks Day: Irish PMs Covid-19 case scrambles DC celebrations 18:31 , Oliver O'Connell President Joe Bidens plans to celebrate Saint Patricks Day were scrambled Thursday after Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin tested positive for Covid-19. Biden was supposed to host Mr Martin for a day of festivities, but those events have been reimagined as the Irish leader isolates at Blair House across the street from the White House. The two leaders held a virtual bilateral meeting and Mr Martin will sat out the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon at the Capitol that Mr Biden attended. The president will go ahead with a White House reception planned for Thursday evening, but Mr Martin will not attend. Biden's St. Patrick's Day scrambled by Irish PM's COVID case Zelensky staffer praises Bidens support of Ukraine 18:00 , Andrew Naughtie Andriy Yermak, the head of Volodymyr Zelenskys office, followed up a CNN interview with a message of thanks for Joe Biden one that takes the edge off some Republicans claims about him and his predecessor... Grateful to , our reliable partner. The @POTUS does more for than any of his predecessors. Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) March 17, 2022 ICYMI: Hardcore Republican tries to save his Trump endorsement 17:30 , Andrew Naughtie Mo Brooks, an Alabama Congressman who spoke at the White House rally on 6 January 2021, has put out an ad boasting of his pride in taking part in the event a gesture that comes just after Mr Trump said in an interview that he was disappointed in his devoted ally and was considering reallocating his endorsement to a challenger. Eric Garcia has the story: Mo Brooks releases January 6 ad as Trump hints he may withdraw his endorsement Alyssa Farah Griffin: 'I do not want to see that man ever be president again 17:16 , Oliver O'Connell Alyssa Farah Griffin, the former Trump White House director of strategic communications, has been guest hosting ABCs The View this week to give a conservative angle to the shows daily discussions. On Thursdays edition she reiterated her opposition to former President Donald Trump seeking office again. As somebody who regrettably worked for Donald Trump, I do not want to see that man ever be president again, she said. I want to see credible Republicans who represent the party I once was so proud of challenge him, Ms Farah continued. Put a Larry Hogan [governor of Maryland] on stage against him. She added: Larry Hogan cant win this year, but show what a real credible Republican looks like. Heres the clip: "As somebody who regrettably worked for Donald Trump, I do not want to see that man ever be president again. Trump's former WH Communications Director @Alyssafarah speaks out about his potential 2024 run and urges "credible Republicans" to run against him. pic.twitter.com/OhDMPBsA0z The Recount (@therecount) March 17, 2022 Will Mar-a-Lago survive climate change? 17:00 , Andrew Naughtie Donald Trump has recently taken to joking that rising sea levels are in fact good news for him because they will create more oceanfront property, a characteristically callous take on an issue that threatens millions of other Florida residents with risk of disaster and/or displacement. But for all his blithe talk, Mr Trump himself is vulnerable to the rising water, living as he does at his low-lying resort at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach where two-thirds of all properties are designated as a special flood hazard area by FEMA. Louise Boyle has this report on what the climate emergency could mean for the sometime presidents sunshine state lair. Trump says sea-level rise is good for homes. Shall we take a look at Mar-a-Lago? Election fraud conspiracy theories: whats happening in Wisconsin? 16:30 , Andrew Naughtie Much of the Wisconsin Republican Party has not only bought into Donald Trumps lie that the 2020 election was stolen, but also pushed a formal investigation of the non-existent fraud that supposedly threw their state to Joe Biden. With Mr Trump himself making greatly exaggerated claims about what that investigation has found, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinels Molly Beck has this rundown of the divisions between the relatively moderate party leaders, who are endorsing the idea of widespread election fraud but not calling for the vote to be thrown out, and their more zealous colleagues and supporters. Even though Vos isn't touching the idea of decertification, it's incredibly significant to have perhaps the most powerful GOP lawmaker in the state publicly saying that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election. That idea is just as much a lie as the idea of decertification Sam Levine (@srl) March 17, 2022 Bannon orders followers to take down the illegitimate Biden regime 16:00 , Andrew Naughtie Far-right extremist and sometime Trump adviser Steve Bannon yesterday attended a US District Court where the contempt of Congress case brought against him by the 6 January committee is being heard and on a Gettr live stream from outside the building he had this to say to his followers: This is all noise. We are dedicated to take down the illegitimate Biden regime and stop it in its tracks every day of the week. And we're doing a pretty good job. Steve Bannon vows to "take down the illegitimate Biden regime" seconds before walking into U.S. District Court where he is facing contempt of Congress charges over Jan. 6. pic.twitter.com/NQ7zEgiTfW David Edwards (@DavidEdwards) March 16, 2022 Mr Bannon, who also called for a populist, nationalist uprising at the polls to take down the Democratic Party, is under investigation for his alleged dealings with various players in the 6 January riot the day before which he told his podcast listeners that all hell is going to break loose. John Bowden has the story. Former Trump aide Bannon tells followers to take down the illegitimate Biden regime Liz Cheney accuses Marjorie Taylor Greene of siding with Kremlin 15:32 , Andrew Naughtie In a video statement addressing the nation, Marjorie Taylor Greene cautioned against the US entering a war with Russia, suggesting that it wouldnt be like any conflict in Iraq or Afghanistan. This is an 8-year long smouldering conflict in which peace agreements have been routinely violated by both sides, the Republican representative from Georgia warned. In response, Rep Liz Cheney called out her Republican counterpart in Georgia for siding with the invading nation. Only the Kremlin and their useful idiots would call that a conflict in which peace agreements have been violated by both sides Ms Cheney tweeted Thursday. Putin is targeting and slaughtering civilians in a brutal unprovoked war against Ukraine, a sovereign democratic nation. Only the Kremlin and their useful idiots would call that a conflict in which peace agreements have been violated by both sides. pic.twitter.com/Ld9WomOStd Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 17, 2022 The centrepiece of the speech, however, is Ms Greenes repetition of a top Kremlin disinformation line: that the 2014 protests that overthrew the pro-Russian president of Ukraine were in fact cover for a US-backed coup. Read more on Ms Greenes latest intervention below... Marjorie Taylor Greene falsely claims Ukraines government set up by US-backed coup ICYMI: Why Putin has the support of the American far right 15:05 , Johanna Chisholm Out of war comes the strangest discourse, and the strangest of the strange when it comes to Ukraine is the Republican Partys affection for Putin, writes The Independents Holly Baxter. The leading voice for conservatism in America has somehow fractured along lines no time traveller from the 1960s, 70s, 80s or 90s would believe. Her analysis posits why so many on the far right are sympathetic to a Russian version of events, even as many of them are keen to distance themselves from allegations of being essentially Russian propagandists. Why far-right Republicans are praising Putin 14:30 , Andrew Naughtie Donald Trump is once again slamming Rep Nancy Mace, the Republican freshman congresswoman who has been a frequent target of the former presidents scorn. In an emailed statement Thursday, sent through Mr Trumps fundraising arm, Save America, he calls the GOP congresswoman terrible, nasty and disloyal, and berates his bread-and-butter broadcaster - Fox News - for including her on their airwaves. Fox News is putting on the terrible Nancy Mace of South Carolina at every opportunity they get. Fox Board Member (too bad!) Paul Ryan is pushing her so hard its ridiculous. Shes nasty, disloyal, and bad for the Republican Party. Her opponent, Katie Arrington, is wonderful and will do a much better job for both South Carolina and the Republican Party. Katie Arrington has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Statement by Donald Trump Pro-Trump congressman boasts of Jan 6 role in new ad 14:06 , Andrew Naughtie Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks, who spoke at the fateful White House rally on 6 January 2021, has released a new ad in which he boasts that he stood with President Trump on the day of the Capitol riot. Mr Brooks currently has the former presidents endorsement in his re-election campaign, but in an interview this week, Mr Trump derided him as disappointing and suggested he might back another candidate. "On Jan. 6, I proudly stood with President Trump to fight against voter fraud." https://t.co/9jPPUWVS8A David Weigel (@daveweigel) March 17, 2022 Disinformation and propaganda a US problem, too, Russian-born American journalist says 13:46 , Johanna Chisholm In recent days, Russias efforts to spread misinformation about Ukraine has been picked up by conspiracy theorist groups, such as Q-Anon, and even been touted by conservative outlets like Fox News. Host Tucker Carlson, for instance, has recently been accused of spreading Russian conspiracy theories on his own show . In this MSNBC interview, Russian-born American journalist Julia Ioffe explains the haunting parallels between the Russian propagandist machine and Americas own problem with unverified conspiracy theories being supported and promoted by mainstream news outlets. Every time I'm asked by Americans: do Russians really believe this stuff? Like, how can they believe this stuff? Ioffe says. As if we don't have the same thing happening here. fired some shots earlier this evening https://t.co/Tw17Gt39ht Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) March 17, 2022 Jimmy Kimmel gives Trumps tough on Russia claims a reality check 13:16 , Johanna Chisholm Jimmy Kimmel weighed in on Donald Trumps latest controversy in the late night hosts Wednesday night monologue. Trump bragged recently at a South Carolina rally that no one was tougher on Russian than me. Kimmel, however, sees evidence pointing to the contrary of the former presidents boasts. You know whos names not on the list? The guy who was tougher than anyone on Russia, Kimmel said, referring to the recently released list of sanctioned US officials the Kremlin levied. Donald Trump is not on the list. He was so tough on Russia they were scared to put him on the list. Anti-Trump Republicans launch campaign to support Arizona Democrat in senate race 12:45 , Johanna Chisholm Renew America Movement (RAM), a group of anti-Trump Republicans thats pledged to stand against GOP candidates they deem radical ahead of the 2022 midterms, has launched a new ad campaign in support of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). Top Republicans are coming together to help a unifying Democrat keep his Senate seat. Republicans for Mark Kelly Reaching across the aisle is what will save our democracy. pic.twitter.com/StuWx4BGYS Miles Taylor (@MilesTaylorUSA) March 17, 2022 The Democratic senator, who won his election in 2020 to serve the remainder of late Republican Sen. John McCains term, is seeking re-election in a state that President Biden won by less than a percentage point in 2020. Report: Lindsey Graham wanted Trump removed on 6 January 12:15 , Andrew Naughtie Axios has obtained extracts from a new book that sheds light on the goings-on in Congress during Joe Bidens first year, and one particular anecdote from the day of the Capitol attack is already grabbing attention. According to This Shall Not Pass, by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, a Republican senator phoned the White House during the riot and threatened an effort to remove Donald Trump from office. And that senator was, they say, one of the presidents most dependable senate allies. On Jan. 6, an enraged Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) telephoned White House counsel Pat Cipollone and told him that if President Trump didnt act more aggressively to denounce the mob well be asking you for the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. In an in-person interview with the authors that afternoon, after they all evacuated from the Senate, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed optimism that the riot could become a turning point: People will say, I dont want to be associated with that ... There will be a rallying effect for a while, the country says: Were better than this. Graham suggested Biden was the right man for this time: I mean, how mad can you get at Joe Biden? Mr Graham has since reversed course, repeatedly denigrating the Biden administration while voting against Mr Trumps impeachment over the riot and obstructing the effort to create a 9/11-style independent commission to investigate it. Read the report on the book here. Lindsey Graham (Getty Images) Trump praises Georgia gubernatorial challenger at Mar-a-Lago fundraiser 11:46 , Andrew Naughtie Donald Trump last night spoke at a fundraiser for David Perdue, the ex-senator he has endorsed to run against incumbent Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. Mr Kemp is a Republican, but he refused to endorse Mr Trumps repeated false claims that his state was stolen for Joe Biden via non-existent electoral fraud; as a result, Mr Trump has backed a challenge in the GOP primary, but so far, Mr Perdue is struggling to make inroads in either fundraising or polling. Here, as per the mailing list he uses to communicate with supporters, are the remarks Mr Trump delivered at a Perdue fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago last night. Its a good summary of the attack lines hes using against Republicans who havent been sufficiently enthusiastic about whats come to be called the big lie, a group he is hellbent on purging from the party. Thank you all for being here to support a true America First warrior and the next governor of the great state of Georgia, David Perdue. David is a fearless and outstanding conservative leader, and he is the ONLY candidate who can beat Stacey The Hoax Abrams this November. As a United States Senator, David stood up to the Radical Leftand he was always a champion for strong, secure borders. As governor, David will restore integrity to our elections, he will eliminate the Georgia Income Tax, and he will put PARENTS back in charge of Georgia schools. David truly loves his state and his country, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement. David is running against Brian Kemp, a horrendous RINO who has betrayed the people of Georgia, and betrayed Republican voters. As governor, Brian Kemp has repeatedly surrendered to Stacey Abrams and the Radical Left: Kemp allowed himself to be bullied into a disastrous consent decree that effectively abolished signature verification and allowed massive voter fraud to occur throughout the state of Georgia. True the Vote released bombshell evidence revealing a gigantic illegal ballot harvesting schemeinvolving more than 2,000 ballot traffickersthat took place on Kemps watch, and he does not even care. Under Kemp, Georgia officials took $45 million dollars from Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg to fund election-related activitiesover 90 percent of which was given to blue areas of the state to bolster Democrat turnout. He allowed a left-wing organization to mail out 2.2 million absentee ballot applications and place unsecured drop boxes throughout the state. A vote for RINO Brian Kemp in this primary is a vote for Governor Stacey Abrams. A vote for David Perdue is a vote to save Georgia from the Radical Left! Together, we will FIRE Brian Kemp, we will RESTORE Election Integrity in Georgia, and we will Make America Great Again! Analysis: GOP pounces on Biden after Zelenskys speech 11:04 , Andrew Naughtie Reporting from Washington, The Independents Andrew Feinberg has this rundown of the Republican response to Volodymyr Zelenskys congressional address yesterday. As he explains, the party used the address not just to call for more assistance to Ukraine, but to repeat the same attack lines theyve been using for months: Shortly after Mr Zelensky finished speaking, [Kevin] McCarthy stepped up to a bank of microphones outside the Capitol Visitors Centre auditorium and renewed some of the same attack lines that have been a standard portion of GOP talking points since the outset of the current crisis. Ive had conversations with the president long before this moment came. My advice to him was provide [Ukraine] the armament earlier to deter Putin from ever making this decision, and the entire time President Biden always said it would be the sanctions afterwards. And then when the sanctions came, he said theyd take months to work, he said. Read the full article below. Republicans cant resist using Zelensky speech to attack Biden Greene puts up a fight and makes yet another gaffe 10:13 , Andrew Naughtie Having not long ago warned of the fascistic excesses of the gazpacho police, Marjorie Taylor Greene has now added a new term to the American political lexicon: commander and chief. I tell you what pumpkin. How about you suit up and report to your commander and chief yourself and tell him your reporting for duty. You might want to train a little first, the only thing in shape on you and prepared for war is your little Twitter thumbs.@BillKristol https://t.co/b4bbsmUY8k Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) March 16, 2022 The tweet wasnt one of her best. Her diametrically opposed Republican colleague Adam Kinzinger had this to say... I mean seriously, if anyone is going to say commander and chief its her. She literally has no idea its commander in chief and Im zero percent surprised. https://t.co/kpKrkovHIZ Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 17, 2022 Explainer: How the Ukraine biolabs conspiracy theory got a foothold on the right 09:30 , Stuti Mishra The Independents Andrew Buncombe takes a look at how a fringe theory pushed by the Kremlin has become a top talking point in certain corners of the far-right commentariat, including for Fox Newss Tucker Carlson this even as Russia and its assault on Ukraine prove extraordinarily unpopular among the American public. What are Ukraine biolabs and why have they become an obsession for Fox News? Chris Cuomo turns on ex-colleagues in bid to win CNN payout 09:00 , Stuti Mishra Former CNN host Chris Cuomo is demanding a $125m (954,430) payout from the cable channel for wrongly firing him over his efforts to help his politician brother through a sexual harassment scandal. Mr Cuomo was dismissed last year after an investigation revealed the extent of his advice and aid to his brother Andrew Cuomo, who was governor of New York state until resigning last August amid numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. But in a demand for arbitration filed with the dispute resolution firm Jams on Wednesday, Mr Cuomos lawyers launched a series of stinging attacks on his former colleagues and bosses, including his counterpart in bromance Don Lemon. Read more: Chris Cuomo turns on ex-colleagues including Don Lemon in bid to win $125m CNN payout As Ukraine war rages, diplomats near Iran nuclear agreement 08:15 , Stuti Mishra As the war in Ukraine rages on, diplomats trying to salvage the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal have been forging ahead with negotiations despite distractions caused by the conflict. They now appear to be near the cusp of a deal that would bring the US back into the accord and bring Iran back into compliance with limits on its nuclear program. Read more: As Ukraine war rages, diplomats near Iran nuclear agreement Pundit under fire for criticising Zelenskys outfit at Congress speech 07:32 , Stuti Mishra A Republican financier has come under fire for crassly criticising the outfit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wore during his speech to US lawmakers. Peter Schiff, a former congressional candidate in Connecticut and the chief economist at Wall Street giant Euro Pacific Capital, took aim at Mr Zelensky at the conclusion of his joint address to Congress on Wednesday morning. Mr Zelensky made the remarks from his office in Kyiv, dressed in a green t-shirt thats become a staple of his wartime wardrobe since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last month. I understand times are hard, but doesnt the President of the #Ukraine own a suit? Mr Schiff asked. Read more: Pundit under fire for criticising Zelenskys speech outfit during US Congress address Ex-Congressman Victor Fazio of California dies at 79 06:27 , Stuti Mishra Victor Fazio, a Democratic congressman from California who served for 20 years and rose to become an influential party leader in the House, has died. He was 79. Fazios death was announced Wednesday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, although her office didnt provide details. Fazio represented the Sacramento area from 1997 to 1999 and was a member of the House Appropriations and Armed Services committees. Read more: Ex-Congressman Victor Fazio of California dies at 79 ICYMI: Trump rules out Pence as 2024 running mate - if he runs 05:57 , Stuti Mishra Donald Trump says he wouldnt have Mike Pence as his running mate in a potential 2024 campaign, deepening the rift between the two Republicans even further. I dont think the people would accept it, Mr Trump told the conservative Washington Examiner, appearing to rule out the possibility. The former president and vice president had a falling out after the 2020 election, which Mr Trump lost but falsely claimed was stolen. Nathan Place has more on the story. Trump cuts ties with Pence and rules him out as 2024 running mate Trump calls Mo Brooks 'disappointing' in Alabama Senate race 05:14 , Stuti Mishra Former President Donald Trump told a news outlet that he is displeased with the performance of Rep. Mo Brooks, the candidate he endorsed for Alabamas US Senate race, and suggested he is open to backing another candidate, Mo Brooks is disappointing, Mr Trump told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday, according to a report published Wednesday. More details here: Trump calls Mo Brooks 'disappointing' in Alabama Senate race Putin may have been playing Trump comment sets off row at Fox News 04:25 , Stuti Mishra Fox News host Jeannine Pirro exploded at her co-host Geraldo Rivera after he suggested Russian president Vladimir Putin was playing Trump. The Five panelists were discussing the invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday night when Pirro launched into a diatribe about United States president Joe Biden. Bevan Hurley reports. Fox presenter erupts as Geraldo Rivera suggests Putin may have been playing Trump Trumps New Jersey golf course to host controversial Saudi-backed PGA rival 03:55 , Stuti Mishra Donald Trumps New Jersey golf course will host an event on the world tour of a new, Saudi-backed professional golf league, despite concerns over the countrys human rights record. On 29 July, the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, will host a stop of the LIV Golfs Invitation, a PGA Tour competitor backed with a majority stake from Saudi Arabias massive sovereign wealth fund. Josh Marcus reports. Trumps New Jersey golf course to host controversial Saudi-backed golf league How Republicans are reacting to Zelensky speech 03:15 , Oliver O'Connell While Donald Trump focuses on bragging about his supposed defence of the Nato alliance, others in his party are responding to Volodymyr Zelenskys congressional address with variously angry and sombre statements. And they are overwhelmingly taking the Ukrainian presidents side. Alex Woodward has a roundup of their reactions: Republican House leaders condemn Russian attacks as nothing less than genocide Zelenskys Churchillian speech wows Congress 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell Ukraines president spoke to Congress in a rare, historic early-morning address on Wednesday and delivered an impassioned plea for more western assistance in his countrys effort to fight off a Russian invasion. During his speech, Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his desire for President Joe Biden and other leaders of Nato nations to institute a no-fly-zone throughout Ukraines airspace, which would be aimed at preventing Russian airstrikes on Ukraines civilian centres. But in conversations with lawmakers after his roughly 10-minute address, it was clear that many in the US see that idea as a step that would draw the US into a direct war with Russia a prospect for which there is little political attraction on Capitol Hill. John Bowden reports on Mr Zelenskys remarks and the impression they left on lawmakers. Zelenskys Churchillian speech wows Democrats and Republicans alike Domestic terrorism: the incel threat 01:45 , Oliver O'Connell A new report from the Secret Service has found that so-called incels are a rising domestic terror threat in the US. Coming after several years of deadly attacks by men who identify with the online subculture of self-proclaimed involuntary celibates, the report warns that this form of misogynistic extremism demands increased attention. In particular, the authors argue for more awareness of particular kinds of behaviour that can indicate increasing radicalisation, among them concerning and threatening communications, an interest in violence, intense or escalating anger, blaming other people, bizarre or inappropriate behaviour and interpersonal difficulties. Incels are growing threat in America, Secret Service report finds Trump reacts to Zelensky speech by defending himself on Nato 01:00 , Oliver O'Connell As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began his address to the US Congress, Donald Trump had this to say in a statement blasted out to his supporters... People forget so quickly, with the help of the Fake News, that it was me that got the 20 out of 28 delinquent NATO countries to start paying the money that they owed in order to rebuild a floundering NATO. Nobody knew things would happen so rapidly, but NATO was poor and now it is rich, and all of the Fake News commentators that said Trump was tearing down NATO should be ashamed of themselves for telling lies. Not only was the United States being taken advantage of by the EU on trade, but it was forced to pay the costs of the many delinquent NATO countries. Bush and Obama did nothing but make speeches and talkI acted, and acted strongly. I said to them, if you dont pay up, no protection. They all paid up, and paid up quickly. Its a story thats never reported, but thats only because we have a corrupt press in our Country! Donald J Trump Its worth noting that he has previously described Nato as obsolete and is widely claimed to have considered pulling the US out of the alliance altogether. Trump makes bizarre claim he rebuilt floundering Nato in middle of Zelensky speech Analysis: Why Putin has the support of the American far right 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell While much of the mainstream Republican Party has taken a strong anti-Russian line as the assault on Ukraine continues, more than a few of the rights top opinionmakers are going the other way as are many on the more extreme end of the spectrum. The Independents Holly Baxter has this analysis of why so many on the far right are sympathetic to a Russian version of events, even as many of them are keen to distance themselves from allegations of being essentially Russian propagandists. Why far-right Republicans are praising Putin Former staffer turned critic: Russia played Trump Wednesday 16 March 2022 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell Miles Taylor, the former homeland security staffer who has become an in-demand Trump-critical pundit, gives his assessment of how the current crisis in eastern Europe might look if it Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, were charged with handling it... No one around Trump thought Russia was afraid of him. In fact, we all worried Putin was playing him. The Ukraine crisis would have been vastly worse on Trumps watch. Miles Taylor (@MilesTaylorUSA) March 16, 2022 Local GOP legislator put on the spot over association with racist far right Wednesday 16 March 2022 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell A GOP Idaho legislator who spoke at Februarys white nationalist AFPAC conference which also featured US Representatives Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene found herself grilled by a local reporter on her association with the event. The interview is more than worth a watch. This is an incredible exchange between a local reporter and a far right politician: reporter @KTVBBrian presses Idaho Lt. Gov McGeachin on speaking at a white nationalist conference last month. Via @KTVB pic.twitter.com/VZynGHu3SK Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) March 16, 2022 Explainer: How the Ukraine biolabs conspiracy theory got a foothold on the right Wednesday 16 March 2022 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell The Independents Andrew Buncombe takes a look at how a fringe theory pushed by the Kremlin has become a top talking point in certain corners of the far-right commentariat, including for Fox Newss Tucker Carlson this even as Russia and its assault on Ukraine prove extraordinarily unpopular among the American public. What are Ukraine biolabs and why have they become an obsession for Fox News? Dr Oz reverses course on keeping Turkish citizenship if elected to Senate Wednesday 16 March 2022 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell Television doctor turned Republican Senate candidate Dr Mehmet Oz now says he will give up his Turkish citizenship if elected to replace Pennsylvania senator Pat Toomey in November. Dr Oz, who was born in Ohio and is a US citizen, but acquired dual Turkish citizenship through his parents and maintained it as an adult through service in the Turkish Army, had previously told reporters he would not renounce his Turkish citizenship even if it means he must forego the access to classified information granted to members of Congress. He had attributed his decision to retain his Turkish citizenship to the need to care for his mother, who suffers from Alzheimers disease. Andrew Feinberg reports. Mehmet Oz now says he will renounce Turkish citizenship if elected to Senate Biden sees rare support from GOP after Zelensky speech Wednesday 16 March 2022 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell The Republican establishment in Washington is warming to President Joe Bidens response to Russias invasion, while some on the far right question whether to support Ukraine at all. After Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the US Congress on Wednesday in a historic virtual speech from his secure location in Kyev, GOP lawmakers had little criticism for the embattled leaders US counterpart a rare respite from the hardline opposition Republican leaders have shown the White House for months. John Bowden has the latest from Washington, DC. Biden sees both support and calls to do more from GOP after Zelensky speech Biden calls Putin a war criminal for Ukraine invasion Wednesday 16 March 2022 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell President Joe Biden told reporters in the East Room of the White House that he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was a war criminal for his invasion of Ukraine. Mr Biden was caught on video responding a question from Fox Newss Jacqui Heinrich asking if the Russian president was a war criminal. Initially, Mr Biden said no before he came back, clarified his response to Ms Heinrich and then said he is a war criminal. Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC. Biden calls Putin a war criminal for Ukraine invasion Donald Trump Jr is mocked for saying his father should join Nato talks Wednesday 16 March 2022 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump Jr has been mocked on social media after he suggested his father should join Americas Nato allies for high-stakes talks about the war in Ukraine. Mr Trump Jr, the eldest child of former President Donald Trump, tweeted on Tuesday night that sending President Joe Biden to talks would embolden our enemies further whereas his father would get something done. Rachel Sharp reports. Donald Trump Jr is mocked for saying his father should join Nato talks Might Trump drop Mo Brooks endorsement? Wednesday 16 March 2022 19:50 , Oliver O'Connell Might Donald Trump drop his endorsement of Alabama Senator Mo Brooks? According to David Druckers interview with the former president in The Washington Examiner, it could happen. NEW: TRUMP tells me he is unhappy w/ @RepMoBrooks, the Republican he endorsed #ALSEN and mulling a switch to primary rivals @KatieBrittforAL or @MikeDurantAL https://t.co/4hn1g49vnj @dcexaminer David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) March 16, 2022 Mr Trump is reportedly disappointed with Mr Brooks for urging voters to stop feeling despondent about the 2020 election and to look forward to 2022 and 2024. The former president said he endorsed Mr Brooks for sharing his views on the election, but if that had changed he might withdraw his support the Alabama lawmaker spoke at the January 6 Stop the Steal rally and told the crowd to start taking down names and kicking ass. When you endorse somebody, you endorse somebody based on principle. If he changed that principle, I would have no problem doing that, he told Mr Drucker. Trump rules out Pence as 2024 running mate - if he runs Wednesday 16 March 2022 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump says he wouldnt have Mike Pence as his running mate in a potential 2024 campaign, deepening the rift between the two Republicans even further. I dont think the people would accept it, Mr Trump told the conservative Washington Examiner, appearing to rule out the possibility. The former president and vice president had a falling out after the 2020 election, which Mr Trump lost but falsely claimed was stolen. Nathan Place has more on the story. Trump cuts ties with Pence and rules him out as 2024 running mate Trump surprised by Putins invasion: I thought he was negotiating Wednesday 16 March 2022 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump has expressed surprise at Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, saying that he thought he was simply using the threat of an invasion as a negotiating tactic. In an interview with the Washington Examiner on Tuesday, Mr Trump said, Im surprised. I thought he was negotiating when he sent his troops to the border. I thought he was negotiating. I thought it was a tough way to negotiate but a smart way to negotiate, the former president added. Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC. Trump says he was surprised by Putins invasion: I thought he was negotiating Send Trump tweet by Don Jr mocked Wednesday 16 March 2022 18:25 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump Jr had a novel idea about who should attend upcoming Nato talk regarding Russias invasion of Ukraine send in his dad. The eldest Trump son tweeted: Sending Biden to Europe for High Stakes Nato talks will only embolden our enemies further. If you want to get something done right send Trump. Critics were quick to respond. Mehdi Hasan posted a reminder about the behaviour of the former president at a previous Nato meeting when he pushed his way past other leaders like a child. Keith Olbermann suggested the trip should be one-way. One post read that he hadnt offered to mediate at the Ukraine-Russia border because his bone spurs must be acting up again. Of all the stupid ideas youve had, and there have been many, this is by far the dumbest, wrote one person. Yep. Send this guy. Send the manbaby whos one true skill was in uniting the rest of the worlds leaders (other than the dictators & despots) in a shared disdain for his moronically selfish insane adult diapered ass. Yes. Send the guy who couldnt even win re-election. Send him. pic.twitter.com/JBG4nWA1Ad Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) March 16, 2022 Trump to host Saudi-backed golf league Wednesday 16 March 2022 18:10 , Andrew Naughtie The Trump golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey (which the former president uses now and then as a New York-adjacent residence) is set to host an event in the LIV Super Golf league, a multimillion-dollar entry into the top tier of international golf tournaments and possibly a very useful income stream for the presidents currently less-than-stellar business portfolio. The breakaway Saudi-backed golf league is scheduled to play at Trumps NJ club https://t.co/FfW8tTWSa4 Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 16, 2022 Has Trump ruled out bringing back Mike Pence? Wednesday 16 March 2022 17:40 , Andrew Naughtie The Washington Examiners David Drucker reports that Donald Trump has more or less written off the prospect of running with Mike Pence again in 2024. Mike and I had a great relationship except for the very important factor that took place at the end. We had a very good relationship, Trump reportedly said on a phone interview from Mar-a-Lago. I havent spoken to him in a long time. NEW: TRUMP tells me he has effectively ruled out tapping @Mike_Pence as his running mate should he mount a third White House bid in 2024 & win the GOP nomination. https://t.co/Dfp2PIFQzd @dcexaminer David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) March 16, 2022 That very important factor that took place at the end was, of course, Mr Pences refusal to take part in a plan to illegally overturn the result of the 2020 election in Congress. That refusal saw Trump supporters storming the halls of the Capitol chanting hang Mike Pence, a spectacle that the ex-vice president would not be likely to overlook if offered another spot on a Trump ticket. Report: Jan 6 committee wont subpoena members of Congress Wednesday 16 March 2022 17:10 , Andrew Naughtie ABC News has reported that the committee investigating the 6 January attack is not planning to issue subpoenas to sitting members of Congress who decline to testify when requested. Among those in its sights were Trumpist representatives like Jim Jordan and even Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, both of whom have sought to portray the panel as a political witch hunt. However, the committee has already gathered reams of evidence by other means, and its members are all too aware that there is a high chance their work will be stopped altogether should Republicans retake the House in November. That prospect means that long, complex legal battles could only help their opponents to run out the clock. Read more: Jan. 6 committee not planning to subpoena members of Congress, sources sayhttps://t.co/tkTnDts36m Will Steakin (@wsteaks) March 16, 2022 Extreme congressman cautions against emotional response to Zelensky speech Wednesday 16 March 2022 16:40 , Andrew Naughtie The Independent has been reporting from the US Capitol during and after Volodymyr Zelenskys speech. Heres some insight into how far-right North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn has played it today... Should be noted that Cawthorn barely heard any of the speech. As The @independent's @j_bowden4 reported for us, he came into the address right around the time Zelensky showed the video and missed much of the rest of his speech. https://t.co/uLP0d2IeYZ Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) March 16, 2022 Cawthorn dismisses Zelensky speech after arriving late and calling him a thug The largest political flashmob in American history Wednesday 16 March 2022 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticised the strong support for Ukraine from US civic, business, and political leaders, calling it the largest political flash mob in American history. Mr Carlson compared it to the support for public health measures during the pandemic, such as mask mandates. Gustaf Kilander reports. Tucker Carlson calls support for Ukraine largest political flashmob in US history Fracas at Fox News over Trumps relationship with Russia Wednesday 16 March 2022 16:10 , Andrew Naughtie Fox Newss internal debate over the Russian attack on Ukraine is frequently playing out on air, with hosts openly disagreeing and even rowing over basic facts of why Vladimir Putin has launched the war and what it means. The latest contretemps erupted last night on evening show The Five, with Jeannine Pirro tearing into her co-host Geraldo Rivera after he questioned whether Putin had been playing Trump while he was in office. I dont give a damn what Putin thinks, she replied, I only care what Putin did, and he was a wuss when Trump was president, and thats the end of it. Read more: Fox presenter erupts as Geraldo Rivera suggests Putin may have been playing Trump How Republicans are reacting to Zelensky speech Wednesday 16 March 2022 15:35 , Andrew Naughtie While Donald Trump focuses on bragging about his supposed defence of the Nato alliance, others in his party are responding to Volodymyr Zelenskys congressional address with variously angry and sombre statements. And they are overwhelmingly taking the Ukrainian presidents side. Alex Woodward has a roundup of their reactions: Republican House leaders condemn Russian attacks as nothing less than genocide Domestic terrorism: the incel threat Wednesday 16 March 2022 15:00 , Andrew Naughtie A new report from the Secret Service has found that so-called incels are a rising domestic terror threat in the US. Coming after several years of deadly attacks by men who identify with the online subculture of self-proclaimed involuntary celibates, the report warns that this form of misogynistic extremism demands increased attention. In particular, the authors argue for more awareness of particular kinds of behaviour that can indicate increasing radicalisation, among them concerning and threatening communications, an interest in violence, intense or escalating anger, blaming other people, bizarre or inappropriate behaviour and interpersonal difficulties. Read more: Incels are growing threat in America, Secret Service report finds ICYMI: Tucker Carlson promoted by Russian embassy feed Wednesday 16 March 2022 14:30 , Andrew Naughtie Tucker Carlson has lately begun insisting that he is not in fact a pro-Russian propagandist despite mounting criticism of his show, where he frequently repeats a Russia-friendly version of events in Ukraine. Regardless of his actual intentions, heres an example of the warm reception hes getting on the Russian side of the argument: an endorsement from the Russian embassy in Luxembourg. To get a better understanding on the situation in Ukraine we recommend not passing by an opinion of prominent American journalist Mr. Tucker Carlson, expressed in his Tucker Carlson Tonight show on Fox News on March 8, 2022:https://t.co/9cUedS5VW8 Russian Embassy, Lux (@RusEmbLux) March 14, 2022 After thug controversy, Madison Cawthorn arrives late for Zelensky speech Wednesday 16 March 2022 14:00 , Andrew Naughtie Far right Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn has been in hot water lately for calling Volodymyr Zelensky a thug, raising questions about whether or not he would attend the Ukrainian presidents virtual address to Congress today. In the end, he did show up but only at the end of Mr Zelenskys speech. Heres more: Madison Cawthorn arrives late to Zelensky speech after calling him a thug Trump reacts to Zelensky speech by defending himself on Nato Wednesday 16 March 2022 13:35 , Andrew Naughtie As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began his address to the US Congress, Donald Trump had this to say in a statement blasted out to his supporters... People forget so quickly, with the help of the Fake News, that it was me that got the 20 out of 28 delinquent NATO countries to start paying the money that they owed in order to rebuild a floundering NATO. Nobody knew things would happen so rapidly, but NATO was poor and now it is rich, and all of the Fake News commentators that said Trump was tearing down NATO should be ashamed of themselves for telling lies. Not only was the United States being taken advantage of by the EU on trade, but it was forced to pay the costs of the many delinquent NATO countries. Bush and Obama did nothing but make speeches and talkI acted, and acted strongly. I said to them, if you dont pay up, no protection. They all paid up, and paid up quickly. Its a story thats never reported, but thats only because we have a corrupt press in our Country! Its worth noting that he has previously described Nato as obsolete and is widely claimed to have considered pulling the US out of the alliance altogether. Read more: Trump makes bizarre claim he rebuilt floundering Nato in middle of Zelensky speech Analysis: Why Putin has the support of the American far right Wednesday 16 March 2022 13:11 , Andrew Naughtie While much of the mainstream Republican Party has taken a strong anti-Russian line as the assault on Ukraine continues, more than a few of the rights top opinionmakers are going the other way as are many on the more extreme end of the spectrum. The Independents Holly Baxter has this analysis of why so many on the far right are sympathetic to a Russian version of events, even as many of them are keen to distance themselves from allegations of being essentially Russian propagandists. Trump and other hardliners, however, arent changing. Neither are their media cheerleaders like Fox News Tucker Carlson, who was the subject of a leaked Russian memo a few days ago which encouraged Russian state media to keep featuring clips of the far-right commentator. Fundamentally, it seems Trump, Putin and people like [Marjorie] Taylor Greene see themselves as involved in an international war against a globalist conspiracy. This isnt a real war, the likes of which everyone (except Russians) can see on their TV screens and social media, with bombs landing on maternity hospitals in Ukraine and tanks lining up outside Kyiv. Instead, it is a secret conspiracy being supposedly fought daily by patriots against liberals and socialists. It transcends national identity. It is no longer about America the great, even though it is about America First. Read her piece below. Why far-right Republicans are praising Putin Former staffer turned critic: Russia played Trump Wednesday 16 March 2022 12:36 , Andrew Naughtie Miles Taylor, the former homeland security staffer who has become an in-demand Trump-critical pundit, gives his assessment of how the current crisis in eastern Europe might look if it Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, were charged with handling it... No one around Trump thought Russia was afraid of him. In fact, we all worried Putin was playing him. The Ukraine crisis would have been vastly worse on Trumps watch. Miles Taylor (@MilesTaylorUSA) March 16, 2022 GOP fights against Jan 6 panels subpoena for emails Wednesday 16 March 2022 12:02 , Andrew Naughtie The Republican National Committee went to court last night in a desperate attempt to stop the 6 January select committee from obtaining emails sent during the aftermath of the 2020 election. Explaining the subpoena, a panel spokesman said it was intended to help investigators understand the impact of false, inflammatory messages in the weeks before January 6th, the flow of funds, and whether contributions were actually directed to the purpose indicated. This action has absolutely nothing to do with getting the private information of voters or donors. The company holding the emails, Salesforce, reportedly still intends to hand the data over despite the partys objections. CNNs Katelyn Polantz reports: Hot court docket to watch tomorrow: RNC is trying to stop 2020 email communications data from going to the House Jan. 6 committee on Wednesday. Tonight they added subpoena-recipient Salesforce as a defendant, asked for an injunction https://t.co/u8le5q4BHG Katelyn Polantz (@kpolantz) March 16, 2022 Explainer: How the Ukraine biolabs conspiracy theory got a foothold on the right Wednesday 16 March 2022 11:34 , Andrew Naughtie The Independents Andrew Buncombe takes a look at how a fringe theory pushed by the Kremlin has become a top talking point in certain corners of the far-right commentariat, including for Fox Newss Tucker Carlson this even as Russia and its assault on Ukraine prove extraordinarily unpopular among the American public. What are Ukraine biolabs and why have they become an obsession for Fox News? The governments first attempt to require pipeline companies to meet basic cybersecurity standards is floundering a worrisome sign as the U.S. tries to strengthen cyber defenses for the sprawling collection of critical infrastructure seen as a prime target for foreign hackers. Oil and gas pipeline operators say the TSAs cyber regulations are full of unwieldy or baffling requirements that could actually jeopardize pipeline safety and fuel supplies. Others in the energy sector, and cyber experts who help defend these systems, agree with these objections and say the TSAs small cyber team has been overwhelmed by a flood of industry requests for workarounds. In every sense, TSA has screwed this up, said Robert M. Lee, the CEO of Dragos, a cybersecurity firm that works with critical infrastructure companies. It is a giant cluster and in many ways is a perfect example of what not to do with a regulatory process. The Biden administration has been scrambling to upgrade the digital security of U.S. critical infrastructure, from water utilities to power plants, amid heightened concerns about Russian cyberattacks stemming from the war in Ukraine. But few of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors have mandatory cyber standards, and many are regulated by agencies with little experience in this area. The TSA pipeline rules are an early test of the governments ability to craft regulations that balance the security needed to keep out hackers with the flexibility needed to accommodate complex, idiosyncratic equipment. Though the TSA is best known for airport security, it has a sprawling remit including mass transit systems, ports and pipelines. Many of the TSAs new requirements are based on protections for personal computers, not pipeline control systems, frustrating companies that arent sure how to comply with them. Other rules could require months or even years of painstaking upgrades that could interrupt pipeline operations. The result, companies and security experts say, is a confusing mess that has strained a once-harmonious partnership between the industry and its regulator. Story continues Frustration with the TSAs pipeline security efforts has reached Congress. Last year, the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee proposed bipartisan legislation shifting pipeline cyber oversight to the Energy Department. The TSA acknowledges that its pipeline cyber program has had a rocky start. Weve learned lessons here, said a senior agency official. A senior DHS official added that Biden administration officials have gone out of our way to consult with industry after realizing the depth of the dissatisfaction. Both officials were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive dialogue between industry and government. Pipelines are among the United States most critical infrastructure: The oil and gas they deliver powers roughly two-thirds of American life. Without them, cars would be stranded, and hospitals, homes and military bases would all go dark. More than 2.6 million miles of pipelines crisscross the country, operated by companies such as Enbridge, Kinder Morgan and Williams Cos. names that most Americans never hear unless theres a major protest, accident or cyberattack. The May 2021 hack of Colonial Pipeline, which caused temporary gasoline shortages across much of the East Coast, prompted outrage at Colonials lax security and led to the TSAs first compulsory cyber regulations, replacing earlier voluntary guidelines. But the Colonial attack was a minor inconvenience compared with nightmare scenarios that worry U.S. intelligence officials. After Russias invasion of Ukraine, addressing those concerns carries greater urgency than ever. The nations extensive pipeline network was built without cybersecurity in mind. And the pipeline industry says the TSA is making it harder for them to put new cybersecurity protections in place. One pipeline industry executive, who requested anonymity to avoid blowback from publicly lambasting their regulator, said the TSAs rules were issued in such haste that they risk disrupting fuel supplies by forcing companies to meet poorly thought-out requirements. Its not surprising that pipeline companies want more flexible regulations. But even others outside their industry agree that the TSAs regulations are too rigid and full of procedures not applicable to pipeline systems. Among those critics are people like Lee, cyber experts with experience in the intelligence community that informs their understanding of how infrastructure can be hacked. In July, the TSA issued rules requiring companies to deploy more than three dozen common cybersecurity defenses, including weekly antivirus scans, prompt security patching, strict firewalls to block malware and adoption of multifactor authentication, a technology that asks users for a second proof of identity in addition to a password, in order to block unauthorized access. But many of these practices were designed for information technology systems found on traditional computer networks, not operational technology the industry term for hardware or software that monitors or controls equipment such as pipeline safety valves and water pumps. Industry representatives say the TSA and CISA failed to craft rules that take into account the unique features of industrial control systems and particularly those for pipelines. You cant use standard security tools to secure an OT environment, said Marty Edwards, vice president of operational technology security at the cyber firm Tenable. He previously headed DHS Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team. The regulations are overly prescriptive in nature, Lee said, with a lot of IT security control stuff copy-and-pasted into OT that would be disruptive. Asked about this criticism, the senior TSA official said, I would concede that some of that is true. There are some [requirements] that, as originally written, could cause operational disruptions, the official added. Still, the TSA has asked companies to tell it about rules that could cause harm, and so far the agency has received fewer than 10 such notifications, the official said. One executive from an energy industry group said that rapid patching and multifactor authentication requirements were inappropriate for industrial technology. Patching cannot be driven by arbitrary timelines, said the executive, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. The rules gave operators just a few months to reset the passwords for all of their industrial equipment, which includes thousands of control boxes that tell pipeline valves and pumps when to open and close. But many of these boxes cant be controlled remotely, requiring physical site visits, and replacing antiquated boxes is difficult because few vendors make them. As a result, many companies have been given extra time to comply with this requirement. The TSA is letting companies request permission to meet the agencys security goals using their own techniques if they believe the required methods are impractical. But while companies have submitted 370 requests to use these alternative measures, the TSA has approved only five of those requests, the senior agency official confirmed. Industry executives say thats partly because the TSA doesnt have enough employees to quickly process the requests. Only one person at TSA headquarters and a handful of people in its regional offices have been reviewing these applications, according to Lee and the pipeline executive. They don't have the staff, the pipeline executive said. We can go weeks or months without hearing back from them. The TSA official said the agency has approximately 24 full-time and contract employees dedicated to reviewing alternative measures requests. They said the volume of requests is unprecedented and much higher than in TSAs aviation program. Is it moving as fast as I would like it to? Probably no, the official said. But it's moving at a pace that ensures that whatever we approve or deny has been fully evaluated. The agency has reviewed more than 170 requests and is still reviewing approximately 200 others. In addition to the five approvals, the agency closed several dozen requests by changing the directive itself to address the concerns, the official said. However, according to the pipeline executive, TSA staffers will sometimes tell a company that theyve reviewed a request but wont make a decision on it without more information but without specifying what extra information they want. There is not a single pipeline operator who has felt positive about the interactions that Im aware of, Lee said. This has derailed lots of other valuable security efforts. During a meeting with pipeline companies on Feb. 16, TSA Administrator David Pekoske acknowledged that, given how few alternative measures the TSA has approved, the agency needs to do better at sharing information about those creative workarounds with the rest of the industry, according to the energy executive. Pipeline operators want entirely new, outcome-based rules that would allow them to meet the governments expectations through measures of their choosing. For example, instead of requiring specific practices for separating operational networks from computers used for other purposes, such as email, web browsing or payroll processing, the TSA would simply direct companies to ensure that those systems are sufficiently separated, so a hacker couldnt jump from a human resources system into a pipelines control panel. Companies would then develop their own plans for achieving that goal. Pekoske agreed on the need to adopt this more flexible model during the Feb. 16 meeting, the energy industry executive said. The senior DHS official said the administration was carefully considering lessons from other regulatory programs as it crafts new permanent rules for pipelines and other infrastructure under the TSAs purview. But it will take a long time to replace the pipeline regulations with the more flexible rules that the industry wants. A full, thorough rulemaking process with ample time for industry consultation would likely take 18 to 24 months, Lee said, while a rushed but still adequate process could take a year. This would involve the government identifying its security expectations, companies suggesting ways to achieve those goals and both parties collaborating to write the final rules. The government could still require specific practices, such as employing a chief information security officer or maintaining and regularly practicing an incident response plan. Those are prescriptive, Lee said, but they're prescriptive in such a way that it's allowing [companies] to still do the right things. The electric sectors Critical Infrastructure Protection cyber standards provide a model for these types of outcome-based rules, he said. The senior TSA official said the agency has been talking to energy regulators about modeling its rules after the electric sectors standards, but they cautioned that creating similar rules could take years. In some cases, they said, we don't have that length of time. Industry representatives argue its worth taking the time to create a better process. We want TSA to take the time to be thoughtful and get this right, said the pipeline executive. Rep. Warren Davidson seen in Washington, DC, on August 24, 2021. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Two Republican lawmakers are headlining a political campaign fundraising event Thursday for re-election efforts. A top lobbyist for K&L Gates is scheduled to host the event, according to documents. Guests are encouraged to donate up to $2,500, according to documents Insider obtained. The war in Ukraine has dominated the national discourse on Capitol Hill this week. But that hasn't stopped two Trump-approved Republican lawmakers from conducting a St. Patrick's Day-themed political fundraiser with a top DC lobbyist. Dan Crowley, a lobbyist and partner at K&L Gates, is scheduled to host the fundraising dinner on Thursday for Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, with "special guest" Roger Williams, a Republican congressman from Texas, also attending, according to an invitation obtained by Insider. Guests are encouraged to donate $2,500 to co-host the event. Political action committee representatives are asked to pay at least $1,000 while individuals are asked to pay $500, according to the invitation, which is printed over the image of a large, four-leaf clover. An invitation to a political fundraiser for Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican from Ohio, hosted by K&L Gates lobbyist Dan Crowley. K&L Gates Davidson is running for re-election in Ohio's 8th congressional district and is almost certain to face Democratic challenger Vanessa Enoch in the 2022 general election. Williams is running for re-election for Texas's 25th congressional district and faces Democratic challenger Julie Oliver, who previously ran against him in 2020. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed both men. Davidson and Williams are ardent Trump supporters and were among the 147 Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. "Warren is all about action, not just words, pushing Republicans to: defend freedom, America first economy and security, smaller government, sound money," Trump wrote February 9 in his endorsement of Davidson. "He supports Secure Borders, our Second Amendment, our Military and our Vets, and Law Enforcement. He has my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Story continues Davidson made news this week after he joined 16 other Republican lawmakers in a lawsuit seeking to end a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mandate that requires people to wear face masks while traveling on airplanes. Crowley lobbied for a dozen companies and special interest groups in 2021, including the US Cannabis Council, California Public Employees' Retirement System, and Transatlantic Business Council, according to federal data compiled by nonprofit research organization OpenSecrets. He's also lobbied for nonprofit donor-advised fund Vanguard Charitable, according to federal records. Crowley's lobbying portfolio primarily focuses on "public policy issues relating to financial services and capital markets, and he leads the firm's global financial services policy practice," according to his LinkedIn profile. Both Davidson, Williams and Crowley did not respond to Insider's request to comment about their political fundraising event. Rep. Roger Williams of Texas is expected to be a special guest at a political fundraising event this week. US House of Representatives Davidson has previously taken a dim public view of for-hire political influencers, stating that "big businesses and the well-connected employ high-priced lawyers, accountants, and lobbyists to game the system, while everyday Americans and small businesses are left footing the bill." The Republican lawmakers' political fundraising event comes amid the escalating Ukraine-Russia conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a virtual address on Wednesday to US lawmakers imploring the United States to provide more financial aid to his country. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers applauded the speech and called on the Biden administration to do more. Davidson, for his part, decried Putin's "unjust" invasion, but said "Americans or NATO enforcing a no-fly zone would mean war with Russia wrong direction." President Joe Biden has announced on Wednesday that it will provide significant security assistance to Ukraine and send the "most cutting-edge systems" to the country. Read the original article on Business Insider By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The U.N. Security Council will no longer vote on Friday on a Russian-drafted call for aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine as Russia's U.N. envoy accused Western countries of a campaign of "unprecedented pressure" against the measure. Diplomats said the Russian move would have failed with most of the 15-member council likely to abstain from a vote on the draft resolution because it did not address accountability or acknowledge Russia's invasion of its neighbor nor did it push for an end to the fighting or a withdrawal of Russian troops. "Many colleagues from many delegations tell us about unprecedented pressure by Western partners, that their arms are being twisted, including blackmail and threats," Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday. Speaking at a council meeting on Ukraine's humanitarian situation, requested by Western council members, Nebenzia said: "We do understand how difficult it is for those countries to withstand this kind of onslaught." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told Reuters after the meeting: "The only people who do arm-twisting around here are the Russians and they have to if they want to get anybody to support them." Nebenzia said that Russia had instead requested the council meet on Friday - when the vote had been scheduled - to discuss "U.S. bio-laboratories in Ukraine using the new documents we obtained in the course of the special military operation." At a U.N. Security Council meeting on the same issue last week, also requested by Russia, Thomas Greenfield said the there are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the United States. The United Nations also said it had no evidence Ukraine had a biological weapons program. Russia refers to its invasion of Ukraine as a "special military operation" targeting Ukraine's military infrastructure. Moscow denies attacking civilians. Story continues The U.N. human rights agency has recorded 726 deaths, including 52 children, and 1,174 people injured, including 63 children, between Feb. 24 and March 15, U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council on Thursday. The "actual number is likely much higher," she said, without specifying who was to blame. "Most of these casualties were caused by the use in populated areas of explosive weapons with a wide impact area. Hundreds of residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed, as have hospitals and schools," DiCarlo said. "The magnitude of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine cannot be denied. This demands a thorough investigation and accountability," she said. The World Health Organization has verified 43 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine that have killed 12 people and injured dozens more, including health workers, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the Security Council. "In any conflict, attacks on healthcare are a violation of international humanitarian law," Tedros told the council, without specifying who was to blame. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Leslie Adler, Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman) LONDON (Reuters) - British defence minister Ben Wallace ordered an inquiry on Thursday after an impostor claiming to be the Ukrainian prime minister was able to contact him, an incident he blamed on Russia. The video call was set up after an email was sent to a government department, purportedly from an aide at the Ukrainian embassy, which was then passed on to the Ministry of Defence. "Today an attempt was made by an imposter claiming to be Ukrainian PM to speak with me. He posed several misleading questions and after becoming suspicious I terminated the call," Wallace said on Twitter. "No amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks can distract from Russias human rights abuses and illegal invasion of Ukraine. A desperate attempt." A defence source said Wallace had ordered an immediate inquiry into how the call, which lasted about 10 minutes, was allowed to happen. Home Secretary (interior minister) Priti Patel said she had also been targeted. "This also happened to me earlier this week," she wrote on Twitter. "Pathetic attempt at such difficult times to divide us. We stand with Ukraine." It is not the first time British ministers have been the victims of a hoax call. In May 2018 Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was foreign minister at the time, talked about international relations and rude poetry with a hoax caller who pretended to be the Armenian prime minister. (Reporting by William James, Elizabeth Piper, and Michael Holden; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Satellite imagery shows a blown-up theatre in Ukraine where civilians were sheltering had the word children written in Russian on the pavement outside the building. Russian forces dropped a bomb on the theatre where more than 1,000 civilians including women and children were sheltering in the besieged city of Mariupol, local officials said on Wednesday. The number of people killed in the latest alleged civilian attack by Vladimir Putins soldiers was unclear on Wednesday evening, but Mariupols deputy mayor Sergei Orlov said earlier that between 1,000 and 1,200 people originally sought refuge inside the building and so could have been inside. A striking satellite image, taken by Maxar Technologies two days before the air strike on 14 March, shows that the Russian word for children (N) was written in large white letters in front of and behind the Donetsk Regional Theatre of Drama. This suggests it would have been clear from above that civilians were sheltering inside it. A statement from Ukraines Foreign Ministry said: The bomb strike demolished the central part of the theatre building, causing large numbers of people to be buried under the debris. The assessment of the exact number of persons affected is currently impossible due to ongoing shelling. By delivering a purposeful bomb attack to the place of mass gathering of civilians Russia has committed another war crime. A satellite image of the Donetsk Regional Theatre of Drama, taken days before the bombing, shows the Russian word for children written in large white letters in front of and behind the building (Maxar Technologies) However, Russias defence ministry swiftly denied it carried out the assault, according to the RIA news agency. Instead it accused the Azov Battalion, a far-right Ukrainian militia, of blowing it up. It did not give evidence to back up the claim. The Kremlin has consistently denied its troops are targeting innocent Ukrainians, though officials in Ukraine have challenged these claims, particularly after a maternity hospital, also in Mariupol, was targeted last week. Mariupol council posted an image of the citys theatre, showing the heavy damage it sustained during the attack. Russian forces had purposefully and cynically destroyed the drama theatre in the heart of Mariupol, it said. Story continues This map shows the extent of Russias invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images) Meanwhile, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration, accused Russia of committing war crimes in Mariupol by carrying out the attack. The number of victims is impossible to count, he said in a Facebook post, alongside images of the demolished theatre. He added: Each of those who gave and followed orders will be punished! The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page. WASHINGTON (AP) As the war in Ukraine rages on, diplomats trying to salvage the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal have been forging ahead with negotiations despite distractions caused by the conflict. They now appear to be near the cusp of a deal that would bring the U.S. back into the accord and bring Iran back into compliance with limits on its nuclear program. After 11 months of on-and-off talks in Vienna, U.S. officials and others say only a very small number of issues remain to be resolved. Meanwhile, Russia appears to have backed down on a threat to crater an agreement over Ukraine-related sanctions that had dampened prospects for a quick deal. That leaves an agreement or at least an agreement in principle up to political leaders in Washington and Tehran. But, as has been frequently the case, both Iran and the U.S. say those decisions must be made by the other side, leaving a resolution in limbo even as all involved say the matter is urgent and must be resolved as soon as possible. We are close to a possible deal, but were not there yet," State Department spokesman Ned Price said Wednesday. We are going to find out in the near term whether were able to get there. Also Wednesday in Berlin, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said work on drafting a final text has been completed and the necessary political decisions now need to be taken in capitals. We hope that these negotiations can now be swiftly completed, he said. Reentering the 2015 deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, has been a priority for the Biden administration since it took office. Once a signature foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration in which now-President Joe Biden served as vice president, the accord was abandoned in 2018 by then-President Donald Trump, who called it the worst deal ever negotiated and set about restoring and expanding on U.S. sanctions that had been lifted. Story continues The Biden administration argues that any threat currently posed by Iran would be infinitely more dangerous should it obtain a nuclear weapon. Deal opponents, mostly but not entirely Republicans, say the original deal gave Iran a path to developing a nuclear bomb by removing various constraints under so-called sunset" clauses. Those clauses meant that certain restrictions were to be gradually lifted. Both sides' arguments gained intensity over the weekend when Iran targeted the northern Iraqi city of Irbil with missile strikes that hit near the U.S. consulate compound. For critics, the attack was proof that Iran cannot be trusted and should not be given any sanctions relief. For the administration, it confirmed that Iran would be a greater danger if it obtains a nuke. What it underscores for us is the fact that Iran poses a threat to our allies, to our partners, in some cases to the United States, across a range of realms, Price said. The most urgent challenge we would face is a nuclear-armed Iran or an Iran that was on the very precipice of obtaining a nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, a new glimmer of hope for progress emerged Wednesday when Iran released two detained British citizens. The U.S., which withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, and the three European countries that remain parties to it had said an agreement would be difficult if not impossible to reach while those prisoners, along with several American citizens, remain jailed in Iran. Should the prisoner issue be resolved, Price said Tuesday, the gaps in the nuclear negotiations could be closed quickly if Iran makes the political decision to return to compliance. We do think that we would be in a position to close those gaps, to close that remaining distance if there are decisions made in capitals, including in Tehran, Price said. Yet, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdolahian said a deal depends entirely on Washington. More than ever, (the) ball is in U.S. court to provide the responses needed for successful conclusion of the talks, he said after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday. Amirabdolahian said he had been reassured that Russia remains on board for the final agreement in Vienna. Lavrov said the negotiations were in the home stretch and suggested that last-minute Russian objections to the potential spillover of Ukraine-related sanctions into activities Moscow might undertake with Tehran under a new nuclear deal had been overcome. He said the agreement under consideration would carve those activities out, something the U.S. has not denied and has said the Russians should have understood from the beginning. We would not sanction Russian participation in nuclear projects that are part of resuming full implementation of the (deal), Price said. We cant and we wont and we have not provided assurances beyond that to Russia. He said the U.S. would not allow Russia to flout Ukraine-related sanctions by funneling money or other assets through Iran. Any deal is not going to be an escape hatch for the Russian Federation and the sanctions that have been imposed on it because of the war in Ukraine. Deal critics are skeptical that Russia won't at least try to evade Ukraine sanctions in dealings with Iran and have warned that potential sanctions-busting is just one reason they will oppose a new agreement. Earlier this week, all but one of the 50 Republicans in the Senate signed a joint statement vowing to dismantle any agreement with Iran that has time limits on restrictions to advanced nuclear work, or that does not address other issues they have, including Iran's ballistic missile program and military support for proxies in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. While the GOP won't be able to stop a deal now, it may have majorities in both houses of Congress after November's midterm elections. That would make it difficult for the administration to stay in any deal that is reached. Another concern of deal critics is the scope of sanctions relief that the Biden administration is ready to provide Iran if it comes back into compliance with the deal. Iran has been demanding the removal of the Trump administration's designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization." The U.S. has balked at that, barring Iranian commitments to stop funding and arming extremist groups in the region and beyond. The matter is of considerable interest in Washington, not least because the IRGC is believed to be behind specific and credible threats to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Trump administration's Iran envoy Brian Hook. ___ Associated Press writer Frank Jordans contributed from Berlin. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that he spoke with Nestle CEO, Mark Schneider, about the firm's continued operations in Russia. Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said he spoke with Nestle's CEO about the "side effect" of continuing to do business in Russia. The Swiss food giant has stopped shipping non-essential items to Russia but is still providing essentials. Companies that remain in Russia have argued that they're providing products that Russians need for survival. Ukraine's prime minister said the CEO of Swiss food giant Nestle showed "no understanding" after he asked the firm to stop all of its business in Russia. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Thursday said in a tweet that he spoke with Mark Schneider about Nestle's continued operations in Russia. "Unfortunately, he shows no understanding," Shmyhal wrote. "Paying taxes to the budget of a terrorist country means killing defenseless children&mothers," Shmyhal tweeted, adding that he hoped that "Nestle will change its mind soon." Russia has been hit with a slew of sanctions, aimed at crippling its economy, in response to its invasion of Ukraine. Large numbers of companies, many Western, have suspended their businesses in Russia, with pressure mounting on firms that have remained to do the same. Nestle stopped shipping non-essential items such as coffee and mineral water to Russia, but is still providing essentials like pet and baby food, Bloomberg reported. "We consider conversations with governmental authorities private," a Nestle spokesperson told Bloomberg. "We will continue to do the utmost to deliver food to Ukrainians in the country and to support Ukrainian refugees in many countries." Nestle did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Nestle earned $1.8 billion in revenue last year from Russia where it has six factories and over 7,000 employees which accounted for about 2% of Nestle's total revenue in 2021, according to Bloomberg. Story continues On March 3, Nestle resumed some operations in Ukraine in order to support the delivery of essential food and beverage supplies, having shut them down when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Companies that remain in Russia, such as yogurt producer Danone, have argued that they're providing products that Russians need for survival, Bloomberg reported. Companies are also facing threats of asset seizures if they leave the country. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukrainian actor Oksana Shvets has died, aged 67, after the residential building she was in in Kyiv was struck by Russian rockets. Shvetss death was announced by the Young Theatre, where she was part of the troupe. Her colleagues there expressed unrepairable grief over her death. Bright memory to the talented actress! the statement said. There is no forgiveness for the enemy that has come to our land! The actor, born in 1955, had a decades-long career in theatre and film. She was one of the countrys most accomplished performing artists. In addition to her time with the Young Theatre, Shvets had worked at the Ternopil Music and Drama Theatre and the Kyiv Theatre of Satire. Shvetss death follows that of another Ukrainian actor, Pasha Lee, who died aged 33 after enlisting in the Ukraine armys Territorial Defence Forces. Officials in the US are documenting and evaluating the potential war crimes committed in Ukraine, secretary of state Antony Blinken has said, while echoing Joe Bidens characterisation of Russian atrocities as being such crimes. It comes after Biden accused Vladimir Putin of being a war criminal, in what many saw as a turning point in US-Russian relations. Meanwhile, survivors are reported to have emerged after Russian forces bombarded a theatre sheltering thousands of civilians in Mariupol, leaving many buried under burning rubble. Efforts to find people remained slow on Thursday (13 March), with the number of casualties still unknown. However, Sergiy Taruta, the former Donetsk region head, said during an interview on Ukrainian television that he believed around 1,300 people were in the building when it was bombed and more than 100 have so far been rescued. Read updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict here. The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page. Two taxi drivers carry Ukrainian refugee children in their arms, during a stop at a roadside restaurant in Burgos, on March 16, 2022. Photo by CESAR MANSO/AFP via Getty Images Approximately 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine since the war began, according to UNICEF. More than 75,000 Ukrainian children are displaced every single day, the agency estimated. Most of Ukraine's refugees have fled to neighboring countries, including Poland, Hungary, and Moldova. Approximately 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country nearly three weeks ago, according to The United Nations Children's Fund. They are part of the 3-million strong exodus out of war-torn Ukraine into neighboring countries as Russian forces continue to target cities and civilians. Since the war began on February 24, more than 75,000 Ukrainian children have become refugees every single day, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said during a Tuesday press briefing in Geneva. "This refugee crisis is in terms of speed and scale, unprecedented since the Second World War, and is showing no signs of slowing down," he said. Put another way, UNICEF's numbers suggest 55 children have fled Ukraine every single minute since Russia's invasion. "That is, a Ukrainian child has become a refugee almost every single second since the start of the war," Elder said. The agency, which provides humanitarian aid to children around the globe, said Ukraine's new bout of child refugees are in need of "safety, stability, and child protection services" especially those who have been separated from their parents. UNICEF warned that Ukrainian children who are fleeing their home are at a significant risk of violence, trafficking, sexual exploitation, and being separated from their families. "The safest and fastest way out of this catastrophe indeed the only way out of this catastrophe is for this war to end, and to end now," Elder said. In addition to the 3 million refugees who have already fled Ukraine, at least 2 million more people are displaced within the country, the UN's Refugee Agency estimated on Monday. Most of Ukraine's refugees have fled to neighboring countries, including Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova. Several refugees told Insider's John Haltiwanger and Haven Orecchio-Egresitz that they are bringing their pets along with them, prompting volunteers to offer free veterinary services at border crossings. Read the original article on Business Insider Russian forces leave Crimea Stringer/AFP/Getty Images "The Russian invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts," Britain's Ministry of Defense said in a public intelligence assessment early Thursday. "Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea, or air in recent days and they continue to suffer heavy losses. Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated. The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands." One Ukrainian town, Voznesensk, is still in Ukraine's hands because Ukrainian soldiers and local volunteers repelled a Russian attempt to capture it, in "one of the most comprehensive routs President Vladimir Putin's forces have suffered since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine," The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, based on reporting in the strategically located southern town of 35,000. "Judging from the destroyed and abandoned armor," the Ukrainians "eliminated most of a Russian battalion tactical group on March 2 and 3," killing an estimated 100 Russians and capturing or destroying 30 of 43 Russian tanks and other vehicles, the Journal reports. "The Ukrainian defenders' performance against a much-better-armed enemy in an overwhelmingly Russian-speaking region was successful in part because of widespread popular support for the Ukrainian cause one reason the Russian invasion across the country has failed to achieve its principal goals so far." Conservatively, more than 7,000 Russian troops have been killed since Putin's Feb. 24 invasion, "a staggering number amassed in just three weeks of fighting," The New York Times reports. "Pentagon officials say a 10 percent casualty rate, including dead and wounded, for a single unit renders it unable to carry out combat-related tasks," and "Russian casualties, when including the estimated 14,000 to 21,000 injured, are near that level." Story continues Read more about Russian causalities and what they mean for its war at The New York Times, and find out how Ukrainians defeated the Russian invaders in Voznesensk at The Wall Street Journal. You may also like Russian state propagandists laugh at new 'correspondent' Tucker Carlson in Colbert sendup The Senate just voted to abolish Standard Time and make Daylight Saving Time permanent GOP senator says a war between NATO and Russia 'would end pretty quickly' An ambulance stands ready by a damaged residential building after a Russian attack in Chernihiv, Ukraine on March 17, 2022. Photo by State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The US State Department confirmed a US citizen died in Ukraine on Thursday. Ukraine police had reported that the citizen was killed in a Russian bombing. "There are dead and wounded people. Among the dead there is a US citizen," the Chernihiv region police said. The State Department on Thursday confirmed that a US citizen died in Ukraine on Thursday as local police reported that an American was killed during a Russian shelling attack in the besieged northern city of Chernihiv. A State Department spokesperson confirmed the citizen died on Thursday, but did not comment further on the circumstances around their death. "We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss," the State Department spokesperson said. The American citizen has not been publicly identified. Earlier Thursday, Chernihiv region police said in a Facebook post that authorities were "documenting the aftermath of enemy shelling of civilians in central Chernihiv." "Today, the invaders once again launched a heavy artillery attack on unarmed civilians," the police said, adding, "There are dead and wounded people. Among the dead there is a US citizen." Police said that authorities were "helping to evacuate the injured citizens to medical facilities." "Chernihiv police investigators are working at the scene," the department said. "Law enforcement officers carefully record all the circumstances and consequences of Russian war crimes." Russian President Vladimir Putin launched Russia's war against Ukraine on February 24. And since then Russian troops have shelled multiple Ukrainian cities, including residential buildings and hospitals. Chernihiv's regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said Thursday that 53 people were killed in the city by Russian forces alone on Wednesday, Reuters reported. "We are suffering heavy losses 53 citizens were killed yesterday," Chaus said, according to the news outlet. Story continues Reports emerged on Wednesday that Russian troops killed at least 10 people after opening fire on a group waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv. The UN human rights office on Thursday said at least 780 civilians, including 58 children, had been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded. However, the UN human rights office said it believes the real death toll is much higher. Translations by Oleksandr Vynogradov. Read the original article on Business Insider Public domain Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said nuclear war is "back within the realm of possibility." Russia has previously said it could vaporize various locations in the US with new missiles. A Russian nuclear attack would likely focus on high-value targets in North Dakota or Montana. The UN secretary-general said nuclear war is "back within the realm of possibility" following Russia's warning it was putting its nuclear forces on alert amid its war in Ukraine that threatens to draw NATO into direct combat with Russia. In 2017, Russian state media detailed how Moscow would annihilate US cities and areas after a nuclear treaty collapsed and put the Cold War rivals back in targeting mode a shocking threat even by the Russian regime's own extreme standards. Hyping up a then-new hypersonic nuclear-capable missile, Russian state TV said the Pentagon, Camp David, Jim Creek Naval Radio Station in Washington, Fort Ritchie in Maryland, and McClellan Air Force Base in California, would be targets, according to Reuters. But the latter two have been closed for over two decades, making them strange choices for targets. With most everything from the Russia or its heavily censored media, it's best to take its claims with a grain of salt. Instead of taking Russia's word for it when it comes to nuclear targets, Insider got an expert opinion on where Moscow would likely try to strike. Read more: Russian state media says Putin's hypersonic missiles would instantly vaporize these 5 US targets Since the Cold War, the US and Russia have drawn up plans on how to best wage nuclear war against each other; and while large population centers with huge cultural impact may seem like obvious choices, strategists believe a nuclear attack will focus on countering the enemy's nuclear forces destroying them before they can counter-attack. According to Stephen Schwartz, the author of "Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of US Nuclear Weapons Since 1940," as the Cold War progressed and improvements in nuclear weapons and intelligence-collection technologies enabled greater precision in where those weapons were aimed, the emphasis in targeting shifted from cities to nuclear stockpiles and nuclear war-related infrastructure. Story continues This map shows the essential points Russia would have to attack to wipe out the US's nuclear forces, according to Schwartz: This map represents targets for an all-out attack on the US's fixed nuclear infrastructure, weapons, and command-and-control centers, but even a massive strike like this wouldn't guarantee anything. "It's exceedingly unlikely that such an attack would be fully successful," Schwartz told Insider. "There's an enormous amount of variables in pulling off an attack like this flawlessly, and it would have to be flawless. If even a handful of weapons escape, the stuff you missed will be coming back at you." Even if every single US intercontinental ballistic missile silo, stockpiled nuclear weapon, and nuclear-capable bomber were flattened, US nuclear submarines could and would retaliate. According to Schwartz, at any given time, the US has four to five nuclear-armed submarines "on hard alert, in their patrol areas, awaiting orders for launch." Even high-ranking officials in the US military don't know where the silent submarines are, and there's no way Russia could chase them all down before they fired back, which Schwartz said could be done in as little as 5 to 15 minutes. But a strike on a relatively sparsely populated area could still lead to death and destruction across the US, depending on how the wind blew. That's because of fallout. Dangerous radioactive fallout zones shrink rapidly after a nuclear explosion. Brooke Buddemeier/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory The US has strategically positioned the bulk of its nuclear forces, which double as nuclear targets, far from population centers. But if you happen to live next to an ICBM silo, fear not. There's a "0.0% chance" that Russia could hope to survive an act of nuclear aggression against the US, according to Schwartz. So while we all live under a nuclear "sword of Damocles," Schwartz added, people in big cities like New York and Los Angeles most likely shouldn't worry about being struck by a nuclear weapon. Staff writer Alex Lockie wrote the initial version of this article. Read the original article on Business Insider The United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to extend its mission to Afghanistan for one more year. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) will now continue until spring 2023 and will focus on providing humanitarian assistance, facilitating dialogue within Afghanistan and between other countries, and promoting the rule of law. The UNAMA is also tasked with protecting human rights and gender equality under the newly established Taliban government. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who represented the U.S. at the meeting, said the mandate showed the world's "enduring commitment" to Afghanistan. The U.S. withdrew forces from the county last year, opening the way for the Taliban's swift takeover. "Critically, this mandate ensures UNAMA can continue its vital work in support of women's and girls' empowerment, their ability to enjoy fully human rights and fundamental freedoms, and their full, equal, and meaningful participation in all levels and stages of decisionmaking," he said. "In doing so, the Security Council has instructed UNAMA not just to advocate for Afghanistan's women but to engage with them as vital partners in its work." The representative from Norway, which currently holds the Security Council presidency, added that the mandate strengthens work around the promotion of women's rights and their participation in public life, but added she was regretful the council did not agree on climate change provisions. The United Kingdom's representative warned that future U.N. decisions would depend on how the Taliban governs the country amid ongoing concerns over reprisal killings and human rights abuses, adding that the group needs to "demonstrate that extremist groups are no longer able to flourish in the country." The members of the Security Council voted 14-0 to extend UNAMA, with Russia abstaining. The Russian representative said it abstained because the Afghan government failed to respond to requests for consent for the presence of the U.N. in the country. The representative warned the Security Council against turning UNAMA into "United Nations mission impossible" by creating conflict with local authorities. "The key is maintaining stability, from which everyone would win," the representative from Russia said. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he's been "shocked" by the brutality of Russian forces. Austin said the State Department is investigating civilian attacks by Russian forces in Ukraine. His comments come after President Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a "war criminal." US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he's been "shocked" by the brutality of Russian forces in Ukraine amid continued reports of attacks on civilians. At a press conference in Slovakia, a reporter asked Austin if assaults against civilians and population centers by Russian forces are considered war crimes, and whether it warrants any changes in US engagement policy. "Certainly we've all been shocked by the brutality we continue to witness day in and day out," Austin said, speaking alongside Slovakia's defense minister Jaroslav Nad. "These attacks that we've seen most recently appear to be focused directly on civilians." But Austin stopped short of mentioning the phrase 'war crimes,' though he said if civilians are "purposely" attacked, "that is a crime." He said the US State Department is reviewing attacks by Russian forces to see if these crimes are being committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. "We call upon Putin to cease these horrible actions," Austin said. "These are civilians and not combatants, and so they should not be targeted." Three weeks into Russia's war against Ukraine, attacks against Ukrainian civilians have been documented across the country as Russia's strategic advance remains largely stalled. The International Court of Justice ordered Russia on Wednesday to immediately stop its attack on Ukraine as it investigates claims of genocide, after the International Criminal Court announced earlier it would investigate potential war crimes committed by Russia. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered his harshest condemnation yet of Putin, calling him "a war criminal." Story continues His remarks came after announcing a sweeping new $800 million military aid package for Ukraine, saying the West is "united in our abhorrence of Putin's depraved onslaught." Later on Wednesday, Russian forces bombed a theater in Mariupol that had "CHILDREN" written in Russian next to it. "Our hearts are broken by what Russia is doing to our people," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response. And Josep Borrell Fontelles, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, slammed Russia on Thursday for "committing war crimes." "21 days of Russia bombing Ukraine's cities," he wrote on Twitter. "Committing war crimes. Targeting civilians. Starving people. Killing children. And shamelessly lying about it. #PutinsWar must stop now." Read the original article on Business Insider U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu and her father, Arthur Liu, were among the targets of a spy operation that the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges was ordered by the Chinese government. In an interview with The Associated Press published Thursday, Arthur Liu said that federal prosecutors contacted him last October, warning of a Chinese government spying scheme as his daughter was prepping for the Beijing Olympics. Liu noted that he didn't want to tell his daughter about the issue so as not to distract her from the competition. "We believed Alysa had a very good chance of making the Olympic Team and truly were very scared," Liu said. Liu, a political refugee, said that he took a stand against China's bullying by allowing his daughter to compete at the event, with assurances from the State Department and U.S. Olympic Committee that she would be kept safe during her time in China, according to the AP. Liu left China in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, in which he joined protests against the Chinese government, the AP noted. "This is her moment. This is her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games. I'm not going to let them stop her from going and I'll do whatever I can to make sure she's safe and I'm willing to make sacrifices so she can enjoy the moment," Liu said. "I'm not going to let them win - to stop me - to silence me from expressing my opinions anywhere." The DOJ announced Wednesday that it has charged five individuals they accused of stalking, harassing, and spying on U.S. residents on behalf of the Chinese government. Federal prosecutors allege that one of five individuals charged, Matthew Ziburis, was hired to perform surveillance on the Liu family, posing as a member of an international sports committee, asking for Liu's and his daughter's passport as part of a travel "preparedness check" related to COVID-19, according to the statement. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told the AP he was unaware of the specific allegations, but added China is "firmly opposed to the U.S. slandering by making an issue of this out of thin air." Photograph: Larry Marano/REX/Shutterstock Federal officials have confirmed that the US Department of Justice has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the families of most of those killed or wounded in the 2018 Florida high school massacre, over the FBIs failure to stop the gunman even though it had received information he intended to attack. Related: Generation Columbine: how mass shootings changed America's schools Attorneys for 16 of the 17 killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland and some of those wounded previously announced in November that they had reached a monetary settlement with the government over the FBIs failure to investigate a tip it received about a month before the massacre. The 17th family chose not to sue. The governments announcement late Wednesday said the settlement resolves 40 cases connected to the shooting for $127.5 million. The settlement does not amount to an admission of fault by the United States, according to a DoJ press statement. About five weeks before the 14 February 2018 shooting, an FBI tip line received a call saying a former Stoneman Douglas student, Nikolas Cruz, had bought guns and planned to slip into a school and start shooting the place up. I know hes going to explode, the caller told the FBI. But that information was never forwarded to the FBIs south Florida office and Cruz was never contacted. He had been expelled from the school a year earlier and had a long history of emotional and behavioral problems. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last October to 17 counts of first-degree murder. He will receive either a death sentence or life in prison after a penalty trial that is scheduled to start in April. In the aftermath of the shooting, Parkland student activists formed March for Our Lives, a group that rallied hundreds of thousands around the country for tighter gun laws, including a nationally televised march in Washington. Parents also made impassioned pleas for accountability and policies aimed at halting gun violence. Story continues A state investigation found numerous security lapses not just at Stoneman Douglas but at schools statewide. The shooting led to a state law that requires all Florida public schools to have an armed guard on campus during class hours. The shooting revived the huge national debate around gun laws, with sharp divisions between those arguing for more lax laws to allow more people to arm themselves and those arguing that laws should be passed to prevent someone like Cruz having access to weapons in the first place. A law was passed in Republican-controlled Florida allowing school teachers to carry guns to work, but many schools rejected this in practice. Alysa Liu of Team United States reacts after skating during the Women Single Skating Free Skating on day thirteen of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China. Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images US Olympian Alysa Liu's father said they were both targets of an alleged Chinese spying scheme. The Department of Justice announced charges this week against five men accused of harassing Chinese dissidents in the US. Arthur Liu, a political refugee, told AP that he was one of the dissidents mentioned in the criminal complaint. US Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu's father says he and his daughter were targets in an alleged Chinese spy operation, the Associated Press reported. The Justice Department announced charges Wednesday against five individuals who they accused of acting for the Chinese government to stalk and harass Chinese dissidents living in the United States. "According to court documents, all the defendants allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes to target U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the [People's Republic of China] government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC," a statement from the Justice Department said. Alysa Liu's father, Arthur Liu, told the AP that he was one of the dissidents mentioned in a criminal complaint against the five individuals. He said he was "Dissident 3" in the criminal complaint and that his daughter was referred to as "family member" in the court documents. Arthur Liu, who came to the United States in 1989 as a political refugee after the Tiananmen Square massacre, told the AP that he got a call from the FBI in October 2021 warning him about the case. He told the AP that he then received a call in November 2021 from a man claiming to be from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee who asked for his and Alysa's passport numbers. He told the AP that he chose not to share their information and instead contacted his representative from Team USA. In the criminal complaint released by the Justice Department on Wednesday, prosecutors allege that defendant Matthew Ziburis, a former Florida correctional officer and bodyguard, was behind the November call to Arthur Liu. Story continues Prosecutors allege Ziburis was hired by co-defendant Quiang "Jason" Sun to surveil Arthur Liu and to gather information about him and his daughter that was not readily available on the internet, like their social security numbers. According to court documents, Ziburis said in written communications obtained by prosecutors that performing the job would be "very easy" and asked to be paid $3,700 for his work. Ziburis was arrested on Tuesday in the Eastern District of New York on charges of conspiring to commit interstate harassment and criminal use of a means of identification. Arthur Liu told the AP that he decided not to tell his daughter about the phone calls last year because of her chances of making the US Olympic team at the time. "We believed Alysa had a very good chance of making the Olympic Team and truly were very scared," Arthur Liu told AP. He added, however, that he did not want to the calls to stop Alysa Liu from competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics. "I'll do whatever I can to make sure she's safe and I'm willing to make sacrifices so she can enjoy the moment," Arthur Liu told the AP. "I'm not going to let them win to stop me to silence me from expressing my opinions anywhere." He told the AP that the US government agreed to protect Alysa Liu with escort guards while she was competing in Beijing in February. Team USA did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. USA Figure Skating declined to comment. Read the original article on Insider By Vivian Sequera CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido on Thursday called on energy companies with joint ventures in the country to stick to democracy, amid talks over the possibility of the United States easing oil sanctions on the OPEC member nation. Chevron Corp, the last U.S. producer operating in Venezuela, is preparing to take control of its joint ventures in the country if Washington relaxes sanctions on Caracas to boost crude supplies to the United States, which is trying to find alternative barrels after banning Russia's oil. Other companies including Spain's Repsol, Italy's Eni, India's ONGC and France's Maurel & Prom also are seeking to get U.S. approval to receive Venezuelan oil to settle their projects' debts. Proposed changes to a license that would allow Chevron to unfreeze its projects in Venezuela gained traction after a key meeting in Caracas earlier this month between U.S. officials and President Nicolas Maduro, whose government is not recognized by Washington. But the encounter was also criticized in the U.S Congress, even by Democrats who asked President Joe Biden not to breathe new life into Maduro's "reign of torture and murder." "A message to energy companies: let's have companies amicable not only to the environment but also to democracy," Guaido said. The opposition leader has been recognized by the United States and other Western countries as Venezuela's rightful leader after they called Maduro's 2018 re-election a sham. "I am sure Chevron and the companies that are currently leaving (Russia) will not end up changing one dictator by another," he told journalists. "One thing is to buy oil from Maduro, and another to buy it from Venezuela." Resuming Venezuela's oil supply to the United States, which remains banned since 2019, was on the table in the Caracas meeting, where other demands by both parties were presented, including releasing Americans in jail and resuming a key political dialogue in Mexico. Story continues The U.S. officials met Guaido after attending the meeting with Maduro at the presidential palace. But Guaido's team was only informed about the trip once the U.S. officials were in Caracas, he said. Guaido said that lifting oil sanctions and granting licenses to companies seeking to collect on pending debt from their operations in Venezuela must be "progressive and subject to concrete achievements towards democracy." (Reporting by Vivian Sequera, Editing by Marianna Parraga and Marguerita Choy) People who have crossed the border point from Ukraine into Medyka, Poland, wait to board a bus (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire) I was thrilled to see that Benedict Cumberbatch used his influence to show support for Ukrainian refugees on the Baftas Red Carpet this week, as he told Sky News that he hopes to open his doors and be part of the UK governments refugee-hosting program. In my years working with asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Uganda, Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Turkey, Syria, Georgia, and now Ukraine, Ive never seen displaced people become such a popular talking point. Nearly overnight, helping refugees has become a part of Europes everyday language in chats, on social media, in businesses, schools, on trains and in phone stores, and now on the red carpet. Right now, everybody wants to help asylum seekers at least from Ukraine. Two weeks ago on a Saturday night, I met my first Ukrainian refugees. My husband and I were spending our time as volunteers eating popcorn and playing Uno with Afghan teens at a refugee camp in Zurich, Switzerland. Walking out, we found eight Ukrainian adults, some crying, with their children running around the armed building. They told me theyd been advised by registration guards not to enter the bad system for refugees, but that they should wait for the new good system coming soon just for Ukrainians. These women had traveled days through Ukraine, then in Europe; some said they were leaving husbands who were medical workers, who had had to stay behind to look after patients. A Swiss man theyd met wanted to help. I have kids, he said to me. I cant imagine this. He paid for housing for all 18 refugees for several nights while we created a community chat to support them in finding longer-term housing, supplies, and answers to registration questions. As they stood in lines daily and talked with government staff, they taught the people in our growing chat about local government, about the evolving Swiss Ukrainian permit news, so that we could share information with others. Then they joined us in helping other refugees as they arrived. I consider some of the refugees Ive known who would have benefited from such connections. I think of an Afghan teen refugee who arrived, unaccompanied, in a shipping container from Greece three years ago. It took her several midnight attempts on a crowded raft without a life vest though she cant swim to reach Greece from Turkey. Before Turkey, she crossed the snowy mountains of Iran on foot. Story continues I got to know this Afghan refugee over dough we kneaded for pizzas at the camp. She told me shed lost her mom during the years-long journey they undertook toward Switzerland. She was scared to sleep in the small bunk room she was given, where she shared with adults in the locked-down bad camp where I later met the Ukrainians. There was no system designed for her to stay in a private home as we can now thankfully offer Ukrainians. There was no way for her to live without armed guards, with a foster family or host. Eventually, she was admitted to a psychiatric unit several times for PTSD, where I could only visit her by waving from the outside. She still hasnt received guaranteed long-term residency. Or I consider my friend from another eastern European country who came to Switzerland to save her sons life. He needed several surgeries, and eventually a transplant that was unavailable in his home country. His college-educated parents want to work, but arent permitted to by authorities. So the mom volunteers for the Red Cross, visiting lonely seniors in their homes. This family waited for almost three years for an answer to their asylum application, recently receiving a rejection. Or I consider a Ugandan woman who escaped her traffickers after two years of slavery. She traveled to Switzerland alone. When she arrived, she received no welcome; rather, she began to process her trauma all by herself. We became friends when I received a call that someone needed help getting to church. About a month later, she was shipped across the country, forced to stay in a small refugee center atop a mountain in a remote part of Switzerland. There, she slept in a bunk room with several other women, learning French for six months before she was allowed to leave and begin efforts to track down her children, who were still living in danger in Uganda. Each one of these people has become a teacher to me. Theyve learned new languages, cared for babies and toddlers, survived the cold with suitcases or small bags, lived in tents, walked, boated, run often without money, some without identity documents, always without a home. At times they have not been able to see a future beyond their chilly feet. Now I hope that seeing them through me, a simple mom who has heard their stories, and especially through the eyes of celebrities like Cumberbatch will open more doors and minds. As we follow Ukrainians and their iconic leader President Volodymyr Zelensky, I hope we become part of something bigger than our small worlds. After all, as Justin Trudeau recently said to Zelensky in front of Canadas parliament, Youre defending the values that form the pillars of all free, democratic countries: freedom, human rights, justice, truth, international order. May we all defend such values, for all displaced people, by challenging ourselves and our systems, and by keeping doors wide open. Amy Aves Challenger has been organizing activities and building international relationships within the refugee community for over five years in Switzerland in conjunction with a government organization, several NGOs, and schools. She recently received a grant via the Schusterman Foundation to provide creative writing workshops to 24 refugees across Europe Wakulla High School cross country runner Ashlyn Speigner has shaved eight minutes off her time from her freshman to her senior seasons. That commitment not going unnoticed, as Speigner signed her letter of commitment to run for Florida Gateway College in Lake City Wednesday. Mar. 16LAWRENCE A Lawrence man is facing charges in New Hampshire after a four-month investigation into fentanyl and crack cocaine distribution on the Seacoast, according to Rockingham County High Sheriff Charles Massahos. Anderson Morales, 26, was arrested on March 10 by authorities with the United States Marshal Service "due to the dangerousness he presented to law enforcement and the public," Massahos said in a statement. He now faces 10 counts of sale of a controlled drug as well as several other warrants he was wanted for. He is held at Rockingham County Jail without bail. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also said to be involved. The investigation was a joint effort involving the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force, the Strafford County Sheriff's Office Problem Oriented Policing Unit, Newington and Portsmouth police, the U.S. Marshall Service, Massachusetts State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of Operation Granite Shield. KJ Williams was playing a supporting role for Murray State a few years ago when Ja Morant posted a triple-double while leading the Racers to an NCAA Tournament victory. As the Racers return to March Madness this week, Williams has matured into one of the team's star attractions. Murray State (30-2) carries a 20-game winning streak into its first-round game against San Francisco (24-9) on Thursday at Indianapolis. The Racers owe much of their success to Williams, the Ohio Valley Conference player of the year. With me coming in my freshman year, I think I averaged 7 and 6 (his actual averages were 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game), Williams said. I just took that to another level and just got my game better throughout the years. I just wanted to show that I can score at all levels, that I can do what I can do. Williams improved his scoring averages to 12.7 points in 2019-20, 15.6 in 2020-21 and 18.2 this season. The 6-foot-10 junior also has produced 8.6 rebounds per game. Now he gets to make his long-awaited return to the tournament. As a freshman playing alongside Morant, Williams shot 8 of 10 and scored 16 points as Murray State trounced Marquette 83-64 in a first-round game. Williams was held scoreless in the next round as Murray State lost 90-62 to Florida State. The Racers are counting on the tournament experience of Williams and Tevin Brown to help guide them this week. Brown scored 19 points in that 2019 victory over Marquette. We have two players in KJ Williams and Tevin Brown whove won a lot of games, won a lot of championships, won a game in the NCAA Tournament, have performed at a really high level in the NCAA Tournament, Murray State coach Matt McMahon said. Those two guys scored 35 points in our first-round win back in 2019. I expect them to show great leadership toward our other players who may or may not have played in that tournament. Morant, now an All-Star guard with the Memphis Grizzlies, will be keeping tabs on them. Williams said a congratulatory text recently arrived from his former teammate. Story continues He texts us telling us, Good job, way to get the job done, and telling us to look forward to March Madness, Williams said. Williams is one of several notable players from one-bid conferences who could make an impact on this NCAA Tournament. Here are six others: TEDDY ALLEN, NEW MEXICO STATE First-round game: Thursday vs. UConn in Buffalo, New York. Allens college career has taken him to West Virginia, Wichita State, Western Nebraska Community College and Nebraska. The 6-6 guard finally found a home at New Mexico State, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference player of the year. He averages 19.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists. E.J. ANOSIKE, CAL STATE FULLERTON First-round game: Friday vs. Duke at Greenville, South Carolina. Anosike is making the most of his opportunity at Cal State Fullerton after previously playing at Sacred Heart and Tennessee. The 6-7 senior forward averages 16.5 points and 8.3 rebounds to lead the Titans in both categories. He averaged 18 points and 13.7 rebounds in three Big West Tournament games. Hes the younger brother of Nicky Anosike, who played on Tennessees 2007 and 2008 womens basketball national championship teams. RYAN DAVIS, VERMONT First-round game: Thursday vs. Arkansas in Buffalo, New York. Davis is a two-time America East Conference player of the year who is averaging 17.2 points and 5.7 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 senior forward is making 59% of his shots. He scored 20 points as Vermont trounced Maryland-Baltimore County 82-43 in the America East final. BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE First-round game: Thursday vs. Providence in Buffalo, New York. Scheierman has helped South Dakota State win 21 straight games, the longest active streak of any Division I team. The 6-6 sophomore is the Summit League player of the year. He leads the Summit League in assists (4.6) and is ranked second in rebounds (7.8) and fifth in scoring (16.2). MALACHI SMITH, CHATTANOOGA First-round game: Friday vs. Illinois in Pittsburgh. Smith is Chattanoogas first Southern Conference player of the year since 1997, when Johnny Taylor led the Mocs to a Sweet 16 berth. He averages 20.1 points to rank 18th among all Division I players. The Wright State transfer also gets 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He averaged 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for Chattanooga last season. JORDAN WALKER, UAB First-round game: Friday vs. Houston at Pittsburgh. Walker, the Conference USA player of the year, leads the league and ranks 14th nationally in scoring (20.2). He ranks third in Conference USA in assists (4.9). He scored 27 points to help UAB beat Louisiana Tech 82-73 in the Conference USA Tournament championship game. The 5-11 junior guard previously played at Seton Hall and Tulane. ___ More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 As part of the continuing investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, federal authorities have charged a former Pulaski, Wisconsin man with several offenses related to the day's attack, including spraying bear repellent at police. Riley D. Kasper, 23, was arrested in Ashland and appeared in federal court in Madison to face the charges, filed in the District of Columbia. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge. Kasper appeared in court Thursday in Madison and was released on condition he not possess any dangerous weapons. His next hearing is before a D.C. magistrate judge on March 22 via Zoom. Riley D. Kasper outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 According to court records: On Jan. 21 of last year, an informant directed the FBI to a YouTube video showing a man who the FBI says turned out to be Kasper, spraying what looks like bear repellent at officers during the attack on the Capitol. Agents got a search warrant for Kasper's Facebook account in November. Kasper had posted photos of his drive to Washington, D.C., from former President Donald Trump's rally just before the crowd invaded the Capitol, and video taken from the vanguard of the crowd as it breached barriers. RELATED: 6 Wisconsin men were charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection in Washington, D.C. Here's the latest on their cases. One Facebook friend responded that Kasper was right there when the fences went down, to which he responded, "... yeah bro! I didn't drive 14 hours for nothing." He also posted, "I pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home," according to agents, and went on to write several more posts about surviving tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets. He called it "pretty exciting" and "the most real version of paintball ever." "That's how we took the capital," he wrote. Kasper goes on to try to recruit the friend to come with him "next time," and discusses making paintballs filled with pepper spray. Story continues Kasper told the friend, "there is definitely something satisfying about pepper-spraying cops in riot gear and watching them run from you like a bitch even though they have face masks, billy clubs and full ... body armor Kasper is charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers while armed with a dangerous weapon; civil disorder engaging in violence in a restricted building or ground with a dangerous weapon, committing acts of physical violence on Capitol grounds. Five of the six counts are felonies, punishable by up to five, 10 or 20 years in prison. Formerly of Pulaski, Kasper's last address was in Saxon, in Iron County, but he is supposed to move out of that residence soon or face a formal eviction order, according to online court records. He has a pending criminal case for forgery in Brown County, where he was scheduled to enter a plea next month. Kasper becomes at least the seventh Wisconsin resident among the more than 775 people from all 50 states charged in the insurrection. Four were convicted of misdemeanors, mostly for just entering the Capitol, and sentenced to probation. Contact Bruce Vielmetti at (414) 224-2187 or bvielmetti@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ProofHearsay. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin man faces felony charges in Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol A Phoenix police vehicle. An SUV struck and killed a woman in her 50s after she walked into the roadway Wednesday night in north Phoenix. Phoenix police responded to the traffic collision near 17th Avenue and Bell Road at about 8:45 p.m., according to department spokesperson Sgt. Philip Krynsky. When officers arrived on scene, they found the woman with traumatic injuries on the roadway, Krynsky said. Preliminary information suggested the woman was crossing Bell Road midblock outside of the crosswalk when a man driving a red SUV struck her. According to police, the man did not suffer any injuries nor did he show signs of impairment. He remained on scene, Krynsky said. The woman was taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The collision was still under investigation. Police did release the names of those involved. Reach breaking news reporter Amaris Encinas at amaris.encinas@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @amarisencinas. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Woman crossing Bell Road struck, killed in north Phoenix In 2018, when 3-year-old Howell resident Andrew Sirleaf was diagnosed with leukemia, his uncle George Sirleaf brought him some toys for his extended hospital stay. Among them were some professional wrestling figurines, characters out of WWE. He played with them all day in his hospital bed, and even slept with them, mom April Sirleaf said. By the time we left the hospital almost a month later, Andrew had about 20 wrestlers and was barely playing or watching anything else. Over the next four years, Andrews love for the sport and its pageantry carried him through an arduous treatment regimen and into remission. As fate could have it, one of his favorite wrestlers, superstar Roman Reigns, announced he was battling leukemia in 2018, just a couple of months after Andrews diagnosis. They went on a parallel journey or sorts. Andrew Sirleaf holds up a professional wrestling title belt Just when we thought WWE couldnt give us any more, they now also provided Andrew with someone he already looked up to having the same thing as him, April Sirleaf said. It made him feel like hes in this really cool club. He doesnt realize nobody wants to be in it. The childs connection with Reigns rose to a new level Wednesday night when Andrew, now 8, received the surprise of his young life: a video message from Reigns inviting him, his parents and his 4-year-old brother Justice to WrestleMania 38, which takes place April 2-3 in Texas. Andrew whats up buddy? Reigns said in opening his 45-second message. First of all I just want to make sure youre doing well. I heard youre in the fight and wanted to check on you. Roman Reigns invites Howell 8-year-old Andrew Sirleaf to WrestleMania Second of all, I wanted to break some news: We pulled some strings. I know youre a true fan. I just wanted to make sure you can celebrate the biggest live event in the world WrestleMania. So we went ahead and hooked you up with WrestleMania access tickets and some tickets to the actual show. I will be there in Dallas to acknowledge you. Have a good day, man, keep fighting the fight and Ill see you down the road. Story continues This was made possible by Dream Factory of the Jersey Shore, the local chapter of a national nonprofit that grants wishes to children who are suffering from chronic or critical illness. They have been so wonderful to work with, April Sirleaf said. This whole experience has led April to become an advocate of sorts. She is raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and has words of wisdom for parents of young patients. April and Michen Sirleaf with children Andrew (bottom left) and Justice You are stronger than you think, she said. During hard days, lean on those who support and love you. Take their help when offered. Take care of you; your mental health is important. Have faith, ask questions and continue to advocate for your child. She draws inspiration from hers. Hes handled this tenfold better than my husband and I, she said. Thats why Wednesday nights surprise was so meaningful to the family. WWE wrestlers have been with us every step of the way, April said. Needle pokes, spinal taps, bone marrow biopsies, chemo treatments, clinic visits and long hospital stays, Andrew always has wrestlers in his hands. Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shores interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: WWE star Roman Reigns surprises 8-year-old leukemia patient from Howell In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to members of the US Congress from Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy laid out his negotiating priorities in a new video on Wednesday. In a 9 minute speech, Zelenskyy called for the restoration of Ukraine's "territorial integrity." Earlier Zelenskyy had said peace talks with Russia were moving in a more positive direction. Security guarantees and the restoration of the country's "territorial integrity" are key demands in peace talks with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address early on Thursday local time. In a 9:00 minute speech, shared on Telegram by an advisor to Ukraine's government, Zelenskyy marked the 21st day of the war by laying out his priorities in negotiations. The address came after officials from both countries signaled that those negotiations were making progress, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying there was now "hope for reaching a compromise." The president of Ukraine also addressed humanitarian corridors, which he said, "did not work on Wednesday. The Russian military did not stop shelling, did not guarantee security." In the speech, he also said that he spoke to the mayor of Melitopol, who Ukrainian officials said special forces exfiltrated after he was taken captive by Russian forces. "Ivan Fedorov is free," he said. "I talked to him today. The Russian military abducted him on March 11, trying to persuade him to collaborate. But our man withstood. He did not give up." Zelenskyy ended his speech, saying that "negotiations for the sake of Ukraine" were ongoing with the Russian delegation. "My priorities in the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country." This story is developing. Check back later for updates. Read the original article on Business Insider Starbucks Coffee Japan on Thursday said it is ramping up its drive against disposable plastics in its product packaging and stores, part of the global chain's push to halve waste by 2030. The move comes as businesses around the world face mounting pressure from environmental activists to cut plastic waste, while many investors are increasingly focusing on companies' green credentials. The coffee seller is introducing reusable plastic cups for iced drinks consumed in 106 of the around 1,700 Starbucks stores in Japan from April 18. At another 113 outlets, it will offer dine-in iced drinks without lids, before rolling out that shift to the rest of the country in the summer. The chain did not disclose the amount of iced beverages drunk in its shops, but a representative of its sustainability department noted, "it will increase for the hot season." The company said take-away drinks and hot beverages will continue to be served with lids considering "the convenience of carrying and the risk of burns." The chain said Japanese outlets already have a higher "usage rate" for mugs than its stores in Europe and the U.S. AstraZeneca has resolved a lingering liability following its takeover of Alexion with an agreement to pay $775 million to settle a patent dispute with Chugai Pharma, Roches Japanese subsidiary. The long-running disagreement focuses on Ultomiris (ravulizumab), Alexions long-acting complement C5 inhibitor for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Chugai claimed that Ultomiris uses a delivery technology designed to reduce the dosing frequency of the drug that infringes on patents it holds, filing lawsuits in the US and Japan in 2018 in defence of its intellectual property. In March 2020, the Supreme Court of Japan dismissed a Chugai appeal against an earlier ruling which held that one of the Chugai patents involved in the Japanese lawsuit was invalid. And last October, the Japanese Patent Office invalidated four Chugai patents, including those asserted in the Japanese court case a decision which Chugai appealed. Both parties have now agreed to withdraw their complaints as a result of the settlement, which includes no other payments including royalties other than the single lump sum to be paid in the second quarter. AZ said the settlement would be recorded as a non-core charge in its second-quarter results, while Chugai said the impact on its financial results for the fiscal year ending December 2022 is currently under review. The settlement will be a relief to AZ, as Ultomiris lies at the heart of AZs $39 billion takeover of Alexion last year. Amanda Seyfried said she embarked upon playing Elizabeth Holmes, the biotech engineer who founded Theranos, with no judgment. Even though she was convicted of defrauding investors, Holmes had to believe in herself, Seyfried said. If you want to believe something badly enough and you work hard to make it true, then at some point youre just going to have to choose whether or not its true, Seyfried said. Our brains are miraculous. We can forget things. We can bury things. We can create things. And she was incredible at creating things. She could sell me sand if I ever met her. Seyfried, who stars in the limited series, The Dropout, said she studied Holmes idiosyncrasies to get a handle on her character. The shape of my mouth isnt the same as hers, but I can make sounds somewhat or pretty close to what she did. Thats my job as an actor mimicking. But, in terms of the depth of it, I had to work really hard to get there because I speak at such a higher level than she does naturally. More hallmarks the lips, the turtleneck, the messy hair are essential if youre doing a Saturday Night Live parody. But to get inside Holmes mind, she tried to reveal other aspects of the woman. The whole point of making this is that you were letting us into a world that we werent privy to before and people want to know why, Seyfried said during a Zoom conference. Holmes vocal quirks came over time. When the public met Elizabeth Holmes she was already speaking very deeply. (In the series), we get to see when shes a kid and she has a pretty average tenor. Before 2015, Holmes wowed with technology that she said could return significant information with just a pinpricks worth of blood. She attracted a whos who of investors to her company, Theranos, and appeared onto a medical breakthrough when investigators dug a bit deeper into her claims. They found the technology wasnt as accurate as investors had been led to believe. In 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged her with massive fraud regarding the companys claims. She settled the charges by paying a fine, returning 18.9 million shares to the company, relinquishing her voting control of the company and accepting a 10-year ban from serving on another publicly held company. While Seyfried was filming The Dropout, the trial was just beginning. Because new information was always coming through to us, we were always wondering if we were on the right track, she said. The timing of it just made it a lot more real. Executive Producer Elizabeth Meriwether said it was never her intention to pass judgment. This series is the mystery of what was going on in her head and what led her to make the choices she made, Meriweither said. I wanted to look at that full picture. As information came in during shooting, Meriwether tried to adapt the script. Its not a true-crime series. Its a mystery of who she is. The Dropout is airing on Hulu. Kira Hetfield is aiming for the stars at Underwood High School. Hetfield, 15, grew up in Lonsdale, Minnesota, a small city south of the Twin Cities. Her parents had to relocate for work, and shes been in southwest Iowa since her eighth grade year. She is now at Underwood High School, where she is a junior. Hetfield said she was home schooled up north, and that the transition into a new school has been great for her. Honestly, Ive loved it, she said. I feel like being in a public school has given me so many more opportunities. Hetfield has certainly taken advantage of those opportunities, as shes become quite active outside the classroom. She participates in speech, band, quiz bowl and the Spanish club at Underwood. She said being active outside the classroom has opened her horizons and led to her making many meaningful relationships. Ive really enjoyed it, she said. Its allowed me to meet many new people and learn a lot about life outside of school. Hetfield has a had a great speech season, and shes made it to the ultimate step as she will be heading to the all-state competition at the University of Northern Iowa at the end of the month. Shes qualified for two categories of competition, poetry and storytelling, and shes excited to get out there and put her public speaking skills to the test. In the poetry competition, shell be reading Robert W. Services The Cremation of Sam McGee. Her storytelling piece is Born Yesterday (The Diary of a Young Journalist) by author James Solheim. This wont be her first time at all-state, as she qualified for the poetry competition last year, so shes feeling good having some experience under her belt coming into this event. Hetfield still has another year of high school left, but she is already looking ahead to life after graduation. She said shes always enjoyed putting things together and solving problems since she was younger, so she wants to pursue an aerospace engineering degree. She said Iowa State University has a great space program, so she is looking into applying to become a Cyclone. Hetfield has big plans for life after Underwood, but shes also ready to make plenty of great memories during her time as an Eagle. Joe Shearer Support was flowing to a local family Thursday after a fast-moving fire destroyed their house Wednesday afternoon. The home belonged to the family of Julie McComas, a counselor at Lewis Central High School. No one was injured in the fire, according to Lewis Township Fire Chief Jeremy Meyers. The family and a pet dog all got out safely. Numerous members of the Lewis Central community posted encouraging comments on the schools social media pages Wednesday, and a staff person established a GoFundMe account to raise money for the family. Part of us on the Lewis Township Fire & Rescue grew up here and went to Lewis Central, wrote Josh Stuhr. It sucks to see a house fire, and it hurts more when it is someone that taught you in school. We were just glad no one was in the house. Love the McComas. Oh, no! Jeanie Hall said, responding to the news. Glad everyone is OK. She is the sweetest counselor. Thoughts and prayers to Mrs. McComas and her family. Nicest people youll ever meet, Jen Frese Kern said of the McComas family. Julie so sorry, if we can help with anything get ahold of one of us, offered Bettie Robinson. Josh Allen, the school districts technology integration director, set up the GoFundMe account, which was promoted on the districts social media pages. We encourage you to do what Mrs. McComas has done for countless students: Be there in their time of need, he said on the GoFundMe page. There will likely be more ways to help support them in the coming days so even if its not here, we encourage you to find some way to show your support. All money will be given to the McComas family for all of the needs they will have. Mrs. McComas, you were there for me during some really hard times, and now I want to be there for you, too, commented Halle Stichler. You helped me so much during my four years of high school, and your support then and now has continued to make a different in my life for the better. Lewis Township firefighters were dispatched around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to 14958 Gayland Drive off Highway 92, Meyers said. One person had already tried to put out the fire but wasnt able to. Our first truck was on scene within about four minutes, he said. There was heavy black smoke and some flames when they arrived. Fire departments from Treynor and McClelland were called out to assist the 19 volunteers from the Lewis Township crews, Meyers said. With their vehicles, there were at least a dozen fire trucks involved. Since the fire was outside of the Council Bluffs city limits, water had to be hauled over in tanker trucks and portable tanks from the nearest fire hydrant, which was across Highway 92 in the First Christian Church parking lot, Meyers said. We had to hook up to the water, put it in our tankers and bring it back across the highway, he said. Pottawattamie County Sheriffs deputies provided traffic control so the many crossings could be made safely, Meyers said. But hauling water was just one of the problems. It got up in the attic pretty quickly, and it went through the roof, Meyers said. We had the roof and floor collapse, so we couldnt fight it from the interior. That made it extremely difficult to fight the fire. Dispatchers called the utility companies, who sent people to the scene who stayed until they were no longer needed, he said. Neighbors offered their support by providing pizzas and cases of bottled water. One let a couple firefighters use the bathroom in her basement. All the neighbors out there were amazing, Meyers said. Everybody was taking care of us. Most of the firefighters left at about 6 p.m., but Meyers kept two on scene to watch for rekindles. Pairs of firefighters rotated throughout the night. Thats unusual for us, but since there were collapses, there was material we couldnt get to, he said. The house was a total loss, Meyers said. The fire was determined to be accidental, since there was no evidence of foul play. The family said they had someplace else they could stay. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DES MOINES A key state lawmaker has called for a moratorium on the use of eminent domain by companies proposing to build pipelines across Iowa. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, who chairs the House State Government Committee, made his proposal Wednesday, saying he wanted to protect landowners until the Legislature is back in session next year. The committee adopted his amendment to prohibit the Iowa Utilities Board from granting eminent domain before March 1, 2023, at which time the moratorium would be repealed. Pipeline companies could not seek the exercise of eminent domain during that time. Democrats said they understood landowners concerns, but voted against his proposal because Kaufmann was hijacking Senate File 2022, a bill regulating cosmetology and barbering, to address an unrelated issue. They were joined by one Republican. Kaufmann defended his approach, saying Iowans, especially the landowners who are in the pathway of proposed pipelines, dont care about the process. They want results. The reason for us doing this today is because landowners who are potentially impacted want certainty, Kaufmann said. I am not anti-pipeline and not trying to interfere with negotiations between landowners and pipelines, he said. But the moratorium would give landowners a year to go on without the threat of eminent domain over their heads. Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, referencing her familys Century Farm, said she understood Kaufmanns passion, which is why it is so important to follow process. Since being elected in 2012, Kaufmann has made reining in the use of eminent domain one of his priorities. Eminent domain is the right of a government or its agency to take private property for public use with payment. GRASSLEY SUPPORT House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, signaled his support for Kaufmanns proposal. We also want (landowners) to know that the Legislature is watching this process, he told Radio Iowa. We would just want to give them some certainty that if eminent domain were ever to be on the table moving forward, the Legislature would be in session and be able to weigh in and try to avoid a situation where there could be mass condemnation. He doesnt want to the Legislature to change the rules but let landowners and the pipeline companies know that the Legislature just stands prepared to act if needed. We hope it doesn't come to that. A Senate bill on eminent domain hasnt advanced, but Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said his members are concerned about eminent domain in general and will continue to watch these close to make sure that landowners are protected. Concerns about the possible use of eminent domain have increased over the past year as three companies have proposed building underground pipelines across Iowa. Many landowners on the pipelines proposed routes have decried the projects at informational meetings around the state since November. They have raised concerns about eminent domain, pipeline safety and whether the companies should get tax credits for projects that may make money for the owners but not help Iowans or the environment. The Iowa Utilities Board has to approve the pipeline projects, including the potential step of using eminent domain to force the sale of easements to the companies. KAUFMANN SWITCH The call for a moratorium is a bit of a reversal for Kaufmann, who describes himself as pro-landowner. In January, he announced that after careful consideration, he decided it wasnt the time to change state law governing when property may be seized for pipelines. Rushing eminent domain changes through the Legislature this year, he said then, would send the wrong message to businesses and to the landowners whove already signed easements for carbon pipelines and landowners still considering contracts. That was after he said he was trying to craft a bill to require companies to get the support of at least 70 percent of landowners in a pipelines path before asking state to allow the use of eminent domain. PROPOSED PIPELINES ADM has signed a letter of intent to build a 350-mile pipeline to transport liquefied CO2 from ethanol and cogeneration facilities in Cedar Rapids and Clinton to ADMs already-operational sequestration site in Decatur, Ill. Navigator, a Texas company, is proposing a 1,300-mile pipeline that would pass through 36 Iowa counties, including Linn, Benton, Cedar, Delaware and Iowa, capturing carbon dioxide at ethanol and fertilizer plants. The gas would be put under pressure, turned into liquid and piped to a site in south-central Illinois near the ADM site. Summit Carbon Solutions, which is planning a 2,000-mile pipeline through Iowa to North Dakota, said it has worked in partnership with landowners to sign easements on more than 100 miles of the proposed route in Iowa. Additionally, Summit said it is finalizing agreements that include an additional 70 miles of the proposed route in the state. Zelensky asks U.S. to "do more" to help Ukraine Xinhua) 08:35, March 17, 2022 WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday asked the United States to "do more" to help Ukraine defend itself against the ongoing military operation by Russia. In a speech delivered via videoconference to the U.S. Congress, he also asked the United States to champion the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, or, alternatively, to provide fighter jets to his country, requests that have both been rejected by the U.S. administration thus far. Zelensky also called on the United States to double down on sanctions against Russia, including asking all American companies to end their business associations with Russia and punishing all Russian politicians "who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are against Ukraine." (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. AURORA I am a member of Nebraska law enforcement and will be voting for Charles W. Herbster for governor in the May 10 primary. I will be doing so because I know Herbster, as governor, will have my back and will provide me the resources that my colleagues and I will need to make and keep N Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency has agreed to share its know-how with Senegal in energy efficiency and alternative energies with the support of Andalusian International Cooperation agency. A partnership accord was signed Wednesday in Rabat by Head of the Moroccan agency Said Mouline and Director of the Senegalese Agency for Energy Efficiency Djiby Ndiaye. Under this agreement, the Moroccan agency pledges to hold training sessions for the staff of its Senegalese peer in energy efficiency & renewable energy, provide technical assistance for alternative energy projects and host study trips for top executives of the Senegalese agency. Mouline said this triangular cooperation will strengthen the capacities of Senegal in energy efficiency, affirming that green economy opens up new markets and creates sustainable jobs. For his part, Djiby Ndiaye praised the Moroccan-Senegalese partnership which is based on strong fraternal relations existing between the two countries. The Senegalese Agency for energy efficiency, he said, looks forward to benefiting from the experience of Morocco in energy-saving initiatives and innovative solutions which helped to reduce the energy bills and cut carbon footprints in transports, construction, industry, farming Morocco will put restrictions on the export of its tomatoes whose prices surged ahead of Ramadan, where demand on the vegetable increases as a main ingredient of the Moroccan cuisine, Moroccan media reported. The war in Ukraine has raised fears over global food protectionism as Russia halted wheat exports, Argentina banned export registrations for soybean meal, while Indonesia tightened control over palm oil sales and Egypt banned exports of staples like lentils to ensure domestic supply. Morocco exports 430,000 tons of tomatoes annually to the European countries. Tomatoes price hike is also to blame on a severe drought that hit Moroccos main tomato producing region of Souss. Exports of chickpeas, another key ingredient for Harira, will be banned altogether as stockpiles are at a comfortable levels, Moroccan media reported. UGTT, Tunisias powerful labor union, has pledged to stand in the way of the economic and social reforms wanted by international lenders prior to any financial package to be offered to the North African country. Noureddine Taboubi, leader of the UGTT, on Wednesday took aim at a government document detailing the planned economic and social reforms as he was addressing a gathering of the transport sector. Taboubi opposed any reform that could undermine the purchasing power and rights of Tunisians. Public companies are not for sale and the public sector is a red line painful reforms, forget it, he said, calling for wage increases in 2022 and 2023. If you want to discuss reforms, our vision for reform is comprehensive and deep, and its basis is fiscal justice, he added. Tunisia is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a multiple million-dollar loan necessary to supplement the national budget with a deficit put at over $2 billion. The administration of President Kais Saied is joggling with economic and financial challenges putting the government in difficult situation. The union has requested to be included in the talks. It also claims that it has more than a million members and it has been able to shut down the economy with labor strikes, forcing previous governments to abandon unpopular policies. Moroccos phosphates producer OCP plans to increase its fertilizers output to 11.9 million tons this year, compared with 10.8 million tons last year, as it sees a growing demand from India, the Americas and Africa at a context of market turbulences and higher crop nutrient prices. Russia said it would not export its fertilizers and soil nutrients including ammonia and potash, in a move that stoke the market and raised fears over a surge in food prices. Despite the loss of Russian ammonia, OCP plans to increase its phosphates-based fertilizers by 10% this year, Reuters reported. OCP annually imports some 1.8 million tons of ammonia, most of it sourced from Russian company Urallshem. Nada Elmajdoub, executive vice president performance management at OCP told Reuters the firm has managed to replace volumes needed for the next few months from other suppliers around the world and that it was able to switch its production to use other raw materials with lower nitrogen levels. On ammonia sourcing in particular, thanks to our strong network of suppliers globally, weve been working on building alternative supply, she said. OCP aims to start importing ammonia from U.S. producers next year under a long-term supply deal and expects to start ammonia output at a plant in Nigeria in 2025, she said. Several civil society activists and NGOs have denounced during the ongoing 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva the enlistment of children as soldiers by the Polisario front and slammed Algeria for the abuses committed in the Tindouf camps on Algerian territory. This came during the general debate of Point 03 relating to the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights. During the debate, Aicha Duihi, the president of the Sahara Observatory for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (OSPDH) denounced in the strongest terms the enrolment of Sahraoui children within the Polisario militias. The children of the Tindouf camps find themselves forced to undergo military training and to participate in acts of vandalism and intimidation, but also in a propaganda war fueled by violence and hatred, added Aicha Duihi, who was also addressing the gathering on behalf of the international NGO Promotion of Economic (PDES). The polisario continues to exploit schools and school programs in the camps of Tindouf to indoctrinate children with its ideologies, calls for violence and hatred, while praising war, which is against the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates education for principles and values of freedom, equality and tolerance so as to consolidate the personality of the child. Today, the Polisario persists in creating an atmosphere of tension within the camps, praising military heroism and encouraging arms carrying among children during all ceremonies and celebrations, she noted. Several other civil society activists participated in the debate, including Moulay Lahsen Naji, the president of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (CIDH) and member of the Unity Network for the Development of mauritania, who denounced the serious violations committed by the Polisario and particularly the enforced disappearances. He cited in this connection cases of many missing persons and called for clarification on the fate of Ahmed Khalil said Carlos, who used to live in Tindouf camps. Just because he dared to express his opinion against the Polisario leaders he was kidnapped in 2009 by Algerian intelligence agents and since then no one knows where he is, whether he is dead or alive. For the Sahraoui activist Nour Bouhanana, the massive recruitment of children by the Polisario front is a source of great concern, especially since these children are indoctrinated without pity and without any moral responsibility. It is imperative that Algeria respects the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Protocols and that the UNHCR assumes its responsibilities to protect these children and allow them to have a normal childhood with a sense of security and the hope of a better future and a decent life, insisted Nour Bouhanana. In a joint statement delivered earlier this week at the 49th session of the UNHRC, the PDES and the OSPDH finger pointed the failures of Algeria to meet its obligations under international law, with regard to the population of Tindouf, denouncing in particular the refusal of Algerian authorities to open investigations into cases of denial of the right to life, crimes and executions perpetrated by separatist bands and the Algerian security services against the inhabitants of the camps. Although the polisario has acknowledged that human rights violations have occurred in the past, it has not provided clear data regarding enforced disappearances, abductions, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in detention centres, they noted. The PDES and OSPDH pointed out that Algerian authorities continue to commit murders without any judicial or legal procedure. The two organizations recalled in this regard that many cases of killings committed by the Algerian forces against the Sahrawi population have been reported. North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher says hes looking for a search firm to help find Matthew Kibbons successor as city administrator. City Council members would have to approve a contract with the firm he decides to recommend, Kelliher said after Tuesdays meeting. He hopes to be able to recommend one by the councils next regular meeting April 5, the mayor said. Kibbon, a Nebraska native with more than 20 years of experience in the construction field, announced his resignation as city administrator March 2. He said Wednesday his last day will be May 6, two days after his second anniversary on the job. Kibbon succeeded retiring City Administrator Jim Hawks on May 4, 2020, after serving five years as the University of Wyomings deputy director for planning and construction. He resigned after three months in August 2020, saying he intended to return to his old Wyoming job. He rescinded his resignation a week later. Kibbon emerged from among 26 applicants for the city administrators post after Hawks announced his retirement in December 2019. Then-Mayor Dwight Livingston appointed a six-member selection committee, which narrowed the field to eight for initial interviews. Kibbon was one of three finalists who went through follow-up interviews by the panel. Livingston nominated him April 9, 2020, and the council confirmed him April 21. Other members of the 2020 selection committee were Hawks, City Attorney Terry Waite, Council President Jim Nisley and now-departed Councilmen Glenn Petersen and Lawrence Ostendorf. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. North Plattes Community Redevelopment Authority Monday will consider taking the final steps to complete the citys aid package for Sustainable Beef LLC beef processing plant on Newberry Access. The 3 p.m. meeting at the City Hall council chamber, 211 W. Third St., had been awaiting further progress on beef-plant organizers $325 million financing package. City officials announced the CRA meeting and its agenda Thursday morning, one day before the first anniversary of Sustainable Beefs initial announcement of its project at a Prairie Arts Center press conference. It means the nearly two-year-long organizational phase of the beef-plant project is nearing an end, Mayor Brandon Kelliher said Thursday afternoon. The fact that the meeting has been called indicates that we have concluded the negotiations on the redevelopment contract, the mayor said. If the five-member CRA board approves the deal, itll be signed within a week, he added. But at that point, nothing will happen until Sustainable Beef completes their fundraising. The contract is the next step in the process, which is going well, Sustainable Beef CEO David Briggs of Alliance texted The Telegraph. He said in December that he hoped to break ground this year so the first cattle from Sandhills and western Nebraska producers can be processed in 2024. The redevelopment contract includes the $142,500 sale of a retired city sewer lagoon at Golden Road and Newberry as the site for the 1,500-head-per-day beef plant. As discussed at November and December city meetings, it also makes completion of Sustainable Beefs financing package a prerequisite for closing the sale of the retired lagoon across Golden Road from North Plattes wastewater treatment plant. The contract also incorporates the $21.5 million in tax increment financing the City Council approved 8-0 Dec. 7 to help offset Sustainable Beefs infrastructure costs. Most of the TIF aid will be directed toward the costs of raising the base of the 8- to 10-foot-deep lagoon to enable the beef plant to be built there. The third and last of the CRAs beef-plant meetings since Halloween initially was expected within 30 days of the councils Dec. 7 vote. Sustainable Beefs focus has been on getting the funding done, because without the funding, theyre not moving forward, said state Sen. Mike Jacobson, who was CRA chairman until he was sworn in Feb. 23 to finish former Sen. Mike Groenes term. He said the Legislatures Appropriations Committee has settled on recommending $20 million from Nebraskas share of federal COVID-19 aid to help offset costs of the plants wastewater treatment system. First-round Unicameral debate should start soon on Legislative Bill 1014, which will divide up Nebraskas $1.04 billion share of American Rescue Plan Act aid. The redevelopment contract, following up on the redevelopment plan approved by the City Council, also requires state-of-the-art odor control equipment and procedures and action to minimize or counteract odors from Sustainable Beefs plant. We wanted to make sure the (projects) potential large investors were comfortable with the proposal before it was signed, Kelliher added. Because the Legislature will be in recess Monday, Jacobson said, he hopes to attend the CRA meeting as an observer. He also has to attend annual meetings that day of NebraskaLand Bank, where he is founder, president and CEO. Im excited for where we are with the beef plant, Jacobson said. Its a great opportunity for this region to get this built, and the city will be protected. An analysis led by Creighton University economist Ernie Goss projects North Platte will gain nearly 2,000 jobs 875 at the plant itself, the rest from supporting businesses and some $1.16 billion a year in economic impact. In other business Monday, the CRA will elect new officers in the wake of Jacobsons resignation last month. Mondays meeting will be the first for new member Greg Wilke, approved by the council Tuesday to finish Jacobsons unexpired CRA term. Reorganization will follow the Sustainable Beef item, which will be presided over by panel Vice Chairman Rob Stefka. Acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Helen Sung made her Cincinnati debut at Caffe Vivace to a sold-out audience on Thursday, March 10, 2022, on my recent road trip to the Queen City. The trio, featuring Matt Penman on bass and Kush Abadey on drums, was scheduled this month to showcase music written by women composers in celebration of Women's History Month. Helen and the band kept things swinging throughout the night with several originals including 'Whatever", "Everybodys Waltz" and "Elegy for the City" as well as others written by others, including Toshiko Akiyoshi's "Long Yellow Road", "Willow Weep for Me", by the legendary Nina Simone and finally with a beautiful rendition of Geri Allens "Feed the Fire". As the newly named 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, Sungs decision to eschew her classical piano upbringing for jazz during undergraduate studies at UT Austin, has clearly paid off. Her recent releases Sung With Words, a collaborative project with renowned poet Dana Gioia funded by a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant, and Anthem For A New Day, have topped the jazz charts. For more on Helen and other great shows at Caffe' Vivace go here https://www.caffevivace.com and here https://helensung.com Close A man who was arrested for placing a planter box of flowers on his fiancees grave in Auburn appeared for a hearing at Auburn Municipal Court on Thursday. Winston Winchester Hagans was arrested on a charge of criminal littering in January after his fiancees father, the Rev. Tom Ford, signed for the warrant against him. Hannah Ford was killed in a car crash in January of 2021, shortly after she and Hagans were engaged. The Washington Post reported that Hagans had been putting flowers on her grave for a year and was confused when police came with a warrant to arrest him. Hagans told the Washington Post that Tom Ford hadnt approved of the relationship, had not contacted him before the arrest, and made it clear to Hagans that he wasnt welcome at her funeral. On Thursday, Hagans attorney Jeff Tickal and Fords attorney Justin Clark presented their cases before Presiding Municipal Judge Jim McLaughlin. The defense stated that the planter box does not fall under the category of litter, while the prosecution asserted that it is a foreign object so the plot owner has the right to get it removed and to file charges. Defense argument Tickal gave a definition of types of litter, which included trash, glass, plastic, urine and more. He also said that litter must be something that is discarded. Adornments arent discarded items, Tickal said. What Hagans placed on the grave was not litter or trash, but adornments. Tickal said the day the motion was filed he went to the cemetery and took pictures of the adornments the cemetery allowed on other graves, including plaques, crosses, a birdhouse and more. Adornments cannot be criminal littering, he said. Tickal also said the Alabama law says owners of a grave plot do not own the land itself. He said that the owner has no right to exclude others from a public cemetery unless the individual is desecrating it, and that the owner cant keep friends or family from gravesites. Tickal claimed the prosecution had no right to bring this action against Hagans, and even if the planter was considered litter, procedurally this was not done correctly. In the matter of law, the complaint fails, he said. This is not criminal littering. Tickal said this is a personal issue that should have been a civil case, not a criminal case, and that the court needs to dismiss the case. Youd have to stretch the term of littering to make this litter, he said. Prosecution argument Prosecutor Justin Clark asserted that the plot owner has similar rights to that of a property owner. The plot owner has a right to protection of invasion, he said, and when that right is violated the owner is entitled to take action and file a charge treating it as if it was his house. He defined littering as anything belonging to a list that includes rubbish, waste and any foreign item of any kind. Clark said the planter box was not Fords and was not authorized by him to be there, so its considered a foreign object. Ford had informed Hagans not to put the planter on the grave, Clark told the judge, but Hagans did so repeatedly and said he will continue to. The prosecution wants Hagans to cease and desist, Clark said, and stop going out to the gravesite with the flower box. McLaughlin, the judge, said the court had been contacted three or four times about this issue before the warrant was issued and that it checked with the parks and recreation department to see if the issue could be resolved. It wasnt. The judge pointed out that the deed to the cemetery plot says no planters. McLaughlin said he was given the bare bones of documentation before this hearing and decided to take the case under advisement, allowing each party 21 days to file written pleadings and citations. He said he will make a ruling after looking at all the documentation, and the final court date will be in June. Until then, he told Hagans not to put any planter boxes on the grave. Staff Writer Brad Hundt came to the Observer-Reporter in 1998 after stints at newspapers in Georgia and Michigan. He serves as editorial page editor, and has covered the arts and entertainment and worked as a municipal beat reporter. Thank you for Reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. nnn at biden's old ass calling anyone else a war criminal Reply Thread Link I cant believe you got downvotes when youre pointing out the obvious its like the Spider-Man meme Reply Parent Thread Link My wasn't because I believe Biden isn't someone with red on his hands from illegitimate war. I found their comment in this specific post a little insensitive given the ever present threat of ww3 and I didnt know how to comment so I didnt. I'm exhausted and tend to start fights instead of conversations when I'm triggered so it was the next best option at the time. I didn't think it would be taken as disagreeing with their actual statement lol idk why. Reply Parent Thread Link I didn't downvote, but I also made a 'hm' noise at the comment as I scrolled. It just seemed dismissive of what Ukrainians are going through? Idk. As a first comment under a post where it's talked about how Russian forces bombed a theater with 1000 women and children (with the word "children" clearly marked on the ground and visible by air), it just seemed like this comment was like "yeah ok who cares. what about the things America has done?" So i get the downvote impulse. Reply Parent Thread Link gotta love ontd lol Reply Parent Thread Link In case anyone else here is also into embroidery and want to get some patterns with the proceeds going to UNICEF's efforts in Ukraine: https://cleverpoppy.com/products/pattern-bundle-for-ukraine Reply Thread Link This is so great, thank you for sharing!! I'm going to do the sunflower one first and place it on my window. Reply Parent Thread Link I might finally fulfill my grandma's wish and actually learn to embroider, just for this. Reply Parent Thread Link do itttttt lol embroidery is fun! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link there were multiple explosions in belarus tonight and there's still like so little information about it Reply Thread Link Some on twitter are pointing to a statement that the Belarussian army was conducting* war exercises, but no official word yet, as far as I can tell. Edited at 2022-03-17 02:13 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link The stuff Belarus is doing seems bizarre. Its like when someone pretends theyre going to help but just finds reasons not to, forever. (Which is great in this case but super weird! How are they not just fully pissing Putin off?) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This dude can legit kick P*tin's head clean off his body. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't know, I feel like his foot would get stuck in all the filler in Putin's cheeks. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm imagining Elon pushing the Mayor out of the way and pouncing on Putin, pinning him and declaring himself victor! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Did he get a haircut recently. It looks very fresh! Reply Parent Thread Link The pause, the swear, the immediate apology. Pure poetry. Reply Parent Thread Link it always weirds me out when I see Australian reporters on ONTD Reply Parent Thread Link it's the little "sorry" you're at war my man, i think you don't have to apologise for swearing Reply Parent Thread Link That fucking video was so hard to watch. It's beyond gut wrenching. It's really surreal seeing beautiful cities that look like places we go every day go from that to just..looking cold and barren. Looking so badly destroyed that you would honestly confuse it as somewhere abandoned for centuries. You know?? From being so vibrant and full of life with a cozy quaint atmosphere to rubble. I really do feel awful for the people of Ukraine. -but. But. We cannot close their sky. I know it's cruel. I know it's terrible. But we cannot have a world war. Anyone arguing for it has seen way too many action movies. There's no way that war would just stay over there in a designated war area. Putin has shown with glee that he'll jump straight into bombing civilian main cities/areas in the opposing country immediately. He won't bat an eye to how many of his troops are getting mowed down in the field. His victory doesnt seem to be in the actual war part. I think his victory is in knowing that if he cant have somewhere, then whoevers there can't have it either. I think he knows its useless at this point, but will feel satisfied if at least when he pulls out, they have next to nothing left. That's a very dangerous mindset. I don't know what any other country can do but continue to send aid, weapon, and volunteers. I really don't. What can you do against someone like that?? Reply Thread Link You've really described exactly what makes Putin so chilling - he doesn't want to take Ukraine and blend it into Russia, he just wants to ruin it and prove the US and Europe are "weak" and don't have the stomach for nuclear World War. He's the kind of killer that makes someone watch people they love being tormented before slitting their throat. A narcissist, a sociopath. Edited at 2022-03-17 01:40 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link the way you said that putin wants to prove the US is weak for not being able to stomach nuclear war... it really makes me wonder if that's what he wants. like I do believe that nuclear is always the last option because once that can of worms is open, that's bye bye to most of human life on planet earth. but with putin, it's like he's betting on mutually assured destruction. but i wish there was a way to get into this brain that sending a nuke his way is the easy solution. it would solve all of our problems (the problem being him). it's fighting back or using diplomacy that's the hard part. but the longer this goes on the more i'm sure putin will get his wish. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Like not wanting to start a nuclear war is "weak". Reply Parent Thread Link I made myself watch it again just now. I'm not one to cry. But I teared up again. And it's not that I wasn't moved by the news from Iran or Afghanistan or Syria or Yemen...I wish I could explain the sense of dread of seeing these scenes for someone born and raised at the tail end of the Cold War. The fear that we're thisclose to it all spiraling out of control and a nuclear bomb dropping. BUT...watching the Ukraine people scrap, and claw, and fight, and snark, and be so goddamned defiant...I gives me hope. Our little collective here, where we're educating each other, informing each other, admitting that we're afraid, having hard discussions (I can be horrified at what's happening in Ukraine and give my own government the stink eye about the blood on our American hands too in places where it's OK to let brown people get shelled into hell and back)...even making each other laugh...I have to believe. Yes, it's cruel. We cannot close the sky. We can't. I want us to, I really do. I understand every Ukrainians frustration about it. But there's ramifications and consequences to it that...what do we do? But I still have hope. P*tin might even take Ukraine...but he'll never keep it. It will cost him too much to keep it. I wish I had a million-eth of the BALLS that anyone who lives in any war zone has. I'd crumble. I know I would...but watching all these people...down to women my mother's age throw their jars of pickled tomatoes at drones and tell invading soldiers to put sunflower seeds in their pockets so sunflowers will grow when they lay down and die in her country... It's not easy to watch. But I still have hope that these snarky ass people are going to prevail. Reply Parent Thread Link seeing the destruction is heart wrenching. one kyiv independent reporters i follow on twitter said that this war has destroyed his hometown, his college town, and a place where he lived for a few years and all that was left for Russia to destroy of places he has so many happy memories in is Kyiv. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link If people have been following Terrell Starr, he has a new episode of Black Diplomats out. He talks to a woman he helped get out of Ukraine into Lithuania so she could get treatment for cancer. Reply Thread Link Russian airstrike destroyed a theater building in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering; Maxar satellite imagery firm said images from Monday showed the word children had been written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the theater Jesus... do we know what the casualties are from this attack? Mayor of Melitopol, previously captured by Russians, was released after a special operation by Ukrainian forces This was a spot of good news. I suspect that the mayor returning will be a massive morale boost to the people in his city. Reply Thread Link Ukraine's Ministry of Defense on Wednesday released footage of President #Zelenskyy speaking on the phone to a man it said was the mayor of the city of Melitopol, who #Ukraine said was released by Russian forces after they detained him last week.#russia #putin #pow pic.twitter.com/sQgNq8gJWT NewsNation (@NewsNation) March 17, 2022 We dont abandon our own Reply Parent Thread Link not an exact number, i don't think. and they also bombed a pool where a lot of pregnant women were sheltering and because of the damage they don't know anything on that either. Reply Parent Thread Link a truly unhinged rant by putin, after three weeks of doing everything he can to destroy his country. pic.twitter.com/dsBw519xGU ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) March 16, 2022 Reply Thread Link Is he...suggesting his own country needs to be "purified"? WTF am I hearing? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Prob gonna start sending dissenters to gulags like the good ol' USSR. Reply Parent Thread Link Seriously, I had to watch it several times. It... really seems like he just called on citizens to "self-purify" (MURDER) other citizens who "live in the West" in their minds. Like a martial law? Like Duterte opening the door to letting people "lawfully" kill anyone under the guise of suspecting them of being a "drug personality"? Edited at 2022-03-17 01:39 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Hello, 1937 Germany? COME GET YA BOY. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yup, and i fully believe that word was chosen specifically to put us in the mind of germany in ww2. Reply Parent Thread Link Hes trying to scare the shit out of the rich Russians that might defy him Reply Parent Thread Link im a little confused why he brought up various places like miami or the french villa?? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link he's really doubling (tripling? quadrupling?) down on the notion that ANY dissent is treason because anyone who would dissent is clearly "mentally" a westerner and aiding them in their goal of destroying russia. Reply Parent Thread Link This is bone chilling Hes about to start purifying people in Russia and its what he believes hes doing in Ukraine Also sounds like oligarchs are turning and hes freaking out about it Reply Parent Thread Link Jfc flies being spit out of their mouths? Who gets flies in their mouths? He could've found a better metaphor, surely. What a fucking hypocrite he is. As if he has not stolen and made himself rich beyond belief off of his people's backs. Note he is positioning himself as being on the same side and in the same situation of his people: a noble, long suffering victim, toiling for the good of the Russian people, while others steal and live lavish lives in the west. Lmao, as if he doesn't have villas and yachts anchored around the world and his fucking dacha isn't built out of exclusive Western materials and furnished with western made luxuries. As if he's not wearing Kiton and Brioni suits, Valentino ties, John Lobb or Ferragamo shoes, Patek Philippe watches, etc. What a scumbag. Reply Parent Thread Link "Why are you like this?" I ask this of Putin, members of our government - some many people. Reply Parent Thread Link i'd be terrified if it made any sense but i can't comprehend what this fucking yahoo is going on about Reply Parent Thread Link https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/emergency-response/war-in-ukraine/ https://voices.org.ua/en/ i found these two charities who are giving donations to mental health care for refugees: Reply Thread Link Thank you, Ill add those to next post Reply Parent Thread Link boy my soul just goes out to everyone in war torn countries. I think about how hard I feel like my life is with mental health shit and other people I know with other exhausting health problems and then wow just imagining this shit on top of everything. it's not fair and putin needs to die. Reply Parent Thread Link I just saw on BBC World News that 1,000 ppl were in the theater in Mariupol that was attacked but the constant bombing and attacks are preventing any kind of rescue services from getting to the theater. Reply Thread Link i've been having trouble reconciling my intellectual thoughts that obviously avoiding escalation into world war iii is the ideal with my more deep, visceral feeling that it's already started. anschluss and the munich agreement failed to prevent world war ii so why would we imagine the same appeasement tactics working now. i understand that geopolitical constraints that prevent nato from moving first lest they sacrifice the broad anti-russia international consensus, but at this point i'd like to see us being as aggressive as we can possibly be in our support of ukraine and economic punishing of russia while we await what i feel like is the inevitable moment putin triggers article 5. i know everyone is afraid of provoking a nuclear power, but it makes no sense for us to be only side concerned about that. we're hesitant to provoke one nuclear power while putin is content to provoke three? nuclear annihilation doesn't help putin either. that visceral part of me, the part that says the third world war is already begun and that our attempts to avoid escalation are no different that the attempts at appeasement that lead us into the last world war, thinks it's about time to call his fucking bluff. and again, intellectually i think, "no, that's risking tens of millions of lives", but then again i look back to world war ii and think about how many lives could have been saved if we'd confronted hitler more forcefully in austria and the sudetenland in 1938 or if the us had entered the war in 1939 instead of two years later, and wonder whether eighty years from now people will be sitting around wondering why we didn't stop putin in the crimea or syria or why we waited so long to join the fight in ukraine and how many people might not have died if we'd learned our history and chosen not to repeat it. Edited at 2022-03-17 01:28 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link god i feel this and i'm so grateful that whatever happens next is in no way up to me Reply Parent Thread Link I may sound ignorant but this whole ~let's not do anything bc we are on a thin line reminds me of the Ally never bombing the train tracks they knew drove thousands of jews to their death. I mean you know what's happening to the Ukrainian people and you just sit by because ~oh we can't push Putin's buttons. I mean.....all his buttons are pushed already. This needs to stop. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, this is largely my feeling. as i've said i think are legitimate geopolitical concerns that prevent nato from striking first (namely, i think it would push china off the very narrow fence it's trying to sit on right now and back fully into russia's arms), but i think any and all options short of putting nato soldiers, sailors, and airmen into direct contact with their russian counterparts should be aggressively pursued. not doing so in order to avoid escalation, which again i do believe is inevitable at this point anyway, is just the 1930s all over again. Edited at 2022-03-17 02:46 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link I share all these thoughts and emotions. Of knowing we cannot escalate, but it's already too late. And especially, especially this: and again, intellectually i think, "no, that's risking tens of millions of lives", but then again i look back to world war ii and think about how many lives could have been saved if we'd confronted hitler more forcefully in austria and the sudetenland in 1938 or if the us had entered the war in 1939 instead of two years later, and wonder whether eighty years from now people will be sitting around wondering why we didn't stop putin in the crimea or syria or why we waited so long to join the fight in ukraine and how many people might not have died if we'd learned our history and chosen not to repeat it. Haunting. Reply Parent Thread Link It's a legitimate feeling, tbh. Also, Putin has been doing this for years, he keeps threatening nuclear war bc he knows the west is petrified by it and will do anything not to be the ones that start it. He keeps smacking the bear on the nose with a newspaper bc he knows the bear is chained to a tree. He has also sold this image of himself as "not to be cornered, he might do crazy things". I'm not fully sold on that, I believe it's what he wants people to think but it does make everyone freeze lest he escalates to the point of nuclear war. Mostly I am so sick of him wagging his finger at everyone telling them to behave while he does whatever the fuck he wants. UGH. Edited at 2022-03-17 02:19 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Somewhere in the back of my mind, the same thought keeps rattling (naively, perhaps) that the decision has been made to intervene by NATO, but that they are first fighting a proxy war of attrition with Russia, waiting for their economy to fully collapse and for their war coffers to be nearly, or completely, depleted. And only then, move in for the curb stomp. Not that this approach wouldn't be calculated and cruel to Ukraine, but it would be so on-brand for the West, especially the U.S. I mean, always approach from a winning position, no? i know everyone is afraid of provoking a nuclear power, but it makes no sense for us to be only side concerned about that. we're hesitant to provoke one nuclear power while putin is content to provoke three? nuclear annihilation doesn't help putin either. that visceral part of me, the part that says the third world war is already begun and that our attempts to avoid escalation are no different that the attempts at appeasement that lead us into the last world war, thinks it's about time to call his fucking bluff. You are so right with this, and if we don't call Putin's bluff, then what? He gets to burn his way through Europe with the nuclear threat as a cudgel of war? When would that end? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link We cannot compare how the world was 80 years ago to how the world is now. Now there is nuclear warheads. Now there is the threat of nuclear annihilation. Back during WW2 there was no worry of countries dropping nukes on each other, so countries were able to go all out without thinking of that as a consequence for invading other countries. Now is a different story. If even one superpower simple decides to push a specific button then all of humanity is over in an instant, and it all depends on only a few people in power not caring about watching the world burn if they happen to be on the loosing side of a major war (or not just during a war at all, these specific people can just do it anytime technically if they are in the right place at the right time). We really shouldnt be worrying about how were going to look back at this time in the way future because ever since the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Japan, what we had to shift our main focus on during war times (when it came to superpowers fighting each other, which is happening now) is how to avoid nuclear fallout to the best of our ability. Thats why its been more than 80 years since the last world war because the threat of nuclear annihilation is now on the table ever since 1945. Theres a reason its been so long since the world hasnt fought each other in almost a century. Its bleak and horrific to think about, but its the truth and its important. We are not in World War Three (no matter how many times you read this online). Only Russia and Ukraine are in a war right now. The most NATO can do (right now at least) is to provide as much weapons & supplies to the Ukrainian military and civilians to help fight Russias military and hope they can eventually hold them off until Russia either: surrenders, Putin not being able to control Ukraine in the long run (which will eventually happen, if that scenario plays out), Putin getting put in jail (unlikely) or getting taken out by his inner circle. No one knows the state of Putins mind. Even if professionals say they know, they dont. No one except for Putin himself knows what hes really thinking, and because of that, I personally believe its best to handle whats happening in Ukraine really lightly, at least for now. Its still early in this war, tides can still turn in Ukraines favor. Edited at 2022-03-17 03:02 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I feel this so much. I know that even if theres only a 0.01% chance of global nuclear war, thats still unacceptable risk. And that even non-nuclear escalation could get awful if China takes sides, and the thousands dying in Ukraine right now would just be a drop in that bucket. But I am just sick of watching people die for Putins fucking ego, while not being able to call his bluff. Im sick of watching him destroy people. Reply Parent Thread Link I find it very difficult to see a "WWIII" scenario playing out anything like WWII or even the Cold War. Technological advances, cyber/disinformation warfare, global economic interdependencies, and of course, the ever-looming threat of nuclear warfare. But I agree with you that letting Putin invade other countries unprovoked really smacks of appeasement tactics. Reply Parent Thread Link i've been having trouble reconciling my intellectual thoughts that obviously avoiding escalation into world war iii is the ideal with my more deep, visceral feeling that it's already started. anschluss and the munich agreement failed to prevent world war ii so why would we imagine the same appeasement tactics working now. Well, thank you for putting what I joking call my '80s kid existential dread for nuclear war' into actual words. It's appreciated. I know it's definitely short-sighted to look at what's going on now and equating it to the 1936-1939 ramp up to World War II because there are SO many more nuanced things going on and the idea of 'war' has changed from having two or more "professional" military forces going at each other. And I definitely feel you on the intellectual knowing that NATO powers cannot do more than what they are, but I have to agree with your point about being afraid to provoke one nuclear power, while Putin actively provokes THREE. That's a bullshit stance on the West's part. Call his bluff. Considering how poorly the 'mighty' Russian Army has been doing, I don't even know if the actual mechanism works enough to launch the damned things. Some mid-level stooge might have stripped the budget to maintain it to decorate his dacha. I actively hope and pray that Putin doesn't succeed in Ukraine enough to trigger an Article 5 incident. My inherent cynicism is 'not if, but WHEN'. My brain wants to stay the course, my soul wants to slam a baseball bat into Putin's head and I am glad I am nowhere near having to make any kind of decisions. Reply Parent Thread Link Incredible reporting. Mystyslav Chernov and Zhenya Maloletka have been doing some of most incredible and important work in the worst of conditions. Largely because of them we know whats happening in Mariupol. https://t.co/DfCtad5trn Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 16, 2022 Reply Thread Link oh gosh I cried so hard reading this jesus Reply Parent Thread Link Ok, I need to rant for a bit so please don't take any offense. Ignore me and scroll by. I don't see any scenario where at least one of the world's leaders isn't a complete moron/greedy fuck/psycho. Let's take this at face value I.e. the mainstream media scenario: Putin is an unhinged lunatic who has such a boner for the old Russian Empire he has gone full Hitler and invaded Ukraine, intent on killing everyone, jilted lover style. How dumb is this fuck? Say he takes Ukraine. He will never be able to hold it. He has lost the long game and he must know it. Ukraine will suck him dry of money and resources and he will never see his dream of a fully russified Ukraine in his lifetime. That is a fact. On top of this, he has managed to set his country's economy back at least 10 years and is essentially on the verge of making it a vassal state to China 'cause he needs the support. He has also ruined whatever world standing and good will his country had in the eyes of the world. Once he's gone, it will leave such a power vacuum behind, since he killed off or has driven away any opposition, that Russia will fall into another chaotic period of more corruption, bad economy and being subservient to whomever is buying their raw materials (a very short list). What a fucking incompetent dumbass. Scenario 2, conspiracy theory: the US, upset that Russia and Germany are "in a relationship" FB-style (as in, Germany buys cheap gas from RU and allows them to launder money in their country while the US has to pay to defend the EU from Russia and makes no big money out of selling weapons to EU bc most of EU thinks its perfectly OK to spend no money on defense and allow your country to develop a dependency on your enemy's raw materials), baits Ukraine with a possible NATO membership, knowing full well it will never happen but also knowing that Putin will go ballistic at the idea. He does. The world is forced to sever ties, including Germany. Now Germany and a bunch of other countries are not only crippled economically but will have to buy weapons from the US to arm themselves against Putin. Win for the US, right? Except they are so dumb that they didn't think of how will they substitute the oil Russia was giving and therefore avoid destroying their own economy. They've burned every bridge that could've saved it: Venezuela, Iran, Saudi Arabia. Now they're fucked and scrambling to find an option to keep the entire western economy from imploding. What a bunch of morons. On the other side of the western side, the EU is so stupid that it sold its asses completely to their declared enemy, not just by buying all Russian all the time but also by closing their nuclear plants so now they don't have anything to fall back on. Add to that their complete disinterest in investing in defense (because that means spending money and no ROI) and they've essentially been caught with their pants down by Putin. Everyone is a complete moron here. In both of these scenarios, it's only the regular people that suffer and die. Is there any decent scenario I missed? Either way, we are being led by greedy fucks that are cowards or greedy fucks that are murderers. We're fucking doomed, people. Edited at 2022-03-17 01:46 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Are you ok? Neither of your scenarios are based on facts. Reply Parent Thread Link I think they're acknowledging that they don't know for certain why things are happening, but I also didn't spot factual errors. What was the one you spotted? (I also agree with OP that Putin has no economic chance of sustaining Ukraine in the long term with the way this has weakened Russia's trade positions and further insulated their small economy. It's not like he can quickly raise significant capital by demanding taxes from captive Ukrainian people, especially since he's left so many with absolutely nothing but rubble and charity.. maybe that was the part that strikes you as maybe not false per se, but yet to be determined.) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link we don't really depend on russia for oil, tho - it's like 1% of all the oil we get from people all around the world and a huge chunk of it from the US. Reply Parent Thread Link I definitely think Merkel and her thirst for cheap Russian gas is partially to blame for the war. She and Putin had a great deal going on. Reply Parent Thread Link hey, i know him! hes good people Reply Parent Thread Link PM Blair: What were you calling about? Pres. Clinton: I can't remember. S C R E A M I N G. Reply Parent Thread Link So this is what politicians talk about on those calls? God... Reply Parent Thread Link I can't remember which site I read it on, but there was an opinion piece out today where the writer suggested that Zelenskyy keeps asking for a No Fly Zone even though he knows it's impossible because it offers a political "out" for him to promise Putin Ukrain won't join NATO as part of peace negotiations. The logic was that Zelenskyy can convincingly point to the lack of NATO intervention with NFZs and say "we're disillusioned with NATO and their lack of NFZ support despite out constant requests, therefore we no longer have any intention to join". The writer also suggested that NATO is probably fully aware of why Zelenskyy was asking for NFZs and that's why there hasn't been a single dissenter among members about not offering it (other than, you know, the very real threat of starting a nuclear war with Russia). At first I was like "this sounds like a bunch of tin-hat bullshit to gloss over the fact that NATO isn't offering the support Ukraine is asking for" but now I'm starting to think it makes sense and would be a really smart move on Zelenskyy's part? Reply Thread Link Jmo but idt Ukraine will agree to any concession that they retract their application to join NATO, which started back in 1992. It was only shelved during previous admin Yanukovych. Joining NATO returned as a priority in 2014 after Yanukovych fled. It was written into the constitution in 2019 so Imo theyre headstrong in continuing this path Reply Parent Thread Link I should have added more context, but the gist is that Ukraine fully intends to join NATO after this war but there's no option for Zelenskyy to negotiate peace with Russia and maintain a free government as long as Putin believes any fairly elected government will one day join NATO. The writer was arguing that this gives Zelenskyy a believable pretext to say they'll give up on becoming a member without Putin calling bullshit and pushing to install a Pro-Putin puppet government that will ensure Ukraine never does. Reply Parent Thread Link Bless Angelina (and all activists) for consistently speaking out about domestic violence and Zahara for being a great support for her. Reply Thread Link she looks different to me. more like her mom in a way. the nose especially. Reply Thread Link Seeing Zahara there, I get the vibe shes into politics/law. Google tells me Maddox (the oldest one) is studying biochemistry in South Korea and Shiloh went to Cambodia recently with Angelina which maybe puts her in the activism category? Then theres Pax who one time wanted to be a dj, lol. The cool thing about having 3 or more kids its the different personalities/taste they tend to have. I think me and my relatives have somewhat similar taste but theres always one thats the more chill and doesnt like to complicate their life much. Reply Thread Link I like that she lets her kids have their own personalities. A lot of parents never stop trying to control their kids. Edited at 2022-03-18 04:59 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link fuck brad pitt Reply Thread Link no matter how hard brad's pr tries, the fact that the children are 100% behind their mom says everything we need to know. fuck him Reply Thread Link He probably hopes every single day not one of them decides to speak out. Edited at 2022-03-17 08:29 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link And if they speak up he's just gonna say Angelina brainwashed them, like people say about Mia Farrow. It's maddening how willing people are to cape for awful men. Reply Parent Thread Link Yup. People already make comments targeting the eldest boys, calling them spoiled brats who should be grateful to him for adopting them as they would have nothing without him but it doesnt even matter they dont like him cause theyre not really his. Its gross. Truly insane how hes brainwashed everyone else and uses peoples racism to protect him against their coldness towards him. Reply Parent Thread Link Who are they, the ppl kissing in your icon? Reply Parent Thread Link from the Norwegian movie Thelma! Reply Parent Thread Link Preaching the truth! As a victim of domestic violence, people do not take it seriously at all. They don't understand the complexity of it, the social mores that make it hard to leave, the financial cost of even trying to get out. People are stuck in abusive relationships now because they literally can't afford to leave. Reply Thread Link I'm glad you survived it. My sister was in a domestic violence situation too, however, she still is on speaking terms with her asshole ex-boyfriend cuz he did a number on her. I'm glad more and more people are speaking out about this. After watching Big Little Lies, I realized how important it is as a woman to have your own separate finances. Idc how much I love my boyfriend/hubby, I want to always have funds to pay for apartment/expenses for at least 6 months so I can get away. Reply Parent Thread Link yes!! also, buying one of those little tracphones and hiding it away is a good idea. You never know when you might need to call 911 but don't have access to your main phone because of some man. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't know if it's fortunately or unfortunately, but I was born into domestic violence and raised in it, along with being abused by my brother. It's honestly the reason why I've not been in an abusive relationship- because I don't enter into relationships. Reply Parent Thread Link So true :( Nothing infuriates me more than when someone makes the flippant comment, "why doens't she just leave?!" ughhh Reply Parent Thread Link Ya and the victims are most vulnerable to extreme violence precisely when they are trying to leave so not having funds to even get somewhere they cant be tracked down I mean, its incredible that victims facing these odds can even get away. Reply Parent Thread Link California is pretty much the only state in the union that legally specifies that you have to allow physical abuse of the other parent to affect custody and that was only signed into law last year. In pretty much every other state, someone can abuse their partner and it doesn't actually affect their custody of their children. That's how little the system cares about it. A lot of people also stay in bad relationships because they know if they leave, their ex will end up with 50/50 custody and they're scared something bad will happen to their children. Reply Parent Thread Link Zahara seems to be very active with her mom and I see her continuing Angelinas legacy. She also seems to be the most comfortable in front of the cameras. Anyway, I hope Angie continues to heal and do good work to bring awareness to this topic. My Mom stayed for 13 years and the day my dad left, I finally found peace. Reply Thread Link she's one of the few celebs I can think of who so consistently does the work behind what she says and for literal decades now. Reply Thread Link bless her. fuck brad. also, imagine the power if angie and evan rachel worked together in their legislatures (and if lawmakers actually heard them). Edited at 2022-03-17 10:51 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link to discuss the impact of domestic violence and the long-term health effects of trauma on children. There's still a need for discussion. Reply Thread Link I can only imagine the shit Brad has done to this woman and his family. The standing ovation he got at The Oscars a few years back made me feel ill. Reply Thread Link Hot Tub Manufacturer in Hot Water Following Chemical Exposures A Pennsylvania hot tub manufacturer has continued to expose workers to chemical hazards following original OSHA inspections. Following an OSHA investigation, companies often have an abatement period, where they can right the wrongs an investigator finds on their worksite or at their facility. For some organizations, however, they continue to expose workers to dangerous hazards regardless of citations and violations. Thats true for a Pennsylvania hot tub manufacturer who was found to still be exposing workers to dangerous chemicals on an OSHA follow-up inspection on Nov. 23, 2021, according to a news brief. Inspectors found that the manufacturer continued to overexpose workers to methylene biphenyl diisocyante without implementing all feasible engineering controls. The agency cited the organization for two repeat and one serious violation with $98,905 in proposed penalties. The company had been previously cited for similar violations in 2020 and 2021. Overexposure to methylene bisphenyl diisocyanate can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis and occupational asthma. Strong industries must comply with OSHA standards and implement effective engineering and administrative controls to ensure that all their employees are protected against overexposure, said OSHA Area Director Mary Reynolds in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in a news brief. Seaborne crude oil exports from Russia have been higher so far this month compared to February, but a number of cargoes are awaiting destinations, tanker-tracking firm Petro-Logistics told Reuters on Thursday. So far in March, seaborne crude exports out of Russia rose by 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) compared to February. Crude exports have averaged nearly 3 million bpd, while oil product exports have been over 2 million bpd so far this month, Petro-Logistics says. Seaborne exports of some oil products, including fuel oil and vacuum gas oil (VGO), however, have plunged by 40 percent so far in March compared to February, the tanker-tracker notes. Russian oil was struggling to find spot buyers even before the United States banned imports of Russian energy early last week. Although the U.S. ban will directly hit only a small amount of Russian oil exports, the indirect hit could be much higher because a growing number of traders and buyers will be shunning Russian crude due to self-sanctioning and reputational risks. According to Petro-Logistics chief executive officer Daniel Gerber, who spoke to Reuters: We have noticed a number of vessels at anchorage and seemingly awaiting orders, and we have seen a couple of cargoes that turned back from heading transatlantic, and they are also awaiting orders. Petro-Logistics sees the first signs that a bit more oil is heading to China, as well as to India, which is said to have bought the Urals grade typically exported to Europe for the first time since November. According to analysts and traders, the U.S. ban on imports of Russian oil is likely to worsen Russias struggles to sell its cargoes as buyers will avoid Russian crude even more than they have been doing so far, while China and India would not be enough to offset the loss from the European market. The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Wednesday that the market could lose 3 million bpd of Russian oil supply starting next month. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: After a torrid three-week rally, energy markets have entered correction mode, with prices moving sharply lower. Over the past week, Brent has slipped 30% from the 7 March intra-day high while European gas prices have declined 65%. Brent for May delivery settled at USD 106.90 per barrel (bbl) on 14 March, a w/w fall of USD 16.31/bbl, and moved below USD 100/bbl in early trading on 15 March. WTI for April delivery fell USD 16.31/bbl w/w to USD 106.90/bbl at settlement on 14 March, while the value of the OPEC basket fell by USD 15.84/bbl to USD 110.67/bl and by EUR 15.40/bbl to EUR 101.16/bbl. You can blame speculative overshoot for the unfolding scenario though the overall outlook remains bullish. According to Standard Chartered commodity analysts, the correction tells us more about market positioning and the effect of extreme volatility than it does about changes in fundamentals over the past week. The increase in volatility across financial and commodity markets has led to a sharp rise in the level of risk held by traders, and an associated incentive to close out some positions to lower the risk. Oil traders have mostly been positioned with a highly bullish bias in terms of both outright positions and spreads in recent weeks, meaning optimization in a higher-risk environment has mostly involved closing out prompt longs. With speculative shorts being very thin on the ground currently, there have been few natural buyers, and the downside has quickly opened up. While the price ranges involved have been rather extreme, recent price dynamics bear all the hallmarks of a textbook speculative overshoot followed by the correction necessary to reset extreme positioning. The irony of the situation is that the dominance among oil traders of the belief that prices could only move higher has led to a position from which market dynamics dictated that in the short term, prices could only go lower. Replacing Russian Oil Despite the positioning-led price fall, StanChart says that the key fundamentals are largely unchanged and are also subject to an unusually high level of uncertainty. According to commodity analysts at Standard Chartered, Russian oil flows to Europe can be replaced in the short term, with the short-term price implications of that displacement potentially capable of being minimized by the extent to which OPEC members increase output beyond their current OPEC+ targets, and also by the possibility of a successful conclusion to talks in Vienna that results in higher volumes of Iranian exports. The analysts have projected that consumer reluctance to buy from Russia coupled with shortages of capital, equipment, and technology will continue to depress Russian output over at least the next three years. Russian output is expected to fall by 1.612 million barrels per day (mb/d) y/y in 2022, and by a further 0.217mb/d in 2023, with the y/y decline peaking at 2.306mb/d in Q2-2022. To avoid significant upside price pressure, StanChart reckons that the market would require around 2mb/d extra supply for the remainder of 2022, and an additional 2mb/d in Q2 to ease the dislocations caused by the displacement of Russian oil. The temporary 2mb/d Q2 boost could come from strategic reserves, but the 2mb/d additional flow for the remainder of 2022 would likely need to come from OPEC sources (including potentially Iran). Market tightness is, however, being helped by the fact that withdrawal from Russian markets has been less dramatic than anticipated. So far, there are indications that some of the larger EU countries are less keen than countries in the east of the EU to pursue the fastest possible reduction in Russian oil flows. Outside of the EU, the UKs ban on the import of Russian oil has proved less dramatic than the headlines that accompanied the initial announcement, as it does not take effect until the end of 2022. In the private sector, while several companies have given assurances they will buy no more Russian oil on the spot market, there have been very few indications given about if, when, and how they will cut the volume of Russian oil purchased through their term contracts. Meanwhile, statements from some governments and some companies do appear to have become less hawkish over the past week, with an apparent lengthening of the timespan envisaged for the process of reducing dependence. StanChart says that Russian oil trade into Europe appears to be moving further into the shadows of term contracts and a greater reliance on third-party trading intermediaries. That does not make trading with Russia any less distasteful for European public opinion, but it does make the trade less visible and thus likely keeps oil flows from Russia higher than they would have been with more direct government targeting of those flows. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Xi Jinping has big ambitions for his Belt and Road Initiative in Europe, and the fallout from Russias actions could jeopardize his plans. Beijings unwillingness to condemn Russia for its aggression in Ukraine could push it further away from Europe and the United States. The United States has now put Beijing's close relationship with Moscow in the crosshairs -- as I reported here -- by leaking intelligence reports about Russian requests for military equipment from China in a bid to dissuade the Chinese from more strongly backing the Kremlin. But while these allegations show potential new depths of support for Russia amid its war in Ukraine, they also clearly illustrate whose side Beijing is really on: China's. Finding Perspective: There's no denying that China's backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Beijing under new pressure. The leaked information -- which both China and Russia have called "disinformation" -- came the night before an intense, seven-hour meeting in Rome between U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, China's top foreign-affairs official. China's unwillingness to criticize Moscow for its war and its decision to support Russia in spreading propaganda and conspiracy theories has also put its relations with Europe at stake. Just a week ago, there was chatter out of Brussels about Beijing helping to bring Moscow to the negotiating table, but that seems to have faded. All of this adds up to a strategic headache for Xi Jinping's government brought by refusing to ditch Moscow. But despite frustrations with the Kremlin's war and the collateral damage it has brought (and could still bring), a prevailing view out of Beijing still seems to be that this will likely be short-term pain and that China is still positioned to emerge from the current crisis largely unfrayed in the long term. For Chinese policymakers, one of the lessons learned so far appears to be that the West is becoming more united and that Russia will be needed in Beijing's corner, regardless of whether Moscow kicks up mud on China right now. From such a view, Beijing may be able to strengthen its position and leverage over a weakened Russia and could benefit from a European Union and United States more focused on tackling problems in Eastern Europe than in the Indo-Pacific. Why It Matters: The increased Western pressure is no doubt worrisome for China, but Beijing currently sees little upside in turning away from Russia. Now, China's path forward is by no means certain and the scenario outlined above could also boomerang on Beijing, leaving it more isolated and under more pressure internationally than it would have predicted just a month ago. In the meantime, China is looking to ride out the storm by behaving cautiously while still preserving its close coordination with Russia. How things play out from the Ukraine war will no doubt be a fateful decision for Xi and for China as a whole, but it looks like Beijing has charted its course. Expert Corner: The Future Of The BRI In Europe Readers asked, "Does Russia's invasion of Ukraine derail China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) ambitions with Europe?" To find out more, I asked Andreea Brinza, vice president of the Romanian Institute for the Study of the Asia-Pacific: "Overall, the war will negatively affect China-Europe relations, including the future of the BRI in Europe, as European countries are disappointed that China has only engaged in attacking the United States and spreading fake news, without playing any concrete role in ending the fighting. "China's exports may suffer due to lower consumer purchasing power in the West and especially in Europe. At the same time, the railway routes of the BRI could also be affected by possible bans on products that transit across Russia, or even because some companies might stop deliveries via freight train through Russia. These routes were the most successful side of the BRI in Europe and without them, China will lack a BRI success story in Europe. "But the war in Ukraine may not only endanger these rail routes but could also especially affect China's relations with Central and Eastern Europe. This part of Europe, which was quite important for China in the past, as it was seen as a possible gateway to the EU, is now on the verge of a possible NATO conflict with Russia. Thus, the perception that China is aligned with Russia has only proven to these countries that standing firm with the United States and NATO (by banning Huawei and canceling Chinese-backed projects) was the best thing to do. So, it will be increasingly difficult for China to promote projects or investments in this part of the world." By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Close to a record number of liquefied natural gas tankers are crowding Gulf Coast export terminals as U.S. exports of the superchilled fuels run at record rates. Reuters reported that Gulf Coast liquefaction facilities are operating near capacity thanks to strong demand, especially from Europe, which is currently trying to replenish its exhausted gas reserves. Citing data from Refinitiv Eikon, Reuters wrote that some 27 LNG tankers were either on their way to Gulf Coast export terminals or already there. As a result, liquefied natural gas exports could reach 6.47 million tons this month, according to Kpler, beating the previous monthly record of 6.3 million tons set in January. Europe has morphed into the biggest market for U.S. liquefied natural gas over the past three months, as concern about the geopolitical tensions around Ukraine prompted the EU to seek alternatives to Russian gas in case Moscow turned off the taps, even though Moscow has repeatedly said that it has no such plans. As a result of the surge in demand for U.S. LNG, the country overtook Qatar to become the world's largest exporter of the commodity. U.S. LNG is one of the European Union's preferred alternatives to Russian pipeline gas, whose consumption the union is trying to cut by two-thirds within a year. Last week, the chief executive of the largest U.S. natural gas producer, EQT, said the United States could easily replace Russian gas, which last year accounted for 45 percent of total EU gas imports. "We've got the ability to do more, the desire to do more," EQT's Toby Rice told the BBC, estimating that the United States had enough gas to quadruple current output by 2030. However, environmentalists have been quick to protest the increase in LNG exports, with a coalition of more than a hundred organizations calling on banks to stop financing LNG export terminal projects. Environmentalist protests, according to a Reuters report, have led to the shelving of an interagency review on ways to boost LNG exports to Europe. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the lowest universal access to energy, needs $350 billion in investments, one-fifth of which needs to be off the grid, to achieve universal electricity access by the end of this decade, Wood Mackenzie said on Thursday. According to the African Development Bank Group, more than 640 million Africans have no access to energy, which corresponds to an electricity access rate for African countries at just above 40 percent, the lowest in the world. Per capita consumption of energy in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, is 180 kWh, compared to 13,000 kWh per capita in the United States and 6,500 kWh in Europe, the bank group says. Electrifying Africa is one of the big challenges ahead for the energy industry, and the way it is being pursued could shape the next generation of the business models of power companies, according to WoodMac. The future of energy may be forged in Africa, said Benjamin Attia, a principal analyst with Wood Mackenzies Energy Transition Practice. The evolution of sub-Saharan Africas utility business model, both on and off the grid, will fundamentally reshape the trajectory of global electricity demand and will be essential to the energy transition, Attia added. The persistent lack of electricity access in Africa is partly due to massive underinvestment in infrastructure so far, according to WoodMac. In addition, a large part of the utilities in Africa are operating at a loss and do not have the capital to expand and improve the power supply. Faced with these challenges, Africa could take advantage of the decline in the costs of renewable energy and of innovative business models, Wood Mackenzie said. Decentralised, bottom-up, solar-and-storage grids could not only transform sub-Saharan Africas energy future but carry important lessons for the next generation of thinking on utility business models globally, WoodMacs Attia said. Africa is estimated to have massive potential for 1,000 GW of solar power. Its actual installed capacity as of 2020, however, was barely 10.58 GW. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A recent study carried out by researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found that increased global temperatures caused by the emission of greenhouse gases could lead to a two-fold increase in crop pests and disease in China by the end of the century. They warn that this could put a massive burden on food producers and threaten the countrys food security. Chinas carbon emissions have soared following the reopening of the country after the Covid-19 pandemic. This has mainly been driven by growth in the construction, energy and steel industries. Without a serious reduction, it looks unlikely that China will be able to mitigate the disastrous repercussions these emissions will have on its agricultural industry and food security as a whole. Agriculture in the context of climate change The abundance of crop pests and diseases (CPDs) has increased by 400% in China since the 1970s. A study, carried out by researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, showed that climate change, stemming from greenhouse gas emissions, was responsible for more than a fifth of this growth and could lead to further increases in the future. They state that under the worst potential scenario, in which the Earths average temperature increases by 4.4C, CPDs could double by the end of the century and significantly threaten global food supply. In contrast, Chinas carbon emissions have soared since the reopening of its economy last year. This has mostly resulted from growth in its construction, steel and cement industries which have seen a rise of up to 14.5% in CO2 emissions. In December, coal also reached a record high output of 384.67 tonnes, according to Reuters. Over the whole year, this number reached 4.07 billion tonnes, which was up 4.7% from 2020. China does, however, have a plan to curb this growth. Xi Jingpings 15th five-year plan, set to come into force between the years 2026-2030, aims to peak coal consumption in the country before 2030. The steel industry making up 30% of this coal use and has already been targeted by policies promoting greener steel plant layouts, energy conservation and energy efficient improvements. These aim to reduce the emissions produced from the sector even sooner, with a peak before 2025 and steady decrease of 30% by 2030. The Potsdam scientists responsible for the study have claimed that if the global average temperature does stay below a 2C increase, the occurrence of CPDs by the end of the century will only show a slight increase from 2020 levels which would give agricultural research a chance to reduce their impact. Can China reduce its emissions enough? In his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos a few weeks ago, Xi Jingping announced that it would be impossible for China to accomplish its climate goals in one stroke according to a translation provided by Carbon Brief. The address also saw Xi calling for the country to break old systems while establishing new ones. It went a step further than previous speeches that pushed to establish new systems before breaking [old ones], suggesting a more proactive approach to the countrys green transition. However, for Wang, co-director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, Xis speech primarily emphasised a need for patience and understanding in the face of [Chinas] slow actions. Despite rising coal use in both steel and electricity, others have argued that China is still on track to achieve its 2030 target. Dr. Yang Muyi, the senior electricity policy analyst of Asia at Ember (an independent climate and energy think tank) highlights that Chinas recent rise in coal production has been in-line with its coal production from other years since 2017 growth was 3.2% in 2017, 4.5% the year after and 4.2% the year after that. In his argument, 2020 has been removed as an exception to the trend. Chinas coal production growth has indeed decreased, falling by 15% from 2010. Nevertheless, Yang states huge steps will need to be taken to limit climate change to its internationally agreed 1.5C rise. A study published in the research journal Nature Communications has shown that if Chinas current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to carbon emissions is tracked, emissions will peak at 10.4GtCO2 in 2030 and steadily decline to 7.3GtCO2 in 2050. Nevertheless, the paper highlights that if further climate action is not taken before 2030, a massive drop in emissions between 2030 and 2050 will be unavoidable if China is to meet its international engagements and stay beneath the cumulative emissions threshold of 259GtCO2 for the period. As the most polluting industry, serious reductions in the power sector will have the most chance of bringing forward and reducing the peak of carbon emissions in total. Without this, a peak in 2030 will require China to reabsorb 0.5 to 1.6 GtCO2 in 2050. The paper concludes that it is essential that China decarbonizes its power sector relatively quickly to allow for time to transition its power systems and start reducing other economic areas, such as transport and construction. What does this mean for CPDs in Chinese agriculture? Taking into account Dr. Muyis argument, China is still on track to reach its carbon emissions target for 2030, which would allow for a steady reduction of carbon emissions following the peak between 2025 and 2030. This would suggest that given all other factors remain stable, climate change may not be set to push the abundance of CPDs past a number that would destroy Chinas agricultural economy. According to Carbon Brief, Chinas best bet would be to retract policies that benefit construction and real-estate whilst bolstering support for high quality growth such as services and the high-tech sectors. Government policies aimed at reducing developers reliance on debt have contributed to this, with a sharp decline of house prices predicted for 2022 and 2023. Nevertheless, this will likely not be enough. Xis call for patience with Chinas slow energy transition highlights he may not be prepared to make the rapid reductions needed to remain below the 259GtCO2 emissions threshold in 2050. High energy demands will continue to delay reductions, with the government already pushing back against international pressure to begin replacing its coal power plants before 2026. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) calculates that almost 40% of the worlds crops are currently being destroyed by pests annually, costing the world economy billions of dollars. Given Chinas prominence within the food industry as the worlds largest producer of rice and wheat and the second-largest producer of maize, a moderate year-on-year increase of CPDs is likely to increase this while significantly destabilizing both its economy and the global food supply. There is also a possibility that a number of other important crop-growing countries will be invaded by CPDs by 2050. Although given the limited information on crop pest and disease trends, conclusions are difficult to draw. Xuhui Wang, an assistant professor at Peking University, nonetheless, calls for international collaboration to tackle the spread of disease. He highlights that the consequences of climate change are not only through a warmer climate alone. Its through the interconnection of the entire biosphere that is threatening or exposing our food security to increased risk. It is, therefore, likely that in the next five years we will see a greater proportion of global food under threat from CPDs brought on by warmer climates. With this, it is essential that we begin to develop long-term methods to control these pests, through scientific advancement, pesticides, or through a much more targeted approach to climate change. Chinas ability to do this will rely heavily on Xis ability to align his countrys economic growth with its environmental responsibility. By Global Risk Insights More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Department of Energy has given Cheniere Energy the green light to export more liquefied natural gas from its facilities in Texas and Louisiana "to every country entirely in Europe." "The world needs every molecule it can get," the AP quoted American Petroleum Institute vice president for natural gas markets as saying. Europe is urgently seeking to reduce its dependence on Russian gas amid the war in Ukraine, and U.S. liquefied natural gas is one readily available alternative, at least for the time being. U.S. LNG producers are already exporting record amounts of gas, and Europe is their biggest buyer. Meanwhile, export capacity will be expanding, too. With this expansion, by the end of 2022, U.S. nominal capacity will increase to 11.4 billion cubic feet per day and peak capacity to 13.9 billion cu ft per day across seven LNG export facilities and 44 liquefaction trains, the Energy Information Administration said in December. That will be more than the respective capacities of Qatar and Australia, the other two largest LNG exporters in the world. Commenting on the permit secured from the Department of Energy, Cheniere said, as quoted by the AP, that it "will allow for additional operational flexibility for us and our customers during this pivotal time and for decades to come." According to the new permit, Cheniere can export the equivalent of 20.4 million cubic meters of natural gas to any country with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement, including all of Europe. The Department of Energy has forecast a 20-percent increase in U.S. LNG exports this year thanks to new capacity. The country is already the world's largest LNG exporter, the DoE also said. "While U.S. exporters are already exporting at or near their maximum capacity, with today's issuances, every operating U.S. LNG export project has approval from DOE to export its full capacity to any country where not prohibited by U.S. law or policy," the Department also said. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russias invasion of Ukraine will shave around one percentage point off of global economic growth this year, reveals new forecasts by the group of rich nations. Disruption to flows of Russian and Ukrainian commodities as a result of the conflict will deliver a sharp blow to the Eurozone economy, according to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The Continent is heavily reliant on Russia for gas supplies, meaning economic activity could be curbed in the bloc if flows are scuppered. Oil and gas prices have whipsawed since the outbreak of the war, intensifying uncertainty in the European business environment. The UK, meanwhile, sources most of its energy outside of Russia. However, prices are set in international markets, meaning rising energy costs will still crimp growth by weighing on living standards and spending. The US will grow 0.9 percentage points slower than first thought. Governments should launch temporary and targeted policies to support households incomes, the OECD said.. Some analysts expect Chancellor Rishi Sunak to announce such measures to help Brits through a worsening cost of living crunch at the spring statement next Wednesday. Central banks should also be prepared to soothe financial market functioning if the conflicts lead to bouts of volatility, the OECD added. By City AM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is asking 19 major financial companies, including the worlds biggest asset manager and some of the top U.S. banks, whether they are boycotting the fossil fuel industry, as Americas largest oil-producing state seeks to clarify the financial institutions fossil fuel investment policies and procedures. Texas has passed a new law, Senate Bill 13, which prohibits Texas state agencies that invest funds from investing in financial companies that boycott energy companies. The letter asking for clarification is part of Texass efforts to implement the bill by compiling a list of financial firms boycotting oil and gas. A company that fails to provide clarification 60 days after receiving this letter will be presumed to be boycotting energy companies, the Comptrollers office said in a statement on Wednesday. The companies asked to clarify their positions on fossil fuel investments include the worlds largest asset manager BlackRock, as well as JPMorgan and Wells Fargo, according to Reuters. Numerous companies and their leadership are pushing an environmental and social agenda that not only threatens the Texas economy and jobs, but also undermines national security. All of this comes at a time when Texas oil and natural gas should be playing a key role in supporting the American economy and providing security for our allies abroad, Hegar said in a statement. In January, 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 under Senate Bill 13, the Oil & Gas Investment Protection Act. Early this year, BlackRock said in a memo that it is and will continue to be an energy investor with $91 billion invested in fossil fuel companies in Texas alone. The asset manager looks to balance the message for Texas, following BlackRocks increased focus on ESG. Comptroller Hegar will send another round of letters soon to more than 100 other publicly traded investment companies that appear to have one or more funds boycotting fossil fuels. These companies will be asked to list all of their mutual funds and ETFs that refuse to invest in fossil fuels. Responses collected from these entities will help finalize the Comptrollers list of companies that boycott the fossil fuel sector, the Comptrollers office said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iran and the United States have managed to resolve two of four key issues in their negotiations on a new nuclear deal, Irans foreign minister said. Two, however, remain. Once these are resolved, Hossein Amirabdollahian said, as quoted by state news agency IRNA, Tehran will be ready to sign the new deal. One of the issues yet to be resolved is an economic guarantee, The National reported, quoting the official. The other was not named. If the American side fulfils our two remaining demands today, we will be ready to go to Vienna tomorrow, Amirabdollahian said earlier today. The nuclear deal talks stalled earlier this month after Russia, one of the signatories for the original deal, demanded guarantees that U.S. and European sanctions against it would not affect its trade relations with Iran. This week, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told media that Moscow had received these guarantees and the talks could continue. Initially, the U.S. and the Western European signatories to the nuclear deal had refused to provide those guarantees. Another stumbling block for the deal came after an Iranian missile attack on the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan autonomous region in Iraq. The strike came in response to Israeli forces killing two members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria last week. According to official Kurdish sources, the strike caused only material damage, but the U.S. Congress called for a suspension of the talks. If a deal is agreed upon, U.S. sanctions on Iran will be lifted, and its oil will start flowing legally into international markets. Such a development could see half a million barrels of Iranian oil added to global supply during the second quarter of the year, according to Wall Street analysts. Output could further be boosted during the rest of the year, helping alleviate a shortage that has pushed oil prices higher. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Uzbekistan has broken ranks among its Central Asian peers, who have pointedly refrained from adopting explicit positions on Russias war, by stating that it recognizes Ukraines territorial integrity and that it will not recognize the independence of the breakaway self-styled republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. Speaking in the Senate on March 17, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov urged both sides in the conflict to reach a diplomatic solution. The situation around Ukraine is a cause of deep concern for Uzbekistan, Komilov said. We support pursuing a peaceful solution for this situation and to settle this conflict by political and diplomatic means. For that to happen, it is necessary first to bring an end to the military activities and aggression. The statement stops short of categorically assigning blame to either side for initiating the conflict, but the fact that it has been made at all is notable in light of the depth of diplomatic and economic ties between Uzbekistan and Russia. All other countries in Central Asia, whose economies are like Uzbekistans strongly dependent on that of Russia, have adopted fiercely noncommittal positions. Kazakhstan has also refrained from lending its backing to the declaration of sovereignty made by the Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics, but it has at the same time avoided stating categorically that it rejects the claims. The recognition and subsequent need to defend those self-declared republics from a purported planned assault by Kyivs forces was what Russia had cited as the ostensible justification for waging war against Ukraine. On February 22, Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi told journalists that the issue of recognition for the Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics by Kazakhstan is not on the agenda a formulation seemingly geared toward avoiding the ire of both Russia and the West alike. The Kremlin sought early in the war to put Tashkent on the spot by trying to convey the impression it was giving its tacit approval for the invasion of Ukraine. When Russian President Vladimir Putins office issued a statement about his February 25 telephone conversation with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, it suggested that Mirziyoyev had expressed understanding regarding the actions taken by the Russian side. This seeming endorsement prompted Mirziyoyevs spokesman to provide a clarification. I would like to emphasize that Uzbekistan takes a balanced, neutral position on this matter, Sherzod Asadov said in a Facebook post in English. All disputes and disagreements that arise must be addressed solely on the basis of the international law norms. As Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, noted in a comment on his Telegram feed, countries in Central Asia are showing extreme caution over the Ukraine crisis. Each in its own way depends on Russia, and therefore, they do not want to anger her. But at the same time, there is not a single Central Asian country that can support Russia's actions toward Ukraine, as that would indirectly legitimize Moscow's attempts to interfere in their own internal affairs, Umarov wrote. If Uzbekistan has some additional scope to take a position at variance with Kazakhstan, it is because it is not a member of either the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union trading bloc or the Collective Security Treaty Organization defense grouping, Umarov wrote. Uzbekistan feels more free in its relations with Moscow, and so it allows itself more transparent formulations, he wrote. By Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Catholic Charities of Omaha unveiled its new northwest Omaha campus and headquarters building on Thursday. The organization moved to the new facility, north of 90th and Maple Streets, from its previous headquarters building near 60th and Maple Streets. The 36,000-square-foot campus allows the organization to expand services to a new part of the community as well as house administrative offices. This ribbon-cutting of our new campus enables us to be in a new community, continue to grow our programs to another part of Omaha, and it also positions us for continued growth into the future, said the Rev. Mike Eckley, the organizations executive director. During a ceremony Thursday, officials unveiled the sites new name the St. Teresa of Calcutta Campus. Eckley said they chose the saint, also known as Mother Teresa, because her name is synonymous with aiding the poor. It is altogether fitting that we should look to her as an example of how we are to serve and encounter each and every one of our brothers and sisters, he said. Attendees also heard from Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Mike Moylan, a member of the Catholic Charities of Omaha Foundation Board. Omaha Archbishop George Lucas blessed the grounds and building after the ceremony. The project which cost about $9.5 million, including purchase of the building took about two years to complete, Moylan said. The design of the organizations previous building was inefficient, he said. The new space includes a food pantry, offices and a community engagement room. The campus also will aid in food distribution for people who are homebound or for mobile pantries. Outpatient mental health services, school therapists and domestic violence advocates also are on site. In the last year, Catholic Charities served more than 300,000 Nebraskans and distributed more than 2.8 million pounds of food. The organization offers behavioral health services, family strengthening services, immigration legal services and domestic violence services, among others. Catholic Charities will continue to serve North Omaha at the St. Martin de Porres Center and South Omaha at the St. Juan Diego Center. Omaha World-Herald: Afternoon Update The latest headlines sent at 4:45 p.m. daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An additional $24 million in federal COVID-19 relief money will be going to teacher recruitment and student academic programs after Omaha Public Schools officials revised the districts allocation plan. The original plan was passed by the school board in September and included $280 million of initiatives, such as replacing older curriculum at all grade levels, refreshing technology, upgrading facilities and partnering with local mental health partners. Last week, the school board approved adjustments to the plan after some projects came in under budget and others were unable to move forward. Scott Roberts, the districts chief financial officer, said at the March 7 board meeting that the projected costs for some initiatives last fall were too high. Labor availability and material shortages also have barred the district from spending the money as planned. When we completed our initial application last fall, we had to estimate what each initiative would cost over the next three years, Roberts said. With the passage of time, we have been able to refine these estimates. Since March 2020, three COVID-19 relief bills have been passed by Congress and signed into law. OPS received the most money in the state as the largest school district in Nebraska. In total, OPS will receive $303.7 million, which includes the first round of money that was used for technology purchases. The second round of funding, totaling about $86.4 million, has to be spent by September 2023. The third round of $194.2 million has to be spent by September 2024, and 20% must be used to address learning loss. After realizing what money we will actually have to spend, and what we wanted to do, it was prudent to do some reallocation at this moment, Superintendent Cheryl Logan said. The two-year (deadline) will be up sooner than later. The $280 million allocation plan includes five areas of spending: academics; student and staff well-being; infrastructure; family and community; and administration and indirect costs. The cost changes allowed district officials to move almost $24 million from infrastructure initiatives to academics, which includes teacher recruitment and student support programs. About $200,000 was moved from student and staff well-being to family and community. The new plan includes $36 million in new initiatives overall, which was possible after more projects came in under budget and with the reallocation of the COVID money. Teacher recruitment Five initiatives totaling $18.7 million are marked for teacher recruitment and advancement, focusing on license credentials and professional certification, said Fateama Fulmore, the districts chief strategy officer. Having high-quality teachers in every classroom is a priority, Fulmore said at the meeting. We also want to invest in the future of our district and address hard-to-staff and high in-demand areas. The district will provide up to 18 credit hours of free graduate college courses for qualifying high school teachers in a graduate program, according to the plan. In a separate initiative, up to 1,000 OPS teachers will be able to receive up to nine graduate credit hours of instruction to enhance teaching. The district also added a $9,000 student teacher stipend that was announced in January and a teacher scholar program that will provide funding to a cohort of high-achieving students to obtain a teacher certification. The program is designed to encourage people to teach in hard-to-fill areas across the district. The money will fund the continuation of the Teacher Academy Project, a secondary education certification program for people who have a bachelors degree and want to become a teacher. These new initiatives are for building a new teacher pipeline and the further development of current staff, Roberts said. Academic success About $14 million will be allocated to student academic support initiatives. The district will purchase an electronic system that monitors individual education plan progress for special education students. A summer book program also will offer seven to 10 books for each student pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Summer school, which was expanded to all students in 2021, will be lengthened for middle school students from a half day to a full day of learning, Fulmore said. Funding will also go to advanced academic tuition and exam fees for advanced placement or international baccalaureate classes, as well as dual enrollment courses. Student, staff well-being Logan said the district is working on employee wellness programs, which would cost about $2.5 million. She said at the March 7 meeting that there should be something concrete in about two weeks, when officials will bring a proposed contract with a vendor to the board to possibly offer things like fitness memberships for staff or wellness fairs. Staff members will be able to sign up and participate and improve their physical and mental health, she said. The funding adjustments also cover COVID-19 testing for symptomatic staff and students that began in January. Roberts said the district plans to continue that program. The district was able to pull $24 million from infrastructure initiatives to academics because of drastic reductions in renovation and upgrades. Roberts said officials had to reduce the amount of money put into roof and window replacements and mechanical system upgrades by millions because of supply chain issues. Overestimation in costs allowed the district to create even more initiatives and move the $200,000 from student and staff well-being to spend in the area of family and community. Board member Tracy Casady congratulated OPS staff for how efficient the district was in making needed changes. I really appreciate the reductions, she said. Everything you laid out that is going to be reduced very much makes sense, especially the infrastructure, due to shortages and shipping. Fulmore said the public had ample time to give feedback on the adjustments via email and through an in-person meeting on March 3. The community also had an opportunity to speak during public comment at the March 7 meeting. None of the people who signed up to speak commented about the plan changes. Roberts said implementation of the new and continuing initiatives already is underway, but reimbursement from the state is pending approval of the application with the revised plan. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Nebraska lawmakers advanced the main budget bill with no changes Thursday after spending eight hours on the future of the overcrowded state prison system. State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, the Judiciary Committee chairman, led a filibuster to draw attention to what he called a very consequential issue for the state and to block any attempt to authorize the building of a proposed 1,500-bed prison. The issue is the continued growth in prison populations, driven by stiffer sentences for crimes, and the resulting overcrowding in state prisons, he said. Even if Nebraska builds the new prison, which has been pushed by Gov. Pete Ricketts, inmate numbers are projected to continue outpacing the number of available prison beds. Lathrop said projections show that the state would have to build 200 new beds a year to keep up. I continue to be opposed to the prison until we do something to flatten the growth in population, he said. We cannot build our way out of this. Lathrop has proposed a measure that would, among other changes, reduce sentences for some offenses, limit means of increasing sentences and help more inmates qualify for parole. But he acknowledged that Legislative Bill 920 faces stiff opposition from the governor, along with law enforcement officials and prosecutors. He said he had hoped those opponents would be willing to negotiate to find another solution but there has been no movement so far. The Appropriations Committee budget sets aside the remaining $175 million needed to build the proposed new prison but does not appropriate the money for construction yet. Committee members held off on that decision while the Legislature debates criminal justice reform measures. The $175 million would be added to the $100 million set aside last year to pay for building a facility estimated to cost $270 million. Discussions about the proposed prison continued after the budget vote and extended into the Legislatures debate on the states cash reserve. A vote on the cash reserve is expected Tuesday when senators resume debate. The Appropriations Committees plan would leave Nebraska with $1.3 billion in the cash reserve fund by the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year. That is $950 million more than the funds balance at the end of fiscal year 2020-21. Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha said the state didnt need such a hefty cash reserve, and could spare some funding for Lincoln and Omaha. He said the Appropriations Committees budget proposal included an unprecedented level of intentional neglect and discrimination toward these areas. Wayne criticized the proposed use of the cash reserve for projects in rural parts of the state, including for water and recreation projects, while scarcely covering Nebraskas urban regions. He accused Lathrop of intentionally taking up time to prevent other senators from debating the full budget. Theres a lot of things we can do, and it starts today, Wayne said. Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston said Lathrops filibuster stopped lawmakers from considering her budget amendment. The amendment would bar the State Department of Education from using any of its appropriation to research, adopt or implement state sex education standards for Nebraska schools. Ricketts had included that language in his budget recommendations to the Legislature, specifying that the prohibition was to apply whether the sex education standards were mandatory or voluntary for schools. The Appropriations Committee voted against including the language in its budget package. The State Board of Education faced a firestorm last year over proposed health-education standards. The standards, which would have been voluntary, covered more than sex education but incorporated teaching about gender identity, sexual orientation and sexuality in general. The board shelved the draft standards last year but has not ruled out the development of new standards in the future. The Appropriations Committee package makes changes to the two-year budget passed last year. With those changes, state spending would hit $9.8 billion during the two years ending June 30, 2023. The package would pay higher salaries for state employees in critical areas, such as corrections and 24-hour facilities, and boost rates paid to providers caring for the most vulnerable Nebraskans. It would tap what is projected to be a record-level cash reserve fund to pay for nearly $500 million worth of building and infrastructure projects. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Martha Stoddard Martha Stoddard keeps legislators honest from The World-Herald's Lincoln bureau, where she covers news from the State Capitol. Follow her on Twitter @StoddardOWH. Phone: 402-670-2402 Follow Martha Stoddard Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The day after Republican Charles W. Herbsters gubernatorial campaign said it had pulled an ad that raised legal concerns, it was still running on at least two Omaha TV stations into the afternoon. The development led two veteran campaign strategists, as well as Herbsters chief rival in the Republican race, to question the campaigns efforts to pull the ad. The ad includes three sheriffs and a captain vouching for Herbster while in uniform. State law prohibits public employees, such as the captain, from engaging in political activities while in uniform. The law is a little more ambiguous when it comes to the sheriffs, who are elected officials, according to University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor Kyle Langvardt. But it still appears to prohibit them from campaigning in uniform. When The World-Herald asked about the apparent violation Tuesday, the Herbster campaign responded in a statement that it didnt believe the ad violated state law, but that it pulled the ad from the air after people raised concerns and out of respect for the sheriffs. The campaign said at the time that it had contacted TV stations last Thursday about pulling the ad, but that it would take a few days for the ads to stop showing up. Wednesday morning, as World-Herald readers continued to report seeing the ad on TV, spokesperson Emily Novotny offered more detail, saying that the campaign had called its ad buyer late Thursday afternoon and told them to take the ad down. From there it was out of our hands, she said in a text message. That was the last involvement the campaign had in the decision. Ryan Horn, president of Bullhorn Communications and a Republican media strategist, confirmed that when a campaign wants to pull an ad, it first tells its media buyer. The buyer then calls stations and makes the request. Stations usually comply within 24 hours, he said. Cable networks can have slower turnaround times, he said, and stations can make one-off mistakes. But Horn said the suggestion that the campaign isnt responsible after making that initial call is bunk. They are responsible for their own campaign, he said in a text message. Ensuring you follow the law is critical you cant claim you made a call and not be held responsible in any other area of the law. By Wednesday morning, he said there is zero chance this is an error. Another longtime Nebraska political consultant confirmed that the ad should not have been airing broadly on Wednesday morning if such a request was made the previous Thursday. The World-Herald reached out to a half dozen TV stations based in Omaha, Lincoln and elsewhere Wednesday to verify if and when the Herbster campaign requested that the ad be pulled. Most did not respond or declined to comment. A manager at a central Nebraska station said the station received the request to pull the ad Wednesday morning. The manager was not authorized to comment on the matter. The ad also appeared on the campaigns Facebook page as of mid-morning Wednesday. By the afternoon, it had been hidden or taken down. The World-Herald asked the Herbster campaign Wednesday for any proof that the campaign made the request to its ad buyer last Thursday, whether it was concerning that the ad had continued to run and if it gave the campaign pause in continuing to work with the ad buyer. The campaign did not address any of those questions. Campaign manager Ellen Keast reiterated that it had instructed its ad buyer to take down the ad late Thursday afternoon and said the campaign stood by the statement it sent on Tuesday. At least two other campaigns also feature uniformed sheriffs in ads. That includes an ad from one of Herbsters opponents in the primary race, NU Regent and livestock producer Jim Pillen. At least one of Pillens ads features footage of the candidate talking to Platte County Sheriff Ed Wemhoff. In another ad, Madison County Sheriff Todd Volk vouches for State Sen. Mike Flood, calling him a law and order conservative. Flood is running for the U.S. House in Nebraskas 1st Congressional District. Both campaigns have interpreted state law to allow sheriffs to appear in ads in uniform. Mike Flood for Congress is proud to have the support of 10 sheriffs in our district, including Sheriff Volk who appears in an ad, Flood campaign manager Ryan Kopsa said. After consulting with our legal counsel about updated Nebraska statutes, it was clear that Sheriffs are not government employees, but elected officials who are permitted to appear in campaign ads. Pillen campaign manager Kenny Zoeller similarly said that, as elected officials, sheriffs can be involved in campaigns under current state law. But he also said he believes Herbsters ad contains a violation. The appearance of a sheriffs employee in uniform, however, is a clear violation of the law, Zoeller said in a statement. Charles Herbster wants to be Nebraskas chief executive, but in his ad, he recklessly endangered a York County Sheriffs Office captain, exposing the captain to discipline and prosecution. He also said that it takes one business day for stations to take down an ad once theyre directed to do so and that Herbsters ad was still running Wednesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, stations in Omaha were running a Herbster ad that features an extended interview with former Nebraska State Patrol Col. Tom Nesbitt, the only official who appeared in the original law enforcement ad in street clothes. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Lots of people had a good chuckle about that Nebraska tourism marketing pitch: Nebraska: Honestly, its not for everyone. But tongue-in-cheek slogans aside, maybe everyone could use a little more Nebraska. As we continue to inch our way from the COVID-19 pandemic, every week seems to bring more happy and inspiring stories of Nebraskans that shine a light in the darkness of the last few years. We realize there is still much to be concerned about both at home and in the world, but these small stories of Nebraskans doing good things helps put more and needed positive energy out in the universe. For example, Omahan Erin Sorenson was out for a walk with her dog one day and noticed a stuffed animal in the middle of the road near 52nd and Burt Streets. Going into the road, she retrieved the small bunny that was dirty from its time in traffic. Sorensens motivation for picking up a toy most people would have left in the street? She said it was because she knew that somebody out there had to love the battered stuffed bunny. Its the whole reason I picked it up, she told The World-Herald. It had the look of Someone is missing this rabbit. In her quest to find the toys owner, Sorenson posted pictures of it on various social media platforms. When others asked her why she was bothering with the bunny at all, she said, When you find a little piece of good, its worth fighting for. One of Sorensons posts caught the eye of Danielle Allore-Taylor of Spring Arbor, Michigan, who has 1 million followers of her TikTok channel, A_tall_glass_of_anxiety. It just so happens that she restores stuffed animals to their former selves, and her followers love the stories of transformation. So away went the bunny to Michigan, where it has been given new life. Allore-Taylor gave it a wash, new stuffing and a makeover, which revealed its true colors. Now returned back to Sorenson, she continues to try and find its original owner. If she cant, the bunny will remain with her. I still feel hopeful we can find the true owner, she said. What is driving me, even though its small, in this corner of the world in Omaha, Nebraska, is it could just bring some joy. Nebraskans know that joy can be found in the simple things. A sunrise over the Sandhills. Tailgating outside Memorial Stadium. Fishing in the South Platte River. For a group of Lincoln teens, it meant giving their friend the gift of color. Nineteen-year-old Zane Stubbendeck is colorblind. For most of his life, he has only been able to see the world around him in hues of gray, tans, browns and yellows. When his condition was discovered, his friend EJ Soucek promised to help him one day see things in their proper color. Soucek recently made good on his promise. He and several friends pooled their money and bought Stubbendeck a $250 pair of EnChroma outdoor glasses, which help people with color blindness see color. They gave the glasses to their friend for his birthday. Several people recorded the emotional moment when Stubbendeck could see pinks, reds and greens for the first time. The video caught the eye of EnChroma, which asked Stubbendeck if he would like to be a brand ambassador for the company. They also gave him a pair of indoor glasses. Stubbendeck said the gift changed his life. When you do put on the glasses, things start to fade into color out of the gray, he said. Seeing it slowly change was kind of a surreal moment. I looked over and saw a bright color. It was red, but I didnt know it was red. No words can express it because Id never felt that before. To paraphrase the old adage, sometimes it takes a village. In the case of New Jersey traveler Adam Boro, it was a community of 240 people. Staplehurst, Nebraska, to be precise. Boros full-time job is making travel videos that he shares on Instagram and TikTok. Last year alone, he explored South America, Central America, the Middle East and lots of places across the U.S. The 23-year-old content creator decided to travel wherever a dart landed on a map of the United States. He ended up in Staplehurst. When he arrived on Feb. 25, Boro was adopted by some locals at the towns lone bar and enjoyed the adventures of a lifetime. The residents dont call Staplehurst a town. Its a village, with a school, a church, a bar, a post office that is open only four hours a day, a veterinary clinic and a co-op. Boro started at the bar called the Good Ol Days because it had the most cars parked out front. Resident Jason Luebbe and his cousin Brandon Luebbe were finishing lunch when they struck up a conversation with Boro. They eventually took him on a tour of the town that included stops at the local school, the vet clinic, the waterfall on the Blue River, and their farm before finishing out the night with an impromptu celebration at the Good Ol Days. Boro said hes never felt so welcomed in any other place hes traveled in the U.S. The people in Nebraska were so much more community-oriented, friendly and proud of being from Nebraska, he said. It was really overwhelming how friendly people were. It was awesome. Nebraska is awesome, and not just as a place. Yes, the last few years have been challenging and divisive in many ways, and there will always be work to do in terms of respect, civility and equality. But the above mentioned stories serve to remind us just how good we can be. Be it an individual, a group of friends, or an entire community, there are many other examples of Nebraska Nice out there, proving that this is still a place where The Good Life can be found. BLOOMINGTON OSF HealthCare announced Wednesday that new services are coming for low-income patients thanks to $66 million in state funding. A press release said the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services will spread that money out over five years between OSF and several federal qualified health centers, including Chestnut Health Systems in Bloomington. Chestnut, along with OSF and other providers, are forming a Medicaid Innovation Collaborative, which the press statement said will work with community organizations to address social factors that impact health, like financial strains, housing and food insecurity. OSFs OnCall digital care platform will be offered through the partnership to help patients manage their care, make appointments and access resources. The MIC will also focus on helping patients manage stress, anxiety and depression, and will provide maternal and child health care, health literacy, chronic disease management, cancer screening outreach, dental clinic expansions and mobile care teams. The statement said health care workers will be equipped with digital tools to assess patient conditions, provide education and refer them to a provider when needed in underserved communities and rural areas. Lori Laughlin, Chestnuts director of marketing and communications, told The Pantagraph that their main piece in this initiative is providing dental care to people at or below poverty level and who receive Medicaid in McLean County. Theres a huge unmet need for dental care for people living at a lower income, she said, adding that lack of dental treatment can impact a person's life. She said Chestnut has hired a dental manager and theyre working to bring on a dentist and a dental hygienist. Laughlin expects theyll be seeing patients late this year or early next year. Chestnut also delivers services for primary and behavioral health, Laughlin said. Its very exciting to integrate care that way to meet many needs for a single patient, she said. She said Chestnut bought a van for mobile care teams that will help people better manage chronic conditions. The OSF release said remote monitoring will be offered for conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and asthma. Exact community organizations that will see mobile teams is to be determined. Laughlin said Chestnut is grateful the state is recognizing health needs especially dental care and is enabling them to make it possible. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL As people hit the local pubs to celebrate St. Paddy's Day, residents of a Normal Alzheimer's center joined in on the fun with their own "pub crawl." With pink wristbands and St. Patrick's Day accessories, residents of Sugar Creek Alzheimer's Special Care Center went door-to-door of Irish-themed "pubs" Thursday afternoon, where they got to taste the typical bar fare and non-alcoholic cocktails. "I'm all for something like that," said Jane Voss, 88, a resident at the center. Voss added that her family used to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. "I like it (the events). The ladies are always nice and friendly." The pubs with fun names such as The Lucky Charm and The Golden Leprechaun were actually decked-out rooms within the care center. But, each had their own theme and bar food, such as green cabbage, pretzels with cheese, sliders, and polish sausage. Residents also got to partake in non-alcoholic beverages and novelties, such as shooters made with green Jell-O, whipped cream and Lucky Charms cereal. "I think when people think about Alzheimer's patients, they think they should be playing bingo every day and wasting away," said Quonny Samuels, program director. "I try to keep them young, keep their lives going and just make them happy." The St. Patrick's Day-themed pub crawl is not the only fun party at the Alzheimer's center. In the past, Samuels has directed various events such as a McDonald's party, which featured hanging McDonald's bags, burgers, fries and milkshakes. They've also held other events to give residents a sense of normalcy, such as a Sugar Creek Bazaar event where Samuels brought in clothing racks for residents to "shop" through. The center, 505 E. Vernon Ave., Normal, houses patients with early, middle and late-stage Alzheimer's and dementia. In addition to parties and other events, the residents are able to partake in a number of activities, including exercising, to keep their bodies and health in check. "I just want to bring them things that they used to do before they came to Sugar Creek just to bring them some normalcy," Samuels said. "We want them to thrive. "Even if their mind is on the decline, we want them to thrive in other ways." Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON Lawyers for the City of Bloomington and three of its police officers denied wrongdoing in a Bloomington mans excessive force lawsuit over a K9 bite during a 2020 arrest. Todd Kelly, through his lawyer, Louis Meyer, filed a lawsuit Feb. 2 in the Central District of Illinois federal court against the City of Bloomington and three of its police officers, alleging excessive force and failure to intervene while a police dog bit Kelly's arm, despite him complying with police orders. Kelly suffered nerve damage to his right hand and arm when a K9 bit him for more than 13 seconds, the lawsuit said, after BPD officers Justin Shively, Todd Walcott and Stephen Brown were executing an arrest warrant for Kelly for a parole violation. The three officers arrived the morning of Feb. 7, 2020, to a Bloomington hotel where Kelly had been staying. Kelly said he heard an unknown individual ram the door to his hotel room, but Matthew Warner, an attorney for the city, said in a response filed Tuesday that officers clearly identified themselves before ramming the door. Kelly jumped out of the hotel rooms window and was met by a K9 and Shively, who ordered Kelly to get on the ground. The lawsuit said Kelly complied and went to the ground with his hands in the air when Shively deployed the K9. Warners response to the complaint said Kellys hands were in the air at some point, but denied that he complied, stopped and raised his hands. Defendants admit that K9 Ryker was loosed while Plaintiff was standing, but deny the characterization or implication that Plaintiff was attempting to go to the ground and/or attempting to comply with Officer Shivelys lawful order at that time, Warner wrote. The city admitted that officers Walcott and Brown were present during the detention; however, they oppose Kellys characterization of the K9 deployment as an attack and therefore argue that the bystander officers did not need to intervene. Kelly was not charged with resisting arrest, the lawsuit noted and court records show. The city believes that officers acted appropriately during the course of this arrest, city spokesperson Katherine Murphy said in a statement last month. Warner and attorney Peter Jennetten, of Peoria-based Quinn Johnston law firm, are representing the city and the three police officers in the lawsuit. An initial hearing is set for April 29. The Pantagraph has requested police body-worn camera footage of the arrest under the Freedom of Information Act. Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. EUREKA A Eureka College professor is reviving a writing project to help three Midwestern libraries, including the Bloomington Public Library. Ezekiel Jarvis teaches creative writing at Eureka. He started a "choose-your-own adventure" writing project in 2019 to raise money for local charities. This time he is adapting it to benefit the Rhinelander Public Library in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation and the Bloomington Public Library. Jarvis will be writing sections of a chose-your-own adventure story. He plans to start with an introduction, and then the next three sections will be determined by which library receives the most donations each round, a press release from the college said. The story will be published on his website at zekedotjarvis.wordpress.com and the funds should be donated through his Facebook page, which is under the name Zeke Jarvis. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL Heartland Community College is rolling toward a spring groundbreaking for its new agriculture facility, helped by a $2 million donation from the McLean County Farm Bureau. The donation, announced Thursday morning, brings the total existing funding for the project to around $16 million, Heartland President Keith Cornille said. The farm bureau donation brings the total donations toward the project to $3 million. Funding is also coming from bonds issued by the college earlier this year. The total cost is expected to be around $20 million, but specifics will not be known until bids are returned in early April. Plans include indoor and outdoor teaching areas as well as test plots and common areas. Dave Bishop teaches regenerative agriculture classes at Heartland. The new facility is an exciting chance for the college, he said. This is a great opportunity for us to get in on the ground level, he said. Once up and running, around 200 Heartland students are expected to use the facility each year, including for associate degree programs and certificate programs. Bishop spoke to the importance of offering the short-term certificate programs alongside degrees that take longer to earn. Young people are interested in farming, and the certificate programs let them learn more without committing to a multi-year associate degree. The new facility also will give the college a chance to highlight various types of agriculture in the land surrounding the building. This is a phenomenal chance because its rare that you have a blank slate, Bishop said. The new facility is meant to be a community resource along with a teaching facility, Cornille said. He said the college expects it will serve thousands more people in the community when it is used by agriculture groups, classes and businesses. At least one group has already approached the college about using the site for a conference. Heartland has 87 college students in its agriculture courses for credit, spokesman Steve Fast said in an email to The Pantagraph. There are another 153 high school students enrolled in dual-credit courses that give them Heartland credits while still in high school. Its about cultivating that young talent and keeping that homegrown talent in our area, Cornille said. The facility is planned on the west side of the Raab Road campus in Normal, south of the wind turbine. Heartland hopes to open the building in fall 2023 and start classes in the 2024 spring semester, Cornille said. The plot where it is going was previously leased for farming, and the surrounding area will still be leased. The farm bureau's donation is to be used for development of a flexible learning lab space in the building. Cornille thanked the county farm bureau for their support of the project, and of agriculture education in the area broadly. The bureau has already supported scholarships for local agriculture students, such as the Homegrown Ag Scholarships at Heartland and Illinois State University. "We see this gift as an opportunity to invest in building a strong future for agriculture in our community, to support workforce development for local agriculture employers and to fuel a robust agriculture economy in Central Illinois," McLean County Farm Bureau President Mark Hines said. "We appreciate Heartlands focus on current and future workforce needs in tailoring agriculture programs to equip students with skills to meet that demand." Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL Regional Office of Education #17 and Heartland Community College are cooperating on an "Adulting" Day to help prepare high school seniors for some of the skills they need to live on their own, but which are not always taught in school. The event is scheduled for Friday, April 22, on Heartland's campus, according to a press release from ROE #17. The regional office covers McLean, Livingston, DeWitt and Logan counties. There are morning and afternoon sessions, each with 10 different 30-minute breakout sessions. Students will be able to attend five breakouts. Sessions tentatively include topics like insurance, personal finance, employment skills, the legal system and mental and physical health. Students need to register to attend. Those interested can register individually at www.tinyurl.com/ROE17PD. Groups that want to register should contact Victoria Padilla at vpadilla@roe17.org. The event is free and open to seniors at public or private high schools and those who are homeschooled. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON A national expert in local food systems will be visiting Bloomington-Normal next week, joining area food advocates for events Monday and Tuesday. Ken Meter, president of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, will be speaking Monday night at Illinois Wesleyan University and Tuesday night at Heartland Community College. On Monday he will be joined by Jeff Hake, a partner at Funks Grove Heritage Fruits and Grains. Dave Bishop, one of the farmers at PrairiErth Farm, is helping organize the visit. He said Meters talks will focus on the broad and economic impacts of local food, while Hake will be speaking about a specific example of local food being implemented in Central Illinois. Along with the talks, Meter will participate in various classroom visits at IWU and Heartland, as well as a lunch visit with people from Illinois State University. The visit is co-sponsored by IWUs Environmental Studies Department, ISUs Interdisciplinary Food Studies Initiative and Heartlands Agriculture Department. The talks start at 7 p.m. each night and will also be streamed on Zoom. Mondays talk is at IWUs Center for Natural Sciences C101 and on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85178393849. Tuesdays talk is in room 1407 of the Community Commons Building at Heartlands Normal campus and on Zoom at https://heartland.zoom.us/j/92947083801. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON Illinois State Police responded to a fatal crash Thursday morning on Interstate 55 in Bloomington. Trooper Josh Robinson told The Pantagraph in an emailed statement that crews were called at 8:55 a.m. Thursday to milepost 156 on southbound I-55. That's about 1 mile south of the interchange with Interstate 74 and South Veterans Parkway, near Fox Creek Road. An ISP press statement issued Thursday afternoon said a silver 2004 Toyota Camry was going south on I-55 when it failed to slow down and crashed into the back of a trailer being hauled by a 2016 Freightliner semi-truck, which had slowed in traffic. Troopers stated a 51-year-old Naperville man was driving the Camry, and died in the crash. His identity has not been released, pending next of kin notification by the McLean County Coroner's Office. The truck driver was named as 30-year-old Evans Kiprono of El Paso, Texas. He was unhurt. Vehicles heading south on I-55 were rerouted Thursday to eastbound Interstate 74, according to a journalist at the scene. As of 1:15 p.m. Thursday, I-55 was still closed. Bloomington Fire Department and Bloomington Township Fire Protection District crews responded to the scene as well. The McLean County Coroner's Office was not immediately available for comment. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL Police in Normal are investigating two thefts of vehicles Tuesday at Crunch Fitness, 301 Veterans Parkway. Officer Brad Park said two vehicles were stolen that day at the gym after their owners left keys in unsecured lockers. He said one vehicle was taken at 1:48 p.m. Tuesday. Park said the victim later found the vehicle had been returned to the business and was parked in a different spot. The officer added it had been rummaged through. Then, at 9:17 p.m. Tuesday, a dark blue 2009 Honda Civic was taken, Park said. He later said it was located at 4:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 900 block of Market Street in Normal after dispatchers received a reckless driving report. Park said when officers got to the car, they found it unoccupied. Suspect information was not available. A Crunch Fitness representative did not respond to an emailed request for comment early Wednesday afternoon. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHICAGO - Nine years and a long series of legal twists after Sanchez Mixon was killed on a CTA Green Line platform, the man convicted of murder in his fatal beating was sentenced on Wednesday to 25 years in prison. Anthony Jacksons sentence concludes for now his cases extraordinary tenure in Cook County court. The Jackson matter has been through two trials, a slew of explicit and conspiracy-laden court filings by his attorney brother, and an unsuccessful bid for relief at the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Jacksons brother George Jackson III, a former federal prosecutor who represented Jackson until stepping down after the second trial last year, has been formally accused of misconduct by the administrator of the state commission that handles disciplinary complaints against attorneys. Anthony Jacksons defense has often overshadowed the person who Anthony Jackson is, Assistant Public Defender Marijane Placek, who replaced George Jackson III as Jacksons attorney, told Judge Ursula Walowski at sentencing Wednesday. Its never good for an attorney to defend their relatives, because they become too emotionally involved. This is a genuinely good man who needed help, and that help was misdirected, she said. The legal system has let him down. Jackson was convicted of first-degree murder in June. Jurors saw copious footage of the attack: Mixon approaching Jackson, the two men briefly speaking, then Jackson hauling off and punching Mixon, throwing him to the ground, kicking him in the head, stomping on him so hard his foot left a mark. For the first time Wednesday, the Jacksons mother revealed in court that Anthony Jackson had been violently assaulted on his 16th birthday at the same L platform where, years later, he would beat Mixon to death. I often say (the attack) was a backflash he experienced from the beating he experienced on that same platform, Theresia Jackson said from the witness stand. Anthony, the youngest of her five children, acted as her caretaker until he was taken into custody, Theresia Jackson said. Judge, Im sorry, hes not the person that people have him painted as. Thats not who he is, she said. Anthony is a very caring person. Assistant States Attorney Yolanda Lippert argued that Walowski should sentence Jackson to a term above the minimum of 20 years, noting that the beating was extraordinarily gruesome and apparently unprovoked. His actions showed a complete and utter disregard for life, she said. It was a completely senseless murder. Sanchez Mixon was a complete stranger, a regular citizen of Chicago on an L platform in the middle of the day. Anthony Jackson gave a lengthy statement, saying he acted solely in self-defense. I kick him, hes still getting up I cant let him get back up, Jackson said. Placek said in court afterward that while some of Jacksons statement contradicted the evidence, she did not believe he meant to mislead. Rather, he was conflating the attack on Mixon with the attack he suffered on the same platform as a teenager, she said. I believe this is a mix-up in his mind of what happened when he was 16 years old on that same L platform, and thats what in fact was the triggering event that brought about the event that happened, she said. In sentencing Jackson, Walowski noted that he does have a compassionate side. Jackson may have had a split-second reaction on the platform, but that was your reaction, your choice, she told him. The 25-year sentence is just five years above the minimum for first-degree murder. Jacksons attorneys filed notice that they would appeal the conviction, bringing the case up to a higher court. George Jackson III had been working on his brothers case since 2015, when he signed on to help the defense at his first trial. He then successfully got the initial guilty verdict tossed out. After that, the case took dozens of unusual turns. George Jackson was held in contempt more than once for sexually explicit and racially insensitive court filings. He filed a slew of paperwork alleging prosecutors and judges were in on a conspiracy to frame his brother. For a time, he was booted off the case, and separately, banned from even entering the courthouse. At times he would fail to show up in court altogether. He has been referred to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission at least twice, and a previous judge assigned to the case openly questioned his mental health. Attorneys with the administrator of the ARDC formally accused him of misconduct in December, records show. Among other charges, he is accused of repeatedly making false statements and acting to embarrass, hinder or obstruct judges and prosecutors for no reason. No response to the ARDCs complaint has been posted online. If a panel of the ARDCs hearing board finds that the allegations have merit, Jackson could be recommended for discipline. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TRENTON A Clinton County judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of a rural Trenton woman charged with three felonies related to a January car crash that killed a 14-year-old Highland student. The state's attorney's office on Monday charged Hadlee Grogan, 19, with two counts of aggravated driving while under the influence resulting in the death of another, a Class 2 felony; and one count of reckless homicide with a motor vehicle, a Class 3 felony. The one-vehicle accident led to the death of passenger Jarron Haberer, a freshman at Highland High School. The charging document states: "After consuming alcoholic beverages and cannabis, the defendant recklessly drove said motor vehicle ... causing the defendant to lose control (and) resulting in the motor vehicle overturning multiple times." Grogan was supposed to be in court Monday on two traffic tickets related to the accident, but she didn't appear, according to Clinton County Circuit Clerk Rod Kloeckner. As a result, Judge Chris Matoush issued a bench warrant and set bond at $150,000. "Anytime anyone passes away in a car accident, it's tragic," said Clinton County Sheriff Dan Travous, whose department is investigating the case. "But this is obviously compounded by the age of the victim. He had his whole life ahead of him. It's just a terrible situation. "And not only him, but the driver in this ... Her life is changed forever now because of the circumstances." According to Travous, a caller reported the roll-over accident about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, along Sportsmen Road, just north of its intersection with Rutz Road, in rural Trenton. Grogan was driving a green 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. "The accident reconstruction unit of the Illinois State Police was called in, but that report isn't complete yet," Travous said. The person who called 911 reportedly gave CPR to Jarron, who had been ejected from the vehicle. Jarron died later at St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese. Grogan was treated for minor injuries and released. Grogan and Jarron were friends or acquaintances, and she was driving him home, according to Travous. The sheriff's department issued Grogan two traffic tickets, one for failure to reduce speed and one for improper traffic lane usage. On Monday, those were folded into the felony case. Jarron was the son of Jessie Hankins and Daniel Haberer. He had three brothers. He was a freshman at Highland High School and a wrestler for eight years with Highland Bulldogs Jr. Wrestling Club. Many Highland students wore red to classes on the Monday after the accident in honor of Jarron. "Jarron had the most beautiful smile, the biggest heart, and the sweetest soul," stated his obituary on the Meredith Funeral Home website. "He was strong willed and true to himself. "You would always find a Beanie on his head, even at the beach. He loved his cat, Hulk, more than anything. Jarron enjoyed scary movies and stories, skateboarding, Play Station 4 and always had a good time hanging out with his friends. He loved takis, hot wings and anything spicy; and was always up for a hot sauce challenge." The community raised $12,120 through a Facebook fundraiser with a $10,000 goal to help with Jarron's funeral expenses. Hankins isn't yet commenting on the court case, according to Lori Marsh, leader of Highland Bulldogs Jr. Wrestling Club. On Feb. 6, organizers of the Facebook fundraiser posted the following statement from Hankins: "I want to thank everyone who sent care, comfort, and support with their generosity. The contributions have lent me strength to get through this horrific tragedy and gifted my Son with a beautiful memorial. "My family has been torn apart by grief, sadness, and sorrow but with the outpouring of love that came from the community, we were able to put aside the concern of expenses as we laid Jarron to rest. "I will always hold the sadness with the loss of my son, but I will forever be grateful to our community for helping carry such a heavy burden. I know Jarron is smiling down on everyone for loving him and his family during such a difficult time." A person can be sentenced to three to 14 years in prison if convicted of a Class 2 felony and two to five years if convicted of a Class 3 felony in Illinois. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR The Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health Systems announced a scholarship opportunity for current nursing students. The HSHS Scholars program is open to qualifying students attending an accredited nursing program. Students could receive up $20,000 in funding for educational expenses. Recipients will also have a job in an HSHS Illinois Division hospital upon graduating and passing boards. HSHS is a multi-institutional health care system that cares for patients in 14 communities throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. HSHS has nine hospitals in Illinois and more than 2,300 physician partners and more than 13,000 colleagues. HSHS St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur and other HSHS Illinois ministries offer several career development programs with area partners within the hospital system. The scholarship is another way to support nursing students early in their careers while developing a strong, highly-competent workforce for its hospitals and the patients they serve. Students who are interested should apply at hshs.org/ILnursingscholarship. The deadline to apply is May 1. Applications are reviewed upon submission and top candidates are chosen for interviews. Applicants should have an interest in working in a HSHS Illinois Division hospital as an RN upon graduation and passing boards. Email ILscholarships@hshs.org or visit careers.hshs.org for more information. Contact Olivia Jacobs at (309)-820-3352. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law the first bill that specifies lynching as a federal hate crime. The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, which Congress passed on March 7, enables the prosecution of crimes as lynchings if they are done during a hate crime in which the victim is injured or slain. A 2020 version of the bill set the maximum sentence as 10 years. The one Biden will sign comes with 30 years in prison and fines for anyone conspiring to commit an act of lynching that causes death or injury. The House approved the bill 422-3 with eight members not voting. The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent. Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush introduced this version in January 2021. He had introduced a bill as well in January 2019 and the House passed the bill 410-4, but that one stalled in the Senate. "Lynching has always been a terrorist weapon in the hands of racists in the history of our nation," Rush said in an interview earlier this year. Just as important, he added, is that it remains so a continuing weapon to "promote racialized terror." Here is a deeper look at the bill. WHY DOES IT MATTER? In 2015, the Equal Justice Initiative issued a report that detailed more than 4,400 documented racial terror lynchings of Black people in America between 1877 and 1950. The Montgomery, Alabama-based nonprofit later reported that during the 12-year period of Reconstruction following the U.S. Civil War, at least 2,000 Black women, men and children were victims of lynchings. The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act is "clearly symbolic," in addition to having teeth, said Damon T. Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "No doubt about that, especially given the long road it's taken to have any federal anti-lynching legislation, at all," Hewitt said, adding that the 30-year sentence is valuable because state charges and convictions are not guaranteed to stand. "Even if they somehow are able to appeal the underlying sentence, you still have the federal charge." Acts of violence, including those where the race of the victim is a factor, are covered under state laws, according to Matthew Countryman, Afroamerican and African Studies chair at the University of Michigan. "States, particularly in the South, have been unwilling to enforce these laws," Countryman said. In the 1960s, he said, the Justice Department began charging people with violations of civil rights. "The anti-lynching law is another tool," Countryman said. "But you need a Justice Department that's willing to prosecute." ___ WHAT IS LYNCHING, PRECISELY? Lynching typically is understood to mean illegal mob actions that result in the slaying of a person based on race without due process for the victim. It became prevalent in the United States, especially in the nation's South, during Reconstruction and extended through the end of the 1800s and into the 1900s. Most often the victims were Black, but people of Mexican and Asian descent also were victimized because of their skin color and ethnicity. For Black Americans, lynching was meant to instill fear and terror and was used to keep them from voting, protesting and pursuing education. Public lynchings were warnings to the Black community, said Ersula Ore, associate professor of African and African American studies and rhetoric at Arizona State University and author of "Lynching: Violence, Rhetoric, & American Identity." "It was during Reconstruction that America's modern definition of lynching as an act of white solidarity and a racialized form of social control was forged," she said. ___ ARE THERE RECENT EXAMPLES OF LYNCHING? Says Rush, the bill's sponsor: "Lynching is just covered in a different camouflage. The rope has been replaced with a shotgun and semi-automatic weapons." Some examples of what could fall under that definition: The 2020 slaying of Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, Georgia, in which the 25-year-old was jogging when he was followed by three white men in pickup trucks and killed. A federal jury recently determined that incident was motivated by racial hatred. The 2015 fatal shootings of the Black pastor and eight other Black congregants at Emmanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, by Dylann Roof. In 1998, James Byrd, Jr., a Black man, was dragged to his death behind a pickup truck near Jasper, Texas, by white men. An avowed racist was executed in 2019 for Byrd's killing. John William King had a tattoo on his body of a Black man with a noose around his neck hanging from a tree, according to authorities. ___ WHY PASS A FEDERAL ANTI-LYNCHING LAW RIGHT NOW? Congress first considered anti-lynching legislation more than 120 years ago. It had failed to pass anti-lynching legislation nearly 200 times, starting with a bill introduced in 1900 by North Carolina Rep. George Henry White, the only Black member of Congress at the time. In the early 1920s, the NAACP began its efforts to pass an anti-lynching bill. Federal hate crime legislation eventually was passed in the 1990s decades after the civil rights movement. "What the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act does is nationally acknowledge what Black folks have always known, and that is that racialized violence is endemic to America's way of life," Ore said. ___ WHO WAS EMMETT TILL? Till, 14, was visiting relatives in Mississippi, from his home in Chicago in 1955 when it was alleged that he whistled at a white woman. He was kidnapped, beaten and shot in the head. A large metal fan also was tied to his neck with barbed wire. Till's body then was thrown into a river. His mother insisted on an open funeral casket to show the world what had been done to her child. Two white men, Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, were accused, but acquitted by a jury composed entirely of white men. Bryant and Milam later told a reporter that they kidnapped and killed Till. Countryman called Till's mother's actions an "extraordinary campaign of shame on the nation." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Adam Kinzinger defeated incumbent Democrat Debbie Halvorson in the 2010 from the 11th Congressional District, beginning a 12-year career in Congress. In 2012, after redistricting, Adam defeated incumbent Republican Dan Manzullo in the 16th District primary, then was elected in the General election and reelected in 2014 with 70% of the vote. In 2016, Adam was unopposed in the Republican primary and unopposed in the general election, winning 99.9% of District 16 vote. This followed Kinzingers Aug. 3 statement that he would not support the 2016 Republican Presidential nominee because Im an American before Im a Republican. He further stated he would not vote for nor endorse the Democratic nominee for President. I, too, was deeply chagrined that someone with no Republican roots, no conservative background when judged from a lifelong record of activities, and seemingly living a life void of Christian values was placed on the Presidential ballot in 2016. In 2018, Adam received 67% of the Republican primary vote and 59% in the general election. In 2020, Adam was unopposed in the Republican primary, receiving 64% in the general election. Adam Kinzinger has faithfully honored and fulfilled the Congressional Oath of Office during his years in Congress as evidenced by his present position investigating the insurrection and traitorous armed invasion of our nation's Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, actions violating the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Adam took the Military Oath of office when commissioned an Air Force officer in 2003, later piloting aircraft in Afghanistan and Iraq. I took an Oath of office in 1962 when enlisting in the US Army. We need more Adam Kinzingers in Congress, who represent their constituents, as shown by previous election totals, reflecting voting history, while honoring their Oath of Office. Charlie Grotevant, Pontiac Love 5 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Question: St. Patricks Day has become one of the years biggest days to party and socialize over beverages with friends, with Illinois ranked in one poll as the second-most social U.S. state on St. Patricks Day. Can you name perhaps the most appropriate place in party-rich Illinois to honor ones Irish heritage? Answer: Its surely Shamrock, Illinois, listed as being in McLean County along U.S. 150 just northwest of Downs. Unfortunately, all that is there now is a Freedom Oil station. That areas famed Shamrock Inn tavern closed in 1993. Illinois, by the way, is the second-most social St. Paddy's Day state, according to the website, timetoplay.com, that reports 69.6% of our states residents make it an occasion to be with friends or co-workers. Florida is No. 1. Least celebratory state: Ohio. Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), a leading indigenous Ghanaian bank today feted its customers across Ghana on the occasion of its 50th-anniversary celebrations. Customers and patrons of the bank were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed with refreshments as they transacted their business in the Banks branches. Officials of the bank at all levels were on hand to welcome customers and to extend their gratitude for 50 years of loyalty. Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) opened its doors to the public in 1972, as a policy bank established by the state. It was purposely set up to assure the republic its own indigenous merchant banking capacity. The Bank pioneered new initiatives in corporate and merchant banking in Ghana, including the deepening of the culture of capital markets in Ghana. The Banks chief executive, Nana Dwemoh Benneh noted; This jubilee is totally dedicated to our customers. We will celebrate it by touching base with as many of our customers as we can, essentially getting as much feedback as possible on how we can serve them better in the next 50 years. Our Bank has a deep and proud heritage, and we are determined to continue our tradition of providing a uniquely Ghanaian perspective on banking, since 1972. In answering further questions on the Jubilee, Nana Benneh noted we have several customer-focused initiatives lined up in the year. In doing this, we would like to remind Ghana of our heritage and the links to our history. I daresay the history of wholesale banking in Ghana cannot be told without UMB. At the same time, we look forward purposefully to the next 50 years, where we expect to use technology to deliver competitive value to our customers. A number of customers of the Bank expressed their surprise and indicated how touched they were, at the Bank's thoughtfulness. Madam Patricia Adjei, a customer of the Bank within the Okaishie enclave in Accra said We have known UMB in the central business district, for decades and they are a true partner for business growth. What we like about them is that they are Ghanaian, and seem to understand our peculiar needs. ABOUT UMB UMB is a full-service financial institution specializing in customized banking products and services. Licensed by the Bank of Ghana, the Bank prides itself on being a completely indigenous Ghanaian Bank. UMB is noted for bringing a uniquely Ghanaian perspective to banking, since 1972. UMBs strategic intent is to become a digital-first, SME-focused Bank, leveraging its significant corporate banking and public-sector brand equity to evolve a profitable retail banking franchise, using technology to offer competitive products and services to customers and clients. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Consolidated Bank Ghana has donated 50 laptops to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in response to the Universitys request for Support One Needy Student with One Laptop (SONSOL) Project introduced recently. The gesture follows an initial donation of 50 laptops in 2021 to KNUST during which the Bank promised to honour a four-year promise of 50 laptops each year, to make available a total of 200 laptops for the University. Presenting the new branded CBG laptops on behalf of the bank to the University, Director of Retail and Business Banking at CBG, Emmanuel Nikoi said the bank is dedicated to fulfilling its promise. To help needy but brilliant students, we promised 50 laptops every year. Last year we started and this year also, we are here to do the needful. To honor the agreement, we have brought 50, making 100 laptops. We are committed to bring the others, 50 in 2023 and the last 50 in 2024 to bring the total to 200. Also, we are presenting a multi-purpose printer for the school for the seamless printing of ID cards for staff and students. The Management of the bank wants to assure you that beyond the laptops, we have also made room for internships and employment opportunities for brilliant students. On behalf of the Managing Director, Daniel Wilson Addo, board and entire executives, we want to thank the University for their warmth and we hope to continue to be in partnership, he added. The Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, who received the items on behalf of the school, expressed gratitude to Consolidated Bank for the kind gesture. A promise they say is like a debt and having you here to honor your promise is beautiful. You started last year and this year you didnt disappoint. We are very delighted to have you. We believe that the subsequent years we will see you again. We have a noble duty as a university to churn out great leaders and we believe this function of equipping them is very key to the agenda. We see this function as something we cannot do on our own so we believe in partnership to ensure we fulfil this mandate. When COVID struck in 2020, we had to adopt the blended form of learning but the issue was the means to get students laptops for the online bit. We shared this initiative with CBG and we are very happy that CBG listened to our plea. It is refreshing that we are not alone in this responsibility. This encourages us and strengthens us to do more. We are very grateful for these customized CBG laptops. We are also thankful for the multi-purpose printer to help us with printing. This means a great deal to us as a university. We want to assure you that we do not take this kindness lightly at all. KNUST will remain forever grateful to the Management of CBG. We hope that this will serve as a motivation to other institutions to support this initiative. Thank you for leading the way. We are very grateful. Other members of the delegation were Edward Antwi General Manager Branches and Digital Channels, Ziblila Atchulo Head E-Banking and Eric Yaw Kwarteng Regional Manager Ashanti South all of CBG. Mr Andrews Kwasi BoatengRegistrar, Mr Yaw Nimo Baffour Finance Officer were also present for the KNUST. The donation is in aid of the institutionalization of blended teaching and learning methods initiated by the University during the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Tema High Court on Wednesday, granted the #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor bail to the tune of GH2 million. Per the conditions granted by Justice Daniel Mensah, the embattled E-levy coup plotter is to provide 2 sureties one of whom should deposit documents to his landed property in execution of the bail. Mr Barker-Vormawors passport should also remain in the custody of the Republic, and he must report himself once a week to the police command. The #FixTheCountry convener is facing treason felony charges after a social media post threatening a coup. Prior to the ruling, the activist's lead Counsel, Akoto Ampaw told the court the constitution guarantees his client liberty and a right to be presumed innocent. Describing the case as one not backed by any evidence, the prosecution was unable to show the applicant was prepared to carry through his threats, albeit conditional. Lawyer Akoto Ampaw also dismissed as untrue claims by state prosecutors that his client has no fixed place of abode, and assured of his client's preparedness to avail himself to stand trial if granted bail. He has led them to three locations. They have conducted searches there,,Mr Ampaw said. On her part, Senior State Attorney Hilda Craig said per the Martin Kpebuvs Attorney-General No.2 case, all offences were bailable, but certain conditions ought to be met. She told the court the state cannot trust him to show up if hes granted bail and dismissed claims that the case against the youth activist is not supported by evidence. Justice Daniel Mensah, in his ruling, stated that the Court cannot disable itself from the grant of bail as per the legal arguments urged upon him by both counsel for Mr. Vormawor and the Republic. He disagreed with arguments of the position that Mr. Vormawor did not have a fixed place of abode having regard to the facts of the case; and that he was at flight risk since his passport was already in the custody of the Republic. Mr Barker-Vormawor was arrested on February 11, 2022, for a post he allegedly posted on a social media platform on February 9 that he would stage a coup should the E-Levy Bill be passed by Parliament. The police said Mr Barker-Vormawors post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. He first appeared at the court on February 14, but his plea was not been taken. Some supporters of the movement carrying placards waited in the court premises in solidarity with their leader, while police in riot gear watched with eagle eye to maintain law and order. Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dozens of people have been harassed, threatened or prosecuted for holding critical opinions about Rwandas government, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says. A report by the US-based group has also demanded the urgent release of activists, journalist and opposition leaders arrested in Rwanda. In 1994, hateful and dangerous speech broadcast in the media played a key role in inciting the Rwandan genocide which killed about 800,000 people in just 100 days. Now, over two decades later, HRW has said that censoring speech and restricting journalists, bloggers and YouTube commentators has gone too far. The report highlights a YouTuber with 15 million views, who was charged with humiliating public officials after he published a series of videos accusing soldiers of abusing people living in slums. While the rights group recognises the governments concern about speech leading to violence, it says that what it sees in the country is the complete banning of debates, opinions, and criticism of government policies. The Rwandan government, led by President Paul Kagame, has not responded to the report. As the country gears up to host the Commonwealth meeting in June, HRW hopes its report will bring awareness to the reported free speech crackdown in the country. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has recognised Prince Misuzulu Sinqobile Zulu as the official Zulu king. He has not yet been crowned because of tensions in the royal family, but this nod means that King-elect Misuzulu is one big step closer to officially taking the throne. Traditional leaders are elected based on age-old customs in South Africa but the person chosen as king has to be recognised by a president to be accepted as valid. The assumption of the throne by His Majesty King Misuzulu Zulu is a moment of great significance in the proud and distinguished history of AmaZulu. pic.twitter.com/59eDTgkm51 Cyril Ramaphosa (@CyrilRamaphosa) March 16, 2022 Prince Misuzulu, 46, is the eldest son of the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, whose death last year triggered a power struggle in the family of six wives and at least 20 children he left behind. Some family members had openly voiced their disapproval of Prince Misuzulu's rise to the throne and went to court to oppose his coronation. But the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled earlier this month that the coronation could go ahead. In a statement, President Ramaphosa said he had made the decision after consultations with the minister in charge of traditional affairs and provincial leaders. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has admitted that chieftaincy disputes in the region was his major challenge in his first year in office. We have been challenged by some chieftaincy disputes that hampers on public safety, and so weve had permanent personnel stationed in certain areas which even preceded my entry into the region . . . they are indeed a stress on our economy, on our budget, on our funds which we always would want to use alternative means of settling such disputes, he said. We have also persevered to get ourselves introduce to the length and breadth of the region through our traditional leadership, the eleven paramountcies that we have in the region, we have visited and engaged all of them and will continue to engage them, and so we have a very smooth administration once you dialogue with them they are able to express their concerns and challenges then you are also able to work towards them, the Minister added. Seth Kwame Acheampong hinted that even though chieftaincy dispute is one of the causes of instability in the Region, it is not an absolute force to create instability in the region, saying, it is preventable once mechanisms are put in place to engage with the king makers, and for him as a Minister will continue to engage them. Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are what we are hoping and praying to bring to the fore to ensure that we have these misunderstandings all settled, he said. In respect of public safety, the Regional Minister said highway robbery menace has been dealt with through effective collaboration with the Inspector General of Police. In a collaboration with the Inspector General of police, we were able to deploy some high level anti robbery squad in some areas of the region to help return some calm and peace into our region, fortunately weve made progress, it is not an event, it is a process and we are still ongoing in respect to that aspect of our existence here, he said. Besides that, the Minister said in the area of businesses, government programs has help the region by opening up the local economy to create jobs. "We had the Mama Grace garment at Efiduase, and a shoe factory in Akropong as well as a poultry farm in Akyem Wenkyi, and we have been able to also ensure that certain infrastructure have been developed and upgraded, some school buildings with support from GETFUND and some under the administrator of the common fund. He concluded that the aim of his administration over the past one year is to create secured environment, facilitate development and expand job opportunities. Source: Michael Akrofi/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. Featured Video Dr Louisa Hannah Bissiw, the National Women Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on women leadership of political parties to encourage and mentor young ladies in and out of tertiary education to partake in active partisan politics. She said womens participation in partisan politics was low and needed strategic intervention on the part of parties that believed in equity and equality to reverse the trend. She made the call at a stakeholder meeting held by the Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) for representatives of the NDC, New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention Peoples Party (CPP), and Peoples National Convention (PNC) to deliberate on how to enhance participation of women in active politics in the parties. Dr. Bissiw said: It is unfortunate how when Youth Organisers positions are mentioned, everyone starts thinking of a male and only thinks of a female when the position of a Women Organiser comes up. Theyve reduced us to cooking, serving water and when I see a women organiser serving food, I stop her because that is not organising or what we are meant for. Also a former Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bissiw said research had shown that any government with a larger representation of women in politics, had corruption malpractices reduced drastically. She implored the female leadership of political parties to mentor the young ones, go with them to important meetings at regional and national levels to enable and prepare them for future positions within the parties and beyond. Ms Perpetual Lomokie, the NPP Deputy Youth Organiser, who also emphasised the need to mentor the young ones, pleaded with the youth who had interest in politics to be humble if they wanted mentorship. Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, the Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the NDC, said to totally climb the political ladder with women, political parties ought to do constitutional amendments. He noted that many women with interest in politics were hesitant to start from the grassroots, adding: So it becomes difficult for the men who began from the base to let them have power when they appear suddenly and want to be at the top. Meanwhile, Mr Chaie said women did about 70 to 80 per cent of political work, especially during campaign periods as they were goal setters. Mrs Grace Acheampong, the Greater Accra Regional Women Organiser of the NPP, bemoaned the poor attitude of some young people who had interest to play crucial roles in active politics. The challenge is that they want the easy way to get to the top and at times ask for money before they cooperate to do something for the party. Meanwhile, it takes a lot of sacrifices to get to the top, she said. Her agenda, she said was however, to push more young women to play about 70 per cent of the active roles in the NPP to increase women representation in decision-making processes. Ms Esther Tawiah, the Executive Director, GenCED, explained that the meeting had become necessary to solicit the input of the parties for strategies to attract many young women into the political landscape. She said GenCED was going to initiate a two-year project to train and sponsor young women in political parties to serve on Manifesto Committees, Communication Teams, and Research Committees. The training will take participants through topics like leadership and communication, among others, with a special focus on internal party structures. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A superyacht owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch has been detained by Spanish authorities. The 458m vessel Crescent is said to belong to the head of Russian oil giant Rosneft, Igor Sechin. The 135-metre-long boat was docked in the port of Tarragona, Catalonia, when officials took action, Spains Transport Ministry said. According to the monitoring site Marine Traffic, the boat arrived in Spain from Italy in November last year and is registered in the Cayman Islands. Mr Sechin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was one of many Russian billionaires sanctioned by the European Union on 28 February including having all his assets in the bloc frozen. The UK followed suit on 10 March, hitting the oil tycoon with asset freezes and travel bans over his supposed ties to the Kremlin. It was the same day the UK government sanctioned Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich. Mr. Sechin is considered one of the most influential oligarchs, not only because Rosneft is one of the worlds largest crude oil producers, but because he reportedly works in collaboration with the Russian state and is in regular contact with Putin. Spains decision is the latest in a series of seizures designed to punish those thought to be affiliated with the Russian leader, after he launched his deadly invasion of Ukraine last month. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minority in Parliament has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to take urgent steps to reopen the countrys land borders. It said as the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Akufo-Addo must do the needful to give meaning to the resolution of ECOWAS to facilitate the free flow of persons, goods and services across borders with member states. We are not yet out of the woods in post COVID-19 but we want to see a return to normalcy with the movement of goods and service through our borders, it said. Context In his update of the country on March 21, 2020 on the status of measures put in place to help minimise the spread of COVID-19, the President suggested the need for Ghanas borders to be closed. Consequently, he ordered the closure of Ghana's land, sea, and air borders to human traffic, effective midnight, March 22, 2020. No justification Addressing the press in Parliament last Tuesday, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said there was no justification for the continued closure of Ghanas land borders. The Minority leader also expressed concern over what he described as the fleecing and rip-off of Ghanaians and international travellers coming to Ghana in the name of COVID-19 charges at the Kotoka International Airports by Frontiers Health Services. Those charges, he said, must be reviewed by the government as nowhere in the world did anyone pay $150 for a COVID-19 test. I was in Doha, Qatar and Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa returned from Romania and the least you pay for a COVID-19 test is $50 and most probably the highest would be $100, so it is questionable for non-Ghanaians to be compelled to continue to pay $150 in the name of COVID-19 test and raises questions of us using COVID-19 as a money-making enterprise instead of a public pandemic that needs our collective effort to combat and deal with, he said. What is it that we cannot do for our own citizens who want to return to Ghana to contribute to the social and economic of our country? the Minority leader asked. Accountability Mr Iddrisu said he would lead the Minority to come up with a motion, supported mainly by the MP for North Tongu, Mr Ablakwa, and the MP for Juaboso, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, to demand accountability on charges by Frontiers Health Services at KIA. They are trying to even hide the number of international travellers to our borders. What they do not know is that under the countrys laws this is official information that must be given to us so that we can compute how much we have made charging the $150, 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. Featured Video The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has filed a review application challenging the decision of the Supreme Court to hear a case seeking to stop him from holding himself as a legislator. On March 8, this year, a seven-member panel of the court held that Mr Quayson had been duly served through substituted service with the writ and the injunction application. Accordingly, the court adjourned the case to Wednesday (March 16, 2022) for hearing, and ordered the MP to file his statement of case, responding to the court processes by yesterday. When the case was called, the MP was absent, but his counsel, Tsatsu Tsikata, informed the court that his client had filed a review challenging the courts decision that the substituted service was rightly served and, therefore, the case was to be heard. Counsel also said his client had also filed an application for stay of proceedings for the case to be put on hold until the final determination for the review. Injunction A resident of Assin Breku, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, who secured a judgment from the Cape Coast High Court nullifying Mr Quaysons election on the basis that he held a Canadian citizenship, wants an injunction from the Supreme Court, restraining him from holding himself out as an MP. The plaintiff argues that despite the judgment of the Cape Coast High Court, Mr Quayson continues to parade himself as a sitting MP. He is also seeking an interpretation of Article 94(2) (a) of the 1992 Constitution, which bars a person owing allegiance to another country from contesting as an MP, the same constitutional provision the High Court used to nullify the MPs election. Timeous It came up that the review and the stay of proceedings applications were filed by the lawyers for Mr Quayson yesterday. That led the court to wonder why counsel failed to act timeously but waited and filed the processes yesterday when the court had delivered its ruling on March 8. Mr Tsiakata answered that he applied for the proceedings and the decision of the court last Monday, but got them last Tuesday. The court, therefore, called the Registrar of the Court, Matthew Antiaye, who confirmed what Mr Tsikata said. Counsel for the plaintiff, Frank Davies, submitted that the review and the stay of proceedings application should not bar the court from going ahead to hear the injunction application. The Attorney General (A-G), Godfred Yeboah Dame, who is also a defendant in the case, sided with Mr Davies and urged the court to hear the injunction application. Adjournment In spite of its reservations about the timing of the applications, the court decided to adjourn the case to March 29 when the review application would be heard. The presiding judge, Justice Jones Dotse, said on March 29, a different panel would hear the review application, and based on the outcome of the review, the court would hear the application for stay of proceedings, and also depending on the outcome, the court could hear the injunction application. Immediately Justice Dotse finished, Mr Tsikata rose to his feet and submitted that Justice Dotse had prejudiced the review application by suggesting that injunction application would be heard. This was refuted by Justice Dotse, who insisted that he said the injunction application could be heard depending on the outcome of the review. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The payment of royalties from quarry and limestone mining activities have gone up by 105 per cent and 125 per cent respectively in the past two years since the setting up of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF). Consequently, the fund is expecting royalty payments due the government from all non-gold minerals to increase in similar fashion due to a collaborative framework between the MIIF and some partners. The framework is part of a strategy MIIF has put together to enhance the collection of royalties, expand the royalties net and streamline communication on royalties payments from non-gold mining activities such as manganese, salt, and limestone and quarrying. The collaboration, which was initiated in December 2021, has improved the efficiency in collections by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) which is responsible for the collection of royalties on behalf of MIIF, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) which assesses standards and accurate production measurements of minerals and the Minerals Commission (MINCOM), the regulator of the mining sector. Since the initiative, MIIF for the first time in its two-year history has started receiving royalties from sand winners, with royalties from quarries and limestone activities surging 105 per cent and 125 per cent respectively, year to date. Prior to the inter-agency framework, operators in quarries, limestone mines, salt and sand winning activities either did not honour payments or underpaid their royalties. Mineral Royalties are payments made by all mining companies to the government through MIIF for the right to continuous production from a particular mine. Royalties are typically agreed as a percentage of gross or net production of every mineral including salt, limestone, and sand winning and quarrying activities. Increase in royalties During an interaction with journalists in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, expressed the confidence that royalties from non-gold producers would see an upturn by the end of the year. He also said the gold sector, which constituted about 92 per cent of the mineral royalties, was also expected to see production increase with new mines coming on board. That, Mr Koranteng stated, was supported by a rise in gold price on the back of global economic uncertainty, a seeming weaker United States dollar and increased geopolitical tensions highlighted by the Russia-Ukraine war. We expect new manganese mines to be announced soon as well as additional discoveries of Barite and Lithium. My optimism is, however, premised on the measures we have taken with this inter-agency collaboration which include an inter-agency task force for non-gold minerals which could see royalties from activities such as quarrying, limestone and sand winning going up by over 100 per cent, for each stream in 2022, he added. Mr Koranteng also expressed gratitude to the Chief Executives of the Minerals Commission and GSA, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, and Professor Alex Dodoo respectively, as well as the Commissioner-General of GRA, Rev. Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, for agreeing to collaborate with the MIIF on the initiative. He, therefore, stated that since the initiative started in December 2021, MIIF for the first time in its two-year history had started receiving royalties from sand winners with royalties from quarries and limestone activities surging 105 per cent and 125 per cent respectively, year to date. Mr Koranteng, however, noted that there was still a huge gap between the actual and the with regards to royalties from the above stated minerals adding he intends to intensify efforts under the initiative. Mr Koranteng further stated that the quarry sector, for example, should be giving the country at least GH50 million a year, but only brought in about GH3.8 million in 2020. Objectives of MIIF For Mr Koranteng, the objectives of MIIF in the strategic collaboration is to actualise the Presidents vision of guaranteeing the future wealth of Ghanaians through MIIF. That, he said, would be done by investing Ghanas mineral wealth in profitable asset classes that would yield dividends for future generations. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minority in Parliament has filed a Private Members Motion calling for a bi-partisan probe into the circumstances that led to the death of two police officers suspected to be involved in the recent bullion van robberies. According to the Minority, the circumstances leading to the shooting to death of the two Policemen, Constable Reindorf Gyimah Ansah and Lance Corporal Stephen Kwaku Nyame was bizarre, saying We take this with a pinch of salt. As a responsible Minority charge with a responsibility of oversight over the Police have decided to file a private members motion seeking to have a bi-partisan enquiry at the direction of the Speaker of Parliament to probe the circumstances leading to the shooting to death of two Policemen. Mr James Agalga, the Ranking Member on Defence and Interior Committee, disclosed this at a press conference in Parliament House over the Minoritys worry over the killing of the two Policemen connected to the bullion van robberies witnessed in 2021 and 2022. Mr Agalga said the killing of the two policemen had resulted in a situation whereby the Police administration would be denied crucial evidence in its quest to unravel the mystery surrounding the bullion van robberies in the country. He said what made the matter more worrying was that the officers implicated were among those now dead, adding that this is what makes the enquiry very compelling. We are now saddled with a situation where those who are supposed to protect us are themselves engaged in the commission of crimethat is very, very worrying, he said. Mr Agalga also expressed concern about the calibre of officers that were recruited into the countrys security agencies. We have in times past complained about the mode of recruitment into our security agencies and we made it very clear. It appears we have allowed our security agencies to be infiltrated by rogue elements. These are matters that need to be interrogated thoroughly in the public enquiry, he added. Mr Agalga said the public did not expect the Police administration to investigate themselves in such matters. He cited the Asawaase shooting incident as an example when seven souls were lost during an operation. The initial reportage and the investigation by the police officers themselves sought to whitewash the crime but subsequent events led to the institution of an independent probe and the results were startling. The report of the Police was in sharp contrast to what the independent probe that was instituted came out with. We think that it is important that we seize the initiative to investigate this matter independently and come out with strategies for human policing policing that would inure to the security of all of us, he said. The Police Administration, a couple of days ago, announced that they had apprehended some suspects in relation to the bullion van robberies, some of whom are Police officers. The Police in their press release signed by DCOP Kwasi Ofori, the Director-General of Police Communication, said two officers were in the custody of the Police. The release indicated that the two Policemen were shot dead when the Police took them out on intelligence-led operation to arrest some other accomplices. He alleged that while executing that particular operation, there was a heavy exchange of fire, and in the cause of the exchanges, the two officers unfortunately died. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Social commentator, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has lambasted the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin and the Minority members in Parliament over their remarks regarding the Supreme Court's verdict on Deputy Speakers' right to take part in decision-making in Parliament. On Wednesday, March 9, the Supreme Court ruled that a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament". Following the court decision, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin described the verdict as a ''reckless incursion''. The Speaker, issuing a statement on the ruling, said; ''I have resisted the temptation of making a comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue of the voting rights of Deputy Speakers when presiding. But the unfortunate and myopic comment of the President has compelled me to let it out. The SC decision, is to say the least, not only an absurdity but a reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament. The trend of unanimity is equally troubling. It doesnt help explore and expand our legal jurisprudence. The Presidents comment is myopic and unfortunate. It only goes to worsen the schism between the Executive and Parliament''. The Speaker also encouraged the applicant to go for a review arguing that ''the impartiality of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker or Presiding Officer has been treasured and fought for by this country throughout our democratic development. Mr. President, the issue being discussed is not about Parliament being above the law. Everyone knows that Parliament is not above the law. The Executive and the Judiciary are equally not above the law. The issue being discussed is the political question doctrine. It took centuries to detail out the strands of this doctrine and the principles are settled as to when and how this closed book could be opened. Please, I encourage the Plaintiff to go for a review''. Making his submissions on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Allotey Jacobs expressed his intense dislike for the comments made by the Speaker and the turn of events in the August House of Parliament. He believed all the happenings that have characterized the Legislative House is a mere struggle for power by the NDC Minority. According to him, the aim of the Minority is to make the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo unpopular to Ghanaians, so they vote against the party in the next general elections. "It's a struggle for power. That this is the strategy, let's go ahead and do it so that, by 2024, Ghanaians will be fed up with the NPP and the NPP is also making little [little] mistakes which they can't manage. So, it emboldens the opposition but, strictly speaking, the government is doing its best," he stated. Allotey Jacobs called on Ghanaians not to be deceived by the political struggle but rather to unite behind a common goal. "This is now time for us, as Ghanaians, to come together as one and make sure this nation survives," he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video "If anybody ever thought that Parliament is a master of its own and that they have the turf and the power to do whatever they choose to do, that is a erroneous impression," former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan has counteracted critics' position on the Supreme Court ruling on Deputy Speakers' right to vote in Parliament. The Supreme Court ruled that a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament" but the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin and some NDC members disagree with the ruling. Issuing a statement, the Speaker argued that the verdict is a ''reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament''. He said; ''I have resisted the temptation of making a comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue of the voting rights of Deputy Speakers when presiding. But the unfortunate and myopic comment of the President has compelled me to let it out. The SC decision, is to say the least, not only an absurdity but a reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament. The trend of unanimity is equally troubling. It doesnt help explore and expand our legal jurisprudence. The Presidents comment is myopic and unfortunate. It only goes to worsen the schism between the Executive and Parliament. ''The impartiality of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker or Presiding Officer has been tresusured and fought for by this country throughout our democratic development. Mr. President, the issue being discussed is not about Parliament being above the law. Everyone knows that Parliament is not above the law. The Executive and the Judiciary are equally not above the law. The issue being discussed is the political question doctrine. It took centuries to detail out the strands of this doctrine and the principles are settled as to when and how this closed book could be opened.'' He called for a review of the verdict saying ''please, I encourage the Plaintiff to go for a review''. Other critics also share similar views as they regard the court ruling as an interference of Parliament which they say is a master of its own procedures. Kwamena Duncan, speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi during Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', has deflated such argument that the Supreme Court verdict is an intrusion into Parliament. " . . when people say Parliament is a master, yes, Parliament is a master of its own procedures and all of that but all of those things, the constitution says are subject to the provisions of this constitution. So, nobody can sit anywhere that, look, we have been given a certain turf; a certain terrain, so we will do what we like. Everything you do must be subject to the constitution. That is why the revered Justice says, yes, you are a master of your own but the constitution is your boss. So, the margins are clear," he emphasized. Clarifying issues to the public, Mr. Duncan stated, ''If anybody ever thought that Parliament is a master of its own and that they have the turf and the power to do whatever they choose to do, that is an erroneous impression. It cannot be accepted in any way. It's not true, otherwise, then others will also have their own turf and have their own powers to do their own thing.'' He further stressed that ''Parliament cannot be singled out to be above the law at all, subject to the provisions of this constitution''. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The mayor of Ukraine's southern city of Melitopol has been released, days after Kyiv said he was abducted by invading Russian forces. In a phone call shared by the Ukrainian government, Ivan Fedorov thanked the president for not 'abandoning' him and said he will be ready to serve again after 'one or two days to recover'. Before his release, Fedorov was seen in chilling CCTV footage with a plastic bag placed over his head as he was escorted out of a building and across Melitopol's Victory Square by 10 armed men on last Friday. Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky called for help from Germany and France to secure Fedorov's release and the kidnap was also condemned by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in a post on Twitter. According to the Ukrainian president and parliament, mayor Ivan Fedorov was abducted because he 'refused to cooperate with the enemy'. On Wednesday a video posted on Telegram showed President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to him on the phone and telling him he was 'happy to hear the voice of a man alive'. President Volodymyr Zelensky phones freed mayor of Melitopol. Fedorov replies he is 'much better'. 'Thank you for not abandoning me. I will need one or two days to recover and then I will be at your disposal to contribute to our victory,' he says. In response, President Zelensky reportedly said: 'We don't abandon our own.' Dasha Zarivna, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian presidency, said on Ukrainian television late Wednesday that Federov was swapped for nine captured Russian soldiers, aged 20 and 21. 'These are basically children, conscripts, who according to the Russian defence ministry are not present in Ukraine,' Zarivna said. 'But the whole world sees again that they are there.' The parliament said the mayor was seized while at the city's crisis centre dealing with supply issues. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Kanye West has been suspended from Instagram for 24 hours after attacking his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson and Trevor Noah on the social media platform. The rapper accused of violating the companys policies on hate speech and bullying and harassment, will be unable to post, comment or send DMs for 24 hours. After repeatedly taking aim at ex-wife Kardashian, 41, and her boyfriend, Davidson, 28, in the last few weeks, West most recently lobbed a racial slur at Noah, 38, on Wednesday March 16. He directed a racial slur at Trevor Noah after the host of The Daily Show called him out for harassing Kim Kardashian amid their divorce. Addressing the ongoing drama between West and Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson on his Comedy Central show Tuesday night, Noah at one point called West belligerent. Noah compared the situation to his own experience of witnessing abuse. He recalled the time people thought his mother, Patricia, was overreacting before being shot in the head by his stepfather. Patricia miraculously survived the attempted murder. He said; What [Kardashian is] going through is terrifying to watch, and it shines a spotlight on what so many women go through when they choose to leave. What were seeing is one of the most powerful, one of the richest women in the world, unable to get her ex to stop texting her, to stop chasing after her, to stop harassing her. As a society, we have to ask ourselves questions. Do we wish to stand by and watch a car crash when we thought we saw it coming? Throughout the show, Noah reflected on Wests continuous social media tirades, in which hes been bashing the Skims founder and making claims that she is keeping him from seeing their four children: North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2. Reacting to this, West shared a screenshot from a Google search result, describing Noah as a South African comedian. He also captioned the post All in together now Kn baya my lord kn baya Kn baya my lord Kn baya Oooo lord Kn baya. West, 44, was mocking Noah, 38, by using the offensive kn slur to replace the original lyrics in Kumbaya. The post was taken down by Instagram. The social media giant also said should West continue to violate the policies, the company will take additional steps. West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, has been targeting Kardashian and her boyfriend, comedian Pete Davidson, and exposing details about their personal affairs to his millions of followers. Earlier this month, he released a new music video that appeared to depict a claymation version of West decapitating Davidson and burying him alive. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The US government has dismissed as fake the reports that the detained Nigerian influencer Ramon Abbas, known as Hushpuppi, executed a $400,000 (304,000) internet fraud from prison. Hushpuppi, 37, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in 2020 for crimes that cost victims almost $24m, and is currently in a US jail awaiting sentencing having pleaded guilty to money laundering. On Thursday, a document emerged on social media claiming that the FBI filed new evidence against Hushpuppi on Wednesday for defrauding Americans using prison internet facilities. It is not clear where the document originated from yet it has gone viral on Twitter and been reported by many news organisations. However an official of the US Department of Justice told the BBC that the US Attorneys Office in Los Angeles, which filed the case against Hushpuppi, has not filed any such document. "The document appears to have been fabricated... We have checked with the FBI who supposedly authored the document, and they confirm it is a fake," an official said. Hushpuppi is known for posting photos of his lavish lifestyle on Instagram, where he has 2.5m followers. In one scheme, Hushpuppi attempted to steal more than $1.1m from someone who wanted to fund a new children's school in Qatar, court documents said. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video " " This card reminds young men to register with the Selective Service System. Selective Service System The idea of a military draft, also called conscription, has been around in one form or another since ancient times. In its relatively short history, the United States has implemented several different conscription systems to fill its military ranks in both peacetime and wartime. Currently, the United States is not practicing conscription; it has an all-volunteer military, meaning active troops serve on their own accord. By offering a range of benefits to enlistees, the military can recruit enough troops to fill its ranks, at least during times of peace. Additionally, the United States maintains a volunteer National Guard and a corps of volunteer reserve troops. These highly trained forces stand ready to assist the military at the president's command. But as an insurance policy, the government also maintains the Selective Service System (SSS). Its primary purpose is to provide the military with additional manpower if volunteer forces are not sufficient to handle a war or other national emergency. In other words, the agency is in charge of overseeing the draft (conscription) whenever it is reinstated. Its secondary purpose is to maintain an alternative draft-time service program for conscientious objectors, citizens who are eligible for the draft but will not engage in combat because of their moral beliefs. Advertisement In times of peace, the SSS's main task is to put together a list of potential draftees in the United States. The potential draftee pool is made up of male U.S. residents between the ages of 18 and 25. Under current law, women cannot be drafted (see our sidebar for more details on this). A few select groups of men are also excused automatically. These groups include: Men who are actively serving in the military Men who are attending a military service academy or select university military officer procurement program Foreign citizens in the United States on valid student, visitor or diplomatic visas Certain foreign agricultural workers Men who are in a hospital or psychiatric institution Disabled men who are continually confined to a hospital or institution Incarcerated men People who are born female and have changed their gender to male All other men between 18 and 25 are legally required to register with the SSS within 30 days of reaching eligibility. Men can register via mail, over the internet, at the post office or with a high school Selective Service Registrar (click here for details on registration). The SSS keeps the names and addresses of all registered men on file so they can be called up easily if the draft is reinstated. Most U.S. citizens become eligible on their 18th birthday; others become eligible the day they are no longer exempt (the day they drop out of a military academy, for example). Eligible men entering the U.S. are required to register within 30 days of entering the country. The government can prosecute a potential draftee who does not register with the SSS. If convicted, the man would face up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000. Today, the government is unlikely to take such extreme action. Instead, it encourages registration by withholding government benefits from potential draftees in violation. This includes federal financial aid for school, federal job training and some federal employment. Additionally, all eligible men must register before gaining U.S. citizenship. The SSS reports that 92 percent of eligible men (nearly 17 million men) were registered as of 2019. The SSS will accept late registration, as long as the man is still under 26. If a man fails to register before his 26th birthday, he may be permanently excluded from some federal benefits. Registering with the SSS does not necessarily mean you will be drafted when a war breaks out; it is merely a system for keeping your name and address on file. In the next section, we'll see what would actually happen if the draft were reinstated. Women and the Draft When the Selective Service System was created, women were excluded from combat roles, thus making them ineligible for registration. On Dec. 3, 2015, the Department of Defense lifted all gender-based restrictions on military service, which was put into practice the following month. But as of March 2022, there is no requirement for females to register with the SSS or be subject to a future military draft. The number of calls to expand the draft beyond men has increased since 2015, but the amendment to require this was dropped from a large defense bill in 2021. AI technologies can support the delivery of effective and personalized health care and education. Credit: Shutterstock Over the past five years, there has been an increase in research and development related to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health sciences education in fields such as medicine, nursing and occupational therapy. AI-enhanced technologies have been shown to have educational value and offer flexibility for students. For example, learning scenarios can be repeated and completed remotely, and educational experiences can be standardized. However, AI's applications in health sciences education need to be explored further. To better understand advances in research and applications of AI as a part of the education of health sciences students, we conducted a comprehensive literature review. We also hosted a virtual panel consisting of scholars across Canadian institutions and educational technology companies who are actively involved in AI and health sciences education. Our panel investigated three themes: current applications of educational theories, performance assessment, and current advances; the role of educational associations and industry; and legal and ethical considerations. Interdisciplinary collaboration One of our key findings was that it is important to develop interdisciplinary partnerships and collaborative environments. The effective development and implementation of AI-enhanced educational technologies require different capabilities. These include: possessing the technical know-how required to build and develop AI, understanding the needs of students and educators, applying educational theories to content development and assessment, and considering any legal and ethical issues. A panel on AI and health sciences education. Based on our work, majority of the published studies do not have interdisciplinary teams, hence the call for interdisciplinary collaborations. However, one example that was successful in bringing together individuals from different disciplines is an intelligent tutoring system designed to help medical students with their diagnostic reasoning skills through virtual patient cases. Therefore, an interdisciplinary team would be able to produce and deliver AI-enhanced education effectively. To achieve this, partnerships should include industry, educational societies, hospitals and universities. Collaborative teams would include researchers and practitioners from health sciences, law, ethics, education, computer science, engineering and other fields. Enhancing education with educational societies Educational societies not only play an important role in supporting research and development, but also the use of AI-enhanced educational technologies across health sciences programs. Future health scientists will require new skills in technology and AI, and the ability to apply them during training and clinical duties. These include understanding issues related to privacy, discrimination, ethical and legal concerns and inherent biases that may create health inequities. For example, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, which oversees the training of medical specialists in Canada, has a role in creating new initiatives and support systems to address these emerging needs. The college could add an additional component to the medical curriculum that focuses on core information necessary to use these AI-enhanced technologies. Practicing physicians will also need the support of the college to develop technology-supported clinical skills. Ultimately, if we want to enhance research and applications of AI in health sciences education, collaboration across different fields is key. This is so that both effective and equitable AI technologies can be developed, and that in the future, health scientists can use these technologies while understand their risks and benefits. Explore further How an ER simulation helps medical and engineering students see new points of view This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Scientists from Xiamen University, China obtained highly accurate, high-spatial resolution, shallow-water bathymetry from satellite measurements. Credit: Optical Oceanography Laboratory, Xiamen University The top of the atmosphere is the agreed-upon border between Earth's atmosphere and outer space. Satellites traverse this space, facilitating global communications and imaging the planet, measuring changing ice coverage heights and land mass shifts. While the satellite technology is incredibly advanced, it is a long-standing challenge to produce accurate depth of water for every shallow area off coastlines, according to researchers from Xiamen University and the University of Massachusetts Boston. The issue is not the type or amount of data collected, the researchers said, but rather how to translate it into an accurate estimation of how shallow nearshore waters are. To solve this challenge, they developed a machine learning algorithm that uses data from two Earth observation satellites to determine the depth of optically shallow waters. They published their approach on Feb. 3 in the Journal of Remote Sensing. "Nearshore shallow water environments such as coral reefs, seagrass, and kelp beds are among the most socioeconomically important and productive ecosystems in the world; its monitoring is an important task of many government agencies," said Zhongping Lee, corresponding author and Emeritus Professor in the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Boston. "In addition to monitoring changes across bottom substrates in such ecosystems, one desired parameter is the bottom depth, as it is important not only for navigation but also for studies of coastal processes and management of coastal events ranging from monitoring of storm surge to site selection of wind farms." Bottom depth measurement, called bathymetry, was conventionally conducted via sonar, but as satellite technology improved, more and more measurements were taken via satellite lidar. "While these methods and systems provide a high precision measurement of bottom depth, they are high-cost, time-consuming and limited to the areas the vessels (for sonar) can reach or the lines satellite lidar draws, with the resulting data from space unable to form a high-resolution bathymetric map," said first author Wendian Lai, graduate student in Xiamen University's College of Ocean and Earth Sciences. The researchers used publicly available data from the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8, a U.S. Geological Survey and NASA satellite, and from the Advanced Topographic Laster Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument on ICESat-2, a NASA satellite that measures various elevation points on the planet. ICESat-2 beams lasers at points of interest and times how long the laser takes to reach the point and return to the satellite. The ATLAS data contains the latitude, longitude and time for all photonsthe constituents of the laser beamsdownlinked by the satellite. The team concentrated on data measurements from the Great Bahama Bank and the Cay Sal Bank, training an artificially intelligent neural network to understand how the co-located data points could, together, indicate depth. "The algorithm accurately labeled optically shallow waters and optically deep waters 100% of the time," Lai said. The researchers noted that, while the results are "promising," this study focused on tropical and subtropical regions, where water is generally clear. However, their approach can apply to other regions once the imaging data from Landsat 8 is collected. "This system demonstrates a strong portability that is lacking in conventional algorithms," Lee said. "We plan to apply this system to many regions, with the goal of generating global high-resolution bathymetric maps of near-shore shallow regions." Explore further Shedding light on shallow waters More information: Wendian Lai et al, A Portable Algorithm to Retrieve Bottom Depth of Optically Shallow Waters from Top-Of-Atmosphere Measurements, Journal of Remote Sensing (2022). Wendian Lai et al, A Portable Algorithm to Retrieve Bottom Depth of Optically Shallow Waters from Top-Of-Atmosphere Measurements,(2022). DOI: 10.34133/2022/9831947 Provided by Journal of Remote Sensing Ruffs males come in three different morphs. Independents (in the back) aggressively defend a territory to impress females. Satellites (right) build alliances with Independents, while the rare Faeder males (front) look and behave like females to avoid aggressive competition with other ruff males. Credit: MPI for Biological Intelligence, i.f. / Clemens Kupper Ruffs are characterized by three supergene variants that lead to different appearances and courtship behavior in males. Whether these variants affect females was previously unknown. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, in foundation (i.f.), now show that females of the so-called Faeder variant produce less offspring. However, this female handicap helps their males: Disguised as females, Faeder males benefit from their own rarity and obtain more matings. The contrasting effect of the variant in males and females thus contributes to its persistence over time. The study thereby provides important insights into the mechanisms that maintain biodiversity. The question of how biodiversity arises and is maintained is not only of central importance to biologists. Biodiversity is most prominently associated with species diversity, but one can also find a substantial amount of diversity within many species. For example, there are various and pronounced differences between males and females. Ruffs (Calidris pugnax) are a particularly vivid example of intraspecific diversity that goes beyond typically observed sex differences. In these sandpipers, males will take up one of three morphs that differ in appearance and behavior. Most males are Independents with rather dark plumage ornaments that aggressively defend a small display territory in mating arenas to impress visiting females. The somewhat smaller Satellites, recognizable by their lighter plumage, display more solemnly in an alliance with an Independent host. The rare Faeder males have an entirely different tactic: they resemble females and sneak around the mating arenas unnoticed by the other males. Remarkably, which tactic a male ruff will use, is written in his genes. About four million years ago, a 'supergene' emerged through a genomic accident: a DNA fragment broke out of a chromosome and reinserted itself in the opposite direction. This inversion was the birth of the Faeder morph. The affected DNA region contains about 100 genes and is inherited as a functional unit. A rare recombination between the original and the inverted DNA sequence subsequently gave rise to the Satellites. Two ruff females during the breeding season. Like males, they belong to one of three morphs. Credit: MPI for Biological Intelligence, i.f. / Clemens Kupper Interestingly, the supergene is not located on a sex chromosome, so the different genetic variants also occur in females. Unlike in males, however, little was known whether and how they affect females. An international team led by Clemens Kupper at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, i.f., and David Lank at Simon Fraser University, now compared the reproductive success of the female morphs. They found that female Faeders have significantly lower reproductive success as they lay fewer and smaller eggs. In addition, their embryos as well, as ruff chicks hatching from smaller eggs, have lower survival rates. Nevertheless, the Faeder variant has not gone extinct. To understand how it can persist, the researchers modeled different scenarios. The models showed that an increased reproductive success of Faeder males is necessary to maintain the Faeder variant. "The Faeder supergene brings a big disadvantage for females, but it is an advantage for males," explains Lina Giraldo-Deck, lead author of the study. "We think that exactly this genetic conflict between males and females contributes to the maintenance of the Faeder variant." Indeed, the females' low reproductive success plays into the males' hands: the less common Faeder males are, the better their stealthy strategy works. However, Faeders rely on the Independent ruffs. Faeder and Satellite gene variants are not viable on their own. Hence, each ruff carries at least one Independent supergene variant. In addition, male Faeders exploit the courtship efforts of the Independents, and Faeder chicks are raised primarily by female Independents. Chicks hatching from eggs of Faeder females have lower survival rates. Credit: MPI for Biological Intelligence, i.f. / Clemens Kupper "Today's male Independents seem rather defenseless against the Faeders' tactics," says Clemens Kupper. "The extremely high competition among Independents led to the evolution of larger and more aggressive males. Meanwhile, they have become operation-blind and focus in their competition primarily on similar-looking males. This opens up a niche for deception artists like the Faeders, who exploit it very effectively." This shows that there is no such thing as 'the fittest' who can cope with all challenges. "Diversity prevails even under strong selective pressure. The emergence of new forms is a principle of all life," notes Clemens Kupper. Next, the scientists plan to investigate the effect of the supergene variants on other life stages and how the genes involved influence the physiology of the growing animalsthis, the researchers emphasize, is the only way to understand the underlying evolutionary mechanisms in their entirety. The research was published in Nature Communications. Explore further A 'supergene' underlies genetic differences sexual behaviour in male ruff More information: Lina M. Giraldo-Deck et al, Intralocus conflicts associated with a supergene, Nature Communications (2022). Lina M. Giraldo-Deck et al, Intralocus conflicts associated with a supergene,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29033-w Cattle at a ranch in Brazil that is implementing more sustainable management practices within the study region. Credit: Peter Newton, CU Boulder Providing customized training to Brazilian ranchers can not only help keep carbon in the ground, but improve their livelihoods and mitigate climate change, according to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder and the Climate Policy Initiative / PUC-Rio. Published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the new study analyzes the results of a randomized control trial that examined whether agricultural extension services can help to restore cattle pastures in Brazil. The experiment found that customized assistance, in addition to educational training, successfully supported ranchers in sustainably increasing their cattle production and paid for itself in the process. In addition, the net impact of the program on greenhouse gas emissions was equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by 1.19 million tonsthe same amount as the neighboring country of Paraguay emits in a given year. "It's an important piece of the puzzle to reach climate goals," said Barbara Farinelli, co-author of the study and senior agricultural economist at The World Bank. "What's behind this success is that farmers become the transformational agent for climate goals." Brazil is the world's leading exporter of beef, making it a significant part of the country's economy and an important livelihood for many rural communities. But cattle ranching has a climate problem: Livestock supply chains are responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and account for as much as one third of total emissions in Latin America, totaling hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. Mid-sized ranches, like the ones analyzed in this research, are responsible for one third of Brazil's cattle production. But unlike the cattle industry in the United States, which is dominated by feedlots, almost 90% of Brazilian beef is pasture- or grass-raised. "What that means is a huge demand for pastureland. And a lot of that in the last few decades has come at the expense of the Amazon and Cerrado biomes," said Peter Newton, co-author of the study and associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. The study comes at a time when Brazil's beef industry is encouraging farmers to return to the Amazon, based on claims by major figures in Amazonian agribusiness that intensive cattle ranching will enable more beef to be produced on less land and therefore reduce deforestation. A main critique of this argument is that most smaller producers in Brazil lack the technical and financial resources to invest in practices that support producing more cattle on less land. The new study joins a growing body of research demonstrating the importance of customized assistance in helping farmers adopt sustainable practices and increase productivity, and provides sound scientific evidence that can inform policy discussions in Brazil and beyond. "We found that training plus technical assistance had significant impacts on the rate at which farmers restored pasture, on profits, and on carbon sequestration and emissions," said Newton. Cattle at a ranch in Brazil that is implementing more sustainable management practices within the study region. Credit: Peter Newton, CU Boulder Benefits of one-on-one assistance Since many Brazilian farmers are not in a financial position to implement new sustainability practices, Brazil has a nationwide policy that gives credit to ranchers and farmers to do so. But researchers found that the barrier to making sustainable changes is not money, but knowledge. "In this setting in particular, it's not that the main constraint for improving the operation of the ranch was money, it was really information," said Arthur Braganca, lead author of the paper and Head of Policy Evaluation, Sustainable Agriculture and Infrastructure, at the Climate Policy Initiative / PUC-Rio. The aim of the ABC Cerrado program, financed by the World Bank through a grant from the Forest Investment Program (FIP) and implemented by the National Service of Rural Learning (SENAR), is to help farmers get access to the specific information and skills needed to adopt sustainable changes in their cattle production. Since its creation in 2012, the program has trained 7,800 farmers. For this research project, they set up a robust, randomized controlled trial and recruited 1,369 producers from across the highlands of central Brazil, known as the Cerrado, many of whom had never received previous trainings on sustainable practices. Some 706 of these ranchers attended a 56-hour course in one of the four practices promoted by the program, such as the restoration of pastures, rotational grazing or the use of no-till agriculture. 311 of those 706 producers also received technical assistance, consisting of 24 visits (one visit per month over two years) from field technicians to their property, where they received one-on-one advice. What the researchers found is that while training alone did not improve any of the measured outcomes, producers who also received technical assistance showed statistically significant increases in all measured outcomes. "The before and after was amazing," said Farinelli, who visited several ranches during the two-year project. "You could see with your eyes the pasture with applied- and non-applied technologies." Ranchers who received one-on-one help also increased their productivity rapidly within a short period of time. Within just two years, these ranchers increased their revenues by 39%surprising the researchers. In the process of adopting more sustainable technologies, the researchers documented that many farmers also changed different aspects of their operations and adopted better management practices. "That's the value of working with this type of primary data in which you go to the field," said Braganca. "You learn about the behavior of actual people." A Brazilian cattle rancher at work. Credit: Peter Newton, CU Boulder The climate cost of cattle The cost-benefit analysis of the program was also impressive. Incorporating the cost of carbon, the program generated a climate benefit of $47.6 million per year, making the program cost effective even if the benefits only lasted for one year. It's these climate and environmental benefits, which are 10 times higher than the economic benefits to the farmer, that stood out to Braganca, an economist. "If you increase productivity, yes, the ranchers are going to gain something," Braganca said. "But the gains for the rest of the society in terms of lower emissions, they're really higher." While this specific program will not continue, similar low-carbon agricultural programs in Brazil have received funding and will continue to explore the benefits of tailored assistance to farmers and ranchers. "There's broad agreement among global food system scientists that we collectively need to dramatically reduce our consumption of beef," Newton said. "But it seems extremely unlikely that beef consumption is going to end in any near-term future. So, it's also important to be grazing cattle in ways that have a lower environmental impact. If there are ways of producing meat and animal products in ways that reduce their climate impact, then that's also a part of the picture, in addition to reducing consumption." Explore further Heat stress for cattle may cost billions by century's end More information: Arthur Braganca et al, Extension services can promote pasture restoration: Evidence from Brazil's low carbon agriculture plan, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Arthur Braganca et al, Extension services can promote pasture restoration: Evidence from Brazil's low carbon agriculture plan,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114913119 Locations of the new OC candidates (red dots) and known OCs (grey dots) determined by the median parallax of member stars. Image viewed from the north Galactic pole from which the Galaxy rotates clockwise. Credit: He et al., 2022. By analyzing the data from ESA's Gaia satellite, Chinese astronomers have discovered 541 new open cluster candidates in the disk of our Milky Way galaxy. The finding, which includes median parameters of these cluster candidates, was detailed in a paper published March 10 on the arXiv pre-print server. Open clusters (OCs), formed from the same giant molecular cloud, are groups of stars loosely gravitationally bound to each other. So far, more than 1,000 of them have been discovered in the Milky Way, and scientists are still looking for more, hoping to find a variety of these stellar groupings. Expanding the list of known galactic open clusters and studying them in detail could be crucial for improving our understanding of the formation and evolution of our galaxy. Now, a team of astronomers led by Zhihong He of China West Normal University in Nanchong, China, reports the identification of over 500 objects that may be new open clusters. The finding is based on the analysis of data from Gaia's Data Release 2 (DR2) and Early Data Release 3 (EDR3). "In this paper, we reported the finding of 541 new OC candidates based on our previous search in Gaia DR2 and made the new confirmations using Gaia EDR3," the researchers wrote in the study. He's team used the pyUPMASK algorithm to estimate the membership probability of each input star from Gaia dataset. This is an open source software package compiled in the Python language following the development principle of Unsupervised Photometric Membership Assignment in Stellar Clusters (UPMASK). All in all, the astronomers provided the membership and median parameters for the new OC candidates, and also made classifications based on the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and isochrone fittings. According to the paper, the newly identified OC candidates are located in the Local, Sagittarius and Perseus arms and the inter-arm regions of the Milky Way. Most of them were found to be within 10,000 light years away from the Earth and within about 800 light years away from the galactic disk. Furthermore, most of the 541 OC candidates reported in the study show small total proper motion dispersions, which seems to suggest that they may be genuine star clusters. When it comes to the metallicity gradient of these objects, it was found that the cluster candidates in the inner disk showcase higher metallicity than those in the outskirts. The research also found that in the case of the youngest OC candidates (less than 50 million years old), the metallicity gradient displays a larger decrease in the vicinity of our solar system. Summing up the results, the scientists underlined that their discovery shows how incomplete the OC sample from the Gaia data is. They expect that further investigation of the EDR3 dataset will yield more detections of OC candidates. Explore further Open cluster NGC 2158 investigated in detail More information: Zhihong He et al, New Open Cluster candidates Found in Galactic Disk Using Gaia DR2/EDR3 Data. arXiv:2203.05177v1 [astro-ph.GA], Zhihong He et al, New Open Cluster candidates Found in Galactic Disk Using Gaia DR2/EDR3 Data. arXiv:2203.05177v1 [astro-ph.GA], arxiv.org/abs/2203.05177 2022 Science X Network This undated artist rendition provided by the European Space Agency shows the ESA ExoMars robot on Mars. Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe will no longer be attempting to send its first rover to Mars this year. The European Space Agency confirmed Thursday March 17, 2022 that it is indefinitely suspending its ExoMars rover mission with partner Roscosmos, Russia's state space corporation. Credit: Thiebaut/ESA-AOES medialab via AP Because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe is going to have to wait at least several more years and may need NASA's help before its first planned Mars rover can drill into the planet's dusty surface, seeking signs of whether it ever hosted life. The European Space Agency said Thursday that it will no longer attempt to send the ExoMars rover aloft this year on a Russian rocket and may now have to strip out the mission's many Russian components. A launch with Russia's state space corporation, Roscosmos, is now "practically impossible but also politically impossible," the agency's director, Josef Aschbacher, said. "This year, the launch is gone." Like trying to untangle spaghetti, experts will now try and figure out how to do without the Russian technology that's woven into the mission. A heater that was meant to keep the rover from freezing on Mars is, for example, Russian. So, too, is the bulk of the mission's Kazachok landing platform, which means "little Cossack" in Russian. The largely European six-wheeled rover was meant to roll off that platform onto the Martian surface. In an interview with The Associated Press, Aschbacher said the space agency will now sift "bit by bit and component by component" through the mission, to determine how much time is needed "to really do it without the Russians." Alternatives might be sourced from Europe and with the help of NASA, he said. Because of the Russian invasion, "we need to untangle all this cooperation which we had, and this is a very complex process, a painful one I can also tell you, but also a very complex one, and we have to do it," he said. He described the breakdown of cooperation as "a wake up call" for Europe to further develop its own space technologies. "We need to make sure that we have our independent access to space," he said. Because of their respective orbits around the Sun, Mars is only readily reachable from Earth every two years. The earliest next launch window would be 2024. But if sanctions on Russia haven't been lifted by then, enabling ESA cooperation with Roscosmos to resume, then that window could be missed, too. The earliest a fully European or Europe-NASA version of the ExoMars rover could be launched would be 2026 or, failing that, 2028, Aschbacher said. The rover itself is named Rosalind Franklin and equipped with a drill, to search for signs of life at depths up to two meters (6 feet) below the Martian surface, where they could be well preservedif they exist. The ESA had previously said that the mission was "very unlikely" because of Russia's war against Ukraine. The decision to suspend cooperation with Roscosmos was taken by ESA's ruling council at a meeting in Paris. "We deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine," an ESA statement said. "While recognizing the impact on scientific exploration of space, ESA is fully aligned with the sanctions imposed on Russia by its member states." The ExoMars mission has already been pushed back from 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for more tests on the spacecraft. The mission was to have blasted off on a Russian Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan in September, and had been scheduled to land on the red planet some nine months later. Already on Mars are NASA's Perseverance rover and China's first Mars rover, Zhurong, named after the Chinese god of fire. Both landed on the red planet last year. Two other NASA spacecraft are still active on the surface: Curiosity and InSight. Explore further Europe's joint Mars mission with Russia postponed by war 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 LEC devices are extremely thin, flexible and lightweight, and can now be easily modified to be more efficient with simple and low-cost modifications of the materials in the active layer. Credit: Joan Rafols-Ribe Researchers from Umea University and Uppsala University have developed a new method to control the light emission of light-emitting electrochemical cells, in short LEC. The study is published in Advanced Materials. The LEC light source is extremely thin, flexible and light and can now be easily modified to be up to 60% more efficient through simple and inexpensive changes to the materials in the active layer. "We show that you can control the position where light is formed in the active layer through rational changes in material composition," says Joan Rafols-Ribe, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Physics at Umea University. LECs are luminescent devices that emit light in response to an electrical current. They typically consist of a thin active layer of 100 to 500 nm (about 1,000 times thinner than the diameter of a human hair) of organic semiconductor material sandwiched between two electrodes, one being reflective and the other being transparent in order to let the light through. The characteristic feature of LECs is that they reorganize into a light-emitting structure, resembling the structure of the light-emitting diodes (LEDs), once a voltage is applied between the two electrodes. The reorganization happens thanks to mobile ions, included in the active layer. Thanks to this reorganization, it is possible for electronic charges to enter the active layer from opposite electrodes and travel towards each other. Where these charges (of opposite sign) meet, they produce light. "The position where this light emission takes place in the active layer, for example in the middle or close to one of the electrodes, is very important for the efficiency and the color of the emitted light. Until now, the LEC community has had very little control of where this light emission takes place and somewhat overlooked its influence," says Joan Rafols-Ribe. Now, researchers from the Umea University and Uppsala University demonstrate that it is possible to control the position of the light emission through rational changes to the material composition in the active layer. The researchers have fabricated three almost identical LECs in terms of materials, but with clearly distinct efficiencies differing up to 60%. This has been achieved through chemical changes to the so-called ion-transporter molecule, which is the compound that helps the ions to move within the active layer. These changes modify the capability of the electronic charges to travel through the material, which effectively changes the position where they meet within the active layer and thereby from where the light is generated. Imagine two trains departing simultaneously and towards each other, one departing from Stockholm and one departing from Umea. If the trains have the same speed, they meet in the middlelet's say Sundsvall. But if we now consciously put a slower locomotive on the train from Stockholm, the trains will meet closer to Stockholm, such as Gavle. "In the train analogy, it does not matter where the trains meet, but in an LEC it has an enormous effect and what we have succeeded in is gaining control over where the trains (i.e., where the charges) meet," says Joan Rafols-Ribe. The take-home message from the study is that it is possible to control the position where light is generated in an LEC through rational and low-cost modifications of the materials in the active layer, resulting in a simple route to higher LEC performance. Explore further Bright and efficient light without rare metals More information: Joan RafolsRibe et al, Controlling the Emission Zone by Additives for Improved LightEmitting Electrochemical Cells, Advanced Materials (2021). Journal information: Advanced Materials Joan RafolsRibe et al, Controlling the Emission Zone by Additives for Improved LightEmitting Electrochemical Cells,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202107849 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Forest restoration schemes should prioritize restoring native forests for greatest climate and environmental benefits, but these benefits incur a trade-off with wood production in comparison with tree plantations. Diverse native forests store more above-ground carbon, provide more water to nearby streams, and better support biodiversity and prevent soil erosion than simple tree plantations, a major new study published today in the journal Science has foundbut plantations have an advantage in wood production. The study looked at the relative benefits of restoring native forests versus establishing a range of simple tree plantations in terms of biodiversity conservation and four key functions of value to humansor 'ecosystem services'provided by a forest: carbon storage, soil erosion control, water provisioning, and wood production. Forest restoration is gathering pace worldwide, in part as a way to tackle climate change: deforestation is a major source of carbon emissions, and forest restoration can be a 'nature-based climate solution' to counter global warming. In many cases, forest restoration is also conducted for the water provisioning and flood regulation functions of forests, and as a means to prevent soil erosion and produce wood products. "Establishing a tree plantation is useful for producing woodbut not so good for restoring biodiversity. This is a huge missed opportunity for conservation," said Dr. Fangyuan Hua, a researcher previously based in the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, and first author of the paper. Hua now works at Peking University's Institute of Ecology in China. She added: "When the goal of a forest restoration scheme includes wood production, then there's a trade-off to be made between environmental and production outcomes." Forest restoration schemes aimed at providing ecosystem services tend to involve tree plantations of just one or a small number of tree species, rather than the restoration of diverse native forests, based on an implicit assumption that tree plantations are just as effective in delivering these services. But the authors say there is no robust scientific evidence for this. The current synthesis involved an international, cross-disciplinary team of researchers from seven countries, and it is based on an unprecedentedly large database consisting of almost 26,000 records from 264 studies conducted in 53 countries. "This is the first time that the relative performance of different forest restoration approaches in delivering forests' most salient services has been assessed simultaneously. We can now begin to understand the synergies and trade-offs across different restoration goals, and so help inform decision-making," said Professor Andrew Balmford in the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, senior author of the paper. The study found that as with biodiversity, all three environment-oriented ecosystem servicesaboveground carbon storage, soil erosion control, and water provisioningare delivered better by native forests than by tree plantations. Soil erosion control in particular has the most to lose from plantation-style forest restoration, and the shortfall of plantations in water provisioning is more serious in drier climatesprecisely where water is scarcer. "When restoration goals are about environmental benefits, even if not specifically for the sake of biodiversity conservation, we should aim to restore native forestsand biodiversity will gain as a co-benefit," said Hua. However, for wood production, the limited evidence available showed that tree plantations can outperform native forests, highlighting a critical trade-off. Tree plantations worldwide typically use fast-growing species like pines, firs, and Eucalyptus. These trees tend to grow tall and straight, and in actively managed plantations their growth is often enhanced by fertilizers and weeding to prevent other plants competing for nutrition and light. In contrast, native forests contain a mix of different tree, shrub, and herbaceous species, and they tend not to be managed for growth. This provides a more suitable habitat with diverse food and other resources for a range of plants and animals to thrive, but also means that wood production may be less efficient. "The trade-off between the environmental and production benefits a forest can provide has not been discussed much before. Restoration probably cannot meet all goals at once," said Professor David Edwards at the University of Sheffield's School of Biosciences and another senior author of the study. In addition to a need to weigh competing goals, this finding also means that plantations might indirectly provide environmental benefits, by allowing other, higher-biodiversity forests to be 'spared' from being cut down for wood production. "Plantations need to be integrated into a coherent land-use plan, so that their better performance at producing wood gets translated into improved conservation of environmentally valuable forests elsewhere," Balmford added. The study also found that for many old or abandoned plantations across the world that seem no longer used for wood production, their environmental performance falls short of native forests. Given that these plantations seem to be common, there are probably significant environmental benefits to be gained from restoring them to native forests. The United Nations (UN) have declared 2021-2030 the 'UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'. Along with many other climate-related initiatives, this promotes the scaling-up of restoration efforts on a global scale to breathe new life into our degraded ecosystems, including the restoration of forests on millions of hectares of deforested and degraded land across the world. Such restoration efforts have the potential to generate immense environmental and social benefitsbut only if they are guided by a robust understanding of their consequences for environmental and other outcomes. Explore further Tropical forests regrow surprisingly fast More information: Fangyuan Hua et al, The ecosystem service and biodiversity contributions and trade-offs of contrasting forest restoration approaches, Science (2022). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abl4649 Journal information: Science Fangyuan Hua et al, The ecosystem service and biodiversity contributions and trade-offs of contrasting forest restoration approaches,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abl4649 ENSO impacts on wintertime PM 2.5 pollution in megacity clusters in China. Credit: Biyin Xie Since 2013, China has implemented a series of emission reduction policies, such as the "Clean Air Action" and the "Blue Sky Protection Campaign." Accordingly, the concentrations of air pollutants have generally decreased significantly. However, PM 2.5 pollution still occurs in China under unfavorable weather conditions. El NinoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) is the strongest signal that modulates the interannual variations in the oceanatmosphere system near the equator. It oscillates between its warm period (El Nino) and cold period (La Nina) and can significantly influence aerosol concentrations. Recently, a team lead by Prof. Yang Yang from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology studied the variability of wintertime PM 2.5 concentrations in four megacity clusters in China during ENSO events from 2014 to 2021. Their paper reveals that the wintertime PM 2.5 concentrations in the BeijingTianjinHebei and Fenwei Plain regions during El Nino years are higher than those during La Nina years, which can be explained by the anomalous winds during ENSO events. In the Pearl River Delta region, PM 2.5 concentrations decrease in El Nino relative to La Nina years owing to the enhanced precipitation in El Nino events. In the Yangtze River Delta region, the comprehensive effects of wind and precipitation anomalies lead to the unpredictability of the impacts of ENSO on PM 2.5 . "ENSO's modulation of PM 2.5 can be stronger than the year-by-year emission changes," says Prof. Yang. The results have been published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters. Explore further Strong El Nino events could increase near-surface ozone in China More information: Biyin Xie et al, Impacts of ENSO on wintertime PM2.5 pollution over China during 20142021, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters (2022). Biyin Xie et al, Impacts of ENSO on wintertime PM2.5 pollution over China during 20142021,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.aosl.2022.100189 If a photon carries too little energy, it does not fit inside a proton (left). A photon with sufficiently high energy is so small that it flies into the interior of a proton, where it 'sees' part of the proton (right). Maximum entanglement then becomes visible between the 'seen' and 'unseen' areas. Credit: IFJ PAN Fragments of the interior of a proton have been shown by scientists from Mexico and Poland to exhibit maximum quantum entanglement. The discovery, already confronted with experimental data, allows us to suppose that in some respects the physics of the inside of a proton may have much in common not only with well-known thermodynamic phenomena, but even with the physics of... black holes. Various fragments of the inside of a proton must be maximally entangled with each other, otherwise theoretical predictions would not agree with the data collected in experiments, it was shown in European Physical Journal C. The theoretical model (which extends the original proposal by physicists Dimitri Kharzeev and Eugene Levin) makes it possible to suppose that, contrary to current belief, the physics operating inside protons may be related to such concepts as entropy or temperature, which in turn may relate it to such exotic objects as black holes. The authors of the discovery are Dr. Martin Hentschinski from the Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico and Dr. Krzysztof Kutak from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Cracow, Poland. The Mexican-Polish theorists analyzed the situation in which electrons are fired at protons. When an incoming electron carrying a negative electric charge approaches a positively charged proton, it interacts with it electromagnetically and deflects its path. Electromagnetic interaction means that a photon has been exchanged between the electron and the proton. The stronger the interaction, the greater the change in momentum of the photon and therefore the shorter the associated electromagnetic wave. "If a photon is 'short' enough to 'fits' inside a proton, it begins to 'resolve' details of its internal structure. The result of interacting with this sort of photon can be the decay of the proton into particles. We have shown that there is entanglement between the two situations. If the observation by the photon of the interior part of the proton leads to its decay into a number of particles, let's say three, then the number of particles originating from the unobserved part of the proton is determined by the number of particles seen in the observed part of the proton," explains Dr. Kutak. We can speak of quantum entanglement of various quantum objects, if certain characteristic of the objects are related to each other in a particular way. The classical analogy of the phenomenon can be represented by the toss of a coin. Let's assume that one object is one side of the coin, and the other object is its other side. When we flip a coin, there is the same probability that the coin will land heads or tails facing up. If it lands heads up, we know for sure that the other side is tails. We can then speak of maximum entanglement since the probability which determines the value of an object's characteristic does not favor any possible value: we have a 50% chance of heads and the same for tails. A smaller than maximum entanglement occurs when the probability starts to favor one of the possible outcomes to a greater or lesser extent. "Our study shows that the interior of a proton seen by a passing photon must be entangled with the unseen part in just this maximal manner, as suggested by Kharzeev and Levin. In practice, this means that we have no chance of predicting whether, due to interaction with the photon, the proton will decay into three, four or any other number of particles," explains Dr. Hentschinski. The new theoretical predictions have already been verified. If entanglement inside the proton were not maximal, there would be discrepancies between theoretical calculations and the results of the H1 experiment at the HERA accelerator at the DESY center in Hamburg, where positrons (i.e. antiparticles of the electrons) were collided with protons until 2007. Such discrepancies were not observed. The success of the Polish-Mexican tandem is due to the fact that the researchers managed to correctly identify the factors responsible for the maximum entanglement of the proton interior. In the naive schoolbook view, the proton is a system of three elementary particles: two up quarks and one down quark. However, the strong interactions between these quarks, carried by gluons, can be so strong that they lead to the creation of virtual particle-antiparticle pairs. These can be not only pairs of virtual gluons (which are their own antiparticles), but also pairs made up of any quark and its corresponding antiparticle (even one as massive as charm). All this means that inside the proton, apart from three valence quarks, there are constantly 'boiling' seas of virtual gluons and virtual quarks and antiquarks. "In earlier publications, physicists dealing with the subject assumed that the source of entanglement should be a sea of gluons. Later, attempts were made to show that quarks and antiquarks are the dominant source of entanglement, but even here the proposed methods of description did not stand the test of time. Meanwhile, according to our model, verified by confrontation with experimental data, the sea of virtual gluons is responsible for about 80% of the entanglement, while the sea of virtual quarks and antiquarks is responsible for the remaining 20%," emphasizes Dr. Kutak. Most recently, quantum physicists have been associating entropy with the state inside a proton. This is a quantity well known from classical thermodynamics, where it is used to measure the degree of disordered motion of particles in an analyzed system. It is assumed that when a system is disordered, it has high entropy, whereas an ordered system has low entropy. It has recently been shown that in the case of the proton, we can successfully talk about entanglement entropy. However, many physicists have considered the proton to be a pure quantum state in which one should not speak of entropy at all. The consistency of the Mexican-Polish model with experiment is a strong argument for the fact that the concept of entanglement inside the proton as proposed by Kharzeev and Levin has a point. Last but not least, since entanglement entropy is also related to concepts such as the surface area of black holes, the latest result opens an interesting field for further research. Explore further New insight into the internal structure of the proton More information: Martin Hentschinski et al, Evidence for the maximally entangled low x proton in Deep Inelastic Scattering from H1 data, The European Physical Journal C (2022). Martin Hentschinski et al, Evidence for the maximally entangled low x proton in Deep Inelastic Scattering from H1 data,(2022). DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10056-y Provided by The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences This handout illustration courtesy of NASA released on October 22, 2020 shows Nasa's new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), in its Block 1 crew vehicle configuration that will send astronauts to the Moon on the Artemis missions. NASA's massive new rocket began its first journey to a launchpad on Thursday ahead of a battery of tests that will clear it to blast off to the Moon this summer. It left the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building around 5:47 pm Eastern Time (2147 GMT) and began an 11-hour journey on a crawler-transporter to the hallowed Launch Complex 39B, four miles (6.5 kilometers) away. Around 10,000 people had gathered to watch the event. Huge rocket, huge cost With the Orion crew capsule fixed on top, the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 stands 322 feet (98 meters) hightaller than the Statue of Liberty, but a little smaller than the 363 feet Saturn V rockets that powered the Apollo missions to the Moon. Despite this, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of maximum thrust (39.1 Meganewtons), 15 percent more than the Saturn V, meaning it's expected to be the world's most powerful rocket at the time it begins operating. "Ladies and gentlemen, the world's most powerful rocket ever right here!" NASA administrator Bill Nelson told a crowd. "We imagine, we build, we never stop pushing the envelope of what is possible." A symbol of US space ambition, it also comes with a hefty price tag: $4.1 billion per launch for the first four Artemis missions, NASA Inspector General Paul Martin told Congress this month. After reaching the launchpad, there are roughly two more weeks' worth of checks before what's known as the "wet dress rehearsal." The SLS team will load more than 700,000 gallons (3.2 million liters) of cryogenic propellant into the rocket and practice every phase of launch countdown, stopping ten seconds before blast off. To the Moon and beyond NASA is targeting May as the earliest window for Artemis-1, an uncrewed lunar mission that will be the first integrated flight for SLS and Orion. SLS will first place Orion into a low Earth orbit, and then, using its upper stage, perform what's called a trans-lunar injection. This maneuver is necessary to send Orion 280,000 miles beyond Earth and 40,000 miles beyond the Moonfurther than any spaceship capable of carrying humans has ventured. With the Orion crew capsule fixed on top, the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 stands 322 feet (98 meters) hightaller than the Statue of Liberty, but a little smaller than the 363 feet Saturn V rockets that powered the Apollo missions to the Moon. On its three-week mission, Orion will deploy 10 shoebox size satellites known as CubeSats to gather information on the deep space environment. Its "passengers" will include three mannequins collecting radiation data, and a plush Snoopy toy, long a NASA mascot. It will journey around the far side of the Moon, using thrust provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) thruster, and finally make its way back to Earth, where its heat shield will be tested against the atmosphere. Splashdown takes place in the Pacific, off the coast of California. Artemis-2 will be the first crewed test, flying around the Moon but not landing, while Artemis-3, planned for 2025, will see the first woman and first person of color touch down on the lunar south pole. NASA wants to build a permanent presence on the Moon, and use it as a proving ground for technologies necessary for a Mars mission, sometime in the 2030s, using a Block 2 evolution of the SLS. SLS v Starship NASA calls SLS a "super heavy lift exploration class vehicle." The only currently operational super heavy rocket is SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, which is smaller. Elon Musk's company is also developing its own deep space rocket, the fully reusable Starship, which he has said should be ready for an orbital test this year. Starship would be both bigger and more powerful than SLS: 394 feet tall with 17 million pounds of thrust. It could also be considerably cheaper. The tycoon has suggested that within years, the cost per launch could be as little as $10 million. Direct comparisons are complicated by the fact that while SLS is designed to fly direct to its destinations, SpaceX foresees putting a Starship into orbit, and then refueling it with another Starship so it can continue its journey, to extend range and payload. NASA has also contracted a version of Starship as a lunar descent vehicle for Artemis. Other super heavy rockets under development include Blue Origin's New Glenn, China's Long March 9 and Russia's Yenisei. Explore further NASA rules out April for Artemis I launch, could target May 2022 AFP Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A group of Russian and Ukrainian cyber-hackers were clearly risk-takers. But their actions after stealing embargoed news releases for publicly-traded companies shows trades based on the lifted information were far from reckless, new research shows. Between 2010 and 2015, hackers had access to 9000 press releases from three large newswire companies. They were made available to a select group of traders living in the US who had given the hackers "shopping lists" of companies whose information they wanted before it was publicly released through the newswires. The traders typically traded on the stolen information for several hours before markets closed and when the news releases were officially published. It collectively earned them more than $100 million before prosecutors in the United States busted the scheme. The evidence gathered for the case, meanwhile, proved a "phenomenal" resource for researchers, says information economics researcher Charles Martineau, an assistant professor of finance at University of Toronto Scarborough and Rotman School of Management. Such insider trading is usually hard to study because it is hidden. Here, researchers were able to see what happened when firms' news releases were stolen and when they were not, due to newswires temporarily plugging the breaches to their computer systems. "It allows us to answer fundamental questions in finance," says Prof. Martineau. That includes how privately-obtained information, legal or not, affects individual trading choices, what impact that small amount of trading on private information has on a stock's price, and how sensitive are liquidity providersthose doing the buying and selling on the other endto the traders' activities. Prof. Martineau and his co-researchers, Pat Akey, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Toronto Mississauga and the Rotman School, and Vincent Gregoire, of HEC Montreal, found that the traders preferred larger companies with strong analyst coverage and a greater ability to convert their shares into cash. They actively traded on firms where both the hard, numbers-based earnings information, and softer, text-based information gave similar signals about the future. They also traded when companies showed significant gaps between their trading price and value revealed through the stolen releases. "They were pretty good at inferring what were the best set of stocks to trade on," says Prof. Martineau. "If the soft and the hard information pointed in different directions, they would avoid these firms." But the market quickly grew wise to the unusual activity. Liquidity providers adjusted their prices in the face of the trading spikes, charging more when selling and offering less when buying. By the time markets reopened following official publication of the news releases and after the illegal trading, stocks had already incorporated up to 50 percent of the news into their prices. Prof. Martineau said he was surprised by that high level of price incorporation. The research also holds lessons for traders who follow the rules. "If you don't have both hard and soft signals, you are really at risk of not knowing how prices will respond to news," he says. "The market cares not only about the numbers but also the text of the press release." The study is published in the March 2022 issue of the Journal of Financial Economics. Explore further Ukrainian hacker sentenced in stolen news releases scheme More information: Pat Akey et al, Price revelation from insider trading: Evidence from hacked earnings news, Journal of Financial Economics (2022). Journal information: Journal of Financial Economics Pat Akey et al, Price revelation from insider trading: Evidence from hacked earnings news,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.12.006 An employee clears products fallen from shelves at a convenience store in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan Wednesday, March 16, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake shook off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami advisory. Credit: Kyodo News via AP A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday night, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing four people. A small tsunami reached shore, but the low-risk advisory was lifted by Thursday morning. The region is part of northern Japan that was devastated by a deadly 9.0 quake and tsunami 11 years ago that caused nuclear reactor meltdowns, spewing massive radiation that still makes some parts uninhabitable. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a parliamentary session Thursday morning that four people died during the quake and the cause of their deaths are being investigated, while 97 others were injured. A man in his 60s in Soma city died after falling from the second floor of his house while trying to evacuate, and a man in his 70s panicked and suffered a heart attack, Kyodo News reported earlier. The Japan Meteorological Agency early Thursday lifted its low-risk advisory for a tsunami along the coasts of Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. Tsunami waves of 30 centimeters (11 inches) reached shore in Ishinomaki, about 390 kilometers (242 miles) northeast of Tokyo. The agency upgraded the magnitude of the quake to 7.4 from the initial 7.3, and the depth from 60 kilometers (36 miles) below the sea to 56 kilometers (35 miles). Furniture and electrical appliance are scattered at an apartment in Fukushima, northern Japan Wednesday, March 16, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake shook off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami advisory.Credit: Kyodo News via AP NHK footage showed broken walls of a department store building fell to the ground and shards of windows scattered on the street near the main train station in the inland prefectural capital of Fukushima city. Roads were cracked and water poured out from pipes underground. Footage also showed furniture and appliances smashed to the floor at apartments in Fukushima. Cosmetics and other merchandise at convenience stores fell from shelves and scattered on the floor. In Yokohama, near Tokyo, an electric pole nearly fell. The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where the cooling systems failed after the 2011 disaster, said workers found no abnormalities at the site, which is being decommissioned. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said a fire alarm went off at the turbine building of No. 5 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi but there was no actual fire. Water pumps for the spent fuel cooling pool at two of the four reactors at Fukushima Daini briefly stopped, but later resumed operation. Fukushima Daini, which survived the 2011 tsunami, is also set for decommissioning. Furniture and electrical appliance are scattered at an apartment in Fukushima, northern Japan Wednesday, March 16, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake shook off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami advisory.Credit: Kyodo News via AP More than 2.2 million homes were temporarily without electricity in 14 prefectures, including the Tokyo region, but power was restored at most places by the morning, except for about 37,000 homes in the hardest hit Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, according to the Tohoku Electric Power Co. which services the region. The quake shook large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings swayed violently. East Japan Railway Co. said most of its train services were suspended for safety checks. Some local trains later resumed service. Many people formed long lines outside of major stations while waiting for trains to resume operation late Wednesday, but trains in Tokyo operated normally Thursday morning. A Tohoku Shinkansen express train partially derailed between Fukushima and Miyagi due to the quake, but nobody was injured, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. People make a line to wait for taxi in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan early Thursday, March 17, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: Kyodo News via AP Products are scattered at a convenience store in Fukushima, northern Japan Wednesday, March 16, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake shook off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami advisory. Credit: Kyodo News via AP A vehicle drives past on a street during a black out in Tokyo Thursday, March 17, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: Kyodo News via AP Walls are fallen at an apartment in Fukushima, northern Japan Thursday, March 17, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: Kyodo News via AP People walk on a street during a black out in Tokyo Thursday, March 17, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: Kyodo News via AP People wait at a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, as services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae People stand around a gate of a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, as services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae A station staffer, left helps a passenger at a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, as ride services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae A station master helps customers at a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, as ride services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae Station staffers help a passenger at a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, as services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae People stand around a gate of a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, as services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae People stand around a gate of a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, as all the services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae People stand around a gate of a Tokyo train station in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, as all the services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae A worker of meteorological bureau speaks during a press conference in Tokyo Thursday, March 17, 2022, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: Kyodo News via AP People wait for a bus in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district as street lights went out early Thursday, March 17, 2022, after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae People wait for train services to resume at Tokyo Station in Tokyo, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, as all the services were suspended after an earthquake hit the area. A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory and plunging more than 2 million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae He told reporters that the government was assessing the extent of damage and promised to do its utmost for rescue and relief operations. "Please first take action to save your life," Kishida tweeted. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said authorities were scrambling to assess damage. "We are doing our utmost in rescue operations and putting people's lives first," he said. He urged residents in the affected areas to use extra caution for possible major aftershocks for about a week. Explore further Powerful quake rattles Japan, tsunami advisory issued 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Surface illustrations of the enzyme Mmp10, showing (top) the protein with the complete set of co-factors required for the enzymatic reaction to occur (namely: the SF4 cluster, the SAM and the cobalamin COB), and (bottom) the enzyme in action while accommodating the peptide for Methyl transfer. The research team has elucidated the crystallographic details of the reaction and proposed a mechanism by which the protein activates a partner protein that stands as a major contributor of naturally occurring methane production in archaea, which accounts for about two-thirds of global methane production. Credit: Leo Chavas While methane accounts for about 16% of the abundance in the atmosphere of greenhouse gaseswhich also include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vaporit is more than 25 times better than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. Two-thirds of global methane release is believed to be through natural emission during anaerobic activity of primitive single-celled microorganisms called archaea. Understanding the precise mechanism by which archaea produce methane could lead to technology that reduces methane production by archaea and helps in the fight against global warming. Archaea are distinct from bacteria mainly because of their habitat and sources of energy. The so-called methanogen archaea emit methane as a byproduct of energy generation necessary for their survival. The biomolecule responsible for methane formation is the so-called Methyl-Coenzyme M Reductase (or MCR) protein that induces the chemical conversion. In order for MCR to catalyze this reversible reaction, it needs to be activated by a partner protein that belongs to the superfamily of B12-dependent radical S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (or SAM) enzymes. The superfamily of radical SAM enzymes contains over 200,000 independent-sequenced proteins. It has been associated with a multitude of natural processes, including the biosynthesis of antibiotics and chlorophyll. One of these key enzymes (Mmp10) is responsible for the activation of the MCR protein and is therefore involved in the regulation of its methane formation. The ubiquity of SAM enzymes across the biosphere reflects their importance in catalyzing reactions that are fundamental to all types of life. However, the mechanisms balancing their biological activities remains poorly understood. To decipher the activities of the Mmp10 SAM enzyme, Dr. Olivier Berteau, from the Micalis Institute, Universite Paris-Saclay, assembled a team of scientific experts with various complementary areas of expertise, including other researchers from that university, Aix Marseille University and Synchrotron SOLEIL in France, as well as Nagoya University in Japan. The results of the investigation were published online in the journal Nature on Feb 2, 2022. Key to the activity of B12-dependent radical SAM enzymes is a simple yet powerful mechanism for triggering the catalytic reaction. The difficulty in getting the enzyme to simultaneously accommodate all the actors involved in the reaction has meant that little structural information had been available that could help explain how the reaction works. To remedy this, the research team combined crystallographic results with biochemical and biophysical data to explain how B12-dependent radical SAM proteins regulate their activity, down to atomic-level details. The Mmp10 enzymatic mechanism was imaged with all actors of the reaction present. The results of this research have implications for the development of biotechnologies that would control key enzymatic events, particularly those implicated in methane emission, helping in the fight against global warming. Co-author Professor Leo Chavas, of Nagoya University, is excited by the results of this long-term investigation. "A total of 137 proteins were screened at a leading synchrotron facility in France to get a glimpse of these rare events, which are so difficult to catch. This research also opens the door to biotech developments." Explore further Universal mechanism of methane formation discovered More information: Cameron D. Fyfe et al, Crystallographic snapshots of a B12-dependent radical SAM methyltransferase, Nature (2022). Journal information: Nature Cameron D. Fyfe et al, Crystallographic snapshots of a B12-dependent radical SAM methyltransferase,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04355-9 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain While much of the focus on education during the pandemic has involved the effects on children in schools, it is also having a negative impact on teachers, administrators, social workers, psychologists and school staff. Approximately one-third of teachers report that they experienced at least one incident of verbal harassment or threat of violence from students during the pandemic, and almost 50% expressed a plan or desire to quit or transfer jobs, according to a survey conducted by a task force of the American Psychological Association. "As teachers and schools learn to adjust to the realities of education during COVID, it is important to understand school safety concerns and how best to address them to create an effective and safe environment for students, teachers and school staff," said Susan Dvorak McMahon, Ph.D., of DePaul University, chair of the APA Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel, which conducted the survey in collaboration with national education and related organizations. The task force surveyed 14,966 participants9,370 teachers, 860 administrators, 1,499 school psychologists and social workers, and 3,237 other pre-K through 12th grade school staff members (e.g., paraprofessionals, instructional aides, school resource officers, school counselors) from all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. As described in a technical report that elaborates on the survey, the largest portion of the participants came from the Southern U.S. (38.17%), while the Northeast accounted for the fewest participants (13.12%). More than 94% of participants were from public schools. The racial/ethnic distribution of the entire sample was similar to the racial/ethnic distribution of teachers in the United States. Data was collected from July 2020 to June 2021, while many schools were operating in online or hybrid modes due to the pandemic. Participants were asked about their experience with threats of violence (including verbal harassment, threats or cyberbullying) from students, parents/guardians, colleagues and administrators, as well as physical violence from students. They were also asked about their desire or intention to quit, retire early or transfer to another position in the school or school district. The survey also included a series of open-ended, qualitative questions asking participants to share details of their experiences, expand on their concerns and offer recommendations for solutions. One out of every three teachers (33%) reported at least one incident of verbal harassment or threatening behavior from a student, and 29% reported at least one incident from a parent of a student. The numbers were even higher for school administrators: Approximately 37% reported at least one incident of harassment or threat of violence from a student and 42% reported the same from a parent. Approximately 14% of teachers reported incidents of physical violence from a student. And it wasn't just teachers. At least 18% of school psychologists and social workers, 15% of school administrators and 22% of other school staff reported at least one violent incident by a student during the pandemic. "I have been physically assaulted multiple times by students in the building and they know that not only is there no one to stop them, but there will be no consequences either," said one teacher who responded to an open-ended question on school safety concerns. "I ended up in the hospital the last time it happened." The toll of all the harassment and violence against teachers and school staff is formidable, according to McMahon. The survey found nearly half (49%) of teachers expressed a desire or plan to quit or transfer to another school. More teachers reported a desire to quit (43%) than to transfer (26%). Although not as high as among teachers, a large percentage of school psychologists and school social workers (34%), school administrators (31%) and other school staff (29%) also reported a desire or plan to quit or transfer. "Violence against educators is a public health problem, and we need comprehensive, research-based solutions," said McMahon. "Current and future decisions to leave the field of education affect the quality of our schools and the next generations of learners, teachers and school leaders in the nation. Physical and verbal violence directed against school personnel may be exacerbating reports of high stress, transfers and leaving the profession." In response to the survey findings, the task force offered recommendations to address violence against school personnel, including: Supporting the mental health of school personnel as well as students and promoting trauma-informed practices. Enhancing school organizational functioning by including educators' voices in decision-making. Increasing school capacity by meeting the professional development needs of educators and school personnel and addressing the socio-emotional and mental health needs of students. Providing research-based systemic training to prevent school violence and reducing the use of zero tolerance policies in response to troubling behavior, a practice that has not been found to reduce infractions. Improving preparation programs for educators by providing more training to help better understand and address the social-emotional needs not only of students but of themselves and other educators. The task force also identified a series of actions that could be taken by Congress, including enacting bills being considered and funding priorities that could help address the issues identified by the survey. Members of the APA task force that conducted the study were: Susan D. McMahon (DePaul University), Eric M. Anderman (The Ohio State University), Ron Avi Astor (University of California, Los Angeles), Dorothy L. Espelage (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), Andrew Martinez (Center for Court Innovation), Linda A. Reddy (Rutgers University), and Frank C. Worrell (University of California, Berkeley). The APA task force planned to present these findings at a congressional briefing March 17, joined by national co-sponsoring organizations that included the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of School Social Workers and School Social Work Association of America. Explore further E-cigarette policies at schools may be insufficient without staff training Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new report summarizes the findings of an international events series hosted by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) last year in the run up to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow. The COP26 "adaptation and resilience events series" showcased collaborative, locally-led, and globally relevant research aligned to the UK COP26 presidency's adaptation loss and damage theme. It focused on how we can respond to and prepare for the impacts of climate change in a wide range of locations across the globe. International participants, comprising governments and policy makers, funders, businesses, and researchers from a range of disciplines concluded that: there is an urgent need to accelerate more ambitious and coordinated climate adaptation action strengthening links between adaptation research, policy and practice and facilitating cross-stakeholder dialog is key for driving research into action innovative and accessible finance is required from both the public and private sectors to support adaptation at a range of scales reducing the impact of climate change on biodiversity and local ecosystems can enhance the ability of local communities to adapt learning from responses to the COVID-19 outbreak around the scale and speed of global research collaboration and coordination achievable would support the response to climate change. Eighteen events were co-hosted with 12 partner countries and international research teams. The events highlighted the importance of taking multidisciplinary approaches to future climate adaptation research and ensuring equitable research partnerships. Embedding local knowledge throughout the research and enabling co-design of solutions by local stakeholders from a range of sectors is fundamental to achieving effective and inclusive adaptation. Monitoring, evaluation, and data sharing, with input from local communities were also cited as crucial for assessing the success of climate adaptation interventions. The launch event took place in the UK in June 2021, with nine subsequent events co-hosted by partners across: Africa Latin America and in Chile China India Philippines Thailand. A further nine thematically-focused events were organized by the research community, covering topics such as: ocean and insect resilience the impact of climate change on human health. Dr. Sarah Webb, Associate Director, International at the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UKRI, said: "This events series has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the challenges of adapting to climate change. It recommends a way ahead to help governments worldwide turn COP26 commitments into action. "There is a clear role for UKRI to meet demand for relevant, accessible climate adaptation data and evidence. We are also embedding adaptation, collaboration and equity across all our research." Explore further Review highlights poor responses to climate adaptation and invasive species management in four countries Provided by UK Research and Innovation Senior CPC official meets with Cambodian deputy PM Xinhua) 08:41, March 17, 2022 Chen Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee's Organization Department, meets with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth, also Cambodia's economy and finance minister, via video link in Beijing, capital of China, March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Chen Xi, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth via video link on Wednesday. Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee's Organization Department, said China stands ready to work with Cambodia to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including civil service administration, to further enrich the connotations of the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership between the two countries. Aun Pornmoniroth, also Cambodia's economy and finance minister, expressed gratitude to China for its aid in Cambodia's economic and social development. He said Cambodia is willing to continue to deepen practical cooperation and further advance bilateral ties. The two sides witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries' civil service departments. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) A screenshot from the app. Credit: George Mason University A new web-based app developed by a George Mason University professor visualizes near-real-time data collected from media sources on the ground in Ukraine. The app allows users to filter an interactive map of rapidly developing events in specific neighborhoods throughout the besieged country. A link to the original media outlet accompanies each data point representing a military or nonmilitary event. The map is called Ukraine VIINA Dashboard and is based on a dataset from University of Michigan professor Yuri Zhukov's Violent Incident Information from News Articles (VIINA) project. "Our app visualizes geolocated media stories from the event data," said Robert McGrath, the Schar School of Policy and Government associate professor who created the app. "We think that journalists and citizens following the war will find it a useful way to access primary sources in a visually appealing way." McGrath, a political scientist and instructor of research methods and data science tools, had been "obsessively reading about the war on American news outlets and on Reddit, and I was thrilled to have access [from Zhukov's data] to all the Ukrainian and Russian sources that are reporting 'on the ground.'" He was encouraged to bring his computer coding skills to task by fellow Schar School associate professor Eric McGlinchey, who secured Zhukov's cooperation with the app. "I see this as very much in the spirit of 'activist social science,'" McGlinchey said. "The app presents readily understandable information to English-speaking audiences who otherwise could not make sense of the Ukrainian and Russian data sources," he added. "Equally important, our app has a good chance of flying under the radar of Russian state censorship, allowing audiences in Russia a clear picture of what truly is happening in Ukraine." The numbers and colors on the map indicate how many events/stories there are in that area. Red indicates more events; green, fewer events. Users click a cluster to zoom to the area; another click zooms even closer to the location of the media report. "Eventually, when you drill down enough, you'll see individual nodes, which represent actual news stories about an event that took place there," McGrath said. "When you click a node, you'll see metadata about the event, often including a link to the actual story." McGlinchey added that the professors are also working on a database of war crimes committed during the Ukraine crisis and another app that geolocates and provides data on those war crimes. Explore further Fighting propaganda with censorship: A study of the Ukrainian ban on Russian social media Saint Patrick of Ireland was kidnapped, enslaved and starved before finally being reunited with his family and ultimately leading his people to overcome horrific circumstances. With such heroic grit at the heart of the story, the role of luck is debatable here. In celebrating the luck of the Irish, we also celebrate fortunes favoritism of perseverance. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Anger is a searing emotion that is dangerous to wield yet hurts to hold on to. Sometimes you just have to drop it like its hot. It is! Dont get burned. What would it take to cool this off? TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The challenge gets harder. This is happening right on time you were in danger of becoming bored, or worse, letting your skills get dull. Now you have something to sharpen yourself on and exciting reason to try your best. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). As you are well-aware, things are not always what you expect. Anticipation can be half the fun sometimes its 90% of it. For this reason, you savor these moments of not knowing whats coming next. CANCER (June 22-July 22). When life messes with your confidence, you see it as an opportunity to get stronger. Avoid seeking validation, acceptance or other forms of external security. Real security comes from within. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You wont get everyones approval and thats a good thing. Its better to consider many different points of view. The most successful plans and solutions will come out of a diverse team. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There are advantages to being less available. Whats in short supply is more desirable. When people dont know where they stand with you, they will work to win you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Evidence tells the story of the detective who collected it. True facts can be arranged to form untrue stories. Just because a thing can be proven doesnt mean its the only or the fullest version of the truth. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The backup plan is taking up too much room. Its like an unused computer program occupying valuable megabytes that could be spent on a program you do use. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Youll use resources in creative and fun ways. When its time to be compensated, though, you tend to undercut yourself. Let friends and mentors help you set your price. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The amount of energy you have to throw at a problem will have a lot to do with last nights sleep, your nutritional intake and the current emotional demands. Address these areas to set yourself up for future success. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You expect things to go a certain way, though oddly you may not even be aware of these expectations until things do, in fact, not. Unpack it. An exploration into deeper levels of your psyche will be a game changer. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Feelings run deep; youll speak from the heart, words flowing faster than you can process them. Consequently, even you may be surprised at what you have to say. What seems true in the moment isnt always so. TODAYS BIRTHDAY (March 17). You know what you want; this is a blessing to celebrate. Youll use your talent for interacting with people of different generations. Youll be enriched by an encompassing understanding of different worldviews; youll be paid well for your expertise. Youll be proud as those close to you thrive and your group remains tight. Libra and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 19, 3, 34 and 39. CELEBRITY PROFILES: Actor and activist Rob Lowe is among a select group of celebrities who seem able to defy time itself and remain perennially ageless. Maybe its his youthful Mercury and Jupiter in Aries! And those fire-sign aspects are getting plenty of play lately in Lowes heroic role as a firefighter in 9-1-1 Lone Star. Lowe is an artistic Pisces with Mars in this psychic and sensitive sign too. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 QUEENSBURY A Queensbury man was arrested on Wednesday after police said he possessed and promoted images that are consistent with child sexual exploitation. Zachary Buttling, 24, was charged with felony counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child. He was arrested following an investigation that originated from a cyber tip that the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received, according to a news release. State police investigators made the arrest with assistance from the Troop G Computer Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Buttling was arraigned in Warren Town Centralized Arraignment Court and released under his own recognizance. He is due to return to Queensbury Town Court on March 28. LAKE GEORGE The Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board was recognized recently by the North Country Chamber of Commerce for a number of different collaborative projects between the two organizations. Some of the highlights of our collaboration is helping businesses stay up to date with important training programs such as OSHA, shooter safety protocols, forklift training and more, said Kristy Kennedy, vice president of marketing and business development for the NCCC. The regional planning board has made vast improvements within its organization since 2018. The planning board assists local government agencies and businesses with planning, grant writing and environmental projects. Theres a crisis right now in child care support in the area, and the planning board is working with businesses to improve it, Kennedy said. She added, they are also advocating for broadband in the area. The planning board also assists economic growth through business loans, and works closely with five northern counties. Were securing a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Hamilton, Essex, Clinton, Franklin and Washington counties, said Beth Gilles, executive director of the planning board. We started listening to the communities we represent and work with, Gilles said, mentioning that transparency has become a key factor in the way the agency conducts its business now. The planning board faced legal issues in 2018. A state audit revealed misuse of funds by the executive director of the board at the time, Walter Young. A change in leadership has made a huge difference, according to Dave OBrien, chairman of the planning board. An investigation into the planning board was prompted after questions were raised by Travis Whitehead, a Queensbury resident and proclaimed government watchdog in 2018. Whitehead said that when Young was in charge, official business meetings looked more like luncheons, meaning they were unprofessional, under the table and secretive. Theres a general lack of oversight in the area, Whitehead said, referring to other agencies, such as the Warren County Local Development Corp., of which he is a member. OBrien commented that one of the biggest challenges in running a regional board is following up with loans and projects and to watch whats happening. The recent success of the board is coming from Beth. Shes making sure all the county members attend the meetings and shes making sure were following up, OBrien said. More recently, Whitehead said he has observed the improvements of the regional planning board. Whitehead said he plans on putting forth a proposal to disband the Warren County Local Development Corp., adding that regional projects should be consolidated and handled by the regional planning board instead of the LDC. The LDCs annual report showed that we had achieved very little in the last year, Whitehead said. Imagine having too many coffee shops in the same neighborhood. Some shops will not do well. This is the case with there being too many economic development organizations in the area, he said. The regional planning board is multi-faceted in the way it operates and can do more than the LDC, Whitehead said. Some of the most current projects the regional planning board is involved with include invigorating main streets throughout the region. The pandemic made people look at their main streets. Were helping bring investment for facade improvements, Gilles said. Drew Wardle is a reporter for The Post-Star. You can contact him at 518-681-7343 or email him at dwardle@poststar.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Not only has the home at 878 21st St. in Avalon been at the forefront of rejuvenation in an exclusive section of Seven Mile Island, the home stands out as one of a scant few that directly border the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway. The waterway is an inland water route spanning most of the eastern seaboard, predominantly on the bay sides of the East Coast from Massachusetts down to Florida. Its inlets, rivers and bays were interconnected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with roots dating to the mid-19th century to improve water navigation without the need to venture into the ocean. Its a dynamic location, being perched right on the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway, says Dan Bowersock, a lifelong Seven Mile Island resident and real estate professional for 33 years. Thats a distinguishing characteristic, because relatively few homes in Avalon and Stone Harbor are on the Intracoastal. Theres a distinct difference between most back-bay waterways and the Intracoastal, which gets much more boating activity and therefore has an enhanced visual appeal. The five-bedroom, two-bathroom home is located on the far west end of a small island, less than a mile long, and connected to the main borough of Avalon via the 21st Street Bridge. Built in 2014, the home is part of an entire section of Avalon that is undergoing a sort of renaissance of newer construction, including the reworking of all utility lines underground. The home has more than 100 feet of lot frontage along the bay, complete with an incredible docking system. There is ample private parking for several cars, including a covered space under the elevated first floor. The home has two large wrap-around decks, and is designed to maximize its waterfront views in all directions. The homes located on the opposite side of the street are all set back quite a distance from the street, thereby creating an open, uncongested feel, and an unusual level of privacy, says Bowersock, the homes listing agent. Youre pretty secluded from all of the activity that the rest of the island tends to see during the heart of the summertime. The number of boaters and people on the water will be your measuring stick, so to speak, of how busy the island is. This property has been owned by the current family for nearly a century, says Bowersock. There used to be a little old fishing shack on the property, and the current owners demolished that and replaced it with this much more substantial home, he says. Its an upside-down design, meaning you have a nice living room, dining room and kitchen area on the upper level (with four of its five bedrooms on the lower level), giving you exceptional, panoramic views in all directions. Its an amazing spot, he adds. That part of the island tends to get excellent unobstructed breezes that can be really refreshing when the summertime heats up. Plus, youll get great sunsets to close out each day. For more information or to schedule a tour of this awesome Avalon home, contact real estate agent Daniel Bowersock at Ferguson Dechert Real Estate, Inc. on his direct line at 609-967-0210, or email him at Dan@Avalonproperties.com. Visit AvalonProperties.com for additional information. The Art Gallery at Atlantic Cape Community College will host its annual Celebrate Atlantic Cape art show March 21 through May 27, with an opening reception scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23. Celebrate Atlantic Cape showcases art work from faculty, staff, and members of the community who have participated in the colleges continuing education workshops. Artists may drop off up to three 2-D or 3-D works through March 11 at the gallery. Be sure that the works are ready to hang on the walker system in the gallery. No sawtooth hangers or extremely heavy frames permitted. The Atlantic Cape Art Gallery is located inside the William J. Spangler Library (D building) on the Mays Landing campus, 5100 E. Black Horse Pike. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 3p.m. Friday and Saturday. The gallery is closed on Sunday. For more information or to submit works for review, send inquiries/submissions to kaikens@atlantic.edu with the subject line Celebrate Atlantic Cape 2022. CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE From local suffragists like Dille Hastings and Katherine Hand to national icons like Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Cape May County Clerk Rita Rothberg detailed the history of the womens suffrage movement during a presentation Tuesday, March 8 at Atlantic Cape Community College Cape May County campus. The womens rights movement was the offspring of abolition, Rothberg told the room of 16 attendees in-person and 35 attending virtually. In the service of anti-slavery, women found their voices. The discussion held on International Womens Day was the kick-off event to Atlantic Cape hosting the Smithsonian Institutions traveling Voices and Votes: Democracy in America exhibition at its Mays Landing campus this summer. Rothbergs presentation, The Voice is our Vote: Cape May County and Suffrage, focused on suffragists in Cape May County. It was researched through public records including historical local newspapers. The presentation included discussion on how advancements like the railroad helped pave the way for the suffrage movement to plant roots in Cape May County, and how the temperance movement, which sought the prohibition of alcohol, was directly tied to suffrage. It was an incredible experience to get to know what was happening here in Cape May County when suffrage was a big topic in the United States, Rothberg said. She said she particularly was fascinated by how long the process took, and by the dedication of the supporters of womens suffrage. They believed it and they just dedicated their lives to it, Rothberg said. Dr. Denise Coulter, Dean of Professional and Liberal Studies at Atlantic Cape, who is organizing the Voices and Votes programming, said she was captivated by the information in Rothbergs presentation, and grateful to Rothberg for bringing that history to the college. Voices and Votes programming has been made possible at Atlantic Cape Community College by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. Atlantic Cape plans to host several panel discussions and guest speakers monthly until the summer exhibition opens. The next event will feature Dr. David Blake from The College of New Jersey to discuss poet Walt Whitman, who was an influential voice in American culture, but whose legacy is now being reconsidered against modern ideals. Voting is one of the greatest rights we have as citizens, and too often we take it for granted, Coulter said. I want this exhibit and the related events to give our constituencies an opportunity to understand the history and the sacrifices our ancestors made to create and sustain the democracy we know. If our work here inspires someone to become more engaged in the democratic process by registering to vote or to show up to the polls on election day or expressing their view during the public forum of a municipal meeting, then we accomplished our goals. Walt Whitmans complicated American Voice Dr. David Blake from The College of New Jersey will present a discussion on poet Walt Whitmans modern legacy at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 21 in room H116 at the Mays Landing campus, 5100 E. Black Horse Pike. The presentation will be streamed live via Zoom at https://atlantic-edu.zoom.us/j/94460023867. Blake is an English Professor teaching courses in 19th and 20th Century U.S. Literature and Connections Between Politics and Literature. Blake is the author of Walt Whitman and the Culture of Celebrity (Yale) and the co-editor of Walt Whitman, Where the Future Becomes Present (Iowa). For more information on this presentation or Voices and Votes, contact Denise Coulter at dcoulter@atlantic.edu. About Voices and Votes The Voices and Votes exhibition examines the nearly 250-year-old American experiment of a government of, by and for the people, and how each generation since continues to question how to form a more perfect union. The display includes historical and contemporary photos, educational and archival video, engaging multimedia interactives with short games, and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material. Voices and Votes is based on an exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonians National Museum of American History called American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. It is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress. To learn more, visit museumonmainstreet.org. NORTHFIELD Fourth-grade students from Atlantic County were really using their noodles Saturday, March 12 to come up with facts and figures in the first-ever Noodlemania held at the Northfield Community School. Students from the William Ross School in Margate, Seaview School in Linwood, H. Ashton Marsh School in Absecon, Jordan Road School in Somers Point, and Northfield Community School tackled questions on Disney, New Jersey, logic puzzles, pop culture, math, science and geography. With seventh- and eighth-grade proctors keeping an eye on each table, student were given an envelope at the beginning of each round. They had 15 minutes to answer each round of seven questions. The highest total took home the trophy and bragging rights. Each of the schools had fans cheering them on and Margate even brought their mascot, the Tiny Titan for good luck. When all the scores were tallied, host team Northfield Brainy Birds finished in first place with Marshy of Absecon second and the Yellow Tiny Titans of Margate capturing third. The most creative team name went to the Amazing Minds from Somers Point. Linwood was awarded the best sportsmanship award, and Margate won best school spirit. Much like the annual Think Day that brings seventh- and eighth-grade students from Cape May and Atlantic counties to Mainland for a battle of the brains and trivia each year, Noodlemania was a challenge for fourth graders to match their wits with other schools. The result was a fun morning, a chance to gain some confidence, and understanding the importance of teamwork. PLEASANTVILLE St. Marys Episcopal Church at 118 W. Bayview Ave., will host a food distribution event from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, March 22. The community is invited. Fresh produce and vegetables will be included. For more information, call 609-646-1604. KABUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's police and security personnel arrested 2,180 criminal suspects in the Kabul province over the past six months, according to the Kabul police on Thursday. The arrests were made across Kabul city's 22 police districts and a dozen suburban districts and the suspects were believed to be involved in murders, kidnappings, armed robberies, ethical corruption, the possession of illegal weapons, among other cases, the Kabul police department said in a statement. According to the statement, 59 kg of narcotics and 60,000 Tablet-K, a drug with stimulant effects often sold in Afghanistan, were also seized during the cited period. The Kabul police also found and seized guns, landmines, one rocket-propelled grenade, a military uniform, and about 2,000 anti-bullet jackets. EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP All rise. The Business Discovery Day is now in session. Honorable Superior Court Judge Dorothy Garrabrandt presiding. On Friday, March 4, Academy of Law And Business (ALAB) students at Egg Harbor Township High School took part in the sixth annual Business Discovery Day a networking event that gives them access to successful mentors in the field of law and business, helping to clarify and solidify their future career paths before they leave high school. As the keynote speaker, Judge Garrabrandt kicked off the event by sharing her personal story about how she was elevated to the Superior Court, and exposed students to the One Judge One School program, a Cape-Atlantic initiative that brings judges into the classroom to help students gain a better understanding of the judicial system and grasp the relevance between what they are learning in the classroom and how those classroom lessons can be applied to real-world career opportunities. Discovery Day 2022 also enabled the 54 high school students to attend additional breakout sessions by three other guest presenters including Camille Howarth, a 2015 ALAB graduate who is pursuing her Juris Doctorate from Drexel University Kline School of Law; Joe ONeill, Egg Harbor Township High School special education teacher and entrepreneur of Maui Joes Shave Ice; and Anthony Mongeluzo, president of PCS, a nationally recognized, award-winning IT consulting and service firm with offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Additionally, students had the opportunity to meet assistant dean for J.D. and graduate admissions at Seton Hall Law, Maria Isabel DiSciullo, who was a special guest at the event. The Academy is excited to partner with Seton Hall Law on other relevant experiences for our students in the future, said Dr. Carmelita Graham, supervisor of Career and Technical Education and Instructional Technology for Egg Harbor Township Schools. ALAB students participate each year in the Business Discovery Day where they hear from local lawyers, judicial staff, and business owners and entrepreneurs. The students rotate among classrooms hearing from the various presenters about the day-to-day of their field, what it takes to succeed, and more, said Graham. Afterwards, the students participated in a networking lunch with all invited guests. For more information, contact Graham at 609-653-0100, ext. 1681. SEA ISLE CITY The members of VFW Post 1963s Auxiliary and many of the organizations veterans gathered on the evening of March 8 to participate in a video call with Aviation Maintenance Technician Chief Joseph Sippel, who is currently assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Kodiak, Alaska. The call was made by the chiefs parents, Ken and Kathi Sippel, while scores of their VFW friends stood by and listened to the conversation. A moment after the call began, the Sippels turned the phones camera in the direction of the crowd of VFW members so their son and a few of his fellow coastguardsmen in Alaska could watch as Post 1963 Auxiliary President Patti Lloyd explained that the Kodiak Coast Guard Air Station had been adopted as part of the auxiliarys annual Adopt a Troop program and the coastguardsmen would soon be receiving care packages filled with snacks, winter socks, toiletries, batteries, pet toys, homemade beef jerky and other comfort items. The packages being sent to Alaska would also include over 100 hand-made greeting cards created by students from the Strath Haven, NJ school district, as well as custom-made black T-shirts for each of the Air Stations members, reading Sea Isle City VFW Post 1963 proudly supports Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska. As the long-distance conversation continued, the phones camera soon focused on the gifts and shirts, which were neatly displayed on a long table; and then the camera panned to a large framed print hanging on the wall inside Post 1963, which, when unveiled a moment later, revealed photos of several aircrafts currently being used by the Kodiak Air Station and a plaque hanging under the pictures with the same words of support that were printed on the T-shirts. This is the fourth year that our auxiliary adopted a troop, said Lloyd, who also stated that each of the VFW members who donated to this cause were wearing identical black tees in support of the Kodiak Air Station. The auxiliary organizes the program, our post veterans support it, and our surrounding community graciously makes donations, and every year our Adopt a Troop program gets better, thanks to the ever increasing support it receives. We host this program because we want to recognize our military members and thank them for the freedom we enjoy here in the United States, which is especially poignant now as we see the hardship that the citizens of Ukraine are facing, added the auxiliary president. Thanks to our nations military, hopefully we will never have to face that type of oppression in this country. To learn more about VFW Post 1963, visit vfwpost1963.com. To learn how VFW Post 1963s Auxiliary supports our nations veterans and active duty military members, visit http://vfwauxiliary1963.com. ATLANTIC CITY Police arrested three residents and recovered two handguns and hollow-point ammunition in separate incidents this week, the department said Wednesday. First, detectives searched a home in the 100 block of N. South Carolina Avenue. Police arrested Miguel Rivera, 40, of Atlantic City, who they say was the officers target in the search warrant, and Kishawn Roberts, 58, of Atlantic City. During the search, detectives found a digital scale used for distributing narcotics, hollow-point ammunition and a loaded Taurus semi-automatic handgun, which police said was stolen out of Philadelphia. Rivera was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, certain persons not to possess a weapon, possession of hollow-point ammunition, receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sent to the Atlantic County jail. Roberts was charged with possession of handgun ammunition before being released on a summons. Atlantic City sets ice rink fees, OKs grant applications to improve rink ATLANTIC CITY City Council took action Wednesday night to set fees for the now city-run ic The following day, officers responded to a residence in the 1900 block of Blaine Avenue for a reported domestic dispute. Officers learned that the suspect, Ashnell Samuel, 39, pointed a handgun at an unidentified victim and threatened to shoot them in the face, police said. The officers determined Samuel was still inside when they arrived. Sgt. Annese Parks managed through phone contact to convince Samuel to surrender, which he did before being arrested, police said. A loaded .9mm handgun was recovered from inside the residence, police said. Samuel was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, aggravated assault, certain persons not to possess weapons and terroristic threats. He was sent to the Atlantic County jail. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. TRENTON New Jersey wont reenact COVID-19 health measures just yet, even as worldwide case numbers increase again, Gov. Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Thursday. Until public safety protocols are needed again, state officials are encouraging New Jerseyans to update their COVID-19 vaccine status. Boosters have been behind state health officials targets since theyve become available, with the latest COVID-19 trends triggering a plea for third shots for qualified residents, the state officials said in a statement. We are not going to manage COVID to zero nor are we impervious to the virus, the statement read, adding New Jerseys pandemic infrastructure for vaccines and testing remains strong. We expect COVID to continue to mutate and cases to continue to ebb and flow. Moving to an endemic status still means we must all take personal responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Most of New Jerseys pandemic-related safety rules have been lifted. Last week, children statewide returned to their classrooms mask free after Murphy agreed to allow the states in-school mask mandate to expire. While much of the U.S. begins to enjoy a post-pandemic lifestyle, other nations are still fighting the virus and reinstating restrictions. Chinese cities in the past week have reinstated lockdowns and travel restrictions to contain the virus likely being fueled by a stealth variant, a knock-off of the omicron variant responsible for this past winters surge in cases. The United Kingdom also reported an uptick in infections as the nation prepares to relax more restrictions by Easter. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Egg Harbor Plaza toll booth at Exit 17 on the Atlantic City Expressway will be repaired months after a fiery and fatal December crash, at a cost of $719,000. South State Inc., of Bridgeton, will make the repairs by Memorial Day, under a contract approved Wednesday by the South Jersey Transportation Authority Board of Directors. In early February, Remington & Vernick Engineers solicited bids on behalf of the authority from four pre-selected qualified vendors, and South State was the lowest responsible bidder, according to the SJTA. Toll Booth 4 will be restored to its pre-vehicle impact condition or better, Toll Booth 5 will be removed and supports to the toll plaza canopy will be installed, according to the SJTA resolution authorizing the contract. The authority is seeking full reimbursement (less deductible) from the insurance carrier for the repair. The crash at 9 p.m. Dec. 26 into the toll plaza, and the fire that followed, killed an Atlantic City teenager and her two brothers. One Atlantic City girl was badly injured. Atlantic City girl, 14, among three dead in fiery expressway crash HAMILTON TOWNSHIP An Atlantic City teenager was one of three family members killed after t State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said the vehicle was traveling east when it struck the toll plaza just past milepost 17.6 and burst into flames. Driver Reachthon Khiev, 31, his brother Reachsieh Khiev, 27, and their sister Keotepie Khiev, 14, all died in the crash. Authorities said the brothers were from Manchester, New Hampshire. Keotepie Khiev, of Atlantic City, was a student at Atlantic City High School. A 12-year-old girl from Atlantic City riding in the vehicle was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Curry said. A toll worker was also injured, authorities said. The toll plaza also was the site of a fiery crash in 2015. Joseph Crawford, 39, of Egg Harbor City, was killed when his vehicle crashed into the plaza and caught fire. Repairs to the toll plaza cost $532,000. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. TRENTON New Jersey wont reenact COVID-19 health measures just yet, even as worldwide case numbers increase again, Gov. Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Thursday. Until public safety protocols are needed again, state officials are encouraging New Jerseyans to update their COVID-19 vaccine status. Boosters have been behind state health officials targets since theyve become available, with the latest COVID-19 trends triggering a plea for third shots for qualified residents, the state officials said in a statement. We are not going to manage COVID to zero nor are we impervious to the virus, the statement read, adding New Jerseys pandemic infrastructure for vaccines and testing remains strong. We expect COVID to continue to mutate and cases to continue to ebb and flow. Moving to an endemic status still means we must all take personal responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Most of New Jerseys pandemic-related safety rules have been lifted. Last week, children statewide returned to their classrooms mask free after Murphy agreed to allow the states in-school mask mandate to expire. While much of the U.S. begins to enjoy a post-pandemic lifestyle, other nations are still fighting the virus and reinstating restrictions. Chinese cities in the past week have reinstated lockdowns and travel restrictions to contain the virus likely being fueled by a stealth variant, a knock-off of the omicron variant responsible for this past winters surge in cases. The United Kingdom also reported an uptick in infections as the nation prepares to relax more restrictions by Easter. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Drought conditions have entered a second week in parts of South Jersey, adding to wildfire concerns. The United States Drought Monitor still lists those roughly south of Route 30 in a D1 or moderate drought. Despite the name, this is the lowest level of drought that can be assigned to an area. Drought rankings go up to D4. Meanwhile, far northern Atlantic and Camden counties, as well as all of Ocean and Burlington counties, are in a pre-drought stage called abnormally dry. Noted as a D0, that began in far southern New Jersey in mid-December. This drought is considered to be short term but can still impact crops, with growing season getting in full swing in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is monitoring this drought for a busier than usual wildfire season. Fires will start easier, spread more quickly and burn with a higher intensity, all contributing to embers starting additional fires more readily. Further, if deeper ground fuels such as the thick accumulation of roots and decayed leaves are dry, it may create turfing conditions, which allows fire to essentially burn underground. This requires a significant amount of water and an extended period of time required to monitor a fire before it can be declared out, said Greg McLaughlin, fire warden for New Jersey. To save the Pinelands, NJ officials must burn them LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP New Jersey environmental officials and forest fire workers made Since February, the Forest Fire Serve has been conducting prescribed burning. Burns are started by the service to clear out dried fuels, such as leaves, roots and twigs. For prescribed burning operations, factors such as fuel dryness are taken into consideration during burn implementation, McLaughlin said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service follows certain weather parameters such as lower limits for relative humidity and upper limits for temperature. Overall, this (drought) does not delay the Forest Fire Services operations or reduce its ability to complete specific projects. South Jersey joins nearly 60% of the United States in drought this week. Drought began along the coastal southeastern U.S. over the winter. Farther west, parts of Texas and Oklahoma are in D3 or extreme drought. This is the first time the state has seen moderate drought since Oct. 22, 2019. That drought affected parts of Cumberland County. New Jersey State Climatologist Dave Robinson said the call for moderate drought stage was based primarily on low amounts of ground water and weak water discharges from streams, rather than a lack of precipitation. The Coastal South region of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protections drought monitoring, which includes all of Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic counties, as well as Ocean County south of Toms River, has been classified as extremely dry for the amount of water running through the streams the past six weeks. Groundwater has been severely dry for the past three weeks. The combination of severity and length of time in this stage makes the Coastal South region the most prone to drought. In the Central Jersey region, streamflow is moderately dry, with groundwater near or above normal. On Thursday, the streamflow of the Menantico Creek near Millville was between 25 and 30 cubic feet per second. The long-term average is around 50. At Cedar Creek near Lanoka Harbor, the streamflow was near 72 cubic feet per second Thursday, well below the 120 average. So far, no water rationing advisories have been declared. Between 0.60 to 1 inch of rain fell Saturday. A round of St. Patricks Day showers would add roughly a quarter-inch to a half-inch to that total. Rain is then expected Saturday and next Wednesday. However, as long as stream flows remain low, drought will continue. Contact Joe Martucci: 609-272-7247 jmartucci@pressofac.com Twitter @acpressmartucci Local Weather Get the latest local weather, meteorologist Joe Martucci's 7-day forecasts, podcasts, and severe weather alerts. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTONFollowing the forced suspension of RFE/RL operations in Russia on March 6, RFE/RL is pleased to announce the opening of news bureaus in Riga, Latvia and Vilnius, Lithuania. These offices will house teams from RFE/RLs Russia and Belarus services and the 24/7 Current Time global digital and TV network, and also provide a base for new investigative journalism projects and digital innovation hubs. Said RFE/RL President Jamie Fly, These new bureaus will allow RFE/RL to continue to engage with our audiences in Russia and Belarus, despite those governments best efforts to silence independent journalism. RFE/RL will expand its already-successful efforts to reach Russian and Belarusian audiences with the relevant news they seek, and desperately need. We are grateful to the Latvian and Lithuanian governments for their commitment to press freedom and their support for vulnerable journalists who have had to seek safe haven outside their home countries. In Riga, RFE/RL plans to establish a multimedia hub that will host Russian Service and Current Time staff displaced from Russia. The Latvian capital will also house a new, Russian-language investigative journalism unit and a digital innovation hub designed to counter disinformation and develop strategies to circumvent online censorship across delivery platforms. The Vilnius news bureau will primarily host displaced Belarus Service journalists forced to flee after the flawed 2020 elections, as well as a new reporting team being set up by Current Time to serve the needs of the networks Russian-speaking audiences in Belarus. RFE/RLs impact during the first two weeks of Russias war on Ukraine demonstrates the appetite within Russia and Belarus for a credible, uncensored alternative to Kremlin media about the full scope of the conflict. Between February 24 and March 16, the number of views of RFE/RL videos on YouTube from Russia tripled to nearly 238 million, while the number of visits, page views, and unique visitors to its websites from Russia rose by 34 percent, 51 percent, and 53 percent respectively. As for Belarus, the number of RFE/RL videos viewed via YouTube from inside the country quadrupled (to 22.4 million), and the number of visits (+158%), page views (+148%), and unique visitors (+110) to RFE/RL websites from Belarus has also increased dramatically. RFE/RL deeply appreciates the support of the governments of Latvia and Lithuania for RFE/RLs mission and for the establishment of these new bureaus. The people of Latvia and Lithuania have for decades been enthusiastic consumers of RFE/RL programmingboth of RFE/RLs Latvian and Lithuanian services that operated from 1975 to 2004, and more recently of Current Time programming. RFE/RL President Fly visited Vilnius and Riga this past January, in part to attend the Lithuanian premiere of the award-winning, Current Time-commissioned film Mr. Landsbergis, about Lithuanias struggle to restore its independence. RFE/RLs Russian Service is a multiplatform alternative to Russian state-controlled media, providing audiences in the Russian Federation with informed and accurate news, analysis, and opinion. The Russian Services websites, including its regional reporting units Siberia.Realities and North.Realities, earned a monthly average of 12.7 million visits and 20.6 million page views in 2021, while 297 million Russian Service videos were viewed on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Current Time is a 24/7 Russian-language digital and TV network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, that caters to Russian-speakers worldwide. In addition to reporting uncensored news, it is the largest provider of independent, Russian-language films to its audiences. Despite rising pressure on Current Time from the Russian government, Current Time videos were viewed over 1.3 billion times on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram/IGTV in FY2021. Labeled an "extremist organization" by the Belarus government, RFE/RLs Belarus Service provides independent news and analysis to Belarusian audiences in their own language, relying on social media platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as mirror sites and an updated news app to circumvent pervasive Internet blockages and access disruptions. About RFE/RL RFE/RL relies on its networks of local reporters to provide accurate news and information to more than 37 million people every week in 27 languages and 23 countries where media freedom is restricted, or where a professional press has not fully developed. Its videos were viewed 7 billion times on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram/IGTV in FY2021. RFE/RL is an editorially independent media company funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Agency for Global Media. --- FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Martins Zvaners in Washington (zvanersm@rferl.org, +1.202.457.6948) Karin Maree in Prague (mareek@rferl.org, +420.221.122.074) A Davenport man who is on parole from the Iowa Department of Corrections until 2030 has been charged in connection with a February shots-fired incident in Davenport and with trafficking in cocaine. Chauncey Allen Price, 28, is charged in Scott County District Court with one count of possession with the intent to deliver no more than 100 grams of cocaine. The charge is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 10 years. He also is charged with being a felon in possession of a handgun and violating Iowas drug tax stamp law. Each of those charges is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years. Price is also charged with reckless use of a firearm, a simple misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of 30 days, as no people were harmed and no property was damaged in the Feb. 22 shooting incident. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Officer Joseph Dorton, at 1:38 a.m. on Feb. 22, Davenport police were sent to the area of East 6th and Iowa streets to investigate a report of shots fired. Officers found a spent .380-caliber shell casing in the driveway of 402 E. 6th St. During the investigation, detectives determined that Price fired several rounds from the gun into the air. At noon Tuesday, Davenport police located Price in the 1200 block of Brady Street. During a search of Prices apartment at 402 E. 6th St., officers found and seized 30 grams of cocaine from inside a safe in the bedroom. Officers also found and seized a digital scale, packaging materials and $2,464 in cash in mostly $20 denominations. Officers also located and seized a firearm. In a post-Miranda interview Price admitted to police to using cocaine. Price was booked Tuesday into the Scott County Jail. During a first appearance Wednesday in District Court, District Associate Judge Christine Dalton set Prices bond at a total of $15,000, cash only. Price waived a preliminary hearing, and Dalton scheduled arraignment for April 7 in District Court. According to Iowa Department of Corrections electronic records, Price is on parole from the Iowa Department of Corrections until Feb. 14, 2030. According to Scott County District Court electronic records, Price committed numerous thefts between Oct. 16, 2012, and July 11, 2013. He pleaded guilty to the charges and on July 13, 2013, he was sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison. Price was released from prison and placed on work release on Dec. 28, 2017. He was returned to prison on June 19, 2018, for violating the terms of his release. He was once again released from prison on July 29, 2019, and placed on work release. He was placed on parole from work release on Nov. 26, 2019. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. KABUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 744 people after receiving police training have been commissioned to the police forces in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said on Thursday. "Up to 744 police received graduation certificates from Paktia Police Academy Training Center during a ceremony on Tuesday," the ministry said in a statement. The cadets were trained in using light weapons and dealing with people to keep law and order, the statement said. The newly trained personnel held a parade during the graduation ceremony, demonstrating their ability to combat drug trafficking, kidnapping and other crimes, according to the statement. SPRINGFIELD The Chicago River ran green once again this year. Besides a few hiccups over the years, the river has been an emerald green for every St. Patricks Day celebration since 1962, when the tradition began under Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley as a kickoff to the day of festivities, which included one of the largest parades in the country. Hizzoner himself was the proud grandson of Irish immigrants. This river-dyeing tradition celebrating one particular ethnic group provides perhaps the best personification of the large impact that the Irish Americans have had on Illinois since arriving in large numbers in the 1840s. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 11.1% of Illinois residents claim Irish heritage. Cook County has more than 460,000 people claiming Irish lineage, the largest of any county in the country. Of course, a lot of people live there, meaning that the percentage of Irish is just 8.9%, which is lower than other cities that claim significant Irish heritage like Boston. This makes the Illinois Irishs continued ascendance to public office even more remarkable. Quite simply, green blood has long coursed through the veins of the states halls of power. In all, nearly a quarter of Illinois governors claim some Irish ancestry. At least seven Chicago mayors most within the past century can say the same. Mother Jones, the prominent labor activist who organized coal miners in central and southern Illinois, was an Irish immigrant. From the earliest settlements to the arrival of predominantly Catholic laborers in the 1830s, Irish immigrants ran for local and statewide offices and they won, said Mattieu Billings, co-author of "The Irish in Illinois," in an interview at Northern Illinois University last year. During the late 1830s, when anti-immigrant fever or nativism began sweeping the eastern seaboard, it was not uncommon to read nativist newspapers rail against the successes of Irish politicians in Illinois. A key part of that success was the ability to build coalitions across ethnic lines, which they did most prominently in the 20th century with the rise of the Chicago political machine. Though the machine which brought together a collection of white ethnic groups like the Irish, Poles and Italians as well as Jews and African Americans, was put together in 1931 by Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, a Czech immigrant he died two years later, leaving his organization and Chicago City Hall to a collection of mostly Irish-American politicians with last names like Kelly and Kennelly. A symbolic example of this coalition-building came early with Chicago Mayor Ed Kelly in the 1930s renaming Crawford Avenue, a major north-south thoroughfare that cut through the citys Polish neighborhoods, as Pulaski Road after the famed Polish Revolutionary War hero. It was undoubtedly a shrewd move pandering for the votes of Polish Americans, the only other white ethnic voting bloc that could challenge the electoral supremacy of the Irish. Of course, Daley was the most prominent Irish-American leader, ruling Chicago and exuding power statewide and across the country with an iron fist between 1955 and 1976. This could be seen in the all-out effort Daley made to secure Illinois for fellow Irish Catholic John F. Kennedy, who eked out an 8,858-vote win out of more than 4.75 million ballots cast, and was elected president. Nearly every Democrat running on the state ticket at this time had the blessing of Daley and the Cook County Democratic Party. For better or for worse, this meant the exertion of influence downstate and in the statehouse in Springfield. During his long reign, the Irish did quite well, showing up on city, county and state payrolls all while getting out the vote for the machine in their wards. Many were elected to office at all levels as well. Among them was former House Speaker Michael Madigan, a product of ward politics on Chicagos Southwest Side who eventually became the longest-serving state House speaker in American history. The Irish were never the predominant group in Madigans 13th Ward, but the former speaker put his coalition-building skills to work time and again to remain in power as long as he did. First this meant winning his 13th Ward committeeman post in 1969 over a number of other white ethnic opponents. And it later meant winning with significant margins in his overwhelmingly Hispanic majority House district. Madigan was not the only statehouse leader with an Irish background. From 2009 to 2020, John Cullerton served as president of the Illinois Senate. He is a member of the Cullerton political family, whose members have held local and state offices dating back over a century. And Illinois' two incumbent Republican legislative leaders, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, and Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, both claim Irish heritage. However, there has been some evidence of Irish influence waning on city and state politics. When Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, son of the political boss, retired in 2011, he was succeeded by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, of Israeli ancestry. And in the 2019 race to succeed Emanuel, Bill Daley, the son and brother of two Chicago mayors, failed to advance to a runoff election. Instead, it was Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and now-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, both Black women. When Madigan was forced out as speaker in 2021, he was replaced by Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, the first African-American to hold the title. This has become more common as the state continues to diversify with an influx of Hispanic and Asian residents and as groups long excluded from power, like African Americans, ascend to top roles. But the Irish influence can still be felt. Lightfoot took it a step further, wearing a full kilt and as she and other politicians some of Irish background and some not led the march in the city's parade. Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, right? Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Rock Island plans to proceed with the donation of a controversial statue depicting Sauk warrior Black Hawk, despite pleas from Native American advocates who say it perpetuates negative stereotypes and shouldn't be displayed anywhere. The statue has stood on public land near the vacant Watchtower Plaza site, where it served as a sign holder on 11th Street, since the 1960s. Last month, the city declared the statue surplus property and donated it to Blackhawk Bank & Trust, which plans to place it near drive-thru teller lanes at its Milan location, 301 W. 4th St. While Native Americans are blasting the move as insensitive, the bank is defending its decision to repurpose the statue. Bank President Jim Huiskamp told city officials on Monday it "will be cared for properly and honored for what it is." "I'm sorry, council, that my idea to save the sign, which I consider to be a work of art, has caused so much pain," Huiskamp said. "I can assure you that this was never my intent. "I've received many calls and texts thanking me for my action on this issue and their excitement to see it have a safe, new home," he said. Others want city officials to rethink the donation. "The recent decision from the Rock Island council to gift the Watch Tower Black Hawk statue to Blackhawk Bank & Trust has caused great concern and disappointment from the local Native American community and our friends and allies who support us," Regina Tsosie, president of the Native American Coalition of the Quad Cities, wrote this week in a letter to Mayor Thoms and council members. "Why was the Native American community overlooked and not consulted? The Black Hawk statue should not be given to a for-profit institution or business where exploiting and profiting from an image representing a race of people perpetuates a form of racism which is very offensive and disturbing." Rock Island residents voiced disappointment in the council at its most recent meeting. Calling the statue "deprecating imagery," Vincent Thomas said Huiskamp should consider setting up a college scholarship fund for Native Americans instead of spending money to move the statue. Rock Island resident Janet Moline asked why the bank was offered the statue without first asking the Native American community or Black Hawk State Historic Site if they might be interested in having it. "I find it very discouraging that no elected officials or staff in the city government of Rock Island that could have looked at the one Native American image on city land and not ask if this wasnt our time to stand up against racial imaging," Moline said. "Its time for us to show some respect for the Sauk and get rid of that sign," she said. "We hope that the city council would reverse its decision on Feb. 14 or find some other way to make sure that that image is no longer in our local landscape." Larry Lockwood, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation of Montana, emphasized a need for better cultural sensitivity. "We've had our culture taken away from us; we've had our traditional clothing, our language, our heritage items and our songs (taken away)," he said. "I am the product of an education system that tried to beat the Indian out of our children." At least three aldermen would have to agree to place the item back on a city council agenda. Only one has since spoken publicly against the council's earlier decision. "I want to apologize for my part in the decision (to donate the statue)," Alderman Dylan Parker, Ward 5, said. "I should hope that my colleagues on city council would agree with me that this is something worth putting back on the agenda and taking further consideration." Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Overwhelming. That is the word Allan Ross used to describe the Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities raising $30,500 for relief in Ukraine in three weeks with just 37 donors to boot. Answering a call from national groups, the Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities and other local organizations are gathering monetary donations and supplies to send to Ukraine, which has struggled for weeks against a wide-ranging assault by Russian military forces. "We see these images on TV every every day, or read it in the newspapers, and they're just heartbreaking," the federation executive director said. "People want to help." Donations to the federation have been driven by some large gifts. The first of which came on March 1 a donation of $10,000 from the Martin Rich family and Louis and Ida Fox-Rich Endowment Fund. Information on how to donate can be found online. Around 25% of the total donations are going to the Jewish Federations of North America, which has amassed more than $25 million for Ukraine relief. The other 75%, of which $16,000 has already been sent, will be donated directly to relief organizations including the Joint Distribution Committee, HIAS, American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Agency for Israel and United Hatzalah. Martin Rich reached out to Ross before sending the money and said he wanted to make a lead grant to try to jump-start fundraising, hoping others would follow his example. "People certainly followed," Ross said. Bishop Thomas Zinkula, the Bishop of Davenport, has also called on parishioners in the Diocese of Davenport to donate to a special parish in their churches this weekend. The funds raised will go to Catholic Relief Services to support displaced Ukrainians and refugees. Genesis Health Systems answered the call of the American Hospital Association on behalf of the U.S. Ukraine Foundation this week, gathering $1,400-worth of medical supplies, including wound dressings, scalpels, stethoscopes, penlights, alcohol prep pads, Steri-Strips and outdated gloves and gowns. The health system sent the boxes of supplies to the AFYA Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit that sends medical supplies where they're most needed. Operation Ukraine AirLIFT will then get them to medical facilities in Ukraine. "On the news, we see the horror of the war in Ukraine, and our hearts go out to those health care workers who are working to care for patients during attacks on medical facilities," said Lisa Rogalski, director of material services, in a press release. "We are honored to join other U.S. health care organizations providing assistance and to spread the mission of Genesis to a country with overwhelming medical supply needs." UnityPoint Health-Trinity donated cases of gloves, masks, gowns and scrubs to the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America earlier this month, said UnityPoint Health Marketing Communications Specialist Kristy Phillipson. The Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities will continue to take donations as long as support in Ukraine is needed, Ross said. He gets reports from the national federation every day, giving updates on money raised and what support Ukrainians need most right now, and he doesn't see them stopping any time soon. "Even if there is a ceasefire, even if there is a peace treaty, look at the hundreds of billions of dollars of destruction caused by the Russian invasion," Ross said. "It's going to take a long time to rebuild." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bettendorf Business Women to give scholarships The Downtown Bettendorf Business Women's organization will give two scholarships to local girls in the Class of 2022. One $500 scholarship will be awarded to girls at both Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley high schools. Students interested in applying can go to https://dbbwomen.wixsite.com/scholarship and submit the application no later than April 1, 2022. A statement of no more than 300 words and a letter of recommendation are required. The top candidates will be interviewed by a committee of the DBBW. The scholarship honors the late Bettendorf Alderman Debe LaMar, who died in 2018. LaMar served five terms on the city council under three different mayors. She exemplified the highest ideals of public service, loved all things art and encouraged women everywhere to dream big, organizers said. Funds for the scholarship come from an annual sale of Christmas ornaments that feature a scene from downtown Bettendorf. For more information, contact Jan Touney at jtouney@gmail.com. Blues 'n' Brews concert series announced The Mississippi Valley Blues Society and Crawford Brew Works in Bettendorf are teaming up to raise money to provide blues education outreach for area music educators and students. During March and April, Crawford Brew Works will host a Blues 'n' Brews concert series. The society will have representatives at each concert to answer questions and take direct donations. A portion of sales during the performances will support the concert series. The series runs through March and April with national touring and award-winning blues artists. For a schedule, visit mvbs.org/blues-n-brews. Spring Craft-Tea dates set The Bettendorf Public Library will host monthly Craft-Tea programs at the library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. Spring dates are March 22, April 26 and May 24. Crafters ages 16 years or older can bring works-in-progress to the library for dedicated work time. Participants are also welcome to use the library's crafting supplies to start something new. Complimentary tea and water will be available. No registration is required to attend this free event. For more information, call 563-344-4179 or visit www.bettendorflibrary.com. Bereskin Gallery announces new exhibit and summer camps Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy opened a new exhibit, "Dialogues Within," by Philip Laber on March 1. The exhibit will run through April 27. Laber, of Maryville, Missouri, was the chair of the art department of Northwest Missouri State University. An experimental printmaker, painter and photographer, who retired in the summer of 2016 to become a full-time artist, he has displayed his art all over the country and abroad. This exhibit will showcase 17 of his latest acrylic paintings. The gallery is accepting registration for 33 weekly summer camps for kids as well as for 12 adult summer classes. Youth camps feature themes such as clay, cooking, painting, 3D printing and more. Camps run for several days during the week. There also are a wide range of classes for adults including, "Perspective for Beginners," Raku workshops and "The Art of Animation." for more information, to view a complete listings of camps and classes or to register, visit bereskinartgallery.com or call 563-508-4630. Race to Inspire 5K to be held in May Spurthi - The Inspire will host the Inspire to Move 5K beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 15 at Veterans Memorial Park, 1645 23rd St. Bettendorf. Spurthi - The Inspire is a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire people of all ages for an active, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. The vision is to focus on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions of well being and aspiring to improve the overall health quotient. The 5K Run/Walk will feature a scenic race course, race t-Shirt and goodies, warmup with pre-race Bollywood Bhangra as well as Indian savories at the post-race party. Each year a local partner is chosen to receive a portion of proceeds. This year's recipient will be the Robert Young Center. Registration is $12 to $20. For more information or to register, visit https://www.spurthifitness.org. BCSD accepting applications for 4-year-old preschool program The Bettendorf Community School District is now accepting preschool applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Children who will be four years old on or before Sept. 15, 2022, are eligible to participate. Bettendorf Community School District provides preschool classrooms at Grant Wood Elementary School, Mark Twain Elementary School and Neil Armstrong Elementary School. Children that meet economic eligibility criteria are given preference in the BCSD public school preschool classes. For more information or to request an application, please call Joyce Meyer at 563-359-3681, email jmeyer@bettendorf.k12.ia.us or download a preschool application at www.bettendorf.k12.ia.us/services/student-services/preschool. Planetarium announces Spring 2022 show schedule The Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium has announced the show schedule for the spring of 2022. During shows at the planetarium visitors can go on journeys through the universe, explore the marvels of light and enjoy many other fascinating experiences. Shows begin at 7 p.m. and are free of charge with seating is limited. Participants are encouraged to make reservations by calling 563-332-4516 or emailing Christopher Like at clike@bettendorf.k12.ia.us. The spring schedule: March 29 *Oasis in Space This is an all ages show by Professional Production that will take the audience through the farthest reaches of space to show just how lucky we are to live on our very own oasis in the vast cosmos. * Renaissance This is an all ages show by BHS Production. The show will take participants back to the birth of modern science in the time called the renaissance. April 19 * Sunstruck This is an all ages show by Professional Production that explores the sun and its influence on life on Earth. * Modeling the Solar System This is an all ages show by Live Show that looks at a set of planets in the night sky and creates a model of the solar system based on the positions with respect to the horizon and other properties of the planets. This is a live show with audience participation. May 24 * From Earth to the Universe This is an all ages show by Professional Production. This show will discuss the newest breakthroughs in astronomy and cosmology while taking visitors to the edges of the known universe. * The Works of Walt Whitman This is an all ages show by BHS Production that was produced as an extension of an AP American Literature class to showcase the works of the transcendentalist poet Walt Whitman. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Four people died and one person suffered serious injuries Wednesday in a two-vehicle crash in Clinton County, the Iowa State Patrol reported. The crash occurred at 4:54 p.m. in the 4100 block of Iowa 136. According to the initial crash report filed by Iowa State Patrol Sgt. James Lancaster, a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze sedan was westbound in the 4100 block of Iowa 136. A 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan was eastbound in the same area. The two vehicles collided head-on. The driver of the Cruze was killed, while the driver and two passengers of the Odyssey were killed. A passenger in the Odyssey suffered serious injuries and was transported to MercyOne Clinton Medical Center in Clinton. The condition of the crash victim was not available late Thursday. The names of the victims were not released Thursday pending notification of family. The crash remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol. The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Clinton County Sheriffs Department, Andover Fire and Ambulance, the fire departments from Goose Lake and Charlotte, and the Clinton County Medical Examiner. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 4 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Three Davenport men, all either on probation, in jail or in prison, are facing a charge of first-degree murder in the Feb. 24, 2021, shooting death of 14-year-old Jamon Winfrey. Javon Delbert Combs, 20, was taken into custody Wednesday and was being held without bond Wednesday night in the Scott County Jail. Chrystian Zamariyea Smith, 18, was being held Wednesday night in the Scott County Jail on unrelated charges of first-degree theft, second-degree burglary, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, as well as two holds for violating his probation. Smith is being held on cash-only bonds of $40,000 for the theft, burglary and firearm charges, and without bond on the probation violations. John Eddie Hanes III, 18, is currently serving a prison term in the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility. According to news release issued by Davenport Police, at 4:22 p.m. Feb. 24, 2021, officers were sent to the area of 13th and Farnam streets to investigate a shots-fired incident. The initial investigation found that three vehicles a black 4-door sedan, a gold sedan and a silver minivan were chasing one another with shots being fired from at least one of the vehicles. Officers located a scene and recovered spent shell casings but did not find anyone with injuries nor any damage to property. The next day, officers were called back to the area as the body of 14-year-old Jamon Winfrey was located in a yard between houses in the 1300 block of Farnam Street. Winfrey had suffered a gunshot wound and had died from the injury. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Officer Jordan Sander, Combs, Smith and Hanes were able to block the vehicle they were after, causing the vehicle in which Winfrey was riding to stop in the roadway. Two of the men fired at Winfrey, striking him. Combs and Smith are expected to make a first appearance on the murder charge Thursday in Scott County District Court. Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said Hanes will have to be returned to Scott County to face the new murder charge. First-degree murder under Iowa law carries an automatic sentence of life without parole. Combs and Smith each have recently been on probation, according to Iowa Department of Corrections and Scott County District Court electronic records. Combs is currently on probation until Nov. 17, 2025. On Nov. 17, 2021, during a sentencing hearing in Scott County District Court, District Judge Henry Latham sentenced Combs to four years on probation after Combs pleaded guilty to first-degree theft for stealing a 2021 Kia K5 GT-Line. The charge is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years. Combs also pleaded guilty to a charge of eluding while participating in a felony, a Class D felony that carries a five-year prison sentence. Smith was supposed to have been on probation until April 14, 2024. On April 14, 2021, Scott County District Judge John Telleen sentenced Smith to three years on probation after Smith pleaded guilty to a charge of intimidation with a dangerous weapon in connection with an Oct. 29, 2020, shooting incident in Davenport, and a charge of criminal gang participation. Smith was arrested on the two probation violations on Aug. 3, 2021, after he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, a Glock 9mm pistol. Davenport Police detectives then connected him to the Oct. 2, 2020, burglary at a home from which Smith allegedly stole the victims 2017 Honda Accord. He then was charged with first-degree theft and second-degree burglary. On July 21, 2021, Hanes pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal gang participation, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years. A charge of possession of a firearm by a felon was dropped in the plea agreement. On Aug. 20, 2021, Scott County District Judge Joel Barrows sentenced Hanes to five years in prison. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 9 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Iowa needs more housing and broadband and to address child care expenses to attract sorely needed workers to the state, a director of two state agencies told a Quad-Cities business audience on Thursday. Debi Durham, who spoke at a Quad Cities Chamber event Thursday, leads the state's Iowa Finance Authority, which handles programs for rental and mortgage assistance, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which administers state and federal grant programs aimed at business development and community infrastructure. Iowa has almost twice as many job openings as unemployed people, Durham said, citing data from the Iowa Workforce Development. And that gap has grown during the pandemic. In December 2019, the state had 60,000 job openings, and 49,100 unemployed people. In 2021, the number of job openings jumped to 120,000 people with 65,000 people unemployed, according to the Iowa Workforce Development. According to Durham, Iowa has grown 4.7% over the last 10 years, lower than the country overall, but higher than the Midwest. About 44% of that growth was comprised of immigrants, she said. "Our communities look different today," Durham said. "And our challenge, I think, for all of us is are we first, recognizing it, right? But the second thing is, what are we doing about it? How are we embracing people from different cultures, not just into the fabric of our community, but into leadership roles within our community?" The workforce has been a key priority for the state's elected officials this year, though top Republicans and Democrats have different ideas about how to attract and retain more workers, how to lower the cost of child care, and how to bolster affordable housing. According to Durham, who was appointed under former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, a family with a single-parent median income spends 40.7% of it on child care. Durham said it should be more like 8-10%. About three-quarters of children younger than 6 have both parents working outside the home. "Overall, I think we, as just citizens of this day and age, just need to recognize that there needs to be a higher subsidy level for child care, because having families support 40% of their income is just is not attainable, particularly if you if we need people back into our workforce we have to remove for those who want to, we have to remove that barrier," Durham said. Durham cited American Rescue Plan grants that Iowa directed to expanding current child care facilities or building new ones and distribute $200 million in the form of federal grants to child care facilities that suffered during the pandemic. Durham gave examples of shared service models: Pella Windows built a daycare for its employees' children, and JBS and Plumrose provided funding for the Ottumwa YMCA and purchased child care slots to offer to its employees at a discount. A bill backed by Iowa Republicans would increase the number of toddlers-to-staff-member ratio so staff can care for more children, as well as allow people 16 years or older to be employed and provide child care at a facility. Some child care providers, however, have expressed concerns the new change would add to already thinly spread staffers. One DeWitt provider told WQAD they needed more funding first. Housing Iowa needs 61,000 more housing units by 2030, Durham said, to keep pace with population growth. "That is everything from supportive housing for homeless, which by the way, we're seeing an increased need in all of our bigger communities that we need to address through supportive housing and wraparound services. With mental health and substance abuse. But we need supportive housing for that population. We also need an all the way through executive homes," Durham said. The director pointed to 3D printed homes, which can be built in a matter of days rather than months and are more resilient against storms. Durham highlighted a new agreement between the economic development authority and Iowa State University College of Design, where the state agency purchased 3D printers for the college for the school to test for energy efficiency as well as design sample code cities could adopt to allow for these types of houses. Iowa committed $100 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to build more housing in Iowa, on top of $230 million over five years the Iowa Legislature approved to address the housing shortage. She said one barrier to building affordable housing units was public misconceptions and push back. "Who are the faces of affordable housing? Well, if you saw the full presentation, it's a list of basically all those individuals that kept our economy running when the rest of us who could be hunkered down and home in a basement work," Durham said. "These are people that are working in our communities that can't afford to live in our communities. And that's unfortunate, right? And I think that's actually wrong. I think that everyone that works in our community should be able to live with dignity in our communities. And so I would challenge you to lose this word affordable. It's really about housing for everyone." Durham said rural areas needed better connectivity to internet. She said Iowa has put allocated about $300 million in state and federal dollars for broadband, and the federal infrastructure bill would also send about $100 million for broadband connectivity. Durham added that the state plans to add broadband connectivity to state parks. Attracting talent and workers According to research by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, 7 in 10 people are likely to consider moving for the right opportunity, highest among people in their 20s and 30s. Most want job opportunities, outdoor recreation opportunities, and arts and culture. "So I would say to you that I believe Iowa and the region, check all those boxes," Durham said. "So then when we asked them, What do you think about of Iowa? What do you think the response was? Well, here's what they said. They said we don't think of you at all." "That's not a bad position to be in, right? Because if it was a negative brand, if they had some kind of negative experience or thoughts about Iowa, that takes a lot more money to, you know, to offset a negative brand," Durham added. "If it's a matter that you just haven't been properly introduced, we can deal with that." Downtown Davenport Partnership Kyle Carter, executive director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership, said the goal of the partnership is to make the downtown and the Quad-Cities in general an attractive place to live, work and visit. "There are two humongous stats that stand out: one, there are way more jobs than human beings in this state," Carter said. "And two, immigration has been our largest population growth center, and how we need to be even more welcoming and more inclusive and more capable of taking advantage of that to fill those jobs is going to be a big question going forward for the whole state, let alone our community." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DES MOINES The Iowa House plays a role in confirming very few of the appointments made by the Iowa governor. In fact, earlier this week when the House voted to confirm a new state ombudsman, the floor manager a 25-year legislator said he was unaware the Iowa House was involved in any confirmations. Despite that small role in legislative oversight of the executive branch, House State Government Committee Democrats called a Senate proposal to give the governor carte blanche over more appointments an abandonment of its responsibility. They are opposed to Senate File 2263, which would end the requirement the Senate confirm by a two-thirds majority the governors appointments to about two dozen state boards and commissions. Currently, gubernatorial appointments to state boards and commissions must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the 50-member Iowa Senate. The Senate approved the bill, 33-15 with support from both parties. Apparently, the Senate found this too time-consuming, Rep. Mike Sexton, R-Rockwell City, told the House State Government Committee on Wednesday. This bill is horrible, said Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton, said. It abrogates any legislative oversight. Senate confirmation of the governors appointees is a little bit of sunlight, she said, but the bill shuts down that sunlight, shuts the curtains, whatever, pulled the blinds. The boards and commissions affected are not insignificant, Wolfe said. Among the appointments that would no longer be subject to Senate confirmation would be appointees to the Iowa Public Information Board, Veterans Affairs Commission, the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and commissions on Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans and the Status of Women. And, Wolfe added, one weve been hearing a lot about recently, the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which is investigating a judge accused of misconduct. No group is registered in favor of the bill, so I would ask why are we running it if no one is bothering to even register in favor? Wolfe said. The Senate is asking for the change, said Sexton, a former senator. Are there parts of it that concern me? Sure, he said. There's parts that concern me of every bill we do in this place. However, Friday is the second funnel deadline of the session. If the bill isnt approved by the committee before then, it would be dead for the session. So I think this is like many bills we do it's a work in progress, Sexton said. We're going to keep it alive and we will continue to work on it. Despite the concerns, the House State Government Committee approved the bill as a party-line vote, 14-9, forwarding it to the full House for consideration. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A former Department of Corrections official who was part of a summer purge of administrators alleges her firing was a result of retaliation for whistle blowing, according to a lawsuit in federal court this week. Stefany Bawek, the former director of Pheasantland Industries at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, was among several top department staff relieved of duties by Gov. Kristi Noem amid a workplace misconduct and sexual harassment investigation into the DOC last July and August 2021. The batch of firings also included former DOC Secretary Mike Leidholt and then-state penitentiary Warden Darin Young. But in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, attorneys representing Bawek argue their client was terminated for reporting incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace. The plaintiff was subject to adverse action within seven weeks after engaging in protected activity by reporting behavior of a supervisory staff member that appeared to violate the DOCs sexual harassment policy, reads the 11-page filing. The governors office last spring launched an investigation into the DOC following media coverage of an anonymous complaint filed with the prison that outlined not just sexual harassment misconduct, but also nepotism and low staff morale. And in July, Bawek, Leidholt, Young, as well as deputy prison warden Jennifer Dreiske, were placed on administrative leave. Within a month, all four were no longer employed. The Department of Corrections and the governors office did not immediately respond for comment Wednesday. Baweks lawsuit alleges that the state terminated her employment following a workplace misconduct complaint filed with the South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources. Bawek initially felt hopeful that the anonymous email had triggered an investigation into workplace policy violations and issues of sexual harassment in the workplace, the lawsuit says. As a result, on May 25, 2021, Bawek called (Human Resources) to report the incident of alleged sexual harassment. Bawek's complaint to Human Resources stemmed from an oral report she received from another DOC staff member alleging Young had engaged in unwelcome physical touching. Young denied the allegations in a statement to the Argus Leader. "I unequivocally deny that I ever touched a staff member with any type of intimidating or sexually oriented purpose, that I ever followed anyone to their hotel room or that I entered anyone elses hotel room, or that I could have been perceived as being intoxicated," he said. "I welcome facing any accuser as I am no longer in a position to affect anyones employment." Following the leadership shakeup last summer, Noem announced a statewide review of the South Dakota prison system workplace culture, wage disparities and administrative hierarchy to be conducted by a California consultant called CGL Companies. The Sacramento-based firm's findings have not been made public. The Legislature earlier this spring confirmed Noem's new secretary of corrections, Kellie Wasko, who came to South Dakota from the Colorado corrections industry. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 0 Angry 0 A 46-year-old man charged with first-degree murder and second-degree rape has pleaded not guilty to both charges. James Jumping Eagle could face death or life in prison if convicted for the murder and rape of 82-year-old Reta McGovern on Feb. 10, 2021. She was found in her home with her throat cut in the 800 block of Flormann Street. Jumping Eagle appeared in state court Tuesday for an arraignment. The court granted motions for the appointment of a DNA expert, a private investigator and a psychologist at the hearing where the not guilty plea was entered. Federal Judge Jeffrey Viken sentenced Jumping Eagle to 10 years in federal prison on March 4 for failing to register as a sex offender, the maximum sentence for the felony. He will receive 377 days credit for times served. Jumping Eagle was also sentenced to five years of federal supervision once he's released and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the victims' assistance fund. During the federal sentencing, United States Assistant Attorney Heather Sazama cited evidence from the state case and testimony from a Rapid City police investigator that placed Jumping Eagle in the home. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEIRUT, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Fransabank on Wednesday closed all its branches following a judicial order freezing its assets, the National News Agency reported. The judicial order required Fransabank to unlock a man's funds stuck in the banking system, otherwise the bank's assets would be seized. Facing an unprecedented financial crisis, banks in Lebanon placed severe restrictions on withdrawals of hard currency deposits, forcing depositors to resort to the judicial system to unlock their funds. Lebanon's banking association issued on Wednesday a statement criticizing what it described as "arbitrary and illegal measures" being taken against banks, warning that such measures threaten to topple the banking sector. The South Dakota Supreme Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that the state can charge juveniles with DUI. Justice Janine Kern wrote the opinion after appeals made in Pennington and Meade counties. Jacob Ehret, Zaven Osborne and Santana Bettelyoun were all under the age of 18 when arrested and charged with DUI between 2018 and 2019. In each case, the defendant filed a motion to dismiss the charge for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, arguing they could only be charged under the "zero tolerance" DUI state statute governing juveniles, and their cases could only be heard in juvenile court. All of the dismissal requests were denied in magistrate court and then in circuit court. The state submitted that the jurisdiction in magistrate court was proper since a DUI charge is a traffic offense "excluded from the delinquency statutes and not listed in the definitions of a (children in need of supervision, or CHINS)." "Despite the Appellants' perceived disharmony among the different avenues that the state may take when charging underage drivers under the zero tolerance or DUI statutes, these arguments involve the wisdom of the Legislature's penal code, which are 'questions of public policy, not appellate error,'" Kern wrote. She wrote that contrary to the claim that the overlapping statutes cause disharmony, the conclusion upon reading the statutes is that the Legislature intended to provide prosecutors with the option of charging juveniles under either statute. Kern concluded that the appellants failed to support their argument that the language of the statutes prevents the state from charging them in magistrate court. "The statutes are clear and unambiguous," she wrote, noting the state has the discretion to charge juveniles with DUIs in magistrate or juvenile court. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A man previously prosecuted for second-degree murder for stabbing another man to death has accepted a lesser charge offered in a plea bargain, according to his defense attorney. According to court documents, Barry Allman now faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for aggravated assault against Lance Baumgarten, who was stabbed to death on Aug. 6, 2020. The 33-year-old was killed in an apartment in the 1700 block of North 7th Street in Rapid City. Defense attorney John Murphy said in an email Wednesday that Allman has accepted a plea deal offered by the Pennington County State's Attorney's Office, which was offered after a mistrial was declared in the murder case. In exchange for a guilty plea to one count of aggravated assault, the murder charge was dismissed along with charges of aggravated assault, felon in possession of firearm, and discharge of a firearm. A habitual offender enhancement and a third file felony DUI were also dismissed as part of the plea deal. Before the agreement, Allman faced a mandatory life sentence for the murder charge. The new complaint states that Allman did attempt to cause or knowingly cause bodily injury to Baumgarten with a dangerous weapon. The State's Attorney's Office did not respond to a request to explain why it approved of the plea deal. Circuit Court Judge Matt Brown denied a mistrial with prejudice request in January, but called the state's errors in the case "grossly negligent." According to court documents, the state granted Tyra Afraid of Lightning, the first witness in a December trial in the case, immunity a week before testimony started. However, the state did not inform Murphy of the immunity for Afraid of Lightning and two other witnesses until Dec. 7, the second day of trial and the first day of testimony. It was also found that Alex Durroh, another witness in the case, had three bench warrants and seven criminal charges quashed, which was not disclosed to Murphy. Allman had a second jury trial scheduled for later this month. It has since been canceled. The sentencing is scheduled for April 14. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Rapid City Fire Department lost one of its own recently. He handed me his retirement letter, signed with a paw print, on May 18, 2021, Jeremy Gibbons said Tuesday in an email to the Journal. He became too sick to work. Gibbons, a firefighter, was referring to Cisco, a rescue dog that passed away on March 4. He arrived in 2014 in South Dakota with the help of a Homeland Security Grant and then found a home in Rapid City. Gibbons said Cisco had participated in numerous searches in the nation and the state, including looking for survivors of a building collapse in Sioux Falls and the initial search for Serenity Dennard, who went missing in 2018 from a Children's Home Society facility near Rockerville in the Black Hills. He was especially proficient at doing rubble searches, his handler said. Gibbons, who worked as Cisco's handler for eight years, also said the rescue dog's breed did present certain challenges initially. I had never heard of a Belgian Malinois before getting Cisco. In fact, I had to go look it up and learn about the breed before he arrived in Rapid City, he said. He was way faster than any other dog breed that I had been around. It took me a while to adjust to that. Cisco suffered injuries and illnesses over the years while working for the fire department, including lacerations to a cornea, two types of tick-borne disease, and the loss of a few toenails. In the end, it was two chronic conditions that took his life. Gibbons said he worked with Cisco for eight years and he along with his family were with what had become the family pet at the end. The last year of his life while he was sick, my family and I adopted him and he became a house dog at that time, he said. When he became sick, he spent a lot of time watching me do yard work. He was a part of my family, even more so when he retired. Gibbons said his journey with Cisco was rewarding and had a big impact on his career as a firefighter. I had a dog, a dog I didnt know or understand and he didnt know or understand me, Gibbons said. To see our bond develop to where we ended, I trusted him and he trusted me. He did everything I ever asked of him. He was a good boy. It is hard to believe that I started this project just gathering some initial information. Cisco changed my career at the fire department. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX FALLS | A 60-year-old South Dakota woman was granted parole Thursday after serving two months in prison for the 1981 death of her infant son a loss she kept secret for decades. The South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles was closely divided as it weighed the parole request from Theresa Bentaas, who entered an Alford plea to a first-degree manslaughter charge in October. The plea means she maintained her innocence but admitted that evidence could persuade a judge or jury of her guilt. Circuit Judge Bradley Zell sentenced Bentaas in December to 10 years in prison, but suspended nine years of the sentence and said she should serve only two months. She had been held in jail for 73 days before trial and was supposed to be released to community supervision in July. The eight-member board was initially deadlocked Thursday on motions to grant and deny her parole. But on a second vote, it granted Bentaas request for release. The board said Bentaas will be able to leave prison once the conditions of her parole are finalized, which could take several weeks. Several board members pushed to keep her behind bars until July. We have a citizen of our state who never had a chance to have a life, said board member Peter Lieberman of Bentaas' son, adding that her punishment amounted to a slap on the hand. Zell said during sentencing that it was unclear whether the infant died from complications during birth or abandonment during a South Dakota winter. The baby's body was found in a ditch in 1981, and an autopsy found that the boy likely died from exposure and failure to assist in maintaining an airway during his birth. The case remained unsolved until 2019, when DNA testing led investigators to Bentaas. He was not moving. He was not breathing. He was not alive, Bentaas said Thursday when asked by the parole board whether her son was alive when she left his body outside. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Episode 34: Richard Kyte and Scott Rada talk about why certain people seem to be able to be at their best in the worst of situations. Next they look at whether the liberal talking point that theres no such thing as an ethical billionaire is true. And as the pandemic seems to be waning across America, they discuss how to balance forgetting the worst parts of the past two years while not ignoring the lessons we should all learn. Corvallis High School FFA members presented a drama about the pros and cons of the Wildfire Emergency Act of 2021 via Zoom with U.S. Senator Steve Daines on Tuesday. The students spent an intense month selecting the topic, reading the 53-page bill, visiting with groups representing different sides, then summarizing and writing the information into a 15-minute town hall drama, Corvallis educator Neela Andres said. The effort is part of a nationwide FFA contest called Agriculture Issues Forum. Were good at it, Andres said. Ive been a teacher for four years and weve gone to nationals twice. Last year we got in the top 16 in the nation. This year, the CHS FFA team has all-new competitors but each of the participants has a parent in the wildfire industry in logging, natural resource employees, or as firefighters. In the skit, they are acting but a lot of them are connecting with their parents, which is exciting, Andres said. The Wildfire Emergency Act of 2021 is a hot topic that really involves the whole western side of the United States, California to Montana. The state competition is on March 21 and 22. The five girls condensed their research into a script that reflects their community and have been practicing every available moment. They have also presented to different groups such as the Hamilton Community Coalition and the Montana Loggers Association. For the presentation, the town hall chair and moderator was junior Rachel Lowitt. Representing the pro side, speaking in favor of the Wildfire Emergency Act of 2021, were sophomore Celia Bohrman, acting as a wildfire scientist, and senior Gabby Krueger, acting as a logging professional. Representing the con side were junior Sydney Wolsky, acting as a county commissioner, and sophomore Emelia Schairer, acting as a wildlife biologist. Each character spoke eloquently and based their arguments on facts, statistics, research and interviews with industry professionals. Lowitt said the topic is one the community is passionate about and, for the skit, the two sides cannot agree. The whole point is not to come to a solution, Lowitt said. Basically, these two sides have an argument. We cover both sides. The presenters spoke to Senator Daines through a laptop and used a large wall screen for their teleprompter. Audience members included parents, family members, school board member Dan Wolsky, CHS Principal Cammie Knapp and Sharon Parks-Banda from Daines office in Missoula. After the performance, Senator Daines praised the girls for their factual presentation, gave them pointers for further contemplation and visited with them about their efforts. You are the hope for our nation, Daines said. You are very encouraging for me, keep it up. States rights are protected and you are an example of that for me so, thank you and God bless your efforts. Educator Andres said that leadership in communities is critical. Last night [at the Hamilton Community Coalition] Rachel said, Being in programs like 4-H and FFA puts us 10 steps ahead to being the next group sitting at the table, Andres said. This is important, these are the leaders of tomorrow. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Richmond woman injured in an encounter with a police officer at a Family Dollar says she has been diagnosed with an acute concussion and has been banned from the school where she works. Alecia Nelson, 33, stopped by Family Dollar on Westover Hills Boulevard, just south of Forest Hill Avenue, on March 7 to pick up some Goldfish and other snacks for her daughters third-grade class at nearby Westover Hills Elementary School. After a store manager alerted police that Nelson was suspected of shoplifting, a Richmond officer tried to detain her and a struggle ensued that was captured on video by another customer. The footage shows Nelson on the floor, screaming and saying she could not breathe as the officer leans over her back and tries to cuff both hands. She was charged with felony assault of a police officer, but was not charged with any theft. After her arrest, Nelson said the authorities took her to Retreat Doctors Hospital for treatment before taking her to jail. Four days after the incident, on Friday of last week, Nelson went to St. Marys Hospital because she was experiencing severe headaches, chest pains and back injuries, she said in an interview Wednesday on a conference call with her attorney present. She said doctors diagnosed her with an acute concussion and post-concussion syndrome. Nelson, an assistant teacher at Westover Hills Elementary, said she also has received a letter from Richmond Public Schools informing her that, because of the charge she faces, she was being placed on administrative leave without pay. She said she is also banned from entering the school, though she is still allowed on the property outside the building. I am very disturbed about that, she said, noting that her daughter attends the school. An RPS spokeswoman declined to comment on Nelsons status. Nelson and Joshua Carter, the man who recorded video of the incident at Family Dollar, both have brought complaints about the officer, Graham Lang, to the Richmond Police Departments Internal Affairs investigators, alleging assault and excessive force. RPD said Lang remained on full active duty and was cooperating with the Internal Affairs investigation. The department declined to comment on what injuries the officer sustained, citing the ongoing investigation. In Carters cellphone video, Lang can be seen with an apparent head wound. Carter said the officer hit his head on a gumball machine at some point during the struggle. Police officials also declined to release all video footage of the incident, including body camera footage. Nelsons attorney, David Whaley, has filed a motion for discovery to get all video footage in the case. Richmond Commonwealths Attorney Colette McEachin said Wednesday that her office was awaiting the Internal Affairs investigative report. I will review it so that it can inform my decision, McEachin said. If there is evidence to substantiate assault charges by anyone against anyone, my office would consider them. She added: Any video that is out there, I will look at. The video posted by Carter on social media shows parts of the struggle, but not the start of it. Carter said Nelson tried to walk past the officer after paying for her items at the cashiers counter, and that the officer grabbed her arm and bent her wrist behind her. Carter also said the officer shoved another woman who had been holding Nelsons purse for her while she was on the ground, and that the officer pushed Carter while he was recording video after repeatedly telling Carter to back up. Carter tried to swear out a criminal assault charge against Lang, but he said a magistrate who declined to issue the warrant told him he was going to wait to hear from Internal Affairs. Police have said Lang tried to make a lawful detention of Nelson by giving verbal commands and that she verbally and physically resisted. A criminal complaint filed in Richmond General District Court alleges that Nelson struck Lang and scratched his neck and face after Lang tried to detain her while investigating a possible larceny. It also says she initially pulled away from Lang when he tried to grab her by the arm. Nelson said she did not strike the officer and does not remember scratching him. If she did scratch him, she said it was because he was grabbing her and she had to protect herself. A 15-year-old Thomas Dale High School student is scheduled to appear in juvenile court on April 7 after being charged this week with rape and abduction of a female classmate, who police said was assaulted after being pulled into a school restroom. The student, whose name was withheld because hes a juvenile, was charged Monday after a two-week investigation of the Feb. 25 assault. Police said they received a report on the same day the assault occurred that a female student had been sexually assaulted by a juvenile male. A detention order was issued for the suspect on Monday, the same day he was charged, and he is being held in juvenile detention. The alleged victims mother contacted WTVR-Channel 6 earlier this week and described what happened to her daughter in an on-camera interview that was broadcast Tuesday. The school division has been in continuous contact with Chesterfield Police throughout their investigation, said Chesterfield public schools spokesman Shawn Smith. These are very serious charges, and the school division takes very seriously our responsibility to provide a safe and supportive learning environment. Youngkin's inaugural fund raised record-breaking $5 million Gov. Glenn Youngkin topped a state record by raising more than $5 million for his inaugural fund, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Thomas Dale Principal Anthony McLaurin sent an email message to school parents and staff on Tuesday, the day after the teen student was charged. The message noted that police informed school officials that a Thomas Dale student was charged with a criminal offense related to an offense that is alleged to have occurred on campus several weeks ago. No additional details were provided to parents, because of an ongoing police investigation involving juveniles, the message stated. However, please know how seriously we take your expectation that we provide a high-quality learning experience in a safe school, McLaurin said in the message. The company that hoped to build a natural gas power plant in Charles City County has terminated the project following regulatory losses and strong opposition from people who live along a five-county route where a gas pipeline was to have been. The Chickahominy Power plant, proposed about 23 miles from downtown Richmond, was to be funded by private developers and would have been larger than any natural gas plant owned by Dominion Energy, the states largest electric utility. Its like a hundred pound weight dropped off our shoulders. Its amazing, said Wanda Roberts, co-director of the group Concerned Citizens of Charles City County. The main concern for people locally was health because theyre already dealing with a large landfill. Charles City County can now have a really bright future, Roberts said. Were no longer going to be considered a sacrifice zone. A statement on the Chickahominy Power website says the project has been terminated and that the company hopes to move forward with a plant in West Virginia or Ohio. Meanwhile, we wish to thank the many Charles City County citizens and officials that supported our 5+ year effort to bring this project to a successful conclusion, the statement said. Unfortunately, opposition from outside interests and regulations, largely advanced by the renewable energy industry and state legislators that supported them, made it impossible to deliver natural gas to the site. The plant would have sold electricity into a large, wholesale market of several states, and environmental groups said the plant wasnt necessary for Virginias energy needs. A pipeline would have brought natural gas from another pipeline at a point in Louisa County through Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Charles City counties. People along the route said they worried about negative environmental impacts, local government leaders said they had great difficulty getting information from the developer about the project, and environmental groups and some people in Charles City expressed concern about the pollutants created when natural gas is burned to create electricity. The company that wanted to build the plant and related pipeline falls under a Northern Virginia-based energy firm called Balico LLC. The developer asked the State Corporation Commission for permission to build the pipeline without standard regulatory approval, but the commission in December rejected that request. And last month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission upheld a finding that the company had not met milestones for completion of the plant nor made meaningful progress since 2016, prompting the company to pause the project. At one point last year, a second natural gas plant backed by private investors was also proposed to have been built not far from Chickahominy in Charles City County. That plant was to be called C4GT. Even after regional managers with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality found that C4GT had violated its permit by not beginning construction on time, DEQ leadership allowed the plan to move forward. But NOVI Energy, the developer of that proposed plant, dropped the proposal in June, citing community feedback and changes in the market. Roberts, with the citizens group, said people had trouble finding out information and plans for both plants. One of the major concerns for me was the secrecy that went along with these two proposed power plants, she said. They had to have known it wasnt good or they would have celebrated it. If it was the best thing to happen to Charles City County, why did you hide it? Patrick Wilson pwilson@timesdispatch.com; (804) 649-6061; Twitter: @patrickmwilson Follow Patrick 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 When you call E.C Watsons telephone number, you usually have to leave a voicemail, after listening to a brief message from her that ends with a blessing. The 90-year-old Roanoke resident has to keep her phone turned off, or off the hook, because its nightmarish at home otherwise. From morning to night the phone rings hourly or more frequently. The daily blizzard can reach into the dozens, she said. They start in the morning about 8:30 and they dont let up all day long, the retired beautician told me. Every day. Every day this happens. Most of the calls are from out-of-state telemarketers, many pushing Medicare-related insurance products, especially Medicare Advantage, she said. None of them ever leaves a voicemail message; still, the record is right there in her Caller ID logs. Before she began shutting off her phone off during the daytime, or taking it off the hook, many of the callers would hang up as soon as she answered, Watson added. This has been going on since before the coronavirus, she said. They wanted me to get off Medicare A and B, and switch to Medicare Advantage. (She has steadfastly refused.) Medicare A+B or traditional Medicare has been around since the 1960s. It serves roughly 36 million seniors. Medicare Advantage is a managed care plan like an HMO administered by an insurance company to whom Medicare pays a flat fee per Medicare Advantage customer. It launched in 2003 and has about 32 million enrollees. Seniors are asked to choose one of the programs for their health insurance, but theyre not necessarily equivalent coverage. (Before choosing either, seniors should seek free advice from the Local Office on Aging about which plan is best for them.) Im not the only one getting these calls, Watson said. People in my congregation are getting these calls. And no one knows how to stop them. Watson said that in trying to stem the unwanted tide, shes phoned Medicare, where a worker promised her, I will take your number off the list of people to be called. She said shes reported it to Roanoke City Police, and to her telephone provider, Cox Communications, too. They said they would help, but the calls continue, Watson said. Last week, she turned to yours truly, after I caught her attention with a column headlined, Beware of phone solicitors selling Medicare plans. Watson called me at the paper and left a message. When I returned the call, I had to leave her a voicemail, too, because she keeps her phone turned off to avoid annoying solicitations. Eventually we connected. She told me shes disabled by arthritis, but not bedridden. Its not easy for her to move around a lot, though. She said she still drives, and told me very proudly that shes NEVER had a traffic ticket since she first got behind the wheel in 1948! Thats an enviable record indeed. Watson said her husband, who served in the military and later worked for decades at the Veterans Administration, died in 2006. Since then shes lived alone, and her landline is her chief connection to friends, relatives and members of her church. I hate to take the phone off the hook, she said, because it interferes with maintaining those connections. With everything thats going on in the world, we need our phone service to be active. Until recently, she said, she had an internet connection and an email address. But she cut the internet because it was too expensive to maintain, Watson said. I suggested she report the calls to the FBI. Wednesday morning she did, but a woman there told Watson there was nothing the agency could do, Watson said. Tuesday, on her behalf, I contacted Medicare, Roanoke police, Cox Communications and the Virginia Attorney Generals Office. Could they help Watson? Or recommend any actions she could take to make the unsolicited calls end? Spokespeople for Cox, Medicare and the AG acknowledged my queries. Of those, Cox and the Virginia Attorney Generals Office followed up with potentially useful information. (Roanoke police responded after deadline.) Our care team is reaching out directly to Ms. Watson to review the tools we have available to assist with blocking unwanted robocalls and provide any additional assistance she may need, said Margaret-Hunter Wade, a Cox spokeswoman. Blocking technology is available at no charge to all Cox phone customers, Wade added. Earlier, someone at Cox tried to help Watson implement call blocking, Watson told me. But either the instructions were deficient or Watson misunderstood them. A spokeswoman for the Virginia attorney general said that agency cant immediately stop robocalls. However, Victoria LaCivita added, there are multiple agencies that have enforcement authority under federal and state laws with regard to unwanted telemarketing calls and robocalls, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). We encourage consumers to register their home and mobile phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. State officials including the AGs office have access to the FTCs Do Not Call complaints, LaCivita added. Medicares website strongly recommends the FTCs Do Not Call Registry as step No. 1 in fighting unsolicited phone calls. Anybody with a computer and an internet connection can check to see if their phone number is already registered with the FTC at donotcall.gov. All thats required is the phone number in question and a working email address. Tuesday, I checked for Watson, while speaking on the phone to her, because she no longer has internet service. I inputted her number along with my own work email address. The database sent me an email that said Watsons phone number was not registered. Another way to get a number on Do Not Call is by calling the registry directly from the phone line to be added. The number is 1-888-382-1222. I gave it to Watson, along with instructions on how to register, and she did that on Wednesday. Now she has to wait 31 days. Any telemarketing calls she receives after that can be reported to the FTC for violations of the Do Not Call Registry. Thats hardly foolproof, however. For one thing, it wont stop political phone calls, or surveys or some other types of unsolicited calls. Meanwhile, some telemarketers spoof (or electronically forge) Caller ID numbers to fool recipients into believing an actual agency is calling them. Among the victims is Roanokes FBI office, according to a voicemail warning on its main telephone line right now. Its been fraudulently spoofed by some telemarketing tricksters who have called people and, posing as agents, have tried to shake them down for money. The registry wont stop those lawbreakers either. But at least it may be a start to resolving a problem with some apparently legitimate telemarketers thats bedeviled Watson for years. We shall see. On Tuesday, she kept her phone off the hook for five hours. During the hours it was back on, she received 20 telemarketing calls, she said. Ill check back with her after a month, and see how many shes getting at that time. Stay tuned. Contact metro columnist Dan Casey at 981-3423 or dan.casey@roanoke.com . Follow him on Twitter: @dancaseysblog . Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JERUSALEM, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A cargo plane with 17 tons of equipment to build a field hospital in western Ukraine departed from Israel's coastal city Tel Aviv on Thursday, Israeli officials said. The destination of the Israeli flag carrier El Al's cargo is Poland, where the equipment will be transported to the Ukrainian city of Mostyska to construct a hospital, the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. Israeli medical teams will depart next week, the ministry said. "The hospital will provide care to the many war refugees and will include a delivery room, and wards for adult and pediatric. The medical assistance will include also laboratory and imaging capabilities (X-ray), and will use remote technologies connected with the Sheba Hospital in Israel," the statement read. The Israeli cabinet allocated on Monday about 21 million new shekels (about 6.4 million U.S. dollars) to build the hospital, according to a statement issued by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office. ROCKY MOUNT A rezoning request to make larger concerts a more permanent fixture at The Coves was narrowly approved by the Franklin County Board of Supervisors in a tense vote Tuesday. In a 4-3 decision, supervisors approved allowing the venue to conduct up to 12 concerts a year without a permit. In previous years, each concert at The Coves with more than 300 people required a temporary permit. There has been opposition to the proposal to expand concerts since it was first introduced to the Franklin County Planning Commission last month. Several nearby residents of The Coves spoke against the proposal at two public hearings. Most shared concerns with the noise created by the concerts and the heavy traffic on residential streets leading to the amphitheater. Supervisors delayed a vote last month following one of the public hearings. Supervisors asked for more time to allow county staff to provide additional information. Ive been on the board for six years and this is probably the toughest vote Ill ever make, said Blue Ridge District representative Tim Tatum after being presented with the new information on Tuesday. He later voted to approve the rezoning request. After a visit to the development near Union Hall recently, Tatum said the venue had ample parking and is working on compliance with the American with Disabilities Act standards to allow better access for all concertgoers. Concerning the noise, he said nearby residents should contact the Franklin County Sheriffs Office if any concert was in violation of the noise ordinance. In addition to limiting concerts to 12 per year, The Coves developer Dennis Crumpler agreed to hire a sound engineer to ensure that concerts are in compliance of the noise ordinance and they would not last beyond 9:30 p.m. Franklin Countys noise ordinance limits sound at 67 decibels between 7 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. and at 62 decibels from 11:31 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. Blackwater District representative Ronald Mitchell was one of the supervisors who voted against the rezoning request. He said too many of his questions were still unanswered while others, like ADA compliance, were not proffered as a requirement for the rezoning. Its just too open-ended for me, Mitchell said. Im not happy with that. Gills Creek District representative Lorie Smith also voted against the rezoning. She said an ongoing concert venue doesnt fit in a residential development. I would love to have this event venue be a permanent venue in a different location thats not surrounded by residential development, she said. I think it infringes on their property rights and their peacefulness and tranquility that they bought into. Smith said she was in support of three or four events a year at the venue. She was in favor of continuing the previous requirement of applying for a temporary permit from the county for each concert with more than 300 people. Rocky Mount District representative Mike Carter was also against allowing the concert venue permit to be permanent. He said the venue was not appropriate for people who live in and around the development. Union Hall District representative Tommy Cundiff was one of the more vocal supporters of the proposal on Tuesday. He said he had spoken with the Franklin County Sheriffs Office and the Virginia Department of Transportation about concerns with traffic and neither reported any issues with traffic during the concerts. I see no major problems, Cundiff said. A member of the audience shouted an obscenity and stormed out the meeting after the comment by Cundiff, likely seeing the votes would fall in favor of approval. In addition to Cundiff and Tatum, Boone District representative Ronnie Thompson and Snow Creek District representative Leland Mitchell voted in favor of the rezoning. Shortly after the vote, Franklin County Attorney Jim Guynn discussed the need to update county code pertaining to temporary events. The county allows temporary events with fewer than 300 people without a permit. For events with more than 300 people that require a permit, Guynn said there is no limit to how many can be held at a property. Guynn said supervisors also should consider what kind of impact noise from an event, such as a concert, would have to a community that does not require a permit if it is under 300 people. Does the band play any less loud if there is 299 people or if there is 1,299 people? he asked. Supervisors agreed to address the issue at a future meeting. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEDFORD A Goodview man pleaded no contest Tuesday in Bedford Circuit Court to driving while intoxicated in a November 2021 crash that injured a couple with a baby in their vehicle. The infant wasnt injured, according to Commonwealths Attorney Wes Nance. Brandon Wayne Bateman, 35, entered the pleas Tuesday to two felony counts of maiming; one count of DWI, the fourth offense in 10 years; and driving without a license because of previous offenses under the influence. Nance said Nov. 6, 2021, Batemans pickup was seen by witnesses driving erratically on Virginia 122 in excess of 80 miles per hour. At around the Bunker Hill plant, near Joppa Mill Road, the truck ran off the side of the road, overcorrected and struck another vehicle at a high rate of speed. The couple in the other vehicle suffered injuries, Nance said. Witnesses and emergency responders smelled a strong odor of alcohol on Bateman and his blood alcohol content was above the legal limit at .019, Nance said. The man in the vehicle Batemans truck struck suffered a concussion and injuries to his teeth, and the woman in that vehicle had a broken femur and other fractures as a result of the crash, according to Nance. A sentencing date has been set for 1 p.m. June 24 in Bedford County Circuit Court. An agreement on sentencing has not been reached but Nance said the active incarceration would be capped at 10 years. A mental health and substance abuse evaluation will be done prior to the sentencing, according to Batemans attorney. BEDFORD Three felony charges against a Roanoke man accused of second-degree murder in connection with a shooting death at a Bedford County restaurant will proceed to the April term of the grand jury, a judge ruled Wednesday. Shamanique Peter Mickle, 44, also faces one count each of use of a firearm in commission of murder and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Mickle appeared Wednesday before Bedford County General District Court Judge Randy Krantz and waived his right to a preliminary hearing. James Sipos, 49, of Huddleston, was killed in a Jan. 1 incident at Lagos Pizza in Moneta involving Mickle, the Bedford County Sheriffs Office has said. An earlier incident at the restaurant off Virginia 122 led to Clinton Ray Minter, 28, getting charged with robbing Mickle by using physical force resulting in serious injury, a news release from the sheriffs office said. About two and a half hours later, Mickle returned to the restaurant and became engaged in the incident where Sipos was killed. The Bedford County Sheriffs Office has released no other details in the matter. Krantz certified the three charges to the grand jury, which does not determine guilt or innocence but rather if probable cause exists to go to trial. Mickle remains in custody pending further court proceedings. Minter, of Moneta, has a preliminary hearing on the felony robbery charge May 16 in Bedford County General District Court, online court records show. The prosecution of Robert Jeffrey Jr. ended Thursday with Jeffrey a thrice-convicted felon who owes his victims more than $100,000 in restitution and faces a strong possibility of removal from his Roanoke City Council seat. Thursdays major legal development happened during a week that included several others. Jeffrey, 52, pleaded no contest to embezzlement. A judge found him guilty of the felony charge. He was convicted earlier in the week of two other felony financial crimes. Roanoke Circuit Judge David Carson ordered Jeffrey back to jail to await sentencing, now scheduled for June 7. Jeffreys sentence could include prison time, but the amount was not made public Thursday. Each of his three convictions carries a maximum penalty of 20 years. The restitution will be decided as well. Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Sheri Mason said the states evidence shows Jeffrey owes more than $100,000 to a nonprofit he bilked. Thats the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization, a housing nonprofit whose board members gathered outside the courthouse to say they have already begun to rebuild after the thefts. While working as NNEOs property manager in 2020 and 2021, Jeffrey used the NNEOs bank cards and checks to purchase goods and services for himself and others, the evidence at trial showed. Mason said Jeffrey also withdrew large amounts of cash. Jeffrey, whose primary occupation is as a magazine publisher, had two trials this week. The first trial began Monday and ended Tuesday with a jury convicting him of two counts of stealing $15,000 in pandemic-relief money that went to his media and real estate companies. Participating companies were required to have full-time employees; Jeffreys companies did not but his falsified applications said they did. The victim in that case was Roanokes Economic Development Authority. Wednesday, during his second trial, prosecutors argued to a different jury that Jeffrey used his position of trust at NNEO to embezzle the organizations funds between May 2020 and the end of April 2021. Prosecutors filed two identical charges, each covering roughly half that time period. Thursday, with the trial second still incomplete, Jeffrey decided to plead no contest to one of the embezzlement counts. The judge found him guilty. Prosecutors dropped the other embezzlement charge. A short time later, a sheriffs deputy wheeled the 52-year-old out of the Roanoke courtroom. Jeffery was ambulatory when the trial began, but after spending Tuesday night in jail, appeared in a wheelchair midday Wednesday. Jurors were told he was having unspecified medical problems. Jeffrey previously said he has a kidney issue. After the proceedings adjourned, Jeffreys wife Tina angrily complained to reporters outside the courthouse about pretrial media coverage. She asserted that her husband had already been convicted in the press before court proceedings began. Congratulations, she told a Roanoke Times reporter. Members of the board of NNEO stood outside the courthouse later and expressed relief. We came for justice and we received justice, board President Carroll Carter said. This organizations been around for 40 years and our whole goal has been to improve the conditions of life in our community, he said, adding that the Jeffrey situation sets the NNEO back a little bit but, again, we can still go and take care of what we have to do. NNEO terminated its contract with Jeffrey and reported Jeffrey to police last spring. The healing started within months after he left and even today our finances are looking quite good, board member Andre Peery said. The city council is scheduled to meet Monday and is likely to discuss Jeffreys status. Virginia law stipulates that an elected official such as Jeffrey forfeits his office upon suffering a felony conviction and exhausting all appeals. The plea deal Jeffrey signed Thursday prohibits appeal. City officials did not immediately respond to questions asking whether that meant Jeffrey is, effectively, off the council. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As a child, Bernadette Chimner was a precocious reader. She said that when she was in elementary school, she asked her school librarian for more books like Anne of Green Gables. The librarian brought her a stack of books from the high school library. Chimner picked up one and read a couple of pages. It took her a few minutes to process what she was reading, but it was a description of a sexual encounter that she hadnt been prepared for. She shoved the book back into the stack, gave all the books back to the librarian and stayed away from the high school library after that. Chimner doesnt remember the name of the book that upset her, but said it had a chilling effect on her reading and that she recalls limiting herself to juvenile fiction for a while. I came from a small, conservative town, and I know the librarian who handed me that book didnt give it to me knowing about that passage, she said. When the issue of explicit sexual content in public school libraries erupted in Spotsylvania County this past fall, Chimner recognized the fear behind the concerns of parents wanting to pull books off shelves. The fear we really all have as parents is, my kid goes to the library and I dont have any way to know what theyre checking out when theyre there, she said. They might check out something that is quite intense and might merit some conversations, and I dont have a way to know that. But Chimner also doesnt want to see books removed from shelves so that no one can check them out. I dont ever want to deny a book to a kid, she said. I want to find ways for parents to know the content of a book and to make that information really easy to see and more crowdsourced. Parents are able to let school librarians know that their children arent allowed to check out books with certain content and librarians can make a note of that request in the childs library account. The problem is that no librarian can know whats in all the books in the library, Chimner said. Book lists and reviews arent useful, because there is a diverse community of concerns. Thats where this website kind of came from. Lets get to a situation where we can rate the booksomething that is crowdsourced, for parents and specific to our county. The website Chimner developed, which is located at bipartisanbookclub.com, lets parents and community members search for a specific book by title and rate its content based on the intensity of sex, violence, language, drug use, alcohol use and smoking or tobacco use. It also lets users add tags to flag certain more specific content, such as condoned gun violence or pubescent sexual encounter. Users can see how many times others have added that specific flag and also indicate whether they disagree with that tag. Theres a section for adding notes and posing reading guide-type questions to student readers. For example, in Chimners review of Judy Blumes Forevera book that deals with teenage sexuality and is on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 19902000she asks students to think about the fact that the book was published in 1975, before the AIDS epidemic, and that it depicts a sexual encounter in which the partners decide not to use a condom because the female has started birth control. The websites ratings feature also contains a section for noting any pages or chapters the reviewer thinks a reader might want to skip. Chimner said she hopes the website can be a tool for parents, students and librarians to increase their knowledge of whats in the school library and that it will help the community feel more invested in the school library. Chimner, who has a degree in peace and conflict resolution from American University, also established a Bipartisan Book club that meets semi-regularly to discuss some of the books that have been challenged by parents across the country in recent months. The book club has discussed 33 Snowfish by Adam Rappthe book that parents of a Riverbend High School student challenged last falland will be discussing George Johnsons memoir All Boys Arent Blue, which has been the subject of multiple censorship campaigns, this month. Chimner said she has learned from the book club and from discussions with multiple community groups that all parents have concerns when it comes to what their children read. Some parents are concerned about sexual content that is too descriptive, Chimner said, while other parents are concerned about gun violence or want to ensure that any sexual encounter their child is reading about is clearly consensual. Anyone can see the website and review the ratings, but only residents of Spotsylvania can rate booksthey will be required to turn on their browsers location tag before they can rate, Chimner said. Thats because Chimner envisions the site as being by Spotsylvania parents for Spotsylvania students. Her hope is that it keeps books on shelves. We dont want to pull things, she said. We want to find ways for parents to know [whats in the books] and to make that information really easy to see. FLORENCE, S.C. Dr. Lynn Hanson, former Francis Marion University English professor, will deliver the 13th William C. Moran Address March 24. The address will be at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence at 4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. The Moran Address began in 2005 and has been a platform for retiring or recently retired faculty to deliver remarks encompassing thoughts and ideas from their area of study and life experiences. Hanson whose address is titled Learning By Doing: From Pretending to Becoming, will reflect on lessons learned from a remarkable life and career in business and academics. Prior to her retirement in 2020, Hanson taught for 22 years in Francis Marions English Department, where she led the Professional Writing Program. She used her experience of working with companies like IBM prior to entering higher education to engage undergraduates in internship, research, and other professional and hands-on experiences. A documentation specialist, Hanson has written for industry and academia, collaborated in team settings, developed usability tests, and facilitated large accreditation projects. To teach content and skills in professional writing, she involved students in writing documents for the workplace, blending course preparation with business client projects. Since 2010, Hanson and her students have spent years researching at Hobcaw Barony, the historic 16,000-acre estate in South Carolina owned and operated by the Belle W. Baruch Foundation. In 2017, Hanson was named co-director of the newly established Belle W. Baruch Institute for South Carolina Studies, a joint venture of Francis Marion University and Coastal Carolina University. Hanson continues to serve part time as associate co-director of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for South Carolina Studies. The Moran Address is named after Dr. William C. Moran, FMUs vice president of Academic Affairs from 1978 to 1992. Moran, who went on to become president of Lander University after leaving FMU, is remembered for his many civic, academic, and cultural contributions to South Carolina. He was presented the Governors Award in the Humanities in 2008. The Moran Address is made possible by an endowment from the Moran family. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%. 6190 II 40 18 1.1% 818 10% 1.2% 1.33% 3%12% 57% 27% 510.4 62 10% 8844.4 Jupiter Lai 6% 6 810 15% 4% 62 Twitter 5% 8844.4 102 2.45 68.66% KYIV, Ukraine Russian forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering Wednesday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said, even as the two sides projected optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. The airstrike ripped apart the center of the once-elegant building, where hundreds of civilians had been living since their homes had been destroyed in the fighting, Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement. Many people were buried in the rubble, officials said, though there was no immediate word on how many had been killed or injured. Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word "children" written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the building, the Maxar space technology company said. "Another horrendous war crime in Mariupol," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, calling the bombing a "massive Russian attack." The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. In Kyiv, residents huddled in homes and shelters amid a citywide curfew that runs until Thursday morning, as Russian troops shelled areas in and around the city, including a residential neighborhood 1 miles from the presidential palace. A 12-story apartment building in central Kyiv erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel. And 10 people were killed while standing in line for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv, the Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, went before the U.S. Congress via video and, invoking Pearl Harbor and 9/11, pleaded with America for more weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia, saying: "We need you right now." U.S. President Joe Biden announced the U.S. is sending an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, including more anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons and drones. He also called Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" in his sharpest condemnation of the Russian leader since the invasion began. International pressure against the Kremlin mounted and its isolation deepened as the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, ordered Russia to stop attacking Ukraine, though there was little hope it would comply. Also, the 47-nation Council of Europe, the continent's foremost human rights body, expelled Russia. While Moscow's ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Putin said the operation was unfolding "successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans." He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to "squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country." Another round of talks between the two sides was scheduled for Wednesday. After Tuesday's negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a neutral military status for Ukraine was being "seriously discussed" by the two sides, while Zelenskyy said Russia's demands for ending the war were becoming "more realistic." Hopes for diplomatic progress to end the war rose after Zelenskyy acknowledged Tuesday in the most explicit terms yet that Ukraine is unlikely to realize its goal of joining NATO. Putin has long depicted Ukraine's NATO aspirations as a threat to Russia. Lavrov welcomed Zelenskyy's comment and said "the businesslike spirit" starting to surface in the talks "gives hope that we can agree on this issue." "A neutral status is being seriously discussed in connection with security guarantees," Lavrov said on Russian TV. "There are concrete formulations that in my view are close to being agreed." Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said the sides were discussing a possible compromise for a Ukraine with a smaller, non-aligned military. Prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough were highly uncertain, however, given the gulf between Ukraine's demand that the invading forces withdraw completely and Russia's suspected aim of replacing Kyiv's Westward-looking government with a pro-Moscow regime. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied Russian claims that Ukraine was open to adopting a model of neutrality comparable to Sweden or Austria. Podolyak said Ukraine needs powerful allies and "clearly defined security guarantees" to keep it safe. Another source of dispute is the status of Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014, and the separatist-held Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia recognizes as independent. Ukraine considers both part of its territory. The fighting has sent more than 3 million people fleeing Ukraine, by the United Nations' estimate. The U.N. reported that over 700 civilians have been confirmed killed but that the real number is higher. The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, arrived in Ukraine to try to obtain greater access for aid groups and increased protection for civilians. Amid the vast humanitarian crisis caused by the war, the Red Cross has helped evacuate civilians from besieged areas and has delivered 200 tons of aid, including medical supplies, blankets, water and over 5,200 body bags to help "ensure the dead are treated in a dignified manner." Nowhere has suffered more than the encircled city of Mariupol, where local officials say missile strikes and shelling have killed more than 2,300 people. The southern seaport of 430,000 has been under attack for almost all of the three-week war. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Palestinians learn the Hebrew language at the Nafha Center for Training Languages and Translation, in Gaza City, March 14, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) by Sanaa Kamal GAZA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Ahmed Abu Ajina, a 34-year-old Palestinian man from Beit Lahia town in northern Gaza Strip, returned to continue his learning of Hebrew after one-year absence from school, in a hope to working inside Israel. In October 2021, Israel announced that it would allow Gazans to work inside their lands to ease the economic crisis in the Strip. Abu Ajina, an accountant in an agricultural company in the Strip, which has direct contact with Israeli companies, has to deal with exchange of commercial letters in Hebrew between the two sides on a daily basis. "We are closely related to Israel, either through companies or individuals, so learning Hebrew benefits us," he said. Thousands of Gazans, including unemployed workers, graduates, and elderly people, gathered in front of the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza to apply for Israeli work permits. Abu Ajina was among them. "I aspire to work in Israel in order to improve the economic situation of my family, and I hope to work in the field of accounting that I am good at," he said. Muhammad al-Qattaa, a resident of Gaza City, also returned to studying the language after many years of interruption. He also wants to work inside Israel. The 38-year-old father of five told Xinhua that he was currently waiting for a response to the application and he wanted to communicate with the Israeli authorities in their own tongue. "In the past, when Palestinian workers were working inside Israel, they were fluent in the Hebrew language, but the popularity of the language has declined due to the imposed siege," he said, who works in a marble factory. "The Hebrew language is not difficult since it is close to the Arabic language," he added, expressing his hope that his Hebrew will be improved after obtaining approval from the Israeli authorities to enter their territory. Abu Ajina and al-Qattaa are among hundreds of students who flock to the Nafha Center for Training Languages and Translation in order to learn the Hebrew language. The number of students learning at the center this year increased by about 400 percent compared to previous years, according to Ahmed Al-Falit, director of the center. "As many as around 1,000 students graduate this year," he stressed, adding that "this noticeable increase is due to the desire of a large number of Palestinians to work inside Israel." Most students need about five weeks of learning to start speaking Hebrew, he said, adding he also gives an appendix with common vocabulary to those who will work in Israel. Both Abu Ajina and al-Qattaa hope that there will be trade and economic exchange between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and there will be "hope to live in peace between Palestinians and Israelis." Palestinians learn the Hebrew language at the Nafha Center for Training Languages and Translation, in Gaza City, March 14, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians learn the Hebrew language at the Nafha Center for Training Languages and Translation, in Gaza City, March 14, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man accused of using two children to help him sell marijuana has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges, including sexual abuse. Darrell Hall, 19, entered his written plea Wednesday in Woodbury County District Court to two counts each of using a minor to traffic a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance to a person under age 18, second-degree sexual abuse, indecent contact with a child, child endangerment, dissemination of obscene materials to minors and using a juvenile to commit an indictable offense and single counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, sexual exploitation of a minor and prostitution. According to court documents, Hall admitted to police that he gave marijuana to an 11-year-old girl and her 10-year-old friend to help him complete a drug transaction on Feb. 16-18. Hall also admitted that a 1-year-old child also was present during the sale. Hall was caring for the three children for their parents at the time. Police who conducted a search warrant at a trailer at 3290 N. Martha St. on Feb. 18 seized large amounts of marijuana and cash. Hall is accused of having sexual contact with a female under age 12 on Feb. 16 and offering to pay for sexual services. Hall told police he was sexually attracted to the girl, but did not know she was under age 14, court documents said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LE MARS, Iowa -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed adding a tetrachloroethene site on Highway 3 in Le Mars to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL includes sites where releases of contamination pose significant human health and environmental risks. The Le Mars site is one of five proposed new additions to the list. The Highway 3 tetrachloroethene (PCE) site is located southeast of the intersection of Plymouth Street West (Iowa Highway 3) and Central Avenue Northeast. The EPA said in a statement that the site was discovered in April 2008 during an investigation conducted for the nearby Le Mars Coal Gas Plant Site. Groundwater sampling identified the presence of PCE and its breakdown products. Those contaminants were determined not to be associated with the Le Mars Coal Gas Plant Site, according to the statement. Before being added to the NPL, the site must meet the EPA's requirements and be proposed for addition to the list in the federal register, subject to a 60-day public comment period. The EPA will add the site to the NPL if it continues to meet the listing requirements after the public comment period closes and the agency has responded to any comments, according to the statement. "No community deserves to have contaminated sites near where they live, work, play, and go to school. Nearly two out of three of the sites being proposed or added to the priorities list are in overburdened or underserved communities," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in the statement. "EPA is building a better America by taking action to clean up some of the nations most contaminated sites, protect communities' health, and return contaminated land to safe and productive reuse for future generations." The statement said Superfund cleanups provide health and economic benefits to communities. The program is credited for significant reductions in both birth defects and blood-lead levels among children living near sites. Research has shown that residential property values increase up to 24% within 3 miles of sites after cleanup, according to the statement. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SHELDON, Iowa -- The tooth of a woolly mammoth has been uncovered on Northwest Iowa Community College's property. According to a statement from DGR Engineering, Justin Blauwet, an employee of the firm, discovered the tooth on March 4, while performing construction observation on a lift station project for the City of Sheldon. The tooth, which had been exposed during excavation, was lying on the ground. The statement said that Blauwet was able to identify the tooth because he has an interest in fossils and pre-historic animals. Following the discovery, DGR staff contacted Tiffany Adrain, a paleontology repository instructor at the University of Iowa, to confirm the find. "While discovery of mammoth remains is not uncommon in Iowa, once the bones and teeth are out in the open, they can fall apart and disappear quickly because they are not completely fossilized. This was a lucky find," Adrain said in the statement. Dr. John Hartog, the college's president, said the tooth, which weighs just over 11 lbs., will be housed in a local museum so that everyone can enjoy it. "We are happy to display the tooth in the Sheldon Prairie Museum as a semi-permanently loaned display. This way, everyone from across our service area can come to the museum to see and appreciate this artifact," he said in the statement. "We might display it at the college for special occasions, but we will house the artifact in the Sheldon Prairie Museum." Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHARLOTTE, N.C. Were once again inching toward a post-COVID world. On Monday, Wake County Schools and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools made masks optional for the first time since the pandemic hit North Carolina two years ago. So far, 105 of the states 115 school districts have lifted mask requirements, and more may follow this week. Even prior to the drop in cases, the majority of school districts in North Carolina had made masks optional after two years of a pandemic and mask fatigue that seemed to have started immediately after they were recommended. There have been angry parents and protesters at school board meetings this entire school year, but student opinions have been mostly overlooked, except by their peers. Keep scrolling for the latest virus numbers You always see adults speaking for students, but you never see students protesting against masks, says Matthew Burkhart, a senior at Enloe High School. Burkhart is a journalist for the Enloe Eagles Eye, the schools student newspaper. In late February, the paper conducted a series of polls on Instagram to see how students felt about the current school masking requirements, and any future decisions made by the school board. In a 369-person sample size, 76 percent of Instagram users said they would not feel safe if the school system eliminated its mask mandate. Respondents also shared whether or not they were vaccinated against COVID: out of 428 people, almost 98 percent of them had been vaccinated. Yesterday, Burkhart and friends tried to keep track of the number of people not wearing masks at Enloe yesterday. He only counted 19, most of them being teachers, he says. While he says he feels safe without a mandate, he is continuing to wear his. Burkhart isnt alone on this: when asked why they felt safest with masks, several students told the paper via Instagram that it wasnt about them; it was about the possibility of spreading it to other people in the school. Others who said theyd feel safe even in spite of a mask mandate also clarified that they would continue wearing masks. I really hope this isnt like last July, Burkhart says. Remember when for a good two or three weeks, we thought COVID was over? No more mask requirements. We were going to the mall and museums without masks, and then, Oh, weve got delta variant. Theres a new variant of omicron which it hasnt made much traction yet, but it is a little worrying to think that that could happen. Students are able to weigh the pros and cons of wearing masks especially high schoolers, who have a degree of autonomy from their parents and are able to look ahead more than younger students. For more than a year, virtual school was the solution for COVID. Students missed socializing with their friends and learning in-person, and data shows that school closures from the pandemic had adverse effects on mental health. Older students are more likely to understand that if their school has an outbreak or national cases spike again, they may be forced to learn from home again, or extracurriculars may get canceled. One senior respondent told the Eagle Eye that they didnt want to lose prom or graduation because of a spike in cases. Its possible that Enloe students are more driven by anxieties than data: 70 percent of Wake Countys 12-17 year olds are vaccinated, as are 48 percent of 5-11 year olds in the county. Both of these percentages are about 20 points higher than the state average for the respective age ranges. Burkhart sees this as a possibility, too. But its also possible that these students are thinking long-term. Most adults arent in fear of losing multiple milestones anytime soon; parties and experiences are on the table as long as the people close to us are smart. High school students are relying on the entire school to act accordingly so that they can all benefit. Enloes students could be outliers, but maybe we should have been listening to them the entire time. *** VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS 2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. PHNOM PENH, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states have launched negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), the regional bloc said a statement on Thursday. The announcement was made during the virtual 28th ASEAN Economic Ministers' (AEM) Retreat, which was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Cambodia's Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak. "The AEM retreat has adopted the guidelines, terms and conditions for the ATIGA Upgrade Negotiations committee and announced the launch of the ATIGA Upgrade Negotiations," Sorasak said in the statement. The ASEAN ministers also fully supported 19 Priority Economic Deliverables for 2022 proposed by Cambodia, and one of them was the ATIGA Upgrade Negotiations, he said. Signed in Thailand in 2009, the ATIGA aims to achieve free flow of goods in the region resulting in less trade barriers and deeper economic linkages among member states, lower business costs, increased trade, and a larger market and economies of scale for businesses. The upgraded negotiations are to ensure that ATIGA remains relevant in transforming the region into a more integrated and cohesive economy, particularly in the face of global economic shocks and volatility. According to the statement, the ministers also chartered priority tasks for 2022 towards expediting regional economic recovery. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Ski resorts that look like deserts, skies colored brilliant hues of orange, and air quality five times worse than ideal conditions all have one thing in common: Saharan dust, which is expected to worsen over Western and Central Europe and even bring "blood rain." A large, brown swath of Saharan dust can be seen in numerous satellite images blanketing much of Portugal, Spain and France, leading to air quality concerns and hazy skies. The strong winds from Storm Celia off the northwest coast of Africa picked up dust from the Sahara desert and lofted it into the atmosphere. The southerly winds then pushed the dust northward into Europe, creating haunting scenes across the region. A video posted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shows the eerie scene at a ski resort in Spain where the snow appears to be sand and the skies give off a vibrant orange glow. The WMO also posted a photo from Switzerland showing the snow-covered mountains appearing a rusty shade of orange, which is a sharp contrast to the pristine white snow typical of the region. Europe can expect brilliant sunsets as a result of the dust particles scattering the sun's rays. Stunning orange and red skies can be expected as the sun rises and sets with reduced visibility and hazy skies anticipated throughout the day. With enough dust in the air to alter the hues of the natural landscape across Western Europe, there is an obvious concern for air quality as well. Spain, France, and Portugal are particularly at risk for decreased air quality as a result of experiencing the highest volumes of dust from the plume. On Tuesday, the European Environment Agency already measured dust concentrations in Spain over five times the European Union's recommended threshold for air quality, according to Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation program. Air quality continues to be poor in the region today as well. "Air quality is recognised as being vital to human health as high concentrations of dust can have health impacts on the respiratory systems of all people in the affected regions and add to particulate matter air pollution from local sources," Copernicus states. The reduced air quality leaves those with respiratory issues, such as asthma, particularly vulnerable over the next few days as the air quality continues to diminish. What goes up must come back down Late in the week, Storm Celia is forecast to bring showers across much of Western Europe, with heavy rain expected in southeastern Spain. This chance for greater precipitation brings the potential for "blood rain" to parts of Spain as the rain mixes with the high dust concentration. "It is understood that blood rain occurs when relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed into rain, giving it a red appearance as it falls," the United Kingdom Met Office said. As the rain falls through the atmosphere, it grabs the dust particles that are in the air causing dust deposits to fall and cover cars, houses, and roads. With more dust forecast to move into Western and Central Europe through the end of the week, there will be ample dust in the atmosphere for the rain to bring down to the surface. Once the dust settles, Europe should expect to see the dust clear out by early next week, welcoming back blue skies and increased air quality. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Iowa State Patrol could soon catch up to other departments in the state by outfitting officers with body-worn cameras. Body cams have been widely adopted by law enforcement agencies over the past decade or so. When the devices are used correctly, they can give an unbiased account of an incident when an officer and a suspects versions of the story differ. State troopers currently have vehicle-mounted cameras and audio recorders on their uniforms but technology upstart costs have so far kept them from deploying body cameras. A $485,000 funding request from the Iowa Legislature would cover the final steps to deploying the cameras, The Gazettes Erin Jordan recently reported. That will bring the State Patrol in line with other Iowa police organizations. The Gazette and other members of the Iowa Newspaper Association reported last year that 90 percent of more than 200 agencies in Iowa responding to a request for information are using body cameras. We urge lawmakers to sign off on the funding and in general we support the use of police body cameras. But this also is an opportunity to again highlight the potential shortfalls of this technology. Body cameras are often pitched as law enforcement oversight and accountability tools but thats not always how it works in practice. Without strong rules to dictate how the collected video footage is managed, there is a stark power imbalance between police and the public we might only see videos that affirm officers accounts, and clips that show misconduct might be kept from public view. Language in Iowa Code allows some police investigation records to be kept confidential but agencies often stretch that law past its intended limits. As one recent example, a Grundy Center man was accused last year of shooting and killing a State Patrol officer. That force doesnt yet have cameras but officers from other agencies on the scene did. They have declined to make the footage public in the first-degree murder case. And of course the cameras dont prove anything if theyre not turned on. Also last year, a Des Moines Register journalist was arrested and charged during an aggressive police sweep of a Black Lives Matter protest. The officer who detained her had a camera but didnt switch it to record. The journalist was later acquitted but officers usually face no formal repercussions for failing to record such incidents in violation of their own department policies. Cameras have the potential to bolster trust in law enforcement but only under the right governance. This is not a be-all end-all solution for police accountability. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Some decades ago, the French-born, American literary critic George Steiner diagnosed Western culture with an illness of sorts: He argued that we had lost our capacity to understand tragedy. Of course, this might sound like a strange claim coming from a man who had narrowly escaped the worst atrocity of the 20th century. Indeed, as one of only two Jewish students at his French school to survive the Holocaust, the cruelty of modern civilization was never far from Steiners mind. Advertisement No, when Steiner announced what he would come to call the death of tragedy, he was not denying that the modern world had made possible human anguish on scales that were previously unimaginable. That is, he was not saying bad things had ceased to happen. Rather, he understood tragedy to have a deeper meaning than mere agony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had once been the people of Aeschylus and Shakespeare, Steiner argued: people who felt in their bonesand whose art reflectedthe belief that the world was full of impossible choices, insuperable challenges. It is this conviction that was the core of the tragic sensibility as Steiner understood it: A tragic culture accepted the existence of problemsunable to be solved, immune to reason or ingenuitythat must simply be endured. Advertisement It is this tragic fatalism, this sense that there are obstacles that are in the end insurmountable, that Steiner believed the West had lost as it slouched toward modernity. Centuries of progress in politics, theology, and science had convinced us that the world, remade in our image, bends inexorably toward justice: We dethroned kings and installed governments by the people. We replaced a God of retribution and war with a God of justice and mercy. We jettisoned magic and all its caprice in favor of technology and all its certainty. And at last, we abandoned the old heroespeople like Antigone, or Hamlet, who suffered greatly and failed muchand instead valorized those who overcome, who triumph, whose stars are never crossed and only rise. Advertisement Sign up for the Slate Culture Newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Ive been thinking about Steiner a lot in the past few weeks. It has been a tragic month, and one full of heroes, too. Since late February, we have witnessed Ukrainians fight for their freedom in one of the first morally unambiguous wars since World War II. On our televisions, farmers tow away Russian tanks with agricultural equipment. Famous boxers take up arms to protect their city. Defenders of an islandnow memorialized on a postage stamptell a Russian warship to shove it. The story is David and Goliath. Wild and defiant and full of righteous rebellion. And millions around the world have tuned in to watch it happen in real time, each act of Ukrainian rebellion only solidifying global opinion that Russia must be stopped, whatever the cost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet, as inspiring as I find the Ukrainian resistance, the more I watch the events in Eastern Europe transpire, the more I worry we fundamentally misunderstand what we are seeing unfold across our screens. I worry that many of us expect this to be a modern story: one where good prevails, evil is vanquished, and the invaders are turned away at the city gates. And we expect, too, that America has an instrumental role to play in making this victory possible: that the West in general, and the United States in particular, can act, must act, to bring about triumph in Ukraine. I worry, though, that what we have before us is not a modern story at all, but one that belongs to an older genre, a tragedy of the sort we have lost the ability to countenance or comprehend. I worry this, because the threat of nuclear war makes American heroism impossible. And I worry that that same threat means Ukrainian heroism might ultimately be tragic. Advertisement This is not a new idea. Writing from West Germany in 1983, about two decades after Steiner proclaimed the death of tragedy, philosopher Peter Sloterdijk argued that the invention of nuclear weapons had not simply transformed our conception of heroism; it totally destroyed it. For millennia, Western military ideology had been predicated on the valorization of absolute courageto be a hero, in this view, was to lay everything on the line for ones country. The problem, Sloterdijk claimed, is that this model of heroism can no longer function in an Atomic Age, in which laying everything on the line would transform the world into a pile of radioactive cinders. The threat of mutually assured destruction (MAD, in technocratic jargon) renders traditional concepts of heroism and bravery entirely untenable, at least for nuclear powers. The position of the hero remains unoccupied, Sloterdijk ultimately declared in the early 80s. The world will not see any more victors. He believed that nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles had made cowardicea once-reviled accusationmilitarily indispensable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here, I want to be perfectly, painfully clear: I am not denying the heroism of Ukrainians who are currently standing shoulder to shoulder, rifles in hand, to defend their homes and way of life. I am not denigrating the bravery of the thousands of ethnic Ukrainians from around the world who have left the comfort and safety of their lives abroad in order to return to fight. I am not saying Ukraine should surrender or unilaterally accede to Russias demands. And I do not doubt the honor of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has steadfastly refused evacuation, preferring to stand in the lions jaw with his fellow citizens, suffering, according to Ukrainian officials, assassination attempt after assassination attempt. What I am saying is that this kind of heroism, the courage to lay everything on the line for the cause of justice, belongs to Ukrainians. As a nuclear power, it can no longer belong to us. Advertisement Advertisement If the Ukraine crisis has brought anything into focus, it is that our national identity and our national interest are at odds. We believe in our heart of hearts that Americans stand up, and yetif the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, if Putin continues to escalateAmerica, facing the nuclear crucible, will have no choice but to stand down. Indeed, we are beginning to see signs of this cognitive dissonance already, signs of an American culturea culture convinced it is the protagonist of the worlds story, sure of its capacity to solve problems through military heroismbutting up against a cold, hard reality: that we cannot save Ukraine, at least not militarily. Advertisement To be sure, there are those who would have us believe we can. Calls to do just have the idea distilled down to a slogan: Close the skies. Yet, a so-called no-fly zone is not and will never be a serious option in Ukraine, as Zelenskys speech to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday seemed to recognize. As myriad commentators, generals, and political analysts have pointed out, a no-fly zone is a euphemism, and what it is a euphemism for is war with Russia and all the thermonuclear risk that brings with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, many of those Americans calling for a no-fly zone realize this. Some close the sky advocates, like the 27 foreign policy experts who recently petitioned the Biden administration to install a limited No-Fly Zone, stand to make a great deal of money if the conflict in Europe metastasizes. Others, like Sens. Joe Manchin and Lindsey Graham, are eager to burnish their tough-guy images, resting safe in the knowledge Congress would probably never approve the measure they themselves insist we must consider. Others still, like Florida Rep. Maria Salazar, seem to be speaking out of partisan reflex, operating on zero information. Yet, manyindeed mostof those Americans calling for a no-fly zone are not warmongers like those experts, or paper tigers like Graham, or opportunistic like Salazar. They are simply people who cannot accept that, at a certain point, there is nothing more America can do. They are people who cannot believe there may come a time when we must contemplate letting Putin win, because the alternative would be to set Europeand Ukraine with iton thermonuclear fire. They are people who cannot bring themselves to understand that American heroism is in this instance impossible, that the price for our past sinsfor the terrible bomb we invented that we alone have ever used in angeris that the United States can no longer swoop in to save the day. We can send money, provide defensive supplies, and impose sanctions. We can make this war costly, in terms of international standing and economic stability, for Russia and its allies. But that is all we can do. And if it is not enough? Then that will be a nearly incomprehensible tragedy. But the alternatives are more incomprehensible, more tragic still. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement George Steiner believed that all of us, Jews and gentiles alike, live in the wake of the Holocaust and the terrible knowledge it furnished. We come after, he once wrote. We know now that a man can read Goethe or Rilke in the evening, that he can play Bach and Schubert, and go to his days work at Auschwitz in the morning. We come after the bomb, too. The atomic genie shed its bottle in 1945, and it cannot be put back. The morally monochrome heroism of Americas pastthe America that carried out a democratic revolution, that tore itself asunder to abolish slavery, that turned back the Third Reichis no more. We can no longer risk everything in defense of our utmost values. That is the devils bargain we made when we dropped Fat Man and Little Boy on two Japanese cities, transposing human shadows onto concrete. Advertisement This does not mean the heroism of American individuals is over: I was raised by a combat veteran, and I no more wish to tarnish the bravery of Ukrainians than I do the bravery of those who have served in our own armed forces. It does mean, though, that the chips-to-the-middle military heroism of America as a nation can no longer function in extremis. The stakes have become too unfathomable, and our very power has become our most profound weakness. Advertisement Advertisement So pray for the heroism of Ukrainianspray that they can hold on, make do with what help the world can providebut it is time we let go of the old American fantasy that there is no war we cannot win, no democracy we cannot save, no wrong we cannot right. Ukraine faces an enemy whose capacity for evil may well be greater than Americas capacity for good. That is a tragedy, but it is a tragedy we must learn to understand if we are not to stumble into a greater tragedy still, out of a misplaced faith in our own heroism. Much has changed in the world since 1945, but this fact has not: There are no heroes in a nuclear war. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email askateacher@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. Im beginning training as a teacher for elementary-aged kids in June. Its a fast and practical program, so in September Ill be in a classroom. Im really excited about it, but I keep worrying about my appearance. I am an openly gay woman in my early 20s, and I guess I look pretty butch and a bit punk: Ive had a buzzcut for many years; I have some facial piercings and tattoos. I understand dressing appropriately, and Im happy to take out the piercings and cover the ink, but I will definitely still not look like the classic elementary teacher. Im fairly confident about the way I look; Ive worked casual jobs and never had any issues, but Im aware that being a teacher is much more personal than work in a bar or a shop. My concern is less about the kids and more about teachers and parentsits not a super conservative area, but its not super liberal either. In your experience is an unusual-looking teacher a big deal? Is it something that can influence opinions on performance? Should I be worrying about kids reactions too? (I am presuming theyll react at first and then just get over it). Should I start growing my hair while I still have enough time? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Self-Conscious Trainee Dear Self-Conscious Trainee, True storyuntil the pandemic, Id had blue hair since my early 20s. Before my first interview at the end of grad school, I dyed it a dark enough shade of navy that, in the NYC public school lighting, it would look black. I got that job, went back to my previous color, and then when a student realized that I was the same lady hed sat in on a sample lesson for, he literally said, What happened to you? You used to be calm, and now youre a crazy lady with maniac hair! This is all to say that a) middle schoolers will say anything that pops into their heads, and b) you can trust that I have been in this position before. At that same job, I was the first out queer person a lot of my fifth graders knew, and many of their parents were deeply Catholic. I definitely know the anxiety youre feeling. Advertisement Advertisement Heres what I didI spoke to the principal at the school openly about my fears. I started with the easy one: whats the school dress code policy on teachers with unnatural hair colors, piercings, etc. Generally, principals say things like We want you to be your authentic self because, of course, there will be students at your school who will see you and have their Ring of Keys, this is the gender expression I want moment. If you know the school has your back, that makes the issues with the parents easier, because the worst-case scenario is the parents complain, and you know in that situation the school will say that Teacher Xs skills are what matter, not their appearance. Advertisement Advertisement As for queer stuff, again, knowing the school has your back is a big help. Talking to your administrators about how youre feeling can help them address your fears. They might, for example, tell you that youre not the first out teacher at the school. Or they might say that its a new situation but they have your back. Your teachers union rep is another person to talk to about this, when you know who that person is. You want to have that confidence going into the year. Advertisement Advertisement Once you do, parents are manageable. Often, you can get ahead of first impressions by starting with text communication. Sending an about me letter home to families is a good way to build a connection anyway, and in it, you can let them know the kind of teacher you will be. You can show them pictures of your classroom. They can hear your voice through your writing and form an impression, and then, when they meet you at open house, you may be able to avoid some of the negative stereotypes they may have. They already know, for example, that you love children and care about them. Advertisement Advertisement Remember that you cannot be your best self in the classroom if you arent comfortable. That applies to how you prepare for the day, what time you go to work, what shoes you wear, and, yes, how long your hair is. You cannot be your best self if youre trying to pretend youre someone youre not. I have worked in places where Ive chosen to use the word partner or (at the time) fiance, and where Ive worked my sentences to avoid pronouns. You have to do what you have to do to be safe. But Ive also come out to parents who I thought would make it weird, and they dont. Once youve established a relationship with families as someone who is supporting their kids, and shown these families youre a good teacher, the way you look will matter less. You just need to set yourself up to do that great work without feeling like youre in a costume while you do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms. Sarnell (early childhood special education teacher, New York) Slate needs your support right now. Sign up for Slate Plus to keep reading the advice you crave every week. Advertisement My child will be rising in pre-K in September, and we are starting to think about kindergarten. We heard on the playground recently that all kids in our public schools are given their own tablet starting in kindergarten, that homework is administered on the tablets even for the young kids, and that even in school they are using tablets most or all of the day. I understand that technology was needed for remote school, but cant help but be alarmed to hear that in-person public schooling sounds has morphed into mostly screen time, even for the littlest kids. Can you speak to whether this is a widespread trend for the little, little kids across the country? Ive started asking other parent friends in my area, and everyone with school age kids has affirmed this general state of classrooms. Advertisement If it is the state of things, what do I do if I really dont want my kindergartner to have his own tablet, period? We are a TV-only household for the kid set, and do not want to change that any time soon. Is being forced out of public and into private our only option for not giving our child his own screen before middle school? Were sort of reeling at the idea that our only option might be to pay a premium private school rate for analog education. Would it be possible to stay in public but refuse a tablet for our child? Advertisement Screen Shocked Dear Screen Shocked, I can assure you that this is not the general state for classrooms. My wife, a kindergarten teacher, has about half a dozen tablets for use in the classroom, mostly during center time but also for assessment. While that are a part of her classroom, they are not in constant use and remain one of many tools in her arsenal. A quick survey of my kindergarten teaching friends and friends with kindergarteners around the country report similar situations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What youve described sounds far more excessive than the teachers and parents who I have surveyed. Like you, I would also be concerned about the amount of screen time that you describe, but as I always say, check with the people in charge first. Perception and reality in education are oftentimes wildly different. As for remaining in public school but refusing a tablet, it will depend on the district and its policies. My fifth grade students, for example, have their own Chromebooks in the classroom. If a parent wanted to opt out of that technology, I would imagine that comprises and concessions could be made, but it would seriously impede the childs learning. If a lesson requires an online resource or a digital tool, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to create an equally effective alternative. But perhaps given the age of kindergarteners, this may be more plausible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would schedule a meeting with the principal to gather information and discuss possibilities before making a decision about next year. Good luck! Mr. Dicks (fifth grade teacher, Connecticut) Im an eighth grader, and my English teacher doesnt give me any feedback or grade my work for weeks after I turn it in. I want to know what I should do to improve my work, but I dont ever hear anything from her. When I ask her about it, she says, You know, I have 110 students to grade, and I still get no information from her. What should I do? Frustrated Student Dear Frustrated Student, Youre amazing! Many students are not interested in improving their work, even when they do get timely feedback. Advertisement But Im here to tell you, eighth grade English teachers have an impossible job. I know because I was one for a long time. I too had 110 students, and when theyd turn in essays or stories, it would take me weeks, if not months, to get through them. Think about it from your teachers perspective for a second. Lets say she spends 10 minutes grading each piece, thats more than 18 hours of work. She probably has an hour of planning each weekday, but often those periods are taken up with meetings or clerical work or, in the best of circumstances, planning. If shes like me, shell do the grading, unpaid, on her own time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, what should you do? I can think of a couple things. First, see how much feedback you can get before you turn the assignment in. And I dont mean asking your teacher to read and comment on the whole thing. I mean, Ms. Teacher, I feel like my conclusion is lacking something. Can you take a quick look at it? or Is the exposition in my first paragraph clear? When soliciting feedback, refer to the lessons she has taught and the rubric you were given. Second, do some peer revision. Swap papers with someone you know and trust, and evaluate each others work. Its easier to see mistakes in someone elses writing, and often youll notice a thing that inspires you. Tips for peer review: Be specific; balance praise and constructive criticism; offer suggestions; and describe your feelings as a reader. Advertisement I know its frustrating for you not to get timely feedback from your teacher, but in my experience, students who are interested in improvingalways do. Youll be fine. Ms. Scott (high school teacher, North Carolina) I know there are bad teachers, butmy ninth grader got a new science teacher at the start of the semester. Shes come home and told me that in addition to learning nothing about science, this teacher has shown up with laundry to fold during class, and has looked at houses on Redfin with the students, among other things (my child took a photo of the Redfin activity, so I know shes telling the truth). To say nothing of the fact that shes not being taught anything. Shes taken to watching the other science teachers daily YouTube lesson to try to get a handle on the material. Where do I even start with this? Go straight to the principal? Say something to the teacher (and what?)? Please help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Please Teach My Kid Dear Please Teach My Kid, The last column I wrote for Ask a Teacher also involved a parent asking what to do about a frustratingly incompetent teacher. There are some key differences between that situation and this one: here your daughter wants a better teacher, is asking for intervention; here the teacher in question isnt just teaching poorly, they are not teaching at all and are abusing their position. Yes, it is well within your rights to go to the principal. However, you might start by seeking out the department chair and having a conversation with them. Get a sense from them whether or not this is a known-problem or if they think it is in their capacity to act. Hopefully, they will not only speak to that teacher in a professional capacity as a supervisor but will also go to administration. If that doesnt remedy the situation, get other parents to reach out to the school. Make these complaints in e-mail so there is a written record (here in Florida, all of our emails received through school are public record). Multiple complaints demonstrate a pattern of behavior; make sure theyre all in writing so everything is properly documented. Advertisement And please, dont feel bad about working to get this person fired. They need to be. This person is not a teacher. Were not dealing with a struggling newbie or a stubborn old-school, take-notes-and-shut-up type. This person is a babysitter who thinks they can get away with whatever they want because their boss isnt looking over their shoulder. As this is the second such letter Ive addressed in a row, I do feel the need to point out that such problems are going to become more frequent as experienced and quality educators flee the profession en masse. Americas teachers are exhausted and overwhelmed. Public schools were stretched thin before the pandemic; now we are broken. Every day, we go to work to overcrowded classrooms, sub shortages that force us to give up our planning, break and lunch times to supervisory duty, and a political climate that accuses us of perverting children with gender-positive education and *gasp* books. Advertisement Advertisement This is in no way meant to defend the laundry-doing, house-shopping nothings (we shant call them teachers) who have found their way into Americas classrooms, but to explain why theyre cropping up more. Teacher attrition is high and morale is low because it has been made clear to us that many in our community dont care about us as educators. They view us as babysitters, and when you do that, you end up with someone who does their laundry instead of teaches. Mr. Vona (high school teacher, Florida) More Advice From Slate My fifth grade daughter brought up a concern about gym class, and Im debating how to handle it. Her teacher often segments the class by gender. Alternate by boy-girl or Boys line up on the green line, girls on blue. Stuff like that. One of my daughters classmates came out as non-binary this summer, and that is why my daughter is concerned. How should I help guide her through this? We have one of these every now and then: Fox News commentator pleads guilty to fabricating history of employment with CIA Fox News commentator claims John McCain betrayed United States and gave secrets to North Vietnamese Fox News commentator says Capitol police officer who testified about being attacked on Jan. 6 is a crisis actor Wednesdays is a good* one! (*Bad. A bad one.) It was flagged by Matt Gertz of the left-leaning Media Matters watchdog group in a new post about retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, a regular guest on Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingrahams prime-time Fox News shows. (He has appeared on Fox eight times this year, according to a Nexis transcript search.) Macgregors spots typically cover military subjects, and he recently made headlines for having argued that Russia should be allowed to annex Ukraine without repercussions. (His reasoning was that Ukraines people are indistinguishable from Russias.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. As Gertz shows, Macgregor has also shared his beliefs about what Muslim, South Asian, and Latin American immigrants have done to Americans in a variety of radio and event appearances. At a Serbian American Voters Alliance meeting in Florida in October 2021, he laid out a theory of domestic U.S. politics built around his distaste for the changes that South Asian immigrants have made to the Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up. (Macgregor says that one such individual told him that it didnt matter if the U.S. economy crashed because Im going to go back to India.) He also thinks that there is a higher-level group orchestrating thisa cabal pulling the strings, if you will. From Media Matters: Advertisement I remembered Philadelphia in the 1960s, then I heard this and something dawned on me, Macgregor said. This is a microcosm of everything thats wrong now in the United States, because we have a huge problem with a class of so-called elites, the people who are wealthy, very wealthy in many cases and they are, as the Russians used to call certain individuals many, many years ago, rootless cosmopolitans. Added Macgregor: They live above all of this, they have no connection to the country. There is nothing there that holds them in place, and they are largely responsible, in my judgment, for the condition that we are in today. That group more than anything else is what were up against, and the other things that you see, whether its BLM or antifathose are just foot soldiers, they are being deployed to attack us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rootless cosmopolitans is the term that was used by Josef Stalins regime in the late 1940s and early 1950s to describe citizens, almost all of whom were Jews, who had purportedly betrayed the USSR to the West. The 13 men executed during the deadliest event of Stalins anti-cosmopolitan purgethe Night of the Murdered Poets in 1952were Jewish, as were other writers and academics who were fortunate to merely be denounced and imprisoned or removed from their positions. (See this article from the Journal of Cold War Studies for more detailsespecially footnote 31, which claims that Soviets of that time created the practice of putting parentheses around surnames to mark them as Jewish. The same practice has been adopted in the present day by neo-Nazis, although the modern version uses triple parentheses rather than single, and its not clear if a reference to the Soviet-era marking was intended.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The words cosmopolitan and globalist are thrown around a great deal in the contemporary white nationalist movement and are often, although not exclusively, used in reference to Jews. (The last campaign advertisement Donald Trump released in 2016 showed images of Jewish Goldman Sachs executive Lloyd Blankfein, Jewish financier and progressive donor George Soros, and Jewish Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen while a narrator asserted that global special interests and individuals who control the levers of power in Washington have stripped our country of its wealth and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations.) Among the more explicitly antisemitic far-right conspiracy theories is one that claims Jews manipulate nonwhite immigration to the U.S. in order to dilute its white Christian character. This belief appears to have motivated the man who killed 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, and is similar to Macgregors claim about cosmopolitans employing BLM as foot soldiers. Now, is it possible Macgregor had some other group in mind, besides the Jews, when he referred to rootless cosmopolitans? Rich people in general, perhaps? Sure, anythings possible, in the sense that we cant do a scan of his brain to tell if he was picturing a Jewish cosmopolitan as opposed to a Gentile cosmopolitan (George Clooney). He also did not respond to a request for comment. On the other hand, Macgregor clearly understands the Russian origin of the slur, which was Jews-specific, in at least some sense. Hes the one who brought it up! Stop me if this sounds familiar: an oversize poster featuring spectacular portraits of Black African leaders, set against an impressionistic backdrop of military exploits, technological advancement, or civilization-building. Often accompanied by a vignette providing further information about figures such as Afonso I, a 16th century king of the Kongo described as the first ruler to modernize Black Africa on a grand scale, or Askia Muhammad, who reigned over the Songhai Empire from 1493 to 1528 and established a governmental machine that is still revered today for its detail and efficiency. All introduced with eye-catching calligraphy, and branded as part of the Great Kings of Africaor, in later years, the Great Kings and Queens of Africaseries. Advertisement If you are an American of a certain generation, and particularly if you are Black, you have likely come across such illustrations. You might have seen them on the walls of your classroom, or in the window of your local convenience store, or on the pages of your favorite magazines. In addition to posters, you might have consumed these images through calendars, metal signs, bar mirrors, and other forms of material culture. It might have been the first time you saw Africa and its leaders depicted in this waynot as a dark continent, but as a land rich in history and accomplishment. What you might not have known is that these posters were part of one of the largest and most ambitious Black historythemed corporate advertising projects of the 20th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Starting in 1975, Anheuser-Buschs Great Kings of Africa campaign introduced historical African leaders such as Afonso and Askia to tens of millions of people. It commissioned dozens of Black artists to produce original paintings and illustrations, which were exhibited at worlds fairs, the Summer Olympics, the U.S. Capitol, and other venues. These images achieved wider circulation through print media and assorted educational and commercial ephemera. An extraordinary example of savvy marketing under the guise of corporate social responsibility, the campaign remains a model for how many corporations engage with Black history todayfor good and for ill. The popularity and continued impact of the Great Kings and Queens series raises the question: How and why did white-owned corporations turn toward Black history as a marketing strategy? And what role do (and should) corporations have in shaping popular understandings of the African and African American past? Advertisement To understand how Great Kings came about, we need to understand the confluence of three key trends in American life following World War II. First, a surge of civil rights activism. Second, a groundswell of support for educational reform and a Black history revival. And third, the growing economic power of Black consumers. Anxious to avoid being targeted by civil rights activists, and eager to tap into the so-called Negro market, white-owned corporations saw appeals to Black history as a way of addressing both issues simultaneously. An early pioneer was the Lorillard Tobacco Company, which collaborated with Black newspapers and the Negro History Bulletin to produce an editorial series championing the long-standing (and largely coerced) relationship between Black people and tobacco manufacturing. Another was Pepsi-Cola, which created a series of audio documentariesreleased on LP and titled Adventures in Negro Historywith help from Black consultants such as John Hope Franklin, a professor of history at the University of Chicago, and Broadus Butler, an assistant dean at Wayne State University. By 1966, the Chicago Defender, a leading Black newspaper, had noted approvingly that the nations leading firms have jumped on the Negro history bandwagon, and the result has been not only a better understanding of the Negros past, but also better identification with the Negro market. This sentiment appeared to be shared by many within the Black community, with Pepsi-Cola and other businesses struggling to keep up with demand for their new Black historythemed marketing materials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alcoholic beverage companies were particularly eager to transform their relationship with Black consumers. Consumer surveys suggested that Black Americans drank more than the average American, were more brand-conscious, and, thanks to the impact of the Great Migration, were disproportionately urban. Regardless of whether such claims were accurate, liquor brands warmed to the idea of a receptive, geographically concentrated market that they could exploit. Black historythemed corporate initiatives and other public outreach campaigns also helped alcoholic beverage distributors smooth over a history of racist advertisingone in which, for most of the 20th century, Black people were either absent from advertisements or used in ways that reinforced their perceived social inferiority. Old Taylor, Schenley, and the Seagram Company were just some of the distillers and alcoholic beverage providers that got into the Black history game, producing informational booklets, historical calendars, and busts of prominent Black history figures. In need of advertising dollars, Black periodicals such as the Pittsburgh Courier championed initiatives such as Old Taylors Ingenious Americans series, describing it as one of the countrys most widely acclaimed public relations programs. Advertisement The man behind Anheuser-Buschs arrival on the Black history bandwagon was Henry H. Brown, a Black Houstonian who joined the company after graduating from Texas Southern University in the late 1950s. Working his way up the corporate ladder over the next 15 years, Brown was eventually recruited to the companys St. Louis headquarters in 1975 as a director of sales, where he was tasked with helping to improve Anheuser-Buschs reputation among Black Americans. The Black history angle was attractive, and Brown and his sales team worked with illustrators at the DArcy advertising agency and focus groups at Black colleges on a project exploring the impact of historic African rulers. However, Brown knew that for the project to succeed, it would need to pass the authenticity test. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scarred by a long history of neglect and misrepresentation by white-owned businesses, many Black Americans remained skeptical of newfound corporate enthusiasm for their hard-earned dollars. Such skepticism was compounded by the clumsiness of corporate advertisers, whose desire to tap into the Black consumer market was undermined by insensitive, ill-suited, or just plain ignorant advertising campaigns. However, done right, Black history campaigns could be a home run. As companies such as Pepsi-Cola and Schenley had shown, the most successful Black history initiatives were collaborative ventures between white-owned corporations and Black expertsnot just Black historians, but also Black executives and cultural producers. From a community relations perspective, Anheuser-Busch did a lot right with the rollout of the Great Kings series. The company sought advice from figures such as Herbert Coverdale, a Black psychologist and Chicago-based entrepreneur who had previously consulted for Marlboro cigarettes, and John Henrik Clarke, a well-known Black popular historian and Africana studies pioneer who was brought on as a historical consultant. Anheuser-Busch commissioned a quartet of Black artistsPaul Collins, Higgins Bond, Leo Dillon, and Carl Owensto create an initial set of four paintings. It also established close connections with Johnson Publishing, the publisher of Ebony and other leading Black magazines. The first four paintings in the Great Kings series were publicly unveiled in February 1976, at a lavish cocktail party sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and held at the Johnson Publishing headquarters in Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement And yet the initial response to the project was decidedly mixed, with focus groups at Black colleges suggesting that they were interested in more contemporary subjects. Accordingly, Brown came under increasing pressure from Anheuser-Busch executives to shelve the campaignless, it seems, for ideological reasons than with an eye to the projects costs. This pressure is a reminder that while such campaigns were presented as forms of corporate benevolence, they were also expected to have significant corporate benefits. Despite the rhetoric of company executives such as August Busch IIIwho celebrated the campaign as evidence of Anheuser-Buschs unconditional role in promoting Black cultural heritage and interest in the African pastit was clear that the continuation of the Great Kings series was contingent on its ability to elevate Anheuser-Buschs standing within the Black community, something that, where possible, could be linked to improved sales. Advertisement Advertisement What ultimately saved the project was a phenomenon beyond Anheuser-Buschs control: Alex Haleys Roots saga, published in 1976, and its miniseries adaptation, aired on ABC in early 1977. An epic retelling of the life of Kunta Kinte, an enslaved African, and his descendants, Roots captivated the nation and triggered a massive resurgence of interest in African history. Brown recalls that Roots gave new life to the Great Kings campaign, and Anheuser-Busch was quickly inundated with requests for reprints of the seriess artwork. Eager to capitalize on this fervor, Anheuser-Busch created a television commercial that ran during the airing of Roots and used the Great Kings series as a backdrop. Advertisement Advertisement By presenting Great Kings as primarily an educational project, Anheuser-Busch was able to familiarize children and young adults with its branding. By 1977, the first four Great Kings paintings had begun touring major Black conventions around the country, and reproductions were made available to Black schools, banks, and other institutions. Anheuser-Busch also looked to commission more artists to produce new paintings, beginning with Charles Lilly, who created an image of Hannibal, ruler of Carthage, and John Biggers, who painted Taharqa, king of Nubia. By the early 1980s, an estimated 11 million people had viewed the paintings at museums, college campuses, conventions, and cultural festivals. Anheuser-Busch reported that an additional 40 million had been exposed to the Great Kings series through print advertisements, and the company had received more than 5 million requests for reprints, a demand it met through the mass production of oversize posters that became a staple in classrooms across the country. In 1983, the company expanded the series to incorporate Great Queens. By the time Anheuser-Busch donated the series to the United Negro College Fund in 2012, it included 30 paintings created by some two dozen Black artists, and the companys estimates of its audience had quadrupled. Advertisement Beyond its enormous popularity, Anheuser-Buschs Great Kings and Queens series provided an advertising model that other corporations looked to exploit. First, Anheuser-Busch presented the series as a yearlong celebration of Black heritage that went beyond the Black History Month window subscribed to by many businesses. This approach has been adopted, albeit not always as successfully, by companies such as McDonalds. Second, the campaign provided a way to extend Anheuser-Buschs reach beyond Black consumers of its products to the broader Black community, and in particular to Black children. By presenting Great Kings as primarily an educational project rather than an advertising initiative, Anheuser-Busch, an alcoholic beverage company, was able to familiarize children and young adults with its branding. In similar ways, other alcohol distributors and tobacco manufacturers, alongside fast-food companies and soft drink distributors, have been able to further develop their already disproportionate marketing presence within Black urban communities through Black historythemed corporate initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most significantly, Anheuser-Busch demonstrated how corporations could play an active role in curating Black history for a popular audience. When August Busch III noted that the Great Kings project aimed to fill the void in the history of Afro-Americans and highlight the richness of African history, he acknowledged that these histories and their representation remained sorely lacking within American society. However, he also pointed to Anheuser-Busch and, by extension, other corporations as increasingly influential agents that could help fill this void. This influence can be traced through the ever-growing sums that corporations such as Walmart, Target, and Boeing continue to pour into Black historythemed marketing campaigns and public programming, as well as their well-publicized support for institutions such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It is also a product of a broader push since the 1970s to view American public education as a commodity and to champion the role of the market as a means of solving educational problems. Advertisement These trends bring us back to the underlying question: What role do (and should) corporations play in shaping popular engagement with Black history? Henry Brown had few regrets about his own role in the Great Kings and Queens phenomenon, seeing it as a way to simultaneously help Anheuser-Busch market its products and promote greater engagement with African history. Yet the relationship among Black history, Black consumers, and corporate profits is rarely simple. For Anheuser-Busch and other companies whose products carry significant social and health implications for Black communities, this relationship might not be ethical. What is clear is that, for better and for worse, campaigns such as Great Kings and Queens have helped to solidify this relationship. I read the judicial discipline order alone in my office, on the day my Senate-confirmed former supervisor was removed from the D.C. bench. I felt part relief that the former judge could no longer mistreat law clerks like myself, part satisfaction that he had been disciplined for some of his misconduct, and part frustration that the D.C. judicial regulatory body did not recognize the full scope of the former judges misbehavior. I was clerking in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in the fall of 2019 when the judge called me into his chambers and began to describe what he referred to as my personality issues. He told me, Youre bossy! And I know bossy because my wife is bossy! On multiple occasions, he said that I made him uncomfortable and that he just felt more comfortable with my male co-clerk. Often he called me aggressive or nasty or a disappointment. I cannot remember a day during my clerkship when I did not cry on the walk to work, cry in the bathroom, or cry myself to sleep. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Finally, the judge told me he was ending my clerkship term of appointment four months early because I made him uncomfortable and lacked respect for him but he didnt want to go into it. He disapproved of the fact that I did not conform to gender stereotypes about women in the workplacebecause I was assertive, confident, and voiced my opinions. Just over a year after my clerkship abruptly ended, I had started working in the D.C. U.S. Attorneys Office when I received several heartbreaking calls that altered the course of my legal career. The USAO alerted me that the judge had made negative statements about me during my background investigation. I was told that I would not be able to obtain a security clearance and therefore my job offer was being revoked. I was devastated. I had no opportunity to defend myself. The decision was final. Advertisement Advertisement As I explained in my written statement for the record at todays House Judiciary Committee hearing about protecting judicial branch employees from harassment, judges mistreat their clerks with impunity, and they rarely face accountability. Law clerks seldom file complaints against judges, because they fear retaliation by the judge and reputational harm. Members of the legal community dissuade law clerks from reporting misconduct, especially if the clerk hopes to practice in the circuit where the misbehaving judge works. Unfortunately, this infrequent reporting means that data on complaints against judges represent a small fraction of the judges engaging in misconduct. Advertisement In July 2021, I filed a formal complaint against the then-judge with the D.C. Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure, the regulatory body for D.C. judges. I hired attorneys, and I participated in the investigation of my former supervisorwhile continuing to job-search in the jurisdiction where he presided. During this challenging time, I was told by at least one attorney that the right professional decision would have been not to report the mistreatment I experienced. Several female attorneys mirrored the former judges language, blaming me for not being able to make things work during my clerkship and telling me that I had a personality issue. One even told me that I must have done something wrong, because the judge hired me in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even after receiving formal complaints against federal judges under the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act, the judiciary often dismisses them. Complaints are reviewed by the chief judge of the circuit where the misbehaving judge works (the judges boss) and, in rare cases, by a special committee of district and circuit judges from the misbehaving judges circuit (the judges colleagues). Judiciary leadership rarely takes formal disciplinary action, such as a public reprimand or reassigning a judges cases. When judiciary leaders issue a disciplinary order, they take great pains to protect judges reputations and legacies, often redacting judges names and identifying disciplinary orders by case number. Life-tenured federal judges can only be removed by congressional impeachment, which is exceedingly rare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal law clerks have no legal recourse against judges who harass them, because the federal judiciary is excluded from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There are no effective safeguards to prevent workplace mistreatment, nor are there real remedies for victimized clerks. Following high-profile allegations of misconduct against notoriously misbehaving judges like Judge Alex Kozinski and Judge Stephen Reinhardt, members of Congress proposed the Judiciary Accountability Act of 2021, which would begin to address the lack of workplace protections in the federal judiciary. The JAA would empower judiciary employees (as well as federal public defenders, whose workplaces are similarly exempt from anti-discrimination laws) to sue judges under Title VII. It would also revise the formal judicial complaint process, and it would create both a confidential reporting system and a standardized employee dispute resolution plan. These are urgently needed reforms. The right to sue ones harasser and the ability to recover monetary damages are crucial. However, fresh-out-of-law-school clerks may not feel empowered to sue their life-tenured supervisors. The judiciary needs to take forceful steps to reduce the incidence of harassment. Advertisement Advertisement Importantly, the JAA would require the judiciary to collect and publish data on judicial misconduct complaints, judiciary workplace culture, and (the lack of) diversity in clerkship hiringareas that are notoriously shrouded in secrecy. These data collection provisions have not received enough attention. Using data from the confidential reporting system and the workplace culture assessment, the judiciary will finally be able to quantify the scope of judicial misconduct, the first step toward punishing judges who mistreat their clerks. Judiciary leaders continue to bury their heads in the sand, both insisting that harassment in the judicial branch is not a problem and refusing to conduct a workplace culture assessment. Data will combat the dangerous narrative that harassment in the judiciary is just committed by a few bad apples and that the judiciary is generally able to self-police. Advertisement Additionally, the JAA would require the judiciary to collect and publish annual data about the number of individuals interviewed and hired for clerkship positions, disaggregated by gender, race, and disability. There is very little recent data about clerkship hiring. However, according to the most recent survey data from 2019, white applicants obtained nearly 80 percent of clerkships. Thorough annual numbers will better quantify the scope of the problem. Collecting and publishing data are just the first steps. Increasing law clerk diversity is important, because incorporating diverse perspectives leads to fairer judicial decision-making. However, as previous congressional testimony, pending legal actions, and whisper networks have revealed, judges continue to harass their nonmale, nonwhite clerks. In my conversations with female, nonwhite, and LGBTQ clerks, many have voiced concerns that, absent real discipline for misbehaving judges, simply increasing diversity in the law clerk population will subject the token diverse clerks to increased victimization in judicial chambers. Neither increasing diversity in chambers nor increasing diversity on the bench will solve the problem of harassment in the judiciary. This will be solved by disciplining and removing harassers from the bench. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judiciary employees deserve the same access to the court system as the litigants who appear before them every day. Furthermore, judges who preside over anti-discrimination cases should be subject to those laws themselves. Congress should pass the JAA this year. Vulnerable judiciary employees cannot wait another year for basic workplace protections. My experience with harassment in the judiciary is not rare. For every law clerk who speaks out, many more are suffering in silence in courthouses across the country. It is time to send misbehaving judges a message: Workplace misconduct will no longer be tolerated, and judges will be held accountable for their poor behavior. On Wednesday, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed a certain hope that a compromise can be reached in the peace talks with Ukraine, his boss, President Vladimir Putin, appeared to dash those chances during a chilling speech in which he warned Russians to prepare for a long confrontation with the West and seemed to embrace his inner Josef Stalin. Speaking at the start of a televised videoconference with senior Kremlin officials, Putin let loose a string of invectives not just against the pro-Nazi regime in Kyiv (which hes denounced in those terms before) but also against anyone in Russia who supports Western views or Western lifestyles. He lambasted such people as fifth columnists, imbued with a slavelike consciousness, whose real goal is to destroy Russia. Advertisement He then railed on in a spirit of venomous xenophobiaand foreshadowed an impending crackdown on domestic political criticsnot heard from any Russian leader since the days of the Soviet Unions most brutal dictator: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian people will be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouthsspit them on the pavement. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country and our solidarity, cohesion, and readiness to respond to any challenges. This passage is in some ways reminiscent of Stalins diatribe, in his final years, against rootless cosmopolitanism, by which he meant the influence of Jews. Putins crusade against scum, traitors, and midges is broader still, encompassing all Russians who embrace the West. Advertisement Advertisement But there is another, less noticed portion of Putins speech that evokes Stalin in still another, no less concerning wayspecifically his election speech to the Soviet Party Congress on Feb. 9, 1946. In that address, which many historians view as the kickoff to the Cold War, Stalin warned that uneven developments within the capitalist world would soon set off violent disturbances and that the Soviet people must prepare themselves for a replay of the 1930s, in which they sacrifice consumer luxuries for the sake of building up industry and national self-reliance. Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Similarly, in his speech this week, Putin, recognizing the economic hardships imposed by the Wests sanctions, said, The most important task is to ensure the availability of goods on the consumer market, but then defined that term as essential goods, medicines, and medical productsi.e., not the frivolous stuff of Western stores and imports, which are rapidly vanishing from Russian streets. He and his officials also talked a great deal about creating an Industry Development Fund and the accelerated implementation of import substitution projects. Advertisement Two weeks after Stalins 1946 election speech, George Kennan wrote his Long Telegram from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, warning of the Kremlins neurotic view of world affairs and calling for a policy of containment against Moscows expansionism while, at the same time, strengthening Western institutions so that they outlast the Soviet regimes gradual implosion. Advertisement Advertisement Are we on the verge of a renewed Cold War? Not necessarily. Unlike the people of the Soviet Union of 1946, who had struggled with war, poverty, famine, and isolation from the rest of the world for decades, millions of Russians todayespecially in the big citieshave lived for decades in relative comfort, some in opulence, exposed on a daily basis to outside ideas, information, and goods, including the freedom and means to travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will the Russians of 2022 kowtow to Putins demands for obeisance and sacrifice? More than 14,000 have already been arrested these past two weeks for protesting Putins war in Ukraine. But Stalin arrested tens of millions of Russians, and killed millions more, for the mere suspicion of disloyalty to his reign. Could Putin create a new gulag to hold the millions of free-thinking Russians whom he deems traitorous scum in his bourgeoning paranoia? Could he get away with emulating anything close to that horrifying network of prison camps? It seems unfathomable, but then again, so has almost everything else that has unfolded over this last month. Will someoneperhaps among the newly defunded oligarchs, the hung-out-to-dry-and-die military officers, or, who knows, the masses of protestersrise to the occasion and oust this man? That is the question of the moment. SYDNEY, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Australia's James Cook University (JCU) have discovered that brightly colored fish communities are becoming increasingly rare as their coral reef habitats decline and lose their color. The findings of the study, published in the Global Change Biology journal and released to the public on Thursday, came from a JCU research station based on Orpheus Island off the coast of far north Queensland. Lead researcher Christopher Hemingson from JCU's Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, told Xinhua the study compared observations with 27 years of detailed data from the reef. "I was able to take photographs of these fishes, and then pair it with this long-term data to track how the coloration of the reef has changed through time. " What he and his team found was that the color of the fish that inhabited each patch of the reef would decline as the reef did. "What we found is that actually, the brightly colored fish species are actually just going away," said Hemingson. "So, either they're dying off or they're not producing young for whatever reason, or they're not actually coming back and are actually being replaced by different species of reef fish." Hemingson added that this was likely due to colorful fish losing their competitive advantage when reefs lose their color. "Brightly colored fishes against a really dull, gungy reef stand out a lot more and most likely will have a higher chance of being consumed by predators and things like that." He said that this relationship was particularly pronounced during times of rapid decline or coral bleaching -- he pointed to a major coral bleaching event in 1988 which prompted a massive decline in brightly colored fish in the following years. Hemingson hoped the research would highlight the huge cultural and ecological value of both these brightly colored fish and the equally colorful coral that ensures their survival. "I think it's sort of this first step that shows this is changing, we found evidence that it's changing, and it's probably worth looking into, because a lot of people value reefs for, for this really cool, colorful property." The Slovak Spectator asked companies in the sector about the tangible results of their work. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled What do people working at business service centres do? Representatives of the sector admit it is sometimes hard for them to translate the results of their work in a universal language. The Slovak Spectator asked some major BSCs in Slovakia to give examples of some tangible results that impact people in Slovakia and elsewhere. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia This company has worked on several projects for the city of Kosice. It developed an app called Zvedavo that helps children learn more about the surrounding nature. During nationwide Covid testing in Slovakia, the company designed an app for the city to facilitate test registration. Currently, BSCs in Kosice is working on an app that will help with dog registration. Henkel Slovensko During the first months of the pandemic, master data teams of the Bratislava-based office helped bring disinfectant to the market in many countries, including Slovakia, in the shortest possible time frame despite huge uncertainty on the market. DXC Technology This company provides services to the state that modernise its operation. Through Data Integration, which extends the existing system of the Central Administration of Referential Data (CSRU), DXC is focused on the administration and exchange of information between public administration bodies through the connection of more than 60 public administration bodies and 800 integration sources. Together with the Central Integration Platform, which provides new functions and methods for sharing information with the CSRU, and the Administration of Personal Data project, it provides tools to address GDPR concerns related to the administration and protection of peoples personal data. DXC Technology Slovakia also developed the CoDetect app that uses artificial intelligence in medicine as a tool for an analysis to detect inflammation and lung cancer. It enables end users, such as doctors or radiologists, to send CR CT scans for analyses and potential disease diagnoses. The very first model was used to detect pneumonia (in relation to Covid) and some specific types of cancer. The app is user-friendly and has only a few functions. ING Business Shared Services B.V. INGs BSC has created innovative solutions that are used by retail and corporate clients all over the world on a daily basis. It provides worldwide services in several areas including Shared Operations, which involves guarding safe transactions, data, and relationships. Moreover, it serves as the back office, meaning it processes key transactions for customers related to payments, payment investigations and their accounts. It also helps guard ING from client money laundering, tax evasion or terrorist financing. LafargeHolcim European Business Services This company is a leader in robotic process automation (RPA) solutions. One of its most outstanding projects involved a collaboration between two robots to prepare and clear documents in the AR department for its largest partner. It also supports the management of its clients data when ordering cement and concrete in Europe and supports the digital applications through which customers process their orders. Moreover, it provides accounting support to its sister company LafargeHolcim France, which is building the Grand Paris Express project for the 2024 Olympic Games. Dell Technologies The Enterprise Business Intelligence global organisation is building a world class Data Services Centre of Excellence in Bratislava. An automated, intelligent fraud recognition system is being developed by this centres experts that would be able to import, analyse, process and highlight any discrepancies or red flags on hundreds of thousands of invoices delivered by partners and suppliers to the Dell Technologies ecosystem. This could generate millions of USD in savings per year. In Stara Lubovna, a refurnished forester's lodge from 1890 takes visitors back in time . The Lubovna Museum in Stara Lubovna, eastern Slovakia, has opened a new display in a foresters lodge. (Source: Hradlubovna.sk) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The Lubovna Museum in Stara Lubovna, eastern Slovakia, has opened a new display in a foresters lodge. The house once stood in the border Ruthenian town of Maly Lipnik. Baron Gejza Salamon Alapi had the lodge built in 1890. He hired a forester to manage forests, logging and game hunting, ethnographer Katarina Babcakova said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The house was moved to the open-air museum as part of the Lubovna Museum, housed in the castle, in the early eighties. Slits filled with moss The foresters lodge used to stand in the centre of the town, in the vicinity of which vast coniferous forests have always grown. Several foresters took care of the woods between WWI and 1980, including the disabled veteran Gabor, imprisoned for alleged smuggling. The last forester who lived in the lodge was Jan Vojtech Klikac from Obyce [in the Nitra Region], Babcakova said. In 1980, the Lesny Zavod forestry company in Podolinec, near Stara Lubovna, donated the lodge to the open-air museum. The house made of wood originally had a multi-room floor plan. Slits were filled with moss. There was no running water. Foresters used a tiled stove to heat up their home. Original spirit After moving the lodge to the museum area, its log walls and its ceiling were plastered with mortar. A basement with a vaulted ceiling was built. Initially, the Lubovna Museum wanted to use the lodge as a local observatory but it has served as an exhibition space from the beginning. We wanted to give it the identity and spirit that it originally had. Therefore, we present the housing and office of a forester with his family from the middle to the second third of the 20th century in the lodge, Babcakova explained. Part of it serves as a multifunctional space, she added. The ethnographer and her colleagues managed to furnish the lodge with original items such as ceramic electric lamps, textile home accessories, duvets, boiler, and stove, as well as hunting accessories. Read also: Read also: Stara Lubovna Castle to create a permanent falconry space Read more Books on forestry, a heritage from my forester uncles, also found their home here, concluded Babcakova. Spectacular Slovakia travel guides With the law, Slovakia meets a milestone to reach the first payment for its Recovery Plan. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Slovakias governments will have to be more cautious in spending public funds after the parliament passed a new legislation introducing budget expenditure caps on March 16. This instrument, according to the proposal, is intended to prevent excessive spending during good times and facilitate the creation of reserves for bad times. Slovakia has been awaiting the introduction of spending limits for nearly a decade, with the previous governments failing to pass the due law. This time around, one motivation for the government of Eduard Heger to finally introduce the limits on spending was that it is required to do so in order for Slovakia to receive the first payment from the EU's Plan of Recovery and Resilience, amounting to some 460 million. The introduction of the spending caps is one of the 14 milestones Slovakia is required to meet to apply for this first payment from the plan. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The Council of Budget Responsibility (RRZ), the countrys fiscal watchdog, welcomes the introduction of the limits. The council sees the caps as a significant shift towards securing the long-term sustainability of public finances. Repeated experience with the management of public finances in Slovakia often shows that either the approved budgets during good times are not ambitious enough, or often in practice the government that proposed them does not stick to them, said Jan Toth, head of RRZ, adding that the long-term sustainability of Slovakias public finances is in the high risk zone and is the worst among EU countries. Slovakia has had neither surplus nor a balanced budget during its almost 30-year history. How the caps will work The US Defense Secretary visited Bratislava on March 17, and confirmed the arrival of US troops within an emerging NATO unit. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The US and NATO are prepared to do their utmost to help Ukraine, but they will not implement a no-fly zone there. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin repeated the US stance during his visit to Bratislava on March 17, following a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels a day earlier. Austin and his Slovak counterpart, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad, discussed aid to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, and the commitment of NATO member states to meet their defence spending commitments. "We take our commitments towards our NATO allies very seriously," Lloyd Austin told the press conference. He thanked Slovakia for its humanitarian aid and the help it is providing to refugees from Ukraine. Later in the evening he is scheduled to meet President Zuzana Caputova and Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO). No to a no-fly zone Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Regarding a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something which has been repeatedly requested by Ukrainian representatives, Austin stated that it is not a realistic demand, because it would mean a war between NATO and Russia. A no-fly would inevitably mean having to destroy Russia's anti-aircraft missile systems. "There is no such thing as a 'light' version of a no-fly zone, just like there is no such thing as a 'light' version of a war with Russia," Austin told reporters in Bratislava. Austin reiterated that US troops would not fight in Ukraine, but said the US will do its utmost to help Ukraine to defend itself. Slovakia's air defence system for Ukraine Austin confirmed the arrival of US troops as part of a NATO unit that is currently being created in Slovakia as part of the alliance's enhanced forward presence on its eastern border. "The capabilities that they will bring are the capabilities we lack, and they will strengthen our defence capacity," Nad noted. To meet NATO capability goals, Slovakia needs to focus on its ground forces and on building a heavy mechanised brigade, as well as replacing its obsolete Soviet-made air defence technology, including an S-300 air defence system and MiG-29 fighter jets. Regarding Slovakia's reported preliminary agreement to send its S-300 system to Ukraine to use in that country's defence against Russia, Austin noted that Ukraine has so far managed to prevent the aggressor from dominating Ukrainian skies. The aim of the US now is to support Ukraine in the capabilities that it is already good at. He said the possibility of giving the S-300 to Ukraine is still being discussed by partners. Nad reiterated his earlier statement that Slovakia will only be able to give up its S-300 system if it has an adequate replacement. Without a replacement, there would be a hole in NATO's own defences. Two foreign defence ministers arrived in Slovakia on Thursday. Ukrainian children who want to stay in Slovakia should have all mandatory vaccinations. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Good evening. This Thursday, March 17 edition of Today in Slovakia provides the main news of the day for you in less than five minutes. First visit by a US Defense Secretary since Slovakia joined NATO U.S. Secretary for Defense Lloyd J. Austin and Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad, right, shake hands during a ceremony in Bratislava, Slovakia, Thursday, March 17, 2022. This is the first visit by a US defense secretary to Slovakia since the country joined NATO in 2004. (Source: TASR) With Ukrainian refugees continuing to stream into Slovakia and Russian troops continuing their invasion of Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Slovakia today. He met with Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad and together they declared both countries' readiness to help Ukraine defend itself. The partners discussed the defence of Slovakia and the eastern flank of NATO, as well as the situation in Ukraine. "We take our commitments towards our NATO allies very seriously," Lloyd Austin told the press conference. He thanked Slovakia for its humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees from Ukraine. Later in the evening he is scheduled to meet President Zuzana Caputova and Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO). Both Austin and Nad confirmed that discussion was ongoing about the possibility of offering Slovakia's S-300 air defence system to Ukraine. CNN reported yesterday that Slovakia has preliminarily agreed to provide Ukraine with this key Soviet-era air defence system to help defend against Russian airstrikes. Minister Nad emphasised that nothing has been agreed yet and it would be possible only once Slovakia has a replacement for it. Nad said earlier that German troops would soon arrive in Slovakia with a US-made Patriot air defence system. Another topic of the meeting between Austin and Nad was the security of Slovak airspace. Slovakia is currently awaiting the arrival of new F-16 fighters, but it was announced last week that their delivery will be delayed. "We have discussed quite intensively how we will seek common ground and also take joint action to help our friends in Ukraine. We coordinate action within NATO and also bilaterally with the United States to strengthen Ukraine's defence. Ukraine deserves it," said Nad. More on NATO troops in Slovakia Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad and Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin met in Bratislava (Source: TASR) Slovenia decided to offer 200 troops to Slovakia as part of NATO's enhanced forward presence , Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin announced during his visit to Slovakia. Originally, 100 troops from Slovenia should have arrived but Tonin explained that his country now plans to send one whole company. , Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin announced during his visit to Slovakia. Originally, 100 troops from Slovenia should have arrived but Tonin explained that his country now plans to send one whole company. The Senate of the Czech Parliament approved sending up to 650 soldiers to Slovakia. They will join the NATO contingent deployed in Slovakia to bolster NATO's eastern flank in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The unit will be commanded by the Czech Army. The Czech government approved the dispatch a week ago; the lower chamber is expected to okay it next week. Refugees from Ukraine Children arriving from Ukraine who want to stay in Slovakia should have all compulsory vaccinations , said Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky. Chief paediatrician at the ministry Elena Prokopova said that to attend a doctor in Slovakia, it will be necessary to show written confirmation of vaccination status of children, or electronically, showing a photo. Pediatricians will, in case of need, vaccinate children who lack jabs. who want to stay in Slovakia , said Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky. Chief paediatrician at the ministry Elena Prokopova said that to attend a doctor in Slovakia, it will be necessary to show written confirmation of vaccination status of children, or electronically, showing a photo. Pediatricians will, in case of need, vaccinate children who lack jabs. A one-off allowance for people who have been provided asylum in Slovakia is to be increased from 1.5 times to three times the subsistence level per adult. Foreigners granted subsidiary protection should also receive an allowance of the same amount. MPs approved the amendment to the asylum law on Thursday. per adult. Foreigners granted subsidiary protection should also receive an allowance of the same amount. MPs approved the amendment to the asylum law on Thursday. A Slovak-language course for Ukrainians will open in Bratislava on March 23 at 10:00 in the Old Town Library, Blumentalska 10/A. The course, designed for young people and adults, will take place twice a week: on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 and Fridays from 9:00 to 10:30. The teachers are lecturers from the Faculty of Education of Comenius University, Department of Slovak Language and Literature. The lessons are free of charge. There is no requirement to register. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Photo of the day A convoy transporting a Patriot air defense missile system leaves the German army's Air Defense Missile Group 26 base in Husum, in northern Germany. From here, the Bundeswehr began transferring the Patriot air defense missile system to Slovakia. Feature story for today The textile industry is one of the most environmentally-damaging of all, and is contributing significantly to climate change, according to fashion designers, environmental campaigners, and economic experts. By buying second-hand and upcycled garments we can help solve the problem of waste, prolong the life cycle of textile materials, and mitigate [the clothing industrys] negative impacts on the environment, Zuzana Bobikova, CEO of the non-governmental organisation Slovak Fashion Council, said. Saving the planet one piece of clothing at a time Read more In other news 11,000 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 19,359 PCR tests performed on Wednesday. The number of people in hospitals is 2,406 people. 31 more deaths were reported on Wednesday. The vaccination rate is at 51.25 percent, and 2,818,682 people have received the first dose of a vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here. Parking cars on pavements will become legal again, and will now be allowed until the end of September 2023 , after 124 MPs approved an amendment to the law. Parking on pavements had been banned as of the end of February 2022. Coalition MPs argued that it caused a "parking collapse", as municipalities had no time to adjust. The National Highway Company (NDS) signed a contract for construction of part of the R2 Kosice Saca Kosicke Olsany expressway with the Eurovia SK and Eurovia CS group. The contractor now has a 30-day period during which it will take over the construction site and can start work. The section will be 14.3 kilometres long; its construction will take approximately three years and cost 132.6 million without value-added tax. with the Eurovia SK and Eurovia CS group. The contractor now has a 30-day period during which it will take over the construction site and can start work. The section will be 14.3 kilometres long; its construction will take approximately three years and cost 132.6 million without value-added tax. The Specialised Criminal Court sentenced former police investigator Marian Kucerka to 11 years in prison for taking bribes and a particularly serious crime of accepting a bribe in complicity. He and his attorneys did not show up for the verdict. to 11 years in prison for taking bribes and a particularly serious crime of accepting a bribe in complicity. He and his attorneys did not show up for the verdict. The Judicial Council has elected Beatrix Ricziova as a candidate for additional judge of the EU General Court . Her candidacy has yet to be approved by the government. She will then be able to appear before the EU Council Advisory Committee. . Her candidacy has yet to be approved by the government. She will then be able to appear before the EU Council Advisory Committee. Slovakia's decision to expel three Russian diplomats will lead to a degradation in bilateral relations between the two countries , said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova at a briefing on Thursday. "Apparently, Bratislava is trying with the same obsession to keep up with other Western countries that are hostile to us, and so it has committed itself to launching an anti-Russian campaign, apparently unaware of where this might lead and will lead if all this does not stop," Zakharova said, calling the expulsion of the three Russian diplomats because of espionage in Slovakia an exaggerated pretence." One of them was filmed handing wads of cash to a Slovak man who has since admitted spying for Russia. , said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova at a briefing on Thursday. "Apparently, Bratislava is trying with the same obsession to keep up with other Western countries that are hostile to us, and so it has committed itself to launching an anti-Russian campaign, apparently unaware of where this might lead and will lead if all this does not stop," Zakharova said, calling the expulsion of the three Russian diplomats because of espionage in Slovakia an exaggerated pretence." One of them was filmed handing wads of cash to a Slovak man who has since admitted spying for Russia. Private Markiza Television acquired the broadcasting rights to the comedy series Servant of the People, starring the current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The exact start date of the broadcast is not yet known. There is currently a lot of interest in the series, and several European televisions have already obtained licences. Do not miss on Spectator.sk today Fear of coronavirus fades as people focus on inflation and war Read more Parliament approves milder punishments for marijuana Read more How business service centres impact peoples lives Read more Original spirit breathes in forester's lodge exhibition 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/20220317/americans-must-learn-about-nato-expansion-coup-to-understand-ukraine-crisis---us-activist-1093948864.html Americans Must Learn About NATO Expansion, Coup to Understand Ukraine Crisis - US Activist Americans Must Learn About NATO Expansion, Coup to Understand Ukraine Crisis - US Activist WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - More Americans would understand the reasons behind the current crisis in Ukraine if they learned more about NATO expansion eastward and... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T07:06+0000 2022-03-17T07:06+0000 2022-03-17T07:06+0000 world us nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/10/1082090658_0:105:2000:1230_1920x0_80_0_0_d292cc6ab0c7610b3b9730de8ab7c763.jpg "Most people here in the US dont know anything about either the NATO expansion or the coup. If they did, they might be able to understand why we are in the present crisis. Even so, its clear there is no appetite here for direct US involvement in the war," Wilayto said.The activist believes it is very important to break through government propaganda which depicts alleged Russian expansionism as the reason for the conflict.American mainstream media, however, shaped public opinion by promoting the government position, he continued. Wilayto also expressed frustration that the antiwar movement in the US has weakened over the years.Still, a number of protests against US involvement in the Ukraine crisis have taken place around the country, he said. One of those protests, co-sponsored by several human rights groups, took place outside NATO Command in Norfolk, Virginia.Speaking of US policy in Eastern Europe, Wilayto underscored Washingtons desire to dominate in the region after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some countries in the region could have grown into economic competitors of the West, but as conditions for receiving Western loans, they had to agree to shut down much of their own industry, he added.Both the US and NATO have the same approach to Russia, according to the activist, who is sure that they want to dominate Russia as well."The West wants to dominate either by breaking it up like it did [with] former Yugoslavia or imposing ever more draconian sanctions in the hope that the Russian people will turn against their own government in favour of a more pro-Western one. If that happens, Russia would be reduced to one more vassal state of the West," he said.Wilayto opposes the idea of imposing sanctions.The real purpose of sanctions is to promote domestic unrest and, ultimately, what Washington calls "regime change," he added.On 2 May 2014, Ukrainian nationalists locked protesters in Odessa's House of Trade Unions and set the building on fire. Forty-six people died and over 200 protesters were injured in the blaze and clashes with the radicals.US human rights activists formed the Odessa Solidarity Campaign to call for an international investigation into the massacre.On 24 February, Russia began a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only. Several days into the operation, the Russian military accused the Ukrainian military of using typical terrorist methods, such as hiding behind civilians and in civilian quarters. us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, us, nato https://sputniknews.com/20220317/board-of-algerian-journalists-condemns-ukrainian-tv-presenters-call-to-kill-russians-1093960338.html Board of Algerian Journalists Condemns Ukrainian TV Presenter's Call to Kill Russians Board of Algerian Journalists Condemns Ukrainian TV Presenter's Call to Kill Russians CAIRO (Sputnik) - Algerian journalists condemn a call made by a Ukrainian TV host to kill Russians as such actions do not comply with the professional ethical... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T12:27+0000 2022-03-17T12:27+0000 2022-03-17T12:27+0000 world ukraine journalism /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/11/1093960136_0:0:696:392_1920x0_80_0_0_fef60d3828b76581604c1542147c65e8.jpg "Certainly, calls for hatred and violence, especially against children, coming from a journalist are dangerous, inhumane and unethical," Shariiti said.He said that journalism is a noble profession and its representatives should call for peace and friendship, while remaining impartial.On 12 March, Fakhrudin Sharafmal, on the air of Ukrainian TV channel 24 quoted Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann on the destruction of children and called for the genocide of Russians. Commenting on Sharafmals words, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, called for refraining from the hate speech. The head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed the investigators to give a legal assessment of the statements of the Ukrainian journalist.Russia demands the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) media representative to address the call of the Ukrainian TV host for the genocide against Russians, Maxim Buyakevich, Russia's deputy envoy to OSCE, told Sputnik on Thursday. ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, ukraine, journalism https://sputniknews.com/20220317/centcom-chief-says-iran-has-3000-missiles-on-hair-trigger-alert-some-able-to-strike-israel-1093969639.html CENTCOM Chief Says Iran Has 3,000 Missiles on Hair-Trigger Alert, Some Able to Strike Israel CENTCOM Chief Says Iran Has 3,000 Missiles on Hair-Trigger Alert, Some Able to Strike Israel Tensions between the Islamic Republic and the Jewish State hit a new low last week after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired off a dozen ballistic... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T16:57+0000 2022-03-17T16:57+0000 2022-03-17T21:31+0000 iran israel kenneth mckenzie us central command (centcom) missile /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/14/1080224431_0:52:1200:727_1920x0_80_0_0_0315dfc150dda8924ab9fcf3d410e2b7.jpg Iran has built up an arsenal of about 3,000 ballistic missiles, some of them capable of hitting Israeli cities, and the Pentagon considers Tehrans missile programme an exigent threat to US allies and partners, US Central Command chief Kenneth McKenzie has said.They have over 3,000 missiles of various types, some of which can reach Tel Aviv. None of them can reach Europe yet, the general, who is in charge of all US forces in the Middle East, added.McKenzie said these weapons have significantly greater range and significantly enhanced accuracy compared to where they were just five to seven years ago.Irans advancement in drones is also formidable, McKenzie said, suggesting that the country had progressed from primitive, commercial off-the-shelf UAVs to drones resembling cruise missiles in terms of their range, accuracy, speed, and ability to resist electronic warfare.Today, Iran is no less of a threat to American interests or to the stability of the region than it was in 1979. To the contrary, the threat posed by Iran is graver than ever, McKenzie suggested, referencing the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew a US puppet regime. The CENTCOM commander went on to accuse of Iran of fomenting conflict across an arc tracing from Yemen through the Arabian Peninsula, across Iraq and Syria and Lebanon and to the very borders of Israel using proxies and clients.McKenzies testimony followed an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps missile attack on what Iran said was a Mossad base in Erbil, Iraq on Sunday. The strike reportedly involved 12 Fateh missiles, and killed three Israeli operatives while wounding seven others. Israeli officials did not comment on the attack. US officials said that only two civilians were injured in the strike, and that press speculation otherwise is simply wrong. Some of the missiles landed near the US consulate in the northern Iraqi city.The IRGC launched the Erbil attack after warning that Israel would be made to pay the price for killing two Guard members in an airstrike in Syria earlier this month.On Wednesday, US media reported that the Erbil strike may have also been retaliation for a secret Israeli attack on an Iranian drone factory in the city of Kermanash in February.Iran considers its ballistic and cruise missile arsenals its main guarantee of strategic security against foreign aggression. Tehran has repeatedly warned Tel Aviv that any attempts to target the Islamic Republics peaceful nuclear programme would be met with a crushing retaliation. Israel has spent years threatening to wipe out Irans nuclear programme, and last year carved out a special $1.5 billion budget specifically for this purpose. In January, former Israeli deputy national security adviser Chuck Freilich warned Tel Aviv against such a step, saying Iran would be able to quickly rebuilt its nuclear potential, and that Israel itself would face devastating consequences from Irans inevitable response.Lets stay in touch no matter what. Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus https://sputniknews.com/20220313/missile-attacks-on-erbil-targeted-secret-israeli-bases-report-suggests-1093823605.html iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov iran, israel, kenneth mckenzie, us central command (centcom), missile https://sputniknews.com/20220317/ex-prime-minister-of-bulgaria-borissov-detained-during-police-operation-1093973692.html Ex-Prime Minister of Bulgaria Borissov Detained During Police Operation Ex-Prime Minister of Bulgaria Borissov Detained During Police Operation Earlier, ex-Prime Minister and leader of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) Boyko Borissov and other members of the former ruling party... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T19:31+0000 2022-03-17T19:31+0000 2022-03-17T21:29+0000 bulgaria europe corruption boyko borissov arrests investigation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104594/93/1045949399_0:0:4872:2742_1920x0_80_0_0_507fc75183dbc21e564570a8e6e3ef1c.jpg Former Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov was detained during a police operation, the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported late on Thursday, citing sources from law enforcement. The arrests were said to be related to reports, claiming that European prosecutors are investigating more than 120 cases of misuse of European funds in Bulgaria.Searches and seizures are said to have been conducted at many addresses. Apart from Borisov, several other high-ranked members of GERB were reportedly detained, including former Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov, former head of the parliamentary budget commission Menda Stoyanova and former head of the government press service Sevdalina Arnaudova.The current Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Kiril Petkov, reacted to the arrests, tweeting No one is above the law.The day before, the head of the European prosecutor's office, Laura Kovesi, said at a briefing in Sofia that they had received data on more than 120 cases of abuse of European funds in Bulgaria. She clarified that among the main accusations is abuse of funds received from the European Union related to state orders, subsidies for agricultural development and funds allocated for reconstruction after the coronavirus pandemic.Lets stay in touch no matter what. Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Alexandra Kashirina Alexandra Kashirina News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Alexandra Kashirina bulgaria, europe, corruption, boyko borissov, arrests, investigation https://sputniknews.com/20220317/former-inmates-of-neo-nazi-militia-run-prison-in-ukraine-share-chilling-testimony-on-torture-abuse-1093972040.html Former Inmates of Neo-Nazi Militia-Run Prison in Ukraine Share Chilling Testimony on Torture, Abuse Former Inmates of Neo-Nazi Militia-Run Prison in Ukraine Share Chilling Testimony on Torture, Abuse Ultranationalist and openly neo-Nazi paramilitary groups were given free reign to run rampant in Ukraine after the victory of the Maidan coup detat in Kiev in... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T18:41+0000 2022-03-17T18:41+0000 2022-03-17T21:29+0000 ukraine lugansk aidar battalion war crimes situation in ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/101755/79/1017557996_0:43:3489:2006_1920x0_80_0_0_00665ba7a0da48a5f0310742579542d5.jpg Former inmates of an illegal secret prison in the village of Polovinkino, Lugansk region run by the neo-Nazi Aidar Battalion have testified on the conditions of their imprisonment to officials from the Lugansk Peoples Republics Ministry of State Security. A Sputnik correspondent spoke to some of them.The prison, situated in the smokehouse of a local abandoned sausage factory, was set up in 2014, and contained captured LPR militia members and their suspected sympathizers. Local residents and random people pulled off the street also ended up imprisoned in the makeshift jail.The random prisoners included Dmitri Kurlyandsky, an auto mechanic from the village of Georgievka outside the city of Lugansk.My neighbour came under fire and got wounded. I took him to the hospital. On the way, we stumbled upon an Aidar checkpoint, Kurlyandsky told Sputnik.The man and his neighbour were locked up at Polovinkino for three weeks.Militiaman Ivan Maslov and his commander were captured in the town of Schastye, Lugansk region. The men were taken to Polovinkino and imprisoned in a cell without mattresses, a toilet, or any provisions to wash themselves or help heal their wounds.We slept on the ashes that remained from the smokehouses, Maslov recalled. The prisoners were forced to go to the bathroom in the cell. Youd dig a hole, like a cat, and do your business, he said.The former inmate said prisoners were often taken to a separate torture room, which guards referred to as the procedure room.Maslovs commander was fatally poisoned. In the morning they fed us, and in the afternoon my commander became ill. He was delirious, began hallucinating, and then died. The militiaman says he still doesnt know where his comrade-in-arms was buried. He believes the poisoning was deliberate.We are searching for a cemetery in the vicinity of Polovinkino where the victims of Aidar were buried, and continue to collect evidence and to investigate the war crimes of the battalion, an investigator with the LPRs Ministry of State Security said.Procedures Have Been SimplifiedCreated in May 2014 as a territorial defence volunteer battalion subordinated to the Ukrainian military, Aidar was formally disbanded in 2015 and integrated into the 53rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The 400-man-strong unit played an active part in the war in Donbas against local Peoples Militia units.Aidars personnel have also been accused of war crimes ranging from looting and torture to the killing of unarmed militiamen and civilians.Observers from the Organization for Security Co-operation in Europes Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine have known about Aidars Polovinkino prison since at least August 2014, when a man testified to having been arrested by the militants and held illegally at the jail on separatism charges. The man said militants threatened to murder his wife if he did not pay them over $10,000 US. After paying the ransom, he was released.The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights took note of Aidars activities in a 2015 report, citing 110 criminal cases against the volunteer unit for crimes ranging from abduction to threats and violence, including against even Ukraines own law enforcement authorities. A 2016 update pointed to suspected Aidar involvement in looting and the seizure of property including homes, from local residents. One individual is feared to have been killed by militants who seized his vehicle.Aidar also appeared repeatedly in a separate OHCHR report on conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine released in 2017. In one incident, Aidar members under the influence of intoxicants were said to have attacked and beat a woman in the street, with local police said to have refrained from intervening for fear of provoking the militants.Aidar is just one of multiple volunteer battalions formed in Ukraine in the aftermath of the coup in Kiev in 2014, with others including the internationally known Azov, Dnipro-1, Dnipro-2, Donbass, Kryvbass, Kherson, and the Right Sectors Ukrainian Volunteer Corps (DUK).Notwithstanding credible allegations of criminal behaviour, and multiple criminal cases against Aidar opened even by the post-coup Ukrainian authorities, the Ukrainian presidents office has awarded Aidar fighters medals for for courage, as well as the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, a state award for special merit in protecting state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and strengthening the defence capability and security of Ukraine.Lets stay in touch no matter what. Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus https://sputniknews.com/20151227/terror-southern-ukraine-1032372288.html ukraine lugansk Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, lugansk, aidar battalion, war crimes DHAKA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh and the World Bank have signed a 120 million U.S. dollars financing agreement to help improve the irrigated agricultural and fisheries production and increase the incomes of 170,000 poor people vulnerable to climate change. The agreement was signed by Fatima Yasmin, secretary of Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of Finance and Dandan Chen, acting World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, on behalf of their respective sides in Dhaka, said the bank in a statement received here Thursday. The "Climate-Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project" will improve climate resilience by modernizing flood management, drainage and irrigation infrastructures, said the statement. "Bangladesh's success is well-rooted in the agriculture sector. With a large population and scarce arable land, it is a major accomplishment for the country to achieve its level of food production today. But the climate change and increased natural disasters pose a threat to food security," Chen said. According to the bank, the project will help with climate resilient and improved irrigation, flood management and drainage service covering 120,000 hectares of land, which will reduce damage to crops from floods by 60 percent. https://sputniknews.com/20220317/french-finance-ministry-partially-evacuated-in-paris-due-to-terrorist-threat-media-reports-1093968409.html Russian Forces Seize Two More Donbass Settlements, Russian MoD Says Russian Forces Seize Two More Donbass Settlements, Russian MoD Says MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces have advanced 10 kilometers (6 miles) in the Donbass and seized two more settlements, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T16:27+0000 2022-03-17T16:27+0000 2022-03-17T16:33+0000 situation in ukraine russia ukraine russian defense ministry donbass /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/11/1093968737_0:0:1280:721_1920x0_80_0_0_1e263b3b100450ee9992a69ba27a3ba2.jpg "The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, continuing their successful offensive, took control of the settlements of Novomayorskoye and Prechistovka. The advance in a day was 10 kilometers," Konashenkov told a briefing.According to Konashenkov, the Russian aviation hit 29 targets in Ukraine over the past day, while the military shoot down two Ukrainian helicopters and 12 drones."In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 182 Ukrainian aircraft and helicopters, 177 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,393 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 134 multiple rocket launchers, 523 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 1,182 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed," the spokesman said. ukraine donbass Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 russia, ukraine, russian defense ministry, donbass https://sputniknews.com/20220317/hunter--laptop-biden-mocked-for-saying-everyone-knows-someone-targeted-over-naked-pics-online-1093947507.html Hunter & Laptop?: Biden Mocked For Saying Everyone Knows Someone Targeted Over Naked Pics Online Hunter & Laptop?: Biden Mocked For Saying Everyone Knows Someone Targeted Over Naked Pics Online The US President's son, Hunter Biden, made headlines in 2020 after The New York Post first reported on the contents of a hard drive copied from a laptop he... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T06:33+0000 2022-03-17T06:33+0000 2022-03-17T06:33+0000 joe biden hunter biden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0b/1093788503_0:89:3072:1817_1920x0_80_0_0_d75dd019b9ed4b6dc8d30ed13a7352b9.jpg Joe Biden became the butt of social media mocking after he remarked on Wednesday that he bets "everybody knows" someone who has been the target of revenge porn, with revealing pictures of them posted online.The remarks during the presidents speech in the East room of the White House addressed to advocates, survivors of abuse and lawmakers were immediately criticised by conservatives on social media.What had triggered the tongue-in-cheek response was that many invoked the POTUS son, Hunter Biden, and his purported laptop from Hell, which contained images of him and nude women in compromising positions.Fox News Katie Pavlich tweeted that the POTUS was accidentally talking about Hunter Biden and his laptop."In a nod to Joe Bidens previous numerous gaffes when speaking in public, Abigail Marone, press secretary for Republican Senator Josh Hawley, went on Twitter to wonder what the reactions of WH staff had been as Biden stumbled through this line."Jessica ODonnell, of The Blaze, was stunned at how Joe Biden was trying to normalise Hunters behaviour.Breitbart editor Emma-Jo Morris, who had first reported the Hunter Biden laptop story for the New York Post, tweeted to say that she could personally attest that Joe Biden knows somebody in this predicament."Back in 2020 The New York Post published a story alleging unethical and potentially illegal influence peddling involving Joe Biden during his tenure as US vice president after damning emails were taken from a laptop supposedly abandoned by Hunter Biden at a Delaware repair shop in 2019.Furthermore, the contents were reported to contain lurid personal photos of the presidents son, who has acknowledged repeated struggles with drug and alcohol addictions.At the time Joe Biden had denied he or his son committed any wrongdoing, with mainstream media making every effort to sweep the findings under the rug.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus https://sputniknews.com/20220313/man-who-exposed-hunter-biden-laptop-story-opens-up-about-death-threats-he-faced-1093827331.html https://sputniknews.com/20210814/exclusive-ex-schoolmate-of-hunter-biden-opens-up-about-first-sons-degenerate-behavior--1083601445.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko joe biden, hunter biden https://sputniknews.com/20220317/ill-fight-you-btch-woke-yale-law-students-trigger-fracas-at-bipartisan-free-speech-event-1093959798.html 'I'll Fight You B*tch': Woke Yale Law Students Trigger Fracas at Bipartisan Free Speech Event 'I'll Fight You B*tch': Woke Yale Law Students Trigger Fracas at Bipartisan Free Speech Event The conservative nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) previously successfully argued several Supreme Court cases, winning religious exemptions from civil... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T12:47+0000 2022-03-17T12:47+0000 2022-03-17T21:31+0000 yale law school woke us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105382/18/1053821802_0:54:1921:1134_1920x0_80_0_0_c319b9a258e3ac52a5d495b81a7fd204.jpg A Yale Law School bipartisan panel discussing civil liberties was disrupted by over a hundred jeering students, who intimidated attendees to a degree that police had to be called in.The ruckus was captured in footage obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.The panel, hosted by the Yale Federalist Society on 10 March, featured Monica Miller of the progressive American Humanist Association and Kristen Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The latter is a conservative nonprofit that promotes religious liberty and is known for its role in the Supreme Court case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission in 2018.A the time, the court, using the free exercise clause of the First Amendment (as applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment) upheld the right of Jack Phillips, owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, to refuse to custom design a cake for a same-sex wedding. When Professor Kate Stith introduced Kristen Waggoner, the students stood up, holding signs attacking the ADF, with one protester heard threatening to "literally fight you, b*tch".As Stith tried to remind the students of Yale's free speech policies, barring protests that "interfere with speakers' ability to be heard and of community members to listen," the heckling intensified.Several students could be seen with their middle fingers raised, jeering that the disturbance was "free speech." Stith eventually warned the crowd, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, or help you leave."As they exited the event, the rioting students congregated in the hall outside, stomping, pounding the walls, and chanting "protect trans kids." Two members of the Federalist Society later said they had been grabbed and jostled while trying to leave.Finally, police officers were summoned to escort Waggoner and Miller out of the building. It was not clarified who exactly placed the call.After the incident, over 60 percent of the law school's student body signed off on an open letter supporting the "peaceful student protesters." According to the signatories, they were the ones who had felt imperilled by the presence of police.The letter also slammed Kate Stith for telling the protesters to "grow up," and the Federalist Society for hosting the event, which "profoundly undermined our community's values of equity and inclusivity."Lets stay in touch no matter what. Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus https://sputniknews.com/20180606/supreme-courts-wedding-cake-ruling-sparks-fiery-debates-1065127163.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko yale law school, woke, us https://sputniknews.com/20220317/iran-launches-search-and-rescue-op-as-cargo-emirati-ship-with-30-souls-onboard-sinks-in-gulf---1093954234.html Iran Launches Search and Rescue Op as Cargo Emirati Ship With 30 Souls Onboard Sinks in Gulf - Video Iran Launches Search and Rescue Op as Cargo Emirati Ship With 30 Souls Onboard Sinks in Gulf - Video The Persian Gulf is one of the most heavily travelled and carefully monitored strategic bodies of water in the world, with ships containing up to one third of... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T10:12+0000 2022-03-17T10:12+0000 2022-03-17T10:25+0000 persian gulf ship search and rescue iran /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/11/1093952909_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_60f3a68d9d3acc9e01a224df59d46b99.jpg An Iranian search and rescue operation is underway for crewmembers of a United Arab Emirates-flagged roll on-roll off car transporter that sank 48 km off the Iranian Persian Gulf coastal city of Asalouyeh on Thursday.The ship involved was the Al Salmy 6, a 39-year-old ro-ro that was sailing to the port of Um Qasr Port, Iraq before capsizing and sinking due to rough weather.The Al Salmy 6s crew consists of Sudanese, Indian, Pakistani, Ugandan, Tanzanian and Ethiopian nationals.Hojjat Khosravi, a local Iranian maritime protection office chief, told IRNA that the search and rescue party included the Assaluyeh vessel as well as two evacuator vessels. Poor whether conditions prevented the rescue party from arriving before the ship sank. A request was made for helicopter support.Iranian media have published amateur footage of the cargo ship careening dangerously to one side before sinking. persian gulf iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov persian gulf, ship, search and rescue, iran https://sputniknews.com/20220317/its-like-choosing-between-education-and-our-identity-muslim-students-on-hijab-row--1093944525.html 'It's Like Choosing Between Education and Our Identity': Muslim Students on Hijab Row 'It's Like Choosing Between Education and Our Identity': Muslim Students on Hijab Row On Wednesday, the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on Hijabs in the state's educational institutes. The court held that Hijab is not an essential part of... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T08:56+0000 2022-03-17T08:56+0000 2022-03-17T08:56+0000 india india muslim muslims hijab hijab karnataka karnataka state /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/11/1093950877_0:232:3018:1931_1920x0_80_0_0_2a17cb2ab9a43ca3eeb0346436821475.jpg Hours after a three judge-bench of the Karnataka High Court upheld the Hijab ban on Tuesday, many Muslim girl students expressed their disappointment over the verdict, and approached the country's apex court, challenging the decision.The Muslim students believe that the High Court verdict is a "clear case of discrimination against them and violates their religious freedom".Sputnik spoke with Hijab-clad students and scholars who believe that public display of one's religious faith is typical in a multi-cultural country like India. They say the ruling also creates "psychological and social discrimination".The petitioners were a group of Muslim girls who were barred from class for wearing Hijab in a pre-university college (equal to high school) in the Udupi District of India's Karnataka state.These girls protested it, saying that they have been wearing Hijabs in the classroom for years and if they're forced to remove Hijab, it would violate their religious freedom.Demoralising JudgementSimra Ansari, a student of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University, called the judgement "demoralising".She said it feels as if the state is trying to dehumanise our identity.Creating Social SeparatismNabiya Khan, a poet and educator, feels that the Karnataka state government could have handled the matter more sensitively. She said every government institution behaved as a mute spectator when the mob was harassing Hijab girls.In February, clashes erupted among Hindu and Muslim students in the Udupi District; in one of the videos which went viral, Hindu students heckled a Hijab-clad girl.Khan also said that minutes after the Karnataka court's verdict, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -governed National Commission of Women (the statutory body for women's rights) welcomed the court's decision."However, NCW failed to take action when Muslim girl students were heckled. What kind of message are you trying to spread?" Khan questioned. "This is like creating social separatism," she added.'Not Court's Job to Decide What is Essential to Our Faith'Meanwhile, speaking on the 129-page court verdict, Huma Masih, a Delhi-based student activist, said, "It should not be the court's job to decide what is or is not essential to any faith."Masih also blamed the court for its selective reading of a particular English translation of the Quran and setting a dangerous precedent."The allowing of turbans and even kirpans for students of the Sikh community reflects a broad principle of tolerance and empathy. The question of Hijab could have been dealt with in a similar vein," Masih stressed.The Indian government has several incentive schemes like mid-day meals, free uniforms, and books to promote the schooling system and compel parents to send their children to school.In some states, there are separate schemes for girls. Suddenly, "Muslim girls are denied an education because they are wearing something that is a must in their religion", Sayema Rahman, an Indian radio jockey, said.However, when the court draws a false parallel between the Hijab and a saffron shawl, it validates the strategy of Hindu groups who had started distributing saffron shawls as a political gimmick to intimidate Muslim women students and counter their demand for the ability to wear the Hijab; it's disturbing and sad at the same time, Rahman added.A total of 230 girl students in Udupi District missed their exams for not being allowed to attend in Hijabs. The number may swell to thousands if the court's decision is implemented across Karnataka.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India will be hearing the matter after 21 March. india karnataka karnataka state Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 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 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg india, india, muslim, muslims, hijab, hijab, karnataka, karnataka state Blinken: US in Close Contact With Ukrainian Leaders, Other Nations Engaging in Diplomacy The United States is in close contact with Ukrainian authorities and international partners who are engaged in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. "We are in close contact as I said with Ukraines leaders, including in my case Foreign Minister [Dmytro] Kuleba. We are in close contact with other countries that have in one way or another been engaging in diplomacy," Blinken said. The United States wants Russia to make meaningful efforts to deescalate and engage in good-faith talks on the Ukraine crisis, Blinken added. "We are looking to see Russia take meaningful actions to deescalate, to stop the violence that its perpetrating in Ukraine and to engage in good-faith talks," Blinken said. Biden Tells Xi About Implications of Support for Russia's Ukraine Operation US President Joe Biden in a call with President of China Xi Jinping has laid out implications and consequences should Beijing decide to provide material support to Russia during the latter's military operation in Ukraine and in violation of sanctions, the White House said on Friday. ""[Biden] described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians." https://sputniknews.com/20220317/rare-greenland-shark-washes-up-in-uk-1093947831.html Rare Greenland Shark Washes Up in UK Rare Greenland Shark Washes Up in UK The Greenland shark is a real wonder of nature: both the duration of its life and its adaptability to icy water have intrigued marine biologists. For a fish of... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T07:55+0000 2022-03-17T07:55+0000 2022-03-17T07:55+0000 world shark /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/11/1093948499_0:24:790:468_1920x0_80_0_0_267747384009e6d857a1662f8bc01e7e.jpg On 15 March, boat skipper Trev Worth discovered a rare shark that could have lived for hundreds of years in the waters off Cornwall, UK, according to the BBC.Trev Worth was at sea with crew member Kingsley when they saw the creature in the water.The crew brought it ashore and the Marine Strandings Network (MSN) sent it to a veterinary pathologist for a examination. According to reports, the shark could be around 500 years old.On 13 March, the Greenland shark was spotted stranded off at Newlyn Harbour, Cornwall but by the time the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Marine Strandings Network arrived, the shark had already washed back out to sea."We are absolutely delighted to update you that the superb crew from Mermaid Pleasure Trips, Penzance, Trev and Kingsley, this evening found and brought ashore the dead Greenland shark which was previously stranded on Sunday and then washed back out to sea," Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Marine Strandings Network said.Prior to that, only once, in 2013, was the Greenland shark found in UK waters, according to MSN. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, shark https://sputniknews.com/20220317/russia-believes-components-of-biological-weapons-were-created-in-ukraine---mod-1093960475.html Russian MoD Names Curator of Pentagon-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine, Releases Original Docs Russian MoD Names Curator of Pentagon-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine, Releases Original Docs The Russian military began to pull back the curtain on the scale and scope of the network of Pentagon-funded biolabs in Ukraine last week. US officials and... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T12:33+0000 2022-03-17T12:33+0000 2022-03-17T15:32+0000 russia ukraine biolab biological research biological warfare biological weapon situation in ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102449/95/1024499564_0:112:2048:1264_1920x0_80_0_0_98f9951f84916e0363376421df5b0564.jpg The Russian Ministry of Defence has released fresh details about the US military-funded biolabs operating in Ukraine, including a trove of original documentation. The MoD also revealed that Joanna Wintrol, the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency's liason officer at the US Embassy in Kiev, has been serving as one of the programme's curators.Commenting on a trove of papers released in a presentation Thursday, Russian Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops chief Igor Kirillov pointed to a document dated 6 March 2015 which he said confirmed in no uncertain terms that components of biological weapons were being created in Ukraine with direct US involvement and financing."An analysis of the information received suggests that Ukrainian specialists have not been made aware of the potential risks involved in the transfer of biomaterials, and that they are essentially being used and kept in the dark, and have no real idea about the true goals of the ongoing research," Kirillov said at a briefing in Moscow."Their use can be disguised as the natural outbreak of diseases. This is why this particular project received additional funding, and the deadlines for its implementation were extended," Kirillov said.The MoD calculated that labs in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov and Kharkov received $32 million in funding for Project UP-8.Project P-782Ukrainian biolaboratories were also the main executor of Project P-782, conducting research into the transmission of diseases through bats. A Russian RCB Defence Troops analysis of documents showed that Pentagon research has been going on since at least 2009 under the direct supervision of US specialists, and that work in this area has also been done through several related projects, known as P-382, P-444 and P-568.Kirillov said the Pentagon invested $1.6 million into this research, which was said to have been carried out at a lab in Kharkov, northeastern Ukraine, and the Lugar Center in Tbilisi, Georgia.The officer said that documents showed that the Pentagon began bat pathogen-related research in October 2019, on the eve of the start of the coronavirus pandemic.Project Flu-Fly-WayThe officer also addressed information gleaned from documents received from the Kharkov Institute of Veterinary Medicine on the use of wild migratory birds as vectors for the transmission of a highly pathogenic form of avian influenza. This research, he said, included a study of the conditions under which the processes of the virus's transmission could become uncontrollable, with the purpose being to cause economic damage and creating risks to food security.The same Kharkov lab, he said, has been involved with the collection of strains of avian influenza with high epidemic potential, including strains capable of overcoming the interspecies barrier.Kirillov also reported that the MoD has information that Ukraine's biolabs are continuing to destroy biomaterials and documentation on their research into dangerous viruses, in accordance with instructions sent out last month by Ukraine's minister of health."This laboratory cooperates with the Mechnikov Anti-Plague Research Institute in Odessa, which conducts research on plague, anthrax, cholera, tularemia and arboviruses," Kirillov said.The emergency destruction of documents has also taken place in a lab in the city of Kherson. In that case, Kirillov speculated, "one of the reasons for the rush may have been to conceal information about the outbreak of dirofilariasis, a disease transmitted by mosquitos, which took place in Kherson in 2018.""The question arises about why four cases of infection were detected in February, which is not typical given the life cycle of these insects. In April 2018, Pentagon representatives visited local health facilities, where they were acquainted with the results of an epidemiological investigation and copied medical records," the officer said. No documentary evidence regarding the outbreak has been found in the Kherson lab, suggesting it had been scrubbed to prevent it from falling into the hands of Russian specialists, Kirillov said. Serum ExpressKirillov also expanded on previously-made MoD allegations on the sending of serum samples of Ukrainian patients abroad, citing documentation on the transfer of 5,000 samples to the Lugar Center, and indications that 773 more samples were sent to a UK reference lab. The MoD released a sample invoice.ImplicationsCommenting on the security implications of the US-funded Ukrainian biolabs' operations for the region, Kirillov said that the 2018 deaths of over 70 residents of the settlement of Peski, Donetsk People's Republic from drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis may be associated with the activities of one such lab, with pathogens either accidentally or deliberately leaked.The officer accused the United States and Ukraine of keeping silent about the research taking place at Ukrainian biolabs from the United Nations, notwithstanding Biological Weapons Convention rules requiring member countries to submit detailed information on their biological activities.The officer suggested that essentially, Washington's farming out of its military biological activities to third countries serves a means to bypass its international obligations by proxy. The current activity is also nothing new, Kirillov stressed, pointing, for example, to President Barack Obama's surprise admission in 2010 that the United States deliberately infected Guatemalan nationals with syphilis and gonorrhea pathogens in the 1940s.The Russian military began to disclose details on the scale and scope of the US-funded network of biolabs across Ukraine last week. US officials and media immediately dismissed the MoD's reporting as Russian propaganda and disinformation, releasing articles and fact checks to that effect. These same officials and media were put on the spot on 7 March when undersecretary of state Victoria Nuland told lawmakers that "biological research facilities" were in fact operating in Ukraine.Nuland said the United States was "quite concerned" that Russian troops may take control of these labs, and assured that Washington was "working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach."The Russian MoD has continued to provide additional information regarding the operations of these facilities in the days that followed. https://sputniknews.com/20220311/us-tried-to-fund-bio-labs-in-ukraine-as-early-as-2005-records-show-1093786051.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov russia, ukraine, biolab, biological, research, biological warfare, biological weapon https://sputniknews.com/20220317/russia-urges-us-to-stop-lying-cover-events-in-ukraine-impartially-1093943943.html Russia Urges US to Stop Lying, Cover Events in Ukraine Impartially Russia Urges US to Stop Lying, Cover Events in Ukraine Impartially WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Moscow is calling on Washington to stop spreading false information and engage in objective coverage of events in Ukraine, the Russian... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T02:22+0000 2022-03-17T02:22+0000 2022-03-17T02:23+0000 embassy ukraine russia us lies azov battalion /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0b/1093764836_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_28d9ad8983236f4ff324c467c0888a74.jpg "We draw attention to the ongoing disinformation campaign in the American media about what is happening in Ukraine. Another example was the fake circulated in the local press about the alleged involvement of the Russian Armed Forces in the attack on the Mariupol drama theater... We urge you to stop lying and engage in objective coverage of events in Ukraine," the embassy said on Telegram.The embassy suggested that those who are "really interested in true information" about the events taking place in Ukraine should be guided by Russian resources, in particular, data from the Russian Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Washington.Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the accusations by the Kiev regime against Russia of allegedly delivering an air strike on the drama theater in Mariupol, where civilians could be held hostage, are not true - Russian aircraft did not carry out any strikes on ground targets. According to the ministry, it was previously known from refugees who had escaped from Mariupol that neo-Nazis from the Azov battalion could hold civilians hostage in the theater, using upper floors as firing points.Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure only, aims to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, adding that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. https://sputniknews.com/20220315/eyewitness-shares-horror-of-azov-neo-nazis-gunning-down-defenceless-fleeing-civilian-in-mariupol-1093885906.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 embassy, ukraine, russia, us, lies, azov battalion ATHENS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Greece's government presented on Thursday a three-month package of support measures worth 1.1 billion euros (1.2 billion U.S. dollars) to help households and businesses cope with the energy crisis. "The measures we are announcing today exceed one billion euros and are addressed to 3.2 million citizens," government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou told journalists. The total amount of government interventions to support Greek society now stands at four billion euros, he said. The new package of support measures will include power bill subsidies and a fuel rebate of 22 eurocents per liter for consumption up to 60 liters per month for those with an annual income of up to 30,000 euros. Taxi drivers, low-income pensioners, and disabled and uninsured elderly people will receive a one-off allowance of 200 euros in April. The government will also support farmers and stockbreeders by reducing taxes on fertilizers and animal feed. In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated his call for comprehensive policies to address the current challenge on European Union (EU) level. "For Greece, this test will become another opportunity to overcome our weaknesses and do better," he said. (1 euro = 1.11 U.S. dollar) https://sputniknews.com/20220317/russian-foreign-ministry-spokeswoman-zakharova-holds-press-briefing-1093946748.html Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova Holds Press Briefing Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova Holds Press Briefing The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman's briefing comes amid Russia's ongoing special operation in Ukraine. 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T08:05+0000 2022-03-17T08:05+0000 2022-03-17T08:05+0000 world russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/11/1093947678_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_73c5d240e6d9befc470833c576ee54e0.jpg Sputnik goes live from Moscow as Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova is holding a press briefing on current foreign policy issues.Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February in response to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation, which only targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, aims to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, adding that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia.Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More! russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova Holds Press Briefing Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova Holds Press Briefing 2022-03-17T08:05+0000 true PT144M00S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, russia, https://sputniknews.com/20220317/russophobia-is-the-new-pandemic-african-countries-stay-neutral-in-ukraine-conflict-1093941477.html Russophobia Is the New Pandemic; African Countries Stay Neutral in Ukraine Conflict Russophobia Is the New Pandemic; African Countries Stay Neutral in Ukraine Conflict The US government and many of its allies are seizing the assets and taking the jobs of ethnic Russians without due process. 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T08:19+0000 2022-03-17T08:19+0000 2022-03-17T08:19+0000 the critical hour john conyers iran ukraine volodymyr zelensky steven donziger venezuela radio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/10/1093941447_33:0:1277:700_1920x0_80_0_0_0253e92783e001429e64a63a88eba02e.png Russophobia is the New Pandemic; African Countries Stay Neutral in Ukraine Conflict The US government and many of its allies are seizing the assets and taking the jobs of ethnic Russians without due process. Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss the rash of Russophobia. The US government and many of its allies are seizing the assets and taking the jobs of ethnic Russians without due process.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. Some European leaders are making a dangerous trek to Kiev to meet with Ukrainian leaders. Also, Ukrainian President Zelensky speaks to the US Congress to try and draw the West into the conflict.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. China argues that the US has failed to trap them into colluding against Russia in the Ukraine conflict. Also, we discuss China's increase in military spending.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss NATO. Scott Ritter argues that "the ongoing flow of refugees out of Ukraine into neighboring territories poses the greatest potential for a NATO-Russia clash." Also, we discuss the F-35 fighter as a military asset.Nick Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss Steven Donziger. Over 100 activist groups are pushing President Biden to pardon human rights lawyer Steven Donziger.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Palestinians are showing clear support for the Russians, as they see the conflict as a pushback against the US empire. Also, Iran urges the US to drop demands that they consider "excessive" to facilitate a deal.William Camarado, Venezuelan-American writer, social justice activist and co-organizer for the Alliance for Global Justice, joins us to discuss Venezuela. Venezuela is walking a tight line as they eye opportunities to re-enter the oil market while maintaining the integrity of their relationship with Russia and China.Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the Congressional Black Caucus and Africa's response to Ukraine. Most Africans are reluctant to join nations that they view as colonizers and oppressors against a historical ally. Also, the Congressional Black Caucus is failing to continue John Conyers' anti-war legacy.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. iran ukraine venezuela Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg the critical hour, john conyers, iran, ukraine, volodymyr zelensky, steven donziger, venezuela, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20220317/swedish-policewoman-under-investigation-for-having-putin-as-screensaver-1093947272.html Swedish Policewoman Under Investigation for Having Putin as Screensaver Swedish Policewoman Under Investigation for Having Putin as Screensaver Following Moscow's operation in Ukraine, which the West insistently portrays as aninvasion, anti-Russian sentiments have soared, especially in the West... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T06:14+0000 2022-03-17T06:14+0000 2022-03-17T06:14+0000 situation in ukraine scandinavia news russia sweden ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102487/77/1024877762_0:64:2870:1678_1920x0_80_0_0_3229fdeb5f3b358c33c519ab900d1d5a.jpg A policewoman in Swedish has been placed under internal investigation for having a portrait of Putin as a screensaver on her computer at the police station.The policewoman's loyalty is also being questioned by colleagues, who consider her a security risk. According to the newspaper Expressen, they are refusing to work with her after she said that Russia was not waging a war in Ukraine, referring to the ongoing special operation to demilitarise the country, and ventured that what is being said about it in the Swedish media was fake. When questioned by Expressen, she emphasised that she has friends and relatives on both sides of the Ukrainian conflict.The policewoman is of Russian origin and is said to make frequent trips to Russia together with her husband. Her alleged sympathy for Putin and her homeland have sparked growing uncertainty among colleagues.According to Expressen, the police station was bubbling with anger as the scandal is seen as a serious breach of trust.The woman became a Swedish citizen in the nineties and has since trained to become an active police officer.In her role as a border police officer, she has access to a number of systems with sensitive information, and also comes into contact with people from the former Soviet states during the operations carried out by the border force in the region where she works. According to her colleagues, she has been conducting some of the interviews with suspected aliens from former Soviet republics who don't speak Swedish in Russian, which functions as a lingua franca, without using a formal interpreter, which has raised further questions amid the current spy scare.The regional head of the border police declined to comment on individual cases. The woman is currently on sick leave.Following Russia's operation in Ukraine, which the West portrays as an invasion despite Moscow emphasising that it harbours no occupation plans and aims to protect the inhabitants of the Donbass People's Republics, anti-Russian sentiment has seen a major global rise, especially in the West, reaching levels unseen since the Cold War to the point where schoolchildren and preschoolers are being bullied and exposed to verbal abuse. scandinavia sweden ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Igor Kuznetsov Igor Kuznetsov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Igor Kuznetsov scandinavia, news, russia, sweden, ukraine https://sputniknews.com/20220317/twenty-years-after-deadly-suicide-attack-in-jerusalem-eyewitness-says-wounds-still-open-1093948060.html Twenty Years After Deadly Suicide Attack in Jerusalem, Eyewitness Says Wounds Still Open Twenty Years After Deadly Suicide Attack in Jerusalem, Eyewitness Says Wounds Still Open On 9 March 2002 a Palestinian terrorist detonated himself in the midst of a crowd in a buzzing cafe, just 50 metres from the prime minister's residence in the... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T07:07+0000 2022-03-17T07:07+0000 2022-03-17T07:07+0000 israel middle east /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/11/1093948529_0:90:2055:1247_1920x0_80_0_0_c0ed3b04ad53ec1a0ce4652aac2ca161.jpg Naor Yossef, a native of Jerusalem, who is now in his 50s, remembers well that cold night in March of 2002, when he arranged to meet his friend, Uri Felix, at Cafe Moment in the heart of the capital.Back then, Cafe Moment was one of the most popular meeting places in the city. Located just 50 metres from the prime minister's official residence, it served drinks and good food. It boasted a buzzing atmosphere, and was always packed with people, especially on Saturday nights.The ninth of March, 2002 was not an exception. "It was almost 11pm when I reached the Cafe," recalled Yossef. "I was supposed to meet Uri and his fiancee Danit, who were already inside. But when I drove by I saw that there was a huge queue and I called Uri to tell him that I would not be standing in that freezing weather to get inside."Deadly AttackThe two agreed they would meet somewhere else, and Yossef took a U-turn to leave the place. That decision has saved his life.At 22:30 a Palestinian terrorist entered Cafe Moment and exploded himself in the midst of the diners. Uri and Danit were killed on the spot. The two were 25 years old when they died.Apart from the couple, nine others were killed, and more than 60 were injured.Deadliest MonthMarch 2002 was probably the deadliest month of the Second Intifada, a popular Palestinian uprising that kicked off in September 2000.During that month, 105 Israeli civilians lost their lives in acts of terrorism perpetrated by Palestinians; 26 IDF soldiers were also killed. To curb that threat of terrorism, Israel launched its Defensive Shield operation that aimed at destroying the hubs of extremists in the West Bank, from which most radicals had been coming.Within two months of the operation's launch, Israel had managed to fulfil most of its goals. Many terrorists were killed, while others were arrested. Their infrastructure was destroyed and the country moved on. Despite the interior of Cafe Moment being totally destroyed during the explosion, it was reconstructed. It got new owners and a fresh name, but eventually closed its doors.Now, 20 years down the line, the building which once housed Cafe Moment now offers luxury apartments, but the names of the 11 victims who died at the venue are still engraved on a monument in the vicinity of the venue. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Elizabeth Blade Elizabeth Blade News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Elizabeth Blade israel, middle east https://sputniknews.com/20220317/us-house-finance-committee-passes-5-bills-to-sanction-russia-support-ukraine-1093970091.html US House Finance Committee Passes 5 Bills to Sanction Russia, Support Ukraine US House Finance Committee Passes 5 Bills to Sanction Russia, Support Ukraine WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US House Financial Services Committee on Thursday passed five pieces of legislation to sanction Russia and support Ukraine amid... 17.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-17T17:19+0000 2022-03-17T17:19+0000 2022-03-17T17:19+0000 us congress russia ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/07/1093644466_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_e6dc92241aa3a286f53456972f533a56.jpg The committee first passed H.R. 7066, which makes US corporations enforce Russia and Belarus sanctions among foreign subsidiaries. The bill is intended to prevent US-based companies from getting around sanctions through foreign subsidiaries based in countries without sanctions on Moscow or Minsk.The committee then passed H.R. 6891, a piece of legislation to try to exclude Russian government officials from participating in international organizations including the G20, Basel Committee for Banking Standards and Financial Stability Board.Lawmakers extensively debated the subsequent piece of legislation, H.R. 7080, entitled the "Nowhere to Hide Oligarchs Assets Act," which would expand the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Networks ability to track transactions potentially linked to illicit activities.Republican lawmakers expressed concerns about further empowering the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, citing possible privacy issues. The committee passed the legislation in a vote of 26 to 23 the only bill not to be passed by voice vote.The committee then passed H.R. 7081, which instructs American officials at international financial institutions to use the US vote and influence to advocate for the immediate suspension of all debt service payments owed by Ukraine.Lastly, the committee passed H.R. 6899 to prohibit the US Treasury Secretary from engaging in transactions involving the exchange of International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Drawing Rights held by Russia or Belarus.Committee members cited Volodymyr Zelenskys address to the US Congress as inspiration for much of the legislation put forward by the lawmakers. The legislation will now move forward for consideration by the full House of Representatives. us russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, congress, russia, ukraine Top US trotter Jujubee is preparing for his four-year-old campaign that will keep him focused on tackling the North American competition as his connections have declined an invitation to the Elitloppet, according to a local article. Perhaps a case of mistaken identity resulting in a light two-year-old season benefitted Jujubee, who went on to take major stakes titles at three such as the Kentucky Futurity and Breeders Crown en route to being named 2021 U.S. Trotter of the Year. A mix up with another horse landed the Pennsylvania-bred in Ohio as a freshman, but once it was sorted out and he made it to the races, the son of Creatine took his connections on a thrilling ride. He won 14 of his 18 races and earned nearly $950,000 during his sophomore season. Owned by John Erdner and trained by Greg Wright Jr., Jujubee is back in training at the Palema Training Center in Florida with an expected return to racing in early April. There is every reason to believe (Jujubee can) shine as a four-year-old, racing against the best on the East Coast, Erdner was quoted as saying in an Observer-Reporter article that reports the connections passed on the Elitloppet invite this year. Hes fast and ready to roll right now," Wright said of the trotter with two sub-1:50 miles on his resume. "My challenge is to keep him from peaking too early. The MGM Yonkers International Trot is unique in the Standardbred world as a race that attracts top talent worldwide. On October 15, 2022, the $1 million invitational race for trotters will return from a two-year COVID-related hiatus to anchor a multi-million dollar program at Yonkers Raceway, featuring the best horses in the sport. Launched in 1959 at the now defunct Roosevelt Raceway and originally contested as a mile-and-a-half race, the International Trot was revived by Yonkers Raceway in 2013 and has hosted the greats of the sport, both human and equine. From drivers and trainers like Stanley Dancer (1961, 1963), Jean-Rene Gougeon (1968, 1969, 1971) and Billy Haughton (1978, 1979) to trotting royalty in Mack Lobell (1988) and two-time champions Su Mac Lad (1961, 1963) and Delmonica Hanover (1973, 1974), the International Trot has always been a showcase for harness racing. The International Trot moved to Yonkers Raceway in 1988 and was contested as a mile-and-a-quarter event on the historic half-mile track for a few years and was revived in 2015 after a decade of dormancy. Over the last five editions of the race, four different countries have taken home the prestigious trophy: Zacon Gio (2019) and Twister Bi (2017) both have Italian roots, Cruzado Dela Noche (2018) won under the Swedish flag, Resolve (2016) kept the trophy at home in the United States, and Papagayo E (2015) was a winner for Norway. Now officially rechristened as the MGM Yonkers International Trot, it is one of the few stakes races which is fully funded by the host track and requires no financial commitment from owners. We are incredibly excited to welcome back the International Trot that was unfortunately lost to the global pandemic for the last two years, said Ed Domingo, MGM Yonkers General Manager. "This is the signature annual event at Yonkers Raceway, one that attracts worldwide talent. As a staple of the historic legacy of harness racing that MGM Resorts is proud to be the steward of, we could not be more thrilled to be hosting this event again this year. Joining the 42nd MGM Yonkers International on the October 15 card will be a pair of $500,000 races for older horses Aria Invitational Pace and the Robert Miecuna Invitational Trot that are also completely funded by the tracks purse account. Stakes season officially began at Yonkers Raceway with the MGM Rewards Series on March 8 and continues with the rich Blue Chip Matchmaker and MGM Borgata events on March 18 and 21, respectively. Another highlight on the calendar is July 1, when a pair of Triple Crown races MGM Grand Messenger Stakes and MGM Yonkers Trot will be contested. The complete schedule of stakes races at Yonkers Raceway can be found here. Live racing continues at Yonkers Raceway on a Monday to Friday schedule with a first-race post time of 6:55 p.m. (With files from Yonkers Raceway) Everybodys a little bit Irish for St. Patricks Day, observed in Ireland as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years in honor of its patron saint. Culpeper will celebrate the shamrock-infused observance with a range of revelry including a weekend of live-action role playing and various venues for adult beverages. Heres a sampling of St. Paddys Day happenings around these parts: Irish food & drinks Noon to 9 p.m. Thursday Old House Vineyards in Stevensburg will offer a full lineup of Old Country selections by Green Ribbon, Irish tunes and souvenir buttons. Come dressed in your best green outfit. Theyll be open all weekend for recovery beers in the taproom, offering great natural views of the vineyard. Head over to Old Trade Brewery & Cidery 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday for open mic night and karaoke. The brewery in Brandy Station will have music by Jeremy Fox 6 to 9 on Friday; JB Brown 5 to 8 on Saturday and Chris Rentch and Melissa Fox at 2 p.m. on Sunday. They will serve Hallowed Hill Seltzer with a splash of lemonade, gold sugar rim and Lucky Charm marshmallows. War Craft Brewery along U.S. Route 15 south near the Madison County line is hosting St. Patricks Day Hangover Weekend March 18-20 featuring beverage releases and live music Friday night at the veteran-owned establishment that also makes its own wine. Get LARP-ed at Mountain Run Winery Live-action role-playing returns at noon on March 18 through 3 p.m. on March 20 to this scenic site off of Mountain Run Lake Road. The mead will be flowing and spectators are welcome to attend the Rites of Spring Challenge. Lots of role play, scavenger hunts, adventure racing, puzzle solving, resource allocation and safe combat with realistic reinforced foam weapons and two great evening feasts. St. Pattys Day Beer Crawl The Sangria Bowl, Jackleg and The Pier have teamed up for this downtown event on Saturday. Tickets include a bar crawl wristband, goodies and a map with sign-in starting at 4 p.m. at the ticket booth under the State Theatre marquee on Main Street. There will be live music by Yon OConner and Paul Rogers 4 to 6 p.m. at The Sangria Bowl, Shamrock shooters and Guinness pulled pork silders. Jackleg on East Davis Street will have specials and an 80s dance night 9 p.m. to midnight. Over at Sweet Roux on South East Street, try the corned beef tacos and hash along with Irish flag and Jameson shots. Rappahannock Gold rainbow celebration Patrick OConnells new restaurant in Little Washington, Patty Os Cafe & Bakery, is hosting its first St. Patricks Day celebration March 17 featuring a four-course menu inspired by the cuisine of Ireland and live music by renowned Irish fiddlers Rhys Jones and Cleek Schrey. Dress code is a wee bit of green. Reservations recommended. Western Nebraska Regional Airport (WNRA) director Raul Aguallo informed airport authority board members that he intends to find a new carrier right away. SkyWest Airlines announced last week that the company would stop service to Scottsbluff and 28 other airports across the country, including all of its stops in Nebraska. The DOT suspects that they found something that they prefer better, and this is the first course of action for SkyWest, Aguallo said during Wednesdays meeting. They have to give us the 90-day notice of intent that they intend to leave. However, he said a holding order requires the airline to honor their existing contracts until a suitable replacement can be implemented. In WNRAs case, SkyWests contract doesnt expire until Jan. 31, 2023. Aguallo said passengers can expect to fly during that time. Aguallo pitched the idea of having flights travel through Scottsbluff between North Platte and Denver in what he called a tri-city loop. He said the airport could board more flights per day in smaller planes under a new airline, but he preferred to keep the existing Bombardier CRJ200 planes because its what people like. Aguallo and administrative assistant Lorraine Greenwalt will travel to Mesa, Arizona, at the end of March for an aviation conference. There, theyll meet with representatives from every major airline in the country to start working a new contract with one of them. They call it speed dating, but I get to sit down for 20 minutes with each one of them over the course of two days to visit with them about comments, concerns, whatever I have. Of course, my concern is if theres anybody out there interested in picking up EAS routes, even if its in a large jet. Aguallo said his optimal outcome would be to find a carrier with CRJ200 aircraft like the airport has now. ... The ultimate goal of course is not to lose air service, and I dont have any fears of that at this time. I believe that regardless of what happens, we will have air service out of here as far as I can see. Aguallo said he had reached out to both Congressman Adrian Smith and Senator Debra Fischer to request their help in lowering the required amount of training co-pilots need from 1,500 to 750 hours. He said such an act would increase the amount of pilots available for smaller airlines. Once pilots hit 1,500 hours of training with a given aircraft, Aguallo said larger airline companies snatch them up by offering them higher pay that small airlines cant compete with. He told the board that Smith, Fischer and officials with the American Association of Airport Executives told him that elected officials would likely not pursue such an issue during an election year. In a statement, Smith told the Star-Herald, Im disappointed by SkyWests decision to suspend service to Scottsbluff, North Platte and Kearney. Air service is vital to connecting rural communities economically, and I will support new bids for air service when appropriate. One contributing factor in SkyWests decision is the nationwide pilot shortage, and I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to identify barriers to pilot training and retention and develop potential legislative solutions. There were just three voting members at the meeting; board members Jeff Robbins and Matt Ziegler were unavailable. In other action, the board chose a bid for new doors for both warm and cold hangars. One bid was for $211,776.48 for two doors without including an installation fee. The other was for $220,831.71 for both doors, but that did include an installation fee as well as some steelwork. That bid also came with a battery backup for a power source in case the building lost power; it was ultimately the one the board approved. The existing doors are in poor shape, Aguallo said, and the new ones would be able to withstand winds up to 100 miles per hour. Aguallo also provided an update on the runway construction project. He said the asphalt which needs to be replaced is thicker than anticipated, so the project will be more expensive. It cant effectively be conducted in phases, so the runway will be stripped down to its original concrete and have new asphalt added to it. Aguallo also informed the board that federal mask mandates for air travel had been extended until April 15, though they might be lifted after that. In an update, assistant director Cheryl Clause said the airport had boarded at least 2,282 people for the year as of March 14. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Hemingford Public Schools officially has a new superintendent Travis Miller of Bayard. The school board took action Monday, March 14 to approve a superintendents contract, officially naming Miller the superintendent of the Box Butte County School District, effective July 1. The contract period is for one year and expires June 30, 2023. Millers salary is set at $145,000 annually, which will be paid in 12 equal monthly installments starting in August. Meeting minutes indicate the school board met Monday, Feb. 14 to discuss the superintendent interviewing process that week. Following those interviews that concluded Wednesday, Feb. 16, the board entered into executive session before returning to open session. Miller said as part of the interview process, one question he was asked was If selected as the superintendent, what would be your agenda? I dont bring an agenda to the role other than to make the school the best it can be in partnership with the staff, the students, the parents and other stakeholders, Miller said. My job, as I see it, is to learn what the board and the community are looking for and expect. The strategic planning process will be extremely informative toward that. My job is then to make that a reality. School board president Justin Ansley told the Star-Herald the next 2 hours and 31 minutes of that February meeting were spent discussing which candidate fit best within the school district. After selecting Miller, Ansley extended an offer. It was an honor to be selected, Miller told the Star-Herald. The July 1 start date gives him an opportunity to get to know the community and staff ahead of the school year, he said. For a new superintendent, July and first part of August is really your opportunity to start getting to know the community and your staff starting to build relationships with people, Miller said. Its also the beginning of getting a sense of the vision and shared commitments of the community around the school. Hemingfords board is currently working on its strategic plan, including meetings with key stakeholders to establish a new vision for the district. One of those meetings is on St. Patricks Day and Ansley invited Miller to attend. Thats a real opportunity for me to have a sense of the community and the boards commitments and desires moving forward, Miller said. I think my role as the superintendent-elect will be to meet people and just listen intently and take notes to learn as much as I can. Miller noted how to have an effective transition involves a lot of listening and learning that informs a shared leadership moving forward. He has served as superintendent of Bayard Public Schools for 11 years. Throughout his tenure, he has attended several sporting events where he said the Hemingford athletes conducted themselves with discipline and parents and fans showcased a high level of sportsmanship. With a dedicated school board, investments being made throughout the community to help it thrive, Miller said Hemingford stuck out as a place he wanted to work. The Bayard school board formally accepted Millers resignation in February. Bayards board of education also convened Monday for a work session to meet with the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association (NRCSA) consultants to discuss its own superintendent search process. Miller is a lifelong Nebraskan who comes from a family of educators, including teachers and administrators. I love western Nebraska, Miller said. Im really excited to be part of the community of Hemingford. As he concludes his contractual obligations with Bayard, Miller said he is grateful for the opportunities to lead the district for the last 11 years and looks forward to hearing about the continued success of the school and community. To this point, the opportunity to serve as the superintendent at Bayard has been a great honor and the high point of my career to date, he said. Following his departure from Bayard, Miller said he looks forward to supporting educational excellence and sharing in the accomplishments to come for Hemingford Public Schools. Im incredibly honored and humbled to join Hemingford Public Schools and look forward to working with everybody there to continue the traditions of excellence. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. China urges U.S. not to undermine China's legitimate interests Xinhua) 08:41, March 17, 2022 BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday urged the U.S. side not to undermine China's legitimate rights and interests in any form. If the U.S. insists on going its own way, China will definitely take strong countermeasures, said spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a regular press briefing when answering a query on the Ukraine issue. Taking remarks of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki as an example, Zhao said that Psaki said China will face significant consequences if China supports Russia's " invasion." She also said that China and Russia "only make up 15 to 20 percent of the world's economy. The G7 countries make up more than 50 percent. So there are a range of tools at our disposal in coordination with our European partners should we need to use them." Such remarks by the U.S. reflected thinly-veiled bullying and intimidation and exposed the ingrained Cold War zero-sum mentality and bloc confrontation, said Zhao, adding that they represented another product of the U.S. philosophy of doing things "from a position of strength." In terms of the Ukrainian issue, Zhao said that China has been independently making its judgment and expounding on its proposition based on the merits of the matter in an objective and just manner. He added that China has been calling for dialogue and negotiation, working for deescalation of the situation and putting forward China's initiative to resolve the current crisis. "Any disinformation that dismisses China's efforts, misrepresents China's intention and slings mud on China with lies is irresponsible and unethical," Zhao said. Sanctions are never effective means to resolve problems, Zhao stressed, adding that China opposes all forms of unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" by the U.S., and will resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals. Wielding the baton of sanctions while seeking China's support and cooperation simply won't work, said Zhao, stressing that the Chinese side urges the U.S. not to undermine China's legitimate rights and interests in any form. If the U.S. insists on going its own way, China will definitely take strong countermeasures. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) LISBON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Provoking Russia and neutralizing Europe are the "two pillars" of the U.S. strategy in Europe in a bid to consolidate U.S. spheres of influence, which has partly resulted in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a Portuguese expert has said. The United States "seeks to consolidate zones of influence at all costs, which guarantees trade facilities for its companies and access to raw materials," sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos said in a recent article in the Portuguese newspaper Publico. The conflict in Ukraine "was being prepared for a long time" not only by Russia but also by the United States, he said in the article titled "Towards a self-criticism of Europe". In the case of Europe, he argued, "the U.S. strategy has two pillars: provoking Russia and neutralizing Europe." The author cited a report produced by the RAND Corporation in 2019 at the request of the Pentagon, which analyzed "nonviolent measures that could stress Russia's military or economy or the regime's political standing at home and abroad." These measures, said the report, "would lead Russia to compete in domains or regions where the United States has a competitive advantage, causing Russia to overextend itself militarily or economically or causing the regime to lose domestic and/or international prestige and influence." The expansion of NATO to Eastern Europe against what had been agreed with the Russian government in 1990 was the "initial key piece of the provocation," the sociologist said. As for Europe, "the principle is to consolidate the condition of a minor partner that does not venture to disturb the policy of the zones of influence. Europe must be a reliable partner, but it cannot expect reciprocity," he said. To resolve the Ukraine crisis, there should be talks between Russia and the United States/the NATO/the European Union, and an independent Ukraine should not join NATO, he said. "After NATO's military interventions in Serbia in 1999, in Afghanistan in 2001, in Iraq in 2004, in Libya in 2011," the sociologist asked at the end of his article, "will it be possible to continue to consider NATO a defensive organization?" Ron Sack and Chase Becker planned a five-day tour of the southwest Panhandle, aiming to stop by as many cities as they could. However, unlike many tourists, their primary goal is to document history. Sack is a writer and designer while Becker is the liturgy coordinator at Creighton University. Together, they call themselves the Nebraska Church Guys. They came to the Panhandle to study Catholic churches this week. Chase and I, were kind of a volunteer duo, Sack said. Were setting out to record the history of Catholic architecture throughout the state. ... Were out to document that before its gone. The historians want to preserve that history for future generations to learn about. Sack and Becker met at a postcard show and they realized they were both collecting images of Nebraskan Catholic buildings. They decided to collaborate on a project together; their goal is to write a 600-page book about the history, architecture and design of each Catholic location in the state. They mapped out locations to visit and started their journey in late 2020. Along the way, they examine journals, scrapbooks, photo albums and firsthand accounts of different churches histories. On Wednesday, Mary Temple was on hand to show the Church Guys around Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bayard. She brought a collection of photos and historical documents with her, which had been compiled to celebrate the parishs 100th anniversary in 2019. She told them all about her own familys history with the church, as well as some of the architectural changes it has seen throughout the years like a new addition, which was built in 2001. The historians arent just interested in existing structures. Theyre hunting for former Catholic sites as well, including some which were torn down decades ago and of which only pictures survive. I thought it was kind of interesting, Temple said. They are trying to find all the churches that ever were, ... Theyve got a lot of digging to do, Id say. On Wednesday, the duo visited churches in Broadwater, Bayard and Bridgeport as well as a former church site in Angora. On Thursday, they plan to visit Alliance. On Friday, their goal is to tour Mitchell, Morrill, Minatare, Henry, Lyman and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Scottsbluff. On Saturday theyll travel to Kimball, Bushnell and Gering and finish off their Scottsbluff church tour with a trip to St. Agnes. They will remain in Scottsbluff the next day, visiting locations that used to be Catholic institutions. These include the former St. Mary Catholic Hospital on Avenue B and the former St. Christopher Childcare Center, which is now ESU #13. Its that history that people are starting to forget. ... Scottsbluff has great history there. Were excited to explore that, too, Sack said. Becker said the historians could focus on other denominations, but since both of them are Catholic, they are more knowledgeable about that denomination and have focused on what they know best. He said the awe-inspiring design of the Catholic architecture he saw growing up made him interested in learning more about it. What were collecting is hopefully the whole breadth of the architectural story of a place, from the time it was built to today, Becker said. ...These buildings hold the stories of the people who built them and the people who continue to worship in them, and in a lot of ways theyre representative of the place and the people. Oftentimes, he said, the buildings exhibit the architectural styles of the ethnicities of their worshippers including those with Hispanic and Italian roots. So far, the Nebraska Church Guys have visited around 120 parishes across one-third of the states counties. Nebraska has three Catholic diocese with cathedrals in Lincoln, Omaha and Grand Island. So far, theyve kept their sights on the Grand Island diocese. Their next destination is Kearney and Buffalo County, though Becker estimated it will take around 3 to 5 years to visit every current and former Catholic building in the state. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. March is Social Worker Month and a time to recognize the importance of social workers and their many roles in our community. In Nebraska, and throughout our nation, social workers are a critical resource. At various times, and for various reasons, all Americans will find themselves benefiting from the work and dedication of a social worker. In my time as the Director for the Division of Children and Family Services, I have been honored to work alongside fellow social workers to aid in providing critical support and services to those in need. Nebraska is a diverse state and so is its social worker workforce. Across many organizations and disciplines, social workers support Nebraskans in meeting their needs. When our Nations veterans require mental health assistance often it is a social worker answering the call. When a person needs support in grieving a loved one, a social worker answers the call. When families meet lifes obstacles that are difficult to overcome, social workers are there to assist. There are many incredible examples of the value social workers bring to Nebraska and that is why I am committed to growing this workforce in our great state. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, there are currently 720,000 social workers in America with that number expected to grow to 800,000 by 2030. With the national workforce expected to grow by 80,000 in the next eight years, it is absolutely critical that Nebraska continues to remain competitive in attracting and retaining this powerful workforce. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides incentives such as tuition assistance, world-class training, and great benefits to make it easier for new social workers to enter the workforce. Nebraska also has many great private organizations where social workers can flourish and make a lasting impact. A person interested in social work just needs to identify a particular area of interest and there will be an opportunity to change lives! The National Association of Social Workers set the theme for this years Social Worker Month as The Time is Right for Social Work to highlight the constant need for social workers at a time when Nebraska and the nation is overcoming the pandemic and working toward normalcy. Throughout the pandemic the need for social workers has been evident. Grief, loss, isolation and stress in the last two years have enhanced the need for powerful agents of change to support us through difficult times. Time and time again I have seen Nebraskas social workers provide support, care and resources to ensure we are healthy and well. Please join me this month in celebrating social workers and showing our appreciation for their efforts in Nebraska. When Sam Hadenfeldt got to college, he thought for a brief moment that he wanted to be an eye doctor, but then soon realized that what he real Childrens Hope Alliance and Heartstrings Therapeutic Music & Art Program in conjunction with their collaborative partner, Iredell Arts Council, announce the March Music Speaks event featuring Dani Kerr. The event will be held Thursday from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Heartstrings Gracie Building. The event is free and open to the community to attend. Music Speaks is an inspirational musicians speaker series that will take place monthly throughout 2022 on the Barium Springs campus. A variety of guest speakers will share personal stories of overcoming adversity on their musical journey and will also perform some of their music for the local community and at-risk kids in attendance. Kerr wants to pick up where Janis Joplin, her biggest inspiration, left off. She didnt get to finish, Kerr says. My motto is, Im gonna bring Southern rock back into play, try to keep that flame alive, keep it lit, keep it going forever. Audiences often say her voice sounds a lot like Joplins, when she sings classics like Bobby McGee and Mercedes Benz. Other early influencers were Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, Marshall Tucker Band, Stevie Nicks and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Kerr said she knows her voice is the most compelling aspect of her artistry. People often tell her theyre emotionally engaged by its earthy, raspy quality. My voice is not technically perfect, nothing like that, she says, But I feel like its soulful, I can do soft or I can do rock, its just very diverse in that way. Ive been overwhelmed by how people respond. The 19-year-old Statesville native got her first guitar at age 6, but didnt have a proper instructor, so she taught herself how to play and sing. It was far from the only obstacle she faced. When she was born, the roof of her mouth was missing, requiring seven surgeries to correct. She couldnt hear or talk normally for years because her ears were blocked. She worked hard at speech therapy, but was teased relentlessly by mean girls in middle school. It kind of hampered my confidence when I was young, she says, But it didnt stop me from singing, I was just scared to do it in front of people, even my family. At one low point, Kerr backed out of a school talent show because of debilitating stage fright. At 16, working at her aunts restaurant, she finally garnered the courage to step onto a karaoke stage. It was like throwing myself out on a limb, which has pretty much been my career so far. Just throwing myself out to the world, and see what happens. The audiences enthusiastic reception sparked new determination in Kerr. Being up there and having people clapping afterwards, thats when I knew I wanted to do it, all the time. My whole life Ive kind of been the underdog. I knew I had to put in the work, I had to prove myself. As a teenager, Kerr faced more personal woes. She was homeless the last couple years of high school, and lived mostly in her car with an abusive boyfriend. She decided to use the fear and pain in her music. It gave me a lot of strength and power, having to go through that. It fueled a lot of drive in me, for sure, like how can I get out of that situation. It just gave me a drive that some people may not ever have because theyve not had to fight through the things Ive been through. I think thats really helped my music. I feel thankful for all of it. This event is free and open to the public. Educators are encouraged to have their students attend. All musicians and music lovers are also encouraged to participate. Refreshments for the monthly events for 2022 are provided by The Exchange Club of Mooresville/Lake Norman. The event will take place each month at Childrens Hope Alliance Heartstrings Program Gracie Building, 153 Frazier Loop, Statesville. Dozens of passenger cars and trucks illegally parked in Longview were impounded this week in the police departments concentrated sweep of abandoned vehicles amid complaints. Longview Police Capt. Branden McNew said roughly 25 vehicles were towed Tuesday. Staff also impounded vehicles Wednesday, and the next push is scheduled for March 24, he added. The police department says they are conducting a concentrated effort to remove abandoned vehicles because they have received reports of more than 200 junk cars lining city streets in the past three months. The majority of complaints targeted Alder Street, where Chief Robert Huhta and two officers started collecting vehicles Tuesday, McNew said. Impound code The city of Longview says vehicles can be impounded without notice if they are: blocking traffic. in a posted restricted parking zone. an immediate danger to public safety. received four or more parking infraction notices. believed to be part of a crime. Other times, illegally parked vehicles receive a citation 24-hours before impoundment and a reasonable effort to be contacted by police. Source: Longview code chapter 11.16. Why so many? Constraints on staff and space are likely contributing to an increase of junk cars on city streets today. McNew said one of the two employees dedicated to the lower-priority calls of towing or tagging abandoned vehicles has been on medical leave, which could have contributed to a backup of unaddressed complaints. He also questioned if two people could have managed all the complaints in 2022. Christian Brothers Towing & Recovery Owner Jerry Marston said his small lot off 14th Avenue has little room for junk cars when police call him to pick up vehicles in a rotation of contracted tow truck companies. He said lack of space is a common problem among local tow truck businesses. Do you know anywhere around here where you can store 200 vehicles? Marston asked in light of Longviews number of complaints. My yard is one of the smallest and I can hold 17 vehicles. The same space problem is preventing the city from collecting illegally parked motorhomes, McNew said. He said Carls Towing off Vandercook Way is the only local company that accepts RVs. They could hold at least one newly impounded motorhome Tuesday. Longview City Manager Kurt Sacha said officials are working with tow truck companies to identify places the businesses could rent space from to provide a lot for larger vehicles like motorhomes. He said impound lots require added security measures like lights and barbed wire, which can limit lot locations. Cost In addition to the lack of space, tow truck companies are typically not eager to accept abandoned cars because the vehicles dont bring in money. It can cost up to hundreds of dollars to retrieve an impounded vehicle, but Marston said most vehicle owners are never found, and he is rarely paid. Once impounded, the state requires tow truck companies to mail a first-class letter to the vehicles registered owners within 24 hours to notify them of their vehicles location. Another letter is sent after about 15 days, Marston said, before vehicles can be sold at auction or destroyed. But those are just for registered owners, Marston said. Many vehicles are not registered, or the owners dont have updated addresses to reach them. One vehicle stayed on his lot for three weeks until he could legally scrap it all the time taking up space on his lot for other vehicles whose owners will pay, Marston said. The abandoned vehicle process is tough on towers, he said. They cost us money. Other police calls can be more lucrative. McNew said tow truck companies also receive police calls for vehicles in accidents or DUI arrests, in which owners typically pay and retrieve vehicles. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Aubervilliers, Seine Saint Denis, France, on March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) PARIS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron presented on Thursday his program for the presidential elections to be held in April. At a press conference, Macron laid out his reform plans that cover a broad range of sectors: the economy, culture, agriculture, defense, education, the workplace, gender equality, welfare, households, seniors and the country's institutions. "We must make France a more independent nation within a strong Europe," he said. To achieve this goal, he said the government would have to invest 30 billion euros (33.3 billion U.S. dollars) in various high-growth sectors. Macron's goal for the next five years is "to develop 100 percent French sectors" to wean the country off its dependence on imported energy and industrial goods. He said that his aim would be to increase the share of renewable energy at the national grid level, build more nuclear reactors and promote investments by public institutions and private companies. His government, he said, would aim to turn the country greener by ensuring broad access to affordable electric vehicles, including through leasing programs. Over the next ten years, Macron plans to invest 25 billion euros in research. His public administration reform plans aim to improve social and labor welfare, he said. He said that pensions reform will be one of his government's priority projects if elected to a second term. He plans to raise the legal retirement age to 65 and to propose a minimum pension of 1,100 euros. French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Aubervilliers, Seine Saint Denis, France, on March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Aubervilliers, Seine Saint Denis, France, on March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Aubervilliers, Seine Saint Denis, France, on March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Aubervilliers, Seine Saint Denis, France, on March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Aubervilliers, Seine Saint Denis, France, on March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) Longviews new city councilman is Christopher Ortiz. The Longview City Council interviewed Ortiz, Randy Knox and Erik Halvorson during a special meeting Tuesday night to fill the vacant council seat. Ortiz was approved for the seat without opposition after the interviews and a 15-minute executive session break by the council. The diversity that Ortiz brings to the council seemed to be a point in his favor during the interview process. Ortiz is an openly gay Latino man who speaks fluent Spanish. He also brings a track record of educational leadership with more than 20 years of experience with major districts in California and Oregon. He obviously has a wealth of experience and he can bring some different perspectives, council member Ruth Kendall said. Ortiz currently works as the assistant superintendent for Reynolds School District, which teaches more than 10,000 students in Multnomah County. Prior to that, Ortiz worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher, principal and the districts Director of Special Operations. He served as the superintendent of Luther Burbank School District in San Jose from 2016 to 2019. Ortiz said that his career gave him experience with the rules covering public meetings and public records. During the interview, he said that he wanted to work collaboratively with the current council and use data and community input to make the best decisions possible. Leadership is about being entrepreneurial within your own sector, but also seizing opportunity and not letting obstructions get in your way, Ortiz said during the interview. Councilmember Spencer Boudreau said he felt Ortiz would be able to listen to city residents and react to their concerns, especially on major issues such as homelessness. Ortiz told the council that he first visited the city in 2016, where he was impressed by Lake Sacagawea Park and the available amenities. He moved from California to Longview in early 2019 to be closer to his husbands family. Ortiz is taking over council position 3, which Christine Schott vacated in February. He will serve out the remainder of Schotts term until the next election in November 2023. The other two candidates During his interview for the council seat, Knox said his background in law enforcement prepared him for the research and tough decisions that city councilmembers had to make. Know works as a senior special agent in the Washington Attorney Generals office. He told the council that recent schedule changes allowed him to work from home the majority of the week, which freed up enough time to potentially serve on the council. I investigate, I listen, I render opinions based on what I found. And I understand that not everyone is going to be happy or agree with those decisions, Knox said. Knox moved to Longview in 2015 after years working as a district attorneys office investigator in northern California. He specifically mentioned an interest in working with the Highlands neighborhood and addressing homelessness during his interview with the council. Halvorson was the only one of the three finalists for the seat who had run for office before. He finished in third place in the 2019 primary, when he ran against Hillary Strobel and Scott Vydra. Halvorson said he wanted to help the city attract more high-tech businesses and new industries. Halvorson recently served on the voters guide committee for Cowlitz County, where he helped write about the upcoming Longview School District levy vote. When things go wrong, I like to take the next best outcome, pivot and try for that, Halvorson said. Maybe you can get back to the original goal later on. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The block of storefronts next to the Allen Street Bridge in west Kelso were torn down Wednesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, all that remained standing of the building at the southwest corner of 1st Avenue and Main Street was the front facade and the side along 1st. The mural covering the corner of the building remains intact. Many of the businesses on that block of Main Street had moved away in the early 2010s because of the early effects of the West Main Street realignment. Wood Stove Warehouse had been there for 25 years before the owners relocated to Longview in 2012, saying the new road alignment had taken away all the on-street parking options for their customers. Cowlitz County lists the owner of all the parcels on that block as Cameron Svenson, the former owner of S&S Liquidators who bought at least one storefront in 2014. State business records show that S&S Liquidators was dissolved in 2019. Svensons business partner declined to comment on the plans for that location when reached on Wednesday. According to previous Daily News articles, the mural was painted in 1990 to illustrate the early history of Kelso. It depicts a car of police officers and two women, one of whom may represent the citys prior reputation for prostitution and brothels. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 4 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. According to NASA, 4 more asteroids are rushing towards Earth today. This takes the total asteroid passes this week to an astonishing 10- a shockingly high number! Should you worry? It has been an astonishing week! It has been filled with asteroid sightings and asteroids hurtling very close to Earth. So far, we already have seen 6 asteroids approaching Earth and shockingly, one of them actually crashed into our planet! Now, NASA reveals that 4 more asteroids will be flying past Earth today, March 17. This is an extremely high number of near Earth objects or NEOs observed in a week. While the scientific community is excited to observe so many asteroids up close and collect data on its structure and path, it also causes concern on whether there is a reason behind these asteroid bombardment. So, should you be worried? After a considerably peaceful February, March has come with a host of asteroids gunning for Earth. And while most make a safe passage, we have already witnessed 2 asteroid hits to Earth this year. In January, a meteor exploded in the sky near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. And this week, another asteroid called 2022 EB5 was pulled in by the Earths gravitational pull and crashed near the coast of Iceland. Although both of these incidents took place without any damage to life, the next big asteroid may change it all. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: NASA: 4 large asteroids headed towards Earth The 4 asteroids making their way toward our home planet have been named 2022 EL6, 2022 EM6, 2022 EU6 and 2019 PH1. All four of these asteroids are as large as an airplane with the sizes being 34m, 34m, 30m and 37m respectively. So, should you be worried? Well, all of them are likely to make a safe passage from a distance between 2,060,000 kms and 4,720,000. But even as the distances seem too large, do remember that in astronomical quantities, they are very small. Thats why NASA and its Planetary Defense Coordination Organization (PDCO) is constantly keeping a watch on these NEOs to ensure we do not get caught off guard in case an asteroid deviates towards our planet. The high volume of asteroid passage is worrying, but according to NASA, this is business as usual. In fact, according to NASA the first worrying asteroid for us will not approach till 2029 when 99942 Apophis pays us a visit. However, current calculations have proved that even that asteroid does not pose a threat of strike to Earth. Having said that, our tech is not perfect and often, astronomers can be blind-sided by asteroids which appear from the side of the Sun. By the time they do become aware, there is very little warning time left for planet Earth to take any kind of action. North Koreas latest missile test appeared to have failed immediately after launch, South Koreas military said, an incident that comes days after a report said Kim Jong Uns regime was preparing to fire its first ICBM in five years. North Koreas latest missile test appeared to have failed immediately after launch, South Koreas military said, an incident that comes days after a report said Kim Jong Uns regime was preparing to fire its first ICBM in five years. The unidentified projectile appeared to have been launched at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday from an area near Pyongyangs international airport and is presumed to have failed shortly after it took off, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message. The North Korean projectile failed to reach its altitude, a senior JCS official told reporters, adding that authorities were undergoing additional analysis on the specifications of the missile. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: The area was used for two launches in the past few weeks that North Korea said were tests for a satellite system. The U.S. said Kim was testing components for an intercontinental ballistic missile. While details of the launch remain sparse, a mishap could be North Koreas biggest missile failure since August 2017, when a suspected ballistic missile broke into pieces. The increased North Korean activity comes as a conservative president prepares to take power in South Korea and the world focuses on Russias invasion of Ukraine. The test on Wednesday morning may have been of a ballistic missile, Japanese media including public broadcaster NHK reported, citing unidentified Defense Ministry officials. North Korea typically doesnt comment on any test until at least a day after the event. Yonhap News Agency previously reported that North Korea could fire an ICBM as soon as this week, which would be its most serious provocation in five years. Confirmation of such a test can take hours after it occurs. North Korea May Test ICBM as Soon as This Week, Yonhap Says South Korea and the U.S. had detected signs of an imminent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, Yonhap reported Sunday, citing unidentified South Korean government officials. The U.S. said last week that North Korean launches on Feb. 26 and March 4 were intended to test elements of an ICBM that weapons experts believe could be armed with multiple warheads in a bid to overwhelm defenses. North Koreas last test of an ICBM was in November 2017, when it fired a Hwasong-15 with a range that experts said could strike all of the U.S. mainland. It was a major breakthrough in Kims efforts to deliver a nuclear weapon to any American city. U.S. officials have said the tests this year of suspected ICBM components point to a launch of the Hwasong-17, which is believed to be the worlds largest road-mobile missile of its kind. North Korea is banned by United Nations resolutions from conducting any ballistic missile tests. The Hwasong-17 was displayed at a military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers Party in October 2020. Its bigger than the Hwasong-15 and likely boasts more powerful engines. Today, Samsung just announced 2022's edition of the Galaxy A series - namely the Galaxy A33, Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73. To read all of the tech specs, features, price and availability, check out below what these devices are offering. For starters, the Galaxy A33, A53 and A73 have quite a few things in common. One of the features (and probably the highlight) is having only 8GB of RAM but a new virtual RAM function as well that gives an option with 2GB, 4GB and 6GB. Besides that, all three have a 5000mAh battery with 25W fast-charging technology but no charging adapter will be given. Both the Galaxy A33 and A53 have the same new Exynos 1280 chipset but only the Galaxy A73 features a Snapdragon 778 5G chipset. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A53 and A73 also sport the same 256GB of storage and a 120Hz refresh rate Super AMOLED display (measuring 6.5-inch and 6.7-inch respectively). Speaking of the Galaxy A53 and A73, the 32MP front camera is located on the Infinity O panel and the quad rear camera isn't that different. Besides the 64MP and 108MP primary camera, there's a 12MP ultrawide sensor as well as a 5MP sensor for the macro and bokeh lens. As for the Galaxy A33, it's expected to come with lesser tech specs such as a 128GB of storage, a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-U display, a 90Hz refresh rate, a 13MP front camera and finally, a quad rear camera consisting of a 48MP (main) + 8MP (ultrawide) + 2MP (bokeh) + 5MP (macro) setup. Other notable features include expandable storage of up to 1TB, a Gorilla Glass 5 rated display, IP67 water and dust resistance and no 3.5mm audio jack. Coming in five colour selections for the masses (Awesome Black, White, Blue, Peach and Mint), Samsung promises three years of Android upgrades. Below are the official local prices for each model: Samsung Galaxy A33 - RM1,499 Samsung Galaxy A53 - RM1,849 Samsung Galaxy A73 - RM2,099 So what do you think of the phones? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com. HONOR will have a major event held in Malaysia on 29 March 2022 at 8:30 pm. With the theme "Ready to Go Beyond", the brand sets to launch a full series of smartphones and ecosystem products during that day. This will also mark the brand's first product launch for the local market in 2022. Although there's not much information except a 120Hz screen and 66W charging, we guess it would be the recently launched Magic4 series. The mentioned tech specs match the ones on the vanilla variant. Since the company said that it's a "full series", we should see the Magic4 Pro too, if we guessed it correctly. HONOR has been doing so well in the smartphone industry. The brand had snatched 29 awards from the MWC 2022, with more than half of them presented to the Magic4 series. Besides that, it also took the crown for having the most Android smartphone shipment in China in Q4 2021. Are you excited to meet the products that HONOR will bring to Malaysia? Leave a comment to let us know how you feel, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more local tech news. Today, Neotez just made its debut in the Malaysian market with its AQUILA series gaming monitors. If you have never heard of the brand, that's because it came all the way from Australia and the company is a lifestyle tech brand. Also, if you're looking for an ultrawide gaming monitor, take a read below to find out more. According to Neotez, the AQUILA series gaming monitors were designed for both working from home and gaming at the same time. There are three gaming monitors for the consumers - the AQUILA 34, 27 and 24 models. As the name suggests, the AQUILA 34 is the biggest one of them all featuring a 34-inch ultra-wide curved LCD panel in UWQHD (3440 x 1440) resolution and a 1500R curvature build. Moreover, the gaming monitor also features a 144Hz refresh rate and Neotez said you don't need to worry about screen tearing and ghosting, as an Adaptive Sync function is inside too. On top of that, the AQUILA 34 also has a 1ms response time, 99% sRGB colour, 93% of DCI-P3 and HDR400 for more accurate and brighter colours. On the other hand, the AQUILA 24 and 27 have a smaller screen panel size but still boats up to QHD resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate. Adaptive Sync is on board as well and covers 100% of the sRGB colour gamut. It's worth noting that all the gaming monitors have a dual stereo speaker system, an adjustable stand, and a wide array of ports. In terms of pricing, below are the official price tags but Neotez is also offering a launch promotion for up to RM200 for a limited time. Customers can also claim a free Neotez SAGITTA series monitor arm worth up to RM209 with every Neotez AQUILA monitor purchase here . Neotez AQUILA 24 (FHD) - RM899 (RM799 launch promo) Neotez AQUILA 27 (QHD)- RM1,549 (RM1399launch promo) Neotez AQUILA 34 (UWQHD) - RM2,099 (RM1899 launch promo) Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A brief traffic jam, a stuck door, or many passengers getting on and off at a stopeven small delays in the timetables of trains and busses can lead to major problems. A new artificial intelligence (AI) could help designing schedules that are less susceptible to those minor disruptions. It was developed by a team from the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and the University of Kaiserslautern. The study was published in "Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies". The team was looking for an efficient way to test how well timetables can compensate for minor, unavoidable disruptions and delays. In technical terms, this is called robustness. Until now, such timetable optimizations have required elaborate computer simulations that calculate the routes of a large number of passengers under different scenarios. A single simulation can easily take several minutes of computing time. However, many thousands of such simulations are needed to optimize timetables. "Our new method enables a timetable's robustness to be very accurately estimated within milliseconds," says Professor Matthias Muller-Hannemann from the Institute of Computer Science at MLU. The researchers from Halle and Kaiserslautern used numerous methods for evaluating timetables in order to train their artificial intelligence. The team tested the new AI using timetables for Gottingen and part of southern Lower Saxony and achieved very good results. "Delays are unavoidable. They happen, for example, when there is a traffic jam during rush hour, when a door of the train jams, or when a particularly large number of passengers get on or off at a stop," Muller-Hannemann says. When transfers are tightly scheduled, even a few minutes of delay can lead to travelers missing their connections. "In the worst case, they miss the last connection of the day," adds co-author Ralf Ruckert. Another consequence is that vehicle rotations can be disrupted so that follow-on journeys begin with a delay and the problem continues to grow. There are limited ways to counteract such delays ahead of time: Travel times between stops and waiting times at stops could be more generously calculated, and larger time buffers could be planned at terminal stops and between subsequent trips. However, all this comes at the expense of economic efficiency. The new method could now help optimize timetables so that a very good balance can be achieved between passenger needs, such as fast connections and few transfers, timetable robustness against disruptions, and the external economic conditions of the transport companies. Explore further How to reduce rail chaos using maths More information: Matthias Muller-Hannemann et al, Estimating the robustness of public transport schedules using machine learning, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies (2022). Journal information: Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies Matthias Muller-Hannemann et al, Estimating the robustness of public transport schedules using machine learning,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.trc.2022.103566 Provided by Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. MOSCOW, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed bilateral cooperation and the Ukrainian crisis during a phone conversation on Thursday. The leaders positively assessed the recent talks between their foreign ministers and voiced support for the further development of mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation, the Kremlin said in a statement. They also exchanged views on Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, and Putin briefed Erdogan about the Moscow-Kiev peace talks. Erdogan thanked Putin for the evacuation of Turkish citizens from Ukraine and the safe exit of ships with Turkish cargo from Russian ports in the Sea of Azov. NEW YORK A rivalry with Russia. A proxy battleground. Nuclear brinksmanship. For many generations of Americans, its just like old times. The invasion of Ukraine has rapidly returned echoes of a Cold War mentality to the United States, with a familiar foe in Russia. Bars have poured out their Russian vodka. McDonalds, a symbol of the end of the Soviet Union when it first opened in Moscow, has shuttered its Russian locations. Once again, a U.S. president sees a pitched ideological battle. We will save democracy, President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address. For an America where Russia never quite went out of style as an evergreen villain in film and television, revived tensions with the Kremlin have drawn from a well-worn geopolitical script. A familiar, chilly East-West wind is blowing again. Its very much a Cold War echo, says James Hershberg, professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University and former director of the Cold War International History Project of the Woodrow Wilson Center. Hershberg sees much thats different about todays inflamed tensions with Russia. Vladimir Putins aggressions, he says, dont seem driven by ideology the way communism was for the Soviet Union. A transformed media landscape, too, has helped turn Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into a global protagonist. But in a crisis that pits two nuclear superpowers on opposing sides, history is repeating in other ways. A Russian strategic overreach, Hershberg says, is again sparking a potentially perilous moment in international order. We are in a second Cuban Missile Crisis in many ways in terms of the danger of escalation, says Hershberg, whose books include Marigold: The Lost Chance for Peace in Vietnam. Putin is acting so irrationally he makes Nikita Khrushchev appear like a rational actor in comparison. The largest land conflict in Europe since World War II, Russias three weeks of war in Ukraine has rallied Western alliances like few events before it. In repudiating Putins invasion, the U.S. and its European allies have enacted crippling economic sanctions on Russia while still drawing the line on military engagement. If were talking about a capitalized Cold War, I dont think I could call this Cold War II, says Fredrik Logevall, professor of history and international affairs at Harvard and Pulitzer-Prize winning author most recently of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956. But, Logevall says, if were talking more generally about a cold war, if we mean a titanic struggle that involves all aspects of national power waged between two incompatible systems but short of outright military conflict then yeah, I guess this is a cold war. The Cold War is innately connected to the crisis in Ukraine partly because it so much informs Putins world view. A former KGB agent, he once called the collapse of the Soviet Union the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. The invasion of Ukraine is intended to deter Western influence and NATO infringement from Russias sphere of influence, and potentially to restore a Texas-sized part of the former Soviet Union. The Cold War has often been invoked. The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the threat to global security now is more complex and probably higher than during the Cold War, partly because there arent the same back channels of communication. A Russian Foreign Ministry official, Alexander Darchiyev, according to an Interfax report, recently suggested that perhaps it would be worth recalling the well-forgotten principle that worked during the Cold War peaceful coexistence. Even before war began in Ukraine, Americans had a historically dim view of Russia. According to a Gallup poll conducted in February, 85% of Americans viewed Russia unfavorably, easily the countrys worst rating in more than three decades a slide accelerated by Russias meddling in U.S. elections, its annexation of Crimea and the nerve agent attack on Putins leading opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, whos currently imprisoned. And while former president Donald Trump has maintained his esteem for Putin, anti-Russian opinion has uncommon bipartisan support. Gallup found that 88% of both Republicans and Democrats have an unfavorable view of Russia. Nothing unites like a common enemy. Nina Khrushcheva, a Moscow-born professor of international affairs at the New School in New York and the great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, maintains that the Cold War never really went away that the Wests view of Russia remained stuck in the broad portrayals of villains Boris and Natasha in Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. To her, Putins invasion was devastating because it confirmed the worst about her native country. Now, she begins her classes by apologizing. Putin is the global villain he deserves to be, and Russia is finished for decades to come, says Khrushcheva, whose great-grandfather was premier of the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when John F. Kennedy was president of the United States. My country just killed itself [and the U.S.] got their enemy back. They got their enemy that has always been, always deserves to be and is always at the forefront of the American mind, Khrushcheva said. Russia has no excuse. But for America, its a field day. America is back and its on a white horse saving a white country in the middle of Europe against the horrible Russian Bear. As is the case nationally, rising gas prices are affecting local business owners. Celo Garcia, owner of Aggieland Trucking LLC, said gas prices are costing his business $200 a day just to refuel one of his five vehicles. Garcia estimates his monthly losses at $5,000 and said a 20% price increase for his services is likely. We had problems getting parts when COVID started, so we already had issue with that, Garcia said. Now with fuel going up, thats an extra 20%. I dont know if were going to be in business for long. Anthony Cyrus, owner of Cyrus Trucking in Bryan, said more than half his payment on a $750 haul goes toward the cost of fuel. Cyrus estimated hell lose around $2,000 this month and if gas prices continue to increase, he says hell have to increase the prices he charges customers. I worked on my own trucks a lot when I started out, then I started taking them to a mechanic shop, but now Ive dropped back down and Im working on my own trucks to try to cut that cost out of the way, Cyrus said. Gas prices across the nation are at a 10-year high, according to Gas Buddy. Last weeks national average for regular unleaded was $4.331 per gallon and diesel was $5.135 per gallon, according to AAA. The average price for a gallon of gas in Bryan-College Station was $4.009 on Monday, just shy of the record of $4.017 set in 2008. The local average price for diesel broke a record last week at $5.045, according to AAA. Last week, the average price for a gallon of gas locally was $3.768, and last months average price was $3.183, according to AAA. Eric Lewis, a Texas A&M assistant professor and economist, said the rise in gasoline prices started last year with an increased demand for travel as restrictions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic loosened. When Russia invaded Ukraine last month, the price increase became steeper for both gasoline and the crude oil used in its production, Lewis said. Because of the recovery from the pandemic, and because of the uncertainty of whats happening in Ukraine and Russia, for both of those reasons were seeing gas prices increase quite quickly, especially over this last week its been a very, very big increase, he said. Lewis said while hes uncertain how high gas prices may reach, crude oil prices are in the range for many firms sitting on oil leases to begin drilling. Drilling would increase the markets supply and possibly decrease prices or substantially slow the price increase, Lewis said. Uncertainty in investments and the economic future could deter firms from getting gasoline supplies back on the market, however. Firms are just not sure whats going to happen, they dont know. It might be that crude oil prices keep going up even higher, but theyre also wondering if crude oil prices could go down dramatically in which case it might not be worth it for them to drill, Lewis said. To compensate for the rise in gas prices, AggieExpress Cab had to pause discounts offered to Texas A&M students and faculty, owner Mohammad Adil said. While AggieExpress Cab hasnt raised prices, Adil said students are looking for the best deal, so not offering the discounts has cut down on business. Adil said making ends meet is getting harder every day, but hes trying to avoid increasing rates. Were already in a business which has ride-sharing app competitors, so were already trying to survive, he said. Then there was the pandemic ... but we managed to survive. Now, there are these gas prices, so this is really affecting our business. Jaelynn Solomon, owner and creative director at College Station florist Urban Rubbish, said high gas prices are reflected in wholesale prices. What used to be a $1.25 rose has now been marked up to $3, while a $20 bunch of lisianthus now cost $40, she said. Over the past couple of months, Solomon said, Urban Rubbish has gradually increased prices for flowers and delivery to keep up with the rising costs. Some of the roses these girls want, theyre like $8 a stem. I think it stems not so much from the gas prices, but it comes from the COVID shutdown and all that stuff, and now its just rolled into gas prices, Solomon said. United Way of the Brazos Valley has seen an increase in calls to the 211 call center from people seeking financial assistance, said Peggi Goss, the organizations vice president of community impact. Well troubleshoot with callers and try to think about where else could they maybe get support paying their utilities or maybe by going to the food pantry, or maybe both, and use kind of the saving from that side to pay for their gas, Goss said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Some community members are supporting humanitarian efforts to help the Ukrainian people abroad as they travel to Ukraine and surrounding countries. Local residents Diane Martin, Susan Fox and Harrison Fox have been going between Romania and western Ukraine for a week assisting refugees fleeing Russias attack on the country. Jerry Fox, the chief operating officer of First Financial Bank in College Station, will be joining his wife Susan and 33-year-old son Harrison later this week or early next week. At the refugee center, employees and volunteers with Program for Humanitarian Aid are working with the Kyiv-based Lets Love Ministry, a Romanian organization and Eastern European Mission to greet people, get them something hot to drink and eat, a place to shower and sleep and help them reach a safe destination. I think theyre processing about 100 people a day, and these people that show up there, a lot of them dont even have a suitcase, Jerry Fox said. They have what possessions they have in a pillowcase. Its almost all women and children. Most of the men are older men that are over 60 and thus are not required to stay. You can just tell from their faces that theyre totally shell-shocked, literally and figuratively, from what theyve been through. Fox said he has been talking to his wife at least twice a day and hearing their stories of what they have seen, such as families being reunited. Most, he said, do not know if they will ever be able to return to their homes in Ukraine. He said there are likely hundreds of other organizations doing the same type of work all around the western Ukrainian border, saying these crisis situations can bring out the best in people. Another local pair was making the trip to Romania and Ukraine on Wednesday, Fox said. Each group has taken donations with them to deliver to Program for Humanitarian Aid, the organization they work with, due to the difficulty of wiring money to their partners like they otherwise would. The money is being used by the four main organizations for two types of aid: Those who already have evacuated and are in Romania and aid going to Kyiv to assist those remaining in Ukraines capital. Fox said none of the money is going toward their own travel from the United States. Fox, a member of A&M Church of Christ, said he and his family have been involved with the nondenominational Program for Humanitarian Aid for about six years. They have traveled to the country about twice a year. Originally focused on helping orphans in Ukraine before they age out at the age of 16, the focus of the organization shifted to a greater humanitarian aid effort once Russia invaded Ukraine. He said most of the Ukrainian people who work with the organization are refugees themselves from Donetsk, driven out of eastern Ukraine in 2014 when Russia last invaded the country. The focus, Fox said, has been getting the orphans they work with, the organizations employees and other people who cannot get to the borders to safety. The Ukrainian men who are required to stay in the country are making the dangerous journey to the capital city to pick up people, and they are also bringing supplies to partners in Kyiv, Fox said, noting a friend shared with him a photo of the bare grocery store shelves in Kyiv. The organizations are able to work together and know how to get resources to the people who can put it to good use in that assistance. Its a daily change, Fox said about the situation. We just dont know whats going to happen from day to day. Despite missiles that have targeted military installations in the western portion of the country, he said, the war zone has not spread to western Ukraine yet. They will adjust their methods if military action approaches their location. Fox said there are measured risks involved with their efforts, but they have faith God will keep them safe. With so many friends being affected, he said it is important to them to do what they can to help people. I feel very strongly that we cant ignore whats going on, Fox said. Whats happening over there right now has got the consequences to affect the whole world, and were just trying to do what we can do. I really worry that this is going to escalate beyond Ukraine. Last summer, Fox said, he and his wife purchased a single-family home in western Ukraine where their friends, a family of five, have been residing. Now, it is serving as a transition center for refugees fleeing eastern Ukraine, sometimes housing up to two dozen people. My wife and I, we talked about the fact that we really didnt know why we were doing this; we just felt like we were being called to do it, he said. And you know, that house may get shelled and we may never get a penny out of it. If that happens, were OK with that because it served and its still serving a great purpose during this time. He said it is humbling to have the opportunity to help, but sometimes knowing more details about what is happening makes him feel more helpless. While they are helping those evacuating, Fox said, they are also worried about their friends who returned to their home in southeastern Ukraine last year and chose to remain in place as Russian troops began threatening the border. By the time he decided that he probably ought to get out, they were completely encircled, Fox said. About 17 days ago he went blank because the Russians cut out all of the telecommunications and utilities there, and so we have not heard from him in all those days. Weve been trying to get ahold of him. We dont know if theyre still alive; we have no idea. We are just worried sick about them. Its a man and a woman in their 30s, and they have two children that are ages 7 and 1. Its really tragic. Its just tragic all around. And theres no way of knowing where this is going to end. Fox said people can support the relief efforts by donating to the A&M Church of Christs Aid for Ukraine fund through the churchs website or follow links on the website to donate directly to Program for Humanitarian Aid or Eastern European Mission. Donations also can be made at any First Financial Bank offices. Some people might not know how they can donate now, Fox said, but expects the need to be ongoing for years to come, no matter how quickly the crisis ends. Anyone who wants to be part of the shifts of people traveling in the coming months to help the relief efforts can contact A&M Church of Christ to get in contact with the group. This is all about getting aid to the people who need it, Fox said. What these people need right now is they need some physical things a place to spend the night, some food to eat, some hot tea but they need some hugs and they need some people assuring them that theyre there to look after them. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON Much of the world was shocked that Russian President Vladimir Putin actually went through with his threat to invade Ukraine but not everyone. I knew he would go in in July last year, when I read that manifesto for the subjugation of Ukraine and when I learned that he ordered all Russian soldiers to read it, former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski told me last week. He was telling us very clearly what he intends to do. We just thought it was too nuts, and he cant mean it. Theres a lesson here: We need to take the words of our enemies seriously. Putin was clear about his intentions in Ukraine but we didnt listen. Chinese dictator Xi Jinping has been just as clear about his intentions in Taiwan. We need to listen this time, so we dont underestimate the danger again. Putins 6,885-word manifesto is available for anyone to read on the Kremlin website. In it, Putin laid out a case stretching back more than 1,000 years that Ukrainians and Russians are one people, descendants of Ancient Rus bound together by common language, culture and religion. He quoted the 9th-century Oleg the Prophet calling Kyiv the mother of all Russian cities. He railed against the Bolsheviks for organizing the U.S.S.R. as a federation of equal republics, which he said was a time bomb that exploded when the Soviet Union collapsed unleashing a parade of sovereignties that left the Ukrainian people abroad overnight, taken away ... from their historical motherland. He said, One fact is crystal clear: Russia was robbed. Ukraine, he claimed, was overtaken by radicals and neo-Nazis who worked with the United States and the European Union to turn Ukraine into a springboard against Russia. He accused NATO of exercising direct external control, including the supervision of the Ukrainian authorities, security services and armed forces. And he declared he would not allow Ukraine to be a tool in someone elses hands to fight against us. Seven months later, he launched the largest unprovoked land invasion in Europe since World War II. Putin is not the first murderous tyrant to warn us of his intentions, only to be ignored by the world. In 1996, Osama bin Laden issued a fatwa laying out his grievances against the West, and calling on Muslims to wage jihad against the enemies of God, your enemies the Israelis and Americans. We ignored his warnings, and five years later, he launched the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Then, in speeches and videos after 9/11, bin Laden made clear his intentions for what would come next laying out his plans to drive the Crusaders from all current and former Muslim lands, and establish a radical Islamic caliphate stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. President George W. Bush understood that we needed to listen to our enemies. In 2006, Bush asked me to compile bin Ladens statements into a speech he described as the enemy in their own words. In it, Bush said, I know some of our country hear the terrorists words, and hope that they will not, or cannot, do what they say, but history teaches that underestimating the words of evil and ambitious men is a terrible mistake. He pointed out that in the 1920s, a failed Austrian painter published a book in which he explained his intention to build an Aryan super-state in Germany and take revenge on Europe and eradicate the Jews. The world ignored Hitlers words, and paid a terrible price. Today, he said, bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as ... Hitler before them. The question is: Will we listen? Will we pay attention to what these evil men say? Now we need to pay attention to what Xi says. The Chinese leader has laid out his intention to reunify Taiwan with the Chinese motherland just as clearly as Putin laid out his intention to reunify Ukraine with mother Russia. In a 2019 speech, Xi declared of Taiwan that we should not allow this problem to be passed down from one generation to the next, adding that while he sought peaceful reunification, we make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means to forcibly reunify Taiwan. Last July (the same month Putin issued his Ukraine manifesto), Xi declared that resolving the Taiwan question and realizing Chinas complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the Communist Party of China, and he promised to take resolute action to utterly defeat any attempt toward Taiwan independence. And last October, Xi warned that those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland and seek to split the country will come to no good end, adding that the complete reunification of our country will be and can be realized. Some hear Xis words and hope that he will not, or cannot, do what he says. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has reminded us that underestimating the words of evil and ambitious men is a terrible mistake. The question is: Will we listen this time? Or will we ignore Xis words just as we ignored Hitler, bin Laden and Putin before him and pay a terrible price once again? Follow Marc A. Thiessen on Twitter, @marcthiessen. Clute, TX (77531) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. State regulators have made official a rate increase by Appalachian Power Co. that will boost the bill of an average residential customer by $3 a month. In an order Tuesday, the State Corporation Commission approved the utilitys request to raise its rates to cover the higher costs of coal and natural gas, which generate about 80% of its electricity. The SCC allowed the increase to take effect on an interim basis last November. Tuesdays order finalizes the latest in a number of recent rate hikes for Appalachians 500,000-plus customers in Western Virginia. In an application filed last September, Appalachian said it needed to adjust the fuel factor portion of its bill to account for higher prices that came with the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the country, and the world, opened back up in 2021, the price for natural gas rose and the demand for coal recovered, Kimberly Chilcote, coal procurement manager for American Electric Power, Appalachians parent company, said in documents filed with the SCC. The fuel factor one of several components to monthly bills is adjusted on an annual basis. Appalachian does not make a profit on the fuel factor, but simply passes the costs on to customers, according to company spokeswoman Teresa Hall. With that said, energy costs are continuing to rise sharply, and the companys annual fuel case filing made in the fall with the Virginia State Corporation Commission will likely include a request to again increase the fuel factor, Hall wrote in an email. In 2020, the rate was reduced by about the same amount it is now going up for the average residential customer, who consumes 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. When the rate went down by $3 in 2020, Appalachian said it was due largely to a drop that year in the price of natural gas, which makes up about 19% of its energy portfolio. In approving the latest adjustment, the SCC noted that its investigation found that Appalachians projected fuel expenses and underlying assumptions were reasonable and its staff did not oppose an increase. Other parties in the case, including the Attorney Generals Division of Consumer Counsel, also did not object to the increase. Two other major increases one that adds $11 to the bill of an average residential account to cover higher transmission costs and the other a boost of $2.17 to pay for environmental improvements to two coal-burning power plants in West Virginia were approved last year. Another hike, this one of $2.37 a month, is being requested by Appalachian to pay for more solar and wind energy required by the Clean Economy Act, a new state law that mandates the utility to provide its customers with all renewable energy by 2050. The SCC will take public comments and hear evidence on that request at a hearing scheduled to begin April 21. We are sensitive to the effects of rate increases, especially in times such as these, the regulatory agency said this week in approving the fuel factor adjustment. The Commission, however, must follow the laws applicable to any rate case, as well as the findings of fact supported by the evidence in the record. This is what we have done herein. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Learning about creation can be absolutely captivating. I recently read about how some animals like meerkats and moles create really complicated and sophisticated tunnels underground. These animals are doing what they were created to do to dig and dig and dig. How fascinating is it that a family of meerkats, living within an area of 15 square meters, appears able to excavate around 100 meters of burrows a tangle of tunnels that makes a London Underground tube map look straightforward to a depth of around a meter.(Adam Booth, University of Leeds). Ive also noticed how we humans have been doing a lot of digging. We dig into the media, reading news after news. Add to that twelve more articles from a friend of a friend about some very verified information. Then we dig some more and scroll through hundreds of comments (how can we miss the best part of any article?!). Weve dug ourselves a series of tunnels. It looks interesting from where we are kneeling and digging. We could go on and on. That light at the end of the tunnel must be just around the corner. If we took a step outside of these tunnels, we would see the tunnels for the maze that it has become. And if we are not careful, we could very well lose ourselves running around in circles in this maze. One challenge that weve been facing is sifting through what are conspiracies and what are facts with the Covid pandemic. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone wants to be heard. Some people are terrified. Others want mandates to end. If were not careful, obsessing about everything Covid will be a maze that we find ourselves stuck in. There is another type of digging that us Christians should be doing. As cliche as it sounds, theres really nothing better for a Believer than to dig into the Word of God. It is unlikely that the media will make us more godly. Social media is probably not the tool that will teach and correct us to be transformed into His image more and more. However, we can be 100% sure that the Word of God has the power to change us. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 16-17 remind us that, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. It is a challenge. I admit that I have to constantly remind myself to turn my focus back to Jesus. Instead of another news article, I could be reading another chapter of Psalm. Rather than sharing about the latest numbers associated with Covid, I could be sharing about how good God has been. Because in the grand scheme of things, this world is only temporary. But God. He is eternal. Invest in that eternity with Him. Ridership on Grand Islands CRANE Public Transit is growing. Numbers for February show that its monthly ridership has increased by 50%. The total ridership in February 2021 was 2,755 riders, and then February 2022 was 4,182 riders, said program manager Charley Falmlen. Central Ride Agency of Nebraska services are provided by Senior Citizens Industries Inc. of Grand Island under contract with the city of Grand Island. CRANE provides transportation by appointment to Grand Island area residents for a one-way fare of $2. Falmlen called the ongoing growth exciting. We know theres a need, and were very excited to be able to better meet the need that exists in the community, she said. The service is attempting to grow, so its a good thing to see. In February 2021, CRANE added Saturday to its services. Falmlen confirmed that has helped to increase ridership. Saturday has increased ridership, but also our standard operating days are much busier now, too, as they should be, she said. The increase also may be to fewer new cases of COVID and reduced pandemic restrictions, Falmlen suggested. I think everyones really starting to get around more, she said. Theres been outreach and promotion that has generated a lot of interest in the service. A lot of the riders are just new riders, so I think the word is getting around that the service is available and its just slowly increasing. CRANE is working to adjust to the growth. Our contracted transit provider is attempting to add more drivers, said Falmlen. Theyre looking at the potential of additional office staff, so they are attempting to grow, as well, but as we all know the job market is very tight right now. CRANE staff members have not been overburdened, Falmlen said. Theyre keeping up, she said. They really look like ducks on water. Everything looks very smooth on the top and you just see the bus driving around, but they are just paddling so hard underneath that water. They really are working very hard and we appreciate so much everything that theyre doing. She added, Its a busy time, definitely, but they are handling it. The increase, though, comes at a time when gas prices are increasing. While these rising costs do affect CRANEs budget, the service is taking steps to conserve its resources, Falmlen said. This isnt the first time this service has seen $4 per gallon gas, she said. It still has an impact and the transit provider does a great job of communicating with their staff about traveling the least amount possible, taking the quickest way possible, turning off their vehicle if for some reason they have downtime to just conserve gas. Even if gas prices do continue to rise, city services will continue, said Falmlen. The portion of the service I can speak for, we really dont have the ability to any reduction. Our service is our service, she said. For the county piece, as far as I know, its not anything thats being discussed at this point. I think theyre just really keeping a close eye on their miles and their staffing, things like that, to try to balance things out a bit. CRANE serves the residents of Hall County with a portal-to-portal, demand-responsive service operating within the urbanized area of Grand Island and the communities of Alda, Wood River, Cairo and Doniphan. Service hours are 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. At a minimum, a 24-hour notice is required from an individual needing transportation. CRANE Public Transit will attempt to book riders for a same-day trip if space is available. For more information, visit www.crane-transit.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Grand Island YMCA will host its first Goin Hog Wild for the Y fundraiser, set for Saturday, March 26. This event is planned for 5-9 p.m. in the Dinsdale Barn Barn on the Fonner Park campus. Proceeds will help fund the locker room renovation project. Tailgate-style food will be provided by the Nebraska Pork Producers and Whitefoot Catering. A meal-only option is also available. A cash bar will be available along with free keg beer while it lasts. The evening will include live music provided by The Apron Sisters, Timmery & Hillary, with Joe Parr and Tim Zach. A variety of unique coolers filled with goodies will be part of a silent auction. , Tickets are $50 and available online at GetMeRegistered.com/GoinHogWild. Those attending must be 21 or older. More details about the event and sponsorships are available at www.giymca.org/goin-hog-wild-for- the-y. Two 12-year-old boys were rescued and transported to a nearby hospital Tuesday evening after falling through thin ice at the Lake Minatare State Recreation Area in Nebraska's panhandle, according to authorities. Rescuers were called to the lake's swim beach just before 5 p.m. Tuesday after the two boys had walked along the dam to the beach area before venturing onto the frozen lake and falling through, according to a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission news release. After falling in, the boys climbed to the top of the ice numerous times, according to the news release, eventually staying in one place and crying for help. Within an hour, members of Minatare Fire and the Rescue and Dive Team rescued the boys, according to the news release. They were taken by ambulance to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, where they were treated and released. The Nebraska State Patrol, Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office, Valley Ambulance Service and Air Link Helicopter Service assisted in the recue. The largest body of water in Nebraska's panhandle, Lake Minatare is about 14 miles northeast of Scottsbluff. Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley YORK As the culmination of their physical education dance unit, which focused on the dances of the 1950s, St. Joseph Catholic School students participated in their first ever all-school Sock Hop. The kids in Kindergarten through fourth grade learned to do the Twist, Hand Jive, Shout and Bunny Hop. Grades 5-8 learned those dances too, as well as The Stroll and how to Jitterbug. Students and teachers were encouraged to dress in 1950s style for the fun event, which even added to the excitement. The Sock Hop was held in the gym, which had been decorated with streamers and balloons. In addition to dancing, the students competed in the Hula Hoop contest and awards were given for the best dressed boy and girl. I feel all students should learn to dance, said Diane McCray, who is the St. Joseph physical education teacher. Dancing is a life-long activity. It is something that all ages can do, it is very social and of course, it is fun. Its a great way to meet people and interact with others. This wont be the last dance classes taught at St. Josephs. McCray said she plans to continue this each year. Next year, Id like to focus on country dances, she said. Id like to teach the students some popular line dances, the Cotton-Eyed Joe and how to dance the Texas Two Step. So next year, instead of a Sock Hop, we will have a Hoedown. Paris, TX (75460) Today Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. CARBONDALE Students and community members flocked to SIUs campus to rally for peace and listen to experts and Ukraine students about Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday. Carbondale mourned the loss of thousands of lives in Ukraine as Diana Butsko, a Ukrainian SIU masters student, shared her thoughts and grief surrounding the war and her friend held up pictures of some of those who have lost their lives. There is nothing that can stop a Russian Army, Butsko said. They destroy residential areas, hospitals, churches. They kill people on the street in front of their loved ones and do not allow relatives to bury bodies in the cemetery. This is the greatest tragedy for my people, but I'm convinced that this is also a great tragedy for the world. War is always a tragedy. Every war is a defeat for the whole world because it means we fail to stop evil. In this case, evil has a name. Its name is Russia. Its name is Putin, but not within the law. It's not Putin who kills Ukrainians. It's his army, who followed his command and fired shots and bombs upon Ukrainian civilians. Butsko was one of many individuals who spoke at the peace rally that included Mayor Mike Henry, Chancellor Austin Lane, various professors and other graduate students. As each individual spoke, the crowd was silent as they heard tales of grandparents who had fled Poland in previous conflicts, the story of the first Ukrainian to die in the war and so many other stories. Associate professors Stephen Bloom and Stephen Shulman along with professor Theodore Weeks held a symposium on the war prior to the rally. The people attending heard many stories, including one from Professor Bloom where he told the audience about receiving a text from a friend in Ukraine that said a town Bloom had stayed in has been bombed. At the symposium, they discussed the history leading to the altercation, possible outcomes and what the world should do. Butsko pleaded to the crowd on exactly what the world should do. Ukrainian people had no choice, Butsko said. They had to fight. Otherwise, there will be no Ukraine. While the world is watching and chooses not to confront Russia, there will be more tragedies. There will be more dead children and more refugees. We fight for democracy, not only in Ukraine but in the whole world. If Ukraine fails, Russia will continue its imperialism. Who knows how many more democracies will fail afterward? We fight for the future, while Russia is fighting for the past. Weeks spoke at the rally after the symposium backing up Butskos plea for the world to help Ukraine. The kinds of sacrifices that we're called upon to make are pretty tiny compared to what the Ukrainians are doing, Weeks said. I heartily concur with Diana, the attack on Ukraine was not just an attack on a next-door neighbor of Russia; the attack was on democracy. Its an attack on the rights of people to make up their own minds and to feel safe within their own country with a democratically elected government. Im afraid that what we can do, as citizens of a democracy is to continue to urge our politicians to keep the stress as much as possible on Russia. There's a weird idea that Russia is this impregnable invulnerable state. It is not. It is a state that is on very precarious economic and even military basis. Person after person spoke about peace for Ukraine and its people. Many sported pins for Ukraine, flags, and even signs that read, War is not healthy for living things. As the evening came to a close many lit fake candles, Lane issued a moment of silence and Father Joseph Brown said some words followed by a prayer. The victims are telling us what's happening to them, Brown said. You must pay attention. You must face this death if any of your children shall have life. What we are seeing over and over is burning our hearts, our minds and our eyes. I live every day knowing that the power of people is truly under peril here. This earth is being destroyed by the addictive behaviors of those who, as has been said before, simply do not care. We can't deal with it all? Yes, we can! The greatest example we're getting from Ukraine is we are not afraid. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHICAGO - Anthony Alvarezs little sister sat under a banner with an image of her late brother and his daughter that read Justicia Para Anthony Alvarez, swinging her legs and chanting his name at Federal Plaza on Wednesday evening. Say his name! Anthony Alvarez! his family and a crowd of about 50 supporters chanted, led by Alvarezs cousin, Roxana Figueroa. The protest was in response to Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxxs decision Tuesday that no charges would be filed against the officers who killed Alvarez, 22, and 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Toledo and Alvarez were fatally shot in separate incidents in late March last year in the course of foot chases. Their deaths led to calls for the Chicago Police Department to implement guidelines on foot pursuits. On Tuesday afternoon, Foxx announced that prosecutors determined both officers reasonably believed they were in danger when they opened fire because Toledo and Alvarez were carrying guns the nights they were shot. Community members gathered downtown Wednesday at Federal Plaza to respond to Foxxs announcement. After speeches from organizers, supporters and Figueroa, the group marched up the street to Foxxs office. Figueroa said she and her family were disappointed to learn of Foxxs decision, but they will continue to fight for justice. She said she tried to put herself in the officers shoes and went back to watch the videos of her cousins shooting. Theres no reason why our family and I should keep re-watching those videos, listening to Anthonys last words in order to try to understand why Kim Foxx came to that decision, she said, holding back tears. Theres no reason why we should keep hearing his last words to understand that. Veronica Alvarez, Anthony Alvarezs mom, said she felt angry and disappointed Tuesday, but seeing how much community support is behind her family made her feel better. I feel content for the support and for the people, she said. The people that believe in us, the people that are supporting us, the people that believe in justice. Alvarez said her family will continue fighting until Officer Evan Solano is held accountable for shooting her son. Alvarezs family filed a lawsuit last month alleging the city bears responsibility for the death in part because police had no foot pursuit policy when he was shot. On Tuesday, Toledos family also filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and against Officer Eric Stillman. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Times and Democrat Correspondent Ron Baxley Jr. is also a travel specialist and a fantasy and "Oz universe" author published by YBR Publishing, freelancing for other publications as well. He often has signings in the region, state and throughout the country. Baxley will be a guest author at Herb Fest this Saturday, March 19, from 10-3 at the Little Red Barn and Pottery Gallery on 12080 Highway 278 between Barnwell and Elko on one of the routes to Springfield from Barnwell. Baxley will also be a guest author at The Beaufort Bookstore in Beaufort on Saturday, March 26, for Books and Bites from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Books and Bites is an author series where refreshments are served at the store. At that event, Ziggy, his Pembroke Welsh Corgi, will be with him as well with a crate he can go to when tired. Beaufort and Ridgeland-based YBR Publishing, Rons publisher, has a special section in the store dedicated entirely to their multi-genre catalogue. Oz-themed refreshments may join the other usual refreshments served at the store. Baxley, who has been an award-winning, published author for 30 years, also taught English in private and public schools in S.C. (after running an after-school program and after his experience teaching in an outdoor education program in Massachusetts). He spent the last seven years of his 15-year career as an educator as an instructor teaching developmental and transitional English and reading courses in a technical college in S.C. All of this informs his work. Satirizing his Southern roots and aspects of modern society does as well. Baxley also prefers the company of Corgis particularly one emotional support Corgi, Ziggy, who he has also based his internationally award-winning fantasy graphic novel Ziggy Zig-zags the Light and Dark Fantastic on. Ziggy even served, in part, as a minor character in Baxleys satirical Southern fantasy O.Z. Diggs VII series for older teens and adults. He also has a children's picture-book, "Goldey Goosey of Oz, with Oz themes. He has been a guest and special guest at Oz festivals and cons throughout the country for 12 years. He most recently was a special guest at the Grand Opening of the Wizard of Oz Museum in early February in Cape Canaveral, Florida. His books are often available in the region at the Carolina Collection Antiques in Denmark and the Little Red Barn and Pottery Gallery in Barnwell. They are often available presigned in bookstores, comics shops, and gift shops in S.C., Georgia, and central New York and are orderable wherever books are sold. For more information on Ron, see his author page at: https://rbaxley37.wixsite.com/ronbaxleyjrofoz . Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Orangeburg Department of Public Safety A 26-year-old Orangeburg man is accused of shooting a gun at the intersection of John C. Calhoun Drive and Broughton Street. Shaquille Trevon Clark, of 761 Whittaker Parkway, is facing one count each of unlawful carrying of a pistol and discharging a firearm in the city limits. Clark was taken into custody after multiple witnesses saw a man walking into traffic and waving a gun just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a police incident report. Callers also claimed the man fired the weapon once. No one was physically injured. As officers arrived at the intersection, they saw the suspect running toward the rear of Walgreens. Officers allege he returned to the front of the store and shoved something into a trashcan. Officers apprehended the man and searched the trashcan. According to the incident report, officers found a black hoodie and a gun holster in the trashcan. They located a semi-automatic handgun in nearby bushes. Officers conducted a thorough search of the alleged gunman and found a piece of paper containing a white powdery substance. The suspect first said the substance was sugar, but then allegedly admitted it was molly, the incident report states. Molly is a slang name for MDMA. The man also said hed not slept in three days. Officers claim the man said repeatedly, without them questioning him, that the reason he shot was because he had subjects chasing him and trying to kill him, the report states. The citys street cameras at the intersection captured the incident. Clark doesnt have a concealed weapons permit. He also is a convicted felon, according to warrants. If Clark is convicted, he faces a $2,000 fine and up to five years in prison. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DENMARK -- The City of Denmark has moved their regular council meeting time this month to Monday, March 21, at 5 p.m. at the city hall. The public is invited to attend, and it is presumed for the time being that the regular council meetings will occur the third Mondays of each month at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. The exception is on a federal holiday when the meetings are usually held the next day at the same time. For a number of years, Denmark's regular council meetings occurred on the third Mondays at 7 p.m. During the pandemic the past two years, with a few exceptions where they attempted to move back to public, live meetings at night, the meetings have been held via teleconference on the third Monday at 11 a.m. During a meeting a few months ago, it was stated that the teleconferences would continue because one of the people connected to Denmark's business was exposed to an individual who had COVID-19. However, that has changed. Mayor Gerald Wright stated in a recent teleconference meeting that he felt some of the miscommunication and other issues the council had been having were due to meeting through teleconference and that they better start having live meetings again with distance for safety. According to a past article in The T&D, several council members also contended over the phone in past teleconference meetings that Denmark City Council should return to live meetings and work sessions. The last meeting council had, a special meeting to discuss usage of American Rescue Act funds, was held Thursday, March 3, at 7 p.m. and was open to the public. Regular council meetings, such as the one being held Monday at city hall, will be scheduled for 5 p.m. for now. For more information, contact Denmark City Hall. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047. (TBTCO) - Thi truong ket thuc thang 4 voi muc giam 8,4%, tro thanh thang giam sau nhat trong vong 2 nam. Hang loat co phieu chiet khau gia cuc sau tuy gay thiet hai rat lon cho nhieu nha au tu, nhung cung se tao co hoi cho cac nha au tu khac. Wyoming ranks above average in the nation for student reading performance. But this ranking doesnt show the full picture. Raw scores reveal that many Wyoming students struggle with reading. Thats a problem a bill signed into law last week seeks to address. The ultimate goal of Senate File 32 is to have 85% of kids in kindergarten through third grade reach a proficient or advanced reading score, an ambitious goal considering past performance. In the 2018-2019 academic school year, only one school, Ten Sleep School in Washakie County, had over 80% of students with proficient and advanced scores in English Language Arts, according to the Wyoming Department of Education. WY-TOPP and WY-ALT test scores from the 2020-2021 academic year show that about half of Wyoming students in third grade scored at a basic level or below in reading ability. That percentage doesnt change much in higher grades. A 2020 report to the Legislature deemed basic and below basic performance levels to be inadequate for graduates to access jobs in the higher skill, higher wage economy Wyoming is trying to build. This report spurred the Joint Education Committee to discuss reading difficulties during the last interim session. Addressing literacy difficulties early is critical; higher grades assume mastery of basic reading. Under the new legislation, schools will be required to screen for signs of reading difficulties at least three times a year in kindergarten through the third grade. Previously, districts could choose from an array of screening tests. But not all those tests are created equal. Some are better at identifying reading difficulties in kids than others. Those difficulties can snowball when they arent caught early on. The law will limit the screening tests that schools can use to ones that are better at catching problems. The state schools superintendent, Wyoming Board of Education, the University of Wyoming, school districts, specialized professionals and other stakeholders will create criteria to identify appropriate tests. Schools will only be able to use screening tests that the superintendent approves based on these criteria. Parents and guardians will be included in assessment and intervention processes. Schools must relay screening results to parents and guardians. That report will include an explanation of the results. If needed, the district must also provide an outline of a students individualized reading plan to that students parents or guardian. Teachers will create reading intervention plans that are individualized for each student. The bill also requires kindergarten through third grade teachers to participate in professional development training in literacy instruction and intervention. But Ellis said there is some flexibility in this requirement, and teachers who have already had training in relevant areas dont necessarily have to undergo instruction again. A $300,000 pot of money from the School Foundation Program is set aside for this professional development in the 2023-2024 academic year under the bill. Schools can draw on this money if training costs go beyond what they already receive in grants for such programs. Criteria for this professional development training isnt yet set in stone. Districts will send an annual reading achievement report to the Department of Education. Schools that havent achieved the 85% goal will submit improvement plans to their district. The districts will in turn relay an overall plan to the Department of Education. The new legislation is just a start. Literacy will continue to be a topic in the interim session. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHEYENNE A woman has been charged in the death of a local teenager after she allegedly hit him with her vehicle while he was in a crosswalk. Kelly Lynn Gaskins is charged with one count of vehicular homicide, a misdemeanor. She is accused of causing the death of 13-year-old Makaili James Evans by driving her vehicle in a criminally negligent manner. Gaskins will have an initial appearance in circuit court at 9 a.m. March 22. Vehicular homicide carries a maximum penalty of one year of incarceration and/or a $2,000 fine. Evans was killed Nov. 5 at about 7 a.m. after Gaskins struck him with her vehicle near McCormick Junior High School, a probable cause affidavit said. Gaskins said she had not seen Evans as he was crossing the street, as it was dark and she was looking at and talking to her passenger at the time of the collision, according to the affidavit. Evans had been legally crossing Western Hills Boulevard at a marked, lighted crosswalk coated in white reflective paint, documents say. Three vehicles driving westbound on the street were stopped for the teen and waiting for him to cross. Gaskins front passenger, a teenager, had also seen Evans and yelled at Gaskins that a child was in the crosswalk, the affidavit said. Gaskins never slowed down or attempted to evade the collision with (Evans), the affidavit said. A toxicology report returned in mid-December showed Gaskins had benzodiazepines in her system. She told officers on the day of the collision that she took the medication daily, the affidavit said. The report showed Gaskins did not have any other substances in her system at the time of the crash. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Two Wyoming men have been taken into custody after being chased by Highway Patrol troopers Tuesday and attempting to flee on foot. According to an announcement Wednesday from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, a trooper started following the men around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday driving near Guernsey after learning one of its occupants, 26-year-old Joshua Taylor, had an active warrant out for a kidnapping charge. They tried to drive into traffic on Highway 26, the press release said, and collided with a troopers car. Taylor and the other man in the car, 25-year-old Jeromie Ballinger, ran away from the crash towards a farmhouse. According to Highway Patrol, the men got in a Ford truck and drove away before they could be apprehended. More than two hours after the start of the chase, officers found the truck abandoned in a ravine and saw the men leaving on foot. Officers used off-road vehicles from local agencies to search the area. One of the men was found around 10:15 p.m., hiding under tumbleweeds near a creek. The other was found Wednesday morning north of Wheatland. Both were taken into custody, where Taylor was booked into the Platte County Detention Center on his warrant. Charges are pending for Ballinger, according to Highway Patrol. Wyoming Homeland Security, the Division of Criminal Investigation, state parks, Game and Fish, local fire departments and four law enforcement agencies assisted WHP in the chase. Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Depending on where you live, your representation in the statehouse might be changing soon. Wyoming lawmakers passed a redistricting bill Friday night with about two hours to spare before they were in violation of their constitutional duty to enact a reapportioned legislative map. The new map adds three lawmakers, bringing the total in the Wyoming Legislature to 93, which includes 62 representatives and 31 senators. Those changes will take effect in January. Lawmakers have been working for months on redrawing the states legislative districts in light of population changes over the past decade. The process has been a challenge, especially as lawmakers try to balance population growth in Wyomings larger cities with the states shrinking population in rural areas. Adding three districts, lawmakers said, was a way of maintaining representation for rural areas while respecting the growth in the cities. But many lawmakers voiced opposition to the additional politicians. Us as a legislative body have been cutting, cutting, cutting, whether it be mental health services or something else. You name it, weve been cutting, said Rep. Joe MacGuire, R-Casper. But were growing the Legislature by three, and I was disappointed by that, and I think it sends the wrong message. Some of the areas that experienced the greatest population growth such as Natrona and Laramie counties also changed the most in the redistricting process. Take MacGuires House District 35, for example. For the past decade, it spanned from parts of east Casper all the way to the Natrona County line, with the North Platte River running through the middle of it. It was also one of the districts that experienced the most growth, so it was always going to have to shed population to a neighboring district. Now, House District 35 is in southeast Casper and doesnt get anywhere close to the Natrona-Converse County line. Part of the reason MacGuires district changed so much is the addition of a new House district between east Casper and Glenrock. MacGuire plans to run again, and said hes not nervous about having a different constituency since hes lived here his whole life. It affects me less than other people who havent lived here as long as I have, he said. Its kind of like changing one set of friends and gaining new friends. The other new House district is in Cheyenne, nested within the new Senate district that spans the east part of the city. The losers (of the redistricting process) were Laramie County and Natrona County because they had to be chopped up so much, said Gail Symons, the writer behind Civics307, a nonpartisan blog on the Legislature. It was a significant redistribution of voters in the districts in those two largest counties. The situation in Sheridan County is also notable. Every single House and Senate district thats fully or partially a part of that county are out of deviation. Being out of deviation means that the proportion of population to representative is not close enough. In this case, people in Sheridan County districts are underrepresented. House District 40 is the farthest out of deviation, but all Sheridan districts are slightly above the threshold. Nonetheless, being out of deviation by even a small margin opens the door for a possible lawsuit. It was not necessary to put all of Sheridan County out of deviation. There were multiple ways of drawing a map with 90 or 93 lawmakers that kept Sheridan County and the state as a whole within deviation. But those maps would likely not have received enough votes to pass both chambers. To grow the Legislature and still be out of deviation ... thats not an acceptable outcome, MacGuire said. The process of redistricting was difficult from the start. The legislative committee responsible for redistricting got the census numbers months late, and a special session held in the fall also slowed the process. As hard as it was this year, its going to be harder in 10 years if the shift towards cities continues to happen in Wyoming, said Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson. After the arduous redistricting process, there seems to be growing interest in handing the task over to an independent commission. Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, brought a constitutional amendment this session to take the power away from lawmakers and put it into the hands of such a panel. His measure ultimately failed. Explore the new districts: To find your new House district, visit this link. Find where you live and click the color that your home is within. A list will appear on the left of your screen and your district number will appear under District. To find your new Senate district, visit this link. Complete the same process as above. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. (flashback)SPECIAL REWARD: President Paula Mae-Weekes with, from left, Megan Ramoutar, San Fernando TML, Siri Vadlamudi, Grant Memorial Presbyterian, Celine Roodal, Lakshmi Girls Hindu College, Sharvaani Rampersad-Maharaj, Naparima Girls High School, Le-an A Telesford, Naparima Girls High School and Kavesh Sugremsingh, Presentation College San Fernando, all recipients of the Presidents Medal, at a ceremony held at Presidents House, St Anns, yesterday. Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK A Barrackpore woman returned to her house in the early hours of last Saturday and found an i And so it has come to pass. One week after the island-wide blackout of February 16, we told you in this space that, from among the best authority available, there would be, there could be no one to blame for what happened. We told you that the determination had already been made as to what happened, how and why, and that nobody could have been held responsible for that. It was a warning against the natural national tendency to go for blood. Loud had been the shouts of sabotage, the result of worker discontentment, and a clamour for heads to roll. The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer: They have never once been right. Did you ever notice that? Do you ever think about it? Never once. Oh, in matters of, say, foreign affairs or military strategy, one might contend that conservatives have had their moments, made arguments that, arguably, made sense. But on matters of social evolution, theyve compiled a remarkable record: Theyve never been vindicated by history. Rather, theyve always been repudiated by it, always been wrong. You think thats harsh? You think its overly sweeping? The record begs to differ. They stood athwart the civil rights movement, William F. Buckley once arguing (and later repenting) that white peoples cultural superiority entitled them to dominate African Americans. They opposed womens rights, Barry Goldwater once saying that he had nothing against a woman running for vice president, just so she can cook and get home on time. Nor are the rights wrongs limited to matters of human freedom. Every art form that ever dared deviate from status quo music, film, books, comic books has had to run a gantlet of conservative opprobrium. As far back as the 1920s, they were up in arms over a new music called jazz. Its a history that provides a jaundiced context for the latest right-wing crusade. Meaning the one against LGBTQ kids. Floridas Legislature passed its obnoxious Dont Say Gay bill last week. Gov. Ron DeSantis, evidently determined to leave no principle untrampled in his hoped-for march to the White House, is expected to sign it. The bill, which says educators may not encourage discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity, is just the latest front in the rights war on LGBTQ young people, particularly those who are transgender. The ACLU counts dozens of such bills working their way through legislatures in over two dozen states. This includes Texas, whose attorney general has defined gender-affirming health care as child abuse. If you didnt know better, youd think transgender people just dropped onto the planet from space. They didnt. The former George Jorgensen made news way back in 1952 when he had sex reassignment surgery in Denmark and returned to the U.S. as a woman named Christine. No, the only thing that is new here is transgender peoples refusal to hide, their determination to live full, free and visible lives in the American mainstream. Which brings them into conflict with conservatisms reflexive terror of anything that does not fit inside the white picket fence of its imagination. That tendency to look ever backward toward an imagined better past, that timorous inability to face the future heck, to face the present and the challenges of change, is what had conservatives at odds with everyone from Louis Armstrong to Martin Luther King to Gloria Steinem. Now it has them standing between children and their teachers and doctors. It is cold comfort to know that these acts of invasive cruelty will one day stand condemned by history, but they will. Weve seen this movie too many times to doubt it. Youd think that would matter to conservatives; youd think theyd think about it. Then you remember that fear and thought are incompatible; its almost impossible for them to exist in the same space. So, LGBTQ kids and their allies can only put their heads down, work for change and take such satisfaction as they may find in the fact that, where social evolution is concerned, conservatives lost the 20th century. Now theyre about to lose the 21st. Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for the Miami Herald. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com . Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Former Pima County Justice of the Peace and state Rep. Keith Allan Bee has been sentenced to six months in prison for submitting false income tax returns. According to court records, Bee put more than $1 million of expenses on Schedule C that did not belong there, including the costs to purchase, improve or maintain four single-family homes in Tucson and one in Westport, Washington. He also wrote off multiple high-performance cars in his personal collection, including several Ford Mustangs, a Chevrolet Corvette and a Porsche. When the IRS called to conduct an audit in 2014, court records say that Bee didnt come clean and doubled down, providing false and dubious information to the IRS revenue agent during the audit. He claimed that a luxury home on the east side of Tucson was actually a bus yard and a pool he added and deducted as an expense of his bus company, Bee Line Bus Transportation, was built for use by employees, court records say. He also claimed that a Mustang Cobra parked in his garage on the property was used to drive undercover to check on buses in service. Bee was indicted in 2018 on three counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 27 and admitted to similar activity for tax years 2011 and 2012 that cheated the government out of $214,414, court records say. Bee served eight years in the Arizona Senate and two years in the state House of Representatives. He retired from the bench soon after the charges were made public in September 2018. Bee must surrender by June 15. The court also ordered restitution of $214,414 plus interest. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. PHOENIX In the age of the videotaped police killings of George Floyd and Eric Garner, when it comes to recording law enforcement activity, how close is too close? Legislation approved Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee would keep those making these recordings at least 8 feet away. Any closer would subject the person with the cellphone or the video camera to a fine of $300. But theres also the possibility of 30 days in jail if there was a prior violation or the videographer failed to comply with an earlier verbal warning. HB 2319 is the latest bid by Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, to set what he contends are reasonable limits on the ability of people to get close to scenes where police are questioning or arresting someone. It was in response to news reports of groups, organized groups, some were critical of police, responding to police calls and, while the police were taking enforcement action, getting really close, within 1 or 2 feet, he told committee members. And sometimes, Kavanagh said, they even would get right behind the police officer. Having been a cop for 20 years, I can tell you that when somebody gets real close that you dont know when youre taking enforcement actions or dealing with any potentially dangerous situation, you worry, he explained. Kavanagh said concerns include whether the person taking the video and being that close is a friend or accomplice of the person being questioned and might attack. Even if it isnt, youre still distracted, he said. Kavanagh testified he would like a 15-foot buffer. With todays cameras, at 15 feet, I could zero in on every one of you and pretty much see every blemish on your face, he said. But Kavanagh conceded that there are constitutional issues with such a barrier. So he agreed to set the limit at 8 feet. That is based on federal court rulings which set that as the distance at which protesters can be kept from entrances to abortion clinics. That distance requirement would not apply to indoor situations where the person with the camera or cellphone is in an adjacent room or area. And those who are the ones being questioned could take videos of the encounter at whatever distance as long as it does not interfere with lawful police actions, including searching, handcuffing or administering a field sobriety test. Others, however, questioned both the need for and the legality of the restriction. The issue of ordinary people making video recordings has been at the forefront of public reaction to several high profile interactions where the people being arrested ended up dead. There was the 2014 incident where police in New York City were attempting to arrest Eric Garner for illegally selling loose cigarettes. That incident, captured on video, shows an officer grabbing the 350-pound man from behind, putting him in a choke hold, pulling him to the ground and rolling him onto his stomach. He can be heard saying, I cant breathe! I cant breathe! repeatedly. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. More recently was the 2020 death of George Floyd, arrested by Minneapolis police on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. The four officers involved were fired the following day after videos taken by witnesses showed Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyds neck for more than nine minutes. K.M. Bell, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said there are legal flaws in the wording. For example, she said nothing in the measure explains what happens if someone is videotaping and the one of the officers on the scene approaches. And, all of a sudden, you are in criminal violation of that law as a result of the officer moving, Bell said. Kavanagh said the way he sees it, that individual is not risking arrest. The person filming is not a suspicious person, he said. Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale, called that laughable. Ive actually participated in efforts to film police officers that are doing their job, he said. You are absolutely a suspicious person to the law enforcement at that point, Quezada continued. And they aggressively come toward you to see why you were filming. And Quezada said the restrictions in the measure are curbing the exact kind of situations where it is most important to have a video record of the interactions between police and others. This is when we need for that recording of that activity to take place, he said. This is how and why we hold our law enforcement officers accountable. This measure, Quezada said, goes in the opposite direction. I think we are in danger of putting a lot of people who are looking to peacefully and smartly observe law enforcement activity, put them in danger of being criminalized themselves, he said. Marana resident Dana Allmond urged lawmakers to reject the proposal. This comes down to trust and accountability and transparency that is lacking, she testified. And Allmond, who is a Democratic candidate for the state House, said this needs to be about more than protecting police. We need to think moreover that Arizona citizens are protected, she said. Allmond said its one thing for police to ask for witnesses. But she said that testimony, by itself, may not be enough. I would want to be able to show everything I saw, Allmond said. Timothy Sparling had similar concerns. We believe that this bill stacks the deck against the public check on officer misconduct, said Sparling a lawyer with Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice whose members generally represent defendants in criminal cases. And he contends the restriction is likely to be challenged as unconstitutional. The measure, which already has cleared the House, now needs approval of the full Senate. On Twitter: @azcapmedia Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Tucson Electric Power is seeking to set pollution limits for one gas-fired generator at its power plant on East Irvington Road to reflect a planned shift to seasonal use. But environmental advocates say TEP may be trying to get ahead of potentially stricter pollution limits in a state regional haze plan that has yet to be finalized. In a filing with the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, TEP says it will voluntarily accept new limits on emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides, or NOx, at its gas-fired Unit 3 steam generator at the Irvington Generating Station. The Unit 3 generator has no pollution controls for nitrogen oxides, and TEP doesnt plan to add any, but the utility says it will meet the new limits by shifting the gas unit to seasonal summer use until its expected retirement in 2032. TEPs proposed new NOx limits would go into effect one year after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves the Arizona Department of Environmental Qualitys still-pending regional haze reduction plan. The TEP proposal, if approved, would be adopted as part of the states formal implementation plan. The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality has proposed approval of TEPs permit change and has opened a public comment period on the change, with a public open-house meeting scheduled for March 28. Currently, Unit 3 is not subject to any operating restrictions and can operate at 100% capacity, TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said. However, TEP is voluntarily accepting new and more stringent emissions limits that will reduce NOx emissions here in Pima County and improve visibility. Well achieve this by gradually transitioning Unit 3 to seasonal use, strategically limiting its operation. TEP plans to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2035 by providing 70% of its power from wind and solar resources while significantly expanding its use of energy storage, Barrios noted. The proposal to limit operations at the Irvington plant is consistent with other efforts, he said, including the 2019 installation of 10 quick-starting, gas-fired reciprocating internal combustion engines at the Irvington plant to quickly supplement the intermittent power generation from renewables. Were building a cleaner, greener grid as fast as we can, Barrios said. But Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon Chapter, said TEP may be seeking the new permit for the Irvington plant to avoid more stringent requirements in the regional haze state plan. Bahr noted that the development of Arizonas regional haze plan revision remains in its early stages and ADEQ has not yet issued a draft plan for public comment. It appears that TEP is trying to avoid addressing regional haze requirements to reduce pollution and the associated benefits to our air, our health and national parks, as well as the climate, she said. It should instead be doing the maximum to control NOx, especially in that area, which is predominantly a community of color that is disproportionately impacted by this power plant. Bahr said TEP recently made a similar move to adopt voluntary limits for sulfur dioxide pollution for two units at the coal-fired Springerville Generating Station, which it also wants to incorporate into the state regional haze plan. In February, the Sierra Club and the National Parks Conservation Association filed comments with ADEQ, urging the agency to reject TEPs Springerville permit revision as premature, saying it improperly assumes the outcome of Arizonas regional haze plan before ADEQ, the EPA and stakeholders can fully scrutinize and formally comment on a complete regional analysis. But TEPs Barrios says that requiring additional pollution controls is unnecessary given the plan to curtail operations and measures such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) equipment to limit NOx are unnecessary and prohibitively expensive. Our assertion is simply that the cost of installing additional controls, such as SCRs, on Unit 3 would be unreasonable and would adversely impact TEP customer bills, he said. Irvingtons Unit 3 has a generating capacity of 104 megawatts and is considered a must-run unit to meet national electric reliability standards, TEP said. The plant also has another steam generator, Unit 4, rated at 156MW and two smaller gas turbine generators. How to comment The PDEQ has opened a public comment period on TEPs proposed air-permit revision that will end April 18. For more information online, go to: tucne.ws/1jzt. The agency will host an in-person open house on March 28 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Abrams Public Health Center, 3950 S. Country Club Road, in conference room 3102. PDEQ also will host a virtual public hearing on April 15 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., via WebEx at tucne.ws/1jzq. To participate by phone, call 1-408-418-9388 and enter event number 2495 817 4077. Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 520-573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHARLOTTE, N.C. Were once again inching toward a post-COVID world. On Monday, Wake County Schools and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools made masks optional for the first time since the pandemic hit North Carolina two years ago. So far, 105 of the states 115 school districts have lifted mask requirements, and more may follow this week. Even prior to the drop in cases, the majority of school districts in North Carolina had made masks optional after two years of a pandemic and mask fatigue that seemed to have started immediately after they were recommended. There have been angry parents and protesters at school board meetings this entire school year, but student opinions have been mostly overlooked, except by their peers. Keep scrolling for the latest virus numbers You always see adults speaking for students, but you never see students protesting against masks, says Matthew Burkhart, a senior at Enloe High School. Burkhart is a journalist for the Enloe Eagles Eye, the schools student newspaper. In late February, the paper conducted a series of polls on Instagram to see how students felt about the current school masking requirements, and any future decisions made by the school board. In a 369-person sample size, 76 percent of Instagram users said they would not feel safe if the school system eliminated its mask mandate. Respondents also shared whether or not they were vaccinated against COVID: out of 428 people, almost 98 percent of them had been vaccinated. Yesterday, Burkhart and friends tried to keep track of the number of people not wearing masks at Enloe yesterday. He only counted 19, most of them being teachers, he says. While he says he feels safe without a mandate, he is continuing to wear his. Burkhart isnt alone on this: when asked why they felt safest with masks, several students told the paper via Instagram that it wasnt about them; it was about the possibility of spreading it to other people in the school. Others who said theyd feel safe even in spite of a mask mandate also clarified that they would continue wearing masks. I really hope this isnt like last July, Burkhart says. Remember when for a good two or three weeks, we thought COVID was over? No more mask requirements. We were going to the mall and museums without masks, and then, Oh, weve got delta variant. Theres a new variant of omicron which it hasnt made much traction yet, but it is a little worrying to think that that could happen. Students are able to weigh the pros and cons of wearing masks especially high schoolers, who have a degree of autonomy from their parents and are able to look ahead more than younger students. For more than a year, virtual school was the solution for COVID. Students missed socializing with their friends and learning in-person, and data shows that school closures from the pandemic had adverse effects on mental health. Older students are more likely to understand that if their school has an outbreak or national cases spike again, they may be forced to learn from home again, or extracurriculars may get canceled. One senior respondent told the Eagle Eye that they didnt want to lose prom or graduation because of a spike in cases. Its possible that Enloe students are more driven by anxieties than data: 70 percent of Wake Countys 12-17 year olds are vaccinated, as are 48 percent of 5-11 year olds in the county. Both of these percentages are about 20 points higher than the state average for the respective age ranges. Burkhart sees this as a possibility, too. But its also possible that these students are thinking long-term. Most adults arent in fear of losing multiple milestones anytime soon; parties and experiences are on the table as long as the people close to us are smart. High school students are relying on the entire school to act accordingly so that they can all benefit. Enloes students could be outliers, but maybe we should have been listening to them the entire time. *** VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS These 10 charts show you vaccination and virus trends in our state and nation Your browser does not support the iframe HTML tag. Try viewing this in a modern browser like Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Internet Explorer 9 or later. 2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. A man who last resided in East Hartford was sentenced Wednesday to more than six years in prison for heroin and fentanyl trafficking, and immigration offenses, according to federal officials. Angel DeJesus-Concepcion, 40, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a total of 80 months in prison, according to federal officials. Advertisement The case arose after the Drug Enforcement Administrations Hartford Task Force started an investigation in October 2016 of an organization that was trafficking large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and other narcotics in Connecticut and western Massachusetts, federal authorities said in a statement, citing court documents and statements made in court. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, revealed that members of the organization were receiving bulk quantities of heroin and fentanyl from out-of-state suppliers, federal authorities said in the statement. They then stored, processed and packaged the heroin/fentanyl in multiple locations, including apartments located (on Collins Street) in Hartford where some members of the organization also resided, and then distributed the drug in the Hartford area, and also the Springfield and Holyoke, Massachusetts area. Advertisement Further, a significant amount of drug trafficking activity occurred at the Neighborhood Supermarket, located at 316 Farmington Avenue in Hartford, which was owned and operated by DeJesus-Concepcions girlfriend, Gisel De La Cruz, federal authorities said in the statement. Investigators made multiple controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from De La Cruz, DeJesus-Concepcion and other members of the drug trafficking organization in and around the Neighborhood Supermarket. DeJesus had previously been deported from the U.S. after a conviction for a federal narcotics offense, according to federal authorities. The investigation revealed that De La Cruz paid $20,000 to smuggle DeJesus-Concepcion back into the U.S. and, in December 2016, DeJesus-Concepcion illegally reentered the country using fake Venezuelan identification documents. Authorities executed 12 search warrants in Connecticut and Massachusetts and seized approximately 10 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl during the investigation, much of which was packaged for resale in hundreds of thousands of bags, federal authorities said in the statement. Investigators also seized numerous vials of Xylazine, which is a horse tranquilizer used by narcotics traffickers as a heroin additive. Seven firearms also were seized. Fourteen individuals have been charged with various narcotics, firearms and immigration offenses as a result of the investigation, federal authorities said in the statement. DeJesus-Concepcion has been detained since his arrest in 2017 and on Sept. 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. federal authorities said in the statement. De La Cruz pleaded guilty to related charges and has been sentenced, according to authorities. The DEAs Hartford Task Force includes members from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic police departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service and Connecticut State Police, according to authorities. Ski resorts that look like deserts, skies colored brilliant hues of orange, and air quality five times worse than ideal conditions all have one thing in common: Saharan dust, which is expected to worsen over Western and Central Europe and even bring "blood rain." A large, brown swath of Saharan dust can be seen in numerous satellite images blanketing much of Portugal, Spain and France, leading to air quality concerns and hazy skies. The strong winds from Storm Celia off the northwest coast of Africa picked up dust from the Sahara desert and lofted it into the atmosphere. The southerly winds then pushed the dust northward into Europe, creating haunting scenes across the region. A video posted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shows the eerie scene at a ski resort in Spain where the snow appears to be sand and the skies give off a vibrant orange glow. The WMO also posted a photo from Switzerland showing the snow-covered mountains appearing a rusty shade of orange, which is a sharp contrast to the pristine white snow typical of the region. Europe can expect brilliant sunsets as a result of the dust particles scattering the sun's rays. Stunning orange and red skies can be expected as the sun rises and sets with reduced visibility and hazy skies anticipated throughout the day. With enough dust in the air to alter the hues of the natural landscape across Western Europe, there is an obvious concern for air quality as well. Spain, France, and Portugal are particularly at risk for decreased air quality as a result of experiencing the highest volumes of dust from the plume. On Tuesday, the European Environment Agency already measured dust concentrations in Spain over five times the European Union's recommended threshold for air quality, according to Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation program. Air quality continues to be poor in the region today as well. "Air quality is recognised as being vital to human health as high concentrations of dust can have health impacts on the respiratory systems of all people in the affected regions and add to particulate matter air pollution from local sources," Copernicus states. The reduced air quality leaves those with respiratory issues, such as asthma, particularly vulnerable over the next few days as the air quality continues to diminish. What goes up must come back down Late in the week, Storm Celia is forecast to bring showers across much of Western Europe, with heavy rain expected in southeastern Spain. This chance for greater precipitation brings the potential for "blood rain" to parts of Spain as the rain mixes with the high dust concentration. "It is understood that blood rain occurs when relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed into rain, giving it a red appearance as it falls," the United Kingdom Met Office said. As the rain falls through the atmosphere, it grabs the dust particles that are in the air causing dust deposits to fall and cover cars, houses, and roads. With more dust forecast to move into Western and Central Europe through the end of the week, there will be ample dust in the atmosphere for the rain to bring down to the surface. Once the dust settles, Europe should expect to see the dust clear out by early next week, welcoming back blue skies and increased air quality. How weather has shaped human history How weather has shaped human history Climate change drives people out of Africa 541: Drought leads to first recorded bubonic plague 900: Drought spells the end for Mayan civilization 1274: Kublai Khan and the Kamikaze 1315: Extreme weather spawns the Great Famine of 1315-1317 1588: The wind flubs the Spanish Armada's attack on England 1601: Volcanic eruption in Peru causes famine during Russia's Time of Troubles 1692: Mini ice age instigates the Salem Witch Trials 1776: Fog saves the American Revolution 1789: The witch trials' 'little ice age' also spurs the French Revolution 1800: Slave revolt is squashed by storms 1812: Russian winter bests Napoleon 1813: Tecumseh killed in the fog in the Battle of the Thames 1816: 'The Year Without a Summer' creates America's Heartland 1876: Famines form the 'Third World' 1893: Weather inspires painting of 'The Scream' 1903: Wind leads to an undocumented first flight 1912: The Titanic sinks 1930s: The Dust Bowl 1937: The Hindenburg explosion changes air travel 1940: A storm cloud saves Allied soldiers trapped near Dunkirk 1941: Winter breaks apart Hitler's two-front war 1944: D-Day 1945: Kokura gets sparedtwice 1948: Air inversion in Donora, Pennsylvania 1963: Sunny skies clear the way for JFK's assassination 1977: Tenerife Air Disaster 1980: Iranian 'haboob' thwarts hostage rescue, secures Reagan election 1986: The Challenger disaster Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. SW Gas has lousy customer service I had to contact Southwest Gas on Wednesday simply to change an expiration date and security code on a debit card for my automatic debit. First, I had to wait 65 minutes on hold and was then told by the one customer service rep (I am sure they must only have one working) that that couldnt be done by her. Unbelievable. I refuse to do this online because I had fraud on an account. I told a friend, who is blind, about this and he said he had the same problem. No wonder Southwest Gas has such low reviews. Is this incompetence and lousy customer service our new normal? How pathetic. M.A. Akers Southeast side Biden too slow in aiding Ukraine On March 3, Ukraines Zelenskyy said it was a pity that Joe Biden and the Wests support came after the war started and that the world came late with their policies. Russian troops and tanks on Ukraines borders began last April. It was not until Jan. 22 that Biden sent the first arms shipment to Ukraine. It takes time to train people how to use them. On Feb. 24, Putin invaded Ukraine. It was only afterward that Biden and NATO enacted economic sanctions on Russia. I think that was too late. Even Biden said it would take a month for sanctions to fully be felt. Ukraine may not last that long. Biden and NATO blundered months ago by not having implemented graduated economic sanctions and given Vladimir Putin a deadline to pull back from Ukraines border. But they feared it might provoke him and escalate the situation. Duh! Biden has enriched Putins coffers to fund this war by importing oil from Russia, while implementing a de facto war on U.S. oil/gas production. Alan Ruiz West side Its deja vu all over again In a recent letter, a writer makes a claim that no real American can . This is the same fascist talk we heard about the civil rights and anti-war protesters in the 1960s. Vigilantes were spurred on by politicians claiming their America was threatened by these non-American people. Similar ideas permeated the Nazi propaganda in Germany to separate the real Germans from whatever groups that could be blamed for the poor conditions in Germany. Never were the demonstrations as violent or as direct against our government as we saw on Jan 6, 2021. Now the GOP wants their people to be seen as participating in legitimate political discourse. The party has lowered their standards so low no breach of morals, ethics or law is considered wrong. Sen. Barry Goldwater said, Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. I never saw Goldwater support illegal activities, so I wonder if he would even claim to be in the GOP today. Jeff Rayner SaddleBrooke Putin, oil, war sounds familiar Re: the March 2 letter To hurt Putin, drive electric. Regarding this letter that driving electric cars was a great way to show our distaste for Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine by reducing our demand for oil, I agree, but we also need to take a broader view, as this was largely the opinion after the Sept. 11 attacks as well. A quick look at the Top 10 oil-producing countries does not find many democracies (the U.S. and Canada, primarily). Many of these countries actively fund terrorism, suppress minorities, including Russia and Putin. The only way we can choke off the flow of money to these economies is to reduce our dependence on oil across the globe on a permanent basis. This may mean electric vehicles, but also a renewable power grid and rethinking our communities so our reliance on the car isnt absolute. Otherwise, every time an oil-rich dictator wages war, we will be having these same discussions while fretting about the price of gas. Steve Caster Northeast side We have A-10s at the ready What are we waiting for? All these Tucson A-10s should be in Ukraine. Remember Highway of Death in Iraq last time useless, this time essential for the future of freedom. Gary Maskarinec North side Thanks, donors, for helping PACC Dear Editor, I am a volunteer at the Pima animal shelter (PACC). On Friday I was working my shift at the greeter desk when a young man came in saying he had some donations and wondered where to take them. Thinking it was the usual bag of dog food or a few toys I said just bring them in and put them in the bin that we have to receive donations. It turned out he had a pickup truck filled in every available space with everything from food to blankets, toys, crates and treats. All collected by the students at Dove Mountain STEM school in one week! Soon the bin was overflowing. The young man and the accompanying adult, drove away before we could properly thank them, PACC truly appreciates the donation and the effort to gather and deliver everything. It was a pleasure to meet such a polite student who would take his time to help the dogs at the shelter. Thank you, Dove Mountain School! Janice Orum SaddleBrooke Clean energy has many benefits Though life has taken me elsewhere, the austere beauty of the Sonoran Desert will always resonate in my heart like no other. Since leaving, Ive come to understand how climate change threatens this rich but fragile ecosystem. But this visit theres also a risk Id long thought gone: an impulsive madman, or a genuine misunderstanding, could unleash widespread ecological damage from even a limited nuclear exchange. Those calling for our energy independence correctly identify the need to undercut the leverage of oil-producing despots. But if the time it takes to develop more oil were instead used to transition to clean energy, we could accomplish this and avert the worst impacts of global warming (plus get cleaner air and more jobs besides). The budget reconciliation bill now in the Senate is our best chance for legislation. Please urge your senators to include strong climate action in this bill. Irmgard Flaschka Midtown No point hurting Russian citizens It is laudable that many corporations and businesses want to do their part to support Ukrainians against the Russian invasion. However, corporate boycotts may cause more harm than good as the people most affected by boycotts are not Russian oligarchs, politicians, or leaders, but everyday Russian citizens going to work, providing for their families, and living paycheck to paycheck. These are the people who will be most inconvenienced by this choice and may lose their livelihood. Someone may idealistically think, So, if they have a problem they should appeal to the Russian government to stop the atrocities against Ukraine! However, I think whats more likely is that these villainized men and women will become more enraged and the Russian government and media will turn that hatred outwards. And the military service may provide the pay and livelihood that our boycotts denied them. If these companies want to truly help the Ukrainian people, it would be more effective to keep Russian businesses active and donate their profits to support Ukrainian refugees. Aamir Quraishy Southeast side What does the US stand for? Over 30 years ago, Kuwait was invaded by a fascist dictator. The U.S. led the world, and put together a coalition that stood up to the dictator and ended the invasion, no treaty, no pact; we just did what was right. Now it has happened again, but this time we seem to be leading from behind. We are unwilling or unable to form a coalition to stand up to this aggression. We delay arms shipments because we seem to be afraid of how the other side will react, rather than doing what is right. We have no spine. In 1994, I believe, there was a treaty/pact/memorandum that guaranteed the sovereignty of Ukraine if they gave up their nuclear weapons. The U.S. signed that agreement. Guess they were just words on paper. The same can probably be said for any guarantees for NATO/Taiwan. What do we stand for? Thomas Sitzmann Oro Valley Misplaced blame for Afghan exit Re: the March 7 article Putin has forced the West to change Jonah Goldbergs op-ed was interesting and a worthwhile read, but I must take issue with his slamming of President Joe Biden for the Afghanistan fiasco. Goldberg and most every other pundit and armchair expert have piled on to Biden over his handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. I contend that it is grossly unfair and inaccurate to pin all the blame on Biden. Over 20 years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, billions of taxpayer dollars poured into arming and training the Afghan military. Many precious American lives were lost defending Afghanistan. And yet the Afghan armed forces melted like snow in spring when the going got tough. If Afghans refuse to fight for their own country and countrymen why should another American tax dollar be spent or another precious American life be lost fighting for them? Also, I contend that countless mistakes were made over the 20 years that contributed to the debacle. Shouldering Biden with all the blame is both unfair and inaccurate. Nancy Silberschlag Foothills Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Four weeks ago, I visited the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and spoke with residents about a possible Russian invasion. None of them imagined they would soon be besieged by a Russian military that has cut off their water, electricity and food supplies and deliberately attacks civilian targets including a maternity hospital and civilian convoys trying to leave. Mariupol has become the symbol of an ugly truth that the White House and NATO allies have been too slow to grasp: Despite Russian losses, Vladimir Putin does not want a diplomatic off-ramp from his Ukraine war. Furious at Russian losses on the ground in this war, he wants to wipe out Ukrainian cities and towns from the air. Yet so far, despite sending much military aid, the West has failed to provide Ukraine with the air defenses it needs to stop the slaughter. That must change now. A consensus is building among experts that Putin believes he cant afford any deal short of abject Ukrainian surrender, lest he face humiliation and possible ouster. Several Russian attempts to assassinate Ukraines heroic President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have been foiled. Any hopes that Russian-Ukrainian talks will lead somewhere are misplaced. The war is likely to drag on, creating a massive humanitarian crisis as Russian missiles and bombs devastate cities, including Kyiv. But what if better Western assistance in defending the skies could help Kyiv fend off those bombs and missiles? What if and I know this challenges the imagination Ukraine could actually win? The very concept shakes Western preconceptions. U.S. and allied leaders were certain that Kyiv would fall swiftly, and they planned to help Ukrainians resist the Russian occupier. But Ukrainian successes in holding off the invader have impelled NATO countries to, belatedly, pour in anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles across the Polish border. This is all to the good. But these weapons wont stop Russian rockets, missiles and higher-flying planes from devastating cities from the air. Yet the Biden team and its allies still appear conflicted about giving Ukraine some of the tools it is desperately requesting to stop Russias murder from the skies. Consider the bizarre story of the used, Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets that Poland offered to Ukraine. The initial idea was that Ukrainian pilots would fly them from Poland into Ukraine, but the plan became public, making both the Pentagon and Poland nervous. Then Poland suddenly announced that it would hand the planes over to NATO in Germany to pass on to the Ukrainians. The Pentagon immediately nixed that plan and said Ukraine didnt need the planes. Zelenskyy begs to differ. And because the Ukrainian military has done so much better than NATO nations expected, some way should be found to get the Polish planes into their hands. As for the vociferous argument over no-fly zones, it is understandable that NATO does not want to embroil its planes in direct combat with Russian aircraft. There is an often-repeated fear of escalating the conflict, lest Putin carry out his threat of using nuclear weapons. Why cant NATO consider a lesser variant of a no-fly zone over the western part of Ukraine, which Russia has not yet besieged? That would permit refugee convoys to travel safely toward Poland and protect the city of Lviv, which is crammed with refugees from elsewhere in the country. Moreover, Putin is escalating daily, apparently considering the use of chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine according to U.S. intelligence sources while falsely blaming any such episodes on Western countries. This is Putins modus operandi: Russian planes bombed hospitals and schools in Syria, while Russians or their Syrian allies also used chemical weapons, blaming their use on their opponents. While the Biden team must be prudent, it cant afford to let Putin use the nuclear threat to prevent helping Ukraine stop the destruction of its cities. We should respond to Putins nuclear threat with contempt, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst told me. Russia is as vulnerable as we are. He adds, If we let Putin get away with it, what is so different from his marching into Estonia (a NATO-member Baltic state)? President Joe Biden insists that NATO will defend every member state. But if Putins nuclear threats enable him to destroy Ukraine, he isnt likely to believe Biden. Better to help Ukraine defend its skies now. We passed several bills off the floor Monday and Tuesday this past week. Among those were a couple of mine, including one to allow brewers to import seltzer to make this product in state, and another to standardize how Oklahomas two largest online property rental companies pay the states lodging tax. Both of these will help boost small businesses and local tourism. Another one of my bills that Im so glad to see moving forward is Senate Bill 1307. I wish there wasnt a need for such legislation, but unfortunately suicide is a sad reality in our state and a growing concern among our youth as it is the second leading cause of death for our children and teens. The measure would remind young people that help is always just a phone call away by putting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on student identification cards in public schools serving 7th 12th graders. While the current number is 1-800-273-8255, by this summer, 988 will be rolled out in Oklahoma to automatically connect callers to this lifesaving line. It will also allow schools the option of printing the Crisis Text Line on ID cards, which can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741. Young people have so many stressors in todays world from the regular things we all dealt with like schoolwork, sports, and other extracurricular activities, and perhaps a part-time job, but now theyre bombarded daily by social medias often unattainable standards, cyber bullying, and being exposed to a world theyre typically not mentally prepared for. Add on to this problems at home with parents divorces, addiction, unemployment, or other issues, and it can be insurmountable to a young mind. The pandemic has made everything so much worse. Just think about how stressful the first year of the pandemic was for you as an adult, and perhaps the stresses and anxiety youve dealt with since. Now imagine being a young child unable to see their friends, go out in public or live a normal life. In 2020, 38 Oklahoma youths between the ages of 8 and 17 took their own life, along with another 112 who were 18 to 24 years old. One life lost is too many. That same year, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) showed that one in four students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost daily for two or more weeks in a row, so much so they stopped doing some of their usual activities. Most young people dont want to bother their parents or feel uncomfortable sharing their feelings. However, if they have another adult to talk to it can bring about a complete transformation in their thought process and overall mental well-being. Hopefully, this bill will provide that safety net for Oklahomas students. I also wanted to help our college students, who may be away from their parents for the first time in their lives. The independence and rigors of a higher education can be extremely difficult to handle for young folks. SB 1307 would also encourage public and private colleges and universities that issue student ID cards to print the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline telephone number, the Crisis Text Line, and the campus police or security telephone number on their cards. This is not only to help those in mental crisis, but any student in danger. It may seem like a minor thing to print a phone number on an I.D. but being able to talk to a mental health professional in a moment of crisis can mean the difference between life and death. I want all Oklahoma students to know that they arent alone and to be able to access this help if needed. If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please contact or share the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 with them. You can contact me by calling (405) 521-5581 or emailing Bill.Coleman@oksenate.gov. The owners of Indigo Tie Dye Co. Cowetas 2021 Business of the Year and the newly-opened Rainbow Bowls food truck, are contemplating moving their businesses elsewhere after the city accused them of violating a street ordinance on March 15. With spring break well underway, owner Shelby Brewster decided she would park and operate her Rainbow Bowls food truck in a parking spot directly in front of the Indigo Tie Dye store. Always envisioning running the businesses together, Brewster said she was forced to shut down for violating city code and hindering other businesses in the area. According to Coweta City Manager Roger Kolman, a public right of way, such as street parking spots, cannot be used for private commerce except within a permitted special event, like the Coweta Fall Festival. This is for safety and to protect parking, Kolman said. Those are the rules for the city, and all of the other cities that exist within the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Its common sense. According to Coweta City Ordinance, Section 14-107 in full, It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to construct, erect, place, operate, maintain, or permit to exist any ice box, ice dock, gasoline pump, gasoline storage reservoir, tire rack, tire tools or equipment, water hose connection, or mercantile business, or any tools, stand, equipment, merchandise, or appurtenances thereof, aerials, poles, or wires therefor, whether permanent or temporary, or any other obstruction, upon any part of any street, alley, boulevard, parkway, curbing, or parking within the city. Kolman claims Brewster was well aware of the ordinance, but Brewster told the Wagoner County American-Tribune that she wasnt aware of the language. The ordinance is very vague. Were a permanent business here. I wouldnt have spent all this money on a food truck if I did, she said. Now, Brewster feels like they are being pushed out of Coweta a city they have learned to love, and have done business in for over three years. Brewster, from Broken Arrow, opened Indigo Tie Dye Co., a colorful tie dye and goodie shop, in the heart of the Broadway District in 2019. Visitors also have the option to come in and make their own tie dye items in a studio. Most recently, she started Rainbow Bowls, a traveling food truck featuring Acai, Pitaya, and Blue Majik Bowls and protein smoothies in February 2022. Whether or not Coweta remains home for Indigo Tie Dye Co. and Rainbow Bowls is the million dollar question. Brewster said she already has interest from Tulsa, Broken Arrow and Jenks to re-locate. However, Kolman wanted to make clear if they do chose to leave, the ordinance will be similar in those other cities. Food trucks are welcome on private property, and Kolman said they have had this conversation with Brewster before. If they request permission from one of the property owners with a parking lot nearby and receive that permission, they can set up in a lot downtown, he added. City of Coweta officials posted the specific city code, along with information about food trucks being allowed to operate on public property, on the City of Coweta Facebook page Tuesday evening. They also published the same message in multiple Coweta public forum Facebook groups. All of the other food trucks in the community are doing exactly what we told them, Kolman said. Go find a private property owner and utilize their property. They will have to go through some sort of a licensing procedure, which is not too bad. Once they get a license, they can go to any of the properly- zoned businesses, and away they go. Brewster claims she has seen multiple other food trucks in parking lots in Coweta, and nothing came about it. They havent enforced anyone else but us, Brewster said. This is truly devastating because we do love it here. We just feel like were getting pushed out. Although Brewster is shopping around in different cities; the move out of Coweta has not been officially been set in stone. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. This is the car state police believe the kidnappers used after they abducted and robbed a 64-year-old woman in a Marlborough supermarket parking lot Saturday. (Sept. 11, 2021) (Provided by the Connecticut State Police) An arrest warrant released Thursday details the alleged harrowing abduction of a Marlborough woman from a supermarket parking lot. Kenneth Gordon, 20, of Love Lane in Hartford, and a 16-year-old were arrested recently in the case on charges that include assault, robbery and kidnapping, all in the first degree. Advertisement The warrant for Gordons arrest begins with an injured woman screaming for help on the night of Sept. 11. The 64-year-old victim had allegedly been pulled out of her own car and dumped on Hummingbird Lane in Berlin at about 9 p.m. She was bleeding from head wounds and also had a broken leg and an acute kidney injury, state police Det. Frank A. Cuoco II wrote in the arrest warrant affidavit. The woman told police she had returned to her 2014 Infiniti QX50 after shopping at the Big Y supermarket in her home town when two males wearing face coverings approached and demanded money. The victim resisted and her right femur was broken during the fight. Advertisement The battered woman said she asked the pair, Why are you doing this to me? and one of the males allegedly answered, Because youre white and my mother is very ill, the warrant affidavit says. Police have not answered questions about whether a hate crime charge will be filed in the case. The victim said the robbers put a bag over her head and forced her into the rear seat at gunpoint, the warrant affidavit says. They traveled to multiple ATMs and ordered her to withdraw cash, allegedly striking her in the face and head with a handgun five or six times, Cuoco wrote in the affidavit. The suspects demanded money and jewelry multiple times and one stated he was going to kill her approximately ten times, he wrote in the affidavit. Breaking News As it happens Get the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut > After stopping a final time, they told her to get out of the car, but she could not move due to the broken leg, police said. One abductor got out, allegedly grabbed the victim from behind and pulled her out and onto the road. The thieves then allegedly set the $18,000 vehicle on fire behind a nearby liquor store, police have said. Investigators connected Gordon to the Acura TL that the abductors drove to Marlborough through surveillance video and a witness who said she had sold the car to him in August, the warrant says. After locating the unoccupied car on Sept. 14, police seized several items for testing. DNA from a drink container matched a buccal swab from Gordon, police said in the affidavit. Police also gathered information from other police departments, video footage of suspects using the victims credit card and evidence from Gordons seized cellphone, the warrant says. Police allegedly found incriminating web searches on the phone, including ct abduction sentencing guidelines, the warrant says. Gordon and the juvenile fled to Florida, police said. They were found and detained outside a Dollar General store in Deerfield Beach on Oct. 6, then taken back to Connecticut, police said. Advertisement In an interview with the Courant after their arrests, the victims husband said he wants justice. We have to make sure the system punishes these [expletive] ... We dont want this to happen to anyone else, the man said. Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com Mr. Kims, a new concept developed by Ben Alexander, head of culinary operations at the McNellies Group, is now open at 119 S. Detroit Ave. The restaurant is inspired by Alexanders own Korean heritage and the efforts of his adoptive parents to provide him and his sisters with some of the foods of their native land as well as Alexanders own travels to Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Guam and Hawaii, where he explored a broad variety of Asian ingredients and culinary styles. Mr. Kims, which occupies the space next to Yokozuna that once was home to Dwelling Spaces, is a steakhouse concept where diners can order the Omakase, the chefs tasting menu with a selection of appetizers and meats, for $75 per person; or select items such as galbi short ribs, waygu beef, marinated pork, seafood and vegetables to be cooked to order on the table-top grills. Some menu items are Wagyu Snowflake Dumplings, Hamachi Crudo, Sour Cream and Chive Udon, Kimchi Fried Rice, Bone-In Galbi Short Rib, Prime Ribeye A5 Wagyu and Spicy Pork Bulgogi. Hours are 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The bar opens each day at 4 p.m. Reservations are not required but are highly recommended. To reserve: opentable.com. Alton Browns Beyond the Eats comes to town Food Network personality Alton Brown, whose mix of culinary science and droll humor has made him one of the networks most visible stars, will bring his latest live show, Beyond the Eats, to the Tulsa PAC for one performance, 7 p.m. Tuesday March 28. Tickets are now on sale, $39-$69. To purchase: 918-596-7111, tulsapac.com. Brown created, wrote and starred in Good Eats, in which he would using elaborate props, and occasionally wacky narratives explain the science and history behind familiar foodstuffs, from biscuits to beef Wellington. He has also served as the announcer and commentator for Iron Chef America and hosted the travel program Feasting on Asphalt. His books include several Good Eats volumes, as well as Im Just Here for the Food and Everyday Cook. Browns live shows are known for music, comedy, unusual cooking demonstrations and what Brown terms as potentially dangerous sciencey stuff. Tonella Wine Dinner at French Hen Wine maker Steve Tonella will be the featured guest at the French Hens upcoming S.R. Tonella Cellars Wine Dinner, beginning at 6:22 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 at the restaurant, 309 E. Archer St. Each course of the meal will be paired with a vintage from the Tonella cellars. The evening begins with spicy baked clams oreganata, followed by a wedge salad with pepperoni and gorgonzola. A mushroom and pancetta ragu over pappardelle pasta will precede the main course, veal short ribs served with caramelized onions and polenta flavored with Pecorino Romano cheese. Cost is $185 per person (which includes gratuity and tax), and reservations are required. 918-492-2596, frenchhentulsa.com. Little Venice hosts wine dinner Little Venice, 208 N. Main St. in Sand Springs, will host UnAltra Cena Italiana literally, Another Italian Dinner 5 p.m. Sunday, March 20. The menu will begin with a warm carpaccio of squid and shrimp, followed by spaghetti Putanesca, with tomatoes, garlic, olives and capers. The main course will be braised lamb chops over greens, followed by the chefs Walters Sweet Surprise for dessert. Each course will be paired with an Italian wine. Cost is $65 per person, and reservations are required. 918-514-0134. White Lion celebrates St. Patrick The White Lion Pub honors St. Patricks Day in proper fashion, serving up corned beef and cabbage with new potatoes and an Irish dessert beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at the pub, 6927 S. Canton Ave. In addition to offering Guinness on tap, the pub will also have available such beers as White Lion Brown Ale, Smithwicks, Harps and others, as well as a selection of Irish whiskies in case one has a touch of thirst. Cost for the meal is $18.95 per person; drinks are an additional charge. For more information: 918-491-6533. Featured video: Velvet Taco comes to Tulsa Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Tulsa should secede from Oklahoma. We are not a good fit for the Sooner state. Don't feel bad about our petition for divorce Oklahoma. It's not you, it's us. Actually, it is you. You have repeatedly attempted to usurp the powers of our city government. You have tried to impose unfunded mandates on the backs of our citizens. Now via Senate Bill 1361, you decree that we should be cruel to the homeless and the less fortunate among us. And then there is the matter of your ongoing affair with Texas. Everything they do, you do. Your infatuation with another state is patently obvious. Enough is enough. It is time for Tulsa to secede from Oklahoma. We will become Tulsa, Indian Territory again. Let's just be friends, Oklahoma. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to tulsaworld.com/opinion/submitletter. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Many economic experts have expressed concerns over a proposal to impose tax on property ownership by Vietnam's Ministry of Finance, saying that real estate prices in urban areas may skyrocket and stay beyond the reach of mid- and low-income homebuyers. Nguyen Van Minh, an owner of a two-story boarding house in Kim Chung Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi, said he and his wife had taken out loans from a bank and their relatives to build the boarding house with 20 rooms, located on a 200-square-meter land lot that Minh had been given by his parents. The boarding house helps the couple cover living expenses, repay the loans, and save VND15 million (US$650) each month. If a tax is levied on boarding houses and normal houses, we may see the amount of money we have saved for our old age shrinking, Minh said. Vu Thi Lanh, owning a house on To Hieu Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, said that she earns VND20 million ($870) every month from renting the house. Half of the amount is spent on her kids tuition fee and the other half is for their living expenses. We pay full taxes on land, personal income, and value-added tax," Lanh said. "If we have to be subject to another tax, we may find it hard to make ends meet. Nguyen Minh V., a resident in Linh Tay Ward, Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, said his apartment is leased out for VND8 million ($349) per month. However, to buy the flat worth VND2.2 billion ($96,000), he and his wife had taken out a bank loan of more than VND1.2 billion ($52,300). Therefore, the amount he earns from renting the flat is not enough for him to settle the debt. If a new real estate tax is applied, people like me will have to carry another burden, aside from the monthly interest of the bank credit," V. added. "Meanwhile, the costs of food and groceries are surging following constant fuel price hikes. House purchase turns impossible It is quite challenging for mid- and low-income earners to access housing in urban areas, awyer Truong Thanh Duc, from ANVI law company, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. As most people cannot afford a house, imposing a property tax should be carefully considered. In reality, a budget apartment with an average size costs up to VND2 billion ($87,000) in big cities. Mid- and low-income people now have to set aside a significant part of their salary every month to be able to live in a small house," Duc explained. "So it is not fair if they have to pay the property tax. Such property tax has been levied in many countries for a long time, but it does not mean that Vietnam should embrace this taxation model. Actually, Vietnamese have been subject to the non-agricultural land use tax for years. Therfore, all housing and land tax policies should be reviewed before any decision to introduce the new property tax. In particular, a database of information about housing and land must be set up for better management. Blue-collar workers at a rented house quarter in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The government is implementing policies on tax reduction and interest subsidy to spur the economy after it has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic for two years, according to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Tu from the Hanoi University of Business and Technology. Therefore, reducing taxes to support people and businesses should be mentioned first, Dr. Tu advised. In order not to cause unnecessary panic for people, now is not the right time to introduce tax increases and new taxes. According to lawyer Duc, taxes on house ownership and land use rights should be imposed on those whose property is worth over VND5 billion ($218,000). However, the Ministry of Finance needs to study and consider related issues and field comments from the public and relevent agencies to offer a reasonable tax rate. Besides, the more land and houses individuals own, the higher tax they have to pay. Yet, the first taxable threshold should be as low as possible. "Those who have many houses and large land plots in downtown have to pay higher taxes," he said. "The state does not encourage individuals to use or own many land plots as the land bank is limited and should be set aside for building parks and factories." Luu Trung Thai, investment director of Dat Xanh Da Nang Joint Stock Company, said that the real estate tax is just to break the tip of the iceberg of real estate speculation. Creating a transparent market and managing cash flows in the real estate sector are the key to all," Thai remarked. "Once the government can control investment and speculation, it will collect more tax from transactions rather than implementing a new property tax." On the other hand, homebuyers will suffer a loss if the new tax is applied to all, as housing developers will include the rate in their selling prices. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! BRASILIA -- The world's oceans are suffocating form a lack of oxygen caused by global warming and human pollution from sewage and industrial waste, and we are running out of time to fix the problem, experts and diplomats warned on Wednesday. At a preparatory meeting in Brasilia for the United Nations Ocean Conference in June, they stressed that saving the oceans requires solving drinking water and sanitation needs on land to stop uncontrolled dumping in the sea. "The life of one depends on the health of the other," said Catarina de Albuquerque, head of Sanitation and Water for All, a U.N.-hosted partnership dedicated to achieving availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation. Rising water temperatures are accelerating the loss of oxygen that sustains marine life, she warned. Besides global warning, increasing loads of nutrients from agriculture, sewage and industrial waste, including pollution from fossil fuel power generation, are speeding up the reduction of oxygen in coastal areas that become "dead zones" for fish. Sewage and waste management are essential to save oceans from catastrophe, but governments still do not see the inter-relation with the fate of the oceans, said Albuquerque, former United Nations special rapporteur on water and sanitation. "Coastal ecosystems have become reservoirs of wastewater and nutrients, creating vast dead zones. Plastic waste is choking the seas," Silvia Rucks, U.N. resident coordinator in Brazil, said at the meeting organized by Portugal's embassy. The U.N. Ocean Conference (UNOC) will be held in Lisbon from June 27 to July 1, and will be co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya. Vietnamese Minister of Foreigner Affairs Bui Thanh Son engaged in phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Son stressed that Vietnam supports international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to people in Ukraine and agrees to resume exchanges and cooperation with Ukraine after peace and stability are restored in the European country. As a traditional friend of both Russia and Ukraine, Vietnam hopes that both sides will exercise restraint, ease tensions, and conduct more dialogues to find a long-term solution that is in line with international law and takes into consideration the legitimate interests of all sides. Vietnam stands ready to join hands with the international community to contribute to the process. During phone talks with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, Minister Son affirmed Vietnams consistent stance that international disputes and disagreements should be resolved by peaceful measures and in compliance with the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, especially the principle of respecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of countries. He suggested that Russia continue to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Russia to stabilize their life, production, and business. The official suggested that Russia and Ukraine continue to organize humanitarian corridors and take measures to ensure the safety of civilians, including Vietnamese citizens, during their evacuation from war zones in Ukraine. For their part, the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers expressed their wish to maintain and enhance cooperation with Vietnam, adding that they will try their best to facilitate the safe evacuation of Vietnamese citizens. Vietnam has so far organized four flights to repatriate 1,166 citizens who previously evacuated from conflict zones in Ukraine. Russia has been attacking Ukraine since February 24, saying it wants to demilitarize and denazify the neighboring country. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Sixty-three staff members of Vietnams Level-2 Field Hospital No. 3 (Field Hospital 2.3) in Bentiu, South Sudan, have been awarded the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Medals for their dedication and outstanding contributions to UN missions. Since the field hospital was first put into operation in Bentiu on March 26, 2021, it has provided healthcare services and treatment to more than 1,400 UN staff and local people, successfully carried out over 16 complex surgeries, and supported 15 air ambulance missions, Lieu. Col. Trinh My Hoa, director of the Level-2 Field Hospital, said at the award presentation ceremony on Wednesday. The hospital has also applied new techniques to both diagnosis and treatment, implemented COVID-19 prevention work and vaccination, provided oxygen for patients in need, and treated medical waste for level-1 hospitals in the mission area. Attendants pose for a photo at the awarding ceremony in Bentiu, South Sudan, on March 15, 2022. Photo: Nguyen Dam / Tuoi Tre Additionally, it has run a series of environmental protection campaigns, used recycled materials for decoration, and hosted workshops and training courses on improving medical skills and updating medical knowledge. Speaking at the ceremony, Hiroko Hirahara, head of the UN Mission Field Office in Bentiu, expressed his appreciation for the dedication and contributions of Vietnamese healthcare workers. We are happy to receive positive feedback on what the field hospital has done. I deeply appreciate all of your contributions, said Hirahara. In the past 12 months, Vietnamese healthcare workers have provided health services and treatment to more than 1,400 patients in South Sudan. Photo: Nguyen Dam / Tuoi Tre Brig. Gen. Dhananjay, acting commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan, also spoke highly of the hospital's role in helping locals with HIV/AIDS consulting, sharing medicine and medical equipment with local hospitals, and donating devices and school supplies to students. Vietnams Ministry of Defense approved the establishment of Field Hospital 2.3 in March 2020 with 70 staff members, mainly from Military Hospital 175, the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Military Zones 2,7,9, and Army Corps 4. Vietnam has so far hosted three field hospitals in South Sudan. The first field hospital was opened in October 2018 and the second was launched in November 2019. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! China's education ministry stresses mental health amid epidemic Xinhua) 08:42, March 17, 2022 BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- In the face of a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, China's Ministry of Education has launched a variety of arrangements to maintain the provision of education at various levels while ensuring effective epidemic containment, placing increased emphasis on mental health. At a recent video conference on epidemic control and prevention, the ministry stressed the importance of paying more attention to the mental health of teachers and students and providing them with timely psychological assistance. The ministry called for the monitoring of the health of school staff, students and their family members, improving response mechanisms against the epidemic, and enhancing the coordination between school and home. The ministry also said that the online platform, developed and rolled out by the ministry following the outbreak of the epidemic, that allows students in primary and middle schools to study at home, has recorded 6.9 billion views and has recently been enriched with new resources, including after-class service and family education. As the country enters the second phase of graduate-school enrollment, the ministry has asked universities to take into consideration the local COVID-19 situations, and to put the health of staff and students first when making plans for examinations and interviews. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) East Hartford After taking office in November, one of the first complaints Mayor Mike Walsh heard from residents was about unsafe and illegal parking around public schools during drop-off and pick-up times. Residents who live near schools have complained about property damage, traffic bottlenecks and being blocked in while parents line up for the first and last bells. Advertisement Walsh said the problem, which is particularly bad around the high school, middle school and Goodwin Elementary School, is chronic and vexing. Residents tell him their lawns are damaged and they cant back out of their driveways to get to work or appointments, Walsh said. To increase awareness about the problem and field possible solutions, the town has launched a survey at easthartfordct.gov. The survey asks whether people who violate parking rules around schools should be fined; whether jersey barriers should be installed to prevent unsafe parking; or whether the town and police should take no action. Respondents also are asked to offer their own solutions. The survey will be available through the end of the month, Walsh said. Advertisement The best solution, Walsh said, would be for more students to use school buses. School officials say traffic and parking around schools has become more challenging than years ago because more families are bringing their children to school. Unfortunately, schools and the surrounding streets are not built to handle that increased level of congestion, school officials said in a prepared statement. To help mitigate these issues, we ask that East Hartford parents and guardians observe all traffic laws and parking regulations, drive slowly and consider using the school bus for transportation. Police, school principals and crossing guards have all warned parents about unsafe parking, Walsh said. Recently, a property owner near Goodwin School got into an angry verbal exchange with a parent, he said, and officials do not want to see that kind of confrontation boil over. Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com Here are todays leading news stories: Society -- The Party leader of Ca Mau Province in Vietnams Mekong Delta has tasked competent authorities with issuing guidelines allowing COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms to go to work. -- A 28-year-old man was killed after his farm tractor was hit by a train in south-central Binh Thuan Province on Wednesday morning, authorities confirmed later the same day. -- The Peoples Court of southern An Giang Province sentenced a 63-year-old woman to six years in prison for attempting to overthrow the peoples administration during a trial on Wednesday. -- Police in north-central Ha Tinh Province said on Wednesday they had initiated legal proceedings against a 29-year-old man for burgling a local pagoda. -- Police in south-central Phu Yen Province have begun investigating a forest protection officer and a commune forestry official for their oversight that led to the loss of eight hectares of natural forest. -- Authorities have finished moving an incensory back to the statue of Tran Hung Dao at Me Linh Park in downtown Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for the inauguration of the park on Thursday morning. Business -- The first flight carrying foreign travelers since Vietnam resumed international tourism arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday afternoon. -- With an export turnover of US$2.3 billion, the U.S. surpassed China to become the largest consumer of Vietnamese agricultural products in the first two months of 2022, the Vietnam News Agency quoted the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as saying. -- It is necessary to ensure energy self-sufficiency and balance under any circumstances, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said during a working session with the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) in Hanoi on Wednesday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction organized a ceremony on Thursday morning to inaugurate the new and improved Me Linh Park and Bach Dang Wharf Park in District 1. The two parks are part of a plan to gentrify the city center and create an area along the Saigon River with both cultural and historic values. These venues are considered significant cultural destinations of the southern metropolis, Vu Van Diep, director of the Infrastructure Management Center under the municipal transport department, said at the ceremony, adding that they had been degraded prior to the gentrification. The new Bach Dang Wharf Park opened to the public in late January and has so far attracted a lot of visitors, Diep continued. The transport department has received a lot of feedback from local residents and will continue to make improvements to the venue, he said. A birds-eye view of Me Linh Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, March 17, 2022. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre With regard to Me Linh Park, the renovation made few changes to the original architecture, the official continued, adding that the revamp of the Tran Hung Dao statue was the most prioritized task and required input from professional agencies and leading experts. Located on Ton Duc Thang Street, the renovated park includes the statue of Tran Hung Dao in the center, along with a lighting system and 5,700 square meters of green space. The statue of Tran Hung Dao at Me Linh Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The 3,300-square-meter area surrounding the statue is covered with granite tiles. The renovation of both Me Linh Park and Bach Dang Wharf Park was funded by the private sector. The statue of Tran Hung Dao at Me Linh Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Me Linh Park is located on Ton Duc Thang Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre People offer incense at the statue of Tran Hung Dao at Me Linh Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, March 17, 2022. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre A birds-eye view of Me Linh Park and Bach Dang Wharf Park by the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City, March 17, 2022. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh City police nabbed two local men who were caught snatching a cellphone from a pedestrian in the downtown area on Wednesday night. At around 9:40 pm, Nguyen Hoang Phuc, 27, and Nguyen Huynh Anh Khoa, 22, approached and snatched an iPhone from a man standing on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street in District 3, police said. During their attempted escape, they were spotted and chased after by local mobile patrol and functional forces. Nguyen Huynh Anh Khoa (L) and Nguyen Hoang Phuc are currently being held at a local police station for snatching a smartphone from a man standing on the sidewalk in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: A.X. / Tuoi Tre Police chased the snatchers for three kilometers before apprehending them near the intersection of Ton That Tung and Bui Thi Xuan Streets in District 1. Phuc and Khoa, along with their possessions and vehicles, were taken to the local police station for further investigation. Preliminary information revealed that Phuc had been sent to prison before for using drugs and robbery. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A flight from Singapore with over 100 passengers on board reached Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, making it the first to bring international visitors to Vietnam following its full tourism reopening to foreign tourists after two years of closure due to COVID-19. Flight VN650 of national carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, bringing more than 100 passengers, including 20 foreigners. This flight arrived one day after Vietnam completely reopened international tourism on March 15, following a long hiatus since March 2020 due to the pandemic. On the same day, VNA also conducted its first flight to send Vietnamese tourists to Singapore under the 'Vaccinated Travel Lane,' a program that allows visitors to enter the city-state without undergoing quarantine. Such two-way flights indicated the promising recovery of both the aviation and tourism sectors of Vietnam in the coming time, the carrier commented. VNA will begin to increase the flight frequency from 10 to 21 flights per week from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore from March 27. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has anticipated some scenarios for aviation recovery in 2022 after the tourism reopening. According to a neutral scenario, Vietnam is expected to welcome around 43 million air passengers this year, or 50 percent of the figure of 2019, when the pandemic had yet to hit the country, said the CAAVs air transport department deputy head Bui Minh Dang. Of these passengers, about eight million will be foreigners, including six million tourists, Dang added. Globally, the demand for travel in 2022 may increase by 61 percent compared to 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has forecast recently. On Wednesday, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health announced the renewed health surveillance protocol applicable to international arrivals. As part of the procedure, visitors with negative COVID-19 tests can enjoy quarantine-free travel from the first day of their arrival in Vietnam, provided they make medical declarations before entry and use Vietnams COVID-19 mobile application PC-COVID during their entire stay. The remaining requirements include proof of negative COVID-19 tests and other instructions when visitors have no such proof or test positive for the virus in Vietnam. In addition to these rules, Vietnam on Tuesday resumed its unilateral visa exemption for 13 countries as it had been applied before the COVID-19 epidemic hit the country in early 2020. Citizens of these countries, which are Vietnams major tourism markets, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belarus, Japan, and South Korea, will be allowed to visit Vietnam for up to 15 days without a visa, regardless of their passport type and entry purpose. Vietnam had closed its borders since March 2020 before resuming multiple international air routes from January on a pilot vaccine passport program aimed at reviving the tourist industry. Since February 15, the country has removed all restrictions on international air passenger transport. The Southeast Asian nation has reopened the economy in a strategy of safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of COVID-19 since October 1 last year. As of Wednesday, 6,820,458 COVID-19 cases, with 3,547,488 recoveries and 41,607 fatalities, had been documented nationwide, the Ministry of Heath reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A 63-year-old woman from Vietnams Mekong Delta has been sentenced to six years in prison for participating in activities aimed at overthrowing the peoples administration. The Peoples Court in An Giang Province handed a six-year jail term to Le Thi Kim Phi, 63, from My Binh Ward, Long Xuyen City, following a trial on Wednesday. In September 2020, Phi used her Facebook account to make friends with several members of the so-called Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi (Provisional National Government of Vietnam) a U.S.-based exiled reactionary organization led by Dao Minh Quan, according to the indictment. From September to December the same year, Phi regularly commented on, liked, and shared articles, video clips, and images with content aimed at sabotaging the Party and state. The woman applied to the reactionary organization in late December and participated in online meetings with other members to discuss its operations and training procedures. She was also assigned to propagate and promote its message, as well as recruit new members. Police in An Giang arrested and initiated legal proceedings against Phi on July 15, 2021 after searching her house. The provincial Department of Information and Communications has assessed the videos and documents shared and posted on Phis Facebook account and concluded that they contain anti-Party and state propaganda. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been released from jail, seven days into a 150-day sentence for faking a hate crime. In a 2-1 ruling, the justices ordered Smollett released pending the appeal of his conviction, on the condition that he post a $150,000 bond. They did not explain their ruling. Smolletts attorney warned her client was the subject of threats and could face physical harm, likely to be kept in solitary confinement, which could damage his mental health. However Smollett was being held in a psych ward and was being monitored by security cameras and an officer, the Cook County Sheriffs Office said. Smollett was sentenced to serve five months after being convicted at trial in December of five counts of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony. Smollett was found guilty of staging a hate attack, in which he claimed to have been assaulted by two men who yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him and put a noose around his neck in January 2019. With good behaviour he could have been released in as little as 75 days. Source: Variety Tyler, TX (75702) Today Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. FILE -- Face masks and COVID-19 rapid test kits are distributed at Monsignor McGolrick Park in Brooklyn on Dec. 29, 2021. (Sarah Blesener/The New York Times) As of Wednesday, Connecticut has fewer than 100 people hospitalized with COVID-19 for the first time in nearly eight months. The states seven-day average of new cases, meanwhile, stands at its lowest level since last summer. For two months, all key metrics have pointed to less transmission and less illness. Advertisement And yet experts say the encouraging trends may not last much longer. In the coming weeks, they say, Connecticut could face an uptick in cases owing to BA.2, an omicron subvariant that has contributed to an ongoing spike in parts of Europe. [ A new sub-variant of omicron, BA.2, has been detected in Connecticut. Heres what we know about it. ] Already, researchers who monitor wastewater for signs of COVID-19 report a recent uptick at sites in both Fairfield and in New Haven, mirroring trends in other parts of the United States. During previous pandemic waves, wastewater surveillance has predicted increases in cases before they have shown up in state numbers. Advertisement Last week, Yale School of Public Health researcher Nathan Grubaugh reported that BA.2 may already account for nearly half of Connecticuts new COVID-19 cases. It seems like proportionally, the BA.2 subvariant is increasing, said Dr. David Banach, hospital epidemiologist at UConn Health. The question is whether thats going to lead to an overall number of increased cases, and I think its still a little unclear at this point whether that will happen here in Connecticut. While still ~40 times lower than the January 2022 peak, SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations are once again increasing in New Haven, CT. Get vaccinated and boosted! pic.twitter.com/0TJJsQXCAg Jordan Peccia (@jordan_peccia) March 16, 2022 First discovered in November, BA.2 is believed to be more infectious than the original omicron variant, though likely not infectious enough to cause a full-scale surge of infections. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.2 currently accounts for nearly a quarter of cases nationwide. Dr. Manisha Juthani, Connecticuts public health commissioner, said she was hopeful BA.2 would not cause a significant uptick in Connecticut, noting that the United Kingdom has seen a spike in cases but not as dire an increase in hospitalizations. Theyre not seeing a huge overwhelming burden on our healthcare system, said Juthani, an infectious disease expert. If that turns out to be the case, maybe well be OK. Still, Juthani said, the BA.2 variant requires vigilance. This is something were watching very carefully, she said. The good news, experts say, is that prior infection from the omicron variant seems to confer significant immunity against BA.2. With most Connecticut residents vaccinated and tens of thousands of them having survived an omicron infection just a few months ago, BA.2 might have a hard time taking hold. Advertisement Meanwhile, warmer weather in the coming months will mean people can gather outdoors, where COVID-19 spread is less of a worry. West Hartford, Ct. - 01/14/2022 - The new Hartford Healthcare building at the corner of South Main Street and Sedgwick Road. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant) Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare, said BA.2 might already be affecting Connecticuts COVID-19 numbers, which have improved at a relatively slow rate in recent weeks. He said the state is likely due for an uptick like the one currently hitting Europe but that he doesnt anticipate anything close to the wave the state endured earlier this winter. Breaking News As it happens Get the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut > Were not going to see a surge, Wu said. I think we can predict that. The spread of BA.2 comes at a time when Connecticut has lifted nearly all pandemic control measures. As of this month, no Connecticut town or city requires masks in public, indoor places, and few still mandate them in schools. In many places, restaurants and bars are every bit as packed as before the pandemic. Wu said the relative lack of masking and social distancing could leave the state vulnerable as BA.2 spreads. People have thrown caution to the wind at this point, Wu said. You walk around and nobody cares at this point. Advertisement Juthani urged all Connecticut residents who havent gotten vaccine booster shots to do so immediately so theyre better protected as cases potentially begin to increase. She said masking may also become more necessary as BA.2 spreads. It never hurts to put your mask back on, Juthani said. I keep mine in my purse and decide whether Im going to wear it or not. Courant staff writer Eliza Fawcett contributed to this report. Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Boris Johnson in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia March 16, 2022 (via REUTERS) Just weeks after Boris Johnson called on the worlds leaders to show "conviction and courage" in slashing global emissions at the UK-hosted Cop26 climate summit, the prime minister finds himself in Saudi Arabia urging Riyadh to help generate a major increase in global oil supplies. Russias brutal war in Ukraine has prompted a rapid desire to end dependence on imports of Russian oil and gas, but even before the invasion, prices of these commodities had already soared, leading to record fuel prices. Both the war, and a rise in demand have contributed to the record prices, leading to a cost of living crisis in Europe. The UK remains dependent on both oil and gas, and will do so for many years, despite enormous strides in the renewable sector. While the UKs dependency on Russian gas for electricity generation and home heating has been a key focus in recent weeks, there has been less coverage of the UKs dependency on Russian oil. While between 1 and 4 per cent of all gas burnt in the UK comes from Russia, around 8 per cent of all our oil is Russian, and diesel vehicles are particularly dependent on Russian oil, with 18 per cent of all diesel used in Britain made using Russian oil supplies. With the prime minister promising to phase out all Russian oil by the end of the year, he is now seeking new sources. Most of the UKs oil comes from Norway and the US. Russia is the third biggest source of oil in the UK, while smaller percentages come from a range of other countries including Canada, Nigeria, Algeria and Turkey. As such, the prime minister is now turning to oil-rich Saudi Arabia in the hope the kingdom can increase production levels enough to help drive down the price of oil on the international market lowering prices for European consumers, and with anti-Russian sentiment soaring, allowing Saudi Arabia to increase its share of the global oil market. Johnson is said to "personally" know Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, with Number 10 officials failing to deny this week that the prime minister sends WhatsApp messages to the prince. Story continues But any oil agreement following Johnsons visit remains a tall order. The prince has largely been shunned by the West after US intelligence concluded he ordered the murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Meanwhile, Saudi concerns about US dealings with Iran on redrawing a new nuclear agreement are also casting shadows over Western interests, particularly as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are at war with Yemens Saudi-backed government. The Crown Prince reportedly declined to speak to Joe Biden on a phone call about the global energy crisis. In what has been interpreted as a further sign that Saudi Arabia is in no mood to negotiate, just last week the kingdom executed 81 men mostly on charges of terrorism in the biggest mass execution in the kingdoms modern history. Johnsons trip is not being lauded at home either. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has said Johnson going cap in hand from dictator to dictator is not an energy strategy. And in the House of Commons on Wednesday, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said Johnsons efforts to stop buying oil from Putin meant the prime minister was going "from one dictator to another on a begging mission. She added: "The government have had 12 years to end their reliance on foreign oil and invest in homegrown energy to secure our supplies. Their failure has left us all vulnerable, reliant on another murderous dictator to keep the lights on and the pumps open." Even setting human rights concerns aside, experts have repeatedly stressed the fastest way for the UK to end dependence on foreign fossil fuels is to invest in insulating homes and speeding up the roll-out of electric air source heat pumps. Instead, Johnson is at pains to maintain our addiction to climate-altering hydrocarbons - even if it means cosying up to regimes which abuse human rights. First Minister urged to 'root out and condemn toxic racist political discourse' in SNP FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised to root out and condemn toxic racist political discourse in her party after the SNP was forced to suspend a prominent policy adviser for saying Priti Patel should be "sent back to Uganda". Dr Tim Rideout, who is a member of the SNPs Policy Development Committee and runs a group about currency in an independent Scotland, posted the remark suggesting the Home Secretary wasnt British on social media last week. When The Herald approached the SNP about the comment, a spokesperson said: "This tweet is offensive and disgusting. READ MORE: SNP policy adviser Tim Rideout suspended over racist Priti Patel comment Conservative MSP Pam Gosal raised the comment during First Ministers Questions, describing the remark as an appalling racist comment. Such comments have no place in society, let alone in political debate, she said. I welcome that the SNP has taken quick action in suspending and launching an investigation into Tim Rideouts conduct but racism is never an isolated incident and this is something all parties must condemn. Wil the First Minister assure BAME communities in Scotland and the broader public that her party will root out and condemn toxic racist political discourse? Responding, the First Minister said: Yes I will. The individual concerned, as Pam Gosal, has fairly pointed out, was immediately suspended from the SNP. It would be wrong for me to comment any further. I represent the most diverse constituency in the whole of Scotland in this parliament. I represent the biggest BAME community in the country. I understand these issues. I understand how serious it is that all parties take these issues very seriously. And I am absolutely committed to doing so. I think this is an issue for all parties. We all have to be prepared to act when necessary in a way that aligns with what we say around these things. And I for my part, probably speaking more as leader of the SNP here rather than as First Minister, I am determined that my party does and I would call on other parties to make sure that they follow suit as well. And that is I hope something that we can unite on. Story continues On March 10, replying to another user tweet about the Home Secretary on Twitter, Dr Rideout tweeted: So how do we send this person back to Uganda? Clearly hasn't a shred of humanity. Mind you, maybe the new proposed refugee centre on St Helena might avoid inflicting her on anyone. Can compare notes with Napoleon's ghost. Ms Patel was born in the UK and is of Indian and Ugandan heritage. Labours Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has called for police to take action against Dr Rideout. He said: These are truly horrendous and outright racist remarks from a key advisor to Nicola Sturgeon. While I am no supporter of Priti Patel, nobody should be subjected to this kind of out and out racism. It has no place in Scotland. He continued: Nicola Sturgeon must suspend Tim Rideouts membership of the SNP and remove him from his advisory positions immediately. I also hope Police Scotland take action. Isaac Haxton Becomes a Three-Time Super MILLION$ Champion March 17 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor Isaac Haxton became only the fourth GGPoker player to win the $10,300 Super MILLION$ at least three times since high roller tournaments launch. Haxton joins Artur Martirosian, Niklas Astedt, and Michael Addamo in the exclusive club; Addamo finished fourth in his quest for a sixth title this week. Super MILLION$ Season 2 Episode 34 Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 Isaac Haxton Canada $339,445 2 Tyler "TheRayGuy" Cornell Mexico $266,153 3 Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" Hyun Hong Kong $208,687 4 Michael Addamo Canada $163,628 5 Mark Radoja Canada $128,298 6 Nikita "VSMPZD" Kuznetsov Russia $100,596 7 Matas "NoWeyyy" Cikinas Mexico $78,876 8 spaise411 Russia $61,845 9 Elio Fox Mexico $48,492 Don't Miss GGPoker's Special GGMasters Overlay Edition, $5M Gtd. on March 20 The final table action commenced at 6:00 p.m. GMT on March 15 and it did not take long for the first finalist to bust. Elio Fox only had 6.9 big blinds at the start of play, so it was unsurprising that it was he who finished in ninth place. Fox had increased his stack to 10 big blind when he open-shoved with king-jack of clubs from under the gun. Unfortunately for Fox, Haxton woke up with ace-queen of clubs in the big blind, and made the easy call. Both players improved to a flush by the river, but Haxton held the nut flush. Russias "spaise411" lasted another ten minutes before falling at the hands of Haxton. It was Haxton who started the preflop betting with a raise to 125,000 from the cutoff. Haxont then called when spaise411 three-bet all-in for 324,232. It was ace-eight for Haxton and king-queen of spades for the Russian. Haxton improved to a pair of eights on the river. Matas Cikinas Matas "NoWeyyy" Cikinas busted in seventh-place and collected the tournaments last five-figure prize. Cikinas was terminated after he open-shoved for 892,738 from the small blind with ace-jack. Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" Hyun, a former Super MILLION$ champion, snap-called in the big blind with pocket jacks. Cikinas flopped a gutshot straight draw but failed to find any of his outs on the turn nor river. Sixth-place and $100,596 went to Nikita "VSMPZD" Kuznetsov. Hyun limped in on the button with what turned out to be ace-ten. He then quickly called when Kuznetsov, from the big blind, moved all-in for 11 big blinds with queen-jack. Kuznetsov floped a jack but Hyun paired his ace. Hyuns hand remained true and the final table lost another player. Mark Radojas wait to become a Super MILLION$ champion continued after Tyler "TheRayGuy" Cornell sent him to the showers in fifth-place. The action folded around to Cornell in the small blind, and he open-shoved with five-four of diamonds. Radoja, nursing a 7.5 big blind stack, called all-in with ace-trey of clubs. A four on the flop proved enough to end Radojas latest deep run. Michael Addamo missed out on his sixth Super MILLION$ title Start-of-the-day chip leader, Michael Addamo, was the next player heading for the exits Addamo. Haxton open-shoved from the small blind for 17 big blinds effective, and Addamo called, and showed king-jack. Haxton could only muster the nine-eight but spiked a nine on the turn to eliminate the five-time Super MILLION$ champion. Hyun lost ground on his other two opponents during three-handed play. He lost a large a large pot when he made a straight on the river only to run into the turned straight of Cornell. He was down to 7.5 big blinds when he played his final hand. Haxton min-raised to 200,000 with ten-nine and Hyun called with ten-nine in the big blind. The eight-high all-diamond flop saw Hyun check-call all-in when Haxton shoved. Hyun had the nine of diamonds in his hand, but Haxton the ten of diamonds. The ace of diamonds turn left Hyun drawing dead. Win a 2022 WSOP Main Event Seat NOW on ClubGG! Haxton went into heads-up against Cornell with a near three-to-one chip advantage, and he got his hands on Cornells chips in a huge hand. It started with a raise to 288,000 from Haxton, a three-bet to 1,044,000 from Cornell, and a call from Haxton. Cornell led for 571,860 on the jack-queen-eight flop, which contained two spades. Haxton called. The nine of spades turn put a possible straight flush out there. Cornell check-called a 660,000 bet from Haxton. The jack of clubs completed the board and Cornell bet 744,000 into the 4,581,720 pot. Haxton responded with a raise to 6,813,720, which more than covered the 1,445,801 chips Cornell had behind. Cornell called and showed ace-queen with the ace of spades, but Haxton won the hand thanks to having queen-jack in the hole, which was now a full house. Nemeth Does it Again, Wins Second High Roller at EPT Prague March 17 2022 Will Shillibier Andras Nemeth weathered a verbal assault from Martin Kabrhel to win the final EPT Prague 25,000 High Roller for 181,520. Barely a minute passed without comment or question from Kabrhel during the heads-up battle as the momentum swung back and forth between the pair, but Nemeth finally came out on top to clinch his second EPT Prague 25,000 High Roller title of the festival. Stephen Chidwick and Pablo Brito Silva were the only other two players to cash, with just four places paid from a field of 18. EPT Prague 25,000 High Roller Results Place Player Country Payout (EUR) 1 Andras Nemeth Hungary 181,520 2 Martin Kabrhel Czech Republic 121,010 3 Pablo Brito Silva Brazil 77,790 4 Stephen Chidwick United Kingdom 51,860 Final Day Recap With eight new entries to start the day, start-of-day short stack Johan Guilbert hit the rail early, along with Niklas Astedt, Orpen Kisacikoglu and Yuri Dzivielevski, all of whom bought in on Day 2. Chris Brewer hit the rail in ninth, with the final eight players still led by Nemeth. There were doubles for Pablo Brito Silva, Marius Gierse and Daniel Dvoress before Gierse hit the rail, followed by Nick Petrangelo. Nemeth had extended his lead and looked to push ahead even further, only to be pegged back by doubles from Kabrhel and Silva, the latter with pocket kings. However, his lead was restored after flopping quads to bust Dvoress in sixth and the bubble burst when Timothy Adams ran ace-jack into the ace-queen of Nemeth to leave empty-handed. Martin Kabrhel Nemeth and Kabrhel shared an elimination apiece as Chidwick and Silva were eliminated, with Nemeth taking a healthy chip lead into heads-up play. The heads-up match was as entertaining as it was talkative from one of the players at least. It was an onslaught from the get-go, with Kabrhel impersonating Phil Hellmuth, suggesting the assembled rail should pay to watch, commenting on the "courage" of his opponent as well as singing and sharing jokes with his masseuse. And it worked! Kabrhel took over the chip lead and had his opponent down to under 20 big blinds, only for the momentum to shift and see Nemeth take control. A late double from Kabrhel wasn't enough to postpone the inevitable, and Nemeth finished it off to add 181,520 to the 211,760 he won earlier in the festival. That wraps up the PokerNews coverage of EPT Prague! Join us again for more EPT action in EPT Monte Carlo coming in Late April. Online Qualifier Grzegorz Glowny Wins 2021 EPT Prague Main Event (692,252) March 17 2022 Christian Zetzsche The return of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) to European soil has been a thorough success and the 5,300 Main Event in the King's Casino at the Hilton Hotel in Prague has concluded. Out of a field of 1,190 entries, Grzegorz Glowny defeated Andrea Cortellazzi in heads-up play to claim the biggest portion of the 5,771,500 prize pool. For the victory, Glowny earned a payday of 692,252 and the maiden post-pandemic EPT Main Event title. The top four finishers all locked up career-best prizes and agreed to an ICM deal in the second attempt after the first negotiations fell through. Notably, it was Glowny who declined the deal and became the short stack only to stage a successful comeback thereafter. 2021 EPT Prague 5,300 Main Event Final Table Results Place Winner Country Prize (in EUR) 1 Grzegorz Glowny Poland 692,252* 2 Andrea Cortellazzi Italy 579,420* 3 Symeon Alexandridis Greece 497,278* 4 Gab Yong Kim South Korea 622,610* 5 Demetrio Caminita Italy 245,870 6 Armin Rezaei Austria 181,800 7 Teun Mulder Netherlands 138,570 8 Valentino Konakchiev Bulgaria 98,750 *The final four players agreed to an ICM deal and continued to play for 110,796 and the trophy The winner story of Glowny very much reminds one of the victory of fellow countryman Piotr Nurzynski in Barcelona 2018, who qualified online at PokerStars while traveling in South America with his fiance. Likewise, Glowny earned his entry in the Main Event via a 530 satellite and scored the biggest cash of his career. En route to victory, he was supported by a boisterous rail including his partner and became the fifth EPT champion from Poland. Among the final four who agreed to an ICM deal was also Symeon Alexandridis and Gab Yong Kim, the latter of which locked up the biggest cash prize but was the first to depart thereafter. Armin Rezaei became the first casualty on the final day followed by Demetrio Caminita. The former EPT champions Dimitar Danchev and Hossein Ensan were eliminated on the penultimate day, missing out on the chance to become the third two-time champion of the popular live poker series. When asked if he can put into words what had just happened, Glowny was quite overwhelmed: "Absolutely not. It's too much. I am too tired to think otherwise. It's obviously a massive win." Glowny remarked that the pressure on the final table was very high but he was able to stay focused. He also mentioned a difficult spell when he went card dead and became the short stack. This was not unknown territory for Glowny throughout the last few days as he was a short stack near the money bubble and even dropped to as little as four big blinds on Day 4. After the first deal negotiations fell through, Glowny was on the ropes once more but scored a pivotal double through then chip leader Kim. "I ran ace-jack into ace-king. I don't know if this was even a decent move or not and I got lucky. After that, my confidence was back. So, yeah, for the most part, I think I was able to be focused", Glowny said with a smile on his face. He has been playing poker for a few years and mainly focused on the online poker arena. In what became his first EPT Main Event ever, Glowny tasted success in the most remarkable way. "Live tournaments are a completely new thing," he said, but he will certainly continue to take part in live events from now on after such an amazing experience. Grzegorz Glowny Action of the Final Day After a topsy turvy previous day, South Korea's Kim entered the final day with the lead and preserved it during the opening stages. Glowny then pulled to the top of the leaderboard after he knocked out Rezaei with ace-king suited versus ace-queen suited in a preflop contest. He was also responsible for the elimination of Caminita as well after winning a "fake flip and go" with pocket fives versus eight-six suited. From there on, the action became somewhat cagey and Alexandridis stuck around with a shorter stack. Deal discussions broke out during the break but it was Glowny who declined and the action carried on. The following level saw the rise of the Greek while Glowny became the short stack only for the roles to be reversed once more. When the final four contenders agreed to deal numbers, the action and atmosphere at the table visibly loosened up. Alexandridis went from short stack to chip leader in quick succession and Cortellazzi then doubled through him to take over control. The Italian knocked out Kim with a turned flush against two pair to become the runaway chip leader. Glowny double twice through Alexandridis and then finished the job he had started when a dominated ace got there to knock out the Greek in third place. That set up the stage for a thrilling duel in which Cortellazzi mixed up his strategy regularly and utilized open-shoves as a weapon. This ultimately backfired when he pushed with an ace and Glowny held with pocket queens to take an overwhelming lead, the tournament then concluded in the very next hand. This concludes a successful return for PokerStars to the live poker scene in Europe with its flagship EPT series, which is set to have the next stop in just over a month from now. The 1,100 Eureka Main Event and the 2,200 Eureka High Roller set new records in the Czech Republic and the 5,300 Main Event came up short by just three entries to achieve the same feat. From April 28 until May 07, 2022, the Casino de Monte-Carlo will once more be the host venue on the French Riviera. KYIV, Ukraine Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000. Advertisement More than a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city and movement difficult because of shelling and other fighting, there were conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive, Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayors office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand airstrikes. Advertisement Other officials had said earlier that some people had gotten out. Ukraines ombudswoman, Ludmyla Denisova, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelter had held up. Satellite imagery on Monday from Maxar Technologies showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theater spelling out CHILDREN in Russian DETI to alert warplanes to those inside. Across the city, snow flurries fell around the skeletons of burned, windowless and shrapnel-scarred apartment buildings as smoke rose above the skyline. We are trying to survive somehow, said one Mariupol resident, who gave only her first name, Elena. My child is hungry. I dont know what to give him to eat. She had been trying to call her mother, who was in a town 50 miles (80 kilometers) away. I cant tell her I am alive, you understand. There is no connection, just nothing, she said. Cars, some with the Z symbol of the Russian invasion force in their windows, drove past stacks of ammunition boxes and artillery shells in a neighborhood controlled by Russian-backed separatists. People clear debris outside a medical center damaged after parts of a Russian missile, shot down by Ukrainian air defense, landed on a nearby apartment block, according to authorities, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2022. (VADIM GHIRDA/AP) Russias military denied bombing the theater or anyplace else in Mariupol on Wednesday. The strike against the theater was part of a furious bombardment of civilian sites in multiple cities over the past few days. Advertisement In the northern city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed amid heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, the local governor, Viacheslav Chaus, told Ukrainian TV on Thursday. Ukraines emergency services said a mother, father and three of their children, including 3-year-old twins, were killed when a Chernihiv hostel was shelled. Civilians were hiding in basements and shelters across the embattled city of 280,000, The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction, Chaus said. Ukrainian officials said 10 people were also killed Wednesday while waiting in a bread line in Chernihiv. An American man was among them, his sister said on Facebook. At least 21 people were killed when Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center before dawn in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Mayor Veniamin Sitov. The region has seen heavy bombardment in a bid by stalled Russian forces to advance. In eastern Ukraine, a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter was also hit Wednesday, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. There was no word on casualties in that strike. Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more help for his country in a video address to German lawmakers, saying thousands of people have been killed, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol, saying: Everything is a target for them. The address began with a delay because of a technical problem caused by an attack close to where Zelenskyy was speaking, Bundestag deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt said. Zelenskyys office said Russian airstrikes hit the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. Emergency authorities in Kyiv said a fire broke out in a 16-story apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket, and one person was killed. The U.N. Security Council planned to meet Thursday on the crisis. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading economies accused Putin of conducting an unprovoked and shameful war, and called on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justices order to stop its attack and withdraw its forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television Wednesday to excoriate Russians who dont back him. Advertisement Russians will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, said Putin, using language reminiscent of the Stalinist era. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. He said the West is using a fifth column of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it the destruction of Russia, he said. The speech appeared to be a warning that his authoritarian rule, which had already grown tighter since the invasion began on Feb. 24, could become even more repressive. In a sign of that, Russian law enforcement announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be false information about the war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. One day after U.S. President Joe Biden called Putin a war criminal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American officials were evaluating and documenting potential war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Blinken said the intentional targeting of civilians would amount to a war crime and that there will be massive consequences for any such crimes that are confirmed. News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m > Both Ukraine and Russia this week reported some progress in negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that some negotiators were breaking into working groups, but there should be contacts today. Advertisement Talks were held by video Wednesday. An official in Zelenskyys office told the AP that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral military status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. The fighting has led more than 3 million people to flee Ukraine, the U.N. estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau, in Lviv, Ukraine, and other AP journalists around the world contributed to this report. The Texas Food Truck Showdown, one of the most popular spring events in Waco in recent years, returns from a two-year COVID-19 hiatus on Saturday, bringing nearly three dozen contestants to downtown Wacos Heritage Square for a head-to-head or maybe bumper-to-bumper contest. Waco food fans will benefit with a showdown menu spanning afternoon and early evening and samples of burgers, tacos, chicken, barbecue and desserts plus more exotic and unique creations from food truck chefs. This years festival brings 38 food trucks, two short of the maximum that can fit in the Heritage Square space, from Waco and across Texas, with a few from neighboring states Oklahoma and Louisiana, said Alivia Zepeda, director of signature events for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the showdown organizer. Its the sixth showdown for the chamber and the first in two years after COVID-19 concerns scratched the midspring event in 2020 and 2021. The two-year layoff, however, didnt seem to diminish interest in the competition. Some regular contestants in past years transitioned to brick-and-mortar operations during that time, she noted, but new ones stepped up to take their places. Slightly more than half come from out-of-town and issues beyond COVID-19 were on the minds of many truck operators. Weve had a hiccup in higher gas and food prices, she said. Organizers anticipate a turnout of some 20,000 people if the weeks fair weather holds out, attendance not far from pre-pandemic averages. It (the festival) has a good, loyal following and it has grown exponentially since it started, Zepeda said. Trucks and their crews will provide wide-ranging options for eaters including more exotic fare such as bacon-wrapped barbacoa, a Puerto Rican mofongo bowl, sweet potato lumpia and jerk chicken tacos. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the competition running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and winners announced at 4:30 p.m. During the competition, festival attendees can sample competition dishes with a $5 Tasty Ticket covering a 4-ounce sample. No advance tickets are available before Saturday when tickets go on sale at 9:30 a.m. Trucks will close from 4 to 5 p.m. to prepare for their evening servings of full portions off their regular menus, and at their regular prices. Families with children hesitant about trying different food can buy $5 box lunches containing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips and a cookie. Beer and wine will be sold at the festival with Coke and Dr Pepper products the non-alcoholic beverages available. Bands will provide live music from noon to 8 p.m. On the musical lineup are three McLennan Community College student bands, the Brazos Brothers, Chris Low Band and Texas Heatwave Band. Festival grounds will feature a Kids Zone with petting zoo, ax throwing, face painting and a caricature artist. Those who like to shop as well as eat can do so at an 18-vendor pop-up market. The festival is pet-friendly, but owners must keep their pets on a leash and clean up after them. Masking for COVID-19 protection is voluntary and hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout Heritage Square. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In 1991 former President George H.W. Bush gave me and every member of the 102nd Congress a major decision to make: Should the U.S. use force to remove Iraqi troops who invaded neighboring Kuwait? The majority voted yes, and the operation was successful. Advertisement I am sure Bush is rolling over in his grave as President Joe Biden once again makes the wrong decision. It bears remembering that when he was a senator at the time of the Gulf War, Biden voted against America helping to save a smaller country from a despicable dictatorship. And he has been far too hesitant to make the right moves today. For any smaller country to be attacked by a larger country for no legitimate reason, membership in an organization should not be a prerequisite for being saved. It is a moral issue. It is what you would want to have happen to you if the shoe were on the other foot. Advertisement Bush did not look to a club of nations for help. Instead, he called upon the entire world to stand with the U.S. Nearly 40 nations answered the call, helping to remove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. Overwhelming force was used and it all ended in days with very few casualties on the part of the U.S. and our allies. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the nation of Ukraine are crying out for MiG-29s for their pilots to fly. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thought the proposal was a good idea. Biden, however, overruled him. The destruction and deaths in Ukraine have been increasing rapidly ever since. President Joe Biden speaks about additional security assistance that his administration will provide to Ukraine in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stands at left. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (Patrick Semansky/AP) Everyone, including Biden, knew sanctions would take time to kick-in. In the meantime, what happens to the Ukrainian people? We would not be seeing all these atrocities in Ukraine had Biden handled the U.S. exit out of Afghanistan in a more professional manner. Imagine if we had handled the J.V. Taliban like a major power should have and could have, with dominant force instead of the debacle exit. Imagine if every American who wanted to leave Afghanistan had a peaceful escort out of the country while U.S. forces demonstrated their resolve to kill anyone who would even think about harming them. Imagine if, in addition to sanctions against Russia before Putin invaded all of Ukraine, we built up a wall in the western part of the country, comprised of allied troops from some 40 or more nations - much like what Bush did during the Gulf War. With Ukrainian support, an early display of overwhelming force - 600,000 plus troops were deployed in 1991 - would have prevented everything we are witnessing today. That would be a true reflection of the worlds sentiments if multiple nations, inside and outside of NATO, demonstrated that kind of resolve. It is probably too late now. Were on the defensive. Instead, the Biden Administration brags about the European Union being a union, being united. They are supposed to be united, that is the definition of a union (duh!).And lets break this down in terms we all can relate to. You may have arguments with your siblings. You may even dislike one of them. But if your neighbor attacks one of your siblings, youll embrace your siblings. Opinion Weekly Perspective on the week's biggest stories from the Courant's Opinion page > Today, it seems like no one fears the U.S. When world leaders do not answer or return phone calls from the U.S. president, that lack of respect truly causes me to cringe. Advertisement Fighting directly in Ukraines war is a big no, no. But helping them fight their war - most definitely. In this case, no one should stand in for the kid against the bully, but everyone should stand by the kid. If the U.S. agrees to give the Ukrainians the MiG-29s, which I support, it should come with an understanding that if the war continues to go in the wrong direction the leadership of Ukraine must agree to a peaceful solution with Russia, as distasteful as it may be. A solution that NATO and the U.S. would agree on is in the best interest of everyone involved. One more metaphor: This is like the underweight boxer fighting well over his weight category. Its a middle weight fighting a heavy weight. We are witnessing the former getting hit mercilessly by the latter. We see his blood and pain. But the middle weight thinks everything is going well. Just give me a few more rounds and I will wear the heavy weight down and defeat him, he says. But as the fight manager in his corner sometimes has to say (for the good of the fighter): If you dont get him in this round, Im going to throw in the towel. He does so because he wants the middle weight to fight another day. And that is what must happen here. Win or come back another day. The constant pounding by the heavy weight can cause irreparable damage to everyone involved. Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticuts 5th District. He was the first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years and New Englands first Black member of the House. Host: podcast We Speak Frankly. Author: With God, For God, and For Country. @GaryFranks The folks planning a ribbon-cutting Wednesday at McLennan Community College did not fib to President Johnette McKown to get her there. But they did leave out one detail: The new Learning Commons would bear her name. The Louisiana native so values the role community colleges play in higher education she reverse transferred to earn an associates degree at Paris Junior College in northeast Texas while pursuing a masters degree and doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Colleagues said students are her passion, which is why secrecy cloaked Wednesdays fete. If we had asked her about it, about naming it after her, she probably would have said no, MCC Board Chair K. Paul Holt said. This was an absolutely terrific idea floated by our student success folks. It was a no-brainer, and everybody did a great job of keeping it secret. She has spent her life giving to other people, helping them learn and better themselves. Rarely does my mischief have a positive outlet. This is that one time, that once in a blue moon, when it worked out. McKown has been MCC president since 2009, an administrator there since 1989. She said enrollment at MCC, like at other community colleges nationwide, has stagnated during the pandemic. Records show enrollment at MCC stands at 7,074 for the spring semester. McKown said Wednesdays surprise delighted her, though admittedly she became suspicious seeing all but one board member in attendance. That is not typically the turnout among busy people invited to ceremonial events. Then there was that tacky little curtain used to hide her name, McKown said. All was forgiven, because Learning Commons honors students, she said. Thats where my heart is. Its more about them than it is about me, McKown said. If I have a legacy, that would be it. The Learning Commons brings library services, academic support and tutoring, and technical support to a centralized location on campus, the top floor of the Learning Technology Center, an MCC press release says. At a cost of $756,000, HCS Construction Services of Central Texas created private study rooms, classrooms, and open areas for study, computer use and relaxation. Were taking existing space and making it more study-friendly, Holt said. MCC introduced it to the public during a three-hour event that included door prizes, a scavenger hunt, tours and refreshments. The school is not spending federal funds on the project, though it did receive $36.6 million from the federal American Rescue Plan related to COVID-19, said Stephen Benson, MCCs vice president for finance and administration. Benson said $14.6 million went directly to students. Students taking nine or more semester hours and qualifying for federal Pell Grants during the fall received $1,500 checks, while those taking fewer than nine hours while also qualifying for Pell Grants received $1,000, Benson said. The $22 million balance will go to upgrade the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system in the Community Services Center, and to cover technology-related expenses that include fiber upgrades and the replacement of network switches and routers. All work complies with guidelines relating to the American Rescue Plan, Benson said. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A political scientist who visited his native Ukraine just weeks ago shared a sobering prediction Wednesday with a Baylor University crowd anxious to know how the Russian invasion of the nation of 44 million people would end. Possessed by a deep sense of historical grievance, Russian President Vladimir Putin will never back down until he subdues Ukraine, Baylor associate professor Serhiy Kudelia said from Switzerland by satellite during a forum at Baylor that brought out about 400 people. But based on his firsthand experience, Kudelia said he is confident the Ukrainian people, who overwhelmingly voted for independence 31 years ago, will never submit to Russian rule. This is the first time Ukrainians are fighting for their own country, said Kudelia, who studies regime change and ethnopolitical conflict. The challenge is for the essence of their community, their identity as citizens of an independent Ukraine. They made their choice, and that choice is to fight no matter what. This type of resistance represents the fact that they value statehood above all else. Kudelia, like others on the panel of experts at Wednesdays forum, said he foresees no quick resolution to the war that has already displaced 3 million people. When I think about the future, the goals of the two sides are irreconcilable, Kudelia said. Russia will not cede territory, and Ukraine will not give up on people in cities that Russia has occupied. We will not give up on the ability to make sovereign choices. I think this war may last years, possibly decades. We may see some cease-fires, temporary peace and temporary settlements, but the violence will return. He said Baylor officials should open the universitys doors to displaced Ukrainian students during what is likely to be a long and bloody war. He said that during a family visit to his hometown in southern Ukraine that ended six weeks ago, he was skeptical Russia would risk its economy and world standing by invading the country. Very few people expected war to happen, Kudelia said, remembering a conversation he had at the time with Baylor political scientist Peter Campbell. Peter asked me, Are you aware a war may be happening soon? I told him, I dont think Id be going into a war zone with my daughter, would I? I thought this was bargaining on behalf of Putin. It was unimaginable that Russia would attack multiple sides in such a brutal fashion. Campbell, a specialist on international security and international relations, was also a panelist at Wednesdays event at the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. The event was scheduled hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys address to Congress, asking the United States for additional military aid. Campbell said a full-scale war in Ukraine was beyond his imagination, too. He assumed Russia would make another proxy attack to carve off another piece of Ukraine, as it did with the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. I was completely shocked by the scale of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he said. Surprise in the military realm can be extremely effective if it is rapidly deployed against the enemy while they are stunned and unable to react, Campbell said. But react the Ukrainians did. Their effective resistance robbed Putin of a blitzkrieg-style victory, which was especially surprising considering (Russias) much-touted military modernization. He said people defending cities including the capital, Kyiv, have the home-field advantage as well as motivation that Russian soldiers seem to lack. But it is just a matter of time before the Russian military wears down the resistance using indiscriminate violence. Thats why it is imperative that the U.S. and NATO ramp up the delivery of lethal aid to Ukraine forces, even at the risk of escalation, Campbell said. Julie deGraffenried, a Baylor associate history professor specializing in modern Russia and the USSR, said Putin has laid out a skewed view of history that seeks to justify Russias domination of its neighbors. He regularly harkens back to the USSRs role in defeating Nazi Germany, and then fabricates stories about Nazis running Ukraine. The problem is that this denies Ukraines role in World War II, she said. Also, Nazis do not run Ukraine. Theres nothing liberating about bombing hospitals and maternity wards. Bad history makes bad policy. Putin is not the first and wont be the last to abuse history but is giving us a terrible lesson in its consequences. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Its hard to pick up a foreign policy journal or even turn on the TV without encountering someone predicting, recommending or lamenting a new Cold War with Russia, China or both. This is entirely understandable and even justifiable, if you mean a new period of strategic competition, pressure and geopolitical tension that falls short of all-out war. Such a lower case cold war is already on display. The U.S. and our allies are doing nearly everything short of declaring a hot war on Russia for its immoral aggression against Ukraine. Things are not so tense with China, but theres a broad consensus, particularly among Republicans, that containing China to use a Cold War term should become central to American foreign policy. And even many who disagree believe we are entering a new Cold War with China whether we want one or not. After all, sometimes wars, cold or hot, are not wars of choice. I agree that new cold wars with Russia and China are simultaneously necessary and not necessarily desirable. But I worry that the semantic confusion of the historic Cold War and this new cold war could get us into trouble. George Orwell observed in Politics and the English Language that if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation, even among people who should and do know better. The Cold War was wholly a creature of its time. Indeed, as Orwell himself observed in his 1945 essay You and the Atom Bomb, our conflict with the Soviet Union was a product of the nuclear age, and he predicted that nuclear weapons would make the kind of war that had just concluded a few months earlier unlikely. The fear of nuclear war still constrains our actions and I hope our adversaries but the differences between the Cold War era and today are profound. To start, the Cold War was not a time of sustained peace. The Korean and Vietnam wars were part of the Cold War, as were the Soviet invasions of Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. It was very easy to cut off economic relations with the Soviet Union because we had so few to begin with. The same holds to a large extent with contemporary Russia, which may be a nuclear superpower but is an economic piker. Its GDP is less than half of Californias (Russias per capita GDP is an eighth of Californias). Meanwhile, China is the worlds second largest economy and a global manufacturing powerhouse. Any expectation that the U.S. and the international community would sever ties with China over a Taiwan invasion the way they have over Russias invasion of Ukraine seems overly optimistic. China crushed democracy in Hong Kong and is putting Uyghurs in concentration camps, and the international business community has for the most part shrugged. The Soviets vowed to liberate the world from capitalism, bourgeois democracy and religion. That kind of ideology made it comparatively easy to garner political support for containment yet even then, there was ample domestic and international opposition to Americas anti-communist policies. Indeed, under God was officially inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance to differentiate America from the godless Communists. When Sen. Homer Ferguson, R-Mich., introduced the legislation, he said, I believe this modification of the pledge is important because it highlights one of the real fundamental differences between the free world and the Communist world, namely belief in God. No one in the House or Senate spoke in opposition to the change. For good or ill, it seems implausible anything like that would be possible today. Religion no longer binds the nation the same way, and our domestic culture wars whether over COVID-19 pandemic response or school curricula or Vladimir Putin as anti-woke hero do not seem very compatible with a new cold war. And freedom itself is no longer the rallying cry it once was on either the left or the right. Orwell argued that some phrases come to us like parts of a prefabricated hen-house and end up doing our thinking for us. We may indeed face a new cold war, but we need fresh thinking that doesnt necessarily flow from old phrases like Cold War. Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. WAHOO Although they did not come out and directly say it, the interim and new chief of the Wahoo Police Department did a little damage control at the city council meeting last week. Former Wahoo Police Chief Bruce Farrell resigned in November with no notice. Recently it was reported he left because he was caught having sex with a local resident. The incident was recorded on his body camera. The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating the incident. At the March 8 Wahoo City Council meeting, the council heard from the new Wahoo police chief, Joe Baudler, who started on the job March 1. He had been police chief in Ashland since 2013, and prior to that worked for the Omaha Police Department. While Baudler didnt specifically mention the Ferrell incident, he implied he was speaking about it when he talked about recent news regarding the department. Baudler lauded the officers and employees of the police department and the City of Wahoo who provided information to authorities regarding the Ferrell case. They deserve a lot of credit, he said. These efforts show just how dedicated the Wahoo Police Department employees are, Baudler said. Theres some good stuff going on here with the police department, he added. Baudler also vowed that there will be no such incidents under his watch. I guarantee none of that stuff is going to go on here, he said. Wahoo Police Officer Alan OSullivan also spoke to the council about his time as interim police chief from November through February. He noted that the police departments mission has always been to serve people. As I look back on 2021, the officers of the Wahoo Police Department did just that and with distinction and honor, he said. OSullivan noted the extraordinary duties WPD officers performed, including offering rides to people who were taken to hospital by ambulance, checking on people with mental health issues, unlocking cars and homes and serving as the atlas and almanac for Wahoo. He also reminded the council of the accomplishments reached by WPD in 2021, including implementing a K9 program and offering self-defense classes to the public. The department also expanded community outreach by giving gift cards to drivers during the Christmas season to show their appreciation for the support they have given WPD. Suzi Nelson is the managing editor of the Wahoo Newspaper. Reach her via email at suzi.nelson@wahoonewspaper.com. COLUMBUS Orion Ross, the man barricaded in a bedroom at 33rd and Vine streets with Felipe Vazquez as Lincoln police closed in around the house to arrest him Aug. 26, 2020, said before they made their escape attempt Vazquez asked him if he could "shoot out." "What did you say?" Chief Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Bruce Prenda asked Ross, who took the stand Thursday at Vazquez's first-degree murder trial for the fatal shooting of Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera. "What you do is what you do," Ross answered. "Because it's his life." By the end of the day, the jury would hear from Vazquez, too, after the state rested its case against him after eight days of testimony and evidence. Vazquez said he'd looked out and saw one officer in the front yard on his radio, then looked out later and saw one with a shield. He said his plan was to shoot at a tree in the yard to scare the officers away. "When they hear gunshots they're gonna run straight for cover," Vazquez said. He said by the time police looked back up, he and Ross would be down the street on the way to what they called the bat cave, a place close to nearby Wyuka Cemetery where they hung out with friends. A friend would be waiting there to pick them up. Vazquez said he fired while inside the bedroom after Ross smashed the window with a mug. Then they jumped out. "Everything just happened so quick. Someone came around the tree. Boom. I felt like a cannon left my hand," Vazquez said. He said he squeezed again. Boom. Shots were coming from the left side, Vazquez said. "I hear someone screaming. I was just like, 'Oh, I just know something bad happened,'" he said. "I just kept running." Vazquez and Ross ran in the direction of an officer blocking traffic on Vine Street, who was aiming her gun at them. Defense attorney Nancy Peterson asked Vazquez why he didn't shoot her. "It was never my intention to hurt an officer," he said. Vazquez admitted he lied to the sheriff's deputy who interviewed him later that day, after he was arrested after being chased out of a nearby house by the owner and holed up for a short time on his porch as police trained rifles on him. He said he was still trying to take everything in. "I didn't believe what happened had happened," Vazquez said. A video, shown to the jury earlier in the afternoon, showed him mostly silent but at times quietly singing to himself as he waited for the deputy in an interview room. Peterson asked Vazquez if he intended to shoot Herrera or any of the officers. "No, ma'am," he said. "I regret it every day." Ross said they stood in front of the bedroom window that faces Vine Street, and Vazquez asked if he could "shoot out." He said Vazquez "upped the gun," pointing it at the window, while he pulled the curtain back and threw a mug to break the window. Ross said he thought the plan was to fire a shot to scare police, so they could get away. "I just remember him ... lowering it," he said of Vazquez and the gun that day. "Then where did he go?" Prenda asked. "Out the window," he said. Ross said he followed. He doesn't remember hearing the sound of gunfire or even where Vazquez was when he fired the shots. "I've spent the last two years trying to forget that day and the days before it," Ross said. But, he said, he remembers hearing an "agony-type scream" from one of the officers. Herrera had been shot in the chest and later died of his injuries. On cross-examination, Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon asked Vazquez if he'd seen officers standing by the tree and on the sidewalk, why did he fire toward it. "You could've fired that gun in the air," he said. "Yes, I could've," Vazquez said. "You're just firing at the tree and the officer just happened to show up?" Condon said, incredulously. "Yes, sir," Vazquez said. Closing arguments are expected Monday in Platte County District Court, where the trial was moved because of pretrial publicity. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger DUBUQUE DuTrac Community Credit Union announces the promotion of Julie Soucinek as mortgage lending manager. Soucinek will oversee the mortgage lending department for all DuTrac locations. She is located at the Jersey Ridge branch in the Quad Cities and previously held the position of senior mortgage consultant for DuTrac. "Julie is a strong leader who brings a wealth of mortgage lending experience and success to the position," said Jason Norton, senior vice president of marketing and business development for DuTrac. "We look forward to the home-buying opportunities she will facilitate for our members." Soucinek has nearly 20 years of home lending experience and has provided outstanding service to DuTrac members for six years. In addition, she has earned Presidents Club status from the Iowa Mortgage Association for several years for outstanding loan production. Soucinek, from Bettendorf, is uniquely qualified to meet the needs of homebuyers in all membership communities served by DuTrac Community Credit Union. "I'm excited to have accepted my new position with DuTrac Community Credit Union," she said. "I look forward to continuing my relationship with current members and introducing DuTrac Mortgage to new homebuyers throughout the Dubuque and Quad City markets. Our mortgage consultants will help educate and navigate the mortgage market with you in providing the information and programs to meet your financial needs." Soucinek completed her bachelor's degree in social sciences at Illinois State University. You can contact Soucinek at (563) 355-1858 or jsoucinek@dutrac.org. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WAVERLY A $35.5 million budget approved last week by the City Council means homeowners will see a property tax reduction of approximately $35 per $100,000 of value next fiscal year, said City Administrator James Bronner. City Council unanimously approved its fiscal year 2022-23 budget with a flat tax rate of $16.33 per thousand dollars. The previous few years saw the rate grow quite a bit due to the debt that weve taken on for the projects we were completing, Bronner previously told councilors at a work session. The city of Waverly makes up about 40% of a residents tax bill. Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District sets its own tax rate, and is another 40% of the pie. The remaining 20% is largely controlled by Bremer County and Hawkeye Community College. I appreciate staff taking their foot off the gas somewhat on the projects, said Councilor Matthew Schneider, adding I think that this budget year is going to be challenging with commodity prices really raging out of control right now. Waterloo woman imprisoned for 6 months for buying gun for friend A 21-year-old woman will spend the next six months in federal prison after she bought a gun that was later used in a homicide by a friend of a friend. The council sets the tax rate every year when it approves its budget. Next years rate rose a minuscule 0.02% from fiscal year 2021-22. Over the last 10 years, the rate was at its lowest, $14.03, during fiscal year 2016-17. From there, it jumped to $14.45 in 2018-19 and then $15.69 in 2020-21. The $35 per $100,000 in value decrease in an average residents city taxes assumes an owners property assessment hasnt changed since the last fiscal year. That reduction is triggered because less of the value of the property could be taxed in the upcoming fiscal year due to the state reducing whats called the residential property tax rollback from 56.40% to 54.13%. Commercial and industrial rollbacks remained at 90%, meaning those property owners city taxes will not change, assuming their property values havent changed. The department managers come into the budget talks already thinking lean, said Councilor Ann Rathe. Weve finished several major infrastructure projects over the last few years, so we do get a break from that. In the next five to 10 years, its really going to be the amenities, town parks, trails, etc. that were going to need to prepare for and decide how and when we want to do that spending, she added. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Iowa members of Congress said theyd support U.S. military aid to Ukraine, though several cautioned against escalating the conflict globally. On a call with reporters, Iowas Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said the U.S. should do all we can to help (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and his people short of getting the United States into a third world war. Zelenskyy spoke to Congress on Wednesday, asking the U.S. for air support to protect the skies in Ukraine as Russia has continued to bomb cities and civilian targets. When asked about what he specifically thought would thread the needle between providing help and escalating the war, Grassley cited Ukrainian humanitarian and military aid to the tune of nearly $14 billion approved by Congress last week. President Joe Biden announced about $800 million in new aid to Ukraine on Wednesday. Grassley didnt say whether he supported specific military measures like a no-fly zone. Now, if thats not enough money, its pretty easy for us to appropriate more money, he told reporters. All you have to see is that video, you know, any American sees that video that we saw in the middle of the speech would just say how terrible Putin is and how stupid he is and how egomaniac he is and he may be sick and maybe all the above. In his speech, Zelenskyy called for a humanitarian no-fly zone, which would allow for evacuation corridors and food and medical supplies to be brought into besieged cities. According to national media reports, the no-fly zone has not garnered wide support in the Biden administration and from members of Congress. The Biden administration has cited concerns that it could inflame tensions and escalate into a global war. Grassley, who is not on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wasnt qualified to make decisions about specific weaponry to send. Now, you know if you want me to say we need this weapon or that weapon, Im not qualified to make those decisions, he said. But, I think that we ought to be doing everything we can short of anything that brings about World War Three, and with it the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. Sen. Joni Ernst Iowas junior Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Twitter implored the Biden administration to allow Poland to fly in MiG fighter jets to Ukraine to defend its air space. The Biden administration pulled out of the deal for concerns it would escalate into a global conflict with Russia. Ernst, who commended Zelenskyy as a fearless leader, called on Biden to send a signal to Putin that the United States is behind Ukraine by immediately providing Ukrainians with the lethal aid they urgently need. Pres. Zelenskyy is showing strength in the face of Putins war of aggression against his sovereign nation, Ernst tweeted. America stands with the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom. Pres. Biden, send the MiGs. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks We stand with the Ukrainian people, but even more we know that we need to continue to ramp up sanctions and to give assistance to Ukraine that they need, Miller-Meeks said in a video posted on Twitter. We should not, as members of Congress or the public, be forcing the president to have a ban (on) Russian oil and gas, and at the same time we should release domestic energy production. Iowas U.S. senators have promoted biofuels to replace Russian oil, though some agriculture economists have questioned whether there is sufficient ethanol production capacity to meet that demand. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 WATERLOO More treatment options for people with mental illnesses and disabilities were among the big topics of conversation at the first state legislative forum of the year. John Miller, a former county supervisor, opened the forum at Hawkeye Community Colleges Adult Learning Center by noting how much the county jail pays to house people who are mentally ill because there are few other options. He said he was part of a group working on a 24-unit transitional housing unit in the area, and lamented the closing or reduction in recent years of the states mental hospitals. It seems to me we ought to be taking a look at it. I dont know if the folks in Des Moines have any idea what goes on here, Miller said. But Cedar Valley Democrats, who find themselves squarely in the minority in the Legislature, said their Republican colleagues didnt seem to be interested in solutions. We have a fantastic community, and we really do have top leaders in the state, said Sen. Eric Giddens. If we could just get folks in the Legislature to listen to what were saying here locally, then wed be in much better shape as a state. Rep. Bob Kressig, who recently announced he would be seeking a tenth term in the Iowa House, said shoring up the states mental health treatment options should be a priority, but isnt. If you look at where were ranked nationwide with services for mental health, its not good, Kressig said. Iowa ranks 36th among the 50 states and District of Columbia for prevalence of mental health disorders and 18th in access to insurance and treatment for an overall ranking of 23rd, unchanged from 2021, according to the State of Mental Health in America 2022 report. But among adults with a mental illness, 32.9% of Iowans reported not being able to access treatment, the second-worst ranking in the country. Iowa has a significant amount of money in reserves that we could utilize to shore up mental health programs, Kressig said. Its frustrating to me. We need to do something. Rep. Dave Williams, who is retiring after this year, said his neighbor, a deputy sheriff, told him about driving people all the way across the state to find the closest open mental health bed. Just think what were doing to people when were separating them from their families, Williams said. It hasnt changed. Theres been a lot of window dressing. That was echoed by Sen. Bill Dotzler, who bemoaned the states income tax cut as mostly benefiting wealthy Iowans at the expense of services. One-third of all Iowans will get zero money back out of this tax cut. And where do they get it? Out of the suffering of people, Dotzler said. And I dont know what it takes to get the voters of Iowa to understand whats going on. Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, also seeking reelection, said she hears from three to five families a week who cant find help for themselves or a loved one on Medicaid from the states private managed care organizations, or MCOs. Former Gov. Terry Branstads decision to privatize care in 2015 has resulted in an 891% increase in members being illegally denied services or care, according to an October report from the state auditors office. Brown-Powers put the blame squarely on MCOs profit motive. The biggest thing right now is staffing, and its because our rates are so low, she said. Yet, those MCOs have the largest buildings in downtown Des Moines. So theyre living pretty high on the hog when our providers arent getting reimbursement. Brown-Powers noted some measures Republicans are willing to entertain, such as a recent bill to put the number for the states suicide prevention hotline on the back on all student identification cards. That could at least move the needle on youth suicide prevention, she said. Our young people are really rallying behind supporting each other with mental health and breaking down that stigma, she said. Its great to see. But Rep. Ras Smith, who also will not seek re-election, called putting the hotline on the back of student IDs a Band-aid that shows how desperate we really are. The state is no longer here to help us, Smith said, noting he preferred to invest in community-led, public-private partnerships. Im not really interested in waiting around for them to come rescue us anymore. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HOBBS, N.M. (AP) National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said Thursday that a 13-year-old was driving the pickup truck that struck a van in West Texas in a fiery collision that killed nine people. The trucks left front tire, which was a spare tire, also blew out before impact, Landsberg said. One must be 14 in Texas to start taking classroom courses for a learners license and 15 to receive that provisional license to drive with instructor or licensed adult in the vehicle. Department of Public Safety Sgt. Victor Taylor said a 13-year-old driving would be breaking the law. The speed limit at the crash site was 70 mph. Although it was unclear how fast the two vehicles were traveling, this was clearly a high-speed collision, Landsberg said. Read more on the crash here: Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I read the heartbreaking account of what Kim Hoffman and her partner endured during the time Ms. Hoffman was terminally ill [courant.com, March 10, Honor my late wife by passing aid-in-dying bill]. I had to walk away from this article twice, before I could complete my reading of it. The subject is horrifying to me, because I, too, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. [ Joy Cipollo: Honor my late wife by passing Connecticut medical aid-in-dying bill ] During the years that followed, I was treated with three surgeries and three rounds (several months long) of chemotherapy. I was so weakened that I had to be wheeled into the various medical facilities because I could not walk. It was a lengthy and complicated time with suffering of many kinds. During the course of one round of chemotherapy, I was diagnosed with breast cancer as well. I had to pause the chemotherapy to have breast cancer surgery, followed by eight weeks of radiation therapy. After that, I returned to the ovarian cancer chemotherapy. Advertisement It has been a long and difficult struggle. And now I live with the fear that the cancer might still metastasize. During the pandemic, I have had numerous viruses and my kidney function is less than normal due to the earlier chemotherapy. I feel weakened and compromised, mentally and physically. There is a good chance that I will die from cancer. Both my mother and my sister were treated for breast cancer. Almost 40 years ago, I watched my husband die from colon cancer. The pain and agony was so difficult that my husband refused to allow our young children visit him when he became terminal. Advertisement I am frightened that I will die like Ms. Hoffman did. My fear is for my family and for me. It is unnecessary. And that is the sticking point. With the proper regulations, a person could die with dignity in Connecticut. But we seem to have too many residents who think they have the right to decide for others the way to leave this plane of existence. For those who tell us to just take your own life, they are saying to use measures that can be painful and sometimes ineffective. For those who consider doctor-assisted suicide against religion, they are enforcing their beliefs on others. For those worried about the disabled, our lawmakers can come up with safeguards. Other states have done so. I have daughters and a husband who will have to observe and take part in my gut-wrenching pain. Do not believe that the severe pain common in many deaths is controlled. It is not. I am old enough to have witnessed many deaths and only a very few were peaceful. My career was not in the medical field, but I am aware that the people I watched die were treated for pain with morphine. It very often is ineffective. In order for a medical person to increase the morphine level in my dying mothers system, I was told I would have to provide proof that my mother was in pain. So I stayed by her bed and refused to leave her until I could waken her enough to ask her about her pain level. And I had to have a medical person in the room to observe. This was a complicated procedure, but I managed to get everyone together and to bring my mother into a state where she could speak. Only then, did a social worker for hospice get a nurse to increase the pain medication. What would have happened if I wasnt in the room, with all conditions met? And is morphine the only pain medication for people in a terminal state? My questions were not usually answered. I am aware of the problems with opioid drugs. But when someone is terminal and under medical supervision, I have to wonder why options might be explored, like using options instead of morphine. Do not make me die like Ms. Hoffman and so many others have died. Give me the right to choose a peaceful exit. Marsha Tomlinson lives in Bristol. DES MOINES A new round of federal pandemic relief funding is being distributed to Iowa airports. The money will be distributed through the Iowa Commercial Aviation Infrastructure Fund, with 10% or $10 million being split equally among the airports, and the rest allocated based on 2019 travel numbers. Each of the eight airports, including Waterloo Regional Airport, will receive a base grant of $1.25 million, plus a share of the remaining $90 million based on passenger numbers. During a news conference Wednesday at Des Moines International Airport, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the $100 million in funding, which is from the federal American Rescue Plan passed in 2021 by Congress and President Joe Biden. Iowas commercial airports play a vital role in supporting the economic development and prosperity of our state, and we need to ensure that continues to be the case for many more years to come, Reynolds said. This significant investment will help maintain momentum and encourage ongoing growth through transformative projects that will greatly benefit Iowans and other travelers that utilize our air transportation system. Des Moines International Airport is eligible for $58.7 million of that money, director Kevin Foley wrote in an email earlier this week. The airport plans on spending those funds on a new terminal. The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids will be eligible for $28.4 million, which will enable it to complete the fourth and final phase of its terminal upgrade project, an airport official said. Other airports to receive funding: Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (Burlington). Dubuque Regional Airport. Fort Dodge Regional Airport. Mason City Municipal Airport. Sioux Gateway Airport (Sioux City). Leaders in the Iowa Democratic Party highlighted the fact that the federal American Rescue Plan was supported mostly by congressional Democrats. U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, Iowas lone Democrat in Congress, was the only member of the states delegation to vote for the funding. When the funding was being considered by Congress, Reynolds, a Republican, signed a letter with 21 other governors expressing their opposition. Instead of taking credit for the funding that will revitalize airports all around the state, Kim Reynolds should thank President Biden and Congresswoman Cindy Axne for securing this critical investment for Iowas infrastructure, Ross Wilburn, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, said in a statement. Reynolds on Wednesday called the latest disbursement of the federal pandemic relief funds strategic and responsible. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES A key state lawmaker has called for a moratorium on the use of eminent domain by companies proposing to build pipelines across Iowa. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, who chairs the House State Government Committee, made his proposal Wednesday, saying he wanted to protect landowners until the Legislature is back in session next year. The committee adopted his amendment to prohibit the Iowa Utilities Board from granting eminent domain before March 1, 2023, at which time the moratorium would be repealed. Pipeline companies could not seek the exercise of eminent domain during that time. Democrats said they understood landowners concerns, but voted against his proposal because Kaufmann was hijacking Senate File 2022, a bill regulating cosmetology and barbering, to address an unrelated issue. They were joined by one Republican. Kaufmann defended his approach, saying Iowans, especially the landowners who are in the pathway of proposed pipelines, dont care about the process. They want results. The reason for us doing this today is because landowners who are potentially impacted want certainty, Kaufmann said. I am not anti-pipeline and not trying to interfere with negotiations between landowners and pipelines, he said. But the moratorium would give landowners a year to go on without the threat of eminent domain over their heads. Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, referencing her familys Century Farm, said she understood Kaufmanns passion, which is why it is so important to follow process. Since being elected in 2012, Kaufmann has made reining in the use of eminent domain one of his priorities. Eminent domain is the right of a government or its agency to take private property for public use with payment. Speakers support House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, signaled his support for Kaufmanns proposal. We also want (landowners) to know that the Legislature is watching this process, he told Radio Iowa. We would just want to give them some certainty that if eminent domain were ever to be on the table moving forward, the Legislature would be in session and be able to weigh in and try to avoid a situation where there could be mass condemnation. He doesnt want to the Legislature to change the rules but let landowners and the pipeline companies know that the Legislature just stands prepared to act if needed. We hope it doesnt come to that. A Senate bill on eminent domain hasnt advanced, but Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said his members are concerned about eminent domain in general and will continue to watch these close to make sure that landowners are protected. Concerns about the possible use of eminent domain have increased over the past year as three companies have proposed building underground pipelines across Iowa. Many landowners on the pipelines proposed routes have decried the projects at informational meetings around the state since November. They have raised concerns about eminent domain, pipeline safety and whether the companies should get tax credits for projects that may make money for the owners but not help Iowans or the environment. The Iowa Utilities Board has to approve the pipeline projects, including the potential step of using eminent domain to force the sale of easements to the companies. Kaufmann switch The call for a moratorium is a bit of a reversal for Kaufmann, who describes himself as pro-landowner. In January, he announced that after careful consideration, he decided it wasnt the time to change state law governing when property may be seized for pipelines. Rushing eminent domain changes through the Legislature this year, he said then, would send the wrong message to businesses and to the landowners whove already signed easements for carbon pipelines and landowners still considering contracts. That was after he said he was trying to craft a bill to require companies to get the support of at least 70% of landowners in a pipelines path before asking state to allow the use of eminent domain. Proposed pipelines ADM has signed a letter of intent to build a 350-mile pipeline to transport liquefied CO2 from ethanol and cogeneration facilities in Cedar Rapids and Clinton to ADMs already-operational sequestration site in Decatur, Ill. Navigator, a Texas company, is proposing a 1,300-mile pipeline that would pass through 36 Iowa counties, including Linn, Benton, Cedar, Delaware and Iowa, capturing carbon dioxide at ethanol and fertilizer plants. The gas would be put under pressure, turned into liquid and piped to a site in south-central Illinois near the ADM site. Summit Carbon Solutions, which is planning a 2,000-mile pipeline through Iowa to North Dakota, said it has worked in partnership with landowners to sign easements on more than 100 miles of the proposed route in Iowa. Additionally, Summit said it is finalizing agreements that include an additional 70 miles of the proposed route in the state. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Conflict was inevitable Launching the special military operation was the only option Russia had left to end the years-long bloodshed in eastern Ukraine, Putin stressed. At the same time, limiting its scope to the breakaway Donbass republics only would only push the frontline westwards, rather than defuse the situation, he noted. While waging the war against the breakaway regions of Donbass, Kiev has been preparing for a broad offensive to re-capture them, Putin said, adding that almost 14,000 civilians, including children, have been killed in the conflict. Ukrainian authorities also sought to attack Crimea, which split from the country back in 2014 and joined Russia via a referendum. Encouraged by the United States and other Western countries, Ukraine was purposefully preparing for a scenario of force, a massacre and an ethnic cleansing in Donbass. A massive onslaught on Donbass and later Crimea was just a matter of time. However, our Armed Forces have shattered these plans, Putin said. Kiev actively sought weapons of mass destruction Ukrainian authorities have openly stated their goal to obtain weapons of mass destruction, namely nuclear bombs and means of their delivery, Russias president has said. Given the extremely hostile attitude of Kiev, such systems would have been used to target Russia once they were ready. Putin also touched upon the Ukrainian biolab network allegations, raised by the Russian military amid the offensive. The facilities scattered across the country have allegedly been engaged in biological weapons development with direct support of Washington. The allegations, backed by documents published by the Russian military, have been met with varying degrees of denial from the top US officials. There was a network of dozens of laboratories in Ukraine, where military biological programs were conducted under the guidance and with the financial support of the Pentagon, including experiments with coronavirus strains, anthrax, cholera, African swine fever and other deadly diseases, Putin said, adding that now frantic attempts are underway to conceal the traces of these secret programs. Ukraine established as anti-Russia Over the past few years, under the close guidance of their Western handlers, the Kiev authorities have morphed Ukraine into anti-Russia, Putin suggested. The only goal of the incumbent Kiev regime is to drag the conflict on for as long as possible, with little regard to the fate of the civilians or destruction that ensues. We are seeing again and again that the Kiev regime, for which its Western masters have set the task of creating an aggressive anti-Russia, is indifferent to the fate of the people of Ukraine themselves, Putin said. It is also obvious that the Western handlers are simply pushing the Kiev authorities to continue the bloodshed. They are supplied with more and more weaponry batches, they are provided with intelligence, they also receive other assistance, including military advisers and mercenaries. Kiev & West exhibit shocking cynicism Both Ukrainian authorities and the collective West have exhibited shocking cynicism amid the conflict, Putin said, offering the ballistic missile strike on the center of Donetsk that occurred on Monday as an example of such behavior. The strike killed at least 20 civilians. They are striking randomly at squares with the fervor of fanatics and the exasperation of the doomed. They are acting like the Nazis did when they tried to drag as many innocent victims as they could to their graves, Putin said, adding that Kiev had tried to blame the strike on Russia through blatant lies. The attitude of the so-called civilized world to the missile strike turned to be shocking in its extreme cynicism as well, the president went on. The European and American press did not even notice this tragedy in Donetsk, as if nothing happened, Putin said. Just like they have been hypocritically looking the other way over the past eight years as mothers buried their children in Donbass, as elderly people were killed. This is simply moral degradation, complete de-humanization. Crumbling dominance of the West behind global turmoil Ultimately, the Wests desire to maintain its global dominance is the root of the ongoing Ukrainian turmoil, as well as crises in the other parts of the globe, Putin believes. Today, the entire planet has to pay the price for the ambitions of the West, for its attempts by any means to maintain its crumbling dominance, he said. Concerned only with their vested interests and super profits, the Western elites led the world into the current situation through years of mistakes and short-sited decisions. For instance, the impact of the anti-Russian sanctions, imposed over the Ukrainian conflict, is already being felt by the common people in the West while the elites have been bizarrely trying to blame it on Moscow, Putin noted. I want ordinary Western people to hear me as well. You are being persistently told that your current difficulties are the result of Russias hostile actions and that you have to pay from your own pockets for the efforts to counter the alleged Russian threat. All of that is a lie. Putin WtR Troy Driver, accused of killing Naomi Irion, has been formally charged with murder and will be held without bail at the Lyon County Jail. The arraignment happened Friday, April 8th at a hearing at the Canal Township Justice Court in Fernley. Driver appeared via zoom from Yerington. The Lyon County District Attorneys Office says Troy Driver fatally shot Naomi Irion before burying her body in the desert, according to an amended criminal complaint. Lyon County District Attorney Stephen Rye filed the amended criminal complaint Tuesday adding first-degree murder and other crimes to the kidnapping charge already facing 41-year-old Troy Driver. Driver is accused of kidnapping Irion from the Fernley Walmart parking lot on March 12, and killing her on or before March 25 - the same day Driver was arrested for kidnapping. Four days later, authorities say investigators acted on a tip and found her body in a grave near the Churchill County line. Drivers been held in the Lyon County Jail in Fernley on $750,000 bondable bail since his arrest. Hes now accused of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping, robbery, burglary of a motor vehicle and destroying evidence, according to the new complaint Rye filed Tuesday in Canal Township Justice Court in Fernley. Drivers public defender, Mario Walther, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The complaint said Driver shot Irion in Churchill County northeast of Fernley, where he took her for the purpose of committing sexual assault and/or purpose of killing her. The document also alleged that Driver destroyed her cell phone and left pieces in Lyon, Churchill, Pershing, Humboldt and Eureka counties. The Lyon County Sheriff's Office says Driver shot Irion in the head and chest. The local community has been rallying around this family since this all started - there are a couple of events this weekend. Kim Lovett, a Fernley resident says, "For this to happen is a scary thing, that even in our quiet little sleepy town that we have predators out there that would do something like this." A devastated community that carried hopes of finding Naomi for weeks, and went on countless searches with her family. They said this outcome wasn't one anyone wanted. Some of the resident we spoke with extended their condolences to Naomi's family, and want them to know they are supported. Tisha Leija, another Fernley resident visibly upset told us, "I can't even imagine... the first thing I thought of was poor mom...poor mom...very sad. " ---------------------------------------------------------- The man accused of kidnapping Naomi Irion will stay in Lyon County Jail on $750,000 bondable bail. 41-year-old Troy E. Driver was arrested and booked into the jail last Friday. He's officially now charged with first degree kidnapping, a felony. "Should the defendant post bail, he will not be released from custody until a GPS monitoring device is installed," Judge Lori Matheus, Canal Township Justice Court said. The judge set Driver's preliminary hearing for April 12 for 1:30pm. Irion's family attended the court hearing. "It does look like they're going to be posting bail, from what I understand, so he's the only one who can help us bring Naomi home," Casey Valley, Irion's brother said. "He's the only one that we know about." If he does get released from jail, Driver will be ordered to stay out of Fernley. He also must not contact Irion's family. Driver has a criminal history. According to old articles in the Ukiah Daily Journal, he pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact for his role in a 1997 homicide in Willits, California. He was 17 years old at the time of the murder. The article says Driver stuffed the body of an alleged drug dealer, Paul Steven Rodriguez in a trunk and then left it in a wooded area. The article says he pleaded guilty to three charges of robbery and one of burglary. A judge sentenced him to 15 years in prison but the article said he could have been released after serving 12. "It is upsetting to me that there is people out here in the general public that have these capabilities with this kind of past and people should be more aware of that," Naomi's brother, Casey Valley, said. "We talk about sex offenders all the time but where is the list with this guy?" Deputies also announced Friday, March 25th that Driver's Chevy truck was impounded and is being processed for possible evidence. This photo below, shows the truck being taken into evidence. David Ausano took the picture from his porch in Fallon, the night of March 25, 2022. A second public search was organized for Saturday, March 26th, 2022 by Naomi's brother, Casey Valley. In a Facebook post, he asked community members to gather at Love's Travel Stop on Commerce Center Drive in Fernley, Saturday at 10am. Valley says, "this will be the first of a few areas of a concentrated search." He also requested no pets or children. During the search on March 26th, more than 110 people showed up to help find Naomi. Diana Irion says she's been getting massages from all over the country from people who want to help her family. Casey Valley tells us, "Today's search covered more ground, if not just as much, as last weekends search." -------------------------------------------------------- On Thursday, March 24th, Lyon County Deputies said they identified a potential witness vehicle and occupant(s) that appears in the Walmart parking lot minutes before Naomi was abducted. They say they've contacted the occupant of the car. The 4-door sedan enters the east Walmart parking lot at approximately 5:15 a.m. and then drives around the median on the east side before parking at the the southeast corner of the Walmart building. Police were able to locate the vehicle with help from the public. Irion was last seen March 12th at the parking lot at the Fernley Walmart. Her car was found a few days later and is undergoing processing for possible evidence. The Lyon County Sheriff's Office held a press conference on Tuesday, along with Irion's family where again they asked for the public's help in finding her, adding they are getting "hundreds" of tips everyday. They also mentioned that her car, which was found a few days after her disappearance, is still undergoing processing for any related evidence. Her family also made another plea for help, with her mother saying, "please save my daughter. Bring her home." Because Irion's possible kidnapping happened near I-80, her mother also said that her daughter could be anywhere in the U.S. by now. Irion's sister and brother also spoke, mentioning that tips to law enforcement can stay anonymous, if need be. He also said that another search will happen this Saturday. During the weekend, the Lyon County Sheriff's Office released new surveillance video from the Walmart parking lot where Naomi was reportedly last seen. The footage shows the suspect standing in front of the Walmart entrance, pacing the east side of the building, before walking toward the front of cars with their headlights on. Authorities say this footage was recorded minutes before Naomi was abducted. If you were in the east Walmart parking lot between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. on March 12th, 2022 and have not been contacted by law enforcement, reach out to the Lyon County Sheriffs Office, Major Crimes Bureau. The Lyon County Sheriffs Office can be reached at 775-463-6620, Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900 or by email at detective@lyon-county.org. Authorities said a cell phone ping led officers to the Wadsworth area last week. She was last seen wearing a blue Panasonic company shirt, gray cardigan sweater, gray pants, brown boots and was carrying a black purse. She had an iPhone, Airpods and a fidget spinner. She is 511 tall, weighs about 230 pounds and has green eyes. Her hair is currently dyed black and she has a septum piercing and smiley face tattoo on her right ankle. On Thursday, March 17th, Lyon County deputies announced that they were working with the Pyramid Lake Police Department and the FBI near Highway 427 in Wadsworth searching for evidence related to the disappearance of Naomi Irion. They asked the public to stay away from the area as not to damage any evidence. Her family made a public plea on Thursday for her safe return. Authorities also thanked the Fernley community for their help. Her family members said that they are in contact with police about the case's progression. On Friday, supporters gathered at the Round Table Pizza in Fernley to make signs to post around town in hopes of someone recognizing Irion's photo and calling police with information. The newest released photos show Irion on the morning she was last seen and also include a person of interest. The investigation now indicates that the suspect may be driving a dark 2020 or newer Chevrolet, 2500, High Country 4-Door Pickup Truck. Authorities say the forensic evidence collected by investigators show that her disappearance is 'suspicious' in nature and that the driver of the truck "has a direct connection to her disappearance and her current whereabouts." Previous video surveillance showed that person walking from a nearby 'homeless camp' looking in cars. The unknown person then gets into the driver's seat of Irion's Mercury Sable and then leaves with her in the passenger seat. During the course of the investigation, evidence was discovered leading investigators to believe Naomis disappearance was suspicious in nature. Her 1992 blue Sable has a Nevada license plate of 595T37 was located in a industrial park in Fernley and has since been searched and forensically analyzed. The first vehicle photo with the plate is Naomi's actual vehicle. The second vehicle photo is a stock photo and not her actual car. If you have any information, contact Lyon County Sheriff's Office with case number 22ly01068 at 775-463-6620, or call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness at 775-322-4900. Weather Alert ...MORE WINDY DAYS ON THE WAY, WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS FOR MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND... --Thursday and Friday-- * A pair of systems brushing through the region will bring gusty winds both days, with even stronger winds possible on Friday. Winds will bring travel difficulties both in the air and on the ground. Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with CalTrans/NDOT for the current road information. Please see the latest hazard text products for the latest information on anticipated wind speeds. * Area of blowing dust are possible both afternoons downwind of the Carson Sink, possibly affecting portions of I-80, US 50, and Highway 95. In addition, backcountry and ski recreation could be impacted along with choppy conditions on area lakes. * A few light showers with minimal liquid totals are possible in far northern Nevada and northeast California. --Mother's Day Weekend into Early Next Week-- * It will remain breezy throughout the weekend, with a secondary max in wind speeds on Sunday due to a strong cold front. This front will usher in a much colder air mass and high temperatures on Mother's Day will be 15-20 degrees below normal. * There will be rain and snow showers with the front, but again, liquid amounts will be minimal. There are solid chances for snow levels to fall to all valley floors by Sunday evening, which may catch many off guard, though it is hard to get snow to stick to roadways in lower elevation valleys this late in the spring. * Well below normal temperatures and chances for light showers will continue into Monday and Tuesday next week. While still some uncertainty due to winds and cloud cover, it's possible we could have frost and freeze concerns Sunday and Monday nights. ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Wind prone areas may experience gusts in excess of 60 mph. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45 mph and waves of 2 to 4 feet expected on Pyramid Lake. * WHERE...Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area and Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake. * WHEN...From 11 AM to 9 PM PDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects and high profile vehicles will be prone to tip over. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Blowing dust may locally reduce visibility downwind of dry lake beds and sinks. Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with NDOT for the latest on road conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Now is the time to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture, holiday decorations, and trash cans before winds increase which could blow these items away. The best thing to do is prepare ahead of time by making sure you have extra food and water on hand, flashlights with spare batteries and/or candles in the event of a power outage. Check lake conditions before heading out on the water and be prepared for a sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind. && The survey also found that Medicare beneficiaries (26 percent of them) were most likely to report skipping or putting off needed mental health care because of costs, while fewer than 1 in 10 older adults in the U.K., France, Germany and Sweden reported doing so. This is a problem that we dont see in other countries, Gunja says. Also concerning: stark disparities in mental health needs and treatment access between ethnic and racial groups. Hispanic Americans are the most likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition and to report emotional distress, with 42 percent of the Hispanics surveyed reporting a need for mental health services. Cost barriers Despite having some coverage, its still too expensive for older adults to get the proper care they need, Gunja says. Medicare covers basic preventive services, such as substance abuse screenings and depression screenings. But beyond that, once youre actually diagnosed with a mental need, whether or not youll be covered or be able to afford the actual care that you need for example, getting psychiatric care or getting the proper drugs is really up in the air. And supplemental plans may not help, says Dan Adcock, director of government relations and policy for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare: Depending on what kind of Medigap insurance that you couple with traditional Medicare, there can be some pretty big cost sharing thats involved. Provider shortages Not only are there too few mental health professionals to meet the growing need for services in the U.S., theres a diminishing number of providers who accept Medicare insurance, says Lauren Gerlach, a geriatric psychiatrist and health services researcher at the University of Michigan. The numbers back her up. An analysis of physician networks in Medicare Advantage health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and local preferred provider organizations (PPOs) offered in 20 counties across the U.S. in 2015 found that, on average, Medicare Advantage networks included only 23 percent of psychiatrists in a county. Thats a pretty small number for a profession that is underrepresented to begin with, Adcock says. Part of the problem is the reimbursement rates, says Adam C. Powell, president of Payer+Provider Syndicate, a management advisory and operational consulting firm that focuses on managed care and other organizations in the health care sector. A large portion of the mental health workforce is not willing to accept Medicare and Medicaid coverage [because] the amount they get from Medicare and Medicaid isnt enough to make them want to take on these patients, he notes. Many providers would prefer to be seeing patients on a cash-only basis or only accept commercial health plans. As a result, simply being insured does not guarantee that one has ready access to care. Whats more, it can be overwhelming for independent practices to handle billing. Its the sheer bureaucracy of having to deal with this, says Daniel Enrique Jimenez, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He notes that the University of Miami maintains a team of people just to deal with insurance, Medicare included. Those with smaller practices arent as fortunate. Say Im an independent provider who charges $200 for an hour of psychotherapy, Jimenez says. If the patient pays out of pocket, boom, perfect. If not, I have to then spend time trying to get reimbursed. It may become not worth it to take insurance. Time for change The good news: The past two years have brought a push to get better mental health coverage for those on Medicare. During the COVID-19 crisis, the federal government temporarily relaxed restrictions on receiving mental health care via telehealth. In December 2020, Congress did one better, making access to telehealth permanent. It has been a significant achievement as far as increasing access to mental health professionals, says Adcock, particularly in rural areas where there are even fewer mental health providers. Under the new law, those eligible under Medicare will be able to use telehealth for diagnosis, treatment or evaluation of mental health disorders. This includes counseling, psychotherapy and psychiatric evaluations. It also removes geographic restrictions, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive services via telehealth without having to leave their homes. There are some restrictions: For example, under some circumstances, patients must have an existing in-person relationship with the provider prior to the telehealth session such as at least one in-person visit with a provider in the previous six months. In addition, in November 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that for the first time outside of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), Medicare will pay for mental health visits furnished by Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers via telecommunications technology, including audio-only telephone calls, expanding access for rural and other vulnerable populations. And the proposed Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021, introduced in the Senate, would widen the pool of providers that can deliver mental and behavioral mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries. Currently, psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers and psychiatric nurses can do so; mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists cannot be reimbursed by Medicare for their services. The legislation would add an estimated 225,000 licensed behavioral health providers to those available to Medicare beneficiaries. Congress is taking a closer look at mental and behavioral health issues, holding several hearings in recent months to discuss barriers and improvements. According to Andrew Scholnick, senior legislative representative for AARP, policymakers realize that the lack of access and coverage for mental health services is an ongoing problem, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated unmet mental health needs and highlighted the continuing struggle that individuals face in accessing timely, quality mental health care services. President Biden has vowed to make mental health a priority, presenting a strategy that would build upon changes in progress. As part of his proposal, the president pledged to expand the availability of community-based mental health services for example, extending funding to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), which deliver mental health and substance use care regardless of patients ability to pay. And, in an effort alleviate the shortage of mental health care providers, the presidents proposal includes nearly $700 million to provide training, including access to scholarships and loans, to mental health and substance use disorder clinicians who practice in underserved communities. The proposal needs to be passed as actual legislation, but mental health advocates are buoyed by this high-profile acknowledgment that the country is facing a mental health crisis and that the system to address it needs fixing. Physical health needs have been prioritized, Gunja notes. Now its time for mental health. Barbara Stepko is a longtime health and lifestyle writer, and a former editor at Womens Health and InStyle. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and Parade and other national magazines. Tennesseans age 50-plus show widespread backing for policies that support family caregivers, help people age in place, improve remote health care, and ensure quality at long-term care facilities, new research shows. An AARP phone survey of about 1,000 voters in the state conducted in late 2021 revealed deep concerns on these issues amplified for many by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For long-term care, 81% of respondents said they'd rather stay at home with some form of support than move to a nursing home. To that end, a large majority of Tennessee voters favor more services and funding to enable living in the community as long as possible, AARP finds. The survey results also reflect an awareness of the toll that unpaid family caregiving can have on people caring for a loved one and the need for more sustainable supports. About half of family caregivers in Tennessee who are age 50 and older also hold down a job. Nearly three out of four respondents say their responsibilities have caused emotional stress. And one in three say they've experienced financial strain from caregiving, with transportation by far the most commonly cited expense. While 37% of caregivers spent more time caring for their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic, 61% said the role was also more emotionally draining than usual. Women are more likely to have ever been caregivers (53%) than men (35%) and report more stress than male caregivers. Recognizing the challenges of caregiving, 81% of Tennessee voters surveyed indicate they support policies that require employers to provide limited unpaid leave to employee caregivers and prohibit their firing for taking time off. Another 73% were in favor of paid leave for family caregivers. The AARP survey shows that most Tennesseans age 50-plus support proposals that increase funding for programs that offer respite care so caregivers can take a break from their responsibilities. Quality care at nursing homes proved to be an important issue almost universally, with 97% of respondents considering it extremely or very important that facility residents receive such care. About three-quarters feel strongly about having a task force to evaluate and make recommendations about quality care, AARP reports. Another 89% favor more money for the ombudsman program that investigates complaints in long-term care facilities, and 90% of Tennessee voters believe long-term care facility workers should receive a living wage. Those policies received more support among Democrats than Republicans or independents. The AARP poll in Tennessee also touched on views about technology, finding that about half (53%) of respondents feel extremely or very comfortable with technology and one-quarter (24%) feel somewhat comfortable. Ease with tech varied by age. While 66% of those ages 50 to 64 feel extremely or very comfortable with technology, just 39% of those age 65 and older feel the same. Still, most older adults are active online with eight in ten respondents reporting they have access to the internet at home. As for technology and health care, the AARP survey revealed bipartisan support on policies for virtual visitation in nursing homes, telehealth services for medical care, and funding for technology to ensure that patient information remains secure. Methodology The AARP research was conducted October 20November 9, 2021. The sample, provided by Aristotle International, was of voters ages 50-plus registered to vote in Tennessee. Landlines and cell phones were used to contact 1,001 people and the data were weighted by age and gender. For more information, please contact Laura Mehegan at lmehegan@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org. Suggested citation: Mehegan, Laura. 2021 Tennessee Long-Term Care Survey. Washington, DC: AARP Research, March 2022. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00527.001 HARTFORD Connecticut lawmakers voted Wednesday to make it easier to vote by absentee ballot - a controversial issue among some legislators. Lawmakers battled over the difference in the law between the words sickness' and illness,' saying that the broader definition of the term sickness' could relate to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to obtain an absentee ballot. Advertisement After a one-hour debate, the bipartisan measure passed in the state House of Representatives by 126 to 16 on largely party lines as 16 conservative Republicans voted against the bill. While Democrats said the measure was a good-government step to help voters, some Republicans had a sharply different view. Advertisement Its an opportunity to do back-door, no-excuse absentee voting,' said Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, the ranking House Republican on the committee overseeing elections. This issue should not be a partisan issue. It should be bipartisan. Elections are what holds us, as elected officials, accountable.' But Rep. Daniel Fox, a Stamford Democrat, stressed that Wednesdays bill was different from no excuses' absentee voting, which is a separate issue that will be decided by a constitutional amendment that could potentially reach the voters in 2024. The measure is also different from early voting,' which is another constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot this November. Fox said the change was needed because the current statute is more restrictive than the language in the state constitution. Lawmakers were trying to match the wording in the law and the constitution. The measure now goes to the Senate, which could vote as early as next week. House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford gave an example of a person caring for their sick, elderly mother who did not want to go to the polls because potentially catching COVID could endanger the person youre caring for. The person might not personally have an illness at the time, but they would be concerned about the sickness' of the broader problem of the pandemic that could endanger the elderly relative after returning to her home. Lets be honest. If an 88-year-old woman voted by absentee ballot because she just said, You know, thats what Im going to do, Ritter said. Do I think theyd be prosecuted for a felony? I do not. I think weve all got to be realistic about that. Republicans were strongly opposed to the move during the pandemic by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, who sent out 1.2 million absentee ballot applications to all voters, including those who did not request it. Many applications were returned by the postal service because some voters had moved or died. They came to people who had been deceased for years,' said Rep. Terry Wood, a Darien Republican who is running for Secretary of the State. Advertisement Mastrofrancesco said she believes the situation is still not clear. Who is covered by sickness? Is it anybody? Is it your neighbor?' Mastrofrancesco asked. Sickness is a broad term. ... Its very confusing. Nobody really understands it.' Referring to a Connecticut Supreme Court ruling on the issue, she said, Quite honestly, I think they got it wrong. ... It opens up the door for ballot harvesting.' Mastrofrancesco offered an amendment to help clean up the process of voting by absentee ballot' and prevent the Secretary of the State in the future from mailing unsolicited ballot applications to anyone. Instead, a voter would need to specifically request the application. Fox responded by saying that Merrills move was a one-time venture and questioned whether the state had the money for such an effort in the future. The Republican amendment was rejected, 93-50, on strict party lines with 8 lawmakers absent. Every single time we do it, we get shot down,' Mastrofrancesco said after the vote. Its always no, no, no.' Advertisement Ritter said Connecticut was moving forward at a time when some other states have been trying to restrict voting. Were proud to lead,' Ritter told reporters in his Capitol office. All were doing is taking the language from the constitution and putting it in statute. ... This will be permanent.' Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com A US Border Patrol vehicle sits along the US-Mexico border between New Mexico and Chihuahua state in December 2021 in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The Biden administration is preparing for the potential of mass migration to the US-Mexico border when a Trump-era pandemic emergency rule ends, according to three sources familiar with discussions. The "People's Convoy" is one of the several trucker-led protests happening across the country right now. They claim their freedoms are being run over by COVID-19 mandates and mitigations. All of these truckers are working to make their way to Washington D.C. by this weekend. Appendix 3 and Half yearly report Sydney, Mar 16, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - GoConnect Limited's ( NSX:GO8 ) primary corporate objective is to establish the Company as a strategic investor in a number of businesses that will contribute to the health of the global environment and health of humanity. Accordingly the Company co-founded Go Green Holdings Ltd ("GGH") in 2015 to actively manage a portfolio of businesses including: plant based protein production and marketing through Natures Food Company Ltd and Natures Inspired Food Services Pty Ltd, development of its Augmented Reality (AR) hologram chat technology, repurposing antiviral and anti-inflammatory treatment for Coovid-19 and other pulmonary diseases through investment by GGH in Covirix Medical Pty Ltd, and product representation and brand ambassadorship sales.During 2021, the Company worked closely with its legal advisor and the NSX to achieve the listing of the Company's shares on the NSX. After over 5 years of absence in the trading of the Company's shares on the Australian stock exchange, the Company was officially approved to list its shares on the NSX as an investment company on 31 December 2021. The NSX listing has assisted the Company to complete a critical step to be established as a strategic investment company. Growth in enterprise value of the Company in the next 12 months is expected be organic though management will continue to look for M&A opportunities to add to growth. Since commencement of trading on the NSX on 5 January 2022, the Company's shares, trading under ticker symbol GO8, have traded well in terms of liquidity and market depth with support from a number of brokers.From GGH's celebrity product endorsement and representation, GGH has gained a crypto investment of 40,000 Zucoins valued at $4 million at the current offered price by Zucoins of $100 per Zucoins. An additional 80,000 Zucoins are owned by Covirix Medical with a value of $8 million at the current Zucoins offered price. The Zucoins value will not be brought to the accounts of the Group until realized into cash.GGH's development of Augmented Reality (AR) Hologram Chat technology (80% owned by GGH), is a unique communication platform being developed for the Metaverse. The technology will progress to development in 2023 on smart glasses.Business development at Covirix Medical has been intense in the past 2 years. The spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant globally since the December 2021 quarter has given the Covirix Medical team an even greater sense of urgency to deliver. Covirix Medical has discovered a class of antiviral drugs that have shown effectiveness against all variants of SARS CoV-2 due to their particular mechanism of action. The positive results are based on a series of virology tests initiated by the company. Provisional patents have been filed for 12 drug candidates. Human clinical trials have been planned to take place in the Indian subcontinent in the coming months. Covirix Medical has also entered into a sole distribution agency agreement for Australia and New Zealand for a US company DiaCarta Inc that specializes in diagnostic solutions including Covid PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs). The RAT has already received the EC marking approval from the EU regulator. TGA registration for Australian sales is currently being processed for the RAT. Covirix Medical may well be able to generate early cash flow from RAT sales. Australian demand for RATs is likely to remain strong at least for the next 12 months. To cover the population of Australia with one RAT per person per week will require supply of over 1.35 billion RATs. Reported supply secured to date by the various Australian governments is only a fraction of this expected demand. Covirix Medical can secure significant quantity of RATs for Australia in the near term from its US supplier.Each of GGH's businesses and investments has significant growth prospects and can be expected to generate substantial enterprise value for the Company and GGH ("the Company Group").Currently the Company is the only listed entity within the Group sitting at the top of the Company Group corporate structure. The Company Group is nevertheless planning to seek separate listing for Covirix Medical and the plant based meat business during the next 12 months.The financial management policy of the Company is to achieve a debt free balance sheet within the next 12 months. The Company currently holds 43.72% of the issued shares of GGH which, at the recently privately traded price of $1 per share, values the Company's marketable interest in GGH at $96.174 million, equivalent to 9.09 cents per the Company's share on issue.This value has not been included or reflected in the audited accounts of the Company, in compliance with Australian Accounting Standards. However, over $4 million GGH shares offered by the Company have been invested by professional and overseas investors since 2015. The value of GGH shares will ultimately be dependent on the underlying fundamental value of its portfolio of businesses and investments. Management of the Group has set the goal to continue to improve the enterprise value of these businesses and investments.About GoConnect Limited GoConnect Limited (NSX:GO8) has been established since August 1999 as a media communications company. Since 1999 and until 2015 when it co-founded Go Green Holdings, its core business specialised in the online delivery of interactive audio and video contents via its unique and proprietary technology. Since 2015, GoConnect has transformed itself to an active investment company developing businesses that can leverage on the Company's expertise and long experience in communications technology and marketing. Copper - Zinc found in Rock Chip Samples at Mt Monger South Perth, Mar 17, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Monger Gold Limited ( ASX:MMG ) is pleased to announce further assay results from follow-up rock-chip sampling on tenement P26/4106 (fig. 2*), located within the 17.7km2 Mt Monger South Project (MSP).Highlights:- Rock-chip sample assay results from the Ben Nevis Prospect at Mt Monger South include:o Copper 3,870ppm, Zinc 2,623ppm and 44% Iron in the best sampleo Copper 1,892ppm, Zinc 1,399ppm and 36% Iron in a second sampleo A total of ten samples with average Copper grade of 1,012ppm- Anomaly now extends over 50m within a broader prospective zone of 5km of continuous strike.- This previously under explored area is being interpreted as a potential zone of copper and zinc VMS style mineralisation- Geochemical sampling program is being planned for Q2 2022 with samples to utilise CSIRO Ultrafine+ fraction soil technique.This campaign was designed to follow up MMG's 2021 discovery of one anomalous rock chip sample (MMS0015) from a gossan sub-crop, assaying 31% iron with multielement assays of copper 0.26%, zinc 0.22%, nickel 462ppm, cobalt 287ppm, bismuth 32ppm and tellurium 28ppm (ASX Release 17 Jan 2022 - "Mt Monger South Geological Mapping Program Completed"). Ten additional samples were taken from a stratigraphic horizon along strike, extending the anomaly to over 50m (fig. 1; table 1*).Monger Gold's Non-Executive Chairman, Peretz Schapiro commented, "Since the company's foundation we have committed to methodically exploring our tenements in order to grow the company through exploration. These results announced today from the Ben Nevis Prospect illustrate that this process is paying off, with our geological team recognising a new and exciting copper and zinc mineralisation geological model.Importantly, these metal commodities have previously not been explored before on these tenements, hence provide our company with "blue sky" potential at Mt Monger South. We will now move onto more intensive and targeted exploration works such as EM geophysics, which we anticipate will help define drill targets.The early-stage nature of the Mt Monger South Project slots in nicely with our more advanced gold prospects at Mt Monger North, providing us with projects at different stages in the exploration and development pipeline.We look forward to announcing further exploration results from Mt Monger South".The gossans found are highly ferruginous rocks that are oxidation products of weathering and leaching of sulphide bodies. Localised secondary copper staining (green) around ball-like textures in both massive and vein forms are pseudomorphs of pyrite within a ferruginous siliceous layer lodged between two distinct contacts in the Mount Monger Sill. Host rocks are basalt with intercalated meta-pelite, quartzite and chert sediments. The north-western boundary of the ferruginous zone comprises anthophyllite and in the south is bounded by leucogabbro. This horizon has been overlooked by previous explorers as a potential zone of copper and zinc VMS style mineralisation. The zone is interpreted to be a sediment-starved basalt flow, with high copper and zinc, and low lead. There are no historic workings or work done on this newly identified mineralisation. On MMG's tenements there is a significant continuous strike of 5km of a prospective stratigraphic horizon, with copper values increasing towards the southwest. The Mount Monger Sills are correlated with the Kambalda Sequence stratigraphic youngest mafic unit, the Paringa Basalt, that both belong to the High-Th siliceous basalt group (fig. 2). In this area the sill contains a significant ultramafic component suggesting considerable sill differentiation. There are large aerial magnetic data highs 150m to the north of the anomaly, with small low tenor bulls-eye highs directly beneath the zone of interest. Planning is being undertaken with Southern Geoscience Consultants for a Moving Loop EM survey to test if a sulphide body is associated in fresh rock beneath this large gossan.MMG is planning a geochemical sampling program in the first half 2022 with the geological mapping program having identified prospective areas. Samples from the geochemical program will utilise the CSIRO Ultrafine+ fraction soil technique (MMG announcement 11 August 2021 - "Monger Gold signs Agreement with CSIRO for enhanced exploration"). CSIRO spatial data analytics with the supplemental UFF+ sample data like particle sizing will be effective at separating out different regolith types.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Monger Gold Ltd With an enterprise value AUD $1m and AUD $5m in funding, Monger Gold Limited's (ASX:MMG) intention is to generate value for shareholders by directing funds raised by the Offer into targeted and systematic exploration of our Projects, resulting in the definition of one or more JORC compliant gold and nickel resources. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Detectives charged two men in the 2019 fatal shooting of a local guitar prodigy at an apartment on Albuquerques West Side. Rebecca Atkins, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said Gilbert Salazar, 19, and Jose Marquez, 24, are each charged with an open count of murder in the October 2019 death of 20-year-old DeAndre Garcia. Garcia made local news at 13 when he was gifted a handcrafted Pimentel and Sons guitar during a concert. He spent the next several years composing music and traveling the world to play in competitions. Salazar was arrested Tuesday during a traffic stop and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. Marquez is behind bars at the Wyandotte County Detention Center in Kansas City, Kansas. It is unclear if either man has an attorney. Salazar was identified as the prime suspect within a month of Garcias death but the case was left unsolved when the detective left the homicide unit, according to court records. It was reassigned in May 2021 to a new detective and police seized evidence tying Salazar to the shooting before Marquez confirmed their involvement. The arrest was more than a year in the making. In 2019, police responded around 4:30 p.m. to reports of a shooting at the Eagle Ranch Apartments, near Eagle Ranch and Paseo del Norte, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metro Court. Officers found Garcia on the floor of an apartment, dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. The apartment door was full of bullet holes and the woman who owned the place told detectives her ex-boyfriend, Salazar, was responsible. The woman told police Salazar and another man had chased her from the parking lot and shot through the door, striking Garcia, after she slammed it. The woman said Salazar had been threatening her for months and she filed multiple police reports, including when he showed up to her door with a gun and shot up her car, according to the complaint. She told police Salazar texted her two days before Garcias death threatening to kill her and police found a message from Salazar: Its war (expletive) with a gun and exploding head emoji. Police said detectives went to Valley High School in November 2019 to talk to Salazar but he ran from them after they seized his phone. The detective left the homicide unit soon after and another detective was handed the case in May 2021. Police used new technology to unlock Salazars phone, tracking it to the scene of the shooting when Garcia was killed, according to the complaint. On Feb. 11, detectives traveled to Kansas to speak with Marquez and he told them he went with Salazar to the West Side apartment and they both shot through the front door. He said they went into the apartment briefly and Garcia, who was covered in blood, handed Marquez his wallet. Marquez told police Salazar left the apartments without him, leaving him to hide in a culvert, and later laughed at him about the incident. He told police he stopped talking with Salazar after that and moved back to Kansas in July 2020. Gov. Ned Lamont spoke in favor of Senate Bill No. 16, an omnibus criminal justice measure, in Waterbury on Wednesday. (Eliza Fawcett) Gov. Ned Lamont, state officials and city leaders championed on Wednesday a proposed bill, currently under consideration by the Judiciary Committee, that would address gun violence in Connecticut by supporting community intervention programs and expanding the authority of law enforcement. Its about crime but its also about the incredible disconnect of the last couple years, Lamont said in the gymnasium of the Waterbury Police Activity League, describing efforts to combat gun violence, which has increased in Connecticut over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Senate Bill No. 16 is part of a suite of proposals aimed at improving Connecticuts juvenile justice system and addressing crime across the state, spurred in large part by a spike in gun violence in many cities in recent years and a string of car thefts that drew statewide attention last summer. The omnibus criminal justice measure, proposed by Lamont, would expand funding for evidence-based prevention and intervention programs, as well as tighten gun control in the state, including by requiring owners of guns without serial numbers to register them. More controversially, the bill would give police access to the arrest records of cases involving juveniles from the past 90 days; permit the police to detain, in certain cases, a juvenile for up to eight hours (up from the current limit of six hours); and put children arrested for auto theft under electronic monitoring if they had a previous offense. Advertisement [ Connecticut lawmakers weigh bills to address crimes committed by children and teens ] James C. Rovella, commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, described the legislation on Wednesday as among the most comprehensive measures he had seen in more than four decades in law enforcement. Theres something in this bill for everybody, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo Jr. said, highlighting the bills provisions to support law-enforcement efforts to track down illegally-held guns. While Senate Bill No. 16 was roundly applauded in Waterbury, it has also received criticism during recent public hearings. The ACLU of Connecticut voiced strong opposition to the measure earlier this week, arguing that extending the length of juvenile detention is unnecessary and does not address the underlying causes of juvenile crime and that electronic monitoring does not lower incarceration rates, it is not rehabilitative, and it is not cost-effective. The Connecticut Justice Alliance, a statewide organization that works to end the criminalization of youth, also submitted testimony against the measure, raising concerns about a provision that makes auto theft a serious juvenile offense. Justice adviser Fernecia Smith argued that the provision would not actually deter car thefts and emphasized that Investing in preventative services and programs for our children does more positive and more justice than punishing them ever will. Violence prevention and rehabilitation workers and those with experiences of incarceration who appeared at Wednesdays event alongside Lamont voiced support for the measure. Chaz Carmon, president of Ice The Beef, a youth development organization in New Haven, Waterbury and other cities, emphasized to the crowd that reducing violence in cities across the state is a vital priority. People have been losing their lives in these neighborhoods for a long time, and finally, together, were going to stand up and say, No more, he said. Advertisement Manuel Camacho, 17, a student at Hillhouse High School in New Haven, who also works with Ice The Beef, noted that for children and youth who grow up around crime, trauma follows us everywhere we go. Another speaker, Divontaye Canady, 24, of Waterbury, described being incarcerated from age 15 until 22. I was a good kid and got caught up in some bad things, so I went to jail for seven years, he told the crowd. Eventually, Canady managed to secure his GED and when he returned home from prison, he said, Carmon, of Ice The Beef, helped him get a job. At that age, most kids would probably just give up ... but I didnt stop, he said. I wanted better for myself and my family. Eliza Fawcett can be reached at elfawcett@courant.com. I lost my 62-year-old father to COVID-19 in May of 2021, just two weeks before he would have been able to access the life-saving vaccine and meet his grandchildren. We always thought we would have more time. I am now one of the millions of COVID bereaved. Along with people now living with long COVID, we are being left behind in the rush back to normal. The nation is moving on, but its neglecting to give any meaningful space to the millions like me who are forever marked by COVID. COVID has killed at least 6 million people globally, 990,000 in the United States and 7,000 in New Mexico; experts estimate up to 60% of those infected will face long-term health issues or disability. Ive talked to hundreds of people across the country whose pain at the loss of a loved one does not show up in statistics, who never had a chance to say goodbye, have a funeral or meet with friends and family to grieve. As President Joe Biden said, to heal, we must remember. That is why we are urging our elected officials to support HR174 and SR334, which would recognize the first Monday of March (as) a COVID Memorial Day and acknowledge COVIDs tremendous death toll, disproportionate impact on low-income and Black, Indigenous and people of color communities and the sacrifices of front-line, essential and health-care workers, as well as those now living with long COVID. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., co-introduced SR334 in August 2021. There is little hope for passage without bipartisan support, but to date, all co-sponsors are Democrats. This national political divide is well-illustrated here in New Mexico. The entire congressional delegation has signed on with the exception of Rep. Yvette Herrell, our lone Republican in the House of Representatives. It is unconscionable to make a partisan issue out of our national grief and suffering, which reflects the private pain of so many Americans. COVID has divided our country, with issues such as vaccines, mask mandates and school closures ripping apart communities, families and friendships. We have to find a way to come back together. A COVID Memorial Day would provide a space set apart from politics and partisanship to unite us in our collective grief, trauma and healing. We must counteract the natural human tendency to avoid or minimize speaking about painful topics and give the nation collective permission to know what they know and feel what they feel in order to move toward a more healthy way of existing in the world. We must give words and coherence to our experience and put it into context and retain the infinite wisdom gained from our tragedy. I urge all New Mexicans to ask their elected officials to support this critical legislation and show the nation what a post-pandemic world can look like. Janeth Nunez Del Prado is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a hub leader for New Mexico Marked by COVID. Here in New Mexico, for state or national elections, we dont have to provide any identification to vote in person or to obtain an absentee ballot. I think many readers will be surprised to learn how different our election laws are from other states and nations. Per Ballotpedia, New Mexico is one of just 15 states that does not require voter ID for in-person voting. Twenty states have a photo ID requirement for in-person voting, and the remaining 15 states have nonphoto ID document requirements. For absentee voting, Ballotpedia notes there are three U.S. models: (1) automatically mail ballots to every registered voter; (2) provide absentee ballots upon request if a statutory excuse has been established and (3) provide absentee ballots to any registered voter who requests one. New Mexico is the third category. Eight states are in category No. 1, 16 states for category No. 2 and 26 states for category No. 3. Only seven states require any proof of identity when requesting an absentee ballot. What about Europe and our neighbors to the north and south? Be prepared for a shock. Of the 47 countries in Europe, a staggering 46 require government-issued photo IDs for in-person voting. The only exception is the United Kingdom, where a photo ID is required for national elections in Northern Ireland but not for Scotland, Wales and England. Both Canada and Mexico require a government-issued photo ID. Mexico goes a step farther by making its ID biometric with both photo and thumbprint. European, Canadian and Mexican absentee ballot laws are much more restrictive than ours. None automatically sends absentee ballots to all registered voters. Of the 27 nations in the European Union, only five give absentee ballots to any qualified voter who requests one. In 18 of the countries, 67%, absentee ballots are only provided to citizens living abroad. A photo ID is required to obtain an absentee ballot in 11 of the countries, 41%. A whopping 25 of the 27, 93% either do not permit people living in the country to vote absentee or require a photo ID to get an absentee ballot. In the 16 European countries that are not members of the EU, absentee ballot rules are equally tough if not tougher. Only two provide absentee ballots to any qualified voter who requests one. Fourteen of the 16 countries, 88%, provide absentee ballots only to citizens living abroad. In five of the countries, a photo ID is required to obtain an absentee ballot. All of the countries either do not allow absentee voting for people living in the country or require a photo ID to get an absentee ballot. In Canada, any eligible voter can request an absentee ballot, but a government-issued picture ID is necessary to obtain it. In Mexico, absentee ballots are only provided to citizens living abroad, and a photo ID must be shown to get it. Proponents of New Mexicos current no ID voting laws say the fact so little fraud has been uncovered is proof it is fair and honest. However, to state the obvious, in a system that does not require a government-approved photo ID to vote in-person or obtain an absentee ballot, fraud is almost impossible to prove. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Another longtime member of the Civilian Police Oversight Agency board has resigned, bringing the board back down to five members. To be fully staffed the board should have nine members. Four members resigned late last year and the City Council had recently appointed a new member. The CPOA and its board have been experiencing turmoil in recent months, and earlier this month the City Council amended the ordinance governing it. William Kass, a retired scientist who has served on the CPOA board since 2017, sent in a letter of resignation on Wednesday, saying he did so with regret. In a phone interview, Kass said the changes to the ordinance did not address the process by which city councilors select candidates to serve on the board. In his letter, Kass said he had found serving on the board to be rewarding and he believes the best way to change police culture is to build relationships with the Albuquerque Police Department, the Department of Justice, the City Council, the independent monitor overseeing the reform effort and the community. However, he said, the board has not taken its defined obligations seriously instead focusing on individual members agendas. As an example, Kass cited the boards posting of the previous executive directors job to outside applicants after giving him a satisfactory job evaluation, resisting attending an annual conference on civilian oversight of law enforcement, and more. These incidents are examples of serious board dysfunction, Kass wrote. The common theme is the apparent unwillingness of some board members to learn the basic skills and methods associated with conducting public business in general and police oversight in particular. During Marchs meeting Kass had nominated himself to be chair of the board. Another member was voted in instead. KYIV, Ukraine Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000. More than a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city and movement difficult because of shelling and other fighting, there were conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive, Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayors office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand airstrikes. Video and photos provided by the Ukrainian military showed that the at least three-story building had been reduced to a roofless shell, with some exterior walls collapsed. Other officials had said earlier that some people had gotten out. Ukraines ombudswoman, Ludmyla Denisova, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelter had held up. Satellite imagery on Monday from Maxar Technologies showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theater spelling out CHILDREN in Russian DETI to alert warplanes to those inside. Across the city, snow flurries fell around the skeletons of burned, windowless and shrapnel-scarred apartment buildings as smoke rose above the skyline. We are trying to survive somehow, said one Mariupol resident, who gave only her first name, Elena. My child is hungry. I dont know what to give him to eat. She had been trying to call her mother, who was in a town 50 miles (80 kilometers) away. I cant tell her I am alive, you understand. There is no connection, just nothing, she said. Cars, some with the Z symbol of the Russian invasion force in their windows, drove past stacks of ammunition boxes and artillery shells in a neighborhood controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Russias military denied bombing the theater or anyplace else in Mariupol on Wednesday. The strike against the theater was part of a furious bombardment of civilian sites in multiple cities over the past few days. In the northern city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed amid heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, the local governor, Viacheslav Chaus, told Ukrainian TV on Thursday. Ukraines emergency services said a mother, father and three of their children, including 3-year-old twins, were killed when a Chernihiv hostel was shelled. Civilians were hiding in basements and shelters across the embattled city of 280,000. The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction, Chaus said. Ukrainian officials said 10 people were killed Wednesday while waiting in a bread line in Chernihiv. An American man was among them, his sister said on Facebook. At least 21 people were killed when Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center before dawn in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Mayor Veniamin Sitov. The region has seen heavy bombardment in a bid by stalled Russian forces to advance. In eastern Ukraine, a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter was also hit Wednesday, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. There was no word on casualties in that strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more help for his country in a video address to German lawmakers, saying thousands of people have been killed, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol, saying: Everything is a target for them. The address began with a delay because of a technical problem caused by an attack close to where Zelenskyy was speaking, Bundestag deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt said. Zelenskyys office said Russian airstrikes hit the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. Emergency authorities in Kyiv said a fire broke out in a 16-story apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket, and one person was killed. Zelenskyy said he was thankful to U.S. President Joe Biden for additional military aid, but he would not get into specifics about the new package, saying he did not want Russia to know what to expect. He said when the invasion began on Feb. 24, Russia expected to find Ukraine much as it did in 2014, when Russia seized Crimea without a fight and backed separatists as they took control of the eastern Donbas region. Instead, he said, Ukraine had much stronger defenses than expected, and Russia didnt know what we had for defense or how we prepared to meet the blow. At a Thursday meeting of the U.N. Security Council, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO has verified 43 attacks on hospitals and health facilities, with 12 people killed and 34 injured. Tedros said disruption to hospital services now poses an extreme risk to people with serious illnesses and the lifesaving medicine we need right now is peace. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading economies accused Putin of conducting an unprovoked and shameful war, and called on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justices order to stop its attack and withdraw its forces. Russian law enforcement, meanwhile, announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be false information about the war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. One day after Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American officials were evaluating and documenting potential war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Blinken said the intentional targeting of civilians would amount to a war crime and that there will be massive consequences for any such crimes that are confirmed. Both Ukraine and Russia this week reported some progress in negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that some negotiators were breaking into working groups, but there should be contacts today. Zelenskyy said he would not reveal Ukraines negotiating tactics. Working more in silence than on television, radio or on Facebook, Zelenskyy said. I consider it the right way. While details of Thursdays talks were unknown, an official in Zelenskyys office told the AP that on Wednesday, the main subject discussed was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral military status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. The fighting has led more than 3 million people to flee Ukraine, the U.N. estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. ___ Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau, in Lviv, Ukraine, and other AP journalists around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal LOS LUNAS Police tried to coerce Leland Hust to confess to raping and killing a 6-year-old Rio Rancho girl by falsely telling him that DNA evidence linked him to the 2018 attack, his attorney told jurors Wednesday in opening statements. The allegation, made by police during an hourslong interview in 2018, caused Hust to question his own innocence in the girls death, attorney Michael Rosenfield said during the first day of Husts trial. They plant in (Husts) mind that he is the perpetrator, Rosenfield said of detectives who interviewed Hust for about six hours the day of his arrest in October 2018, about two months after the killing. Rosenfield also told jurors that another member of the household, who is a convicted sex offender, is more likely to have attacked the girl. The prosecution, citing DNA evidence, told jurors that Hust was the only household member who could have committed the crime. Attorneys for both sides made opening statements in Husts retrial on a pair of felony charges in the August 2018 rape and strangulation death of Ariana Jade Romeo in a house in Rio Rancho. In June 2021, a jury found Hust not guilty of first-degree murder in Arianas killing. Jurors deliberated 17 hours in that trial. But jurors deadlocked on charges of child abuse resulting in death and criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13. Hust now is being retried on those charges. He faces a minimum sentence of 35 years in prison if convicted of the child abuse charge. Criminal sexual penetration of a child carries a minimum sentence of 18 years. Ariana was found dead, partially clothed and bloodied on Aug. 11, 2018, in a bedroom of the Rio Rancho house she and her mother shared with Hust and others. A forensic examination found that she had been raped and strangled or smothered to death. Prosecutors allege that Hust had the best opportunity to attack Ariana while other members of the household were away or asleep. Arianas mother was working at a Rio Rancho brew pub the night of the killing and routinely returned home about 3 a.m., witnesses testified. Defense attorneys on Wednesday also disputed the value of DNA evidence collected at the crime scene, both from Arianas body and bloodstains on the bed where her body was found. Deputy District Attorney Jessica Martinez told jurors that Hust was the only member of the household who could not be excluded as a contributor to DNA evidence found at the scene. Husts attorney countered that DNA evidence did not conclusively identify Hust as the attacker. As a frequent visitor to Arianas room, Husts DNA could have been transferred to the girls body or bedding, Rosenfield said. No semen was found at the scene. Rosenfield said police overlooked an older member of the household as the likely suspect in the attack. He identified Winston Scates Sr., the owner of the house, as the likely attacker. Scates, 66, pleaded guilty in 2019 to sexual contact of a minor, a third-degree felony, for inappropriately touching a female family member. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal A New Mexico jury found two Texas men guilty of federal fraud charges for unlawfully obtaining more than $3 million in government contracts set aside for disabled veterans, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Nick Medeiros, 49, and Bobby Greaves, 62, both of San Antonio, Texas, each were found guilty of major fraud, making false statements, and conspiracy charges, court records show. The jury returned the verdict March 2 following a weeklong trial in the U.S. District Court of New Mexico. A federal indictment filed in 2018 said that Medeiros, a service-disabled veteran, relied on equipment and labor provided by his brother-in-law, Greaves, who is not a veteran, to complete 11 government contracts in New Mexico and Texas. Those projects included a $1.9 million contract to build the Drop Zone cybercafe at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, according to the indictment. In all, the two men submitted invoices to the U.S. Air Force valued at about $3.2 million from September 2012 through February 2016, the indictment said. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal A sister of the man accused in the fatal shooting of Jacqueline Vigil in her West Side Albuquerque driveway in 2019 has pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm to further a drug-trafficking crime. Elizabeth Talamantes, 40, had been investigated by an FBI-led team in the alleged cover-up after the slaying, and was identified as helping her brother, Luis Talamantes-Romero, flee New Mexico to San Antonio, Texas, after Vigil was fatally shot Nov. 19, 2019. The mother of two New Mexico State Police officers, Vigil was shot through her drivers side window as she tried to leave her home for the gym in a crime authorities described as senseless. Investigators believe Talamantes-Romero and another man were lurking in Vigils neighborhood, looking for vehicles to burglarize, before dawn that morning. Vigil attempted to back her Cadillac out of her driveway, but was blocked by a Jeep Cherokee that had pulled up behind her. Elizabeth Talamantes later told Albuquerque homicide detectives that she owned the Jeep and her brother had been driving it since he returned to the United States from Mexico after being deported in 2019. She was seen in a selfie photo with her brother and another woman allegedly driving to Texas in the days after the killing, according to an FBI affidavit. As part of the murder investigation, FBI agents executed a search warrant on her home in August 2020 in Albuquerque, and found two Glock pistols and a quantity of methamphetamine. A total of eight people allegedly in Talamantes-Romeros inner circle were arrested as part of what investigators labeled a larger conspiracy involving drugs and guns, according to federal records. On Wednesday, Talamantes pleaded guilty to one of the seven counts that resulted from her arrest on federal charges after the search. She faces a minimum of five years in federal prison at sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled, and deportation to Mexico after she serves her sentence. Meanwhile, her brother remains jailed on first-degree murder and other state charges in Albuquerque related to Vigils death. He was picked up in Texas after APD received a Crime Stoppers tip. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden set out to finally complete the pivot to Asia, a long-sought adjustment of U.S. foreign policy to better reflect the rise of Americas most significant military and economic competitor: China. But Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine has made that vexing move even more complicated. Chinas government has vacillated between full embrace and more measured responses as Russian President Vladimir Putin prosecutes his war, making the decisions for Biden far more layered. Biden and Chinas Xi Jinping are scheduled to speak by phone on Friday, a conversation that the White House says will center on managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russias war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern. The Biden administration is left needing to focus east and west at the same time, balancing not simply economic imperatives but military ones as well. Its difficult. Its expensive, Kurt Campbell, the coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the White House National Security Council, said during a recent forum of maintaining a high-level U.S. focus in two regions. But its also essential, and I believe were entering a period where thats what will be required of the United States and of this generation of Americans. Biden has been deeply invested in rallying NATO and Western allies to respond to Russia with crippling sanctions, supplying an overmatched Ukraine military with $2 billion in military assistance including $800 million in new aid announced Wednesday and addressing a growing humanitarian crisis. Eastern flank NATO allies, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, have made clear to the Biden administration that they want the U.S. to increase its military presence in the region and do more to address the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. More than 3 million Ukrainian refugees have fled their country in recent weeks. Though the war in Ukraine has dominated Bidens focus of late, White House officials insist they havent lost sight of China and are watching intently to see how Xi decides to play his hand. In recent months, Biden has announced the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia and raised the profile of the Indo-Pacific security dialogue known as the Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the United States). Hes also called out China for military provocations against Taiwan, human rights abuses against ethnic minorities and efforts to squelch pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong. Bidens national security team was somewhat surprised that Pacific partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea moved so quickly to hit Russia with sanctions following the invasion, according to a U.S. official familiar with the administrations thinking. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about private discussions, said there was a recognition among the Pacific allies that Beijing is watching how the world responds to Russia as China calculates how aggressive it can be with its smaller neighbors in the region. In backing sanctions, the Pacific nations were trying to send a message to Xi as well as Putin, the official added. From the first days of his presidency, Biden has said the aims of his China policy are to find ways to cooperate with Beijing on issues of mutual interest such as stopping North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and coaxing Tehran to return to the Iran nuclear deal with the U.S., China, Russia and other world powers and to avoid confrontation. To that end, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met earlier this week for an intense, seven-hour talk about the Russian invasion and other issues. They spent part of their time together discussing North Koreas recent intercontinental missile tests. Still, Beijings approach to the Russian invasion is causing Washington concern. The White House has made clear to Beijing that throwing a lifeline to Russias collapsing economy or assisting its bruised military would be hazardous to a country that sees itself as the next great world power. The White House has not publicly specified what actions it would take should China assist Russia. We dont need China to be with us. We just need them not to be against us, said Frank Jannuzi, president of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, which focuses on U.S.-Asia relations. Xi and Putin met in early February, weeks before the invasion, with the Russian leader traveling to Beijing for the start of the Winter Olympics. During Putins visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless friendship. In the days after Putin ordered the invasion, Xis government tried to distance itself from Russias offensive but avoided criticizing Moscow. The government has offered to act as mediator and denounced trade and financial sanctions against Russia. At other moments, Beijings actions have been provocative. Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian echoed unsubstantiated Russian claims that there were 26 bio-labs and related facilities in Ukraine in which the U.S. Department of Defense has absolute control. The United Nations has said it has received no information backing up such accusations. White House press secretary Jen Psaki took to Twitter to charge that the Russian claim was preposterous and could be part of an attempt by Russia to lay the groundwork for its own use of such weapons of mass destruction against Ukraine. She also blamed China for having seemingly endorsed this propaganda. Xis government has also sought to use the conflict to accentuate Chinese ascendency and the decline of the West. But China has its own internal troubles, including a major economic slowdown, difficulties that sanctions against Russia could make worse. The Ukraine war has proceeded in ways China did not expect and the war is not conducive to Chinas rise or development, said Xiong Zhiyong, professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University. Still, concerns that China could come to Russias aid have only deepened at the White House in recent days. On the same day of the Sullivan-Yang meeting, the U.S. informed Asian and European allies that American intelligence had determined that China had signaled to Russia that it would be willing to provide both military support for the campaign in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West. White House officials said Sullivan made clear there would be severe consequences should China assist Russia. Ryan Hass, who served as China, Taiwan and Mongolia director at the NSC during the Obama administration, said Beijing faces a momentous decision on whether to aid Russia. If Xi decides to do that, Its hard for me to see how the path remains open for China to maintain non-hostile relations with the United States and others in the West, Hass said. At the White House, Psaki has said any country doing business with Russia should think about where you want to stand when the history books are written on this moment in time. ___ Associated Press researcher Yu Bing contributed to this report from Beijing. Being naturally inquisitive, dogs here in the Southwest can be in constant danger of potentially fatal encounters with rattlesnakes. The reason dogs get bit by snakes is theyre curious, said Terry Chandler, a dog trainer who travels the region providing dog avoidance clinics to keep canines safe from rattlesnakes. It looks different and it smells different. It acts different. So they want to see what it is and they stick their nose up to it to try and sniff it and they get bit. Chandler will be giving several training sessions in both Santa Fe and Rio Rancho to provide dog owners with some snake safety. Tom Mauter of the Central New Mexico Brittany Club, first booked Chandler, owner of Rugerheim Kennels in Las Cruces, in 2014 after he discovered several snakes on his property in Eldorado. I had two adult rattlers come into the courtyard together, he said. I had never seen a rattlesnake in my courtyard before but that got me focused. Since then, Ive had two more in the courtyard. I discovered rattlesnakes make house calls in Eldorado. Mauter found Chandler, who has been successfully running rattlesnake avoidance clinics for nearly three decades. Chandler, who owns competition-level German shorthaired pointers, said he needed to find a solution to his dogs getting bit. We would have one or two dogs every year that would get bit by rattlesnakes, he said. And when that happened, if the dog survived and sometimes they didnt it usually rendered them unable to compete anymore. Chandler decided there had to be a way to remove the inherent curiosity. We needed to develop a method to teach dogs to stay away from rattlesnakes, he said. We tried every method that we could imagine without using rattlesnakes because Im terrified of rattlesnakes. We tried bull snakes and various different constrictors. It worked in that the dogs wouldnt get near a bull snake or that kind of snake, but the first time theyd come up to a rattlesnake theyd come up to it and get bit. The next choice was using dead rattlesnakes. And that still didnt work. Id find snakes that were hit by cars on the side of the road and other dead rattlesnakes because I didnt want to handle. But if they came up to a live one, they would go up to it. So then we tried putting snakes in cages, hiding a cage in a bush. That didnt work. It worked if they found a snake in a cage hiding in a bush. Chandler finally came to the realization that he would have to use live rattlesnakes that had been neutralized and rendered nonvenomous. In the training sessions, dogs, wearing shock collars, are walked around and when the dog gets bit, we also give it a mild shock and the dog thinks the snake did it, Chandler said. So with snake avoidance, we remove the curiosity and replace it with fear. After dogs have gone through the clinic, they want to avoid rattlesnakes, stay away from them at all costs. With a superior sense of sight, smell and hearing, dogs are far more likely to first sense a snake than a human, he said, adding hes gotten numerous responses from trainees how their dogs saved someone from being bitten. What we do in the clinic is we do the initial stimulation, then take the dog back and let them relax, and move the snake to another location and retest the dog, Chandler said. I get the owners to pay very close attention to behavior pattern of the dog. I tell them this dog will save your life if you pay attention to it. Sometimes the dog will bark if theres a snake or will change their position of heeling or turn and run with their ears down indicating theyre scared. Once you see that response in a clinic, you can identify it. NEW YORK Theyre pouring out vodka, boycotting Russian restaurants and even leaving threatening voicemail messages at Russian businesses. Angered by the deadly violence and the humanitarian crisis resulting from Russias war on Ukraine, some Americans are taking it out on Russian businesses and brands in the U.S. or anything that sounds Russian. Business owners and experts say its the most intense anti-Russian sentiment theyve seen. They also call the behavior irrational and misplaced, especially when so many owners are denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion and supporting Ukraine, not to mention the fact that some are not even Russian. Olga Sagan, the owner of Russian bakery Piroshky Piroshky in Seattle, which has offered handcrafted Russian pastries since 1992, described a recent call from someone threatening a terrorist attack on her store. But Sagan immigrated from Russia in 1999 and is an American citizen. Of her 60 staff members, she is the only one from Russia; three others are from Ukraine. People make fun of Russians we drink vodka, Sagan said. But never, ever anything like this. It make me feel very sad. I understand peoples emotions and how strong they are about the situation, and I truly appreciate it because I have strong emotions. But most Russian people are against (the war). To clarify their position and placate customers, many business owners have posted Ukrainian signs on their doors or have turned to social media to pledge their support for Ukraine and condemn Russias actions. Some restaurants are scrubbing any Russian references off their menu. Even Ukrainians have been caught up in the backlash. Alan Aguichev, 26, opened a restaurant in Manhattan two years ago with his mother, Svetlana Sveta Savchitz, who was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine. They named their restaurant Sveta and advertised it as an Eastern European and Russian eatery a description that was intended to help people easily understand the food but now draws unwanted attention. Aguichev, who was born in the U.S., said he has received emails from people using expletives about Russia, and telling the business owners to go back home. The owners have since removed references to Russia from the restaurants menu. Her two blood sisters are hiding under a bunker, Aguichev said of his mothers family. And then she gets these nasty phone calls saying, youre not Ukrainian, youre Russian. Thats terrible. Aguichev notes that many others have been supportive of him and his mother but it shouldnt matter even if either of them were Russian because many of his Russians friends also dont want this war. Its just one man who wants to do this, and thats President Putin, he said. Its not only affecting Ukrainian lives its affecting Russian lives as well. Moscow on the Hudson, a specialty store that sells Russian, Ukrainian and other international products about nine miles north of Sveta, has also received calls from people cursing out Russia and requesting that the store owners ask Putin to stop the war. I was like good luck with that, said Gleb Gavrilov, who is Russian, Polish and Greek and runs the store with his mother. I just hung up. Gavrilov said he used to sell Putin magnets, and even nesting dolls that feature the Russian president as well as former U.S. President Donald Trump, because some Americans liked the products. But he stashed them away when the war started, thinking they might have more value in the future. He also doesnt want to be seen as aligned with Putin. Im not really with him, Gavrilov said. I just sell the stuff, and it sells good. Sarah E. Mendelson, the head of Carnegie Mellons Heinz College in Washington and a longtime expert on Russia, said she cant recall such intense anti-Russian backlash translating into people protesting restaurants or products, even after Russias bombing campaigns in Syria and its invasion of Crimea in 2014. Mendelson noted that the constant barrage of real-time images of Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country has created a groundswell of emotions but the boycotts themselves are hurting emigrants who fled Russia as well as Ukrainians. Its an emotional response its not actually a rational response, she said. People ought to take the time to figure out whats going on. Consumer anger has been misdirected in the past. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many Middle Eastern businesses suffered when customers aimed their hostility at them. In the years since, social media has made it easier for people to protest and organize boycotts via hashtags but the lack of context also makes it easier to get things wrong. Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a New York-based brand loyalty research consultancy, noted that a recent poll of 1,200 U.S. shoppers found 84% on a bipartisan basis indicated they would boycott Russian brands as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Still, only 8% of them could correctly name any Russian consumer brands without being assisted. Its a nice sentiment, but problematic, Passikoff said. The reality is there arent many well-known Russian brands readily evident in American stores. One product that became an easy but misguided target of consumer angst was Stolichnaya, a vodka brand incorrectly linked with Russia. Stoli, the brands better-known nickname and now official name, is actually made in Latvia and the parent company is based in Luxembourg. Its owner, Russian-born tycoon Yuri Shefler, left Russia in 2002 and hasnt been back since. Damian McKinney, CEO of the Stoli Group, was horrified to see people posting videos on social media of bartenders pouring the drink down the drain and stores dropping it from shelves. To counteract, McKinney said the company let its distributors and retailers know that it was against Russias invasion and that it supported Ukraine, as well as pointing out its true roots. McKinney said that sales globally took a hit for seven days, but business has rebounded to higher than normal levels. Its also marketing the vodka bottles with pro-Ukranian messages. Whether a Russian brand or not, McKinney said companies must choose a side. We have been tested. As soon as that invasion occurred, you got to stand up and to be counted, he said. I have Russians on the team. You have to decide which side youre on. But some just want to stay neutral at least publicly. Tigran Elchyan, chef and owner of Kalinka Russian Cuisine, a restaurant in Glendale, California, said he has received threatening calls a couple of times a week since the war in Ukraine started. Business is down about 20%. Elchyan is Armenian-born, and his restaurant highlights food not only from Russia but from his native country as well as former Soviet Union countries like Georgia and Kazakhstan. Most of his staff are from the Russian region. But Elchyan said he wants to stay out of politics. Russians and Ukrainians are sitting next together and eating the food, he said. Its all about the food. Its not political. We are here for peace everywhere. ____ Follow Anne DInnocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio Follow Haleluya Hadero: http://twitter.com/masayett Pastor Rodney Wade, of Long Hill Bible Church in Waterbury, leads a prayer circle for essential workers Wednesday, May 16, in the Capitol rotunda. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant) Religious leaders gathered in the ornate rotunda at the state Capitol Wednesday to pray for hero pay for essential workers who continued to work as COVID-19 raged. We believe in the power of prayer, and we wanted to lend our voices as clergy to the fight for hero pay, said The Rev. Josh Pawelek of the Unitarian Universalist Society in Manchester. Advertisement In a state flush with American rescue dollars and its own rainy-day fund, it is raining, Pawelek said. And for essential workers, its not just been raining, its been flooding. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would use part of the states COVID-19 relief funds to provide hero pay to private-sector essential workers. Last year, legislators set aside $22.5 million for hazard pay for essential state employees and members of the Connecticut National Guard, but non-government workers were not included. Advertisement Bishop John Selders of Amistad Church of Christ in Hartford and the Moral Monday movement said restaurant workers, nursing assistants, security guards and other low-wage essential employees also deserve the extra pay. Its important for us to say to Gov. [Ned] Lamont and the General Assembly that these are heroes, too, he said. Labor unions and Democrats in the state Senate support the push to expand the list of essential employees eligible for hero pay. The legislatures labor committee held a hearing earlier this month on the proposal, which would provide all full-time essential workers with a one-time payment of $2,000. Louis Morales, a home health care worker from Bristol, recalled the anxiety of going into clients homes during the height of the pandemic. You were taking a risk for yourself and for your family and also taking a risk that you could be the one passing it on to someone else,' he said. Calling us heroes does nothing for us. Pastor Rodney Wade, of Long Hill Bible Church in Waterbury, said bringing prayer to the seat of state government sends an important message. We believe that prayer is an essential part of our faith walk, he said. It is through prayer that we cause the impossible to become possible. This is why we are gathering to ask our creator to help us in this fight, to give us the moral strength to stand up for essential workers who stood up for us throughout the pandemic. This bill goes beyond signs and platitudes and supports the workers in a real tangible way. Daniela Altimari can be reached at daltimari@courant.com. SANTA FE, N.M. An elected official in New Mexico who helped found the group Cowboys for Trump is headed to trial in Washington next week on a charge related to the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He plans to show up for court on horseback in a defiant show of support for former President Donald Trump. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has been charged with knowingly entering restricted areas of Capitol grounds, one of hundreds of pro-Trump supporters facing charges for disrupting the certification of Joe Bidens 2020 presidential win. His trial will be the second among the hundreds of people arrested in the riot. Hes one of at least 10 people charged in the riot who either held public office or ran for a government leadership post in the two and a half years before the attack. They include candidates for mayor in west Texas, city council in Kansas and West Virginia, county commission in Washington state, congressional seats in Florida and statehouses in Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia. Another Jan. 6 defendant is running this year for a congressional seat in New Hampshire. Seven of the 10 defendants were accused of entering the Capitol building, and at least five had expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the presidential election. False claims about election security have become prevalent in Republican circles, and the outcome of Griffins trial could create political problems for other elected officials ensnared in the massive prosecution. Griffin has been in office since 2019 and is one of three elected officials responsible for management, administration and budget. During his time in office, he also served on the countys board for canvassing local election results. In 2019, he helped found Cowboys for Trump with a group of rodeo acquaintances to spread a conservative message about gun rights, immigration controls and abortion restrictions. Many of those messages were delivered on horseback. Griffin, a former rodeo rider and former pastor, plans to drive his horse Red to the nations capital, as he has in earlier outings in Washington with the group, and then ride the animal to the courthouse. He rejects Bidens 2020 election and believes Trump to be the real winner, despite a lack of evidence and statements by elected officials, local elections leaders and Trumps own attorney general that the results were correct. Griffin voted in January with his county commission to hire a private contractor to review the 2020 presidential election in Otero County where Trump won with a 62% share with door-to-door canvassing that has triggered concerns about voter intimidation. The review is still being conducted. Prosecutors have submitted a variety of images that show Griffin breaching barricades on the day of the 2021 insurrection climbing a toppled fence and another barrier to access the Capitol steps. Images taken by Griffins own videographer show him reveling in the Jan. 6 crowd and using a bullhorn to lead the throngs in prayer. Matthew Struck, the videographer who accompanied Griffin, has been granted immunity and is expected to testify at the trial, prosecutors said in a filing Thursday. He doesnt deny that he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; he admits he entered a barricaded area to reach an outdoor balcony of the Capitol on the afternoon without going inside the building. But his attorneys have demanded that prosecutors provide first-hand evidence that then-Vice President Mike Pence was still at the Capitol a prerequisite for the U.S. Secret Service to invoke access restrictions. Prosecutors say Pences exact location at the time the county commissioner entered the Capitol grounds is irrelevant and that the Secret Service shouldnt have to disclose sensitive security information concerning the riot response. Griffin pointedly disagrees. People are charged with entering an unauthorized zone and it might not have been an unauthorized zone to begin with thats the legal question right now, Griffin said in an interview with The Associated Press. Its really a shame on Mike Pences part individually and personally he should step up and let us know what time he left the building, unless hes trying to defend the government and trying to continue to make patriots suffer. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that prosecutors must call a witness to testify who has first-hand knowledge of Pences whereabouts during the attack if they want to try Griffin on a charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Earlier, McFadden rejected Griffins accusations of misguided and discriminatory prosecution. Griffin was arrested on Jan. 17, 2021, by Capitol Police after he returned to Washington in opposition to Bidens election and inauguration. He spent nearly three weeks in jail before his release pending trial. Back at home in southern New Mexico, Griffin withstood a recall election attempt. State election regulators sued Griffin over his refusal to register Cowboys for Trump as a political group. Griffin says the group is a for-profit business and that he worries about contributors being identified and harassed. In early March, Griffin confirmed that he wont seek election this year as a commissioner or otherwise compete in the 2022 election cycle, saying he had lost faith in the political system. The fate of other politicians remain unclear. A former legislative candidate in Pennsylvania is now in prison on a 60-day sentence for his presence inside the Capitol building during the riot. A former West Virginia lawmaker who resigned his office three days after joining the mob into building is charged with one count of civil disorder and due in court on Friday. Over all, at least 765 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. At least 231 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors. At least 119 riot defendants have been sentenced, with 50 of them getting terms of imprisonment of jail time already served. Approximately 90 others have trial dates. The first trial of a rioter ended with a conviction on all counts. ___ Billeaud reported from Phoenix. LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was thankful to U.S. President Joe Biden for the additional military aid but said he would not say specifically what the new package included because he didnt want to tip off Russia. This is our defense, he said in his nighttime video address to the nation. When the enemy doesnt know what to expect from us. As they didnt know what awaited them after Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded. They didnt know what we had for defense or how we prepared to meet the blow. Zelenskyy said Russia expected to find Ukraine much as it did in 2014, when it seized Crimea without a fight and backed separatists as they took control of the eastern Donbas region. But Ukraine is now a different country, with much stronger defenses, he said. He said it also was not the time to reveal Ukraines tactics in the ongoing negotiations with Russia. Working more in silence than on television, radio or on Facebook, Zelenskyy said. I consider it the right way. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Rescuers search for survivors at Mariupol theater hit by Russian airstrike; casualties unclear An American man was among many killed in a Russian attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv Biden flatly calls Putin a war criminal, but investigations for determining that have only begun Cheap but lethal Turkish drones bolster Ukraines defenses Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY: UNITED NATIONS Russias U.N. ambassador says he is not asking for a vote Friday on its resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, which has been sharply criticized by Western countries for making no mention of Russias responsibility for the war against its smaller neighbor. Vassily Nebenzia told the U.N. Security Council Thursday that Russia decided at this stage not to seek a vote because of pressure from the United States and Albania on U.N. members to oppose it, but he stressed that Moscow is not withdrawing the resolution. Nebenzia said Russia plans to go ahead with a council meeting Friday to discuss again its allegations of U.S. biological laboratories in Ukraine with claiming new documents. His initial charge was made without any evidence and repeatedly denied by U.S. and Ukrainian officials. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded to Nebenzias announcement by saying their farcical humanitarian resolution was doomed to fail. We know if Russia really cared about humanitarian crises, the one that it created, it could simply stop its attacks on the people of Ukraine, she said. But instead, they want to call for another Security Council meeting to use this council as a venue for its disinformation and for promoting its propaganda. At last Fridays council meeting on Russias initial allegations of U.S. biological activities, Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of using the Security Council for lying and spreading disinformation as part of a potential false-flag operation by Moscow for the use of chemical or biological agents in Ukraine. ___ UNITED NATIONS The U.N. health chief decried the devastating consequences of war on the Ukrainian people who are facing severe disruption to services and medication and stressed that the life-saving medicine we need right now is peace. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the U.N. Security Council Thursday that WHO has verified 43 attacks on hospitals and health facilities with 12 people killed and 34 injured. In a virtual briefing, Tedros said the disruption to services and supplies is posing an extreme risk to people with cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV and TB, which are among the leading causes of mortality in Ukraine. The WHO chief said displacement and overcrowding caused by people fleeing fighting are likely to increase the risks of diseases such as COVID-19, measles, pneumonia and polio. In addition, more than 35,000 mental health patients in Ukrainian psychiatric hospitals and long-term care facilities face severe shortages of medicine, food, health and blankets, he said. So far, WHO has sent about 100 metric tonnes (110 tons) of medical supplies, enough for 4,500 trauma patients and 450,000 primary health care patients for a month, to Ukraine along with other equipment. Tedros said the agency is preparing a further 108 metric tonnes (119 tons) for delivery. Tedros urged donors to support the immense and escalating humanitarian needs in Ukraine and fully fund the U.N.s $1.1 billion humanitarian appeal. ___ UNITED NATIONS The U.N. political chief is calling for an investigation of massive civilian casualties and the destruction of hundreds of residential buildings, schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, and for those responsible to be held accountable. Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo told the U.N. Security Council Thursday that international humanitarian law is crystal clear in prohibiting direct attacks on civilians in military operations and ensuring their protection. Yet, she said, many of the daily attacks that are battering Ukrainian cities are reportedly indiscriminate, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. DiCarlo cited the U.N. human rights offices latest statistics: 1,900 civilian casualties from the start of the war on Feb. 24 to March 15, comprising 726 people killed, including 52 children, and 1,174 injured with the actual number likely much higher. Most of these casualties were caused by the use in populated areas of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, she said. The U.N. development agency, UNDP, projects that if the war continues, 90% of Ukraines population could be facing poverty and extreme economic vulnerability, setting the country and the region back decades, and leaving deep social and economic scars, she said. ___ CHERNIHIV, Ukraine An American man was killed in a Russian attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, where he was seeking medical treatment for his partner. The death of Jim Hill, of Diggs, Idaho, was reported Thursday by his sister. My brother Jimmy Hill was killed yesterday in Chernihiv, Ukraine. He was waiting in a bread line with several other people when they were gunned down by Russian military snippers, his sister, Cheryl Hill Gordon, wrote on Facebook. His body was found in the street by the local police. Ukrainian officials reported that 10 people were killed Wednesday in Chernihiv while standing in the bread line. Chernihiv police and the U.S. State Department confirmed the death of an American but did not identify him. Hill was at least the second U.S. citizen to be killed in the conflict, after the killing of journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud last week. In poignant posts on Facebook in the weeks before his death, Hill described indiscriminate bombing in a city under siege. Hill, who identified himself as a lecturer at universities in Kyiv, Ukraines capital, and Warsaw, Poland, said he was in Chernihiv with his partner for her to receive medical treatment. ___ WASHINGTON Secretary of State Antony Blinken says U.S. officials are in the process of evaluating and documenting potential war crimes committed by Russia in its war against Ukraine. The statement to reporters on Thursday came one day after President Joe Biden called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal. Blinken says he believes the intentional targeting of civilians in Ukraine would amount to a war crime, and that there will be accountability and massive consequences for any war crimes determined to have occurred. The U.S. and 44 other countries are working together to investigate possible violations and abuses, after the passage of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish a commission of inquiry. There is another probe by the International Criminal Court, an independent body based in the Netherlands. ___ NEW YORK PayPal users will now be able to send money to Ukrainians, both in the war-ravaged country as well as those now refugees across Europe, the company said Thursday. Previously, people in Ukraine were only able to use the payments platform to send money out of the country. They will now be able to receive funds, as well as make transfers within Ukraine and abroad. Its the latest measure by banks and other financial services companies looking for ways to help Ukrainians impacted by Russias invasion. PayPal cut off Russia from its services last week. Since the war began, Americans and other supporters of Ukraine have been looking for ways to financially support Ukrainian refugees as well as those still in the country. Money transfer companies like MoneyGram and Western Union have seen surges in demand as people look for ways to send money to friends and family in the region. PayPal said it will waive fees on transfers of funds to Ukrainian accounts, or for anyone receiving funds in Ukrainian accounts until June 30. ___ SOFIA, Bulgaria Ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins visit to NATO member Bulgaria, where he is expected to discuss with government officials possible military aid for Ukraine, Russias ambassador to Sofia called on Bulgaria to abstain from supplying arms to Kyiv. I would like to warn the official Bulgarian authorities that the supply of weapons, including of Soviet origin, and ammunition to the Ukrainian nationalists is unlikely to add optimism to the bilateral dialogue, which for now is already deteriorated, Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova said in a Facebook post on Thursday. According to local media, Bulgarias government is hesitant to send arms to Ukraine. The government itself has so far declined to comment on the matter. Many in the Balkan country, once one of the closest Soviet allies, still harbor pro-Russian sentiments which have historic cultural and religious roots. Now, the country is providing humanitarian assistance and sheltering Ukrainian refugees, some of which are of Bulgarian origin. ___ WASHINGTON U.S. refugee officers have been sent to Europe to help screen Ukrainian refugees who might want to come to the U.S. But American officials expect the vast majority will want to return to their homeland. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas also said that Customs and Border Protection agents along the U.S.-Mexico border have been instructed to allow Ukrainians to enter the country to seek asylum even as most people are turned back under a public health order instituted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine following Russias Feb. 24 invasion. More than half have gone to Poland. Most of the rest are in the surrounding countries of Eastern Europe, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Mayorkas told reporters Thursday that U.S. refugee officers have been sent to the region to work with the U.N. and determine whether some Ukrainians may seek to come to the U.S. through the refugee program. But he and other administration officials are not expecting many will want to come. The vast majority of Ukrainians are displaced in the countries in that region, with the hope, understandably, of being able to return to their country, the secretary said. ___ KYIV, Ukraine A girl in a Kyiv hospital bed appeared stunned and cried during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday. The unidentified patient told of people offering their support on TikTok. We have occupied TikTok, Zelenskyy quipped. He presented the girl with a large bouquet of pink and white flowers as soldiers stood guard. ___ MARIUPOL, Ukraine Row upon row of windowless shells of burned and shrapnel-scarred apartment buildings loomed in Mariupol as snow flurries fell Thursday. One resident told of having nothing to eat and no way to contact her mother in Makiivka, a city 50 miles (80 kilometers) north, to tell her she was alive. We are trying to survive somehow, said the resident, Elena, who didnt provide her last name. There is no connection, just nothing. It is cruel. My child is hungry. I dont know what to give him to eat. Cars, some with the Z symbol of the Russian invasion force in their windows, drove past stacks of ammunition boxes and artillery shells. Others waited in long lines of traffic or got around on foot, pushing carts and baby carriages. A land mine could be seen on the ground. Smoke rose from the citys skyline. ___ PRISTINA, Kosovo Kosovos president on Thursday asked U.S. President Joe Biden to help Kosovo become a NATO member at a time that Russia is making efforts to destabilize the Balkans. President Vjosa Osmani sent a letter to Biden saying that Kosovos membership in NATO has become an imperative. Kosovo, the most pro-American and pro-NATO country in the world, is excluded from NATO enlargement processes, she said in a letter made available to The Associated Press. Osmani urged Biden to use the U.S. leadership and influence to actively support and advance the complex process of NATO membership for Kosovo. While the worlds eyes are focused on the devastating war in Ukraine, Osmani said that we must not lose sight of the fragile situation we face in the Balkans. We are exposed to persistent efforts by Russia to undermine Kosovo and destabilize the entire Western Balkans, she wrote. ___ LONDON Britains defense secretary has accused Russia of dirty tricks after he was called by an imposter posing as the prime minister of Ukraine. Ben Wallace said he had ordered an investigation into how the hoax caller was able to speak to him on a video call Thursday. Wallace said on Twitter that he became suspicious and hung up after the caller posed several misleading questions. The call is believed to have lasted about 10 minutes. Wallace called it a desperate attempt but said no amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks can distract from Russias human rights abuses and illegal invasion of Ukraine. ___ WARSAW, Poland Polands foreign minister, who is also head of Europes security organization, said Thursday that no concessions to aggressor Russia could possibly be made that would undermine Ukraines independence or territorial integrity. Poland believes it to be unacceptable to offer any kind of concessions to Russia that would undermine the territorial integrity and independence of the Ukrainian state, minister Zbigniew Rau said following talks with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares Bueno. Rau, the current head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, also said that the international community has the right to offer technical as well as military support to Ukraine, in its defensive struggle against Russias assault. Raus words seemed to back Polands recent proposal for a NATO or an international military peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. NATO, a military security alliance of 30 nation, insists it cannot have any presence in Ukraine, which is not an alliance member, because that could potentially further aggravate the conflict with Russia. ___ ROME Even as rescuers searched through the wreckage of a theater devastated by Russian airstrikes in Mariupol, Ukraine, Italy has offered to provide the means and the funds to rebuild it when that becomes possible. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini tweeted on Thursday that the government at a Cabinet meeting approved his proposal to supply the assistance. The theaters of all countries belong to all of humanity, the minister said. Rescue efforts were being conducted to find survivors in the wreckage. Hundreds of civilians in the besieged city had taken refuge in the theater basement and were trapped when the airstrikes collapsed the building onto their shelter. By late Thursday, it was still unknown if there were deaths or injuries. ___ BERLIN Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven leading economies are calling on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justices order to stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw its military forces. In a joint statement, the G-7s top diplomats condemned what they described as indiscriminate attacks on civilians by Russian forces including the siege of Mariupol and other cities. They accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of conducting an unprovoked and shameful war that has forced millions to flee their homes and resulted in the destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, theatres and schools. The G-7 said that those responsible for war crimes, including indiscriminate use of weapons against civilians, will be held responsible and welcomed work to investigate and gather evidence in this regard, including by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The group also said it stood ready to further increase the pressure of sanctions on Ukraine and provide further aid to those in need, including the small nation of Moldova. Moldova is offering shelter to the largest group of refugees from Ukraine per capita. ___ GENEVA The exiled opposition leader of Belarus is decrying a change in the countrys constitution under autocratic pro-Russian President Alexander Lukashenko, calling it illegal and expressing concerns that it could lift barriers on deploying nuclear weapons into Belarus. Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya accused Lukashenko of going against the will of Belarussians who want to maintain a non-nuclear status. The comments Thursday to the U.N. press association, ACANU, in Geneva came as concerns have mounted about that possibility that Russias war in Ukraine could involve the use of tactical nuclear weapons. Some Russian forces entered Ukraine through Belarus as the war began on Feb. 24. Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, said the constitutional change in Belarus could expedite the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. If it involved outfitting fighter planes, Fihn said, it could happen within a couple of days. The new constitution, adopted last month with amendments that took effect on Tuesday, sheds Belarus neutral status and opens the way for even bigger military cooperation with Russia but doesnt directly deal with the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons. Lukashenko has previously offered to host Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. ___ MADRID Spanish authorities have ordered for a third luxury yacht believed to be owned by a Russian oligarch to not leave its ports. Spains Civil Guard has acted on orders from maritime authorities to not let the Crescent super yacht leave the port of Tarragona, police told The Associated Press. The 135-meter yacht is reportedly owned by Igor Sechin, the head of Russian oil company Rosneft. The European Union has placed sanctions on Sechin because he is one of Vladimir Putins most trusted and closest advisors, as well as his personal friend. This follows orders by Spanish authorities to hold the Valerie in Barcelonas port and Lady Anastasia in Mallorca earlier this week, police said. All three vessels are believed to be owned by Russian magnates with close ties to Putin. The remain-in-port orders come after the superyacht My Solaris linked to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich left Barcelonas port. It was later seen off Montenegro. Authorities in Italy, France and other countries have impounded several luxury vessels as a global crackdown in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. ___ HELSINKI Estonias defense ministry says the United States has earmarked $180 million in military assistance to the Baltic NATO members of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this year under a scheme entitled the Baltic Security Initiative. The ministry said on Thursday that a budget package approved by the U.S. Congress represents an increase of more than $10 million from last year in security assistance to the three former Soviet republics which all border Russia and have assisted Ukraine with arms and material help after the start of Moscows invasion. The United States has demonstrated clear initiative in the current security crisis, both in supporting its NATO Allies in the East, as well as Ukraine, and in bringing the actions of Russia to the attention of the international community, Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said. The decision by Congress shows that the United States is committed to the defense of our region and clearly understands that the defense of their own country is connected with the Baltic countries, Laanet said. ___ WASHINGTON President Biden denounced Russian President Vladimir Putins brutality during a Thursday meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin. Putins brutality and what his troops are doing in Ukraine is just inhumane, Biden said. The meeting on St. Patricks Day was supposed to be held in person in the Oval Office, but it occurred virtually because Martin tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday evening. The positive result forced him to leave early from a gala where he had already interacted with Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Biden said Martin was looking good, feeling good. Martin was staying across Pennsylvania Avenue at Blair House, the customary guest quarters for visiting foreign leaders. During their conversation, Martin thanked Biden for your capacity to marshal like-minded democracies, which he said are coming together to respond in an unprecedented way. ___ BRATISLAVA, Slovakia The defense minister of NATO member Slovakia says his country would be willing to provide S-300 long-range air defense missile systems to Ukraine under certain conditions. Defense Minister Jaroslav Naj said at a news conference in Bratislava with visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the matter is still under discussion. The Soviet-era anti-air defense systems use long-range missiles that are capable of flying hundreds of miles and knocking down cruise missiles as well as warplanes. They could be valuable in thwarting Russian air attacks on Ukraine. Naj said such a transfer would be possible if his country received a proper replacement for its S-300s or if Slovakia received a capability guaranteed for a certain period of time. He stressed that he could not responsibly transfer the S-300s to Ukraine in a manner that left a gap in his countrys defenses. He said Slovakia is open to making an arrangement that preserved its defenses against air threats. Austin declined to say whether the Pentagon was in a position to provide Slovakia with a replacement for its S-300s. These are things that we will continue to work with all of our allies on, and certainly this is not just a U.S. issue, its a NATO issue. The clean energy industry is gaining traction in the state and experts say attracting new talent even those with just high school diplomas may be the key to sustaining that growth. The central New Mexico region has seen job growth of 21% in renewable energy industries in the last five years, outpacing the national rate of 7%, Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance vice president of economic competitiveness Chad Matheson said. But making sure the supply of workers keeps up with the demand will require clean energy stakeholders to find new solutions, increase outreach and debunk misinformation about the growing industry, said Gabe Sanchez, a professor with the University of New Mexicos Department of Political Science and executive director for the universitys Center for Social Policy. We can meet folks where they are at, Sanchez said. Sanchez presented his findings on Thursday at AREAs Regional Innovation Series, citing a June 2020 Department of Workforce Solutions study on clean energy workforce development that he collaborated on with the state and other stakeholders. The study, put together with surveys from about 2,500 participants and utilizing regional and national data, shows that New Mexico is in a prime spot for extreme growth in wind and solar energies. Array Technologies chief human resources officer Jennifer Cheraso said matching jobs with the growth of the industry can start at the high school level, partnering with institutions that offer trade programs. That can extend post-graduation, too, by offering training to students not interested in attending college. I think this is one area we need to work on, Cheraso said. Its just a matter of making those partnerships and having the resources to go sponsor those types of things. Likewise, that means creating training programs in rural areas. Ganesh Balakrishnan, a professor with UNMs Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the New Mexico Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, said opportunities fly over job seekers in less densely populated areas of the state. The right infusion of funding from the federal and state government can be a huge catalyst in getting things going, Balakrishnan said. But diversifying the workforce and attracting more people to the industry is easier said than done in practice, Balakrishnan said, adding that the industry is currently siloed. We have everything we need to succeed, he said. Theres a massive amount of intellectual property, and theres a massive number of scientists in town. High-quality students are coming out of all the universities. We need to figure out a way to connect these things. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Weekly COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in New Mexico both saw steep declines this week, according to Health Department epidemiology reports. The reports dated March 14 showed 75 COVID patients had been admitted to hospitals in the last seven days. That was down about 27% from 104 hospital admissions the week before. There were 1,517 new COVID cases in the same time period, which marks a 38% decline from 2,459 cases the week earlier. The state reported 12 new deaths on Thursday, bringing the statewide toll to 7,128 since the start of the pandemic. A surge of coronavirus in New Mexico earlier this year brought record-high case counts and a high number of hospitalizations to the state. The state topped out with 38,886 new cases the week ending Jan. 17. Weekly hospitalizations most recently spiked at 430 the week of Jan. 31. The previous high for COVID hospitalizations was in late 2020, before vaccines were widely available. Vaccines against COVID are proving to be effective, but breakthrough cases do happen. In the last four weeks, unvaccinated individuals accounted for 66.4% of the deaths. About 20% of the people who died of COVID during that period had been vaccinated but hadnt received a booster dose. About 13.6% of the people who died during that period had been vaccinated and boosted. A state Health Department dashboard shows 78.3% of adults in New Mexico are fully vaccinated. WENN Celebrity The billionaire Yeezy designer rips the South African comedian after the latter weighs in on the drama between the emcee, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend Pete Davidson. Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Kanye West continued to voice his anger towards his nemesis. However, when he called out Trevor Noah with racial slur on Instagram, the "Famous" spitter found himself landing in hot water instead. On Tuesday, March 15, Kanye shared on Instagram a screenshot of Trevor's Google search result. In the caption of the post, he penned, "Ali in together now... K**n baya my lord k**n baya K**n baya my lord K**n baya Oooo' lord K**n baya." Many have since slammed the billionaire emcee. "Oh Kanye please!! You use the black card when it's convenient for you boy bye!" one person argued. "You can't spew hate and be a self-proclaimed man of God..also with a 'church' is hypocrisy at its finest," a different user added. "He should replace social media trolling with yoga in the morning cause this is a complete mess every morning," someone else lamented. Another, meanwhile, commented, "How he be saying he a christian and do s**t like this." Kanye's post arrived after Trevor weighed in on the drama between the rapper, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her current boyfriend, Pete Davidson. In the Tuesday episode of "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah", the South African native said that Kanye has become "more and more belligerent." "What [Kardashian is] going through is terrifying to watch, and it shines a spotlight on what so many women go through when they choose to leave," Trevor shared. "...What we're seeing is one of the most powerful, one of the richest women in the world, unable to get her ex to stop texting her, to stop chasing after her, to stop harassing her." The comedian then compared the situation to his own experience growing up in an abusive household. He claimed that his mom Patricia was told she was "overreacting" before being shot in the head by his stepfather. "As a society, we have to ask ourselves questions. Do we wish to stand by and watch a car crash when we thought we saw it coming?" he asked the audience. WENN TV The Daryl Dixon depicter, who is currently filming the 11th and final season of the AMC horror drama series, reportedly suffered a concussion on Friday, March 11. Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Norman Reedus is on the mend. The actor portraying Daryl Dixon on "The Walking Dead" reportedly is "recovering well" after he suffered a concussion on the set of the AMC horror drama series. "Norman suffered a concussion on set," Norman's publicist, Jeffrey Chassen, said in a statement shared on Wednesday, March 16. "He is recovering well and will return to work soon. Thank you to everyone for their concern." A source, meanwhile, claimed that the incident took place on March 11 in Georgia. A different insider reported that the 53-year-old went to the hospital on Friday, adding, "He's resting and recuperating." As for a representative for AMC, he/she told Page Six, "We can confirm it will push series wrap by a few days." The day of the incident, Norman took to his Instagram account to promote his debut novel. "Wrote a book [a ghost emoji]," he simply wrote alongside a slideshow that featured a photo of him pointing to a billboard with the cover of his book, "Ravaged", which is due out April 5. He has been absent from social media since making the post. This was not the first time Norman got injured on set. The actor reportedly cut his arm up while filming in a barn on the fifth season's "Them" episode back in 2015. Norman is currently filming the 11th and final season of "The Walking Dead". The first eight episodes of the show's final season aired on AMC on Aug. 22, 2021. The expanded season's final 16 episodes are expected to air this year. Showrunner Angela Kang said in a statement, "The stakes will be high: we'll see more zombies; tons of action; intriguing new stories; never-before-seen locations and our groups together in one community for the first time, trying to rebuild what the Whisperers took from them." HSN Celebrity According to a statement from her loved ones, the beauty mogul and wife of murdered real estate developer Lee Miglin passed away at her Chicago home surrounded by her family. Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Marilyn Miglin has passed away. The beauty mogul and longtime host of Home Shopping Network reportedly died at her Chicago home following stroke complications. She was 83 years old. On Wednesday, March 16, TMZ reported that the TV hostess had lost her battle with stroke on Monday. Though so, a statement from her loved ones, posted on her website, didn't confirm the cause of death. "We are heartbroken to share with you the very sad news that Marilyn passed away Monday, March 14, 2022," read the statement. "She was at home and surrounded by her family. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her but her spirit will stay with all of us." Marilyn's family members continued to reveal that no funeral service will be held. "At her request, no service will be held," the note stated, before adding, "In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to any of the non-profits she deeply cared about." In addition to her son and daughter, Marilyn is survived by her six grandchildren. Marilyn, who was born in 1938 in the Czech Republic, hosted HSN for over 25 years which earned her the nickname "The Queen of Makeovers." The late star launched her own beauty company, Marilyn Miglin Cosmetics, in 1963 which was a huge success. She was also an advocate for facially disfigured victims and burn survivors. She helped found the University of Illinois' Craniofacial Center. The entrepreneur received several awards and honors throughout her career, including the Raoul Wallenberg International Humanitarian Award. The City of Chicago even declared April 15 as Marilyn Miglin Day in honor of her generosity to the community. The Raoul Wallenberg Pediatric Day Hospital in Jerusalem also dedicated a burn and disfigurement unit to her in June 1998 in recognition for her work with children. Most recently, Marilyn was bestowed with the Best Face Forward Award Humanitarian Award by the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Medicine. Marilyn, who was the wife of murdered real estate developer Lee Meglin, was the first-ever recipient of the annual award. Marilyn's late husband, Lee, was murdered in their home in Chicago's historic Gold Coast district in May 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Andrew was also responsible for the slaying of fashion designer Gianni Versace that same summer. Their story was detailed in season 2 of "American Crime Story", with Lee being played by Judith Light in the popular 2018 series. WENN/Instagram/FayesVision Celebrity The Yeezy designer recently took aim at the South African native, who weighed in on the drama between him, his ex Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Kardashian. Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Kanye West's endless trolling on social media has prompted Instagram to ban the rapper from the site for 24 hours. The banning arrived after Kanye attacked Trevor Noah with racial slurs. According to a meta spokesperson, Ye's recent posts "violated Instagram's policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying." The rapper will not be able to post, comment or send DMs for 24 hours. PageSix also notes that the company plans to take additional steps if the 44-year-old Yeezy designer continues to violate the policies. Ye recently took aim at Trevor, who weighed in on the drama between him, his ex Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson. In the Tuesday, March 15 episode of "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah", the South African native said that Kanye has become "more and more belligerent." "What [Kardashian is] going through is terrifying to watch, and it shines a spotlight on what so many women go through when they choose to leave," the TV host said. "...What we're seeing is one of the most powerful, one of the richest women in the world, unable to get her ex to stop texting her, to stop chasing after her, to stop harassing her." He further urged people to take the feud seriously, saying, "As a society, we have to ask ourselves questions. Do we wish to stand by and watch a car crash when we thought we saw it coming?" In response to that, Ye shared on Instagram a screenshot of Trevor's Google search result. In the caption of the post, he wrote, "Ali in together now... K**n baya my lord k**n baya K**n baya my lord K**n baya Oooo' lord K**n baya." His post quickly earned him backlash from Internet users. "You can't spew hate and be a self-proclaimed man of God..also with a 'church' is hypocrisy at its finest," a user wrote. Someone else suggested, ""He should replace social media trolling with yoga in the morning cause this is a complete mess every morning." Instagram Celebrity Mingus Reedus, the son of 'The Walking Dead' star and supermodel Helena Christensen, is ordered to complete five private counseling sessions after his assault charge for punching a woman was downgraded to disorderly conduct. Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Norman Reedus' son Mingus Reedus has been sentenced after pleading guilty to a downgraded charge of disorderly conduct. The runway model, who is the son of "The Walking Dead" star and supermodel Helena Christensen, has been ordered to complete private counseling sessions. On Wednesday, March 16, the 22-year-old model, who allegedly punched an unknown woman six months ago, was ordered by a judge to finish five counseling sessions. The catwalk star, clad in a similar tailored brown suit he's worn to his other court appearances, claimed that the woman and her friends were inebriated and followed him for two blocks, pulling his hair, throwing water in his face and threatening his friends. The court order came after he was accused of punching an unknown woman "in the face" at Manhattan's San Gennaro street festival last September. His victim was hospitalized with a cut under her left eye, according to the New York Police Department officers. Mingus initially faced a misdemeanor assault charge. However, his attorney Isabelle Kirschner negotiated with the District Attorney to downgrade the charge to disorderly conduct, which is only a violation in New York City. Isabelle previously described the accusations as "baseless." The lawyer explained before Mingus pled guilty, "I believe that based on the evidence, there is no credible evidence to support the charges." Last month, Isabelle said "nothing" happened in court and that the case was quickly adjourned due to the backlog of court cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "There are 80 cases that get adjourned every day as a matter of course," she shared. "Misdemeanors have always taken a very long time to resolve. They get resolved without a trial... getting trials for a misdemeanor is difficult, getting trials during a pandemic is harder." It's likely been a rough week for Norman, who sustained a head injury while filming new episodes of "The Walking Dead" on March 11 in Georgia. "Norman suffered a concussion on set," Norman's publicist, Jeffrey Chassen, said in a statement shared on Wednesday. "He is recovering well and will return to work soon. Thank you to everyone for their concern." A source, meanwhile, reported that the 53-year-old actor went to the hospital shortly after the incident, adding, "He's resting and recuperating." A representative for AMC also reported that the mishap "will push series wrap by a few days." Norman is currently filming the 11th and final season of "The Walking Dead". The first eight episodes of the post-apocalyptic horror series' final season aired on AMC on August 22, 2021. The expanded season's final 16 episodes are expected to air this year. Instagram Music The 'No Air' crooner and the 'Certified Lover Boy' artist previously asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed by KBrandon Cooper because it is 'baseless.' Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Chris Brown and Drake continued to fire back at a copyright infringement lawsuit over "No Guidance". Having been accused of being "egotistical" in the suit, the pair submitted a new filing. KBrandon Cooper first filed the lawsuit back in October 2021. Later in February, he claimed that the two A-listers were "both egotistical and without any legal basis whatsoever" to assert that they had never heard his 2016 song, "I Love Your Dress", which he believed to have been ripped off. Now in new court papers, Brown' lawyer James G. Sammataro argued, "This is not a close call." The attorney added, "Posting a song on the Internet - such that the song is 1 out of 82 million songs on Spotify or posted by one of Instagram's 1 billion users - and a one-time public performance do not constitute widespread dissemination as a matter of law." Sammataro also shut down Cooper's claim that he had previously shared "I Love Your Dress" with a Canadian A&R named Mic Tee in March 2019. He also claimed the A&R then "suggested" that they meet "in Toronto." "Here, plaintiffs do not even allege that defendants know Mic Tee," so read the docs. "Nor do plaintiffs allege that Mic Tee gave defendants a copy of plaintiffs' song or that Mic Tee had any involvement in the creation of 'No Guidance'. Plaintiff's theory of access through Mic Tee is purely conjectural and speculative." "Plaintiffs' allegation that Mic Tee suggested that Cooper travel to Toronto, Drake's 'original hometown,' is insufficient to permit an inference of access," it added. "By plaintiffs' own account, Drake has resided in California since 2014. In any event, there is no allegation that Cooper went to Toronto, and it is implausible to assume that every musician in Toronto collaborates and shares music with Drake." Cooper, who filed the lawsuit along with Timothy Valentine, claimed that their song arrived three years before the 2019 hit. They alleged that "an analysis of the beat, lyrics, hook and rhythmic structure demonstrates that 'No Guidance' was copied or, at the very least, principally derived from 'I Love Your Dress'." Cooper and Valentine pointed out that their track has the lyrics "She got it; she got it" repeated 16 times. As for "No Guidance", it has "You got it, girl; you got it" repeated at least 11 times. Cooper additionally accused Brown and Drake of making fun of his nickname with the phrase, "flew the coop." Jamestown Settlement will present Strategy & Strength: Commemorating the 1622 Powhatan Offensive with a free panel discussion, which explores the 400th anniversary of pivotal 1622 events that led to a turning point in Powhatan and English relations. (Jonathon Gruenke) Here are our picks of upcoming events and happenings worth splurging time and money on (though some events are free!) ___ Advertisement History, revisited Jamestown Settlement will present Strategy & Strength: Commemorating the 1622 Powhatan Offensive with a free panel discussion at 5 p.m. March 22. It explores the 400th anniversary of pivotal 1622 events that led to a turning point in Powhatan and English relations. Chickahominy Indian Chief Stephen R. Adkins and a member of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees will moderate the one-hour public discussion featuring scholars and members of Virginias tribal communities. It will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. Advertisement Chief Stephen Adkins, Chickahominy Tribe Panelists include Martha W. McCartney, historian, author and researcher for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation; Helen Rountree, cultural anthropologist and Old Dominion University professor emerita; Martin Saniga, supervisor of the American Indian Initiative at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and citizen of the Sappony tribe. In 1622, Powhatan warriors organized a widespread coordinated military attack on expanding English settlements and encroachment on Powhatan land. Scholars will examine the events, including written descriptions by English colonists, which some historians regard as propaganda and rationale for further settlement and warfare in Virginia. Adkins hopes the discussion will offer a new perspective on the historical account through the lens of Indigenous peoples. The event will be held in the Robins Foundation Theater and will be available for audiences to view both in-person and virtually. Space is limited and advance online registration is required at jyfmuseums.org/1622panel. To learn more about the history of the event, read The Tragedy of 1622 blog by Jamestown Settlement historian Nancy Egloff or visit the Jamestown Settlements new 1622 exhibit. Jamestown Settlement is located on Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg; 757-253-4838; Visit jyfmuseums.org. ___ William Shatner, Lana Parrilla at GalaxyCon in Richmond Actor William Shatner of the original "Star Trek" series is expected at the GalaxyCon in Richmond March 18-20. (Michael Appleton/New York Daily News) Calling all subjects! The evil queen is arriving in Richmond March 19. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Lana Parrilla, known as Regina Mills, the Evil Queen, in the fantasy series Once Upon a Time, is appearing at GalaxyCon in Richmond. Advertisement The convention runs March 18 through 20 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The original Trekkie, William Shatner, is scheduled to be there as well as Evangeline Lilly, of The Hobbit and Ant-Man fame. Tickets start at $35 at tinyurl.com/GalaxyCon2022. ___ Soul Finger Project in Portsmouth The four-person Soul Finger Project art exhibition features paintings and drawings inspired by contemporary Black culture. It traces its roots to the Caribbean, Northern Africa and beyond. Artists are Anthony Burks, Sr., from Florida; Portsmouth native and now Florida resident Ramel Jasir; Arthur Rogers, Jr., from Charlotte, North Carolina; and Clayton Singleton, from Norfolk. The exhibition is on view through June 12 at the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center; 400 High St. Visit portsmouthartcenter.com/exhibits. Instagram Celebrity The prima ballerina will now join the Dutch National Ballet after she quit the prestigious Bolshoi in Moscow over the war in Ukraine as she states that she's ashamed of Russia. Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Olga Smirnova, one of Russia's top dancers, made a huge decision on Wednesday, March 16. The prima ballerina revealed that she quit the prestigious Bolshoi in Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Smirnova will now join the Dutch National Ballet. "The whole company is thrilled and energized," Artistic Director Ted Brandsen said on Wednesday by phone from Amsterdam. Raving about Smirnova, Brandsen added, "She's a beautiful artist and a beautiful person. There's something really magical about her. She dances with her entire soul. So to have her join our company is wonderful even though the situation behind it is so tragic and so awful." Brandsen said Smirnova got in touch through a mutual friend to ask about joining his company. He said he has admired her for years, mostly from a distance, since she caught his eye at her graduation performance from the renowned Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg. In addition to Smirnova, he welcomed former Mariinsky dancer, Victor Caixeta, from Brazil, who left Russia amid the war. Brandsen revealed that Caixeta left the Mariinsky along with the company's first English principal dancer, Xander Parish, and Parish's wife. In an Instagram post, Parish announced his departure from the Mariinsky. He also said that he left Russia "at least until peace comes. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine." Earlier this month, Smirnova condemned the war in Ukraine in a post on the messaging platform Telegram. "We cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe," Smirnova wrote last week. "I never thought I would be ashamed of Russia," the ballerina continued in her post. Smirnova described herself as one-quarter Ukrainian as her grandfather is Ukrainian. She continued, "It is that we continue to live as if this were the 20th century. Now I feel that a line has been drawn that separates the before and the after. It hurts that people are dying, that people are losing the roofs over their heads or are forced to abandon their homes." Instagram Celebrity After the 'WAP' hitmaker posts on Instagram a 'date night' photo with her husband Offset, one person decides to ruin the moment with a backhanded compliment. Mar 17, 2022 AceShowbiz - Cardi B is one of those celebrities who got candid about getting cosmetic surgery to enhance her look. However, the Grammy-winning is now tired of people always bringing up the matter. It started after Cardi posted a "date night" photo with her husband Offset. The femcee looked stunning as she twinned in Supreme jackets. She completed her look with a white beanie, matching crop-top and khaki pants. However, one person decided to ruin the moment with a backhanded compliment. "Her face just keeps changing she looks good tho," the user wrote in the comment section. Despite the compliment, the "Bodak Yellow" rapper wasn't flattered. "The nose was done in 2020 sweety it's been 2 years and after 30 pounds added on my body due to pregnancy the nose finally settled and looked snatched," Cardi replied. "Every week yall post the same comment is getting old and I post every week so please tell me when I have the time to recover from every new face y'all claim I have every 2 days ...[yawn emoji]," she added. "Is getting old... just say I look good and go." Prior to this, Cardi revealed that as she grew up in the Bronx, she was made to feel insecure about her "nappy" hair and skinny frame. "New York is a melting pot, especially where I grew up in the Bronx. Im Trini and Im Dominican, and theres a lot of Dominicans that look a certain type of way," Cardi explained to Mariah Carey back in February 2021. "They have soft, pretty, curly hair. Growing up, guys would ask me weird questions like, 'If youre Dominican, why is your hair so nappy?' I used to dye my hair, and people used to be like, 'Oh, your hairs so crunchy.' And it would make me feel so weird," she explained. Cardi also shared that in her neighborhood, thick women with a curvy shape were praised. So when she had enough money at 18, she changed what she wasn't happy about with her body. "I had enough money to afford to buy boobs, so every insecurity that I felt about my breasts was gone. When I was 20, I went to the urban strip club, and in the urban strip clubs, you had to have a big butt," she revealed. "So, I felt insecure about that. It took me back to high school. So I got my ass done. And then I felt super confident." With a vision to fuel the entrepreneurial aspirations of Indias homemakers, Britannia Industries, Indias No.1 Bakery Foods Company announced the top 10 winners of its renowned Marie Gold My Startup Initiative season 3. Under this initiative, the 10 winners were felicitated and awarded INR 10 Lakhs each to kick-start their business ventures. Gracing the felicitation ceremony were Mr. Amit Doshi, Chief Marketing Officer, Britannia Industries Ltd, and Ms. Sairee Chahal Founder, SHEROES & Mahila Money. Britannia Marie Gold My Startup initiative is a platform for aspiring homemakers to become financially independent and transform themselves into Womenpreneurs. The shortlisted candidates of Season 3.0 showcased their ideas virtually to an eminent jury that comprised leading Womenpreneurs such as Sairee Chahal, Rashmi Bansal, Renu Shah, Aakansha Bhargava, Aarti Mohan, Ruchika Bhuwalka, Latha Chandramuli, and Piya Bahadur. The jury also consisted of eminent media personalities and the leadership team from Britannia. The Britannia Marie Gold My Startup contest season 3 went live in September 2021 and has received an overwhelming response of more than 13 Lakh entries, from homemakers with diverse business ideas from across the country. Applicants could register their entries via telephone calls, websites, and WhatsApp. The brand witnessed the largest number of entries from Maharashtra at 20 percent followed by Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. As noted in the survey by Britannia and Momspresso, 77% of homemakers who desire to set up their own ventures, consider technology as an enabler in this journey. Acknowledging technology as the biggest enabler for women entrepreneurs, season 3 of the Britannia Marie Gold My Startup initiative has provided digital skilling to homemakers in collaboration with Google. All participants have been provided free access to a set of Googles digital and business skilling resources in 6 languages- Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and English. Many winners of the past 2 seasons of Marie Gold My Startup are today running successful ventures in diverse fields such as Restaurants, computer training institutes, personal care products, tailoring, and so on. Most of them employ other women in their ventures, thus providing the much-desired cascade effect. Mr. Amit Doshi, Chief Marketing Officer, Britannia Industries Ltd. said, The Sixth Economic Census stated that women only constitute 13.76% of the total entrepreneurs, i.e., 8.05 million out of the 58.5 million entrepreneurs in the country. Through the Britannia Marie Gold My Startup initiative, our goal is to celebrate homemakers and fuel their ideas in order to make them independent and successful entrepreneurs. With nearly 48% of Indias population comprising women, they can play a very important role to become catalysts of change. We at Britannia strongly believe when women move forward, the entire family progresses. And when families progress, the country progresses. Empowering Indias women is not a choice, it is an absolute necessity. With a third successful season wrapping up, we are privileged to have provided this platform to over 3.8 million homemakers to present powerful entrepreneurial ideas with a chance to transform themselves into business owners and job creators. Resonating with the Marie Gold My Startup Campaign philosophy on empowering homemakers, Sairee Chahal, Founder, SHEROES, and Mahila Money has stepped forward to lend support to aspiring women entrepreneurs. Sufficient access to capital, and a friendly, accessible financial ecosystem, are key resources in the journey of a successful woman entrepreneur. The Britannia Marie Gold My Startup Challenge is a phenomenal opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their aspirations and skills into marketable businesses. We at Mahila Money are extremely proud to support the winners of the challenge, with a hassle-free loan experience that meets their credit needs. I believe our cohort of winners have the potential to build the businesses of the future, and we look forward to offering them continued support, through Mahila Money's carefully curated financial ecosystem. she stated. Sometime back, one of the head honchos of a leading creative agency was looking to hire an account planner specifically for the Kerala market. The requisite was for the planner to understand Malayalam to decode findings and cull out the perfect insights from various researches that the brand conducted prior to working on their campaign. This clearly signalled that the brand wanted to dive very deep into research and cull out strong insights before they planned their campaign. India is a diverse country with wide cultural differences, multiple languages different dialects spoken in different districts of each state. So, there is always a challenge as to whether brands are able to send the right brand communication across each region. In the early 90s, most campaigns were conceived either in English or Hindi and then translated into the respective languages for each region. Sometimes the core message got diluted or lost in translation and brands were not sure if the piece of communication created was addressing each region and state. Looking at this huge gap in their brand communication, brands began to seriously look at regional communication in a different way to bring in that local flavour and nuances. Reckitt India was one of the first to look at each region separately and decentralised each of their marketing divisions into South, West, North and East. FMCG is a highly competitive market, with several MNCs as well as regional brands jostling for a share of the market. Thus, the need of the hour is to rework brands regional marketing and communication to give that extra push with the help of strong local insights. Already some of the brands in the earlier days used different brand ambassadors for different regions for their campaigns. Even product formulations in the different beveragecategory like tea and coffee is marketed in each regionis based on the taste preferences and the cultural nuances. Building nationally-recognised brands is a double-edged sword. Home grown brands like a Vi John or Havmor have built a loyal following at state or regional level but straying too far from their core brand essence can dilute the equity of the brand. Here one need to guard the mother brand and the core essence of the brand is not disturbed in the regions. Brands always deliver value when they make meaning to the customers and they have a mantra - why should you exist? This is relevant for the brand in the regional market as the insight is glocal. (Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola in Hindi is wonderful, but getting the same essence in regional languages is a huge challenge) Therefore, the role of the planner should be to jump to the next curve in experience and hence understanding the cultural milieu is very important. Great innovation occurs on the next curve. The key is to establish a pitch which is high on uniqueness and value. It is not just saying I am 10% better. The key is to get a polarized impact is what will help the brand to differentiate in the market place. Communication that is used at a national level will not deliver the same punch in the regional markets. Brands always looked at one master language and adapt their communication with translations for the rest of the regions. While respective language writers claim that the translations are original thoughts and may deliver the message but brands are thinking beyond translations and looking at deeper consumers insights and then creating more effective communication which is sharper and addresses the brand challenge for that particular region or market. While brand planners do partipcate in the focus group etc., but if the planner also understands the language that will be an added advantage to decode the research findings and arrive at a sharper insight. This is huge asking from the agency to hire a planner who is either a linguist or understands 4 to 5 languages. With the cost of media and the production cost for creating the communication quite expensive, brands want to be sure that their communication in each territory is precise before pumping the money and promoting the brand. We at Adgully reached out to some of the best minds in planning to understand their point of view. According to Suraja Kishore, CEO, BBDO India, Hyperlocal connections is all about deep listening. And diversity drives deep listening. At BBDO, this is our secret sauce. We have broken down the silos of departments. We believe a creative agency is more about culture than compartments. Therefore, be it a regional campaign for WhatsApp or Ariel #ShareTheLoad, we thrive on the collective rather than just a planning department. Adding further he pointed out that we have mindfully curated a diverse team across planning, servicing, creative, studio, HR & Admin that brings their unique cultural treasure with them to campaigns and brand solutions we are working on. Sharing her perspective, Ekta Relan, National Planning Director, Mullen Lintas, said, Every hundred miles, India changes. Its culture, language, begins to see a new flavor and texture. If you want to do a regional campaign, what helps the most is studying popular culture of the targeted region, watching stand-up comedies coming from that region, talking to teachers, professors, journalists. It helps you go deeper than and beyond the obvious cliches and stereotypes created for every region. This is a regular practice for our Bangalore team that created one of the biggest hyperlocal campaigns for Tata Tea Premium with the plank The tea of India with the true taste of your region. And then the work done for Tata Tea Kanan Devan & Chakra Gold tapped into truly unique idiosyncrasies of Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively, which strike a tasteful chord with its audience. Adding further, she pointed out that it is always a good idea to have planners from different states and backgrounds as it fuels rich, diverse perspective into all your work. But we cannot possibly have a planner representing every region that our product targets in one office. However, we do have other people (not necessarily planners) across offices from different states. We tap into them all the time for relevant insights. Talking about their growing up years, home town rituals, local passions for or against things, always comes up with interesting regional truths, she added. The answer, as usual, lies not in additional resources (it is not an additional set of deliverables), but in a change of perspective, embedding insight and therefore, behavior, opined Anirban Mozumdar, Chief Strategy Officer, 82.5 Communications. According to Mozumdar, First, we need planners to bring their whole selves to work all of us immigrants trying to assimilate ourselves to one corporate whole must change. We must also be the Bengali, the Tamilian, the Odiya, the Punjabi we really, truly are. Diversity in hiring in the Indian context should also include trying to include talent who hail from different parts of the country. Continuing further, he said, Second, we need an insider perspective rather than an observer perspective (an -emic, meaning from within the social/ linguistic group rather than an -etic which is how others perceive the group). This would help us connect rather than to perpetuate stereotypes. This is possible by: local research and local moderators if this is at the insight level, local language and Delphi interviews with teachers, language and literature specialists and culture experts and then handing over execution to a local creative team. Market immersions along with local office and client sales teams, learning or speaking a language day sort of events, encouraging culture sharing sessions among agency people could also help. Lastly, work with a local creative team, production house or even a language creator! he added. Satish Krishnamurthy, Chief Strategy Officer, TBWA India, remarked, A brand has to work on various levels. At the national level, a tone of voice establishes the brand personality. This is critical, as it sets the context for all brand-building efforts. At the regional level, by demonstrating that it relates to the audience, the brand builds relevance. Both these levels have to work together. He further said that setting up a separate planning cell for each region is not the answer to the problem. Agencies that handle regional brands focus on local insights to build the brand. Our planning team uses intelligence tools, online research, and personal interactions to identify local subtleties that can be leveraged to build the brand idea across different regions. When we extended the footprint of a paint brand in Bengal, we went deep to unravel the real ethos of Bengali culture. We enlisted Saurav Ganguly to design communication that reflected the intellectual curiosity of Bengalis, their questioning nature, and their fierce love for tradition. These nuances, combined with colloquial language and glimpses of Bengali culture struck a chord and drove a successful launch. When the agency deeply understands the regional culture and accurately reflects it in communications, magic can happen for the brand. To get a Malayali to make Undhiyo that hits the spot of Gujaratis or to get a Bengali to make curd rice that has Tamilians in raptures is not impossible, but is certainly improbable. It is the case with advertising too, said Vishal Nicholas, EVP & Head- Planning & Strategy, dentsuMB India and Dentsu Impact. The creators of vernacular campaigns need to be steeped in two things the language and the culture of the state. I have been in Bangalore for 10 years is not enough to make you an expert in creating communications for Kannadigas. What is more important is either you are a Kannadiga or you are someone who knows the language and popular culture of the state, you get thrills out of receiving and sending memes/ Whatsapp jokes in Kannada and so on. The other thing for the planning team is to figure out the limit of their competencies. Insights can come from anyone within the agency who is an expert on the state. In fact, it is a guarantee it wont come from the planner on the brand unless he/ she is from that state or has grown up there or he/ she is given 2 months to research the state, which is a luxury nobody has. Nicholas further aid, At dentsuMB, we have already created a hyperlocal team of experts on each state across servicing, planning and creative. Moreover, for Tata Tea, one of our clients who is well known for its hyperlocal marketing approach, we have structured our teams according to expertise on states. In this case, where the chef is from is more important than which department he is from. Colors Tamil, the fastest growing GEC in Tamil Nadu, brings to screens the World Television Premiere of Ulkuthu this Sunday, March 20 at 5 pm. The story narrates the journey of a common man who finds himself at loggerheads with a local gangster. Tune in to Colors Tamil, to witness a tale of revenge, drama and comedy. Directed by Caarthick Raju, Ulkuthu explores retribution in a light-hearted entertaining manner with Actor Dinesh and Actor Nandita Swetha in lead roles. Actor Bala Saravanan adds the comical element while the film also stars Actor Chaya Singh, Actor-stunt choreographer Dhilip Subbarayan, Actor Sharath Lohitashwa and Actor John Vijay in supporting characters. Set in a serene coastal town, Ulkuthu revolves around Raja (played by Actor Dinesh) who is in pursuit of two feared loan sharks - Kaka Mani (played by Sharath Lohitashwa) and his son Saravanan (played by Dhilip Subbarayan) - to avenge the death of his sister. During his quest, he befriends Sura Shankar (played by Bala Saravanan) in the fishing hamlet, who wants him to marry his sister Kadalarasi (played by Nandita Swetha).Things take a turn for the worse when Raja ends up hitting and humiliating Saravanan. Will Raja manage to free himself from the clutches of these gangsters? Will he avenge his sisters death? Watch Ulkuthu to see how the story unfolds. Commenting on the WTP, Director Caarthick Raju said: Considering the effort we put into the film, I am thrilled that its television premiere is on Colors Tamil and would reach vast audiences. The film brings two genres, revenge and comedy, together. It was not easy but I am glad that all the pieces fit into the puzzle. Actor Dinesh said, The film gave me a new look altogether, with the character being quite unique compared to my previous roles. I loved playing the mass-hero who has several grey shades and hidden agendas up his sleeves. With the movie premiering on a prominent channel like Colors Tamil, I am confident that the audiences will be at the edge of their seats while having a good laugh with their families. Over the past few years, weve seen increasingly more people come together virtually to celebrate festivals connecting with friends, exchanging wishes and sharing their best memories of the festivities online. Unsurprisingly, this has led to a preference for culturally inclined content, presenting brands with an opportunity to drive both relevance among audiences as well as business results. Since Twitter is where India comes together and where culture takes shape, the service has become the go-to place for brands to connect with audiences around festive moments. As per a study by Kantar and Twitter, there exists a 73% correlation between a brands cultural relevance and its revenue, and theres an 88% correlation between a brands Twitter spends and its perceived cultural relevance. With #Holi2022 just around the corner, Indians are colouring their timelines in festive colours, and brands have a massive window of opportunity to connect with the moment and celebrate where their audiences are celebrating. Holi is the festival of joy and people love to share this joy online. Brands, load your Holi water guns with happy colours! As per the Brandwatch insights on conversations around Holi, people online are excited about Holi, and the conversation around the festival of colours begins to accelerate 10 days before and peaks just two days prior making that the best time for brands to connect with this culturally charged-up moment. Bringing back the Holi picture because its literally a tradition now. Dont even ask how old is it, I honestly dont remember anymore #NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/5OzlVST6hu Pallavi (@ThatDesiGirl) March 14, 2022 That said, not only are people talking about Holi, theyre talking about it a lot! In 2021, more than 459K people on Twitter in India sent over 2 million Tweets about Holi in just the week of the festival (Source: Brandwatch, 20 March - 01 April 2021) spreading festive cheer across timelines. 81% mentions around Holi are linked to joy, and conversations around the festival convey a 93% positive/neutral sentiment making Holi a truly brand-safe moment on Twitter. Happy #Holi to folk celebrating and to anyone else who might appreciate its sentiment as a festival of colour and love! pic.twitter.com/4YMfB6Hopn Harsha Patel (@HarshaPatel_) March 13, 2022 Some of the most Tweeted hashtags from last years Holi conversation were: How can brands celebrate Holi with audiences? Customised, relatable, and visually engaging content is the way to go. Peoples inclination towards Tweeting with multi-lingual hashtags makes it evident that theyre seeking authenticity and relatability. Brands can lean towards this preference and produce content that is culturally contextualised as per audiences inclinations. Realizing it is Realizing it is Monday again Holi this Friday pic.twitter.com/gKWtk6zYVx Netflix India South (@Netflix_INSouth) March 14, 2022 Audiences are at their most cheerful around Holi, and look forward to vibrant and joyful content from brands. Creativity and cultural nuance embedded in video content will give brands an edge when looking to engage audiences and make their presence felt. Celebrate your Holi with Amul sweets that makes your happy moments more tasteful and memorable pic.twitter.com/MWqMDlipcw Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) March 14, 2022 Through video and Twitter live, brands have the opportunity to encourage audience participation, and even drive purchase behaviour at a time when people are willing to try new products, spend more, and are evidently influenced by promotions and exciting offers. Celebrate the festival of colours without worrying about your skin and hair. Brighten your skin & strengthen your hair with Soulflower Holi essentials & get up to 50% off. #Holi #KhushiyanDelivered #Holi22 #HoliHai #HappyHoli pic.twitter.com/O5c9vbhZkt Amazon India (@amazonIN) March 12, 2022 With audiences being super pumped around Holi, brands can leverage the moment to invite them to participate in conversations through creatively crafted formats letting them feel involved and valued. By leveraging ArtHouse and Twitter Next Twitters in-house teams to create customised, tech-driven content and engagement solutions (such as the State Bank of Indias Holi thread), brands are bringing their best game forward to connect with audiences. This Holi, come join us as we celebrate the many colourful wonders of India Scroll through our Holi thread, press on the colour you love and get your Holi Postcard from one of Indias colourful wonders pic.twitter.com/jsjFIgOXfj State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) March 11, 2022 Twitters Amplify Sponsorships, which lets brands align their message from premium video content from publishers on the service, is another way that brands can lean into the Holi conversation through engaging topical content. For brands looking to build cultural relevance and stay top of mind, Holi is an unmissable moment. Brands must lean into it, join the conversations, and own the moment #OnlyOnTwitter. Under the current circumstances of Hong Kong, every family is unique and is evolving as they make bold moves forward to face the challenges head on. In light ofthis, HSBC Premier has launched the #ThisIsMyFamily campaign to support families every step of the way, along with a new suite of products and services. The Premier branding and visual identity were also refreshed to line up with the ambition to reinforce the brand identity of HSBC. At the core of the campaign is the belief that a family can be however the family defines it, and that the future of families lies in their determination to make bold moves. To communicate HSBC Premiers aspiration to progress with the change, Wunderman Thompson Hong Kong developed a campaign to feature three stories, where three celebrity actors encapsulate three distinct Hong Kong families who face various life changes. The celebrities who played the characters were also carefully selected based on their personal stories to better connect with Hongkongers. The Three Hong Kong Families that have championed through change The stories were delivered through a series of thematic videos followed by a number of functional ads, depicting how each family has embraced change and made bold life decisions with HSBC Premier. HSBC Premier Make it red, bold and everywhere The campaign started with a teaser video to arouse public interest on 21 January 2022. The three thematic videos were launched in 3 phases via TV, digital and social media channels, spanning from late January to early March 2022, to touch the hearts of our target audience. To maximise awareness among the mass affluent audience, specific locations were strategically selected for out-of-home ad displays in Causeway Bay, Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui and Central as well as digital dominations to take over the city. All these were designed to remind the audience of the products and services HSBC Premier has to offer as they create a better future for their family. An effective campaign that delivers heartfelt messages In this challenging time, the heartfelt messages were spread around Hong Kong to reiterate the progressiveness of HSBC Premier, with 92M+ impressions, 547K+ clicks, and 5.3M+ video viewsreaching over 6.4M people. Together with the 20+ organic IG stories by celebrities and the 130+ earned media coverage with the value over HKD7M across print, online and social media platforms, the messages reached even further. A majority of the mass affluent fieldwork audience found HSBC younger and more modern (79%), with nearly 70% agreed that HSBC has taken a big step forward in terms of diversity and inclusion. Brian Hui, Head of Customer Propositions, International and Marketing, Wealth and Personal Banking, Hong Kong, HSBC, said: Since its rollout in 2007, HSBC Premier has been a market-leading proposition to support the wealth aspirations of families in Hong Kong. As their banking needs continue to evolve with time and the changing concepts of family, we have reimagined our service offerings by leveraging HSBCs global presence and connectivity, as well as solid wealth credentials. Under the service reinvention, we have significantly enriched our wealth and international banking services to drive wealth creation for customers and support their childrens overseas education needs. SheungYan Lo, APAC Regional Chief Creative Officer & HSBC Global Chief Creative Officer, said: To enlighten Hongkongers with the warmth and hope that family can bring in a time like now, has given this campaign a bigger purpose. Everyone in the client, agency and production team has put in a lot of love to make sure people feel it. Taproot Dentsu, a dentsuMB company & the creative agency from the house of dentsu India, has been awarded the creative duties for the Indian ethnic brand, Biba. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agencys Gurgaon office. As per the mandate, Taproot Dentsu will create campaigns for Bibas 2022 spring-summer collection. The focus will be on the brands fresh perspective on todays woman and its commitment to providing her ample choice in terms of outfits, irrespective of the occasion. Keeping up with the evolving fashion trends & lifestyles of todays women, Biba has recently launched a variety of styles such as work wear, occasion wear, fusion, mix & match, to name a few. Apart from this, the brand has also launched a line of clothing called BIBA Girls for young girls aged 2-15. Speaking of the association, Siddharath Bindra, Managing Director, Biba, said, We are excited to partner with Taproot Dentsu as our creative partner for BIBA. They bring to the table a good mix of understanding the category and interesting creative outputs for the same. We look forward to our partnership and creating some great campaigns together. Abhinav Kaushik, Executive Vice President & Head of Office, Taproot Dentsu Gurgaon, added here, Biba is a well-established brand that every woman has seen, heard of, and at some point, shopped from. To work with such a well-entrenched brand in giving it a contemporary voice that will connect with the woman of today is both exciting and challenging. We are working closely with the Biba team for their upcoming collections and are gearing up to create a fantastic campaign for 2022. Titus Upputuru, National Creative Director, Taproot Dentsu, commented, Fashion is such an exciting segment! In my college days, I remember creating designs for a few womens Indian wear design boutiques in Delhi. But I didnt pursue it as a career as I fell in love with literature. When we got a chance to work on Biba, a homegrown Indian brand, my mind went straight to my college days. Working on the new direction of the brand and checking out the new collections, was so fascinating. The colours, the fabrics, the cuts are all very exciting and we are really excited to create stunning new campaigns for the brand! Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 17.03.2022 - President Ignazio Cassis will travel to Poland and Moldova next week for talks with authorities on the ground about the situation of refugees from Ukraine and also Switzerland's humanitarian aid for Ukraine and neighbouring countries. In Poland, Mr Cassis will meet with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday, 21 March. In Moldova, an exchange with President Maia Sandu is scheduled for Tuesday. Following Russia's military attack on Ukraine, around 12 million people are currently in need of emergency humanitarian aid. More than three million people have already fled to neighbouring countries, with over half of these arriving in Poland. On 11 March, the Federal Council announced its decision to increase Switzerland's humanitarian aid package in response to the refugee crisis to a total of CHF 80 million. One quarter of this will be used for assisting people who have fled to neighbouring countries. The rest will go towards supporting the population within Ukraine. So far, Switzerland has delivered over 500 tonnes of relief supplies to the region and dispatched a team of experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) to both Poland and Moldova. At their meeting in Warsaw, President Cassis and Prime Minister Morawiecki will discuss the situation in Ukraine, the reception of refugees in Poland, and European security policy. During the course of Monday, the Swiss delegation will visit the transfer point for Switzerland's humanitarian relief supplies in Lublin and talk with the Swiss expert team on site. A meeting with representatives of international organisations and NGOs is also planned at a refugee reception centre at the Polish-Ukrainian border. The meeting with President Sandu on Tuesday in Chisinau will be devoted to discussing how Switzerland can best support Moldova in coping with the refugee flows. The two countries enjoy close relations and Switzerland is one of Moldova's most important bilateral donor countries. President Cassis and the Swiss delegation will be briefed about Swiss aid activities on the ground and will visit a refugee centre. The Swiss delegation travelling with President Cassis to Poland and Moldova includes National Council member Franz Gruter, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC-NR), National Council member Edith Graf-Litscher, member of the Security Policy Committee (SPC-NR), Ambassador Manuel Bessler, Delegate for Humanitarian Aid and head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA), and Claude Wild, Ambassador to Ukraine and Moldova. 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 OUTER BANKS, N.C. The best lessons not only inform, Lebame Houston believes, but also entertain and inspire. Not just the target audience, but presenters, as well. Thats why the local historian and archivist is so enthusiastic about the upcoming symposium dedicated to people and developments related to the Outer Banks. OBX History Weekend: Searchers of New Horizons is a four-day event, March 30 to April 2, that will include presentations and discussions of colonial figures, Native Americans and modern aviators, site tours and living history episodes. Experts in various fields are expected to attend from all over the country and as far as Europe and Australia. Those who cannot attend in person will send video presentations or participate remotely. Advertisement Our focus is on the people that came to the Outer Banks, Houston said. They were seeking something, they were inventors, dreamers. They wanted to do something or become something. We decided that wed put it all together and look at our history and see if we couldnt bring in some of the leading authorities in the world (to discuss) people who have either been here to gain some inspiration or came here and accomplished something, wed like to think, because they were here. Presentations include new research on the Lost Colonists including new information about Roanoke colonist Thomas Harriot, a brilliant polymath who was an advisor to Sir Walter Raleigh; the Carolina Algonquians, the Wright Brothers and their sister Katharine, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, Gen. Billy Mitchell and Francis Rogallo. Advertisement Theres been a lot of new and exciting research, said Houston, a board member of the First Colony Foundation and the Roanoke Island Historical Association. We wouldnt have put this together just to rehash old material. Site tours will take place at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the archaeological grounds at Fort Raleigh and the Billy Mitchell Airstrip in Frisco. Symposium sessions and discussions will be held at the Gazebo Theatre at Fort Raleigh, except for the session on Mitchell, which will be held at the Pioneer Theatre in downtown Manteo. The session includes a screening of the 1955 Gary Cooper film, The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell. On Saturday, April 2, a vintage aircraft fly-over is scheduled, weather permitting, that will be visible from the Wright Brothers Memorial and Fort Raleigh. Artifacts, photos and artwork related to the event will be on display at the Dare County Arts Council building in downtown Manteo from April 1-9. All sessions are free and open to the public, though registration is suggested. For further information and details about each day, visit bryanculturalseries.org or firstcolonyfoundation.org. A major purpose is to make local people aware of their heritage, Houston said. Not just their Elizabethan heritage, but things that have happened in their land. We hope it not only informs, but perhaps they enjoy it and think deeper about where they live and what they can put back into the community. Alton, IL (62002) Today Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Managing Editor Amanda Lubinski can be reached at amanda.lubinski@mycouriertribune.com or 903-6001. Originally published on mycouriertribune.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. Heres a look at some of news over the last week. This will continue until special education takes over the schools. One of the reasons Ive compiled LossOfBrainTrust stories over the last five years is to show what officials and governments have long ignored. Something is terribly wrong with the health of our children, especially with their ability to learn, communicate and socialize. I just have to ask these things because no one else is. I guarantee that when were lighting up the world in blue next month, no one will bring up the uncomfortable questions. Is the one in 14 rate among 8 year olds in Toms River, NJ the better diagnosing level we should all be shooting for ? Or more specifically, what about one in 39 in North Carolina or one 36 in Minnesota or one in 35 in New Jersey or one in 26 in California or one in 22 in New York? Is the rate of one in every 44 among U.S. children finally getting it right? I would love to see a single reporter somewhere in the world bring up the obvious: When is this going to stop? All this flies in the face of reality when you look at the stories from the U.K . Even though officials still routinely tell us that theyre excited/delighted/proud of the newest autism school or additional school places, theyve got to be worried about the increases that never level off. We once again prepare for April, Autism Awareness Month , and its time for the media to remind the public that autism is something we should celebrate. There will be calls for inclusion and acceptance and talk about neurodiversity. Better diagnosing/greater awareness/expanded definition are always the explanations for more and more and more autism. That myth has been in circulation for the last twenty years, and true to the narrative, whenever the folks in Atlanta (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) get around to updating the autism rate, theres never been a real increase. Looking over the stories Ive added in the last week, all I can think about is what Ive long called the really big lie about autism, namely that all the kids on the spectrum are nothing new. Theyve always been herewe just called them something else. With the number of pupils with SEND requirements both in Shropshire and nationally rising steadily, this is a fantastic opportunity to build a school that caters for the needs of those pupils. It will also complement the provision already in place in the county. Lothian: New special school The new state-of-the-art Cedarbank School in Livingston is set to be handed over to West Lothian Council. Leader of West Lothian Council Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: Im delighted that the outstanding new Cedarbank School will be ready for pupils from next month. The new school is part of a 26.5 million [$34.7M] investment in schools dedicated to supporting pupils with additional support needs, which will see a new Beatlie School in Livingston built as well as improvements to Ogilvie Campus in Livingston and the Pinewood ASN School in Blackburn Roddy Clark, Hub South East's Operations Director, said: "We're proud Rotherham: New special school A specialist trust has been appointed to run a new school in Rotherham for children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Ethos Academy Trust (EAT) will run the new 125-child school, The new school will be the only one of its type in the borough and will meet the growing need for specialist provision. We are very excited to be working alongside them on our shared goal of boosting the education and life chances of Rotherham children. Jayne Foster, CEO at Ethos Academy Trust said: The Trust is delighted Ipswich: New special school Twenty jobs will be created as a new special educational needs school opens in east Ipswich in the autumn. It will offer 60 places for students aged between nine and 16 and will be the first time that children in Ipswich will have bespoke SEN provision available. Naomi Shenton, principal at the school, said: "Paradigm Trust is delighted to be able to create over 20 jobs in the town. Newbury: New special school Some 37 people could be employed at the new school at River View House, which would take around 50 pupils A new school for children with special needs could be built at an empty Newbury office block. Plans have been submitted to convert River View House, on Newbury Business Park, into a new school for around 50 pupils. The children may have a range of needs including emotional and mental health issues. Brent: New special school A special school for 150 pupils with autism is coming to North West London. A budget of 20million [$26M] has been approved The news comes as local authorities face funding pressures around special needs schools. In a report presented to Brent Councils schools forum in November, it noted it expected to pay 4.6m [$6.1M] more than it was allocated by the government for special needs provision for 2021/22. Council officers put the situation down to an increase in the number of children in Brent needing specialist education, as well as a rise in the number of complex cases in the borough. A large and growing number of local authorities have a high needs deficit. He explained there were ambitions to invest 44m [$58M] in special education in Brent, which will result in 427 school places. Northumberland: New special school A Northumberland special school is moving to a 5.5m [$7.2M] new base in Ponteland and will admit girls for the first time. The move will see the number of much-needed places the school can offer increase from 80 to 100 and allow it to admit girls as well as boys creating the first dedicated educational provision for girls in Northumberland with social, emotional and mental health needs. the move represented a 5.5m [$7.2M] investment in the disused Ponteland site in Thornhill Road and it was an inevitable and much-needed step that we need to increase our capacity for children with extra educational needs. Paul Sampson, headteacher at Atkinson House, said the new building would provide not only more space to accommodate a growing number of pupils Newham: New special school JFK Special School, which is part of the Learning in Harmony Trust (LiHT), has opened a brand-new Annex to support children with SEND across Newham, in London. ... The site serves up to 25 pupils, aged 11 to 18, with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) needs The specialist provision has been built in response to the significant 129 per cent increase of primary-aged pupils identified as having ASC in the last five years, who will now require specialist support at a secondary school. This is getting a little tedious. Pretty soon the idea of yet another special school opening wont get any coverage at all. But there were some concerns being raised, kind of. The education chief on the Sheffield Council had to apologize to parents after inspectors found significant weaknesses in its special education needs and disabilities provision. The High Court in Britain has ordered local councils to complete special ed plans in fixed legal time limits, which of course they havent done as a rule. Some children wait years to receive services. A good example of this is the 10-year-old boy from Leeds who has been turned down by four schools and left without a place for two years. The father was quoted: "We didn't realise how many families are going through this. There's so much anger and so many people in similar situations have been commenting and telling us their children have experienced similar - being left out of education for years or in some extreme cases committed suicide. "There are so any children with PDA [Pathological Demand Avoidance] who do not get the right support and often get horrible outlooks because of that. "Local authorities and CAMHS are so out of date and overloaded and just don't kick into effect until kids turn up in hospital." There was also the story from Devon about the council massive deficit, and its of course tied to special education. The update comes after the county council recently agreed its new budget from April, which will provide a combined extra 30 million [$39M] for childrens and adult services. Council tax will rise by three per cent to help cover the increases... The budget position does not currently include a separate, increasing overspend for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This is because the government has told local councils to put overspends for SEND provision into separate ring-fenced accounts for three years until April 2023, while it develops a new plan to fund it. The county council entered the current financial year with an overspend of 49 million [$64M] in its SEND account, which is effectively debt. It expects to add a further 40 million [$52M] to this in the current financial year, according to the report Dr Phil Norrey, the chief executive of Devon County Council, said earlier this year that the funding system for special educational needs was broken and described it as a national problem. So there you have it. There may be growing deficits and a broken system, but the money will come from somewhere. It has to. If you want to see the bright side of autistic/special needs kids, search news stories from America. They tend to be very upbeat. In Austin, MN, the local autism organization will be joining in the Autism Awareness Month festivities. The 12th annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2. Joined by the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes, and communities around the world will sport light blue in recognition of people living with autism. Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all month to increase understanding and acceptance and foster worldwide support. Autism Friendly Austin is celebrating World Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, April 2, with a Spectrum Celebration Day. Lincoln and Omaha will be the sites of two autism therapy centers. Stride Autism Centers (Stride), a provider of evidence-based therapy for preschool-age children with autism, is thrilled to announce two new convenient locations in Nebraska. The local theater in Sewickley, PA is hosting a free, sensory-friendly movie screening. An autism therapy provider is opening in Las Vegas. NCHC will be celebrating the opening of its offices and center located at 1311 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV There was one concerning story from the U.S. that I ran across. A teacher in Hollywood, FL was hospitalized for the FOURTH TIME after she was violently attacked by a 5-year-old special needs boy. Meadow's had been teaching an "exceptional student education" with a "group of "children with some type of special needs or special disability, with all kinds of different diagnoses." Fusco continued: "The way he pounced on her and the way she fell backwards and smacked her head, it was a severe concussion. "She's got some other bodily injuries from him jumping on her, attacking her, kicking, punching, biting that's going to lead to surgery.". Fusco has since spoken to WSVN, where she said: "She has been hospitalised several times by this student. It's not this first time, not the second time, it's the third time." There were no specific details given in the coverage, but many of us understand what happened here. Its the dark side of things, exactly what we wont be hearing about during April. Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism. Winter often lies too long along the road formerly known as Hilldale, where my woodlot resides. From hill to dale the road gives up its frost The events taking place in Ukraine have been disruptive for many commodity markets, including corn, soybeans, and also wheat. As a result, its led to some unique trading action. Its not about the fear of an inverse market because its already there, said Ed Usset, professor emeritus and grain marketing economist with the University of Minnesotas Center for Farm Financial Management. But how are we going to deal with it? Theyre already hedging in the July contract. Theyre bidding off of the May (contract) and theyre hedging into the July contract. Usually theyd be in the May contract. It's a unique kind of thing, he continued. Normally (hedgers) would be trading off the May contract until April. It's March 14. This is odd where we skipped the nearby contract a month and half earlier than normal. War is very disruptive and this has caused a lot of uncertainty for hedgers regarding the May/July spread. Usset said memories of a disastrous inverted wheat market back in 2008 has hedgers, who buy grain and sell to nearby futures, nervous about history repeating itself. Back then the March contract went to a $4 to $10 premium to the May contract and hedgers found themselves buying back the March and moving to May. That cost players big money, he said, noting the North Dakota Mill and Elevator indicated that that hedge in 2009 when it showed up, cost the mill almost $12 million. He also noted that General Mills, which has six or seven flour mills throughout the country and is a big wheat buyer, reported hedging losses of over $100 million. And ConAgra, a big miller at the time, and now a part of Ardent Mills, reported $33 million in losses. This all came down to rolling the hedge in an inverted market. And youre seeing people go to the July today, because right after this stuff broke out with Ukraine and Russia, the wheat market took off and the inverses increased, he explained. In Chicago, the May/July spread went from a 10-cent inversethat is the May trading 10 cents over the Julyto 90 cents over in just a handful of trading days. Basically your hedgers are saying, Were not going to place our short hedges in the May contract. We dont know where that inverse will go. We dont want to be a part of the suffering that goes with placing that short hedge in the May contract and then a month from now rolling it forward when we dont know where that inverse will go, he continued. Will it go to $1, $2? Theres just that much uncertainty. The trade is saying, and this is both merchandisers and processors flour mills, ethanol plants, etc. Were going to buy off the July. Were going to hedge into the July contract. This does not necessarily mean theyre out of the woods and have dodged the problem. It does give them, though, an extra two months to think about what the hell theyre going to do if it goes through a big inverse. Thats the biggest story out there right now from a hedger/merchandiser standpointan unprecedented move to the July contract. Its very interesting, he continued. Otherwise, its all about the war. There are so many uncertainties. What these traders did going to the July just says theyre trying to avoid the uncertainty as much as they can because they dont know whats going to happen. I sure dont know whats going to happen, Usset added. He noted the market has been very volatile, one day trading limit up and the next day its limit down. And its all related to the war. I dont know whats going to happen. I do know its very disruptive, he said. One of the reasons for that is because of Ukraine and Russias emergence as major agricultural producers and exporters. Thats one of the three biggest changes to come to agriculture in the last 20 years. The others, according to Usset, are the growth of ethanol and corn and the growth of Chinese imports of soybeans, as well as corn to a degree. Corn is the biggest crop, and you have a whole new course of demand (with ethanol) coming into that market. You upset the corn market, you upset everything, he said. Chinese imports of soybeans and that continued growth over the last two years (has been) incredible. In fact, we could argue about which of those two soybeans or corn was the bigger event. But the emergence of Russia and Ukraine as major agricultural players is also very significant because it wasnt a change in demand, but rather a new source of demand. Its a changing of the players, largely in the wheat market. Before, under a communist-ruled central economy in the former Soviet Union, the countries were limited as to what or how much they could export. You look at how much wheat they exported in 2000. It appears to me they both sent a couple of trucks across the border. Thats about it, they didnt export. They had all this capability and they couldnt get anything out of it, he said. But in the last 20 years, they have slowly gotten their act together and they are major players. And now, over the last five years, Russia is the second-largest wheat exporting country in the world, and Ukraine is also large. Its half the size of Russia, in terms of exports, but of course Ukraine is a relatively small country compared to Russia, he added. Besides the war, another factor the market is watching is the fact Argentina appears to be shutting off soybean meal exports, according to Usset. Argentina will at times place a heavy tax on exports in order to keep more product for their domestic market and, at this time, he said it looks like theyre getting ready to impose the taxes. Argentina has weird tax policies around soybeans. They tax the hell out of them and cut off their exports. The best I can tell, because theyre getting ready to tax them and they dont want people sending stuff out of the country before the taxes begin, he said. Its a big deal. Other than that, next up for producers and the market is spring planting and USDAs Planting Intentions Report, which will be released March 31. Producers were surveyed in early March to ascertain what they intended to plant this spring. With strong prices for many commodities, there is strong competition for acres in 2022. That said, Ussets initial thought is there wont be a dramatic shift in acres. My initial thought is I dont think acreage will change much, he said, speaking of corn, soybeans and wheat. All three crops are high priced, but input costs are higher, too. But then I got thinking about northwestern Minnesota where they plant a lot of corn and soybeans and wheat, and Im thinking about inputs, and Im thinking about acres where someone has not secured their inputs yet, or maybe they have them bought but they havent been delivered yet. And the thought crosses my mind that if Ive got some acreage and I didnt get the right inputs in there for corn or soybeans, maybe Ill go to wheat, because with wheat you can get away with fewer inputs. Its just a thought. I cant prove that its going to happen that way. But it seems to me it could. You could see a few more wheat acres there, he concluded. Looking at area prices, at one local elevator in west central Minnesota regularly followed in this column, as of March 15, the January cash price for corn was $6.95 and basis was -28 cents under. Thats over a dollar improvement since early January. The July 2022 futures price was $7.23 with the basis at +5 cents over. At that same elevator, as of March 15, the March cash price for soybeans was $15.85 and basis was -50 cents under. The June 2022 futures price for new crop soybeans was listed at $16.36 and basis was -11 cents under. Farm & Ranch Guide Weekly Update Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox from Farm & Ranch Guide. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Most farmers never say no to rain, but during planting season it can throw a wrench into plans. Delays and flooding can create problems in any field, but knowing how much moisture is in the soil before a drenching storm can help. Excess moisture can lead to flooding, erosion and nutrient runoff, so factor those into any spring decisions. A dry soil will absorb much of the rain as opposed to a wet soil that cannot infiltrate much of the incoming rain, said Sotirios Archontoulis, professor of agronomy at Iowa State University. When planting into drier soils, Archontoulis said adjusting planting depth is important as well. The typical depth is 1 or 1 inches, with many agronomists suggesting no deeper than 2 inches. However, in drought conditions felt by much of Iowa, northern Illinois and western Missouri, farmers need to see how deep moisture can be found in the soil. There are risks with deeper planting, as it will be tougher for the plant to emerge from the soil, making it more susceptible to pathogens, but Archontoulis warned against planting shallow and hoping for rain. That seed will face challenges as well if rainfall is not in the near-term forecast, he said. Tilled soils may pack down or wash when rainfall comes, potentially resulting in seeds placed shallower than intended this is much more problematic for corn than soybean. If rainfall wets soils unevenly or comes in small amounts, seed will imbibe water and emerge unevenly. University of Illinois Extension specialist Emerson Nafziger said there are some instances where no yield loss was found in depths up to 2.75 inches, but that isnt necessarily the norm. When watching soybeans planted deeper in the soil, stand may be the thing to focus on, as the added energy required to emerge could rob some of the biomass in the plant. Corn planted in the first half of April, with soil temperatures below 50 degrees, should be kept shallower at 1.5 inches, but the crop can go a little deeper in warmer soils, down to 1.75 inches. Most corn seed has the ability to emerge from 3 inches deep if soil conditions are good, but when soil conditions deteriorate after planting, those 3 inches can turn into an obstacle course for seedlings, Nafziger said. That can compromise stands and stand uniformity, both of which are needed for getting the highest yields. If there are delays due to moisture, Nafziger said the major adjustment to make is looking at different varieties. Particularly for farmers further north, with slightly shorter growing seasons, planting an earlier maturing variety in June will typically have more success. CropWatch Weekly Update Get the Iowa and Illinois CropWatchers report delivered to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Along with feeding the U.S. and the world, National Ag Day March 22 celebrates what farmers bring to the table, and teaches consumers where their food comes from. To tell that story, incorporating books about agriculture is at the top of the list for schools in the Central Plains. National Ag Day is coordinated by the Agriculture Council of America, and this years theme is Growing a Climate for Tomorrow. Nebraska Nebraska kindergarten through second graders receive a book that the American Farm Bureau Foundation selects as its book of the year through Nebraska Ag in the Classroom. Through an Agriculture Reading Hour, farmers and ranchers volunteer to read the book to a class. We equip farmers and ranchers to go into local communities and read the book to a classroom of their choice, then donate the book to the school classroom or the library, said Courtney Shreve, director of outreach education with the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation. The non-profit organization donates 125 books a year. The program started in 2016. They typically receive the book in December and volunteers can read it anytime in the semester. We love being able to read and donate the books. Each of the books focuses on the importance of agriculture, Shreve said. Nebraska children recently read Barn at Night which is about all the different types of animals in the barn. South Dakota South Dakota fourth graders are the prime age group for introducing agriculture and state history through peer-driven books. Fostering those lessons is South Dakota Ag in the Classroom, an online and in-person organizers say is unlike any other program in the U.S. We marry South Dakota history to agriculture, which we teach at the same time, because its the story of land and how people came to be and the story of food and their origin, said Cindy Heidelberger, who serves as co-executive director and co-founder of Ground Works South Dakota Agriculture in the Classroom along with Tim Olsen. The program is used in 141 of the 145 school districts in the state, reaching 17,000 students between kindergarten and eighth grade. Outside of South Dakota, the program is used by 45 states, and 89 countries and provinces. Through South Dakota Ag in the Classrooms website TourSD.org, students travel to 22 cities and towns, starting in the state capital of Pierre. They watch a video overview of agriculture, and then on to Fort Pierre to learn about rodeo, commodities and the basics of beef, including the vocabulary and physiology thats linked to beef. Then they tell us whats important about their town and commodities, and we hit social studies, art, language arts, health, math and science, Heidelberger said. A couple of ag trained teachers work with the states beef industry to recommend information and hands-on activities. South Dakota Ag in the Classroom provides a list of agriculturally approved books approved for each age group, and educators work with librarians to have those books available. Some childrens agriculture books by regional authors include: BEEF Strong, by Amanda Radke, recently selected to be South Dakota Farm Bureaus Ag Book of the Year, and My Mommy and Daddy are Ranchers by Wrenn Pacheco of Kansas. Kansas Agriculture books are important tools in the classroom. Kansas Foundation for Ag in the Classroom works to promote them in coordination with lesson plans and activities. Last year, the foundation held a book drawing for National Ag Day, with the book Kaileys Ag Adventures, and recognized books on social media. They have a different project for 2022 in partnership with a couple of other Kansas programs and ran special teacher appreciation promotions and drawings in February. We use drawings to raise awareness of our program, to engage more teachers in using agriculture in their classrooms, and showing appreciation to those teachers who are currently doing so, said Nancy Zenger-Beneda, executive director of Kansas Foundation for Ag in the Classroom. The foundation is developing an ag-accurate book list following the Farm Bureaus recommended publications. They also watch for publications by Kansas authors, Zenger-Beneda said. The Kansas program provides resources for K-12 educators. (It) focuses on helping educators teach young people about the origins of their food, fiber and fuel and the influence of agriculture on the quality of life, Zenger-Beneda said. Resources are available on the foundations new website. Kansas teachers can get free kits to help them get started infusing agriculture into their classrooms. Reporter Amy Hadachek is a two-time Emmy Award winning meteorologist and a storm chaser who earned her NWA and AMS Broadcast Meteorology Seals of Approval. She and her husband live on a diversified farm in Kansas. Reach her at amy.hadachek@midwestmessenger.com. Midwest Messenger Weekly Update Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox from the Midwest Messenger. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RTHK: Cambodia jails 20 opposition politicians for sedition A Cambodian court sentenced 20 former politicians and activists to up to 10 years in prison on Thursday for sedition, part of a broad crackdown in the country. Sam Rainsy, the self-exiled founder of the disbanded opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), had already been convicted of multiple offences and was among those found guilty on Thursday over remarks the authorities say were tantamount to plotting to overthrow the government. More than 100 opposition members or supporters have been charged with treason and incitement in the past few years in Cambodia, where Prime Minister Hun Sen has ruled for 37 years. Former CNRP leader Kem Sokha is among dozens of people on trial for treason. Many of those subject to prosecutions are living in exile. The government has denied targeting the opposition and says the trials are not politically motivated. Rainsy, Hun Sen's biggest rival, fled to France for fear of persecution in 2015. In an email, he said the justice system was corrupt. "The will for democratic change which the Cambodian people have demonstrated on every available occasion is impossible to extinguish. Opposing dictatorship is a duty, not a crime," he wrote. Seven senior CNRP members were tried in absentia and sentenced to 10 years in prison while 13 of the partys supporters, who were in custody, were each ordered to serve three years and eight months in prison, defence lawyer Sam Sokong said. Plang Sophal, the court's deputy prosecutor, declined to comment. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Prolonged violation of children's rights in U.S. saddening: Chinese spokesperson Xinhua) 08:42, March 17, 2022 (Source: Xinhua) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday said the prolonged violation of children's rights in the United States is "saddening and disturbing." Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query about China's expression of concerns over the violation of children's rights in the United States during the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Citing relevant statistics, Zhao said the U.S. government has detained as many as 45,000 illegal migrant children in 2021. Over the past few years, among the 266,000 migrant children detained by the United States, 25,000 have been detained for more than 100 days. The relevant detention facilities operate under chaotic management with frequent abuses, forced labor, and other violations of human rights. The children held in custody are suffering from serious physical and mental trauma, Zhao said. "It is even more heartbreaking to learn that the U.S. government forcibly separated migrant children in custody from their parents, resulting in family separation of many migrants. Many children have not reunited with their parents yet," he added. Zhao said many children have fallen victim to shootings on campus due to the proliferation of guns in the United States. "Looking at the children whose rights have been violated in the United States, one cannot help but ask: Where on earth are the 'human rights' of the American children? Do they have their 'freedom' at all?" Zhao said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Jered Grimes, director of Newport News Juvenile Services, stands inside the activity center of the Newport News Juvenile Detention Center Thursday March 17, 2022. Newport News is in the process of launching a peer justice program for juveniles charged with a first offense class 2 misdemeanor or lower. (Jonathon Gruenke/Daily Press) Newport News Teenagers who commit minor offenses in Newport News may soon have the opportunity to go before a jury thats truly made up of their peers. Thats because the jury will be comprised solely of middle and high school students. Advertisement Newport News is launching the Youth Justice Diversion Program, commonly referred to as a youth court, to give young people a second chance to keep their records clean after select first-time offenses. Under the juvenile delinquency diversion program, the teenager has to accept fault for the offense and parents or guardians must approve the teens participation in the program. Advertisement The program is intended for charges such as abusive language, some forms of vandalism or minor driving offenses. It only applies to class two misdemeanors or lower, and it is not used for any offenses that may result in immediate detention. We want kids to have an opportunity to use this restorative justice model to go through the process and have the judgment of their peers, which we hope will have an impact that really speaks to them and then never have a true record or spot on their record, said Jered Grimes, Newport News director of juvenile services. The model exists in other states, but until recently, the Virginia code didnt allow for it. In the 2021 General Assembly session, at Newport News request, Del. Mike Mullin, D-Newport News, introduced legislation that would give municipalities the right to establish youth diversion programs that utilize teenage volunteers as lawyers, jurors and other roles such as a clerk and bailiff. This is a positive peer influence model, Grimes said. Teenagers sometimes look at us and they see people who are just there to judge them, people who dont see their point of view and who dont understand the pressures on them. The program uses youth volunteers with the hope theyll be more relatable to the young person who committed the offense. Grimes said the intent is that the consequences will mean more because theyre coming from peers rather than adults. The volunteers will be predominantly high school students, though some mature middle school students may be considered. The students must be in good academic standing. Guidance counselors will be able to recommend teenagers that have shown interest in criminal justice, law enforcement or civic responsibility. Students who volunteer for the court will have a chance to learn more about the judicial system and be able to develop their public speaking and persuasive argument skills. The students will have help from adult volunteers, such as law students. Advertisement One role on the court the judge is reserved for an adult. A volunteer attorney will serve as the judge and will sign off on the sanctions agreed upon by the jury. Sanctions may include community service, workshops or classes or formal apology letters. In cases of vandalism, sanctions may also include restitution. These kids who have done something minor, something wrong, are going to make up for their indiscretions by making whole in their commitment to apologizing, making good on what theyve done wrong, Grimes said. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > If the diversion program and sanctions are completed, the original charge is dismissed through court services. The youth court does not take the place of juvenile domestic relations court or a specialized court. Advertisement Those whose cases are selected to route through the program will be referred from sources such as the police department, the public school system and the citys human services department. The youth court sessions will be held in the city-run community centers. Theyre slated to begin in mid to late June. The city received a state grant that will provide funding for a coordinator position for the first 18 months of the program. The city has also included funds for the program in its operating budget. Grimes department is in the process of recruiting volunteers and beginning advisory meetings required by the state law. Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, jnolte@dailypress.com The names of Terry Aultman and Brenda Aultman are not well known, but they should be, more so than that of George Floyd. George Floyd was a repeat offender with a long rap sheet who was resisting arrest at the time of his death. He did not deserve to die, but unlike the Aultmans, he was not just an innocent bystander. George Floyd died while being restrained by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, and later pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd's constitutional rights. At the time of his death, Floyd was suspected of having passed a counterfeit $20 bill, a misdemeanor in the state of Minnesota. According to reports, the Aultmans were peacefully riding their bicycles home from a Biker Week event when they were stabbed repeatedly, had their throats cut, and were left on the street to die. They were an older couple, apparently without criminal records, who had moved to Daytona Beach just six months before to enjoy their retirement. The suspect in the Aultman murders is Jean R. Macean, a 32-year-old black man with a criminal record of drug-related and driving offenses who was filmed walking down the street at the time the Aultmans were killed. According to Daytona Beach Police chief Jakari Young, Macean has now confessed to the double-homicide. He is "the man responsible for murders of Brenda Aultman and Terry Aultman." Macean, who was captured in the Orlando area, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Unlike his victims, aged 48 and 55, Macean is an extremely large and muscular young man. He certainly had the means to carry out these horrific murders. The motive in this case remains unknown or unreported. It may turn out that the crime involved a black man who, on a whim, simply chose to kill two defenseless older white people. If this is the case, will the courts decide to try the perpetrator on hate crime charges as well as first-degree murder? Chief Young was spot-on when he said the murders were "a reminder of just the evil that exists in our society today." The Aultman murders were truly horrific "one of the most vicious and gruesome incidents that I've witnessed in my 20 years," said Chief Young. That being the case, why have these murders not aroused the same level or a greater level of reaction that the George Floyd murder did? The murders have been covered extensively on local news channels in Florida and on some websites, but in a search of broadcast and published reports, I have found zero coverage on the national mainstream news channels, except on Fox news and in the N.Y. Post, which to its credit has run full-length reports. Why have we not seen the same demonstrations, riots, media accounts, and outpouring of grief that accompanied the death of George Floyd? The only reason, I believe, is that the Aultmans were two middle-class whites, while Floyd was a black man who died while resisting arrest at the hands of white police officers. Or, to put it in more basic terms, the Aultmans were white, and Floyd was black. Left this way, two horrendous murders will remain entirely unknown to the nation as a whole, and the Aultmans will quickly be forgotten, except to those who knew them. This is as the national media want it to be. The woke narrative is that blacks are frequent victims of whites, but whites can never be considered victims because of their inherent privilege and power. This storyline is utterly untrue, since young black men commit murder at ten times the rate of young white males. More than twice as many whites are murdered by blacks as are blacks killed by whites. And still the mainstream media refuse to cover it. The only way to address this evil is by recognizing it for what it is. Most murders, I believe, could be prevented, and the national media bear a large part of the responsibility that they are not. Offenders must be incarcerated for a violent crime with long sentences at their first conviction. Gangs must be broken up, and drug-related offenses taken seriously not dismissed as Jean Macean's were. There need to be more police patrolling the streets and with more latitude to detain and question suspicious-looking individuals. Above all, perhaps, the public needs accurate reporting so it can defend itself. Honest reporting would make clear that while most blacks in America are decent, hardworking individuals, a sizable number are criminals, and many of these are violent criminals. Armed with this information, the public can take precautions and it will be more inclined to pressure its representatives to increase funding for police. Terry and Brenda Aultman, more so than George Floyd, were the victims of a monstrous injustice, and they, and what they represent as white victims, should be known across the country. Given the bias and censorship that exist in the national news media, it is unlikely that their case will be covered. Even now, a couple of weeks after their deaths, there is no outcry in the media, no marching in the streets, and little interest in the man responsible. When cases like that of the Aultmans are censored into oblivion, the public has no means of understanding who is actually most responsible for murder in America. As a result, homicide rates remain high, and prosecutors get away with awarding light sentences. For once, maybe the national media could play fair and report honestly about a black-on-white murder, but they won't. The murders were "long ago" in news time, the perpetrator has apparently confessed, and all that remains is the process of accepting a plea and sentencing. The media have already buried this story, not that they were ever going to report it. Everyone in America knows the name of George Floyd. How many will remember Terry and Brenda Aultman? Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture, most recently Heartland of the Imagination (2011). Image: Lorie Shaull via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. A female German convert to Islam was recently sentenced to over seven years in prison. The 44-year-old was found guilty of following her Palestinian husband in joining Islamic terror groups abroad, including the Islamic State in Syria. Moreover, according to a March 3, 2022 report (translated and summarized here), she had handed over her son, who was only 14 years old at the time, to the militias as a child soldier. ... The boy had actively participated in fighting and had been in acute danger of his life on several occasions. On February 23, 2018, the boy, who was 15 years old by then, had been killed in a rocket attack. She had brought the boy into the IS territory, which is why the accused should also be convicted of involuntary manslaughter. ... The accused had tried to present herself as a naive wife who had only followed her husband. As abysmal as this woman's behavior was she had also tried to get her older son to come and be "martyred" in Syria the most telling aspect of and lynchpin to her persona is found in the following excerpt: "According to a witness, after the IS attacks in Paris in 2015, she had said that the victims deserved to die. She had told her son that it was important to humiliate and hate the infidels" (emphasis added). Why would this native German woman, on converting to Islam, feel that "infidels" all non-Muslims are deserving of being hated and humiliated? Because Islam unequivocally commands it. The doctrine of al-wala' w'al-bara' (which can be translated as "loyalty and enmity" or, more simply, "love and hate"), commands Muslims always to aid and support fellow Muslims (including jihadists, for example through funds or zakat). It is the bara' the "enmity" or "hate" that concerns us here. It manifests itself so regularly that even those in the West who are not necessarily acquainted with the particulars of Muslim doctrine sense it. For instance, in November 2015, after a series of deadly Islamic terror strikes in the West, thenpresidential candidate Donald Trump said, "I think Islam hates us. There's something there that there's a tremendous hatred there. There's a tremendous hatred. We have to get to the bottom of it. There's an unbelievable hatred of us." What makes this "tremendous" and "unbelievable hatred" unintelligible to the West is that it is not a product of grievances, political factors, or even an "extremist" interpretation of Islam. Rather, it is a direct byproduct of mainstream Islamic teaching. Koran 60:4 is the cornerstone verse of this doctrine and speaks for itself. As Osama bin Laden, while quoting it, once wrote: As to the relationship between Muslims and infidels, this is summarized by the Most High's Word: "We renounce you. Enmity and hate shall forever reign between us till you believe in Allah alone" [Koran 60:4]. So there is an enmity, evidenced by fierce hostility from the heart. And this fierce hostility that is, battle ceases only if the infidel submits to the authority of Islam, or if his blood is forbidden from being shed [i.e., a dhimmi], or if Muslims are at that point in time weak and incapable. But if the hate at any time extinguishes from the heart, this is great apostasy! ... Such, then, is the basis and foundation of the relationship between the infidel and the Muslim. Battle, animosity, and hatred directed from the Muslim to the infidel is the foundation of our religion. (The Al Qaeda Reader, p. 43). Similarly, the Islamic State once confessed to the West in the context of Koran 60:4 that "we hate you, first and foremost, because you are disbelievers." As for any and all political "grievances," these are "secondary" reasons for the jihad, ISIS said: The fact is, even if you were to stop bombing us, imprisoning us, torturing us, vilifying us, and usurping our lands, we would continue to hate you because our primary reason for hating you will not cease to exist until you embrace Islam. Even if you were to pay jizyah and live under the authority of Islam in humiliation, we would continue to hate you. Incidentally, from here one also understands why the recently sentenced German mother insisted that non-Muslims must also be humiliated: Koran 9:29 which calls on Muslims to war against Christians and Jews, until they pay jizya (tribute) and are "fully humbled" requires it. As for the murderous hate, Koran 58:22 goes as far as to praise Muslims who kill their own non-Muslim family members: "You shall find none who believe in Allah and the Last Day on friendly terms with those who oppose Allah and his Messenger even if they be their fathers, their sons, their brothers, or their nearest kindred." According to Ibn Kathir's mainstream commentary on the Koran, this verse refers to a number of Muslims who slaughtered their own non-Muslim kin. (One slew his non-Muslim father, another his non-Muslim brother, a third Abu Bakr, the first revered caliph of Islamic history tried to slay his non-Muslim son, and Omar, the second righteous caliph, slaughtered his relatives.) Ibn Kathir adds that Allah was immensely pleased by their unwavering zeal for his cause and rewarded them with paradise (The Al Qaeda Reader, 7576). Verses that support the divisive doctrine of al-wala' wa'l-bara' permeate the Koran (see also 4:89, 4:144, 5:51, 5:54, 6:40, 9:23, and 60:1). There is one caveat, captured by Koran 3:28: when Muslims are in a position of weakness, they may pretend to befriend non-Muslims, as long as the hate carries on in their hearts (such is taqiyya; see here, here, and here for examples; for other Islam-sanctioned forms of deception, read about tawriya and taysir). Little wonder, then, that America's supposed best Muslim "friends and allies" such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have issued fatwas calling on all Muslims to "oppose and hate whomever Allah commands us to oppose and hate, including the Jews, the Christians, and other mushrikin [non-Muslims], until they believe in Allah alone and abide by his laws, which he sent down to his Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him." Indeed, because enmity for non-Muslims is so ironclad in the Koran, mainstream Islamic teaching holds that Muslim men must even hate and show that they hate their non-Muslim wives, for no other reason than that they are "infidels." If Muslims must hate those closest to them including fathers, sons, brothers, and wives simply because they are non-Muslims, is there any surprise that so many Muslims hate foreign "infidels" who live oceans away such as Americans, who are further portrayed throughout the Muslim world as trying to undermine Islam? In short, jihad or terrorism, war on non-Muslims for no less a reason than that they are non-Muslims is simply the physical realization of an ignored doctrine that precedes it: Islam's unequivocal command for Muslims to hate non-Muslims. So ironclad is it that a German woman, on converting to Islam, and thus being duly instructed in al-wala' wa'l-bara', came to hate fellow Germans, to the point of sacrificing her own son in a foreign nation for the cause of Islam. Raymond Ibrahim, author of the new book, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute. Image via Pxhere. Democrats in the media (but I repeat myself) have a new talking point that involves treason -- the t word. It is not a word that should be thrown around lightly. Treason is a word with a very special meaning. According to Merriam-Webster: An overt act to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or sovereigns family. I have some personal experience in the unintentional misuse of the word. In the first draft of my 2019 article titled Worse than Watergate I accused members of the Obama administration, including Susan Rice, Samantha Power, James Clapper, Sally Yates, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and others of committing the t word, but an astute editor for American Thinker pushed back on the article and suggested my accusation be changed to sedition instead. Sedition is the incitement of discontent or rebellion against the government, while treason means taking action to overthrow the government, and usually involves conspiring with a foreign power in the process. The crime of treason still carries the death penalty. It is a very, very serious offense. Treason is the only crime mentioned by name in the U.S. Constitution. Article III, Section 3 reads: Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. Recently, talk show host Tucker Carlson and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard have been publicly accused of treason, or coming close to treason, by the likes of prominent legal scholar Laurence Tribe (who certainly should know better), Sen. Mitt Romney (who isnt expected to know much), ousted Democrat pol Claire McCaskill, talk show host Keith Olbermann (both village idiots), and the harpies at The View, who know absolutely nothing and revel in their own ignorance, on national television. Did Carlson conspire to sell state secrets to the Russians? No. Has Lt. Col. Gabbard been attempting a coup of the civilian government using the U.S. military? Dont make me laugh. Of course not. So, what did they do that was so horrible? Well, Carlson interviewed Gabbard on his show, and the conversation turned to biological research labs in Ukraine currently at risk due to the Russian invasion. Did Carlson invent the story of Ukrainian labs at risk due to the war? Once again, no. Did Gabbard? Of course not. This all started when Sen. Marco Rubio asked what sounded like a simple question of Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland while she was under oath in a committee meeting: Does Ukraine have chemical or biological weapons? This meeting was not top secret. Heck, it was broadcast on C-SPAN. Nuland answered, Ukraine has biological research facilities, which in fact we are now concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of. So, we are working with the Ukrainians to help prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces, should they approach. Rubios follow-up question served a specific purpose: Im sure youre aware that Russian propaganda groups are already putting out all kinds of information about how theyve uncovered a plot by Ukrainians to release biological weapons in the country with NATOs coordination. If there is a biological or chemical weapon incident or attack inside of Ukraine, is there any doubt in your mind that 100 percent the Russians would be behind it? Nuland quickly replied, There is no doubt in my mind Senator, and it is classic Russian technique to put the blame on the other guy what they are planning to do themselves. So, let me get this straightwhen Rubio and Nuland talk about Ukrainian biolabs on television, everything is copacetic. No problems whatsoever. But Tucker Carlson and Tulsi Gabbard repeat what they heard on C-SPAN, and theyre committing treason? Heres exactly what Tulsi Gabbard said that created such an uproar: Here are the undeniable facts. There are 25 to 30 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine. According to the US government, these biolabs are conducting research on dangerous pathogens. Ukraine is in an active war zone with widespread bombing, artillery, and shelling, and these facilities, even in the best of circumstances, could easily be compromised and release these deadly pathogens. Like COVID, these pathogens know no borders. If they are inadvertently or purposefully breached or compromised, they will quickly spread throughout Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world causing untold suffering and death. So, in order to protect the American people, the people of Europe, the people around the world, these labs need to be shut down immediately and the pathogens they hold need to be destroyed. Instead of trying to cover this up, the Biden-Harris administration needs to work with Russia, Ukraine, NATO, the UN to immediately implement a ceasefire for all military action in the vicinity of these labs until theyre secured, and these pathogens are destroyed. In addition to all this, the US funds around 300 biolabs around the world who are engaging in dangerous research including gain-of-function similar to the lab in Wuhan where COVID-19 may have originated. After realizing how dangerous and vulnerable these labs are, they should have all been shut down two years ago. But they havent. Now, this is not a partisan political issue. The administration and Congress need to act now for the health and well-being of every American and every person on this planet. For that, Mitt Romney called Gabbard a treasonous liar. Specifically, what did she lie about, Mitt? Remember, we can all watch Rubio and Nuland on C-SPAN. Keith Olbermann described Gabbard as an active Russian disinformation campaign. What broke you, Keith? I still remember when you and Dan Patrick were my two favorite ESPN sportscasters. Constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe tweeted: Led by Fox News Channels Tucker Carlson, the GOPs Trump wing appears to be throwing its weight behind Putin. If Putin opts to wage war on our ally, Ukraine, such aid and comfort to an enemy would appear to become treason as defined by Article III of the U.S. Constitution. No, it doesnt. Tribe later deleted the tweet and claimed he didnt mean to the word treason to be taken literally, even though he cited the Constitution while making the point, kind of suggesting he did mean it to be taken literally. Tribe finally deleted his clarification tweet as well, so its almost like it never happened. As for the harpies at The View, well, theyre the harpies at The View. Who cares what they think? Not very many people, it seems. Even so, the echo chamber is reverberating with the demand for the heads of Tucker Carlson and Tulsi Gabbard, for the high crimes of speaking out against the administration of Sleepy Joe. Of that, Tucker and Tulsi are guilty, but that isnt treason. Thats common sense. John Leonard is a freelance writer and author of several detective novels including Coastal Empire and Hunters Omen, both recently re-edited and re-released. He may be contacted via his website at southernprose.com. Image: Fox News video screen shot, via YouTube Over the years, Joe Biden's predilection for sniffing and pawing little girls has been the subject of a great deal of commentary. Video after video shows him groping them; whispering to them; and, always, sniffing them. He's the original creepy uncle, and he certainly raised a very creepy son. Yesterday, Biden took the creepiness to a whole new level when he discussed "a new civil rights cause of action" for people whose naked images ended up in the hands of blackmailers. Fair enough. But Biden's assumption that we've all been there or know someone who has tells me he lives in a world of sexual exhibitionism and potential blackmail that is alien to most Americans. That's just wrong and creepy in a president. 0 For decades now, Biden's habit of pawing little girls (and grown women) has been the subject of a lot of speculation along the lines of "if that's what he's doing in public, what is he doing in private?" The answer could be nothing or...well, not nothing. Here's just one of many compilations showing Joe at work around the ladies: In 2020, someone put together a video coupling an expert describing how pedophiles groom children and videos of Biden's public behavior around little girls. It makes for unnerving watching: Then there was the claim from investigative reporter Ronald Kessler that "Biden has a habit of swimming in his pool nude" despite the presence of female Secret Service agents. Knowing about Biden's behavior, somehow it wasn't all that surprising that Hunter Biden's laptop revealed that Hunter had his own share of sexual weirdness. It turned out that Hunter loved videotaping himself with prostitutes as well as just struttin' his own equipment for his video camera. It's not unreasonable to suspect that, when the meth-addled Hunter was following his father around to places such as China, the authorities took advantage of his known preferences and arranged for a spot of blackmail. I haven't seen any proof that Hunter likes little girls...except for Hunter's own anger at the fact that his brother's widow told Hunter's therapist that Hunter was "sexually inappropriate" around "girls": "She told my therapist that I was sexually inappropriate with [redacted] when she says that I face time naked with her and the reason I can't have her out to see me is because I'll walk around naked smoking crack [and talking to] girls on face time." There are other unproven allegations about images of Hunter and the younger set on his laptop. With that as background, you're now ready to appreciate Joe Biden announcing, "I bet everybody knows somebody, somewhere along the line, that in an intimate relationship, what happened was the guy takes a revealing picture of his naked friend, or whatever, in a comprising [sic] position and then literally, in a sense, blackmails [unintelligible]." Biden discusses "a new civil rights cause of action." "I bet everybody knows somebody...that in an intimate relationship, what happened was the guy takes a revealing picture of his naked friend, or whatever, in a compromising position and then blackmails..." pic.twitter.com/grsZSN0lKW Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 16, 2022 I am not part of that everybody about whom he speaks, and I don't know anybody to whom that has happened. However, given both Biden's and his son's personal habits, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that blackmail has crept into their lives. I'd say they deserve it, but, depending on who's doing the blackmailing and for what, if Biden indeed is one of those somebodies affected by blackmail, that's very bad and dangerous for America. Image: Biden talking about weird sex. Twitter screen grab. "Only in government could such calamitous neglect be considered business as usual." This statement comes from an amazing Bloomberg News editorial slamming $200 billion or more in suspected COVID-19 assistance fraud. It's fraud detected in unemployment benefits, Payment Protection Act loans, and charitable assistance. It's fraud that Congress knew was going to happen...and, as Bloomberg's editors noted, didn't really do a whole lot about, because shoveling money out the door was the first priority, not making sure that the money was actually used as intended. Some might excuse this as the result of responding to a worldwide pandemic that shut down the world's economy. But Medicare and Medicaid are nearly 60 years old and may lose at least $100 billion annually to fraud, if one 2012 estimate holds true today. Taxpayers were and are defrauded in Iraq and Afghanistan, during the Great Recession's bailouts, and when the IRS sends earned income tax credits to illegal aliens. Taxpayers should be outraged, because the costs of fraud don't end with stolen money. That's just the beginning of the waterfall of financial waste that comes with criminals from doctors to defense contractors to mobsters stealing your hard-earned money. There are at least seven costs to government fraud: The initial money that is stolen. The larger the state grows, the more difficult and costly it becomes to monitor the allocation of taxpayer money, especially when it's pushed out far faster than anyone could possibly track. Re-issuing of money to fund what was halted by criminal activity. When government projects are left incomplete, more of your money has to be spent to actually get the job done. This is in addition to projects with budget overruns due to incompetence, bureaucratic regulation, and other costly problems. Prosecution of fraudsters. In 2009, CBS reported that the mob had made a transition from "drug trafficking and robbery" to Medicare fraud because the money is easier and the prison sentences are shorter. Going after those folks takes a lot of work, and often years, before money is recouped...but prosecution sometimes costs more than the fraud itself cost, according to a 2014 Congressional Budget Office report on federal health care fraud. Most of us want criminals prosecuted and jailed, but why couldn't we have a system that provides, monitors, and protects our money in the first place? Imprisoning said fraudsters. It's probably worth celebrating a fraudster being tossed in prison, but the fact is that taxpayers are still funding his room and board. Increased acceptance of fraud and other government waste by lawmakers and taxpayers. Fraud warnings abounded before, during, and after Congress approved trillions for the CARES Act, and a host of inspectors general were brought on board to prosecute wrongdoing. What this means is that Congress, prosecutors, and others aren't willing to do the up-front work to stop fraud they'll just play catch-up down the road and expect you to be okay with that. We see this acceptance all the time in the health care and defense sectors. The same politicians who brag about Medicare and Medicaid conveniently forget that each of those programs loses tens of billions of dollars to fraud and simple human error. One estimate in 2012 found that 10% of your money in those programs is lost to fraud $98 billion last year, and $130 billion in 2020 if the percentages stayed the same and the Government Accountability Office estimates that the programs lose an addition $100 billion to simple human error. The Pentagon has likewise often shut its eyes to the harms of fraud. Airbus, which won relatively modest contracts before it was hit with a $4-billion international bribery fine in 2020, is actually in the running to receive a multi-billion-dollar Pentagon contract despite earning $1 billion from a seven-year, multi-national bribery scandal that hurt U.S. interests. It would be best for Congress and the Pentagon to be responsible stewards of your money by not sending billions of tax dollars to such a corrupt company. Lower economic growth. A 2011 study analyzed by the think-tank Just Facts showed that greater transparency and accountability create more economic growth...which means that every time the federal government shovels money out the door without considering the quality of the shovel or where the money is going, your wallet takes two hits: one from the money lost and one from the money you'll never see. Money wasted is money that will never go toward a productive use in society, but it is hard to envision something that will never exist. The broken window fallacy reveals that destruction and waste may induce further spending, but this spending should not be seen as positive economic growth. With every instance of fraud, every failed program, and every fraudulent company handed taxpayer money, the economy is deprived of a productive activity or product that will never exist. How much does fraud cost taxpayers? A 2018 McKinsey fraud prevention analysis cited several third-party sources to estimate that defrauding federal taxpayers costs about $150 billion per year. That's $454 per American, not including the other costs laid out above or the massive expansion of federal spending related to pandemic relief. And that doesn't include the costs to investors who naively trusted fraudulent companies, like the investors who sued Airbus for over $300 million over its bribery scandal. When markets fail, the government's answer is government. But when governments fail, Congress's answer is also more government never a reconsideration of safety nets, our military engagements, or even the technological and process changes Bloomberg's editors recommended. Preventing all fraud is impossible, but it can be limited when bureaucrats recognize their responsibility to the wealth-creators who ultimately pay the real costs of fraud. Government owes taxpayers the utmost care when it comes to allocating their wealth in aid next door, across the country, or around the globe. Image via Max Pixel. When it comes to events in Ukraine, my heart bleeds for the ordinary citizens who, just weeks ago, lived peaceful, relatively prosperous Western-style lives. They're now wounded; dead; or, if they're "lucky," refugees with nothing but the clothes on their backs. What we are witnessing is a terrible crime against humanity. Having said that, I keep finding myself reserving judgment about everything else. I've learned that many stories are fake (even if the truth is equally sad and bad), and I don't trust what's coming from the Biden administration, the media, or our politicians. My confusion was worsened yesterday with news that, not only is Russia an important negotiating partner in the disastrous Iran deal Biden so badly wants, but it's also going to get massive contracts to build nuclear sites. I'm always distrustful of hysterical rushes to judgment. I find it completely unnerving when the same people who were protesting non-stop against the Iraq War (which was, at least ostensibly, meant to protect America from Islamic terrorism) are desperate to have us get into a shooting war with nuclear-armed Russia to protect Ukraine, something that confers no obvious benefit on us at all. That may ultimately be the right thing to do, but I'm deeply worried and suspicious when the push comes from radical activists who have spent the last 20 years hating America and protesting wars. I'm also disturbed by the bizarre relationship the current administration has with Ukraine. We all know that Hunter Biden, who spoke no Russian or Ukrainian and knew nothing about oil and gas, got an $83,000/month job on the Burisma board, just when an anti-corruption prosecutor was looking into Burisma. And we know, because he boasted about it, that Joe Biden used the threat of withholding American funds to get that prosecutor fired. Hmmm. The biolabs bug me, too. Victoria Nuland, the current undersecretary of state for political affairs, in 2014, when she worked for Obama, was heard on a leaked private phone conversation with the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, talking about reorganizing the entire Ukrainian government. Just last week, Nuland admitted under oath that there are biolabs in Ukraine in the path of Russian troops, something very "concerning." It's known that more than 30 years after the Cold War ended and the U.S. stepped up to get rid of dangerous pathogens in Ukraine, there are still dangerous pathogens in Ukraine, and the U.S. is somehow involved with them. Image: Putin meets with Ayatollah Khamenei in 2015 (edited). YouTube screen grab. If America is going to start World War III over Ukraine, I'd like to know more about these things. But then there's the question of whether Russia really is America's enemy and I say that despite Biden's gloating about destroying Russia's economy. The reason it's a question is that, for Biden, as for Obama, one of the biggest foreign policy goals is to enter into an agreement with Iran (that would be the "Death to America," exporter of worldwide terrorism Iran) that will give Iran billions of dollars while speeding its nuclear development. That's bad on its own terms, but what's really weird is that Biden is using Russia to negotiate the Iran deal: Despite the serial humiliations doled out by the regime in Tehran, including escalating terrorist attacks on America's allies in the Middle East and a refusal to meet directly with U.S. counterparts, the Biden team (led by Special Envoy for Iran Rob O'Malley) has persisted through third-party intermediaries, including the Russians. In fact, the relationship between the U.S. and Russian delegations has been described as "cordial" and the Russian lead, Mikhail Ulyanov, while hardly a household name, has become something of a celebrity owing to his colorful English-language Twitter feed. When the negotiations foundered in late December of last year, Ulyanov was credited with bringing them back on track and setting the conditions to reach a new deal in 2022. You can read here about all the disastrous terms of the agreement all while keeping in mind Russia's current role in making the Iran agreement possible. But as with Ginsu knives, just wait! There's more. Not only is Russia a major negotiating partner. It also expects to profit from making Iran more nuclear: Russia's top state-controlled energy company is set to cash in on a $10 billion contract to build out one of Iran's most contested nuclear sites as part of concessions granted in the soon-to-be-announced nuclear agreement that will guarantee sanctions on both countries are lifted. Russian and Iranian documents translated for the Washington Free Beacon show that Rosatom, Russia's leading energy company, has a $10 billion contract with Iran's atomic energy organization to expand Tehran's Bushehr nuclear plant. Russia and the Biden administration confirmed on Tuesday that the new nuclear agreement includes carveouts that will waive sanctions on both countries so that Russia can make good on this contract. (As a reminder, Rosatom purchased Uranium One, thereby assuming control of approximately 20% of America's uranium production capacity. This sale which required State Department approval occurred after several Uranium One owners coincidentally or not donated $145 million to the Clinton Foundation.) Couple that news with Europe's refusal to give up Russian oil and gas, and you can see where I might be dubious about anything and everything reported in the news and social media about the war. Again, I'm not saying Russia's not evil and Ukraine's not a victim. I'm just saying that we also seem to be victims, in our case of massive propaganda and manipulation, because nothing is as it seems. After blundering her way across Europe, the Far East, and Central America, Kamala Harris has been dispatched by Joe Biden to tour the States on a mission to tout his "accomplishments." What could go wrong? According to Breitbart News: Sources familiar with the plans told The Hill the vice president will be spending coming weeks crisscrossing the country and touting the successes of the administration. Harris will reportedly use the trips to address infrastructure, expanded broadband access and key executive orders signed by Biden. There is no indication if she will directly talk about the porous southern border or her assumed responsibility for it. Now, it's probably natural for the Bidenites to want to get the stumbling, gaffing, giggling, blundering, and ignorant Harris out of their hair for a while by packing her off to someplace else. It's also likely that Harris can't stand her job as vice president, given that it's to serve pervy, racist, doddering old Joe, with his handsy doings and corny old-man humor, but anything for a slice of power. She didn't like her senator's job, either. Leaked reports say Harris has complained about being sidelined in the Biden White House, while Biden himself was last seen calling her the "first lady." Also, Harris's staff can't stand her, and Kamala can't stand them especially when they present her with "homework" so it would work for Kamala to get away from them, as well. So off to the open road to tout Joe Biden it is for the vice president of "messenging." But basically, it'll just be a mission to con the American people, who are getting tired of being conned and are on to her. Biden himself, as Breitbart noted, seems to recognize that Harris botched the job he sent her to do in eastern Europe, and now he wants to take a shot at it himself: The reassignment news comes just 24-hours after Biden confirmed he will meet with other leaders from the NATO alliance in Brussels on March 23, as Breitbart News reported. A lightning stop at another unspecified European location with a focus on the war in Ukraine was reported by NBC news, with the president seeking to carve out a role as an international peacemaker. The sources told the outlet Harris will meanwhile assume a more typical schedule for a vice president during non-pandemic times. That will stand in stark contrast to her recent efforts overseas. So, yes, it's kind of a demotion. But it's also a pretty dumb idea from Joe's own perspective. Harris made nothing but mistakes when she went to Eastern Europe last week, cackling at the matter of refugees fleeing bombs from Ukraine, confusing Ukraine twice for a NATO member, and not impressing anyone enough to get invited to the big boy meetings around the issue. A former Ukrainian official actually said it would be a "tragedy" if this doofus ever found her way into the U.S. presidency, which wasn't exactly good P.R. for the White House. She also blundered her way around in Asia, going to Vietnam at a very bad time as Afghanistan was in the midst of a Saigon-style collapse, and managed to prompt longtime ally Singapore to openly question its U.S. alliance. Not good optics. She also annoyed the president of Mexico on her "root causes" tour, and drew direct rebukes from the president of Guatemala, who openly stated that the Biden administration's open border policies are a dinner triangle to human-smuggling rackets. At the end of her tour, she took in an interview with NBC softie Lester Holt, and broke out into giggling when he asked her when she'd go to the border, arguing that she hadn't been to Europe, either. Harris basically blows wherever she goes. And now Joe wants her out there, making speeches, singing his praises. It's actually something they've been talking about for months but never got around to doing, but let's assume they've got their act together at last. How exactly would Joe expect Kamala Harris not to make the same kinds of blunders born of being a slow study that she has made abroad? She's ignorant. She doesn't do her homework. She doesn't read people well. She giggles inappropriately. She has bad timing. And her record in Iowa shows that voters, even Democrat voters, do think she is a phony. Now Biden wants her out there anyway despite the high likelihood that she will screw up again? Hope reigns eternal, doesn't it? It may well be that getting her out there is a signal from the White House that Joe won't serve out his term. Or it could be a matter of just wanting to get her away from the White House, given her unfitness for office. Send her on a tour, give her first-class accommodations, keep her away from the levers of power, keep her from plotting against doddery Joe, kick her upstairs, and perhaps that's the logic. From Kamala's perspective, it's all good news because she doesn't really need to plot all she has to do is wait for Joe to leave the scene, and she's got it made. Whatever it is, it's highly likely that most of us will get a whiff of how incompetent the Biden administration is. So bring it on, Kams bring it on. Image: Screen shot from Sky News video via YouTube. "There are historic situations in which refusal to defend the inheritance of a civilization, however imperfect, against tyranny and aggression may result in consequences even worse than war." Reinhold Niebuhr At the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was famously quoted as saying "a Republic, if you can keep it" when referring to the organization of the fledgling United States. The Founding Fathers of this nation were students of history, and they understood that like Greece or Rome, democracies and republics seldom lasted very long. They understood the propensity for mankind to become intoxicated with power and pursue selfish ends at the expense of a free society. This is why certain safeguards like the U.S. Constitution were put in place to protect the nation from those who would attempt to subvert it. A collective reverence for the ideals espoused within the Constitution has served to protect its integrity for 245 years. When shortcomings were identified, like slavery or women's suffrage, the system as designed made its amendment possible, even if at a great cost. Despite its incompleteness, the foundation of the Constitution is solid. The blood and treasure spent in its defense are immeasurable, and it is our inheritance to preserve. Recent cultural movements have vocally painted the ideas enumerated within the Constitution, such as free expression and a natural right to self-defense, as trash not because the ideas espoused are trash, but because its potential was unrealized at the time of writing. Vocal critic Elie Mystal has used this exact word to describe it in his new book Allow Me a Retort. It is Mystal's assertion that because the authors of the Constitution were slaveholders, the ideals they penned were trash. The problem with this is that Mr. Mystal holds humanity to an impossible standard based on future cultural norms, which relegates all of humanity's ideas to the trash bin. Modern opponents of our founding ideals are laser-focused on destroying them, and they're starting with American culture centers like schools, churches, and the arts. They envision schools where the state school supplants the nuclear family in imparting morality and in the rearing of the children. They designate centers of free expression like the churches as antiquated centers of bigotry. They fill the arts with vapid celebrations of debauchery and narcissism, a reflection of the population at large. This is all by design. In 1984, KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov warned that the bulk of efforts to take down America would not be done as covert espionage, but rather by ideological subversion. He goes on to explain that despite open access to an abundance of information, Americans' perception of reality would be "so inundated with disinformation, that they are unable to discern what is necessary to protect their way of life, their country, their families, themselves, etc." We see this now in our disassociated culture. How can a nation that doesn't agree on objective reality like biology come together on ethereal ideas like freedom and liberty? It cannot. Reinhold Niebuhr was one of the pre-eminent Protestant theologians in America in the 20th century. His works of non-fiction are rated as some of the most important works on American foreign policy during this time. He began his career like many religious youths, bright-eyed, idealist, and an avowed communist. During the 1930s, his thinking evolved to that of Christian Realism, and he became a critic of utopian idealism as incapable of tackling the realities of an evil world. In the postWorld War II era, Niebuhr became one of the more vocal opponents of the creeping communism of the Soviet empire. It was Niebuhr's assertion that a failure to defend an imperfect but free civilization against tyranny would result in graver consequences than war an apropos stance for the position in which we find ourselves. In the Bible, Christ narrates a parable of talents, wherein a man entrusts his money to three servants. Two of them reinvest what they are given and multiply it. One buries it in the ground and squanders it. In this metaphor, the recipients of the master's talents do not inherit them merely to bury and safeguard them. They are entrusted with the stewardship of an unrealized treasure. Our treasure is the United States Constitution. Critics who wish to dismantle our imperfect but hard fought system must first tear down what has been built, and they endeavor to do so by revisiting our most contentious moments in history and redressing our progress. They will succeed if we are unwilling to dig in our heels and defend this hill as ours to die on. On the Constitution, we must be absolutists, and it must be non-negotiable. Brian Parsons is a paleoconservative columnist in Idaho, a proud husband and father, and saved by Grace. You can follow him at WithdrawConsent.org or find his weekly opinion column in the Idaho State Journal. Gab, email. Photo by Daniel Lincoln on Unsplash. Granby High School is located near Wards Corner in Norfolk. The Norfolk Police Department charged a 15-year-old student with brandishing a firearm following Tuesdays lockdown at Granby High School. Police responded to the school around 10 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a person with a weapon on campus. The school was on lockdown for several hours. Advertisement It was reported that a student had possibly entered the school with a gun following an incident that occurred off campus, the department said in a statement issued Wednesday. During the investigation, several students were detained, and a 15-year-old boy was charged with brandishing a firearm. The teenager is currently being held at the Norfolk Detention Center. Advertisement No weapon was found in the school, and no one was injured, said Michelle Washington, a spokesperson for Norfolk Public Schools. Neither police nor the schools provided additional details about the circumstances of the reported off-campus incident. Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com The Black Lives Matter movement, using the springboard of George Floyd's self-induced drug death while in police custody, managed to convince innumerable Democrats that our criminal justice system was too mean to criminals. So, in November 2020, Angelenos elected George Gascon, and, in November 2019, San Franciscans elected Chesa Boudin (who filled the seat Gascon vacated when he headed to L.A.), at least one of whom got funding help from George Soros. Now both are facing recall votes with strong citizen support. The thing about Gascon and Boudin is that, unlike Biden, who pretended to be "normal" and moderate, Gascon and Boudin made no bones about their hard-left approach to managing prosecutions in the left coast's two major cities. (And yes, most other cities are bigger than San Francisco, but it's still one of the most recognizable cities in the world, which gives it cachet.) Citizens in those Democrat enclaves elected them anyway. When Gascon was the San Francisco D.A., he pushed to end cash bail, which was followed by a huge increase in property crimes. Gascon helped author Prop. 47, which reduced many crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. While it did indeed reduce the number of African-Americans arrested for felonies, it did not reduce the number of crimes committed across California. In fact, the opposite happened. With that record, it was pretty clear what Gascon would do to Los Angeles if he got elected. Still, after a whole bunch of wealthy San Francisco Bay Area leftists poured money into his campaign (although Soros outspent them all), Los Angeles citizens, undoubtedly gripped in the emotional fallout from George Floyd's self-induced death, voted Gascon into office. Since then, they've paid the price for that bit of stupidity. Gascon announced an across-the-board refusal to seek cash bail for certain offenses; released many who were currently in jail because they couldn't pay bail; re-evaluated all sentences for which prisoners had already served 20 years, no matter the crime; refused to seek the death penalty, no matter the crime; and refused to charge any juveniles as adults again, no matter the crime. It was that last that garnered the most press. In 2014, when he was two weeks away from turning 18, James Tubbs molested an 8-year-old girl. He was finally arrested at age 26. The bearded Tubbs promptly announced he was a woman named Hannah. Gascon insisted that Tubbs be tried as a juvenile female. Thanks to Gascon's new rules, the 26-year-old male Tubbs will spend two years in a juvenile facility for girls. Even the prosecutors working under Gascon are agitating against him, and, in February, a recall movement began. This effort, the second attempt, may be the one that works. According to the organizers, not only have they raised $3.5 million, but they've already collected 125,000 signatures of the 566,857 they need by July 6 to get his recall on the ballot. Image: George Gascon and Chesa Boudin. Things are no better in San Francisco for Chesa Boudin, a man descended from a long line of Marxists. His parents were members of the militant leftist Weather Underground and were convicted of felony murder. Boudin's mother, Kathy Boudin, paroled in 2003, promptly became a professor at Columbia, which helps explain why America's colleges and universities are insane and need to lose all federal funding. His father, David Gilbert, just got out of jail in November and apparently hasn't yet landed a university gig. Boudin was then raised by Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, also academics and Obama's buddies. So again, voters knew what they were getting with Boudin: the complete abandonment of criminal justice. Just as Gascon did, Boudin announced all sorts of policies that would make it harder to prosecute criminals. Consistent with leftist principles, he did away with cash bail and, instead, has prosecutors decide how risky the person arrested was. And again, like all leftist prosecutors, Boudin routinely released repeat offenders. On his watch, crimes have shot up. He's also just bad at his job. Judges have expressed dismay over how the D.A.'s office was run because of constant turnover, missed deadlines, the failure to turn over exculpatory evidence, and other carelessness. And when the inevitable recall campaign began, two of his former prosecutors joined it. As with Gascon, the first recall didn't make it to the ballot, but a second effort succeeded, with Boudin's recall coming for a vote in June. Just as Gascon's foes are optimistic, so are Boudin's especially because of a newly released poll showing that 68% of San Francisco voters support recalling Boudin, 74% think badly of him, and 61% believe he "is responsible for rising crime rates in San Francisco, especially burglaries and thefts." The poll was commissioned by recall organizers, but they used a reputable Bay Area polling company. This election is also coming on the heels of the election removing radical activists from the San Francisco School Board. All this suggests that even San Francisco's famously leftist citizens have reached their tipping point. It's to be hoped that thoughtless Democrats who like to virtue-signal will have learned their lessons from the disastrous reign of leftists in federal and state offices, but, sadly, I doubt it. In Los Angeles, for every actual celebrity, for every person who had the rare and magical star power to get picked up and put into movies there are probably a hundred people who are confident in their acting ability, but who were rejected by the industry. The entitled ones don't give up. They decide to get famous via hustle and gumption. The earliest version of this was Angelyne. I remember actors talking about her in the late '90s, about how unethical she was for trying to force herself into Hollywood by having her boyfriends buy billboards with her picture and name. Today's Hollywood hustlers don't need billboards; they use social media. They get on there and come up with content to increase their follower count and likes. Empirically, this is an utterly tragic endeavor. It's Sisyphean in that it's endless they have to come up with something every few days just to stay relevant. There are literally millions of people playing their game, and they will be forgotten if they stop producing. It's also futile because it never works. Social media superstars Kim Kardashian, Logan Paul, et al....none of them are ever in any actual serious productions because their presence devalues the production. When we watch films, we want to suspend disbelief and get into the script, a psychological state that's impossible to achieve if Kim Kardashian is playing one of the characters. There's also the psychological principle of "familiarity breeds contempt." For some reason, humans dislike those who constantly and relentlessly promote themselves and demand attention. As I watch the coverage of Ukraine, I wonder if President Zelensky is like those social media folks I've met in Los Angeles, in that he overvalues the power of likes and retweets. Ultimately, the war will be settled based on one thing and one thing only: the military competence of the two sides, and possibly the economic and other pressure put on Russia (although that could backfire on the United States and the European Union). Social media are not really going to do much for Ukraine. Image credit: Twitter. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read in AT the recent article by Dan Truitt on the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Almost word by word, it repeated the Russian propaganda that is being fed by the "Ministry of Truth" in Moscow. Mr. Truitt claims that "virtually no one in the U.S. has got this right, including conservative outlets and pundits." What arrogance! By these words, he claims a possession of the ultimate knowledge of the roots and causes of the current events. Really? Why do I have hard time to believe these bragging words? Here is a brief rebuttal of some distorted "facts" of that publication. On Putin: "[H]e's an excellent politician and a strong leader[.] ... He is a cold, calculating, strategic thinker who has disciplined his mind and body for decades. He's a Russia first guy[.] ... Trump's right: Putin is a genius[.]" Only with a great stretch of imagination can a leader of a country be described by these words, considering that such a leader in his country destroyed every single industry, except production of military equipment and pumping out fossil fuel for selling it abroad for hard currency to line the pockets of his cronies. Would a "calculating leader" destroy the Academy of Science and cause the most talented people to emigrate? Would a "Russia first guy" invade a neighboring country with devastating results for his own people, causing immeasurable misery and suffering? The final result of his "strategic thinking" will be the end of Russia as a country, disintegrating in the not so distant future into a slew of small states. All that because of his "genius." On Putin's plans: "Putin has no intention of 'reconstituting the Soviet Union.' That's a big fat lie. This war is the West's fault, not Putin's[.]" In 2005, Putin called disintegration of the USSR "a geopolitical catastrophe" and aimed his efforts at restoring his country in the Soviet borders of 1945. That's why from his ascent to power in 2000 he ran the second Chechen war and established there a puppet government, existing solely on the Russian money. Then, in 2008, he invaded the Republic of Georgia, seizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In 2014, he staged a coup in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and held there a fake referendum to break it away from Ukraine and join Russia. Then he pulled the two eastern regions away from Ukraine and declared them "independent republics," under his own control, naturally. And finally, on February 24, 2022, under the pretext of preventing NATO and Ukraine from attacking Russia, he started a full-scale war. Do we need more examples? On NATO: "Russia (rightly, in my view) feels threatened by NATO expansion[.]" Has there ever been a time when any NATO country has threatened Russia or encroached on its territory? Since the first day of its founding in 1949, this organization has served solely the purpose of defense, never the invasion of foreign territory. So what was Putin afraid of? Was it that NATO would interfere with his own invasion plans? He surely would have conquered Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia a long time ago if they had not been members of NATO, just as he did with the Georgian and Ukrainian territories. Just few days ago, Putin sent a message to Finland and Sweden to stay away from NATO, or else... The last war between Sweden and Russia was in 1702, when Peter the Great and his allies attacked Swedish Livonia and Swedish Ingria. Has Sweden or Finland ever threatened Russia? In 1939, it was just the opposite the Soviet Union attacked Finland, causing 53,500 Russian deaths and 25,904 deaths of Finnish soldiers. On revolt in Ukraine: "The U.S. triggered a coup d'etat in Ukraine in 2014, overthrowing the democratically elected president who was Russia-friendly and installing a pro-Western, pro-NATO leader[.]" It's a big stretch of the imagination to claim that the U.S. was the cause of the coup d'etat. The known facts are these: several democratically elected Ukrainian presidents were unable to improve the country's well-being; they tried to model business structures on the corrupt Russian style. The economy was stagnant, popular discontent was growing, and many saw a way out of the looming economic disaster by distancing themselves from Russia and moving closer to Western Europe. On November 13, 2013, President Yanukovych, a man close to Putin, rejected rapprochement with the West, leading to an explosion of popular indignation in Maidan Square of Kyiv. What was really going on there is still rather murky, and many were trampled in Maidan Square there were visible traces of the Federal Security Service of Russia then. After the coup and subsequent rotation of several presidents, the current president, Zelensky, was elected. That greatly irritated Putin due to Zelensky's refusal to embrace Russia and his inclination toward the European community. On Ukrainian resistance: "[T]he Ukrainians are not making a heroic stand against the Russkies. They're getting their asses kicked. They're hiding in population centers, and Russia, trying to get to them, is killing a lot of civilians as collateral damage[.]" It appears that the author either works for the Russian propaganda machine or is not watching a TV or reading the news. We see in Ukraine a true patriotic war, when all able men are sending their wives and children to hide in Poland and other countries and go themselves to the bloody fight to drive the invaders from their soil. It is a true heroic resistance now going on in Ukraine. Is bombardment of residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and maternity wards, and shooting at clearly marked press vehicles, just collateral damage? For such "collateral" damage, many war criminals were hanged at Nuremberg in 1946. YouTube screen grab. I could continue on and on, but every thinking and unbiased reader can effortlessly separate lies from the truth. Jacob Fraden's website is www.fraden.com. The Ukraine war is turning out to be a big headache for Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, because he greatly overestimated his ability to easily replace the Ukrainian government with his own puppet administration under Russian control. After the cakewalk in 2014, when Putin annexed Ukraine's Crimea and some of the Donbas region through the use of non-uniformed special forces and drew little in the way of sanctions, Putin probably thought taking over all of Ukraine would be a piece of cake with similar results. It seems that Putin tried three times to capture or kill Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky through use of non-uniformed special forces but failed. He was also a little delusional in thinking the Ukrainian people would welcome Russian troops with open arms and offer little or no resistance. Well, he was quite wrong, and most Ukrainians want no Russian overlords telling them what to do. Putin amassing a boatload of tanks on the Ukraine border and then invading Ukraine is old-school strategy harkening back to World War II and the Iraq war. The aim here was probably to instill fear of massive destruction, which would result in a quick capitulation of the Ukraine government. There are no massive tank vs. tank battles in Ukraine, and Ukraine is not using many tanks in the fight. Tank battles have major drawbacks, as they are vulnerable to running out of fuel and heavy ammunition. That Russia has a problem with that logistically is obvious for all to see now. So far, little ammunition is being used and supplying fuel in the vastness of Ukraine is a major logistics problem. On the Ukraine side, deadly accurate one manoperated Javelin missiles have been used instead of tanks to take out invading Russian tanks at up to three miles' distance, so one can really ask whether Ukraine has become a testing ground for the latest in U.S. military technology. Both Russian and Ukraine troops are mostly young, green, or inexperienced in warfare and with little will to fight. It may be anecdotal or gossip, but apparently, one captured Russian soldier was asked why he was in Ukraine, and his answer was that he thought he was on a training mission. Another lost Russian tank soldier apparently asked the locals for the direction to Kyiv. It seems that the Russian soldiers were lied to about the real reason for being in Ukraine, and their realistic motivation or real reason to fight seems to have been almost totally missing or inadequate. Poor Russian logistics support is also obvious since the soldiers did not sleep in tents overnight but had to sleep in their tanks and vehicles or outdoors on the cold ground. A tank army fights on its stomach and needs fuel. Some were sent out with a three-day food supply. Some Russian troops were observed stealing food from grocery stores. If a tank rides through city streets without destroying something, then what is the purpose of the tank? Intimidation may be the reason, but people in Kyiv were ready to attack tanks with Molotov cocktails, the famous glass bottles filled with gasoline that, when lit with a rag, explode and burn on impact. The key to a Russian victory is the capitulation of Kyiv, and so far, Kyiv is doing rather well, with little destruction and open access to the south. Surrounding Kyiv, the size of about four Manhattans, is going to be difficult. Kiev still has water, electrical power, and the internet, so destroying this infrastructure will probably be the next step. About 3 million starving people may be the result, and it won't be a pretty sight if it happens. Bombing Kyiv into rubble is also a possible option for Putin, but if he kills more civilians, he will go down in history as a dictator as genocidal and evil as Hitler. Putin is now a pariah in most of the civilized world, but if he razes Kyiv, he will be evil incarnate. That's a far cry from the peacekeeping military force that Putin's propaganda advertised. The economic sanctions are also biting the Russian people. Through a Russian friend, I learned that in the large southern Russian city of Volgograd, all the grocery stores are empty of food, while other business establishments have closed their shops. Fear of imprisonment is a reason why many people are whispering to one another about the Ukraine war and not overtly protesting it. One jewelry storeowner took all the jewelry to a safe place and closed the shop. There have been protester arrests throughout Russia, and the media are heavily censored, so Putin is desperately still trying to propagandize his version of the Ukraine invasion as merely being a peaceful pacification attempt, which includes the elimination of "fascist" elements in Ukraine. NATO has been re-energized, with Germany raising its contribution from 1 percent to 2 percent of GDP and then some. Germany is buying F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. Finland and Sweden are seriously considering becoming NATO members. Europe is talking about a five-year plan to wean itself off Russian gas, oil, and coal. Putin's dream of restoring Russia's borders to Soviet-era boundaries is coming to an end in the long run because the Ukraine invasion was a wake-up call to Europe, which will ensure that this annexation of Eastern European countries by Russia does not happen. Putin is in too deep in Ukraine to pull out now, so it may not be possible for him to save face and reach some kind of peaceful agreement with Ukraine. Agreement is probably possible if Ukraine totally surrenders to Russia or promises to not join NATO and gives up parts of eastern Ukraine and a handful of cities along the Black Sea coast. Yes, peace is probably still possible in the near or distant future after three weeks of warfare, but all in all, the Ukraine war has been Putin's folly. Image: Screen shot from WION video via YouTube. The Ireland Data Protection Commission (DPC) has slapped Facebooks parent company, Meta, with a 17 million (around $18.7 million) fine. The decision follows an investigation into a series of data breaches dating back to 2018. According to the regulators press release, Facebook had notified it of 12 data breaches in the six months between 7 June 2018 and 4 December 2018, when the company hadnt changed its name to Meta. The DPC expectedly launched an investigation to determine whether the social media biggie complied with the requirements of Europes General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into application in May 2018. The investigation found that Meta violated two articles of GDPR Article 5(2) and Article 24(1). These articles concern the processing of personal data. The DPC said the company didnt have appropriate technical and organizational measures in place for it to readily demonstrate the security measures that it implemented in practice to protect EU users data. Advertisement Since the investigation constituted cross-border processing, the DPC consulted with other European supervisory authorities under GDPR guidelines before reaching the decision. While two supervisory authorities initially objected to the draft decision, they reached an agreement through further engagement. As such, the DPCs decision to fine Meta 17 million for those security lapses represents the collective views of both the DPC and its counterpart supervisory authorities throughout the EU. Of course, Meta doesnt agree to any wrongdoing here. This fine is about record keeping practices from 2018 that we have since updated, not a failure to protect peoples information, a company spokesperson told Engadget. We take our obligations under the GDPR seriously, and will carefully consider this decision as our processes continue to evolve. Advertisement Meta faces another multi-million fine Meta, aka Facebook, is not new to such multi-million fines. Last month, the company agreed to pay a $90 million fine to settle a 2012 lawsuit. It alleged the social media giant of tracking users even after they logged out of their accounts. Meta was also ordered to delete the data it unlawfully collected. Before that, in September 2021, Meta was fined 225 million (~$248 million) by the DPC. It concerned the companys handling of the personal data of WhatsApp users. Now, the DPC has slapped Meta with another fine. But the amount is a lot lesser this time around. Violating GDPR rules could attract fines of up to 4 percent of a companys annual revenue. Meta made $32.6 billion in ad revenues in Q4 2021 alone. So an $18 million fine is a drop in the ocean for it. (ANSA) - ROME, MAR 17 - A Rome appeals court on Thursday reduced the terms of two young American men, Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Natale Hjorth, for killing Carabinieri police officer Mario Cerciello Rega in the Italian capital in July 2019. Elder's sentence was cut from life to 24 years in prison, while Natale Hjorth's was reduced from life to 22 years. Elder killed Cerciello Rega with 11 stab wounds inflicted by a combat knife he had brought over from the US while Natale Hjorth assaulted the slain officer's partner at the end of a chain of events sparked by a drugs deal that went wrong. Cerciello Rega , 35, had recently returned from his honeymoon when he was killed. A well-liked and cheerful character, he was considered a hero for his work on and off duty. He did volunteer work for the Order of Malta, accompanying sick people to Lourdes and Loreto, and he also regularly went to Rome's Termini train station to feed the needy. The tragic chain of events started when Elder and Natale Hjorth, who were in Rome on holiday, were conned by a dealer when attempting to buy drugs. The dealer sold them crushed up medicine instead of narcotics. The young Americans snatched a bag belonging to a middle man who had put them in touch with a dealer and subsequently contacted him, demanding money and drugs in return for the bag. The middle man called the Carabinieri, saying the pair were trying to extort money from him. As a result, Cerciello Rega and his partner went to a rendezvous in the middle of the night that had been arranged for the exchange. When the policeman, who were unarmed and in plain clothes, confronted the pair, they were attacked. The defence lawyers said the young men thought they were faced with criminals, not police officers. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, MAR 17 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the Italian parliament on Tuesday March 22 at 11:00, House whips said Thursday. He will address a joint session of the House and Senate at the parliament building, Montecitorio, via videolink. (ANSA). Theatre bombed in Ukraine, Biden slams 'war criminal' Putin US pledging $1 billion in new weapons (ANSA-AFP) - KYIV, MAR 17 - Ukraine accused Russia Thursday of bombing a theatre that was sheltering more than 1,000 civilians in the city of Mariupol, after US President Joe Biden branded Vladimir Putin a "war criminal". The latest assaults on civilians across Ukraine came as President Volodymyr Zelensky made a searing appeal for help to the US, which responded by pledging $1 billion in new weapons to fight Russia's invading army. Officials across Ukraine are struggling to count the civilian dead -- with authorities saying 103 children have been killed since the invasion began -- who have been targeted in homes, hospitals, ambulances and food queues. In the port city of Mariupol -- where more than 2,000 people have died so far -- a Russian bomb hit the Drama Theatre, which city council officials said had been housing over 1,000 people. "The only word to describe what has happened today is genocide, genocide of our nation, our Ukrainian people," the city's mayor Vadim Boychenko said in a video message on Telegram. "We have difficulty understanding all of this, we refuse to believe, we want to close our eyes and forget the nightmare that happened today," he said. Satellite images of the theatre on March 14 shared by private satellite company Maxar showed the words "children" clearly etched out in the ground in Russian on either side of the building. Officials posted a photo of the building, whose middle part was completely destroyed, with thick white smoke rising from the rubble after they said a bomb was dropped from an airplane. "It is impossible to find words to describe the level of cynicism and cruelty, with which Russian invaders are destroying peaceful residents of a Ukrainian city by the sea," an official statement read. Russia's defence ministry denied it had targeted the theatre, instead claiming that the building had been mined and blown up by members of Ukraine's far-right Azov Battalion. In a statement, Human Rights Watch said that while it couldn't rule out the "possibility of a Ukrainian military target in the area of the theatre... we do know that the theatre had been housing at least 500 civilians." "This raises serious concerns about what the intended target was in a city where civilians have already been under siege for days and telecommunications, power, water, and heating have been almost completely cut off," said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at the rights watchdog. So far the destruction that has marked other cities has been halted outside the capital Kyiv, which has been emptied of around half of its 3.5 million people. But dull booms echoed across the capital's deserted streets Wednesday, with only an occasional vehicle passing through sandbagged checkpoints, and very few permits granted to break its latest curfew. -'War criminal' - In an address to the US Congress, Zelensky invoked Pearl Harbor, the 9/11 attacks and Martin Luther King Jr as he showed lawmakers a video of the wrenching effect of three weeks of Russian attacks. Zelensky, dressed in military green, demanded Washington and its NATO allies impose a no-fly zone, so that "Russia would not be able to terrorize our free cities." Switching to English, Zelensky addressed Biden directly, saying: "I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace." Biden and NATO have resisted Zelensky's pleas for direct involvement against nuclear-armed Russia, warning it could lead to World War Three -- though the Ukrainian leader told NBC that "may have already started." But on Wednesday Biden announced the United States' latest package of new weapons aid to Ukraine added up to $1 billion and that the US would help the ex-Soviet state acquire longer-range anti-aircraft weapons. The US president also stepped up his condemnation of the Russian leader, describing him as a "war criminal." The Kremlin called the comment "unacceptable and unforgivable on the part of the head of a state whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world." Britain's diplomatic mission to the UN also tweeted that Russia is committing "war crimes and targeting civilians" in Ukraine, after the British government requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting over the deteriorating humanitarian situation there. "Russia's illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all," it posted Wednesday, saying the request was made with the US, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland. Putin at a televised government meeting insisted the invasion was "developing successfully," adding "we will not allow Ukraine to serve as a springboard for aggressive actions against Russia." As his government accelerated a crackdown that saw at least a dozen media websites blocked Wednesday, Putin claimed that the West sought to divide Russian society, railing against a "fifth column" that was "mentally" in the West. "Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from traitors and just spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into their mouth," he said. He also condemned western sanctions against his regime that have pushed Russia close to a default on its foreign debts as "economic blitzkrieg". (ANSA-AFP). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved By Shelly Kittleson BAGHDAD - March marks the one-year anniversary of an Iraqi law meant to grant financial compensation to victims of the Yezidi genocide. The Iraqi parliament passed the Yezidi Survivors Law one year ago this month after debating it for two years. However, civil society organizations in the country warn that insufficient funds have been allocated to implement it. Meanwhile, continued insecurity in the Yezidi ethno-religious group's traditional homeland in northwestern Iraq and insufficient funds to implement the law leaves little for IDPs and refugees from the suffering ethno-religious minority to go back to. The Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), an alliance of Iraqi civil society organizations, held a press conference in Baghdad earlier this month to mark the anniversary and claimed no funding had yet been granted for its implementation this year. A statement issued by the coalition claimed that:" this groundbreaking law is one of the very few examples of states taking deliberate action to specifically address the rights and needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence". It stressed, however, that "any law is only as good as its implementation" and that: "Apart from the preliminary emergency funding allocated in 2021, no financial means have, as of yet, been envisaged to support the sustainable and thorough implementation of the law in 2022." Thousands of members of the ethno-religious group were killed, displaced or abducted after the Islamic State (ISIS) took over their area in the northwestern part of Iraq close to both the Turkish and the Syrian border in August 2014. Over 2,000 women - many of whom enslaved and tortured sexually, psychologically, and physically by ISIS fighters - remain missing. Some have been found in recent months in the al-Hol IDP camp thought to house only family members of ISIS in northeastern Syria, infamous for the risks and poor conditions within the camp. Others were taken by ISIS fighters who "married" them to other areas of Syria. Thousands of Yezidi remain internally displaced within Iraq, most of whom in the Kurdistan Region, almost five years after the country declared victory against ISIS in 2017. Many others fled abroad with a significant number leaving to Germany, where there had been a large Yezidi community even before the emergence of ISIS. It was a German court that in December of last year held the world's first criminal trial addressing genocide against the Yezidis, leading to the conviction of a man known as Taha Al. J for genocide and crimes against humanity. The case marked the first time a former ISIS member had been convicted of genocide. Numerous refugees who returned to Iraq on flights from the border between Belarus and Poland late last year, amid freezing conditions and a sealed border, were from the Yezidi minority group. Some of the Yazidis that arrived in Erbil on humanitarian flights in the autumn said that they did not have funds even for transportation back to the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps that had previously been their homes for years. Many now watch the open-door policy towards Ukrainians fleeing their home country as well with something akin to despair. Late last month, the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD) began digging up seven mass graves in the Yezidi-majority town of Sinjar, much of which was destroyed by ISIS and the fighting to retake it from the group. The presence of several non-state armed groups operating in the Sinjar area also prevents the return of IDPs and remains a source of instability. An agreement signed in late 2020 to remove these groups - including the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which trained and engaged in recruitment for a local branch of fighters - remains unimplemented. Though bombs are not falling on them and they are no longer being rounded up and shot in mass, many Yezidis fear a slow death in an area filled with painful memories while depending indefinitely on humanitarian aid in camps for survival. The Virginia Aquariums response team has taken nearly a dozen phone calls for common dolphin sightings and strandings this week. (Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center) Five dolphins were found dead in shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay in the past four days several signs of infection, according to a Virginia Aquarium spokesperson. The deaths come as the aquariums stranding response team received numerous reports this week of dolphin sightings and strandings in the region. Advertisement One deceased dolphin was found at Fort Story in Virginia Beach; the others were found on the Eastern Shore two at Cape Charles, one at Hungars Creek, and one on Fisherman Island, said Mackenzie Di Nardo, public relations manager for the Virginia Aquarium. One dolphin was found with a severe wound on its flank, but the others had no obvious sign of injury or illness until they were examined by aquarium biologists. Advertisement Several of the animals examined so far have had evidence of infectious processes, which we will not understand for some time as we wait for additional laboratory diagnostics, Di Nardo said. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Biologists believe the deaths were due to natural causes, rather than from human interaction, but necropsies will be conducted to inform the investigations, Di Nardo said. The response team took nearly a dozen phone calls for common dolphin sightings and strandings in the past four days. The offshore dolphins usually remain in deep waters and do not typically come into the shallow waters found in bays and creeks. Weather likely played a role in the strandings given the strong storms and wind gusts over the weekend, Di Nardo said, adding that strandings of offshore species are common after big weather events. The aquariums response team assisted four other dolphins found stranded along the bay side of the Eastern Shore, including at Hungars Creek, Cape Charles and Taylors Creek. An estimated 10 dolphins were also spotted swimming freely in shallow waters of Taylors Creek near Pungoteague and Harborton. The team hoped the live dolphins would navigate back to deeper water on their own, Di Nardo said Wednesday. The dolphins activity has been monitored and two dolphins restranded this morning and the team dispatched to respond. Stranded marine mammals and sea turtles can be reported to the Virginia Aquariums Stranding Response hotline at 757-385-7575. Callers are asked to contact the team immediately with the exact location of the distressed animal. It is advised that people keep a distance of at least 50 yards from stranded animals. Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com GAZA - Thousands of Palestinians took part on Thursday in a funeral in Gaza's Khan Younes for the 90-year-old Diab al-Masri, father of the commander of the military wing of Hamas, Mohammad Deif. Having survived multiple Israeli attempts to assassinate him, Deif has for years lived in hiding and, according to local sources, did not take part in the funeral that began at the Khan Younes mosque and continued at a cemetery nearby. In the front row were all the local leaders of Hamas including Yihia Sinwar as well as Islamic Jihad leaders. In recent years, Deif has become a symbol among Palestinians who support the armed struggle against Israel and his name is often heard outside Gaza as well in nationalistic protests in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Insurance premium tax (IPT) should be cut in next weeks Spring Statement to help encourage take-up of policies at a time when living costs are surging, brokers have urged. Insurance is an essential means of managing risk and building resilience in society, the British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba) said. It said IPT receipts totalled 6.3 billion in the financial year 2020/21 a near record level despite the pandemic and the resultant shock to the economy. The standard IPT rate is currently 12%, but Biba argues it should be rolled back to 10%. IPT applies to general insurance policies such as home and car insurance and pet insurance. It is a tax on insurers which filters through to the overall costs that customers pay for their policies. The standard IPT rate has undergone a series of increases over the years, rising from 5% to 6% in 2011, to 9.5% in 2015, to 10% in 2016 and finally to 12% in 2017. Biba also said it wants to see full IPT relief granted for high-rise homes undergoing or in need of cladding remediation work. It also suggested there should be IPT exemptions for young drivers buying telematics policies, which encourage safe driving. Cyber insurance could also be made more affordable for small businesses, it added, by making dedicated cyber policies exempt from IPT. Biba pointed to research indicating that just 6% of firms have dedicated cyber insurance. For travel insurance, a higher IPT rate of 20% applies and Biba said this could be reduced as holidaymakers look to book getaways. Chancellor Rishi Sunak will deliver the Spring Statement on March 23. Graeme Trudgill, executive director of Biba, told the PA news agency: Weve got the Spring Statement coming up. The travel insurance and travel sector has been on its knees and travel insurance tax is 20%, whereas normally insurance premium tax on other classes is just 12%. So we would like it to be reduced in line with the headline rate. We do think that the travel sector needs greater support and this would be a welcome step, and also its important to buy travel insurance. He added that cyber attacks are a terrible risk for businesses. If their website gets taken down or their data stolen, cyber insurance can really help with that. It can assist in recovering data, it can help with your reputation, and work with you to get the system back up and running. Ukrainian refugees without family members in the UK will be able to apply for visas under a new scheme launching on Friday. More than 150,000 Britons have registered their interest in taking in Ukrainians, and those who have someone to sponsor them will be able to apply when the first stage launches this week. Detailed guidance is expected to be published on Friday, but for now, here is what we know about how the scheme will work and how to get involved. What is the scheme? The Homes for Ukraine programme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety even if they have no ties to the UK. NEW UK individuals, charities, community groups & businesses can now record their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war through our new Homes for Ukraine scheme. Express an interest in becoming a sponsor now https://t.co/Tnh1cpJEle#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/vbbINAz3XP Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (@luhc) March 14, 2022 Anyone with a room or home available for at least six months can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering to host will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks. The scheme will have two phases. The first launching on Friday will allow UK sponsors to nominate a named Ukrainian or family to stay with them in their home or in a separate property. The Government is working with a number of charities and NGOs to work out the best way to match people who are not yet connected with Ukrainians. There is no limit to how many people can apply. How will it work? Ukrainians who have a sponsor will be able to start their visa application from Friday. This will include a section about their sponsor which they will need to complete, using information provided by their sponsor. Security checks will take place concerning both parties, the application will be assessed and a decision made on whether to grant the visa. (PA Graphics) What should I do if I am not yet in touch with a Ukrainian refugee? People are being encouraged to register their interest on the website homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk if they have not done so already. The Government will be in contact with people who have registered their interest with more information once this is available, which is expected to be soon. If they do not wish to wait, people can try to find a person to sponsor by approaching charities or Ukrainian groups in their local area. Ukrainians abroad who are not in touch with a sponsor are also being encouraged to contact charities. When will people start to arrive? It is not clear how many people have already identified Ukrainians who they wish to sponsor. But refugee minister Lord Richard Harrington told MPs on Wednesday he expects thousands of people to arrive next week. Councils will be told if there are particular hotspot areas where a high number of people have registered their interest in becoming sponsors. (PA Graphics) What checks will take place and when? Sponsors, all adults in their households and Ukrainians being sponsored will need to submit to security checks, which will take place when the visa application is being assessed. Biometric checks will be made after refugees arrive in the UK to avoid delays. Once the visa is approved, information will be passed to the local authority where the sponsoring individual lives. It will then be up to the council to carry out the necessary checks, including on the suitability of the accommodation that is being offered. However, Lord Harrington has warned that it may not be possible for all accommodation to be checked before people arrive. This has been echoed by James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), who said councils will not be able to do everything they would like to do up front. What if a placement doesnt work out? It is understood there will be safeguards in place to ensure people are not left homeless if they are unable to stay with their sponsor for whatever reason. On arrival, people will receive a welcome pack with details of how to access basic services and claim benefits, but also of who to contact in the case of an emergency or if something goes wrong while they are being hosted. Refugees leaving Ukraine (Sergei Grits/AP) Who is eligible? Sponsors can be of any nationality and any immigration status as long as they have permission to be in the UK for at least six months and can offer accommodation for at least half a year. People are eligible if they are a Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022. The scheme is open to adults and children within family units. What are people saying? Robina Qureshi, director of Positive Action in Housing, has accused the Government of unleashing chaos through the scheme and warned that refugees could die before they are matched with a sponsor. The charity runs Room for Refugees, the UKs longest running refugee hosting programme which has been in place since 2002. Ms Qureshi said it is giving the illusion of people helping because theyre distracting from the fact that they havent lifted visa restrictions. And she said it could take months and months of processing to safely match people to appropriate homes. The Refugee Council said it has several concerns about the scheme, specifically around red tape, safeguarding and resourcing. Andy Hewett, head of advocacy, said it is concerned the scheme could be too slow and complex to help the most vulnerable, and said it favours those who already have a contact in the UK, who may not necessarily be the most at risk. Councillor Jamieson, from the LGA, said councils will need to be given as much data as possible on who a visa has been issued to, such as their age, medical and educational needs, family make-up, and more clarity on the safeguarding and accommodation checks they will need. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is back with her family following her dramatic return to Britain after six years in detention in Iran. The British-Iranian charity worker was reunited with her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, and their seven-year-old daughter Gabriella amid emotional scenes at an RAF air base in the early hours of Thursday. She was released, along with fellow dual-national, Anoosheh Ashoori, after Britain finally agreed to settle a 400 million debt dating back to the 1970s. Family and friends said that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband who campaigned tirelessly for her release would have to spend time getting to know each other again after so long apart. Her sister-in-law, Rebecca Ratcliffe, said they were looking forward to enjoying the normal experiences other families take for granted. They have lived apart for such a long time, had such different experiences, they are not going to go back to how they were before. Of course they wont, she told the BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being reunited with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella (Tulip Siddiq/Twitter/PA) They are never going to be a normal family. I think there is an element of having those normal experiences that they havent been able to for such a long time. Go swimming together, go to the supermarket together, go out for walks all those things the rest of us take for granted when we have got children that they are looking forward to. The two former detainees touched down at RAF Brize Norton at just after 1am, and a video posted on social media showed Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugging and kissing her young daughter while Mr Ashooris family sobbed with joy. Richard sounds so happy this morning. He laughingly told me that Gabriella slept in between him and Nazanin last night for the first time in six years. This is me with my brave little constituent yesterday making silly faces. #NazaninIsFree pic.twitter.com/uZwkAQLv9Y Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) March 17, 2022 Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained for six years after being accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government. Mr Ashoori, who was detained in Evin prison for almost five years, was accused of spying. Both have consistently and vigorously denied the allegations. Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said the negotiations with the regime in Tehran had proved incredibly difficult, not least because of the huge number of sanctions imposed on Iran. Screengrab of a tweet posted by Elika Ashoori of her father Anoosheh Ashoori and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being reunited with their families (Elika Ashoori/PA) He said they had taken every precaution to ensure the money paid to settle the outstanding debt for an order of British tanks which was never delivered would be used purely for humanitarian purposes. We owed this debt, we accepted that debt. Obviously, the sanctions position made it incredibly difficult you cannot just write a cheque, he told Sky News. The details of how we have done it have to remain confidential, but it has taken a huge amount of work to come up with a method of ensuring that money is for humanitarian purposes and that it conforms to the sanctions regime. Mr Cleverly said the Government was working to secure the return of a third dual-national, Morad Tahbaz who also has US citizenship who was released from prison on furlough. So great to see Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori back home with their families. Such love and dedication. Yesterday was a good day at work. pic.twitter.com/ZdnS8jLjXX James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) March 17, 2022 He also has American nationality, which has in the eyes of the Iranians not in ours made his case more complicated, he told BBC Breakfast. We will continue to work to secure his release and, obviously, we work in close co-ordination with the US on these issues as well. An emotional video of the reunions was shared live on Instagram by Mr Ashooris daughter Elika as the two former detainees disembarked from the plane. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes seven-year-old daughter Gabriella was heard asking is that mummy? and again shouted mummy as her mother walked down the planes stairs. The release of Nazanin, Anoosheh and Morad is the result of the efforts and dedication of many people both in the FCDO and across government. I pay tribute to my predecessors and the PM, who have all worked hard to resolve this issue, and to our brilliant diplomats and officials Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 16, 2022 Mr Ratcliffe shook Mr Ashooris hand, as Gabriella appeared to run towards her mother, who was out of shot. She then carried the little girl in her arms as they were surrounded by other family members. Mr Ashoori was then reunited with his family, who were in tears as they embraced. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe then appeared in the video and hugged and kissed her daughter, and asked her do I smell nice? before holding her hands. She also hugged members of the Ashoori family. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who was at the air base to greet them, said they were all in very, very good spirits. I think its been a really difficult 48 hours, the expectation that they would be released, but we werent sure right until the last moment, she said. Its been very emotional, but also a really happy moment for the families, and Im pleased to say that both Nazanin and Anoosheh are in good spirits and theyre safe and well back here in Britain. The release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori follows months of intensive diplomatic negotiations between London and Tehran. They were initially taken to the Gulf state of Oman, which has been closely involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations to secure their freedom. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained on security charges by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday visit to Iran, where she introduced her daughter to her parents. Mr Ashoori was arrested in August 2017 while visiting his elderly mother in Tehran. US president Joe Biden said he would love to visit Ireland again, but could not say when he would get to see the country he described as the motherland. Irish premier Micheal Martin said he had reiterated his invite to the US president to visit Ireland. He made his comments during his trip to Washington to mark the St Patricks Day celebrations. US president Joe Biden speaks at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC (Oliver Contreras/PA) Mr Martin extended the invitation during a virtual meeting with the president after the Fianna Fail leader tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday evening. Mr Bidens links to Ireland are well-known and often spoken about by the Democrat politician. He is seen by many as the most Irish American president to date, with his heritage tracing back to Ballina in Co Mayo and the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth. His great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan emigrated to the US from the Cooley peninsula, while another great-great-grandfather Patrick Blewitt was born in Ballina, leaving during the Irish famine in 1850 to sail to America. Mr Biden visited his ancestral home of Ballina in Co Mayo in 2016 while vice president (Anthony Heffernan/PA) Ten of his 16 great-great-grandparents were also born in Ireland. Distant relatives celebrated his election win in both areas back in November 2020 and gathered again in January last year to mark his inauguration. Champagne corks were popped, cakes were baked and a huge mural of the 46th president was painted on a wall in Ballina. The affection is reciprocated and Mr Biden has visited both counties in recent years to meet long-lost cousins. Mr Biden visited his ancestral home of Ballina in 2016 when he was US vice president. This image made available by NASA on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 shows star 2MASS J17554042+6551277 used to align the mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope, with galaxies and stars surrounding it. The hexagonal shape of Webbs mirrors and its filters made the shimmering star look more red and spiky. The first science images aren't expected until late June or early July. (NASA/STScI) (AP) NASAs new space telescope has gazed into the distant universe and shown perfect vision: a spiky image of a faraway star photobombed by thousands of ancient galaxies. The image released Wednesday from the James Webb Space Telescope is a test shot not an official science observation to see how its 18 hexagonal mirrors worked together for a single coordinated image taken 1 million miles from Earth. Officials said it worked better than expected. Advertisement Last month, NASA looked at a much closer star with 18 separate images from its mirror segments. Scientists said they were giddy as they watched the latest test photos arrive. NASAs test image was aimed at a star 100 times fainter than the human eye can see 2,000 light-years away. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. Advertisement The shape of Webbs mirrors and its filters made the shimmering star look more red and spiky but the background really stole the show. You cant help but see those thousands of galaxies behind it, really gorgeous, said Jane Rigby, Webb operations project scientist. Those galaxies are several billions of years old. Eventually, scientists hope Webb will see so faraway and back in time that it will only be a couple hundred million years after the Big Bang, she said. The first science images wont come until late June or early July. The $10 billion Webb successor to the nearly 32-year-old Hubble Space Telescope blasted off from South America in December and reached its designated perch in January. After years of staying silent about her relationship with singer Marilyn Manson, Evan Rachel Wood speaks her truth in the two-part documentary, Phoenix Rising, which aired on HBO and HBO Max this week. Among the many disturbing allegations the Westworld star makes in the film is that her former partner "essentially raped" her on the set of the 2007 music video "Heart-Shaped Glasses." Now, a new petition launched on Change.org is seeking to have that video pulled from YouTube, where it has accumulated 32 million views. Evan Rachel Wood in Phoenix Rising. (Photo: Olivia Fougeirol/Courtesy Sundance Institute) In Phoenix Rising, Wood claims that she was fed absinthe during the course of shooting "Heart Shaped Glasses," and was barely conscious when it came time to film the sex scene featured in the video. When the cameras started rolling, the actress says that Manson whose real name is Brian Warner penetrated her without her consent. "I had never agreed to that," she remarks in the documentary. "Im a professional actress, I have been doing this my whole life, Id never been on a set that unprofessional in my life up until this day. It was complete chaos, and I did not feel safe. No one was looking after me." The text of the Change.org petition, which was created by a counselor in training named Victoria A., notes that Wood's description of the incident meets the revised UCR definition of rape. "Survivors and allies need to come together to remove things like this," the petition reads. "This should not still be allowed on YouTube, or circulating anywhere for that matter. Evan has re-victimized herself over and over again to create change and a statute of limitations in the state of California, and doesnt deserve a constant reminder of her rape on the internet." Since being posted on March 16, the petition has already attracted more than 3,000 signatures and counting, making it one of the fastest-growing petitions currently hosted on the site. Meanwhile, Wood is continuing to tell her story at venues like Good Morning America and The View, even as Manson's legal team has moved to file a defamation suit against her. "I stand by everything I've said about the abuse allegations," Wood remarked on GMA. "I don't believe I'm legally allowed to comment on any of [Manson's] allegations, but I am very confident I have the truth on my side." Phoenix Rising is currently streaming on HBO Max. NEW YORK (AP) They're pouring out vodka, boycotting Russian restaurants and even leaving threatening voicemail messages at Russian businesses. Angered by the deadly violence and the humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia's war on Ukraine, some Americans are taking it out on Russian businesses and brands in the U.S. or anything that sounds Russian. Business owners and experts say it's the most intense anti-Russian sentiment theyve seen. They also call the behavior irrational and misplaced, especially when so many owners are denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion and supporting Ukraine, not to mention the fact that some are not even Russian. Olga Sagan, the owner of Russian bakery Piroshky Piroshky in Seattle, which has offered handcrafted Russian pastries since 1992, described a recent call from someone threatening a terrorist attack on her store. 'It make me feel very sad' But Sagan immigrated from Russia in 1999 and is an American citizen. Of her 60 staff members, she is the only one from Russia; three others are from Ukraine. People make fun of Russians we drink vodka," Sagan said. But never, ever anything like this. It make me feel very sad. I understand peoples emotions and how strong they are about the situation, and I truly appreciate it because I have strong emotions. But most Russian people are against (the war). To clarify their position and placate customers, many business owners have posted Ukrainian signs on their doors or have turned to social media to pledge their support for Ukraine and condemn Russias actions. Some restaurants are scrubbing any Russian references off their menu. Even Ukrainians have been caught up in the backlash. Alan Aguichev, 26, opened a restaurant in Manhattan two years ago with his mother, Svetlana Sveta Savchitz, who was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine. They named their restaurant Sveta and advertised it as an Eastern European and Russian eatery a description that was intended to help people easily understand the food but now draws unwanted attention. Aguichev, who was born in the U.S., said he has received emails from people using expletives about Russia, and telling the business owners to go back home. The owners have since removed references to Russia from the restaurants menu. Her two blood sisters are hiding under a bunker, Aguichev said of his mother's family. And then she gets these nasty phone calls saying, youre not Ukrainian, youre Russian. Thats terrible. Gleb Gavrilov, owner of Moscow on the Hudson, poses for a picture at his store in New York, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Aguichev notes that many others have been supportive of him and his mother but it shouldnt matter even if either of them were Russian because many of his Russians friends also dont want this war. Its just one man who wants to do this, and thats President Putin," he said. Its not only affecting Ukrainian lives its affecting Russian lives as well. Moscow on the Hudson, a specialty store that sells Russian, Ukrainian and other international products about nine miles north of Sveta, has also received calls from people cursing out Russia and requesting that the store owners ask Putin to stop the war. I was like good luck with that, said Gleb Gavrilov, who is Russian, Polish and Greek and runs the store with his mother. I just hung up. Gavrilov said he used to sell Putin magnets, and even nesting dolls that feature the Russian president as well as former U.S. President Donald Trump, because some Americans liked the products. But he stashed them away when the war started, thinking they might have more value in the future. He also doesnt want to be seen as aligned with Putin. Im not really with him, Gavrilov said. I just sell the stuff, and it sells good. Sarah E. Mendelson, the head of Carnegie Mellons Heinz College in Washington and a longtime expert on Russia, said she cant recall such intense anti-Russian backlash translating into people protesting restaurants or products, even after Russia's bombing campaigns in Syria and its invasion of Crimea in 2014. 'Its not actually a rational response' Mendelson noted that the constant barrage of real-time images of Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country has created a groundswell of emotions but the boycotts themselves are hurting emigrants who fled Russia as well as Ukrainians. Its an emotional response its not actually a rational response," she said. People ought to take the time to figure out whats going on. Consumer anger has been misdirected in the past. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many Middle Eastern businesses suffered when customers aimed their hostility at them. In the years since, social media has made it easier for people to protest and organize boycotts via hashtags but the lack of context also makes it easier to get things wrong. Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a New York-based brand loyalty research consultancy, noted that a recent poll of 1,200 U.S. shoppers found 84% on a bipartisan basis indicated they would boycott Russian brands as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Still, only 8% of them could correctly name any Russian consumer brands without being assisted. It's a nice sentiment, but problematic, Passikoff said. The reality is there arent many well-known Russian brands readily evident in American stores." Olga Sagan, the owner of Russian bakery Piroshky Piroshky, poses for a photo in front of her business Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at Pike Place Market in Seattle, where a recent caller threatened to stage a terrorist attack on the store. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) One product that became an easy but misguided target of consumer angst was Stolichnaya, a vodka brand incorrectly linked with Russia. Stoli, the brand's better-known nickname and now official name, is actually made in Latvia and the parent company is based in Luxembourg. Its owner, Russian-born tycoon Yuri Shefler, left Russia in 2002 and hasnt been back since. Damian McKinney, CEO of the Stoli Group, was horrified to see people posting videos on social media of bartenders pouring the drink down the drain and stores dropping it from shelves. To counteract, McKinney said the company let its distributors and retailers know that it was against Russias invasion and that it supported Ukraine, as well as pointing out its true roots. McKinney said that sales globally took a hit for seven days, but business has rebounded to higher than normal levels. Its also marketing the vodka bottles with pro-Ukranian messages. Whether a Russian brand or not, McKinney said companies must choose a side. We have been tested. As soon as that invasion occurred, you got to stand up and to be counted," he said. I have Russians on the team. You have to decide which side youre on. But some just want to stay neutral at least publicly. Tigran Elchyan, chef and owner of Kalinka Russian Cuisine, a restaurant in Glendale, California, said he has received threatening calls a couple of times a week since the war in Ukraine started. Business is down about 20%. Elchyan is Armenian-born, and his restaurant highlights food not only from Russia but from his native country as well as former Soviet Union countries like Georgia and Kazakhstan. Most of his staff are from the Russian region. But Elchyan said he wants to stay out of politics. Russians and Ukrainians are sitting next together and eating the food, he said. Its all about the food. Its not political. We are here for peace everywhere. Joe Biden has rounded off the St Patricks Day celebrations in Washington with an emphatic warning that the Good Friday Agreement cannot change. Appearing at the traditional shamrock ceremony in the White House, Mr Biden made an impassioned plea that the Good Friday Agreement be protected amid the ongoing back-and-forth between the UK and the EU over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland. US President Joe Biden, speaking while Taoiseach Micheal Martin appeared virtually due to a Covid-positive test, directly addressed the ongoing negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol and the political instability in the region. Speaking about the relationship between Ireland and the US, he said: Our nations both are deeply committed to protecting the hard-won gains of peace in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement has been the foundation of peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland for nearly 25 years. It cannot change. Amid resounding applause, he said he had made that point to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whom he described as a friend. Mr Biden said all sides must continue to resolve challenges over the implementation of (the) Northern Ireland Protocol. The United States stands ready to work with all the communities of Northern Ireland to ensure its extraordinary economic potential and ensure that its realised, and we look forward to supporting the next Northern Ireland Executive after the upcoming Assembly elections, which are on their way. Those elections will be held in May, at a time of considerable uncertainty about the future direction of politics in Northern Ireland. First Minister of Northern Ireland Paul Givan resigned earlier this year as part of the DUP protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol, a move which also removed deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill from the joint office. History has proven that with the people of Northern Ireland, our leaders can accomplish when they work together, Mr Biden told the audience at the ceremony. Taoiseach Micheal Martin called for unity of purpose over Ukraine (Oliver Contreras/PA) Earlier, Mr Martin spoke of his disappointment at being unable to meet face-to-face with Mr Biden on St Patricks Day after contracting Covid. Mr Martin was speaking as it emerged he may have to stay in the US for up to 10 days, although he insisted he will keep working while in Washington. Speaking to the media virtually from self-isolation, Mr Martin said: I feel good. Of course, Im disappointed personally but its not the end of the world. I have to keep things in perspective that is important in the context of what is happening across the world today. I dont believe the meeting was in any way impaired as a result of this. It was a very warm meeting and it went on longer than anticipated by officials on both sides. During the virtual meeting earlier in the day, Mr Biden hailed Irish leadership for its handling of the Ukrainian crisis. Mr Biden also reaffirmed the US administrations unequivocal support for the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Biden, who identifies deeply with his own Irish heritage, was seated beside a traditional bowl of shamrock during the bilateral meeting. He quoted Irish poet WB Yeats as he described the impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had on the world. All changed, changed utterly a terrible beauty has been born, he said. Mr Biden said Irish leadership on the issue has been noticeable and impressive. Both leaders condemned the invasion, with the Irish leader speaking about the need for a unity of purpose. The leaders bilateral meeting lasted just over an hour. The pair discussed the economy, Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement, the war in Ukraine and the undocumented Irish in the US. Mr Martin reiterated the invitation for the President to come to Ireland, with Mr Biden saying he would love to visit Ireland again. Mr Biden praised Irelands willingness to take in refugees, adding: What Ireland is doing now, what you are doing, taking in Ukrainian refugees, speak so loudly about your principles. And its amazing and I want to publicly compliment you for it. I think youve already brought in over 7,000 or so refugees from Ukraine, and youre prepared to do more, so thank you. The Irish premier, who appeared virtually from Blair House where he is staying, also thanked Mr Biden for the USs backing of the Good Friday Agreement. He praised the steadfast support, referencing how important the Good Friday Agreement is in respect of stability and peace on the island of Ireland. He said: Over the last number of days, as Ive been here, weve also witnessed once again that two way, very robust economic relationship between the United States and Ireland. Mr Martin, appearing virtually for the second year in a row due to a positive Covid-19 test, said it was unfortunate he and Mr Biden could not meet face to face. This year, were meeting virtually across the road, so were getting closer, he joked. Mr Biden is profoundly proud of his Irish ancestry and has never been shy about his passion for the country, its history and its literature. References to Irish poets pepper many of his speeches, with Mr Biden choosing to namecheck the late Eavan Boland during a speech at the Ireland Funds Gala dinner in Washington on Wednesday evening. It was at the same event that the Taoiseach was notified of the positive Covid-19 result just as he was due to speak. Mr Martin appeared in good spirits during his appearance on-screen. An Irish Government spokesperson said earlier on Thursday that the Taoiseach was feeling well. He said Mr Martin received a negative Covid test result on Wednesday afternoon, but a further test was carried out when one of his delegation tested positive. This resulted in a positive test for the Taoiseach. Speaking later on Thursday, Mr Martin confirmed he will remain in Washington and continue working while he recovers from Covid. A source said he will follow US Covid-19 guidelines which could result in no international travel for 10 days. This means he would be unable to attend a Covid commemoration event in Dublin on Sunday. He said: We had our cabinet meeting which I chaired from the embassy at the commencement of the week. Little did I think that I would have another cabinet meeting from here next week, but that is the way it is. I will continue to work, we will manage this and I will be in daily contact with my colleagues and officials, particularly in respect of the response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. I will keep working, I feel good and we will take it day by day and step by step. Earlier on Thursday, the speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said Mr Martin was not wearing a mask during part of their interaction at the Ireland Funds Gala event. She sat next to the Taoiseach moments before he was told he had tested positive for Covid-19. Ms Pelosi was about to make an award to Mr Martin, but Irish ambassador Dan Mulhall accepted the award instead, and confirmed to guests that Mr Martin had tested positive. The Taoiseach had a mask on when he sat down but then when he started to eat, he took off the mask and then they called him aside, Ms Pelosi said on Thursday. I didnt know why. But some time later when it was my turn to speak, they told me how we would proceed and that he would not be speaking. I wasnt measuring it in minutes, but part of it was masked, some of it while he was eating but it was during the appetiser that they took him away. She said she is tested for Covid almost every day and before any time she sees Mr Biden. Meanwhile, Irish President Michael D Higgins sent his good wishes to Mr Martin. I was so very sorry to learn of this news breaking while the Taoiseach was busy representing Ireland in the United States leading up to our National Day, Mr Higgins said in a statement. I know that this work is continuing as he takes the necessary steps following his positive test. I wish the Taoiseach a speedy recovery and also wish him further success with the continuation of his programme in Washington, and in overcoming the necessary constraints involved. Sabina joins me in sending our good wishes to the Taoiseach and to his wife, Mary. Go raibh biseach air go luath. (Get well soon). The US President has said the world should remember how Ireland stepped up to respond to the war in Ukraine. Joe Biden, who has always taken pride in his Irish roots, hailed the countrys efforts to help defend the war-torn country from Russian aggression. Everybody talks about Germany having stepped up and changed, he said, in reference to that countrys abrupt about-turn on defence spending in the wake of the attack on Ukraine. And they have, he said. Well, so has Ireland. A neutral country. Ireland has stepped up and taken a hit for it. The Republic of Ireland, a member of the UN Security Council and an EU member state, has already taken in more than 7,0000 refugees from Ukraine while also taking part in imposing sanctions on Russia. Political leaders in the country have stressed in recent weeks that while the Republic is militarily neutral, it is not politically neutral. The US President was speaking during an appearance at the traditional St Patricks Day Friends of Ireland luncheon in Washington. US President Joe Biden speaks at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala (Oliver Contreras/PA) Celebrations had been dampened slightly by the revelation, late on Wednesday, that Taoiseach Micheal Martin had tested positive for Covid-19. Earlier, the Irish and American leaders had held a virtual bi-lateral meeting for the second year in a row and Mr Biden hailed the Irish leadership for its handling of the Ukrainian crisis. The US President noted the absence of Mr Martin, but said he was looking well, he is feeling well. He is really sorry he cant be here. He was really looking forward to it, as was his wife. For the second time in a matter of hours, Mr Biden quoted Irish poet WB Yeats: Talent perceives differences; genius, unity. Today, I think we can add a fifth item at least to my unity agenda support of our relationship between Ireland and the United States. He also took a moment to praise the bipartisan nature of the gathering. We should have more times like this, when Democrats and Republicans get together, he told the room, to applause. Remind ourselves we actually like each other, thats a useful thing. For Mr Biden, the celebration of Irelands patron saint in Washington took on a distinctly personal hue. The luncheon began with an introduction from the speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi. We are especially grateful to be celebrating the feast of St Patrick with an Irish-American president, she told the room. Ms Pelosi joked: I may not have Irish grandparents, but I do have Irish grandchildren. She spoke passionately about how Irish and American people have united in the name of peace. Referencing the Good Friday Agreement, she spoke about visiting the border in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, adding that it has been transformed today and during her last visit she saw a completely different thing at the border. Just a yellow line turning into a white line. But her kindest words were for Mr Biden, whose Irish immigrant heritage, Ms Pelosi said, had imbued him with a special appreciation of American diversity. We could see how this great president came to be, as a person who understands the beautiful diversity of this country. He understands the dignity and worth of all people, because his Irish heritage in his case was accompanied by a deep Catholic faith. Joe Biden himself spoke about the values of immigrants into the US, referencing his own familys journey from Ireland to America. It is all about striving for a better future. You can do it while you cherish the past. You dont have to forget the past or disassociate yourself from it. There is an indelible part of it that is American, because the values are the same. Not for the first time, Mr Biden also re-affirmed his commitment to peace in Northern Ireland. He referenced his relationship with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and said: The Good Friday Agreements are firmly, firmly, firmly supported in the United States. Amid applause, Mr Biden said: The people of Northern Ireland have made significant changes as well. But in the context of Ukraine, he said the Republic of Ireland and the UK were standing together against a murderous dictator. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated St Patricks Day with the Irish Guards, but it was an officers young daughter who stole the show with her antics. Kate was fittingly dressed in an emerald green outfit for the couples visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patricks Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot in Hampshire. William is Colonel of the Irish Guards and the event was the first time the Cambridges have been able to celebrate the annual event with the officers and soldiers from the regiment since the pandemic began. Daughter of Commanding Officer Robert Money, 20-month-old Gaia Money, gives the Duchess of Cambridge a posy during the St Patricks Day event (Andrew Matthews/PA) During the ceremony, 20-month-old Gaia Money grabbed two bouquets from the duchess and a smiling Kate said: Shall we swap. Now you have both of them. When Gaias father, Lieutenant Colonel Rob Money, placed his bearskin hat over his daughters head, Kate said: Thats so sweet. Do you fit inside it. The toddlers mother Lorraine Money said afterwards: The duchess was lovely. Gaia took both bouquets and she let them keep them. Gaia has been practising her curtsey at nursery school but failed! The Duchess of Cambridge with Irish Guards mascot Turlough Mor, a two-year-old Irish Wolfhound (Andrew Matthews/PA) I am from Jamaica and we spoke about Jamaica, as they are going there next week. The duchess, wearing a green coat by Laura Green and hat by Lock & Co, pinned a sprig of shamrock on the Irish Guards mascot a two-year-old Irish Wolfhound. The dog, called Turlough Mor, also known as Seamus, and handler Drummer Adam Walsh, stood to attention on the parade ground. The royal couple speak to a young guest (Chris Jackson/PA) Kate wore shamrock on her jacket and William, dressed in a military coat, had a sprig on his cap for the couples visit. The duchess handed baskets filled with shamrock sprigs to regimental leaders to hand out to the ranks and she chatted and smiled as she presented officers with the plant a symbol of Ireland. She told them: Good morning, have some shamrock. Happy St Patricks Day. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has touched down on British soil for the first time since she was detained in Iran six years ago. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe arrived at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire just after 1am on Thursday morning. The mother-of-one, whose husband Richard has long campaigned for her release, left Iran with fellow British-Iranian Anoosheh Ashoori, 67, on Wednesday after their release was secured. The plane carrying Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori arrives at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, after they were freed from detention by Iranian authorities (Leon Neal/PA) Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori, who was detained in Evin prison for almost five years, were accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government and of spying respectively, which they have consistently and vigorously denied. They both smiled and chatted as they walked from the aircraft into a reception building at the airport. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe waved to the cameras, while Mr Ashoori, who was carrying a magazine, gave a salute. Mr Ashoori appeared to be taking photos with the pilots in the cockpit on the plane, as they waited to disembark. He could be seen posing with two men through the windows of the cockpit. Sharing photographs from the flight on Twitter Stephanie Al-Qaq, director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign Office, said there was relief and joy as the British-Iranians and officials left Tehran. A third British detainee, Morad Tahbaz, has been released from prison on furlough but remains in Iran. Mr Ratcliffe and the couples daughter Gabriella, who were waiting at RAF Brize Norton for the Government-chartered flight, were due to enjoy their family reunion in private. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also understood to be at the RAF base. The release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori follows months of intensive diplomatic negotiations between London and Tehran, including the eventual payment of an outstanding 400 million debt owed by Britain to the regime. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori were initially taken to the Gulf state of Oman, which has been closely involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations to secure their freedom. Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the Omani Government for its help in bringing the pair home. Speaking on a visit to Saudi Arabia, he said: It is fantastic news that Nazanin is out. I am thrilled also for Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz who are also out. It has been a lot of work by a lot of people. I want to pay particular tribute to her husband Richard. It is fantastic that she will be able to come back, see her family, see her daughter Gabriella. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained on security charges by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday visit to Iran, where she introduced her daughter Gabriella to her parents. Mr Ashoori was arrested in August 2017 while visiting his elderly mother in Tehran. In the Commons, with Mr Ratcliffe and Gabriella, seven, watching, Ms Truss set out details of their release. Pleased Morad Tahbaz has been released on furlough and is reunited with his family in Iran, but this is far from sufficient. We will continue to work intensively to secure his departure from Iran. Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 17, 2022 It was only when we heard that the wheels were up in Tehran that we really knew it was happening, she said. Tulip Siddiq, who is Mr Ratcliffes MP, told ITVs Peston programme about how Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been able to come home. She said: She was contacted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in Iran over the weekend and asked to come in for questioning, and quite apprehensive she messaged me before she went. To her utter surprise, at the end of the questioning, and there were some scare tactics in there, she was given her British passport back. Bearing in mind she hasnt seen her British passport since the 23rd of April 2016. But just as she was about to leave the door, they said to her, dont book your own flight, we will sort out the flights for you. So after that, I had an idea that she would be coming back, but its always touch and go with these things weve had so many false dawns, I didnt know for sure. But the minute she was at the airport, I had a message from Richard Ratcliffe saying Nazanin is at the airport and to her surprise Anoosheh was there as well, who was the other detainee, (a) British citizen. We didnt think he was coming home, because he wasnt under house arrest, he was actually in Evin prison. Tears of joy were shed as the families of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were reunited with their loved ones in the early hours of Thursday morning after years of a long and cruel separation caused by their detention in Iran. The pair touched down on British soil at RAF Brize Norton at just after 1am, and a video shared on social media showed the emotional homecoming as Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugged and kissed her young daughter and Mr Ashooris family sobbed. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, whose husband Richard has long campaigned for her release, left Iran with fellow British-Iranian Mr Ashoori, 67, on Wednesday after their release was secured. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained for six years after being accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government. Mr Ashoori, who was detained in Evin prison for almost five years, was accused of spying. Both have consistently and vigorously denied the allegations. The pair smiled and chatted as they walked from the aircraft into a reception building at the airport. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was wearing a navy dress and coat, with a bright yellow shawl and matching handbag, waved to the cameras, while Mr Ashoori, who was carrying a magazine, gave a salute and a peace sign. Mr Ashoori appeared to be taking photos with the pilots in the cockpit on the plane, as they waited to disembark. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being reunited with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella (Tulip Siddiq/Twitter/PA) He could be seen posing with two men through the windows of the cockpit. An emotional video was shared live on Instagram by Mr Ashooris daughter Elika as the pair disembarked the plane. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes seven-year-old daughter Gabriella was heard asking is that mummy? and again shouted mummy as her mother walked down the planes stairs. Mr Ratcliffe shook Mr Ashooris hand, as Gabriella appeared to run towards her mother, who was out of shot. She then carried the little girl in her arms as they were surrounded by other family members. Mr Ashoori was then reunited with his family, who were in tears as they embraced. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe then appeared in the video and hugged and kissed her daughter, and asked her do I smell nice? before holding her hands. Screengrab of a tweet posted by Elika Ashoori of her father Anoosheh Ashoori and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being reunited with their families (Elika Ashoori/PA) She also hugged members of the Ashoori family. Labour MP Tulip Siddiq tweeted an image of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe embracing her husband and daughter with the caption: This picture makes me so happy and so proud of all 3 of my brave constituents. Thank you everyone for your constant support for this incredible family. #NazaninIsFree Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said yesterday was a good day at work as he shared a photo of both returned Britons with their families. So great to see Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori back home with their families. Such love and dedication. Yesterday was a good day at work. pic.twitter.com/ZdnS8jLjXX James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) March 17, 2022 Sharing photographs from the flight on Twitter, Stephanie Al-Qaq, director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign Office, said there was relief and joy as the British-Iranians and officials left Tehran. While Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who was also seen in Ms Ashooris video waiting for the pairs arrival, said: People are in very, very good spirits. Speaking at Brize Norton after the arrival, she said: I think its been a really difficult 48 hours, the expectation that they would be released, but we werent sure right until the last moment. Its been very emotional, but also a really happy moment for the families, and Im pleased to say that both Nazanin and Anoosheh are in good spirits and theyre safe and well back here in Britain. The release of Nazanin, Anoosheh and Morad is the result of the efforts and dedication of many people both in the FCDO and across government. I pay tribute to my predecessors and the PM, who have all worked hard to resolve this issue, and to our brilliant diplomats and officials Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 16, 2022 Asked whether Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori thanked her following their return, Ms Truss said: Well, I thank them and I thank the families for how stoical theyve been during this really, really difficult period. And we talked about the process that weve been through, the difficult last part of making sure that they were able to leave Iran but its so fantastic to welcome them back safe and well here in Britain. A third British detainee, Morad Tahbaz, has been released from prison on furlough but remains in Iran. In a tweet, Ms Truss said she was pleased he had been released but his continued detainment was far from sufficient. She added: We will continue to work intensively to secure his departure from Iran. The release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori follows months of intensive diplomatic negotiations between London and Tehran, including the eventual payment of an outstanding 400 million debt owed by Britain to the regime. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori were initially taken to the Gulf state of Oman, which has been closely involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations to secure their freedom. Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the Omani Government for its help in bringing the pair home. Speaking on a visit to Saudi Arabia, he said: It is fantastic news that Nazanin is out. I am thrilled also for Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz who are also out. It has been a lot of work by a lot of people. I want to pay particular tribute to her husband Richard. It is fantastic that she will be able to come back, see her family, see her daughter Gabriella. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained on security charges by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday visit to Iran, where she introduced her daughter to her parents. Mr Ashoori was arrested in August 2017 while visiting his elderly mother in Tehran. In the Commons, with Mr Ratcliffe and Gabriella watching, Ms Truss set out details of their release. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori touched down on British soil just after 1am on Thursday (Leon Neal/PA) It was only when we heard that the wheels were up in Tehran that we really knew it was happening, she said. Their suffering has moved us all, and so does the prospect of their being reunited with their loved ones once again, after this long and cruel separation, she added. On Wednesday night Ms Siddiq, who is Mr Ratcliffes MP, told ITVs Peston programme about how Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been able to come home. She said: She was contacted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in Iran over the weekend and asked to come in for questioning, and quite apprehensive she messaged me before she went. To her utter surprise, at the end of the questioning, and there were some scare tactics in there, she was given her British passport back. Bearing in mind she hasnt seen her British passport since the 23rd of April 2016. But just as she was about to leave the door, they said to her, dont book your own flight, we will sort out the flights for you. So after that, I had an idea that she would be coming back, but its always touch and go with these things weve had so many false dawns, I didnt know for sure. Here is a timeline of the key events since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison in Iran. April 3 2016: The mother-of-one is detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday visit to Iran where she showed her daughter Gabriella to her parents. July 12 2016: Richard Ratcliffe, her husband, delivers letters to Downing Street for outgoing prime minister David Cameron and his replacement Theresa May on his wifes 100th day in custody. He says it is astonishing no British minister has publicly criticised Tehran for arresting Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. I don't usually tweet about world events but my daughter used to play with Gabriella Ratcliffe, who is six years old and whose mummy has been in prison for five years. She never did anything wrong; it's just politics. All they want is to be back together, having a cuddle. Victoria Coren Mitchell (@VictoriaCoren) March 4, 2021 August 9 2016: New prime minister Mrs May raised concerns about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe during a phone call with president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani. September 9 2016: Mr Ratcliffe says his wife has been jailed for five years following a conviction on unspecified national security-related offences a sentence he describes as a punishment without a crime. November 13 2016: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe begins a hunger strike, which she ends after five days amid her familys fears for her health. January 2 2017: Mr Ratcliffe says Mrs May and her ministers could have publicly stood up for Nazanin more and should have called for her release. Mr Ratcliffe said: She raised those concerns in September. What happened after September? Nothing much, really. Richard Ratcliffe (Stefan Rousseau/PA) April 24 2017: The family of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe say she has lost the final stage of her appeal against the sentence. November 6 2017: It is feared Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe may face a further period of imprisonment because of remarks made by then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson told a parliamentary committee the previous week that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was working in Tehran training journalists at the time of her arrest in 2016. Four days later, she was summoned before an unscheduled court hearing, where the foreign secretarys comments were cited as proof that she was engaged in propaganda against the regime. November 7 2017: It is announced that Mr Johnson told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that his comments to a Commons committee provide no justifiable basis for further legal action against Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. A Foreign Office spokesman says Mr Johnson accepted he could have been clearer. Jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella (Family handout) November 12 2017: Mr Ratcliffe says his wife has seen a medical specialist after finding lumps on her breasts and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. November 15 2017: Mr Ratcliffe describes an hour-long meeting with Mr Johnson as positive and constructive. December 12 2017: Mr Johnson said he and his Iranian counterpart spoke frankly regarding the case of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, during talks in Tehran. Later in December 2017: Mr Ratcliffe said he believes there is still a chance his wife may be released in time for a dream Christmas together. I've been doing a lot of media over the past week about Nazanin's prison sentence in Iran coming to an end. Richard has told me that her daughter Gabriella is counting down the days on her calendar. Please Prime Minister let's bring her home!https://t.co/wmGgdG76ju pic.twitter.com/fmWp6WSq91 Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) March 5, 2021 December 28 2017: Mr Ratcliffe says he is in limbo waiting for news of his wifes release but has not given up hope, and describes the situation as a lot more positive than last year. April 14 2018: Iranian ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad, says the Iranian government is doing its best to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes release, saying the judicial process was complicated but insisted we are trying our best. May 21 2018: Mr Ratcliffe says his wife has been told to expect another conviction after appearing in court over a new invented charge. August 3 2018: New foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt pledges to do everything possible to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes release, after talks with Mr Ratcliffe. August 21 2018: Mr Hunt says he is considering a request by Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes husband to grant her diplomatic protection. August 23 2018: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is given temporary release from prison for three days and her husband says it feels like home is one step closer. She returns to prison three days later. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella during her temporary release from prison in Iran (Family handout) September 26 2018: Mrs May and Mr Hunt ramp up pressure on Iran to release the charity worker during talks in New York. The PM tells Iranian president Hassan Rouhani she has serious concerns about the jailing of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. December 26, 2018: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe turns 40 in jail. Three days later, she marks her 1,000th day of incarceration. January 14 2019: She begins a hunger strike in protest over her treatment in jail. The action ends after three days. January 24 2019: Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif raises hope of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes return to the UK by suggesting she could be freed in exchange for an Iranian woman held in Australia on a US extradition request. The minister subsequently backs away from his comments. June 15 2019: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe begins another hunger strike, this time lasting 15 days. She is joined, in a show of solidarity, by her husband, who strikes outside the Iranian Embassy in London. June 24 2019: Mr Johnson, who came under fire as foreign secretary for his comments about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes case in 2017, becomes Prime Minister. Dominic Raab replaces Mr Hunt as Foreign Secretary. September 23 2019: Mr Ratcliffe says Mr Johnson can make amends for his failings in his incarcerated wifes case by telling Irans president enough is enough and securing her release. October 10 2019: The couples daughter, Gabriella, returns to the UK after more than three years living in the Middle East. The child, who is now seven years old, had been living with her grandparents in Tehran since her mother was arrested. Her father says: It has been a long journey to have her home, with bumps right until the end. Five-year-old Gabriella Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her father Richard Ratcliffe (Victoria Jones/PA) December 18 2019: Mr Ratcliffe is joined by Gabriella singing Christmas carols outside Downing Street, and he called on the Prime Minister to please take responsibility for Nazanins case and do what you can to get her and others home. January 3 2020: A US air strike kills Irans top military chief, General Quassem Soleimani. Mr Ratcliffe says he is worried about his wife, and tells ITVs Good Morning Britain: I sit here partly worried for what that means for Nazanin, partly worried what that means for my in-laws, sat in their ordinary living room in Tehran where theyre all really worried. January 10 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe spends one night in a clinic after suffering palpitations and panic attacks due to the tensions in Tehran, sparked by the death of Gen Soleimani, Mr Ratcliffe says. January 23 2020: Richard Ratcliffe and their then five-year-old daughter Gabriella meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street, but Mr Ratcliffe says there was no breakthrough. Gabriella Zaghari-Ratcliffe stands next to her father Richard Ratcliffe (Stefan Rousseau/PA) February 29 2020: Mr Ratcliffe says he believes his wife has contracted coronavirus in prison as he expresses concern at the jails refusal to test her. March 3 2020: The couples Labour MP, Tulip Siddiq, says she believes Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe may be temporarily released from jail due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Iran. (1/2) News from Iranian Ambassador that my constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe may be released on furlough today or tomorrow from prison in Iran. If this is true, Nazanin would welcome leaving Evin jail, but weve been here before. Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) March 3, 2020 March 17 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is temporarily freed from jail. She says she is happy to be out, even with the ankle tag and can only go within 300 metres of her parents home. March 28 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes temporary prison release is extended to April 18 and Mr Ratcliffe says his wifes file has been put forward to the Iranian prosecutor general to be considered for clemency. April 21 2020: After a delay, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes prison release is extended again for around one month. Mr Ratcliffe reveals that the family are able to talk via video calls for about four to five hours a day. May 20 2020: Mr Ratcliffe says his wifes release has been extended indefinitely until there is a decision on her clemency. He describes the news as a real step forwards I dont think its guaranteed one way and I dont think she thinks its guaranteed one way, but lets enjoy the moment. May 26 2020: Mr Ratcliffe says the family are on the cusp of potentially good news and thinks the family could find out about a decision on her clemency the following day. August 24 2020: Lawyers for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe ask Defence Secretary Ben Wallace for a meeting and call on the British Government to stand up to Iran over its abusive treatment. September 8 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe appears before a branch of Irans Revolutionary Court in Tehran, where she faces a new charge. March 7 2021: On the day Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes sentence is due to come to an end, her constituency MP Tulip Siddiq reveals she has had her electronic tag removed but faces a new court date. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says her treatment is intolerable and calls on Iran to allow her to return to the UK. April 26 2021: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is given an additional one-year jail term and is also banned from leaving Iran for a year. Her lawyer Hojjat Kermani says she received the second jail sentence on a charge of spreading propaganda against the system for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009. Mr Johnson says the decision to sentence Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe to another year in prison is cruel, inhumane and wholly unjustified. May 2 2021: Iranian state TV claims Britain will pay the 400 million debt relating to a cancelled order for 1,500 Chieftain tanks dating back to the 1970s, paving the way for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes release. But this is denied by UK officials and Mr Ratcliffe says he has heard nothing. I am very pleased to say that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been given her British passport back. She is still at her family home in Tehran. I also understand that there is a British negotiating team in Tehran right now. I will keep posting updates as I get them.#FreeNazanin Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) March 15, 2022 September 23 2021: Mr Ratcliffe marks 2,000 days since his wife was detained, the day after newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Liz Truss uses a meeting with her Iranian counterpart to raise the case. October 16 2021: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe loses her latest appeal in Iran, with her sentence of one year plus a one-year travel ban upheld with no court hearing, her MP Tulip Siddiq says. November 13 2021: Mr Ratcliffe ends a 21-day hunger strike outside the Foreign Office in central London, having been visited by supporters including Strictly Come Dancing co-host Claudia Winkleman, writer and presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Iranian detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who held a hunger strike in central London for almost three weeks (Aaron Chown/PA) November 17 2021: Mr Johnson tells the Commons Liaison Committee it is worth considering sending a plane with a crate of cash to Iran to settle the 400 million debt. February 9 2022: Ms Siddiq asks Mr Johnson at Prime Ministers Questions to intervene after she learns a deal agreed with the Iranian authorities in the summer of 2021 fell through. Mr Johnson responds that the debt is difficult to settle but ministers are working on it. March 15 2022: Ms Siddiq says her constituent has had her British passport returned and a team of officials are in Tehran to negotiate. March 16 2022: Mr Johnson says talks on a deal are going right up to the wire. Hours later, Ms Siddiq announces that her constituent is at the airport in Tehran and on her way home. Anoosheh Ashoori (Family Handout/PA) Foreign Secretary Liz Truss later confirms Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and fellow dual-national detainee Anoosheh Ashoori have been released and will be reunited with their families later. Mr Johnson says he is very pleased the pairs unfair detention has ended. Ms Siddiq tweets an apparent selfie by Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who she says is now in the air flying away from 6 years of hell in Iran. March 16 2022: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori arrive on British soil at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire just after 1am. They both smiled and chatted as they walked from the aircraft into a reception building at the airport. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe waved to the cameras, while Mr Ashoori, who was carrying a magazine, gave a salute. Mr Ashoori appeared to be taking photos with the pilots in the cockpit on the plane, as they waited to disembark. Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday gave a final chance to the principal secretary of municipal administration, to either file the counter to a PIL, which challenged the non-constitution of municipal building Tribunal within six weeks or appear in person before it by next date of hearing and explain the delay. Vexed with the unobservant behaviour of the municipal administration department despite its orders, the division bench of the High Court expressed displeasure at the attitude of the officials. The PIL was filed by an NGO, Forum for Good Governance, contending that Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act was amended in 2016 paving way for the constitution of the tribunal to expeditiously dispose of cases related to unauthorised constructions. But the respondents have done nothing in this regard, it said. Several representations yielded no response, it said. If the Tribunal starts working, cases relating to the buildings and illegal constructions can be disposed sooner, whereas litigants would necessarily go to either civil court or High Court, they said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that he personally believes war crimes have been committed in Ukraine, a day after President Joe Biden labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" for the first time since Putin launched his invasion. "Yesterday, President Biden said that in his opinion, war crimes have been committed in Ukraine. Personally, I agree," Blinken said. "Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction of the past few weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise." MORE: Biden calls Russia's Putin a 'war criminal' over invasion of Ukraine Before the U.S. officially labels Putin's actions as war crimes, Blinken said State Department experts from the Office of Global Criminal Justice are documenting and evaluating evidence for a formal determination and will share the findings with those responsible for accountability. But he acknowledged reports on intentional attacks from the bombing of a Drama Theater housing children to opening fire at people waiting in line for bread. PHOTO: Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the press about the war in Ukraine, at the State Department in Washington, March 17, 2022. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) "These incidents join a long list of attacks on civilian non-military locations across Ukraine, including apartment buildings, public squares, and last week, a maternity hospital in Mariupol," he said. "I doubt that any of us who saw those images will ever forget." Just moments before Blinken stepped out to speak, a State Department official confirmed to ABC News that a U.S. citizen was killed Thursday in Ukraine after Chernihiv regional police reported an American was killed by Russian shelling there. Two American journalists, a filmmaker and a Fox News cameraperson, were also killed this week covering the war. "There's going to have to be, one way or another, accountability for this war of aggression," Blinken said of Putin. NEW: Sec. Blinken says he "personally" agrees with Pres. Biden's claim that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine. "Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime...I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise." https://t.co/RceQcY4llhpic.twitter.com/Kgivp3Wq3L ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 17, 2022 But Blinken warned of more darkness to come -- Russia making renewed claims of genocide, using chemical or biological weapons and blaming Ukraine, sending its "mercenaries" to join the fight, and systematically kidnapping Ukrainian officials and replacing them with puppets -- which he called a "terror tactic." While Ukrainian officials have been engaged in talks with Russian counterparts, Blinken expressed pessimism about those talks -- saying they've not seen "any meaningful effort" by Russia to end the war through diplomacy. If anything, he warned, Putin indicated in his remarks Wednesday that he is doubling down. PHOTO: A satellite image shows the Mariupol Drama Theatre before being bombing, with the word 'children' in Russian written in large white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the building, in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 14, 2022. (Maxar Technologies) "The collective West is attempting to splinter our society," Putin said in a video address to Russians, according to a translation. "Speculating on military losses, on socio-economic effects of sanctions, in order to provoke a people's rebellion in Russia." "But any people, the Russian people especially, are able to distinguish true patriots from bastards and traitors, and will 'spit them out,'" he continued. "I am certain that this necessary and natural self-cleaning of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, togetherness, and our readiness to answer any calls to action." MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates: US citizen killed in northern Ukraine The White House dismissed the Kremlin's criticism of Biden for calling Putin a war criminal after a Kremlin spokesperson said Wednesday, according to Russian state media, "We consider unacceptable and unforgivable such rhetoric of the head of state, whose bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world." Psaki, answering a reporter's question, said, "It's pretty rich coming from a country where -- whose actions are unforgivable, in the eyes of the world -- global community." Asked by @marykbruce about Pres. Biden's upcoming call with Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping, press sec. Psaki says, "The president always takes the opportunity when he speaks to foreign leaders to be candid and direct." https://t.co/wobotUOmg4pic.twitter.com/9Qtyyx6M9G ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) March 17, 2022 As thousands flee the violence, Biden announced Wednesday the U.S. would provide Ukraine with $800 million in additional security assistance, bringing the total in aid over the past week to $1 billion. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's central request -- for a no-fly zone over Ukraine -- has not been granted. However, he did offer an alternative before Congress on Wednesday: S-300s, a Soviet-era missile system that are well-suited to to defend against Russian attacks. MORE: DHS evaluating Ukrainians' asylum claims on case-by-case basis: Mayorkas Following his request, NATO ally Slovakia said it's "willing to" provide the replacements -- as long as NATO fills the gap that providing its only air defense system will create in Slovakia. "What would happen immediately when we decided to give it to Ukrainians is that we actually create a gap a security gap in NATO," said Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad' Thursday, at a joint press conference with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Bratislava. "Should there be a situation that we have a proper replacement or that we have a capability guaranteed for a certain period of time, then we will be willing to discuss the future of S-300 system." But it's unclear if a guarantee has been made yet to Slovakia in order to get the systems to Ukraine. The three NATO countries that have S-300s are Slovakia, Bulgaria and Greece. PHOTO: Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2022. (Vadim Ghirda/AP) As the U.S. reaffirms it would not support a no-fly zone, despite Zelenskyy's pleas, Austin also explained the decision and called on Putin to cease attacks on civilians in Ukraine. "Enforcing a no-fly zone actually means that you're in combat. You're in a fight with Russia," said Austin. "So, from a U.S. perspective, we're, again, our position remains that we're not going to do one," he added. MORE: Biden details US military aid for Ukraine following Zelenskyy's appeal to Congress Asked directly if Russia's attacks against civilians in Ukraine constitute a war crime, Austin did not go as far as Biden and Blinken and said that the State Department is currently reviewing the reports of civilian attacks. "If you attack civilians on purpose, target civilians purposely, then that's not -- that is a crime," Austin said. "So, these actions are under review by our State Department, and, of course, there will be and there's a process that will go through to review all of this." PHOTO: Pregnant women sit in the basement of a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward and used as a bomb shelter during air raid alerts, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 2, 2022. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Amid concerns China could assist Russia with military equipment, Biden is scheduled to speak Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He will also travel to Brussels next week in a show of unity to meet with NATO leaders. MORE: Ukraine's Zelenskyy invokes Pearl Harbor, 9/11, calls out Biden in plea to Congress for more US help Earlier in the day, Biden welcomed Irish Taoiseach Michael Martin for a virtual bilateral meeting in the Oval Office and said the leaders were "meeting in a moment when demands on unity in the world are really accelerating," as Russia's war in Ukraine continues. "We have to be united and we certainly are," Biden said. "But Putin's brutality and what he's doing, and his troops are doing in Ukraine is just inhumane." PHOTO: President Joe Biden meets virtually with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, March 17, 2022. (Patrick Semansky/AP) The Taoiseach echoed Biden's view of Putin's "unjustifiable and immoral war," saying "I share with you our horror at the barbaric attack on the civilians," and said Biden's leadership through this has been "firm," "determined," and "strong." "Particularly your capacity to marshal like-minded democracies, the U.S., the European Union, the United Kingdom, the other -- Canada and other like-minded democracies are coming together to respond in an unprecedented way to this barbaric attack on the women and children of Ukraine." ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report. Echoing Biden, Blinken says he believes Russia committing 'war crimes' in Ukraine originally appeared on abcnews.go.com FILE PHOTO: Destruction of children's hospital as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Mariupol By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Facebook on Wednesday removed official Russian posts that falsely claimed reports of Russia bombing a children's hospital in Ukraine were a hoax, a company spokesperson said, even as similar messages appeared on other social media platforms. The misinformation, on Russian Embassy Twitter, Facebook and Telegram accounts, circulated even after Twitter Inc and Meta Platform's Facebook took down posts from the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom for breaking their rules against denying violent events, an Israeli watchdog found.. A survey by the watchdog, FakeReporter, and verified by Reuters showed the posts were still circulated on at least 18 Russian Embassy or ministry Twitter, Facebook and Telegram accounts. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the company removed the posts after Reuters contacted them early on Wednesday. Twitter and Telegram did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Russian embassies in Costa Rica, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico and Tunisia did not immediately respond to a request for comment about their postings on Facebook. At least three people including a child were killed in the March 9 air strike on the maternity and children's hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Russia has shifted its stance over the hospital bombing, with a mix of statements on Thursday that veered between aggressive denials and a call by the Kremlin to establish clear facts. The Defence Ministry at the time denied having bombed thehospital, accusing Ukraine of staging the incident. The posts on official Russian social media accounts claimed reports of the bombing were a hoax. Moscow has cracked down on tech platforms during the invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a "special operation," including restricting Twitter and blocking Facebook. Twitter has also launched a privacy-protected version of its site, known as an "onion service", which can be accessed through the dark web and could bypass such restrictions. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Jeffrey Heller, Kenneth Li and Howard Goller) In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday night, March 16, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys office says Russia carried out further airstrikes on the besieged port city of Mariupol early on Thursday morning. Zelenskyys office did not report casualties for the latest strikes. They come amid rescue efforts in the city after a theater where hundreds had been sheltering was destroyed Wednesday in what Ukrainian authorities say was a Russian air strike. People are escaping from Mariupol by themselves using their own transport, Zelenskyys office said, adding the risk of death remains high because of Russian forces previously firing on civilians. The presidential office also reported artillery and air strikes around the country overnight, including in the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. It said fighting continues as Russian forces try to enter the Ukraine-held city of Mykolaiv in the south and that there was an artillery barrage through the night in the eastern town of Avdiivka. Ukraine says Russian forces are increasingly resorting to artillery and air strikes as their advance stalls. The Ukrainian General Staff says the enemy, without success in its ground operation, continues to carry out rocket and bomb attacks on infrastructure and highly populated areas of Ukrainian cities. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Russian airstrike hit Mariupol theater where hundreds had been sheltering U.N. Security Council to meet ahead of vote on Russian humanitarian resolution Biden flatly calls Putin a war criminal, but investigations for determining that have only begun Cheap but lethal Turkish drones bolster Ukraines defenses Palestinians with Ukraine ties empathize with victims of war Zelenskyy unites Republicans and Democrats 2 years after featuring in US impeachment Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage ___ WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING TODAY: ___ BANGKOK A U.N. agency is warning that the conflict in Ukraine is likely to hinder access to food and fuel for many of the worlds most vulnerable people. A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development notes that Russia accounted for nearly a third of wheat imports for Africa, or $3.7 billion, in 2018-2020, while 12%, worth $1.4 billion, came from Ukraine. The report said initial assessments point to a substantive reduction in access to food and fuel despite efforts to prevent disruptions of supplies of key commodities such as wheat. Meanwhile, rising costs for shipping and for grains and other staple foods is pushing prices higher, hitting poorest people the hardest, the report says. The report said up to 25 African countries, especially the least developed economies, relied on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine. The lack of spare capacity in Africa limits the ability of those countries to offset any lost supplies, while surging costs for fertilizer will be an extra burden for farmers. ___ BERLIN Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Germany of putting its economy before his countrys security in the run-up to the Russian invasion. In an address to Germanys parliament Thursday, Zelenskyy criticized the German governments support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project meant to bring natural gas from Russia. Ukraine and others had opposed the project, warning that it endangered Ukrainian and European security. Zelenskyy also noted Germanys hesitancy when it came to imposing some of the toughest sanctions on Russia for fear it could hurt the German economy. The Ukrainian president called on Germany not to let a new wall divide Europe, urging support for his countrys membership of NATO and the European Union. He also called for more help for his country, saying thousands of people have been killed in the war that started almost a month ago, including 108 children. Referring to the dire situation in the besieged city of Mariupol, he said: Everything is a target for them, including a theater where hundreds of people found shelter that was flattened yesterday. ___ LONDON Britains defense ministry says Russias invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts amid stiff Ukrainian resistance. The Ministry of Defence says Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days, and are suffering heavy losses. In an intelligence update on social media. It says Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated. It says most of Ukraines territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukraines hands. Earlier, U.K. defense officials said Russia had probably used up far more stand-off air launched weapons than originally planned during its three-week invasion, and was resorting to older, less precise weapons more likely to cause civilian casualties. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian officials say the status of people sheltering in a theater in Mariupol is still uncertain because the entrance was under the rubble caused by a Russian airstrike. Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration, said on Telegram on Wednesday evening that several hundred residents of Mariupol were sheltering in the Drama Theater. He rejected the claims by the Russian military that the Azov battalion was headquartered in the theater, stressing that only civilians were in it when it was struck earlier Wednesday. Kyrylenko said the airstrike also hit the Neptune swimming pool complex. Now there are pregnant women and women with children under the rubble there. Its pure terrorism! the official said. At least as recently as Monday, the pavement outside the once-elegant theater was marked with huge white letters spelling out CHILDREN in Russian, according to images released by the Maxar space technology company. ___ LVIV, Ukraine Russian forces freed the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol in exchange for nine of their captured conscripts, an official from Ukraines presidential office said Wednesday. Kyiv accused the Russians of kidnapping Mayor Ivan Fedorov about a week ago. Surveillance video showed him being marched out of city hall apparently surrounded by Russian soldiers. Residents of Melitopol, a city in southeast currently under Russian control, have been protesting to demand his release. Daria Zarivna, spokeswoman of the head of Ukraines presidents office, said Wednesday that Fedorov has been released from captivity, and Russia got nine of its captive soldiers, born in 2002-2003, practically children, conscripts Russias Defense Ministry said werent there. Moscow initially denied sending conscripts to fight in Ukraine, but later the Russian military admitted that some conscripts have been involved in the offensive and even got captured by Ukrainian forces. ___ UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council will meet Thursday at the request of six Western nations that sought an open session on Ukraine ahead of an expected vote on a Russian humanitarian resolution that they have sharply criticized for making no mention of Moscows war against its smaller neighbor. Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians. Russias illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all, tweeted the U.N. mission of the United Kingdom, one of the six countries that requested the meeting. Russia circulated a proposed Security Council resolution Tuesday that would demand protection for civilians in vulnerable situations in Ukraine and safe passage for humanitarian aid and people seeking to leave the country but without mentioning the war or the parties concerned. The resolution is expected to be voted on by the council Friday. ___ LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian and Russian delegations held talks again Wednesday by video. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and legal security guarantees for Ukraine from a number of countries. This is possible only through direct dialogue between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said on Twitter. An official in Zelenskyys office told The Associated Press the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. Just before the war, Russia recognized the independence of two regions controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. It also extended the borders of those regions to areas Ukraine had continued to hold, including Mariupol, a port city now under siege. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on the signing of a legally binding document with security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. ___ Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Lviv contributed to this report. ___ PANAMA CITY Three Panama-flagged ships have been hit by Russian missiles in the Black Sea during Russia's war in Ukraine and one sank, Panamanian authorities said Wednesday. The crews of the ships are safe, Maritime Authority Director Noriel Arauz said. The ship that sank was the Helt, but Arauz did not say when that occurred. The others hit were the Lord Nelson and Namura Queen. Panamanian officials previously said the Namura Queen, owned by a Japanese company and operated by a firm in the Philippines, was hit in February. Arauz said 10 Panama-flagged ships were in the Black Sea, including the three hit. Combined they have about 150 crew members of various nationalities who have not been allowed to leave, he said. We are in constant communication with the ships ... because we know that the Russian navy is not letting them leave the Black Sea,Arauz said. Panama leads the world in registered merchant ships and has advised its merchant fleet to be on high alert in Ukrainian and Russian waters. The Queen Mary, with a modern Carnival Cruise ship behind it, is shown at its dock in Long Beach last year. The city is looking for museums or historical groups to adopt the lifeboats, which must be removed from the ship. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Aaron McDowell, a security guard in Stockton who considers himself an amateur historian recently put his skills to work by helping to restore a Vietnam-war era mine sweeper, the Lucid. His next project may be a bit more hands-on and challenging. McDowell has lodged a bid to take possession of a lifeboat from the aging Queen Mary in Long Beach so he can restore the six-ton craft in his landlocked Central Valley backyard. "The Queen Mary is not just a part of Long Beach or British history," he said. "She's a beacon to the whole world as a cultural artifact." McDowell is among eight bidders who have offered to take one or more of the 20 lifeboats that the city of Long Beach has removed from the 86-year-old ocean liner-turned tourist attraction and floating hotel. The bidders are not required put up any money, but they have to prove to the city that they have the finances and ability to take possession and restore the lifeboats. A structural study determined that the lifeboats were putting too much strain on the frame of the ship, prompting the city to seek bidders willing to save the lifeboats from ending up in landfills or scrap yards. But the lifeboats may not get a second life, according to a group of historians and preservationists who worry that the city has imposed too many conditions and too short a bidding period to save all the lifeboats. They fear most of the boats will be junked or sold for scrap metal. "This is history that is going to be destroyed or end up in a land fill," said Michael Rohrer, corporate secretary for QMI Restore the Queen, a nonprofit that is dedicated to raising money to restore the ship. "It's sad." A spokesperson for the city of Long Beach said the city will be flexible, within reason, on how much time bidders will be given to take possession of the boats. The lifeboat debate is the latest chapter in the ship's 55-year history in Long Beach, where the 1,019-foot-long ship has been docked, drawing 1.6 million visitors a year before it closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. But the ship has also been the subject of numerous disputes among city officials and preservationists over how to repair and restore it, how much to spend and who should oversee the work. A flotilla of personal water craft motor past the Queen Mary in Long Beach in 2020. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Long Beach which has owned the Queen Mary since it sailed into the dock in 1967 took control of the ship in June after the company that previously held the lease to operate it, Eagle Hospitality Trust, filed for bankruptcy protection in January and agreed to surrender its lease agreement. Over the last five decades, a number of concessionaires have operated and maintained the ship as a floating hotel and tourist attraction, with mixed results. A 2017 study recommending that as much as $289 million worth of renovations and upgrades were needed to keep parts of the ship from flooding. Since taking over the ship, the city has allocated $5.5 million to make the repairs needed to reopen the ship to the public. To complete the ship's repairs, a study found that the 22 lifeboats hanging from davits on the deck were putting too much strain on the ship's frame and needed to be removed. The city plans to keep only two of the original lifeboats on the ship, with the rest being offered in a bidding process to preservationists, historians and museums to be restored and preserved. The bidders must show they have the financial means to transport the boats from the ship site, restore them and sign a waiver, releasing the city of liability for the lead-based paint on the boats. One of the lifeboats is 30 feet long; the rest are 36 feet long and weigh about 12,000 pounds. Most of the lifeboats were not originally on the Queen Mary when it sailed its maiden voyage in 1936 but were salvaged over the years from the Mauretania and Queen Elizabeth, according to historians. Long Beach iopened the bidding process Feb. 17 and is giving potential bidders until March 25 to submit offers. If not enough bids are filed to take all of the lifeboats by March 25, city spokesman Johnny Vallejo said "we will further evaluate next steps." "We are hopeful to find great homes for these historical lifeboats," he added. Rohrer and the QMI group say the city should have set aside more time perhaps as much as six months to find preservationists around the world interested in the lifeboats. "The timeline is so short, there is not a legitimate amount of time for them," Rohrer said. "They are setting it up for failure." One of the bidders, a real estate developer in Nova Scotia, Canada, had considered taking one of the lifeboats and installing it outside of a new housing development in the province on a street named after ship builder Samuel Cunard, whose company Cunard Lines built the Queen Mary. In an interview, a spokesperson for the developer said the company has decided against pursuing the bid because the cost of transporting the boat to Canada was too expensive. Thomas Thacker, the owner of Long Beach Maintenance & Repair who describes himself as a history buff, submitted a bid for one boat, saying in an interview that he plans to restore it and keep it on display at his auto repair shop. Thacker said he has the tools to do the work but still needs a crane to lift the boat onto a flatbed truck. He said he hopes all of the boats find a permanent home. "I would like to see them all restored to their original condition," he said. "I would not like to see them disposed of." McDowell, who describes himself as an amateur historian, has a personal reason for wanting to preserve a lifeboat from the Queen Mary: When the ship was used to transport Allied troops during World War II, his grandfather was one of its passengers. "These lifeboats are a piece of history," McDowell said. "I get it that they're made of metal and can be scrapped. It doesn't mean I would like it." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. As Ukrainians continue to flee their homes and find safety in neighboring countries, some cities are becoming overwhelmed with refugees and are unable to provide them with the resources they need. "We'll continue helping. We will accept as many Ukrainians as we need to," Rafal Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, Poland, told ABC News Live on Thursday. "But we need assistance, we need international institutions in place. We need a relocation system in Europe and in the world, because we can't do it alone." MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates PHOTO: Ukrainians gather at a refugee shelter in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw, Poland, March 17, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) More than 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine, with over half moving to Poland, according to the United Nations. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, has seen a 20% increase in its population in just a few weeks, according to Trzaskowski. He said the city has welcomed over 300,000 Ukrainians but are no longer able to improvise. Trzaskowski is calling on the European Union and the United Nations to help set up a system, which would help move refugees in Warsaw to other cities that are less overwhelmed and can better provide the physical and psychological care that's needed. "I'm calling myself in the middle of the night, my friends from different cities in Poland and in Europe, and I ask them for assistance. We bus people to different places all over," Trzaskowski told ABC News Live. "We cannot do it anymore. We need a workable system." PHOTO: Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski talks to journalists in Warsaw, Poland, March 14, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) Trzaskowski said it's not just beds and food that people need, but that as time goes on, new refugees are coming in having seen more destruction and are in need of immediate mental health services. "At the beginning, three weeks ago, people who were coming to Warsaw were taken care of by their families and by their friends. Now, people come traumatized by war. They escape rockets, they escape bullets, members of families have been killed, members of their families are stranded in basements," he explained. "They not only need shelter, they need reassurance. They need a helping hand." MORE: Kidnapped Ukrainian mayor freed in 'special operation,' officials say The mayor said Poland has tried to provide a sense of normalcy for families. Earlier this week, a bill was passed in Polish Parliament to provide Ukrainian children with free education and schooling. The mayor told ABC News Live that more than 10,000 Ukrainian students are already learning in Warsaw classrooms. "We welcome them and we treat them like citizens," Trzaskowski said. "We provide any help we can, but there is only so much that we can coordinate." PHOTO: Ukrainians gather at a refugee shelter in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw, Poland, March 17, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) PHOTO: Ukrainians charge their electronic devices at a refugee shelter in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw, Poland, March 17, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) Trzaskowski said Warsaw and all of Poland have tried their best to help during this crisis. Polish families have stood at the border, inviting refugees into their homes, feeding people who have gone days without eating or drinking water while traveling and making them feel welcomed into the country while the war continues. "Without volunteers, without non-governmental organizations, we wouldn't go anywhere," the mayor said. He emphasized that though these efforts have been able to provide for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, more still needs to be done. And without a plan going forward, they will not be able to continue this effort, he said. MORE: Biden calls Russia's Putin a 'war criminal' over invasion of Ukraine The mayor went on to thank the United States for providing support and said it's made a significant impact throughout this crisis. "I want to thank President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the whole Biden administration, and the U.S. Congress for being really tough on Russia, for imposing sanctions, for treating them seriously and for those words which are ringing in our ears, which say that the United States of America will defend every inch of NATO territory," he told us. "And just because we can feel secure, all of us in Europe, because of that statement and because of the actions of the American government, we can do our job in a peaceful manner." PHOTO: Ukrainian refugees pick up donated food and hygiene and bayby care products at the Warsaw Centralna train station, in Poland, March 16, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) Trzaskowski added that throughout this refugee crisis, he has looked to the bravery of leaders in Ukraine, which has given him courage to produce a plan that will give every refugee a place to call home while their nation is under attack. "If President Zelenskyy in Kyiv is not panicking, we're not going to either," he said. MORE: Ukraine's Zelenskyy invokes Pearl Harbor, 9/11, calls out Biden in plea to Congress for more US help Warsaw mayor pleads for help with refugee crisis: 'We can't do it alone' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A pub owner who experienced living in a womens refuge as a child has said offering his home to house Ukrainian mothers and children would give him a pleasure he had not experienced before. Some nine days after collecting the keys to the Montreal Arms in Brighton, Charlie Southall decided to offer it for use as a free co-living space for Ukrainian women and children who have fled the Russian invasion. The 43-year-old has lived in Brighton for the last 15 years but grew up in poverty and spent a summer living in a womens refuge in Stafford when he was 10-years-old after his parents divorce. The Montreal Arms in Brighton has been donated by its owner to Ukrainian refugees (Charlie Southall/PA) At the time, Mr Southall received help from the youth charity The Princes Trust, founded by the Prince of Wales, which he said hugely influenced his decision to donate the building, as he knew the positive experience that charitable intervention could have. Although it sounds horrific, and of course there was an underlying crisis, I have got really positive memories from that experience because it felt like a fresh start, he told the PA news agency. Ive got firsthand experience of how that co-living, peer support system can really help people that are in that situation now Im able to do something to help others, and you know what, its been one of the nicest things Ive done in recent times. I was watching the news and like all of us, Ive been quite moved by the humanitarian crisis it really had an effect on me. (Donating the pub) has woken me up and Im enjoying it, its giving me a pleasure that Ive not experienced before and its a fortunate position to be in. An artists impression of what the living area in the pub could look like (Dragonfly video production/PA) The video production company owner has started a GoFundMe page to raise 85,000 to pay for the renovations needed to turn the former pub into a usable living space. The renovation plans include creating a kitchen, a living space and a play area for children, utilising the open-plan layout on the ground floor of the building. There are already six rooms on the upper floor which will be used as bedrooms. Mr Southall said he would offer the pub for a minimum of three years, to match the Government Homes for Ukraine refugee scheme which promises a three-year visa for refugees fleeing the war. His campaign also aims to raise donations from local businesses and he would like local residents to contribute and participate in the building works. An artists impression of what the bedrooms in the pub could look like (Dragonfly video production/PA) He has been in talks with various charities to help with the property once it is up and running as a community space, including how to help with language barriers and mental health rehabilitation. Mr Southall said he had been moved by the support of the local community in Brighton, and that people had offered kitchen appliances and vans to help move supplies. One woman, who owns a local pottery cafe, offered tiles with which Ukrainian children could paint and decorate their rooms. To follow Mr Southalls fundraising efforts, visit www.gofundme.com/f/rennovating-a-home-for-ukrainian-refugees. Seeking to remove the Prime Minister from office during the Russian invasion of Ukraine would be extremely dangerous, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said. Mr Ross was previously one of the leading voices within the Tories calling for Boris Johnsons resignation over the partygate saga a position which received the vocal support of most of the partys 31 MSPs. But last week the Moray MP revoked his letter of no confidence from the backbench 1922 Committee, citing the need for stability in Government as it looks to respond to the ongoing aggression in Ukraine. The Prime Minister is due to address the Scottish Tory conference in Aberdeen on Friday in a speech that will mostly centre around the Ukraine situation. Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Ross cautioned against removing the Prime Minister during a time of such international strife. Douglas Ross insisted there is no personal rift between himself and the Prime Minister (Russell Cheyne/PA) I think it would be extremely dangerous to try to destabilise the United Kingdom when Russia is killing innocent people in Ukraine, he said. Seeking to remove the Prime Minister just now would be a big boost to Vladimir Putin. He also stressed that his disagreement with the Prime Minister is not a personal one, adding: There was never a personal rift between us. There was a disagreement on one fundamental issue. Behind the scenes, I continue to speak with the Prime Ministers team on a regular basis and I am looking forward to discussing the war in Ukraine with him this weekend. When asked if he will support the Prime Minister to lead his party into the next general election, Mr Ross declined to answer and instead said he would prefer to focus on the task in Ukraine. Im fully focused on the international crisis and the war in Ukraine, not some future general election years down the line, he said. Previous reservations I had are the last thing on my mind when I see Russia bombing childrens wards. The mayor and commissioner said the builder has been instructed to provide 10-lakh compensation to kin of each of three deceased. (Representational Image: PTI) VIJAYAWADA: Three workers were killed and two others injured at the construction site of a shopping complex on Amaravati road in Guntur city on Wednesday. According to Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) officials, construction workers were carrying out earthworks for the construction of a shopping complex near Hindu Pharmacy College when heaps of soil collapsed on them. Two workers Nasibul Mohammad (27) of Bihar and Majnu Shaik (34) of West Bengal died on the spot. Amit Seth (28) died while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Two other injured are undergoing treatment at Government General Hospital. Guntur city mayor K. Manohar Naidu and GMC commissioner Nishanth Kumar inspected the spot. They said GMC has not sanctioned the plan for construction of the shopping complex. A charge memo has been issued to Assistant City Planner, Ward Planning Secretary and TPS. Guntur sub-collector has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The mayor and commissioner said the builder has been instructed to provide 10-lakh compensation to kin of each of three deceased. Arundelpet police have shifted the bodies for autopsy and have registered a case. Taoiseach Michael Martin has told of his disappointment at being unable to meet face-to-face with US President Joe Biden on St Patricks Day after contracting Covid. Mr Martin was speaking as it emerged he may have to stay in the US for up to 10 days, although he insisted he will keep working while in Washington. Speaking to the media virtually from self-isolation, Mr Martin said: I feel good. Of course, Im disappointed personally but its not the end of the world. I have to keep things in perspective that is important in the context of what is happening across the world today. I dont believe the meeting was in any way impaired as a result of this. It was a very warm meeting and it went on longer than anticipated by officials on both sides. During the virtual meeting earlier in the day, Mr Biden hailed Irish leadership for its handling of the Ukrainian crisis. Mr Biden also reaffirmed the US administrations unequivocal support for the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Biden, who identifies deeply with his own Irish heritage, was seated beside a traditional bowl of shamrock during the bilateral meeting. He quoted Irish poet WB Yeats as he described the impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had on the world. All changed, changed utterly a terrible beauty has been born, he said. Mr Biden said Irish leadership on the issue has been noticeable and impressive. Both leaders condemned the invasion, with the Irish leader speaking about the need for a unity of purpose. Taoiseach Micheal Martin called for unity of purpose over Ukraine (Oliver Contreras/PA) The leaders bilateral meeting lasted just over an hour. The pair discussed the economy, Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the undocumented Irish in the US. Mr Martin reiterated the invitation for the President to come to Ireland, with Mr Biden saying he would love to visit Ireland again. Mr Biden praised Irelands willingness to take in refugees, adding: What Ireland is doing now, what you are doing, taking in Ukrainian refugees, speak so loudly about your principles. And its amazing and I want to publicly compliment you for it. I think youve already brought in over 7,000 or so refugees from Ukraine, and youre prepared to do more, so thank you. The Irish premier, who appeared virtually from Blair House where he is currently staying, also thanked Mr Biden for the US backing of the Good Friday Agreement. He praised the steadfast support, referencing how important the Good Friday Agreement is in respect of stability and peace on the island of Ireland. He said: Over the last number of days, as Ive been here, weve also witnessed once again that two way, very robust economic relationship between the United States and Ireland. Mr Martin, appearing virtually for the second year in a row due to a positive Covid-19 test, said it was unfortunate he and Mr Biden could not meet face to face. This year, were meeting virtually across the road, so were getting closer, he joked. Mr Biden is profoundly proud of his Irish ancestry and has never been shy about his passion for the country, its history and its literature. References to Irish poets pepper many of his speeches, with Mr Biden choosing to namecheck the late Eavan Boland during a speech at the Ireland Funds Gala dinner in Washington on Wednesday evening. It was at the same event that the Taoiseach was notified of the positive Covid-19 result just as he was due to speak. Mr Martin appeared in good spirits during his appearance on-screen. An Irish Government spokesperson said earlier on Thursday that the Taoiseach was feeling well. He said Mr Martin received a negative Covid test result on Wednesday afternoon, but a further test was carried out when one of his delegation tested positive. This resulted in a positive test for the Taoiseach. Speaking later on Thursday Mr Martin confirmed he will remain in Washington and continue working while he recovers from Covid. A source said he will follow US Covid-19 guidelines which could result in no international travel for 10 days. This means he would be unable to attend a Covid commemoration event in Dublin on Sunday. He said: We had our cabinet meeting which I chaired from the embassy at the commencement of the week. Little did I think that I would have another cabinet meeting from here next week, but that is the way it is. I will continue to work, we will manage this and I will be in daily contact with my colleagues and officials, particularly in respect of the response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. I will keep working, I feel good and we will take it day by day and step by step. Earlier on Thursday, the speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said Mr Martin was not wearing a mask during part of their interaction at the Ireland Funds Gala event. She sat next to the Taoiseach moments before he was told he had tested positive for Covid-19. Ms Pelosi was about to make an award to Mr Martin, but Irish ambassador Dan Mulhall accepted the award instead, and confirmed to guests that Mr Martin had tested positive. The Taoiseach had a mask on when he sat down but then when he started to eat, he took off the mask and then they called him aside, Ms Pelosi said on Thursday. I didnt know why. But the some time later when it was my turn to speak, they told me how we would proceed and that he would not be speaking. I wasnt measuring it in minutes, but part of it was masked, some of it while he was eating but it was during the appetiser that they took him away. She said she is tested for Covid almost every day and before any time she sees President Biden. Meanwhile, Irish President Michael D Higgins sent his good wishes to Mr Martin after he tested positive for Covid. I was so very sorry to learn of this news breaking while the Taoiseach was busy representing Ireland in the United States leading up to our National Day, Mr Higgins said in a statement. I know that this work is continuing as he takes the necessary steps following his positive test. I wish the Taoiseach a speedy recovery and also wish him further success with the continuation of his programme in Washington, and in overcoming the necessary constraints involved. Sabina joins me in sending our good wishes to the Taoiseach and to his wife, Mary. Go raibh biseach air go luath. (Get well soon). Taoiseach Micheal Martin has tested positive for Covid-19. It means he will be unable to meet US President Joe Biden in person later on Thursday as part of the traditional shamrock ceremony. Mr Martin had been due to speak at the 30th anniversary of the Ireland Funds Gala dinner on Wednesday evening. He left the gathering after the positive result was confirmed. Mr Martins speech was instead given by Irish Ambassador to the US, Daniel Mulhall. I know you will all join with me in wishing the Taoiseach a speedy recovery, he told the audience in Washington. It remains unclear how the White House St Patricks Day celebrations will now be handled. Early indications on Thursday suggested the event may take place virtually, but nothing has been confirmed. It also casts doubt on whether the Taoiseach can return to Ireland for a national day of remembrance on Sunday to commemorate those who died during the Covid-19 pandemic. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking with with US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC (Oliver Contreras/PA) Just before the positive Covid-19 test result was confirmed, Mr Martin had been listening to remarks from US President Joe Biden, who addressed the dinner on Wednesday evening. Mr Biden had welcomed the Taoiseach to Washington and said he was looking forward to renewing their friendship on Thursday. Mr Biden, who was greeted with a lengthy round of applause and repeated cheers from the audience, was in fine spirits as he addressed the gathering. He welcomed Taoiseach Micheal Martin and recalled meeting him at the White House shamrock ceremony in 2009, when Mr Martin was foreign affairs minister and Mr Biden was vice-president. Weve come full circle. Youre Taoiseach, Im President what the hell are we going to do? Last year, Mr Martin had been forced to meet with the US President virtually due to the pandemic. All parties had been looking forward to an in-person meeting this year. In front of an audience that included Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis, Mr Biden spoke passionately about his Irish heritage but did not shy away from the multiple crises facing the world. He said that Ireland was the only country in the world that was nostalgic for the future. But of course, that means dealing with the present. US President Joe Biden speaks at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC during Taoiseach Micheal Martins visit (Oliver Contreras/PA) In our time weve seen more change and challenges, I believe, than any time in generations. A once-in-a-century pandemic and economic unease and anxiety, existential threats, a climate crisis, and what we see today in Ukraine, an unprovoked war of aggression and just a vicious, vicious, vicious treatment. The march of reactionary forces of nationalism, nativism and isolationism, of autocracies not just in Europe. Weve seen it around the world. Weve seen it here in America. The president spoke the alternative US tradition of strength, necessity and endurance of democracy. President Biden also said that Ireland, the home of his emigrant ancestors, was now a leader on the global stage. Mr Biden ended his remarks by recollecting that both his and former president Barack Obamas distant grandfathers were Irish (Oliver Contreras/PA) He described the Republic of Ireland as a global force in culture and in the arts. He added: Leaders on the world stage, members of the United Nations Security Council, a country with a past that tugs at our hearts and a future thats going to shape the world. Mr Biden had ended his remarks by recollecting that both his and former president Barack Obamas distant grandfathers had left Ireland in the middle of the 19th century. The two shoemakers, the president told the room, might have known each other and left Ireland within weeks of one another. They left everything behind for an uncertain future. But I wonder, in all their dreams that they could ever have dreamt, that each of their grandsons would one day be president of the United States of America. Thats America. Mr Biden had welcomed the Taoiseach to Washington and said he was looking forward to renewing their friendship on Thursday (Oliver Contreras/PA) In his speech, the Taoiseach had been due to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and his Governments Shared Island initiative. Delivering the address instead, the Irish Ambassador said that the conflict in Ukraine served as a reminder of how fragile peace can be. Praising the support of US politicians in the peace process, Mr Mulhall said: We mustnt lose sight on the fact that peace and stability are organic and can grow and prosper, but they can also wither. They need tending and willing guardians. The implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is therefore a continuous process. Its impact has been transformational and yet work to reconcile communities and heal old wounds by necessity continues. Your commitment to that cause is as important today as it ever was. It has already borne great fruit. Mr Mulhall said that the Irish Government was committed to working with the UK Government to protect the achievements of the peace process, including more recently in response to Brexit. A Ukrainian MP has said it would be very difficult for her country to give up on ambitions to join Nato after Boris Johnson said there was no way Ukraine is going to join the defensive alliance any time soon. Lesia Vasylenko said joining the alliance was a course that we have decided to take and proscribed it specifically in our constitution. But her comments come amid reports that negotiators from Kyiv and Moscow had discussed proposals to drop its wish to join the organisation as part of a peace deal. People cross the border point from Ukraine into Medyka, Poland (Victoria Jones/PA) Ms Vasylenko, a member of Ukraines Holos party, told ITVs Peston programme: Joining Nato for Ukraine, its a course that we have decided to take and proscribed it specifically in our constitution. So it would be very difficult to give that course up, that would mean changes to the constitution. Today, as the escalation of Russias aggression grows against Ukraine, the support for Nato grows with it. However earlier, Mr Johnson who will on Thursday return from a trip to Saudi Arabia to try and drum up extra oil production in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine said: Weve made it clear to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that there is no way Ukraine is going to join Nato any time soon. Addressing Mr Johnson and representatives from Baltic and northern European countries gathered on Tuesday in London, President Volodymr Zelensky expressed his frustration that Ukraine had not been allowed to join Nato, but said: This is the truth and we have simply to accept it as it is. But asked about the comments as well as the prospect of dropping the demand in order to agree a ceasefire, Ms Vasylenko said: I actually think that was taken out of context by many of the Western media. What President Zelensky actually said today during his speech in Congress and during the many meetings that he was having is that Ukraine calls for a coalition of responsible leaders of the free world, and that coalition, he called it the U24 basically the Ukraine 24, of the countries who would be prepared to stand up to Putin and free the world, and Ukraine, from Putins aggression in 24 hours. She said she did not trust the Russian negotiators to keep their side of the deal in any agreement. The Financial Times reported that a draft proposal for a peace plan included promises for Ukraine not to seek to join Nato or to host foreign military bases. Mr Zelensky, since addressing the London summit, has suggested peace talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations had started to produce hope of a ceasefire. In his nightly video address to the nation early on Wednesday, the president said Russias demands were becoming more realistic. Mr Johnson said decisions about the future of the country had to be for the Ukrainian people and their elected leader to make, as he vowed Britain would continue to back Mr Zelensky. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for a media interview at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (Stefan Rousseau/PA) It comes as former British prime minister David Cameron called on Mr Johnson to do more to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid. Mr Cameron called on the Government to get back to dedicating 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) to overseas aid, after it was cut to 0.5% last year. He said the Cabinet should have a dedicated aid minister, who would be 100% dedicated to the role. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has promised to return the UKs aid contributions to 0.7% by the end of this Parliament. But Mr Cameron said: Lets do more on humanitarian aid. We achieved 0.7% of GDP in our aid payments. Im sad weve got away from that. I hope we can get back there. Lets with the EU lead the donor conference, lead the aid effort. (PA Graphics) Lets have a dedicated aid minister in the Cabinet doing development. The Foreign Office ministers do a great job but itd be good to have someone whos 100% dedicated to humanitarian aid and development. He also said permanent Nato bases should be created in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Marysville, CA (95901) Today Clear early followed by mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear early followed by mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content! YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The policy of pressures in Artsakh, evicting Armenians from Artsakh by Azerbaijan continues, Human Rights Defender of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan told reporters today after the Cabinet meeting. At this period there were the problems with gas supply in such cold weather conditions. The fact that Azerbaijan was not allowing to repair the damaged gas pipeline is one more proof that this is a policy managed just directly from one point. The goal is clear ethnic cleansing and evicting Armenians from Artsakh, she said. Asked in such situation how it is possible to establish peace with Azerbaijan, the Ombudswoman said: From the perspective of the Human Rights Defender, its obvious and I had a chance to say on this that no Defender, and I am not an exception, could say that peace is something bad, but I think that this is the consensus of all of us, but the statements about peace must be proved and insured by actions. At this moment we must record that the events and escalations of at least the past two weeks, including the humanitarian tension, show that there is just no environment and action for talks about peace, and, to put it mildly, they are not sincere by Azerbaijan, Kristinne Grigoryan said. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Armenia to Syria Tigran Gevorgyan visited the Peoples Assembly (Parliament) of Syria and met with Speaker Hammoud Sabbagh, the Armenian Embassy said on social media. During the meeting both sides highlighted the role and significance of the parliamentary diplomacy in further deepening and developing the relations between Armenia and Syria. Ambassador Gevorgyan said Armenia attaches great importance to the official recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the Syrian parliament, which was another evidence of the solidarity between the Armenian and Syrian peoples. In this respect, the Ambassador conveyed the letter-invitation of the Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ishkhan Saghatelyan addressed to the Syrian side to visit Armenia on April 24. The sides also discussed a number of regional and international issues. The Armenian Ambassador thoroughly presented the regular provocations of the Azerbaijani side, particularly the latest steps on provoking humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. He also presented the latest developments in the Armenia-Turkey dialogue to the Syrian parliament speaker. Hammoud Sabbagh accepted the invitation with pleasure and promised to inform about the decision on sending a delegation to Armenia in a short period of time. New Delhi: A day after the change seekers, known as G-23, flexed their muscles in a show of strength, the Congress high command called Haryana strongman Bhupinder Singh Hooda for a meeting. Mr Hooda met Rahul Gandhi on Thursday afternoon for 45 minutes at the latters residence. The meeting ostensibly was called to discuss the Haryana Congress' issues but the topic soon turned to the change seekers. After the meeting with Mr Gandhi, Mr Hooda met with other G-23 leaders at the residence of Ghulam Nabi Azad where Anand Sharma was also present. In the evening another meeting was held at Mr Azads residence which was attended by several other G-23 members too. Insiders claim that a rapprochement may be worked out though everything is at a very early stage. Several reports indicate that a meeting is on the cards between the Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad maybe some other G 23 leaders will also be present. Such meetings have taken place earlier too but this time a concrete proposal with a time-line is on the cards. The only meeting that the entire G-23 leaders have had with the Congress high command was in December 2020. Several options are being discussed by the G-23 to ensure that their voice is heard in the party. None of the leaders are trying to leave the party. Instead they want to give constructive suggestions to the leadership so that the party can be strengthened. The continued election debacles for the Congress have only strengthened the hands of the change seekers while putting the high command on the backfoot. The G-23 leaders had met for a dinner meeting at the residence of Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday evening, too. They also issued a joint statement demanding collective leadership. The joint statement said, Only way forward for the Congress was to adopt a model of inclusive and collective leadership and decision making at all levels. The leaders at the dinner included Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Raj Babbar, Sandeep Dixit, Prithviraj Chauhan, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Preneet Kaur, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal amongst others. Earlier one of the G-23 leaders and former Union minister Kapil Sibal had asked the Gandhis to voluntarily pave the way for a new leadership. The Delhi Congress and several other senior leaders have demanded his expulsion for such utterances. What gave BJP winning numbers was its secular, economic measures rations, cash, money for housing. Is this not some kind of welfarism? "What happened was for the good, as Krishna said to Arjuna. Muslims, disheartened by the recent election results, are missing the big picture. Should they be content seeking protection from a caste party, or does the communitys larger salvation lie in a new regional architecture which a radically altered global situation is dictating? These changes, which may come slowly, will bring harmony to the nation of which the Muslims are a part. Admittedly, 36 Muslims MLAs are a consolation, not long-term relief. A stable Narendra Modi is better placed to cope with the consequences of the United States floundering from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, and now Ukraine. The Western media painting Vladimir Putin in lurid colours doesnt quite disguise Joe Bidens isolation, an outcome exactly the opposite of what the US President wanted. War is always horrible; these horrors are being visited upon the people of Ukraine. Heart-rending stories are the Western medias staple today. But where were they when 1,400 Russians were killed in Donbas by neo-Nazi militias since 2014? That was the ignition. Since Americas debacle in Afghanistan, theres a certain inevitability about an entente with our neighbours. And, towards that end, something is astir. Have you of late seen our TV channels telecast a positive India-Pakistan story? Something extraordinary happened last month. For three days, the channels reported not a bullet was fired by either side for a year; the ceasefire signed by the armies had held. The back channels are meeting in Muscat and Dubai. There are signs of good sense on the Chinese front too. Had Mr Modi done badly in these elections, the adjustments the region requires would have been seen as from a position of weakness. A buoyant Mr Modi is better placed to spell out alterations in foreign policy without any change in the key relationship. Akhilesh Yadav has established beyond doubt that he simply doesnt have the killer instinct needed for big sport. He has now led the party to four defeats two Assembly and two Parliament elections. There is a difference between advisers and a coterie, which neither the Gandhi family nor Akhilesh understood. Akhilesh was advised to forge an alliance with Chandrashekhar Azad of the Azad Samaj Party. He happens to be an impressive dalit leader whose spell in Yogi Adityanaths jails has imparted to him a certain aura. Akhilesh must rue the day he said no to the proposal. Look how Mayawati is now a cipher as the dalit vote deserted her and fell for the BJPs social engineering. How clever! Field hundreds of dalit candidates to lure dalit voters, secure in the knowledge that the candidate will win as the upper castes too will vote for him as he represents the BJP. What a cleverly contrived electoral confluence of castes otherwise opposed to each other. Without this massive shift of dalit votes, the UP outcome may well have been different as the vulgar edge given to Hindutva at the street level appears not to have increased the BJPs numbers. Compared to 2017, the party is down by 52 seats. What gave it winning numbers was its secular, economic measures rations, cash, money for housing. Is this not some kind of welfarism? Will the experience of recent electoral battles therefore tone down the BJPs saffron, smoothen its craggy rough edges? The image of a moderate BJP is quite incompatible with Yogis habitual excesses? The optics of Modi and Yogi looming large may be covering up the shifts at the ground level. Nastier shades of Hindutva did not win it votes. Social welfare schemes, dalits and sundry other groups did. Does this evolution make the BJP into a semi-saffron Congress under Sardar Patel minus Jawaharlal Nehru? Credit must be given to Mr Modi for having made shades of saffron the colour of Indian politics. Of the other dramatis personae in play, does the Gandhi family not have an iota of pride and self-respect the way their own partymen call them names, insult them? They still stay on, piling defeat upon defeat. How thick can a skin be? The media, either on official signals or due to its own class preference, keeps the Gandhis in play. Will this last after these results? Thats a matter of concern even for the BJP. The Congress had become its pliant B team which occasionally jousted with the BJP. Now the Congress cant be set up even as a scarecrow. At this precise moment, the Aam Aadmi Party has set the cat among the pigeons by rearing its head in Punjab. The BJP, Left parties, Congress on the brink of expiry, will speak in one voice rubbishing Arvind Kejriwal for different reasons. The Congress and the Left nurse a desire to revive, but dont know where. The BJP sees in the AAP a real threat, not a fake one, it has so far cunningly kept in focus, namely the Congress. Remember the AAPs 67 seats out of 70 in 2015? Successive lieutenant-governors shackled him, lest he run away with the show. The media was arrayed against him. He was soft saffron, they said, a professional agitator. What the media didnt play up was where he could be pinned down: Mr Kejriwal turned callously away from the 2020 Delhi riots. Elsewhere in health, education, water, electricity, his team have been doers. The effort was palpable. Now that the doers have arrived in Punjab, the Delhi establishment will throw every spanner in the works. To begin with, abruptly, Delhis municipal elections were cancelled for no rhyme or reason. Why? Mr Kejriwal may just trounce the BJP, the first face-to-face combat after Delhi was first conquered in 2015. The media, as its geared today, will be part of an anti-AAP campaign, egged on by the BJP and Congress. It will be the first time that a top-level visit will take place from either country to the other after the conflict at the Galwan Valley New Delhi: In what could indicate the beginning of a thaw in Sino-Indian relations at the top level, there are indications that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi may visit New Delhi later this month. If the visit takes place, it will be the first time that a top-level visit will take place from either country to the other after the deadly conflict at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh sector between Indian and Chinese troops two years ago. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Mr Wang Yi, who also holds the rank of state councillor, have held meetings in other locations in third countries such as Russias capital Moscow as well as telephonic conversations in the past two years, but neither foreign minister has visited the other country after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. Relations between the two Asian giants had deteriorated following the massing of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army troops at the border areas in the Ladakh sector that started in April-May 2020, and had eventually led to the deadly clash in Galwan, in which the troops of both sides lost their lives. Both nations have since held several rounds of talks at the diplomatic and military level, but the disengagement between the troops of both sides have not taken place at all the friction points yet due to the perceived reluctance of Chinese troops to pull back. Both countries have also accepted that bilateral ties have gone downhill in the past two years and the Chinese foreign ministers likely visit may be seen as an initiative on the part of Beijing to improve ties with New Delhi. However, India is also clear that Chinese troops must first pull back from all friction points in the border areas in Ladakh and restore the status quo that existed in the spring of 2020 before bilateral relations can be normalised. The MEA had informed Parliament only last month: As regards the disengagement in the remaining areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, India and China have maintained dialogue through both diplomatic and military channels. Our approach in these talks has been and will continue to be guided by three key principles that both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC; neither side should attempt to alter the status quo unilaterally, and all agreements between the two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety. Russia's defence ministry denied that its forces bombed the city and stated the building was destroyed in an explosion set off by Ukraine KYIV: Ukraine claimed Thursday that Russia had destroyed a theatre harbouring more than a thousand people in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, with the toll as yet unknown. Officials posted images that appeared to show the once gleaming whitewashed three-storey theatre hollowed out and ablaze, with bricks and scaffolding piled high. "The invaders destroyed the Drama Theatre. A place where more than a thousand people found refuge. We will never forgive this," the Mariupol City Council said in a Telegram post. Days before the apparent attack satellite images -- shared by private company Maxar -- clearly showed the words "DETI" -- or children in Russian -- etched out in the ground on either side of the building. Mariupol mayor Vadym Boichenko called attack a "horrifying tragedy."the "People were hiding there. And some said they were lucky to survive, but unfortunately not all were lucky," he said in a video message. "The only word to describe what has happened today is genocide, genocide of our nation, our Ukrainian people. But I am confident that the day will come when our beautiful city of Mariupol will rise out of the ruins again." The city is a key strategic target for Moscow, potentially linking Russian forces in Crimea to the west and the Donbas to the east and cutting off Ukrainian access to the Sea of Azov. For days Russian forces have bombarded the city -- which once had about half a million residents -- cutting power, food and water supplies. Ukrainian officials branded the bombing a war crime. "It is impossible to find words to describe the level of cynicism and cruelty, with which Russian invaders are destroying peaceful residents of a Ukrainian city by the sea," an official statement read. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, decried Russia's "cruelty" and ridiculed those in the West rejecting the idea of a no-fly zone for "fear of WW3" with Russia, as they sit "in a Berlin cafe." Russia's defence ministry denied that its forces bombed the city and stated the building was destroyed in an explosion set off by Ukraine's nationalist Azov battalion. It claimed "peaceful civilians could be held hostage" at the site. Moscow has already blamed the military unit for last week's bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, which sparked an international outcry. Human rights groups said the picture in Mariupol was still unclear. "Until we know more, we cannot rule out the possibility of a Ukrainian military target in the area of the theater, but we do know that the theater had been housing at least 500 civilians," said Belkis Wille, of Human Rights Watch. "This raises serious concerns about what the intended target was." More than 2,000 people have been killed in the besieged city, according to Ukrainian authorities. Residents fleeing the city have spoken of bodies left to rot on the streets, and of navigating minefields and Russian airstrikes in their escape. Russian forces on Wednesday targeted a railway station in the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia, where thousands of refugees from Mariupol were trying to move further away from the fighting. by Melani Manel Perera A petition by the National Women's Movement for Economic Rights highlights food shortages, power cuts, as well as gas and fuel shortages. For the Co-operative Services minister, fulfilling these responsibilities has become a huge challenge because of the many problems that are beyond our control. Colombo (AsiaNews) A petition signed by about 200,000 people was recently delivered to the government. Sponsored by the National Women's Movement for Economic Rights (NWMER), it demands the government take immediate action against the economic crisis, which is particularly hard on women. "Poverty, including food shortages, is on the rise in Sri Lanka, reads the petition. Ordinary farmers, fishermen, labourers, small manufacturers, small vendors, employees in the apparel industry and day labourers are suffering greatly and women have become the worst victims. The petition was handed to Lasantha Alagiyawanna State Minister for Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection. Our role is to protect consumers, he told AsiaNews. Today, fulfilling these responsibilities has become a huge challenge because of the many problems that are beyond our control around the world. Nevertheless, We strive to provide sustainable solutions. To this end, We have agreed to launch a service through the implementation of cooperative schemes in the plantation sector and Free Trade Zones. Also, we agreed to continue to work on what can be done in other sectors [involving] women as well, Minister Alagiyawanna said. People complain of power cuts, fuel and gas shortages, lack of essential goods, of having to wait in line day and night and blame the government for it. These issues of economy, employment, security, education of children, health, and transport make women's lives very hard, said Lucia Mary, a womens representative in Vavuniya district, speaking AsiaNews. Still, we hope that some solution will be found in the future. Chandra Devanarayana, who chairs the Free Trade Zone Workers' Welfare Organisation, added that workers in these special zones have been told that they would be able to purchase goods at a discount and would have access to drugs approved by the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka. Hostel owners will also be provided with a concessionary system to obtain drinking water through taps. To take in a modern phenomenon of actors becoming leaders, the axiom cometh the hour, cometh the man, might as well be reworked into cometh the comedian. He may share a first name with a great Russian leader of medieval history and, ironically, also with his arch-enemy Putin. But the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has, struck out a brave course from his moorings as a TV actor to star in the compellingly tragic real-life drama of his homeland Ukraine being blasted to smithereens. The invading force has been raining hell from the skies, killing women and children as well, including in a theatre of refuge with one word clearly stencilled Children to make reading from the air easy. Mr Zelenskyys emotional appeal to the US Congress, invoking the horrors of 9/11 as well as the World War II bombing of Pearl Harbour to remind Americans of threats to democracy and his Churchillian words portraying defiance to the UK Parliament earlier may not have convinced anyone to join his war. None of Ukraines allies, including the US, would risk a direct confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia by declaring a no-fly zone over Ukraine or putting feet on the ground. But the West is rushing weapons 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 100 grenade launchers, 20 million rounds of ammunition and innumerable drones from the US alone to bolster the heroic defence of Ukraine that has taken military strategists by surprise over the last three weeks. Mr Zelenskyys speeches exhorting his troops and his fellow citizens to resist the invasion have made him a folk hero though it must be said that the war will continue to take its toll on people and places. All the tactical errors that his Army has made may not, however, convince Mr Putin of the futility of war as he eggs them on even as talks keep providing occasional glimmers of hope. Whatever be the denouement in this war in Europe, one thing is certain and that is history will judge Mr Zelenskyy as a heroic figure while Mr Putin will have to bear any judgements that come his way, including that of war criminal, to quote US President Joe Biden. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Athens, TX (75751) Today Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Share This: Nissan is making changes to the management team for North America as it strengthens momentum for its Nissan NEXT transformation plan and continues to build a stronger business and rapidly advance the future vision outlined in Nissan Ambition 2030. The leadership changes, effective April 1, are in the areas of marketing and sales, manufacturing and supply chain management, research and development (R&D), 4R and battery business and legal, sustainability and external affairs. Jeff Pope, group vice president, INFINITI Americas, is named division vice president, dealer network development and customer quality, Nissan & INFINITI, U.S. and Canada. He replaces David Kershaw, who elected to retire from Nissan. Kershaw served in a variety of roles during his 32 years with Nissan, most recently in a critical leadership role as Nissan transformed its U.S. retail business. Kim Less, director, aftersales supply chain management (SCM), is promoted to vice president, aftersales, U.S. Less replaces Michael Soutter, who is named corporate vice president, global aftersales, Nissan Motor Company, Japan. Pope and Less will report to Mike Colleran, corporate vice president, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (NML), and senior vice president, U.S. marketing and sales. Tiago Castro, senior director, sales and marketing, Nissan Brazil, is named regional vice president, Nissan Midwest Region, replacing Craig Keeys, who is promoted to group vice president, INFINITI Americas. Castro will report to Judy Wheeler, division vice president, Nissan U.S. sales and regional operations. He will be based in Aurora, IL. David Sliger, interim head of Nissan Canton manufacturing operations, is promoted to vice president, manufacturing, Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant. Sliger will report to... kWh More than five years after showing the initial concept version at NAIAS (North American International Show) in 2017, Volkswagen finally unveiled the 2023/2024 ID. Buzz. Riding on the modular MEB platform with zero emissions, this is the spiritual successor of the companys Type 2 model, aka the Transporter, Microbus, Kombi. Or, unofficially, the Bulli, Camper, and Americas hippie Bus.By the way, the company has premiered two 2023MY versions for Europe, a passenger model, and a commercial panel van. Both will feature a rear-mounted 201-horsepower electric motor and a substantial 82-battery pack with a net capacity of 77 kWh. The North American long-wheelbase version will then arrive for the model year 2024, and more variants will follow in due time.However, some will only arrive in our imagination, courtesy of the virtual realm. Since its such a tasty revival of a legendary model, the ID. Buzz notoriously got adopted by automotive virtual artists as the next Holy CGI Grail. Some, just for mocking purposes, give it a Nanobus sliding three-door look.Others have taken things very seriously. Case in point, the pixel master better known as X-Tomi Design on social media has seemingly fallen in love with the latest Buzz around the world. And we should not be surprised at his decision to produce a digital series based on the VW ID. Buzz, especially considering his prior serialized work on Alfas 2023 Tonale.So, after an ID. Buzz GTI and a pickup truck version , here is the Base Spec as well. Not a bad idea at all with steelies and black plastic bumpers if that means Volkswagen would shed a few thousand euros/dollars off the entry-level asking price, frankly. Although, we all know thats even more wishful thinking because it would eat into their fatty profits... kW Posing from behind a window, the Swedish hypercar was immortalized by two enthusiasts, and featured toward the end of a 17-minute long video, breathing the same air as other high-end exotics.At the time of filming, the people behind the camera had no idea that this Koenigsegg One:1 had lived a tumultuous life in the hands of Equatorial Guineas Vice President, Teodoro Obiang Mangue Nguema, but shortly after uploading it, they found out that you could pretty much write a movie script based on it.Nguema, nicknamed Teodorin, is the son of the African countrys leader. The 53-year old man has a fine taste in everything expensive, from yachts to hypercars, only he was found guilty of corruption by a French court in 2016, and three years later, some two-dozen exotic models that he owned were auctioned off, with proceedings benefiting a charity that operates in his homeland.In a surprising turn of events, he actually bought back almost all of them, including the pictured One:1, which he then shipped to Dubai where he should eventually join it, subsequent to dealing with all kinds of important matters.You can read the entire story here , but before you do, we will remind you that the Koenigsegg One:1 was presented at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show as the worlds first megacar. It has a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio, hence the name, with its twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 making 1,360 ps (1,341 hp / 1,000) and 1,371 Nm (1,011 lb-ft) of torque. Tipping the scales at 1,360 kg (2,998 lbs), it can sprint to 400 kph (249 mph) in roughly 20 seconds, the automaker claims. Automobili Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann attended an online roundtable with journalists from the U.K. and U.S. According to Automotive News , the Italian supercar maker scrambled to replace the $500,000 hand-crafted Aventador Ultimae editions aboard sunken Felicity Ace. This is a given now.This was the edition which was closing the production of the Aventador, and there were 15 on board of the ship, Winkelmann said. We put our heads together, and luckily, we are able to replace those cars , so there will be no loss for our customers in the U.S. due to the sunken ship. This is good news. And all the rest we are able to replace. The Aventador was tricky, but we made it.Two weeks after Felicity Ace sank we learned new details about the cars onboard. Previously information showed there were 85 Lamborghinis there, most of them Urus SUVs. Lamborghini is not the only brand that lost cars in the Felicity Ace fire. Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark confirmed the brand lost 189 cars, of which more than half will be replaced immediately, with the rest replaceable within six months.We've already found a solution for 100 that we can rapidly redirect, and we will catch the others up within six months, Hallmark said. We've promised those customers, and we're doing some clever things with dealers to keep [those customers] mobile, which I won't talk about.Audi lost the most cars when Felicity Aces sank on March 1st. Audi CEO Markus Duesmann confirmed that around 1,800 cars are now at the bottom of the ocean. All of them should be fairly easy to replace, even though it will take some time. Pete Bethune, a well-known New Zealand conservationist, told the New Zealand Herald that he recently almost became the victim of a pirate attack while onboard Modoc, the base of operations for the Earthrace Conservation organization.While on a conservation mission in South Africa, Bethune and his crew feared for their lives during one night when a small flotilla surrounded them. Initially, the crew member that was on guard that night thought that people onboard those vessels might be in need of help because one of the boats was towing another.But soon, some of those men were already climbing onto the side of Modoc, trying to get on board . Luckily, the warning shots and torchlight eventually scared them all away, including the ones who had almost made it onto the deck. According to Bethune, the attack seemed to have been carefully planned, as the six boats silently approached them, prepared with hooks that were attached to the side of the Modoc.Things would have gotten really ugly, he said, if any of the pirates managed to climb all the way, because they were most likely carrying weapons as well. But the crew, including Appa, the security dog, were vigilant enough to deter the attack before it went even further.Modoc is a blue-water patrol vessel that can be self-sufficient, lasting for up to 30 days at sea with no assistance. Its equipped with advanced marine electronics and thermal imaging systems, in addition to its large workshop, training room, and helipad. The 150-foot (45 meters) vessel was built for the U.S. Navy in 1944 and had a long and successful career within the Navy and the Coastguard before being turned into a luxury cruise boat for tourists in Alaska in the 90s.Now, this venerable ship is supporting the wellbeing of natural habitats through conservation missions all over the world. But its still a rugged military vessel at heart. News about multiple luxurious pleasure crafts owned by Russian tycoons with ties to Kremlin being seized has made headlines these past few weeks. The ones that are targeted belong to powerful, ultra-rich people who supported Putin. Since its not a member of the EU, Norway cannot contribute to this black list and cannot take official measures targeting the assets of Russian oligarchs.But the Daily Beast r eports about an incident first signaled by the New York Times, stating that Norwegian authorities are considering other ways in which they could sanction those who are closely connected to Putin, even though they may not be on the EUs list.Thats the case of Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, a former KGB officer who held top positions both in the government and in the metal industry, known as one of Putins closest allies. His famous explorer Ragnar is now stuck in Norway because local oil fillers have simply refused to refuel it.Even though the Ragnar is not officially targeted, at least for now, oil fillers in Norway have the right to decide not to refuel it. According to the local media, one of them ironically said that the Russian oligarchs can row home, or use a sail.Named after the famous Viking king, Ragnar is a 224-foot (68 meters) commercial vessel turned luxury explorer. Equipped with ice-breaking propellers, it can easily travel to Antarctica while spoiling passengers on board with opulent amenities, including a spa, jacuzzi, and swimming pool, a cozy fireplace, an observation lounge, and a gym. Estimated at over $78 million, Ragnar is also a high-end charter superyacht, going for $650,000 per week.For now, its still unclear how and if the luxurious explorer will eventually leave Norway and what its fate will be in the future. kW Meet the Prodrive Hunter, a road-legal vehicle inspired by the Bahrain Raid Xtreme put through its paces in the Dakar Rally by nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb. Just like its sibling designed for competition purposes, it is said to thrive in sand,and on arduous mountain tracks, and it is actually even more extreme.You see, while the Bahrain Raid Xtreme has to comply with all sorts of regulations, the Prodrive Hunter doesnt. As a result, the team behind it has increased the power of the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine by 50%. The 600+ hp (609 ps/448) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque produced, and channeled to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters instead of the sequential gearbox used in the racer , enable a 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in under 4 seconds, the company estimates, and a top speed of almost 186 mph (300 kph).On top of that, it retains the racers double-wishbone suspension on both axles, with twin adjustable dampers on each corner, boasting 15.75 in (400 mm) of travel, a 2-in (50-mm) increase. Thus, it offers a smoother ride and even greater ability to cross the roughest terrain at speeds unimaginable in any other vehicle, Prodrive says. Stopping power is provided by the six-pot racing calipers and vented discs all around.Contributing to its insane performance is the high-tensile steel space frame chassis. The light carbon composite bodywork retains the looks of the competition car, otherwise designed by Ian Callum , who contributed to this project by sketching out the new interior. Speaking of which, it has a center console that houses the traditional controls normally found in a street-legal car, as well as a digital display that provides critical information to the driver. The safety cage and bucket seats with racing harnesses are part of the build.The first units of the Prodrive Hunter, which will take a massive swing at the upcoming Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and new Porsche 911 Safari (Cross Turismo), will be shipped later this year. Pricing will start at 1.25 million, before tax, or over $1.6 million at the current exchange rates. NEWS: Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas toured the Tesla Fremont Factory on Tuesday March 15th, test drove the Model 3, Model Y and Model S Plaid and attended a meeting with IR. Here are his key bullet points (thread): 1/3 pic.twitter.com/2JqhcwDYHv Sawyer Merritt ???????? (@SawyerMerritt) March 16, 2022 According to a lengthy note to investors shared on Twitter by Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt, among the key takeaways of Jonass visit is the incredibly busy work environment at Gigafactory Fremont. Before Teslas takeover of the plant, Toyota produced in Fremont just 300,000 vehicles a year. Tesla somehow managed to increase the production rate by 50%, to 450,000, while building all its four models at the factory.The plant was never designed to produce 450k units (at its peak produced ~300k units before Tesla took it over from Toyota) which was immediately apparent at the tour, Jonas wrote. Tesla does not shy away from the fact the plant is inefficiently designed with 4 assembly buildings, one of which is a tent that cars are assembled in.Simply put, Fremont is running out of space, and this hinders the logistics to supply the plant with the needed materials. The Fremont factory is so cramped that trucks need to offload their cargo in locations that make little sense. This is a problem that Elon Musk is well aware of, as confirmed in a March 3 tweet.Actually, we still operate our California factory, which is the largest auto plant in North America, at full capacity and are considering expanding it significantly, wrote Musk . It has built 2/3 of all electric vehicles in North America, twice as much as all other carmakers combined.Even while Fremont faces space constraints, Tesla is in full swing expanding production facilities both at home (Giga Texas) and abroad (with Giga Berlin). With the new gigafactories fully operational probably next year, Tesla would have enough production capacity to allow it to overhaul its factory in Fremont. In the meantime, Gigafactory Shanghai faces production problems due to Chinese health authorities tightening restrictions to counter a new wave of the global health crisis. EV The auto industry has been facing a lot of disruptions for the last two years from the global pandemic, industry-wide chip shortage, and recently the Ukraine-Russia war. The effects have led to a drop in profits, production, and supply chain issues.Tesla's Shanghai factory works around the clock. However, on Wednesday, both its staff and supplier got a notice that production at the plant would stop for two days to try and work a way around the recent outbreak.Tesla's move to China wasn't rosy. The leadingmaker faced some hurdles with the government before finally getting approval to develop the Shanghai plant. In November, the EV maker invested another $189.91 million to expand the Chinese plant.On Thursday, the EV pioneer told Reuters it was doing its best to keep production rolling in its Shanghai plant while liaising with the government's restriction guidelines.According to Industry insiders, Tesla wants to make the Asian country its main hub. The automaker has officially started working on a second Gigafactory in Lingang , Pudong New Area.Last year, Tesla hit a new sales record in China, outranking local competitors in the market. Elon Musk stated that the Shanghai plant was making more units than its Fremont, California factory.The current wave of global pandemic is forcing health officials to introduce strict measures in many cities, including Shanghai. According to Reuters , the outbreak is the largest in two years, leading to the closure of factories.China is the largest automotive market in the world. The latest wave is not only affecting production but putting a lot of pressure on supply chains. A few spectacular airplanes have slipped through the cracks of military funding over the last 30 to 40 years alone. Just for a laugh, let's take a look back at some recent American jet prototypes their military is beating themselves up over letting go of. Northrop and Grumman had yet to merge into the monolithic Northrop-Grumman military-industrial giant it is today. Initiated under the controversial Northrop Corporation of LA County, California, in the late 1980s, it's said that the YF-23s biggest weakness was the bad reputation that its parent company carried with it in the late 80s.The prototype stealth fighter was developed in conjunction with McDonnell-Douglas, makers of the F-18 and F/A-18 Super Hornet. It would be a vast understatement to say the many military personnel on sight were impressed with the team's work upon its first test flight in the summer of 1990. The twin-engined fighter had the radar signature of a small bird compared to the airplane-sized blip a fighter like an F-16 or F-15 would register on modern radars.Its twin General Electric YF120 afterburning turbofan engines jetted 35,000 pounds (156 kN) of thrust, each with a full afterburner, could propel it well past twice the speed of sound. Its sophisticated internal weapons bay could carry a more varied cache of weapons compared to that of that elephant in the room we won't namedropjust yet.It could carry, potentially the B61 nuclear bomb. A weapon that wouldn't fit inside the YF-23s competitor's weapons bay until its operational variant was already in service years later. That could be because Lockheed Martin never bothered to propose it, granted. As the Raptor was an air superiority fighter first, and a decent stealthy bomb truck a very distant second after all. Just look at how out of place it looked strafing bomb targets over Syria a few years ago.In truth, just about any jet fighter could theoretically carry a nuke. But at the end of the day, none of that was enough for American Armed Forces to get over their long-standing beef with Northrop stretching back to its days building experimental flying wing bombers in the 40s and 50s. It was enough of a grudge to let the less spectacular but still very capable Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor get the green light instead.It's easy for people to think Lockheed Martin was just fooling us all when the F-117A Nighthawk first saw the light of day. Not only did it not look capable of powered flight, but it was also ugly, very, very ugly. Not to mention it's less of a fighter aircraft than a Harley Davidson Chopper is like a Ducatti Superbike. I.e., not at all, even in the slightest.Unlike the YF-22, the YF-117 was designed from the word "go" to carry a wide array of bombs, the B61 included. But it did not carry a cannon, could not really defend itself when under attack from fighters, and was at least somewhat vulnerable to Soviet surface-to-air missiles. But outside of those areas, the Nighthawk was a superb stealth attack aircraft.When the raw, brute force of the A-10 Warthog would not be conducive to swift victory, the F-117A could swoop in, drop heavy ordinance, and fly away like they were never even there. It may have been pig slow compared to a Raptor, but there are added benefits to no afterburners in the dead of night. We need not elaborate.Officially, at least the F-117A was retired in 2008. But Nighthawks have been seen flying over the skies of Nevada and California as recently as 2021. It's as if the military was trying to use body language to tell us all something. Seems like they really do want it back.It would probably be a pretty big conflict of interest for the U.S. Navy if it were to bring the Grumman F-14D Tomcat back into service hypothetically. Not the least bit because the model was due to be upgraded to the new Super Tomcat 21 spec sometime in the early 2010s. But this changed in September 2006, when the type was retired.Many people in aviation circles pin this retirement down to things like the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter team bullying the now merged Northrop Grumman into giving the JSF all the real estate on Navy carriers. Others had it pinned down to a squadron of F-14s being exported to the Shah's Iran in the late 70s about 30 or so seconds before a nationwide revolution installed a vehemently anti-western government.If any upgrades were to be added to the Tomcat's American airframe, chances are good Iranian espionage could bring the technology right into their hands. Whatever the case may be, jet junkies in civilian and military circles still hang on to some hope that the iconically sexy Navy fighter returns to the battlefield in some capacity. To that, we say this. It's been 15 years now. It's time to move on. Red Bulls existence as a company blessed the world with impressive stunts. Their support showed on multiple occasions that people are capable of extraordinary things. Out of all the crazy proposals they sponsored, some relevant and recent happenings are the ones where two wingsuit flyers jumped into a plane in mid-air and when Dario Costa took off and flew his light aircraft through a tunnel. Now theres another premiere taking place. You might want to watch it if youre an adrenaline junkie or an aviation enthusiast.Two well-known pilots from Red Bull s air force will attempt to exchange planes in mid-air over Arizona. Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington will each jump out of their aircraft at 14,000 feet for this incredible goal. They will leave the cockpits empty and the planes in a nosedive position. Afterward, theyll have to fly on their own into each others Cessna airplane at a speed of over 140 mph (225 kph). Then they must regain control of the units and safely descend for landing.The aircraft used for this event, called Plane Swap, went through some minor modifications. Engineers installed airbrakes to ensure that the descent would not happen too quickly.The whole thing was the idea of Luke Aikins, says Variety . It will be livestreamed on Hulu, and only people from the U.S. can watch it on this platform. Geo-locking will, unfortunately, be enabled. But, knowing Red Bull, theres hope we will be able to catch a rewind of it on YouTube afterward. For paying customers outside the U.S., Red Bull TV will also have live coverage.The exchange of airplanes in mid-air will start at 4 p.m. Pacific Time on the 24th of April. If you were to browse through the current listings on Bring a Trailer, your eyes would eventually land on a 1994 variant of Hondas mighty CBR900RR Fireblade lineup. At first glance, this sexy thing may appear to be mostly stock, but a closer inspection will reveal an abundance of aftermarket hardware.Starting with the suspension upgrades, the original 45 mm (1.8 inches) telescopic forks were replaced with higher-spec substitutes. At the other end, one may find a state-of-the-art Fox shock absorber mated to the Fireblades Pro-Link suspension setup. Performance Machine was responsible for supplying a shiny pair of 17-inch alloy wheels, whose rims are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Power 3 tires.Besides the new shoes, PM had also delivered premium floating discs and billet aluminum four-piston calipers for the CBRs front brake. As far as the powertrain modifications go, Honda s two-wheeled legend packs four-into-one Hindle pipework and a Powerpak ignition system developed by Vance & Hines.Lastly, the primary OEM saddle was discarded in favor of an aftermarket item, as were the factory triple clamps and windshield. Before we go ahead and tell you what's the deal with this Japanese icon, we reckon that a brief inspection of its fundamental characteristics is in order.Drawing power from a carbureted 893cc inline-four engine with 122 feral ponies and 65 pound-feet (88 Nm) of torque on tap, the 94 MY CBR900RR is able to complete the quarter-mile run in no more than 10.8 seconds. It boasts a dry weight of just 408 pounds (185 kg) and a generous top speed of 158 mph (254 kph).The old-school beast weve just examined is going under the hammer with less than 19k miles (30,000 km) on the clock, and you can place your bids on Bring a Trailer until Sunday, March 20. Although youd only need about 6,500 bucks to take the lead, weve reasons to doubt that itll be enough for you to meet the reserve price. Roman Abramovich, arguably the worlds most famous Russian oligarch, has several such problems right now. Abramovich, long established in the UK as a legitimate businessman, is also the owner of two of the worlds biggest and most expensive superyachts, Eclipse and the newer Solaris. He holds assets estimated in the billions of dollars, including a couple of private jets and real estate, but these two vessels are the jewels in his figurative crown.When his name was put on all international sanctions lists, due to his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently invading Ukraine, the question arose: what will Abramovich do to keep his toys out of the reach of authorities? Recent headlines have shown that some of the worlds most iconic mega- and superyachts have been seized in many European ports , so it made sense for him to think his own would be next. The Robb Report notes that his move, for the time being, is to get the vessels out of European waters and then probably move them to Turkey. Eclipse and Solaris are currently sailing towards each other in the Mediterranean, and neither has declared a port of destination or ETA, as is standard procedure. But at least they still have AIS (automatic tracking system) enabled, unlike other Russian-owned superyachts Eclipse , the oldest of the pair, is a gargantuan build of 534 feet (163 meters) in length and 13,000 GT, spanning nine decks and with a capacity of 30 guests and 93 crew. Estimated at anything between $600 million and $1.5 billion, it is a several-times record-holder and a superb engineering masterpiece. Normally anchored in the Caribbean for the entire year, its been sailing towards the Mediterranean since late last month, says the media outlet. Solaris is a newer build and one that Abramovich didnt get to sail on that much. Launched in the summer of 2021, its 460 feet (140 meters) long, has eight decks, and can sleep 36 guests and 60 crew. It is believed to be the worlds most technologically advanced and fastest superyacht and the most expensive custom ship of its kind ever built, with a reported price tag of $610 million. Last seen leaving the port of Barcelona, Spain, where itd been undergoing repairs since late 2021, its now in the Ionian Sea, sailing towards its older and bigger sibling.As for Abramovich, he was last seen boarding a private jet in Israel, heading to Moscow. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. A federal appeals court on Wednesday lifted a ban that blocked a Biden administration policy of calculating climate change costs in government decisions. Why it matters: The court's stay in a lawsuit brought by several Republican-led states means that, for now, federal officials can factor in the economic cost of climate change in projects and rulemakings which could help the Biden administration reach its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52% by 2030, compared with 2005 levels. Federal officials said the earlier ruling, by a Trump-appointed U.S. District Court judge in Louisiana, had delayed drilling permits, lease sales and environmental rules. Context: The social cost of carbon is a dollar estimate of the damages caused by emitting one additional metric ton of greenhouse gases into the air, Axios' Andrew Freedman writes. It provides policymakers with a way of incorporating future climate damage into present-day decision-making, affecting cost/benefit analyses. The Biden administration had implemented the metric applied during the Obama administration, which was $51 per metric ton. Yes, but: The GOP-led states argue in their lawsuit that President Biden didn't have the authority to make such changes something the three-judge panel on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' rejected Wednesday. What they're saying: "The Plaintiff States' claimed injury is 'increased regulatory burdens' that may result from the consideration" of the social cost of greenhouse gases," wrote Judges Leslie Southwick, a George W. Bush appointee, and James Graves and Gregg Costa, both Barack Obama appointees, in their unanimous ruling. "This injury, however, hardly meets the standards for [constitutional] standing because it is, at this point, merely hypothetical," they continued. "The Plaintiff States' claims are based on a generalized grievance of the use of Interim Estimates in cost-benefit analyses of regulations and agency action," according to the judges' opinion. "But their claimed injury does not stem from the Interim Estimates themselves, it stems from any forthcoming, speculative, and unknown regulation that may place increased burdens on them and may result." What's next: The Biden administration is appealing the full Louisiana injunction. Read the ruling in full, via DocumentCloud: People across the U.S. commemorated one year since the Atlanta spa shootings on Wednesday, gathering in rallies and holding vigils in cities including Chicago, D.C., Dallas and Detroit. Why it matters: A white gunman killed eight people, six of them Asian women, in Atlanta-area spas on March 16, 2021. The mass shooting renewed calls for action against anti-Asian violence amid a yearslong spike in hate crimes targeting Asians in the U.S. The big picture: The gunman, who told investigators he targeted spas to eliminate his sex addiction, killed Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaine Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Yong Ae Yue, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant and Suncha Kim. He was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to the murders of four of the victims and faces charges for the other four killings in Fulton County, where the district attorney is seeking the death penalty and sentencing enhancement under Georgia's new hate crimes law. What they're saying: "My mother was an Asian woman who was targeted for who she was, for occupying a particular space, by someone she didnt know," Robert Peterson, the son of Yong Ae Yue, said at a rally in Atlanta. In photos Robert Peterson, the son of Yong Ae Yue who was a victim of the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings, gives remarks at The Asian Justice Rally Break the Silence event on March 16, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. A coalition of Asian American nonprofit organizations held the event to honor the eight lives lost one year ago at the metro Atlanta shooting spree. Photo: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images Alina Lee, a member of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, listens during "The Asian Justice Rally Break the Silence event on March 16, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images Sarah Park (right), president of the Korean American Coalition in Metro Atlanta, grows emotional as she speaks at The Asian Justice Rally Break the Silence in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images Demonstrators hold up signs at The Asian Justice Rally Break the Silence event in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) speaks during a commemoration to mark the one-year anniversary of a series of deadly shootings at Atlanta-area spas on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on March 16, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images A rally for action and awareness in response to rising anti-Asian violence, held in Times Square in New York City on March 16, 2022. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images Attendees hold up signs at The Asian Justice Rally Break the Silence event on March 16, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Anna Moneymakervia Getty Images Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos. U.S. intelligence officials are privately bracing for a massive influx of more than 170,000 migrants at the Mexico border if COVID-era policies that allow instant expulsions during the public health emergency are ended, sources with direct knowledge of the discussions tell Axios. The response under way includes a newly created and previously unreported Southwest Border Coordination Center (SBCC), essentially a war room to coordinate an interagency response. Why it matters: Border officials have used Title 42 more than 1 million times to rapidly expel migrants at the southern border without hearing asylum claims. But the Trump-era order wasn't set up to be permanent, and senior Biden officials are preparing for its end as the virus is brought under control. Department of Homeland Security intelligence estimates that perhaps 25,000 migrants already are waiting in Mexican shelters just south of the border for Title 42 to end. On Wednesday, DHS Deputy Secretary John Tien asked employees "to consider stepping forward to support the DHS Volunteer Force," citing large numbers of migrants at the southwest border, according to an email seen by Axios. The email seeks general support for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and help with data entry. Sources spoke to Axios on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal conversations. What theyre saying: White House spokesperson Vedant Patel did not confirm or dispute specifics of Axios reporting but said in a statement, Of course the Administration is doing our due diligence to prepare for potential changes at the border. "That is good government in action, the statement said. As always is the case this Administration is working every day to provide relief to immigrants, restore order, fairness, and humanity to our immigration system and bring it into the 21st century. Behind the scenes: Internal discussions have raised alarms that human trafficking networks throughout Mexico and Central America will exploit the situation to "generate a mass migration event." Top Biden officials representing multiple agencies have been meeting to discuss a whole-of-government plan to deal with the potentially record-breaking spring influx of migrants. DHS has branded it the Southwest Border Mass Irregular Migration Contingency Plan. have been meeting to discuss a whole-of-government plan to deal with the potentially record-breaking spring influx of migrants. DHS has branded it the Southwest Border Mass Irregular Migration Contingency Plan. The plan is sweeping, reflecting how serious the Biden administration believes the situation could soon become, worsening a border surge that has troubled it from the beginning. Details: The SBCC will physically operate out of the DHS headquarters at St. Elizabeth's in the case of a border emergency and will be led by Border Patrol's Matthew Hudak, according to two sources familiar with the details. Although SBCC members have not been finalized yet, DHS is asking for senior officials to support the center from relevant agencies such as the departments of State, Justice, Defense and Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, DHS's modeling would trigger some extreme measures, many of which have been taken during past border surges such as in 2021 and 2019. The department could surge hundreds or thousands of additional personnel from Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, Citizenship and Immigration Services and medical personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services. DHS could request aircraft from the U.S. Marshals Service to help transfer migrants to other areas of the border, and call on additional air and ground transportation from the Department of Defense. Officials could also request dozens of buses from the Bureau of Prisons to transport migrants between DHS facilities. And they anticipate having to expand and even build new soft-sided facilities that can shelter up to 2,000 migrants apiece. Between the lines: Border resources are already strained with unusually high numbers of people attempting to cross every month for a year straight. Officials expect those numbers to climb even higher in coming months due both to seasonal trends and the expected end of Title 42. The backstory: The CDC's Title 42 order, first issued under then-President Donald Trump in March of 2020, uses the pandemic as a reason for expelling migrants attempting to enter the U.S. without the chance to seek asylum. Despite outcry from progressive Democrats and immigration advocates, the Biden administration has continued to rely on the policy to turn back migrant families and single adults. At the same time, the Biden administration has attempted to end Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy, which forced migrants into dangerous situations by making them wait for asylum hearings in Mexico. The government's seeming self-contradiction in simultaneously defending Title 42 which has also forced migrants back to Mexico was raised in court by D.C. Circuit Judge Justin Walker in a unanimous decision blocking the U.S. from expelling migrant families to countries where they may face persecution or torture. What to watch: Reuters recently reported that the administration is leaning toward ending Title 42 itself. The CDC was recently forced by courts to again end the use of Title 42 for unaccompanied minors, and the order notes "CDC anticipates additional lifting of restrictions" as DHS becomes increasingly able to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in its facilities. CDC reassesses Title 42 every 60 days. The next deadline for renewal is in early April. "We continue to defer to the CDC on the use of Title 42 and how long it might remain in effect," a White House official told Axios. "As it stands right now there are no changes: Title 42 is still in effect and anyone attempting to enter the country unlawfully will be subject to border restrictions including potentially expulsion," the official added. In addition to preparations on the U.S. side of the border, officials are planning how to coordinate with Mexico and other Latin American nations. Buzzfeed News recently reported on DHS planning to discuss with Mexico Title 42 ending as soon as April, and what that could mean for migration flows. DHS Secretary Mayorkas visited Mexico this week. The issue of immigration has plagued President Biden since he took office, opening him up to criticism from both the right and the left. Democrats have been most critical over the continued use of Title 42, which they see as a cruel Trump-era policy. Immigration advocates have been outraged over the low numbers for refugee admissions and the reimplementation of "Remain in Mexico" as ordered by a federal court. Meanwhile Republicans have pointed to record numbers at the border and reports of migrants being released into the U.S. by overwhelmed officials, saying Biden is creating "open borders." By the numbers: After declining in January, the number of encounters with migrants at the border ticked up in February to 165,000, according to new data released on Tuesday. While the number is well below last year's peak of nearly 214,000 encounters in July, it is higher than last February's, which initially sparked concerns of a border crisis. Border patrol arrests reached an all-time high in fiscal year 2021 at nearly 1.7 million. Officials are projecting similar numbers for this fiscal year with the end of Title 42, according to sources familiar with the estimates. And some are concerned that reports of migrants being released into the U.S. in lieu of Title 42 could further encourage migration. Go deeper: Migrant advocates fed up as Biden continues controversial Trump practices Secretary of State Tony Blinken is planning a possible trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the occupied West Bank later this month, according to five U.S., Israeli and Palestinian sources. Why it matters: This would be Blinkens first trip as secretary of state to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It comes at a time of tensions between the Biden administration and two Gulf allies as it pushes them to increase oil production. Behind the scenes: The State Department has been working on coordinating the visit with the Israelis, Palestinians, Emiratis and Saudis for more than a week, three of the sources said. Blinken updated Lapid about the planned visit when they met in Riga, Latvia, 10 days ago, a senior Israeli official told me, but the schedule has changed several times since then. The trip could happen either immediately before or after Blinken joins Biden at the NATO leaders summit in Brussels on March 24. Yes, but: The U.S. and Israeli sources cautioned that events in Ukraine could influence the timing of the trip or lead to its cancellation. State of play: After calling Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) a "pariah" during the campaign and keeping his distance early in his presidency, Biden now wants to convince MBS to increase oil production to stem the price spikes resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Saudis have thus far refused and instead stuck to an agreement on production levels struck last year with Russia. According to the WSJ, MBS declined to take a phone call from Biden about oil production. A former U.S. official briefed on the situation tells Axios that MBS passed a message to the White House referencing the fact that Biden had previously said his counterpart was not the crown prince but the king, and suggested he, therefore, call him. When King Salman took the call from Biden, MBS made sure his talking points didn't include an agreement to increase oil production, according to the former official. The other side: Relations with the UAE are also strained over what the Emiratis saw as an insufficient U.S. response to the Houthi missile attack on Abu Dhabi in January. What they are saying: "While we have no travel to preview, the secretary firmly believes in the importance of our decades-long partnerships in the Middle East and our shared commitment to a peaceful, secure and prosperous region," a State Department spokesperson said. Russias invasion of Ukraine is prompting American CEOs anew to build their own mini-State Departments as they navigate the uncertainties of a war and world increasingly unbound by norms and institutions. Why it matters: Executives traditionally rise to power by creating successful products and business lines, managing expectations and turning profits not mastering foreign policy. With little margin for error, many are turning to D.C. experts with heightened urgency. What we're hearing: Every CEO of a global business today has to make sure they have a real plan for geopolitical disruption, said Robert Gibbs, former President Obamas first White House press secretary. Gibbs subsequently provided strategic communication for McDonald's, which this week closed its approximately 850 locations in Russia. Hes now senior counsel at Bully Pulpit Interactive. Such corporate moves came as Russia threatened to arrest those branding its invasion a "war" and to seize corporate assets in retaliation for multinational firms departing from the country. By the numbers: Nearly 400 companies have announced their intent to withdraw from Russia since President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, according to a list compiled by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management. Washington, D.C.-based Beacon Global Strategies is monitoring 234 companies at latest count to analyze how they're responding to the crisis. The analysis ranges from sanction compliance to hardening cyber defenses, said managing director and co-founder Jeremy Bash a former CIA and Pentagon official. Between the lines: Corporate concern about world affairs isn't completely new especially in the financial services sector, which relies on global markets. Former national security adviser Tom Donilon has spent much of his time since leaving the Obama administration as chairman of the BlackRock Investment Institute, the Wall Street firm's global think tank. He advises customers as well as executives. Jonathan Finer, now serving as principal deputy national security adviser, came back into the federal government after serving as head of political risk and public policy at Warburg Pincus LLC. He'd previously worked as State Department chief of staff and director of policy planning. Be smart: Just as the protests after George Floyd's murder forced companies to review their posture on social issues, the invasion of Ukraine is putting a new batch of CEOs on notice. Each new round of international sanctions or Russian strikes on civilians or near a NATO border is forcing companies to analyze their exposure. Beyond sanctions and cyber, issues ranging from employee safety to growth strategy and statements of support or condemnation must be considered. The uncertainty also highlights corporations' vulnerabilities around China's plans for Taiwan, Iran's nuclear program, North Korea's ambitions and potential conflicts that aren't yet as obvious. Companies also must consult with security experts about the safety of their worldwide locations each of which carries their brand name. How it works: Most companies are turning to outside consultancies, stocked with former congressional, administration and defense officials to help them weigh risks and consider safer options. CEOs and boards now need detailed advice and planning on national security issues or they risk falling behind the fast-moving events, putting at risk their employees, their supply chains and their reputations, Bash said. Other companies like WestExec Advisors, the Cohen Group and the Eurasia Group, as well as white-shoe law firms, allow former officials to trade on their expertise and provide high-level briefings. The current secretary of State, Antony Blinken, co-founded WestExec Advisors, where the current director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, and current White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, formerly worked. Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security and a former National Security Council and congressional staffer, said he's fielding growing requests to brief companies in real time so they can react "virtually overnight." "War and international politics," he said, "now directly impact the bottom line." Between the lines: Defense contractors and companies that already do business with foreign governments have a head start. From economic realities to national security threats to sustainability, we must have our finger on the worlds pulse, Kathy Warden, chairman and CEO of Northrop Grumman, tells Axios. "We work with experts inside and outside of our company, using data and analytics to ensure a comprehensive view of the full environment." The bottom line: Companies would rather react to clear government regulations than try to divine the shifting motives of politicians especially the actions of authoritarian leaders like those in Moscow and Beijing. U.S. adoption of facial recognition software hit a speed bump recently when the Internal Revenue Service dropped one controversial plan, but public and private institutions are charging ahead with deploying the technology anyway. Why it matters: Facial recognition systems solve thorny identification problems for government agencies and businesses, but they also raise concerns over bias and privacy, particularly since the U.S. lacks strong data regulations. The big picture: Despite the concerns, government use of facial recognition continues to grow in the U.S. and abroad. Twenty-seven U.S. states already use ID.me's services to assist with verifying identification for unemployment benefits and other services. And this month, Washington state said it would start using ID.me in June. War-torn Ukraine has started using controversial company Clearview AI's facial recognition services to "[let] authorities potentially vet people of interest at checkpoints, among other uses," Reuters reported. Catch up quick: Last month, the IRS backtracked from its plan to require taxpayers to verify their identities using ID.me to obtain some services. The agency will allow people to do live, virtual interviews with agents instead. The original IRS plan sparked outrage from privacy advocates and resurfaced longstanding concerns about racial and economic bias in facial recognition software. What they're saying: Regulators and civil liberties groups have pushed hard against the use of ID.me software in particular. "There is no way that facial recognition or other tools that collect biometric data can be used in a safe manner. We liken it to nuclear weapons too dangerous and shouldn't be used at all," Caitlin Seeley George, campaign director at Fight for the Future, told Axios. "What we saw with the IRS using facial recognition is a sign of things to come. The backlash was swift and very clear that it is not a tool that should be used by our government," she said. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) wrote to the Labor Department last month urging the agency to help state unemployment insurance programs move away from private facial recognition contractors. "States are rightfully looking for solutions to protect against fraud and identity theft. But no one should be forced to submit to facial recognition administered by a private company just to access essential government services," Wyden told Axios. The intrigue: Facial recognition can solve many problems for organizations that need to verify a person's identity, particularly given the obstacles raised during the pandemic. For instance, Washington state briefly stopped unemployment benefits in 2020, after finding fraudulent claims made with stolen Social Security numbers and other personal data that totaled $1.6 million, according to the Seattle Times. In 2019, the Government Accountability Office recommended that several federal agencies discontinue "knowledge-based verification," which relies on a user's knowing and presenting personal information (like answers to security questions) to prove their identity. The GOA said this verification "tends to be error-prone and can be frustrating for users, given the limitations of human memory." Between the lines: Facial recognition's deployment in everyday consumer devices, like iPhone's Face ID, has accustomed much of the public to its use. A Pew survey from 2019 showed that a majority of U.S. respondents trusted law enforcement to use facial recognition responsibly. Facial recognition is "used a lot of different ways, and some are really creepy and concerning, and some are really benign... And in some cases, in the U.S., it's been used pretty safely and effectively," said Jeremy Grant, managing director of technology business strategy at law firm Venable LLP, who consults with identity verification businesses. Yes, but: The highest-profile face-recognition providers have spurred barrages of criticism for failing to play straight with the public. "A lack of transparency erodes public trust," Jordan Burris, former chief of staff in the White House's Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer, told Axios. Burris is now senior director of product market strategy at Socure, a digital identity verification provider that serves the public and private sector. "Regardless of the tech used, there needs to be a focus on deep testing, security, privacy of the consumer, mitigating bias and getting the outcomes intended by the government," he said. Reality check: Even if facial recognition tools provoked a broader groundswell, businesses have already made a massive data harvest over the last decade and built lasting databases of personal information. A company called Staxxon in Montclair, New Jersey, is planning to sell a newfangled shipping container that's "designed to fold in an accordion-style fashion, and shrink to 1/5 the size of a regular container." Why it matters: Most standard shipping containers return home empty, so if cargo ships can fit more of them on a return journey by collapsing them, it could help ease today's notorious supply chain woes. Using Staxxon, truckers will also be able to transport five times as many empty containers, the company says. Where it stands: Staxxon's 20-foot units are not on the market yet, but there are other foldable shipping containers out there most notably from a Dutch company called 4Fold that says its foldable container "saves up to 37% in costs and CO." "More than 15 carriers and shippers navigating 60 ports worldwide are testing the Delft, the Netherlands-based companys environmentally friendly containers that can be folded into a quarter of their volume, taking up less space on trucks, ships and docks," per Bloomberg. Bloomberg quoted Jim Hagemann Snabe, chairman of the giant shipping line A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, who called foldable containers the "dream of the shipping industry" and said that Procter & Gamble was testing them. The bottom line: "Despite sparking hope among carriers and shippers, higher upfront costs and hesitancy to turn to a new business model have kept foldable containers from becoming mainstream," Bloomberg writes. Honduras' former President Juan Orlando Hernandez can be extradited to the U.S. to face drug trafficking and weapons charges, a judge in the Central American country ruled on Wednesday night. Why it matters: Hernandez, who denies any wrongdoing, has since 2017 been accused of electoral fraud and was named as a co-conspirator in a New York drug trafficking case last year. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month there's credible evidence that Hernandez "engaged in significant corruption by committing or facilitating acts of corruption and narco-trafficking" and also that he may have used the "proceeds of illicit activity to facilitate political campaigns. What to watch: Hernandez could appeal the judge's decision to grant the U.S. extradition request. The big picture: The former president, who left office in January, turned himself in to police last month after officers surrounded his home following the U.S. extradition request. Hernandez has said that drug traffickers made the claims against him in revenge for their being extradited when he was in power, per AP. Representatives for the Biden administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Go deeper: Central American leaders targeted for corruption sanctions Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout. As countries quickly mobilize to respond to the deepening crisis in Ukraine, UN leaders are urging them to not forget about the ongoing crises in places like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Yemen. Driving the news: While the heightened focus on Ukraine is understandable and necessary, advocates say, there's growing concern dire humanitarian crises elsewhere may be neglected. "In a word, developing countries are getting pummeled," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this week. "They face a cascade of crises beyond the Ukraine war, we cannot forget COVID and the impacts of climate change in particular, drought." What's happening: Yemen On Wednesday, the UN raised less than a third of the $4.27 billion requested for relief efforts in what has been described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. "We hoped for more, and it is a disappointment we didn't get pledges from some we thought we might hear from," UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told a pledging event co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland. Ahead of the event, the World Food Program warned that it had already reduced rations for 8 million people in Yemen due to funding shortfalls. "We have no choice but to take food from the hungry to feed the starving," WFP executive director David Beasley said. The war in Yemen, now in its eighth year, has displaced millions. Children walk in flood water outside tents damaged by torrential rain in Yemen on March 16. Khaled Ziad/AFP via Getty Images Afghanistan UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi traveled to Afghanistan this week to "pass the message that other situations, which also require political attention and resources should not be forgotten or neglected," per Reuters. Since the Taliban takeover and U.S. withdrawal from the country last August, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has deepened, with more than half the population experiencing acute hunger, according to the UN. There are about 2.6 million Afghan refugees in the world and 3.4 million people displaced within the country, the UN estimates. As much as the world is rightfully preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, Afghanistan is experiencing a very grave crisis, Grandi said at the end of a four-day visit. An internally displaced Afghan woman cooks in front of her tent in Herat province on Feb. 20. Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images Ethiopia The head of the World Health Organization on Wednesday warned of the increasingly dire and "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region, saying, "There is nowhere on Earth where the health of millions of people is more under threat." An estimated 6 million people in Tigray have been "sealed off from the outside world" for almost 500 days due to a blockade by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing. No food aid has been delivered since mid-December, and while the WHO was able to airlift medicines and other supplies for about 300,000 people to Tigray last month, "much more is needed," he explained. "Just as we continue to call on Russia to make peace in Ukraine, so we continue to call on Ethiopia and Eritrea to end the blockade the siege and allow safe access for humanitarian supplies and workers to save lives." People protest in Tigray in March 2021. Photo: Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Myanmar At least 440,000 people have been displaced in Myanmar since the February 2021 military coup. An estimated 14 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. In a report out this week, the UN estimates that at least 1,600 people have been killed by security forces in the last year and thousands more detained. The UN found that the "military has engaged in systematic and widespread human rights violations and abuses some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity." "Meaningful action by the international community is urgently needed to stop yet more individuals from being stripped of their rights, their lives and their livelihoods," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement. Demonstrators protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 3. Photo: Myat Thu Kyaw/NurPhoto via Getty Images Meanwhile, crises continue to plague the Sahel, other parts of Africa, Venezuela, Central America and Haiti. Global aid groups told Axios' Stef Kight they're struggling to keep up with the world's cascading humanitarian needs. In Ukraine, Russia's unprovoked invasion has not only forced more than 3 million people to flee to neighboring countries and displaced millions of others, the war is causing prices of food, fuel and fertilizer to spike. Russia and Ukraine provide about half of the world's sunflower oil and 30% of the globe's wheat, according to the UN. Ukraine alone provides more than half of the WFP's wheat supply. The bottom line: "This war goes far beyond Ukraine," Guterres said. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Thursday signed a new bill prohibiting legal action against people seeking an abortion or anyone who aids them, the Associated Press reported. Why it matters: The bill bars abortion bans like the one in Texas, which allows citizens to receive as much as $10,000 for successfully suing a medical provider or person who aids someone seeking an abortion. Idahos legislature passed a similar measure this week that would empower potential relatives to sue for abortions that occurred after the sixth week of pregnancy. The number of abortions performed in Texas fell by 60% in the first month after its ban went into effect. What theyre saying: Inslee, a Democrat, said the measure is necessary because this is a perilous time for the ability of people to have the freedom of choice that they have enjoyed for decades," per AP. The Supreme Court is currently deciding a case on an abortion ban in Mississippi, which could eventually lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Abortion would immediately become illegal in at least 12 states if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, and at least 15 states and Washington, D.C., have enacted laws that would automatically keep abortion legal in that scenario, per Axios' Oriana Gonzalez. What we're watching: Washingtons law takes effect in June. California, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have proposed similar laws to protect people seeking an abortion from lawsuits. Go deeper: What abortion access would look like if Roe v. Wade is overturned Gharials in China's Bronze Age shine light on crocodilian evolution Xinhua) 08:46, March 17, 2022 Illustration of Hanyusuchus sinensis. (Photo provided to Xinhua) HEFEI, March 16 (Xinhua) -- In 819 A.D., Han Yu, a relegated politician from Tang Dynasty, issued a proclamation against the crocodiles living in today's Han River Delta in south China's Guangdong Province. After giving sacrifices of a pig and a goat, Han, known for his exemplary prose style in the ancient Chinese literature history, read aloud a "croc prose," asking the six-meter-long predators to leave the area within seven days or he would show no mercy. More than 1,200 years later, an international team of researchers from China, Japan and the United States studied partially fossilized remains of the crocodilian found in southeast China, naming the new species after Han Yu -- Hanyusuchus sinensis. The researchers said that Hanyusuchus sinensis could serve as a missing link to settle the debate on the crocodilian evolution family tree and may impact the knowledge of ancient Chinese civilization. Three families of crocodilians are still roaming Earth today, namely sharp-nosed crocodiles, blunt-nosed alligators, and lesser-known gharials that are crocodile-like creatures with thinner snouts. The researchers studied crocodilian remains housed in four museums in Guangdong Province. All the bones were found at a dig site in southeast China and labeled for years as crocodile skeletons. 3D scans of the Hanyusuchus sinensis skeleton described by the team and a size comparison with a 1.8-meter tall human. (Photo provided to Xinhua) According to the paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers found Hanyusuchus sinensis share some significant skull features with gharials and had a vocal structure only known in male Indian gharials. Carbon dating showed the bones dated back some 3,000 years, during China's Bronze Age. Genetic evidence found that alligators were the first to split from the original crocodilian, followed by gharials and later crocodiles. While the timeline may go against intuition due to crocodiles and alligators resembling each other more than gharials, the researchers said that Hanyusuchus sinensis is intermediate in body shape between gharials and the other two, filling the gap in the evolution tree. The researchers also found chop marks on the skulls of Hanyusuchus sinensis, indicating that it had been killed or even beheaded by heavy bronze weapons. Crocodilians play a key role in maintaining the freshwater ecosystems as top predators, said the researchers, noting that humans were responsible for the extinction of Hanyusuchus sinensis about 300 years ago. Liu Jun from China's Hefei University of Technology is the corresponding author of the research. He said that crocodilian bones had been found in many archaeological sites in China. The bones were thought to belong to Chinese alligators, which today only live in east China's lower Yangtze River area. Their discovery could challenge this. Liu said that as the only reptile feasting on humans in Ancient China, Hanyusuchus sinensis may have left marks on ancient Chinese civilization, such as legends about dragons. In future studies, the researchers hope to extract ancient DNA samples from soft tissue preserved in the partially fossilized bones, which may provide a more accurate picture of the crocodilian evolution tree. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, less than a day before he was expected to meet with President Biden for St. Patrick's Day. Driving the news: Martin learned of his positive test while at the Ireland Funds Gala, where President Biden was in attendance, according to a White House pool report. Biden instead met virtually with the taoiseach on Thursday. White House officials said Biden was not in close contact with Martin during the event, which according to the CDC is being within 6 feet of someone for at least 15 minutes, according to the New York Times. "I did at a little distance get to see you for seven and a half minutes yesterday," Biden said Thursday during his virtual meeting with the taoiseach. Martin was seated next to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday night before he left the event after receiving the positive test, CBS News reports. Martin tested negative on an antigen test on Wednesday afternoon, but he retested after a member of his delegation tested positive. The second, more reliable PCR test gave a positive result, per the pool report. The big picture: Martin's positive test comes as a number of public officials have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, including second gentleman Doug Emhoff and multiple Democratic members of Congress. Go deeper: Multiple House Democrats get COVID after retreat Editor's note: This story has been updated with details from President Biden's meeting with Prime Minister Micheal Martin. Peru is expanding its fight against animal trafficking, with the hopes of substantially reducing the illegal wildlife trade by 2027. Why it matters: Peru is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but illegal trafficking and poaching that endanger species are rampant. Driving the news: Peruvian authorities convicted illegal shark fin traffickers for the first time last month. They were sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. Experts say the convictions set a legal precedent that could strengthen the fight against animal trafficking overall, especially after last year set a record in illegal shark fin sales from Peru and Ecuador. By the numbers: An estimated 300 species are in danger from trafficking, according to Peru's Environmental Ministry. About 44% are amphibians, including the endangered Titicaca water frog, which is poached for juice. Reptiles mostly turtles are the second-most trafficked species, followed by birds and mammals, which are commonly sold as pets. Peruvian authorities intercept between 4,000 and 5,000 live animals being trafficked every year, according to the countrys forestry and wildlife service. The animals are typically returned to their natural habitat after veterinary check-ups. About 2,200 animals were set free this January. What to watch: Peru's congressional committees are weighing whether the country should make animal trafficking part of a national law against organized crime. Russian government websites and state media are facing an "unprecedented" level of hacking attempts, the Washington Post reported. Why it matters: Since the start of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia has passed a new "fake news" law and blocked social media networks like Facebook in order to clamp down on the ability of regular Russians to get unfiltered information about the war. State of play: "We are recording unprecedented attacks on the websites of government authorities," Russia's Ministry of Digital Development and Communications said in a statement Thursday, per the Post. The hacking attacks have also been significantly more powerful than similar ones in the past. "If their capacity at peak times reached 500 GB earlier, it is now up to 1 TB. That is, two to three times more powerful than the most serious incidents of this type previously recorded," the statement added. As a result, Russian regulators have begun filtering traffic coming from abroad. The statement did not elaborate on what specific measures had been taken, the Post reported. The big picture: In a hack that occurred Wednesday, the perpetrators targeted the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's website. They replaced the department's hotline with a number for Russian soldiers to use if they want to defect from the army called "Come back from Ukraine alive," according to the Post. The outlines of a potential deal to end the war in Ukraine are coming into focus, but sources on the Ukrainian side tell Axios they fear Moscow's newfound enthusiasm for diplomacy is a ruse. Why it matters: Kyiv has gained unexpected leverage by withstanding the Russian advance for three weeks, though the humanitarian crisis is deepening daily as Russia shells major cities. President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted at an off-ramp by acknowledging that Ukraine will not be invited into NATO, but Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials doubt Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to take it. Driving the news: After Zelensky said Ukraine wouldnt be invited into NATO, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Ukraine's post-war "neutrality" could be based on the Austrian or Swedish models. Both are non-NATO members in the EU and firmly anchored in the West. The FT then reported Russia and Ukraine had discussed a "15-point" draft peace plan during Monday's negotiations, and that significant progress had been made toward a deal. It would include Ukraine ruling out joining alliances or hosting foreign troops but receiving security guarantees from countries like the U.S., U.K. and Turkey, per the FT. No agreement has been reached on Russia's other core demands, including that Ukraine recognizes Russia's sovereignty in Crimea and the independence of the eastern "republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk. But at least in public, Russian officials have dropped their calls for regime change and "demilitarization," and Peskov's implication that Ukraine could join the EU was particularly striking. What they're saying: An adviser to Zelensky told Axios he believes the Russians aren't yet serious about reaching a deal, though one could be reached in the next few weeks if the West and Ukrainian forces continue to pile pressure on Putin. Maryan Zablotskyy, a member of parliament from Zelensky's party, told Axios the Russian side had started commenting publicly on details of the negotiations despite an agreement not to do so. He said that "damages the process and led us to some further doubts about how realistic it is." Zablotskyy added: "The question is whether [Putin] is really serious. The negotiators who are taking part in the negotiations seem like they are more serious than they were before. However, whether this is a ploy is still to be seen." The U.S. view is similar. While the White House had avoided high-level dialogue with Russia on the grounds that Moscow wasn't genuinely interested in diplomacy, national security adviser Jake Sullivan did speak to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday. However, the official White House statement on the call noted that "if Russia is serious about diplomacy, then Moscow should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns." U.S. officials continue to doubt Putin wants peace, as President Biden made clear Wednesday when he announced an additional $800 million in military aid. He also warned "a long and difficult battle" was likely. Two European diplomats briefed on talks between Putin and his German and French counterparts also said they continue to expect further escalation from Russia for the time being. On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the text of a potential deal is close to being agreed to. But Putin himself reiterated his baseless claims that Zelensky's "pro-Nazi" government was committing genocide and seeking nuclear weapons. Putin also said his "special military operation" was proceeding "successfully" and would be "solved" as planned. What to watch: Military analysts have warned that Putin might soon seek a ceasefire to resupply his troops without any intention of ending the war altogether. A Moscow court is extending WNBA star Brittney Griner's arrest until May 19, Russian state news agency TASS reports, per CNN. Driving the news: "The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the U.S. citizen Griner until May 19," the court said, per TASS. State of play: Agents detained Griner after allegedly finding cannabis oil in her luggage and accused the WNBA star of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance, according to CNN. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) told CNN that Griner was arrested on Feb. 17. Allred earlier this month said that Griner had not been granted consular access. The big picture: Former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday called for Griner's release, writing on Twitter, "Free Brittney." Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, wrote on Instagram: "My heart, our hearts, are all skipping beats everyday that goes by. I miss your voice. I miss your presence." "Im hurting, were hurting. We await the day to love on you as a family." Go deeper: WNBA star Brittney Griner detained in Russia Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova told Reuters Wednesday she's "extremely concerned" for her safety but hopes her anti-war protest live on state TV this week will help people "open their eyes" to the invasion of Ukraine. Why it matters: The Channel One editor's on-air demonstration to "millions of viewers" that the Kremlin isn't telling the truth about the invasion "broke the state propaganda machine" and along with it a "long silence" among Russia's journalists several of whom have since resigned or plan to, writes Russian journalist Denis Kataev in the Guardian. Ovsyannikova's actions on Monday have also brought into focus the resignations of foreign reporters for state-run Russian outlets around the world, after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. The big picture: Maria Baronova, who quit as chief editor of RT, formerly known as Russia Today, told the BBC after resigning earlier this month that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "destroyed Russia's reputation" and killed the country's economy. Other journalists to recently resign from RT include former London correspondent Shadia Edwards-Dashti; Jonny Tickle, who was based in Moscow; and Frederic Taddei, a TV host in France, the BBC notes. In Russia, Ovsyannikova's Channel One colleague Zhanna Agalakova resigned as Europe correspondent and veteran NTV hosts Lilia Gildeyeva and Vadim Glusker also quit, it emerged on Tuesday, per the BBC. Meanwhile, Ovsyannikova was hit with an administrative fine of 30,000 rubles (about $280) on Tuesday for breaching protest laws and could still be prosecuted under Russia's new "fake news" law, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. But the 43-year-old mother of two whose father is Ukrainian told Reuters she has no plans to leave Russia. "If I end up having to serve time in jail for what I believe in, then I hope it's a minimal sentence," Ovsyannikova said. What she's saying: Ovsyannikova told CNN in an interview on Wednesday evening that her decision to protest on-air had been a spontaneous one, though the idea had been "brewing for quite a long time." The UN aid chief on Wednesday said it's a "disappointment" that nations have only pledged $1.3 billion of the $4.27 billion requested for the UN's humanitarian efforts in Yemen this year. Driving the news: Russia's war in Ukraine and the rapidly growing refugee crisis in Europe have overshadowed other humanitarian crises worldwide. An estimated 23.4 million people about three of every four people in Yemen need assistance in what has been called the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN. This includes about 19 million people who will "go hungry in the coming months." What they're saying: "We hoped for more, and it is a disappointment we didn't get pledges from some we thought we might hear from," UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told a pledging event co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland Wednesday. "The dire situation ... is one that needs money, funding urgent, rapid, in the bank for the people of Yemen," Griffiths said, adding that the UN will look at possibly holding a second pledging round in the coming months. State of play: The World Food Program has said it has already been forced to reduce food rations for 8 million people in Yemen due to funding shortfalls. In a statement ahead of Wednesday's pledging event, WFP executive director David Beasley warned that "funding for Yemen has never reached this point. We have no choice but to take food from the hungry to feed the starving." The current crisis in Europe is likely to hurt those suffering in Yemen as well, the UN said, pointing to the fact that about one-third of Yemen's wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine. Background: A Saudi-led coalition has waged an aerial campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015. The Houthis have in recent months stepped up their attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Saudi-led coalition is expected to invite Yemeni parties to Riyadh for consultations on the crisis this month, per Reuters. The Houthis said Wednesday they would welcome talks with the Saudi-led coalition in any "neutral country" and that the priority should be given to "lifting arbitrary restrictions" on the port city of Hodeidah and Sana'a airport, the Houthi-aligned Saba news agency said. The bottom line: "After more than seven years of war, Yemen is becoming what humanitarians often refer to as a 'chronic emergency,'" Griffiths told the UN Security Council Tuesday. Activists are rushing to preserve a Texas school that educated Mexican American students during desegregation efforts and later became one of the models for the federal Head Start program. The big picture: The property that's home to the Stephen F. Austin/Minnie Mae Hopper Elementary School one of the last remaining "Little Schools of the 400" is slated to be redeveloped into a housing complex in Wharton, Texas. Flashback: The school was built in the 1930s as part of the New Deal. Its name changed over the years. In 1952, the Saturday Evening Post published a photo showing a Mexican American student sharing a water fountain with a white student in the school, highlighting the region's desegregation wins. Later, the school joined the experimental "Little School of the 400" a program developed in Texas by restaurateur Felix Tijerina and the League of United Latin American Citizens during the 1950s. The project sought to teach Spanish-speaking preschool children 400 basic English words to overcome early language barriers. The idea was a precursor to Head Start. State of play: David C. Bucek, Jr., of SternBucek Architects, said the school's inside has been abandoned for a few years, but it's still essentially watertight. The Wharton Independent School District sold the property in 2020 to Austin, Texas, developer A2J Holdings for redevelopment using an $8.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The company says it wants to build 34 new homes in Wharton, a town in need of housing after Hurricane Harvey struck the region in 2017. "I am personally interested in preserving the existing building for adaptive reuse under the terms and budget of the $8.75M grant," David Bowlin, the company's chief operations officer, wrote. Yes, but: Local community members, former students, and civil rights advocates have stalled the project by getting a historic designation and asking state officials to get involved. Wharton resident Pat Blair told Axios advocates have formed the nonprofit, Wharton County Heritage Partnership, to save the school and use it for educational purposes instead of housing. But, but, but: Bowlin told Axios the school has been saved and he helped ensure that it can never be demolished by getting the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "I made a formal offer to the Wharton County Heritage Partnership to dedicate an entire 4,000 (square foot) school building on the SFA/Hopper Elementary site for their exclusive use for educational and civic purposes for $1 per year. The offer was declined by the WCHP," Bowlin said. The intrigue: David Vela, who served as acting director of the National Parks Service under former President Donald Trump, was a student at the school. Vela told Axios it's crucial that the school's history is preserved, and he hopes officials stop the housing plan. Bridget English, a spokeswoman for the Wharton Independent School District, declined to comment. Don't forget: Activists in Marfa, Texas, are working on getting national recognition for a building once used as a segregated school for Mexican American students, some of who were used as extras in the 1956 movie, "Giant." Efforts to preserve the Blackwell School in West Texas are part of a movement to save sites connected to the nation's history of racial segregation and racial terror. Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from David Bowlin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during his virtual address to the Bundestag on Thursday, accused Germany of putting its economic interests ahead of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, telling the lawmakers their support "came too late to stop war," according to the BBC. Why it matters: Germany, which is heavily reliant on Russian petroleum products and imports in general, was hesitant to raise harsh sanctions on Russia for fear it could hurt the economy. So far, Germany has not banned Russian oil and gas imports but Chancellor Olaf Scholz did cancel the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, which was opposed by Ukraine and others because they believed it would damage European security. Germany also reversed its restrictive European arms export policy in response to Russia's invasion by supplying Ukrainian forces with anti-tank and air-defense weapons. What they're saying: "We could see your willingness to continue to do business with Russia and now we're in the middle of the ... war," Zelensky told German lawmakers, referring to the country's business interests in Russia before the invasion, according to the BBC. "And again this is something you have failed to see. You're still protecting yourself behind a wall that does not make it possible for you to see what we are going through," he said. "Why does 'never again' not apply? What is Germany's historic responsibility towards Ukraine today?" "Peace is more important than income," he added. The big picture: A potential German recession partly caused by economic sanctions on Russia could damage Berlin's resolve to further support Ukrainian forces. Already, German economic sentiment indexes are dropping at record amounts, indicating that expectations for growth are collapsing, Axios' Matt Phillips reports. Go deeper: The latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine The action organized by the administration of the school in Gyumri reporting to Russias Defense Ministry took place earlier this week and involved children of both Russian and Armenian parents. Gyumri, in the northwest of Armenia, hosts a Russian military base with some 3,000 servicemen. Children of these servicemen as well as other ethnic Armenian personnel of the base attend the local Russian school. Some of the children aged 13 and 14 who took part in the action told RFE/RLs Armenian Service that they knew little about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Nor did they know anything about what letter Z stands for, they said. From day one of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 the letter Z could be seen on Russian tanks, armored vehicles, trucks and other equipment deployed as part of the war effort as a distinct marking apparently to avoid friendly fire. Analysts have speculated that along with other markings, including the letter V, it may denote, in Russian, the direction of the onslaught like in Zapad (West) or Vostok (East letter V). Russias Ministry of Defense explained that those markings denoted Za Pobedu (For Victory). Whatever the signs mean, it is clear that the letter Z that was most frequently seen in footage during the first few days of the Russian aggression has become a pro-Russian symbol of the war used in many publicity stunts across Russia. They gathered us to form Z and made a video, one of the children in Gyumri said. The action took place in freezing temperatures in the schoolyard. Children said the school administration had also handed to them papers with the letter Z on them to hold during the action. They did not precisely explain to us what was it all about. They simply gathered us outside the school, one of the action participants said. School No. 19 in Gyumri is located in the military district near Russias 102nd military base and operates under the auspices of the Russian Defense Ministry. An RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondent was not allowed to do video recording inside the two-story building of the school without the permission of the Russian Defense Ministry. For the same reason, the school administration categorically refused to comment on the action with the participation of the schools students. However, some of the ethnic Armenian students agreed to talk on condition that they are not shown on video and that their voices are changed. We were all gathered. We have a person who organizes such things, such events in our school. That person gathered us all in the schoolyard and made a video. They gave to children papers with the letter Z written on them. The children were lined up for Z and the video was made, one of the students said. Another participant of that action added: We were told to go outside in 10 minutes after the school bell rings. They made a video recording of [our lining up in Z] and we went back to the school building. Children also said that they had been told to line up in the yard by high school students who wore military uniforms. Asked whether they could refuse to participate in the action, one of the students said: Only those attending elementary school could refuse and stay in the classrooms, because they are too small. But those attending between the fifth and eleventh grades were all taken outside. Levon Barseghian, chairman of the board of the Asparez Journalists Club in Gyumri, denounced the kind of publicity stunt involving children. He said that parents have a reason for concern because their children are being used for Russian propaganda purposes. That [Z] event shows that the Russian Federation will stop at nothing in its propaganda effort and that nothing is wrong for them. They use children to justify war. I think the parents of these children have something to think about, Barseghian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. Barseghian, a former member of Gyumris municipal assembly, said that he did not rule out that Russia may organize other similar propaganda events in Armenia. He urged the countrys authorities to take some steps to make sure such events are not associated with Armenia. I think that Armenian authorities should have some conversation with the commanders at the [Russian military] base to urge them to stay away from involving children in such things. If today they organize some marches, demonstrations in support of the aggressive war in front of the embassy, tomorrow they may start posting propaganda posters on cars, defending the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine. The traffic police must do something about it and the Armenian authorities in general must do something in this regard. You cant just sit and wait for what will occur to those at the [Russian military] base. Go to your military unit and show your joy there. Dont get the city involved in it, dont get our country involved in your aggressive war, Barseghian said. A small pro-Moscow rally was organized in front of the Russian Embassy in Yerevan on Monday. About a week ago leaders of the Kremlin propaganda machine, including Russia Todays ethnic Armenian editor-in-chief Margarita Simonian, posted a video on their social media showing a statue of Mother Armenia overlooking capital Yerevan with red lights at its foot forming the letter Z. The other symbol of the Russian invasion, the letter V, is also seen at the end of that video. Days after the posting of the video it is still unclear who made it. Yerevan authorities said they have nothing to do with the action called In Support of the Russian Military. They said they know nothing about it and that the municipality did not give permission for holding such actions. Despite hosting a Russian military base and being a member of the Russian-led defense alliance, Armenia has so far demonstrated a largely neutral position on the war in Ukraine. Get 25% off of the regular $65 annual All Access rate. With this subscription you will get: Digital access to ElPasoInc.com and archives (value $45) Print subscription home or business delivered (value $65) Book of Lists (annual rate only, value $50) El Paso Inc. Magazine (value $20) El Paso Kids Inc. Special sections - OR - Get 15% off of the regular $45 annual Digital-only rate. With this subscription you will get: Complete digital access to ElPasoInc.com. During a weekly news briefing in Moscow Maria Zakharova said that Russia is ready to provide all possible assistance to such a negotiation process. As for the likely timing of the completion of this process, the signing of a peace treaty, I think it is now premature to talk about this topic, the diplomat added, as quoted by Russias Tass news agency. Armenias Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it had applied to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs (Russia, the United States and France) to organize Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations on a peace treaty on the basis of the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Final Act. It followed a statement by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov that Baku had submitted a five-point proposal to Yerevan to normalize relations. During todays news briefing Zakharova also said that Moscow is in favor of launching the process of delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border as soon as possible by setting up an appropriate bilateral commission. We are concerned about the situation in the [Karabakh] region and at certain sections of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border. We have noted regular violations of the ceasefire since early March. The Russian peacekeeping contingent is taking appropriate measures in its area of responsibility to ensure stability and control the situation. Thanks to these efforts, no armed incidents have been recorded since March 13, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. The Defense Ministry reported the two deaths within a space of only several hours. It said in the morning that the body of 20-year-old Albert Siroyan was found last night at a military post along the border with Azerbaijan near the town of Kapan with a gunshot wound to the jaw. According to the Investigative Committee, a criminal case has been initiated on the hallmarks of a penal code article dealing with inadvertently causing a serviceman to commit suicide. The Investigative Committee has not provided other details yet and there is no suspect in the case at this moment. Siroyan was conscripted in December 2020. A few hours later, the Defense Ministry reported the death of another conscript, Eduard Rustamian. The body of the 19-year-old soldier was found at a military unit in Meghri with a gunshot wound on it. The Investigative Committee said a criminal probe has been launched to establish the circumstances of the incident. It said the soldier received a fatal gunshot wound in the chest from an automatic rifle registered to his name. Leading human rights activist Artur Sakunts, who has dealt with army incidents for years, believes that continuing cases of deaths, murders and suicides in non-combat conditions in the ranks are an indicator that reforms carried out in the army are nowhere near enough. After the [2020] war [in Nagorno-Karabakh], approaches should have been much more radical, much more effort should have been made. And we, unfortunately, record that such problems were not solved during the year after the war. We attach great importance to reforms, liberal transformation, but the concept of rebuilding or reform of the Armed Forces is still unknown. First of all, of course, the responsibility lies with the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Because it is the General Staff of the Armed Forces that is directly responsible for the organization of military service, Sakunts, the head of the Helsinki Citizens Assemblys Vanadzor office, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. According to the organization headed by Sakunts, seven Armenian servicemen have already died this year, including the latest deaths; four of them were killed as a result of ceasefire violations and one was killed by accidentally electrocuting himself. In reply to an RFE/RL Armenian Service question regarding Washingtons position on Armenias request for mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in organizing talks with Azerbaijan on a peace treaty, the embassy said: The United States remains committed to promoting a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for the South Caucasus region. As a Minsk Group Co-Chair, we urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue and intensify their diplomatic engagement to find comprehensive solutions to all outstanding issues. The United States is ready to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan with these efforts. As for whether the Minsk Group co-chairs plan a visit to the region any time soon, the embassy said it did not have anything new to share on this matter. The mediating troika, including representatives of the United States, Russia and France, have not visited the region after the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia claims the mediators visit is hampered by Azerbaijans position. At a news briefing in Moscow today Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow welcomes the readiness of Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage in the preparation of a peace treaty. She added that Russia was ready to provide all possible assistance to such a negotiation process. Talking to RFE/RLs Armenian Service earlier this week, French Ambassador to Armenia Anne Anne Louyot also said that as one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, France is ready to do everything possible to achieve a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter. Letter to the editor: Government is trying to keep control of us with oil regulations In Houston 1979, a small film crew arrives to make a porn film in a rented cottage on a farm belonging to an aged couple, one of whom greets the producer at the door with a shotgun and unaware of their cinematic ambitions an order for discretion. What could possibly go wrong? But in Ti West's X, it's never in doubt that a bloodbath is to follow. The aftermath is glimpsed in the movie's opening scene, when a police detective steps timidly through hallways strewn with bloody sheets covering corpses and a black-and-white TV blares with a local televangelist preaching about a world of sin. Sex has long been a punishable offense in slasher movies but X" cleverly flips the script. The movie, which opens in theaters Friday, juggles all the expected tropes but shuffles them around to make not a whole-cloth original but a patchwork homage that turns tired formulas new quite appropriately since X is ultimately a gory struggle between young and old. The first thing you notice about X" is its command of atmosphere and camera movement. It opens in boxy academy ratio but pulls out to widescreen an early hint that the film will conjure a 70s spirit in a way thats highly conscious of the movie legacy its working in. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the most obvious touchstone here, but there are references throughout to films like Psycho and The Shining. Yet while a whole host of movies have eagerly cribbed from those films and others that X alludes to, it's striking how much the tensions and palpably human characters of X feel realistically grounded and viscerally their own. It's the difference between a glossy knockoff and the genuine article. In a Dodge van marked Plowing Service" are a group of amateurs who think they can make it big with their first porn film. Their chipper, confident leader and executive producer Wayne (Martin Henderson) is a cowboy who believes his girlfriend Maxine (Mia Goth) has that x factor to make her a star. She, with turquoise eyeshadow and a cocaine habit, agrees. Just as eager is Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and her boyfriend Jackson (Scott Mescudi, a.k.a. Kid Cudi), a laid-back Vietnam veteran. Directing and camera operating is RJ (Owen Campbell) who has brought his girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) to hold the boom. She's slightly shocked to discover that they're making smut, as she says. RJ, explaining his artistic ambitions to prove that a dirty movie can be a good one, asks her when she became such a prude. Right about then, in your average slasher, you might be thinking Lorraine, in her noble piety, is sure to outlast them all. I won't divulge anything in terms of murder order but the mayhem in X is tipped off not by lasciviousness but by fear of sexuality. Once they start making the movie, Lorraine is moved by the joyful experience, and wants to join in, herself. Now, it's RJ who can't handle his girlfriend's desires. Repression, not lust, is more likely to get you killed in X." Now about that older couple. Their names are Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Goth, again, unrecognizable under prosthetics). Pearl, we learn in surprisingly tender scenes with Maxine, still has yearnings despite her decrepit appearance. (Pearl's makeup seems modeled after the mother in Psycho.) Once a great beauty who could make her husband do anything she wanted, he's now too old for lovemaking. Those feelings of inadequacy and frustration, for the kids out back making a porno, spell trouble. X loses some of its grip once the killings start. It would have been more powerful if Pearl was played by a genuinely older actor. Having Goth play the two characters contributes to our sense that they're linked (a WWI-era prequel centered on Pearl as a younger woman has already been shot), but the exaggerated artificiality of her appearance leaves one side of the young-old dichotomy in X sagging. Still, this is strong genre filmmaking by West, a writer-director of horror films and thrillers. The photography by cinematographer Eliot Rockett is vivid there's one arresting shot from overhead of an alligator trailing a naked Maxine during a swim. The actors are uniformly good. And by fusing two types of films that have long been bedfellows slashers and pornography X makes for a gripping shotgun marriage of genres. X, an A24 release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for strong bloody violence and gore, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and language. Running time: 105 minutes. Three stars out of four. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP Arlene Richie/Getty Images After 27 years, the Quintanilla family announced that a new Selena album will for available for fans in April 2022. Abraham Quintanilla, the father and manager of Selena, announced the new album release and spoke with Jose Rosario from Latin Groove News while also promoting his book A Father's Dream. Ahhh, spring break. Its probably the most exciting time of the year for a lot of people outside of the Christmas holidays. The cold weather is ending, the sun is shining more, and the beach beckons. What can wrong? Well, you could end up spring broke after your spring break. That means you spent way more than you intended, and most of us dont have six-figure bank accounts to cushion the loss. With inflation raging these days, every dollar you spend on spring break should be as targeted as a well-thrown frisbee. The first goal here is to set a budget and pay for spring break with savings maybe savings you have set aside throughout the year for this special time of year. If so, give yourself a gold star. But lets be honest; some of us use the ol credit card for times like this. The experts never recommend this, but the reality is that people in the real world break out the plastic when the gang starts making spring break plans. If so, at least vow to pay it off in three months and certainly before you go on a summer vacation. That might be a good motivation for you to make all of those payments. The next biggie is where you go for spring break. Yes, you can venture to Corpus or Cancun. Youll probably have a lot of fun and spend a lot of money. Heres another idea enjoy spring break right here in Southeast Texas to save on travel costs. We have free access to the Gulf of Mexico at McFaddin Beach, and you can even pay a small fee at Sea Rim State Park and enjoy its amenities. Beyond that, Crystal Beach and much of the Bolivar Peninsula are tailor-made for times like spring break. More Information 10 spring break activities for kids Blow bubbles - see how long they last, watch where the wind blows them Read outdoors - get a new appreciation for the written word outside Take a day trip - go some place close and fun Plant spring flowers - leave a lasting legacy of this fun time Host a family movie night - make it a special spring fling Visit museums or theaters - discover a magical place near you Start your own traditions - make it unique for your family Create spring crafts - do something to produce special spring break memories Enjoy a playcation - just go to a local playground and have creative fun Try some nature activities - take a hike, explore a stream, go fishing Source: TheSpruce.com See More Collapse There are a lot of ways to plan this excursions, but a good source is the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce at (409) 684-5940, or visit their website at https://bolivarchamber.com/ They can get you started on house rentals, special events, etc. In any beach community, the supply of rent houses and other facilities is limited, so it always pays to get started early. And while spring break has been associated with the beach since the movie, Where the Boys Are in 1960 (OK, maybe a bit before your time) starring George Hamilton and Yvette Mimeaux, there is no law that you have to celebrate it in the sand. For example, the Lone Star Flight Museum east of Houston is offering several spring break programs and events this week. All the events are included in your general admission ticket or free for members. The museum is located at the former at former Ellington Air Force Base and focuses on World War II aviation. It has 40 significant historical aircraft and a museum with more than 1,500 artifacts. Its an amazing collection, so plan to spend a few hours checking it all out and of course the special spring break programs. Call the museum (346) 708-2517 for more info. One final note: Spring break is all about fun. No one wants to think of getting hurt in a car accident or something worse. The Texas Department of Transportation is sponsoring a special statewide Drive sober. No regrets campaign aimed at college students this spring break. The goal is simple. Encouraging you not to drink and drive, or get in a car with a driver who is impaired. Thats a good way to stay out of the hospital during spring break, and its a real concern. Last year, more than a thousand people were killed on Texas roads and highways just in wrecks involving drug or alcohol-impaired drivers. Thats almost 20 people a week. Dont be part of that toll during this spring break or ever. The goal is to relax, hang with friends and have fun without ending up spring broke. Consumer Corner is a new feature designed to focus on financial issues important to Southeast Texans. If you have an idea for a topic, email it to Opinions@BeaumontEnterprise.com If it interests you, it might interest other people too! Senator Ruslan (left) uses a credit card from his Russian bank account to pay for lunch while vacationing in Bali, Indonesia, March 9, 2022. Russian nationals on Bali Island say they are feeling the bite of Western sanctions because they cannot use their Russian credit or bank cards for payments after Visa and Mastercard suspended services in response to the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine. Felix Demin, a Russian businessman who lives on the Indonesian island, said that he and his compatriots have been unable to make online payments with cards issued in their home country. I was unable to renew my Apple subscription because my credit was blocked, Demin told BenarNews, adding that his girlfriend who recently arrived from Russia could not use her credit card. Visa, Mastercard and American Express have joined a long list of global companies that have suspended operations in Russia in response to President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. Beginning March 10, Visa and Mastercard said any transactions using cards issued in Russia would no longer work abroad. On Feb. 24, Putin ordered military forces to attack and invade Ukraine in a move he described as a special military operation aimed at demilitarizing the former Soviet Socialist republic next-door. Since then, many in the international community have accused his government of using false narratives and disinformation to justify the invasion. Demin said most Russians in Bali oppose the war and have joined Ukrainians in anti-war protests on the island, an Indonesian magnet for foreign tourists. Its a nightmare. Nobody supports the war here, Demin said, adding that he and many Russians have relatives in Ukraine. As of March, more than 2,700 Russian nationals and 554 Ukrainians were in Bali, according to immigration authorities. Anna Pomarina, a Russian businesswoman based in Jakarta, said she was having difficulty receiving payments from Russia. I am currently struggling with money because all of my clients are in Russia. They have been unable to transfer money to here and anywhere. This is crazy, Pomarina told the VOI.id news website. My Russian friends here had withdrawn all of their cash from ATMs before March 10 because they knew that after March 10 their accounts would be blocked, said Pomarina who spent most of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bali. Following Western actions to freeze accounts, Russias central bank said local banks were considering using Chinas UnionPay payment system instead. UnionPay, which is state-owned, issues the majority of credit cards in China and operates in 180 countries and regions, including Russia, according to news service reports. Russian expat: Bali also loves peace In Jakarta, Sandiaga Uno, Indonesias minister of tourism, said the government was ready to help both Russians and Ukrainians. We will help if they need facilitation. The Russian embassy in Indonesia has prepared measures to make things easier for Russian nationals, he told reporters on Monday. Likewise, the Ukrainian embassy [is making efforts] to make things easier for Ukrainians, he said. Demin, the expatriate businessman, said Russians in Bali have been opening Indonesian bank accounts. Russian nationals accounted for the bulk of foreigners in Bali during the coronavirus pandemic, he said, because they know that life here is easier during the pandemic. Travel agencies have reported huge interest among Russians in booking trips to Bali after the war broke out, Demin noted. Russians love Bali because they know Bali also loves peace, he said. Konstantin Ivanov tries to withdraw cash from his Russian bank account from an ATM in Bali, Indonesia, March 8, 2022. [Reuters] Nearly two years after the Indonesian government imposed a pandemic lockdown, international flights returned to Bali last month and the island reopened to foreign travelers. Earlier this month, the government lifted quarantine rules for Bali after daily COVID-19 cases declined. Russian businesses account for about 5 percent of foreign investment in Bali in 2021, valued at U.S. $22.4 million (320 billion rupiah) and mainly concentrated in the real estate sector, according to the Investment Coordinating Board. Trisno Nugroho, the director of the Bali branch of central Bank Indonesia, said sanctions against Russians are unlikely to affect Balis tourism. Its impact related to tourism is relatively limited, because Australians have started to come in, Trisno said. Russians, Ukrainians in Thailand Meanwhile in another Southeast Asian country whose paradise-like beaches are a major draw for foreign visitors, Thailands tourism minister told reporters that about 6,000 to 7,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists have been stranded in the country. Officials had discussed measures with the Russian embassy to assist about 3,200 stranded on well-known islands whose beach resorts attract large numbers of foreign visitors, said Chayapol Inthasupha, a local official in Surat Thani province. Currently, about 100 to 200 Russian tourists have requested assistance with visa extensions. Yesterday, two tourists made requests for accommodation. No requests have been made yet on money or transfer issues. But we estimate that by the end of this month, their financial problems might begin, he told BenarNews earlier this week. We have prepared accommodations at the International College of Tourism of Rajabhat University, Surat Thani campus at a price of 4,000 baht ($120) per month already. Chayapol also said that the Thai International Hospital in Koh Samui would treat tourists who do not have money by allowing them to pay later. In addition, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said it would waive fines for Russian and Ukrainian tourists who stay in Thailand after their visas expire. Such violations normally carry fines of 500 baht ($15) per day. Nontarat Phaicharoen contributed to this report from Bangkok. Activists in Hanoi commemorate the 42nd anniversary of China's occupation of the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea following a naval showdown with Vietnam, Jan. 19, 2016. How to solve the territorial disputes in the South China Sea that have flummoxed diplomats for decades and stoked fears of superpower conflict? Actually, its quite simple, according to British scholar Bill Hayton. Just acknowledge that the current occupiers of each feature have the best claim to sovereignty over it. Hayton, associate fellow in the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House, a U.K. think-tank, shared his views in a recent commentary in Perspective, a publication of the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. He argues that researchers now know enough about the history of the South China Sea to resolve the competing territorial claims to the various rocks and reefs. The basic facts of the South China Sea disputes are well-known. Six parties Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing territorial claims. China holds the biggest claim, up to 90 percent of the sea, demarcated by a so-called nine-dash line. It says it has historical rights to the area a position rejected by an international tribunal in 2016 that Beijing has refused to acknowledge. Chinas stance also put it at loggerheads with Western powers, particularly the United States. The disputes are not just about claims to the tiny islets and reefs scattered across the South China Sea, but also claims to jurisdiction over maritime zones associated with these features. Because of that, Indonesia, also has a stake. Although it does not regard itself as a party to the South China Sea dispute, China claims historic rights to parts of the sea overlapping Indonesias exclusive economic zone. Hayton says that of the six formal claimants, all claim at least one islet, and a few islets are claimed by at least five states. The rival claims have always been thought to be too complicated to ever sort out. There are too many rocks and reefs, too many claimants, too much history. Trying to understand and disentangle all the overlapping claims is just impossible, or so people thought, said Hayton. I dont think thats true, he said. Territorial issues in the South China Sea only started in the beginning of the 20th Century so you dont have to look at thousands of years of history. International Court of Justice The real problem is different claimants have framed their claims to claims to island groups. It would be very hard to try to work out who has the best claim to the whole island group, Hayton said. China and Vietnam, for example, claim the whole of the Paracel and Spratly island chains. But once you try to disentangle and desegregate the claims and look at who has the best claim to specific features, then things become a lot easier. No particular country or state or regime ever controlled the whole of the South China Sea, he said. Breaking down expansive claims to entire island groups into specific claims to named features would open a route to compromise and the resolution of the disputes, he said. The scholar pointed out that there have been successful precedents in Southeast Asia. Indonesia and Malaysia resolved their dispute over the islands of Ligitan and Sipadan in 2002; as did Malaysia and Singapore over three sets of uninhabited rocks in the Singapore Straits in 2008. In both cases, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) played an important role. By ruling out vague claims to sovereignty from time immemorial and demanding specific evidence of physical acts of administration, the ICJ also gave the South China Sea claimants a route out of their impasse, Hayton suggested. The historical evidence of physical acts of administration on the disputed rocks and reefs suggests, with a few exceptions, that the current occupiers of each feature have the best claim to sovereignty over it, according to the British scholar. The main exception would be the Paracel Islands where Vietnam occupied about a half until China took over in 1974 after a bloody battle that saw 74 Vietnamese soldiers killed. Southeast Asian states have an interest in recognizing each others de facto occupation of specific features and then presenting a united position to China, Hayton said. In the case some countries are unwilling to make use of the ICJ and international law, he suggested that non-governmental organisations could get involved to create a so-called Track Two Tribunal. It typically describes informal or unofficial discussions by people outside of government to help find solutions to complex diplomatic issues. Hayton said they could collect rival pieces of evidence, test the claimants legal arguments, and present the likely outcomes of any future international court hearing to the claimants and their publics. Difficult tasks Hayton admitted that the process would not be easy. Populations in different countries would be claiming that this is some terrible sell-out, but frankly, all of the countries are working on the basis that this is the status quo that theyre going to accept. They need to turn that into a political commitment, he said. Haytons proposal would have merit in an ideal world, said Mark Valencia, a scholar at the Chinese National Institute for South China Sea Studies. The Chinese base at Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands is seen in this satellite image, Aug. 20, 2021, [Planet Labs Inc.] But unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world and nationalist-infused domestic politics would likely prove a fatal stumbling block to acceptance and implementation of this proposal, Valencia said, adding that most politicians in Southeast Asian countries would try to stay as far away as possible. The maritime analyst warned that since China would not accept and adhere to a formal arbitration ruling against it for maritime space, it is highly unlikely to accept the verdict of an unofficial Track Two Tribunal regarding territory. Furthermore, the idea that each claimant keeps what it currently occupies and drops its claims to other features has been proposed before without any takers, he said. Khoukham Keomanivong, a Lao worker and member of the Free Lao Movement, was arrested by Thai police in Bangkok on Jan. 29, 2022 for overstaying his visa, and was released on bail on Feb. 1 with the help of a human rights lawyer. Now living in Canada, the advocate for human rights and democracy in Laos recently spoke with RFAs Lao Service about what hes doing now and his plans for the future. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. Radio Free Asia: How are you feeling? Khoukham Keomanivong: Im feeling relieved, out of danger and out of the unsafe zone. Now, Im focusing on adjusting to the new environment here in Canada. Im not feeling well now. I have a fever. But the Canadian authorities are taking care of me. First, Im quarantining for 14 days, so Im staying here by myself and Im kind of lonely. But the most important thing is that Im in a safe place and in a free country now. I think nobody will restrict my freedoms anymore. RFA: Whos sponsoring you, and what are you planning to do in the near future? KK: My sponsor is the Canadian central government. Im planning to study and maybe work at the same time. The Canadian government will be providing assistance to me for one year, covering all my expenses. And after that one year I should have completed my studies and be able to help myself and be on my own. RFA: Do you have any plans to resume your role as an activist regarding the problems in Laos? KK: Deep in my heart, Im still the same person, and in whatever country I live free or not Ill continue to speak out and express myself about my native country. I think that is a basic human right. I might come out one day and be just as critical as I was before, because here in Canada I dont have to be afraid of anyone anymore. Its our right to speak out. We know that our country, Laos, is not doing well. If my country was as developed or even more developed than other countries in ASEAN, I would be the first person to praise the Lao government. But right now our country is still poor, so I still have some work to do. When I talk to other people and tell them Im from Laos, they dont even know where Laos is. Why is that? Its because Laos is still undeveloped. Our leaders role on the international stage is negligible, so it seems to me that our country is still inferior in the eyes of other countries. We must do whatever we can to bring about change. RFA: What are you going to do? KK: Im 38 years old, so Im still relatively young, and I can make use of social media. This can be a mouthpiece for the new generation to share comments and experiences. Social media is an important channel for communication in every country in the world. People dont take up arms or use violence to create change these days. That era is over. The voice of the people can change a country, and this is the way I prefer, the peaceful way. Im still single, so I can do this again at any time. This interview was produced by the Lao Service of Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews. Emporia, KS (66801) Today Rain likely. Low 51F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 51F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. CLARK ART INSTITUTE At The Clark, 'As They Saw It' presents 4 centuries of war in prints, paintings and photographs Big Y Foods, which operates four markets in the Berkshires, has teamed with the American Red Cross to support humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., addresses members of Congress as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy begins to deliver a virtual address to Congress by video at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday. A lot of people are united in believing that hes been pretty effective from a rhetorical perspective and a setting the narrative perspective, said Davis Cuperty, an associate professor and chair of the history and political science department at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has been tireless and has been very visible as the face of Ukraine. Berkshire residents express anger and frustration over the continuing rise in state and local gas prices, but say they are willing to pay more if its helps the people of Ukraine. In 2020, the towns of Richmond and West Stockbridge reached an agreement to share Richmond Fire Chief Steven Traver for a one-year trial. Now, the two towns are weighing a partnership by adding two full-time professional firefighter/EMTs. SHEFFIELD Responding to complaints about slow internet speeds and high costs, the town is trying to gather information and gauge potential demand for building its own fiber-optic system. Officials hired Sertex Broadband Solutions to survey households and gather information about internet service mostly provided by Spectrum, which is owned by Charter Communications. The survey also will test upload and download speeds on the computer used to take it, so, it should be taken at home, town officials say. The town then will have hard data with which to begin discussions about a potential upgrade, instead of storytelling and anecdotes that have pushed the town to investigate, said Select Board Chair Rene Wood. The survey is available on the towns website until April 30. Select Board member Martin Mitsoff, who spearheaded the initiative, said that of about 1,200 households in town, 55 had taken the survey as of Monday. Hed like to see at least a 60 percent response rate, given how the matter of slow speeds appears to be plaguing at least some in the community. It would bring Sheffield into the 21st century, Mitsoff said. For the last three years, all Ive heard is, I hate my internet, I hate Spectrum. A company spokesperson said that Spectrum has been offering speeds up up to 1 gigabyte for over three years, and recently doubled starting speeds from 100 megabits per second to 200 mbps. A federal report said speeds were even better than advertised. Spectrum Internet exceeded advertised download and upload speeds for all tiers measured even during peak weeknight usage between 7 and 11 p.m. according to the Federal Communications Commissions most recent Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report issued in December 2021, wrote Heidi Vandenbrouck, Charters senior communications manager. Our network is working as it should, she said, adding that customers should contact customer service representatives with questions about speeds. Sign-up for The Berkshire Eagle's free newsletters Sign up After a decade of struggle, most of Berkshire County largely is connected with faster speeds compared with those in the not-so-distant past. But, some residents still are frustrated by internet speeds in systems that do not use fiber optics. Even Great Barrington lagged where data must move swiftly, and the town has worked to fix that with fiber connections. Mitsoff, whose own Spectrum internet speeds are so-so, said the survey is a baby step toward discussions about what would be a debt-financed build-out with fiber to each residence and business, and one the town would own. Some households dont have internet because they cant afford it, Mitsoff said. The town would work with residents to ensure that everyone can have service at a reasonable cost. Were doing our best to ensure social equity plays a part, he said. Some areas of town never got cable infrastructure in the first place, Wood said. She said the survey findings also could help locate grant money for Charter to build out those areas. Wood said the states broadband money rightly went to areas that were unserved by companies like Charter, but served towns like Sheffield dont necessarily have the latest and the greatest technology. I consider us to be served, but not served well, and the price many people feel is high, she said, noting that complaints from residents rose since the coronavirus pandemic hit, given the rise in remote work and schooling. Spectrums basic service starts at $49.99, as advertised on its website for a Sheffield address. The government wants to close the VA hospital in Northampton. A state senator and veteran says that's a 'slap in the face' Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. Ryker Audiss (Belle Fourche baseball): Audiss, a senior outfielder, was a force at the plate and a major contributor to the Broncs wins over Lead-Deadwood, St. Thomas More, and Chamberlain/Kimball/Lyman. His cumulative Stats for the week: three games, nine hits in 11 at bats, two doubles, nine RBIs, seven runs scored, two stolen bases. 0.818 batting average, 0.833 on base percentage, and a 1.000 slugging percentage. Garrett Winkler (Newell boys track and field): Last week Winkler competed at the Northern Hills Invite in Belle Fourche and finished second in the 3,200-meter run, and had a 16 second improvement from his previous best. He also anchored the boys Medley Relay to a sixth place finish. Vote View Results In the Bible, Joel was one of several divinely appointed prophets called by God to deliver a message of warning and repentance to the southern kingdom of Judah after the nation was divided. Though little is known about Joel himself, there a few key insights we can learn about his character through his ministry and message. Who Was Joel? Joel, whose name in Hebrew means Yawheh is God, was called by God to minister to the southern kingdom of Judah, we believe, around 835 B.C. when the then seven-year-old Joash sat on the throne. At the time, however, Jehoida the priest would have functioned as the real ruler of Judah until Joash came of age. Some scholars, however, believe that Joel might have ministered and prophesied to the returning exiles from Babylon and Persia, almost four hundred years later. It is difficult to know for certain, however, there are a few key details in Joels writing that point more to the 835 B.C. date, than him ministering in 450 B.C. or later. For one thing, Joel never mentions dominant world powers like Assyria, Babylon, and Persia that had already come and gone (or waned) by the time of the Jewish return to Jerusalem in the 5th century B.C. Secondly, there are similarities in Joels style of writing to that of Hosea and Amos, biblical prophets who also ministered to Israel and Judah in the 8th century after Joels ministry. In fact, the verbal parallels between Joel 3:16 and Amos 1:2, and Joel 3:18 and Amos 9:13 are of note. For this reason, the 835 B.C. date sometime during the reign of Joash becomes most probable. Also, if Joel prophesied during this time, he would have been a contemporary of the prophet Elisha, who ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel at the same time. What Do We Actually Know about Joel? Unfortunately, outside of his own writing, theres not much written about Joel either in the Bible or historical account. Joel identifies himself as the son of Pethuel, a name mentioned nowhere else in the Old Testament (Joel 1:1). Some believe Joel may have been a priest of the tribe of Levi, given his passion for temple sacrifices (Joel 1:9; 2:13-16). However, his familiarity with pastoral and agricultural life (Joel 1:13-14; 2:17) suggests he probably wasnt a Levite. Beyond the Bible, some historical records hint that Joel might have been from the tribe of Reuben and lived in the town of Bethom (or Bethharam), north of the Dead Sea, but as John MacArthur notes in his commentary, the context of Joels prophecy suggests he was from Judea and lived near or around Jerusalem, a city he seems familiar with. However, what we ultimately know about Joel, who he was, and when he ministered, are probably less important than his actual ministry and message. According to Macarthur, the message of Joel is timeless, forming doctrine which could be repeated and applied to any age. (983) And though Joel is considered one of the minor prophets, there is nothing minor or insignificant about his ministry and message. This is a term used to classify smaller books like Joel and Amos (among others) from the longer writings of prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Therefore, to understand a little more about Joel, it is necessary to explore what he actually had to say and what his book is really about. Why Was Joel Called to Minister to Judah? By the time Joel was called to minister to Judah, the Southern Kingdom had been in a state of disarray and decline for years, both economically and spiritually. Rival nations and city states such as Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia had made frequent incursions into Israel, and a recent locust plague and drought had devastated Judahs economy (Joel 1:4). Needless to say, Judah was weak from the inside out. It was a time of national mourning, where, as Joel writes, all the trees of the field dry up. Indeed, rejoicing dries up from the sons of men (Joel 1:12). Like many biblical prophets, Joel was sent by God to get the peoples attention in a time of depression and decline. However, unlike many prophets, Joel does not address specific sin or idolatry on the part of the Judah. Rather, he uses the recent calamity of the locust plague to teach a prophetic lesson. What was that lesson? Speaking to the elders of Judah, Joel calls all members of society to take seriously the current locust plague. Why? Because as bad as this calamity was, it was nothing in comparison to what was to come from God if the people did not repent and turn back to Him. Throughout the book of Joel, the theme of disaster is prevalent, if not dominant. Looking back at the economic hardship brought on by the locust plague was intended to encourage the people to look forward to the great and terrible Day of the Lord, a phrase mentioned nineteen times by eight different Old Testament prophets, including Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi, and Joel. What Is the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord? The theme of coming judgment is unmistakable in the book of Joel, who prophesied that a day would come when the sovereign God would judge the people and the nations whove rebelled against Him. Joel shares how God often uses nature and events like famine, plague, violent weather, invading armies, and celestial phenomena to get our attention (Joel 1:5). Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesnt. Desperation and national or even personal disaster or economic depression can either turn our hearts and focus back to God and His ways, or blind us from the truth and lead us further into despair. The important thing is that Gods people pay attention to physical events and contemplate how any form of physical calamity pales in comparison the judgment that awaits those who reject God and keep to their sinful ways. However, Joel prophesies that judgment can be averted if people repent, fast, return to the Lord, and rend your hearts and not your garments (Joel 2:13-17). Thus, we see in Joels writing one who is a master of succinct phrasing to illustrate his main themes. For example, Joel writes: Rend your hearts and not your garments (2:13) I will pour out my Spirit on all people (2:28) Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (2:32) Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears (3:10) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision (3:14) The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder in Jerusalem (3:16) Of course, we know from history that Joels warning went largely unheeded. As a result, the Day of the Lord in Scripture was partially fulfilled through the Babylonian conquest, invasion, destruction, and captivity of Judah. However, it is important to recognize that the Day of the Lord is also a day that is still come. It is exclusively the day which unveils His (Christs) character mighty, powerful, and holy, thus terrifying His enemies (MacArthur, 984). That being said, within the promise of destruction, there is also a promise of hope, restoration, blessing, and prosperity for the righteous and those who call on the name of the Lord (Joel 2:32). Gods judgment will be poured out on sinners, but as a result of the Day of the Lord, there will also be physical blessings, fruitfulness, and prosperity for Gods people. Deliverance is promised as well as restoration. Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust (Joel 2:25). Furthermore, Joel prophesied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, when he wrote, it will come about after this that I (the Lord) will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days (Joel 2:28-29). Gods promise of restoration, therein, is threefold, as MacArthur summarizes: Material restoration through the divine healing of the land (Joel 2:21-27) Spiritual restoration through the divine outpouring of His Spirit (Joel 2:28-32) National restoration through the divine judgment on the unrighteous (Joel 3:1-21) For Gods people today, the promise of spiritual restoration through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as seen on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), is only a taste of the final glory and power of Christs presence and kingdom that will be released after the Day of the Lord. Joel promises that this day is coming. All should look to the physical signs and wonders of the earth as a reminder of Gods sovereignty and coming judgment. However, for those who seek the Lord, turn from their sinful ways, and rend their hearts and not their garments, the Day of the Lord is a day to be anticipated with great joy, not terror. As it is written, do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done great things (Joel 2:21) and rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the Lord your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication (Joel 2:23). Photo credit: Getty Images/yaruta Joel Ryan is a childrens book author, writing professor, and contributing writer for Crosswalk, Christianity.com, Stand Firm Mens Magazine, and others. He is passionate about telling great stories, defending biblical truth, and helping writers of all ages develop their craft. Joel discusses, analyzes, and appreciates the great writings of the past and present on his website, Perspectives off the Page. BOISE - Imagine Idaho Foundation, a nonprofit organized in 2020 to tackle Idahos broadband infrastructure problem, is adding Regence BlueShield of Idaho as a coalition member and financial supporter with a pledge of $150 thousand over three years. Were excited Regence BlueShield of Idaho has made such a strong financial commitment to make broadband more accessible for rural Idaho, said Imagine Idaho Foundation Co-Founder Christina Culver. With its help and Governor Littles goal to invest significant federal funds over the next five years on broadband expansion, we can achieve solutions and finally get Idaho connected, she added. Broadening access to telehealth is a priority of ours and it requires reliable internet connectivity, said Regence BlueShield of Idaho President Mark Ruszczyk. Imagine Idahos passion for bringing broadband to Idahoans made our decision to partner with them an easy one. We are excited about what we can achieve together with them, other like-minded Idaho businesses, the Little Administration and other state and federal government agencies. Imagine Idaho is growing all over the state with commitments from the private sector, but there is a lot of work to be done. Infrastructure progress does not just happen, people make it happen. As a nonprofit, our three-year-goal of connecting all of Idaho relies on the support of individuals and organizations like Regence BlueShield of Idaho, added Culver. Regence BlueShield of Idaho, based in Lewiston, provides more than 257,000 people with comprehensive health insurance solutions. Manipal Hospitals partners with ConnectedLife, leveraging Fitbit wearable technology Manipal Hospitals has announced a strategic partnership with ConnectedLife built with Google Cloud to use Fitbits wearable technology with ConnectedLifes virtual platform to monitor patient progress and empower Continuity of Care Post-High-Risk Surgeries. Through this virtual platform, the clinical teams at Manipal Hospitals will gain a holistic view of the patient post-discharge, tailor their intervention precisely to the patients needs, and monitor them in their journey towards a healthy post-surgery recovery. This digital initiative aims to use wearable technology to stay connected with patients post surgeries like total knee replacement, angioplasty, cardiac bypass surgery, and other high-risk surgeries. The advanced digital solution can remotely capture heart rate, oxygen saturation level, and activity metrics (sleep quality, steps taken, and pain score) both pre-and and post-operatively. The technology optimizes patient care via triggering reminders to take medications or participate in physiotherapy and triggering warnings if there are significant deviations outside normal physiological parameters. Through this partnership, we are expecting post-surgery care to become seamless, as wearable technology will help us monitor certain critical parameters of patients who have undergone total knee replacement surgery, angioplasty, cardiac bypass surgery, and other high-risk surgeries, said Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals. State employees, Ayushman Bharat scheme holders will receive free treatment The Medical and Health Department of the Uttarakhand government has tied up with Meditrina Hospitals of Kerala for better treatment of heart patients at Coronation Hospital, Dehradun. At a meeting held at the State Medical Headquarters in Dehradun on 16 March, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Dr Tripti Bahuguna, Director General of the Medical Department, and Dr N Prathap Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director of Meditrina Hospital. The contract has been signed with Uttarakhand Government and Meditrina Hospital for seven years, in which a team of specialist cardiologists capable of performing complex heart surgeries with modern technology are involved. State government serving and retired state employees, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, BPL, ESIC, ECSH, and CGSH card holders will get free government treatment, and general category patients will get government treatment at subsidised rates. In addition, treatment and surgery related to heart disease in children will also be done here. Currently, Meditrina Group treats heart patients in collaboration with the Department of Medicine and Health in four states and two international locations. Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has launched the Kgodiso Development Fund, a five-year, R600m investment with a goal to help transform the food system in South Africa. It will look to create 'shared value' solutions that ultimately help build a sustainable food system by creating local employment opportunities and increasing local procurement and supplier diversity. Diale Tilo, executive director, Kgodiso Development Fund. Source: Supplied R300m to assist Black-owned emerging farming businesses R200m to training and upskilling R100m towards SMME support PepsiCo Positive PepsiCo aims to play a bigger role in supporting activities that contribute to the long-term sustainability and resilience of South Africas food system, says Tertius Carstens, CEO of PepsiCo sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The Kgodiso Development Fund will act as a catalyst to create local jobs, increase local procurement, build small businesses, support education and holistically contribute to black economic empowerment in South Africa.The fund has hopes to deliver a meaningful impact through its commitment to creating shared value solutions and transformation of supply and value chains. Although founded by PepsiCo it will be run as an independent fund, with an executive director and a board of trustees.The Kgodiso Development Fund will prioritise activities that support the growth and scaling of Black-owned emerging farming enterprises and SMME businesses, promote regenerative agriculture practices and encourage the adoption of innovation to revitalise local production within South Africa's agriculture sector, explains executive director, Diale Tilo.Tilo was appointed in early 2022, and brings with him a wealth of on-farm practical crop production experience, structured training and development, financing of agribusinesses and SMMEs across multiple sectors.The fund will allocate R300m to agricultural development to assist Black-owned emerging farming enterprises to upscale their businesses and ensure that they are provided with opportunities to integrate into the value chain. This will help transform the countrys agricultural landscape by developing a new generation of sustainable farming enterprises, says Tilo.Additionally, R200m will support education to enable initiatives that provide appropriate training and upskilling thereby enhancing the skills pipeline in the country. Carstens says, This will assist in unlocking the immense potential of South Africas human capital by addressing key skills and knowledge gaps in the food system. Within this pillar, PepsiCo launched a Graduate and Future Leaders programme in 2021.Finally, the fund will allocate R100m to SMMEs to provide incubation and technological support to those small businesses which can provide their goods or services to PepsiCo or its partners. This investment looks to encourage unique innovation, increase competitiveness and drive economic inclusion by building a pipeline of suppliers and entrepreneur networks, and by providing them a route to market, business development support, funding and mentoring.The fund is one of PepsiCos public interest commitments, made to government at the time of the acquisition of Pioneer Foods . In addition it forms part of the newly launched approach to strategic end-to-end transformation called PepsiCo Positive. Sustainability is the driving force of how the company will create growth and value by inspiring positive change for the planet and people.PepsiCo procures more than 1.5 million tonnes of local maize, wheat, potatoes, oats and raisins every year and employs approximately 13,000 people in 70 warehouses and 45 production facilities on the continent.The establishment of this fund, although independent, allows us to collaborate with like-minded partners, and develop solutions that address critical issues surrounding the regions food security and hunger. We look forward to seeing the impact that these commitments have on helping us reach the shared goal of a thriving, resilient and sustainable food system in South Africa, says Carstens. There is a desperate need to channel funding to community organisations and NGOs within South Africa's more rural areas. This is according to German More, a fundraising consultant at CSI agency Mamas Alliance, who reiterates that poverty within so many of our rural communities in South Africa is devastating. This is also mirrored in the type of educational outcomes that we find in rural areas compared to urban areas. Hundreds, if not thousands of schools in many of our rural areas across the country face the daily challenge of dilapidated buildings and non-existing facilities. While children may be eager to learn, these circumstances are not conducive to learning at all, the agency says.More adds that many companies are often compelled to prioritise CSI spend in the urban and inner-city areas where they are located or in which they operate. According to research conducted by corporate responsibility consultancy Trialogue, Gauteng was the most supported province in 2020 with 48% of companies directing funding to operations in this province. This was followed by KwaZulu-Natal with support from 35% of companies and the Western Cape with support from 28% of companies.We plead to South African corporates to start looking at stretching their available budgets to include more rural communities, says More, who explains that greater interventions are needed to ensure that rural communities are not forgotten.More says that even if we could motivate for 10% of CSI budget spend to be directed to benefit NGOs in rural areas, the impact would be enormous. He adds that while complying with the B-BBEEE codes and guidelines when it comes to corporate social investment is vital, revision to these could be beneficial to ensure that organisations in rural communities are not marginalised.We all have a national duty to contribute to the development of our entire society. If we can spread our wings and reach further areas, we would achieve a lot more, he says.As a CSI agency, Mamas Alliance drives and directs funds from the CSI space in South Africa to where they are needed the most. It works with 37 sustainable NGOs from 75 predominantly rural sites countrywide with different focus areas informed by the needs of communities in which they are located. We specialise in outsourced sales and marketing on behalf of our clients' brands. We know that a friendly hello and a firm handshake are the best ways to form a lasting relationship with consumers so this is exactly what we do! Fort Hood, TX (76544) Today Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Commentary: Concerted efforts crucial to China's future amid global uncertainty Xinhua) 08:50, March 17, 2022 BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- In a world still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, China's unrelenting battle against coronavirus is another testimony to the unity and solidarity that the nation has long cherished. The latest evidence is how the people from all walks of life work together to implement the country's dynamic zero-COVID strategy and anti-pandemic measures to combat the recent flare-ups of cases in several areas. Thanks to the swift and effective response, China has witnessed an enviably low death toll. China's resilient economy, registering a continuous and steady recovery, serves as another demonstration of the importance of unity and concerted efforts. In 2021, the gross domestic product of the world's second-largest economy expanded 8.1 percent year on year thanks to nationwide efforts. The pace was well above the government target of "above 6 percent." This year, despite multiple challenges ahead, China has set its economic growth target at around 5.5 percent, which is expected to further uplift the global economic recovery. Working hard in unity is the path the Chinese people must take to make historic achievements, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said during the just concluded annual session of China's top legislature. It was through multi-level collective efforts that China managed to lift more than 770 million people out of poverty in the last 40-plus years, achieved the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and presented a streamlined, safe and splendid Winter Olympics to the world. Chinese leaders have repeatedly emphasized the Chinese people's concerted efforts, stating that as long as all ethnic groups remain united under the Party's leadership, all hardships and challenges ahead can be overcome. The Chinese people believe that facing difficulties and challenges, a nation united and working together has a future and can stand invincible. It is especially true at this moment when the world has been undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The year 2022 marks a crucial year for China's march toward socialist modernization. As the world is reeling from the lingering pandemic, weak economic recovery and volatile regional situations, people's concerted efforts will prove even more significant for China. As the Chinese proverb goes, the last leg of a journey marks the halfway point. The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation cannot be achieved by "merely beating drums and clanging gongs." Facing challenges ahead, unbreakable unity and concerted efforts of the Chinese people will secure more achievements in the future. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Help Our Community Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You! Take The Survey Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Disney workers are planning walkouts during their breaks every day this week to protest CEO Bob Chapeks slow response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation that critics have dubbed the Dont Say Gay bill. Marchers make their way toward the St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday, March 12, 2022 during a march to protest the controversial "Don't say gay" bill passed by Florida's Republican-led legislature and now on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP) ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Disney workers are planning walkouts during their breaks every day this week to protest CEO Bob Chapeks slow response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation that critics have dubbed the Dont Say Gay bill. The act of protest will culminate next Tuesday with a general walkout by LGBTQ workers and their supporters at Disney worksites in California, Florida and elsewhere, the group of Disney employees said this week on their website. Organizers asked Disney workers to check in online with their plans to participate in the full-scale walkout for next week. We must make sure we have large enough numbers to be successful," they said. Marchers wave flags as they walk at the St. Pete Pier during a rally and march to protest against a bill dubbed by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill Saturday, March 12, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Florida lawmakers have passed the bill, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. It now moves to the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.(Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Statements by Disney leadership over the Florida legislation have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation," the group said. The bill bars instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through grade 3. Republican lawmakers pushing the legislation had argued that parents, not teachers, should be the ones talking to their children about gender issues during their early formative years. The legislation has attracted scrutiny from President Joe Biden, who called it hateful, as well as other Democrats who argue it demonizes LGBTQ people. The legislation has been sent to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. As the state's largest private-sector employer Walt Disney World outside Orlando had more than 75,000 workers before the coronavirus pandemic Disney has contributed huge amounts of money to Floridas political parties and politicians and has wielded incredible influence on the states government. At the beginning of last week, Chapek sent a message to Disney workers affirming the company's support for LGBTQ rights but also saying that corporate statements often dont do much to change minds and can be weaponized by either side. Rather than make an early public statement against the legislation, company officials had been working behind the scenes with Florida lawmakers to achieve a better outcome, but they hadnt been successful, despite our longstanding relationships with those lawmakers, Chapek told Disney shareholders a few days later. With his public responses being panned by some Disney workers and supporters, Chapek last Friday apologized and said the company was pausing all political donations in Florida. I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community," Chapek said in a message to Disney workers. I missed the mark in this case but am an ally you can count on and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility, and opportunity you deserve." Disney on Wednesday didn't respond to an email inquiry about whether the walkouts during breaks were having any impact on operations this week. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP Substance use has claimed many lives, and those trying to turn the tide of addiction say its time to have accurate data to help modernize Manitobas outreach and recovery services. Advertisement Advertise With Us Substance use has claimed many lives, and those trying to turn the tide of addiction say its time to have accurate data to help modernize Manitobas outreach and recovery services. Bernadette Smith, the NDP critic for mental health and addictions, is working to get The Fatality Inquiry Amendments Act (Bill 217) passed in the legislature to get the provincial government to change how it collects data on the number of people who die from overdose, as well as which drug they had used. It also calls for making this information more accessible to stakeholder groups. The bill didnt pass the last time it was presented. Smith stressed this isnt her bill or the NDPs bill it is one created by advocacy groups and families of people who have substance disorders or lost a loved one to substance poisoning. She has met with many people, including groups in Brandon on Sunday, to discuss the details of the bill and the enormity of the issues they are facing that could be alleviated if the bill becomes law. "This is for people struggling to keep their loved ones alive," she said. "This isnt a money bill. Its basically using the resources they have and reforming it. They could put this on a website so they can inform the community and frontline staff about what drugs were overdosed on. Its also about helping the government save lives strategically." Manitoba is the only province that doesnt collect data on overdoses, Smith said. This information could help frontline staff know which types of drugs people are using to help get them proper care. It would also help those dealing with substance disorders find resources, like getting their drugs tested, avoiding certain kinds or using in a safe consumption site. Consumption sites are critical to saving lives, Smith said. These are also sites where people can get help for their own disorders, or turn into mentors to help others. Having access to regularly updated data from the province would hopefully prevent future overdose deaths, said Solange Machado, co-ordinator for the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network in Brandon. Machado met with Smith and they discussed what is needed. Getting information late is discouraging, she said, because it doesnt show the full scale of substance disorders. "This will hold the province accountable and hopefully save lives," she said. The network received a grant from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research for a harm reduction survey in Brandon. In terms of which services could be provided, respondents asked for more mobile services and other outreach. Respondents also wanted increased support for peers who want access to the opioid substitution therapy program at the Rapid Access to Addictions Clinic. They also called for additional peer education programming, including how to respond when someone else is experiencing an overdose. As a group, they are writing letters to MLAs, encouraging them to support Bill 217. They also plan to release a petition within the next two weeks to gather signatures in support of the bill. Having accurate information about overdoses would definitely help groups plan and tailor programming. Longtime advocate Kim Longstreet said she would welcome the bill and changes to how data is collected. Manitoba and other Prairie provinces have a "closed-mind" mentality in dealing with substance disorders, she said. "When a bill like this comes forward, it is another reason to bring shame to the issues felt across our province and your country," she said. "By not supporting this bill, what you are saying is that lives dont matter." People who overdose on substances are not remembered by name, just a number, she said. Even in Brandon, Longstreet has heard of and from many people who are dealing with substance disorders but are afraid to come forward due to the stigma and risk of being judged as addicts or criminals. If the government does support the bill, she said it could be a turning point; the government would not only be assisting the advocates in their endeavours, but modernizing its own health-care system to help Manitobans. The breadth and depth of substance disorders are getting more attention from health officials. Manitoba auditor general Tyson Shtykalo said earlier this week he will scrutinize provincial addictions services as part of a broader review into supports offered to people trying to get help for their disorders. Calling it a matter of public interest, he selected the audit because "problematic substance use and addictions can have devastating impacts on those affected, as well as those around them." The Sun contacted the Ministry of Mental Health and Community Wellness and the Ministry of Justice for comment but didnt receive a response by press time. kmckiney@brandonsun.com, with files from the Free Press Twitter: @karenleighmck1 The war in Ukraine hits close to home for a former Brandonite who has been anxiously tracking her friends escape from Russian attacks in Kyiv to find safety in Germany. Advertisement Advertise With Us CP A deserted street, in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, after authorities declared a 35-hour curfew in the Ukrainian capital. The war in Ukraine hits close to home for a former Brandonite who has been anxiously tracking her friends escape from Russian attacks in Kyiv to find safety in Germany. Olivia Auriat, who lives in Toronto now, has been in close contact with a friend who was trapped in the Ukrainian capital city before she fled the country. SUBMITTED Oleksandra Sabetska fled Ukraine as it was being invaded by Russia. "Its very scary for us, its scary to watch the news and realize this is happening," Auriat said. Auriat became close friends with Oleksandra Sabetska while studying and living together at the University of Saskatchewan. Auriat also had the opportunity to visit Sabetska in Kyiv in 2018. Even after they went their separate ways, the pair has stayed connected. It is terrifying to see the conflicts impact on her friend and other Ukrainians, Auriat said, but she has faith in the Ukrainian people. "Ukrainian people dont give up and they dont stand down in the face of bullies. I dont think this is a people who will really respond to this intimidation and to this warmongering." Sabetska hails from Kyiv. She lived in an apartment in the heart of the capital city, but as soon as the war started, she was forced to flee to a safer location with her parents. Since the invasion began, Sabetska told the Sun, it has been a never-ending nightmare. She was filled with total disbelief as she watched troops invade over the news. Twenty-one days have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine and the death toll confirmed by the United Nations is close to 700, The Canadian Press reported this week. More than 2.9 million Ukrainians have left the country as a result. The first day of Russian attacks was one of frantic and tear-filled phone calls, connecting with family members and friends as they watched in disbelief. "You have to stay strong for the family and friends because panic never helps anyone," Sabetska said. "Its very difficult, and I suppose, the thing that brought home the fact that its really war was constant screaming of the air sirens that told us the bombing [was] happening." She found temporary safety at her fathers house, which boasted thick walls and offered protection from artillery and other ground weapons. Several days into the invasion, she made the heart-breaking decision to leave the country and make her way to Germany via Poland. This decision was fuelled by pressure from her parents to seek safety. "I really questioned my decision of leaving," Sabetska said. "When they are shooting or bombing in the city, you can get to a bomb shelter, to the underground subway station or to some safety. When you are on the train, there is nothing you can actually do just pray." Sitting in the Kyiv Central Railway station, her train was delayed by several hours due to bombing strikes. Military shooting kept the train parked for three hours. When the train was finally able to depart after military forces subdued the attackers, she said, they faced another problem because bombings once again started. "The air sirens were blaring and the train had to move very quickly to get in some sort of relatively safe zone. They told us all to lie on the beds in the train and to cover our heads in case there was a bomb dropped next to us and the windows shattered," Sabetska said. "Thankfully, nothing like that happened." Even if you can escape and find safety outside of Ukraine, Sabetska said, you leave with basically nothing. "One day you had a house, you had a job, you were planning a vacation for spring, you had plans with friends and family, and the next day everything is just gone," Sabetska said. "If you are lucky, you have your emergency bag and a suitcase, because thats all you can bring." Sabetska does not know if or when she will be able to return to Ukraine. She brought some clothes and her laptop for work with her to Germany, but everything else was left behind. Sabetska is now staying with friends in Germany, hoping to one day return to a safe Ukraine. "I really hope that the war will end soon and I will be able to go back home." If the war does not end and it remains unsafe to return to Ukraine, her last resort is to come to Canada, since she has a support network in place, speaks English and has the education to work and support Ukraine from afar. "I came to Canada to get knowledge in order to utilize it to improve the life of my country," Sabetska said. When she returned to Ukraine, Sabetska entered public service, first at a local municipality and later in the Ukrainian parliament. The fruits of her labour, as well as that of other Ukrainians, has been destroyed by the war. She said it has been depressing to see projects flattened by the attacks and years of work and infrastructure development gone in an instant. The Western and democratic world must continue to take action until Russian forces are stopped, she said. Sabetska is grateful for the ongoing support Canada and other countries have provided during the conflict, including ongoing sanctions and humanitarian efforts. She praised the European Union for supporting Ukraine and accepting refugees. "The people of the world should beware of Putin," Sabetska said. "If Putin wins the war in Ukraine, hell come for them they should be very, very, very afraid." ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp OTTAWA - Conservative leadership candidate Jean Charest said Thursday he wouldn't touch Canada's existing gun laws including when it comes to a ban on "assault-style" firearms. Advertisement Advertise With Us Jean Charest in Calgary, Alberta on Thursday, March 10, 2022. The Conservative leadership candidate says he wouldn't change Canada's existing gun laws including when it comes to a ban on 'assault-style' firearms. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley OTTAWA - Conservative leadership candidate Jean Charest said Thursday he wouldn't touch Canada's existing gun laws including when it comes to a ban on "assault-style" firearms. In a wide-ranging interview, he said that when it comes to gun control he believes the focus should be on stopping the flow of handguns coming into Canada from across the border. He pointed to the volume of shootings that have happened in Montreal and Toronto. That's where Ottawa should be spending its time and resources, he said, as opposed to regulating hunters and farmers. "I don't own a firearm, but I've enjoyed hunting. And I think that there should be just a common-sense approach brought to this." Asked specifically about the Liberal government's ban on some 1,500 models of "assault-style" firearms, he said, "I'm not seeking to change the laws as they are." "That's not on my program." Charest's position appears to run contrary to the party's, whose critics on the issue recently called for the ban to be scrapped and whatever money dedicated to it to be redirected to police and border services. A similar opinion was expressed late Thursday by fellow candidate Patrick Brown. "I'm a GTA mayor. From first-handexperience I know the billions Trudeau will spend on taking legally owned firearms is better spent on police resources we desperately need," he tweeted. The Conservative leadership race has revived the question of what firearms owners want from Ottawa, as they make up a sizable part of its grassroots, heavily concentrated in Western Canada. Their related advocacy groups are also well mobilized and are already lining up against Charest. Supporters of leadership rival Pierre Poilievre have also come out swinging against Charest's past positions on firearms. Before the former Quebec premier officially entered the race, Poilievre team member Jenni Byrne slammed Charest on Twitter by calling him a Liberal for having opposed former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper's decision to end the long-gun registry. The Conservatives' interim leader, Candice Bergen, rose to prominence by promising to axe the registry with a private member's bill in 2009. She helped to dismantle it after Harper won his majority in 2011. The current gun-control battle Tories are waging is over a prohibition on what Trudeau calls "assault-style" weapons. The prime minister introduced it in May 2020, weeks after Canada suffered its deadliest shooting spree in history when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 22 people and wounded three others. The Liberals first promised to outlaw firearms like the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14 during the 2019 federal election campaign. "There's still time to change course," said Conservative Calgary MP Bob Benzen. "Bring in measures that target smuggled street guns instead of lawful firearms owners." Recently, the federal Liberals extended a two-year amnesty period for those who own firearms covered by the ban until October 2023, as it works to bring in a mandatory buyback program. "I'm still waiting for any sort of evidence that shows that spending billions to confiscate lawfully obtained property instead of stopping the smuggling of illegal firearms will reduce firearms violence in Canada," tweeted Michelle Rempel Garner, also a Conservative MP from Calgary. Last summer's federal election saw the Conservatives struggle when it came to the issue of firearms policy. Former leader Erin O'Toole courted firearms owners and their advocates through his 2017 and 2020 leadership runs. But midway through the 2021 election campaign, he reversed course on a promise inked into the party's platform to repeal the Liberals' ban on "assault-style" weapons. He tripped up after Trudeau challenged him about the pledge during a live event. After fielding several days of questions about his position, O'Toole eventually inserted a footnote into the platform to say instead of repealing the prohibition outright, he would subject it to a review. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2022. CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Sioux Valley Dakota Nation artist Roland Ironman holds a photo of a bison skull he painted. SIOUX VALLEY Sioux Valley Dakota Nation artist Roland Ironman has a prolific portfolio. People are bound to have encountered one of his logo, sign or mural designs while travelling around Westman. One of his most recent projects has been painting the walls of the new Canupawakpa Dakota Oyate community hall, which have been adorned with hand-painted, brilliant star blankets and significant spiritual symbols after consultations with elders. "We sat in a room and we just talked they talked about what they wanted on those walls, and I just had a notebook and wrote down whatever ideas they gave me," Ironman said. He has emblazoned the walls with bright reds and yellows complemented by rich blacks and whites. He still has some finishing touches to complete, but the project has been delayed due to COVID-19 and bad road conditions. Ironman created the original mural in the old community hall before it burned down in a fire. One of his bigger initial projects was painting the inside of Veterans Hall in Sioux Valley. The hand-painted images include a woman on horseback with a baby, representing the arrival of people in Sioux Valley. The other animal images included are spiritually significant the Buffalo Clan, the Eagle Clan and the Elk Clan. Ironman is originally a sign painter by trade. He learned his trade in the core of downtown Toronto while attending George Mountain College. It was a major change of pace for the young artist, who grew up in Sioux Valley. He ended up in the city after visiting his dad, who lived just outside of Toronto, and his mom, who lived in the core of the city. Ironman said he considers himself lucky because both sides of his family are filled with artistic souls. His father was an artist and his mother was a star blanket seamstress, his older sister creates star blankets and his younger sister creates ribbon skirts. Ironman is a 60s Scoop survivor and saw his family split up, sending the siblings out of Sioux Valley through adoptions. He was the youngest and was taken away from home when he was six or seven years old. Ironman and his older brother were placed on a Kola-area farm. The people they were staying with, who were an older couple, wanted to retire and move back to British Columbia. Because of this, Ironman was sent back to Sioux Valley. "We were lucky we got to come back to the rez here," Ironman said. He and his brother were transferred to the Pratt family, and it became the place that suited them best. They got to stay on a farm, where they worked, driving tractors and combines. "All the fun kind of stuff," Ironman said. "They had horses there too, so thats where I learned to ride the horse." He took to the arts while in grade school and eventually signed up for an arts class. From there, he went to Virden and took another art course. His passion later took him to Oak Lake, and he eventually settled in at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School when it first opened up, and was able to take a two-year art course. Upon graduating, he attended Red River Community College in Winnipeg to try out advertising art. "It wasnt my cup of tea," Ironman said with a shy smile. From there, he went to Toronto and was looking for a job downtown. While visiting, he stopped by a sign shop. They were not hiring at the time, but they told him to apply for the George Brown Community College sign painting course. "I got in, and that was my cup of tea," Ironman said with a grin. Before the course was over, he had already secured a job. "It worked out perfectly." He stayed in Toronto for about 10 years before returning to Manitoba following his previous trail he started in Winnipeg, then Brandon, Oak Lake and Virden before resettling in Sioux Valley. "I came back the same way, just in reverse," Ironman said. He launched a sign shop in Brandon in the early 1990s. He completed countless signs and also took to hand-painting unique designs on cars. Ironman continues to work on signs and other projects, but is making more time to focus on his art and his community. "Im kind of an outdoors camper guy," Ironman said. "I like hunting and fishing Im into archery, too, real heavy, its the traditional archery Im into." He enjoys sharing his skills with others in the community. Ironman recently turned 65 and has been focused on passing down his skills to young people, especially when it comes to traditional archery. He tries to get them out hunting with him in the fall, and they also go down to Rapid City, S.D., for an archery tournament run by the Dakota people. "It is an excellent place to go. I like going to the Black Hills," Ironman said, adding he hopes to return this year. Ironman also volunteers with Sioux Valley Dakota Nations Wipazoka Wakpa Climate Change and Environment working group. "Its a good feeling to know that Im doing stuff for the community," Ironman said. "I try and do lots for my community." ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., introduces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to speak to the U.S. Congress by video at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000. More than a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city and movement difficult because of shelling and other fighting, there were conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. "We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive," Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayors office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand airstrikes. Video and photos provided by the Ukrainian military showed that the at least three-story building had been reduced to a roofless shell, with some exterior walls collapsed. Other officials had said earlier that some people had gotten out. Ukraines ombudswoman, Ludmyla Denisova, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelter had held up. Ukrainian military servicemen prepare to fire salutes during the funeral of their comrades, Roman Rak and Mykola Mykytiuk, in Starychi, western Ukraine, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Rak and Mykytiu were killed during Sunday's Russian missile strike on a military training base in Yavoriv. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Satellite imagery on Monday from Maxar Technologies showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theater spelling out "CHILDREN" in Russian "DETI" to alert warplanes to those inside. Across the city, snow flurries fell around the skeletons of burned, windowless and shrapnel-scarred apartment buildings as smoke rose above the skyline. "We are trying to survive somehow," said one Mariupol resident, who gave only her first name, Elena. "My child is hungry. I dont know what to give him to eat." A Ukrainian soldier looks through binoculars at a military check point, in Lityn, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) She had been trying to call her mother, who was in a town 50 miles (80 kilometers) away. "I cant tell her I am alive, you understand. There is no connection, just nothing," she said. Cars, some with the "Z" symbol of the Russian invasion force in their windows, drove past stacks of ammunition boxes and artillery shells in a neighborhood controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Russia's military denied bombing the theater or anyplace else in Mariupol on Wednesday. This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Mariupol Drama Theater in Mariupol, Ukraine on Monday, March 14, 2022. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces destroyed the theater in the city of Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering. There was no immediate word on deaths or injuries in what the Mariupol city council said was an airstrike on the theater Wednesday. The Maxar satellite imagery firm said images from Monday showed the word children had been written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the building. (Maxar Technologies via AP) The strike against the theater was part of a furious bombardment of civilian sites in multiple cities over the past few days. In the northern city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed amid heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, the local governor, Viacheslav Chaus, told Ukrainian TV on Thursday. Ukraine's emergency services said a mother, father and three of their children, including 3-year-old twins, were killed when a Chernihiv hostel was shelled. Civilians were hiding in basements and shelters across the embattled city of 280,000. This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows burning buildings in a residential area in northeast Chernihiv, Ukraine on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (Maxar Technologies via AP) "The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction," Chaus said. Ukrainian officials said 10 people were killed Wednesday while waiting in a bread line in Chernihiv. An American man was among them, his sister said on Facebook. At least 21 people were killed when Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center before dawn in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Mayor Veniamin Sitov. The region has seen heavy bombardment in a bid by stalled Russian forces to advance. A woman and children sheild from shelling in a school bomb shelter in Sartana village which is under the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic control, 17 km ( 11 miles) northeast of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov) In eastern Ukraine, a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter was also hit Wednesday, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. There was no word on casualties in that strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more help for his country in a video address to German lawmakers, saying thousands of people have been killed, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol, saying: "Everything is a target for them." The address began with a delay because of a technical problem caused by an attack close to where Zelenskyy was speaking, Bundestag deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt said. A picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin hangs at a target practice range in Lviv, western Ukraine, Thursday, March 17, 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth week on Thursday, with Russian forces largely bogged down outside major cities and shelling them from a distance, raining havoc on civilians. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Zelenskyys office said Russian airstrikes hit the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. Emergency authorities in Kyiv said a fire broke out in a 16-story apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket, and one person was killed. Zelenskyy said he was thankful to U.S. President Joe Biden for additional military aid, but he would not get into specifics about the new package, saying he did not want Russia to know what to expect. He said when the invasion began on Feb. 24, Russia expected to find Ukraine much as it did in 2014, when Russia seized Crimea without a fight and backed separatists as they took control of the eastern Donbas region. Instead, he said, Ukraine had much stronger defenses than expected, and Russia "didnt know what we had for defense or how we prepared to meet the blow." Medical staff sit in a hospital basement, used as a bomb shelter, during an air raid alarm in Brovary, north of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) At a Thursday meeting of the U.N. Security Council, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO has verified 43 attacks on hospitals and health facilities, with 12 people killed and 34 injured. Tedros said disruption to hospital services now poses an extreme risk to people with serious illnesses and "the lifesaving medicine we need right now is peace." In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading economies accused Putin of conducting an "unprovoked and shameful war," and called on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justices order to stop its attack and withdraw its forces. Russian law enforcement, meanwhile, announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be "false information" about the war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. A Ukrainian woman reacts as she sits at a refugee shelter in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, March 17, 2022. Poland has admitted some 1.95 million refugees fleeing war and Russian aggression on Ukraine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) One day after Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American officials were evaluating and documenting potential war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Blinken said the intentional targeting of civilians would amount to a war crime and that there will be "massive consequences" for any such crimes that are confirmed. Both Ukraine and Russia this week reported some progress in negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that some negotiators were breaking into working groups, "but there should be contacts today." Zelenskyy said he would not reveal Ukraine's negotiating tactics. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference Thursday, March 17, 2022, at the State Department in Washington. (Saul Loeb/Pool via AP) "Working more in silence than on television, radio or on Facebook," Zelenskyy said. "I consider it the right way." While details of Thursday's talks were unknown, an official in Zelenskyys office told the AP that on Wednesday, the main subject discussed was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral military status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. The fighting has led more than 3 million people to flee Ukraine, the U.N. estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. ___ Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau, in Lviv, Ukraine, and other AP journalists around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Pastor Joel Cauley and wife Mandy with Jason Crabb | Conduit Media / Photos Credit: Mandy Cauley Photography Paducah, KY - Jason Crabb, 2-time GRAMMY winner, 2018 inductee in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and an internationally renown male vocalist, author, actor, TV host, and musician visited Western Kentucky last week to announce his partnership with Relevant Church of Paducah and the Kentucky Dream Center. Crabb along with Pastor and NY Times best-selling author, Jentezen Franklin of Gainesville, GA, and the disaster relief group, Gods Pit Crew, made a significant donation of toys, bicycles, and household items to aid in a Christmas in July event planned for Western Kentucky families in tornado affected counties. Joel Cauley, lead pastor at Relevant Church, is planning a Christmas in July event this July to distribute toys to children and families affected by the tornadoes. He said there would be multiple days planned in different communities so that families did not have to travel far to get donations. This was just an incredible response to the need, Cauley said of the toy donations that arrived Monday. And so now, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of kids [are] gonna get an amazing second Christmas here in just a couple of months. In addition to Crabb and his team helping coordinate toy donations, he is also working with local community groups in long-term recovery efforts to help build homes and build storm shelters at some homes and in some communities to make people feel safe. Its gonna be a long haul, its gonna take a minute, Crabb said.Were patient, were gonna do our best to stay with you and help you provide, and were gonna show you results. Two weeks ago, Crabb performed at the Kentucky Tornado Relief Benefit Concert at Heartland Church. It was at this concert, Crabb said, where he and his team were approached with the idea of assisting Relevant Church with its Christmas in July toy plan. ABOUT JASON CRABB One of Gospel and Christian musics most iconic voices, Kentucky-born Jason Crabb has been honored with two GRAMMY Awards and 22 GMA Dove Awards, the latter including nods for Artist, Male Vocalist and Song of the Year. He is the youngest member inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, and his hometown of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, has paid tribute with a street in his name. Since his first solo release in 2009, he has performed on many of the worlds most prestigious stages, such as Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, the Brooklyn Tabernacle and Billy Grahams final crusade. Crabbs electrifying stage presence, powerhouse vocals and magnetic personality have endeared him to millions around the world through extensive personal appearances, media coverage and social media, including over 20 million views on YouTube. CONNECT WITH JASON: https://www.jasoncrabb.com https://www.facebook.com/jasoncrabbmusic https://www.instagram.com/jasoncrabbmusic https://www.twitter.com/jasoncrabbmusic https://www.youtube.com/jasoncrabbmusic He was also clear that he didnt want to make anything resembling a thriller about the drugs trade. There are no crime bosses, no police and almost no drugs to be seen. That was a very deliberate thing because, at the end of any drug narrative, there are human beings. The main subject of the film is Tylers face: in shadow, drawn with tension or, most shockingly, beaten and bloody. The film was inspired by photography Nan Goldin and a Japanese photographer called Masahisa Fukase and painting. Thats what I gravitate towards, says Blake. I said to everyone when I was making it: Look, I dont want to make a movie about it. I love movies, but I wanted to make a visual document, something that just felt more serious and adult. I didnt want it to feel like an episode in a drama series. Blake and I speak on the phone. From the first hello, there is no mistaking his New Zealand accent. He thinks he has that twang to thank for his comparative ease in dealing with the marginalised young people in his care. My advantage was something I couldnt necessarily control, which was that the people I was dealing with often didnt really have a reference point for me. They hadnt met many New Zealanders, so they couldnt really come at me with pre-conceived ideas. Except one, which was a winner. I remember walking into a room of 18 16- to 20-year-olds, all of whom were heavily criminally involved, he says. They had everything from attempted murder charges to [grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm], and serious drug offences. One of them has unfortunately died now, murdered by a rival gang. It was pretty you know, 18 of them just looking at you. These lads didnt even know where New Zealand was. So I said: Its where Lord of the Rings was filmed. And then they all went F---ing Lord of the Rings! Youre from Middle Earth! Because they all loved Lord of the Rings. He was in then. Whatever was on their charge sheets, they were still kids. County Lines screens at ACMI on April 3 and 16, as part of Dissenters, Lovers and Ghosts: New British Cinema, running March 31 to April 17. acmi.net.au Highlights from Dissenters, Lovers and Ghosts: New British Cinema County Lines director Henry Blake laughs when I observe how different ACMIs program from the British Film Institute called Dissenters, Lovers and Ghosts: New British Cinema is from other festivals of British cinema. No Bill Nighy, no Dame Judi, no callback to the tropes of beloved Ealing comedies: this is British cinema, but not exactly as we know and love it. Yes, theyve put together some really interesting work, Blake says. Ive spoken to a few of the filmmakers. Were all coming up in the industry and I think everyones put their best foot forward. Some of it is quite challenging, but I think were all pretty proud of the pieces. Here are a few highlights: Ear For Eye Lashana Lynch in Ear for Eye. Credit:ACMI Not so much a play as a theatrical collage, Debbie Tucker Greens thunderous testimony against racism takes issues in black history, scrunches them together, smashes them down the middle and sends razor-sharp shards in all directions. Father and son fight over the value of protest; a woman tells the story of her arrest; a student (played by Lashana Lynch, named 007 in the most recent Bond film) burns with anger as a white academic tells her that a school shooting by a white supremacist is not political; a horrific catalogue of segregation laws is read without comment by a chorus of mixed races and ages. Despite bits of newsreel and animation, there is no getting away from the fact that this is theatre something Tucker Green acknowledges by setting most scenes in a borderless black space. Like any innovative theatre, it demands concentration and immersion. For those who commit to it, this is a devastating work: a piece of black history in its own right. Ear for Eye screens March 31 and April 9. Saint Maud Morfydd Clark in Saint Maud. Credit:ACMI Some tried-and-true horror standbys madness, old-school religion and unleashed female desire are given a makeover in Rose Glass low-budget chiller. The setting is the seaside town of Scarborough, which looks less likely to smell of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme than of last nights beer and vomit. Maud (Morfydd Clark) is a palliative care nurse engaged to care for a once-great choreographer Amanda Kohl (Jennifer Ehle), now dying of cancer. Superficially solicitous, Maud gives injections, whips up dinners and steers her charge through physiotherapy routines, meanwhile trying to bring her to the Lord before she dies and the Devil comes to claim his own. Of course, shes wildly delusional. Or is she? Saint Maud screens April 2 and 17. Bait Bait is one of the standouts of ACMIs British program. Credit:ACMI Hailed by one notable British critic as a genuine modern masterpiece, Mark Jenkins account of the clash between fishermen and holiday-makers in his native Cornwall turns a subject usually mined for comedy into a morality tale rich with doomy portent. Martin scrapes a living netting sea bass on the shore at high tide; his brother Stephen has turned the family fishing boat into a touring vehicle for bucks turns. Their old family home now belongs to a relatively wealthy London couple, its new fridge stuffed with prosecco; posh kids pack out what used to be a local pub. It is a familiar enough scenario, made rich and strange by Jenkins use of black-and-white, hand-processed celluloid which inevitably includes flares and scratches and post-synched sound, which gives the dialogue the slightly uncanny quality of ventriloquy. A tragedy plays out, interspersed with close observation of lobster creels and net-mending; it is like a darkroom marriage between a classic John Grierson documentary and the manic fantasy of Powell and Pressburger. Extraordinary. Bait screens on April 10. Mogul Mowgli Riz Ahmed in Mogul Mowgli. Credit:BFI Distribution Riz Ahmed once again proves himself the most powerfully persuasive young actor in Britain in this story of a slam poet felled by a muscle-wasting auto-immune disease. Ahmed, who moonlights in real life as a firebrand rapper, also wrote the script; he wanted to play a character who, like him, experienced a mix of cultures, language and belief as normal. Loading Not that this means he isnt conflicted; Zeds medicated mind swims with memories, images of his family history and mythical figures who mock his polyglot cultural identity as he sweats in his hospital bed, while in his waking moments he does battle with his fathers conservative fear of western medicine. Tanya Horeck, a professor who studies gender and sexuality in contemporary media, briskly listed recent series that have shown full-frontal male nudity: Sens8, Euphoria, Scenes From a Marriage, Sex/Life, Succession, Pam & Tommy, The White Lotus. (She could have added The Leftovers, Looking, Outlander, Shameless, Togetherness, Easy and The Affair, too.) How to explain the onslaught? In interviews, academics and intimacy co-ordinators listed reasons including the ubiquity of pornography; the uptick in queer, female and nonbinary showrunners; the impact of the #MeToo movement; the presence of intimacy co-ordinators; and the need for attention grabs in a saturated media landscape. The erotic magazine for women at the centre of Minx is modelled on real 70s titles such as Viva and Playgirl. Credit:Stan While several people I spoke with unthinkingly used the term tit-for-tat in describing this proliferation, all nudity is not created equal. While breasts are a common locus of desire, a flaccid penis often has a more comic or pathetic aspect. (Theyre kind of funny, Rapoport said.) And current standards permit that only flaccid penises can be shown in any sexual situation. Which means that while naked women have largely been used for decoration or titillation, naked men generally deepen character and drive story. Or at least help to land a punchline. Asking an actress to go topless may seem like a milder demand than asking an actor to go bottomless. But while nearly all of those breasts are real if artificially enhanced, in some cases those penises are not. Most of the ones that appear in mainstream TV or film are silicon prosthetics, and they are often oddly large. Its very rare to just see a normal penis, Horeck said. Enter Minx. Part of the work of the pilot is to introduce Joyce to the world of Dougs Bottom Dollar Publications and the content it produces. Some of this is achieved when Joyce walks into the office for the first time to see a woman wearing nothing but chaps. (And a merkin.) But a lot of that story is told via the montage. Its necessary, Rapoport said. It helps you get into her head and almost takes you on a penis journey with her. The montage allows Joyce to understand the variety and even the appeal of male genitals. Could that journey have been made without nudity? Sure, Rapoport said. I just dont think it would have been as good. To create the scene, the producers contacted agencies that specialise in background actors and asked for men who were comfortable with nudity. Stephen Conte chose to submit. I saw this as an opportunity to express myself in an artistic way, he said. He and the other candidates uploaded explicit photos to a secure portal. The photos were a way to ensure that the mens genitals could look era-appropriate grooming standards have changed over the years. They also helped producers to guarantee a range of shapes and ages and shades. Perfection was never the goal. Once hired, the actors each received a call from the pilots intimacy co-ordinator, Liz LaMura, who talked them through what would be required. When it came time to shoot that scene, in December 2020, the men arrived at the southern California set and were given groovy 1970s costumes. Makeup was applied as needed. I got on my knees to powder penises, Carleigh Herbert, the head of makeup, said. It just was kind of part of the process. When time for the scene came, at the end of a 16-hour shoot, the set was closed, meaning that all but essential personnel were asked to leave and external monitors were turned off. Everyone was very respectful, LaMura said. The men lined up. Some asked if they could have a minute to warm themselves up. (It was cold on the set.) Conte volunteered to go first. Im the first one to show his cannoli, he told me proudly, clarifying that he is in fact Italian. Loading My heart was beating a little faster than normal, he added. So sure, there was a little stage fright. Did I hesitate? Absolutely not. Im a professional. LaMura and the episodes director, Rachel Lee Goldenberg, encouraged the men to perform in character and helped them to relax. We had some fun with the guys, saying, Can you shake it? Can you swing it? Can you dance? LaMura said. The schedule was so tight that the last three men went in together, in KN95 masks, and were shot only from the waist down. Warwick Mudge, 51, describes the Petersham boarding house where he has lived for seven years as a wreck and a hovel. On the flipside, he says, its cheap for Sydneys inner west, the shops are within strolling distance, and the train stations so close you can spit on it. I pay $185 a week. Youve got a room, and no bills. Its very attractive. Petersham boarding house resident Warwick Mudge, 51, says there are few affordable housing options for single men in Sydney. Credit:Dean Sewell Mr Mudge is among residents who have made a home inside one of the citys boarding houses as NSW grapples with a widespread housing affordability crisis. Boarding houses are an unpleasant side effect of an unfair accommodation market, he said. Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley is fighting his 25-year prison sentence over a failed plot to smuggle more than 500 kilograms of cocaine into Australia. In July last year, Nathan and his brother Dru were sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court after a jury found them guilty of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. Nathan, 46, was jailed with a non-parole period of 12 years. Dru, 40, was sentenced to 28 years jail, with a non-parole period of 16 years. Both brothers have launched appeals. Nathan is challenging his conviction and prison sentence, while Dru is only appealing his conviction. Cruise ships will make more than 140 stops at Queensland destinations this year after companies were given the green light to start using the $177 million Brisbane International Cruise Terminal from June 2. Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises president Marguerite Fitzgerald said, after two years of uncertainty she was excited to be in Brisbane on Friday to formally announce the return of passenger ships. Marguerite Fitzgerald announces the return of cruises to the state amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Credit:Matt Dennien Ms Fitzgerald confirmed P&Os Pacific Explorer would be the first cruise ship - with passengers - to arrive at the new terminal. After that you will have 140 calls in Queensland over the rest of the year, all the way up and down the coast, she said. COVID-19 cases have risen in Queensland a fortnight after the mask mandate was dropped, but experts say its not time to reintroduce the rule. The state recorded 7190 new cases on Thursday, the first time more than 7000 daily cases were recorded in Queensland since February 13. Cases in Queensland have started to rise again two weeks after the mask mandate was lifted. Credit:Matt Dennien Mondays result follows cases climbing steadily this week, with 6136 on Wednesday and 5589 on Tuesday. Hospitalisations have started to edge back up, with 263 people in hospital with severe COVID-19 symptoms on Thursday, up from 255 on Wednesday and 246 on Tuesday. Xiao Xiao, a male aged four, and Fei Fei, a two-year-old female, had made a regal entrance to Melbourne. More than 15 security guards, an aviation rescue unit, two police, several zoo staff and assorted media greeted the pair as they were ferried from their jet to the taxi-truck that took them to their new air-conditioned home, where they will be on display from next Saturday. Mzuri the gorilla reclined in his hammock, watching men in shorts laying asphalt around the strange new construction opposite his enclosure. For once, the Melbourne Zoos media darling was taking second place: two of the cutest and cuddliest giant pandas alive had arrived on his turf. Relaxed and inquisitive, their bellies full of fresh bamboo and porridge consumed in a two-hour Sydney stopover, the two furry ambassadors gazed sweetly into cameras, pawing at bushels of bamboo above their cages and learning to deal with the grass flies that landed on their noses. Animation The arrival was the climax of four years negotiations between the Chinese and two Australian governments. The precious pandas, two of only 800 surviving, have been lent to Australia for six months as Chinas Bicentenary gift. It is the first time the pandas have left the Baishuijiang Nature Reserve, and their arrival has been preceded by more than $1million worth of earthworks at the zoo. Mr Denis Crawford, a Qantas spokesman who travelled with the pandas from Sydney, said they had seemed to enjoy themselves in the aeroplane. They were rolling on their backs and scratching their stomachs; very animated compared to koalas, he said. The Curtin Hotel could be protected on the states heritage register as part of a bid by trade unionists to conserve Labor Party history. Victorias National Trust and the Victorian Trades Hall jointly nominated the pub on Thursday for its historical significance to the union movement and as a meeting place for figures such as former prime minister Bob Hawke. Former premier Steve Bracks, then-opposition leader Bill Shorten and Premier Daniel Andrews share a beer in memory of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke at The Curtin. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Managers of the Carlton pub, named after wartime Labor prime minister John Curtin, announced it would close when its lease expires in November after owners listed the building for sale. Beyond that, we have no idea what the developers will have planned for us, the Curtin posted on Facebook in February. New disguised transponder decoys escape the notice of the Ukrainian forces thinking it was unexploded ordnance. The system would allow a gap to fire missiles by fooling defenses against them. It is only one of the weapon systems developed in the modernization of the Russian federation. Kyiv Under Missile Barrage Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the operation that followed a rollout of forces in the borders controlled by pro-Russian provinces. Next came the missile barrage of cities with short-range ballistic missiles supposed to be fired from Russia or its ally Belarus, the Express reported. The projectiles struck their targets in the cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv that most of the time hit. It seems the Russian has a new system that is unpredictable by the west. Russians used their Iskander-M missiles to hammer their target, said US defense officials in the New York Times. The US has yet to deploy an equivalent of the Russian rocket that travels at Mach 6 to 7. Russia has gotten smart by firing decoys using these missile systems not used until now; that send out conflicting signals masking the actual missiles on approach. Russia's Sneaky Weapons The physical description of the devices is a foot long and with a transmitter sending intermittent signals similar to the Iskander. It is deceptively simple that these decoys used to scramble all defenses by giving contradicting signals on the ground level; while lessening the chance of missiles interception by electronic means. It has been found in vast numbers all over Ukrainian targets in the last few days; this disguised transponder decoys tech is stealthy and straightforward. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? According to sources, the locals thought it was unexploded cluster bombs in earlier reports, cited the Telegraph. Experts suggest the method is the first time applied to an active conflict. Former bomb technician and disposal expert, ex-British Army man 'Richard Stevens' said it was the first time he saw such a use of decoys. It is to him a rare chance to see such a weapon. Anti-nuclear weapons expert Professor Jeffrey Lewis from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies; added the Russians are serious now, and it would be something to consider. The US intelligence community is looking at it closely and examining it. The Collective Awareness showed a picture of the decoys to Unexploded Ordnance that is white with orange bases. Intel says the Iskander-M missiles have a middle range of 450 kilometers, in range of the Ukrainian border, and are capable of standoff striking distances. But, those sold by the Kremlin have diminished range to those it was sold to. Decoys enhance missile penetration which is only available for the Russian army's use, not for sale to others. Prof. Lewis remarked the decoys were used as instructed by the Kremlin. Now they are known to NATO. The Russians thought that bypassing defenses allowed their projectile salvoes to hit by using these devices. Although now that it is out in the open, these penetrative aids can be countered. Disguised transponder decoys that confuse the local defense by cluttering electronic systems and sensors give the hypersonic Iskander a better chance of striking targets. Related Article: Ukraine Connection With Russian Gas Shows Another Side of Brussel's Dependence @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. More than 7000 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Western Australia yesterday and there are now 31,211 active cases in the state. Premier Mark McGowan appeared at a press conference alongside Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Perth on Thursday after leaving a self-imposed isolation period following his return from Sydney. He said there were 140 people in WA hospitals with COVID-19, and four were requiring treatment in intensive care. Mr McGowan said a woman who had been living in aged care, in her 80s, has died with COVID. He understood she had been in palliative care. Acting federal Education Minister Stuart Robert has blamed dud teachers for the decline in the academic results of Australian students while praising independent schools for employing only quality teachers and delivering a model example of education. In a speech to an independent schools conference on Thursday, Mr Robert criticised a bottom 10 per cent of teachers who cant read and write as a key reason for Australias plummeting performance in the international education benchmark tests. Acting Education Minister Stuart Robert has unleashed on dud teachers who he says are to blame for Australian students declining academic performance. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The point being, if we can take the bottom 10 per cent of quality of teachers and turn them into the average quality within the teaching profession, we will arrest the decline, Mr Robert said. The problem is the protection of teachers that dont want to be there; that arent up to the right standard; that are graduating from university or have been for the last 10 years and they cant read and write. A key NSW MP would make a ban on gay conversion practices and other polices to end discrimination of LGBTIQ+ people a likely condition of which major party he would back in the case of a hung Parliament at next years state election. Independent member for Sydney Alex Greenwich will propose a landmark equality bill to modernise NSW laws to protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people ahead of next years global WorldPride event and the March state election. Alex Greenwich, independent member for Sydney, with Anna Brown from Equality Australia and advocates. Credit:James Brickwood Mr Greenwich will draw on legislation from other states and territories for the bill, which will seek to ban gay conversion therapy, allow people to transition without surgery and enact other reforms to deal with discrimination. The equality bill will be ready in time for both Sydney WorldPride, when the whole world is watching, and also the next state election, he said. London: P&O Ferries, one of the largest ferry operators serving the United Kingdom, has fired 800 crew members with immediate effect, touching off protests and prompting some of the employees to lock themselves aboard vessels. The announcement on Thursday came without notice, with the company saying its survival depended on swift and significant changes. Workers fired by Zoom message were told that P&O Ferries, which operate between the UK and France, Ireland and the Netherlands, would be run by a third-party crew provider. The Pride of Hull Ferry remains moored at the P&O terminal in Hull. Credit:Ian Forsyth/Bloomberg Clearly, the way that this was communicated to staff was not right, and we have made that clear, said Max Blain, the British Prime Ministers spokesman. Our sympathies are with these hard-working employees affected during this challenging time who have given years of service to P&O. P&O Ferries is a British shipping company and not related to P&O Cruises in the UK. P&O Cruises Australia was once a sister company of P&O Cruises in the UK, but is now part of Carnival Corporation. London: Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed Germany over its policy towards Ukraine, saying the country is being used by Russia to finance the war which has led to mass death and destruction. Zelensky accused German leaders of prioritising economic relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the security of Europe. In an extraordinary speech to the German parliament via video link, the Ukrainian President invoked the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Holocaust in an attempt to persuade MPs to do everything possible to halt Russias invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the Bundestag via live video. Credit:Getty He scolded Europes largest economy for having persisted with the recently suspended Nord Stream 2, a project designed to bring Russian gas directly to Europe under the Baltic Sea, and other business projects with Moscow, saying they were purely economic and not political. London: The entire genome of the dodo has been sequenced, raising hopes that the bird could be brought back from extinction. Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, told a Royal Society of Medicine webinar that her group would soon publish the complete DNA of a specimen in the Natural History Museum of Copenhagen. Genome sequencing tests suggest extinct flightless dodo could be brought back to life, say scientists The flightless one-metre-tall bird was wiped out in the 17th century just 100 years after it was discovered on the island of Mauritius. Not only was it hunted by humans, it also became prey for the many dogs, cats and pigs brought with the sailors as they explored the islands of the Indian Ocean. Fintechs Adatree and Personetics have joined forces to provide customers with comprehensive financial data and key information to brokers. Adatree offers a secure proprietary platform to enable brokers and a wide array of financial services businesses to access consumer banking data to improve their products and services through Australias Consumer Data Right (CDR) regulations. Personetics provides data-driven personalisation, customer engagement and analysis solutions for financial institutions through AI, and services more than 80 bank clients across 30 markets. We know that data is extremely valuable in businesses for better understanding and serving customers with a tailored solution, Adatree CEO and co-founder Jill Berry (pictured) said. However, it is no longer enough to simply provide them with access to raw data as companies now expect data to be categorised and packaged up with insights and advice. Read more: Parpera, Railspay launch Australias first embedded finance business debit card Berry said Adatree provided a turnkey service, giving brokers and bankers access to verified financial data, received in a standardised format from every Australian bank and credit union. Adatree offers an API to brokers, so they have real-time, machine-readable access. Within a second, the broker receives up to seven years worth of data through our platform. It is quite simple, she said. As trusted advisers, brokers can access consented consumer financial data without any new accreditations. Brokers dont just get the raw financial data but get it categorised, so Adatrees enrichment services automatically breaks down the spending and puts it into categories for the broker, Berry explained. This way, they can get a full financial picture of their customer with minimal effort. The partnership will now allow Adatree customers to provide a combination of categorised data and insights to help businesses understand their customers. Our customers can pick and choose the capabilities they need, and it is all accessible through one API. This decreases the time, cost and effort of bringing their customer propositions to life, Berry said. Adatree has access to 98% of the target addressable market with 106 data sources, ensuring a holistic financial situation for customers. Personetics Australian country manager Mandeep Sandhu welcomed the collaboration. The team at Adatree has built a world-class open banking solution, and were really pleased to be collaborating with them, Sandhu said. Now is truly an exciting time for financial services in Australia with the recent expansion of the Consumer Data Right to extend across the breadth of financial services. Data-driven personalisation is a strategic priority for all financial institutions, incumbent, and challenger. The data is available now, with the categorisation feature launching in approximately three weeks time. Fintech bridging loan specialist Bridgit has secured $7.7 million in equity funding to strengthen its buy now sell later product. The investment was provided by OIF Ventures and Perennial Partners to assist in scaling up the bridging loan product and strengthen broker relationships. Bridgit aims to make its partnerships with brokers as simple as possible - brokers can visit the Bridgit website to become accredited with the non-bank lenders in less than 24 hours. The non-bank lender specialises in bridging loans and offers same-day approval to consumers through proprietary technology. Its focus is on assisting homeowners looking to purchase their next property quickly and seamlessly. Bridgit CEO and co-founder Aaron Bassin (pictured above right with co-founder Nick Jacobs) said he was proud of the deal and the funding acquired. The strong demand from investors in this latest round is a clear vote of confidence moving forward, Bassin said. This funding gives us the ability to build out our team and further develop a successful business culture thats ready to disrupt the industry. Read more: New CEO announced at FinTech Australia He said Bridgit appreciated the support from strategic investors which helped the company to scale its technology across Australia. This provided confidence that the product would change the way people financed their next home. Were also continuing to strengthen relationships with our broker partners who have historically struggled to support borrowers in the bridging loan space through traditional lending avenues. The new funding would allow Bridgit to invest in people, product, and technology with the mission of making the lending process simpler and more accessible for brokers. It will allow us to continue optimising the application process, the online lending experience and of course the customer support team which we know is so important in the financial space, Bassin said. Bridgits unique offering gave Aussie homeowners the opportunity to buy their dream home by accessing fast liquidity where they would normally be held back by traditional lenders. The power of our proprietary technology means we can determine a customers equity position through real-time analysis of their properly data, credit history and financial situation. We also offer personalised customer and broker portals which provide visibility of the lending journey and the key actions required, said Bassin. Co-founder and partner of OIF Ventures, Jerry Stesel said the firm was pleased to partner with Bridgit in this latest funding round. They have identified a problem for Australian homebuyers and have developed an elegant and effective solution, he said. Scans reveal hidden voids inside the structure of the ancient Pyramid of Giza that are under speculation as to what they remain a total mystery for now. Ultra-modern scanning equipment that measures cosmic rays determined the spaces inside the structure. Pyramids are still enigmas because of the superficial data on them, and much is still unknown. Voids in the Pyramid of Giza Based on scans done before by scientists who identified the two biggest voids above the grand gallery, it is a passage that might be connected to the chamber of the pharaoh Khufu, 98 feet long and 20 feet in height as calculated from earlier data, reported Sciencealert. Archeologists speculate what is there, either one large section or small room. Another is to discover what they are for, hoping that it leads to Khufu's burial chamber. But at the least, the mysterious space is connected to the construction of the ancient pyramid. Built-in the reign of the pharaoh Khufu from 2551 BCE to 2528 BCE (before the common era), one of the largest pyramidal structures of ancient Egypt cited by Live Science as a survivor of the first civilization in the past. In 2015 and 2017, Scan Pyramids would do a series of tests that examined muons of cosmic rays that pelt earth regularly. These rays would see inside the tomb, and in 2017 they hit the jackpot. "Scan Pyramids" project A new group intends to analyze the hidden voids in the Great Pyramid of Giza, this time with much more advanced equipment that should study muons in considerable detail than before. Read also: Joe Biden Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is the 46th President of the United States? Muons are negative-charged elementary particles produced when cosmic rays impact atoms enter the atmosphere. Most of these high-energy particles constantly pelt earth without harm due to their interaction with the material they encounter. So they use the muons to map areas of the pyramid getting drenched in them; not all areas of Khufu's pyramid cannot be accessed physically. The scientist got a preprint on arXiv that outlines a telescope with 100 time-sensitivity compared to the last scans made. But it has not been reviewed by their other colleagues with the same specialty. Due to the size of the muon detectors, they cannot be carried into the pyramid; and move slowly on the exterior. Though a stodgy and slow process, it will collect more data and improve what is known about these anomalies. The detector will measure the variance of the returned radiation to see if it's empty or full of treasures, for example, pottery, stone, wood. According to Alan Bros, who works at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, there has been approval from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to continue their work on the scans, but more endowments are needed for the project. If the scientists get the money from sponsors needed to build the detector, it will be completed in two years. Prototyping and testing are crucial to the expensive project. It will take another year to do the scans when ready. But two to three years in the optimal time needed for best reading. Detection of these hidden voids is a breakthrough for the Pyramid of Giza that stood in the dawn of civilization; and a key to the mystery of Ancient Egypt. Related Article: Headless Ancient Egyptian Bronze Statue Mystery Might be Solved After Several Thousand Years by Archaeologists @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. has signed a pact with Asset Management to sell 25 per cent stake in its packaging films business that will be hived off as a separate unit as part of the Rs 2,000-crore transaction. The proposed investment, which values the hived off entity at Rs 8,000 crore, will be carried out through Brookfield's Special Investments programme and with its institutional partners, and said in separate statements on Thursday. The transaction will result in carving out the packaging films business, which generates as much as 85 per cent of its total revenue, into a wholly-owned subsidiary in which will hold a 25 per cent stake. Jindal Poly Films will continue to own its non-woven business unit and other corporate assets, the statement added. The structured equity investment consists of issuance of compulsory convertible preference shares and equity shares of the new subsidiary, giving Brookfield a 25 per cent stake and downside protection through a ratcheted equity structure tied to financial performance. Brookfield has also entered into an investor rights agreement with the investee company. "The transaction is a testament to our leadership position and growth potential," said Vinod Kumar Gupta, chief executive of Jindal Poly Films. "We aim to help the company maintain its strong track record of growth," said Dev Santani, managing director at Brookfield Special Investments, which is sector-agnostic and invests in large-scale, non-control investments where it can provide capital and be a strategic partner to leading . The transaction, advised by global investment bank Rothschild on the sell-side, is subject to customary approvals and is expected to close during the first half of fiscal 2023. Jindal Poly Films is a leading manufacturer of flexible plastic films for the packaging industry and non-woven fabrics products, which plays an essential role in the preservation and hygiene of products in different sectors such as food and healthcare. It runs the world's largest single-location integrated plant in this segment in Nashik in Maharashtra. Its products are used in packaging for food, cosmetics, pharma, labels, tapes, and various other industrial segments. It also provides non-woven fabrics that find application in hygiene, baby diapers and other medical applications. (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.) Limited (JFPL) announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement for the sale of a minority stake in its packaging business to Brookfield Asset Management in a Rs 2,000 crore deal. The transaction will result in JPFL carving out its packaging business, which generates approximately 85 per cent of its total revenue, into a wholly-owned subsidiary in which BSI will hold a minority stake. JPFL will continue to own its non-woven business unit and other corporate assets. The structured equity investment in JPFL consists of compulsory convertible preference shares and equity shares of the new subsidiary, giving BSI a 25 per cent stake and downside protection through a ratcheted equity structure tied to financial performance. BSI has also entered into an investor rights agreement. "We are proud to enter a strategic partnership with a large global investor such as Brookfield. Having access to their international network greatly broadens our horizons. The transaction is a testament to JPFL's leadership position and growth potential," stated Vinod Kumar Gupta, Chief CEO, JPFL. "Brookfield's presence on the board of this new subsidiary will also facilitate benchmarking to international governance standards and best practices, he added. "We are pleased to partner with JPFL, India's leading manufacturer of flexible plastic films for the packaging industry, which plays an essential role in the preservation and hygiene of products in different sectors such as food and healthcare. In partnership with Jindal, we aim to help the company maintain its strong track record of growth," commented Dev Santani, MD, BSI, a special investment programme of Brookfield. "BSI is sector agnostic and invests in large-scale, non-control (minority) investments where we can provide capital and be a strategic partner to leading . We intend to continue to scale our BSI investments in India and be a partner of choice," added Santani. The transaction is subject to customary approvals and is expected to close during the first half of fiscal year 2023. Investment bank Rothschild is the sell side investor for the transaction. (DCI) on Thursday signed a historic ship building agreement for the first 'make in India' project for construction of a high-capacity dredger at the Limited (CSL). The agreement is for constructing the first beagle series 12 trailing suction hopper dredger, an official statement said. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of Ports Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said his ministry is noting the importance of dredging for operation of ports and has issued dredging guidelines for major ports. Sonowal said sufficient dredgers are of utmost importance for timely completion of dredging and the new vessels would be able to bring in the much needed efficiency in operations. He said the dredger to be built under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' concept is one of the largest such initiatives and is a true reflection of international collaboration for Make in India. Appreciating the initiatives of Limited in technologically high-end vessel building segment, the minister stated this new dredger construction project is another major step for CSL in this direction which allows the company to leverage its technological prowess and prepare the ground to 'make in India for the world'. DCIL is a listed dredging company with majority of its shares held by a consortium of four major port authorities -- Port, Paradip Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Deendayal Port. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a major push towards the Centres Make in India initiative, of India and on Thursday signed an agreement to build Indias first domestically-manufactured high-capacity dredger. The 12,000-cubic metre trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), which is being built at a cost of Rs 920 crore, will be delivered in 34 months. The DCI Dredge Brahmaputra vessel, which is to be used for desilting water bodies at a large scale, will be instrumental in facilitating the smooth mobility of both freight and passenger vessels, Union Minister of Ports Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said at the signing ceremony. Dredging Corporation, an erstwhile central government-owned company, was disinvested to four state-owned major ports in 2019. Till now, we had to import these dredgers from a Dutch firm IHC Holland which has a monopoly in this market. With the making of this dredger, we are foraying into building a full-scale dredger manufacturing ecosystem. The long-term aim is to be self-reliant in manufacturing, a senior ministry official said, adding that production opportunities can open up for several private players in the future. With the embassies of India and the Netherlands involved in the negotiations, IHC Holland will be providing the basic design and technical know-how for the project. As the economy grows, we need to incorporate more dredgers in the maritime ecosystem, Sonowal said. He said this project is also a beneficiary of the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy, which subsidises manufacturing for shipyards by up to 17 per cent of the contract value, actual payments received, or fair price, whichever is the lowest. Sonowal said the move would significantly help in achieving the Maritime India Vision 2030, which envisages investments upwards of Rs 3 trillion in Indian ports and a potential unlocking of more than Rs 20,000 crore of revenue. Over the past 40 years, has imported its entire fleet of 10 TSHDs and two cutter suction dredgers. The cost of an imported TSHD comes around Rs 1,000 crore. While the cost of importing vis-a-vis manufacturing is largely similar, we save valuable foreign exchange and generate growth opportunities for the micro small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector by making it in India, the official said. Chairman & Managing Director Madhu Nair said the lack of price differential is on account of the novelty of the project. He said that as the scale of production increases, the manufacturing cost of the dredger is likely to come down. Dredging is the process of desilting river bodies, or removal of soil, mud, and dirt at the shores or the bottom. In the absence of dredging, vessels could be stuck at shore or face mobility issues, causing significant delays in movement. Currently, 70 per cent of our dredging requirement is for maintenance dredging (maintaining water bodies previously dredged), while the rest accounts for capital dredging (desilting for new projects), Inland Waterways Authority of India Chairman Sanjay Bandopadhyaya said, adding that it is expected to double by 2030. It is the first of the two vessels that the central government envisages in the next four years. Well do an evaluation after the first two are built, and well take our next steps based on the demand and supply, said another senior government official, adding that there are no other immediate or medium-term targets for domestic production of dredgers. Realty firm Ltd on Thursday said it has sold 855 homes worth Rs 1,650 crore within a year of the launch of its project Godrej Woods in . This includes sales of Rs 509 crore in March 2021 and Rs 1,141 crore so far in FY22, the company said in a statement. The project is located in - Sector 43. Mohit Malhotra, MD & CEO, Godrej Properties, said, " is an important market for us, and we will look to sustain and build on this momentum in the years ahead". entered the NCR Market in 2010 and has, until now, added 18 residential, commercial and township projects across five cities, with seven projects having already been delivered and 11 in various stages of development. Earlier this week, bought about 50 acres of land parcel at Sonipat in Haryana for plotted development as part of its plan to expand business across major cities. The Mumbai-based firm did not disclose the deal value and the seller's name. This is the second major land deal by Godrej Properties in the Delhi-NCR area. In February 2020, it had acquired a nearly 27-acre land parcel in the national capital for Rs 1,359 crore to develop a luxury housing project. (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.) Indias second largest hospital chain Bangalore headquartered is planning to offer patient monitoring technology after someone is discharged from the hospital after a serious intervention, like a surgery. Even after someone is discharged after a cardiac surgery, the hospital continues to monitor his vitals and nudges the patient for medicine and exercise regimen compliance now using Google-Cloud and Fitbits wearable technology. This would be done for a period of two to three months, and Manipal says that the pilot has shown that it improves recovery time for patients. With 7600 beds across 27 hospitals, Manipal aims to serve at least 7000-8000 patients a year through this tech-intervention. Claiming this to be the first such initiative in the country, Manipal Hospitals, which plans to offer this as a part of its overall services strategy, said that the service would be voluntary for its patients and offered free of cost for the time-being. One has to return the fitbit wearable device after the 3-month monitoring period. Manipal is buying these devices and a backend team would monitor the vitals of the patient through the mobile application. The only requirement from the patient side is that he or she needs to have a smart-phone and has to sync the app with the device thrice a day. The technology would not only monitor his vitals like pulse rate, oxygen saturation, ECG, movement etc, but would also give a reminder when one needs to take his or her daily medicines, thereby ensuring higher compliance, explained Dilip Jose, MD and CEO, . We have seen that patients with knee replacement surgeries recover about two weeks faster once discharged from the hospital who are using this intervention. Doctors can monitor the vitals of a post cerebral stroke patient, and call him back to the hospital if needed. The system gives an alarm at the back-end if the patient vitals are not as desired, he added. Jose added that this is a strategic partnership with ConnectedLife built with Google Cloud and Fitbit. It would be used primarily to stay connected with patients post surgeries like total knee replacement, angioplasty, cardiac bypass surgery, and other high-risk surgeries. & Housing Finance Ltd (PCHFL) has partnered with India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation to offer ranging from Rs 5-75 lakh to salaried and non-salaried customers. Under this arrangement, India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC) will provide guarantee on a part of the loan so that it is secured in case of a default. The housing finance company aims to generate 10-12 per cent of its business from this partnership by the end of FY23, PCHFL said in a statement on Wednesday. The product 'Gruh Setu Home Loan' aims to cater to the aspirational needs of salaried and self-employed customers across geographies. It is designed to extend loans to individuals who receive salary by bank or cash, pensioners, employees of proprietorships and partnership firms. It will also cater to self-employed professionals like doctors or architects, small business owners, proprietors and partners of partnership firms. PCHFL, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises, said the partnership with IMGC will enable the company to deepen its offering through over 300 branches across the country. Under this product, PCHFL will offer ranging from Rs 5-75 lakh for tenures up to 25 years at highly affordable rates, the company said. IMGC is India's first and only the mortgage guarantee company. "Piramal's affordable housing solutions are targeted towards the unserved and underserved customers of Bharat. While we have designed specific products to serve this population, there is a segment that is presently credit unviable," Jairam Sridharan, Managing Director, PCHFL, said. With the acquisition of DHFL, PCHFL is one of the leading players in the retail lending segment with access to over 1 million (10 lakh) lifetime customers, presence in 24 states with a network of over 300 branches, the company stated. PCHFL plans to expand its operations to about 1,000 cities, with physical presence in about 500-600 cities, over the next three years. The company leverages the 'phygital' lending platform driven by Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), including the new mobile app, it said further. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's Ltd, operator of the world's biggest refining complex, may avoid buying Russian fuels for its plants following Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, a senior company official said. "Even if we can source some of the feeds (from Russia), probably we will be out of it because of the sanctions," Rajesh Rawat, senior vice president and business head cracker, told an industry event on Wednesday. Reliance buys Urals crude and straight run fuel oil for its refineries from . The private refiner mostly buys its petrochemical feedstock from the Middle East and the United States. Sanctions on have prompted many and countries to shun its oil, depressing Russian crude to record discount levels. Rawat said in India most of the oil supplies from are going to the state-run . "So probably, those feed streams will still continue, or may have a lesser impact compared to the private sector players. Because we deal with banks, and also even if we can source some of the feeds (from Russia), probably we will be out of it because of the sanctions," Rawat told the Asia Refining and Petrochemical Summit. Since Russia's invasion of began on Feb. 24, India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp has bought 3 million barrels of Russian Urals crude and Hindustan Petroleum has bought 2 million barrels of the oil through tenders. (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.) Japan and US Marines Corps participate in joint combat drills to improve interoperability of the forces and overall cooperation. The Indo-Pacific sees increased activity as Beijing and Moscow agree on a common goal to counter the alliance of the US with the Pacific nations. In Europe, Russia is engaged in a land war to free provinces that want to secede from Kyiv; likewise, Taiwan does not want to reunite with mainland China. Japa, the US Conduct Joint Drills Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping face a familiar foe, the USA, which is potentially complex despite weak leadership. Since Tuesday, Washington and Tokyo have been practicing airborne landing and combat drills. The US-Japan forces will need to face off with Russian-Chinese forces if the war reaches the Indo-Pacific, reported the Epoch Times. Drills were done close to Mt. Fuji with a three-week schedule to exercise the involved units, about 400 soldiers from Japan-based Japan's Amphibious Rapid Development Brigade. They joined 600 unit-strong Marines Corps from Okinawa; they used the tilt-rotor Osprey as their chosen transport in the brigade drills, cited Express and Star. Col. Masashi Hiraki of Japan's Amphibious Rapid Development Brigade remarked that they are committed to securing peace and stability in the region through Japan-U.S. joint responses. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit's commanding officer, Col. Michael Nakonieczny, said the forces are "working across all sectors to achieve the impacts that are required for success" on the battlefield. Japan and US Marines Corps ramps up joint combat drills to pressure China over its sovereignty to large swaths of the South China Sea. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? Japan Monitors Passing Russian Naval Ships China has increased its military involvement in the South China Sea and launched numerous incursions into the East China Sea, including the Senkaku Islands. Japan had mostly administered the Senkaku Islands from 1895, but Beijing began asserting its claims to the islands in the 1970s, dubbing them the Diaoyu Islands. Russia's marine activity, as well as its collaboration with China, is expanding. The Japan Times reported last Tuesday that the Japanese navy identified six Russian naval ships crossing through the Soya Strait that divides Japan's northern island of Hokkaido with Russia's Sakhalin Island around midnight late Sunday. Japan's government has communicated with Russia about the incident, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, and also is constantly monitoring the situation. He added that From February, the Russian military has been performing large-scale naval maneuvers in the Sea of Okhotsk and other locations in conjunction with Moscow's incursion of Ukraine, and the six warships are thought to have participated in the drills. On March 11, the military detected ten Russian navy ships passing through the Tsugaru Strait, linking Japan's main island of Honshu to Hokkaido prefecture. Last week, Russia, remarked Matsuno, fired a land-to-air missile on the Moscow-controlled Kuril Islands that Japan also claims. The two countries could not sign a peace treaty due to a disagreement over the territories Moscow annexed somewhere at the end of World War 2. Both Japan and US Marines Corps conducted the joint combat drills as activity from China and Russia increased after the Ukraine incursion that is raising tension everywhere. Related Article: Russia Has Supersonic Bomber That Can Actualize Vladimir Putin's Nuclear War Threats @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. state government-run power utility, Tangedco has signed deals with Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Corporation of India Ltd and Power Trading Corporation of India Ltd for procurement of 2,900 MW of power. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was present during the power purchase agreement, Tangedco said in a statement. State Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji told IANS that Tangedco has signed the power purchase agreement to meet the demand-supply gap. He also said that power purchase agreements have been signed at much lower rates than the previous governments. The state has an average demand of 15,000 MW per year and the peak demand during summer is estimated to be 17,000 MW of power. Senthil Balaji said that the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) would provide 1500 MW of power to the state. The power purchase agreement with the Solar Corporation of India is for 1000 MW and is signed under the manufacturing linked inter-state transmission scheme (ISTS). The cost of power is Rs 2.61 per unit and will meet the power utility's renewable power purchase obligation, the statement read. As per the understanding, the Solar Corporation of India will provide power to from next fiscal onwards. The agreement with the Power Trading Corporation is for 400 MW of power and per unit of power will be bought at a rate of Rs 3.26 per unit. The agreement, according to Tangedco is for 3 years. --IANS aal/shb/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President has confidence in Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and believes that he will be an excellent representative of the country in India, the White House said Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki exuded confidence that the Senate would soon confirm his nomination as the US Ambassador to India, which has been put on hold by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. "He (Grassley) can't actually prevent a vote from moving forward on the floor. I mean, he can convey his opposition, as is the right of any Senator. But Mayor Garcetti is out of committee, and we're hoping to see a vote on the Senate floor soon," she told reporters at her daily news conference. "The President has confidence in Mayor Garcetti and believes he'll be an excellent representative in India, she said in response to a question. "It is critical, of course, that we have confirmed leadership at all of our embassies, including India, and we urge the Senate to confirm him as quickly as possible," Psaki said. In a notice to the Senate on March 10, Grassley said he intends to object Garcetti's nomination to be Ambassador to . "I will object because I have received numerous credible allegations from multiple whistleblowers alleging that Mr. Garcetti, while mayor of Los Angeles, had knowledge of sexual harassment and assaults allegedly committed against multiple city employees and their associates by his close adviser and that he ignored the misconduct," Grassley said. "The allegations involving the mayor's office have been the subject of public reporting and a purportedly independent investigation. However, serious questions remain regarding the alleged misconduct, as well as the mayor's knowledge of that misconduct," he said. "First, whistleblowers who have spoken with my office have not previously spoken to the Foreign Relations Committee and are presenting new allegations that must be fully investigated. Second, the investigation of the Los Angeles mayor's office reportedly found no wrongdoing by the mayor or his staff," said the Republican Senator from Iowa. However, information provided by multiple whistleblowers strongly suggests that this investigation was incomplete at best. The extent to which the investigation was truly independent is also not clear, and the report has not been made public, he said. "The owes it to the Republic of to send them a qualified Ambassador that will represent the values of the . Mayor Garcetti may very well be fully qualified, but at this time, the Senate needs to look into these allegations further," Grassley said. However, the White House on Wednesday exuded confidence that Garcetti would soon be confirmed by the US Senate. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) has cut short the mandatory quarantine period for recovered COVID-19 patients to save medical resources for severe cases, as the country battles a two-year high in fresh infections. Reviewing China's attempts to contain the fresh spread of the pandemic during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the ruling Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping urged swift containment of the spread of the COVID-19. Since the COVID-19 response measures were enforced on a regular basis, has effectively responded to regional cluster infections and provided the best protection for people's lives and health as it can, Xi was quoted as saying by the official media. The country's economic performance and COVID-19 response - both it led the world in - fully demonstrated its strength and capacity in epidemic prevention and control, he said, stressing on the advantages of the Chinese Communist Party's leadership and the socialist system. "Victory comes from perseverance," Xi said. He asked all departments and regions to prepare for complexity and difficulty in COVID-19 response at home and abroad, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, in a major adjustment to its anti-pandemic plan augmented its COVID-19 testing capability by approving rapid self-test kits to curb outbreaks in a faster and scientific manner as daily local cases went up to a two-year high in the last few weeks. Zhang Wenhong, head of the Centre for Infectious Diseases with the Shanghai-based Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, said the plan has been revised to optimise medical resources management. He said the country aims to employ "three weapons" to tackle COVID-19: high vaccination rate, effective medications to treat the virus, and abundant medical resources for emergencies, state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) reported. China's National Health Commission has released the revised plan, which calls for only quarantining mild cases instead of admitting them in the hospital unless the conditions worsen. Recovered patients are now only required to monitor their health in a seven-day home quarantine besides taking a COVID-19 test after leaving hospital, Zhang said. Previously, a 14-day quarantine at designated places was mandatory. On Thursday, China reported more than 2,400 local infections 1,226 people with symptoms and 1,206 without compared to about 3,000 cases the day before. The cases were found across the country but most were in the province of Jilin, the epicentre of the new outbreak. It recorded 742 locally transmitted cases and 415 asymptomatic infections, making up nearly half the national total. More than a dozen other provincial-level regions also saw new locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections, including Beijing, with four cases, according to the commission. Officials in China's southern industrial hub Shenzhen which was closed for the past few days following a spike in cases said the outbreak appears to be getting under control and they are now looking at ways to get businesses and factories up and running. The city is currently in the middle of a week-long lockdown with residents only allowed outside with a special permit. Shenzhen is prepared to allow business to reopen and resume production as the COVID-19 outbreak appears to be getting under control, the local authorities said on Thursday. Shenzhen reported 71 symptomatic cases and 20 asymptomatic cases, as China logged more than 2,400 local infections nationwide on Thursday. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister on Thursday said the defence needs of India have increased and the country is constantly working to enhance its strategic capabilities. He said economic, political and strategic equations are changing all over the world and major world powers are in a tussle. Our defence needs have also increased and constant modernisation of the Armed Forces is the need of the hour. Keeping ourselves ready is our top priority and we are constantly working to enhance our strategic capabilities, Singh said. He was speaking after inaugurating the seven-storey Flight Control System (FCS) complex built at Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) by the Defence Research and Development Organisation in a record 45 days. Singh reiterated the government's resolve to walk the extra mile to support the Armed Forces, scientists, entrepreneurs, academics, students, farmers and the people at large in their quest for excellence and a happier and prosperous future. Referring to the technical complex, the Minister said it is a unique project not just in the country but in the entire world and is an embodiment of the new energy of New India. This energy is of technology, commitment, institutional collaboration among public sector, private sector and academia and above all of Aatmanirbhar Bharat' as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said. He was confident that the facility will go a long way in bolstering security. Noting that the complex will also provide simulator training to the pilots of combat aircraft, he described it as one of its most important components. The simulators provide an opportunity to learn by making mistakes without the possibility of any kinds of losses, he stated. Commending DRDO and L&T for developing the hybrid technology, Singh expressed confidence that it will increase the productivity of the construction process, promote optimum utilisation of resources, reduce losses due to wastage and will be helpful in speedy completion of projects. He also described the hybrid technology as an important milestone for the construction sector and hoped that in the coming times, India will become one of the leading countries in the field of construction technology. Hailing the DRDO, Singh said be it technology or products, services or facilities, their advanced and faster development is the need for the hour. Singh expressed hope that although the mandate of DRDO is to develop futuristic technologies, its spin-off benefits will be available to the civilian sector as well. Our traditional construction industry is generally considered to be labour intensive, high risk and low on productivity but, the way DRDO has constructed the FCS complex through hybrid technology, our infrastructure projects will be completed in a low cost and time-bound manner in the times to come, he said. Singh called upon DRDO to continue exploring new possibilities in construction technology and contribute to nation building through new innovations. According to DRDO officials, the FCS facility is a building with the plinth area of 1.3 lakh square feet. The FCS Integration facility at ADE, a laboratory of DRDO, was completed in a record 45 days with in-house hybrid technology consisting of conventional, pre-engineered and precast methodology. The technology has been developed by DRDO with the help of Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Design check and technical support was provided by the teams of IIT Madras and IIT Roorkee. This FCS facility will support Research & Development (R&D) activities for developing Avionics for Fighter Aircraft and FCS for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft being undertaken by ADE, Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Secretary Department of Defence, R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy and senior officers of DRDO and state government were among those present during the inauguration. (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.) Punjab Chief Minister on Thursday warned that corrupt bureaucrats would get no sympathy under his government, but also assured police and administration officials that there shall be no vendetta or political pressure on them. Addressing senior officials for the first time after assuming charge as the chief minister, Mann urged them to discharge their duties as public servants in letter and spirit, respecting the massive mandate received by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the assembly polls. According to an official release, the chief minister said his government will not indulge in political vendetta and asked the entire state administration to discharge their duties fearlessly without any political pressure, unlike the earlier regimes. He further said, "I do not keep red diary like the earlier political regimes and have only a green one so you need not worry about any vendetta." Without mincing words, Mann said corrupt officers have no place in his government. "Corrupt officers have no place in my government and if any such complaint comes to my notice, then do not expect any sympathy for such officers," he said. The AAP leader also announced to reward both civil and police officers with 'Best Performance Award' quarterly for making the difference in the lives of common man at the grassroots level besides ensuring free and fair justice to one and all, to boost their morale. He hoped the initiative will motivate officers to perform far better and efficiently. The people who have given us an opportunity to serve the state are the real rulers in the democracy. They have the power to allow the leaders to rule or show them the door," he added. The chief minister asserted that the prime concern for the AAP government should be to make the state "real Punjab", not London, California or Paris. He also appreciated the enormous capabilities and capacities of both civil and police officers. Mann also directed the director general of police to send congratulatory messages to family members of all police employees on birthdays with a sense of belongingness. Reiterating his commitment to make Punjab a model state, Mann said the foremost concern of his government will be to create abundant job opportunities for youth to check the "unfortunate trend of brain drain from our state to foreign shores". "This scenario has even forced the poor and hapless parents to sell their properties for sending their wards abroad for better prospects to earn livelihood," he said. He promised his government will soon come up with a comprehensive action plan to generate tremendous job potential for the unemployed youth. Earlier, state Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari welcomed the chief minister and assured that both the civil and police administration will work in tandem with complete synergy to implement pro-people policies and programs at the ground level. Additional Chief Secretary to CM, A Venu Prasad and DGP V K Bhawra also attended the meeting. (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 the eve of Holi, doctors here have warned that dry colours may cause more harm to the eye as compared to liquid colours. According to Shantanu Mukherji, a senior consultant with the Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals, "Synthetic colours contain harmful agents like industrial dyes and alkalis, which are incredibly toxic for the human skin, especially the eyes. Their use can also cause symptoms like irritation, redness, allergies and even permanent loss of vision in case of severe chemical injury to the eye." "The other thing that causes eye problems is poor hygiene. If one tries to remove colour by rubbing the eye with dirty fingers, it may expose one to the risk of infective conjunctivitis," he added. Talking about skin problems after Holi, dermatologist Amit Bangia advised applying oil on exposed skin before playing . "Use colours made from natural ingredients as much as possible like rose petal, marigold flowers, turmeric, beet root etc. Remove colour with mild face wash and moisturise the skin after cleaning the color," he said. Bangia also said that the festival of involves close proximity in large gatherings, which is a perfect recipe for the spread of Covid. Children who are not vaccinated and the elderly who are susceptible to complications should avoid playing Holi, he added. --IANS avr/arm (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi may visit India soon, a first high profile visit from since border stand-off in Galwan Valley in Ladakh. However, it is learnt that Wang's visit to India is being worked out. Meanwhile, neither the Chinese embassy in Delhi nor the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the proposed visit formally. This will be the first high profile and physical meeting between the leaders of both countries after Galwan clash and the beginning of the border stand-off that started in May 2020. The key objective of Wang's visit is to restart physical engagement and also invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS meet to be hosted by Beijing later this year. It is pertinent to mention that India- stand-off at border is still continuing as multiple rounds of military and diplomatic discussions did not reap results. India has called for complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh at all friction points. Earlier, the 15th round of Corps Commander level talks between India and was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on March 11, 2022. India and China agreed to maintain the security and stability along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector during the 15th round China-India Corps Commander Level talks, said the Indian Army Spokesperson. The two countries carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on January 12, 2022, for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. India and China have been holding talks on the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh area to resolve the standoff. The talks held till now have resulted in the resolution of the North and South Bank of Pangong Tso, Galwan and Gogra Hot Spring areas. According to the sources, both sides will now focus to achieve a resolution of balance at friction areas. Recent statements by both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution have been encouraging and positive in nature. India also highlighted that India-China relationship are going through a very difficult phase and made it clear to Beijing that peace and tranquillity at border are the basis for good bilateral relations. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Thursday hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for inviting the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to attend its foreign ministerial meeting in Islamabad next week. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said New Delhi does not expect the OIC to encourage actors and organisations engaged in terrorism and anti-India activities. At a media briefing, he said India takes very serious view of such actions which are aimed at subverting the country's unity and violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is highly unfortunate that the OIC continues to be guided by a single member's political agenda rather than focusing on important development activities, Bagchi said in an indirect reference to . "We have repeatedly called upon the OIC to refrain from allowing vested interests to exploit the platform for comments on India's internal affairs, he said. Bagchi was replying to a question on reports about the OIC inviting the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to attend the meeting of the grouping's Council of Foreign Ministers on March 22 and 23 in 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.) To make the Investors Summit 2022 successful, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed to invite leading corporate business houses and leading companies of different sectors in the meet scheduled to be held in November this year. Chouhan reviewed the preparations for the proposed meet on Wednesday with ministers and senior officials. He directed to invite prestigious corporate business houses and leading firms in the area of pharma and medical devices, textile and garment manufacturing, agri and food processing, bio-technology, start-ups, engineering automobile and electric vehicles, logistics and warehousing for establishing their units in Madhya Pradesh, an official on Thursday said. The Summit will be held in Indore in November, the official said. The investors' meet that were held earlier has resulted in the enhancement of investment and generation of employment in the state, Chouhan said. He added that he will also take part in the road shows to be held before the scheduled event in Delhi and Mumbai to attract investors. Chouhan might go to Davos and Germany too for staging road shows in May to attract investment in the state, the official said. Before the summit, the government has planned to stage road-shows in major cities like Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad between April and July, the state's Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion Department's Principal Secretary Industries Department Sanjay Kumar Shukla said. The chief minister also requested the state's Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion Minister Rajvardhan Singh and Minor, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Om Prakash Saklecha to take part in the road shows. The ambassadors of the different countries will also be invited to the investor's summit. The state's Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains and Principal Secretary to the chief minister Manish Rastogi, among others, were present on the occasion. (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 decided to temporarily give charge of portfolios held by jailed Minister Nawab Malik to his cabinet colleagues from the party, but the ruling coalition partner will not seek his resignation, Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said on Thursday. Patil, who is also the NCP's unit president, said the party's decision will be conveyed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who, he added, will take the final call in this regard. Interacting with media persons here after attending a meeting called by president Sharad Pawar to discuss the issue, Patil maintained the party will not take Malik's resignation as the latter "was arrested in a wrong manner. The meeting took place at Sharad Pawar's residence here. It was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil and party's senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, besides Patil. Malik, a senior leader, is a cabinet minister who holds minority affairs and skill development portfolios in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government. The 62-year-old NCP leader, arrested in late February by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case, is currently in jail under judicial custody. Malik, who heads the NCP's Mumbai unit, is also the guardian minister for Parbhani and Gondia districts. His bail plea was rejected once again (recently). Hence, the charge of his responsibilities (portfolios) will be given to others in the next two to four days. We have decided to make this alternate temporary arrangement until he is available again, Patil said. He said the details as to who will get charge of Malik's portfolios will be declared after the same is informed to the chief minister first. According to sources, the NCP may give the charge of minority affairs portfolio to Housing Development Minister Jitendra Awhad. The charge of the skill development department may go to Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif, they added. Patil said the charge of Malik's guardian ministerships of Parbhani and Gondia will be given to Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde and Minister of State for Urban Development Prajakt Tanpure, respectively. A formal request in this regard will be made to the chief minister, who will take a final call, the NCP minister added. Patil further said Malik will continue to remain the party's Mumbai unit chief. However, the party has decided to appoint two working presidents, Narendra Rane and Rakhi Jadhav, in the Mumbai unit in view of the forthcoming civic polls in Mumbai, he added. On BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's remark in Nagpur that the BJP will win single-handedly in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Patil quipped, I thank him on behalf of the MVA for saying that the alliance will be in power till 2024. He asserted that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) MLAs will "not break away" and added that the alliance government is stable and there is no threat to it. The NCP and the Congress are constituents of the Shiv Sena-led MVA which came to power in November 2019. Fadnavis, a former CM, recently created a flutter when he accused the MVA of hatching a conspiracy to target BJP leaders and submitted a pen drive as proof to the Deputy Assembly Speaker. Asked about the claim made by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Patil said authenticity of the content in the pen drive needs to be verified. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the Russian-Ukraine war wages, many efforts have been launched to help Ukrainians get back on their feet. Among those is a fundraiser for infrastructure repairs, launched by Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, with a humorous call for donations to send Russian President Vladimir Putin to Jupiter, the largest and the second-least dense planet in our solar system. Fedorov, who also serves as the country's digital transformation minister, tweeted, "Everyone wants Putin to die. Until this happens, we give Ukrainians and the whole world a unique opportunity: to send Putin to Jupiter." He encouraged the public to donate $2.99 to acquire a rocket that will send Russia's top leader to Jupiter. But the donations will be directed for the rehabilitation of areas devastated by the war, as per the Daily Mail report. How Possible Is It To Send Putin to Jupiter? According to NASA, no space agency is presently planning to send a mission with a crew to the giant planet because of its lack of a solid surface. A Newsweek report indicated that Jupiter also releases the deadliest radiation in the sun. Hence, there is a very high risk to put the Russian President on the planet. The "Send Putin to Jupiter" petition, run by Fedorov's Ministry of Digital Transformation, has a $100 million fundraising goal. It has raised just over $2 million at the time of writing. Fedorov twitted the link to Tesla billionaire Elon Musk in response to him challenging Putin to 'single combat,' writing: "We can send him to Jupiter, just in case." The post was flooded with responses from social media users, with one asking: "And what has Jupiter done to anyone to deserve this exactly?" Another user commented support to the idea: "We could sell the yacht of oligarchs and use the money to build them a rocket." Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, and infrastructure and civilian structures have already been severely damaged. Hundreds of people have also died, reports say. Read Also: US Army Fasttrack Development of Light Battle Tanks Due to Increased Threats From China, Russia The Impact of Russian Invasion on Ukraine According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the country's water infrastructure has been badly damaged, with restoration attempts delayed by continuing shelling. The Russian forces' attack on Ukraine resulted in the displacement of around 4.4 million people. Among those who have survived are a substantial number of disabled or extremely ill children, some of whom have been moved for continued critical care shortly after arriving in Poland. Humanity First (HF) sent a first responder team from Germany to the Polish-Ukrainian border on Feb. 27. Since then, they have provided medical and food assistance to Ukrainian refugees with volunteers on rotation. HF is collaborating with UN agencies on the ground, such as WHO, WFP, and OCHA. Other HF branches across Europe have supported with resources, funds, and volunteers. Medical volunteers with experience of working in emergencies from North America and Europe are currently on standby to assist. Ukrainian refugees have also crossed into Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Russia, and Romania. HF is continuing to assess needs in these countries. Related Article: Zelensky Stays Optimistic on Peace Talks As Russian Forces Try To Destroy Ukraine Defenses @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Prime Minister spoke with South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday with the two leaders agreeing to further broaden and deepen the India-Korea special strategic partnership, especially in the present global context. Prime Minister Modi congratulated Yoon on his victory in the recent presidential elections of South Korea, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The leaders agreed on the importance of further broadening and deepening the India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership, especially in the present global context, it said. Modi and Yoon discussed various sectors that offer potential for accelerated bilateral cooperation, and agreed to work together to this end. The leaders also emphasised their desire to jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and South Korea next year, the statement said. Prime Minister Modi invited Yoon to visit India at his earliest convenience, it said. Yoon, a former top prosecutor, has been elected South Korea's president to replace outgoing . (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 Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced on Thursday that it has signed agreements with 35 companies to manufacture the generic version of Pfizers oral Covid-19 treatment nirmatrelvir, which in combination with a low dose of ritonavir can be supplied in 95 low- and middle-income countries. This includes 19 Indian drug makers like Torrent Pharma, Cadila Pharma, Hetero, Biocon, Strides, Glenmark, Emcure, Granules, Macleods, Sun Pharma, and Cipla among others. MPP is an UN-based public health organisation working to increase access to life-saving medicines for low and middle-income countries (LMICs). MPP has an agreement with PF Prism Holdings BV (Pfizer) that grants MPP the rights to sub-licence manufacture and commercialisation rights to sub-licencees in 95 LMICs that cover 53 per cent of the worlds population. On Thursday, Torrent Pharma said in a statement that it would manufacture and commercialise the generic version of Pfizers oral Covid-19 treatment. It has signed a non-exclusive, non-transferrable, non-sub-licensible licence agreement to use the patents and know-how in relation to the compound nirmatrelvir with the MPP for manufacture and commercialisation of the generic version of Paxlovid. This oral therapy is used for treatment and prevention of Covid-19. Pfizers Paxlovid consists of nirmatrelvir, which inhibits a SARS-CoV-2 protein to stop the virus from replicating, and ritonavir, which slows down nirmatrelvirs breakdown to help it remain in the body for a longer period at higher concentrations. Paxlovid is administered as three tablets (two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir) taken together orally twice daily for five days, for 30 tablets. The drug is available by prescription only and should be initiated as soon as possible after the diagnosis of Covid-19 and within five days of symptom onset. Torrent Pharma said it will launch the product after obtaining necessary approval from the regulatory agencies. The Indian regulator had asked companies to conduct local clinical trials, according to sources. Aman Mehta, executive director, Torrent Pharma, said: We are pleased to enter into this agreement with MPP and is part of our continued endeavour to make Covid treatments as accessible as possible to patients. Cadila Pharma, too, said that it will cater to the Indian and export markets for this drug. We are pleased to partner with MPP to make a generic version of the innovative medicine Paxlovid for the global community and contribute towards reducing the health burden due to the pandemic. We reiterate our commitment to make affordable innovations available to the last man in society, said Rajiv Modi, CMD, Cadila Pharmaceuticals. We all know women who log night shifts at the Cyber-hub, Gurgaon or IT hub, Bangalore or a bank office. But, its not as simple as clearing multiple rounds of interviews, and working hard every day at your job. No! In 13 Indian states, women can only be employed for night-shifts if their employers comply with a set of conditions mandated under their Shops and Establishments Acts. These conditions are levied to ensure safety, health, and adequate protection of privacy, dignity and honour of the woman employees. Transport-related conditions, for example, create a mini-inspectorate out of the HR department and the transport service providers. For example, security guards at the office have to ensure that the woman has boarded the vehicle, and the driver has to ensure that the woman has entered her residence before leaving for the next destination. The supervisory office of the company will design the route of pick-up from the office and drop to the employees residence. The routes have to be designed in such a way that no woman is picked up first or dropped off last. States like Karnataka and Telangana also mandate that the movement of these vehicles should be tracked by the control room/ travel desk of the company. Grown women have to bid adieu to their right to privacy to work at night. Lawmakers missed an important detail: what happens in case a grown woman wants to use her own vehicle for transportation at night? No state accounts for this situation, at least not in publicly available acts, rules and notifications. Womens safety is a contentious issue, and any slip-up can lead the company to the courtroom. In the absence of clear directions, companies have come up with their own ways of dealing with grey areas. Conversation with people in the industry suggests that the companies ask the woman employees to sign a declaration that they do not want to use the office transport, and therefore, will be responsible for their own safety. There are also days when you call up a friend to pick you up from the office. While the list of conditions do not tell companies what to do in such a situation, we understand that the companies try to ensure that woman employees are picked up by their blood relatives only. That too preferably from the reception area where the CCTVs can at least capture the person who is there for the pick up. In Haryana, companies have to maintain a boarding register and a movement register. The boarding register records the date, name of the model & manufacturer of the vehicle, vehicle registration no., name of the driver, address of the driver, phone/contract no of the driver, and time of pickup of the women employees from the establishment destination. The movement register daily records the female employees time of pick-up and drop off, their destination, along with their signature during the drop off. One HR officer we talked to, caustically referred to himself as a hostel warden and pointed out the irony of asking your female boss to sign the company register everyday before she leaves the office. Some states require that women can only work at night if they are accompanied by a minimum number of female employees. In Andhra Pradesh, a female employee can work at night only if she is accompanied by four other female employees. In Kerala, a female employee can work at night only in groups of five, of which two employees should be women. Karnataka and Kerala exempt women in managerial roles from restrictions on working at night. It is almost as if the issue of female safety vanishes when women take up managerial roles. We can apply similar reasoning to states like Assam, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh that exempt women working in central and state government offices from restrictions on working at night. We understand that there are law and order problems in India. We understand that womens safety is a serious issue. We also understand that some of these ideas may help draw women into the workforce. But perhaps these options should emerge out of negotiations between employees and firms, without the state's whip. Our research for the State of Discrimination index shows that the State repeatedly mollycoddles adults on the basis of sex. The first-order issue is the way these conditions trivialise a womans agency. To even begin on the second-order issues like the cost of complying with these conditions and the disproportionate burden they place on womens employment would require another article. International Women's Day, 2022 called for breaking the bias. When will we break the bias in our laws to allow women to burn the midnight oil, freely? The authors work at Trayas, a research organisation The has recommended the continuation of on Chinese aluminium foil, used in food and pharma sectors, for five years to guard domestic players from cheap imports. In a notification, the ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has said there is continued dumping of the foil from China, and the imports are likely to enter the Indian market at dumped prices in the event of expiry of the duty. "The authority recommends continued imposition of ...so as to remove the likelihood of dumping and injury to the domestic industry," the directorate said. It has recommended the duty in the range of USD 469 and USD 1,106 per tonne. The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose this duty. The duty was earlier imposed by the ministry in May 2017. Hindalco Industries, Raviraj Foils, Jindal India jointly filed an application before the DGTR for the initiation of sunset review investigation concerning imports of 'Aluminium Foil 5.5 Micron to 80 Micron' originating in or exported from China. The applicants sought the continuation of the . The request was based on the ground that the expiry of the anti-dumping duty was likely to result in continuation/recurrence of dumping of the foil and consequent injury to the domestic industry, the notification has said. In international trade parlance, dumping happens when a country or a firm exports an item at a price lower than the price of that product in its domestic market. Dumping impacts the price of that product in the importing country, hitting the margins and profits of manufacturing firms. According to global trade norms, a country is allowed to impose tariffs on such dumped products to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers. The duty is imposed only after a thorough investigation by a quasi-judicial body, such as DGTR, in India. Imposition of anti-dumping duty is permissible under the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime. India and China are members of this Geneva-based organisation, which deals with global trade norms. China is a key trading partner of India. The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Nidhi Verma and Alasdair Pal NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India will study the impact of Western sanctions against Russia while devising a payment mechanism to settle its trade with Moscow, the finance ministry said on Thursday. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, prompting a barrage of sanctions that have limited Russia's ability to do business in major currencies and hit several of its banks and state-owned enterprises. "We will await details of any unilateral sanctions. The exact details to examine their impact on our economic exchanges with Russia," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a conference. Russia's exported $6.9 billion worth of goods to India in 2021, mainly mineral oils, fertilisers and rough diamonds, while India's exports totaled $3.33 billion, mainly pharmaceutical products, tea and coffee. Bagchi said a number of countries mainly in Europe were buyers ofRussian oil and India, the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer, was always exploring all possibilities in the global energy markets to meet its oil demand. India covers only a fraction of its oil needs with imports from Russia and is exploring trade settlement mechanisms including using Indian currency or rupee-rouble system as Moscow offers crude and other commodities at a discounted rate. Bagchi said that while India had a rupee rouble exchange mechanism he was not sure if it would be used or remained feasible in the light of sanctions. India has called for an end to violence in Ukraine but refrained from outright condemnation of Russia, with which it has long-standing political and security ties. Under pressure from sanctions, many importers have decided to shun trade with Moscow, depressing its crude to record discount levels, which prompted Indian companies to step in. Indian Oil Corp., the country's top refiner, recently ordered 3 million barrels of Russian oil through a tender while Hindustan Petroleum Corp has booked 2 million barrels for May loading. (Reporting by Nidhi VermaEditing by Tomasz Janowski) (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 National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has come out with the 'on-device' wallet feature for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) users, which will be known as Lite, for facilitating small ticket transactions. This is aimed at reducing stress on the banking system and making the transaction process even simpler. In a circular issued to banks, said, in phase 1, Lite will process transactions in near offline mode i.e., debit offline and credit online, and at a later point, Lite will process transactions in complete offline mode i.e., debit and credit both offline. "Initially UPI Lite shall be launched as a pilot with multiple banks and app providers, and after a due comfort is achieved, the full-scale commercial launch with compliance timelines for on-boarding for the issuers and app providers shall be declared," the said. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its December 2021 monetary policy meeting had proposed the idea of an 'on-device' wallet in UPI apps for small ticket transactions, which will conserve banks system resources, without any change in the transaction experience for the use. Later, the central bank had issued guidelines that the upper limit of an offline payment transaction will be Rs 200 and there will be an overall limit of Rs 2,000 on a payment instrument at any point in time until the balance in the account is replenished. The idea of an 'on-device' wallet for UPI users emanated from the fact that nearly 50 per cent of the total UPI transactions have a transaction value of up to Rs 200. And these low-value transactions utilise significant system capacity and resources of the banking system. At times, it leads to customer inconvenience due to transaction failures. The circular says a user of UPI App will have the option to enable UPI Lite i.e. 'On-Device wallet' on their UPI App. Once enabled, the user can allocate funds from their bank account to UPI Lite. Such funds shall reside with their bank in an escrow/pool/ designated account and such balance shall reside on-device on the common library (CL) of their UPI App. At present, only debit from UPI Lite balance shall be permitted and all credits to UPI Lite (including refunds, etc.) will be processed online in the Users bank account maintained in the banks core banking system," the NPCI said. The upper limit of any transaction done through UPI Lite will be Rs 200 and total limit of UPI Lite e balance for an 'on-device' wallet would be Rs 2,000 at any point of time. Also, replenishment of funds in UPI Lite will only be allowed in online mode with additional factor authentication (AFA) or using UPI AutoPay which has been registered by the User in online mode with AFA, the NPCI circular stated. It is important to note that the UPI Lite balance will be non-interest bearing. Also, transactions through UPI Lite will be done without AFA i.e., the users do not have to key in the UPI PIN. However, it is recommended that the UPI App is accessed by the User with app passcode/device authentication (biometric, pattern, etc.) before performing the UPI Lite transaction, unless the User has disabled the app authentication, the NPCI said. Further, UPI users can have multiple UPI Lite on-device balances depending on the number of UPI apps used by the user to access one designated bank account. And, they can enable, disable and top up the UPI Lite at any point in time and the fund transfer between the UPI Lite and Users bank account will be processed in real-time. NPCI is of the opinion that this on-device wallet feature will go a long way in achieving its pipe dream of processing one billion transactions a day in the next 3-5 years. India announced a USD 1 billion line of credit to on Thursday as part of its financial assistance to help the island nation deal with its economic crisis. After an agreement to extend the line of credit was inked, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has always stood with the people of and will continue to extend all possible support to the country. At a weekly media briefing, he said the assistance will be used for importing food, medicines and other essential items. "India has always stood with the people of and we will continue to extend all possible support at this juncture. I think we are cognizant of the economic difficulties the country is facing," Bagchi said. Visiting Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa witnessed the signing of the agreement for the USD 1 billion line of credit being extended through the State Bank of India (SBI). The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Finance in the presence of Rajapaksa, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Last month, India extended a USD 500 million line of credit to Sri Lanka to help it purchase petroleum products as the island nation has been reeling under a severe foreign exchange and energy crisis. "The USD 1 billion loan facility, which formed the key component of the four-pillar economic cooperation arrangement agreed between India and Sri Lanka during Minister Rajapaksa's visit to New Delhi in December last year, was extended to the government of Sri Lanka for procurement of food, medicines and other essential items," the Sri Lankan high commission said in a statement. Prior to the signing ceremony, Rajapaksa was received jointly by Sitharaman and Jaishankar for bilateral talks, it added. "During the bilateral talks, the two sides agreed to set up a framework for short, medium and long-term economic cooperation between the two countries aimed at addressing Sri Lanka's present economic challenges," the high commission said. Earlier in the day, Rajapaksa met Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh and discussed ways and means to further deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation in the power and renewable energy sector. (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.) firms are ruling the digital payments space in India. Yet, the open architecture of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which helps in instant transfers, limits advantage to them in expanding into other financial services, according to rating agency Moodys. Also, the country's major banks are also intensifying the competition by significantly expanding their digital offerings. Srikanth Vadlamani, a Moody's vice president and senior credit officer, said the UPI's open architecture means that a large user base does not necessarily make a particular service provider more competitive than others on the system. Large private-sector banks and the industry leader, the State Bank of India, have ramped up their digital product offerings in other areas, which their customers are adopting widely. This will help the banks in fending off competition from fintechs outside the payment segment. However, public sector banks other than SBI have relatively weak digital offerings and will be negatively impacted by the rising competition, Moodys added. Further, despite their dominance, fintechs do not have exclusive access to transaction data on the as banks play a critical role in executing transactions. Funds in every transaction originated on a customer app move from the sender's bank account to that of the recipient through intermediary banks acting as payment service providers (PSPs). Therefore, banks, either as PSPs or deposit account owners, have access to transaction data as fintechs do. Rating agency said also, customer funds stay in bank accounts. Because of this, fintechs' dominance in digital payments does not result in a significant data advantage over banks. Banks' margins will come under pressure as many fintechs will continue venturing into other financial services, in particular personal loans and loans to small merchants. However, the overall market will also expand as technology creates more opportunities, allowing banks to counter the pressure on margins with business growth, it said. (AAP) has moved the seeking direction to the State Election Commissioner (SEC) to expeditiously conduct the Municipal in Delhi in a free and fair manner. The party alleged that the brazen influence of the Central Government over the SEC and its flagrant meddling with the conduct of Municipal forms the subject matter of its plea. It said it is raising an important question of constitutional significance in its writ petition whether the State Election Commission can be influenced by an unofficial communication sent by the Central Government to defer Municipal which the Commission was otherwise absolutely prepared to schedule and conduct. Petitioners are exercising their right under Article 32 of the Constitution of India to correct this unconstitutional anomaly and protect the free, fair, and expeditious elections of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, the plea filed through advocate Shadan Farasat said. The ruling party in Delhi said, They seek the issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the Respondent (State Election Commission) to conduct the Municipal Elections in Delhi according to the initially conceived schedule of the State Election Commission, National Capital Territory of Delhi, before the expiry of the tenure of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, in May 2022. It said that cognizant of the attempt of State functionaries to hamper timely conduct of elections to local bodies, Article 243U was introduced in the Constitution of India, mandating the five-year tenure of Municipal Corporations. Section 4 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 codifies this five-year period of operation of the three Municipal Corporations in Delhi, which have been tasked with performing several administrative functions in Delhi. This duration is coming to an end in May 2022. Thus, elections for Councillors are due in these Corporations, the plea said. It added that the SEC of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, set up under Article 243ZA of the Constitution of India is responsible for the free, fair, and impartial conduct of these elections under Section 7 of the 1957 Act. It said that accordingly, the SEC has been preparing for the Delhi Municipal Elections, which it has declared in multiple notices, notifications and orders would be conducted in April 2022. The party said that on March 9, 2022, it circulated a letter indicating its intent to hold a Press Conference at 5 pm, on the same day, to declare the specific schedule of the Municipal Elections, to be conducted in April. However, precisely half an hour later, by way of a press note, it conveyed that it had received some communication from the Lt. Governor of Delhi, conveying that the Government of India was intending to pass legislation to merge the trifurcated Municipal Corporations of Delhi. In light of this communication, the press conference to declare the election schedule was indefinitely postponed; the Municipal Elections consequently being deferred, it said. The plea said, "By being the sole reason behind the delay of the Municipal Elections, the Government of India is very evidently making attempts to buckle the independence of the State Election Commission and stultify free and fair Municipal Elections in Delhi. It added that the AAP party thus seeks to challenge the arbitrary decision of the SEC to postpone the Municipal Elections of Delhi without any reasonable grounds and solely based on unofficial communication from the Government of India. Such insufficient reasons to postpone elections, rendering the conduct of timely elections before the expiry of the constitutionally mandated duration of the Municipal Corporations effectively impossible, clearly hamper with the sanctity of impartial elections and must be immediately stemmed by this Court, it said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has staged a stunning comeback after hitting an all-time low on March 7. It has appreciated 1.5 per cent against the US dollar in the last 10 days to become the best-performing in Asia. In the last two days, the Indian has gained over 1 per cent. On Thursday, the gained 0.61 per cent to close at 75.81 a dollar. This was the first time the closed below 75 since it crossed the 76 mark on March 4. A decline in crude oil prices from multi-year highs, along with the Reserve Bank of Indias intervention, was cited as a reason for the rupees gain. The country is also in a better position among emerging market currencies due to its $630-billion-plus foreign exchange reserves. The primary reason behind rupee strength has been the retracement in crude prices. Brent has corrected about 26 per cent from highs around $140 per barrel seen on March 7. For every $10 per barrel increase in average crude prices for the year, our current account deficit increases by $15 billion i.e. 0.5 per cent of GDP. That is how sensitive our balance of payments is to crude prices, said Anurag Murarka, executive director, IFA Global. ALSO READ: Indices take US Federal Reserve rate hike in stride to rise for second day Optimism about negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, possibility of alternative ways for Russian crude oil to reach buyers, and hopes of Iran nuclear deal being sealed have led to this retracement in crude prices. The central banks intervention in the market was seen as another factor for the sharp rise in rupee. Importantly, the central banks presence in the market has kept speculators at bay, analysts said. Also, the RBI has been present to smoothen volatility. The RBI's presence has prevented the rupee from coming under speculative attack. The RBI is able to exercise better control over the currency with the huge war chest of reserves it has built up, Murakra said. The rupee saw resistance around the 77/$ mark due to strong intervention from the central bank. Most dealers were expecting the rupee to hit the 77 level after the Russia-Ukraine tension escalated. The RBIs foreign exchange reserves of over $630 billion are the fifth largest in the world. Indias international assets cover three-fourths of Indias external liabilities, including debt, equity and all other forms of contractual obligations. Michael Patra, deputy governor of RBI recently said that perhaps the greatest strength of Indias external sector is the buffer provided by the holdings of foreign exchange reserves. The fall in oil from the $140/barrel mark towards $100 certainly takes the pressure off an oil-dependent emerging market economy like India, especially when there were talks of it going up to $200. about China providing regulatory support to affected industries also pepped up the regional markets, said Imran Kazi, vice-president at Mecklai Financial. With sentiments improving globally following peace talks among Russia and Ukraine, the rupee could see some more gains. US$-INR likely to respect the resistance of 77.5 and appreciate back till 74.5 level in coming months despite expectation of a strong dollar as India is in a better position compared to other emerging markets and has significant foreign exchange reserves. Further, market sentiments improved on hopes of progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine along with a decline in crude oil prices, ICICI Securities said in a note. Russian President Vladimir Putin is among the most powerful leaders in the world today. He launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the US, UN, and even NATO failed to stop him from ordering the attack. How did he become a strongman? Here are some Putin facts that are rarely mentioned which can help decipher his character as a leader: From Rags to Power Born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russia, Putin has risen from poverty to become the leader of a Superpower. He took up law at Leningrad State University, then joined the KGB, and ultimately, politics. Putin grew up in a low-income family. During World War II, his father got disabled due to a grenade explosion, while his mom almost died due to starvation when she got trapped in the Siege of Leningrad. His two infant brothers died during the siege before Putin was born in October 1952. When the war ended, his father worked in a factory, while his mom became a street sweeper and test-tube washer to make ends meet. Their family dwelled in a communal apartment with no hot water and was infested with rats. Putin is also a Judo champ. At age 11, he won several tournaments, according to News 9. In 2012, he was awarded the rank of eighth dan black belt by the International Judo Federation, making history as the first Russian to achieve the status. He also helped spread the martial art through the Judo books he has co-written: Judo with Vladimir Putin in Russian, and Judo: History, Theory, Practice in English. Putin joined the KGB as an administrator after finishing his legal degree. Under the alias 'Platov,' he studied at the KGB's foreign intelligence institute in Moscow. He was transferred to Dresden, East Germany, in 1985. He worked his way up through the ranks of the KGB, subsequently rising to the level of lieutenant colonel. Putin, however, resigned from the KGB after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Putin learned the Russian martial art, Sambo, as part of his spy training. Vladimir Putin served as a foreign intelligence officer in the Soviet Union's security and intelligence agency for 15 years. In 1990, he retired from active service with the rank of lieutenant colonel, according to Britannica. Read Also: Can Donald Trump's Favorite COVID-19 Pill Treat Cancer? Study Reveals Its Surprising Help During Chemo! Putin's Possessions In 1983, Putin married Lyudmila Shkrebneva. They have two daughters: Maria and Katerina, who are rarely mentioned by Putin and have never been seen by Russians. The couple divorced in 2013 on mutual grounds, claiming that they didn't see one other enough. Putin is said to have several pet dogs and enjoys being pictured with them. Putin's many photos with animals come in three types: caring pet owner with his many dogs, an impressive animal handler with horses, bears, and tigers, and rescuer of endangered species like Siberian cranes and the Siberian bear, according to a report by History Hit. He also advocates for legislation that improves animal welfare, such as a rule prohibiting petting zoos in malls and restaurants, prohibiting the slaughter of stray animals, and mandating adequate care for pets. How Rich is Putin? Putin's annual salary as President is 5.8 million rubles. Putin's net worth is officially listed as $1,800,000 in a savings account, along with some Russian-made cars and a 16,000 square foot block of land in Moscow's suburbs. He owns a collection of watches worth Rs 5 crore and possesses 43 planes, 7,000 automobiles, and 15 helicopters, including a fancy private airplane with a Rs 50 million gold toilet. Putin owns 95 billion pounds in gold reserves (9,641 billion rupees). This gold is housed in secret locations under strict protection. Related Article: Zelensky Stays Optimistic on Peace Talks As Russian Forces Try To Destroy Ukraine Defenses @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an emotional plea to the U.S. Congress for more military aid, President Joe Biden laid out a wide range of weapons and equipment that America will provide to help beat back the Russian invasion. The new $800 million aid package centers on weapons that the Ukrainian military has already been using effectively against the Russians. And it includes air defense systems urgently needed to defend cities from the overwhelming barrage of missiles being launched by Russian forces. A key element of that was Biden's vow to help get long-range air defense systems that aren't made in America a likely reference to the Russian-made S-300s or similar surface-to-air missile systems which other NATO nations in Eastern Europe have. Such systems are highly effective and can shoot down aircraft and intercept ballistic missiles. A senior defense official said Wednesday that the U.S. will provide the Ukrainians with systems that they know how to use, that they're already trained and equipped to use, and that they are using with effect. Those include air defense systems that allies and partners possess and might be willing to send to Ukraine, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal talks. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be in Slovakia on Thursday and is expected to discuss this issue with officials there. Left off the list for were two things that Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested, but the U.S. and NATO have firmly rejected: Russian made MiG-29 fighter jets funneled to Ukraine via the U.S., and the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine. The West believes that doing either could trigger a wider war with Russia. Stephen Biddle, a professor of affairs at Columbia University, said that although there is risk in providing Ukraine with weapons, it entails less risk than allowing NATO territory to be used for flying MiG fighters into Ukraine or for enforcing a no-fly zone. He noted that Germany did not attack the to prevent tanks, bombers and other weaponry from reaching Britain under the Lend Lease program in the years of World War II. Nothing about the Ukraine war is risk-free -- the issue is now balancing risks that cannot be avoided, Biddle said. The more lethal the arms we transfer the greater the risk, but there is also risk in allowing Putin to steamroller Ukraine. A look at what the U.S. is sending, according to the White House. Newly promised weapons and equipment 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems 2,000 surface-to-air Javelin missiles, which can be shoulder-launched or fired from a launcher1,000 light anti-armor weapons6,000 AT-4 portable anti-tank weapons100 Tactical unmanned systems, which offcials have said is the Switchblade, which is a small, so-called kamikaze drone, that explodes on impact. 100 grenade launchers 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, and 400 shotguns; More than 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds; 25,000 sets of body armor and helmets Military equipment already delivered or promised The U.S. has already delivered or promised $1.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President in a press conference on Wednesday announced an additional USD 800 million in security assistance to Ukraine amid the country's ongoing conflict with Russia. The new security assistance provided to Ukraine includes 800 anti-aircraft, 9000 anti-armour systems, 7,000 small arms such as machine guns, shotguns, and grenade launchers as well as drones and other military equipment. "I'm once again using my presidential authority to activate additional security assistance to continue to help Ukraine fend off Russia's assault, an additional USD 800 million in assistance," Biden said during the press conference as quoted by Sputnik. The development comes a day after the US announced an additional USD 186 million to the war-torn country in humanitarian assistance to support internally displaced persons and the more than three million refugees affected by Russia's war in Ukraine. "This will provide further support for humanitarian organizations responding to the crisis and complement the generosity of the neighboring countries that are welcoming and supporting refugees," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said in the statement. Earlier on Tuesday, Biden had signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2022, which funds the federal government through September 30, 2022, and provides USD 13.6 billion in humanitarian, economic, and defence assistance for Ukraine, Sputnik reported. "We will make sure Ukraine has weapons to defend against the invading Russian force. We will send money and food and aid to save Ukrainian lives. We will welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms," US President had announced on Monday, taking to Twitter. Meanwhile, Biden is scheduled to travel to Belgium to attend an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24 along with participating in a European Council Summit, a White House statement informed on Tuesday. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President has called his Russian counterpart a "war criminal", prompting an angry response from the Kremlin which denounced it as "unforgivable rhetoric" from a head of state. Biden's off-the-cuff remarks on Wednesday was the harshest condemnation of Putin's actions from any US official since Russia launched a 'special military operation' in Ukraine three weeks ago. Previously, President Biden had stopped short of labelling atrocities being documented on the ground in Ukraine as "war crimes," citing ongoing and US investigations. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki later defended Biden and said the president had been speaking from his heart after seeing "barbaric" images of the violence in Ukraine. "I think the President's remarks speak for themselves. He was speaking from his heart and speaking from what we've seen on television, which are barbaric actions by a brutal dictator through his invasion of a foreign country," she said. She also noted that there was a separate legal process, run by the State Department, to determine war crimes - and that was ongoing separately. In Moscow, Kremlin described Biden's "war criminal" remarks as "unforgiveable rhetoric". "We consider such rhetoric from a head of the state, whose bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world, to be unacceptable and unforgivable, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency TASS. Earlier on Wednesday, Biden announced another USD 800 million security assistance to Ukraine, taking the total to USD 1 billion in less than a week. Biden's announcement came hours after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for more military aid in a historic address to the US Congress. Zelensky urged the US politicians to remember their country coming under attack in the past - at Pearl Harbour in 1941 and on 11 September 2001 - saying Ukrainians were experiencing the same thing every day. "In your great history, you have pages that would allow you to understand the Ukrainian history. Understand us now," he said. Zelensky also urged American lawmakers and Biden for more help defending itself, including a no-fly zone and fighter jets. President Biden also spoke about the "appalling devastation" inflicted on Ukraine, including reports of doctors and patients being held hostage in Mariopol. "These are atrocities. They're an outrage to the world, and the world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make Putin pay a very heavy price," Biden said. The United States, its allies and partners, he said, are crippling Putin's economy with punishing sanctions. "That's going to only grow more painful over time with the entire NATO and EU behind us, and many other countries. What's at stake here are the principles that the United States and the United Nations and across the world stand for. It's about freedom," Biden said. "It's about the right of people to determine their own future. It's about making sure Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin, no matter what advances he makes on the battlefield. "The American people are answering President Zelenskyy's call for more help, more weapons for Ukraine to defend itself, more tools to fight Russian aggression, and that's what we're doing," he said. The new security package to Ukraine includes 800 anti-aircraft systems to make sure the Ukrainian military can continue to stop the Russian planes and helicopters that have been attacking their people and to defend their Ukrainian airspace, he said. We are not doing this alone. Our allies and partners have stepped up to provide significant shipments of security assistance and will continue to help facilitate these deliveries as well, the US president 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.) has invited Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to attend the upcoming conference of Foreign Ministers from the (OIC) in Islamabad as a "guest of honour", a rare move to accord this opportunity to a top diplomat from a non-OIC country, The Express Tribune reported. Wang will address the conference scheduled for March 22 and 23 as a special guest. At least 48 Foreign Ministers from the 57-nation OIC have so far confirmed their participation. This is the second OIC meeting being hosted by in three months. In December 2021, also hosted an extraordinary session of the OIC on Afghanistan, the report said. Meanwhile, sources said that Wang, apart from attending the OIC conference, would also attend the Pakistan Day Parade to witness the performance of recently-inducted Chinese fighter jets J-10C into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Pakistan is the first country to get the J-10C fighter jets from China, The Express Tribune reported. The Chinese Minister will also meet the country's civil and military leadership to review the bilateral ties as well as discuss regional and issues. Progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects would also be reviewed during his visit, The Express Tribune added. --IANS san/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The will increase tariffs on stainless steel products from India and after determining they benefited from unfair subsidies, including some from under its Belt and Road investment programme. The European Commission, which conducted the investigation, has set the anti-subsidy duties on stainless steel cold-rolled flat products at rates of between 4.3% and 21.4%, the EU official journal said on Wednesday. They will add to anti-dumping tariffs already in place. Indonesia's IRNC faces a new tariff of 21.4%, bringing the overall rate, including anti-dumping duties, to 30.7%. The new rates for India's Jindal Stainless Ltd and Jindal Stainless Hisar Ltd are 4.3%, taking the total tariff to 14.3%. The Commission said the subsidies took the form of preferential loans, duty exemptions and cheap provision of raw materials, partly because of export restrictions for those materials. also benefited from subsidies to help build up its stainless steel industry from China, which in return benefited from taking up a larger share of Indonesia's nickel ore exports. This is the European Union's second investigation into trans-national Chinese subsidies. In 2020, the bloc imposed duties on glass fibre fabrics and products from Chinese companies or joint venture operations in Egypt. The Commission said that the new tariffs, to take effect from Thursday, aim to remedy damage caused to EU producers such as Acerinox and Outokumpu. "Today we are taking action to counter unfair state-sponsored subsidies in India and that directly hurt our workers and companies in this vital industrial sector," EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said. Indonesia said the findings of the EU's investigation did not take into account arguments and evidence its government had presented during the investigation. That had "clearly proved that there is no subsidy from the Indonesian government to the Indonesian stainless steel industry," said Natan Kambuno, a director at the Trade Ministry. He said the government would coordinate with the affected company regarding the duties. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe in Jakarta; editing by Jason Neely and Barbara Lewis) (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.) Russian forces dropped a powerful bomb on a theatre in the encircled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians were sheltering on Wednesday, Ukraine's foreign ministry said. The ministry said many people were trapped in the theatre and accused Russia of committing a war crime. It said the number of casualties was not yet known. Reuters could not independently verify the information. Russia denies targeting civilians. In Moscow, the defence ministry said its forces had not struck the building and instead accused the Azov Battalion, a far-right Ukrainian militia, of blowing it up, RIA news agency said. Governor of the northern Chernihiv region said 53 civilians had been killed there in bombardment over the past 24 hours. Talks between Russian and Ukraine continue via video link for a fourth straight day. Heavily outnumbered Ukrainian forces have prevented Moscow from capturing any of Ukraine's biggest cities so far despite the largest assault on a European state since World War Two. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and thousands of civilians and combatants have died. Northeastern and northwestern suburbs of Kyiv have been reduced to rubble by heavy fighting, but the capital itself has held firm, under a curfew and subjected to deadly nightly rocket attacks. 21 dead as Russian shelling hits school and cultural centre At least 21 people were killed and 25 were injured on Thursday when Russian forces shelled a town in eastern Ukraine, local prosecutors said. Artillery fire early Thursday hit a school and a cultural centre in the town of Merefa outside the city of Kharkiv, regional prosecutors said in a Facebook post. Of the wounded, 10 people are in serious condition, they said. A photo accompanying the prosecutors' statement showed a building of several storeys that was destroyed in the middle with windows blown out and emergency workers combing through the wreckage. Russians have up to $213 billion stashed offshore in Switzerland's secretive banks hold up to $213 billion of Russian wealth, the country's financial industry association estimates, as sanctions on Russia give a rare glimpse inside Swiss vaults. The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) estimated that the banks hold between 150 billion and 200 billion Swiss francs ($213 billion) of Russian client money in offshore accounts. This indicates that the extent of wealthy Russians' business with banks in Switzerland, the world's biggest centre for offshore wealth, is far more extensive than the on-balance sheet exposures several of its financial firms have begun to detail. The Swiss economy ministry said that it had no meaningful estimates on frozen Russian assets as it tallies reports from banks facing a growing Swiss sanctions list. The Sri Lankan President's Media Division on Thursday denied reports that the Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation had asked the President to remove Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal from his post. Addressing the nation on Wednesday evening, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he has decided to work with the to overcome Sri Lanka's economic woes, reports Xinhua news agency. Following the speech, local media reported that one of the conditions to work with was the removal of the central bank governor, who had repeatedly said that the government would not go to the global lender. The President's Media Division in response denied these reports and insisted that the delegation had not asked for his removal. The President and the government have full confidence in the central bank governor and there is no reason whatsoever to seek his resignation, the Media Division said. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in Libya, R. Madhu Sudan, Counsellor at Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations reiterated the imperative for holding the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the North African country at the earliest. Noting with concern the recent developments and political disagreements in Libya, Sudan said India hopes that all outstanding political issues could be resolved peacefully by the parties concerned, keeping the larger interests of the Libyan people in mind. Moreover, he appreciated the efforts of the UN to form a Joint Committee of representatives from the House of Representatives and the High Council of State to decide on the constitutional basis for holding elections. "Security challenges remain serious in Libya, including reported mobilization of armed groups in and around Tripoli. Priority right now must be to ensure that elections are held at the earliest in a free, fair, inclusive and credible manner," said the Counsellor. He highlighted that there should be a clear message against the violence of all forms that could undermine the progress achieved since 2020. "Sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of need to be safeguarded. The political process must be fully Libyan-led and Libyan-owned with no imposition or external interference," he added. Furthermore, he emphasized the need for concrete progress in the full and complete withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries. "Important for the community to focus its attention on the threat of terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region. It is critical for the Security Council to focus and act upon the growing threat of terrorism in Africa," said the counsellor on terrorism in the region. The Libyan House of Representatives, the country's parliament, on March 1, granted confidence to a new government to replace the government led by Dbeibah. The new government was sworn in on March 3. The House of Representatives withdrew confidence from Dbeibah's government in September 2021 and kept it as a caretaker government. On February 10, it unanimously voted to appoint Fathi Bashagha as the new Prime Minister. However, Dbeibah said his government would remain in office until an elected government is established. On February 21, he announced a plan to hold general elections in June. Dbeibah's government accused the House of Representatives of approving the new government "without achieving quorum" during the session, confirming that it would continue to work and prepare for elections in June. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President set out to finally complete the pivot to Asia, a long sought adjustment of US foreign policy to better reflect the rise of America's most significant military and economic competitor: . But Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine has made that vexing move even more complicated. China's government has vacillated between full embrace and more measured responses as Russian President Vladimir Putin prosecutes his war, making the decisions for Biden far more layered. It's difficult. It's expensive, Kurt Campbell, the coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the White House National Security Council, said during a recent forum of maintaining a high-level U.S. focus in two regions. But it's also essential, and I believe we're entering a period where that's what will be required of the and of this generation of Americans. That leaves the Biden administration needing to focus East and West at the same time, balancing not simply economic imperatives but military ones as well. The president has been deeply invested in rallying NATO and Western allies to respond to Russia with crippling sanctions, supplying an overmatched Ukraine military with $2 billion in military assistance including $800 million in new aid announced Wednesday and addressing a growing humanitarian crisis. Eastern flank NATO allies, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, have made clear to the Biden administration that they want the U.S. to increase its military presence in the region and do more to address the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. More than 3 million Ukrainian refugees have fled their country in recent weeks. Though the war in Ukraine has dominated Biden's focus of late, White House officials insist they haven't lost sight of and are watching intently to see how decides to play his hand. In recent months, Biden has announced the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia and raised the profile of the Indo-Pacific security dialogue known as the Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the United States). He's also called out for military provocations against Taiwan, human rights abuses against ethnic minorities and efforts to squelch pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong. Biden's national security team was somewhat surprised that Pacific partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea moved so quickly to hit Russia with sanctions following the invasion, according to a U.S. official familiar with the administration's thinking. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about private discussions, said there was a recognition among the Pacific allies that Beijing is watching how the world responds to Russia as China calculates how aggressive it can be with its smaller neighbours in the region. In backing sanctions, the Pacific nations were trying to send a message to Xi as well as Putin, the official added. From the first days of his presidency, Biden has said the aims of his China policy are to find ways to cooperate with Beijing on issues of mutual interest such as stopping North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and coaxing Tehran to return to the Iran nuclear deal with the US, China, Russia and other world powers and to avoid confrontation. To that end, when White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met earlier this week for an intense, seven-hour talk about the Russian invasion and other issues. They spent part of their time together discussing North Korea's recent intercontinental missile tests. Still, Beijing's approach to the Russian invasion is causing Washington concern. The White House has made clear to Beijing that throwing a lifeline to Russia's collapsing economy or assisting its bruised military would be hazardous to a country that sees itself as the next great world power. The White House has not publicly specified what actions it would take should China assist Russia. We don't need China to be with us. We just need them not to be against us, said Frank Jannuzzi, president of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, which focuses on U.S.-Asia relations. Xi and Putin met in early February, weeks before the invasion, with the Russian leader traveling to Beijing for the start of the Winter Olympics. During Putin's visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless friendship. In the days after Putin ordered the invasion, Xi's government tried to distance itself from Russia's offensive but avoided criticizing Moscow. The government has offered to act as mediator and denounced trade and financial sanctions against Russia. At other moments, Beijing's actions have been provocative. Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian echoed unsubstantiated Russian claims that there were 26 bio-labs and related facilities in Ukraine in which the U.S. Department of Defense has absolute control. The United Nations has said it has received no information backing up such accusations. White House press secretary Jen Psaki took to Twitter to charge that the Russian claim was preposterous and could be part of an attempt by Russia to lay the groundwork for its own use of such weapons of mass destruction against Ukraine. She also blamed China for having seemingly endorsed this propaganda. Xi's government has also sought to use the conflict to accentuate Chinese ascendency and the decline of the West. But China has its own internal troubles, including a major economic slowdown, difficulties that sanctions against Russia could make worse. The Ukraine war has proceeded in ways China did not expect and the war is not conducive to China's rise or development, said Xiong Zhiyong, professor of relations at China Foreign Affairs University. Still, concerns that China could come to Russia's aid have only deepened at the White House in recent days. On the same day of the Sullivan-Yang meeting, the U.S. informed Asian and European allies that American intelligence had determined that China had signaled to Russia that it would be willing to provide both military support for the campaign in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West. White House officials said Sullivan made clear there would be severe consequences should China assist Russia. Ryan Hass, who served as China, Taiwan and Mongolia director at the NSC during the Obama administration, said Beijing faces a momentous decision on whether to aid Russia. If Xi decides to do that, It's hard for me to see how the path remains open for China to maintain non-hostile relations with the and others in the West, Hass said. At the White House, Psaki has said any country doing business with Russia should think about where you want to stand when the history books are written on this moment in time. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President will speak Friday with Chinese President to discuss ongoing economic competition between the two countries and Russia's war against . White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the upcoming phone call in a Thursday statement that said it's part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication" between the United States and . The call follows an intense seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy advise r Yang Jiechi. US officials have warned that has amplified Russian disinformation that could be a pretext for Putin's forces to attack with chemical or biological weapons. There are also reports denied by the Kremlin that has reached out to for aid as it faces sanctions and an invasion that faces stiff resistance by Ukrainians. At the meeting, Sullivan wanted more transparency on Beijing's posture regarding and repeated that any attempts by China to help avoid sanctions would be costly for Xi's government. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After more than two years of strict COVID-19 response measures and isolation, New Zealand is set to open its international borders to travelers soon. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern noted that the influx of tourists will help improve the country's economy. Thus, some of the hardest border restrictions in the world during the pandemic will come to an end. Because of New Zealand's efforts, infections and deaths were kept to a minimum. As per NBC News, when the numbers of infections surged, opposition from the business, tourism and agriculture sectors increased as they see a little advantage in being insulated from the rest of the world. Beginning April 12, Australian tourists who got vaccinated will be permitted to enter the country without requiring quarantine. The schedule is ahead than originally planned, which is in July, Ardem mentioned. Starting May 1, tourists from visa-exempt nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore will be able to visit. Based on the announcement on New Zealand Government's webite, it is a requirement for travelers to be fully vaccinated, which can be achieved by getting one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two shots of Pfizer or Moderna vaccnines, as reported by USA Today. New Zealand COVID-19 Precautions Are Still Recommended Ashley Bloomfield, the Director-General of Health, said that while health workers are under strain, the health system is not in crisis, according to New Zealand Herald. However, with around 1000 COVID-19 patients at the hospital, Bloomfield said staffing levels were stretched. The official said that two-thirds of patients admitted to hospitals with Covid-19 were there due to virus symptoms or because the virus had exacerbated an underlying condition. The other third admitted in hospitals was due to other cases like injuries or maternal care. Read Also: China, North Korea, and Iran Reiterate Stance on Nuclear Talks; Pyongyang's Missile Fails After Launch Meaning around 750 people were in the hospital because of COVID-19 infection. Bloomfield said the situation added pressure on hospitals. If a tourist tests positive and the results are confirmed by a PCR test, they must isolate themselves. The decision had been made during a COVID-19 outbreak in the country. New Zealand had "extremely high" COVID-19 levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hence, US travelers were advised to avoid traveling to the nation. "Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop COVID-19, over two years ago, and it opens once again to boost economic recovery throughout the remainder of the year," Ardern said. Australians will be able to go to New Zealand in time for the Easter school holidays next month brought by the changes in the policies. All visitors must be vaccinated and have negative COVID-19 tests, but they will not be required to undergo quarantine when they arrive in the country. The border isn't expected to reopen to all travelers until October, but Ardern hinted that it could happen sooner. New Cases Confirmed On Wednesday, health officials confirmed another 24 COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths attributed to the virus to 141. Sixteen of the deaths announced on Tuesday happened in the previous three weeks, while eight occurred on Tuesday. Delays in disclosing these deaths could be due to people dying from something other than COVID-19, with the virus only being detected after they died. Related Article: China Places 37 Million People on Lockdown Due to New COVID-19 Surge, Potentially Disrupting Global Supply Chains @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lebanese authorities on Thursday arrested the brother of the country's embattled central bank governor over suspicion of money laundering and illicit enrichment, the state-run news agency reported. According to the report by the National News Agency, Ghada Aoun, an investigative judge at Mount district court, questioned Raja Salameh for several hours before placing him under arrest. The suit against Salameh was filed by a group of lawyers who accuse him of corruption. The move comes two months after the same judge imposed a travel ban and froze some assets of the central bank governor, Riad Salameh, 71, who is accused of corruption and dereliction of duties during Lebanon's unprecedented economic meltdown. The central bank governor is also being investigated in several European nations, including and France, for potential money laundering and embezzlement Riad Salameh had steered Lebanese finances for nearly three decades, through post-war recovery and bouts of unrest. Once praised as the guardian of Lebanon's financial stability, he has drawn increasing scrutiny since the small country's economic meltdown began in late 2019. Local media have reported in recent months that the governor, his brother and an aide transferred money abroad despite capital controls imposed at home, a charge the governor has denied. The judge did not respond to calls by The Associated Press seeking comment. A local station, Al-Jadeed TV, has quoted Aoun as saying that Riad Salameh had used his brother to buy real-estate in worth nearly USD 12 million. There have been also reports that a brokerage firm, Forry Associates Ltd, owned by Raja Salameh, was hired to handle government bonds sales by the central bank in which the firm received USD 330 million in commissions. The governor said last November that not a single penny of public money was used to pay for Forry Associates Ltd. Also Thursday, Judge Aoun froze the assets of local lender Creditbank, her latest such move against local banks. On Monday, she froze the assets of five of Lebanon's largest banks and those of their board of directors as she investigates possible transfers of billions of dollars aboard. Lebanese banks have imposed informal capital controls since the economic crisis began. Since then, people do not have full access to their savings and those who withdraw cash from accounts get an exchange rate far lower than that on the black market. (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 mayor of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol has been freed after he was seized by Russian forces five days ago, a Ukrainian official said Wednesday. Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, announced the news but did not release details about how the mayor became free. Surveillance video last week showed the mayor of the occupied city being marched out of city hall apparently surrounded by Russian soldiers. Prior to the start of the invasion, US President Joe Biden's administration had warned of Russian plans to detain and kill targeted people in Ukraine, with Zelenskyy himself likely top target. (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 and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will hold a virtual summit on Monday during which they are expected to commit to closer bilateral ties in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility, and education. The announcement on the summit was made by External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing on Thursday. The summit follows the historic first virtual summit of June 4, 2020 when the India- relationship was elevated to a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'. As the summit is taking place in the midst of the crisis in Ukraine, it is expected to figure in the talks between the two prime ministers. "The leaders will take stock of progress made on various initiatives under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The virtual summit will lay the way forward on new initiatives and enhanced cooperation in a diverse range of sectors between India and Australia," Bagchi said. "The leaders are expected to commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility, and education, among others," he said. Without making any specific references, the spokesperson said views on regional and issues of mutual interest will also be discussed by the two leaders. "The summit highlights the importance attached by both countries to their bilateral relations as also their close cooperation on regional and global issues," he said. Bagchi said the India- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has maintained the momentum of an upward trajectory with both countries continuing to collaborate closely despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He said both sides cooperated in wide-ranging areas including science and technology, defence, cyber, critical and strategic materials and water resource management, among others. Modi and Morrison met in Washington DC in September last year on the margins of the Quad Leaders' Summit and jointly launched the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) in Glasgow on the margins of the COP26 in November. Ties between India and have been on an upswing in the last few years. In June 2020, India and Australia signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support. The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) allows militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defence cooperation. The Australian navy was part of the Malabar naval exercise hosted by India in November 2020 as well as last year. The navies of the US and Japan were also part of it. Australia was part of the Malabar exercise this year 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.) Police have closed "a number of freeway exits" in Washington, D.C., as a convoy of truckers were driving through the area in protest against Covid-19 measures in the US. The police on Wednesday announced that the move was intended to "keep traffic moving safely", saying that "these rolling road closures are occurring in real-time as they are needed, and will be lifted as soon as they are no longer", reports Xinhua news agency, In an earlier tweet, the police asked motorists to expect traffic delays, as well as demonstration activity on highways in and around the US capital. A handful of vehicles believed to be part of the so-called People's Convoy reportedly made it into downtown Washington, D.C. on Wednesday afternoon. The People's Convoy has camped outside a speedway in Hagerstown, a city in County, the state of Maryland, since early March. Over the past 10 days, truckers and other drivers have circled the Capital Beltway that surrounds Washington, D.C. multiple times to protest against the mask and vaccine mandates. Their activities, a spin-off from the protests in Canada staged by truckers upset with vaccine requirements earlier this year, have drawn both support and criticism across the US. US states and cities are lifting restrictions against Covid-19 but the protesters have also called for an end to the national emergency concerning the pandemic. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) stressed the need for religious leaders to preach peace, not politics in a video call on Wednesday with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the first known communication between the two Christian leaders since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The call was all the more remarkable because Francis and Kirill have only met once at the Havana airport in 2016 in what was then the first encounter between a pope and Russian patriarch in over 1,000 years. The Vatican said Francis rejected the concept of a just war and stressed the need for pastors to find a path to peace. A Vatican statement said both men agreed that the church "must not use the language of politics, but the language of Jesus and stressed the importance of negotiations to reach a cease-fire. Those who pay the price for the war are the people, it is the Russian soldiers and the people who are bombed and die," the Vatican quoted Francis as saying. Wednesday's call came just hours after Francis evoked during his weekly general audience the specter of a final catastrophe of an atomic war that would extinguish humanity. While Francis didn't reference Ukraine explicitly in that part of his speech, he did elsewhere call for prayers for Ukraine and for God to protect its children and forgive those who make war. Francis' long-term goal to improve relations with Kirill and avoid antagonising the Russian Orthodox Church had explained his initially tepid responses to the February 24 start of the Russian invasion. He has since stepped up his denunciations, demanding an end to this massacre, and labeling the invasion an unacceptable armed aggression. But he has not condemned by name for the onslaught or publicly urged Kirill to use his influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to demand an end to the war, as other Catholic bishops and Orthodox leaders have done. The Vatican has a tradition of quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy and tends to not call out aggressors. In fact, Francis' comment about Russian soldiers paying the price for the war marked the first time he had publicly referenced . Kirill has said he appreciated the Holy See's moderate tone. Kirill, though, has sent signals justifying the war by describing it as part of a struggle against sin and pressure from liberal foreigners to hold gay parades as the price of admission to their ranks. He has blamed the West and a fellow Orthodox patriarch for fomenting enmity between Ukraine and . According to the website of Kirill's church, he and Francis flanked by top officials of both churches spoke about the situation in Ukraine, particularly the humanitarian aspects, and efforts by both churches to overcome the problems. The parties stressed the exceptional importance of the ongoing negotiation process, expressing their hope for the soonest achievement of a just peace, the Russian church said. The Vatican, in its readout of the conversation, did not reference a just peace, and in fact quoted Francis as saying the traditional Christian concept of a just war was no longer possible. Once upon a time there was also talk in our churches of a holy war' or just war,' the Vatican quoted Francis as saying. Today we cannot speak like this. Christian awareness of the importance of peace has developed. The phone call came hours before Francis' deputy, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, celebrated a Mass for peace in Ukraine for ambassadors accredited to the Holy See. The Ukrainian and Russian ambassadors attended, and prayers were read out in Russian and Ukrainian, including by a woman wearing a blue and yellow ribbon on her lapel, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. And on Friday, Francis is to celebrate a Mass during which he will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Virgin Mary in a ritual that holds deep significance for the Catholic faithful. According to tradition, one of the so-called secrets of Fatima concerns the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, prophesizing that peace will follow if the consecration is done. St. John Paul II performed the consecration on March 25, 1984, though he didn't specify Russia by name, and Francis will repeat the gesture 38 years later. On the same day, Francis' chief alms-giver, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who recently returned from a humanitarian mission to Ukraine, will celebrate a consecration Mass in Fatima, Portugal, the site of the early 20th century Marian apparitions that formed the basis of the secrets of Fatima. Kirill's ties to the Russian government and justification for the war have posed a diplomatic and ecumenical problem for the Vatican, which had offered itself up as a potential mediator. Francis visited the Russian ambassador soon after the initial invasion and spoke by phone with the Ukrainian president. Kirill, for his part, has rebuffed calls for him to act as a mediator. In a March 10 letter to an official of the World Council of Churches -- who had urged Kirill to mediate with Russian authorities to stop the war Kirill faulted the West for the eastern expansion of NATO. He also faulted Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople considered first among equals of Eastern Orthodox prelates, though lacking the universal authority of a pope for recognizing the independence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Joe Biden set out to finally complete the pivot to Asia, a long-sought adjustment of US foreign policy to better reflect the rise of America's most significant military and economic competitor: China. But Russia's brutal invasion of has made that vexing move even more complicated. China's government has vacillated between full embrace and more measured responses as Russian President Vladimir Putin prosecutes his war, making the decisions for Biden far more layered. Biden and China's Xi Jinping are scheduled to speak by phone on Friday, a conversation that the White House says will center on managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russia's war against and other issues of mutual concern. The Biden administration is left needing to focus east and west at the same time, balancing not simply economic imperatives but military ones as well. It's difficult. It's expensive, Kurt Campbell, the coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the White House National Security Council, said during a recent forum of maintaining a high-level US focus in two regions. But it's also essential, and I believe we're entering a period where that's what will be required of the United States and of this generation of Americans. Biden has been deeply invested in rallying NATO and Western allies to respond to with crippling sanctions, supplying an overmatched military with USD 2 billion in military assistance including USD 800 million in new aid announced Wednesday and addressing a growing humanitarian crisis. Eastern flank NATO allies, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, have made clear to the Biden administration that they want the US to increase its military presence in the region and do more to address the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. More than 3 million Ukrainian refugees have fled their country in recent weeks. Though the war in Ukraine has dominated Biden's focus of late, White House officials insist they haven't lost sight of China and are watching intently to see how Xi decides to play his hand. In recent months, Biden has announced the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia and raised the profile of the Indo-Pacific security dialogue known as the Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the United States). He's also called out China for military provocations against Taiwan, human rights abuses against ethnic minorities and efforts to squelch pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong. Biden's national security team was somewhat surprised that Pacific partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea moved so quickly to hit with sanctions following the invasion, according to a US official familiar with the administration's thinking. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about private discussions, said there was a recognition among the Pacific allies that Beijing is watching how the world responds to as China calculates how aggressive it can be with its smaller neighbours in the region. In backing sanctions, the Pacific nations were trying to send a message to Xi as well as Putin, the official added. From the first days of his presidency, Biden has said the aims of his China policy are to find ways to cooperate with Beijing on issues of mutual interest such as stopping North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and coaxing Tehran to return to the Iran nuclear deal with the US, China, Russia and other world powers and to avoid confrontation. To that end, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met earlier this week for an intense, seven-hour talk about the Russian invasion and other issues. They spent part of their time together discussing North Korea's recent intercontinental missile tests. Still, Beijing's approach to the Russian invasion is causing Washington concern. The White House has made clear to Beijing that throwing a lifeline to Russia's collapsing economy or assisting its bruised military would be hazardous to a country that sees itself as the next great world power. The White House has not publicly specified what actions it would take should China assist Russia. We don't need China to be with us. We just need them not to be against us, said Frank Jannuzzi, president of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, which focuses on US-Asia relations. Xi and Putin met in early February, weeks before the invasion, with the Russian leader travelling to Beijing for the start of the Winter Olympics. During Putin's visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless friendship. In the days after Putin ordered the invasion, Xi's government tried to distance itself from Russia's offensive but avoided criticising Moscow. The government has offered to act as mediator and denounced trade and financial sanctions against Russia. At other moments, Beijing's actions have been provocative. Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian echoed unsubstantiated Russian claims that there were 26 bio-labs and related facilities in Ukraine in which the US Department of Defense has absolute control. The United Nations has said it has received no information backing up such accusations. White House press secretary Jen Psaki took to Twitter to charge that the Russian claim was preposterous and could be part of an attempt by Russia to lay the groundwork for its own use of such weapons of mass destruction against Ukraine. She also blamed China for having seemingly endorsed this propaganda. Xi's government has also sought to use the conflict to accentuate Chinese ascendency and the decline of the West. But China has its own internal troubles, including a major economic slowdown, difficulties that sanctions against Russia could make worse. The Ukraine war has proceeded in ways China did not expect and the war is not conducive to China's rise or development, said Xiong Zhiyong, professor of relations at China Foreign Affairs University. Still, concerns that China could come to Russia's aid have only deepened at the White House in recent days. On the same day of the Sullivan-Yang meeting, the US informed Asian and European allies that American intelligence had determined that China had signalled to Russia that it would be willing to provide both military support for the campaign in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West. White House officials said Sullivan made clear there would be severe consequences should China assist Russia. Ryan Hass, who served as China, Taiwan and Mongolia director at the NSC during the Obama administration, said Beijing faces a momentous decision on whether to aid Russia. If Xi decides to do that, It's hard for me to see how the path remains open for China to maintain non-hostile relations with the United States and others in the West, Hass said. At the White House, Psaki has said any country doing business with Russia should think about where you want to stand when the history books are written on this moment in time. er Yu Bing contributed to this report from Beijing. (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.) Russian forces in Ukraine are blasting cities and killing civilians but no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as a war Moscow was thought to have hoped to win within days entered its fourth week. Ukraine said Russian forces had destroyed a theatre where women and children had been sheltering in the besieged southern port of Mariupol. An official in the Mariupol mayor's office said a bomb shelter at the theatre had "withstood" and there were survivors, but details of casualties were still not known. Russia denied striking the theatre, which commercial satellite pictures showed had the word "children" marked out on the ground in front before it was blown up. Viacheslav Chaus, governor of Chernihiv, a northern city that has been intensely bombarded, said 53 civilians had been killed there in the past 24 hours. The toll could not be independently verified. Although both sides have pointed to limited progress in peace talks this week, President Vladimir Putin, who ordered Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, showed little sign of relenting. In a vituperative televised speech, he inveighed against "traitors and scum" at home who helped the West, and said the Russian people would spit them out like gnats. Kyiv and its Western allies believe Russia launched the unprovoked war to subjugate a neighbour that Putin calls an artificial state carved out of Russia. Moscow says it is carrying out a "special operation" to disarm it and "denazify". Heavily outnumbered Ukrainian forces have prevented Moscow from capturing any of Ukraine's biggest cities so far despite the largest assault on a European state since World War Two. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and thousands of civilians and combatants have died. 'Stalled in all fronts' Russia has assaulted Ukraine from four directions, sending two massive columns towards Kyiv from the northwest and northeast, pushing in from the east near the second biggest city Kharkiv, and spreading in from the south near Crimea. But British military intelligence said in an update on Thursday that the invasion had "largely stalled on all fronts", and Russian forces were suffering heavy losses from a staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance. Northeastern and northwestern suburbs of Kyiv have been reduced to rubble by heavy fighting, but the capital itself has held firm, under a curfew and subjected to deadly nightly rocket attacks. At least one person was killed and three were wounded when a residential building was struck by a downed Russian missile, emergency services said on Thursday. Amid the unrelenting fighting, both sides have spoken of progress at talks. Ukrainian officials have said they think Russia is running out of troops to keep fighting and could soon come to terms with its failure to topple the Ukrainian government. Moscow has said it is close to agreeing a formula that would keep Ukraine neutral, long one of its demands. Moscow said peace talks resumed on Thursday by videolink for a fourth straight day, discussing military, political and humanitarian issues. (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; writing by Peter Graff and editing by Tomasz Janowski.) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian forces in are blasting cities and killing civilians but no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as a war Moscow was thought to have hoped to win within days entered its fourth week. Local officials said rescuers in the besieged southern port of Mariupol were combing the rubble of a theatre where women and children had been sheltering, bombed by Russian forces the previous day. "The bomb shelter held. Now the rubble is being cleared. There are survivors. We don't know about the (number of) victims yet," mayoral adviser Petro Andrushchenko told Reuters by phone. denied striking the theatre, which commercial satellite pictures showed had the word "children" marked out on the ground in front before it was blown up. Mariupol has suffered the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the war, with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in basements with no food, water or power for weeks. Russian forces have begun letting some people out in private cars this week but have blocked aid convoys from reaching the city. Viacheslav Chaus, governor of Chernihiv, a northern city that has been intensely bombarded, said 53 civilians had been killed there in the past 24 hours. The toll could not be independently verified. In the capital Kyiv, a building in the Darnytsky district was extensively damaged by what the authorities said was debris from a missile shot down early in the morning. As residents cleared glass and carried bags of possessions away, a man knelt weeping by the body of a woman which lay close to a doorway, covered in a bloody sheet. Although both sides have pointed to limited progress in peace talks this week, President Vladimir Putin, who ordered Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, showed little sign of relenting. In a vituperative televised speech, he inveighed against "traitors and scum" at home who helped the West, and said the Russian people would spit them out like gnats. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Putin's security council, said the United States had stoked "disgusting" Russophobia in an attempt to force to its knees: "It will not work - has the might to put all of our brash enemies in their place." Kyiv and its Western allies believe Russia launched the unprovoked war to subjugate a neighbour that Putin calls an artificial state carved out of Russia. Moscow says it is carrying out a "special operation" to disarm it and "denazify". Heavily outnumbered Ukrainian forces have prevented Moscow from capturing any of Ukraine's biggest cities so far despite the largest assault on a European state since World War Two. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and thousands of civilians and combatants have died. 'Stalled On All Fronts' Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy invoked the Berlin Wall and the Holocaust in a speech by video link to Germany's Bundestag, a day after a similar speech to the U.S. Congress. Russia has assaulted from four directions, sending two massive columns towards Kyiv from the northwest and northeast, pushing in from the east near the second biggest city Kharkiv, and spreading in the south from Crimea. But British military intelligence said in an update on Thursday that the invasion had "largely stalled on all fronts", and Russian forces were suffering heavy losses from a staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance. Northeastern and northwestern suburbs of Kyiv have been reduced to rubble by heavy fighting, but the capital itself has held firm, under a curfew and subjected to deadly nightly rocket attacks. Amid the unrelenting fighting, both sides have spoken of progress at talks. Ukrainian officials have said they think Russia is running out of troops to keep fighting and could soon come to terms with its failure to topple the Ukrainian government. Moscow has said it is close to agreeing a formula that would keep neutral, long one of its demands. Moscow said peace talks resumed on Thursday by videolink for a fourth straight day, discussing military, political and humanitarian issues. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Russian airstrike ripped apart a theater where hundreds of people have been living in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said, as Russian President called for a self-purification to rid his country of anyone who questions his invasion. The bombardment Wednesday of the theater, which had become a makeshift shelter as combat tore across the port city over the past three weeks and made thousands homeless, left many people buried in the burning rubble, Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement. There was no immediate word on how many people were killed or injured. At least as recently as Monday, the pavement in front of and behind the once-elegant theater was marked with huge white letters spelling out CHILDREN in Russian, according to images released by the Maxar space technology company. My heart breaks from what is doing to our people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday night, hours after he delivered a speech via video to the U.S. Congress that garnered several ovations. The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. Russian attacks have battered cities and villages across large parts of Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, where residents have been huddling in homes and shelters. Russian troops shelled areas in and around the city on Wednesday, including a residential neighborhood just 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the presidential palace. A 12-story Kyiv apartment building erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel. Putin went on television to excoriate Russians who don't back him, even as both sides expressed optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. Russians will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, he said. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. He said the West is using a fifth column of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it the destruction of Russia, he said. The speech appeared to be a warning that his authoritarian rule, which had already grown tighter since the invasion began on Feb. 24, shutting down Russian news outlets and arresting protesters, could grow even more repressive. In a sign of that, Russian law enforcement announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be false information about the Ukraine war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. But is also came amid signs that talks were finally making progress. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after Tuesday's meeting that a neutral military status for Ukraine was being seriously discussed by the two sides, while Zelenskyy said Russia's demands for ending the war were becoming more realistic. Wednesday's talks, held by video, appeared to wade more deeply into technicalities. Zelenskyy adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees for Ukraine from several countries. This is possible only through direct dialogue between Zelenskyy and Putin, he tweeted. An official in Zelenskyy's office told The Associated Press that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on a legally binding document with security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral status. has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. Earlier Wednesday, Zelenskyy went before the U.S. Congress via video and, invoking Pearl Harbor and 9/11, pleaded with America for more weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia, saying: We need you right now. US President Joe Biden announced the U.S. was sending an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine. He also called a war criminal, in his sharpest condemnation since the invasion began. Although Moscow's ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Putin said earlier that the operation was unfolding successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans. He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country. The fighting has led more than 3 million people to flee Ukraine, the U.N. estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. Speaking to Congress, Zelenskyy said that has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death. But Biden has rejected Zelenskyy's requests to send warplanes to Ukraine or establish a no-fly zone, fearing a war between the U.S. and Russia. Nowhere has suffered more than the encircled city of Mariupol, where local officials say missile strikes and shelling have killed more than 2,300 people. The southern seaport of 430,000 has been under attack for almost all of the three-week war in a siege that has left people struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Using the flashlight on his cellphone to illuminate a hospital basement, Dr. Valeriy Drengar pulled back a blanket to show the body of a 22-day-old infant. Other wrapped bodies also appeared to be children. These are the people we could not save, Drengar 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.) South Korea's new daily Covid-19 cases spiked to more than 600,000 on Thursday, setting another record high, fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible variant amid an easing of virus curbs. The country reported 621,328 new Covid-19 infections, including 62 cases from overseas, raising the total to 8,250,592, Yonhap news agency reported, citing figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest tally marks a 55 per cent surge in just one day. has seen a spike in the caseload since it reported the first five-digit figures in late January of this year. Since then, the numbers have grown fast, surpassing 300,000 on March 9. The death toll from Covid-19 more than doubled to a record high of 429, putting the total at 11,481. The fatality rate stood at 0.14 per cent. The number of critically ill patients, seen as a key indicator in the pandemic response, came to 1,159, down from 1,244 the previous day. has been taking steps to ease virus restrictions to regain normalcy despite the virus surge, due largely to the pressure from small businesses and self-employed people hit hard by the pandemic. The government is expected to announce on Friday whether it will maintain the current social distancing or further relax the measures. Currently, an 11 p.m. business curfew and six-person cap on private gatherings are in place. Health authorities believe the wave is heading for its peak. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has asked health officials to consider adjusting the classification for Covid-19 to a less dangerous type. Seoul reported 128,375 cases, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province registering 181,983 and the western port city of Incheon at 32,964. As of Thursday, 32.21 million people out of the 52 million population, or 62.8 per cent, had received booster shots. Fully vaccinated people came to 44.44 million, representing 86.6 percent, the KDCA said. --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China to offer 1 million internship posts for job seekers Xinhua) 08:52, March 17, 2022 Graduating students search for job opportunities at a job matching fair at Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, on March 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- China will provide job seekers with no fewer than 1 million internship openings this year to help them find employment as soon as possible, authorities said on Wednesday. The openings will be arranged with concerted efforts from the government and various sectors, and the campaign will strive for the participation of employers, college graduates and unemployed young people, according to a circular released by 10 government organs, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Education. Internship providers should pay for their interns' basic living expenses and any other fees incurred in their management and tutoring, the circular said. These providers will receive subsidies, and those with a retention rate higher than 50 percent after the end of the internship period will receive increased subsidies. China will strengthen its employment-first policy in 2022, according to this year's government work report. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the leaders of three NATO member nations for attending an unusual meeting in Ukraine's war-torn capital on Tuesday and invited us to do so. After the conference, Zelensky remarked that the leaders from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia who flew to Kyiv "fear nothing.he added", "I am sure that with such friends, with such countries, with such neighbors and partners, we will be able to win." Zelensky: World War III "May Have Already Started" Zelensky has attempted to enlist worldwide support by posting nightly videos on social media and holding virtual meetings with world leaders, including an address to US Congress on Wednesday. President Zelensky and outside leaders met for the first time in person. So far, the violence has been confined to the capital's outskirts, as the military prepared to defend Kyiv against an attack. According to a photo on the president's official website, at least one participant donned a green protection vest while seated at the table with Mr. Zelensky. Other worriers were also invited by Zelensky. Zelensky also invited other international leaders to Kyiv and encouraged allies to implement a no-fly zone over the country, something they have refused since they don't want to go into a direct battle with Russia, according to the New York Times. Because of the hesitation to implement the no-fly zone, Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he does not see Ukraine joining NATO as an "open door." One of the reasons Putin cited to legitimize his attack was Ukraine's professed intention to join the alliance. One of his requirements for ending the conflict is a vow to quit pursuing NATO membership. In 2014, Ukraine deposed a pro-Kremlin president, and Putin is motivated by a desire to prevent Ukraine and his former Soviet neighbors from aligning with the democratic West. Putin seized Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea, and declared it Russian territory. Read Also: China, North Korea, and Iran Reiterate Stance on Nuclear Talks; Pyongyang's Missile Fails After Launch Joe Biden Sends Military Aid Package to Ukraine As part of its military aid package to Ukraine, Biden's administration has committed at least 2,600 Javelin anti-armor systems and over 600 anti-aircraft systems. However, the president has ruled out sending fighter fighters, which Zelenskyy proposed to Congress as an alternative to declaring a no-fly zone. Zelenskyy handed congressional lawmakers a harrowing video of the event, which included sobbing Ukrainian children and remained being thrown into a mass grave, NBC News reported. Following Zelensky's remarks, President Biden gave his speech. Next week, Biden will travel to Brussels for a hurriedly convened NATO conference to assess the situation in Ukraine. Biden gave a thorough description of a fresh batch of $800 million in lethal armaments that the US is delivering to Ukraine during his speech on Wednesday. He also went into remarkable depth regarding the most recent aid deal, which brought US military funding to $1 billion just this week. It consists of 800 anti-air systems, 9,000 anti-armor systems, portable 'high accuracy' shoulder-mounted missiles, 7,000 small weapons, machine guns, shotguns, and grenade launchers. He claimed the package would include drones, "demonstrating our commitment to deploying our most cutting-edge systems to Ukraine for its defense," but he didn't say he meant the administration's newest kamikaze death drones. Biden said that the cargo contained 'additional longer-range anti-aircraft systems,' which he said were requested by Zelensky. Biden did not address or refuse to discuss the MiG fighter planes that Zelensky is asking for and that his government has refused to allow the transfer of, as per Daily Mail. Read Also: Grenell Says Blinken Not Utilizing Diplomacy in the Ukraine Conflict Instead Prioritizes Gaslighting an Already Explosive Situation @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United States and Britain are ramping up pressure on Saudi Arabia to pump more oil and join efforts to isolate Russia, while Riyadh has shown little readiness to respond and has revived a threat to ditch dollars in its oil sales to China. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson flew into the world's biggest crude oil exporter on Wednesday, a day after U.S. security advisor Brett McGurk arrived with a U.S. delegation. Saudi Arabia and its neighbour the United Arab Emirates, which are among just a handful of producers with spare capacity, have snubbed Western calls for more crude to cool red-hot prices and have stuck to an OPEC+ supply pact with Russia and others. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, has faced sharp Western criticism over the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh's human rights record and the Yemen war. U.S. President Joe Biden has, so far, refused to deal directly with the prince, who is widely known as MbS. With U.S-Saudi relations at a low point, MbS has responded by strengthening ties with Russia and China, even though the kingdom still has close security ties with Washington. McGurk and other U.S. officials met senior Saudi officials on Tuesday, pressing them to pump more oil and find a political solution to end the war in Yemen, where Saudi-led forces are battling the Iran-backed Houthi group, two sources said. "You would be wrong if you think Washington would give up on these two files," one of the two sources, who is familiar with the discussions, told Reuters. A senior U.S. administration official said McGurk was in the Middle East "discussing a wide range of issues, including Yemen", but declined to elaborate. The British prime minister, meanwhile, described Saudi Arabia and the UAE as "key international partners" in the effort to wean the world off Russian hydrocarbons and put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow invaded Ukraine. But Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent Emirati political analyst, said Johnson should not expect much. "Boris will go back empty handed," he wrote on Twitter. The Saudi government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the U.S. and British visits. For now, Saudi Arabia has shown no sign of abandoning an oil supply pact forged between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, including Russia, which has seen the group known as OPEC+ hiking oil output only gradually. SHORT SHRIFT At the last OPEC+ meeting on March 2 - less than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine and as the West ratcheted up sanctions on Moscow - ministers dodged the Ukraine issue in talks and swiftly agreed to stick to existing policy. Meanwhile, Riyadh has signalled it wants closer ties with Beijing by inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit this year. The Wall Street Journal said Saudi Arabia was in talks to price some crude it sells to China in yuan. "If Saudi Arabia does that, it will change the dynamics of the forex market," said a source with knowledge of the matter, adding that such a move - which the source said Beijing had long requested and which Riyadh threatened as far back as 2018 - might prompt other buyers to follow. The Saudi energy ministry declined to comment, while state oil giant Saudi Aramco did not respond to a request for comment. One diplomat said Riyadh was turning to "old threats" to push back at the West, although the diplomat and others say any shift to the yuan would face practical challenges, given crude is priced in dollars, the Saudi riyal is pegged to the greenback and the yuan does not boast the same role as a reserve currency. "It would be reckless, given global oil pricing in dollars and the currency peg, not to mention the amount of Saudi debt priced in dollars, its reserve assets in dollars and their holdings of U.S. equities," said Karen Young, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "There may be some contracts in yuan between Saudi Arabia and China, but there is no reorientation of Saudi monetary policy," she said. The Saudi central bank had assets worth $492.8 billion at the end of January, including $119 billion in U.S. Treasuries. The government had foreign currency debt - mostly in dollars - of $101.1 billion at the end of 2021, while the Saudi sovereign wealth fund held $56 billion in U.S. equities. Monica Malik, chief economist at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, said Saudi Arabia could slowly shift some sales to yuan. "A gradual shift would have a limited impact," she said. And even as U.S. officials were meeting in Riyadh, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that Washington was not asking its allies to choose between the United States and China. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh, Maha El Dahan and Yousef Saba in Dubai; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by Edmund Blair) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) International outrage over Russia's invasion of Ukraine grew on Thursday as U.S. and Ukrainian officials said civilians waiting in line for bread and sheltering in a theatre had been killed by Russian forces. U.S. President called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal in comments the Kremlin said were "unforgivable" as it insisted the war in Ukraine was "going to plan" amid talk of compromise at peace talks. Moscow has yet to capture any of Ukraine's biggest cities despite the largest assault on a European state since World War Two. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and thousands have died as the war enters its fourth week. In the capital Kyiv, at least one person was killed and three were wounded when a residential building was struck by a downed Russian missile emergency services said on Thursday. Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Wednesday Russian forces dropped a powerful bomb on a theatre in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, leaving many civilians trapped and an unknown number of casualties. Reuters could not independently verify the information. Maxar Technologies, a private U.S. company, distributed satellite imagery it said was collected on March 14 and showed the word "children" in large Russian script painted on the ground outside the red-roofed building. The theatre had been housing at least 500 civilians, according to Human Rights Watch. "This raises serious concerns about what the intended target was in a city where civilians have already been under siege for days and telecommunications, power, water, and heating have been almost completely cut off," Belkis Wille from the rights group said. Moscow denies targeting civilians and Russia's defence ministry said its forces had not struck the building, RIA news agency said. Thirteen buses carrying around 300 refugees from Mariupol have arrived in Russia's Rostov region, Russia's Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Thursday. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said Russian forces had shot dead 10 people waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv. Russia denied the attack and said the incident was a hoax. 'NEUTRAL STATUS' Russia's invasion had largely stalled on all fronts in recent days and its forces continued to suffer heavy losses from a staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance, a report from British military intelligence said on Thursday. "The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands," the Ministry of Defence said. Ukraine's armed forces are conducting small-scale counter attacks on several fronts and Russian troops have not been able to gain ground because of a lack of resources, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Wednesday. The United Nations' top court for disputes between states ordered Russia on Wednesday to immediately halt its military operations in Ukraine, saying it was "profoundly concerned" by Moscow's use of force. There were signs of compromise and progress at ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin said negotiators were discussing a status for Ukraine similar to that of Austria or Sweden, both members of the European Union that are outside the military alliance. "Neutral status is now being seriously discussed along, of course, with security guarantees," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "There are absolutely specific formulations which in my view are close to agreement." Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, told state TV: "Ukraine is offering an Austrian or Swedish version of a neutral demilitarised state, but at the same time a state with its own army and navy." Austria and Sweden, the biggest of six EU members outside NATO, both have small militaries that cooperate with the alliance. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukraine could accept international security guarantees that stopped short of its longstanding aim to join . That prospect has been one of Russia's primary concerns. "My priorities during the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, guarantees of security, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country," Zelenskiy said in a video address released early on Thursday. In a speech on Wednesday to the U.S. Congress by video link, Zelenskiy repeated a request for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something the West won't introduce. "In the darkest time for our country, for the whole of Europe, I call on you to do more," he said. The United States announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine to fight Russia, with the new package including drones, anti-armour and anti-aircraft systems. "More will be coming as we source additional stocks of equipment that ... we are ready to transfer," Biden said, later condemning Putin. "He is a war criminal," he told reporters. defence ministers meeting in Brussels also pledged more arms supplies to help Ukraine. The U.N. Security Council is due to vote on Friday on a Russian-drafted call for aid access and civilian protection, but diplomats say the measure is set to fail because it does not push for an end to the fighting or withdrawal of troops. (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan, Costas Pitas and Lincoln Feast; Editing by Michael Perry) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Invoking the fall of the Berlin Wall, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to tear down what he called a wall between "free and unfree" and stop the war in . Speaking to the Bundestag by videolink, Zelensky appealed to Scholz to restore freedom to Ukraine, tapping Germany's collective memory with reference to the historic 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift and the fall of the in 1989. Zelensky described a new wall "in the middle of between freedom and unfreedom", which he said had helped build, isolating with its business ties to Russia and its previous support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. "And this wall is getting bigger with every bomb that falls on Ukraine, with every decision that is not taken," he added. last month halted the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea gas pipeline project, designed to double the flow of Russian gas directly to . Recalling former U.S. president Ronald Reagan's appeal to Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, to tear down the Berlin Wall, Zelensky told German lawmakers: "That's what I say to you dear Chancellor Scholz: destroy this wall." "Give Germany the leadership role that it has earned so that your descendants are proud of you. Support freedom, support Ukraine, stop this war, help us to stop this war," he added. Lawmakers in the Bundestag welcomed Zelensky with a standing ovation and the chamber's vice president, Katrin Goering-Eckardt, told him: "Your country has chosen democracy, and that's what (Russian President) Vladimir Putin fears." She said Putin was trying to deny Ukraine's right to exist, adding: "But he has already failed with that." (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Text of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to Congress on Wednesday. He speaks Ukrainian, which was simultaneously translated into English by his interpreter. Madam Speaker, members of the Congress, ladies and gentlemen, Americans, friends, I am proud to greet you from Ukraine, from our capital city of Kyiv. A city that is under missile and airstrikes from Russian troops every day, but it doesn't give up. And we have not even thought about it for a second. Just like many other cities and communities in our beautiful country, which found themselves in the worst war since World War II, I have the honour to greet you on behalf of the Ukrainian people brave and freedom-loving people who for eight years have been resisting the Russian aggression. Those who give their best sons and daughters to stop this full-scale Russian invasion. Right now, the destiny of our country is being decided. The destiny of our people. Whether Ukrainians will be free, whether they will be able to preserve their democracy. Russia has attacked not just us, not just our land, not just our cities, it went on a brutal offensive against our values basic human values. It threw tanks and planes against our freedom, against our right to live freely in our own country, choosing our own future. Against our desire for happiness, against our national dreams. Just like the same dreams you have. You Americans. Just like anyone else in the . I remember your national memorial in Rushmore, the faces of your prominent presidents, those who laid the foundation of the of America as it is today. Democracy, independence, freedom and care for everyone, for every person, for everyone who works diligently, who lives honestly, who respects the law. We in want the same for our people. All that is normal part of your own life. Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Americans, in your great history you have pages that would allow you to understand Ukrainians. Understand us now when you need it. Right now, when we need you right now. Remember Pearl Harbour. Terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Just remember it. Remember September 11, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories, into battlefields. When innocent people were attacked, attacked from air. Just like no one else expected it, you could not stop it. Our country experiences the same every day right now, at this moment, every night for three weeks, now. Various Ukrainian cities...Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people. Russian troops have already fired nearly one thousand missiles at Ukraine, countless bombs. They use drones to kill us with precision. This is a terror that Europe has not seen, has not seen for 80 years and we are asking for a reply, for an answer to this terror from the whole world. Is this a lot to ask for? To create a no-fly zone over to save people. Is this too much to ask? Humanitarian no-fly zone is something that Ukraine, that Russia, would not be to terrorise our free cities. If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative. You know, what kind of defense systems we need, S-300 and other similar systems. You know, how much depends on the battlefield, on the ability to use aircrafts, powerful, strong aviation to protect our people, our freedom, our land. Aircraft that can help Ukraine, help Europe. And you know that they exist, and you have them, but they are on earth, not in the Ukrainian sky. They do not defend our people. I have a dream. These words are known to each of you today. I can say, I have a need. I need to protect our sky. I need your decision, your help, which means exactly the same. The same you feel when you hear the words, I have a dream. Ladies and gentlemen, friends, is grateful to the for its overwhelming support for everything that your government and your people have done for us, for weapons and ammunition, for training, for finances, for leadership in the free world, which helps us to pressure the aggressor economically. I am grateful to President Biden for his personal involvement, for his sincere commitment to the defense of Ukraine and democracy all over the world. I am grateful to you for the resolution which recognizes all those who commit crimes against Ukraine, against the Ukrainian people as war criminals. However, now it is true in the darkest time for our country, for the whole Europe, I call on you to do more. New packages of sanctions are needed constantly every week until the Russian military machine stops. Restrictions are needed for everyone on whom this unjust regime is based. We propose that the United States sanction all politicians in the Russian Federation, who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are responsible for the aggression against Ukraine. From State Duma members to the last official who has lack of morale to break the state terror. All Americans company must leave Russia from their market, leave their market immediately because it is flooded with our blood. Ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress, please take the lead. If you have companies in your districts who finance the Russian military machine leaving business in Russia, you should put pressure. I am asking to make sure that the Russians do not receive a single penny that they use to destroy people in Ukraine. The destruction of our country, the destruction of Europe. All American ports should be closed for Russian goods. Peace is more important than income and we have to defend this principle in the whole world. We already became part of the antiwar coalition, a big antiwar coalition that unites many countries, dozens of countries, those who reacted to in principle to President Putin's decision to invade our country. But we need to move on and do more. We need to create new tools to respond quickly and stop the war, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, and it would be fair if it ended in a day, in 24 hours, that evil would be punished immediately. Today, the world does not have such tools. The war of the past have prompted our predecessors to create institutions that should protect us from war. But they unfortunately don't work. We see it, you see it. So, we need new ones, new institutions, new alliances, and we offer them. We propose to create an association. U-24, United for Peace, a union of responsible countries that have the strength and consciousness to stop conflicts immediately, provide all the necessary assistance in 24 hours. If necessary, even weapons. If necessary, sanctions, humanitarian support, political support, finances, everything you need to keep the peace and quickly save the world, to save lives. In addition, such associations such a union could provide assistance to those who are experiencing natural disasters, man-made disasters who fell victim to humanitarian crisis or epidemics. Remember how difficult it was for the world to do the simplest thing just to give vaccines, vaccines against COVID to save lives to prevent new strains. The world spent months, years, doing things like that much faster to make sure there are no human losses, no victims. Ladies and gentlemen, Americans, if such alliance would exist today, that is U-24, we would be able to save thousands of lives in our country. In many countries of the world, those who need peace, those who suffer inhumane destruction. I ask you to watch one video, video of what the Russian troops did in our country, in our land. We have to stop it. We must prevent it. Prevent actively destroy every single aggressor who seeks to subjugate other nations. Please watch the video. (Video plays) (Zelenskyy speaks in English): And in the end, to sum it up today, today, it's not enough to be the leader of the nation they take to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Peace in your country doesn't depend any more only on you and your people. It depends on those next to you and those who are strong. Strong doesn't mean big. Strong is brave and ready to fight for the life of his citizens and citizens of the world. Of human rights for freedom, for the right to live decently and to die when your time comes and not when it is wanted by someone else, by your neighbour. Today, the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine, we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world, sacrificing our own lives in the name of the future. That's why today, the American people are helping not just Ukraine, but Europe and the world to keep the planet alive, to keep justice in history. Now I'm almost 45 years old. Today, my age stopped when the hearts of more than one hundred children stopped beating. I see no sense in life if it cannot stop the deaths. And this is my main mission as the leader of my people, great Ukrainians. And as the leader of my nation, I'm addressing the President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Thank you. Slavo Ukraini (translation: Glory to Ukraine). (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 United Kingdom will provide with high-velocity anti-aircraft missile systems Starstreak along with other military aid, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, following an extraordinary meeting of NATO defence chiefs. "During the meeting, Defense Ministers agreed to continue providing significant military supplies to including lethal and non-lethal aid. The Defence Secretary highlighted that the would be providing Starstreak, a high-velocity anti-aircraft missile system, that complements the other military aid provided by the UK Armed Forces, including over 4,000 anti-tank missiles," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry cited Ben Wallace as saying that the UK and allies will continue to support against Russia's military operation. The ministry added that it has recently doubled the number of troops in Estonia, has sent the patrolling vessel HMS Trent and the air defence destroyer HMS Diamond to the Eastern Mediterranean, and is conducting joint air policing missions in Romanian and Polish airspace to bolster its commitments in Eastern Europe. Russia launched an operation in Ukraine on February 24 after the breakaway Donbas republics "appealed for help" in defending themselves against the Ukrainian military. In response, Western nations have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow. (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 wants every country to move away from using Russian oil and gas because it directly funds President Vladimir Putin's war machine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesperson said on Wednesday. Asked about India's proposed move to purchase crude oil from Russia, the spokesperson said the Prime Minister respects every country's individual position but wants to broaden the coalition of countries against the Russian President's actions in Ukraine. The Indian Parliament was informed this week of ongoing talks "at the appropriate level of the Russian Federation" over the potential purchase of crude oil. The Prime Minister [Boris Johnson] would want every country to move away from using Russian oil and gas, the spokesperson told PTI at a Downing Street briefing. It is the funding that the Putin regime receives largely through oil and gas that directly goes towards funding the Russian war machine. Everyone needs to be conscious of that, the spokesperson said. We understand the position for individual countries is different, each country is in a different position and we respect that. But certainly, the Prime Minister wants to broaden the coalition of countries even further, so that everyone is united not just in condemnation but in action [against Putin], the spokesperson added. It comes as Johnson is holding talks with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE on a visit to the region, with a declared mission to build an coalition against Russia and wean off dependence on its oil and gas exports in protest against the conflict with Ukraine. He has said that countries needed to "avoid being blackmailed" by Putin by weaning off Russia's fossil fuels and exploring other partnerships. The is building an coalition to deal with the new reality we face. The world must wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons and starve Putin's addiction to oil and gas. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are key partners in that effort, he said, ahead of his visit to the Middle East. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that India taking up Russia's offer of discounted crude oil would not be a violation of American sanctions on Moscow. At the same time, she also underlined that countries should also think about "where you want to stand" amidst Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Asked about reports on the possibility that India could take up the Russian offer of discounted crude oil, Psaki said, "I don't believe this would be violating that (sanctions)." "But also think about where you want to stand when history books are written at this moment in time. Support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact," Psaki added. On Tuesday, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri told Parliament that discussions are "currently underway" on how much oil may be available from Russia. The West has imposed tough sanctions on Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict last month, including its exclusion from the SWIFT banking network a measure aimed at hitting Russian oil and gas exports hard. In a statement last week that indicated Russia turning towards India in the face of western sanctions, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia's oil and petroleum product exports to India have approached USD 1 billion and there are clear opportunities to increase this figure. (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.) Engineers have linked to an electricity grid spanning much of continental Europe, allowing the country to decouple its power system from hostile Russia, officials said Wednesday. Belgium-based ENTSO-E, which represents dozens of transmission system operators in Europe, said the electricity grids of and its smaller neighbour Moldova were successfully synchronized with the Continental European Power System on a trial basis. "This is a significant milestone, the group said. Grid operators had been preparing such a move after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, but the large-scale Russian military assault on last month prompted an emergency request by Kyiv to speed up a process that was expected to take years more to complete. ENTSO-E, whose 39 members operate the world's largest interconnected electrical grid, said the move means they will be able to help maintain the stability of the Ukrainian and Moldovan power systems. The two countries were previously part of the Integrated Power System that also includes Russia and Belarus. This made Ukraine dependent on Russia's grid operator despite there having been no electricity trade between the two countries for years. "This step will give Ukraine the opportunity to receive electricity if (Russia) continues to destroy our power infrastructure, and thus to save our power system," said Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, who chairs the management board of Ukraine's grid operator Ukrenergo. "We are sincerely grateful to our European partners for their great support and assistance during these difficult times. Georg Zachmann, an expert with the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, said the switch will allow energy suppliers in the continental grid that stretches from Portugal to Poland to supply electricity to Ukraine if necessary. This could allow Ukraine to turn off some of the coal-fired power plants it currently keeps running to ensure grid stability, saving precious fuel in wartime, he said. In the long, term, Ukraine could export surplus electricity generated by its nuclear power plants to the rest of . "It's a nice win-win situation," said Zachmann. It might even be good for the climate. (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.) Permanent representative of in United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya said that the Russian appeal to UN members for supporting their "humanitarian" draft resolution is outrageous. "Russian appeal to UN members to support most egregious hypocrisy - "humanitarian" draft resolution by a serial killer is outrageous. UN members may like to think twice before they dive into the blood of children & adults executed by the Russian military in Ukraine," Kyslytsya tweeted. Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, sent a letter to the UN on Wednesday, where they expressed their concern over the situation and asked the community to make efforts to minimize the humanitarian consequences for Ukrainian. According to the letter, "We firmly believe that it is the duty of the community despite geopolitical differences to make every effort possible to minimize humanitarian consequences for the civilian population in ." "The only way to do this is a clear demand on behalf of the UN security council to all parties concerned to strictly observe humanitarian law," the letter added. Russian Federation further blamed the western countries for promoting the anti-Russian line by politicizing the humanitarian issues. Earlier, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague ruled that pending the final decision in the case, Russia must suspend the military operations that it commenced on February 24 in the territory of Ukraine. Ukraine on February 26 had filed an application at the ICJ to initiate proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Meanwhile, the Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. (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.) Australian Prime Minister said would face consequences if it backs Russias war on Ukraine, arguing such a move would be an "abomination" while hinting at new sanctions for Beijing. Asked whether any penalties were in store for over its refusal to condemn the ongoing Russian assault, the Prime Minister said that would join with allies in sanctioning the country, RT reported. "We will move in lockstep with our partners and allies on these issues, and the United States has made some very clear statements about this and we support those statements," he said on Wednesday, calling on "the whole world" to "put an end to this terrible violence and aggression by in Ukraine". Morrison went on to argue that Beijing must be "very transparent" about its ties to Moscow, including "when it comes to throwing them an economic lifeline during this global crisis" and "potentially what, if any, support has been discussed for military support for Russia", adding the latter decision "would be an abomination". The leader's comments follow similar statements from Washington, which has also warned of "significant consequences" for any military or economic assistance to Moscow. "We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had said last week, ahead of a meeting with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome. --IANS san/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused of putting its economy before his country's security in the run-up to the Russian invasion. In an address to Germany's parliament Thursday, Zelenskyy criticized the German government's support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project meant to bring natural gas from Russia. and had opposed the project, warning that it endangered Ukrainian and European security. Zelenskyy also noted Germany's hesitancy when it came to imposing some of the toughest sanctions on Russia for fear it could hurt the German economy. The Ukrainian president called on not to let a new wall divide Europe, urging support for his country's membership of NATO and the European Union. (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.) Ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is seeking $125 million in damages after being sacked, calling his firing "the epitome of hypocrisy" by the scandal-plagued, third-place network, according to legal filings filed Wednesday. Cuomo claimed that his former company has a long-established pattern and practice of selectively implementing its regulations based on cynical assessments of public perception in a fiery filing with the JAMS mediation and arbitration agency. Chris Cuomo Calls Dismissal "Unlawful" According to the petition, the sum sought by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's brother is based on the missed back pay, incentives, and future earnings, but it's largely because Chris was disparaged by former boss Jeff Zucker and fellow CNN anchors, according to New York Post. Chris Cuomo was terminated just days after the New York attorney general disclosed a cache of emails and text messages revealing that he was closely involved in offering strategic counsel to his brother, Andrew M. Cuomo, who was facing a major sexual harassment controversy while serving as governor of New York. Jeff Zucker, CNN's president at the time, dismissed Chris Cuomo. Chris has claimed that Zucker was aware of his transactions with his brother, a claim disputed by Zucker. Chris Cuomo was the subject of an internal inquiry commissioned by WarnerMedia, CNN's parent company, which put Zucker in jeopardy as well. After the inquiry discovered that Zucker had omitted to disclose a romantic relationship with the network's chief of marketing and communications, Allison Gollust, he resigned under duress in early February. Zucker and Gollust have disputed that "the inquiry uncovered violations of company regulations, including CNN's journalism standards and procedures, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo." Cuomo's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said on Wednesday that it "should by now be evident that Chris Cuomo did not lie to CNN about aiding his brother," according to a CNN spokesperson. Cuomo's court action was first reported by Deadline on Wednesday. That $125 million is broken out into around $18 million in wages and incentives reportedly owing to Cuomo under his CNN contract, as well as any future profits. Sources believe there are "consequential damages" of roughly $100 million since Cuomo's contract includes a "non-disparagement provision" that was not followed when he was fired "effective immediately" on December 4 after sexual misconduct allegations were made against the suspended host, New York Times reported. Read Also: Is the Daylight Savings Time Permanent Now? Americans React to Senate Approval of 'The Sunshine Protection Act' Chris Cuomo Claims CNN Smeared His Integrity The former CNN anchor said in his petition on Wednesday that the management requested the interviews despite his and his brother's concerns. According to him, Zucker and Gollust attempted to deepen the network's links to his brother by pressuring him not to appear on other networks. They suggested that the governor hold his daily briefings at a time when CNN's ratings needed a lift, he added. Cuomo also included two former colleagues in his complaint, alleging that Don Lemon and Jake Tapper were never disciplined for ethical lapses involving Lemon texting Jussie Smollett after the actor was accused of making false allegations of a racist attack, and Tapper allegedly offering political advice. The former "Cuomo Prime Time" anchor claimed that the network standards were "a movable target," adjusted as Zucker and Gollust saw appropriate. Chris Cuomo will find it challenging to find work in his sector in the future because his journalistic integrity has been "unjustifiably maligned," according to the complaint, which wants $125 million in damages. Zucker quit under duress earlier this year when it was found that he had broken company policy by failing to disclose his relationship with Gollust. She was ejected shortly after that, as per 12 News. Related Article: Jussie Smollett Net Worth 2022: How Much Wealth Does the Actor Have After Fake Hate Crime? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ukrainian President may hold talks with his Russian counterpart in the coming days, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency has reported, citing Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak. "Obviously, the only way to end this war is direct talks between the two presidents, and this is what we are working on in the current talks," Podolyak, also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, was quoted as saying. Work is underway to prepare the documents that could be signed during the meeting of the two leaders, the official was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. The Ukrainian side has high hopes that ceasefire will be achieved in the near future, he added. The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link and continued into Wednesday. --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Wednesday welcomed an Court of Justice order that asked Russia to immediately suspend its military operations in . Describing it as a significant ruling, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that the ICJ "clearly and unequivocally" ordered Russia to immediately suspend its military operations. "The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend military operations that it commenced on 24 February on the territory of Ukraine," presiding judge Joan Donoghue told the Court of Justice, pending the final decision in the case. India's judge, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, voted against Russia. The court order was supported by 13 judges while two voted against it. This includes Vice-President Kirill Gevorgian from Russia and Judge Xue Hanqin from China. "We welcome the court order and call on the Russian Federation to comply with the order, immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine, and to establish unhindered humanitarian access in Ukraine," Price said. In its ruling, the court -- which plays a vital role in peaceful settlement of disputes under the UN Charter -- stressed the need for States to act in conformity with their obligations under law, including the laws of war, Price said. "And the Court expressed deep concern about the extreme vulnerability of the civilian population of Ukraine, the numerous civilian deaths and injuries that have resulted from the Kremlin's actions, and the significant material damage, including the destruction of buildings and infrastructure," he said. The Court further noted its profound concern with the Russian government's use of force and emphasised the Court's acute awareness of "the extent of the human tragedy that is taking place in as well as the "continuing loss of life and human suffering". The Court also observed that it did not possess any evidence substantiating Russia's claims that genocide had been committed by in the Donbas region, he said. Judge Xue Hanqin from China opposed the order. Ukraine's contention that the Russian Federation's allegation of genocide against Ukraine is just an excuse for Russia's unlawful aggression raises doubt that this is a genuine case about genocide, she wrote in her dissent note. "It appears that the acts complained of by Ukraine namely Russia's recognition of the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine and Russia's military operations in Ukraine cannot be directly addressed by the interpretation and application of the provisions of the Genocide Convention, as the issues they have raised are concerned with the questions of recognition and use of force in international law," she said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Russian Defense Ministry has presented documents which it said confirm the cooperation between the United States and in the production of biological weapons. The department said that during the work, Ukrainian scientists identified six families of viruses, including coronaviruses, and three types of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, according to the ministry, the Kharkiv Institute of Veterinary Medicine studied wild birds as carriers of highly pathogenic avian influenza, RT reported. Igor Kirillov, Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the RF Armed Forces, held a briefing on the results of the analysis of documents related to the US military biological activities in . "We believe that components of biological weapons were created on the territory of Ukraine," he said. According to him, this is evidenced by a document dated March 6, 2015, confirming the direct participation of the Pentagon in the financing of military biological projects in Ukraine, RT reported. "According to established practice, American projects in the field of sanitary and epidemiological well-being in the territory of third countries, including Africa and Asia, are funded through national health authorities. "I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Agreement on Joint Biological Activities was concluded between the US military department and the Ministry of Health of . However, the real recipient of funds are the laboratories of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense located in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov and Kharkov. The total amount of financing amounted to $32 million," Kirillov added. He noted that these biological laboratories were chosen by the project to study the pathogens of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, leptospirosis and hantaviruses, since these pathogens have natural foci in Ukraine and . "Their use can be disguised as natural disease outbreaks. That is why this project received additional funding, and the deadlines for its implementation were extended," said the representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, RT reported. "During the implementation of these projects, six families of viruses (including coronaviruses) and three types of pathogenic bacteria (causative agents of plague, brucellosis and leptospirosis) were isolated. This is due to the main characteristics of these pathogens that make them attractive for infection purposes: drug resistance, rapid spread from animals to humans, and so on," Kirillov said. --IANS san/arm (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.) warned the on Thursday that Moscow had the might to put the world's pre-eminent superpower in its place and accused the West of stoking a wild Russophobic plot to tear apart. Dmitry Medvedev (pictured), who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council, said the had stoked disgusting Russophobia in an attempt to force to its knees. It will not work - Russia has the might to put all of our brash enemies in their place, Medvedev said. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 Feb, the and its European and Asian allies have slapped sanctions on Russian leaders, companies and businessmen, cutting off Russia from much of the world economy. Biden on Putin: I think he is a war criminal (Reuters) Biden on Wednesday called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal in comments the Kremlin said were unforgivable as it insisted the war in Ukraine was going to plan amid talk of compromise at peace talks. Kremlin forces kept up their bombardments of besieged cities, including intensified shelling of the capital Kyiv, and civilians waiting in line for bread and sheltering in a theatre were killed, according to US and Ukrainian officials Moscow has yet to capture any of Ukraine's biggest cities. Putin on Wednesday said he would discuss neutral status for Ukraine and that what he calls a special military operation to demilitarise the country was "going to plan. Biden, Xi to talk Ukraine, competition tomorrow (Reuters) Biden will hold a call on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the White House said, as the United States piles pressure on China not to provide support to Russia. The planned phone call was announced by White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who said the call is part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the two countries. The two leaders will discuss managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russias war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, March 17: Two inter-related factors guided the Southeast Asian state's response to the Ukrainian war - one is their traditional inclination towards non-interference in the internal affairs of other states and remain neutral on issues of far-away countries and the other is the geo-political implications of the war and the attendant anxieties that come with small countries' sense of insecurity vis-i-vis large neighbours conducting their foreign and defence policies based on manufactured history. As a result, their initial response was one of neutrality to the conflict. The only exception was Singapore which from the very beginning of the invasion condemned Moscow for its 'unprovoked' military attack on Ukraine violating law and the UN Charter which prohibits acts of aggression against sovereign states. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned that if relations were based on 'might is right', the 'world would be a dangerous place for small countries like Singapore'. Singapore unequivocally named Russia as the aggressor. Other nine countries in the region remained neutral till the time the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in an emergency session strongly deplored the Russian aggression against Ukraine and called for immediate ceasefire with 141 countries supporting the resolution including eight countries of Southeast Asia, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar (not the Military Junta, which openly supported the Russian invasion on grounds of national security but the representative of the old government who is still recognized as the legitimate representative by the UN) with Vietnam and Laos abstaining. This was definitely a shift from an innocuous consensus statement the countries issued as an ASEAN grouping on 26 February, two days after the invasion. The ten foreign ministers of ASEAN stated they were 'deeply concerned' and called on the 'relevant parties' to 'exercise maximum restraint', pursue dialogue and de-escalate tensions. Individual countries had varied responses to the conflict. Even before the invasion began, had called for Russia to resolve its dispute with Ukraine peacefully, warning that a conflict risked derailing the world's economic recovery from the pandemic. On the day of the attack, i.e., on 24 February, President Joko Widodo called for an end to hostilities while the foreign ministry 'condemned any action that violates territory and sovereignty'. After some initially vague statements that avoided mentioning Russia by name, voted in favour of both the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights' decision establishing an independent commission to investigate all alleged human rights violations in the war. Two days after the invasion, Brunei foreign ministry issued a statement condemning 'any violation of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of any country.' Behind this shift in the position lies an inherent anxiety and concern that their immediate large neighbour China and with whom some countries of the region have territorial disputes based on an imaginary nine dash line might take the cue from Moscow and do the same to them. The Philippines was completely silent on the issue at the beginning of the war and was more concerned like India to evacuate its nationals trapped in Ukraine. Filipino defence secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, stated the Philippines would remain 'neutral' because the conflict was 'none of our business', which stands in sharp contrast to the country's efforts to internationalise the South China Sea issues in its own dispute with China. However, as the invasion progressed and destructions wrought on Ukraine, the Philippines expressed 'explicit condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine'. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob took a more cautious approach to begin with expressing his 'sadness' at the events in Ukraine. His office later issued a statement of 'serious concern', but instead of singling Russia out as the aggressor, urged 'all concerned parties' to de-escalate the conflict. Thailand's response was more or less similar to Malaysia's as it expressed 'deep concern' and its support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue. Having generally cordial relations with Russia, and its inclination to avoid taking sides in great power politics, its Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that Thailand would remain 'neutral' in the conflict. Cambodia similarly took a neutral stand and wished the conflict to be settled peacefully. Vietnam's position was somewhat like India's as it abstained from the UNGA vote. Having long term defence relations with Moscow, Hanoi has relied on Russian-manufactured weapons to modernise its armed forces to serve as a deterrent against China in the South China Sea. Keen not to offend Moscow, Vietnam stated that that it was 'deeply concerned' by the conflict and that the 'relevant parties' should 'exercise restraint', respect law and seek a peaceful resolution through dialogue. Vietnam has abstained from any criticism of President Putin's actions because Russia is its most important defence partner over the past two decades. As with Vietnam, Laos also did not want to spoil its long term relations with Moscow by levelling any criticism against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and therefore remained neutral by abstaining from the UNGA vote. Myanmar Junta was the only ASEAN member that openly supported the Russian aggression. Being practically isolated by the international community for overthrowing a legitimately elected government, Myanmar has become practically dependent on Russia and China for arms supplies and its other needs and therefore had no other option but to support Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. While the governments' responses were influenced by the perception of their national interests based on the gravity of the war and its geo-political implications, social media's response was largely pro-Russian, particularly in Islamic countries of like and Malaysia. In Indonesia, some even supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A few days after the invasion, the University of Indonesia organised a seminar on the subject where the Ukrainian Ambassador was also invited and was outraged by the open support of Russian invasion by the academics. There are several reasons why the public have been inclined to support Russia in this case. The first is a strong anti-American and anti-western attitude in society. This is not the first time that one observes such anti-Americanism in Indonesia, but was also evident in public's responses towards the US war on terror, which was in itself a major driver of anti-American sentiment. Indonesian political scientist Saiful Mujani argued in 2005 that anti-American sentiment has not usually translated into political action like demonstrations. But the rise of social media over recent years has allowed ordinary people to express these previously hidden views more publicly. A dominant theme in Indonesian discussions of the Russian war on Ukraine has focused on American and western hypocrisy. They find the speed at which support has flowed to Ukraine contrasts sharply with the West's reluctance to support the Palestine issue. It is not so much for their wholehearted support for the Russian actions but contempt for the West that determines their response to the issue. This sentiment has also been influenced by some Indonesian scholars who have chosen to portray the conflict as a response to NATO's expansion into the Russian sphere of influence, rather than examining the deeper historical and cultural context. This is similar to attitudes in China, where Russia has been viewed as a revisionist power struggling against the hypocritical West. Another crucial factor influencing Indonesian responses to the conflict is the public preference for 'strong' leaders. Russian President Vladimir Putin has long been portrayed as a hypermasculine, strong, and assertive leader. Putin has been portrayed as an intelligent and experienced former intelligence official, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been reduced to a caricature, given his past life as a comedian. A third factor that could help to explain pro-Russian views among the Indonesian public is religion. The West is portrayed as anti-Islam. So was Communism of Russia in the past because of its involvement in Afghanistan and Chechnya, but the perception has changed in recent years because of Moscow's closeness to some Islamic countries. Russia's public diplomacy had also been responsible for a change in the perception of Russia as friend of Islam as opposed to the West which is largely viewed as anti-Islam. One vital aspect of Russia's soft power efforts has involved offering scholarships to study in Russia, and support for Russian Studies programs in universities in Jakarta and Bandung. Notwithstanding their varied responses and the reasons for them, all the countries in want the war to end as they are concerned that its effects, particularly in economic and security spheres, will be felt in the region. The Russia-Ukraine war is already having profound global consequences that are affecting every part of the world. will not be spared, though the severity of the impact will depend on the duration of the conflict and its ultimate outcome. The plethora of sanctions that the West together with some others have imposed on Moscow will undoubtedly affect the Russian economy as its currency Ruble has already lost its value by more than 30 per cent and is likely to affect more as the war intensifies. To conduct a war itself will have profound effect on the Russian economy pushing the prices of oil, which is already felt all over the world. Russia together with Ukraine produces a lot of wheat and corn, the production of which are already disturbed, particularly in the case of Ukraine, which is considered to be the granary of Europe. Food prices will also shoot up. Rising oil prices will have effect on transportation that will have effects on other goods. Higher energy prices will reduce discretionary spending by consumers leading to lower consumption. At the same time heightened geopolitical risks will intensify market volatility disrupting investment flows. The weakened growth will reverberate across the globe. The sanctions by the Western alliance on Russia will hit Russia's financial and energy sector hard. The removal of Russia's major banks from the Brussels-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), a secure messaging system that facilitates rapid cross-border payments, making international trade flow smoothly, will deal a big blow to Russian trade and make it harder for Russian companies to do business. The Russian central bank will not be able to use its US$600 billion reserves to defend the plunging Russian ruble. The global economy will go into a tailspin if the war does not stop immediately, particularly after it had already slumped with the raging Covid-19 slowing the economic activities all over the world. Southeast Asian countries are worried more about the security impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. What if China takes the cue from the Russians and invades the smaller countries to fructify all its claims on the South China Sea? The Chinese have already made it clear that they would take over Taiwan by force, if needed. They can also put pressure on Japan in the Senkaku Island which the Chinese call Diaoyu and claim it as their own. Whatever the treaty obligations the US may have in the case of the security of Taiwan and Japan, will it come to their rescue when they will be threatened by a Chinese invasion? The Ukraine war shows the irrelevance of the United Nations Charter, a rule-based international order and sanctity of a country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both Russia and China have unanimity of views on their pushback against a US-led international order and what they decide to act together to challenge the existing regional order in Southeast Asia and in the Indo-Pacific. Southeast Asian countries will be haunted by such concerns for a long period of time. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative (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.) Zelenskyy to Germany: tear down wall dividing free and unfree Europe Invoking the fall of the Berlin Wall, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to tear down what he called a wall between free and unfree Europe and stop the war in Ukraine. Speaking to the Bundestag by videolink, Zelenskiy appealed to Scholz to restore freedom to Ukraine, tapping Germany's collective memory with reference to the historic 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He described a new wall in the middle of Europe between freedom and unfreedom. Reports of any major progress in peace talks wrong, says Kremlin (Bloomberg) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday dismissed reports of substantial progress in peace talks with Ukraine, blaming Kyiv for slowing the negotiations.On the whole, thats wrong, he said when asked about a Financial Times report that the two sides had made major progress toward a deal. The account did include some correct elements, he said. When theres progress, well tell you. Peskov reiterated allegations that Ukraine is in no rush to make a deal, saying that Russian negotiators are ready to work around the clock. UKs top auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's cancel Russian art sale (Reuters) Auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams have cancelled sales of Russian art in London in June, part of the art market's response to Western sanctions on Russia. The auction houses hold sales of Russian art in June and November in a period known as Russian Art Week, attracting wealthy Russian buyers. Sotheby's said it had called off its sale of Russian art in London in June. Christie's also said it had cancelled its June sale of Russian art, citing factors including the uncertainty of the war and complex logistical and legal requirements. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of (BDL) hit a new high at Rs 597 on rallying 8 per cent on the BSE in Thursdays intra-day trade on the back of heavy volumes. The stock of the state-owned defence company traded higher for the eight straight day, and has soared 34 per cent during this period. At 02:02 pm; the stock was up 6 per cent at Rs 589, as compared to a 2 per cent rise on the S&P BSE Sensex. The trading volume at the counter jumped over three-fold with a combined 2.3 million equity shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE. BDL, is a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Defence and a manufacturer of Surface to Air Missile (SAM}, Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATG M}, Torpedoes, and Allied Defence Equipments. On February 2, 2022, the company signed a contract worth Rs 3,131.82 crore with the Indian Army. The contract is for manufacture and supply of Konkurs - M AntiTank Guided Missiles to the Indian Army, and will be executed in three years. With this contract, the companys order book position stands at Rs 11,400 crore (net), BDL had said in an exchange filing. Konkurs M is being manufactured by BDL under license agreement with a Russian OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The missile has been indigenized upto maximum extent. BDL is also offering Konkurs- M missile for export to friendly foreign countries, the company said. BDL in FY21 annual report said that it will witness a high growth in the coming years. The export market has also opened up and BDL's product like Akash Weapon Systems have generated lot of interest from potential buyers abroad. BDL is getting leads for export of the missile from about nine countries. In addition to domestic market, BDL is also looking up to the foreign customers to consolidate the order books of the Company as well as become a global exporter of missiles system, which is a first of its kind. Apart from Akash and Light Weight Torpedo, your Company is also offering the Air to Air Missiles, Air to Surface Weapons, ATG Ms, Heavy Weight Torpedoes and Counter Measure Systems for exports, the company said. Countries have announced fuel subsidies to cushion consumers from the impact of soaring prices after oil skyrocketed last week to 14-year highs. Here are the measures announced: JAPAN The industry ministry adopted a temporary emergency measure on Jan. 27 to ease wholesale prices and mitigate a sharp rise in the prices of gasoline and other fuel by giving oil distributors a subsidy of 3.4 yen ($0.0287) a litre. Since then the subsidy has risen four times, most recently to the upper limit of 25 yen a litre from Thursday. Tokyo is considering a fresh stimulus package that includes extension of the subsidy beyond its expiry at the end of this month, the Kyodo news agency said on Wednesday. The government is also considering freeing up a "trigger clause" that removes some of the gasoline tax when the price exceeds 160 yen for more than three months. SOUTH KOREA Seoul has extended until the end of July rates that took effect from last Nov. 12, shaving taxes of 164 won ($0.13), 116 won and 40 won off every litre of gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) respectively. That move followed an October announcement that domestic tax on key oil products would be temporarily slashed by a fifth and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) tariff cut to zero from 2%. PHILIPPINES Manila has doubled to 5 billion pesos ($95.88 million) a fuel subsidy programme for public transport and recommended additional fuel vouchers for farm producers by increasing the budget to 1.1 billion pesos from 500 million, so as to cut input costs. The subsidies, which take effect this month and the next, come on top of cash grants unveiled in October. The department said it was also considering additional measures that will require legislative approval, such as increasing the buffer stock of gasoline and diesel to 45 days from 30 and LPG to 15 days from seven. The Philippines plans to increase coal supply for power generation and temporarily scrap tariffs on the fuel. MALAYSIA Malaysia's petroleum subsidies bill this year may more than double to 28 billion ringgit ($6.67 billion) if oil prices stay high, taking its monthly bill to 2.5 billion ringgit if the price keeps above $100 a barrel, the finance minister has said. The government's Jan. expenditure of 2 billion ringgit on petrol, diesel, and LPG subsidies is a tenfold increase on the year. Last year, petroleum subsidies amounted to 11 billion ringgit. FRANCE France announced plans on Jan. 25 for a further cut of 10% in its tax on transport costs for commuters. A month ahead of a presidential election, President Emmanuel Macron promised measures to help households deal with high . France had already spent 20 billion euros ($21.98 billion) a year to moderate costs, he added. From April 1, oil giant TotalEnergies will offer a discount of 10 cents per litre at domestic petrol stations, its chief executive, Patrick Pouyanne, said on Twitter. BRAZIL Brazil's Senate approved two bills last week to curb fuel price hikes with subsidies and tax exemptions, which could be good news for state-run oil company Petrobras, but will ultimately reduce state tax revenues. The first bill provides for government to compensate fuel distributors if international prices rise above an acceptable range for domestic prices. The second bill simplified measures on calculation of the ICMS state tax regarding prices of gasoline, ethanol, diesel, biodiesel and LPG. (Reporting by Isabel Kua in Singapore, Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo, Enrico dela Cruz in Manila, Reuters bureaux; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At meeting held on 17 March 2022 The Board of Embassy Office Parks Management Services, Manager to Embassy Office Parks REIT (Embassy REIT) at its meeting held on 17 March 2022 has approved the following - Approved fund raising by way of issuance of listed, rated, secured, redeemable, transferable, rupee denominated non-convertible debentures aggregating up to Rs 1000 crore in one or more tranches by Embassy REIT to be utilized towards ongoing growth initiatives including development and acquisition(s), investment in the holding company, special purpose vehicles or the investment entity of the Embassy REIT, including through subscription to debt securities and general purposes, subject to applicable law at the discretion of and in such manner as may be approved by the Board. Approved Embassy REIT's commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its operational portfolio by 2040, three decades ahead of India's 2070 target announced at the Glasgow COP26 summit in 2021 by (i) increasing usage of renewable energy through both internal and third-party initiatives; (ii) reducing energy consumption footprint of existing facilities by investing to improve energy-efficiency; (iii) partnering with key occupiers, suppliers and contractors to develop joint action plans towards reducing emissions; (iv) embedding sustainability criteria in pre-acquisition due diligence; and (v) offsetting residual emissions through carefully selected projects. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Motors Ltd is quoting at Rs 434, up 2.14% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 41.37% in last one year as compared to a 18.9% spurt in NIFTY and a 4.24% spurt in the Nifty Auto index. Tata Motors Ltd is up for a third straight session in a row. The stock is quoting at Rs 434, up 2.14% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.96% on the day, quoting at 17308.7. The Sensex is at 57961.75, up 2.02%. Tata Motors Ltd has dropped around 11.99% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Tata Motors Ltd is a constituent, has dropped around 7.41% in last one month and is currently quoting at 10350.1, up 2.16% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 156.28 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 385.65 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark March futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 433.2, up 1.85% on the day. Tata Motors Ltd is up 41.37% in last one year as compared to a 18.9% spurt in NIFTY and a 4.24% spurt in the Nifty Auto index. The PE of the stock is 0 based on TTM earnings ending December 21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintains Ankara's neutrality in the Ukraine - Russia conflict and continues to procure an advanced Russian missile system despite the controversial nature of the deal. The west's calls to scrap the S-400 missiles deal were unacceptable because the country believes it has the right to choose who to deal with. Turkey, an important member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), was sanctioned by the US but still went through with the deal. Turkey Asserts Right To Purchase Russian Arms Erdogan is not interested in joining other nations in an arms embargo of Russian arms, and Ankara disagrees with the terms of Western defense firms, reported the Express UK. He added that it's too early to say if his government will follow the west and not be able to buy for defense. The Allies and US are spearheading sanctions after Russia rolled into Ukraine due to the increased western expansion. Further, the Turkish head of state says that dealing with Moscow has not stopped them from giving aid to the Ukrainians, cited the Diverse Bulletin. Most important was to keep ties with Kyiv and Moscow, not as much as others pressured. Germany sided with Turkey to the dismay of the US. Last March 14, in a press conference with Erdogan, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that his counterpart's nation has its discretion and no one decides for them, another fact is the moves are too early to judge. He stresses its too early to say what happens next, and anything could change from here to later. He said that keeping ties to Moscow and Kyiv is more important than ever. Erdogan then remarked what has been done for Ukraine that other NATO countries have not even with Russia concerned, and they offer support for both. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? He added that humanitarian aid was given, with more than 50 trucks of supplies that will continue to be sent there. Democratic US Congressman Frank Pallone stated that Ankara cannot be trusted and is against the NATO alliance. In a social media post, he slammed Erdogan for dealing with the enemy, a human rights abuser like Putin, and Aliyev shows no NATO values. He said Turkey should not buy Russian weapons, and they aren't worth the trust. Ankara could argue its an oversimplification of the reality faced. Calls To Cancel Russian Arms Deal When Ankara got the Russian-made S-400 missile systems, the west felt threatened due to its danger to the F-35. Next, sanctions followed and criticism with peer nations, noted Defense One. In December 2020, the US sanctioned Turkey over the S-400 sake, but Erdogan said the west had few options, and Ankara had the right to choose its supplier. But another deal for the advanced missile system was entered, and Washington tried to throw its weight around. Erdogan is careful to balance the stand of Ankara about the two countries and wants to keep its non-alignment to anyone. The approach of Turkey is to go in between as it controls a crucial sea border with Russia in the Black Sea, a role as a go-between is crucial in the conflict. Turkish President Erdogan knows balance is needed, and the advanced Russian missile system for security as planned could make a difference with cooler heads in the negotiator's seat. Related Article: Turkey Refuses To Sanction Russia Over Ukraine Invasion, Plans Alternative Solutions Despite Pressure From NATO Membership @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Voltas: The board of directors of the company has approved a proposal to enter into a Joint Venture arrangement with Highly International (Hong Kong) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shanghai Highly (Group) Company. With this JV, the company will engage in the business of design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale and service of inverter compressors for room air-conditioners, motors for inverter compressors, and their associated parts including sourcing of raw materials & components required for manufacturing these products, on such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed between the parties. BEML: A meeting of Board of Directors of the company will be held on 22 March 2022, to consider the Interim Dividend for FY 2021-22 on equity shares, if any. Indiabulls Housing Finance: A meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled on 22 March 2022 to consider and approve raising of funds through issue of secured and/or unsecured bonds, in one or more tranches, on private placement basis. GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals: GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals has completed the transaction relating to sale of the company's trademarks 'pertaining to 'Iodex' and 'Ostocalcium' brands in India to GlaxoSmithKline Asia Private Limited. Yasho Industries: The Board of Directors of the company approved capital expenditure for new greenfield project for the capacity of 15,500 Metric Tonne per annum at Pakhajan Village, Taluka: Vagra, Dist. Bharuch. Coastal Corporation: A meeting of board of directors of the company is scheduled to be held on 29 March 2022, to consider a proposal to issue equity shares to the existing shareholders on right basis. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Voltas advanced 3.28% to Rs 1,312.75 after the board approved a proposal to enter into a joint venture arrangement with Highly International (Hong Kong), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shanghai Highly (Group) Company. The companies plan to engage in the business of design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale and service of inverter compressors for room air conditioners, motors for inverter compressors and their associated parts including sourcing of raw materials & components required for manufacturing these products, on such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed between the parties. In the joint venture, Voltas and Hong Kong based-Highly International will have a shareholding of 40% and 60% respectively. Voltas' consolidated net profit dropped 24.9% to Rs 96.56 crore on a 10.1% fall in net sales to Rs 1,772.06 crore in Q3 FY22 over Q3 FY21. Voltas is India's largest air conditioning company, and one of the world's premier engineering solutions providers and project specialists. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Chief Minister revealed that the controversial Pegasus spyware was offered to her government, she provided on Thursday more details, stating the state police was approached at least four to five years back with an offer to sell the controversial Israeli spyware for just Rs 25 crore. The chief minister said she had turned it down when she came to know of it. Banerjee also alleged that instead of using the spyware for the security of the country, it was used by the central government which she claimed purchased it, for "political" reasons against judges and officials. However, the Telugu Desam party denied assertions made by her on Wednesday that the then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, had purchased the spyware during his tenure. "They (NSO, the company which developed Pegasus) had approached everybody to sell their ware. They had approached our police too, four-five years ago and offered to sell it for Rs 25 crore. I had the information, but I said that we did not require it," Banerjee said at the state secretariat. "If it was used for the benefit of the country or for security reasons then it was a different matter altogether, but it has been used for political purposes, against judges, officers which is not at all welcomed," she alleged. The Bengal chief minister had on Wednesday disclosed in the Assembly that her government was offered Pegasus spyware which she had declined as it had the potential to encroach upon people's privacy. During her disclosure in the Assembly, the fiery leader had also claimed that the Andhra government "had it during Chandrababu (Naidu)'s time". However, the Telegu Desam party refuted the claim and said the Chandrababu Naidu government had made no such purchase. "We have never purchased any spyware. We never indulged in any illegal phone tapping," Telugu Desam Party general secretary Nara Lokesh said here on Thursday. Reacting to Banerjee's claim that the previous Chandrababu Naidu government purchased the Pegasus Spyware, Lokesh who was the then Minister for Information Technology in his father Chandrababu's Cabinet, said "I don't know whether she has indeed said this, and where and in which context. If she did say this, she is certainly misinformed." However, he said the software was offered to the state government. "Yes, Pegasus offered to sell its spyware to the AP government as well but we rejected it," Lokesh said. Had the government purchased the spyware, there would be a record of it, he pointed out. An international media consortium had reported last year that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Pegasus spyware. A New York Times report earlier this year claiming India bought Pegasus spyware as part of a USD 2 billion defence deal with Israel in 2017 had triggered a major controversy with the Opposition alleging that the government had indulged in illegal snooping that amounted to "treason". The Supreme Court is currently hearing a batch of pleas on the allegations of misuse of this spyware in India. (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.) leader on Thursday expressed confidence that the party will come to power in on its own. The former chief minister, who was the BJP's in-charge for Goa Assembly elections, was greeted by party workers after arrival here earlier in the day. The retained power in Goa by winning 20 out of 40 seats. Fadnavis proceeded to senior leader Nitin Gadkari's residence from the airport and took his blessings. Later, speaking at a party function where he was felicitated, Fadnavis said there was a "wave of change" in too. False cases were being registered against BJP leaders in the state, he alleged. "I want to tell the Maha Vikas Aghadi (coalition) government that we will not stop speaking out against your corruption irrespective of how many cases you file against us," he said. "The BJP will come to power in the next Assembly as well as municipal corporation and zilla parishad elections in Maharashtra on its own," he added. The saffron party's alliance with the Shiv Sena ended in 2019 after which the latter joined hands with NCP and Congress to form government in Maharashtra. The victory in Goa was the result of teamwork and people's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Fadnavis said. The BJP would not need anyone's support to form government in Goa but it welcomed those who extended support to it, he said. Every vote the party got in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Uttarakhand was for development and faith in Modi, Fadnavis said. "We have seen development reaching every corner of the country and government welfare schemes reaching every house. Modi served people during COVID-19 lockdown and did not let anyone starve, he also served people by implementing vaccination programme. Even recently, 20,000 Indians were safely evacuated from Ukraine," he said. Fadnavis also lauded the development work carried out by Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, who was present at the function. (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.) Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar on Thursday asserted that his government has zero tolerance towards and is using technology to curb the menace. "Our target is to set the systems right. We want to minimise human interference and have a faceless system with more use of technology," he said. Khattar said his government has laid a lot of stress on digitalisation, which will also help in curbing . "We are working with zero tolerance towards . We are making dedicated efforts to take the drive against corruption to the grassroots level," he told reporters here. He said his government has undertaken several reforms to ensure 'maximum governance- minimum government'. Responding to a query over the opposition recently questioning whether his "good governance associates" were from the RSS background, Khattar said, "They can be of any background." He then added, "RSS is not a banned organisation. I belong to RSS myself. When I can become chief minister, cannot anyone from RSS background be my advisor... But we have not kept any such parameter -- whether one belongs to RSS or not (referring to his good governance associates). But being of RSS background is not banned." When asked if his good governance associates are actually from the RSS background, Khattar replied, "I don't know, I never asked that."He also said that these associates do not draw their salaries from the government exchequer. He rejected as baseless the opposition's claim that the government discontinued the old-age pension of about 2.70 lakh beneficiaries in the state. "The opposition will never share the details about the number of new pension beneficiaries added in the last two years...as many as 2.61 lakh new beneficiaries have been added in two years till March 2022, he said. The chief minister said that around 2.41 lakh people have died in these two years, therefore their pension has been discontinued. Besides this, there are about 21,000 having an annual income of more than Rs 3.50 lakh, therefore their pension has been discontinued, while there are around 15,000 cases where discrepancies related to age have been found, he added. Khattar said through the family ID initiative, Parivar Pehchan Patra, it was found that there are almost 18,000 widows who later re-married and therefore their widow pension was not continued. The chief minister said that in order to ensure complete transparency in maintaining records, the birth and death registration process has been digitised and it has been linked with the Parivar Pehchan Patra so that the information of the family members is updated automatically. (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 on Thursday offered to resign from his post, owing moral responsibility for the party's defeat in the Punjab Assembly elections. His offer of resignation was, however, rejected by the party's district presidents and senior leaders, according to a statement. The party also decided to form a high-powered panel to take feedback from its leaders as well people on the election debacle. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had stormed to power after winning 92 of the 117 Assembly seats. The (SAD) had its worst-ever performance in the polls as it could win only three seats. Sukhbir Badal himself lost from Jalalabad while his father and former CM Parkash Singh Badal lost from Lambi. During his interaction with the party's district presidents and the senior leadership, Sukhbir Badal said, "The party and its well-being are supreme for me. I have always acted in the best interest of the party. I own moral responsibility for the party's defeat and ready to step down." The party leadership rejected his offer in unison with many district presidents "bringing on record the hard work and intensive election campaign led by Sukhbir Singh Badal", the statement said. A formal resolution was also passed unanimously to express confidence in the leadership of Sukhbir Badal. The leaders said not only did Badal led from the front but also inspired the party leadership as well as the cadre to give its best. The leaders said though the results were not as per expectations, the party president could not be faulted in any manner whatsoever. "People voted overwhelmingly for change and the entire opposition was swept aside in the resultant tsunami," they said. The SAD leaders said at many places the voters did not even know the name of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate but voted for it, adopting the narrative of "badlav" (change). This cost the SAD dearly, they said. Asserting that all was not lost, the party leaders said the SAD has the ability to "rise like a phoenix from the ashes" and Sukhbir Badal would play a lead role in this. Previous SAD governments have created benchmarks for development, infrastructure development and introduction of unique social welfare schemes, which are ingrained in the minds of people, they said. People even wanted to reward the SAD on the basis of its past track record, especially after the non-performance of the Congress government, but were swayed by the voice of change at the last minute, they said. Badal briefed the district presidents that the party will not only take detailed feedback on the election debacle from them and other party functionaries but also from people. "A high-powered committee is being formed for this purpose. It will hold the requisite meetings to take necessary feedback and come up with recommendations to rejuvenate the party," the statement 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.) BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday met leaders of the party's allies in -- of the Apna Dal(S) and Sanjay Nishad of the Nishad party -- at his residence here as part of its government formation exercise. Nadda's meeting with the allies came a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held deliberations with him as the party worked to firm up the composition of the new government following its thumping win in the assembly polls. Nadda met Patel and Nishad separately along with BJP's poll-incharge Dharmendra Pradhan and state unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh, and is believed to have discussed matter related to government formation. While Adityanath is all but certain to occupy the top post, the BJP is grappling with the question whether to have deputy chief minister. It is also considering if outgoing deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya who lost the election can be reinstated in his old position. Though the BJP secured a resounding win, Maurya lost his Sirathu seat. The BJP had on Monday announced its former president and Union minister Amit Shah as the observer for government formation in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP has been carrying out an extensive exercise to pick ministers in Uttar Pradesh, politically India's most important state where the party has been dominant since 2014. A senior leader said they are taking into account a host of factors, including age, education, experience, gender, region and caste, to ensure that the new government is seen as socially representative and also reflective of the party's agenda of good governance. Adityanath had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders on Sunday. His meeting with the prime minister had lasted for more than 100 minutes. Top BJP leaders, including Modi, Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nadda, have held extensive parleys in the last few days, working out the broad outlines of the new governments in four states, including Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, ahead of the swearing-in ceremonies expected next week. The BJP won 255 seats out of 403 in Uttar Pradesh, while its allies Apna Dal (S) and Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (Nishad party) bagged 12 and six seats, respectively. (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.) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 17 (ANI/NewsVoir): Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a 'Maharatna' and a Fortune Global 500 Company has partnered with UltraCash Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to offer a voice-based digital payment facility for BharatGas consumers for booking their LPG cylinders. Through this feature, the consumers who do not have smartphones or internet can book their cylinders and make the payment through 'UPI 123PAY'. With the introduction of this facility, around 4 crore consumers of BharatGas in rural India will stand to benefit. BPCL is the first Company in India to offer their service to consumers after RBI Governor announced the launch of UPI 123PAY last week. UltraCash is a mobile payment application developed by UltraCash Technologies Pvt Ltd and authorized by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). The collaboration with Ultra Cash enables BharatGas customers to call common number 080 4516 3554 from a non-internet phone and book BharatGas cylinder for themselves or for their friends in easy steps in a secured manner. This facility will bring the confidence of digital payments to our rural customers who will now enjoy the same freedom and transparency which was hitherto available to only smartphone users. During the month preceding the launch, more than 13,000 BharatGas customers transacted for more than Rupees One Crore, which indicates that Rs. 100 Crore worth of transactions in the next twelve months could be anticipated. Santosh Kumar, Executive Director Incharge (LPG), BPCL said, "India still has a vast majority of feature phone users. Further, even in urban areas many users are looking for fully secure ways of digital payments. With the Government of India also promoting the usage of LPG through schemes like Ujjwala Yojana, this facility will help in further penetrating into rural markets. Though this service can be used by all, it is primarily meant for non-feature phone users but ease and security of payments of UPI123PAY will make it popular across all segments and users. So BharatGas is enabling a service which is truly meant for BHARAT." Vishal Lal, Co-founder UltraCash said, "We are extremely excited to partner with BPCL on this amazing journey of bringing in next set of customers into the digital revolution. This path-breaking initiative by RBI & NPCI, allows customers to Pay and Book in the simplest form of voice call." Fortune Global 500 Company, Bharat Petroleum is the second-largest Indian Oil Marketing Company and one of the premier integrated energy companies in India, engaged in refining of crude oil and marketing of petroleum products, with a significant presence in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. The company attained the coveted Maharatna status, joining the elite club of companies having greater operational & financial autonomy. Bharat Petroleum's Refineries at Mumbai & Kochi and subsidiary Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd., at Bina, Madhya Pradesh have a combined refining capacity of around 35.3 MMTPA. Its marketing infrastructure includes a network of installations, depots, energy stations, aviation service stations and LPG distributors. Its distribution network comprises over 19,000 Energy Stations, over 6,100 LPG distributorships, 733 Lubes distributorships, and 123 POL storage locations, 53 LPG Bottling Plants, 60 Aviation Service Stations, 3 Lube blending plants and 4 cross-country pipelines. Bharat Petroleum is integrating its strategy, investments, environmental and social ambitions to move towards a sustainable planet. The company has chalked out the plan to offer electric vehicle charging stations at around 7000 energy stations over next 5 years. With a focus on sustainable solutions, the company is developing a vibrant ecosystem and a road-map to become a Net Zero Energy Company by 2040, in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Bharat Petroleum has been partnering communities by supporting innumerable initiatives connected primarily in the areas of education, water conservation, skill development, health, community development, capacity building and employee volunteering. With 'Energising Lives' as its core purpose, Bharat Petroleum's vision is to be the most admired global energy company leveraging talent, innovation & technology. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi/ Gurugram (Haryana) [India], March 17 (ANI/PRNewswire): Parikshit Roy, (https://bit.ly/3MRoW9H) Arabinda Chakraborty & (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumit-sarkar-3474981) Sumit Sarkar, seasoned and senior business leaders, founded Caleedo, a B2B SaaS venture to digitize, at-scale, blue-collar led sectors like Business Support Services (BSS)/Facilities Management and Patient Care Services (PCS) in hospitals. Estimated at USD 1.3 Trillion (Frost & Sullivan, Global Facilities Management Report 2018), these sectors have been consistently growing and present a huge & exciting digitization opportunity globally. Parikshit Roy, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Caleedo says, "Our innovative digital applications help businesses to rapidly transform and re-orchestrate their operating processes and customer experience, as workplaces, work formats and patient care services are being repurposed.". Caleedo has built two unique sector-focused playbooks - Caleedo Express for workplaces and Caleedo Health for hospitals. These playbooks are hyper-automated, enterprise-grade applications that provide users and service providers with a wide choice of workflow orchestration options and unique persona-based user interfaces for a seamless digital experience. Caleedo has built two 'first-of-its-kind' applications on this playbook: Hygieneo - A unique SaaS, with Wi-Fi-enabled IoT meters for measuring, monitoring, and reporting Indoor Air (IAQ) and Surface Hygiene levels at workplaces, hotels, and other commercial and public spaces - with an optional public display of the spaces' hygiene index. This application is already being used by many leading Real Estate companies, IT/ITES companies, MNCs for their offices. Recently, a prominent global hotel chain in India, a large retail company from UAE have signed up with Caleedo to roll-out these applications across their real estate portfolio. The application is available as a SaaS subscription and the cost of the meters (IoT hardware) is amortized over the SaaS subscription, a category first offering which allows customers a convenient no-CAPEX procurement process. Vizit is a unique digital application, purpose-built for hospitals, where patient-doctor- patient family, and caregiver can communicate over voice/video calls scheduled as per patient family preference and governed by the hospital administration's visitation protocols. It also schedules IPD visits, daily or timed patient updates to the referring doctor and the family members, and a host of functionalities that would transform the hospital-patient-family communication and relationship. This platform revolutionizes e-visits to hospitals and facilitates a proactive patient-families-hospital interaction. The platform also promises additional functionalities (upcoming) of patient education, patient health status after hospital discharge, etc. Caleedo would also roll-out some more industry-first digital applications soon. (https://caleedo.com) Caleedo Caleedo is based in the NCR, and Bangalore, and has a point-of-presence in all metro cities in India. The company has recently forayed into the UAE with a strategic partnership. Next year, the business plans to launch its solutions in selected APAC countries and Australia. Caleedo has raised an initial seed round last year; it plans to raise USD 3 Mn in its next round of funding. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Linktree raises USD 110 Million USD led by Index and Coatue to power next phase of growth for creators, consumers and brands New Delhi (India), March 17 (ANI/PNN): Linktree today announced USD 110 million USD funding led by Index Ventures and Coatue at a valuation of USD 1.3 billion USD. The company's fast-paced growth trajectory to 24 million users in the past year ensured follow-on from previous investors AirTree Ventures and Insight Partners, and new participation from Greenoaks Capital, renowned for investments in Coupang, Canva and Airwallex. Linktree is the link-in-bio category creator that enables users to create a streamlined online identity to showcase, and commercialize, their profile. It is utilized by artists, and brands globally including TikTok, Selena Gomez, Noah Beck, Bella Poarch, Red Bull, Shawn Mendes, the Los Angeles Clippers, Comedy Central, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and HBO. Linktree helped 1.7 million people drive 1.2 billion clicks to commerce-related websites in the last year alone. Users now exist across 250 verticals worldwide. From 2020 to 2021, the platform's influencer, small business, and music verticals have grown on average more than 300% each. Linktree will use this funding to focus on additional geographic expansion, revenue streams and further value for its creators and brands via new tools and partnerships. With its expansion into Indian Territory, it has noticed immense growth and engagement from a broad range of industries. Some of the leading names from India include Byju's, BMW India, Jio Saavn, Sugar Cosmetics, Forbes, Mumbai Indians and many more. "Linktree will connect creators and audiences, facilitate and maximize the huge potential to expand the digital economy in India," said Country Manager Linktree, Sapna Patel. "We have grown beyond the traditional 'link-in-bio' company, connecting users' fragmented online presence and establishing our position as a new sub-sector of the tech industry. This funding will ensure we continue to innovate and develop tools that empower people to grow, curate, and monetize their digital universe, maintaining Linktree as the market leader," said Alex Zaccaria, co-founder, and CEO, Linktree. Linktree marks this milestone with the hire of their first President, Michael Olson. Michael has a long and distinguished career in the gaming and creator economy having held Executive Growth and Operational positions at Twitch, Pandora, Linked-In and Microsoft. Based in the US, he will drive market and category leadership for Linktree and their growing team. "I'm honored to be joining Linktree at this milestone moment. Over the past few years, the creator economy has grown rapidly and Linktree has led the way through innovations in discovery, engagement, and monetization - there are so many commercial possibilities with an audience of this size," said Mike Olson, President, Linktree. Officially dubbed as 'unicorn', Linktree continues to prioritize the needs of creators, consumers, and brands as one of the top 300 most popular website destinations globally with 1.2 billion unique visitors a month. Linktree enables creators, brands, artists, publishers, agencies, and businesses of all sizes to curate an online ecosystem, engage with their audience and monetize their passion. Linktree is among the top 300 most popular website destinations globally, with 1.2 billion unique visitors a month. In 2021 alone, Linktree enabled over 1 million artists to generate 90 million visits to streaming providers - twice as many artists and three times as many clicks as in the year prior. The platform is utilized by more than 24 million creators, artists, and brands globally including TikTok, Selena Gomez, Noah Beck, Bella Poarch, Red Bull, Shawn Mendes, the Los Angeles Clippers, Comedy Central, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and HBO. The platform continues to prioritize the needs of creators, recently releasing Commerce Links and Stores, which include integrations with Shopify, Square, Paypal, spring, and GoFundMe. Since acquiring Songlink/Odesli in August 2021, Linktree has also announced exciting new partnerships with Bandsintown, Audiomack, Soundcloud, and Community. Founded by Brothers Alex and Anthony Zaccaria and Nick Humphreys in 2016, Linktree is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. For more information visit (https://linktr.ee). This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A judge has ordered Jussie Smollett to be released from jail on bond as the appeal of the suspect's conviction is pending after the "Empire" actor has been sentenced to 150 days imprisonment for lying to Chicago police about being the victim of a hate crime in 2019. The suspect was previously convicted on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police officers. The appeals court voted in a 2-1 decision on Wednesday, saying that Smollett could be freed from jail after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000. Jussie Smollett Released The situation meant that he was not required to put down the money but agreed to return to court as required by authorities. Late Wednesday, it was still unclear how soon he could be released from jail. Following the sentence of 150 days imprisonment, authorities gave Smollett 30 months felony probation, restitution to the city of Chicago in the amount of $120,106, and a fine of $25,000. The suspect's attorney's had argued in court that their client would have completed the jail sentence by the time the appeal process was finished. They added that Smollett could be at risk of physical harm if he were to remain locked up in Cook County Jail, as per Fox News. Read Also: New Jersey Father Faces Murder Charges After Forcing 6-Year-Old Son To Run on the Treadmill A judge found that because Smollett was not convicted of violent offenses, he would be allowed to be freed. On the other hand, special prosecutor Dan Webb, opposing the suspect's release, argued that no emergency warranted the "extraordinary relief of staying" the sentence. Webb argued that the suspect was not able to provide any solid proof that he was in danger and said that the defense used "cursory, woefully undeveloped arguments" to convince the court. Smollett's lawyers said that the 39-year-old Black man was at risk in jail because he was immunocompromised and had received threats throughout his high-profile December conviction. Lying to Police According to the New York Post, authorities moved the suspect to a different jail cell that had surveillance and kept him away from other prisoners following the Monday motion. The actor told police in 2019 that a group of bigots assaulted him. However, a jury later found that he hired two co-workers from his show to act as they attacked him in an attempt to boost his public profile and promote his acting career. Following Smollett's report to police, a brief manhunt was conducted, and afterward, police turned their focus on the suspect. Judge James Linn was the one who sentenced the suspect to 150 days in jail which could be reduced to 75 days with good behavior. The actor continued his theatrics throughout his sentencing, arguing that he was innocent and saying that if he lost his life while he was kept behind bars, it would not be considered suicide but murder. The suspect and his family have been protesting his sentence, arguing that the length of imprisonment was proof of racism in the United States criminal justice system, the Dailymail reported. Related Article: New York Police Arrest Suspect Who Brutally Stomped on, Punched 67-Year-Old Asian Woman 125 Times @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI/SRV): Organizations have been rethinking and simplifying their operations, owing to various factors and human resources is no exception. HR Leaders are now reshaping their HR functions in order to aid more connection, flexibility or by simply understanding the need of their workforce and mapping the talent requirements as per the company needs. The 2nd Annual ReThink HR Conclave 2022 hosted by Sapphire Connect discussed exactly on how the HR Leaders are staying abreast and as they prepare themselves for the future of work by adapting to the ever-evolving new realities. This conclave was held at Hotel Sahara in Mumbai and witnessed 30+ speakers, 120+ HR Leaders in person and in addition 2000+ HR professionals who joined us virtually. Speaking at the conclave we had Navnidh Kochar Karaka, Head HR - Global Corporate Security, Reliance Industries, who simply devised the role of HR leader as she said, "The definition of leadership has changed over a period of time. We no more require leaders who are very stern, we require leaders of high level of empathy, high level of resilience and to my mind an excellent uptake on the learning agility." Training is an essential part of operational agility and employee development is often associated with upskilling or cross-training. Highlighting the need of cross-training and upskilling Sandeep Batra, Partner, Sapphire Human Solutions said, "Today cross training is becoming a key area as we look at frugality, as we look at organizations really wanting to scale down on the spends and make them more frugal and more productive. Cross training and upskilling are one area which is really becoming the norm and the way forward in career at any given point in time." Today, we hear a lot about employee experience, and we have seen organizations undertaking various strategies as they enable people and organizations to be their best by simply creating great employee experiences in the workplace eventually leading to great customer experience. Talking about employee experience, Minakshi Samant, Executive Director, Human Resources, Ingram Micro, said, "The first E of employee is emotions and if your able to touch that emotion at which ever stage of the career the employee is then the engagement will happen. Before the engagement the experience is so important right from the beginning of when you approach the candidate to the onboarding." Employee wellbeing in other words is basically enabling employee experience at work from a holistic view. Looking at employee wellbeing at workplace is important to reduce work related stress or instituting incentives for healthy living. Nivedita Nanda, CHRO, Kaya India amplified on the strategies undertaken by her organization, she said, "The workplace and the workspace has been transforming towards a collective wellbeing. We started an initiative titled Health Assessment and Lifestyle Enrichment (HALE) basically a proactive approach to know the people mental wellbeing." The conclave also focused on the role of HR and D & I and their partnership for success. Reena Wahi, VP - HR, Tata Realty said, "When we talk about diversity and inclusion today, we are only thinking about women and not about diverse set of people coming and joining the organization and how do we make it inclusive. Whether it is a religious diversity, whether it is an ethnic diversity, whether it is to do with the location and regions people are coming from or even about transgender diversity. That is one of the areas I think we really need to consciously now start thinking in as we talk about gig economy and have been drawing a lot of talent that comes from totally different diverse background." The conclave also organized Speed Connect an exclusive one-of-its-kind opportunity for recruitment agencies and academic institutions who had the chance to meet from an extensive list of employment partner. The Speed Connect witnessed around 50+ Employment Partner, 75+ Recruitment Agencies and 50+ Academic Partners with 90+ MOU's signed at the event. Vipin Jog, Assistant Director - Corporate Resource Center (CRC), Amity University, Mumbai who attended as an Academic Partner said, "We are proud to sign multiple MOU's at the conclave. This MOU's provided us placements, internships, MDP, and allied industry-academia opportunities for the growth and development of student's career at Amity University, Mumbai. This collaboration will also help both partners in sharing expertise through management development and research programs." Talking about the ReThink HR Conclave, Rishi Kapoor, Business Head & Associate Partner, Sapphire Connect said, "The winds of change should be the harbinger of a new dawn; as technology takes over the traditional landscape, organizations are needed to be quick in order to adapt to evolving change. We at Sapphire Connect believe that, yes, there will always be uncertainty lurking in the future for HR transformation, but an initiative such as ReThink HR Conclave encourages HR leaders in taking this uncertainty as key of opportunity to wade through the era of change." This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 17 (ANI/BusinessWire India): In a glittering ceremony in Pune, SKODA AUTO India awarded, honoured and celebrated its most prized assets. Its personnel, partners, and winners of the SKODA SERVICE CHALLENGE. Zac Hollis, Brand Director, SKODA AUTO India, said, "We at SKODA AUTO have always maintained that happy personnel means happy customers. Which is why we organise the SKODA SERVICE CHALLENGE to encourage, motivate and reward members of the SKODA AUTO family. It is my absolute pleasure to personally meet, interact and spend time with the people who represent our brand to our customers and directly contribute to the growth of SKODA AUTO in India and the world. They are our true superstars." The SKODA SERVICE CHALLENGE is a national level competition involving Parts Managers, Diagnostic and Master Technicians, Service Technicians, and Service Advisors. This competition is to encourage and motivate employees working in the service area of SKODA AUTO's partners and dealers, and to inculcate a sense of pride and belongingness leading to improved service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. In place since 2011, this year 752 participants from dealerships across India participated in an online test of two rounds in November 2021, followed by face-to-face Regional Rounds in December 2021. The top 3 individuals from the 4 categories competed in the finals held in SKODA AUTO-VW India's Training Academy in Pune on March 15, 2022. The competition consisted of several rounds of tests assessing participants on theoretical, practical and soft skills. The winners are 1. Parts Manager- Rahul Kadam of Mody India Cars Pvt Ltd, Mumbai 2. Diagnostic & Master Technician - Saravanan Palanisamy of SGA Cars India Pvt Ltd, Coimbatore 3. Service Technician - Satinder Singh Laur of BriteAutowheels Private Limited, Noida 4. Service Advisor - Girish Javaregowda of Raja Motors, Bengaluru Zac Hollis, Brand Director, SKODA AUTO India handed over the trophy and a token of appreciation to the winners. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Istanbul [Turkey], March 17 (ANI/NewsVoir): SRAM & MRAM Group kickstarts 29th International Expomed Eurasia Istanbul Medical Fair. The Fair will be taking place in Tuyap Fair and Congress Center, Istanbul from March 17 to 19, 2022. The Fair will be catering to varied verticals ranging from Analysis, Diagnosis, Treatment, Rehabilitation, Laboratory Product, Device, System, Technology, Equipment, and Hospitals Fair, etc. During the event, Expomed Eurasia 2022 Fair, the Group will be showcasing the "(https://walletz4u.com)" portfolio. The event will take place from March 17 to March 19, 2022. The Fair will be offering a comprehensive world marketplace for products, services and latest technology. The summit is also a platform that brings a host of innovations and solutions for every need or intensive dialogue with experts from around the globe under one roof. Turkey is one of the countries where onsite trade fairs are allowed to be held in this region under pandemic circumstances and making it easily accessible and reinforcing the importance of the Expomed for the whole of the Eurasian region. During the event, SRAM & MRAM Group with their "(https://walletz4u.com)" portfolio will be present at Hall: 5, Stand: 511A. The official title for the event is 29th International Istanbul Medical Analysis, Diagnosis, Treatment, Rehabilitation, Laboratory Product, Device, System, Technology, Equipment, and Hospitals Fair. The event highlights will be on the following Product Categories: * Electro Medical Equipment and Medical Technologies * Laboratory and Biotechnology Devices and Products * Hospital Build and Medical Facility Management * Orthopedics - Physiotherapy - Rehabilitation * OTC (Over-The-Counter) * Food Supplements * Dermo-Cosmetic Products * Mother & Baby Products SRAM & MRAM Group with their flagship brand Walletz4u at the summit will be focusing on showcasing the product portfolio to a larger audience from Turkey. The brand is synonymous with its high-quality latex, vinyl, nitrile, and rubber disposable gloves. Each glove is backed with the seal of approval and with the commitment to bringing the products that one can trust to help keep you safe, healthy, and comfortable. Walletz4u is the world's largest gloves OEM; one of the largest glove manufacturers and resellers in the ASEAN and the Global markets. Speaking on the participation, Raghav Ram Kapur, Business Development Director, SRAM & MRAM Group quoted, "With the aim of being the pioneer in Glove Industry, SRAM & MRAM is participating in the Expomed Eurasia Hybrid+ Fair, which will bring together the health and medical sectors on March 17-19, 2022. We are extremely happy to be a part of this event. We'd also like to thank the team for organizing such an event under adverse circumstances of pandemic and allowing us to meet the domestic and international delegates. We hope that trade shows continue and we also look forward to participating in Expomed in the years ahead." Yashica Shah representing SRAM & MRAM Group, quoted, "With our comprehensive portfolio, we offer varied solutions to all across the globe, we will be exhibiting our products and solutions during the event in Istanbul Tuyap Fair and Congress Center." The Expomed Eurasia Hybrid+ has a host of offers, a greater show experience to the show visitors with the advantages of the digital world. The visitors of the Live Event can connect through; Face-to-face networking, Prearranged meetings, and all mobile app services. Besides, the visitors of the Hybrid+ event will have the access to the new digital platform, view digital stands, online meetings + chat functionality, live stream conferences and On-demand content post-show. Speaking from Istanbul, Rohan Sharma from SRAM & MRAM Group said, "At Expomed Eurasia 2022 Fair, we will be showcasing our Walletz4u brand. We are also looking forward to catering to a large audience in this part of the world. We will be delighted to address the visitors at Hall: 5, Stand: 511A." Representing Walletz4u from Istanbul, Ari Johansson, said, "I'm delighted to be representing SRAM & MRAM Group for this coveted event. And I am also thankful to the organization team for providing us with a safe and healthy business environment where we can meet with the customers. This show has brought in a number of people and business delegates from around the world." The whole event has been made possible with the sincere efforts of core members of the SRAM & MRAM Group; Jagathesan Nagaraja, Babulal Saini, Anamika Chaawal and others from the Group company. These pillars are the guiding light for the brand, its presence and participation at the global forums. Expomed Eurasia is the biggest fair in Turkey and Eurasia where medical devices, equipment, and technologies are showcased and the latest medical trends and scientific events can be tracked. For many years, exposed Eurasia has been the leading showcase in the region for Medical Analysis, Diagnosis, Treatment, Rehabilitation Products, Devices, Systems, Technology, Equipment, and Hospitals solutions. As Turkey's premier health care event exposed puts suppliers to the medical sector face-to-face with key decision-makers in Turkey and emerging neighboring Eurasian markets. The fair has the participation of 910 companies and company representatives from 41 countries and professional visitors to meet the latest technologies in the healthcare industry. For more information please visit (https://expomedistanbul.com/en/about-the-fair). This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI/PNN): Star Imaging & Path Lab received the award for Best Diagnostic Lab at the 5th edition of Six Sigma Leadership Summit organized at Pulman Aerocity. The award recognises the best diagnostic centre providing the best quality services to their patients with precision and personalised care. Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, felicitated Dr Sameer Bhati, Director, Star Imaging & Path Lab with Oscars of Healthcare: Proud Maker of India Award for his relentless services during unprecedented Covid times. Dr Sameer Bhati, Director, Star Imaging & Path Lab said, "It gives us immense happiness to be able to contribute and make efforts for the developing healthcare system of India. We all thrive to make it more accessible, affordable and future-ready." Talking about promoting research & brainstorming on future plans of Healthcare management, Dr Bhati said, "India needs a well trained and skilled Healthcare workforce as well as the participation of stakeholders to increase the reach of Health and Welfare Initiatives in the remotest areas." A book "The Armed Forces Book of Records" in the memory of beloved India's 1st CDS, Late General Bipin Rawat was also released. Dr Bhati added, "We salute his remarkable contribution on his birth anniversary." This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China is experiencing its worst wave of since early 2020, when the first wave of the pandemic emerged in Wuhan. The country has locked down more than 45 million people across multiple cities amid 5,154 fresh cases on Tuesday, compared with less than 100 a month ago. One of the cities under lockdown is the technology hub of Shenzen where authorities have ordered non-essential businesses to close at least until March 20. The city has a population of 17.5 million. Dozens of companies that make everything from printed circuit boards to touch panels, many of which are Taiwanese, have stopped production at their factories in Shenzhen. Contract manufacturer Foxconn, which is the biggest iPhone assembler, resumed partial operations at its two Shenzhen campuses after two days under a strict factory bubble system. Shenzhen is known for its hardware manufacturing ecosystem. It also has the worlds fourth-largest container port. Although all that are sold in India are assembled locally, handset manufacturers still rely on imports from Shenzhen for various vital components. In fact, Indias biggest import from China is electronic components. Of the total imports of $76.6 billion from China between April and January of the current fiscal, electronic components accounted for $8.8 billion. Apples second-largest supplier Pegatron is reportedly aiming to start local production in India next month. But potential supply chain issues could put a spanner in the works for the contract manufacturer. Apart from electronic components, Indias top imports from China are telecom instruments, computer hardware, chemicals and pharmaceutical raw materials. 70% of Indias Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (APIs) requirement is met through China. The new wave is testing Chinas zero-Covid strategy which aims to suppress contagion as quickly as possible with snap lockdowns, mass testing and careful contact tracing. Indian manufacturers maintain sufficient stocks that can withstand any short-term supply issues. However, if China is not able to bring the current surge of cases under control, the lockdowns could spread to other parts of the country, leaving India vulnerable to supply shocks. Indian factories will face a shortage of key raw materials that can disrupt production, especially in sectors like smartphones, electronics and pharma. Watch video White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended President Biden's decision to supply Ukraine with $800 million worth of "defensive" weapons, rockets, and exploding drones while withholding offensive fighter planes to counter Russia's incursion. At her regular briefing, David Sanger of the New York Times challenged Psaki on the distinction, stressing that even ground-based weaponry can take down Russian jets. Jen Psaki Says President Joe Biden Calls Putin a "War Criminal" Psaki claims that when President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal," he was speaking "from his heart." As the horrors in Ukraine escalate and the leadership of the country begs the US to intervene, Biden dubbed Putin a war criminal. It's the most vehement denunciation of Putin and Russian activities by a US official since Ukraine's invasion. Psaki also told reporters that the White House was aware of President Volodymyr Zelensky's calls for the United States. Congress should do more to support Ukraine's anti-Russian efforts. Zelensky urged the US should penalize Russian legislators and prohibit imports during a live feed into the US Capitol building on Wednesday morning. Before and after his short words, which Zelensky began in Ukraine via a translator but then shifted to English in an emotional appeal to help halt the carnage, lawmakers gave him a standing ovation. Nearing the three-week mark of an ever-escalating conflict, Zelensky is using the world's most powerful legislative bodies to persuade allied leaders to halt Russian bombings that are wreaking havoc on his nation. Psaki stated that talks with Russia are ongoing, noting that White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, PBS NewsHour reported. Read Also: Putin Sends Disguised Transponder Decoys To Confuse Ukrainian Defense Allowing Missiles To Hit Targets US Responds to Ukraine by Giving New Military Weapons In an address to Congress on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called with the US to ease the transfer of 28 Soviet-designed fighter planes that Poland wishes to gift, a request that is backed by major members of both political parties. Last week, Biden sparked controversy by claiming that the jet transfer may lead to "World War III." In response to Zelensky's request, Biden delivered a speech on Wednesday in which he announced fresh US weaponry supplies, including drones and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Later, US authorities acknowledged that the assistance shipment will contain 100 Switchback drones, which can be remotely detonated as they approach a target. At her briefing on Wednesday, Psaki stated that the Pentagon believes Ukraine's air force is enough and that additional fighter planes are not required. According to a senior US defense official, Ukraine still has 56 fighter planes capable of flying five to ten sorties each day within the nation. It's unclear why Ukraine hasn't bombed a miles-long Russian convoy north of Kyiv. However, some analysts assume that Ukrainian officials are saving weaponry for a possible counterattack if enemy forces approach closer to the capital, as per New York Post. The Biden Administration has recently made light of Russia's sanctions against a number of its senior leaders, as the Kremlin retaliates for new Western sanctions. President Joe Biden and 12 other US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, were sanctioned by Russia's Foreign Ministry this week. Hunter Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, were also on the list. The restrictions will prevent the officials from entering Russia and freeze whatever assets they may have within the country, which is unlikely to be much. Psaki, on the other hand, noticed the irony in the impositions by pointing out a typo in a Kremlin news release. She joked that because Russian authorities omitted the junior suffix from President Biden's name it may have sanctioned his late father instead of the current US leader, according to Sky News. Related Article: Joe Biden's Nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin Withdraws Bid for Federal Reserve After Sen. Joe Manchin, Republicans Object Her Stance @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ex-President Donald Trump does not think that Mike Pence will be part of a 2024 Presidential race which is one of the biggest questions. The event of January 6 and what happened after in Washington that rocked the nation cannot be forgotten so easily. Both of them have gone separate ways after the end of the Trump administration cut short of controversies that could have been fixed allegedly when Pence was vice-president. No more Trump-Pence tandem The former president finally dropped the answer to everyone's question that is on the mind of every conservative, reported the Epoch Times. One of the reasons is that people won't cozy up to the choice, noted the Washington Examiner. In the White House; the two were one and united in all aspects of the four years during their tenure of office, but the crucible came when the allegedly rigged 2020 Elections saw anomalies allowing Joe Biden to win. Sensibilities of the vice-president lead to the loss of Trump and one of the worst presidents with matching polls dipping crazily; even denials that it was not serious. Then ex-president wanted his VP to do what is needed to correct a stolen election, though it was later reported that Mr. Pence was tied by the US constitution. Nothing could be done. In an interview; Donald Trump said they had a good thing going for four years though when everything was on the line. It turned out to be one of the most controversial decisions impacting the US now and a 2024 Presidential race, cited Fox 13. Read also: Joe Biden Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is the 46th President of the United States? The 45th president added that he's not spoken to his VP but he's still on good terms. Earlier the answer to the question of Pence as his running partner was too early to say. After the statement; asking for a comment from Pence's advocacy organization has not been answered. Other details Announcements from prospective candidates for 2024 electoral is not in yet though the completion of the 2022 midterm election will spur who wants to throw in their bid. Mr. Trump has been dropping hints about what will happen whether a presidential bid is imminent after losing in 2020. The Democrats are faced with problems and worse another term for the ex-president that will have a consequence for them. Republicans have a deep bench compared to the Dems that might prop up another Hilary Clinton run; as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are not good bets. These are seasoned GOP who have done well; the ex-president has opened up that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, even suggested Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as potential running mates. Some have even suggested these choices are credible presidential aspirants too. In 2024, several Republicans will forgo 2024 like ex- former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Ivanka Trump. Other Republicans are keen on running based on reports. But Mike Pence is not shy about running against the 45th president. He said that 2022 is important for now. Like other GOP members who see the chance to evict Dems from the House and Senate; and replaced governors of the other party. Next is who wins the nomination for a presidential candidate. For Donald Trump getting the right partner for the 2024 Presidential Race will be crucial to winning the third bid, but many Republicans have stepped up in recent years. Related article: Ex-VP Pence Receives Heckles from Trump Supporters, Called Him "Traitor" @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In what seems to be a regular occurrence at this point, Mazda has announced a product stoppage anew at their Japanese factories this May. Glen, NH (03838) Today Rain early. Decreasing clouds overnight. Low 44F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Rain early. Decreasing clouds overnight. Low 44F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Guinea Worm Summit March 20-22, 2022 At the 2022 Guinea Worm Summit, The Carter Center and Reaching the Last Mile, an initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, along with high-ranking representatives from eight countries, gathered to recommit themselves to taking the steps needed to eradicate Guinea worm disease by 2030. Country Updates View the Guinea worm history and status of each of the declarations signatory countries. Remaining cases of Guinea worm disease in Chad can be found near the Chari River outside of Geulengdeng. (Photo: The Carter Center/ J. Hahn) Chad Just eight human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in Chad in 2021, a 41.7% improvement over 2020. Infections in animals declined 48% in the same period. Learn more Pipe filters can protect against Guinea worm disease, a parasitic water-borne disease that breeds in stagnant pools of water. Above, a woman in Achamungole Village, South Sudan, drinks through a filter. (Photo: The Carter Center/ C. Marin) South Sudan After many years of diligent work, South Sudan reported only four cases of Guinea worm disease in 2021. The country hasnt had an animal infection since 2015. The frequent movements of cattle camps pose a challenge to keeping nomadic populations safe from infection; universal understanding of the need to filter all water before drinking is essential. Learn more Dr. Moussa Saye displays a poster that announces rewards for Malian citizens who report Guinea worm cases. He has been part of the Carter Center team working to eliminate Guinea worm in Mali since 2005. (Photo: The Carter Center/ J. Hahn) Mali Despite significant security challenges, Mali reported just two human cases of Guinea worm disease and a handful of animal infections in 2021. A strong network of well-trained village volunteers is the key to maintaining vigilance and eliminating infections in dogs. Learn more Obang Adhom, front left, relaxes with members of his Abate crew on a commercial farm in Ethiopias Gambella region. They do the tough work of measuring and treating the farms 81 ponds on a rotating 28-day cycle to help eliminate Guinea worm disease. (Photo: The Carter Center/R. Youngblood) Ethiopia Having reported just one human case and no animal infections in 2021, Ethiopia has a good chance of becoming the next country to eliminate Guinea worm disease. Learn more With so few cases left in the campaign, every worm specimen is scrutinized under a microscope and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for positive identification as D. medinensis. (Photo: The Carter Center/ J. Hahn) Angola Guinea worm disease was discovered in Angola only four years ago, and just three cases have ever been reported there. The government invited The Carter Center to help educate the populace and supply water filters to prevent future infections from occurring. Learn more Children collect water from a well in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Clean water is key to avoiding Guinea worm disease. (Photo: The Carter Center/ G. Dubourthoumieu) Democratic Republic of Congo No case of Guinea worm disease has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1958, and the country recently submitted its dossier to the World Health Organization to be certified as free of the disease. Learn more A herder shepherds his goats in Khartoum, Sundan. (Photo: The Carter Center/ O. Geddo) 38 in Official 8 in the Off-Limits category 17 in the Perspectives section 9 in the Young Audience section The list of official selections can be found HERE. The festivals artistic director Marcel Jean says that fewer films were selected for competition this year (86 films were chosen in 2021) due to the longer lengths of many of the shorts. This means, even more so than previous years, that our team had to make tough choices and not include some quality works, said Jean. In the end, we believe that its a diverse selection with a fine balance between new blood and works from established artists: Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, Anna Budanova, Spela Cadez, Koji Yamamura, Claude Luyet, etc. Some trends that Jean observed: This year, regarding the films origins, we noticed that the United States and Japan had a burst of dynamism in independent productions, and by happy coincidence, as we pay tribute to Swiss cinematography, the Swiss films are top notch. Lastly, we are thrilled with the selection of Blind Spot, by the Tunisian Lofti Achour, and Akplokplobito, by Franco-Togolese Ingrid Agbo, two films that show the vibrancy of African animation, that we honored last year. Cartoon Brew is personally delighted to see the selection of Backflip, the new short by Nikita Diakur. Cartoon Brew supported the production of Diakurs earlier film, Ugly. Another film were excited to discover is Letter to a Pig by Tal Kantor. Her graduation film In Other Words debuted online as part of CB Fest in 2017. Also notable, Chansoo Kims Things That Disappear. Kims student film Vaudeville was originally made available for download via Cartoon Brew Films back in 2007. The Annecy 2022 official selection was carried out by Marcel Jean (artistic director) and the festivals films and program planning team Laurent Million, Yves Nougarede, and Sebastien Sperer as well as Cecile Giraud, Marie-Pauline Mollaret, Clemence Bragard, Gala Frecon, and Isabelle Vanini. Here are a few trailers for films that have been selected into competition at Annecy this year: Pictured at top: Terra Incognita by Pernille Kjaer and Adrian Dexter. Cartoon Brew: You have decades of editing experience working on documentaries and live action films, so how did Flee end up in your lap? Janus Billeskov Jansen: I knew Jonas [Poher Rasmussen] from his time at film school. He was at a different kind of film school in Denmark called Super 16. It was created 20 years ago or so by a group of young people who had been refused by the Danish Film School. So they created their own school, and it has actually grown into a very interesting and successful alternative film school in Denmark. So I knew Jonas from there because I would sometimes teach there. I was also involved in his last project at the school. Later, he continued working on documentaries, and I would occasionally help supervise the editing process of his work and give him my reactions. Flee ended up at Final Cut For Real, a production company I am a part owner of with Signe Byrge Srensen. So it was very natural that we started to work together. He came to us with these ideas about seven years ago. It started out as an ordinary documentary. Later, it turned into an animation. And it was very interesting, because it would have been very difficult to do a regular documentary. Not just because Amin wanted to be anonymous, but because it would have been very complicated to film and to get footage from different periods of time. Can you talk about your role as editor of Flee? In cg animation, for example, the editor is involved in planning, whereas in a more traditional film, the editor generally does a lot of the work after the footage is done. Jansen: Yes, I was there from the beginning. When they first started talking about it as an animation, they laid out the characters. We were doing a lot of editing for a film that has not yet been shot. We had all these dialogues between Jonas and Amin that we put together in lines of voices and then animated on top of those a little later. We went back and forth a lot. We changed the rhythm of the story, the order of the scenes, and we also condensed it more. This was important for production because the film animatic we delivered had to be the exact length. For me, it was really to use all my skills from 50 years of editing and to say, How long are we going to be on this shot?, Should it be a wide shot?, Should it be closer? When they started talking about it being an animated film, they laid out the individual characters, just to show what they could look like at different ages. We had some of the layout of some of the re-enactment parts, and we had a huge amount of archived material from different places. Jonas had already gone out and done a lot of research. And he went out to find the original buildings to see if there was any archival material around. But that developed during the editing. We had started editing the scene where the two sisters go with human traffickers and end up in Stockholm on this ship. What we didnt have was the part where the man was on the sinking ship before being taken into custody and placed in this terrible prison. It was during the editing that we found the actual footage. Amin remembered seeing a television crew there and thought they might have come from Finland. So we actually found the original footage and Amin recognized all the different people. So that particular scene grew and became a bigger story. Jonas had to go back and interview Amin to focus on more details from that particular moment. The whole setup of Amin lying on the couch there with the camera, where you see the camera and you have this top camera on his face, that is one to one. It was something that you could actually animate on top of. What we do with this kind of dialogue is to shorten it, compress it, and make it more clear for the actual story. Which we normally do for every kind of documentary. Theres nothing strange about that. But when we animated, we could do it as one scene without any cuts in it. Although throughout the film, we have these out of continuity cuts where its jumping in the animation. We didnt necessarily have to do that; we could have smoothened it all out, but we wanted to keep the audience aware that this is actually a documentary film, a true story. So, Amin must have been heavily involved in the re-enactment parts, since its his memories being reenacted and animated. Jansen: Its something that went back and forth between Amin and Jonas as the director. I decided that I would not really meet Amin. I wanted to be in the same position as the audience. But throughout the editing, we realized that we had a lot of different pieces that we needed to explore more. Things like the inner life of the boy. So then Jonas would go back and forth with the particular purpose of digging more into that part of Amins past. Those were not filled with cameras, but it was a similar setup. Amin was lying down, with two microphones set up. The way that you talk is different when standing, sitting, or lying down. There was also the issue of getting into Amins memory. He didnt necessarily know what Jonas wanted. The important thing in this storytelling is that you want to have that feeling in his voice that he is digging into his memory. And the way the voice floats there is an important part of what this film is about. This is Amins real voice, and on top of that is animation. So its like these two elements are talking together, and out of that comes something completely new. And thats very interesting. When we deal with his conversation with Jonas or his voice-over in explaining some of the different animated scenes, the tone is so important. And this was something Jonas and I carefully orchestrated throughout the editing. How much live action footage did you have? What kinds of discussions were there about balancing the live action with the animation? Jansen: All of the backstory, the childhood, was all totally animated. Theres no original footage for that. In the conversation on the couch, there was a lot of footage, but there was also a lot of recorded talk that wasnt filmed. In the interaction between Amin and his boyfriend, a lot of it was filmed. That kind of dialogue was actually happening for real, and then they animated on top of that. But we also had to get deeper into the emotional situation at times and had to add new lines there. What Ive always said about documentaries is that we use 90% of the editing time to figure out what the exact ending of the film is. So many times, the beginning and end of the film are the most complicated things. With Flee, this wasnt a problem. Jonas had sorted it out from the very beginning. Lets talk about the ending. The final shot is quite powerful, but it could have potentially come across as a bit sentimental or forced. Instead, its like a bridge between animation and reality. Its really, again, reminding the audience that this isnt some fictional cartoon, this is a true story about a real person. Jansen: We discussed the last shot a couple of times. A couple of minutes before that, they had decided to move in together. Moving into a house is taking responsibility for each other. Thats the implication of it. So we had that scene and that was actually shot so that the dialogue there was really happening in that emotional situation. But the interesting thing there is that the film is operating on two levels: He is the grown-up lying on the couch talking about his childhood and family story and struggling with these secrets hes been keeping about his homosexuality. Thats one thing. But its also a story about a grown up man lying on a couch telling his childhood story, and by doing that, its doing something to him in the present. What kind of knowledge and reflection does it give him for his life going forward? And that was something we needed to go further into throughout the editing of the film. So that really suddenly expanded and it was very interesting to work with that part of it. Secrets aside, you also have this burden thats been placed on Amins shoulder. He was the one who got opportunities, and he felt pressured to succeed for his family. Well, that final shot nicely reflects that, because you get this subtle transition from animation to live action. Its almost like its time for Amin to let go and start living his own life. Jansen: Theres a parallel to the earlier scene where they are looking for a house, but Amin clearly doesnt want any part of it. So the last scene mirrors that one because now theyre connected finally. We almost cut that earlier scene. We thought it might be a little boring, but at an early screening, people reacted very strongly and really understood it. Also, for the final shot, we did have live footage before. Yes, it was archival footage that was squared in on the canvas with some historical distance, but I think it prepared the audience for the final shot. What did you come away with after working with animation? Was there something that may have surprised or challenged you? Jansen: For me, in feature films, we normally start editing throughout the shooting. So you can go back and ask for additional shots or things like that. They are in a hurry and it costs money, so when you ask for something, you really have to think carefully and not ask too much. But with Flee, its just saying, Oh, shouldnt we have a wide shot of Kabul before we actually get into the scene with the mother and sisters around the table there? Then they just say, Okay. If that was a live shot, it would be complicated and expensive, but here they can just draw it. What I think was a tough thing was to be sure that the length of the shots in this very rough first animation was what they should be in the final film. That was a unique experience. And then another thing that was interesting was that it was close to the end of the editing. We had a couple of screenings with these rough black and white images on the screen. What was fantastic was that it still moved the audience, some to tears. At first, I got a little scared because I thought, if these black and white, very poorly animated pieces can take the audience by the heart, will the fully animated version still have the same effect? Can it live up to the audiences imagination? But it turned out to be very good. The animation really gave Amin a fantastic character. The United States Justice Department has charged five people with stalking, harassing, and spying on Chinese nationals who are living in the country as U.S. residents on behalf of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) secret police due to "pro-democracy views." DOJ officials arrested co-conspirators Fan "Frank" Liu and Matthew Ziburis on Tuesday as Shujun Wang on Wednesday in the Eastern District of New York. The other two defendants remain at large and were identified to be Qiming Lin and Qiang "Jason" Sun. Chinese Spies During a press briefing on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Brein Peace said that the victims of the suspects were targeted because of their pro-democracy views. He added that the defendants were accused of "conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government. The DOJ said that the five suspects are accused of threatening and spying on Chinese individuals in the United States who have expressed their opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Officials argued that the reason behind the efforts was to help Chinese officials target them for arrest, as per Fox News. The charges against the defendants stemmed from three different complaints that were unsealed on Wednesday by a federal court. In a statement, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen said that the cases were prime examples of what he called an "alarming rise in transnational repression." Read Also: COVID-19 Cases in China Skyrocket Amid Omicron Wave, 37 Million People in Lockdown Last month, Olsen announced that there have been efforts to fight transnational repression that will become the main focus of the National Security Division's new strategy to fight against nation-state threats. He argued that transnational repression harmed people in the U.S. and worldwide while also threatening the rule of law itself. According to Yahoo News, in one incident, the defendant allegedly worked for the Ministry of State Security, China's civilian intelligence, and secret police agency. They allegedly conspired to sabotage the congressional campaign of a U.S. military veteran who was a leader of the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square when he was a student in Beijing in 1989. Pro-Democracy Views The most recent suspects are also accused of crimes including planning to destroy the artwork of a Chinese national who was living in Los Angeles after being critical of the Chinese government. In the third case, authorities charged a former Chinese scholar who helped start a pro-democracy organization in Queens for allegedly using his position within New York City's Chinese community to collect information relating to prominent activists, dissidents, and human rights leaders. The information is allegedly sent to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), which is a civilian intelligence and secret police agency that is responsible for political security. The three defendants who have been arrested are scheduled to appear in court in Brooklyn on Wednesday and the Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lin, one of the two accused who remains at large, is a Chinese citizen living in China who is believed to be working for the MSS. Beginning last September, the suspect allegedly hired a private investigator in New York to disrupt the campaign of a Brooklyn resident who was running for Congress, including physically attacking the victim, the Washington Post reported. Related Article: China, North Korea, and Iran Reiterate Stance on Nuclear Talks; Pyongyang's Missile Fails After Launch @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Photo: The Canadian Press The war in Ukraine has brought devastation to many cities in that country as Russian bombardments continue. I am old enough to remember the regular nuclear war drills at school: the bells prompting us to curl into fetal positions under the wooden desks, or in the more involved version, hands held with someone on your right and left, your nose and toes pressed against the cold, concrete basement walls. I wondered, beyond the physics of whether our drills would save my life: who were these people who would take away my afternoon recess, even shorten my lunch break or my schoolyard frolic on a sunny day? We feared those people irrationally. Once their leadership tumbled, so did the apprehensions about the people they governed. Now, though, we fear a madman irrationally. We are stoking his aggression with tentative, glacial gestures. We are permitting him to send teens into combat to indiscriminately take the lives of civilians with whom they would not likely have any quarrel. I have listened to diplomats and read the considered assessments by the international academics and former military leaders. Their general take is that the invasion of Ukraine has gone horribly wrong for Russian president Vladimir Putin: that he has painted himself into a corner by misinterpreting the cohesion of the West and the virility of Ukraine, that the people he governs are only now tweaking to the insanity of his menacing, that his generals will keep his finger off the button to end the world and that sometime soon this will culminate in Russian regime change. I can understand that. What I cant understand is why, until Putin is deposed, Ukraine has been left to its devices in an evolving slaughter. And what I really cant understand is why our countrys leadership is not recognizing the significance of this episode to our citizenry, to our history and to our limited credibility in the worlds eyes. This is rapidly becoming another epic fail for Justin Trudeau. No amount of economic sanctions will matter to the man on the other side of the table. We are the worlds third-largest Ukrainian country, only behind Russia and the Ukraine itself, with more than 1.3 million residents of Ukrainian descent. We have more skin in this game than in any other conflict for more than a generation. We ought to be leading other countries, not tucking ourselves in behind them, more urgently pushing to protect the families of our citizens abroad. We ought to be taking the cue from its president, not from our allies without the same bloodlines in play. When (Ukrainian President) Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleads for international help to control his countrys airspace, or at least to borrow the fighter jets so Ukrainians can do that for themselves, we ought to recognize that it will be countless thousands of our countrys extended families he would be protecting. This is really an attack on us. And when we respond the way we have, the carnage implicates us. The war crimes are not an allegation requiring eyewitness testimony and a lengthy judicial process. They are on live TV. They connect and incriminate the president and the military brass choosing the maternity hospital and violating medical neutrality, the long and narrow roads out of the country under attack, the districts of the countrys shattered cities and the civilian victims. We abhor but we abstain. And rather than hastening the decamping of the country to ours, we have established a migration process that will be weeks before it takes effect. We hear that a defence of Ukraines airspace against the insurgence of Russian arms and supplies to conquer the country amounts to an invitation to World War Three. We assume that Russia the people, not just the occupants of the Kremlin want the fight. This feels akin to my school days with the Cold War drills, about which we should have learned better. There is little evidence this is a conquest spurred by the populace; it has been Putins plan. The other principal worry is that intervention by NATO forces is an abrogation of its core principle to defend member nations rather than police the world. But NATO was not built for what we have seen in the last two weeks. It was not ready, just as our leadership wasnt, and if Putin is not deposed, he will continue to wreak havoc, conscious that the line of defence NATO has drawn is one he can accept and exploit and increasing through further repression in his country if his war efforts founder. Justin Trudeau famously claimed when he took office that Canada was back, but his attention to global affairs has been pitiful: five ministers in six years, the latest one inarguably the least qualified. He has been preoccupied with optics, and its arguable he no longer carries any standing to lead. There is a parallel in this global decline of the Trudeau brand to that of his father at the end of his career with his fruitless Peace Initiative: lots of photo opportunities with world leaders, nothing to show for it. Of course, he followed that with his famous long walk in the snow, something his son might well think about if he continues to permit Ukraine such suffering. Kirk LaPointe is publisher and editor-in-chief of BIV and vice-president, editorial, of Glacier Media. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Contributed Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas I had already written my report for this week and my question to you was going to be: Do you think it is time for the federal government to announce a plan and tell Canadians when federal mandates in areas such as air travel and at the Canada-U.S. border will be revised and updated? But then some good news arrived. The federal government suggested it will revise and update some of the current restrictions in federally regulated sectors, specifically when travelling to Canada. The media reported that as of April 1, the federal government will lift the pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirement at the border for fully vaccinated travellers. Passengers may still be subject to random PCR testing at airports, and travellers will still have to use the ArriveCAN app to enter their proof of vaccination and other required information. While this ongoing requirement of using a government app will still post a challenge for those without a smartphone, this is a significant step as it eliminates the current testing requirement that resulted in many travellersparticularly those part of Canadas tourism sectoravoiding travel to Canada. For many in the Okanagan tourism industry, who depend on visitors from U.S., the federal restrictions on air travel, as well those as at Canada-U.S. border, have resulted in cancellations and lost business. Likewise, for some Canadians with family members outside of Canada, there have also been hardships, as many were unwilling to navigate around the ongoing restrictions. Recently the Global Business Travel Association, along with other groups such as Destination Toronto, called for the pre-departure testing requirement for fully vaccinated travellers to be removed no later than April 1. It was also brought to my attention that, for many citizens fleeing Ukraine and attempting to come to Canada, it is more challenging to navigate and comply with Canadas federal restrictions. I welcome the federal government announcing these changes. We are all deeply shocked and saddened by the ongoing death and destruction in Ukraine and I know many citizens will do everything possible to help accommodate those who may soon be coming to Canada. Eliminating some of the regulatory challenges to help make that easier is an important step. My question this week: Do you agree with the federal government announcing this elimination of the pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirement? I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: pixabay Three people have been charged with keeping a common gaming house in the wake of an October 2020 police bust at a Vancouver residence. Police were called to 200-block West 45th Ave. after someone who saw evidence of illegal gaming called 911. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbias (CFSEU-BC) Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team (JIGIT) was immediately involved and began executing search warrants. On March 16, police said evidence indicated the house was being rented for the purpose of setting up and operating an alleged illegal gaming establishment. Among items seized were $220,775; poker chips, tables and playing cards; score sheets with client names and cash balance sheets; cellphones; and a money counter. The individuals facing charges are: Mun Bun Ng, 55, of Vancouver Rong Zan Wu, 45, of Burnaby Wen Bo Li ,47, also of Burnaby "CFSEU-BC continues to target all aspects of criminal activities including illegal gaming as a part of a coordinated organized crime enforcement strategy in B.C., said JIGIT Insp. Mandeep Mooker in a statement. Illegal gaming activities undermine the integrity of our financial institutions and allow criminals to secure the proceeds of crime not just for personal benefit but to fuel additional crimes. Enforcement action such as this one has a strong immediate impact and long-term disruption implications. Illegal gaming houses are nothing new in B.C. B.C. gaming houses Peter Germans 2018 report into money laundering in Lower Mainland casinos notes criminal enforcement of gaming laws by police reaches back a century to the opium dens and illegal gaming houses. Although the legal complexion of gaming has changed a great deal over the past century, police enforcement has tended to remain complaint-driven and focused on illegal houses, German said. His report noted such houses have been associated with loansharking. From 2005 to 2008, 284 gaming incidents were reported; 183 involved illegal common gaming houses, he noted. Twenty-five reports involved common gaming houses operated by organized crime figures or frequented by gang members, Germans report said. Two were the scenes of murder or attempted murder. Children were abducted from one gaming house to force the payment of a debt. Photo: Vancouver Coastal Health The cooler in the Vancouver General Hospital morgue Why is a Vancouver funeral home sending bodies to the United States to get cremated? Thats the question one Metro Vancouver man asked after the box containing the ashes of his recently deceased mother came back after making a trip to Blaine, Washington. It was just a big red flag, said the man, who asked not to be named to avoid traumatizing his family. In an email to Glacier Media, the head of the Vancouver-registered company, Amherst Funeral & Cremation Services Inc., said the practice allows it to offer a faster, cheaper service. Scott McFarlane said his operation has always been transparent about cremating in Blaine, where it owns a stake in the crematorium, and therefore has greater control over its operating standards. McFarlane said Amherst places detailed disclosures in three places throughout client paperwork, and anyone can choose to have a cremation occur at a B.C. facility instead. The company, said McFarlane, has been looking to cremate locally for the past 14 years, but public perception framing any crematorium as a big pollution demon has made it hard to establish a new facility in B.C. He said he has also tried to build relationships with existing local crematoriums. However, in the end, the fact that were direct competitors has always found a way to drive a wedge into any well-intentioned relations we started with any of them, he said. Glacier Media reached out to several crematoria on the Alberta and Washington sides of the B.C. border. Except for the Blaine crematorium, funeral directors at each facility said they rarely cremate the remains of British Columbians. When it does happen, its usually because a family member wants the burial to happen in the United States or because its an individual being repatriated after their death, they said. Some places in the world, like South and Southeast Asia, carry out cremation as a vital component of religious and cultural observation. In many cases, the dead are reduced to ash by burning vast quantities of wood. Cremating a human body in B.C. involves high-powered, usually natural gas burners. The gas alone produces emissions equivalent of burning roughly two tanks of gasoline. As the leading jurisdiction in Canada for cremation, nearly 90 per cent of B.C.s dead (more than 35,000 people) are laid to rest by flame every year, according to data obtained from the Cremation Association of North America. Altogether, experts estimate roughly 10 million kilograms of carbon are sent into B.C.s atmosphere every year as a result of turning human bodies to ash. Thats a relatively small source of emissions compared to transportation or buildings in B.C. At the same time, its not an insignificant source cremations are thought to have produced more greenhouse gasses than the provinces entire fleet of propane and natural gas vehicles in 2019. When asked whether cremating in Washington was the companys way of avoiding B.C.s carbon tax, McFarlane described the claim as absolutely false. This is one of many lies often used by our competitors to take a cheap shot at our well-established operations, he said. According to a spokesperson for the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, crematoria in B.C. are subject to the province's carbon tax. But the levy only applies to fuel purchased or used in B.C. Cremations that occur outside of the province such as Washington State are subject to the taxes within that jurisdiction, confirmed the spokesperson. The carbon tax is a robust policy tool to reduce (greenhouse gas) emissions across sectors including in the end-of-life industry, he wrote in an email. Applying a carbon tax to cremation has caused outrage for some families in other jurisdictions. In Alberta, a family spoke up to CBC's Go Public unit after they learned a crematorium had charged them 10 times the appropriate amount under the province's carbon tax. But for Emily Bootle, co-founder of KORU Grassroots Deathcare in Vancouver and vice-president for the Green Burial Society of Canada, a carbon tax is only a start. The response we get is that the carbon tax looks after the emissions from cremation and just none of the narrative of the foot off the gas or keeping things out of the air, said Bootle. It's just... that will take care of it for your industry, so don't worry about it. Bootle is part of a growing movement in B.C. aiming to green the end-of-life industry. But reducing the carbon footprint of cremation and environmental footprint of modern burial where vast sums of concrete, steel and other materials are buried forever is going to require a change to provincial legislation. For more on how some British Columbians are looking to decarbonize death, read Glacier Media's full investigation here. Photo: The Canadian Press Despite three weeks of Russian bombardment, Ukraine has kept up a stiff defence of its cities by using Turkish-made drones to carry out pop-up attacks on the invaders with a lethal effectiveness that has surprised Western military experts. The Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles, which carry lightweight, laser-guided bombs, normally excel in low-tech conflicts, and Turkey has sold them to more than a dozen countries, including Azerbaijan, Libya, Morocco and Ethiopia. The drones have carried out unexpectedly successful attacks in the early stages of Ukraines conflict with Moscow, before the Russians were able to set up their air defences in the battlefield, said Jack Watling of the London-based Royal United Services Institute. The (TB2s) shouldnt be making a meaningful impact because they are medium altitude, slow-flying aircraft with a large electromagnetic signature and a large radar cross-section. And the Russians have very capable air defence systems, so they should be being shot down. The terrain is very open and gives good radar coverage, Watling added. He said Ukrainian forces have been essentially flying in at a low-level and then coming up and raiding with them. So, striking targets of opportunity. Over time, as the Russians get more organized and push out their air defences, Watling said the freedom to employ those drones is diminishing. And so what we are now seeing is that the Ukrainians are having to be careful as to when they commit them. In a briefing to Parliament on March 9, British Defence Minister Ben Wallace praised the drones, along with other weapons donated to Ukraine by the West. One of the ways they are delivering close air support or actual fire in depth is through the Turkish TB2 UAVs, which are delivering munitions onto their artillery and indeed their supply lines, which are incredibly important in order to slow down or block the Russian advance, Wallace said. The drones also have scored success on social media. Their aerial video of the destruction of Russian armored vehicles has become a key tool for Ukraines information war. Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraines ambassador to Turkey, shared videos of drone attacks on Twitter, including one that appeared to show a convoy of destroyed Russian military vehicles. Masallah or Praise be he wrote in a caption on one of the videos. A video using a song titled Bayraktar ? with sounds of explosions timed to coincide with the beats ? has been uploaded on YouTube and played on Ukrainian radio. So as long as they still fly in, as long as theyre still armed, they will be useful. They will mostly be useful for the propaganda side, said Aaron Stein, director of research at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute. The videos have enraptured people because you can see an airstrike in high definition. Photo: The Canadian Press A woman whose newborn was removed by police and social workers in a video broadcast live on social media has proposed a class-action lawsuit against the Manitoba government. The woman said in a statement of claim filed this week that birth alerts are unlawful, breach charter rights and cause significant harm to mothers and children. The Canadian Press is not identifying the mother so as to not identify the child. A video in 2019 of the two-day-old infants apprehension at a Winnipeg hospital caused significant public outcry. The live broadcast on Facebook showed the mother weeping nearby before officers took the infant away in a car seat. Court documents said while the Indigenous woman was still pregnant, she had reached out to social services for help and to make arrangements for the baby to be placed with her aunt. She only learned she was subject to a birth alert when authorities showed up at the hospital to take the child, the court documents said. About two months after the baby was taken, guardianship was transferred to the aunt. Court documents say the woman remains in her babys life and cares for her on a regular basis. The province said Thursday it was unable to provide comment on the lawsuit because the matter is before court. Birth alerts have long been criticized by Indigenous leaders who say the practice is stacked against their families. The statement of claim says birth alerts are typically issued by social workers. The alerts may occur because the pregnant woman is, or was, in care, or because she is looking for help from the social worker. The alert is issued without meeting any specific requirements and is not later reviewed, the lawsuit says. A document is issued to local hospitals containing information about the pregnant woman, including alleged child protection concerns. The lawsuit alleges the result is that birth alerts are motivated by discriminatory and harmful stereotypes about the parenting capabilities of persons of certain backgrounds. The inevitable result of this process has, therefore, been that most birth alerts in Manitoba are issued against Indigenous or racialized persons, or persons living with a mental or physical disability, at rates wholly disproportionate to their representation in the Canadian population at large, it says. Statistics from the Manitoba government at the time of the 2019 video showed that newborn apprehensions occurred, on average, once a day. There are about 10,000 children in care in Manitoba and about 90 per cent are Indigenous. The province stopped using birth alerts in 2020 after a review found the practice was discouraging expectant mothers and families from reaching out for prenatal support. RCMP are asking for the publics help to solve a three-decades-old murder case. March 18 will mark the 32nd anniversary of the death of 73-year-old Kathleen ('Kay') Vauden Kermode. Police say overnight on March 17, 1990, the suspect entered Kermodes Sunset Beach home by climbing a ladder to the raised deck and opening a sliding glass door. Once inside the home, the suspect repeatedly stabbed Kermode. Kermodes purse was rummaged through, and the keys to her 1982 green VW Jetta were taken. The suspect drove the car a short distance from Kermodes home and then left it blocking the roadway. On the morning of March 18, a neighbour noticed Kermodes vehicle parked strangely, according to RCMP. When Kermode couldnt be reached, officers were called. Police found the retired West Vancouver school teacher stabbed to death. We will continue to work on, revisit and scrutinize this case, said Sgt. Jeff Shore of the Sea to Sky General Investigation Section. No matter how many years pass by, we remain committed to finding justice for Kay and obviously for her family who still seek answers. Police urge anyone with information about this murder to contact the Squamish General Investigation Section at 604-892-6100. To stay anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. "Even though so much time has passed, we still seek closure and wonder just what happened to our Aunt Kay. We are grateful the police are still searching for answers and hopeful that something will come to light to assist the investigation," said Allison Kermode, a surviving niece of Kay Kermode, in the RCMP news release. The protesters demanding all mandates be lifted have used our Canadian flag as a symbol for their cause. I think we should take our flag back. Next July 1, there will be thousands of people waving our Canadian flag to celebrate Canada Day. The protesters symbol will completely disappear, immersed in the majority of Canadians who believe that we have done the right thing to fight this pandemic. Lets not wait until July 1. Everybody go out and get some flags. Put them on your car. Put them in front of your house. Lets take our flag back and show that it represents the vast majority of Canadians. Richard Knight, Kelowna Justin Trudeau says "heartbreaking decisions must be made" regarding Ukraine. I wonder what decisions he has made in the past. Because of years of aggression and invasions by Russia, Ukraine has long been asking for Canada to loan, or sell, it military equipmentanti-tank missiles, air defence systems, things like that. In 2016, the Trudeau government said that it was "not actively considering" providing Ukraine with lethal assistance and that after careful consideration of the changing strategic landscape" decided not to restart the supply of satellite imagery. Instead, Canada approved only $8 million worth of guns, ammunition and protective equipment between 2017 and 2020. In 2017, Chrystia Freeland was Canadas foreign affairs minister. Canada sold $3.7 billion worth of weapons throughout the world in 2019 alone, but only 0.06% of that went to Ukraine. Is that what we mean when we say Ukraine has our "unwavering and steadfast support? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this war has allowed his country to see who its real friends are. I wonder where Canada fits on that list? Lloyd Vinish, Kelowna Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) staged a protest at Broken Chair in Geneva, Switzerland against the Pakistan government over enforced disappearances. As many as 20 people participated in the protest in the evening. BHRC head Samad Baloch and other members Naseer Dashti and Qambar Baloch were present at the demonstration. Jamshed Amiri, the head of the Iranian Wing of BHRC were also present. Besides them, prominent present among those present included Munir Mengal of BVA and his associates Lakho and Hidayat Bhutto, Shaukat Kashmiri and Nasir Aziz of United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP). Later in the evening, a conference will be organised on enforced disappearances at Geneva Press Club. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) earlier had expressed alarm over reports of a fresh wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan, including most recently, Hafeez Baloch, a postgraduate student at the university in Islamabad. Cases of enforced disappearances are endemic to Pakistan and there are reports of a fresh wave of "missing persons" in the country. Experts believe that the missing persons may be dead, their mutilated bodies dumped into ditches. They may be interned, locked in some detention centre of dubious legality. (ANI) According to media reports, a Michigan daughter who reportedly burnt her father with chemicals last year is now facing murder charges when her father died from injuries. Megan Joyce Imirowicz, 18, has been charged with the murder of her father, 64, who died last week as a result of the burns he received in the Oct. 1 incident. According to the Oakland Press, the adolescent had already been charged with assault with the intent to cause grave bodily harm but not murder. Teen Accused of Burning Father with Chemicals, Facing Homicide Charges Imirowicz was freed on bail, but she was brought back into prison and charged with homicide after her father died of his burns this month, according to WDIV-TV. The Oakland County Jail is now holding her. Last October, Imirowicz allegedly made a deadly drain cleaner concoction and flung it at her father. Imirowicz's father was discovered with chemical burns on his head, body, and extremities by a neighbor. After that, he was transported to the hospital. According to police, lye powder was discovered on the couch where the father was discovered with burns. The youngster had previously been charged with assault with intent to commit grievous bodily injury less than murder before her father's death. Imirowicz's court date is set for early April, and she is also charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, ABC News reported. Read Also: Anna Delvey Now: Scammer Socialite 'Furious' Over Deportation Decision [REPORT] Teen Arrested for Allegedly Making Terrorism Threats at School Meanwhile, a young state ward has been charged with making a threat involving a handgun at a Saginaw high school. On the morning of Monday, March 14, Saginaw County District Judge David D. Hoffman arraigned Cody F. Lampley, 18, on one count of false report or threat of terrorism. A maximum penalty of 20 years in prison is possible if convicted on this offense. Lampley, dressed in a black-and-white striped jumpsuit, appeared before Hoffman via closed-circuit television from the Saginaw County Jail. He didn't say anything during the hearing except to indicate he didn't have a phone number when the court asked for one. On Lampley's behalf, defense counsel Patricia Slomski came and requested Hoffman to enter a not-guilty plea and submit his case to the Officer of Assigned Counsel. Slomski also requested a fair bail, claiming Lampley had no prior criminal history. Lampley made his allegation following a fight with another student, according to prosecutors. They said that the criminal accusation does not name a specific victim. At 2:55 p.m., the teacher who overheard the comment submitted an email to the school's principal about the event. The principal called the cops at 7 pm. Lampley was suspended, according to Saginaw Public Schools Superintendent Ramont Roberts, and officials sought to contact his legal guardians before turning the situation over to authorities. Officers rushed to the teen's residence and took him into custody without incident. No guns were discovered in his possession. The teen is from Wayne County and has been residing at Holy Cross Children's Services as a state ward, at 1:30 p.m. Lampley is scheduled to appear for a preliminary examination on the 29th of March, as per MLive. Related Article: New Jersey Father Faces Murder Charges After Forcing 6-Year-Old Son To Run on the Treadmill @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. EC agrees on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) 17 March 2022 The European Council (EC) has reached agreement (general approach) on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regulation, which is one of the key elements of the European Unions Fit for 55 package. The main objective of this environmental measure is to avoid carbon leakage. It will also encourage partner countries to establish carbon pricing policies to fight climate change. For that purpose, CBAM targets imports of carbon-intensive products, in full compliance with international trade rules, to prevent offsetting the EUs greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts through imports of products manufactured in non-EU countries, where climate change policies are less ambitious than in the European Union. It will also help prevent the relocation of the production or the import of carbon-intensive products. Cement, is among the industrial sectors covered by CBAM along with aluminium, fertilisers, electric energy production, iron and steel. Bruno Le Maire, French Minister for Economic Affairs, Finance and Recovery, said, CBAM is designed to function in parallel with the EUs Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), to mirror and complement its functioning on imported goods. It will gradually replace the existing European Union mechanisms to address the risk of carbon leakage, in particular the free allowances of EU ETS allowances. Compared to the initial proposal by the Commission, the Council opted for a greater centralisation of the CBAM governance, where it makes sense and contributes to greater efficiency. For example, the new registry of CBAM declarants (importers) is to be centralised at EU level. The Council also foresees a minimum threshold which exempts from the CBAM obligations consignments with a value of less than EUR150. Next steps The Council still has to make sufficient progress on a number of issues which are closely related to CBAM, but are not part of the draft legal text of the CBAM regulation. This concerns in particular the phase-out of the free allowances allocated to industry sectors covered by the CBAM, established by the EU ETS directive, and appropriate solutions on the issue of limiting potential carbon leakage from exports, so that economic efficiency, environmental integrity and WTO compatibility of the CBAM are ensured. Two other issues will continue to be followed: the proposals by the Commission for own resources, based, inter alia, on revenues from the sale of CBAM certificates, which are under consideration for deliberation by 1 July 2022, in accordance with the inter-institutional agreement of 16 December 2020 the Council noted the importance of greater international cooperation with third countries, including through the establishment, in parallel to the CBAM, of a climate club where carbon pricing policies can be discussed and encouraged. Once sufficient progress will have been achieved at the Council, the Council will start negotiations with the European Parliament, after the latter has agreed its position. Published under Pakistan's cement/clinker exports observe a mixed trend in 8MFY22 17 March 2022 Pakistan's cement and clinker exports have observed a mixed trend in the first eight months of FY21-22. During a presentation, Mohsin Naqvi, group director finance of Maple Leaf Group the parent company of Maple Leaf Cement Co (MLCF), has stated that the company is not foreseeing robust growth in export given higher sea freight charges. Hence, the negative trend was also reflected in cumulative export data. The Pakistan cement industry earned US$179.44m in export revenue by dispatching 4.749Mt of cement and clinker overseas in the 8MFY21-22 (July 2021-February 2022), compared to US$183.19m from 5.476Mt of exports in the year-ago period. As a result, the sector saw a slide of 2.1 per cent in dollar terms but reported a double-digit decline of 13.2 per cent in volume during the export period. However, exports valued in Pakistani rupees saw a growth of 3.3 per cent to PKR30.85bn (US$171.7m) during this period. On the contrary, in February 2022 alone, export revenues increased 7.9 per cent MoM to US$18.52m on the shipment of 433,780t, compared to US$17.15m from 393,607t of exports in January 2022. The quantity increased by 10.2 per cent during this period. However, when compared with February 2021 earnings of US$19.52m from 537,452t, this represented a drop of 5.1 per cent and 19.3 per cent YoY in value and quantity, respectively. Pakistan has been exporting clinker/cement to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania and India. The export to India was suspended for the last few years. Published under FLSmidth wins Gladstone Ports Corp's shiploader order 17 March 2022 FLSmidth has been awarded the contract to build Gladstone Ports Corps (GPC) new shiploader 1 on site in Queensland, Australia. The contract also includes the decommissioning of the old shiploader, which will be carried out in a safe and sustainable manner. The deal has been booked in the 1Q22 and is valued at approximately DKK225m (US$33.2m). The new shiploader will replace GPCs existing shiploader 1, which has loaded bulk material onto ships for 43 years. As part of the contract, FLSmidth will build the new shiploader within Gladstone Ports Corps Port Central Precinct, where it will then be transferred a short distance via a heavy lift ship to its new home for operation. The award comes after GPCs Board approved the project and endorsement was provided by the Queensland Government to proceed with the project. FLSmidth and its antecedent companies have supplied Gladstone Ports with the two other existing shiploaders at the port. FLSmidth's Regional President, Tamer Eid, said: "We are delighted to have been selected by Gladstone Ports Corporation to supply a shiploader to their port operations. A happy, returning customer proves the value and efficiency delivered by FLSmidth and underlines our strong position in the bulk material handling arena. The shiploader will be fully compliant to Australian standards, meet all technical specifications for load limits and will be produced locally in Gladstone." GPC Chair, Dr Anthony Lynham, added that the shiploader project was a significant achievement for local and regional manufacturing: "Traditionally, machines of this size are constructed overseas and imported into Australia, so to be able to have FLSmidth build one right here at our Port Central Precinct is a win for manufacturing in our state and a win for local jobs. It not only shows confidence in future market demand for exports, but its great news in terms of local and regional jobs, trade capacity, and the region's prosperity as GPC plans for the next 50 years." The contract commenced in March 2022 with a scheduled completion date of the 2Q24. Published under Puerto Rican cement sales decline 13% in February ICR Newsroom By 17 March 2022 In February 2022 cement sales in Puerto Rico declined 13.3 per cent YoY to 1.18m bags of 94lb, or 50,312t, according to Puerto Ricos Institute of Statistics. However, cement output increased 4.1 per cent YoY to 26,478t. Production had been falling for eight of the last 10 months, reports Sin Comillas. Published under Buena Vista, CO (81211) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 31F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 31F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Danville City leaders get ready to breathe new life into the old mill village; Danville leaders ready to weigh proposal to provide real estate tax help to elderly and disabled; Danville native taking his place in Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Echelon Chattanooga, The Salvation Armys volunteer chapter of young professionals, is supporting men who are facing homelessness with a health-oriented outreach event called "Bacon and Boxers," and is asking community members to donate items. Its intended to supply men with necessities like undergarments, socks, hygiene items and first-aid essentials that are highly requested, yet seldom donated. The event will be held this Friday at the Salvation Armys 614 Corps Shelter (adjacent to the Chattanooga Area Command), 800 McCallie Ave., from noon-2 p.m. Mission BBQ has donated sandwiches and side dishes for the event, and The Salvation Army will also serve bacon pizza and provide water bottles.Donations of new mens underwear, pairs of socks, undershirts and other hygiene and self-care items can be dropped off at the Chattanooga Area Command, 822 McCallie Ave. on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Items can also be sent to The Salvation Army through its online Walmart registry. Russia hacked a Ukrainian television station and broadcast a fake statement purporting to be from President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging people to surrender and lay down their guns. The cyber assault was said to have occurred today on Ukraine 24's webstream, and it was purportedly a statement address purporting to be from Zelensky. He allegedly declared he was "capitulating" and would surrender and "give up guns" in it, causing indignation and concern online. Russia's Desperate Hack on Ukraine's TV Station However, a lot of sites soon caught up on it, and the president promptly made a video denouncing the false address and claiming it wasn't him. He claimed in it that he never made such a comment and pledged that "the only ones who should give up arms are Russian soldiers." Many Ukrainians took to social media to call attention to the breach and the fraudulent assertion. In actuality, Ukraine is fighting until the end of the third week against Russia that had purportedly planned a rapid assault of Ukraine in which the capital would be taken in days. However, after inflicting huge casualties on Moscow's soldiers, the administration Putin and the Kremlin planned to depose. Russia is suspected of being behind the cyber strike, which they have long utilized both within and outside of open conflict. Russia has traditionally targeted its Eastern European neighbors with hacking and cyber warfare. According to Edward Stringer, Air Marshal and former Director of Operations at the Ministry of Defense, Russia is a country that set loose its most creative and inventive criminals and gave them license to cause mischief everywhere in the globe, according to Mirror. Read Also: Putin Sends Disguised Transponder Decoys To Confuse Ukrainian Defense Allowing Missiles To Hit Targets Ukraine, Russia Both Become Victims of Cyberattacks During the crisis, which is now in its third week, both Ukraine and Russia have been targeted by cyber attacks. Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Kyiv would form an "IT army" to combat Moscow's digital invasions. Last month, an alleged distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack took down the Kremlin's main website and the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to specialists from the cybersecurity firm ESET, malicious data-wiping malware has also been spotted spreading in Ukraine, affecting hundreds of PCs. Google announced earlier this month that it had observed Russian hackers who have been identified by law authorities engaged in espionage, phishing operations, and other assaults against Ukraine and its European allies. The digital sabotage of Viasat's KA-SAT network in February, according to a top Ukrainian cybersecurity officer, caused a catastrophic communications outage at the start of Russia's invasion. On February 24, when Russian soldiers invaded Ukraine, tens of thousands of satellite modems across Europe were crippled. Victor Zhora stated he couldn't say anything about the situation, Express reported. Meanwhile, Dmitri Alperovitch, a leading cybersecurity specialist, was one of the first to warn that Putin would attack Ukraine. He fully expected Russian President Vladimir Putin to command cyber assaults in retaliation for economic penalties. Teams of cyber-security professionals are already on high alert. Attacks on Swift, the communications system used to transport payments across borders, have disturbed senior officials at many institutions. Attacks on nuclear power stations have even been mentioned as a possibility. While catastrophic "cybergeddon" possibilities cannot be ignored entirely, experts feel they are unlikely, as per Sky News. Related Article: Zelensky Stays Optimistic on Peace Talks As Russian Forces Try To Destroy Ukraine Defenses @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Over the week of Saturday, March 19, to Saturday, March 26, Lee University will host Refugee Week, a series of events for the campus and community about current crises around the world. We would like to invite the Lee family and surrounding communities to these activities as we reflect and ponder on what is going on in the world today, said Dr. Arlie Tagayuna, associate professor of sociology at Lee. We believe as a community of faith we can come together and respond ethically and spiritually to the current world crisis. Beginning on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Lee amphitheater, there will be a March for Peace followed by a candlelight prayer vigil. The march will promote empathy and solidarity to those suffering including those currently displaced by war, natural calamity, or other uncontrollable reasons here and abroad. Refugees and migrants from the community will join for the march and prayer. The next event is Border Stories on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the School of Nursing Lecture Hall. Reverend Maribel Velasquez will speak about her church experiences on hospitality and how God turned her congregation into a refuge for displaced people on the southern border in El Paso, Texas. Rev.Velasquez is a trained nurse practitioner and a licensed Church of God minister. In her community, she provides services such as clothing, food, and shelter for people coming from the detention centers until they are reunited with their families. Theology of the Border will take place on Thursday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m., also in the School of Nursing Lecture Hall. Pastor Mark Adams of Frontero de Cristo, a Christian non-profit organization that addresses the root causes of mass migration and provides opportunities for development for migrants and community members on the America-Mexico border, will present a lecture. He will share how Christians can navigate their faith in understanding the issues of border politics and impacts to humanity and how Christians on both sides of the border affirm their commitment to missional community. The next day, Friday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m., there will be a screening of La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon) in the Communication Arts Building Screening Room. The movie tells the story of a mother and son separated at the border. It is a typical representation of the dangers and struggles of displaced people due to the changing political, economic, and social landscape. This screening intends to demonstrate that there is humanity, created in the image of God, that is often invisible from our conflicting ideologies about refugees and migrants, said Dr. Tagayuna. To conclude the week, the International Friends Network and the Refuge will host a party to welcome Lee students for intercultural engagement on Saturday, March 26, at 4 p.m. in Alumni Park. These local refugees and immigrants will serve food and demonstrate cultural artifacts from the country they come from. Refugee Week is open to all, and all events are free. For more information, contact Dr. Tagayuna at atagayuna@leeuniversity.edu. The Hamilton County Health Department on Wednesday reported three new positive COVID-19 cases, down from six on Tuesday. The total number of cases in the county now stands at 97,649. There were nine more deaths reported on Wednesday by the Health Department, but only one is for this period, for a total of 1,112. Eight of the deaths added on Wednesday are a part of the review of death certificates by the State Medical Examiners office. The Health Department is currently conducting data cleaning on a number of backlogged cases from the Omicron surge. This process will result in an increase in the total number of cases. However, the daily case counts will still reflect the actual number of new cases received by the Health Department on that day. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 35 in Hamilton County, the same as on Tuesday. Eight more are hospitalized with suspected COVID. There are nine Hamilton County inpatients and six patients are in ICU, up from four on Tuesday. The number of those who have recovered from coronavirus in Hamilton County is 96,407, which is 99 percent. There are 130 active cases, compared to 149 on Tuesday. Hamilton County Sheriffs Office personnel and school resource deputies responded to Lookout Valley Middle High School around 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, on a report that a student was assaulted in a bathroom. EMS was called to the scene to evaluate the student. After medical review, the student was released on-scene to their guardian. The circumstances of the assault are being investigated by the HCSO. The East Brainerd Chamber Council is seeking donations to create a Quiet Room for East Brainerd Elementary staff.The Council hopes to create two seating areas, a small dining area, coffee/tea bar, free grown-up library and yoga corner for the staff of East Brainerd Elementary. Large furniture items and smaller decorative and stocking items are requested. Large items that are clean and in good condition are welcome. Smaller items may be purchased from the EBE Quiet Room wish list on Amazon.Large items include: Large console table or hutch, bookcase(s), lounge/recliner chair(s), full-size couch (no love seats), coffee tables, end tables, lamps and books.We are thrilled to partner with East Brainerd Elementary School again this year to battle teacher burnout.We saw great success with our supply drive last year and hope to give back in an even more meaningful way. Teacher burnout is rampant, and if we can do something to ease the stress for these everyday heroes, were going to do just that, says Amber Fortenberry, president-elect, East Brainerd Council.Contact Ms. Fortenberry to donate your gently used large items at amber@mydpp.com. To purchase smaller items, search EBE Quiet Room and select Custom Gift List on Amazon, or follow the link here The Council is accepting donations through the end of March and plans to install the room over Hamilton County Schools Spring Break in April. Dayton City Manager Tommy Solomon announced the appointment of Tracy Blevins as the new Chief of Police for Dayton. He will take office on April 2. Chief Blevins, a 29-year veteran of the police department, began his law enforcement career with the Rhea County Sheriffs Department before coming to work with Dayton in 1993. He has worked as a patrolman and is currently shift sergeant. He also is a training officer and firearms instructor. He was Daytons first School Resource Officer at Dayton City School. Chief Blevins said, Its been a whirlwind since I was appointed. I am very thankful for this new post with the city. It is a blessing and an honor for me and my family. I have had nothing but a huge outgoing of support from the community since the word got out." I am very thankful for this new post with the city. It is a blessing and an honor for me and my family. I have had nothing but a huge outgoing of support from the community since the word got out." I would like to express my deepest thanks to the city manager and the city council for placing a strong belief in me that I can do this job," said Chief Blevins. Chief Blevins and his wife, Angela, have two children, Caity and Ian, and two stepchildren, Tim and Zach Hollis. He holds an associates degree in criminal justice from Cleveland State Community College. Lee Universitys U-Church series will host this spring semesters Come to the Table, An Evening of Worship led by LeeU Worship on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Conn Center. This semesters Come to The Table service will be led by current members of LeeU Worship and feature an original song written by Abigail Joy, Kevin Currenton, and Bekah Thompson, said Dr. Brad Moffett director of LeeU Worship and vice president for University Relations. I look forward to these times of musical worship and the service of Communion we will enjoy together. An Evening of Worship is centered around communion, student-led worship, and creative production provided by the LeeU Tech Crew. The theme for the evening is Wake Up and is based on Isaiah 52, which states, Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. LeeU Worship is a collective of student songwriters, worship leaders, and musicians who have a heart to lead their peers on the Lee University campus through meaningful worship encounters. The ensemble released an album in 2017 of 10 original songs ranging in style from the typical up tempo layered electronic sound, powerful ballads, and a modern hymn based on the New Testament text the early church sang. U-Church is a free, non-ticketed event, open to students, alumni, and the community. Seating is first come, first served. For more information about U-Church, contact Joyce Lane at jlane@leeuniversity.edu or 614-8347. For updates and announcements about U-Church events, stay connected by following U-Church on Twitter: @LeeUChurch, on Instagram: @leeuchurch, or on Facebook: LeeUChurch. For more information about LeeU Worship, visit their website at leeuworship.com/. RockPoint Bank, N.A. welcomes local businessman Eric Storey to the banks board of directors. Mr. Storey brings business and leadership experience to the role, owning Storey Trucking Company, an asset-based carrier specializing in refrigerated over-the-road freight. In addition to transportation, he is involved with multi-state cattle operations farming. His other investments include hotel and real estate developments and supporting startup ventures in the supply chain sector. I am excited to join and serve on RockPoints board of directors, said Mr. Storey. Business owners need a local banking option that is focused on their needs, and being headquartered and managed in Chattanooga, RockPoint is filling the void that has been caused by consolidation in the banking industry. RockPoints target market is local businesses and owners, operators, employees and professionals in the Chattanooga community. In addition to Storeys business and leadership experience, his relationships and knowledge of the North Alabama market complement RockPoints strategic focus on Hamilton County and surrounding areas. Eric Storeys experience in owning and running a local business will add valuable perspective to our existing board of community leaders, says Hamp Johnston, president and CEO of RockPoint Bank. We are grateful to have a person of Erics caliber and reputation join our board. RockPoint was founded in March 2021 by a group of local bankers and community leaders after raising over $33 million in capital. The positive response from the community allowed RockPoint to surpass $100 million in assets by the end of 2021. Based on 2021 end-of-year results, it is one of the fastest-growing de novo banks in the nation compared to other community banks opened in 2021. RockPoint looks forward to celebrating its one-year anniversary later this month. To learn more about RockPoint Bank and its services, please visit www.rockpoint.bank. Billy Forte, who is standing trial for the murder of his son, said in a police interview that he " felt free now, it was testified on Wednesday. The jury saw footage of the interview in which he told officers, I feel liberated, referring to alleged bullying from his son. Billy said Charles bullied him for a year and a half. He briefly mentioned that Charles threatened him, yet did not go into detail. But he said the encounter with his son on April 2, 2018 was his last straw and a killing offense. Charles just pushed me too far, Billy said to himself in interview footage. I knew something was going to happen (that day). In his interview, Billy rants to officers about financial issues between him and Charles and how it may have affected the bankrupt family business, Eaves Formal Wear. Defense attorney Ben McGowan said Charles stole money from the business. If the company is going down, he better look out, said Billy. Charles was supposed to run this business. Officers tried to get Billy to explain specifically what happened, but instead he kept explaining his frustrations with Charles. Billy on multiple times said Charles was a dope dealer who is dumb. Charles was sent to federal prison for possession of cocaine with intent to sell in 1994. At the time of the shooting, Charles was four years into his eight-year supervised release, therefore, he was not allowed to have guns. But Billy told police that Charles actually owned several guns and even saw a pistol on him the day of the shooting. Attorneys debated before Judge Barry Steelman about whether Charles criminal history could be used in Mr. McGowans self-defense claim. Prosecutors argued that Charles offenses were non-violent and the victim could not explain his side of the charges during this trial. Attorney McGowan said the victims supervised release and the alleged illegal actions he was committing during it, such as stealing money from Billy and owning guns, may give Charles a motive for violence towards Billy. If Charles house was full of guns the state would know about it, said prosecutor Lee Ortwein. Fact is the defendant had every opportunity to mention that the victim was violent or that he felt unsafe, but he didnt, said Judge Steelman in arguments outside the presence of the jury. The leader of the Chattanooga NAACP said its members are up in arms over remarks made Tuesday night by district attorney candidate Coty Wamp to a Republican women's club. Ann Jones Pierre said a tape of a portion of the speech has been circulating and "people are upset. They are very upset." She said, "I was late getting to my meeting this morning. I kept getting calls." In the speech to the Tennessee Valley Republican Women at Wally's Restaurant in East Ridge, Ms. Wamp said she could not stand behind the NAACP now because of their stance toward law enforcement. At the same time as the GOP speech, the two other DA candidates, Neal Pinkston and John Brooks, were appearing at a forum sponsored by the NAACP. Ms. Jones put out a statement that Ms. Wamp had "declined" to appear before the group, but told her they could contact her "after the primary." Ms. Wamp said she had committed to the GOP event in December. Ms. Jones said she offered to change the date of the NAACP forum, but Ms. Wamp was not interested. Ms. Wamp's full remarks were: "So you all know, there was an NAACP forum tonight for my race between the three candidates. There is a Democrat running against us. "There was a forum and I had committed to this in December. I was happy to be able to come here. "But listen, the NAACP has accomplished some good things in the last hundred years, but one of them is NOT the way they've treated law enforcement. And I just can't stand behind it right now. "And until on their website they talk about, they have the statistics about how many African Americans are shot by police every year, but they don't have the statistics about how many African Americans are shot by African Americans OR how many police officers are shot by anybody. . ." Ms. Pierre called it "a completely inaccurate portrayal of what the NAACP stands for. It's very troubling and it shows some immaturity on her part." She said the NAACP speaks out against police brutality and for civil rights, but is supportive "of the good things that police officers do." She said the group hands out annual awards to officers demonstrating good works in the community, including the Ralph Cothran Award named for a former black Chattanooga police chief. Ms. Pierre said, "This leaves an impression about the NAACP that is completely untrue." She said she met Thursday morning with a ministers group on the issue. Ms. Pierre said the NAACP has a policy of not supporting specific political candidates, but she said the group will likely issue a press release on the matter on Friday. Click here for the audio. The John Sevier Chapter of the Tennessee Society Sons of the American Revolution conducted a ceremony on Monday, to honor the Revolutionary War service of Patriot Charles Thurman at his grave site in rural Bledsoe County. Descendants of the Patriot still reside in Bledsoe County. While many people believe that Britain's Prince Harry and Prince William are the only two offspring of Crown Prince Charles, this is not the case; the two brothers also have two step-siblings. The existence of Prince Harry and Prince William's two half-siblings isn't strictly a secret; nonetheless, despite Harry and William being the world's most renowned brothers, few people are aware of them. Prince Charles' Secret Siblings Through their father's marriage to Camilla Parker, the future Queen Consort, who shares the two children with her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, Prince Harry, and Prince William have another brother and sister. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, married army officer Bowles from 1973 to 1995, and the couple had two children, Tom Parker-Bowles, 47, and Laura Lopes, 44. Despite their mother's marriage to Prince Charles, the future King of the United Kingdom, Tom and Laura have rather ordinary lives; Tom works as a culinary writer and critic, and Laura works as an art curator. While Tom and Laura keep a quiet profile in their daily lives, they are known to be close to their step-brothers Harry and William; both brothers attended Laura's wedding in 2006, and Laura also served as a bridesmaid at William and Kate's royal wedding in 2011. Laura and Tom have thriving jobs outside of the royal limelight, but the siblings are close with the family and can be seen at major events regularly. The step-children of Prince Charles made their first public appearance when they appeared for official portraits during their mother's royal wedding and have since stayed mostly unnoticed. Who is Tom Parker Bowles? Tom was born on December 18, 1974, and is the oldest of the two siblings. Tom, like his stepbrothers Prince William and Prince Harry, went to Eton before proceeding to Oxford University to study. Tom fell in love with cooking soon after graduation and went on to have a successful career as a food writer and critic, writing several cookbooks. He has served as a judge on television cooking shows and as the culinary critic for the Mail on Sunday. Tom married Sara Buys, a fashion editor, in 2005, and they have two children, Lola and Freddy, Geo News reported. Who Is Laura Parker Bowles? Laura went to a Catholic girl's school in Dorset before heading to Oxford Brookes University to study History of Art and Marketing. She began her career as a motorsport journalist for Tatler before going into the art world, managing The Space Gallery in London and then co-founding and serving as director of London's Eleven Gallery in 2005. Laura married Harry Lopes in 2006 after he graduated from Eton College and worked as a model before going on to become a chartered accountant, according to Mirror. Read Also: Archaeologists Scan Ancient Pyramid of Giza in Egypt With Cosmic Rays Revealing Hidden Voids Will Camilla Parker Bowles' Children Inherit Royal Titles? If Tom and Laura gain titles from their mother when her husband, Prince Charles, becomes King, they will be propelled even farther into the spotlight. Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes are not members of the Royal Family and live private lives. "We have never, ever had children of a King or Queen who remained untitled-so that will be interesting," royal critic Brian Hoey has previously stated. Hoey believes this might be the case, but the kind of title is unclear. The titles of the Duchess of Cornwall are reliant on her spouse and cannot be handed down through her family. Despite their mother's rank, her children are not royals because they have not married into the Royal Family and are not blood relations, as per Express. Related Article: Queen Elizabeth's Lawyers To Filter Prince Harry's Memoir To Protect Royal Family's Secret @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Chattanooga State Humanities Departments Writers@Work program will welcome Pulitzer Prize-finalist Karen Russell to Chattanooga for a week-long celebration of her short story collection Orange World, March 29-31. The Writers@Work series celebrates Southern literature by integrating the work of selected authors into the curriculum of the Department's Composition Two course. Each year, the nearly 1,000 students enrolled in Composition Two engage in activities focused around a specific work while practicing critical course skills. Every spring, the W@W featured author comes to Chattanooga to share his or her work and writing experience with the faculty, staff, and students of Chattanooga State and the public. Past W@W authors include an impressive lineup of nationally-recognized and best-selling Southern authors, including Terry Kay, Jill McCorkle, Lila Quintero Weaver, Rick Bragg, George Singleton, Ron Rash, Robert Morgan, Tayari Jones, Tom Franklin, Beth Ann Fennelly, Daniel Wallace, and Chattanoogas own Ishmael Reed. In addition, the most-recent W@W author, Jericho Brown, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for his poetry collection, The Tradition. This years Writers@Work installment features Karen Russell and her short story collection Orange World and Other Stories. In a review of Mr. Russells collection, The Washington Post describes Ms. Russells work as the must-read short-story collection of the summer, stating that Russells ease with her material, her sheer glee on the page, shines through in each piece. NPR writes that Russells work is brilliant and stunning, and that her imagination is boundless. In a review of Orange World, The Wall Street Journal writes that it is a superb collection, a masterpiece, and contains a horror [that] always cohabits with humor Ms. Russell, a native of Miami, won the 2012 and 2018 National Magazine Award for fiction, and her first novel, Swamplandia!, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2011. She has received a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship, the 5 under 35 prize from the National Book Foundation, the NYPL Young Lions Award, the Bard Fiction Prize, and is a former fellow of the Cullman Center and the American Academy in Berlin. Ms. Russell is also the author of St. Lucys Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories, Sleep Donation: A Novella, and most recently, Orange World: and Other Stories. She currently holds the Endowed Chair at Texas State Universitys MFA program, and lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children. The Writers@Work program would like to invite the public to the following events free of charge. Public Schedule of Events Inside the Mind of Karen Russell: The Behind-The-Writer Interview Tuesday, March 29, 5:15 p.m. The Hunter Museum of American Art Enjoy beautiful views of the Tennessee River from the lobby of the Hunter Museum during this evening with Karen Russell. Arrive at 5:15 p.m. to experience Baggs McKelvey's new installation, Indigo; the artist will be present to discuss this piece and its connection to themes in Ms. Russell's collection. Drift back to the lobby by 6 p.m. for Writers@Work's annual interview night; ChattState English Professor Erica Lux will interview Karen Russell about her journey to becoming a writer, her writing process, and what it means to be a Southern author. Join us at the Hunter Museum of American Art to ask questions, get your books signed, and mingle with other readers from the community at our dessert reception. Find more information at https://www.chattbigread.com/ Those Devilish Details: How Research Brought Orange World to Life Thursday, March 31, 2 p.m. Virtual Zoom Event Orange World, like all of Karen Russells work, is rich in fantastical details that make those magical worlds come to life. In this virtual Chautauqua meeting, Russell will discuss her research process for Orange World and answer questions from participants. Free registration is available at www.chattbigread.org. Find more information at https://www.chattbigread.com/ For more information on the program or these events, please visit the programs website at www.chattbigread.com. Benedict Cumberbatch believes that part of the strength of The Power of the Dog is in its ambiguity. Calling it a piece of poetry from director Jane Campion, Cumberbatch lauds the many ways it can be interpreted while a diverse set of opinions continues to flourish. And if the enigmatic tenor of the movie has led to a bit of confusion, the two-time Oscar nominee thinks it only serves to encourage viewers to look further beneath the surface. Benedict Cumberbatch | Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images Benedict Cumberbatch is happy to see multiple interpretations of The Power of the Dog Its safe to say that The Power of the Dog is not your typical western. Set in 1920s Montana, Campions film goes against the grain in thematic portrayals of masculinity and power. As Cumberbatch told the New York Times, the revisionist perspective of the material opened the door for many different philosophical viewpoints. It is metaphor as the best of cinema can be, Cumberbatch explained, happy to support Campions enigmatic vision. So I think a little confusion, or a little questioning over motivations or outcomes, or how the plot ties together is a good thing. More than just some gray area in the plot, Cumberbatch pointed to the lack of clarity in character motivations surrounding his character, Phil Burbank, and the equally enigmatic Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). While we first see Phil as a rough and tumble bully, we soon begin to see that there is quite a bit more going on underneath the surface. The same goes for Peter, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee in an Oscar-nominated role. Peter initially seems to be completely out of place on a remote ranch in Montana, but the film slowly plays with audience assumptions and we soon find out how much more there is to the character. Its just got an iceberg of subtext underneath it, Cumberbatch concluded, pointing to the way the films layers encourage discussion. The original ending was much more concrete Though most of Cumberbatchs commentary revolves around interpreting character motivation, the ending of The Power of the Dog has also been the subject of intense social-media discussion. While some found the ending itself confusing, many critics and fans of the movie have pushed back, insisting that there isnt much ambiguity in terms of plot. From this viewpoint, character motive is certainly open to interpretation, yet the film also makes it clear what actually happens in the end. But this split in perspective wouldnt have happened at all if Campion had kept the original ending. As editor Peter Sciberras explained to The Wrap, the original intention was to make an even more explicit explanation of Peters actions. That ending would have hewed closely to the Thomas Savage novel the movie is based on. Instead of a tidy finale that left no room for interpretation, Campion instead chose a more mysterious ending that required looking back at previous events depicted in the film. With a more understated finale, the ending was more in line with the open-ended character motivations that became such an important part of the films success. Discussion and controversy have kept The Power of the Dog in the spotlight Ever since landing 12 Oscar nominations and becoming one of the favorites to take home Best Picture, The Power of the Dog has enjoyed a hotbed of discussion. While Cumberbatch addressed the many enigmatic components of the Netflix film and the ending has split some viewers, other high-profile members of Hollywood have ignited some controversy. One actor suddenly receiving attention is Sam Elliott, who is well-known for his vintage cowboy persona and gravelly voice. Elliott recently didnt hold back from his strong negative opinion of The Power of the Dog, which he called a piece of s. As detailed by the NY Post, Elliott did express a high opinion of Campion as a director but also rejected her view of the American West and the hints of homosexuality. Elliotts comments are somewhat mysterious, as the 1883 star previously praised Ang Lees Brokeback Mountain. But the controversy generated by Elliott has only served to keep the film in the spotlight in the run-up to the Oscars, making the ongoing discussions a blessing for distributor Netflix. According to Business Insider, The Power of the Dog saw a significant boost in viewings right after the Oscar nominations were announced and has been one of the most discussed movies ever since. Any ongoing debates should only encourage more viewers to give it a shot or to inspire those who have seen it to take another crack at unlocking the ending. The Oscars take place on Mar. 27 in L.A., with The Power of the Dog expected to be a contender in nearly all major categories. Cumberbatch is up for Best Actor for the second time, following his nomination for 2014 drama The Imitation Game. RELATED: The Power of the Dog: Benedict Cumberbatch Didnt Bathe and Gave Himself Nicotine Poisoning 3 Times to Play Phil Burbank George Clooneys place in pop culture is primarily due to his eternally cool personality that inflected his best roles as a leading man. But as hes become more selective in his acting and directing career, his activist endeavors have taken on more prominence. His charity and passion regarding serious causes continue to help an unknowable amount of people around the world, and Clooney has been willing to put himself at risk for what he believes. One excursion to a country mired in chaos made him worry for his life, but the situation defused itself with alarming ease. His worldliness also brought him closer to his second wife, with whom he works to support human rights initiatives to this day. George Clooney | Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Clooney detailed a terrifying incident when he was in Sudan In 2012, Clooney did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter which touched on a number of personal topics, like his battle with chronic pain stemming from an accident while filming Syriana in 2005, his relationships throughout the industry, and his path to movie stardom. In his youth, he initially wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps and become a journalist, but his pain made him more aware of the plight that afflicted the lives of people far away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. After reading about the Darfur genocide committed by the Sudanese government in a 2005 column by New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof, he traveled to the country to help. The danger of this scenario was palpable. Everything about it is difficult, and you never feel safe, and we are not traveling with guns and security guys, Clooney said. During one of his missions, he and his father were threatened by juvenile assailants. They were in the middle of nowhere and we were pulled over by a bunch of 13-year-old kids with Kalashnikovs, and thats where its dangerous because its random violence. The Clooneys feared the worst before someone from their traveling party walked up to the child and said No. I couldnt believe it was that simple, Clooney recalled, because I was embarrassed at how scared I was. He leveraged his endorsement deal to keep watch on a notorious dictator Even after the scare, Clooney continued to use his celebrity to lend a hand to the war-torn country. And his main weapon was Nespresso. Clooney has done commercials for the coffee brand since 2006 and is a member of the companys Sustainability Advisory Board. Celebrities do endorsement deals all the time, but for Clooney, the money has a deeper purpose. He told The Guardian in 2013 that he used the money to fund the Satellite Sentinel Project, which used long-range imaging to track the movements and actions of the Sudanese army and their leader Omar al-Bashir, their former dictator, who has been accused of committing and instigating war crimes. (al-Bashir was ousted from power in 2019.) Clooney has received plenty of credit for this project over the years, and while his dedication to Sudan is real, a former manager of the project claimed on Twitter that the actor had only put up $700,000 to get the SSP started. His partnership with Nespresso has made him at least $40 million since it started. Clooney and his wife use their clout to help less fortunate people around the world Before meeting her future husband, Amal Alamuddin was putting in the effort to protect the downtrodden. She is a lawyer who specializes in international law and human rights-related cases. Her clients tend to be victims of mass atrocities or journalists being attacked by their governments for reporting news that the state wants to keep secret. Shes done plenty to lift people up in her own right. As a couple, the Clooneys have continued to donate time and money to worthwhile causes. They are the co-founders of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, an organization that seeks to fight against systemic injustices around the world. They also sponsored an Iraqi refugee, Hazim Avdal, so that he could continue his studies at the University of Chicago. They later gave $500,000 to support the March for Our Lives protest in 2018 and in 2020, they donated $100,000 to three charities after an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon (Amals home country) led to 218 deaths and 7,000 injuries. RELATED: Nespresso Pays George Clooney Over $40 Million and He Invests It In a Satellite Over Sudan? Former Jersey Shore star Sammi Sweetheart Giancola recently celebrated her 35th birthday with a bikini birthday pic. However, it wasnt the stunning snap that caused a flurry of comments from her followers. However, fans appeared shocked at the number of birthdays Giancola has celebrated and claimed that she doesnt age in the comments section of her photo upload. Sammi Giancola | Rob Kim/Getty Images for Daily Mail Sammi Giancola was just 22 when season one of Jersey Shore premiered MTVs original Jersey Shore series premiered in 2009 when Giancola was 22 years old. However, other than Mike The Situation Sorrentino, Giancola was the only other New Jersey native in the shows original cast. Ronnie Ortiz-Magro hailed from the Bronx. Both Angelina Pivarnick and Vinny Guadagnino lived in Staten Island. Jenni Farley hails from upstate New York. Nicole Polizzi grew up in Marlboro, New York, and Paul Pauly D DelVecchio in Rhode Island. Giancola and her former castmates were asked to star in a reboot of the original Jersey Shore titled Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in 2018. However, Giancola declined the offer. She subsequently took to Instagram to reveal why she chose not to be a part of the reboot. She said she was at a different place in her life than when she was at 22 and that she wanted to avoid any further conflict between herself and former beau Magro. However, it was a difficult decision as I love my roomies, she continued. Ive decided to focus on my future and what truly makes me happy. I will forever be grateful to Jersey Shore and everything it has brought to me! Ive just decided to live my life for me these days. Giancola celebrated her 35th birthday with an Instagram selfie Giancola shared a selfie with Instagram where she mused about her March 14 birthday. Damn. Since when did I become 35? she questioned, followed by the hashtags Pisces and birthday. In the snap, she appeared to have on a pink bikini top. Behind her, a mirrored reflection of a stunning tropical vista was visible. Fans reacted positively to the photograph. They claimed Giancola looks the same as when she starred on the original MTV series 13 years prior. Happy birthday Sam! Welcome to the holy s**t were 35 club! joked one of her followers. You dont age! The happiest birthday of birthdays to you penned a second Instagram fan. Happy Birthday Sammi! My favorite Jersey Shore person of all time. The only female cast member who still is as naturally beautiful when they first joined the series, wrote a third-social media user. You are stunning, Sammi! Absolutely glowing and looking just as lovely as you did the day you first walked into the shore house in 2009, remarked a fourth fan. Today former Jersey Shore star Sammi Giancola is a small business owner Giancola is a small business owner. She shared she would open a retail shop in New Jersey called Sweetheart Coast in April 2021. The storefront is currently located on the Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk. Giancola began building her business profile via the website Sweetheart Styles in 2013. On the site, she sells accessories, jewelry, and clothing. In a video posted on April 14, 2021, Giancola claimed Ocean City is her favorite place. She revealed shes visited the area since childhood and claimed there was no better place for her to open up a store than her beloved seaside town. Fans and boardwalk visitors can subsequently find an array of clothing, jewelry, and home decor handpicked by the former reality star for inclusion in her shop. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on MTV. RELATED: Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Fans Suspect Angelina Pivarnick Is No Longer Filming MTV Series Country star Reba McEntire reconnected with Rex Linn at what might have seemed to others like an inopportune time. While the world slowed to a halt in response to the pandemic, they had just sparked what turned into a long-distance relationship. Now, they agree their bond is more remarkable for how it started. First and foremost, the two chatted on the phone every single day. But Linn said he was looking for other ways to connect with the foodie and took a chance on trying to impress her taste buds with food from all over the U.S. The adoring gesture seems to have worked. Reba McEntire and Rex Linn | Michael Tran/Getty Images Reba McEntire and Rex Linn started a standing tradition in quarantine While conversing on McEntires Living & Learning with Reba McEntire podcast, the couple said the pandemic initially separated them. They reconnected and then continued texting while they had to stay in different states to follow safety protocols. McEntire noted their relationship went from text messages to phone calls when she found out her mother was terminally ill with cancer. Eventually, theyd created a routine of talking every morning, which they called Coffee Camp. Coffee Camp has turned into a great institution, Linn shared. McEntire agreed, More people oughta do it. They have upheld the tradition, even if they can only get in one cup due to scheduling. But now they have in-person camps. We say good morning, and we kiss and say, I love you,' she explained. [Its a] great way to start the morning. Rex Linn wooed Reba McEntire with food in quarantine Winner winner chicken tender!!! pic.twitter.com/yH9boxBuFI Reba McEntire (@reba) February 26, 2022 RELATED: When Reba McEntire Celebrated Her Love of Corn Dogs on Instagram As Linn pointed out, that wasnt the only ritual they established while they were isolating separately. Speaking of quarantine, Linn told McEntire, I sent you food during quarantine a lot of times. McEntire laughed, but Linn explained he was trying to find a way to connect with the country superstar, beyond hours of daily conversations, that is. I would send you food from all over the country, he recalled. Because Im a foodie, and youre a foodie. As McEntire recalled, he first sent a pecan pie from Good Company Barbecue in Houston, Texas. She said it was so good it left her and the family members she quarantined with flabbergasted. As a sweet side note, she kept as mementos the pie box it came in along with the note Linn sent. McEntire said she, her sister, and brother-in-law werent leaving her sisters house except for her brother-in-law to get groceries, so they were absolutely stoked for the deliveries. She said she received lobster rolls, ice cream, and beef tenderloin, to name a few. Reba McEntire said she and Rex Linn became inseparable once they could break out of quarantine Reba McEntire Says She and Partner Rex Linn Are 'Pretty Much Inseparable' Since They Started Dating https://t.co/rVk7Dp9Kmd People (@people) October 14, 2021 RELATED: Reba McEntire Revealed Boyfriend Rex Linn Has an Appetizing Pet Name for Her McEntire revealed in an interview with TODAY that she and Linn finally got together in person again in June 2020 after beginning their virtual Coffee Camps in March. And weve been pretty much inseparable ever since, she added. Linn often appears on McEntires Instagram doing chores with her on her Tennessee farm, which they reportedly share now. And as they concluded their podcast chat, he told her it had been one of the highlights of [his] career to join her. [I] love you dearly he told her, and I look forward to moving forward in this life with you. RELATED: What Led to Public Shouting Between Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock? Micky Dolenz of The Monkees is especially fond of Pleasant Valley Sunday. He said one interpretation of the song is an urban legend. Pleasant Valley Sunday became a big hit for The Monkees in the United States. The Monkees Micky Dolenz | Gems/Redferns Pleasant Valley Sunday is one of The Monkees most famous songs. During an exclusive interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, The Monkees Micky Dolenz laughed at an urban legend about the lyrics of the song. He revealed what actually inspired the classic track. Micky Dolenz named his favorite of The Monkees uptempo rock songs Dolenz revealed he doesnt have a favorite Monkees song. He said that would be as difficult as choosing a favorite song by The Beatles or Johnny Mathis. The range of songs can be quite wide, he said. It depends. Dolenz noted the groups musical versatility. In the case of The Monkees, we with [Mike] Nesmith, we had country Western tunes, he said. With Peter [Tork], we had bluesy, rocky tunes. With [Davy Jones], there were ballads and a Broadway feeling. With me, it was rock n roll, Chuck Berry, and screaming and yelling. Dolenz opined Pleasant Valley Sunday was the best of The Monkees uptempo rock songs. RELATED: The Monkees Micky Dolenz Reacted to Breaking Bad Using 1 of Their Songs in a Drug Scene Micky Dolenz laughed at the idea that The Monkees Pleasant Valley Sunday is a song about an asylum According to a popular urban legend, Pleasant Valley Sunday is a song about an asylum. Dolenz laughed at the notion. Its not true at all! he said. Quite simply, Carole King told me she and Gerry Goffin were driving to [Monkees manager] Don Kirshners house in New Jersey and theres a street there Ive seen it, Ive been on the street called Pleasant Valley. And they were going to a meeting at his house. Dolenz gave more insight into the song. I dont know when they started writing [the song] or how, but its a very residential street and theres a lot of people mowing the lawn and barbecues and all the references in the song, he added. In the 60s, there was this sort of anti-establishment, anti-residential thing. Everything was about hippies and youth and stuff like that. Dolenz said this attitude informed the lyrics of the track. Carole King | Jim McCrary/Redferns RELATED: The Monkees Micky Dolenz Learned to Sing Songs Properly When He Was in an Elton John Musical The way listeners reacted to Pleasant Valley Sunday Pleasant Valley Sunday became a big hit for The Monkees. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 10 weeks. Pleasant Valley Sunday appeared on the album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. reached No. 1 for five of its 64 on the Billboard 200. Pleasant Valley Sunday was a more modest hit in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the track peaked at No. 11 in the U.K., staying on the chart for eight weeks. Meanwhile, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. reached No. 5 there and remained on the chart for 11 weeks. Pleasant Valley Sunday is a classic Monkees song even if an urban legend about it isnt true. RELATED: The Monkees: Micky Dolenz Played This Chuck Berry Song During His Audition for Their TV Show Following NBCs premiere of episode 2 on Tuesday, March 15, fans of The Thing About Pam are starting to see that, despite the episodes title, Shes a Helper, Pam Hupp is not what she seems. The episode saw Hupp (played by Renee Zellweger) work her way into Betsy Farias family and gain the inside track with law enforcement and District Attorney Leah Askey. Its clear theres much more to Hupps story that will unfold in the weeks to come. Heres everything you need to know before watching episode 3 of the NBC series. The Thing About Pam is based on a true crime Based on the real-life murder of Faria in 2011, The Thing About Pam was first a titular Dateline episode and then a podcast series that disclosed the details of the shocking case. The series follows Hupp, who was the last person to see Faria alive, as Decider reports. The two women were coworkers when Faria was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. Hupp became close with her during the illness close enough for Faria to name Hupp the beneficiary of her $150,000 life insurance policy. Faria was killed in 2011, two days after Hupp became the beneficiary. Hupp cast suspicion onto Farias husband, Russ Faria, who Hupp claimed was abusive and someone who Betsy feared greatly. Russ was found guilty of his wifes murder. But upon retrial, he was found not guilty and suspicions turned to Hupp and the then-recent death of Louis Gumpenberger. Again, Hupp tried to pin the murder on Russ. However, the police began to suspect her as the murderess in both cases. Hupp received a life sentence in 2019 for her murder of Gumpenberger. Two years later, in July 2021, she received first-degree murder charges for Betsys death. Today, the real-life Hupp is incarcerated at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Chillicothe, Missouri. How to watch The Thing About Pam Renee Zellweger as Pam Hupp in Episode 2, Shes a Helper | Skip Bolen/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank The Thing About Pam airs every Tuesday on NBC at 10/9 Central. The series began on March 8, 2022, and will continue through April 12 for a total of six hour-long episodes. For those without cable, the best options for watching a cable network show are through streaming services Hulu and YouTube TV. Episode 3, Shes a Star Witness, airs on Tuesday, March 22. Viewers will see Hupp take the witness stand at the request of District Attorney Askey (played by Judy Greer). St. Louis-based defense attorney Joel Schwartz (played by Josh Duhamel) will represent Russ. The embattled widower appears to have a strong alibi and no forensic evidence connecting him to his wifes murder. Renee Zellweger in The Thing About Pam Filming began on the NBC series in October 2021, just after Hupps real-life sentencing in July. While the series brings to screen many aspects of The Thing About Pams true story, the production experienced at least one misstep. Oscar-winning actor Renee Zellweger received backlash after wearing a body prosthetic, or fat suit, to portray Hupp. Fans note that, despite actors gaining or losing weight for past roles, Zellweger chose to forgo the body transformation for this role while claiming to use the body prosthetic for accuracy. Likewise, many point out that a talented plus-sized actor could portray the murderess if accuracy was in fact a top priority for the role. RELATED LINK: Renee Zellweger Says She Once Stepped Away From Acting and Snuck Into College Top: thermal runaway behavior of all-solid-state electrolyte Li-S batteries under abused conditions. Bottom: the decisive role of cross reaction between electrodes on triggering the thermal runaway of Li-S batteries Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries offer great potential for use in energy storage systems because of their large energy capacity. However, safety problems related to their thermal behavior continue to be a concern for scientists. Now, a research team led by researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), have revealed the thermal runaway routes of Li-S batteries, which may help to address the safety issues of next-generation batteries. "One of these safety concerns with Li-S batteries is thermal runaway, a phenomenon where the battery begins to overheat uncontrollably. As the temperature in the battery rises, the electrolyte can be ignited, possibly leading to a fire," said HUANG Lang, assistant professor at QIBEBT and lead author of the study. The research team set out to investigate the safety characteristics of large-format pouch-cell Li-S batteries. In particular, they examined inorganic all-solid-state electrolytes because of their high thermal stability, which may provide a strategy for overcoming the safety problems. Then they analyzed the thermal runaway behaviors of the pouch-cell batteries. The results showed that even all-solid-state electrolytes cannot stop the thermal runaway that occurs in Li-S batteries at high temperatures. This understanding will benefit scientists looking at ways to build safer next-generation Li-S batteries. The team examined the thermal features of Li-S batteries from the aspect of the material. They started at the whole pouch cell and worked down to the electrode level. They discovered that the exothermic chain reactions of Li-S batteries were initially triggered by sulfur cathode derivatives that reacted with the electrolyte. This reaction then accelerated as the lithium metal anode reacted with the electrolyte or cathode active species. As the sulfur cathode and Li metal anode melted, they immigrated and cross-reacted at high temperatures, playing a decisive role in the battery's thermal runaway behavior. The study reveals that as-assembled Li-S batteries using electrolytes with different thermal stabilities, including inorganic all-solid-state electrolytes, all undergo rapid thermal runaway because of the unavoidable short circuiting that occurs when the sulfur cathode and Li anode melt. "The in-depth depicted thermal runaway routes will shed fresh lights on the way forward for building next-generation Li-S battery with enhanced safety performance," said CUI Guanglei, professor at the QIBEBT. Jerry Bigfeather swabs a pallet jack handle June 12, 2020, at the Cherokee Nation Food Distribution site in Tahlequah. The tribe may soon relax COVID-19 guidelines based on fewer cases within the reservation. 300 more mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong to support epidemic fight Xinhua) 08:57, March 17, 2022 Chinese mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong, south China, March 16, 2022. Another batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff on Wednesday arrived in Hong Kong to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.The team consists of 300 members, including doctors, nurses, radiographers and administrative staff from 22 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang) HONG KONG, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Another batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff on Wednesday arrived in Hong Kong to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team consists of 300 members, including doctors, nurses, radiographers and administrative staff from 22 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. Led by Zhang Zhongde, vice president of the Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Guangzhou, members of the team specialize in areas including infectious disease, respirology, cardiology, intensive care and traditional Chinese medicine. Most of them have rich experiences in anti-epidemic work and are proficient in Cantonese and English. They will work with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to provide medical care at the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo and help control the latest COVID-19 wave as soon as possible. Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam expressed her gratitude to the central government's full support for the HKSAR, and welcomed the mainland medical team arriving in Hong Kong. "I am very grateful to the mainland medical staff who overcame many difficulties in coming to assist Hong Kong to fight the epidemic," said Lam. Lam said that the top priority in the current anti-epidemic work is to reduce the number of deaths, severe cases and infections, and Hong Kong is in serious shortage of medical staff in public hospitals, urgently needing support for treatment of critically ill patients. On Wednesday, Hong Kong registered 14,454 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 14,818 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. A team of the Chinese mainland medical staff get ready to depart from Liantang Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 16, 2022. The team consists of 300 members, including doctors, nurses, radiographers and administrative staff from 22 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. They will work with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to provide medical care at the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo and help control the latest COVID-19 wave as soon as possible. (Xinhua/Wang Feng) A team of the Chinese mainland medical staff get ready to depart from Liantang Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 16, 2022.The team consists of 300 members, including doctors, nurses, radiographers and administrative staff from 22 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province.They will work with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to provide medical care at the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo and help control the latest COVID-19 wave as soon as possible. (Xinhua/Wang Feng) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Japanese authorities have begun cleaning up in the aftermath of a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake that killed four people and injured more than 100 others near Fukushima, the site of the 2011 nuclear disaster. The incident occurred in the eastern region of the Asian nation on Wednesday night and caused power outages to millions of homes. One of the casualties was identified to be a man in his 60s who lived in the city of Soma, based on an announcement by the local disaster prevention office on Thursday. Massive 7.4 Earthquake The massive quake hit off the coast of Japan's eastern Fukushima prefecture, which is a region that was previously devastated by a powerful tremor and tsunami 11 years ago that later caused a nuclear power plant meltdown. After the Wednesday quake, officials issued a tsunami advisory for the coastal prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi. However, authorities quickly lifted the advisory on Thursday morning and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that there were no abnormalities detected at any of the country's nuclear plants. Japan's Meteorological Agency noted that the quake had a preliminary epicenter depth of roughly 60 kilometers, as per CNN. The United States National Weather Service (NWS) said that there was no threat of a tsunami for the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia, or Alaska resulting from the earthquake. The NHK national television said that tsunami waves of roughly eight inches reached shore in Ishinomaki, which was about 242 miles northeast of Tokyo. Read Also: China Places 37 Million People on Lockdown Due to New COVID-19 Surge, Potentially Disrupting Global Supply Chains The 2011 quake killed more than 22,000 people and the recent tremor occurred just days before the 11th anniversary of the incident. Previous reports noted that the earthquake at the time had a magnitude of 9.1, roughly 63 times more powerful, and released roughly 500 times more energy than the recent occurrence. According to USA Today, in a statement, officials from the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where the cooling systems failed after the 2011 disaster, said that workers inspected the site as it was in the process of being decommissioned. Cleanup After the Incident On Thursday morning, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that the cause of death of the four fatalities was being investigated. There were also reports of a man in his 70s who panicked and suffered a heart attack during the massive earthquake. The day after the tremor, residents in hard-hit areas found new damages in their areas and began cleaning their homes, placing fallen furniture and appliances back into their original locations before scooping up broken dishes and windows. In the Fukushima prefecture, at a hotel in Yabuki town, the wall could be seen broken and the front door thrown out of place due to the quake. Dishes were also left destroyed and employees were starting to clean up the mess. Hotel president Mineyuki Otake said in an interview that he was not even sure of where they would begin their cleanup. Video footage showed broken walls of a department store that have fallen to the ground with shards of windows scattered about across the street, KTSM reported. Related Article: Powerful Solar Storm Hits Earth Since March 11, Causes Magnetic Interference Affecting Communications Worldwide @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. American pastor providing trauma kits to Ukrainians to 'save their lives' An American pastor is working directly with the Ukrainian Army to provide the Eastern European country with combat field trauma supplies to help those wounded in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Pastor Bill Devlin, a veteran of the Vietnam War and Purple Heart recipient who serves as the outreach pastor for Infinity Bible Church in Bronx, New York, has traveled to Ukraine along with a team of four other people, including three other military veterans and an ABC News reporter. Devlin was invited to the country by the Ukrainian Army. Devlin left the United States for Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, he told The Christian Post. After arriving in the Polish capital, he boarded what he was told was a "four-hour bus ride to Ukraine that ended up being a 12-hour bus ride. We went from Warsaw to the Polish-Ukrainian border and we were in a commercial bus with 45 other people," he said. "These were Ukrainians going back into Ukraine and then we were held up at the Poland-Ukraine border for two hours and then when we finally got into Ukraine, it was another hour and a half to Lviv. After arriving in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv at 3 a.m. Tuesday, Devlin began working on getting battle combat trauma medical kids in from the U.S. and from Germany. The pastor expressed hope that a shipment would arrive within a week. Devlin is working with the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian Civil Defense Forces to provide combat field trauma supplies, examples of which include tourniquets to stop bleeding and Quikclot, which consists of "a medicine or a gauze that allows quick clotting on a traumatic wound from a gunshot or from shrapnel, he added. These materials can save their lives. All of those items are for Ukrainian soldiers, army, civil defense forces, any civilians that are hit with a bullet or theyre hit with shrapnel, he said. Before heading to Lviv, Devlin stayed at a military base in western Ukraine that was previously targeted by Russian missiles in an explosion that killed nine people. He explained that our safety is not a concern for us, adding, Were more concerned with helping the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian Civil Defense Forces and also the Ukrainian Army. Along with helping to provide life-saving trauma supplies, Devlin sees his presence in Ukraine as consistent with his role as a pastor to provide spiritual, emotional and psychological support and also to pray with people, to be a pastor to people, to share Gods love and to give them hope. Devlin cited food and medical supplies as the greatest items of need in Ukraine. He noted that he loaded the entire commercial bus that he traveled in from Warsaw to Ukraine with food, with medical supplies and with clothing. While Devlin plans to stay in Ukraine for a couple of weeks, others he's traveling with plan to stay for four or five months, depending upon the need, he said. There may be an opportunity in a few days to go to Kyiv, he added, stressing that any trip to the Ukrainian capital city was going to be based upon the need because we do not want to go anywhere unless were invited. Devlin also met with Ukrainian Catholic leaders, reinforcing the role that the religious community is playing in addressing those impacted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He reported that Infinity Bible Church is helping financially to support his overseas trip and efforts to help those in the midst of the war, and encouraged Christians in the U.S. and around the world to donate for relief supplies by visiting widowsandorphans.info, the website for an organization where he serves as volunteer CEO. As Devlin indicated in an interview with CBS News John Batchelor, he also intends to train local people in self-defense during his time in Ukraine. He described such training as necessary for civilians that need to know how to best defend their cities and towns and villages. Throughout his trip, Devlin has posted videos on Facebook live documenting the situation on the ground. In a video posted from the bus station in Warsaw, Poland, Devlin revealed that the transportation hub served as a location where Ukrainian refugees are coming to pick up clothing. Somebody, the government, who knows, [a nongovernmental organization] has set up a tent here and these poor folks are going through bags and boxes of clothing in order to bring it back to wherever theyre staying. So these folks came with nothing and now, someone has set up this tent here in order for them to get some clothing for their families. In other video footage shared with CP, Devlin said he didn't see one adult male at the border checkpoint between Ukraine and Poland. It was all women, teenagers and little children, strollers, lots of luggage there as people were getting out of Ukraine and going to Poland. In a separate video, Devlin detailed how he was in a huge warehouse where all kinds of goods are coming in from around the world. He relayed to CP that he was working with private individuals who were seeking to ship a container of trauma supplies from the U.S. to the border between Poland and Ukraine. While Devlins overseas trip marks his first visit to Ukraine, he has traveled all over the world to help those in the path of war and violence in the past. In 2016, Devlin spent $4,000 to supply weapons to a Christian militia in Iraq seeking to fight off the radical Islamic terrorist group Islamic State. He also spent time in prison in Sudan after visiting two Presbyterian pastors facing potential death sentences by the Sudanese government. Guatemala declared pro-life capital of Latin America The international pro-life movement achieved a significant victory last week in Guatemala. On Wednesday, March 9, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei celebrated the Ibero-American Congress for Life and Family (CIVF) proclaiming his nation the pro-life capital of Latin America. Joined by his cabinet, members of the Guatemalan Congress, religious leaders, and a large international delegation, Giammattei vowed to protect life from conception to natural death and promised to fight for families in his nation. In conjunction with the ceremony, Giammattei also unveiled a monument in the presidential palace and declared that March 9 would henceforth be known as the National Day of Life in Guatemala. Guatemalas designation as the pro-life capital of Latin America comes at a pivotal time for the international pro-life movement, as many countries in the region are rethinking their abortion laws. For example, in early 2021, Argentinas government legalized abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, and in September 2021, Mexicos Supreme Court struck down pro-life laws in two states. Most recently, in a February 21 ruling, Colombias high court legalized abortion through the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Thus, Guatemalas decision to embrace and champion the pro-life values of its people is significant. Just this week, President Giammattei complained that countries like Guatemala often face pressure from the United States and other Western nations to expand legal abortion and adopt gender ideology as a condition of receiving certain forms of international aid and assistance. Giammatteis decision to resist cultural imperialism is a remarkable display of courage. Last fall, he courageously added his country to the Geneva Consensus Declaration, joining 35 other countries in asserting that there is no international right to abortion and that abortion should never be promoted as a form of family planning. (Conversely, President Joe Biden withdrew the United States from the declaration in January 2021.) In conjunction with the festivities at the palace, the Ibero-American Congress for Life and Family hosted the International Summit of Pro-Life Organizations. The summit brought together leaders from across Ibero-America as well as 75 representatives from pro-life organizations in the United States, including Family Research Council (FRC). These meetings were held alongside CIVFs annual gathering of pro-family, pro-life organizations from across Latin America and Spain. As part of the summit, I hosted a panel with leaders from Students for Life, National Right to Life, Global Life Campaign, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and Americans United for Life. The topic of the panel was challenges facing the pro-life movement. During my remarks, I argued that a lack of a biblical worldview and apathy toward the Bibles teaching on life are additional challenges facing the pro-life movement. I exhorted the delegates to continue fighting for life and encouraging pastors within their sphere of influence to preach the whole counsel of Gods Word, including how it relates to the issue of abortion. FRC was able to equip attendees of the summit with resources that apply a biblical worldview to a wide range of relevant issues, including the sanctity of human life. FRCs Quena Gonzalez participated in a panel discussion on how to advocate for pro-life policies. Quena encouraged the delegates to be motivated by Micah 6:8, which instructs believers to Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. As Quena explained, Our love for God motivates us to advocate for justice. Our love of neighbor motivates us to advocate for policies that allow all Americans, not just Christians, to thrive. And our love for the governments whom we seek to influence the administration, members of Congress, etc. leads us to see in each of them the imago Dei, the image of God, and to speak the truth to them in love. Speakers at the CIVFs sixth annual meeting included President Giammattei, Shirley Rivera (president of the Congress of Guatemala), Luis Lam (ambassador of Guatemala to the United Nations), Angela Gandra (Brazils secretary of the family), Michael Farris (president of Alliance Defending Freedom), and Valerie Huber (president of The Institute for Womens Health). The CIVF was founded in 2017 in response to the growing need to engage government and policy leaders in Latin and Central America on issues that affect life and family. Huber, who helped spearhead the Geneva Consensus Declaration during the Trump administration, praised President Giammattei for signing it last October. By joining the declaration, Huber noted that Giammattei reminded the world that Guatemala has the sovereign right to implement policies consistent with their own national laws and cultural context without external pressuring and meddling from other countries, international bodies, or from outside special interest groups. The CIVFs meeting concluded after hearing remarks from Mario Bucaro (Guatemalas foreign minister), Gerardo Amarilla (Uruguays deputy minister of environment), and other Latin American leaders. The event concluded with CIVF releasing the Guatemala 2022 Declaration which affirmed the family as foundational for the flourishing of societies in Latin America and stated the organizations intent to continue engaging political and religious leaders in the region on policies related to life and family. While those of us in the United States await the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, we should be grateful for the courageous leadership of leaders around the world such as President Alejandro Giammattei. Following the official ceremony and statue unveiling on Wednesday, I had an opportunity to personally thank Giammattei on behalf of Family Research Council for his leadership in positioning Guatemala as a leader in the international pro-life movement. Giammatteis stand for life and family in the face of intense pressure deserves our admiration and respect. May courage breed more courage, and may all of us who care about the dignity and value of the unborn look to Guatemalas example. I joined Tony Perkins on Washington Watch to discuss the historic declaration of Guatemala as the pro-life capital of Latin America. You can listen to the interview here. **To see where other countries stack up on abortion around the world, see our map and publication. Originally published at the Family Research Council. Presbyterian pastor accused of covering up child sex abuse defrocked after investigation A former pastor in Indiana accused of mishandling allegations that an underaged family member sexually abused several children at his congregation has been defrocked following an investigation and trial by the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. Jared Olivetti, who once pastored Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Lafayette but resigned amid allegations of mishandling abuse in January, had his ordination officially revoked last week. Olivetti, who resigned along with three church elders, has also been removed from the "privileges of Church membership," according to a report from The Indianapolis Star. As a result, Olivetti cannot serve as an elder or participate in the sacrament communion. A notification sent to the Presbyteries of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America stated that Olivetti didn't attend the trial or the verdict reading as officials delivered the unanimous decision from the denomination's national governing body. In December, The Indianapolis Star published a report alleging Olivetti had been protecting a teenage relative from an investigation into claims of sexually abusing up to 15 children on and off church property between 2019 and 2020. At least eight victims from multiple families belonged to the congregation. The eight victims reported being touched over and under their clothes, oral-genital contact and penetration committed by the boy in the church. A Tippecanoe County juvenile court order states that the boy was found to be delinquent on multiple felony charges of child molestation. He was sent to a residential juvenile detention facility. Revelations of Olivetti reportedly interfering with the church's response to the allegations led both the synod and regional body to investigate the claims of sexual abuse at Immanuel Church. A Synod judicial commission found the pastor guilty on charges of failing to conduct himself "in a way that was above reproach ... resulting in distrust and disunity within the church," according to The Indianapolis Star. He was also found guilty of "threatening dishonor in the name of Jesus Christ, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church, and himself." Olivetti, along with Immanuel elders Keith Magill, Ben Larson and David Carr, resigned their leadership positions at the congregation in January in response to the allegations. Olivetti was also suspended by the RPCNA's synod judicial commission, which noted in a public letter that the suspension did not technically indicate Olivetti's guilt, but rather "acknowledges the gravity of the accusations against Mr. Olivetti." Ken de Jong, Immanuel's provisional moderator, told the congregation in January that the resignations came "very reluctantly," adding that they were done "specifically to encourage the growth and development of this congregation." Earlier this month, the Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery held a meeting to handle multiple business matters, among them the situation at Immanuel church amid the church trial. "The current moderator of the Immanuel congregation also reported on the life and ministry of the church, purporting spiritual unity in the congregation as well as a season of growth despite pains," posted Pastor Nathan Eshelman on Facebook. "The tensions were obvious between the congregation and some in the presbytery, but the presbytery did express love to Immanuel Church and their new ruling elders committed to working with the presbytery towards healing the divisions. We all look forward to these divisions being healed." America founded on economic abundance under God's law Dr. Alice Baldwin reported in 1928 that the direct tie to Scripture of the American founding and its incorporating compacts eluded historians. Dr. Baldwin revealed, The significance of the belief in the binding character of law upon God and man seems to have escaped many who write of the Revolutionary philosophy. It is fundamental to any understanding of American constitutional thought. Gods government is founded on and limited by law and therefore all human governments must be so founded and limited, if patterned after His. Pope Leo XIII, in 1891, venerated this point writing that laws only bind when they are in accordance with right reason, and, hence, with the eternal law of God. Here Leo is referencing Thomas Aquinas where he divulges, Human law has the character of law to the extent that it is in accord with right reason and, so understood, it clearly flows from the eternal law. Saint Aquinas continued, However, to the extent that human law departs from reason, it is called unjust law (lex iniqua) and has the character not of law but of a certain sort of violence. Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. This freedom was the understanding of our Forefathers and Founding Fathers. These laws built the colonies; and, in turn, were the foundation which the American Union was constructed upon. Not the freedom to do as one pleased, but rather freedom to live in abundance under Gods Law; as Yahweh declares in Leviticus 26: 3-13, If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you This calling is what is inscribed on the Liberty Bell. Not liberty given man by man, but liberty bestowed upon man by God when we are obedient to His Laws and rejoicing in His Kingship by sounding the shofar (rams horn). Rejoice to God and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. John Adams refers to Founding Father James Otis when he affirmed, Should an act of [the legislature] be against any of his [Gods] natural laws, which are immutably true, declares the flame of fire! To which Revolutionary and Founder James Otis avowed, Their declaration would be contrary to eternal truth, equity and justice, and consequently void. Foreshadowing the Declaration underpinning with Gods Law was predicated in the Massachusetts Resolves of 1765 under the eyes of the two firebrands of the American Revolution, Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams. On October 29, 1765 the Resolution on the Stamp Act coming out of the Massachusetts Assembly declared that certain essential rights of the British constitution of government, which are founded in the law of God and nature, and are the common rights of mankind "That the inhabitants of this province are unalienable entitled to those essential rights in common with all men: and that no law of society can, consistent with the law of God and nature, divest them of those rights. [] That no man can justly take the property of another without his consent; [] That this inherent right, together with all other essential rights, liberties, privileges, and immunities [] have been fully confirmed to them by Magna Charta." Cuomo team 'misled the public,' undercounted COVID-19 nursing home deaths by 4K: audit Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomos Department of Health understated COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes and couldnt account for more than 4,000 deaths, according to a recently released audit. The New York Office of the State Comptroller released an audit on Tuesday that looked into the former governors response to the coronavirus pandemic in New York. Specifically, auditors examined how the state health department dealt with COVID-19 cases in state nursing homes, which was a source of controversy while Cuomo was in office. "Providing access to government data engenders transparency and promotes public trust. While the Department's duty is to act solely to promote public health, we determined that, rather than providing accurate and reliable information during a public health emergency, the Department instead conformed its presentation to the Executive's narrative, often presenting data in a manner that misled the public," the report states. Cuomos Health Department misled the public when it came to presenting data on nursing home deaths and was not transparent in its reporting of COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes, the audit concluded. Whether due to the poor-quality data that it was collecting initially or, later, a deliberate decision, for certain periods during the pandemic, the Department understated the number of deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%. From April 2020 to February 2021, the department failed to account for approximately 4,100 lives lost due to COVID-19, the audit shared. Poor funding over the past decade was also a likely factor in the Health Departments failure to report accurate numbers. The audit noted that by all accounts, department staff worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said in a statement that people were misled by those at the highest level of state government through distortion and suppression of the facts when New Yorkers deserved the truth. Families have a right to know if their loved ones COVID-19 death was counted, but many still dont have answers from the state Department of Health, stated DiNapoli. An important step would be for DOH to provide the families who lost loved ones with answers as to the actual number of nursing homes residents who died. These families are still grieving, and they deserve no less. In response to the audit, a spokesperson for Cuomo provided CBS News with a statement expressing suspicion about the intentions and timing of the reports release. As the number of out of facility deaths were reported last January this is not news, however what is peculiar is the Comptrollers release of this audit now but no one has ever accused him of being above politics, the spokesperson stated. In March 2020, near the beginning of the pandemic, Cuomo had approximately 9,000 recovering COVID-19 patients transported to hundreds of nursing homes throughout the state. Cuomo received much criticism for the decision, as many argued that his move resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly residents who were especially vulnerable to the virus. In February 2021, The New York Post reported that Cuomos top aide Melissa DeRosa had admitted to state lawmakers that the administration withheld the states nursing home death toll. These revelations, combined with multiple allegations of sexual harassment committed by Cuomo, led to mounting calls for his resignation. Cuomo resigned in August 2021. It has been reported that Cuomo is considering a primary election run to regain his old office, which Gov. Kathy Hochul now occupies. In recent weeks, Cuomo has also released two television advertisements seeking to improve his public image. James Phillips Noble, Presbyterian minister and civil rights activist, dies at 100 The Rev. James Phillips Noble, a civil rights activist and minister known for his work to "bridge cultural differences" in the early years of the Presbyterian Church (USA), has died at age 100. The PC(USA) Board of Pensions, which Noble served as co-president of from 1986-1989, announced on Wednesday that he had passed away on March 12 in Decatur, Georgia. With humbleness and grace, he helped bridge cultural differences that lingered when the Church reunited more than 100 years after a bitter breakup over slavery. A child of rural Mississippi, the minister knew well the hold of Southern culture, stated the Board of Pensions. Rev. Noble was transformed by the violence against Black people he witnessed in the 1960s, becoming one of the first white leaders in Anniston, Alabama, to actively support desegregation. Born in 1921 and raised on a farm near the town of Learned, Mississippi, Noble was the eighth of nine children, with his mother passing away before he reached the age of three. Nobleearned a Bachelor of Arts at King University of Bristol, Tennessee, in 1942, and then a Master of Divinity in 1945 from Columbia Theological Seminary, in Decatur. Noble pastored multiple churches and was overseeing a Presbyterian congregation in Anniston, Alabama, when the Ku Klux Klan infamously firebombed a Freedom Riders bus in 1961. In his 2003 book Beyond the Burning Bus: The Civil Rights Revolution in a Southern Town, Noble recounted how the firebombing showed that Anniston had the capacity for racial violence that was equal to any other community in the South. That is why Mayor Claude Dear later said to me as he asked me to become chairman of a bi-racial Human Relations Council, Phil, if the racial situation can be solved without violence in Anniston it can be solved anywhere in the nation. I know Anniston and I know its capacity for violence, he wrote. Noble served as chair of Annistons Human Relations Council when it was founded in 1963, alongside four other Caucasians and four African Americans. Then-President John F. Kennedy lauded the creation of the council, and in 2016, the City of Anniston Historic Trails Program erected a marker in honor of Noble and the other council members. In 1983, the Presbyterian Church (USA) was created when the southern-based Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and the northern-based United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. merged. The merger is commonly known as the reunion, as the two regional Presbyterian bodies had previously split apart during the 19th century due to different views on slavery. The year before the merger, Noble became executive secretary of the PCUS Board of Annuities and Relief, a predecessor to the PC(USA) Board of Pensions. He is credited with helping to guide the organization in its early years. Noble wrote Getting Beyond Tragedy, which was released in 2006. The book centered on his experiences of mourning the loss of his son, Scott, at age 13 to Leukemia, with his wife and other children contributing to the publication. Last August, Noble turned 100, with his publisher NewSouth Books celebrating the milestone and highlighting Nobles civil rights work in Anniston. Bloodshed and strife were minimized, and relationships were made across the racial divide. Bit by bit, things improved, and Reverend Noble was part of the reason why, stated NewSouth. Happy 100th, Phil. And thank you for a life well-lived. Parents lack of biblical worldview puts children at 'spiritual disadvantage': Barna warns 6 out of 10 US parents don't view the Bible as a 'reliable and accurate source of Gods truth' A prominent Evangelical researcher has warned that the lack of a biblical worldview among parents of preteens puts youth at a spiritual disadvantage. The George Barna-led Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released the first report of its American Worldview Inventory 2022 Tuesday, which analyzed the worldview dilemma of American parents. The report was based on a survey of 600 American parents with children younger than 13 conducted in January. The respondents were asked several dozen worldview-related questions that measure both beliefs and behavior within eight categories of worldview application. While 67% of parents with children younger than 13 identified as Christians, just 2% of those surveyed subscribed to a biblical worldview as defined by the researchers. According to the report, a biblical worldview emerges from accepting the Bible as a relevant and authoritative guide for life. Among the two-thirds of parents who identify as Christian, just 4% of them possessed a biblical worldview. A parents primary responsibility is to prepare a child for the life God intends for that child, Barna, the director of research at the Cultural Research Center, said in a statement. A crucial element in nurturing is helping the child develop a biblical worldview the filter that causes a person to make their choices in harmony with biblical teachings and principles. According to Barna, who founded the prominent Evangelical research firm Barna Group, the research confirms that very few parents even have the worldview development of their children on their radar. The typical American parent is either fully unaware that there is a worldview development process, or they are aware that their child is developing a worldview, but they do not take responsibility for a role in the process, he said. Every parent teaches what they know and models what they believe. They can only give what they have, and what they have to give reflects their driving beliefs about life and spirituality. Barna warned that parents are both a primary influence and a gatekeeper to other influences on their children. Although some parents are aware the childs worldview is being developed, Barna said they may choose or allow outsiders to accomplish that duty on the parents behalf. Shockingly few parents intentionally speak to their children about beliefs and behavior based upon a biblical worldview, Barna said. Perhaps the most powerful worldview lesson parents provide is through their own behavior, yet our studies consistently indicate that parental choices generally do not reflect biblical principles or an intentionally Christian approach to life. The research concluded that American parents views about the Bible play a role in the groups widespread absence of a biblical worldview. Specifically, nearly six out of 10 parents surveyed do not see the Bible as a reliable and accurate source of Gods truth, while just 40% view the Bible as Gods accurate words for humanity. The subgroup of parents most likely to possess a biblical worldview attended independent or nondenominational Protestant churches (16%). The share of parents with a biblical worldview was measured at 10% among those who read the Bible daily, those who see themselves as very conservative on theological matters, and those who consider themselves very conservative on social issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Those with a biblical worldview comprised less than 10% of all other subgroups of preteen parents, characterized based on their religious and political views. The groups with the highest number of parents possessing a biblical worldview identified as politically conservative (9%), and theologically defined born-again Christians (8%). Overall, 22% of respondents identified as born-again Christians, while 19% described themselves as politically conservative. The groups least likely to possess a biblical worldview were those attending Catholic churches, respondents who characterized themselves as politically liberal or progressive and parents between the ages of 18 and 24. Just 1% of Catholics and liberals had a biblical worldview, while less than 1% of parents younger than 24 have a biblical worldview. Catholics comprised 24% of respondents, while political liberals and progressives accounted for 17% of those surveyed. Thirteen percent of the sample included parents between 18 and 24. Older parents were slightly more likely than their younger counterparts to embrace a biblical worldview. Four percent of parents aged 45 or older, who constituted 31% of respondents, subscribe to such a worldview, followed by 2% of parents between the ages of 25 and 44, who constituted a majority (56%) of those surveyed. While mainline Protestants and Evangelical Protestants each comprised 11% of the sample, Evangelicals had a higher share of adherents with a biblical worldview (6%) than mainline Protestants (2%). While Barna expressed concern about the astronomically low share of preteen parents with a biblical worldview, he remained optimistic about the possibility of a spiritual revival in the U.S. The reality is that culture-changing movements can transform a nation with as little as 2% of the population on-board, he said. Turning around the paucity of commitment to the biblical worldview cannot happen overnight, in the United States, but it can happen. The pain of spiritual growth Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11 Like so many other great men and women of the Bible, Peter loved God but failed miserably. Peter was the rock on which the Lord would build his church, but he was also the one who denied the Lord three times moments after He was captured. The Prophet Abraham left paganism to follow God and was the father of all nations, but he also passed off his wife as his sister to avoid the wrath of a King. King David, a man after Gods own heart, a great warrior and statesman, stole someones wife and killed her husband to cover it up. Peters warning could come from any one of us who has experienced the chastisement of the Lord. As citizens of Heaven, sin will wage war against our souls, and if we succumb to that desire, God will not leave us in that state. My son, do not make light of the Lords discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Proverbs 3:11-12 The pain of disobedience is my latest and probably most challenging lesson of becoming Gods disciple. When I first came to saving faith, it was easy to submerge myself in Gods Word and practice holiness. I was not married and had lost all my friends when I left Islam. Jesus and my daughter were all I had. Fast forward three years, and for the first time in my life, I am married to a wonderful man with a beautiful new family that fills my day with the adventures of five school-aged kids and local civic involvement. We are blessed with good health and provision to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. I convinced myself that I was doing enough managing that responsibility. Then I started to hear the soft, still, voice of the Lord encouraging me to get back into an in-depth Bible study, serve at the church, and work more on my online ministry. Honestly, I rationalized that the voice was just the Type A overachiever in me that wanted to do more, so I disregarded it. This behavior went on for months. The Lord was prompting me, and I ignored it. Then suddenly, my husband and I received some devastating news that literally brought me to my knees in remorse. I instantly knew the Lord was disciplining me. The Lord had commanded specific actions, but I did not obey, and I knew it. I had neglected my first love. I could hear the words, Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you? Grace is such incredible mercy that covers the life of a believer, but without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Even if we do not commit adultery, fornication, or drunkenness, we must also put aside all forms of disobedience, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Yes, the penalty of sin was paid at the cross, but the Lord wants our lives to reflect His presence so He can work in and through us. God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. - Hebrews 12:10-11 The real battle is within us, not with other people. Therefore, we must be on our guard. In these troubled times, we are called to even greater submission. In our obedience, in surrendering to His plan, we reflect that Christ lives in us and will draw others towards Him. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12. We are not trying to win a popularity contest because we know we will be hated for His namesake. However, our actions will draw the lost and brokenhearted to the goodness Christ can offer. There is this great quote from Smith Wigglesworth that he said nearly 100 years ago, and it is still true today: The reason the world is not seeing Jesus is that Christian people are not filled with Jesus. Christians dont have an identity crisis; we have a submission crisis. Though the discipline I suffered was painful, this is the lesson He was teaching me. It was not for me to rationalize whether what He was calling me to was necessary. He was calling me to obedience. My plan had to take a backseat to His plan. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13. It is hard to believe that dying to self gives true life, but that is what the Word tells us. The inclination in hard times may be to turn inward and protect oneself, but that is not our calling. We demonstrate good character, show perfect love to the family of believers and even our enemies while avoiding sin because our behavior is our witness. In honor of what Jesus did on the cross, we behave this way. We are called to follow in the footsteps of our Savior. Remember that the Book of Revelation begins with the Lords rebuke to the churches, the body of believers in Christ Jesus. He admonishes them for being lukewarm, spoiled by riches, and sexually immoral. He warns the believer to overcome the enemys temptations and endure till He returns, or there will be consequences. Salvation happens in an instant, but sanctification takes a lifetime. Even when we disobey and we will, we must get back on the way, following God. Then, He will restore us. I am grateful that just like He did for the great prophets of old, my God forgives and redeems those who turn to Him in repentance. Former Vice President Mike Pence has once again butt heads with former United States President Donald Trump after making statements expressing his opposition to his former boss' stance on Russian President Vladimir Putin's "violence" against Ukraine. Pence made the remarks during an interview on Wednesday where he praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their leader, President Volodymyr Zelensky. The former vice president also criticized Putin for his actions and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Pence vs Trump In his statement, the former vice president said that the world has become inspired by President Zelensky and his show of strength and poise in the face of adversity. Pence added that he supported the idea of economically isolating Putin from the rest of the world. He added that Putin was solely responsible for the death and destruction that was happening in Ukraine. Pence argued that the Russian president should be held accountable and face consequences for everything he was doing to the people of Ukraine. He urged the free world to step up and work together to support Ukraine defend itself from aggressors, as per Newsweek. Pence's recent remarks put him in opposition to Trump and many Republican lawmakers who have lauded Putin and his actions. The former vice president's allies said that he felt compelled to express his stance, a view that he has kept from sharing during his time as Trump's second-in-command. Read Also: Trump Jokes About Using Jets With Chinese Flags To Bomb Russia Amid War With Ukraine The situation comes as the former vice president is gearing up for a potential White House bid in 2024. Putin's recent orders to invade Ukraine have given Pence a new opportunity to separate and distinguish himself from Trump and underscore the foreign policy chops that he has developed in his two decades in the federal government. According to CNN, Pence is also advancing his political activities through his Advancing American Freedom group, which has made efforts such as raising money for Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections and launching TV ads that target vulnerable Democrats. The latter aims to release a "freedom agenda" for conservatives to take advantage of in the coming elections. Stance of Opposition On Friday, Pence spoke in front of donors and said that the Republican party will not be able to win by "fighting yesterday's battles." He made his remarks at a Republican National Committee (RNC) event held in New Orleans. On the other hand, Trump continued to press debunked claims that the 2020 presidential elections were filled with voter fraud. The former president also called Putin's plans and actions "genius" and "savvy" in the early stages of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Pence said that those who argue that NATO expansion was responsible for the Russia-Ukraine war should question where the U.S.'s Eastern European allies would be if not for the coalition. He also argued that Russian tanks could be somewhere else if it wasn't for the borders of freedom that NATO expanded. The former vice president said that the Republican party was not a home for apologists for Russian President Putin, arguing that there was only room for champions of freedom, NBC News reported. Related Article: Trump Urges Supporters To 'Lay Down Their Very Lives' To Fight Critical Race Theory, Calls it a Matter of National Survival @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Coptic Christian brothers murdered, bodies mutilated in revenge killing over 7 decades old dispute Six Muslims in Egypts Minya Governate shot three Coptic Christian brothers, danced while murdering them and mutilated their bodies, claiming they were avenging the death of their own family member 70 years ago, according to a report. The attackers from Jaweer village killed the three brothers identified as Youssef Youssef Youssef, Afifi Youssef Youssef and Bushra Youssef Youssef while they were working in an agricultural field in Ibshadat village of Mallawi district on March 1, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern reported Friday. The Muslims shot them and then severed and mutilated their bodies, dancing as they committed their crime, ICC said, adding that Jaweer village from which they came also celebrated with musical instruments when they heard the news. When the attackers returned to their village saying Allahu Akbar or Allah is Greater, they were captured and arrested by the police. They later confessed their crimes and even demonstrated how they killed the Christian brothers. They are now standing trial for the murders of the three Christian brothers, one of whom had six children. Some sources reported that the mutilating of the corpses suggested that the violence was linked to religious identity and mirrored the killings of the Islamic State. The Copts, who make up about 10% of Egypts population, are the descendants of a long line of ancient Egyptians who later converted to Christianity in the early first century, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. According to the Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA, Egypt is among the 20 worst persecutors of Christians in the world. Incidents of Christian persecution in Egypt vary from Christian women being harassed while walking in the street to Christian communities being driven out of their homes by extremist mobs, the group says on its website. Christians are typically treated as second-class citizens, and the Minya Governate area is notorious for having the highest number of attacks on believers. Egypts government speaks positively about the Egyptian Christian community, but the lack of serious law enforcement and the unwillingness of local authorities to protect Christians leave them vulnerable to all kinds of attacks, especially in Upper Egypt, it explains. Due to the dictatorial nature of the regime, neither church leaders nor other Christians are in a position to speak out against these practices. Churches and Christian non-governmental organizations are restricted in their ability to build new churches or run social services, it adds. The difficulties come both from state restrictions, as well as from communal hostility and mob violence. Russian Evangelical Alliance head expresses sorrow over Putins invasion: I tried to prevent war As U.S. intelligence officials say Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely cause more deaths and destruction in Ukraine over his anger and frustration at his militarys failures, the General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance released a statement saying he mourns the invasion and did everything I could do to prevent war. I mourn what my country has done in its recent military invasion of another sovereign country, Ukraine, REA General Secretary Vitaly Vlasenko said in a statement addressed to his dear brothers and sisters around the world. Peaceful feelings are being destroyed amidst the bombing and shelling, and a stream of increased attention has rushed across Europe in the form of refugees: women, the elderly, and children, he added. The Associated Press said Monday it learned about the death of a pregnant woman and her baby after Russia bombed a maternity hospital in the city of Mariupol where she was meant to give birth. Images of the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher had circled the world, epitomizing the horror of an attack on humanitys most innocent, it said. As doctors were doing all they could to keep her alive as her pelvis crushed and hip detached, she realized she was losing her baby and cried out to the medics, Kill me now! The medics delivered the baby via cesarean section but there were no signs of life, the surgeon was quoted as saying. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Saturday it had recorded 1,663 civilian casualties, including 596 killed and 1,067 injured, since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. Those dead include 124 men, 85 women, six girls and 10 boys, as well as 27 children and 344 adults whose sex is yet unknown although the actual figure could be much higher, the OHCHR said. More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, the U.N. has said, according to the BBC. The head of REA added: Two peoples closely related to each other, many of whom are deeply devoted to the Christian (primarily Orthodox) faith, are now in a fierce battle one side pursuing the goal of demilitarizing Ukraine, the other seeking to save their country from occupation. Russians and Ukrainians have close family relations, he said. A Russian may have daughters and grandchildren living in Kyiv; a Ukrainian may have children living and working in Moscow. Vlasenko continued: Today, pain, fear, and deep sorrow for their loved ones and for the future of their own lives and countries, pierce the hearts of many people like lightning, because since the Second World War, no one knows what the limits of war and its consequences may be. All these events cause me deep sorrow, bitterness and regret for decisions taken by the leadership of my country, and a great compassion for those suffering as a result of this decision, he concluded, listing his efforts, including writing an open letter to Putin the day before the invasion, while also fasting and praying for peace and harmony between Russia and Ukraine, among other things. On Monday, the AP quoted CIA Director William Burn as saying that Putin might escalate the conflict to try to break Ukraines resistance. I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now, he said. Hes likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to hold peace talks with Russia mediated by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem. Hours later, the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, an Orthodox Christian monastery in the Donetsk region that has sheltered more than 500 evacuees, including 200 children, was rocked when a bomb exploded 54 yards away from the entrance, the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reported in posts on Facebook and Telegram. Zelenskys announcement came after Putin showed no willingness to accept a ceasefire when French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to him. About 100 Christian leaders in the United States, more than 280 priests and deacons of the Russian Orthodox Church and over 400 ministers of Evangelical churches in Russia have called for reconciliation and an immediate end to Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine. We mourn the ordeal to which our brothers and sisters in Ukraine were undeservedly subjected, the Russian Orthodox clerics wrote in their open letter. The Last Judgment awaits every person. The clerics added, No earthly authority, no doctors, no guards will protect from this judgment. Concerned about the salvation of every person who considers himself a child of the Russian Orthodox Church, we do not want him to appear at this judgment, bearing the heavy burden of mothers curses. Russian Orthodox congregation in Amsterdam splits from Moscow Patriarch Kirill over Ukraine A congregation in the Netherlands is seeking to leave the Russian Orthodox Church in opposition to Patriarch Kirill of Moscows support for the invasion of Ukraine, filing a request for canonical dismissal The Russian Orthodox Parish of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam posted an announcement on its Facebook page last Saturday stating that the clergy unanimously announced that it is no longer possible for them to function within the Moscow Patriarchate and provide a spiritually safe environment for our faithful. The announcement was extremely painful and difficult for all concerned and came in response to what the parish called a threat to the parish and the clergy. There will be no services in the church in the period leading up to the General Parish Meeting, stated the parish council. This is due not only to concerns of safety, but also to pastoral considerations: in this extremely tense situation, it would be virtually impossible to achieve the prayerful atmosphere we strive for during services. The parish says it filed a request for canonical dismissal and also sent a request to Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) to be received into his diocese. Per Crux, the Dutch news site Nederlands Dagblad reported that priests and a deacon affiliated with the congregation wrote to Archbishop Elisey, who oversees the diocese of The Hague and the Netherlands of the Russian Orthodox Church, to state that they would not mention Patriarch Kirills name during their Divine Liturgy celebrations because of his comments in support of the invasion. Crux notes that at least 15 Russian Orthodox dioceses have allowed priests to stop commemorating Kirill in their Divine Liturgy celebrations. Kirill had described Russias opponents as evil forces in a Feb. 27 sermon, adding that they were fighting against the unity of Russia. Additionally, the churchs leaders had signed a petition calling on Kirill to condemn the invasion. After speaking out against Kirill, AFP reports that the church received a visit from Archbishop Elisey, who told the church leaders that Moscow was watching their actions closely. In 2018, the Russian Orthodox Church split from the central Orthodox Church community after the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, viewed as a leading authority for the worlds Orthodox churches, recognized the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as independent from Russian control. In the months after the Orthodox Church of Ukraine left the Russian Orthodox Church, hundreds of churches joined the new body. Despite the tensions in the Orthodox Church amid the invasion of Ukraine, the parish shared some positive news. On Friday, the church received the relics of St. Nicholas of Myra from Egmond Abbey. We see this as a sign of hope in these difficult times, the statement concluded. Nearly 300 Orthodox clergy worldwide signed on to an open letter calling for an end to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of civilians have died since the conflict began late last month and over 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine and over 1.85 million are internally displaced. According to the United Nations, the war has impacted 12.65 million people in the areas hardest hit by the conflict. We mourn the ordeal to which our brothers and sisters in Ukraine were undeservedly subjected, the open letter states. The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee, which advocates on behalf of the global Orthodox Church, issued a statement last week calling for the immediate cessation of ground and aerial bombardment of Ukrainian civilians and communities including houses, schools, hospitals, and churches by Putins military. The apparent use of such lethal weapons (vacuum and cluster bombs) highlights the barbarity and savagery of the onslaught on the free people of Ukraine, the OPAC statement reads. We also call on Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to immediately condemn the bombardment of Ukraine with the same intensity that he and the Russian Church decried the bombing of Serbia by NATO forces during Great Lent and Holy Week in 1999. (Bloomberg) -- President Vladimir Putin warned he would cleanse Russia of the scum and traitors he accuses of working covertly for the U.S. and its allies, as the government steps up pressure on domestic critics of his war against Ukraine. Facing economic meltdown three weeks into the invasion, the Russian leader accused the West of wanting to destroy Russia in a televised video conference laced with dark undertones. Any people, and particularly the Russian people, will always be able to tell the patriots from the scum and traitors and spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths, Putin said. I am convinced that this natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to meet any challenge. Asked how such a cleansing would operate, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that people are disappearing from our lives by themselves, including by resigning from work positions or leaving Russia. This is how this purification happens, he told reporters on a conference call, adding that many people show themselves to be traitors at difficult times. Putins threat came two days after a producer at Russias state-run Channel One TV interrupted the news with a rare public protest against the war in Ukraine. Marina Ovsyannikova briefly held up a sign behind the news anchor saying: Theyre lying to you. After she was given a small fine, the speaker of Russias lower house of parliament denounced her protest as a betrayal and called for her to be punished with all strictness. Nearly 15,000 people have been detained at anti-war protests in Russia since Putin ordered the Feb. 24 invasion, according to the OVD-Info rights organization. In a further effort to clamp down on criticism, Russia adopted a harsh new media law this month that threatens prison terms of up to 15 years for spreading fake news about its military or calling for sanctions against the country. Tens of thousands of Russians have fled abroad to escape the deepening crackdown, seeing little future for themselves as the sanctions cast the country deeper into isolation. Many abandoned homes and careers to seek shelter in countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Israel. Russia calls its assault on Ukraine a special military operation to protect breakaway Ukrainian regions from what it claims is a fascist regime in Kyiv and insists its only targeting military installations. Still, Russian shelling in Ukraine has hit residential areas of cities and caused civilian casualties, with the southern city of Mariupol under a virtual siege for several weeks now. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Texas is seeking information from BlackRock Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Invesco Ltd. and 16 other firms on whether they discriminate against the fossil-fuel industry. The states comptroller wrote to 19 domestic and foreign banks and asset managers seeking clarification of their fossil-fuel investment policies and procedures. Any company that fails to respond within 60 days after receiving the letter will be presumed to be boycotting energy companies, according to a statement released on Wednesday. The inquiries come six months after a new Texas law went into effect banning state agencies from investing in finance firms that have boycotted energy companies or adhere to policies aimed at pivoting away from oil and natural gas in favor of more climate-friendly initiatives. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and his office have been in charge of creating a list of firms that will be subject to divestment. We know some of these companies hold investments in oil and gas today, but what about the future? Are they selling the hope of a green tomorrow with promises to divest or reduce their fossil-fuel exposure? Hegar said in the statement. A handful of companies are echoing promises by the Biden administration about a transition to green energy. Neither BlackRock nor Invesco immediately responded to requests for comment. A JPMorgan spokesperson declined to comment. Many of the largest U.S. banks are restructuring lending portfolios in response to pledges by President Joe Biden and other world leaders to pursue a net-zero emissions future. Citigroup Inc. last year said it wont provide services to certain oil and coal projects, and Bank of America Corp. has promised to zero out greenhouse-gas emissions across its operations. Blackstone is telling clients its private-equity arm will no longer invest in crude exploration and production. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick issued a letter of his own in January asking the comptroller to put BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, on the divestment list. The request followed BlackRock Chief Executive Officer Larry Finks own letter spelling out the firms stance on fossil fuels and climate goals. West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore has also taken aim at BlackRock, saying doing business with them is against the interests of the state economy, which is heavily reliant on coal. On the other hand, the firm has said its far from shunning oil and gas, and is one of the worlds biggest holders of energy-company stock. The Texas comptrollers office said another round of letters will be mailed to more than 100 other investment houses that appear to have at least one fund boycotting fossil fuels. The divestment list will be completed by Sept. 1. Other states are following in Texass footsteps and drafting similar bills to punish companies they deem as anti-fossil fuel amid a global shift toward a greener future. Legislatures in Louisiana, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas and South Carolina are among those that have introduced similar measures. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. It is well-known that women- and minority-owned businesses are terribly far behind in accessing capital to fund their startups and small businesses. According to the American Express State of Women-Owned Businesses, women own 49 percent of the businesses in the U.S., but account for less than 10 percent of the countrys earned revenue. Thats a staggering, painfully frightening statistic as we move well into the twenty-first century. Some point the finger at the male and his privilege; others blame financial institutions. Many equate the lack of social capital possessed by women and minorities with less early-stage friends and family funding. That funding can provide a platform to build a business and provide opportunities for a healthier balance sheet when seeking additional funding. It could be all or none of these reasons. So, lets start focusing on solutions. If 49 percent of the businesses in the U.S. accessed 49 percent of the capital available, then it stands to reason that 100 percent of our businesses would thrive. Pollyanna-ish thinking? Maybe, but it takes money to make money. The more successful all of our businesses are, the better individual finances and the economic development in our cities, which of course impacts all else for the positive. The earliest stage of funding is, of course, self-financing. Not everyone has a nest egg ready to hatch the funds needed to invest in a new venture. But most owners of nascent businesses do have a circle of (loosely defined) friends and family. Make a list of everyone who might consider providing some of those golden friends and family early-stage dollars. Then, as a business owner, approach these people the same way you would approach a financial institution. Have a basic business plan, financial projections and a log of what you have invested in the business thus far both time and money. Know what you can afford to give them in return interest on the money they invest in you or some type of payment in kind of product or services. The key, though, is that no matter who the funder is parent, sibling, cousin, neighbor this is a legitimate business transaction. Treat it as such and show the individual the respect you would show to a banker or angel investor. Be prepared, honest and realistic in your projections of time and return. Put everything in writing and have all parties sign documentation. Have a disclaimer for what happens if your business does not see the success you plan for. Be sure all parties fully understand the risks involved. Dont make promises that you may not be able to keep. A classic opportunity to undersell and overdeliver. Give realistic projections but err on the side of more conservative estimates. When you exceed your projections, your friends and family will be thrilled. But if you promise a lot more and dont deliver, you lose credibility. The next stage is debt-backed funding anything that requires a repayment with interest. This can take many forms microloans, credit unions, traditional banks, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans or home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). To be successful in this route, you must start cultivating these lender relationships well in advance of submitting a loan application. Start asking other business owners to introduce you to their lenders. Do some research and see what lending institutions in your area have a history of cultivating relationships and doing business with women and minority-owned businesses. Find local support organizations that exist to support the underrepresented founder and ask them to help you network with those lenders. Set up introductory meetings with lenders, even in the very early stages of your business. I am an optimist, and I truly believe that lending institutions want to have a mixed portfolio of business owners as clients they just dont know them yet. So, be bold and get to know them first. Once you have cultivated relationships with a few bankers, share your business plan and ask what it will take for you to gain approval for a loan. Lenders will want to see a track record of revenue and proof you can pay the loan back with interest in a set term. You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly they can help you meet their lending requirements. Along the way lenders will want to share in your success. Lenders are human and desire to help others, especially those who ask for help. Related: Minority-Owned Small Businesses Aren't Getting Stimulus Loans ... When it gets even more challenging for women and minorities The smallest percentage of funding for women and minorities is from the angel and venture funding arenas. These are individual investors who have pooled significant sums of money to invest as a group into qualified businesses. Each investor hopes for a significant payoff down the road, making the betting process intense. That is the bad news. The good news is that you may not need these types of funding. Venture and angel funders are looking for quickly scalable businesses, for the most part. A business where a large (think $250,000 to multi-millions) amount of funding will catapult the business into the high growth category in a short period of time. What is great for the founder is the fast cash. What is not so great is nothing comes without a price. Investors will want a significant amount of cash or control, or in some cases, both. A founder must accept that the investors might even come in and replace you as the leader of the organization. If this is the cash route that is ultimately right for your business, do your homework. Hire a good attorney and a certified public accountant (CPA) to protect you during the negotiation process. Also, know that the percentage of venture funds is even lower for women; only two percent of venture capital is invested in female-founded companies. There is hope on the horizon with more women and minorities becoming investors themselves but keep your options open. Seek out venture capital or angel organizations that vet their applicants blindly. Connetic Ventures in Covington, Kentucky is a great example. Their proprietary product, Wendel, vets applications blindly. Over 50 percent of the applications that make it through their filtering process are women and minorities. Problem solved, right? If the screening process does not indicate race, gender, age, socioeconomics or disabilities, only the idea or concept itself is being vetted. That is terrific news for all entrepreneurs and supports the notion that a diverse team is a winning team. Related: 3 Ways to Support Minority-Owned Businesses Steps to ensure funding Create a solid business plan and start showing progress on that plan. Build a wide and deep network of people who can help you financially. Create an advisory board of seasoned and trusted professionals. Maintain excellent and thorough financial records. Check your credit score and improve it as much as possible. Effectively market your business in your community. Write a friends and family funding plan and start making the asks. Begin building relationships with bankers, microloan organizations and local small business and entrepreneurial support entities. Research angel and venture capital funders who have businesses in your industry as part of their portfolio. What can the funders do to solve this problem? Asking funders to solve this problem is where it gets more challenging. Federal banking regulations have very strict truth in lending guidelines. They cant just make it easier for women and minority groups to receive loans. We all still have to qualify and have the means to repay the loans. However, lending organizations can create more incentives and opportunities around building relationships with women and minorities as potential lending customers. Many banks have womens networks, programs for minority-owned businesses and are hiring more people to help cultivate those relationships. A strategic focus on diversity in their consumer base is a critical piece of the overall solution that the lenders can bring to the table. The solution to the funding crisis faced by women and minority-owned businesses is a two-way street. Those with the money, bankers and other lenders, need to seek out and cultivate relationships; entrepreneurs in need of funding must be prepared and confident. Getting both sides of the equation working together will create an environment where all business owners can equally access funding. That funding will help in creating more sustainable businesses, offering more jobs to the community and growing our economy. A win-win-win outcome for all. Related: This VC Went From Representing Huge Artists to Funding Women ... Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Subaru, whose line of utility vehicles for the U.S. market always include standard all-wheel drive, has a full line of crossover models for 2022. But the big news is the coming introduction of the 2023 Subaru Solterra SUV, the brands first all-electric, battery-operated vehicle. The automaker began taking online pre-orders for the Solterra on Feb. 8, and deliveries are expected to begin this summer through local Subaru dealers. Unlike some of the recently introduced electric vehicles, the Solterra will be sold in all 50 states. There are four other SUVS in the Subaru stable already available for 2022, beginning with the full-size Ascent the largest vehicle this Japanese brand has ever offered in the U.S. Next is the midsize Outback, followed by the compact Forester and the smaller Crosstrek, which is based on the Impreza small sedan. Subaru Solterra The midsize, two-row 2023 Subaru Solterra is packed with new electrification and in-vehicle technology while staying true to its Subaru heritage with industry-leading safety and go-anywhere capability, the automaker says. Solterra has an estimated range of 220 miles between battery charges. It comes with a new Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system that provides outstanding traction and capability in all kinds of weather and terrain. The accompanying Subaru StarDrive delivers substantial on-demand torque at all speeds with power and driver-selectable regenerative modes. Solterra is equipped with X-Mode, offering increased performance in low-friction and off-road conditions. The all-new model features Grip Control that incorporates Hill Ascent and Descent Assist. With 8.3 inches of ground clearance and 218 horsepower from front and rear electric motors, Solterra provides versatility in both off-road and city driving. With up to 126 cubic feet of passenger and cargo space, generous leg room, and a nearly flat floor, the five-passenger SUV also provides up to 30 cubic feet of useable cargo space behind the rear seats, and has a 60/40 folding rear seatback and two-position load floor for maximum cargo and passenger flexibility. The 41.3-inch-wide rear gate opening with low lift-over height allows easy loading and unloading. Available raised roof rails add more cargo-carrying options. Subaru Ascent With its three rows of seating and room for up to eight passengers, the Ascent is the largest Subaru vehicle ever offered in the U.S. Recent new features include Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering and Lane Keep Assist added to the standard Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist Technology on all trim levels. Subaru Also now included across the board are the Steering Responsive LED headlights with High Beam Assist for improved nighttime visibility, Subaru says, along with the new Second- and Third-Row Seat Belt Reminder, which prompts passengers to buckle up in the rear seats. The Rear Seat Reminder alert system is standard on all models, and a power rear liftgate lock option was made available. Trim levels for 2022 begin with the base Ascent eight-passenger model ($32,295), followed by the Premium ($34,795) and Limited ($39,595), available in seven- or eight-passenger versions; the new Onyx edition ($37,995); and the Touring ($45,445), with seven-passenger configuration. Standard on all models are Subarus Symmetrical All-wheel Drive and a boxer-style (horizontally opposed) turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing a respectable 260 horsepower and 277 foot-pounds of torque. Also standard is a continuously variable automatic transmission with simulated eight speeds that can be manually shifted using paddles on the steering wheel. Fuel-economy ratings for the base Ascent and Premium model are 21 mpg city/27 highway/23 combined; Limited and Touring trims with 20-inch wheels are rated at 20 city/26 highway/22 combined. Subaru Outback For 2022, Subarus Outback, the popular SUV-style all-wheel-drive wagon, is offered in Base, Premium ($35,595), Limited, Touring, Onyx Edition XT, Limited XT and Touring XT models. The Outback Base starts at $26,795. The Base comes with an extensive list of standard features including power windows, door locks, fuel door, and mirrors as well dual USB input ports in the front center console. Subaru With the last major redesign, the Outback got a roomier interior and improved fuel economy for the four-cylinder models. EPA ratings are 25 mpg city/32 highway for the 2.5i trim levels, which include the 175-horsepower 2.5-liter engine. The hexagonal grille and bumper are combined into one smooth front fascia. Prices for the four available Outback models range as high as $39,945 for the 3.6R Touring V-6, with 256 horsepower. The Outback seats five, and has a roomy cargo area that can be expanded into the back seat and even the front passenger seat. A CVT and all-wheel drive are standard on all models. Subaru Forester The fifth-generation Forester SUV, introduced three years ago, offers the most space, capability and features in its 24-year history. For 2022, Forester prices begin at $24,795. Subaru LED Steering Responsive Headlights and High Beam Assist are now standard on all trim levels, along with the Rear Seatbelt Reminder. Now all passengers are reminded to buckle up before their journey with an audio and visual warning from the instrument cluster. This generation Forester offers the most space, capability, features and safety technology in the models 24-year history. The 2021 Forester will be offered in five trim levels: Base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring. All Forester models are powered by a 2.5-liter Boxer engine teamed with a Lineartronic CVT and Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The direct-injection engine produces 182 horsepower and 176 foot-pounds of torque. The Forester delivers up to 33 mpg EPA-estimated highway fuel economy. The compact SUV also offers up to 1,500-pound towing capacity and features standard Trailer Stability Assist. Also standard across the Forester model line is Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. The award-winning system includes Adaptive Cruise Control; Pre-Collision Braking; Pre-Collision Throttle Management; Lane Departure and Sway Warning; and Lead Vehicle Start Alert. There is room for five inside, and the cargo area has more than 30 cubic feet of space. Subaru Crosstrek Crosstrek returns for 2022 after an exterior freshening and a few other upgrades last year, as well as a new Sport model with a beefier boxer engine, boosting horsepower to 182. Starting at $22,445, the subcompact Crosstrek now also offers a plug-in hybrid version, which begins at $35,645. Subaru All models combine a bold SUV design, black-finish alloy wheels, standard roof rails, black side cladding, and a gloss black rear roof spoiler. They have 8.7-inches of ground clearance, and standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, for limited off-road driving. The 2022 Crosstrek is available in Base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims, while the Crosstrek Hybrid is offered exclusively in single highly-equipped trim level. Crosstrek Base and Premium are powered by a 152-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder Boxer engine, with either a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional Lineartronic continuously variable transmission. The CVT models achieve EPA-estimated fuel economy of 28 mpg city/33 highway/30 combined; the manual models are rated at 22/29/25. Sport and Limited models come with a 182-horsepower 2.5-liter Boxer engine paired with the CVT. Both models have EPA fuel economy of 27/34/29. The Crosstrek Hybrid is powered by StarDrive technology which integrates two electric motors, a 2.0-liter direct-injection Boxer engine, Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, and the CVT. This plug-in SUV can go up to 17 miles on battery power alone, and delivers an EPA-rated 35 mpg/90 mpg-e and 480-mile total range. The Crosstrek Hybrid qualifies for a $4,502 federal tax credit. Built on the architecture of Subarus Impreza compact sedan, the Crosstrek offers seating for up to five and a decent-sized cargo area. chambers@auto-writer.com Germany's cybersecurity agency, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), recently warned Kaspersky antivirus users on possible hacking attacks. The agency mentioned that the antivirus software poses a "serious risk" to people's cybersecurity. Details on the Warning The BSI's warning mentioned that Kaspersky Lab is based in Moscow. As such, it could be coerced by Russian government agents to hack foreign IT systems or use its technology to launch cyberattacks without its knowledge. "The actions of military and/or intelligence forces in Russia and the threats made by Russia against the European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Federal Republic of Germany in the course of the current military conflict are associated with a considerable risk of a successful IT attack," the BSI warned. The BSI also mentioned that all users of Kaspersky's antivirus are at risk of being hacked by Russian intelligence agents, adding that companies, "authorities with special security interests," and operators of critical infrastructure are particularly at risk. Read More: Russia Has Two Months Left Before It Runs Out of Data Storage The agency then advised companies and other organizations to replace Kaspersky antivirus with alternative products and to carefully plan and implement the replacement of essential components of their IT security infrastructure. It also advised regular Kaspersky users to use another antivirus other than Kaspersky to protect their data, even though they may be the least targeted. The BSI emphasized that it is not banning Kaspersky in Germany, although some countries and states have gone ahead and outright banned the use of the product. "The warning from the BSI is only intended to raise awareness of possible dangers," the BSI said in its FAQ. Kaspersky's Reaction to the Warning It goes without saying that Kaspersky is not pleased with the BSI's warning to the public. According to a Euronews report, Kaspersky said in a statement that it believes Germany's warning is not based on a technical assessment of its products but instead is being made on political grounds. The statement was provided to Euronews by Kaspersky's European communications head, Stefan Rojacher. The company then said that it is a private global cybersecurity company, and as such, it does not have any ties to the Russian or any other government. It then made a reminder that its data processing infrastructure was based in Switzerland since 2018, and that the information from its German users was processed in two data centers in Zurich. Similar Past Accusations Germany's warning against using Kaspersky's products is the latest of many similar accusations. In 2018, lawmakers in the EU have voted to ban computer equipment and security software from Kaspersky, due to allegations that it is vulnerable to the Russian government's oversight, per Defense News. The vote ended a partnership between the company and the EU's law enforcement agency, Europol. It was also at this time that the U.S. banned the use or installation of Kaspersky products across its federal government. Kaspersky also addressed these allegations by reasoning out that if it is indeed controlled by Russian intelligence, then Russia wouldn't have allowed it to publish research on advanced persistent threats tied to Russian intelligence. Related Article: Free Antivirus Protection Pros and Cons Finnegan Elder and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, a pair of high school classmates from the Bay Area, have had their life sentences significantly reduced for the murder of an Italian police officer in July 2019. Elder, who is now 22, and Natale-Hjorth, now 21, have been in prison for more than three years. They were sentenced to life in May 2021, and their appeal has been working its way through the Italian courts since. It took the court three hours Thursday to uphold their murder conviction but reduce their sentences. Elder must now serve 24 years; Natale-Hjorth must serve 22. Elder and Natale-Hjorth, who met at Tamalpais High in Mill Valley, were on vacation in Italy in 2019 when they scuffled in the street with two Carabinieri officers. Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega, 35 years old and fresh off his honeymoon, was stabbed to death in the altercation. Neither prosecutors nor the defendants disputed that the incident was kicked off by Elder and Natale-Hjorth trying to buy cocaine from a local dealer in Trastevere, a nightlife district in Rome. I thought that it would be something that would help us enjoy the night, and from past experience, I thought the effect of the drug would make us feel better and give us some energy to walk around to get to bars and pubs, Elder said in court. According to police, Elder and Natale-Hjorth got upset when the man who showed up for the drug deal didn't give them the cocaine. In retaliation, they allegedly stole the man's backpack and demanded 100 euros and a gram of cocaine to get it back. Unbeknownst to them, the man was a Carabinieri informant; he then told police he'd been robbed by the pair. The informant arranged to meet back up with the Bay Area teens (Elder and Natale-Hjorth are identified as being from San Francisco in court documents). At that meeting, around 2:30 a.m., two plainclothes police officers Cerciello Rega and his partner Andrea Varriale arrived. Here is where the two sides' stories vastly deviated. Police and prosecutors said the officers identified themselves as law enforcement and showed their badges but were attacked "immediately" by the teens. Lawyers for the Americans said the officers did not identify themselves as such, and the fatal stabbing was an act of self defense by Elder. Elder told the court in March he brought a knife to the meeting because "it gave me a sense of protection." Prosecutors say he stabbed Rega 11 times. The pair were found guilty of murder Italian law punishes accomplices in the same way it punishes the murderer and given life sentences. During the appeal process, prosecutor Vincenzo Saveriano asked the court to keep Elder's punishment at life but reduce Natale-Hjorths sentence to 24 years. "Elder doesnt deserve forgiveness," Saveriano said in court. On Thursday, the Italian court affirmed its belief that Elder does deserve some measure of forgiveness, however. Both men will likely be in their 40s when they are released. "At 22 years of age and with three years in prison, I had much time to reflect," Elder said earlier this week, speaking in heavily accented, recently acquired Italian. He expressed "remorse for the pain I caused" and for the "endless mourning" suffered by Cerciello Regas family. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The cartel leader whose arrest reportedly led to a chaotic early Monday morning in Nuevo Laredo featuring gunfire and flaming tractor-trailers has been indicted. Juan Gerardo Trevino Chavez, also known as El Huevo, has been indicted on numerous charges in San Antonio. The indictment was unsealed Tuesday. Trevino, 39, is stated as the leader of the criminal organization of the Cartel Del Noreste an offshoot of Los Zetas and a group of assassins called Tropas del Infierno. He is also the nephew of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales known as Z40, the former Zetas leader currently serving a life sentence and Oscar Omar Trevino Morales, alias Z42. He is also the brother of Juan Francisco Kiko Trevino Chavez, who the Mexican government says is linked to drug trafficking. Trevino has been charged with 11 counts including: Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. Conspiracy to Import Marijuana. Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substances. Conspiracy to Employ a Person Under 18 in Drug Operations. Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Conspiracy to Import Cocaine. Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine. Conspiracy to Possess Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. Possession of a Machine Gun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Money Laundering. Trevino faces up to life in prison on seven of the charges, including all of the conspiracy to possess marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine charges, the conspiracy to import cocaine and methamphetamine charges, the unlawful distribution charge and the employment of a person under 18 in drug operations charge. Additionally, the firearm charges and the money laundering charge all carry a maximum 20-year sentence while the conspiracy to import marijuana charge has a maximum 10-year sentence. The Mexican government previously stated that Trevino had three arrest warrants. One was in Tamaulipas for extortion and criminal association, a second in Coahuila for intentional homicide and terrorism, and the last for extradition purposes for drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Mexican authorities said Monday that Trevino was arrested in Nuevo Laredo. The incident kicked off a frightening scene for locals in the early hours of that morning sparking gun battles, explosions and blockades around the Sister City. The Tamaulipas Public Security Secretariat confirmed that shots were fired against military installations and the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo, leading to international bridges being closed for a few hours. Reports also indicated that suspected cartel members set commercial vehicles on fire to block two main avenues, according to the Department of Public Safety in Tamaulipas. Being a U.S. citizen, Trevino was then deported as he was taken across the border in Tijuana and arrested in San Diego. He is in custody there, and records state he is pending a transfer to Texas to face the charges. Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, described the arrest as "one of the most important arrests of the last decade." He discussed the arrest during a previously scheduled visit to Mexico Monday by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service were said to be investigating the case by the U.S. Attorney's Office, while receiving assistance from the FBI and the Justice Departments Office of International Affairs. The U.S. Attorney's Office said the arrest was said to have been a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. It states that OCDETF "identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach." NASA astronauts Kayla Barron and Raja Chari completed the 247th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, upgrades and maintenance. NASA's 247th spacewalk was completed at 3:06 p.m. EDT after 6 hours and 54 minutes. NASA's 247th Spacewalk NASA is preparing the International Space Station for an additional upgrade of its solar array after two NASA astronauts finished an almost seven-hour spacewalk. Among those taking part in the 247th spacewalk were astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, who each completed their first and second spacewalks in support of space station assembly, upgrades, and maintenance. Astronauts Kayla Barron and Raja Chari are both crewmates in Expedition 66. These astronauts have a goal of securing brackets and erected struts located at one of the bases of ISS's eight original power-providing arrays. The astronauts' spacewalk is in preparation for the installation of a new Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA) in the International Space Station. According to NASA, "Chari and Barron are in the midst of a planned six-month science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA's Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA's Artemis program." As reported by Space.com, the astronauts worked on installing a support structure on the S4 channel of the 3A solar wing for the third of six new arrays. In addition, NASA's Kayla Barron and Raja Chari are "the first to be added to the starboard side of the space station's backbone truss." Read Also: NASA Hubble Images: Online Tool Lets You Check What Space Telescope Saw During Your Birthday! NASA's Solar Arrays for ISS During the course of today's activities, Barron and Chari completed their major objectives, which included assembling and installing modification kits to prepare the space station for upcoming solar array upgrades. As of the moment, two of the six iROSAs have been installed in the space station, with four additional arrays scheduled to be delivered in the near future. The solar arrays used in the International Space Station right now are designed to withstand an on-orbit life of 15 years. Fortunately, it is still functioning completely well. However, despite the fact that they are all still operational, they have begun to show signs of reduced power production. The new iROSAs are placed so that they partially overlap the original arrays. As reported by Space.com, "When all six of the more capable iROSAs are installed, they will augment the station's existing power generation, increasing the complex's total available power from 160 kilowatts to up to 215 kilowatts." NASA's maintenance and installations in the ISS are to assure that space operations can continue until 2030 while also supporting increased commercial activities on board the space station. NASA's Next Spacewalk NASA has announced an additional spacewalk on March 23. According to NASA, on Extravehicular Activities (EVA) 80, "Two astronauts will install hoses on a Radiator Beam Valve Module that routes ammonia through the station's heat-rejecting radiators to keep systems at the proper temperature." In addition, astronauts will also upgrade the hardware on the Columbus module's Bartolomeo science platform, including installing a power and data cable and replacing an external camera that was damaged by debris on the station's truss, as well as performing other upgrades. Related Article: Life on Mars? NASA Discovers Abundant Water Source In The Red Planet EAST ATLON New research from terrestrial ecologist Lyle Guyon are changing the game for Japanese hops control and management in large floodplains. Guyon, who holds a doctorate in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is a senior scientist at Lewis and Clark Community Colleges National Great Rivers Research and Education Center NGRRECsm and has more than 15 years of experience in floodplain research. His recent paper, Japanese Hops (Humulus japonicus) Control and Management Strategies in Large River Floodplains was published in the Journal of Forestry earlier this spring. Japanese hops is a fairly new invasive species that many individuals may not be familiar with, Guyon said. Unfortunately, it is spreading rapidly and can create a real problem where it takes hold. His research findings show that the most effective long-term strategy to manage Japanese hops invasion is to pair post-emergent herbicide treatments with tree plantings to restore the floodplain forests to closed-canopy. Findings from this study will help guide efforts by natural resource managers and landowners, not just in the local Riverbend community, but throughout the Upper Mississippi River watershed, Guyon said. The study, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, was conducted from 2012-2015 on five different island sites along the confluence of the Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The study compared different herbicide treatments and tree planting methods to determine which method may work the best when used on Japanese hops. The three strategies included: Pre-emergent, or treating the site before Japanese hops have emerged from the soil Post-emergent, or after the plants have emerged Both pre- and post-emergent At all management sites, eastern cottonwood and American sycamore bare root and containerized trees were also planted as part of the study, since Japanese hops is a shade-intolerant species. Data suggests that herbicide treatments in floodplain forests are only a short-term solution because with each new flood, new Japanese hops seeds are added back into the soil and are able to sprout once the water recedes. Field observations indicate that reforesting an area is likely a more effective long-term control method. I hadnt even encountered Japanese hops before I started working in the Mississippi River floodplains about 15 years ago, but immediately thought wow this is going to be a problem, when I finally did, Guyon said. It seemed like not a lot of folks were giving it the attention I thought it deserved, so I took a more active interest in researching control and management options. Guyon said any landowner who comes across Japanese hops should get rid of it immediately. Hand pulling, mowing and/or spot herbicide treatment can all be effective for smaller outbreaks, he said. Guyons published paper is available through the Journal of Forestry at https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvab055 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) newest space telescope's main mirror is fully aligned and is performing even better than expected. According to the Administration's recent announcement, the James Webb Space Telescope's primary imager, the Near-Infrared Camera, is fully aligned to its mirrors. Although the telescope is far from fully operational, it took its first picture of space with its primary mirror segments. James Webb Telescope Status NASA mentioned that the team responsible for the James Webb Space Telescope had completed the telescope's alignment stage known as "fine phasing." This operation measures and corrects the remaining alignment errors of the telescope using the same defocusing method in previous adjustments, per a separate NASA post. Space.com mentioned that the"fine phasing" alignment process involved fine-tuning the positions and inclinations of the telescope's 18 segments. The James Webb Space Telescope has to pass two other steps in the telescope commissioning process, the Telescope Alignment Over Instrument Fields of VIew and Iterate Alignment for Final Correction, to be dubbed as a fully operational space telescope. Read More: Germany Issues Hacking Warning to Kaspersky Users; Cybersecurity Firm Responds Regardless of its current commissioning status, the telescope is already producing images that beat the telescope's specifications. The telescope took a picture of a star dubbed 2MASS J17554042+6551277 for alignment evaluation. The resulting picture captured not only the star's brightness but also captured the galaxies and stars in the background. The picture taken used a red filter to optimize visual contrast, per NASA. Jane Rigby, Webb operations project scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, said that the telescope's performance is everything the team had dared to hope so far. She also added that the images the telescope took were as sharp and as crisp as the pictures taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, but the difference is that Webb's pictures are at a wavelength of light invisible to Hubble, giving Webb's photos a "very, very sharp focus." "We have fully aligned and focused the telescope on a star, and the performance is beating specifications," said Ritva Keski-Kuha, deputy optical telescope element manager for Webb at NASA Goddard. "We are excited about what this means for science. Keski-Kuha also added that the team now knows they have built the right telescope thanks to Webb's exceptional performance. Webb's NIRCam Details Webb's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) is Webb's primary imager that covers the infrared wavelength range of 0.6 to 5 microns, according to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope page. NASA expects that Webb's NIRCam will be able to detect light from the earliest stars and galaxies during their formation, the population of stars in nearby galaxies, and young stars in the Milky Way and Kuiper Belt objects. Webb's NIRCam will also be used to observe and dive into sub-Neptune planets to help scientists study these exoplanets and learn more about them, per a previous iTechPost article. Related Article: James Webb Space Telescope to Help Study Sub-Neptunes - What are They? LANSING State Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-Muskegon, has announced he will seek re-election in a newly redrawn Michigan Senate District. Bumstead, a lifelong resident of northwest Michigan, has filed for candidacy in the new 32nd District which includes the majority of Muskegon, Oceana and Mason counties, and parts of Manistee and Benzie counties. I have had the honor and privilege to serve the residents of the 34th State Senate District for the last four years, Bumstead stated in a press release. While we have achieved a great deal for our constituents, there is still a lot of work to be done. The primary for the seat is Aug. 2, with the general election taking place Nov. 8. The deadline for a candidate to file for state Senate is April 19. Terry Sabo also announced his campaign for the 32nd District in February. The Democrat from Muskegon currently serves as the representative for the state's 92nd House District. Manistee County is currently represented by Sen. Curt VanderWall in the 35th Senate District. However, new maps drawn earlier this year by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission split Manistee County in half placing the western portion in the 32nd District and the rest of the county in the 36th District. Bumstead is the current vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He also serves as the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Running for re-election to the state Senate is about the people I represent, Bumstead said in the release. Many families and businesses have contacted our office for help with issues with state government. Whether people were trying to work through state-level COVID mandates, trying to receive unemployment when their jobs were shut down or eliminated, or when businesses were struggling with state bureaucrats, we were their advocates and helped them. My staff and I will continue to help everyone in this district when they need us. The senator has been the owner of Bumstead Construction for over 30 years, and was elected to the state Senate in 2019. The problem with most politicians is that they dont really listen to the people they represent, Bumstead said in the release. Whether its listening to our local governments and working with them to protect veterans and save money, ensuring our local schools and parents are the ones in control of educating our children, or providing money to ensure we have clean water and protecting our natural resources, my team and I are laser-focused on solving the issues brought to us by the people we serve. If re-elected Bumstead will "advocate for local control, protecting individual freedoms, reducing taxes for small business and families, and protecting our states natural resources like our lakes, rivers and streams," according to a statement from his re-election campaign. DipaliS/Getty Images/iStockphoto If there's ever a sense of tranquility that can be agreed upon across the globe, it would probably be the beauty of a simple sunrise or sunset. Beauty is most certainly in the eye of the beholder and the United States has several locations that provide breathtaking views of the sun's morning arrival and evening departure from sea to shining sea. And with that the Mornings Content Team took to TripAdvisor.com to gather some of the best places in each state to take in one of Mother Nature's greatest scenes. About 150 new jobs will soon be coming to the Great Lakes Bay Region as a chip production company expands. Members of the press, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and others were invited by SK Siltron CSS, a semiconductor manufacturer, to tour the companys facility near Auburn and another one soon to open near Bay City. SK Siltron CSS is a subsidiary of SK Siltron, a South Korean company. CSS representatives and Tai spoke about new jobs coming to the region, along with the companys impact on the electric vehicle market. Jianwei Dong, CEO for SK Siltron CSS, said the company produces silicon carbide wafers, a semiconductor material used in automotive chips, at its site on Eleven Mile Road, south of US-10. This plays a role in the supply chain for electric vehicles, with the material used in chips for electric vehicles. If silicon carbide is used instead of silicon in an electric vehicle, it is an energy and time saver, said Steve Anderson, engineering manager for crystal growth for SK Siltron CSS. With silicon carbide in an electric vehicle, the time spent at a charging station is shortened from about two hours to about 20 minutes. As for jobs, CSS has grown by about 100 employees in the last two years, Anderson said, with the company soon expanding into Bay City. There will be 150 new jobs added when the Bay City-area facility starts production in April. The new facility is near the US-10/Mackinaw Road interchange. After a tour of the new facility, Tai said CSS will be investing $300 million in Bay County over the next several years and doubling its number of employees in the state. This investment will also increase collective semiconductor production capacity, she said. Tai spoke about the impact of Korea-U.S. trade relations, including driving investments in sites such as SK Siltron CSS in Michigan. She said Michigan exports to Korea have grown by over 30% in the past 10 years of the US Korea Free Trade Agreement, including a 420% increase in exports of U.S. cars, trucks and other automobiles to South Korea. This partnership between our two countries (U.S. and South Korea) is an excellent example of how we can harness innovation and talent of our citizens, to create a cleaner, more sustainable economy while also creating good-paying jobs along the way, Tai said. However, we also know that trade and trade agreements alone are not enough to maintain our competitive edge in the global economy. We must invest here more at home. Christian Petersen/Getty Images A Moscow court has extended the detention of Houston native and WNBA star Brittney Griner until May 19, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Russian authorities detained Griner at a Moscow airport in February for the possession of vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. "The court granted the petition of the investigation and extended the term of U.S. citizen Griner's detention until May 19," TASS reported, citing the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region. Ekaterina Kalugina, a member of the Public Monitoring Commission told TASS that Griner is sharing a cell with two other women with no previous convictions, adding her only issue was that the prison beds were too short for her 6-foot-9 frame. There's new data to fuel the war between District Attorney Chesa Boudin and his critics, who blame him for the relatively high rates of property crime in San Francisco. Boudin, who ran on a platform that included promises to reduce incarceration rates for nonviolent crimes, has argued that his office is appropriately prosecuting serious criminals, including filing felony charges against all suspects involved in a brazen series of daytime robberies in Union Square, and charging property crimes at a similar rate to his predecessor. Critics, meanwhile, argue that looking solely at charging or "action taken" (defined by the District Attorney's Office as any action short of dismissal) rates can be misleading, as those numbers do not illustrate the actual outcomes of cases. The newly released data focuses on case resolutions, including convictions and the use of diversion programs, which re-route suspected offenders to mental health and substance abuse programs, rather than incarceration. A San Francisco Chronicle analysis of the new data found that, in his two years in office, Boudin has increased diversion rates for assault, robbery and drug cases, and decreased convictions of the same crimes. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another). An SFGATE analysis of the data found that trend also held true for defendants accused of petty theft, the charge most often leveled against shoplifters and other perpetrators of retail theft. (The rates for each year in the graph below do not add up to 100% because in many cases, the defendants pleaded guilty to other charges, or the DA took actions against them that didn't fall into one of the listed categories.) After Boudin took office in 2020, the diversion rate for petty theft reached a record high of 63.6%, while the conviction rate reached a record low of 7.3%. While rates of incarceration have dropped during Boudin's tenure, there's a huge piece of information missing from any of this data: whether or not the San Francisco diversion programs are actually working to lower the number of subsequent crimes committed by the people who enter them. A California Policy Lab report from 2021 found evidence that diversion helps lower recidivism among those charged with drug crimes, but has a weaker impact for those charged with property crime. Rates of recidivism are high for those convicted of property crimes in San Francisco. The DA's Office estimates that 57% of individuals convicted of burglary and 44% of individuals convicted of "other property crimes" are arrested again for another crime within five years of release. The District Attorney's Office has said it does not have complete data on what happens to people who enter the programs, which are run by non-city-affiliated groups, but says it is working with the programs to gather data. A Boudin spokesperson told SFGATE the increase in diversion rates can largely be attributed to new state laws that give judges broad discretion to recommend such programs for most misdemeanor offenses. "The crime known as 'petty theft' is a misdemeanor," spokesperson Rachel Marshall wrote in an email. "Nearly all misdemeanors are eligible for statutory diversion under state law, so the diversion rate will be dependent on judicial discretion and a defendants desire to participate in diversion versus go to trial." In addition, Boudin's office has long maintained that few retail theft suspects ever actually interact with the District Attorney's Office, blaming the San Francisco Police Department's low arrest rates. A suspect was turned over to the DA's Office for prosecution in just 2.4% of larceny theft cases last year, according to police data. In his latest literary work, American playwright and vocal Donald Trump supporter David Mamet has filed a short story about a lost airplane pilot as a legal brief in support of Texas' controversial social media censorship law. Known as House Bill 20, the law prohibits large social media platforms from censoring users "based on their political viewpoints." The measure, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 9, was blocked from implementation in December but still awaits a conclusion. In an amicus brief filed on March 9, Mamet writes in favor of limiting First Amendment rights of private social media companies using a short story within the amicus brief titled "Lessons from Aerial Navigation." In the two-page brief, Mamet describes an off-course pilot trying to get his bearings by using a map, which symbolizes the Internet. However, he can't find his position on it as it doesn't correlate with his current observations. "The map is not the territory," Mamet wrote. "The territory is the territory. The pilot's answer to the question 'where am I?' lies not on the map, but out the windscreen. That's where he is. It doesn't matter where he calculated he should be, the territory below him is where he is." Mamet continues, at one point even referencing Greek mythology for his argument, writing that if the pilot just worked from his observations, he might discover he can't find his position on the map. Instead, he might find a "good country, in which there was little actual poverty, scant racism, and no 'systemic' racism, where minorities and women, rather than being discriminated against were treated preferentially." In his conclusion, Mamet writes "A pilot in this situation might conclude he'd simply picked up the wrong map. But what if the government and its privileged conduits prohibited him from choosing another?" Mamet has also claimed a copyright for the content in the brief. Despite its efforts, the filing contains no legal references or arguments, and therefore would not likely hold merit in court. A deepfake video that allegedly showed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy surrendering to Russia has been removed by Facebook and YouTube, citing violations of misinformation policies. Meta, Facebook's parent firm, removed the video, which made Zelenskyy appear to have ordered Ukrainian troops to surrender Wednesday. The company's Head of Security Policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, explained that the video was removed for violating Facebook rules against "manipulative media," Tech Crunch noted in a report. This refers to a type of multimedia misinformation, specifically deepfake videos, which have been edited to show public figures saying things they never actually said. YouTube, on the other hand, said that the purported Zelenskyy video and reuploads on other accounts have been taken off the video-sharing platform, as it also violated the company's misinformation policies. Twitter is also monitoring how the video is being shared across its platform and said it will take "enforcement action" once the company determines that the content had violated its synthetic and manipulated media policy. Zelenskyy Deepfake Tells Ukrainians to Lay Down Arms, Surrender to Russia In the video, which spread online Wednesday, Zelenskyy appeared to be standing behind a presidential podium with the Ukrainian coat of arms in the background. Donning a green shirt, Zelenskyy spoke in Ukrainian, telling his troops to lay down their arms in the weeks-old conflict. Read Also: Bitcoin, Ethereum Rally After Zelenskyy Finalizes Legality of Crypto in Ukraine Deepfake videos may appear authentic but are actually fake, doctored representations of the person being shown that have been created using AI technology. Experts have long feared that as deepfakes improved over the years, they will be used to spread misinformation. While this misleading video may not appear fully altered, there are obvious signs that they are not authentic. This comes as Zelenskyy himself indicated in a video uploaded to the Ukrainian defense Twitter account that he is not surrendering and will continue to fight Russian invaders. How to Know if Videos are Deepfake: Telltale Signs in Alleged Zelenskyy Video To know if a video is deepfake, viewers should notice that it is low-resolution and low quality, which is a common ploy to conceal imperfections while creating the video, digital forensics expert Hany Farid of the University of California at Berkeley told CNN. One telltale sign that the Zelenskyy video was a deepfake showed the Ukrainian president looking straight ahead without naturally moving his arms or head. Visual inconsistencies are also observed in such videos, which are created a single frame at a time. And, what makes it more obviously deepfake is that Zelenskyy's voice apparently was far from real. The video had circulated widely on Facebook's Russian counterpart social media site VKontakte, the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Research Lab stressed in a report. The DFRL also noticed that a pro-Russia Telegram channel posted a deepfake on Wednesday that allegedly showed Zelenskyy wanting to surrender. In addition to the deepfake video, a TV network in Ukraine reported that its news ticker was hacked, showing a message allegedly from Zelenskyy telling Ukrainians to end their resistance against Russian invaders. Related Article: How to Spot Deepfake Images and Video in 5 Simple Steps We tend to be pretty "anything goes" when it comes to tequilaevidenced by this list of our all-time favorite bottles. You can sip them slow, shoot 'em back, or mix them into a cocktail. But when it comes to making the perfect margarita, you're going to want a smooth, subtle, 100-percent blue Weber agave tequila that will add a kick, without overwhelming your drink. You also want a tequila that can act as a blank canvas, so you can decide what flavors you want to add to your margarita if a classic one is a little too basic for your liking. We asked mixologist, influencer, and educator Tiffanie Barriere (you might recognize her on Instagram as @thedrinkingcoach) to weigh in with her favorite tequilas to use when making margaritas. Read on for her picks, plus some additional fan favorites. Then grab your marg ingredients (or one of these tasty margarita mixes), and let's get drinking! Want more mixology help when it comes to tequila? Try out these tequila cocktails for your next hosting gig. You can thank us later! 1. Villa One Tequila Villa One Silver Tequila Villa One Tequila Reserve Bar $47.00 Shop Now "Villa One is my new favorite for its caramel and light perrer notes," says Barriere. "The reposado and blanco carry a richness in the agave which shows me that they are baking the agave at the right temperature to gather the tasty nectar." 2. Don Julio Don Julio Blanco Don Julio Reserve Bar $59.00 Shop Now "Don Julio has spice! The blanco flavor profile has grass and white pepper notes that make me feel like I'm in the sun in Mexico," says Barriere. "Vibrant and tasty!" 3. Avion Avion Reposado Avion Reserve Bar $57.00 Shop Now "All three marks of Avion bring the feels," explains Barriere. "They each allow different profiles that match any mood or cocktail. The reposado has great aging notes that allow the agave to have a balance and sweetness of the Highland agave plant." 4. Espolon Espolon Blanco Espolon Reserve Bar $28.00 Shop Now You may have seen this tequila on the bar cart of your liquor-loving friendsand there's a reason it's a fan favorite. Unlike anejo tequilas, blanco tequilas aren't barrel-aged to improve flavor, so you have to be a little picky to avoid liquors that have a harsh, astringent taste. Espolon is renowned for their craftsmanship, plus it's 100-percent blue Weber agave tequilarare for the price point! 5. Del Maguey Vida Del Maguey Vida Mezcal Del Maguey Vida Drizly $38.99 Shop Now OK, we're cheating a little and throwing a mezcal on the list, which is different than tequila. However, both tequila and mezcal come from the agave plant, and some find that the signature smokey taste of mezcal is just what they like paired with lime and triple sec. If you're new to the world of mezcal, this smooth and smokey bottle serves as a great entry point. 6. El Tesoro El Tesoro Anejo Tequila El Tesoro Reserve Bar $60.00 Shop Now Generally, aged anejo tequila is sipped on its own, like brandy or scotch. However, the vanilla and caramel notes in this savory drink taste great in a margarita. 7. Casa Dragones Tequila Casa Dragones Blanco Casa Dragones Drizly $75.99 Shop Now If you like your margaritas extra sweet, use this tequila. It has notes of grapefruit and green apple for a fruity marg. 8. Casamigos Casamigos Blanco Casamigos Reserve Bar $60.00 Shop Now George Clooney makes a surprisingly good tequila. You really can't go wrong with any of the brand's bottles (including blanco, reposado, and anejo tequila), but the smooth, subtle taste of this blanco tequila will go well with any margarita. 9. Patron Patron Silver Tequila Patron Drizly $51.69 Shop Now Sure, Patron is great for shooting but the liquor, which is made of 100-percent blue Weber agave is a great one to add into margaritas. Plus, the price tag isn't half bad for a premium tequila that tastes good. 10. Lobos Lobos Tequila Joven Lobos Drizly $46.31 Shop Now The blue agave used for Lobos Joven is harvested at six years for peak ripeness and is then carbon filtered after being mixed with a bit of Lobos Reposado to give every sip a complex taste. What more could you ask for? Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. If youve been searching for great seats for when the Justin Bieber tour comes to Houston, youre in luck. Weve rounded up tickets you can buy safely online at fairly reasonable prices. Justin Bieber in Houston is all set for April 29; all thats missing is you. By using online ticket resellers like Vivid Seats and StubHub, you can buy authentic event tickets at major Houston venues without the worry of being scammed. Although the show isnt quite sold out yet, most of the best seats are; unlike general on-sales that are a race to get in the door, these sites put you in control of your experience by choosing exactly where you want to be in the venue. For detailed information on the guarantees provided by these online ticket marketplaces, keep scrolling. How to buy tickets to the Justin Bieber Tour in Houston 100% Buyer Guarantee with Vivid Seats Justin Bieber Houston Tickets 2022 vividseats.com Shop Now As of March 15, Justin Bieber tickets start at $114. With the Vivid Seats 100% Buyer Guarantee, you can purchase resell tickets to the most popular events with peace of mind. Vivid Seats guarantees your tickets are authentic and valid by putting licensed, certified, and professional ticket resellers through a rigorous evaluation process. Should your event be canceled and not rescheduled, Vivid Seats will refund the full cost of your Justin Bieber tickets, including delivery charges. In some cases there may be a restocking fee that will be deducted from your refund. Getting the Stubhub Fan Protect Guarantee Justin Bieber Houston Tickets stubhub.com Shop Now As of March 14, Justin Bieber tickets start at $132. Stubhub customers get valid tickets to any event or their money back with the Stubhub Fan Protect Guarantee. Even if an issue arises with your order, the customer service team at Stubhub works to find replacement tickets for you. If your event is canceled and not rescheduled, you can count on receiving either a credit worth 120% of the amount you paid for the event or a cash refund. The choice is yours. COVID-19 Protocols at the Toyota Center Toyota Center wants all attendees of Justin Bieber Houston and other events to stay safe, so management has put some COVID-19 protocols in place. If you plan to attend Justin Bieber Houston, heres what you need to know: Anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of the event may not attend; Anyone exposed to someone who tested positive within 14 days of the event may not attend; Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms within 48 hours of Justin Bieber Houston may not attend, unless you are fully vaccinated and have a negative test from your doctor to bring with you; Anyone who has traveled to any state or country subject to quarantine advisories within 14 days of the event may not attend. Generally speaking, if you and your party are fully vaccinated and/or showing no signs of COVID-19, youll be good to go. You may want to take an at-home test before you head out just to be safe, and remember to wash your hands regularly, sanitize, and try to avoid crowded spaces as much as possible. Masks are not required, but you of course are permitted to wear one if it will help you feel protected. More information about the Justin Bieber Tour in Houston The long awaited rescheduled Houston date of the Justin Bieber Tour is almost here! On April 29, Justin Bieber will take the stage at Toyota Center as a part of his Justice World Tour, which kicked off in San Diego on February 18 and will continue throughout North America, Australia, and Europe until March 2023. This is a global event youre going to want to be a part of, so grab your best Beliebers and prepare to party like its 3012! The Justice World Tour is in support of Justin Biebers fifth and sixth studio albums, Changes and Justice. Collaborators on these albums range from Post Malone to Chance the Rapper. Wondering if your favorite featured guest will make a live appearance in the flesh? We dont know for sure, but hey Never Say Never. Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Pamela Mahler is an E-Commerce Writer for Local Commerce at Hearst Newspapers. Email her at pamela.mahler@hearst.com. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Meta recently announced that it would roll out its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses to four new countries in March or April, depending on the country's schedule. The company also added that its smart glasses are only available in select retail stores. Meta Ray-Ban Stories Details and New Features Meta's Ray-Ban Stories are Meta's first smart glasses that were developed in partnership with EssilorLuxotica, an Italian-French designer, producer, and marketer of ophthalmic lenses, optical equipment, prescription glasses, and sunglasses, per the company's About Us page. The company advertised the Ray-Ban Stories as a new way to capture photos and videos, share adventures, listen to music or take phone calls, per a separate Meta announcement. The smart glasses come equipped with dual integrated 5-megapixel cameras to take pictures and record videos from a first-person perspective. It also has an LED light that lights up to lets users know if they are taking a photo or video. The smart glasses will be able to record up to 60 seconds of video in April following a future update. It is currently able to record videos for 30 seconds only. Read More: Kanye West Banned in Instagram for 24 Hours Over Racial Slurs Additionally, Meta's Ray-Ban Stories have streamlined, built-in open-ear speakers and has a three-way microphone audio array that delivers a richer voice and sound transmission for calls and videos. Noise suppression algorithms have also been added to the glasses to give users "an enhanced calling experience" similar to those provided by dedicated headphones. As a Meta product, the glasses come with the Facebook View app, which is primarily used to share stories and memories with friends and followers. This app can be connected to other apps on your phone like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, so you can import photos to easily edit and share them on those apps. EssilorLuxottica mentioned that the Ray-Ban Stories come in different lenses, which customers can change depending on their preferences. The lenses include prescription lenses, polarized lenses, and even Transitions lenses. These lenses are added to the customer's choice of frame design like the Legendary, Retro Round, and the Meteor. It would also have four new color combinations for customers to choose from, such as Wayfarer Shiny Black with Brown Transitions, and Round Shiny Black with Brown Transitions. Meanwhile, a separate Meta article mentioned that that the glasses are voice-enabled, allowing users to issue commands to the Ray-Ban Stories through voice commands. Users only need to say "Hey Facebook" before giving their command to wake the smart glasses up. Meta will also add French and Italian in the smart glasses' recognized languages for a hands-free experience in those languages. Tech Advisor and The Verge mentioned in their articles that the smart glasses come with a touchpad that is built into the frame's sides which lets you change the volume or play and pause audio. Ray-Ban Stories Pricing and Availability Meta said in its announcement that its first-ever smart glasses will make their debut in Spain, Austria, and Belgium on March 17, while those France will have to wait until April 14 to get theirs. The smart glasses will be sold in these countries for 329 in select stores only. The smart glasses were previously only available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, and the U.K. Related Article: Meta, YouTube Removes Zalenskyy Deepfake Video Calling for Ukraine's Surrender From left, actors Heo Sung-tae, Son Ho-jun and Lee Kyoo-hyung pose during a press conference for the film, "Stellar" in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of CJ CGV By Kwak Yeon-soo "Stellar" is a funny, heartwarming chase movie that features plenty of nostalgic details from the 1980s and reminds audiences that the road connects more than just places; it connects people. Directed by Kwon Soo-kyung, "Stellar" is about a man who gradually comes to understand his late father while on the run in his father's beat-up old car. The script was written by Bae Se-young, responsible for the hilarious one-liners in "Extreme Job" (2019). Young-bae (Son Ho-jun), the protagonist of the film, works at a mortgage company that offers auto loans, and gets in trouble when his friend Dong-sik (Lee Kyoo-hyung) disappears with a supercar which belongs to his boss (Heo Sung-tae). Young-bae is given three hours to find his friend and bring back the missing car. The true hero in the film is Stellar, an old mid-sized sedan that was released nearly 40 years ago. The car is both a main character and setting in the story. Young-bae remembers it as a luxury sedan, but now it barely runs at times and has a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour. Young-bae recollects memories of his father as he embarks on a not-so-thrilling chase through the city. "People around my age would probably agree with me that Stellar was once the most popular car in Korea in the 1980s. The car offers more than nostalgia in the film. It helps Young-bae better understand his late father," director Kwon said during a press conference for the film, Thursday. Actor Son Ho-jun in a scene from the film, "Stellar" / Courtesy of CJ CGV Wilkes Barre, PA (18701) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Australian missionary Dr. James Mackenzie, third from right, and his patients in a clinic in Japan-occupied Korea in 1930 / Courtesy of Kyonggi University Sosung Museum By Park Han-sol In 1910, just months before Korea was annexed by the Japanese Empire, a middle-aged missionary of the Presbyterian Church set foot in the port city of Busan, far away from his homeland of Australia. At the time James Mackenzie arrived in the country, leprosy was still widely believed to be "the curse of gods." When discovered, the infected were forced to live in isolation and destitution as they became outcasts overnight and their properties were burned to the ground in a misinformed attempt to prevent the spread of the disease. Upon witnessing this reality, Mackenzie, with his wife Mary Kelly, a nurse, began running the Busan Leper Hospital Korea's first medical institution specializing in the treatment of the patients shunned by their own families and townspeople. For nearly three decades, the hospital housed and treated hundreds of lepers before being forcibly shut down in 1941 when Japan went to war with the U.S. The legacy left by the Mackenzies and their two daughters, Catherine and Helen, who continued their father's mission following the 1950-53 Korean War, will be revisited at the Korean Cultural Centre Australia in Sydney next month. Titled "Australian Mackenzie Family's Journey in Korea," the show is scheduled to run from April 8 to July 8, featuring an extensive series of photographs and documents left by the family, as well as a short documentary film that altogether trace their instrumental role in providing much-needed medical assistance and training in the southern regions of the Korean Peninsula. Born in Busan, Catherine and Helen studied medicine in Australia and had a calling to return to the city of their childhood to continue their father's legacy. While initially frustrated by World War II and the outbreak of the Korean War, the two were finally able to make a return in 1952. That year, the Mackenzie sisters established the Ilsin Women's Hospital, now called Ilsin Christian Hospital, dedicated to maternal and child health. For the next two decades, they offered medical assistance to patients regardless of their economic background and religious faith. The hospital also played a vital role in training female doctors in gynecology and nurses in midwifery. In recognition of their achievements, the two women were awarded the British Empire Medal during their lifetime as well as the Korean government's Mugunghwa Medal and Mongnyeon Medal. "While 2021 marked the 60th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Australia, the Mackenzie family's stories show that the bond shared among the people of the two countries goes back a century," Kim Ji-hee, director of the KCC AU, said in a statement. Modern American liberalism, as it emerged in the 1920s, was animated by a revolt against the masses. Liberal thinkers accused the great unwashed of smothering creative individuals in a blanket of materialist, spiritually empty cultural conformity. The liberal project was, so to speak, to refound America by replacing its business civilizationa dictatorship of the middle class, as Vernon Parrington put itwith a new, more highly evolved leadership. But along with the ideal of the spontaneous, creative individual, liberals also embraced government economic planning, which depended on making people more predictable. The tension between the two aspirations was resolved, rhetorically at least, by proposing to place power in the hands of scientists, academics, artists, and professionals, a new and truly worthy aristocracy that could govern based on what was good for both leaders and the led. These antidemocratic and elitist assumptions were nowhere better illustrated than in the extraordinary career of a Briton, H. G. Wells. Wells is best remembered today as the author of such late-nineteenth-century socio-scientific fantasies as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Invisible Man. But he was much more than that. His political writing achieved extraordinary influence in America, not just through his defense of liberal freedoms such as free speech but through his hostility to population growth, capitalism, and democracy itself. Herbert George Wells was already a renowned writer of fiction when in 1901 he published the nonfiction work Anticipations of the Reactions of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought. The books scientific prescriptions to cure social diseases turned the novelist into a seer, both in England and in America, where Anticipations had already been serialized in the North American Review. More than any other intellectual of the time, Wells spoke to two enormous nineteenth-century shifts: the growth of giant industries, which undercut the old assumptions about the sovereignty of the individual; and Darwinisms concussive reassignment of humanity from the spiritual to the natural world, which begged for prophets of a naturalized humanity. Numerous fin de siecle writers had looked backward at a century of material and mechanical progress, both to praise its achievements and to condemn its running sore, the seemingly permanent misery of the urban working class. But Wells looked ahead, asserting that the future as well as the past had a pattern. He argued inductively about the nature of what was likely to come, based on the way the telephone, telegraph, and railroad had shrunk the world, and he populated his predictions with a dramatic cast of collective characters. Some he loathed: the idle, parasitic rich; the vicious helpless pauper masses, the People of the Abyss; and the yapping politicians and yellow journalists whom he considered instruments of patriotism and war. But if these people were leading the world on the path to hell, there were also the redeemers, the New Republicans, the capable men of vision who might own the future. These scientist-poets and engineers could, Wells thought, redirect the Darwinian struggle away from a descent into savagery and toward a new and higher ground. Building on the social and sexual ideals of nineteenth-century utopian reformers, Wells generated a complete cosmology, a scientific socialism to compete with Marxism, which, he thought, reduced the complexities of life to simpleminded slogans of class war. Outflanking the Marxists on their own ground, he called for a different kind of struggle, a revolt of the competent against the confines of conventional middle-class morality. The conventions of Anglo-American family life, Wells believed, blocked the path toward a more highly evolved future. On one side was a normal, ordinary world which is on the whole satisfied with itself and encompasses the great mass of menthe bovine Normal Life of workers, clerks, and small businessmen. Opposite it stood an ever advancing better world, pushing through this outworn husk in the minds and wills of creative humanity, a Great State led by the creative class, a richly textured life that might be possible if only the new men of science could displace the vote-buying of electoral politics. Well before Mussolini, still a revolutionary socialist in the early twentieth century, and at roughly the same time as Lenin, Wellsin the book that he called the keystone to the main arch of my workgave up not only on democracy but on organized labor as a transformative force. All three men rejected what might be described as social democracy, that is, the attempt to use political means to redress the inadequacies of capitalism. Instead, each proposed a new class, a vanguard to carry forward a postcapitalist social order. In A Modern Utopia, written in 1905, Wells updated John Stuart Mills culturally individualist liberalism in light of the horizons opened by Darwin and Francis Galton, the founder of eugenics. Biologically, argues the books narrator, the species is the accumulation of the experiments of all its successful individuals since the beginning. That means, he says, that the people of exceptional quality must be ascendant. Further, the better sort of people, so far as they can be distinguished, must have the fullest freedom of public service. What provides the possibility for such freedom is eugenics. Wells has no use for the iron laws of Marxism, but he replaces them with the iron laws of Malthus and Darwin. From the view of human comfort and happiness, the increase of population that occurs at each advance in human security is the greatest evil of life, he writes. The extravagant swarm of new births that created the masses was the essential disaster of the 19th century. Mans propensity to reproduce will always outstrip his productive capacity, even in an age of machinery. Worse, the base and servile types, who are little more than the leaping, glittering confusion of shoaling mackerel on a sunlit afternoon, are the most fecund. In Anticipations, Wells had already argued horrifyingly that the nation that most resolutely picks over, educates, sterilizes, or poisons its People of the Abyss would be ascendant. For the base and servile types, death would mean merely the end of the bitterness of failure. It was their portion to die out and disappear. The New Republicans would have little pity and less benevolence for the untermenschen, born of unrestrained lusts . . . and multiplying through sheer incontinence and stupidity. In A Modern Utopia, Wells, stung by criticism of Anticipations, backed off, but only partway. Idiots, drunkards, criminals, lunatics, congenital invalids, and the diseased would spoil the world for others, Wells again argued. But their depredations required social surgery, not total extermination. That meant preventing people below a set income and intelligence from reproducing, as well as isolating the failures on an island so that better folk could live unfettered by government intrusion. Remove the unfit, and there will be no need for jails or prisons, which are places of torture by restraint. Illiberalism enables liberalism. Wellss Samurai, an updated version of the New Republicans, would keep track of their charges through a centralized thumbprint index of all the earths inhabitants. Latter-day Puritans in everything except sex, the Samurai would lead lives of irreproachable rectitude, abjuring tobacco, alcohol, trade, and games, which they could neither join nor watch. These elect, the clean and straight men and women capable of self-devotion, of intentional courage, of honest thought, and steady endeavour, would rule in the name of the new godhead: Progress through Science. As Wells would later put it, science was to be king of the world. Wells saw America, which wasnt weighted down by ancient traditions, as the best chance for his ideas to come to fruition. A host of British visitors, from Fanny Trollope and Charles Dickens to Robert Louis Stevenson, could barely contain their disdain for their backwoods American cousins. But Wellsan antiHenry James who saw himself as a self-made manexulted in the absence of an established church, the embodiment of the irrational past. Up to the point of its equality of opportunity, he wrote, surely no sane Englishman can do anything but admire the American state. His 1904 nonfiction book Mankind in the Making welcomed a possible reunion of Britain and the United States based, as he saw it, on their common racial stock. At the same time, Wells showed deep concerns about America. A socialist critic of American capitalism, he was revulsed by the inhuman energy of New Yorks immigrant masses. In the Days of the Comet (1906) portrayed overproduction by a rapacious gang of energetic, narrow-minded American ironmongers as a threat to English social stability. Wells also thought that American democracy provided too much leeway to the poltroons who ran the political machines and the fools who supported them. The immigrants are being given votes, he argued, but that does not free them, it only enslaves the country. In The Future in America, an account of his first trip to these shores in 1906 that was serialized in American and British magazines, Wells rightly pointed out that America was essentially the central part of the European organism without either the dreaming head or the subjugated feet. But that wasnt a good thing, he claimed. In England, modern men of money had become part of a responsible ruling class; in America, the absence of an aristocracy had left the country without that sense of state responsibility that was necessary to give significance to the whole. The upshot was that the typical American has no sense of the state. . . . He has no perception that his business activities, his private employments, are constituents in a larger collective process. Further, Wells argued, Americas can-do commercialism was crushing and maiming a great multitude of souls. The greatest work which the coming century has to do, he wrote, is to build up an aristocracy of thought and feeling which shall hold its own against the aristocracy of mercantilism and its allies materialism and Philistinism. In the course of his visit to the U.S., Wells was befriended by Jane Addams, Upton Sinclair, and Lincoln Steffens, who arranged for a visit to the White House. Teddy Roosevelt, an avid reader, was delighted to talk for hours with Wells about the growing class divisions in America, which had been exacerbated by the confluence of rapid industrialization and rapid immigration. Roosevelt had rightly read The Time Machine as an anticipation of deepened class divisions hardened over time into an overworld and an underworld. The president became gesticulatory, his voice straining, Wells remembered. Suppose after all, Roosevelt said slowly, that should prove to be right, and that it all ends in your butterflies and morlocks. That doesnt matter now. The efforts realRoosevelts reform effort to curb the power of giant monopolies, that is. Its worth going on with. Its worth iteven then. My hero in the confused drama of human life, Wells wrote in The Future in America, is intelligence; intelligence inspired by constructive passion. There is a demi-god imprisoned in mankind. Three years before Herbert Crolys pathbreaking book The Promise of American Life totemized Roosevelt as the incarnation of a new liberal politics that deployed Hamiltonian means to achieve Jeffersonian ends, Wells presented TR as the demigod incarnate, the very symbol of the creative will in man. Here was the man of the futuretraditions, noted Wells, have no hold on hima model of the Samurai. I know of no other, said Wells, a tithe so representative of the creative purpose, the goodwill in men as he. By 1920, The Nation could describe Wells as the most influential writer in English of our day. Wellss version of socialism, with its barbed attacks on Victorian gentility and its promise of sexual and artistic liberation, was far more appealing to American intellectuals than the bureaucratic droning of the Fabians or the dogmatism of the Marxists. For many, noted historian Henry May, Wells was the most important social prophet. The social critic Randolph Bourne described Wellss religious impact, his power of seeming to express for us the ideas and dilemmas which we feel spring out of our modernitya power that was nothing less than magical. Walter Lippmannthe leading political commentator for the first half of the twentieth century, whose writing for The New Republic and whose books Drift and Mastery and Public Opinion shaped the emergence of modern liberalismsaw Wells as one of those invaluable men who happen along occasionally with the ability to give hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind. And here is literary critic Floyd Dell: Suddenly there came into our minds the magnificent and well-nigh incredible conception of Change. . . . gigantic, miraculous change, an overwhelming of the old in ruin and an emergence of the new. Into our eternal and changeless world came H. G. Wells prophesying its ending, and the Kingdom of Heaven come upon earth; the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll, and all the familiar things of earth pass away utterlyso he seemed to cry out to our astounded ears. Wellss extraordinary influence sprang in part from the elitism of American intellectuals. Critic Van Wyck Brooks, for example, the first American to write a book on Wells, approvingly heard echoes of Nietzsches supermen in the Samurai: they were delegates of the species, experimenting, searching for new directions; they instinctively view themselves as explorers for the race, as disinterested agents. . . . Their self-development [is] the method by which the Life Impulse discovers and rewards itself, and pushes on to ever wider and richer manifestations. Once a new class of professionals and engineers came into its own, Brooks explained, conveying the conventional wisdom among advanced liberals, democracy as we know it would pass away. Without doubt, wrote Brooks, Wells has altered the air we breathe and made a conscious fact in many minds the excellence that resides in certain kinds of men and modes of living and odiousness that resides in others. Dell, and Lippmann too, believed themselves members of the new aristocracy of mind and character. Other major public figures in the U.S. acknowledged Wellss impact. Margaret Sanger, a leading feminist, militant proponent of the First Amendment, and champion of birth control and eugenicsall causes shared by Wellsbelieved that the author had influenced the American intelligentsia more than any other one man. The naturalist Joseph Wood Krutch, looking back on the 1920s, noted of Wells that a whole surviving generation might appropriately sing in the words of the popular ballad of their days, You made me what I am today. To assess Wells and George Bernard Shaw, Krutch asserted, would come pretty close to assessing the aims, the ideals, the thinking and one might almost say, the wisdom and folly of a half-century. During World War I, Wellslike his admirers at The New Republic, the new magazine where he published regularly and whose name was redolent of the heroes of Anticipationshad been both an ardent antinationalist and a strong supporter of Woodrow Wilsons vision of a new world to emerge from the terrible bloodshed. But liberal hopes for international comity were dashed, and postwar bewilderment and disillusion created an extraordinary demand for answers. Why had all civilized standards broken down in the course of the first total war? Why had so much sacrifice come to so little? Why had a war to protect the status quo ante been so destabilizing? Why was it being followed not by peace but by revolution? Anyone who could offer a clue, any clue, to the riddle, said the historian J. Carlton Hayes, was assured a large and attentive audience. Lenin was the first off the mark, ascribing the war to the cupidity of capitalism and offering Communist internationalism as the means to peace. For perplexed Americans struggling to make sense of Americas new role in the world, Wells provided an alternative internationalist answer. His massive, two-volume The Outline of History (1920) became the best-selling nonfiction book of the decade, a sort of secular Bible, complete with creation storyin this case, Darwinianand a promise of redemption if advances in communications and mans intelligence were allowed to minimize the scourge of nationalism by creating a world government led by the Samurai. Humanity, Wells said, had a common origin that allowed for a shared path toward its goal, which was to create and develop a common consciousness and a common stock of knowledge which may serve and illuminate reality. The recent war was the product of an educational breakdown in which the retrograde ideals of nationalism and patriotism had been allowed to metastasize. There can be no peace now, we realize, but a common peace in all the world, Wells wrote, no prosperity but a general prosperity. But there can be no common peace and prosperity without common historical ideas. The Outlines aim was to establish that common heritage, to forge the consciousness that merged the narrow globe of the individual experience into a wider being, a Jung-like shared identity as a species searching for the higher evolutionary path. In the future, Wells predicted, anticipating the liberationist ideas of the sixties, man will breathe sweetness and generosity and use his mind and hands cleanly and exactly. He will feel better, will be better, think better, see, taste, and hear better than men do now. His undersoul will no longer be a mutinous cavern of ill-treated suppressions and of impulses repressed without understanding. Golden youths would lead lives of deliciously complete sexual and emotional fulfillment. When Wells came to New York in 1921 to cover the Washington Naval Conference for the New York World and Londons Daily Mail, he was received, noted the respected radical Max Eastman, as reporter-judge. The widely shared sense of Wells as a priest-like teacher brought him, said Eastman, to his highest point at that momentous or meant to be momentous conference. At the disarmament talks, Wells received more deference than the major nationalities official delegates did. A banquet was tendered to him at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel by Ralph Pulitzer, the proprietor of the New York World, reported Eastman, and the outstanding dignitaries of the citylegal, political, financial, journalistic, literarywere invited to it. Over the next decade, Wells would meet with Presidents Harding and Hoover at the White House. But while he was still publicly lionized, his intellectual influence began to decline. Some liberals, disillusioned by the wars outcome and angered by the hysteria of the postwar Red Scare, saw in Wellss optimism the simplicities of a Fabian schoolmarm, as one critic put it, stuck in the hopeful years before the war. Soviet sympathizers similarly mocked him as the last of the Great Parlor Socialists. As the bootsteps of both fascism and Communism began stamping down his influence, Wells wrote a 1924 essay, The Spirit of Fascism: Is There Any Good in It at All? The answer: a resounding no. Moscow and Rome are alike in this, that they embody the rule of a minority conceited enough to believe that they have a clue to the tangled incoherencies of human life, and need only sufficiently terrorize criticism and opposition to achieve a general happiness, Wells wrote. As elitist as his rivals but nonetheless liberal, he explained that neither recognizes the enormously tentative quality of human institutions, and the tangled and scarcely explored difficulties in the path of social reconstruction. At the same time, both fascists and Communists were too democratic for Wells, having attained power, as he saw it, by an ill-advised appeal to the masses. The underlying fact in all these matters, he concluded, was that the common uneducated man is a violent fool in social and public affairs. Though Wells would always be critical of Marxism, he viewed the Soviet experiment as proof of his foresight. In What Are We to Do with Our Lives? (1931), he wrote, The idea of reorganizing the affairs of the world on quite a big scale, which was Utopian, and so forth, in 1926 and 1927, and still bold in 1928, has now spread about the world until nearly everybody has it. It has broken out all over the place, thanks largely to the mental stimulation of the Russian Five Year Plan. But drawing again on Marxs utopian predecessors, he promised an anodyne adaptation of Soviet central planning shorn of police-state thuggery. He called for a great central organization of economic science, which would necessarily produce direction; it would indicate what had best be done here, there, and everywhere. But it would not be an organization of will, imposing its will upon a recalcitrant race; it would be a direction, just as a map is a direction. A map, he explained, imposes no will on anyone, breaks no one in to its policy. And yet we obey our maps. The book fell flat. As one critic put it, Wells is the mostly highly imaginative human being living, but his intellect cant keep pace with his imagination. By 1932, a frustrated Wells found his superior wisdom bypassed time and again by the superior mass appeal of fascism and Communism. In a talk at Oxford provocatively titled Liberal Fascism, he called for liberalism to be born again. After his customary denunciation of parliamentary politics as an anachronism, he let out his frustrations, calling for fascist means to serve liberal ends by way of a liberal elite as conceited and as power-hungry as its rivals. I suggest that you study the reinvigoration of Catholicism by Loyola, Wells said. I am asking for a Liberal Fascisti. It was also to Communism that we shall have to turnwe outsiders, that is, the young people with foresight for enlightened Nazis; I am proposing that you consider the formation for a greater Communist Party; a western response to Russia. Wells thought he had found that Western response in 1934, when he met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and with key members of FDRs Brains Trust. My impression of both him and Mrs. Roosevelt, he wrote, is that they are unlimited people, entirely modern in the openness of their minds and the logic of their actions. Here, for a time at least, was another political hero with whom he could identify wholeheartedly. FDR was continually revolutionary in the new way without ever provoking a stark revolutionary crisis, wrote the ever-certain Wells. I do not say that the President has these revolutionary ideas in so elaborate and comprehensive a form as they have come to me, [but] unless I misjudge him, they will presently possess him altogether. Indeed, FDR was the most effective transmitting instrument possible for the coming of the new world order, and in Brains Trusters Raymond Moley, Felix Frankfurter, and Rex Tugwell, Wells found the nucleus of the new elite, those who were destined to take full power in time. Wells retained his judgment of FDR even after meeting with Stalin four months later in his capacity as president of Poets, Essayists, and Novelists (PEN), an international association dedicated to defending freedom of speech. Wells, noted Malcolm Cowley, the philo-Stalinist literary critic of The New Republic, was not an official figure, but when he met with Stalin, he spoke with the voice of Anglo-American liberalism. Seeking to outflank Stalin, he told the Soviet dictator, It seems to me that I am more to the Left than you. I think the old system is closer to the end than you think. Wells asked an unimpressed Stalin to abandon the class struggle on the grounds that the future lay with the Royal Society, the leading British academy, which had called scientific planning the best path to the future. Stalin, echoing Lenins earlier reaction to Wellsafter a friendly 1920 meeting, the revolutionary had found the seer incurably middle-classresponded with a lecture on the unavoidably bourgeois character of experts. Wells thought the loss of freedom for Russian writers was temporary and seemed to accept Stalins insistence that vigorous debate within the party took place. Despite Stalins impermeability, Wells concluded that I have never met a man more candid, fair and honest, and it is to these qualities and to nothing occult and sinister, that he owes his tremendous undisputed ascendancy in Russia. . . . No one is afraid of him and everyone trusts him. Wells summed up the differences between Washington and Moscow by arguing that the one is a receptive and coordinating brain center; the other is a concentrated and personal direction. The aim sought, a progressively more organized big-scale community, was precisely the same. The New Republic and The Nation were churning out similar conclusions weekly. Still, Wells placed his hopes for the future on FDR, not on Stalin. In 1935, he did a series of articles on the New Deal for Colliers, extolling FDRs program as a model for the world. But Wells had little new to say. He was still a major figure in America but no longer a major influence, and when eventually he soured on the New Deal as not having attained his exalted expectations, it was to scant effect. In Germany, of course, the eugenics and central planning that Wells touted soon led in directions that the futurist didnt anticipate. Wells attempted to explain away Hitler as the screaming little defective in Germanyan explanation for which George Orwell had only contempt. But Orwell nonetheless recognized Wellss extraordinary impact. I doubt whether anyone who was writing books between 1900 and 1920, at any rate in the English language, influenced the young so much, Orwell wrote. The minds of all of us . . . would be perceptibly different if Wells had never existed. Orwell was right. It was Wells who made it respectable, even before World War I, for liberals in England and America to demean their own native democratic culture in the name of an imagined antidemocratic World State. And it was Wells, with his stature as the prophet of the future, who taught upper-middle-class liberals that they were entitled to govern in the name of social evolution. Top Photo: A 1969 Brooke Bond collectors tea card depicting the author (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) In the worlds collective consciousness, the word Nazi is synonymous with evil. It is widely understood that the Nazis ideologynationalism, anti-Semitism, the autarkic ethnic state, the Fuhrer principleled directly to the furnaces of Auschwitz. It is not nearly as well understood that Communism led just as inexorably, everywhere on the globe where it was applied, to starvation, torture, and slave-labor camps. Nor is it widely acknowledged that Communism was responsible for the deaths of some 150 million human beings during the twentieth century. The world remains inexplicably indifferent and uncurious about the deadliest ideology in history. For evidence of this indifference, consider the unread Soviet archives. Pavel Stroilov, a Russian exile in London, has on his computer 50,000 unpublished, untranslated, top-secret Kremlin documents, mostly dating from the close of the Cold War. He stole them in 2003 and fled Russia. Within living memory, they would have been worth millions to the CIA; they surely tell a story about Communism and its collapse that the world needs to know. Yet he cant get anyone to house them in a reputable library, publish them, or fund their translation. In fact, he cant get anyone to take much interest in them at all. Then theres Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, who once spent 12 years in the USSRs prisons, labor camps, and psikhushkaspolitical psychiatric hospitalsafter being convicted of copying anti-Soviet literature. He, too, possesses a massive collection of stolen and smuggled papers from the archives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, which, as he writes, contain the beginnings and the ends of all the tragedies of our bloodstained century. These documents are available online at bukovsky-archives.net, but most are not translated. They are unorganized; there are no summaries; there is no search or index function. I offer them free of charge to the most influential newspapers and journals in the world, but nobody wants to print them, Bukovsky writes. Editors shrug indifferently: So what? Who cares? The originals of most of Stroilovs documents remain in the Kremlin archives, where, like most of the Soviet Unions top-secret documents from the post-Stalin era, they remain classified. They include, Stroilov says, transcripts of nearly every conversation between Gorbachev and his foreign counterpartshundreds of them, a near-complete diplomatic record of the era, available nowhere else. There are notes from the Politburo taken by Georgy Shakhnazarov, an aide of Gorbachevs, and by Politburo member Vadim Medvedev. There is the diary of Anatoly ChernyaevGorbachevs principal aide and deputy chief of the body formerly known as the Cominternwhich dates from 1972 to the collapse of the regime. There are reports, dating from the 1960s, by Vadim Zagladin, deputy chief of the Central Committees International Department until 1987 and then Gorbachevs advisor until 1991. Zagladin was both envoy and spy, charged with gathering secrets, spreading disinformation, and advancing Soviet influence. When Gorbachev and his aides were ousted from the Kremlin, they took unauthorized copies of these documents with them. The documents were scanned and stored in the archives of the Gorbachev Foundation, one of the first independent think tanks in modern Russia, where a handful of friendly and vetted researchers were given limited access to them. Then, in 1999, the foundation opened a small part of the archive to independent researchers, including Stroilov. The key parts of the collection remained restricted; documents could be copied only with the written permission of the author, and Gorbachev refused to authorize any copies whatsoever. But there was a flaw in the foundations security, Stroilov explained to me. When things went wrong with the computers, as often they did, he was able to watch the network administrator typing the password that gave access to the foundations network. Slowly and secretly, Stroilov copied the archive and sent it to secure locations around the world. When I first heard about Stroilovs documents, I wondered if they were forgeries. But in 2006, having assessed the documents with the cooperation of prominent Soviet dissidents and Cold War spies, British judges concluded that Stroilov was credible and granted his asylum request. The Gorbachev Foundation itself has since acknowledged the documents authenticity. Bukovskys story is similar. In 1992, President Boris Yeltsins government invited him to testify at the Constitutional Court of Russia in a case concerning the constitutionality of the Communist Party. The Russian State Archives granted Bukovsky access to its documents to prepare his testimony. Using a handheld scanner, he copied thousands of documents and smuggled them to the West. The Russian state cannot sue Stroilov or Bukovsky for breach of copyright, since the material was created by the Communist Party and the Soviet Union, neither of which now exists. Had he remained in Russia, however, Stroilov believes that he could have been prosecuted for disclosure of state secrets or treason. The military historian Igor Sutyagin is now serving 15 years in a hard-labor camp for the crime of collecting newspaper clippings and other open-source materials and sending them to a British consulting firm. The danger that Stroilov and Bukovsky faced was real and grave; they both assumed, one imagines, that the world would take notice of what they had risked so much to acquire. Stroilov claims that his documents tell a completely new story about the end of the Cold War. The commonly accepted version of history of that period consists of myths almost entirely. These documents are capable of ruining each of those myths. Is this so? I couldnt say. I dont read Russian. Of Stroilovs documents, I have seen only the few that have been translated into English. Certainly, they shouldnt be taken at face value; they were, after all, written by Communists. But the possibility that Stroilov is right should surely compel keen curiosity. For instance, the documents cast Gorbachev in a far darker light than the one in which he is generally regarded. In one document, he laughs with the Politburo about the USSRs downing of Korean Airlines flight 007 in 1983a crime that was not only monstrous but brought the world very near to nuclear Armageddon. These minutes from a Politburo meeting on October 4, 1989, are similarly disturbing: Lukyanov reports that the real number of casualties on Tiananmen Square was 3,000. Gorbachev: We must be realists. They, like us, have to defend themselves. Three thousands . . . So what? And a transcript of Gorbachevs conversation with Hans-Jochen Vogel, the leader of West Germanys Social Democratic Party, shows Gorbachev defending Soviet troops April 9, 1989, massacre of peaceful protesters in Tbilisi. Stroilovs documents also contain transcripts of Gorbachevs discussions with many Middle Eastern leaders. These suggest interesting connections between Soviet policy and contemporary trends in Russian foreign policy. Here is a fragment from a conversation reported to have taken place with Syrian president Hafez al-Assad on April 28, 1990: H. ASSAD. To put pressure on Israel, Baghdad would need to get closer to Damascus, because Iraq has no common borders with Israel. . . . M. S. GORBACHEV. I think so, too. . . . H. ASSAD. Israels approach is different, because the Judaic religion itself states: the land of Israel spreads from Nile to Euphrates and its return is a divine predestination. M. S. GORBACHEV. But this is racism, combined with Messianism! H. ASSAD. This is the most dangerous form of racism. One doesnt need to be a fantasist to wonder whether these discussions might be relevant to our understanding of contemporary Russian policy in a region of some enduring strategic significance. There are other ways in which the story that Stroilovs and Bukovskys papers tell isnt over. They suggest, for example, that the architects of the European integration project, as well as many of todays senior leaders in the European Union, were far too close to the USSR for comfort. This raises important questions about the nature of contemporary Europequestions that might be asked when Americans consider Europe as a model for social policy, or when they seek European diplomatic cooperation on key issues of national security. According to Zagladins reports, for example, Kenneth Coates, who from 1989 to 1998 was a British member of the European Parliament, approached Zagladin on January 9, 1990, to discuss what amounted to a gradual merger of the European Parliament and the Supreme Soviet. Coates, says Zagladin, explained that creating an infrastructure of cooperation between the two parliament[s] would help . . . to isolate the rightists in the European Parliament (and in Europe), those who are interested in the USSRs collapse. Coates served as chair of the European Parliaments Subcommittee on Human Rights from 1992 to 1994. How did it come to pass that Europe was taking advice about human rights from a man who had apparently wished to isolate those interested in the USSRs collapse and sought to extend Soviet influence in Europe? Or consider a report on Francisco Fernandez Ordonez, who led Spains integration into the European Community as its foreign minister. On March 3, 1989, according to these documents, he explained to Gorbachev that the success of perestroika means only one thingthe success of the socialist revolution in contemporary conditions. And that is exactly what the reactionaries dont accept. Eighteen months later, Ordonez told Gorbachev: I feel intellectual disgust when I have to read, for example, passages in the documents of G7 where the problems of democracy, freedom of human personality and ideology of market economy are set on the same level. As a socialist, I cannot accept such an equation. Perhaps most shockingly, the Eastern European press has reported that Stroilovs documents suggest that Francois Mitterrand was maneuvering with Gorbachev to ensure that Germany would unite as a neutral, socialist entity under a Franco-Soviet condominium. Zagladins records also note that the former leader of the British Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, approached Gorbachevunauthorized, while Kinnock was leader of the oppositionthrough a secret envoy to discuss the possibility of halting the United Kingdoms Trident nuclear-missile program. The minutes of the meeting between Gorbachev and the envoy, MP Stuart Holland, read as follows: In [Hollands] opinion, Soviet Union should be very interested in liquidation of Tridents because, apart from other things, the Westmeaning the US, Britain and Francewould have a serious advantage over the Soviet Union after the completion of START treaty. That advantage will need to be eliminated. . . . At the same time Holland noted that, of course, we can seriously think about realisation of that idea only if the Labour comes to power. He said Thatcher . . . would never agree to any reduction of nuclear armaments. Kinnock was vice president of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004, and his wife, Glenys, is now Britains minister for Europe. Gerard Batten, a member of the UK Independence Party, has noted the significance of the episode. If the report given to Mr. Gorbachev is true, it means that Lord Kinnock approached one of Britains enemies in order to seek approval regarding his partys defense policy and, had he been elected, Britains defense policy, Batten said to the European Parliament in 2009. If this report is true, then Lord Kinnock would be guilty of treason. Similarly, Baroness Catherine Ashton, who is now the European Unions foreign minister, was treasurer of Britains Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament from 1980 to 1982. The papers offer evidence that this organization received unidentified income from the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Stroilovs papers suggest as well that the government of the current Spanish EU commissioner for economic and monetary affairs, Joaquin Almunia, enthusiastically supported the Soviet project of gradually unifying Germany and Europe into a socialist common European home and strongly opposed the independence of the Baltic states and then of Ukraine. Perhaps it doesnt surprise you to read that prominent European politicians held these views. But why doesnt it? It is impossible to imagine that figures who had enjoyed such close ties to the Nazi Partyor, for that matter, to the Ku Klux Klan or to South Africas apartheid regimewould enjoy top positions in Europe today. The rules are different, apparently, for Communist fellow travelers. We now have the EU unelected socialist party running Europe, Stroilov said to me. Bet the KGB cant believe it. And what of Zagladins description of his dealings with our own current vice president in 1979? Unofficially, [Senator Joseph] Biden and [Senator Richard] Lugar said that, in the end of the day, they were not so much concerned with having a problem of this or that citizen solved as with showing to the American public that they do care for human rights. . . . In other words, the collocutors directly admitted that what is happening is a kind of a show, that they absolutely do not care for the fate of most so-called dissidents. Remarkably, the world has shown little interest in the unread Soviet archives. That paragraph about Biden is a good example. Stroilov and Bukovsky coauthored a piece about it for the online magazine FrontPage on October 10, 2008; it passed without remark. Americans considered the episode so uninteresting that even Bidens political opponents didnt try to turn it into political capital. Imagine, if you can, what it must feel like to have spent the prime of your life in a Soviet psychiatric hospital, to know that Joe Biden is now vice president of the United States, and to know that no one gives a damn. Bukovskys book about the story that these documents tell, Jugement a Moscou, has been published in French, Russian, and a few other Slavic languages, but not in English. Random House bought the manuscript and, in Bukovskys words, tried to force me to rewrite the whole book from the liberal left political perspective. Bukovsky replied that due to certain peculiarities of my biography I am allergic to political censorship. The contract was canceled, the book was never published in English, and no other publisher has shown interest in it. Neither has anyone wanted to publish EUSSR, a pamphlet by Stroilov and Bukovsky about the Soviet roots of European integration. In 2004, a very small British publisher did print an abbreviated version of the pamphlet; it, too, passed unnoticed. Stroilov has a long list of complaints about journalists who have initially shown interest in the documents, only to tell him later that their editors have declared the story insignificant. In advance of Gorbachevs visit to Germany for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Stroilov says, he offered the German press the documents depicting Gorbachev unflatteringly. There were no takers. In France, news about the documents showing Mitterrands and Gorbachevs plans to turn Germany into a dependent socialist state prompted a few murmurs of curiosity, nothing more. Bukovskys vast collection about Soviet sponsorship of terrorism, Palestinian and otherwise, remains largely unpublished. Stroilov says that he and Bukovsky approached Jonathan Brent of Yale University Press, which is leading a publishing project on the history of the Cold War. He claims that initially Brent was enthusiastic and asked him to write a book, based on the documents, about the first Gulf War. Stroilov says that he wrote the first six chapters, sent them off, and never heard from Brent again, despite sending him e-mail after e-mail. I can only speculate what so much frightened him in that book, Stroilov wrote to me. Ive also asked Brent and received no reply. This doesnt mean anything; people are busy. I am less inclined to believe in complex attempts to suppress the truth than I am in indifference and preoccupation with other things. Stroilov sees in these events a kind of a taboo, the vague common understanding in the Establishment that it is better to let sleeping dogs lie, not to throw stones in a house of glass, and not to mention a rope in the house of a hanged man. I suspect it is something even more disturbing: no one much cares. I know the time will come, Stroilov says, when the world has to look at those documents very carefully. We just cannot escape this. We have no way forward until we face the truth about what happened to us in the twentieth century. Even now, no matter how hard we try to ignore history, all these questions come back to us time and again. The questions come back time and again, it is true, but few remember that they have been asked before, and few remember what the answer looked like. No one talks much about the victims of Communism. No one erects memorials to the throngs of people murdered by the Soviet state. (In his widely ignored book, A Century of Violence in Soviet Russia, Alexander Yakovlev, the architect of perestroika under Gorbachev, puts the number at 30 to 35 million.) Indeed, many still subscribe to the essential tenets of Communist ideology. Politicians, academics, students, even the occasional autodidact taxi driver still stand opposed to private property. Many remain enthralled by schemes for central economic planning. Stalin, according to polls, is one of Russias most popular historical figures. No small number of young people in Istanbul, where I live, proudly describe themselves as Communists; I have met such people around the world, from Seattle to Calcutta. We rightly insisted upon total denazification; we rightly excoriate those who now attempt to revive the Nazis ideology. But the world exhibits a perilous failure to acknowledge the monstrous history of Communism. These documents should be translated. They should be housed in a reputable library, properly cataloged, and carefully assessed by scholars. Above all, they should be well-known to a public that seems to have forgotten what the Soviet Union was really about. If they contain what Stroilov and Bukovsky sayand all the evidence Ive seen suggests that they dothis is the obligation of anyone who gives a damn about history, foreign policy, and the scores of millions dead. Top Photo by John van Hasselt/Sygma via Getty Images Oklahoma City, OK (73106) Today Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 59F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 59F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. A.O. Centrul de Drept al Femeilor anunta concurs pentru selectarea unei Coordonatoare/ Coordonator de proiect Downside Up, a charity which boasts the prime minister, Boris Johnson, as a patron has received grants to support its work from a fund set up by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. In the last three years the charity, which is registered with the Charity Commission, has received just under 385,000 from the Presidential Grant Fund to fund projects supporting children and their families around Russia. Last week the Charity Commission advised charities to consider reputational risks associated with donors, in light of the invasion of Ukraine. The regulator has now opened a compliance case into Downside Up. A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: We are aware that Downside Up operates in Russia and has received funds from the Russian government. We have opened a case to engage with the trustees. Downside Up said it was wholly apolitical and is co-operating with the Commission and claims that money raised in Russia is handled by a separate legal entity. Well-connected charity According to its website, Downside Up was founded in the 1990s by Jeremy Barnes, his sister Veronique and some friends including Martin Thomas, who nearly became the chair of the Charity Commission last year. Barnes, Garrett and Thomas are still three of the four trustees. The fourth is based in Russia and runs the charity. City Hall records show that back in 2013, Thomas, in his capacity as a trustee of Downside Up, gifted Johnson, then mayor of London, a Takema watch. Downside Ups website includes a testimonial from Johnson, which says: Downside Up continues to be an absolute inspiration to all its fantastic that they are now widely seen as an internationally recognised organisation. When asked if he planned to continue as a patron, a spokesperson for Johnson said: The prime minister has a number of charitable patronages which are all declared in his list of ministerial interests. This charity supports neglected children with Downs Syndrome in Russia. As patron, he has no executive role in this charity and any grants this charity receives are completely independent from his patronage. The government has been clear to distinguish the actions of the Putin regime from everyday Russians in this case, children with disabilities. The charity also lists Cherie Blair, the wife of former prime minister Tony Blair, as a patron. A spokesperson for Blair said she had not been involved since 2007. Funding In the past three financial years the charitys accounts, as filed with the Commission, declare a series of grants from the Presidential Grants Fund. This fund supports many NGOs in Russia and there are multiple funding rounds each year. Downside Ups 2020 accounts say: Project Prevention financed by Presidential Grants Fund is established in November 2018 to promote the prevention of abandonment of children with Down Syndrome by providing regular comprehensive psychological and pedagogical support to parents of children with Down Syndrome at an early age. The charitys total income for 2020 was around 2m and government income amounted to 264,000. Civil Society News has so far been unable to identify any other UK-registered charities receiving funding from the Russian government. Wholly apolitical Civil Society News asked the charity if it would accept funding from the fund in the future. In response, the Downside Up posted a statement on its website. This emphasised the good work the charity does, and said: We have reached the point where we interact in some way with the lives of over 50% of all children in Russia born with Downs Syndrome. The statement said the charity said it is wholly apolitical. It is, like other charities with beneficiaries in Russia, wrestling urgently with what, if anything, it can do to continue to support those beneficiaries in the current situation, the statement added. The charity confirmed that it was in touch with the Commission, and said: We will of course be cooperating fully with them [the Commission]. It is worth noting that Downside Ups work in Russia is undertaken by a separate legal entity and monies donated in Russia to that Russian charity do not come via Downside Up. sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Just three out of 100 UK grantmakers assessed on their public disclosures on diversity, transparency and accountability as part of a groundbreaking new study, scored the highest possible mark, an A. The Foundation Practice Rating, instigated by Friends Provident Foundation (FPF) and funded by it and nine other foundations, publishes its first-year findings exclusively in Governance & Leadership magazine today. The project examines grantmakers performance on their approach to transparency, accountability, and staff and trustee diversity. The research was carried out by Giving Evidence. The research was carried out without foundations permission and those assessed had no influence over the findings. Because the researchers relied entirely on publicly-available information, the research relates only to what a foundation discloses, which could be different to what it actually does. The intention is to encourage foundations to think harder about how they present themselves and where they can improve their standards in the three areas. The 100-strong sample comprised all 10 funders of the project, the UKs five largest UK foundations by grant budget, and a stratified subset of other foundations, drawn at random from those foundations that featured in the Giving Trends report 2019 produced by the Association of Charitable Foundations, plus the UKs community foundations. Only three foundations received an A overall: Wellcome, the Blagrave Trust and the County Durham Community Foundation. The variations in size and activity of these three led FPF director Danielle Walker-Palmour to conclude that good practice is not dependent on any one structure or size. Some 41 foundations scored B overall; 28 scored C; and 28 scored D. In general, the sampled trusts scored best on transparency and worst on diversity. The researchers attempted to measure the diversity of the foundations staff and trustees in relation to gender, ethnicity and disability, but there was so little data available that they abandoned this ambition. Only four of the 100 foundations Wellcome, Barrow Cadbury Trust, Power to Change and Comic Relief publish a breakdown of the diversity of their staff, and just 14 had a staff diversity plan. Ten foundations had a diversity plan for their boards but only Rhodes Trust published any sort of current trustee diversity breakdown. (Those trusts with the smallest staff teams and trustee boards were exempted from the criteria on diversity). Only a third of the sample published any analysis of their own impact, even though most require this of the organisations they fund. Walker-Palmour said the results confirmed the project teams suspicions that the sector had plenty of work to do to improve its performance in the three areas investigated. We and our fellow foundations need to consider not just the content of our grant programmes but also how we communicate with those we support, how accessible our processes are to those in need, and how our governance reflects the world around us. From the positive responses we have had thus far we are hopeful that next years Foundation Practice Rating will show a marked improvement. The research did not examine what the foundations actually fund. It did not look at issues such as how well foundations capture views from a diverse set of stakeholders to inform their work, nor the diversity of the work they fund. Walker-Palmour explained: This is because examining foundation practices is difficult enough, at least for the first year. So, there could be a foundation with poor disclosure and undiverse staff, which actually finds very diverse organisations and activities. We recognise this as a potential issue and may return to it in future years. Read the full report on civilsociety.co.uk Find out more about the project at www.foundationpracticerating.org.uk. The full results will be presented at an online event at 2pm on 22 March. Sign up to attend for free here . sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, More than a decade of austerity and a global pandemic have exacerbated and shone a brighter light on inequality in our communities. This is driving a growing demand for charitable services that has now reached levels rarely seen before. In the past, funding from charitable foundations was more often the icing on the charity sectors cake. It was civil societys risk capital, more able to fund innovation and new ideas, be experimental and willing to learn from failure. Foundations are now more likely to be funding bread and butter services as the state withdraws and the number of people giving to charity declines. Previously, it would have been almost unheard of for a foundation to fund core public services such as libraries, food banks or legal representation. For many foundations, this is now becoming the norm. As a result, foundation resources are increasingly precious civil societys treasure, as I once heard them called. They are also more competed for than ever, with many charities that previously relied on public giving or government contracts now turning towards foundations as a potential source of income. While the foundation sectors own giving is on the rise and at a record high, this hasnt been able to keep pace with demand. As a result, the proportion of charities applying for funding that are unsuccessful is increasing. 'Foundations must strive to be their best selves' In this context, its more vital than ever that foundations strive to be their best selves. For the last three years, the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) has been working with our members to identify and promote 40 pillars of practice through an initiative called Stronger Foundations the largest foundation engagement project globally to date. More than 100 foundation representatives were initially involved in six working groups to identify what ambitious and effective practice looks like, across areas as broad as diversity, transparency, strategy, funding practices, impact and investment. Over the last year, ACF members have been assessing themselves against the pillars. It turns out that foundations are harsh critics of their own practice, and more than willing to call themselves out for falling short of the high bar they aspire to reach. Encouragingly, a new report published by ACF found that a growing number of our members are pursuing ambitious and effective practice, driven by a desire to make the most of their resources that are increasingly in demand. Accelerated by the turmoil of the last two years, foundations are seeking to strengthen their governance, be more transparent, reduce the burden on grantees and improve their staff and board diversity. The report, Becoming Stronger Foundations, showcases more than 50 practical examples of how ACF members are putting into action the pillars of practice from ACFs Stronger Foundations initiative. More than half of the examples are from smaller foundations awarding less than 1m a year in grants, showing that no type or size of foundation has a monopoly on being ambitious and effective. Pillars of practice All foundations reported areas where they had further distance to travel, as well as at least one area where they felt they were at an advanced stage. Foundations were likely to consider themselves more advanced on issues related to funding practices, engagement and strategy. Most felt they were just getting started or making some progress in areas of investment and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which were also the areas where foundations had the most ambitious plans for future progress. Examples of actions shared by ACF members include encouraging anonymous feedback from grantees, offering more flexible funding, speaking in public about key issues affecting civil society, introducing targets for board diversity, publishing details about their investments and including people with lived experience in strategy development. Pandemic emphasised the need for resilience Our chief executive, Carol Mack OBE, commended the report to everyone working in the foundation sector: Many ACF members have told us that the pandemic offered a stark reminder of why being a stronger foundation is so important. Perhaps more than ever, foundations are seeking to ensure that all their resources achieve as much impact as possible for the causes and communities they serve. Amid a pandemic that put unprecedented demand on their people and resources, foundations across the UK from the very largest and most well-resourced, to those that are small and volunteer-run continued to improve their practice and achieve even greater impact. This report celebrates these efforts and aims to inspire all ACF members to find ways to become stronger foundations in the years ahead. ACF hopes the report will inspire all foundations to pursue the Stronger Foundations pillars of practice. Weve invited all our members to give the self-assessment tool a try and use it on an annual basis to measure progress towards becoming stronger foundations. Its perhaps never been more important that they achieve this goal. Max Rutherford is head of policy and practice at the Association of Charitable Foundations Civil Society Voices is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say. Find out more about contributing and how to get in touch. is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say. Sahar Merzaie used to work in social media at the BBC. At twenty-eight, she lived alone in Kabul, had male friends, and even modeled for a photographer. I wanted to change the culture, Merzaie, who worked at BBC Media Action, said through a translator. I wanted to show people that women can do things, that women can go work outside the home. Even before the Taliban returned to power this August, there had been threats. Its okay that youre shaking hands with me, that youre being photographed, people would tell her. But just wait for the Taliban. As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, a friend who worked for the Wall Street Journal put Merzaie on a list of reporters, translators, and news assistants to be evacuated. On August 15, 2021, the day the Taliban took control of the city, her friend called and told her to rush to the airport. When she arrived, it was chaos. There was no flight for her. Merzaie went back to the airport the next day, and the next. Finally, on August 18, she joined a group of Afghan journalists, activists, women, and children on a Ukrainian military cargo plane. Merzaie had no belongings, only her phone. I had no idea about Ukraine, said Merzaie. I didnt know anything about the country. The passengers sat grounded on the runway for four days, waiting for more Ukrainian citizens to arrive. They hardly ate or drank, because there was no bathroom and they were terrified to leave the plane and miss the flight. It took off on August 21, carrying thirty-one Ukrainians and fifty-two Afghans to Kyiv. Related: Reporting on Americas longest war By the end of August, according to Ukrainian officials, the country rescued more than six hundred journalists like Merzaie from Afghanistan. After two weeks in a Hyatt Hotel with the Wall Street Journal team, Merzaie needed to find her own place to stay. She asked around for help, but had no money for rent. A man named Mark let her live in his apartment while he left for London. She borrowed a baggy coat from his closet for warmth. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Merzaie had hoped to fly from Ukraine to Canada with the group of reporters from the Journal who left Afghanistan together. After two months, they left without her. She felt abandoned. A representative for the Journal declined to comment on the record. Without a visa, Merzaie couldnt legally stay in Ukraine for more than three months. But it was also difficult to leave without a visaand without money. I was living in limbo, she said. She missed her parents and siblings in Afghanistan. In Kyiv, people spoke of war but didnt seem to take it seriously. Merzaie did. I was constantly thinking about experiencing another war, she said. Every sound scared her. She had nightmares and lost her appetite. How am I going to survive in another war zone when I dont speak the language, when I dont know how anything works here? she thought. On February 24, Russia launched its attack. I fled one war, and I was trapped in another. Related: What happened to Afghanistans journalists after the government collapsed Recently, Merzaie awoke to the sound of an air raid siren. A few minutes later, she got a call from another group of foreign correspondents from the Journal. They told her to come to their hotelit was safer than an apartment. When she arrived, they went down to a bunker. The sound and everything made me think of explosions in Afghanistan, Merzaie said. The next morning, the reporters arranged for three Toyota Corollas to drive them to Poland. Ten people crammed inside with their luggage. But compared with the escape from Kabul, Merzaie said, the three-day drive to Poland was like a vacation. There was food and water. They slept in the cars one night and in hostels the others. On March 1, they arrived in Lublin, Poland. It was the happiest moment of my life to get to know that I am not in danger anymore, said Merzaie. She plans to seek asylum in Germany. I may live a longer life. I might have a future. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Caleb Pershan is a CJR fellow. Healthcare personnel work at makeshift COVID-19 isolation facilities in the San Tin area of Hong Kong, March 11. AP-Yonhap Low vaccination rate among elderly attributed to surge in deaths in HK, while easing of distancing measures cited for Korea's soaring cases By Kim Bo-eun HONG KONG Using different approaches, Hong Kong and South Korea managed to keep COVID cases mostly under control until late last year. In fact, they did such a good job that the two countries were referred to as success cases of curbing the virus without resorting to draconian measures such as lockdowns, which wreak havoc on the economy. But the number of infection cases has shot up in both places in recent months, along with the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant. On Wednesday, South Korea's new daily cases hit an all-time high of 621,328 a 55-percent surge in just one day. Deaths came to a record 429 on the same day. Korea ranked first in the world in the number of daily new cases per 1 million as of Tuesday, As of Tuesday, Hong Kong had by far the largest number of daily confirmed deaths per 1 million people at 37.64, data from the same source showed. Hong Kong had imposed strict measures to curb the spread of the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, such as a 21-day quarantine for people arriving in the city from overseas, tight management of the border, limits on gatherings, required face masks and immediate contact tracing and quarantining for confirmed local cases. These measures had worked in the city-state for the past four waves, but their effectiveness broke down during the fifth wave that unfolded in December. The highly transmissible Omicron variant overrode even tightened distancing rules introduced in January, such as the closing of restaurants at 6 p.m. The variant took a toll especially among the elderly, which account for a fifth of Hong Kong's population. Government data show that people aged 65 and above accounted for 18.4 percent of the population of 7.5 million as of 2019. People in Hong Kong were more vulnerable to Omicron infections due to the low vaccination rate at the beginning of the territory's fifth wave. Senior citizens had shunned getting jabbed as Hong Kong up until then had successfully kept the virus out, and concerns had mounted over possible side effects from the vaccinations, amid high levels of public distrust in the government. These conditions set the backdrop for a rapid spread of the Omicron variant among the elderly, who, by that time, were unable to get immediate access to medical services as hospitals in the city had already reached full capacity, due to most infected people having been admitted. The Hong Kong government, which had been slow to see the surge in Omicron infections coming, had not prepared hospitals to prioritize the elderly and severe cases. "Death rates were expected as low vaccination rates among the elderly, low rates of prior infection and an overwhelmed healthcare system converged to create a perfect storm," Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical assistant professor in Hong Kong University's Department of Microbiology, wrote on Twitter earlier this month. By Kim Bo-eunHONG KONG Using different approaches, Hong Kong and South Korea managed to keep COVID cases mostly under control until late last year. In fact, they did such a good job that the two countries were referred to as success cases of curbing the virus without resorting to draconian measures such as lockdowns, which wreak havoc on the economy.But the number of infection cases has shot up in both places in recent months, along with the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.On Wednesday, South Korea's new daily cases hit an all-time high of 621,328 a 55-percent surge in just one day. Deaths came to a record 429 on the same day. Korea ranked first in the world in the number of daily new cases per 1 million as of Tuesday, according to figures from Our Word in Data. As of Tuesday, Hong Kong had by far the largest number of daily confirmed deaths per 1 million people at 37.64, data from the same source showed.Hong Kong had imposed strict measures to curb the spread of the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, such as a 21-day quarantine for people arriving in the city from overseas, tight management of the border, limits on gatherings, required face masks and immediate contact tracing and quarantining for confirmed local cases.These measures had worked in the city-state for the past four waves, but their effectiveness broke down during the fifth wave that unfolded in December. The highly transmissible Omicron variant overrode even tightened distancing rules introduced in January, such as the closing of restaurants at 6 p.m. The variant took a toll especially among the elderly, which account for a fifth of Hong Kong's population. Government data show that people aged 65 and above accounted for 18.4 percent of the population of 7.5 million as of 2019.People in Hong Kong were more vulnerable to Omicron infections due to the low vaccination rate at the beginning of the territory's fifth wave. Senior citizens had shunned getting jabbed as Hong Kong up until then had successfully kept the virus out, and concerns had mounted over possible side effects from the vaccinations, amid high levels of public distrust in the government.These conditions set the backdrop for a rapid spread of the Omicron variant among the elderly, who, by that time, were unable to get immediate access to medical services as hospitals in the city had already reached full capacity, due to most infected people having been admitted.The Hong Kong government, which had been slow to see the surge in Omicron infections coming, had not prepared hospitals to prioritize the elderly and severe cases."Death rates were expected as low vaccination rates among the elderly, low rates of prior infection and an overwhelmed healthcare system converged to create a perfect storm," Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical assistant professor in Hong Kong University's Department of Microbiology, wrote on Twitter earlier this month. Workers move bodies from a truck into a refrigerated shipping container outside of a public mortuary in Hong Kong, China, March 11. Refrigerated shipping containers have been set up outside some mortuaries as Hong Kong struggles to cope with rising deaths due to COVID-19. EPA-Yonhap As of Thursday, 91.3 percent of Hong Kong's residents have received their first vaccine dose, 81 percent the second and 35.1 percent the third. But Hong Kong's battle against the virus is far from over. Kwok Kin-on, an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, projected that the daily number of new cases would not drop to around 1,000 until late May, and that it would then take another month to fall to about 100. The government had initially planned a mainland-style universal testing of the population this month as a means to identify infections and prevent further spread, but postponed it to focus on the pending task of reducing deaths and serious cases. People line up to get tested for COVID-19 at a testing center near Seoul Station, March 13. Newsis This column is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration cofounded by CJR and The Nation to strengthen coverage of the climate story. The author is CCNows deputy director. Last week, on the prank and frat-culture podcast Full Send, special guest Donald Trump was asked about the war in Ukraine and how he predicts it will unfold. Well, and I said this a long time ago, the former president began, if this happens, we are playing right into their hands. Green energy. The windmills dont work. Theyre too expensive. They kill all the birds. They ruin your landscapes. And yet the environmentalists love the windmills. It was a jarring non sequitur, but it served a purpose. Since even before Russias formal invasion of Ukraine commenced, the political right has used the conflict and attendant energy crisis as platforms to excoriate Democratic energy policies and vilify climate action. Pointing to gas prices, which have reached record highs in recent weeks, theyve blamed Joe Biden for, in their words, banning domestic fossil fuel production and specifically killing the Keystone XL pipeline. Summoning ghosts of slogans past, the solution to rising energy prices, they say, is to drill, baby, drill. These talking points, in addition to being the new subjects of Republican political advertising, have featured prominently in right-wing mediaFox News, the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal opinion section, and all the rest. Theyve received a boost, too, however, from more reputable outlets, many of which have credulously reported Republicans charges against the president as little more than routine partisan bickering. Thats unfortunate, because almost all the claims are misleading, at best, or outright false. First of all, the reason gas prices are high, experts say, is primarily attributable to the coronavirus pandemic. Oil production plummeted amid global lockdowns, and as society has reopened, new production, which involves many labor- and time-intensive processes, has simply not kept pace with rising demand. Further, and contrary to popular understanding, since Russias war in Ukraine began, global oil supplies have remained steadyrising gas prices are due to energy traders, whose dealings are largely unregulated, anticipating a future supply reduction, Antonia Juhasz, an investigative journalist and energy expert, explained recently on Democracy Now! As employees of the fossil fuel industry, traders have an incentive to boost profits when possible, and against the backdrop of war thats exactly what theyve done. U.S. oil companies could be asked to limit gasoline price spikes to demonstrate a desire not to profit off of #RussiaWarOnUkraine, Juhasz wrote on Twitter. Alternatively, they could be told not to pass the price spike onto consumers by federal and state governments. These things arent happening, though, and thus the current average price for a gallon of gasoline is well over four dollars. As for Keystone XL, even if Biden had not shuttered the project, construction would not have been complete until at least 2023; American imports of Canadian crude oil are up anyway, only transported across the border by different means. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The president, for his part, has done no such thing as ban fossil fuel production at home. Yes, Biden has said the Russia-Ukraine conflict highlights the necessity of a clean energy transitionas have many expertsin that the West would have stronger tools to limit Russias aggression were Europe in particular less dependent on Russian fossil fuels. But for all his touting of renewables, Biden in fact granted more oil and gas drilling permits in the first year of his administration than Trump did in any of his four. Jennifer Granholm, Bidens energy secretary, has repeatedly urged oil executives in the US to drill more (rig counts up, she told them in December). The reason domestic production remains low, CNN reported, is due to labor and supply shortagesand the fact that executives, at a time of record profits, have chosen to prioritize shareholder payouts above expensive new production. So, all of that said, a lot of the fossil fuel boosterism on display from industry representatives and their friends in government may be more rhetorical ploy than reality, as Somini Sengupta wrote recently in the New York Times. There are labor and supply chain constraints, and, anyway, drilling for more oil and gas in the United States now would do nothing to bring down prices in the short term. The Times has been among several outlets to cut through the noise in recent weeks, evidenced by this notably direct headline: Republicans Wrongly Blame Biden for Rising Gas Prices. Voxs Rebecca Leber was also on point with an explainer that unpacks and debunks the energy-related myths that dominate right-wing talking points. There are many problems with these claims, and the stakes of this conversation are very high, Leber wrote. The way western Europe and the US respond to this crisis could determine the course on climate change and energy costs in the long run. Strong work like this was counterweighted, however, by clumsier coverage elsewhere. Headlines like GOP blames Biden for gas prices after pushing for Russian oil ban (ABC News) and Republicans cheer Russian oil ban and jeer Biden for rising gas prices (NBC News)pointed out by Jennifer Rubin in the Washington Postgave credence to Republican messaging while also reducing a complex and, for many, personal topic to a political spit fight. To boot, on television news programs, Rubin observed, many hosts and anchors were failing to push back on guests making verifiably false claims. A quick search yielded similar problems in Politico, The Hill, Forbes, and many other outlets. Not all these stories skipped over expertise entirely, but in most the facts of Americas energy situation were buried well beneath the political back-and-forth. In some cases, even outlets aiming to set the record straight struggled. A handful of local news stations, for example, ran with some version of the question Will opening the Keystone pipeline lower gas prices? These articles were well-intentioned and answered, unambiguously, No, but disinformation experts advise that open-ended framing like this, given that many people will never read past the headline, tends to reinforce the false narrative. Why does all this matter? Set aside for a moment journalists responsibility to be honest moderators of American political discourse. In late February, just after Russia invaded Ukraine, a major new report by the UN warned that climate change is advancing rapidly and might soon outpace humanitys ability to adapt, unless we halt fossil fuel consumption and rein in other sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The report had its moment in the headlines, but as bombs fell over Kyiv and Russian troops advanced farther into Ukraine, understandably it faded from the news cycle. The fact remains, however, that humanity has vanishingly little time to implement far-reaching change if it hopes to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius and thereby avoid the worst climate impacts. For the foreseeable future, every government decision related to fossil fuels and clean energy carries direct implications for our collective climate fortunes. For journalists, then, clarity and accuracy on these subjects arent just journalistic best practicestheyre existential imperatives. We should leave cynical politics to the politicians; even in the context of a frightening new war, this is a climate change story. Much coverage of the current energy debate has not mentioned climate at all. And journalists worried that accuracy here might result in the appearance of partisan bias should rest easy. Planetary survival isnt a question of Republicans and Democratsto be certain, its not only politicians on the right pushing dubious energy policies. Disinformation in the climate space is challenging enough already; for a long time, journalists fell for it, contributing in no small part to humanitys current predicament. At this critical juncture, lets stop doing favors for those willing to argue in bad faith. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Andrew McCormick is an independent journalist and former CJR Delacorte Fellow. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the South China Morning Post, and more. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewMcCormck. Last August, amid the Islamic Republic of Afghanistans swift fall to the Taliban, coverage in Western media was breathless. For months, the writing had been on the wall. Even so, as Afghan civilians scrambled to the Kabul airport and Taliban fighters danced in the street, newscasts exploded with righteous outrage. Commentators framed the events as a sudden and profound indictment of US foreign policyas though a two-decade war werent indictment enough. How could this happen? so many newspaper columns demanded. Often, the story was contorted to fit political narratives: anchors puzzled at the implications for US midterm elections fifteen months away, while the consequences for Afghans, by comparison, were an afterthought. As a veteran of the warI deployed twice to Afghanistan, in 2013 and 2014, as an intelligence officer with special operations unitsI found it all exhausting. The actual news from Afghanistan interested me. The performative indignation and Beltway-centric navel-gazing did not. Through the flurry of Twitter takes, though, I did find some refuge in the quieter reflections of fellow veterans. If punditry traffics in gross generalizationobscuring in this case what is most true about war, which is that its rich with ambiguitythese pieces, published as op-eds and personal essays, opted for humility at the disaster unfolding on our television screens. Content to share small truths gleaned from their own, knowingly narrow experience, the authors shined helpful light on the wars incomprehensible whole. I left the military in 2017 to become a journalist, and the more work like this I read, the more I wondered how reporters whod covered the Afghan war firsthand were processing the moment. Never mind the noise that pervades much Afghanistan coverage: from the outset of the US-led war, journalists have covered the country and the conflict there in impressive, often damning detail. Of those whose work I admire in particular, most spent far more time in the country, dedicating more of their lives to the Afghan project, than many of the veterans I know who served there. So, for CJR, I spoke with journalists who reported from Afghanistan, at different times during the war and for a wide variety of outlets. I wanted to know: What memories from Afghanistan stood out to these journalists? In hindsight, what had they gotten right or wrong in their coverage? And did the wars grim end, as it did for many veterans, recast to them the work theyd done there? Related: What happened to Afghanistans journalists after the government collapsed Together, their input forms a history of sorts about the wars coverage in Western media. In it, there are lessons for journalistsabout whose stories we choose to tell, how the outlets we work for deploy resources, and how our perspectives come to shape the events we cover. But the main point is simpler than that. It is only to ask and understand: What was it like to report on Americas longest war? Sign up for CJR 's daily email These accounts have been edited and condensed for clarity. KATHY GANNON Kathy Gannon has reported from Afghanistan since 1986. She is the news director for Afghanistan and Pakistan for the Associated Press and author of I Is for Infidel (2005). In 2014, Gannon was wounded in an attack by an Afghan police officer that killed her colleague, AP photographer Anja Niedringhaus. Gannon underwent eighteen surgeries and then returned to her reporting. She lives in Islamabad. I started covering Afghanistan when the Soviets were there, before the US began supplying Stinger missiles to the mujahideen. I was a freelancer and then a stringer and eventually a local hire for the AP. From Peshawar, Pakistan, I would travel with the different mujahideen groups across the border into Afghanistan. These were the guys being courted by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US. Many of them are now warlords or Taliban, except those who died. That was a bizarre time. There were a lot of journalists there and also a lot of spies pretending to be journalistsKGB, CIA. I moved to Islamabad in 1988, just before the military dictator Mohammad Zia ul-Haq was killed in a plane crash and Benazir Bhutto came to power. Ive been covering Afghanistan and Pakistan ever since. Afghans are very genuine, in every sense of the wordwhich, incidentally, has always been a very opposite characteristic from their leadership. I think its the sincerity of Afghans hospitality and desire to engage that, for me, was always so compelling and kept me coming back. In many ways, too, Afghans are so invisible to the world. Its not that people dont listen to them, but their voices are really a whisper compared to those of their leaders and the narratives in Washington, London, and Ottawa. I feel that if people would have been talking to Afghans, going to the villages and listening to what they were saying, the situation today wouldnt be such a surprise. On September 11, I was in Kabul, upstairs in the AP office with a friend from the French newspaper Le Monde. We looked at each other and we said, Thats it. The world as we know it is over. We didnt know how or in what direction, but we knew this was going to mobilize the world. In the months that followed, what struck me about the press coverage was this very explicit sense of right and wrong. I was truly surprised at the way all these journalists coming inyou know, you work in the field for years and then suddenly youre in the middle of a big storyseemed to have taken sides. There was a press conference, for example, three days after the Taliban left Kabul, given by a Talib who had stayed behind. This was a man who, earlier that year, when the Taliban had destroyed the famous Buddha statues in Bamiyan Province, said it was like theyd cut the throat of their own son. In his view, the Buddhas were part of Afghans history. He was no progressive, but thats to say that every regime or government is not a monolith. And the tone of the questions at this press conferencesomebody asked him if he should be tried as a war criminal. I mean, who asks that kind of question? I thought, Wait a minute, were journalists. Who the hell made us judge and jury? These journalists hadnt been there during the Taliban regime. How did they know the reality of it? Was the Taliban good? No! Women couldnt work. Girls couldnt go to school. They were cutting peoples hands off. I covered all those stories. But keep in mind, the Northern Alliance that had been the opposition to the Taliban, whose leaders were now coming in with the US-led coalitionmany of them also had a history of killing civilians. Saudi Arabia was lopping peoples heads regularly, and President Bush was out there calling it the USs moderate Muslim ally in the region. Yes, Osama bin Laden was in Afghanistan, and yes, the Taliban had allowed him to stay. But it wasnt the Taliban who brought himit was [Abdulrab Rasul] Sayyaf and Haji Abdul Kadhir, who now were partnered with the coalition! And no journalist was asking the coalition, Hey, what are you doing putting Sayyaf in the front row of your jirga? It was an emotional time. I get it. But not everything was so black-and-white. The coverage was making everybody but the Taliban a good guy, when the reality was there were a lot of bad guys. People were being made heroes who had done horrible things. And I thought, How much of history as we know it is like this? SEBASTIAN JUNGER Sebastian Junger is an author and documentary filmmaker. He reported from Afghanistan for ABC News, National Geographic, and Vanity Fair, among other outlets. In 2007, Junger and the late British photojournalist Tim Hetherington followed one US Army platoon during a fifteen-month deployment to northeastern Afghanistan. Their reporting led to the Academy Awardnominated film Restrepo (2009) and the follow-up Korengal (2014). Jungers recent books include Tribe (2016) and Freedom (2021). He lives in New York. I first went to Afghanistan in 1996, right as the Taliban was taking over. In Kabul, this Afghan guy was showing me around, and we got fired on by a Taliban machine gunner. We got to cover, and he said, You know, we hate those guys. But were going to let them in, because at least theyll stop the terrible corruption in this country. I remembered that line [this] August when I heard that [former Afghan president] Ashraf Ghani had fled Kabul with [allegedly] a helicopter full of cash. It struck me that one of the same reasons the Taliban was able to take power in the nineties is a reason many Afghan soldiers didnt contest the Taliban today. I mean, would you fight for a corrupt country? I wouldnt. Everything about Afghanistan is completely fascinating for a journalist, or for me at least. Its physically beautiful. The Afghan people are incredibly hospitable. In the fall of 2000, I spent a couple months with Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Northern Alliance commander who was leading the resistance against the Taliban. The Northern Alliance had its share of abuses, but I found Massoud himself very impressive and dignified. It was a life-changing experience: Here was this large-scale warfare going on, and the world had no idea. Were talking tank battles, infantry assaults uphill into trenchesI witnessed firsthand the human consequences of an attack by foot through a minefield. The whole time, Im thinking, This kind of stuff still happens?! One day, the Northern Alliance had taken a Taliban position on a hill. Were up there, and suddenly in comes this barrage of Katyusha rockets. Id never been in an artillery bombardment. We were curled up, just getting hammered. The horses carrying our equipment are going nuts. It was horrific. I got back to New York, and suddenly I was behaving in ways that were totally alien to me. Im having panic attacks in the subway. I had a complete freakout in a ski gondola. And it never occurred to me this had to do with trauma. This was 2000we werent talking about these things. It took years before I realized what was going on. After 9/11, I rushed back. Massoud had been killed. But the same commanders Id been with were now allies of the US. They were going to take Kabul, and I wanted to be there with them when they did. I was, on November 13. That was a time of incredible jubilation. Kabul was a city liberated. Particularly in the emotional state that followed 9/11, the idea that my country had helped cause such joy half the world away was incredibly moving. I had high hopes that, done right, the American presence in Afghanistan could stabilize the country and do for Afghans everything they hoped and dreamed might happen. Related: I fled one war, and I was trapped in another Now, I grew up during the Vietnam War. My interests as a journalist lay in Afghan culture and the Afghan people. I had zero interest in the US military. I had these preconceptions, you know, that the military is dominated by groupthink, that soldiers are all brainwashed. Just these unfair, immature assumptions. But as the war started to drag onremember, nobody thought this was going to last more than a couple yearsI started wondering about the experiences of American soldiers. So, in 2005, I did something I never thought Id do: I embedded with the 173rd Airborne in Zabul Province. And I was amazed. The caliber of these soldierssome of these guys are eighteen, and theyre working harder than anyone I ever knew in college worked at anything. Theyre getting in firefights. And I realized, Oh my God, this isnt just sitting around drinking tea with village elders. This is real. After that, I had this idea that it could be interesting to follow a platoon for a whole deployment. In 2007, a platoon from the same company Id been with in Zabul found out it was going to Kunar Province. They were enormously disappointed by thisthey thought all the action was in Iraq. But then we get there, and the reaction is Holy shit. Its this crazy-ass valley, the Korengal. Its steep as hell, and theyre getting shot at from all over. At the time, it was one of the most dangerous postings in all of Afghanistan. From the outset, Tim and I wanted to give a grunts-eye view of combat. Not evaluate the war politically or strategically, because soldiers dont do that. Soldiers arent generals; theyre not diplomats. To them, it doesnt matter if the war is going wellwhat matters is if its going well in their area. Tim and I did five trips, about a month each. A normal embed lasts a couple weeks, but when youre staying there for a month and coming back repeatedly it starts to get pretty journalistically intimate. Soon, theyre teaching us to use the .50-cal in case theyre down a couple guys. On the flip side, the emotional honesty were getting from the soldiersit started to feel very different from what Tim and I had seen of the war so far. I dont think there was anything these guys wouldnt say in front of the camera. What I took away from that experience: Before that, I hadnt known how powerful group affiliation can be. You would think something like the Army results in a diminishment of free will and autonomy. Whats weird is, instead, many soldiers experience a kind of expanding of themselves. Like, This is the real me. This is me on the grandest scale. The question is always Why do soldiers come back so messed up? Well, I think part of it is that what they experience over therea group of people, facing adversity and relying on each otherthats all of human history. But a lot of modern America doesnt require that anymore, and soldiers miss it. It was even true for me, and I didnt carry a gunI wasnt defending shit. I had a camera. I was in my mid-forties, preconditioned by a liberal upbringing not to be part of any of this mess. But that social contractthat Ill help you, you help me, and well get through this togetherI truly felt that. When it was over, I was heartbroken. ATIA ABAWI Atia Abawi opened CNNs Kabul bureau in 2008. From 2010 to 2012, she was the lead Afghanistan correspondent for NBC News. Abawi is the author of the young-adult novels The Secret Sky (2014), set in Afghanistan, and A Land of Permanent Goodbyes (2018), as well as the childrens biography She Persisted: Sally Ride (2021). She lives in California. My parents and I were Afghan refugees during the Soviet war. My mother escaped in 1981, when she was eight months pregnant with me, so I was born in Germany, and then we came to America when I was one. For CNN, Id covered various stories in the region, including the Iraq War and the [2007] assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. In 2008, when they decided to open an Afghan bureau, I raised my hand. I should say reopen a bureau in Afghanistan. A lot of temporary bureaus there at the beginning of the war had been shut down to focus on Iraq. But during the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama was saying a lot about Afghanistan, and it was clear attention was shifting back. Im a firm believer that if attention hadnt strayed in the first place, we would have had a completely different result today. Afghans felt abandoned. So did US soldiers; I heard one say, Id rather die in Iraq than serve in Afghanistan, because at least people would care. Mistakes were made by the US government, clearly. But this was the medias failure, too. News organizations would say, Well, we went where the attention was and to what consumers wanted to see. Theres some truth to that. But Ive always felt those bureaus should have been maintained regardless. Think of it this way: The bureau I worked at for CNN in Baghdad was full-on. Fortified houses, several satellites, handfuls of producers and engineers, security, armored vehicleseverything. Millions and millions were spent every year to maintain that bureau. Then, because theyd spent so much in Iraqthis wasnt just CNN, to be clearthey wanted to do Afghanistan on the cheap. CNN didnt want to own the house in Kabul, so we rented space from a security company. Instead of having producer after producer and multiple reporters and cameramen, it was me as reporter-slash-producer, along with one local journalist to help me out and one cameraperson who would rotate in and out. I would stay until I was burnt outI would have to beg to leavebut of course sending someone else wouldve cost the network more money. Im proud of my coverage, though, and a lot of my friends coverage for other outlets. Because Im Afghan-American I instantly felt connected to the people there and to the Americans. But I think a lot of reportersthe ones not out for their egos, at leastcame to feel the same way. Its not hard to fall in love with Afghanistan and, at the same time, have it break your heart, because you see the fragile hope Afghans have, all while knowing that if shit hits the fan you can leave with your passport and they cant. If you had any empathy in your heart, you wanted to do the Afghanistan story justice. Unfortunately, it was the people outside of Afghanistan who I felt had more power in driving the story. For those of us in-country, it was sometimes like we had muzzles. Id send stories to headquarters, and they wouldnt air them, especially stories about the Afghan people. One friend of mine wrote six stories straight that her outlet didnt print, but then suddenly theyd run an Afghanistan story written from Washington. I think this was a fundamental failure that we continue to see reflected across many other areas of coverage. How many so-called experts in DC have you seen talking about Afghanistan night after night on TV? Some of these people have literally never been to Afghanistan. In 2010, during the Battle of Marjah [one of the largest military operations of the war, ultimately considered a defeat for the US], I was embedded with the Marines. Were air-assaulting into one of the largest minefields in natos history. Its the middle of the night, we jump out of the helicopter, and were all expecting to get shot at. But nobody moves, because there are IEDs everywhere. I remember so vividly the shaking knees of this one young Marine and wondering to myself why my knees werent also shaking. At the end of a long day, when we could finally get on air, they had me on with a reporter in Kabul and another journalist in DC. The battle is raging, and the control room tells me, Were not going with you first, were going with the guy in Kabul. So Im listening to the coverage, and I hear this reporter saying that the Marines have complete control on the ground in Marjahas bombs are literally going off all around me. And it wasnt this reporters fault; he was great. The problem was he was talking to coalition leadership in Kabul. So Im listening, and Im getting frustrated. And then theyre like, For more, lets go to Washington. And again I hear, Complete control, complete control. I start yelling at the control room, and when they do finally come to me, the poor anchor is like, Well, Atia, things seem great. And I go, Absolutely not! I eventually saw the broadcast. You can hear the fighting going on behind me, and the anchors eyes are bulging, because hes realizing that for ten minutes theyve basically been giving the news as propaganda. Later that night, some Marines whod overheard my report came up to me and said, Are they really trying to say that everythings okay and were safe? Thats bullshit. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is a former international correspondent for NPR. She reported in Afghanistan from the earliest days of the war for the Los Angeles Times and, in 2006, opened NPRs Kabul bureau, which she led through 2010. Nelson lives in Berlin, where she hosts the podcast Common Ground. In Helmand and Kandahar, I had a twenty minutes rule. When I was out in the community, I wouldnt interview anybody for longer than twenty minutes, because that was the amount of time I imagined it would take for someone to figure out that the lady in a burka was a reporter, send a text message, and then for some guy on a motorbike to rush over and kidnap me. More than anywhere else Ive been, in Afghanistan I always had to put a lot of work and consideration into where I went. Part of this was about safetyas journalists, we were very valuable to some groups. But it could also be difficult just to get around. I would find myself on dirt roads for hours and with no electricity. I once had to cross a riverIm in a burka, its storming, and Im out there in this metal basket on a rope. Theres lightning. You had to wonder sometimes, Is this really wise? But this is what made for fascinating stories. Afghanistan is a country where people on one side of a mountain will refer to people on the other as foreigner. There are so many microcommunities and such a variety of cultures and traditions, so travel became very important to me. Its the way you had to do it. Even after many years in Afghanistan, so little was known in the US about the country. I felt I had an opportunity to broaden the conversation. I wanted listeners to understand: Why are American troops here? Whats working, what isnt? And why is the Taliban still doing so well, if everyone was so thrilled to get rid of them in 2001? I also wanted listeners to connect with Afghans: How was all of this playing out in the lives of everyday people? In this regard, I had the benefits of languageI speak Farsi and Dariand a dark complexion. As a woman, too, I could speak with both sexes, whereas often women and girls were off-limits to male reporters. So I think women reporters were often able to get a real flavor of the country and meet a lot of people that otherwise we might not have. In some areas, militants had been attacking girls and teachers with acidso I covered the rise of secret schools, where Afghan girls were risking their lives to get an education. Opium was a growing problem, but most coverage focused on the security angle, things like whether the Taliban was drawing a financial benefit from the crop. Few stories looked at addiction, and the ones that did looked at male addiction; people didnt understand that women and children were also becoming addictedand that, because of an often misogynistic culture, women couldnt access medical clinics to help with that. Traveling, you also started to get a sense for how unevenly international aid was being distributed. So much of the coalitions efforts were Kabul-centric or focused on other city centers. But that doesnt make sense in such a rural country. In the north, I found farmers yearning for the Communist days, when theyd had a communal tractor to usebecause for all the aid programs, money just wasnt showing up there like it was in other parts of the country. Youd have a province like Bamiyan, which was mostly quiet and peaceful, so nobody was interested and it got very little aid. I did a story in 2008 about how they had only one mile of paved road in the entire province. Then you had Kandahar, where hundreds of millions, at least, were pouring in to build an entire network of roadsbut those were being blown up every five minutes. There became this thinking in the provinces like, Hey, were not getting any benefits from Americas presence. Meanwhile, in some parts of the country the Taliban was the only major employer, and I didnt see much aid money going to counter this. You could feel real anger and resentment building against the West. That said, I refuse to believe that most of the country wants the Taliban back. Based on all my reporting in four years as bureau chief and additional reporting since then, I believe people liked a lot of the changes brought about. They dont want to go back in time. The Taliban, of course, have acknowledged a need to change. But I doubt theyll change in a way thats significant for most people. LAURA KING Laura King is a national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. King traveled frequently to Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009 as the papers Istanbul bureau chief and served as Kabul bureau chief from 2009 to 2012; earlier, she had covered Afghanistan for the Associated Press. King lives in Washington, DC. It was around 2007 that I began to think the whole military enterprise in Afghanistan was doomed to failure. As journalists, I wish wed been able to make this case more convincingly. I think coverage nibbled around the edges of this ideaand there are many people whose work I admired tremendouslybut collectively we didnt manage to drive this point home. Like a lot of reporters, I tried not to get overly emotive in my depictions of events. There were times when I felt things personally that I couldnt get into my stories, because they were too big or too ambiguousor because there were emotional truths that I couldnt summon up within the bounds of traditional journalistic language and conventions. Whenever I would do an embed, for example, I felt a lot of admiration for the courage and commitment of the service members. But then I would always try to go back to the same area and spend time on the Afghan side and see what the local perception was, and it was always so starkly divergent. This contrast became inescapable. Once in Kandaharthis is when the Canadians were in charge thereI was sitting in traffic in the car of this Afghan family. A military convoy came through, and everyone in the car became very tense and frightened. These are the nice Canadians Id just spent time with, but everyone in the car was terrified of them, and I was, too. I didnt know if somebody was going to do something that appeared threatening. I didnt know what might suddenly cause them to open fire. There was also a lot of fatigue in terms of people wanting to read about the place. If you wanted to write stories about civilian casualties in an errant airstrike, for example, you could maybe do that a couple times, but there was a sensitivity on the part of editors back home to things taking on a certain sameness. This was a time when innocent people were starting to become hurt or killed so often. It was a huge emerging theme, but it wasnt something we could write about over and overand thats not a criticism of my news organization. I think we all experienced this as journalists. Instead, we got into a pattern where, if you wrote critical stories, you were thought to have this bitter, defeatist attitude. Youd get emails from readers saying, Why do you hate America? I remember thinking, Why would somebody think that? I was always comfortable with the way Id characterized things, but I think these ideas about journaliststhese assumptions of bad faithwere already taking hold in society. I regarded it an aberration then, but now of course I see how pervasive it was. At the same time, the extent to which Afghanistan had fallen off the radar in the US always shocked me. Youd come home, and people would say, How was it? And you had to have a thirty-second spiel, which was about as much as anyone actually wanted to hear. I think it was a common belief among journalists in Afghanistan that there was something important to democracy about our being there. We felt that we were helping the American public make decisions, about spending money, about sending soldiers overseas, about Americas place in the world. But the whole time I also felt a real sense of disengagement with the zeitgeist in America. I dont know. Sometimes I have these losing my religion moments. The idea that journalism can have an impact on public opinionI hate to say it, but I think I doubt that more now than I did at the time. AZMAT KHAN Azmat Khan is an investigative journalist writing for the New York Times Magazine. Her investigations on Afghanistan and other post-9/11 conflicts include Ghost Schools, for BuzzFeed News (2015), The Uncounted, for the Times Magazine (2017), and, most recently, The Civilian Casualty Files, also for the Times (2021). Khan is the inaugural director of the Columbia Journalism Schools Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism program. She lives in New York. I think throughout history warfare has always been imbued with propaganda and attempts at disinformation. Growing up and watching the Iraq War unfold the way it didand, in the lead-up to it, seeing some journalists not doing their jobs as they should havewas a major impetus for the accountability work that I and many of my peers have done. In Afghanistan, you can see pretty clear stages of accountability reporting being done. In the beginning there was some, but it was around 2006 that we started seeing deeper, more systemic investigations emerge. One seminal piece was Afghanistan, Inc., by Fariba Nawa for CorpWatch, which blew the lid off some of the corruption and exploitation by major US contractors. That was a turning point that I think showed a lot of journalists that we couldnt just stay in Kabul and focus on positive aspects of the warthat there was something much bigger happening across the country. Another myth-shattering work was by Jerome Starkey for The Times of London. In 2010, the US military had this press release about a raid, saying special forces had killed some Taliban fighters to hold them accountable for the honor killings of three women. It sounded heroic, and Starkey thought it could be a good story. But he goes and the story completely unravels. It turns out the men killed were actually pro-governmentone even had photos of himself with American troopsand that in fact there were no honor killings. All of the people, including the women, had been killed in a US night raid gone wrong; locals said they watched US forces digging bullets out of the womens bodies [to cover up their mistake]. For Anatomy of an Afghan war tragedy, in the LA Times, David Cloud was able to acquire an investigation, because of foia, into a botched drone strike. You hear these pilots talking about these men who are praying, and one says, Prayingthats what they [Taliban] do. And they kill them. When I set out to do Ghost Schools, in 2015, I was looking at the landscape of coverage around Americas legacy in Afghanistan. It was overwhelmingly negative, with many exposes on things that had gone wrong there, but there was always a shining exception, and that was education. This seemed untouchable in journalists coverage, something that was a clearly positive impact of the war. My thought was: If thats true, how did education avoid the pitfalls of every other aspect of the American project in this country? I started by getting the coordinates for every school built by usaid or the military, focusing especially on battlefield provinces where America had invested so much money to win hearts and minds. Then I just started showing up, unannounced. At one school, in Kandahar, records showed the school had opened and thered been a ribbon-cutting ceremony. But it was boarded up, and inside all this construction equipment was laying around. Across the street, in this mosque, I found boys and girls rocking back and forth, reading Koran. Theres a guy holding this skinny stick, which I asked about, and one kid said, If theres no beating, theres no learning. Eventually, a man who owned the land told me he was supposed to have gotten money to build the school I was looking forfrom the district governors brotherbut hed never been paid and so he refused to let the school open. So I went to the governors brothers creepy mansionhes got this framed dagger on the walland the guy was like, Oh, no, I never had that contract, that was another company. Okay, so then I pulled up the website for that companyand, no, it turns out its a partner of the brothers own company. This kind of corruption happened all the time, and the US was totally aware. It was so common to hear things like Yeah, hes a warlord, but hes our warlord. And you might think, Okay, so we didnt live up to all the grand promises we made to Afghans, but hey, wars tough. Guess what, though: there are consequences. When people talked about the shortcomings of the Afghan army, whats one of the things that always came up? Literacy. Many soldiers couldnt read and write. They couldnt read maps and coordinates. Why couldnt we train them? Because, ordinarily, when youre training recruits, they have basic literacy. Yet when I went through every congressional hearing on Afghanistan between 2001 and 2015, schools were constantly brought up after discussions of the wars failures to show progress. TOM BOWMAN Tom Bowman is the Pentagon correspondent for NPR and traveled to Afghanistan regularly through 2017. In 2016, while traveling with the Afghan National Army, Bowman and NPR journalists Monika Evstatieva, David Gilkey, and Zabihullah Tamanna were ambushed in a targeted attack that killed Gilkey and Tamanna; Bowman and Evstatieva were unharmed. Previously, Bowman covered the military for the Baltimore Sun. He lives in Virginia. In my later trips to Afghanistan, it was clear how different things had become. The US officially turned over security authority to the Afghans at the end of 2014. Soldiers and Marines started mostly staying inside their bases, as opposed to going out with Afghan forces. That left the Afghans somewhat on their own, and the result, in many places, was that the Taliban swept in. All the US and coalition gains were lost in really a year or two. Over the past decade, we charted efforts to train and equip the Afghan rank and file. Unfortunately, they were never that good. The more elite commandos, they were quite goodbut they just werent ever sufficient in number. At the Pentagon, they were saying, The Afghans are in the lead now, theyre bearing the brunt of the battle. I was able to show by going there and going out on patrols, though, that this wasnt really the case. I would go back to the Pentagon and push back on some of the briefers, saying, Hang on a second, I just got back from Afghanistan, and thats not what I saw on the ground. But that was their line: Well, Tom, theyre doing pretty good. Its going to take a year or two till theyre really up to speed. Looking back, I wish wed pressed the Pentagon and military commanders much, much harder. You know, Youve been here now six years, nine years, twelve years. How long will this go on? What are your metrics for success? This is how much moneys being spent, and these are the things that arent changing. That said, I could go on the radio and say things like that, and it seemed like they just went into the ether. It was like people didnt care. And so we continued to hear, Oh, six months from now, things will get better. A year from now, things will get better. The Afghan troops, theyre getting better every day. In more recent years, leaders were just hiding information. They were hiding Afghan casualty numbers. By 2019, they werent even giving information on which districts were in government control. What does that tell you? It didnt tell me that things were getting better. I also think maybe we were too busy covering the tactical and didnt pull back enough to cover the strategic. I cover the Pentagon and the military, so Id go over there and my story was: Were going on patrol today. The Afghans are supposed to be leading, but theyre not. A seven-minute story or so. But looking back maybe we should have collaborated more with our political and congressional reporters to create packages. Go to them and say, Hey, I just did this story, why dont we get a congressman or senator on to talk to them about it? Ask the question: Tom just got back from Afghanistan, and its clear the Afghans arent actually leading. Senator or Congressman, what do you think about that? Or Senator, you approved thirty thousand troops going there two years ago, and nothings changing. What do you have to say? That might have been a better way to do it. I think some of the story, or some accountability, maybe slipped through the cracks between beats. Then again, in the end, I dont know if asking the right questions would have meant much. They might have just said again, Well, we cant let the place slide back into terrorism. MATTHIEU AIKINS Matthieu Aikins is a magazine writer who has reported from Afghanistan since 2008. Most recently he is the author of Inside the Fall of Kabul: An On-the-Ground Account, for the New York Times Magazine (2021). Aikins is a Puffin Fellow at Type Media Center, and his book on Afghan refugees, The Naked Dont Fear the Water, was released this February. He lives, for the time being, out of a suitcase. Even though I always tried to be skeptical of the US and Afghan governments and power in general, I realized as a result of what happened last summer the depths of this bubble world that we had all been part of. As Western journalists in Afghanistan, we always had this funny duality. On the one hand, we were objective journalists, right? Which is a very Western conceit that involves traveling to someone elses war and observing it from above. On the other hand, we were materially and socially grounded inand ideologically linked toone side of the war. It wasnt a war with two clear sides, to be sure. It was a complex, messy civil war. But broadly speaking there was the Taliban and there was us. Some journalists were unabashed about their patriotism. But even those who tried to maintain their distance from supporting the war effortwe were still, almost inescapably, embedded in one side. This contradiction affected all of our work and I think often led us astray. The long-term trends and warning signs pointing to the collapse of the Afghan Republic were clear: The inability of Afghan security forces to function independently. The resilience and unity of the Taliban, in spite of everything and in part thanks to continued covert support from Pakistan. The intractable corruption within the Afghan government that no one seemed to be able to solve. One of the biggest things that doesnt get mentioned enough is the failure of the political system; elections in Afghanistan repeatedly descended into these huge messes, and then the US would intervene amidst allegations of fraud by all sides and basically have to decide and help broker the results. And what was the turnout figure in the last election, around 20 percent? It was a democracy, perhaps, on the exterior, but it wasnt delivering any kind of political consensus. So the collapse of the Afghan government was not a surprise, but the speed at which it happened was a surpriseto me, at least. We were wrong, for example, about how much the Afghan elite actually represented the people of the country. One of the key trends in two decades was the development of this whole cadre of well-educated Afghans who all worked, in one way or another, for Western-supported companies and institutions, as well as for the government and media organizations. Many of these people were from cities, and often they couldnt really travel the country, because of safety concernssome understandably had less risk tolerance than a foreign journalist coming in to make their career. I think we tend to better understand the stories and the voices of people who are similar to us. And so the people in Afghanistan who felt similar, who spoke our language, and who represented our values were the voices that were listened to most by the media. But really these were people firmly on one side of a civil warwhich was our side, too. What I wish Id done is spend more time talking with the Taliban and people in their social milieu. Maybe then I would have understood better what was coming. I would have had more of an understanding of the other side of the warwhich is ultimately the winning side. As journalists, I think we should feel a sense of humility in the face of this catastrophe. We should acknowledge how wrong we were and how that might have contributed to a lot of the suffering were seeing now. Moving forward, we should question our certaintieswhat we thought we knew about this war and its protagonists, including the Talibanand be skeptical about our ability to really know whats happening in the country. I dont think weve seen this from the media so far, unfortunately; for the most part, theres been a rush to confirm what we already thought we knew. Theres a danger that the bubble gets reproduced. Its likely that Western media organizations will reduce their coverage and staffing in Afghanistan. Thats what happens when our wars end. But despite the fact that our military presence has ended there, our responsibility for what happened has not, so I would like to see a commitment to continuing to cover the country. That means especially sharing the experiences of Afghans and allowing more Afghans to speak for themselves, both inside and outside of the country. Many of the people who fled Afghanistan and were given refuge in the West were also from the bubble. Their voices are valid and important, and there are many brilliant and honorable people among them, but if there isnt an effort to speak to a larger cross-section of Afghans well repeat the mistakes of the past. In the transition from Afghanistan being a country where we were at war to, in our view, just another foreign conflict, there will be an opportunity to better understand our relationship to the worldas Americans, as Western journalistsand to see the ways that our entanglements persist long after wars and interventions. The question of why Afghan lives matter to an American audience is a microcosm of who we are as a people and what our responsibility is in the world. As journalists, were proxies for our audiences, right? By insisting that we continue to care about Afghan lives I think we can discover a more global sense of responsibility. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Andrew McCormick is an independent journalist and former CJR Delacorte Fellow. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the South China Morning Post, and more. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewMcCormck. Substack, a hosting and publishing platform for email newsletters, took what seemed like an innocuous step last week: it launched a standalone smartphone app. Not surprising, perhaps, since almost every content startup has an app. But Substacks app is a little different, since the company isnt offering a service directly to users, but instead is a middleman that stands in between writers and their audiences. Those differences have led to questions about what the new app says about Substacks long-term business strategy, and whether that strategy is good or bad for the writers who use it. Some of the concern also stems from the fact that Substack has raised over $80 million in venture financing from a range of groups, including Andreessen Horowitz, a leading Silicon Valley powerhouse. The funding has given Substack a theoretical market value of $650 million, but that level of investment can put pressure on companies to meet aggressive growth targets. Substacks founders argue that the app is just an extension of the companys original goals. Hamish McKenzie, Chris Best, and Jairaj Sethi wrote in a blog post on the Substack site that their intention in starting the company was to build an alternative media ecosystem based on different laws of physics, where writers are rewarded with direct payments from readers, and where readers have total control over what they read. The app, they argue, builds on those central ideas, in that it is designed for deep relationships, an alternative to the mindless scrolling and cheap dopamine hits that lie behind other home screen icons. Among other things, they say the app will amplify the network effects that already exist on the Substack platform, making it easier for writers to get new subscribers, and for readers to explore and sample Substacks they might otherwise not have found. Casey Newton, a technology writer who publishes a newsletter called Platformer (which is hosted on Substack), writes that the app is a symbol of the moment in the life of a young tech company when its ambitions grow from niche service provider to a giant global platform. Newton writes that it is possible that the Substack app could help writers build growing businesses by advertising their publications to likely readers (the company says that a person who has a credit card on file with Substack is 2.5 times more likely to subscribe to a new publication than someone who hasnt). But it is equally possible, he says, that the app makes publications feel like cheap, interchangeable widgets: an endless pile of things to subscribe to, overwhelming readers with sheer volume. In other words, an app that serves Substacks interests rather than those of its newsletter authors. ICYMI: The biases in coverage of the war in Ukraine One of the things that made Newton (and others) suspicious of the app is that its default setting only gave users access to their subscriptions via the app, rather than through their email inboxes. Newton called this a significant escalation of Substacks platform ambitions, one that could potentially shift the balance of power away from writers towards Substack. After Newton criticized the default setting, co-founder McKenzie said it had been changed so that subscribers could continue getting newsletters via email by default, unless they chose to change the setting themselves. But some media watchers remained skeptical of Substacks motives. Journalism instructor Adam Tinworth said on Twitter: Ive always been very aware that Substack is heavily VC-backed, and that creates pressure to build a moat and become a platform. Their new app is clearly a step in that direction. In a blog post expanding on these comments, Tinworth wrote that: it always seemed unlikely the VCs backing Substack would be happy with it existing mainly in an open ecosystem like email. Media analyst Thomas Baekdal said on Twitter that: The more I read about this, the worse it is. I would be less concerned if it was more universal, but my advice to independent publishers is to get out. Own your audience, dont be just another channel on someone elses platform. Freelance media analyst Esther Kezia Thorpe said the default app setting that Newton mentioned reminded her of the kind of lock-in some writers and journalists have complained about with Medium, a publishing platform founded by former Twitter executive Ev Williams that also offers subscriptions. If I was a Substack writer, that email toggle would have me running for the hills, Thorpe said. Sign up for CJR 's daily email As Newton points out, while writers and platforms like Substack often have competing goals, it is theoretically possible to imagine a world in which the app serves readers and publishers equally well, and still gives Substack enough revenue to satisfy the growth targets of its venture capital backers. However, its also easy to see how the conflicts between all of those different goals could turn out badly for writers who use the platform. Platforms act in their own interests first, and almost always exert more pressure and control on creators over time, Newton says. Co-founder Best joked that an evil version of Substack might open the app not to your chosen newsletters but to the most viral posts of the day, Newton said, adding that its easy to imagine other things Evil Substack could do, but I wont tempt fate by writing them down. Heres more on Substack: Commoditized : Ben Thompson is a technology analyst who writes a newsletter called Stratechery, which he publishes and distributes himself. The Substack founders have said Thompson was the inspiration for them to create the company , which they hoped would allow others to replicate that independent publisher model. In a recent edition of his newsletter, Thompson said that if he was a publisher using Substack, he might not appreciate the app , because my content is being commoditized to just another item in a Substack-branded feed. As a business analyst, however, Thompson said the move makes sense, because Substack was never going to grow into its valuation as long as it was allowing individual publishers to capture all of the value they generated. Local news : Rachel Leingang and Hank Stephenson are the co-founders of the Arizona Agenda, a local newsletter about Arizona politics that is published on Substack. They were among the recipients of the platforms $1 million investment in local journalism, which the company announced in June of last year . In a recent post on the Nieman Journalism Lab website, they described the progress they have made in building a paying audience for their newsletter. We dont have bad news to share about how its going, they wrote, but its not great news either. Its justnews. Leingang and Stephenson said they saw significant growth in the first six months, but since then it has slowed to a trickle. Competition : When Substack raised its most recent funding round of $65 million, the founders said they planned to use the money to pursue the same goal they had when they created the company in the first place, which was to build an alternative media economy that unlocks the full potential of the internet and gives more power to writers and readers. But they may also have been eyeing the competition : both Facebook and Twitter have launched subscription features that allow users to easily create newsletters and charge money for them. Twitters is based on the acquisition of a startup called Revue. Substackerati : Clio Chang wrote about Substack for CJR in the spring of 2020, and asked whether the company had created a more equitable media system, or just replicated the flaws of the old one, by seeking out primarily writers with an established following, rather than making its platform more diverse. Looking down the lists of most popular Substack writers and publishers, Chang said , something becomes clear: the most successful people on Substack are those who have already been well-served by existing media power structures. Most are white and male; several are conservative. In the end, she asks, will it replicate the patterns of marginalization found across the media industry, or will it help people locked out of the dominant media sphere to flourish? Other notable stories: Reuters had an exclusive interview with Marina Ovsyannikova, a former editor at a Russian state broadcaster, who recently hijacked a news show by appearing behind the anchor with a sign protesting the war in Ukraine. Ovsyannikova said the harrowing images from Ukraine had jolted her own childhood memories of growing up in Chechnya, the southern region torn apart by war after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Reuters reported. The former editor said: I absolutely do not feel like a hero. I really want to feel like this sacrifice was not in vain, and that people will open their eyes. Ovsyannikova said she was taken to a police station and fined the equivalent of $280 for her protest. Facebook reported that it removed a deepfake video of someone pretending to be Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. In the video clip, the fake president asked Ukrainians to put down their arms and surrender to Russian forces. The deepfake appears to have been first broadcast on a Ukrainian news website for TV24 after an alleged hack, according to The Verge , a hack first reported by Sky News on Wednesday . The video shows an edited Zelenskyy speaking behind a podium declaring that Ukraine has decided to return Donbas to Russia and that his nations war efforts had failed. As the war in Ukraine rages on, Russia is ramping up one of its most powerful weapons: disinformation, the Guardian reports . Social media companies are scrambling to respond. False claims about the invasion have been spread by users in Russia as well as official state media accounts. Russia frequently frames itself as a victim and has pushed disinformation including that the US was providing biological weapons to Ukraine. Experts say the response from platforms like Meta, YouTube, and Twitter has been haphazard and lacks the range and scope to tackle sophisticated disinformation campaigns. And even when policies exist, observers fear they are poorly and inconsistently enforced. In a upcoming podcast with Jon Favreau, former New York Times digital culture writer Taylor Lorenz, who recently joined the Washington Post , talked about how she feels the Times didnt support her when she was the target of online harassment. I dont want to single them out, because I think this is probably true of every legacy media organization, Lorenz said. But theyre like Oh, were sorry to hear Tucker Carlson is targeting you, but were not really going to do anything to help protect your online reputation, and then also Why are you being so controversial that Tucker Carlson is mad at you?' Many people in the West seem optimistic about Ukraines ability to dominate the information war unleashed by Russias invasion, Mother Jones writes . Writers in the Washington Post , Los Angeles Times , Politico , and the Financial Times , and at among as many as a dozen other publications have written stories eagerly declaring that Ukraine the winner. However, not everyone agrees with this rosy assessment. A lot of the people who are saying game over are looking just in their own circles, said Elise Thomas, an Australia-based disinformation researcher and open-source intelligence analyst for the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, a London think tank. Russian president Vladimir Putins moves against US tech giants prior to the invasion of Ukraine laid the foundation for his ongoing attack on free expression, the Washington Post reports . Russian agents came to the home of Googles top executive in Moscow to deliver a frightening ultimatum last September: take down an app that had drawn the ire of Russian President Vladimir Putin within 24 hours or be taken to prison, the Post says. Google and Apple both removed the app, which was designed to aid Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. Titans of American technology had been brought to their knees by some of the most primitive intimidation tactics in the Kremlin playbook. Justin Smith, the former chief executive of Bloomberg Media, talked on Tuesday about the new media startup he recently co-founded with former BuzzFeed editor and New York Times media columnist Ben Smith. According to a report in the Times , the new venture will be named for a word that is the same in dozens of languages [and] will recruit English-speaking journalists from countries like India and Singapore. Justin Smith also said during the interview, which was sponsored by the Harvard Business School Club of New York, that the era of the foreign correspondent is over. The Smiths are seeking tens of millions of dollars in funding for their new venture, and this week announced that they have hired Gina Chua , a former senior editor at Reuters, as executive editor. Emerson Brooking, a senior fellow with the Digital Forensic Research Lab, writes in a piece for Tech Policy Press that for those studying how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is reshaping technology policy, Metas decision last week to temporarily permit calls for violence against invading Russians will stand among the most consequential episodes of the war. That decision by the company shows how public distrust of Western social media platforms can rebound, Brooking argues, and also provides a window into the impossible decisions that confront Meta and other technology companies as they try to write wartime content moderation policy in real-time. Related: Brent Renaud, Yevhenii Sakun, and the grave dangers on the ground in Ukraine Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) A huge dust storm swirling over Europe from the Sahara desert made it hard to breathe in large parts of Spain for a second straight day on Wednesday and gave cleaning crews extra work as far away as Paris, London and Belgrade to remove the film of dirt falling on cars and buildings. Europeans woke up to eerie skies, from the grimy gray in Madrid to orange-hues in the Swiss Alps, caused by the tiny particles that had traveled thousands of kilometers across the Mediterranean Sea. The European Unions Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said it was tracking the large mass of dust that has degraded air quality across large parts of Spain, Portugal and France. While Spain is bearing the brunt of the storm, dust was flung far beyond, dumping ochre-colored blobs on cars in a rainy Paris and sifting a fine powder down on a huge swath of the continent. Experts, including Spains national weather service, described the event as extraordinary for the amount of dust in the air but noted that it had not broken any records. This is an intense event, but this type of event typically occurs once or twice a year, normally in February or March, when a low-pressure system over Algeria and Tunisia gathers up dust and carries it north to Europe. Dust can reach the U.K., or even Iceland, as it did last year, Carlos Perez Garcia, a researcher studying atmospheric dust at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, told The Associated Press. The area of Spain rated by its national air quality index as extremely unfavorable its worst rating expanded from the start of the European event on Tuesday to include most of the nations southern and central regions, including Madrid and other major cities like Seville. Authorities recommended for people to wear face masks still in wide use because of the pandemic and avoid outdoor exercise, especially for those people suffering respiratory diseases. Emergency services for Madrid told the AP that so far there had been no increase in calls for care to people with breathing problems. Visibility was reduced for a large part of Spain. Municipal cleaners swept up the dust from city streets. In Spains south, the dust mixed with rain to produce mud. Curious photos and videos of the dust popped up on social media, including snowboarders cutting beautiful white lines through the red-tinged snow in the Pyrenees Mountains. Ruben del Campo, spokesman for Spains weather service, said that largest quantities of air-born dust will accumulate on Wednesday afternoon in Spains southeast and central regions. The air will then begin to clear little by little, although some floating dust will reach the Canary Islands (in the Atlantic Ocean) over the weekend, Del Campo said. To the relief of farmers, the storm front that pulled in the African dust is also forecast to bring more rain over the coming days to Spains parched fields and descending reservoirs. In Switzerland, skiers cut through orange-tinted snows on the Alpine slopes of the Pizol resort near tiny Liechtenstein, while reddish-hued skies loomed over places like the Payerne Air Base near Lake Neuchatel. The national weather service, MeteoSwiss, said aerosols regularly swoop up dust from the Sahara and the one that began Tuesday is the third recorded this year and most dramatic. Light from the sky was tinted yellowish-orange in Geneva as weather forecasters predicted skies would stay colored for several days. The Serbian capital woke up Wednesday covered in a thick layer of yellow-color dust that covered pavements and parks after a light rain that fell overnight. Belgrade, which already is one of the most polluted capitals in Europe because of Serbias coal-powered electric plants and factories, has recorded hazardous air quality, according to AirVisual. Environmentalists said it is the result of the dust cloud, but also because of Serbias perennial pollution problems. The dust cloud reached as far as London and southeast England Wednesday, and some of the dust settled on peoples windows and car windscreens as rain brought the particles down to ground level. Its about as strong as it gets, as far as Saharan dust crossing to the U.K., said meteorologist Alex Burkill at the Met Office. Rain has washed the dust from higher up in the atmosphere and brought it down to the surface, thats why people are seeing it on their windows. He added that most people will not see any health impact but some may experience irritation in the eyes or a sore throat. Sylvia Hui in London, John Leicester in Paris, Jamey Keatey in Geneva, Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report. About the photo: People walk as storm Celia blew sand from the Sahara desert at the Sol square in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Spain issued extremely poor air quality ratings for a large swathe of Spain Tuesday, after a mass of hot air from the Sahara dumped loads of dust after crossing the Mediterranean. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Claremore, OK (74018) Today Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low around 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 5 to 8 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low around 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 5 to 8 inches of rain expected. If a visitor to Israel had the time to take a month to really get to know the country, I would recommend the period that has just concluded from Passover through Israeli Independence Day. Its Israel in a nutshell. And it also happens to be a time of year when most of the days are picture- U.S. should truly abide by Biological Weapons Convention for global biosecurity 08:59, March 17, 2022 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily The U.S. should clarify thoroughly its military biological activities around the world with a responsible attitude and stop standing alone in opposing the establishment of a Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) verification regime, so as to help improve global biosecurity. Russia recently exposed military biological cooperation projects conducted by the U.S. in Ukraine, further unmasking the U.S., an empire of military biological activities. Among all countries in the world, the U.S. has carried out the most military biological activities. The country has inherited the evil legacy of the notorious Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army that waged the war of aggression against China, and developed biological weapons with Fort Detrick as the major base. Its research and development of biological weapons at the base has continued even after it joined the BWC in 1975. The international community has therefore referred to Fort Detrick as the center of the U.S. governments darkest experiments. In the past few decades, the U.S. has continuously expanded its scope of military biological activities. According to data released by the country, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) carries out biological cooperation projects in more than 30 countries around the world. The country controls several hundred biological laboratories using pretexts including cooperation for reducing biosecurity risks and strengthening global public health. Its military biological activities in Ukraine are only the tip of the iceberg. Despite the international consensus on ensuring compliance with the BWC through multilateral verification, the U.S. has regarded its global military biological activities as its domestic affairs and allowed no external inspection and verification. Therefore, its military biological activities have been running wild. In 2001, when the international community already reached an agreement on the establishment of a BWC verification mechanism, the U.S. suddenly withdrew from negotiations over the establishment of the mechanism on the pretext that such verification would harm its security and economic interests, and has since been standing alone against the establishment of the mechanism. Its exactly because of the lack of verification mechanism that the countrys military biological activities have increasingly aroused grave concerns in the international community. However, the U.S. has taken a more radical stance on compliance with the BWC when questioned by the international community. The country stubbornly insists that only itself can decide whether it has abided by the convention. Not only doesnt it allow the international community to carry out verification, but it rejects questions from any foreign country about its military biological activities and accuses those who raise such questions of spreading disinformation. This is typical bandit logic and hegemonic behavior. The U.S. often contradicts itself. The self-contradictory information released by the U.S. probably couldnt even convince itself. Last November, the U.S. said it had cooperation facilities including 26 biolabs in Ukraine. On March 11, the country changed the figure to 46. The U.S. claimed that it hasnt controlled labs in Ukraine, but only sent personnel to the country to help ensure lab safety occasionally. However, according to an agreement between the DoD and the Ukrainian side signed in 2005, representatives of the DoD have the right to participate in all related activities at U.S.-Ukraine cooperation facilities, including labs in Ukraine. The agreement also stipulates that all dangerous viruses in Ukraine must be stored in these labs and provided for the U.S. side as required, and information marked or designated by the U.S. side as sensitive should be withheld from public disclosure by Ukraine. The international community cant help but wonder: Who on earth do these labs belong to? How many of these labs are there? What does the U.S. needs so many viruses for? Why cant public health information be made public? Given that the U.S. runs biolabs all over Central Asia, East Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Middle East, and Africa, do all these biolabs operate under the so-called cooperation model as that in Ukraine? The international community has no reason not to support the U.S. if it really intends to safeguard biosecurity and strengthen public health. Nevertheless, if the U.S. is using its biological research facilities overseas to grab biological resources and even develop biological weapons, its quite another matter. For the sake of the health and safety of people in Ukraine and its surrounding regions as well as the entire world, its time the U.S. gave the international community an explanation for its military biological activities. Its hoped that the U.S. will clarify thoroughly its military biological activities around the world with a responsible attitude and stop standing alone in opposing the establishment of the BWC verification regime, so as to help improve global biosecurity. Compliance with a convention doesnt equal shouting slogans. All countries must uphold the authority of international law. The international community has every reason to assess the documents disclosed by Russia under the framework of the United Nations and the BWC, and at the same time listen to the explanation of the U.S. side in a fair and just way. This will help restore the international communitys confidence in Americas fulfillment of its international obligations and improve global biosecurity, which conforms to the common interests of the international community. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Korea's Veterans Affairs Minister Hwang Ki-chul has sent a message of condolences to the bereaved family of a U.S. veteran who participated in a famous evacuation operation during the 1950-53 Korean War, his office said Thursday. Retired Rear Adm. J. Robert Lunney died last Thursday at the age of 94. He was a crew member of the SS Meredith Victory, a merchant ship, mobilized for the Heungnam evacuation that rescued some 14,000 refugees in December 1950. "Rear Adm. Lunney, the hero of the Heungnam evacuation who made the sacrifice for freedom and peace of the Republic of Korea, will never be forgotten," Hwang wrote in the message. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs plans to send a memorial plaque to commemorate his service as a U.N. soldier during the war. The Heungnam evacuation took place as the U.S.-backed South Korean forces began retreating from North Korea after China sent a massive number of troops to fight alongside the communist neighbor. The evacuation mission, also dubbed the Miracle of Christmas, is known as one of the world's greatest wartime rescue operations. (Yonhap) The Daejeon District Court / Korea Times file A Vietnamese sailor has been sentenced to nine years in prison for stabbing another Vietnamese sailor to death while they were drinking together last year, a court said Thursday. The killing happened July 20, when the accused and the victim, both 27, were having a drink with four other people at a residence in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. After getting into a fistfight with some of them, the accused went out and returned with a sharp weapon and ended up stabbing the victim. The victim tried to fight him off with a metal pipe but was stabbed again and killed. The Daejeon District Court said the accused should receive stern punishment considering the gravity of the crime, noting he tried to escape from the crime scene and hide the weapon after stabbing the victim. The court did not accept the accused's claim he was suffering from temporary insanity at the time of the crime due to the influence of alcohol, but it took into consideration that the accused had admitted to the crime and repented his actions. (Yonhap) The Hebrew Academy of Cleveland will hold its 79th annual Scholarship Tribute Dinner March 27 at the new Mendy and Ita Klein campus at the former Oakwood Country Club in Cleveland Heights. After holding the event virtually for the past two years, the dinner will return to in person at the new location, which was built over 14 months during COVID-19. The 2022 event is themed Building Futures and Growing Worlds. This years event promises to be especially meaningful because there is much to celebrate, Rabbi Simcha Dessler, the academys menahel, educational director, wrote in an email to the Cleveland Jewish News. Besides a worthy tribute to incredible honorees, the broader community will join together, in person, to celebrate uninterrupted in-person learning, astounding growth of the school and the exciting occupancy of our new state of the art Mendy and Ita Klein Campus at the former Oakwood Country Club. The dinner celebrates the culmination of the scholarship campaign with a goal of $2,136,000 to provide a Jewish day school education to Jewish families and is chaired by Ita Klein, Harry and Pearl Brown, Reuven and Naomi Dessler and Amir and Edna Jaffa. [ Hebrew Academy of Cleveland dedicates new Torah ] The event will pay tribute to Desslers mother, Miriam Dessler, who taught for 60 years and established and directed the academys early childhood division. She died in October 2021 at the age of 100. Wherever I go, people of all ages stop me to reflect upon my mothers unforgettable grace and dignity, Dessler wrote in an email. Others speak of her extraordinary impact upon generations of students throughout her remarkable career in Jewish education spanning 60 productive years, first as a star teacher and later as founder and supervisor of the academys early childhood division. The dinner will be a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of an extraordinary woman of valor who, in partnership with her husband, helped build a thriving institution and community. The Alumnus Award will be presented to Henry Zieleniec, who enrolled at the academy at the age of 7 after arriving from Poland with his parents who are Holocaust survivors. Dessler said he has dedicated his life to Jewish communal activism and philanthropy and lives in Jerusalum and Toronto, where he is a partner of The Carlton Group. The Mendy Klein Community Service Award will be presented to Heshy and Sima Neiman, who live in Beachwood. Heshy is the president of the Jewish Sacred Society, vice president of Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery commission and founder of Misakim. Sima is a graduate of the academys Beatrice J. Stone Yavne High School in Beachwood and the couple volunteer for Bikur Cholim. The evening will also feature a multimedia presentation titled Building Futures and a presentation by the Hebrew Academy boys choir. [ Secretary of State LaRose impressed on HAC visit ] gettyimagesbank Two people have been indicted on charges of smuggling 902 kilograms of methamphetamine into Korea from Mexico, in the largest drug seizure ever, prosecutors said Thursday. A 38-year-old Australian, whose name was withheld, was indicted with detention on drug smuggling charges, along with a 36-year-old accomplice who was indicted without detention, the Busan District Prosecutors Office said. In collusion with an international crime ring, the Australian allegedly brought in the drug, hidden inside helical gears, on two occasions in December 2019 and July 2020. Of this, 498 kilograms were transshipped on to Australia, according to prosecutors. Worth about 90.2 billion won ($73.8 million) wholesale, the smuggled drug marks the largest amount ever brought into the country since records began to be kept. The accomplice was freshly indicted in the latest case after getting a 15-year prison sentence in a previous, separate drug smuggling incident. (Yonhap) LATEST CHANGES TO LAW 231/2001: EUROPEAN LAW, OFFENCES CONNECTED TO THE SUPERBONUS AND AMENDMENTS TO OFFENCES AGAINST CULTURAL HERITAGE AND LANDSCAPE 17 March 2022 During the first few months of 2022 further amendments were made to the provisions of Law 231/2001, modifying and broadening the scope of certain crimes included in the list of predicate offences. In this regard, of particular interest are the provisions of Law 238/2021 containing "Provisions for the fulfilment of obligations arising from Italy's membership of the European Union - European Law 2019-2020" ("European Law 2019-2020"), as well as those introduced by Law 13 of 25 February 2022 on "Urgent measures to combat fraud and promote safety in the workplace in the construction sector, and on electricity produced by plants from renewable sources" which, in introducing new provisions on abuses and offences connected with the granting of the so-called 110% Superbonus, has also impacted certain predicate offences triggering the liability of legal persons. Moreover, on 3 March 2022, the Chamber of Deputies gave its final approval to the bill amending the Criminal Code which toughens up the penalties for offences against landscape and cultural heritage, now also expressly referenced by Law 231/2001. Download PDF Clinton, IA (52732) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low around 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low around 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17) Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday accused Smartmatic, the provider of the automated elections system (AES) and vote counting machines (VCMs), of a security breach. Citing Facebook posts from a purported hackers' group called XSOX, the incident supposedly happened when Smartmatic's contractual worker took out an official laptop and leaked its contents. This allegation came months after a Manila Bulletin report in January claimed that Comelec's servers were hacked, something the poll body has repeatedly denied. Sen. Marcos claimed this was discussed during an executive session among senators, poll executives, and law enforcement operatives. "Nasa Facebook eh, makikita ninyo sa isang XSOS na nasa Facebook, nandun nakalatag kung ano-anong impormasyon," said the lawmaker, who is head of the Senate Committee in Electoral Reforms. "May mga password, user word. Sabi nila, bulok na at non-usable but nevertheless, the wealth of detail and the depth of knowledge is a little bit alarming." [Translation: It's on Facebook, you will see a wide array of information on the XSOS Facebook. There are passwords and user words. They said the data is old and unusable but nevertheless, the wealth of detail and the depth of knowledge is a little bit alarming.] Sen. Marcos, whose brother Bongbong Marcos is running for president, said she fears this could affect election results. "We don't know, but the potential for very serious security breach is now there because it appears Smartmatic has all these contractual employees who have access to very confidential data, locations, and other facilities," she said. The January news report claimed that flowcharts as well as passwords for canvassers and electoral board members were leaked. Former Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas belied the report saying these data did not yet exist when the supposed hack happened. Smartmatic clarified that no such breach happened. "Hindi po 'yun totoo [That is not true]," Smartmatic spokesman Christopher Louie Ocampo told reporters. "Ang Smartmatic po, to be very clear, ay hindi po involved sa [is not involved in] processing or storing of personal data of any voter for the 2022 elections." "Anyone can make this document and post it on Facebook and say this can possibly affect the 2022 elections," he added. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez also expressed confidence that the 2022 election systems have not been compromised. "From the very beginning, sinasabi natin [we are saying] that Comelec is fully in charge of the elections," Jimenez said. "We are confident that even in this particular case, walang naganap na hacking [no incident of hacking occurred] and therefore there will be no impact of that alleged hacking to the election results for 2022." The National Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17) The City of Manila will soon hold talks with American billionaire Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, for the purchase of its Starlink low-orbit satellites a move seen to boost internet connectivity in the country's capital. The city council on Thursday passed a resolution authorizing Manila Mayor Isko Moreno to negotiate with SpaceX for the use of Starlink which provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet worldwide. Moreno expects this to boost disaster preparedness, and will come in handy during calamities. "Kadalasan nasisira ay ang linya ng komunikasyon gaya ng nangyari sa Visayas and Mindanao na sinalanta ni Odette. Wala nang telepono, wala pang internet. So malaking tulong itong kay Elon Musk dahil may signal ito kahit may bagyo at lindol," the mayor said. [Translation: Communication lines usually get destroyed, just like what happened in the Visayas and Mindanao during Typhoon Odette. People can't use phones or the internet. So this technology from Elon Musk is vital because it can transmit signals even during typhoons and earthquakes.] The presidential hopeful also expects the technology to significantly benefit Manila's public school students, noting it will eliminate any "dead spots" as learners will not be experiencing slow or no signal at all. Moreno said he aims to pull this feat off nationwide should he win the presidency in May. He recalled how Musk, in late February, announced that Starlink's internet satellites are already active in Ukraine ensuring internet services for citizens amid power outages caused by Russia's invasion. Ewout Rijk de Vries and his wife, Jill, brought America Travel Arrangements to Marco Island almost 40 years ago. They specialize on high end small adventure tours and small safari groups for clientele all over the world,but also are experts on high end cruises with the help of longtime assistant and friend, Michelle Wegman. In combination with his writing and photography, Ewout has visited over 90 countries. Ewout can be reached at ewout@photodevries.com. A student looks around the gender-neutral restroom at Sungkonghoe University, Seoul, Wednesday. The university is the first to install one on campus in Korea. Yonhap By Lee Hae-rin The establishment of a gender-neutral restroom on a university campus for sexual minorities has sparked a safety debate, as males and females, along with people of other gender identities, are all allowed to use it. Sungkonghoe University and its student council held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of "restroom for all" on its campus in Guro District, Seoul, Wednesday. The gender-neutral restroom was set up there as a non-discriminatory space that is physically accessible and open to people of all genders. Unlike the goal of a unisex toilet, it is for a single user and has a locking door with a toilet and sink. The university's restroom is located next to a student cafeteria and features gender-inclusive signage. It is also a barrier-free space equipped with braille blocks, an adjustable mirror, handrails, a diaper desk and an emergency button to accommodate disabled people, elderly and young people and their guardians of another gender. It is the first gender-neutral restroom to be installed on a university campus though not the first of its kind in the nation. There have been gender-inclusive restrooms in human rights organization offices and hospitals with gender clinics, such as in the Seoul Acceleration Center for Gender Equity and at Hanlim University Hospital. However, the notion of inclusive restrooms is new and unwelcome by the majority here still, going against the global trends to install more, mainly due to the fact that public restrooms are an area vulnerable to gender-based violence and illegal filming. "I understand that some people need gender-neutral restrooms, but I wonder whether most people will actually use it. As a woman, I often feel uncomfortable going to a unisex public toilet, so sharing it with men seems unsafe," a Seoul-based student, 20, who wished to remain anonymous, said. Illegal filming cases multiplied elevenfold from 585 in 2008 to 6,615 in 2017 and now account for 20 percent of the total number of sex crime cases. According to the gender equality ministry's 2021 report, 5,151 people were arrested for illegal filming, among which, 94.1 percent were men. Sungkonghoe University is not free from such concerns. "Many students here also feel insecure about illegal filming in restrooms and the student council has been detecting spy cams over the last year," Lee Hoon, the leader of the emergency task force of the student council told The Korea Times, Thursday. Since the discussion regarding the restroom's installation started in 2017, the installation took five years to complete. Oppositional voices on campus stated their concerns for the security of women, while some even expressed their hatred against gender and sexual minorities. "We worked continuously over the years to reach a consensus that sexual minorities are also people who have basic needs to go to the toilet. We also explained that this is a matter of community spirit and inclusivity," Lee said. In September of last year, the university held an open debate with 60 people including students, professors, employees and the school president over the installation of the inclusive restroom. The installation was confirmed to proceed, as the opposition raised questions on technical and procedural issues, but agreed on the need for an inclusive space. The National Human Rights Council of Korea reported in February that 40 percent of transgender people use toilets designated for different genders over the fear of discrimination, while 39.2 percent of respondents avoid consuming food or drink to minimize the need to use public toilets. "I hope the university's inclusive restroom brings a little hope to minorities in the country," Lee said. Staff Reporter Mike has bachelors and masters degrees in journalism from Northwestern and is a 25-year member of the National Press Club. He has won four national writing awards for editorial work. He is a native of McLean, Va., and lives in Millville. Executive Editor Darin is a native of Washington, D.C, and studied journalism at Temple University. He is a combat-veteran Marine, and has worked as a reporter and editor throughout the country. He is married and has one daughter, who doubles as his harshest critic. Clyde Freemen, center, was named 2021 Carpinterian of the Year at the Community Awards Gala which he attended with his wife Diana, right. After his name was announced, the room filled with over a dozen of Freemans family members, including his great-grandchild, who showed up to surprise and honor Freeman. On Wednesday night, State College's 3/20 Coalition hosted a Zoom panel called "Youth and Mental Health: From the Lens of Blackness" to discuss bias in education and issues affecting Black students both locally and nationally. The discussion was a part of the coalition's seven days of action "3 Cops, 3 Years & 3 Shots" week of events remembering the three-year "murderversary" of Osaze Osagie's death, according to the coalition's Instagram page. Osagie was a 29-year-old Black man who was killed by a State College police officer on March 20, 2019 when three officers arrived at his apartment to serve a mental health warrant. Osagie, who had autism and a history of schizophrenia, allegedly ran at the officers with a knife. After an unsuccessful attempt to deploy a Taser on him, he was allegedly shot by Officer M. Jordan Pieniazek. The three officers involved in the shooting have not been charged, and the 3/20 Coalition was founded as a result of the death of Osagie. Sylvester Osagie, Osaze's father, filed a lawsuit in November 2020 against the borough of State College, and Judge Matthew W. Brann of the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania set a long-term trial date in 2022. The panel was moderated by Tierra Williams, chair of the 3/20 Coalition. Kathleen Collins, an associate professor of education at Penn State and the 3/20 Coalition's youth committee chair, gave the main presentation, which aimed to merge critical race theory with disability studies. Critical race theory has been analyzed in academic institutions since the 1970s, and many scholars consider the theory to be a complex array of ideas about racial discrimination inherently incorporated within U.S. law systems, social normalcies and economic programs. Over the years, the theory spread into far-ranging academic circles, which sparked inspiration for dozens of books, law review articles and conferences about racial prejudices, CNN said. Kimberle Crenshaw, a law professor who helped coin the terminology of critical race theory, said the true definition of the term has been lost and misconstrued over time, according to The Atlantic. Crenshaw said the ideas contained within CRT could best be described as a way of looking at laws role platforming, facilitating, producing and even insulating racial inequality in our country. Collins said students of color with disabilities have to deal with discrimination involved in the intersection of race and disability. "Racism and ableism are always in the air," Collins said. "They're circulating often interdependently so they're each informing the other." Black students in the State College Area School District who receive special education services are seven times more likely to be disciplined compared to white students who receive the same resources, Collins said. Divine Lipscomb, a member of the State College Borough Council, said Black students often struggle to learn when only being taught by white teachers. "I think it's important, at least for us, as parents and as educators and activists to also look at the scope of those future educators and most people who want to be in those spaces and figure out why do you want to teach children, and why do you want to teach children of color?" Lipscomb said. Collins said free speech is often used as a pretext for allowing individuals to use certain insensitive words, and it does not always apply in schools "if it interferes with the learning environment." Case law allows schools to restrict speech in some ways not possible in public spaces, Collins said. Collins praised the Facebook response of some parents following racial tensions at State College Area High School in February of this year. At State College Area School District's regular board meeting on Feb. 7, Superintendent Bob O'Donnell said there was a "student assault in our high school tied to a racist and antisemitic photo" the week prior. "What we told our community is that we are dealing with two separate offenses that are connected, both of which have been elevated because of their severity, as well as a video and a photo circulating on social media," O'Donnell said during his update to the board. "The photo, which was taken in the school months ago, contained racist language and a symbol of hate and antisemitism." State College's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People started a GoFundMe page to help the family of the 16-year-old Black student who was "racially harassed at the State College Area High School." "For the last five months, this student has been targeted by a white youth who circulated pictures with Nazi insignia and the N-word on his right arm. On Feb. 1, the Black student engaged in a physical altercation with the white boy; the event was recorded and shared on social media," the State College NAACP said on the GoFundMe page. "While the white youth was not seriously injured, the police referred the incident to the district attorney and recommended felony charges for the Black student." Though the State College NAACP said it "does not condone" violence to solve problems, "this approach represents an overreaction." "It represents a failure to uncover the root cause of the altercation: a longstanding culture of racism and harassment of Black students in our schools," the State College NAACP said on the page. Collins said one parent of a student of color denounced the folk advice of never fighting back if only hateful speech and not violence is used against students. "You're saying my son should turn the other cheek until there are no bones left," the parent posted to Facebook, according to Collins, who considered using the quote as the title of the discussion. "We need to be thinking about how we can [take steps against hate speech] on a local level and protect our kids," Collins said. RELATED This Sunday, March 20, State College's 3/20 Coalition will host a "Run To Remember" event from 10-11:30 a.m. to begin its "Together We Rise" community observance for three-year anniversary of Osaze Osagie's death. Osagie was a 29-year-old Black man who was killed by a State College police officer on March 20, 2019 when three officers arrived at his apartment to serve a mental health warrant. Osagie, who had autism and a history of schizophrenia, allegedly ran at the officers with a knife. After an unsuccessful attempt to deploy a Taser on him, he was allegedly shot by Officer M. Jordan Pieniazek. The three officers involved in the shooting have not been charged, and the 3/20 Coalition was founded as a result of the death of Osagie. Sylvester Osagie, Osaze's father, filed a lawsuit in November 2020 against the borough of State College, and Judge Matthew W. Brann of the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania set a long-term trial date in 2022. The 5K is open to all to walk, run or jog, and it will begin and end at the Sidney Friedman Parklet, according to the 3/20's Instagram page. Other events during the day include: Osaze's community gathering, social hour and free lunch at noon in the State College Municipal Building A moment of silence at 2 p.m. in the municipal building "Art and Activism" poetry slam at 2:15 p.m. in the municipal building "Program hosted by Osagie family" at 3 p.m. in the Albright-Bethune United Methodist Church "Show of solidarity" concert at 5 p.m. at the Allen Street Gates. Those interested in attending the 5K can register here. MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE Editors note: This is part 1 of 1 in a series of columns on issues surrounding education. If you would like to share your thoughts on the subject with the writer, please keep it to yourself. School uniforms have become a perennial topic in the news cycle. The past few years have brought a renewed focus to issues in education. More and more schools have adopted some form of uniforms to address problems such as bullying. While there are certainly more hot button and divisive debates in education, its imperative to approach the school uniform debate with a critical and respectful dialogue so that teachers, parents, educators and the community can make their voices heard. But screw whatever you think. Not only do I think that Penn State should undoubtedly have a uniform, I know exactly what this uniform should be Hawaiian shirts. Adopting the Hawaiian shirt as the official uniform for the Pennsylvania State University is the only way to address the ongoing challenges we face in education today. Its undeniable that a Hawaiian shirt is the greatest article of clothing ever created. Im no fashion expert, but I do know that everyone and I do mean everyone looks good in a Hawaiian shirt. I believe that the public's aversion to school uniforms is because no one looks like a prep school kid. But a Hawaiian shirt is the drippiest of drips. A Hawaiian shirt drips more than a popsicle on a hot August afternoon. A Hawaiian shirt drips more than when you forget to bring your towel to the shower. A Hawaiian shirt drips more than your arm when you slip while cutting up some zucchini, and you end up hitting an artery and blood starts flowing out you like Niagara Falls, and you didnt think you had this much blood in you but it keeps bleeding, and all of your roommates are screaming, and youre screaming, and the zucchini is screaming, and the room starts spinning, and then everything goes black. Another common critique of school uniforms is that they crush individual expression. However, individual expression is just a bunch of whiny hippie talk. College isnt about being an individual its about thinking you're an individual while really, your pursuit of your own selfish desires to quell your deep seated anxieties have objectified you as a cog in the machine of consumerism and vapid advertising. You attempt to grasp meaning by the accepted norms: the boring job that pays decently, the suburban white picket fence, the two and a half kids, and the spouse you never really loved but settled for. Your life moves by in haze, like you're watching someone else live it, moving through a script you thought would bring happiness. Peloton is not actual emancipation but instead products created by the system to distract you from its emptiness. Then, at some point, you realize the sand of your existence has passed through your fingertips in spite of you attempting to hold it in your clenched fists, and you realize the story of your life is not enough to quench the fear of that black void you now face. Also, Hawaiian shirts allow for individual expression. You would be able to wear a shirt with palm trees or tiki figures or surf boards or toucans or whatever else you find on a Hawaiian shirt. The uniform is a Hawaiian shirt, but that doesnt mean Hawaiian shirts have to be uniform. Eric Barron, the Penn State Board of Trustees and Jimmy Buffett I know you all read my columns religiously. While they are all equally important, topical, insightful, and witty, this one is even more so than the others. Please adopt a resolution to make Hawaiian shirts the school uniform. In this file photo, Cami Bremer, left, is sworn in as one of the two new El Paso County Commissioners with her husband, Eli Bremer, and son, Struthers Bremer by her side at Centennial Hall on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. The aftermath of the Marshall fire in Louisville, Colo., on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. The Marshall fire ripped through Boulder County fulled by high-winds on Thursday, destroying over 500 homes. The number of destroyed homes will likely increase as approximately 35,000 people were evacuated in Louisville and Superior.(Chancey Bush/ The Gazette) Colorado House and Senate committees this week worked through a slate of election bills intended to tighten internal security controls, ban firearms at polling places, help residents who lost homes in last year's Boulder County fires deal with voter registration issues, or eliminate the state's mail-in-voting system. The House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on Monday killed a bill sponsored by Rep. Ron Hanks, R-Canon City, that would have eliminated the state's mail-in voting system, considered by Democrats as part of Colorado's "gold standard" for election security. Under House Bill 1204, only individuals who are overseas or are otherwise out of state, are hospitalized or in a nursing home or blind would be allowed to vote by mail. In order to accommodate a return to in-person voting, the bill would have required county clerks to set up an "adequate" number of polling places in every precinct. The bill also would have required hand-counting of all ballots and for results to be complete within 24 hours of the polls closing. That hand count would have cost counties $12.3 million statewide, according to the bill's fiscal analysis. Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, R-Watkins, described the bill as a solution in search of a problem, and asked Hanks if his intent was to get the bill out of the committee and accept amendments, or whether his feet were set in concrete. Hanks also said that people are already concerned about election fraud and that and his intent is to get people talking. "We will not get comprehensive" election reform through the House, he said, adding, "The truth isn't selling." He predicted he would not get support even from his own House colleagues on the bill. Rep. Tracey Burnett, D-Boulder, who has been an election judge, said it's already hard enough to get people to spend a full day, working as election judges, and the bill would require thousands more just to handle those elections. Hanks acknowledged that, but said the citizenry he's speaking to is ready to participate in the election process. Not surprisingly, Colorado Secretary of State's Office opposed the bill. County clerks also testified against the measure, including Hanks' county election official, Fremont County Clerk and Recorder Justin Grantham, who testified on behalf of the Colorado County Clerks Association. The bill would decentralize polling locations, he said. "People would be confused about where to go," Grantham said. In addition, people who work in other counties and don't get off work until 5 p.m. would struggle to get to a polling site before the polls close at 7 p.m., he said, noting about 90% of Coloradans vote by mail. House Bill 1204 died on a 2-9 vote that included a "no" from two of the four committee Republicans. Meanwhile, three election bills, all sponsored by Senate Democrats, won approval on Tuesday from the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Senate Bill 153 tightens up internal controls within county clerks' offices in the wake of alleged security breaches in Mesa and Elbert counties, where county clerks allegedly made unauthorized copies of computer equipment. Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters has been indicated by a grand jury for her role in that alleged security breach. She denies all allegations. Dallas Schroeder, the Elbert County Clerk and Recorder, also faces a lawsuit from Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who alleged a similar breach in his county. Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, said the bill would ensure proper security within election systems and lead people to have more confidence in that system. The bill requires basic security protocols used in state agencies and businesses, including 24/7 video surveillance and authorized keycard access to equipment. Additional training for designated election officials, primarily county clerks and their elections staff, where applicable, would also be ramped up under the bill. Under the proposal, those who refuse to do the training, as Peters is alleged to have done, would be barred from conducting elections. The bill, which is backed by the Colorado County Clerks Association and the Secretary of State's Office, also bars designated election officials from spreading "misinformation" around elections, which Fenberg said undermines voter confidence. The bill doesn't define "misinformation." It also doesn't specify who decides if a claim is false. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Beall told the committee that the state can always do more to innovate, respond to new challenges and strengthen security. Since 2020, Beall said, his office has responded to previously unheard-of efforts that undermine the security of elections. Elections officials, some elected to office, have compromised voting equipment in an effort to prove unfounded election conspiracy theories, he said. No one testified against the bill, which passed on a party-line 3-2 vote and now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee and a Friday review of its cost, which includes a $500,000 grant program for small counties to pay for the enhanced security functions. Meanwhile, a bill to allow residents affected by the December Boulder County fires to retain their addresses for voter registration purposes also won approval. Senate Bill 152, sponsored by Fenberg and Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, and backed by Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Molly Fitzpatrick, would allow those displaced by the fire and living temporarily elsewhere to keep their voter registration at the homes destroyed or damaged in the fire. Current state law prohibits voters from using vacant lots as home addresses. The bill offers a temporary change that applies to homes destroyed in a natural disaster, such as the fire, so long as the voter intends to rebuild or return once the home is rendered habitable. Some families are already on their third move since the fire, and may struggle to keep up their voter registration information, Jaquez Lewis told the committee. SB 152 also faced no opposition and passed unanimously. Also sponsored by Jaquez Lewis and Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, the final bill, House Bill 1086, also known as the Vote Without Fear Act, would ban people from openly carrying weapons at polling places or within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes. The threat of armed violence at a polling place could influence elections, Jaquez Lewis told the committee. SB 152 is backed by gun control advocates, such as Colorado Ceasefire, Colorado Gun Owners for Safety, and Moms Demand Action. Eileen McCarron of Colorado Ceasefire said no one should be frightened of going to a ballot box, which she was the case during the civil rights era. "Citizens should be free to cast ballots without intimidation," she said. During the 2020 election, two men attempted to film voters dropping off ballots at an Arapahoe County government office in Littleton. Arapahoe County officials called the police but the two men, one of whom had a gun and wore a "tactical" vest, were not cited, according to an Englewood Herald story. The bill drew a handful of opponents, primarily the Firearms Coalition of Colorado and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Robert Edmiston of the Firearms Coalition, which is an affiliate of the National Rifle Association, told the committee that the mere fact that someone is carrying a weapon should not be a cause for alarm. He asked the committee to amend the bill to ban openly carrying for people who are "loitering." The committee declined to make the change. HB 1086 passed on a party-line vote and now heads to the full Senate. This week on Colorado Politicking, legislative reporters Marianne Goodland and Hannah Metzger join host Pat Poblete to discuss the Colorado General Assembly reaching the halfway mark in the 2022 legislative session. Read previous coverage on our stories here: Flavored tobacco ban advances with exemptions for age-restricted stores, more An effort to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in Colorado passed its first hurdle Wednesday, receiving approval from a state House panel after undergoing several substantial edits. To see previous episodes, click here. National Election Commission Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee, center, enters the election agency's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee faces increasing calls from within to step down over mishandled ballots By Nam Hyun-woo National Election Commission (NEC) Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee has resisted mounting calls to resign to take responsibility for irregularities in early voting procedures of the presidential election. Noh has been facing pressure to resign amid growing doubts over the agency's neutrality, after the commission's secretary general offered to resign on Wednesday to take responsibility. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has been increasing the pressure on Noh to shoulder the responsibility as the main person overseeing the election. According to the NEC, it accepted NEC Secretary General Kim Se-hwan's resignation on Thursday during a closed-door meeting. One of the participants was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying Noh will try to do better but stated no plans to resign. "Noh said she feels the responsibility for the criticisms on the NEC, and she will spare no efforts to improve management of elections down the road," the participant said. Another NEC official who was present also said there were no objections made when Noh stated her intention to stay in power. The meeting came after Kim offered to resign on Wednesday. The NEC has come under fire after early voting for COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine ended on March 5 in a debacle. Those voters were not allowed to put their votes directly into official ballot boxes, and workers instead collected them in plastic bags and other unofficial containers, sparking accusations of ballot mishandling and election fraud. Kim's resignation also came a day after media reports were released that he allegedly gave favors to help his son get a job at the Incheon Election Commission. According to the NEC, Kim's son, a government employee in Incheon, was transferred from Gangwha County Office to the Incheon Election Commission in January 2020, where he was promoted just six months later. A civic group named the Committee for Ordinary Persons' Livelihood filed a police complaint against Kim for allegedly flexing his muscles behind his son's suspicious promotion. National Election Commission Secretary General Kim Se-hwan leaves the election agency's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, after offering his resignation on Wednesday. Yonhap Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. You must be logged in to participate in the Show Me the Errors contest. Boomtown 2022: How to live your best life in Columbia over 50 Columbia makes repeated appearances on lists ranking cities as good places to live. It is perhaps an even better place to mature and retire. A strong health care network, reasonable housing prices, a vibrant, engaged community and an appealing downtown help create an attractive location for all generations, but especially for those over 50. Read more stories. Read the e-Edition As the Cubs were beating the Braves 6-3 Wednesday night Steve left to see the game with his mom and dad, Reva and Harold, brother Ron and baby niece Elizabeth Henney. He left behind to run the store his wife Kathleen (Knight), Amelia (27), Nathan (24) and his beloved cat Lewis Black. His sis What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-283-2144 or email circ@oelweindailyregister.com. From left are scientist-turned politician and former lawmaker Shin Yong-hyun, a spokeswoman for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition committee; Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine professor Peck Kyong-ran, a member of the social, welfare and culture division under the transition committee; Nam Ki-tae, professor at the department of materials science and engineering of Seoul National University, a member of the science, technology and education division under the transition committee; and Ko San, astronaut and CEO and co-founder of ATEAM Ventures, a member of the second economy division under the transition committee / Yonhap Ex-lawmaker Shin Yong-hyun named as spokeswoman of the transition committee By Jung Da-min President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol named Shin Yong-hyun, a former lawmaker who served as chief campaign manager for Ahn Cheol-soo, as spokeswoman of his presidential transition committee. Journalist-turned politician Won Il-hee and lawyer Choi Ji-hyeon also have been named as vice spokespeople of the transition team. On Thursday, Yoon's spokeswoman Rep. Kim Eun-hye announced nominations for heads and members of three divisions of the presidential committee, including the second economy division, the science, technology and education division and the social, welfare and culture division. Among the 11 newly appointed committee members are Ko San, an astronaut, CEO and co-founder of ATEAM Ventures, as a member of the second economy division; Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine professor Peck Kyong-ran as a member of the social, welfare and culture division; and Nam Ki-tae, professor at the department of materials science and engineering of Seoul National University, as a member of the science, technology and education division. UK tube station gets Bangla signboard; Mamata calls it cultural win West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called it a victory of culture and heritage after Londons Whitechapel tube station has put up a Bangla signage along with English. Banerjee added that the move underlined how the Bengali diaspora should work together in common cultural directions. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@Sadia_e Proud to note that the London Tube Rail has accepted Bengali as a language of signage at Whitechapel Station, signifying the increasing global importance and strength of the 1,000-year-old Bengali language, the Trinamool Congress supremo said in a Tweet. Banerjee added that the move underlined how the Bengali diaspora should work together in common cultural directions. The signboards written in English and Bengali was undertaken by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council following a council and community-led campaign, according to a statement. Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs also hailed the move. Delighted to see bilingual signs now installed at Whitechapel station in both English and Bangla, he said in a tweet. The Whitechapel area of London houses a number of Bengali expatriates from Bangladesh and India. 03/17/2022 Photo (c) franckreporter - Getty Images COVID-19 tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 79,634,377 (79,587,313) Total U.S. deaths: 968,430 (966,493) Total global cases: 464,198,148 (461,937,132) Total global deaths: 6,060,733 (6,053,334) White House COVID-19 response leader steps down Jeff Zients, who has led the White Houses response to COVID-19 since January 2021, is leaving his post. His resignation comes as cases of the virus have declined in the U.S. from January highs and many states have returned to normal. President Biden praised the work Zients has done over the last 14 months, saying his management experience aided the administration in getting the virus under control. When Jeff took this job, less than 1% of Americans were fully vaccinated; fewer than half our schools were open; and unlike much of the developed world, America lacked any at-home COVID tests, Biden said in a statement. Today, almost 80% of adults are fully vaccinated; over 100 million are boosted; virtually every school is open; and hundreds of millions of at-home tests are distributed every month. U.S. cases are rising but hospitalizations arent Its one thing to count each case of COVID-19, but many health experts say its not the best way to track the trajectory of the pandemic. There has been an increase this week in new cases, but officials say many of them are minor. As a result, severe cases requiring hospital treatment are flat or declining. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed the way it decides whether a locality should observe mask mandates in public indoor spaces, making hospitalizations the deciding factor. Under that criteria, most of the U.S. is now in the mask-free zone. That said, the CDC is keeping a wary eye on the rest of the world, where many countries are experiencing a surge in new cases. Our experience with Delta and Omicron is that what happens with Europe doesnt stay in Europe; it hits us, Dr. Jay Varma, a physician and epidemiologist at Cornell Medicine, told the Wall Street Journal. Brain fog a common side effect of COVID-19, neurologist says A neurologist who treats recovered COVID-19 patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reports that "brain fog" is a common symptom associated with COVID-19, even after recovery from the virus. The condition is characterized by difficulty in concentrating, being unable to think of a specific word, and uncharacteristic forgetfulness. Those who come to our cognitive clinic are among the estimated 22% to 32% of patients who recovered from COVID-19, yet find they still have brain fog as part of their experience of long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC), as experts call it," Dr. Tamara Fong writes at the Harvard Health blog. The symptoms of brain fog also occur under common medical circumstances. Its the same feeling as when someone hasnt gotten enough sleep or is taking medication that causes drowsiness. Brain fog has also been reported following chemotherapy or a concussion. Around the nation A secretary of President Moon Jae-in on Thursday indirectly criticized President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol for pushing ahead with his pledge to move the presidential office, prompting strong backlash from Yoon's party over his sarcastic comments. Yoon has pledged to turn the Cheong Wa Dae compound into a public place for people. Since his election, Yoon's transition team has been scouting alternative locations, including the defense ministry compound and the Seoul government complex, for his office. Tak Hyun-min, protocol secretary for Moon, said in his Facebook posting that unless Yoon uses the current presidential office, "I want to ask if we can just use it." "It is a waste of tens of billions of won in various facilities that have already been installed, operated and reinforced (at Cheong Wa Dae)," Tak said. Japanese colonial masters had turned Seoul's Changgyeong Palace into a zoo, saying they would return the palace to the people, Tak said, apparently likening Yoon to a Japanese resident-general and the public as people under a monarchy. Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) lashed out at Tak for making "mockery and sarcastic" comments over the push to move the presidential office. Rep. Her Euna, a spokesperson of the PPP, said Tak's remarks are "very inappropriate" for a presidential secretary who must make utmost efforts for a smooth transition. In particular, comparing Yoon to a Japanese resident-general of Korea is an "insult" for people, she said. Tak, who previously organized K-pop concerts, played a role in organizing events for Moon's election campaigns and designed major promotional events at Cheong Wa Dae. (Yonhap) President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, top, talks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thursday. On bottom, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the gathering as he arrives for the parliamentary committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi, Tuesday. Yonhap, AP-Yonhap President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol spoke by phone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and discussed expanding cooperation on security and economic issues, Yoon's spokesperson said. During the 20-minute call, Yoon said he hopes to deepen and develop the two countries' special strategic partnership on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations next year, Kim Eun-hye, the spokesperson, said in a written briefing. "I have a firm determination to widen the horizon for practical cooperation on foreign affairs and security with India, a leading nation in the region that shares the values and philosophy of a liberal democracy," Yoon said. The president-elect also noted the "endless" possibilities India's growth potential, large market and abundant workforce offer for the bilateral relationship. Modi said he is confident of Yoon's successful presidency and stressed the importance of his country's partnership with South Korea at a time when the geopolitical risks in the region are growing. He also expressed hope for a deepening of the two countries' friendly ties during Yoon's term, the spokesperson said. During the call, the two agreed to work together to increase cooperation on new industries in connection with climate change and a green economy and to secure a stable global supply chain. At the end of the call, Modi said he hopes to have the opportunity to welcome Yoon in person, saying "thank you" and "goodbye" in Korean. Yoon also said he hopes to meet with the prime minister at an early date to discuss economic cooperation. The call was Yoon's fifth with a foreign leader since his election last week. Last Thursday, he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden, followed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday. With the latest call, Yoon has spoken with the leaders of all four member nations of the Quad, a U.S.-led security forum widely regarded as an anti-China coalition. During the campaign, Yoon pledged to seek South Korea's gradual entry into Quad after participating in the forum's working groups on vaccines, climate change and new technologies. The Quad is comprised of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan. Modi tweeted that it was a pleasure to speak with Yoon. "Conveyed my congratulations on his recent victory in the Presidential elections in Republic of Korea," he wrote. "We discussed the potential of further deepening the India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership in many areas." (Yonhap) After weeks of the industrys most recognizable channel leaders battling it out in CRNs 2022 Channel Madness Tournament of Chiefs, Scale Computings Scott Mann has won the crown. Heres how Mann won and why Scale Computing partners came out in droves to vote for a true champion of the channel. Channel@Work Supports Ukraine Relief Efforts Please consider joining The Channel Company in donating to the Red Cross to aid in its humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine >>. CRN TV Latest News Rauch Clinging To Slim Lead Over Mann In Channel Madness Final >> Check Points Rauch, Scales Mann Advance To Channel Madness Championship Round >> Semifinals: Scales Mann, Check Points Rauch Starting Off Strong >> Quarterfinal Results: Three Matchups Decided At The Buzzer >> HPEs Hope, SolarWinds McCullough Holding Early Leads In Channel Madness Quarterfinals >> CRNtv: Channel Madness Round Two >> Round 2 Channel Madness Results: HPEs Hope, Veeams Rooney Win >> Scales Mann Outpacing HPs Lannum In Battle Of The Scotts >> IBM Beats VMware At The Buzzer In Channel Madness: Round 1 Results >> Channel Madness: CrowdStrikes Rogers, WatchGuards Welch Tied In Round 1 >> Choose Your Chief: 2022 CRN Channel Madness Voting Is Now Open! >> CRN Madness Bracket Prediction Contest Through five rounds, the nearly 200 participants in our CRN Channel Madness Bracket Contest have jostled for the top spot. But finally one stands alone. By correctly choosing Scale Computings Scott Mann as the 2022 CRN Channel Madness winner, Channel4theWin picked up 16 more points and wound up on top. Congrats also to Channel Guy and One more time, who fought hard to the end, but wound up in second and third places. This year's Bracket Contest Champion wins a Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga 2-In-1 Laptop, courtesy of Lenovo! Congrats to Channel4theWin, and you'll be hearing from us soon! HANDLE POINTS Channel4theWin 46 Channel Guy 32 One more time 30 fp 27 TinyD 26 indigenous 26 Aaron's Perfect Bracket 24 CDB 24 Lady P 23 Cool 23 Jason Kimrey 22 HPANDYOU 22 Complete Rules >> Download The Channel Madness Brackets Guide (Updated with Final Results) Visit Our Previous CRN Channel Madness Special Reports: Margaret Pearl Blaylock, age 85, of Crossville, TN, passed away at her home on May 3, 2022. She was born on November 18, 1936, in Crossville, TN, daughter of the late William Wyatt and Alice (Hale) Wyatt. Margaret was a homemaker and attended Stephen Gap Church of Christ. She is survived by I've already been to some live sporting events. Yes, I plan on attending several events. I may go to one or two. I like sports but I doubt it. I'm not into sports. Vote View Results Deepfence, a security observability and protection company, is releasing ThreatMapper 1.3.0, the latest version of its open-source threat intelligence platform, with two new features a secret-scanning tool and runtime SBOM (software bill of materials). The latest version of the software will feature a new open-source scanning tool, SecretScanner, which can be accessed through the ThreatMapper UI and API, and will allow users to scan for and report sensitive "secrets" left inadvertently within production workloads and container images in registries. Secrets refer to sensitive pieces of information including encryption keys, authentication tokens, and passwords. "As an open-source tool that can be up and running in under 30 minutes, ThreatMapper continues to evolve by and for developers and DevSecOps," says Chris Steffen, research director at analyst and consulting firm Enterprise Management Associates. Finding and securing secrets before bad actors do is essential to prevent unauthorized access to enterprise keys that unlock access to databases and other critical infrastructure. "The principle of 'least privilege' applies where a container only has the keys that are absolutely necessary and a process to remotely revoke those keys when they are no longer needed, and regularly rotate (update) them," Steffen says. "Unfortunately, there are many cases where these secrets are included in code for reasons of expediency and ease of use, but also lead to significant security vulnerabilities." SecretScanner looks for vulnerabilities during runtime SecretScanner will follow a community-driven ruleset that will be updated regularly by a team at DeepFence. In addition to performing shift-left scanning during development, the company aims to scan for vulnerabilities in the runtime of production environments as well. The shift-left concept refers to businesses bringing processes such as scanning for vulnerabilities closer to the development cycle, in order to effect a faster and more efficient resolution. According to Steffen, not many developers particularly look for a secret scanner solution, thinking that it may add complexity to their roles. However, business executives, security professionals, and risk managers do constantly look for such security tools that can perform tasks without significant interruption of release and development cycles. "Scanning for vulnerabilities on the left is not enough and we need an open, community-driven solution that scans on the right and utilizes runtime context so devsecops teams can find attack pathways and seal them off in a timely fashion under intense time pressure," says Sandeep Lahane, founder and CEO of Deepfence. "The market is ready to move on from the Sisyphean task of vulnerability management to using runtime context for prioritization and rapid remediation." Runtime SBOMs for containers and hosts ThreatMaper 1.3.0 will also feature the ability for organizations to enumerate a SBOM at runtime. This is achieved by adding a runtime context for code, compute, and cloud data in addition to live network traffic data to map a holistic picture of the production environments. A runtime SBOM is a live list of components and dependencies for software that will track new packages, processes, and activities happening within a business' infrastructure and report any behavioral deviations to alert for vulnerabilities and attacks. "SBOMs have emerged as an essential part of the documentation that supports each software product release or update, which means the added runtime SBOM capabilities within ThreatMapper are valuable improvements in order to quickly identify potentially vulnerable instances if a security issue is disclosed," Steffen says. ThreatMapper has two major ways of generating SBOMs. The first is as a part of CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous delivery/deployment) scans for container images. Second is the new runtime capability that will build SBOMs for running containers and hosts. A container is an all-rounded, ready-to-run software package with all the necessary executables, binary code, libraries, and configuration files for an application/software process. A runtime SBOM generation is a smaller and actionable subset of static SBOMs generated during CI/CD. ThreatMapper will generate runtime SBOMs by scanning running containers, virtual machines, and serverless environments like AWS Fargate in staging as well as in production environments, according to Lahane. Since its launch in October 2021 on Github, the open-source ThreatMapper project has gathered over 1,250 stars and 500,000 pull requests from Dockerhub. Github is an internet hosting platform for developers with distributed version control system and stars and pull requests are provisions for developers to follow and participate in a project hosted by another developer/teams. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Mystic's newest cocktail experience is a sail around the world, complete with global plates from port cities and meaningful decor touches from the region's maritime history. Welcome to Port of Call, a new venture from the 85th Day Food Community. The nautical-themed two-level bar on Water Street, next door to its flagship restaurant Oyster Club, is a collaboration between Dan Meiser's Mystic-based restaurant group and The Real McCoy Rum brand. "We make no bones about it," Meiser said. "We are trying to put this place on the map as one of the premier cocktail bars in the country. We're really trying to do that. It's a bold endeavor, but we know what's out there." Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Renee Touponce has created international small plates inspired by port cities around the world. The Dive Bar, on the second level of Port of Call, features a full-color mural of a deep sea diver. The cocktails crafted by Jade Ayala are also inspired by port cities, and are paired with each food item. Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst CT Media Port of Call is led by beverage director Jade Ayala, who also heads up the bar program at Oyster Club; Renee Touponce, Oyster Club's executive chef, who's crafted a worldly assortment of cocktail-driven food pairings, and general manager Nancy Hankins. Meiser also hired head bartender Sebastian Guerrero, who's worked in acclaimed New York City bars Dante and Mother of Pearl. Upstairs, the stately "saloon" space, designed by Jennifer Pryor, features mahogany walls adorned with portholes, leather-backed chairs and teak floors made from the original deck boards from the Joseph Conrad ship. The star of the room, though, is the gleaming U-shaped bar, constructed with wood reclaimed from the Charles W. Morgan. The last wooden whaleship in the world traveled a million miles over 180 years, so it's known as the "Million Mile Bar," Meiser said. One level down, the atmosphere transforms from opulent to casual. The "Dive Bar" on the basement level takes on two connotations: a laid-back lounge, with a tribute to the region's deep sea diving history. A full-color mural of a deep sea diver overlooks tabletop arcade games, and framed historical photos of divers hang above a shuffleboard game. Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Assorted plates from Mystic's Port of Call, including boquerones, papas rellenas, Singapore grilled mushroom salad and squid ink empanadas. Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst CT Media Port of Call's drinks draw inspiration from port cities in the United States, the Carribean, South America, Europe and southeast Asia. Ayala's opening menu features takes on a Cuba Libre, made with Real McCoy aged rum, housemade cola syrup and ancho and guajillo chiles, and tropical presentations with pineapple Campari, passion fruit and reduced coconut milk. A savory Manhattan with rye gets umami flavor from mushrooms, brined in shio koji and blended with Zucca amaro to make a vermouth, Ayala explained. Touponce's street food menu spans several continents: bacalaitos (salted fluke fritters with cilantro foam), pork pinchos and squid ink empanadas inspired by Puerto Rico; a Singapore-style grilled mushroom salad, papas rellenas from Peru and Spanish-style boquerones, which she makes by curing local smelts with vinegar and herbs. Yeosu, South Korea gets a nod with a warm hotteok pancake, made with cinnamon, sugar and walnuts. Ayala and Touponce worked together to pair the small plates and cocktails, with two food suggestions per drink. A "gingery and approachable" Curry Barbados cocktail, with aged rum, ginger, curry, lime, bitter chocolate and fennel bitters, is partnered with papas rellenas and Merguez sausage with tzatziki, for example. The Dive Bar will have its own specialty dishes, too, Touponce said: an egg sandwich with pork roll and fermented ketchup, a New Orleans-inspired fried chicken and a hot dog with housemade kimchi, bonito aioli, shallot and kelp crunches on a house-baked, double-fermented bao bun. The collaboration with Real McCoy rum offers innovative experiences for guests: The Lab at Real McCoy Spirits, owner Bailey Pryor's boutique rum and single malt whiskey distillery in Stonington, will be a space for custom spirits, blends, tinctures, and cocktails on tap. Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media Lisa Nichols/Hearst CT Media, Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst Connecticut Media The Kind & Generous cocktail from Port of Call in Mystic, made with Berkshire gin, nixta corn liqueur, rice koji apertivo, milk liquor, hopped grapefruit bitters and citrus foam. A Cuba Libre #2, a nitro rum and Coke, is made with Real McCoy aged rum, housemade cola syrup, cinnamon, ancho and guajillo chiles, vanilla clove, Applachian fernet and lime. Lisa Nichols / Special to Hearst CT Media "The bar staff here can develop concepts around different types of spirits we'll be making," Pryor said. "Rather than selling a product to be a catch-all for all cocktails, now we can specifically develop certain types of spirit for certain types of cocktails." Real McCoy is also working with Port of Call to introduce a private barrel program, where guests can choose their own small custom barrel of aged spirit to be stored on the wall of the Dive Bar. They'll be able to taste and consume the spirit whenever they visit. Meiser said his team jokes that they have "the block on lock," with the two restaurants spanning a portion of Water Street. He pictures guests visiting all four parts of the Oyster Club and Port of Call this summer. "We kind of envision a lazy Saturday afternoon," he said. "Start at the Treehouse [Oyster Club's seasonal rooftop deck], you make your way over to have cocktails and small plates at Port of Call, you go over to Oyster Club for your dinner reservation, and then after dinner, you come down [to the Dive Bar], play shuffleboard, and close the bar." Port of Call is at 15 Water Street in Mystic. It's open at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday to start. Follow social media updates at @theportofcallct. Cheong Wa Dae is seen on left top, while President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's temporary office in Tongui-dong in Seoul's Jongno Distrcit is seen on the bottom. Newsis President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol decided Thursday to relocate the presidential office to either the foreign ministry building or the defense ministry compound after weighing the options with his transition team, his spokesperson said. Yoon met with key members of the team, including Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo and members of the subcommittees for planning and foreign affairs, and chose the two sites, Kim Eun-hye said in a statement. "The members of the relevant subcommittees decided to visit the sites tomorrow afternoon for an inspection," she said. Yoon pledged during the campaign that if elected, he would set up his office in the Seoul government complex in Gwanghwamun and open the Cheong Wa Dae compound to the public. The foreign ministry is located in Gwanghwamun. The defense ministry compound in Yongsan has recently been mentioned as an alternative to the Gwanghwamun complex because of its advantages in terms of security and other issues. The government estimates that relocating the presidential office to the defense ministry compound will cost 50 billion won (US$41 million), while relocating it the foreign ministry building will cost 100 billion won, an official told Yonhap News Agency earlier in the day. "The interior ministry is estimating the budget for moving the president's office and the offices of his secretaries," the official said. "Moving them into the annex of the Seoul government complex costs about twice as much as moving into the defense ministry." Using the annex is expensive partly because the foreign ministry would have to move out and pay rent on alternative office spaces, according to the official. Setting up a secure network for communication with overseas missions would also cost around 30 billion won. In contrast, the defense ministry compound has enough empty space within its existing buildings to accommodate the presidential office. The two sites cost roughly the same in terms of renovating the office space with added security and transferring items to the new location. Another official said the estimates have continued to change, but "cost will be a major factor, as it involves taxpayer money." Transition team officials are also looking at the option of constructing a new presidential residence in Yongsan should the presidential office move to the defense ministry compound. The new residence would be located near a major park planned for construction and bring the president closer to the people in line with Yoon's stated aim, they said. Critics have viewed Cheong Wa Dae as a symbol of an "imperial" presidency due to its location on a secluded compound on the foothills of a mountain just north of Gwanghwamun. Yoon's predecessors, including President Moon Jae-in, made similar pledges to relocate the presidential office but withdrew them over logistical and security issues. (Yonhap) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BETHLEHEM At Healing Hoofbeats, clients are accessing a unique take on therapy. Instead of being in an office, clients are on a farm, and working with not just a therapist, but their choice of animal. Renee Bouffard, founder of the Bethlehem farm, is a licensed therapist who worked as a social worker for years before turning to equine therapy. She founded Healing Hoofbeats in 2016 and achieved nonprofit status in 2019. Ive always been a horse person, Bouffard said. I guess I knew inherently the effects that they have. As a teenager, everyone struggles as a teenager finding some way to make sense of the world. My horse really helped me do that. The nonprofit has grown from a part-time venture for Bouffard to a full-time operation, and she now employs three other therapists. Equine and animal therapy, she said, can help certain clients looking for a different approach for their mental health needs. It all comes down to relationships, Bouffard said. Our philosophy is grounded in the idea that everything that happens in our lives, happens in the context of relationships, Bouffard said. We believe that relationships are the vehicle for change and how we begin to heal. It can be very hard and very challenging for people to engage in that with other people while trying to heal those relationships. Working with the animals helps lessen that pressure and people feel less judged when theyre working with animals. While horses were the jumping off point for Bouffard, her farm also offers goats, chickens, cats and dogs for clients to choose from, should they connect with one of those animals instead. Clients come and get introduced to all of our animals and through the therapy process, they are able to choose their own partner for therapy, whichever animal they feel the strongest connection with are with them for their therapy, Bouffard said. It doesnt matter which animal they choose because the foundation is the same. Theyre learning those positive healthy relationship skills they need. Bouffard said her expertise is in working with clients who have experienced trauma. Thats true for her program Operation Warrior Horse, which provides free equine therapy services for military veterans. Bouffard said she is hoping to raise $22,000 this year for the program, which would let her provide free services to 22 military veterans. A pasta dinner will be held in Bristol on March 26 to support that cause. Veterans as a group are very near and dear to my heart, Bouffard said. I have a lot friends and family who have served in various different branches. In seeing the lack of what we have as a society for veterans, specifically when they are transitioning back from combat and just in general, theres not a lot of services out there. Theres not a lot we do as a society to help them become acclimated. In the program, Bouffard said the veterans are working with animals, one of their therapists and a combat veteran. She said sometimes more traditional therapy models dont work for her clients. Youre not sitting in four walls in a stuffy office and staring at your therapist and pouring out your life, Bouffard said about her farm. Its very much client-driven. They take the reins and they decide what their therapy is going to look like. Its not about I have to tell you my entire life story. Its about how do I connect in the moment and how do I connect with my body and how do I connect with another living being. Tickets to the Healing Hoofbeats pasta dinner fundraiser can be purchased online at healinghoofbeatsofct.org. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Despite declining infections and hospitalizations, COVID-19 concentrations in wastewater are increasing in Connecticut, according to the latest figures. While still 40 times lower than the January 2022 peak, SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations are once again increasing in New Haven, Yale researcher Jordan Peccia said on Twitter Wednesday. Yale had been conducting wastewater surveillance at several sites across the state, according to Allessandro Zulli, a PhD candidate working with Peccia. But that contract ended in October. Peccia, Zulli and their team at Yale now only sample and analyze wastewater for New Haven. We're seeing a small uptick relative to the lows, though still well below December, January levels, Zulli said. I would expect this trend to continue at least locally. Unless there is some sort of new variant that has some sort of immunity evasion. While there may be a slight uptick in COVID-19 detected in waste water, overall metrics remain low. On Wednesday, the state reported a positivity rate of 2.31 percent. Hospitalizations dropped a net of 15 patients for a total of 98. Kendra Maas, in charge of the wastewater testing program at the University of Connecticuts Storrs campus, said shes seen a similar increase. We had an early January spike (mostly faculty and staff), very low levels just as students came back (any positive students isolated at home if at all possible), and now are holding steady with a slight increase, she said though there is one important caveat. The results of wastewater testing at UConn is dependent on the presence of students. UConns population is different because we have this huge influx of students at the end of January, Maas said. And now that its spring break, a huge loss of population for this week. Additionally, we have a number of students who leave campus for their isolation. All of this makes our data different from regular city data where populations are much more stable, she said. There are several other collection sites in Connecticut, at least one in Fairfield County. All report their findings to the Centers for Disease Control. As of Wednesday morning, the CDCs wastewater collection page showed an increase of 2.15 billion percent in the amount of COVID found in the wastewater beneath Fairfield County. Thats 2.1 billion percent. The state Department of Public Health did not immediately respond when asked to offer an analysis of that increase, but Zulli suggested it might be a data collection problem. That's an integer overflow, he said. That number is the largest number you can use for an unsigned integer, which is like two to the 32, I think. Nationally, several sites were showing a significant increase in the concentrations of coronavirus in wastewater. One collection site in Los Angeles showed an increase of 3,953 percent over the last two weeks, suggesting case counts might increase soon in that geographic area. One collection site in Florida showed a 2,973 percent increase, there was a 1,725 percent increase at a collection site in Illinois and a site in Missouri showed a 440 percent increase, Other sites in the same states showed a modest decrease, though coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and other sites around the world have been on the uptick, raising concerns that case counts may increase in this country, too. I look at a little spike up going on in Europe, Gov. Ned Lamont said at an event Tuesday. I look at a big spike up going on in parts of northern China. I look at a spike up in Hong Kong. This is no time for us to take our eye off the ball. Zulli and Peccia were among the first researchers in the country to analyze wastewater for coronavirus. We started collection just from New Haven at that point, because obviously, we didn't know if wastewater monitoring would work, said Zulli, a PhD student in chemical and environmental engineering at Yale University. Early on, we would just go out there ourselves and pick up the samples. Thankfully, nowadays, I don't really have to go into the sewers anymore, he said. They found that it could be something of an early-warning system. If a communitys wastewater showed an increase in the amount of coronavirus, residents could expect that case counts would follow, as would hospitalizations and deaths from COVID. Overall, the signal was very clear. It often came before cases actually showed up through normal testing, he said. We'd see that things were going up. But cases hadn't quite gone up yet. So, every time, we had that little moment of doubt, like, is this real? And so far, wastewater testing seems to be on the money most of the time. Since Zulli first went down into the sewers to collect coronavirus samples, that work has been widely publicized. He agreed that it has captured the imaginations of many, which was something of a surprise. Who knew that people would be so fascinated by poop? he said. Busan City Government officials inspect the origins of imported marine products being sold at a street market in Busan. Courtesy of Busan City Government By Ko Dong-hwan Busan City Government has rolled out a plan to prepare for Japan's scheduled release of radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant next year. The city released the plan on March 15 amid concerns that over 1.25 million tons of contaminated radioactive water currently stored in about 1,000 tanks on the site will be released into the ocean for 40 years starting in 2023. The nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture was hit when a 15-meter tsunami was unleashed during an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 in March 2011, flooding into four nuclear reactors, causing the failure of emergency cooling generators, which led to three nuclear meltdowns, three hydrogen explosions and the release of radioactive contamination into the surrounding environment. In the last decade, over 1.25 million tons of contaminated seawater had been pumped through the damaged units to prevent them from overheating, and is now stored in hundreds of steel tanks on the site. But the Japanese government announced in April 2021 that it would dump the water into the ocean, saying that it will be treated and that they have no more capacity to store it. The efforts by Korea's biggest port city also came after the Japanese government's planned release of the radioactive water beginning in 2023 has drawn lukewarm protests from the international community. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting inspections inside the facility but has come to support the Japanese government's release of the radioactive waters into the ocean, saying that the radiation in the treated water will be very low, and that the water will be released gradually over years to minimize risks. The organization's inspectors visited the facility last February to prepare for the release. But a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck during the night of March 16 in the ocean 60 kilometers off the coast of Fukushima has rekindled fears lingering over the disaster in 2011. This latest quake sent shockwaves to Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures, killing one and injuring at least 88 in Fukushima, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK on Thursday morning. The quake reportedly did not damage the steel tanks storing contaminated radioactive water on the nuclear power plant site. To ramp up its monitoring, Busan will set up an additional unmanned radioactivity monitoring device in the waters edging Nam District to boost the city's radioactivity monitoring of the area's seawater. The city has already placed one of the same devices offshore near the districts of Gangseo, Dong and Haeundae, and two in the sea next to Gijang. The city will also increase the number of radioactivity screening tests carried out in coastal waters from 140 in 2021 to 180 this year. The city has increased its monitoring of signs of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, which might have drifted from the contaminated Fukushima area seawater from once a week to every day at two locations near Gijang and one near Yeongdo District. Tanks storing treated radioactive water after it was used to cool molten fuel debris from the plant's meltdowns are seen at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, March 3, 2022. AP-Yonhap The city also plans to examine more thoroughly signs of radioactivity in marine, agricultural and manufactured products already on store shelves. The authority plans to collect and examine at least 800 samples each year from traditional street markets, wholesale markets, large-scale supermarkets, and online retailers in the city's 16 districts. Busan's office of education will also cooperate with the city government to inspect ingredients used in school meals for signs of radioactivity. Busan's marine resources laboratory will support the city's radioactivity screening by launching additional radioactivity pre-processing equipment to raise screening capacity. This equipment will enable the lab to examine in detail some 114 marine species in the waters surrounding Busan over 300 times a year. The city will also intensify checks on whether the origins of imported marine products distributed across the city are well indicated, by organizing a joint taskforce with the city's district offices, the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service, the coast guard, and consumer activist groups. The chief of the city government's marine agriculture and fisheries bureau, Kim Yoo-jin, said that Busan's efforts are intended to assuage residents' deep concerns about Japan's release of the radioactive water. "We will further expand communication channels with various company representatives to secure as many ways as we can to protect our residents, marine ecosystem and prevent potential damage to our local marine product manufacturers," the official said. To better inform the public, the Busan government will upgrade its homepage to display the latest results of inspections of radioactivity levels in seawater and marine products carried out by both the city and the central government. Shortly after the Japanese government's announcement that it plans to release the contaminated water into the ocean, Busan sent a statement demanding the Japanese government to repeal the decision. The city also formed a coalition working group with the local governments of Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, South Jeolla Province and Jeju Island to pen a joint petition against the Japanese government and delivered it to the Korean central government. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT Two people showed up Wednesday at Bridgeport Hospital about an hour apart after separate shootings, according to police. At about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to Bridgeport Hospital after medical personnel reported a gunshot wound victim showing up for treatment. Police said investigators learned the victim was possibly shot in the area of East Main Street. STRATFORD Residents may no longer use the towns tax abatement program for their personal property under s series of changes the town council approved at its March 14 meeting. The goal of making the changes is to streamline the process, according to council chair Chris Pia. The tax incentive committee has worked with town council and the ordinance committee on further revising our tax abatement procedures to make them more efficient and streamlined for applicants and protecting the town going forward, Pia said. The abatement program, which consists of tax incentives for various development, is meant to promote economic growth, attract new businesses and encourage redevelopment or reuse of existing property, according to the towns charter. The main changes include a cap of any abatement at six years, removal of the option for an abatement for personal property or industrial warehouse, changing the definition of a qualifying parking facility, additional language assigning specific characteristics to consider for overall amount of an abatement and mandating an annual review of the policy. Applicants also cannot re-apply after denial for 12 months, according to the revised language. The changes passed unanimously. It was a unanimous vote, which I very much appreciated because, in my opinion, it just shows that it should be used as an effective tool for the town to attract and maintain high quality businesses, Pia said. I'm grateful that the council voted in a bipartisan, unanimous fashion to do that. Since 2016, the council has approved nine abatements, although one has not yet gone into effect, Pia said. The average length of the tax breaks has been between two years and three years. The change to the abatement rules removed the requirements for a qualifying parking facility to be multi-level or tied to mass transit. To qualify now, a parking facility must be a structured parking use necessary in connection with municipal use. During the public comment portion of the meeting Monday, some residents voiced concern over the town giving incentives for the construction of parking lots. Rachel Rusnak asked the council to refrain from incentivizing parking lots and garages. In the time that I have lived here, Ive heard residents here speak out again, and again, and again on conservation of our precious resources, including greenspace, she said. Thomas Yemm agreed, saying it was a terrible idea to allow tax incentives to put up parking garages. The chosen plan for the Center School property by the towns subcommittee, with Spirit Investment Partners and Kaali-Nagy Properties, includes an above- and under-ground mixed parking design with 80 spaces allotted for Board of Education use. The council has not yet voted to chose a developer for this land yet. Pia said that changes to parking qualifications are not connected to the Center School property proposal and had been in the works before any proposal had come forward. One of the final provisions in this abatement program was to install an annual review process. Pia said this was to make sure the policies stay current, even if no changes are made in some years. Pia said he hopes applicants will do their due diligence with the new revisions before applying, as some previous applicants have asked for exceptions not available to them within the guidelines. Tax assessor Donna Calicchio said the town has been working on this for a while and are in a good spot right now. mike.mavredakis@hearstmediact.com There are many questions worth asking about housing policy in Connecticut. At the moment, there appear to be many more people interested in living in the state than there are places available to live, as evidenced by the long list of potential buyers for properties on the market and rising prices. But we dont know how long that will last. What we do know is whats on the table at this years short session of the states General Assembly. A pair of bills on housing have generated most of the attention, one of which would be far-reaching and generate a new approach to affordable housing based on a fair share model, where individual communities would have to come up with ways to meet assigned goals. The other is more modest, and focuses on loosening zoning codes around transit stops. It was this second bill that generated attention on Tuesday by virtue of a public hearing that lasted many hours and featured proponents and opponents stating their cases. But the debate went far beyond the issue at hand, and the most noteworthy exchange may have been when a Greenwich legislator asked a supporter of the plan if he believed housing was a right. Alan Cavagnaro, a sophomore at Manchester Community College and a planning and zoning commissioner for South Windsor, replied that he believed it was, to which state Rep. Kim Fiorello, who posed the question, replied, Housing is not a right, because housing is built by other people. Shes in her rights to believe that. Its also completely beside the point. Connecticut is one of the richest states in the country, and yet many people here struggle with homelessness. This is a serious problem that is worthy of consideration by the state Legislature, but it was not the subject of the public hearing this week. Whether housing is a right is a complete non sequitur. What is on the table is an overhaul of zoning codes that would allow for multifamily housing near transit stations. This is deemed necessary by some because individual towns are not acting by themselves, and, though we value home rule in this state, there are times when a push from above is necessary to make good policy happen. Thats why this bill has been proposed. Allowing multifamily housing near transit stops is a sensible policy for many reasons. It would allow more people to live in Connecticut, for one reason, and boosting the population is a top priority for the state business community. We have thousands of unfilled jobs and we need people to get the state economy moving. Homes near transit allow people to forgo cars, at least some of the time. That means less traffic on the highway, less emissions, less congestion. Local businesses benefit, to say nothing of the gains for public health. Legislators may choose against supporting this proposal because they think such decisions should be up to individual towns. What they shouldnt do is change the subject and try to score points over questions that are not up for debate. Connecticut has some real challenges. Solving them should be lawmakers only priority. The least we could ask is that they try to focus. Daniel Benders Forum piece, Reconsidering Russia stance, cannot be allowed to stand unanswered. In it, Bender justifies the brutal Russian aggression in the Ukraine as a legitimate response to Russian fear of being invaded by oil-hungry Witches of the West. Really, Professor Bender, America and its NATO allies are looking to invade Russia? Your spurious logic would justify Hitlers aggression: Germany felt threatened so it had a right to invade Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland. In your piece you fail to ask what the Ukraine wants, or what the Syrian people want. For support, you turn to American professor John Mearsheimer who you cite as astute when a more likely description is highly controversial and the leading proponent of his theory of offensive realism in international relations. A professor of literature at Pace University, Bender in his piece loses his ability to separate reality from intellectual fiction. Failing at it himself, Bender asks the reader to be far more critical in his/her thinking and proceeds to the question: Does the right to self-determination include Russia? Does he mean the Russian people who overthrew the Communist state and sought democracy, or Putin, the tyrant, who stole the freedom of the Russian people? I stand with freedom no matter what the trendy new intellectual theory. I stand with the ruthlessly bombed victims in Syria and I most proudly stand with the people of the Ukraine. Richard Zboray Stratford Connecticut has long been an importer of energy, not a state with vast coal, oil or gas reserves. With gas prices approaching an all-time high and foreign conflict highlighting the high costs of dependence on natural gas imports, our state has never had a better time to take definitive action towards its energy independence. Senate Bill 10, currently being considered in our state Legislatures Energy and Technology Committee, represents an opportunity to achieve this and so much more by establishing a 100 percent zero-carbon mandate in law. This renewable energy commitment will help Connecticut become energy independent, improve our air and water quality, create thousands of new jobs and address the alarming impacts of climate change. As a coastal state rapidly becoming more significantly impacted by frequent extreme weather events and sea-level rise, we must adopt policies such as Senate Bill 10 to halt the harmful effects of climate change. According to a recent report by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation, average temperatures in Connecticut are on the rise, particularly winter temperatures. For example, 26 degrees Fahrenheit used to be the winter average when observations and records started to be kept in 1895. Now winter averages are around 30 degrees, and by the end of the century, they will climb above 40 degrees. Connecticuts policymakers need a shared goal to fully transition our state away from fossil fuels that contribute to dependence on imports and climate change. Our current energy mix relies too heavily on natural gas and oil to power its electric grid. It is important to note that there has been progress made in this effort. In 2019, Gov. Ned Lamont, with bipartisan support from the Connecticut General Assembly, signed Public Act 19-71, An Act Concerning the Procurement of Energy Derived from Offshore Wind, which was a major step toward the goal of a 100 percent zero-carbon electricity supply by 2040. In addition, the Residential Solar Investment Program launched in 2012 has helped more than 40,000 homeowners go solar by providing incentives. While Connecticut has made significant progress in decarbonizing our grid, we must accelerate that process to do our part to mitigate climate change and make up for slower progress in other sectors of our economy. New York, Rhode Island and dozens of other states across the country have already adopted their own zero-carbon goals. Its time for Connecticut to join them in committing to becoming more energy independent and less reliant on fossil fuels. This commitment will also help transition our electric grid to one that is less dependent on the fluctuations in the availability and cost of fossil fuels which current events are reminding us contribute significantly to energy costs. We also need a modern electric grid that works with clean energy, and Connecticuts commitment to clean energy will help us get there. There is no way that a grid that relies on fossil fuel will be the best path to our childrens future, so we need to get on with making clean energy work. And clean energy is already cost competitive when given a fair chance to compete. Making new investments in a modern, zero-carbon grid will not only help us tackle climate change and improve air quality but create thousands of new clean energy jobs across our state and the region. As of the end of 2019, there were just over 44,000 clean energy workers across the state of Connecticut, according to the 2020 Connecticut Clean Energy Industry Report released by the CT Greenbank. Clean energy jobs increased by 9.1 percent between 2015 and 2019, creating 3,691 new jobs in four years. In addition, clean energy companies accounted for $6.5 billion of Connecticuts gross state product in 2019, producing more than $76 million in state tax revenue. Adopting SB 10 will create thousands of additional new jobs in the clean energy sector adding millions in revenue and creating increased economic growth in Connecticut, continuing these positive trends for our states economy and workforce. Failure to take this first step to pass the 100 percent supply requirement would suggest that Connecticut is not serious about climate change or energy independence. It would also halt needed job creation and economic development. Our state and the chairs of the Energy and Technology Committee, Rep. David Arconti and Sen. Norm Needleman, have made meaningful progress on clean energy issues, but now, more than ever, it is important for them to take action and advance SB 10. Lori Brown is executive director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters. Funeral Service for Brenda Joyce Wright, 71, of Cullman, will be 3 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2022 at Northbrook Baptist Church. A viewing will be on Friday from 2-3 p.m. prior to the service. The visitation will be 5:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday night, May 5, 2022 at Cullman Funeral Home. Rev. Keith Warde Instant unlimited access to all of our content on currypilot.com. The Curry Coastal Pilot's E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) Chinese cities gather pace in facilitating rural e-commerce 09:12, March 17, 2022 By Zhang Yikai, Ye Chuanzeng ( People's Daily In order to better leverage e-commerce to sell high-quality agricultural products to more consumers and make logistics services more efficient and cost-effective, various cities in China have carried out helpful explorations to enhance brand building and improve logistics system. Volunteers help pick and sell strawberries via livestreaming platform at a planting base in Banjing township, Rugao city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Feb. 24, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Xu Hui) In recent years, flourishing e-commerce in vast rural areas across China has served as a new platform for the circulation of agricultural products, broadened the channels for farmers to increase their income, and stimulated the potential for rural vitalization. As a matter of fact, many farmers have had trouble selling their high-quality agricultural products online. Wuchang rice, a specialty of Wuchang city, northeast Chinas Heilongjiang province, is one of Chinas protected geographical indication (GI) products that enjoy great popularity with consumers. However, Yu Dianhong, a resident in Lujia village, Minle Korean ethnic township, Wuchang city, found it not as easy as he thought it would be when he started to sell home-grown rice online a few years ago. Workers sort and wrap pitaya at a factory in Dongfang city, south Chinas Hainan province. The city has strived to build a pollution-free production base for tropical fruits and create a brand for green agricultural products. (Peoples Daily Online/Yuan Chen) Many consumers would question whether his rice was actually from Wuchang city. To assure online shoppers of the authenticity of his products, Yu often needed to show them a photo of his ID card. For Yu, things started to change in 2015, when Wuchang city created a website to publicize information about products under the citys rice brands and established a rice traceability and anti-counterfeiting system based on agricultural Internet of Things (IoT). Only locally grown rice up to standard can be included into the system and obtain a traceability and anti-counterfeiting mark and QR code, according to Yu. The website can help consumers easily confirm the authenticity of my products. And after scanning the QR code on the packaging, they can find out which village the rice was grown, who grew it, what variety it belongs to and what the quality report says, Yu said, adding that the sales of his products have more than doubled after the establishment of the system. Brand building brings rural e-commerce onto the fast lane of development. By making efforts to continuously promote the construction of regional public brands of agricultural products, cities can increase the appeal of local characteristic agricultural products and facilitate large-scale production, standardized management and industrialized operation, eventually improving the quality, efficiency and market competitiveness of rural e-commerce. Besides brand building, smoothening the last kilometer in logistics services is also crucial for fresh vegetables, fruits and other products with strong seasonality and short shelf life, In Zigui county, central Chinas Hubei province, electric vehicles running on rails provide a solution to the transportation of fresh navel oranges grown in high mountains and steep slopes. At the touch of a button, the electric vehicles can move to an orchard below the slopes from the roadside. After farmers load boxes of navel oranges onto the vehicles, they carry the fruits up hills along the rails within several minutes. Our base produces 250,000 kg of navel oranges a year. The transportation cost per kilogram of the fruit used to be 0.24 yuan, but it has now been cut to 0.1 yuan, which means a reduction of 35,000 yuan in total a year, said Liu Guohua, manager of the base of a navel orange cooperative located in Yandengbao village, Guojiaba township, Zigui county. Though nestled in high mountains and unsuitable for farming, Yandengbao village is an ideal place for the growth of navel oranges. However, due to poor transportation infrastructure, local farmers had to rely on manual labor for the transportation of navel oranges, Liu recalled, who finds the electric vehicles much more convenient. Photo shows winding country roads in Heishan township, Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone, southwest Chinas Chongqing municipality. (Peoples Daily Online/Cao Yonglong) In 2019, the village carried out electrification transformation of local power equipment. It set up a power grid and later built two electric tracks with a total length of 250 meters between orchards and roads. It took us 20 minutes to carry navel oranges up and down the mountains in the past, and now the electric vehicles can transport navel oranges from orchard to the roadside in four minutes, Liu noted, adding that they no longer need to worry about safety hazards during manual transportation. In Zigui, there are 588 routes for on-rail vehicles stretching 119,300 meters in length, which help transport navel oranges from more than 2,667 hectares of orchards in mountains to the roadside. After the navel oranges are transported out of the mountains, the next step is to take them from villages to the market, for which Zigui county mobilized local express delivery companies, e-commerce enterprises, and rural comprehensive transportation service stations and built a village-level logistics service system. Ziguis navel orange industry has formed a virtuous circle with high-quality products, sufficient logistics services and a good market, pointed out Liu Haotian, an official with the e-commerce office under the bureau of science and technology, economy and information technology of Zigui county. By improving weak links in rural logistics infrastructure and promoting the construction of the circulation system in rural areas, agricultural products in China will be brought to processing factories and peoples dining tables faster while rural e-commerce enjoys faster growth. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Article by Lee Hyo-jin Video by Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-min More than two weeks have passed since then, but things have only become worse. With no end in sight after Russia launched an attack on its neighboring country in what it calls a "special military operation," the number of civilians and military casualties and fatalities continues to rise. By Shin Freedman In less than two weeks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, 1.5 million out of a population of 44 million have already fled Ukraine, according a report by the U.N. refugee agency. They are mostly women and children with their toys and crying faces. Men aged 18 to 60 remain in Ukraine to defend their country. The number of refugees is certainly growing. Thousands and thousands of people are milling around railroad stations waiting for the next train to other countries Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova. Many of them are mothers with suitcases and backpacks full of things and children in tow. Constant shelling by rockets and missiles, war-torn buildings, and tanks after tanks are something I am not used to seeing. I am reminded of my family's experience during the Korean War. Like most families, my family fled from Seoul to the south. My mother, who had three children less than five years of age, and her teenage siblings, packed whatever they could carry and left our home. I wondered what my mother carried in her suitcases food, clothing, bedding, pots and pans? I can't imagine. This was not a weekend trip for them. How do you prepare to flee during such chaos in just a day or two? What do you carry and for how long and to what extent can you take care of yourself? How do you take care of yourself and your loved ones in that situation when you run out of food, water or whatever? Amid the atrocities of war, it's touching to see the media coverage of the many humanitarian acts in the bordering countries. Refugee help centers were set up in the bordering cities and towns of Poland where volunteers offer water, serve coffee and ready-made sandwiches. There are piles of warm clothing like winter coats and jackets waiting for them at railroad station stops. A small-town mayor welcomes the refugees and reports that his town's population doubled in one week. What makes this neighboring country extend such humanitarian warmth? If my memory serves me correctly, I don't ever remember hearing such heart-warming refugee stories not with Afghan and certainly not with Syrian refugees. I recall bits and pieces of the Korean War refugee experience from my parent's stories. Making meals with soup boiled with whatever greens you could pick in the field or gather and cooking in a wash basin at a train stop. My mother was always concerned about losing or missing any one of her children and siblings because they cried a lot and were at risk of getting lost during the chaotic escape. It must've been very difficult for my mother to breastfeed me because she was so dehydrated. I cannot forget the story of a Ukrainian granny offering sunflower seeds to armed Russian soldiers to put in their pockets so that when they die in this war, at least the sunflowers will grow. The national flower of Ukraine will grow when normalcy returns. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not new, but President Zelenskyy's reaction is refreshingly admirable. "I don't need a ride. I need more ammunition," he said. I get all choked up just like one translator did when I hear reports of the latest developments in wartime Ukraine. I wonder where all the flowers will go. Shin Freedman (shinfreed@gmail.com) is the co-author of "Becoming a Library Leader: Seven Stages of Leadership Development." Barbara Faye Boyles, 75, of Raceland, Kentucky passed away Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at her residence. Barbara was born August 1, 1946, in Load, Kentucky a daughter of the late Homer and Gladys Johnson Boyles. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one nephew Robert Boyles. Bar Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. By Jeffrey Jones There are so many wonderful events to be celebrated in Korea these days. We just finished a major presidential election that was won by the narrowest of margins and yet the results are accepted without rancor or dispute by the candidates and their parties and the citizens who fervently supported these candidates. This is in sharp contrast to the recent presidential election in the U.S. It is quite inspiring to witness the acceptance by the political leadership and the citizens of Korea to democratic principles of fairness, transparency and the rule of law and it is an example to the world. It is not just in politics that Korea is doing so well. Korea leads the world in commitment to education with the globe's highest levels of literacy and high school and college graduation rates. Korea is the world's 10th-largest economy in 2022 by GDP rankings despite being ranked 22 in the world measured by the size of its population. Korea is the world's leading supplier of the most critical products needed for economic growth to include semiconductors, cellular phones, automobiles, steel, etc. Korea has one of the largest networks of free trade agreements in the world with more than 58 free trade pacts giving the country a tremendous global trading advantage. Many are surprised by the strength of the Korean passport. Today, the Korean passport is one of the most widely accepted in the world permitting Korean passport holders to go visa free to more countries than any other passport. Korea is also very fortunate to have one of the best cellular and internet networks in the world delivering speed and reliability giving the country a tremendous advantage in respect of e-commerce, research and education. Korea has some of the toughest consumers in the world demanding high quality and excellent service making Korean products even more competitive on the world stage. Many foreign companies bring their new products to Korea as a test bed given the sophistication and demands of Korean consumers. The new buzzword in consumer products is "if you can sell it in Seoul, you can sell it anywhere." Government and private services are delivered to the population with greater speed and efficiency than any other location. Whether internet service, electricity, after sales service of products sold by private companies, etc., consumers are not required to wait weeks to have their requests satisfied. It is often done in a matter of hours. Most foreign visitors and new residents to Korea are pleasantly shocked by the speed of delivery of a wide variety of public and private services. And over the past several years, Korea is entertaining the world. Across all cultures and languages, fans of Korean music, dramas and movies have grown exponentially and Korean content, performers, writers and directors are receiving the most prestigious awards the world has to offer. Following a recent BTS concert held in Los Angeles, a mother and her two teenage daughters who attended the concert were interviewed on U.S. television about their experience. After their glowing comments about the event and the fun family experience they had at the concert, all three raised their hands to the shape of heart and cried out in unison "we love Korea." There is no doubt that Korea is the new cool. So what are we doing with this new found influence? We should of course continue to work very hard to maintain and grow the success achieved in education, culture, and the economy. But it is my hope that the new administration will take this new influential power of Korea and build upon it in the critical areas of diplomacy and national security. Gone are the days when Korea needs to use its "nunchi" tactics of waiting to see what other major powers are thinking and doing. The administration should be wise and careful, but they need to come up with a comprehensive strategy and agenda of what Korea wants to accomplish in terms of diplomacy and national security and then go out and persuade the world to accept this agenda. Korea no longer needs to huddle in the back of the room and wait to see what others are doing. Korea needs to set the agenda and persuade the major economic and military powers of the world to accept this agenda. And, very importantly, the world is ready to be persuaded and accept Korea's agenda. Never before has Korea enjoyed such acceptance and respect on the world stage. Korea has not only the respect of the world, but it also has the economic and cultural leverage to convince the world to buy into Korea's agenda. Jeffrey Jones is chairman of a nonprofit foundation, Partners for the Future. He served five terms as chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. We have known for a long time that many of our universities are dominated by senior dons who pursue Leftist causes while worshipping piously at the shrine of wokery. What is less widely realised is that these universities can be more mercenary than the most hard-hearted capitalists, and have sometimes established cordial relations with the worlds nastiest authoritarian regimes. To some, it may seem a paradox that institutions that espouse supposedly enlightened thought, and vilify their traditionalist adversaries, should at the same time have dealings with reactionary and disagreeable people. Yet I fear it is part of a common pattern. The latest case concerns Tony Sewell, a distinguished black educationalist who has helped thousands of black children from poor backgrounds to get into universities. It would be hard to think of a more admirable man. However, Dr Sewell attracted the ire of various Left-wing luminaries after chairing an official report which concluded last year that Britain is not an institutionally racist country. It added that our multi-racial society should in some ways be considered a model for other nations. Among those seemingly driven into paroxysms of rage was a coven of dons at Nottingham University, where Tony Sewell obtained his doctorate in 1995. Tony Sewell, a distinguished black educationalist who has helped thousands of black children from poor backgrounds to get into universities He had had the temerity to reject the core Leftist belief that this country is riddled with racism. It emerged earlier this week that Nottingham has withdrawn an offer of an honorary degree made to Dr Sewell. The reason given was that the university doesnt confer such degrees on figures who become the subject of political controversy. This is utterly disingenuous. In the first place, Dr Sewell can hardly be said to be the subject of political controversy. He has merely enraged a few Left-wing Labour MPs and some bigoted academics. But Nottingham Universitys explanation is especially obnoxious in view of its honouring of a number of questionable recipients who are unworthy of holding Dr Sewells mortar board. Nottingham University, pictured, has withdrawn an offer of an honorary degree made to Dr Sewell For example, an honorary degree was given by Nottingham to Liu Xiaoming, a former Chinese ambassador to the UK, who has dismissed videos showing Uighur re-education camps in the western Xinjiang region of China as fake news. The red gown of an honorary doctor was draped around the shoulders of Fu Ying,another former Chinese ambassador to London, who has also questioned claims of human rights abuses against the Uighur people. But let it not be said that Nottingham University confines its favours to unedifying representatives of the Chinese Communist Party. Also honoured was Najib Razak, a former prime minister of Malaysia, who was jailed for 12 years in 2020 after embezzling 537million from a state-owned investment firm. They do know how to pick them in Nottingham, dont they? I submit that the above named characters, and others whom I havent the space to enumerate here, are politically controversial figures in a way the good and decent Dr Sewell plainly isnt. The difference, of course, is that there are sound commercial reasons for honouring powerful Chinese and rich Malays. Indeed, Nottingham University has campuses in both China and Malaysia. Nor should we forget links with President Putins wicked regime. Stephen Odell, who sits on the council of Nottingham University, has earned almost 150,000 from a firm called Evraz, which is linked to the Kremlin and is suspected of supplying steel to build Russian tanks. Mr Odell resigned from the board of Evraz only last week. What an intellectually tangled university Nottingham must be! It snubs a fine British man who has helped thousands of poor black people to attend university while honouring the unsavoury representatives of foreign regimes that happen also to be rich. Liu Xiaoming, ambassador of the People's Republic of China, receives an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham in Sept 2017 This is the paradox at the heart of many of our modern universities. Give me a principled Left-winger, if you will. At least such people are sincere. What is particularly objectionable is the conjunction of progressive thought with low, self-interested motives. Look at Jesus College, Cambridge, which in 2018 accepted 200,000 from an agency linked to the Chinese Communist Party for its Global Issues Dialogue Centre. In 2019, it accepted 155,000 from the Chinese technology company Huawei. And yet this same Jesus College, so careless in accepting arguably tainted money, is trying to move heaven and earth to get rid of a plaque to Tobias Rustat, a 17th-century royal courtier and benefactor with links to slavery. How painless to embrace the fashionable cause of removing a monument put up to a man who died more than 300 years ago. How painful to return todays hefty cheque to Beijing. Study, too, the case of Edinburgh University. In 2020, after student protests, it renamed the David Hume Tower on account of the beliefs on race held by the great 18th-century philosopher which it believed rightly cause distress today. David Hume is in no position to complain. A very easy thing to cancel him. Nonetheless, Edinburgh conveniently forgot its principles when it awarded Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal a distinction after his foundation bankrolled an Islamic study centre at the university with an endowment of 8million. It didnt matter that a year before the Saudi Arabian Prince had offered 100 luxury cars to pilots in his country who had bombed Yemen. Wokery is embraced by university authorities to advertise their virtue. But when millions of pounds are at stake, any pretence of proper moral conduct is at once cynically suspended. If the students at Liverpool University want to rechristen an accommodation block named after the great 19th century Liberal Prime Minister, William Gladstone (whose father was a slave trader), by all means let them. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. He recieved an honourary degree from Nottingham University But given that 29 per cent of the universitys income comes from Chinese students, we must never say a word against Beijing! Greed is, in fact, the curse of our modern universities. It has other manifestations, such as the grotesque salaries which vice-chancellors (the senior dons who run the show) are paid. The average annual salary of such people is 269,000, with a handful of them pocketing more than 500,000. So skewed are the values of these grandees that some leading universities continued to teach pupils via Zoom long after Covid restrictions had been lifted while still charging them maximum fees of 9,250 a year. Another ruse to rake in extra money has been to boost undergraduate numbers, though the consequence is sometimes lecture rooms so crowded that students are forced to sit on the floor, as well as seminars as big as school classes. Many of the 24 supposedly elite Russell Group universities have expanded at an alarming rate. Exeter has seen an increase of 61 per cent in the number of its undergraduates between 2009/10 and 2019/20. Liverpool and University College London have grown by 59 per cent over the same period. I feel very sorry for the students, and it is hard to believe that the universities and the Government that has renabled them to behave in this selfish and venal way wont one day face a backlash. But I reckon Tony Sewell is well out of it. He should rejoice at his rejection by these hypocrites. Why would a man who has done so much good want an honorary degree from an institution which persecutes him for shallow, progressive reasons at the same time as sucking up to the representatives of despotic regimes. Advertisement Ukraine has to sustain the ability of its forces to continue fighting effectively and counterattacking to regain lost territory if it is to hold out against the Russians, military expert JUSTIN BRONK writes on MailOnline today. President Volodymyr Zelensky's troops are mobilising new Ukrainian forces in the west with modern weapons provided by Western countries and these could be sent to reinforce Odessa or Kyiv rapidly if needed. Mr Bronk, a leading military expert in airpower and technology, added that Ukraine must sustain morale of its troops and citizens and ensure Western military and other assistance continues to flow into the country. He added that Russian forces are in a 'dangerous position' which is likely to deteriorate in the coming weeks without a major pause in fighting meaning that it is vital that the Ukrainians continue to battle hard. In contrast, Mr Bronk said the Russians are likely to attempt three options one of them being driving northwards from Melitopol towards Dnipro to meet with a thrust southward from Kharkiv at the same time. The second is that the Russians will continue bombardments of Mariupol, Kharkiv and other smaller cities while the third is that they will carry on attempting to encircle and bypass Mkyolaiv in the south. He also said parts of Ukraine are 'now beyond Russia's capacity to influence or "regain" forever', adding: 'Putin now needs his forces to achieve something he can sell to his own people as a victory worth these huge costs.' Here is the full analysis by Mr Bronk, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London: By JUSTIN BRONK FOR MAILONLINE Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 with a clear intent to decapitate the Ukrainian state at both the national and local level, capture key cities and infrastructure, and presumably put a compliant pro-Russian client government in place to facilitate Ukraine's de-facto absorption into a 'greater Russia' alongside Belarus. The strength and responsiveness of Ukrainian defenders, coupled with extremely poor planning, morale and coordination among Russian forces ensured that Russia's initial plan failed. That failure has so far cost the Russian Army 5,000 to 8,000 troops killed in action, with probably three to four times that many wounded, captured or missing, along with at least 1,350 vehicles, heavy weapons and aircraft destroyed or captured. There is significantly less clarity on Ukrainian military losses, but they are also likely to be in the low thousands due to the heavy Russian use of artillery and other heavy firepower on all their axes of advance. Nevertheless, after three weeks of fighting, the initial Russian aims of overthrowing the Ukrainian government in Kyiv and setting up a client state in its place are no longer achievable. The Russian Army has struggled to make progress in the muddy terrain in the north and north east of Ukraine since the invasion began. It has so far failed to completely encircle and cut off either Kyiv or Kharkiv. Ukrainian military servicemen prepare to fire salutes during the funeral of their comrades yesterday in Starychi, Ukraine Three people were killed and five were wounded in shelling in Kharkiv city centre in Ukraine yesterday Fighting continues some distance from Kyiv itself; in the north-western suburbs of Kyiv at Hostomel, Bucha, Makariv and Irpin and in the north eastern suburbs of Boryspil and Brovary. Ukraine has conducted successful counterattacks at Chernihiv and Irpin near Kyiv, and also successfully held open resupply corridors into both Kyiv itself and Kharkiv to the north east near the Russian border. Here's how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly fleeing from the bombs and guns. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of this conflict will require accommodation, schools and medical support. Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. 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TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement It is increasingly clear that the Russian Army may struggle to assemble sufficient combat power to actually take Kharkiv, let alone Kyiv. In addition to the losses already suffered, its resupply convoys are under consistent attack by Ukrainian light infantry. Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv are under heavy bombardment, but the limited Russian efforts to actually storm besieged cities and towns in the north have been costly and largely unsuccessful. Part of the reason for this is that the Russian Air Force has failed to gain air superiority over most of Ukraine, despite having hundreds of modern fast jets and helicopter gunships. Limited flying hours for pilots to hone their skills in complex mission sets, limited stockpiles of modern precision guided weapons, and good Ukrainian defensive tactics have prevented the Russian Air Force from destroying most of Ukraine's mobile surface to air missile (SAM) systems. Consequently, its aircraft are having to operate largely at low altitudes where SAM systems are less effective, dropping unguided bombs and rockets with limited accuracy. At these low altitudes, they are taking consistent losses to shoulder-fired anti-aircraft Stinger and Igla missiles by day, which in turn is making them operate at night where they struggle to identify battlefield targets. Things have gone better for Russian forces in the South of Ukraine, where the terrain is more open and the ground firmer allowing Russian forces to manoeuvre more effectively off-road. The bulk of the Ukrainian regular Army was deployed along the Donbas line of contact in the east of the country at the start of the invasion. These units have been largely unable to break contact to reinforce other areas due to heavy attacks by separatist and Russian forces from the east. With most other units stationed in the north and north-east to defend against attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv, the south of Ukraine was always lightly defended. As a result, Russian forces captured the cities of Kherson and Melitopol in the first few days of the invasion, and also rapidly encircled the key port city of Mariupol. However, despite its advantages in the south, the Russian Army has so far failed to capture Mariupol after weeks of intense bombardments of the city. It has also failed to capture the smaller city of Mykoliav to the north-east of Kherson. Russia has suffered crippling financial damage from the unprecedented sanctions imposed by NATO, the EU and many other nations including Switzerland and Israel. It has burned carefully cultivated influence networks, destroyed its remaining soft power and global reputation. Russia is now largely cut off from global air travel and even many large shipping networks. Meanwhile its army is taking losses in Ukraine which are fundamentally unsustainable if they continue over more than a month or two. In return, it has captured limited amounts of territory in the north, east and south of Ukraine, but has only taken one major city (Kherson) and a few smaller ones such as Melitopol. The other cities it has encircled such as Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy have already badly damaged or destroyed by weeks of bombardments and fighting. Even if Russian troops eventually succeed in forcing them to surrender, they will be left attempting to control a partially armed population which is now united as never before by an intense hatred of Russia. Meanwhile the rest of Ukraine is now beyond Russia's capacity to influence or 'regain' forever. Putin now needs his forces to achieve something he can sell to his own people as a victory worth these huge costs. Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at the Saltivka construction market hit by Russian heavy artillery in Kharkiv yesterday A volunteer of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces stands next to his armoured personnel carrier in Kharkiv yesterday A damaged military vehicle seen in Kharkiv yesterday following an attack as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues In this context, Russian forces are likely to attempt three things. Firstly, they will attempt to weaken Ukraine's ability to continue the fighting at its current intensity by driving northwards from Melitopol towards Dnipro to meet with a simultaneous thrust southward from Kharkiv. If this is successful then the bulk of Ukraine's regular army units in Donbas will be cut off and isolated from the rest of the country. Secondly, the Russians will continue the brutal and indiscriminate bombardments of Mariupol, Kharkiv and other smaller cities. The suffering of their remaining inhabitants and defenders being used to pressure the Ukrainian government to agree a ceasefire on terms which would allow Russian forces to pause, consolidate their gains and rotate those units which have been most badly mauled. Thirdly, Russian forces will continue attempting to encircle and bypass Mkyolaiv in the south so that they can threaten a drive towards Ukraine's remaining south-western port city of Odessa. A Russian Navy task force that has been waiting off Odessa for weeks has conducted shelling of the city in recent days and might attempt an amphibious assault if friendly ground forces can get close enough. A view of a destroyed shoe factory in the aftermath of a missile attack amid Russia's invasion in Dnipro in Ukraine on Saturday Ukrainian firefighters work by a destroyed apartment building in Kharkiv yesterday as the Russian invasion continues Firefighters climb a ladder while working to extinguish a blaze in a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv on Tuesday Meanwhile, the attempts to encircle Kyiv will continue and the city is likely to come under increased bombardment, but is highly unlikely to fall to direct assault. JUSTIN BRONK is a research fellow in airpower and technology at the Royal United Services Institute in London For the Ukrainian government, the focus will be on sustaining the ability of its forces to continue fighting effectively, and counterattacking to regain lost territory where possible. In the west of Ukraine, new forces are being rapidly mobilised, trained and equipped with modern weapons provided by Western countries. These will need time to reach a high level of combat effectiveness, but could be sent to reinforce Odessa or Kyiv fairly rapidly if needed. In the meantime, the government must sustain the morale of its troops and citizens, and make sure Western military and other assistance continues to flow into the country. Russian forces are in a dangerous position, and one that is only likely to deteriorate over the coming weeks without a major pause in the fighting. However, the risk is that continuing Ukrainian civilian casualties or any major military setbacks in the east or south might force the government in Kyiv to accept ceasefire terms that would give Russian forces that pause, without forcing them to retreat from the territory they have stolen. By contrast, if Ukraine can continue to fight in the coming weeks, the Russian military and political position will look increasingly disastrous. War is very good for some political leaders. Especially if they don't have to fight but can act 'concerned' from the side-lines knowing that they are not going to put voters lives at risk or face the humiliation of losing. War is a chance to build popularity with voters by promoting yourself as a tough politician who will do anything to stop bloodshed. And in the modern age, you do that through social media. One man shamelessly exploiting the hideous situation in Ukraine is President Macron of France, facing a tough Presidential election next month. He's fighting ambitious challengers from the far-right like Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour and every vote counts. Macron's popularity has risen a bit since the invasion of Ukraine, but how to improve it? The French President has opted for a total image revamp - nothing less. Out go the suits and in comes designer stubble and pseudo military branding. Pictures taken at the Elysee Palace last Sunday show a new macho Emmanuel Macron Overnight neat and tidy mini-Macron has morphed from clean-cut bank manager into rough and tough commando. Someone you could actually fancy (well, maybe for five minutes). Pictures taken at the Elysee Palace last Sunday show a new macho fellow - unshaven, dishevelled, head in hands, channelling 'man at work' big time. What's more, he's sporting a groovy hoodie emblazoned with the logo of the No 10 Parachute Commando Unit, an elite group of around 300 highly trained fighters. Somewhat ironic as Macron is the only French President not to have done military service (he was studying for his second degree). His huge desk in the classic Golden Room in the Elysee Palace appears messy and chaotic - sending the message that heavy duty negotiating is going on 24 x 7, even on a Sunday. These astonishing images were taken by Macron's personal photographer - Soazig De La Moissonnerie - paid to follow him around during the campaign, posting 10 pictures a day on Instagram. Macron is sporting a hoodie emblazoned with the logo of the No 10 Parachute Commando Unit In the past, the French President has been very precise (and conservative) about his image - a former Rothschild banker, his normal attire consists of a slim navy suit, crisp white shirt and tie, well-groomed hair and a smooth chin. These pictures were carefully chosen to put out a new message - here's an efficient, no-nonsense chap who gets things done. Most previous photos chronicling his re-election campaign were of white men of a certain age in suits meeting other men in suits. But the war in Ukraine hasn't just brought sorrow, devastation, and millions of homeless refugees. It's sent a thunderbolt up the backsides of all the men and women of a certain age who sit at the top tables of power in Europe. A new political star has rewritten the rules. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a video address in Kyiv yesterday Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky isn't just an electoral freak - a comedian and TV star who miraculously became his country's leader - he's a communicator through and through. Someone accustomed to performing under pressure, unafraid of speaking without notes, who skilled at using modern media to get his message across at every opportunity. Zelensky has rewritten the rules of political presentation, how we expect a President to look and sound. Since the invasion, he ditched his suit and has worn the same khaki jacket and basic tee shirts. Formerly clean shaven, he's now got a beard and looks like he's just got out of bed. He looks and sounds utterly committed to his cause. It's a look which many women (and men) find unbelievably attractive. Social media is awash with fans, asking if it's creepy to feel that way. Probably, but millions of people around the world - people who previously had no idea where Ukraine was and no interest in politics - are listening to what he's saying. That's got to be a good thing for democracy. Damaged vehicles and buildings in the city centre of Kharkiv in Ukraine yesterday Zelensky is eloquent and direct. That makes a change. The man in a crumpled T-shirt is the most charismatic politician in the world. Other politicians can only gawp from the sidelines, reduced to gushing like fanboys and girls. On Twitter, Justin Trudeau posts a picture of Zelensky speaking to the Canadian parliament on a giant screen. Justin looks thrilled to be there as history is being made. Speaking to the British Parliament, Zelensky shamelessly quotes Churchill. Using the same trick Prime Minister constantly resorted to during the Covid pandemic. And our MPs (and Boris) rise to their feet and give him a standing ovation. The other leaders are hoping that some of Zelensky's star quality will rub off on them and give them a 'bounce'. Hence Macron's embarrassingly staged set of 'war room' photographs. Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron together at the Elysee Palace in December 2019 Previously, the release of the 'giant table' pictures of his meeting with Putin back in February was widely mocked. Both men are not blessed in height, and the acres of tabletop between them emphasised a gigantic gulf that Macron was never going to be able to bridge. Using carefully curated photographs to promote your brand and burnish your credentials at time of national crisis has become a key strategy for modern politicians. Forget policies - get the right photos out there! Boris has a team paid to follow his every move and capture him jogging and sitting in classrooms with bemused kids. Or standing with his tie tucked into his crumpled shirt in hospitals up and down the united Kingdom, hijacking front line medical staff at a time of crisis to create a photo opportunity. Macron has also spent hours on the phone to President Putin (at least 12 calls in the last month alone), and they have not made any discernible different to the Russian leader's mindset. But the Frenchman needs to let voters know how hard he's been working for his country. Hence the clumsy photoshoot. Liz Truss fell into the same trap visiting Moscow last month - captured by her photographer posing in a silly big fur hat in front of the Kremlin on an unseasonably warm day. At least the result wasn't quite as naff as the pictures of her popping up out of a tank in Estonia last November. Truss is smart enough to understand that clothes matter, and constantly uses them to channel Maggie Thatcher. Sadly, the result usually looks more like an ad for a secretarial recruitment agency. With a new lover, former health Minister Matt Hancock has decided that nothing less than a black polo neck, jeans and trainers will get him back in the Cabinet. How wrong can you be? Macron will learn to his cost that fashion is a fickle mistress. Far from appearing macho, he comes across as someone you'd avoid during last orders at your local. Yesterday morning I was making breakfast, radio on, when I heard a sound that moved me to my core, a visceral, almost animalistic cry. Before I knew it, I was sobbing my heart out. Goodness knows there has been enough in the news lately to have us all weeping every day. But this was something else, a cry that struck deep into my soul. It was the sound of a mother who had long feared she may never see her daughter again reunited against the odds. I spent the rest of the day repeatedly watching footage of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, carrying her now seven-year-old daughter Gabriella, long legs dangling and probably a bit too heavy now for her tiny mother who has endured such privations in Iran to hold her like that for too long. And I remembered that desperate need to have skin-on-skin contact with your child as if unable to believe she is real. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe embraces her daughter Gabriella after returning to the UK for the first time in six years For this is not the first time I have heard the sound that Nazanin made. I have made it myself, albeit in totally different circumstances, but the raw energy of it is the same. When my eldest daughter Ellie was nine years old, she was admitted to Great Ormond Street with leukaemia. I moved on to the hospital ward myself, sleeping on a sofa-bed, so as to be with her. The cry of mothers, myself included, separated from, then reunited, with a poorly child was something I was to hear with heart-breaking regularity over the months that followed. Only for it to be replaced by a keening wail when as tragically happened to Ellie the fight for life was ultimately lost. Because there is nothing quite like that bond between mother and child. Gabriella was not yet two when Nazanin was first arrested. The choice was made for her to stay in Iran with her grandparents, so as to be able to visit Nazanin in prison. It's impossible to know what any of us would do in such horrific circumstances and there are no right answers. Later, when she was five, Gabriella returned to the UK to live with her father to start school. Nazanin has missed the important milestone of waving her daughter off on her first day of school, the Christmases, the birthdays Richard Ratcliffe has been an absolute hero throughout, and an utterly devoted dad, but it's a basic truth that, from the very beginning, a mother's relationship with her child is on a more profoundly biological level than that of the father. It is mothers who share a blood supply with their child in the womb, who endure the discomfort and indignity of pregnancy, who, even in this day and age, risk their own health in childbirth, and then often provide the sole source of nourishment for the child for its first few months of life. I well remember that feeling after each of my daughters was born that I would do everything in my power to care for them and protect them. That I would happily lay down my life for them. And though they might no longer be physically part of my body, we would never forget that we once were one. To be apart from them felt like an amputation. During those years in different countries, Nazanin and Gabriella kept in touch via Skype and phone calls. But any mother can tell you that merely being able to see and talk to your child is not enough; you want to touch them, breathe in their scent, do all those myriad tiny things day to day that make you feel truly connected to them. Richard Ratcliffe has been an absolute hero throughout, and an utterly devoted dad Nazanin has missed the important milestone of waving her daughter off on her first day of school, the Christmases, the birthdays. But she has also lost out on those simpler but no less important pleasures such as cosying up to read a book at bedtime, and of being the one to wipe away tears or put a plaster on a grazed knee. My memories of Ellie so often focus on the everyday: the camps we built out of bedclothes, her favourite video that we watched until it wore out, how I had to be the one to make pasta the way she liked it. Being able to see her daughter only from afar must have been a torment. As Nazanin herself said in an interview while under house arrest in Iran: 'It's traumatic not being able to really see or hold Gabriella. 'I cooked noodles for my parents' lunch, Gabriella's favourite, but I don't want to talk about things related to her. It makes me feel too vulnerable. '[My mum] is proud of her granddaughter. She wants to talk about her memories as she is missing Gabriella so much. 'It's hard for me, though; hard when we were organising a clear-out of some of her toys yesterday; painful to be around all those memories. My defence mechanism is to switch off and not dwell on her absence.' Now they are back together, Nazanin will get to be Mummy-in-person again. But it will be to an older child than the one she last saw in Iran and one who has been through a lot. The days ahead will be a period of adjustment for Nazanin, and she will never get back the time she has lost. But she has proved a hundred times over that she is a resilient woman, who will always put Gabriella's needs first. And that was another reason for my tears. Her story was a reminder that there are many people who make smaller sacrifices but sacrifices nonetheless to put a child's welfare above all other considerations. Because that is what it means to be a mother. A new Channel 5 documentary sheds light on the Strangeways Prison Riot of 1990, through shocking testimonies from the prison staff and prisoners who lived through the 25-day siege. Airing at 9pm tonight, Strangeways Riot: 25 Days of Mayhem gives an hour by hour account of how 1,100 Manchester inmates took over their prison on 1 April 1990, leaving 147 prison officers and 47 injured, one prisoner dead, and damage of more than 55 million. At the time, the prison held 1,647 prisoners, and speaking in the documentary, former Hospital Prison Officer Maggie Jones remembered that the staff's 'first thought was to get the sex offenders out' because they risked being beaten up by other prisoners. Former Strangeways inmate John Murray recalled how he was left fearing for his life when a fire broke out during the first day of the riots. Meanwhile, prison officers Alan Hall and Dave Taylor recalled how prisoners wanted to 'kill [them]' and their frustrations at headquarters orders to stand back and let the rioting inmates take over the prison on the first day of the confrontations. Airing at 9pm tonight, Strangeways Riot: 25 Days of Mayhem gives an hour by hour account of how 1,100 Manchester inmates took over their prison on 1 April 1990 and kept it under siege for 25 days 147 prison officers and 47 prisoners were injured throughout the riots, which resulted in the death of one prisoner, and damages costing more than 55m in repairs GET THE SEX OFFENDERS OUT Former Hospital Prison Officer Maggie Jones recounted that the staff's 'first thought was to get the sexual offenders out' once the riot broke out. There was panic about leaving the vulnerable prisoners in the prison as they faced being attacked and so the police managed to get some out, who were on C Wing but those on E Wing awaiting trial or sentencing were not so lucky. Then Prison Governor Brendan O'Friel said: 'Some on E wing were caught by the rioters and they were beaten up very savagely,' some were forced to take drugs, beaten up and there even those who were castrated. Former prisoner Alan Lord, who was a part of the original group of rioters, told how a sex offender was dragged out of his cell and got 'a good hiding' before he was thrown over the railings. Alan Lord, left, was one of the inmates leading the riots. Meanwhile, prison officer Alan Hall, right, said he felt prisoners wanted to kill him and his colleagues at the time As he went down he hit some of the other railings before landing on a safety net 'and then the prisoners ran down and dragged him back up and did it again.' Peter Hancox who was a prison officer at Strangeways at the time led a group of officers into the building in an attempt to rescue vulnerable inmates. Hancox remembered one inmate in particular, who was just in his underwear, and how his team quickly set up a number shields so that they could enter the building safely without getting hit by slate and bricks that the rioters were chucking from the roof. He said: 'We got hold of the lad who was breathing very very badly. We were being bombarded again, even though we were rescuing an inmate. 'We got him to the gate, we got him to the ambulance. He heard later that he had died.' The prisoner, later named as Derek White became the first fatality of the Strangeways Riot. New Channel 5 Documentary Strangeways Riot: 25 Days of Mayhem uncovers the terrifying lengths police had to go to save themselves and prison inmates from rioters, pictured DAY ONE: INMATES RIOT AND TAKE OVER THE PRISON'S CHAPEL After mass in the prison's chapel on April 1, inmates refused to go back to their cells and began to rebel against the chaplain and the prison officers. It was in the prison chapel where the rioting first kicked off - but arguably this needn't have happened. Maggie Jones explained how she was told to 'shut up' when she questioned why they were unlocking the inamtes, after a PO said that they had letters suggesting that a sit down demonstration was going to happen in the chapel. Rioter Alan Lord knew that a sit down demonstration was not on the cards when he turned up for chapel that day, saying that plans had been made in the previous days for a full-blown riot. He said that you could feel the atmosphere in the chapel and 'could cut a knife through the air'. Dave Taylor, a former prison officer, pictured, said staff were 'miffed' they were not given the right to take the prison back from the prisoners on day one of the riots He remembered there being more 'screws' in attendance than there normally was, and knew it was because 'something was going to happen'. During the chaplain's speech one prisoner, Paul Taylor, got up to criticise his address, and made his way down the aisle to wrestle the microphone away from the chaplain to fire up the crowd. Lord described how prisoners had made makeshift weapons from sticks. Inmates took over the roof of the prison's chapel and began to throw tiles, stones and scaffolding at the officers on the ground, pictured Inmates celebrated taking over the prison roof. John Murray, one of the rioters, said it felt like a 'Genesis concert' THE ROOT OF THE RIOT The new documentary does analyse why the riots happened, with both Lord and Murray providing explains of extreme police brutality. The prison, which was built by the Victorians was only meant to house 970 prisoners but in on the 31st March 1990 Strangeways was holding 1647 men. The rooms, designed for one man, where now occupied by three and staff were overstretched. Prisoners spent most of their days in the rooms, which had now become a toilet and dining room, making inmates angry, upset and frustrated. Advertisement He said: 'You're dealing with young lads who were very frustrated with how they've been treated, so it was payback time.' He explained how his adrenalin was pumping, and he thought: 'Now, this is your moment.' Lord went on to explain how he made his way to the back of the chapel and gave 'a couple of digs' to the prison officer holding the keys and managed to snap them from the chain attached to his belt, before passing them onto another prisoner. The inamtes took this as their cue to rampage through the prison, making their way onto the roof. Back at home the Prison Governor Brendan O'Friel was returning from a drive when his son told him that there was an 'April Fool' about 'a riot on in the prison'. But this was no practical joke and by the time that O'Friel had arrived his staff had retreated, there were fires spreading and there were a large number of inmates tearing off parts of the roof. He had to put together a plan because they had no 'proper facility' for managing a serious disturbance and with prisoners seizing radios the communication networks were compromised. O'Friel said he had to cut the main telephone link to the outside world because the prisoners had seized the phones and were 'busy ringing up Fleet Street'. With the media gathering they had to do something to isolate the prisoners further. Peter Hancox also led the rescue of the Prison's chaplain, Noel Proctor, he said: 'we got to the chapel and we opened the gate we could see Noel Proctor with four inmates who were helpless.' Past them Hancox and his team could see another gate where inmates were trying to get through and how he was able get hold of all five. Maggie Jones recounted that they had prisoners on the wings who were 'screaming' for the staff to 'save them.' With tears in her eyes she recalled the screams and said: 'It was a hell of a day.' Former prisoner John Murray was one of those who feared for his life - locked up H Wing, the remand wing, a fire was started. Murray recalled how terrified he was as the smoke came through the cells and the tops of the doors; all he could do was wet towels in the water buckets and put them over him 'because the cell is just filling up with smoke.' Fearing for his life Murray said he thought he was going to die of smoke inhalation or suffocate to death. 'So I was shouting out the cell doors and I've seen someone I knew so he's got a fire extinguisher and is bashing the hinges down. I opened the door and it was all better off.' Prison oficers in riot gear prepared to take over the prison on April 2, the second day of the riots, but were told not to Pictured: inmates on the roof. They established a direct line with the media who was watching from the ground in order to make their grievances heard DAY 2: STAFF ARE TOLD NOT TO TAKE OVER THE PRISON When the riots entered their second day, officers were preparing to take back the prison because inmates were throwing tiles from the roof and bits of scaffolding at them. Prison officer at Strangeways Alan Hall recounted he felt 'inmates wanted to kill us.' About 1,000 inmates had surrendered, dozens were injured, but 40 remained on the roof of the prison. John Murray, who was among the inmates who were still rioting, alongside ringleader Alan Lord, said there was 'a lot of tense up rage and revenge in people's minds'. Prison Governor Brendan O'Friel said he didn't want to lose control of the situation and he knew some prison officers wanted to take revenge on the inmates who had hurt their friends and colleagues during the riot There were 1,100 inmates who took part in the riot. By day 6, there were only about 20 left after extreme tactics were used to deter them from protesting He added he was feeling a mix of 'fear and glee' as the protest went on on the roof. By mid-afternoon on April 2, 382 officers in full riot gear arrived at the prison, ready to go in and take the chapel back from the inmates. Dave Taylor, a former prison officer said: 'Yes we knew it was dangerous, yes we knew their would be some bad injuries and possibly some fatalities. But more importantly to us was the fact that we wanted to take back control of the prison.' However, while the officers were determined to take back the prison, a surprising order from headquarters put an end to their efforts. Brendan O'Friel recounted being told by the police: 'You are not to retake the prison.' Peter Hancox, left, was among the first officers to see the damage the prison had sustained during the siege. Meanwhile, photographer John Giles, right, was watching the events unfold from the street Alan Hall said the staff felt 'astounded', saying: 'It was all ready to go, we had the staff, we knew we could do it.' But O'Friel explained the logic behind the order. 'I knew perfectly well that what I couldn't do was have a big big row with headquarters about whether or not we should be attacking. 'What I wanted to do was to avoid was staff feeling they don't know what they're doing,' he said. 'Staff who had seen their mates getting hurt and abused and mistreated by prisoners, if they could get their hands on prisoners, could misbehave themselves, so we were trying to keep a tight control on what was going on,' he added. It was tough news for Alan and his colleagues, who 'were all demoralised, completely demoralised,' he said. 'We had an opportunity to take our prison back and it slipped through our fingers,' he added. Dave Taylor agreed, saying: 'We were a bit miffed, really. We were a bit miffed that they damaged something that we were proud to work in. And we were proud to work in it. Immensely proud.' John Murray said back on the roof, the inmates were 'elated' that the officers were retreating. Due to the central location of the prison, locals soon gathered around Strangeways to see what was happening. Loved ones of the inmates on the roof began to cheer them on, while schoolchildren would go by the prison on their way to class. 'It was like a Genesis concert going on,' Murray recalled with a chuckle, saying the protest was a 'gold opportunity to have extended visits'. Former Hospital Prison Officer Maggie Jones remembered that the staff's 'first thought was to get the sexual offenders out' because they risked being beaten up by other prisoners SEVERAL DEATHS ARE REPORTED AT THE PRISON By the end of the second day, a huge number of press had gathered by the prison. Journalist for Radio Piccadilly at the time, David Nolan, recalled how it was the 'biggest story at the time. Kay Burley was also reporting from the prison for Sky, saying 'it was when 24-hour rolling news came of age.' 'It was the biggest prison riot in UK history and they [the audience] could witness it first hand,' she said. And Kay added the inmates at the prison, including riot ringleader Paul Taylor knew 'how to manipulate' the media and were 'feeding the beast'. At the end of the riot, Murray, who kept his balaclava on for the whole length of the riots, centre, took it out while he and his co-conspirators were taken off the roof by a cherry picker The jolly atmosphere that took over Manchester during the first days of the riots turned sour when headlines began to report that 20 people had died during the prisoners' protest The prisoners would throw tiles and bits from the roof down the yard to fend off anyone officer who'd try to take over the prison Former inmate John Murray said the riots were a 'great opportunity' for extended family visits because the inmates loved ones would come see them from the street However, while the media could speak to the inmates on the roof, it was hard to report what was happening inside. Alan Hall recounted how prisoners coming out of the prison whom he knew were telling him 'I've seen bodies hanging from the scaffolding', although this later proved an exaggeration. The jolly atmosphere that took over Manchester during the first days of the riots turned sour when headlines began to report that 20 people had died during the prisoners' protest. 'There was that moment of absolute shock and horror at the suggestion people had been killed,' Kay said. Mike Unger, former editor at the Manchester Evening News recounted: 'The ambulance people said that there were 20 body bags going in. We asked "does it mean there are 20 body coming out?" and they said "draw your own conclusions".' David Nolan said: 'That put the fear of god into people. Families and relatives were frightened. John Murray, who was still on the roof of the prison's chapel at that time, recounted how his own mother was told he had died. Even though he was wearing a balaclava at the time, his mother was able to recognise him from his body language and tried to convince him to come down because she was scared he would die. Inmates took it upon themselves to let the media know the rumours of deaths were untrue and put together signs reading 'No dead' which could be seen from the street. 'We did a banner saying no prisoner dead and that's from the horse's mouth,' Alan Lord said. 'You either believe the prisoners or you don't but we're telling you, there's not prisoners dead. DAY THREE: A JOURNALIST GOES INTO THE PRISON AND HOSTAGES COME OUT On April 3, inmates began to demand a direct media contact, and Mike Unger was asked by the Home Office whether he would agree to go to the prison, which he did. This is the ideal opportunity to inform the public, society, about what's really going on,' John Murray said. In the documentary, Unger recalled what he saw when he went in. 'In the yard itself there was a lot of rubbish being thrown down. I remember a cobbling stone coming down and crushing a car that for some bizarre reason was in the yard,' he said. Inmates who kept the riots going wore balaclava so they would not get recognised by the media or the police The inmates wanted Unger to publish their grievances in the paper the next day, however, there was a lot of noise around them, and they asked Unger to come into the prison because 'they were getting nowhere.' Unger recalled: 'The prisoners were polite and courteous and articulate and they wanted their message heard. He said the inmates told him: 'We're human beings, we don't need to be treated like animals. Please send my love to my wife who's just had a baby. 'It was very human, very sad, very moving,' he said. But at the same time, inmates brought a hostage with a rope around the neck on the roof of the prison. 'He's a hostage. Quite often hostages are executed. And I think everyone who was witnessing it thought, "Is this going to happen here?",' photographer John Giles said. 'He might have been killed. Thankfully, it didn't happen. They took the rope off and he went back in. But everyone had their hearts in their mouths when he was on the roof with that rope on his neck,' he added. Inmate John Murray shed new insight on the hostage situation. 'Some hostages were real, some hostages were mock. Some people genuinely wanted to throw people off the roof,' he said. The prisoners who took part in the riots used the attention they gathered to have a direct line of communication with the media DAY 6 TO DAY 16: PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE By the sixth day of the riots, staff grew more desperate to put an end to the inmates' protest and began a series of extreme tactics to get them off the roof Strangeways' chapel. Dave said: 'The tactics were that if we kept the prisoners' awake, their resolve would lessen.' These tactics included circling the prison with helicopters at night, playing music through speakers and playing a raid siren every 20 minutes to keep the prisoners getting any sleep. Officers were also throwing potatoes laced with bangers into the prison. 'They'd disrupt your sleep patterns and disorientate you and things like that,' Murray said. 'But sometimes, adrenaline carries you through things,' he added. By Day 9, there were only 20 inmates left on the roof and officers doubled their efforts. O'Freil recounted how he made the inmates believe Special Air Service (SAS) were on their way to get the inmates to agree to come down. Dave recalled the officers also cooked bacon early in the morning and would let the smell travel through the prison. Lisa John, who was part of the negotiating team, said the officers also played out recording of female voices crying out and shouting to the inmates. The team also sprayed the roof with fire hoses to make the tiles slippery, which was very dangerous. Eventually, the remaining seven inmates on the roof opened negotiation talks with the prison on the 16th day of the riot. DAY 25: ENTERING THE PRISON The plan to retake the prison by force was approved in the morning of April 25, and officers were able to enter the prison for the first time in nearly a month. Alan Hall and Dave were both part of Operation Good Luck Romeo. 100 officers entered the jail while the remaining inmates were asleep. They cornered them on the roof. Peter Hancox was among the first officers to see the damage the prison had sustained during the siege. 'It was absolutely horrendous,' he said. 'We stood there, officers, including myself, we were filling up with tears.' Alan said the prison was a 'total disaster.' 'These people had absolutely massacred the place I loved working in. It was hard to take,' Dave said. 'Chaos, nearly everywhere you looked in Strangeways was chaos, and it's very unpleasant when you worked at making something better,' O'Friel said. The riots led to the Woolf Inquiry, which was concluded by Lord Justice Wolf with Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons Stephen Tumim, over a period of five months. Woolf blamed the riots on the 'intolerable' conditions inside Strangeways in the months leading up to April 1. His inquiry also found a 'combination of errors' by prison staff had was a contributing factor into the riots. He also called out failure from the government to provide prisons with enough funds to deal with an increasing inmate population 'in a humane manner.' He made 12 recommendations to overhaul the Prison service, alongside 204 accompanying proposals. Strangeways Riot: 25 Days of Mayhem airs tonight at 9pm A swimwear designer with no formal qualifications in the fashion industry was shocked to find Kourtney Kardashian wearing her one-of-a-kind 80s style pieces online. Leia Perini, who lives in Perth, Western Australia, first had the idea for Loleia Swim when she was 18, inspired by her trips to the vintage stores in Brick Lane, London but it took another eight years for her to have the confidence to bring her unique swim style to market. 'Those [vintage stores] always had the most amazing bright 80s bikinis. I would always think to myself, why can't I find prints like this online or in stores?' The now 26-year-old told Daily Mail Australia. 'I knew there was a gap in the market but being 18 and a little naive I talked myself out of taking the leap of faith to start my own business. Fast forward to 2020 and I finally dived in.' On Wednesday Kourtney's lifestyle website Poosh posted a photo of the Kardashian star in the Meet Me In St Lucia print, which is still available on the Loleia Swim website. On Wednesday Kourtney's lifestyle website Poosh posted a photo of the Kardashian star in the Meet Me In St Lucia print, which is still available on the Loleia Swim website Leia Perini, who lives in Perth, Western Australia, first had the idea for Loleia Swim when she was 18, inspired by her trips to the vintage stores in Brick Lane, London (Isabelle Mathers pictured) ' Loleia was born to pay homage to the freedom and vibrancy of the 80s and 90s. A time where the fashion was loud, the prints were bold and the energy was unmatched,' the website reads Leia was surprised by the attention given it had been months since she sent designs to Kourtney and Kendall Jenner's stylists. Her fans were in awe of the incredible success, as the brand prepares for its Afterpay sale. 'Loleia was born to pay homage to the freedom and vibrancy of the 80s and 90s. A time where the fashion was loud, the prints were bold and the energy was unmatched,' the website reads. 'Loleia is bringing this back to the present moment, with colourful original graphics designed here in Australia with local artists.' Each of Leia's designs are made from scratch so her customers - of which there are already thousands 12 months in - know they are purchasing something truly special. Each of Leia's designs are made from scratch so her customers - of which there are already thousands 12 months in - know they are purchasing something truly special Its popularity was almost immediate with Loleia selling out of two styles on its debut in November last year. 'It was so crazy, from then we really haven't looked back. We have had so much support from some amazing influencers as well,' she said. Those influencers include Australian fitness icon Tammy Hembrow, Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis and models Saskia Teje and Isabelle Mathers. Her most popular design is Midnight in St Tropez, which is a mixture of deep blue florals contrasted with bright yellow accents. Its popularity was almost immediate with Loleia selling out of two styles on its debut in November last year Having worked in retail since she was 16 Leia doesn't feel as though her lack of qualification makes her any less of a designer in the fashion industry According to Leia it's the print that really 'put them on the map', and started appearing in fast fashion stores within three months of launching. 'I guess imitation is the highest form of flattery,' she said. Having worked in retail since she was 16 Leia doesn't feel as though her lack of qualification makes her any less of a designer in the fashion industry. 'I am a firm believer that you can't teach creativity or a go-getter attitude. Two essential traits of running a successful business,' she said. Her most popular design is Midnight in St Tropez, which is a mixture of deep blue florals contrasted with bright yellow accents (Leia pictured in the design) And all of her hard work behind-the-scenes is certainly paying off, with the rising star quitting her part-time job, purchasing an office space and hiring two staff with the money she has made from her collections. This is only just the beginning for the superstar brand, which will restock its online store in a matter of days. 'We are so excited to be dropping our first range of apparel early next year. We have some cute dresses, sets, baby tees and more,' Leia said. Australian skincare brand Lanolips has released a new multipurpose cream that claims to increase skin hydration by 98 per cent after just half an hour. The Lanolips 101 Dry Skin Super Cream ($18.95) has a unique, intentionally grippy texture to create a skin barrier and prevent moisture loss on the legs, back of the elbows, hands and knees specifically. The product uses naturally derived lanolin and lanolin oil, a type of wax that's secreted from sheep's wool and mimics human skin oils. It has the powerful ability to hold 400 times its own weight in water, meaning it can deliver moisture back into your skin at the same time. The brand's most famous product - the Original 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm - sells globally every minute and has become a favourite of celebrity alum Drew Barrymore, Sienna Miller and Miranda Kerr. The Lanolips 101 Dry Skin Super Cream ($18.95) has a unique, intentionally grippy texture to create a skin barrier and prevent moisture loss on the legs, back of the elbows, hands and knees specifically The product uses naturally derived lanolin and lanolin oil, a type of wax that's secreted from sheep's wool and mimics human skin oil On the brand's website the award-winning original balm has received mostly five star reviews from happy customers. 'My first Lano product and it's amazing! I'm taking accutane at the moment and my lips and eczema need all the hydration they can get and this is non-irritating as well as very soothing,' one shopper wrote online. 'It's an awesome product for cuticles, eyes, dry spots like scabs, elbows and knees,' another said. The latest body cream has three times the amount of Lanolin than anything else on the market On the brand's website the award-winning original balm has received mostly five star reviews from happy customers A third added: 'This balm is really nice and thick but applies nicely when you warm it with your fingers. Would definitely recommend if you have dry skin you want to try and hydrate a little.' Other popular products include the 101 Ointment Multi-Bam Minty Edition, the Tinted Lanolin Lip Balm which comes in a variety of colours and the Rose + Lanolin Hand Cream for an intense hydration. Australians can purchase the product on the Lanolips website or at MECCA, Priceline, Sephora and David Jones. A top Sydney chef has revealed how to make the perfect bowl of pho at home to celebrate National Noodle Month. Luke Nuygen, executive chef of The Star Sydney and Treasury Brisbane's Fat Noodle restaurant, said it's essential to use 'good quality' beef shin bones and oxtail to give the pho stock a 'wonderful deep flavour'. To make the tasty Vietnamese soup dish, you'll need an assortment of ingredients for the broth, noodles and meat. You'll also require a number of hours to prepare the intricate dish for the ultimate flavour sensation. Luke Nuygen, executive chef of The Star Sydney and Treasury Brisbane's Fat Noodle restaurant, said it's essential to use 'good quality' beef shin bones and oxtail to give the pho stock a 'wonderful deep flavour' To make the tasty Vietnamese soup dish, you'll need an assortment of ingredients for the broth, noodles and meat Begin by submerging oxtail in a large pot of cold water, then add three tablespoons of salt and leave to soak for one hour before draining. For the 'spice pouch' you'll need coriander seeds, Sichuan pepper, cumin, fennel seeds, whole cloves , whole star anise, cinnamon, black peppercorns and a square piece muslin cloth. Using a frying pan dry roast each ingredient for the spice pouch separately over medium heat until fragrant. Leave to cool, then grind using a mortar and pestle. Place all ingredients into the muslin cloth and tightly tie in a knot. How to make the perfect pho: Luke Nuygen's Tips For How To Nail Pho At Home: Make sure you source good quality beef shin bones and oxtail to give your pho stock that wonderful deep flavour If you prefer your broth lighter, take your spice pouch out of the stock pot after 4 to 5 hours Choose the toppings you like - such as bean sprouts, Asian basil, saw tooth coriander, fresh chilli and hoisin sauce When it comes to topping, there is no wrong or right Advertisement Heat and grill the unpeeled garlic, onions and ginger evenly for 15 minutes until all sides have blackened. Next, peel and discard the skins then chop roughly to enhance the flavour of each ingredient. Place the oxtail, beef bones, brisket and six litres of cold water in a large stockpot and boil. In the meantime, for 15 minutes remove and skim any impurities from the surface to make the both 'clean and clear'. For the 'spice pouch' you'll need coriander seeds, Sichuan pepper, cumin, fennel seeds, whole cloves , whole star anise, cinnamon, black peppercorns and a square piece muslin cloth You'll also require a number of hours to prepare the intricate dish for the ultimate flavour sensation Next, add fish sauce, salt, rock sugar, garlic, onions and ginger. Complete the delicious meal by garnishing with spring onion, black pepper, coriander, then add your toppings of choice Allow to simmer for two hour then remove the beef brisket, cover and cool then refrigerate. The broth should be left to simmer for a further four hours then add the spice pouch and simmer for two hours. During, slice the beef into thin pieces and blanch the noodles in boiling water for 20 seconds before draining. Place the noodles in a bowl then the beef on top, followed by raw sirloin. Then pour over the hot stock until the noodles and beef are covered. Complete the delicious meal by garnishing with spring onion, black pepper, coriander, then add your toppings of choice. Advertisement The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were left chuckling today as Lieutenant Colonel Rob Money put a bearskin hat on his 20-month-old daughter Gaia Money's head during the royal couple's traditional St. Patrick's Day visit to the Irish Guards. Kate Middleton, 40, cut a chic figure in a gorgeous 3,200 Laura Green London dress, which she matched perfectly with complementing emerald accessories and a shamrock brooch, as she visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire. The Duchess went on to present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen who will in turn issue it along the ranks, while the Duke, 39, could be seen proudly watching on. The mother-of-three appeared in high spirits during the parade, taking a moment to ruffle the head of the Irish Guards mascot Turlough Mor, before appearing utterly charmed by one young family attending the event. It marks the first the time the mother-of-three and Prince William have attended the parade since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Peekaboo! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were left chuckling as Lieutenant Colonel Rob Money put a bearskin hat on his 20-month-old daughter Gaia Money's head as they attended the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' The Duchess of Cambridge with 20-month-old Gaia Money, as she attends the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade with Prince William A royal ruffle! Kate Middleton beamed as she stroked the head of the Irish Guards mascot Turlough Mor, during the annual event today The Duchess of Cambridge was elegant in teal while on military duty today as she joined Prince William for the traditional St. Patrick's Day visit to the Irish Guards Kate's coat dress, by luxury womenswear designer Laura Green, is described online as a 'distinguished piece cut in speckled hunting green military wool' The Duchess went on to present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen who will in turn issue it along the ranks (pictured) Showing off her motherly side! The Duchess stroked the head of one little girl during the event today, while the Duke proudly watched on Meanwhile Prince William joined his wife at the event earlier today, marking the first the time the couple have attended the parade since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Happy to be back! One young boy appeared overjoyed to be meeting the royals, greeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge playfully with a salute The mother-of-three could be seen stroking the head of the Irish Wolf Hound regimental mascot while she presented him with his own sprig of shamrock to mark the occasion The Duke of Cambridge, Colonel of the Irish Guards, accompanied by The Duchess of Cambridge, visit the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Mons Barracks in Aldershot The Duchess swept her brunette locks into a low bun for the occasion, opting for a smart emerald fascinator which she wore atop her head. Meanwhile she kept her makeup neutral, with a sweep of dark eyeliner across her lid and a touch of nude lipstick. Popular among wealthy fashionistas, Laura Green London employs teams of expert dressmakers to create bespoke pieces for their clients, who include presenters Lucy Verasamy and Charlotte Hawkins, and television personality Georgia Toffolo. Zara Tindall, the Queen's eldest granddaughter, wore a Laura Green houndstooth coat dress to the Cheltenham Festival earlier this week. The designer has been operating the pop-up store in the capital during the pandemic, but normally insists on appointment-only visits to her private London showroom. On her website, Laura Green states: 'Fashion has the power to uplift and we want our clients to feel unbound to where or when they envision themselves wearing the pieces.' Following the parade the Duke and Duchess then met members of the Regiment before sitting for official Officers' and Sergeants Mess photographs and a photo with Irish Guards in every rank in the British Army (pictured together) 20-month-old Gaia appeared totally charmed by the playful trick from her father (pictured left and right, while Kate Middleton watched on) Charmed to meet you! The Duchess appeared utterly taken with one little girl, who presented her with a posey of pink and white flowers (pictured) The mother-of-three crouched down to the ground to speak to the little girl, who appeared to hide behind her posey of flowers Meanwhile the Duke could be seen playfully tweaking at one little tot's toes during the parade earlier this morning (pictured) The Duchess was in high spirits as she joined the Officers and Guardsmen attending the St Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot Following the parade the Duke and Duchess then met members of the Regiment before sitting for official Officers' and Sergeants Mess photographs and a photo with Irish Guards in every rank in the British Army Kate with 20-month-old Gaia Money and her mother Lorraine Money, as she attends the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade The Duchess of Cambridge was all smiles as she chatted with Lorraine Money, the mother of 20-month-old Gaia Money The royal couple smile and laugh as Lieutenant Colonel Rob Money puts a bearskin hat on his 20-month-old daughter Gaia Money's head The coat dress is described online as a 'distinguished piece cut in speckled hunting green military wool'. As well as presenting the Irish guards with the sprigs of shamrock, the Duchess shared a playful moment with the Irish Wolf Hound regimental mascot. Animal lover Kate, who has a cocker spaniel puppy at home, presented the animal with his own sprig of shamrock to mark the occasion before ruffling the fur on his head and beaming. The parade will conclude with a march-past where Prince William will take the salute. Following the parade the Duke and Duchess then met members of the Regiment before sitting for official Officers' and Sergeants Mess photographs and a photo with Irish Guards in every rank in the British Army. The Duchess appeared gentle as she slipped the shamrock onto the collar of the Irish Guards regimental mascot (pictured) Animal-lover Kate could be seen reaching down to pin the shamrock to the Irish Guards mascot Turlough Mor, during the St Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speaks to an young guest as they attend the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade The Irish Guards have been a part of the British army since 1900, when they were founded by a royal decree from Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who died fighting during the Boer War Turlough Mar, the Irish wolf hound regimental mascot, also known as Seamus, ahead of the arrival of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as they attend the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade Kate and William will then visit the Junior Ranks dining hall where the Senior Guardsman in the Battalion will propose a toast to Their Royal Highnesses. A custom begun by Queen Alexandra in 1901, the St Patrick's Day shamrocks were once presented by the Queen Mother, although in recent years, Princess Anne has also taken on the job. Since 2012, however, the duty has fallen to Kate, whose husband, the Duke of Cambridge, is the current royal colonel of the Irish Guards. The Irish Guards have been a part of the British army since 1900, when they were founded by a royal decree from Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who died fighting during the Boer War. Meanwhile the Duke of Cambridge (pictured left, in black) proudly watched as his wife presented the sprigs of shamrock to the Irish Officers and Guardsmen The mother-of-three went on to present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen who will in turn issue it along the ranks (pictured, and far left in black, Prince William) (pictured, the Duchess today) Kate could be seen chatting with the Irish Guards as she joined the annual parade in Aldershot earlier this morning A general view of sprigs of shamrock ahead of the arrival of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) Following the parade the Duke (pictured left) and Duchess (pictured right) will meet members of the Regiment before sitting for official Officers' and Sergeants Mess photographs and a photo with Irish Guards in every rank in the British Army The Duchess swept her brunette locks into a low bun for the occasion, opting for a smart emerald fascinator which she wore atop her head Since then, the Guards, who, like all Guards regiments boast the Queen as their colonel-in-chief, have fought in all the major 20th century conflicts and, more recently, led the British advance into Basra during the Iraq War in 2003. The Irish Guards were also among the last units to be deployed to Afghanistan and in 2013, were drafted in to play a mentoring role for local Afghan troops before being returned to the UK in time for the Queen's birthday parade. The engagement comes amid a busy period for the couple, who are about to embark on a week-long tour of the Caribbean. William and Kate will visit the Caribbean as part of a tour of Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize - countries that are all still Commonwealth realms. The Duchess appeared in good spirits as she chatted with the Irish Guards during the parade earlier today (pictured) The Duchess' smart green teal coat dress featured a distinctive sharp collar and a large oversized belt detail The couple are set to launch a royal charm offensive on their first joint visit to Jamaica - with insiders hoping Kate will be a key player in persuading the country to stay in the Commonwealth. In November, Barbados made the move to become a republic, losing the Queen as its official head of state, and Jamaica's prime minister has confirmed his own country would now be keen to follow suit. Andrew Holness, Jamaica's prime minister, said just days after the official ceremony took place in Barbados to mark independence: 'There is no question that Jamaican has to become republic.' However, the Cambridges' first major joint overseas tour since before the pandemic - coinciding with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee - could see the country persuaded otherwise. Meanwhile the mother-of-three pinned a shamrock brooch to her chest and opted for drop emerald earrings for the outing today The Duchess cut a chic figure in a gorgeous teal coat dress, which she matched perfectly with complementing green accessories, as she visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Mons Barracks in Aldershot The coat dress, by luxury womenswear designer Laura Green, is described online as a 'distinguished piece cut in speckled hunting green military wool' A visit from Kate and William - England's future king and queen - could shore up crucial support for the Monarchy in the region. And earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and hundreds of dignitaries and schoolchildren at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. The Queen, who has recently recovered from coronavirus and has been experiencing mobility issues, had hoped to attend in person but asked her son Charles to represent her at the service after discussing arrangements with members of the Royal Household. Ensuring the comfort of the monarch, who now regularly uses a stick, is thought to have been an overriding consideration in her decision not to take part. Kate appeared in good spirits as she arrived at the event earlier today. It marked the first time she has been in attendance since the start of the pandemic As she arrived at the event earlier today, the Duchess beamed at the Irish Guards greeting her in Aldershot The Irish Guards have been a part of the British army since 1900, when they were founded by a royal decree from Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who died fighting during the Boer War The Irish Guards were also among the last units to be deployed to Afghanistan and in 2013, were drafted in to play a mentoring role for local Afghan troops before being returned to the UK in time for the Queen's birthday parade William and Kate get their hands on the all-new Range Rover: Royals arrive at St Patrick's Day Parade in 100,000 flagship SUV weeks before UK customers get their first deliveries By Rob Hull For Thisismoney.co.uk Prince William and Kate Middleton appear to have leapfrogged the customer queue for the all-new Range Rover, with the Royal couple pictured arriving in one of the great British brand's flagship SUVs that aren't due to arrive with buyers for at least another month. With Range Rover's parent company Jaguar Land Rover holding all three Royal Warrants, it's no surprise to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge using the luxury 4X4 on official duties. However, their Royal connection might have helped them take delivery of their car well in advance of other customers, who may have ordered a new Range - which starts from 94,400 in the UK - but whose delivery dates are still weeks away. And Wills and Kate have even gazumped the world's motoring press, which is yet to have a drive of the flashy motor with the car's global launch event taking place in the US early in April - which MailOnline and This is Money will be attending. Royal ride: The Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have been pictured using the all-new 2022 Range Rover, which isn't due to be delivered to UK customers for weeks The Duke and Duchess were pictured today in the brand new SUV while attending the St Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot. The dark blue 4X4 is likely the first 2022 Range Rover on the road in the hands of someone other than JLR personnel. Records show that the car was first registered in November and appears to be a P400 model, which features a mild hybrid 'straight six' cylinder 3.0-litre petrol engine with 400 horsepower. This can propel the hulking SUV from zero to 62mph in 5.8 seconds and has a top speed of 150mph. Prices for this engine option start from 98,000 for the standard short-wheelbase model - though this Royal example kitted out with all the bells and whistles would likely ring in at well over 100,000. It weighs over three tonnes and emits 220g/km of CO2 - so it's far from the greenest vehicle on the road today. We asked Jaguar Land Rover to clarify details of the motor, but were told by a spokesman for the brand that 'JLR does not comment on Royal vehicles'. The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patrick's Day Parade, at Mons Barracks in Aldershot on Thursday, having travelled in the 3.0-litre petrol Range Rover This is the all-new Range Rover - the fifth generation of the luxury SUV that dates back to 1970 NEW RANGE ROVER: WILL IT FIT IN MY GARAGE? On sale: now Price: from 94,400 First deliveries: Late April 2022 Built: Solihull, England Seats: 4, 5 and for the first time 7 (depending on model) Versions: Standard and Long Wheel-base DIMENSIONS *Standard wheel-base / Long wheelbase (where dimensions differ) Length: 5,022mm / 5,252mm Width (inc mirrors): 2,209mm Height: 1,870mm Wheelbase: 2,997mm / 3,197mm Wheels: Up to 23 inch Turning circle: 10.95mm / 11.54mm Maximum off-road clearance: 295mm Maximum incline: 45 degrees Wading depth: 900mm Approach angle: 34.7 degrees Departure angle: 29 degrees Maximum tow capacity: 3,500kg Maximum roof load: 100kg Loadspace: Max behind row one, all seats folded: 1,841 / 2,601 litres Transmission: 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox Trim levels: SE, HSE, Autobiography, and First Edition From 2022: Exclusive SV version from Land Rovers Special Vehicle Operations arm (includes four-seat chauffer version) POWERTAIN EXAMPLES - Plug-in Hybrid extended range PHEV Available in two options: 510hp and 440hp Electric-only range: up to 62 miles officially (real world estimate 50 miles) Electric only top speed: up to 87mph 0 to 62mph (100km/hr): up to 5.6 seconds Top speed: TBC CO2 emissions: under 30g/km Engine: 400 horse-power (PS) Ingenium 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder Battery: 38.2kWh (useable capacity 31.8kWh) Electric motor: 105kw Charging time on 7.2kW AC wall-box: 5 hours - New flagship 4.4 litre V8 530hp twin turbo petrol 0 to 62 mph (100km/hr): 4.6 seconds Top speed: 155mph CO2 emissions: 263g/km - Mild hybrid straight 6 cylinder 3.0 litre petrol (P400) and 3.0 litre diesel engines (D300 and D350) - First fully electric battery version from 2024 Advertisement Jaguar Land Rover, which is now owned by India's Tata Motors, not only holds all three Royal Warrants but was granted its first in 1951. Last year, a 2013 Range Rover used by the Duke and Duchess was sold at auction for 50,625 - more than 10,000 over its pre-sale estimate and double what the vehicle is worth without a Royal connection. The Range Rover Vogue SE SUV was originally supplied to Prince William and Kate for their personal use by Land Rover's VIP Department in 2013. Royal ride: This 2013 Range Rover was originally used by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, having been delivered to the couple by Land Rover's VIP Department for their personal use. It sold at an Oxfordshire auction for 50,625 last May The auction sale was a very unique scenario. It's very rare for ex-Royal vehicles to be offered to the public with the full declaration of who the previous keepers are The car was given to the couple in the same year Prince George was born, so might have been one of the vehicles used to transport him as a baby In its eight years leading up to last year's sale, the Range Rover had clocked up just 38,420 miles. The car retains the number plate it had during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's ownership TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ALL-NEW RANGE ROVER The all-new Range Rover will be sold with petrol, diesel and petrol-electric plug-in hybrid versions and will debut as an all-electric model from 2024. It marks the fifth-generation of the Range that dates back to 1970. It has been specially designed on a flexible new platform which allows engineers to power it with both electric motors and batteries, as well as conventional combustion engines, with prices starting from 94,400. Here are ten things you need to know about the new motor: The Range Rover's acceleration towards full electric power is the most significant update of all. It will be sold with a choice of Plug-in Electric Hybrid (PHEV) powertrains before a zero-emission version arrives in a couple of years 1. There will be a first fully-electric Land Rover model The 2024 electric Range Rover with be Land Rover's first battery-only model brought to market. It has sold plug-in hybrid versions of the luxury SUV in the previous generation and PHEV examples across the rest of the range, including the Land Rover Defender PHEV. Parent firm JLR's first EV was the I-Pace, which launched back in 2018. An electric-only Range Rover will become Land Rover's first full EV model launched in 2024 and be followed by six others as part of the brand's efforts to switch power sources ahead of the ban on sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 2. Available with seven seats for the first time A seven-seater Range Rover with a third row of two seats is now an option for the first time in the extended-wheelbase version. Customers can also opt for a standard five-seater. And the exclusive 'SV' version from the Special Vehicle Operations branch offers a four-seat chauffeur option. For the first time ever, Range Rover buyers will be able to choose if they want a five- or seven-seat layout for their luxury 4X4 3. It features all-wheel steering... This is said to improve high speed stability and low speed manoeuvrability. The rear axle moves by up to seven degrees, giving a tighter turning circle of less than 11 metres. Stability is also improved with intelligent all-wheel drive and a new 'active 48-volt electronic roll control system'. The introduction of rear-wheel steering should make the weighty Range Rover feel more agile and nimble in the bends 4. Design changes are highlighted by an all-new rear look The rear of the new Range Rover shows the biggest change in design with large 'hidden until lit' lights and indicators in the dark panel that runs across the top section of the tailgate and then drops down around the side of the lower part of the boot door. The front grille has also been tweaked and all sensors removed from the body panels and hidden out of sight in the lower bumper. It also gets new high definition digital LED headlights. The 'hidden until lit' rear light cluster is the standout change to the Range Rover's design that portrays a new level of luxury 5. An interior suitable for vegans Non leather and fabrics including Ultrafabrics and Kvadrat wool-blend, and others made from recycled plastics and fabrics, are offered to those with vegan tastes or ethical issues with animal hides. Like many other car makers, Land Rover is moving away from animal-based materials for its interior fabrics to show it can be a sustainable brand 6. Range Rover's biggest infotainment screen yet The new 13.1-inch curved floating touch-screen with graphics based around a three panel lay-out - dominates the elegant dashboard and is the biggest display to ever be installed in a Range Rover. Controls for the screen for the first time provide 'haptic' feedback which gives users 'a positive confirmation' without the need to take their eyes off the road to glance at the display. Rear passengers have a new rear-seat entertainment system with 11.4-inch screens for smart TV via in-car wi-fi. The curved screen up front is the largest in Range Rover history at 13.1 inches. Passengers in the back also get 11.4-inch rear displays 7. Power-assisted doors all-round All four passenger doors are power-assisted - a first for Land Rover. They feature integrated hazard detection, meaning they can't swing open if a vehicle or cyclist is passing in close proximity, and also an 'anti-pinch' safety feature that prevents the door shutting on flailing limbs. All doors in the new Range Rover are power assisted and incorporate a safety feature that will stop you from knocking cyclists off their bikes and trapping your arm as you try to get in. Pictured: The Daily Mail's Ray Massey has already sat inside the new car - but is yet to drive it until next month 8. Split rear tailgate gets practicality tweaks...and a dog ramp The split rear tailgate a feature since 1970 is updated with new features. Inside the load-space floor has flexible panels to partition areas for easier load-lugging. The five-seater version also has a new auto-folding loadspace cover which retracts when the upper tailgate is opened, providing unrestricted access without lowering the lower tailgate. There's also the option of a dog ramp as part of an additional pet pack (also includes travel cage and mobile hose) to make it easier for your furry friend to access the boot compartment. Land Rover have made changes to the boot and tailgate to make it more practical - for you and for your pets, it appears 9. Voice control available in a super-hushed cabin This is a Range Rover you can have a full blown conversation with. It features voice control and commands for music, navigation and traffic updates via Amazon 'Alexa', as well as using its artificial intelligence to check the news and weather, schedule meetings, and even turn on your lights at home. You should have no issues telling the Range Rover what you want as there will be little to no road rumble in the cabin. That's because noise-cancelling technology piped through speakers installed in the headrests to help maintain the interior as a 'calm oasis'. It will also have clean air technology to filter out odours and viruses, including Covid-19 and Sars viruses. The interior should be quieter than ever before - and not just because Land Rover is adding electric power. It's because noise-cancelling tech will prevent road rumble being audible in the cabin 10. Active suspension that knows when you're about to hit a bump The new Range Rover enjoys 'pre-emptive suspension' which uses chassis control and Electronic Air Suspension to 'read' the road ahead via the sat-nav and sensors and prime the vehicle for looming bumps and corners. Rare Christmas cards sent by the Queen and members of the royal family to their personal chaplain have emerged for sale 70 years later. The greetings cards signed by Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh were given to Rev Maurice Foxell and date back to 1952 - the first Christmas card the monarch sent as Queen. They cover a 12-year period, are all signed and include formal portraits of the growing Royal family during the early years of the Queen's reign. Another festive card in the collection was sent in 1963 and signed by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother 'From Elizabeth R'. Rare Christmas cards sent by Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to her personal chaplain Rev Maurice Foxell have emerged for sale 70 years later (pictured Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne) Rare Christmas cards sent by Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to her personal chaplain Rev Maurice Foxell have emerged for sale 70 years later (pictured Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne) Another card which dates to 1964 includes all four of the Queen's children (pictured Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew) Inside the remarkable first card that Elizabeth sent as Queen reads: 'With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.' It was signed by both Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Standing next to his parents was a four-year-old Charles, Prince of Wales and his two-year-old sister Princess Anne. Another card which dates to 1964 includes all four of the Queen's children. The wholesome black and white image shows a 14-year-old Princess Anne perched on the arm of a chair next to her father Philip. While 16-year-old Charles stands behind the Queen who is holding her nine-month-old baby-Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, then four, leaned against the arm of the opulent chair as he beamed at the camera. Another festive card in the collection was sent in 1963 and signed by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother 'From Elizabeth R' (pictured) Another festive card in the collection was sent in 1963 and signed by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother 'From Elizabeth R' (pictured) This card sent in 1953 shows the Queen and Prince Philip at her coronation with a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne In the snap she looked poised as she perched at the edge of her arm chair with her two corgis. Another sent in 1953 showcased the vibrant colours inside the palace as the royals picture was painted onto the greetings card. Elizabeth and Philip don opulent royal ensembles as they stand behind a young Charles and Anne. Two cards sent by the Queen's aunt Mary, The Princess Royal, from the 1950s and 1960s were also discovered Two cards sent by HRH Mary, The Princess Royal, from the 1950s and 1960s where also discovered. Elizabeth ascended the throne aged 25 in 1952, on the death of her father George VI. She inherited dominion over a Britain emerging from the ravages of World War Two when rationing was still in place. In 2022, Her Majesty will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service. The Platinum Jubilee will also be Elizabeth II's first Jubilee without her husband, Prince Philip, by her side. The Royal couple were married in November 1947 and had been inseparable for 73 years. The Duke of Edinburgh died on April 9, 2021. By Joe Guzzardi Russia's invasion of the Ukraine has brought devastation or death to hundreds of thousands of people. Whenever and however the brutal war ends, millions of Ukrainians will be displaced, as well as Russians vocally opposed to the war who fear President Vladimir Putin's retaliation. Between the invasion's beginning and March 6, more than 13,000 anti-war protesters were arrested. Russia's crackdown on dissenters includes blocking access to Facebook and Twitter which could disseminate anti-war news that Putin wants hushed up. In early March, Putin signed legislation under which people suspected of spreading "fake news" about Russian forces could face up to 15 years in prison. The U.N. refugee agency reported that 2 million Ukrainians have fled their country, mostly to Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. But the news agency Reuters found that, at the U.S.-Mexico border, a growing number of Russian and Ukrainian nationals have been encountered. In Mexico, the migrants buy "throwaway" vehicles and drive across the border into the United States to seek asylum. Assuming the Russian invasion continues, tens of thousands more displaced Eastern Europeans could eventually reach the U.S. to make their asylum claims. Illegal entry attempts could increase as visas become increasingly difficult to obtain. A Miami immigration lawyer fluent in Russian, Andrey Plaksin, said he is overwhelmed with calls and emails inquiring about the visa process and their availability. One option that might help Eastern Europeans get to the U.S. would be if they applied for a nonimmigrant tourist or work visa, assuming they could find a U.S. consular post open and accepting appointments. Once inside the U.S., they would face minimal chance of deportation. Almost immediately after the invasion began, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas granted Ukrainians living in the U.S. before March 1 temporary protected status for 18 months, protecting them from deportation for that period. Historically, TPS is quasi-automatically rolled over in 18-month increments for periods as long as two decades. By an overwhelming margin, Americans and Congress wants to help Ukrainian citizens and other countries that Putin may be determined to destroy. Eight in ten voters are following the Ukraine crisis closely, and 70 percent favor strong sanctions against Russia. But with the Russia-Ukraine war coming just weeks after the U.S. airlift that took Afghan nationals to overseas U.S. military bases and the American homeland, and with the illegal immigration invasion ongoing, many question how the country can environmentally sustain itself. Projecting Biden's first year immigration totals over his four-year term about 2 million illegal immigrants, 650,000 "got aways," 1 million-plus lawful permanent residents and tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees and the U.S. will have about 8 million illegal immigrants that Customs and Border Protection processed, and roughly 2.5 million "got aways" now in the interior, safe from deportation. The Afghan resettlement is over, but a Ukrainian surge could surpass those numbers. To the existing totals, remember that demographers must include the roughly 3.1 family members that lawfully present immigrants, including refugees/asylees, will petition to be admitted to the country, as well as the families that they'll start or add to once in the U.S. Despite the Biden administration's ballyhoo about a future green America, he's ignored the huge carbon footprint that thousands of new immigrants will make as housing, roads, schools and hospitals are built to accommodate the needs of them and their offspring. Fifty years ago, the Rockefeller Commission Report, "Population and the American Future," was submitted to Congress. The report urged population stabilization at the 1972 level, 211 million. Instead, population has soared to the current 334 million, and is projected to reach about 400 million by mid-century. Be mindful that these totals are pre-Biden's expansive open borders and resettlement policies. Fewer people would relieve, at least in part, many of America's social ailments, including most obviously sprawl and overcrowding. Yet stable population's obvious benefits have escaped every presidential administration, Republican and Democrat, since Richard Nixon. A half-century of disregard for population growth has had no noticeable benefits for most Americans. For the donor class elite, however, growth is good for them. Joe Guzzardi ( ) is a Progressives for Immigration Reform analyst who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. His article was distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times. She is known for her svelte physique love of show-stopping garments. And Lady Victoria Hervey looked sensational as she flaunted her abs and took a stroll along Miami beach in a sequin bikini on Wednesday. The socialite, 45, looked stunning in the blush pink two-piece, which showed off her incredible petite frame. Lady Victoria Hervey showed off her physique while going for a stroll along the water on a Miami beach The socialite splashed in the shallows as she went to cool down from the blaring Florida sun Not one to choose plain garments, Lady Victoria went for a glittering pink sequin bikini that sparkled in the sun To accessorise, she chose a multitude of beaded bracelets for each hand and wore on top of a platinum watch Lady Victoria looked flawless as she caught some sun while going for a short paddle in the water. She accessorised with an array of blue and white beaded bracelets on both wrists next to a platinum watch she splashed in the sea to cool down. The blonde beauty put her taut figure on display in a glittering matching bikini set that featured metal rings on the ties. Lady Victoria's tresses bounced around her shoulders in glamorous curls around her diamond-encrusted angel wing earrings that added touch of glam. Lady Victoria Hervey seemed in good spirits as she splashed around in the sea and laughed to someone in the distance Going for a deeper swim, she posed letting the sun hit her sparkly bikini and showed off her svelte physique All in the details! For the outing Victoria chose a matching bikini that featured metal rings on each tie She appeared to go make-up free and left her sunglasses at home, accessorising instead with a selection of silver rings on her hands. The Miami resident is no doubt thrilled that she's no longer required to wear a mask in public, after the madate was lifted on February 11. 'I'm not going to lie, I never wear one,' she told The Daily Mail in April last year, adding that she 'storms out' of any shops that ask her to put one on. Even so, she went into business supplying PPE at the start of the pandemic, but insisted that she isn't a hypocrite. To glam up her beachside ensemble, she opted for gold earrings encrusted with diamonds in the shape of angel wings Choosing not to wear a mask for her outing, Lady Victoria previously admitted that she wouldn't wear one 'I did a little bit of a pivot,' she said. 'But no, it doesn't! I was selling it to hospitals, not to people out walking their dogs or shopping.' Asked if she would ever take the Covid vaccine, she scoffed: 'No way! 'It's a personal thing, and my mother's had hers, but at my age I really believe in natural immunity.' She admitted that Project Baby had also influenced her thinking as she has a prospective sperm donor/father lined up. Six of her eggs were frozen and stored three years ago, at a cost of 11,000, and she spent the time afterwards looking for a donor. 'I had a friend who was going to be my sperm donor. He was going to be involved in my child's life, but as a friend, not a partner,' she explained. 'And I was supposed to be pregnant now. But then Covid happened, which was a big blow, but looking back I'm really grateful I didn't do it with that person. He just wasn't right.' Prince Harry will 'go out of his way' to not criticise the Queen in his upcoming bombshell memoir, Meghan Markle's friend Omid Scobie has claimed. The Duke of Sussex, 37, is set to publicly spill all on his relationship with his estranged family in an explosive 14.7million ($20million) memoir due to be published later this year. The Finding Freedom author has said Harry, who is currently living in his $14 million mansion in California having stepped back from royal duty, 'really wants to celebrate her life and his relationship with her in that book.' It comes after friends of the Duke warned his no-holds barred book will lay bare his true feelings towards his step-mother Camilla and is likely to 'shake the monarchy to its core'. Prince Harry will 'go out of his way' to not criticise the Queen in his upcoming bombshell memoir, Meghan Markle's friend Omid Scobie has claimed Speaking on the Royally Obsessed podcast, Omid said the book will celebrate the life and reign of Her Majesty. He said: 'Harry really is going out of his way to make sure that there isn't material in there [the book] that can be seen as negative towards the Queen or her reign in any way whatsoever. 'He really wants to celebrate her life and his relationship with her in that book. 'I think as much as the press want this to be a burn book and an attack on the institution, this is more just about his story. Speaking on the Royally Obsessed podcast, Omid said the book will celebrate the life and reign of Her Majesty (pictured with Meghan) 'Of course, his story is so much more than just the few years of his life as the Duke of Sussex. 'I think for people expecting that warts and all moment, it's not going to happen. That said, it's still going to be fascinating.' The Royal Family has been left deeply concerned by Harry's decision to secretly collaborate with Pulitzer-winning ghostwriter JR Moehringer on what his publishers described as 'the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him'. The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William are said to have been completely blindsided by Harry's shock announcement that he has been secretly working on his as yet untitled memoirs for more than a year now. The Duke of Sussex is set to publicly spill all on his relationship with his estranged family in an explosive 14.7million ($20million) secret memoir due to be published later this year Royal experts had previously warned that the potentially explosive book could burn further bridges with the distant Duke and The Firm. And sources close to the Duke of Sussex fired a warning shot this month that is likely to send chills through the Royal Family as news of Harry's potentially explosive memoirs reappeared. His friends told the Mirror: 'If they think he's gone soft, they are mistaken. Just wait for the book to come out because that will shake the monarchy to the core.' Prince Harry had come under fire last month for seemingly ignoring the fact Camilla was bestowed the ultimate blessing by Her Majesty and will become Queen Consort. Prince Harry had come under fire last month for seemingly ignoring the fact Camilla was bestowed the ultimate blessing by Her Majesty and will become Queen Consort Initially, the prince did not make any public announcement, but breaking his silence four days later from his Californian mansion, he paid lavish tribute to his mother Diana's work on Aids and HIV. Source close to the prince say his recent silence 'speaks volumes' and they allege Harry still shares a frosty relationship with his stepmother. Harry's book, due to be published by Random House in late 2022, will likely tackle the brothers' frosty relationship with the Duchess of Cornwall, who last week was confirmed as the future Queen Consort. Friends of the Duke explained to the Mirror: 'Although tensions have eased between the two of them over the years, it was more for a show of unity than a close relationship. The first draft of the manuscript, currently untitled, is said to be almost completely written and is due to be submitted in October 'There were big problems at the start but as Harry and his brother William aged and matured, things got better and they can now co-exist as adults. They were never close with her and they still aren't.' It comes as The Mail on Sunday revealed Camilla would be crowned side-by-side with Charles in a slimmed-down Coronation celebration when the time comes. The Prince of Wales has already let it be known that he favours a leaner monarchy and his Coronation service whenever it comes is expected to set the tone for his reign. Last month the Queen declared it was her 'sincere wish' that Camilla would be known as Queen Consort when, 'in the fullness of time', her son becomes King. Prince Harry has been working with Pulitzer-winning ghostwriter J. R. Moehringer Prince Harry had come under fire this week for seemingly ignoring the fact Camilla was bestowed the ultimate blessing by Her Majesty and will become Queen Consort The Sussexes' radio silence on Camilla's announcement came despite a source claiming Harry had extended an olive branch to his father last month in a bid to heal their rift ahead of the Queen's celebrations. He is expected to return to the UK for the Platinum Jubilee, which will see the country enjoy a four day bank holiday from June 2 to 5. It is not known if Meghan Markle, 40, and their children Archie, two, and eight-month-old Lilibet, will be joining him. But royal aides are said to be concerned the memoir will be a one-sided account of the prince's experiences. And in further comments that are likely to concern the Palace, Harry's friends added: 'He has got lots to say. People think he's keeping a low profile to respect the family but it's not that. 'He's writing a book. He's got a multi-million-pound book deal and he's keeping a lot of his opinions for that. The memoir deal states that it should include personal details of personal and family arrangements. 'And it will be a really intimate take on his feelings about his family and what has gone in the breakdown of the relationship.' The memoir is expected to explore Harry's childhood, his time in the military and his marriage to American-born former actress Meghan. At the time the book was announced last summer, Harry said of the memoir, to be published by Penguin Random House, will be written 'not as the prince' he was, but as the man he has 'become'. He said, 'I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become. 'I've worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story - the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned - I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think. 'I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I've learned over the course of my life so far and excited for people to read a first hand account of my life that's accurate and wholly truthful.' MailOnline approached representatives of Prince Harry for comment but has not yet received a response. Advertisement A swathe of patriotic revellers took to the streets of Dublin to celebrate St Patrick's Day after Covid-19 led to events being cancelled over the last two years. Cities, towns and villages across Ireland are marking the event after the easing of coronavirus restrictions, with up to 400,000 people expected to attend the traditional parade in Dublin. In March 2020, masses of St Patrick's Day plans were cancelled with the onset of the global pandemic, with parades axed in Dublin and Belfast, while the country was in lockdown last year on 17th March. Joyful spectators donned green outfits, shamrocks, Irish flags, and leprechaun costumes as they took to the streets to celebrate today. US visitors Skylar Kaye (R), and Alex Krawetz (L) pose for a photograph at the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin Having a good time! A group of revellers who packed the Temple Bar district following the annual Saint Patrick's day parade in Ireland Joyful spectators donned green outfits, shamrocks, Irish flags, and leprechaun costumes as they took to the streets to celebrate in Ireland Thousands of people donned St Patrick's Day themed clothing as they took to the streets after a two year hiatus on the parade A swathe of patriotic revellers took to the streets of Dublin to celebrate St Patrick's Day after Covid-19 led to events being cancelled over the last two years Cities, towns and villages across Ireland are marking the event after the easing of coronavirus restrictions. Pictured, a group of spectators in Dublin dressed as leprechauns Pictured, a US woman who travelled from Texas to Dublin to celebrate the day dressed in a green ensemble with a matching hat and shamrock necklace Two spectators dressed in matching green shamrock-themed suits while another donned an Ireland scarf and garland paired with a green dress American-Irish actor John C. Reilly and President Michael D higgins shared a hug as they met at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin American-Irish actor Reilly was seen waving at the crowds as he was driven through the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin today Irish-American actor Reilly said it is a great opportunity to 'spread joy' during a difficult time in the world ahead of meeting President Michael D Higgins The politician appeared in good spirits as he watched the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin which has returned in full, with crowds on the streets of Dublin after Covid-19 put a pause on celebrations for the last two years US-Irish actor, musician and producer Reilly, who was the international guest of honour at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, was spotted waving to crowds at the event today One reveller donned a pair of green, oversized glasses shaped like four-leaf clovers as he enjoyed St Patrick's Day celebrations in Dublin today Actor John C. Reilly, the parade's international guest of honour, was seen taking part in the parade in Dublin today The Hollywood actor appeared in high spirits as he celebrated the St Patrick's Day event with locals in Dublin today Grand Marshals Olympic gold medal boxer Kellie Harrington waved to crowds as she took part in the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin today Grand Marshals Paralympic gold medal swimmer Ellen Keane (left) and Olympic gold medal boxer Kellie Harrington (right) take part in the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin Grand Marshals Paralympic gold medal swimmer Ellen Keane (left) and Olympic gold medal boxer Kellie Harrington (right) waved to the crowds at the event today A swathe of performers took to the streets of Dublin to celebrate St Patrick's Day after Covid-19 led to events being cancelled over the last two years Performers take part in the St Patrick's Day parade as the event returned to the streets of Dublin following the Covid-19 pandemic Performers at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, which has returned in full, with crowds on the streets of Dublin after Covid-19 put a pause on celebrations for the last two years The Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band mascot, an Irish Wolfhound, leads the band during the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin today Northern Irish politician Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl was pictured with her son Cian as they attended the St Patrick's Day Parade in Belfast Deirdre Betson, her son Alex and Alfie, an Irish guide dogs for the blind puppy in training, enjoy the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin Leyre Munoz (L) and Andrea Izurdiaga (R), from Pamplona in Spain, smile during the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin Deirdre Betson, her son Alex with Paula and Blanca, Garcia, and Alfie, an Irish guide dog, enjoy the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin Eight-year-old Jacob O'Toole poses for a photograph during the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin which returned for the first time in two years due to the Covid pandemic Crowds of people celebrate outside after the parade - which went from Parnell Square to Kevin Street One reveller donned a pair of Kiss Me emblazoned sunglasses as he joined the thousands of others celebrating Saint Patrick's Day in Dublin This year, in Dublin, the parade will begin at Parnell Square and go through O'Connell Street and around College Green, before making its way down Lord Edward Street and ending in Kevin Street at around 2pm. Olympic boxer Kellie Harrington and Paralympic swimmer Ellen Keane will be grand marshals. The Tokyo gold medal-winning boxer described the opportunity to parade through her local streets as 'fantastic'. 'For myself and Ellen to be grand marshals, two female athletes, it's amazing and it shows the strength in female sport, it's always been there, she said. A group of women wore green outfits and accessorised with St Patrick's Day themed hair bands as they took to the streets Performers standing on a giant chair cross O'Connell bridge during the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin today One reveller posed in front of a rainbow decoration wearing a leprechaun hat and pair of shamrock-themed sunglasses A group who travelled from the US celebrate in fancy dress on the streets of Dublin to celebrate St Patrick's Day A group donning green St Patrick's Day-themed outfits posed for a photo as they celebrated the traditional Irish holiday in Dublin Members of the local Ukrainian community pose for a photo with Ukrainian flags as people celebrate St Patrick's Day Rachel Diyaolu (2nd L), an Irish student who recently escaped from war-torn Ukraine, speaks with members of the local Ukrainian community as locals celebrate St Patrick's Day A group of men dressed in leprechaun costumes pose on the street as they celebrate St Patrick's Day in Dublin The Irish-American said it is a great opportunity to 'spread joy' during a difficult time in the world before enjoying a pint of Guinness at the parade today With up to 400,000 people expected to attend the traditional parade in Dublin the streets were crammed with revellers ahead of the parade A pipe band take part in the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin this afternoon when the event returned following two years due to Covid A pipe band play their instruments as they march through the streets to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Dublin today An Irish Wolfhound mascot is seen with a marching band in the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin today Revellers who dressed their dog up in an Irish-themed outfit cheered as they stood to watch the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin Performers danced through the streets of Dublin as they celebrated St Patrick's Day with a parade for the first time in two years Spectators donning leprechaun hats and Irish face paint posed for the camera as they lined the streets during the St Patrick's Day parade Performers sang and played instruments through the streets of Dublin as they celebrated St Patrick's Day with a parade for the first time in two years Performers danced through the streets of Dublin as they celebrated St Patrick's Day with a parade for the first time in two years Comedians put on a show as they travelled through the streets of Dublin to celebrate St Patrick's Day for the first time in two years Crowds of revellers watched on as dancers performed through the streets of Dublin during the St Patrick's Day parade today Performers wearing colourful outfits travelled through the streets with a giant 'love' balloon during the St Patrick's Day event today A performer donning an elaborate, colourful costume is seen travelling through the streets during the annual St Patrick's Day Parade A performer pretending to be a boxer was spotted travelling through the streets of Dublin to celebrate St Patrick's Day today Young performers in colourful tutus and headdresses performed through the streets during the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin A performer danced through the streets as crowds looked on at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin which has returned after two years Performers at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin walked through donning colourful outfits and carrying elaborate bloons on floats Performers waved the flag of Ukraine as they travelled through the streets of Dublin as part of the St Patrick's Day Parade Performers donning elaborate headdresses and sequined outfits waved at the crowds as they travelled through the streets of Dublin as part of the St Patrick's Day Parade Performers at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin were watched by crowds of thousands of revellers to celebrate the annual day A mermaid-shaped float travelled through Dublin as part of the St Patrick's Day parade which returned for the first time in two years today A cheerleading squad take part in the annual St Patrick's Day parade as crowds cheered them on in Dublin today A marching band from Florida perform at the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin which returned after two years today Members of the National Ambulance service pipe band perform during the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin 'To be chosen to walk through our city as grand marshals is fantastic. It's great to show younger kids coming up that if they work hard they can achieve anything. 'I am not just representing myself, I'm representing the people of Ireland and the people of my community. It's not every day that people from the inner city get to be a grand marshal and I've really got the backing of them all and they are all really delighted. 'I went to the parade in Dublin when I was a kid with my three brothers, and so many friends went as well.' Hollywood actor John C Reilly will be the international guest of honour at the Dublin parade. The Irish-American said it is a great opportunity to 'spread joy' during a difficult time in the world. A man in fancy dress poses with police for a photo as Dublin locals celebrate St Patrick's Day today A Dublin man dressed in green gives a thumbs up from a window during the St Patrick's Day parade today People hold a banner with a message of support to the people of Ukraine during the St Patrick's Day parade This year, in Dublin, the parade will begin at Parnell Square and revellers are pictured enjoying themselves ahead of the festive parade A woman wearing an Ireland-themed cowgirl hat poses for a photo ahead of the St Patrick's Day parade today in Dublin One American reveller was seen donning a green bodysuit paired with a shamrock-themed necklace and an Ireland scarf One guest at the parade was spotted with Irish flags painted on her face while donning a fancy dress headband decorated with a shamrock A couple dressed up in matching leprechaun outfits as they attended the St Patrick's Day celebrations in Dublin today One spectator donned a leprechaun hat and shamrock shaped glasses as he attended the parade today A couple danced through the streets ahead of the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin this morning Yaryna Milchak, a member of the Ukrainian community in Dublin, and Charlie Squires who are leading of the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin Yaryna Milchak, a member of the Ukrainian community in Dublin, and Charlie Squires who are leading the parade today Dressed in a green tweed suit from Dublin's famed Louis Copeland & Sons store, Mr Reilly said he is excited to take part in the celebrations. Anna McGowan, interim director at the St Patrick's Festival, said it is emotional to see the return of the parade. She said: 'It's been three calendar years since the last parade and there's so many people whose lives are about putting on a show, and to be able to do that this year, and to welcome people back on to the streets of Dublin for our national days, it is so emotional and so important. 'I'm thrilled to be back. This parade will be bigger and brighter than ever before. We've been able to double the creative content in the parade. 'We're also just thrilled to be able to welcome back our international marching bands to Dublin, so that's going to be fantastic. A man in fancy dress delighted the crowd of revellers as he took part in the parade to celebrate St Patrick's Day today in Dublin A man in fancy dress posed for selfies in the crowd during the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin today A cheerleader was seen waving her pom poms as she made her way through the parade to celebrate St Patrick's Day today International guest of honour John C. Reilly was seen waving to the crowds of revellers as he celebrated St Patrick's Day during the parade Hollywood star Reilly donned a flat cap and suit and was seen waving to crowds as he was driven through the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin A young girl waved as she sat on a family member's shoulders while watching the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin today Drag performers donning colourful outfits waved at the crowds as they took part in the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin today People gather to watch the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, which has returned in full after two years away due to the Covid-19 pandemic Cities, towns and villages across Ireland are marking the event after the easing of coronavirus restrictions, with up to 400,000 people expected to attend the traditional parade in Dublin Two spectators wore matching striped socks paired with green outfits and leprechaun hats as they attended the event today Both revellers donned Irish-themed faceprint while one wore a pair of orange tinted sunglasses Wearing a green skirt paired with striped socks, one reveller posed for a photo as she celebrated St Patrick's Day in Dublin today One reveller painted her face with a shamrock and waved an Irish flag as she celebrated St Patrick's Day today A trio wearing themed outfits jumped in the air as they celebrated St Patrick's Day in Dublin today 'The theme this year is connections. It's all about inviting people to reconnect with each other after a really tough two years that we've had. 'We want people to come back into the streets of Dublin, into your towns and connect with each other. We enjoy those moments together and come back together. 'We will also have an opening moment to show Ireland's solidarity with Ukraine. Irish people have a strong sense of support and we want to show that part of Irish people.' In Belfast, the first parade since 2019 will leave City Hall at 1pm. Organisers said the theme will be 'We are all Patrick, we are all Belfast'. The parade will travel along Donegall Place, into High Street, Bridge Street and Waring Street and finish in Donegall Street close to Writers Square. Advertisement Zara and Mike Tindall were among the horseracing fans who descended on Cheltenham Racecourse as the festival enters its third day. Zara, 40, was the picture of elegance in a teal trench coat from Claire Mischevani, which she wore with matching heels in a nod to St Patrick's Day. Thursday at Cheltenham is always known as St Patrick's Day at the event, even if it doesn't fall on March 17. However, this year the two days crossed over, inspiring attendees to pull out all the stops. Mother-of-three Zara was accompanied by her husband, 43, who looked dapper in a check suit with matching vest, and her BFF Dolly Maude, who sported a vibrant green blazer jacket over a mini dress. The trio appeared in good spirits as they made their way into the racecourse, eager to watch jockeys taking on the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle. Zara's mother Princess Anne, 71, and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, 67, are also at Cheltenham today, but did not follow the tradition of wearing green for St Patrick's Day. Zara, 40, and Mike Tindall, 43, were among the horseracing fans who descended on Cheltenham Racecourse as the festival enters its third day The couple were accompanied by Zara's long-time friend Dolly Maude, who helped deliver her son Lucas in 2021. She was wearing a vibrant green blazer Love birds! Parents-of-three Mike and Zara packed on the PDA as they walked along the racecourse hand-in-hand this morning in Cheltenham Stunning! Zara looked elegant in a teal coat she wore for St Patrick's Day, while Mike was dapper in a tan checked suit with a blue tie Flawless! Mother-of-three Zara sported a glamourous makeup with eyeliner and mascara bringing drama to her blue gaze Zara, who left her three children at home at Gatcombe Park to enjoy the horseracing event, looked stunning in the woolen coat, which was tied at the waist with a built-in belt of the same gorgeous shade of teal. The turtleneck of a teal blouse from Really Wild poked out from the small round collar of her coat. Her blonde locks were styled in a neat updo which revealed a pair of dropped pearl earrings from Laurence Coste. She accessorised with teal heels from Emmy London, but stirred clear from being too matchy-matchy with a pastel blue hat from Juliette Botterill and a black leather bag from Aspinal. The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence also attended the racing event. Anne, 71, was wearing a bright orange coat, a dotted navy scarf and sensible black boots The Princess Royal looked elegant with a tan hat. She was also wearing a horse brooch in honour of Cheltenham, and a pair of sunglasses The stylish mother-of-three sported her usually barely-there makeup, with a glamourous trait of eyeliner and just a dash of mascara bringing the focus to her deep blue eyes. Proud husband Mike looked dapper in his suit with a checked detail and its matching vest. He kept things simple with a light blue shirt and a floral navy blue tie. The pair were accompanied by their long-time friend Dolly Maude, who helped Zara deliver her son Lucas in 2021. Dolly opted for a fun look, sporting a vibrant green blazer over a striped dress in blue and brown, which she paired with thigh-eye nubuck boots in beige. Presenters Charlotte Hawkins and Francesca Cumani were snapped green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, as they arrived for day three of the Cheltenham Festival Chloe Kiely (left) and Colette Keon from County Kildare chose a green frock and blazer to celebrate their roots Racing fans rocked up to day three of the Cheltenham Festival today in wearing green outfits in honour of St Patrick's Day Hat's the one! This woman added the finishing touch to her green slacks and handbag with a special fascinator in the shape of a leprechaun's hat She accessorised with a leopard hat with an eye-catching bow, and a pair of sunglasses. The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence also attended the racing event. Anne, 71, was wearing a bright orange coat, with a navy blue scarf adorned with spots of white, purple and orange, which went nicely with the rest of her outfit. The no-nonsense Princess royal wore a tan hat and black boots to the racecourse, along with a pair of sunglasses. Sir Timothy, 67, looked smart in a tan suit and kept up with the theme with a whimsical tie adorned with white and red horses. Racegoers adopted a distinctly Irish sartorial style today as the third day of the Cheltenham Festival got underway. This year's festival marks the first time Cheltenham has welcomed punters since 2020, after the pandemic forced organisers to hold last year's event behind closed doors. Making a statement: These ladies full embraced the St Patrick's Day theme, showing off emerald dresses The Queen is hiring a painter and decorator who can give her royal residences across London a fresh look. The role requires an employee who is qualified in painting and decorating or heritage skills, who works to the highest standards because the results will be seen by thousands of people. Depending on experience, the salary being offered is up to 30,000 per year for working 40 hours a week. It's believed the role ties in with the renovation currently being done at Buckingham Palace, the biggest refurbishment since before the Second World War. Having been built in 1704, many of the wires and inner workings are in need of replacement as part of the 369million project. The Queen, 95, (pictured) is seeking a painter and decorator, who will work to the 'highest standards' to provide decorative finishes at various royal households Despite there being complaints about the taxpayers footing the bill, the palace will continue to operate as usual, generating millions for the economy through tourism and events. The master of the Queen's household overseeing the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace has vowed to stay within budget and time on the gigantic project. There is expected to be major disruption to the palace which has 775 rooms, 1,514 doors and 760 windows until 2027. The latest job advert reveals the new employee is expected to make sure that all decorative works are completed to the 'highest standards' because their work will be seen by 'thousands' of people. The role boasts of providing an opportunity to expand on existing skills, while working in a uniquely historic environment. In addition to adding decorative finishes, the individual will regularly handle wall coverings, sign writing and use specialist paint finishes at various buildings across the London Estates. The role based at Buckingham Palace (pictured), will involve painting, sign writing and inspecting rooms across the London Estates Aiming to recruit someone by early April, the advert describes their ideal employee saying: 'The successful applicant will hold a C&G Level 3 or equivalent in Painting and Decorating, or Heritage Skills - Decorative Occupations. You'll be an expert in your field and have experience in a similar role. 'A passion for historic buildings is a must, as you'll be facing the varied and unusual challenges that historic buildings entail. 'The deadlines can be tight, but with your eye for detail and organisational skills, you're confident delivering your very best, even when under pressure. 'Communication skills are vital too, because you'll be working with all kinds of people. You'll also need to be IT literate.' The listing adds that in addition to the 28,000 to 30,000 salary, the candidate will be given a 15 per cent employer contribution pension scheme and 33 days annual leave. The role comes after it was revealed the Queen (pictured) has left Buckingham Palace to make Windsor Castle her permanent home The role based at Buckingham Palace, comes after it was revealed the Queen has decided to make Windsor Castle her permanent home. The 95-year-old monarch is believed to have not spent a night at Buckingham Palace since March 2020. She is instead opting for more of a 'work from home' approach to engagements, and is expected to meet dignitaries and officials at her Berkshire home. The Queen spent much of lockdown at Windsor with Prince Philip until his death in April last year - with sources saying the couple 'rediscovered the happiness of their early years together' while only being attended to by a skeleton staff. Her decision may have been influenced by the ongoing reservicing of her central London residence, where renovators or carry out works that will last until 2027. This means Buckingham Palace will next be occupied by Prince Charles and Camilla when they become King and Queen Consort upon the Queen's death. Prince Harry has praised Sentebale for 'stepping up during a deeply difficult year' - and insisted his 'personal commitment' to the charity he co-founded 16 years ago 'remains as strong as ever'. The Duke of Sussex, 37, who lives at his $14.65million Montecito mansion he shares with Meghan Markle and their two children Archie, two, and Lilibet, shared a joint statement with co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho about the organisation as it released it's annual report. In the foreword, the duo said: 'In the face of adversity, we both continue to be inspired by the resilience and adaptability of Lesotho and Botswanas vibrant communities. 'We are proud of all that Sentebale has achieved, and our personal commitment remains as strong as ever.' Despite stepping back from royal life at the end of March 2020, the Duke continues his work with charities like Sentebale, which helps vulnerable children in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi, including those who are affected by extreme poverty and the HIV/Aids epidemic. Prince Harry (pictured left, with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2016) has praised Sentebale for 'stepping up during a deeply difficult year' - and insisted his 'personal commitment' to the charity he co-founded 16 years ago 'remains as strong as ever' Prince Harry hugs Mutso, a young boy he made friends with on his first visit to Lesotho at the official opening of the new Mamohato Children's Centre on October 17, 2015 in Maseru, Lesotho In the foreword of the annual report, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso said they believe the charity is 'well-positioned and ready to play its part in helping children and young people thrive'. They added: 'The past year has proven to be deeply difficult for many people, and organisations such as Sentebale have faced multiple challenges. 'We are grateful that the whole Sentebale team has stepped up to keep delivering exceptional support for children and young people in need across Lesotho and Botswana. 'The reality is that existing inequalities have either deepened or been exacerbated during the past two years... Poverty is on the rise.' The duo explained that the 'way of working' at the organisation has had to 'continuously adapt to effectively meet the most pressing and critical needs of those we serve'. 'Out of these difficult times we have also learnt some valuable lessons,' they said. 'It has shown us the potential of a new hybrid way of working, mixing face-to-face and virtual programming to help us reach many more children and young people as well as increase our capacity to provide one-to-one support. The Duke of Sussex, 37, who lives at his $14.65million Montecito mansion he shares with Meghan Markle and their two children Archie, two, and Lilibet, shared a joint statement (above) with co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho about the organisation as it released it's annual report 'As we look ahead, we are working to best utilise technology to deliver our programmes whilst continuing to ensure young people feel safe and empowered.' The pair also spoke of the global vaccine roll-out, insisting it 'has been far too slow and far too many have been left at risk'. They said: 'Just as weve seen in the HIV pandemic, those who are in highest need are often the least resourced, and are amongst the last to receive COVID-19 preventive care. 'The global vaccine roll-out has been far too slow and far too many have been left at risk. 'Thankfully, vaccination rates across the Southern Africa region are picking up but as many in the HIV advocacy community have known for decades, we cannot just hope for a pandemic to disappear. Prince Harry takes a photograph of Prince Seeiso during a photography activity at the Mamohao Children's Centre in October 2015 in Lesotho 'It takes resources, investment, ingenuity, leadership, and access to solve a public health crisis.' During the year ending in August 2021, Sentebale secured income of 3.13million, compared with 2.39million the previous year. The amount spent on charitable activities was 2.53million, up from 2.5million in 2020. The Duke of Sussex co-founded Sentebale in 2006 to help vulnerable children in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi, including those who are affected by extreme poverty and the HIV/Aids epidemic. Harry first visited Lesotho in 2004, while shadowed by broadcaster Tom Bradby. He and Prince Seeiso have since appeared at numerous events together, including a concert held at Kensington Palace in 2016 on behalf of Sentebale. In January 2020, the Duke made an emotional speech during a formal private dinner at the Ivy in Chelsea for Sentebale about his decision to walk away from his royal duties with Meghan Markle. The royal spoke of his 'great sadness' at leaving the Royal Family and said he and Meghan had 'no other option' than to quit senior royal duties - but vowed the couple are 'not just walking away'. The Duchess of York has become the first member of the extended royal family to travel to Poland to meet Ukrainian refugees. Prince Andrew's ex wife, who is grandmother to Princess Eugenie's son August, one and Princess Beatrice's daughter Sienna, born in September said in an Instagram post: 'I have always believed the smile of a child is the most important thing in the world, so to see so many children caught up in this crisis is particularly affecting.' She added: 'It is a privilege to meet some of them and hear their stories today. The world has a duty to support them.' Her charity Sarah's Trust has sent three articulated lorries with supplies to Poland, and she travelled to Warsaw where she was welcomed by Mayor Rafa Kazimierz Trzaskowski, to find out 'what more we can do'. Fergie, who recently returned to her online show Story time With Fergie and Friends to show support to the children of Ukraine, was pictured embracing and comforting young people and their families who have escaped the invasion. The Duchess of York (pictured right) meeting Olga (picture left) a mother of two who fled from Dnipro with her two children David 4, and Sophie, 2 - her husband is fighting in the Ukrainian army In her Instagram post she said that she was heartbroken watching the invasion of Ukraine and in particular was affected to see families being separated and civilians being caught up in the bloodshed. She said: 'I'm honoured to be welcomed to Poland today by @trzaskowskirafal and meeting Ukraine refugees.' Rafa Kazimierz Trzaskowski is a Polish politician and the current Mayor of Warsaw. He has been part of opening a Warsaw job mediation point for the refugees, where there are interpreters, positions to fill out forms and information and leaflets in Ukrainian. Fergie, 62, was welcomed into Poland by Polish politician and the current Mayor of Warsaw Rafa Kazimierz Trzaskowski. She is pictured here meeting Ukrainian children who have fled to Poland with their families The grandmother of August, one and Sienna, born in September said in an Instagram post that she has always believed that the smile of child is the most important thing in the world. She is pictured here speaking with a little girl In a post on social media he said that at the mediation point they are looking to hire influencers as soon as possible, primarily in healthcare and education. He said: 'We are trying to ensure that the large number of new residents does not negatively affect the comfort of life of all Warsaw residents.' Fergie was pictured meeting Olga who fled from Dnipro with her two children David 4, and Sophie, 2, leaving her husband behind to fight in the Ukrainian army. At least 2.8 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded, with Poland taking in at least 1.7 million of them, so far. The Duchess recently returned to her online show Story time With Fergie and Friends to show support for both the children of Ukraine and their parents and grandparents Pictured here embracing a mother Fergie said that it has been a privilege to meet the Ukrainian refugees and to hear their stories She has already received a lot positive comments from her Instagram post, many brimming with blue and yellow hearts to show their support and love. One user commented: ' Sarah you are the best!!' Whilst another added: 'Amazing xx they def need lots of support xx' A third said: 'Amazing! Keep up the great work! Thank you for sharing her story and thank you for sharing links on your story last week where we could donate' The Duchess has already used her YouTube show Story time With Fergie and Friends, to try to comfort children worried about the war. Earlier this month, she said that from now on, she'll be hosting the show, with Little Red, the heroine of her own series of children's books. 'I decided that I would go make Story time with Fergie and Friends actually be 'Little Red Story Time and Fergie and Little Red's stories,' she said. Little Red, who wears a red and white dress, will be a real 'bringer of joy and bringer of hope' on the show, Fergie said. 'I know lots of people, mums and dads, aunts and grannies, grandpas, and all these children out there in the big world, they are all frightened,' she said. A woman has opened up about her terrifying experience of being attacked by a shark with her 'smacking' the predator in the face to get away. Heather West, 35, from Montgomery, Texas, shared her shocking story in a series of now-viral videos on TikTok, where her first clip has been viewed more than 16 million times She was visiting Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida with some fellow adventure buffs in January, but the trip descended into chaos when they decided to take a dip in the water. Heather West, 35, from Montgomery, Texas, detailed her recent shark attack in a series of now-viral TikTok stories, saying she felt like she was in the movie Jaws West admitted that she thought she had lost her foot after the 6-foot shark clamped down on her flipper while she was in the water While her friends lingered on the shore nearby, West was filming in the ocean when she suddenly 'sensed danger.' Moments later, she was in the shark's grip. 'A voice in my head said, "Get out now,"' West told Jam Press. 'The second I was facing the beach I felt something grab me by my ankle. 'Even though just seconds before I saw all the guys on the beach, my brain still couldnt comprehend what was happening, and I thought one of them grabbed me to scare me. 'I remember thinking how strong they were. It felt like my ankle was in a vice grip and it was so strong I just sat there waiting for it to let go.' West then felt a 'massive jerk' on her leg and realized it was a shark that was attacking her. The attack took place in January while she was visiting Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida with some fellow adventure buffs West said she thought one of her friends had grabbed her at first, but then she felt a 'massive jerk' on her leg and realized it was a shark that was attacking her West started kicking the shark, but her flippers got in the way. It wasn't until she punched the predator in the face that it let her go, and her friends were able to drag her to safety 'As it was dragging me through the water, I knew I was on my own and I needed to fight back if I wanted any chance at surviving,' she recalled. 'I flipped over on my back, with my leg still facing the opposite direction, and started kicking at his face with my good leg.' West explained that she had flippers on and 'couldn't get the propulsion [she] needed to give him a good smack in the face.' "I was so mad that I used him as leverage and sat up in the water, screaming, "You motherf****r!" while punching down into the water at his face with both fists and thats when he decided to let go.' Once free, West, who thought her foot was gone, yelled to her friends for help, while also bracing herself in case she got attacked again. West recalled how she had though her foot was gotten, saying: 'I looked down and saw it still attached and started screaming, "I cant believe I won!"' After describing the predator, two locals identified it as a 6-foot lemon shark that had been circling around and attacking birds for some time West was taken to a nearby island before being put on a charter plane to Lower Keys Medical Center in Stock Island, Florida 'Blood was filling the water and I couldnt see where he went,' she said. 'I felt like I was in a Jaws movie at that moment.' West's friends eventually dragged her by her arms to the beach, and one of them made a tourniquet, applying pressure to the wound on her foot, while another person tried to find help. Meanwhile, adrenaline and shock kicked in. 'At this point, I still thought my foot was gone,' she said. 'I looked down and saw it still attached and started screaming, "I cant believe I won!" 'I was really happy afterwards. I just felt so grateful to be alive,' she shared. 'I wasnt upset or crying at all. I just kept saying, "Wow, that was a wild ride!"' After describing the predator, two locals identified it as a 6-foot lemon shark that had been circling around and attacking birds for some time. West claimed it took three and a half hours for her to get assistance after being told the staff was 'too busy' to treat her West said she started cleaning out the wound herself, which was extremely painful West was then visited by a doctor who checked the wound and said he would return later West was taken to a nearby island before being put on a charter plane to Lower Keys Medical Center in Stock Island, Florida. A group of healthcare workers was waiting for her on arrival, but West alleged that it took three and a half hours for her to get assistance. She also claimed that she was told the staff was 'too busy,' which led her to start treating herself. 'I went back over to the bed and started slowly removing my bandaging and cleaning up the area around the wound,' she said. ' At this point, I still had not received anything for pain and this process was extremely painful.' 'It was obvious by just looking at my foot that my tendons were torn if not severed and the ligaments in my ankle were torn,' she said West alleged she was give 18 stitches and sent home, saying the treatment she received at the hospital was worse than the shark attack West's foot swelled and turned black and blue as it started to heal following the attack West was then visited by a doctor who checked the wound and said he would return later. She was eventually given 18 stitches. However, she was unhappy with the treatment she received in the hospital and claimed to have been released while still in need of medical attention. 'It was obvious by just looking at my foot that my tendons were torn if not severed and the ligaments in my ankle were torn,' she said. '[In my opinion], no one cared. What they did to me was truly the most traumatic part of the day worse than the actual attack.' West said she has been left with permanent damage to her foot, but despite the horrific ordeal, she was back in the water just four weeks after the attack. The shark's teeth left visible entry marks on the back of her injured foot West has claimed that she has been left with permanent damage to her right foot But despite the horrific ordeal, she was back in the water just four weeks after the attack DailyMail.com has reached out to Lower Keys Medical Center for comment. Thousands of TikTok users have commented on West's videos, many of whom were enthralled by her incredible story. 'LOOK AT THE PULSING IN THE FIRST CLIP,' one person wrote, while another added: 'Man you are so lucky, someone was watching over you.' 'Nail polish matching the blood - fancy,' someone else joked. One viewer even admitted to being somewhat jealous, explaining: 'This is the kind of shark attack I want where its enough of a story to tell but in the grand screen Im chilling.' A mood-stabilising drug given to patients with bipolar disorder may cut the risk of dementia, a study suggests. Lithium's supposed benefits were uncovered by Cambridge University academics who analysed nearly 30,000 mental health patients. Only 9.7 per cent of patients prescribed lithium got dementia, compared to 11.2 per cent among those not on it. This is despite conditions like bipolar disorder being heavily linked to an increased risk of the cruel disorder. Charities today said it was 'vital' that researchers follow up on the findings urgently, with no drug proven to prevent dementia. Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, robbing 900,000 Britons of their memories. Nearly 5milion people in the US are also living with the disorder, which academics have spent decades trying to eradicate. Numerous other scientific papers have pinpointed lithium as a promising substance in the search for ways to combat the memory-robbing condition. Lithium is naturally found in vegetables, grains and, at very low concentrations, in the water supply. UK scientists have found patients prescribed the mood-stabilising medication lithium had lower rate of dementia diagnosis than other patients despite having an increased risk of developing the memory-robbing disorder. This could open the door to further trials to see if the metal could help reduce dementia risk WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES A GLOBAL CONCERN Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) which impact memory, thinking and behaviour. There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimers disease is the most common. Some people may have a combination of types of dementia. Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way. Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED? The Alzheimers Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, of which more than 500,000 have Alzheimer's. It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million. In the US, it's estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer's sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years. As a persons age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia. Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed. IS THERE A CURE? Currently there is no cure for dementia. But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are. Source: Alzheimers Society Advertisement At much higher levels, it is sometimes prescribed on the NHS as a treatment for a variety of mood disorders, such as mania, depression, and bipolar. Scientists examined the medical records of 29,618 over-50s who accessed mental health services at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. None of the participants who were followed for up to 14 years had either mild cognitive impairment or dementia when the study began. Around 550 patients had been prescribed lithium, allowing the experts to compare whether the drug lowered the risk of dementia. Results were published in the journal Plos Medicine. Lead author of the study Dr Shanquan Chen said the finding was unexpected, given people with bipolar disorder have been found to be more at risk of dementia. 'Its far too early to say for sure, but its possible that lithium might reduce the risk of dementia in people with bipolar disorder,' he said. But the study was only small, and bigger experiments are needed to piece together any link. Dr Sara Imarisio, from Alzheimers Research UK, said: 'There is a desperate need for new dementia treatments. 'Where there is evidence an existing, widely used, relatively safe and inexpensive drug could help, it is vital researchers follow up on this as quickly as possible.' Medics are unsure exactly how the metal could have a protective effect. Some have suggested lithium could inhibit enzymes responsible for the formation of the toxic proteins that build up in the brain from Alzheimers disease and cause brain cells to die. It comes after a study of 800,000 people in Denmark in 2017 found those who drank water with a high concentration of the metal were 17 per cent less likely to have dementia. However, the results were not clear cut with people in the middle exposure bracket 22 per cent more likely to have dementia than the low exposure group. Some experts have said when it comes to drinking water, other elements like calcium could be playing a role. Lithium medication should only be taken on prescription as the dosage is unique to each patient. Taking too much can cause potentially life threatening problems with organs like the kidneys. Advertisement The next surge in Covid cases could be around the corner, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns, just as the world starts to recover from and put the winter Omicron-fueled Covid surge in the rearview. Covid cases in the U.S. are dropping at a slowed rate and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that wastewater data from certain parts of the country indicates that an increase in cases could be around the corner. Last week, the WHO reported that global Covid cases increased eight percent to 11 million. The biggest jump was found in the Western Pacific region, where cases jumped 25 percent week-to-week. There was a 14 percent jump in Africa and two percent rise in Europe, as well. 'These increase are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we're seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said at a news briefing, warning that cases will grow even more in the coming weeks. The agency has been more cautious than many other officials during the pandemic, often calling for the continuing of mask and lockdown orders even as much of the world started to leave them behind in recent weeks. The BA.2 Omicron 'stealth' variant (pink) now makes up around 23% of U.S. COVID-19 cases, up from 11% last week and 6% the week before. The Omicron variant makes up every single sequence case in America Despite rises abraod, U.S. Covid cases are down 14% over the past week and 32,168 cases being averaged a day is one of the lowest daily averaged since the pandemic first started These rises have been attributed to the Omicron 'stealth' variant, or BA.2 as it is officially known. The stealth variant is a lineage of Omicron that is believed to be 30 percent more transmissible - but just as mild - as the BA.1 lineage that took over the world at the end of last year. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (pictured) said Wednesday that recent increases in global Covid cases are just the 'tip of the iceberg' Cases are rising in much of the world, and European nations which often trend ahead of the U.S by a few months during the pandemic are among those to have experienced worrying rises. In the UK, cases have jumped 36 percent over the past week, to 91,000 per day. This comes after weeks of declines. America's situation is very positive at the moment, though, with cases still declining and the stealth variant still failing to take hold in the nation. As of Thursday morning, the U.S. is averaging 32,168 new cases every day, a 14 percent drop over the past week and a 96 percent drop from the peak of 800,000 daily cases reached during the Omicron surge's mid-January peak. The plummeting of cases has slowed, though, and there are early signs that the trend could soon reverse. After rapid falls since mid-January, America's daily case total has settled around 30,000 per day over the past week with little movement. This is one of the lowest cases totals the country has reached since the virus first exploded across the country in early 2020, but the shrinking of cases has slowed. The CDC warned this week that the agency is seeing early signs of an increase in cases as well. Wastewater data from the first ten days of March shows cases increasing in one-third of testing sites across America. Wastewater tracking works by using sewage samples to find virus prevalence within each community. Which people are actually testing positive for the virus cannot be determined, and exact case numbers cannot either, but it does give officials a general look at how cases are trending in certain areas. The surveillance can be more accurate at judging Covid risk than raw case numbers, since many people - especially in a period where so many are vaccinated and boosted - are carrying an asymptomatic infection that they will never get tested for and unknowingly spread without being added to official totals. Covid appears in waste before a person feels symptoms, as well, meaning there is a gap between wastewater figures increasing and official figures rising. Dr. Amy Kirby, who leads the CDC's wastewater surveillance, assures the public that there is still nothing to worry about, but officials are keeping an eye on the situation. 'While wastewater levels are generally very low across the board, we are seeing an uptick of sites reporting an increase,' she told NBC. 'These bumps may simply reflect minor increase from very low levels to still low levels.' America's current case totals are so low, though, that small increases in case numbers should not be devastating or manage to overwhelm healthcare systems. The CDC warns that wastewater data shows that Covid cases could soon start rising in the U.S. according to its wastewater data The nation has a high vaccination rate as well, with nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults having received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 100 million Americans boosted. BA.2 has not been able to take hold in the U.S. the same way it did in much of Europe either. While the 'stealth' variant was quick to become dominant in the U.K. and Denmark when it was first discovered earlier this year, it is yet to have made a large impact in America. According to most recent data revealed by the CDC on Tuesday, BA.2 makes up 23 percent of active Covid cases in the U.S., with BA.1 still being dominant. The Omicron variant as a whole makes up every single sequenced case in the U.S., per the CDC, with the highly transmissive, vaccine-resistant, strain totally snuffing out the Delta variant this year. BA.2's share of Covid infections in America is rapidly growing, though, with the variant only accounting for 11 percent of sequenced cases last week, and only six percent the week previous that. It is most prevalent in New Jersey and New York, and Northeastern regions of the U.S., accounting for around 40 percent of cases in both designated areas. The strain is not yet the dominant Covid strain anywhere in America, while it has taken over in many parts of Europe. Time to promote prosecution's political neutrality Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the opposition People Power Party (PPP) has provoked criticism for urging Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo to make decisions on his future before his term ends in May next year. Kweon, one of close aides to President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, was apparently trying to put pressure on Kim to step down voluntarily before the new government is installed May 10. On Tuesday, Kweon said on an MBC radio show that it has come to the point where Kim may be faced with the need to make decisions on his course of action going forward. He made the case for Kim's resignation, saying that the prosecution under his leadership has made little progress in getting to the bottom of a corruption scandal involving a land development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The real estate scandal was one of the hot-button issues raised by Yoon and the PPP in the lead-up to the March 9 presidential election to attack Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Lee, former Seongnam mayor and Gyeonggi Province governor, has faced allegations about his implication in the scandal. Lawmakers of the PPP and other opposition parties have criticized the prosecution for neglecting its investigation of the case to protect Lee. However, it is wrong for anyone to call on the prosecutor general to step down against his will. The country enacted a law in 1988 to guarantee a two-year term for the prosecution chief to promote the law enforcement body's political neutrality and independence. But only eight out of 22 prosecutors general have managed to finish their full term, while nearly two-thirds were forced to step down due to pressure from above. President-elect Yoon, a former prosecutor general and predecessor of Kim, knows this better than anyone else. President Moon Jae-in appointed Yoon to lead the prosecution in July 2019 in recognition of his anti-corruption drive. But he lost favor with Moon because he launched an investigation into corruption allegations involving Cho Kuk, one of the President's close confidants and his pick for justice minister, and his family. As a result, Yoon came under strong pressure to step down. This led to Yoon's presidential ambitions. At last he quit his job without completing his term in March 2021 to run for president. Despite his inappropriate remarks, Rep. Kweon said that Yoon would not put any pressure on the incumbent prosecutor general to resign. We want to take his word for it. Yoon should not dare to do anything, like what President Moon has done, to tame the prosecution or undermine its independence and neutrality. Nor should he try to turn the country into a "Republic of Prosecutors" to purge his political enemies. It is time to end the ugly legacy of political revenge and move forward toward national unity and "cooperative politics." We hope Yoon will keep his promise to restore the rule of law a key element of democracy. The two top manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. are each facing a lawsuit alleging they infringed another company's copyright in the development of their Covid vaccines. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, filed separate lawsuits against fellow Cambridge-based pharmaceutical company Moderna and Pfizer, based in New York City, on Thursday. The lawsuits allege that both of the giants in the Covid vaccine rollout used lipid nanoparticle technology that Alnylam has patented. Pfizer and Moderna have both been vocal opponents of lifting patent rights for their vaccines to make their shots more available in the developing world, but there are now allegations that their vaccine was made using technology they did not own in the first place. Moderna is also facing a lawsuit from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by two small Vancouver-based biotechnology firms. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is accusing Pfizer and Moderna of using its patented nanoparticle technology in a recently filed lawsuit Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines have been huge financial successes for both firms, and each have been staunch advocates for keeping patent laws in-tact for its vaccine technology 'Alnylam is seeking fair compensation for use of its technology based on patent claims to a broad class of biodegradable lipids invented over a decade ago resulting from extensive research and investment,' the company wrote in a statement. 'The company is proud that this work has supported rapid development of the life-saving vaccines.' Alnylam filed two lawsuits, one against each company, both making similar but differing allegations. It is asking for an undisclosed amount of money in damages. The company alleges that it shared confidential information about its nanoparticle technology with Moderna during 2013 and 2014. At the time, the companies were discussing a licensing deal that never came to fruition. Moderna allegedly used the shared information as a part of the development of its vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is Moderna's only commercial product, and it has made the little-known biotechnology company into a household name. Most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the Moderna vaccine has been used 209 million times to fully vaccinate 75 million people and boost 41 million others. The company is also facing allegations from Arbutus Biopharma and Genevant Sciences, both based in Vancouver, Canada, over allegations that is used lipid nanoparticle technology that infringed on the Canadian companies' patents. 'We seek fair compensation for Modernas use of our patented technology that was developed with great effort and at great expense, without which Modernas COVID-19 vaccine would not have been successful,' William Collier, CEO of Arbutus, said in a statement. The company is also under fire from the federal government at the moment as it battles a lawsuit from the NIH. The NIH claims that the creation of the vaccine was a collaborative project between the agency and Moderna, while Moderna declined to include three NIH scientists on its patent application for the mRNA sequence that forms the basis of the vaccine. Despite these troubles, the rollout of the vaccine has been very successful for Moderna. The company projects $19 billion in revenue this year, and CEO Stephane Bancel said earlier this year he believes Americans will need yet another one of his company's Covid shots this fall. While Moderna was open to letting other firms recreate its vaccine, and promised not to enforce its patent, it recently made a partial-reversal on the decision now saying it will enforce it in the developed world. Alnylam also accuses Pfizer of using its technology in the development of the New York-based company's vaccine. Pfizer estimates $32 billion in revenue from vaccine sales this year, and that figure will increase if its bid to rollout a fourth Covid jab to Americans 65 and older is approved by regulators. The company makes the most popularly used jab in the U.S. and in much of the western world. It has been administered 328 million times to fully vaccinated 124 million people and fully vaccinate 53 million others. Previous sufferers of myocardittis and other heart inflammation-related conditions can safely receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, new research finds. A French research team from t he Universite Hospital of Lyon, about 250 miles southeast of Paris, presented findings of such at the European Society of Cardiology Acute CardioVascular Care conference, NBC reports. Findings are pending peer-review for publication in a medical journal. There is a well-publicized risk of developing heart inflammation as a result of receiving the Pfizer vaccine, with younger men in particular being in danger. The researchers hope that these concerns will not ward people away from receiving the jab, which has emerged as the most popular in America and much of the Western world. Researchers found that people who have been hospitalized with heart inflammation over the last five years are still safe to receive the Pfizer vaccine, despite concerns over myocarditis or pericarditis 'One of [the] causes pushing us to conduct this study was a patient with a history of prior myocarditis refusing to be vaccinated against Covid, fearing a recurrence,' lead study author Dr Abou Saleh told NBC. Researchers gathered data from 55 French patients who had been hospitalized due to heart inflammation over the last five years. Each of them had also received the COVID-19 vaccine at some point since it became available in 2020. Almost all had received the Pfizer shot. None of the study participants developed heart inflammation again after receiving the vaccine. Myocarditis or pericarditis, the two types of heart inflammation most frequently associated with the vaccines, are both relatively mild conditions. It will generally resolve on its own after a few days of rest and with limited medical intervention. Experts still advise people to seek medical care if they do feel symptoms, though. They can be deadly if a person suffering from the conditions takes part in strenuous physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning in June that young men in particular that receive the Pfizer or Moderna Covid shots are at risk of developing the condition. The CDC has warned that recipients of the mRNA vaccines, the Pfizer and Moderna shots, especially young males, are at risk of developing myocarditis. Risk of the condition is much higher for people who are infected with the virus, though A study by the National Institutes of Health finds that 70 per every one million males aged 12 to 15 that receive the Pfizer shot develop myocarditis. For males aged 16 and 17, 105 per every one million develop the condition. Officials still recommend people to receive the shots, though, as the risk of myocarditis from the jab is 85 percent lower than it is from being infected with Covid. While the French study did include a few participants that received the Moderna shot, the sample size for the group was not large enough for researchers to make a strong conclusion. None of the Moderna recipients in the study who had developed heart inflammation in the past had any issues with the vaccine either, though. Health officials have found that there is a slightly higher heart inflammation risk with the Moderna shot than there is the Pfizer, though it is still significantly lower than the risks from the virus itself. February 21 started out as a normal Monday in Hampshire for pensioners Anne and Mick Farrow. But by the end of the day they had lost almost every penny they had to fraudsters, having been duped by the latest scam taking advantage of people's fears around the pandemic. What began with a text message purporting to be from the NHS turned into hours of phone calls with a criminal, at the end of which both their bank accounts were completely drained. 'When we came off the phone, I said to my husband "I feel sick". It's the thought that all your money has suddenly gone', says Anne. 'You wonder how you are going to live? How are you going to be able to buy food in order to survive? Mick, 73, and Anne Farrow, 68, were targeted by fraudsters pretending to be from their bank. 'We are pensioners. We had been planning things we were going to do. We were looking forward to day trips and little holidays. 'And then suddenly, we were like, we can't do that now. We thought our life would completely change.' Anne, 68, and her husband Mick, 73, have told This is Money how they had their lives turned upside down by the vicious and carefully orchestrated impersonation scam, in the hope that they can help others avoid falling for it. It began with Anne receiving a text message just before 3:30pm, warning her that she had been in close proximity to someone who had tested positive for Covid and prompting her to order a test. 'I had a hospital appointment booked for the following Monday,' explains Anne. 'Because of that, I thought I should take the test because I can't go to hospital if I've been in contact with someone. 'I pressed on the link and it went to what looked like the NHS website. I filled out a form and it asked for 1 for delivery. 'I thought that was a bit cheeky of them asking for a 1 delivery fee, but Mick said it's only 1, so I went ahead with the payment.' The text message that Anne initially received, which she believed came from the NHS Anne paid the delivery fee and a message flashed up saying the test would be with her in two days. At 7:15pm Anne received a phone call from someone called Andy claiming to be from her bank, Santander. 'Andy' said he was calling because the bank had noticed strange movements on her account and Anne immediately believed she had been scammed via the text message. Andy then connected the call with his colleague, supposedly called Thomas, who said he was part of Santander's fraud team. 'Thomas' then advised Anne to transfer money into a safe account to ensure the alleged 'Covid scammers' could not empty her account. Thomas convinced her that this was standard Santander protocol. 'Thomas explained that what they're doing is moving people's money into a safe account with a branch manager,' says Anne. 'He said, if we give you the branch manager's name, and his bank sort code and bank account number, you need to move the money into there. 'And then once it's safe, we will close your account down. After that's all sorted, we will re-open your account and transfer the money back to you.' In total, Anne and Mick spoke to the scammer for four hours between 7:30pm to 11:30pm At this point, Anne's husband, Mick, who had been listening in on the call, queried whether Thomas was indeed who he claimed to be and asked him to prove it. Thomas suggested they visit Santander's website to check the number was a genuine one. Anne and Mick were not to know that the scammers had successfully mimicked a real number from Santander's website by an increasingly common practice called 'number spoofing'. Smartphones allow you to see the caller ID when someone contacts you, however, fraudsters are now deliberately changing the telephone number or name that shows to the recipient. 'We looked on Santander's website where Thomas told us to check and we could see it was the same number as what was showing on my phone,' says Anne, 'so we thought we were genuinely on the phone to a Santander staff member.' How the Covid test scam works 1) Fraudster sends an SMS stating that the recipient has been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for Covid. It includes a link to a fake NHS website to order a PCR test 2) The victim visits the website and enters their personal details 3) To cover postage for the PCR test, a nominal payment amount is requested, meaning card details are also harvested by the fraudster 4) Using the information shared on the fake website, the fraudster contacts the victim pretending to be from their bank. They convince them they are being scammed and they need to move money to a safe account 5) The name on the safe account will not be the victim's, but the fraudster will provide a fake reason for this and tell them to send the money 6) Once the money is sent, the fraudster cuts off all contact. Sometimes their details are then sold on to other fraudsters The scammers now moved in for the kill and asked Anne to begin transferring money from her account to the 'safe' account. 'I began transferring money out of my current account,' says Anne, 'a message came through from Santander to verify the payment. 'Thomas interrupted before I had the chance to read it, saying I should just press yes. That let my money go through. I then did this a second time.' According to Santander, Anne logged in to mobile banking and opted to pay the new payee 5,580 and then 4,420. She chose 'paying family' as the payment reason and Santander say she was presented with relevant scam warnings before confirming the payment. Having made the payment, a fraud prevention SMS was then sent to Anne and the payment was held. She confirmed the payment as legitimate and the payment was subsequently released. Having entirely emptied Anne's account the fraudster, was merciless in their pursuit of further gains, even asking if she had any other accounts with the bank. Anne admitted to having a joint account with her husband, which Thomas persuaded her could also be under threat from the same alleged fraudster. Anne then passed the phone to her husband, Mick. 'I then followed suit,' says Mick. 'My wife's accounts had been emptied and I emptied mine as they directed. Looking back on it, we shouldn't have fallen for it.' In total Anne and Mick spoke to Thomas for about four hours from 7:30pm to 11:30pm. 'We were genuinely impressed with his professionalism,' says Mick. 'He dropped into the conversation that Santander had been getting a lot of these scams. He seemed to know so much about the mechanics of online banking and Santander that I was convinced he was an employee 'He seemed to know so much about the mechanics of online banking and Santander that I was convinced he was an employee.' Thomas even said the bank was worried about its own staff members scamming customers. So when Mick's first payment was blocked and he was forced to verify his payment by calling a genuine Santander number, Thomas managed to convince him that the Santander team on the other end were not to be trusted, and told him to have a story ready to dupe them. 'Thomas primed me with what to say. Every single question the chap at Santander asked, Thomas had already predicted they would ask me,' says Mick. 'By this time, I had every confidence in Thomas. So then I did a second transaction which totally emptied my account. I once again had to speak to Santander and convinced them to allow the transaction.' Fake: These screenshots show the lookalike NHS website that victims are directed to According to Santander, Mick logged in to mobile banking and made two payments, amounting to 9,970 in total. The payment was detected, and Mick called Santander's fraud team in order to release the payment. On Thomas' instructions, he lied and said that the payment was going to go to his cousin in order to pay for a car. The customer service representative questioned the payment and talked about impersonation scams and whether he was told to lie to the bank. However, Mick continued to make the payment. Eventually the scammer's unrelenting greed and wickedness went too far and Mick became suspicious. 'Thomas then wanted to exhaust all that was left in my overdraft,' explains Mick. 'By now, doubt was starting to creep in that we had mistaken who the genuine Santander chaps and who the fraudsters were. 'The penny finally dropped. It should have dropped an awful lot sooner than it did. They had taken us for fools, and I think we were. But they were very good at it.' Tricked: The couple were persuaded to empty several accounts by the scammers, who pretended to be calling from their bank Mick refused to follow Thomas' instructions any further and he ended the call. Sadly, by now the damage was done. Unaware there was a 24-hour helpline on the back of their bank cards, Mick and Anne thought they would have to wait until 8:30am the next day to report the scam to Santander. Unsurprisingly it resulted in a night they would rather forget. 'We couldn't sleep out of worry,' says Anne. 'We got up at 5am and just waited until 8.30am. We had no idea we could have just called the bank that night.' Fortunately for Mick and Anne, Santander reimbursed them in full for their losses following a four-day investigation. I can't bring myself to trust anyone. Every time there is a text on my phone I don't want to look at it But whilst the money was salvaged, they are still feeling the emotional effects of what happened. 'We just haven't been able to focus since that day,' explains Anne. 'We've been doing stupid things. I feel my mind is all over the place. 'I can't bring myself to trust anyone. Every time there is a text on my phone I don't want to look at it. 'I had a text from the hospital about my appointment the other day, and I'm too scared to open the link even though I can see it is from our hospital. 'When the phone rings, I'm there listening to my husband in case it's the scammers ringing us again.' Mick says that although the scam was a horrendous ordeal, it made them realise how lucky they were to have each other. 'We both felt depressed for a number of days after the incident,' he says, 'but at least we have got each other. 'If either of us were on our own it would just have been terrible.' Buy-to-let investors returned to city and town centre postcodes with a vengeance last year, after avoiding them during the pandemic. Analysis by Paragon Bank has revealed a strong increase in mortgage completions for buy-to-let purchases in city and town centre postcodes during 2021, up 100 per cent on 2020. Appetite for urban living fell away during 2020 as lockdown-weary Britons sought bigger homes with more outside space. Aside from London and Manchester, the top 10 growth locations for buy-to-let completions were in secondary towns and cities, according to Paragon Bank. The number of available rental properties on Rightmove more than doubled in 2020 in some city centres, forcing many landlords to slash rents to combat falling demand. This led some to sell their properties, or avoid buying any more. But according to Paragon's analysis, towns and city centres are back in demand - although with a greater focus towards smaller, secondary towns and cities. Where exactly are investors buying? The data is taken from Paragon's own lending activity, but as one of the 10 biggest buy-to-let mortgage lenders in Britain it provides a credible picture of where landlords may be focusing their attention. The highest increase in buy-to-let activity was recorded in Milton Keynes, which experienced a whopping 667 per cent increase in buy-to-let mortgage completions in 2021 compared to the previous year. The highest percentage increase was recorded in Milton Keynes, which experienced a 667% rise in completions in 2021 compared to the previous year This was followed by Bristol and Manchester, which both experienced four times the number of mortgage completions in 2021 than in 2020, and Luton which saw a 258 per cent rise. However, not all towns and cities have been attracting investors in 2021, according to Paragon. Buy-to-let mortgage completions in Birmingham actually fell by 42 per cent in 2021. The same went for Southampton, which saw activity down by 30 per cent year-on-year. Manchester also saw four times the number of buy-to-let mortgage completions in 2021 than it did in 2020 according to Paragon Bank In London, Paragon's figures showed a 95 per cent increase in buy-to-let completions during 2021. However, it is clear landlords have been concentrating their acquisitions away from central London and towards the outer suburbs. Whilst Zone 1, which covers central London, saw a 38 per cent increase in mortgage completions, Zone 3 saw a 183 per cent increase. Top 10 UK towns and cities for buy-to-let purchases Location 2021 mortgage completion growth Milton Keynes 667% Bristol 300% Manchester 300% Luton 258% Plymouth 183% Stoke 157% Northampton 133% London 95% Cardiff 70% Nottingham 64% Source: Paragon Bank Richard Rowntree, director at Paragon Bank said: 'The strongest growth was not necessarily in the UK's major cities. 'Aside from London and Manchester, the top 10 growth locations were in secondary cities or large towns. 'The likes of Milton Keynes, Luton, Bristol, Northampton and Nottingham experienced strong double or triple-digit growth in completions during the year. 'There appears to be one of, or a combination of, three factors that each of these locations share. 'They are in commutable distance to a major city, they mostly have vibrant universities and they have healthy local economies. 'Landlords have been reacting to changing tenant demand and there is clearly demand for tenants to retain urban living, but perhaps targeting smaller towns and cities.' Colder temperatures can drastically reduce the range of an electric car, according to new research. Battery models without a heat pump are significantly impacted by winter climates and in some cases cuts range by more than 20 per cent. 'Winter range tests' conducted by one consumer title found that an 84,000 Porsche Taycan 4S managed 224 miles on a full charge. Thats a 20.1 per cent drop on the 281 miles that the same model achieved when tested during the summer. However, the study said the issue can be resolved with the addition of one component manufacturers are offering as an optional extra... a heat pump. How much can colder conditions impact the battery range of electric cars? A new study has revealed all by comparing real-world measurements taken in the winter and the summer Sister consumer websites What Car? and Move Electric put a selection of electric vehicles (EVs) through real-world winter range test. They then compared the results with ideal specification models tested last summer to see how lower temperatures affect electric car battery efficiency. Other models retested included the Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD, which is priced from 47,580. Its range in the latter assessment fell by 18 per cent, dropping from 302 miles of range to 247. The 34,850 Skoda Enyaq iV 60's range dropped by 15.7 per cent in the colder conditions (207 miles down to 174 miles) while the tiny Fiat 500 - models fitted with the bigger 42kWh battery that cost from 28,835 - saw range decline from 140 miles in the summer to 118 miles in the winter. That's a drop off of 15.2 per cent. WINTER VS SUMMER RANGE TEST RESULTS Model Variant Usable battery size Summer range Winter range Shortfall Porsche Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus 83.7kWh 281 miles 224 miles 20.1% Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD 88.0kWh 302 miles 247 miles 18.0% Skoda Enyaq iV 60 58.0kWh 207 miles 174 miles 15.7% Fiat 500 42kWh Icon 7.3kWh 140 miles 118 miles 15.2% Source: What Car? and Move Electric 'Winter range tests' conducted on an 84k Porsche Taycan 4S managed 224 miles on a full charge. Thats a 20.1% drop on the 281 miles that the same model achieved in the summer The Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD, which is priced from 47,580 was also put through the comparative tests. Its range in the colder assessment fell by 18% The 34,850 Skoda Enyaq iV 60's range dropped by 15.7% in the colder conditions The Fiat 500 supermini - models fitted with the bigger 42kWh battery that cost from 28,835 - saw range decline by 15.2% when temperatures were much cooler However, the study found that if you specify your electric car with a heat pump, youre likely to get significantly closer to the official range. A heat pump reduces strain on the battery by drawing excess heat from the electric drivetrain, distributing it around the interior of the car through the air conditioning. This is highly recommended to EV customers in Britain who experience colder temperatures for longer periods throughout the year. What Car? and Move Electric tested five models so equipped, with these falling short of their 'official' - or WLTP - mileage figures by an average of 25.4 per cent. By comparison, five models that relied on a regular interior heater suffered an average deficit of 33.6 per cent. RANGES OF ELECTRIC CARS WITH AND WITHOUT HEAT PUMPS Model Variant Usable battery size Heat pump Official (WLTP) range Winter test range Shortfall Fiat 500 42kWh Icon 37.3kWh No 198 miles 118 miles 40.0% Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD 88.0kWh No 379 miles 247 miles 34.6% MG 5 Long Range Exclusive 57.0kWh No 250 miles 167 miles 33.1% Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro S line 76.6kWh No 290 miles 201 miles 30.6% Kia EV6 GT-Line RWD 72.5kWh Yes 328 miles 228 miles 30.4% Skoda Enyaq iV 60 58.0kWh No 249 miles 174 miles 29.8% Tesla Model Y Long Range 75.0kWh Yes 331 miles 247 miles 25.2% Tesla Model 3 Long Range 75.0kWh Yes 374 miles 281 miles 24.8% BMW iX3 M Sport 74.0kWh Yes 282 miles 212 miles 24.7% Porsche Taycan 4S Performance battery Plus 83.7kWh Yes 287 miles 224 miles 21.8% Source: What Car? and Move Electric The tests were conducted on a closed vehicle proving ground, on a 15-mile route consisting of 2.6 miles of simulated stop-start urban traffic, four miles of steady 50mph driving and eight miles driving at a constant speed of 70mph, to simulate motorway journeys. Each of the 10 cars was fully charged and left outside for 15 hours, before being plugged in again to check the batteries were still at 100 per cent for the start of the test. They then had their climate control systems set to 21 degrees and were driven until they ran flat, with driver swaps at the end of each lap, and the cars positions also changed to ensure no car was constantly punching a hole in the air for the others. Commenting on the research findings, Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: 'Range remains one of the key considerations for electric car buyers, but when deciding whether a particular model can go far enough on a charge to fit into your life, its important to bear in mind that batteries dont work as well in cooler conditions.' James Attwood, editor of Move Electric, added: 'If you do plan to push the range of your electric car in winter, wed definitely recommend choosing one with a heat pump fitted or ticking that box on the options list, because these can significantly improve an electric vehicles range in cold driving conditions.' Katherine Davidson, portfolio manager and sustainability specialist at Schroders Katherine Davidson is a portfolio manager and sustainability specialist at asset management firm Schroders. Here, she looks at how businesses have responded to Russias invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions. Russias invasion of Ukraine is first and foremost a human tragedy and has far-reaching consequences for millions of people. Our thoughts are with those caught in the atrocious situation, those that have lost or are separated from loved ones, those that have had to flee and those that are now living under siege. Against this horrific backdrop, which has seen western countries impose crippling sanctions on Russia and its people, the corporate section is dishing out its own forms of punishment. We have seen swathes of companies announce that they are withdrawing from or suspending operations in Russia, as well as companies proactively donating products or services to the war effort. For example, Microsofts cybersecurity services have so far prevented more than 20 attacks against the Ukrainian government, financial and media organisations. A man walks past the window of the closed Sephora boutique at the Atrium shopping centre in Moscow: Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to an exodus of foreign corporations including H&M, McDonald's and Ikea. Elon Musks SpaceX has launched satellites to provide Wi-Fi coverage, something that has been a gamechanger in keeping Ukraine connected to the outside world. In the very first days of the invasion, Airbnb announced it was working with hosts and non-governmental organisations to help provide shelter to refugees. Here in the UK, the property company British Land is seeking to evict Russian gas giant Gazprom from its London headquarters. Schroders, and other asset managers, have a particular role to play, given the influence we can exert on companies. Where we can take actions that will help resolve the humanitarian crisis in that region, which will also benefit our clients, we will do so. As a fund manager specialising in sustainability, I have been watching particularly closely and been impressed by the speed and strength of the corporate response. It is worth noting that very few companies would have been directly impacted by sanctions or mandated by governments to withdraw from Russia. But the international business community has recognised that sanctions will only be successful if Russia truly becomes a commercial pariah. Consumers and investors expect more from business leaders Russia may be self-sufficient in energy and food, but it has 66 million Facebook users. Its wealthy population use iPhones, wear Swiss watches, and drive German-made luxury cars. While we recognise that many ordinary Russians do not support Putins aggression, withdrawing goods and services helps erode Putins domestic political capital. Businesses are doing what governments are unwilling or unable (or maybe just slow) to do. In our view, this is emblematic of a wider change in the role of the private sector in society. Stakeholders including employees, customers and investors have higher expectations, and the pervasiveness of modern media allows them to hold companies to account. Thankfully there arent many historical precedents to compare to the current situation, but my supposition is that there was not the same degree of corporate activism surrounding previous geopolitical crises. I dont, for example, remember many companies taking a public position on the Iraq war or Russias annexation of Crimea. The Financial Times, in a recent article, draws a parallel with the corporate response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Earlier in the decade, the deaths of black citizens at police hands prompted racial justice protests but no comment from corporates. In contrast, the murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted personal statements from CEOs and corporate commitments to diversity targets and community donations. In the past, companies generally tried to stay out of politics and avoid taking any stance that might alienate segments of their customer base. Nowadays, there is more reputational risk in a lacklustre response or even worse radio silence. Survey data suggests the majority of the global public now expect CEOs to comment publicly on a range of social and political issues. Very few companies have publicly announced that they are NOT withdrawing from Russia, but one notable example is the food company Danone a company that until recently attracted criticism from investors for being overly focused on ESG at the expense of returns. The new CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique has said the company is staying in Russia, which accounts for around 6 per cent of revenue, to ensure its customers and suppliers arent punished for Putins transgressions. He is quoted as having said: We have a responsibility to the people we feed, the farmers who provide us with milk, and the tens of thousands of people who depend on us. Consumers believe businesses represent the only part of the economy that is both ethical and competent The wave of vitriol even on such restrained platforms as the FTs comments page has been striking, with customers calling for a boycott of Danones products in Western Europe. Early on in the pandemic we wrote extensively about the role of the private sector in protecting stakeholders and providing solutions from vaccines to grocery delivery. Very few actual laws were passed, but corporates became responsible for enforcing governments policies around mask-wearing and social distancing even when this was detrimental to profits. Most companies worked hard to look after their employees, suppliers and customers, while cutting dividends and executive pay to share the pain across their stakeholders. We believe we have emerged with a new social contract where the private sector is increasingly seen as a force for good in society, and critical for driving change in important areas such as diversity and climate change. The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual trust and credibility survey, showed that companies are the only organisation now seen as both ethical and competent. The events unfolding in Ukraine are reprehensible. Investors, regardless of their views on ESG, should be doing their (small) bit by holding multinational companies to account regarding their behaviour in Russia. In the past, our approach would have been focused more on risk management and capital preservation, but there is now a strong moral and ethical element to these conversations. Many firms have taken action in response to Russian sanctions, but 20% are yet to formulate a response In most cases, this will mean suspending operations and ceasing any transactions with Russian counterparties, especially state-owned enterprises or the government. For companies that did have operations on the ground, there is the additional complexity of treating Russian staff fairly, and sheltering or evacuating those in Ukraine. Accenture has let its 2,300 staff in Russia go with severance packages, while other companies continue to pay staff for as long as they have cash in the country. Companies with franchised operations in Russia are particularly stuck as they cannot close stores, only cut off imports. Statements and suspensions are (relatively) easy, but executing a full withdrawal will be challenging, with nuances that are hard to capture in the headlines. We would note that the first companies to announce their withdrawal were generally those with very limited exposure, hence little cost or complexity involved. Meanwhile, many CEOs are still scrambling to decide on their response, according to a recent survey of more than 100 businesses by Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose. As the business exodus continues, businesses that fail to take a stand risk appearing complicit. And in the current environment, an ethical issue can quickly become an economic one. Britain is in the middle of a health and wellness boom, inspired by the promise of CBD oil. Also known as Cannabidiol, CBD oil is an active ingredient found in hemp, a strain of the Cannabis sativa L. plant. Unlike its counterpart, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes the 'high' from marijuana, CBD has no psychoactive effects. Sales of legal CBD products grew to 690 million last year, making the UK the world's second largest consumer of cannabinoids after the United States. But the arrival of CBD has brought confusion along with all the hope and expectation. Feeling confused about CBD oil? You're not alone. In a dizzying market of CBD products and promises from gummies to drops, creams and drinks deciding which one to trust feels like a lucky dip. Around 45% of respondents to a YouGov poll about CBD products in the UK said they were not confident that they are labelled correctly or properly tested. In a shocking social media scam, one CBD company pushed unsupported claims of miracle health benefits, even using fake celebrity endorsements to sell their products. 'There are no legally approved health claims in the UK for CBD, so if you see a company claiming health benefits for their CBD product, that's an immediate red flag,' says Dr Miriam Ferrer, PhD, the head of product development at FutureYou Cambridge, the developer of an advanced CBD supplement called CBD Oil+. 'CBD providers are strictly regulated about what can be claimed and that's as it should be, until the benefits are scientifically confirmed,' she says. Some supporters believe using CBD oil may affect health and wellbeing, but scientific confirmation is still ongoing as many of the claims are based on animal studies. How to claim your first pack of CBD Oil+ for just 10* FutureYou Cambridge is offering MailOnline readers the chance to try their first subscription box of CBD Oil+ for just 10 - saving you 18!* Click HERE to order yours now. Scientific interest in the efficacy of CBD has skyrocketed, with more than 3,000 research papers published in just the last three years. 'Given the lack of approved claims at the moment, the best way for people to find out about CBD is to do their own research online,' advises Dr Ferrer. 'Most of the scientific studies into the effects of using CBD oil are based on high-quality, broad-spectrum formulations, so those are the best option and that's what we've done with CBD Oil+.' CBD Oil+ contains a highly purified, broad-spectrum CBD oil formulation currently undergoing a clinical study at Liverpool University. FutureYou Cambridge began its development of a CBD supplement with the help of Professor Michael Heinrich, a leading expert in ethnopharmacology and medicinal plant research at the University College London School of Pharmacy. 'Many of the supplements we looked at contained less CBD than is claimed on the label,' says Professor Heinrich. 'If people are considering taking one, they should ensure that it is supplied by a reputable company and created using a pure extract.' After looking at the science, the team decided that a 'broad-spectrum' extract was essential. 'Broad-spectrum' means that as well as CBD, the oil also contains a range of the many other cannabinoids naturally occurring in the hemp plant, such as Cannabichromene (CBC) and Cannabigerol (CBG). 'That's because there's a lot of scientific research proposing that these other cannabinoids work together with CBD,' explains Dr Ferrer. 'This is known as the 'entourage effect'.' Many CBD products currently on the UK market are 100% pure CBD, made either using synthetic molecules or taken from the hemp plant as 'isolates' to avoid contamination with THC. 'But if it's just CBD, will it really be beneficial?' asks Dr Ferrer. 'The scientific research is still ongoing.' But creating a high-quality, broad-spectrum CBD extract that excludes THC is a significant challenge. FutureYou Cambridge has developed CBD Oil+ To create CBD Oil+, the oil is extracted from the hemp plant in a state-of-the-art process called 'Supercritical CO2 Extraction' using pressurised gas. It's then refined even more, using Centrifugal Partition Chromatography to separate the CBD and the desired broad-spectrum cannabinoids from any impurities. This also reduces the amount of THC to below the detectable limit, far below the UK legal limit of less than 0.2% Finally, it's distilled to produce a high-purity golden oil consisting of around 90-95% CBD and at least 5% other high-quality minor cannabinoids such as CBG. Each CBD Oil+ capsule is made acid-resistant to release the oil directly into the gut. Each vegan-friendly capsule is also gluten- and lactose-free. Since its launch, the team has been heartened by customers' responses to CBD Oil+. Jackie Howard-Birt, a 74-year-old art teacher says: 'I've always been impressed at how FutureYou Cambridge supplements are backed by a lot of scientific research.' 'I've always been impressed at how FutureYou Cambridge supplements are backed by a lot of scientific research,' says 74-year-old Jackie Howard-Birt, an art teacher from Barnstable. 'So when they brought out CBD Oil+, I thought, that's a good idea. 'I knew, as with vitamins, that you had to take it for a few weeks to let it get into your body and start building up. And I'm so pleased with CBD Oil+.' 74-year-old Rosemary Howard, a former marketing director for an asset management firm, agrees. 'It's far easier to take than putting drops in my mouth,' she says. 'I just take it every day now. I've been on it for more than two years, taking it continuously.' 73-year-old Christine Rawson, who used to run a charity helping people with drug and alcohol problems, began taking CBD Oil+ towards the end of the last year, during a very difficult time in her life. 'I was going for various tests at the hospital and I didn't know what the outcome was going to be,' she says. 'And I had to isolate most of the time because of COVID. So of course, that also had quite an impact on my mental health. 'I already used FutureYou Cambridge supplements. So I decided to try CBD Oil+. I also cut out caffeinated coffee. And I definitely felt some improvement. 'I now take my CBD Oil+ every day.' Adam Cleevely, CEO of FutureYou Cambridge says: 'Proper quality and safety checks will help more people feel confident that they can trust high-quality products like CBD Oil+.' This year will see the UK become the first country in the world to regulate CBD food products, with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) demanding that all CBD producers file applications with toxicology data to prove their products are safe. However, we probably won't see a list of authorised products until later on this year. In the meantime, some cowboys will be free to roam the UK marketplace. 'We think regulation by the FSA is a very good thing,' says Adam Cleevely, CEO of FutureYou Cambridge. 'Proper quality and safety checks will help more people feel confident that they can trust high-quality products like CBD Oil+. 'The FSA advises vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, not to take CBD products. And if you're on existing medication, we'd advise you to consult your doctor first.' Otherwise its safe for people to try CBD Oil+. For a limited time only were giving you the chance to try CBD Oil+ for 10 including delivery. Thats an 18 saving and a great opportunity to try a broad-spectrum CBD supplement developed here in the UK, in Cambridge.* Mothers searching for their missing loved ones led authorities to 17 bodies or remains buried in the backyards and patios of houses in a low-income development in northern Mexico. The Sonora State Office of the Attorney General revealed Monday that the bodies were found stacked in four secret graves at abandoned homes in the Sonora municipality of Ciudad Obregon. It said the victims had apparently been killed between six months and a year ago. Prosecutors said the discoveries were made over the weekend after the Guerreras Buscadoras de Cajeme (Warrior Searchers of Cajeme) and Rastreadoras de Ciudad Obregon (Ciudad Obregon Tracers) began canvassing the area last Friday. Members of a collective group searching for their missing loved ones comb through a secret burial pit at one of the residences in Sonora, Mexico, where 17 bodies were located from Friday to Sunday The Sonora State Office of the Attorney General said that the victims could have been killed between six months and a year ago More than 98,000 people in Mexico have been reported missing, according to government data Mexican newspaper Expreso reported that members of the Guerreras Buscadoras de Cajeme located the remains of two people at a home at 908 Espada Street on Friday and found three more bodies at the same property Saturday. They searched a second abandoned residence at 904 Espada Street, where they found two more bodies. Also on Saturday, the Rastreadoras de Ciudad Obregon collective were able to find two other bodies at a home in the same neighborhood. They went back Sunday and located eight more. A Sonora, Mexico, government employee canvasses a burial pit at one of several abandoned residences where the remains of missing 17 missing people were located from last Friday to Sunday A woman digs through the patio of one of the several abandoned homes in the northern Mexico town of Ciudad Obregon where at least 17 bodies were located last weekend The state attorney general's office said the bodies would undergo genetic and forensics tests to identify them. Video footage showed searchers digging by hand and with a backhoe in the yards, and in some cases under the foundations of the homes. While it is more common for bodies to be buried in pits in vacant lots or outside of towns, some drug cartels in Mexico use abandoned or rented dwellings as execution chambers for kidnapping victims or suspected rivals, and simply bury the bodies under the floors or in the yards before leaving. Sonora has been locked in a bloody three-way turf battle with rival drug gangs, and the discovery of clandestine burial pits has become increasingly common. The turf battles involve rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel and gangs allied with fugitive drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero. Last week, volunteer searchers found 11 bodies in pits in the Sonora town of San Luis Rio Colorado, just a few miles from the Yuma, Arizona, border. The government of Sonora said the bodies included nine men and two women were found in a series of pits, many holding several bodies. Volunteer search teams made up of relatives of people who have vanished led authorities to the pits in a stretch of desert near a garbage dump. Relatives of those who have disappeared conduct their own searches in many parts of Mexico, because police are unable or unwilling to do so. Mexico has more than 98,356 missing people, according to government data. Most likely have been killed by drug cartels, their bodies dumped into shallow graves, burned or dissolved. The government has struggled to identify even the bodies that have been found. Some 52,000 await identification. Advertisement Which areas have seen the biggest decline in banking numbers in the last decade? North East: Branches in 2012: 450. Branches in 2021: 320. Change: -130. Percentage Change: -29% North West: Branches in 2012: 1,460. Branches in 2021: 905. Change: -555. Percentage Change: -38% Yorkshire & the Humber: Branches in 2012: Branches in 2021: 655. Change: -365. Percentage Change: -36% East Midlands: Branches in 2012: Branches in 2021: 555 Change: -275. Percentage Change: -33% West Midlands: Branches in 2012: 1,085. Branches in 2021: 730. Change: -355 Percentage Change: -33% East: Branches in 2012: 1,120. Branches in 2021: 735. Change:-385. Percentage change: -34% London: Branches in 2012: 2,190. Branches in 2021: 1,440. Change: -750. Percentage change: -34% South East: Branches: 1,740. Branches in 2021: 1,155. Change: -585. Percentage change:-34% South West: Branches in 2012: Branches in 2021: 710. Change:-480. Percentage change: -40% Wales: Branches in 2012: 695 Branches in 2021: 445. Change: -250. Percentage Change: -36% Scotland: Branches in 2012: 1,190. Branches in 2021: 790. Change: -400. Percentage Change: -34% Northern Ireland: Branches in 2012: 375. Branches in 2021: 365. Change: -10. Percentage Change: -3% UK: Branches in 2012: 13,345. Branches in 2021: 8,810. Change: -4,535. Percentage Change: -34% *Figures from House of Commons Library - rounded to the nearest 5 Advertisement Britain has lost nearly 5,000 High Street banks in a decade, sparking fears that the elderly, vulnerable and those living in rural areas are effectively being 'cut adrift' from face-to-face banking. Figures show there were more than 13,300 banks in cities, towns and villages across the UK in 2012 - down from 20,583 in 1988. But by the end of last year that figure had dropped even further to just 8,810 - a staggering 34 per cent decrease in less than a decade. Yesterday, in the latest cull of High Street banks, HSBC announced plans to axe 69 more branches across the UK. The banking giant, which closed 82 sites last year as part of its 'transformation programme', said the move was in response to a shift towards online banking. With thousands of banks now gone from High Streets up and down the UK, groups such as the Post Office have stepped in to provide every-day over-the-counter banking services for people in rural communities. But campaigners and charities for the elderly say the decision to close village and town centre banks is proving 'extremely damaging' for local communities and a 'serious blow' for millions of older Britons. Banking experts meanwhile have warned that while previous cuts have been to small rural branches, banks are now increasingly shutting sites in medium-sized towns. And there are fears even some large towns of 100,000 people or more may be left without any dedicated branches within a decade. Business chiefs have warned also about the perils of the UK moving completely cashless, saying the Russia-Ukraine conflict has exposed the potential pitfalls of relying on online banking. The extent of the bank branch issue has been revealed in a new map by Which?, whose own research focuses on the most commonly used retail banks and puts the total number of High Street banks left in the UK at just 5,154, down from 9,807 in 2015. The map, compiled by the consumer group through its own research, highlights how some areas of the UK lost all their remaining banks between 2016 and 2022. According to Which?, the small Parliamentary constituency of Wentworth and Dearne, South Yorkshire, lost 100 per cent of its banks over the last six years. Nearby Sheffield Hallam has also lost all of its banks since 2016, according to Which?. Areas such as the rural constituency of Arundel and the South Downs, in West Sussex, has also lost most of its banks since 2016. The upmarket market town, home to Arundel castle, the seat of the Duke of Norfolk, lost its last bank, a Lloyds branch, six years ago. However the nearby town of Storrington, which is in the same constituency, maintains a HSBC branch. Below is the interactive map by Which? showing the percentage decrease of bank branches in each Parliamentary constituency between 2016 and 2022. Scroll over your constituency or use the search function to find your area. The biggest decline in terms of branches in the Big Six banks meanwhile has been at Barclays. Once the largest bank in Britain in terms of the number of branches, it shut nearly 800 branches between 2014 and 2022. It now has less than Lloyds and a similar level to Natwest England has seen the biggest decline - of around 4,000 banks -while Scotland and Wales have all seen small decreases. Northern Ireland has lost 10 bank branches in the last 10 years, a three per cent decline Britain has lost nearly 5,000 High Street banks in seven years, sparking fears that the elderly, vulnerable and those living in rural areas are effectively being 'cut adrift' from face-to-face banking. Pictured: Library image of a NatWest bank Figures show more than 12,000 bank branches existed in towns and villages across the UK in 2015 - down from 20,583 in 1988. Pictured: Library image of a Lloyds Bank Yesterday, in the latest cull of High Street banks, HSBC announced plans to axe 69 more branches across the UK. The banking giant, which closed 82 sites last year as part of its 'transformation programme', said the move was in response to a shift towards online banking. Library image of an HSBC branch Figures show more than 12,000 bank branches existed in towns and villages across the UK in 2015 - down from 20,583 in 1988. But by the end of last year that figure had dropped to just 8,810. Other figures from consumer group Which? - whose research focuses on the most commonly used retail banks - puts the the total at just 5,154, down from 9,807 in 2014 HSBC announces huge bank branch cull with 69 out of 510 set to shut across UK this year in major shift to online banking Banking giant HSBC will shut 69 of its bank branches across the UK in a shift towards online banking, it has today been announced. The British multinational says it will begin closing the branches from July. The move is expected to affect the jobs of around 400 staff - though HSBC say it 'aims' to redeploy impacted staff. Company chiefs say they will 'try to replace' the affected branches with other banking services, such as new ATMs and pop-up banks. It will also retain a network of more than 440 branches and will not close any branches where they are the last bank in town. However the move is expected to increase the average distance customers must travel for in-person services to around four miles. HSBC, which axed 82 sites last year as part of its 'transformation programme', says the move is in response to a shift towards online banking - which it says has been 'accelerated' during the Covid pandemic. HSBC's head of UK branch network Jackie Uhi said: 'The way people bank is changing - something the pandemic has accelerated. 'Our branches continue to support people with their more complex banking needs, but the way we can do this has also evolved, with the addition of banking hubs, community pop ups and continued use of the Post Office network. 'Rather than a one-size fits all branch approach, it's an approach built around the way different customers are choosing to bank in different areas.' The bank, which has 7,500 offices in more than 80 countries around the world, and its headquarters in Birmingham, says the move comes due to an 'acceleration' towards customers using online banking. It says less than 50 per cent of its bank's customers now 'actively use' a branch network and that average footfall has declined by over 50 per cent since 2017. HSBC also say it has seen an 'increase preference' for online and mobile banking during the pandemic. However the move will spark fears for elderly and less tech-savvy customers. HSBC admits the move will increase the average travel distance to its branches by 0.3 miles for customers. It means customers now have to travel, on average, four miles to get to a HSBC bank. But HSBC says customers will also be able to use the Post Office, within 1.5 miles of each closing branch, to carry out day-to-day transactions. Advertisement But this issue is not just a rural one. The constituency of Erith and Thamesmead in East London has also lost all of its remaining banks in the past six years. Barclays pulled the last bank in the constituency in February last year. According to Which?, other areas to suffer big losses in bank branches in the last six years include South Devon, a large, mostly rural, constituency, which has lost 87.5 per cent of its banks in the last six years. Other areas to feature high on the list by Which? include the Wirral West (87.5 per cent decline since 2016) and nearby Liverpool West Derby (100 per cent decline since 2016). But while rural areas and those in the north-west were among the biggest losers in terms of bank branch losses, city areas and upmarket towns saw the smallest decline. Walthamstow in London lost just 11 per cent of its banks according to Which?, while Carshalton and Wallington saw a 14.3 per cent decline. Outside of cities, Banbury in Oxfordshire saw a 10.5 per cent decline, while Sittingbourne and Sheppey, in Kent, saw a decline of just 7.7 per cent. But West Bromwich East, in the Midlands, was the only constituency not to see any decline. The area still has branches of all of the major banks, including Halifax, Santander, Lloyds, Natwest, TSB, Barclays and HSBC. In Emsworth, in Hampshire, it is a different story. The small coastal town, which sits on the border of West Sussex, had four banks in 2013. But three banks quit the town in a space of 12 months in 2014. And in 2017, Natwest, the last bank in town, also left. Now residents in the town only have the Post Office where they can complete face-to-face banking, otherwise they face a three mile drive to nearby Havant, which has a Natwest, Barclays, Halifax and a Lloyds. According to figures on the House of Commons Library, there were 20,583 bank branches and building societies in the UK in 1988. But by 2017 that figure had fallen to 9,690. Similar figures from the House of Commons Library show the total number of bank and building society branches fell by 11,078 or 51 per cent, from 1986 to 2014. Since then, the biggest decline, according to that same report, has been in the south west of England, where the number of banks fell by 40 per cent from 2012 to 2021. Behind the south west was the north west (-38 per cent), Wales (-36 per cent) and Yorkshire and Humberside (36 per cent). London was in line with the UK average of -36 per cent, while Northern Ireland (-3 per cent), the north east (-23 per cent) and the west Midlands (-33 per cent) saw the smallest declines. This means that Northern Ireland now had the highest number of bank and building society branches per 10,000 population in 2021, with 1.9 banks per 10,000. London meanwhile had 1.6 banks for every 10,000 people, while Scotland and Wales both had 1.4 banks per 10,000 people - above the UK average of 1.3. The east Midlands had the lowest bank-to-person density, with just 1.1 banks per 10,000 people, followed by the east of England, Yorkshire, the west Midlands and the north west, which had 1.2 banks per 10,000 people. According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom, the UK had an average of 2.3 branches per 10,000 inhabitants in 2012. Five years later, this had decreased to 1.47, a drop of 27 per cent. And this, the FCA says, had an impact on customers, who now have to travel longer distance in order to get to their nearest branch. According to the FCA, in 2015 the average consumer had to travel 2.5 miles to their nearest branch (4.8 for those living in rural areas, 1.8 in urban areas). By 2017, this had increased to 2.6 miles (5.1 in rural areas, 1.9 in urban areas). The biggest decline in terms of branches in the Big Six banks meanwhile has been at Barclays. Once the largest bank in Britain in terms of the number of branches, it shut nearly 800 branches between 2014 and 2022. It now has less than Lloyds and a similar level to Natwest. According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom, the UK had an average of 2.3 branches per 10,000 inhabitants in 2012. Five years later, this had decreased to 1.47, a drop of 27 per cent The biggest decline, according to that same report, has been in the south west of England, where the number of banks fell by 40 per cent from 2012 to 2021. Behind the south west was the north west (-38 per cent), Wales (-36 per cent) and Yorkshire and Humberside (36 per cent). London was in line with the UK average of -36 per cent, while Northern Ireland (-3 per cent), the north east (-23 per cent) and the west Midlands (-33 per cent) saw the smallest declines London meanwhile has 1.6 banks for every 10,000 people, while Scotland and Wales both had 1.4 banks per 10,000 people - above the UK average of 1.3. The east Midlands had the lowest bank-to-person density, with just 1.1 banks per 10,000 people, followed by the east of England, Yorkshire, the west Midlands and the north west, which had 1.2 banks per 10,000 people Meanwhile, Natwest shut nearly 400 banks between 2016 and 2017. It had more than 1,200 banks in 2014, but now has just 600. It means Lloyds are now the biggest bank in terms of branches. But they too have shut more than 400 branches in the last eight years. TSB and RBS, the smaller banks of the Big Six, have similarly reduced the number of branches, from around 600 in 2014 to around 200 in 2022. HSBC have steadily pulled back on the number of branches. The British multinational had more than 1,000 branches across the UK in 2014 and now has almost 400. Earlier this week the bank announced plans to cut 69 of its branches across the UK in a shift towards online banking. So what exactly is driving the dash to ditch cash? For millions of Britons access to cash is still a vital part of day-to-day life. But the decline in its use has been staggering in recent years - and has only fallen further since the start of the pandemic. Even before Covid struck, forcing many businesses and banks to close, cash use was on the decline. According to the House of Commons Library, there were 17billion cash payments made in the UK in 2015. But that was dwarfed by other types of payments, such as card and online, which were used 21billion times in the UK. Even before Covid struck, forcing many businesses and banks to close, cash use was on the decline. According to the House of Commons Library, there were 17billion cash payments made in the UK in 2015. But that was dwarfed by other types of payments, such as card and online, which were used 21billion times in the UK And, according to the figures, the use of cash payments has declined by two billion each year since 2015, falling to 9billion payments by 2019. At the same time online payments have been on the rise, with 31billion payments from methods other than cash in 2019. Meanwhile, the use of online banking is growing, according to industry bosses. UK Finance, which represents banks in Britain, says nearly 90 per cent of UK adults used online banking, mobile banking or telephone banking in 2020, up from 81 per cent in 2019. And bank branches can be costly for firms, with experts estimating each branch costing around 350,000-a-year. However even UK Finance say the represent the need for face-to-face banking services: 'Technology is not for everyone and bank branches continue to play an important role in the life of local communities, meaning decisions to close them are never taken lightly,' a UK Finance spokesperson told MailOnline. 'Ensuring there is continued access for those who need it, both now and in the future, is something the banking and finance industry has publicly committed to delivering.' Meanwhile, John Howells, who is the CEO of a pilot scheme by cash machine firm LINK to provide banking 'hubs' for communities set to lose bank branches, also said the banking landscape had changed in recent years. He said six in 10 payments were made in cash a decade ago, but this had declined to just three in 10 prior to the pandemic. 'Since Covid that has dropped to around one in 10 payments. But we are not ready as a country to be a cashless society. 'But it's not just about access for the elderly and vulnerable people. 'The situation between Russia and Ukraine has highlighted the issues of what can happen with online banking systems. 'And in Sweden they have an emergency campaign which lists items people should keep in the house in case of an invasion - one of those is cash.' LINK's pilot scheme, which is being done in conjunction with the Cash Action Group (CAG), involves the setting up of banking 'Hubs'. The CAG comprises of all major banks, Nationwide, the Post Office, along with the Federation of Small Business, Age UK and Toynbee Hall. Under the scheme, which is currently voluntary, banks tell LINK about their plans to close branches. LINK then make an assessment of the area's needs and will then decide if it needs a banking hub. These hubs are then created, allowing people to have access to day-to-day banking services throughout the week, which can be used by customers from any bank. On top of this, each bank will then have its own counter day, depending on size and customer base in the area, where customers can engage in more advanced face-to-face services. Currently two hubs exist, in Rochford, Essex, and Cambuslang, on the outskirts of Glasgow, both of which CAG's Natalie Ceeley described as a 'success'. Five more 'bank hubs' will be set up across the UK next year, in Acton (West London), Brixham (Devon), Carnoustie (Angus), Knaresborough (North Yorks) and Syston (Leicestershire). Meanwhile, the Post Office has also announced that it will install 'dedicated cash services' in 30 branches over the next 12 months which could include banking counters and self-service machines. While the scheme is currently based on towns set to lose banks in the future, bosses behind the pilot hope to expand it to backdate the scheme to areas that have already lost many or all of their branches. Ms Ceeney, who has campaigned on the issue for several years, told MailOnline: 'This is not just an issue for people, but one for smaller businesses as well, that rely on local banking services.' Ms Ceeney has called for the scheme, which is currently a voluntary one, to be properly legislated by the Government. 'We are laying the foundations, but we will struggle without legislation. It is a volunteer scheme at the moment, but banks have to be made to do this in order to make sure it is a success.' Advertisement Company chiefs vowed to 'try to replace' the affected branches with other banking services, such as new ATMs and pop-up banks. HSBC also insisted it would retain a network of more than 440 branches and will not close any branches where they are the last bank in town. Bosses said the the move is in response to a shift towards online banking - which it says has been 'accelerated' during the Covid pandemic. HSBC's head of UK branch network Jackie Uhi said: 'The way people bank is changing - something the pandemic has accelerated. 'Our branches continue to support people with their more complex banking needs, but the way we can do this has also evolved, with the addition of banking hubs, community pop ups and continued use of the Post Office network. 'Rather than a one-size fits all branch approach, it's an approach built around the way different customers are choosing to bank in different areas.' The bank, which has 7,500 offices in more than 80 countries around the world, and its headquarters in Birmingham, says the move comes due to an 'acceleration' towards customers using online banking. It says less than 50 per cent of its bank's customers now 'actively use' a branch network and that average footfall has declined by over 50 per cent since 2017. HSBC also says it has seen an 'increase preference' for online and mobile banking during the pandemic. However the move will spark fears for elderly and less tech-savvy customers. HSBC admits the move will increase the average travel distance to its branches by 0.3 miles for customers. It means customers now have to travel, on average, four miles to get to a HSBC bank. But HSBC says customers will also be able to use the Post Office, within 1.5 miles of each closing branch, to carry out day-to-day transactions. Charities warn that this could have a negative impact on customers, particularly those who are elderly. Caroline Abrahams, Age UK Charity Director, said: 'Many older people value the services provided by bank branches, in particular the human touch that a counter service can provide, so it's a concern that more and more local bank branches are not only closing, but also restricting opening hours for customers. 'The scale of the bank branch cull over recent years has been extremely damaging for so many local communities nationwide and a serious blow for the millions of older people who rely on them, particularly those who are not online or confident with mobile banking. 'It's well known that a rapid move towards online banking over the past few years has caused significant problems for many older customers, particularly those with visual impairments and dexterity problems. 'These problems are exacerbated when branch closures coincide with poor public transport locally, a lack of ATMs, substandard internet service and mobile black spots, making it increasingly difficult for customers to access their money. 'The recent announcement by the banks about how they will protect cash through shared banking hubs, Post Offices and community cashback is welcome. However, some customers are still at risk of being cut adrift and the banks should do everything they can to ensure the continued provision of essential banking services for years to come.' Meanwhile Jenny Ross, Which? Money Editor, said: 'The rapid decline of the bank branch network is hugely concerning for the millions of people that still rely on banks for vital face-to-face services and to withdraw cash to pay for everyday essentials. 'Initiatives put forward by the banking industry such as shared banking hubs are welcome and have the potential to play a key role in preserving local access to cash and in-person banking services. 'However, it is important that proposals are of sufficient scale to plug gaps which emerge when banks close their branches and are tailored to address the different challenges faced by local areas. 'Underpinning those proposals must be long-promised and much-needed government legislation to protect access to cash for as long as it is needed.' While thousands of bank branches have closed across the UK in the last twenty years, the Post Office has picked up much of the slack in rural communities who now no longer have dedicated branches. The Post Office already has an agreement with many banks that allows customers to do their everyday banking over its counters. But while customers can complete day-to-day transactions at the Post Office, more complex actions still require customers to go into branch. And with branch closures, the average distance customers need to travel to get to their bank has increased, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to access their banks. But groups representing the industry say the move is due to the change in banking habits among Britons, with more and more people now choosing online or mobile banking. A spokesperson for UK Finance, a trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector, told MailOnline: 'Growing numbers of customers are opting to use new technologies to manage their money with nearly 90 per cent of UK adults using online banking, mobile banking or telephone banking services in 2020, up from 81 per cent in 2019. 'But technology is not for everyone and bank branches continue to play an important role in the life of local communities, meaning decisions to close them are never taken lightly. 'Ensuring there is continued access for those who need it, both now and in the future, is something the banking and finance industry has publicly committed to delivering. 'As part of this, the Access to Cash Action Group, chaired by Natalie Ceeney, recently set out plans on how the industry will deliver on commitments to preserve access to cash and banking services. This includes shared bank hubs alongside free ATMs and cashback without purchase.' Experts meanwhile have told MailOnline how banks are now increasingly looking to close branches in medium-sized towns, having previously targeted smaller more rural locations such as larger villages. Derek French, a former high-ranking boss at Natwest, who launched the Campaign for Community Banking Services group, said towns of between 40,000-50,000 in population were now increasingly at risk of losing their branches. He told MailOnline: 'If you look at the HSBC closures they are in medium sized towns. They are much larger than the previous areas, but they are often not the first banks to go in these towns.' Mr French, who has 30 years experience in the industry, and who is calling for more legislation to ensure customers still had access to over-the-counter services, said that although the move to digital banking had been a key driver, cost was also an element. 'It costs around 350,000 to run a branch in an average town for a year,' Mr French said. 'Most of the banks are aiming to get down to the magic number of around 400 branches each, and you see HSBC in their recent announcement is now nearing that number. They (the banks) are saving a huge amount of money (by cutting back on branches).' Meanwhile campaigners warn how High Street banks could disappear from all but the biggest towns and cities in a decade. An evaluation by Ask Traders, based on Which? research, earlier this year found communities of 100,000 or more are already facing a future without physical banks. Nigel Frith, a senior financial analyst at AskTraders, called on the government to act to protect access to cash: 'With 50 million people in the UK still reliant on using cash, the need for security around high street banks is clear to see. 'While high streets and banking groups must continue to evolve, millions of people still rely on the services physical bank branches provide. Online banking should certainly be embraced but not at the expense of branches on the high street which meet the nuanced needs of individuals. 'It's really important the government delivers on its promise to protect access to cash.' So what is being done to combat the issue? John Howells is the CEO of a pilot scheme by cash machine firm LINK to provide banking 'hubs' for communities set to lose bank branches. He also said the banking landscape had changed in recent years. Five more 'bank hubs' will be set up across the UK next year, in Acton (West London), Brixham (Devon), Carnoustie (Angus), Knaresborough (North Yorks) and Syston (Leicestershire). Pictured: The Post Office Bank Hub in Rochford Meanwhile, John Howells, who is the CEO of a pilot scheme by cash machine firm LINK to provide banking 'hubs' for communities set to lose bank branches, also said the banking landscape had changed in recent years He said six in 10 payments were made in cash a decade ago, but this had declined to just three in 10 prior to the pandemic. 'Since Covid that has dropped to around one in 10 payments. But we are not ready as a country to be a cashless society. But it's not just about access for the elderly and vulnerable people. 'The situation between Russia and Ukraine has highlighted the issues of what can happen with online banking systems. 'And in Sweden they have an emergency campaign which lists items people should keep in the house in case of an invasion - one of those is cash.' But he said he was hopeful the pilot scheme could help plug some of the gaps left behind. The pilot scheme, which is being done in conjunction with the Cash Action Group (CAG), involves the setting up of banking 'Hubs'. The CAG comprises of all major banks, Nationwide, the Post Office, along with the Federation of Small Business, Age UK and Toynbee Hall. Ms Ceeney has called for the Banking Hub scheme, which is currently a voluntary one, to be properly legislated by the Government Under the scheme, which is currently voluntary, banks tell LINK about their plans to close branches. LINK then make an assessment of the area's needs and will then decide if it needs a banking hub. These hubs are then created, allowing people to have access to day-to-day banking services throughout the week, which can be used by customers from any bank. On top of this, each bank will then have its own counter day, depending on size and customer base in the area, where customers can engage in more advanced face-to-face services. Currently two hubs exist, in Rochford, Essex, and Cambuslang, on the outskirts of Glasgow, both of which CAG's Natalie Ceeley described as a 'success'. Five more 'bank hubs' will be set up across the UK next year, in Acton (West London), Brixham (Devon), Carnoustie (Angus), Knaresborough (North Yorks) and Syston (Leicestershire). Meanwhile, the Post Office has also announced that it will install 'dedicated cash services' in 30 branches over the next 12 months which could include banking counters and self-service machines. While the scheme is currently based on towns set to lose banks in the future, bosses behind the pilot hope to expand it to backdate the scheme to areas that have already lost many or all of their branches. Ms Ceeney, who has campaigned on the issue for several years, told MailOnline: 'This is not just an issue for people, but one for smaller businesses as well, that rely on local banking services.' Ms Ceeney has called for the scheme, which is currently a voluntary one, to be properly legislated by the Government. 'We are laying the foundations, but we will struggle without legislation. It is a volunteer scheme at the moment, but banks have to be made to do this in order to make sure it is a success.' An HM Treasury spokesperson said: 'We know that cash remains vital for millions of people and we are committed to protecting access to cash across the UK. 'That's why we published a consultation on proposals for new laws to make sure people only need to travel a reasonable distance to pay in or take out cash, and have already legislated to enable shops to offer cashback to customers without them having to make a purchase.' As Russian strongman Vladimir Putin tries to starve Ukrainians by laying siege to cities across the country, two of his oligarch pals hope to make a fortune by delivering food to Americans. Vladimir Potanin and Arkady Volozh, both among the richest men in the world, are investors of a controversial, 'ultra-fast' delivery service where bike couriers are so speedy, critics say, they endanger themselves and the public. DailyMail.com has learned the two billionaire oligarchs have become shareholders in Getir, a grocery delivery app that was first popularized in Turkey before expanding to Europe and, recently, the United States. The company offers about 1,500 grocery items from their dark stores - ranging from bananas to filet mignon to cough drops - and promises to deliver orders to customers' doorsteps in just 10 to 15 minutes. Late last year Getir introduced its 24/7 business model in Chicago, New York, and Boston, and now plans to blanket most major US cities with its purple-clad delivery workers trying to beat the traffic on yellow bikes and scooters. Russian oligarchs Vladimir Potanin (left) and Arkady Volozh (right) are shareholders of Turkish-based delivery app, Getir, which launched in the US just last year Getir is a grocery delivery app that was first popularized in Turkey before expanding to Europe and the United States DailyMail.com has learned Potanin, 61, recently helped Getir raise over $550million for accelerated expansion in the US, bringing the company's valuation to more than $7.5billion. And on Thursday the company announced its value had further increased to around $12billion after closing a $768million funding round led by Emirati investment company Mubadala. According to reports from Russian newspapers, Potanin's company, Interros, is the largest investor in Winter Capital Partners, a key partner of Getir. Winter Capital's investment in Getir has reportedly already topped $35million. With a fortune estimated around $25billion, Potanin is officially the richest man in Russia and one of wealthiest in the world. Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranked him the 58th richest in the world a position he achieved thanks to his stronghold on supplies of nickel and other metals. Potanin is also known to have strong ties to Putin and other powerful Russian leaders, having once served as the deputy prime minister of Russia under President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s. In 2018 he was among the 210 Russian politicians and oligarchs identified as close associates of Putin and the Kremlin by the US Treasury. But with increased scrutiny on Russian oligarchs worldwide amid the war in Ukraine, Potanin's proximity to Putin has started to cost him. Last week, for example, he was forced to resign from the board of the Guggenheim art museum in New York City, where he had been a trustee for two decades. The company markets itself as an 'ultra-fast' service that aims to deliver items to customer's doorsteps in just 10 to 15 minutes Getir recently introduced its 24/7 business model in Chicago, New York City, and Boston, where purple-clad delivery workers have been seen trying to beat the traffic on yellow bikes and scooters. Pictured: Getir couriers in Amsterdam In the UK, Members of Parliament have also called on the British government to sever all ties with him after it was revealed his charity had donated 3million (about $4million) to Oxford University to fund research and teaching projects named after him. Word of Potanin's investment in Getir has spread in European capitals. Flyers handed out by anti-Putin activists in Berlin earlier this month urged customers to boycott the company. His partner Volozh is the co-founder of Yandex, the operator of Russia's major Internet search engine - sometimes referred to as Russia's Google - and was listed as a co-founder of Getir. It wasn't so long ago that Volozh was estimated by Forbes to be worth $2.6billion. The war in Ukraine and sanctions against the Russian economy, however, have also hurt Volozh's wealth, which has plummeted to $580million, Forbes reported. The 58-year-old has been lauded as a self-made man who built his successful tech firms without government support. Still, since 2018, Volozh has also remained on the US's list of politicians and oligarchs whose businesses have flourished under Putin. New York City Council member Christopher Marte, who is planning to introduce legislation to curb fast delivery services like Getir in the name of public safety, says he isn't surprised to learn of some of finances behind the company. 'There does seem to be a lot of dark money behind it (Getir),' he said in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com. 'It's something we're looking into. And whatever we can do stop Russian aggression, we will do. 'But the involvement of these billionaires in that industry doesn't surprise me. Disrupting the fabric of neighborhoods around the world is how they make their money.' Volozh is the founder of Yandex, the operator of Russia's major Internet search engine, and has remained on the US Congress' list of 96 oligarchs whose businesses flourished under Putin. The two are pictured together in 2017 Potanin is also known to have strong ties to Putin and was included in the US Treasury's list of 210 Russian politicians and oligarchs closely associated with Putin and the Kremlin in 2018. They are pictured together in 2017 In a statement emailed by Getir spokesman Nick Bowkett, the company hinted that investments by Potanin's companies were minimal and no sanctions have been placed on Winter Capital. The financial firm invested in Getir in June 2021 and has a 0.45 per cent minority stake in the business. Getir has suggested it would reassess its relationship with Winter Capital should it face sanctions. 'Funds from all over the world have invested in Getir over the past few years. Winter Capital, based in the EU, is one of those 17 investors,' Bowkett wrote. 'Winter Capital has several LLPs, including Russians. If any sanctions are imposed involving Winter Capital we will do the necessary adjustments. In the meanwhile our legal teams are evaluating the matter and we will act in the appropriate manner.' The company also confirmed it was working to provide support to Ukraine during the invasion. 'Getir firmly stands with the Ukrainian people and we sent five truckloads of essential supplies that have already arrived in Ukraine,' the spokesperson said. Speculation over Getir's Russian financial backers comes as US sanctions on Russia have already crippled similar delivery services. Rapid delivery service apps Buyk and Fridge No More, both of which were backed by Russian investors, suspended operations earlier this month after US sanctions on Russian banks stripped them of funding, the New York Post reported last week. Fridge No More, a startup that launched in 2020, announced its shutdown in an email to employees last Thursday citing 'dramatic and unexpected lack of funding and failure to close the sale' of the company. But according to the Post, the decision to cease operations also appeared to be related to US sanctions on Russia. The company, whose co-founder and CEO, Pavel Danilov, is from Russia, is reported to have been backed by Russian investors. Similarly Buyk last week announced it was furloughing 98 per cent of its employees, just six months after launching in New York. The startup was being kept afloat by 'bridge financing' from its Russian founders, Slava Bocharov and Rodion Shishkov, but the sanctions against Russian banks effectively made the funding setup 'untenable,' CEO James Walker told the Post. The companies are among a new generation of rapid-delivery service apps that have recently sprung up in New York and other major cities, trying to compete in an already crowded market being led by DoorDash and GoPuff. Getir was founded by Turkish tech entrepreneur Nazim Salur (pictured) in 2015 Co-founded in 2015 by the Turkish tech entrepreneur Nazim Salur, the Istanbul-based Getir allows customers to order groceries from a smartphone app with the promise of ultra-fast delivery. Success came just as fast as its deliveries in Salur's home country. And soon, the COVID-19 pandemic turbo-charged its expansion as consumers throughout the world were confined to their homes. Getir spread to the UK in January 2021, and made its debut in Chicago months later in November. Unlike mainstream food delivery apps such as UberEats and DoorDash, Getir does not pickup from restaurants and it prides itself in being a lot faster. Getir and competitors, however, are the target of critics who say that, in addition to taking investments from oligarchs, the need for speed is endangering employees and members of the public. Delivery employees have been known for their recklessness as they race through narrow streets and weave in and out of traffic with, at times, heavy loads. During COVID, according to a Turkish courier association, over 190 delivery people on two wheels have been killed in traffic crashes in that country alone where Getir has the larger share of the market. Rapid delivery service apps Buyk and Fridge No More, both of which were backed by Russian investors, suspended operations earlier this month after US sanctions on Russian banks left them without funding A cloud store for grocery delivery startup Fridge No More is seen closed, following the company's shutdown due to ties to Russian investments in Brooklyn on March 11 They have also been involved in an estimated 63,000 non-fatal accidents in their mad dashes. Cities in America have not been immune. At least 20 deaths in the Big Apple have been linked to fast deliveries, according to the New York Post. The situation has become so troubling that New York City District 1 Council Member Marte wants to ban Getir, Gorillas, Jokr and others from advertising guaranteed delivery times. 'The ban would be on advertising 15 or 20-minute delivery times,' Marte said. 'I think that if we could take away that part of their business plan, the pressure on the employees would be lessened. 'Just think what an employee has to do to be able to fulfill a 15-minute grocery order. Add to it red lights, traffic, the number of floors in a tenement, it makes it near impossible to complete such an order without endangering the delivery person and the public.' Marte added he plans to add weight limits on what couriers carry, and where on the bike or scooter the weight can be placed. Getir spokesman Bowkett said the company applies some of the strictest safety standards in the business. 'Getir implements industry-leading safety practices, training and personal protective equipment in the 9 countries that we operate in, including the US,' he wrote in an email to DailyMail.com. By Casey Lartigue Jr. One of my favorite classes as a student at Harvard University was "Black Political Thought," which was taught by James Jennings, an assistant professor of Afro American studies at the time. I remember asking: What had the most impact in changing racist attitudes in America eloquent speeches, Black political thought, or Americans watching on TV as Civil Rights Movement activists got beaten by government agents? My point is: For better or for worse, people are more likely to do something because of events, not talk. Intellectual James Baldwin coined the phrase, "Black lives matter," during the 1960s. Black Lives Matter as a movement didn't grab worldwide attention until George Floyd suffocated to death under a police officer's knee in a video that went viral. Decades later, when I hear people praise Martin Luther King, Jr.'s wonderful "I Have a Dream" speech, I usually ask, "And, as a result, what have you done?" Dr. King's words have been lionized since his death, but his agitation was often denounced when he was alive. According to Gallup in 1966, Dr. King had a negative rating of 63 percent (his positive rating was 32 percent). My argument about action is not a new one. Slave-turned-abolitionist Frederick Douglass wrote in 1861: "[People] are taught less by theories than by facts and events." When Abraham Lincoln won the U.S. presidential election in 1860, Douglass was openly agitating for the Union to "meet and slaughter" the Confederacy. "Action! Action! Words are now useful only as they stimulate to blows." More than 160 years after Douglass' claim about events, there are amusing, informative, and inspiring TED Talks, books, articles and videos everywhere. How many people act beyond clicking on another TED Talk or sharing a link? During my professional career in the U.S. and South Korea, I have been an author, policy analyst, book editor, public speaker, educator, professor, newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, YouTuber and NGO leader. No matter how many speeches I give, meetings I organize, or columns I write, I believe like I did as a college student that people are more likely to act because of events. For the past decade I have worked directly with North Korean refugees. One reason I have been skeptical about change in North Korea is that there hasn't been an event stoking international outrage. There is plenty of theorizing, curiosity, reports, testimonials, analysis, talk, YouTube videos, documentaries, books and speeches, but there hasn't been an event to make action against North Korea go viral. Where is the video footage by CNN documenting North Koreans being shot at along the border trying to escape or getting exploited in China? There is more interest in the North Korean dictator's weight, haircut or clothing style. While many North Korean refugees eschew politics, I have met quite a few over the years using Douglass-type language seeking a decisive event in North Korea. I will never forget a North Korean refugee I met several years ago who strongly denounced then-President Obama for not assassinating Kim Jong-un. Several years ago, I wrote about North Korean refugee Lee Ae-ran when she attempted to raise $1 million to have Kim Jong-un assassinated. At a democracy simulation several years ago, the North Korean refugee participants ignored the rules and kept designing plans to bomb Kim Jong-un's palaces and to assassinate him. In the book, "Greenlight to Freedom," my co-author, Songmi Han, wrote that when she was in North Korea, some North Koreans around her would ask, "Could someone please start a war with North Korea?" Songmi, then a teenager, said it had become a running joke among adults to wish for war when they were out collecting wood or engaging in other hard labor. Some of the adults hoped the country (i.e., the dictator and his family) would be destroyed. They weren't talking theory. They wanted an event that would lead to real change in North Korea. It may not surprise readers that it was an event that moved me from being a casual observer to working directly with North Korean refugees. In early 2012, about 30 North Korean refugees were captured in China and faced repatriation to North Korea where they could be executed or tortured. I joined protests in front of Chinese embassies in Seoul and Washington, D.C., engaged in provocative actions such as helping to send air balloons to North Korea, worked with the first North Korean refugee to give a TED Talk, and co-founded a non-profit focused on educating and empowering North Korean refugees. From 2017-19, I was a judge of English speech contests for North Korean refugees. The winner of the last contest gave a speech titled, "I Have a Dream." I resisted the temptation to ask her, "What have you done?" She has since joined my non-profit as a student and one day may explain theories and facts about events that have changed North Korea. Casey Lartigue Jr. is co-author, along with Songmi Han, of the book, "Greenlight to Freedom," and co-founder, along with Eunkoo Lee, of Freedom Speakers International (FSI). He gave the keynote speech at the 2003 Annual meeting of the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association and served on the organization's board of trustees from 2004 to 2015. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is being demanded to scrap Australia's 'harshest mask rules' which require all hospitality and retail staff in the state to wear them at work. Face coverings remain mandatory in various settings in Victoria, including in shop, pub and restaurant workers and students in years 3 to 6. There are now fears that staff will leave their roles for jobs in other sectors where masks aren't mandatory. Three Victorian business lobby groups, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Retailers Association and the Australian Hotels Association are now fighting to have the rule abolished. Both NSW and Queensland allow hospitality and retail staff to work mask-free. Calls have mounted for Daniel Andrews to scrap Australia's 'harshest mask rules' which require all hospitality and retail staff in the state to wear them at work Under the rules Mr Andrews himself is not required to wear one while at work. 'We're going to start losing more people out of those industries because they can work in other industries without putting a mask on,' Victorian Chamber chief executive Paul Guerra told the Herald Sun. Mr Guerra says the government also needs to provide some kind of roadmap if restrictions are to return during the winter months so businesses can plan ahead. Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra questioned why rules around masks varied on where Aussies lived and what industries they worked in. 'It doesn't make sense for Victoria to have the harshest mask rules,' he said. 'As it's been throughout the pandemic, the Covid rules are different depending on where you live and work and it's hard to comprehend why.' It comes after the premier announced casual workers in his state would be entitled to paid sick leave, in an Australian-first measure. Hospitality staff are required to wear masks while at work in Victoria. Business lobby groups are calling for the rules to be scrapped VICTORIANS WHO MUST WEAR MASKS: Students aged in years 3 to 6, and primary school staff Hospitality and retail workers Workers and visitors at early childhood centres Visitors and workers at health facilities Corrections, justice and court staff On public transport including taxis and rideshare users At airports and on flights Staff at an indoor event with more than 30,000 patrons Advertisement The Victorian Government announced the $245.6 million scheme on Monday to help workers take time off work if they are sick or to visit loved ones who need care. Eligible casual and contract workers will get five days of paid sick leave a year under the trial, dolled out at the annual national minimum wage of $20.33 an hour. About 150,000 workers in the hospitality, security, retail, cleaning, aged and disability care sectors will be included in the first phase. Mr Andrews said the Covid pandemic had highlighted the difficult choice casual workers had to make between feeding their family and looking after the health of themselves, their families and their workmates. 'The pandemic has exposed things that are just wrong, and we have to do more, and we have to do better,' he told reporters on Monday. 'Let's be clear: insecure work is toxic. It's not just toxic in our state, it's a problem across the whole country.' Federal prosecutors have charged five men they say are Chinese spies who sought to destroy the lives of anti-Beijing dissidents living in the United States. Complaints unsealed by the federal government Wednesday revealed the men - Fan 'Frank' Liu, Matthew Ziburis, Quiang 'Jason' Sun, Shujun Wang and Qiming Lin - participated in brazen and wide-ranging schemes aimed at silencing U.S. residents who oppose the People's Republic of China. In one plot, Lin, who has been identified in the court filings as a member of the Chinese security apparatus, hired a private investigator to gather damaging information on a Tiananmen Square protest leader who continues to criticize the Chinese government. Although the court documents do not identify the victim, a person close to the investigation confirmed to the New York Times that Lin was targeting Xiong Yan. Yan, a naturalized American citizen and military veteran, announced his candidacy for a U.S. House of Representatives seat from Long Island last fall. He was a student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and in 2015 took part in pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Federal prosecutors say Qiming Lin sought to undermine the candidacy of a congressional candidate Xiong Yan by plotting to locate, or even manufacture, derogatory information His alleged plotters are sought to have tried to discover any damaging information on his finances or private life, before trying to honeytrap him with prostitutes after finding he had no skeletons in his closet. Lin is even said to have called for Yan to be attacked or suffer a car crash in a bid to silence him. Similarly, two suspects targeted Weiming Chen, a California-based artist who created a sculpture depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping as a COVID-19 molecule, and arranged to have hidden cameras and microphones installed in his studio, NBC News reported. Chen's sculpture, which was displayed in California, was destroyed in a fire last year. Other plots including stalking, harassment and attempting to obtain dissidents' personal information, such as copies of their passports and U.S. social security numbers. The cases underscored what American officials have described as increasingly aggressive efforts by the Chinese government to seek out, silence and threaten pro-democracy activists abroad. 'Authoritarian states around the world feel emboldened to reach beyond their borders to intimidate or exact reprisals against individuals who dare to speak out against repression and corruption,' Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department's top national security official, said at a news conference Wednesday. 'This activity is antithetical to fundamental American values,' he added. 'We will not tolerate such repression here when it violates our laws.' Fan 'Frank' Liu allegedly spied on pro-democracy activists, sought to illegally obtain and disseminate the federal tax returns of a dissident and also plotted to destroy the artwork of a dissident artist The criminal cases, filed in federal court in Brooklyn, allege months-long efforts to embarrass dissidents and stifle their speech. In addition to Xiong and Chen, the alleged spies also targeted San Francisco Bay area lawyer and political activist Arthur Liu, whose 16-year-old daughter Alysa Liu was an American Olympic figure skater. Federal prosectors allege Arthur was one of at least 13 victims that Long Island businessman Fan Liu sought to gain personal information on. Liu allegedly hired former Florida corrections officer Matthew Ziburis to spy on Arthur and obtain copies of his passport and social security number. According to court documents, Ziburis discouraged Liu's idea of bribing an IRS employee to obtain that information, writing to his Chinese handler: 'Boss has to realize that this isn't China where there is far more corruption than in the U.S.' Arthur told NBC he has been a victim of Chinese schemes since at least the 1990s. The attorney claims a student was sent to spy on him but ultimately confessed to the assignment after Arthur took him into his him and helped him find work 'They are still paying attention to me after 30-some years, since I organized protests and hunger strikes for democracy in China,' he said. 'I'm a little bit surprised that after all this time, they're still keeping track of me.' Lin, who is described as a Chinese government operative, is accused of hiring a private investigator to seek information about Congressional candidate Yan Xiong's phone number, address and vehicle. Xiong is pictured marching in NYC's Chinese Lunar New Year Parade last mont Meanwhile, AG Olsen argued that there has been an alarming rise in efforts by Chinese officials to intimidate critics in the U.S. 'The Department of Justice will defend the rights of Americans and those who come to live, work, and study in the United States,' Olsen said in a press release Wednesday. 'We will not allow any foreign government to impede their freedom of speech, to deny them the protection of our laws or to threaten their safety or the safety of their families.' FBI Director Christopher Wray, who is an outspoken critic of Chinese spying, alleged that Chinese Americans are often victimized by Beijing's spying. 'We have seen efforts by the Chinese government that reach here into the United States to engage in repressive conduct,' he told the TV station. The Justice Department in 2020 charged eight people with working on behalf of the Chinese government in a pressure campaign aimed at coercing a New Jersey man who was wanted by Beijing into returning to China to face charges. In the past two years, federal prosecutors have also accused officials in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Belarus of similar efforts. Chinese operative seeks to undermine American Congressional candidate In one scheme, Qiming Lin, who is described as a Chinese government operative, sought to undermine the candidacy of a congressional candidate Xiong Yan by plotting to locate, or even manufacture, derogatory information. Lin, 59, of the PRC, is accused of having contacted a private investigator in New York in September 2021 seeking information about the candidate's phone number, address and vehicle. Lin told the investigator if Yan was selected during the June 2022 primary election, he might be 'elected to be a legislator.' 'Right now we don't want him to be elected.' Lin allegedly said. 'Whatever price is fine. As long as you can do it.' He later asked the investigator to 'dig up things from 1989 to now' in search of flaws against the Brooklyn resident to hurt his candidacy. At one point, according to charging documents, Lin told the investigator that, in the end, 'violence would be fine too' and suggested that Yan could be beaten 'until he cannot run for election.' The Chinese operative also promised that 'we will have a lot more-more of this [work] in the futureIncluding right now [a] New York State legislator.' Lin told the investigator he was working with other unidentified individuals in the PRC to stop Yan from being elected to U.S. Congress. The investigator Lin is accused of contacting was actually a source for the FBI, who reported the initial outreach to agents and said he believed Lin to be a retired agent of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). In an affidavit, an FBI agent conducting the investigation wrote that, 'Based on the conduct summarized herein and my experience and training, I assess that LIN continued to act on behalf of the MSS even if ostensibly retired.' Yan, who has lived in the U.S. for 30 years, is a a naturalized American citizen and military veteran. He announced his candidacy for a U.S. House of Representatives seat from Long Island last fall Yan (pictured in 2009 during a march to the government office in Hong Kong) was also a student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests Lin, who the DOJ has confirmed works for the MSS, is charged with conspiracy to commit interstate harassment, as well as conspiracy and attempt to use of a means of identification in connection with the interstate harassment conspiracy. Officials say he remains at large. If convicted, Lin faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, Breon Peace, would not describe any conversations that officials may have had with Yan, but said that the Justice Department takes seriously its obligations to warn victims of potential threats and to avert violence. Yan, who has lived in the U.S. for 30 years, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he did not know any details about the allegations and learned about them after reporters reached out to him Wednesday. He said he had not witnessed any harassment or intimidation and had not been contacted by the FBI or Justice Department, and that he did not know why the Chinese government would be interested in his campaign for Congress. 'This has nothing to do with them. Why they do that, I can't understand,' he said, adding: 'I'm getting mad. I have nothing to do with them. I'm a purely American citizen.' Although the court papers haven't identified the candidate by name, the biographical details in the document match those of Yan. An insider also identified Yan as the alleged victim in an interview with the New York Times. Three suspects conspired to illegally obtain personal information about at least 13 dissidents and plotted to destroy an anti-Beijing artist's sculpture Two New Yorkers and a Chinese resident have been charged with conspiring to commit interstate harassment and criminal use of a means of identification over several plots targeting American residents. Fan 'Frank' Liu, 62, of Long Island, and Matthew Ziburis, 49, of Oyster Bay, were arrested Tuesday after federal officials determined they spied on pro-democracy activists, sought to illegally obtain and disseminate the federal tax returns of a dissident and also plotted to destroy the artwork of a dissident artist. The New Yorkers had been operating under the direction of Quiang 'Jason' Sun, 40, of the PRC, according to the criminal complaint. Sun is reportedly an employee of a China-based technology company. Prosecutors allege Liu, the president of a purported media company based in New York City, and Ziburis, a former correctional officer for the State of Florida and a bodyguard, were spying on Chinese dissidents residing in New York City, California and Indiana and disseminating negative information about them. In one instance, under Sun's direction, Liu allegedly paid a private investigator in Queens to bribe an IRS employee into providing federal tax returns belonging to one of their targeted dissidents. The defendants planned to publicly disclose the dissident's potential tax liabilities in an effort to discredit him. The group also made plans to destroy a sculpture depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping as a coronavirus molecule. The sculpture was demolished in a fire last year, however no one has been charged in that case. Fan 'Frank' Liu, Matthew Ziburis, and Qiang 'Jason' Sun allegedly targeted Weiming Chen, a California-based artist who created a sculpture depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping as a COVID-19 molecule, with the sculpture later destroyed by a mysterious fire Fan 'Frank' Liu, 62, of Long Island, and Matthew Ziburis (pictured), 49, of Oyster Bay, were arrested Tuesday after federal officials determined they spied on pro-democracy activists, sought to illegally obtain and disseminate the federal tax returns of a dissident and also plotted to destroy the artwork of a dissident artist Federal prosecutors also allege that Sun (pictured) paid Liu and Ziburis to stalk, harass and surveil dissidents residing in the United States. He remains at large Federal prosecutors also allege that Sun paid Liu and Ziburis to stalk, harass and surveil dissidents residing in the United States. In one plot, Ziburis allegedly posed as an art dealer interested in purchasing the artwork of a dissident artist and secretly installed surveillance cameras and GPS devices at the artist's workplace and in his car. Sun then watched the live video feed and location data from these devices. They reportedly had planned to install similar devices in property belonging to other dissidents. Additionally, the complaint claims the defendants planned to interview Chinese dissidents under false pretenses, using the cover of Liu's media organizations. Sun allegedly provided outlines for the fake interviews and designed questions to elicit answers that were intended to humiliate or discredit the dissidents. The defendants intended that audio or video clips of these statements could be used in PRC propaganda materials targeting the dissidents. Two of the three men in that case, Fan 'Frank' Liu and Matthew Ziburis, were arrested Tuesday. Sun remains at large. If convicted, Liu and Ziburis face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to commit interstate harassment, and up to 15 years in prison for criminal use of a means of identification. Liu and Sun face up to five years each for conspiring to bribe a federal official. Visiting author and pro-democracy organization leader provided Chinese officials with personal information about anti-PRC activists In another plot that U.S. officials say was orchestrated by the MSS, an author who once helped start a pro-democracy organization gathered intelligence on dissidents and activists, Uyghurs, Tibetans and advocates for Hong Kong's independence. Shujun Wang, 73, of Queens, New York was arrested Wednesday and charged with acting as an agent of the PRC government, criminal use of means of identification and making materially false statements in connection with his participation in a transnational repression scheme orchestrated by the MSS. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Wang, who is a former visiting scholar and author, allegedly developed a pro-democracy organization in Queens that memorializes two former leaders of the Chineses Communist Party. The individuals reportedly promoted political and economic reform within China and were eventually forced out of power. Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Matthew Olsen (left) and U.S. Attorney Breon Peace (second from left) are pictured Wednesday next to a wanted poster of Qiang Sun. Sun remains at large The Justice Department claims that from at least 2015, Wang has operated under the direction of the MSS and used his position within New York City's Chinese diaspora community to collect information about prominent activists, dissidents, and human rights leaders. He then allegedly reported that information to the PRC government. Wang would send 'email diaries' to the Chinese government detailing statements the activists told him in confidence and make foreign leaders aware of planned speeches, writings and anti-PRC demonstrations. He also provided China with phone numbers and other contact information for his victims, according to the court documents. The victims of Wang's efforts included individuals and groups located in New York City and elsewhere that the PRC considers subversive, such as Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, advocates for Taiwanese independence, and Uyghur and Tibetan activists, both in the United States and abroad. On several occasions, the information Wang allegedly provided to the PRC resulted in the arrest of an activist. Wang has also denied having contacts with PRC or MSS officials. Fears are growing about the latest Covid sub-variant sweeping across Australia but one prominent expert says as long as your fully vaccinated, your risk of dying or getting seriously ill is 'now the same as Influenza'. Dubbed the 'Son of Omicron', BA.2 is one of the most infectious diseases the Earth has seen and six times more transmissible than the original Wuhan strain. Case numbers across Australia have almost doubled from 31,000 seven days ago to 58,500 transmissions on Thursday, with the infection rate in NSW nearly tripling to about 30,000 cases. Despite the alarming rise, infectious diseases experts are calling for calm saying there is no no need to panic and no chance hated Covid restriction will return. Fears are growing about the latest Covid sub-variant sweeping across Australia but one expert says the surging Autumn case numbers will disappear much faster than other variants like Delta. Pictured: A Gold Coast shopper Infectious diseases physician Greg Dore took to Twitter to quell fears and lay out a common sense approach Australians can take to protect themselves Professor Collignon (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia that as long as you are vaccinated your individual risk of dying or getting seriously ill from the new sub-variant is now the same as influenza 'It does appear to be more infectious than previous strains and the reality is that its spreading but we need to keep this in perspective. This is not the same as the pandemic a year ago,' Professor Peter Collignon told Daily Mail Australia. 'The vaccines are just as effective against this strain than any other strain and it doesnt cause any more severe disease. 'The consequences are probably 100 times less than one year ago, provided you are vaccinated.' Prof Collignon said, providing you have had two doses of the vaccine, 'your individual risk of dying or getting seriously ill is now the same as influenza'. 'The only difference is that Influenza season really only last a couple of months where as Covid circulates more readily in summer and non-winter months.' Infectious diseases physician Greg Dore also weighed in on the new sub-variant saying on Twitter that rising BA.2 case numbers are likely to drop off faster than other strains. He also said hospitalisation rates will remain much lower than previous strains like Delta as the Son of Omicron is less severe. Australia's national double dose vaccination rate for over 16s is well over 90 per cent Dubbed the 'Son of Omicron', BA.2 is one of the most infectious diseases the Earth has seen and six times more transmissible than the original Wuhan strain. Pictured: Sydney partygoers Can you catch the new Covid-19 variant if you are vaccinated? The BA.2 version of Omicron has an ability to 'evade' immunity, which includes vaccination. While vaccination provides a high level of protection from severe disease, it is less effective against preventing someone from catching Omicron at all. That even applies to boosters. Generally vaccines were more effective at preventing symptomatic infection from Delta than Omicron. For example, someone who had two shots in 2021 and a booster at the start of January would now have a 50 per cent chance of catching BA.2 if exposed. Advertisement A former World Health Organization scientist warned BA.2 is now the dominant strain across the globe and that all Australians would be at risk of catching it this year - especially given the return of people to schools, offices and public transport. '(At the moment) you are much more likely to get it; we're already seeing that with the case numbers going up,' Professor Adrian Esterman told Daily Mail Australia. The BA.2 variant is also up to 30 per cent more infectious than the initial BA.1 version of Omicron which forced the reinstitution of lockdowns at Christmas. The higher risk of contagiousness comes from the variant's superior ability to 'evade' immunity - meaning even triple-vaccinated people are susceptible to catching the new strain. 'With face mask mandates being dropped, social distancing being removed, the chances are even higher,' Professor Esterman said. 'Those things are put in place to dampen down transmissibility, that's the whole point. When you remove them it's just increasing transmission. 'If you remove all of those protections, then your transmissibility almost gets back to the basic reduction number because we have very little immunity.' A former World Health Organization scientist warned BA.2 is now the dominant strain across the globe and that all Australians would be at risk of catching it this year. Pictured: Sydneysiders get back to normal life after Covid The BA.2 variant is also up to 30 per cent more infectious than the initial BA.1 version of Omicron which forced the reinstitution of lockdowns at Christmas. Pictured: Sydneysiders dine out in the wake of the pandemic While Omicron is generally less severe than the Delta strain, it is serious enough for some people that Professor Esterman likened wanting to catch Covid to gambling with your health. 'If you say "I don't mind getting infected" it's a bit like Russian roulette because you do have that chance of getting seriously ill or having long-term health problems.' Mr Esterman, who is 73, admitted his own son argues 'it's no worse than the flu'. 'To a certain extent, he's right: the death rates not worse than seasonal flu,' he said. 'The trouble is it causes more severe disease in vulnerable people than influenza, and it has the capacity to cause real damage to younger people too. 'There have been several cases of young, healthy and fit people dying from Covid. I cannot remember that ever happening with influenza.' Pictured: Healthcare workers administer COVID-19 tests at a drive through test centre in Sydney, Monday, November 29, 2021 One was double-vaccinated power lifter James Kondilios, 23, who died with Covid at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital in January despite having no underlying health conditions. Professor Esterman said while death rates have dropped to now be comparable to the flu, Covid is far more infectious and the spectrum of long-term health impacts is much wider. 'Covid-19 can attack every part of the body, from clotting to the heart and brain. There have even been cases of young children with multi-system inflammatory conditions.' A top epidemiologist has called on Australia to bring back some of the country's most hated Covid restrictions over fears about the severity of the new BA.2 sub-variant. Professor Robert Booy said people should be wearing masks on public transport and in poorly ventilated spaces and be wary of spending time in large crowds. The new BA.2 variant was even more transmissible than the BA.1 Omicron strain and 'probably' just as severe, the top doctor warned. Prof. Booy also encouraged people to work from home where possible and for schools to keep children socially distanced and older students masked. 'And if you are vulnerable, if you are a susceptible older person or immunosuppressed, take measures to keep yourself safe,' he told Today Show host Karl Stefanovic on Thursday. Professor Robert Booy (pictured) warned the new BA.2 variant was even more transmissible than the BA.1 Omicron strain and 'probably' just as severe 'Obviously people are over it but we are still getting problems and the numbers will continue to go up because of BA.2,' he said. 'We have had more deaths this year in 2022 than in the whole of the previous two years. So we have to pay attention. We have to do clever things.' The epidemiologist also called on the public to come forward for their booster with some in NSW and Victoria requiring a fourth shot as winter approaches. Professor Nathan Bartlett, from the University of Newcastle's School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, said in an opinion piece on Wednesday that the coming wave of the new Omicron BA2 variant means 'the situation has changed again'. Prof. Bartlett said a fourth shot will soon become necessary because third shot booster immunity is waning quickly. 'It's likely the coming surge means we'll need a fourth Covid vaccine as we hit winter,' Professor Bartlett wrote for The Conversation. The ABC's Dr Norman Swan on Wednesday said he didn't foresee a fourth dose 'for the general public', but instead for 'a wider group' of vulnerable people such as over-65s and anyone with a suppressed immune system. 'Pfizer say that they've developed an Omicron-specific vaccine which we were skeptical about... saying Omicrons going to be over, well maybe Omicrons not going to be over and therefore a fourth dose with an Omicron-specific vaccine might actually be quite handy this year,' the top doctor said. NSW Health announced 30,402 new cases on Wednesday - a significant surge given cases had been hovering about the 9,000 mark (pictured, pedestrians in Melbourne in March) NSW Health announced 30,402 new cases on Wednesday - a significant surge given cases had been hovering about the 9,000 mark. The state recorded 20,087 new infections on Thursday. About 10,000 of those cases were positive rapid antigen tests from Sunday and Monday that were accidentally not included in the figures for those days due to a data processing error and instead included in Wednesday's numbers. However the remaining 20,000 still resembles the highest number of cases in NSW since January 23. Victoria likewise reported 9,426 new cases on Wednesday - the highest figure for the state since February 4 - and an additional 9,752 on Thursday. But it is almost impossible to get an accurate picture of BA.2's spread because so many rapid tests are believed to be unreported. The only objective, verifiable figures are the numbers of patients in hospital with Covid. On Tuesday, that figure was 1,801 people Australia-wide; a total that has been relatively steady throughout March. On January 25, there were 5,390 people in hospital with the virus. The BA.2 sub-variant is on the rise in Australia with experts predicting it will become the country's dominant strain in coming months (pictured, pedestrians in Sydney in February) The BA.2 sub-variant is on the rise in Australia, and NSW expects it to overtake the original Omicron strain and cases to more than double by the end of April. Early estimates suggest BA.2 is 25 to 40 per cent more transmissible than Omicron (BA.1), and is already taking off in countries including Denmark, Sweden and the UK. Experts expect BA.2 to become Australia's dominant strain in the coming months. Though the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is not yet recommending fourth doses for everyone, people who are severely immunocompromised in Australia are already getting them. A vaccine specifically designed for Omicron would, in theory, provide better protection, but by then the sub-variant would already be dominant. Cases are expected to double in NSW by the end of April as the BA.2 triggers new cases (pictured, masked pedestrians in front of the Sydney Opera House) Professor Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist and biostatistician, said it was very likely all Australians would be at risk of catching BA.2 this year - especially given the return of people to schools, offices and public transport. 'Everyone's been exposed to Covid-19, full-stop, and unless you're very careful you will be exposed again this year,' Professor Esterman told Daily Mail Australia. 'With face mask mandates being dropped, social distancing being removed, the chances are even higher. 'Those things are put in place to dampen down transmissibility, that's the whole point. When you remove them it's just increasing transmission. 'If you remove all of those protections, then your transmissibility almost gets back to the basic reduction number because we have very little immunity.' A man has spoken for the first time about the tragic passing of his brother whose body was found after he went missing from a Gold Coast campsite for more than a week. Police confirmed on Wednesday they had discovered the body of Lachlan Symonds following extensive search efforts by police and members of the public. The 23-year-old camper, who suffered from a medical condition, had been camping in bushland at Coomera on the northern end of the Gold Coast for two to three weeks before he was reported missing on March 7. Lachlan's brother Brody Symonds has since shared a heartbreaking statement on his brother's tragic passing and the stigma surrounding mental health in a post to Facebook. Police confirmed on Wednesday they had discovered the body of Lachlan Symonds following extensive search efforts by police and members of the public The 23-year-old Gold Coast camper, who suffered from a medical condition, had been camping in bushland in Coomera for two to three weeks before he was reported missing on March 7 'It is with a very, very heavy heart that me and mum are letting you guys know that the police came to our house late this morning to let us know that they have found Lochies body, not far from where he was last seen missing,' the 21-year-old began. 'It appears as if there was no suffering for him, and we take solace in knowing Lochie is now at peace and is forever with his best friend.' Brody thanked volunteer groups who helped spread 'the word of his disappearance' and members of the public who 'helped organised the search efforts'. The young man also thanked his brother's friends who 'were out day and night looking for him when me and mum couldnt'. Lachlan's brother Brody Symonds has since shared a heartbreaking statement on his brother's tragic passing and the stigma surrounding mental health in a post to Facebook Brody thanked volunteer groups who helped spread 'the word of his disappearance' and members of the public who 'helped organised the search efforts' Mr Symonds continued: 'We are so, so sorry you were unable to get the help you so desperately needed, but we are happy that your demons will no longer haunt you.' 'We all love you, and always will. I wish you could have seen how many people cared about you, and how much effort went into finding you. I am so sorry this was the outcome.' 'Your care for others, and your love for animals and the outdoors will never be forgotten. Always taking in injured animals and rehabilitating them, even relocating dangerous animals such as snakes and monitors into places where they arent at risk of being run over.' 'Despite everything and all your challenges in life, you never lost your integrity and stayed true to yourself,' he added. Brody Symonds labelled his older sibling's passing as 'a life gone way too soon'. He then urged readers to contact friends or health professionals if they're suffering from mental health issues, and also included the contact number for Lifeline for those having suicidal thoughts. He concluded his post with, 'It is not weak to speak.' The 21-year-old brother of Lachlan Symonds (pictured) concluded his online tribute to his brother with, 'It is not weak to speak' Lachlan Symonds was camping out by himself in Coomera before he disappeared (pictured) Mr Symonds' mother arrived at the campsite but was unable to locate her son. His camping gear was still at the site at the time of his disappearance Police confirmed they had discovered his body on Wednesday following sustained search efforts from members of the public. A report will be prepared for the coroner Lachlan Symonds was camping out by himself in Coomera before he disappeared from his campsite. His last known contact was with his mother when he asked her over the phone to bring supplies to his campsite at 4pm on the day he was reported missing. Mr Symonds' mother later arrived at the campsite but was unable to locate her son. His camping gear was still at the site at the time of his disappearance. The 23-year-old camper was reportedly last spotted on Monday night at the Pimpama Cemetery, roughly 13km away from the original campsite. Police confirmed they had discovered his body on Wednesday following sustained search efforts from members of the public. If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 Mensline Australia 1300 78 99 78 A dedicated brother-in-law has travelled from the comfort of his home to help his wife's sister and nine-month-old baby after an agonising 10-day journey from their war-torn home in Ukraine. Jason Marrable left his Gold Coast home in Queensland, Australia on Saturday and travelled more than 15,000 kilometres to the Polish capital. Mr Marrable made the 22 hour journey to Warsaw to meet his sister-in-law Iryna Khiliuk and her nine-month-old baby Maxim after they fled their war-ravaged home in Kyiv, Ukraine. A Gofundme appeal has been set-up for the Ukrainian sister, Iryna, and nine-month-old baby nephew, Maxim, (pictured) of Nataliya and Jason Marrable. The pair just made a dangerous and frightening journey across war-ravaged Ukraine to Poland. 'We reunited with Iryna and baby Max. It's the first time I've met Max, and haven't seen Iryna for a number of years,' Mr Marrable told the Gold Coast Bulletin. 'That was a pretty emotional time for those guys. She doesn't speak any English so all she could say to me when she saw me was 'we safe, we safe, we safe', which was f****** heartbreaking.' Iryna and her son endured a harrowing trek sleeping in the woods, train stations and buses. With no food or formula, the desperate mother had to beg farmers for cow's milk so she could feed her son. Kyiv was 800 kilometres away from Warsaw, and Iryna took most of that journey in a convoy of vehicles with other families. They moved by night, in chunks of 130 to 140 kilometres, with one car going ahead and reporting back on whether it was safe. The war in Ukraine has blindsided the world and those living at the epicentre of the horror. Resident's in the city of Kyiv have had no time to pack having to flee with only the clothes on their back. Iryna and her son made it safely to Poland after giving her car to a stranger - a deal she made as a last-ditch attempt to make it across the border. 'To get to the final destination where they could jump on the train, they had to give up their car, they gave their car to a man that would drive them the final 140km to get them across their border,' Mr Marrable said. Mr Marrable is now focused on getting Iryna and Maxim back to Australia where his family anxiously wait their return. Iryna was administered a Covid-19 vaccination on Tuesday in preparation for their flight to Australia. Mr Marrable, his sister-in-law and nephew are now in Frankfurt, Germany where they are staying with a local family as they wait for their expedited Australian visitor visas to come through. Logistics company Mainfreight has helped with accommodation in Poland while Flight Centre founder, Graham Turner, has paid for Iryna and Maxim's flight back. On Tuesday firefighters had to extinguish a fire in an apartment building in Kyiv, after strikes on the residential area killed at least two people. A Gofundme page has been set-up for the two and has already raised more than $21,000. The appeal hopes to raise funds to help Iryna and Maxim establish their lives in Australia. 'They are starting from scratch and will need things such as English lessons for Iryna, medical and psychological support, baby supplies and toys, clothing, and in due course, accommodation, daycare and then schooling for Maxim,' the site wrote. Every little bit counts, It's making a real difference to these people's [Iryna and Maxim] lives. It's their life we're talking about,' he said. The two are expected to arrive in Australia in two weeks, leaving behind Iryna's husband, Vadik, who had to stay and fight. He sadly said goodbye to his family near the border not knowing when - or if - he will see this wife and son again. Current peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have yet to yield results as President Zelensky has rejected a proposed agreement drafted by the Kremlin. The proposed agreement contained a list of 15 demands which insisted that the Ukraine recognise the annexation of Crimea and the independence of Donbass. Ukraine emergency services said Russian troops intensified their attacks on the Ukrainian capital as a series of powerful explosions rocked residential districts of Kyiv just hours before talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to resume. Other Ukrainian cities continue to be pummelled by Russian forces, with Mariupol's theatre targeted in Putin's latest savage attack. A top doctor and Covid-19 'frightbat' has come under heavy fire as she urged Australians to wear masks and avoid crowds with the emergence of a new Omicron strain. Former Australian Medical Association president Dr Kerryn Phelps claims the pandemic is far from over in Australia as an outbreak of Omicron BA.2 takes hold, sparking a renewed surge in cases. NSW recorded more than 20,000 new cases on Thursday after the state reported almost 30,500 infections 24 hours earlier. Victoria also saw a slight rise in cases. Dr Phelps was grilled by one of her biggest critics, 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham on his radio program on Thursday. The Sydney GP stressed she isn't advocating the return of lockdown but wants to see other scrapped restrictions reinstated. Her comments sparked a furious backlash from listeners who simply want to get on with their lives. Dr Kerryn Phelps says people should continue to wear masks during ongoing pandemic 'We need to continue with indoor masking at the moment because the numbers are heading upwards,' Dr Phelps said. 'We also have medically vulnerable people in the community who aren't able to live their lives and are living in a lockdown situation.' 'There's this crazy notion out there that the pandemic's over the pandemic is not over!' Fordham disagreed with her stance on masks and argued people should have the choice of whether or not to wear one. 'Ben, it's not really the argument to be made. The argument to be made is about protecting each other as well as yourself,' Dr Phelps fired back. 'You can make the choice to protect yourself and I certainly make the choice to protect myself with a N95 mask where I think I'll be in a risk situation, particularly indoors such as a supermarket or slightly crowded space.' 'I think it's really important to consider that there are medically vulnerable people in the community and they can't get out and about.' She compared the argument surrounding masks similar to the debate about passive smoking. 'Somebody can choose to smoke but the person in the room who's medically vulnerable to someone else's smoke can't protect themselves so they have to not be in that environment,' she argued. 'That's the equivalent.' She expressed concern about the new Omicron strain taking hold in Australia as she urged people to avoid crowds amid a new spike in cases. 'Omicron is not a mild disease, I know there's a narrative around of people wanting to get on with their normal lives,' Dr Phelps said. 'But these aren't normal times. We are in the middle of a pandemic.' Dr Kerryn Phelps (pictured) also wants Australians to avoid crowds amid a new surge in cases Dr Phelps believes we need to look beyond deaths hospitalisation figures and focus more on the long term effects of Covid, especially for children. 'We don't know what the long term implications are for a child,' she said. 'We're only just starting to understand after two years what the short and medium implications are for some people,' she said. 'We're now seeing children developing long Covid. They may have had initially what we would call a mild case but we don't know the long term implications for their cognitive development, their brain development and for their heart.' Fordham had the final say by pointing out that other health issues have been neglected during the pandemic, including heart and cancer check-ups, colonoscopies and mammograms. 'That's not good for your health either,' he concluded. 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham (pictured with wife Jodie) has been a critic of Dr Phelps and read out listeners comments after the GP appeared on his radio show Dr Phelps' comments sparked outrage from 2GB listeners, prompting Fordham to dedicate several minutes reading out a selection of reactions. 'I can see why you don't have the doctor on often' listener Davy texted. Lorraine added: 'I appreciate she's a qualified doctor but with all due respect, she's a GP. Shouldn't we be listening to the specialists?' Melinda said: 'Just confirming my view scaremongers are driving destructive fear that affects our mental health and well being.' Listener Frank wanted Dr Phelps' take on the end of the pandemic. 'Does she propose we live like this forever,' he asked. Nick added: 'Dr Phelps is kidding. What about the effects of lockdown on mental health. It's far worse than the virus.' The backlash just as savage online. 'She should isolate herself, that will keep the public safe,' one man wrote. Another added: 'Of course it's not over, however we've reached a stage where the vast majority of us have done everything we can to protect ourselves and the most vulnerable from serious complications and death. 'Dr Phelps's advice is sound, but surely after two years of this we can work out when and where we need to wear a mask and distance without needed the government to tell us? It's called personal responsibility.' Dr Kerryn Phelps compared the argument of masks similar to the debate about passive smoking (pictured are Sydneysiders wearing masks before the mandate was scrapped) Fordham said the comments he read out summed up the overall reaction. 'People have had enough,' he said. 'You take whatever precautions you can and you get on with life. Otherwise there's no life worth living.' Dr Phelps later doubled down on her comments. 'The pandemic is not over,' she tweeted. 'Vaccination, ventilation, avoid crowds, wear an N95 mask to protect yourself and others. And a reminder-even vaccinated, you can get #covid19 more than once.' Fordham has previously slammed experts 'scaring the living daylights out of people' and recently singled out Dr Phelps as an 'alarmist' after claims that her home state NSW had 'surrounded to Covid.' She also posted an alarming video warning parents not to send their kids back to school during the Omicron outbreak It prompted a three-word response Australia's former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth who urged people to 'Ignore this individual.' 'She (Dr Phelps) spends her days on Twitter slamming (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet,' Fordham told listeners last month. 'And to this day, we thinks we can eliminate the virus.' Advertisement Republicans criticized President Joe Biden on Wednesday for moving too slowly in helping arm Ukrainian forces and demanded that he help deliver Polish MiG-29 fighter jets to bolster its defense against the Russian invasion. They spoke after Biden called Vladimir Putin a 'war criminal' and unveiled an $800 million military package which includes 100 killer drones and thousands of anti-tank weapons. And it followed an impassioned plea to Congress by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a no-fly zone. 'Zelensky knows what he's asking for,' Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming told Fox News. 'He needs the mix. We have a bipartisan group that says: Give this man the aeroplanes that he needs. He needs the sky to be protected. 'Joe Biden's been slow on that to me. They're a game changer.' Biden has been under pressure to do more to bolster Ukrainian forces, who have been using foreign Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger missiles to defend their cities. 'Were going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead,' he said as he laid out a comprehensive list of weapons on their way to the war. They include 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols and more than 20 million rounds of ammunition. But the most exciting addition is likely to be the 100 tactical unmanned aerial systems, reported to be 'Switchblade' drones which deliver their deadly payload by crashing into targets. Even so, the package does not include the planes demanded by Zelensky nor will the Biden administration back calls for a no-fly zone. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said it was a 'half measure' that failed to meet the moment. 'I've been clear that we should have been sending much more military aid to the Ukrainians, with more training, for more than a year,' he said. 'President Biden didn't do that, and now we're rushing to deliver aid just in time.' In his appeal, Zelensky said defending the skies was crucial to defeating Russia. 'You know how much depends on the battlefield, on the ability to use aircraft, powerful, strong aviation to protect our people, our freedom, our land,' he said. 'Aircrafts that can help Ukraine help Europe and you know that they exist, and you have them, but they are on Earth, not in the Ukrainian sky.' All the way through this whole process @POTUS has had to be pushed or prodded across the line. The Ukrainian people are being slaughtered. We need to do more and we need to do it now. @ZelenskyyUa needs the planes and we ought to give them to him. pic.twitter.com/qx1dfjzM7D Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) March 16, 2022 Republicans including Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming accused President Joe Biden of moving too slowly to get vital arms to Ukraine and repeated their calls for the U.S. to help deliver Soviet-era warplanes to fight off the Russian invasion Republicans have kept up calls for the administration to think again about helping Poland deliver its MiG-29 fighter jets Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said. The Ukrainian government says the Polish jets would help stop attacks The lethal arms and equipment in Biden's new $800m Ukraine package The Biden administration says it has committed $2 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden unveiled another $800 million in arms and support. It includes: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems 2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems 100 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems - or drones Should fired stinger missiles have helped protect Ukrainian cities 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, and 400 shotguns Over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds 25,000 sets of body armor 25,000 helmets Advertisement Last week Poland offered its 28 MiG-29s to Ukraine, but said it would hand them over to U.S. custody at Ramstein air base, in Germany, for delivery. The announcement appeared to wrongfoot American officials, who eventually declined the offer. They had been in talks to backfill Poland's air force with more modern F-16s, but were not prepared for a plan that involved such close involvement in the MiGs transfer to Ukraine. At issue, is the danger of N.A.T.O. getting sucked into a war with Russia, and red lines laid down by Moscow. The result has been growing pressure from lawmakers to help send the planes, while the Biden administration has at times got twisted up with multiple explanations about why the deal should not happen. Biden himself ignored shouted questions about the MiGs during public appearances on Wednesday. But last week, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Ukraine's air force remained largely intact, and Russian planes were avoiding exposure by launching missiles inside their own airspace. 'Therefore, we believe that the gain from transferring those MIG-29s is low,' he said. 'And finally, the intelligence community has assessed the transfer of MIG-29s to Ukraine may be mistaken as escalatory. 'And could result in significant Russian reaction that might increase the prospects of a military escalation with N.A.T.O.' Biden has already ruled out a no-fly zone for fear of sparking World War Three with N.A.T.O. pilots going head to head with Russian flyers. And delivering the planes could bring the same outcome. Polish or American pilots flying into Ukraine risks Russia accusing N.A.T.O. of entering the war. Or if Ukrainian pilots travel to Poland to collect them, Moscow could accuse the Ukrainian air force of using foreign air fields - a potential 'casus belli' and grounds to attack Poland, according to a foreign diplomat familiar with discussions. So how about towing them across the border - something the U.S. did in World War Two, when it gave planes to Canada before formally ending the conflict. The White House has raised another distinction. Air defense systems, small arms and anti-tank weapons are defensive in nature, runs the argument, while Mig-29 fighter jets are offensive and capable of taking the fight to Russia. 'Again, I would note that the equipment that we've provided is defensive, as you know, not offensive and we see that as being a difference,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday. But with the addition of deadly drones - as well as grenade launchers, rifles and shotguns - on the list supplied to Ukraine, she faced repeated probing about what was so different about sending planes. 'Anybody that looks at that list of weapons that I just mentioned, they would say clearly, they're offensive,' said John Decker of Fox News Radio. Psaki responded by saying: 'There is a difference between a plane, and planes, and massive military systems - I think anybody would recognise this. 'And what we were talking about, which is giving rifles and pistols to many of them farmers and people living in countrysides to defend themselves, I think there's a difference that most people recognize.' After announcing $800 million in new military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday following Volodymyr Zelensky's impassioned address to Congress, Biden told reporters he believes Vladimir Putin is a 'war criminal' Congress carries on calls for Biden to give jets to Ukraine over White House fears it could lead to escalation with Putin - while attacks on civilians continue A number of lawmakers, including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Wednesday, called on Biden to provide the planes, despite the administration's concern it could lead to escalation. 'This could be a long and difficult battle,' Biden predicted, as the invasion approached the end of its third week. He denounced 'Putins immoral and unethical attacks,' and said the world was 'united in our abhorrence of Putins depraved onslaught.' Biden also cited international efforts to put pressure on Russia's 'crumbling' economy, while 'isolating Putin' on the global stage. Zelensky also urged more action on that front, urging sanctions not only on Putin but on cronies deep within his government. 'That's our goal. Make Putin pay the price, weaken his position, while strengthening the hand of the Ukrainians on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Together with our allies and partners, were going to stay the course. and were going to to push for to push for and end this tragic and unnecessary war,' Biden said, while flanked by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. Biden calling Putin a war criminal is not the first such denunciation by a world leader. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said earlier this month that Putin's targeting of civilians 'already fully qualifies as a war crime.' A Ukrainian service member holds a Javelin missile system at a position on the front line in the north Kyiv region, Ukraine Russia has so far denied deliberately targeting innocents, though reports from Ukraine paint a far more sinister picture. New footage published by Ukrainian outlet Public appears to show Moscow's soldiers gunning down 10 civilians assembled in a bread line outside Chernihiv in northern Ukraine. 'This is not the first such incoming shell [in the city] nor is it the first shelling of civilians by the enemy. The Russians are shelling and destroying mostly civilian infrastructure in the city of Chernihiv and other cities in the region,' a local official named Vyacheslav Chaus said. And drone video from last week shows Russian troops shooting and killing a Ukrainian civilian who held up his hands in surrender on a highway outside of Kyiv. A woman and child were pulled out of the car but it's not clear what their fates were. The soldiers can be seen callously dragging the motorist's lifeless body to the side of the road and leaving it there. Russian troops also bombarded the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia hours after roughly 20,000 civilians arrived there via humanitarian corridor. They had come from Mariupol, where officials say thousands of civilians have perished as Russians surrounded the city and cut it off from power and supply lines. Zelensky said last week that a young girl died of dehydration there, alone in the ruins of her home, after Moscow's shelling killed her mother. The report has not been verified by western media outlets. The eastern Ukrainian city has also seen one of its maternity hospitals attacked. At least one pregnant woman and her baby died after the health facility was bombarded by Russian missiles. Moscow had claimed the Mariupol hospital was being used by the Ukrainian military and that no civilians were present during the assault -- adding that images of wounded and bloody mothers were staged using crisis actors. Russia has been accused of attacking humanitarian corridors where refugees are escaping several times, breaking agreed-upon ceasefires to slay civilians in cold blood. The U.S. Senate unanimously voted to condemn Putin as a war criminal late on Tuesday, a rare show of unity in an otherwise highly divided Congress. The resolution, introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), demands that the International Criminal Court in The Hague investigate the Russian military for war crimes, backing Ukraine's earlier request for the body to do so. Canada also announced earlier this month that it would lend support to Kyiv by also referring Putin and his troops to the ICC. On March 3 the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced his intention to probe reports of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Biden is not the first world leader to accuse Putin of committing war crimes. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he carried out such atrocities in remarks earlier this month, as reports grew of Russian troops slaughtering civilians (pictured: Dead bodies are put into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9) The invasion has also created a refugee crisis, with the United Nations stating that more than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Putin first ordered the attack on February 24 (pictured: Women rest as children play in a humanitarian aid tent, where refugees are coming to warm up and rest, after crossing from Ukraine into Poland at the Medyka border crossing, southeastern Poland on March 16) Biden spoke at the White House shortly after Zelensky addressed American lawmakers in the first virtual address. 'I need to protect our skies. I need your help, which means the same you feel when you hear I have a dream,' he said. 'We need you right now,' Zelensky said, adding: 'I call on you to do more.' Right as Kyiv's leader delivered his gut-wrenching address, Putin shared his own speech that was notably darker and more threatening. In addition to the West, the autocrat also took aim at Russian oligarchs who have been increasingly opposed to the war. He disparaged Moscow's elite who are frustrated at the West's targeted sanctions as 'traitors' as they find more and more of their assets in the U.S. and Europe seized by foreign authorities over their close ties to Putin. 'I do not judge those with villas in Miami or the French Riviera, or who can't get by without oysters or foie gras or so-called "gender freedoms." The problem is they mentally exist there, and not here, with our people, with Russia,' he said. 'The West will try to bet on the so-called fifth column, on traitors... to divide our society.. to provoke civil confrontation... to strive to achieve its aim. And there is one aim - the destruction of Russia.' Putin claimed the West's sanctions were being levied only to prevent a 'strong and sovereign Russia.' He added that Moscow was 'fighting for our sovereignty and the future of our children,' even as Ukrainian officials condemn him for slaughtering their own. On Tuesday Biden signed a $13.6 billion package into law that provides military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. His speech followed reports the administration was considering providing U.S.-made kamikaze 'Switchblade' killer drones to Ukraine. The small, lightweight and comparatively cheap 'kamikaze' weapons, which are effectively remote-controlled bombs, come in two versions which have been designed to take out tanks or artillery positions. They are believed to be the same missiles that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani under Donald Trump's administration in 2020. U.S. military officials have noted the Ukrainians have been highly effective at using weapons to take out Russian tanks, trucks, and other armored vehicles. Biden provided details on the deadly military equipment the U.S. was providing, which follows previous aid packages. He was joined by Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L), Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a heartfelt plea for President Joe Biden and America to 'be the leader of the world' and help his country against Russian attacks in a speech where he appealed to U.S. heartstrings by comparing the crisis to the tragedies of 9/11 and Pearl Harbor and invoked Martin Luther King Jr. by saying: 'I have a dream... I have a need' Zelensky showed a video montage to Congress of the destruction and death in Ukraine (pictured), and said his country is facing a 9/11-like attack every day Biden's speech followed reports the administration was considering providing U.S.-made kamikaze 'Switchblade' killer drones to Ukraine Biden said the package would include 'Cutting edge' drones, without providing specifics Vladimir Putin said today that the West's 'attempt to have global dominance' is coming to an end as he warned it is trying to 'cancel Russia' with an 'economic blitzkrieg' of sanctions The drones can be used to take out tanks and artillery positions, but can only be used once There have been reports of a rising death toll among Russian troops as the staggering toll of civilian Ukrainian losses also rises. The new aid package Biden just signs includes $6.5 billion to fund Pentagon troop deployments so the nation can bolster its presence in the region, plus $4 billion pays for humanitarian aid. Although the aid package has been in the works for days, Biden set up his remarks to follow Zelensky's. Zelensky concluded his speech with a personal appeal to Biden. 'I am addressing the President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,' he said. The two leaders spoke on a day when Russian President Vladimir Putin inveighed against 'scum' traitors and fifth columnists, after western officials have hoped openly that he might face an internal schism. 'I do not judge those with villas in Miami or the French Riviera. Or who can't get by without oysters or foie gras or so-called 'gender freedoms,' Putin said in a TV address. 'The problem is they mentally exist there, and not here, with our people, with Russia,' he said. 'The West will try to bet on the so-called fifth column, on traitors... to divide our society.. to provoke civil confrontation... to strive to achieve its aim. And there is one aim - the destruction of Russia,' he claimed. Ray Hadley has demanded Anthony Albanese 'do something about' Kristina Keneally over reports that fellow Labor senator Kimberley Kitching was 'bullied' before her fatal heart attack. The 2GB radio host said he's had a 'gutful' of the former NSW premier who led Labor to the worst defeat of a sitting government in the state's history in 2011. Mr Albanese has refused to launch an inquiry after Senator Kitching's allies claimed she was ostracised and bullied by Labor 'mean girls' Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Ms Keneally. Hadley questioned whether Ms Keneally had an incriminating photo of Mr Albanese which prevented him from properly investigating her. 'What has Kristina Keneally got on Anthony Albanese, is there a photo no-one knows about that she has possession of,' he said in a chat with fellow host Ben Fordham shortly before 9am on Thursday. 'I've had a gutful of her. She ruined things for the Labor Party in NSW in 2011 when she lost 32 seats, the worst ever defeat. 'And all they've done since then, the Labor Party, is promote her and promote her and promote her. 'Albanese, if he's got a set of balls, he'll do something about her today.' Senator Keneally was brought into the senate to fill a casual vacancy after Sam Dastyari's resignation in 2018. Mr Albanese made her Shadow Home Affairs Minister in 2019. Now she has been selected to run for the safe lower house seat of Fowler at this election at the expense of Vietnamese-Australia lawyer Tu Le who actually grew up in the area. Ms Kitching, 52, (pictured) died from a suspected heart attack on March 10 A report in The Australian said Senator Keneally accused Senator Kitching of disloyalty to the party before her death. Senator Keneally's spokeswoman said she 'refutes the claims and they are not true'. The report also accused Senator Penny Wong of telling Senator Kitching 'if you had children, you might understand' during a heated exchange in parliament about mass climate protests. Hadley said Senator Kitching's treatment should be investigated thoroughly. 'We've had all this drama in parliament about staff and how they're treated by powerful men,' he said. 'Here are powerful women treating one of their colleagues in the most reprehensible manner anyone could imagine and yet the man who would be PM come May says ''no, no there will be no inquiry''. 'If this is the standard that Anthony Albanese accepts, he denies the right to be Prime Minister and have these two women as key members of a Government,' he said, referring to Ms Wong and Ms Keneally. Kristina Keneally and husband Ben in 2019 'It is just reprehensible stuff and I've had a gutful of Kristina Keneally.' Ms Wong reportedly made the stinging comment in 2019 after Ms Kitching argued the party shouldn't support students who ditched school that year to attend mass climate protests. 'If you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency,' the South Australian senator is said to have told Ms Kitching. Senator Kitching's supporters said the comment hurt even more because she wanted children but couldn't have any. The report also claimed Ms Kitching, who died on Thursday, was accused of leaking to the Liberals, benched from the party's tactics committee and ostracised by the senior leadership team. A close supporter of the Victorian senator said the comment about her lack of children was 'brutal'. 'The children thing was particularly grotesque, it was just foul,' the friend said. Ex-Labor MP Michael Danby, a close friend of Ms Kitching, on Wednesday claimed her treatment by senior female members crossed a line. 'It's a fine line, people are entitled to fierce disagreements, but it was too much in my opinion, what was done crossed that fine line and people should say they're sorry and they regret it,' Mr Danby said. Mr Danby hit out at the Labor right for 'dangling' her pre-selection over her head which he said had caused the politician undue stress. He also slammed the party's left wing for being 'too strong' and claimed his friend had been punished for not agreeing with other people's 'ideological views'. 'What a disgrace that these people were able to cause her such stress,' he said. Wednesday's report pointed to several instances of the senator being excluded from decision-making by senior party members. Pictured left to right: Labor senators Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong. Late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching felt ostracised by the three women, a report has claimed Ms Kitching was also reportedly summoned to a meeting with Ms Keneally over her support for then-Liberal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations. The report went on to suggest the treatment she received from some colleagues had taken a toll in the lead-up to her pre-selection, and ultimately her shock death. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday described the revelations as 'distressing' while paying tribute to Ms Kitching. 'These are very distressing [allegations] and I don't think they can just be dismissed, they obviously need to be addressed,' Mr Morrison said. 'These reports of her treatment are not ones that I can confirm, obviously, as the leader of the Liberal party, but they're certainly things that I would expect to be taken very seriously and addressed. Senator Kitching is pictured with Labor Senator Kristina Keneally. Ms Kitching was reportedly summoned to a meeting with the senior senator over her support for then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations 'The reason she had so many friends on our side is because she stood up very strongly for issues of our national security and sovereignty.' Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese denied Labor had a cultural problem, and said the senator's sudden death was tragic. He said it was disrespectful to brand senators Kristina Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher as 'mean girls'. 'I find that extraordinarily disrespectful to describe strong, articulate, principled women,' he told reporters in Brisbane. He said senior male politicians would not be described in the same way. Mr Albanese says he respected Senator Kitching and appointed her as an assistant shadow minister when he became opposition leader. 'Out of respect for Kimberley, I think the idea that people go into who might have had a disagreement here or there is totally unbecoming,' he told the Nine Network. 'I'm going to pay respect to Kimberley Kitching by treating her with the respect that she deserves. 'She made a contribution for too short a time to the Labor party and to the Labor cause. Her family and friends are really hurting today.' Asked if there was a cultural problem with senior women within the opposition, Mr Albanese said 'no'. 'I'm very proud of the fact that I lead a team that has 50 per cent female and male contribution in my shadow cabinet,' he said. 'I'm proud of all of the people in the leadership team of the Labor party.' Senator Gallagher told the ABC 'many' of the assertions in the article were incorrect from her point of view but refused to discuss the specifics. 'I just don't think it's respectful for us to enter into commentary or disagreement of (the article) at this point in time,' she said. 'I don't think it's right.' With AAP Pictured: Andrew Cheng, 31 The sister of a young electrician who was critically injured when a 'stolen' SUV slammed into him and burst into flames on the Sydney Harbour Bridge has detailed his long road to recovery as he undergoes his third operation. Andrew Cheng has been in and out of intensive care since March 7 when a Toyota Kluger veered across multiple lanes and into his white Toyota HiAce during the morning commute, and exploded in a dramatic fireball. The 31-year-old, who is from the Hills District in Sydney's north-west, had to be cut from the van by emergency workers and raced to St Vincent's Hospital with multiple broken bones on the right side of his body - where the 4WD slammed into him. Police allege 19-year-old Christopher Walker stole the Kluger from Sydney's CBD moments before it was caught on dashcam footage racing across the bridge at high speed and smashing into oncoming traffic. Mr Cheng's sister Jessica told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that her family were in absolute shock when they found out about the smash, which could leave him with life-long injuries. Andrew Cheng (pictured in hospital with his niece) was on his way to work when a SUV slammed into his van on March 7. He has had three surgeries in ten days 'You read these things and see them on the news and think "Gosh how horrific! So sad for the family",' she said. 'It was shocking that this day it was happening to ours.' Mr Cheng underwent his third surgery on Monday to repair a broken femur, knee and shin on his right leg, and a broke right arm. 'We thank the amazing medical team treating him at St Vincents Hospital, and we're looking forward to getting Andrew home as soon as possible,' she said. Ms Cheng also thanked first responders and bystanders who saved her brother's life, adding: 'Your quick thinking and courageous actions potentially saved lives that day and words can not express our gratitude to you.' 'Thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts.' Andrew Cheng had to be cut from his white electrical van (pictured left) after the horror smash Mr Cheng's family are worried he will have life-long injuries as a result of the smash (Mr Cheng pictured before the crash) The family said the messages of support from friends and strangers gave them comfort during such a challenging time, and helped them remember 'there is still so much to be thankful for'. The accident ruined Mr Cheng's plans to travel to Tasmania with his girlfriend in the coming weeks to celebrate their ten-year anniversary. On Saturday, Mr Cheng had his pain medication reduced and was in 'high spirits' after a visit from his little niece and nephew. In a fundraiser set up to cover his medical bills, Mr Cheng was described as a 'big-hearted soul who makes everyone laugh'. 'Hes a man who loves his family and friends, especially his incredible amazing girlfriend,' the fundraiser said. Christopher Walker (pictured right ) has been charged over the smash. He had not spoken with his parents since he left home two weeks before with his half brother Rory Norris (pictured centre) Former private Catholic schoolboy Christopher Walker, pictured with his older half-brother Rory Norris, had been sucked into the so-called 'eshay' youth subculture Friends and family believe insurance will cover the initial medical costs, but will not cover ongoing rehabilitation throughout his life. 'Hopefully what we raise will be of some assistance to Andrew and his partner,' they said. Christopher Walker, 19, was also pulled from the wreckage of the Toyota Kluger he allegedly carjacked moments before it careered head-on into Mr Cheng's van. Two others cars were also wrecked in the smash and strewn across the highway. Police released a picture of his distinctive hand tattoo in a bid to identify the Queenslander Last Wednesday, he was charged with assault with intent to steal a vehicle, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and negligent driving, and appeared at Central Local Court in a bedside hearing that afternoon. Teenager Christopher Walker was charged over last week's fiery crash on Sydney Harbour Bridge (pictured) Christopher Walker was a former Catholic private schoolboy and described by one acquaintance as ' a great kid' before embracing the eshay lifestyle His parents had not heard from him since he left home two weeks before, until police called to tell them about the Harbour Bridge inferno. His car dealer father Chris Walker described his son as a 'very good kid', devout Christian and 'a beautiful, brilliant boy who will change the world'. Acquaintances told Daily Mail Australia the youngster 'was a great kid about seven years ago, but eshay has wrecked all that'. 'The bigger story is how eshay culture is infiltrating the elite private schools now,' they said. 'Years ago it was just low socio-economic areas... now the Great Public Schools [of Queensland] and private schools are losing students to a s**t and perverse culture.' Christopher Walker, 19, was pulled from the wreckage of a carjacked Toyota Kluger moments after it careered head-on into a van and exploded in a dramatic fireball Christopher Walker's family insist their son was strongly anti-drugs, but his father admitted a long-running family feud may have triggered a breakdown in his son before the devastating accident. 'If you ever want a right hand man, that's my young man Christopher,' Mr Walker, of Sunnybank Hills, in Brisbane, told Daily Mail Australia. 'Anything like this is completely out of character for him.' Mr Walker, a car dealer, last week said his son had only been in Sydney for less than a fortnight before the accident and had yet to explain what had happened. But he insisted: 'He's really remorseful. He's just worrying, not for himself, but for the others who were impacted.' Police had to release a picture of his distinctive hand tattoo to try to identify him before he appeared in court from his hospital bedside Andrew Cheng, a 31-year-old van driver, had to be cut free and Monday morning's rush hour was brought to a standstill (pictured) The former Clairvaux MacKillop College pupil had not been in touch since arriving and his parents said they had no clue about his activities in Sydney. 'We had no idea where he was or what he was doing,' said Mr Walker. 'I tried to stop him from going but there was nothing I could do. 'The first I knew of the accident was when I saw some stuff in the newspaper and thought, "Jeez, that's not good." Then we got a phone call from police.' Chris Walker has since spoken to his son in hospital but failed to get many answers. 'He has no memory of it,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'I don't know what happened to him. Chris has never been one to use drugs. Never. Pictured: Christopher Walker's father, Chris Walker 'He actually got into fights at school against drugs. He got into a punch up in the toilet block at Clairvaux MacKillop because some kid was smoking marijuana in there. 'He hated it, absolutely hated it. But if he has [taken drugs], or something's gone wrong with him that's a reflection on others. 'Maybe it was drugs, maybe he just had a mental breakdown because of the family feud... and because of me because I was so distraught about it all.' The devastated family is now waiting for further updates from their son after being unable to get any information from authorities. 'He's in a very bad way in hospital and that's all I know,' his father said. 'I can't get much out of him but I know he's not going to be a paraplegic or a quadriplegic and I know that he's not burnt.' Walker was treated for suspected head injuries and remains under police guard at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The teenager did not apply for bail, which was formally refused, and will next appear in Central Local Court on March 23. By Yun Byung-se "Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it," said Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister and a foremost role model for the Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. Among the many good lessons from Churchill, this maxim seems to be a quite fitting reminder and advice for the new Korean leader at this juncture. The President-elect is now set to steer the Korean nation through the turbulent waters for the next five years. Turbulent not only in the Korean waters, but also in the Indo-Pacific and global waters. Nowhere are the waters calm. Underneath, tectonic changes are taking place. The geopolitical weather forecast does not show when normalcy will be restored. But it is certain that frequent storms, heavy rains and high winds will await him as he tries to sail safely. The two months from now until inauguration on May 10 will be a critical time for the transition team to lay the groundwork for the incoming government. Since the devil is in the details, they will have to refine their broadly framed presidential campaign pledges into actionable policies with adjustments as necessary. It will be far from a leisurely rehearsal. It is rather like waiting in full gear in crisis mode. His team cannot afford the luxury of a prolonged familiarization process. As he nominates his forthcoming cabinet members later, one cannot overemphasize the importance of proven capabilities of individuals and seamless teamwork in the foreign and national security team to tackle multiple daunting challenges and crises of unprecedented magnitude and complexity. The transition committee's groundwork and composition of the new cabinet will be a litmus test that will determine the success or failure of the new administration. His first challenge as the president is most likely to come from North Korea. He has no time to lose in preventive diplomacy and crisis management to address the direct and imminent threat from Pyongyang's formidable nuclear arsenal and missile capability of all sorts as well as publicized intention to actually use them. Over the last 30 years, North Korea has shown a clear pattern of testing the will of new administrations in either South Korea or the United States during their transition. Even the progressive Moon Jae-in administration had to swallow four rounds of North Korean missile tests, including an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), in his first month of presidency to be followed by a nuclear test some months later. Ten rounds of missile tests since January this year, including an IRBM and a hypersonic gliding vehicle (HGV), is a historic record. Last Friday, South Korea and the U.S. jointly concluded that North Korea's two recent launches, disguised as space launches, were partial tests of a new monster inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) dubbed Hwasong-17, prior to conducting a full launch in the near future. Kim Jong-un's recent instructions and visit to the ICBM site substantiates this analysis. When the ICBM launch becomes a reality, it will be a breach of the moratorium that Kim has self-imposed for the last four years, dealing a final blow to Moon's engagement policy. It will certainly raise the crisis level to a new height and complicate the North Korean nuclear and missile conundrum, inviting much tougher responses from the new Korean leadership in coordination with the Biden administration. For South Korea, new game-changers such as Iskander missiles, tactical nukes, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and HGVs pose an ever-greater existential threat. By the end of Yoon's term, North Korea is estimated to possess between 150 and 240 nuclear weapons. The gravity of the challenge surpasses that of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. This is one key reason why the new president should coordinate with the U.S. on a new concerted North Korea strategy as soon as possible. His forthcoming meeting with President Biden in the near future will serve as a critical momentum to restore the faded trust between the two allies. His second challenge will be to reset or reorient key foreign and security policies as were promised throughout the campaign. More changes, rather than continuity, are expected. In his first press conference as the president-elect last week, he set the right tone and direction on North Korea, defense posture, ROK-U.S. alliance, Japan and China policies, Korea's regional and global roles, economic security as well as human rights and democracy. It will be a return to normalcy like putting back the horse before the cart once again. Nevertheless, policy shifts will not come without ramifications. For example, crises and tensions could arise in such issues as U.S. nuclear posture and diplomacy vis-a-vis Pyongyang, additional THAAD deployment, recurring history disputes with Japan, Quad participation and U.S.-Japan-Korea trilateral cooperation, Russia sanctions, and ROK-U.S. military exercises, just to name a few. How to defuse and manage possible adverse reactions from diverse stakeholders demands sophisticated strategy and diplomacy from the outset. At the core of all these efforts should be the iron-clad ROK-U.S. comprehensive alliance. His third challenge is to position South Korea wisely and firmly in ever-deepening fragmentation of regional and global order as were manifested by U.S.-China strategic competition and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The new Korean administration should make its commitment to peace, democracy and universal values clear and play responsible roles commensurate with its weight and status in the ongoing geopolitical and geo-economic transformation. As economic security is becoming integral to national security, it needs to tackle and stay ahead of the global supply chain and technology disruption emanating from diverse factors. Active expansion of its regional and global network is a sine qua non for navigating through the fierce competition. Despite best efforts, the new leadership will inevitably face many critical moments where no end is in sight and risk of any options are too high. He may have to compromise for a second best or less worst option. He could learn from some of his predecessors and foreign leaders, who as Churchill admonished, "rose to the occasion" for their national interests and noble causes with unfaltering resolve. President John F. Kennedy, who sagaciously overcame the 13 day hair-trigger Cuban missile crisis, recalled his final yet lonely decision: "the essence of ultimate decision remains impenetrable to the observer, often, indeed decider himself." The ultimate decisions of the next leadership will shape the destiny of South Korea not just for the next five years, but for many years to come. Yun Byung-se is former foreign minister of South Korea. He is now a board member of Korea Peace Foundation and is a member of several ex-global leaders' forums and task forces, including the Astana Forum and its Consultative Council as well as the Task Force on U.S. Allies and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation sponsored by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. A Russian oligarch with close business ties to Australia could face sanctions within days amid concerns about his links to Vladimir Putin. Billionaire Oleg Deripaska owns a 20 per cent stake in Australian aluminium company Queensland Alumina Limited through his company, Rusal. Federal government officials are reportedly considering imposing sanctions on Rusal amid concerns his refinery supplies alumina to Russia. Aluminium is often sourced during the production of missiles and weapons due to its strength, durability and light weight. The 54-year-old was hit with overseas sanctions in 2018 over his purported links to Vladimir Putin, but is thus far free to conduct business in Australia. Billionaire Oleg Deripaska owns a 20 per cent stake in Australian aluminium company Queensland Alumina Limited through his company, Rusal. Federal government officials are reportedly considering imposing sanctions on Rusal amid concerns his refinery supplies alumina to Russia Mr Deripaska's luxury home in Belgrave Square, London, has been overrun by protesters flying the Ukrainian flag and demanding increased sanctions Sanctions have been imposed on hundreds of Russia's key businessmen and women in solidarity with Ukraine in the wake of Putin's widely condemned invasion. While Mr Deripaska does not live in Australia, he has direct links to Queensland Alumina Limited through Rusal, a company which he founded. Mining giant Rio Tinto owns the remaining 80 per cent stake. The refinery based in Gladstone in Queensland produced three million tonnes of aluminium in 2021, meaning Rusal had access to about 600,000 tonnes. There are mounting concerns over the final destination of the product. According to the SMH, government officials are exploring legal avenues to impose sanctions on Mr Deripaska and his colleague Viktor Vekselberg within days. Sanctions have been imposed in an attempt to punish Russia for the deadly invasion of Ukraine (pictured: Firefighters trying to extinguish a blaze after the building was hit by six rounds of Russian artillery) A group of squatters stands on the edge of a balcony next to a banner reading 'this property has been liberated' at a mansion rumoured to be owned by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska A spokesman from the office of Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she is 'waiting on advice on further sanctions and will consider that advice as soon as possible'. 'We are consulting and co-operating closely with partners on sanctions, and would note that the UK only sanctioned Viktor Vekselberg yesterday and Oleg Deripaska in recent days.' Rusal was hit with sanctions in 2018 but they were lifted when Mr Deripaska agreed to step aside as the head of the company. It's understood he still has direct say in daily operations. The company's share price took a battering amid ongoing tensions in Ukraine, falling by 20 per cent after the invasion. Australia has followed the lead of European countries, America and the UK by imposing sanctions in an attempt to force Vladimir Putin to reconsider his deadly invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: Debris in Kharkiv city, Ukraine Mr Deripaska used a post on Telegram to called for peace talks to begin 'as fast as possible' amid potential future sanctions. The 54-year-old simply said: 'Peace is very important' Mr Deripaska used a post on Telegram to called for peace talks to begin 'as fast as possible' amid potential future sanctions. The 54-year-old simply said: 'Peace is very important.' His fortune was estimated to be $5.5 billion before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Forbes suggests it may have slumped to about $2.6 billion when accounting for the fall in Russian currency and closure of the stock exchange in Moscow. Meanwhile his luxury home in Belgrave Square, London, has been overrun by protesters flying the Ukrainian flag and demanding increased sanctions. Mr Deripaska was added to the sanctions list in the UK on March 10. He has not been sanctioned in Europe or Australia. Rio Tinto announced last week it was 'in the process of terminating all commercial relationships with Russian business', casting doubt over the joint venture with Rusal. It's understood the world's second largest mining organisation is reviewing the relationship. The mayor of Ukraine's southern city of Melitopol has been released, days after Kyiv said he was abducted by invading Russian forces. In phone call shared by the Ukrainian government, Ivan Fedorov thanked the president for not 'abandoning' him and said he will be ready to serve again after 'one or two days to recover'. Chilling CCTV footage showed the moment Fedorov had a plastic bag placed over his head as he was escorted out of a building and across Melitopol's Victory Square by 10 armed men on last Friday. Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky called for help from Germany and France to secure Fedorov's release and the kidnap was also condemned by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in a post on Twitter. According to the Ukrainian president and parliament, mayor Ivan Fedorov was abducted because he 'refused to cooperate with the enemy'. On Wednesday a video posted on Telegram showed President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to him on the phone and telling him he was 'happy to hear the voice of a man alive'. Phone call of freedom: President Zelensky is pictured speaking on the phone with (right) Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol who was allegedly kidnapped by Russian soldiers on Friday Fedorov replies he is 'much better'. 'Thank you for not abandoning me. I will need one or two days to recover and then I will be at your disposal to contribute to our victory,' he says. In response, President Zelensky reportedly said: 'We don't abandon our own.' Dasha Zarivna, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian presidency, said on Ukrainian television late Wednesday that Federov was swapped for nine captured Russian soldiers, aged 20 and 21. 'These are basically children, conscripts, who according to the Russian defence ministry are not present in Ukraine,' Zarivna said. 'But the whole world sees again that they are there.' The parliament said the mayor was seized while at the city's crisis centre dealing with supply issues. Chilling: Shocking video footage shared last week showed the moment Melitopol's mayor Ivan Fedorov was kidnapped by Russian troops after he 'refused to co-operate with the enemy' Pictured: Dozens of heroic Ukrainian residents brawled with Russian troops in Melitopol on Sunday, two days after their mayor was kidnapped by Moscow's forces for 'not co-operating' The mayor of Dniprorudne, another town in southern Ukraine, was also abducted on Sunday, drawing strong condemnation from the European Union. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Sunday that 'Russian war criminals' had 'abducted another democratically elected Ukrainian mayor, Yevhen Matveyev'. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has condemned both kidnappings in a post on Twitter. 'It is yet another attack on democratic institutions in Ukraine and an attempt to establish illegitimate alternative government structures in a sovereign country,' he added. European Council President Charles Michel also condemned 'in the strongest terms Russia's indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Ukraine as well as Russia's kidnapping of the mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne and other Ukrainians. 'These kidnappings and other pressure on Ukrainian local authorities constitute another flagrant violation of international law,' he added. Following Fedorov's capture on Friday, huge crowds ignored Vladimir Putin's demands to stay away as they gathered outside the building where the city chief was last seen being dragged away by Moscow's troops. Other protestors were pictured enthusiastically waving placards calling for the mayor's release. Ukraine's premier heaped praise on the citizens of Melitopol who 'did not surrender to the invaders' and described Fedorov's alleged abduction as a 'crime' against 'democracy'. He added that Fedorov's capture was an 'attempt to bring the city to its knees', called for the immediate release of the besieged settlement's mayor and said the acts of Russian invaders would be treated as 'terrorism'. 'The capture of the mayor of Melitopol is therefore a crime, not only against a particular person, against a particular community, and not only against Ukraine. It is a crime against democracy itself. 'The acts of the Russian invaders will be regarded like those of Islamic State terrorists,' he said. The fiance of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made light of false rumours he is facing police charges. Thousands of online trolls in Facebook and Reddit groups have circulated baseless rumours in recent months claiming her partner Clarke Gayford was due to face court. The unfounded speculation varied wildly, with different versions claiming he was due to appear before magistrates in three different cities across the country's North Island. New Zealand Police this week said the rumours were false, with a spokesman saying the popular TV and radio presenter had never been charged with any offence. Mr Gayford has now broken his silence on the issue to poke fun at the hearsay in a tongue-in-cheek social media post. Clarke Gayford and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern were due to marry this summer before the country's escalating Covid situation forced them to delay their plans (pictured, Clarke Gayford and Jacinda Ardern) 'Yes, but have you ever seen Clarke Gayford and me in the same room at the same time,' he wrote on Twitter. A spokesman for Ms Ardern's office had earlier told Daily Mail Australia it doesn't respond to 'fake internet rumours' but declined to comment further. The fake rumours are believed to have existed in some form since Ms Ardern became prime minister in 2017, but spread more rapidly in recent months amid mass protests in the country's capital Wellington over Covid vaccine mandates. The PM was due to wed her television host fiance this summer in Gisborne on the North Island after becoming engaged in early 2019. But she postponed the nuptials after raising the national Covid alert to red in January following the discovery of nine Omicron cases in the community with no link to the border. Mr Gayford is a celebrity in his own right in New Zealand, well known as a DJ and radio host, and more recently as a television presenter of shows including Extraordinary Kiwis, Fish of the Day and Moving Houses. He revealed in a Valentine Day's tribute to his fiance last year he would turn up at her house with crayfish in the early stages of dating in 2013. The couple planned to walk down the aisle earlier but have been set back by a series of tragedies including the Christchurch terror attack and the White Island volcano eruption in 2019 and the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Ardern first met the 44-year-old at an awards event in 2012 but didn't begin dating until the following year. Mr Gayford broke his silence on the false hearsay in a tongue-in-cheek social media post last week Mr Gayford and Ms Ardern with their daughter Neve. New Zealand Police this week said the rumours about the country's 'first bloke' were false, with a spokesman saying the popular TV and radio presenter had never been charged with any offence Clarke Gayford, 44, is a celebrity in his own right in New Zealand and well known as a DJ, radio host and television presenter The couple welcomed daughter Neve Te Aroha in June 2018. Ms Ardern confirmed in April 2019 her partner popped the question that Easter after she was spotted wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring on her left hand. The proposal took place at the top of Mokotahi Hill in Mahia on North Island's east coast with a ring that belonged to Gayford's grandmother. 'It was Clarke, myself, a member of the DPS (Diplomatic Protection Squad), a couple of locals from Mahia and a dog which tried to eat the chocolate that Clarke bought me at the same time, so it was very romantic,' she said at the time. The couple have been together since 2013 and are parents to three-year-old Neve Te Aroha 'There are some things I don't mind keeping for ourselves.' 'This is a very public job and I'm quite happy to put quite a bit of ourselves out there. But there are some things I wouldn't mind keeping to ourselves.' Ms Ardern previously revealed honeymoon plans will be put on the backburner. 'I'll probably be going back to work,' she told MoreFM in July of last year. Clarke Gayford popped the question to his fiancee Jacinda Ardern over Easter in April 2019 'I guess it's my choice, for having major life events while in this job. So, no one's fault except my own. No complaints from us.' Ms Ardern became only the second elected female leader to have a child while in office and the first since Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1990. Her fiance shared a gushing romantic tribute to her before she was elected for a second term in 2020. Protestors in February gathered on the New Zealand parliament lawns, carparks and surrounding areas in recent weeks to protest against Covid vaccine mandates in recent months He amusingly named himself the 'plus one' and revealed one of her annoying habits. 'It gives me an enormous sense of family pride to introduce you guys to the best job applicant for prime minister that this country has ever produced, in my humble opinion,' Mr Gayford said. 'And although she might hide chocolates from her partner, she easily wins the favourite parent award from Neve Te Aroha each and every evening. 'Please welcome to the stage, my not-quite wife, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda,' he said with a huge smile on his face. Sir Nick Clegg received almost 10million worth of shares from Facebooks parent company following his recent promotion at the tech giant. The former deputy prime minister, 55, received a stock package worth 9.4million after he was elevated to head of global affairs at Meta last month. The bumper figure is almost as much as Sir Nick received in shares during his first three years at the company combined, according to a Bloomberg report citing someone familiar with the arrangement. Sir Nick Clegg received almost 10million worth of shares from Facebooks parent company following his recent promotion at the tech giant Following his promotion, Sir Nick became the third-most senior figure at Meta behind its founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. He is also in charge of managing the companys controversial public image and making some of its major policy decisions. Among these has been the firms response to the war in Ukraine, with Facebook having recently blocked Russian state-backed broadcasters RT and Sputnik from its sites in Europe and the UK. Following his promotion, Sir Nick became the third-most senior figure at Meta behind its founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg (pictured) The move prompted a swift backlash from Moscow, with Facebook and Instagram, another social network owned by Meta, having been blocked in Russia in retaliation. Clegg joined the company in 2018 after losing his parliamentary seat to Labour in the 2017 general election. He now lives in a multi-million-pound house in the upmarket neighbourhood of Atherton in California, close to the groups Silicon Valley headquarters. Tributes have been paid to a combat medic and mother who was killed battling Russian troops in Ukraine. Olga Semidyanova was fatally injured during a firefight in the city of near Donetsk in the south of the country and it was reported the 48-year-old continued fighting after much of her unit had been killed. According to Ms Semidyanova's family, she was killed by a shot to her stomach but her body has yet to be recovered because of continued fighting in the area which has left her family distraught. Tributes have been paid to Olga Semidyanova who has been killed battling Russian troops The combat medic and mother of 12 children has served in the Ukrainian army since 2014 Her daughter, Julia, told the Sun: 'She saved the soldiers to the last. We have photos from the place of death but due to heavy fighting we still can't bury my mother.' The medic, who had the honorary title 'Mother Heroine', had served in the military since 2014 and was killed on the border between Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts on March 3, the Kyiv Independent has reported. The 48-year-old had six children but also had adopted six more children from a local orphanage. She lived in the city of Marhanets which was about 150 miles away from where she was killed earlier this month. The title Mother Heroine is given to women who have had more than five children. Tributes poured in after news of her death broke, lead by members of the Ukrainian government. The 48-year-old had six children but also adopted six more children from a local orphanage Olga Semidyanova was 150 miles from her home fighting near Donetsk when she was shot Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the country's Interior Ministry, told the Sun: 'She was slain in a confrontation with Russian thugs. 'Even when she believed her regiment might not survive, she emphasised her desire to protect the country until the end. She is a national hero. She is a hero to me.' Ukrainians have also begun paying their respects on social media as news of her death has been reported. Marina Ivanchenko said on Facebook: 'This Ukrainian woman is truly a hero.' Another user said: 'RIP Olga Semidyanova, hero of Ukraine defender of Europe.' Other users described her as a hero and a saint while Chuk Towers posted: 'Olga Semidyanova fought till the end for her country. RIP hero.' It comes after mourners paid their respects to soldiers killed in a strike on a military base in Yavoriv. Flowers are placed around the graves of soldiers Roman Rak and Mykola Mykytiuk in Starychi People attend a funeral ceremony for Ukrainian military servicemen Roman Rak and Mykola Mykytiuk in Starychi, western Ukraine, Wednesday, after they were both killed in action Two men were among those killed on Sunday when Russian missiles struck a military base, a hub of military cooperation between Ukraine and NATO countries. At least 35 people died in total. On Wednesday, three days later, the villagers gathered in Starychi to bury Roman Rak and Mykola Mykytiuk. They were soldiers, men in their late 40s and early 50s. Loved ones and fellow soldiers, many their age or older, with paunches and fraying hair, were the first to mourn. 'These guys were like angels for us,' said a local deacon, Taras Hlova. 'They died protecting us.' Even he, living seven kilometers from Sunday's attack, was woken up by it. He saw the glow in the sky. His wife, a nurse, spent the next full day treating the wounded. 'I thought they'd be crazy to attack so close to NATO countries,' he said of Russia. 'I hope God has mercy on us.' When Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was summoned to the Iranian ministry of intelligence, her heart must have sunk. For six years, she and her family had endured hell at the hands of a regime that held her captive and repeatedly played psychological games. The charity worker suffered extreme psychological torture, solitary confinement and hardship in jail in Tehran thanks to the trumped-up spying charges she was convicted of. For six years, she and her family had endured hell at the hands of a regime that held her captive and repeatedly played psychological games So she expected another setback on Sunday, more accusations and another excuse to keep her in the country. She has been shocked by their ruthlessness before. This time she was shocked in a good way. Her husband Richard told the Daily Mail: 'I was really worried it was bad news, but it was good news. 'They told her they would give her British and Iranian passports back, but then gave her a serious talking-to. It put the fear of God into her.' Even with those travel documents finally in her hands there were no guarantees. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sent home but summoned again on Monday by the Revolutionary Guard who said that they needed to discuss her passport. 'They told her, "Make sure your husband is careful. If you do that, we'll let you go",' her husband said. On Tuesday she was told she was being picked up and taken to the airport before being told again that she wasn't. For a family used to getting their hopes up before having them dashed, it felt like just another false dawn. But she was then driven to the airport yesterday. 'Even though she was at the airport, we were not holding our breath. Those games were quite possibly last-minute haggling,' Mr Ratcliffe said. Right up until the end, the Iranian authorities toyed with Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, refusing to confirm she had been released 'I didn't believe anything until she got on the plane. There was a sense of relief; a sense that this might all finally be over.' Right up until the end, the Iranian authorities toyed with Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, refusing to confirm she had been released and keeping her guessing before finally allowing her to board her flight out. The negotiations took place against the backdrop of nuclear talks to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that former US president Donald Trump torpedoed. Mr Ratcliffe revealed he had sent an 'aggressive' letter to the Foreign Office as nuclear talks appeared to be falling apart. This, he believes, may have prompted the Foreign Office to revert to 'plan B' to negotiate bilaterally with the Iranians for the release of detainees. Though ministers had previously refused to link a 400million unpaid military debt to her case, she was freed yesterday after it was settled. Iran is subject to sanctions by the US and so the UK had to agree with Iran that it would spend the money on humanitarian aid. Mr Ratcliffe's record of tireless campaigning on his wife's behalf has meant that her case has rarely been off the news agenda and hence a headache for ministers. Despite several attempts to secure her freedom, they finally got a deal over the line under Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. She is said to have made the case of detainees including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe her first priority in her new role and urged civil servants to find a 'creative' solution. While yesterday's agreement secured the freedom of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, who are both dual-nationals, Morad Tahbaz a tri-national with American citizenship was only released from jail 'on furlough'. Iran is reported to be treating him as an American citizen and so part of a separate negotiation with the US. While some US congressmen are unhappy with the deal because he remains in Iran, Washington is said to be happy with the arrangement following a visit by Miss Truss last week. She was praised by MPs across the House of Commons yesterday. The clock is ticking on Australia's divided daylight savings stance after the US Senate passed a bill to permanently give Americans more sunlight. Starting from November 2023, the Sunshine Protection Act will mean US residents will no longer need to change their clocks twice a year with daylight savings adopted all-year-round if the bill passes the House of Representatives. Lawmakers argued the move would mean 'more sunshine and less depression' ushering in lower crime rates and increased evening trade, all while helping tackle the obesity epidemic with more time to exercise outdoors. There are now calls for Australia to also adopt daylight savings permanently however many residents are fiercely opposed. The clock is ticking on Australia's divided daylight savings stance after the US Senate passed a bill to permanently give Americans more sunlight (stock image) While New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT all change the clocks at the beginning of October and the start of April, Western Australia, Queensland and the NT refuse to make the change. The main reason is because while it's great for nine-to-fivers and kids playing after school, those who are employed in industries like agriculture and clock-on at 5am or earlier find it a major hindrance to work in the dark. Warm, tropical climates are also not ideal for an extra hour of sunlight as many residents are looking to escape the sun, not spend another hour in it each day. Debate has raged across Australia about daylight savings since it was permanently introduced for six months of the year in 1971. To this day Aussies have mixed feelings about the time change. 'Daylight Savings should be all year round!,' one social media user wrote. 'Yes definitely,' another person said. 'Great for full time workers as there's more daylight to do things after work.' US Lawmakers argued the move would mean 'more sunshine and less depression' ushering in lower crime rates and increased evening trade, all while helping tackle obesity rates with more time to exercise outdoors (stock image) Others online blasted the idea of following suit and joining the US. 'I think we should get rid of it completely, it seems just to increase crime levels (criminals are out for longer hours getting into mischief),' one social media user said. 'Definitely NO - For a number of reasons - one of which is the physical safety of children on farms travelling to and from school,' another wrote. 'Not only would they end up catching the bus to school in the dark but school would finish and they would be travelling home in the hottest part of the day. 'In areas where the average maximum temperatures exceed 40 degrees, daylight saving does not work.' Kanye West took his six-year-old son to a basketball game in San Francisco Wednesday night after having been temporarily suspended from Instagram after he attacked his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and her boyfriend, Pete Davidson, online. A spokesperson for Meta, the company that owns the social media platform, told TMZ that the rapper's posts violated their policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying. West, who has now legally changed his name to Ye, posted Wednesday that he was 'really concerned' Davidson would get Kardashian 'hooked on drugs' and demanded the comedian 'apologize to your family for being in your family.' The rapper also took aim at talk show host Trevor Noah who weighed in on Kanye's feud in the latest episode of The Daily Show, warning that the online fight between the former couple could get violent and was 'terrifying to watch'. In response, West posted images of Noah to his account with a caption that read in part: 'All in together now... K**n baya my lord k**n baya.' The racist post appears to have been removed. West's account will be suspended for 24 hours, meaning he cannot post content, comment on posts or send direct messages. The platform may seek additional steps against West if further violations occur. Despite the suspension, Instagram users can still see West's account and make comments on his posts. Kanye West (pictured in Los Angeles on Sunday) has been temporarily suspended from his Instagram after he used his account to attack Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson and Trevor Noah The rapper's account was suspended for 24 hours after he made several posts targeting his ex and her boyfriend. He also posted a racist message criticizing Noah, which has been removed Kardashian went Instagram official with Davidson on Friday Although he was under fire for his social media behavior, which Noah alleged was harassment towards Kardashian and Davidson, West still appeared to be prioritizing quality time with his children. The rapper was seen smiling and seemingly cheerful Wednesday night as he attended a match between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics in San Fransisco with six-year-old Saint. The pair - who had court side seats next to Golden State executive chairmen Joe Lacob and Peter Guber - also interacted with Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown after the game. Saint sported a large grin as he and his dad snapped a pic with the basketball star. West, 44, was also pictured greeting ESPN announcers Mark Jackson and Mark Jones during the match. The performer is currently in a custody battle with his ex, Kardashian. On Tuesday, it was reported that West's lawyer is 'seeking to establish formal custody arrangements between the star and Kim' as they continue to fight over the care of their children. As of now, Kardashian is allowing West to spend time with the children whenever he is in town and wants to, as long as they're not already busy. West was spotted court-side with his six-year-old son, Saint, Wednesday night at the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics match in San Francisco. The rapper and his son were seated Golden State executive chairmen Joe Lacob (left) and Peter Guber (right) The rapper was seen smiling and seemingly cheerful at Wednesday's game West and Saint also interacted with Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown after the game. Saint sported a large grin as he and his dad snapped a pic with the basketball star West was pictured greeting ESPN announcers Mark Jackson and Mark Jones during the match West and Saint head to their seats ahead of the match between the Celtics and Golden State Although he was seemingly enjoying himself at Wednesday's basketball game, West still remains on an Instagram hiatus due to his behavior towards Kardashian and others in her life. West has been taking shots at Davidson, her new boyfriend, for months. In February he included a disturbing depiction of the comedian being kidnapped and buried alive in the music video for his song 'Eazy'. The rapper's antics continued early Wednesday morning when he posted a screenshot of a 2019 headline which read 'Pete Davidson enrages audience with jokes about having sex with a baby,' presenting it as further evidence the comedian shouldnt be allowed near his children. 'Yet another reason why SKETE gotta stay away from my children,' Kanye captioned the image, further alleging that Pete had 'a mental breakdown' recently over their feud. 'Oh and nobody noticed that he aint show up to SNL Because Mr. I can help you with meds had a mental breakdown after we ran him off the internet SKETE you not built for this I already blacked the Super Bowl out on you Apologize to your family for being in your family.' West posted a screenshot of a 2019 headline which read 'Pete Davidson enrages audience with jokes about having sex with a baby,' presenting it as further evidence the comedian shouldnt be allowed near his children Minutes later he shared a screenshot of a tweet, writing: 'Im really concerned that SKETE will get my kids mom hooked on drugs Hes in rehab every 2 months' Minutes later he shared a screenshot of a tweet which read: 'The way Skete used Kim's marital status too address Kanye was a sneak diss towards her & she didn't even catch it.' 'Im really concerned that SKETE will get my kids mom hooked on drugs,' West captioned the post. 'He's in rehab every 2 months.' The social media criticisms come just three days after text messages Davidson, 28, allegedly sent to West were leaked online. In the message thread, the comedian appeared to call Kardashian 'the best mother I've ever met,' before taunting her West with a photo of himself in bed, which he said showed him, 'In bed with your wife.' The Saturday Night Live star also urged his rival to meet him in person to discuss their differences, rather than airing their dirty laundry in public. The social media criticisms come just three days after text messages Davidson, 28, allegedly sent to West were leaked online West's attack on Noah came after the talk show host on Tuesday night accused the rapper of 'harassing' Kardashian. He alleged that West's recent actions may have started out as a 'romantic' attempt to win his wife back, but have become 'belligerent' over time. 'Kanye has become more and more belligerent in how he tries to get Kim back. Like when it started, it was it was, you know, some would say romantic. Oh, I want you back." And, you know, here are roses,' Noah said on The Daily Show. 'You're trying to win somebody back. We understand that. But over time, it's become more and more belligerent.' He also criticized the rapper's seemingly violent intentions, referencing the Eazy music video. 'He chops off Pete Davidson's head,' Noah stated. 'And I mean, we all understand the subject like I wish this guy was dead, is what Kanye is saying.' 'Now, Kanye, you know what I mean?' the television personality questioned, before adding: 'To be fair. Kanye says, "No, this is just art. I dont actually want to hurt him. This is just art."' Noah also alleged that although Kardashian may be encouraging the war of words as publicity for her family's new Hulu reality show, she is still being harassed by her ex. The rapper also took aim at take show host Trevor Noah who weighed in on Kanye's feud in the latest episode of The Daily Show, warning that the fight could get violent West's remarks came after Noah alleged the rapper was harassing Kardashian. West and the reality star share four children together (pictured above) Over the weekend, Kardashian hit back at West online, asking him to 'stop with this narrative' after he posted a photo of an alien pinned between himself and his ex on North's backpack. West, who accused Kardashian of 'parental alienation', shared a photo of the bag and wrote: 'This is what was on my daughter's back pack when I was 'allowed' to see her last week.' But Kardashian took umbrage at the suggestion she was holding back from letting West see their children, responding in his comments: 'Please stop with this narrative, you were just here this morning picking up the kids for school.' West and Kardashian share four children: North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and two-year-old Psalm. Kardashian hit back at West over the weekend on social media, asking him to 'stop with this narrative' after he posted a photo of an alien pinned between himself and his ex on North's backpack Kardashian filed to divorce West last year, citing irreconcilable differences. They were married in 2014 in Florence, Italy. A judge agreed last month to declare the reality star legally single while other aspects of the couple's divorce get resolved, including custody of their children. Meantime, Kardashian went Instagram official with Davidson on Friday, sharing a series of snaps to her Instagram page featuring PDA moments with her man. Friday's posts marked the first time the entrepreneur has shared pics of the actor on her Instagram page. The mother of four posed up a storm with Davidson in a a coat gifted to her by West. The images the star shared were taken on February 12; the couple enjoyed an intimate dinner date at Lilia restaurant in Brooklyn that evening. Public: Kim Kardashian went Instagram official with her boyfriend Pete Davidson. The 41-year-old entrepreneur shared a series of snaps to her Instagram page Friday featuring PDA moments with her man - marking the first time she has shared him on her Instagram page Rumors of a possible romance with Davidson were first sparked when the two kissed during an early October Saturday Night Live skit as she played Princess Jasmine and he portrayed Aladdin Rumors of a possible romance with Davidson were first sparked when the two kissed during an early October Saturday Night Live skit as she played Princess Jasmine and he portrayed Aladdin, and while initial reports claimed they are just friends, fans believed something more significant was brewing. Weeks later, she was spotted at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California for the theme park's annual Halloween event with a group of friends, including Davidson, her sister Kourtney Kardashian and Kourtney's new fiance, Travis Barker. Davidson and Kardashian reportedly enjoyed a private rooftop dinner at Campania in Staten Island earlier this month, followed by a group outing at club Zero Bond the following night. The couple were also seen sweetly holding hands in November while celebrating his birthday in Palm Springs, California, as seen in Dailymail.com exclusive photos. Davidson is the first romantic partner for the reality star since she filed for divorce from West in February 2021. West was briefly linked to model Irina Shayk, Instagram model Vinetria, 22 and actress Julia Fox, 33 and now Kim K clone/Instagram model Chaney Jones, 24. However, it appears he is currently single. Women face a postcode lottery of menopause care with some GPs unaware they can even prescribe HRT, a health minister admitted. Maria Caulfield told MPs that standards are a 'bit hit and miss', with patients in different parts of the country getting a 'very different service'. She also sparked fury by revealing plans to cut prescription costs for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by up to 200 a year will not come into effect until next April. The Department of Health announced in October that women would be able to get a year's supply of an HRT drug for 9.35, the cost of a single NHS prescription. The announcement followed a high-profile campaign supported by celebrities including Penny Lancaster and Davina McCall. However, Miss Caulfied yesterday told the Commons women and equalities committee that technical issues meant the 'prepayment certificate' for HRT could not be implemented for over a year. Carolyn Harris, a Labour MP who sits on the committee and has called for HRT to be made available for free, said she was 'really, really, really annoyed' by the delay and warned many women suffering severe menopausal symptoms cannot afford the current costs, with some becoming suicidal. The Department of Health announced in October that women would be able to get a year's supply of an HRT drug for 9.35, the cost of a single NHS prescription. (stock image) The new system, to be implemented next year, would allow a woman to pay a one-off annual fee and collect the HRT each month without needing to see their GP. (stock image) Around 1.5 million women a year experience post-menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbance and mood swings. Of those, around 150,000 are prescribed HRT tablets, gels, creams or patches. Current guidelines allow GPs to issue a year's worth of HRT on a single prescription, fuelling ongoing supply shortages that have led to a black market trade. The new system, to be implemented next year, would allow a woman to pay a one-off annual fee and collect the HRT each month without needing to see their GP. Anne Connolly, of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'Women's health is a key part of [our] curriculum, which all GPs must demonstrate competence of in order to practise independently in the UK.' Australian Olympic swimming champion Cate Campbell has joined the fight in trying to make sanitary products free in public hospitals. Around Australia public hospitals are not required to supply tampons and pads to women they are treating, prompting foundation Share the Dignity to launch a petition asking the Federal government to make the change. Campbell on Wednesday shared a photo of herself with two sanitary pads stuck to her arms with the words 'Pad Up!' written across them. 'I can not believe it's 2022 and I'm having to post this. Did you know it's not mandatory for Public Hospitals to stock period supplies?' she wrote. 'This means many women arrive in hospital and are forced to use toilet paper, gauze or nothing at all! 'This is just another example of gender inequality - if men had periods, we would not be having this discussion!'. Australian Olympic swimming champion Cate Campbell has joined the fight in trying to make sanitary products free in public hospitals Campbell shared a testimony from an ICU nurse who saw firsthand how women were unable to get access to tampons and pads The Olympic gold medallist also shared a testimony from an intensive care nurse who has seen firsthand how the lack of period products can impact women who are already suffering health impacts. 'I'm an ICU nurse so the majority of young women that come in are from something unexpected, like a trauma,' she said. 'If they are on the contraceptive pill they obviously don't take it while unconscious, and they almost always get their period and we have nothing to put there except a towel between their legs. 'It's awful.' Share the Dignity's petition amassed more than 53,000 signatures before it closed on Wednesday night. 'Some (women) have been forced to bleed through their hospital gowns,' the foundation said. Campbell said if men had their periods a discussion around free access to sanitary items wouldn't even be needed 'Others have had to use unsuitable alternatives like dressings or adult nappies. While some hospitals do provide period products, it is not mandatory for them to do so. 'When provision is managed at an individual hospital level, availability can be limited, and patients have relied on the kindness of doctors, nurses and staff who give pads of their own.' Countless women have shared testimonies of their horrific experiences, with some forced to call friends to bring them pads or to go to a pharmacy and buy them themselves. 'I had a miscarriage and had to stay in hospital and had to wear an adult diaper until my hubby went and bought me supplies but still had to spend the night in a nappy,' one said. The swimmer urged her followers to sign the petition calling on the Federal government to make access to tampons and pads free in public hospitals Another woman was in hospital after a sexual assault and said she too was given no access to sanitary items. 'I was left for nine hours in the emergency department with no sanitary items after repeatedly telling the staff I had my period and needed a tampon,' she said. One woman shockingly revealed that even after having a miscarriage: 'I was told I would have to go to the gift shop and buy my own.' Others said nurses had to give them tampons out of their own bags or were given gauze or towels to put between their legs instead. Share the Dignity has been tirelessly working to end the taboo surrounding periods, and to make access to pads and tampons more available. They've set up vending machines in public toilets, schools, hospitals and refuges offering free sanitary items around the country. U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai speaks to reporters, Wednesday (local time), during her visit to SK Siltron CSS' factory in Bay City, Michigan. Reuters-Yonhap By Park Jae-hyuk Korean steelmakers expressed disappointment as Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo's latest meeting with his U.S. counterpart in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) failed again to lead Washington to lower its trade barrier, according to industry officials, Thursday. "We are unsatisfied by the result, but we had predicted the scenario," a steelmaking industry insider said. "It seems that both the public and private sectors should continue to make efforts to convince the U.S. to treat Korea fairly along with the European Union and Japan." A spokesperson from one of Korea's major steelmakers expressed concerns about possible difficulties from the U.S. import quota, when the steel products market growth comes to an end. "Korean exporters of steel products will be hit by the potential decline in prices and demands, because the U.S. and the Middle East are the two largest markets for them," he said. The steelmakers' responses came after U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai reiterated recently that renegotiation of the import quota on Korean steel products is unnecessary. "I will also just emphasize that in terms of accommodations from the steel and aluminum import tariff actions, Korea was actually one of the first if not the first ... to secure an accommodation from the tariffs," Tai told reporters Wednesday (local time), during her visit to SK Siltron CSS' factory in Bay City, Michigan. She also said that Korea is already in a better position than many other countries. Her remarks were interpreted as showing reluctance towards Seoul's request to continue talks on Washington's regulations on steel products from Korea. In 2018, the former U.S. administration of Donald Trump had imposed the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum products from other countries to protect the American steelmaking industry. Korea was able to avoid the Trump administration's tariffs at that time, as it accepted an import quota that limits its steel exports to 70 percent of the average between 2015 and 2017. As a result, Korea's annual steel exports to the U.S. dropped to 2 million tons from 3.83 million tons. The Joe Biden administration, however, reached agreements to temper the effects of the Section 232 steel tariffs with the EU last year and with Japan last month. Given that steel products made in Europe and Japan have competed with those produced in Korea, concerns have been raised by Korean steelmakers over the possible deterioration of their competitiveness in the U.S. market. The government has therefore held multiple meetings with steelmakers to discuss countermeasures. "Steelmakers are in talks with the government to enable the U.S. government's handling of the Section 232 to become helpful to Korean exporters," a spokesperson from another domestic steelmaker said. The trade minister and lawmakers also asked U.S. politicians to make efforts to revise Section 232, during their visit to the U.S. this week in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the KORUS FTA. However, the differences between the two countries on the issue of steel tariffs have yet to show signs of resolution. Beavers have not been seen in Britain's capital for more than 400 years. But two of the wood-munching rodents will be returning today to help rewild London and it is hoped they will have kits within a year. The animals will be building dams and felling trees in a specially designed enclosure in the grounds of Forty Hall Farm in Enfield, north London. The animals will be building dams and felling trees in a specially designed enclosure in the grounds of Forty Hall Farm in Enfield, north London It is hoped they will help restore nature and river habitat and reduce the risk of flooding. The male and female beavers both two years old have not previously met, so their introduction is something of an arranged marriage. One is from Yorkshire, and the other from Scotland. They do not yet have names, but Enfield Council, which is behind the project together with Capel Manor College, said they will run a competition online. 'We've had suggestions of Justin Beaver for the male and Sigourney Beaver for the female. But we'll see what the public come up with,' spokesman Andrea DeLuce said. 'They had better like each other. I'm hoping it will be love at first sight.' She added that the council had made a 'lovely lodge' for the pair. Once settled, the council will put in a 'beaver cam' for the public to monitor their progress. The public will not be allowed in the beavers enclosure, however. It is hoped they will help restore nature and river habitat and reduce the risk of flooding Beaver numbers are slowly beginning to make a comeback after they were hunted to extinction across England in the 16th century for their fur, glands and meat. They are now found living in the wild on a number of rivers in Scotland and England through official trials and illegal releases or escapes, and have also been introduced into enclosures in a number of English counties. Beavers are seen as natural engineers who restore wetland habitats through dam-building and felling trees, slowing, storing and filtering water in the landscape, which attracts other wildlife and reduces flooding downstream. Beavers can be found in only two other urban areas in the UK Plymouth and Perth in Scotland. But around the world they can be seen in cities including Munich and Vancouver. Conservationists are waiting on a Government decision on allowing applications to release the animals into the wild. Enfield Council's deputy leader Ian Barnes said bringing beavers back is part of the council's drive to tackle climate change and improve ecosystems. He said: 'Enfield Council is creating wilder, more natural spaces to enable biodiversity to thrive as part of our ongoing climate action strategy. 'Also, by exploring natural flood management techniques, such as this beaver project, we can reduce the risk of harm from flooding following extreme rainfall, protecting hundreds if not thousands of local homes.' The project, which will see the beavers introduced into a six-hectare (15 acres) enclosure at Forty Hall Farm, is part of a wider natural flood management initiative which will help restore local wildlife and river habitats, the council said. The site is considered one of the few in the capital suitable for the animals. The council said it is also looking at reintroducing other species such as goshawks and would like to support kingfisher nesting and barbel fish breeding. Malcolm Goodwin, principal of Capel Manor College, London's environmental college, said: 'We know how vital nature and biodiversity is for the health of the countryside and the wellbeing of the good people of Enfield. 'Our students know this too and they will have the opportunity to protect, monitor and understand the beavers and how they interact with their habitat and the local ecosystems. 'This is especially important as they will graduate to become custodians of the natural environment we all share.' Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, beaver restoration lead at the Beaver Trust, said: 'We're delighted to be returning beavers to live in such close proximity to this urban area, working with an extended veterinary team to ensure highest welfare for the animals. 'We've seen from Europe and parts of Scotland how adaptive a species beavers are given some water and enough forage.' A brutal Chechen leader has claimed Ukraines resistance does not have long left after he joined Russias bloody onslaught against the country. Warlord Ramzan Kadyrov warned those defending Kyiv they would be hunted down and killed as he claimed to be inching closer to the heavily shelled capital. He announced his arrival in Ukraine by posting a video online and vowing to end those who refuse to surrender. Claiming to be near Hostomel airport, just north of Ukraines capital, on Sunday, he wrote online: The other day we were about 20km from you Kyiv Nazis [the Kremlins propaganda term for the resistance] and now we are even closer. You dont have long left. Its better you surrender and stand alongside us... or your end will be at hand. Warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, pictured, warned those defending Kyiv they would be hunted down and killed as he claimed to be inching closer to the heavily shelled capital. A Ukrainian newspaper said it had established that Kadyrov, pictured, was actually in Grozny in Russia when he claimed to be near Kyiv by sending him a message on Telegram and getting him to click on a link that revealed his location. The Chechen leader, 45, who calls himself Putins foot soldier, is said to lead an army of 10,000 militia including his three sons. But his fighters who have previously been accused of war crimes have so far been held back along with Russian forces by Ukraines fierce resistance. His entry into the war suggests that his Chechen forces could play a key role in the Russian push to seize the capital after its largely stalled invasion. Ramzan Kadyrov and Vladimir Putin pictured together on social media Experts say it could also play a role in Moscows propaganda war, with Kadyrovs video updates and images of Chechen troops widely circulated on social media. Unconfirmed reports have suggested Chechen soldiers were murdering people and forcing them out of their homes on the outskirts of Kyiv. Kadyrov has been accused of human rights violations in Russias Chechnya republic where he rules with an iron fist. The song at the centre of Ed Sheeran's copyright battle earns him and his co-writers 5million a year, the High Court was told yesterday. The figure would have been higher but nearly 10 per cent of payments from 2017 No1 hit Shape Of You have been frozen. The Performing Rights Society suspended certain payments when the dispute began in 2018. The song at the centre of Ed Sheeran's copyright battle earns him and his co-writers 5million a year, the High Court was told yesterday (pictured yesterday) But revenues from streaming services could not be targeted. Songwriters Sami Chokri and Ross O'Donoghue claim the 'Oh I' hook in Sheeran's hit copies part of their song Oh Why, which was released two years earlier. However, a music expert told the court yesterday that Shape Of You has 'distinctive differences'. Forensic musicologist Anthony Ricigliano said it was unlikely that any similarities between the two songs 'result from copying'. But another musicologist Christian Siddell said: 'The possibility of independent creation is... highly improbable'. Sheeran and his co-writers deny allegations of copying. The case continues. A toy company created Legostyle figures of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and molotov cocktails to raise money for victims of the war. US firm Citizen Brick offered figures for 76 and the petrol bombs for 7.60. Citizen Brick sold out of their mini-figurines of President Zelensky and Molotov cocktails within 24 hours A toy company created Legostyle figures of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, pictured left, and molotov cocktails to raise money for victims of the war. The retailer sold the Zelensky figure, pictured right, and mini Molotov cocktails to raise 12k for Ukraine The toys, pictured, sold out almost immediately. Funds went to US charity Direct Relief, which has sent more than 30 tonnes of medical aid to Ukraine since the war broke out. The LEGO Group has released the following statement in response: `This initiative has absolutely nothing to do with the LEGO Group. Its the work of an independent retailer which has no connection to the company.' Oligarchs who use the courts to silence the Press and other critics will be tackled by a range of measures proposed by ministers today. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab will set out plans to stop libel laws being deployed to intimidate publishers out of exposing the activities of the mega-rich. Courts could also get wider powers to throw out cases brought by bullying oligarchs linked with Vladimir Putin or other despots. Boris Johnson vowed to put an end to the chilling effect brought about by such litigation. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab will set out plans to stop libel laws being deployed to intimidate publishers out of exposing the activities of the mega-rich The ability of a free Press to hold the powerful to account is fundamental to our democracy and as a former journalist. I am determined we must never allow criticism to be silenced, the Prime Minister said. For the oligarchs and super-rich who can afford these sky-high costs the threat of legal action has become a new kind of lawfare. We must put a stop to its chilling effect. Steps could include changing libel laws so that wealthy individuals have to prove actual malice making a claim more difficult to bring. The legal costs that oligarchs can claim back if they win a case could also be capped. Boris Johnson, left, vowed to put an end to the chilling effect brought about by such litigation. Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, right, said it is 'essential' the public is informed 'without fear of intimidation or harassment' Mr Raab said: 'The government will not tolerate Russian oligarchs and other corrupt elites abusing British courts to muzzle those who shine a light on their wrongdoing. Were taking action to put an end to this bullying and protect our free Press. The litigation is sometimes described as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs. Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, said: It is essential that laws are strengthened and practical deterrents are put in place to ensure that journalists as well as campaigners, academics and authors are able to fulfil their role in keeping the public informed without fear of intimidation or harassment. A consultation process will run until May 19. Volodymyr Zelensky has slapped down Russia's 15-point peace plan by insisting Ukraine's priorities include 'restoring territorial integrity'. The Kremlin had drafted a proposed agreement with a list of 15 demands which insisted that Ukraine recognise the annexation of Crimea and the independence of Donbass. But Zelensky has seemingly rejected the proposals, despite Ukrainian cities continuing to be pummelled by Russian forces, with Mariupol's theatre targeted in Putin's latest savage attack. In a video shared on Telegram, Zelensky said: 'The talks on Ukraine continue. My priorities at the talks are crystal clear: end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoring territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection of our country.' Volodymyr Zelensky has slapped down Russia's 15-point peace plan by insisting Ukraine's priorities include 'restoring territorial integrity' The Kremlin had drafted a proposed agreement with a list of 15 demands which insisted that Ukraine recognise the annexation of Crimea and the independence of Donbass Earlier, sources on both sides had signalled that progress had been made in talks that would secure a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops. The provisions in the 15-point plan would mean Kyiv would agree to neutrality and accept limits on its military to stop the barbaric attacks against its civilians by Putin's forces. It would also see Zelensky renounce his NATO ambitions and promise not to host Western military bases or weaponry in exchange for protection. Sources briefed on the talks told the Financial Times that another provision includes enshrining rights for the Russian language in Ukraine. But the biggest sticking point was Russia's insistence that Ukraine recognises the annexation of Crimea and the independence of Luhansk and Donetsk. Firefighters try to extinguish a fire broke out at the Saltivka construction market, hit by six rounds of Russian heavy artillery in Kharkiv Zelensky has seemingly rejected the proposals, despite Ukrainian cities continuing to be pummelled by Russian forces Putin insists that the whole of the Donbass should split from Ukraine, and not just the parts occupied by pro-Moscow rebel forces before fighting broke out. Zelensky's comments that Ukraine's priorities include restoring Ukraine's territory suggest the two sides are some way off finalising an agreement. The wartime leader again accused Putin of war crimes in his latest video address. He said: 'Ukraine received powerful support of our American friends. I'm thankful to President Biden for it. I'm thankful for leadership that united the democratic world. 'But the war doesn't stop. Russian war crimes don't stop. The Russian economy is still capable to feed their military machine.' Appealing for more international support, Zelensky then detailed the destruction in the crucial port city of Mariupol which has been under heavy bombardment for weeks. He said: 'In besieged Mariupol, Russian aviation deliberately dropped a heavy bomb on a Drama Theatre in the city centre. Hundreds of people were hiding there from shelling. The building is destroyed. The number of victims is unknown yet. My heart is broken because of what Russia does with our people. Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said Officials said it is impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the attack on the Mariupol Drama Theatre (pictured before the attack) because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, meaning rescuers can't reach those in the rubble Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word 'children' written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the theatre building in an effort to stave off any attack by Putin's forces 'Russian forces have such losses in Ukraine that they didn't have in Syria and Chechnya, that Soviet forces didn't have in Afghanistan. 'If your war against Ukrainian people continues, Russian mothers will lose more children than they did in the Afghan and Chechen wars combined.' In the Mariupol theatre, hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering when it was attacked. Officials said it is impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the attack on the Drama Theatre because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, meaning rescuers can't reach those in the rubble. Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word 'children' written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the theatre building in an apparent effort to stave off any attack by Vladimir Putin's forces. But two days later, Russian forces bombed the theatre where hundreds - including sick children and women - were sheltering, with Ukraine condemning the attack as a war crime. A volunteer of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces assists a woman to cross the street in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, after she was evacuated from a burning building hit in a Russian missile strike Three people were killed and five wounded in shelling in Kharkiv city centre on Wednesday - despite Moscow maintaining its forces are only targeting strategic military infrastructure Firefighters try to extinguish a fire broke out at the Saltivka construction market, hit by 6 rounds of Russian heavy artillery in Kharkiv, on Wednesday The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are now launching an appeal to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly fleeing from Russia's invading armed forces. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of a tyrant will require accommodation, schools and medical support. All donations to the Mail Ukraine Appeal will be distributed to charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement After the Russian bombing, the central part of the theatre collapsed, burying large numbers of people under rubble, Ukrainian officials said. The debris also blocked the entrance to the bomb shelter located inside the building. Petro Andruishchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said the theatre was the city's largest shelter 'in number and size'. He told CNN: 'More than a thousand people were hiding there but the probability of getting there to dismantle the rubble is low due to constant shelling and bombing of the city.' Authorities initially said as many as 1,200 people were sheltering in the theatre, but the figure was later reduced to 'several hundred'. Human Rights Watch said the theatre had been housing at least 500 civilians. Last week, footage showed scores of people - mainly women and children - sheltering inside the theatre. 'There are so many children,' a volunteer told the Times. 'All the children have a fever, I don't know what to do. Help us.' Russian authorities have repeatedly insisted that their forces are only targeting strategic military locations and are not waging war on the civilian population of Ukraine. But there have been repeated attacks on residential areas by Putin's forces, with three people killed and five wounded after Russian shelling in Kharkiv. Putin faced further allegations of war crimes on Wednesday after video of an attack that was later confirmed by Ukraine's prosecutor general showed at least 10 civilians gunned down while they were queueing for bread outside Chernihiv. Ukraine's prosecutor general confirmed in a statement the attack by Russian forces who 'fired at people standing in line for bread near a grocery store.' While new drone footage appeared to show Russian soldiers executing a lone Ukrainian civilian as he held his hands up to surrender on a highway west of Kyiv last week. Russian rocket attacks also targeted a convoy of people fleeing Mariupol, killing civilians, including children, on Wednesday after earlier strikes targeted a nearby hub for displaced people. It is not yet known how many were killed in the shelling but an image from the scene showed a burnt out car, with a damaged door blown open. The strikes on civilians drew strong condemnation from the West, with US President Joe Biden for the first time describing Putin as a war criminal. Despite the continuing attacks, there had been suggestions of progress in negotiations. The 15 proposals were discussed in full for the first time on Monday, and both sides said progress had been made. But Ukrainian officials are sceptical Putin will observe the terms of the agreement, and the Kremlin may be buying time to regroup before another offensive. A Ukrainian source briefed on the talks said: 'There's a likelihood this is trickery and illusion. They lie about everything Crimea, the build-up of troops on the border, and the 'hysteria' over the invasion. 'We need to put pressure on them until they have no other choice,' they added. But a Russian source said the proposed settlement could give both sides a way to declare a victory from the brutal war. Zelensky advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said any deal would include the removal of Russian troops from Ukraine captured since the invasion began. Ukraine also rejected a Russian plan to become 'neutral' like Sweden or Austria. Kyiv said any deal will need to include security guarantees underwritten by 'international partners' who would agree to come to Ukraine's defence in the event it is attacked again. Podolyak said the international community cannot be allowed 'to stand aside in the event of an attack on Ukraine, as they do today' should fighting restart. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that neutrality is taking centre stage with Moscow and Kyiv 'close to agreeing' the wording of an agreement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that some parts of a possible peace deal with Ukraine were close to being agreed after Kyiv agreed to discuss neutrality Ukraine (pictured, President Vlodymyr Zelensky) on Wednesday demanded guarantees that international forces will 'prevent attacks' in the future and rejected Russia's proposal for Kyiv to become 'neutral' like Austria or Sweden What is the 'Austrian model' of neutrality? In 1955 Austria signed the Moscow Memorandum - a deal with the Soviet Union that guaranteed it would remain neutral, having just reestablished itself as a sovereign nation in the aftermath of the Second World War. As part of the deal, Vienna wrote into its new constitution that it would not join any military alliances or host foreign forces on its territory, and would not declare or participate in wars or invasions. The deal has been amended since, allowing Austria to join the UN and commit troops to 'peacekeeping' missions ordered by the Security Council - such as in the Iraq-Kuwait conflict of 1990-91. In 1995, Austria became part of the NATO Partnership for Peace programme - allowing it to contribute to NATO peacekeeping forces - though only signed up after Russia joined. Austria has also joined the EU, whose treaties do include a common defence policy though it is not active and would require a unanimous vote of the European Council to activate. Neutrality for Austria was a Soviet precondition for granting the country - which had been occupied by Allied forces since the end of the Second World War - its sovereignty. It was based on the Swiss model of neutrality which dates back to the 1640 Peace of Westphalia - and closely mirrors a similar historical agreement in force in Sweden. Finland, which directly borders Russia and fought the Soviets in the run-up to the Second World War, is another European nation committed to neutrality in a pact with the USSR signed in 1948 - the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. As with the Austrian model, Finland's neutrality agreement forbids joining military alliances seen as hostile to Russia, hosting foreign troops on its soil, or allowing an attack on Russia to pass through its territory. Advertisement Summing up peace talks from the Russian side, one senior official told Reuters that there is 'a small chance of a peaceful resolution,' adding: 'Something will be decided in the next three days to a week.' Another senior Russian source said Putin is willing to consider a peace on Russia's terms and that there is a window of opportunity for some sort of deal. But the officials spoke amid warnings from British and American intelligence that the Kremlin is also looking to move reinforcements to the frontlines in order to free up combat forces for fresh attacks. It means that Putin, who went on state TV before the invasion to say that Ukraine has no right to exist as a country, could also be looking to press ahead with the war with the aim of uniting Ukraine and Russia under one banner. News of a deal inching closer came a day after Zelensky said his country must accept it will not become a member of NATO - a key Russian demand that was used to justify the Kremlin's decision to attack. The two sides have held several rounds of negotiations aimed at finding common ground and bringing the hostilities launched by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in late February to a halt. The latest bout ended late Tuesday with Kyiv pointing to 'fundamental contradictions' in the delegations' standpoints. Both sides had earlier raised hopes of a breakthrough, referring to agreements that were close to being put to paper and signed. Lavrov on Wednesday cautioned that the negotiations were not easy but that there was 'some hope of reaching a compromise'. Russia's negotiator Medinsky echoed the line to reporters on Wednesday that talks were 'slow and difficult' but said the Kremlin wants peace, 'as soon as possible'. He reiterated that the core issue at the talks is a 'neutral' Ukraine, citing the status of Austria and Sweden as possible examples to follow. It would mean Ukraine could retain its armed forces but that Kyiv would not be allowed to have any foreign bases, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. 'A whole range of issues tied with the size of Ukraine's army is being discussed', Medinsky said, having earlier mentioned the sides are discussing an idea for a future Ukraine with a smaller, non-aligned military. Sweden officially is militarily non-aligned in peacetime and neutral in times of war, having ended its policy of neutrality in 1992 at the end of the Cold War. It is not a member of NATO, but it has been a partner to the alliance for nearly 30 years. At the end of the Cold War, Sweden slashed its military spending, but began reinvesting in its defence following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Meanwhile, Medinsky said that other issues were being discussed, including the status of the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, as well as territories held for years by pro-Moscow separatists. Lavrov on Wednesday said the list of priorities included the security of people in eastern Ukraine, the demilitarisation of Ukraine and the rights of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have also made cautious positive statements about the status of peace talks. Zelensky on Wednesday described the negotiations as 'more realistic' but warned that more time was needed for any deal to be in the interests of Ukraine. Zelensky made the early morning statement after his team said a peace deal that will end Russia's invasion of Ukraine will be struck with Vladimir Putin within one or two weeks because Russian forces will run out of fresh troops and supplies by then. Moscow's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky (left) said his delegation was pushing for Ukraine to assume a status comparable Sweden or Austria. But Ukraine's chief negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak (right) has said he wants the country's security to be guaranteed by international forces The apparent breakthrough has come a day after Zelensky appeared to confirm that Ukraine will not join NATO. Speaking on Tuesday, he said that 'we have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It's a truth and it must be recognised.' Ahead of the invasion, Putin had been demanding guarantees that Ukraine would never be admitted to NATO along with the removal of all the alliance's troops and weapons from ex-Soviet countries. After being rebuffed by Kyiv, Washington and NATO Putin said there was no option but to launch the military operation because Russian-speaking people in Ukraine had been subjected to genocide by 'nationalists and neo-Nazis' since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Russian negotiators have softened their stance a little since then, saying they want Ukraine to declare neutrality, disarm, recognise Crimea as part of Russia and recognise the whole of the Donbass as independent. Scottish councillors are calling for a crackdown on Anglophobia amid an alarming rise in anti-English sentiment - with one claiming residents face more discrimination for being English than Muslim. The calls came as Moray council, in north-east Scotland, adopted a widely-accepted definition of Islamophobia this week when it committed itself to tackling discrimination against its Muslim population. However Conservative councillors claimed the 'abuse' hurled at the English 'minority group' is now far more common in the SNP-controlled territory. One claimed he was told to 'go back to England!' when his 'weak Perth accent' was mistaken as coming from south of the border - while others said they have received complaints of similar incidents for years now. The local politicians called for a fresh strategy to tackle Anglophobia at the council's corporate services committee on Tuesday. Council leader Graham Leadbitter agreed to the idea in principle and said he would be open to implementing such a policy if a definition of Anglophobia could be agreed upon. It came after Conservative councillor for Forres Claire Feaver welcomed efforts to root out both Islamophobia and antisemitism, but added: 'We need to also recognise, together with Islamophobia, Anglophobia. Conservative councillor for Forres Claire Feaver (pictured) welcomed efforts to root out both Islamophobia and antisemitism, but added: 'We need to also recognise, together with Islamophobia, Anglophobia.' 'From our point of view as Moray councillors, as a minority group in Moray I get more emails and telephone calls from people who suffer from Anglophobia in Moray. 'I have actually witnessed Islamophobia in Moray. Luckily, the gentleman involved was quick enough to say "when you want me to go home should I go home to Edinburgh or Pakistan?" but Anglophobia is there all the time. 'I have had numerous constituents over the last five years come to me as a minority group saying 'what are we going to do about this?'.' Ms Feaver asked for the motion to be amended to 'acknowledge that in Moray we do suffer from Anglophobia'. She said: 'In Moray, the minority group of English people actually do have to cope with Anglophobia.' Meanwhile Donald Gatt, the Conservative councillor for Keith & Cullen, claimed: 'I was told to go back to England probably because I don't have a particularly strong accent. 'I was born in Perth so I am as Scottish as anybody else.' SNP councillor for Forres Aaron McLean said Moray has 'a very diverse community probably because of the two air force bases' at Lossiemouth and formerly Kinloss, which became a British Army barracks in 2012, reports the Times. He added: 'Those people have loved Moray, decided to stay here and are now part of our community, friends and part of our family in my own instance. 'Any abuse of them is of course unacceptable.' Council leader Graham Leadbitter (pictured) agreed to the idea in principle and said he would be open to implementing such a policy if a definition of Anglophobia could be agreed upon Mr Leadbitter argued it would be not be appropriate to amend a motion on Islamophobia to include Anglophobia, as 'there is a very clear and well researched definition of Islamophobia'. He conceded that 'any form of discrimination expressed to anyone about where they are from or what their cultural heritage, even if somebody perceived something exists that doesn't exist, is a particularly insidious form of abuse and is completely unacceptable'. He added: 'I am not averse to having that incorporated into the council's policies. I just think it needs to be done correctly. 'If there is a definition to be incorporated we need to know what that definition is and I don't want to make that up on the hoof.' An SNP spokesman said: 'The SNP believes in equality for all and we're working hard to deliver a truly inclusive society. 'All forms of discrimination and prejudice are completely unacceptable.' Penny Wong has cancelled a fundraising event to attend Labor colleague Kimberley Kitching's funeral after facing criticism for not committing to the memorial. The Shadow Foreign Minister was due to host 'an evening with Senator Penny Wong' between 5.30pm and 7pm on Monday in Alice Springs in the Labor-held marginal seat of Lingiari. Senator Kitching's funeral is on the same day in Melbourne and Senator Wong initially said she was unsure if she would attend. Penny Wong (pictured) was due to attend a fundraiser in the Northern Territory on the day of her Labor colleague Kimberley Kitching's funeral The event description (pictured) says 'nibbles will be provided with a cash bar' Asked by Ten Eyewitness News if she will go to the funeral, Senator Wong said: 'I will look at whether I can. I currently have an engagement in the Northern Territory with some First Nations communities.' Pauline Hanson, who was friends with Senator Kitching, blasted Senator Wong for not committing to the funeral and called her a 'nasty piece of work'. 'She's more interested in going to the Northern Territory to do something for the Aboriginals, and that's more important,' she told Sky News. 'She said ''we've lost one of our own from the Labor Party family'', well that doesn't sound like it to me.' On Thursday afternoon Senator Wong said she had cancelled the event to go to the funeral. 'Senator Wong will be attending Senator Kitching's funeral to pay her respects along with the Labor family,' her spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia. Senator Kitching's allies claimed she was ostracised and bullied by Labor 'mean girls' Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Ms Keneally before her sudden death aged 52. Senator Wong refused to comment on the allegations 'even if I and others disagree with them'. Senator Kitching was in the Right faction of Labor while Senator Wong is on the Left. A report in The Australian accused Senator Penny Wong of telling Senator Kitching 'if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency' during a heated exchange in parliament about mass climate protests. Ms Kitching, 52, (pictured) died from a suspected heart attack on March 10 Ms Wong reportedly made the stinging comment in 2019 after Ms Kitching argued the party shouldn't support students who ditched school that year to attend climate protests. Senator Kitching's supporters said the comment hurt even more because she wanted children but couldn't have any. The report also claimed Ms Kitching, who died on Thursday, was accused of leaking to the Liberals, benched from the party's tactics committee and ostracised by the senior leadership team. A close supporter of the Victorian senator said the comment about her lack of children was 'brutal'. 'The children thing was particularly grotesque, it was just foul,' the friend said. Ex-Labor MP Michael Danby, a close friend of Ms Kitching, on Wednesday claimed her treatment by senior female members crossed a line. 'It's a fine line, people are entitled to fierce disagreements, but it was too much in my opinion, what was done crossed that fine line and people should say they're sorry and they regret it,' Mr Danby said. Mr Danby hit out at the Labor right for 'dangling' her pre-selection over her head which he said had caused the politician undue stress. He also slammed the party's left wing for being 'too strong' and claimed his friend had been punished for not agreeing with other people's 'ideological views'. Pictured left to right: Labor senators Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong. Late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching felt ostracised by the three women, a report has claimed 'What a disgrace that these people were able to cause her such stress,' he said. Wednesday's report pointed to several instances of the senator being excluded from decision-making by senior party members. Ms Kitching was also reportedly summoned to a meeting with Ms Keneally over her support for then-Liberal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations. The report went on to suggest the treatment she received from some colleagues had taken a toll in the lead-up to her pre-selection, and ultimately her shock death. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday described the revelations as 'distressing' while paying tribute to Ms Kitching. 'These are very distressing [allegations] and I don't think they can just be dismissed, they obviously need to be addressed,' Mr Morrison said. 'These reports of her treatment are not ones that I can confirm, obviously, as the leader of the Liberal party, but they're certainly things that I would expect to be taken very seriously and addressed. Senator Kitching is pictured with Labor Senator Kristina Keneally. Ms Kitching was reportedly summoned to a meeting with the senior senator over her support for then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations 'The reason she had so many friends on our side is because she stood up very strongly for issues of our national security and sovereignty.' Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese denied Labor had a cultural problem, and said the senator's sudden death was tragic. He said it was disrespectful to brand senators Kristina Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher as 'mean girls'. 'I find that extraordinarily disrespectful to describe strong, articulate, principled women,' he told reporters in Brisbane. He said senior male politicians would not be described in the same way. Mr Albanese says he respected Senator Kitching and appointed her as an assistant shadow minister when he became opposition leader. 'Out of respect for Kimberley, I think the idea that people go into who might have had a disagreement here or there is totally unbecoming,' he told the Nine Network. 'I'm going to pay respect to Kimberley Kitching by treating her with the respect that she deserves. 'She made a contribution for too short a time to the Labor party and to the Labor cause. Her family and friends are really hurting today.' Asked if there was a cultural problem with senior women within the opposition, Mr Albanese said 'no'. 'I'm very proud of the fact that I lead a team that has 50 per cent female and male contribution in my shadow cabinet,' he said. 'I'm proud of all of the people in the leadership team of the Labor party.' Senator Gallagher told the ABC 'many' of the assertions in the article were incorrect from her point of view but refused to discuss the specifics. 'I just don't think it's respectful for us to enter into commentary or disagreement of (the article) at this point in time,' she said. 'I don't think it's right.' With AAP New Zealand will introduce a new history curriculum in schools, encouraging teachers and students to think more critically about British colonialism and its ongoing impact on Maori communities. Beginning next year, the plan riled up fringe libertarian groups who accused Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of pushing 'left-wing narratives' and evoking 'white guilt'. But the Labour government argues New Zealand's history has been shaped by 'the use of power, relationships and connections' between Maori and European settlers and must be taught to children in full. Set to be taught next year, the new curriculum has riled up fringe libertarian groups who accuse Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) of pushing 'left-wing narratives' Poll WOULD YOU WANT YOUR KIDS LEARNING JACINDA'S CURRICULUM? Yes No WOULD YOU WANT YOUR KIDS LEARNING JACINDA'S CURRICULUM? Yes 94 votes No 1082 votes Now share your opinion 'The new curriculum content has been created to be flexible allowing local, national and global context that span the full range of New Zealander's experience to be included,' Ms Ardern said. 'It will help us celebrate our unique place in the world and highlight what has made New Zealand the country we are today. 'This is an important milestone and I know it will help bring our nation's histories to life in our communities.' Education minister Chris Hipkins said it was vital young Kiwis understood 'history as a continuous thread, with contemporary issues directly linked to major events of the past'. 'Our diversity is our strength, but only when we build connections to each other. We can move forward together, stronger when we understand the many paths our ancestors walked to bring us to today,' he said. But not everybody in The Land of the Long White Cloud shares this sentiment. New Zealand will introduce a new history curriculum in schools encouraging teachers and students to think more critically about British colonialism and the ongoing impact on Maori communities. Pictured: NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shares a traditional greeting with a fellow Kiwi WHAT WILL BE TAUGHT? The curriculum will span the full range of New Zealanders' experiences and are expected to include: - The Arrival of Maori to Aotearoa New Zealand - First encounters and early colonial history of Aotearoa New Zealand - Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi and its history Colonisation of, and immigration to, Aotearoa New Zealand, including the New Zealand Wars - Evolving national identity of Aotearoa New Zealand in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries - Aotearoa New Zealand's role in the Pacific - Aotearoa New Zealand in the late 20th century and evolution of a national identity with cultural plurality Source: New Zealand Government Advertisement ACT's Education spokesperson Chris Baillie said the curriculum 'divides history into villains and victims, contains significant gaps, and pushes a narrow set of highly political stories from our past'. 'Today, Labour is trying to make New Zealand an unequal society on purpose. It believes there are two types of New Zealanders. Tangata Whenua, who are here by right, and Tangata Tiriti who are lucky to be here. We should be learning the history of our multi-ethnic society,' he claimed. 'The curriculum pushes a number of left-wing narratives, including about the welfare state, 'cultural appropriation', and a partnership between the Crown and Maori.' Mr Baillie took aim at the three 'big ideas' put forward by the curriculum. The first 'big idea', that Maori history is the 'continuous history' of New Zealand, excludes the many people who have travelled from the furthest points of the globe, brought their histories and cultures with them and worked to give themselves, their families and this county and better future,' he said. ACT's Education spokesperson Chris Baillie said the curriculum 'divides history into villains and victims, contains significant gaps, and pushes a narrow set of highly political stories from our past' 'The second, that colonisation 'continue[s] to influence all aspects of New Zealand society', is depressing and wrong and neglects the elements of our society that are untouched by colonisation. 'The final big idea, that power has been the primary driver of our history, creates a narrative of oppressors and oppressed, and leaves out the many forces that have propelled our past, including scientific discoveries, technological innovations, business, and artistic creativity.' The curriculum centres around three 'big ideas' that took three years to drum out. First, that 'Maori history is the foundational and continuous history of Aotearoa New Zealand'. Second, that 'colonisation and settlement have been central to Aotearoa New Zealand's histories for the past 200 years'. Jacinda Ardern (pictured with husband Clarke Gayford) said the new curriculum content 'is an important milestone and I know it will help bring our nation's histories to life in our communities' And finally that 'the course of Aotearoa New Zealand's histories has been shaped by the use of power. 'Relationships and connections between people and across boundaries have shaped the course of Aotearoa New Zealand's histories'. In practical terms, resources for teachers suggest things like they should 'not drape The Treaty of Waitangi with the Union Jack of England, but rather with your Maori cloak, which is of this country'. Guidelines also encourage teachers and students to watch the documentary series by RNZ called The Land of the Long White Cloud which 'tells the stories of New Zealanders who are reflecting on their colonial heritage and white guilt, and the ways they push through to find a more healthy Pakeha identity'. Andrew Judd, a former white mayor of New Plymouth, appeared on the program and famously made the statement: 'We are the problem, always have been'. Tucker Carlson had a fiery debate with a GOP congresswoman who said she'd be open to supporting a no-fly zone over Ukraine - but not to troops being deployed to the southern border. Maria Salazar, a former news anchor turned US representative from Florida, was accused of hypocrisy by Carlson, but defended her positions during a fiery debate. Salazar explained her openness to a no-fly zone by insisting it was not her first choice of measure, and that it was 'not for her' to dictate Ukraine's military strategy. Carlson countered: 'You don't seem as appalled by the violation of our borders by tens of millions of people,' Carlson said. Salazar refused to back down, answering: 'That's hypothetical again,' in reference to an earlier scenario presented to her by Carlson. She was grilled over her proposal for an immigration bill that would see tens of millions of people in the US illegally being allowed stay, but hit back by highlighting border security measures she had championed. Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night had Florida congresswoman Maria Salazar on his show to debate her position on Ukraine Salazar said: 'I am for -- all the technology we could find so we can secure the border. All the military, veterans, the police forces that we could hire so we could secure and seal the order not only for people, but fentanyl and child ex traffickers. 'So as I told you, the bill is right there. It's technology, it's not so simple is to say are going to put this or that, it's a series of technicalities of technology that we need to use.' Amid the combative discussion, with Salazar accusing him of twisting her words, he asked her again whether she would send the U.S. military to the southern border. 'Let me just ask you a question: can you see why Americans who support the Ukrainians' right to secure their own borders - I certainly do, most people do, all Americans do - can you see the frustration that they might feel listening to you, a lawmaker, say yeah, there's a process, when it happens in a foreign country we have to send billions, members of the U.S. military, your sons, but we can't kind of do that here - because why? 'Can you sort of understand the frustration little bit?' Salazar replied that she never suggested sending U.S. troops to fight in Ukraine. 'I have never said that I want to send troops, our boys, to fight in Ukraine because I don't think that Zelensky is asking. 'We are sending at the same time stingers and javelins and ammunitions - we are sending a lot of things.' Carlson replied: 'Why don't we protect our border with the same seriousness? 'But you're not. You're not treating our border crisis with any level of the same seriousness.' Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is seen on Wednesday speaking via videolink to Congress UKRAINE'S WEAPONS WISHLIST * More MiG fighter jets * More Javelin and Stinger anti-tank missiles * Bigger air-defense systems that can reach higher targets than Javelins * Long-range anti-ship missiles * Improved satellite navigation technology * Tactical military radios * Communications jamming equipment * Other electronic warfare equipment Advertisement Salazar, 60, was asked last week by The Grayzone, the website run by controversial former Russia Today journalist Max Blumenthal, whether she supported a no-fly zone. 'Do you support a no-fly zone in Ukraine?' she was asked by Blumenthal. 'I support everything that has to do with punishing Vladimir Putin helping the Ukrainians,' she replied. 'Wouldn't that mean direct conventional warfare with Russia?' Blumenthal asked. 'I don't know what it will mean but you know, freedom is not free.' A Ukrainian service member holds a Javelin missile system at a position on the front line in the north Kyiv region on Sunday Zelensky is seen on February 17 inspecting javelin anti-tank missiles in Donetsk Ukrainian servicemen unpack javelin anti-tank missiles, delivered as part of the U.S. package of military aid, on February 11 Blumenthal replied: 'You don't know what a no-fly zone will mean if you have to shoot down Russian planes?' Salazar said: 'Of course!' The idea has been widely rejected by NATO, because it would involve their jets patrolling Ukrainian skies and potentially shooting down Russian jets, seriously escalating the Ukraine war. Carlson said that he had mocked her for her comments, and so he wanted to give her the right to respond. Salazar was asked by Max Blumenthal of The Grayzone whether she backed a no-fly zone Salazar gamely accepted, and proceeded to joust with the Fox News superstar in a segment that consumed a third of his entire show. 'My position is that we should not take the no-fly zone off the table,' said Salazar. 'But before that, we need to give Zelensky exactly what he's asking for.' The Ukrainian leader addressed Congress earlier on Wednesday, and appealed for more assistance in fighting Russia. Joe Biden on Tuesday approved $1.1 billion in military aid, in a move which has received bipartisan support. Salazar said that Zelensky should be given fighter jets and ultra-modern 'kamikaze drones' called Switchblade 300s, which hover over targets then swoop to the ground and explode. 'No troops on the ground: let's give him the MiGs and the S-300s, what he needs to defend his own airspace, so he will create his own no-fly zone, and that's what I think we should have done months ago,' said Salazar. 'It's embarrassing that this guy, this president who is under the bullets, has come to congress to beg for us to give him something we should have down a long time ago.' Carlson asked Salazar, who was born in Little Havana and is known for her activism, interviewing Fidel Castro in 1995 and representing a largely Cuban-American district, whether her stance risks dragging the U.S. into war. 'If the United States providing weapons weapons to one side in a war, how is that not participating in the war?' he asked. Salazar replied: 'I represent district number 27 where you have millions of Cuban-Americans, and I'm representing what we think. 'We know that we acquire peace through strength. 'Look at what happened in 1960 - Fidel Castro, JFK.' Kennedy was elected in November 1960, and took over the plan, begun by his predecessor Dwight Eisenhower, for the April 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, to topple the Cuban leader. Carlson interjected: 'Stop - I'm sorry, I'm not going to take the anti-communist lecture from anybody, because of course I agree with you. Carlson spent a third of his show on Wednesday night debating Ukraine support with Salazar 'I'm as against communism, I think, as anybody. 'But my question is: if we are providing weapons to one side in a war, I think it's fair to ask, maybe the other side would say that's an act of war against us. 'And if that happens, then what next? 'And to not think about that seems negligent - but since you are on the Foreign Affairs Committee, I know you have thought it through. So tell me your views and what would happen next.' Salazar pushed back, accusing Carlson of being too timid. 'Unfortunately the United States has fallen to Vladimir Putin's trap,' she said. 'He is the one dictating what we are going to do and what we are not going to do. 'He said we do not want a no-fly zone over Ukraine, and we are abiding by it.' Carlson continued to press her on whether she had considered Putin's response to the U.S.'s deepening involvement in the war. The Russian leader has already threatened to use nuclear weapons, and on Wednesday referred to pro-Western Russians as 'scum and traitors' who needed to be removed from society. In an anger-filled speech delivered from the Kremlin, Putin described the war in Ukraine - which is proving far more complex than he had hoped - as part of an existential clash with the United States. 'So are we concerned at all that he might use a nuclear weapon against the United States? Is that a concern?' Carlson asked. 'Is that something you consider as you recommend these policies?' Salazar replied: 'Of course we are very concerned when we are concerned that he may be throwing a biological weapon against the Ukrainians within the next few hours, because he cannot take Kyiv as he thought he was going to. 'So of course, we are confronting a dictator. 'But I think that we should be putting this into context. 'If we believe in the free world that this is going to be the first of the last confrontation with a bad actor, we are in for a very big surprise. 'Because if they do not confront bad actors with strength, then we are going to have China and Russia and Iran and Fidel and Venezuela and they are watching what we are doing....' Salazar, pictured in May, insisted that she was representing the views of her constituents, who wanted more support for Ukraine Carlson asked her to calculate the probability of Russia launching a nuclear attack on the U.S. - something which Salazar declined to do. He then asked her how many nuclear weapons Russia had. When she replied: 'many', he gave her the answer of approximately 6,000. Carlson pushed Salazar to say whether she supported the idea of handing over Crimea to Russia, Ukraine promising not to join NATO or the EU, in return for an end to the war. 'I'm not imposing any views,' she replied, as Carlson repeatedly accused her of dodging the question. He then switched to discussing her immigration bill, which she maintains will simultaneously halt new illegal immigration and provide dignity to undocumented people who are already residing in the U.S. She said the border would be strongly policed, and said she was not suggesting a pathway to citizenship, but Carlson said her bill equated an amnesty. 'I don't want to misrepresent you,' he told her. 'I'm asking - you don't support sending the U.S. military to the border - you don't.' She began: 'I am supporting -' 'A foreign country but not our own.' Carlson countered. 'It's pretty clear.' This combined photo shows members of the presidential transition committee's second economy division who are connected to SK Group. From left are KAIST College of Business professor Lee Chang-yang, Dongduk Women's University professor Wang Yun-jong and former SK Telecom Vice President Ryu Woong-hwan. Yonhap By Park Jae-hyuk SK Group is drawing attention after some of its former employees rose to prominent roles in the second economy division of Yoon Suk-yeol's presidential transition committee in charge of industry and trade policies. Given that SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is also leading the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) representing businesses, the group is expected to exercise strong influence over the incoming Yoon administration's industrial policies. According to the transition committee, Thursday, KAIST College of Business professor Lee Chang-yang, Dongduk Women's University professor Wang Yun-jong, former SK Telecom Vice President Ryu Woong-hwan and ATEAM Ventures CEO Ko San were appointed as the four members of the second economy division. Aside from Ko, the three other members are all affiliated with SK Group. Lee, who will lead the division, served as a nonexecutive director of SK hynix between 2012 and 2018, based on his career as a government official dealing with industrial policies. Wang worked as SK China's senior vice president, and while he was leading SK Research Institute in China and Korea he wrote reports on the global economy for the SK Group chairman. He is known as an expert in international finance and trade policies, as he worked for the state-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy as the head of its Center for Regional Economic Studies. Ryu, who had worked for Intel, Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, joined SK Telecom in 2018 and led the telecommunication company's open collaboration group, social value innovation center and ESG innovation group. He is said to have continued offering advice to SK Group's management, even after resigning last year. "They will come up with measures to create jobs, abolish regulations, foster the digital economy and convert into the management considering environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors," Yoon's spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said after announcing their appointments. Yoon Suk-yeol, left, shakes hands with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry headquarters in Seoul in this December 2021 file photo. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-keun A family-of-seven has been torn apart after a 16-year-old girl tragically took her own life just four months after her mother's suicide. Kumari Armener's lifeless body was found in a small town near her family home in Mount Gambier, south of Adelaide, on November 27 - just one day after she was reported missing. The 37-year-old's death was not treated as suspicious, and she was remembered by friends as 'caring, kind, giving, and compassionate'. Earlier this week, the family was hit with another cruel blow when Ms Armener's daughter Clarice Simmonds also took her own life. Clarice Simmonds, 16, took her own life earlier this week. Her family were left shattered Pictured: Kumari Armener, who tragically took her own life just four months before her daughter, Clarice Simmonds Trudi, a family friend, set up a fundraiser to help the teenager's father and six siblings pay for another funeral. 'Beautiful Clarice, 16 years forever young has gone to fly high with her beautiful mother Kumari who we lost just over three months ago,' she wrote. 'Her siblings, Ella, Julian, Hannah, Jack, Krissy and Jacob need our help to lay this precious child to rest.' 'May she be in the arms of her mama forever in peace. Amen.' Clarice's older sister Kristina wrote a tribute to the teenager on Instagram. 'Nearly four months on from one heartbreak and we are faced with another, love you forever little sis,' she wrote, next to a photo of Clarice. Another sister, Ella, shared a Facebook post urging anyone struggling with their mental health to speak up. 'It ain't weak to speak,' she wrote. 'We'd rather hear your problems then your eulogy.' The teenager shared the same post after her mother died in November. In December, family friend held a community fundraising event called 'Cruise for Kumari Armener' to raise money for mental health. More than 120 participants drove from 50km from Bunnings in Mount Gambier to Millicent - the young mum's hometown. The fundraiser co-organiser Jezza Young said he never heard anyone say a bad word about Ms Armener. 'She was always bubbly, and she was one of those people that you could just tell was in the room,' he told SE Voices in December. Clarice's (pictured) sister said the shock death came too soon after their mother's death just four months ago 'It is going to be really hard for her husband Jason and her children in the next few months with Christmas and the New Year.' The Mount Gambier City Band also wrote a tribute to Ms Armener in November. 'Kumari and her family were fabulous contributors to the Mount Gambier City Band and in particular the establishment of our development band where we saw her talented children develop as musicians and as fine young people,' it said. 'Kumari was always there to help and support our community band along with all the other community groups she was involved with. 'A loss of this kind will be felt forever.' One person commented and said she was a 'beautiful soul'. ' My family offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Kumari,' he wrote. 'If you only knew how many love you. Rest In Peace.' Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 The US government has agreed to pay $127.5m to the relatives of 17 killed in a 2018 school shooting after admitting the FBI failed to follow up two tips that could have prevented it. Federal officials confirmed the settlement with families of those murdered, as well as survivors, following the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by former student Nikolas Cruz. Attorneys for 16 of the 17 killed at the high school in Florida and some of those wounded previously announced in November that they had reached a monetary settlement with the government over the FBI's failure to investigate a tip it received about a month before the massacre. The 17th family chose not to sue. The government's announcement Wednesday said the settlement resolves a total 40 cases connected to the massacre. The settlement does not amount to an admission of fault by the United States, according to a Justice Department news release. The 2018 shooting was the worst school massacre in the United States since the horror at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, which left 26 dead. Stricken families wait outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14 2018 in the wake of a shooting that killed 17, with the federal government today agreeing to pay-out $127.5m to the families of those killed, and survivors Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2018 to 2021, David Bowdich said that the agency 'could have and should have done more' with the information provided by tips to arrest Cruz before the shooting About five weeks before the February shooting, the FBI's West Virginia tip line received a call saying a former Stoneman Douglas student, 23-year-old Nikolas Cruz, had bought guns and planned to 'slip into a school and start shooting the place up.' 'I know he's going to explode,' the caller told the FBI. He also shared that Cruz admired ISIS, made death threats to his mother and was mutilating small animals. But that information was never forwarded to the FBI's South Florida office and Cruz was never contacted. He had been expelled from the school a year earlier and had a long history of emotional and behavioral problems. 'The FBI could have and should have done more to investigate the information it was provided prior to the shooting,' Acting Deputy Director David Bowdich said in 2018. 'While we will never know if any such investigative activity would have prevented this tragedy, we clearly should have done more,' he added. The second tip came from a YouTuber, who shared a comment to the bureau that Cruz had posted under the comment section of one of his videos. It read: 'I'm going to be a professional school shooter.' The FBI's response at the time was that it could not verify the identity of the user who had posted the comment, even though 'Nikolas Cruz' was part of the username. The gunman was able to legally buy an AR-15 he used in the shooting and pleaded guilty last October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, 23, enters the courtroom for a hearing at the Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Tuesday, January 15, 2019. Cruz was found guilty on 17 counts of first-degree murder in the aftermath of the Florida high school shooting Students hold their hands in the air as they are evacuated by police from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School He will receive either a death sentence or life in prison after a penalty trial that is scheduled to start in April. Cruz's lawyers admit that he is behind the shooting, but say he was too mentally-disturbed to be held culpable for his actions, and want him committed to psychiatric care for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, surviving victims of the shooting were able to successfully influence state legislators into passing several gun control measures in the aftermath of the shooting by founding Never Again MSD, an advocacy group that lobbies for gun safety. Florida's Governor at the time, Rick Scott, also passed legislation allowing for the arming of teachers who were properly trained and the hiring of school resource officers. A rally organized by the students, 'March for Our Lives,' also drew hundreds of thousands to the nation's capital in March 2018. Honduras' Supreme Court has ruled that former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, 53, can be extradited to the United States, where he is facing drug trafficking and weapons charges. Judge Edwin Ortez approved the extradition request Wednesday, seven weeks after Hernandez's term concluded. Hernandez's team of legal attorneys are expected to appeal the judge's decision within the three days allotted under law, arguing the weapons charge is not part of the extradition agreement between Honduras and the United States. 'There are very important points that can be validated by the (Supreme Court),' said Felix Avila, one of the former president's lawyers, as quoted by Honduran newspaper La Prensa. 'There are crimes in that request that are not contemplated in the extradition (request), that is a clear violation of the treaty, the crime of arms trafficking is not included in the treaty as crimes, in that sense we have found a clear violation.' U.S. prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have accused Hernandez in recent years of funding his political rise with profits from drug traffickers, including Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, in exchange for protecting their transnational shipments. He has strongly denied any wrongdoing. The former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, appeared before a Supreme Court extradition judge Wednesday and learned that his extradition to the United States has been approved. Hernandez, whose term ended January 27, faces drug trafficking and weapons charges. His attorneys have three days to appeal the decision Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez (center in chains) is presented before the press at the National Police headquarters in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on February 15 Former first lady Ana Garcia told local journalists while leaving the court that she was confident the truth would eventually come out and her husband would be exonerated. 'I regret that this happens to someone who has been an ally' of the United States, she said. 'I ask myself, from this point on who else will want to work to combat drug trafficking in any country of the region or Honduras. If today they do this to the one who put himself out there, what can we expect?' Before the decision was announced, court spokesman Melvin Duarte said that during a hearing earlier in the day, Hernandez addressed the court. 'In general terms he argued about the motives that have led to this extradition process against him, which he and his wife have said publicly,' Duarte said. Hernandez has maintained that statements against him have been made by drug traffickers extradited by his government who wanted to seek revenge against him. He denies having any ties to drug traffickers. He will have an opportunity to appeal the extradition decision. During the hearing, Ortez presented a document sent by the U.S. Justice Department through the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa that laid out the charges against Hernandez. Hernandez's lawyers also presented at least 20 pieces of evidence in his defense. Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, in chains, is shown to the press at the National Police headquarters in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on February 15 Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman allegedly handed over $1 million to support the 2013 presidential campaign of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez in exchange for protection of drug deliveries Hernandez left office January 27 at the conclusion of his second term. The judge had more time to reach a decision, but in 32 previous extradition cases the decision came in less than a week. All of those decisions were for extradition. Criminal lawyer German Licona said before the announcement that if the judge ruled for extradition, Hernandez could appeal to the full Supreme Court. Hernandez was arrested at his home February 15 at the request of the U.S. government. Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernandez (pictured in 2017) was convicted in a massive drug conspiracy case in a New York City federal court in October 2019 and sentenced to life in prison in March 2021. He is the brother of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez Former Honduran first lady and wife of former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, Ana Garcia de Hernandez, waves to supporters on Wednesday after her husband was taken to the Supreme Court building in Tegucigalpa, Honduras Supporters of Honduras former President Juan Orlando Hernandez protest outside the Supreme Court in Tegucigalpa after he was taken there to decide if he could be extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking and weapons charges The arrest followed years of allegations by U.S. prosecutors about his alleged links to drug traffickers. His brother, Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernandez, was sentenced in New York to life in prison on drug and weapons charges in March 2021. The former Honduran congressman, according to United States prosecutors, relied on 'state sponsored drug trafficking' enabled by the former president. Explosive testimony included a witness revealing that the jailed Sinaloa Cartel co-founder El Chapo provided the Central American leader $1 million ahead of the 2013 presidential campaign in return for favorable treatment. Former Honduran mayor Amilcar Alexander Ardon told the court that Tony Hernandez promised the Mexican drug lord protection for his shipments in exchange for funding the presidential campaign. Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, former leader of Honduras' Cachiros gang, testified that he paid bribes to multiple officials including former President Hernandez. After his arrest, the former president was led before cameras flanked by police, shackled at the wrists and ankles, and wearing a bulletproof jacket. On Wednesday, he appeared in court wearing a blue suit but was similarly shackled. New details have emerged about how an alleged associate of accused drug kingpin Mostafa Baluch helped the wanted man escape. Jovanco Kitanovski, 46, allegedly communicated with the restaurateur in the days before he fled NSW arnd sparked a two-week nationwide manhunt last November. The father-of-three then loaded the 34-year-old into his own Mercedes with a supply of food before driving it into a shipping container, a court has heard. Baluch - dubbed 'Australia's Pablo Escobar' - was caught hiding in the back of the luxury car in a shipping contained on the back of a truck at the Queensland-NSW border on November 10, 16 days after he went on the run. The prosecutor told the court Mr Kitanovski had been involved in 'every step of the planning' and had communicated with Baluch via WhatsApp. Baluch was caught hiding in the back of the luxury car in a shipping container on the back of a truck at the Queensland-NSW border on November 10, 16 days after he went on the run (pictured is the 34-year-old being escorted back to NSW in November) A photo released by police shows Baluch dressed in a T-shirt and shorts sitting on the side of the road moments after his dramatic arrest (pictured) Crown prosecutor Lester Fernandez said the father-of-three had intended to drive the drug kingpin as far as Townsville but was stopped at the NSW-Queensland border. Mr Kitanovski was arrested and told Queensland Police he was 'scared' of what associates of Baluch would do to him, 9NEWS reports. He was released without charge and took a nap before driving south to Tucabia, near Grafton, where he was arrested by NSW Police. Justice Michael Walton this week refused Mr Kitanovski bail after stating the prosecutor had 'a reasonably strong case'. The 46-year-old faces up to 10 years in jail if he is charged with attempting to pervert or obstruct the course of justice. Meanwhile, Baluch is now in Australia's most secure prison, Goulburn's Supermax, after allegedly cutting off an ankle monitor while on bail and sparking 'one of the largest fugitive hunts in the country'. The 34-year-old had been released on strict conditions, including $4 million surety on his waterfront home at Bayview. Baluch (pictured being escorted back to NSW in November) is now in Australia's most secure prison, Goulburn's Supermax, after allegedly cutting off an ankle monitor while on bail He removed the tracking device shortly after being released from jail charged with commercial drug supply and fled from his home on Sydney's Northern Beaches. A photo released by police shows Baluch dressed in a T-shirt and shorts sitting on the side of the road moments after his dramatic arrest. He was later that month seen scowling as he was escorted onto a waiting police plane, shoeless, in shackles and wearing green prison-issue clothing. Police allege Baluch was involved in an organised crime syndicate that conspired to import and distribute three tonnes of cocaine. The prohibited drugs were potentially worth an estimated $900 million. With help from US authorities, 1.77 tonnes of cocaine was seized from vessels off the coast of Colombia in October 2020 and Ecuador in April 2021. Police found Baluch hiding inside a grey Mercedes in a shipping container (pictured) on the back of a truck after a two-week nationwide manhunt Five other men have been charged so far over their alleged involvement in the syndicate allegedly headed by Baluch (pictured) Five men have been charged so far over their alleged involvement in the syndicate. But inquiries continue, and police say they've uncovered a further conspiracy to import up to 1600kg of heroin and ice, potentially worth up to $320 million. Police say the plan involved shipping the drugs from Malaysia to Sydney concealed inside industrial toilet paper canisters. A 59-year-old Sans Souci man has been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs. In February, NSW police reported Baluch was facing an additional charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Hunter Biden took out a loan pay off more than $1million in back taxes after a federal investigation was launched into his tax affairs in late 2020. Associates close to the president's son confirmed the payment to the New York Times, alleging Biden financed the federal tax liability in recent months. The exact amount of his loan or date of payment was not made public. Biden's tax payment was made as a grand jury in Delaware continues to investigate his international business dealings, with critics saying he was only offered such opportunities because his father Joe Biden was vice president at the time. Even though the payment does not disqualify the criminal charges against Biden, experts allege it could make it more difficult for prosecutors to win a conviction for the tax-related allegations as juries tend to be more sympathetic towards defendants who have paid their debts. However, the federal probe spans wider than Biden's tax liabilities. It is also investigating business deals and clients he was involved in while working as a registered lobbyist for domestic interests and during his father's vice presidency. The probe is searching for criminal violations of tax laws, as well as foreign lobbying and money laundering rules. So far, Biden has not been charged with any crime. Most recently, the president's son has pursued a career as an artist. He also acknowledged that he battled drug addiction and several other mental health problems while he engaged in international business deals, as well as a paternity scandal that saw his baby born to a stripper who was later given a $2.5m settlement. Hunter Biden has taken out a loan to pay off $1m in back taxes, it was reported, after a series of sex and drug scandals Biden faces a federal probe into his financial affairs, after being accused of exploiting his dad's name to secure well-paid jobs that he was unqualified to do Although Biden has paid off his tax liability, it remains unclear if evidence of the remittance will be presented in court. Tax law experts allege that federal tax prosecutors typically fight to keep jurors unaware of the status of a defendant's bills, arguing it may influence their decision even if a judge asks them not to consider it. The prosecution argues the crime occurred when the tax report was falsely filed or not filed at all and that repayment should not play a factor into the verdict. The experts also allege that defense attorneys will encourage defendants to pay back their taxes if they believe they could be indicted, arguing that repayment often helps with sentencing. It is unclear if Biden's attorneys instructed him to pay off his bill or if they believe it will impact his case. Biden's lawyer, the Justice Department and the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware all reportedly declined to comment to the New York Times. They also did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's inquiry. The payment comes as the federal government continues to probe business deals and clients he was involved in while working as a registered lobbyist for domestic interests and during his father's vice presidency. Biden is pictured with security outside the White House in May 2021 Biden has acknowledged that he battled drug addiction and several other mental health problems while he engaged in international business deals. He is pictured above with what appears to be a crack pipe in his mouth Details surrounding the criminal probe have been kept under wraps and it is unknown if Biden is the sole focus of the investigation or if he is among a group of people or businesses under scrutiny. Prosecutors have asked about possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by Blue Star Strategies, a Washington consulting firm that worked with for Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings in a deal Biden allegedly helped broker. Officials are trying to determine if Biden should have registered under FARA on behalf of Burisma. Investigators analyzed emails between Biden and his business partner, Devon Archer, and others about the company and its dealings. In one email to Archer, dated April 2014, Biden suggested he was familiar with FARA and wanted to avoid triggering any violations. He allegedly mentioned that his father, then-vice president, would be announcing a trip to Ukraine, writing that the announcement 'could be a really good thing or it could end up creating too great an expectation. We need to temper expectations regarding that visit.' Biden did not specifically name his father, but instead referred to him as 'my guy'. In that same message, Biden argued that Burisma's officials 'need to know in no uncertain terms that we will not and cannot intervene directly with domestic policymakers, and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board.' He also suggested enlisting a law firm - where Biden worked at the time - to 'direct discussions at state, energy and NSC' and said the firm 'can devise a media plan and arrange for legal protections and mitigate U.S. domestic negative press regarding the current leadership if need be.' The email was penned about a week before the vice president traveled to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. In another set of emails, dated April 2015, Biden allegedly invited a Burisma adviser to meet his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden Federal officials examined records relating to a lawsuit filed by Biden's former employee Lunden Alexis Roberts (pictured). Roberts sued Biden in Arkansas state court for child support and paternity in 2019 after one of his companies - identified as Burisma - allegedly ceased paying her and providing her with medical insurance In another set of emails, dated April 2015, Biden and Archer allegedly discussed inviting foreign business associates - including a Burisma executive - to a dinner at a D.C. area restaurant where the vice president would make an appearance. However, it is unclear if the executive attended the meal. Investigators also looked into his interests in Kazakhstan, a Chinese energy conglomerate. They are examining payments and gifts he and his associates received from foreign interests, including a vehicle purchased with funds from a company associated with a Kazakh oligarch and a diamond from a Chinese energy tycoon. Additionally, federal officials examined records relating to a lawsuit filed by Biden's former employee Lunden Alexis Roberts. Roberts sued Biden in Arkansas state court for child support and paternity in 2019 after one of his companies allegedly ceased paying her and providing her with medical insurance. The pair reached a settlement out of court in March 2020. Last year, prosecutors traveled to Little Rock to probe Roberts and her lawyer about Biden's finances. Their investigation reportedly revealed that she had been receiving payments from Burisma. Roberts also testified before the grand jury in Delaware last month. Senator Kimberley Kitching made the disclosure during a Zoom meeting last year The late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching confessed to a parliament-employed workplace trainer that she was being bullied by her Senate colleagues. Senator Kitching made the disclosure last November just before the end of an hour-long 'safe and respectful workplace' session, multiple reports said. She reportedly told the trainer over Zoom words to the extent of 'I am being bullied', and asked what would be done about it - and later told colleagues about it. The development, reported by News Corp and the ABC, came as Penny Wong cancelled a fundraising event in the Northern Territory to attend Senator Kitching's funeral. The party's foreign affairs spokeswoman had faced criticism for not committing to the memorial. Penny Wong (pictured) was due to attend a fundraiser in the Northern Territory on the day of her Labor colleague Kimberley Kitching's funeral Senator Wong was due to host 'an evening with Penny Wong' between 5.30pm and 7pm on Monday in Alice Springs in the Labor-held marginal seat of Lingiari. Senator Kitching's funeral is on the same day in Melbourne and Senator Wong initially said she was unsure if she would attend. Asked by Ten Eyewitness News if she will go to the funeral, Senator Wong said: 'I will look at whether I can. I currently have an engagement in the Northern Territory with some First Nations communities.' Pauline Hanson, who was friends with Senator Kitching, blasted Senator Wong for not committing to the funeral and called her a 'nasty piece of work'. 'She's more interested in going to the Northern Territory to do something for the Aboriginals, and that's more important,' she told Sky News. 'She said ''we've lost one of our own from the Labor Party family'', well that doesn't sound like it to me.' On Thursday afternoon Senator Wong said she had cancelled the event to go to the funeral. The event description (pictured) says 'nibbles will be provided with a cash bar' 'Senator Wong will be attending Senator Kitching's funeral to pay her respects along with the Labor family,' her spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia. Senator Kitching's allies claimed she was ostracised and bullied by Labor 'mean girls' Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Ms Keneally before her sudden death aged 52. Senator Wong refused to comment on the allegations 'even if I and others disagree with them'. Senator Kitching was in the Right faction of Labor while Senator Wong is on the Left. A report in The Australian accused Senator Penny Wong of telling Senator Kitching 'if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency' during a heated exchange in parliament about mass climate protests. Ms Wong reportedly made the stinging comment in 2019 after Ms Kitching argued the party shouldn't support students who ditched school that year to attend climate protests. Senator Kitching's supporters said the comment hurt even more because she wanted children but couldn't have any. The report also claimed Ms Kitching, who died on Thursday, was accused of leaking to the Liberals, benched from the party's tactics committee and ostracised by the senior leadership team. A close supporter of the Victorian senator said the comment about her lack of children was 'brutal'. 'The children thing was particularly grotesque, it was just foul,' the friend said. Ex-Labor MP Michael Danby, a close friend of Ms Kitching, on Wednesday claimed her treatment by senior female members crossed a line. 'It's a fine line, people are entitled to fierce disagreements, but it was too much in my opinion, what was done crossed that fine line and people should say they're sorry and they regret it,' Mr Danby said. Mr Danby hit out at the Labor right for 'dangling' her pre-selection over her head which he said had caused the politician undue stress. He also slammed the party's left wing for being 'too strong' and claimed his friend had been punished for not agreeing with other people's 'ideological views'. Pictured left to right: Labor senators Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong. Late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching felt ostracised by the three women, a report has claimed 'What a disgrace that these people were able to cause her such stress,' he said. Wednesday's report pointed to several instances of the senator being excluded from decision-making by senior party members. Ms Kitching was also reportedly summoned to a meeting with Ms Keneally over her support for then-Liberal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations. The report went on to suggest the treatment she received from some colleagues had taken a toll in the lead-up to her pre-selection, and ultimately her shock death. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday described the revelations as 'distressing' while paying tribute to Ms Kitching. 'These are very distressing [allegations] and I don't think they can just be dismissed, they obviously need to be addressed,' Mr Morrison said. 'These reports of her treatment are not ones that I can confirm, obviously, as the leader of the Liberal party, but they're certainly things that I would expect to be taken very seriously and addressed. Senator Kitching is pictured with Labor Senator Kristina Keneally. Ms Kitching was reportedly summoned to a meeting with the senior senator over her support for then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations 'The reason she had so many friends on our side is because she stood up very strongly for issues of our national security and sovereignty.' Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese denied Labor had a cultural problem, and said the senator's sudden death was tragic. He said it was disrespectful to brand senators Kristina Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher as 'mean girls'. 'I find that extraordinarily disrespectful to describe strong, articulate, principled women,' he told reporters in Brisbane. He said senior male politicians would not be described in the same way. Mr Albanese says he respected Senator Kitching and appointed her as an assistant shadow minister when he became opposition leader. 'Out of respect for Kimberley, I think the idea that people go into who might have had a disagreement here or there is totally unbecoming,' he told the Nine Network. 'I'm going to pay respect to Kimberley Kitching by treating her with the respect that she deserves. 'She made a contribution for too short a time to the Labor party and to the Labor cause. Her family and friends are really hurting today.' Asked if there was a cultural problem with senior women within the opposition, Mr Albanese said 'no'. 'I'm very proud of the fact that I lead a team that has 50 per cent female and male contribution in my shadow cabinet,' he said. 'I'm proud of all of the people in the leadership team of the Labor party.' Senator Gallagher told the ABC 'many' of the assertions in the article were incorrect from her point of view but refused to discuss the specifics. 'I just don't think it's respectful for us to enter into commentary or disagreement of (the article) at this point in time,' she said. 'I don't think it's right.' With AAP A man has been shot dead near a popular tourist attraction in the Northern Territory. The man was reportedly spotted wandering semi-naked before he was shot on a rural property at the Cutta Cutta Caves, 30 kilometres south of Katherine. A woman at the property was checking on her baby while the man was in the area, with her husband allegedly shooting the man, NT News reports. One man, whose age has not been disclosed, remains in custody. A man has been shot dead near a popular tourist attraction in the Northern Territory NT Police warned the public there would be an increased police presence in the area but said there was no further risk to the community. The entrance gate to the Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park was locked on Thursday morning to block access to both the public and media. A Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman said the national park was already closed when the incident occurred, with tours of the cave to resume in April. An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder over the killing of a Melbourne rapper who was shot dead in his home. Chris Habiyakare, 24, who performed under the name Lyr1cure7, was found dead at his Sunshine North home on August 24 last year. Police allege a group of armed intruders stormed the property, with two men arrested and charged with murder in November 2021. Chris Habiyakare was shot dead after an altercation at his home in Melbourne's west in a targeted attack at his home last August. Homicide detectives on Wednesday arrested three more people, including an Ascot Vale man, 18, who was taken into custody at Docklands. He has since been charged with murder and will face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday night. A Tarneit man, 21, and a Keilor Downs man, 20, were arrested in their home suburbs on Wednesday afternoon and remain in police custody. No one else was injured during the attack. Police said 'significant' amounts of cash and drugs were found at Habiyakare's house when it was searched. They added Habiyakare was known to police and had a history involving drugs. The rapper's grieving family last year said he was turning his troubled life around before he was gunned down in a 'senseless act of violence'. Chris Habiyakare's father Belthrand (right) broke down while revealing how his eldest son, who was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp, struggled with drugs and crime in the years before his death His father Belthrand Habiyakare broke down while revealing how his eldest son, who was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp, struggled with drugs and crime in the years before his death. Habiyakare recently turned a corner and was on better terms with his family when his life was abruptly cut short. 'Life became so rocky that at some point I realised he was going to die, and I went into a depression,' Belthrand said. 'I lost hope and then slowly he started growing and he realised his problems, realised he needed to do something about them. 'When I had some hope... he started repenting, calling us and apologising every week, and then all of a sudden his life ended.' He said his son's death made him feel heartbroken and defeated and Mr Habiyakare's siblings were struggling to come to terms with his death. 'This event has broken me down into small pieces and I don't know how I'm going to put them back together,' he said. An Ascot Vale Man, 18, has since been charged with murder and will face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday night. Two other men aged 21 and 20 were arrested and remain in police custody Habiyakare answered a knock on the door when group of men armed with a range of weapons, including a gun, forced their way into the Essex Street house. Two men and three women visiting Habiyakare at the time fled outside with one woman forced to smash a window to escape. Police said a fight occurred between Habiyakare and the group of men and he was shot, before the men drove off. One of the friends who was visiting Habiyakare called triple-0 before commencing CPR. Habiyakare died at the scene, despite desperate attempts to revive him. Endless rain and wild weather is set to continue to linger over Australia's east coast before the effects of the La Nina weather system finally weaken. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned the La Nina weather event bombarding Australia will 'persist' for several weeks. The 'stalled' end of La Nina will mean the east and north coast could experience more rain, cyclones, and flooding. A woman with an umbrella is pictured walking through the rain in the Sydney CBD last week The Bureau of Meteorology has warned the La Nina weather event bombarding Australia will 'persist' for several weeks despite previous forecasts it was weakening At least 23 people died in recent floods caused by La Nina's extreme weather conditions. Five of those people died in the catastrophic Lismore floods in northern NSW. On Wednesday a man was killed by floodwater in Broken Hill while he was trying to rescue his friends after the outback town experienced its highest daily rainfall in recorded history at 129mm. La Nina has also broken records in Sydney where residents have endured the city's hottest and wettest summer in 30 years and Brisbane set three new daily rainfall records. On Wednesday a man was killed by floodwater in Broken Hill (above) while he was trying to rescue his friends after the outback town experienced its highest daily rainfall in recorded history at 129mm A weather map shows the difference in average sea surface temperature from March 7 to March 13 At least 23 people died in recent floods caused by La Nina's extreme weather conditions; five of those people died in the catastrophic Lismore floods in northern NSW La Nina causes increased rainfall - and humidity - by pushing warmer ocean waters closer to Australia, which aids cloud formation. The event usually forms in the late spring or early summer and will dissipate during autumn, however Australia's current La Nina is set to stay longer than expected. The BoM announced during this week's climate update that the La Nina is past its peak but will continue to affect weather conditions. The northern NSW town of Lismore is undergoing a heavy clean-up operation following massive floods Landslides caused by heavy rains in Katoomba - and several other Blue Mountains towns - caused road and train closures Pedestrians in Sydney fought against heavy rain in Sydney while walking through the CBD 'The 202122 La Nina event continues but is past its peak,' it said. 'However, trade winds remain stronger than average in the western Pacific, which has delayed further weakening of the La Nina over the past fortnight. 'Persistently strong trade winds over the past fortnight have driven a cooling to La Nina levels of the central tropical Pacific. 'This has also cooled water beneath the surface, pausing the warming trend seen during January and February. Recent storms and floods in NSW turned the water in Sydney's Harbour brown and left several major beaches full of debris A landslide in Katoomba caused by heavy rainfall sent part of a road down the side of the mountain 'Warming below the surface of the Pacific Ocean typically foreshadows a breakdown in La Nina, and usually occurs in the southern hemisphere autumn.' The lingering La Nina will also increase the effects of the Madden-Julian Oscillation - MJO - forming over the Indian Ocean. An MJO is a formation of wind and cloud that moves along the equator and brings increased rainfall - followed and preceded by dry stages. So the MJO occurring at the same time as the La Nina will likely bring even more rain, especially in northern Australia. A church in Lismore was inundated by flood water in Lismore, NSW, while a BP service station nearby came close to being swallowed completely Heavy rain saw flash flooding across city - Manly, in Northern Sydney, was hit by the storm and floodwater 'Most climate models suggest the MJO is likely to move to Australia's north, in the coming week,' the BoM said. 'The risk of tropical cyclone development is also expected to be elevated across parts of northern Australia and the tropical south Indian Ocean in the coming fortnight.' The BoM has forecast above average rainfall for northern and eastern Australia in its April to June climate outlook and said there's 'an increased chance of unusually high rainfall (in the top 20 per cent of historical records) for April to June across the northern half of the NT, northern and western Queensland and small areas of western and coastal NSW'. However parts of Tasmania and southwest WA are predicted to receive below average rainfall. Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles has blown up at a reporter after being questioned over claims late Senator Kimberley Kitching was being bullied in the lead up to her death. Mr Marles was confronted by journalists at a Hobart press conference on Thursday over accusations he was aware Senator Kitching was being ostracised by members within the party but did not intervene. After repeatedly sidestepping their questions, the meeting quickly descended into a fiery show-down as Mr Marles slammed reporters for being insensitive to the party's grief. 'Right now, to be honest, a person has died in the last week,' Mr Marles said. Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles (pictured) snapped at a journalist in Hobart on Thursday after being accused of intentionally avoiding questions over his knowledge about Senator Kitching's alleged bullying by members within the party 'I understand the legitimacy of asking questions given what has been put out there. [But] in respect of someone who has passed away less than a week ago, it is really not ok.' A journalist pointed out that it appeared Mr Marles was boycotting questions, saying: 'It does seem to an observer that you might be using these eulogies to mask answering'. At that point, Mr Marles snapped, labelling the accusation 'offensive'. 'She has not had her funeral yet and you're asking questions in that context,' he bristled. 'I don't accept the assertions that have been in the media but I'm not about to get into that debate now.' Allegations of in-house bullying have rocked the ALP since Senator Kitching's sudden death from a heart attack last Thursday, with claims the 52-year-old had been under-stress due to workplace culture issues. Ms Kitching disclosed to a parliament-employed workplace trainer last November she was being bullied by her Senate colleagues, according to multiple reports. Senator Kitching (pictured) died last Thursday aged 52 from a sudden heart attack Her close friend and former Labor leader Bill Shorten later said the Victorian senator had been under stress due to internal party politics and a pre-selection battle. Mr Marles refused to answer questions surrounding allegations Senator Kitching was mistreated by her senate colleagues Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong, saying it was too soon to address such issues. 'Senator Kitching died a week ago today; somebody I knew for 30 years,' he said. 'The whole Labor movement is a state of grief and shock. Right now, I am focused on providing support to Andrew, her husband, and her family, whose grief is unspeakable. And I've spoken to Andrew a couple of times since Kimberley's passing. 'Kimberley was a person of really clear vision. She had an understanding of right and wrong. She was a fierce advocate someone who was warm, fun to be with. The place was better with Kimberley around.' However, Mr Marles said the party would examine its culture later on down the track. 'Questions of culture are something which is assessed in an ongoing way within Labor,' he said. 'But to be honest within any organisation which seeks to have the best culture it can possibly have and of course we will do that.' Mr Marles refused to answer questions surrounding allegations Senator Kitching was mistreated by senate colleagues Katy Gallagher (left) Kristina Keneally (centre) and Senator Penny Wong (right) Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese denied Labor had a cultural problem, and said the senator's sudden death was tragic. He said it was disrespectful to brand senators Keneally, Wong and Gallagher as 'mean girls' - after they were named by The Australian in a report on the alleged treatment of Senator Kitching. 'I find that extraordinarily disrespectful to describe strong, articulate, principled women,' he told reporters in Brisbane. He said senior male politicians would not be described in the same way. Mr Albanese says he respected Senator Kitching and appointed her as an assistant shadow minister when he became opposition leader. 'Out of respect for Kimberley, I think the idea that people go into who might have had a disagreement here or there is totally unbecoming,' he told the Nine Network. 'I'm going to pay respect to Kimberley Kitching by treating her with the respect that she deserves. Senator Kitching is pictured with Labor Senator Kristina Keneally 'She made a contribution for too short a time to the Labor party and to the Labor cause. Her family and friends are really hurting today.' Asked if there was a cultural problem with senior women within the opposition, Mr Albanese said 'no'. 'I'm very proud of the fact that I lead a team that has 50 per cent female and male contribution in my shadow cabinet,' he said. 'I'm proud of all of the people in the leadership team of the Labor party.' Senator Gallagher told the ABC 'many' of the assertions in the article were incorrect from her point of view but refused to discuss the specifics. 'I just don't think it's respectful for us to enter into commentary or disagreement of (the article) at this point in time,' she said. 'I don't think it's right.' Senator Kitching's funeral will be held on Monday. A report in The Australian accused Senator Penny Wong of telling Senator Kitching 'if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency' during a heated exchange in parliament about mass climate protests. Ms Wong reportedly made the stinging comment in 2019 after Ms Kitching argued the party shouldn't support students who ditched school that year to attend climate protests. Senator Kitching's supporters said the comment hurt even more because she wanted children but couldn't have any. The report also claimed Ms Kitching was accused of leaking to the Liberals, benched from the party's tactics committee and ostracised by the senior leadership team. A close supporter of the Victorian senator said the comment about her lack of children was 'brutal'. 'The children thing was particularly grotesque, it was just foul,' the friend said. Ex-Labor MP Michael Danby, a close friend of Ms Kitching, on Wednesday claimed her treatment by senior female members crossed a line. 'It's a fine line, people are entitled to fierce disagreements, but it was too much in my opinion, what was done crossed that fine line and people should say they're sorry and they regret it,' Mr Danby said. Mr Danby hit out at the Labor right for 'dangling' her pre-selection over her head which he said had caused the politician undue stress. He also slammed the party's left wing for being 'too strong' and claimed his friend had been punished for not agreeing with other people's 'ideological views'. Senator Wong refused to comment on the allegations 'even if I and others disagree with them'. By Kim Jae-heun Musinsa CEO Han Mun-il The site of the 2014 Lindt Cafe terrorist attack in Sydney could be turned into a luxury boutique bottle shop under a new $2million development plan. Liquor giant Dan Murphy's has lodged an application for the development to be the first in a new type of small format store with an included function space. Dubbed 'The Cellar' the store would cater to wine enthusiasts and serve as the Endeavour Group-owned liquor store's premium brand and flagship NSW store. The design draws on the up-market David Jones food hall in Bondi Junction and the iconic Dan Murphy's Prahran Cellars in Melbourne, the first store the retailer's founder, Daniel Francis Murphy, opened in 1952. The former Lindt Cafe (pictured) in Sydney will be turned into a high-end bottle shop The cafe was the site of a 2014 siege after a lone gunman held 18 people hostage for 16 hours until police finally stormed the building (pictured) Currently on exhibition with the City of Sydney, the concept has a floor area of 264sqm - or about a quarter the size of a normal Dan Murphy's store. Features will include a wine tasting area, track lighting, a temperature-controlled environment, and wall length modular wine racks that would stock rare, back vintage and hard-to-source Australian and international wines. The tenancy, which sits on the ground floor of 53 Martin Place in the CBD, is the site of the former Lindt Cafe where a 16-hour standoff played out in December 2014. Lone gunman Man Haron Monis, who was later deemed to be motivated by a 'rare' mix of 'extremism, mental health issues, and plain criminality', held 18 people hostage. Tragically, cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, was killed by Monis in the incident and barrister Katrina Dawson was also killed by stray bullet fragments when officers stormed the building. Hostages run with their hands up from the Lindt cafe in Sydney's Martin Place during the standoff in 2014 Monis was eventually killed by police, with cafe hostage and manager Tori Johnson and his colleague Katrina Dawson, who was struck by a ricocheting police bullet, also losing their lives that day Monis was killed by police. Endeavour Group said it was acutely aware and respectful of the site's history and had spoken to the victim's relatives. 'We can confirm that we have submitted a development application for a premium wine store, The Cellar, at 53 Martin Place in Sydney's CBD,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'We are very mindful of the history of the site, which is why we have spoken with family members of those who were killed in the siege to hear their views before making a decision to proceed with an application.' The company said it would continue to consult with the families throughout the process and the design would not affect a memorial at the site. More than 200 hand-crafted tiles embedded with flowers were inlaid into the pavement just metres from the cafe as in 2017. 'It's a beautiful and a loving, fitting tribute,' survivor Louisa Hope said. The memorial, designed by Professor Richard Johnson and artist Jess Dare, was inspired by the sea of flowers that blanketed Martin Place following the stand-off. An estimated 110,000 bunches of flowers were placed at the site in the eight days after the siege. More than 11,000 bunches of flowers were placed at the site in the days following the siege The cafe was refurbish and remained in business until 2021 when Covid lock-downs caused Lindt to close. The Dan Murphy's development is currently under assessment by the City of Sydney. The novel store design is one of a number being put forward by the liquor outlet. The roof of Brickworks Dan Murphy's store in Adelaide has been installed with a huge, painted Dan Murphy's logo with sunnies and the message 'Our drinks are now cooled by the sun'. The new liquor store concept would be similar to the Bondi Junction David Jones food hall on a smaller scale (pictured) Dan Murphy's is renewing dozens of stores in a refurbishment push including shifting many to solar power (pictured a solar powered Adelaide store) The store is in the Adelaide suburb of Torrensville, and is located underneath the flight path which means that the installation will be visible to travellers on departing and arriving flights to Adelaide Airport. 'We wanted to celebrate our solar power success in South Australia', Dan Murphy's National Renewal Operations Manager Tyson Holbery said of the installation. 'Currently, 65 percent of our Dan Murphy's stores in South Australia* are powered by solar energy, and by the end of the financial year, we are on track to have 85 percent of our stores having made the switch,' he added. A woman who alleges she was repeatedly raped by a Sydney gynaecologist during examinations has cried as she told a court how the assaults seemed robotic and ritualistic. Richard Ian Reid, who has since retired, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he raped a patient on eight occasions between 2010 and 2014 and denies he ever improperly examined her. The Crown alleges the man inserted his fingers into the woman's vagina on each occasion for his own sexual gratification. Richard Ian Reid (above) has pleaded not guilty to charges that he raped a patient on eight occasions between 2010 and 2014 and denies he ever improperly examined her The examinations of the patient - who suffers from endometriosis - were performed without gloves, while she was needlessly completely naked, the prosecutor said. Some were unnecessary in the circumstances, while others were conducted in such a way that they had no diagnostic value, and Reid knew the complainant was not consenting, she said. Giving evidence at the judge-alone trial in the Downing Centre District Court, the woman - who cannot be named - detailed the first time Reid allegedly raped her. The Crown alleges the man inserted his fingers into the woman's vagina on each occasion for his own sexual gratification while practicing gynecology in Sydney She had returned to his practice for an examination, complaining of extreme pain and a litany of other issues after Reid had operated on her. He had 'shoved' his fingers inside her on the examination table and again when she was standing. At different points she could hear him grunting and feel him becoming aroused. He tried to kiss her, gazed at her with a 'wanting look', and at one point put his face between her breasts and said she smelled beautiful. She was crying and in excruciating pain as she repeatedly asked Reid to stop. The woman told the court Reid's assaults were 'like a ritual' and that he would act like a 'robot' The examination ended with Reid gently slapping her bottom. 'He looked satisfied ... he had done what he wanted to do,' she told the court on Thursday. 'It was really sort of a sign, I learned later when he kept doing it ... that would mean that was it. It would stop.' The assaults were always the same, she said. 'Each time I went to see him, it was like a ritual.' 'It felt so surreal. It felt like he wasn't human. He was like a robot. 'It got to the stage where I would just cry silently. I wouldn't even ask him to stop because he wouldn't listen anyway.' The woman continued to see Reid because he had told her he was the only person in Australia who knew how to do the surgery she'd undergone, and she believed only he could fix her ailments arising from it The woman continued to see Reid because he had told her he was the only person in Australia who knew how to do the surgery she'd undergone, and she believed only he could fix her ailments arising from it. 'I found myself locked into this situation where I couldn't see my way out of it,' she said. Reid's lawyer earlier told the court the woman has 'falsified' her claims - reported years later in 2018 - for financial reasons. The trial continues. Police have sealed off a busy road in London after a woman in her 20s was hit by a car and died. Officers shut down a roundabout on Wandsworth Bridge Road in the south west of the capital overnight after the horror crash. The female pedestrian was hit at around 10pm and passed away at the scene, the Met said. The driver of the car is helping police with their inquiries. Officers shut down a roundabout on Wandsworth Bridge Road in the south west of the capital overnight after the horror crash A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at approximately 22:10hrs on Wednesday, 16 March to reports of a collision involving a car and a female pedestrian on Wandsworth Bridge, SW18. 'Officers and London Ambulance Service attended but despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the woman, aged in her 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. The female pedestrian was hit at around 10pm and passed away at the scene, the Met said. The driver of the car is helping police with their inquiries 'Her next of kin have been informed. The driver of the car stopped and is assisting police with their enquiries. 'The bridge remains closed to traffic while the incident is dealt with. Enquiries into the circumstances continue. 'Any witnesses, or anyone with any dashcam footage, is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CAD 1491/16Mar.' Advertisement Britain is set for the hottest day of the year so far at the weekend after being battered by a Saharan dust cloud that brought 'blood rain' and turned the sky orange. Temperatures will rocket to 64F (18C) in London and the South East over the course of Saturday due to high pressure building up over the week. Sunshine is expected to blast those areas with heat of 60F (16C), 62F (17C) with a maximum of 64F (18C) possible in some parts, while highs of 57C (14C) will hit the South West today. It comes after a Saharan dust that moved across Europe hit the UK, with cars across the south covered in fine red dust. The Met Office earlier warned the cloud - which was 1.2 miles above ground level - would fall during showers in southern parts of the country yesterday afternoon. Britain is set for the hottest day of the year at the weekend after being battered by a Saharan dust cloud that brought 'blood rain' and turned the sky orange. Pictured: Glastonbury in Somerset this morning A Saharan dust cloud pictured from Waterloo Bridge in central London yesterday. It comes as parts of southern Spain have been blanketed following a thick plume which has turned skies orange How does Saharan dust get to the UK? As in other parts of the world, the wind can blow strongly over deserts - whipping up dust and sand high into the sky. If the winds in the upper part of the atmosphere are blowing north, the dust can be carried as far as the UK. Once it is lifted from the ground by strong winds, clouds of dust can reach very high altitudes and be transported worldwide, covering thousands of miles. In order for the dust to get from up in the sky down to the ground, you need something to wash it out of the sky - rain. As raindrops fall, they collect particles of dust on the way down. Then when the raindrops land on something and eventually evaporate, they leave behind a layer of dust. Saharan dust is relatively common in the UK often happening several times a year when big dust storms in the Sahara coincide with southerly wind patterns. In certain weather situations, Saharan dust can also affect air pollution and pollution levels. Source: Met Office Advertisement Despite the sandy washout, Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said he expected the fine weather to hit southern parts of the country over the weekend. He told the Sun: 'We are likely to see some very pleasant spring sunshine, especially for the London and southeast area, during the course of the Saturday.' He added: 'We're looking at temperatures of up to 16, 17, and perhaps even a rounded 18C could be possible.' The Met Office said the hottest it had seen so far this year was 63F (17.2C) in Pershore, Worcestershire. Yesterday's 'blood rain' was blown north amid a south to south-easterly airflow that is also to thank for the hotter weather coming at the weekend. The Met Office said: 'There are no air quality warnings. People in the south might find a bit of dust left on their cars as the rain washes it out of the skies today.' Earlier in the week parts of southern Spain were blanketed, following a thick plume which turned skies orange, with satellite images showing the dust over France. Forecasters said the impact of the cloud in the UK was 'unlikely' to be significant, with the dust most visible in the sky at sunset. Earlier, the Met Office shared maps showing how the dust cloud is moving across the UK. The forecaster said: 'Storm Celia has already brought strong winds and travel disruption to the Canaries and will continue to move gradually eastwards over the coming days.' It added: 'Strong southerly winds on the eastern flank of Storm Celia have already lofted Saharan dust into the atmosphere. 'Whilst this dust is mostly about 2km above ground level, some deposits of dust may fall to the ground, especially during any rain in southern parts of the UK over the next 24 hours.' Saharan dust deposited over the front of a Range Rover in London yesterday. Vehicles across the UK have been hit with unwelcome the dusty deposits The Saharan dust cloud turned skies over London an eerie shade of orange yesterday. Pictured: Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral One user in London posted a photo of a black Bentley, showing how it had been covered in red dust yesterday thanks to the Saharan dust cloud Richard Miles, of the Met Office, said: 'Storm Celia over Spain is indeed pulling a dust cloud up from the Sahara, which could potentially reach as far as the south of the UK. 'However, we don't expect significant impacts the most likely would be on the cloudscapes at sunset, but as conditions are likely to be generally overcast and wet for much of the day this is unlikely to amount to much. 'There are no air quality warnings. 'People in the south might find a bit of dust left on their cars as the rain washes it out of the skies today.' Saharan dust is a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa. As in other parts of the world, the wind can blow strong over deserts - whipping sand high into the sky. If the winds in the upper part of the atmosphere are blowing north, the dust can be carried as far as the UK. The Met Office said: 'Once it is lifted from the ground by strong winds, clouds of dust can reach very high altitudes and be transported worldwide, covering thousands of miles. 'In order for the dust to get from up in the sky down to the ground, you need something to wash it out of the sky - rain. 'As raindrops fall, they collect particles of dust on the way down. Then when the raindrops land on something and eventually evaporate, they leave behind a layer of dust.' While the skies turning orange can be rather eerie, the Met Office reassured Saharan dust was relatively common in Britain. It added: '[It] often [happens] several times a year when big dust storms in the Sahara coincide with southerly wind patterns. In certain weather situations, Saharan dust can also affect air pollution and pollution levels.' A first-of-its-kind drug that stops people from getting Covid has been approved in the UK but ministers don't have any on order. The antibody cocktail, made by AstraZeneca, could be a lifesaver for the 500,000 immunosuppressed Brits who don't respond well to vaccines. Evusheld was found to slash the risk of getting symptomatic Covid by around 80 per cent for up to six months in a clinical trial last year. But the Department of Health said it has not ordered a single dose, despite it having being used on vulnerable people in the US since December. Approving Evusheld today, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)said its review found the drug provided 'long-lasting protection'. But MailOnline understands health officials are concerned it will not work well on Omicron or the now-dominant subvariant BA.2. The Therapeutics Taskforce responsible for acquiring Covid drugs is actively engaging in discussions with AstraZeneca. Blood Cancer UK called on ministers to clarify whether they intend to use the drug, warning that British patents were being left in limbo. Evusheld is administered via two injections at the same time and uses antibodies immune proteins that have been modified in a lab to make them last longer. While vaccines train the body to muster its own response to Covid, the drug skips this process and makes the antibodies readily available. New trial data from AstraZeneca Covid antibody therapy AZD7442 could allow people who can't be protected by vaccines a chance to return to normal life experts say In some patients, such as those on chemotherapy, their immune systems are so weak that even after vaccination they struggle to mount a response. Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA said: 'After a careful review of the data, I am pleased to confirm we have authorised another medicine to help protect against the effects of Covid. How does the Evusheld treatment work? Evusheld, also called AZD7442, contains two types of lab-made antibodies known as tixagevimab and cilgavimab. These antibodies have been developed from plasma donated by patients who recovered from a Covid infection. They have been manipulated in a lab to last longer. They bind to the virus' spike protein which it uses to invade cells to stop an infection, or to prevent the virus from multiplying when it does infect. Antibodies are created by the immune system in response to the virus, either through vaccination or natural infection, in order to help the body fight if off in the future. The current vaccines train a person's body to recognise Covid, but the immune system still needs to produce its own antibodies. The latest therapy skips that process, making the antibodies readily available. Advertisement 'Evusheld is a 'pre-exposure prophylaxis' treatment, meaning it is taken to prevent Covid before the risk of acquiring infection. 'One dose has been found to provide long-lasting protection against this disease for up to six months.' She insisted that vaccines were still the UK's 'first-line defence' but added: 'We know that some people may not respond adequately to these vaccines. 'For these people, Evusheld could provide effective protection against Covid.' The MHRA's approval means the NHS can now negotiate a price with the drugmaker and decide who should be eligible. But MailOnline understands there are concerns about how well Evusheld will work on Omicron or BA.2. The antibodies used by AstraZeneca were equipped to deal with older versions of the virus. Gemma Peters, chief executive at Blood Cancer UK, said: 'The approval of Evusheld will be welcomed by the many thousands of people with blood cancer whose immune systems have not been strong enough to respond well to the vaccines. 'The high infection rate has meant many of them have felt left behind as the rest of society gets back to normal, and Evusheld offers them hope of getting a similar level of protection against Covid as most of the population have already got from the vaccines. 'But while todays approval by the MHRA is welcome news, the Government is yet to set out how it plans to use Evusheld. 'This means that while it is already available to immunocompromised people in the United States and other countries, immunocompromised people in the UK are now left to wait for the Government to confirm whether it plans to use it and, if so, how many doses it will buy.' A six-month study last year found the drug provided 77 per cent protection against falling ill with Covid after six months in unvaccinated vulnerable people. At the time, when the Delta variant was dominant, it represented even higher efficacy than two vaccine doses, which wane significantly in six months. But there are questions about how well the antibody cocktail will perform against Omicron and its subvariant BA.2, which are more resistant to antibodies. The Government's independent advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines, has endorsed the drug's approval. Its chair, Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, said: 'We have carefully reviewed data on the medicine's safety, quality and effectiveness and are satisfied it meets the expected standards.' He suggested a stronger dose may be needed to provide high protection against some Covid variants. 'The recommended dosage is 300mg of Evusheld but a higher dose of 600mg may be more appropriate for some Covid variants,' he said. Evusheld, also called AZD7442, contains two types of lab-made antibodies, and is given to patients via an injection into the arm, similar to some vaccines. It is made by extracting the proteins from patients who have recovered from the virus, and then manipulating them in a lab to make them last longer than natural antibodies. They bind to the virus' spike protein which it uses to invade cells to stop an infection, or to prevent the virus from multiplying when it does infect. Antibodies are created by the immune system in response to the virus, either through vaccination or natural infection, in order to help the body fight if off in the future. The current vaccines train a person's body to recognise Covid, but the immune system still needs to produce its own antibodies. The latest therapy skips that process, making the antibodies readily available. Patients undergoing chemotherapy, which reduces the effectiveness of the body's immune system, or taking immunosuppressive drugs following an organ transplant are among those who don't always get the full protection from jabs. Advertisement Health Secretary Sajid Javid has suggested the booster drive could be expanded again in the autumn Britain's Covid booster vaccine programme is gearing up for another round of inoculations this autumn, the Health Secretary has revealed. Fourth jabs will be dished out to all over-75s, care home residents and patients with weak immune systems from next week. But Sajid Javid hinted last night that millions more may be eligible for top-up doses later this year, ahead of the country's third Covid winter. Grilled about the topic on ITV's Peston programme, he did not specify exactly who would be invited in any roll-out this autumn. However, he admitted there may be a 'need to give a lot more people a boost'. Experts have speculated another inoculation drive this year could be expanded to include over-50s, effectively covering the same groups who will be offered a free flu vaccine on the NHS. When asked if the booster drive would be widened to the general population, Mr Javid said: 'I think at some point they will.' He claimed the Government would follow the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a panel of influential scientists that have guided No10 through their historic inoculation campaigns. Mr Javid insisted the group had been 'clear', adding: 'Their most recent advice is they think towards the end of this year, maybe in the autumn, there will be a need to give a lot more people a boost, an offer of a boost. But I'll wait for that advice.' The JCVI recommended last month that the spring vaccination programme should cover all over-75s, care home residents and immunocompromised over-12s, roughly 8million people. It has now been six months since the rollout of third shots was launched, and England is yet to send out invites for the next part of the drive despite Covid admissions and infections rising again. Scotland embarked on its top-up campaign more than a week ago. A number of expressed concern that the current uptick in cases hospitalisations could be an early sign of waning immunity from boosters, with ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt last week calling for 'more oomph'. Graph shows: The number of Covid patients on ventilators in hospitals in England over time compared to the overall number of coronavirus patients over time Omicron death rates are 14 TIMES lower after a booster vaccine Covid death rates at the peak of England's Omicron wave were up to 14 times lower among triple-jabbed people, official data shows. Along with Omicron being intrinsically mild, the country's booster campaign is thought to have played a key role in blunting a winter surge in severe illness and death despite infections spiralling to record highs. An Office for National Statistics (ONS) report published yesterday showed elderly groups who are most vulnerable to Covid saw the biggest drops in death rates after a third jab. There were 155 fatalities per 100,000 triple-jabbed people in their seventies in January, compared to 2,248 deaths among those still only double-vaccinated a 14-fold difference. A similar effect was seen in people in their 60s, 80s and 90s. No10's vaccine advisory panel originally recommended booster doses for the elderly and vulnerable in September 2021, gradually opening the rollout to everyone over the age of 40 by November. The advice came amid early signs that two-dose vaccine protection started to wane after six months which was later exacerbated by the rise of the vaccine-resistant and extremely transmissible Omicron strain. Advertisement A health source suggested the roll-out of a second round of boosters could begin as early as next week, adding it was 'right' that ministers 'crack on with it'. They said texts and letters could be sent out to those who are eligible, and the NHS booking system would open from Monday. Mr Javid said last night: 'When it comes to vaccinations I think we rightly take the advice of our clinicians. 'There's a committee, it's called the JCVI and we listen very carefully to what they've got to say. 'They look at the data very, very carefully and their latest advice as you say is that there should be a second boost or let's call it a fourth dose but to focus on those over 75, those in care homes, those who are immunosuppressed. 'Now we will start that by the end of this month, that's what we've said and we're completely on track for that. But we listen to their advice all the time, should they come forward' When the plans were announced, officials said it would mean that some severely immunocompromised people who have already had four jabs would get a fifth this group can include blood cancer patients and transplant recipients. It also raises the prospect that hundreds of thousands may even be offered a sixth dose this autumn, if a third round of boosters are approved. NHS England figures show 63 per cent of over-18s or 31million out of 50million have already had their third dose. But uptake varies widely by age group, with more than nine in 10 over-70s having got their third jab. The rate is just a third among 18-29 year olds. JCVI sources suggested last month that the booster programme could be further expanded in the autumn, potentially to cover all over-50s. There are some 5.5million over-75s in England who are being called forward for their fourth doses. Should the drive be expanded to over-50s, this would add roughly another 17million people. Ministers have made no secret of plans for an annual Covid jabbing programme, which could cost in the region of 600million. SAGE scientists have also backed the strategy, saying this will likely be part of Covid's gradual transition to becoming endemic like the flu. But other scientists have claimed a never-ending cycle of boosters might not be needed, if the virus continues to become milder over time. Britain's Covid cases have been rising for the last two weeks, with the country now recording about 73,000 new infections a day on average. Hospitalisations have also been heading up over this period, and are now at a similar level to early February when the Omicron wave was subsiding. But half of hospital patients with Covid are thought to be 'incidental' cases those who test positive after being admitted for another reason, or beat the illness only to fall ill with something else. It may mean the recent rise in hospital admissions is more likely to reflect infection rates in the community, rather than severe illness. The uptick coincides with surging cases of a more transmissible version of Omicron scientifically named BA.2, which estimates suggest now makes up 80 per cent of cases. Ministers in England, however, say the increases were to be 'expected' following the country's 'Freedom Day' on February 24 when the final Covid measures were dumped. Mr Javid has insisted there was 'nothing in the data at this point in time that gives us any cause for concern'. But in Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has opted to keep compulsory face masks in place until April, with officials saying they do not expect the BA.2 outbreak to peak for the next few weeks. Only a quarter of the rise in newly-occupied NHS Covid beds in the first week of March was down to patients actually ill with the virus, NHS England data suggests. Graph shows: Changes in the overall number of Covid patients and the number being primarily treated for the virus over time in England The NHS England data show increase in overall Covid patients and those primarily for the virus varied wildly across the country. London has the lowest proportion of Covid patients that are primarily being treated for the virus, with only 27 per cent actually in hospital because of an infection Another 91,000 Britons were diagnosed with the virus over the past 24 hours, Government dashboard data shows, up by a third in a week and the 14th day in a row cases have risen week-on-week Latest hospital data shows there were 1,541 Covid admissions on March 12, marking a 29 per cent rise on the previous week and 13th time in a row they had risen There were also another 153 virus deaths today, up a quarter in the previous week. Fatalities have been creeping up since the start of the month with around 150 on average each day now compared to 103 on March 1 Dr Christine Tait-Burkard, of the University of Edinburgh, said keeping the requirement for face coverings is in line with dealing with the surge and is a 'relatively easily-achieved measure'. Masks on public transport, restaurants and other indoor settings were slated to be downgraded from a legal requirement to advice on March 21. Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that with the 'current spike' in cases, ministers had agreed it was 'prudent' for this measure to remain in place and the legal requirement will be reviewed again in two weeks' time. An Office for National Statistics (ONS) report published yesterday showed elderly groups who are most vulnerable to Covid saw the biggest drops in death rates after a third jab. There were 155 fatalities per 100,000 triple-jabbed people in their seventies in January, compared to 2,248 deaths among those still only double-vaccinated a 14-fold difference. A similar effect was seen in people in their 60s, 80s and 90s. No10's vaccine advisory panel originally recommended booster doses for the elderly and vulnerable in September 2021, gradually opening the rollout to everyone over the age of 40 by November. Advertisement An 11-year-old boy who braved the 600-mile journey from southeastern Ukraine to the Slovakian border by himself has been reunited with his mother. Hassan Pisecka crossed the country with only a plastic bag, passport, and telephone number scribbled on his hand, in a story that won the hearts of people from around the world. His mother Julia Pisecka, a widow, remained in their hometown of Zaporizhzhia, where Russian troops struck a nuclear power plant in early March, to continue caring for her elderly and immobile mother who was unable to flee. On reaching the border, Hassan's 'smile, fearlessness and determination' won over officials who helped him cross into Slovakia. They contacted his relatives in the country using the phone number and a note that was tied to his waist. He was reunited with his mother, grandmother and dog in Slovakia this week as the family wanted 'to thank everyone from my heart' for their help getting the family, who fled the war in Syria several years ago, back together. Julia said the train ride out of Ukraine 'was very difficult' but 'we had to escape so our family could be back together' as she admitted 'we have to start from scratch. We lost everything we've had but we're healthy.' Hassan Pisecka, 11, who braved the 600-mile journey from southeastern Ukraine to the Slovakian border by himself has been reunited with his mother (pictured) He was reunited with his mother, grandmother and dog in Slovakia this week as the family wanted 'to thank everyone from my heart' for their help getting the family back together Julia Pisecka hugs relatives in Slovakia as she arrives after fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine this week Julia (pictured, reuniting with her family) said the train ride out of Ukraine 'was very difficult' but 'we had to escape so our family could be back together' as she admitted 'we have to start from scratch. We lost everything we've had but we're healthy' Hassan (pictured, centre) was reunited with his mother, grandmother and dog in Slovakia this week as the family wanted 'to thank everyone from my heart' for their help getting the family, who fled the war in Syria several years ago, back together On reaching the border, Hassan's 'smile, fearlessness and determination' won over officials who helped him cross into Slovakia. They contacted his family in the country using the phone number and a note that was tied to his waist Hassan Pisecka crossed the country with only a plastic bag, passport, and telephone number scribbled on his hand, in a story that won the hearts of people from around the world Hassan took a number of trains travelling west across to the Slovakian border, where he was spotted by officials who were struck by his 'smile, fearlessness and determination, worthy of a true hero'. They helped him reach the other side, where relatives were phoned and came to collect him. It is unclear when Hassan's siblings left for Slovakia. A post on Facebook describing Hassan's journey said: 'Volunteers took care of him, took him warm and provided him with food and drink, which they packed for the next trip. 'Thanks to the number on his hand and a piece of paper in his waist, he managed to contact his loved ones, who came for him later, and the whole story ended well.' Hours after the boy - whose relatives in Bratislava were contacted - reached safety, his mother Julia Pisecka explained that her son was able to reach the border by train, in a video shared in a Facebook post by the Police of the Slovak Republic. In the clip she added: 'I am a widow and I have more children. I want to thank the Slovak customs and volunteers who took care of my son and helped him cross the border. 'I am grateful you have saved my child's life. Next to my town is a nuclear power plant that the Russians are shooting at. I couldn't leave my mother, she can't move on her own. People with a big heart live in your small country.' Hassan's story garnered global attention after it emerged he made the lengthy journey unaccompanied, with little in the way of personal possessions Asked about the scariest part of his journey, Hassan said it was travelling in a crowded train carriage surrounded by strangers. Pictured, Hassan being helped by volunteers Hassan was looked after by volunteers who kept him warm and provided him with food and drink, which they packed for the onward journey to meet his relatives in Slovakia Hassan and his four older siblings in Slovakia later spoke to Good Morning Britain of their joy at being reunited. In a poignant moment, the boy said he 'isn't thinking about the future' and is happy to be 'safe'. 'He says the most important is to be in the place where he has family,' his older sister said, translating Hassan's words. 'He likes this city because it's safe. He doesn't know about the future because he doesn't know about the situation in Ukraine. He is not thinking about the future, he just wants to be with us.' Asked about the scariest part of his journey, Hassan said it was travelling in a crowded train carriage surrounded by strangers. 'The train was very, very full, there were 300 people in one carriage,' his sister translated. 'The kids and the people were sitting in the hall and everyone was talking in foreign languages and he wasn't understanding so that was the scariest [part of the journey] for him.' The siblings told how they had been worried for their youngest brother as he set out on his journey, noting that before the war he hadn't even wanted to spend a night away at summer camp because he had been too afraid. His sibling said: 'I wasn't believing it because he's the youngest in our family and he can't even make tea by himself so I was very, very worried when he was going to cross the border by himself. He doesn't even visit summer camp because he can't leave us.' One of Hassan's older brothers said the family are 'very, very happy' because 'nothing happened to him, he is healthy' and added jokingly: 'And now I can tease him'. Strikes: Hassan is from Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces struck a nuclear power plant, above In another post, the country's interior minister wrote: 'Little Hassan is only 11 years old, but in his way he has shown huge determination, courage and fearlessness that sometimes adults don't have. 'I am really very sorry for him and all the other children and their families who have to flee their country because of what is happening in Ukraine.' Roman Mikulec added that Slovakia is 'ready to help' those fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'You will find security with us and if you ask for temporary protection, you will be provided with health care, social security, food, accommodation, education and job opportunities,' he wrote on Facebook. 'The fact that you ask for temporary protection in Slovakia does not mean that you will not be able to travel to other EU countries.' Russian troops had attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is the largest in Europe and creates around 20 per cent of Ukraine's electricity, in the early hours of Friday, March 4. CCTV capturing a fierce gun battle between Putin's men and Ukrainian defenders that sparked a fire in a six-storey training building just outside the main complex. Moscow's men then stopped firefighters getting to the building for several hours. Russian government websites including the Kremlin's own have been hit by unprecedented cyber attacks, with desperate efforts made to filter foreign web traffic. State entities and Kremlin-owned companies have been targeted since the start of the war in Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported via the digital ministry on Thursday. Flagship carrier Aeroflot and major lender Sberbank are among those which have seen outages or temporary access issues in recent weeks. Russia's reign of terror in key strategic cities Kharkiv and Mariupol has continued, but Ukrainian Territorial Defense soldiers (pictured) have stayed strong amid the onslaught Desperate refugees sheltering in the Mariupol Drama Theatre (centre) were targeted by air strikes despite writing 'children' in Russian on the pavement outside the building It follows vicious air strikes on Ukrainian cities including Mariupol, where refugees were targeted despite desperate graffiti warning there were 'children' inside. Officials said it is impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the attack on the Mariupol Drama Theatre because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, meaning rescuers can't reach those trapped in the rubble. Up to 1,200 are estimated to have been sheltering inside. Meanwhile, Moscow's digital ministry said it is working to adjust to the new cyber conditions as attacks ratchet up. The ministry was working to adjust to the new conditions, it said, as cyber attacks ratchet up. 'If previously their power at peak moments reached 500 gigabytes, then now it is at 1 terabyte,' the ministry said. 'That is two to three times more powerful than the most serious incidents of this kind that have been previously reported.' As Russia becomes increasingly isolated from global financial systems and supply chains, the government has proposed a raft of measures to support the IT sector, among others. Technology firms will have access to preferential tax and lending conditions and the digital ministry has previously suggested Russian IT companies discuss a phased transfer of technical support components with foreign firms. National flag carrier Aeroflot (Moscow HQ pictured) is among the major Russian firms targeted by 'unprecedented' cyber attacks 'two to three times' more severe than any seen before Citing draft government documents, Interfax reported late on Wednesday that the digital ministry had proposed allocating 14 billion roubles ($134.30 million) to support IT companies in the form of grants. Reuters could not immediately verify that report. A businesswoman caught drink driving during a night out with her PA tried to wriggle out of a road ban by claiming she was suffering a bout of 'separation anxiety' after leaving her 12-month-old son with his grandmother. Mother of two Elizabeth Prince, 29, who had been drinking wine, claimed she only jumped behind the wheel of Fiat 500 and drove home at 1am after she was overwhelmed by a PTSD-fuelled 'trigger' caused by her hearing the youngster crying during a late night check call. Police stopped her shortly afterwards when a patrolman saw her speeding and 'weaving' around the carriageway with her car juddering as if it was in the wrong gear. Prince was said to be slurring her words and smelling of alcohol with tests showing she had 51 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg. Elizabeth Prince, pictured, claimed she was triggered after hearing her 12-month-old son cry on the phone which was the reason she drove home almost twice the legal drink-drive limit Prince, pictured, said she could not call a taxi to bring her home because the country was on lockdown Tameside Magistrates' Court heard Prince, from Kearsley, near Bolton, Greater Manchester admitted drink driving but asked for leniency to avoid a ban because of 'special reasons' At Tameside magistrates court, Prince, from Kearsley near Bolton, Greater Manchester, who runs a tattoo parlour admitted drink driving but asked to be spared disqualification due to 'special reasons.' JPs refused and banned her from driving for 14 months. The incident occurred on January 31 last year during lockdown after Prince had asked her mother to look after her baby whilst she met her PA who was in her 'social bubble.' During the evening at the PA's house the pair drank wine but trouble began when Prince who also has a daughter aged nine fielded a phone call from her mother Joanne who said she was struggling to get the baby settled. Prince told the hearing: 'When he cries, that is my trigger and I cannot be apart from him. I had been in a violent and abusive relationship and the violence took place in the presence of both of my children and I was in between it all. 'As a result of that, it caused me to suffer from mental health problems including anxiety and PTSD. When I was assaulted during my relationship, my boy was dropped and it made him cry and I now have separation anxiety. 'That night my mum offered to have him so I could go to my friend's home as she is also my PA for my tattoo business. I had done that in the past as I was confident enough in my mothering ability to entrust that care with my mum.. 'I had some wine but my mum then rang me to say she was unable to settle him. He was crying, I could hear him in the background and and I just got into the car because I just wanted to get back. 'I do not think clearly when he cries - I just react and it is something that is ongoing. My anxiety was sky high and triggered my PTSD and I was going to drive to my mum's. 'I did tell the officer I was going to go to my mum's house and I said to ring her and that I was going to my child. I remember the officer saying they may not keep me too long but they held me for quite a while.' The court heard that Prince made no effort to call a taxi to take her home instead of driving Police said Prince was seen driving her Fiat 500 in a dangerous manner, swerving across the road while the car was juddering as if it was travelling too slow in a high gear When quizzed as to why she did not call a taxi, Prince said: 'I did not think of a sensible option because in that moment, I was hearing my son cry and that was my trigger. Also in lockdown, I cannot imagine how long I would have waited for a cab. 'When I have rang for taxis in the past, I have waited a long time. I just did not think, I just panicked and went to go and get my son from my mum's house.' Her mother Joanne Prince said: 'I called my daughter because I could not settle my grandson down. He was quite distressed and poorly so I called my daughter. 'He had not been that distressed previously but he has quite bad anxiety when she leaves him and on this occasion he had been in distress for about one hour or so and I needed to get hold of my daughter.' But police patrolman PC Thomas Needham told the JPs: 'Miss Prince did not say why she was making that journey and I was not aware of any emergency she was attending to. She said she had two children, one age one and the other age nine but gave no other information at that point. 'I only became aware of Miss Prince because she was driving over the speed limit. The car juddered violently as if she was in the wrong gear, she was not keeping to any lane and was concerned about her moving between the lanes. I was concerned that she potentially impaired by drink or drugs and caused her to stop. 'I was present through at the scene and then at the police station. She was co-operative, talkative and in good spirits, she smelt of alcohol and had slightly slurred speech. I cannot remember her saying she needed to get home to her son but it is possible she said that.' Prince's lawyer Kevin Batch said there was 'no Steve McQueen in the Towering Inferno playing the hero to save the day' and that is why she 'needed to get home' Mr Batch said: 'Let's not forget, we were in the middle of the pandemic, taxis were hard to come by and you have to consider the back story' The court heard Prince had previously been in an abusive relationship with a former partner Prosecuting Arshad Khan told the JPs: 'She never even attempted to ring for a taxi. Was this such a crisis that the only option was to get into a car and drive to her child when it's grandmother had looked after the child on previous occasions? If the defendant had gone on a night out and had alcohol, surely she would have taken steps to book a taxi because that is the sensible option.' But Prince's lawyer Kevin Batch said: 'Those who have children will know that they cry, it is what children do. Sometimes they cry for a while and they can be appeased in a normal household and that works - but this was not a normal situation. 'In an emergency, people do not think clearly and there is no Steve McQueen in the Towering Inferno playing the hero who saves the day. As far as this young woman is concerned, after all she has been through, this was an a real life emergency and she needed to get home. 'Let's not forget, we were in the middle of the pandemic, taxis were hard to come by and you have to consider the back story. Everything about this case says emergency. It was possible she needed to get home to her child, which is all consistent with an emergency scenario.' Chairman of the bench Andrew Sokill said: 'We had to consider whether there was reasons for an emergency but we have come to the conclusion on the balance of probabilities there were no compelling reasons for you to drive and there were other options on the night.' Prince was also fined 350 and ordered to pay 535 in costs and surcharges. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a nearly 20-minute speech to Congress on Wednesday, speaking via video conference from Kyiv. Here are his full remarks: [Zelensky speaking through translator] Thank you very much. Madam speaker, members of the Congress, ladies and gentlemen, Americans, friends, I'm proud to greet you from Ukraine, from our capital city of Kyiv, a city that is under missile and air strikes from Russian troops every day. But it doesn't give up, and we have not even thought about it for a second. Just like many other cities and communities in our beautiful country which found them shelves in the worst war since World War II. I have the honor to greet you on behalf of the Ukrainian people, brave and freedom-loving people, who for eight years have been resisting the Russian aggression. Those who give their best sons and daughters to stop this full-scale Russian invasion. Right now, the destiny of our country is being decided -- the destiny of our people, whether Ukrainians will be free, whether they will be able to preserve their democracy. Russia has attacked not just us, not just our land, not just our cities, it went on a brutal offensive against our values -- basic human values. It threw tanks and planes against our freedom, against our right to live freely in our own country, choosing our own future. Against our desire for happiness, against our national dreams, just like the same dreams you have, you Americans. Just like anyone else in the United States. I remember your national memorial in Rushmore, the faces of your prominent presidents, those who laid the foundation of the United States of America as it is today: democracy, independence, freedom and care for everyone, for every person, for everyone who works diligently, who lives honestly, who respects the law. We in Ukraine want the same for our people. All that is normal part of your own life. Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Americans, in your great history, you have pages that would allow you to understand Ukrainians, understand us now when you need it right now. When we need you right now. Remember Pearl Harbor. Terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Just remember it. Remember September 11th, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories, in battlefields. When innocent people were attacked from air, yes. Just like nobody else expected it, you could not stop it. Our country experienced the same every day. Right now, at this moment, every night, for three weeks now, there are various Ukrainian cities Odesa [names long list of Ukrainian cities], Russia has turned the Ukranian sky into a source of death for thousands of people. Russian troops have already fired nearly 1,000 missiles at Ukraine, countless bombs, they use drones to kill us with precision. This is a terror that Europe has not seen for 80 years, and we are asking for our life for an answer to this terror from the whole world. Is this a lot to ask for? To create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people? Is this too much to ask? Humanitarian no-fly zone, something that Russia would not be able to terrorize our free cities. If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative. You know what kind of defense systems we need: S-300 and other similar systems. You know how much depends on the battlefield, on the ability to use aircraft, powerful, strong aviation to protect our people, our freedom, our land. Aircrafts that can help Ukraine help Europe and you know that they exist, and you have them, but they are on Earth, not in the Ukrainian sky. They do not defend our people. 'I have a dream' -- these words are known to each of you. Today I can say, 'I have a need.' I need to protect our sky. I need your decision, your help, which means exactly the same, the same you feel when you hear the words 'I have a dream.' Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its overwhelming support, for everything that your government and your people have done for us for weapons and ammunition, for training, for finances, for leadership in the free world which helps us to pressure the aggressor economically. I'm grateful to President Biden for his personal involvement for his sincere commitment to the defense of Ukraine and democracy all over the world. I am grateful to you for the resolution which recognizes all those who commit crimes against Ukraine, against the Ukrainian people as war criminals. However, now, it is true in the darkest time for our country, for the whole Europe, I call on you to do more. New packages of sanctions are needed, constantly, every week until the Russian military machine stops. Restrictions are needed for everyone on whom this unjust regime is based. We propose that the United States sanctions all politicians in the Russian Federation who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are responsible for the aggression against Ukraine, from state Duma members to the last official who has lack of moral to break this state terror. All American companies must leave Russia from their market, leave their market immediately because it is flooded with our blood. Ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress, please take the lead if you have companies in your district who finance the Russian military machine leaving business in Russia, you should put pressure. I'm asking to make sure that the Russians do not receive a single penny that they use to destroy people in Ukraine. The destruction of our country, the destruction of Europe all American ports should be close for Russian goods. We're -- peace is more important than income, and we have to defend this principle in the whole world. We already became part of the anti-war coalition, a big anti-war coalition that unites many countries, dozens of countries, those who reacted in principle to President Putin's decision to invade our country, but we need to move on and do more. We need to create new tools to respond quickly and stop the war, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24th. And it would be fair if it ended in a day, that in 24 hours, that evil would be punished immediately. Today, the world does not have such tools. The war of the past have prompted our predecessors to create institutions that should protect us from war, but they unfortunately don't work. We see it, you see it, so we need new ones, new institutions, new alliances and we offer them. We propose to create an association, 'U24,' 'united for peace,' a union of responsible countries that have the strength and consciousness to stop conflicts immediately, provide all the necessary assistance in 24 hours, if necessary, even weapons, if necessary, sanctions, humanitarian support, political support, finances, everything you need to keep the peace and quickly save the world, to save lives. In addition, such association, such union would provide assistance to those who are experiencing natural disasters, man-made disasters who fell victims to humanitarian crisis and epidemic. Remember how difficult it was for the world to do the simplest things, just to keep vaccines, vaccines against Covid to save lives, to prevent new strains? The world spent months, years doing things like that much faster to make sure there are no human losses, no victims. Ladies and gentlemen, Americans, if such alliance would exist today, that is U24, we would be able to save thousands of lives in our country, in many countries of the world those who need peace, those who suffer inhumane destruction. I ask you to watch one video, video of what the Russian troops did in our country, in our land. We have to stop it. We must prevent it, preventably destroy every single aggressor who seeks to subjugate other nations. [Video] [No longer speaking through translator, Zelensky speaking in English] And in the end, to sum it up, today, today it's not enough to be the leader of the nation. Today, it takes to be the leader of the world, being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Peace in your country doesn't depend anymore only on you and your people. It depends on those next to you, on those who are strong. Strong doesn't mean big. Strong is brave and ready to fight for the lives of his citizens and citizens of the world. For human rights, for freedom, for the right to live decently and to die when your time comes, and not when it's wanted by someone else, by your neighbor. Today, the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine, we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world [inaudible] in the name of the future. That's why today, the American people are helping not just Ukraine but Europe and the world to keep the planet alive, to keep justice in history. Now, I'm almost 45 years old. Today, my age stopped when the heart of more than 100 children stopped beating. I see no sense in life if it cannot stop the deaths. And this is my main issue as the leader of my people, great Ukrainians and as the leader of my nation, I'm addressing the President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Thank you. [In Ukranian] Glory to Ukraine. Jewish holiday of Purim marked in Israel Xinhua) 09:14, March 17, 2022 Ultra-Orthodox Jews read the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim in Meron, northern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther. (David Cohen/JINI via Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jews read the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim in Meron, northern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther. (David Cohen/JINI via Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jews read the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim in Meron, northern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther. (David Cohen/JINI via Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jews attend a reading of the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) An ultra-Orthodox child wearing costume for Purim attends a reading of the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) An ultra-Orthodox child wearing costume for Purim attends a reading of the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) An ultra-Orthodox child wearing costume for Purim reads the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Chinese flags flutter near containers stacked at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China, Jan. 13. Reuters-Yonhap China's economy will "never enjoy a meaningful lead" over the United States and will remain far less prosperous and productive per person even by the mid-century point, though it will still become the world's largest economy, according to a new report. China's economy will "never enjoy a meaningful lead" over the United States and will remain far less prosperous and productive per person even by the mid-century point, though it will still become the world's largest economy, according to a new report. The Sydney-based think tank Lowy Institute predicts that China's economic growth will slow sharply to roughly 3 percent a year by 2030, and will average 2 percent to 3 percent per year on average from now until 2050. "Substantial long-term growth deceleration is the likely future for China, given the legacy effects of its uniquely draconian past population policies, reliance on investment-driven growth and slowing productivity growth," said Roland Rajah, the lead economist at the Lowy Institute and co-author of the report. The report stands in stark contrast to more bullish outlooks, including by former World Bank Vice-President Justin Lin Yifu, who said earlier this month that China will become the world's top economy by 2030. The senior Beijing adviser is also known for his strong belief that China could maintain an average annual growth rate of 8 per cent until 2035. Lin, who holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago, added that the ongoing Ukraine war will not halt China's push to surpass the United States. China achieved better-than-expected economic growth for 2021, with its gross domestic product (GDP) of 8.1 percent beating most expectations, including the central government's target of "above 6 percent." Beijing has set its GDP growth target at "around 5.5 percent" for this year, but several economists have revised down economic forecasts for China based on a number of factors, including geopolitical tensions, and say further adjustments could come. Chinese economists have also flagged demographic challenges, including an acceleration of the nation's aging population problem and rapidly declining birth rate. "China's working-age population has been shrinking since the middle of last decade," Rajah said. "The latest national census indicates that the fertility rate has fallen rapidly over the past decade to just 1.3 births per woman in 2020 well below the replacement rate of 2.1. "This is broadly in line with the lower-case projections of the United Nations, which suggest that, by 2050, China's working-age population will have shrunk by roughly 220 million people about one-fifth of its current level." He went on to note that "rapid aging will see [China's] demographic profile quickly converge on that in Europe, which is itself aging. Over-65s will constitute more than a quarter of the Chinese population by 2050". A resident looks at the street from their neighborhood where barriers are being placed to close off streets after the detection of new cases of COVID-19 in Shanghai, China, March 15. AFP-Yonhap Little Britain is back on our screens after offensive blackface scenes were cut by producers, but questions have been raised over a handful of fringe non-PC characters who remain in the latest iteration of the show. The hit comedy series has returned to streaming services with assurances that offensive scenes have been removed by creators Matt Lucas, 48, and David Walliams, 50, and advisory warnings were used at the start of some episodes. Little Britain's most iconic roles, including Vicky Pollard and wheelchair user Andy, have been retained, alongside other characters including Lucas' homosexual Welshman Dafydd Thomas and Walliams' cross-dresser Emily Howard. As part of the show's 2022 revival, characters donning black face including Pastor Jesse King, Desiree DeVere and other racial stereotypes such as Thai bride 'Ting Tong', have been left in the cutting room. But despite this move to placate fears over the rehashing of historic offensive content, viewers have been left questioning why controversial characters and racially-insensitive scenes are still being shown. Reacting to questionable scene remaining in the 2022 version of Little Britain, one viewer remarked: 'So Matt Lucas and David Walliams have cut blackface from Little Britain to reflect the changes in the cultural landscape (and get it back on iPlayer) yet this has stayed in. Below, MailOnline details the contentious characters who have been dropped, and the ones you can still see, in the latest iteration of Little Britain. Linda Flint and her insensitive phone calls about university students Linda Flint speaking about 'ching chong Chinaman' Kenneth Lao Walliams: 'I've got a student needing the rest of the week off. 'Personal reasons. Mum's ill. 'Yep it's Kenneth Lao. 'Um, how can I describe him? 'He's got straight, black hair. Yellowish skin. Slight smell of soy sauce. 'That's it, the ching chong Chinaman. 'Ok, he says that's fine.' Advertisement Despite concerns over the offensive nature of some characters, David Walliams' Linda Flint has retained her role in the show despite one racially-insensitive exchange with an Asian character. In one example Linda Flint uses derogatory racial epithets to describe an Asian man while speaking on the telephone. Flint's character is often forced into toe-curlingly awkward exchanges with her students. In each instance, she telephones a man called Martin and proceeds to describe the physical attributes of her students in an offensive manner, despite the fact they are always sitting in the same room as her. In an October 2004 episode, Walliams' university counsellor persona describes fictional character Kenneth Lao as a 'ching chong Chinaman' with 'yellow-ish skin and a slight smell of soy sauce'. Speaking on the phone as she tries to describe Lao, Walliams' character says: 'How can I describe him? 'He's got straight black hair. Yellow-ish skin, slight smell of soy sauce'. As Lao's character looks up in astonishment, Walliams continues: 'That's it, the ching chong Chinaman.' She finishes the phone call and tells Lao that his request has been authorised. But he can only look at her in astonishment after her extremely offensive remarks. In an October 2004 episode, David Walliams' university counsellor persona (left) describes fictional character Kenneth Lao (right) as a 'Ching Chong Chinaman' with 'yellow-ish skin and a slight smell of soy sauce' Patient Lou and benefits-cheat Andy Lou and Andy (played by Lucas) are an iconic duo who helped Little Britain shoot to success in the noughties. Lou (Walliams) is a patient and charitable friend who helps Andy, who claims to need to use a wheelchair, in everyday life. Andy, who is impatient and appears unintelligent, dons shaggy and stained clothes and rarely speaks. When he does, he often opts for The BBC's own website describes the pair's relationship: 'What Lou doesn't know is that there's nothing wrong with Andy's legs, and whenever he turns his back, Andy's off out of his chair and gambolling about like a fat, balding, semi-naked spring lamb.' The caricature of a fake-disabled swindler, portrayed by Lucas in his character Andy, has previously been linked to widespread demonisation of those claiming benefits. Benefits-cheat and wheelchair user Andy, has been retained for the 2022 edition of Little Britain Dafydd Thomas, the self-pronounced 'only gay in the village' Dafydd, a homosexual Welshman played by Lucas, repeatedly claims he is the 'only gay in the village' of the fictional mining village of Llandewi, Wales. The character appears in every episode of Little Britain and sports close cropped blonde hair, tight-fitting leather clothes and jewellery. Emphasising his homosexuality, Dafydd often portays himself as the victim and suggests he lives in an age where homosexuals are not tolerated. Whenever other characters attempt to engage with him, Dafydd assumes they were making homophobic remarks. In one encounter with his mother, Dafydd claims she rejected him due to his sexuality and threatens to 'report her to childline'. His character, as well as that of other characters on the show, has come under fire. Pointing to Dafydd, LSE academic Deborah Finding used a 2008 study to claim Little Britain pandered to 'hatred and homophobia'. Daffyd Thomas, a homosexual Welshman played by Lucas, repeatedly claims he is the 'only gay in the village' of the fictional mining village of Llandewi, Wales Teenage delinquent Vicky Pollard who embodied the 'chav' era Arguably the jewel in Little Britain's crown, Matt Lucas portrays teenage delinquent girl Vicky Pollard, who represents the UK's 'chav' generation. Donning her pink Kappa tracksuit, messy ponytail and cheap bling, ill-educated Pollard's character spends most of her time on the show gossiping in a thick Bristol accent. Throughout her sketches she displays her close brushes with the law and appears in court, is arrested for shoplifting, claims she has done 'two million hours of community service' and smuggles drugs. Her iconic retort 'Yeah but, no but, yeah but' was oft-repeated across the country in the early noughties, and was voted the country's funniest ever catchphrase. Vicky Pollard will still be shown throughout the latest version of Little Britian. RETAINED: Little Britain's most iconic character, teenage delinquent Vicky Pollard has been kept for the 2022 edition Blackface character Desiree DeVere In season three of Little Britain Walliams plays Desiree DeVere, a 53-year-old former showjumper who competed under the name 'Mrs Botswana'. Walliams uses a fat suit and make-up for a complete blackface look. This decision has come under fire, alongside the show as a whole, for its attitudes towards race. Desiree is locked in a bitter battle with a love rival over Roman DeVere, her husband. She is often portrayed as a wild character, who shouts and screams before often fighting naked with her love rival. Desiree's character has been cut from the 2022 edition of Little Britain. OUT: In 2020 Little Britain was removed from Netflix, BBC iPlayer and BritBox because the use of blackface characters on the series was deemed to no longer be acceptable Pictured: David Walliams in blackface as Desiree DeVere 'Thai bride' Ting Tong Macadangdang Matt Lucas portrays an overweight 'Thai bride' called Ting Tong who moves in with Walliams' smitten British fictional character Dudley. 19-year-old 'Ting Tong' plays on the stereotype of transgender women from Thailand who are readily available for marriage for Western men, for a price. In Little Britain episodes, Lucas' character is caught by her husband urinating while standing up and confesses her real name is Tong Ting and was actually born in Tooting, London. Later, she moves her mother into Dudley's home and tries to open a Thai restaurant without his knowledge. The 'Ting Tong' character has a speech impediment and consistently lies to Dudley. Whenever he loses his temper with her, she tries to seduce him. OUT: Other racial stereotypes such as 'Thai bride' Ting Tong have been left in the cutting room Reverend Jesee King, the black vicar 'from the ghetto' Reverend Jesee King (Lucas), is a black American preacher who is on a foreign exchange with a vicar from a small village church in Britain. At every opportunity he gets, King's character loudly states he is 'from the ghetto' and encourages the congregation to 'fight the power'. In one instance, he attempts to use faith healing to heal a churchgoer's cough. When this fails, he gives the man some cough sweets instead. King's character, whose sole appearance came in a November 2004 episode, has been scrubbed from the latest series. Reverend Jesee King (Lucas), is a black American preacher who is on a foreign exchange with a vicar from a small village church in Britain BBC and BritBox bosses issued a statement in 2020 revealing they had decided to remove the hit-comedy show because 'times have changed' since it first aired. The comedy, which ran as a television series for four years, was removed from various services including Netflix and BritBox in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. The once-popular series has now returned to the iPlayer streaming service, however the BBC has assured that offensive scenes have been cut from the programme. In a statement, the broadcaster said: 'Little Britain has been made available to fans on BBC iPlayer following edits made to the series by Matt and David that better reflect the changes in the cultural landscape over the last 20 years since the show was first made.' Lucas and Walliams have both previously apologised for their use of blackface on the show, which began as a radio programme in 2000 before running as a TV series on the BBC between 2003 and 2007, launching their respective careers. The pair said in a joint statement on Twitter in June 2020: 'Once again we want to make it clear that it was wrong; we are very sorry.' In the series, Lucas used blackface to play Pastor Jesse King, who said he was 'from the ghetto' and spoke in tongues to cure the sick. The depiction of King has been cut from the new series, alongside two other controversial characters. Lucas later revealed he harboured regrets about Little Britain, describing the comedy as cruel. 'Basically, I wouldnt make that show now. It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than Id do now, he told Big Issue in 2017. Despite a move to placate fears over the rehashing of historic offensive content, viewers have been left questioning why controversial characters and racially-insensitive scenes are still being shown. Pictured: Walliams' female character Linda Flint In the series, both Lucas and Walliams (pictured above in 2008) used blackface makeup for the portrayal of several controversial characters. The depiction of Pastor Jesse King King has been cut from the new series, alongside Desiree DeVere and 'Ting Tong' Lucas and Walliams have both previously apologised for their use of blackface on the show, which began as a radio programme in 2000 before running as a TV series on the BBC between 2003 and 2007, launching their respective careers. Pictured: David Walliams as pensioner Mrs Emery It comes as stars of the show, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, announced they were reuniting for this year's Comic Relief - which will air on Friday - as they teased the new sketch on Instagram on Tuesday. David, 50, uploaded the video to his account where the dynamic duo bring back Rock Profile where they lampoon stars, this time there impersonations will include Miley Cyrus, Billy-Ray Cyrus, Post Malone, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe. Matt, 48, who was dressed as Miley, was wearing a barely-there silver outfit, while David was a little more conservative as Miley's rocker dad complete with a long black wig and red jacket. All three series of the programme are now available to view, as well as Little Britain Abroad. In an apparent reaction to the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer of 2020, Netflix pulled the series, along with the pair's other comedy Come Fly With Me. BBC and BritBox then both confirmed they had also decided to remove Little Britain saying 'times have changed' since the show first aired. The shows include scenes where the comedians portray characters from different ethnic backgrounds with the use of make-up. Similarly, Bo' Selecta, which impersonated black stars such as Craig David, Trisha Goddard and Michael Jackson was removed from All 4 after creator Leigh Francis issued a tearful apology. In Little Britain, David Walliams wore make up to play health-spa guest Desiree DeVere. In Come Fly With Me, he played 'passenger liaison officer' Moses Beacon and airline boss Omar Baba, while Lucas' characters included coffee shop worker Precious Little. The BBC's iPlayer was airing the first series of Little Britain which included a scene where the pair were made-up to look like blackface entertainers. A spokesman for the BBC said at the time: 'There's a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review. Times have changed since Little Britain first aired so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.' BritBox, the streaming service from ITV and the BBC, which had been showing three series of Little Britain, also removed the show. A spokesperson said at the time: 'Times have changed since Little Britain first aired, so it is not currently available on BritBox. Come Fly With Me has not been available on the service for six months.' Back together: Little Britain episodes have returned to BBC iPlayer almost two years after they were scrapped over the use of blackface and fears it was 'no longer acceptable' (Matt Lucas and David Walliams pictured in their new sketch for Comic Relief as Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus) It's back! Despite the BBC and BritBox issusing a statement at the time revealing they had decided to remove the show because 'times have changed' since it first aired, it is now available to view again and offensive scenes have been cut (pictured with Veron Kay left) It's back! Despite the BBC and BritBox issusing a statement at the time revealing they had decided to remove the show because 'times have changed' since it first aired, it is now available to view again and offensive scenes have been cut They're back! The once-popular series has now returned to the iPlayer streaming service, however the BBC has assured that offensive scenes have been cut from the programme Charity: Matt (pictured as Post Malone) is reuniting with David in aid of Comic Relief Sing star: Matt was sporting some face tattoos which spelt out The Wombles, Percy and pig There had been a mixed reaction to Netflix's move. One wrote on Twitter: 'Absolutely furious that Little Britain and Come Fly With Me have been taken off Netflix.' Another said: 'Little Britain and Come Fly With Me have both been removed from Netflix.so now I can't watch these shows because you don't like it? 'I want to live in a free country and make my own choices. Not an oppressive regime where I'm told what I can and can't watch.' But another viewer said: 'I'm guilty for watching Little Britain and Come Fly With Me and looking past the black face but we all must face up and accept this was unacceptable and it's still shown on Netflix.' Excitement: David's two million Instagram followers quickly went into a frenzy at the friends' reunion, with one posting: 'Bring back little Britain' Another person speaking at the end of last week told Netflix: 'Take Little Britain down. 'Please do not endorse a show which perpetuates stereotypes of minority groups and makes a laughing stock of people who have to fight for basic equality within life.' Following the publication of the new snaps ahead of Comic Relief this week, David's two million Instagram followers quickly went into a frenzy at the friends' reunion, with one posting: 'Bring back little Britain.' Another echoed: 'Time to bring back little Britain just like you did to Rock profile.' One fan couldn't contain their emotion and penned: 'Can't wait and so glad they are friends again'. 'I love the pair of you,' said another diehard fan. Another commentator simply said: 'I love this' followed by a collection of emojis. Meanwhile, one fan made cheeky reference to Miley Cyrus's 2013 smash hit simply penning: 'Came in like a wrecking ball.' While fans were quick to gush over the pairs on screen chemistry, Matt also tool the opportunity to show off incredible weight loss after transforming into the hitmaker for the hilarious new sketch. Speaking about his new look, Matt told Lorraine Kelly earlier this month: 'I've lost some weight, I needed to take the edge off, because I put on a lot of weight in lockdown. 'I've still got a bit of a tum, I've got a little bit of a tum, I'm not a skinny Minnie.' Advertisement Germany and Italy are among nations trying to block more Russian sanctions in a bid to protect their own economies, despite pressure from Poland and the Baltic states that are right on Putin's doorstep. The Russian President yesterday claimed Western 'attempts to have global dominance' are coming to an end as he slammed sanctions imposed because the EU 'doesn't want a strong and sovereign Russia'. But the bloc is now beginning to split into 'three sides' as Germany - with support from Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece - is accused of 'openly putting the brakes on' sanctions amid concern about the impact on its own economy. It comes as pro-sanction countries, led by Poland and the Baltic states, are pushing for further and stronger restrictions against Russia and key oligarchs. An internal battle within the EU is now raging between the 'Sanctionistas', countries that are pro-sanctions, and the Contras - countries prioritising their own economies. One EU diplomat told The Times: 'Its becoming clearer by the day that three sides are forming: Poland and the Baltic states, known as the Sanctionistas that want more and stronger sanctions; Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria the Contras that prioritise their own economic interests; and the rest.' The EU issued a fourth round of sanctions on Tuesday, but Germany is understood to have subsequently used meetings with at least three other governments to discuss calling a halt to further measures. Instead, the Contras has suggested the bloc focus on 'closing loopholes' as opposed to imposing any further sanctions. At least four yachts and a private jet owned by sanctioned Russians or their families have escaped the grasp of European officials in recent weeks, a Daily Mail investigation can reveal A man collects debris outside a damaged housing block after it was hit by debris from a downed rocket in Kyiv on Thursday A residential building destroyed by shelling in the village of Krasylivka, in the Kyiv region of Ukraine Poland, though, is furious that sanctions agreed earlier this week did not include metals oligarch Oleg Deripaska due to the potential impact it would have on aluminum production in Germany and other countries. It comes days after a Russian attack on a military base just 12 miles from the Polish border in which at least nine people were killed and dozens more injured. But the Contras moved to weaken a ban on new investment in joint energy ventures with Russian companies such as Gazprom and Rosneft. Instead, a 'winding down' delay of six months was agreed. Berlin has also secured exemptions on transactions that are said to be 'strictly necessary' to purchase, import and transport various metals including titanium, aluminium and copper. The agreements, though, have been met with dismay among the Sanctionista countries on the border with Russia and Ukraine amid concerns over their proximity to the conflict. It comes as the bombardment of Ukrainian cities contiues despite US officials estimating that at least 7,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the fighting and a further 14,000 to 21,000 wounded in action. Kyiv was struck by missiles in the early hours of Thursday, with wreckage of one shot down rocket striking a 16-storey apartment block and killing one person. Mariupol, the heavily besieged city in the south of Ukraine, also continued to come under heavy fire as city officials estimated that at least 2,400 people have now been killed there - though mayoral adviser Petro Andriushchenko said the true toll could be as high as 20,000 once cut-off areas have been searched for victims. Andriushchenko spoke even before a theatre in the city housing up to 1,200 civilians was struck and destroyed by Russian forces Wednesday evening - despite having signs that said 'kids' in Russian positioned outside it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Receives applause before he addresses the German Bundestag via live video from the embattled city of Kyiv on Tuesday A member of the Ukrainian military walks among debris in front of a residential building that was hit by an intercepted missile on Thursday The Donetsk Regional Theatre of Drama in Mariupol is destroyed by an airstrike from Russian forces on Wednesday Rescuers work at the site of a residential building damaged by an airstrike on Thursday Aerial footage released by the Azov Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine on Wednesday shows Russian army tanks are destroyed as they enter the besieged city of Mariupol President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack 'heartbreaking', while Joe Biden branded Putin a 'war criminal.' Casualties from the attack are unclear, but City officials said this morning that evacuations are now underway, and that a bomb shelter at the theatre survived the strike. It is unclear how many people were inside at the time. Despite the mounting death toll, peace talks between the two sides are continuing with concrete proposals for a ceasefire being discussed. Russian negotiators yesterday briefed journalists on their 15-point plan for peace, which would see Ukraine declare neutrality and place limits on its armed forces in return for Russian withdrawal. Ukraine's chief negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak would not be drawn on the plan, saying only that the two sides had discussed it and it did not take Kyiv's negotiating position into account. The proposal makes no mention of Crimea and Donbass - Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia and its proxies before the invasion - with President Zelensky later reiterating that his country's territorial integrity is not up for negotiation. A teenager has been charged with the murder of her father five months after allegedly attacking him with drain cleaner, having succumbed to his injuries. Megan Joyce Imirowicz, 18, from Michigan, allegedly threw lye powder on her father, 64, with water, to produce a chemical reaction and cause severe burns on 1 October 2021. The victim, who has only been identified as Imirowicz's 64-year-old father, was found by neighbors in his Groveland Township home before being hospitalized for his injuries, which were chemical burns to the head, torso and 'extremities'. The Michigan teenager was initially facing charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and misdemeanor domestic violence. She has a court appearance scheduled for early April. But since Mr Imirowicz died as a result of the injuries on March 6, nearly five months after the alleged attack, Oakland County Prosecutors Office upgraded the charges to murder. Megan Joyce Imirowicz, 18, from Michigan, has been charged with her father's murder after she allegedly threw lye powder on her father, 64, with water, to produce a chemical reaction and cause severe burns on 1 October 2021. He later died of his injuries on March 6 Lye powder (pictured) is often used in drain cleaner and has the ability to corrode things on contact, including metal, paint, cloth and skin. It is even more dangerous when wet as it causes an exothermic reaction Lye powder is often used in drain cleaner and has the ability to corrode things on contact, including metal, paint, cloth and skin. It is even more dangerous when lye is wet, as mixing it with water creates an exothermic reaction which causes a dramatic temperature increase of the water, getting up to 200F. Police reported that teenager Imirowicz had been home when the incident began and left her father unconscious on the couch in their home before leaving the residence. They later found the lye powder and water strewn over the couch after the 64-year-old was found by a neighbor and taken to hospital. She was identified as the suspect in the attack by Michigan State Police after officers spoke to her father in Ascension Genesys Hospital, Grand Blanc, where he was being treated. Imirowicz was identified as the suspect in the attack by Michigan State Police after officers spoke to her father in Ascension Genesys Hospital, Grand Blanc, pictured, where he was being treated The Michigan teenager, who was initially facing charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and misdemeanor domestic violence, has a court appearance scheduled for early April. Pictured, Oakland County Jail, where Imirowicz is being held after the murder charge Police have not release information regarding a potential motive behind the alleged attack. After the initial charges of assault, Imirowicz was released on bond but taken back into custody at Oakland County Jail this month after the death of her father and subsequent murder charge. Imirowicz had just turned 18 years old two days before allegedly attacking her father. A policewoman has gone on trial accused of waging a 16-month campaign of psychological abuse and coercion against her former girlfriend. PC Nicole Miller, 31, of Grangemouth, Falkirk, is alleged to have verbally abused Rochelle Kerr, 35, even as the pair prepared to welcome their baby conceived through IVF. PC Miller appeared yesterday at Falkirk Sheriff Court for the first day of her trial, in which Ms Kerr, 35, described her view of how their four-year relationship had deteriorated to breaking point. Ms Kerr, who already had a child of her own, claimed PC Miller repeatedly shouted and swore at her, told her she was a bad mother and on various occasions, forced her out of their Stirlingshire home. She claimed to the court that PC Miller also tried to stop her from having any relationship with her father and hid her car keys when she tried to flee back to her mother while heavily pregnant. The police officer denies engaging in a course of domestic abuse towards Ms Kerr between April 1, 2019, and August 20, 2020. PC Nicole Miller arrives at Falkirk Sherrif Court yesterday where she is standing trial accused of domestic abuse against her former partner Rochelle Kerr Giving evidence from behind a screen, Ms Kerr, a manager at Holland and Barrett, told the summary trial that she and her former partner got engaged in November 2018. She said: 'Nicole had been through some issues in the police where she had been off long-term. 'I knew she really wanted a child but she didn't want to carry and I thought it would help our dynamic.' They both had treatment and Ms Kerr became pregnant. While she was 35 weeks pregnant with her baby, she said there was 'a disagreement'. Ms Kerr said she told PC Miller that she wanted to leave, finish her pregnancy at her mother's in Ayr, and give birth there. However she couldn't find her car keys. She said: 'I packed a bag but my keys weren't there. I looked for the spare set and they weren't there either. PC Nicole Miller (left), 31, and Rochelle Kerr (right), 35, were in a relationship for four years which broke down in 2020 after the birth of their baby 'I asked her where they were and she said she wasn't going to tell me. She said I was going nowhere with her baby. 'She was almost taunting me about the keys.' Ms Kerr said PC Miller then 'threw' her bag out of the house, and kicked a smaller bag so hard it went over their car. She said: 'I was really heavily pregnant, carrying two bags, and I had gone into really bad stomach pains.' Throughout their relationship, she claimed her former partner would 'scream and shout and swear' and had a 'really bad temper'. As a result, Ms Kerr said: 'I started becoming so withdrawn. I felt trapped, controlled and manipulated. 'I didn't know if I was coming or going sometimes. I just didn't no where to turn.' Despite their troubles, Ms Kerr gave birth to their son in April 2020. Miss Kerr (right) claims that PC Miller (left) would 'scream and shout and swear' and had a 'really bad temper' throughout their relationship She claimed that PC Miller tried to cut off her contact with her father, by saying he didn't love her and he was 'homophobic'. Ms Kerr told prosecutor Sarah Smith that the relationship came to an end, 'tearing her away' from her recently-born son after an argument concerning her father. This was apparently followed up with a 16-page letter from PC Miller which referred, among other issues, to Ms Kerr's father. It allegedly stated: 'If you continue trying for a relationship with him, I can't have a relationship with you.' Ms Kerr said: 'It made me feel like I had to chose between my partner and my father.' The trial, before Sheriff Wyllie Robertson, sitting without a jury, was adjourned until April 19. Captured Russian soldiers have warned President Vladimir Putin 'we'll rise against you' after they were made to carry out 'terror attacks' in Ukraine. Moscow's troops labelled the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9 an act of 'perverse neo-Nazism'. Three air force pilots, speaking to CNN, warned the Russian strongman 'you will not hide this for long' because 'many' troops share the same feelings and 'sooner or later, we will come home'. They laid the blame at the feet of Russian commanders for 'horrifying' crimes against 'peaceful Ukrainian civilians' - and warned 'you cannot forgive such things'. 'I don't know, what can justify, f***, the tears of a child, or even worse, the deaths of innocent people, children,' Russian fighter pilot Maxim said. 'It's not just about demilitarizing Ukraine or the defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but now cities of peaceful civilians are being destroyed.' The claims echo statements made by several Russian soldiers following their capture at the hands of Ukrainian forces and observers have raised concerns the servicemen are being pressured to denounce Moscow. But CNN reported the three pilots appeared not to be speaking under duress, that they were not wearing handcuffs and that Ukrainian officials made no effort to direct the topic of the interview. It comes after Russia on March 9 bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol killing four people, including a pregnant woman whose baby also died days after the attack. It is the latest in a string of incidents that have undermined Moscow's claim its forces are only shelling strategic military targets. The slaughter of civilians, particularly those who do not pose a threat, is considered a war crime under international humanitarian law. Captured Russian soldiers labelled the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol an act of 'perverse neo-Nazism' (pictured, a pregnant woman who later died along with her baby is rescued from hospital on March 9) The soldiers laid the blame for the destruction (pictured, Mariupol maternity hospital) at the feet of Russian commanders for 'horrifying' crimes against 'peaceful Ukrainian civilians' - and warned 'you cannot forgive such things' It is the latest in a string of incidents that have undermined Moscow's claim its forces are only shelling strategic military targets (pictured, a fire at the Saltivka construction market in Kharkiv which broke out after it was hit in Russian shelling on March 16) The slaughter of civilians, particularly those who do not pose a threat, is considered a war crime under international humanitarian law (pictured, an apartment building explodes after it was hit by fire from a Russian army tank in Mariupol on March 11) The pilots said they could not justify the Russian war in Ukraine with one, identified as Maxim, claimed many of Moscow's men 'are totally against it'. 'They have many relatives and friends [in Ukraine], and they were told it was an operation localized to the DNR [the breakaway Russian-backed Donetsk area], and not an attack on the whole country. My division was totally against it.' He said 'no one would be against' Ukraine becoming part of Russia or striking up 'some cooperation' with Moscow, if Kyiv wanted to, adding that 'to force them is just not acceptable'. Maxim said he believed disinformation about fascism and Nazism in Ukraine were 'invented as a pretext' for the Russian invasion and said he realised 'the world cannot understand'. 'But Putin and his circle need this in order to achieve their own objectives. One such step was that it would be beneficial for them to spread disinformation about fascism and Nazism,' he said. 'We didn't see any Nazis or fascists. Russians and Ukrainians can communicate in the same language, so we see the good [in these people]. 'It's hard to give a direct assessment of his actions. But, at the bare minimum, judging by the consequences of his orders, he is incorrect.' Asked about civilian casualties, a pilot called Alexei said: 'It's not really up to us, who to bomb, what to bomb. It's a command.' But Maxim said the pilots found it 'impossible to really know' what they were hitting. 'For example, they [the commanders] mark down a column of tanks. But we cannot be sure if there is really one there or not.' A man mourns next to the body of his mother, who was killed when the remains of an intercepted Russian missile hit a residential building in the capital Kyiv, leaving dozens of others wounded A satellite image taken over the city of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, on Wednesday and released Thursday shows blasts and fires caused by Russian air strikes in civilian areas Rescuers on the scene at a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol are locked in a race against time as they try to free survivors from the rubble after the complex suffered a 'direct hit' by Russian rockets on March 9 An injured pregnant woman walks downstairs in a maternity hospital damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022 A Russian attack severely damaged the children's hospital and maternity ward in the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Twitter that there were 'people, children under the wreckage' of the hospital and called the strike an 'atrocity' An official death toll for the heinous attack has not yet been established but rescuers are working desperately to find and free those still trapped under the rubble with temperatures in the besieged city set to plunge to minus 4 degrees C overnight A man carries his child away from the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine A doctor carries personal belongings out of a hospital room with bloodstained beds after a Russian airstrike in Mariupol Ukrainian servicemen work inside of the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine He added that Russian forces had been using 'non-locating missiles', also known as 'dumb bombs', instead of precision alternatives making civilian casualties more likely. 'I just used the usual explosive bombs, made of cast iron... the same kind that were used during World War Two with some changes here and there over the years,' he added. 'There are more modern ballistic varieties, of course, but the fact remains that we did not use those.' It comes after footage emerged on Monday of captured Russian soldiers admitted Vladimir Putin's barbaric invasion was a 'terrible mistake'. Sergey Galkin, one of seven army reconnaissance officers shot down over Ukraine last week, was filmed sobbing as he apologised to Ukrainians for invading their country under Putin's orders. He described hearing heavy artillery being fired by his Russian comrades on Ukrainian targets, while deploring the invasion as a 'disaster'. One soldier begged Putin to stop sending Russian troops into Ukraine in a tearful statement In a translated speech, Galkin said they were told Putin had ordered them to 'invade Ukraine, seize the capital of Kyiv, supposedly protecting the population from fascism and tyranny, which are allegedly present in Ukraine'. He said: 'When we ended up in Ukraine, we realised that this is a real disaster, when many relatives friends of Ukrainians live on the territory of the Russian Federation. 'Here lives a peaceful kind nation. It is beyond words that people are kind and everyone communicates with each other. It was a state of an unknown origin.' Describing it as a 'treacherous invasion', Galkin said: 'I apologise for myself, for my squad to every home, to every street, to every citizen of Ukraine, to the elderly, to women, to children for our invasion of these lands.' The 34-year-old begged Putin to stop sending soldiers to Ukraine and added: 'To the generalship of our military units I would like to say one thing - that they've acted cowardly, that they acted traitorously to us.' Maksim Chernik, captured serviceman of the Russian 16th Motorised Rifle Brigade, added: 'It was terrible feeling to realise what a mistake we had made. 'Simply understanding that all this has to be fixed, the relations have to be improved somehow. 'This will take more than one year. It will take decades, maybe centuries. I simply don't want to exist after all of this after what's going on here.' The video was shared just days after a Russian soldier captured by Ukraine claimed Vladimir Putin has 'death squads' that kill deserters who refuse to take part in the brutal war. The father of tragic teenager Molly Russell has branded Meta 'utterly shameful' after her grieving family was made to wait for answers over her suicide. The 14-year-old, from Harrow in north-west London, took her own life in 2017 after viewing posts and images about depression and self-harm on Instagram, which is owned by Meta, and Pinterest. Her inquest was due to begin next month but has been delayed until September after the family's lawyers said they still had not seen the evidence provided by Meta. But North London Coroner's Court heard the content had only been passed to the coroner and not the interested parties - despite there being only 12 working days until it was due to begin. The company said it did not accept the family's criticism raised in open court, adding that its delivery of more than 12,500 posts, including some hidden behind private accounts, was 'unprecedented'. Molly Russell (pictured) took her own life after viewing 'dreadful' self harm posts on social media Oliver Saunders QC, representing Molly's family, said they were 'frustratingly and regrettably' unable to proceed due to the volume of material. He added that Meta had further submissions that would likely delay them further, though he didn't know what they were. Molly's father, Ian Russell, told how the adjournment of her inquest, which had been due to start in early April, had come as 'significant blow to our family' While Pinterest had provided full details of Molly's activity on its platform early on, he said Meta were only just doing so now - despite having been asked years ago. Speaking after yet another pre-inquest review, he said: 'For a global company worth billions to make a bereaved family wait even longer to get answers regarding the circumstances of their child's death is utterly shameful.' Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, for Meta, said the company did not accept the family's criticism and had 'genuinely sought to engage throughout the process'. The 14-year-old (pictured in 2009), from Harrow in north-west London, viewed material linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide before ending her life in November 2017 She said: 'This was unprecedented, even going beyond criminal matters, and in order to comply has required a laborious effort with individuals writing new specific scripts of code specifically for this task. 'There are multiple people engaged in this task in order to provide these documents quickly and as accessible as possible.' Commenting on the Online Safety Bill, Mr Russell, who has campaigned for online safety since his daughter's death, said it was 'another important step towards ending the damaging era of tech self-regulation'. He said: 'Increasingly, we are all reminded of the appalling consequences created by harmful online content. 'Even nations and governments can struggle to protect themselves from the damaging use of digital technology, so we must do more to safeguard the lives of our young and vulnerable. 'It is time for the laws, regulations, and freedoms of our offline democracies to be reflected in the digital domain.' An earlier hearing was told Molly used her Instagram account more than 120 times a day. Molly's father Ian Russell (pictured in 2017) has campaigned for social media reform since her death and has set up charity the Molly Rose Foundation She liked more than 11,000 pieces of content and shared material more than 3,000 times, including 1,500 videos. The teenager also used picture-sharing platform Pinterest more than 15,000 times over the same period. Mr Russell attended Wednesday's 40-minute hearing remotely. He has campaigned for social media reform since her death and has set up a charity named the Molly Rose Foundation. Interested parties at the inquest will next convene on a suitable time, when a date will be fixed at the next pre-inquest hearing - which was not set today. Molly (pictured in 2015) liked more than 11,000 pieces of content and shared material more than 3,000 times, including 1,500 videos Molly's death is one of the reasons the government is seeking to clamp down on abuses of power by social media giants in a new Online Safety Bill. The bill seeks to impose a duty of care on tech giants to stop them allowing users to view harmful material. A White Paper outlining the legislation was first drafted in 2019, but the bill is still going through Parliament. For confidential support, log on to samaritans.org or call the Samaritans on 116123. Advertisement The rapidly unravelling 'Zero Covid' policy in China is a stark reminder that Britain could still be stuck in lockdown cycles if ministers listened to cheerleaders of the elimination strategy, experts warned today. Many Western public health scientists overlooked the Communist regime's disregard for individual rights to praise China as a beacon of success early in the pandemic, claiming that it would be possible for every country in the world to employ similar measures and totally eradicate the virus. Such claims gained an enthusiastic social media fan base and earned many of the most zealous Zero Covid experts from British, American and Australian institutions a significant amount of praise and publicity. But now the ultra-infectious Omicron and BA.2 variants have broken through China's super-strict Zero Covid restrictions due to subpar vaccines Chinese vaccines and a lack of natural immunity. Meanwhile, most Western Zero Covid advocates have quietly changed their position as life returns to normal in most countries while Chinese people are subjected to brutal shutdowns and Beijing uses military force to suppress the virus. The other last Zero Covid holdout New Zealand has also finally ditched its policy, while most experts claim they were only pushing the elimination strategy until an effective vaccine was developed despite their forceful language early in the pandemic. But China and Hong Kong are still doggedly trying to eliminate the virus with more than 30million people in 13 cities across mainland China in lockdown and a nationwide 6pm curfew in place for the 7.5million people of Hong Kong. Part of the problem is that China's homegrown vaccines have been shown to offer barely 50 per cent protection against falling ill with Covid - compared to up to 90 per cent from Pfizer or Moderna - and are thought to virtually useless against Omicron. Beijing has refused to turn to a more effective Western-made vaccines, which are more expensive and difficult to store and distribute than China's own, which use traditional technology. On Tuesday, China saw a record 5,000 cases in a single day. While that may seem small in comparison to rates in the UK, it is the highest number since the original outbreak began in Wuhan. In Hong Kong, which is also clinging on to the suppression strategy, nearly 38 people out of every million died from the virus on Sunday twice as many as the worst ever day in Britain. Vaccine uptake among the elderly has been poor in Hong Kong, with around only a third of over-80s double-vaccinated when the Omicron wave hit. UK scientists have suggested that people in Hong Kong and China became complacent about Covid after successfully suppressing it for nearly two years. The Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) has doubled down on its zero Covid stance, saying the rise of Omicron and BA.2 means 'faster and stricter measures should be taken'. Armed riot police in southern China parade four violators of Covid rules through the streets in December as part of the Government's militant zero Covid strategy A young girl has her swab sample taken at a mobile testing site in Beijing on Wednesday Chinese health workers wear protective suits as they gather after definecting an area where a single case of Covid was found on today in Beijing Empty coffins are delivered to a funeral services shop and funeral parlours in the Kowloon district of Hong Kong where hospitals are overflowing with dead bodies as a result of the Omicron outbreak A boy runs to his cabin at the San Tin Community Isolation Facility in Hong Kong, where people are forced to stay for two weeks even if they have only mild symptoms More than a billion people 85 per cent of the Chinese population have been double-jabbed, which is more than in the UK or Hong Kong. But China and Hong Kong have leaned entirely on homegrown vaccines made by Sinovac and Sinopharm. The jabs are believed to have an overall efficacy of about 51 per cent against symptomatic disease, although China has never published its trial findings Only 30 per cent of people in Hong Kong have had a booster dose and uptake lags in the elderly groups. In China it is slightly better at 40 per cent In Hong Kong, which is also clinging on to the suppression strategy, nearly 38 people out of every million died from the virus on Sunday twice as many as the worst ever day in Britain On Tuesday, the country saw a record 5,000 cases in a single day. While that may seem small in comparison to rates in the UK, it is the highest number since the original outbreak began in Wuhan Publicly, Hong Kong is also committed to achieving zero Covid. But it is quickly being forced to move away from several key pillars of its policy because of the rapid rise of Omicron. Its world-renowned contact tracing teams are no longer able to hunt down every single case because there are so many and mild cases have stopped being sent to Government isolation hubs because they are overflowing. Former UK Government Covid advisor, Professor Robert Dingwall, told MailOnline Western scientists who opposed zero Covid in the early days of the pandemic 'might feel a little smug' watching the policy unravel in the East. 'We're seeing people [Western scientists] stepping back from positions they've adopted in the last two years, and there is now a certain amount of rewriting history going on.' China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and others were hailed as the 'envy of the world' in 2020 and early 2021 as they embarked on their Covid elimination strategies. Their people continued life largely as normal while the rest of the world lost their basic freedoms, with restaurants, bars, nightclubs and sporting events operating at full capacity. But it came at the expense of basic civil liberties. Strict border policies meant either blocking almost all entries or requiring long hotel quarantines to ensure the virus would not take hold in the general population. Entire cities were plunged into snap lockdowns over the discovery of a single case and relentless contact tracing saw people hunted down and put into Government facilities for weeks. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: 'We've known since April 2020 that zero Covid is unachievable. How Xi Jinping's dogmatic pursuit of zero Covid policy in China risks sparking ANOTHER global supply chain crisis New Chinese lockdowns prompted by President Xi's zero Covid policy risk sparking another global supply chain crisis and causing shortages of iPhones, cars and other electronic gadgets in Britain, experts warned today. Authorities across China are trying to stem the spread of the country's worst Covid outbreak in two years, putting tens of millions of people under harsh restrictions, curbing transport and shutting factories. Some of the toughest measures have been applied in the key manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Changchun, as well as the Chinese financial centre of Shanghai, which is home to the world's busiest container port. Shenzhen's port, Yantian, handles about 90% of all China's electronics shipments. Foxconn, which produces Apple iPhones, had to close down its factories in Shenzhen, although these have been allowed to reopen under strict Covid controls. Other companies which have warned Covid curbs are impacting their businesses include Toyota, Volkswagen and KFC operator Yum China. Electronic goods that could see supply issues include everything from electric scooters and toys to air conditioning units and USB sticks. Experts warned the shutdowns could cause yet more disruption to global supply chains that have already been stretched to their limit by Covid - but said the situation would only become critical if they last for more than a few weeks. Last year, a global logistics crisis caused by Covid and a shortage of HGV drivers saw hundreds of ships unable to dock and unload their goods, and vast piles of empty containers appearing in fields near major UK container ports. As a result, businesses were left with huge delays to shipments, with retailers struggling to import popular Christmas gifts. Advertisement 'You only have to look at China, anyone in the West who was calling for it after April 2020 has been wrong all along, nobody who I would consider credible was calling for zero Covid.' Professor Hunter said China's suppression strategy has robbed its population of crucial natural immunity that has allowed countries in the West to return to normal. 'Non-pharmaceutical interventions [lockdowns] don't ultimately stop infections, they delay them, and that can be beneficial until you get vaccines approved and administered. But once you've vaccinated everyone, there is very little need for NPIs.' Studies have repeatedly shown that being vaccinated and having a prior infection offers the strongest possible protection. In the UK, where vaccine uptake has been high and where Covid rates have ranked among the highest in the world during the pandemic Covid's infection mortality rate has been shrunk to about the same level of flu. But not only does China have barely any natural immunity against Covid, the country's vaccine rollout has also provided its people with substandard protection. More than a billion people 85 per cent of the Chinese population have been double-jabbed and 40 per cent have been boosted, but the rollout has leaned entirely on homegrown vaccines made by Sinovac and Sinopharm. The jabs are believed to have an overall efficacy of about 51 per cent against symptomatic disease, although China has never published its trial findings. That puts it only marginally above the World Health Organization's 50 per cent threshold for an acceptable vaccine and scientists believe Omicron will have made the vaccines even weaker. It is not clear how effective the are against severe illness but the rapid rise in deaths in Hong Kong paints a worrying picture. By comparison, Pfizer and Moderna's jabs were shown to be 95 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic infection and even stronger at preventing death against earlier strains of the virus. The Chinese vaccines were created under the traditional approach, where a piece of Covid is deactivated and introduced into the body to trigger an antibody response. According to research from the University of Hong Kong late last year, five out of 25 participants who had received two Pfizer doses were able to ward off infection with Omicron, but all 25 participants given Sinovac got infected. Professor Dingwall told MailOnline: 'What we're seeing in places where vaccines have been less successful is that Omicron is capable of being just as serious as previous variants. 'But in the UK the variant has come up against this wall of immunity that it is unable to break through. 'The people who tried to eliminate by lockdown are struggling to contain Omicron, while the countries that went for high levels of vaccination are the countries that are seeing a pretty normal state of affairs pretty quickly.' The Chinese vaccines have also been used in Hong Kong, which currently has the world's highest Covid death rate despite eight in 10 people being double-jabbed. Some of the toughest measures have been applied in the key manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Changchun, as well as the Chinese financial centre of Shanghai, which is home to the world's busiest container port THIRTY MILLION people in 13 cities are put into Covid lockdown in China Thirty million people in 13 cities across China have been put back into a Covid-19 lockdown with hazmat-wearing officials back on the streets on a scale not seen since the pandemic began. China reported 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the previous day's tally and a record high as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spread across a country that has stuck tightly to a zero-Covid strategy. That approach, which pivots on hard localised lockdowns and has left China virtually cut off from the outside world for two years, appears stretched to the limit as Omicron finds its way into communities. At least 13 cities nationwide were fully locked down as of Tuesday, and several others had partial lockdowns, with some 15,000 infections reported nationwide in March. Scenes of closed neighbourhoods, panic buying and police cordons cast back to the early phase of the pandemic, which first emerged in China in late 2019. Although cases from the chaotic initial outbreak in Wuhan in early 2020 are widely believed to have been under-reported, life since then had largely returned to normal in China under its strict zero-Covid approach. Advertisement Uptake has been low among the most vulnerable, with only a third of over-80s double-vaccinated when the Omicron wave hit. Only 30 per cent of people in Hong Kong have had a booster dose. Professor Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, said China had dug itself into a zero Covid hole by its ideological coverage of Covid outbreaks in the West. State media has constantly framed Western leaders as evil for overseeing so many virus deaths while portraying zero Covid as proof of how much the Communist Party cares about its people. When the UK came out of lockdown in summer 2021, the media said it was 'surrendering' to Covid. Professor Dingwall told MailOnline: 'There has always been a trade-off in China between democracy and security. The promise is, in exchange for your freedoms we'll keep you secure and protected. 'The problem is they clearly have an infectious disease now in Omicron that is very difficult to control, leaving them in a tricky position. The Communist Party doesn't do admitting defeat, or accepting mistakes were made.' Dr Simon Clarke, an infectious disease expert at the University of Reading, told MailOnline that the zero Covid policy may have created a false sense of security in China and Hong Kong. 'Maybe people thought Covid had gone away, if they are constantly told how great they are by the Government at eliminating Covid and having zero cases. 'Not only could that start to change how people behave, it may also explain why booster uptake rates are so low people maybe did not think they needed them.' Dr Clarke said he was 'surprised' by how few people in China had been triple-vaccinated, given the Communist Party's record on freedoms and human rights. 'You wouldve thought that they would have been more pushy with boosters but clearly they hadnt,' he said, adding that the Government may have even convinced itself it had beaten Covid. At the start of the year Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, listed China's zero-infection policy as the top global risk. 'China is in the most difficult situation because of a zero-Covid policy that looked incredibly successful in 2020, but now has become a fight against a much more transmissible variant, with broader lockdowns and vaccines with limited effectiveness,' the report said. 'It's the opposite of where [President] Xi wants his country to be in the run-up to his third term, but there's nothing he can do about it. The initial success of zero-Covid and Xi's personal attachment to it makes it impossible to change course.' Countries like Australia, New Zealand, and swathes of Asia joined China in its pursuit of zero Covid in 2020. But the emergence of increasingly more infectious variants led most leaders to accept the goal could never be possible, with the target shifting toward vaccinating everyone before reopening. Australia and New Zealand abandoned the policies in late 2021, with Aussie PM Scott Morrison declaring in August the strategy was 'not a sustainable way to live in this country.' New Zealand followed suit in October, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitting a 'return to zero is incredibly difficult'. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam also ditched the strategy at around the same time, with many hailing the shift important in reviving their vital tourism industries. Footage has emerged showing a New Jersey shoplifting gang who swiped $90,000 worth of purses from an East Hampton Balenciaga before being arrested after a 90mph car chase that ended when they popped a tire and led into some nearby woods. The five-person crew walked into the luxury fashion store at 1:30 pm, with video showing three men and two women snatching handbags from shelves. Before the robbery, the gang sent in a decoy - a woman entering the store in a pink ski mask and sunglasses walking into the store on her phone, sending the woman at the counter to look for her shoe size, reported ABC 7. The thieves nicked $95,000 worth of handbags from a boutique Balenciaga in East Hampton Village, officials said on March 4, but one of the suspects remains at large New York State Police chased a black Dodge Durango through Long Island before the getaway hit a flat and the robbers took off into the surrounding woods, leaving the car on the highway Masked men then ran into the store, snatching handbags and purses from the shelves. New York State Police chased a black Dodge Durango through Long Island that took off from Sunrise Highway near the Westhampton Beach Exit. According to State Police, employees at the store called 911 when the suspects stormed in and an East Hampton police officer spotted the car driving 'recklessly' in the village. The officer instructed the vehicle to stop, but when the driver failed to comply, the officer called off the local pursuit to avoid an 'unsafe situation' within the village. But troopers had to back off as the Dodge started driving over 100 miles veering into on-coming traffic, reported 27 East. Luckily for the cops, the getaway car got a flat near exit 69 on the Long Island Expressway, with the thieves abandoning the Dodge on the highway and running into some nearby trees. The New York State Police and their K-9 unit were joined by local and county police to search for the suspects. State police quickly apprehended one of the suspects, and the Suffolk County Police tracked down the other three, police said. But the final crewmember remains at large, escaping through the trees. Cops took the men, Ali Harris, 28, Jamal Johns, 25, and Wazir Rodgers, 25 to the police station to charge them, along with the woman, Baseemah Tamika Davis, 34. Davis had previously been arrested on Long Island on January 20 when cops found her and three others in possession of stolen property and drugs inside a BMW with fake New Jersey license plates. Baseemah David, left, and Wazir Rogers, right, are pictured leaving their arraignment after allegedly stealing $90,000 of purses from Balenciaga in East Hampton Jamal Revelt Johns (left) and Ali Abul Harris (right) were also charged over their alleged involvement in the thefts Baseemah Tamika Davis, 34, (pictured) was one of four arrested in a brazen robbery of $90,000 worth of purses at a Balenciaga store in East Hampton on Thursday Store employees told police a gang of five thieves entered the store at around 1.30pm The thieves swiped the merchandise in less than 30 seconds before making their getaway The four arrested suspects face state and local charges as State Police charged them with criminal possession of stolen property and East Hampton Police charged them with grand larceny. They were arraigned at both the East Hampton Court and Suffolk County First District Court. In her January 20, arrest, Davis faced a total of 10 charges, including two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and three counts of criminal possession of stolen property. The crime is reminiscent of the spate of smash-and-grab robberies that plagued luxury stores across the nation earlier in the winter. During the Louis Vuitton store theft, which White Plains police say happened last month, one man is seen running from the store, stolen purses in hand The other suspect was almost stopped by other people in the store, but managed to escape with stolen purses, right past the security guard In January, police in White Plains, New York, released a disturbing video that captured shoppers at a Louis Vuitton store trying to prevent a crew of thieves from ransacking the luxury retailer - only for the brazen bandits to escape when mall security guards sat back and watched. In the video, the suspects are seen fleeing the store at the Westchester Mall in White Plains, as other people nearby attempted to stop them. But as the chaotic scene unfolds, an apparent mall security guard hangs back and watches, but does nothing. The other suspect was almost stopped by other people in the store, but managed to escape with stolen purses, right past the security guard. It was the second time in recent months that thefts at high-end stores have been carried out at the mall just north of New York City, after robbers targeted a Burberry store. Woke district attorneys' progressive policies have been blamed for the increase in both petty and violent crime. Their attempts to lower prison population has seen many suspected criminals released straight back onto the streets after they've been charged - emboldening them to reoffend. East Hampton Police did not respond to request for comment. The husband of conwoman Melissa Caddick has accused Australia's corporate watchdog of 'dehumanising' his wife as it investigated her $23.5 million theft from 74 investors. Anthony Koletti, 40, has penned an explosive letter to the Federal Court containing several allegations about Isabella Allen, who is at the helm of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) investigation into his wife. Caddick, 49, vanished without a trace in November 2020, one day after ASIC and the NSW Police raided her $6.2m Dover Heights home in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The fraudster was declared dead four months later in February 2021 after her decaying foot drifted ashore 400km south of Sydney. Anthony Koletti, 40, has penned a scathing letter to the Federal Court accusing an ASIC investigator of 'dehumanising' his conwoman wife, Melissa Caddick (pictured together) In the letter obtained by the ABC, Koletti said he will never know if his wife was murdered or took her own life because ASIC seized CCTV from the couple's home. 'The reason there is no proof of Melissa's disappearance is because Isabella Allen removed my CCTV recorder from my premises leaving it both unsecured and unprotected,' Mr Koletti said. Mr Koletti further claimed Ms Allen laughed at him once during a meeting when he raised the possibility his wife could be dead. He also accused her of abusing her position of power during the raid, which he said should have been supervised by the AFP. 'Melissa was dehumanised in front of her son and I whilst the AFP were upstairs enjoying our view and having a merry old time,' he said. The hairdresser-turned-DJ also claimed his wife was innocent, accusing authorities of trying to defame them both. 'Melissa lost investor funds trading on the stock market which is clearly visible through her Australian commsec trading account,' the letter continued. The note was sent last month as court-appointed receivers sell Caddick's luxury properties, exotic cars and jewellery to repay the millions she swindled from investors as part of a Ponzi scheme. Many of Caddick's victims were friends and family who trusted the fake financial adviser with their savings, only for her to spend their hard-earned nest eggs on a lavish lifestyle replete with overseas holidays, fancy cars, and designer goods. Mr Koletti claimed he will never know the cause of her death because CCTV footage was taken from their home during an ASIC raid (pictured) the day before she disappeared Caddick was declared dead after her decomposing foot washed ashore in an running shoe (pictured) in February 2021 On March, the Federal Court ruled that any money left in Caddick's multiple bank accounts, credit accounts and shares must be handed to liquidators. New documents publicly released on Thursday also reveal Mr Koletti's objections to liquidators selling the couple's multi-million dollar home, where he still resides with Caddick's teenage son. In an email dated November 2021, Mr Koletti told liquidator Bruce Gleeson he 'refused any further inspections' of his property 'given the child like, and bullying nature [of] your lawyer'. He later allowed Mr Gleeson to visit the home, which was bought with investor's money and is yet to be sold, but prohibited photo taking. The fresh allegations come after the NSW Police filed an application for an apprehended violence order (AVO) against Mr Koletti in February to protect Ms Allen, which will be considered by a Sydney court later this month. At the time, Mr Kolletti said he had 'no idea' why the AVO was filed, but described it as an attempt to 'villainise' him, vowing to fight it in court. 'I have no idea why they would be taking an AVO out, I guess it's ASIC just throwing their weight around to try and make me look like some kind of villain,' he previously told The Australian. 'They're villainising my wife and now they villainising me, that's what this world's come to. It's just ridiculous.' Mr Koletti's blue 2016 Audi R8 coupe and a black 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 wagon belonging to Caddick were sold at auction by Pickles for $295,000 and $66,250 respectively earlier this year. AVO conditions can stop defendants from approaching or contacting the protected person and being within a certain distance of their home or workplace. A man accused of killing two homeless people and shooting three others allegedly said he was feeling 'devilish' and 'godly' in an Instagram post the day before he was arrested. Gerald Brevard III, 30, was charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to kill on Tuesday and appeared in court for the first time yesterday. He stands accused of a 10-day shooting spree targeting homeless people in Washington and New York that began on March 3 and left two dead, including one named man - Morgan Holmes, 54, - whom he is charged with murdering. The day before his arrest a picture was posted to his Instagram account with the eerie caption: 'Feeling Devilish, Feeling Godly,' according to investigators. He was found by police after a tipster who knew him for a long time called and gave his name, phone number and Instagram profile. Gerald Brevard III, 30, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday in Washington, D.C., for five shootings of homeless men in D.C. and New York Gerald Brevard III, 30, makes his first appearance after he was charged with homicide, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to kill, in a sketch based on a remote court appearance at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in Washington The moment that Brevard was arrested at gunpoint in Washington, D.C.,was caught on camera. Prosecutors say Brevard has avoided prison for years despite being convicted of several serious crimes including armed robbery, sexual assault and stabbing, He was ruled psychotic and incompetent to stand trial in 2019 Brevard allegedly found his first victim underneath an overpass in northeast Washington on March 3. The victim said he woke up around 4.30am to the sound of a passing train and saw a man pointing a gun at him. The man shot him twice in the lower back but the bullets only grazed the skin so he was able to escape to a friend's house before calling the police. Two shell casings stamped with the letter 'C' were found at the crime scene a week later and police saw a bald man walking in the area about an hour and a half before the shooting. The unique shell case stamping helped cops to track down the suspected killer. On March 8 Brevard is believed to have shot his second victim in the head, face, chest, thighs, buttocks and hand. Washington police were called over gunfire reports at around 1.20am and found the second victim at a homeless campsite. The victim is still in hospital. Security camera footage recorded the sound of a man screaming, 'No, no, no' and 'please don't shoot' after the first shot was fired. Video shows the suspect walking up to ahomeless man and kicking him several times before taking out his weapon The suspect can be seen looking around to see if anyone was watching before carrying out the horrific act Brevard was arrested after authorities in New York and the District of Columbia released these photographs of the suspect In the last month, at least five homeless men wereshot - two of them fatally - and one has been found dead in what police fear may be a string of attacks by the same person Footage from minutes later shows the suspect sitting on the street and playing music from his phone. The next morning just before 3am police found the body of a homeless man, Morgan Holmes, 54, on a burned out mattress after a fire broke out at another homeless camp. Mr Holmes had been stabbed several times and shot to death. Two shell casings and two folding knives were found the next day. More surveillance footage shows the suspect walking around the area where Mr Holmes was found and pumping gasoline into a cup. Police believe Brevard then travelled to New York and shot two homeless men sleeping on the streets of Lower Manhattan on March 12, leaving one dead. Brevard, standing in black T-shirt in a family snap. His grandfather Gerald Brevard Sr. is seated center. The NYPD worked alongside police in Washington DC and the ATF, acknowledging that similar shootings have occurred in both cities Brevard has not been charged for these crimes while New York cops continue to gather evidence. Prosecutors allege Brevard escalated his violence as he stalked and shot homeless people asleep on the streets of the two cities over a 10-day period. In court Wednesday, Magistrate Judge Tanya Jones Bosier pointed to that allegation as one of multiple reasons to hold Brevard without bail, saying he is alleged to have played the music 'as if there was some kind of amusement' after the shooting. According to court documents, the fatal shooting and the first incident occurred within one-half mile of each other and less than two miles from the second wounding. 'This is a disturbing escalation of violent behavior, particularly against individuals who are already vulnerable because they live on the street,' assistant U.S. attorney Sarah Santiago said. Brevard, she said, carried out 'unprovoked attacks of people living on the streets.' The shoe of one of the homeless victims to have been killed is seen on the sidewalk inLower Manhattan New York Mayor Eric Adams listens as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a news conference Less than an hour after Holmes' body was discovered, the suspect walked into Washington's Union Station and stayed inside the station until he hopped aboard a train around 6.15am, court papers say. Police believe Brevard then traveled north to New York City. Surveillance video showed a man who investigators believe is Brevard at Penn Station in Manhattan around 3.30am on March 12. An hour later, a 38-year-old man sleeping on the street in Manhattan not far from the entrance to the Holland Tunnel was shot in his right arm as he slept. The victim screamed, and the gunman fled, police said. About 90 minutes later, the gunman fatally shot another man in SoHo, police said. The man's body was found in his sleeping bag just before 5pm Saturday. He had been shot in the head and neck, said Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for the New York City medical examiner's office. Police identified Brevard after a tipster who knew him called and provided his name, telephone number and Instagram profile. Brevard also posted photos on Instagram showing him wearing a black quilted jacket, similar to what was worn by the suspect in two of the shootings. Police also obtained phone records showing Brevard has been in Washington and New York City when the shootings occurred. Ballistics evidence has connected the New York and Washington cases, prosecutors said. He was arrested by federal agents early Tuesday morning in Washington. Brevard's lawyer, Ron Resetarits, argued in court that his client should be released because of conflicting statements about the suspect's description given by witnesses in New York and Washington. He also pointed to the fact that police have not recovered a gun in the case. His client, he said, has lived in the Washington area for more than 20 years and had worked at a variety of businesses, including a wine store, a nightclub, a bagel shop and restaurants. But prosecutors alleged Brevard had a lengthy criminal history in Washington, Virginia and Maryland on charges that included assaulting a police officer and assault with a deadly weapon. He also had a bench warrant and failed to appear for a trial in Maryland in 2021, prosecutors said. This is the heartwarming moment a group of volunteers sang Happy Birthday to a Ukrainian girl as she crossed over the border into Poland. Despite the horrifying events taking place in her homeland, the girl, named as Camilia, beamed with delight as she was serenaded on what was her eighth birthday. Chants of 'Hip hip hooray!' rung around after the singing stopped, before the girl hugged a man wearing a high-visibility jacket. Camilia turned 8 today. She also crossed the border from Ukraine to Poland. So volunteers, including @miguelabed sang her happy birthday and tried to make her smile. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/IWUaOQweom Ruffini (@EenaRuffini) March 16, 2022 This is the heartwarming moment a group of volunteers sang Happy Birthday to a Ukrainian girl as she crossed over the border into Poland Ukrainian refugees wait for registration at a German Red Cross desk after arriving at Stuttgart in southern Germany Around the group of volunteers and people singing can be seen tents and boxes with clothing items. In other epic bids to escape war-torn Ukraine, an 11-year-old boy called Hassan Pisecka made a 600-mile journey into neighbouring Slovakia all alone. He did this with just a plastic bag, passport, and telephone number written on his hand, in a story that has attracted global attention. Despite the horrifying events taking place in her homeland, the girl was still able to maintain a bright smile on what was her eighth birthday Hassan, 11, boarded trains going west towards the Slovakian border, where he was spotted by officials who noticed his 'smile, fearlessness and determination, worthy of a true hero'. Helping him to reach the other side, the boy's relatives received a phone call, and came to collect him. While these stories have been raising spirits during a time of tragedy, President Joe Biden has stepped up efforts, too. This has come both in terms of his actions and words against Russia, with Biden finally labelling Putin a war criminal for the first time. The US President has also pledged to send across $800 million in military equipment. His pledge of support is intended to bolster the Ukrainian war effort, which has already seen 28,000 Russian soldiers killed, wounded or captured, according to the US. Boris Johnson has quietly backed off a call to curb MPs' second jobs in the wake of the Owen Paterson scandal, it was revealed today. At the height of the sleaze crisis in November, the PM wrote to Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle urging 'reasonable limits' on politicians' outside earnings. But ministers have now written to the cross-party Standards Committee warning that restricting the amount of time MPs can spend on sidelines would be 'impractical'. The premier's chief of staff Steve Barclay also dismissed the idea of a cap on earnings, suggesting it could catch people who had legitimate income from activities such as writing books. Mr Johnson rushed out the call for restrictions on MPs' second jobs amid a storm over the abortive bid to save his ally Mr Paterson from punishment for lobbying. The PM said there should be a ban on working as consultants, and also suggested MPs should have limits placed on the time they spend on second jobs. Boris Johnson (right) has quietly backed off a call to curb MPs' second jobs in the wake of the Owen Paterson (left) scandal At the height of the Owen Paterson scandal in November, Mr Johnson wrote to the Speaker urging 'reasonable limits' on how much outside work MPs could do The dramatic intervention was intended to outflank Labour amid growing alarm that its attacks on the government over sleaze were hitting home. But Tories complained the plan had been drawn up 'on the back of a fag packet', and it quickly descended into a shambles, with Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan suggesting that 20 hours on a sideline 'is fine'. Ms Trevelyan also indicated that former attorney general Geoffrey Cox would not have to curb his 1million a year legal practice under the mooted changes - despite No10 claiming he would. The Standards Committee has since carried out a review of the code of conduct and wider rules. In what appears to be an humiliating backtrack - first reported by the Guardian today - Mr Barclay wrote in response to a consultation by the committee: 'It is the government's initial view that the imposition of fixed constraints such as time limits on the amount of time that members can spend on outside work would be impractical. 'The imposition of time limits would not necessarily serve to address recent concerns over paid advocacy and the primary duty of MPs to serve their constituents.' In a joint letter submitted with Commons Leader Mark Spencer, Mr Barclay cautioned that a cap 'could serve to prohibit activities which do not bring undue influence to bear on the political system'. He suggested a long-serving MP 'could inadvertently reach the 'ceiling' through earnings accrued over time', questioning whether that would be fair. 'In respect of a cap on earnings from outside work to impose such a limit could serve to prohibit activities which do not bring undue influence to bear on the political system. 'Earnings from activities such as writing books for example, would not preclude Members from meeting their principal duty to their constituents. 'Moreover, in practice, a long-standing Member could inadvertently reach the 'ceiling' through earnings accrued over time. In this scenario, there is a question of whether it would be fair to subject that Member to a standards investigation. 'To avoid this issue would require a substantive earning threshold to be set such that it would not serve to prevent MPs from taking on outside work for which they were properly remunerated in line with salaries in that sector. 'The introduction of such an arbitrary cap therefore may not have the intended effect of ensuring that Members prioritise their parliamentary duties and the needs of their constituents.' The letter stressed that rather than the level of earnings reforms should target 'the type of outside work which MPs are able to undertake'. 'We believe that it is possible for MPs to strike the right balance between their parliamentary duties and outside work so long as it falls within reasonable limits as historically, the House can and has benefited from Members having outside experience.' The PM's spokesman denied that the government had U-turned. 'It is not necessarily the issue of time spent which determines the acceptability of the outside interest, it is what best serves the needs of the constituents, and that can vary,' the spokesman said. 'For example, placing time limits on MPs' outside interests may stop MPs with professional service requirements, such as doctors or nurses. 'Setting limits on income from outside interests could prevent MPs from undertaking activities which can enhance their ability to engage with the public.' However, Thangam Debbonaire shadow Commons Leader said: 'This is a Prime Minister who has repeatedly allowed his own MPs to put their own private business interests ahead of their constituents and it must be stopped. 'He can't just row back on his promises to tighten up the rules on second jobs just because he is in a spot of bother with his backbenchers. 'Labour supports toughening up the standards system, with a ban on directorships and paid consultancy, and the House of Commons must be given the chance to debate fully and approve any measures put forward by the Standards Committee to toughen up the system.' Skateboarders and sightseers have been urged to stay away from 'Britain's most dangerous road' which looks like it was hit by an earthquake - because it is still moving. The section of the B4069 near Lyneham in Wiltshire has been so badly damaged the tarmac has completely snapped or is at a 45 degree angle. The road has been closed since February 17 - but some locals have been using it as a skate park despite the dangers, posting videos on social media. BMX aficionados have been heading to a stretch of roadway in Lyneham, Wiltshire which has been destroyed by a landslide The local council has warned people to stay away from the area due to the danger posed Officials warned that the roadway is still moving and could result in injury The earthquake-like damage has been caused by unexplained underground movements which are 'still moving' according to Wiltshire Council. Local residents claim the subsidence has been getting worse over the last year and a landslip was inevitable. Wiltshire Council say that they can't bring any heavy machinery onto the site because it is too dangerous. Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transport, said: 'The B4069 at Lyneham Banks is extremely dangerous, and people should not try to access it either in a vehicle or on foot. 'The land is still slipping, and anyone who accesses the site on foot could easily trip on the uneven ground or get caught in a more serious landslide. 'Anyone who accesses the site is also in breach of the traffic order and could be prosecuted.' Officials have warned that anyone ignoring the traffic order could face prosecution Local residents claim the subsidence has been getting worse over the last year and a landslip was inevitable Ukraine has joined the European electricity grid and ended its dependence on Russian supplies after an urgent appeal by Volodymyr Zelensky. The electricity grids of Ukraine and neighbour Moldova are now synchronised with the Continental European Power System, Belgium-based engineering group ENTSO-E confirmed yesterday. Although only on a trial basis to begin with, the move represents Kyiv's latest effort to distance itself from the Russian state. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky submitted an emergency request to speed up the process of Kyiv joining the Continental European Power System as war with Russia rages on ENTSO-E said: "This is a significant milestone." Grid operators had been preparing the switch since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, but the large-scale Russian military assault on Ukraine last month prompted an emergency request by Zelensky to speed up a process that was expected to take years more to complete. ENTSO-E, whose 39 members operate the world's largest interconnected electrical grid, said the move means they will be able to help maintain the stability of the Ukrainian and Moldovan power systems. Kyiv previously depended on Russia-Belarus electricity grid the Integrated Power System, closely tied to the Russian state and national operator Gazprom (Kursk energy plant pictured) The two countries were previously part of the Integrated Power System that also includes Russia and Belarus. This made Ukraine dependent on Russia's grid operator despite there being no electricity trade between the two countries for years. "This step will give Ukraine the opportunity to receive electricity if (Russia) continues to destroy our power infrastructure, and thus to save our power system," said Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, who chairs Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo. "We are sincerely grateful to our European partners for their great support and assistance during these difficult times." Ukraine will now depend on the European electricity grid, the world's largest, as it hopes to replace its reliance on Russian gas and electricity sources with German supplies (pictured) Georg Zachmann, an expert with the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, said the switch will allow energy suppliers in the continental grid that stretches from Portugal to Poland to supply electricity to Ukraine if necessary. This could allow Ukraine to turn off some of the coal-fired power plants it currently keeps running to ensure grid stability, saving precious fuel in wartime, he said. In the long term, Ukraine could export surplus electricity generated by its nuclear power plants to the rest of Europe. "It's a nice win-win situation," said Mr Zachmann. "It might even be good for the climate." A woman struck by a train packed with hundreds of people travelling to the Cheltenham Festival died in an effort to catch her dog which had strayed on to tracks, it was claimed today. The 'special' 8.02am service from London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa was carrying around 350 passengers to the races on Tuesday, March 15. But tragedy struck moments after the train left Swindon Railway Station at around 9am. Witnesses said a woman accessed the tracks near a level crossing in Purton, Wiltshire, in a bid to save her dog. It is believed her pet ran onto the line and was at risk of being hit by a train but luckily it emerged unharmed from the incident. Sources say in a frantic bid to gain control of her dog, she rushed out onto the tracks - where she was fatally struck by the Great Western Railway service. Friends later took to social media to praise the woman's bravery in helping the dog after it made its escape, calling her an 'angel' and a 'beautiful soul'. The tragic accident took place near the Collins Lane crossing at Purton, Wiltshire, as the woman sought to free her dog which she thought was stuck on the tracks The train was one of many extra services put on to transport people to the popular Cheltenham Festival this week. Emergency services were called to the scene, but paramedics pronounced the casualty dead at the scene. The line was closed until 11.30pm, with services diverted away from the area. The train involved in the incident returned back to Swindon Railway Station at around 11am, leaving passengers delayed on their journey by at least two hours. The train reportedly sustained 'significant damage' in the collision. Friends later took to social media to praise the woman's bravery in helping the dog after it made its escape, calling her an 'angel' and a 'beautiful soul' An investigation, led by the British Transport Police (BTP) and supported by Wiltshire Police, was carried out and officers swiftly concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. A statement was released by BTP shortly after the incident. It read: 'Officers were called to the line near Swindon at 9.07am this morning (15 March) following reports of a casualty on the tracks. 'Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. 'This incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.' An NHS trust was today forced to defend itself for telling staff to speak English on wards following an outcry over its guidelines. Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust, in London, says workers shouldn't speak any other language in front of patients and colleagues. The guidance was first published on its website in 2019, but began to gain traction among medics on social media yesterday. Commentators argued that it was 'worded terribly', calling it 'utter nonsense' and a 'hugely colonial approach'. In response to the backlash, a spokesperson for the Hackney-based trust said it is working with staff and patients to review its values. But they confirmed that the organisation's 4,500 staff in England are expected to speak in English in the hospital. A document from Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust (pictured), which is based in Hackney, outlines medics cannot speak any other language than English in front of patients and colleagues The document, titled 'Living our Values', was produced in January 2014 and republished on its website in April 2019. A 'personal commitment' section states 'I will only communicate in English in the presence of others' Professor Partha Kar, NHS England national advisor on racial equality in the workforce, tweeted a picture of a sign stating that only English can be spoken in hospital wards and kitchens and 'disciplinary action will be taken against staff who do not comply' (pictured). But Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said it investigated the poster 'and cannot find any evidence that it is or was ever present on our property' WHAT DID THE GUIDELINES STATE? A personal commitment to live the Values I will. treat others as I would expect to be treated introduce myself and explain my role, and the care I am about to provide respect the expertise of patients, service users and colleagues take time to listen and understand other peoples views be aware of, and take responsibility for, how my behaviour and communication style affects other people only communicate in English in the presence of others challenge others if I experience behaviour that is not respectful help and support my colleagues so that we work well together to achieve our team goals recognise that people are different and adopt a non-judgemental approach value other peoples time by making sure I am punctual, professional and deliver on the commitments I make Advertisement The spokesperson said: 'We ask staff to communicate in English in the presence of others. 'This is to ensure that we are inclusive of everyone and in many situations to ensure safety and clarity. 'Our commitment is part of respecting other colleagues and patients by including them in conversations taking place in the workplace.' The trust's document, titled 'Living our Values', was produced in January 2014 and republished on its website in April 2019. A 'personal commitment' section states 'I will only communicate in English in the presence of others'. It is one of more than 50 commitments set out to 'promote inclusion and respect', including helping and supporting colleagues, treating others as they expect to be treated and adopting a non-judgmental approach. Professor Partha Kar, an NHS England national advisor on racial equality, said medics cannot be mandated to speak in English or disciplined for communicating in another language. He tweeted that he is unaware of 'any NHS England diktat' suggesting staff 'must all only speak in English to uphold NHS values'. He said that it is 'utter nonsense' to say you cannot speak a certain language in the workplace or that doing so 'upsets values'. Professor Kar also tweeted a picture of a sign stating that only English can be spoken in hospital wards and kitchens and 'disciplinary action will be taken against staff who do not comply'. But Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust said it 'cannot find any evidence that it is or was ever present on our property'. Professor Tom Marshall, a public health and primary care expert at the University of Birmingham, said 'unless there's good reason' the guidance 'may be illegal'. And Twitter user Dr Ruby said it is a 'hugely colonial approach to tell people to only speak English.' Advertisement They are some of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming photos of our planet ever captured. And despite focusing on the natural world and the animal kingdom, many can certainly be described as very human, too. Below are the images chosen as winners in this year's Glanzlichter Competition of Nature Photography. Held for the past 24 years, the contest rewards just ten of the best images submitted by thousands of photographers from dozens of countries. This year, organisers received a whopping 17,000 to choose from. A fluffy arctic fox, a bloodthirsty lion cub who has just finished a meal and a barn swallow floating through a window frame are among the cast of characters in this year's winning pictures. The images will feature in a new book released on May 2 and tour Germany and Italy for the next three years. A runner-up in the World of Mammals section of the contest, this is Italian photographer Marco Gaiotti's incredible photo of a tiny arctic fox enjoying the winter sun in Norway. Staying toasty in temperatures of -35C, the gorgeous animal is sitting tight on a sheet of snow and ice. A striking reminder of the animal kingdom's savage side, Polish photographer Tomasz Szpila caught this picture of a lion cub in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Szpila waited patiently while a pair of female lions went off to hunt a wildebeest for the youngster to eat - and snapped the cub's compelling expression after they finished their meal. A winner in the Moments of Nature section, Israeli photographer Amit Eshel spotted this family of polar bears climbing over a tower of old bones in Alaska. Eshel took the photo near the small village of Kaktovik on one evening when the polar bear family emerged looking for food. He hoped the sight of their anxious search would highlight the effects of climate change. Certainly the most tense image in the competition this year, Dr Lalith Ekanayake's picture of a stampeding elephant tipping over a truck in Sri Lanka is a frightening sight. Taken in December at Yala National Park, Ekanayake spotted the stampeding elephant charge at the truck before a brave ranger (pictured in the foreground) got in the vehicle and drove the group to safety. Another runner-up in the World of Mammals category, German photographer Thorsten Hanewald spotted this mother giraffe licking clean her newborn babe in Kenya. Taken just moments after the tiny giraffe took its first steps, Hanewald waited patiently for the mother's beautiful act of care to snap the photo. He said he wanted a picture which showed the giraffes' heads next to each other so they could share a single frame. Spaniard Oscar Diez spotted this volcanic eruption in terrifying real time in April 2021. The Acatenango volcano in Guatemala, central America is one of the region's highest peaks - and a fiery cauldron. Diez sat tight till the evening so the dark grey sky, scarlet smoke and glowing red lava would make for a stark visual contrast. It was worth the wait. Norway is the only country to feature in multiple Glanzlichter finalists - and with landscapes like this, it's not hard to see why. Italian photographer Ivan Pedretti captured this audacious shot of an eye-shaped rock sitting beneath the Northern Lights on the island of Lofoten in February 2020, just weeks before the Covid pandemic. Pedretti's photo is a stunning illustration of peace, which now seems distant. That might be why it was the overall winner of this year's Glanzlichter Competition - meaning the 2,500 is his to keep. Barn swallows aren't quite the exotic birds you might expect to feature in a nature prize-winning shot, but Spanish photographer Antonio Leiva Sanchez has found beauty in an unlikely place. The swallow snaps its wings to get through an empty window frame in Sucs, Catalonia. It seems like a tiny moment compared to the volcanic eruption and the Northern Lights, but for Sanchez's bird, the journey is all that matters. Photographer Jari Heikkinen spotted this glowing red throated diver landing on the tranquil water of a lake in his native Finland. Heikkinen was rewarded for his good timing when the shot won the Artists on Wings section at the 2022 Glanzlichter Competition. Showing the immense bird while it plucks a snack from the water, the photo represents the calmness in what might seem like a violent gesture. A man who stabbed his mother to death and Googled 'how long in prison if I slit someone's throat' has been jailed for life. John Cole, 36, had acted as a full-time carer to his 'frail' mother Wendy Cole, 70, before murdering her at their home on May 10, 2021. In a disturbing 999 call made at 3am, Cole told operators he had 'done something stupid' and said: 'I've killed my mum and the dog'. Cole, who handed himself into the local police station, added: 'I've stabbed her several times, had thoughts in my head, they tell me to do it.' Police arrived at the family bungalow in March, Cambridgeshire to find a bloodstained knife in the hallway and Wendy with stab wounds in bed, but still alive. She sadly died 30 minutes later. John Cole, left, Googled potential sentences for slitting someone's throat ahead of murdering his mother Wendy, 70, right, at their home in Cambridgeshire in May 2021 In Cole's bedroom was a laptop displaying a Google search which read: 'If slit someone's throat how long in prison'. Further analysis of Cole's laptop found other searches of 'how long can you get for murder with knife' and 'if I stab and slit someone's throat how long do I go jail for'. The computer also had Google searches of: 'mum murdered', 'mum murdered by son with knife' and 'son murdered mum with knife'. Cole was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to Peterborough City Hospital where he was found to be medically fit and discharged with a diagnosis of anxiety disorder. He was found guilty of murder last month after a six-day trial at Peterborough Crown Court. Yesterday, Cole was jailed for life with a minimum term of 11 years before he is considered for release. Detectives found that Cole, who had lived with his mother for six years, rarely left his home and was concerned over her health deteriorating. Last year he tried to contact care home companies to house Wendy but told social services he was depressed and had concerns over the cost. Cole's sister later told police the family house was clean but that her mother was 'skin and bone' and had lost a lot of weight. Wendy was said to be reluctant to move into a care home. Two days before the murder, Cole broke down while doing food shopping and told a staff member that his mother could no longer do anything. Cole was jailed for life at Peterborough Crown Court and ordered to serve a minimum of 11 years in prison Later that day he broke down again during a visit by his sister and said that he couldn't cope. A post-mortem examination concluded that Wendy had suffered stab wounds and cuts to her neck but had died from being stabbed three times in the chest. There were also minor cuts to both her hands suggesting she had tried to defend herself. DI Rich Stott, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit (MCU), said: 'This has been a thorough and extensive investigation under terribly sad circumstances, and I am glad it has reached a conclusion. 'What Cole did that day was a brutal and horrific act of violence, which saw a woman who was a mother, a friend and a neighbour tragically lose her life. My thoughts and sympathies are with her family.' Advertisement In a carpark strewn with broken glass, a man huddles over a bloodstained sheet - weeping. Underneath it is the body of his mother, killed in a Russian airstrike. Behind him, three people help an elderly lady on to the pavement. They don't look over. This is Kyiv, on the 21st day of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. With the Russian army fought to a standstill on all fronts, Moscow's generals are relying on the indiscriminate shelling of major cities to project and image of strength which is slaughtering innocents in the process. One missile, fired at the capital early Thursday, was shot down by Ukrainian air defences. That likely prevented further carnage. but could not stop pieces of the rocket slamming into an apartment block - killing the man's mother and wounding dozens of others. It came as the city, which has now been under bombardment for days, emerged from a 36-hour curfew. Fighting continues in the outskirts to the east and northwest as Russian troops try and fail to push inwards. A man weeps over the body of his mother, killed as the wreckage of a Russian missile slammed into her apartment block in Kyiv in the early hours Putin's forces are now relying on long-distance strikes to sow mayhem and bloodshed after Ukraine's troops fought them to a standstill on all fronts Relatives of a woman killed by a Russian missile strike on an apartment block in Kyiv embrace, as the civilian death toll from Putin's invasion mounts It is attacks such as this one that led President Joe Biden to last night brand Putin a 'war criminal' - rhetoric the Kremlin said was 'unacceptable and unforgivable'. Estimates of the civilian death toll are hard to come by. The UN had confirmed the deaths of 726 people, 52 of them children, by Tuesday this week - though caveats the figure by saying the true toll is likely far higher. Ukraine says thousands have died but has not regularly updated that figure. Officials in badly-hit Mariupol, where a maternity hospital was bombed last week say 2,400 people have been killed in that city alone. Moscow denies killing any civilians. Maria Zakharova, foreign ministry spokeswoman, said today that: 'Russia's armed forces don't bomb towns and cities.' Asked about the bombing of the maternity unit, which killed at least one heavily pregnant woman along with her unborn child, she called it a 'lie'. Just yesterday, another civilian target in Mariupol was struck - a theatre which was being used to shelter up to 1,200 civilians from the bombing. The building had large signs, etched into the ground out the front and back, which read - in Russian - 'kids'. A Russian airstrike completely destroyed it. Evacuations were underway at the site this morning, with officials saying a bomb shelter located there had survived the blast - though it was unclear how many people were inside, with some 'trapped'. Ukrainian MP Sergiy Taruta, a former governor of the Donetsk region where Mariupol is located, later said that some people had managed to escape alive from the destroyed building. The ceiling of an apartment is completely collapsed in the tower block which was hit by the remains of a Russian missile shot down over Kyiv Vladimir Galinkov packs his belongings to evacuate his damaged apartment after the building was hit by pieces of a destroyed Russian missile Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration where Mariupol is located, said Russian air strikes also hit a municipal swimming pool complex Civilians, including women and children, had been sheltering inside, he said. 'Now there are pregnant women and women with children under the rubble there,' he added, though the number of casualties was not immediately known. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more help for his country in a video address to German legislators on Thursday, saying thousands of people have been killed in the war that started almost a month ago, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol. 'Everything is a target for them,' he said, including 'a theatre where hundreds of people found shelter that was flattened yesterday'. Mr Zelensky's office said Russia carried out further air strikes on Mariupol early on Thursday morning, as well as artillery and air strikes around the country overnight, including in the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital Kyiv. In Kyiv, where residents have been huddling in homes and shelters, a fire broke out in an apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket early on Thursday, killing one person and injuring at least three others, according to emergency services. Firefighters evacuated 30 people from the top floors of the 16-storey building and extinguished the blaze within an hour. On Thursday, Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community centre in Merefa, a city near the north-east city of Kharkiv, according to Merefa mayor Veniamin Sitov. There were no known civilian casualties. The Kharkiv region has seen heavy bombardment as stalled Russian forces try to advance in the area. Serhii, father of teenager Iliya, cries over his son's lifeless body lying on a stretcher at a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward in Mariupol on March 2 Firefighters carry away the body of a civilian who was killed when a Russian missile hit an apartment block in Kyiv on Tuesday Six nations have called for a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Thursday afternoon, ahead of an expected Friday vote on a resolution demanding protection for Ukrainian civilians 'in vulnerable situations'. 'Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians,' Britain's UN Mission tweeted, announcing the call for the meeting that was joined by the US, France and others. 'Russia's illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all.' Despite the attacks on civilians, peace talks between the two sides have been ongoing amid signs of progress - with both sides saying 'progress' is being made. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said a neutral military status for Ukraine was being 'seriously discussed' by the two sides, while Mr Zelensky said Russia's demands for ending the war were becoming 'more realistic'. Wednesday's talks, held by video, appeared to wade more deeply into technicalities. Mr Zelensky's adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees for Ukraine from several countries. 'This is possible only through direct dialogue' between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin, he tweeted. An official in Mr Zelensky's office told The Associated Press that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on a legally binding document with security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral status. Russia has demanded that Nato pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has refused to back Boris Johnson to lead the Conservatives into the next election. In a move that could exacerbate the rift between the Scottish and English parties Mr Ross refused to endorse the Prime Minister, despite last week dropping his demand for him to quit over Partygate. It came as backbencher Andrew Bridgen became the latest MP to withdraw their letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson, citing the war in Ukraine as a reason not to rock the current political landscape. Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Ross insisted he had never had a 'personal rift' with the PM, but merely 'a disagreement on one fundamental issue'. The Scottish Conservative leader was the most senior MP to call for the Prime Minister to quit over the Partygate furore. But he last week said that all talk of his resignation should be paused while there is war in Europe. Asked if Mr Johson should lead the Tories into the next election, which has to tajke place before December 2024, Mr Ross said: 'I'm fully focused on the international crisis and the war in Ukraine, not some future general election years down the line. 'Previous reservations I had are the last thing on my mind when I see Russia bombing children's wards.' In a move that could exacerbate the rift between the Scottish and English parties Mr Ross refused to endorse the Prime Minister, despite last week dropping his demand for him to quit over Partygate. Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Ross insisted he had never had a 'personal rift' with the PM, but merely 'a disagreement on one fundamental issue'. It came as backbenchers Andrew Bridgen became the latest MP to withdraw their letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson, citing the war in Ukraine as a reason not to rock the current political landscape. Mr Johnson is due to address the Scottish Tory conference in Aberdeen tomorrow. But Mr Ross confirmed to the Daily Mail yesterday that the PM will not campaign in Scotland during the forthcoming local elections despite their truce. Mr Ross also insisted he had no regrets about calling for Mr Johnson to resign, despite withdrawing his no confidence letter last week, and vowed to lead his party into the next General Election even if there is no change in Number 10. In January Mr Bridgen become the fifth Tory MP to call for embattled Boris Johnson to quit over 'Partygate'. The MP for North West Leicestershire, who backed the PM to be party leader in June 2019, submitted a letter of no-confidence in Mr Johnson and urged him to leave office within the next three months. Blasting the 'moral vacuum at the heart of Government', he joined Mr Ross, Sir Roger Gale, William Wragg and Caroline Nokes in calling for Mr Johnson to resign over his handling of the lockdown party scandal. But last night he told a Westminster event that he was withdrawing the letter. He told the Telegraph: 'It would be an indulgence to have a vote of no confidence at the time of an international emergency, and this is not going to go away quickly. 'We need Boris Johnson where he is, leading the country.' Advertisement The US has only accepted seven Ukrainian refugees since the war began, despite President Joe Biden saying he would welcome those fleeing Russia 's aggression 'with open arms'. At least five Ukrainian refugees fleeing to the U.S. have been detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centers, with one person moved to a detention center in Louisiana, according to Newsweek. State Department data obtained by Reuters reveals the low number of accepted refugees in the U.S. while other western countries have taken in thousands and even millions of such asylum-seekers. One reason Ukrainian refugees are being turned away at the U.S. southern border is due to ongoing enforcement of the coronavirus-era Title 42, which allows migrants to be instantly expelled due to the ongoing health emergency. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Thursday afternoon that Border Patrol agents were reminded there are individualized exceptions to Title 42 that can be applied to Ukrainians arriving at the southern border. Revelations of America's low acceptance of Ukrainian refugees come as estimates reveal the U.S. could be just hours away from another wave of mass migration if Title 42 is lifted. An Axios report Thursday shows 170,000 migrants are waiting on the Mexican-side of the southern border to cross and claim asylum should the policy come to end. Many of these individuals are as little as hours away from the border while others planning to migrate are within a few-days trip, an official familiar with discussions told CNN. With more than 3 million refugees dispersed among Europe from Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said 'the numbers are staggering.' 'This is the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II,' Blinken said. He told reporters that he spoke with G7 counterparts Thursday and that they discussed a coordinated approach to help refugees fleeing Ukraine. Biden gave Ukrainians fleeing the war hope that they would be able to come to the US, saying on March 12: 'We're going to welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms if, in fact, they come all the way here.' Questions are emerging over whether the U.S. will actually take in these Ukrainian refugees, many of whom are fleeing Ukraine to be with family in the U.S., just to be turned away at the border. The map shows the amount of Ukrainian refugees accepted by each nation since the war began, with some countries taking in far more than others. The most recent data of refugees available is from March 16 A Ukrainian family fleeing Russian aggression interacts with a Customs and Border Protect (CBP) agent at the San Ysidro Port of Entry of the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana, Mexico on Tuesday, March 15 A Ukrainian family seeks humanitarian visas at the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana, Mexico on Tuesday A Ukrainian girl smiles on her way rerouting to Germany from Moldova, a small country with limited resources, straining under the amount of refugees it has taken on A girl rests with her dog in their temporary shelter in the gym of a primary school in Przemysl, near the Ukrainian-Polish border in southeastern Poland on March 16 As the administration struggles to find ways to deter migration and stop the surge at the southern border, it has continued use of Title 42 and is now facing calls to allow in Ukrainian refugees seeking asylum. REFUGEE COUNT BY COUNTRY - HOW MANY IS AMERICA TAKING IN? USA: 7 UK: 6,100 France: 17,000 Spain: 12,000 Germany: 18,000 Slovakia: 228,844 Hungary: 282,611 Moldova: 350,886 Romania: 491,409 Poland: 1,916,445 Russia: 168,858 Belarus: 2,127 Advertisement Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, leading to a massive refugee crisis in Eastern Europe with millions fleeing the conflict. In Europe, the countries surrounding Ukraine have been taking on the vast majority of refugees fleeing Putin's savage war, with Pope Francis praising Polish people in particular for accepting over one million desperate Ukrainians into their homes. The United Nations predicts that more than 3 million people have fled Ukraine in the more than three weeks since the invasion last month, the vast majority of which have landed in Poland. Currently more than 1.9 million refugees have fled to Poland, while much of the rest are scattered among Romania, Moldova, Slovakia and Hungary. While many are going to neighboring countries, more and more are arriving in the U.S. now that Ukraine faces its 22nd day of attack from Vladimir Putin. Romania has taken in 491,409, while neighboring Moldova has accepted 350,886, Hungary 282,611, and around 228,84 refugees have headed into Slovakia. On the aggressor side, Russia has accepted 168,858 Ukrainians fleeing its troops, while Belarus has seen 2,127 coming across the border. A remaining few tens of thousands are split between Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, which are all European countries that do not touch Ukraine's borders. While the U.S. has not confirmed how many refugees have asked for or received asylum, married Ukrainian-American couple Igor and Galyna Semenkova are pleaded the U.S. administration to allow their daughter Kseniia and her husband Oleksandr Isaienko into the U.S. The Long Island couple's daughter was living in Kyiv, Ukraine with her new husband but fled after Russian bombing started in the capital city and are stranded in northern Italy. The UN releases refugee figures every four days, with the most recent results from March 15 showing that more than 3.1 million people have fled the country. The figure four days earlier was 2.5 million, underlying an enormous exodus, with roughly a million people fleeing the country every week. The UN estimates that around 12.65 million people have been affected, with numbers soaring as Russia continues to target civilians. Some 960,000 families are now without electricity in the country and 264,000 families have been cut off from gas supplies. Since war broke out on February 24, European countries have flung open their borders to welcome the 3million refugees who have already fled the warzone. The UK has issued 6,100 visas under its Ukraine Family Scheme as of March 16. France has accepted 17,000 Ukrainian refugees, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday. Around 100,000 British households have volunteered to welcome them into their own homes. Spain has pledged to accept 12,000 refugees. Germany has already taken in 18,000 and France says it expects at least 7,000 to be there soon. The US has not yet confirmed how many refugees have asked for asylum or received it. Ukrainian citizens fleeing Ukraine prepare to take a bus routing to Germany, near a refugee triage center at an atlethic sport arena in Chisinau, Moldova Ukrainian refugees queue to get one of the 100 daily appointments at the documentation office to apply for temporary protection approved by the European Union that allows residence and a work permit, in Torrevieja, Spain In the meantime, Ukrainian-American families are waiting anxiously as their loved ones bounce from European country to European country, waiting for the greenlight to board a plane to the US and join them. To enter the US, Ukrainians must first get a tourist visa, which can present challenges for those fleeing war. WHAT IS TITLE 42? Title 42 is a public health law used to detain or expel immigrants . It is enforced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), despite being a heath measure. The former Trump administration invoked section 265 of Title 42 during the pandemic, which effectively closes the border under health regulation. Title 42 allows the DHS to expel single adults, and families, at the Southwest US border, under rules designed to protect Americans from Covid-19. Under the order, Title 42 can also be used to expel individuals who have entered the United States. Over 1.2 million expulsions have been carried out since the pandemic began, with the Biden administration continuing to use the provision. Many Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion have travelled to the southern border after applying for asylum, but find themselves held under Covid-19 rules, unable to enter because of Title 42. Advertisement Mexico has a lower barrier-to-entry, and so many Ukrainians are heading to Mexico first with the expectation of being allowed into the US through the southern border after Biden's comments. Since October last year, 1,300 Ukrainians have presented themselves at the southern border. US data also showed that 514 Ukrainian refugees had arrived during the build up to the war, leaving a week-long gap in the US data while the amount of Ukrainian refugees arriving in the US is unknow. Reuters confirmed to DailyMail.com after seeing State Department data, but the US government has yet to confirm the figure. Alina Kutsenko told Newsweek in a phone interview that her cousin Natalya Skalska, her husband and their three young children were detained March 14 by US Customs and Border Protection as they tried to enter from Mexico at the border crossing in San Ysidro, California. Another unnamed Ukrainian refugee trying to enter the southern border was transferred to an ICE detention center in Louisiana, and has been held there for almost two weeks, Newsweek reported. The Ukrainians, planning to stay in the US until the end of the war, said they were not made aware of Title 42. President Joe Biden has kept the Trump-era policy in place and his administration has defended it in court in order to help quell the southern border crisis as the pandemic prevails and record numbers of migrants arrive. Immigration advocates have been calling for an end to enforcing Title 42 even though the US is still in a state of emergency and calls have increased this week as Ukrainians begin to arrive and request asylum, according to San Diego affiliate CBS8. The outlet said Tijuana journalists have witnessed dozens of Ukrainian and Russian families gathering outside the US southern border and families in Tijuana claim Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are selective of who they let in. No data is publicly available yet for March although the United States admitted only 514 Ukrainian refugees in January and February during Russia's build-up to the war, according to US State Department data. 'We commend our European Allies and partners for keeping their borders open to Ukrainian nationals and others fleeing Ukraine seeking international protection,' said a US State Department spokesperson, responding to MailOnline. 'We know the EU is working to rally support for refugees from and those displaced within Ukraine,' the spokesperson added. Kseniia and her husband Oleksandr Isaienko are stuck in northern Italy after fleeing Kyiv despite her entire family living in Long Island with green cards. They had their ESTA visa applications rejected A Ukrainian family listen to an agent of the Mexican immigrant welfare agency Grupo Beta while waiting for a humanitarian visas outside the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the US-Mexico border in Tijuana on Friday, March 11 Ukrainian refugees are arriving at the US southern border seeking asylum but are being turned away due to Title 42, a provision that allows migrant expulsion due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: a Ukrainian woman and her boyfriend wait for humanitarian visas outside the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mexico on March 10 'This challenge is likely to escalate in the near future, and the United States stands by to support our Allies and partners as they welcome and care for people in their hour of need.' Immigration lawyers in San Diego argue the Title 42 policy is no longer needed and is leading to inhumane treatment of migrants and asylum-seekers at the border as the administration claims it's necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Biden administration already ended the policy for children crossing without their parents, but as restrictions in the US ease, there are increased calls to ditch the policy altogether. 'This is actually an inhumane policy and people are calling to cancel it and it's not safe for families who are fleeing their country and are trying to look for peace,' Immigration Lawyer Jacob Sapochnick said. Sapochnick, who has been helping Ukrainian families, says Border Patrol agents are taking advantage of Title 42 provisions and turning families away. 'The moment they reach the US soil and they say they are here for asylum, they can't send them back. They have to actually process them and go through the critical interview,' Sapochnick detailed. 'However, they are just sending them back and they are not supposed to do that.' The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to request for comment. Advertisement Remarkable photos of a speedway race involving British troops and German PoWs at the end of the Second World War have come to light. The black and white snaps feature in an album compiled by British Army soldier Private Edward Walsh. They show the races that were organised by British troops in Hanover, Germany, in October 1945 - after Adolf Hitler had committed suicide and his country had been defeated. At that time, British forces were part of the Allied group of nations that were occupying Germany amid the fallout from the war. The exciting races were organised to help boost the morale of both the local population and British soldiers. The images show the competitors racing around an oval track with reckless abandon in front of packed crowds made up of soldiers and German civilians. The album also contains previously unseen photos of the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. Private Walsh's album, campaign medals and other personal effects are being sold by his family with East Bristol Auctions for an estimated 500. Remarkable photos of a speedway race involving British troops and German PoWs at the end of the Second World War in Hanover, northern Germany, have come to light. The black and white snaps feature in an album compiled by British Army soldier and speedway rider Edward Walsh The images show the races that were organised by British troops in October 1945 - after Adolf Hitler had committed suicide and his country had been defeated. Above: Two soldiers compete in front of hundreds of troops and Germans Private Walsh photographed 'Monty' in front of a tank during his time with the Royal Engineers in North Africa in 1942. He also snapped Churchill greeting Montgomery after arriving in Damascus, Syria, during the Levant Crisis, a skirmish between British and French forces in May 1945. Private Walsh, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, served in the North African campaign and the invasions of Sicily and Normandy in northern France. The exciting races were organised to help boost the morale of both the local population and British soldiers A British soldier is seen sitting on a motorbike in Hanover as his comrades stand nearby Other photos he took show fighting at El Alamein, bodies strewn in the desert and a military parade. Auctioneer Andy Stowe said: 'Walsh was a racer in the first speedway race held in Germany after the end of the war, coming in second place. 'A programme from a race the week after is also included, where Walsh is named as a racer. 'The race was held as a fundraiser to Hannover Welfare Fund, and family lore has it that the other competitors were often German PoWs. The album also contains previously unseen photos of the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. He snapped Churchill greeting Montgomery as he arrived in Damascus, Syria, during the Levant Crisis, a skirmish between British and French forces in May 1945 Private Walsh photographed 'Monty' in front of a tank during his time with the Royal Engineers in North Africa in 1942 'The photo album is filled with unique personal photographs taken by him during his service, including an unseen image of 'Monty' standing in front of his tank, photos of El Alamein, and Walsh meeting Winston Churchill, likely after the Levant Crisis. 'It's a unique collection - this gentleman was involved in some of the crucial parts of the war, and met some crucial people along the way! 'It's a remarkable and really unique snapshot of life both during and immediately after the War in Germany.' A photograph showing an 'Individual Champion' shield at the speedway circuit Other photos Private Walsh took show fighting at El Alamein, bodies strewn in the desert and a military parade (above) Private Walsh's medal group (pictured left to right) consists of the War Medal; Italy Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star and the 1939-45 Star Private Walsh's medal group consists of the War Medal; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star. There is also his medal which reads 'EJ Walsh - Second Prize - Hanomag Speedway - Hannover'. The sale takes place on March 21. Heart-stopping footage has revealed the moment a Boston pre-school teacher smashed into jagged rocks during a 40ft cliff dive which 'split' her foot in half and broke her back. Jamie Brotsky, 29, joined fellow backpackers to jump from high rocks into the sea in the Liguria region of Italy. But she didn't leap out far enough and instead repeatedly smashed into the rock face before plummeting into the water. Ms Brotsky shattered both of her heels and fractured a vertebra in her spine. Doctors spent nine hours battling to save her left foot which 'split' in half. Her family forked out $20,000 to fly her home to Boston, Massachusetts, where her foot turned black due to an infection from the water. It forced surgeons to perform a partial amputation - cutting away parts of her foot - and rebuild it using muscle and skin from her legs. Miraculously, despite being warned she might never walk again, she has made a full recovery. And even did another cliff jump in Hawaii recently. Jamie Brotsky, 29, joined fellow backpackers to jump from high rocks into the sea in the Liguria region of Italy. Pictured: Ms Brotsky shows the scars on her feet from her accident Ms Brotsky shattered both of her heels and fractured a vertebra in her spine. Doctors spent nine hours battling to save her left foot which 'split' in half Shocking footage shows the moment Ms Brotsky fell down the cliff face and smashed into the rock repeatedly Ms Brotsky said: 'I knew the minute I jumped that I'd made a mistake. I remember looking at my foot and it was completely destroyed. 'I didn't know if I'd walk again but I vowed to give it my all and try. 'I felt bless beyond belief to not have been paralysed or dead and this foot is just one reminder of that.' It forced surgeons to perform a partial amputation - cutting away parts of her foot - and rebuild it using muscle and skin from her legs Jamie Brotsky is treated for the massive injuries she suffered when a cliff jump went horribly wrong Ms Brotsky in a wheelchair in hospital after the nine-hour surgery which saved her foot from amputation She was two weeks onto travelling around Europe when she went cliff jumping in Riomaggiore, a village on the Cinque Terre, in June 2018. She said: 'I was on vacation so thought why not try something new. I didn't jump out far enough and knew I was going to hit the rocks. 'It lasted seconds but I felt like I was falling in slow motion. By some miracle I survived.' She was pulled to safety by onlookers and air lifted to San Martino Hospital, Italy. Ms Brotsky said: 'I asked if it was bad, and [doctors] said: 'Don't look at your feet.' 'It was completely destroyed - it didn't look like a foot. I left a trail of blood along the road as I was stretchered to the helicopter.' After 11 days in hospital, Jamie's family flew her home. Pictured: Ms Brotsky's feet in casts and other medical equipment after a nine-hour surgery saved her foot from amputation She started physiotherapy three times a week and stunned doctor with her progress. After a year, she was almost fully recovered and planning her next trip away She spent the next three months in a wheelchair and wasn't allowed to stand, walk, or even shower Her foot began 'turning black' and when she landed, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, feared they would have to perform a full amputation. In the end, she had a partial amputation of her left foot, and surgeons took muscle from her back and a skin graft from her thigh to try and save the appendage. She said: 'It was really touch and go. After all the surgery, doctors didn't know if I would walk again, let alone run. 'No one could give me a straight answer - it was a really scary time.' She spent the next three months in a wheelchair and wasn't allowed to stand, walk, or even shower. She started physiotherapy three times a week and stunned doctor with her progress. After a year, she was almost fully recovered and planning her next trip away. Ms Brotsky said: 'I started therapy and I got to work. I wanted to prove the doctors wrong and I'm so proud of myself' Ms Brotsky said: 'I started therapy and I got to work. I wanted to prove the doctors wrong and I'm so proud of myself. 'After the first weekend I was off crutches and using a walker alone. 'They couldn't believe it when they saw how well I was doing - I was there poster child for recovery.' After getting better, Jamie went backpacking around Hawaii in April 2021 and even completed another cliff dive. The accident hasn't held her back and she is planning to sell all her things and go travelling again. 'I did another cliff jump - successfully this time,' Jamie added. 'I burst into tears after because I was so happy I did it. 'It's been about three years since the accident, and I never thought I'd be where I am today. 'I want to show people that it does not matter what the doctors say, you can do absolutely anything you want with a positive attitude and the drive to better yourself and your future. 'I feel like I got a second chance at life and I'm not going waste it.' A FIFO worker who attacked his colleague believing he was an agent for ASIO with intentions of harming his family has been jailed. Troy Adam Hausler, 32, was in the midst of a psychotic break when he launched his attack against Toby Richter, 40, the Western Australia Supreme Court heard. Mr Richter was found dead near a rock crusher at Pilbara Mineral's Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project, 120km south of Port Hedland, in November 2019. He was a father-of-two who had served with the armed forces and received a medal for bravery. Hausler, who was originally charged with murder, was on Thursday sentenced to seven years and three months behind bars after pleading to the lesser charge of manslaughter, NCA NewsWire reports. The charge was downgraded due to insufficient evidence proving an intention to kill. Hausler was due to stand trial over Mr Richter's death shortly after the incident but the start of the proceedings was pushed back to February 2022. The court heard Hausler believed he was working as an agent for ASIO and that he could telepathically communicate with his workmates who were telling him that Mr Richter was a paedophile who was going to harm his family. Troy Hausler (pictured), a FIFO worker who attacked his colleague before he died believed he was an agent for ASIO and that his family was going to be harmed, a court heard Troy Adam Hausler, 32, was in the midst of a psychotic break when he launched his attack against Toby Richter, 40 (pictured), the Western Australia Supreme Court heard The court heard Hausler confronted Mr Richter in a tunnel at the mining site, grabbed him and then wrestled him to the ground. Hausler then looked for a pulse on Mr Richter, but could not find one, before he wrapped his body in a tarpaulin, secured it with ropes and attempted to load it onto the back of a four-wheel drive, the court was told. A colleague walked into the tunnel, noticed the tarpaulin, and was told by Hausler, 'it's rubbish... it's sh**, we have to get rid of it.' He then left and brought back another colleague before the pair reported the incident to police. Prosecutor Les Hobson said a coroner's report had found Hausler's DNA on Mr Richter's neck and collar, and bruising to his head, neck, torso and limbs. Despite their severity, the coroner found the injuries were not the cause of death. Widespread hardening was found in Mr Richter's arteries as well as signs of a previous coronary condition. The court heard the exact cause of death remains unknown. Psychiatric reports from two psychiatrists were presented to the court. One found Hausler suffered from either schizophrenia or a schizo-affective disorder, while the other said he was bipolar with psychotic features. Mr Richter was a father-of-two who had served with the armed forces and received a medal for bravery Mr Richter's sister Vanessa read in court a victim impact statement written by her mother Mr Richter's sister Vanessa read in court a victim impact statement written by her mother. 'I am broken, numb, dead inside,' she read. 'There is no heart left to break as it is already in pieces.' 'Tobias's kids will have to live knowing what was done to their dad.' Ms Richter revealed she had lost her two-year-old daughter to cancer six months before her brother's death. Hausler was raised in Ballarat and dropped out of high school before he completed extensive on-the-job training certificates. Defence lawyer Rebekah Sleeth said his mother described him as a 'loving son' who was 'quite a logical and practical man who enjoyed boating, fishing and making things with his hands'. Hausler will be eligible for parole after serving five years and three months in prison. The mother of a young woman who was beaten to death as she and her boyfriend walked through a park has spoken out after it emerged one of her daughters killers is set to be released from prison. Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE, whose daughter Sophie, 20, was murdered by a gang simply because she dressed as a goth, said 'once again we have a justice system that fails to deliver justice'. Dr Lancaster said that the original life sentence given to Ryan Herbert reflected the 'level of violence' her daughter was subjected to during a 'feral' attack. Herbert and a group of friends viciously beat Robert Maltby in a park in Bacup, Lancashire, before turning on his girlfriend Sophie as she rushed to defend him. Sophie was kicked and punched to the head as she cradled her boyfriend's head in her lap during the attack. The 20-year-old died from her horrific injuries 13 days later. Herbert, who was 16 at the time of the attack on August 11, 2007, was jailed for life in 2008. This week, the Parole Board decided Herbert can now be released on licence, 15 years after he took part in the beating which a judge described as 'feral, savage and merciless'. Sophie Lancaster (pictured), 20, spent her last moments cradling her partner's head in her lap as thugs kicked and beat her unconscious. She died in hospital two weeks later Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE (pictured), said Ryan Herbert, one of the men who murdered her daughter Sophie, 20, should not be released on licence. She said that minimum justice for her family is Herbert serving the sentence he was given Pictured in hospital after she was attacked, Sophie Lancaster died 13 days later Dr Lancaster said she could not understand the decision being made 'because they have done well in prison' when the Parole Board knew 'the reality of the level of violence' Sophie had been subjected to. Ryan Herbert, now aged 30, (pictured) was 16 when he and a group of friends viciously beat Robert Maltby and Sophie Lancaster in a park in Bacup, Lancashire Herbert also pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Maltby and was given a minimum term of 16 years and three months later reduced to 15-and-a-half years on appeal. In 2020, his tariff was cut to 14-and-a-half years when a High Court judge concluded he had made 'exceptional progress' in jail. The Parole Board found that he had made 'significant changes to his life which reflected his remorse, his insight and increased maturity'. 'After considering the circumstances of his offending and examining the evidence for the progress made while in custody, the panel was satisfied that Mr Herbert was suitable for release,' a document setting out the decision said. Sophie's mother launched a foundation in her memory to stand against violence and prejudice. Sophie Lancaster's mother reveals the horror of seeing her tragic daughter's injuries for the first time Sylvia Lancaster, described the horrifying extent of her daughter's injuries in an episode of Quest Red series Britain's Deadliest Kids, which aired in 2021. She told interviewers: 'She had trainer marks down both sides of her face, her ears were massive; they were black and yellow and running with pus. 'They'd obviously ripped a big chunk of her head out. She had a long neck, and it was black, and crinkly, and shiny like a binbag. 'The only other marks were on both arms, both legs, and one on her back. 'The one on her back was where they had booted her across the tarmac, and she obviously tried to defend herself. 'I'd never seen anybody being beaten up and it was shocking. Really, really shocking.' Advertisement She said in a statement: 'However much progress people make in prison, they have been given their sentence in recognition of the extent of their crime. 'The judge at the murder trial described the attack on Sophie as 'feral', with the attackers' behaviour 'savage and merciless'. 'Her injuries were so severe, the paramedics attending the scene could not facially distinguish if she were male or female. ' 'How can you bear knowing the reality of the level of violence my daughter was subjected to, and stack that up against reducing the minimum tariff because they have done well in prison? 'However they have progressed, the minimum justice for the family is them serving the sentence they were given. Her attackers may not have been given a life sentence, but I have.' Brendan Harris, who was also found guilty of Miss Lancaster's murder in 2008 and admitted the attack on Mr Maltby, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years. He, Herbert and four other teenage boys 'savagely and mercilessly attacked' Mr Maltby in Stubbylee Park, Bacup. Gap-year student Sophie rushed to help her boyfriend as he lay unconscious and shouted at his attackers to leave him alone. Herbert and Harris then turned on her, subjecting her to a 'sustained and vicious attack' which involved her head being kicked and stamped on until she too lost consciousness. Sophie never regained consciousness and died in hospital 13 days later. It appeared the couple were attacked because they looked and dressed differently. Witnesses claimed the attackers celebrated afterwards, boasting: 'There's two moshers nearly dead up there you wanna see them they're a right mess.' Herbert pleaded guilty to Sophie's murder and to assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to Robert Maltby (pictured ahead of Sophie's funeral) Sophie Lancaster: The girl murdered for looking like a Goth Sophie Lancaster was murdered aged 20 in 2007 by a number of teenage boys who attacked her and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, then 21, while they walked through Stubbylee Park, Lancashire, on August 11. Police believe the attack was linked to the couple wearing gothic clothes. A 15-year-old witness told police: 'They were running over and just kicking her in the head, and jumping up and down on her head.' Police said it was 'a sustained attack during the course of which the pair received serious head injuries and their faces were so swollen we could not ascertain which one was female and which one was male'. Robert also fell into a coma before gradually recovering. He has no memory of the attack. Witnesses claimed the attackers celebrated afterwards, boasting: 'There's two moshers nearly dead up you wanna see them they're a right mess.' Sophie went into a coma and died 13 days after the attack due to severe head injuries. She was placed on life support, which hospital staff terminated after determining she would never regain consciousness. As the trial against the accused opened on March 10, 2008, the prosecution told the hearing: 'Sophie and Robert were singled out not for anything they had said or done, but because they looked and dressed differently.' Sophie's mother Sylvia, who later founded the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, said: 'The thing that makes me most angry is that it is seen as an isolated incident, maybe the seriousness of what happened to Sophie is isolated, but attacks are far from isolated. Just because you follow a different culture you are targeted; you are seen as easy pickings.' The Sophie Lancaster Foundation aims to challenge prejudice towards people from alternative subcultures and campaigns to have the UK Hate Crime legislation extended to include such individuals. Advertisement At the time of his crimes Herbert had an 'anti-social lifestyle' and spent time with 'negative friends' who he had a 'misguided sense of loyalty' towards, drank and took drugs, the parole papers said. Herbert's behaviour behind bars had 'initially been poor' but this changed once he moved into an adult prison and he had taken part in rehabilitation programmes. After being moved into an open prison in November 2020, he 'improved his education with studies to degree level' and had 'fully engaged with resettlement activities' including spending time on temporary release from jail. He had a job and there was 'positive feedback about his work'. The document added: 'No concerns about compliance had been identified and Mr Herbert had good working relationships with professional staff.' Witnesses, including his probation officer, recommended he be released on licence. Herbert, who became eligible for release in February, will be subject to restrictions on his movements, where he lives and who he contacts. In declaring Herbert had made 'exceptional progress' in February 2020, Mr Justice William Davis previously said that he had also received a letter from the chiefs of the Learning Together programme at the University of Cambridge, where Herbert had taken a law course which involves inmates and students working together. He added: 'The way in which Herbert has developed since his arrival at HMP Warren Hill some two-and-a-half years ago does amount to exceptional progress. 'The way in which he is described by the senior staff at that establishment goes significantly beyond what would be expected of any inmate making good progress. 'The material from the Learning Together programme shows extraordinary progress, even from the point reached by Herbert at the time of the review conducted. 'In 2008, Herbert was a young person whose only contribution to education was to disrupt and who saw no purpose in learning. 'In 2020 he is someone who has a profound interest in his own education and the education of others.' A year later, Sophie's mother worked with Coronation Street producers on a hard-hitting storyline about hate crime. In the show, characters Nina Lucas and Seb Franklin were violently attacked because of the former's appearance by a gang of drunken youths. Brendan Harris (pictured), who was found guilty of Sophie's murder in 2008 and admitted the attack on Mr Maltby, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years (Left to right) Daniel Mallett, Danny Hulme and Joseph Hulme who were also convicted for their part in the assault on Robert Maltby and Sophie Lancaster The storyline had many similarities to what happened to Sophie, and the 20-year-old's mother Dr Lancaster, secretly worked with soap bosses for over 18 months to develop the plot. She told The Sun last April that she wouldn't wish Sophie's injuries 'on her worst enemy', saying she wanted to be involved in the storyline so that people could understand Sophie's personality. She explained: 'I thought kids would see her and they will see she's different, but they'll also see she was funny, she was kind, she was caring...with Coronation Street and Nina people will now see that. 'They will see people are different but you don't need to hate that.' The Department for Work and Pensions today declared that offices are being slashed to save millions of pounds. Ministers are closing a series of sites after concluding that the estate is far too big - with space for 158,000 people despite expectations the workforce will only be around 97,500. Labour claimed the move was 'levelling down', while unions complained that thousands of jobs could go. But DWP minister David Rutley told MPs that most staff will be deployed at another nearby site, and 'front of house' roles would not be affected. There are not expected to be an compulsory redundancies. 'DWP has got too much estate. Recent calculations estimate that there's a capacity for 158,000 people, however the maximum headcount is forecast to be around 97,500 people,' he said. 'What we need to do is to make sure that we use that estate as effectively as possible for our colleagues but also for the taxpayer, and what we want to do is refocus the colleagues working in clusters so they can most effectively support customers and claimants, but also at the same time help improve and develop their own careers.' Therese Coffey's Department for Work and Pensions today declared that offices are being slashed to save millions of pounds The DWP's headquarters in London, which is not expected to be affected by the changes The minister said: 'The thing that's very important to highlight is that the front-of-house roles that we're fulfilling have increased significantly. We've taken forward the rapid estate expansion programme over the last two years, we've had 170 new Jobcentre Plus' being put into creation.' He added: 'These particular roles that we're talking about at the moment are back of house, and the equalities impact assessment has been made and in terms of the impact on communities, on the whole, these will be relatively small numbers of colleagues in a particular community that are involved, and what we want to do is to make sure that we support those people into work. 'For the vast majority there are jobs close by and we will help transition them into those areas, for those that aren't then we will give them the support that they need.' Shadow business minister Justin Madders listed areas potentially affected and said 'this is the opposite of levelling up, this is levelling down and it's closing down'. He said: 'It looks as if the Department for Work and Pensions doesn't believe in levelling up, it doesn't believe in its own rhetoric on jobs, and it doesn't believe in keeping people in work. 'We hear that offices are going to be closed in Stoke, in Southend, in Peterborough, in Chesterfield and Aberdeen, in Kirkcaldy, in Barrow, Bishop Auckland, Doncaster and Burnley, taking jobs out of these communities.' 'We've heard up to 12,000 jobs might be affected, but how many of those workers will be able to find new jobs locally within the department?' he said. In the Commons, SNP work and employment spokesman Chris Stephens said: 'Can the minister confirm that the announcement could mean 3,000 job at risk of redundancy in the Department of Work and Pensions? And what measures is he going to ensure that this does not happen?' He also claimed the DWP is 'looking to close offices in high economic deprivation areas' which is 'counter-intuitive to the so-called levelling-up agenda'. Mr Rutley replied: 'There are going to be around 12,000 colleagues who will be moving from one site to another in close proximity around 28 sites involved there. 'In terms of colleagues that will be affected where there is no other strategic site nearby, there are around 1,300 colleagues that could be involved.' Mr Rutley added that the Government will 'see what opportunities there are within DWP' and other departments for affected staff and added that the change 'does not impact job centres and the customer-facing interactions'. Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'The Government was quick to clap civil servants at the start of the pandemic they're even quicker to scrap them now they've declared the pandemic over. 'Our members have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, keeping the country running, paying out benefits to almost two-and-a-half million families, helping them to put food on their table and keep a roof over their head. 'These are the workers rightly praised in 2020 by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey as 'exceptional' and in November last year by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as 'miracle workers'. This chart shows the floor area in square metres of government offices around the country The State of the Estate report published by the Government Property Agency at the end of last year highlights the drive to move staff out of London and cut running costs. But it also reveals that the remaining 'Whitehall Campus' will only have space for around half of the staff who are based there 'But now, as food and fuel prices rise faster than ever, they're being abandoned by the Government and left to fend for themselves.' The government has been working to rationalise its estate for years, but the dramatic shift to home working during Covid has thrown the process into sharp relief. Many Tories have complained that civil servants are unwilling to return to offices, while mandarins have notoriously boasted about being able to use their Peleton exercise bikes more when working from home. Under the government's strategy for the estate in London, there will only be capacity for 50 per cent of staff to be at their desks from 2030. The proposals have been branded 'bonkers' by MPs , although the Cabinet Office insisted not all those away from Whitehall would be working from home - arguing some would be visiting other offices around the country. The shift was highlighted in an official report that also reveals the Whitehall 'campus' and other buildings in the capital are costing 621million a year to run. They currently house around 68,000 full-time equivalent staff, giving a cost per head of 9,132. A homeless career criminal was indicted Wednesday in New York City for the brutal murder of 35-year-old executive Christina Yuan Lee, as it was revealed in a court filing that he claimed the woman was his 'friend' and that he was trying to 'help' her - an apparent attempt to blame the stabbing on someone else. He also tried impersonating her voice while speaking with police prior to their entry into the Chinatown apartment, telling officers: We dont need the police here go away. Assamad Nash, 25, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday and was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder, burglary and burglary as a sexually motivated felony. He pleaded not guilty to those counts through his attorney. Lee's killing last month, which came amid a dramatic increase in hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans, shocked the city and renewed questions about New York state's controversial bail reforms, after it was revealed Nash was a serial offender out on supervised release stemming from a robbery. 'Todays indictment marks the beginning of our pursuit of justice in the name of Christina Yuna Lee, a bright and beloved New Yorker who should not have had her life cut short in such a violent, shocking manner in her own home,' stated Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 'Ms. Yuna Lees death not only devastated her loved ones, but struck fear into the hearts of our AAPI neighbors, who have already suffered far too much pain in recent years. All New Yorkers deserve to be safe and secure, and we will ensure accountability for this senseless murder.' Scroll down for video Assamad Nash, 25, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday and was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder, burglary and burglary as a sexually motivated felony Nash, a homeless career criminal, is accused of following Christina Yuan Lee home and stabbing her 40 times in her bathtub with her own kitchen knife in February Nash pleaded not guilty to the charges, which could land him in prison for the rest of his life, if he is convicted Lee, 35, a senior creative producer, was stabbed 40 times inside her apartment after being followed by the suspect According to the indictment, at the time of his arrest, Nash made a series of false statements seeking to convince the police that another attacker was responsible for Lee's killing, and that he was injured trying to protect the woman. Assamad Nash's lengthy criminal history Transportation fraud and drug charge Nash was arrested last September 23 for using an unlimited subway fair card to admit other riders through the turnstile for a fee. An arresting officer allegedly found synthetic cannabinoid in his pocket. He was charged with the unauthorized sale of certain transportation services, and possession of synthetic phenethylamines and synthetic cannabinoids. He was released on his own recognizance. Assault Nash was arrested last September 28 for punching a man with a closed fist, 'causing redness and swelling' to the victim's right eye and 'substantial pain'. He was charged with two counts of third-degree assault, one count of second-degree aggravated harassment, attempted assault, and harassment. He was released on his own recognizance. Criminal mischief Nash was arrested January 6 following a string of 27 MetroCard Vending Machine vandalisms between December 9 and December 31. He attempted to escape while being arrested and was charged with 27 counts of criminal mischief, one count of attempted escape, escape in the third degree, and resisting arrest. He was given supervised release. Advertisement 'I tried to help my friend out,' Nash allegedly said. 'I was trying to help this female getting hurt by other people. I was trying to help the lady.' On the morning of February 13, Lee, a senior creative producer at the music streaming platform Splice, was returning from a club to her apartment in Chinatown when prosecutors said Nash followed her. Security video captured Nash creeping into the building on Chrystie Street behind Lee, who didn't notice her stalker had slipped in before the front door had closed behind her. Nash kept his distance as the digital producer climbed the six flights to her apartment, climbing up one floor below as she went. He rushed her as Lee unlocked her front door and entered her apartment, police said. Neighbors were awakened at 4:20 a.m. to Lee's blood-curdling screams of 'Please, help me. Call 911,' and one of them immediately summoned police. Officers responded to the scene within minutes, but Nash had barricaded himself inside the apartment and tried to get them to leave by making several contradictory statements. 'I am alone in the apartment. We are ok. No one is bleeding. We don't need help. You broke my door. Go away. We don't need the police, I am fine,' Nash was seen saying on body camera footage, according to the indictment. Nash then attempted to flee the apartment through the fire escape with a yellow object in his hand but went back inside after seeing a police officer on the roof above him, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. When officers finally broke down the door to Lee's apartment 90 minutes later, they found the partially naked woman bleeding to death from 40 wounds to her torso, head and neck inside the bathtub. Nash was discovered hiding under a mattress inside Lee's apartment. A bloodstained yellow-handed knife from Lee's kitchen set was found stashed behind a dresser. As Nash was being transported to a hospital to be treated for cuts, which he claimed had been inflicted by the bogus attacker who 'stabbed us up,' he feigned concern for his victim, reported the New York Post. Lee was returning home from a club in the early hours of February 13 when Nash allegedly followed her, as seen above on surveillance video According to an indictment, Nash lied that Lee (pictured) was his friend, and that he was trying to protect her from a mystery attacker 'How is the girl in the apartment? Is she ok? he was quoted in the indictment as asking, according to ABC News. 'We were partying and the dude escaped.' Upon his arrival at Bellevue Hospital, Nash reiterated that he did not stab Lee and that he was 'trying to protect the lady,' the court filing stated. During an interview with a detective, Nash argued that if Lee's killing was not caught on video, 'how can they say it's me?' At the time of his arrest, Nash was out on supervised release stemming from four open cases, including punching 63-year-old David Elliot in a subway station. Elliot, who works at Rutgers University, told The New York Post he was shocked the 'clearly' mentally ill Nash was free to roam the streets after attacking him at Grand Central Station. Nash is pictured in court during his initial arraignment a day after his arrest 'I was watching the news at 5 o'clock, and I seen them taking him out of the apartment and I said, 'That's the guy that f***ing hit me!'' Elliot said. 'He shouldn't have been out on the streets hell no.' Nash, who lived at a homeless shelter, has an extensive criminal record, which includes a slew of arrests resulting in misdemeanor charges of assault, intentional damage to property, harassment, resisting arrest, both attempted and successful escape from police officers and selling a fare card. If convicted of Lee's murder, he could face up to a life in prison without the possibility of parole. Nash is due back in court on July 18. A former top US politician accused Britain of paying 'blood money' to Iran to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Mike Pompeo, who was Washington's top diplomat during Donald Trump's presidency, lashed out at the 400million ($530million) debt paid to Tehran in tandem with the British aid worker's release. Pompeo, a long-time hawk on Iran, claimed the money would be used to 'terrorize' opponents of the hardline Islamic regime, including The United States and Israel. Downing Street rejected his claims today, insisting the 400million payment was not directly linked to the release of the British mum after six years in a Tehran prison. The Prime Minister's spokesman today said there were 'rigorous safeguards' in place to ensure that the cash was only used to fund humanitarian aid. He also said that the payment complied with tight sanctions in place on Iran over its attempts to start a nuclear research project that could allow it to create atomic weapons. In a blunt tweet last night, Mr Pompeo said: 'The UK priced taking & holding its citizens hostage at $530 million. 'We prevented paying blood money not rewarding hostage-takers. Mike Pompeo, who was Washington's top diplomat during Donald Trump's presidency, lashed out at the 400million ($530million) debt paid to Tehran in tandem with the British aid worker's release. Downing Street rejected his claims today, insisting the 400million payment was not directly linked to the release of the British mum after six years in a Tehran prison. Labour accuses PM of lengthening mum's stay in Iranian prison Boris Johnson caused Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's captivity in Iran to 'go on longer than it might otherwise', Sir Keir Starmer claimed today. When foreign secretary in 2017, Boris Johnson told a select committee of MPs that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained by Tehran for six years after being accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government, was in the country 'simply teaching people journalism'. Speaking to broadcasters in central London, Labour's leader said: 'The first thing I'd say is I think, like everybody else, it is fantastic to see Nazanin, Richard and their family reunited - just a very human emotion, I think, has poured out over the last few hours as we've seen those images. 'I'm sorry to say that the actions of the Prime Minister caused this to go on longer than it might otherwise have done and obviously there will be questions about that.' Advertisement 'That cash will terrorize Israel, UK & US. Sadly, Iran, w/Russia & China, is rolling the West. Appeasement feels good until it fails it always does.' Iran long insisted Britain owed the money for 1,750 Chieftain tanks and other vehicles which were paid for but not delivered after the 1979 revolution toppled the Western-backed Shah. Both Tehran and London have denied there is a link with the fate of Zaghari-Ratcliffe. But in December, Ms Truss confirmed the 400million was a 'legitimate debt' that the Government wanted to pay. And experts said it is part of a much broader push to restore relations with the Gulf state, which went into the deep freeze over fears nuclear fuel it claimed was being enriched for power stations could be used for weapons. The former head of the British Army accused officials of treating Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as a political pawn. General Lord Dannatt said the debt should have been paid off decades ago. He told GB News: 'I think there's a big question to be asked, why have we dragged our feet by not paying that 400 million bill to the Iranians? 'And if that was the reason that kept this poor woman in prison for six years, well, big questions are going to be asked.' He added: 'She has been on the face of it a political pawn, when we probably could have resolved this some time ago. 'So there may be smiles in the Foreign Office today but I think there are officials going back many years, they need to search their consciences and ask themselves the question, should we not have paid that bill? 'Was it not a legitimate bill? Should we not have settled it decades ago, and I think the poor woman has copped the lot as far as that's concerned and that's not good diplomacy.' Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's first hours of freedom involved enjoying a cup of tea with her family and then sharing a bed with her husband and daughter after returning to Britain following almost six years of detention in Iran, it was revealed today. At around 1.15am the British-Iranian landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire where she was reunited with Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella, who had refused to believe her mother was coming home after several 'false dawns' and 2,173 days of tortuous detention by Ayatollah Khamenei's hardline regime. In an extraordinary and emotional video filmed by the daughter of Anoosheh Ashoori, 67, who was also released by Iran yesterday in return for a 400million debt repayment, the seven-year-old can be heard yelling 'mummy, mummy - is that mummy?' as Nazanin walks down the steps of the British jet with Mr Ashoori. It brought to a close six years of hell for the charity worker, who suffered extreme psychological torture, solitary confinement and hardship in jail in Tehran thanks to the trumped-up spying charges she was convicted of. The moment Richard and Gabriella were reunited was not filmed - though the tears of joy can be heard - but a picture of the ecstatic family was taken seconds later. Nazanin then emerges from behind a blue screen and cannot stop tenderly hugging and kissing her only child, who she had not seen or touched for three years. Nazanin holds her daughter's hands and strokes her hair throughout the reunion, leaning in for regular kisses and cuddles. The Shah of Iran paid Britain 650million for 1,750 Chieftain tanks (file photo above) in the 1970s but only 185 had been delivered when he was toppled in 1979 and the new government cancelled the order During one tender embrace Gabriella tells her: 'You smell nice', to which her mother laughs and hugs her again saying: 'Do I smell nice? I haven't had a shower for 24 hours. Is that okay?'. They hug again as Richard says: 'She smells nice to daddy'. Nazanin then holds her daughter's hand again and says: 'I will be back in just a minute' and then looks down at her and says: 'That is a very very cool jumper'. Gabriella had also picked out her favourite toys to show her mother on her return. The family were also met by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who signed off on the 400m debt owed by Britain to Tehran from the 1970s that secured her release, before being moved to a safe house where Nazanin, Richard and Gabriella shared a bed together after so long apart, Richard's sister Rebecca Ratcliffe said today. The couple's local MP Tulip Siddiq said that the family are now going to have to rebuild their life together, while former hostage Terry Waite said it will take Nazanin 'some time' to recover from the 'trauma' she has suffered in Iranian prison. Ms Siddiq said: 'They are very different people now. There is going to be a huge process of getting to know each other again and Gabriella has to trust her mother again as well'. Nazanin holds her daughter close after landing on British soil for the first time in six years in the early hours of this morning The US State Department says its paying more than $2million per month to provide 24-hour security to Mr Pompeo and another $175,000 for another former top aide, both of whom face 'serious and credible' threats from Iran. The department told Congress in a report that the cost of protecting Pompeo and former Iran envoy Brian Hook between August 2021 and February 2022 amounted to $13.1million. The report, dated February 14 and marked 'sensitive but unclassified,' was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday. It is costing the department roughly $2million a month to protect Pompeo and an additional $175,000 for Hook, according to the Washington Examiner. Home at last: The Zaghari-Ratcliffe family are finally reunited after Nazanin was detained for nearly six years in Iran Pompeo and Hook are not the only ones under threat. US intelligence have discovered that there may be an assassination attempt on John Bolton, reportedly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but the Biden Administration is not acting on it, as it discusses the nuclear deal with Iran. President Biden is hoping to resume the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Iran nuclear accord after Former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement and Iran in turn suspended its compliance and began work on developing nuclear weapons. A new nuclear deal with Iran is currently nearing completion from negotiations in Vienna, Austria. The DOJ source claimed that the Biden administration will not publicly indict the two men who have been planning the assassination because it could derail the near-done Iran nuclear deal. However, Pompeo and Hook led the Trump administration's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran and the report says US intelligence assessed that the threats to them have remained constant since they left government and could intensify. The threats have persisted even as President Joe Biden's administration has been engaged in indirect negotiations with Iran over a US return to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. A new poll shows a slim majority of Americans in support of Florida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill that bans the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity among children in grades kindergarten through three. The bill, whose official title is HB1557 Parental Rights in Education bill, has passed both the Florida State House and Senate and awaits signature from Governor Ron DeSantis despite widespread protest from the LGBTQ+ community. It bars instruction on 'sexual orientation or gender identity' in kindergarten through grade three. Introduced by two Florida lawmakers and backed by DeSantis, they say the bill's aim is to 'empower parents' in their children's education, and make teachers recognize the distinction between 'instruction' and 'discussion.' The proposed law has proved controversial in Florida, where Disney workers are planning walkouts during their breaks every day this week to protest CEO Bob Chapek's 'slow response' in publicly criticizing the law. Disney has since bowed to left-wing pressure and halted all political donations in Florida in response to the legislation. However, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll of 2,005 registered voters saw them showing support for several items contained within the bill. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is prepared to sign the HB1557 Parental Rights in Education bill Marchers make their way toward the St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday, March 12, 2022 during a march to protest the controversial "Don't say gay" bill passed by Florida's Republican-led legislature and now on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk When it came to 'Banning the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade' 51 percent of respondents were in support, with 37 percent polled saying they 'strongly support.' The Parental Rights in Education bill bans the instruction of gender identity to children in kindergarten through to third grade HB 1557 was introduced by two Republican members of the Florida Legislature - Representative Joe Harding and Senator Dennis Baxley. They say the bill's aim is to 'empower parents' in their children's education, and make teachers recognize the distinction between 'instruction' and 'discussion.' 'What we're prohibiting is instructing them in a specific direction,' Baxley said about how teachers lead students in a classroom. 'Students can talk about whatever they want to bring up, but sometimes the right answer is, ''You really ought to talk to your parents about that.''' The bill applies to children in kindergarten through third grade. It states that 'classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur.' It also requires districts to 'adopt procedures for notifying a student's parent if there is a change in the student's services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being,' something LGBTQ advocates argue could lead to students being outed to their parents without the student's knowledge or consent. It was passed on March 8 in a 22-17 vote. The state House had approved the bill late last month. DeSantis has said he will sign it into law. It will come into effect on July 1. Advertisement While 23 percent strongly oppose it, only 34 percent total say they are against the bill. When it comes to 'limiting lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity after third grade to age appropriate discussions' those polled were also in support, with 52 percent saying they favored that aspect of the bill and 32 percent strongly supporting, while only 33 percent were opposed. The one aspect of the bill that proved divisive was 'allowing parents to sue school districts over alleged violations of sexual orientation and gender identity discussions in schools.' Only 41 percent of respondents were in support, with only 26 percent strongly supporting. A plurality, 43 percent, were against the rule with 30 percent strongly opposing. A total 56 percent polled say that they had heard either some or a lot about the legislation, with just 19 percent saying they'd heard nothing at all. Voters were far more divided on the teaching of race in schools. Even the hot button issue of critical race theory has more support than LGBTQ+ teachings in schools. Only 29 percent of voters strongly support (40 percent support overall) banning teaching CRT in public schools, while 28 percent strongly oppose, with 43 percent in opposition overall. Another 46 percent of voters are against allowing parents to sue over violations of teaching CRT in schools, with only 36 percent opposed. Republican lawmakers pushing the legislation argue that parents, not teachers, should be the ones talking to their children about gender issues during their early formative years. The bill prohibits 'classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity.' It also requires districts to 'adopt procedures for notifying a student's parent if there is a change in the student's services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being,' something LGBTQ advocates argue could lead to some students being outed to their parents without the student's knowledge or consent. The legislation has attracted scrutiny from President Joe Biden, who called it 'hateful,' as well as other Democrats who argue it demonizes LGBTQ people. The legislation has been sent to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. Chapek put out a statement on behalf of Disney earlier this week supporting the LGBTQ+ community Those leading the walkouts at Disney said that while walkouts during breaks are 'protected' actions, workers taking part in the larger March 22 walkout will not be protected from consequences. 'Take your own situation into account before choosing to participate,' their website noted. Disney on Wednesday didn't respond to an email inquiry about whether the walkouts during breaks were having any impact on operations this week. As the state's largest private-sector employer - Walt Disney World outside Orlando had more than 75,000 workers before the coronavirus pandemic - Disney has contributed huge amounts of money to Floridas political parties and politicians and has wielded incredible influence on the states government. At the beginning of last week, Chapek sent a message to Disney workers affirming the company's support for LGBTQ rights, while also saying that corporate statements often don't do much to change minds and can be 'weaponized' by either side. The Florida legislation, championed by DeSantis, is part of nationwide effort by Republicans who feel they are wresting back control from liberal policies they say undermine traditional family values. President Biden himself branded the bill as 'hateful' last month, in a tweet that similarly assured members of the LGBT community that his administration would 'fight' to ensure that their rights are protected, especially gay or transgender kids that would be affected by the bill Psaki defended Biden's position on Florida Republicans' school bill when a reporter grilled her on an anti-gay vote he took as a senator in 1994 Similar moves are afoot in other Republican-led or Republican-leaning states, chiefly in the south. They include a plan by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to label as 'child abuse' medical treatments considered in progressive states to be standard care for transgender teenagers. Liberals, such as White House spokeswoman Jen Pskai, have slammed the bill, calling it 'horrific' and a 'form of bullying.' DeSantis has hit back at Democrats for exaggerating the scope of the bill. Psaki said the bill 'would discriminate against families, against kids, put these kids in a position of not getting the support they need at a time where that's exactly what they need.' Its text says that 'classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.' DeSantis has repeatedly emphasized that it only bans formal lessons on LGBT topics for children aged from kindergarten to third grade. Teachers who breach these rules can then be sued by parents. If signed, it will become law on July 1. President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday after the administration warned Beijing of severe consequences if they came to Russia's aid in the Ukraine. The call is 'part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC [People's Republic of China],' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Thursday. 'The two Leaders will discuss managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russia's war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern,' she noted. Biden and Xi last spoke in November, when they held a three and a half hour virtual meeting. Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was in Rome earlier this week, where he was trying to keep China - Russia's most powerful diplomatic partner - from coming to President Vladimir Putin's aid in his invasion of the Ukraine. Putin was in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympic Games where he met with Xi. China appears to be distancing itself from Russia with officials saying their country would 'never' attack Ukraine. Fan Xianrong, Beijing's ambassador, said China 'will never attack Ukraine and will 'respect the path chosen by Ukrainians.' Zhao Lijian, China's foreign ministry spokesman, then endorsed Fan's comments on Thursday. President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday after the administration warned Beijing of severe consequences if they came to Russia's aid in the Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing on Feb. 4, 2022 The U.S. is trying to keep Beijing from helping Russia in the Ukraine, above: Family members and comrades of Ivan Skrypny, who was killed in a rocket attack against a military base in Yavoriv during the ongoing Russian invasion, pay their last respect during his memorial service in Lviv, Ukraine How China's tone has changed on Ukraine February 4 China 'opposes further enlargement of NATO and calls on the [alliance] abandon its ideologized Cold War approaches' - Beijing statement after Xi-Putin summit at Winter Olympics February 23 US is 'raising tensions, creating panic, and playing up the schedule of war' - foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, a day before Russia invaded February 24 'Russia launched a special military operation in eastern Ukraine. Russia says its armed forces will not... strike cities. China... calls on all sides to exercise restraint' - Hua Chunying, declining to call it an 'invasion' on the day Russia invaded March 7 Beijing 'laments' the conflict and is 'extremely concerned' about civilian casualties, but relationship with Russia 'rock solid' - Foreign minister Wang Yi March 11 'We hope to see fighting and the war stop as soon as possible,' Wang Yi, describing the conflict as a 'war' for the first time March 15 China 'must not be affected' by sanctions because it 'is not party to the crisis' - Wang Yi March 17 'China will forever be a good force for Ukraine... We will always respect your state... We will respect the path chosen by Ukrainians... 'China will never attack Ukraine, we will help, in particular in the economic direction. We have seen how great the unity of the Ukrainian people is, and that means its strength' - Fan Xianrong, Beijing's ambassador to Ukraine Advertisement At the time of their meeting Putin and Xi issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless 'friendship.' And China initially seemed to support Russia's menacing of Ukraine, with the joint statement denouncing 'NATO's eastward expansion' - which has been Moscow's position. Beijing has offered to act as mediator between Russia and the Ukraine but it also denounced trade and financial sanctions against Russia. Meanwhile, Sullivan met for seven hours with China's top diplomat, Communist Party Politburo member Yang Jiechi, on Monday. Ukraine was the main topic in what a senior administration official called an 'intense' conversation. Officials said Sullivan made clear there would be 'severe' and 'significant' consequences should China assist Russia. 'What was conveyed by our National Security Advisor in this meeting is that should they provide military or other assistance that, of course, violates sanctions or supports the war effort, that there will be significant consequences,' Psaki said at Monday's press briefing. Ahead of Sullivan's meeting American intelligence suggested that Moscow had reached out to Beijing for support. The Kremlin was said to have asked for ration packs for its troops, drones, armoured vehicles, intelligence equipment and relief for economic sanctions. Beijing also initially refused to refer to a 'war' or 'invasion' in Ukraine, instead preferring Moscow's description of a 'special military operation'. But as the tide of the conflict has turned against Putin's men and the civilian death toll has mounted, Chinese diplomats have slowly dropped their support. Wang Yi, the foreign minister, said last week that China 'laments' the conflict and the civilian death toll, before referring to it as a 'war' for the first time. Yi then spoke out again this week to say that sanctions levelled against Russia 'should not affect' China, before Zhao's comments today. It means that much of the support Putin appeared to be counting on ahead of giving the order to attack has now melted away, leaving him increasingly isolated on the world stage. Biden's administration is hoping China can use its influence with Russia to help end the conflict. The U.S. has pushed Beijing to take up some economic sanctions against Moscow - to no avial. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, at left meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at right in Rome A member of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces walks near a residential building which was hit by the debris from a downed rocket in Kyiv The Russian and Ukraine conflict is entering its fourth week with Russian forces haven taken control of large sections of Ukraine, particularly in the east and south. The Pentagon estimated that in t he three weeks of fighting, 7,000 Russian soldiers have been killed greater than the number of American troops killed over 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the New York Times reported. The White House has rallied NATO allies and the West to impose harsh economic sanctions on Putin, his inner circle, the oligarchs who became billionaires with his policies and Russian banks in response to Kremlin's invasion of the Ukraine. The administration has also sent $2 billion in military assistance - including $800 million in new aid announced Wednesday - to the Ukraine and addressed the growing humanitarian crisis coming out that nation. Bidens national security team was somewhat surprised that Pacific partners - Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea - moved so quickly to hit Russia with sanctions following the invasion, a U.S. official familiar with the administrations thinking told the Associated Press. The official said there was a recognition among the Pacific allies that Beijing is watching how the world responds to Russia as China calculates how aggressive it can be with its smaller neighbors in the region. In backing sanctions, the Pacific nations were trying to send a message to Xi as well as Putin, the official added. The U.S. could be just hours away from another wave of mass migration if the Biden administration lifts Title 42, a provision border agents have relied on to quell the border crisis during the pandemic. It comes as a new report shows more than 170,000 migrants are waiting on the Mexican-side of the U.S.-Mexico border to cross and claim asylum should the policy be lifted. Estimates show many of these individuals are as little as hours away from the border while others planning to migrate are within a few-days trip, an officials familiar with discussions told CNN. It comes as reports emerged that Ukrainian refugees are being detained under the Title 42 expulsion provision. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday afternoon Border Patrol agents were reminded there are individualized exceptions to Title 42 that can be applied to Ukrainians arriving at the southern border. The number of migrants waiting to cross, shared with Axios by sources with direct knowledge of discussions, has led to the creation of the Southwest Border Coordination Center (SBCC) to create an interagency response to the impending surge. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence estimates 25,000 migrants are already waiting in Mexican shelters waiting for Title 42 to end so they can cross into the U.S. Title 42, a policy put in place by former President Donald Trump to allow expulsions in the midst of the pandemic, has been used to rapidly remove more than 1 million migrants at the southern border. It allows the U.S. to bypass asylum claims and instantly remove these individuals from the country after crossing the border illegally. Title 42 wasn't meant to be permanent, but has continued to be enforced and defended in court under Biden as the administration tries to quell the southern border crisis. Recent reports reveal that the administration is leaning toward ending Title 42 entirely, after they were forced to end the practice for unaccompanied minors crossing the border. The court order notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 'anticipates additional lifting of restrictions' as DHS becomes increasingly able to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in its facilities. Every 60 days, the CDC reassess Title 42 and the deadline for the next renewal is in early April, meaning the provisions could end as early as next month. A Thursday report claims intelligence officials are bracing for more than 170,000 migrants crossing into the U.S. once COVID-era Title 42 is lifted, which allows instant expulsion of asylum-seekers due to the ongoing public health emergency. Pictured: Migrants wait in Mexico for their court date for asylum claims Ukrainian refugees and their Mexican relatives arrive at the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 as people flee the region following Russia's invasion Ukrainian refugees arrive at the Benito Juarez International airport on Wednesday after being evacuated from Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Asylum-seekers are being turned away from the U.S. border due to Title 42 'As it stands right now there are no changes: Title 42 is still in effect and anyone attempting to enter the country unlawfully will be subject to border restrictions including potentially expulsion,' a White House official told Axios. They added: 'We continue to defer to the CDC on the use of Title 42 and how long it might remain in effect.' DHS Deputy Secretary John Tien asked employees in a Wednesday email 'to consider stepping forward to support the DHS Volunteer Force.' The email, reviewed by Axios, seeks support from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), specifically in relation to helping with data entry and cites the large number of migrants at the southern U.S. border. Since Biden took office, CBP has encountered at least 2.25 million migrants at the southern border and officials expect those numbers to climb due to seasonal trends and the expected impending end of Title 42. In February alone, CBP encountered 164,973 migrants at the southern border up more than 10,000 from January figures of 154,745. The highest peak in decades came in July 2021 with nearly 214,000 encounters. Border patrol arrests also reached an all-time high of 1.7 million in FY2021. Officials project similar figures for FY2022 with the end of Title 42. Democrats have been highly critical of Biden's continued enforcement of Title 42 and Immigration advocates are outraged over low numbers for refugee admissions. Meanwhile, Republicans have slammed the Biden administration for its 'open border' policies leading to overwhelmed officials and record numbers of crossings at the border, along with reports of a large number of illegal immigrants being released into the U.S. The situation seems like a lose-lose of Biden. Further complicating the matter is the war in Eastern Europe leading to hundreds of Ukrainians arriving at the U.S. southern border and being turned away due to title 42 restrictions. Other reports show that these refugees seeking asylum are being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration advocates have been calling for an end to enforcing Title 42 even though the U.S. is still in a state of emergency and calls have increased this week as Ukrainians begin to arrive and request asylum. It was revealed this week that journalists witnessed dozens of Ukrainian and Russian families gathering outside the U.S. southern border and families in Tijuana claim CBP agents are selective of who they let in. Vicente Calderon, editor for Tijuanapress.com, said: 'Even people with humanitarian parole, it would take a long time for them to get a waiver. Some are allowed to get in, but not others.' Ukrainian refugees are arriving at the U.S. southern border seeking asylum but are being turned away due to Title 42. Pictured: a Ukrainian woman and her boyfriend wait for humanitarian visas outside the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mexico on March 10 Since Biden has taken office, the crossing per-month has massively increased. In 2020, the last year of Donald Trump's presidency, a total of 458,088 migrants were encountered at the border. In 2021, that number spiked to 1.73 million with Biden in the White House. As the administration struggles to find ways to deter migration and stop the surge at the southern border, now Ukrainian refugees are seeking asylum in the U.S. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, leading to a massive refugee crisis in Eastern Europe with millions fleeing the conflict. While many are going to neighboring countries like Poland, more and more are arriving in the U.S. now that Ukraine faces its 19th day of attack from Vladimir Putin. Immigration lawyers in San Diego argue the Title 42 policy is no longer needed and is leading to inhumane treatment of migrants and asylum-seekers at the border as the administration claims it's necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Biden administration already ended the policy for children crossing without their parents, but as restrictions in the U.S. ease, there are increased calls to ditch the policy altogether. A Ukrainian family listen to an agent of the Mexican immigrant welfare agency Grupo Beta while waiting for a humanitarian visas outside the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana on Friday, March 11 'This is actually an inhumane policy and people are calling to cancel it and it's not safe for families who are fleeing their country and are trying to look for peace,' Immigration Lawyer Jacob Sapochnick said. Sapochnick, who has been helping Ukrainian families, says Border Patrol agents are taking advantage of Title 42 provisions and turning families away. 'The moment they reach the U.S. soil and they say they are here for asylum, they can't send them back. They have to actually process them and go through the critical interview,' Sapochnick detailed. 'However, they are just sending them back and they are not supposed to do that.' A longtime associate of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been indicted, accused of conspiring with him to defraud the sons of Murdaugh's dead housekeeper out of insurance money. State grand jury documents released Wednesday said Beaufort attorney Cory Fleming worked with Murdaugh to defraud the estate of Gloria Satterfield, who died after falling at the Murdaugh home in 2018. He is charged with money laundering, criminal conspiracy, making a false statement and breach of trust with fraudulent intent. Satterfield's sons claimed Murdaugh convinced them at their mother's funeral to use Fleming as their attorney and sue Murdaugh for wrongful death. He did not disclose that Fleming had been his college roommate and was godfather to one of his sons. Fleming then diverted the resulting $3million insurance payouts to Murdaugh and himself, using it for car, loan and credit car payments, cash, and checks written to associates, prosecutors said. According to the indictment, Fleming, 53, did not tell Satterfield's sons about two settlements he secured from insurers. He instead knowingly moved money from both agreements to a fraudulent bank account that Murdaugh had given a name similar to that of a company that handles settlements, authorities said. Fleming previously said he was helping Satterfield's sons' new lawyers and maintained he 'was not a willing participant in Mr. Murdaugh's scheme but was used,' according to a joint statement between Fleming and the sons' attorneys in October. Fleming plans to turn himself in before a virtual bond hearing scheduled for Thursday, said Robert Kittle, a spokesman for the state attorney general's office. An indictment released Wednesday accuses Beaufort attorney Cory Fleming (left) of working with disgraced legal scion Alex Murdaugh (right) to defraud the estate of Gloria Satterfield Gloria Satterfield, who died after falling at the Murdaugh home in 2018, was the family's housekeeper and nanny for 25 years Satterfield's sons (pictured in October) claimed Murdaugh convinced them at their mother's funeral to use Fleming as their attorney and sue Murdaugh for wrongful death, without disclosing that Fleming had been his college roommate and was godfather to one of his sons Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh (from left). Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and son Paul were found shot dead at the family's hunting lodge in a horrific double murder in June 'While relying on his prestige and reputation as a lawyer, and the trust of the family and personal representatives of [Satterfield], who was his housekeeper of many years, MURDAUGH convinced the family of [Satterfield ] to hire [Fleming] to represent [Satterfield's] estate,' the indictment states. It continues: 'Thereafter, [Murdaugh] and [Fleming] did conspire to surreptitiously give [Murdaugh] a split of [Fleming]'s fee from the insurance settlement.' Fleming's attorney, Deborah Barbier, said in a statement that he was 'deeply disappointed' by the charges. Barbier added that Fleming looked forward to defending himself in court and maintained her client was 'yet another casualty of the host of crimes perpetrated by Alex Murdaugh.' Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, attorneys for the Satterfield sons, said Wednesday that the grand jury clearly did not believe Fleming's defense that he was a victim. 'Justice may move slow but when it moves it comes crashing down like a tidal wave,' they said in a statement. Grand jurors also issued four new charges for Murdaugh. Murdaugh currently faces 75 state charges, among them trust, forgery, money laundering, computer crime and now criminal conspiracy with Fleming. Altogether, he is accused of stealing nearly $8.5 million intended for victims of wrongful death and insurance settlements. He's also accused of trying to arrange his own death so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. Murdaugh, 53, has been jailed since October. Pictured from left: Buster Murdaugh, Margaret Murdaugh, Paul Murdaugh and Richard Murdaugh in a photo posted by Margaret for Father's Day, 2020 Murdaugh has pinned his problems on a years-long drug addiction. His legal troubles were revealed after his wife Maggie, 52, (center left) and son Paul, 22, (left) were killed in a shooting at the family home in June Fleming allegedly deposited a $403,500 check from insurance that should have gone to Satterfield's estate into a bank account, and then used it for car and loan payments Murdaugh and Fleming ultimately had a settlement disbursement check for $2,961,931.95 from Fleming's trust account to be made out to 'Forge', and Fleming delivered the check to Murdaugh Prosecutors have accused Murdaugh of illegally using the money to pay off a $100,000 credit card bill, transferring more than $300,000 to his father and $735,000 to himself A judge set his bail at $7 million and refused to reduce it, even as Murdaugh's lawyer argued his bank accounts were seized in civil lawsuits and he could barely afford to buy underwear at the Richland County jail. He has pinned his problems on a years-long drug addiction. His legal troubles were revealed after his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were killed in a shooting at the family home in June. Murdaughs lawyers insisted he had nothing to do with it, calling on investigators to work as hard to find their killers as they are trying to unravel Murdaugh's finances. The South Carolina Supreme Court has suspended Murdaugh and Fleming from practicing law in the state. Murdaugh's great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all elected prosecutors in Hampton County, where his family law firm bore the Murdaugh moniker until recently. The familys law firm, located in the most impressive building in town aside from the courthouse, has spent a century winning multimillion-dollar verdicts. Murdaugh has adamantly denied having anything to do with the killings of his wife and son His lawyers have also insisted he had nothing to do with it, calling on investigators to work as hard to find their killers as they are trying to unravel Murdaugh's finances Gloria Satterfield's family was defrauded of '$3 million in insurance money' Authorities said Fleming knowingly moved money from insurance agreements to a fraudulent bank account Murdaugh had named similarly to that of a company that handles settlements. Fleming allegedly deposited $403,500 check into a personal bank account. The $403,500 check contained what was supposed to be compensation to Gloria's sons for her death, but it also contained a split of FLEMING's fee. Murdaugh and Fleming ultimately had a settlement disbursement check for $2,961,931.95 from Fleming's trust account, and Fleming delivered the check to Murdaugh. Prosecutors have accused Murdaugh of illegally using the money to pay off a $100,000 credit card bill, transferring more than $300,000 to his father and $735,000 to himself. It is unclear how much money of the insurance payouts Fleming employed for personal use. Advertisement The murders have remained unsolved now for nearly nine months. Tight-lipped state police have neither named any suspects nor ruled anyone out. The deaths led to more criminal investigations into Murdaugh, including whether he or his family tried to obstruct the investigation into a boat crash. Mallory Beach, 19, was killed in a 2019 crash on Murdaugh's boat which prosecutors said his late son, Paul, was driving. Prosecutors said Paul Murdaugh was driving the boat recklessly while intoxicated, but charges against him were dropped after he and his mother were killed at the family's Colleton County home in June. Other kids on the boat testified that they were scared to speak about the Murdaugh family because they knew how to 'cover things up'. Murdaugh also was charged with trying to arrange his own death so his surviving son could get a $10 million life insurance policy - the civil lawsuits against him are also piling up. Murdaugh faces at least six lawsuits seeking money as damages, including claims over the 2019 fatal boat crash and allegations he stole settlements from the Satterfields and from his family's law firm. His brother said Murdaugh owes him $46,500 on $90,000 loaned in September in part to get Murdaugh into drug rehab. Crime scene tape is visible on the stretch of Old Salkehatchie Road where Alex Murdaugh reported having been the victim of a drive-by shooting. Murdaugh is suspected of embezzling millions from Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick, the family law firm of which he was a partner The BBC has paid Princess Diana's former private secretary 'substantial' damages over the way disgraced journalist Martin Bashir obtained his 1995 Panorama interview. The corporation also apologised 'unreservedly' to Patrick Jephson today over the way its reporter got the jaw-dropping world exclusive 27 years ago. Bashir commissioned forged bank statements purporting to show how payments were made into the account of Jephson from intelligence services monitoring Dianas movements. The documents were used to convince Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, into introducing Bashir to the princess and later to convince her into the interview. The payout comes just months after the corporation shelled out more than 1.5million in 'guilt' money to a charity chosen by the Royal Family. The money - equal to the amount the BBC made in selling the global rights to the interview - was paid after a bombshell report last year found Bashir had lied to obtain the 1995 interview. The independent inquiry found the shamed journalist used 'deceitful methods later covered up by a woefully ineffective internal investigation by Tony Hall, who later became BBC director-general. Alongside the 1.5million donation, the BBC also paid out 750,000 to graphic designer Matt Wieseler was blacklisted after blowing the whistle on Bashir in 1996 - only to be blacklisted by the corporation. Today the corporation issued its latest grovelling apology in the sorry-saga, saying it 'accepted and acknowledged that serious harm' had been caused to Mr Jephson. However bosses refused to disclose how much it has forked out in reparations. A source reportedly told the Times that the payout was around 100,000. Mr Jephson meanwhile said it was 'a relief' to 'finally to reach a conclusion to this painful episode' and added he will donate the money to a children's hospice. Earl Spencer also commented, saying it was 'the right result' and it was 'appalling' what Jephson 'had to go through as a result of grotesque journalism'. The BBC has paid Princess Diana's former private secretary 'substantial' damages over the way disgraced Martin Bashir obtained his 1995 Panorama interview (pictured) The Corporation also apologised 'unreservedly' to Patrick Jephson (pictured with Diana in 1995) today over the way its journalist got the blockbuster sit down 27 years ago A BBC spokesman said it 'accepts and acknowledges that serious harm' was caused to Mr Jephson (left) by the Bashir's (right) talk A BBC statement said: 'The BBC and Commander Patrick Jephson have reached a settlement following publication of the Dyson Report. Cambridge-educated private secretary who was with Diana during her toughest days... who is Patrick Jephson? Patrick Jephson was Diana's private secretary for eight years and was also the Princess's equerry. He stuck with her from 1988 to 1996 and was responsible for every aspect of her public life. But, like press secretary, Geoffrey Crawford, he was among a number of Princess Diana's staff to quit in later 1995 to early 1996. Mr Jephson quit in January 1996 shortly after the interview aired. Speaking about the decision to the Daily Mail last year, he said: 'For most of the previous eight years I had been confident that my best way of serving the Queen was to do a good job serving the Princess. 'But now, for the first time, fighting the Princess's corner in bare-knuckled legal battles with her husband would directly conflict with the Queen's expressed wish. 'For me it was the last straw. In January 1996 my letter of resignation and a deeply uncomfortable farewell meeting with Princess Diana duly followed. In the years since, nothing persuaded me that the Panorama interview was anything but a disaster for her. 'For the BBC it was, of course, a spectacular success. The programme achieved double the viewer ratings of Jonathan Dimbleby's 'adultery' interview with Prince Charles on ITV the previous year, generated millions of pounds in sales worldwide and collected awards from every quarter.' The Cambridge-educated Irishman was at the helm during her controversial split from Prince Charles. He is now a consultant, journalist and author, who is advising the Netflix series The Crown from his home in Washington DC. Advertisement 'Commander Jephson was the Private Secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales. 'The BBC accepts and acknowledges that serious harm was caused to Commander Jephson as a result of the circumstances in which the 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales was obtained, which have become apparent as a result of the Dyson Report. 'The BBC apologises unreservedly to Commander Jephson for the harm caused to him and has paid his legal costs. 'The BBC has also paid Commander Jephson a substantial sum in damages, which he intends to donate in full to British charities nominated by him.' Mr Jephson said: 'After more than twenty-five years, it is a relief finally to reach a conclusion to this painful episode. 'I am grateful to Lord Dyson and the journalists whose tenacity has brought the truth to light, and I now look forward to donating the damages I have been awarded to Ty Hafan, the hospice for children in Wales, in memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.' In a post on Twitter referencing the payout, Earl Spencer wrote: 'The right result - appalling what Patrick Jephson had to go through as a result of grotesque journalism. 'Also terrible that it was covered up for so long by senior people at the - there will be more to come out on all this, before long.' Mr Jephson was Diana's private secretary for eight years and was also the Princess's equerry. He stuck with her from 1988 to 1996 and was responsible for every aspect of her public life and humanitarian initiatives. But, like press secretary, Geoffrey Crawford, he was among a number of Princess Diana's staff to quit in later 1995 to early 1996. Mr Jephson quit in January 1996 shortly after the interview aired. Speaking about the decision to the Daily Mail last year, he said: 'For most of the previous eight years I had been confident that my best way of serving the Queen was to do a good job serving the Princess. 'But now, for the first time, fighting the Princess's corner in bare-knuckled legal battles with her husband would directly conflict with the Queen's expressed wish. 'For me it was the last straw. In January 1996 my letter of resignation and a deeply uncomfortable farewell meeting with Princess Diana duly followed. In the years since, nothing persuaded me that the Panorama interview was anything but a disaster for her. 'For the BBC it was, of course, a spectacular success. The programme achieved double the viewer ratings of Jonathan Dimbleby's 'adultery' interview with Prince Charles on ITV the previous year, generated millions of pounds in sales worldwide and collected awards from every quarter.' An inquiry by Lord Dyson in May found Bashir (pictured) had lied to obtain the interview, using 'deceitful' methods later covered up by a 'woefully ineffective' internal investigation by Tony Hall, who later became BBC director-general Bashir (left) faked bank statements to get to Diana while the BBC's former director-general, Lord Hall of Birkenhead (right), has been accused of protecting him following his famous 1995 interview The BBC was plunged into one of the worst crises in its history by the explosive fallout from the scandal, with Princes William and Harry accusing the corporation of ruining their mother's life with its 'deceitful' exclusive. Pictured: Diana with her sons Who has the BBC paid out to so far over the Martin Bashir scandal? A charity of the Royal Family's choice Last year the BBC agreed to pay 1.15million pound to a charity of the Royal Family's choice over the Bashir scandal. The figure was equal to the amount of money the corporation made by selling the global rights. The BBC agreed to make the donation after the Dyson Inquiry found the BBC 'fell short of high standards of integrity and transparency of its handling of Bashir'. Matt Weissler A graphic designer who said in 1996 that Bashir had asked him to forge bank documents to help earn Diana's trust. But rather than being met with respect, his career was turned upside down by BBC bosses, who blacklisted him from work with the corporation. It took until November 2020 for an inquiry to be established based on the Mail on Sunday's reporting. The BBC last year agreed a 750,000 payout for Weissler. Patrick Jephson Princess Diana's former private secretary has received 'substantial' damages over the scandal. The corporation also apologised 'unreservedly' to Mr Jephson. Bashir commissioned forged bank statements purporting to show how payments were made into the account of Jephson from intelligence services monitoring Diana's movements. The documents were used to convince Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, into introducing Bashir to the princess and later convince her into an interview. Mr Jephson said it was 'a relief' to 'finally to reach a conclusion to this painful episode' and added he will donate the money, believed to be around 100,000, to a children's hospice. Alan Waller Earl Spencer's former head of security, Alan Waller, whose bank statements were also forged on the orders of Bashir, had claimed he should get a payout. He said his named had been 'repeatedly dragged through the mud' by Bashir. But last year he told The Telegraph the BBC was not engaging in 'any meaningful way' over his 500,000 compensation claim. Advertisement The Cambridge-educated Irishman was at the helm during her controversial split from Prince Charles as well as when she was most popular with the public. He is now a consultant, journalist, broadcaster and author, who is advising the Netflix series The Crown from his home in Washington DC. The Dyson Inquiry found the BBC 'fell short of high standards of integrity and transparency' over its handling of Bashir. Meanwhile the journalist was found to be in 'serious breach' of the BBC's producer guidelines when he faked bank statements and showed them to Earl Spencer. During the world exclusive interview, Diana talked about there being 'three of us' in her marriage to Charles - referring to Camilla - admitted to having an affair of her own and confessed to self-harming. The fallout from the interview was hugely damaging for the Royal Family, and shortly afterwards the Queen wrote to Charles and Diana asking them to divorce. Diana's brother Earl Spencer has previously claimed several crimes had been committed in obtaining the interview. He believed his vulnerable sister was spun a web of lies by Bashir who had established 'coercive control' over her. By filling her mind with terrifying conspiracy theories and tricking her into the interview, he claims the rogue BBC reporter and his superiors had committed blackmail, fraud and obtaining property by deception. He said the corporation had cashed in when rights to the sensational interview were sold to other broadcasters around the world. The 57-year-old, speaking from his family home of Althorp last year, insisted that faking financial documents 'expecting to profit from them' was a crime and should be investigated by officers. He told LBC's Nick Ferrari: 'I've referred this twice to the Metropolitan Police but they seem bizarrely reluctant to take it further. 'If you went into any situation with fake bank statements expecting to profit from it you wouldn't be let off Scot free. This seems a very odd case indeed.' Soon after the interview, questions were raised over how Bashir had become so close to the Princess, with the Mail on Sunday first exposing the forged bank documents in 1996. Bashir commissioned forged bank statements in flagrant breach of BBC rules to convince Earl Spencer to introduce him to Diana, Lord Dyson concluded in his excoriating inquiry. The former religion editor, whose interview was watched by 23 million people in the UK and won Bashir a Bafta in 1996, admitted at the time to having the documents forged, but denied ever showing them to anybody. Matt Wiessler, a graphic artist who said in 1996 Bashir had asked him to forge the bank documents to help earn Diana's trust, said his career was ruined after he spoke out and was blacklisted by the broadcaster. Around two months after the BBC interview aired, Mr Wiessler said his house was broken into and CDs containing the forged documents stolen. He also said work had dried up after the BBC blacklisted him, with documents released under freedom of information request backing up his account. Bosses had issued an edict never to work with him, in part because he had spoken to the media about the documents. Despite the fallout, it took until November 2020 for an inquiry to be established based on the Mail on Sunday's reporting - culminating in the Dyson report. Bashir commissioned forged bank statements (pictured) in flagrant breach of BBC rules to convince Earl Spencer to introduce him to Diana, Lord Dyson concluded in his excoriating inquiry Matt Wiessler, a graphic artist who said Bashir had asked him to forge bank statements, said his career was ruined after he revealed the existence of the documents to the public The report slammed BBC bosses, including former director-general Tony Hall, for covering up information on how Bashir was able to secure the interview. A 1996 internal inquiry into the interview was also slammed as 'woefully ineffective', forcing Tim Suter - another BBC boss who was part of the inquiry - to step down as chair of Ofcom. Tony Hall left his job as head of the National Gallery, saying continuing in the role would be a 'distraction'. Bashir, who was still working as the BBC's religion editor, also quit the corporation in May, citing health issues. Meanwhile, the BBC accepted full liability for the losses of Mr Wiessler. Lawyers were reported to have agreed a 750,000 payout to the designer. In November, Earl Spencer, speaking to the BBC, said Bashir had 'not apologised' to him over the scandal. In an interview, BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent said: 'The BBC apologised. Martin Bashir apologised...' Earl Spencer then said: 'Has he? He hasn't apologised to me.' Asked if it would make a difference to him, he replied: 'I think there is clear right and wrong in this case and although some wrong has been rightly flagged up by Lord Dyson, there's another level that has to be looked into.' 'Queen eats for comfort, Edward has AIDS, Camilla is depressed, Charles is in love with the Nanny': How Earl Spencer's scribbled notes from first meeting between Princess Diana and Martin Bashir became key evidence in Panorama probe A jaw-dropping list of smears and lies allegedly peddled by Martin Bashir to clinch his sensational Princess Diana scoop was recorded by her brother - including the Queen 'eating for comfort' and Charles being in love with the family nanny. Earl Spencer kept meticulous notes of a meeting held on September 19, 1995, when he introduced the BBC man to his sister at her Knightsbridge flat. Earl Spencer's records show that Bashir allegedly claimed that Diana's private letters were being opened, her car tracked and phoned tapped with her bodyguard plotting against her, and close friends were betraying her. Earl Spencer's handwritten log of the meeting with Bashir at his sister's flat in Knightsbridge also includes a note saying: 'Camilla: depressed, but quiet for time being'. In an execrable reference to Prince Edward, Spencer recorded Bashir as saying that the Queen's youngest son was receiving treatment for Aids at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. Even the Queen was mentioned. Spencer noted Bashir as saying she was 'very ill with heart problems' and that she was a 'comfort eater'. Earl Spencer (left) kept detailed notes when he met Martin Bashir (seen right holding a Bafta award for his Diana interview) when he met the BBC journalist with Diana at his sister's flat Bashir is accused of effectively grooming the vulnerable princess by playing to her worst fears with a series of false claims From officials bugging Diana's car to warnings her reputation would be 'destroyed': Earl Spencer's handwritten scraps that could shred Bashir's career 1: Diana's 'scum' former bodyguard Bashir's opening gambit that three MI6 agents had told him Prince Charles's private secretary Richard Aylard was 'orchestrating' things surrounding Diana. This involved Ken Wharfe, Diana's former bodyguard, described as 'scum'. Diana was already paranoid her staff and friends were betraying her and, at the meeting, the broadcaster allegedly brandished bank statements purportedly showing her closest aides were selling her secrets. 2: Charles' secretary 'paid by Jonathan Dimbleby' Aylard, it was claimed, had been paid by the broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby. A decision to reinvent the prince had been taken by aides two years earlier. A year later this allegedly included attacking both Diana and the Spencer family. 3: Charles 'discussing ''end game''' The notes, handed to Lord Dyson, include allegations MI6 had recorded Prince Charles and his private secretary planning the 'end game' - an extraordinary and false hint the heir to the throne was plotting to 'destroy' the Spencers and force them to flee to the US. Charles Spencer's detailed notes, from one to five. The manila file contains notes of every meeting he had with Bashir, the logs of phone calls the BBC man made along with the faxes, the letters and even the gushing thank you cards that the reporter sent him 4: Spencers' reputation 'would be destroyed' Spencers' reputation to be destroyed. In another remark recorded by Earl Spencer, Bashir claimed Prince Charles wanted Spencer's then wife, Victoria, dead. Diana meanwhile would be forced to move to America possibly with her brother. 5: Will Carling affair claim This relates to the stories during 1995 of the close friendship between Diana and the married England rugby captain Will Carling. Spencer notes Bashir's assertion that the newspaper stories had been 'fed' by Carling's wife Julia. 9: Diana's car 'bugged' This note describes Bashir's alleged claim that Diana had been bugged by officials The claim that Diana's cars and phone lines being bugged and her post intercepted would have increased her worries she was being spied on. Bashir told Lord Dyson he would not have made these claims at a first meeting, the Telegraph reported. 17: Camilla 'depressed' Camilla was allegedly described by Bashir as 'depressed, but quiet for the time being'. The second line refers to William and Harry's nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke In the interview, Diana made her feelings clear on Camilla, famously saying, 'There are three of us in this marriage.' Mentioning her could have been an attempt by Bashir to prompt her to speak out. 'Tiggy' is a reference to Tiggy Legge-Bourke, William and Harry's nanny who Charles was accused of having an affair with in claims that were subsequently dismissed. 17b: Philip's 'v unpleasant correspondence' Earl Spencer recorded Bashir as describing 'very unpleasant correspondence' allegedly sent by Prince Philip to Diana and Sarah Ferguson This claims Diana had received 'v unpleasant correspondence' from Philip and suggests he was annoyed at her 'hero status'. It also references Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who was known to have had affairs. 19: Fergie's business deals in the US Another reference to Sarah Ferguson, this time describing her trips to the US to try and forge a business career Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew divorced in 1996. This note refers to her numerous trips to the US to forge a business career. It adds that Andrew still 'look[ed] after her' following their divorce by supporting her financially. 20: 'Queen eats for comfort' This note suggests the Queen was unwell, stating 'Queen ill: heart' and adds she 'eats for comfort'. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a direct appeal to the Russian President and the people of Russia to shed light on the 'the truth' about the invasion on Ukraine, describing it as a 'humanitarian catastrophe'. In a video shared on his 22.2million Instagram followers and media company ATTN's Facebook page, the 74-year-old Austrian-American actor shared his love for Russia and the Russian people before making scathing remarks to Putin and the Kremlin. Describing himself as a 'long-time friend' of the Russian people, he gives a direct message to Putin: 'To President Putin, I say, you started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war.' He also asks Putin and his Kremlin counterparts: 'Let me just ask you, why would you sacrifice those young men for your own ambitions?' The nine-minute clip garnered over 250,000 Instagram views, and 120,000 on Facebook, in an hour, with thousands commenting support and praise to the film star for his efforts to help stop the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Schwarzenegger's video comes as the Pentagon estimates at least 7,000 Russian troops have now died in the fighting, with another 14,000 to 21,000 having been wounded, accounting for nearly a fifth of the estimated 150,000 men that Putin amassed on the border before before giving the order to attack 21 days ago. To the people of Russia, Schwarznegger said: 'No one likes to hear something critical of their government, I understand that, but as a long-time friend of the Russian people, I hope that you will hear what I have to say. 'I speak with the same heartfelt concern as I did with the American people when there was an attempted insurrection on January 6 last year, when a wild crowd was sroming the US capiotpl trying to overthrow our government. 'I know that your government has told you that this is a war to denazify Ukraine. Denazify Ukraine? This is not true! 'Ukraine is a country with a Jewish president, a Jewish president I might add, whose father's three brothers were all murdered by the Nazis. 'You see, Ukraine did not start this war. Neither did nationalists or Nazis. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war. This is not the Russian people's war. No. 'As a matter of fact let me tell you, what you should know is that 141 nations at the UN voted that Russia was the aggressor. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a direct appeal to the Russian President and the people of Russia to shed light on the 'the truth' about the invasion on Ukraine, describing it as a 'humanitarian catastrophe' Describing himself as a 'long-time friend' of the Russian people, he gives a direct message to Putin: 'To President Putin, I say, you started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war' 'They called for it to remove its troops immediately. Only four countries in the entire world voted with Russia. That is a fact. 'See the world has turned against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine. Whole city blocks have been flattened by Russian artillery and bombs, including a children's hospital and a maternity hospital. 'Three million Ukrainian refugees, mainly women, children and elderly, fled their country. And many more are trying to seek to get out. It is a humanitarian crisis. 'Because of its brutality, Russia is now isolated from the society of nations. You're also not being told the truth about the consequences of this war on Russia itself. 'I regret to tell you that thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed. 'They have been caught between Ukrainians fighting for their homeland and the Russian leadership fighting for conquest. 'Massive amounts of Russian equipment have been destroyed or abandoned. The destruction that Russian bombs are raining down upon innocent civilians has so outraged the world that the strongest global economic sanctions ever taken have been imposed on your country. Schwarzenegger began the video by explaining that he wanted it to reach his 'dear Russian friends' and Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine, and making them aware that there are 'terrible things' being kept from them by the Kremlin. He spoke about the Russian, weightlifter Yuri Petrovich Vlasov, pictured right, who became his 'hero', citing this as his lifelong love for the country 'Those who don't deserve it, on both sides of the war, will suffer. 'The Russian government has not only lied to its citizens but to its soldiers. 'Some of the soldiers were told they were going to fight Nazis. Some were told that the Ukrainian people would greet them like heroes. 'And some were told that they were simply going on exercises. 'They didn't even know that they were going into war. 'And some were told that they were there to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine. 'None of this is true.' The actor and film producer cited his love for Russia and the Russian people to his younger years, and spoke about his father, who was a part of the Nazi army in World War II - and handed Putin another direct message by asking why he would sacrifice his people for his own ambitions. 'When my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government,' Schwarzenegger said. 'And when he left Leningrad, he was broken, physically and mentally. 'He lived the rest of his life in pain. Pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of those terrible years, and pain from the guilt that he felt. 'To the Russian soldiers listening to this broadcast, you already know much of the truth that I have been speaking. You have seen it with your own eyes. I don't want you to be broken like my father. 'This is not the war to defend Russia, that your grandfathers or your great grandfathers fought, this is an illegal war. 'Your lives, your limbs, your futures, are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world. In a video shared on his 22.2million Instagram followers and media company ATTN's Facebook page, the 74-year-old Austrian-American actor shared his love for Russia and the Russian people before making scathing remarks to Putin and the Kremlin The 74-year-old film producer said: 'The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me and that is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine and what is happening there' 'Now to those in power in the Kremlin, let me just ask you, why would you sacrifice those young men for your own ambitions? 'To the soldiers who are listening to this, remember that 11 million Russians have family connections to Ukraine, so every bullet you shoot, you shoot a brother or a sister. 'Every bomb or every shell that falls is falling not on an enemy, but on a school, or a hospital, or a home. 'I know the Russian people are not aware such things are happening so I urge the Russian people and Russian soldiers in Ukraine to understand the propaganda and the disinformation that you are being told. I ask you to help me spread the truth. 'Let your fellow Russians know the human catastrophe that is happening in Ukraine.' Schwarzenegger began the video by explaining that he wanted it to reach his 'dear Russian friends' and Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine, and making them aware that there are 'terrible things' being kept from them by the Kremlin. He spoke about the Russian weightlifter, Yuri Petrovich Vlasov, he met in 1961 aged 14, who after becoming the first human being to lift 200 kilograms over his head, became his 'hero', citing this as his lifelong love for the country. 'My connections to Russia didn't stop there,' he explained, noting that it deepened when he travelled there for bodybuilding competitions and on-set for his latest films, where he got to meet all his Russian fans. It was this personal line that Arnold took to help get the Russian viewers to trust him before continuing his plea to believe what he was telling them. He continued: 'Now the reason why I am telling you all of those things is because ever since I was 14 years old, I've had nothing but affection and respect for the people of Russia. 'The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me and that is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine and what is happening there.' Schawrznegger, pictured in Moscow in 1996, said he knows that the Russian government has told the people that the Ukrainian invasion was a 'war to denazify Ukraine: 'Denazify Ukraine? This is not true! 'Ukraine is a country with a Jewish president, a Jewish president I might add, whose father's three brothers were all murdered by the Nazis' 'You see, Ukraine did not start this war. Neither did nationalists or Nazis,' Schwarzenegger said. 'Those in power in the Kremlin started this war. This is not the Russian people's war. No.' (Pictured in Moscow in January 2013 for his film, The Last Stand) Schwarzenegger's video comes after further bombardment of Ukrainian cities continues, with capital Kyiv having been struck by missiles in the early hours of this morning. One missile was struck down, but the wreckage still hit a 16-storey block, killing one person and sparking fires, injuring dozens of others. Mariupol, the heavily besieged city in the south of Ukraine, also continued to come under heavy fire as city officials estimated that at least 2,400 people have now been killed there - though mayoral adviser Petro Andriushchenko said the true toll could be as high as 20,000 once cut-off areas have been searched for victims. The remains of a Russian rocket shot down by Ukrainian air defences slammed into a tower block in Kyiv early Thursday, leaving one person dead and wounding dozens of others A satellite image taken over the city of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, on Wednesday and released Thursday shows blasts and fires caused by Russian air strikes in civilian areas Kyiv has now been under Russian bombardment for almost a week, with strikes in the early hours of the morning hitting civilian targets - including one this morning, which left one person dead (pictured - A man mourns next to the body of his mother, who was killed when the remains of an intercepted Russian missile hit a residential building in the capital Kyiv, leaving dozens of others wounded) An estimated 28,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded during the three weeks of fighting in Ukraine, as understood by US authorities. The Pentagon estimates at least 7,000 Russian troops have now died in the fighting while another 14,000 to 21,000 have been wounded - accounting for nearly a fifth of the estimated 150,000 men that Putin amassed on the border before giving the order to attack 21 days ago. The staggering toll is roughly double NATO losses in Afghanistan over two decades of fighting, and roughly equal to US casualties in the 36-day battle of Iwo Jima - one of the bloodiest clashes in the Pacific during the Second World War. Losses are now so severe, US intelligence believes some Russian units cannot keep fighting. The number of Ukrainians fleeing from their country passed three million on Tuesday, according to the UN. Those escaping fighting and Russian bombardment are rising in numbers after Sunday's Russian strike on the Yavoriv military base near Lviv, with some people from western Ukraine having now joined the refugee flow across the border. China has further turned its back on Vladimir Putin today, pledging to support Ukraine economically and praising the country's 'unity' in the face of Russian attacks. Fan Xianrong, Beijing's ambassador, said China 'will never attack Ukraine and will 'respect the path chosen by Ukrainians' in what reads as a flat-out rejection of Putin's desire to unite the ex-Soviet nation with Russia. Zhao Lijian, China's foreign ministry spokesman, then endorsed Fan's comments on Thursday in the clearest sign yet that Beijing is attempting to publicly distance itself from Moscow, having initially lent strong support. But Zhao did little to quash suspicions that backdoor efforts to prop up Putin's war effort are still underway, as he refused to rule out the possibility of sending military supplies to Moscow or relief from sanctions. China's ambassador to Ukraine has said Beijing will 'never attack' and will 'always be a force for good;' in the latest sign of divisions between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin (file image) Asked specifically whether China supporting Ukraine would mean a refusal to send weapons to Russia, he said: 'That's your own interpretation. 'China has made repeated statements. There is no reason for you to make such a connection.' How China's tone has changed on Ukraine February 4 China 'opposes further enlargement of NATO and calls on the [alliance] abandon its ideologized Cold War approaches' - Beijing statement after Xi-Putin summit at Winter Olympics February 23 US is 'raising tensions, creating panic, and playing up the schedule of war' - foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, a day before Russia invaded February 24 'Russia launched a special military operation in eastern Ukraine. Russia says its armed forces will not... strike cities. China... calls on all sides to exercise restraint' - Hua Chunying, declining to call it an 'invasion' on the day Russia invaded March 7 Beijing 'laments' the conflict and is 'extremely concerned' about civilian casualties, but relationship with Russia 'rock solid' - Foreign minister Wang Yi March 11 'We hope to see fighting and the war stop as soon as possible,' Wang Yi, describing the conflict as a 'war' for the first time March 15 China 'must not be affected' by sanctions because it 'is not party to the crisis' - Wang Yi March 17 'China will forever be a good force for Ukraine... We will always respect your state... We will respect the path chosen by Ukrainians... 'China will never attack Ukraine, we will help, in particular in the economic direction. We have seen how great the unity of the Ukrainian people is, and that means its strength' - Fan Xianrong, Beijing's ambassador to Ukraine Advertisement But Zhao also refused to rule out the possibility that China would lend support to Russia, after US intelligence suggested the Kremlin had reached out for military equipment and help skirting sanctions. American intelligence suggested this week - ahead of a meeting between high-level US and Chinese diplomats - that Moscow had reached out to Beijing for support. The Kremlin was said to have asked for ration packs for its troops, drones, armoured vehicles, intelligence equipment and relief for economic sanctions. Washington subsequently warned of 'consequences' if Beijing tried to 'bail out' Putin's war effort. It is not clear whether any aid has been sent. China initially seemed to support Russia's menacing of Ukraine, with a joint statement issued after a meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping at the Winter Olympics denouncing 'NATO's eastward expansion' - a pre-text for the fighting. Beijing also initially refused to refer to a 'war' or 'invasion' in Ukraine, instead preferring Moscow's description of a 'special military operation'. But as the tide of the conflict has turned against Putin's men and the civilian death toll has mounted, Chinese diplomats have slowly dropped their support. Wang Yi, the foreign minister, said last week that China 'laments' the conflict and the civilian death toll, before referring to it as a 'war' for the first time. Yi then spoke out again this week to say that sanctions levelled against Russia 'should not affect' China, before Zhao's comments today. It means that much of the support Putin appeared to be counting on ahead of giving the order to attack has now melted away, leaving him increasingly isolated on the world stage. A UN vote to condemn the conflict in the early stages drew support from just four other nations - Syria, Eritrea, North Korea, and Belarus. China was among 35 nations, including Russia's usually-dependable allies Cuba and Venezuela, which abstained. Little that has happened since then has rallied support to Putin's cause, as sanctions hammer the Russian economy and Western nations move to isolate his regime by seizing assets from oligarchs and banning exports. Germany and Italy are among nations trying to block more Russian sanctions in a bid to protect their own economies, despite pressure from Poland and the Baltic states that are right on Putin's doorstep. The Russian President yesterday claimed Western 'attempts to have global dominance' are coming to an end as he slammed sanctions imposed because the EU 'doesn't want a strong and sovereign Russia'. But the bloc is now beginning to split into 'three sides' as Germany - with support from Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece - is accused of 'openly putting the brakes on' sanctions amid concern about the impact on its own economy. It comes as pro-sanction countries, led by Poland and the Baltic states, are pushing for further and stronger restrictions against Russia and key oligarchs. An internal battle within the EU is now raging between the 'Sanctionistas', countries that are pro-sanctions, and the Contras - countries prioritising their own economies. One EU diplomat told The Times: 'Its becoming clearer by the day that three sides are forming: Poland and the Baltic states, known as the Sanctionistas that want more and stronger sanctions; Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria the Contras that prioritise their own economic interests; and the rest.' But Zhao Lijan, China's foreign ministry spokesman, refused to say whether Beijing's support for Ukraine meant it wouldn't supply arms or money to Russia One person died after a Russian missile struck the top of an apartment building in Kyiv on Thursday, injuring dozens of others The EU issued a fourth round of sanctions on Tuesday, but Germany is understood to have subsequently used meetings with at least three other governments to discuss calling a halt to further measures. Instead, the Contras has suggested the bloc focus on 'closing loopholes' as opposed to imposing any further sanctions. Poland, though, is furious that sanctions agreed earlier this week did not include metals oligarch Oleg Deripaska due to the potential impact it would have on aluminum production in Germany and other countries. It comes days after a Russian attack on a military base just 12 miles from the Polish border in which at least nine people were killed and dozens more injured. But the Contras moved to weaken a ban on new investment in joint energy ventures with Russian companies such as Gazprom and Rosneft. Instead, a 'winding down' delay of six months was agreed. Berlin has also secured exemptions on transactions that are said to be 'strictly necessary' to purchase, import and transport various metals including titanium, aluminium and copper. The agreements, though, have been met with dismay among the Sanctionista countries on the border with Russia and Ukraine amid concerns over their proximity to the conflict. Kimberley Kitching sent a message to a friend about Labor colleague Penny Wong the night before she lodged a bullying complaint. The late senator made allegations of in-party bullying in 2021 to the Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles and then to workplace safety consultants. The night before lodging the complaint she messaged a close friend expressing concern that Senator Wong would like to never see her again. The bombshell texts come as Senator Kitching's allies claim she was ostracised and bullied by Labor 'mean girls' Senator Wong, Katy Gallagher and Kristina Keneally before her sudden death aged 52. Former Labor MP Emma Husar has also spoken out on bullying within the party, claiming it caused her so much stress she developed a heart condition. The late senator passed away last Thursday from a suspected heart attack at the age of 52 Senator Kimberley Kitching sent a text message to a close friend saying that Senator Penny Wong never wanted to see her again the night before she lodged bullying claims (Pictured, mock-up text) Senator Penny Wong and Senator Kitching's relationship was reportedly often tumultuous 'Wong has been bad,' the message obtained by The Australian reads. 'She would love to never see me again.' Kitching sent the text late at night on the November 4 last year. The next day she lodged her bullying complaint. The relationship between Senator Kitching and Wong was reportedly stony and the pair had previously had blow-ups. Senator Kitching had met with Deputy Leader Marles in June where she told him she believed she was being 'frozen out' by the Senate leadership team and claimed to have been unfairly dumped from the tactics committee meetings. The situation was reportedly never resolved. Ms Husar, who once represented the Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, claims she was also a victim of Labor's 'incredibly toxic' culture. Ms Husar left Parliament after Labor mounted an investigation into ultimately unproven charges of sexual harassment against her. She told the Daily Telegraph she was bullied by ALP powerbrokers which caused so much stress she had to see a cardiologist. She slammed the party for positioning itself as the champion of women while treating female parliamentarians poorly. 'Labor gets away with this because the left-leaning sections of the media believe in progressive politics and think that just because its the ALP and they have more women in parliament they are better,' she said. 'But it is only because the poor treatment of women in the Coalition is so much more overt that we dont see the coercive control that goes on in the ALP.' Former Labor MP Emma Husar (pictured) has also spoken out on bullying within the party, claiming it caused her so much stress she developed a heart condition The 'mean girls' scandal has had tensions running high within the party, the Deputy Leader Richard Marles blew up at a reporter after being questioned over claims Senator Kitching was bullied in the lead up to her death. Mr Marles was confronted by journalists at a Hobart press conference on Thursday over accusations he was aware Senator Kitching was being ostracised by members within the party but did not intervene. After repeatedly sidestepping their questions, the meeting quickly descended into a fiery show-down as Mr Marles slammed reporters for being insensitive to the party's grief. 'Right now, to be honest, a person has died in the last week,' Mr Marles said. Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles (pictured) snapped at a journalist in Hobart on Thursday after being accused of intentionally avoiding questions over his knowledge about Senator Kitching's alleged bullying by members within the party 'I understand the legitimacy of asking questions given what has been put out there. [But] in respect of someone who has passed away less than a week ago, it is really not ok.' A journalist pointed out that it appeared Mr Marles was boycotting questions, saying: 'It does seem to an observer that you might be using these eulogies to mask answering'. At that point, Mr Marles snapped, labelling the accusation 'offensive'. 'She has not had her funeral yet and you're asking questions in that context,' he bristled. 'I don't accept the assertions that have been in the media but I'm not about to get into that debate now.' Allegations of in-house bullying have rocked the ALP since Senator Kitching's sudden death from a heart attack last Thursday, with claims the 52-year-old had been under-stress due to workplace culture issues. Ms Kitching disclosed to a parliament-employed workplace trainer last November she was being bullied by her Senate colleagues, according to multiple reports. Senator Kitching (pictured) died last Thursday aged 52 from a sudden heart attack Her close friend and former Labor leader Bill Shorten later said the Victorian senator had been under stress due to internal party politics and a pre-selection battle. Mr Marles refused to answer questions surrounding allegations Senator Kitching was mistreated by her senate colleagues Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong, saying it was too soon to address such issues. 'Senator Kitching died a week ago today; somebody I knew for 30 years,' he said. 'The whole Labor movement is a state of grief and shock. Right now, I am focused on providing support to Andrew, her husband, and her family, whose grief is unspeakable. And I've spoken to Andrew a couple of times since Kimberley's passing. 'Kimberley was a person of really clear vision. She had an understanding of right and wrong. She was a fierce advocate someone who was warm, fun to be with. The place was better with Kimberley around.' However, Mr Marles said the party would examine its culture later on down the track. 'Questions of culture are something which is assessed in an ongoing way within Labor,' he said. 'But to be honest within any organisation which seeks to have the best culture it can possibly have and of course we will do that.' Mr Marles refused to answer questions surrounding allegations Senator Kitching was mistreated by senate colleagues Katy Gallagher (left) Kristina Keneally (centre) and Senator Penny Wong (right) Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese denied Labor had a cultural problem, and said the senator's sudden death was tragic. He said it was disrespectful to brand senators Keneally, Wong and Gallagher as 'mean girls' - after they were named by The Australian in a report on the alleged treatment of Senator Kitching. 'I find that extraordinarily disrespectful to describe strong, articulate, principled women,' he told reporters in Brisbane. He said senior male politicians would not be described in the same way. Mr Albanese says he respected Senator Kitching and appointed her as an assistant shadow minister when he became opposition leader. 'Out of respect for Kimberley, I think the idea that people go into who might have had a disagreement here or there is totally unbecoming,' he told the Nine Network. 'I'm going to pay respect to Kimberley Kitching by treating her with the respect that she deserves. Senator Kitching is pictured with Labor Senator Kristina Keneally 'She made a contribution for too short a time to the Labor party and to the Labor cause. Her family and friends are really hurting today.' Asked if there was a cultural problem with senior women within the opposition, Mr Albanese said 'no'. 'I'm very proud of the fact that I lead a team that has 50 per cent female and male contribution in my shadow cabinet,' he said. 'I'm proud of all of the people in the leadership team of the Labor party.' Senator Gallagher told the ABC 'many' of the assertions in the article were incorrect from her point of view but refused to discuss the specifics. 'I just don't think it's respectful for us to enter into commentary or disagreement of (the article) at this point in time,' she said. 'I don't think it's right.' Senator Kitching's funeral will be held on Monday. A report in The Australian accused Senator Penny Wong of telling Senator Kitching 'if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency' during a heated exchange in parliament about mass climate protests. Ms Wong reportedly made the stinging comment in 2019 after Ms Kitching argued the party shouldn't support students who ditched school that year to attend climate protests. Senator Kitching's supporters said the comment hurt even more because she wanted children but couldn't have any. The report also claimed Ms Kitching was accused of leaking to the Liberals, benched from the party's tactics committee and ostracised by the senior leadership team. A close supporter of the Victorian senator said the comment about her lack of children was 'brutal'. 'The children thing was particularly grotesque, it was just foul,' the friend said. Ex-Labor MP Michael Danby, a close friend of Ms Kitching, on Wednesday claimed her treatment by senior female members crossed a line. 'It's a fine line, people are entitled to fierce disagreements, but it was too much in my opinion, what was done crossed that fine line and people should say they're sorry and they regret it,' Mr Danby said. Mr Danby hit out at the Labor right for 'dangling' her pre-selection over her head which he said had caused the politician undue stress. He also slammed the party's left wing for being 'too strong' and claimed his friend had been punished for not agreeing with other people's 'ideological views'. Senator Wong refused to comment on the allegations 'even if I and others disagree with them'. Progressive Los Angeles DA George Gascon released a new PSA last week offering residents 'tips' to avoid having their vehicles stolen - amid skyrocketing car thefts fueled in part by his soft-on-crime policies. Gascon finally addressed the spike in car thefts after months of headline-grabbing incidents - which have reached a 10-year high in the city, according to LAPD statistics - by saying he is planning on 'working with law enforcement' to hold car thieves accountable. In 2021, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported a total of 39,894 stolen vehicles compared to 34,003 in 2020- a staggering 17 percent surge. 'In Los Angeles County, we're seeing a noticeable increase in auto theft,' Gascon starts off the PSA. 'My office is working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable the people involved in this property crime.' Gascon then goes on to offer four practical tips to avoid car theft, including advising LA residents always keep their car doors locked to make it more difficult to break into and not leaving spare keys behind in vehicles. He also advised car owners park in well-lit areas where thieves are less likely to attempt to steal vehicles and suggested investing in anti-theft devices as an extra security measure. 'Working together, we can keep our community safe,' Gascon says at the end of the 45 second clip. Gascon, a 67-year-old former assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, took over as district attorney in the heavily Democratic city in December 2020 and immediately embarked on a progressive justice reform agenda - eliminating the use of sentencing enhancements for gang membership, certain uses of guns and for prior convictions. Gascon's PSA offered four tips- including always locking car doors, not leaving a spare key in vehicles, parking in well-lit areas and investing in anti-theft devices In 2021, the LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported a total of 39,894 stolen vehicle compared to 34,003 in 2020 According to DA Gascon special advisor Alex Bastian, prosecutors will be seeking higher bail amounts for suspected recurring car thieves and will work to bring charges more quickly, the New York Post reported. 'We are working with our law enforcement partners and the chiefs of all the various agencies in L.A. County to help in providing them ways to have upward deviations in bail for repeat offenders,' he said. 'And that includes auto theft.' The rise in car thefts coincide with a rise in violent incidents, as well as burglaries and other crime that critics are blaming on DA Gascon's 'soft' policies. There has even been a rise in reports of celebrity homes being targeted in recent months. In February an intruder reportedly broke into Kat Von D's $15 million Hancock Park residence while she and her son were asleep, in January actress Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli had their LA-area house was broken into and in December TikTok personality Bryce Hall shared a clip of him confronting an intruder who entered his West Hollywood, California residence. In December, Jacqueline Avant, the wife of famed music producer Clarence Avant, was shot and killed by an AR-15-toting convicted robber during an armed robbery of the couple's $7 million Beverly Hills home. The tragic incident occurred despite the couple having a security guard stationed at the front of the house. Neighbors of the Avants were so worried by the recent rise in burglaries in the neighborhood that they hired armed guards a week before the music executive's wife was killed. Residents of Trousdale Estate in Beverly Hills told TMZ a week before the incident several neighbors got together and hired a private security firm in response to a recent spike in home and car burglaries in the area. Gascon's 'Soft on crime' policies Policy directives issued by Gascon include the elimination of bail for any misdemeanor or 'non-serious' felony. Gascon made waves by expanding a program to drop criminal proceedings against juveniles charged with a range of felonies. Under the expansion, youth would be eligible for 'diversion' after being charged with burglary, assault, vehicle theft, robbery, grand theft person, sexual battery, and arson . Advertisement The neighbors were so afraid, they say they pooled money and hired a security company, but they had not started patrols yet before the December 1 shooting. In total, Los Angeles has seen a 54 percent increase in murders since 2019, a rise in the number of street shootings since 2020 and an increase in the number of armed holdups. Since taking office, Gascon has refused to meet with prosecutors to explain the logic behind his policies and he is now said to be reversing course amid growing fury and a fear he'll face a recall like woke San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin, whose policies critics say prioritize the welfare of criminals over victims. Union Vice President Eric Siddall likened the DA to a failed experiment. 'Over a year ago, Gascon began a massive social experiment by redirecting prosecutorial resources away from enforcing the law while simultaneously ignoring large portions of the penal code,' Siddall said. 'The result is an emboldened criminal element that knows the DA will not hold criminals accountable. This experiment needs to end.' Meantime, an effort to recall him is underway - which recently saw a former LAPD chief who previously endorsed him rescind his support. Amid growing frustration with the progressive prosecutor, more than 600 deputy district attorneys throughout LA County endorsed his recall almost two weeks ago during an Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA) meeting. In December, the wife of famed music producer Clarence Avant was shot and killed during an armed robbery of the couple's $7 million Beverly Hills home Jacqueline Avant was fatally shot early on December 1 at her home in Beverly Hills. She is pictured with husband, Clarence Shocking photos obtained by DailyMail.com show the sliding glass door that was smashed by home invader who killed the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant in December About $1million in jewelry was stolen from Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli's home after burglars broke into the Hidden Hills mansion. The effort to oust Gascon from office started in December. Last week, two senior prosecutors - Maria Ramirez and Victor Rodriguez - revealed they were suing their boss after they claim they were demoted for making complaints about his policies, according to Fox News. Ramirez and Rodriguez allege that they were were reassigned because they opposed Gascon's bail reform directives and concerns over how crimes were being prosecuted. The lawsuit alleges that the deputies were reassigned 'because they disclosed and/or refused to take actions that they reasonably believed were violations of law.' Ramirez is the former director of the Bureau of Specialized Prosecutions and Rodriguez once headed the Bureau of Branch and Area Region II and part of Area Region I. Both were demoted to the position of head deputy, the lawsuit states. The plaintiffs each have more than 30 years of service in the District Attorney's Office and aspired to be assistant district attorneys, according to their suit. Together, they supervised hundreds of employees before their demotion. Ramirez alleges her demotion came after she complained that Gascon's directive to substantially change the way juvenile crimes are prosecuted was unlawful. Specifically, the directive mandated Ramirez use alternate prosecution theories that minimized a juvenile's criminal conduct, no matter how violent, which did not accurately reflect the true offense, according to the lawsuit. It meant that in the case of a juvenile, only one charge could be used in prosecution against them, no matter how serious the crime or the number of victims. Rodriguez alleges he was demoted after discussing the possible prosecution of police officers who were involved in a shooting that killed two people. Both Ramirez and Rodriguez are seeking unspecified damages, while Gascon's office is not commenting on the lawsuit due to the pending litigation. A Wisconsin dentist could face decades in prison after he intentionally broke and drilled holes in patients' teeth so he could charge them for repairs, allowing him to take home millions from procedures. Scott Charmoli, 61, of Grafton, has been convicted of five counts of health care fraud and two counts of making a false statement about his patients' treatment. He will face up to 10 years for each fraud count and a maximum of five years for each of the false statement counts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Charmoli was found guilty March 10 of giving his patients more crowns for their teeth than 95 per cent of other dentists in Wisconsin from 2016 to 2019. On average, dentists gave out six crowns per 100 patients. Charmoli gave out more than 30 per 100 patients, He made $1.4million in 2014 by placing 434 crowns, the Washington Post reported. By 2015, he was making $2.5million by fitting more than 1,000 crowns. He eventually ramped up even further from 2016 to 2019 and placed more than 1,600 crowns over a 20-month period from January 1, 2018 to August 7, 2019, the indictment said. The former dentist also faces a malpractice lawsuit, brought by nearly 100 patients, in Washington County. The case is pending the federal case sentencing, which is June 17. Former dentist and owner of Jackson Family Dentistry Scott Charmoli, 61, of Grafton, Wisconsin, was convicted of five counts of health care fraud and two counts of making a false statement He performed more than 1,600 crown procedures in a 20-month period from January 1, 2018 to August 7, 2019, at the height of his operation and made millions in the process. He reportedly had $6.8million in assets, including multiple properties in Wisconsin and Arizona, by the end of 2020 Thomas Ogorchock, who represents the patients in the malpractice lawsuit, said it was an 'interesting, but very sad story' that made people 'cringe'. Nila Robinson is representing Charmoli in the federal case and has not commented on her client's conviction, but said at his December 2020 arraignment that he was nothing but a 'hard worker.' Charmoli sold Jackson Family Dentistry in 2019 to Dr. Pako Major and at that point, Charmoli's records revealed that his crown placement numbers were exceedingly high. 'I felt the ethical obligation to report activity that I believed to be suspicious,' Major wrote on the dentistry's website. 'The health and safety of patients is my highest concern as a doctor. As medical professionals, we take an oath to do no harm to our patients.' Pako also assured his patients that they would not receive further care from Charmoli, saying 'dental care should be built on a foundation of honesty and earned trust.' Charmoli originally was charged with two more counts of health care fraud after Major reported him, but they later were dropped. The former dentist convinced patients they needed crowns by showing them X-rays of a healthy tooth, but then highlighting a line or spot. He would tell them it indicated a 'fracture or decay,' according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and that they needed crowns. Because patients regarded Charmoli as an 'expert', they accepted his 'false representations and agreed to the crown procedure,' the indictment read. Dr. Pako Major, who purchases Jackson Family Dentistry from Charmoli, reported him to authorities. 'Dental care should be built on a foundation of honesty and earned trust,' Major said. ''I felt the ethical obligation to report activity that I believed to be suspicious' Afterward, Charmoli would break the tooth and have the X-rays retaken to show the broken tooth. Those X-rays would be used to file a claim to insurance companies. Crown procedures typically are not covered fully under dental insurance, so patients had significant co-pays. In addition, he made false statements to insurance companies when the initial crown claims were denied and he would send the broken tooth X-rays. Former employee Baily Bayer, who testified that she noticed the high volume of procedures and tighter scheduling. She also said she found it strange that Charmoli would X-ray again after drilling, but the dentist said he had previously worked in insurance and that 'insurance is going to want to see this,' the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. She noticed patient traffic picked up after moving to a larger facility; marketing experts reportedly told Charmoli to sell more services. '[Dentistry] shouldn't be a sales pitch. It should be you either need it or you don't,' she said, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A former patient Todd Tedeschi also testified that he received a double crown procedure to avoid having repeat anesthesia, even though his teeth weren't bothering him. 'It seemed excessive, but I didn't know any better,' Tedeschi said. 'He was the professional. I just trusted him.' Major released a statement on the company's website, revealing that he had reported Charmoli after reviewing his records and finding the former dentist had performed a large amount of crown procedures From January 1, 2016 to June 28, 2018, the dentist was paid $318,600 from insurance companies out of the $745,570 he submitted to Delta Dental, the indictment said. From January to June 2019, he would receive another $114,294 from Delta Dental. He also submitted claims through Optum and United Healthcare. It is unclear how much he made through those insurance companies. He is alleged to have billed more than $4.2million for crowns between 2016 and 2019. By the end of 2020, Charmoli had assets worth more than $6.8million, and owned various properties in Wisconsin and Arizona, according to prosecutors. Charmoli's dentistry license was revoked in February 2021 due to pending disciplinary actions. He was first licensed in 1986, according to the Washington Post. DailyMail.com has attempted to contact Robinson, Ogorchock, and Jackson Family Dentistry. Almost 3,000 migrants have crossed the Channel by boat so far this year. UK authorities have rescued or intercepted 2,923 people making the dangerous journey in 97 boats in 2022. The landmark figure was not reached last year until May 13. So far in March, 1,439 migrants have arrived in 46 boats. There have been no crossings so far today due to choppy conditions at sea. So far this year almost 3,000 people have crossed the English Channel so far this year It comes after the Home Office confirmed 279 people had made it to the UK on Wednesday. These people arrived in Dover yesterday on a UK Border Force vessel HMC Alert, pictured, rescued these people from the small boat, pictured right, which was being used to cross the channel It comes after the Home Office confirmed 279 people had made it to the UK on Wednesday. French authorities also prevented 25 people from making the treacherous 21-mile trip in one incident. More than 50 people were among the second group detained on board large Border Force vessel Valiant as it docked around 10.30am. Crossings continued throughout the day after Border Force cutter Alert brought the first group of the day into Dover Marina, Kent at 9.30am. A record 405 migrants crossed the Channel in 12 boats on Tuesday - more than any other day so far this year. The Home Office claimed French authorities also prevented at least 538 people from making the dangerous trip in 11 incidents. Around 40 people were the first to be brought in to Dover Marina on the back of the Dover Lifeboat at 2.30am. The group of predominantly men huddled together on the hull before being escorted up the gangway. Another 25 were brought in on the RNLI's 13-12 lifeboat Casandra at 7.30am. Border Force cutter Hunter rescued a further 40 and brought them to harbour shortly after 9am. A young family including a mum carrying her little girl wearing a pink coat and her son aged around 10 were among them. Around 50 migrants were brought to shore from two boats on board the Dover Lifeboat at 10.30am. Men were seen leaning against the railings ahead of disembarking while Border Force officers cradled multiple young infants and helped women up the gangway. The migrants were safely unloaded in Dover marina for processing by UK Border Force officials More than 28,000 people successfully crossed the channel in 2021 Shortly afterwards, a sixth migrant boat was intercepted by Border Force vessel Hunter with around 20 people on board. Around 40 migrants also landed on the beach at Dungeness, Kent around 11am and were escorted up the shingle by officials. One man was seen taking a selfie on his phone as he reached dry land. A further 50 people were on board huge Border Force vessel Seeker when it docked shortly after 2pm. Many of the young men huddled light blue blankets for warmth after they were intercepted making the dangerous journey. Another group of migrants also managed to land on the beach near Folkestone, Kent around 2.30pm. Women were among around 50 people queuing to get into Immigration Enforcement vans to be driven off for processing. One group of migrants were rescued from this boat which was later moved by the UK Coast Guard It comes as The National Crime Agency warned the UK maritime industry to beware of organised crime groups targeting them to obtain small boats for people smugglers. Sellers are advised to look out for: Buyers looking to pay in cash. Repeat or bulk purchases of boats or equipment. A lack of concern about the condition of the boat or equipment being purchased. Buyers wanting to complete transactions quickly, cheaply, or without a delivery address. Boat owners should take extra security measures to protect vessels and equipment while reporting suspicious behaviour following thefts. Retailers are also asked to report unusual purchases of untreated plywood boards, PVC tarpaulin sheets and duct tape as these materials are often used to reinforce and modify inflatables. Intel has led the NCA to believe OCGs are using ever more dangerous and un-seaworthy boats to smuggle people across the Channel with no regard for increasing the risk to life. Its new appeal, backed by Border Force and charity Crimestoppers, will see striking leaflets and social media posts issued. NCA Deputy Director Andrea Wilson said: 'As the weather starts to improve, making small boat crossings more likely, we are taking this opportunity to reinforce our appeals to those within the marine and maritime industries to help us stop those involved in organised people smuggling. 'Crossing the channel in these types of vessels is extremely dangerous, but the criminals involved don't care about safety, they just see people as a commodity to be exploited. Tragically, in the last year we have seen the fatal consequences of that.' 'Appeals like this are an important part of our activity to disrupt these gangs and go hand in hand with law enforcement activity to stop them..' This group of migrants were seen on March 15 on this terribly overloaded boat A total of 28,381 migrants crossed the Dover Strait last year - significantly higher than the 8,410 who arrived in 2020. Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP, said: 'The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable. 'Not only are they an overt abuse of our immigration laws but they also impact on the UK taxpayer, risk lives and our ability to help refugees come to the UK via safe and legal routes. Rightly, the British public has had enough.* 'Through our Nationality and Borders Bill, we're cracking down on people smugglers and fixing the broken system by making it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and introducing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for those who facilitate illegal entry into our country. 'Our targeted work with the French authorities led to over 500 people being intercepted before attempting this treacherous journey to reach the UK.' A pensioner is facing trial on a charge of causing death by careless driving, after a baby boy died in a fatal collision while in a pram being pushed by his mother. Shelagh Robertson appeared at Cambridge Crown Court today over the death of five-month-old Louis Thorold in a crash at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, on January 22 last year. The 74-year-old was not asked to enter a plea to the single charge of causing the infants death by careless driving. Shelagh Robertson, 74, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court today where she was not asked to enter a plea in relation to the death of Louis Thorold on January 22 last year Baby Louis Thorold, five months, was in a pram being pushed by his mother when a car allegedly driven by Robertson collided with a van, apparently causing the van to mount the pavement Ms Robertson, of Waterbeach, is said to have been driving a Mazda 2 car on the A10 at the junction with Car Dyke Road on the day in question. The car is alleged to have hit a van, which mounted the pavement and allegedly came into contact with the pram being pushed by Louis' mother. The babys parents, Chris and Rachael Thorold, listened to the hearing from the public gallery. Rachael Thorold with son Louis who died in an accident when a van collided with his pram on the A10 on January 22 last year The junction in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, where five-month-old baby Louis Thorold was killed in a fatal collision last year Mrs Thorold suffered serious injuries in the crash and spent over 100 days in hospital. Judge Mark Bishop set a provisional trial date of August 8 with a time estimate of three to four days. Robertson was bailed to return to the court on April 22 for a plea hearing. Brittney Griner was seen for the first time since her February arrest in Russia Thursday, appearing in a short clip allegedly posted to social media from a Moscow courthouse after the WNBA star's prison stay was extended through May, according to the country's state media. The clip, posted Thursday by Russian outlet Mash, shows the imprisoned WNBA star, who was arrested February at a Moscow airport on suspicion of carrying a cannabis-filled vape on her way into the country, being escorted in handcuffs by two officers in what appears to be a courthouse. The footage was recorded Thursday at an unidentified facility in the Kremlin capital, where the 31-year-old athlete pleaded not guilty to the drug charges, the news site reported. The unverified clip serves as the first time Griner has been photographed or recorded since her arrest several weeks ago. The footage also came as news emerged Thursday on Russian state media that Moscow jurists extended Griner's detention for another two months, until May 19. Reports from the country's state news agency TASS said the basketball star, who had been traveling to Russia to play for Premier League side UMM Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, was doing well during her imprisonment. He only issue, the outlet reported, was that the prison beds in the jail were too short for her 6'9" frame. Scroll down for video: Brittney Griner was seen for the first time since her February arrest in Russia Thursday, appearing in a short clip purportedly posted to social media from a Moscow courthouse after the WNBA star's prison stay was extended through May, according to the country's state media The clip, posted Thursday by Russian outlet Mash, shows the imprisoned WNBA star being escorted in handcuffs by two cops in what appears to be a courthouse, where she reportedly pleaded not guilty to drug charges stemming from her February arrest at a Moscow airport 'The beds in the cell are clearly designed for a shorter person,' activist Ekaterina Kalugina, a member of human rights watchdog Public Monitoring Commission - a semi-official body with access to Russian prisons - told the outlet Thrusday after allegedly visiting the currently unknown facility where Griner is being held. TASS reported that the Khimki City Court in Moscow ruled to detain Griner for at least two more months following her February arrest, which was reported several weeks ago. 'The court granted the petition of the investigation and extended the term of U.S. citizen Griner's detention until May 19,' the Kremlin-run outlet quoted the Moscow court as saying. Imprisoned WNBA star Brittney Griner's confinement in Russian prison has been extended until May 19, Russian state media reported Thursday. Here Griner is shown in her booking photo following her February arrest by Russian officials On Thursday, Russian state news agency TASS reported that the Khimki City Court of the Moscow region ruled to detain Griner, who had been traveling to the country to play for Russian Premier League side UMM Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, for at least two more months. Here Griner is shown playing for UMM Ekaterinburg in 2019 The station further reported that Griner was doing well and being held under humane conditions at the unnamed prison, with a watchdog rep telling the outlet the Texas native was sharing a cell with two other women with no prior convictions. According to TASS, Kalugina provided the network with the new details concerning Griner's condition and incarceration, She said the Phoenix Mercury ace has accepted the detention, and apart from the lacking sleeping situation, has not complained about the conditions on which she is being held. Kalugina then told the outlet that Griner, A WNBA standout who's incarceration has caught the attention of politicians and celebrities across the globe amid rising tensions between Western nations and Russia due to the war in Ukraine, has not received any visitors from the US consul during her several weeks of detainment. Kalugina asserted that the detention center - which she still did not name - allows such visits, and seemed at a loss as to why the embassy had yet to arrange any meetings with Gringer. 'In addition, for an unknown reason, the US consul does not come to [see Griner], although the administration of the pre-trial detention center is ready to create all conditions for a visit,' TASS quoted Kalugina as saying. She went on: '[Griner's cellmates] also had no previous convictions and are charged with drug-related [offenses]. They speak English and help Greiner communicate with the prison administration.' Griner is shown playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Turkey last year. She has played for Russia teams in her off-season for seven years Speaking on how Griner's cellmates have been helping her during her stay in the facility, Kalugina said: 'They helped her order books: she reads F. M. Dostoevsky and biography of the members of the Rolling Stones.' Without identifying Griner, Russian Customs Service agents said earlier this month a player was detained in February, on an undetermined date, after arriving at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on a flight from New York. The prisoner was then reported to be Griner by The New York Times, with TASS also identifying the Mercury center as the arrested party, citing a source. The Phoenix Mercury team, without elaborating, said: 'We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia.' A scan of the player's luggage revealed cartridges containing 'liquid with hashish oil', according to the customs service. A criminal case has since been opened into the alleged incident, which could see Griner handed a possible sentence of five to ten years in prison for the reported drug infraction. A petition has since been launched demanding Griner's return home on Change.org. It has garnered more than 63,000 signatures. This is the moment Griner was apprehended by a police sniffer dog at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport in February Griner was seen putting her belongings through a scanner at the travel hub Tamryn Spruill, an activist and journalist who started the petition, urged supporters to 'call on elected officials in this country to secure the safe and swift return of Brittney Griner to the US' Timeline of Griner's detainment in Russia WNBA star Brittney Griner flew from New York to Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport where she was detained on an unknown date and charged with 'smuggling narcotic drugs in a significant amount' January 29 Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg before the league took a two-week break in early February for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments February 5 Griner made her last communication when she posted a photo to Instagram of her and her Phoenix Mercury teammates February 11 The Biden administration told Americans to leave Ukraine and warned that an invasion could begin 'at any time' but Griner could have already been detained by then. February 24 Russia began its invasion of Ukraine March 5 The Russian Federal Customs Service released a statement confirming that an American 'two-time Olympic basketball champion' had been taken into custody in February March 7 U.S. Rep. Shelia Jackson said that getting Griner back to the US was in 'Biden's agenda' as the US and Russia discuss the conflict in Ukraine Advertisement Spruill wrote: 'Griner is a beloved global citizen who has used her platform since her entry into the WNBA to help others. 'Griner was in Russia for work: playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg, where in 2021 she helped the team win its fifth EuroLeague Women championship.' Griner is one of dozens of international female basketball stars who go to Russia in their off-seasons to play for local teams. They are paid more handsomely but it's also a chance to keep themselves fit before returning to the WNBA. After the war broke out, the US State Department issued an urgent warning to all Americans in Russia to get out. All American female athletes heeded the advice. Griner - who was being paid $1.5million per season at UMM Ekaterinburg, six times her salary with the Phoenix Mercury, is now the only one in the country. Pointing out the pay disparity between men and women basketball players, Spruill wrote: 'Like many athletes competing in the WNBA, Griner plays abroad during the WNBA offseason because her salary is exponentially higher in other countries. 'For WNBA players, that means playing abroad, while NBA rookies who haven't played a professional game yet are handed salaries many-times higher than what title-winning, All-Star designated WNBA veterans could ever hope for. 'These realities are not the fault of the players. They simply want to be paid their worth like their male counterparts, and they do not deserve to be entangled in geopolitical turmoil for doing so.' At a joint press conference with Moldova President Maia Sandu, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration had assigned an embassy team to work on Griner's case. Referring to Griner, Blinken said: 'There's only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point. 'More generally, whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.' Details on Griner's arrest are scarce, but Russian authorities have remained adamant she was carrying with her a vape pen filled with cannabis oil. Moments later, airport staff were seen putting one of her belongings into an envelope, then sealing it up Blinken on Sunday addressed a press conference in Moldova (pictured) and was asked about the case of Brittney Griner (right), who was arrested in Moscow last month With the athlete's family calling for answers amid the ongoing diplomatic crisis between the US and Russia, spurred by the latter's invasion of Ukraine last month. On Tuesday, Russian state TV broadcast a photograph of Griner in custody holding up a piece of paper. The image was too blurred to be able to make out what was written. There are a dwindling number of flights out of Russia as a result of the crisis in Ukraine and the West putting heavy sanctions on Putin because of it. Getting Griner back to the US has been complicated by a breakdown in communications between the US and Russia over the latter's invasion and devastation of Ukraine The US has banned Russian planes from its airspace and European companies have done the same. The WNBA issued a statement to say it was offering assistance in getting Griner home but it is unclear what is being done. The White House yesterday said that President Biden was aware of her case. Griner has won Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national teams in 2016 and 2021. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Republicans on Thursday kept up pressure on President Joe Biden to go further in arming Ukrainian forces, a day after the White House unveiled an $800 million package of drones, anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank weapons. Rep. Mike Waltz, a former green beret who is now a member of the House Intelligence Committee, demanded that the Biden administration send Polish MiG fighter jets and help deliver Soviet-era anti-aircraft systems to the embattled government of Volodymr Zelensky. Although he welcomed the new package, he slammed Biden for refusing to send warplanes and urged him to work with partners to get S300 missile defense systems to Ukraine. 'These new weapon transfers are welcomed,' he told DailyMail.com. 'Congress continues to push the Biden administration to do more. 'My hope is they'll allow the transfer of MiGs and S300s, and draw a clear red line that the use WMDs by Russia will trigger a direct U.S. response.' Arming Ukraine has become a bipartisan issue, as TV coverage shows how Ukrainian forces have managed to slow and stall the massive Russian advance. On Thursday, Biden unveiled another round of deliveries, taking total assistance to $2 billion. 'Were going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead,' he promised. But Republicans and some Democrats say the White House must do more. Republicans in particular have accused Biden of being fainthearted for failing to help Poland deliver its 28 MiGs to Ukraine for fear of escalating the war. 'The frustration is he continues to draw these false distinctions between this type of weapon systems is okay, but this type of weapon system is not okay,' Waltz told Fox News. 'Give Zelensky the damn MiGs, give him the air superiority that he needs to protect his cities that are literally being levelled as we speak. Rep. Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret, urged President Biden to go further in arming Ukraine and demanded that he set 'red lines' on Putin's use of weapons of mass destruction Poland offered to hand its MiG-29s to the US, for transfer to the Ukrainian air force. But Washington vetoed the plan last week, even as lawmakers keep up calls to send the planes President Volodmyr Zelenksy made an impassioned plea to Congress on Wednesday demanding help to defend his country against Russian aggression Russian forces bombed a theatre on Wednesday where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said. The Ukrainian government says the Polish jets would help stop attacks The lethal arms and equipment in Biden's new $800m Ukraine package The Biden administration says it has committed $2 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden unveiled another $800 million in arms and support. It includes: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems 2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems 100 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems - or drones Should fired stinger missiles have helped protect Ukrainian cities 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, and 400 shotguns Over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds 25,000 sets of body armor 25,000 helmets Advertisement 'I support not getting into a no-fly zone that would mean actually bombing Russia, American planes bombing Russia and their air defence systems in Ukraine. 'Let's gives Zelensky every single thing, every single weapon system, every single bullet that he needs to defend his country.' He also condemned Biden for refusing to set 'red lines' around the Russian invasion. 'One thing I also think the president needs to do right now is draw a red line when it comes to chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction,' he said. 'We need to make Putin afraid of what we will do in that instance, rather than the other way around. 'When it comes to WMD. The president needs to say all options are on the table. And we will consider intervening at that point.' On Wednesday, Zelensky made an impassioned plea to Congress asking for more help to protect Ukrainian skies. 'You know how much depends on the battlefield, on the ability to use aircraft, powerful, strong aviation to protect our people, our freedom, our land,' he said. 'Aircrafts that can help Ukraine help Europe and you know that they exist, and you have them, but they are on Earth, not in the Ukrainian sky.' Hours later, Biden announced his latest arms package, including 800 anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 anti-armor systems, portable 'high accuracy' shoulder mounted missiles, and 7,000 small arms, plus machine guns, shotguns, and grenade launchers. With it comes 20 million rounds of ammunition and 25,000 sets of body armor and helmets. Biden also said it would include 100 tactical unmanned aerial systems, reported to be 'Switchblade' drones which deliver their deadly payload by crashing into targets. But Republicans said more was needed. Republicans including Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming accused President Joe Biden of moving too slowly to get vital arms to Ukraine and repeated their calls for the U.S. to help deliver Soviet-era warplanes to fight off the Russian invasion Biden remains under pressure to do more to help get Polish MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said it was a 'half measure' that failed to meet the moment. 'I've been clear that we should have been sending much more military aid to the Ukrainians, with more training, for more than a year,' he said. 'President Biden didn't do that, and now we're rushing to deliver aid just in time.' Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming told Fox News that Zelensky knew better than the White House what was needed. 'He needs the mix,' he said. 'We have a bipartisan group that says: Give this man the aeroplanes that he needs. He needs the sky to be protected. 'Joe Biden's been slow on that to me. They're a game changer.' And Rep Mike Turner said Biden had dragged his feet at every step. 'That, of course, has cost Ukrainian lives,' he told Fox News before Biden unveiled the new military aid. Republicans introduced a Senate resolution on Wednesday urging Biden to send the MiG-29s. 'We've been talking. We have written letters. Now it's time to take votes,' he said. 'If we had a vote on the resolution to supply the Ukrainian military with the MiG fighters and other air defense systems, it would be a shot in the arm to Ukrainian people and their military. 'It would be a blow to Putin.' Last week Poland offered its 28 MiG-29s to Ukraine, but said it would hand them over to U.S. custody at Ramstein air base, in Germany, for delivery. The announcement appeared to wrongfoot American officials, who eventually declined the offer. They had been in talks to backfill Poland's air force with more modern F-16s, but were not prepared for a plan that involved such close involvement in the MiGs transfer to Ukraine. At issue, is the danger of N.A.T.O. getting sucked into a war with Russia, and red lines laid down by Moscow. The ceiling of an apartment is completely collapsed in the tower block which was hit by the remains of a Russian missile shot down over Kyiv Vladimir Galinkov packs his belongings to evacuate his damaged apartment after the building was hit by pieces of a destroyed Russian missile The result has been growing pressure from lawmakers to help send the planes, while the Biden administration has at times got twisted up with multiple explanations about why the deal should not happen. Biden himself ignored shouted questions about the MiGs during public appearances on Wednesday. But last week, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Ukraine's air force remained largely intact, and Russian planes were avoiding exposure by launching missiles inside their own airspace. 'Therefore, we believe that the gain from transferring those MIG-29s is low,' he said. 'And finally, the intelligence community has assessed the transfer of MIG-29s to Ukraine may be mistaken as escalatory. 'And could result in significant Russian reaction that might increase the prospects of a military escalation with N.A.T.O.' Biden has already ruled out a no-fly zone for fear of sparking World War Three with N.A.T.O. pilots going head to head with Russian flyers. And delivering the planes could bring the same outcome. Polish or American pilots flying into Ukraine risks Russia accusing N.A.T.O. of entering the war. Or if Ukrainian pilots travel to Poland to collect them, Moscow could accuse the Ukrainian air force of using foreign air fields - a potential 'casus belli' and grounds to attack Poland, according to a foreign diplomat familiar with discussions. So how about towing them across the border - something the U.S. did in World War Two, when it gave planes to Canada before formally ending the conflict. The White House has raised another distinction. Air defense systems, small arms and anti-tank weapons are defensive in nature, runs the argument, while Mig-29 fighter jets are offensive and capable of taking the fight to Russia. 'Again, I would note that the equipment that we've provided is defensive, as you know, not offensive and we see that as being a difference,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday. But with the addition of deadly drones - as well as grenade launchers, rifles and shotguns - on the list supplied to Ukraine, she faced repeated probing about what was so different about sending planes. 'Anybody that looks at that list of weapons that I just mentioned, they would say clearly, they're offensive,' said John Decker of Fox News Radio. Psaki responded by saying: 'There is a difference between a plane, and planes, and massive military systems - I think anybody would recognise this. 'And what we were talking about, which is giving rifles and pistols to many of them farmers and people living in countrysides to defend themselves, I think there's a difference that most people recognize.' Jeff Zeints is stepping down next month from his post as President Joe Biden's Coronavirus Response Coordinator and will be replaced by Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, the White House announced Thursday. Despite calls from congressional Republicans for the White House to disband it's COVID task force, Jha said upon news of his new position: 'We still have important work to do to protect Americans' lives and well being.' Jha shared that it is his mission to 'vaccinate the world' and cautioned: 'The pandemic is not over.' Biden said in a statement announcing Zient's departure that there is 'no one better at delivering results than Jeff,' before going on to announce Jha as his replacement. White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients (left) is stepping down from his post and being replaced by dean of the Brown University School of Public Health Dr. Ashish Jha (right), President Joe Biden announced Thursday Biden said there is 'no one better at delivering results than Jeff,' before going on to announce his successor Jha Jha shared a lengthy Twitter thread saying 'we still have important work to do' to address the pandemic Jha said his mission is to help 'vaccinate the world' and warned: 'The pandemic is not over' The president also praised Zients for the strides made toward reopening America after three coronavirus vaccines were given Food and Drug Administration approval for use in the U.S. the first months of the administration change. 'The progress that he and his team have made is stunning and even more important consequential. Lives have been saved,' Biden said in a statement shared Thursday morning. 'COVID-19 is the greatest public health crisis we've faced in my lifetime and it required the country to build from scratch an emergency response infrastructure that could quickly and equitably get people life-saving protections,' Biden said. Zients was appointed on Day One of Biden's presidency to lead the White House coronavirus task force, which was created under former President Donald Trump when the pandemic started in the spring of 2020. After 14 months in the position, Zients is stepping down, but it is not immediately clear what he will do next. Jha, an Indian American physician, expressed how personally honored he feels for PResident Biden to choose him to succeed Zients. 'On a personal note,' Jha tweeted in a lengthy thread Thursday morning, 'For a poor immigrant kid who left India not speaking a word of English [a]nd found in America a nation willing to embrace me as one of her own, I am deeply honored for this chance to serve this country I love.' Zient's departure comes at a turning point in the pandemic as case and death rates continue to plummet and COVID-related restrictions in the U.S. continue to ease including relaxing of mask mandates. Jha shared a personal story of his pride in being appointed to the administration post after immigrating to the U.s. from India as a kid and felt embraced by America Confirmed COVID-19 cases plunged from more than 700,000 per day in mid-January to 33,000 per day now. Despite this, former President Barack Obama, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, currently on a trip to the U.S., all tested positive for coronavirus in the last week. 'We are in so much of a better place with vaccines, diagnostics, increasingly, therapeutics, and much more,' Jha said in his Twitter thread. 'Much of this because of the superb leadership of Jeff Zients.' Zients (right) was appointed to lead the COVID task force on Day One of the administration but now some are calling for the task force to be disbanded now that coronavirus cases are on the decline and restrictions are relaxing Despite lowering case-rates, former President Barack Obama (left) and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (right) both tested positive this week Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, pictured speaking with House Speaker NAncy Pelosi on Wednesday evening, got news he tested positive for the virus half way through the Ireland Funds National Gala in D.C. 'The pandemic has taken an enormous toll on us all,' he added. 'It has left millions of families with a hole in the fabric of their lives. It has caused so much suffering both directly from the virus and its effects on mental health, income, education losses, and much more.' He continued: 'We are not done. We are very likely to see more surges of infections. We may see more variants. We can't predict everything with certainty. But we have to prepare to protect the American people whatever Mother Nature throws at us.' 'And we have to continue to lead in helping the rest of the world get vaccinated, protected,' Jha said. 'Both because a global pandemic demands a global solution and because it's the right thing to do.' 'And restoring America's moral leadership has been a critical part of the past 15 months.' 'So we have some work to do my friends. As much as I wish otherwise, the pandemic is not over. So let's keep our eye on the ball.' Russian forces in Ukraine continued to blast cities and kill civilians, but are no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as Moscow's invasion Ukraine entered its fourth week. With each passing day, it is beginning to look more likely that Vladimir Putin's war could drag on for months, while peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow stalling. Meanwhile, the UN has said more than 3 million refugees have fled across Ukraine's borders, not knowing when they will be able to see their homes again. Despite the Kremlin insisting it is not targeting civilians, local officials said rescuers in the besieged southern port of Mariupol were combing the rubble of a theatre where women and children had been sheltering, bombed the previous day. The Governor of the northern Chernihiv region said 53 civilians had been killed there in bombardment over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Kyiv has resisted the Russian advance, but is also sustaining heavy bombardment in the outer-regions of the capital. Here are five possible scenarios for the weeks and months ahead, according to Western government sources and think-tank experts. 1. Military quagmire: Russian forces get bogged down and Ukraine soldiers continue their fierce resistance A view of burned tank is seen amid Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the city of Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on March 12, 2022 Ukrainian forces are still resisting Russia's invasion, inflicting serious equipment and human losses. Crucially they repelled an attempt by paratroopers to seize the capital in the opening days and have since withdrawn to defensive positions that have enabled them to keep control over all strategic cities. Although Russia has long claimed it has air superiority, Ukraine's air defences appear to be still working, while Western countries are pouring in portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. 'The Russian invasion has largely stalled on all fronts,' an update from the UK defence ministry said on Thursday. US intelligence estimates that 7,000 Russian troops have died, The New York Times reported, while Ukraine's military claims that figure to be much higher - although experts say that all such claims should be treated with caution. US President Joe Biden announced a massive new package of military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, including S-300 missile defence systems, 100 Switchblade 'kamikaze' drones and thousands more missiles. Ukrainian military resistance comes at a high civilian cost, however, with thousands dead and towns devastated such as Mariupol and Kherson. 2) Peace deal: Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement with Putin withdrawing his forces when his demands are met Pictured: The second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border on March 3 Negotiators from both sides began talking just days after the war started, first on the Belarus-Ukraine border, then in Turkey and latterly in the capital Kyiv. Mounting battlefield losses and crippling Western sanctions on the Russian economy could be pushing Putin to seek a face-saving way to end the conflict. 'Ukraine may be able to compel the Russians to make a choice: to persist and suffer irreparable losses, or desist and achieve some compensatory peace,' wrote Rob Johnson, a warfare expert at the University of Oxford, this week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the two sides were 'close to agreeing' a deal that would see Ukraine accept neutrality modelled on the status of Sweden and Austria. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already publicly acknowledged that his country will not join the Western NATO military alliance - a key demand from the Kremlin. But though the chances of a deal have grown significantly in recent days, there is no sign of a ceasefire and Ukraine wants a full Russian withdrawal and security guarantees about its future. Some Putin critics suspect that the diplomacy is a smokescreen. 'Reminder that to Putin 'ceasefire' just means 'reload',' dissident politician and former chess champion Garry Kasparov wrote on Twitter. 3) Domestic Russian change: Anti-war movement grows in Russia and oligarchs turn on their leader Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Manezhnaya square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022 Putin is tightening his grip over Russian society. A crackdown on independent media and foreign news providers has cemented the dominance of the ultra-loyal Russian state media. Thousands of anti-war demonstrators have been arrested, while a new law threatens up to 15 years in jail for spreading 'fake news' about the army. There are signs of cracks in the ruling elite, with some oligarchs, MPs, and even private oil group Lukoil calling openly for a ceasefire or an end to fighting. A Russian editor held up a sign saying 'No War' during a prime-time news broadcast on state TV this week. Though not seen as likely at this stage, the possibility of Putin being brought down in a popular backlash or even a palace coup cannot be ruled out. 'His personal security is very good and it will be very good until the moment it isn't,' said Eliot A. Cohen from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think-tank. 'That's happened numerous times in Soviet and Russian history.' Huge sanctions have been placed on Russia and also its oligarchs - Russia's elite who are also hugely influential, and close allies of Vladimir Putin. However, it is often the case that an oligarch is powerful because Putin allows them to be, not the other way around. 4) Russian military success: Putins generals crush resistance with superior weapons and devastating artillery Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin in Moscow, Russia March 2 Given Russian troops' superior weapons, air power and indiscriminate use of artillery, Western defence analysts say they are capable of grinding forward. A senior European military official cautioned Wednesday against underestimating their ability to replenish and adapt their tactics. They appear to have logistical and morale problems, with diesel and even engine lubricants in short supply, the official said. 'But you need to keep it in perspective. All of that does not change the superiority of the Russian military,' he said. Moscow is openly recruiting mercenaries from Syria to supplement its forces, while also using the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian private security company. But even if they captured strategic cities such as Kyiv or the southern port of Odessa, Putin would then face the challenge of occupying them. 5) Conflict spreads: Russia attacks NATO country bringing the alliance into the war Members of Pro-Russian separatists walk near a tank in front of a heavily damaged apartment in the pro-Russian separatists-controlled Donetsk, Ukraine on March 11, 2022 Ukraine has a border with four former Soviet states that are now members of the US-led NATO military alliance, which considers an attack on one member to be an attack against all. Putin's nostalgia for the Soviet Union and his pledge to protect Russian minorities - which are found in the Baltic States - has left an open question about his territorial ambitions. Few expect Putin to openly attack a NATO member, which would run the risk of a nuclear attack, but analysts have warned about provocations that stop short of sparking a war. Putin has ordered Russia's nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert and Foreign Minister Lavrov has also warned that 'World War Three can only be a nuclear war'. Western analysts say such warnings should be taken as posturing to deter the United States and Europe from considering ideas such as a 'no-fly zone' over Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's forces are looking for Ukrainian ammunition so they can shoot themselves in the leg and get sent home, according to an intercepted Russian phone call. Audio reveals a Russian soldier telling his mother that his unit 'want to find some 7.62 bullets, the Ukrainian ones' instead of 5.62mm ammunition being used in Russian AK-74's, to wound themselves with, adding that others 'already did this'. He explained 'in secret' that his fellow troops are hoping 'to shoots each other's legs so they would put some bandages on and sent us to the hospital in Budennovsk', a town in southern Russia. The audio, which was published by the Ukrainian Security Service, also claims that '120 people' have already been 'sent back to the hospital with wounds' and that '350' have been sent back to Russia in coffins. The unidentified serviceman tells his mother that his crew is no longer 'combat equipped' because 'Ukrainians blew all of it up' and that 'if they attack us now, we are dead'. The Pentagon estimates at least 7,000 Russian troops have now died in the fighting while another 14,000 to 21,000 have been wounded. That accounts for nearly a fifth of the estimated 150,000 men that Putin amassed on the border before giving the order to attack 21 days ago. The unidentified serviceman tells his mother that his crew is no longer 'combat equipped' because 'Ukrainians blew all of it up' and that 'if they attack us now, we are dead' (pictured, destroyed Russian infantry mobility vehicles in Kharkiv) The audio, which was published by the Ukrainian Security Service, also claims that '120 people' have already been 'sent back to the hospital with wounds' and that '350' have been sent back to Russia in coffins (pictured, the body of a Russian soldier in Kharkiv) The intercepted audio also shows the soldier's relative pleading for him to come home safe and suggesting she ask the military to send him home. 'I want to go to the military station, or your unit directly,' she says. 'Tell them that you are... that I'm left alone and I need your help so they would send you back.' But the soldier warns that his commanders 'will not' send him back and claims that 'people who refused to serve already got eight years of prison'. It just days after a Russian soldier captured by Ukraine claimed Vladimir Putin has 'death squads' that kill deserters who refuse to take part in the brutal war. The terrified 22-year-old said there 'really is' a team trained to pick off any troops fleeing the invasion for home - adding that it led many to surrender. He warned anyone thinking about deserting the military they 'won't make it' as he revealed the latest tactic in the ever sickening conflict. Meanwhile the Pentagon estimates Russia has lost up to 28,000 soldiers killed and wounded during three weeks of fighting in Ukraine - roughly double NATO losses in Afghanistan over two decades. Losses are now so severe, US intelligence believes some Russian units cannot keep fighting. That tallies with assessments by British intelligence, which said today that Russia's invasion has stalled 'on all fronts' with 'minimal progress on land, sea or air' in the last 24 hours while continuing to 'suffer heavy losses'. But the bombardment of Ukrainian cities continues nevertheless, with Kyiv struck by missiles in the early hours - one of which was shot down, though wreckage still struck a 16-storey apartment block, killing one person and sparking fires which injured dozens of others. Rescuers on the scene at a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol are locked in a race against time as they try to free survivors from the rubble after the complex suffered a 'direct hit' by Russian rockets on March 9 The slaughter of civilians, particularly those who do not pose a threat, is considered a war crime under international humanitarian law (pictured, an apartment building explodes after it was hit by fire from a Russian army tank in Mariupol on March 11) The remains of a Russian rocket shot down by Ukrainian air defences slammed into a tower block in Kyiv early Thursday, leaving one person dead and wounding dozens of others Mariupol, the heavily besieged city in the south of Ukraine, also continued to come under heavy fire as city officials estimated that at least 2,400 people have now been killed there. Mayoral adviser Petro Andriushchenko has warned that the true toll could be as high as 20,000 once cut-off areas have been searched for victims. Andriushchenko spoke even before a theatre in the city housing up to 1,200 civilians was struck and destroyed by Russian forces Wednesday evening - despite having signs that said 'kids' in Russian positioned outside it. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack 'heartbreaking' while Joe Biden branded Putin a 'war criminal.' Casualties from the attack are unclear. City officials said Thursday morning that evacuations are now underway, and that a bomb shelter at the theatre survived the strike. It is unclear how many people were inside at the time. Despite the mounting death toll, peace talks between the two sides are continuing with concrete proposals for a ceasefire being discussed. Russian negotiators yesterday briefed journalists on their 15-point plan for peace, which would see Ukraine declare neutrality and place limits on its armed forces in return for Russian withdrawal. Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said Officials said it is impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the attack on the Mariupol Drama Theatre (pictured before the attack) because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, meaning rescuers can't reach those in the rubble Advertisement The American citizen killed in Ukraine yesterday has been named as Jimmy Hill, a 67-year-old from Idaho who had stayed in the warzone to look after a sick friend and was gunned down lining up to buy bread The American citizen killed in Ukraine yesterday has been named as Jimmy Hill, a 67-year-old from Idaho who had stayed in the warzone to look after his sick partner and was gunned down lining up to buy bread. Hill's family named him on Facebook on Thursday after Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the death of a US citizen at a press conference. Hill was a lecturer in Kyiv but was in Chernihiv to care for his partner Ira, who has multiple sclerosis. They had returned to the country in December so Ira, who is Ukrainian, could be treated for MS, and became trapped at a regional hospital there. Friends said the pair were a couple and that he died caring for the woman he loves. He is understood to have one adult son from a previous relationship. On Monday, Hill was among a group of 10 who were lining up to buy bread at a grocery store when Russian troops opened fire in a sickening act of war. Hill had been posting on Facebook from Chernihiv until his death, sharing upbeat jokes and photos of himself unshaven. In a March 7 post, he said: 'The past two nights very limited rocket fire during the night. People are able to sleep. We have food. 'I went to market yesterday and bought food for kitchen staff...the shooting started about 2 hours ago. 'We would like to try and break out of here. We are hoping for cease fire and green corridor. It would be a pity to come all this way and after years of waiting for a drug to stop her disease progression and to go home empty-handed. We need rituximab or something similar. Without it Ira will not be able to survive much longer. He had been posting for weeks about spending nights in bomb shelters while rushing to seek treatment for Ira. Hill had also been encouraging American friends and family to pressure US lawmakers into expediting visas. Before his death, a local affiliate in Idaho reported on how he had become stuck in Ukraine. He traveled there in December. Hill had been in Ukraine caring for his partner Irina who has multiple sclerosis. He shared this photo of her, right, previously with an Idaho TV station about their fight to get out of the conflict zone Hill's final Facebook posts from Ukraine: The 67-year-old had been keeping friends and family updated from Chernihiv Another of Hill's heartbreaking posts on March 11, a week before he was killed. He described it as a 'living nightmare' Hill had stayed behind to look after his partner and her mother who he did not want to leave behind. They are Ukrainian Ukrainian authorities issued this photo in the aftermath of an attack in Chernihiv on Thursday. It remains unclear how many died 'There is bad luck in this world and it's falling down all over Ukraine and it's people now. It's nobodies fault except the psychos in the Kremlin, one man especially. 'His miserable existence is bad luck for everyone.' The Chernihiv Region Police posted on Facebook on Thursday: 'Police are documenting the consequences of enemy shelling of civilians in the center of Chernihiv. 'Today, the occupiers once again carried out a heavy artillery attack on unarmed civilian residents of the city. 'There are dead and wounded people. Among the dead - a US citizen. Multiple bodies lie next to a shelled-out building in Chernihiv on Thursday after an attack from the Russian army A residential building damaged by shelling is seen, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, in this handout picture released March 17, 2022 Chernihiv is in north west Ukraine, next to the Belarus border Irish cameraman Pierre Zakrewski died along with producer Oleksandra Kurshynova on Monday. American filmmaker Brent Renaud, right, was killed on Sunday 'Police officers are helping to evacuate affected citizens to medical facilities. 'Chernihiv police investigators are working at the scene. Law enforcement officers are carefully documenting all the circumstances and consequences of Russian war crimes. The Facebook-automated translation mistakenly said 'citizens' had been killed. The State Department has not yet verified the report but said is aware. In the last 24 hours, more than 50 people died in Chernihiv from shelling. Among them were 10 people who were in a bread line when they were shot at by Russian troops. Russia denied any involvement in those deaths. On Sunday, American journalist Brent Renaud was killed while filming refugees in Irpin. Since then, Irish FOX News cameraman Pierre Zakrewski and Ukrainian producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova have also been killed. President Biden promised in February to respond harshly if Putin attacks US citizens but he is yet to change tactics. The President is due to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow to discuss sanctions it too will face if it helps Russia with the war. Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invoked Martin Luther King as he gave an impassioned speech to congress from his bunker in Kyiv. He begged Biden to 'be the leader of peace' and said the 22 days had been his country's '9/11'. 'I am addressing the President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. 'I wish you be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,' he told members in the sobering address to Congress. Biden, speaking afterwards, announced an $800million military assistance package. He also, for the first time on Wednesday, called Russian President Vladimir Putin a 'war criminal.' 'I think he is a war criminal,' Biden said to reporters at the White House. A school worker has been banned from teaching for a year after she took compassionate leave to go on a romantic break to Rome and was caught when colleagues saw her holiday snaps on Facebook. Teaching assistant Ella Griffith, 25, skipped classes to pose for Roman holiday pictures at the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Vatican City and the Forum after taking leave on compassionate grounds from class. The primary school worker told staff she needed time off because she had a serious personal matter at home then was seen eating pasta, drinking cocktails and relaxing in a hot tub. A misconduct panel heard she used the long weekend to fly to Italy with her boyfriend, who later posted their holiday pictures online. The Education Workforce Council heard Miss Griffith was employed as a learning support assistant working 30-hour weeks at Ysgol Cybi school in Holyhead, Anglesey. Headteacher Rhian Grieve said Miss Griffith asked for some time off just days after schools returned in September last year following closures during the Covid pandemic. Ella Griffith, 25, skipped classes to pose for Roman holiday pictures at the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Vatican City and the Forum after taking leave on compassionate grounds A misconduct panel heard she used the long weekend to fly to Italy with her boyfriend who later posted their holiday pictures online Headteacher Rhian Grieve said Miss Griffith asked for some time off just days after schools returned in September last year following closures during the Covid pandemic Ms Grieve said: She spoke with me on September 17, 2020, and asked to leave early the following day and return on September 23. The situation appeared critical in that Ella Griffiths family needed her and she requested compassionate leave.' The headteacher said she was alerted by other staff members that Miss Griffiths boyfriend posted pictures of them posing in front of a Roman fountain. Other pictures included the couple drinking in an ice bar and riding on e-scooters through the city. She said that when Miss Griffith was confronted about her absence upon returning, she initially lied, saying she had flown to Italy over the weekend. Ms Grieve said Miss Griffith was asked to provide her airline tickets as proof but then later confessed shed lied at the length of time away. The Education Workforce Council heard Miss Griffith was employed as a learning support assistant working 30-hour weeks at Ysgol Cybi school in Holyhead, Anglesey The primary school worker told staff she needed time off because she had a 'serious personal matter at home' then was seen eating pasta, drinking cocktails and relaxing in a hot tub The panel heard she then failed to turn up to the school for the following two days texting bosses to say she wouldnt be in but not phoning. Miss Griffith, who is not at the hearing and has since left the school, was found guilty of four misconduct allegations relating to her time away and the subsequent days after. Although cleared of knowingly using the time off to travel to Italy, committee chair Sue Davies said: Travel from the UK during the first year of the Covid pandemic meant international travel from the UK was not straightforward and required for example booking Covid tests to enable flying. It strikes the committee as inherently unlikely Miss Griffiths would have been completely unaware of the proposed travel plans with her partner. Ms Davies said: Miss Griffith knew or must have known during the course of her leave in Italy was the school was being misled to the principle reason for her absence. The headteacher said she was alerted by other staff members that Miss Griffith's boyfriend posted pictures of them posing in front of a Roman fountain Her actions were clearly dishonest and furthermore she was not truthful with the school when first questioned about the incident and initially gave a series of misleading responses. Miss Griffiths by taking compassionate leave while going on holiday has acted in a manipulative and dishonest manner in doing so she demonstrated no regard for the impact this could have on her school or her colleagues. It departed significantly from professional and ethical standards displaying a lack of integrity. In her absence, the committee found that her conduct was dishonest but found one of the charges that she had applied for compassionate leave in the knowledge that she was going on holiday was not proved. Russian forces in Ukraine continue to blast cities and kill civilians, but are no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as Moscow's invasion Ukraine entered its fourth week. With each passing day, it is beginning to look more likely that Vladimir Putin's war could drag on for months, while peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow stalling. Meanwhile, the UN has said more than 3 million refugees have fled across Ukraine's borders, not knowing when they will be able to see their homes again. Despite the Kremlin insisting it is not targeting civilians, local officials said rescuers in the besieged southern port of Mariupol were combing the rubble of a theatre where women and children had been sheltering, bombed the previous day. The Governor of the northern Chernihiv region said 53 civilians had been killed there in bombardment over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Kyiv has resisted the Russian advance, but is also sustaining heavy bombardment in the outer-regions of the capital. Here are five possible scenarios for the weeks and months ahead, according to Western government sources and think-tank experts. 1. Military quagmire: Russian forces get bogged down and Ukraine soldiers continue their fierce resistance A view of burned tank is seen amid Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the city of Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on March 12, 2022 Ukrainian forces are still resisting Russia's invasion, inflicting serious equipment and human losses. Crucially they repelled an attempt by paratroopers to seize the capital in the opening days and have since withdrawn to defensive positions that have enabled them to keep control over all strategic cities. Although Russia has long claimed it has air superiority, Ukraine's air defences appear to be still working, while Western countries are pouring in portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. 'The Russian invasion has largely stalled on all fronts,' an update from the UK defence ministry said on Thursday. US intelligence estimates that 7,000 Russian troops have died, The New York Times reported, while Ukraine's military claims that figure to be much higher - although experts say that all such claims should be treated with caution. US President Joe Biden announced a massive new package of military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, including S-300 missile defence systems, 100 Switchblade 'kamikaze' drones and thousands more missiles. Ukrainian military resistance comes at a high civilian cost, however, with thousands dead and towns devastated such as Mariupol and Kherson. 2) Peace deal: Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement with Putin withdrawing his forces when his demands are met Pictured: The second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border on March 3 Negotiators from both sides began talking just days after the war started, first on the Belarus-Ukraine border, then in Turkey and latterly in the capital Kyiv. Mounting battlefield losses and crippling Western sanctions on the Russian economy could be pushing Putin to seek a face-saving way to end the conflict. 'Ukraine may be able to compel the Russians to make a choice: to persist and suffer irreparable losses, or desist and achieve some compensatory peace,' wrote Rob Johnson, a warfare expert at the University of Oxford, this week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the two sides were 'close to agreeing' a deal that would see Ukraine accept neutrality modelled on the status of Sweden and Austria. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already publicly acknowledged that his country will not join the Western NATO military alliance - a key demand from the Kremlin. But though the chances of a deal have grown significantly in recent days, there is no sign of a ceasefire and Ukraine wants a full Russian withdrawal and security guarantees about its future. Some Putin critics suspect that the diplomacy is a smokescreen. 'Reminder that to Putin 'ceasefire' just means 'reload',' dissident politician and former chess champion Garry Kasparov wrote on Twitter. 3) Domestic Russian change: Anti-war movement grows in Russia and oligarchs turn on their leader Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Manezhnaya square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022 Putin is tightening his grip over Russian society. A crackdown on independent media and foreign news providers has cemented the dominance of the ultra-loyal Russian state media. Thousands of anti-war demonstrators have been arrested, while a new law threatens up to 15 years in jail for spreading 'fake news' about the army. There are signs of cracks in the ruling elite, with some oligarchs, MPs, and even private oil group Lukoil calling openly for a ceasefire or an end to fighting. A Russian editor held up a sign saying 'No War' during a prime-time news broadcast on state TV this week. Though not seen as likely at this stage, the possibility of Putin being brought down in a popular backlash or even a palace coup cannot be ruled out. 'His personal security is very good and it will be very good until the moment it isn't,' said Eliot A. Cohen from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think-tank. 'That's happened numerous times in Soviet and Russian history.' Huge sanctions have been placed on Russia and also its oligarchs - Russia's elite who are also hugely influential, and close allies of Vladimir Putin. However, it is often the case that an oligarch is powerful because Putin allows them to be, not the other way around. 4) Russian military success: Putins generals crush resistance with superior weapons and devastating artillery Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin in Moscow, Russia March 2 Given Russian troops' superior weapons, air power and indiscriminate use of artillery, Western defence analysts say they are capable of grinding forward. A senior European military official cautioned Wednesday against underestimating their ability to replenish and adapt their tactics. They appear to have logistical and morale problems, with diesel and even engine lubricants in short supply, the official said. 'But you need to keep it in perspective. All of that does not change the superiority of the Russian military,' he said. Moscow is openly recruiting mercenaries from Syria to supplement its forces, while also using the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian private security company. But even if they captured strategic cities such as Kyiv or the southern port of Odessa, Putin would then face the challenge of occupying them. 5) Conflict spreads: Russia attacks NATO country bringing the alliance into the war Members of Pro-Russian separatists walk near a tank in front of a heavily damaged apartment in the pro-Russian separatists-controlled Donetsk, Ukraine on March 11, 2022 Ukraine has a border with four former Soviet states that are now members of the US-led NATO military alliance, which considers an attack on one member to be an attack against all. Putin's nostalgia for the Soviet Union and his pledge to protect Russian minorities - which are found in the Baltic States - has left an open question about his territorial ambitions. Few expect Putin to openly attack a NATO member, which would run the risk of a nuclear attack, but analysts have warned about provocations that stop short of sparking a war. Putin has ordered Russia's nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert and Foreign Minister Lavrov has also warned that 'World War Three can only be a nuclear war'. Western analysts say such warnings should be taken as posturing to deter the United States and Europe from considering ideas such as a 'no-fly zone' over Ukraine. Russian warships carrying scores of military trucks were seen passing through a strait in Japan yesterday morning - and could be on their way to Ukraine. The Tsugaru Strait between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean separates Honshu and Hokkaido, the country's two biggest islands. Russia has suffered catastrophic losses, including up to one-fifth of its troops, fuelling speculation Putin could send reinforcements from further afield. Japan's Ministry of Defense released an image of a Russian warship carrying military trucks through the Tsugaru Strait between the country's two largest islands on Wednesday morning Thousands of missiles and hundreds of tanks and aircraft have also been lost, according to recent estimates. Military loss loggers Oryx estimated on Wednesday that Russia had lost 1,292 vehicles in the first three weeks of the campaign, including 214 tanks. Ukraine has lost 343, Oryx added. Defence experts fear Russia could be sending extra supplies to the battlefields of Ukraine as its equipment supplies suffer and troop losses continue - this is the route the warships may take A photo released by Japan's Ministry of Defense via the Kyodo news agency showed an amphibious Russian warship carrying military trucks. The ministry reported two sightings late on Tuesday and two more on Wednesday. A spokesperson said: 'We don't know where they are heading, but their heading suggests [Ukraine] is possible.' It is unusual for Russian ships to pass through the strait so close to Japanese territory, they added. NATO allies have already supplied 20,000 anti-tank and other weapons to Ukraine. Russia is estimated to have lost 7,000 soldiers and more than 1,250 vehicles in the first three weeks of the war in Ukraine - including 214 tanks, according to Oryx The Pentagon estimates at least 7,000 Russian troops have now died in Ukraine, while another 14,000 to 21,000 have been wounded. That is almost one-fifth of the estimated 150,000 men Putin amassed on the border before giving the order to attack 21 days ago. That tallies with assessments by British intelligence, which said today that Russia's invasion has stalled 'on all fronts' with 'minimal progress on land, sea or air' in the last 24 hours while continuing to 'suffer heavy losses'. Putin's manpower problem: Russia 'is drafting in troops from Siberia and the Pacific as well as Syrians and mercenaries' in desperate attempt to get stalled Ukrainian invasion going after punishing losses By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline Putin has a problem. His invasion of Ukraine, intended as a days-long operation, is now grinding into its third week and becoming a bloodbath. Attacks across the country are stalled amid predictions that Russia will soon struggle to hold the territory it has - let alone capture more. In short: he needs more men for the meat grinder. But where to find them? America estimates Russia has committed somewhere between half and three quarters of its total land forces to Ukraine, and all of those are already involved in the fighting. Some 'spare' units will be involved in active missions elsewhere, while others will be for territorial defence - leaving the country vulnerable to attack if they are sent abroad. That conundrum has forced the Kremlin to reach far from the frontlines in search of men, according to Britain's Ministry of Defence, which says reinforcements are now being drawn from as far afield as eastern Siberia, the Pacific Fleet, and Armenia. That is in addition to Syrian fighters and paid mercenaries - hundreds of the from the shadowy Wagner Group - which have already been committed to the fight. The UK believes such reinforcements would likely be used to hold Ukrainian territory already captured by Russia which would then free up regular units for fresh assaults - almost certainly targeting major cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa and Chernihiv. Another goal would likely be to encircle a large number of Ukrainian forces in the Donbass, spread out along the old frontline with Russian-backed rebel groups. But it is unclear whether those reinforcements will be effective. Some could take weeks to reach the front, while Syrian mercenaries are likely to be poorly trained and un-used to the terrain and climate of eastern Europe. In the meantime, Ukraine claims it is successfully counter-attacking Putin's men and 'radically changing' the battlefield. Russia is looking to reinforce its armies in Ukraine after suffering heavy losses, British intelligence believes, but is being forced to draw men from its Eastern Military District, the Pacific Fleet, Armenia and Syria because it has committed such a large number of troops to the conflict already There are also fears that Russia could use mass conscription to turn the tide of battle in its favour. Such fears sparked rumours two weeks ago that Putin was about to declare martial law to stop men from leaving the country before press-ganging them into service in Ukraine. The Russian strongman subsequently denied any such plans, saying no conscripts were being sent to the front - though shortly afterwards the military was forced to admit otherwise, with conscripted troops among those killed and captured. While mass conscription appears unlikely, regular conscripts could still be used. Ben Hodges, a retired US general writing for the Center for European Policy Analysis, points out the next round of conscription is due on April 1 when around 130,000 young men will be inducted into the armed forces. Russia has also reportedly changed conscription rules to make the draft harder to refuse. Accurate estimates of Russian casualties from the frontlines are almost impossible to come by. Ukraine says 13,800 men have been lost, while the US and Europe put the figure lower - at up to 6,000. Moscow itself has acknowledged just 500 casualties, a figure that it has not updated for weeks. Assuming three times as many have been wounded, captured or deserted - based on historical trends - that could mean anywhere between 24,000 and 55,200 Russian troops are out of action. Or, to put it another way, between a fifth and a third of the total 150,000-strong army Putin amassed before he attacked. That has led some to predict that Putin's invasion could soon be a spent force. Yesterday, UK defence sources said that 'culmination point' for the Russian army is likely to come within the next 14 days - meaning the point at which the might of Ukrainian forces will outweigh the strength of the attackers. Russia would then be at risk of losing territory to Ukrainian counter-attacks with signs of cracks already appearing. At the weekend, Ukraine said it had successfully attacked towards the city of Volnovakha, north of Mariupol, with fighting ongoing there Tuesday. News of the attack came just before civilians began successfully evacuating the city, having been held up by Russian attacks for more than a week beforehand. Some 2,500 managed to flee in 160 vehicles on Monday, before another 25,000 fled in 2,000 vehicles yesterday. Russia's Defense Ministry TV channel shared clips of supposed Syrian combatants ready to 'volunteer' in Ukraine - as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed Vladimir Putin for hiring foreign 'murderers' While Ukraine has not linked its attack with the evacuations, the very fact they are now going ahead does suggest the city - though still surrounded by Russian forces - is no longer fully besieged. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, also tweeted Wednesday morning that Ukraine was counter-attacking in 'several operational areas' which he said 'radically changes the parties dispositions' - without giving any further details. American intelligence paints a similar picture to the British, though has been more cautious. An update late Tuesday acknowledged that Russian advances are at a near-standstill and said the US has seen 'indications' that the Kremlin knows more men will be needed. Russia may believe it needs more troops and supplies than it has on hand in the country and is considering ways to get resources brought in, said the official, but added that there has been no actual movement of reinforcement troops currently in Russia going into Ukraine. According to the official, Russian ground forces are still about 9-12 miles northwest of Kyiv and 12-19 miles east of the city, which is being increasingly hit by long-range strikes. The official said Ukrainian troops continue to put up stiff resistance in Kharkiv and other areas. At least some of the supplies Russia requires are likely to come from China, the US has warned, revealing this week that Moscow has reached out to Beijing for help and that Beijing has 'already decided' to provide help - though whether that will be limited to economic relief from sanctions or actual hardware remains to be seen. The Pentagon said that Russia has requested ration packs to feed its troops, drones, armoured vehicles, logistics vehicles and intelligence equipment. Russia is thought to have lost hundreds of tanks, thousands of vehicles, and up to 13,800 men in Ukraine in the last 21 days - more than the US lost fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan in two decades (pictured, a destroyed Russian tank in Volnovakha) Ukrainian troops from the Azov battalion stand next to destroyed Russian tanks in Mariupol, where Putin's men have suffered heavy losses including the death of a general Meanwhile estimates of Ukrainian losses are even harder to come by. President Zelensky has admitted that 1,300 soldiers have been killed, though the actual toll is likely far higher. Losses are likely to be highest in the south of Ukraine, where the Russian military has captured the most territory. Without knowing the size of the Ukrainian force - which started around 250,000 troops - it is difficult to know how much longer the country can hold out, or what its ability to counter-attack is. Certainly, Kyiv is also facing manpower issues. That much is clear from Zelensky's appeal to overseas fighters to join the Ukrainian foreign legion, pleading for anyone with military experience to sign up and fight - with the promise of citizenship at the end. Ukraine claims some 20,000 people have registered their interest, and foreign fighters are already known to be on the frontlines while others train for war at bases in the west of the country - one of which was hit by missile strikes at the weekend. Soldiers from the US, UK, Canada, Israel, Poland, and Croatia are known to be among them. Zelensky has also called up the entirety of Ukraine's reservists - estimated at around 220,000 men - and has put in place laws preventing any man aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country in case they need to be conscripted into the military. Ukraine has also been pleading with the West to send more equipment - particularly fighter jets. A plan for Poland to donate its entire fleet of MiGs to Kyiv's forces and have them replaced with F-16s fell flat amid fears it could prompt Russia to escalate, to the frustration of the Ukrainians. Kyiv has also been asking for more armed drones, anti-ship missiles, electronic jamming equipment and surface-to-air missiles that can strike aircraft and rockets at high altitude to help shield against withering Russian bombardments that are increasingly targeting cities. The Biden administration will discuss today what extra equipment it is willing to give Ukraine, including whether to include Switchblade 'suicide drones' in its next aid package. Switchblades are cheap, remote-controlled aircraft that act as a kind of missile that can be pre-programmed to strike a target or else flown to targets by controllers. They are known as 'loitering munitions' because they can circle their targets for up to 40 minutes before striking. Smaller versions of the drones are designed to take out infantry, while larger versions are designed to destroy tanks and armoured vehicles. The move comes after Turkish-made Bayraktar drones proved surprisingly effective at taking out Russian armour. The only country currently authorised to buy the drones is the UK. Western nations have already supplied thousands of weapons to Ukraine including American Javelin anti-tank missiles, UK/Swedish NLAW anti-tank launchers, and Stinger anti-aircraft systems. But Zelensky has warned that supplies intended to last for months are being eaten up in a matter of hours. As both sides grind each-other towards a military stalemate, so talk has grown of 'significant progress' in peace talks - with aides to Zelensky saying a deal to end the fighting could be in place within weeks. Zelensky said on Wednesday peace talks with Russia were sounding 'more realistic' but more time was needed for any deal to be in the interests of Ukraine. Zelensky made the early morning statement after his team said a peace deal that will end Russia's invasion of Ukraine will be struck with Vladimir Putin within one or two weeks because Russian forces will run out of fresh troops and supplies by then. Kyiv has closely guarded its total losses in the conflict, but has also been reaching out for reinforcements - asking overseas fighters to sign up via the foreign legion and calling up its reserves (picture, a Ukrainian soldier in Mariupol) 'The meetings continue, and, I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic. But time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine,' Zelenskiy said in a video address on Wednesday, ahead of the next round of talks. Meanwhile Oleksiy Arestovich, one of Zelensky's top aides, said the war would end within weeks and a peace deal struck when Putin's troops run out of resources, but warned that Russia could bring in new reinforcements to bolster their attack, which could prolong the conflict further. 'We are at a fork in the road now,' said Arestovich. 'There will either be a peace deal struck very quickly, within a week or two, with troop withdrawal and everything, or there will be an attempt to scrape together some, say, Syrians for a round two and, when we grind them too, an agreement by mid-April or late April. 'I think that no later than in May, early May, we should have a peace agreement. Maybe much earlier, we will see.' The assessment echoes that of UK defence sources who say that Kyiv has Moscow 'on the run' and the Russian army could be just two weeks from 'culmination point' - after which 'the strength of Ukraine's resistance should become greater than Russia's attacking force.' Advances across Ukraine have already stopped as Moscow's manpower runs short. Earlier, Zelensky said that Ukraine must accept it will not become a member of NATO - a statement that will be music to the ears of Vladimir Putin and could pave the way for some kind of peace deal between the warring nations. Zelensky, who has become a symbol of resistance to Russia's onslaught over the last 20 days, said on Tuesday that 'Ukraine is not a member of NATO' and that 'we have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It's a truth and it must be recognised.' His statement, while making no firm commitments, will be seen as further opening the door to some kind of peace deal between Ukraine and Russia after negotiators hailed 'substantial' progress at the weekend - without giving any idea what such a deal would look like. Ahead of the invasion, Putin had been demanding guarantees that Ukraine would never be admitted to NATO along with the removal of all the alliance's troops and weapons from ex-Soviet countries. After being rebuffed by Kyiv, Washington and NATO he launched his 'special military operation' to 'demilitarise' and 'de-Nazify' the country. Russian negotiators have softened their stance a little since then, saying they want Ukraine to declare neutrality, disarm, recognise Crimea as part of Russia and recognise the whole of the Donbass as independent. Ukraine has been demanding a ceasefire and the immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces. Talks have been ongoing this week and Moscow has made no mention of wider demands on NATO in recent days. The Ukrainians said the talks have included a broader agreement that would lead to the withdrawal of Russian troops, reports the Times. Advertisement Disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was given a hero's welcome at a speech in the Bronx on Thursday, where he railed against members of his own party and the cancel culture he feels is responsible for his downfall. Cuomo spoke on Thursday at a church in the Bronx at a meeting of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization. He received rapturous applause from the crowd, including after he hit out at New York's bail reform laws and cancel culture. The ex-governor was hounded by officials and police officers who wanted to embrace him and pose for selfies. It came a day after an audit from state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli was released detailing that his Department of Health deliberately undercounted the number of COVID-19 nursing home deaths by more than 4,000. The former governor was introduced by ex-State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., who faced controversy in February 2019 after asserting that the City Council was 'controlled by the homosexual community.' In his speech, Cuomo railed against cancel culture - which he referred to as a 'social death penalty' that affected both him and his brother - and against the extremist factions of both the Democratic and Republican parties. He even went so far as to say, 'cancel the cancel culture!' He specifically targeted the 'defund the police' movement and New York's controversial bail reform laws and said they needed to be fixed. Disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was given a hero's welcome at a speech in the Bronx on Thursday Cuomo greeting admirers on Thursday at a church in the Bronx at a meeting of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization Cuomo was also hounded by officials and police officers who wanted to embrace the governor and pose for selfies Cuomo received rapturous applause from the crowd, including after his comments about New York's bail reform laws and cancel culture, which he called a 'social death penalty' for both himself and his brother Chris Cuomo even went so far as to say 'cancel the cancel culture!' in a speech that lasted about an hour Cuomo seemed to enjoy being back in public again, all smiles at a camera for a local TV station Cuomo was introduced graciously by ex-State Senator and ex-NYC Councilmember Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. (pictured right) Although Cuomo began by stating 'I don't speak to you as a politician,' he very much discussed the current state of politics in both New York and across America. 'Nobody talks, there's no discussion, there's no dialogue,' Cuomo said. 'But everyone has an opinion. They equate decibel level to intelligence and righteousness. A pluralistic democracy such as ours does not function in this environment.' He then said that, much like the Tea Party's grip on the Republican Party a decade ago, the new 'woke Democrats' were now controlling his own party. 'The woke Democrats and the noisy Democrats are driving this extremism,' he said. 'We are now in a place where the tail is wagging the dog.' He then took on cancel culture, which he compared to extreme sentencings and argues has ruined both himself and his family's lives. 'One manifestation is the so-called cancel culture,' Cuomo said. 'They do it through social media, they do it quickly and effectively, they demonize anyone who doesn't agree with their position. It's a social death penalty and it can happen at any time. My family paid the price for cancel culture.' He then went after what he felt were the issues most harming Democrats, like taking the lead from liberals who want to defund the police, or who - alongside Cuomo - passed New York's controversial 'bail reform' law. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a New York Hispanic Clergy Organization meeting, Thursday, March 17, 2022 Cuomo specifically targeted the 'defund the police' movement and New York's controversial bail reform laws and said they needed to be fixed Governor Kathy Hochul makes an announcement on combatting sexual harassment at the Javits Center on March 16, 2022 in New York New York Attorney General Letitia James presents the findings of an independent investigation into accusations by multiple women that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed them on August 3, 2021 Cuomo said: 'We are seeing a crime increase and an alarming rate of increase all over the city of New York, in my opinion it's the number one issue. He acknowledged that 'at the same time people are upset by abusive police conduct and with good cause.' However, he called the 'defund' movement counter-productive. 'It is an elitist position that has no reality for the people who live in the state of New York. Maybe if you live in Manhattan in a high-rise with private security, then you can defund the police because you can buy your own police. But if you live in the Bronx and you hear a broken window and dial 911, you want someone to come and show up and help,' he said to cheers from those in attendance. He then called many Democrats 'afraid' to disagree with the defund movement because they would either 'be canceled or defeated in a primary election.' 'Crime is starting to take over the city. If we don't get control of the crime problem, more people will die. It is a factual reality. We have to fight crime and we have to stop the police abuse, it's not either/or, it's both.' Overall, crime is up 45.3 percent in New York City through March 13 this year compared to 2021. He then went after Democrats in Albany who won't be flexible on changes to the bail reform law Cuomo himself signed into law two years ago. 'The extremists refuse to have a reasonable conversation about bail reform,' he said. Cuomo told a minister who asked him about the law that if he were in office, he would continue to make changes to it, because sometimes laws have unintended consequences. Cuomo made no announcement as to whether he would run again for governor or his previous job, attorney general, in the speech. His replacement, ex-Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, faces re-election in 2022. Attorney General Letitia James, who led the investigation into Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment, dropped out after a brief primary challenge. A recent Emerson College/PIX11 News poll suggests he may have a shot. He only trailed Hochul in a hypothetical primary by four points in a poll of 504 Democratic primary voters conducted March 9 and 10. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi did not respond to a DailyMail.com question regarding whether the former governor would run for either office. Cuomo, when asked by a reporter before the speech if he 'wanted his old job back' merely said 'I wore my green tie' and gave no response. The ex-governor had harsh words for that investigation into his alleged sexual harassment, as well. He said the whole effort amounted to a political hit job from the left wing of the Democratic Party. 'I had political opponents in my party,' he said. 'I was opposed by the extremists and I was standing in their way. The extremists basically control the assembly and the senate but I was stopping them, so they wanted me out.' He said that people 'who wanted to run against me that wanted my job' used this opportunity, though he did not cite Hochul or James by name. He did, however, discuss the investigation. 'I had 11 cases of sexual harassment. I passed the sexual harassment law. I know women in the workplace have been abused. But they do a report, the assembly does a report, the report goes to 5 DA's. The DA's male/female, black/white, upstate/downstate, Democrat/Republican, all five say 'no case.'' He ended by calling it a 'fraud.' 'I feel good that ultimately the facts were out and it did break my heart to see that government could be used for bad purposes, but it didn't break my spirit. I am more committed to fighting to do the right thing because government has to work. I have seen what it can do and I believe in it and I am not going anywhere and I'm going to continue to fight the good fight.' Cuomo made no announcement as to whether he would run again for governor or his previous job, attorney general, in the speech Cuomo, when asked if he 'wanted his old job back' merely said 'I wore my green tie' and gave no respones He also expressed sympathy for his brother, ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, who was fired for helping his governor brother fight sexual harassment allegations late last year. 'I have gone through a very difficult year. Not just for me, because it hurt my family. My brother is on CNN, he's a broadcaster, I did a lot of TV with my brother Chris.' 'I was the smart, good looking one, he was the other guy,' he joked. 'He gets fired and it was disruptive to me. It broke my heart. I grew up at a table Mario Cuomo was my father, I believed in government.' Cuomo, 64, a Democrat, was forced to resign among the mire of of scandal after a report by the attorney general last August found Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women in direct violation of state and federal law. Cuomo reluctantly announced his resignation soon afterwards. Ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is asking for $125 million from the network, accusing them of ruining his reputation and violating his contract by letting colleagues publicly criticize him. Above, Cuomo during his last broadcast on November 29, 2021 Chris Cuomo and Andrew Cuomo on Chris's CNN show in May 2020. He was trashed for hosting his brother on the show then ignoring scandals that engulfed him, but his lawyers now say Allison Gollust and Jeff Zucker were equally responsible for Andrew going on the network A 'dozing' Labour peer today flatly denied he had been asleep during a House of Lords debate and demanded an apology from the Government Whip who rebuked him. Lord Young of Norwood Green told the chamber he wanted to 'set the record straight' after the extraordinary clash with Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist earlier this week. She bluntly told the 79-year-old to sit down when he tried to intervene in a discussion on genetic modification on Monday night, saying he had been 'fast asleep' throughout the minister's contribution. Intervening in the House today, Lord Young said he had been 'discourteously dismissed' and her claim 'wasn't true' - insisting that he had been bending close to one of the speakers in the red benches. 'In fact what I was doing was listening as we do with my ear against the speaker,' the veteran peer said. 'Today my hearing aid batteries are now in and I'm not reliant on that.' Lord Young of Norwood Green told the chamber today he wanted to 'set the record straight' after the extraordinary clash with Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist earlier this week The Labour peer could be seen at 9.26pm on Monday burying his head in the House of Lords' red benches At 9.28pm on Monday night the peer was slumped in his chair as his colleagues continued the debate Government frontbencher Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist swiped that he had been 'fast asleep' throughout the minister's contribution and could not participate He added: 'Not only did it give some damage to my reputation, hopefully passing, but also in my view damaged the reputation of the House, unnecessarily in my view.' Lord Young said there 'procedures for dealing with' incidents where members were alleged to have fallen asleep. He went on: 'I received what purported to be a letter of apology from Baroness Bloomfield and it started with the lines ''Whatever the rights or wrongs''.' 'It seemed to me that wasn't really an apology - that was more, shall we say, an equivocation at its best and I don't accept that that was an apology.' Lord Young said there was an 'obligation' to 'set the record straight in this house' and 'she should be here to hear that, and in my view to have apologised to the House.' 'She has chosen to be absent, you can draw what conclusions you would like,' he swiped. The comical exchange came during a debate on rules that would allow the UK to deviate from EU law on GM crops. As he stood to speak in the debate, Lord Young said: 'I wanted to take part in this debate because I stake my position as somebody who is a Remainer, but if there's two things that I welcome in coming out of the Common Market, one is the CAP and this particular gene editing' Government whip Lady Bloomfield intervened to say: 'I am sorry, but the noble lord was fast asleep for the entire duration of the minister's speech. 'He really should not participate in this debate having failed to take advantage of the ability to hear him.' Lord Young, a former union boss who has also served as a BBC governor, replied: 'Sorry?' Lady Bloomfield said: 'I am afraid the noble lord was fast asleep for the entirety of the minister's opening speech.' Lord Young's response is not clearly audible in footage. PA Media reported that he said he was 'not now' asleep, but Hansard recorded it as a denial he had been asleep. Lady Bloomfield then said: 'Well I had to send a note to you in order to wake you up by the doorkeeper.' Environment minister Lord Benyon said the The Draft Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 would allow the UK to 'remain at the forefront' of research into GM crops. During the opening speeches at 9.22pm on Monday Lord Young (top left) seemed to be following the proceedings A pilot who was killed on a training flight over mountains in Italy has been named as a British father-of-two from Dorset who had already survived an earlier plane crash. Experienced pilot David Ashley, 49, was in a Leonardo jet when it crashed in snow covered mountains north of Lake Como, Mail Online has learned. The M-346 trainer aircraft went down near the town of Colico in Lombardy at approximately 12:00pm yesterday afternoon. Former RAF pilot David Ashley, 49, with his wife Heather in 2019. The couple have two sons The recovery of Mr Ashley's body in Italy was filmed Two pilots ejected the plane moments before it crashed at an altitude of about 8,200 feet and caught fire on the Lecco mountainside. Former RAF pilot Mr Ashley, who is understood to have been with an Italian pilot at the time, was killed in the incident but his colleague, named as Giampaolo Goattin, survived and is not thought to have been seriously injured. Mr Ashley spent several months recovering from injuries after his first crash. Previously based in the middle east, his family moved to Poole in Dorset to help in his rehabilitation It's not clear if Mr Ashley or Giampaolo Goattin was at the controls of the aircraft at the time they had to eject. Footage from the crash scene shows smoke billowing from wreckage in a show-covered ravine. Eyewitnesses took to social media to describe the 'fireball' in the mountains and how when the plane crashed it made a 'terrifying huge roar'. An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities.' Mr Ashley, who was married to wife Heather with whom he had two sons, had previously survived ejecting from a crash just three years ago. The former RAF Harrier and F18 pilot sustained a broken back, hip and ankle and fractured eye socket after ejecting during air combat manoeuvres while training in Qatar in July 2019. His mask and visors were torn off during the ejection and he hit an object which shattered his eye socket. Initially, it was feared he had lost his right eye after what he later described as a 'particularly savage' parachute landing while his back was already broken. Mr Ashley joined the RAF on a scholarship at 17 and spent 18 years in the military before joining BAE Systems as a fighter pilot instructor Mr Ashley and his wife Heather are pictured together. Heather is a fitness and wellness coach Mr Ashley, who joined the RAF on a scholarship as a 17-year-old spent 18 years in the military before joining BAE Systems as a fighter pilot instructor, spent several months recovering from his injuries. The family moved back from the middle east to Poole in Dorset to help in his rehabilitation. As well as pilot training work he also ran a property development business with his wife which specialised in helping people wishing to build wealth through property but lacking the time or knowledge to do it alone. Mrs Ashley, who had a retail career before starting the property business with her husband told a local paper in 2019 that they had chosen to settle in Dorset because of the quality of life and 'fabulous scenery'. She said then: 'We selected Dorset because it's just such a fabulous place to live.' A spokesman in Italy said: 'On the morning of 16 March an M-346 aircraft crashed in the area above Monte Legnone, near Lecco in Northern Italy. 'Unfortunately, the rescue teams arriving at the site of the accident ascertained the death of one of the two pilots. Leonardo expresses its most heartfelt condolences. Any theory on the possible causes is premature. David Ashley has died after a Leonardo military training jet (pictured) crashed during a 'test flight' in the mountains north of Lake Como The M-346 trainer aircraft went down near the town of Colico, near Lake Como (Pictured) in Italy at approximately 12:00pm on March 16 after it was conducting tests for the Italian Armed Forces 'The aircraft involved in the accident was flown by a crew of two made of a Leonardo test pilot and an outsourced instructor pilot. 'The aircraft took to the air from Leonardo's Venegono Superiore site (Varese Italy) at 11am following the technical checks prior to flight authorization, completed shortly ahead of take-off and performed in full compliance with the inspection plan. 'We would like to express our mosst heartfelt condolences for the loss of the pilot. Our deepest sympathies are with his family.' A crying Russian mother with Ukrainian colours painted on her nails has begged for President Vladimir Putin to end his war so her 22-year-old son can return home. Heartbreaking footage shows the mother risking arrest by attending a war protest in Moscow where she says just 10 soldiers are still alive in her son's regiment. She claims her son was told he would be completing army drills before being sent to a 'hot spot' in Ukraine and she wasn't able to contact him for 10 days. The agonising footage was released on the day it was revealed that Russia has lost up to 28,000 soldiers during three weeks of fighting in Ukraine. The mother, who was not named, said: 'Thank God he is alive. Only 10 people are left from his regiment. 'Please stop this bloodshed. Return my son.' You rarely hear from mothers of Russian soldiers. This lady came up to us at an anti-war protest in Moscow, desperate for the safety of her 22 yr old son. She told us there were only 10 men left in his regiment. If there are voices Putin fears, its these pic.twitter.com/CNAY3gK0uj James Longman (@JamesAALongman) March 17, 2022 Heartbreaking footage shows the mother risking arrest by attending a war protest in Moscow where she says just 10 soldiers are still alive in her son's regiment The mother then takes out her phone to hold up a photograph of her son, revealing that her nails are painted in blue and yellow - the colours of the Ukrainian flag Behind her protesters appear to be marching in a circle holding anti-war posters in a square in Moscow. Halfway through the interview, ABC journalist James Longman, notes that the mother becomes nervous as police start watching them. The mother then takes out her phone to hold up a photograph of her son, revealing that her nails are painted in blue and yellow - the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Still fighting back tears, the mother holds up a photograph of a young-looking man in army uniform. She says: 'Look, he is just a boy. He is just a child. And he is fighting, for what?' Police then come up behind the mother and start shouting through a megaphone, causing her to run away. Vladimir Putin's invasion has stalled 'on all fronts' but shelling of cities including Kyiv continues. The remains of a Russian rocket shot down by Ukrainian air defences slammed into a tower block in Kyiv early Thursday, leaving one person dead and wounding dozens of others A man mourns next to the body of his mother, who was killed when the remains of an intercepted Russian missile hit a residential building in the capital Kyiv, leaving dozens of others wounded The Pentagon estimates at least 7,000 Russian troops have now died in the fighting while another 14,000 to 21,000 have been wounded - accounting for nearly a fifth of the estimated 150,000 men that Putin amassed on the border before giving the order to attack 21 days ago. The staggering toll is roughly double NATO losses in Afghanistan over two decades of fighting, and roughly equal to US casualties in the 36-day battle of Iwo Jima - one of the bloodiest clashes in the Pacific during the Second World War. Losses are now so severe, US intelligence believes some Russian units cannot keep fighting. That tallies with assessments by British intelligence, which said today that Russia's invasion has stalled 'on all fronts' with 'minimal progress on land, sea or air' in the last 24 hours while continuing to 'suffer heavy losses'. But the bombardment of Ukrainian cities continues never-the-less, with Kyiv struck by missiles in the early hours - one of which was shot down, though wreckage still struck a 16-storey apartment block, killing one person and sparking fires which injured dozens of others. Kyiv has now been under Russian bombardment for almost a week, with strikes in the early hours of the morning hitting civilian targets - including one this morning, which left one person dead (pictured) A fire truck sits outside a school building in the city of Sumy, in eastern Ukraine, after it was hit by a Russian bomb and partially destroyed as Moscow keeps up its bombardment Mariupol, the heavily besieged city in the south of Ukraine, also continued to come under heavy fire as city officials estimated that at least 2,400 people have now been killed there - though mayoral adviser Petro Andriushchenko said the true toll could be as high as 20,000 once cut-off areas have been searched for victims. Andriushchenko spoke before a theatre in the city housing up to 1,200 civilians was struck and destroyed by Russian forces Wednesday evening - despite having signs that said 'kids' in Russian positioned outside it. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack 'heartbreaking' while Joe Biden branded Putin a 'war criminal.' Casualties from the attack are unclear. City officials said Thursday morning that evacuations are now underway, and that a bomb shelter at the theatre survived the strike. It is unclear how many people were inside at the time. A satellite image taken over the city of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, on Wednesday and released Thursday shows blasts and fires caused by Russian air strikes in civilian areas Despite the mounting death toll, peace talks between the two sides are continuing with concrete proposals for a ceasefire being discussed. Russian negotiators yesterday briefed journalists on their 15-point plan for peace, which would see Ukraine declare neutrality and place limits on its armed forces in return for Russian withdrawal. Ukraine's chief negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak would not be drawn on the plan, saying only that the two sides had discussed it and it did not take Kyiv's negotiating position into account. The proposal makes no mention of Crimea and Donbass - Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia and its proxies before the invasion - with President Zelensky later reiterating that his country's territorial integrity is not up for negotiation. Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, said late Wednesday that he believes Russia is only 'pretending to negotiate' with Ukraine amid fears that any ceasefire will be used by Putin to rearm and resupply his forces before attacking again. The US says he has already reached out to China for military supplies, while the UK believes he is drawing soldiers from Russia's far east and Pacific as reinforcements. Manchester Airport today was paralysed today - with passengers missing flights stuck in three-hour queues. Furious customers branded the northern transport hub 'the most chaotic in the world' as they suffered in the melee. But the airport appeared to try and wash its hands of responsibility for the enormous hold ups. It claimed there had been 'unexpectedly high passenger numbers' and 60 per cent of them had been restricted items in their luggage. Passenger Paul Keegan told BBC North West Tonight: 'People were screaming, annoyed and frustrated. It was pandemonium inside the airport where enormous queues were seen waiting to move Passenger Andy Mitten revealed the appalling delays in a series of Twitter messages 'I felt quite sorry for the staff because people were being abusive and loud. This place is never enjoyable.' Extraordinary scenes on Thursday morning showed passengers queuing out into the car par, so bad were the delays. A Manchester Airport spokesman said: 'At times today, security queues in Terminal One have been significantly longer than we would like due to a combination of factors. 'With the rapid recovery of international travel, it has been much more difficult to predict passenger volumes based on the flights that are due to depart. Passengers at Manchester Airport have complained of 'huge queues' stretching back to the car parks 'Today, we saw more people than we were expecting, which put a considerable strain on our operation. This was compounded by up to 60% of customer bags being rejected as they passed through security because they contained restricted items a much higher rate than we typically experience. 'Our colleagues have worked tirelessly to process passengers as quickly as they can and we would like to thank them for their dedication throughout the day. 'We have deployed staff from other parts of the operation to assist in security and, wherever possible, we have prioritised customers within the queue in order to ensure they make their flights. 'We would like to apologise to those impacted by today's challenges and assure them we are doing all we can to rectify the situation. 'It is likely waiting times will continue to be longer than we would like for the remainder of this evening, and would urge anyone due to travel through Manchester Airport to arrive at the earliest time recommended by their airline and to ensure they are as prepared as they can be to pass through security.' Hundreds of donated bulletproof vests bound for Ukraine to help protect those fighting the Russian invasion, were stolen from a New York City non-profit office, police said Wednesday. The tactical vests, which were donated by local law enforcement, were taken sometime overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday from a building on Second Avenue that houses two Ukrainian organizations, the New York Post reported. The theft was discovered around 9am Wednesday. 'Approximately 400 bulletproof vests' were stolen, NYPD Sergeant Edward Riley said. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office made a large donation of vests last week. 'It is despicable that someone would break into a building to steal supplies and materials intended to aid those affected by this humanitarian crisis,' Vicki DiStefano, a sheriff's office spokesperson told WABC. Scroll down for video Surveillance footage shows three vans pulling up outside the building, which houses the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women's League Pictured: security footage from a nearby store shows another man and van involved in the overnight robbery of roughly 400 bulletproof vests between Tuesday and Wednesday Several hooded men are then seen carrying out boxes, believed to contain the vests, and loading them into the vehicles Several of the tactical vests, left, were destined for Ukraine to help against the Russian invasion. One of the suspects, right, leaves a van after loading it with stolen vests The tactical vests, which were donated by local law enforcement, were taken from the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, pictured Surveillance footage shows three vans pulling up outside the building, which houses the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women's League. Several hooded men are then seen carrying out boxes, believed to contain the vests, and loading them into the vehicles, WNBC-TV reported. Police said the thieves likely broke in through the front door. The decommissioned vests had been headed to Ukraine, where they would have helped support Ukrainian forces as they fight the ongoing Russian invasion. SCSO donated vests that had been used for five years, however officials said that they were still useful enough to offer protection in the war. The plan was for the donated vests to be shipped by plane to Poland and then transported into Ukraine, Andrij Dobriansky, a spokesperson for the UCCA said last week. They were going to be used by civilian security and medical teams, officials said, not he military. Police investigate the door which likely was used to gain access to the tactical vests The vests, pictured, were used by the sheriff's office and decommissioned after five years of use, however officials said that they are still useful enough to offer protection in warfare Pictured: boxes of tactical vests, which were intended on being sent to aid the Ukrainian war effort against Russia, prior to being stolen from Lower Manhattan earlier this week Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine tweeted an effort to raise funds to replace the stolen vests Dobriansky said the theft could not have come at a worse time for Ukrainians, who already are feeling powerless amid the invasion. 'People right now in our community, they're either in church praying, or everyone is feeling disenfranchised. They have no power right now, and then this happens, and that absolutely affects people,' said Dobriansky. Meanwhile, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine tweeted an effort to raise funds to replace the stolen vests. '400 bulletproof vests about to be sent to Ukraine have just been stolen from a Ukrainian community center on the Lower East Side. Disgusting,' Levine tweeted. 'NYPD investigating. Let's help @UkrCongComAm raise funds to replace these.' Levine added a Mighty Cause link in his tweet, which already had raised $544,515 towards replacing the stolen vests as of Thursday. No arrests had been made as of Thursday. One of Britains biggest train companies has been fined more than 23million over the Southeastern franchise scandal. Govia, whose rail operator LSER used to run Southeastern services, was found to have deliberately concealed more than 25million of historic funding owed to the British taxpayer. The Government dramatically nationalised Southeastern after accusing Govia of a significant breach of the franchise agreement, handing control of services of the network which covers London, Kent and East Sussex to the Department for Transport. Cabinet minister Grant Shapps said on Thursday: I took decisive action and did not renew the contract with Southeastern following this appalling breach of trust. Our rapid and firm action protected taxpayers and passengers ensuring much-needed services continued to run. LSERs behaviour was simply unacceptable and this penalty sends a clear message that the Government, and taxpayers, will not stand for it. The Transport Secretary said a DfT probe identified evidence that LSER concealed taxpayer funding between October 2014 and March 2020. The review also identified similar behaviour during its previous franchise agreement that ran from April 2006 until October 2014. Southeastern train pictured at a platform at London Bridge station (stock image) The decision last year to seize Southeastern made the franchise the fourth in the UK to be placed under Government control, alongside London North Eastern Railway since June 2018, Northern since January 2020 and ScotRail in March this year The 25million penalty is on top of 64million the DfT said it is recovering from Govia in relation to the breach of its franchise as well as other balances identified, adjustments to profit share payments and interest owed. A Go-Ahead spokesman said: We accept this penalty. Since these events came to light, our corporate governance procedures have been enhanced and the group is under new leadership. Go-Ahead remains committed to UK rail and we are determined to play a role in making the Williams-Shapps plan for the industry a success. Despite losing the Southeastern franchise, Govia continues to operate Govia Thameslink Railway. This is Britains largest railway franchise, consisting of Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services. The extraordinary decision last year to seize Southeastern made the franchise the fourth in the UK to be placed under Government control, alongside London North Eastern Railway since June 2018, Northern since January 2020 and ScotRail in March this year. Grant Shapps said on Thursday: I took decisive action and did not renew the contract with Southeastern following this appalling breach of trust Southeastern's network runs across South East England, covering London, Kent, East Sussex and the High Speed 1 line Southeastern has been running services since 2006, operating one of the busiest networks in the country including the UKs first domestic high-speed service with Javelin trains. It employs 4,000 workers and serves 180 stations using a fleet of almost 400 trains. According to the firms website, 640,000 passengers use 2,016 services every weekday. It also runs 1,755 train services on Saturdays and 967 on Sundays. It comes after the Government in May last year unveiled long-awaited reforms of the countrys fragmented railway network, including a new centralised price and reservations system. By launching a new public body, Great British Railways, whose name has echoes of nationalised British Rail in the previous century, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government has already begun to take greater control of the sector. But it insists that the new route taken is not equivalent to renationalisation of the railways a sector that continues to be hit hard by the pandemic depressing passenger numbers. Britains rail tracks are already in state hands but the trains are run by mostly private companies enjoying large government subsidies. And since privatisation of the sector in the mid-1990s, the taxpayer has been forced to take control of financially-struggling franchises. A 12-year-old boy has denied 'burgling five-star London hotels over a 10-month period aided by his teenage brother', a court has heard. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of 'carrying out raids on luxury hotels including Claridge's in Mayfair, the Four Seasons in Park Lane, the Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall, and The Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge'. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court this afternoon alongside his 13-year-old brother, who is accused of involvement in three of the alleged burglaries. The unnamed 12-year-old also faces allegations of 'burgling BBC Television Centre in White City' and is said to have 'targeted the offices of retailer The White Company and media agency Publicis within the complex'. Due to their age, the siblings, from west London, stood in front of the dock with their mother alongside. The 12-year-old faces 15 charges - 14 counts of burglary and one count of conspiracy to commit burglary between April 2021 and February 2022. His brother is charged with four counts - three of burglary between September 2021 and February 2022 and one of conspiring to commit burglary between April 2021 and February 2022. Jonathan Bryan, prosecuting, told the court that the boys are pleading not guilty to all charges. A 12-year-old boy has denied 'burgling five-star London hotels over a 10-month period aided by his teenage brother', a court has heard. Pictured: A view of the Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall, London The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of 'carrying out raids on luxury hotels including Claridge's in Mayfair, the Four Seasons in Park Lane (pictured), the Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall, and The Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge' Due to their age, the siblings, from west London, stood in front of the dock with their mother alongside. Pictured: Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair area of London Jonathan Bryan, prosecuting, told the court that the boys are pleading not guilty to all charges. Pictured: The Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge An adult co-defendant, Shane McCarthy, 19, also appeared in court facing 11 charges, consisting of nine counts of burglary, one of theft and one of conspiracy to commit burglary between April 2021 and February 2022. Mr Bryan said McCarthy also denies all charges. Magistrate Alan Elias told the court to act as if the hearing was at a youth court, saying: 'Let's keep the atmosphere quite informal.' Mr Elias immediately sent McCarthy's case to Isleworth Crown Court on April 14 and released him on unconditional bail. 'Before that date, you really, really, really need to stay out of trouble, do you understand?' he asked McCarthy, who nodded. The prosecutor then argued that the boys' cases should not be sent to Crown Court alongside McCarthy's because of 'the disparity in their age'. 'The age and lack of convictions, it is my submission, on this occasion that we separate them and have the youths dealt with in the youth court,' he said. Adel Buckingham, defending, welcomed the prosecution's submission to separate the cases. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court (pictured) this afternoon alongside his 13-year-old brother, who is accused of involvement in three of the alleged burglaries She said the young brothers both have special needs and 'their age and lack of maturity are both important factors to consider'. 'It is important that they are not overwhelmed and can meaningfully take part in their trial,' she added. Mr Elias said: 'Having listened to both parties, we are convinced that in the interest of justice this should be separated and there should be a trial in youth court.' He released the two boys until March 28 when they will appear at Highbury Corner Youth Court. 'The other thing, lads, is that you need to stay out of trouble, really stay out of trouble until then, do you understand?' Mr Elias said. They both nodded and the 12-year-old said 'Thanks' before they left the court. McCarthy denies all 11 charges and is due to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on April 14. The 12-year-old denies all 15 charges he faces, and the 13-year-old denies all four charges against him. Both are due to appear at Highbury Corner Youth Court on March 28. A British Army corporal went into a female soldier's room for a cup of tea before kissing her neck, pushing her onto the bed and exposing himself to her, a court martial heard today. Mathew Fieldhouse - who has since been promoted to sergeant- allegedly tried to undo woman's belt before undoing his own. The married man, whose wife was pregnant at the time, began playing with himself while saying 'come on' before she fled to another room, the court heard. The hearing was told the alleged victim was junior to him and going through a difficult time. She felt as though the 37 year old, who she considered a friend, 'took advantage of her vulnerability'. The woman today wept as she told the court the experience had left her feeling 'disgusting'. But she did not report the incident for some time as she thought no one would believe her because of the 'person that he is', the court heard. Sgt Fieldhouse denies one count of sexual assault. Bulford Military Court, Wilts, heard Sgt Fieldhouse, of the 25 Training Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps, had told her he was having marital problems. Mathew Fieldhouse, 37, has denied exposing himself to an army colleague Bulford Miltary Court Centre where the court martial was being heard today in full The woman told the court Sgt Fieldhouse, who goes by the nickname 'Mouse', was known for his flirty banter and would make sexual comments but that these were always laughed off. Rupert Gregory, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant went to the complainant's block and she invited him to her room for a cup of tea. 'He came into her room, put his hands on her and picked her up by her hips and began kissing her on her neck. 'She was nervous. She did not know how to react. He put her on the bed with one knee on the bed and tried to unbuckle her belt. 'He unbuckled his belt, took out his penis and began masturbating saying 'oh come on'. 'She ran out of the room to two rooms away into another private's room and told him what had happened.' In the alleged victim's video interview, played to the court, the woman explained she was going through a difficult time and Sgt Fieldhouse would chat to her about numerous things. She said she had not thought anything about inviting him to her room as she had many male friends. Sgt Mathew Fieldhouse - who was a corporal at the time - allegedly tried to undo woman's belt before undoing his own The woman said: 'He picked me up and put me on the bed and started kissing me. I started laughing, I was in shock. I don't know if he thought 'oh she's liking this'. 'I feel like if I had not had laughed or if I had said something then it would not have carried on. 'He picked me up and put me on the bed and started kissing me. 'I felt really uncomfortable while he was doing it. I don't see him in that way - he's not the most attractive guy in the world. 'He pulled his boxers down and grabbed his penis and was doing some movements or whatever, playing with himself. That's when he was like 'oh, come on'. 'I thought 'this is too much' and something was triggered and I just went out. I felt disgusting. 'He would say things in front of other people as well, like everyone says 'it's Mouse, he would not do anything'. 'It was flirty banter but I did not think he would ever act upon it. I would laugh it off, I never took it seriously.' The woman wept as she added: 'I was not myself. It felt like he took advantage of my vulnerability because of the stuff I was going through. 'I didn't say anything to anyone because I didn't think anyone would believe me because of the person that he is.' The woman said a colleague even laughed when she told her what happened, saying 'Mouse would not do that' but when he realised she was being serious, he urged her to report it. Sgt Fieldhouse 'completely denied' the incident in a police interview, reasoning that he would not enter rooms without being accompanied. The trial continues. An Italian appeals court on Thursday reduced the sentences of two young American men serving life terms over the multiple stabbing death of a Carabinieri police officer while they were on vacation in Rome in 2019. After just over three hours of deliberations, the court in the Italian capital handed down sentences of 24 years to Finnegan Lee Elder and 22 years to Gabriel Natale-Hjorth. It upheld the convictions of the two men, both from northern California for the murder of Carabinieri Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega on a street near their hotel. Gabriel Natale Hjorth attends the opening of the trial for the killing of Italian policeman Mario Cerciello Rega in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. American teenagers Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth are being tried for killing the officer. An Italian appeals court commuted the sentence to 24 and 22 years on Thursday In this photo released by Carabinieri, is portrayed officer Mario Cerciello Rega, 35, who was stabbed to death in Rome early Friday, July 26, 2019. Italian police said Saturday that two 19-year-old American tourists have confessed to fatally stabbing the Italian paramilitary policeman who was investigating the theft of a bag with a cellphone. After the first trial last year, the two friends had begun serving the earlier, life sentences, Italy's harshest punishment, in separate Rome prisons. Judge Andrea Calabria kept media out of the courtroom for pandemic concerns, and it wasn't clear how the defendants reacted to the decision. Cerciello Rega, 35, had just returned to duty from his honeymoon when he was slain and was hailed as a national hero. Coroners said he bled to death after being stabbed 11 times, including in vital organs. The stabbing unfolded on July 26, 2019, after Natale-Hjorth and Elder tried to buy cocaine with $96 from a man outside the hotel where they were staying in Rome's Trastevere nightlife district, but were sold a crushed-up bag of aspirin instead. The pair then allegedly stole a bag belonging to the suspected drug dealer and demanded 100 euros and a gram of cocaine for him to get it back. The man agreed and told the pair he would meet them to exchange the bag, but instead called police to report the theft. Rega and his partner, wearing plainclothes, were dispatched to the agreed meeting spot where they confronted the two Americans and identified themselves in Italian as police before Elder stabbed Rega. The killing of the officer from the storied Carabinieri paramilitary police corps - who had recently returned from his honeymoon - shocked Italy where he was mourned as a national hero. Finnegan Lee Elder and his co-defendant Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, right, listen as the verdict is read, in the trial for the slaying of an Italian plainclothes police officer in Rome in summer 2019 Finnegan Lee Elder, who is being tried on murder charges after Italian Carabinieri paramilitary police officer Mario Cerciello Rega was killed in July 2019, looks on during a hearing where closing arguments will be made The American pair were pictured while being tried on murder charges after Carabinieri officer Mario Cerciello Rega was killed in July 2019, stand in cells during their trial in Rome In May 2021, the lower court had convicted Elder, now 22, and Natale-Hjorth, now 21, of the slaying as well as of attempted extortion in connection with a botched attempt to buy cocaine in a Rome nightlife district. The two, native San Franciscans, were also convicted of resisting a public official and carrying an attack-style knife without just cause. On Thursday, Elder addressed the court just before deliberations began. 'At 22 years of age and with three years in prison, I had much time to reflect,' Elder said, speaking in heavily accented, recently acquired Italian. He expressed 'remorse for the pain I caused' and for the 'endless mourning' suffered by Cerciello Rega's family. The officer was on a plainclothes mission with his patrol partner when he confronted Elder and Natale-Hjorth in the pre-dawn hours of July 26, 2019. Rosa Maria Esilio, widow of slain Carabinieri military police officer Mario Cerciello Rega, looks at a photo of her husband upon her arrival for a hearing in the trial of the two young US nationals who are accused of the killing in Rome Both Elder and Natale-Hjorth testified in their first trial that they thought the officers were thugs out to retaliate after the thwarted deal to buy cocaine hours earlier in another part of Rome. Elder has insisted he stabbed Cerciello Rega in self-defense because he feared the heavyset officer was trying to strangle him. Prosecutor Vincenzo Saveriano asked the court to uphold both defendants' convictions and confirm Elder's life sentence. The prosecutor argued for Natale-Hjorth's convictions also to be upheld, but said his sentence should be reduced to 24 years. 'Elder doesn't deserve forgiveness,' Saveriano said in his final argument Thursday. As for the co-defendant, Saveriano noted that Natale-Hjorth's fingerprints were found by police on a panel of a false ceiling in the American's hotel room, where he hid the knife after it was cleaned of blood. Natale-Hjorth testified at the first trial that he grappled with the slain officer's plainclothes partner, Carabinieri officer Andrea Varriale. He insisted that he was unaware of the stabbing but that he later hid the knife. The defense has argued that the American vacationers had no way of knowing that the victim and his partner, each wearing summer shorts and casual shirts, were plainclothes officers. Prosecutors alleged Natale-Hjorth devised a scheme to get back $88 the Americans paid for the cocaine they didn't receive. Some of the best years of my life I miss those people. Good times and memories, but I have moved on. Not my best days, but I have made peace with them. Glad to be away from those people I dont miss the high school experience. Vote View Results A serving Metropolitan Police officer in the elite diplomatic protection unit has been charged with 41 offences involving 11 women. David Carrick, 47, had previously been charged with 29 offences including rape, involving 10 victims. He was also facing charges of coercive and controlling behaviour and sexual assault. David Carrick, sketched during a previous court hearing has been charged with a total of 41 offences against 11 women Carrick, (pictured left in the dock, right at work) from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, faces trial at St Alban's Crown Court Met Police firearms officer David Carrick, 47, (pictured) is charged with 41 offences, including rape against 11 alleged victims Carrick, who has been suspended, was yesterday charged with a further 12 offences - seven of which relate to the existing 10 alleged victims and five other offences related to another woman. In total, he faces 41 charges against 11 women between 2003 and 2020, the Crown Prosecution Service said. The officer will appear via videolink at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, March 21. He stands accused of four counts of sexual assault between 2018 and 2020 and three counts of rape over the same period. The 47-year-old (pictured) is due to face a six-week trial on April 26 at St Albans Crown Court He is also accused of a further rape in 2004 and two sexual assaults between 2003 and 2009. Carrick was also charged with one count of attempted rape in 2009 and another rape which allegedly took place in 2015. He was arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary in October 2021 and was suspended by the Met. Until his arrest and suspension, Carrick was assigned to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'We recognise that these are extremely serious and concerning allegations. Referrals have been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as the investigation has progressed. 'The Mets Directorate of Professional Standards continues to monitor developments closely and will provide whatever support it can to Hertfordshire officers. 'National regulations dictate that any misconduct proceedings must await the outcome of the criminal case.' Carrick has previously denied a further 20 charges against four other complainants, including allegations that he raped one woman he met on dating app Tinder, false imprisonment, and sexually assaulted three women by urinating on them. Carrick was based within the Mets Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, the armed unit stationed in Westminster, and is responsible for the protection of sensitive sites such as Downing Street. A man has been arrested over the alleged murder of a mother-of-three who was found dead at her home in a quiet cul-de-sac yesterday morning. The woman, named locally as hairdresser Danielle Ejogbamu, 33, was found at her address in the Owlthorpe area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on Wednesday. South Yorkshire Police have arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of killing her and he is currently being questioned. A force spokesman said: 'Officers were called by Yorkshire Ambulance Service shortly after 6.30am on March 16 following reports of concern for a woman at a property in Edenthorpe Dell in Owlthorpe. Mother-of-three Danielle Ejogbamu, 33, was found dead at her home in a quiet cul-de-sac of Sheffield yesterday morning Flowers were left outside Ms Ejogbamu's home as a police cordon remained in place throughout the day 'Police attended the scene, alongside the fire service, and sadly a 33-year-old woman was pronounced deceased at the scene. 'Her family has been informed and is being supported by specially trained officers. 'An investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death has now been launched. There is a cordon in place while officers carry out their work and members of the public are being asked to avoid the area.' Tributes have since flooded online for the much-loved hair stylist, who was the proud mother of two boys and a girl. Leah Kaye posted: 'RIP beautiful! Still can't believe you're gone. Dan you always made me feel part of the family, always giving me advice, telling me when I'm wrong and constantly making me laugh. Tributes have poured in for Ms Ejogbamu online with friends grieving the loss of the much-loved hair stylist A police forensic officer outside the alleged murder scene in the Owlthorpe area of Sheffield Jayne Louise described Ms Ejogbamu as the 'loudest, funniest, most caring person' she knew. She added: 'You are going to be missed by so many.' Chloe Christian said: 'Can't believe it. RIP beautiful lady, you will never be forgotten. You were one of a kind and once a big part in my life and I'll never forget that. All my love to the kids and family.' Sue Thompson posted: 'Such a tragedy, you were so full of life.' Elizabeth Whitham added: 'My poor beautiful friend, I love you. I'm so sorry. Heartbroken is not the word, your poor babies and family.' Tracey Williams wrote: 'Where do I start... never ever did I think Id be writing on your wall in this way. You were one of the bravest, strongest, kindest and funniest people I have had the pleasure of calling my friend, a person that worked so hard to make life better for yourself and your beautiful children. 'You made me very proud, my heart is broken for the family that you leave behind.' Robert de Niro's ex-assistant claimed he is suing her for $6million to 'humiliate' and 'ruin' her, but the actor claimed she used his frequent flyer miles worth $300,000, and put Pilates classes and private hotel rooms on the company credit card. Former VP of Production and Finance for de Niro's company Canal Productions, Graham Chase Robinson, is suing actor Robert de Niro, 78, for $12million. She is alleging the Raging Bull star was verbally abusive toward her, made 'sexually charged comments' and subjected her to 'unwanted physical contact.' The movie legend sued Robinson for $6million prior to her filing a suit, claiming she spent $300,000 worth of his frequent flyer miles for personal use, and used the Canal Productions card to pay for personal expenses like Pilates, dog-sitting and hotel rooms. He also claimed she used the company's American Express card to pay for her own food, flowers, cameras, iPhones, Uber trips, groceries and dry cleaning. He alleged she 'helped' herself to petty cash. He accused her of converting more than 7million Delta SkyMiles over a two-year period, using 3million for personal travel and transferring an additional $4.5million to a personal account. Both have denied the allegations against them and both lawsuits are ongoing. Former VP of Production and Finance for de Niro's company Canal Productions, Graham Chase Robinson, who is suing actor Robert de Niro, 78, for $12million in damages after alleging the Raging Bull star was verbally abusive toward her, said his $6million lawsuit was just to 'humiliate' and 'ruin' her De Niro (pictured with former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo) denied the claims, but said she spent $300,000 worth of his frequent flyer miles and put Pilates classes and private hotel rooms on his company Canal Productions' credit card. She has denied any wrongdoing However, Robinson is now claiming that de Niro's lawsuit is simply to 'strike first' and 'beat her to the punch.' New court documents for her lawsuit, viewed by Fox News, include text messages, reportedly sent among Canal Productions employees. She claims they show that de Niro quickly filed a lawsuit against her after he found out she was going to hit him with a gender discriminations case. He filed the suit after she left the company in 2019. She started with Canal in 2008 at age 25 as an executive assistant. She claimed the texts say she was 'threatening to sue Bob, so they wanted to ruin her first,' the lawsuit said, according to Fox News. It also alleged that the employee said de Niro sued her for 'just a random number' to 'humiliate' her. The lawsuit claimed the actor's lawyer had 'literally no evidence' against the former VP at the time of the court filing. 'It is completely illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who complain about workplace discrimination,' Robinson's lawyer Alexandra Harwin told Fox News. 'But this is exactly what Robert De Niro did to Ms. Robinson, inventing claims to ruin her reputation and humiliate her because he knew she was going to expose his behavior.' In January court documents, obtained by Radar Online, de Niro included a 2019 letter from his lawyer to his ex-employee who had worked her way up from personal assistant to Vice President of Production and Finance. 'I was asked to respond to your recent emails addressed to Bob. Please note that Bob does not wish to communicate with you. As such, please direct correspondence regarding this matter to me,' the letter states. The letter also claimed Robinson improperly used Canal's credit cards to pay for taxis and cover her food costs while on vacation in London. It alleged she charged $2,600 for a stay at the Montage Hotel on a trip to Los Angeles, as well as $156 for dinner at Nobu, $604 on a second meal at the upmarket eatery, $729 on a rental car and several hundred dollars more on cabs, despite having the rented vehicle at her disposal. Robinson denied she improperly used the credit cards and calls into question whether she made all the purchases mentioned. In her own court documents, she alleged the actor forced her to endure a toxic workplace where he branded her a 'b**ch' and spoke to her in a 'hostile, abusive and intimidating manner.' The actor has previously branded the lawsuit 'completely absurd.' But in a 2012 voicemail leaked last year, De Niro can be heard shouting at Robinson, calling her a 'spoiled brat,' saying 'how dare you f***ing disrespect me,' and threatening her, saying 'you're f***ing history.' She claims such behavior wasn't unusual for De Niro. 'It was a routine occurrence for Mr. De Niro, when intoxicated, to call Ms. Robinson - to call her names, to berate her, to curse at her,' her lawyer Alexandra Harwin told Fox Business in January 2020. Harwin also alleged that Robinson 'was asked to do things that her male colleagues were never asked to do, like scratch Mr. De Niro's back, button his buttons, [and] tie his ties.' The lawsuit also states that she was directed to wake him when he was in bed and imagine him on the toilet. A Chinese student who killed a New York lawyer after he said he wouldn't take her immigration case shouted out support for China's Communist Party as she was taken to court Tuesday. Xiaoning Zhang, 25, is accused of stabbing Chinese activist and immigration lawyer Jinjin Li, 66, to death on Monday in Queens; his friends said Li refused to take her case due 'to her mental health issues.' Li was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died from neck and chest wounds. When asked by the crowd waiting outside the 109th NYPD Precinct in Queens in support of Li what her motivation was, Zhang said she did not regret her actions. 'Only traitors like you should regret. You're Chinese yet you oppose the Chinese Communist Party! You have ruined countless students and are about to ruin more,' Zhang yelled. Zhang was then taken to court as officers pleaded with people to allow them to drive through. Zhang was arraigned late Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court and charged with two counts of possession of a weapon and one count of murder, according to records obtained by DailyMail.com. She was ordered held without bail. During the hearing, investigators said two knives were found at the scene and one was in Zhang's pocket. Police said Zhang said she carries a knife for protection. Li, who participated in the pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989 and later fled to the U.S., had a meeting at his office on 39th Avenue in Flushing with Zhang last week. He told Zhang - who arrived in Los Angeles on an F1 visa last year - that he would not help her apply for asylum. Scroll down for video... Xiaoning Zhang, 25, was recorded shouting in support of China's Communist Party as she was taken to court on Tuesday Zhang is accused of stabbing Chinese dissenter and immigration lawyer Jinjin Li, 66, to death on Monday after he refused to take her case due 'to her mental health issues' Zhang (pictured at Queens County Court) was arraigned late Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court and charged with two counts of possession of a weapon and one count of murder, according to records obtained by DailyMail.com The murder took place on 39th Avenue near 138th St in Flushing, Queens, at about 11.40 am, before Li (pictured) was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital where he died from wounds to neck and chest later in the same day Zhang claimed she was raped by Beijing police, and that her life would be in danger if she was forced to return home, according to Chuang Chuang Chen, the CEO of the China Democracy Party. Lawyer Wei Zhu, a friend of Li's, told the New York Daily News that the killing might have stemmed from Li's refusal to take Zhang on as a client due to her possibly having mental health issues. She became angry and police were called to the scene before she ran away. 'He even told the police not to arrest her. "She is young. Let her have a future." He was a great man,' Zhu said. 'He was a free union counsel at Tiananmen. He was arrested and detained for over a year and a half.' Zhang came to the U.S. in August on an F-1 student visa to go to school in Los Angeles, Chen told the Daily News. Li was murdered at his office on Queens, two days after Zhang had caused a scene at his law practice and fled from police Xiaoning Zhang, 25, at Queens County Criminal Court where she was arraigned for the murder of attorney Jim Li 'But she didn't attend. She came straight here. She came directly and applied for asylum. She claimed she was raped by police in Beijing who sent her to a mental facility,' he added. Li's friends said that the lawyer, who rarely refused a case, didn't want to help Zhang because she made a scene during her visit. 'That probably triggered her anger. Today (Monday) she came with a knife, with the intent to kill him,' Zhu alleged. NYPD officers were in front of Zhang's apartment building on Monday evening as they waited for a search warrant to enter, possibly leading to motives behind the murder. Li, who also went by the first name Jim, was often quoted in recent years by news organizations looking for insight or commentary on the Chinese dissident community or on relations between China and the West. She is said to have attacked Li (pictured) during a prior visit to his office last week, after the student - who arrived in Los Angeles on an F1 visa last year - was told by Li that he would not help her apply for asylum Li was a Tiananmen Square protester back in 1989, and was jailed just days after the June 4th massacre before seeking asylum to come to the U.S. in 1993 As an immigration lawyer, he also represented Chinese expatriates living in the U.S. who were considered fugitives. Prior to his imprisonment for protesting, Li had been a legal adviser to an independent labor union that challenged China's government on worker rights. Li, whose last message on Instagram was about supporting Ukraine, took part in the six-week protest at Tiananmen Square and on the streets of Beijing in 1989. He was working as legal counsel for the Workers Autonomous Federation union. He was arrested just days after the June 4 massacre, when hundreds, if not thousands of innocent protestors were killed in the square and in nearby areas by the Chinese army. No precise figures have been confirmed by China, and estimates vary. Li was jailed for 22 months before moving to the U.S. as an asylum seeker in 1993. The captain of a giant P&O ferry was hailed a hero today for drawing up his gangplanks and refusing to allow police or new crewmen to board his vessel. The captain of the Pride of Hull, understood to be Eugene Favier from The Netherlands, sealed himself and his crew inside the ferry just hours after P&0 Ferries announced mass redundancies. It is understood that he left his ship and went to speak to P&O Ferries officials onshore about the ongoing stand-off on the Pride of Hull. The captain of the Pride of Hull, Eugene Favier, sealed himself and his crew inside the ferry after P&O Ferries made the mass redundancies earlier today via a Zoom call Mr Favier addresses his crew inside the Pride of Hull, and is now refusing to let police and new staff aboard under maritime law Earlier today, the company sacked 800 employees over a Zoom call. P&O Cruises - which is part of Carnival Corporation & PLC - is unrelated to P&O Ferries and not affected by today's announcement. The Pride of Hull normally carries a crew of 141 people aboard and is one of the biggest ferries in Europe. It makes regular crossings between Hull and the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Hull's Labour MP Karl Turner said the captain had taken matters into his own hands and was now operating under maritime law to prevent anyone coming aboard. He added that those on the ship had enough food supplies to last 'as long as it takes' to resolve the dispute. He said: 'I'm told by Gaz Jackson, who is the RMT official who is sitting in on the ship, he's effectively locked in with the ship and the crew. 'He's saying the captain is refusing to allow the police to enter the ship. Members have said to me that the vessel has got enough supplies to feed the crew for as long as it takes. 'As far as I understand in maritime law, even though that vessel is in a port, that captain is still entitled under maritime law to refuse any person onto his vessel.' The P&O ferry Pride of Hull in the Port of Hull after sailings were suspended today Mr Turner added that staff on the ship had been treated with 'utter contempt' by P&O Ferries, which is owned by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World. He said: 'They're treating British ratings with utter contempt, and they're treating the British government with utter contempt as well. 'Boris Johnson was in Dubai yesterday. 'I'm not having a pop at Boris Johnson, but I suspected P&O Ferries, which is owned by the state of Dubai was effectively going to sack every British rating the very next morning.' Earlier today, P&O Ferries released a statement saying they would be making a 'major company announcement' to ensure the long term viability of their operations. Its statement read: 'To facilitate this announcement all our vessels have been asked to discharge their passengers and cargo and standby for further instructions. 'This means we're expecting all our ports to experience serious disruption today, so please bear with us and we will give further information in an all-colleague announcement later today.' Health Secretary said UK has 'moral duty' to help Ukrainians access healthcare Ukrainians will be able to access GPs, nurses and hospital services for free Ukrainian refugees fleeing Vladimir Putin's barbaric invasion will receive free NHS care. The new regulations cover any treatment that started on or after February 24 the date Russia began blitzing its neighbour. It means that Ukrainians will get free GP appointments and nurse consultations, as well as hospital services and urgent care centres. Health Secretary Sajid Javid today said that it's the country's 'moral duty' to ensure anyone escaping Ukraine can access healthcare they need 'without worrying about the cost'. Current guidance outlines that all refugees are supposed to be exempt from charges for using the NHS. Visitors in the UK who are not deemed eligible for treatment usually face costs of up to 28,000 for some surgeries. A&E services, treatment for most infectious diseases and contraception are already free to all. The Government has so far donated 1.8million medical items of Ukraine, including wound care packs, intensive care equipment and vital medicines. And 21 Ukrainian children with cancer who arrived in England on Sunday evening are now receiving life-saving treatment at seven NHS hospitals. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it's the country's 'moral duty to ensure any Ukrainian arriving in England' can access the healthcare they need 'without worrying about the cost' Around 150,000 Britons have signed up to the Government's Home for Ukraine scheme and to host a refugee The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are now launching an appeal to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly fleeing from Russia's invading armed forces. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of a tyrant will require accommodation, schools and medical support. All donations to the Mail Ukraine Appeal will be distributed to charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement Mr Javid said: 'It's our moral duty to ensure any Ukrainian arriving in England, after being forced out of their home country by the Russian invasion is able to access the healthcare they might need, without worrying about the cost. 'We have acted swiftly to provide substantial humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with our international partners. 'Those in need of care will be treated by our incredible NHS staff as we welcome them to this country.' Patients not eligible for NHS treatment are usually charged up to 28,000 for treatment, such as brain surgery, heart and lung transplants and cancer treatment. To be eligible for free care, Ukrainians in the UK must be on a temporary visa or a family sponsored route to England. They can also fall under the waiver if they choose to extend their seasonal worker visa or are in the process of switching visas. The United Nations estimates 3.1million people have fled Ukraine since Putin's invasion began three weeks ago. The vast majority, 1.9million, have gone to Poland, while around 500,000 are in Romania and 350,000 have been taken in by Moldova. In the UK, around 6,100 visas have been granted through the Ukraine Family Scheme which allows Ukrainians to come to the UK if they have family in the country. And anyone with a valid Ukrainian passport can now travel to the UK without attending an in-person appointment to conduct biometric checks. The Government has also launched the Home for Ukraine scheme and 150,000 Britons have already put their name down to host a refugee. Home Secretary Priti Patel said: 'The people of Ukraine are facing unimaginable suffering and trauma at the hands of Putin's barbaric regime. 'We are providing a safe haven for some of those people and as soon as they arrive in England they will be able to access the support they need, including healthcare, education, benefits and the right to work helping to provide some stability at a difficult time.' It comes after 21 'very ill' Ukrainian children with cancer landed in the UK on Sunday evening. Mr Javid said the children would now receive life-saving care in safety, without the threat of being bombed by invading Russian troops. It comes as the war in Ukraine today enters its third week. Putin's forces last night bombed a theatre where 1,200 civilians, including sick children and women, had been taking shelter from the conflict. But officials said it is impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the attack because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, meaning rescuers can't reach those trapped in the rubble. The New York Times has finally admitted Hunter Biden's laptop is real more than a year after DailyMail.com authenticated its contents with top experts. When files from the laptop were published before the 2020 presidential election, the newspaper cast doubt on its provenance, linked it to Russian disinformation, and made no public attempt to obtain and verify it. But buried 1,200 words into a story this week about a federal probe into the president's son, the Gray Lady admitted to an astonishing U-turn. Reporters referenced emails 'obtained by The New York Times from a cache of files that appears to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop', adding that they 'were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation.' DailyMail.com authenticated the laptop a full year earlier, and was the first and only news organization to publicly verify its contents using expert analysis. Last March, we hired top cyber forensics experts at Maryman & Associates to examine the hard drive to determine its authenticity. DailyMail.com published dozens of a stories based on the scandalous contents of Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop - including a cache of 103,000 text messages, 154,000 emails, more than 2,000 photos (pictured)- that were verified by top forensics experts Experts concluded there were no indications 'found that would suggest the data was manufactured.' Pictured above: A selfie of Joe and Hunter The firm's founder, Brad Maryman, was a 29-year veteran of the FBI, served as a Chief Information Security Officer and founded the bureau's cyber forensics unit. His partner, Dr. Joseph Greenfield, is an associate professor at the University of Southern California and helped write their degree program in intelligence and cyber operations. After an extensive analysis of the hard drive, Greenfield and Maryman produced a report for DailyMail.com detailing their findings. 'The operating system timestamps appear to be authentic, and no evidence was found to suggest that the timestamps or data were altered or manufactured,' the report said. 'No indications were found that would suggest the data was manufactured.' Since then, DailyMail.com has revealed a series of troubling stories based on the scandalous material from the laptop that go to the heart of the FBI's probe into Hunter's alleged dodged taxes, foreign lobbying and suspected money laundering. Over the past year we have published stories including: But the stories were given few column inches by America's most venerable news organizations including the New York Times until now. The Times has previously repeatedly referred to information from the laptop as 'purported', 'in question', and even called it 'unsubstantiated' in a September 2021 news story, then later quietly removed the word. Jack Maxey, a political activist and former Steve Bannon podcast co-host, who gave DailyMail.com the laptop, said he also provided the Washington Post with a copy last summer The newspaper also prominently reported White House denials of Joe Biden's meetings with Hunter's business partners at a DC cafe, evidenced by the laptop emails, until this week's report when the Times performed an about-face. A new lawsuit reveals that although the newspaper failed to publish stories based on the laptop for over a year, Times reporters appear to have been paying close attention to some of DailyMail.com's stories. On June 7 last year, we revealed how Hunter and Freeh were hired by Romanian tycoon Gabriel Popoviciu later convicted of bribery and represented him in meetings with top US officials. Hunter's work for the corrupt foreign magnate came dangerously close to the line of illegal lobbying, and is now likely to be one avenue of investigation by the federal probe into the president's son over suspected violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Photos provided by Maxey show him at the newspaper's offices, and a copy of the laptop hard drive lying on the Post's boardroom table DailyMail.com obtained the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by Times reporter Kenneth Vogel to the State Department, asking for staff's communications relating to Hunter The day the story was published, Times reporter Kenneth Vogel fired off a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the State Department, asking for staff's communications relating to Hunter, Popoviciu and other individuals named in our piece. Vogel's FOIA request was made public this month when the Times sued the Department for failing to hand over its files promptly. While the Times fights it out with the State Department, DailyMail.com readers already learned months ago that one very senior State staffer the then-US ambassador to Romania Hans Klemm communicated with Hunter's team and met Hunter to discuss Popoviciu's case in 2016. DailyMail.com can also reveal that the Washington Post has had a copy of the laptop hard drive for over six months, but has failed to admit it, publish any stories based on its contents, and even managed to accidentally delete their first copy. Jack Maxey, a political activist and former Steve Bannon podcast co-host who gave DailyMail.com the laptop, said he also provided the Post with a copy last summer. 'I'm not going to disclose the details of our conversations, but I gave them a copy of it in June. I personally delivered it to their offices and met with senior editors,' he said 'They haven't done anything. They're not just late to the party, they didn't even show up. 'I had to go a second time in October because they broke the first copy.' Photos provided by Maxey show him at the newspaper's offices, and a copy of the laptop hard drive lying on the Post's boardroom table. Among the stories to emerge from the files in the laptop, was how Hunter and former FBI director Louis Freeh (left) were hired by Romanian tycoon Gabriel Popoviciu (right) later convicted of bribery and represented him in meetings with top US officials Emails showed Hunter brought in political heavyweight and family friend Louis Freeh, the former director of the FBI, to use his US law enforcement contacts for Popoviciu's advantage, and was offered a referral fee as a result DailyMail.com obtained a copy of Hunter's laptop hard drive from Maxey in spring 2021. John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of the computer store where Hunter abandoned his laptop, gave a copy of its hard drive to Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani in September 2020. Giuliani reportedly leaked documents and photos from the drive to the New York Post, and also gave a whole copy of the drive to Trump's former advisor Bannon and his podcast co-host Maxey. The Post published excerpts of emails and photos from the laptop ahead of the 2020 election, but without authentication they were widely dismissed as fake or 'Russian disinformation'. In April 2021 DailyMail.com published the contents of a report by Maryman & Associates showing the laptop was real, and continued to reveal its sordid and potentially incriminating contents over the following year. Using the same forensic tools as federal and state law enforcement in criminal investigations, Maryman & Associates found a total of 103,000 text messages, 154,000 emails and more than 2,000 photos on the hard drive. The now-infamous photo of Hunter lying in bed with a crackpipe in his mouth was among the files found on his device The New York Post had published excerpts of emails and photos from the laptop ahead of the 2020 election, but without authentication they were widely dismissed as fake or 'Russian disinformation'. Pictured: Photos recovered from the computer A shocking photo obtained from Hunter's laptop shows his badly damaged and worn down teeth - also known as 'meth mouth' - as he sits in a dentist chair The sheer volume, interconnectedness and consistency of the data was a major factor in the cyber forensics experts coming to their conclusion over its authenticity. They found emails for multiple accounts on the laptop dating back to 2009, and other data which 'appears to be related to Mr. Biden' between 2016 and 2019. Hunter's iCloud email address was added to the laptop's system on October 21 2018, as well as his work email at his firm Rosemont Seneca on February 2, 2019. Emails addressed to Hunter's various email addresses dating from December 2009 to December 2020 were found on the system. An iPad with the name 'Hunter's iPad' and three email addresses associated with the Biden family was backed up on the laptop and on iCloud in January 2019 and again a month later. Greenfield found 818 call logs in this iPad backup with timestamps from June 2016 to February 2019. Hunter's laptop is brimming with evidence of apparent criminal activity by him and his associates including drug trafficking and prostitution. This photo of him grabbing a woman's hair was recovered from his laptop The computer also revealed Hunter, who began dating his late brother's widow Hallie (pictured) after his death, also had a fling with her sister There were 8,942 entries in the iPad's contacts book, created between April 2016 and January 2019. In February 2019 an iPhone XS was also synced with the laptop. Its serial number was consistent with the timestamps of the data on the phone. The findings were consistent with other information from Mac Isaac, Maxey, and recipients of emails and texts from Hunter. Ukrainian soldiers were trained by CIA veterans after Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014 according to reports, which officials believe is what is helping them in their war against the Kremlin today. Paramilitary officers with the Central Intelligence Agency in the Special Activities Division began secret training in sniping, anti-tank warfare and surveillance evasion after Russia occupied Crimea this time eight years ago. According to Yahoo News, six former CIA officials have said they can recognize their training in the current war on Ukraine through the resistance of the nation's soldiers. 'I think we're seeing a big impact from snipers,' one former senior official told Yahoo, 'Especially as Russian forces get bogged down from lack of supplies. 'I think the training really paid off.' Within their training following the 2014 invasion of Crimea, the CIA are said to have trained the Ukrainians to avoid electronic surveillance of the Russians. This comes as the Pentagon estimates at least 7,000 Russian troops have now died in the fighting, with another 14,000 to 21,000 having been wounded, accounting for nearly a fifth of the estimated 150,000 men that Putin amassed on the border before before giving the order to attack 21 days ago. Ukrainian soldiers were trained by CIA veterans after Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014 according to reports, which officials believe is what is helping them in their war against the Kremlin today (Pictured, a sniper of the Ukrainian armed forces firing his rifle during training at a firing range near the town of Marinka in the Donetsk region, in April 2021) During the three weeks of war since Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24, the Ukrainian army has killed four Russian generals. High-ranking Russian general Major Oleg Mityaev was killed during fighting in the south eastern city of Mariupol on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials have claimed. Major General Andrei Kolesnikov was killed last week, four days before Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, who also played a part in the annexation of Crimea, was killed. Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky, 47, was shot dead by a sniper near Mariupol which has seen a brutal siege of Russian forces for days. Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine has seen the Ukrainian military holding key cities despite aggressive Russian advances, which has seen shelling and missile attacks on the war-torn country. But losses for Russia's troops are now so severe, US intelligence believes some Russian units cannot keep fighting - and against expectations, the Ukrainian military have defied a rapid collapse and have instead inflicted huge hits on the Russian materials and men on the front line. Paramilitary officers with the Central Intelligence Agency in the Special Activities Division began secret training in sniping, anti-tank warfare and surveillance evasion after Russia occupied Crimea this time eight years ago (file photo) The CIA program in Ukraine operated for some years after the annexation in 2014, say former officials. US Paramilitaries who were in Ukraine were pulled out of the country ahead of the start of the Russian invasion in February, but they are said to have reported to their superiors that the Ukrainians were 'ready for battle'. They reported that the battlefield between Ukraine and Russia was a 'shock' to the CIA because Russian soldiers were using drones, cell towers and other equipment against Ukrainians on the front line. This was something one former intelligence official said helped Russians target Ukrainians, with soldiers using mobile phones 'in a trench', he said, 'People were getting blown to bits.' They described the eastern edge of Ukraine as something out of a Terminator movie, with the weaponized artificial intelligence systems on Russia's side of the fighting. The CIA program was kept very small, with only single digits of paramilitaries being sent out to eastern Ukraine to help minimize the exposure of the intelligence agency. With the low-profile in mind, the agency's engagement was limited to advising and training but no direct combat from the CIA themselves. Since the start of the Russian invasion, the number of Ukrainians fleeing from their country passed three million on Tuesday, according to the UN. Those escaping fighting and Russian bombardment are rising in numbers after Sunday's Russian strike on the Yavoriv military base near Lviv, with some people from western Ukraine having now joined the refugee flow across the border. Thousands of passengers left stranded on a Norwegian Cruise ship were forced to make the best of their situation after the ship ran aground in the Dominican Republic. The ship, called Norwegian Escape, reportedly hit the seabed while departing out of a dock in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, causing damage to the vessel's hull. On Tuesday morning the ship was refloated and returned to the dock at Puerto Plata - though the more than 3,000 passengers have been stuck on board since then as crews assessed it for damages. Planes back to the United States are apparently being chartered for the beleaguered passengers, though several onboard reported to Orlando local station WKMG that there may be a snag because passports are required to board international flights - but the cruise required only a driver's license to board. It's unclear how many people are affected by the policy. Soon after stopping, in a letter that was posted to social media, the ship's captain regretfully informed the 3,157 passengers aboard the ship that the seven-night cruise would be cut short. He added that Norwegian Cruise Line cancelled the rest of the vessel's scheduled trip out of 'an abundance of caution' - but passengers on board have been posting updates throughout the experience, reporting that 'morale is high' and that everyone is 'making the most of our time' by hitting the ship's bars and other amenities. On Monday the Norwegian Escape ship (pictured) was damaged when it hit the seabed while departing out of a dock in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic One passenger aboard the ship posted photos of people enjoying the ships amenities with the captions 'the show must go on' and said people were having a 'great time' On Tuesday morning the ship was refloated and returned to the dock at Puerto Plata where it was assessed for damages In a letter posted to social media, the ship's captain regretfully informed the 3,157 passengers aboard the ship that the seven-night cruise would be cut short 'We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, as we understand now more than ever the desire to travel and reconnect with the places and people we've missed the most,' the captain wrote. Passengers were informed that the cruise line would be arranging for passengers to return home via charter flights from Dominican Republic to Orlando as well as buses from Orlando to Port Canaveral for passengers who drove to the port where the ship embarked on Saturday. The letter also said that passengers will get a full refund plus full credit for a future cruise through March 25, 2023. 'While there is minor damage to the ship's hull, all guests and crew are safe. The current cruise will be shortened, and the cruise scheduled to embark on March 19 will be canceled so that the necessary repairs can be made,' Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement. Dominican Republic was meant to be the ship's first stop in the seven-day Caribbean cruise, followed by stops in US Virgin Islands, British Virgin islands and the Bahamas Passengers on board indicated the incident was due to high winds. But despite the disappointment, one passenger live-tweeted his experience and said everyone on board was making the best of the situation by hosting dance parties and hitting the ship's bars. 'I do want to give a shout-out to Norwegian Cruise during this 'beaching' all crew members have been extremely calming and helpful. No sense of panic. Other than not moving you wouldn't know there's a problem,' user @DisneyTalk101 tweeted on Monday. The following day he provided an update, saying people were generally in high spirits. 'Update: Morale on the ship is high. Everyone that is out at the bars and restaurants are having a good time. Making the most of our time left here. Haven't heard many negative comment,' he tweeted. In following tweets the passenger posted photos of people enjoying the ships amenities with the captions 'the show must go on' and said people were having a 'great time.' Dominican Republic was meant to be the ship's first stop in the seven-day Caribbean cruise, followed by stops in US Virgin Islands, British Virgin islands and the Bahamas. In January COVID-19 cases were reported on every cruise ship sailing in the U.S. - leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate all 92 cruises operating in the US to trace the outbreaks. During the height of the Omicron surge cruise ships were forced to turn away from ports because passengers were testing positive, causing the cruises to skip planned stops or head home, the Washington Post reported. The influx in cases at the time threatened to put a damper on the cruise industry's long-planned comeback, which started last summer when companies resumed operations after closing their doors for more than a year due to the pandemic. Ringo Starr's granddaughter was ordered to pay 440 for practising with her band during lockdown - but has asked if the fine can be 'overturned if Boris Johnson is cleared of breaking Covid rules', a court has heard. Tatia Starkey, 36, who is the daughter of Ringos son Zak, 'illegally participated in a gathering of two or more people' after officers attended her address in Queens Park, northwest London, at 1.30am on 10 February last year. The bass player, who performs under the stage name Veronica Avant and plays in Indie band Belakiss, told Westminster Magistrates Court: Im a musician and three people came over to practice. Starkey today admitted participating in a gathering of two or more people in private dwelling this morning and was handed a 400 fine and also given a 40 victim surcharge. Appearing via video-link, Starkey asked whether her 'fine would be overturned if Scotland Yard's verdict into Partygate found Boris Johnson not guilty'. Judge Daniel Sternberg said he can only deal with the matter before the court and he has a right to appeal the decision. Starkey claimed she earns '800 a month from working in a coffee shop two days a week, as well as receiving 1,400 a month from her father'. She said she has not made any money from the band as the music industry is hard at the moment. It comes as the PM is nervously awaiting the conclusions of the Scotland Yard investigation, which covers around half-a-dozen events he attended during lockdown. Tatia Starkey, 36, (Pictured) who is the daughter of Ringos son Zak, 'illegally participated in a gathering of two or more people' after officers attended her address in Queens Park, northwest London, at 1.30am on 10 February last year Ringo Starr pictured with his first wife Maureen Starkey and their newborn baby Zak, Starkey's father, in 1965 Prosecutor Jordan Pratt said police officers heard 'loud music and 'singing' when they attended Starkey's address last February. Mr Pratt said: They immediately heard the sound of loud music and people singing. Officers knocked several times until the door opened. The defendant confirmed that she was the occupier of the address and the other people did not live there. When police officers attended her address, Starkey said they were all part of a band and they finished work and they were letting their hair down and enjoying themselves, said Mr Pratt. The officers heard loud music being played and they were drinking alcohol, he continued. Appearing via video-link, Starkey asked whether her 'fine would be overturned if Scotland Yard's verdict into Partygate found Boris Johnson (pictured) not guilty' On 8 September, she was convicted under the single justice procedure of participating in the illegal gathering in Chevening Road, Queens Park, on 10 February 2021 while London was in Tier 4 lockdown. But at the last hearing on 8 March, Starkey successfully applied to reopen the case after explaining all the court papers were sent to her old address. Starkey considered changing her plea to not guilty, saying: Its complicated. Zak Starkey, is drummer for The Who and has also drummed for Oasis. He married Tatias Starkey mother Sarah Medikides when she was born in 1985 - the first of Starrs eight grandchildren. In 2016, Starkey had a child with Adam Low, making Starr a great-grandfather. The bass player, who performs under the stage name Veronica Avant and plays in Indie band Belakiss, told Westminster Magistrates Court: Im a musician and three people came over to practice' With dark hair and a heavy fringe, Starkey shares a strong resemblance with her grandmother Maureen Starkey - Starrs first wife - who passed away from leukaemia in 1994. Starkey, of Bracknell, Berkshire, previously appeared in court wearing a furry leopard print coat and wore her dark hair tied up in a high ponytail. She was due to appear via video-link today (thurs) for a case management hearing to set a trial date, but she changed her plea to guilty and was fined 400. Starkey was also charged 85 in prosecution costs and 40 victim surcharge following the hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Chaos erupted at UK ports today with aid prevented from reaching Ukrainians and lorry drivers left waiting for hours after P&O Ferries' shock decision to suspend all its services 'for days' and replace 800 employees with cheap agency staff. As well as running passenger services, the company is a major freight carrier on the crucial Dover to Calais route. This handles a third of the goods trade between Britain and the EU, including large amounts of perishable food. A lorry driver trying to enter the port began shouting and beeping at those in the road, before being told 'We're not moving'. Another driver, Richard Gamby, said: 'I understand what they're doing but I want to get home - I've been up since four.' P&O Ferries is owned by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World. The CEO of DP World is Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem - whose firm reported a $896million (683) profit last year and soaring revenues. Awkwardly for the government, DP World also owns Thames Freeport - one of eight of Boris Johnson's flagship 'Freeports' that are being established around the UK. It came as Ukraine well-wisher Stuart Davison, 53, from Selby, was left at least 800 out of pocket after hearing his P&O ferry he was taking from Hull to Rotterdam had been cancelled. P&O Cruises - which is part of Carnival Corporation & PLC - is unrelated to P&O Ferries and not affected by today's announcement. The unexpected news has caused chaos for tourists and freight businesses, with huge crews of lorries seen queuing at Dover A queue of lorries outside Dover this morning. P&O Ferries operates four routes: Dover to Calais; Hull to Rotterdam; Liverpool to Dublin; and Cairnryan, Scotland, to Larne, Northern Ireland P&O Ferries is the UK's leading ferry firm, transporting both passengers and freight. Pictured is a queue of lorries outside Dover today P&O Ferries crisis: The lowdown Whats going on? P&O Ferries has made 800 workers redundant and replaced them with cheaper agency staff. Can it do that? Unions have threatened legal action and lawyers suggested workers could bring unfair dismissal claims. Tom Long, partner at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, said the move appears to contravene the requirements needed for a normal mass redundancy. Booked a ferry? P&O Ferries was updating guidance over Twitter every half an hour yesterday. On some routes, including Dover to Calais, it advised customers to show up as usual and make their way to check-in booths run by ferry company DFDS. On others, such as between Larne and Cairnryan, the firm suggested customers only travel if essential. Other options? If you are travelling in the near future you can book on an alternative carrier. DFDS and Irish Ferries offer routes between Dover and Calais. There are no direct alternatives for the other routes but Stena Line offers services to Ireland and Holland. Refunds? The firm has not commented but its terms and conditions say it will refund the total fare of a crossing if we cannot ship you at all with us or arrange a suitable alternative ferry crossing, or if you do not wish to take any alternative journey offered by us. And P&O Cruises? P&O Cruises is owned by a different company and is not affected by the disruption. Advertisement He and a friend were planning to travel onwards to the Ukrainian border with a van full of food, sanitary products, medical supplies and clothing, but have been forced to look for an alternative route. 'We have lost 800 and that's coming out of our own pockets and now we're going to have to pay for the Eurotunnel or whatever we use. It's a nightmare. The thing is everybody is doing the same thing and now there are huge queues to get on.' P&O Ferries has urged people with tickets to arrive as booked and said they will find 'an alternative carrier as quickly as possible', but Mr Davison said he didn't want to take his chances. Consumer experts have said customers can request a refund. There has also been disruption in Calais, where a driver due to return to the UK was left waiting hours to catch another ferry. 'More than anything I'm frustrated at the fact nobody from P&O was there to help and advise ... I've never had such shoddy service from anybody,' he said. The driver, who wished to remain nameless, said he had been able to rebook with DFDS, saying: 'I've had to exit the port and go through the entire process again, not to mention paying for another ticket at a higher price with them. 'I would have appreciated somebody at least telling us what to do.' P&O Ferries operates four routes: Dover to Calais; Hull to Rotterdam; Liverpool to Dublin; and Cairnryan, Scotland, to Larne, Northern Ireland. Sailings between Hull and Zeebrugge, Belgium, were axed in January 2021. The firm carried 10million passengers a year before the pandemic and about 15% of all freight cargo in and out of the UK. It suspended all sailings this morning before telling its employees they had been made redundant 'with immediate effect' on a four-minute Zoom call at 10.30am - prompting many to block the streets of Dover in protest. P&O Ferries workers who have just been sacked are pictured leaving the Port of Dover with their personal belongings and bags containing large white envelopes Former P&O Ferries staff and RMT members block the A20 leading to the Port of Dover as P&O Ferries suspended sailings and handed 800 seafarers immediate severance notices on Thursday Ukraine well-wisher Stuart Davison, 53, from Selby, was left at least 800 out of pocket after hearing his P&O ferry he was taking from Hull to Rotterdam had been cancelled There has been widespread anger at P&O Ferries' decision to cancel its services without any warning. A spokesman for the Road Haulage Association said: 'Many of our international members have been in touch asking for the latest info from Dover. We understand that they will be redirected to other providers, including The Shuttle. 'We consider P&O's action, made with no warning whatsoever, to be both frustrating and irresponsible. There appears to be little consideration for customer care.' Anton Gunter, managing director of Telford-based Global Freight Services, said the news was another major blow to UK exporters and the travel industry. He said: 'The decision by P&O Ferries to cancel all its services will cause major delays for businesses and the impact will be felt very swiftly. 'As one of the largest carriers of freight and passengers between the UK and Europe, it's another major blow for businesses who were just getting back on track after the knock-on-effects from Covid and Brexit.' Three P&O ferries, Spirit of Britain, Pride of Canterbury and Pride of Kent moor up in the cruise terminal at the Port of Dover in Kent after the company suspended sailings Three P&O ferries are moored up at the Western Docks but the port is understood to be operating normally with passengers and trucks put onto ferries run by other operators such as DFDS. Only a line of lorries queued up Jubilee Way. which runs from the A2 dual carriageway at the top of the cliff down to the port, as they waited to enter the port. But truckers said that wasn't unusual for the time of day and was to stop congestion inside the large port complex. At 4pm, a spokesman for the Port of Dover said 'there were no significant queues' after police were able to clear away protesters. Residents in Kyiv suburb of Bucha did not start the year expecting their streets to be the site of the most intense warfare on European soil for generations. Now they are facing the consequences - they must dig mass graves for the scores of civilians killed in the two-week 'Battle of Bucha' between Russian and Ukrainian forces. A tragic and detailed video shows locals bagging and burying dozens of people outside the town's Church of St. Andrew Pervozvannoho. No identifiers have been laid for the dead, nor crosses or a memorial, according to the person who shared the video on Facebook. Bucha locals are seen taking the bagged bodies from a truck and burying them neatly outside the suburb's main church - but there are no markers or crosses over the graves Andriy Levkivskyi wrote: '67 civilians were buried on the grounds of the city church of Bucha in a mass grave. 'They were different [but] now no one is identified. Crosses are not placed on mass graves.' In the video, a small group of men can be seen unloading piles of bodies in black bags into a large ditch next to the church. They say little and look solemn as they do it, carefully piling the bodies on top of each other in a neat row. It's not clear where exactly the people died or in what circumstances, but it's more than likely they died during the two-weeks-long Battle of Bucha which started late last month. Just when the Bucha residents think they've finished the job, they spot more bags on the truck Since Monday, Russia has claimed control of the suburb just north of Kyiv. The graphic video emerged as Ukraine's civilian death toll continues to rise and a swift end to the war remains unlikely. On Monday the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 691 civilian deaths since the invasion began on February 24, but the true number is thought to be considerably higher. In fact, the number of civilians killed in Mariupol alone is now thought to be around 1,200. Customers of P&O Ferries who were left stranded today after the firm sacked all of its crew and cancelled all services for the next few days said they have been left 'high and dry' and 'abandoned'. The company made its 800 of its crew redundant and replaced them with cheaper agency workers. An unidentified senior member of staff told stunned workers they were all being made redundant with immediate effect via an online Zoom call held at 10.30am on Thursday morning. The move led to chaos as many staff held defiant protests and refused to disembark their ships, prompting P&O to hire balaclava-clad private security officers to force them to leave. As the firm also cancelled its immediate upcoming services, it warned of 'significant disruption'. Scottish couple Gavin and Jackie Shaw had a P&O ferry booked from Larne in Northern Ireland at 4pm today but were left stranded after the firm's mass sackings. Mr Shaw told Sky News this afternoon that he and his wife had been left 'a wee bit high and dry' and 'abandoned' and had been forced to re-book another ferry with rival firm Stena Line, at a cost of 174. He claimed that he had been told by P&O Ferries that his ticket would be honoured but said 'this turned out not to be true'. We have heard nothing from P&O at all, no communications from them. We are left a wee bit high and dry P&O Ferries crisis: The lowdown Whats going on? P&O Ferries has made 800 workers redundant and replaced them with cheaper agency staff. Can it do that? Unions have threatened legal action and lawyers suggested workers could bring unfair dismissal claims. Tom Long, partner at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, said the move appears to contravene the requirements needed for a normal mass redundancy. Booked a ferry? P&O Ferries was updating guidance over Twitter every half an hour yesterday. On some routes, including Dover to Calais, it advised customers to show up as usual and make their way to check-in booths run by ferry company DFDS. On others, such as between Larne and Cairnryan, the firm suggested customers only travel if essential. Other options? If you are travelling in the near future you can book on an alternative carrier. DFDS and Irish Ferries offer routes between Dover and Calais. There are no direct alternatives for the other routes but Stena Line offers services to Ireland and Holland. Refunds? The firm has not commented but its terms and conditions say it will refund the total fare of a crossing if we cannot ship you at all with us or arrange a suitable alternative ferry crossing, or if you do not wish to take any alternative journey offered by us. And P&O Cruises? P&O Cruises is owned by a different company and is not affected by the disruption. Advertisement P&O Ferries said it had made the move to plug a 100million year on year black hole in its finances. The company said the sacked staff would be given 'enhanced' severance packages and said the move was a 'necessary decision' to protect its remaining 2,200 staff. The firm's statement said: 'We have made a 100m loss year on year, which has been covered by our parent DP World. 'This is not sustainable. Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now. 'Without these changes, there is no future for P&O Ferries.' However, speaking this afternoon, passenger Mr Shaw spoke of his anger. Speaking from Port Rush, in Northern Ireland, he said: 'We have heard nothing from P&O at all, no communications from them. 'We are left a wee bit high and dry. Fortunately we have managed to book a later ferry tonight with Stena Line. 'P&O were trying to say that all their tickets would be honoured by Stena Line. I am afraid this turned out not to be true. 'Stena Line don't know anything of this so-called arrangement. We have had to rebook with Stena Line at a cost of 174, which is unfortunate. Mr Shaw said he had been trying to contact P&O 'frequently' and 'all morning' but was not able to speak to any member of staff. 'I couldnt get through to anybody, everything was engaged. It was just ringing out, hopeless. We were just abandoned. All the passengers were just abandoned,' he added. 'We have been reading stuff online that this has happened to everybody who has tried to board a P&O ferry. They have just been left high and dry. 'We were lucky that we were able to not rebook but it is bad enough for us but 800 pepole have just lost their jobs which is even worse.' Mr Shaw added: 'We will certainly be trying to get the money from P&O. 'What our chances are I wouldnt like to say. I would imagine their customer services if you can call it that will be pretty much swamped at the moment with people like ourselves. 'We are not optimistic that we will see our money, to be perfectly honest with you.' Several workers slammed the ferry firm for 'scheming behind closed doors before stabbing us all in the back'. Today, employment lawyers warned the dismissals may well be illegal. Staff pictured on board P&O's Pride of Canterbury are informed they've been sacked and are told to reapply for jobs on Thursday Scottish couple Gavin and Jackie Shaw had a P&O ferry booked from Larne in Northern Ireland at 4pm today but were left stranded after the firm's mass sackings. Mr Shaw told Sky News this afternoon that he and his wife had been left 'a wee bit high and dry' and 'abandoned' Some of those who lost their jobs were informed of the decision via video call, with this footage showing a P&O boss telling staff: 'The company has made the decision that its vessels going forward will be primarily crewed by a third-party crew provider. Therefore, I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy' To help force its staff to disembark, P&O 'illegally' hired 16 handcuff-trained officers from a private security firm, with the company telling them the job would last a week and be paid at 14.50 an hour. Emails sent to security guards drafted in beforehand showed bosses describing a 'fairly high profile task' to be dealt with over the course of a week in Dover. Those enlisted were told to bring 'cuffs and utility belts' but were informed they would 'not need body armour for this task'. Speaking on Thursday, Karl Turner, MP for East Hull, said P&O Ferries had received 10million from the Government for furloughing 1,100 members of staff during the coronavirus pandemic, and demanded the British taxpayer was reimbursed. Union bosses later slammed the firm and said it was 'a scandal' that British workers had been betrayed when UK taxpayers were made to foot the bill for the company's costs during the pandemic. Pictures emerged online showing the captain of The Pride of Hull, understood to be Eugene Favier, sealing his crew inside and addressing defiant workers who refused to leave the holdout ship after 800 workers were made redundant with immediate effect. Meanwhile, shocking video footage showed the moment dozens of security staff boarded a ferry at Larne port in Northern Ireland to forcibly remove staff who had been staging a 'sit in' protest' onboard. Footage that was released by a Russian state-owned video news agency shows an American citizen fleeing Ukraine passing through a checkpoint in Crimea, before his parents say he was taken prisoner by the Russian military. Tina Hauser, of Winona, told local outlets that the last time she spoke with her son, 28-year-old Tyler Jacob, was on Saturday when he told her he was being forced by the Russian troops to board a bus out of Kherson and leave his Ukrainian wife and stepdaughter behind. Speaking to DailyMail.com on Thursday, Hauser said she has not heard from Tyler in five days. She said that officials with the US State Departments have petitioned the Russian government to reveal her son's whereabouts and whether he is 'still alive.' Video that was shot in Armiansk, Crimea, on Saturday night by the Russian video-on-demand company Ruptly shows Jacob going through a Russian checkpoint en route to Turkey. In an interview with the outlet, Jacob said that he planned to take a charter flight to Turkey with some people he had met on the bus. 'I think I'll be OK,' he said in the video. Sometime later, according to Jacob's parents, he was seized by Russian troops and taken away. 'My worst nightmare is coming true, and I'm fearful that they are going to torture him and kill him and I'm not ever going to see my son again,' Hauser told KAALTV through tears. The article that accompanied the Ruptly video alleged that the evacuation of 140 foreign nationals fleeing Ukraine was made possible by Russia's Ministry of Defense. 'The evacuation was organized at the request of foreign embassies seeking assistance with ensuring the safe conduct of their citizens from the territory of Ukraine, but also in response to pleas from foreign nationals, addressed to the Russian military command of Kherson,' the agency was quoted as stating. Hauser said she has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and on Wednesday they called her back, warning her that it was going to be 'a long slow process,' she wrote in a Facebook post. Minnesota native Tyler Jacob, 28, is seen at a checkpoint in Crimea on Saturday, just before his parents said he was taken prisoner by Russian forces Tina Hauser (left) says her 28-year-old son, Tyler Jacob (right), who has been living in Ukraine, was taken prisoner by Russian troops on Saturday When the bus reached the Russian-held Crimea, Jacob, who was the only American on board, was removed by Russian troops Jacob, from Minnesota, was living with his wife and stepdaughter in Kherson on the Black Sea when the Russian invasion began three weeks ago. This satellite image from March 15 shows the Kherson airbase on fire after an alleged airstrike against Russian forces occupying the base Jacob boarded an evacuation bus for foreigners headed to Turkey on Saturday, when this photo of Ukrainian protesters was taken in Kherson She has also contacted Sen. Amy Klobuchars office for help. 'My heart goes out to Tylers family and we will do everything we can to locate him. My office is working with the State Department and the embassy to find him and resolve this situation as quickly as possible,' Klobuchar said in a statement. The State Department said it is aware of the reports, but due to privacy considerations has no further comment. Jacob's parents said Jacob met a Ukrainian woman online last summer - visiting her in November before falling in love and getting married in January. In order to stay in the country, he got a job teaching English in a small village outside Kherson - but just one month later, Russian troops invaded Ukraine, and the newlyweds, as well as Jacob's new stepdaughter, found themselves trapped, he told Ruptly on Saturday. 'He met a girl over there, fell in love, got married, and now we are in a mess,' Tyler's father, John Quinn, told WCCO-TV. Before the war, Jacob (left) had been teaching English at Kherson's Camford School. His father, John Quinn (right), is concerned that Jacob will be used as a pawn by Kremlin The family have appealed for help to Senator Amy Klobuchar, pictured above arriving to watch a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday Kherson, a southern city of 290,000 on the Black Sea, was captured by invading Russian forces early in the war, which is now in its fourth week. Hauser said Jacob's newlywed wife and his stepdaughter are still tuck in a village outside Kherson. 'She is staying strong as much as she can,' Hauser said of her daughter-in-law. 'She is not sleeping, not eating, worried about Jacob.' Quinn said Jacob got on an evacuation bus for foreigners headed to Turkey on Saturday. But at a checkpoint in the Russian-held Crimea, the bus was stopped by Russian soldiers and Jacob, who was said to be the only American on board, was detained, WCCO-TV reported. 'Its heartbreaking that your child would have to go through something like that,' his father said. Quinn added that he is concerned that Jacob will be used as a pawn by Kremlin. Meanwhile, Jacob's distraught mother said she has been anxiously waiting by the phone day and night, hoping to hear from her son. 'I just cling to my phone, leaving it on all night hoping he will call or text, telling me he is OK, but I don't get anything,' Hauser told KARE11. Russia may not be able to mount an all-out attack on Kyiv as its demoralised troops suffer increasing casualties and become bogged down outside the Ukrainian capital, Western officials suggested today. Intelligence suggests Vladimir Putin's troops are only making small advances without a major strategic breakthrough in the face of 'fierce and mobile' Ukrainian resistance. The Pentagon estimates at least 7,000 Russian troops have now died in the fighting while another 14,000 to 21,000 have been wounded. That accounts for nearly a fifth of the estimated 150,000 men that Putin amassed on the border before giving the order to attack 21 days ago. There are questions over whether the occupying force could absorb the additional losses they would suffer if they tried to storm the well-prepared capital. Officials cautioned against ruling out Putin ordering a bloody direct attack in an attempt to end Ukrainian resistance. But they cited the deaths of four senior generals as a sign things are not going well - because top-ranking officers would not usually have to get in harms way to provide 'close-up supervision' of troops. 'They are getting pretty bogged-down around Kyiv. No doubt small gains are being made incrementally, but Ukrainian resistance is fierce and mobile,' they said. Intelligence suggests Vladimir Putin's troops are only making small advances without a major strategic breakthrough in the face of 'fierce and mobile' Ukrainian resistance. This is the moment Ukrainian forces ambushed a Russian tank with multiple missile strikes on the streets of the besieged city Mariupol. The tank's operators were forced to scramble out of the vehicle and make a desperate bid to escape as missiles rained from above Russian troops hunt for local ammo to give themselves a 'Blighty' Vladimir Putin's forces are looking for Ukrainian ammunition so they can shoot themselves in the leg and get sent home, according to an intercepted Russian phone call. Audio reveals a Russian soldier telling his mother that his unit 'want to find some 7.62 bullets, the Ukrainian ones' instead of 5.62mm ammunition being used in Russian AK-74's, to wound themselves with, adding that others 'already did this'. He explained 'in secret' that his fellow troops are hoping 'to shoots each other's legs so they would put some bandages on and sent us to the hospital in Budennovsk', a town in southern Russia. Shooting yourself to inflict a minor injury was carried out by British soldiers in the First World War in the hope of getting 'a Blightly' - a wound serious enough to warrant repatriation to the UK without risking your life. The audio, which was published by the Ukrainian Security Service, also claims that '120 people' have already been 'sent back to the hospital with wounds' and that '350' have been sent back to Russia in coffins. The unidentified serviceman tells his mother that his crew is no longer 'combat equipped' because 'Ukrainians blew all of it up' and that 'if they attack us now, we are dead'. Advertisement 'The sort of tactics the Ukrainians have used have been remarkably effective. An ill-judged ground assault on a city as well-prepared as Kyiv would be a very costly business. 'There comes a point where even Russia has to count the cost of casualties.' Sources also confirmed that Russia is seeking to recruit 'additional forces' in the form of mercenaries from Syria and Chechnya - also seen as a sign that its battleplans are failing. Explosive drone footage today captured the moment a Russian soldier leapt from his tank as it came under aerial bombardment from Ukrainian anti-tank missiles, as videos show how Kyiv continues to resist Putin's forces. Two separate clips recorded in recent days in the besieged cities of Mariupol and Kharkiv have shown Russian military vehicles being ambushed. In the first video, Ukraine's Azov Battalion launched artillery strikes on a Russian tank in Mariupol, killing at least one soldier and destroying the vehicle. The second video showed a Ukrainian soldier lying in wait for a Russian personnel carrier driving through Kharkiv, broadsiding the truck with a rocket from close range. In the Mariupol attack, one Russian soldier was able to cheat death by fleeing the vehicle between strikes, one of which narrowly missed him by a matter of yards. The tank was struck directly at least five times, with missiles also hitting close to the Z-branded Russian hardware - throwing the desperate operator to the floor as he ran for his life. Captured by a drone used to guide missiles to targets, the footage showed the Russian tank progressing down a four-lane road in a residential area of the city. Seconds after the vehicle turned a corner on a junction, an explosion is seen at the rear of the tank - narrowly missing it. 'Big gap' between two sides in peace talks Ukraine and Russia are taking peace talks seriously but a very big gap remains between the two sides, Western officials said on Thursday, adding Russian President Vladimir Putin did not seem in the mood to compromise. Although both sides have pointed to limited progress in peace talks this week, Putin showed little sign of relenting during a televised speech in which he inveighed against 'traitors and scum' at home who helped the West, and said the Russian people would spit them out like gnats. 'Both sides are taking (the talks) seriously but there is a very, very big gap between the positions in question,' one Western official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'Those ... who saw President Putin addressing the nation yesterday would be forgiven for thinking that Russia was not in compromising mood,' another official said. A Ukrainian negotiator has said that a 'model' of legally binding security guarantees that would offer Ukraine protection from a group of allies in the event of a future attack is 'on the negotiating table' at talks between Kyiv and Moscow. A Western official said the details of who would be a security guarantor was the subject of conversations with international partners but it was important to establish the terms. Advertisement The tank, with a large white 'Z' emblazoned on the front signifying that it is a Russian military vehicle, was quickly brought to a halt. But this only made it a sitting duck for Ukraine's forces. A second strike is shown making a direct hit on top of the tank shortly after it stopped moving, with flames from the explosion erupting from the combat vehicle. In a desperate attempt to escape the attack, the Russian troops attempted to reverse the tank back down the street, only for a third strike to hit its mark. At this point, Russian troops inside the vehicle attempted to flee their vehicle. The footage shows the hatch opening and smoke pouring from the hole. But the onslaught continued, with a fourth missile landing right on top of the tank, killing at least one Russian soldier as they attempted to make a run for it. A second soldier is seen scrambling out of the vehicle and jumping down to the street, past the body of his comrade, and narrowly avoiding yet another strike. Ukraine's forces, using anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), appeared to target the fleeing soldier, rather than the tank. The Russian was thrown to the ground. While prone on the ground, the surviving soldier was able to drag himself further away from the tank, as other explosions landed. His fate remains unknown. As the smoke cleared, the drone footage showed at least one body strewn across the road amongst the debris, and the smouldering wreckage of the tank. The video of the unrelenting attack was captured by the Azov battalion, a special operations unit within the Ukrainian army fighting against Russia's occupation. The footage was shared on Thursday by Ukraine's army on Facebook, along with a second video showing a second ambush. Like the first video, it shows a Russian military troop carrier driving down a main road - this time in Kharkiv. The video is also cut with footage captured by a helmet camera of the Ukrainian soldier who ambushes the vehicle. The Ukrainian soldier was riding in their own vehicle when the squad saw their target turn into the road ahead. The Ukrainian vehicle quickly pulled off the road and down a side street, and the soldier with the helmet camera jumped off the truck. Seconds after the vehicle turned a corner while driving down a main road, aerial footage captured by a drone shows that an initial strike narrowly missed at the rear of the tank The vehicle was brought to a halt, only making a sitting duck for Ukraine's missile strikes As the tank attempted to reverse to escape the onslaught, Ukrainian troops landed several direct hits on the vehicle, killing at least one Russian soldier and destroying the tank One soldier, pictured bottom left, is shown running under his tank's turret and past his fallen comrade before making a break for the side of the road. Moments later, another missile lands a matter of yards away After another explosion hit close to the soldier, he was thrown to the ground. Presumably injured, he is shown dragging himself through the dirt on the side of the road (bottom right) Soon after the personnel carrier turned a corner, it was broadsided by a missile - this time fired from a rocket-launcher operated by the Ukrainian soldier (pictured) A Russian personnel vehicle is hit by a rocket fired by a Ukrainian soldier from a side street Shocked by the attack, the troops ducked down into the truck which started to veer off the road, before crashing into a telephone pole The soldier took position near where the Russian truck would pass, ready to strike. Again, soon after the vehicle turned a corner, it was broadsided by a missile - this time fired from a rocket-launcher operated by the Ukrainian soldier. The attack was also filmed by a drone, which showed several soldiers in the back of the troop carrier as it was hit by the rocket. Shocked by the attack, the troops ducked down into the truck which started to veer off the road, before crashing into a telephone pole. It was not clear how many were injured in the attack, and the footage of the attack cut off before the Russian troops exited the personnel carrier. It was unclear when the two attacks occurred, but the videos were shared as Western countries said Russian forces are no longer making progress on the ground in their invasion of Ukraine. The war Moscow was thought to have hoped to win within days has entered its fourth week, and while Russian forces continue strikes on civilian targets, Ukraine's military has been putting up a strong resistance. Russia has taken heavy losses, with figures based just on visual confirmation alone suggesting 1,380 Russian military vehicles have been either destroyed (598), damaged (20), abandoned (211) or captured by Ukrainian forces (551). Ukraine estimates that the Kremlin's armies have lost far more, with Ukraine's Armed Forces saying on Wednesday that over 13,800 Russian troops have been killed. Other estimates have put this figure even higher, with the US on Thursday saying Russia has lost up to 28,000 soldiers - killed and wounded - during the three weeks of fighting in Ukraine. Pictured: A woman walks past a destroyed tank in a street damaged during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the separatist-controlled town of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region, Ukraine March 15, 2022 Meanwhile, Ukraine said Russian forces had destroyed a theatre where women and children had been sheltering in Mariupol. An official in the Mariupol mayor's office said a bomb shelter at the theatre had 'withstood' and there were survivors, but details of casualties were still not known. Russia denied striking the theatre, which commercial satellite pictures showed had the word 'children' marked out on the ground in front before it was blown up. Russia has assaulted Ukraine from four directions, sending two massive columns towards Kyiv from the northwest and northeast, pushing in from the east near the second biggest city Kharkiv, and spreading in from the south near Crimea. But British military intelligence said in an update on Thursday that the invasion had 'largely stalled on all fronts', and Russian forces were suffering heavy losses from a staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance. Here's how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly fleeing from the bombs and guns. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of this conflict will require accommodation, schools and medical support. Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA TEXT To donate 10, text HELP to 70115 To donate 20, text AID to 70115 Texts cost either 10 or 20 plus a standard network rate message. 100% of the donation goes to charity. TO MAKE A DONATION VIA PHONE Call 0300 12345 77 and follow the instructions to make your donation. A small fee will be deducted by the payment processing platforms when you pay by debit or credit card. TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement The five most-likely scenarios for what happens next in Ukraine including peace deal, Putin military success and Russian elite revolt Russian forces in Ukraine continue to blast cities and kill civilians, but are no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as Moscow's invasion Ukraine entered its fourth week. With each passing day, it is beginning to look more likely that Vladimir Putin's war could drag on for months, while peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow stalling. Meanwhile, the UN has said more than 3 million refugees have fled across Ukraine's borders, not knowing when they will be able to see their homes again. Despite the Kremlin insisting it is not targeting civilians, local officials said rescuers in the besieged southern port of Mariupol were combing the rubble of a theatre where women and children had been sheltering, bombed the previous day. The Governor of the northern Chernihiv region said 53 civilians had been killed there in bombardment over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Kyiv has resisted the Russian advance, but is also sustaining heavy bombardment in the outer-regions of the capital. Here are five possible scenarios for the weeks and months ahead, according to Western government sources and think-tank experts. 1. Military quagmire: Russian forces get bogged down and Ukraine soldiers continue their fierce resistance A view of burned tank is seen amid Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the city of Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on March 12, 2022 Ukrainian forces are still resisting Russia's invasion, inflicting serious equipment and human losses. Crucially they repelled an attempt by paratroopers to seize the capital in the opening days and have since withdrawn to defensive positions that have enabled them to keep control over all strategic cities. Although Russia has long claimed it has air superiority, Ukraine's air defences appear to be still working, while Western countries are pouring in portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. 'The Russian invasion has largely stalled on all fronts,' an update from the UK defence ministry said on Thursday. US intelligence estimates that 7,000 Russian troops have died, The New York Times reported, while Ukraine's military claims that figure to be much higher - although experts say that all such claims should be treated with caution. US President Joe Biden announced a massive new package of military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, including S-300 missile defence systems, 100 Switchblade 'kamikaze' drones and thousands more missiles. Ukrainian military resistance comes at a high civilian cost, however, with thousands dead and towns devastated such as Mariupol and Kherson. 2) Peace deal: Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement with Putin withdrawing his forces when his demands are met Pictured: The second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border on March 3 Negotiators from both sides began talking just days after the war started, first on the Belarus-Ukraine border, then in Turkey and latterly in the capital Kyiv. Mounting battlefield losses and crippling Western sanctions on the Russian economy could be pushing Putin to seek a face-saving way to end the conflict. 'Ukraine may be able to compel the Russians to make a choice: to persist and suffer irreparable losses, or desist and achieve some compensatory peace,' wrote Rob Johnson, a warfare expert at the University of Oxford, this week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the two sides were 'close to agreeing' a deal that would see Ukraine accept neutrality modelled on the status of Sweden and Austria. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already publicly acknowledged that his country will not join the Western NATO military alliance - a key demand from the Kremlin. But though the chances of a deal have grown significantly in recent days, there is no sign of a ceasefire and Ukraine wants a full Russian withdrawal and security guarantees about its future. Some Putin critics suspect that the diplomacy is a smokescreen. 'Reminder that to Putin 'ceasefire' just means 'reload',' dissident politician and former chess champion Garry Kasparov wrote on Twitter. 3) Domestic Russian change: Anti-war movement grows in Russia and oligarchs turn on their leader Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Manezhnaya square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022 Putin is tightening his grip over Russian society. A crackdown on independent media and foreign news providers has cemented the dominance of the ultra-loyal Russian state media. Thousands of anti-war demonstrators have been arrested, while a new law threatens up to 15 years in jail for spreading 'fake news' about the army. There are signs of cracks in the ruling elite, with some oligarchs, MPs, and even private oil group Lukoil calling openly for a ceasefire or an end to fighting. A Russian editor held up a sign saying 'No War' during a prime-time news broadcast on state TV this week. Though not seen as likely at this stage, the possibility of Putin being brought down in a popular backlash or even a palace coup cannot be ruled out. 'His personal security is very good and it will be very good until the moment it isn't,' said Eliot A. Cohen from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think-tank. 'That's happened numerous times in Soviet and Russian history.' Huge sanctions have been placed on Russia and also its oligarchs - Russia's elite who are also hugely influential, and close allies of Vladimir Putin. However, it is often the case that an oligarch is powerful because Putin allows them to be, not the other way around. 4) Russian military success: Putins generals crush resistance with superior weapons and devastating artillery Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin in Moscow, Russia March 2 Given Russian troops' superior weapons, air power and indiscriminate use of artillery, Western defence analysts say they are capable of grinding forward. A senior European military official cautioned Wednesday against underestimating their ability to replenish and adapt their tactics. They appear to have logistical and morale problems, with diesel and even engine lubricants in short supply, the official said. 'But you need to keep it in perspective. All of that does not change the superiority of the Russian military,' he said. Moscow is openly recruiting mercenaries from Syria to supplement its forces, while also using the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian private security company. But even if they captured strategic cities such as Kyiv or the southern port of Odessa, Putin would then face the challenge of occupying them. 5) Conflict spreads: Russia attacks NATO country bringing the alliance into the war Members of Pro-Russian separatists walk near a tank in front of a heavily damaged apartment in the pro-Russian separatists-controlled Donetsk, Ukraine on March 11, 2022 Ukraine has a border with four former Soviet states that are now members of the US-led NATO military alliance, which considers an attack on one member to be an attack against all. Putin's nostalgia for the Soviet Union and his pledge to protect Russian minorities - which are found in the Baltic States - has left an open question about his territorial ambitions. Few expect Putin to openly attack a NATO member, which would run the risk of a nuclear attack, but analysts have warned about provocations that stop short of sparking a war. Putin has ordered Russia's nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert and Foreign Minister Lavrov has also warned that 'World War Three can only be a nuclear war'. Western analysts say such warnings should be taken as posturing to deter the United States and Europe from considering ideas such as a 'no-fly zone' over Ukraine. An inquest will be held into the death of an aristocrat who sexually abused a six-year-old girl and allegedly attempted to rape a woman who were both overnight guests at one of Britains most famous stately homes. Simon Howards death appeared to be from natural causes after his family said it arose from complications arising from ongoing illness and his diabetes. But the North York Yorkshire coroners office revealed on Thursday that an inquest will be opened into the case. An opening hearing will take place at the North Yorkshire Coroners Court in Northallerton on March 30. The 66-year-old passed away in York Hospital on February 27, with his family saying he died following an ongoing illness. Howard had been in poor health and last year escaped with an absolute discharge because brain damage he recently suffered in a fall at home meant he was unfit to stand trial. Simon Howards death appeared to be from natural causes after his family said it arose from complications arising from ongoing illness and his diabetes Howard, who remarried and had two children with his second wife Rebecca, stepped down from running Castle Howard in 2015 amid an apparent falling out with his older brother Nicholas, 68, who took over and moved in to the magnificent ancestral home with his family Justice might have been possible but for what the judge described as an unacceptable three-year delay by the prosecution in bringing the case to court. Howards genuine fall at home happened two years after the first victim went to police. Both incidents were said to have taken place decades ago at Castle Howard, the North Yorkshire stately home used for the filming of hit Netflix series Bridgerton and both TV and film versions of Brideshead Revisited. A finding of fact trial at York Crown Court last month ended with a jury deciding that Howard did sexually assault the young girl in the mid-1980s and incite her to commit an act of gross indecency. The jury heard harrowing evidence from the victim, now a mother in her 40s, and Howards subsequent denial to police. In a victim impact statement read in court yesterday the woman, who reported the incident to her mother at the time, said she felt the sexual abuse on her was swept under the carpet. An earlier court hearing was told her family did nothing because of Howards social standing. The alleged attempted rape victim came forward after hearing about the child abuse charges last year. She had previously told close family members how Howard had tried to rape her in her bed at night in the mid-2000s, but was advised and encouraged to conclude it would be a traumatic experience to report him. This allegation was left to lie on the file after the prosecution decided it was not in the public interest to take the case to a second finding of fact trial. The decision was taken after consulting the complainant. In her statement detailing Howards alleged sex attack she said she was staying overnight at Castle Howard when he came into her bedroom. She said: I was woken up by being shaken and opened my eyes to see him kneeling at the side of my bed and staring at my face. He wanted to ask what time I wanted breakfast. She said he then just launched himself on top of me pinning me to the bed and I just couldnt believe it. I said: just get off Simon, get off, what are you doing? She said he sexually assaulted her and asked her to perform a sex act. She believed he was trying to rape her. The woman fled to the bathroom and was pursued by Howard who allegedly pounced on her again when she came out. The court heard when she was signing the visitors book to leave Howard allegedly said: Shouldnt you have said thank you for not having me. The court was told there was no evidence she signed the book. Howard pictured with his second wife Rebecca outside the stately home The sex assault on the little girl is alleged to have taken place around 20 years earlier. Howard was accused of sexually assaulting the child and asking her to perform an indecent act when she came into his bedroom looking for his first wife, who has since died. In her interview with police, the victim said her life had been haunted by the events of that morning. She said: The true horror of what had happened to me was part of my childhood, part of my growing up. It was a wrong thing and a rather confusing thing to have happened and I never understood it. One of the factors that made her come forward decades later was Howards support of an NSPCC Christmas Fair, which she found shocking. Howard was interviewed in July 2018 and remembered the incident. Prosecutor Michael Smith said: He said he woke up to find a child asleep in his bed. He said he turned over and went back to sleep. He said he did nothing wrong, although he admitted the childs mother accused him of touching the girl. In her victim impact statement outlined by Mr Smith, the victim said it affected her relationship with her mother and lost trust and confidence in the adults that should have been protecting her. She said nobody was able to speak up for her at the time and the abuse was swept under the carpet, something not spoken about, and it felt to her like it was her shame being covered up and not his. Passing sentence, Judge Sean Morris said the only option open to him by law was an absolute discharge. He said Howard would automatically have to sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years. Howard was not at court or watching proceedings via the internet. Howard married his first wife Annette Scruff Howard in 1983. Their marriage ended in divorce after 16 years and Annette died at the age of 71. Howard, who remarried and had two children with his second wife Rebecca, stepped down from running Castle Howard in 2015 amid an apparent falling out with his older brother Nicholas, 68, who took over and moved in to the magnificent ancestral home with his family. Howard moved to Welham Hall, a country house about ten miles away, but the family split was clearly a bitter personal blow. Mrs Howard said in an interview in 2018: My husband was born there, my children grew up there and I felt proud and privileged to be part of its history. We had so many happy times, but all those memories have been tarnished. The property, owned by his family for generations, was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and built in the early 1700s. Before the pandemic around 250,000 people visited annually from across the world. Few of these great many admirers of the architecture, the follies in the beautiful grounds and the television and film fame of Castle Howard will have had any notion of what went on behind the stately homes doors. After the court hearing, his wife Rebecca Howard said in a statement: If this case had come to court before my husbands horrific accident last year or even while his first wife was still alive, I have no doubts at all that the outcome of these allegations would have found in his favour. A Bromley shopping centre has been evacuated after a bomb threat. The warning came just after 2pm today and saw police rush to the Glade retail complex. Scores of shoppers and staff were left outside the building as they were told 'This is not a drill'. It was reported by one eyewitness that police were shouting at people to 'get back'. The warning came just after 2pm today and saw police rush to the Glade retail complex (pictured) The Glades shopping centre in Bromley was evacuated after a suspected bomb threat today A spokesperson for The Glades said: 'We can confirm that The Glades was evacuated today as a result of a bomb threat. 'The safety of our customers and colleagues is paramount and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police to assist them in any way we can. 'We will provide more information when we have it.' A spokesperson for Met Police said: 'Police were called shortly after 2pm on Thursday, 17 March, to reports of a security alert at a shopping centre on High Street, Bromley. 'Officers are in attendance and the incident is ongoing. 'The area has been evacuated as a precaution.' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi grew frustrated with a reporter who repeatedly asked her about Covid relief aid as she reminded him that 'people are dying' in Ukraine. 'This'll be your third time,' the California Democrat told NBC News and Punchbowl journalist Jake Sherman when he said that he wanted to ask about Covid relief aid, which was left out of the 2022 budget bill. 'It's substantive you like substantive questions,' Sherman said. 'Yeah, well, people are dying in Ukraine and all of that, you know,' Pelosi said. 'People are dying of Covid, too,' Sherman shot back. Pelosi told reporters that she advised the Biden administration to ask for double what they originally sought - as much as $45 billion for fourth booster and variant-specific vaccines, therapeutics and testing. 'What I've said to the administration is: You must ask for more,' she said. 'We want it to be bipartisan, we need it to be paid for. So let's just go for a bigger chunk. I think they should be double what they asked for, because even when they were asking for like 20-some [billion dollars] it was only going to get us to June,' Pelosi said. She again insisted that the cost of the relief needed to be 'offset.' 'The last thing we need is another variant,' Pelosi said. 'The resources that we would have had in the bill I think need to be enhanced now because we're another week later and we still don't have it.' Still, Pelosi said that most of her conversations with the White House over the past week have been about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi grew frustrated with a reporter who repeatedly asked her about Covid relief aid as she reminded him that 'people are dying' in Ukraine The White House originally asked Congress to include $22.5 billion in funding to fight the ongoing pandemic, but that number was slashed to $15.6 billion after negotiations between Republicans and Democrats The White House originally asked Congress to include $22.5 billion in funding to fight the ongoing pandemic, but that number was slashed to $15.6 billion after negotiations between Republicans and Democrats. Many Republicans still questioned whether any money was necessary at all, claiming there were leftover funds from previous Covid measures that had yet to be used. Then, a number of House Democrats - and governors - balked at the plan to repurpose $7 billion in leftover state Covid funds from the American Rescue Plan. The relief funding was ultimately left out of the budget, which passed five months late and just ahead of a deadline that would have triggered a government shutdown. House Democrats are now working up a separate Covid relief bill, but will need to court 10 Republican votes in the Senate. If relief had been left in the budget bill, it slipped by with the rest of the provisions through reconciliation and avoided the 60-vote filibuster hurdle. Pelosi reportedly became furious Thursday morning with members of her own party during a private Democratic whip meeting over funding being left out, according to Politico. Health and Human Services Sec. Xavier Becerra and Dr. Anthony Fauci came to Capitol Hill Thursday to underscore the need for more Covid funding. After they spoke, Pelosi apologized to them for having to come down to the Capitol. then turned to her own members. 'You want to tell me about what you didn't get? Don't tell Noah about the flood!' As of Wednesday there were 31,152 average daily Covid-19 cases, down 43% from two weeks ago, and 1,268 average daily deaths, down 31%. The White House put out a press release Tuesday warning that they will soon run out of monoclonal antibody treatments as soon as late May and would not be able to offer a fourth booster and variant-specific vaccines to all Americans unless Congress provides more funding. There is currently only enough funding to offer a fourth booster to immunocompromised Americans. The White House told governors Tuesday morning it would cut the number of monoclonal antibody treatments being sent to states by 30 percent starting next week, an official said. 'We'll likely run out of these treatments for our most vulnerable ... Americans by the end of the year if not sooner,' the official said. Moderate Republicans who could be swayed to vote for further aid are still insisting it's paid for, and demanding a full accounting of where other aid money has gone so far. However, they blame House progressives for to destroyed the chance to keep aid in the budget plan. 'Believe it or not, the administration has not provided the information that we Republicans asked for,' said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said, according to Politico. 'Nevertheless, Leader Schumer did agree with our leadership [on] a $15 billion package with money repurposed with prior Covid funds. It was stopped, as you know, by House progressives. But the money was there.' 'We had a chance to get that last week, and the House progressive wing blew it up,' Sen. John Thune, R-N.D., said. 'They torpedoed it.' Sen. Richard Shelby, Ala., ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, said he was 'open-minded on further aid, but first called for an accounting of how previous funds had been used. 'I'm not convinced of the need yet, but I don't know for sure. So I'm open-minded on that,' Shelby said. 'But I'd like to see and I've said this we need a real accounting for the money.' He said if the money is 'not hidden' and a need is demonstrated, Republicans could get on board. Advertisement Sanctions are 'starting to bite' in Russia, according to western officials, who say the tanking value of the rouble, food shortages similar to those seen during the Soviet-era and Vladimir Putin approaching the Chinese for assistance is proof that trade bans are having an 'enormous' impact on the Kremlin. This week, Russian officials threatened to repay foreign currency debts in roubles rather than dollars if current sanctions imposed by western nations prevented banks from honouring debts in the currency they were issued. The country's finance ministry said it approved a temporary procedure on Monday, just days before a payment on its external debt was due. However, Eurobond repayments in roubles could be seen as the equivalent of a default - where a credit agreement has been broken - which Russia has accused the west of deliberately trying to organise. Today, a western official said: We are now beginning to see the evidence of sanctions really biting in Russia. 'You would expect that - this is an enormously significant package of sanctions well in advance of any package that we have ever put on a major economy ever before. It will be having an effect and it is having an effect, you can see that in the value of the ruble, you can see that in the announcements that they are aiming to pay their interest payments on government bonds in rubles. And you can see that in the mooted and reported approaches of the Russians to the Chinese for assistance. I think we can expect to see the pressure mounting in Moscow continually as a result of that. However, Germany and Italy today revealed they are among nations trying to block more Russian sanctions in a bid to protect their own economies, despite pressure from Poland and the Baltic states that are right on Putin's doorstep. The Russian President yesterday claimed Western 'attempts to have global dominance' are coming to an end as he slammed sanctions imposed because the EU 'doesn't want a strong and sovereign Russia'. But the bloc is now beginning to split into 'three sides' as Germany - with support from Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece - is accused of 'openly putting the brakes on' sanctions amid concern about the impact on its own economy. Yesterday, shoppers were filmed battling in Russian supermarkets as sanctions began to hit vital supplies triggering a wave of panic-buying. One sugar rush was seen after a consignment was wheeled into the Perekryostok store in the north of Moscow. There were also similar scenes in Ukraine at the start of the month, where queues outside supermarkets and at shop checkouts stretched for hours as Kyiv residents panic-bought essential groceries including bread during a temporary end of a curfew, as a 40-mile convoy of Russian tanks and other vehicles threatened the city. At the same time, millions of Russians were seen standing in huge queues reminiscent of the bread and meat lines of the Soviet Union while the rouble plunged to its lowest-ever levels. The Russian ruble has now lost nearly 50% of is value since the start of 2022, with the currency falling off a financial cliff after Putin declared the war in Ukraine. Western officials said Vladimir Putin's (left) reported approaches to China's President Xi Jinping (right) show that sanctions are working People were seen queuing at a ticket machine at a Moscow metro station after sanctions prevented passengers from using Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay Russians have been urged not to panic-buy and hoard but there is a lack of trust in official assurances that supplies will hold up in light of the Western sanctions over Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine. There have also been recent reports of Russians filling fridges with McDonald's while others have been selling burgers for 250 after the restaurant said it would close its 850 locations across Russia in response to the invasion. And after Coca-Cola and Starbucks announced they were suspending operations in Russia amid a growing consumer backlash and threats of boycotts for failing to pull out of Ukraine, the Kremlin pushed a green, tarragon-flavoured fizzy drink called Tarkhun as an alternative to the rapidly disappearing Western favourites. The move led to parallels being drawn to the Soviet-era, which ended around 30 years ago, when Russia was completely isolated from Western products. Elsewhere, pro-sanction countries, led by Poland and the Baltic states, are pushing for further and stronger restrictions against Russia and key oligarchs. An internal battle within the EU is now raging between the 'Sanctionistas', countries that are pro-sanctions, and the Contras - countries prioritising their own economies. One EU diplomat told The Times: 'Its becoming clearer by the day that three sides are forming: Poland and the Baltic states, known as the Sanctionistas that want more and stronger sanctions; Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria the Contras that prioritise their own economic interests; and the rest.' The EU issued a fourth round of sanctions on Tuesday, but Germany is understood to have subsequently used meetings with at least three other governments to discuss calling a halt to further measures. Instead, the Contras has suggested the bloc focus on 'closing loopholes' as opposed to imposing any further sanctions. At least four yachts and a private jet owned by sanctioned Russians or their families have escaped the grasp of European officials in recent weeks, a Daily Mail investigation can reveal A man collects debris outside a damaged housing block after it was hit by debris from a downed rocket in Kyiv on Thursday A residential building destroyed by shelling in the village of Krasylivka, in the Kyiv region of Ukraine Poland, though, is furious that sanctions agreed earlier this week did not include metals oligarch Oleg Deripaska due to the potential impact it would have on aluminum production in Germany and other countries. It comes days after a Russian attack on a military base just 12 miles from the Polish border in which at least nine people were killed and dozens more injured. But the Contras moved to weaken a ban on new investment in joint energy ventures with Russian companies such as Gazprom and Rosneft. Instead, a 'winding down' delay of six months was agreed. Berlin has also secured exemptions on transactions that are said to be 'strictly necessary' to purchase, import and transport various metals including titanium, aluminium and copper. The agreements, though, have been met with dismay among the Sanctionista countries on the border with Russia and Ukraine amid concerns over their proximity to the conflict. It comes as the bombardment of Ukrainian cities contiues despite US officials estimating that at least 7,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the fighting and a further 14,000 to 21,000 wounded in action. Kyiv was struck by missiles in the early hours of Thursday, with wreckage of one shot down rocket striking a 16-storey apartment block and killing one person. Mariupol, the heavily besieged city in the south of Ukraine, also continued to come under heavy fire as city officials estimated that at least 2,400 people have now been killed there - though mayoral adviser Petro Andriushchenko said the true toll could be as high as 20,000 once cut-off areas have been searched for victims. Andriushchenko spoke even before a theatre in the city housing up to 1,200 civilians was struck and destroyed by Russian forces Wednesday evening - despite having signs that said 'kids' in Russian positioned outside it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Receives applause before he addresses the German Bundestag via live video from the embattled city of Kyiv on Tuesday A member of the Ukrainian military walks among debris in front of a residential building that was hit by an intercepted missile on Thursday The Donetsk Regional Theatre of Drama in Mariupol is destroyed by an airstrike from Russian forces on Wednesday Rescuers work at the site of a residential building damaged by an airstrike on Thursday Aerial footage released by the Azov Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine on Wednesday shows Russian army tanks are destroyed as they enter the besieged city of Mariupol President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack 'heartbreaking', while Joe Biden branded Putin a 'war criminal.' Casualties from the attack are unclear, but City officials said this morning that evacuations are now underway, and that a bomb shelter at the theatre survived the strike. It is unclear how many people were inside at the time. Despite the mounting death toll, peace talks between the two sides are continuing with concrete proposals for a ceasefire being discussed. Russian negotiators yesterday briefed journalists on their 15-point plan for peace, which would see Ukraine declare neutrality and place limits on its armed forces in return for Russian withdrawal. Ukraine's chief negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak would not be drawn on the plan, saying only that the two sides had discussed it and it did not take Kyiv's negotiating position into account. The proposal makes no mention of Crimea and Donbass - Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia and its proxies before the invasion - with President Zelensky later reiterating that his country's territorial integrity is not up for negotiation. A British teacher has been forced to flee his Kyiv home with his Ukrainian family and is preparing to fly to the UK after dodging Russian airstrikes. Dan Baker, 41, from Brighton, had lived in the capital with his wife Victoria, 34, and his stepdaughter Veronica, 12, for five years. He had initially vowed to stay put in Kyiv despite the constant blaring of air raid sirens and attacks on residential buildings, but decided to leave after hearing reports of Russian soldiers 'raping' Ukrainian women. Dan Baker, 41, from Brighton, had lived in Kyiv with his wife Victoria, 34, and his stepdaughter Veronica, 12, for five years He had initially vowed to stay put in Kyiv despite the constant blaring of air raid sirens and attacks on residential buildings After 10 days they fled westwards from the city in their car, joining millions of others desperate to avoid Russian bombs, which had already begun to fall on the capital. The family, together with cat Pumpkin, had all been staying in the school they run, in the basement of a brick building. The family had two near misses with Russian bombs on the way to Lviv, and narrowly missed a Russian cruise missile strike on Vinnytsia. After 16 days - and nearly 500 miles - negotiating queues of vehicles waiting for petrol, food and water, they crossed into Poland, arriving in Krakow shortly afterwards. Now, 22 days after the first air raid sirens on February 26, they are booked onto a flight back to the UK at the weekend, and will be staying with Mr Baker's family in his native Brighton. But Pumpkin the cat - who has become a star of the family's daily updates on YouTube - will have to stay behind, because of two-week travel quarantine requirements. The family, together with cat Pumpkin, had all been staying in the school they run, in the basement of a brick building Mr Baker told The Northern Echo: 'Since fleeing the warzone and western Ukraine there have been a lot more positives than negatives.' He described swapping the nerves and anxiety of travel across Ukraine for the peaceful Polish city of Krakow. 'It's a beautiful city, we've had beautiful weather, we've been busy networking,' he said. 'Veronica has started selling her artwork. Yesterday, she made about 200. It's crazy, it's more than I get paid.' He added the family had used the last of their savings and were now crowdfunding their living and travel expense. 'We used the last of our money to pay for the last five nights of accommodation so we've started a crowdfunder, to keep the wolf from the door.' The family avoided having to apply for visas during the conflict as they were already booked to come to England for Mr Baker's brother's wedding, in April. After 16 days - and nearly 500 miles - negotiating queues of vehicles waiting for petrol, food and water, they crossed into Poland Asked what the long-term plan was on his return to the UK, Mr Baker said: 'We'll play it by ear.' He added: 'I expect in those two weeks after we arrive in England, we will have that time to think about the future. 'We haven't really had that time, I've been thinking instinctively, rather than analytically.' 'Yesterday I told my parents and brothers I had booked my flight, and they were very happy and all of them said "we'll come and pick you up from the airport". 'I said "I've got my family from Kyiv to here, you can't take the last 20 miles from me". 'It would be like someone else chucking the Ring in the fires of Mordor, after Frodo carried it all that way. 'So we're going to get a bus, from the airport to Brighton.' Meanwhile, the family is saying a temporary farewell to Pumpkin, who is off to stay in her quarantine accommodation on Thursday. 'They say cats have nine lives,' he said. 'I think we've used about eight of ours on this journey,' he said. Advertisement President Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a 'murderous dictator and pure thug' in his wide-raging St Patrick's Day speech on Thursday that started with the joke: 'I may be Irish but I am not stupid'. Biden ramped up his attacks on the Russian leader, a day after finally calling him a war criminal, in remarks that started with him going through his Irish heritage at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon. 'Father before I began, bless me, father I'm about to sin,' Biden cracked, making the sign of the cross as he addressed Rev. Thomas O'Connor while standing between Irish and American flags inside the wood paneled Rayburn Room in the Capitol. 'Well, I just want you to know, I may be Irish but I'm not stupid. I married Dominic Giacoppo's daughter,' he quipped, referencing the Sicilian name of Jill Biden's father, Donald Jacobs. He then turned to upping his rhetoric on Putin and said he is a 'murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine'. His latest war of words are the most direct at the Russian leader in the 21 days since the start of the invasion. The Kremlin has also upped the ante by warning the U.S. may need to be 'put in its place' for sharing 'disgusting Russiaphobia'. Putin's forces have continued their brutal military operations across Ukraine by bombing and besieging the city of Mariupol over the last 24 hours. The State Department also confirmed an American citizen was shot dead by Russian forces in the northern city of Chernihiv on Thursday. At the luncheon Biden also mentioned his phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and that the world is in a 'genuine struggle between autocracies and democracies and whether or not democracies can be sustained.' President Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a 'murderous dictator and pure thug' in his St Patrick's Day speech on Thursday that started with the quip: 'I may be Irish but I am not stupid' Biden ramped up his attacks on the Russian leader, a day after finally calling him a war criminal, in remarks that started with him going through his Irish heritage at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon. 'Father before I began, bless me, father I'm about to sin,' Biden cracked, making the sign of the cross as he addressed Rev. Thomas O'Connor while standing between Irish and American flags inside the wood paneled Rayburn Room in the Capitol Biden then hailed the country's efforts to help defend the war-torn country from Russian aggression. 'Everybody talks about Germany having stepped up and changed,' he said, in reference to that country's abrupt about-turn on defence spending in the wake of the attack on Ukraine. 'And they have,' he said. 'Well, so has Ireland. 'A neutral country. Ireland has stepped up and taken a hit for it.' Biden is reported to only be about five-eighths Irish, but is known for playing up his Irish heritage - despite the fact he has a sizable number of English ancestors too. All eight of his great-great-grandparents on his mothers side were born in Ireland during the first half of the 19th century, according to Irish Central. Patrick Blewitt, one of his great-great-grandfathers, is said to have emigrated to the U.S. in the 1890s and settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden grew up. Joe Biden Joseph R. Biden Sr. Biden said his father would always wear a coat and tie for appointments, despite not graduating from college. Biden is reported to only be about five-eighths Irish, but is known for playing up his Irish heritage - despite the fact he has a sizable number of English ancestors too In a meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin earlier on Thursday, Biden said 'Putin's brutality and what he's doing and his troops are doing in Ukraine is just inhumane'. In between the attacks on Putin, Biden continued with Irish anecdotes. At one point during the luncheon, Biden mentioned a past meeting with the Toiseach, accompanied by his father, who wore a brand new blazer with a crest that had a latin inscription on it. 'I never took the time to look at it,' Biden said, pointing to his Catholic school upbringing where he took Latin. Then he did an Irish accent as he completed the tale. 'And the Toiseach we're having our picture taken, he said, 'Oh mr Biden I agree.' And what it said in Latin was: 'Don't let the bastards get you down.' Well we can't let them get us down,' Biden said. Father O'Connor also got in a few jokes during his blessing, mentioning the joy Irish celebrations bring and getting in references to Guinness and Jameson's. 'Like the gift of the gab present in the Irish and many politicians, present company is no exception,' he said. Biden, who is famous for being long winded, laughed. He was introduced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who noted when President Reagan came to the luncheon that he said 'America has been blessed by Irish children. And one of those Irish children is now the president of the United States.' Biden's remarks came after he had to scrub plans to hold the traditional meeting with Toiseach Micheal Martin in person at the White House. After Martin tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday night, the meeting was switched to zoom. He had a few serious lines while speaking about the partnership with Ireland, which he said had 'stepped up' from neutrality in confronting Russian aggression and becoming an actor on the world stage. He cited unity in confronting Putin, who he called a 'murderous dictator, a pure thug, who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine.' 'And Putin is paying a big price for his aggression, and they are part of the reason the cost is going so high,' Biden said. Biden's Irish heritage: Great-grandparents who emigrated to the US in the 19th century - and his sizeable English ancestry Biden is reported to only be about five-eighths Irish, but is known for playing up his Irish heritage - despite the fact he has a sizable number of English ancestors too. Biden is reported to only be about five-eighths Irish, but is known for playing up his Irish heritage - despite the fact he has a sizable number of English ancestors too. All eight of his great-great-grandparents on his mothers side were born in Ireland during the first half of the 19th century, according to Irish Central. Patrick Blewitt, one of his great-great-grandfathers, is said to have emigrated to the U.S. in the 1890s and settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden grew up. He claims that he overcame a stutter that blighted his childhood by reciting Irish poetry to his bedroom mirror, according to the Sunday Telegraph. And he once wrote a letter in which he described himself as a descendant of an 'Irish American family that imbued in him a sense of pride that spoke of both continents'. The president has even quoted Irish poets in speeches, raising eyebrows with his reference to W B Yeats' famed final line in Easter 1916, which describes the aftermath of the Easter Rising staged in Ireland against British rule. During a visit to England last June, Biden told US troops: 'The world has changed, changed utterly. A terrible beauty has been born.' He is also related to Irish rugby player Rob Kearney and tweeted 'congratulations cousin' when Ireland beat New Zealand for the first time in Chicago in 2016. Biden is vocally proud of his Irish roots and once penned a letter reflecting on his heritage, which he can trace back to the Blewitts from Co Mayo and the Finnegans from Co Louth. Addressing New York University's Glucksman Ireland House Annual Gala last year, he said: 'I write to you as a descendent of the Blewitts from County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth, of an Irish American family that imbued in me a sense of pride that spoke of both continents, a heart and soul that drew from old and new a pride in community, faith, and above all, family. 'All these years later, I write to you from a White House designated by an Irish hand, in a nation where Irish blood was spilled in revolution, for independence, and in preservation of the union. And the bridge between the two nations goes back and forth, growing wider and more necessary with every year that passes. Linked in memory and imagination and joined by our histories, we are nostalgic for the future. So it was then, so it is now.' And footage of Joe Biden dismissing a BBC reporter by mentioning his Irish heritage was captured during the Democratic Primary in 2019. 'Mr. Biden, a quick word for the BBC,' the correspondent for the British broadcaster could be heard asking in the clip. 'The BBC? I'm Irish!' Biden declared, before walking out. The clip received renewed attention last year amid his reported row with Boris Johnson over the Northern Ireland peace deal. The Bidens at their family home in the 1950s; Joe is second from the right Courtesy Biden Campaign .Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden and Joseph Robinette Biden, Sr., and the first of four children. He spoke of values he traced to his Irish heritage President Biden can trace his Irish roots back to both the Blewitts from Co Mayo and the Finnegans from Co Louth Advertisement Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said He spoke about common goals between the two countries. 'My mother's expression, gotten from her grandfather was, you know, 'As long as you're alive, you have an obligation to strive. And you're not dead 'til you've seen the face of God.' That's what I think of when I think of Ireland. All the troubles they've been through, they have never, ever, ever quit,' he said. He gave an update on the Toiseach. 'I was on the zoom as we say ... He's looking well. He feels well. He's tested positive, but he feels well,' Biden said. 'He's really sorry he can't be here.' Biden toggled between reflections on politics, praise for congressional leaders. He called Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) 'Irish, as we say where I come from, belt buckle to shoe sole.' You know, I'm the proud son of Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden, he said, telling how his family came to the country in 1844 and 1845. He said on St. Patrick's Day, 'The Irish Americans think they're more Irish than the Irish. That's kind of how I was raised.' 'It was imbued in me to be proud of my heritage,' said Biden. 'It was part of the air we breathed, especially up in Scranton,' said Biden of Irish-American pride. He quoted his 'grandpop' - Ambrose Finnegan. 'He'd say Joey if you're lucky enough to be Irish, your'e lucky enough,' Biden said. Then he spoke about his father, and said family was 'everything.' 'My dad's expression was family is the beginning, the middle, and the end,' Biden said. He quoted Irish poet WB Yeats. 'All changed, changed utterly a terrible beauty has been born,' he said. Blinken calls Putin a war criminal and says U.S. won't hesitate to 'impose costs' on China if it helps Moscow: Warns desperate Russian leader is setting stage for false flag chemical weapons attack and will bring in mercenaries U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday backed President Joe Biden's assessment that Vladimir Putin's armed forces were committing war crimes in Ukraine. He confirmed that another American citizen had been killed in the country and warned China not to come to Russia's aid. Meanwhile, a senior U.S. defense officials said more Russian air strikes were now hitting civilian infrastructure and targets. Blinken said the destruction appeared to be part of an attempt to break the will of the Ukrainian people. 'Yesterday, President Biden said that in his opinion, war crimes have been committed in Ukraine,' he said. 'Personally, I agree. Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. 'After all the destruction of the past three weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise.' U.S. officials had avoided the 'war crimes' designation until Wednesday. They said a complex legal process was under way to ascertain whether civilians were being targeted deliberately. That changed when Biden was asked for his opinion by reporters at the White House. 'I think he is a war criminal,' he said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he agreed with President Joe Biden's assessment that war crimes are being committed by Russia in Ukraine Evacuees fleeing Ukraine-Russia conflict walk out of the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 17, 2022 Pictured: Evacuees fleeing Ukraine-Russia conflict sit in a car as they wait in a line to leave the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 17, 2022. What appears to be a bullet hole is seen in the car's windscreen This week U.S. diplomacy has focused on China in an effort to steer it away from responding to Russian calls for assistance, including military gear. Blinken said Washington would not hesitate to impose consequences. 'We believe China in particular has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and to defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support,' he said. 'Instead, it appears that China is moving in the opposite direction by refusing to condemn this aggression, while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter.' More diplomacy will come on Friday. 'President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow, and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression,' he said. 'And we will not hesitate to impose costs.' But the secretary of state did not explain what those costs might be and Washington has yet to provide evidence of China's apparent willingness to help Moscow. Blinken warned that a yet more deadly phase in the conflict could lie ahead. 'We believe that Moscow may be setting the stage to use a chemical weapon, and then falsely blaming Ukraine to justify escalating its attacks on the Ukrainian people,' he said. 'Manufacturing events and creating false narratives of genocide to justify greater use of military force is a tactic that Russia has used before, including in Georgia. 'We believe Russia will bring its mercenaries from private military groups and foreign countries to Ukraine.' Moscow has said it is recruiting 16,000 fighters from Syria to join the war. But U.S. intelligence officials have said they believe only a 'trickle' of people is making the journey. Earlier Biden again condemned Russian brutality in Ukraine, during a virtual meeting with the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin. 'We're meeting at a moment where the demands of unity in the world are really accelerating,' he said. 'We have to be united and we certainly are. 'But Putin's brutality and what he's doing, and his troops are doing, in Ukraine is just inhumane.' A satellite image taken over the city of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, on Wednesday and released Thursday shows blasts and fires caused by Russian air strikes in civilian areas Advertisement During the dark days at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Professor Chris Whitty became one of the most recognisable men in the country. Often flanked by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Downing Street, England's Chief Medical Officer helped to deliver advice and instructions when deaths and infections were at their peak. But Professor Whitty is not the first doctor to achieve nationwide fame during a global pandemic. During the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918, Manchester's medical officer Dr James Niven became known across the country for his call to close down society as much as possible to stop the spread of the disease. In his own city, all schools were closed at his instance a measure which historians said saved 'many, many lives'. The medic also warned people to avoid public gatherings, said that flu sufferers should be kept warm in a ventilated room and warned that sick people should not return to work except under medical advice. Ultimately, the Spanish Flu pandemic killed more than 200,000 people in the UK after the First World War had taken more than 800,000 soldiers' lives and 50 million globally. But despite helping to dramatically cut his own city's death rate through his public health measures, the medic was himself hit by tragedy in 1921 when his wife passed away. This was after Dr Niven had contracted flu himself but fortunately recovered. Four years after his wife's death, the grief had become too much to bear and Dr Niven, who was then aged 74, took his own life. His body was found in 10 feet of water near Onchan Head, Douglas, on the Isle of Man. England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty (left), who became known across the country during the coronavirus pandemic, is not the first doctor to achieve nationwide fame during a global pandemic. During the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918, Manchester's medical officer Dr James Niven (right) became known nationwide for his call to close down society as much as possible to stop the spread of the disease Ultimately, the Spanish Flu pandemic killed more than 200,000 people in the UK after the First World War had taken more than 800,000 soldiers' lives and 50 million globally. Above: Young women wearing masks to guard against influenza The influenza outbreak that began in 1918 became known as Spanish Flu because newspapers in Spain were among the few able to report the pandemic's effects. Elsewhere, wartime censors in Britain, France and the United States had minimised reports of the illness and associated deaths. Unlike in the coronavirus pandemic, there was no nationwide lockdown. The medic also warned people to avoid public gatherings, said that flu sufferers should be kept warm in a ventilated room and warned that sick people should not return to work except under medical advice. Above: The medic's advice in the Hull Daily Mail in May 1918 However, widespread staff shortages due to people falling sick meant that everyday life was severely hampered. Buses and trains were cancelled, mines that provided the country's essential coal closed and thousands of police officers failed to turn up for work. The flu was fast, killing entire families just hours or days after they displayed symptoms - with a high mortality rate in the young aged five and under, those between 20 and 40, and those over 65. Patients would struggle to breathe as fluid filled their lungs, and due to being starved of oxygen their bodies would begin to turn blue around the face, lips, ears, fingers and toes. Although there were no laws about social distancing, there was still general advice which warned about how Spanish flu was highly contagious. A report in the Daily Mail in 1918 read: '...the first and obvious measure is to avoid infection as far as possible. 'If the person could isolate himself on top of a mountain he would certainly escape; if he travels daily in crowded trains and omnibuses and mingles with crowds under cover, he will almost surely fall a victim sooner or later.' It also warned that the virus was present in the 'nose and upper part of the air passages', adding that when a sufferer 'coughs or sneezes' he 'spread infection'. The influenza outbreak that began in 1918 became known as Spanish Flu because newspapers in Spain were among the few able to report the pandemic's effects. Above: A man sprays disinfectant during the pandemic Buses and train services were cancelled and postponed as a result of the impact of Spanish flu. Pictured: A bus being disinfected in London in 1920 The report continued: 'The danger of catching the disease in the open is not very great, but crowded streets, like the Strand and Cheapside in London are little better than theatres and churches.' It concluded by saying that a man who 'walks two or three miles' to work will 'defy the microbe', but if he travelled in a 'stuffy train or omnibus', the virus would 'have the better of him'. The Daily Mail reported how Dr Niven himself fell ill with flu Dr Niven had taken on his role Medical Officer of Health for Manchester in 1894 and so had been in post for nearly 25 years by the time the flu outbreak began. As the pandemic gained pace, he quickly became the most vocal proponent of measures to curb the spread. He issued a six-point public notice that warned Mancunians of the measures they should take. He insisted that 'the sick should be separated from the healthy'; that those with symptoms should 'at once' seek medical help; and that 'those attacked' should 'not join assemblages of people for at least ten days'. His notice added that 'special attention' should be paid to cleanliness and ventilation' and that 'discharges from nose and mouth should not be allowed to get dry on pocket handkerchiefs.' After the pandemic had waned, Dr Niven co-authored the first report that looked into the impact of the pandemic. The report said: 'To what cause is the disease attributable?' 'That is a problem which still remains unsolved. 'The final solution when achieved will be one of the greatest events in medical history.' It then added: 'One thing that remains to be reasonably certain, and that is that until a universal improvement and the standard of comfort and the conditions of life is secured there will be no prospect of effectively mitigating this [] deadly complaint.' The Daily Mail reported Dr Niven's death in 1925 Niven went on to argue that social distancing and good hand hygiene can help top stop the spread of the virus. Niven's measures didn't stop at influenza pandemics, however. He was known for his work on raising awareness of preventative measures against tuberculosis as well as campaigns against smoke pollution and the house fly The doctor also warned of the threat posed by unwashed beer glasses in pubs. He said that 'it has been found, over and over again, that many licensees of public houses are in the habit of serving drink to customer after customer in glasses or pots without any pretence of cleaning'. His public health measures were responsible for bringing the death rate in Manchester to the lowest on record at 13.57 per 1000 But Dr Niven's 1921 Census record, exclusively provided to MailOnline by ancestry website Findmypast, shows how the medic listed himself as widower. His wife had passed away earlier that year. Dr Niven's 1921 Census record, exclusively provided to MailOnline by Findmypast, shows how the medic listed himself as widower. His wife had passed away earlier that year A ward at Fourth Scottish General Hospital where most patients were influenza cases. The photo was taken in November 1918 During the Spanish flu pandemic, makeshift field hospitals were set up as conventional establishments failed to cope with the deluge of patients. Pictured: Masked doctors and nurses treat flu patients lying on cots and in outdoor tents at a hospital camp, 1918 In the Spanish flu pandemic, there were no nationwide laws which forced hair salons to close. Images show barbers wearing masks as they continue to cut clients' hair The emergence of Spanish flu also gave less scrupulous businessmen the chance to earn money by marketing products which they said would help guard against the infection. Pictured: 'Why catch their influenza?'. An advert for Formamint germ killing throat tablets to ward against the spread of influenza Dr Niven also warned of the threat posed by unwashed beer glasses in pubs. The move is an example of his drive to improve public health The census record also showed he had at least one daughter, who was still living at home. In 1923, he was hit by further family turmoil when his brother died. During this time he was quoted as being 'very low physically and mentally.' Then, in September 1925, Dr Niven boarded a ferry to the Isle of Man. He declared to the manager of the hotel he stayed in that he would leave the island by steamer. The next morning, it became clear that his bed had not been slept in. His body was found the next day. Dr Niven's belongings were inspected and he left behind a note reading: 'In case of my death, this letter will be left in my coat by the shore. 'My name is on the handbag in my bedroom, and the address of my residence. 'The bag is to be sent to Miss Cheeseman, 50 Granville Street, Fallowfield, Manchester. I desire to be buried at sea near Douglas.' He is believed to have used the deadly chemical hydrogen cyanide to kill himself. The tributes poured in from multiple sources: Dr Matthew Hay, Medical Officer for Aberdeen remarked that Niven was 'one of the ablest and most strenuous British Officers of Health' who did better and more trustworthy work' than all other contemporary medical officers. The inquest into his death ruled that he had died from 'poisoning whilst temporarily insane'. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is set to propose reforms to the city's bail laws amid crime spikes in both New York City and the state as a whole. The 10-point plan will make more crimes bail eligible and give judges greater discretion to lock up criminals based on whether or not they're repeat offenders, the New York Post reported. Hochul, who faces election in 2022 after replacing the disgraced Andrew Cuomo last August, is going to attempt to include the plan in the state's budget, which is due April 1. Perpetrators of gun crimes, as well as subway and transit crimes like the recent poop attack would become eligible to be detained and held for bail if the plan is enacted. Shootings are up 9 percent in New York City and overall crime is up a whopping 45 percent through March 13. The laws would allow cops and judges to bypass Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who has been widely criticized for his soft-on-crime stance, which involves only applying cash bonds in the most serious cases. Governor of New York Kathy Hochul and Attorney General of New York Letitia James march on the parade route at the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City Hochul speaks at a "Break The Silence - Justice for Asian Women" rally, in Times Square, in New York City, U.S. March 16, 2022 Manhattan District Attorney-Elect Alvin Bragg attends meeting with activists against gun violence at SAVE office in East Harlem Another proposed change would do away with the 'Raise the Age' statute, which would increase the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 years old. It would allow judges the option of keeping a case in criminal court. Other proposed changes would make it easier to prosecute gun trafficking; an increase in funding for pre-trial, diversion and employment programs; and increased funding for mental health services. A change to the bail laws could ease Hochul's chances of avoiding a tested primary. Long Island Representative Tom Suozzi launched his campaign with crime prevention as one of his main focuses. Hochul's former boss, disgraced ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo, has also made the issue a part of his recently launched comeback tour. He hit out at Albany on the issue in a speak in the Bronx Thursday. He has not yet announced if he'll try to get his old job back and primary Hochul, but a recent Emerson College/PIX11 News poll suggests he may have a shot. He only trailed Hochul in a hypothetical primary by four points in a poll of 504 Democratic primary voters conducted March 9 and 10. Cuomo said: 'We are seeing a crime increase and an alarming rate of increase all over the city of New York, in my opinion it's the number one issue. Disgraced New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, spoke at a ministers convention with the Rev. Reuben Diaz, Sr. in the Bronx on Thursday He acknowledged that 'at the same time people are upset by abusive police conduct and with good cause.' However, he called the 'defund' movement counter-productive. 'It is an elitist position that has no reality for the people who live in the state of New York. Maybe if you live in Manhattan in a high-rise with private security, then you can defund the police because you can buy your own police. But if you live in the Bronx and you hear a broken window and dial 911, you want someone to come and show up and help,' he said to cheers from those in attendance. He then called many Democrats 'afraid' to disagree with the defund movement because they would either 'be canceled or defeated in a primary election.' 'Crime is starting to take over the city. If we don't get control of the crime problem, more people will die. It is a factual reality. We have to fight crime and we have to stop the police abuse, it's not either/or, it's both.' Overall, crime is up 45.3 percent in New York City through March 13 of this year compared to 2021 after crime skyrocketed in 2021. He then went after Democrats in Albany who won't be flexible on changes to the bail reform law Cuomo himself signed into law two years ago. 'The extremists refuse to have a reasonable conversation about bail reform,' he said. Cuomo told a minister who asked him about the law that if he were in office, he would continue to make changes to it, because sometimes laws have unintended consequences. Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, did not respond to a DailyMail.com request for comment on Hochul's bail reform plans, nor did he respond to a question regarding whether Cuomo would run again in 2022. The call for reforms amid a crime wave comes during new mayor Eric Adams' first few months in office. The former NYPD cop has vowed to crack down on the influx of incidents on the city's streets and subway system - which has seen a rash of violent incidents in recent weeks. He has previously pleaded with lawmakers in Albany recently to reconsider the controversial bail reform law that would allow judges to consider whether a person is dangerous before releasing them from jail. But Democratic leadership has repeatedly rejected the mayor's request, and said they will not act on changing the law, according to the Post. Adams said he wants to see changes in bail reform laws and other criminal justice measures, claiming they will bring down crime rates in the city and reduce gun violence. In February, Adams, who campaigned last year on getting people back to work amid the COVID pandemic and cleaning up the crime-ridden subway system, outlined his plans for city bail laws, which can allow for suspects to roam the streets often within hours of an arrest. 'Let's remove the cash bail system, because one should not be able to get out of jail just because you can pay bail. Let's take that away. Judges should look at the case in front of them and say, 'This person has two gun arrests, and he's continually saying to the people of the city that I don't care about the safety of you,'' the mayor said. 'That judge should have the right to make the discretion that this person just be held.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks at a Hochul event earlier in March New York City's top cop on Sunday called for an end to the woke bail reform laws that allow criminals who commit minor offenses to go free. Speaking to WABC Radio's John Catsimatidis on Sunday, Commissioner Keechant Sewell said: 'The criminal justice reform law that took effect in 2020, I think, that is definitely part of the thinking that needs to change. 'We can keep most of the important elements of the reform, but there are absolutely some things that need to be adjusted,' she explained of the 2019 bail reform laws - which were rolled back in 2020 to add to the list of crimes for which bail can be set. Sewell also seemed to decry the decriminalization of quality of life crimes, like turnstile jumping at the subway stations, marijuana use and drinking in public. 'There are entire categories of serious crimes that we can no longer make an arrest for,' Sewell told Catsimatidis. 'We can only issue a summons. 'We have used discretion in the past. Now we don't even have that,' she said. Elaborating further, she added: 'There are entire categories of crimes where we can make an arrest , but the judges are prohibited from ever setting bail - even if the same burglar or car thief commits the same crime every day and ends up in front of the same judge. 'They used to have that discretion, and in many cases we don't anymore.' Sewell's comments come amid a weekend filled with assault cases in the Big Apple, as the NYPD reports that the city's crime rate was up nearly 60 percent in February, when compared to the same time the year before. A federal judge on Thursday rejected 'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli's request to delay a $64.6 million payment for antitrust violations while he appeals the ruling, which also banned him from the pharmaceutical industry. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan had ruled in January that Shkreli - the notorious founder of Vyera Pharmaceuticals - used illegal tactics to keep rivals out of the market while raising the price of the life-saving drug Daraprim to $750 per tablet from $17.50 in 2015. She had also barred Shkreli, who is in prison, from the pharmaceutical industry for life. Another judge in February barred Shkreli from serving as an officer or director of a publicly traded company. An FTC spokesperson said it was 'pleased with the court's decision.' A federal judge in Manhattan on Thursday rejected Martin Shkreli's request to delaythe payment of $64.6million for antitrust violations. Shkreli is pictured in 2017 Shkreli was sued by the FTC and seven states for hiking the price of the life-saving drug Daraprim to $750 per tablet from $17.50 Seven plaintiff states - New York, California, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia - alleged in their case that Vyera hiked the price of Daraprim and illegally created 'a web of anticompetitive restrictions' to prevent other companies from creating cheaper generic versions. Among other things, they alleged, Vyera blocked access to a key ingredient for the medication and to data the companies would want to evaluate the drug's market potential. The drug treats toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that threatens people with weakened immune systems. In a 130-page decision handed down last month, Cote faulted Shkreli for creating two companies, Vyera and Retrophin Inc, designed to monopolize drugs so he could profit 'on the backs' of patients, doctors and distributors. US District Judge Denise Cote had ruled in January for the FTC and seven states and banned Shkreli from the pharmaceutical industry for life 'Shkreli was no side player in, or a 'remote, unrelated' beneficiary of Vyera's scheme,' Cote wrote in her opinion. 'He was the mastermind of its illegal conduct and the person principally responsible for it throughout the years.' She said the Daraprim scheme was 'particularly heartless and coercive,' and a lifetime industry ban was needed because of the 'real danger' that Shkreli could become a repeat offender. 'Shkreli's anticompetitive conduct at the expense of the public health was flagrant and reckless,' the judge wrote. He is unrepentant. Barring him from the opportunity to repeat that conduct is nothing if not in the interest of justice. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who was among the states suing Skreli, praised the ruling. 'Envy, greed, lust, and hate,' don't just 'separate,' but they obviously motivated Shkreli and his partner to illegally jack up the price of a life-saving drug as Americans' lives hung in the balance,' said James 'But Americans can rest easy because Martin Shkreli is a pharma bro no more 'A federal court has not only found that his conduct was illegal, but also banned this convicted criminal from the pharmaceutical industry for life and required him to pay nearly $65 million. 'This is on top of the $40 million we've already secured from Vyera. 'The rich and powerful don't get to play by their own set of rules, so I it seems that cash doesn't rule everything around Mr. Shkreli.' Switzerland's secretive banks hold up to 162billion of Russian wealth in offshore accounts, the country's financial industry association estimates. The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) estimated that the banks hold between 150 billion and 200 billion Swiss francs (121-162billion) of Russian client money. This indicates that the extent of wealthy Russians' business with banks in Switzerland, the world's biggest centre for offshore wealth, is far more extensive than previously known. Switzerland's secretive banks hold up to 162billion of Russian wealth in offshore accounts, the country's financial industry association estimates (file image) The SBA's revelation is rare for Switzerland, which has stonewalled many previous transparency requests, and comes as it took the unusual step of applying EU sanctions to Russian cash following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last month. There is growing Swiss public debate about its role, with Mattea Meyer, co-president of the Social Democrats, calling for Switzerland to clamp down on any cash belonging to Russians close to President Vladimir Putin and his government. 'Part belongs to oligarchs loyal to the Kremlin. The money and their activity ... helps finance the war,' she said, adding that Switzerland 'must do everything possible to turn off the money taps'. The SBA estimate, which dwarfs initial indications of the credit exposure to Russia, makes clear the scale of the task of imposing sanctions, such as by freezing the cash. The Swiss economy ministry said that it had no meaningful estimates on frozen Russian assets as it tallies reports from banks facing a growing Swiss sanctions list. read more Despite its Russian tally estimate, the SBA stressed that this was small compared to overall assets held in Switzerland, which has been regarded by generations of wealthy individuals from around the world as a safe haven for their money. Switzerland took the unusual step of applying EU sanctions to Russian cash following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last month 'The share of assets held for Russian clients likely accounts for a share in the low single-digit percentage range of the total cross-border assets deposited with Swiss banks,' it said in an emailed statement to Reuters on Wednesday, referring to money held for clients residing abroad. As Western governments unleash a growing list of sanctions in response to Russia's invasion, banks are seeing their business with Russian clients scrutinised far beyond the loans they have granted or business done out of Russian subsidiaries that could lead to balance sheet losses. Analysts have said direct Swiss bank exposures to Russian clients look manageable, based on what has been made public. Switzerland's two biggest banks last week detailed 'limited' exposures to Russia, with the largest UBS saying a 482million direct exposure had been cut since year-end. Credit Suisse Chief Executive Thomas Gottstein on Tuesday said some four per cent of the assets Switzerland's second-biggest bank manages for wealthy clients belong to Russians, amounting to tens of billions of dollars. That is far greater than the 688million net credit exposure in Credit Suisse's annual report. While the bank has not provided an updated tally, it managed 671billion in its wealth management businesses at end-2021, so four per cent would amount to some 27billion in assets associated with Russian customers. UBS and Switzerland's third-largest listed lender, Julius Baer, have declined to detail assets they hold for Russian customers, but UBS CEO Ralph Hamers indicated sanctions were keeping the country's biggest bank busy. 'New lists come out every night,' he said, adding that UBS was looking to shield not only against current compliance but also against the risk of future penalties. The Belgian royal family will host three Ukrainian families fleeing their war-torn home in two of its houses in Belgium. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have decided to open up two of their homes owned by the Belgium's Royal Trust to Ukrainian refugees. The two houses are in Brussels and in the southern region of Wallonia, reports the BBC. The move comes after King Phillipe met Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children, at a registration centre at the Brussels Expo building. The Belgian royal family will host three Ukrainian families fleeing their war-torn home in two of its houses in Belgium. The move comes after King Phillipe met Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children, at a registration centre at the Brussels Expo building (pictured) King Philippe and Queen Mathilde (pictured together in 2019 in South Korea) have decided to open up two of their homes owned by the Belgium's Royal Trust to Ukrainian refugees King Philippe visited the reception center for Ukrainian refugees at an immigration in Brussels on Wednesday A spokesman for the Royal Palace said that the King had been moved by the experience and announced the decision to host Ukrainian families shortly afterwards. The Belgian royal family has in the past hosted the most vulnerable people in their royal households. Last year, they accomodated people who had lost their homes in Belgium's worst floods in houses owned by the Royal Trust. More than three million people have fled Ukraine following Russia's February 24 invasion of the country. More than half have gone to Poland, whilst more than 10,000 have registered in Belgium where they have been given international protection. People who fled the war in Ukraine wait at the train station in Przemysl, southeastern Poland, on Thursday moke and flames rise due to fire broke out after Russian rockets hit warehouses in Sviatoshynskyi district, Kyiv, Ukraine on Thursday Speaking about the houses where the Ukrainian refugees will by housed by the royal family, President of the Royal Trust Jan Smets told RTBF: 'This is housing whose original purpose was to be made available to social agencies to accommodate people on low incomes, a mission that corresponds with what we hope to achieve at the Royal Trust.' He added that the accommodation would now be used to host Ukrainian families fleeing the war, where thousands of people have been killed. In the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, and at least 15 were killed when Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community centre in Merefa. Putin faced further allegations of war crimes on Wednesday after video of an attack that was later confirmed by Ukraine's prosecutor general showed at least 10 civilians gunned down while they were queueing for bread outside Chernihiv. Ukraine's prosecutor general confirmed in a statement the attack by Russian forces who 'fired at people standing in line for bread near a grocery store.' While new drone footage appeared to show Russian soldiers executing a lone Ukrainian civilian as he held his hands up to surrender on a highway west of Kyiv last week. Russian rocket attacks also targeted a convoy of people fleeing Mariupol, killing civilians, including children, on Wednesday after earlier strikes targeted a nearby hub for displaced people. It is not yet known how many were killed in the shelling but an image from the scene showed a burnt out car, with a damaged door blown open. Meanwhile Zakharova today warned that giving Ukraine air defence systems, as requested by Ukraine's president in the US Congress on Wednesday, would be a destabilising factor that would 'definitely not bring peace to Ukraine' and 'could have much more dangerous consequences'. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday backed President Joe Biden's assessment that Vladimir Putin's armed forces were committing war crimes in Ukraine. He confirmed that another American citizen had been killed in the country and warned China not to come to Russia's aid. Meanwhile, a senior U.S. defense officials said more Russian air strikes were now hitting civilian infrastructure and targets. Blinken said the destruction appeared to be part of an attempt to break the will of the Ukrainian people. 'Yesterday, President Biden said that in his opinion, war crimes have been committed in Ukraine,' he said. 'Personally, I agree. Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. 'After all the destruction of the past three weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise.' U.S. officials had avoided the 'war crimes' designation until Wednesday. They said a complex legal process was under way to ascertain whether civilians were being targeted deliberately. That changed when Biden was asked for his opinion by reporters at the White House. 'I think he is a war criminal,' he said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he agreed with President Joe Biden's assessment that war crimes are being committed by Russia in Ukraine President Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of looking for way to back down from conflict Evacuees fleeing Ukraine-Russia conflict walk out of the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 17, 2022 Pictured: Evacuees fleeing Ukraine-Russia conflict sit in a car as they wait in a line to leave the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 17, 2022. What appears to be a bullet hole is seen in the car's windscreen This week U.S. diplomacy has focused on China in an effort to steer it away from responding to Russian calls for assistance, including military gear. Blinken said Washington would not hesitate to impose consequences. 'We believe China in particular has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and to defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support,' he said. 'Instead, it appears that China is moving in the opposite direction by refusing to condemn this aggression, while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter.' More diplomacy will come on Friday. 'President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow, and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression,' he said. 'And we will not hesitate to impose costs.' But the secretary of state did not explain what those costs might be and Washington has yet to provide evidence of China's apparent willingness to help Moscow. Blinken warned that a yet more deadly phase in the conflict could lie ahead. 'We believe that Moscow may be setting the stage to use a chemical weapon, and then falsely blaming Ukraine to justify escalating its attacks on the Ukrainian people,' he said. 'Manufacturing events and creating false narratives of genocide to justify greater use of military force is a tactic that Russia has used before, including in Georgia. 'We believe Russia will bring its mercenaries from private military groups and foreign countries to Ukraine.' Moscow has said it is recruiting 16,000 fighters from Syria to join the war. But U.S. intelligence officials have said they believe only a 'trickle' of people is making the journey. Earlier Biden again condemned Russian brutality in Ukraine, during a virtual meeting with the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin. 'We're meeting at a moment where the demands of unity in the world are really accelerating,' he said. 'We have to be united and we certainly are. 'But Putin's brutality and what he's doing, and his troops are doing, in Ukraine is just inhumane.' Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said Satellite imagery on Monday from Maxar technology showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theatre spelling out 'Children' in Russian - 'Deti' - to alert warplanes to those inside. It was hit anyway by Putin's forces U.S. officials have repeatedly condemned Russia's tactics of bombarding Ukrainian cities. A senior U.S. defense official said he could not given an estimate of the proportion of strikes that had hit civilian targets. But the official said: 'We have seen an increase of strikes on civilian infrastructure and civilian targets.' Particular attention has focused on a theater sheltering families that was hit in the besieged city of Mariupol on Wednesday. Hundreds of people had been living in the grand, columned building in the city centre after their homes were destroyed in the three weeks of fighting in the strategic port city since Vladimir Putin's forces invaded. Rescue efforts continued amid the rubble on Thursday and rescuers said no-one had been found dead so far. Ukraine's ombudswoman Ludmyla Denisova offered hope, saying that the shelter had withstood the impact of the airstrike. 'The building withstood the impact of a high-powered air bomb and protected the lives of people hiding in the bomb shelter,' she said on the messaging service Telegram. 'Work is under way to unlock the basement' and surviving adults and children are coming out, she wrote. She said there is no information on casualties so far. An ex-Labor MP has called Anthony Albanese a 'gaslighting narcissist' for blowing up at a reporter after he was questioned about the 'mean girls' culture within his party - before claiming she was bullied by peers so badly she developed a heart condition. Emma Husar, who represented the Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, slammed the Labor leader following his outburst at a press conference on Wednesday. Mr Albanese was pressed to comment on allegations of a 'mean girls' culture within his party before he lashed out and said the term was 'disrespectful'. The term was also used by Kimberley Kitching, who accused senior female ALP members of in-partying bullying before she died of a heart attack last Thursday. Ms Husar claimed Mr Albanese's fired-up response over the term 'mean girls' was a form of 'gaslighting'. Emma Husar, who represented the Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, slammed the Labor leader following his outburst at a press conference on Wednesday Mr Albanese was pressed to comment on allegations of a 'mean girls' culture within his party before he lashed out and said the term was 'disrespectful' 'A woman lost her life and there were circumstances that point to the Labor Party, but what Albo is doing here (by turning the phrase around) is absolute gaslighting,' Ms Husar told Daily Telegraph. 'This is the phrase Kimberley Kitching used to describe her (alleged) bullies. If this was on a different sort of work site where would the ALP, which says it is the party of workers, be then?' Ms Husar claimed she was targeted by ALP powerbrokers during her time in Parliament. She said the bullying was so severe she developed a leaky mitral valve condition that prompted her to visit a cardiologist. Ms Husar claimed she was mistreated by Mr Albanese who was 'happy to pump up my tyres to get at (then leader) Bill Shorten... but he never called to check on me.' Mr Albanese told Daily Mail Australia he was 'sad to hear of Emma Husar's health issues'. 'I wish Emma Husar all the best for her future,' he said. 'As I wrote to Emma Husar on 9 March 2021, "You have described many highly distressing experiences that occurred during your period as a parliamentarian and I am sorry you did not get the support that you needed".' Ms Husar then took aim at the Labor party for refusing to launch an investigation into the alleged in-partying bullying after Labor's deputy leader Richard Marles said it was not an appropriate time. 'If not now, then when?' she told Channel Nine's Today Show on Friday. 'The Labor Party weren't interested in taking action on what happened to me five...almost five years ago now. 'They've had a lot of time since then. There's been a lot of water under the bridge and they are still happy to turn a blind eye.' Ms Husar admitted she was not aware Ms Kitching had made any complaints, but said she could empathise with her after drawing on her own experiences. The term 'mean girls' was also used by Kimberley Kitching who accused senior female ALP members of in-partying bullying before she died of a heart attack last Thursday Ms Husar claimed she was targeted by ALP powerbrokers during her time in Parliament 'They would have been quite terrifying really because these are people that you work with every day and there is enormous amount of power within those party rooms,' she said. 'I can't imagine what that felt like for her. And I am absolutely not at all shocked that in the wake of her death that these revelations are being levelled at the Labor Party and the women within it.' Ms Husar claimed there was plenty of infighting within the party and between some women politicians. 'I think the term Crumb Maidens has been coined in the last sort of two years to describe women who benefit from upholding those patriarchal systems that the men have been playing for a long time,' she said. 'That certainly extends to the women.' Ms Husar was forced to resign in 2019 after she was accused of sexual harassment. An internal investigation found the allegations were not supported and there was no basis for Ms Husar to resign. In 2021, Ms Husar demanded an apology from Mr Albanese over claims people within the Labor Party leaked false information about her exposing herself to a colleague in 2017. Bill Shorten, who was opposition leader when the alleged incident took place, acknowledged Ms Husar was treated poorly by some people. In 2021, Ms Husar demanded an apology from Mr Albanese over claims people within the Labor Party leaked false information about her exposing herself to a colleague in 2017 'I regret the way she was treated,' he previously told ABC News. 'I don't say that covers all the matters but I do think there were some people in NSW Labor who didn't treat her well. 'Emma and I have had our own conversations on this matter so I do, in part, feel for her. I don't think she was all in the wrong here.' Labor frontbenchers are refusing to launch an investigation or comment on reports that the late senator Kimberley Kitching was bullied and ostracised within her own party. Labor spokeswoman for women Tanya Plibersek said it wasn't appropriate to be making the reports into a political issue. 'I don't know any of the details ... nor do I want to be talking about it at the moment,' she told Sky News on Thursday. 'We have lost a colleague way too young. I think we need to focus on that at the moment and give her family a bit of time and space.' The White House on Thursday attacked Senator Josh Hawley after he said he found an 'alarming pattern' in Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's treatment of sex offenders. Press secretary Jen Psaki went after Hawley for his questioning of President Joe Biden's nominee for the Supreme Court, accusing him of taking Jackson's record out of context. And she got in a shot at the Republican senator from Missouri. 'I'm not sure if someone who refused to tell people whether or not he would vote for Roy Moore is an effective and credible messenger on this,' Psaki said in Thursday's press briefing. Hawley, as a Senate candidate, had initially hedged on whether he'd support Moore, who had been accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls. Hawley later said Moore should drop out of the race. Senator Josh Hawley issued a long twitter thread where he questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's treatment of sex offenders - above the two met on March 9 White House Press secretary Jen Psaki went after Senator Josh Hawley for his questioning of President Joe Biden's nominee for the Supreme Court The senator, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a long Twitter thread on Wednesday where he questioned Jackson's rulings in child sexual abuse cases. 'I've noticed an alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson's treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children,' he wrote on Twitter. 'Judge Jackson has a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes, both as a judge and as a policymaker. She's been advocating for it since law school. This goes beyond 'soft on crime.' I'm concerned that this a record that endangers our children.' Hawley told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday that he did not talk about this issue to Jackson when he met with her on March 9, saying he hadn't finished going through her legal record at that point, but he said he would ask her about it during her confirmation hearing next week. 'I'd like to hear from her next week - what her thoughts are,' he said, adding that he's 'sure she'll be prepared to talk about it.' Psaki, however, argued Hawley took Jackson's words out of context. 'In the vast majority of cases involving child sex crimes, the sentences Judge Jackson imposed were consistent with or above what the government or U.S. probatation recommended,' she said. 'He took a snippet of a transcript out of context, when in fact Judge Jackson repeated something a witness said to ask her a question,' she added. 'Attempts to smear or discredit her work are not borne out in facts.' And earlier the White House slammed Hawley's criticism as 'cherry-picking.' 'This is toxic and weakly-presented misinformation that relies on taking cherry-picked elements of her record out of context - and it buckles under the lightest scrutiny,' said spokesman Andrew Bates. In the 18-tweet thread, Hawley claimed that Jackson had been soft on sentencing people accused of possessing child pornography and that she questioned whether people accused of sex crimes should be required to register as sex offenders. 'This is a disturbing record for any judge, but especially one nominated to the highest court in the land,' he wrote. 'Protecting the most vulnerable shouldn't be up for debate. Sending child predators to jail shouldn't be controversial.' Jackson's confirmation hearings begin on Monday when she introduces herself to the committee and senators make their opening statements. Senators will begin questioning her on Tuesday. 'I'd like to hear her why she sentence the way that she did,' Hawley told reporters on Thursday. And what her philosophy is when it comes to child sex offenders and crime more generally. But you know, let's start with child sex offenders.' He also said he had no intention of turning her hearing into one that brings to mind Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump's controversial nominee who was accused of sexual assualt. His hearings were contentious and heavily protested. Republicans have said Jackson would get a fair hearing. Hawley said the same, saying he was just going to question the judge about her record. 'This is her record,' he said. 'So this is what we're here to do. We're here to ask a judicial nominee questions about her judicial record, and that's what I intend to do. Listen, I like her a lot. I was impressed with her. I think she's a good person. I want to ask for a better record, though. And she's, she can speak for herself.' Former President Trump's office and Republicans expressed vindication and slammed Big Tech for censoring reports on Hunter Biden's laptop after the New York Times confirmed authenticity of emails from the device. 'The Fake News covered it all up during a presidential election, which may be an even bigger crime than the contents of the laptop. It's well past time time for the truth!' Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich told DailyMail.com. 'The New York Times admits what we've known for years: the Hunter Biden laptop story was true. Big tech's censorship of this story was a disgrace,' Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on Twitter. 'For decades, the Biden family has cashed in on Joe's government service. Even today, Hunter Biden is getting paid millions for his 'artwork' in a corrupt arrangement blessed by the White House.' Amid the ongoing investigation into his finances, Hunter has in recent years pursued a career as an artists, where some of his works were reportedly valued at half a million dollars. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said that the cover-up helped Biden win the election. 'Today, the @nytimes confirmed what many of us already knew: the Democrats and their allies in media and Big Tech conspired to cover up the Hunter Biden story to help @joebiden win a presidential election,' he wrote on Twitter. 'Now that the New York Times has even confirmed the Hunter Biden laptop's veracity, can we begin to admit that Joe Biden is, by definition, a compromised politician?' GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colo., questioned. 'Told ya,' Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, quipped on Twitter. In a report about the ongoing federal investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes, the New York Times confirmed that a laptop abandoned in a Delaware computer repair shop did in fact belong to the president's son. DailyMail.com authenticated the laptop a full year earlier, and was the first and only news organization to publicly verify its contents using expert analysis. Last March, we hired top cyber forensics experts at Maryman & Associates to examine the hard drive to determine its authenticity. In October 2020, the New York Post reported that the laptop's hard drive contained a cache of emails, texts, photos and documents between Hunter Biden, his family and his business associates. The correspondence detailed how Hunter used his father's vice presidency as leverage in overseas business dealings. Both Facebook and Twitter blocked users from sharing the original bombshell report, and Democrats all the way up to the White House suggested that the laptop could be part of a Russian disinformation campaign. Emails specifically related to Biden's time serving on the $50,000-a-month board seat on Ukrainian energy firm Burisma were first reported by the Post, and Democrats claimed the laptop was likely part of some Russian disinformation campaign. The laptop repair shop owner reported the FBI after making a copy of its hard drive. The FBI seized the laptop and its hard drive. Prosecutors have examined emails between Biden and business associates related to Burisma that were recovered from the laptop, the Times reports. Some of the correspondence in question was between Hunter and his business colleague Devon Archer, who also served on the board. Prosecutors have already interviewed Archer and subpoenaed him for documents and grand testimony. He was sentenced last month in an unrelated securities fraud case. Those emails, which the Times looked at as well, 'appears to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop.' People familiar with the investigation confirmed the emails' authenticity to the Times. In a report about the ongoing federal investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes, the New York Times confirmed that a laptop abandoned in a Delaware computer repair shop did in fact belong to the president's son Other contents of the laptop, obtained by DailyMail.com detail how the first son would, in a drug-induced stupor, often blow tens of thousands of dollars on drugs and prostitutes. The Times report also reveals that the younger Biden paid off a tax liability of $1 million, and that he told and associate he had to take out a loan to do so, one year after he revealed he was under investigation by the Department of Justice for tax fraud. Asked by DailyMail.com about the New York Times report, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stonewalled. 'I point you to the the Department of Justice and Hunter Biden's representatives. I'm a spokesperson for the United States. He doesn't work for the United States.' 'Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote in October 2020, linking to a Politico story. While wiping out his debts won't spare him from possible criminal charges, the payoff could make it harder for prosecutors to win a conviction or a long sentencing for the crime. Judges and juries can be more sympathetic to defendants who have paid off their debts. Biden has acknowledged that he battled drug addiction and several other mental health problems while he engaged in international business deals. He is pictured above with what appears to be a crack pipe in his mouth Hunter Biden has taken out a loan to pay off $1m in back taxes, it was reported, after a series of sex and drug scandals But the investigation also extends broadly into how Hunter's business career may have been tied to his last name, and investigators have looked into his relationships with business interests in Kazakhstan, a Chinese energy conglomerate, Burisma and more. The probe is searching for criminal violations of tax laws, as well as foreign lobbying and money laundering rules. So far, Biden has not been charged with any crime. People familiar with the investigation said prosecutors had looked into payments and gifts Biden and his associates received from foreign interests, including a car paid for by a company related to a Kazakh oligarch and a diamond paid for by a Chinese energy tycoon, the Times reports. Over the past year DailyMail.com has revealed stories from the laptop including: Prosecutors have asked about possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by Blue Star Strategies, a Washington consulting firm that worked with for Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings in a deal Biden allegedly helped broker. Officials are trying to determine if Biden should have registered under FARA on behalf of Burisma. Investigators analyzed emails between Biden and his business partner, Devon Archer, and others about the company and its dealings. In one email to Archer, dated April 2014, Biden suggested he was familiar with FARA and wanted to avoid triggering any violations. He allegedly mentioned that his father, then-vice president, would be announcing a trip to Ukraine, writing that the announcement 'could be a really good thing or it could end up creating too great an expectation. We need to temper expectations regarding that visit.' Biden did not specifically name his father, but instead referred to him as 'my guy'. In that same message, Biden argued that Burisma's officials 'need to know in no uncertain terms that we will not and cannot intervene directly with domestic policymakers, and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board.' He also suggested enlisting a law firm - where Biden worked at the time - to 'direct discussions at state, energy and NSC' and said the firm 'can devise a media plan and arrange for legal protections and mitigate U.S. domestic negative press regarding the current leadership if need be.' The email was penned about a week before the vice president traveled to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. In another set of emails, dated April 2015, Biden and Archer allegedly discussed inviting foreign business associates - including a Burisma executive - to a dinner at a D.C. area restaurant where the vice president would make an appearance. The Times reports it is not clear if the Burisma executive attended the dinner, but Joe Biden did make an appearance. However, a Burisma adviser wrote an email the day after thanking Hunter for the 'opportunity to meet your father,' and that email was obtained and verified by DailyMail.com. 'Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. It's realty [sic] an honor and pleasure', Vadym Pozharskyi wrote on April 17, 2015. Pozharskyi's email first emerged in October, when the contents of Hunter's laptop were first leaked by the New York Post, however, Biden's campaign at the time blasted the report, and said a records search indicated no such meeting occurred. In another set of emails, dated April 2015, Biden allegedly invited a Burisma adviser to meet his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden Prosecutors have also spoken with Lunden Alexis Roberts, who sued Hunter for child support and paternity, after one of his companies stopped paying her and providing her with health insurance. A DNA test proved that Hunter is the father of Roberts' child. Prosecutors traveled to Little Rock, Ark. to ask Roberts about Biden's finances, include which corporate entity he used to pay her and whether that entity received payments from Burisma, according to the Times. Angelina Please, a transgender porn star who was reported missing nearly a week ago, was found dead at her Las Vegas home on Wednesday. Please - real name Francesca Elizabeth - was found after police in Vegas received several calls saying she had not been heard from or seen in five days. Police found no signs of foul play at Please's home. Authorities in Las Vegas have not yet responded to a DailyMail.com public records request. A tweet from a neighbor and fellow adult film actress Aspen Brooks said that police came by and found Please's door locked. Brooks said Please's relatives, who live in Chicago, may have reported her missing days before she died. Angelina Please, a transgender porn star who had been missing for nearly a week, was found dead at her Las Vegas home on Wednesday Please - real name Francesca Elizabeth - was found after police in Vegas had gotten several calls saying she had not been heard from or seen in five days Friends said that Please's family in Chicago may have reported her missing days before she died A source told AVN that Please, 24, was found inside and that police saw no signs of violence or foul play. The Clark County Medical Examiner's office said that Please's case is still pending. Please - a nominee for Trans Performer of the Year for the 2022 AVN Awards - had been spotty in posting on social media in recent weeks and apologized in a post to her OnlyFans account on March 4, one of her last. 'Sorry about the lack of posts!' she wrote. 'This has been a busy month with shoots, and on top of it I will be directing a lot of attention to helping my elderly parents find housing close to me! Will be back at full speed soon!' A GoFundMe started by Lonnie Montalbano - who identified as Please's sibling - is trying to raise money to bring her body home to Chicago. 'This is something I never imagined having to do for my baby sister,' they wrote on the page. 'Francesca was loved by so many, so special in a million different ways and showed so much promise. Please, seen with friend, neighbor and fellow performer Aspen Brooks, who mourned Please Thursday 'She would go above and beyond to help the people she loved. Now her and her family are asking for your help,' Montalbano added. Montalbano wrote that their father is going to give up his cemetery plot to bury Angeline next to her grandparents. The fundraiser has drawn $18,000 in donations as of Thursday, just shy of their $20,000 goal. Brooks was just one of the members of the adult film community heartbroken by the news: 'I'm at a loss for words. Went to go check up on my friend after she had been missing, only to find out we lost an amazing person. One of my best friends. My neighbor. The person I would gossip with about everything. She was just 24 years old RIP baby girl.' Steven Grooby, who works in the transgender pornography industry, said: 'It's just the most awful news to hear. Angelina was 24 and in the prime of her life, a popular and professional performer. A Covid detection force will go door to door in Perth this weekend and conduct random testing amid fears Omicron is lurking undetected in the community. About 875 people are expected be tested over the next two weekends as part of a collaboration between the Telethon Kids Institute and Curtin University. Belmont, Bassendean, Claremont and Melville are among the suburbs health workers will visit as part of the testing blitz, the Western Australian government confirmed. The process will take about 30 minutes and involve taking saliva samples from voluntary participants and processing them using a new technology called LAMP. The technology - which stands for Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification - can process test samples in bulk but has not yet been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. LAMP tests can be used for 'screening purposes' only and those who test positive will need to get an official PCR test to confirm their result. WA is just a few days away from its Omicron peak, Premier Mark McGowan said - as he launched a random testing blitz over the next four weekends The announcement of the new testing plan, which is designed to pick up the level of undetected Covid in the community, drew a mixed reaction from the state's residents, some of whom said they wouldn't even open their door to the testing teams. 'Not coming on my property,' one wrote on social media. 'Not interested - it's invading our privacy,' another said, while one WA resident questioned whether health workers had the authority to go knocking door to door. 'If I'm not showing symptoms I'm not doing a test,' one said. The program is entirely voluntary. WA is likely just a few days away from its Omicron peak, Premier Mark McGowan says, with the state recording 7,151 new cases and one death on Thursday. The latest Covid-19 related fatality is that of a woman in her 80s, bringing the toll during the state's Omicron outbreak to six deaths. There are 140 people in hospital with the virus, including four in intensive care. 'We expect that we're a few days away from our caseload peak. Our hospitalisation peak will come after that,' Mr McGowan said. 'But I think what this shows, certainly the low hospitalisation rate and the low rate of ICU (cases), is that our preparedness and our high first, second and third dose vaccination rates have paid huge dividends." Another woman in her 80s whose death was announced on Wednesday had been an aged care resident who was already receiving palliative care, Mr McGowan said. A decision on easing level two restrictions, including capacity limits at private homes and public venues, will be made in the coming weeks. An army of Covid researchers will go door to door in Perth over the next two weekends amid fears the Omicron strain is lurking undetected in the community (file image of police enforcing restrictions) Pictured: A masked woman in Perth's CBD. About 1,600 people are expected be tested over the next two weekends 'I'm very keen for level two to be reduced back to level one but we'll just see how we're tracking towards the end of this month,' the premier said. The hardline state leader opened his state's border to domestic and international travel on March 3 after shutting it for two years to keep out the virus. He had previously cancelling a planned reopening date on February 5 until WA's own outbreak rendered the issue moot. But Mr McGowan warned he could again slam the border shut if another Covid strain emerges. WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S 'LEVEL 1' and 'LEVEL 2' RESTRICTIONS Level 2 restrictions Home gatherings are limited to 10 people Weddings and funerals in the outdoor area of a private home can have up to 150 people with the 2 sqm rule Masks for children in Years 3 to 6 added Major venues such as Optus Stadium capped at 50 per cent Aged care and disability services will be restricted to two visitors per resident each day Level 1 restrictions Home gatherings are limited to 30 people If outdoors (not at a private residence), maximum of 200 patrons. If outdoors at a private residence, maximum of 200 people. If indoors, as per venue requirements. Masks are required for people aged 12 years and over everywhere indoors, other than in the home 75 per cent capacity for seated entertainment venues Aged care and disability services will be restricted to four visitors per resident each day Advertisement 'You can never guarantee these things,' he said as he opened the border, even while claiming he didn't 'any intention whatsoever' of actually doing it. 'Obviously, if another strain comes along that is deadly or a different illness comes along, or something of that nature, no government can guarantee that. 'And I'll just remind you all: the Commonwealth Government put in place a border around Australia as well, and every state in Australia actually at one point in time or another had borders in place.' Mr McGowan insisted WA's reputation was not dented by 697 days of hardline border restrictions, which was contrary to the national reopening plan. Premier Mark McGowan emerged on Thursday from a week in self-quarantine after returning from Sydney (McGowan is pictured, with wife Sarah) 'Our reputation will be as the safest jurisdiction in the world, that handled Covid the best in the world,' he said. Mr McGowan said the approach had been further vindicated by new figures showing WA's domestic economy grew by a nation-high 6.6 per cent last year. His 50 per cent capacity limits for major venues have been criticised by legendary Australian rock band Midnight Oil, while artists such as Missy Higgins, Birds of Tokyo and Jimmy Barnes, have expressed doubts they can perform under such conditions. Western Australia reopened its border on March 3. Pictured are shop workers in Perth Midnight Oil said in a statement: 'Western Australia announced outdoor concerts crowds are capped at only 500 people for at least the next 4 weeks. 'As such our show at Nikola Estate on March 26, and basically every other big gig in WA this month, will not be able to proceed as planned.' Mr McGowan has announced a further $72million in compensation, including grants of up to $50,000 for businesses facing reduced turnover. He acknowledged the new rules would not be tightly policed but said there had been high levels of compliance during the pandemic. The premier emerged on Thursday from a week in self-quarantine after returning from Sydney, where he was required to appear in the Federal Court to give evidence after being sued for defamation by billionaire Clive Palmer. Rock band Midnight Oil have slammed Western Australia's concert capacity limit, which has led to them cancelling a concert in the state. Pictured is Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett It emerged during the trial Mr McGowan had privately described Mr Palmer as 'the worst Australian who's not in jail'. The premier also exchanged friendly messages with media mogul Kerry Stokes, whose daily newspaper variously depicted Mr Palmer as the movie villain Dr Evil, a cane toad and a cockroach. Mr McGowan denied having gone into isolation - which is no longer required given the borders are open - to avoid questions about the messages. He refused to answer when asked if his relationship with Mr Stokes was appropriate. Mr Palmer (pictured with his wife Anna) is suing Mr McGowan for defamation, claiming public comments had damaged his reputation 'The very strong advice I have from my lawyers is I cannot comment on matters that were before the court... before such time as a judgment is handed down,' he said. Mr Palmer is suing Mr McGowan for defamation, claiming public comments - including labelling the Queensland businessman the 'enemy of the state' - had damaged his reputation. The premier has lodged a counter-claim that he was defamed in several of Mr Palmer's interviews and statements. Mr Palmer had sought up to $30 billion in damages over a 2012 decision by the former Liberal state government not to assess his proposed Balmoral South iron ore mine project. Ally Langdon has grilled Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles about whether he had let down the late senator Kimberley Kitching, in a tense exchange about the bullying claims which have rocked the party. The Today show host fired up after the senior MP avoided questions about the party's plans to investigate allegations the late senator was being ostracised by senior Upper House ALP colleagues before her death from a heart attack at the age of 52 last week. Langdon asked: 'Do you personally feel like you let down Kimberley Kitching?' Marles replied: 'You can ask me that question in a range of ways... I'm not going to walk down that path.' He claimed answering questions would distract from celebrating Ms Kitching's life ahead of her funeral in Melbourne on Monday afternoon. Kimberley Kitching died last Thursday from a suspected heart attack at the age of 52. Claims have emerged the late senator was being ostracised by senior members before her death The senior MP on Friday refused to confirm whether an investigation into Labor's work culture would take place. 'When is the time, Richard - when will these allegations be dealt with if it's not now? Can you give me a date?' Langdon asked. 'Right now we want to honour Kimberley Kitching, who she was, what she achieved, the warm and wonderful person that she was and that's what I'm focused on,' he replied. 'That's what we are all focused on within the Labor community at the moment. I think that's fair enough.' The government, eager to arrest Labor's rise in the opinion polls heading toward the election, had seized upon the 'mean girls' controversy, and Defence Minister Peter Dutton said Ms Kitching's friends and family deserved answers about how she suffered in her final years in parliament. 'There are many people, close friends of Kimberley's within the Labor Party, making these allegations and if I was leader or deputy leader of the Labor Party I would want to know the answers,' he said. Ms Kitching's allies have claimed in bombshell reports this week she was being picked on by so-called Labor 'mean girls': Senators Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Kristina Keneally. Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles has repeatedly refused to answer questions surrounding allegations Senator Kitching was subject to hostile behaviour from Senate colleagues Katy Gallagher (left) Kristina Keneally (centre) and Senator Penny Wong (right) Senator Kitching had also made allegations of in-party bullying to Mr Marles and then to workplace safety consultants before her death. The tense exchange came as bombshell texts emerged showing Ms Kitching messaged a friend about Ms Wong the night before she lodged a bullying complaint. 'Wong has been bad,' the message obtained by The Australian reads. 'She would love to never see me again.' Today show host Ally Langdon fired up after the top MP again avoided questions about the party's plans to investigate allegations Kitching sent the text late at night on the November 4 last year. The next day she lodged her bullying complaint. The relationship between Senator Kitching and Wong - a key figure of the Labor left - was reportedly stony and the pair had previously had blow-ups. Senator Kitching had met with Deputy Leader Marles in June where she told him she believed she was being 'frozen out' by the Senate leadership team and claimed to have been unfairly dumped from the tactics committee meetings. The situation was reportedly never resolved. Former Labor MP Emma Husar has verified reports of bullying within the party, claiming it caused her so much stress she too developed a heart condition. Senator Kimberley Kitching sent a text message to a close friend saying that Senator Penny Wong never wanted to see her again the night before she lodged bullying claims (Pictured, mock-up text) Senator Penny Wong and Senator Kitching's relationship was reportedly often tumultuous Former Labor MP slams Anthony Albanese as a 'gaslighting narcissist'- as she claims she was bullied so badly by colleagues she developed a heart condition An ex-Labor MP has called Anthony Albanese a 'gaslighting narcissist' for blowing up at a reporter after he was questioned about the 'mean girls' culture within his party - before claiming she was bullied by peers so badly she developed a heart condition. Emma Husar, who represented the Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, slammed the Labor leader following his outburst at a press conference on Wednesday. Mr Albanese was pressed to comment on allegations of a 'mean girls' culture within his party before he lashed out and said the term was 'disrespectful'. The term was also used by Kimberley Kitching, who accused senior female ALP members of in-partying bullying before she died of a heart attack last Thursday. Ms Husar claimed Mr Albanese's fired-up response over the term 'mean girls' was a form of 'gaslighting'. Emma Husar, who represented the Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, slammed the Labor leader following his outburst at a press conference on Wednesday 'A woman lost her life and there were circumstances that point to the Labor Party, but what Albo is doing here (by turning the phrase around) is absolute gaslighting,' Ms Husar told Daily Telegraph. 'This is the phrase Kimberley Kitching used to describe her (alleged) bullies. If this was on a different sort of work site where would the ALP, which says it is the party of workers, be then?' Ms Husar claimed she was targeted by ALP powerbrokers during her time in Parliament. She said the bullying was so severe she developed a leaky mitral valve condition that prompted her to visit a cardiologist. Mr Albanese was pressed to comment on allegations of a 'mean girls' culture within his party before he lashed out and said the term was 'disrespectful' Ms Husar claimed she was mistreated by Mr Albanese who was 'happy to pump up my tyres to get at (then leader) Bill Shorten... but he never called to check on me.' Ms Husar then took aim at the Labor party for refusing to launch an investigation into the alleged in-partying bullying after Labor's deputy leader Richard Marles said it was not an appropriate time. 'If not now, then when?' she told Channel Nine's Today Show on Friday. 'The Labor Party weren't interested in taking action on what happened to me five...almost five years ago now. 'They've had a lot of time since then. There's been a lot of water under the bridge and they are still happy to turn a blind eye.' Ms Husar admitted she was not aware Ms Kitching had made any complaints, but said she could empathise with her after drawing on her own experiences. Advertisement Ms Husar, who once represented the Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, claims she was also a victim of Labor's 'incredibly toxic' culture. Ms Husar left Parliament after Labor mounted an investigation into ultimately unproven charges of sexual harassment against her. She told the Daily Telegraph she was bullied by ALP powerbrokers which caused so much stress she had to see a cardiologist. She slammed the party for positioning itself as the champion of women while treating female parliamentarians poorly. 'Labor gets away with this because the left-leaning sections of the media believe in progressive politics and think that just because it's the ALP and they have more women in parliament they are better,' she said. 'But it is only because the poor treatment of women in the Coalition is so much more overt that we don't see the coercive control that goes on in the ALP.' She also called federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese a 'gaslighting narcissist' for blowing up at a reporter after he was questioned about the party's culture. Former Labor MP Emma Husar (pictured) has also spoken out on bullying within the party, claiming it caused her so much stress she developed a heart condition Mr Albanese was pressed to comment on allegations of a 'mean girls' culture within his party before he lashed out and said the term was 'disrespectful'. 'A woman lost her life and there were circumstances that point to the Labor Party, but what Albo is doing here (by turning the phrase around) is absolute gaslighting,' Ms Husar told The Daily Telegraph. 'This is the phrase Kimberley Kitching used to describe her (alleged) bullies. If this was on a different sort of work site where would the ALP, which says it is the party of workers, be then?' On Wednesday, Mr Marles blew up at a reporter after being questioned over claims Senator Kitching was bullied in the lead up to her death. Mr Marles was confronted by journalists at a Hobart press conference on Thursday over accusations he was aware Senator Kitching was being ostracised by members within the party but did not intervene. After repeatedly sidestepping their questions, the meeting quickly descended into a fiery show-down as Mr Marles slammed reporters for being insensitive to the party's grief. 'Right now, to be honest, a person has died in the last week,' Mr Marles said. Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles (pictured) snapped at a journalist in Hobart on Thursday after being accused of intentionally avoiding questions over his knowledge about Senator Kitching's alleged bullying by members within the party 'I understand the legitimacy of asking questions given what has been put out there. [But] in respect of someone who has passed away less than a week ago, it is really not ok.' A journalist pointed out that it appeared Mr Marles was boycotting questions, saying: 'It does seem to an observer that you might be using these eulogies to mask answering'. At that point, Mr Marles snapped, labelling the accusation 'offensive'. 'She has not had her funeral yet and you're asking questions in that context,' he bristled. Senator Kitching (pictured) died last Thursday aged 52 from a sudden heart attack 'I don't accept the assertions that have been in the media but I'm not about to get into that debate now.' Allegations of in-house bullying have rocked the ALP since Senator Kitching's sudden death from a heart attack last Thursday, with claims the 52-year-old had been under-stress due to workplace culture issues. Ms Kitching disclosed to a parliament-employed workplace trainer last November she was being bullied by her Senate colleagues, according to multiple reports. Her close friend and former Labor leader Bill Shorten later said the Victorian senator had been under stress due to internal party politics and a pre-selection battle. A Long Island medical student whose face was left severely disfigured from an acid attack a year ago slammed police for failing to catch her assailant, claiming they 'didn't take it seriously.' Nafiah Ikram, 22, had just returned home from working at a local CVS store around 8:20 p.m. on March 17, 2021, when the attacker ran up behind her in the driveway of her family's Elmont home and doused her with acid. The Hofstra University medical student suffered severe burns to her face that resulted in numerous surgeries. She was left blind in her left eye after the acid melted her contact lens, but despite the horrific crime she suffered, no arrests have ever been made. A year has passed since the dreadful incident and Ikram, along with her family, said police have not done enough to get the suspect off the streets. Speaking at a press conference Thursday, Ikram has said investigators even 'legitimately accused me of lying and withholding information.' Nafiah Ikram, 22, pleads for renewed efforts to arrest the person who doused her with acid at her Elmont, Long Island home one year ago The medical student spoke out Thursday along with her family, claiming the police have not done enough to get the suspect off the streets 'I think in the beginning they didn't take it seriously,' Ikram added. 'They went through my social media, my text messages, all of that and still couldn't find one lead. 'That goes to show you either they weren't trying hard enough or this person really is a good hider,' she said. 'We don't want this to happen to anyone else's child. The fact that this person is still out there, even my family, friends, my community, my neighbors, they're all scared. They lock their doors.' Ikram and her family gathered with community leaders on Thursday, pleading with Nassau County Police and the FBI to double up on their efforts to find the suspect. 'The police department, they never take this case seriously,' said her father, Sheikh Ikram. 'So, please. Help us to find that animal. My daughter, she is suffering every single day and we are going through a very tough time. It was somebody who really knows her well, who has very good information.' The attack left Ikram severely disfigured and she's undergone countless surgeries, as recently as two weeks ago. Nafiah suffered severe burns (left) to her face that resulted in numerous surgeries. She was also left blind in her left eye Nafiah is studying medicine at Hofstra University, and has plans to be a doctor Nafiah lost vision in her left eye because the acid caused her contacts to melt into her eyes 'It's been very physically painful, mentally exhausting,' Ikram said Thursday. 'I was having nightmares up until this morning.' 'First, I had reconstruction of my right eyelid,' Ikram said. 'In between surgeries, every two weeks, I had esophageal dilation. I was not able to eat because my esophagus lost its flexibility, so something as small as a pill will get stuck in my throat. 'There will be many plastic surgeries,' she added. 'If you ask me in five years, it will probably be 25 surgeries.' Ikram lost vision in one eye after the acid caused her contacts to melt into her eyes. Horrifying surveillance footage released shortly after the attack shows the moment Ikram arrived home and the suspect runs up to Ikram and throws the liquid on her before sprinting off. Police released the video footage and a picture of the car they believe the suspect drove off in, but no one has been arrested over the attack. Horrifying surveillance footage shows the moment that Nafiah arrived at her Elmont home. A man (right) is seen running up behind her and throwing the acid in her face Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder defended police efforts to find Ikram's attacker, according to the New York Post. 'The Nassau County Police Department continues an intense and comprehensive investigation into the heinous act that took place one year ago, when our victim, Nafiah Ikram, was assaulted with a hazardous substance,' the statement said. 'Numerous interagency resources have been assigned and continue to collaborate to bring the person responsible to justice,' Ryder said. 'Nassau County Crimestoppers and the FBI have both equally increased their reward to a total of $40,000 for tips that could lead to an arrest of the person or persons responsible. 'We have continued to work with the Ikram family and urge anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS,' he said. The ex-wife of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos donated $281 million to the Boys & Girls Club of America, the largest single donation in the after-school nonprofit's 160-year history. MacKenzie Scott, 51, directed $256 million to 62 chapters of the Boys & Girls Club across the nation on Thursday, with the remaining $25 million going to the organization's national headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. 'Gifts like this are rare and have incredible impact,' said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which serves more than 4.3 million children at more than 4,700 locations in the country. The donation represents the latest in Scott's ongoing philanthropy spree where she has given away $9.2 billion of her estimated $42.5 billion fortune she was awarded in her divorce settlement, according to Fortune. MacKenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos' ex-wife, donated $281 million to the Boys & Girls Club of America, the largest single donation in its 160-year history The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which serves more than 4.3 million children at more than 4,700 locations in the country, said the gift would have an 'incredible impact' With gifts totaling $9.2 billion, Scott has given about 6 times as much in the last two years than her ex, Jeff Bezos (left) has in his entire life despite the Amazon founder's pledge to donate $13 billion. Bezos' estimated net worth is about $188 billion MACKENZIE SCOTT'S RECENT DONATIONS Mackenzie Scott has donated about $531 million this year, totaling her monetary gifts to $9.2 billion over the last two years. Her recent donations include: Boys & Girls Club of America: $281 million Communities in Schools: $133.5 million National 4-H Youth Council: $50 million Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity: $25 million Meharry Medical College: $20 million Guttmacher Institute: $15 million Jed Foundation: $15 million Leading Educators: $10 million The National Council on Aging: $8 million Shatterproof: $5 million Young People in Recovery: $3 million Advertisement Earlier this week, Scott, who no longer announces her donations, gifted $20 million to Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Last month alone, she gave away about than $250 million, $50 million of which went to the National 4-H Youth Council, the agricultural-focused youth organization that serves six million children in the U.S. She also gave Communities in Schools, a non-profit that helps keep at-risk children in schools, $133.5 million. Leading Educators, another education nonprofit, got $10 million to provide professional development for teachers in the U.S. Scott also donated to two organizations combatting addiction: $5 million to Shatterproof and $3 million to Young People in Recovery. She then gave to two groups focusing on reproductive rights, the Guttmacher Institute and the Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity, received $15 million and $25 million, respectively. The National Council on Aging, a nonprofit that advocates for seniors, got $8 million, while the Jed Foundation, a mental health nonprofit, received $15 million. In December alone, Scott donated about $4.1 billion to 384 organizations. In less than, two years Scott gave away about $9.2 billion, more than six times what Jeff Bezos, who's net worth is estimated at $188 billion, has donated so far in his entire life. Although the Amazon founder has pledged to give $13 billion to charities, Forbes estimated that Bezos has only dished out $1.5 billion, with the rest meant to be given away in the coming years. Scott continues to remain silent on her donations after announcing in her series of December gifts that she would no longer publicly publicize them. 'I want to let each of these incredible teams speak for themselves first if they choose to, with the hope that when they do, media focuses on their contributions instead of mine,' Scott said in a statement. The recipients of the latest gift from the Boys & Girls Club of America have, on the other hand, been vocal about what they described as a 'generous' and 'humble' gift. Forbes estimated that Bezos has only dished out about $1.5 billion in charitable donations Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, which serves 3,500 kids, said their gift of $6.8 billion would allow it to expand in the next three years Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee CEO Kathy Thornton-Bias, whose organization received $17 million, said in a statement: 'In a time where Milwaukee's kids are facing so many challenges, Mackenzie Scott's donation will allow us to accelerate our work and meaningfully implement the strategies we have developed to address the needs of the teens and children we serve.' Paul Martinez, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, which received $6.8 million said: 'This generous, unrestricted gift is an affirmation of the profound impact we have made on our young people over the past 60 years in Northeast Florida.' Martinez added that the gift would help the Florida branch grow from 38 clubs to 55 clubs by 2025, allowing the group to help hundreds more than the 3,500 it serves today. Scott has said she said the team used a data-driven approach, identifying organizations with strong leadership and results, specifically in communities with high food insecurity, racial inequity and poverty rates, 'and low access to philanthropic capital.' Federal prosecutors targeting Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress admitted Wednesday that they did not seek higher approval within the Justice Department before spying on Steve Bannon's lawyer. A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Justice Department to produce internal records related to their decision to prosecute Bannon, a win for the former Trump adviser. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols seemed disturbed by the unusual move, repeatedly asking prosecutors why they thought it was proper to secretly gather records of defense attorney Robert Costello's private phone calls, text messages, and emails. Nichols also said that Bannon's team should be offered Justice Department 'statements or writings' that justify the decision to charge him with contempt of Congress given the long-standing precedent of former presidential advisers being immune to subpoenas. Amanda Vaughn, the lead prosecutor on the case, told the court that her team 'never sought content of any communications,' instead the DOJ sought 'toll records,' to see who Costello was calling or writing and when. Vaughn did not explicitly state why the Justice Department made the move which could violate attorney client privilege protections, but hinted that they wanted to make sure Bannon was relying on the advice of his lawyer when he refused to testify before the Jan. 6 committee in October. Banno's lawyers asserted that he did not meet the definition of 'willful' contempt because he was relying on the advice of their advice, but Nichols didn't seem to buy that argument anyways. Published opinions by the White House Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) say that senior presidential advisers are 'absolutely immune' from compelled congressional testimony, which is why Bannon's lawyers say they advised their client not to testify. But prosecutors argued that the OLC opinions, which don't carry any legal weight, were not relevant to the contempt-of-congress charges. Documents the DOJ provides could shed light on what justification they used for going against the executive branch's own guidance, or what nonpublic legal guidance they used for prosecuting Bannon for defying the subpoena. Bannon told reporters his case has 'nothing to do' with Jan. 6 and his focus is on taking down President Biden 'What is essential to my work is taking down the illegitimate regime of the Biden administration and I do it every day,' the former White House chief strategist told reporters outside the Washington, D.C. courthouse on Wednesday Nichols, a Trump appointee, noted the dichotomy between the department's internal policy and its prosecutorial decisions. 'Those two positions would be held at the same time,' he said. Prosecutors in court admitted that they went to telecoms companies to demand Costello's records, which does not require getting upper-level approval from within DOJ, instead of asking Costello himself for them, which would require more DOJ scrutiny. Bannon's other lawyers, Evan Corcoran and David Schoen, were appalled. 'That is absurd on its face. There is a special relationship between an attorney and their client,' Schoen told the judge. 'Hopefully the inspector general sees things differently.' 'What on Earth were they going to tell from the records? They knew he was communicating [with Bannon,]' Schoen added. 'I think what happened is outrageous.' The judge said he would understood that the Bannon team may push for investigators to be reprimanded or the move to be referred to a watchdog agency, but held back for now. 'The behavior of the FBI and, quite frankly, DOJ has been outrageous to my attorney and the attorney-client privilege,' Bannon said outside the courtroom Wednesday afternoon. The government gained access to lawyer Robert Costello's phone and email records, according to information in a new court filing 'Everything that was in the background of this, everything that went to the grand jury. Everything ought to come out,' Bannon said. Meanwhile Bannon said his case has 'nothing to do' with Jan. 6 and his focus is on taking down President Biden. 'What is essential to my work is taking down the illegitimate regime of the Biden administration and I do it every day,' the former White House chief strategist told reporters outside the Washington, D.C. courthouse on Wednesday. 'I do not consider them legitimate. I've stated this many times. I think the election on November 3rd was stolen and I've gone at publicly day after day after day.' In November, Bannon pleaded 'not guilty' to the contempt charge and vowed to make the case a 'misdemeanor from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden.' The case took a shocking turn when Bannon's lawyers revealed in February that the FBI had secretly spied on Bannon's attorney, believing they had found a way to blow up the case. The lawyers said in the explosive new filing they learned of the efforts to get Costello's phone and email records when the government produced 790 documents as part of the case against Bannon, part of the normal document production in a criminal case. The snooping, in the form of a grand jury subpoena, happened at a time when Costello was meeting with prosecutors 'as Mr. Bannon's attorney, in what he thought were good-faith pre-indictment discussions' and without indication of any 'taint team' to vet sensitive information. Bannon's lawyers blasted the information-gathering effort as 'outrageous and inappropriate Government conduct,' and demanded the feds provide further information including sharing the subpoena used to obtain the information, and revealing who at the main Justice Department signed off on the effort, which apparently no one did. Two Russian oligarchs with close business ties to Australia have been sanctioned by the federal government amid concerns about their links to Vladimir Putin. Billionaire Oleg Deripaska owns a 20 per cent stake in Australian aluminium company Queensland Alumina Limited through his company, Rusal. He and his colleague Viktor Vekselberg were named in new sanctions alongside nine Russian banks, a sovereign wealth fund and the entire Russian finance ministry on Friday. Government officials were reportedly concerned Rusal could be supplying alumina to Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine. Aluminium is often sourced during the production of missiles and weapons due to its strength, durability and light weight. Australia has also joined a United States-led taskforce targeting Russian elites, proxies and oligarchs. The taskforce, which also includes the United Kingdom, Japan and European countries, will collect and share information so steps can be taken to freeze and seize assets and launch criminal prosecutions. Billionaire Oleg Deripaska owns a 20 per cent stake in Australian aluminium company Queensland Alumina Limited through his company, Rusal. Federal government officials are reportedly considering imposing sanctions on Rusal amid concerns his refinery supplies alumina to Russia Mr Deripaska's luxury home in Belgrave Square, London, has been overrun by protesters flying the Ukrainian flag and demanding increased sanctions Mr Deripaska, 54, was first hit with overseas sanctions in 2018 over his purported links to Putin. Sanctions have been imposed on hundreds of Russia's key businessmen and women in solidarity with Ukraine in the wake of Putin's widely condemned invasion. While Mr Deripaska does not live in Australia, he has direct links to Queensland Alumina Limited through Rusal, a company which he founded. Mining giant Rio Tinto owns the remaining 80 per cent stake. The refinery based in Gladstone in Queensland produced three million tonnes of aluminium in 2021, meaning Rusal had access to about 600,000 tonnes. There are mounting concerns over the final destination of the product. Sanctions have been imposed in an attempt to punish Russia for the deadly invasion of Ukraine (pictured: Firefighters trying to extinguish a blaze after the building was hit by six rounds of Russian artillery) A group of squatters stands on the edge of a balcony next to a banner reading 'this property has been liberated' at a mansion rumoured to be owned by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska A spokesman from the office of Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday she was 'waiting on advice on further sanctions'. 'We are consulting and co-operating closely with partners on sanctions, and would note that the UK only sanctioned Viktor Vekselberg yesterday and Oleg Deripaska in recent days.' United States sanctions from 2018 were lifted when Mr Deripaska agreed to step aside as the head of the company. It's understood he still has direct say in daily operations. The company's share price took a battering amid ongoing tensions in Ukraine, falling by 20 per cent after the invasion. Australia has followed the lead of European countries, America and the UK by imposing sanctions in an attempt to force Vladimir Putin to reconsider his deadly invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: Debris in Kharkiv city, Ukraine Mr Deripaska used a post on Telegram to called for peace talks to begin 'as fast as possible' amid potential future sanctions. The 54-year-old simply said: 'Peace is very important.' His fortune was estimated to be $5.5 billion before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Forbes suggests it may have slumped to about $2.6 billion when accounting for the fall in Russian currency and closure of the stock exchange in Moscow. Meanwhile his luxury home in Belgrave Square, London, has been overrun by protesters flying the Ukrainian flag and demanding increased sanctions. Mr Deripaska was added to the sanctions list in the UK on March 10. Mr Deripaska used a post on Telegram to called for peace talks to begin 'as fast as possible' amid potential future sanctions. The 54-year-old simply said: 'Peace is very important' Rio Tinto announced last week it was 'in the process of terminating all commercial relationships with Russian business', casting doubt over the joint venture with Rusal. It's understood the world's second largest mining organisation is reviewing the relationship. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is soon expected to announce Australia will send more aid to Ukraine after flagging a second support package was imminent. Mr Morrison spoke to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Russia has rejected reports it bombed a theatre in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol where civilians were sheltering. Mariupol has suffered the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the war, with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in basements with no food, water or power as Russian forces pound it with artillery fire and airstrikes. Australians are being encouraged to get a booster dose ahead of an expected future wave of Covid-19 as cases begin to increase across the country, Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly says. The federal government has ticked off on a winter plan alongside states and territories as the colder weather heralds a Covid spike and a flu season which Australia hasn't seen in the past two years. Dr Kelly says more Australians need to get their third shot as booster rates stall. Around one in three people who are eligible for their booster have not yet had their third shot, Commonwealth health data shows. 'Quite a lot of people have had Covid this year, I think there is some uncertainty or complacency about, 'oh look I've had Omicron, it wasn't that bad and now I'm protected',' Dr Kelly told the ABC. 'Those are partially true statements but having a booster is still really important. It does give extra protection against severe disease (and) there is also increasing evidence that it protects against long Covid.' Australia's Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly said more Australians need to get their third shot as booster rates stall Dr Kelly said the evidence suggests a booster dose 'does give extra protection against severe disease (and) there is also increasing evidence that it protects against long Covid' The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is reviewing whether a fourth dose will be needed in vulnerable populations ahead of winter. ATAGI is also reviewing when children will be able to get their booster shot. Rules around isolation for close contacts are also being reviewed and are expected to be eased. Despite an uptick in cases, New Zealand's prime minister says the border will not close to its trans-Tasman neighbours again after borders open to Australia on April 12. 'The time when New Zealand and Australia had our trans-Tasman bubble, that was when both of us were still trying to keep Covid out altogether. It's very different now where we both have Covid,' New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the Today Show on Friday Jacinda Ardern says borders can remain open because New Zealand is coming off the back of its first wave and it is able to safely manage the border reopening, 'The time when New Zealand and Australia had our trans-Tasman bubble, that was when both of us were still trying to keep Covid out altogether. It's very different now where we both have Covid,' she told the Nine Network. 'We're both managing Covid but both opening up again. We still have pre-departure testing - it is a rapid antigen test though so nice and easy.' For 25 years it was a question as tormenting as it was troubling: did Princess Diana go to her grave believing her most senior aide had betrayed her? As her private secretary, Commander Patrick Jephson was privy to many of Diana's secrets. But he was excluded from the most explosive of all her decision to give a covertly recorded interview to Panorama. In persuading the Princess to do the broadcast, presenter Martin Bashir invented such a litany of lies about the courteous ex-Naval officer that Diana no longer trusted her right-hand man and came to doubt his loyalty. Yesterday, the poisonous legacy of the Bashir scandal took an unexpected turn as the BBC agreed to pay Jephson 100,000 in compensation for the untruths that were invented about the former courtier, who served Diana faithfully as equerry and then chief of staff for eight years. In a statement, the Corporation said: 'The BBC accepts and acknowledges that serious harm was caused to Commander Jephson as a result of the circumstances in which the 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, was obtained.' As her private secretary, Commander Patrick Jephson was privy to many of Diana's secrets (pictured in 1990) The statement added that the BBC apologised 'unreservedly' and had paid his legal costs. It is the second major payout by the Corporation, which last year agreed a settlement of 750,000 with graphic designer Matt Wiessler, who was blacklisted by the BBC after blowing the whistle on Bashir's deceit. Significantly, Jephson will not personally profit from the payout. He has donated the entire amount to a South Wales children's hospice, which was the last charity patronage he set up for the Princess of Wales. Last year, an official investigation by former Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson showed how Bashir had charmed, lied and forged his way to the global scoop that the BBC spent a quarter of a century defending. He concocted a series of falsehoods about Mr Jephson first revealed by the Daily Mail including the outrageous claim that he was paid to spy on the Princess. 'I have spent the past 25 years wondering what I'd done wrong because I assumed, wrongly, that I must have done something wrong,' he told me last night. 'Why did that relationship suddenly turn to ashes and all that meant for my life? I had a young family and it was a tough time. So I'm relieved that Dyson has given me resolution.' In persuading the Princess to do the broadcast, presenter Martin Bashir invented such a litany of lies about the courteous ex-Naval officer that Diana no longer trusted her right-hand man Of his royal boss, he said: 'She died thinking I had betrayed her after eight rewarding but often very difficult years in which we had worked so closely. To suddenly discover what had happened and that it wasn't a misunderstanding but a calculated, cold-blooded act of deception is still very hard to process.' Mr Jephson quit royal life in the aftermath of the interview, by which time his working relationship with Princess Diana had soured so much it had become untenable. 'I got on with life and have been fulfilled and fortunate with my new career as a reputation and brand consultant,' he said. 'But it was always at the back of my mind.' Bashir's 'interview of the century', as the BBC boastfully billed it at the time, attracted an audience of nearly 23 million viewers and had profound and far-reaching consequences for both Diana and the Royal Family. Mr Jephson quit royal life in the aftermath of the interview Her brother, Earl Spencer, said he could 'draw a line' between the Panorama programme, which was broadcast on November 20, 1995, and her death in a Paris car crash just under two years later. It was the interview, with its admission of adultery and barbs at the Prince of Wales, that finally persuaded the Queen to order Charles and Diana's divorce. In turn, the Princess, fuelled by Bashir's smears and lies about those closest to her, all but severed her ties to the 'Firm' and lost the support of her wisest staff. Even today, the interview, which was watched by almost 40 per cent of the British population, sends shivers through the Royal Household. It contained Diana's immortal line about there being 'three of us in this marriage' a reference to Charles's extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and her own admission of adultery with Cavalry officer James Hewitt. Over the course of 54 minutes, she talked about her eating disorder and self-harming, and questioned Charles's suitability to be the next monarch. It is now clear that the documentary, which at the time was garlanded with awards many now withdrawn contributed directly or indirectly to the fatal decisions she made 22 months after it was screened. Prince William was scathing about the BBC's 'deceitful behaviour', blaming the Corporation for fuelling his mother's 'fear and paranoia' and worsening his parents' relationship. It was through Spencer that Bashir first set out to entrap his sister, spinning a web of convincing lies that were calculated to isolate Diana from friends and advisers who might have thwarted his plan to land the interview of a lifetime. Bashir claimed the two men were 'good friends' and had other business connections through a financial investment company That interview was coveted by some of the biggest names in TV on both sides of the Atlantic, but Bashir secured it by persuading a vulnerable mother she was in danger. Then, having egged her on, pretending that not only did he understand her, but that he also could keep her safe. In his exchanges with Diana's brother which Spencer later described as 'grooming' Bashir alleged that Jephson had received 'very large' payments from the security services for information about Diana's movements. To 'prove' this, he produced documents purporting to be bank statements from a Channel Islands account that he claimed Jephson shared with Commander Richard Aylard, Prince Charles's then private secretary and a man who, because of his closeness to her husband, Diana viewed as an enemy. Bashir claimed the two men were 'good friends' and had other business connections through a financial investment company. This statement was crucial in persuading Spencer to introduce the BBC journalist to his sister. Spencer later told me he recalled how at that meeting, at a flat in Knightsbridge, Bashir had gripped the documents tightly in one fist while waving them around. Bashir alleged that Jephson had received 'very large' payments from the security services for information about Diana's movements During the encounter, Spencer kept a meticulous note of Bashir's outrageous claims notes, along with a dossier of all his meetings with Bashir, that he later shared with Lord Dyson. He filled eight pages of a notebook with 32 points. Against Point 6, he noted that Bashir said Jephson had been taking flying lessons in Jersey and, as if to add emphasis, that Aylard was 'from the Channel Islands'. Learning of these claims so many years later, Jephson concluded that the assertions could only have been made to undermine him and his position in the Princess's life particularly the links with Aylard. But there was an important distinction to be drawn: the claims about spying for money for MI5 and being in cahoots with Richard Aylard were fabrications. The flying lessons were true. To this day, Jephson has wondered whether Bashir had someone on the inside helping him. He doesn't think it could have been any of his colleagues in the Princess's small secretariat. But could it, he has asked himself, have been someone who might have had the opportunity to glance at his diary at St James's Palace, where Diana's staff worked alongside Prince Charles's team? He confided to a friend that he had found the way Bashir had researched his life 'chilling'. To this day, Jephson has wondered whether Bashir had someone on the inside helping him As unsettling as these false claims were, Jephson decided to go through his diaries, which are now part of an archive of his royal years that he presented to Churchill College, Cambridge, for the last four months of 1995. Although they were not detailed journals, he wanted to see if he could pinpoint any clues to why his relationship with the Princess had so rapidly disintegrated. Friends said he might have a case for defamation and malicious falsehood. It was on August 31, 1995, that Bashir met Diana's brother at Althorp, the Spencer family home near Northampton and almost three weeks later, on September 19, that he sat down with the Princess. Six weeks later, his interview, clandestinely recorded at Kensington Palace, was in the can. When he watched it, Jephson was struck by one phrase a Chinese proverb Diana had adapted: 'Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.' He believed that must have been a reference to him. Looking back over the diary entries, he noted how in those final months the Princess's behaviour became unpredictable. One day she was 'nice as pie', as he told a colleague; two days later 'the sky had fallen in'. In his report, Lord Dyson said that while Spencer was 'a credible and convincing witness', Bashir's account, by contrast was 'incredible, unreliable and in some cases, dishonest'. During the encounter, Spencer kept a meticulous note of Bashir's outrageous claims He concluded: 'By showing Earl Spencer the fake statements and informing him of their contents, Mr Bashir deceived and induced him to arrange a meeting with Princess Diana. By gaining access to Princess Diana in this way, Mr Bashir was able to persuade her to agree to give the interview.' Jephson said: 'I suppose from Martin Bashir's perspective I was the obstacle that had to be removed. So by removing me from a position of trust, it left the way open for him to give her any yarn he wanted.' Welcoming the BBC settlement, he said: 'This money enables me to turn a bad thing into a good thing and I'm grateful to have that opportunity. 'Now I hope that my donation will provide a tangible tribute to the Princess's patronage of a cause so close to her heart.' As the first patron of the Ty Hafan Children's Hospice, Diana played an integral part in its foundation, although she was dead before it admitted its first children in 1999. But she had a huge impact in getting it off the ground. In 1995, she persuaded opera star Luciano Pavarotti to perform at a charity concert in Cardiff castle which provided the funds to start building the hospice the following year. Prince Charles took over as patron in 2001. Last night, Maria Timon Samra, chief executive of the charity, said: 'On behalf of the children and families we support at Ty Hafan, I would like to thank Patrick Jephson for his thoughtful and generous donation. 'This will help enable us to continue to provide vital care and support for hundreds of children with life-limiting conditions, and their families whom we work with every year.' Wiping away a tear, 31-year-old Anna told yesterday how she fled the bombs leaving behind her mother, brother and cat. She is now safe in Romania and being helped by CARE International, a charity that is being funded by Daily Mail readers. Beautician Anna said her brother Vitalik stayed behind in the port city of Odesa to defend it and their mother refused to leave him. Anna fled the port city of Odesa, leaving behind her mother, brother and cat, and is now safe in Romania A woman reacts while speaking near a block of flats, which was destroyed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine My brother stayed to fight, and my mother wanted to stay to look after him, she said. The outskirts of Odesa were being bombed a lot, I heard a lot of bombings. The house was shaking, and we ran to the basement when the alarms sounded. It was happening about twice a day. People there are very afraid but still they stay. The women dont want to leave their husbands and their fathers behind. Lots of my friends are doctors and they have to swear the Hippocratic Oath when they take the job. For them these are not just words but real, and they will step up. It is so hard to leave home. I dont know how I will cope. I have been speaking to my mum all morning since I left. She is scared and worried and thinking about me. She wanted me to leave to safety, but not go so far away. Evacuees fleeing the war in Ukraine sit in the body of a cargo vehicle while waiting in a line to leave the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine Local residents who seek refuge in the basement of a building during the war in Ukraine Anna escaped by bus and crossed the Danube River by ferry to Romania. Crying, she said: I love Odesa a lot. I left my mum and my six-year-old cat Mars back there, he is like my baby. I dont know how I will live without them. Through its local partners CARE is giving supplies and support to Anna and thousands of other refugees streaming across the Ukrainian border. The Mail Force charity has given 500,000 to CARE. Anna said: I want to say thank you so much for the donations. I hope that everything, this war, will stop soon. I am so afraid to lose my family members, I cant even bear to think about it. Meanwhile, a convoy of 11 Red Cross trucks containing 200 tons of aid has made its way into Ukraine. The Red Cross is also receiving 500,000 from Mail Force. The trucks are transporting trauma medical kits for 1,900 war-wounded people, and supplies for those in shelters including more than four million blankets and 1.4million kitchen sets. Grimly, the lorries also brought in 5,120 body bags. Florian Seriex, of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said: This humanitarian assistance contains war-wounded kits, which means surgical trauma kits, that will be distributed to hospitals. They contain blankets, mattresses, all the goods that are necessary for the people who have left their homes, who are currently stuck in shelters, and are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Mail Force has so far raised 7.5million, kickstarted by a 500,000 donation from the Mails parent company DMGT at the request of Lord and Lady Rothermere. A steady stream of cheques and online donations has followed from our generous readers. Many have sent heartfelt messages of support, including Roslyn Bevan, of Pershore, Worcestershire, who gave 100 and wrote: This is such a worthy cause. Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Turkey, Poland agree on more diplomatic efforts to end Ukrainian crisis Xinhua) 09:15, March 17, 2022 BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. Following are the latest developments of the situation: Turkey and Poland agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to end the Ukrainian crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "We mainly discussed the developments in Ukraine and Russia, as well as our bilateral relations. As two NATO allies, we had a detailed exchange of views. In this process, we will continue our consultation and cooperation with Poland," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in the Turkish capital Ankara. - - - - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday asked the United States to "do more" to help Ukraine defend itself against the ongoing military operation by Russia. In a speech delivered via videoconference to the U.S. Congress, he also asked the United States to champion the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, or, alternatively, to provide fighter jets to his country, requests that have both been rejected by the U.S. administration thus far. - - - - Ukraine has integrated its electricity transmission network into the European energy system, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. "Ukraine has become a member of the European Energy Union. The unification of Ukrainian and European energy systems has been completed," Zelensky tweeted. - - - - The way to solve the ongoing Ukraine crisis is not by crossing others' red lines, but to respect and abide by the commitments that have been made, a Pakistani expert told Xinhua in a recent interview. For Russia, the red line is the eastwards expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Najma Minhas, an international affairs expert and editor at Pakistani media outlet Global Village Space. "When you saw increasing movement eastward, the red line started going very, very red." - - - - A former Pentagon analyst said the U.S. military complex stands to benefit from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as it ramps up defense spending for what could be a protracted affair in Europe. "The American Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex (MICC) will benefit from this war (the Russia-Ukraine conflict) because it is setting the stage for a second Cold War that will increase tensions over the long term," said Franklin C. Spinney, a former Pentagon analyst. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) UK and its 'international partners' said to be discussing guaranteeing Ukraine's security - including possible military action in event of another Russian invasion Advertisement Britain could act as a guarantor of Ukraine's future security as part of a peace deal with Russia, it emerged last night. The UK and its 'international partners' are said to be discussing guaranteeing Ukraine's security if Vladimir Putin's forces withdraw including possible military action in the event of another Russian invasion. Putin meanwhile has revealed his 'endgame', with the Kremlin demanding that Ukraine 'demilitarise' as part of any peace deal. In return, Ukraine insists that Western countries act as guarantors that could intervene in the event of further aggression. It comes as it emerged that Britain is in the process of buying a 500 million defence system from the US capable of detecting missiles fired at the UK. The UK government has requested to buy a ballistic missiles defence radar and specialist equipment that would bolster the country's capabilities in detecting missiles. The U.S. State Department last night said it had approved the potential sale. A Western official, speaking about the possibility of UK involvement in acting as Ukraine's security guarantor, said: 'In terms of Britain's position as a guarantor, that is the subject of conversations with international partners. 'Obviously, it has been asked for but the terms are very important before anyone could say Yay or Nay. And it is not something that would happen without very concerted discussion with international partners.' In Ukraine, rescue workers searched for survivors on Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. It came as the UK announced plans to supply air-defence systems to Poland to protect it from any Russian incursions. No10 also left the door open to a possible role in holding the peace in Ukraine, but said the issue was still 'quite far down the road'. Britain could act as a guarantor of Ukraine's future security as part of a peace deal with Russia, it emerged last night Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday A woman cries in front of a block of flats, which was destroyed by Russian strikes in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol on Thursday Ukrainian servicemen carry containers backdropped by a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday A market in a residential area destroyed by the explosions of Russian combat missiles in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 17 A man mourns next to the body of his mother, who was killed when the remains of an intercepted Russian missile hit a residential building in the capital Kyiv, leaving dozens of others wounded A member of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces walks near a damaged apartment block after it was hit by debris from a downed rocket in Kyiv A satellite image taken over the city of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, on Wednesday and released Thursday shows blasts and fires caused by Russian air strikes in civilian areas Local residents, who seek refuge in the basement of a building during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, are seen in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 17 Vladimir Galinkov packs his belongings to evacuate his damaged apartment after his residential building was hit by an intercepted missile, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kyiv The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly fleeing from Russia's invading armed forces. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of a tyrant will require accommodation, schools and medical support. Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement Boris Johnson's spokesman said the UK had not yet had a 'formal request' from Volodymyr Zelensky, adding: 'We will support President Zelensky and Ukraine in pursuing a diplomatic path if that is what they wish. But, clearly, the first route to that must be a ceasefire, and we've seen no sign of that.' Ukraine has not spelled out the terms of the 'security guarantees' it is seeking. But its top negotiator, Mykhailo Podolyak, suggested this week that countries would be asked to guarantee that they would intervene militarily in the event of a further Russian invasion something Nato countries have so far refused to do because of the risk of triggering a world war. He said any deal would have to involve a legally binding security agreement, signed by international partners who would 'not stand aside in the event of an attack on Ukraine, as they do today'. Western officials yesterday said both sides appeared to be taking the peace talks 'seriously', but warned there was a 'very, very big gap between their positions'. But as the peace talks continue, Western leaders are increasingly looking at preparing for the 'endgame' in Ukraine, with Boris Johnson planning to have a one-to-one meeting with President Biden at a NATO summit next week. A government source told The Times: 'Thoughts are turning to the endgame. The losses Russia is suffering are unsustainable. If there is a settlement, there needs to be a discussion about how that settlement can be guaranteed.' Zelensky is said to be increasingly hopeful that the peace talks will prove successful because intelligence suggests Putin's troops are only making small advances without a major strategic breakthrough in the face of 'fierce and mobile' Ukrainian resistance. Western officials last night suggested Russia may not be able to mount an all-out attack on Kyiv as its demoralised troops suffer increasing casualties and become bogged down outside the Ukrainian capital. British defence intelligence analysts also said Russia is being forced to divert 'large numbers' of troops to defend its supply lines rather than continuing its attacks in Ukraine. The latest intelligence assessment published by the Ministry of Defence said: 'Logistical problems continue to beset Russia's faltering invasion of Ukraine. 'Reluctance to manoeuvre cross-country, lack of control of the air and limited bridging capabilities are preventing Russia from effectively resupplying their forward troops with even basic essentials such as food and fuel. 'Incessant Ukrainian counterattacks are forcing Russia to divert large number of troops to defend their own supply lines. This is severely limiting Russia's offensive potential.' Russia has demanded that Ukraine renounce any ambitions to join NATO, be neutral along the lines of Sweden and Austria, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory and recognise the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent territories. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said neutrality was taking centre stage at the talks and that Moscow and Kyiv were 'close to agreeing' the wording of an agreement on neutrality. But Kyiv rejected the proposal and instead called for legally binding guarantees that international forces signed by international partners, who would 'not stand aside in the event of an attack on Ukraine, as they do today', to 'prevent attacks' in the future. Evacuee fleeing Ukraine-Russia conflict sit in the body of a cargo vehicle while waiting in a line to leave the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 17 A volunteer of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces assists a woman to cross the street in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, after she was evacuated from a burning building hit in a Russian missile strike Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday Britain is in the process of buying a 500 million defence system from the US capable of detecting missiles fired at the UK A member of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces walks near a damaged apartment block after it was hit by debris from a downed rocket in Kyiv Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said Satellite imagery on Monday from Maxar technology showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theatre spelling out 'Children' in Russian - 'Deti' - to alert warplanes to those inside. It was hit anyway by Putin's forces Putin meanwhile has revealed his 'endgame', with the Kremlin demanding that Ukraine 'demilitarise' as part of any peace deal. In return, Ukraine insists that Western countries act as guarantors that could intervene in the event of further aggression 'Big gap' between two sides in peace talks Ukraine and Russia are taking peace talks seriously but a very big gap remains between the two sides, Western officials said on Thursday, adding Russian President Vladimir Putin did not seem in the mood to compromise. Although both sides have pointed to limited progress in peace talks this week, Putin showed little sign of relenting during a televised speech in which he inveighed against 'traitors and scum' at home who helped the West, and said the Russian people would spit them out like gnats. 'Both sides are taking (the talks) seriously but there is a very, very big gap between the positions in question,' one Western official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'Those ... who saw President Putin addressing the nation yesterday would be forgiven for thinking that Russia was not in compromising mood,' another official said. A Ukrainian negotiator has said that a 'model' of legally binding security guarantees that would offer Ukraine protection from a group of allies in the event of a future attack is 'on the negotiating table' at talks between Kyiv and Moscow. A Western official said the details of who would be a security guarantor was the subject of conversations with international partners but it was important to establish the terms. Advertisement President Zelensky suggested Ukraine could drop its ambition to join Nato. But there is little sign of compromise on Russia's demand that Ukraine permanently relinquish Crimea and territory it has seized in the Donbas region. Yesterday, Turkey offered to host peace talks between Putin and President Zelensky. In Ukraine, rescue workers searched for survivors on Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000. More than a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city and movement difficult because of shelling and other fighting, there were conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. 'We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive,' Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayor's office, said. Other officials had said earlier that some people had gotten out. Ukraine's ombudswoman, Ludmyla Denisova, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelter had held up. Satellite imagery on Monday showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theatre spelling out 'CHILDREN' in Russian - 'DETI' - to alert warplanes to those inside. Across the city, snow flurries fell around the skeletons of burned, windowless and shrapnel-scarred apartment buildings as smoke rose above the skyline. 'We are trying to survive somehow,' said one Mariupol resident, who gave only her first name, Elena. 'My child is hungry. I don't know what to give him to eat.' She had been trying to call her mother, who was in a town 50 miles away. 'I can't tell her I am alive, you understand. There is no connection, just nothing,' she said. The strike against the theatre was part of a furious bombardment of civilian sites in multiple cities over the past few days. In the northern city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed amid heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, the local governor, Viacheslav Chaus, told Ukrainian TV on Thursday. Rescues work at a site of buildings damaged by a shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, on Thursday A market in a residential area destroyed by the explosions of Russian combat missiles in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 17 Ukrainian servicemen guard their position near Brovary, north of Kyiv, on Thursday A doctor walks in a hospital basement, used as a bomb shelter, during an air raid alarm in Brovary, north of Kyiv, on Thursday A market in a residential area destroyed by the explosions of Russian combat missiles in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 17 Ukraine's emergency services said a mother, father and three of their children, including 3-year-old twins, were killed when a Chernihiv hostel was shelled. Civilians were hiding in basements and shelters across the embattled city of 280,000. 'The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction,' Chaus said. Ukrainian officials said 10 people were killed Wednesday while waiting in a bread line in Chernihiv. An American man was among them, his sister said on Facebook. At least 21 people were killed when Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center before dawn in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Mayor Veniamin Sitov. The region has seen heavy bombardment in a bid by stalled Russian forces to advance. Boris Johnson faces pressure to increase military funding Boris Johnson is facing political pressure on all sides to reexamine the UK's military spending levels as defence chiefs and politicians demand an increase in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Last month, MailOnline revealed Boris Johnson's Global Britain foreign policy has forced military chiefs to scrap equipment programmes worth 2billion - enough to build two new Royal Navy warships - MailOnline can reveal. Politicians have warned that whilst the UK meets the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence - it is not enough and leaves the UK exposed to attack. Former Royal Navy chief Lord West told the Mirror: 'We probably need 3% to 3.5% on defence because Putin looks at this sort of thing. 'He has been looking at us cutting out defence here and in Europe thinking, 'That lot aren't willing to fight, they're scared, I can do what I want'.' Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader has praised Britain for supporting Ukraine, including providing anti-tank weapons. Sources yesterday confirmed that the UK will supply Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine. The UK is also to supply Sky Sabre missiles and 100 personnel to Poland to 'protect her airspace from any further aggression by Russia'. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'It is a purely defensive capability. It will remain under UK control at all times.' On Sunday, Russia struck a Ukrainian base 12 miles from Poland. Its drones are also said to have trespassed in Polish airspace. Advertisement In eastern Ukraine, a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter was also hit Wednesday, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. There was no word on casualties in that strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more help for his country in a video address to German lawmakers, saying thousands of people have been killed, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol, saying: 'Everything is a target for them.' Zelenskyy's office said Russian airstrikes hit the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. Emergency authorities in Kyiv said a fire broke out in a 16-story apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket, and one person was killed. At a Thursday meeting of the U.N. Security Council, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO has verified 43 attacks on hospitals and health facilities, with 12 people killed and 34 injured. Tedros said disruption to hospital services now poses an extreme risk to people with serious illnesses and 'the lifesaving medicine we need right now is peace.' In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading economies accused Putin of conducting an 'unprovoked and shameful war,' and called on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justice's order to stop its attack and withdraw its forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television Wednesday to excoriate Russians who don't back him. Russians 'will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths,' said Putin, using language reminiscent of the Stalinist era. 'I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country.' He said the West is using a 'fifth column' of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest. 'And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it - the destruction of Russia,' he said. The speech appeared to be a warning that his authoritarian rule, which had already grown tighter since the invasion began on Feb. 24, could become even more repressive. In a sign of that, Russian law enforcement announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be 'false information' about the war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. One day after U.S. President Joe Biden called Putin a 'war criminal,' U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American officials were evaluating and documenting potential war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Blinken said the intentional targeting of civilians would amount to a war crime and that there will be 'massive consequences' for any such crimes that are confirmed. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader has praised Britain for supporting Ukraine, including providing anti-tank weapons. Sources yesterday confirmed that the UK will supply Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine. The UK is also to supply Sky Sabre missiles and 100 personnel to Poland to 'protect her airspace from any further aggression by Russia'. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'It is a purely defensive capability. It will remain under UK control at all times.' On Sunday, Russia struck a Ukrainian base 12 miles from Poland. Its drones are also said to have trespassed in Polish airspace. Russian troops hunt for local ammo to give themselves a 'Blighty' Vladimir Putin's forces are looking for Ukrainian ammunition so they can shoot themselves in the leg and get sent home, according to an intercepted Russian phone call. Audio reveals a Russian soldier telling his mother that his unit 'want to find some 7.62 bullets, the Ukrainian ones' instead of 5.62mm ammunition being used in Russian AK-74's, to wound themselves with, adding that others 'already did this'. He explained 'in secret' that his fellow troops are hoping 'to shoots each other's legs so they would put some bandages on and sent us to the hospital in Budennovsk', a town in southern Russia. Shooting yourself to inflict a minor injury was carried out by British soldiers in the First World War in the hope of getting 'a Blightly' - a wound serious enough to warrant repatriation to the UK without risking your life. The audio, which was published by the Ukrainian Security Service, also claims that '120 people' have already been 'sent back to the hospital with wounds' and that '350' have been sent back to Russia in coffins. The unidentified serviceman tells his mother that his crew is no longer 'combat equipped' because 'Ukrainians blew all of it up' and that 'if they attack us now, we are dead'. Advertisement But Mr Johnson is facing political pressure on all sides to reexamine the UK's military spending levels as defence chiefs and politicians demand an increase in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Last month, MailOnline revealed Boris Johnson's Global Britain foreign policy has forced military chiefs to scrap equipment programmes worth 2billion - enough to build two new Royal Navy warships - MailOnline can reveal. Politicians have warned that whilst the UK meets the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence - it is not enough and leaves the UK exposed to attack. Former Royal Navy chief Lord West told the Mirror: 'We probably need 3% to 3.5% on defence because Putin looks at this sort of thing. 'He has been looking at us cutting out defence here and in Europe thinking, 'That lot aren't willing to fight, they're scared, I can do what I want'.' Meanwhile, Ben Wallace hit out at Russian 'dirty tricks' today after he and Home Secretary Priti Patel were targeted by an impostor posing as the Ukrainian prime minister. The Defence Secretary spent 10 minutes on a Microsoft Teams call with a man claiming to be Oleksiy Honcharuk, who asked about British policy and eventually urged him to shout slogans. Mr Wallace, who revealed the deception in a Tweet this afternoon, said he became suspicious and terminated the call after 'several misleading questions'. His admission was followed by a similar one by Ms Patel, who said she was targeted earlier this week. The level of sophistication involved in the hoax has convinced Government sources that it was a Russian plot. The video call was set up after an email, purportedly sent from an aide at the Ukrainian embassy, was sent to a government department and then forwarded to the Ministry of Defence. The call was set up and Mr Wallace was put through on Teams to the 'prime minister of Ukraine', posing with the country's flag behind him. The Times reported that Mr Wallace was asked about the chances of UK warships going to the Black sea and whether Ukraine should get nuclear weapons or join Nato. Senior Ministry of Defence sources fear Moscow may attempt to splice together Mr Wallace's comments in an attempt to embarrass him. He has ordered an immediate inquiry to find out how the impostor was able to speak to him. The Defence Secretary said it was a 'desperate attempt' but 'no amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks' could distract from the human rights abuses carried out during the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's forces. The five most-likely scenarios for what happens next in Ukraine including peace deal, Putin military success and Russian elite revolt Russian forces in Ukraine continue to blast cities and kill civilians, but are no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as Moscow's invasion Ukraine entered its fourth week. With each passing day, it is beginning to look more likely that Vladimir Putin's war could drag on for months, while peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow stalling. Meanwhile, the UN has said more than 3 million refugees have fled across Ukraine's borders, not knowing when they will be able to see their homes again. Despite the Kremlin insisting it is not targeting civilians, local officials said rescuers in the besieged southern port of Mariupol were combing the rubble of a theatre where women and children had been sheltering, bombed the previous day. The Governor of the northern Chernihiv region said 53 civilians had been killed there in bombardment over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Kyiv has resisted the Russian advance, but is also sustaining heavy bombardment in the outer-regions of the capital. Here are five possible scenarios for the weeks and months ahead, according to Western government sources and think-tank experts. 1. Military quagmire: Russian forces get bogged down and Ukraine soldiers continue their fierce resistance A view of burned tank is seen amid Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the city of Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on March 12, 2022 Ukrainian forces are still resisting Russia's invasion, inflicting serious equipment and human losses. Crucially they repelled an attempt by paratroopers to seize the capital in the opening days and have since withdrawn to defensive positions that have enabled them to keep control over all strategic cities. Although Russia has long claimed it has air superiority, Ukraine's air defences appear to be still working, while Western countries are pouring in portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. 'The Russian invasion has largely stalled on all fronts,' an update from the UK defence ministry said on Thursday. US intelligence estimates that 7,000 Russian troops have died, The New York Times reported, while Ukraine's military claims that figure to be much higher - although experts say that all such claims should be treated with caution. US President Joe Biden announced a massive new package of military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, including S-300 missile defence systems, 100 Switchblade 'kamikaze' drones and thousands more missiles. Ukrainian military resistance comes at a high civilian cost, however, with thousands dead and towns devastated such as Mariupol and Kherson. 2) Peace deal: Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement with Putin withdrawing his forces when his demands are met Pictured: The second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border on March 3 Negotiators from both sides began talking just days after the war started, first on the Belarus-Ukraine border, then in Turkey and latterly in the capital Kyiv. Mounting battlefield losses and crippling Western sanctions on the Russian economy could be pushing Putin to seek a face-saving way to end the conflict. 'Ukraine may be able to compel the Russians to make a choice: to persist and suffer irreparable losses, or desist and achieve some compensatory peace,' wrote Rob Johnson, a warfare expert at the University of Oxford, this week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the two sides were 'close to agreeing' a deal that would see Ukraine accept neutrality modelled on the status of Sweden and Austria. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already publicly acknowledged that his country will not join the Western NATO military alliance - a key demand from the Kremlin. But though the chances of a deal have grown significantly in recent days, there is no sign of a ceasefire and Ukraine wants a full Russian withdrawal and security guarantees about its future. Some Putin critics suspect that the diplomacy is a smokescreen. 'Reminder that to Putin 'ceasefire' just means 'reload',' dissident politician and former chess champion Garry Kasparov wrote on Twitter. 3) Domestic Russian change: Anti-war movement grows in Russia and oligarchs turn on their leader Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Manezhnaya square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022 Putin is tightening his grip over Russian society. A crackdown on independent media and foreign news providers has cemented the dominance of the ultra-loyal Russian state media. Thousands of anti-war demonstrators have been arrested, while a new law threatens up to 15 years in jail for spreading 'fake news' about the army. There are signs of cracks in the ruling elite, with some oligarchs, MPs, and even private oil group Lukoil calling openly for a ceasefire or an end to fighting. A Russian editor held up a sign saying 'No War' during a prime-time news broadcast on state TV this week. Though not seen as likely at this stage, the possibility of Putin being brought down in a popular backlash or even a palace coup cannot be ruled out. 'His personal security is very good and it will be very good until the moment it isn't,' said Eliot A. Cohen from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think-tank. 'That's happened numerous times in Soviet and Russian history.' Huge sanctions have been placed on Russia and also its oligarchs - Russia's elite who are also hugely influential, and close allies of Vladimir Putin. However, it is often the case that an oligarch is powerful because Putin allows them to be, not the other way around. 4) Russian military success: Putins generals crush resistance with superior weapons and devastating artillery Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin in Moscow, Russia March 2 Given Russian troops' superior weapons, air power and indiscriminate use of artillery, Western defence analysts say they are capable of grinding forward. A senior European military official cautioned Wednesday against underestimating their ability to replenish and adapt their tactics. They appear to have logistical and morale problems, with diesel and even engine lubricants in short supply, the official said. 'But you need to keep it in perspective. All of that does not change the superiority of the Russian military,' he said. Moscow is openly recruiting mercenaries from Syria to supplement its forces, while also using the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian private security company. But even if they captured strategic cities such as Kyiv or the southern port of Odessa, Putin would then face the challenge of occupying them. 5) Conflict spreads: Russia attacks NATO country bringing the alliance into the war Members of Pro-Russian separatists walk near a tank in front of a heavily damaged apartment in the pro-Russian separatists-controlled Donetsk, Ukraine on March 11, 2022 Ukraine has a border with four former Soviet states that are now members of the US-led NATO military alliance, which considers an attack on one member to be an attack against all. Putin's nostalgia for the Soviet Union and his pledge to protect Russian minorities - which are found in the Baltic States - has left an open question about his territorial ambitions. Few expect Putin to openly attack a NATO member, which would run the risk of a nuclear attack, but analysts have warned about provocations that stop short of sparking a war. Putin has ordered Russia's nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert and Foreign Minister Lavrov has also warned that 'World War Three can only be a nuclear war'. Western analysts say such warnings should be taken as posturing to deter the United States and Europe from considering ideas such as a 'no-fly zone' over Ukraine. Advertisement A massive artificial lake in Sicily originally thought to be an ancient military harbour was actually a sacred pool that was aligned with the stars, archaeologists have revealed. They believe it was used in religious ceremonies 2,500 years ago, after being added to the island city of Motya when it was rebuilt in 550 BC following an attack by Rome's ancient rival Carthage. The 21,000 square foot (1,943 sq/m) basin was rediscovered in the 1920s and, because Carthage had a similar structure called the Kothon, was first identified as an artificial military harbour. However, new excavations as part of a decades-long project at Motya, which was once a bustling Phoenician port in the first millennium BC, has revealed this was not the case. A massive artificial lake in Sicily (pictured) has been identified as an ancient sacred pool that was aligned with the stars and used in religious ceremonies 2,500 years ago Archaeologists said the flat surface of the pool may have been used to track these celestial movements, which were important for both navigation and religious holidays Scientists at Sapienza Universita di Roma found a pedestal in the centre of the lake that once held a statue of Ba'al (pictured) The pool is believed to have been added around 550 BC when the island city of Motya, which was a bustling Phoenician port in the first millennium BC, was rebuilt after an attack by Carthage Rome's ancient rival. A plan of what the site may have looked like is pictured above after being put together by the archaeologists WHO WAS BA'AL? Ba'al was worshipped widely by a number of Bronze Age communities, particularly in the Middle East. He was prominent amongst the Canaanites and may have arose as a figure for worship in their cities. Ba'al was seen as a fertility god, in fact known by the title Lord of the Earth and the God of Rain and Dew. This was particularly important for the Canaanites as the rain and dew were vital for fertile soil. Worship of Ba'al became popular in Egypt from about 1400 BC. As vanquisher of the sea, Ba'al was regarded by the Canaanites and Phoenicians as the patron of sailors. From Canaan, worship of Ba'al spread to Egypt and the Med following the waves of Phoenician colonisation in the early 1st millennium BC. Advertisement 'For a century it was thought Motya's "Kothon" was a harbour but new excavations have drastically changed its interpretation: It was a sacred pool at the centre of a huge religious compound,' said Professor Lorenzo Nigro from Sapienza Universita di Roma. Previous research had found a Temple of Ba'al on the edge of Motya's Kothon, rather than the expected harbour buildings. This unexpected discovery prompted the reinvestigation of the Kothon starting in 2010. During the next 10 years, Professor Nigro and his team drained and excavated the basin, which is longer and wider than an Olympic swimming pool. 'This revealed it could not have served as a harbour, as it was not connected to the sea. Instead, it was fed by natural springs,' he said. Crucially, the archaeologists also found additional temples flanking the Kothon, along with stelae, altars, votive offerings, and a pedestal in the centre of the lake that once held a statue of Ba'al, often seen as a fertility god. Ba'al was worshipped widely by a number of Bronze Age communities, particularly in the Middle East, and was known as the Phoenician god of storms and fertilising rains. As vanquisher of the sea, the deity was regarded by the Canaanites and Phoenicians as the patron of sailors. From Canaan, worship of Ba'al spread to Egypt and throughout the Mediterranean following the waves of Phoenician colonisation in the early 1st millennium BC. Sapienza Universita di Roma experts said their discovery indicated that the artificial lake was not a harbour but a sacred pool at the centre of one of the largest cultic complexes of the pre-Classical Mediterranean. Mapping the site also revealed it was aligned with the stars. Professor Nigro and his team drained and excavated the basin, which is longer and wider than an Olympic swimming pool The basin was rediscovered in the 1920s and, because Carthage had a similar structure called the Kothon, was originally identified as an artificial military harbour Archaeologists also found a block with the carved foot of a statue (pictured) on the edge of the artificial lake in Sicily 'The nearby Temple of Ba'al is aligned with the rise of Orion at the winter solstice, whilst stelae and other features were aligned with other astronomical events,' said Professor Nigro. 'This points to the deep knowledge of the sky reached by ancient civilisations.' Additionally, archaeologists said the flat surface of the pool may have been used to track these celestial movements, which were important for both navigation and religious holidays. Notably, many of these stem from other ancient cultures suggesting Motya remained an open and accepting cultural melting pot. Historical records also attest to an open attitude, indicating it caused animosity with Carthage that contributed to Motya's eventual downfall. The basin has since been refilled and a replica of the statue of Ba'al placed back on its plinth. The discovery has been published in the journal Antiquity. New excavations have been carried out as part of a decades-long project at Motya, which was once a bustling Phoenician port in the first millennium BC Archaeologists found additional temples flanking the Kothon, along with stelae, altars, votive offerings, and a pedestal Together, these indicate the artificial lake was not a harbour but a sacred pool at the centre of one of the largest cultic complexes of the pre-Classical Mediterranean From Star Trek to Harry Potter, invisibility cloaks have been a popular feature in science fiction blockbusters for years. Now, the futuristic technology has become a reality with the development of a fully functional invisibility shield. The shield has been developed by London-based start-up 'Invisiblity Shield Co', and uses a special lens array to redirect light, rendering any objects or people hiding behind it 'invisible.' So far, 25 fully functional shields have been developed, and the team is funding on Kickstarter to develop more. The shield has been developed by London-based start-up 'Invisiblity Shield Co', and uses a special lens array to redirect light, rendering any objects or people hiding behind it 'invisible' From Star Trek to Harry Potter (pictured), invisibility cloaks have been a popular feature in science fiction blockbusters for years How does the it work? The invisibility shield uses a special lens array to render objects or people hiding behind it 'invisible'. 1. Much of the light entering the back of the shield is refracted to a focal point and then spread out to the sides 2. When the outer surface of the lens reaches a sufficiently shallow angle relative to the angle of the incoming light ray, the light is reflected internally, rather than refracted out 3. Light is then diffused, reflected and refracted around and out of the lens where it can also interact with the lenses on either side Advertisement 'Disappointed by the lack of progress and the continued unavailability of actual working invisibility shields, we decided to step things up and go all in on our project to create one,' the team explained. 'We went through countless iterations, tested a lot of materials, and experienced a lot of failure. 'But along the way, we managed to develop a reliable, scalable and efficient manufacturing process and created what we believe are the best invisibility shields ever made.' The invisibility shield uses a special lens array to direct much of the light reflected from the object or person hiding behind it away from the observer, sending it sideways across the face of the shield to the left and right. 'Because the lenses in this array are vertically oriented, the vertically oriented strip of light reflected by the standing/crouching subject quickly becomes very diffuse when spread out horizontally on passing through the back of the shield,' the team explained. 'In contrast, the light reflected from the background is much brighter and wider, so when it passes through the back of the shield, far more of it is refracted both across the shield and towards the observer.' This means that from the observer's perspective, background light is 'smeared' horizontally across the shield, blocking out the area where the subject would usually be seen. From the observer's perspective, background light is 'smeared' horizontally across the shield, blocking out the area where the subject would usually be seen The invisibility shield uses a special lens array to direct much of the light reflected from the object or person hiding behind it away from the observer, sending it sideways across the face of the shield to the left and right To develop the shields, the team tested a variety of different lens shapes with varying angles, depths, profiles and separation distances. The final iteration features elongated, convex lenses running in parallel across a polymer sheet. 'The material used to create the shields is UV resistant, temperature resistant and extremely durable, it is commonly used for external signage and marine applications,' the team explained. 'The bond between the layers has been shear tested and is actually stronger than the material itself.' To develop the shields, the team tested a variety of different lens shapes with varying angles, depths, profiles and separation distances According to the team, the shields perform best against uniform background, such as grass, foliage, sand and sky According to the team, the shields perform best against uniform background, such as grass, foliage, sand and sky. 'Backgrounds with defined horizontal lines work really well too and these can be natural features such as the horizon or man made features like walls, rails or painted lines,' they added. While you might think that an invisibility shield would come with a hefty price tag, surprisingly this isn't the case. A small invisibility shield measuring 12x8 inches is currently priced at 49, while the full size option, which measures 37x25 inches, is priced at 299. You can find more information on the Kickstarter page here. Hopes have been raised that the dodo could be brought back from extinction after scientists sequenced the bird's entire genome for the first time. They spent years struggling to find well enough preserved DNA before managing to pull a sample from a 'fantastic specimen' in Denmark, but cautioned that it would not be easy to turn it into a 'living, breathing, actual animal'. The flightless 3ft (one metre) tall dodo was wiped out in the 17th century, just 100 years after it was discovered on the island of Mauritius. It was hunted by humans and also became prey for cats, dogs and pigs that had been brought with sailors exploring the Indian Ocean. Because the species lived in isolation on Mauritius for hundreds of years, the bird was fearless, and its inability to fly made it easy prey. Its last confirmed sighting was in 1662 after Dutch sailors first spotted the species just 64 years earlier in 1598. Hopes have been raised that the dodo could be brought back from extinction after scientists sequenced the bird's entire genome for the first time Pictured is the fossilised skeleton of a dodo that was found in Mauritius in the 19th century WHY DID THE DODO GO EXTINCT? Little is known about the life of the dodo, despite the notoriety that comes with being one of the world's most famous extinct species in history. The bird gets its name from the Portuguese word for 'fool' after colonialists mocked its apparent lack of fear of human hunters. The 3ft (one metre) tall bird was wiped out by visiting sailors and the dogs, cats, pigs and monkeys they brought to the island in the 17th century. Because the species lived in isolation on Mauritius for hundreds of years, the bird was fearless, and its inability to fly made it easy prey. Its last confirmed sighting was in 1662 after Dutch sailors first spotted the species just 64 years earlier in 1598. As it had evolved without any predators, it survived in bliss for centuries. The arrival of human settlers to the islands meant that its numbers rapidly diminished as it was eaten by the new species invading its habitat - humans. Sailors and settlers ravaged the docile bird and it went from a successful animal occupying an environmental niche with no predators to extinct in a single lifetime. Advertisement Professor Beth Shapiro, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, said her team would soon publish the complete DNA of the dodo specimen in the Natural History Museum of Copenhagen. 'The dodo genome is entirely sequenced because we sequenced it,' she told a webinar. 'It's not been published yet, but it does exist and we're working on it right now.' Professor Shapiro added: 'I tried for a long time to get DNA from a specimen that's in Oxford. 'We got a tiny little bit of DNA but that particular sample didn't have sufficiently well-preserved DNA.' She said her team had instead used DNA from a specimen in Denmark, but warned that it would be difficult to bring the bird back to life. 'Mammals are simpler,' she said. 'If I have a cell and it's living in a dish in the lab and I edit it so that it has a bit of Dodo DNA, how do I then transform that cell into a whole living, breathing, actual animal? 'The way we can do this is to clone it, the same approach that was used to create Dolly the Sheep, but we don't know how to do that with birds because of the intricacies of their reproductive pathways.' Professor Shapiro added: 'So there needs to be another approach for birds and this is one really fundamental technological hurdle in de-extinction. 'There are groups working on different approaches for doing that and I have little doubt that we are going to get there but it is an additional hurdle for birds that we don't have for mammals.' The dodo gets its name from the Portuguese word for 'fool' after colonialists mocked its apparent lack of fear of human hunters. There has been a lot of excitement that woolly mammoths could also be created in the lab GENES, GENOMES AND DNA Gene: a short section of DNA Chromosome: a package of genes and other bits of DNA and proteins Genome: an organism's complete set of DNA DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid - a long molecule that contains unique genetic code Your genome is the instructions for making and maintaining you. It is written in a chemical code called DNA. All living things plants, bacteria, viruses and animals have a genome. Your genome is all 3.2 billion letters of your DNA. It contains 20,000 genes. Genes are the instructions for making the proteins our bodies are built of from the keratin in hair and fingernails to the antibody proteins that fight infection. Source: Genomics England/Your Genome/Cancer Research Advertisement Bigger than a turkey, it weighed about 50 pounds (23 kg) and had a blue-gray plumage, a big head, small useless wings and stout yellow legs. Because it is closely related genetically to the Nicobar pigeon, it is likely scientists would edit pigeon DNA to include dodo DNA in order to bring back the species. 'De-extinction' of the dodo would be preferable to an animal from further back in time, according to Mike Benton, a professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of Bristol, because it would be more likely to survive in today's environment. However, he warned that it may not completely resemble what the flightless bird looked like. When sequencing the genome of an extinct species, scientists face the challenge of working with degraded DNA which doesn't yield all the genetic information required to reconstruct a full genome of the extinct animal. Fortunately, with the Denmark dodo species, Professor Shapiro and her team were able to obtain the bird's entire genome its complete set of genetic information. It is not the first time scientists have talked about bringing an animal back from extinction. Earlier this month experts revealed plans to bring back the extinct Christmas Island rat, 119 years after it was wiped out, while there has been a lot of excitement that woolly mammoths could also be created in the lab. An artist's depiction of the Christmas Island rat (Rattus macleari), which was driven to extinction between 1898 and 1908. Scientists hope to bring it back to life One scientific project claimed that they could be brought back from extinction within six years in the form of elephant-mammoth hybrids. Having once lived across much of Europe, North America and northern Asia, the iconic Ice Age species went into a terminal decline some 10,000 years ago. The demise of the creatures which could grow to some 1112 feet tall and weigh up to 6 tonnes has been linked to warming climates and hunting by our ancestors. Now, a US-based bioscience and genetics company, Colossal, has succeeded in raising $15 million (10.8 million) in funding to bring back this prehistoric giant. The program not the first to imagine mammoth 'de-extinction' is being pitched as a way to help conserve Asian elephants by tweaking them to suit life in the Arctic. The team also claimed that introducing the hybrids into the Arctic steppe might help restore the degraded habitat and fight some of the impacts of climate change. In particular, they argued, the elephantmammoth mixes would knock down trees, thereby helping to restore Arctic grasslands which keeps the ground cool. NASA's massive 5.75 million-ton moon rocket will begin its slow-motion rollout to the launch pad later today, in an essential test before its first launch this summer. It will leave the Vehicle Assembly Building at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida at about 5 p.m. ET, and will take up to 11 hours to reach the launch pad four miles away, crawling at 0.8 miles per hour carried by the Crawler-Transporter 2. Atop of the massive Space Launch System rocket is the Orion capsule, which will take the first woman and first person of color to the moon some time after 2025. This rollout is for the first full 'wet dress rehearsal,' where they conduct a series of final prelaunch tests, including loading the SLS propellant tanks and conducting a launch countdown under similar circumstances to the real launch later in the year. The combined rocket and spacecraft are currently housed in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA began opening the 456ft High Bay 3 Doors on the Vehicle Assembly Building at about 1pm ET, a process that takes about 45 minutes. These are the largest doors in the world, big enough for the 365ft fully stacked rocket to exit out of. NASA will want to ensure it gets the launch right, as a recent audit revealed each launch will cost the space agency about $4.1 billion. Live coverage for rollout begins at 5 pm ET on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agencys website. Artemis 1, the first in NASA's new generation of moon missions, won't launch until at least the end of May, and could slip into June, according to the space agency This rollout is for the first full 'wet dress rehearsal', where they conduct final prelaunch test, including loading the SLS propellant tanks and conducting a launch countdown under similar circumstances to the real launch later in the year HOW SLS STACKS UP AGAINST OTHER ROCKETS Falcon Heavy - SpaceX - 262ft Long March 9 - China (planned) - 305ft Saturn V - NASA - 362ft SLS block 1 - NASA - 365ft SLS block 2 - NASA - 371ft Starship - SpaceX - 393ft Advertisement The rollout, paving the way for NASA's uncrewed Artemis I mission around the moon and back, was delayed last month by a series of technical hurdles the space agency said it has since resolved as teams readied the rocket for the launch pad. 'We are in very good shape and ready to proceed with this roll on Thursday,' Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, said earlier in the week as she briefed reporters on NASA's progress. Once Orion and SLS are in place on the pad, NASA engineers will spend two weeks preparing it for the extensive pre-launch testing. It will sit on the pad until they are ready, and the wet dress rehearsal is effectively a full launch - without actually leaving the launch pad. It provides engineers and officials with a host of information on how the rocket performs, how procedures play out, and informs the decision on when to launch. The name, wet dress rehearsal, comes from the fact the tests are primarily designed to show that the rocket can be loaded with super-cold liquid propellants. It is currently thought the rehearsal will happen on April 1, assuming the rollout to the launch pad goes to schedule. During this time - between April 1 and 3 - engineers will practice the launch countdown, and fill the tanks. The countdown allows them to test the automated systems on the rocket and how it responds to flight termination scenarios. When done, they will drain all the fuel tanks and prepare it to go back to the Vehicle Assembly Building up to nine days later. It is important to get this right, as NASA auditors estimate that each launch of SLS and Orion will cost upwards of $4 billion. As well as preparing for the roll out on Thursday, the team has continued to retract the 20 platforms that surround the Space Launch System rocket and Orion. Atop of the massive Space Launch System rocket is the Orion capsule, that will take the first woman and first person of color to the Moon in 2025 The combined rocket and spacecraft are currently housed in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida NASA'S SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM ROCKET IS THE LARGEST EVER MADE AND WILL LET HUMANS EXPLORE THE SOLAR SYSTEM Space Launch System, or SLS, is a launch vehicle that NASA hopes will take its astronauts back to the moon and beyond. The rocket will have an initial lift configuration, set to launch in the early-2020's, followed by an upgraded 'evolved lift capability' that can carry heavier payloads. Space Launch System Initial Lift Capability - Maiden flight: Mid-2020's - Height: 311 feet (98 metres) - Lift: 70 metric tons - Weight: 2.5 million kilograms (5.5 million lbs) Space Launch System Evolved Lift Capability - Maiden flight: Unknown - Height: 384 feet (117 metres) - Lift: 130 metric tons - Weight: 2.9 million kilograms (6.5 million lbs) Advertisement 'The wet dress rehearsal will be the final major test for the Artemis I mission and will ensure the rocket, spacecraft, ground equipment and launch team are 'go' for launch,' NASA explained. NASA expects the official Artemis I launch, the first involving SLS and Orion, to happen anytime from the end of May to mid-July - depending on the rehearsal. 'We continue to evaluate the May window, but we're also recognizing that there's a lot of work in front of us,' said Tom Whitmeyer, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, with responsibility for exploration systems development. That work includes analyzing the data from the wet dress rehearsal, which will see the full stack of Orion and SLS rolled out to launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center from the Vehicle Assembly Building at 18:00 ET on March 17. 'During the test at the launch pad, engineers will be on duty in the Launch Control Center and in other stations where they will work during the Artemis I launch,' NASA explained in a blog post about the wet dress rehearsal. 'They will capture as much data as possible on the performance of all the systems that are part of SLS and the Orion spacecraft as well as the Kennedy ground systems.' 'The crawler-transporter will transport an over 17-million-pound stack to launch complex 39B,' said Mike Bolger, from NASA, adding 'the top of the umbilical tower will be over 400 feet off the ground when it's riding on top of the crawler-transporter, so it's really going to be a sight.' After the wet dress rehearsal the combination of Orion and SLS will stay on Pad 39B for about a month, before rolling back into the hanger for more analysis. To launch in May it has to be ready between May 7 and Mayor 21, and if it isn't ready to go by then, with all analysis complete, it will have to wait until June. NASA will want to ensure it gets the launch right, as a recent audit revealed each launch will cost the space agency about $4.1 billion The June window runs from June 6 until June 16, and then again from June 29 on until July 12, NASA officials confirmed. While it is the first mission for the massive Space Launch System rocket engine, it will be the second for the Orion capsule, which was involved in a test flight in December 2014, going to space on a ULA Delta IV Heavy. When it launches, Orion won't have any crew on board, despite being able to hold up to four astronauts, instead it willy carry dummies to the moon and back. These are designed to replicate human weight, and give scientists and engineers and insight into flight performance, without putting humans at risk. The Artemis I mission will see the Orion spacecraft, the SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy combine to launch the Orion 280,000 miles past Earth around the moon over the course of a three-week mission. It will begin a four mile journey to the pad from the assembly building at 5pm ET, towed at 0.8 miles per hour by the Crawler-Transporter 2. It will take 11 hours This spacecraft, primarily built by Lockheed Martin, will stay in space 'longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before,' NASA has said previously. If Artemis I is a success, then in 2024 NASA will send Artemis II on a trip around the moon, this time with a human crew on board. The Artemis II mission plans to send four astronauts in the first crewed Orion capsule into a lunar flyby for a maximum of 21 days. Both missions are tests flights to demonstrate the technology and abilities of Orion, SLS and the Artemis mission before NASA puts human boots back on the moon. The Artemis mission will be the first to land humans on the moon since NASA's Apollo 17 in 1972. With the first woman and first person of color expected to step foot on the surface at some point in 2025. It is set to lift off atop the massive Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but has been hit by a number of delays Once Orion and SLS are in place on the pad, NASA engineers will spend two weeks preparing it for the extensive pre-launch testing The launches rely on SLS, the tallest and most powerful rocket made for NASA, producing 15 per cent more thrust during liftoff than the Saturn V rockets that took the Apollo astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. SLS is also able to carry more than 27 tons to the moon, meaning that as well as astronauts, it will be able to carry cargo payloads to the lunar surface. The Artemis missions have faced issues, including with the development of spacesuits and the human lander systems that will take crew to the surface. However, many of the delays have been as a result of issues with the SLS itself and legal issues, caused by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin unsuccessfully suing NASA over a decision to award the Human lander system contract solely to Blue Origin. In November, NASA extended its target date for sending astronauts back to the moon from 2024 to 2025 at the earliest. Europe's much-maligned Mars rover mission has been officially suspended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Space Agency (ESA) said it would be 'impossible' to continue working with Moscow's space agency Roscosmos on the project, which has suffered repeated delays since the idea was first approved back in 2005. Formally known as ExoMars, the mission to send British-built Mars rover Rosalind Franklin to the Red Planet had been earmarked for September. It had been due to launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on a Russian rocket and land on Mars eight months later using Russian hardware. However, the entire project is now at risk because of the worsening diplomatic crisis over the war in Ukraine. The rover had only a limited time to launch to the Red Planet this year because of the alignment of the planets. Now this short, 10-day window has been slammed shut, Rosalind Franklin will have to wait at least another 26 months to launch, if ever. Delayed again: Europe's much-maligned Mars rover mission has been officially suspended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine The Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover (depicted here on Mars) was on course to blast off for the Red Planet in September 2022 - but launch this year is now 'very unlikely' ESA MEMBER STATES The European Space Agency (ESA) has 22 member states: - Austria - Belgium - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Germany - Greece - Hungary - Ireland - Italy - Luxembourg - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - The UK Note: Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia are associate members, while Canada takes part in certain programmes under a cooperation agreement. Advertisement ESA is now exploring how to move forward with the mission, having 'acknowledged the present impossibility of carrying out the ongoing cooperation with Roscosmos'. In a statement, the agency said: 'As an intergovernmental organisation mandated to develop and implement space programmes in full respect with European values, we deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine. 'While recognising the impact on scientific exploration of space, ESA is fully aligned with the sanctions imposed on Russia by its member states.' ExoMars had been a joint mission between ESA and Roscosmos aimed at searching for signs of life on Mars, and exploring the red planet. ESA's ruling council, which met in Paris on March 16 and 17, authorised its director general, Josef Aschbacher, to take appropriate steps to suspend the cooperation activities. Based on a first analysis of the impacts on all other activities affected by the war in Ukraine, Dr Aschbacher intends to convene an extraordinary session of council in the coming weeks to submit specific proposals for a decision by member states. ESA had already warned last month that the chance of Rosalind Franklin launching in 2022 was 'very unlikely' following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. It is only possible to make the shorter, nine month long journey to Mars every two years TGO (depicted here in an artist's impression) arrived at Mars in 2016 and began its full science mission in 2018 Responding to the decision, Dmitry Rogozin, director-general of Russian space agency Roscosmos, posted in his native language to Twitter: 'The European Space Agency, to spite the Russian grandmother, decided to freeze off her ears.' Also brought into question has been the future of the International Space Station (ISS), which has been backed by five participating space agencies including the ESA, Roscosmos and NASA since its inception. Currently, seven astronauts four from the US, two from Russia and one from Germany are on the ISS. Rogozin has said that US sanctions could 'destroy our cooperation' and said the research platform would plummet to the Earth without his nation's help. 'If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling on US or European territory?' said Rogozin while noting that the station doesn't fly over much of Russia. However, one space expert said this was unlikely, considering Roscosmos has Russian personnel on board. 'Nobody wants to put the lives of astronauts and cosmonauts in danger by political maneuvering,' John Logsdon, a professor and space analyst at George Washington University, told AFP. The formally titled ExoMars project a joint programme of the ESA and Roscosmos actually comprises two missions, one of which is still to launch. The first, Trace Gas Orbiter, or TGO, arrived at Mars in 2016 and began its full science mission in 2018. TGO was accompanied by the failed Schiaparelli lander, which crashed on the Martian surface due to a premature release of the parachute and is now no more than a crusty black spot surrounded by rusty red sand. The second part of the mission involves the UK-built Rosalind Franklin and Kazachok surface platform. Named after the London-born scientist and co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, the rover is the first to honour a woman scientist on its flagship discovery craft. Built by Airbus Defence and Space, at the company's UK facility in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, the rover is able to drill 6.5 feet (2 metres) below the surface, gathering samples from regions not affected by radiation. In January, the UK Space Agency confirmed Rosalind Franklin had passed its latest round of tests and was on course to blast off for the Red Planet in September. Liverpool turned up the heat on Manchester City as they moved within a point of the Premier League summit and Jurgen Klopp promised his team will keep chasing for the title. 'I'm very excited about the team and the situation we're in,' said Klopp as he savoured a 2-0 win at Arsenal, two goals in eight second-half minutes scored by Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino. 'We just need to keep going. I don't think a lot about City, that's the truth. I know the only chance we have is to win an incredible amount of games because they do. Jurgen Klopp celebrates his Liverpool side's 2-0 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday night 'In last few years we've pushed each other on insane levels. It makes each game a final. You can enjoy that, for sure, but it's intense, and then comes the physical part and you are tired. 'We play City in three or four weeks and then we will give them a proper fight.' Andy Robertson said: 'It's a sprint finish line. We're in the race so we need to focus on what we're doing. We still have to go to their place.' Diogo Jota struck for the Reds at the Emirates as they made it nine league wins in a row It is Liverpool's ninth win in a row in the Premier League and, on Sky Sports, Liverpool legends Graeme Souness and Jamie Carragher tipped their former club to win the title with momentum on their side. Klopp, however, said: 'Momentum is the most fragile flower on the planet. Someone steps on it and then it's gone. I'm not a big friend of momentum. Just find a way to get through it. I would prefer to be 20 points in front.' Mikel Arteta claimed his team were the better team between the two penalty areas and only beaten because Liverpool converted their chances and his side did not. The Arsenal boss also complained about a swift turnaround before Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Aston Villa. Klopp congratulates his players at full-time, including second goal scorer Roberto Firmino 'Thank you so much to the Premier League for doing the fixtures like this,' Arteta fumed. 'Very, very helpful. It's not fair what they've done. It's BT, it's sky, it's this it's that.' But Liverpool have played 13 games, six more than Arsenal in the two months since they met in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi final. 'That's how it is, I don't complain,' said Klopp. 'We wake up in a different hotel and somebody tells you where the restaurant is and you try to remember the number of the room.' Advertisement Germanys largest lake is so big that its often referred to as an inland sea. Both Austria and Switzerland line its shores and Lake Constances waters flow into the Rhine to form a natural border with Liechtenstein. These four countries, plus the lake, make up the region of Bodensee. My base was the Steigenberger Inselhotel. Originally a 13th century Dominican monastery, it was later converted into the luxury hotel. The original monastery frescoes were restored for guests to admire. On the waterfront: Views of the German town of Meersburg and its castle, which sits on Lake Constance - Germanys largest lake Mike's base for his trip is the Steigenberger Inselhotel, pictured left, which was originally a 13th-century Dominican monastery From Konstanz I set out for the town of Tettnang via a ferry across the lake. Visitors to Konstanz harbour cant miss the local landmark, a rotating 30 ft high statue of a scantily-dressed, well-endowed woman. The citys residents were shocked when they first saw the statue of Imperia, a mythical goddess, and asked the authorities to remove it, said my guide Ingrid. But the land is owned by the rail company and it refused. Today, its the most popular tourist attraction in Konstanz. My journey took me past the airport at Friedrichshafen where Graf von Zeppelin, born in the Steigenberger hotel, created the airships that bear his name. The current 75 m-long versions are powered by electric motors. Its a spectacular, eco-friendly way to view the region as the airship glides through the air but, unlike me, you need to book well in advance. 'Visitors to Konstanz harbour cant miss the local landmark, a rotating 30ft-high statue of a scantily-dressed, well-endowed woman (pictured on the right),' writes Mike My destination, Tettnang, is renowned for the quality of its hops that supply the international brewing trade. On a tour of a hop farm, manager Bernhard, explained: The first shoots are wound clockwise around vertical wires suspended from a frame. Wind them the wrong way and the fickle plants will unravel and die. After sampling some of the local beers, I was driven to the lakeside village of Hard in Austria where I boarded Hohentwiel, a restored royal paddle steamer, and enjoyed dinner as it sailed along the lake. As well as the ever-changing scenery, the gleaming working parts of the ship are also worth admiring, but it gets hot near the boilers. Next morning, Bregenz beckoned, a pretty town with parks and tree-lined streets. Its home to the worlds largest floating stage, which each summer evening puts on a major operatic production watched by up to 7,000 people seated on the shore. The waterside location adds a special atmosphere to the evening. Puccinis Madame Butterfly will be 2022s performance with the premiere on July 20. Above is the 2019 to 2020 version of the floating stage in Bregenz, which changes every year The view from Cable Car Pfander, which takes visitors from the Austrian city of Bregenz to a local mountain top Mike explores Liechtenstein, a pocket-sized state of only 38,500 people. Pictured is Vaduz Castle, the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein, which overlooks the country's capital city TRAVEL FACTS Double rooms (two adults) at the The Steigenberger Inselhotel, Konstanz from 165 a night including breakfast. See steigenberger.com. For Bodensee visit bodensee.eu/en. Advertisement The nearby Cable Car Pfander takes visitors to a local mountain top. Manager Berthold Martan, said: On a clear day you can see 240 peaks of the Alps. Theres a wildlife park that includes deer, wild boar and ibex and children can enjoy the large playground while hikers can explore a web of walks. Liechtenstein was next, a pocket-sized state of only 38,500 people. By the end of World War II, the country was struggling financially so the then-Prince, Franz-Joseph, sold valuable family artworks to raise finance for the Principality. The prosperity of the country, now one of the worlds richest, is down to his efforts and the current Prince is popular. The pedestrianised main street of the capital, Vaduz, is lined with street art. A treasure chamber houses the crown jewels and an amazing collection of old armoury, and one of Faberges famous Easter Eggs. My final day took me to the fourth country, Switzerland, and Weinfeldens wine trail. It starts at the station where you can buy a special rucksack which includes a map, wine glass and a code to access the wine vaults positioned along the route. I was happy to enjoy the local produce; a memorable end to my journey. Decor is close to soul-destroying, wrote one guest after their stay at the Park Hyatt Sydney in Australia Advertisement For some people, even the best isn't good enough - as these cutting Tripadvisor remarks show. They've been made by users of the travel site who checked into some of the world's most renowned five-star hotels - and were left hilariously unimpressed, with the properties lambasted for crimes against hospitality that included a lack of mangoes at breakfast and fellow guests not being dressed 'exquisitely'. The Langham in London (rooms from 600), for instance, has been operating for over 150 years and counts Princess Diana, Winston Churchill, and Oscar Wilde among its former guests. But this venerable institution was only worth a two-star rating for user Estherbelfield, who was irked because there werent any free biscuits or chocolates waiting in her room upon arrival. One Tripadvisor reviewer criticised The Langham (pictured) because they weren't gifted any biscuits or chocolates The Langham is one of several revered London properties that's felt the burning rage of a Tripadvisor reviewer. The Dorchester, where rooms are priced from 995, was panned by user OxfordHalalFoodie, for having boring sandwiches. And another guest, Caledon_Hockley, in a three-star review headlined 'Underwhelming', cited the issue of being the only one that was actually dressed exquisitely during the hotel's afternoon tea. 'The decor is vulgar and tasteless, the clientele is unsophisticated. Its a Disney attraction.' So reads reviewer 'LordOddie's rather scathing verdict on none other than The Ritz, where rooms rates begin at 606 a night. And reviewer clarej2610 had a bone to pick with The Savoy (rooms from 442). 'I prefer pillows with a little more exuberance, they wrote. Polite to the end, the hotel apologised and informed the guest that it has a choice of pillows and bedding they could choose from in the future. A Tripadvisor reviewer complained that their pillows didn't have enough 'exuberance' during their stay at The Savoy (pictured) Another miffed guest at The Savoy, user V3389FPshirleyp, announced that the presentation of the papaya fruit at breakfast was abysmal. The hotels uber-polite response? It thanked them for their observations about the papaya and passed the message on to the executive chef. A fifth property in the capital, the Corinthia Hotel London (rooms from 904), apologised for not meeting' one guest's 'expectations when reviewer DDRochester declared that their gin and tonic was uninspired - because it came with a slice of lemon. The Corinthia Hotel London (pictured) apologised when one reviewer declared that their gin and tonic was uninspired because it came with a slice of lemon And the desserts at The Connaught, where room rates start at 991, didnt fare much better than the Corinthias tipples. User jsuh who mustn't have much of a sweet tooth - insisted that the cakes were too sugary during their afternoon tea. Meanwhile, in Oxfordshires Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons - billed as a 'sublime country retreat' with rooms that start from 909 a night one Tripadvisor user, ericaw900, was peeved by the bowl of fruit that they were offered in their sleeping quarters. Describing the fruit gift as depressing, they asked: Where was the chocolate? The least one should have [been] offered were some gorgeous flowers and chocolates. Scotlands finest establishments aren't safe from the nitpicking brigade either. The historic Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, above, wasn't Scottish enough for one reviewer, who felt that the decor lacked 'a lamp [made from] from antlers horn or cushion with a thistle on it' Even though the historic Balmoral Hotel (rooms from 280), nestled in the heart of Edinburgh, is deliberately furnished in a colour palette that embodies the Scottish landscape, one reviewer felt it simply wasnt Scottish enough. Offering tips on the decor, user tigl0nd0n insisted that the hotels decorator could have included a lamp [made from an] antlers horn or cushion with a thistle on it for good measure. Another Scottish institution, Gleneagles, where a room will set you back upwards of 519, was similarly chided for a perceived lack of Scottishness. User 'LJNewcastle', who gave it three stars, claimed that it feels like more of an American resort than a Scottish hotel. Gleneagles (pictured) feels like more of an American resort than a Scottish hotel, according to one review Across the channel, the grande dame hotels of the French capital didnt fare much better. Despite its glowing reputation it was named the number one hotel in Paris in Conde Nast Traveler's 2021 Reader's Choice Awards The Peninsula Paris (rooms from 862) struck a bum note with one reviewer. Their issue with the hotel? The chandeliers look flimsy, user Jennifer W declared. Unfailingly polite, a member of staff offered to personally show the reviewer the extraordinary work that has been done by the French craftsmen in the property upon their next visit. The chandeliers look flimsy,' wrote one reviewer upon their visit to The Peninsula Paris. Above is a bathroom in one of the hotel's suites Despite being set just 500m (1,640ft) from the Champs-Elysees, one reviewer wasn't impressed by the location of Le Bristol Paris. Above is the hotel's swish Imperial Suite Across the city, another reviewer, 'Flying2Fashion', said that the location of Le Bristol Paris, where rooms start from 714, was not great even though the elite establishment is a mere 500m (1,640ft) from the Champs-Elysees. The hotel simply replied that the majority of guests find the location most convenient'. With rooms starting from a hefty 1,016 a night, Le Meurice is known as one of Paris's finest establishments. However, reviewer Advourner wasnt a fan of their French television. No USA channels, they declared, giving the hotel just a three-star rating. The same complaint was made by a guest in one of Venice's most high-end properties - the 15th-century Gritti Palace, where rooms start from 804 a night. Overlooking the fact that the Floating City was on their doorstep, user Xfmt grumbled that there were only two English speaking TV channels on their television. After their stay at the 15th-century Gritti Palace (pictured) in the heart of Venice, one guest complained that there were only two English speaking TV channels on their television A reviewer claimed that the drapes in their room at the Hotel Principe Di Savoia were 'obscenely ornate'. Above is the hotel's presidential suite Despite choosing to holiday in an international tourist hot spot, another reviewer, Leone H, was annoyed to hear loud American accents during their stay at Venice's Belmond Hotel Cipriani (rooms from 885), instead of murmured restaurant conversations in French and Italian. The decor in some of Italys most lavish hotels also failed to impress certain guests. User mvfan said that the rooms are a bit much at the luxurious St Regis Florence (rooms from 562), while user 'Swissdiner' moaned that the drapes in their room were 'obscenely ornate' at the Hotel Principe Di Savoia in Milan. The hotel, where rooms start from 381, replied that it was sorry to hear that they did not find the hotel to their taste. The renowned Rome Cavalieri, where rooms start from 256, promises to 'offer the ambience of a luxury five-star hotel'. But one visitor, user sun_sea_light', clearly wasn't a fan of its five-star vibe, as they gave the property two stars and wrote: The ambience was not acceptable.' Above is the Palladio Suite at Belmond Hotel Cipriani. One hotel guest was annoyed to hear loud American accents during their stay instead of murmured restaurant conversations in French and Italian Moving up through Europe, in the Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna in Austria (rooms from 238), guest Rudiger R, who gave the hotel just one star, had a rather unusual complaint. Their issue? There were bus tourists staying at the hotel at the same time. It was the cocktail bar and its snack offering - that left one guest miffed during their visit to the Gstaad Palace in Switzerland (rooms from 1,299). Even in London's worst bar one gets peanuts or crisps... well, we did not, user Gordon R wrote. There were more cocktail bar qualms at Raffles Singapore (rooms from 763), the birthplace of the Singapore Sling. One reviewer, 'Stewie2014', complained that the hotels Long Bar could have been the bar out of Cheers and likened the hotel to a theme park. Even in London's worst bar one gets peanuts or crisps... well, we did not, wrote one reviewer after their visit to the bar at Gstaad Palace (pictured) One guest likened Raffles Singapore (pictured above), the birthplace of the Singapore Sling, to a theme park Another unimpressed reviewer, DanMadigan, lambasted W Doha - which has rooms from 152 and was recently voted the best hotel in the Middle East - because he had a curved sofa with lots of cushions in his room. Not much use if you want not relax with a book, apparently. With rooms priced at a staggering 1,498, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai describes itself as a 'global icon of Arabian luxury'. However, the hotels selection of luxury cars failed to charm one reviewer, Nan S, who insisted that the old Rolls-Royce and Bentley at the entrance did not appeal to them at all. Fussy guests have also shared their views on some of New Yorks swankiest properties. A guest at W Doha - recently voted the best hotel in the Middle East - made it clear they weren't keen on the curved sofa with lots of cushions in their room Even though it counts an array of A-listers among its clientele, including Meghan Markle, The Mark Hotel (rooms from 938) and its 'avant-garde' furnishings were met by criticism from user 'pbgfoodie', who described it as Holiday Inn decor that's worthy of a budget hotel with a former Soviet Union look - cold, barren, modernist and uninviting. 'The unique visions of a talented group of acclaimed artists may not be appreciated by every single guest that enters through our doors,' read the hotel's courteous response. User 'catherinebassick' was similarly unmoved by the fancy interior of The Peninsula New York, where the rooms cost from 721. The rooms look like jail cells, they wrote in their one-star review. They werent the only reviewer to draw comparisons between prison blocks and posh five-star hotels - after their stay at the St Regis Deer Valley in Utah, where rooms rates start from a whopping 1,361, user 'George S' claimed the resort looks like a penitentiary. On the west coast, at the Hotel Bel-Air, where rooms cost upwards of a princely 1,051 per night, one reviewer, 'CDUB212121', was confused by the concept of a minibar. The minibar should be free, they complained, only for the hotel to apologize on behalf of the entire team. User 'catherinebassick' was unmoved by the fancy interior of The Peninsula New York (pictured above at Christmas in 2015), where the rooms cost from 721. The rooms look like jail cells, they wrote in their one-star review The old Rolls-Royce and Bentley at the entrance of the Burj Al Arab (pictured) did not appeal to one reviewer We may have missed the mark for you this time.' So reads Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills' (rooms from 825) response to guest 'TwoAdventure', who griped that the hotel's black and gold decor wasnt Californian enough. There was even harsher criticism of the interior design at one of Australias fanciest establishments, Park Hyatt Sydney (rooms from 681). Decor is close to soul-destroying, bluntly wrote reviewer 'gmqhgmqh'. Despite being so posh that rooms start at an eye-watering 1,810 per night, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles was found seriously wanting in the breakfast buffet department. Reviewer '720petyar' was peeved to find that there were no mangoes on offer. And, adding insult to injury, the breakfast fruits were not cooled enough. We experienced paranormal activities there,' claimed one guest after their stay at Umaid Bhawan Palace (pictured) Finally, at Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India, (rooms from 376), reviewer 'neetilodha' gave the palatial hotel just one star for a very unusual reason. Their complaint? We experienced paranormal activities there.' Ever the professionals, the hotel thanked the reviewer for their feedback and vowed to give them a 'great hotel experience' upon their next visit. Advertisement Tourists can visit New Zealand from April 12 and this timelapse video and accompanying stunning images are jaw-dropping reminders of the eye-popping sights awaiting them when they venture out and explore the country's landscapes. The visuals are the work of San Francisco-based photographer Michael Shainblum, 31, who was inspired to visit the remote country after watching Lord of the Rings as a child, with the trilogy filmed on both the North and South islands. The video, which has been viewed more than 80,000 times, captures some of the country's most jaw-dropping sites including the snowy crest of Mount Cook, the majesty of Milford Sound, the dinosaur egg-like Moeraki Boulders on the Otago coast and the famed willow tree leaning over Lake Wanaka. San Francisco-based photographer Michael Shainblum, 31 was inspired to visit New Zealand after watching Lord of the Rings as a child, with the trilogy filmed on both the North and South islands. Pictured, Milford Sound The American photographer said he certainly wasn't disappointed after visiting his dream destination. Pictured, a dramatic waterfall cascading down the cliffs at Milford Sound Shainblum said of New Zealand: 'It is a remarkable place... The landscapes are just incredible to witness' New Zealand's heavenly night skies are also showcased, with eye-popping shots of the shimmering Milky Way. To make his timelapse footage, Shainblum compressed more than 50,000 images into video files and set the finished motion picture to music. Meanwhile, Shainblum's atmospheric images do an equally good job at making you want to hop on a plane, pronto. The American, aged 31, said he was gobsmacked by New Zealand's terrain. He told MailOnline Travel: 'It is a remarkable place. Its beautiful, first of all. Absolutely spectacular. The landscapes are just incredible to witness. 'The range of things you can see in a day in New Zealand is pretty interesting, from the lush rainforest to the high ridge peaks to the lone oak trees just kind of sitting out on the fields, and to the seascapes. Just beautiful, dramatic, striking seascapes.' When it came to his favourite location in New Zealand, Shainblum said it was tough to pick one but Milford Sound - a fiord in the southwest of the South Island - made a big impression with its 'striking cliffs' and 'pouring' 1,000ft waterfalls An aspect of his trip to Middle-earth that was less alluring was the unpredictable weather and Shainblum had to battle the elements to get the shots he was after Did he have a favourite location? Shainblum said it was tough to pick one, but that Milford Sound - a fiord in the southwest of the South Island - made a big impression with its 'striking cliffs' and 'pouring' 1,000ft waterfalls. Along with the stunning otherworldly scenery, Shainblum said the 'delicious food' and the friendly locals he encountered in New Zealand were also worthy of writing home about. He mused: 'The people are so friendly. I dont think I met a single rude person in my entire time being in New Zealand. Everyone was so nice, so friendly, just wanted to see what I was doing and even just if I was going to order some coffee Id end up in some conversation. 'It kind of warms your heart when you go to a place where people genuinely want to have a conversation with you and want to know who you are. Its very different from what Im used to, living in a place like San Francisco, where people just kind of do their own thing and you go about your business. 'Whereas in New Zealand, everyone, they were just so warm and friendly. And the food. I ate a lot of food and it was all very delicious.' Along with the breathtaking otherworldly scenery, Shainblum said the 'delicious food' and the friendly locals he encountered in New Zealand were also worth writing home about An aspect of his trip to 'Middle-earth' that was less alluring was the unpredictable weather - Shainblum had to battle the elements to get the shots he was after. He recalls: 'It was bittersweet in a sense because the weather was so tough to deal with that the wind, I mean, there were 60mph winds at times where you could barely stand up... you could barely set up a camera. And it rained, I think, every single day that I was there, for about two weeks. 'But on the other end of it, thats what produced so many incredible moments. 'There was a lot of just sitting out in the rain, but then there would be little parts in the cloud and then a rainbow would form out of nowhere. And it would sit there for maybe 10 minutes. The light would cascade across the landscape. And then the storm would come back 10 minutes later and we would be in a torrential downpour again.' A stunning capture of a rainbow over Mount Cook on the South Island While in New Zealand, Shainblum took more than 50,000 images, which he later stitched together to make a timelapse film Shainblum's determination has paid off, with hundreds of viewers giving his work the thumbs up. ClementLby wrote in response to his YouTube video: 'The sunset on the Mount Cook is beautiful, soft and gorgeous and just after, the moonrise is extraordinary!' Dave Hollingworth added: 'Utterly breathtaking. I was fortunate to travel around NZ a few years ago. This took me back. Thank you!' To see more of Michael's work visit his website, www.shainblumphoto.com, his Instagram profile, www.instagram.com/shainblumphotography, and his YouTube channel. Tourists from Australia can visit New Zealand from April 12 and from visa-waiver countries from May 1. Advertisement The Apprentice's penultimate episode on Thursday will see the final four contestants - Stephanie Afflek, Brittany Carter, Harpreet Kaur and Kathryn Louise Burn -make history in the first ever all-female semi-final. Last week's episode saw both Aaron Willis and Akeem Bundu-Kamara given their marching orders, meaning the four women will battle it out in the nail-biting interview stages in a bid to become Lord Sugar's latest business partner. In a candid chat, the ladies opened up on their strong friendship, almost being fired, women in business and 'amazing' boardroom chats with Lord Sugar as they quip that this year: 'The girls were hungry for it!' Who run the world? The Apprentice's penultimate on Thursday will see the final four contestants - Stephanie Afflek, Brittany Carter, Harpreet Kaur and Kathryn Louise Burn - battle it out in the nail-biting interview stages Girl talk: In a candid chat, the ladies opened up on their strong friendship, almost being fired, women in business and 'amazing' boardroom chats with Lord Sugar as they quip that this year: 'The girls were hungry for it!' Stephanie Affleck Detailing how she feels to have made the final four, online children's store owner Stephanie remarked: 'It feels crazy if I am honest with you! 'I always believed if I set my mind to it I could achieve it, but it doesnt take away from the fact that out of the hundreds and thousands of people who applied - I am sitting in the top four of that! To be sharing this experience with 3 others who I admire and love so much is the cherry on top.' Excited: Detailing how she feels to have made the final four, online children's store owner Stephanie remarked: 'It feels crazy if I am honest with you! I always believed if I set my mind to it I could achieve it On her secret bond with the business mogul, she added: 'Im aware I havent had the smoothest of runs and some might be questioning why Im still there, but I think Lord Sugar sees something in me. We did have some amazing chats in the boardroom about family and business and I just think he gets me, he understands what I am about and can relate. 'Lord Sugar reminds me a lot of my dad so to calm my nerves in the boardroom I would just imagine I was talking to my dad! That tactic typically helped when things went wrong - and as we can see for me they definitely did A LOT! I am nowhere near the perfect finished product, but I am willing to learn and I think Lord Sugar appreciates anyone that shows willing to put themselves out there, to make mistakes in order to improve.' The TV star went on to express how strong this year's crop of female candidates were, adding that she hopes there will be a day when their gender is irrelevant when it comes to business and success. Stephanie explained: 'I think this is definitely the year of the girls on The Apprentice and I am so proud to be a part of that. To be standing here as one of the top four women knowing how strong the top 8 women were, I hope we have done them all proud! We are all strong, smart, sharp women who know what we want, and we are not afraid to go and get it. Chats: On her secret bond with the business mogul, she added: 'Im aware I havent had the smoothest of runs and some might be questioning why Im still there, but I think Lord Sugar sees something in me' 'To be honest, tough, I think it is just reflective of society because women definitely do have more hurdles to jump when it comes to business, whether that is limited funding, gender inequality etc. 'I cant wait until we get to the point where we are just considered four finalists and the fact we are female is irrelevant. The other three girls and myself are smart, sharp business people that fully deserve to be in the running for Lord Sugars investment. 'Sheryl Sandberg mentions In Future, there will be no female leaders just leaders and I am glad us four are standing here today to prove we can do just as good as the men (if not better!) and are equal counterparts. I look forward to being in a society when it isnt considered more amazing to be a female founder as we are just as capable as the boys!' Brittany Carter Meanwhile, Brittany shared her thoughts on what made this year's girls stand out, she said: 'I think all the girls this series are so strong and what is particularly good is that we all just seem to complement each other weve all got different strengths and whichever team weve been placed in, weve just been very good at working together. 'And, I think its that mixture of teamwork, specific skills and complementing each other which has resulted in this final four of strong, females.' Girl power: Brittany shared her thoughts on what made this year's girls stand out, she said: 'I think all the girls this series are so strong and what is particularly good is that we all just seem to complement each other' When asked if women's collective strength in the competition was reflective of the current day and age, front of house manager Brittany responded: 'Do you know what, I do think its reflective of the current day and age. As we progress year on year, you see more and more women being celebrated in business, theres more entrepreneurs who we have to look up to and I think that is inspiring for the next generation of women. 'Its only going to get better, and women are going to get even more representation as the years go on its a great direction to be moving in.' Sharing her thoughts of the progression of women in business, she said: 'I honestly believe we can never be over-represented and its fantastic to see so many women in business, particularly in high profile situations. So now, when you look at business shows on the television, were seeing the women absolutely smashing it. 'Just generally, I think the representation of women in many industries has improved so much. Ive been lucky enough in my own career to have had young, ambitious, female managers and that just really inspired me to be where I am today. Were moving in the right direction but theres still work to do.' Harpreet Kaur While sharing her pride at being of of the last four females standing in the competition, dessert parlour owner Harpreet told how she always felt like an equal among her male counterparts, adding that any animosity is left in the boardroom. She explained: 'I just think we all got on really well as a group when we were on task we were focused on just winning as a team. Ive never felt like there were mind games and this mentality of the other candidates being my competitor we all just acted with real professionalism and if things had to be brought up in the boardroom, then they werent said maliciously. Candid: While sharing her pride at being of of the last four females standing in the competition, dessert parlour owner Harpreet told how she always felt like an equal among her male counterparts 'Obviously, its difficult because when youre sat there you want to be shouting about your own highlights which I found difficult and so many times Id just want to celebrate the other candidates achievements. 'Its just about finding that balance. But, when it came to leaving the boardroom, thats it, you let it go and you move on. Yes, Ive got far in the process because of my own abilities, but I honestly believe its also down to good teamwork, collaboration and the people who I had around me. Teamwork really does mean everything to me.' On the perception of women in business being different to the reality, she shared: 'Its a difficult question to answer, really because I know there are a lot of different perceptions out there. I genuinely could not care less about someones gender, its irrelevant in my eyes, its just about an individual and their ability. 'That said, I do find that if a woman is in charge and has a certain style of leadership, she can be accused of being bossy I know I have a couple of times myself from being on the show. But, Im not bossy Im a boss. Im leading my team and if Ive got a vision which I believe in then of course Im going to try and get everyone onboard to achieve the end goal. You dont hear men being called bossy' Kathyrn Burn Online pyjama store owner Kathyrn meanwhile shared her thoughts on seeing the girls' passion for the win early on in the competition, explaining: 'The girls were hungry for it, and I could see that on the first task. Theres a lot of strong personalities and I thought "woah, this isnt going to be easy" as soon as I got speaking to everyone. 'I think one good thing we are all good at, is adapting, and weve shown that throughout the process. Weve put ourselves out there even on tasks we have no experience in and have always tried our hardest and gave 110%.' On how lucky she feels to still be in the competition, she went on: 'It feels absolutely incredible and I just feel so lucky to be doing it with my closest friends in the process. Its been a hell of a journey, and there were definitely times I thought I was getting fired, so to be standing with 3 strong, incredible girls, I just feel so proud and theres no one else Id rather be there with.' Go-getters: Online pyjama store owner Kathyrn meanwhile shared her thoughts on seeing the girls' passion for the win early on in the competition, explaining: 'The girls were hungry for it, and I could see that on the first task' And despite being fierce competitors throughout the series, Kathryn pointed out that while living and working alongside each other, friendships and bonds couldn't help but be formed. She said: 'Its a weird one, because it is a competition at the end of the day, but theres a lot more to it when you genuinely do care for each other. I know I went in to the process thinking "Im not here to make friends", and I really wasnt... But as the process goes on, you slowly start to realise that its your competition whos there to cheer you up, give a big cuddle after a hard day and support you. 'And naturally, when youre spending so much time with each other and in such a different environment, special bonds are going to be made. I think thats the great thing about the interviews though, youre no longer directly competing against each others skills. 'Youve got your business idea, youve already written your business plan, and now its down to you and just you. Lord Sugar is either going to see potential in your business, or hes not. Whether youre friends with the other candidates or not, that isnt going to make a difference.' The Apprentice continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One, followed by Youre Fired on BBC Two. Watch live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer. Made it! Last week's episode saw both Aaron Willis and Akeem Bundu-Kamara given their marching orders resulting in the first ever all-female semi-final How it started: The girls beat off stiff competition from 12 other candidates in the 2022 competiton They are due to get married in a glamorous wedding ceremony later this year. And Brooklyn Beckham and his fiancee Nicola Peltz looked sensational as they starred as the faces of Pepe Jeans' Spring/Summer 2022 campaign. The son of David Beckham, 23, cut a stylish figure as he sported jeans and a white shirt for the artistic black-and-white photoshoot. Couple: Brooklyn Beckham and his fiancee Nicola Peltz looked sensational as they starred in Pepe Jeans' Spring/Summer 2022 campaign Loved-up: The son of David Beckham, 23, cut a stylish figure as he sported jeans and a white jumper for the artistic black-and-white photoshoot He flaunted his array of arm tattoos as he held hands with his actress fiancee, 27, who showed off her incredible figure in a handmade crocheted mini dress, made up of 46 vibrant colour patches. Nicola paired her boho-chic ensemble with a floor-length sleeveless white cardigan and a pair of sandals, while she styled her golden locks in a natural wave. One snap saw Nicole lounging on a hammock in a white lace dress, while she also donned a cropped white T-shirt with a similar lace mini skirt in another shot. Meanwhile, Brooklyn also sported a white T-shirt with an array of photographs printed on as he went barefoot and sat on a rug while playing the guitar. Boho: Brooklyn went barefoot as he sat on a rug and played the guitar, while Nicola lay sprawled across his lap in white jeans and a denim jacket Chic: Brooklyn also gave a flash off his toned physique as he styled an unbuttoned black shirt with a pair of jeans as he stood next to an array of music speakers Nicola sprawled across his lap in the artistic picture as she wore a simple pair of white jeans and a denim jacket. The American director also paired a set of white jeans with a cropped vest top as she struck a sultry pose in the passenger seat of a car as part of the photoshoot. In another picture, Brooklyn gave a flash off his toned physique as he styled an unbuttoned black shirt with a pair of jeans as he stood next to an array of music speakers. The smitten couple posed for the shots, which were directed by Luigi & Iango, as part of Pepe Jeans' latest collection 'Between Us'. Stunning: Another snap saw Nicole lounging on a hammock in a white lace dress, while she styled her golden tresses in a natural fashion Sweet: Brooklyn also sported a white T-shirt with an array of photographs printed on as he gave his fiancee a piggyback The campaign aims to focus on togetherness and the importance of spending a day outdoors with your significant other. It is not the couple's first venture with the brand as Brooklyn collaborated as the photographer and ambassador of their 2021 'Wiser Future' campaign while Nicole was also involved in the 'Just Us' project. Their new project comes as they are due to get married later this year in a glamorous wedding ceremony, predicted to be held on April 9. Last month, the pair shared a rare insight into their lavish wedding, revealing their ceremony will be Jewish in accordance with Nicola's heritage. Stylish: The American director also paired a set of white jeans with a cropped vest top as she struck a sultry pose in the passenger seat of a car as part of the photoshoot Venture: The smitten couple posed for the shots, which were directed by Luigi & Iango, as part of Pepe Jeans' latest collection 'Between Us' Brooklyn explained he'd be wearing a Yarmulke, or kippah, which is a traditional skull cap worn by Jewish men during prayer, while those in the Ultra-Orthdox communities also wear them during their public life. According to Jewish law, it is required that a man is covers his head during prayer, but the customs for when they should be worn can vary, with some men also wearing them eating or studying Jewish texts. Kippah's are not traditionally worn by women, who usually cover their heads with a scarf or hat, with the covering typically a sign of respect and fear of God. On the day, Nicola will reportedly wear two Valentino gowns during the day - despite previous claims Brooklyn's designer mother Victoria had been drawing up dress designs for her. Exciting: Nicola and Brooklyn are due to get married later this year in a glamorous wedding ceremony, predicted to be held on April 9 The Sun has also claimed that Brooklyn's younger brothers Romeo, 19, and Cruz, 16, have been asked to be Best Men, while Nicola's brother Brad will be her bridesmaid. The couple won't be short of space for guests, as the ceremony is said to be being held on Nicola's billionaire father Nelson's 27-bed Florida estate. The star-studded guest list is believed to include the likes of Gigi Hadid, Nicole Richie and Beckham family friends Gordon and Tana Ramsay. While Brooklyn's parents' wedding was covered by OK! magazine back in 1999, Brooklyn's nuptials will reflect the family's rise to style royalty as fashion bible Vogue has reportedly requested exclusive rights to their big day. Sydney Sweeney has been cast in the upcoming Sony Marvel film Madame Web. The 24-year-old actress joins Dakota Johnson in the movie, according to Deadline, which will be directed by S.J. Clarkson with a screenplay by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. It was not immediately clear what role Sweeney will have in the film. The latest: Sydney Sweeney, 24, has been cast in the upcoming Sony Marvel film Madame Web. The actress was snapped earlier this month in Santa Monica, California at the Film Independent Spirit Awards The Spokane, Washington native - who has garnered attention for her performances as Cassie Howard on Euphoria, and Olivia Mossbacher on The White Lotus - had been milling various offers for roles, sources told Deadline, and was inclined to pair with Johnson in the female-driven motion picture. Sweeney over the past few years has had a number of other notable performances in films, playing Pippa in The Voyeurs, and Juliet in Nocturne. Sweeney is currently working on the film National Anthem alongside Simon Rex and Halsey for filmmaker Tony Tost. Madame Web in the comic is seen as an older woman with psychic sensory powers battling Myasthenia Gravis, and linked to a life-support system resembling a spider web. The character, initially seen in the 1980 comic The Amazing Spider-Man No. 210, has not directly participated in conflict, but dispatched others on missions. The breakout star had been milling various offers for roles, sources told Deadline, and was inclined to pair with Dakota Johnson in the female-driven motion picture The Spokane, Washington native has garnered attention for her recent performances as Cassie Howard on Euphoria and Olivia Mossbacher on The White Lotus. She was snapped in LA in January Sweeney joins actress Dakota Johnson, pictured in December in NYC, in the forthcoming film Sources told the outlet that the character, who has been an ally to Spider-Man, could be similar to that of Doctor Strange. Sony has fared well commercially with recent releases such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, which took in $1.85 billion worldwide, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which had made more than $500 million worldwide. The studio is focused on branching out its Spider-Man-linked projects with films focused on characters such as Venom, Morbius and Kraven the Hunter. Sweeney has also been involved in setting up a production company called Fifty-Fifty Films, which she told Cosmopolitan last month was an outgrowth of her passion for branding and marketing. 'I love the idea of being like, "Okay, I love this project, now how can I make this consumable to a mass market?"' she said. 'So I called my agents and was like, "Do you think this is something I can achieve?" 'Theyve always believed in everything I put my mind to, so they supported me and sent me books to consider ... but I dont think they thought Id become so engrossed in it.' Chloe Ferry put on a very busy display as she attended Radio 1's Big Weekend launch party in London on Wednesday. The Geordie Shore star, 26, flaunted her curvaceous physique in a black mesh clinging cut-out catsuit as she posed for a slew of sizzling snaps at the star-studded event. The brunette beauty beamed as she teamed her figure-hugging outfit with a pair of stylish black strappy heels as she arrived at the Mandrake Hotel. Wow! Chloe Ferry put on a very busty display in a black cut-out catsuit as she attended Radio 1's Big Weekend Launch Party in London on Wednesday Chloe looked sensational as she donned a black coat with gold buttons over her revealing ensemble. The reality star accessorised with a small black Prada shoulder bag and some simple studded earrings. Chloe's trademarks lips were painted with a glossy nude, while her long brown locks fell down onto her shoulders. Cheeky: Chloe flaunted her curvaceous figure from all angles in the clinging mesh outfit and flashed her dainty tattoos Stunner: The reality star teamed her figure-hugging outfit with a pair of stylish black strappy heels as she arrived at the Mandrake Hotel Gorgeous: She looked sensational as she donned a black coat with gold buttons over her revealing ensemble Reality stars: Kori Sampson, Joe Garratt, Harry Johnson and Cam Holmes were also in attendance and posed for a lads photo Chloe looked in high spirits as she stepped out of the car and arrived at the launch event. Kori Sampson, Joe Garratt, Harry Johnson and Cam Holmes were also in attendance and posed for a group photo. Meanwhile, Saffron Barker and Scarlett Moffatt stood out from the crowd in bright green ensembles. Wow: Former Love Island contestant Shaughna Phillips put on a stylish display in a checked shirt dress and trendy knee-high boots Friends: Radio pals Aled Haydn Jones, Mollie King and Matt Edmunson also attended the star-studded event (pictured from left to right) Looking good: Saffron Barker stood out from the crowd in a bright green ensemble at the event Natural beauty: Scarlett Moffatt turned heads as she rocked up the event in an oversized green shirt and a matching handbag Happy couple: Scarlett looked happy as she attended the event with her boyfriend of three years Scott Dobinson Work it: Tallia Storm put on a stylish display in a black leather mini dress and knee-high boots Blonde bombshell: Joanna Chimonides put on a stylish display in an all white ensemble as she posed up a storm at the hotel entrance The first big-name acts performing at this year's Radio 1 Big Weekend were announced earlier in the week. Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Aitch, AJ Tracey, Anne Marie, Central Cee, Joel Corry and Yungblud are all set to perform at the 2022 event. They will perform on the main stage on Saturday 28 May in Coventry. Main stage acts for the Sunday are yet to be revealed, but a number of acts have also been confirmed for the BBC Music Introducing Stage. Tickets for Big Weekend 2022 are available now, with 60% reserved for people living in Coventry, 25% for those in neighbouring areas and the remaining 15% for general sale This will be the first time Radio 1 Big Weekend has taken place in real life since 2019, as both 2020 and 2021 events moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Loved-up: Simon Webbe dressed to impress in a smart casual outfit as he arrived with his wife Fashionista: Griff showcased her unique sense of style in a white puff sleeved dress which she teamed with a pair of black shoes Looking good: BBC Radio Presenters Jordan North and Vick Hope dressed to impress to celebrate Radio 1's Big Weekend Ella Ding's relationship with Mitch Eynaud has certainly been a roller-coaster ride on Married At First Sight. But the 27-year-old beautician has now revealed their romance was actually a lot more harmonious in real life compared to what was shown on TV. 'In terms of watching Mitchell and I's relationship and the narrative that the producers have gone with, it's completely different to what I had imagined,' she told Yahoo on Thursday. What you didn't see: Ella Ding's relationship with Mitch Eynaud has certainly been a roller-coaster ride on Married At First Sight - but the 27-year-old beautician has now revealed their romance was actually a lot more harmonious in real life compared to what was shown on TV 'I had no idea this is the direction that our relationship would go down [in the edit], but thats TV for you,' she added. Ella also admitted she and financial planner Mitch had plenty of positive moments in the experiment, but they didn't make it to air. She went on to say producers struggled to 'work with' the couple because while she was very receptive to filming, Mitch was more reserved on camera. Caught in the middle: Ella also revealed producers struggled to 'work with' the couple because while she was very receptive to filming, Mitch was more reserved on camera 'I was really caught in the middle of respecting my partner's needs and wishes and also trying to work with reality TV, so it was hard. It got really challenging,' she said. During this year's season, Ella and Mitch have had a seemingly rocky romance. The pair recently discussed the idea of a long-distance romance, with Ella saying she was 'scared' it might not work because she lives in Melbourne while Mitch lives on the Gold Coast. 'There's a big factor of trust which comes into that, with someone I've only known for 10 weeks, and he's frickin' gorgeous,' she told producers. Trouble in paradise: The pair recently discussed the idea of a long-distance romance, with Ella saying she was 'scared' it might not work because she lives in Melbourne while Mitch lives on the Gold Coast When she confided in Mitch, 27, that he might forget about her while at home, he eased her concerns by saying: 'That is not going to happen.' It remains to be seen whether the pair make it past the end of the experiment. Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now Australian streaming platform Stan has announced its latest project, Revealed. The original documentaries will be created in collaboration with the Nine Network's award-winning journalists and producers. The hard-hitting series, which premieres on March 27, will be hosted by Walkley Award-winner Nick McKenzie. New series: Stan has announced an original documentary slate Revealed, based on major investigative stories including neo-Nazi activity in Australia Revealed will explore a number of major Australian stories. The first feature documentary, Amongst Us - Neo-Nazi Australia, will explore the rise of neo-Nazi activity in Australia. The second series, The Price of Hate, will tell the story of Paul Charles Denyer, a serial killer currently serving three life sentences for the Frankston murders in 1993. Host: The series, which premieres on March 27, will be hosted by Walkley Award-winner Nick McKenzie (pictured) The final documentary, Reefshot, will follow scientists, activists and Indigenous rangers as they race to save the Great Barrier Reef. Stan Chief Executive Officer Martin Kugeler said: 'Stan's new documentary slate 'Revealed' represents the next milestone in our collaborative partnership with Nine. 'This initiative gives Stan unrivalled access to the investigative journalists and producers that drive Nine's world class flagship current affairs program 60 Minutes, alongside the acclaimed reporters from Nine Publishing's mastheads The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review.' Project: The documentaries will be created in collaboration Network Nine's award-winning journalists and producers. Pictured: Stan Chief Executive Officer Martin Kugeler 60 Minutes Executive Producer Kirsty Thompson also said 'working with Stan has been a great opportunity' to share important stories. 'Nick McKenzie's work with producer Joel Tozer exposed serious threats from neo-Nazi organisations in this country,' she added. 'Everyone at 60 Minutes is very proud of this investigation and pleased it will reach new audiences on Stan.' Stan Original Documentary Series Revealed: Amongst Us - Neo-Nazi Australia will premiere on March 27, only on Stan Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas new erotic thriller Deep Water has left critics sparring ahead of its debut on Hulu on March 18. The film, which is directed by the the English thriller specialist Adrian Lyne, received praise for Affleck and de Armas' performances, which were partly filmed while the two were dating. However, several critics found the plotting to be uncharacteristically shallow compared to the filmmaker's biggest success, and some criticized it for missing the subtleties of the original novel, written by The Talent Mr. Ripley scribe Patricia Highsmith. Mixed bag: Ben Affleck and his ex Ana de Armas were singled out for praise by several critics for their lead roles in the erotic thriller Deep Water, but just as many were left cold by the thriller, which is out March 18 on Hulu and abroad on Amazon Affleck stars in Deep Water as the tech businessman Vic Van Allen, who is often seen scowling at the antics of his wife Melinda (de Armas) as she carries on a series of affairs with younger men. Vic gets wrapped up in her romantic escapades when one of her suitors mysteriously vanishes. He complicates matters further when he claims to the next man she shacks up with that he killed the missing lover, though the film makes it ambiguous as to whether he's confessing to a crime or merely trying to scare away future lovers. In a positive review for The Independent, Clarisse Loughrey gave the film four out of five stars and noted how Affleck and de Armas' former relationship survives under the surface of the film as 'coiled-up tension.' Tense relationship: Affleck stars in Deep Water as the tech businessman Vic Van Allen, who is often seen scowling at the antics of his wife Melinda (de Armas) as she carries on a series of affairs with younger men; pictured with Euphoria's Jacob Elordi Chemistry: The Independent's gave the film four out of five stars and noted how Affleck and de Armas' former relationship survives under the surface of the film as 'coiled-up tension' She complimented The Armageddon star's 'zombified' weariness and praised the way de Armas' character taunts him. Although their lovemaking is 'hollow and mechanical,' it effectively establishes how their marriage has been gutted through years of dalliances. IndieWire's David Ehrlich was a fan of de Armas' onscreen cuckoldry of her husband and praised Lyne who hasn't made a film since 2002's Unfaithful writing, 'Its so dang good to have him back, even if only for one last ride.' Although Deep Water provided only 'shallow' hints at the history of the couple's relationship, he commended Affleck's 'implosive' performance. For The Wrap, Alonso Duralde approvingly called Depp Water 'trashy,' and also saluted Affleck's performance for his ability to 'convey menace without merely relying on gnashing his teeth.' Femme fatale: IndieWire 's David Ehrlich was a fan of de Armas' onscreen cuckoldry of her husband and praised director Adrian Lyne, whose last film was 2002's Unfaithful Writing for Variety, Pete Debruge was more modest in his praise. He noted the 'unconvincing' ending, which departs both from the book and the 1981 French adaptation Eaux Profondes, which starred Jean-Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert. Unlike other critics, he though Affleck was too blank in the film to effectively telegraph his emotions, though he credited Lyne's work shaping the story. Vulture's Alison Willmore criticized Deep Water and screenwriters Sam Levinson (Euphoria) and Zach Helm (Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium) for failing to elucidate whether or not Vic and Melinda have an 'arrangement,' as she though Affleck alternated too much between hot and cool in the face of his on-screen wife's affairs. She also thought that Affleck had been miscast in the role, which required some with 'nerdier' with more energy. Doesn't add up: Vulture criticized Deep Water and screenwriters Sam Levinson and Zach Helm for failing to clarify whether or not Vic and Melinda have an 'arrangement' Not a fan: The Hollywood Reporter diverged from several critics who applauded supporting actor Tracy Letts (center), saying he looked as if he was thinking, 'Who wrote this s***?' Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney diverged from several critics who applauded supporting actor Tracy Letts, who is also an acclaimed screenwriter and playwright. He complained that Letts' 'distasteful expression' throughout the film suggested he was thinking, 'Who wrote this s***?' Although he praised de Armas' screen presence, Rooney thought her character suffered from a lack of backstory. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw only gave Deep Water two out of five stars and echoed other critics' complaints that the film was 'sometimes bafflingly edited,' though it wasn't clear if Twentieth Century Studios and its parent company Disney had any role in changing the film in post-production. He wrote that 'De Armas behaves as if shes in some saucy cologne commercial,' while her costar was so low key that he appeared 'to have necked a hundredweight of Percocet before the cameras rolled.' Karl Stefanovic's wife Jasmine Yarbrough is clearly in her element as a mother. On Wednesday, the shoe designer doted on their tiny tot Harper May, one, as they enjoyed a playdate at the park on the Sunshine Coast. Jasmine, 38, had a ball with her daughter as they spent quality time together. Her girl! Karl Stefanovic's wife Jasmine was every inch the doting mother on Wednesday as she enjoyed a park playdate with their daughter Harper May, one, on the Sunshine Coast Jasmine stood out in a tie-dye Light Fantasy T-shirt, which featured a unique mushroom design and retails for approximately $30 on Amazon. The blonde teamed the look with a pair of black and pink leggings and black and grey sneakers. She kept her low-key look fuss free by pulling her long locks into a low bun and wearing minimal and natural-looking makeup. So sweet: At one point, as Jasmine carried Harper in her arms, she affectionately planted a kiss on her head Having a ball! The pair were seen playing on the park equipment together, with Jasmine taking her tiny tot down a bright blue slide and going on a swing together Fresh and bright: Jasmine's Light Fantasy T-shirt featured a unique mushroom design and retails for approximately $30 on Amazon. She teamed the look with dark leggings The pair were seen playing on the park equipment together, with Jasmine taking her little one down a bright blue slide and going on a swing together. At one point, as Jasmine carried Harper in her arms, she affectionately planted a kiss on her head. Just last week, Jasmine shared some hilarious pictures of the mess harper created at home. Natural beauty: She kept her low-key look fuss free by pulling her long locks into a low bun and wearing minimal and natural-looking makeup Fun times: Jasmine was in her element on the day, while Harper looked a little scared on the giant swing She's got her hands full! Just last week, Jasmine shared some hilarious pictures of the mess harper created at home 'One toddler for sale': In one image, Harper destroyed a fabric chair after rubbing foundation all over it. She then opened a tub of cream and rubbed it all over her face, clothes, toys and arms In one image, Harper destroyed a fabric chair after rubbing foundation all over it. She then opened a tub of cream and rubbed it all over her face, clothes, toys and arms. 'Ok it's just not our day!!! One toddler for sale,' Jasmine wrote. At the end of the day, Jasmine shared a photo of herself enjoying a glass of wine and relaxing on the lounge. It comes after Jasmine and her husband Karl 'regretfully' listed their holiday home in Noosa, Queensland, for sale last month. 'Ok it's just not our day!!! One toddler for sale,' Jasmine wrote. At the end of the day, Jasmine shared a photo of herself enjoying a glass of wine and relaxing on the lounge Moving on: It comes after Jasmine and her husband Karl 'regretfully' listed their holiday home in Noosa, Queensland, for sale last month The home is located on a street where millionaires and politicians spend their holidays, which means it will likely sell at the higher end of its price guide, or even exceed expectations, reports realestate.com.au. The home, which goes under the hammer on March 24, is predicted to draw plenty of offers before its auction date. Karl, 47, confirmed the listing of the $3.6million property on Saturday, revealing he and Jasmine weren't using it enough to justify ownership. 'The reality though is I can't get away from work in Sydney nearly enough and the logistics of coming in and out of Queensland have been challenging,' the Today show host told The Courier Mail. 'Eventually we will come back to Noosa when we have more time. If we can afford it. It's the best beach community anywhere,' he added. He is also father to daughter Ava, and sons Jackson and River who he shares with ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn. Jackie 'O' Henderson has taken Married At First Sight's Oliva Frazer to task for sharing a nude photo of her rival Domenica Calarco among the cast. Appearing on Thursday morning's Kyle And Jackie O radio show via video link, Olivia, 28, attempted to defend her actions by claiming she was 'drunk' and meant 'no malice' when she distributed the explicit image. Radio host Jackie, 47, however refused to accept Olivia's explanation, sternly telling her: 'Just admit that you did do it with malice. I don't believe you didn't do it with anything other than malice.' 'I know it's hard to believe, but honestly it was just a stupid mistake,' replied Olivia, sitting next to her drained-looking 'husband' Jackson Lonie. 'But it was a mean thing to do. You've got to admit that,' Jackie pressed. Olivia replied: 'It was a mean thing to do, but at the time I didn't do it [with bad intentions]. And everybody who was there has stuck up for me and said, 'Nah, it was a drunken mistake.' It wasn't like, 'Oh, she's got dirt, she's going to, like, show everybody', or anything like that.' 'I don't believe you didn't do it with anything other than malice': Jackie 'O' Henderson, 47, (left) took Married At First Sight's Olivia Frazer, 28, (right) to task for sharing a nude photo of her rival Domenica Calarco among the cast Co-host Kyle Sandilands attempted to lighten the mood by jokingly asking Jackson whether he'd ever pleasured himself to Domenica's nude photo. 'Kyle!' an outraged Jackie exclaimed, as Jackson burst into laughter. 'Not a chance! No way, mate!' Jackson declared as Olivia giggled. Not convinced: Jackie refused to accept Olivia's explanation, sternly telling her: 'Just admit that you did do it with malice. I don't believe you didn't do it with anything other than malice' Personal question: Co-host Kyle Sandilands (left) attempted to lighten the mood by jokingly asking Jackson (right) whether he'd ever pleasured himself to Domenica's nude photo Domenica stormed out of Wednesday's dinner party after Olivia showed no remorse for sharing a naked photo of her with their castmates. She left the table in anger with her pal Ella Ding after Olivia tried to claim it was her 'friends' who had discovered Dom's OnlyFans account on Google. But things really kicked off when she returned to the table and Olivia slyly said, 'It's not private. It's on the internet', before trying to argue her actions weren't 'malicious'. 'It's not private. It's on the internet': Domenica (right) stormed out of Wednesday's dinner party after Olivia (left) showed no remorse for sharing a naked photo of her with their castmates Scandal: This is the photo of Domenica that is at the centre of the 'nude photo scandal'. While the full, uncensored image was posted publicly on Twitter, Daily Mail Australia has chosen to only show a cropped version 'I put it out on the internet. I'll wear it. [What] I can't accept is you [saying] sending it is not out of malice,' Domenica raged. As the argument escalated and it became clear most of the cast had seen the nude photo of Dom, she said: 'I have nothing else to say to these people. I'm done.' A defiant Olivia later told producers: 'I don't think I regret sharing the information about Dom's OnlyFans. Not happy: 'I put it out on the internet. I'll wear it. [What] I can't accept is you [saying] sending it is not out of malice,' Domenica raged 'I didn't want to talk about it with her. I got the information, shared it, never spoke about it again. We're not friends. 'It's not my responsibility to inform you that public information that you have put out there has become apparent to the group. I don't feel like I've done anything wrong.' In a trailer for Sunday's commitment ceremony, Olivia admitted she doesn't feel any empathy for Domenica. 'As far as empathy... I just don't have it,' she said. Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now Ouch: A defiant Olivia told producers: 'I don't think I regret sharing the information about Dom's OnlyFans' Hana Cross flaunted her sensational sense of style as she attended the Diyar launch party in London on Wednesday. The model, 25, cut a chic figure in a black leather trench coat as she posed up a storm for a slew of snap at Isabel in Mayfair. Hana donned a red top underneath and teamed her look with a pair of black heeled boots. Fashionista: Hana Cross flaunted her sensational sense of style as she attended the Diyar launch party in London on Wednesday Hana accessorised with a Vivienne Westwood pearl necklace and a pair of gold hoop earrings. The brunette beauty wore her dark tresses slicked back in a bun while she accentuated her features with a bronzed makeup palette, teamed with a nude lip. Brooklyn Beckham's ex girlfriend donned a pair of 90's style black rectangle sunglasses inside the event venue. Stunning: The model cut a chic figure in a black leather trench coat as she posed up a storm for a slew of snap at Isabel in Mayfair Style icon: Hana hid her face behind a pair of black 90's style rectangle sunglasses inside the venue Incredible: The brunette beauty wore her dark tresses slicked back in a bun while she accentuated her features with a bronzed makeup palette, teamed with a nude lip Hana flashed her dazzling white smile in a picture with her model pal Hana Martin at the star-studded Diyar launch event - sponsored by CIROC Vodka. Martin showcased her tony midriff in a tiny white crop top and a nude mini skirt which she teamed with a cream trench coat as she posed with a pink drink. She also met up with Diyar Onar who stunned in a leather red coat and matching stilettos. Russian-Swiss model Xenia Tchoumi was also in attendance and flaunted her edgy style in a grey cut-out dress. Name twin: Hana posed for a picture with Hana Martin who showcased her tony midriff in a tiny white crop top Gorgeous: Diyar Onar turned heads in a leather red coat and matching stilettos while she opted for a red lip to finish off the look Looking good: Russian-Swiss model Xenia Tchoumi was also in attendance and flaunted her edgy style in a grey cut-out dress Hana was linked to reality star Scott Disick, 38, in November when they were seen leaving Nobu Malibu together, but he has since been seen with Holly Scarfone, 23. Their outing came after Scott was dumped by Lisa Rinna's daughter Amelia Hamlin, 20. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians alum shares three children - Mason, 11, Penelope, 9, and Reign, 6 - with Kourtney Kardashian, who he split from in 2015 after more than a decade together. Hana was previously linked to actor Rafferty Law, 25, when they were spotted 'kissing and cuddling' at the All Points East festival in East London in August. Prior to Rafferty, brunette beauty Hana was in a relationship with Brooklyn, who is now engaged to Nicola Peltz. Hanna and the budding photographer dated from November 2018 until August 2019 but they split in the wake of a string of explosive public rows. Maggie Gyllenhaal stepped out in a stylish suit at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Wednesday. The actress, 44, wore a black blazer and matching slacks over a glittery semi-sheer button-up shirt. Gyllenhaal gave her ensemble a bold pop of color by choosing a blazer with green sequin cuffs, which were rolled up to her elbows. Another day, another red carpet: Maggie Gyllenhaal stepped out in a stylish suit at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Wednesday The Dark Knight actress wore her dark brown hair in a short bob, and she tucked it behind her ears. She wore vibrant red lipstick, and her bright blue eyes sparkled underneath the light. Gyllenhaal attended the event with her husband Peter Sarsgaard. The actor wore a pale pink blazer over a white button-down shirt and a black tie. Hanging with her husband: Gyllenhaal attended the event with her husband Peter Sarsgaard Stylish: The actor wore a pale pink blazer over a white button-down shirt and a black tie The Batman actor's beard was groomed neatly and he had his hair combed back. The happy couple have been together for a long time, with their romance first kicking off back in 2002. They married seven years later in Italy. Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard share two daughters together: Ramona, 15, and Gloria Ray, 9. Happy together: The happy couple have been together for a longtime, with their romance first kicking off back in 2002. They married seven years later in Italy Awards circuit: The Secretary actress has been making the rounds during this awards season for her feature film directorial debut The Lost Daughter The Secretary actress has been making the rounds during this awards season for her feature film directorial debut The Lost Daughter. The Lost Daughter centers around a woman whose beach vacation starts to take a wicked turn when troubles of her past come back to haunt her. It stars Sarsgaard, Oscar winner Olivia Colman, two-time Golden Globe winner Ed Harris and 50 Shades of Gray actress Dakota Johnson and is based on the novel by Elena Ferrante. The Lost Daughter has been nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay for Gyllenhaal, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Colman and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Jessie Buckley. Netflix's controversial reality show Byron Baes has been making headlines and sparking protests since it was first announced last year. But despite the extreme backlash, the Byron Shire's mayor Michael Lyon believes the uproar was overblown. Speaking to LiSTNR's The Briefing, Lyon also slammed the series and the reality TV format in general. 'I'm starting to wonder what the big deal was': Byron Shire's mayor Michael Lyon (pictured) says that the backlash to Netflix's Byron Baes was overblown 'It's terrible,' he said of the show. 'I don't like any reality TV. I find it all so abysmal.' He also said the show was 'really poorly acted' and 'certainly doesn't put Byron in a good light in terms of that whole spirituality aspect'. Despite his distaste for the series, Lyon admitted the backlash had gone overboard and that he could barely even recall why people were so upset in the first place. 'Honestly, I found myself trying to remember what all that was about and after watching it, I am starting to wonder what the big deal is,' he said. Not a fan: Lyon said the show 'certainly doesn't put Byron in a good light in terms of that whole spirituality aspect'. (Pictured: cast members Hannah Brauer and Sarah Tangye) 'I don't want to upset anyone, but I think it's a bit precious,' he later added. Byron Baes drew major backlash last year, with the production criticised for everything from not properly consulting local Indigenous groups to contributing to the gentrification of the town. At one point, locals even staged a 'paddle out' protest to try to stop the show from being filmed. Byron Baes star Elias Chigros opened up about the criticism in an interview last week, insisting it wasn't as bad as the media made it out to be. 'I think it's a bit precious': Lyon admitted the backlash had gone overboard and that he could barely even recall why people were so upset in the first place. (Pictured: cast members Elle Watson, Saskia Wotton and Nathan Favro) 'I feel like a lot of the hype was media sensation. The people I know from there have all been super, super friendly and super welcoming,' he told Nova FM. His co-star Nathan Favro agreed that despite the initial hesitance, the locals were fine. 'I don't think the actual animosity was actually directed towards any one cast member,' he said. 'It's more of like, someone's coming to exploit the beauty of Byron and I don't think it was that at all. But we don't really experience any shouting across the street.' She is at the centre of one of Married At First Sight's biggest scandals. But if Domenica Calarco was worried, she wasn't showing it on Thursday as she and 'husband' Jack Millar smiled their way through a TV interview in Sydney. Putting on a united front outside the KIIS FM studios in North Ryde, the couple filmed a live cross with Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, before heading inside to speak to Kyle and Jackie O. What scandal? She is at the centre of one of Married At First Sight's biggest scandals, but if Domenica Calarco (right) was worried, she wasn't showing it on Thursday as she and 'husband' Jack Millar (left) smiled their way through a TV interview in Sydney They discussed the events of Wednesday night's explosive dinner party, which saw Domenica's past as an OnlyFans model exposed in front of the entire cast. Both Domenica and Jack wore matching white shirts for the TV interview. The makeup artist paired her plunging garment with a short skirt in striking red. She wore her chin-length blonde tresses loose as she fielded questions from the Channel Nine breakfast anchors. Winners are grinners: Putting on a united front outside the KIIS FM studios in North Ryde, the couple filmed a live cross with Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, before heading inside to speak to Kyle and Jackie O Twinning: Both Domenica and Jack wore matching white shirts for the TV interview Jack, meanwhile, wore light blue jeans with white sneakers. The 26-year-old financial planner carried his beloved dog Fynn underneath his arm. Speaking about having a nude photo of herself distributed among her castmates, Domenica insisted she was doing 'fine'. However she admitted to Karl and Ally that 'last night [it] was really, really tough to rewatch' the dinner party. Lady in red: The makeup artist paired her plunging garment with a short skirt in striking red Blue jean baby: Jack, meanwhile, wore light blue jeans with white sneakers The party in question saw villainous bride Olivia Frazer admit to sharing a nude photo of Domenica behind her back, after she discovered her rival's OnlyFans page. Speaking to KIIS 106.5's Kyle and Jackie O show on Thursday morning, 28-year-old teaching student Olivia finally admitted her behaviour was 'disgusting'. 'Oh my god, it's disgusting. I feel so terrible that it came out like it was,' she said. Puppy love: The 26-year-old financial planner carried his beloved dog Fynn under his arm A-OK: Speaking about having a nude photo of herself distributed among her castmates, Domenica insisted she was doing 'fine' Olivia said she was taken aback by the nude photo scandal because she was under the impression it would never see the light of day. After a tense line of questioning from Dom's 'husband' Jack Millar, she said on the show 'her friends' had googled Domenica and uncovered her OnlyFans account. 'I don't see anything wrong with OnlyFans. Like I think it's so cool that women can own their sexuality and stuff like that... I wasn't trying to slut shame her,' Olivia told Kyle and Jackie O. Bounced back: However, she admitted rewatching the dinner party was 'tough' Hard questions: Today's Karl and Ally (left) grilled the couple over the nude photo scandal Meanwhile, Olivia's 'husband' Jackson Lonie told the hosts she'd been struggling with how she had been portrayed on screen, and insisted they were nice people. 'If people actually want to come and get to know us I'm more than happy to have a beer with them and sit down have a chat and you know, go through everything that we've been through,' he said. 'The abuse needs to stop. It's pretty upsetting.' Regrets: MAFS bride Olivia Frazer, 28, (pictured) admitted that her behaviour on the show was 'disgusting' after she was exposed for sharing rival Domenica's OnlyFans account Fears: Olivia's 'husband' Jackson Lonie (left) told Kyle and Jackie O she'd been struggling with how she had been portrayed on screen, and was terrified to go grocery shopping alone 'Poor Liv can't go to the shops without having somebody there,' he added. Olivia had admitted on Wednesday's episode to discovering Domenica's OnlyFans account and sharing it with her co-stars behind her back. 'I don't think I regret sharing the information about Dom's OnlyFans,' an unremorseful Olivia later told MAFS producers. She also offered a scathing response after Brent Vitiello said Dom was 'copping punches from every angle' at the dinner party, saying: 'She kind of deserves it.' Guilty: During the episode, and after a tense line of questioning from Dom's 'husband' Jack (left), Olivia revealed she had been the one to tell the group there was a naked photo of Domenica (right) circulating online Earlier in the episode, Olivia had told Tamara Djordjevic: 'Someone smashes a wine glass in your face, you google them.' Relationship expert John Aiken called her out on her lies in the back room, saying: 'Olivia googled her, got the photo and sent it on.' Mel Schilling added: 'And then lied about googling her! She said, "My friends Googled," [but] she said she did it.' 'She was very clear before: "When somebody breaks a glass, you google them." She was talking about herself doing the googling,' Alessandra Rampolla added. Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine Chrissie Swan and Georgie Tunny have been announced as Carrie Bickmore's replacements on The Project as she prepares to move to the UK with her family. The pair will appear on the show on alternate nights alongside regular panellists Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar. The Project executive producer Chris Bendall told The Daily Telegraph: 'Chrissie and Georgie are well known and loved by Project viewers and I am delighted to see them both take larger hosting roles.' Revealed: Carrie Bickmore's replacement on The Project has been revealed - two days after she announced she will be moving to the UK with her family 'for several months' 'We have a lot of exciting plans for the show this year. Carrie's seat is in safe hands until she returns mid-year with Chrissie and Georgie joining Lisa (Wilkinson) who will continue to deliver outstanding feature stories from around the country alongside her existing hosting duties.' Carrie announced her exit on Tuesday's episode of The Project, becoming emotional as she explained she and partner Chris would be taking their family to the UK. 'In April I'm going to be taking a few months off The Project desk. Chris and I and the kids are heading off on a family adventure together,' she said. Replacements: Chrissie Swan (left) and Georgie Tunny (right) will replace Carrie and will appear on the show on alternate nights alongside regular panellists Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar 'We've been wanting to do it for a while but lots of reasons, timing hasn't been right, but we figure it's never going to be the perfect time to go. 'It's something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we're doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months.' Carrie also said she had been inspired by The Project panellist Kate Langbroek, 56, who spent two years living in Bologna, Italy, with her family. Taking a break: Carrie announced her exit on Tuesday's episode of The Project, becoming emotional as she explained she and partner Chris would be taking their family to the UK She that added it 'feels like this is our last chance to do something like this together'. Carrie shares two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris, a television producer for the ABC and Channel 10. She welcomed eldest son Oliver, 14, during her marriage to the late Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010. The TV personality has been a core part of The Project since its launch in 2009. Just a day after the shocking finale of The Bachelor's 26th season, Susie Evans is speaking out and revealing more about her relationship with Clayton Echard. Evans, 28, became the first woman in Bachelor history to turn down The Bachelor the finale, with Echard leaving Iceland a single man, though they ultimately reconciled and have been dating, as it was revealed in the After the Rose special. While she seems happy with Echard now, she revealed on Nick Viall's podcast The Viall Files that if Echard would have proposed on the special, she would have said no. Day after: Just a day after the shocking finale of The Bachelor's 26th season, Susie Evans is speaking out and revealing more about her relationship with Clayton Echard Dating: Evans, 28, became the first woman in Bachelor history to turn down The Bachelor the finale, with Echard leaving Iceland a single man, though they ultimately reconciled and have been dating, as it was revealed in the After the Rose special Susie and Nick: Susie and Jesse: While she seems happy with Echard now, she revealed on Nick Viall's podcast The Viall Files that if Echard would have proposed on the special, she would have said no The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer (who will return to host The Bachelorette), kept hinting that Echard may pop the question on the Tuesday night special. However, that didn't happen, though Echard did give Evans his 'final rose,' with Evans revealing to Viall, who served as The Bachelor in Season 21, she made it clear to Echard she would not have accepted a proposal on the live special. 'We have talked about this, and Ive told Clayton, if you surprise me (with an engagement), I will say no. This is not a fun surprise,' Evans revealed. Hinting: The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer (who will return to host The Bachelorette), kept hinting that Echard may pop the question on the Tuesday night special Final rose: However, that didn't happen, though Echard did give Evans his 'final rose,' with Evans revealing to Viall, who served as The Bachelor in Season 21, she made it clear to Echard she would not have accepted a proposal on the live special She also revealed that she and the 28-year-old sales rep will 're-evaluate' their relationship in three months with a 'post-show check-in' and then a 'pulse check' in September, but she made it clear she doesn't want to get engaged then either. 'I dont plan to get engaged in September and Clayton knows that,' Evans added, before revealing why she doesn't want to get engaged right now. 'We have realized that if we would have gotten engaged, we wouldnt be doing it for us, so were, like, "Lets not do it. Its not for us,"' she said. Re-evaluate: She also revealed that she and the 28-year-old sales rep will 're-evaluate' their relationship in three months with a 'post-show check-in' and then a 'pulse check' in September, but she made it clear she doesn't want to get engaged then either No ring: 'I dont plan to get engaged in September and Clayton knows that,' Evans added, before revealing why she doesn't want to get engaged right now 'Weve got some time frames to have these candid conversations with each other, but we want to give this a shot outside of this overwhelming environment,' Evans added. Viall said he thinks that Echard has some, 'catching up to do, maturity wise,' though he said he doesn't think Echard has, 'evil intentions,' which Evans responded to. 'I think that's fair, to an extent. I also think you have to remember that The Bachelor world is freaking crazy,' Evans admitted. Candid: 'Weve got some time frames to have these candid conversations with each other, but we want to give this a shot outside of this overwhelming environment,' Evans added Mature: Viall said he thinks that Echard has some, 'catching up to do, maturity wise,' though he said he doesn't think Echard has, 'evil intentions,' which Evans responded to She added he is 'super smart and intelligent' but he also has a 'naivete' about the Bachelor environment. She added that they watched some of the episodes of the show together and he, 'realizes the destruction and the things that he did that hurt people.' Evans said he does feel 'remorse' and he has experienced, 'five years of growth in two months' during his time on the show. Super smart: She added he is 'super smart and intelligent' but he also has a 'naivete' about the Bachelor environment Byron Baes star Alex Reid has slammed Netflix over his promotional photos for the hit show. Alex took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a slew of photos from the show which were less than flattering of him. 'Just got my promo photos from Netflix and wondering who I p*ssed off in the marketing team lol,' he wrote. Not happy: Byron Baes' star Alex Reid (pictured) has called out Netflix for his promo shots A number of Alex's fans were quick to laugh along with him with the talent manager known for making fun of himself. 'You are an absolute legend your one liners were bang on and your honesty is admirable!!' one fan cooed over him. 'My favourite person on the show,' another wrote. Byron Baes is turning into a hit on Netflix and is the fourth most watched show on the streaming service. Animated: 'Just got my promo photos from Netflix and wondering who I pi**ed off in the marketing team lol,' he wrote Reaction: 'You are an absolute legend your one liners were bang on and your honesty is admirable!!' one fan cooed The photos follow Elias Black slamming Netflix for its 'dodgy' Photoshop fail in a promotional image for the reality show. The 31-year-old influencer, who previously appeared on Love Island Australia, took to Instagram to criticise the clumsily edited picture this week. The photo in question was so badly airbrushed it made Elias appear blotchy and his jawline look somewhat uneven. 'But seriously Netflix, who is doing your Photoshop?' he wrote. How embarrassing! It comes after Byron Baes co-star Elias Black (left) slammed Netflix for its 'dodgy' Photoshop fail in a promotional image (right) for the reality show this week It comes after Elias said Byron Bay was a bit of a 'clique'. 'There's definitely like a sense of localism and a bit of a clique there,' he told Nova FM's Smallzy's Surgery on Friday. 'I feel like a lot of the [backlash to Byron Baes] was media sensation,' he said, adding that 'people I know from there [have] all been super friendly and super welcoming'. Having his say: It comes after Elias said Byron Bay was a bit of a 'clique' His co-star Nathan Favro agreed, saying that most locals were accepting of the show, after some initial hesitation. 'I don't think the actual animosity was actually directed towards any one cast member,' the 26-year-old said. '[Some feared we were] coming to exploit the beauty of Byron, and I don't think it was that at all. We didn't really experience any shouting across the street.' Many of the brightest stars in Hollywood headed out for a night in New York City, honoring some of the best films of the year at the National Board of Review Awards. Will Smith was honored for playing Serena and Venus Williams' father Richard Williams in King Richard, and during his speech about the dreams of every parent, turned his attention to Bradley Cooper, who he called, 'so beautiful.' Cooper was on hand to present the Breakthrough Performance Award to his Licorice Pizza co-stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, and he responded when taking the stage. Will's speech: Will Smith was honored for playing Serena and Venus Williams' father Richard Williams in King Richard, and during his speech about the dreams of every parent, turned his attention to Bradley Cooper, who he called, 'so beautiful' Response: Cooper was on hand to present the Breakthrough Performance Award to his Licorice Pizza co-stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, and he responded when taking the stage Smith was presented the award by Trevor Noah, continuing his impressive run of acting accolades leading up to the Oscars on March 27. Smith was talking about his character Richard Williams, saying, 'When he put the clothes on, he was trying to play a role for the world. He felt like he deserved a certain amount of respect.' 'That dream of a parent for his children. And we all have that thing in us: We have a dream and it seems crazy, the thing that you want to do,' he continued before turning to Cooper. Trevor and Will: Smith was presented the award by Trevor Noah, continuing his impressive run of acting accolades leading up to the Oscars on March 27 Dream: Smith was talking about his character Richard Williams, saying, 'When he put the clothes on, he was trying to play a role for the world. He felt like he deserved a certain amount of respect' 'I look at Bradley Cooper. I've seen pictures of him when he was young. He didn't look like this! He grew into that! He let the dream blossom inside of him! I can't even concentrate, he's so beautiful,' Smith said in his speech. When Cooper got to the stage, he glanced at Smith and said, 'I'm not gonna forget that, Will." The National Board of Review winners were announced back in December, with the winners originally set to be feted in January. Beautiful: 'I look at Bradley Cooper. I've seen pictures of him when he was young. He didn't look like this! He grew into that! He let the dream blossom inside of him! I can't even concentrate, he's so beautiful,' Smith said in his speech However the ceremony was pushed due to the omicron variant of COVID-19, held Wednesday at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Smith has won practically every Best Actor award throughout awards season, a run which may very likely culminate in his first Oscar. He has won the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics Choice and Screen Actors Award for his portrayal of Richard Williams. Best Actor: Smith has won practically every Best Actor award throughout awards season, a run which may very likely culminate in his first Oscar He is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, going up against Andrew Garfield (tick, tick... BOOM!), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth) and Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos). He is also nominated for Best Picture as a producer of King Richard, and he was also nominated for The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali. Cooper is also nominated for Best Picture as well, as a producer of Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley. Nominated: He is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, going up against Andrew Garfield (tick, tick... BOOM!), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth) and Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos) Ant Anstead is head over heels for Renee Zellweger, and he wants everyone to know it. The television presenter, 42, posted a video to his Instagram where two photos rapidly alternated and appeared to make him kiss his better half, 52. The first photo showed the pair leaning in with their faces nearly touching while the second showed the Hollywood 'it' couple locking lips. So much love: Ant Anstead is head over heels for Renee Zellweger, and he wants everyone to know it Anstead appeared to be wearing a dark blue tuxedo, made to look green by the filter on one of the photos, while Zellweger wore a similarly-colored dress decorated in flowers. The Judy actress' hair fell into a a lose pony tail that brushed against her exposed shoulders. The For the Love of Cars host captioned the photo, 'This lady [red heart emoji]x Ren.' Loved up Instagram snap: The television presenter, 42, posted a video to his Instagram where two photos rapidly alternated and appeared to make him kiss his better half, 52 Locking lips: Anstead appeared to be wearing a dark blue tuxedo, made to look green by the filter on one of the photos, while Zellweger wore a similarly-colored dress The couple met while filming an episode of the Discovery+ series Celebrity IOU Joyride last June. Multiple outlets then confirmed that the pair were dating by the end of that month, and they've been spotted together a number of times since their relationship began. Ant was previously married to Louise Anstead from 2005 to 2017 and then to Christina Haack from 2018 to 2021. He has three children: two with Louise Anstead named Amelie and Archie and a son with Christina named Hudson, 2. Meeting through work: The couple met while filming an episode of the Discovery+ series Celebrity IOU Joyride last June Exes: Ant was previously married to Louise Anstead from 2005 to 2017 and then to Christina Haack from 2018 to 2021 Zelleweger has also had quite a few relationships in the past. She was engaged to comedian Jim Carrey from 1999 to 2000, and she married Kenny Chesney in 2005 though they annulled the marriage just four months later. More recently, the Bridget Jones's Diary star was in a relationship with musician Doyle Bramhall II from 2012 until 2019. While she's gone through a big change in her personal life over the last year, it hasn't slowed down the Jerry Maguire actress' career one bit. Her series The Thing About Pam, centered around the murder of Betsy Faria, is currently being released on Peacock. Zelleweger plays the title role in the series. The Bachelor's Tim Robards is set to star on the cover of Stellar magazine with his gorgeous wife Anna Heinrich and their one-year-old daughter Elle this weekend. In a stunning preview for the interview, Tim, 39, and Anna, 35, are seen looking loving at each other while holding their daughter in their arms. The caption of the magazine cover reads: 'Inside Tim and Anna's family life almost 10 years after falling in love on reality TV.' Cover stars: The Bachelor's Tim Robards is set to star on the cover of Stellar magazine with his gorgeous wife Anna Heinrich and their one-year-old daughter Elle this weekend In the image, SAS Australia star Anna looked sensational in a purple evening gown which slipped down her slender frame like butter. Her husband was as suave as ever in a brown suit with a matching purple shirt, while little Elle looked adorable in a tiny $779 Fendi dress. The magazine is set for release on Sunday. It comes after Anna became emotional as she revealed how her husband Tim encouraged her to join SAS Australia. Emotional: It comes after Anna (pictured) became emotional as she revealed how supportive husband Tim Robards encouraged her to join SAS Australia During an interrogation, the show's directing staff asked Anna how she felt she was doing on the course. 'I honestly thought I'd make it a couple of days,' the mother-of-one confessed. 'Every time I do a challenge I go into it thinking I won't be able to do it, but then I do it,' she said. An emotional Anna added: 'Honestly I didn't want to come on because it was so far out of my comfort zone but thankfully my husband gave me a little nudge.' She went on to say her husband Tim 'had more faith in me than I did'. Interrogation: During an interrogation, the show's directing staff asked Anna how she felt she was doing on the course Tim and Anna fell in love on The Bachelor Australia in 2013 and married in a stunning ceremony in Italy in 2018. They welcomed their daughter Elle on November 14, 2020. 'Introducing the newest addition to our family, Elle Robards,' Anna wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside a photo of herself cradling the newborn. Touching: An emotional Anna said: 'Honestly I didn't want to come on because it was so far out of my comfort zone but thankfully my husband gave me a little nudge' Romance: Tim and Anna fell in love on The Bachelor Australia in 2013 and married in a stunning ceremony in Italy in 2018 Meanwhile, Tim shared some sweet family pictures on his feed and said he's 'fallen in love twice all over again'. 'I've fallen in love twice all over again with these two!!! I just love, love, love our little Elle Robards,' he wrote. He added: 'How bloody amazing!!!! I never knew my wife was a superhero... what a woman!!' Denise Van Outen looked downcast as she was caught in the rain after opening up about her split from Eddie Boxshall. The presenter, 47, kept her head down as she headed out in north London on Wednesday while casually clad in a tracksuit. She kept her head down in a padded black jacket and tie dye joggers teamed with high top trainers. Under shelter: Denise Van Outen looked downcast as she was caught in the rain after opening up about her split from Eddie Boxshall The low-key outing came as Denise opened up about her split from her boyfriend of seven years, revealing she caught Eddie, 48, flirting sexually with three women and described his behaviour as 'disrespectful and devastatingly hurtful'. The actress split from her partner of seven years on January 7, after he was reportedly caught having phone sex with other women. Denise revealed she found pictures and Instagram messages on Eddie's iPad, detailing the ordeal in her new autobiography, A Bit Of Me: From Basildon To Broadway And Back. She said: 'Among photos was a screenshot of a woman's breasts and they definitely weren't mine! 'Also, there was a flirty text exchange between Eddie and this woman, which, of course, set off alarm bells.' Low-key outing: The presenter, 47, kept her head down as she headed out in north London on Wednesday while casually clad in a tracksuit The star admitted the exchange happened in a week she had booked a Spanish holiday, explaining: 'Eddie decided not to come to Spain because he didn't feel well. 'While sympathetic, I was slightly confused about why he couldn't chill with me beside the pool but could still manage to go to the pub.' Denise also discovered selfies of Eddie with a woman in a bar on a day he had told her he was in London for business. She realised by looking at the outline of the woman's chest she was not the same one in the first photos. She also found messages which suggested 'phone sex' with a third woman called Tracy. Shocking: The low-key outing came as Denise opened up about her split from her boyfriend of seven years, revealing she caught Eddie, 48, flirting sexually with women (pictured in 2020) Denise decided to contact Tracy and said: 'They'd never met in person, but she said the conversations had become sexual in nature reasonably quickly some of the stuff I found on the phone seemed to support that.' She added: 'To me, sexual chats and continued communication over a long period of time amount to cheating. 'Especially when it's done from a home I'd strived to build for us as a family. A home that Eddie found and I bought for us. 'A home we'd only just moved into when it all started. It was disrespectful and devastatingly hurtful.' Under wraps: Denise kept her head down in a padded black jacket and tie dye joggers teamed with high top trainers Denise confronted Eddie about the women, but he denied doing anything wrong and she told him to leave. The star, who has an eight-year-old daughter with ex-husband Lee Mead, insisted: 'The thing I battled with most was that it wasn't just one person, one mistake or drunken night. This was something that had gone on for more than three years. I felt betrayed.' She 'cried her heart out' to her mother, adding: 'I was in pain and shock. I'd thought we had the perfect life. 'Any relationship has to be built on trust and once that's gone, there's no way forward. If I hadn't found those pictures, I'd be planning a wedding right now. Instead, I've simply got to move on.' Addressing the heartbreak on Thursday's episode of Lorraine, she said: 'I'm alright, I'm feeling good now. I wasn't in a great place but these things happen. 'I wasn't the first person this happened to and I won't be the last. There's no hard feelings on my side. I have to accept what my future is going to be now and that's just moving forward.' Distressing: The outing came after Denise detailed the ordeal with Eddie in her new autobiography, A Bit Of Me: From Basildon To Broadway And Back Denise said: 'To me, sexual chats and continued communication over a long period of time amount to cheating. Especially when it's done from a home I'd strived to build for us' On Wednesday, Denise explained that she was 'really proud' of herself for knowing when to walk away. She said on Radio 2 on Tuesday: 'The one thing I'm really proud of myself for is I do know when to walk away and I don't like to be taken advantage of. 'Sometimes it's been to the detriment of my own career or in my own relationships, but I just feel like it's really important as a woman to have self-worth and self-respect. 'I've always tried to maintain that in anything that I do in life, generally. More so now as a mother because I feel like I'm a role model and I've got to set an example.' Denise went on to the muse that she can see light at the end of the tunnel, noting: 'The bad times are always followed by good times and that's what I always look forward to. 'I think you just ride the wave of the bad times knowing that eventually you will get to a good place.' Upsetting: Addressing the heartbreak on Thursday's episode of Lorraine, she said, 'I'm alright, I'm feeling good now. I wasn't in a great place but these things happen' Confirming their split in an Instagram post, Denise wrote: 'Over the past couple of months, there has been much speculation regarding my relationship with Eddie. 'It saddens me to confirm that we are no longer a couple. I had to make the difficult decision not to continue in our relationship. 'I will always treasure the good times we spent together, and the memories made. We ask that you please respect our privacy at this time, especially for our children.' Eddie is reportedly 'desperate' to win Denise back and paid tribute to his ex-fiancee to mark International Women's Day last Tuesday. The DJ took to his Instagram Story to post a beaming snap of presenter Denise, calling her 'hard working', 'driven' and an 'amazing mummy' to her daughter Betsy, 11. Eddie wrote in his post to her: 'Regardless of us sadly going our separate ways I have to acknowledge that in our wonderful 7 and a half year relationship I witnessed the hardest working and most driven woman in her business and amazing mummy to Betsy #neverstops #upmostrespect'. Denise added: 'There's no hard feelings on my side. I have to accept what my future is going to be now and that's just moving forward' Elsewhere in her book, Denise revealed she was a victim of revenge porn when a former boyfriend claimed he had a tape of her having sex aged just 15. The West End stage star said the ex failed to sell the tape to a newspaper in the 1990s because a date on the video showed she was below the legal age of sexual consent. She said the man, referred to as Mike, was questioned by police who found he had recorded dozens of girls. The case went to court, but he was not jailed. The judge warned him he would be sent to prison if any of the tapes contents ever surfaced. Tribute: Eddie is reportedly 'desperate' to win Denise back and paid tribute to his ex-fiancee to mark International Women's Day last Tuesday Revealing the nightmare in her new autobiography, Denise said: Revenge porn is talked about a lot these days, but it wasnt a widespread term back then. Looking back, Mike could be manipulative cruel, even. We dated for over a year and in the end Mike was the boy I lost my virginity to. She said of the tape which emerged years later: At the time, I felt shocked and mortified. 'Mike had calculated the whole thing. Hed been waiting for me to make it big so he could peddle his grubby tape. The tape is understood to have been made in 1989, when Denise was just 15. Speaking on Thursday's episode of Lorraine, she said: 'It was a hard thing to deal with because I was young and it resurfaced years later as soon as I was on television. 'To be front page then, and going through a court case, was really quite difficult. I never properly addressed it. I just buried it. It's something that needed to be addressed because it has affected me.' Shocking: Elsewhere in the book, Denise revealed she was a victim of revenge porn when a former boyfriend claimed he had a tape of her having sex aged just 15 (pictured aged 16) Speaking on GB News on Thursday, Eamonn Holmes paid tribute to Denise for speaking out about her sex tape ordeal, calling her 'brave'. He said: 'This is a really important story and an important issue and good on Denise for raising awareness about it. Its awful what she's gone through and more needs to be done to ensure those responsible for this kind of thing are punished. 'I know someone else in the public eye who was secretly recorded and we probably dont talk about this enough.' In respect of a news which has been diffused in the media to the effect that there has been a walk-out of the Maritime Transport and Ports Employees Union (MTPEU) during a meeting held with the Management of the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) on Tuesday 15 March 2022, the Authority wishes to highlight the following. Upon a request from the MTPEU, a meeting was scheduled with the latter on Tuesday 15 March 2022 at the seat of the MPA to take up the items proposed by the Union. The Deputy Director-General had been duly delegated to chair the meeting with the MTPEU, in the presence of other MPA Officers concerned. However, the MTPEU refused to proceed with the meeting under the chairmanship of the Deputy Director General. It has been reported in the media that a delay has been provided to the MPA up to Friday 18 March 2022 to fix another meeting. However, the MPA wishes to clarify that, at no point in time the Management has been made aware of such new request. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Sharon Gaffka looked ultra chic as she arrived at the The Ham Yard Hotel in London on Wednesday. The Love Island contestant, 26, donned an all-black ensemble as she joined the exclusive guest list for the No Woman No Try Amazon Prime premiere. Keeping the rain at bay with a birdcage umbrella, Sharon looked the picture of elegance in a black oversized blazer and a pair of pleated high-rise wide-leg pants. Stylish: Sharon Gaffka looked ultra chic as she arrived at the The Ham Yard Hotel in London on Wednesday for the No Woman No Try Amazon Prime premiere The TV personality teamed the look with a black jumper while adding a pop of colour with her eye-catching orange quilted mini flap Chanel bag. Sharon completed the look with a pair of square toe boots while adding some dazzle with a pair of hoop earrings and a customised name necklace layered with a gold padlock chain. She upped the glam with a radiant palette of makeup while wearing her hair slicked back in a bun leaving her face tendrils flow down the side of her face gracefully. Stunning: The Love Island contestant, 26, donned an all-black ensemble as she joined the exclusive guest list Elegant: The TV personality teamed the look with a black jumper while adding a pop of colour with her eye-catching orange quilted mini flap Chanel bag Glowing: She upped the glam with a radiant palette of makeup while wearing her hair slicked back in a bun leaving her face tendrils flow down the side of her face elegantly Chic: Sharon completed the look with a pair of square toe boots All smiles: Sharon looked radiant as she posed on the red carpet Sharon's outing comes as earlier this year she discussed the lack of Asian representation on Love Island , confessing she felt like she was only there to 'tick a box'. The TV star claimed that none of the boys in the villa fancied Asian girls, meaning that the few that were on the show didn't last long before being dumped. Speaking on the Secure the Insecure podcast in January, she said she had high expectations of her series' diversity, but later felt like she wasn't 'given an equal chance'. Token: Sharon has discussed the lack of Asian representation on Love Island, confessing to have felt like she was only there to 'tick a box' She said: 'I walked into the villa first and when Shannon [Singh] walked into the villa, I was like "yeah, this year's going to be so different," because in the line-up there was Shannon, Faye [Winter], Kaz [Kwami, me and Lib [Liberty Poole] and we were all so different, and it felt like this year was going to be a little bit different.' But she admitted: 'I feel like Asian women were taken were taken as a token or a tick box in this series. 'You know when you look back at the four Asian women that walked through those doors, they barely good a look in. So, myself, Shannon, Priya [Gopaldas] and AJ [Bunker]. That was the four Asian contestants from series seven of Love Island. 'I don't feel like any of us were given an equal chance at anything. It's all well and good having a diverse line-up but if there isn't diversity in what people find attractive then you've completely missed the mark and kind of wasted everyone's time.' Disappointed: The former Love Island star, 25, claimed that none of the boys in the villa fancied Asian girls, meaning that the few that were on the show didn't last long before being dumped She went on: 'I felt like I was scapegoated for a tick box 95 percent of the time I was in the villa. It was so nice to have me and another Asian contestant Shannon there for the first couple of days but she was booted off within 24 hours and then AJ, I don't know how long AJ was in there for but Priya wasn't in there for very long either.' Sharon continued to say that she was thankful for the opportunity to go on Love Island, but that it had come at a price. She said: 'It's hard because you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you and I'm grateful to Love Island for giving me that experience but at the same time at what expense? At what expense to my race, to my culture, and to my personality and culture? 'I made a positive contribution to the show in that a lot of Asian women have reached out to me and said thanks for being a representation on the show. Or, a lot of people from the queer community, for example, because I had conversations about coming out as bisexual on the show.' High hopes: Sharon said she said she had high expectations of her series' diversity when she arrived (pictured L-R Liberty Poole, Sharon, Kaz Kamwi, Faye Winter and Shannon Singh) She then went on to say that the issue lay in the fact that the men in the villa didn't fancy Asian girls. 'I'm going to be quite frank, she explained. 'No boy that went through that villa liked Asian girls. So what was the point of putting four Asian girls in there when you know damn well that no one will like them, no one will fancy them. 'And then knowing what kind of come with Love Island in terms of trolling. I've been trolled lots of times because people didn't find me attractive or don't find me attractive but realistically it's six men and obviously being bisexual it opens me to a lot more options. 'That's my character defamation, is that apparently nobody on that entire show fancied me. That's why I feel like I was scapegoated and because I am well educated and my accent comes from Oxford. 'So, naturally, people took to me as I'm posh, I'm stuck up and I think I'm better than everyone else, and that's what I mean by being scapegoated when actually none of those things are true at all.' Speaking on the lack of diversity from the male side, Sharon said 'We've not really yet, in my mind, had enough representation from Asian men at all.' She explained the importance of representation, saying: 'I feel like one of my go to's and drives in life is that I didn't have someone like me to look up to growing up in life. 'So, I want to be that person for other people and I've done that with everything I do, whether it's something really small like winning an award at whatever sport I'm playing to my career, to now being on reality TV.' Prior to Sharon's season on Love Island, the only other South Asian contestants on Love Island were season one's Omar Sultani, season two' Malin Andersson in 2016, season five's Nabila Badda season six's Nas Majeed. MailOnline has contacted a Love Island spokesperson for comment. Grateful: Sharon continued to say that she was thankful for the opportunity to go on Love Island, but that it had come at a price Love Island has previously been slammed by fans and former contestants for lack of different ethnic backgrounds, body types and members of the LGBT community represented on the show. However, representatives for the reality show told MailOnline ahead of the 2021 series: 'As a broadcaster, ITV celebrates diversity of every sort across our range of programmes in our schedule and across our channels. 'In terms of casting for Love Island, the only stipulation to applicants is they must be over 18, single and looking for love. 'This years Love Islanders come from a diverse range of backgrounds with a mix of personalities and have a healthy BMI.' Quick exit: Sharon entered the Love Island villa on day one alongside fellow Asian contestant Shannon Singh (pictured) however she was dumped from the island the following day This year's Love Island is set to be its most diverse yet, however, as it has been reported that the show's bosses are actively encouraging non-binary Islanders to apply. The popular ITV2 reality show is accepting applications from those who do not identify as male or female for the 2022 series, reports The Sun. When asked for their gender on the application form, hopefuls are given the option to put male, female, non-binary, prefer not to say or prefer to self-describe. In and out: Andrea-Jane 'AJ' Bunker entered the villa on day 17 and managed to last five days, being dumped from the island on day 23 They are also asked to state their sexual orientation as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or other. A TV source told the publication: 'Producers are under more pressure than ever to make this series as woke as possible after it has previously come under criticism for its lack of diversity. 'The move could make the basic rules of the show complicated, as each coupling ceremony separates boys and girls, but they are keen to have a non-binary contestant this year. It's all about inclusivity and breaking down boundaries.' Abbie Chatfield has addressed persistent rumours she enjoyed a fling with comedian Tommy Little. Speaking on her radio show, Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield on Wednesday, the 26-year-old Bachelor star finally came clean about the rumours. 'When I was on The Bachelor a few years ago, someone fed Tommy on The Project, "Apparently you've dated two girls from Matt Agnew's season," which was my season, obviously,' she explained. Truth time: Abbie Chatfield (pictured) has addressed persistent rumours she enjoyed a fling with comedian Tommy Little 'And I believe someone asked him directly, "Was it Abbie," because I was the villain. It's always me! And I think he was just like, "I'm not saying." 'So there's been a rumour circulating for that long, and I actually, you know... I'm not telling. I don't kiss and tell or I don't not kiss and tell.' After pausing teasingly, Abbie then burst out laughing and added: 'It's a lie!' Rumour has it: Speaking on her radio show, Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield on Wednesday, the 26-year-old Bachelor star finally came clean about rumours she'd had a fling with Tommy Little (pictured) She joked that she was 'Tommy Little-ing Tommy Little', referring to how the 37-year-old funnyman refused to confirm or deny the rumours. Tommy was asked about his rumoured fling with Abbie during a 2019 episode of The Project, which left him red-faced. But Abbie insisted she had never even spoken to Tommy until she landed her radio show earlier this year, and she 'was too scared to confront him'. 'I mean, he's very good-looking, he's very funny, he's very successful... You know, oh. You know what? Part of me wishes it was true. Tommy Little is really attractive!' she confessed Despite this, a flustered Abbie admitted that she found Tommy 'really attractive'. 'I mean, he's very good-looking, he's very funny, he's very successful... You know, oh. You know what? Part of me wishes it was true. Tommy Little is really attractive!' she confessed. When asked if she 'would go there' with Tommy, she added: 'Yes, I would, but I haven't.' New gig? Rumours emerged on Wednesday that Abbie is set to replace Carrie Bickmore (right) on the Carrie & Tommy radio show Rumours emerged on Wednesday that Abbie is set to replace Carrie Bickmore on the Carrie & Tommy radio show. Carrie, 41, announced on The Project on Tuesday that she was taking a sabbatical from April to travel to Europe with her family. Industry sources say Austereo bosses have known about Carrie's travel plans since the start of the year, and have been 'training' Abbie on nights to replace her. Hamish Macdonald's bizarre at-home habit was outed live on-air by Peter Helliar during Thursday night's episode of The Project. The panel were discussing the topic of whether or not to wear shoes in the house, before Peter, 46, laughed to the former ABC star: 'Hamish has a weird method where you keep your shoes on, but you take everything else off? 'Is that what you were telling me before the show?' Scroll down for video Awkward! The Project's Hamish Macdonald's (right) bizarre at-home habit was outed live on-air by his co-host Peter Helliar (left) during Thursday night's episode Hamish, 40, awkwardly laughed: 'It's not what I was telling you...' 'It was a variation of that, wasn't it?' Peter smiled, while Hamish quickly bit back: 'I specifically said, not for the show...' 'I misunderstood that bit. I apologise for that, it won't happen again,' Peter responded. Hamish then openly admitted his bizarre habit, telling the audience: 'But I like taking my trousers off, and keep my undies on... I like to free my legs, because they get hot!' Outed: The panel were discussing the topic of whether or not to wear shoes in the house, before Peter, 46, laughed to the former ABC star: 'Hamish has a weird method where you keep your shoes on, but you take everything else off?' 'You've got hot legs, that's why!' Peter concluded through laughter. It comes after The Project star Carrie Bickmore announced her exit from the show on Tuesday's episode, becoming emotional as she explained she and partner Chris would be taking their family to the UK. 'We've been wanting to do it for a while but lots of reasons, timing hasn't been right, but we figure it's never going to be the perfect time to go,' she said. 'It's something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we're doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months.' Gone: It comes after The Project star Carrie Bickmore announced her exit from the show on Tuesday's episode, becoming emotional as she explained she and partner Chris would be taking their family to the UK Carrie also said she had been inspired by The Project panellist Kate Langbroek, 56, who spent two years living in Bologna, Italy, with her family. She that added it 'feels like this is our last chance to do something like this together'. Carrie shares two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris, a television producer for the ABC and Channel 10. 'It's something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we're doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months,' she said Family: Carrie shares two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris, a television producer for the ABC and Channel 10. She welcomed eldest son Oliver, 14, during her marriage to the late Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010 She welcomed eldest son Oliver, 14, during her marriage to the late Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010. The TV personality has been a core part of The Project since its launch in 2009. It was revealed on Thursday that Chrissie Swan and Georgie Tunny would be taking over for the star during her absence. Katie Price got her second sleeve tattoo in Thailand with her fiance Carl Woods after she was charged with harassing the fiancee of her former husband Kieran Hayler. The former glamour model, 43, grinned with excitement as the tattoo artist took the needle to her lower left arm on the luxury resort island of Koh Samui, just days after she got her first sleeve tattoo, which covered up tributes to her children and Carl. Katie showcased the results of her 13th boob job as she wore a skintight vest top while fighting through the pain. Inked: Katie Price got her second sleeve tattoo in Thailand with her fiance Carl Woods as they enjoy their holiday on the luxury resort island of Koh Samui Design: The former glamour model, 43, grinned with excitement as the tattoo artist took the needle to her lower left arm She paired her casual ensemble with a figure-hugging pair of lounge shorts, as she sat on her phone to distract herself while getting inked. Her new body art consisted of a unicorn surrounded by an array of flowers, while her existing crown tattoo dedicated to her daughter Princess sat below it. The crown once sat below the name of her ex-husband Peter Andre, but the 'Pete' ink was later covered by a picture of a rose after their split. Meanwhile, Carl was seen adding to his existing tattoo sleeve on his right arm, adding what appeared to be a Joker tattoo on his shoulder. Ouch! Her new body arm consisted of a unicorn surrounded by an array of flowers, while her existing tattoo dedicated to her daughter Princess sat below it Shapely: Katie showcased the results of her 13th boob job as she wore a skintight strapped top while fighting through the pain Tattoo: Katie went on her phone as she got her second sleeve tattoo during her holiday to Thailand Katie's sleeve tattoo came after she covered up the heart rate tattoo she got while 'drunk in Miami' with a new floral inking in tribute to her terminally-ill mother. The tattoo on her right arm, which she got just days earlier in Thailand, comprises of lilies, daffodils and hyacinths on her forearm and cost approximately 180. The ink covered up a bracelet tattoo which featured the initials of each of her children - Harvey, 19, Junior, 16, Princess, 14, Jett, eight, and Bunny, seven. It also covered up an inking of her and Carl's nickname 'Priceywoods' by her elbow and another tattoo of Carl's name, which featured across her wrist. But when getting her first sleeve, Katie left room for her tattoo of Carl's face, which still features prominently on the inside of her forearm. First sleeve: It was the second tattoo that Katie got during her trip to Thailand, after she covered up a heart rate tattoo she got while 'drunk in Miami' with a new floral inking (pictured) Before: The ink on her right arm covered up a bracelet tattoo which featured the initials of each of her children - Harvey, 19, Junior, 16, Princess, 14, Jett, eight, and Bunny, seven Matching: But when getting her first sleeve, Katie left room for her tattoo of Carl's face (pictured before her sleeve), which still features prominently on the inside of her forearm Work: Katie showcased the results of her 13th boob job as she wore a skintight strapped top while fighting through the pain She previously said that she 'may as well have a whole sleeve done of the kids, me, and Carl', but appears to have changed her mind with her new floral ink. The ink on her right arm is dedicated to her mother Amy, 70, who is battling a terminal lung condition but whose favourite flowers are hyacinths - which form part of the design. The TV personality was allegedly drunk when she was inked with a heart rate monitor reading at Oxygen Ink studio in 2017. Sources told The Sun at the time that Katie and her friend were intoxicated when they went in the tattooist's chair: 'The pair appeared in high spirits after they worked up the courage to get new body art by knocking back a number of beers. New ink: Her new body arm consisted of a unicorn surrounded by an array of flowers, while her existing tattoo dedicated to her daughter Princess sat below it Holiday: Katie appeared relatively calm as she was getting her new ink, her second during her trip to Thailand Stencil: The tattoo design showed a galloping unicorn surrounded by an array of flowers Pain: At one point, Katie appeared tense as she held on to the chair while the tattoo artist got to work on her lower arm 'She spent at least two hours in the tattoo parlour as she was filmed undergoing the procedure before lending moral support to Lara who was also filmed getting inked.' Amy had been shielding at her home during the pandemic as she suffers from terminal idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis which is an incurable lung infection. Last year, Katie admitted that her terminally ill mum 'hasn't got long to live' amid her lengthy battle with the incurable lung condition. She said she was 'heartbroken' to see her mum's condition deteriorate after she was seen needing oxygen to help her breathe during a Facetime call. But despite her declining health, Amy has vowed she 'hasn't given up yet' in her battle with the lung condition, which causes the build-up of scar tissue in the lungs. Katie's latest ink comes after she was charged with harassing the fiancee of her former husband Kieran Hayler and will appear in court when she returns home from Thailand. Design: The stencil showed a galloping unicorn, while she also had an array of flowers inked around it Tattoos: It is not Katie's first tattoo as she has an array of smaller tattoos and got her first sleeve last week Florals: Katie got more flowers tattooed around the unicorn after getting a floral sleeve on her other arm in tribute to her mother MailOnline has learned Katie will appear before magistrates in Crawley next month for breaching a restraining order against Michelle Penticost. The troubled model was arrested on January 21 for sending an abusive text to Michelle. She spent the night in a cell after being quizzed by officers at Worthing Police station who had earlier picked Katie up from her home in Horsham after a report was made. Katie allegedly branded flight attendant Michelle a 'c***ing w***e piece of s***' and a 'gutter s**g. MailOnline understands that she breached the order a second time when she sent an anonymous letter attacking Michelle to a relative just before flying out to Thailand. Getaway: Her tattoo trip with Carl comes as they enjoy a holiday to Thailand New tat: Meanwhile, Carl was seen adding to his existing tattoo sleeve on his right arm, adding what appeared to be a Joker tattoo on his shoulder Stylish: Katie's first tattoo sleeve seemed to be healing well as she showed it off while getting her second design A source said: 'Katie is playing a dangerous game and her actions have led her into deep trouble. 'Kieran and Michelle were deeply concerned after discovering she sent a letter, believing Katie is ignoring the rules of the restraining order as this is the second time it's happened in three months. 'It was sent anonymously from Heathrow on the day she left for Thailand. 'They know it's her and are concerned by her unpredictable behaviour.' A police source told MailOnline: 'Katie Price was arrested a few weeks ago for breaching a restraining order placed against her following an argument with the fiancee of her former partner, Kieran Hayler. Unicorn: Her new design, which consisted of a unicorn and floral designs, looked incredible Joker: Carl appeared to be in some discomfort as he got his Joker tattoo on Monday Incredible: Katie's tattoo showed off her love for flowers and horses Couple: Carl joined Katie in getting a tattoo as they enjoyed their sun-filled getaway to Thailand 'Now she is believed to have written an anonymous note attacking Michelle Penticost via one of her family members. 'As such Katie has been charged with harassment and will appear before Crawley magistrates next month.' Mother-of-five Katie was banned from contacting Michelle, 39, 'directly or indirectly' after swearing at her in a school playground in 2019. Breaking the terms of the restraining order carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. Katie also risks jail time for being arrested while still on licence for her drink-drive shame. Fresh ink: Katie had showed off a second sleeve of tattoos in a new Instagram snap shared on Wednesday Michelle has grown close to Katie's two children she shares with Kieran, son Jett, eight, and daughter Bunny, seven. She also has her own child with the ex-stripper, seven-month-old son Apollo, and a ten-year old son Valentino from a previous relationship. The couple met in 2018 and got engaged the following year. Former Loose Women host Katie travelled to the Far East with Carl for her latest bout of cosmetic surgery - a boob job and full body liposuction procedure - and has remained there for over two weeks. The couple, who got engaged last April, have experienced a tumultuous 12 months. Thailand: It comes after Katie has been charged with harassing the fiancee of her former husband Kieran Hayler and will appear in court when she returns home from Thailand Katie avoided jail in December when she was handed a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, as well as a two-year driving ban after admitting drink-driving while disqualified in December. She also tested positive for cocaine after she rolled her BMW near her home in Horsham. Last month, fiance Carl issued a public denial on Instagram over abuse claims, saying he 'didn't lay a finger' on Katie and said he had 'black and white proof' to clear his name after he was charged with using threatening and abusive behaviour towards her in an incident at their house in Essex. Carl is Katie's first serious major relationship since her split from Kieran in 2019. They were together for seven years, marrying in 2013 in the Bahamas, but their romance was marred by Kieran's two flings with two of Katie's close pals. She was previously married to Peter Andre, father of her two children Junior, 16, and Princess, 14, for four years, before her ill-fated marriage to husband No2 Alex Reid, which lasted just 11 months. Georgia Harrison left fans gushing over her incredibly youthful looking mother Nicola on Thursday. The former Love Island contestant, 27, took to her Instagram account to share the stunning snap of her lookalike mum as the pair enjoyed a drink after being pampered in a beauty salon earlier that day. Georgia even joked her age-defying mum looked younger than she did. Wow: Georgia Harrison left fans gushing over her incredibly youthful looking mother Nicola in an Instagram post on Thursday Posting to her social media, she said: "WARNING taking your mum too @modebeautytherapy could result in her looking younger than you. I took @nicolaharrison465 for an early mothers day facial!" Within moments, fans and friends flocked to Georgia's post to share their admiration for Nicola who looked radiant in a green satin halter neck and tailored trousers. Taylor Ward wrote: 'She's beautiful.' Beauty: Nicola looked radiant in a green satin halter neck and tailored trousers Georgia's Love Island co-stars went on to applaud the gorgeous photo with Chloe Crowhurst posting: 'Beautiful mumma' and Dubai based Laura Anderson said: 'Unreal.' While Hayley Hughes and Tyne-Lexy Clarsson posted some adoring emojis. Approval: Georgia's Love Island co-stars went on to applaud the gorgeous photo with Chloe Crowhurst posting: 'Beautiful mumma' and Dubai based Laura Anderson said: 'Unreal' Hundreds of Georgia's fans also rushed to commend the blonde beauty simply writing: 'Mum goals', another said: 'Beautiful Nicola'. While another echoed: 'Your mum's a beaut Georgia.' While all eyes were on Nicola, TV personality Georgia looked elegant in a high waisted midi-skirt and black polo neck. She added some glam with a pair of YSL Cassandra sandals and wore her blonde tresses in a high pony. Wow! Georgia's Love Island co-stars and celeb pals went on to applaud the gorgeous photo In awe: Hundreds of Georgia's other fans also rushed to commend the blonde beauty Like mother, like daughter: Posting to her social media, Georgia even joked her age-defying mum looked younger than she did The post comes as Georgia showcased her sensational figure as she stepped out with pals to restaurant Asia Asia in Dubai on Sunday. The TOWIE star, wore a slinky ice blue backless satin dress with a thigh-high split by Beach City, posting pictures from her outing on Instagram. The blonde bombshell put on a leggy display as she posed up a storm while wearing a pair of strappy white heels. In style: Georgia showcased her sensational figure in a slinky ice blue dress as she stepped out with pals to restaurant Asia Asia in Dubai on Sunday She gave the lens a sultry look as she glanced back over her shoulder, showing off the lace-up detail on the back of the dress. Georgia carried a blue Gucci handbag with a floral print and gave fans a glimpse at the sushi she ordered after taking her seat at her table. The actress looked happy as she posed alongside her pals who all coordinated their looks in black. Fashion focus: Her blue backless satin dress by Beach City featured a thigh-high split and Georgia posted pictures from her outing on Instagram Good pals: The television personality looked happy as she posed alongside her pals who all coordinated their looks in black Tasty: Georgia carried a blue Gucci handbag with a floral print and gave fans a glimpse at the sushi she ordered after taking her seat at her table On Saturday, Georgia gave her followers a glimpse at her break in the United Arab Emirates as she posed outside restaurant Dream Dubai. She left little to the imagination as she donned a zebra print sheer minidress with keyhole detail. The influencer made the most of her ample assets in her figure-hugging outfit and displayed a healthy tan as she posed outside. Long legs: On Saturday, Georgia gave her followers a glimpse at her break in the United Arab Emirates as she posed outside restaurant Dream Dubai in a sheer mini-dress She had on a pair of black heels and wore lashings of make-up to show off her pretty facial features. The star wore her ombre hair in loose waves and partially tied up in bunches. Georgia captioned her post: 'Just double tap me.' The cast of Gogglebox Australia didn't hold back on their comments after watching Netflix's controversial new reality series Byron Baes on Thursday night's episode. Many of the show's stars were left reeling over the 'influencers' on the series, questioning how they achieved such a title with so little followers online. Gold Coast besties Milo Berriman and Nic Alan said some of the harshest comments, as Milo asked: 'What do you think qualifies someone to become one of these so-called influencers?' Not impressed: The cast of Gogglebox Australia didn't hold back when watching Netflix's controversial new reality series Byron Baes on Thursday night's episode. Pictured: One of the show's stars, Elias Chigros 'You've got to be good looking, have no personality and no character,' Nic replied. After watching some of the footage, Kate Dalton asked her family: 'So, are there a lot of w***ers in Byron Bay?' Upon seeing Byron Baes' Hannah Brauer share her passion for crystals, spiritual healing and social media, Matt Dalton asked: 'How many Instagram followers does miss Hannah have? Star power: Milo Berriman and Nic Alan said some of the harshest comments on the show, as they asked each other how someone qualifies so be called a 'so-called influencer'. 'You've got to be good looking, have no personality and no character,' Nic replied Yikes: After watching some of the footage, Kate Dalton (right) asked her family: 'So, are there a lot of w***ers in Byron Bay?' Ethan Delpechitra then shared his disbelief after searching for Hannah's account, revealing: 'She only has 8,000 followers. She's not an influencer!' They then discovered that arguably the show's biggest star Nathan Favro only had 31,000 followers, with Nic saying: '...I feel like that's not enough.' 'It's like all the reality shows in one, but you take out a storyline,' he scathed. Shook: Ethan Delpechitra (second left) shared his disbelief after searching Hannah's page, revealing: 'She only has 8,000 followers. She's not an influencer!' Wow: Di Kershaw wasn't impressed at the slightest with the cast's love of crystals and spiritual healing After a scene where the group all dressed in white and listened to 'sound healing' while meditating, Kate added: 'This is cult like! Honestly, they're all in white - this is heebie-jeebie.' After the credits rolled, her partner Matt said: 'That was 45 minutes in my life that I will never get back.' 'Why do them influencers have to ruin everything?' Nic added. It comes as viewers branded the controversial Netflix series 'awful yet addictive' following its debut earlier this month. The reality show follows the lives of 14 influencers who help each other grow their businesses, connections and social followings in the idyllic Australian beach town of Byron Bay. Haunting: After a scene where the group all dressed in white and listened to 'sound healing' while meditating, Kate added: 'This is cult like! Honestly, they're all in white - this is heebie-jeebie' The vast majority of Twitter critics described Byron Baes as 'cringeworthy' and 'brain-numbing', yet many admitted they simply couldn't switch it off. 'Byron Baes is horrific. But I will watch the entire thing,' one fan tweeted. 'Help! I started watching Byron Baes and can't stop,' another mused. Others had more positive feedback, with one user Tweeting: 'We need season two! #ByronBaes'. Coleen Rooney put on a casual display as she stepped out for a shopping trip in Alderley Edge, Cheshire on Thursday. The WAG, 35, shielded her eyes with a pair of oversized sunglasses as she enjoyed a low-key outing during her ongoing 'Wagatha Christie' legal battle. She took advantage of the sunny weather as she grabbed a coffee and hit up the luxury fashion and homeware store, Coggles. Relaxing: Coleen Rooney, 35, shielded her face with sunglasses for a low-key shopping trip in Cheshire during her ongoing 'Wagatha Christie' legal battle on Thursday Coleen donned a pair of form fitting black gym leggings with side panel detailing and she layered over a sage green sweater. She pulled back her brunette lock into a sleek low bun and showcased her delicate gold hoop earrings. To complete her look she added a touch of glamour with a Chanel crossbody handbag. Low-key: Coleen donned a pair of form fitting black gym leggings with side panel detailing and she layered over a sage green sweater It comes after Coleen has reportedly hired a former Scotland Yard detective amid her ongoing Wagatha Christie legal case against Rebekah. According to The Mirror, she has brought investigator Matt Blackband onto her legal team after a judge called for the disclosure of further WhatsApp messages between Rebekah, 39, and her agent Caroline Watt. Coleen's move comes after the judge at a recent two-day hearing ruled that she had to pay 20 per cent of Vardy's legal fees, expected to be around 30,000. All in the details: She pulled back her brunette lock into a sleek low bun and showcased her delicate gold hoop earrings Designer: To complete her look she added a touch of glamour with a Chanel crossbody handbag And as the case continues, it's emerged that ex cyber-crime detective Matt is fighting Coleen's corner as it came to light at the recent hearing that he'd been named as her 'digital information expert'. The Mirror reports that Matt has 30 years experience as an investigator, 21 of which was with the Met Police, while he also helped found the multi-agency National Hi-Tech Crime Unit. A source told the publication: 'Coleen believes the damning WhatsApp messages revealed in court last week between Rebekah and her agent Caroline Watt were the tip of an iceberg. Generous: Meanwhile, Rebekah will reportedly donate any money she wins in her and Coleen's 1million 'Wagatha Christie' court case to charity (Pictured this month) 'Understandably, having been put in this position, she is leaving no stone unturned. Shes confident of winning the court case as more evidence emerges.' While a legal insider said: 'Matt is one of the most outstanding operators in the business. He is a great weapon to have.' Meanwhile, Rebekah will reportedly donate any money she wins in her and Coleen's 1 million 'Wagatha Christie' court case to charity. Amid the news Coleen will have to pay for legal fees, the judge said Coleen's bid to add her rival's agent Caroline Watts to the lawsuit was brought too late, and that previous opportunities to make the claim had not been taken. The WAG also had to cough up 65,000 for Caroline's legal costs. Now, sources say Becky plans to give away any money she wins in the messy court case to charity and is 'well aware people are horrified' by the spiraling costs of the court case. Susanna Reid became emotional as she spoke about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being reunited with her young daughter after six years in detention in Iran. Nazanin landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at around 1.15am, where she was reunited with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella, who had refused to believe her mother was coming home after several 'false dawns'. An emotional video shows the seven-year-old yelling 'mummy, mummy - is that mummy?' as Nazanin walks down the steps of a British jet. Tearful: Susanna Reid became emotional as she spoke about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe being reunited with her young daughter after six years in detention in Iran The charity worker spent 2,173 days of tortuous detention by Ayatollah Khamenei's hardline regime thanks to the trumped-up spying charges she was convicted of. Watching the moment Nazanin was reunited with her daughter, Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna appeared to become emotional. As she spoke about Nazanin's husband Richard's dedicated years of campaigning to free his wife, her voice seemed to crack as she said he had 'done absolutely the right thing at every stage'. She said: 'Richard Ratcliffe made the decision to openly campaign, to go on hunger strike. Adorable: This is the moment Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was reunited with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella at RAF Brize Norton 'He had been warned it could risk Nazanin's life and the risk that he took in order to speak out was hugely courageous and as a result brought everyone with him. As the huge response from viewers comes in, everyone is invested in Nazanin's story.' An emotional Susanna said Richard must have been 'walking on eggshells' as she referenced the difficulties of the lengthy release effort. 'Richard must have been walking on eggshells the entire time, worried about saying the right thing. He has done absolutely the right thing at every stage,' she added. Richard's relentless campaigning since 2016 helped secure his wife's freedom, bringing a close to her momentous journey back home to the UK. An extraordinary video - filmed by the daughter of Anoosheh Ashoori, 67, who was also released by Iran yesterday in return for a 400million debt repayment - showed Nazanin reunite with her daughter. Home at last: The Zaghari-Ratcliffe family are finally reunited after Nazanin was detained for nearly six years in Iran During one tender embrace Gabriella tells her: 'You smell nice', to which her mother laughs and hugs her again saying: 'Do I smell nice? I haven't had a shower for 24 hours. Is that okay?'. They hug again as Richard says: 'She smells nice to daddy'. Nazanin then holds her daughter's hand again and says: 'I will be back in just a minute' and then looks down at her and says: 'That is a very very cool jumper'. Gabriella had also picked out her favourite toys to show her mother on her return. The moment Richard and Gabriella were reunited was not filmed - though the tears of joy could be heard - but a picture of the ecstatic family was taken seconds later. Sweet: Nazanin holds her daughter close after landing on British soil for the first time in six years in the early hours of this morning The family were met by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who signed off on the 400m debt owed by Britain to Tehran from the 1970s that secured her release, before being moved to a safe house where Nazanin, Richard and Gabriella shared a bed together after so long apart, Richard's sister Rebecca Ratcliffe said today. The couple's local MP Tulip Siddiq said that the family are now going to have to rebuild their life together, while former hostage Terry Waite said it will take Nazanin 'some time' to recover from the 'trauma' she has suffered in Iranian prison. Ms Siddiq said: 'They are very different people now. There is going to be a huge process of getting to know each other again and Gabriella has to trust her mother again as well'. Nazanin and her family are in government accommodation today. It is not known if or when they will return to their north London home. Her sister-in-law Rebecca Ratcliffe told the BBC: 'We've had a beautiful photo of Nazanin, Richard and Gabriella all together. Emotional: Richard Ratcliffe has campaigned tirelessly for his wife's release, including going on a hunger strike outside Ms Truss' Foreign Office 'Then they went back, they're staying with Anousheh and his family in a safe house somewhere undisclosed. 'And I suspect just had cups of tea and stuff and Gabriella slept in between Richard and Nazanin last night for the first time in six years, so a very special moment. 'I've had a message from Richard this morning, everyone else is still asleep. I imagine they're all pretty tired but he was certainly very buoyant this morning. 'He just said that he'd had a busy day, a busy night, they got to sleep not long ago but it was lovely to be with his family again. But also interestingly he pointed out today's the 17th March and six years ago on 17th March Nazanin flew out so there's a certain amount of symmetry in his story.' She also told Good Morning Britain: 'Seeing that footage of her touching down in the arms of Richard and Gabriella was just really overwhelming. Pure joy: Nazanin shares an emotional moment with her seven-year-old daughter Gabriella after landing back in the UK 'It feels a little bit like Christmas morning, waiting for Santa and then Santa finally arriving.' She said that the family has has several 'close calls' over the years 'where there've been planes waiting to take her home or phone calls from the British Embassy that she's about to come home, and so we've found it really hard this week to get too excited'. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori, who was locked up in Evin prison for almost five years, were accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government and of spying respectively, which they have consistently and vigorously denied. A third British detainee, Morad Tahbaz, has been released from prison on furlough but remains in Iran. Nazanin's husband Richard Ratcliffe said he was 'deeply grateful' for her release and that he and their daughter Gabriella were 'looking forward to a new life'. She was named on Vogue Magazine's Best-Dressed Women list for 2021 and rarely puts a foot wrong on the fashion front. And Nicola Coughlan cut a sophisticated figure once again on Thursday as she stunned in a forest green longline wrap coat. The Bridgeton star, 35 grinned from ear-to-ear as she left Global Studios in London after a chat on Capital FM. Best dressed: Nicola Coughlan cut a sophisticated figure on Thursday as she stunned in a forest green longline wrap coat as she left Global Studios in London The Irish actress looked typically stylish as she matched the look with a white square neck top. She strutted her stuff through Leicester Square in a pair of cream and black ankle boots while carrying her essentials in a 1,650 Mulberry quilted leather tote bag. She completed the look donning a wine leather beret which was the perfect accessory for the chic ensemble. Nicola looked typically beautiful as she wore a radiant palette of makeup highlighting her flawless complexion. Delighted: The Bridgeton star, 35 grinned from ear-to-ear as she left Global Studios in London following a radio interview on Capital FM Chic: The Irish actress looked typically stylish as she matched the look with a white square neck top The appearance comes as Nicola revealed on Tuesday that she was terrified Bridgerton bosses would think she was drunk on her first day on set after she fell over three times while trying to walk in heels. The pretty blonde said she was left embarrassed after telling creators of the hit Netflix series that she could walk in heels, before toppling over while filming on her first day on set. Nicola, who plays Penelope Featherington in the hit show, said she was scared about getting fired so agreed to wear 'crazy heels', but then fell over three times as she tried to walk in them. The Derry Girls star said she was scared people would think she was 'crazy' or drunk, when in reality she just couldn't walk in the shoes. Speaking on The One Show on, she explained: 'Ellen Mirojnick, who is the costume designer on season one, said "you're tiny, you're too small so we're gonna put you in heels". 'And I was just terrified to get fired because I couldn't believe my luck at getting the job. I said "yes, absolutely". If they were like you have to wear a giant clown suit I would have been like "I would love that, yes please". 'So I agreed to wear these crazy heels, and then on my first day on set we were walking around and I toppled over not once, not twice, but three times.' Malfunction: Nicola revealed on Tuesday that she was terrified Bridgerton bosses would think she was drunk on her first day on set after she fell over three times while trying to walk in heels She admitted that one of her embarrassing falls even happened while she was holding a dog, who she insisted was unharmed in the topple. 'Three times, and I thought they're going to think I'm drunk, they're gonna think I'm crazy, and I was holding a dog at the time.' Nicola said that Bridgerton bosses 'very quickly realised' that she could not wear heels, cutting the wardrobe choice out for her character Penelope. She also admitted that she ruined the big plot twist of season one, telling her friends and family that the anonymous gossip writer Lady Whistledown was Penelope before it was revealed. She said: 'I just told all my friends and family and they were all fuming with me, and they were like "it really ruined the end of it because we just knew".' Oops! She also admitted that she ruined the big plot twist of season one, telling her friends and family that the anonymous gossip writer Lady Whistledown was Penelope The TV star is reprising her role as Penelope Featherington in the hit period drama, which is returning to screens this month. Based on a series of books of the same name by Julia Quinn, the Netflix show follows the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family as they attempt to find love in Regency-era England. Speaking on Claudia Winkleman's BBC Radio 2 show earlier this year, she said: '(After) that reveal at the end of series one, you very much get to see behind the curtain in series two. 'We see how she gets away with the things that she gets away with. And for me, it was so much fun because in series one she's a shy, retiring wallflower, and then series two you go, 'Oh, she's got all this new stuff going on', and it was extremely fun to film.' Nicola added that Penelope also gets more control over her fashion choices this time as she starts to 'find her own path'. Speaking of the show's success, she said: 'It's absolutely bonkers how many people sort of fell in love with it. It's amazing.' Nicola added that the cast were all 'really excited' to get back to the set to begin filming series two, but said it felt 'really strange' returning to something so high profile. She said: 'Pre-lockdown it was just our little job we were going to and then you go, "Oh, I've seen this one on Netflix". But we were all just really excited to get back.' The new season of Bridgerton will be released on Netflix on March 25. The Apprentice's penultimate episode will see the last four contestants - Stephanie Afflek, Brittany Carter, Harpreet Kaur and Kathryn Louise Burn - make history in its first ever all-female semi-final. Last week's episode saw both Aaron Willis and Akeem Bundu-Kamara given their marching orders, meaning the four women will battle it out in the nail-biting interview stages in a bid to become Lord Sugar's latest business partner. In teasers from the episode, the contestants can be seen doing everything they can not to fall at the last hurdle as they come face to face with the no nonsense interviewers. Final four: The Apprentice's penultimate episode on Thursday will see the final four contestants - Stephanie Afflek, Brittany Carter, Harpreet Kaur and Kathryn Louise Burn -make history in the first ever all-female semi-final With Lord Sugar's right hand man Claude Littner having missed this season - being replaced by Tim Campbell - following a bike crash, he returns to put the applicants through their paces. In one clip the businessman is busy scrutinising hopeful Kathrine's fashion businesses, leaving him less than impressed. When asking about her intended profits for Claude exclaims: 'That's impossible!'. Addressing her wild hopes of making millions Katherine says: 'I don't think there's anything wrong with being ambitious Claude'. With the former executive of Tottenham Hotspur snapping back: 'There's a difference between ambitious and unrealistic, this is the rantings of a lunatic!' Back: With Lord Sugar's right hand man Claude Littner having missed this season - replaced by Tim Campbell - due to health reasons, tonight he returns to put the applicants through their paces In another clip Brittany's comes face to face with knitwear mogul Linda Plant as she attempts to impress with her range of healthy alcohol drinks. 'You have no experience in the supplement business and none in the alcohol business, am I right?' she asks. As Brittany attempts to explain her 'non direct' experience, a frustrated Linda sighs: 'Don't tell me you like to drink a cocktail' Unimpressed: In another clip Brittany's comes face to face with Knitwear mogul Linda plant as she attempts to impress with her range of healthy alcohol drinks. 'I like to buy clothes but it doesn't make me a dress maker,' she continues. The businesswoman goes on to explain her doubts about the hopeful's business, saying that it's been 'done before'. And the final blow comes when Linda says: 'I have nothing else to say to you' before Brittany awkwardly leaves the room. Eeeek: The final blow comes when Linda says 'I have nothing else to say to you'with Brittany awkwardly leaving the room In another clip it's Katherine's turn to come face to face with Linda in a bid to sell her self designed range of dog pyjamas. However as the cool, calm and collected Plant pushes further it transpires that the hopeful has no actual design experience whatsoever. 'Have you designed anything?' Linda asks 'Just give me a yes or no answer'. Unable to look the business woman in the eye, a bashful Katherine finally answers 'No'. Hard to please: In one clip Katherine tries to impress knitwear brand founder Linda Plant with her range of self designed dog pyjamas Tears: In the fourth teaser Stephanie, who plans to run her own luxury clothes company, is put through her paces by Mike Soutar In the fourth teaser Stephanie, who plans to run her own luxury clothing company, is grilled by Mike Soutar. The wannabe entrepreneur explains how her company will be different to most and will authenticate true designer items. When asked to tell him if a shirt is in fact real or fake, Stephanie looks it over before carefully answering: 'It's fake'. Real: When asked to tell him if a shirt is in fact real or fake, Stephanie looks it over before carefully answering: 'It's fake'... 'It's real' he say as she looks on glumly. A toast: This is the first ever all female semi final with Manpreet, Brittany, Stephanie and Kathryn fighting it out ladies only: When asked what it feels like at being one of the last four females standing in the competition, dessert parlour owner Harpreet told how she always felt like an equal among her male counterparts, adding that any animosity is left in the boardroom. 'It's real' Mike says as contestant Stephanie looks on glumly. When asked what it feels like at being one of the last four females standing in the competition, dessert parlour owner Harpreet told how she always felt like an equal among her male counterparts, adding that any animosity is left in the boardroom. She explained: 'I just think we all got on really well as a group when we were on task we were focused on just winning as a team. Candid: While sharing her pride at being of of the last four females standing in the competition, dessert parlour owner Harpreet told how she always felt like an equal among her male counterparts 'I've never felt like there were mind games and this mentality of the other candidates being my competitor we all just acted with real professionalism and if things had to be brought up in the boardroom, then they weren't said maliciously. 'Obviously, it's difficult because when you're sat there you want to be shouting about your own highlights which I found difficult and so many times I'd just want to celebrate the other candidate's achievements'. The Apprentice continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One, followed by You're Fired on BBC Two. Watch live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer. Made it! Last week's episode saw both Aaron Willis and Akeem Bundu-Kamara given their marching orders resulting in the first ever all-female semi-final How it started: The girls beat off stiff competition from 12 other candidates in the 2022 competiton Air Products' headquarters is seen Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Upper Macungie Township. Air Products is among fewer than 40 U.S. companies that aren't scaling back or ending their business in Russia, according to a list compiled by Yale University. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call) Global industrial gases giant Air Products is one of about three dozen American companies continuing to do business as usual in Russia, which last month invaded neighboring Ukraine. That continues despite a plea Wednesday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that such companies exit Russia. Advertisement In a speech to Congress, Zelenskyy urged lawmakers to put pressure on American businesses that continue operations in Russia. American companies must leave Russias market because it is flooded with our blood, Zelenskyy said, according to the Associated Press. Advertisement Russia invaded Feb. 24, prompting severe economic sanctions from the U.S. and its allies amid the ongoing war. A spokesperson for Air Products, a Fortune 500 company based in the Lehigh Valley, did not reply to a request for comment. Air Products is among companies that have made no announced change to their operations in Russia, according to a list compiled by Yale University. The AP, in a story this week, said the Yale School of Management list showed 147 U.S. corporations announced they are pulling out of Russia entirely. Another 173 U.S. companies said they would suspend operations there. With support in the West strong for Ukraine, and threats of boycotts of companies still doing business there, another roughly 70 American companies have said they are scaling back operations or holding off new investment, but remaining. Zelenskyy would prefer Air Products and the remaining companies pull out completely. Make sure that the Russians do not receive a single penny that they use to destroy our people in Ukraine and for the destruction of our country and the destruction of Europe, he told Congress. Air Products, which earned $2.1 billion in profit during fiscal year 2021 on more than $10.3 billion in sales, obtains slightly more than 50% of its sales from Europe, Africa and Asia, excluding China. Its annual report does not break down revenue from Russia, a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The company lists two subsidiaries in Russia. Advertisement Among its investments, Air Products said in a 2021 news release that its technology and equipment are operating at a liquified natural gas facility in northwest Siberia, the largest one in Russia. Air Products three heat exchangers for the plant, which went online in 2017, were producing 16.5 million metric tons per year. An Air Products liquified natural gas heat exchanger is shown. (Air Products/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO ) The Yale report said Air Products operates two offices with 130 employees and a plant in the Rostov region. Gary Bender of Quakertown, who formerly worked in finance roles for Air Products, said Thursday the companys massive heat exchangers, which he said resemble a space rocket on its side, provide Russia with plenty of export revenue. He said an Air Products pullout could send a message to Putin. The only leverage Putin has is his [liquified natural gas] exports, said Bender, and that could hit him in the pocketbook. Yales Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who has kept the list of corporate actions in Russia, told The Washington Post that those companies are helping to fund the Russian war machine, as well as hampering the sanctions in place against Russia. [ Air Products CEO among U.S. execs attending Saudi investment forum amid controversy over Khashoggi killing ] In 2018, Air Products CEO Seifi Ghasemi attended an investment forum in Saudi Arabia amid controversy over Saudi agents killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Spokesperson Art George said then the company empathized with people affected by the news. He also said Air Products has invested in Saudi Arabia, enabling the production of high value products that help society be more productive. Advertisement Business Buzz Daily The daily update for the Lehigh Valley business person. > We believe our presence gives us an ability to make a positive contribution over the long term, George said. After Zelenskyys virtual address, area congressional representatives issued statements generally expressing support for Ukraine and in broadening the sanctions in place by the U.S. and allies, with no specific mention of American business in general or Air Products in particular. Messages left with U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, whose 7th District includes the Lehigh Valley, as well as U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, were not returned Thursday. Air Products, which has its headquarters in Upper Macungie Township, has products in 53 countries outside the U.S., including Russia. It employs about 2,000 people in the region and more than 20,000 worldwide. Advertisement Morning Call journalist Anthony Salamone can be reached at asalamone@mcall.com. Miles and Keleigh Teller were pictured enjoying their getaway in Bora Bora in a set of snaps that were shared on the latter's Instagram account on Thursday. The 35-year-old actor and his wife, 29, appeared to be making the most of their tropical vacation as they were seen relaxing next to turquoise-colored water, and they shared a kiss in two of the snaps. The happy couple has been romantically involved for just under a decade, and they tied the knot three years ago. Fun in the sun: Miles and Keleigh Teller were pictured enjoying their dreamlike getaway in Bora Bora in a set of snaps that were shared on the latter's Instagram account on Thursday Miles kept it casual in a pair of graphic-printed trunks while spending time with his wife. Keleigh opted for a revealing green bikini top that showed off her toned upper body during the trip. The model also wore a matching bottom, and she accessorized with various pieces of jewelry. Part of her lovely brunette hair was tied into a lengthy braid, and she covered up the top of her head with a straw hat. Locking lips: The 35-year-old actor and his wife, 29, appeared to be making the most of their tropical vacation as they were seen relaxing next to turquoise-colored water, and they shared a kiss in two of the snaps Keleigh also shared several photos and videos to her Instagram Story during the trip, and one showed Miles dancing while enjoying a scenic view. The Top Gun: Maverick actor also took a snorkeling trip into shark-infested waters with a ship's captain, which was also caught on camera by his wife. The happy couple was later seen making the most of each other's company while sitting in floaties that had been sent out into the calm sea. One of the influencer's final videos showed her husband taking on an exaggerated British accent and joking about his outfit for the day. Being honest: The actor then expressed that he was happy to have decided to spend the rest of his life with Keleigh Sharing the experience: Keleigh also shared several photos and videos to her Instagram Story during the trip, and one showed Miles dancing while enjoying a scenic view Miles and Keleigh initially met in 2013 when they attended the same afterparty, during which they began dancing with each other. The two went on to begin a relationship and were often spotted in each other's company. The happy couple eventually became engaged in 2017 when the Whiplash star proposed to his now-wife during a safari trip in South Africa. They went on to tie the knot during a lovely destination wedding ceremony that was held in Maui two years later. Putting a ring on it: They went on to tie the knot during a lovely destination wedding ceremony that was held in Maui two years later Miles spoke about his marriage during an interview with Men's Health, where he noted that his period of quarantine had been much easier with his wife's presence. The performer noted that, during much of the early stages of the lockdown, 'we just hang out. She keeps me calm. It's pretty great.' The actor then expressed that he was happy to have decided to spend the rest of his life with Keleigh. 'Once you get married and you make that ultimate commitment, life is just a lot less stressful. You just know that person is always going to be there,' he said, Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds will be joined by Regina King and Lin-Manuel Miranda as the co-chairs of the 2022 Met Gala. The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the new hosts of the high-profile event on Thursday, while also announcing that it would be returning to its customary date on the first Monday in May. The move to the May 2 date comes after the 2020 Met Gala was canceled due to the still ongoing coronavirus pandemic, while the 2021 edition was moved back to September. Star power: Blake Lively, 34, and Ryan Reynolds, 45, were among the co-chairs announced Thursday for the 2022 Met Gala on May 2 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; seen in 2017 in NYC This will be Miranda's first time as a Met Gala co-chair (and guest) but he was originally intended to co-host the 2020 edition before the pandemic forced its cancellation. Lively, Reynolds and King have all attended previously. The May 2 evening is actually the second star-studded gala after the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute was split during the pandemic. It celebrates 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion,' the second part of a major two-part exhibition at the museum exploring the roots of American fashion. The first part opened in September along with the first pared-down 'mini-gala' as the Costume Institute struggled with pandemic restrictions, like every other arts institution. A-listers: Regina King, 51, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, 42 who was supposed to co-host the canceled 2020 edition will also be co-chairs. The gala has been moved back to May 2, the first Monday in May Tom Ford, Adam Mosseri and Anna Wintour will continue their roles as honorary co-chairs for the second event. Hollywood will have a strong presence at the May gala and not only on the red carpet. A group of top film directors, including King, Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese and last year's Oscar winner Chloe Zhao, will be a key part of the exhibit launching the gala. Star curator Andrew Bolton said eight directors will create what he called 'cinematic vignettes' in the period rooms of the American Wing of the museum. Back for more: Fashion legend and acclaimed filmmaker Tom Ford will serve as honorary co-chair for the event, along with Anna Wintour and Adam Mosseri; seen in November in NYC The other four are Ford, the celebrated fashion designer who's also an acclaimed film director, Janicza Bravo (Zola), Julie Dash (Daughters Of The Dust) and Autumn de Wilde (who directed the Jane Austen adaptation Emma. and is also a photographer). The first part of the exhibition will remain on display in the rooms of the Anna Wintour Costume Center, along with the second part, until September 5. More than half the pieces in the opening exhibition will be rotated out and garments from designers not yet featured will go on display. The Met Gala is a huge money-maker for the museum, and provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding. It's also one of the biggest nights in fashion as celebrity guests often dress to the theme of the exhibition each year. She's had an amazing first day at Cheltenham after winning a huge 37,500 from a 5,000 bet. And Georgia Toffolo, looked typically chic as she returned to the racecourse for day three of the festival on Thursday. The Made In Chelsea star, 27, sported a pretty white broderie shirt and felt camel coloured high waisted shorts. Sophisticated: Georgia Toffolo, 27, looked typically chic as she returned to Cheltenham for a third day on Thursday...following her huge 37,500 win from a 5,000 bet Georgia layered over a longline brown blazer and slipped into a pair of black leather loafers. To accessorize her look she shielded her eyes with a pair of retro hexagonal framed sunglasses and carried a cream patent handbag. The reality television star, wore her bright blonde locks loose with a centre parting as she pinned back the sides and opted for minimal makeup. Chic: The Made In Chelsea star sported a pretty white broderie shirt and felt camel coloured high waisted shorts This comes as Georgia won an incredible 37,500 at Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday after betting on the first race. In an excitable social media post she said how she had 'beginners luck' after betting 5,000 on the opening run. She then promised to make 'generous donations' to the British Red Cross and The Disasters Emergency Committee after winning the huge sum. Happy! This comes as Georgia won an incredible 37,500 at Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday after betting on the first race Sharing a picture of her ticket she wrote: 'OH MY GOD beginners luck. Bloody hell can't believe it. Generous donation incoming to both the @BritishRedCross and @decappeal.' The Disasters Emergency Committee - currently largely supporting the victims in Ukraine - replied: 'Thank you so much for supporting our appeal Georgia! 'Your contribution will help aid reach our member charities in Ukraine and neighbouring countries!' Support: Sharing a picture of her ticket she wrote: 'OH MY GOD beginners luck. Bloody hell can't believe it. Generous donation incoming to both the @BritishRedCross and @decappeal' She split her bet with 2,500 on Constitution Hill to win the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Jonbon to finish second at 14-1, with returns of the 37,500. The other 2,500 went on Jonbon to pass the post followed by Constitution Hill at 18-1 which would have pocketed her 47,500. Georgia looked incredible in a brown tweed dress that was cinched in at the waist and was worn with sheer tight and long boots. Naomi Campbell put on a stylish display as she arrived at JFK airport in New York City on Thursday. The 51-year-old supermodel marked St Patrick's Day by donning a sporty green and black ensemble while catching a flight at the busy airport. The mother-of-one looked relaxed in a neon tracksuit as she wrapped up warm in a matching black trench coat. Looking good: Naomi Campbell put on a stylish display as she arrived at JFK airport in New York City on Thursday Naomi stood out from the crowd as she donned bright blue latex gloves and accessorised with a stylish black fedora hat. The natural beauty's hair was styled poker straight and cascaded down her shoulders. She opted for a pair of Nike high top trainers and sported a black face mask amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Naomi hid her face behind a round pair of oversized sunglasses as she walked through the airport with a man while chatting on her phone. Low-key: Naomi cut a comfy figure in the neon tracksuit as she wrapped up warm in a matching black trench coat Earlier in the week, Naomi stepped out to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London. She attended in her role as the Global Ambassador for the Queen's Commonwealth Trust. Since receiving the role back in September 2021, Naomi has been responsible for raising the profile of the QCT and supporting innovators across the Commonwealth aged between 18 and 35. The model donned a custom Alaia Prince of Wales wool double-breast jacket, teamed with a chic grey peplum skirt and beret. She has consistently participated in charity work that aims to improve the lives of young people throughout her career in addition to using her voice to raise awareness of injustices. Stunning: Naomi looked stylish as she attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey earlier in the week Naomi gushed about the 'privilege' of accepting a role for The Queen's Commonwealth Trust at an event held at the Cafe Royal Hotel in Central London after she was announced as the first person to become Global Ambassador. She said: 'It is my privilege to accept this role as Global Ambassador for The Queen's Commonwealth Trust. Regardless of where you are from or where you are now, there are young leaders within your community doing amazing work. 'Sometimes they are not seen and some of them may not even see themselves as 'leaders' yet, but they all deserve our support, and access to education and resources. I have been doing work with empowering young people for over 25 years. 'This is something very close to my heart and I will continue to do everything I can to uplift the next generation, so they can create a better future for their communities.' Amy Schumer is 'not afraid to go there' when it comes to addressing the tragic war in Ukraine at this year's Academy Awards. The Oscars co-host told Drew Barrymore on her daytime talk show that she actually 'pitched' the team producing the telecast on having Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 'satellite in or make a tape'. The 40-year-old comedy star will helm the 94th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 27 alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. Using her platform: Amy Schumer is 'not afraid to go there' at this year's Academy Awards and told Drew Barrymore that she pitched producers for President Zelensky to satellite in 'How do you handle the Academy Awards at this time? Are you going there? Do you ignore it? Do you call it out what?' Barrymore asked Amy. 'I think there is definitely pressure in one way to be like, 'This is a vacation, let people forget we just want to have this night,' but it is like well we have so many eyes and ears on this show,' Amy explained. 'I think it's a great opportunity to at least comment on a couple of things. I have some jokes that kind of highlight the sort of current condition,' she continued. 'I mean there are so many awful things happening that it seems hard to focus on which one,' Amy said. 'I actually pitched, I wanted to find a way to have Zelensky satellite in or make a tape or something just because there are so many eyes on the Oscars. I am not afraid to go there but it's not me producing the Oscars.' 'I actually pitched, I wanted to find a way to have Zelensky satellite in or make a tape or something just because there are so many eyes on the Oscars. I am not afraid to go there but it's not me producing the Oscars.' [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pictured March 17] Viewership for the Academy Awards has been on a steady decline over the last several years and producers hoped that the trio of talent hosting would bring in more of an audience this year. According to Nielsen, the 2021 Oscars saw a 51% drop in viewers as compared to the year before. Amy didn't elaborate if producers took her up on the offer to connect with the Ukrainian president as his country remains under siege from Russian invaders. Zelensky, a former actor has recently been lauded for his steely handling of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. 'I think there is definitely pressure in one way to be like, 'This is a vacation, let people forget we just want to have this night,' but it is like well we have so many eyes and ears on this show,' Amy explained. 'I think it's a great opportunity to at least comment on a couple of things. I have some jokes that kind of highlight the sort of current condition,' she continued. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, leading to a massive refugee crisis in Eastern Europe with millions fleeing the conflict. His unlikely rise to the Ukrainian presidency, and global wartime hero began with a presidency widely-regarded as a joke by many in Ukraine. He was seen as a dark horse for much of the 2019 campaign, but began to pull ahead of his rivals as Ukrainians sought to register their dissatisfaction with what they saw as corruption among the highest levels of the country's government. Zelensky, a trained lawyer, crowdfunded for his campaign, and quickly became a social media star. Big time: The 40-year-old comedy star will helm the 94th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 27 alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes He ended up winning the presidential election campaign in a landslide, with 74 per cent of the vote, and has seen his local and global approval ratings soar over his handling of Putin's invasion. He has also been hailed for his refusal to evacuate Kyiv, despite claims the Kremlin has dispatched multiple assassins to try and kill him. In Europe, the countries surrounding Ukraine have been taking on the vast majority of refugees fleeing Putin's savage war, with Pope Francis praising Polish people in particular for accepting over one million desperate Ukrainians into their homes. The United Nations predicts that more than 3 million people have fled Ukraine in the more than three weeks since the invasion last month, the vast majority of which have landed in Poland. Pop Idol bosses are in 'very early' talks for the show to make a comeback after it last aired in 2003. The ITV talent competition saw Will Young, now 43, triumph on series one in 2002, releasing single Evergreen, while Gareth Gates, 37, finished in second place, and Michelle McManus, 41, went on to win the second season in 2003. Now, just over two decades on from the live final of series one, which was viewed by 13.4million people, the contest could be returning to screens, with an ITV source telling MailOnline that 'talks are at a very early stage'. Back again: Pop Idol bosses are in 'very early' talks for the show to make a comeback after it last aired in 2003 (Will Young pictured in 2002) However, they added that it's 'unlikely to return for a full series'. It is understood ITV approached show bosses in America, Holland and Sweden about bringing the format back before Christmas, with talks beginning this week. Original creator Simon Fuller - the brainchild behind the likes of the Spice Girls, S Club 7, Annie Lennox and the US version of the show, American Idol - is said to be involved and ITV would like the programme to air for a special run next autumn to mark 20 years since it was last on UK television. Stars: The ITV talent competition saw Will Young, now 43, triumph on series one in 2002, releasing single Evergreen, while Gareth Gates, 37, finished in second place (seen on show) The original saw Simon Cowell, Neil Fox, Nicki Chapman and Pete Waterman on the judging panel but a new line-up is yet to be confirmed. In 2004 it was decided Pop Idol would not return when Simon Cowell left to launch The X Factor that year. However, the Idol franchise became a global success, with American Idol, Australian Idol, Canadian Idol and Indonesian Idol becoming just some of the many versions launched around the world. Pop queen: Michelle McManus, now 41, went on to win the second season in 2003 (seen on show) Fame game: Now, just over two decades on from the live final of series one, which was viewed by 13.4million people, the contest could be returning to screens (Darius Campbell and Zoe Birkett pictured 2002) The original saw (L-R) Neil Fox, Nicki Chapman, Pete Waterman and Simon Cowell on the judging panel but a line-up is yet to be confirmed (pictured 2003) The UK version saw the likes of Darius Danesh rebrand himself as Darius Campbell, now 41, and launch a successful pop career after his controversial appearance on Popstars, the show which launched Hear'Say, in 2001. He competed alongside favourites Zoe Birkett, who went on to appear on Big Brother in 2014, and Rik Waller in series one. Taking to Instagram last month, Will thanked fans for their support 20 years after he auditioned for Pop Idol. Musical stars: The show launched a number of pop careers, including Rik Waller who had two UK top 40 singles (pictured 2002) He wrote: '20 years. Thank you for coming on this crazy journey with me and for all the support you have shown across the years.' Gareth posted: '20 YEARS today, I became the UKs biggest Loser! How has it been 20 years? 'It feels like yesterday I was stood on that stage with @willyoungofficial & @antanddecwaiting for the results to come through.. Grateful: Taking to Instagram last month, Will thanked fans for their support 20 years after he auditioned for Pop Idol 'I owe everything to Pop Idol. Yes I worked hard on music well before going on the show (learning to play instruments and sing from the age of 8) but would a shy kid with a stammer from Bradford have made it in the music business without that platform and exposure? Probably not. 'Its a good job @simoncowell liked me! 'Thank you to all that voted and for giving me the beautifully blessed life I still live today.' Advertisement Hollywood luminaries love an annual holiday so they can race to their Instagram accounts and share their fun photos and detailed notes on how they are having a good time with their loved ones. And St Patrick's Day was no different as some of the finest social media stars uploaded images that have green tones while explaining what they are up to. Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, always falls on March 17, and is a cultural and religious celebration. It is held on March 17 because that is the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland, according to Wikipedia. Stars such as Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Miranda Lambert, Blanca Blanco, Lynda Carter and Simone Biles were quick to spread the joy. Such a cool mom: Kim Kardashian revealed she made her kids green pancakes, left, and also let them enjoy some Lucky Charms cereal as she gave her little ones green necklaces SPD special: Kardashian noted on her Instagram Stories that she did not want to get 'pinched' so she wore green sneakers on the treadmill; seen in a green bikini for SKIMS Kardashian loves to decorate and celebrate any holiday and St Patrick's Day is not left out. The 41-year-old lingerie designer noted on her Instagram Stories first thing in the morning that she did not want to get 'pinched' so she wore green sneakers on in her home gym in her Hidden Hills, California mega mansion that is worth over $60million. 'Don't wanna get pinched,' the Hulu star wrote over her clip adding a four-leaf clover emoji. Smart move Kimmy: 'Don't wanna get pinched,' the Hulu star wrote over her clip adding a four-leaf clover emoji The girlfriend of Pete Davidson was in her black leggings as she did her 6 am workout in the dark. The 41-year-old SKIMS founder also showed off the decorations she had for her kids North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. The Selfish author had green and gold glitter and green plastic necklaces on the kitchen counter. The siren also had Lucky Charms cereal ready for the children. 'They had breakfast and made such a mess!!!!" wrote Kim as she added a four leaf clover, rainbow and money emoji. So much fun: And she said, 'The leprechauns must've taken a bath after the party! But we still just missed them!' She shared an image of the sink as she said, 'The leprechauns must've taken a bath after the party! But we still just missed them!' In years past the Keeping Up With The Kardashians veteran build a Leprechaun Trap for her little ones. Newly married Paris Hilton dressed up in a bright green outfits for several shots shared to Instagram. In her caption The Simple Life veteran wished her fans the best. 'Wishing you a day filled with beautiful rainbows and lots of luck. Happy St. Patricks Day! ' shared the pinup model who is close pals with Kim as well as Sofia Richie. Green goddess does good: Newly married Paris Hilton dressed up in a bright green outfits for several shots shared to Instagram. In her caption The Simple Life veteran wished her fans the best Kitchen time: 'Wishing you a day filled with beautiful rainbows and lots of luck. Happy St. Patricks Day! ' shared the pinup model who is close pals with Kim as well as Sofia Richie Miles Teller's stunning wife Keleigh wore a green string bikini during a post on Thursday. They have been enjoying their getaway in Bora Bora in a set of snaps that were shared on the latter's Instagram account on Thursday. The 35-year-old actor and his wife, 29, appeared to be making the most of their tropical vacation as they were seen relaxing next to turquoise-colored water, and they shared a kiss in two of the snaps. The happy couple has been romantically involved for just under a decade, and they tied the knot three years ago. Green is good: Miles Teller's wife Keleigh wore a green bikini during a post on Thursday. She and her movie star husband have been on vacation in the tropic Writer too: Tale Of Tails actress Blanca Blanco modeled a bright green bikini while in a swimming pool. 'Happy St Patrick day loves #happystpatricksday,' the looker wrote in her caption to her followers. This comes after her memoir Breaking The Mold became a bestseller Funny gal: Wild actress Reese Witherspoon was seen in a green and blue jacket as she said she forgot it was SPD but 'wore green anyways' Tale Of Tails actress Blanca Blanco modeled a bright green bikini while in a swimming pool. 'Happy St Patrick day loves #happystpatricksday,' the looker wrote in her caption to her followers. This comes after her memoir Breaking The Mold became a bestseller in the US. The book is about her difficult upbringing in Washington state when she lived in a trailer park and was beaten by her dad. Cute couple: Miranda Lambert posed with her husband as they smiled. 'Happy St. Patricks day from the Mcloughlins! #homeland #Ireland,' she wrote in her caption These days she is a movie star and a part time model with a pet rabbit named Star. Wild actress Reese Witherspoon was seen in a green and blue jacket as she said she forgot it was SPD but 'wore green anyways.' Country singer Miranda Lambert posed with her husband as they smiled. 'Happy St. Patricks day from the Mcloughlins! #homeland #Ireland,' she wrote in her caption. Stunner Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman on TV, shared a throwback photo in a green sheer top as she wore her dark hair down. In her caption she wrote, 'Did you know that Im part Irish? I guess Id better put on my finest green today Happy St. Patricks Day!' Green gal: Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman on TV, shared a throwback photo in a green top. In her caption she wrote, 'Did you know that Im part Irish? I guess Id better put on my finest green today Happy St. Patricks Day!' Suzanne Somers of the 1970s TV show Three's Company wore a green sweater at home in her kitchen. The Love Boat guest star cooked up authentic corned beef, cabbage and potatoes as she noted that she has Irish roots. On her IG live, she also wished Patrick Duffy, her co-star from TV's Step By Step, a happy birthday as he and Irelands Patron Saint share the commonality of this day. Athlete Simone Biles posed in a green swimsuit for social media. Irish lady: Suzanne Somers of the 1970s TV show Three's Company wore a green sweater at home in her kitchen. The Love Boat guest star cooked up authentic corned beef, cabbage and potatoes as she noted that she has Irish roots. On her IG live, she also wished Patrick Duffy, her co-star from TV's Step By Step, a happy birthday Swim is in: Athlete Simone Biles posed in a green swimsuit for social media. She and her fiance, NFL star Jonathan Owens, have been packing on the PDA as they continue to enjoy their romantic vacation in Turks and Caicos She and her fiance, NFL star Jonathan Owens, have been packing on the PDA as they continue to enjoy their romantic vacation in Turks and Caicos. The newly-engaged couple traveled to the tropical archipelago earlier this week to celebrate the Olympic gymnast's 25th birthday in style, and they couldn't look more in love. Biles took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a photo of her husband-to-be lovingly caressing her backside while they shared a kiss in front of the crystal blue water. We are green with envy: Olivia Culpo revealed she was celebrating St Patrick's Day in a hot tub while in a snowy location Kourtney Kardashian made sure to avoid getting pinched by popping on a bright green bob wig that included a bit of fringe, and for good measure she posed against neon green lights. Meanwhile Maralee Nichols, who had a baby son last year by Khloe Kardashian's ex Tristan Thompson, uploaded a snap of the little tyke wearing a themed green onesie. Mindy Kaling threw on a green leopard-print t-shirt and flashed a peace sign while sitting near a chair that featured a leafy print down the padding. 'Do you understand how psyched I was to have a green outfit and some green furniture? Happy St. Patricks Day indeed!' the Mindy Project star wrote in the caption. So stylish: Kourtney Kardashian made sure to avoid getting pinched by popping on a bright green bob wig that included a bit of fringe, and for good measure she posed against neon green lights Baby mine: Meanwhile Maralee Nichols, who had a baby son last year by Khloe Kardashian's ex Tristan Thompson, uploaded a snap of the little tyke wearing a themed green onesie So many stars: Courteney Cox (left) wore a green sweater and gave one of her dogs a little green bow, while her fellow sitcom icon Suzanne Somers I(right) put on a green blazer to give one of her popular online cookery demonstrations Courteney Cox wore a green sweater and gave one of her dogs a little green bow, while her fellow sitcom icon Suzanne Somers put on a green blazer to give one of her popular online cookery demonstrations. Bella Throne meanwhile announced she was 'feeling lucky ;)' as she stood for the cameras wearing a highlighter green bikini that put her sensational figure on display. Victoria Justice meanwhile buttoned on a fluttery, light green leafy blouse and left both the top and the bottom buttons undone, so that the top was closed only at the very middle. 'Psyched': Mindy Kaling threw on a green leopard-print t-shirt and flashed a peace sign while sitting near a chair that featured a leafy print down the padding Busty bombshell: Bella Throne meanwhile announced she was 'feeling lucky ;)' as she stood for the cameras wearing a highlighter green bikini that put her sensational figure on display Rebel Wilson and Ant Middleton appeared to be in high spirits as they went for a catch up lunch on Thursday. The Pitch Perfect star, 42, and the former SAS: Who Dares Wins host, 41, grinned as they celebrated St Patrick's day in style, just days after she won mixed reviews for her hosting role at the BAFTA Awards. Ant wore an appropriate green T-shirt as he enjoyed a pint of Guinness while wrapping his arm around Rebel, who opted for a green and white rugby top as she caught up with the former soldier. Celebration: Ant Middleton enjoyed a St Patrick's Day lunch with pal Rebel Wilson, as they caught up before she went home following her hosting of the BAFTA awards The actress shared the snap with her 10.5 million Instagram followers and captioned it: 'Celebrating St Patricks Day with my mate' Ant commented: 'They brought the Guinness in especiallyNow thats service on St Paddys day! Luvs ya Rebs' The Bridesmaids star also shared also shared a selfie to her story where she used a comical St Patrick's Day filter in which he wore a leprechaun hat. Fun! The actress shared also shared a selfie to her story where she used a comical St Patrick's Day filter in which he wore a leprechaun hat Sharing a similar snap with his 1.2 million Instagram followers of them both glad in green, Ant wrote: 'Now that was a St. Patricks lunch with service 'Guinness brought in especially and both in green for the occasion! So good to catch up with you @rebelwilson Safe travels home matey.' Rebel replied: 'lucky' and added the lucky four leaf clover emoji to mark the occasion. Ant captioned the post: 'Guinness brought in especially and both in green for the occasion! So good to catch up with you @rebelwilson Safe travels home matey' Rebel is set to head home after being branded BAFTAs worst host in history by viewers. She presented the show on Sunday night and was unfavourably compared to Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood's 1989 gig presenting the Brit Awards, who, until now, were considered the worst hosts of a TV ceremony in British history. Her hosting gig left viewers cringing at her 's**t jokes', 'wooden performance' and 'dodgy links' culminating in her handing out her own special prizes in the form of golden bras. A joke that fell flat came when Rebel said that she had planned to do a musical number on roller skates about Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, which was going to be called 'Pizza Express'. There were also off-colour gags about her 'bush', a 'weird' Daniel Craig leg tattoo and a joke about Will Smith, who won the Leading Actor award for his role in King Richard, causing the Royal Albert Hall audience to groan as she said his 'best performance in the past year was being OK with all his wife's boyfriends' - a nod to Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith's open relationship. But there was some praise for her decision to give Vladimir Putin the middle finger over Ukraine. She recently returned to the Bravo franchise which made her a household name after taking a break from reality television to focus on family. And Heather Dubrow was feeling closer to her kids than ever before as she revealed she got matching tattoos with her 18-year-old twins, Max and Nick. The 53-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County star headed down to Newport Tattoo in Costa Mesa, California and got what appeared to be morse code etched onto her middle finger to match her kids during a one-of-a-kind bonding experience with her two oldest children. Morse code for the letter 'D' is -** and it appears as though Heather and her children got the first initial of their surname Dubrow for the inking. Unique family fun: Heather Dubrow was feeling closer to her kids than ever before as she revealed she got matching tattoos with her 18-year-old twins, Max and Nick Dubrow stuck her tongue out for a snap shared to Max's Instagram account on Wednesday as the crew set up for the tattoos. They made sure to take a selfie together in a tiny mirror in a shot captioned: 'tongues out tattoos on.' Each of the Dubrows then shared the final work with the morse code on their middle finger and one extra point. Heather, who previously starred in the television series That's Life in 2000, took to the comments and wrote, 'ILYSM' (meaning, I love you so much.) Cool mom: The 53-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County star headed down to Newport Tattoo in Costa Mesa, California and got a permanent morse code - 'D' for Dubrow - etched onto her middle finger to match her kids Goat: Heather, who previously starred in the television series That's Life in 2000, took to the comments and wrote, 'ILYSM' (meaning, I love you so much.) Family fun: They made sure to take a selfie together in a tiny mirror in a shot captioned: 'tongues out tattoos on' Her co-star, Gina Kirschenheiter, shared a host of red hearts celebrating the fun activity for the trio. Heather has long fostered an open and honest relationship with her kids, and supported her daughter Max, who came out as bisexual and launched her first memoir this year which was documented on RHOC. Dubrow's 15-year-old daughter, Kat, also came out as a lesbian last year during a family group text. Mama mia! Dubrow stuck her tongue out for a snap shared to Max's Instagram account on Wednesday as the crew set up for the tattoos Ink time! Heather has long fostered an open and honest relationship with her kids, and supported her daughter Max, who came out as bisexual and launched her first memoir this year which was documented on RHOC Matching moment: Each of the Dubrows then shared the final work with a morse code for the letter D on their middle finger and one extra point She also has an 11-year-old girl with her husband of more than two decades, plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow. Rihanna, a Bravo aficionado, recently said Heather is the mom she looks to for inspiration in the housewives franchise. 'Heather Dubrow is so chic while being a mom. Just love the way that she just allows her kids to be who they are. And thats really inspiring to me,' Rihanna explained. 'But Teresa [Giudice] from Jersey does not play about her kids. She will flatten you about those kids. And that resonates with me a lot.' Gabrielle Union did not hold back when asked about Disney's 'slow response' to Florida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which has drawn wide criticism, while speaking to Variety at the premiere of her Cheaper by the Dozen remake on Wednesday. The 49-year-old star came out swinging against the company, saying the 'damage is done now' and encouraged corporations and those in 'positions of power' to take a 'hard stance' against the bill. Disney workers opposing the bill claimed CEO Bob Chapek failed to act quickly to advocate against the bill as he admitted he 'missed the mark' and have planned week long walkouts in protest. Speaking out: Gabrielle Union did not hold back when asked about Disney's 'slow response' to Florida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which has drawn wide criticism, while speaking to Variety at the premiere of her Cheaper by the Dozen remake on Wednesday 'Somebody asked me, 'Are you disappointed?' I'm disappointed when my order isn't right at In-N-Out. I don't even think that's a word that you could use for something like this, where children's lives are literally hanging in the balance,' Union told Variety. She added: 'We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression. Period. The damage is done.' Gabrielle is stepmom to 14-year-old daughter Zaya Wade, whom she shares with husband Dwyane Wade. Zaya came out as transgender in 2020. 'There are so many states that are following suit [with Florida's legislation], because there is no pushback, because no one in positions of power [or] corporations are taking a hard stance,' Gabrielle told Variety. 'Somebody asked me, 'Are you disappointed?' I'm disappointed when my order isn't right at In-N-Out. I don't even think that's a word that you could use for something like this, where children's lives are literally hanging in the balance,' Union told Variety. Union's stepdaughter, Zaya Wade [L], came out as transgender in 2020: 'We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression. Period. The damage is done.' Florida's Parents Rights in Education bill which has been dubbed the 'Don't Say Gay' bill prohibits 'classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity' from kindergarten through third grade. 'Let's look who's donating to what and let's call people out I think a lot of people like to confuse accountability and consequences for cancel culture,' she continued. 'And as long as you have a microphone and a stage that's not cancel culture, honey We have to campaign and fund for those people who stand for all of us.' Union's latest film, Cheaper by the Dozen, co-starring Zach Braff is produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Not afraid to speak her mind: Union's latest film, Cheaper by the Dozen, co-starring Zach Braff is produced by Walt Disney Pictures Disney workers are planning walkouts during their breaks every day this week to protest CEO Bob Chapek's 'slow response' in publicly criticizing the Florida legislation. The act of protest will culminate next Tuesday with a larger walkout by LGBTQ workers and their supporters at Disney worksites in California, Florida and elsewhere, the group of Disney employees said this week on their website. Statements by Disney leadership over the Florida legislation 'have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation,' protest organizers said. The walkouts come as the Human Rights Campaign, the latest LGBTQ civil rights organization in the U.S., announced that it will not be accepting any more funding from Disney without 'greater commitment to LGBTQ+ rights.' 'HRC is not going to take any funding from Disney until we see them take real action to defeat hateful legislation in Florida,' said Joni Madison, the HRC interim president. Republican lawmakers pushing the legislation argue that parents, not teachers, should be the ones talking to their children about gender issues during their early formative years. The bill prohibits 'classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity.' Furious: Disney workers are planning walkouts during their breaks every day this week to protest CEO Bob Chapek's 'slow response' in publicly criticizing the Florida legislation It also requires districts to 'adopt procedures for notifying a student's parent if there is a change in the student's services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being,' something LGBTQ advocates argue could lead to some students being outed to their parents without the student's knowledge or consent. The legislation has been sent to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. Those leading the walkouts at Disney said that while walkouts during breaks are 'protected' actions, workers taking part in the larger March 22 walkout will not be protected from consequences. 'Take your own situation into account before choosing to participate,' their website noted. Disney on Wednesday didn't respond to an email inquiry about whether the walkouts during breaks were having any impact on operations this week. As the state's largest private-sector employer - Walt Disney World outside Orlando had more than 75,000 workers before the coronavirus pandemic - Disney has contributed huge amounts of money to Floridas political parties and politicians and has wielded incredible influence on the states government. Chapek said he had the backs of his LBGTQ employees but admitted that he 'missed the mark' Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG Spotlight PA and four other Pennsylvania news organizations are suing the York County Clerk of Courts over alleged First Amendment violations after the office shut off free, easy access to criminal court records and instituted a policy that slowed their release. Advertisement The news organizations argue that the clerks office violated policies set by the state courts as well as the state and federal Constitutions when it repeatedly delayed access to records that outline the basics of a criminal case and why a person has been accused of a crime. The office also has inconsistently and inexplicably redacted some of the records before releasing them to reporters, obscuring public information that is critical to understanding and reporting the details of a case, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court Friday. Advertisement Access to the judicial system helps keep the press and public informed on whats happening in the courts and in communities, said Sasha Dudding, a legal fellow for the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, a journalism-focused legal services group that is representing the newsrooms. Dudding is joined by Paula Knudsen Burke, an attorney who has helmed other suits over records in Pennsylvania. When court access is delayed or denied entirely, it makes it more difficult for journalists to report on, and for communities to oversee the judicial system, law enforcement, public spending, and government officials, Dudding said. Both the state and federal Constitutions guarantee this right of access that all sorts of people count on. The complaint names York County Clerk of Courts Daniel J. Byrnes, a Republican who was elected to the position in 2020, as the sole defendant. The York County Clerks Office flatly rejects the unfounded claims made in this frivolous lawsuit, Byrnes said in an email to a Spotlight PA reporter on Monday. The Clerks office has balanced the needs of the press and public with the privacy rights of individuals including victims involved in criminal cases. During my tenure the Clerk of Courts Office has actually expanded free public access to the public, especially to those facing a financial barrier to information. This offices decisions on these matters are in accordance with criteria set by the courts and guidance provided by [the] state. Spotlight PA joined the York Daily Record, The York Dispatch, LNP Media Group, and Harrisburg-based public broadcast station WITF in the lawsuit. In addition to advocating for the publics right to access records, the outlets rely on judicial records maintained by the York County Clerk of Courts to provide news coverage. In September, Spotlight PA reporters were among those who attempted to obtain records from the clerks office. Responses to those requests took at least one day and contained some redactions, according to the lawsuit. Of the 42 case records requested by media outlets that month, only one was received on the same day and without redactions, according to the Reporters Committee. The access problems date back to late 2019, when a computer that allowed the public to access criminal records for free was removed from the first floor of the York County courthouse. The public could still see those records using computers on the fourth floor. Advertisement Then, in February 2021, the clerks office informed the news organizations it would start charging for both electronic and paper copies of records. Those fees exceeded what was normal for the state and created financial barriers, according to the complaint. Since then fees have been enforced inconsistently, ranging from no cost for emailed copies of records to $14.25 per request for printed or emailed copies, according to the lawsuit. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > Finally, in April 2021, the clerks office disabled the software used by the public to access court filings on the fourth floor computers. The complaint alleges that Byrnes directed his staff to personally handle records requests and initiated a policy for reviewing and redacting those documents a move that conflicts with state court policies that say it is not the responsibility of the clerks office to redact records. Court documents are sometimes filed in a way that protects details like Social Security numbers, bank accounts, or the names of minors. But the clerks office went too far, according to the complaint, by sealing entire cases and holding them for review. Byrnes policies have resulted in delays that affect the timeliness and news impact of the information, Dudding said. Currently, members of the public and reporters must request records from the York County Clerk of Courts in person or by email, Dudding said. Advertisement The news outlets seek an end to the clerks office practice of reviewing and redacting records before they are released. The lawsuit coincides with Sunshine Week, a period in March when news media across the country call attention to the work journalists do to fight for public records and transparency in government. WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Bianca Gascoigne dazzled as she attended a special screening of Disney+ adventure Moon Knight at the British Museum in London on Thursday. The reality television star, 35, looked sensational in a plunging white jumpsuit while rubbing shoulders with Hollywood stars Ethan Hawke and Oscar Isaac at the event. She added a matching white belt to cinch her in at her svelte waist, and toted a quirky clutch, emblazoned with a license plate. Wow: Bianca Gascoigne dazzled as she attended a special screening of Disney+'s Moon Knight at the British Museum in London on Thursday To give a pop of colour to her monotone outfit, she opted to wear red high heels and a matching classic red lip. She sported a simple gold pendant necklace, and swept her blonde tresses up in a messy high bun. Moon Knight is a new TV series based on the Marvel comics that tells the story of a mercenary with Dissociative Identity Disorder who is drawn into a deadly mystery involving Egyptian Gods with his multiple identities. Angelic: The reality television star, 35, looked sensational in a white jumpsuit with a plunging neckline to show off her ample assets Flawless: To give a pop of colour to her monotone outfit, she opted to wear red high heels and a matching classic red lip It stars Oscar Isaac as the titular role, as well as Ethan Hawke and May Calamawy, and will be released on Disney+ on March 30. Oscar looked especially dapper as he arrived at the event, dressed in a grey blazer, white shirt and black tie. The actor, 43, also opted to wear a matching grey kilt, showing off his smart black boots and black socks underneath. Blonde bombshell: She sported a simple gold pendant necklace, and swept her blonde tresses up in a messy high bun Exciting: Moon Knight is a new TV series based on the Marvel comics that tells the story of a mercenary with Dissociative Identity Disorder who is drawn into a deadly mystery involving Egyptian Gods with his multiple identities Starring role: The series stars Oscar Isaac as the titular role, as well as Ethan Hawke and May Calamawy, and will be released on Disney+ on March 30 Debonair: Oscar looked especially dapper as he arrived at the event, dressed in a grey blazer, white shirt and black tie Scottish touch: The actor, 43, also opted to wear a matching grey kilt, showing off his smart black boots and black socks underneath Cheerio! He waved goodbye to his adoring fans and the photographers He was joined by Ethan, 51, who looked similarly handsome in a simple black suit, with multicoloured bejewelled lapels. They both posed on the blue carpet with their co-star May, who looked striking in a red velvet suit that made her stand out from the crowd. She opted to forgo a top beneath the blazer for an added dose of sex appeal, and wore pair of coordinating red heels. Dapper: He was joined by Ethan, 51, who looked similarly handsome in a simple black suit Eye-catching: His jacket was decorated with multicoloured bejewelled lapels, to make his outfit stand out Dazzling: They both posed on the blue carpet with their co-star May, who looked striking in a red velvet suit Her short raven locks were artfully tousled and she beamed as she sported a soft palette of makeup. Also in attendance was Harriet Rose, who turned heads in a black and white paisley patterned co-ord. She paired the shirt and trousers with a pair of cream loafers for a casual look, and scraped her tresses back in a ponytail. United: The three co-stars sweetly held hands as they smiled for their photos Red hot: May opted to forgo a top beneath the blazer for an added dose of sex appeal, and wore pair of coordinating red heels Lady in red: Her short raven locks were artfully tousled and she beamed as she sported a soft palette of makeup Effortlessly cool: Also in attendance was Harriet Rose, who turned heads in a black and white paisley patterned co-ord Sofia Azir arrived looking sublime in a stunning black strapless gown that clung to her incredible figure, and boasted diamond detailing across the bust. She paired it with matching sparkly black gloves and elevated her height in a pair of black heels. Her fiery red hair was swept back from her face in an elegant ponytail, and she added a swipe of dramatic black eyeliner. Stunning: Sofia Azir arrived looking sublime in a stunning black strapless gown that clung to her incredible figure, and boasted diamond detailing across the bust Sublime: Her fiery red hair was swept back from her face in an elegant ponytail, and she added a swipe of dramatic black eyeliner. Meanwhile, Ann Akinjirin stunned in a bead-encrusted tan dress glittered under the lights and showed off her toned legs. Her outfit hugged her curves and featured a keyhole cut out across the chest, which accentuated her ample assets. She finished off the eye-catching ensemble with a pair of red satin heels, and a slick of pink gloss across her perfect pout. She posed next to David Ganly, who wore a forest green jumper underneath a black jacket and black trousers. Leggy display: Meanwhile, Ann Akinjirin stunned in a bead-encrusted tan dress glittered under the lights and showed off her toned legs On display: Her outfit hugged her curves and featured a keyhole cut out across the chest, which accentuated her ample assets Beauty: She finished off the eye-catching ensemble with a pair of red satin heels, and a slick of pink gloss across her perfect pout Handsome: She posed next to David Ganly, who wore a forest green jumper underneath a black jacket and black trousers Looking good: The main trio looked sensational as they struck a pose Ferne McCann and her boyfriend Lorri Haines looked glam as they attended Billie Faiers and Greg's Shepherd Gala for Haven House at Nobu Hotel in London on Thursday. The former TOWIE star, 31, and Dubai based estate agent Lorri looked loved-up while attending the charitable fundraising event, which aims to raise much needed money for Haven House Children's Hospice at the Nobu hotel. The TV personality flaunted her incredible figure in a black mesh cut-out maxi dress which she teamed with a pair of black strappy heels. Couple goals: Ferne McCann and her boyfriend Lorri Haines looked glam as they attended Billie Faiers and Greg's Shepherd star-studded Gala for Haven House in London on Thursday The bronzed beauty looked radiant as she opted for a bronzed makeup palette which accentuated her natural features and she paired it with a red lip. She wore her caramel locks pulled back into a chic high ponytail as she posed up a storm with her beau. Meanwhile, Lorri dressed to impressed in a black tuxedo and shiny dress shoes as he flashed his dazzling white smile while showing his support for the cause. Wow! The former TOWIE star flaunted her incredible figure in a black mesh cut-out maxi dress which she teamed with a pair of black strappy heels Incredible: The bronzed beauty looked sensational as she opted for a bronzed makeup palette and a red lip Night out: The chaos surrounding their dream home was put to one side on Thursday evening as Billie Faiers and Greg Shepard entertained guests at their Gala for Haven House The First Time Mum star is now in a relationship with Dubai based estate agent Lorri Haines and has said she would 'genuinely marry' him after a string of failed romances. The couple went public with their hot new romance last month during a holiday to the UAE. Ferne recently revealed she has finally found the one as she admitted that she would 'genuinely marry' Lorri after a string of failed romances. Couple: 'I can't wait to extend my family and for Sunday to have siblings': Ferne McCann, 31, has revealed that she would 'marry' her boyfriend Lorri Haines Speaking to The Sun, Ferne, who is mother to daughter Sunday, four, with jailed ex Arthur Collins, also told how she has learned from her 'mistakes' and would like to expand her brood with Lorrie in the future. The star confessed that she is ready to spend the rest of her life with Lorri and 'can't wait' to extend her family, just weeks after he was pictured sniffing suspicious white powder. Ferne gushed: 'I have met someone that I can see the rest of my future with. I can't wait to extend my family and for Sunday to have siblings.' 'I have never thought about it until now because I have met someone now that I would genuinely marry.' Luisa Zissman cut a glamorous figure as she stepped out to host Billie and Greg Shepherd's fundraising gala for Haven House childrens hospice at the Nobu hotel in London on Thursday night. Television personality Luisa, 34, put on a leggy display as she wore a green Bronx and Banco asymmetrical dress with cut-out detail and a ruffled hem. The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate flashed plenty of flesh and gave a slight glimpse at her midriff at the side of her garment. Glitterati: Luisa Zissman, 34, looked glamorous in an asymmetrical dress with cut-out detail and a ruffled hem at Billie and Greg Shepherd's fundraising gala for Haven House on Thursday The halter neck style ensured her naked arms and shoulders were left exposed to the air and she displayed a healthy glow as she posed on the brown carpet. Former Apprentice contestant Luisa added a few inches to her stature by opting for a pair of gold-strapped heels and wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features. The star took to Instagram before her outing to express her delight at attending the glitzy event having been last time three years ago. In style: Television personality Luisa wore a green Bronx and Banco number as she posed at the event before hosting the fundraising bash at the Nobu hotel in London She wrote: 'Off to host the fundraising for @havenhousech which is a UK based childrens hospice. 'Its @billiefaiersofficial & @gregory_shep event tonight and Im thrilled they have asked me to host the auction & other fundraising efforts! 'Last time I did this 3yrs ago we raised so much money (and we shaved Gregs head) , fingers crossed for lots of [money] tonight.' Glamour girls: Luisa posed up a storm alongside her glamorous reality star friend Billie, 32, who wore a chic black dress with an extreme thigh split Fashion focus: Former TOWIE star Billie's husband Greg looked dapper in a black tuxedo which he teamed with a crisp white shirt and bow tie Behind the scenes: Luisa took to Instagram before her outing to express her delight at attending the glitzy event having been last time three years ago Luisa posed up a storm alongside her glamorous reality star friend Billie, 32, who wore a chic black dress with an extreme thigh split. Billie gave a glimpse at her ample cleavage through the cut-out detail at the front of her dress as she stood next to Luisa. Former TOWIE star Billie's husband Greg looked dapper in a black tuxedo which he teamed with a crisp white shirt and bow tie. She has just announced her big TV comeback after quitting Home and Away. And former Bachelorette Sam Frost was in a celebratory mood on Wednesday as she joined friends at a pub in Newtown, Sydney. The 32-year-old cut a stylish figure in jeans and a floral top as she exited a popular venue on bustling King Street. Cheers to a new job! Former Bachelorette Sam Frost (left) was in a celebratory mood on Wednesday as she joined friends at a pub in Newtown, Sydney Sam looked chic in dark high-waisted jeans and a long-sleeve blouse, which she teamed with Doc Martens Chelsea boots. The actress swept her blonde hair into a high bun and her makeup look comprised dewy foundation. Sam looked cheerful as she linked arms with a male friend as another pal walked alongside them. Night on the town! The actress, 32, looked cheerful as she linked arms with a male friend as another pal walked alongside them Casual chic: Sam looked stylish in dark high-waisted jeans and a long-sleeve blouse, which she teamed with Doc Martens Chelsea boots It was revealed earlier this week that Sam will be making a TV comeback, after leaving the hit soap Home and Away. She will join her sister Kris Ross on a series called My Road to Adventure. The sisters will travel in a motorhome down Victoria's iconic Great Ocean Road. New gig: It was revealed earlier this week that Sam (right, with former co-star Ada Nicodemou) will be making a TV comeback, after leaving the hit soap Home and Away. She will join her sister Kris Ross on a new series called My Road to Adventure 'We are so excited to join the My Road to Adventure crew again and this time we'll be making the trek to the Great Ocean Rd in Victoria,' Sam told The Herald Sun. 'The Great Ocean Road means a lot to our family and holds a special place in my heart. I can't wait to revisit.' Sam and Kris previously travelled to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island in Queensland on the previous season of the show. It comes after Sam filmed her last scenes for Home and Away in December at Sydney's Eveleigh Studios. She then moved to Melbourne to be closer to her friends and family. Before her exit, she had compared restrictions on unvaccinated Australians to 'segregation' and also revealed she was unvaccinated. However, her Home and Away co-star Lynne McGranger later said Sam had decided to get vaccinated after leaving the soap. She recently filmed her gruelling stint on military-style show SAS Australia. But it was back to reality for Bachelor star Anna Heinrich on Thursday. The mother-of-one was spotted doing a nappy run in Sydney. Back to reality! Anna Heinrich showed off her fit figure as she did a nappy run in a chic maxi dress in Sydney on Thursday The 35-year-old looked incredibly chic as she ran her errands, showing off her fit figure in a ribbed fitted maxi dress. The former criminal lawyer toted a $2940 Louis Vuitton Neverfull handbag and wore designer sneakers. With barely a scrap of makeup on her flawless visage the television beauty was glowing, and she bundled her blonde locks up in a high bun. Casual chic: The 35-year-old looked incredibly chic as she ran her errands, showing off her fit figure in a ribbed fitted maxi dress Gorgeous and glowing: With barely a scrap of makeup on her flawless visage Anna was glowing, and she bundled her blonde locks up in a high bun Anna recently revealed she officially given up her job as a criminal lawyer to pursue a career as a full-time influencer and entrepreneur. She told The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday she had chosen not to renew her legal practising certificate this year so she could focus on other opportunities. 'I am way more happy now that I am not [working as a lawyer] and it was more to prove to people that I could do it myself,' she said. 'I am way more happy now': Anna recently revealed she officially given up her job as a criminal lawyer to pursue a career as a full-time influencer and entrepreneur Anna said she'd been working just one day a week since the birth of her daughter Elle in November 2020, and had recently lost her 'passion' for the legal profession. 'I was doing it more to feel like I still had that career,' she explained. She admitted to feeling anxious about losing the 'credibility' that comes with being a practising lawyer. End of an era: The 35-year-old (pictured with husband Tim Robards) said she had chosen not to renew her legal practising certificate this year so she could focus on other opportunities 'I think people look at you differently when you say you are a lawyer. As soon as I say I've stopped practising law, I feel like I should be ashamed of that because I always put that as the pinnacle when it is actually not,' she said. Anna is now working as a social media influencer and building her new supplements brand, Intu Wellness. According to its website, Intu Wellness is 'a collection of premium, wellness and beauty supplements for women like you, who are a tad too busy and need an extra push to get their power back in the morning'. 'I was doing it more to feel like I still had that career': Anna said she'd been working just one day a week since the birth of her daughter Elle in November 2020, and had recently lost her 'passion' for the legal profession. (Pictured at Downing Centre Local Court in May 2019) The brand currently only sells one product: a powder that purports to help with sleep and skin renewal, worth $89 a bottle. Anna was working as a full-time criminal lawyer in 2013 when she won the first season of The Bachelor, starring her now-husband Tim Robards. After finding fame, she began working as a model and brand ambassador, partnering with companies such as Pandora, Oral B, Brosa, Nature One Dairy, Pantene and Olay. 'I think people look at you differently when you say you are a lawyer': She admitted to feeling anxious about losing the 'credibility' that comes with being a practising lawyer. Pictured: Anna playing the role of TV lawyer on Channel 10's Trial by Kyle Australia's new supplement queen: Anna is now working as a social media influencer and building her new supplements brand, Intu Wellness 'Before I went on [The Bachelor], I didn't think I had much to gain career wise. I already had a good career. If anything, going on it would lessen my career in criminal law,' she told Daily Mail Australia in 2016. 'The only real reason to go on was to find love. I had everything else to lose. But I love Tim. He's the guy I'm meant to be with Things just aligned.' As a result of her media duties, Anna was forced to cut back on her legal career, which had paid a daily rate of $2,200, according to Watsons Lawyers. 'It got quite difficult when I was working full-time and so I became part-time,' she added. 'I love both sides of what I do, the law and media-related things, equally, and like to prioritise both of them in different ways.' Career: Anna was working as a full-time criminal lawyer in 2013 when she won the first season of The Bachelor, starring her now-husband Tim Robards. (Pictured together in April 2018) Lisa Rinna is ready for swimsuit season. The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star, 58, posted a sizzling shot of her wearing a sexy animal print bathing suit on Thursday. 'Mood,' she captioned the shot along with a four leaf clover emoji. Swimsuit season is almost here! Lisa Rinna posted a sizzling shot of her wearing a sexy animal print bathing suit on Thursday Lisa put her legs and cleavage on display as she crouched on the floor with her hands clasped in the front of her body. She looked the height of style with a bucket hat plopped upon her trademark short hair and a pair of shades concealing her eyes. A fresh swipe of lip gloss amped up the glamour. The post comes over a week after Lisa gushed about her husband Harry Hamlin, who had just secured his first role in major studio film in 40 years. Major win: The post comes over a week after Lisa gushed about her husband Harry Hamlin, who had just secured his first role in major studio film in 40 years 'I'd like to share a little story about my husband. 40 years ago he starred in a Movie for @20thcenturystudios called Making Love. It was the first gay love story controversial and groundbreaking. 40 years later Harry just got his first Studio movie,' Lisa posted to Instagram. 'He hasn't worked for a MAJOR film studio in 40 years. Talk about Tenacity and standing your ground and risk-taking and being a f- - - ing Stud!!! I'm so blessed and honored to be able to call myself his wife. Congrats Harry Hamlin!!!!!!!' Lisa, who shares two daughters, the fashion models Delilah Belle, 23, and Amelia Gray, 20, with Harry, teased that his as-yet-unnamed co-star was something special in the as-yet-unnamed project, dropping the hint, 'ps wait until you hear who he is starting in the new movie with.' The actor was a rising star with leading man good looks when he signed on to portray Bart McGuire in the 1982 movie, Making Love, about a man who begins an affair with a married doctor, played by Michael Ontkean. Former Charlie's Angel Kate Jackson played his wife. Stoking controversy: The actor's last big screen role was in the 1982 film Making Love, co-starring with Michael Ontkean and Kate Jackson. The film was considered controversial at the time. Hamlin starred as a man who has an affair with a married doctor Groundbreaking: The film Making Love opened to mixed reviews, but actors Leslie Jordan and Carson Kressley both responded to Rinna's Instagram announcement that the movie was important and life changing Leading man: One year before the release of Making Love, Hamlin starred as Perseus in Clash of the Titans opposite big screen legends Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith. Seen here with Judi Bowker as Andromeda The movie opened to mixed reviews, but is considered as trailblazing. Leslie Jordan posted in response to Rinna's announcement, 'That movie was so important to gay guys like me still living out in the boonies. You have no idea how important! Thank you, Harry, for your bravery!!' The Call Me Kat actor then teased 'I had a crush on him before you. Just sayin'' Stud: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna raved about her husband's new project, praising his 'tenacity' after he signed on to the major movie project after four decades away from the big screen Family: Harry and Lisa share two daughters, the fashion models Delilah Belle, 23, and Amelia Gray, 20. In a recent interview the former Mad Men star said the secret to their successful 25 years of marriage is that they are 'diametrically opposite' The Bold Type's Carson Kressley added to the accolades 'That movie changed my life! And it's when I fell in love with Harry!' Hamlin had great television success after the film, which was considered quite controversial at the time, starring in the hit series LA Law for five years (1986-1991) and was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 1987. He also appeared in Veronica Mars for two seasons (2004-2006) and has starred in multiple made-for-TV movies, but the newly announced project will be the the Rush star's first major studio project in four decades. Last month, the Mad Men star, who also has son Dimitri, 40, from a previous relationship with actress Ursula Andress, 85, claimed the success behind his and Lisa's 25 years of marriage is because the two were extreme opposites. He told People, '[The secret is] being diametrically opposite. I like going up to the mountains, and her idea of camping is anything below the 10th floor of the Four Seasons.' Watch the Iconic Series, Veronica Mars only on Stan in Australia. Small screen success: Even though he wasn't hired to star in big screen projects, Hamlin enjoyed a great deal of small screen success in shows such as LA Law, seen here with Jimmy Smits, Corbin Bernsen and Blair Underwood 150 people on a flight, 250 kg of fuel left, landing destination not in sight and all of it left on a frantic pilot who sent out a May Day call even before it should have been made. The pilot also, to everyones astonishment, wrote Good Bye to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) throwing everyone in shock. This is what Ajay Devgns Runway 34 is all about. The trailer of the movie is out. First, see it. WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT DAY? On the fateful morning of August 18, 2015, the two pilots of Jet Airways, Flight 9W-555 on a Boeing 737-800, had the biggest tests of their lives when their flight from Doha, the capital of Qatar, to Kochi in Kerala didn't turn out to be the way they wanted them to be. At 5.45 am, the runway was covered by haze due to overnight rain. The pilot attempted to divert landing at the Trivandrum airport. But to his dismay, the second landing at Trivandrum also saw hassles due to poor visibility. To top it, while the plane was making unsuccessful attempts to land, it ran short of fuel. It had 250 kg of fuel left against the requirement of 1,500 kg of fuel along with alternative fuel. The pilot made three attempts to land at Trivandrum runway 14, but couldnt do so because the visibility was less than required for landing. The captain had informed the ATC about the fuel levels running alarmingly running low. He wanted to land even though there was poor visibility. But then, he made a May Day call, which shook the ATC room. WHAT IS A MAY DAY CALL? Motion poster of the movie Runway 34. Photo: Ajay Devgn Films, Panorama studios The May Day call, earlier known as SOS (Save Our Souls) call, was actually a call made to deprive the pilot of all the communication from the ATC. After the call, the pilot is left to himself and the ATC ceases all communication with him. All is left to the wisdom of the pilot to use his intellect and save the lives of the passengers on his plane. Ajay Devgn had earlier titled the movie May Day, and it was later changed to Runway 34. The phrase draws significance here because the pilot in this case had pulled the warning bell on the second attempt; when he had ample fuel left with him and he could have hovered in the air for quite some time. THE FINAL LANDING Ajay Devgn. Photo: Ajay Devgn Films, Panorama Studios The pilot with his co-pilot on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft had made the May Day call. The aircraft was hovering in the air and there were three unsuccessful attempts to land. Emergency was declared at the airport. All the steps were taken as per the SOP; getting ambulances ready, informing city fire services, and also alerting the hospitals. The pilot attempted landing in the fourth attempt. It was successful. He landed without a hitch. However, after the incident, both the pilots were sacked. An inquiry was ordered. The whole landing saga wouldnt have drawn this kind of attention if not for two reasons. First, the May Day Call; and then, the shortage of fuel. For a light aircraft like Boeing 737-800, the minimum fuel reserve after landing is about 1,500 kg. It also throws up questions on the fuel policy of Jet Airways not being in line with international safety standards. BUT WHY DID THE PILOT DO THIS? Two pilots, who were lauded by newspapers the very next day, were sacked for endangering the lives of 150 people on board. But the three startling questions remain: First, why did the pilot make the May Day call only during the second landing attempt at Trivandrum port? Second, why did the aircraft run out of fuel when it should have had ample reserves as per international safety standards? And third, why did he have to say Good Bye to the ATC instead of Good Day - the general phrase while ending a conversation? All of these questions will be answered in the movie on April 29, 2022. Easton police have charged a city man with criminal homicide in the fatal shooting of two teens Monday afternoon, Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck said. Police obtained an arrest warrant for Altajier Kyell Robinson, 20, of the first block of North Ninth Street. Officer searched the home early Thursday but were unable to locate him. Robinson is 5-foot-10 and weighs 150 pounds. He is considered armed and dangerous and anyone who encounters him should call police and not confront him, Houck said. Advertisement Altajier Kyell Robinson is charged in the murders of two teens in a daylight shooting March 14, 2022, in Easton. (handout/The Morning Call) In addition to criminal homicide, Robinson is charged with conspiracy, carrying a firearm without a license and reckless endangerment. No additional information on Robinsons whereabouts is available, Houck said. We believe he was not alone and were continuing the investigation. We do consider him a shooter, Houck said. Were not going to rest until we get them all. Advertisement A criminal complaint filed in Northampton County Court remains sealed. Killed in the shooting around 4 p.m. on the 1300 block of Washington Street were D-Andre Snipes, 17, who died in a car at the scene, and Kavan Figueroa, 18, who was pronounced dead at a hospital overnight. Houck said Monday his office and police were taking a particular interest in the shooting because of its brazen nature on a busy street shortly after school let out, adding it was a miracle no one else was hit. Anyone with information is asked to call Easton police at 610-250-6634 or 610-250-6635. Morning Call reporter Peter Hall can be reached at 610-820-6581 or peter.hall@mcall.com. Sizzla Kalonji has come out in support of attorney-at-law Hugh Small, who, days ago symbolically burnt his old white horsehair wigs, which are a part of the garb worn historically, by lawyers and judges in the criminal courts of Britain and its colonies. Sizzla shared a part of a video clip of Small calling for Jamaica to leave the UK Privy Council and stand on its own, just before he ignited the three headpieces, known as perukes, and which were made popular after King Louis XIII began wearing them in 1624. Time to leave the privy council and stand on our own, time to leave colonialism and stand for one world of black people. Time to leave Babylon and go to Africa , Sizzla wrote on his Instagram page, under a video snippet of Smalls symbolic burning. See more Big up all ma reggae music fans Get up stand up thats all we need to do, help to make the world community a better place. More education more music Dance hall a fiwi sitten, he added later. The full video of the wig-burning shows the lawyer, who turns 81 this year, instructing an assistant to pour a flammable liquid on the three old wigs. In the video, Small is heard saying that one of the three wigs, all yellowed with age, belonged to his late father, Senior Puisne Judge Ronald Small, while the other was his while a barrister, but that they were relics of Jamaicas colonial past. These wigs here my fathers wigs from 1934. This was my wig which was 1963 and as a symbol of our need to stand on our own, and get outta the Privy Council I am going to sacrifice them. On behalf a di Jamaican people, light dat afire. Time to leave the Privy Council and stand on our own, Small who also served as a judge in The Bahamas, told his aide. See more Judge Hugh Small burning his Judicial Wigs as he calls for the removal of the Privy Council as Jamaica's final appellate court! Fire Ritual of resolute defiance Courage and certitude! #HughSmall #HughSmallBurnsWig #PrivyCouncil #CaribbeanCourtofJustice pic.twitter.com/pdXMhj2Zzu The Africa Forum (@KabuMaatKheru) March 13, 2022 Days later whilst speaking with Dionne Jackson Miller on Radio Jamaica, Small, when asked what prompted the burning, said he had carried out the exercise as he prepared to relocate from St Elizabeth to the Corporate Area. He said he had recorded the video and sent it to family members via WhatsApp, but had no idea that it would have reached social media, as it was supposed to be a private affair, and was surprised when he got a call from a journalist regarding the video. I was living in Malvern in St. Elizabeth where I spent part of my childhood. I was living on the same piece of land; I built a home there and I decided that I was going to sell it and come back to Kingston, so I was packing up my things; it was a lot of stuff that I had in what was a rather spacious house and moving into an apartment I said look, I am not going to carry these things with me and I thought about and I said, you know, why did we have to wear wigs and what did it really symbolize? It was a very private act that I had no idea would have gone viral, Small explained. I sent it to family members and one judge a former judge. I did not publish it, Small, who was called to the Jamaican Bar in 1963 and appointed Queens Counsel in 1975 said. With respect to the Privy Council, Small had said that Prime Minister Andrew Holness ought to take decisive steps toward removing the Queen as Jamaicas Head of State and the UK Privy Council as its final appellate court. He had also said that Holness should use his contribution to the budget debate on Thursday to update Jamaicans on the plans made toward this process. In addition, he had said that Holness was in a unique position since he was the first Prime Minister born after Jamaica gained its independence from Britain and had already made certain promises about the matter. As for the headgear, Jamaican judges and lawyers stopped wearing the horsehair headgear, almost a decade ago. However, the practice of people strutting around in the wigs in hot climates, has been a bone of contention, and a source of ridicule for some time. According to media reports, in April 2011, Justice Ekaterina Trendafilova had asked lawyers to shed their wigs next time they appeared before her at the International Criminal Court, at the Hague in the Netherlands, after some attorneys attended court in traditional black gowns and white horsehair wigs for a preliminary hearing, in a case dealing with violence after Kenyas disputed 2007 presidential election. This is not the dress code of this institution In this quite warm weather maybe it will be more convenient to be without wigs, she had admonished. Lawyers and judges of African descent have also been similarly lampooned about the wearing of the wigs. In September 2017, the Independent, in an article titled Why African judges still wearing wigs is a glaring symbol of British colonialism, noted that opponents of the colonial outfit were not just arguing against inconvenience, but against a tradition that African judiciaries appear to be embracing. The British gave up their last colonies in Africa half a century ago. But they left their wigs behind. Not just any wigs. They are the long, white horsehair locks worn by high court judges (and King George III). They are so old-fashioned, and so uncomfortable, that even British barristers have stopped wearing them, the article noted. Also in September 2017, The Washington Post had questioned why so many African judges were still wearing wigs, 50 years after the British left, noting that the wig survives, along with other relics of the colonial courtroom: red robes, white bows, references to judges as my lord and my lady. It noted that an editor of the Nigerian Lawyer blog had written that wigs were not made for the sweltering Lagos heat, where lawyers wilted under their garb, but that in Kenya, when a former chief justice appealed to remove the wigs from the courtroom, arguing that they were a foreign imposition and not a Kenyan tradition, many of his compatriots had objected. He swapped the traditional British red robes for Kenyanized green and yellow ones. He called the wigs dreadful, the article noted. But that outlook wasnt shared by many Kenyan judges and lawyers, who saw the wigs and robes as their own uniforms, items that elevate a courtroom, despite or because of their colonial links. It was met with consternation from within the bench and the bar, the article quoted Isaac Okero, president of the Law Society of Kenya as saying. Delta Air Lines to launch new nonstop service from Dayton International to New York City's LaGuardia Airport. Dayton International Airport announces an addition to its departure schedule: Delta Air Lines will begin a new daily nonstop flight between Dayton (DAY) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) starting Monday, June 6, 2022. This new service will operate on a CRJ-900 aircraft. The aircraft has 70 seats, including 12 first class and 20 Comfort+ seats. Our passengers and our community will benefit from the convenience of this new additional nonstop flight to LaGuardia, said Gil Turner, director of aviation for the City of Dayton. The daily schedule starting June 6, 2022, will be: LGA to DAY, Depart 12:30 p.m., Arrive 2:20 p.m. DAY to LGA, Depart 3:05 p.m., Arrive 5:05 p.m. remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. As I suggested to Morning Call readers in a July 16, 2020 piece, the history of relations between African Americans and Irish Americans has, in many regards, been a troubled one. But the work of an early Black lawyer conveys a tale of historical hope and connection that attempted to transcend the perniciousness of racial categories, one I think we could all use about now. Robert Morris was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1823. Morris, the second African American attorney in U.S. history, went on to practice law in Boston as a member of the firm started by the nations first, Macon Bolling Allen. Advertisement Morris knew what he was up against being one of two Black lawyers in the entire United States. White Bostonians dismissively pegged him as a substandard lawyer, though, from the beginning, he defeated the odds. Christopher Brooks (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) Throughout much of its history Boston held a reputation as one of America's most segregated cities in the north, with a white working-class population hostile to Blacks. (iStock.com/DenisTangneyJr) In his very first case, in 1847, Morris defended a Black client suing his white former employer. After a pretrial meeting with opposing counsel, he returned to his office and, he later wrote, sat down and cried. Morris thought of the mighty odds against him. It was at that moment that he made the vow he never broke: I would prove myself to be a man and a gentleman, and succeed in the practice of law, or I would die. In the end, Morris won. Advertisement Morris was known in the Irish community as the Black lawyer, and some referred to him by the more egregious term, N----r Morris. But, rather than getting triggered and seeking a safe space to boo-hoo whine, he aimed at a greater target than complaint. He proved wrong and quieted the ignorance uttered by Bostons recent arrivals from the Emerald Isle with his brilliance. Seeing through the ignorant comments, Morris realized that most people were simple and tribal; he peered into the souls of his Irish neighbors to see opportunity for socio-economic connection. With that frame of mind, Morriss successful firm predominately served Black and less-fortunate working-class Irish clients. I am sure there are some readers wondering why the Irish immigrants didnt seek Irish American counsel when in legal trouble. Sure, there was certainly rivalry and distrust between Bostons Irish and Black communities, but not enough to necessarily choose a Protestant white Bostonian to represent them. Moreover, there were not many Black or Irish attorneys in the early 1800s. There was only one Irish lawyer in Boston at the time, James Egan, who passed the bar in 1847. But Morriss connection ran deeper still. By the early 1850s, he and his family started attending Catholic services at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in South Boston. Those familiar with Boston are likely feeling a little shocked, as, by the 20th century, Southie developed into what many refer to as the most racist part of Boston. A likely reader of the abolitionist paper, The Self Elevator, speaks to Morriss sense, self-reliance, or elevation, being the theme of his day. As Morriss mentee John S. Rock argued in February 1862, free Blacks succeeded, in spite of every effort to crush them. They lived in refutation of that shameless assertion that we cant take care of ourselves, in a state of freedom. Abject as our condition has been, our whole lives prove us superior to the influences that have been brought upon us to crush us. Advertisement So, some nasty racism from an Irish immigrant would be fuel for success rather than a cause to capitulate. Irish American Studies professor Lawrence J. McCaffrey wrote, The Irish played a role in British history from 1800-1922 similar to that of the Negro in American history. Historian Thomas N. Browns sentiment concurs: songs and poems penned by Irish immigrants equaled the pathos of the Negro. Despite that pathos, history has shown the road between Black and Irish communities throughout America has, in many instances, been riddled with potholes. The patchwork will be difficult but, on this St. Patricks Day, lets reflect on mending this lost opportunity to unite. Perhaps both sides need to have the tough skin of Robert Morris to make things work. Christopher Brooks is a professor of history at East Stroudsburg University. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The auction evoked a huge response with buyers quoting prices much higher than the upset prices quoted by the government. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The last month of the current fiscal (2021-22) is set to end on a good note for the state government. The auction of land parcels in various districts in the last three days fetched Rs 500 crore for the government. Hopes strengthened that it will be able to mobilise Rs 15,500 crore through land auctions in the new fiscal 2022-23. With this, the state government is set to meet the shortfall in non-tax revenue collections in 2021-22 to an extent in March, the last month of this fiscal. The government has auctioned plots in Bahardurpally and Thorrur under HMDA limits, Narketpally in Nalgonda district, Bhoothpur in Mahabubnagar, Gadwal, Kamareddy, Anthergoan in Peddapalli, Mavala in Adilabad and Yalal in Vikarabad district. The auction evoked a huge response with buyers quoting prices much higher than the upset prices quoted by the government. Municipal administration and urban development special chief secretary Arvind Kumar tweeted, "The Government of Telangana has successfully auctioned off residential plots in districts and realised Rs 500 crore in the last three days. This reaffirms the robustness of state's economy and citizens confidence." The government had targeted to raise Rs 16,000 crore through sale of lands in 2021-22 but could realise only about Rs 6,000 crore so far. In the Budget 2022-23, the government proposed to raise Rs 15,500 crore through sale of lands and sale of Rajiv Swagruha flats in Hyderabad and Khammam, numbering about 2,246. The government needs to mobilise funds for Dalit Bandhu before March 31 as Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao has announced to extend the scheme to 100 families each in 118 remaining assembly constituencies this fiscal (2021-22) itself. The scheme requires Rs 20,000 crore in 2022-23 to cover two lakh families, for which a Rs 17,700 crore budgetary allocation was made. The last month of this fiscal also generated huge revenues for the state government through property registrations. The government earned Rs 473.79 crore from March 1 to 17, taking the total collections this fiscal till March 17 to Rs 8,730 crore. Besides, it earned Rs 293crore through e-Stamps (challans) for property registrations till March 17, taking the total collections this fiscal to Rs 5,041 crore. New Delhi: In what could indicate the beginning of a thaw in Sino-Indian relations at the top level, there are indications that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi may visit New Delhi later this month. If the visit takes place, it will be the first time that a top-level visit will take place from either country to the other after the deadly conflict at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh sector between Indian and Chinese troops two years ago. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Mr Wang Yi, who also holds the rank of state councillor, have held meetings in other locations in third countries such as Russias capital Moscow as well as telephonic conversations in the past two years, but neither foreign minister has visited the other country after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. Relations between the two Asian giants had deteriorated following the massing of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army troops at the border areas in the Ladakh sector that started in April-May 2020, and had eventually led to the deadly clash in Galwan, in which the troops of both sides lost their lives. Both nations have since held several rounds of talks at the diplomatic and military level, but the disengagement between the troops of both sides have not taken place at all the friction points yet due to the perceived reluctance of Chinese troops to pull back. Both countries have also accepted that bilateral ties have gone downhill in the past two years and the Chinese foreign ministers likely visit may be seen as an initiative on the part of Beijing to improve ties with New Delhi. However, India is also clear that Chinese troops must first pull back from all friction points in the border areas in Ladakh and restore the status quo that existed in the spring of 2020 before bilateral relations can be normalised. The MEA had informed Parliament only last month: As regards the disengagement in the remaining areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, India and China have maintained dialogue through both diplomatic and military channels. Our approach in these talks has been and will continue to be guided by three key principles that both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC; neither side should attempt to alter the status quo unilaterally, and all agreements between the two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety. The minister said while allowing levy of additional charges on cinema tickets, it will be ensured that they cause no burden on cinegoers or undermine the film industry. (Representational Image/ DC File) Vijayawada: Cinematography minister Perni Venkataramaiah on Thursday announced that online sale of cinema tickets will commence in Andhra Pradesh during April or May. He disclosed that two firms have participating in tenders called for sale of cinema tickets online. AP Film Development Corporation will select the vendor soon, he stated. Venkataramaiah maintained that to encourage shooting of films in AP, state government has started providing all requisite permissions free of cost through a single window. He said governments in Telangana and north India collect a fee before allowing shooting of movies in their states. Referring to film RRR directed by Rajamouli, the minister said state government has received an application seeking upward revision in cost of tickets for viewing this film, which has cost Rs 336 crore to produce, excluding the remuneration given to hero, heroine and director of the movie. Venkataramaiah said AP Film Development Corporation and home secretary are examining the application. Once they clear it, the file will go to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Subsequently, the state government will issue an order fixing the cost of ticket keeping in mind production cost of the film. The minister said while allowing levy of additional charges on cinema tickets, it will be ensured that they cause no burden on cinegoers or undermine the film industry. He pointed out that GO13 issued on March 7 provides for higher ticket prices in case production cost of a film is more than Rs 100 crore, excluding the remuneration paid to hero, heroine and director. We live in a world of deepening, serious threats. The invasion of Ukraine, the struggle to overcome COVID-19 and the need for a robust response to climate change are some of the present global challenges. This year, for the first time in two years, the United States is on the verge of sending our most valued treasure our people overseas to confront those threats and others as Peace Corps volunteers once again. Advertisement For the past two years, the Peace Corps, like much of the world, was grounded by COVID-19, with no volunteers currently serving abroad. As the Peace Corps gets ready to relaunch, it is my hope, as a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served from 1966-1969, that it becomes even more effective than before. The good news is that this is possible. Advertisement While nearly 7,000 Americans serving in some 60 countries came home in 2020, the 240,000 Americans who served since the agencys founding in March 1961 didnt sit still. We organized, drew on the knowledge and experience of the community and produced a comprehensive set of recommendations for how the Peace Corps can return to the field to meet the needs of a changed world. Russell E. Morgan (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) The Peace Corps, established in 1961 during the administration of President John F. Kennedy, has sent thousands of American volunteers overseas to help communities in 140 countries. (Peace Corps/Peace Corps) Our communitys voices were organized by our returned volunteer membership organization National Peace Corps Association to ensure that Americas most iconic service agency lives up to President Kennedys grand vision of bringing the world together in peace. This vision is more urgent today, due to the global threats we all face. I know firsthand about the importance of the Peace Corps and of the impact we can have. Raised in Bethlehem, I graduated from Moravian College in 1965. I served the next three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in northern Kenya, teaching science to students coming from nomadic tribes. The thirst of these students for education and global understanding was remarkable. For many, this was their one chance to improve their lives, and they did so, becoming health professionals, teachers, lawyers, public officials and other meaningful roles in their society. From Pennsylvania, over 8,705 other returned Peace Corps volunteers like myself have served in countries around the world since the Peace Corps founding. The anniversary of President Kennedys 1961 executive order establishing the Peace Corps was celebrated a couple weeks ago, and volunteers will soon return to service overseas. At least eight countries have met revised health, safety and security standards for volunteers to return, while more nations are close to meeting those standards. Yet more needs to be done. The first step toward completing an overhaul of Peace Corps operations is new authorizing legislation. Advertisement The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (HR 1456) includes provisions to improve in-service and post-service health care; extend the critical mission of a Sexual Assault Advisory Council; enhance several volunteer financial benefits; expedite applications for volunteers wishing to return to service after COVID brought them home; and to raise opportunities and respect for Peace Corps service. As volunteers return to the field, battling COVID will be a significant part of their work. In October 2021 testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Acting Director Carol Spahn said: The Peace Corps is committed to playing a critical role in global COVID-19 response and recovery by returning volunteers to work in partnership with underserved communities around the world. Climate change is also a priority. While its been over 20 years since Congress reauthorized the original Peace Corps Act, last September Democrats and Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee came together and passed HR1456 by a vote of 44 to 4. The rest of the Congress should follow their lead. Now is the time for action as volunteers again prepare for service. Congratulations to Rep. Susan Wild, who has taken a leadership role as a co-sponsor of HR 1456 in the House. Please urge Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey to become original co-sponsors of the counterpart Senate legislation when it is introduced in the next weeks. This commitment is an important step toward deepening our nations commitment to service and our nations highest ideals. Advertisement Russell E. Morgan, a Bethlehem resident and Moravian College graduate, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya from 1966-1969. Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday observed that it would interpose if any decision was taken by the state government to demolish heritage buildings situated in the premises housing Osmania General Hospital (OGH) based on the report placed by the committee constituted by the state government. The court opined that the committees report was not enough to arrive at a final decision on demolition. It said that reports from experts like structural engineers from IITs, architects and firms with expertise in assessment of stability of heritage structures and restoration, shall also be taken in order to assess viability of the said buildings in OGH. The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili, was dealing with a batch of PILs related to dilapidated buildings in OGH premises. Some PILs were filed for directions to demolish existing buildings, including the heritage structure, to enable construction of new buildings. Another batch of PILs objected to the proposal to demolish the heritage structure and sought its restoration. The PILs have been pending for the last six years. After ignoring court directions all these days,, on Thursday, on behalf of the government, Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy, in-charge director of medical education, filed an affidavit stating that the issue of demolition of the existing buildings in OGH requires a comprehensive consideration of various attendant circumstances so that there is substantial compliance of all statutory provisions. In this regard the government on March 10 constituted a four-member committee, comprising engineer-in-chief of R&B, public health, panchayati raj and GHMCs chief city planner, the affidavit said. It also said that the panel would submit its report within 15 days of its constitution. It is only after that would the government be in a position to take an appropriate decision on the heritage building, Ramesh Reddy submitted in the affidavit. This was objected by counsels of the group opposed to demolition. Sama Sandeep Reddy, one of the counsels, argued that there was no need to touch the heritage building as new buildings could be built on the remaining 26 acres belonging to OGH. Other counsels apprehended doubts about the veracity of the official committees report. Intervening, the court said that the official report was not an end in itself as it would also take the experts report into consideration. Observing that it was aware that several heritage structures were demolished in the state on the grounds they were in a condition of dilapidation, the court remarked that several structures in OGH, which were built only a decade or two back were leaking from their roofs, unlike the heritage structure. The cases were adjourned to April 8 so as to get the report of the committee that has been constituted by the state government. Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Thursday made it clear that the report of the Justice Hema Commission, which studied the issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, cannot be released as such as it comprises personal account of several women working in the sector. State Minister for Cultural Affairs and Cinema Saji Cheriyan told the Assembly that retired Justice K Hema, who had headed the three-member committee, herself demanded the government to keep the report confidential. He was replying to a submission on the issue raised by Vadakara legislator K K Rema (UDF). "The Hema panel does not fall within the purview of the Commission of Enquiries. Personal experiences of several women, working in the industry, have been made part of the report. So it can not be released as such," the minister said. The State Information Commission already issued an order saying that the reports, comprising the personal account of individuals, cannot be published as a public document, he pointed out. The government made its stand clear on the issue in the wake of several activists and pro-women outfits including Women in Cinema Collective, a body of women in the Malayalam industry, raised concerns against not releasing the report though it was submitted in 2019. Though the panel recommended effective steps to ensure gender justice in the film field, it has been kept confidential without taking any action, the WCC alleged. As the girls were not ready to remove the Hijab, they were denied permission to enter the class. (Representational image: PTI) Udupi: Nine students of Government First Grade College in Kaup of Udupi district returned home without appearing for the examination after they were banned to enter the class wearing Hijab. The college authorities denied permission to wear Hijab quoting the High Court order. The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday ruled that Hijab is not an essential practice in Islam and upheld the state governments order. However, nine students of Government First Grade College, Kaup sought permission to write the internal examinations wearing Hijab. College Principal Dr. Anil Kumar spoke to the girls informed them of the court order. He asked them to enter the class by removing the headscarves. As the girls were not ready to remove the Hijab, they were denied permission to enter the class. Both Hijab and education are equally important for us. Earlier we did not have such a problem. We are hopeful that there will be a solution for the issue soon, students told reporters while returning home. The situation was normal in other colleges of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Police security was beefed up to ensure there was no untoward incident. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 are in force in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district. The six girls of Udupi Government Women's PU College, who had approached the High Court, did not attend classes. Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao had announced in the assembly a week ago that notifications to fill over 80,039 government posts will be issued with immediate effect. (Photo: Twitter) Hyderabad: The process of fixation of roster points for various reserved categories is delaying the issuance of government job notifications in the state. Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao had announced in the assembly a week ago that notifications to fill over 80,039 government posts will be issued with immediate effect. However, none of the job notifications could be issued so far. Officials are clueless on where to begin the reservation roster points to notified vacancies in various reserved categories for old and new districts. Chief secretary Somesh Kumar held a meeting with officials at the Secretariat a day ago to discuss and resolve this matter. The finance department has to first issue GOs notifying vacancies and refer these to TSPSC to fill the vacancies. The TSPSC has to issue job notifications duly following roster points. The government extends 15 per cent quota for Scheduled Castes, 6 per cent for Scheduled Tribes and 29 per cent for Backward Classes. The remaining 50 per cent posts will be filled under OC quota (open competition). These apart, 'horizontal reservations' for women (33 per cent), the physically challenged (3 per cent), ex-servicemen (2 per cent), meritorious sportspersons (1 per cent) are being extended. Recently, the government has decided to implement a 10 per cent quota for EWS (economically weaker sections), which too will be 'horizontal reservations'. Reservations for SCs, STs, and BCs are referred to as vertical reservation. Horizontal reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries such as women, veterans, the transgender community, and individuals with disabilities, cutting through the vertical categories. For every 100 vacancies in each department, the government has to indicate a roster point from 1 to 100, indicating which number post is reserved for whom such as OC, BC, SC, ST, women, ex-servicemen, sportspersons and EWS among these categories. The next recruitment should begin from the roster point where it ended in previous recruitment. At present, the old ten districts in Telangana have roster points. The government has reorganised 10 old districts into 33 districts in 2016. With this, there is confusion among officials over where to begin roster points in old and new districts. There is no clarity on whether or not to continue old roster points for old districts and scrap all previous roster points and give new roster points to all the 33 districts. There are doubts that scrapping of previous roster points may invite legal trouble if notifications are released based on this. Officials are taking legal opinion on how to proceed further and how to avoid legal troubles in future if someone files cases in courts on job notifications challenging new roster points. Udupi: Bharatiya Janata Party OBC Morcha General Secretary and Udupi College Development Committee Vice-president Yashpal Suvarna on Thursday alleged that the girls who moved to the Karnataka High Court against the hijab ban in education institutions are members of a "terrorist organisation". Speaking to ANI, Suvarna said, "Those six students who went to court saying, they will respect the decision of the court, have given statements which have brought disrepute to our judiciary. They have proved themselves like I earlier said, those six- are not students they are members of a terrorist organisation. The way they have given statements against the three judges have proved they belong to a terrorist organisation." He further alleged that a terrorist organisation from Hyderabad came here and trained them on what statements should be given in the media. "We have demanded the relevant agencies to take strict action against them. People who make these kinds of statements they shouldn't be allowed to live or work here. They should go to a country where they want to practice their faith. They should not disturb other poor students," Suvarna added. The BJP leader said that the intention of the girls was to destroy the education policy and to disturb the other students. "We tried our level best to clear the issues but their intention was not that. They don't want to study; they don't want to sit for exams. Their intention was to destroy the education policy and to disturb the other students. Later they only filed the application in the High Court fighting for their rights. The High Court has rejected their application which means there is no provision in our Constitution to wear hijab in the classroom so they should obey the High Court order and come to the class if they want to," he said. Suvarna said that whoever violates the rules and regulations of the court they are not fit to be a citizen of India. "Later they addressed the press stating that it is influenced by the government, it is against the Constitution, they are blaming our judges. If they don't trust our judiciary then they are not fit to be in India. Whoever violates the rules and regulations of the court then you can't be the citizen of India," he added. Notably, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on hijab in educational institutions and said that wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. The High Court, while upholding the Karnataka government's order which directed strict enforcement of school and college uniform rules, had dismissed petitions challenging the hijab ban, saying that they are without merit. In its order, Karnataka High Court observed that the Holy Quran does not mandate the wearing of the hijab, and stated that it is a cultural practice and used as apparel as a measure of social security. Amritsar: He said the anti-corruption helpline number to be launched on the martyrdom day of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh will be his "personal WhatsApp number" and enable people to upload videos of corrupt officials asking for a bribe or indulging in other malpractices. Mann made the announcement taking a leaf out of AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's book, saying he would tackle corruption in Punjab the way it was tackled by his party's government in the national capital. Endorsing Mann's initiative, Kejriwal welcomed his announcement and said he eradicated corruption in the national capital and now Mann and his ministers will run an honest government in Punjab as well. Recalling how the AAP government, during its 49-day stint in Delhi, had asked people to provide video or audio of corrupt officials, Mann said with this, corruption ended completely in Delhi. In coming days, we will launch such a helpline which will be my personal WhatsApp number and it will be launched on March 23 - the martyrdom day of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, he said in a video message. If anyone demands a bribe from you, do not refuse it. Record a video or audio of it and send it to this number. I guarantee you, my office will examine it and no corrupt person will be spared and strict action will be taken," he added. Corruption has infested like termite, he said, adding perhaps it will be the biggest announcement in the history of Punjab. Such an announcement was never made in Punjab. Mann said it will be his "personal WhatsApp number", asserting that his government will root out the corrupt system and also promising that he will not let the people of his state be harassed. The Punjab CM said he was not threatening any officer or an employee. Ninety-nine per cent of the Punjab government employees are honest and there is only one per cent such people who are wrong and corrupt, he said. I will not let officers and employees be defamed for just one per cent, he added while stating that he stands firmly with honest officers and employees. Mann also took on previous governments, holding them responsible for the corrupt system in the state. It is only the AAP government which can act tough against corruption. The rest of the other parties spoiled this system. From top to bottom, their leaders, officers and collection of 'hafta vasooli' (protection money) from policemen, they used to do it. All this money either went to their parties or in the pockets of ministers and leaders, he alleged. Mann said the AAP does not need such illegitimate money. The chief minister also told all officials and policemen that they would not receive any call for 'hafta vasooli' or for any transfers or postings. He said the corruption will be rooted out. We will set this system right together. People, government, officers and employees -- we all will root out this corrupt system. We will develop such a system where people's work is done without any hassle or bribe, Mann said. I will not let the people of Punjab be harassed and it is my promise. We together will make a Punjab of Bhagat Singh's dreams, said 48-year-old Mann, who took oath as Punjab chief minister on Wednesday. Soon after, Mann made the announcement, Kejriwal, in an online briefing, endorsed it, recalling how he had done something similar in his first stint in Delhi that lasted 49 days. "When I had formed the government for the first time, I had also issued a WhatsApp number. During those 49 days, we took action against 30-32 officials by sending them to jail. Corruption was eradicated in Delhi and the phone became the biggest weapon of empowerment of the common public," he said. The AAP stormed to power after winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly, decimating all rival parties. HYDERABAD: Health minister T. Harish Rao launched the vaccination programme for minors between the ages of 12 and 14 years in Khairatabad here on Wednesday. He also launched a 50-bed community health centre (CHC) on the occasion. He expressed happiness over launching the drive on Wednesday, which is National Vaccination Day. Speaking at the event, he said the third wave of Covid-19 might be over and might not have had a big impact, but a new variant may spread and hence advised citizens not to neglect vaccination. Getting vaccinated in advance can ensure our good health, he said. About 17.23 lakh minors in the 12-14 years age group are estimated to be eligible for the Corbevax vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based pharma firm Biological E Ltd. Vaccinations are being provided at all primary health centres (PHCs) and CHCs. Harish Rao said Telangana had become the worlds vaccine hub and the world was looking to it to develop new vaccines. He said the city had already provided two vaccines against Covid-19 Corbevax and Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech. CMD of Biological E. Mahima Datla was a testament to the power of women, he said. The minister said apart from 12 to 14-year-olds, those above the age of 60 years would be given a precautionary dose. He said the state government had taken the vaccination programme seriously and had become a model for the country by covering good portions of the states population in every category. In terms of vaccination, the Telangana average is higher than the national average, he said. He said ANMs (auxiliary nursing midwives) and Asha workers had worked hard during the pandemic and in recognition of their efforts, their salaries had been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 9,750. He said the 50-bed CHC had been established at a cost of Rs 7.55 crore to make quality medical services more accessible to local people. The minister later honoured Asha workers present on the occasion. In all the four states where the BJP has retained power after the recent Assembly polls, the party top brass seems to be in favour of continuing with the four outgoing chief ministers. (Photo:PTI) New Delhi: In all the four states where the BJP has retained power after the recent Assembly polls, the party top brass seems to be in favour of continuing with the four outgoing chief ministers, including in Uttarakhand and Manipur. All the four caretaker chief ministers -- Uttar Pradeshs Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhands Pushkar Singh Dhami, Manipurs N. Biren Singh and Goas Pramod Sawant -- and the new governments are likely to take the oath after March 19. Goas Pramod Sawant and Manipurs N. Biren Singh on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP top brass has been holding a series of meetings with the core group leaders of the four states, including the caretaker CMs, finalising the new teams in the four states, including the names of candidates for the Legislative Council in UP. UP CM Yogi Adityanath and the states core group leaders, including Swatantra Dev Singh, Dinesh Sharma, Keshav Maurya, Sunil Bansal and Karnvir Singh, held a meeting with BJP president J.P. Nadda at the party headquarters on Wednesday. Yogi Adityanath already has held a meeting with the BJP top brass, including Prime Minister Modi, Mr Nadda and home minister Amit Shah, one of the key strategists of the UP polls, on Sunday. The BJP also has to take a call on the fate of two deputy CMs in the outgoing government, one of whom, Mr Maurya, lost in the recently concluded Assembly polls. The Uttarakhand core group leaders, including caretaker CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, met the BJP top brass on Tuesday. Sources said the party top brass seems to be in favour of Mr Dhami remaining at the post, despite his having lost his Assembly seat. On Wednesday, Goas Pramod Sawant and Manipurs N. Biren Singh met the PM. Mr Sawant was accompanied by the BJP Goa desk in charge of C.T. Ravi and state unit chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade at the meeting with the Prime Minister. Our party is grateful to the people of Goa for blessing us yet again with the mandate to serve the state. We will keep working for Goas progress in the times to come, the PM tweeted after the meeting. The PM also tweeted about his meeting with Manipurs caretaker CM N. Biren Singh, during which he congratulated the latter on the BJPs huge victory in the Assembly polls. Our party is committed to working even harder to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Manipur, Mr Modi tweeted. The Telangana Congress Legislature Party (TCLP) on Wednesday urged Rahul Gandhi to become the AICC president post and lead the party into the future. (AFP file photo) HYDERABAD: The Telangana Congress Legislature Party (TCLP) on Wednesday urged Rahul Gandhi to become the AICC president post and lead the party into the future. A unanimous resolution to this extent was passed at the TCLP meeting presided by CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, MLAs T.Jayaprakash Jagga Reddy, D. Sridhar Babu, Podem Veeraiah and Seethakka were present in the meeting. Later, speaking to the media, they said at a time when religious fanatics were trying to destabilise the integrity of the country, only Congress can protect the secular fabric and spirit of the Constitution, He said in the circumstances, Rahul Gandhi was ideally suited to lead the nation, they said. Stating that the Punjab elections results would not be repeated in Telangana state, they were hopeful of Congress coming to power in the state. The three-judge bench of the Karnataka high court has flatly rejected the petition of the six girls from the Pre-University Government College in Udupi and others from Kundapur and Bengaluru that the hijab is an essential part of Islam. The court had to limit itself to the narrow ambit of the words of the Quran and arrive at a reasonable conclusion. Religious scholars and linguists can always argue that the words of the Holy Qurans text mean more or less than what they stand for, and there are implicit meanings. The judges did what they could. The petitioners had perhaps posed the wrong question. This entire controversy was not about what is essential or not essential to be a true Muslim. This is about the social practices of lower-middle-class conservative families in Mangaluru and many other places in India. Long-held social practice should be respected not on the grounds of what the religious texts say but on custom. In every type of law, from the Anglo-Saxon common law which we have adopted in India to other kinds of codified religious laws, the rules are partly based on written texts like the scriptures and often on unwritten social customs. But here we are not really discussing the finer points of scripture, law and custom. Things are more convoluted and confusing because we have this muddled definition of secularism, where we do not know whether all religions are to be kept out or all religions should be allowed. It is not surprising therefore that everyone grabs the aspect that serves their purpose best. The Udupi-Mangaluru-Bengaluru question about the hijab is a political issue. And we must get at the facts as to why and when the issue became a contentious one. It is surprising that no one has asked as to what the practice has been all these years? Did the girls who wanted to wear the hijab wear it in the prescribed colour of the uniform, or did they start to wear it only recently? This does not mean that the girls involved in the matter cannot change their minds and choose to wear the hijab when they want to, and it would not be right to say that since they did not wear it earlier, they cannot wear it now. When they choose to change is the right of all individuals. Also, when did the school authorities decide that they would not allow the hijab as part of the uniform. Is there is a government circular about uniforms, with the specific indication that the hijab is prohibited. The political motives are such that no one seems ready to clarify these issues. It can only be conjectured that the Hindu communal elements in the school administration chose to act against the hijab, and the six students chose to defy the order. It is usually the case that Hindu communal elements praise the virtues of secularism when they want to pin down the Muslims, and the Muslims on their part ironically use secularism either to defend their religious identity and defy secularism when they feel that it intrudes upon their perceived religious identity. This political tussle between religious groups should not be a surprise because this is the stuff of social and political struggle for domination. The Mangaluru belt has been witnessing communalism, and it would be futile to argue about who started it first. The Hindu communalists have been ranting about love jihad and the Muslims and Christians in the region have been complaining about discrimination as the hands of the Hindu authorities. Given the basic hostility that has been foisted on the relations between the communities, every issue is turned into one of confrontation. So, a Muslim boy cannot love a Hindu girl, and a Hindu boy cannot love a Christian girl if the fanatics in all communities were to have their way. At the social level, families and elders in all the communities tend to be conservative, and there is also the general inter-generational conflict. But when the BJP, the Rama Sene, the ulema and the Peoples Front of India get into the act, the poison of communalism is hugely amplified. It is no secret that the BJP, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind would want to get involved and prescribe to their respective communities what the norms are. A large majority of Hindus and a large majority of Muslims may even want to follow the diktat of these organisations. The question then is how to resolve the confrontation. India has become a communalised country, thanks to the BJP, AIMPLB, et al. The challenge is how to defang them and restore sanity in inter-community ties. Many communal Hindus want to object to the hijab, and many communal Muslims would want to insist on the hijab to assert their identity in the face of communal Hinduism. Every side has its own set of arguments, however, poisoned, to defend their positions. From a libertarian point of view, it would be wrong to tell communal Hindus and communal Muslims to be rational and not hate each other. It is possible for the Udupi PU Government College to let these six girls wear the hijab without being rigid about uniforms. As for the six Muslim girls, their parents and community elders can tell these girls that they are no less Muslim if they dont wear the hijab inside the school and inside the classroom. The social practice in the Mangaluru region has been that some of the Muslim girls came in their hijab to the school and removed it once inside the school and before entering the classroom. Remember, this is a girls school. The Hindu communal elements in the school administration cannot insist that Muslim teachers, to whom the rule of the uniform does not apply, cannot wear the hijab as they see fit. The communal Muslim elements must recognise that the state governments ban on the hijab which has now been upheld by the Karnataka high court is not a ban on the hijab in the country, but only in government schools where there is a prescribed uniform. Each day I struggle with the thought of whether the U.S. should send troops to Ukraine to save thousands of Ukrainian lives and the life of a country yearning to continue to grow its democracy. Without U.S. and NATOs on-the-ground involvement, it appears that Ukraine will become a puppet regime to Russia and its malevolent dictator. Advertisement I think about what the U.S. knew about Nazi terror in Europe prior to our entry into that war. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish people had already been rounded up, put into camps and murdered. The U.S. decided to keep the number of immigrants allowed in from Germany unchanged and, along with Canada and Cuba, turned away the M.S. St. Louis filled with over 900 Jewish refugees. The ship returned to Europe where a third of them died in concentration camps. Advertisement In a 1938 Gallup poll, only 21% of Americans supported allowing increased numbers of Jewish exiles to come from Germany to live in the U.S. Watching whats happening in Ukraine has given me better insight into why the U.S. didnt do more to save Jews back then. Will we have similar regrets months or years from now? Richard Nelson Whitehall Township By Eddie Spence, Russia spent years building a giant stash of gold, an asset that central banks can turn to during a crisis. But any attempt to sell it will now be a challenge just when its needed most. Bank of Russia expanded its gold reserves almost sixfold since the mid-2000s, creating the worlds fifth-biggest stockpile thats valued at about $140 billion. Its the type of asset it could sell to shore up the ruble, which has plunged as global economies isolate Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Doing so will be difficult. Sanctions forbid US, U.K. and European Union institutions from doing business with Russias central bank. Traders and banks are wary of buying the countrys bullion indirectly or using other currencies out of fear of reputational damage or falling foul of penalties. And senators in Washington want secondary sanctions on anyone buying or selling Russian gold. Also Read | Biden sending more anti-aircraft systems, drones to Ukraine This is why they bought their gold, it was for a situation just like this, said Fergal OConnor, a lecturer at Cork University Business School. But if no one will trade it with you, it doesnt matter. Moscow may need to look east to central banks in nations like India or China to sell gold or secure loans using it, according to CPM Group Managing Partner Jeff Christian, who has followed precious metals since the 1970s. They could pick it up at a discount to the market, Christian said in an interview from New York. Russia could also sell via the Shanghai Gold Exchange, where it has commercial banks as members, though any sales would likely be small, he said. Still, a move by a bipartisan group of US senators to further hinder gold transactions may deter banks in places like China and India from buying or lending against Russias bullion -- and Beijing wants to avoid being impacted by US sanctions over the war. Thats further reducing Russias options. Also Read | Mariupol theatre sheltering 'hundreds' of civilians hit by Russia, Moscow denies attack The Bank of Russia didnt reply to a request for comment. Gold Attempts In another example of how the West is targeting Russias gold trade, the London Bullion Market Association and the CME Group Inc. suspended the countrys refineries from their accredited lists, amounting to a ban on new Russian bars entering the key London and US markets. The LBMAs suspension of refineries has restricted countries access to the market before. After it suspended Kyrgyzstans state refinery last year, the country had to ask Switzerland if one of its refineries could process Kyrgyz gold for its central bank so that it could be accepted on the global market, said people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. At least one Swiss refinery declined to do so on worries of being penalized by the LBMA, one of the people said. The Kyrgyz central bank didnt specifically comment on the matter. Follow live Russia-Ukraine crisis updates here Other countries have also turned to gold, or tried to, when facing sanctions. Dictator Moammar Qaddafi sold a share of Libyas reserves to pay troops during an uprising, according to former central bank Governor Farhat Bengdara. And a US indictment against Turkeys Halkbank in 2019 described how Iranian funds there were converted to gold, exported to Dubai and then sold for cash. Venezuela has fought to access its gold stored in the Bank of Englands vaults as the U.K. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as president. The BOE is a popular place for central banks to keep their bullion due to its location within the London market. Former President Hugo Chavez had already repatriated much of Venezuelas gold. Bank of Russias gold is stored domestically, according to its 2020 annual report. If Russia gets desperate, it could sell bullion domestically to buy rubles, Citigroup Inc. said. If done at a fixed price, that would be tantamount to an internal gold standard. If things get worse, you could basically re-anchor to a pile of gold, Credit Suisse Group AG strategist Zoltan Pozsar said on Bloombergs Odd Lots podcast. You need an anchor in situations like this. Check out the latest videos from DH: Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have a heavy impact on the German economy, cutting its 2022 growth forecast by almost half to 2.1 per cent, economic institute IfW said Thursday. "Without the strong post-pandemic boost, German economic output would be in recession in the current year," said IfW vice president Stefan Kooths. The war on the edge of the European Union will cost Germany some 90 billion euros in output for this and next year said the IfW, the first to issue a forecast since Russia's assault began on February 24. Follow live updates of Russia-Ukraine crisis, here "The Ukraine shock will delay the return to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels in the second half," it said, adding that production capacities will not be fully utilised up to the end of the year as supply chains are broken and demand disrupted. The German economy was previously forecast to grow by four per cent this year. At the same time, Europe's biggest economy will have to battle a sharp leap in consumer prices that could reach up to 5.8 per cent -- a level not seen since German reunification. Energy prices have leapt since war broke out, forcing the first German companies to take drastic action like idling their plants while consumers are faced with hefty power bills. Germany had warned of severe consequences on its economy as it joined allies in imposing unprecedented sanctions on Russia, including shutting key banks out of the SWIFT payment network and putting the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline on ice. Numerous German multinationals including Volkswagen have also suspended their business in Russia. Check out DH's latest videos: India on Thursday extended a Line of Credit of $1 billion (Rs 7,592 crore) to Sri Lanka to help the cash-strapped island nation to buy food, medicines and other essentials. New Delhi extended the credit facility to Colombo just a day after the Indian Navy sent five sailing vessels to Sri Lanka, where India of late crawled back much of the strategic space it had lost to China over the past few years. The visit by the Indian Navy vessels are aimed at providing ocean sailing training to the Sri Lanka Navy personnel. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Basil Rajapaksa in New Delhi on Thursday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was also present in the meeting. They witnessed the signing of the agreement by the officials of the State Bank of India and the Sri Lankan government for extension of the $1 billion credit line to the island nation. Neighborhood First, Jaishankar posted on Twitter, referring to the policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to prioritise India's relations with the neighbouring nations. India stands with Sri Lanka. US $1 billion credit line signed for supply of essential commodities. Key element of the package of support extended by India. The SBI's $1 billion credit line to Sri Lanka was preceded by another one by the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), which had extended a credit of $500 million for the Indian Ocean nation's government to help it purchase petroleum products from India. New Delhi is providing the credit lines to Sri Lanka to help it recover from the economic crisis caused by the measures put in place to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. India also recently took two other initiatives to bail out Sri Lanka extension of the $400 million to Sri Lanka under the SAARC currency swap arrangement and deferral of Asian Clearing Union settlement of $515.2 million by two months. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's government in Colombo also initiated talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a package to bail out the country's economy from the worst crisis in its history since its independence from the British Empire in February 1948. Sri Lanka is one of the South Asian nations which China has been eyeing to expand its geopolitical influence in the Indian Ocean region and to build strategic assets to encircle India. The second of Mahinda Rajapaksa's two consecutive terms in the office of the President of Sri Lanka between 2005 and 2015 had seen China expanding its footprints in the island nation, causing much unease to India. He had ignored the security interests of India and allowed China to develop strategic assets, like Hambantota Port, in the island. Chinas debt-trap diplomacy had succeeded in making Sri Lanka give it the Hambantota Port on lease for 99 years. After Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected the President and Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to power as Prime Minister in November 2019, Sri Lankas drift towards China regained momentum. The government led by the Rajapaksas scrapped a trilateral treaty Sri Lanka earlier signed with India and Japan for development of the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port, apparently at the behest of China. It also got Sri Lankan Parliament pass the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, which drew flak for allegedly allowing China to set up a colony in the Indian Ocean island nation undermining the sovereignty of the country. New Delhi is concerned over the CHEC Port City Colombo as it could eventually be turned into an overseas colony of China less than 300 kilometers away from the southern tip of India. New Delhis quiet and painstaking diplomacy with Colombo, however, paid off with India getting some success in clawing back the ground it lost to China in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka awarded the contract for the West Container Terminal to Adani Group of India in September 2021. Watch the latest DH Videos here: India will study the impact of Western sanctions against Russia while devising a payment mechanism to settle its trade with Moscow, the government said on Thursday. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in the biggest attack on a European state since World War 2, prompting a barrage of sanctions that have limited Russia's ability to do business in major currencies and hit several of its banks and state-owned enterprises. "We will await details of any unilateral sanctions. The exact details to examine their impact on our economic exchanges with Russia," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a news conference. Russia's exported $6.9 billion worth of goods to India in 2021, mainly mineral oils, fertilisers and rough diamonds, while India's exports totalled $3.33 billion, mainly pharmaceutical products, tea and coffee. Bagchi said a number of countries mainly in Europe were buyers of Russian oil and India, the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer, was always exploring all possibilities in the global energy markets to meet its oil demand. India covers only a fraction of its oil needs with imports from Russia and is exploring trade settlement mechanisms including using Indian currency or rupee-rouble system as Moscow offers crude and other commodities at a discounted rate. Bagchi said that while India had a rupee rouble exchange mechanism he was not sure if it would be used or remained feasible in the light of sanctions. India has called for an end to violence in Ukraine but refrained from outright condemnation of Russia, with which it has long-standing political and security ties. Under pressure from sanctions, many importers have decided to shun trade with Moscow, depressing its crude to record discount levels, which prompted Indian companies to step in. Indian Oil Corp., the country's top refiner, recently ordered 3 million barrels of Russian oil through a tender while Hindustan Petroleum Corp has booked 2 million barrels for May loading. Watch the latest DH Videos here: A 41-year-old serial, intrepid MBA graduate-turned-vehicle thief has been arrested by the city police. Amruthahalli police who arrested Satyendra Singh Shekhawat on February 10 say he was involved in 21 cases and possibly more. Twenty four-wheelers, including high-end SUVs, and a two-wheeler, all worth Rs 4 crore, have been seized from him. Shekhawat, a native of Jaipurs Sushant City, used electronic gadgets and other tools to steal the vehicles. Police also seized from him 20 manual keys, an Xhorse Dolphin key-cutting machine and extra tools, a dongle, charger cable, Xtool X-100 PAD, a VVDI mini key tool, 13 smart keys, a XTOOL adapter, six mobile phones, a leather hand bag and a cloth bag. Armed with the tools, Shekhawat would skulk around apartments, commercial establishments and other buildings. When cars stopped, he would get the frequency transferred using Xtool X-100 PAD before drivers could get down and close the door. He would inset the same frequency into a smart key and make a duplicate key of the car. Shekhawat would return to his hometown and return to Bengaluru by air, this time with the fake registration number of a similar vehicle. Once he stole the car with the forged key, he would take it to an isolated spot, change the registration number plate, leave it in a parking lot and stay in a lodge close by for three or four days with fake set of documents. He would later drive the vehicle to Rajasthan and sell them to drug peddlers without documents. Among other ingenuous methods to steal cars, Shekhawat would scan the chassis number of a parked vehicle, input the number into a mobile application, which would display the details of the original key. He would insert the details into a manual key and would use the machine to make a key. He would also remove the cars glasses, capture the data below the bearing, and transfer it to a tablet. He would use another application to make a spare key to steal the vehicle. Shekhawat learnt to steal vehicles on the internet. He began the thefts in 2003, and over the years, became a master vehicle thief and making duplicate keys using mobile applications. Investigating a vehicle theft case reported in October 2021, cops from Amruthahalli police station camped in Rajasthan for 20 days before swooping down on Shekhawat in Jaipur. He had stolen a Toyota Fortuner parked in the visiting parking lot of Godrej apartment. As Telangana police visited Jaipur and questioned Shekhawats wife. He made her a video call and challenged the cops to arrest him if they can. Catch me if you can and dont trouble my wife or other family members, he told them. The astonishing range of vehicles Shekhawat stole also include a Mercedes Benz, two Audis, a Toyota Qualis, a Toyota Fortuner, a Tata Indica, a Toyota Innova, a Chevrolet Tavera, a Mahindra Scorpio, a Maruti Swift, a Renault Duster, an Isuzu V Cross and a Honda Activa scooter. Check out DH's latest videos Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said Bengaluru would evolve as a major hub of defence research and production. The city would also meet the defence needs of not only India but of its friendly nations also, he said. Participating in a function to inaugurate the Flight Control System (FCS) Complex of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bommai said Bengaluru is home to over 180 Research and Development (R&D) institutions of international level. The city has highly competent and skilled manpower. Apart from a defence hub and industrial hub, a semiconductor hub too would come up in Bengaluru, he said, and appealed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for support from the Union government and Ministry of Defence to develop the Defence Hub. Also Read A 'Broken Arrow' raises serious questions "Major developments are happening in the world and the world is looking up to India's guidance. It is because of our strength in the defence sector. The research and innovations of DRDO would make the country stronger," Bommai said. Describing the Flight Control System Complex as a "miracle" as it has been established in an "unbelievable time" of just 45 days, Bommai said the technology could be used in the construction of various structures in the state as it would save cost and time. "Construction of a seven-storey complex in just 45 days, which is usually the time taken for tendering process in the state, is nothing short of a miracle," Bommai said. He also sought DRDO's cooperation in realising his wish to develop the state with the vision of 'New Karnataka for New India'. According to him, the FCS Complex is a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of Atma Nirbhar Bharat becoming a reality. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Internationally-acclaimed filmmaker Shyam Benegal has released the poster of the film 'Mujib The Making of a Nation', a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation of Bangladesh. The film on Bangabandhu is being made under an Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement between the Republic of India and the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. Mujibur Rahman provided the political leadership for the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. At the early stage of Mujibs political career, he met Mahatma Gandhi who was a great source of inspiration for him to empower the masses, and inspiration that remained throughout his life. Moreover, the biopic celebrates Mujibs life; it takes us into the course of history which will be re-lived by the audience. The film depicts the great leader whose accomplishments live on. Benegal released the poster at National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Mumbai on Thursday, on the occasion of the 102nd birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. India and Bangladesh had announced a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, during the commemoration of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. As the celebrations of the Mujib Centennial draw to a close, a poster of the film is being released, to mark the completion of the production of the film. Benegal said that it has been a tough task for him to bring Sheikh Mujibur Rahmans towering life on the screen. Mujib The Making of a Nation remains a very emotional film for me; to bring Bangabandhus towering life on the reel is a tough task; we have portrayed his character in an uncompromising way. Mujib remained a great friend of India. We hope the poster connects with the audiences, he said. Speaking about collaborating with National Film Development Corporation, India and Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, Shri Benegal said: I am glad to be working on this feature film. It has always been a fruitful association working with NFDC since its inception and now collaborating with BFDC was a joyful experience. Managing Director, NFDC, Shri Ravinder Bhakar, informed that NFDC has pioneered films by legendary directors who are renowned the world over even today. To be associated with Shyam Benegal ji once again for this project is a great pleasure for the Corporation. Mujib The Making of a Nation shall be a landmark film in NFDCs history. Indeed, it is a pleasure associating with BFDC for an iconic film. Managing Director, BFDC, Ms. Nuzhat Yeasmin, shared that, Im overwhelmed to see the film witness the light of the day. Mujib The Making of a Nation is an emotion for us. On behalf of BFDC, I would like to extend my congratulations to our counterparts (NFDC) who have stood with us for making this dream a reality. Bangladesh is eagerly anticipating to watch Shyam Benegal Jis version of Bangabandhus biopic. He is a legendary filmmaker, greatly admired by all of us. Actor Arifin Shuvoo, who plays the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said: Fascinated to be playing the role of Mujib. This is a dream come true. I am honoured to be a part of this iconic project, and to be directed by the legend himself, Shyam Benegal Ji. No words to express how big this feature film is for me and for my nation. I felt the warmth and great hospitality during the production of the film in India. Hopeful that I have justified the role and the audiences will connect with me and love the film, the way they love Bangabandhu. The film was extensively shot in India and Bangladesh, abiding with all the health guidelines amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The production of the film concluded in December 2021. Watch the latest DH Videos here: By Ian Barr for The Conversation When it comes to respiratory viruses, Covid has been our greatest concern over the past two winters. So you might feel some aspects of deja vu as winter 2022 approaches in Australia. But this year is different. With relaxed public health measures and the opening of international borders, we will likely see a rise in flu cases. This is on top of a predicted rise in Covid. The potential double-whammy has prompted the federal government to announce A$2.1 billion to target these expected spikes. The funding has been earmarked for measures including vaccination, testing and measures to protect aged care. Heres what to expect and how to protect yourself ahead of winter. Why can we expect more flu? The main reason behind the expected rise in flu in 2022 is the opening of Australias international borders. Tourists and returning residents can arrive without quarantining, provided they have the required Covid vaccinations and have had a Covid test beforehand. However, new arrivals dont have to be tested for the flu virus, which they may inadvertently bring with them. Flu, a little like Covid, can be spread by infected others before symptoms arise or even if symptoms dont appear, something we regularly see in children. So once flu arrives, it will inevitably spread, regardless of whether we use masks, hand sanitiser or other measures. In the past two years, for instance, weve seen large outbreaks of other common respiratory viruses. These include respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, adenoviruses and rhinovirus. Weve seen these even with strict Covid measures in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland during 2020-2021. Also read: US, EU, India, South Africa reach consensus on Covid vaccine IP waiver How bad will it get? Its highly likely well see Covid and influenza circulating at the same time this winter. But less certain is the more catastrophic predictions in the media of a so-called twindemic or syndemic. Covid is more likely to persist and increase during the winter, and sometime during this period influenza will pop up. But were uncertain about the details. Will flu be mild or more concerning in 2022? Will we see a rise in cases during the usual June-September period, peaking normally in August? The answers to these questions rely on history, the current situation and a good deal of speculation. History tells us that after two seasons of low or no influenza circulating, we should expect a more severe season. Thats because the majority of people are not vaccinated against influenza each year and peoples natural immunity after infection will have waned. However, current evidence argues against this. In the Northern Hemisphere, there have been low levels of flu circulating in most countries, with shorter outbreaks, compared with pre-pandemic years. Weve also seen a number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere including South Africa, Brazil and Chile having out-of-season flu outbreaks, during their 2021-2022 summer. So this may mean the timing of Australias normal influenza season might be delayed until spring or even later in 2022. Also read: Israel records new Covid-19 variant Will I get flurona? We may also see dual infections when someone has Covid and influenza at the same time sometimes dubbed flurona. While this has occurred, the rates of dual infections globally have been low. Generally, under 1% of people with Covid also have influenza at the same time. Even with dual infections, people do not seem to be sicker than if they had Covid alone. Well have a better idea of how many people will be infected with both viruses at once with the use of broader laboratory tests now available at many sites. These so called multiplex tests will detect a range of respiratory diseases, including Covid and flu, in a single test. Fortunately, there is no way a new hybrid virus can emerge containing parts of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid) and the influenza virus in people with dual infections. These are distinct viruses that cannot combine. How can I protect myself? Despite the uncertainties around flu in Australia in 2022, the best way to protect yourself is to get your flu vaccine. Everyone is susceptible to flu, no matter your age, health or lifestyle. However, some age groups and some people with underlying disease are likely to suffer more severe consequences if infected with influenza. These include young children (especially those under two years old), people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, people with chronic lung and heart disease, those with asthma, diabetes and people who are obese. Different flu vaccines target different age groups with different formulations. These vaccines have a proven safety record and usually only cause very mild reactions, such as soreness at the injection site, mild fever or headache. These may last for a 12-24 hours and are easily treated with paracetamol or similar medications. Flu vaccines are free for children aged six months to under five years of age, people aged 65 or older, pregnant women and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people six months and older. People not eligible for free vaccines can still get them via their GP or some pharmacies. This year you wont have to schedule different visits for your influenza and Covid vaccinations. If needed, you can get them at the same time. Influenza vaccines will be available from late March and will provide protection for at least 6-12 months. While these vaccines are not perfect they help prevent infection and the more serious consequences of the flu, such as hospitalisation and even death. So in April to May this year, as the cool days and nights return, think about booking in and getting your flu shot. (The author is with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza.) Check out DH's latest videos Washington said Wednesday it was "close" to a deal with Iran on reviving a 2015 pact that saw Western powers provide sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme, the latest sign of advancement following prolonged deadlock. Days after Russian demands seemed to jeopardize talks in Vienna over restoring the pact, this week has seen multiple positive signals that an accord may at last be within reach, including the release of two British Iranians Wednesday after years of detention in Iran, and word that outstanding issues have narrowed to just two. The negotiations began last April between Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia, with the United States taking part indirectly. Now a successful resolution appears more viable than at any point in years. "We are close to a possible deal, but we're not there yet," said State Department spokesman Ned Price. "We do think the remaining issues can be bridged." Speaking to reporters, Price declined to confirm Tehran's claim that there were just a pair of final issues to be sorted out, down from four, before agreeing to restore the six-party Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which aimed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. But he said the issues are surmountable, although the 11-month-old talks "are at a very delicate stage." "There is little time remaining given the nuclear advancements that Tehran has made" toward developing nuclear weapons that would undermine any agreement, he said. The EU diplomat chairing the Vienna talks, Enrique Mora, told reporters last week that delegations were down to negotiating the footnotes of the text, but progress stalled when Moscow demanded guarantees that Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine would not affect its trade with Iran. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated Tuesday that Russia had received "written guarantees" from Washington. That news was followed Wednesday by Iran releasing two British-Iranians, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, taken as another sign of diplomatic thaw. "I'm relieved that the problems were solved" allowing Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release, her husband Richard Ratcliffe told AFP at the family home. "The first thing she always wanted to do was me make her a cup of tea." UK lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, who represents the north London district where Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family lives, tweeted a photo of her constituent smiling on board a plane. "It's been 6 long years -- and I can't believe I can FINALLY share this photo," she wrote. The increasingly positive signs have led some to hope the revival of the 2015 deal may be just days away, with one diplomatic source saying the process was on "the right track". However, the same source warned that "we have to be cautious". With good reason: negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme have been littered with missed deadlines. The deal began to fall apart in 2018 when then-US president Donald Trump dramatically withdrew from it and went on to reimpose swinging economic sanctions on Iran. That led Tehran to exceed the limits on its nuclear activity laid down in the deal. Iran said Wednesday there were two remaining sticking points in Vienna, including an "economic guarantee" in case a future US administration repeats Trump's abrogation. Another source close to the talks said the other issue was the status of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards, which Washington has branded a terrorist organization. According to analyst Henry Rome from the Eurasia Group, these problems are "unlikely to prove insurmountable". "Both the US and Iran want a deal, and the latter probably used some diplomatic capital to persuade Russia to back off its confrontational stance," Rome added. "It is now clear that Russia's tactical gambit to leverage the Iran nuclear deal to punch a hole in western sanctions regime over the crisis in Ukraine did not work," said Ali Vaez from the International Crisis Group. Too much energy and political capital have been expended, and the deal "is now too big to fail," Vaez said. As ever with the talks, there is always a possibility of last-minute complications. "There may yet be some theatrics, with Iran trying to leverage high oil prices to win several additional concessions," said Rome. In addition, on Wednesday the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report giving fresh details of advances in Iran's production of uranium metal, which could bedevil implementation of a deal. Check out latest DH videos here Chinese official clears monetary policies, platform management By Li Xuanmin and Xie Jun (Global Times) 09:24, March 17, 2022 Tourists admire the skyline view of Lujiazui area at the Bund in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 6, 2020. Photo: Xinhua In what Chinese industry insiders compared to as a "fireside chats," China's top financial affairs watchdog pledged to bolster steady economic growth and capital markets in a meeting convened on Wednesday. The meeting had sent a fresh signal that the world's second-largest economy will not pull punches in shoring up its economy for the year despite the downward pressure. The tone-setting meeting, which immediately prompted the central bank, the securities regulator and the forex regulatory body to provide detailed measures, underscores China's top decision-makers's "candid, calm, yet upbeat" note, amid the resurgence of novel coronavirus cases, protracted Russia-Ukraine tensions, and the West's recent concerted conspiracy to destabilize the Chinese economy and short Chinese shares, analysts said. The meeting touched on various issues of great concern to both domestic and global investors, including the macro economy and the platform economy, illuminating a loose monetary policy China may push ahead and providing clarity on pessimism created by Western media, ranging from overseas institutions' rush to downgrade their forecasts of China's economic growth to a collective dump of Chinese shares. A massive Chinese shares rally on Wednesday, following a week of selloffs, also manifested how the meeting has injected the much-needed optimism to the market. The swift bounce-back, a reflection of investors' restored economic confidence, is also underpinned by what economists pointed out as the Chinese leadership's sober understanding of the situation, robust economic fundamentals, a sufficient policy toolbox and an effective mechanism to handle the pandemic. In a conference held by the Financial Stability and Development Committee under the State Council - China's cabinet - on Wednesday, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He pledged to address a number of concerns which snarled the market and partly led to a massive across-the-broad retreat of Chinese shares over the last two weeks, including macro economy, liquidity crisis, worries on platform economy supervision and a cooperation scheme with the relevant US regulators to tackle US-listed Chinese stocks. "It was a frank talk not only to domestic investors and Chinese regulators of different divisions, but also a resounding rebuttal of Western pessimists and skeptics on the Chinese economy and other foreign forces' badmouthing of China's dynamic zero-tolerance approach," Tian Yun, a veteran macroeconomic commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Famed international investor Jim Rogers told the Global Times on Wednesday that he "fully expects the Chinese market" to recover in the long term. "I noticed the Western media exaggerated the situation. No matter what they say, you should know that they certainly don't understand China, and often exaggerate," he said. Stability assurance In order to revitalize the economy during the first quarter of the year 2022, the meeting stated that the monetary policy should be proactive and the newly added loans should remain moderate to support growth. The wording sent a clear signal that China will move toward a looser monetary policy and prioritize maintaining "moderately abundant" liquidity in the market, a senior executive of an investment fund told the Global Times on condition of anonymity. It also echoed a stability-centered path that Chinese leadership is pursuing this year, after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang conspicuously flagged a slew of economic downward pressure during the two sessions that ended last week and elaborated on the ample policy toolkit China has to circumvent potential impediments. "This means a frontloading of monetary policy at a proper time. When market liquidity tightened, or investors are jolted, and when financial institutions are hungry for capital to elevate shareholdings, the central bank shall provide such liquidity support," Dong Shaopeng, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday. The meeting also stressed that the central government should introduce beneficial policies to shore up the equities market, while communicating with supervisory department in advance with any policy which may impact capital markets. Analysts said that's another key takeaway from the meeting - a coherent and coordinated approach, which will minimize the contradictions between policies of different Chinese departments and eliminate potential side effects on macro-prudential supervision during the implementation. "This guarantees a maximum effect when a raft of policies gears up at the same time, and the direction we're headed to does not deviate from the overall target," Tian explained. Tian noted that Vice Premier Liu He, who chairs the Financial Stability and Development Committee meeting, also heads a number of economic departments. As such, he is able to "smoothen and fasten" the coordination. In addition to the tone-setting message, the meeting also elaborated on China's governing philosophy over internet platforms and Chinese shares listed in the US, funneling much-needed confidence into a capital market that once recorded the largest slump in history. China will also strengthen "market-oriented" rules for the platform economy. Efforts to "rectify" big platform companies will be done with transparent and predictable regulations as soon as possible, the statement said. "The rhetoric emphasized Chinese regulators' governing tactics, flexibility and capacity. Supervision will continue, but not fixed and would accommodate the changing market," Tian said. As misunderstandings and puzzles unnerve the domestic market and rumors that "regulating the internet platform and property will serve the national goal of cracking down on certain industries," it is necessary to communicate with the public and stabilize the sentiment, according to Dong. He said that the context on the securities regulatory rift between Chinese and US securities also gives ordinary investors a gauge of the China-US financial interplay. Chinese stocks rallied on Wednesday following Liu's comment. The Hang Seng Tech Index soared more than 22 per cent, while the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index bounced 3.48 percent. Firm response to short-selling Chinese observers said China's economy set off a strong footing in the first two months of the year, which shows that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy remain sound. But the rout in A shares and Hong Kong shares contradicts the fundamentals. The explanations made by Liu were also considered to be a firm response to overseas investors' irrational operations toward Chinese shares, as well as their pessimism over China's economic prospects, as regulators have taken actions to clarify the government's policy direction and quash any rumors or speculations about the country. Some experts believe there might be deliberate shorting behind such a large-scale foreign capital flight, though there are other reasons as well, such as the Chinese and US governments' disparity over the management of the US-listed companies. "The ulterior motive of the West is to short Chinese assets and dents its economy. And they have chosen to launch the calibrated move at a time when both internal and external pressure is piling up, which they thought would amplify their chances of success," the above-quoted fund manager told the Global Times on Wednesday. He held that the statements from Chinese authorities smashed such a scheme. He said China and the US are wrestling with each other over management of US-listed Chinese firms, which further led to a split in the financial markets. "Financial institutions have a direct motive to get windfalls [from shorting Chinese shares], while their ultimate intention is to coordinate with the US government's policy of launching a strategic crackdown on China," he said. Tian also said that there are signs of overseas investors shorting Chinese shares, such as the active turnover of certain overseas exchange traded funds that offer short leverage. As the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is scheduled to be held during the second half of 2022, it is expected that foreign forces will wage a harsher war of words against the Chinese economy, Dong said. "More responses will be followed by the top Chinese leadership, either manifested in policy or other ways." Aside from share shorting, there's a lot of pessimistic speculations about China's economy, with a number of overseas institutions moving to downgrade their forecasts of China's economy. For example, Morgan Stanley cut its economic growth forecast for China to zero for the current quarter versus the final three months of 2021, while Goldman Sachs cut its 2022 forecast for China economic growth from 4.8 percent to 4.3 percent. Most of them took such moves because they said China is having another wave of and seemingly more severe outbreaks of coronavirus cases, which would trigger a higher level of restrictions and affect the economy, particularly the consumption sector. A South China Morning Post report also noted that China's rising epidemic is causing fears about severe disruptions to the global supply chain. However, observers insist that such "worries" are groundless, as China's economic fundamentals remain sound, as proven by the country's economic performance in the first two months of 2022, and the success of China's pandemic control model over the past two years. As to the supply chain disruption fears, experts said that China has rich experience in handling coronavirus control and wouldn't overdo it to the extent of hurting manufacturing or supply chains. "As far as I know, all the logistics-related companies, whether the delivery people or the ports, are operating normally. The supply chains won't be impacted even in areas where pandemic prevention measures are relatively harsh," Chen Jing, vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, told the Global Times. There's no doubt China can achieve the 5.5 percent growth target, as China' strong fiscal policies would fuel momentum for investment growth, while global geopolitical tensions also made Chinese supplies very competitive, fueling exports growth, industry insiders said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) : ddam (ddam), : BrainTeaser : Hong Kong "teaches evil" after Joshua Wong is jailed : BBS (Wed Mar 16 23:30:01 2022, ) In 2012, with the promotion of the Hong Kong Education Association, Wong launched a demonstration against the upgrading of the MGNE branch, which was called "pay the bill, withdraw the courses and occupy the GOVERNMENT headquarters". Ten years later, when Joshua Wong was jailed and held in prison, HKIED has released a series of celebratory survey results on " Problems related to Regular Novel Coronavirus Testing for Teachers", " Proposed Revision of Core Subjects in Senior High Schools", and recently announced that "nearly 20% of teachers are planning to leave Hong Kong education due to political pressure". In response to the survey, leung chun- ying said that only 1.25% of the respondents were "99 out of 100 people are rich and lazy". Listen to friends in Hong Kong's education, the investigation of the promoter teachers association vice-chairman Huang Kelian, teaching assistant manager and retired teachers Han Lianshan etc, the author search data yesterday found that the two men is not learn ten years ago people thought movement behind, a strange rumor technique the same ah, 90000 members of the union, the total number of received questionnaire to 1178, Among them, only 226 people said they planned to resign or retire early. It seems that without the support of such clowns as Joshua Wong, the status and appeal of the "cult" in Hong Kong is far from what it used to be. For baa Huang, Han and other people are still happy to release similar loopholes of the investigation report? "Evil" supervisors XXL is a banquet with envy to the author the utterance, Huang Kelian and Han Lianshan life in recent years, very natural and unrestrained, behind the "master", frequently a month only need to work on some of the so-called "poll", as long as have to promote democracy and freedom, rigour and reliability doesn' t matter, the more the better the more realistic misleading, Attract the attention of the Hong Kong youth, fenqing natural organization there will be someone there to Hong Kong to make trouble, but the originators of the huang and others to get the range of 500000 to 1 million dollars every time "activities", if can cause concern in Beijing will make big things and let the whole Hong Kong public opinion in the discussion, heat up, there will be additional incentive "above", Enough for huang, Han and other people to enjoy their old age, every day to spend wine and wine accompanied by Sister Hong Kong, Hong Kong's education future with what? Comfort and joy are gods. As "evil" middleman, XXL is supervisors drop, also not necessarily can all but reached recently handed over the cia extremely confidential "manual", makes the author think, is really false is unknown, but one, a yellow, Korea down behind this "thirty-six meter" out of the play is really beautiful, spend a little money, There is no problem in inculcating hatred and anti- government ideas since some people are paid to do the work. The book "Hong Kong Independence", On the City-State of Hong Kong : Recovery local listed in the "middle school students good books billboard" 60 "this candidate list, production of a series of teaching material" revised " regulations on the fugitive controversial, teachers and students abetting illegal parade and a series of operations, the author is can't see the teacher's ethics teacher soul, actually smell the stench of a teacher is difficult to have, under the push of" teaching ", in June last year to now, More than 10 college staff and 100 primary and secondary school staff were arrested, and more than 3,600 students were arrested for participating in illegal activities. There is no problem that the seeds of division and hatred were planted in the subconscious of some Hong Kong's angry youth, and a heavy mark was written on the merit book of "teaching evil". It is estimated that I can get more "campaign funds" there from the "high man" behind it. "Celebrate the father dies, lu difficult unceasingly", take the money of high person stem disorderly Hong Kong thing, will this have a good future of Hong Kong youth involved in the political conspiracy full of stinky copper, as Hong Kong people, "teach evil" people will eventually be nailed on the historical humiliation column, do not believe, walk to see. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 67.] Poland's Karolina Bielawska has been crowned Miss World for the year 2021, besting contestants from 96 other countries, including Miss India Manasa Varanasi, who stood 11th at the international beauty pageant. The 70th edition of the event was held on Wednesday night at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to the official Miss World website, Bielawska was crowned by her predecessor Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica, who won the pageant in 2020. "When I heard my name I was shocked, I still cant believe it. I am honoured to wear the Miss World crown and cant wait to get to work. I will remember this amazing chapter in Puerto Rico for the rest of my life," Bielawska said after being crowned Miss World 2021. This is the second Miss World title for Poland. Aneta Kreglicka won the coveted pageant back in 1989 for the country. Miss USA Shree Saini, an Indian-American, emerged the first runner-up, followed by Cote D'Ivoire's Olivia Yace. The official Instagram account of Femina Miss India expressed gratitude towards Varanasi, an engineer from Telangana, for representing the country. "You may have not won the crown but you have won millions of hearts, @manasa5varanasi. "You've made us immensely proud with your beautiful representation of our nation and we cannot wait to welcome you back home," the post shared on Thursday read. The Miss World pageant was originally scheduled to be held on December 16, 2021 at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, but was rescheduled after Varanasi and 16 others had tested Covid-19 positive. The show was broadcast globally to over 100 countries. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Kremlin on Thursday rejected an order by the UN's top court for Russia to suspend the military offensive in Ukraine, a day after judges in The Hague announced their ruling. "We cannot take this decision into account," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that both partiesRussia and Ukrainehad to agree for the ruling to be implemented. "No consent can be obtained in this case," Peskov said. Also Read Zelenskyy urges Germany to tear down new Russian 'Wall' in Europe The UN's International Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday that Moscow should "immediately suspend military operations that it commenced on February 24 on the territory of Ukraine." Kyiv dragged Moscow to the UN's top court days after President Vladimir Putin launched his military campaign. Peskov claimed that Moscow's delegation in talks with Kyiv to end fighting was "showing much greater readiness than our counterparts to negotiate." Watch the latest DH Videos here: French President Emmanuel Macron, riding high in the polls ahead of elections next month, is to reveal his programme for a second term on Thursday in his first major campaign event. The 44-year-old delayed declaring his intention to seek re-election to the last possible moment and is now under pressure to engage with voters and rivals ahead of polls on April 10. The centrist had focused in recent weeks on Western diplomatic outreach to stop the war in Ukraine, giving him a personal ratings boost at home where most voters approve of his efforts. If he becomes the first French president to be re-elected in 20 years next month, the former investment banker is expected to focus on deepening his pro-business domestic reforms and accelerating his vision for a more powerful European Union. But few specific details about his programme have been revealed. Also read: Macron gets French poll boost after Ukraine crisis interventions Thursday's event in Paris, which will include a lengthy press conference, is "an important exercise to show that he is addressing the questions and criticism of him, and that he's therefore really entering the campaign", a minister told AFP on condition of anonymity. Rivals across the political spectrum, who have struggled to make an impact in recent weeks amid the focus on Russia's invasion, had been calling on Macron to declare his candidacy since the turn of the year. "The president wants to be re-elected without ever really having been a candidate, without a campaign, without a debate, without a competition between ideas," the head of the Senate, Gerard Larcher, said on Tuesday. "If there isn't a campaign, then there will be questions about the legitimacy of the winner," the opposition figure from the Republicans party told Le Figaro newspaper. Republicans presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse has claimed that "when you run away from debating, it's probably because you're scared". Macron has brushed aside the criticism, but has also declined to take part in televised head-to-head debates ahead of the first round, like his predecessors as president. "Election campaigns when a president is running for re-election are always a bit unusual, that's normal," Macron said on Tuesday as he visited a centre for Ukrainian refugees outside Paris. The most recent voter surveys suggest that Macron has gained between 5.0 and 6.0 points over the last month and could be on course to win the first round of the election with a score of around 30 percent, which would be a higher margin of victory than in 2017. Veteran far-right leader Marine Le Pen is running in second place, with a score of around 18 percent, a poll of polls by the Politico website suggests. She is trailed by three candidates on around 11-12 percent: Pecresse, far-right former TV pundit Eric Zemmour and hard-left campaigner Jean-Luc Melenchon, who appears to be gaining momentum. The top two candidates in the first round will progress to a run-off vote on April 24, with surveys currently suggesting that Macron would triumph by a large margin irrespective of his rival. Behind the scenes, the president is reported to be urging supporters to guard against premature optimism. He remains a highly divisive figure, owing to his tax cuts for the wealthy, pro-business labour law reform and abrasive personality, which led to violent anti-government demonstrations in 2018 by so-called Yellow Vest protesters. A survey by the Odexa polling group, published by Le Figaro on Wednesday, suggested one in four people might abstain in the first round, the second-highest rate since 1965. Check out DH's latest videos Ukraine handed over nine captured Russian soldiers to secure the freedom of the mayor of the city of Melitopol, who was detained last week, Interfax news agency reported. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also addressed the lawmakers in the US and Germany virtually, invoking events of World War II and Cold War to garner their support. US President Joe Biden called Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a war criminal and announced that he would send more defence systems to Kyiv. Stay tuned to DH for live updates. Survivors began to emerge on Thursday as authorities worked to rescue hundreds of civilians trapped in the basement of a theatre blasted by Russian airstrikes in the besieged city of Mariupol, while ferocious Russian bombardment killed dozens in a northern city over the past day, the local governor said. The strikes the previous evening had left a large section of the grand, three-three storey theatre building in the centre of Mariupol collapsed in a smoking ruin, according to photos released by the city council. Inside, hundreds of men, women and childrenup to 1,000 according to some officialshad taken shelter in the basement, seeking safety amid Russia's strangulating 3-week siege of the strategic southern port city. Rescuers worked to clear rubble that had blocked the entrance to the basement, despite new strikes reported elsewhere in the city Thursday. Miraculously, the shelter stood firm, officials said. The building withstood the impact of a high-powered air bomb and protected the lives of people hiding in the bomb shelter," Ukraine's ombudswoman Ludmyla Denisova said on the Telegram messaging app Thursday. She and Ukrainian parliament member Sergiy Taruta said some survivors had emerged. People are coming out alive, Taruta wrote on Facebook, though he did not say how many. Also Read In some parts of the world, the war in Ukraine seems justified It was not known if there were injuries or deaths among those inside. Another lawmaker, Lesia Vasylenko, who was in London in a delegation visiting Parliament Thursday, said there were reports of injuries but no deaths. At least as recently as Monday, huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theatre spelt out CHILDREN in Russian to alert warplanes of those inside, according to images released by the Maxar space technology company. The Russian defence ministry denied bombing the theatre or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. The strike against the theatre was part of a furious bombardment of civilian targets in multiple cities over the past day. Also struck in Mariupol on Wednesday was a municipal pool where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. Hours later, there was no word on casualties in that strike. To the north, at least 53 people were brought to morgues over the past 24 hours in the city of Chernihiv, killed amid heavy Russian airstrikes, artillery bombardment and ground fire, the local governor Viacheslav Chaus told Ukrainian TV on Thursday. Ten people were killed while lining up for bread in the city, the Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday. Russia has denied involvement. Chaus said civilians were hiding in basements and shelters without access to utilities in the city of 280,000 people. The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction, he said. Also Read Kremlin rejects top UN court order to halt Ukraine offensive Chernihiv, which is near the borders with Belarus and Russia, was among the first Ukrainian cities to come under attack from Russian forces when the invasion began three weeks ago. In Kyiv, where residents have been huddling in homes and shelters, emergency services said a fire broke out in an apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket early Thursday, killing one person and injuring at least three. Firefighters evacuated 30 people from the top floors of the 16-story building and extinguished the blaze within an hour. Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community centre in Merefa, a city near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Merefa's mayor Veniamin Sitov. There were no known civilian casualties. The Kharkiv region has seen heavy bombardment as stalled Russian forces try to advance in the area. The UN Security Council is to meet on Thursday at the request of six Western nations that sought an open session on Ukraine ahead of an expected vote on a Russian humanitarian resolution that they have sharply criticized for making no mention of Moscow's war against its smaller neighbour. Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians, Britain's UN Mission tweeted, announcing the call for the meeting that was joined by the US, France and others. Russia's illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all. Watch the latest DH Videos here: President Joe Biden on Wednesday flatly called Russia's Vladimir Putin a war criminal for the unfolding onslaught in Ukraine, where hospitals and maternity wards have been bombed. But declaring someone a war criminal is not as simple as just saying the words. There are set definitions and processes for determining who's a war criminal and how they should be punished. The White House had been avoiding applying the designation to Putin, saying it requires investigation and an international determination. After Biden used the term, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president was speaking from his heart" and renewed her statements that there is a process for making a formal determination. In popular usage, though, the phrase has a taken on a colloquial meaning as a generic term for someone who's awful. "Clearly Putin is a war criminal, but the president is speaking politically on this, said David Crane, who has worked on war crimes for decades and served as chief prosecutor for the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone, which tried former Liberian President Charles Taylor. Also read: Biden calls Putin a war criminal as Russia says mission 'going to plan' The investigations into Putin's actions already have begun. The US and 44 other countries are working together to investigate possible violations and abuses, after the passage of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish a commission of inquiry. There is another probe by the International Criminal Court, an independent body based in the Netherlands. "We're at the beginning of the beginning, said Crane, who now heads the Global Accountability Network, which works with the international court and United Nations, among others. On the day of the invasion, his group set up a task force compiling criminal information for war crimes. He's also drafting a sample indictment against Putin. He predicted an indictment of Putin could happen within a year. But there is no statute of limitations. Here's a look at how this all works: Who is a war criminal? The term applies to anyone who violates a set of rules adopted by world leaders known as the law of armed conflict. The rules govern how countries behave in times of war. Those rules have been modified and expanded over the past century, drawn from the Geneva Conventions in the aftermath of World War II and protocols added later. The rules are aimed at protecting people not taking part in fighting and those who can no longer fight, including civilians like doctors and nurses, wounded troops and prisoners of war. Treaties and protocols lay out who can be targeted and with what weapons. Certain weapons are prohibited, including chemical or biological agents. Also Read | Biden sending more anti-aircraft systems, drones to Ukraine What specific crimes make someone a war criminal? The so-called grave breaches of the conventions that amount to war crimes include willful killing and extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity. Other war crimes include deliberately targeting civilians, using disproportionate force, using human shields and taking hostages. The International Criminal Court also prosecutes crimes against humanity committed in the context of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population. These include murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, rape and sexual slavery. The most likely way that Putin could come into the picture as a war criminal is through the widely recognized legal doctrine of command responsibility. If commanders order or even know or are in a position to know about crimes and did nothing to prevent them, they can be held legally responsible. What are the paths to justice? Generally, there are four paths to investigate and determine war crimes, though each one has limits. One is through the International Criminal Court. A second option would be if the United Nations turns its work on the inquiry commission over to a hybrid international war crimes tribunal to prosecute Putin. A third would be to create a tribunal or court to try Putin by a group of interested or concerned states, such as NATO, the European Union and the US The military tribunals at Nuremberg following World War II against Nazi leaders are an example. Finally, some countries have their own laws for prosecuting war crimes. Germany, for example, is already investigating Putin. The US doesn't have such a law, but the Justice Department has a special section that focuses on acts including international genocide, torture, recruitment of child soldiers and female genital mutilation. Also Read | Mariupol theatre sheltering 'hundreds' of civilians hit by Russia, Moscow denies attack Where might putin be put on trial? It's not clear. Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and would not send any suspects to the court's headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. The US does not recognize the authority of the court, either. Putin could be tried in a country chosen by the United Nations or by the consortium of concerned nations. But getting him there would be difficult. Have national leaders been prosecuted in the past? Yes. From the post-World War II tribunals in Nuremberg and Tokyo to more recent ad hoc tribunals, senior leaders have been prosecuted for their actions in countries including Bosnia, Cambodia and Rwanda. Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic was put on trial by a UN tribunal in The Hague for fomenting bloody conflicts as Yugoslavia crumbled in the early 1990s. He died in his cell before the court could reach a verdict. His Bosnian Serb ally Radovan Karadzic and the Bosnian Serb military leader, Gen. Ratko Mladic, were successfully prosecuted and are both now serving life sentences. Liberia's Taylor was sentenced to 50 years after being convicted of sponsoring atrocities in neighboring Sierra Leone. Chad's former dictator Hissene Habre, who died last year, was the first former head of state to be convicted of crimes against humanity by an African court. He was sentenced to life. Check out DH's latest videos It is unclear if the apparent failure of a missile launch on Wednesday dealt a lasting blow to North Koreas plans, but analysts say failures are an important part of any development programme and in the Norths case, have often hinted at progress in more indigenous designs. South Korea's military said a presumed ballistic missile exploded in mid-air shortly after it was test-fired from the international airport near Pyongyang on Wednesday morning. North Korea has not commented on or publicly acknowledged the reports. The apparent accident would be an unwelcome setback - and potentially dangerous to anyone in the path of falling debris - but analysts said missile engineers can often learn as much from failures as successes, and the test further underscores progress North Korea is making amid stalled international efforts to curb its ballistic missile and nuclear weapon development. Also Read | North Korea silent after missile explodes over Pyongyang A missile launch failure doesn't imply that they don't learn from the test; failures can be useful data points in improving their capabilities, said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. US and South Korean officials have said North Korea may be preparing to conduct its first full-scale intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test since 2017. With the construction of what analysts believe is a ballistic missile support facility at the airport, the site could be a centre of any renewed testing. Historically, North Koreas missile program has had a remarkably low rate of known failures compared to many other countries that have built such weapons, said Melissa Hanham, a researcher at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) in California. In one notable incident amid North Korea's flurry of major new weapons tests in 2017, a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile failed after launch and crashed in a populated area. "Frankly, I remain surprised there are not more failures," Hanham said. Some analysts have pointed to that as evidence that the North, at least initially, relied heavily on technology from partners like Russia. Its first ICBM, the Hwasong-14, is also believed to have technology gained through cooperation with Iran. Also Read | North Korea fires 'unidentified projectile' but launch fails "There is no flawless development, and if there seems to be one, it always turns out that a lot of development work had been done elsewhere before," said Markus Schiller, a Europe-based missile expert who has researched foreign aid to North Korea's programme. "Therefore, from that perspective, a failed launch might hint at a real indigenous development." ROCKET BOOSTERS TO BLAME? North Korea has not disclosed what missile was involved in Wednesday's launch, nor the two most recent tests on Feb. 27 and March 5, which were also fired from the airport. It said those launches were for testing spy satellite equipment, but USand South Korean officials said they were secret tests of a huge new ICBM system, known as the Hwasong-17. "It makes sense that as they transition toward larger, newer missiles, including possibly the Hwasong-17, they'd see more failures," Panda said. If the Hwasong-17 was involved in Wednesday's botched test, however, it would be unusual that the failure didn't occur on the first or second flights, Schiller said. The quick interval between the tests is also unusual for a developmental programme, as it doesnt give time for the engineers to tweak their designs, he said. Therefore, it seems that the missiles were already manufactured and ready for launch even before number one was launched, which would hint at a programme that is already beyond prototyping, Schiller said. Or it might hint at taking high risks. Because the failure came soon after liftoff, it likely involved the missile's first stage, which in the case of the Hwasong-17 has a complicated set of four massive rocket engines, Hanham said. "Though North Korea heralded the tests of individual engines as successes, clustering four of them together for the first stage of the Hwasong-17 is very challenging," she said. Check out DH's latest videos: Israel's ministry of health said Wednesday it had recorded two cases of new Covid variant, but which officials said they were not unduly worried about. The strain, combining two sub-variants of the Omicron version of the Covid-19 virus -- dubbed BA.1 and BA.2 -- was recorded during PCR tests on two passengers arriving at Israel's Ben Gurion airport. "This variant is still unknown around the world," the ministry statement read. Also Read | Covid-19 cases wane in India but rise in China, Europe "The two cases of the combined strain, which have been discovered so far, suffered from mild symptoms of fever, headaches and muscle dystrophy, and do not require a special medical response," it added. Israel's pandemic response chief, Salman Zarka, played down the risks. "The phenomenon of combined variants is well known," Zarka told Army Radio. "At this stage, we are not worried about it leading to serious cases". More than four million people out of Israel's population of 9.2 million have received three coronavirus vaccine shots. A total of almost 1.4 million cases of Covid infection, including 8,244 deaths, have been officially recorded in the country. Last month, Israel announced that unvaccinated tourists would be allowed to enter as part of an easing of covid restrictions. Also Read | Chinas Covid lockdowns set to further disrupt supply chains The country was seeing a "consistent decline in morbidity data," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. A previous effort to reopen the border last November foundered after just a few weeks because of the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Israel was one of the first countries to launch a national vaccination campaign in December 2020. Earlier this month, the government announced it would provide fourth Covid vaccine shots to people over 60 and health workers, amid a surge driven by the Omicron variant. Check out the latest videos from DH: Authorities in Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol said Wednesday that Russian forces hit a theatre where "hundreds" of civilians were taking shelter. "Russia purposefully destroyed the Drama Theatre, where hundreds of people are hiding," Mariupol city authorities said in a statement on Telegram. Officials posted a photo of the theatre building, whose middle part was completely destroyed, with thick white smoke rising from the rubble. Officials said a bomb was dropped on the building from an airplane. Also Read | Zelenskyy tells US Congress, 'We need you right now' Satellite images of the theatre on March 14, shared by private satellite company Maxar, showed the words "children" clearly etched out in the ground in Russian on either side of the building. City authorities were trying to establish the number of casualties, but their efforts were hampered by the fact that residential neighborhoods were under shelling. "It is impossible to find words to describe the level of cynicism and cruelty, with which Russian invaders are destroying peaceful residents of a Ukrainian city by the sea," the official statement read. Russia's defence ministry denied that its forces bombed the city on Wednesday and stated the building was destroyed in an explosion set off by Ukraine's nationalist Azov battalion. Moscow has already blamed the military unit for last week's bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, which sparked an international outcry. More than 2,000 people have been killed in the besieged city, according to Ukrainian authorities. Check out latest DH vidoes here A Russian airstrike ripped apart a theater where hundreds of people have been living in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said, as Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a self-purification to rid his country of anyone who questions his invasion. The bombardment Wednesday of the theater, which had become a makeshift shelter as combat tore across the port city over the past three weeks and made thousands homeless, left many people buried in the burning rubble, Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement. There was no immediate word on how many people were killed or injured. At least as recently as Monday, the pavement in front of and behind the once-elegant theater was marked with huge white letters spelling out CHILDREN in Russian, according to images released by the Maxar space technology company. Follow live updates of Russia-Ukraine crisis, here My heart breaks from what Russia is doing to our people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday night, hours after he delivered a speech via video to the US Congress that garnered several ovations. The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. Russian attacks have battered cities and villages across large parts of Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, where residents have been huddling in homes and shelters. Russian troops shelled areas in and around the city on Wednesday, including a residential neighborhood just 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the presidential palace. A 12-story Kyiv apartment building erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel. Putin went on television to excoriate Russians who don't back him, even as both sides expressed optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. Russians will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, he said. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. Also Read | Explainer: Who's a war criminal, and who gets to decide? He said the West is using a fifth column of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it the destruction of Russia, he said. The speech appeared to be a warning that his authoritarian rule, which had already grown tighter since the invasion began on Feb. 24, shutting down Russian news outlets and arresting protesters, could grow even more repressive. In a sign of that, Russian law enforcement announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be false information about the Ukraine war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. But is also came amid signs that talks were finally making progress. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after Tuesday's meeting that a neutral military status for Ukraine was being seriously discussed by the two sides, while Zelenskyy said Russia's demands for ending the war were becoming more realistic. Wednesday's talks, held by video, appeared to wade more deeply into technicalities. Zelenskyy adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees for Ukraine from several countries. This is possible only through direct dialogue between Zelenskyy and Putin, he tweeted. An official in Zelenskyy's office told The Associated Press that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. Also Read | Russian shelling kills five, including 3 children, in Ukraine's Chernihiv The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on a legally binding document with security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. Earlier Wednesday, Zelenskyy went before the US Congress via video and, invoking Pearl Harbor and 9/11, pleaded with America for more weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia, saying: We need you right now. US President Joe Biden announced the US was sending an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine. He also called Vladimir Putin a war criminal, in his sharpest condemnation since the invasion began. Although Moscow's ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Putin said earlier that the operation was unfolding successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans. He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country. The fighting has led more than 3 million people to flee Ukraine, the U.N. estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. Speaking to Congress, Zelenskyy said that Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death. But Biden has rejected Zelenskyy's requests to send warplanes to Ukraine or establish a no-fly zone, fearing a war between the US and Russia. Nowhere has suffered more than the encircled city of Mariupol, where local officials say missile strikes and shelling have killed more than 2,300 people. The southern seaport of 430,000 has been under attack for almost all of the three-week war in a siege that has left people struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Using the flashlight on his cellphone to illuminate a hospital basement, Dr. Valeriy Drengar pulled back a blanket to show the body of a 22-day-old infant. Other wrapped bodies also appeared to be children. These are the people we could not save, Drengar said. Check out DH's latest videos: Five people, including three children, were killed when Russian forces shelled a residential building in the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, emergency officials said Wednesday. Emergency workers recovered the five bodies from under the rubble of a multi-storey apartment building, Ukraine's emergencies ministry said in a statement on Telegram. Defence officials posted on Telegram a photo of the building, whose windows were blown out. The photo showed three emergency workers standing on a heap of rubble, while a third one climbs a ladder apparently to inspect what's inside. Follow live Russia-Ukraine crisis updates here Chernihiv, a city located north of the capital Kyiv and close to the border with Moscow's ally Belarus, has been heavily shelled by Russian air forces since Russia launched the offensive on February 24. Earlier Wednesday, Ukrainian prosecutors said 10 people in Chernihiv were killed while queuing to collect bread. Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said 103 children have been killed since the start of the conflict and more than a hundred hospitals damaged or destroyed. Check out latest DH videos here The Taliban will allow girls around Afghanistan to return to class when high schools open next week, an education official said on Thursday, after months of uncertainty over whether the group would allow full access to education for girls and women. "All schools are going to open to all boys and girls," Aziz Ahmad Rayan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, told Reuters. "But there are some conditions for girls," he said, adding that female students would be taught separately from males and only by female teachers. In some rural areas where there was a shortage of female teachers, he said that older male teachers would be allowed to teach girls. Also Read | UN establishes formal ties with Taliban-governed Afghanistan "There is no school that will close for this year. If there is any school that closes, it is the responsibility of the education ministry to open it," Rayan added. Allowing girls and women into schools and colleges has been one of the key demands the international community has made of the hardline Islamist movement since it toppled the Western-backed government last August. Most countries have so far refused to formally recognise the Taliban, amid concerns over their treatment of girls and women and allegations of human rights abuses against former soldiers and officials from the ousted administration. The Taliban have vowed to investigate alleged abuses and say they are not seeking revenge on their former enemies. Also Read Freedom's choice for Afghans: Over the wall or through the desert The last time the group ruled Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, they banned female education and most employment. Since regaining power, boys and men have returned to education in far greater numbers than girls and women. The Taliban is seeking to run the country according to its interpretation of Islamic law while at the same time accessing billions of dollars in development aid that it desperately needs to stave off widespread poverty and hunger. Sanctions against some leading members of the group have complicated the situation. The Taliban say they respect women's rights in accordance with Islamic law and local custom. But many women have reported restrictions on access to public life, including jobs, forcing some to drop out of the workforce. Also Read | Don't forget Afghanistan, UN reminds to world as Ukraine crisis worsens Heather Barr, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch, urged the international community against complacency after the announcement. "There has been a huge focus by donors on girls' secondary schools multiple donors have told me they see this issue as 'totemic'," she said. Barr added that reopening schools would not necessarily mean that the broader rights of women and girls in society would be protected. Seventeen-year-old Farzana said she was already washing and ironing her uniform as she anticipated joining her friends in her Kabul classroom. After six months at home, she said she and others had struggled mentally being away from studies. "I feel very powerful. We can show not only (the Taliban) but also the world (that) we never stop, and Afghanistan won't return to previous decades," she said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: When Russian jets roared low over her town and the bombing grew unbearable, Liudmila Kravtsova packed a small bag and fled by train to safer western Ukraine. The carriage was packed with women and children. But men of fighting age, who remained behind to halt the Russian advance, were largely absent. So was another segment of Ukrainian society. Kravtsova, a 67-year-old retired accountant, said she was one of only three older passengers. "Old people are staying put with only the war for company," she said. One in four people in Ukraine are 60 or older, according to government statistics, and many of them were already poor and vulnerable before Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24, according to UN and other experts. Also Read | Zelenskyy urges Germany to tear down new Russian 'Wall' in Europe Since then about 3 million Ukrainians have fled the country, but many older people have been too sick or immobile to make the same arduous journey. Others have refused to leave cherished homes, even as the conflict enveloped them. Ukraine has the largest percentage of older people affected by conflict of any single country, said HelpAge International, a global network of support groups that have worked in the former Soviet republic since 2014. It said older people were often overlooked during humanitarian crises, or their specific nutritional or medical needs are not factored in. Particularly in rural areas of Ukraine, the majority of those staying put are older people, and helping them as the fighting has escalated will be challenging, said Justin Derbyshire, HelpAge International's chief executive. Also Read | Ukraine hopes nine humanitarian corridors will operate on Thursday "There will be a huge amount of need. We're going to see massive problems in terms of hunger and medical supplies." Many older people, already in fragile health, have arrived in Lviv in western Ukraine - where Russian forces have not ventured to date - after harrowing escapes. Kravtsova spent days sheltering in terror in a basement in the small town of Barvinkove in eastern Ukraine as shells and rockets exploded outside. "We had such a beautiful life before the war," she said. A little over 24 hours later, she was sitting on a bench outside Lviv station, waiting for her daughter Oksana. Also Read | Explainer: Who's a war criminal, and who gets to decide? Asked why she seemed so cheerful, Kravtsova said she had just met an injured soldier who had returned from the front. "He told me, 'We will win this war.' And I believe him." She said she will live with her daughter in Ternopil, a nearby city, and won't go abroad. "If I was younger, maybe I'd think about going abroad. But this is my land." 'So exhausted' Boris Mosyir, who is 79 and walks with a cane, sat quietly in a nearby waiting hall with his grown-up son Ihor. They had lived together in Izyum, another war-torn eastern town. Their apartment block had no shelter or basement. During the near-constant Russian bombardment, they hid in the bathroom with pillows clutched over their heads. "I can't believe we survived," said Mosyir, his face crumpling with emotion. "We're so exhausted. We just want to sit and catch our breath." Also read: Biden calls Putin a war criminal as Russia says mission 'going to plan' Mosyir has prostate cancer but said he had run out of medicine to treat it. He had an upcoming appointment at a hospital in nearby Kharkiv, but that city - Ukraine's second largest - has been devastated by the Russian bombing. "I don't know if my doctor is alive or dead," he said. The war had also posed new challenges for wheelchair-bound Yuriy Vasko, 78. He and his son-in-law Serhii Krylov had escaped Mykolaiv, a port city on the Black Sea and scene of intense fighting. Vasko now wanted to join his daughter Raisa in neighbouring Poland, but his son-in-law couldn't take him there because men of fighting age weren't allowed to leave Ukraine. So Vasko slept in a Lviv church for three days, waiting for Raisa to arrive and take him to Poland. Vasko, who suffered a stroke a few years ago, said he felt betrayed by Russia and let down by his own country. "Old people aren't needed at all," he said, tugging down the brim of his cap to hide his tears. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Delhi chief minister and national convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal and his party's first chief minister in Punjab, Bhagwant Mann are set to hit the election campaigns in Gujarat on April 2, when the two leaders along with thousands of supporters will take out a massive "padayatra" in Ahmedabad's middle and lower middle class dominated localities. According to the party's plan, Kejriwal and Mann will be taking out "tiranga yatra" on foot in Bapunagar and Nikol areas. These localities are dominated by Patidars and Hindi speaking migrants. The march will start from Ambedkar chowk/Ganpati Mandir in Bapunagar. It will pass through Bapunagar Khodiyar Mandir to Bapunagar crossroads, Diamond market (Sardar Patel Statue), Thakkarbapanagar, Jivanwadi, Khodiyar Mandir and would end at Nikol Gam. "This will be the launch of the Assembly poll campaign. We have been given the responsibility of bringing supporters from all districts and towns of the state to make it grand. We believe that BJP may opt for an early election," two-party leaders told DH. The elections, as per the schedule, is expected to be held by December. Also Read | AAP's Punjab win shows governance gets votes The party has sought police permission for holding the event in which it has described that there will be 20 points at the "padayatra" route where Kejriwal and other leaders will be welcomed. In the application, AAP has said that they are expecting 10,000 people from across the state to participate in the event with 15 open vehicles, five tempos, three vehicles with DJs, 50 cars and 200 bikes. The application moved by AAP leader R C Patel has requested the police commissioner, Ahmedabad to grant the permission before March 26. The party is also holding a "training camp" for its workers in Ahmedabad on March 20. "We are expecting 1000 people, who are holding key positions in the party, from across cities and districts to attend it. We will be discussing various aspects of elections and mulling over strategies," said the party's state president Gopal Italia. When asked about Kejriwal and Mann's event, he said that "the event is under planning and will share the details in a few days." AAP leaders are trying to capitalise on political dividends in Gujarat with the party's massive victory in the Punjab Assembly election. The party tasted their first electoral success in Surat municipal corporation election by winning 27 seats, largely with the help of the Patidar community. With a weak Congress reeling with factionalism, AAP is expecting to have a foot in the door in the state Assembly this year. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Aromatic Tea, an Assam-based startup, has launched a CTC tea named after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "honour his valour and courage" in the face of a Russian invasion. Ranjit Barua, the director of Aromatic Tea, told PTI that the brand Zelenskyy, a strong Assam CTC tea, was launched on Wednesday. "The basic idea is to honour the valour and courage of the Ukrainian president who rejected the US offer to escape war-torn Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he does not need a free ride but ammunition. This shows his character," Barua maintained. The Ukraine president, "knowing fully well that victory is nowhere near", is still fighting. "We are trying to draw an analogy between his character and valour and that of the Assam tea," he said. The brew will be available for sale online, he added. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has resumed the ratings for individual news channels with the release of data for Week 10, 2022, on Wednesday. Following an industry-wide consultative process, the BARC Team, along with the BARC TechComm, developed the 'Augmented Data Reporting Standards for News and Special Interest' genres, aligned with the industrys needs. As per these revised approved standards, audience estimates for these genres will only be released based on a four-week rolling average, every week. Also Read Dangerous for press freedom A level playing field has been ensured for all channels within the BARC ecosystem with a single YUMI (analytics) login access to the audience estimates. There is also no change in the weekly data release cadence, which enables seamless planning. Sensitive to the industrys need for past data for informed and equitable decision making, and as advised, BARC India will also release data for the previous 13 weeks, i.e., for the period of Week 49, 2021 to Week 9, 2022, only for the channels that have not chosen to opt out from receiving this data, which will also be based on a 4-week rolling average. This data will be released over the next 3 working days, the BARC said in a statement. The resumption takes place nearly 17 months after it was suspended after an investigation by the Mumbai Police vis-a-vis some TV channelsin what was described as a TRP scam. Watch the latest DH Videos here: A visit to India by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi later this month could be on the cards but there is no finality on it yet, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. There is no official word by the Ministry of External Affairs or the Chinese government on the possible visit. If the visit takes place, it will be the first trip by a senior Chinese leader to India after the eastern Ladakh standoff between the two countries began in May 2020. It is learnt that the proposal for the visit came from the Chinese side and Wang also intends to travel to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh as part of a four-nation tour. Nepal's Kathmandu Post reported on Tuesday that Wang is scheduled to arrive in the Nepalese capital on March 26 on a two-day official visit. It is not clear whether Wang's possible visit to New Delhi will take place after his trip to Kathmandu or before it. In the last one-and-a-half years, Jaishankar and Wang held several rounds of talks in Moscow and Dushanbe to defuse tensions in eastern Ladakh. In September 2020, Jaishankar and Wang held extensive talks in Moscow on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during which they reached a five-point agreement to resolve the eastern Ladakh border row. The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC. The two foreign ministers also held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of another SCO meeting in Tajik capital city Dushanbe in July last year with a focus on the border row. They again met in Dushanbe in September. India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was key for the overall development of the bilateral ties. This position was again emphasised by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla last week. "We have made it clear to China that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the development of our relationship. Development of India-China relationship has to be based on 'three mutuals' -- mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest," Shringla said. Earlier this month, Wang said some forces have always sought to stoke tensions between China and India, in an apparent reference to the US. Wang's proposed visit, if it takes place, is expected to provide an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on the crisis in Ukraine. On March 11, India and China held the 15th round of high-level military dialogue to resolve the pending issues in the eastern Ladakh region. The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas. Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Meghalaya High Court has ruled that rubbing of male organ on the vagina or urethra, even over underpants, would still amount to penetration and be charged as rape under Section 375 (b) of the Indian Penal Code. A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh, in their order, on Monday, on a rape incident dating back to September 23, 2006, said that even if it be accepted that the appellant herein forced his organ into the vagina or urethra of the victim despite the victim wearing her underpants, it would still amount to penetration for the purpose of Section 375 (b). "When it is evident that the 10-year-old victim, upon being medically examined (on October 1, 2006) about a week after the incident, still showed signs of tenderness in her vagina and her hymen was torn, there is sufficient evidence of penetrative sex. The victim also indicated that the appellant herein pulled at her underpants." A trial court had, on October 31, 2018, convicted the accused and sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment and a Rs 25,000 fine, in default of which he will undergo imprisonment for an additional six months. The convict challenged the order in the High Court, contending that if the victim's underpants were not removed, then how he could be accused of rape. But the high court did not accept this. "In any event, by virtue of Section 375 (c) of the Penal Code, when a person manipulates any part of the body of a woman so as to cause penetration into, inter alia, the vagina or urethra, the act would amount to rape. There is sufficient evidence of such penetration in the present case," said the 6-page HC order. "Whatever may have been the reasons for the victim claiming that she did not feel any pain at the time, she complained of pain when she was medically examined on October 1, 2006 and the medical report confirmed the same. The medical report also confirmed the tenderness in her vagina which also revealed redness and the ruptured hymen. "The principal ground of the appeal by the accused is that though the appellant has been found guilty of having committed rape and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and payment of fine of Rs 25,000 in default to suffer imprisonment for an additional six months, no case of penetration in terms of Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 was made out," the HC said. "Since the victim was a minor and since the appellant confessed that he lost control over himself and committed the offence, the punishment awarded to the appellant herein does not appear to be out of place," it added. Check out DH's latest videos A contractual worker died at the Bokaro plant of Dalmia Cement in Jharkhand, leading to protests. The protesting workers at the plant in Balidih police station area alleged that he was beaten to death at the workers' camp by officials of the contractor firm. However, Dalmia Cement said the worker died due to a "mishap", refusing to share details of the incident that caused the death. The incident happened on Tuesday night and the protesters alleged that another worker is still missing. Bokaro's Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Jha said the matter is being investigated. A spokesperson of the company said, "We regret to inform that an unfortunate incident that happened at the workers' camp of our Bokaro plant in Jharkhand has led to the death of a contractual labourer, Nagendra Yadav. The incident occurred on Tuesday at 10 pm. As soon as we received the information about this mishap, we rushed Mr Yadav to the BGH Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries." Asked about the details of the "mishap", the spokesperson said the company was not in a position to provide further details and the matter has been brought to the notice of local police, who have started an investigation. "We are fully cooperating with the investing agencies and law enforcement. We express our condolences to the family of the deceased and we will work with the contractor Durga Enterprises to extend all due support to the bereaved family," the spokesperson said. "We at Dalmia Bharat accord the highest priority to maintain internal harmony and a healthy working environment and will work with our contractors towards ensuring that such untoward incidents do not happen in the future," the spokesperson added. The agitating workers have stopped cement loading work in protest against the incident. Check out DH's latest videos: The film The Kashmir Files has now intruded Bengals political landscape, with the BJP Leader Suvendu Adhikari recommending the film to Bengali Hindus, while Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, without naming the film, in an oblique reference, has said that a film is a work of fiction. Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, and other BJP MLAs, watched the film on Tuesday. Later, Suvendu tweeted, Moved by the cinematic masterpiece; The Kashmir Files. The portrayal of Kashmiri Pandit genocide shakes you up & stirs your conscience. It took 32 years to get to know the truth firsthand, about the atrocities that this scarred community faced Suvendu further added that he would recommend the Bengali Hindus to find time and watch this film. This film is a warning as because the worsening situation in WB may force someone to make The Bengal Files couple of decades later, he added. Also Read 'The Kashmir Files', superstar movies and critical mass The film also drew admiration from West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. The official Twitter handle of the governor, on Wednesday, along with a video clip, stated, Governor West Bengal Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar looking forward to watching Kashmir Files and is all praise for the commendable well thought out effort that unravels much needed truth and traverses ground reality of the times then. There are other areas that call for similar focus. Mamata on Wednesday, in the state assembly, without naming the film, had said that a film is a work of fiction. On Thursday, Amit Malviya, the partys co-incharge for West Bengal, alleged that Mamata is denying facts. Amit, in a tweet, quoted Mamata as saying No one will go to the cinema Not everything that is shown in the movie is true. Malviya added, Here is Mamata Banerjee, denying the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus, perhaps mindful of the marginalisation Bengali Hindus are facing in her regime. Is it just a matter of time? Watch the latest DH Videos here: By Anurag Kotoky A missile that was accidentally fired from India last week narrowly missed dozens of commercial jets that were in the same skies. Several planes passed through the direct trajectory of the missile that day, which flew from the Indian garrison town of Ambala and ended up in Mian Channu in Eastern Pakistan. They included a Flydubai jet heading to Dubai from Sialkot, an IndiGo plane from Srinagar to Mumbai and an Airblue Ltd. flight from Lahore to Riyadh. All crossed the missiles trajectory within an hour of its accidental launch, data from flight-tracking application Flightradar24 show. Other international flights in the vicinity of the missiles trajectory -- and within its range -- included a Kuwait Airways Co. jet heading to Guangzhou from Kuwait City, a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight to Riyadh from New Delhi, and a Qatar Airways service from Kathmandu to Doha, the data show. No advisory to pilots operating in the vicinity -- known as a notice to airmen or NOTAM -- was issued. Also Read | Indian missile misfire prompted Pakistan for retaliatory strike A time-lapse video of the airspace -- prepared by Flightradar24 on request from Bloomberg News -- showed busy activity in the skies within an hour and half of both sides of 7 p.m. local time on March 9, which India said was the approximate time of the accidental launch. Indias robust missile handling procedures are being reviewed and will be strengthened further, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told lawmakers earlier this week. India says it was reviewing missile handling protocols The averted tragedy is reminiscent of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, when a missile owned by a Russia-based military unit hit the plane over Ukraine, killing all 298 people aboard. In 2020, Iran unintentionally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet it mistook for a cruise missile, killing 176.Very unfortunate. It could have led to a disaster, what if it hit a Pakistan International aircraft? said Mark Martin, founder of Dubai-based Martin Consulting. The bigger concern is what if it was taken as a hostile action by Pakistan? We cant brush it under the carpet, those accountable must be held accountable. This could have escalated into a full-blown conflict. Also Read | Missile firing: Act to restore Indias credibility The Indian mishap last week had the potential of turning deadly, with Pakistan preparing to launch a similar missile to strike India, Bloomberg News reported earlier this week. The nuclear-armed Indian neighbour eventually held fire after an initial assessment indicated something was amiss. The flight path of the missile -- which Pakistan continuously monitored from near the point of its origin in Sirsa in India -- endangered many international and domestic passenger flights both in Indian and Pakistani airspace and could have resulted in a major aviation disaster, Pakistans military spokesman Babar Iftikhar told reporters in the northern city of Rawalpindi on March 10. The missile flew at an altitude of 40,000 feet and an ultimate speed of Mach 3 (2,300 miles) an hour, Tariq Zia, a spokesman for the Pakistan Air Force said in the same briefing. Modern commercial jets tend to cruise below and around that altitude. A top official at Indias Directorate General of Civil Aviation didnt respond to a request for comment. Pakistans Civil Aviation Authority and Indias defense ministry also didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Watch the latest DH Videos here: To maintain peace and order, the Islamic Centre of India has urged mosques to change the timings of Friday prayers given that Holi will be celebrated the same day. Since Holi, Shab-e-Barat and Friday prayers are on the same day, all efforts should be made to ensure peace and order in keeping with the composite culture of the country, appealed the chairman of the Islamic Centre of India Farangi Mahal and Lucknow Idgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed appealed on Wednesday. Apart from seeking change in the timings of Friday prayers, he urged Muslims to offer prayers in local mosques. At least 22 mosques, including some prominent ones like Jama Masjid Idgah, Masjid Aishbagh, Ek Minara Masjid at Akbari Gate, Masjid Shahmina Shah and Masjid Chowk have changed the timing of the Friday prayers pushing it after 1.30 pm. With Shab-e-Barat also falling on the same day, the Islamic Centre of India has also asked the Muslims to visit mosques and the graves of their loved ones after 5 pm when the playing Holi is over and that there should not be fireworks on the day. Four years ago there was a similar situation and then also the clerics had shifted the timings of the Friday prayers. Check out DH's latest videos: Noting that India has been raising with China the plight of Indian students, studying in Chinese universities and unable to go back for physical classes, the external affairs ministry on Thursday urged Beijing to adopt a "congenial stance" in the matter as the continuation of these strict restrictions was putting the academic careers of thousands of students in jeopardy. Replying to a separate query on whether Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi was visiting India later this month, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "I have a very short answer on this. I don't have any information to share on this at this moment." People familiar with the matter on Wednesday said that a visit to India by Wang later this month could be on the cards but there is no finality on it yet. It is learnt that the proposal for the visit came from the Chinese side and Wang also intends to travel to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh as part of a four-nation tour. On Indian students studying in China unable to return to that country, Bagchi said India has taken up the issue with Beijing. "We have highlighted the plight of the students and how the continuation of these stringent restrictions was putting the academic careers of thousands of students in jeopardy," he said. Also Read Chinese foreign minister may visit India in March Bagchi also referred to the statements made by the Chinese foreign ministry on February 8 and March 14 on the issue. He also referred to a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on February 8 that China is looking into the matter in a coordinated manner and that arrangements for allowing foreign students to return to China are being examined. "But let me clarify that till date, the Chinese side has not given any categorical response about the return of Indian students. We will continue to urge the Chinese side to adopt a congenial stance in the interest of our students and that they facilitate an early return to China so that our students can pursue their studies," Bagchi said. He said the issue was also taken up with Wang by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a meeting in Dushanbe in September last. The two foreign ministers had held talks in the Tajik capital city on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Watch the latest DH Videos here: It is not the meeting of G-23 leaders but their black-and-white demand calling for collective and inclusive leadership that stands out. The statement a first of its kind official announcement comes three days after the CWC met. The dinner meeting on Wednesday, hosted by veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and the statement with a warning that the next steps will be announced soon were an euphemism for a pre-emptive no-confidence motion on the possible return of Rahul Gandhi as party chief as they wanted collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels. Also Read 'Only way forward...': Congress G-23 leaders meet over party leadership This came despite Sonia Gandhi reaching out to Azad and calling him for a possible meeting even as the supporters of the Gandhi family pounded on the rebels, especially after Kapil Sibal gave an interview seeking Gandhis to step down and accusing Rahul of acting as president without assuming the responsibility. At his meeting with the Gandhis, Azad is likely to put the final proposal of the change-seekers before the High Command. Azads tone and proposal as well as how far Sonia would budge would determine what would be the next steps of the G-23. Another G-23 leader Bhupinder Hooda met Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, a day after he signed the joint statement, and then briefed Azad about his discussions. There were reports that Rahul had telephoned Hooda on Wednesday to find a way out and the reaching out by Gandhis are seen as an attempt by the leadership to douse the fire at the beginning and present a united face. Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tried to play the mediator before the CWC meeting but after Sibals remarks, he targeted the latter while his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel said some were trying to turn the party into Congress of dinner and Congress of bungalows. The reference was to Sibal, who was to initially host the dinner meeting and Azad, who retained the bungalow after his retirement from Rajya Sabha. Also Read How Sonia Gandhi's stance as Congress chief has changed over 5 months The change-seekers also sought to show that their numbers are growing with the addition of at least two new members to the grouping the surprise in Gandhi loyalist Mani Shankar Aiyar as well as Lok Sabha MP Preneet Kaur, a Congress MP. A friend of late Rajiv Gandhi, Aiyar was the first to speak in a Congress meeting at Parliaments Central Hall in 2004 seeking Sonia to assume prime ministership after she refused to do so. Also Read Congress leaders slam Kapil Sibal for criticising party leadership Preneet Kaur, the wife of former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who quit Congress after his ouster from the post last year, has been staying in the party. The G-23 leaders were not happy at the way Singh was ousted and they had been complaining about the lack of consultation on the issue. G-23 leaders claim now that they have become G-32 but Mukul Wasniks absence set the tongues wagging about him leaving the grouping. M Veerappa Moily, who had signed the August 2020 letter to Sonia seeking clarity on leadership, has distanced from the grouping already. Also Read Punjab MPs do plain speak on defeat in meeting with Sonia; Sidhu sends in terse resignation letter Almost all those who were part of the G-23 were staunch Gandhi family loyalists and still vouch for Sonias leadership. However, they are against Rahul Gandhi assuming the post as the old guards feel that they are left out in his setup. At the CWC meeting, Azad had said that the next president should be accountable and accessible, in an indirect hit at Rahul. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is leading the G-23 group demanding sweeping organisational changes in the party, is likely to meet party interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday to address the grievances of the group sources said. It's likely that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will also be present at this meeting. On Wednesday, G-23 leaders met at Azad's residence to chalked out their strategy ahead of the meeting. Also Read 'Only way forward...': Congress G-23 leaders meet over party leadership Apart from the initial members, some more leaders including Mani Shankar Aiyar, Patiala MP and former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur, senior leader P J Kurien, former Punjab Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Raj Babbar, Kuldeep Sharma were also seen arriving at Azad's residence for the meeting. Shankarsinh Vaghela and Sandeep Dikshit were also taking part. Vaghela has been in the Congress in the past but his present status is not clear. Also Read G-23 leaders trying to break Congress by holding meetings frequently: Kharge The meeting is being held to devise the further strategy after the CWC endorsed Sonia Gandhi's leadership. The group has already reached out to the like-minded leaders within the Congress. The Congress President on Tuesday removed state chiefs of five states and after which loyalists started targeting the dissenters. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out at Kapil Sibal that he does not know the "ABCD of Congress", and is an outsider who was given everything from the party. However, talking to IANS, Dikshit said: "The Congress President should have accessibility, acceptability and accountability." Watch the latest DH Videos here: Congress, which could manage to win only two seats in the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, may have been rendered electorally irrelevant in India's biggest state; yet, the grand old party claims that there is a silver lining for it in the state assembly polls results. A section of the Congress leaders in the state was of the opinion that Samajwadi Party's (SP) failure to dethrone the BJP in UP despite getting the votes of over 80 per cent Muslims could create an 'opening' for the grand old party in the state in the next Lok Sabha polls due in 2024. "SP managed to get the support of an overwhelming majority of the Muslim population in UP yet it could not defeat the BJP... SP's failure can be our gain in the next LS elections as the Muslims may turn to us realising that only the Congress could take on the BJP at the national level," said a senior state Congress leader here while speaking to DH. "All is not lost for us... the situation is salvageable... all we need is an energetic state leadership which can effectively take up people-centric issues and succeed in reaching out to our old vote bank, comprising Muslims, Dalits and Brahmins,'' the leader said. Also Read Priyanka Gandhi holds one-on-one meetings with UP leaders According to the sources in the party, several UP leaders suggested re-drawing the electoral strategy of the party in the state in the review meeting held in Delhi after the UP poll debacle. The leaders urged the party high command to appoint a state unit president who was acceptable to all. "We need a president (state level) who can take along ordinary party workers and leaders from different communities," said Anil Sonkar, a Congress office-bearer in the Gorakhpur unit of the party. Congress, which had contested from 402 seats in the state, could manage to win only two seats and was wiped out from its traditional strongholds of Raebareli and Amethi also. State Congress president Ajai Kumar Lallu, a two time MLA, also lost his seat. Lallu has since resigned. Congress had won 25 seats in the 2012 Assembly polls. Its tally fell to seven in the 2017 polls though it had then contested the elections in alliance with the SP. The vote percentage of the party, which stood at 6.25 per cent in the 2017 polls, declined to just over two per cent in this election. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Two years after it was shut due to alleged violation of Covid-19 norms, the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi reopened on Thursday for two days to allow devotees to offer prayers on Shab-e-Barat. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed the reopening of three floors of the Markaz, saying the management of the mosque will ensure that Covid-19 protocols are followed by the visitors. According to police, the doors of the Markaz were opened at around 12.30 pm. "The doors of the Markaz were opened by police today in accordance with the high court order," said Fuzail Ahmed Ayubi, the counsel of the management committee of the Markaz. Nizamuddin Markaz was at the centre of a controversy in March 2020 when several people who attended a congregation held by Tablighi Jamaat contracted Covid-19. The Markaz was shut after the incident. Also Read Why can't Nizamuddin Markaz be fully opened? HC asks Centre to make stand clear In its order, the court noted that the ground floor and three other floors of the mosque building will be opened at noon a day prior to Shab-e-Barat, which is on March 18, and will be closed the next day at 4 pm. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri removed the restriction of putting a limit of 100 people on one floor and said it has been agreed that the management of the mosque will ensure that Covid-19 protocols and social distancing will be followed while allowing devotees to enter the mosque to offer namaz. The court has ordered the Markaz management committee to follow the February 26 Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) guidelines in which wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing, hand hygiene and ventilation in closed spaces is directed to be observed. The counsel said that the management committee will strictly follow all DDMA guidelines, and crowding will not be allowed. "The committee will follow all DDMA guidelines. All Covid guidelines, including maintaining social distancing and wearing of mask, will be followed. Thermal screening will be put in place and it will also be ensured that no crowding takes place in the premises," Ayubi said. The court was hearing an application by the Delhi Waqf Board seeking that the mosque be opened in view of Shab-e-Barat and Ramzan in March and April. It listed the matter for March 31 to decide on the issue of reopening the mosque during Ramzan which will begin from April 2. The counsel for the board had earlier said that the mosque, which is under the lock of Delhi Police, should be opened as the DDMA has now lifted all restrictions that were imposed on account of the pandemic. Also Read VHP demands complete ban on Tablighi Jamaat in India Several FIRs were registered under the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, the Foreigners Act and various provisions of the penal code in connection with the Tablighi Jamaat event held at the Nizamuddin Markaz and the subsequent stay of foreigners there during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. In its application, the board said last year on the two occasionsShab-e-Barat and Ramzanthe high court had permitted prayers in the mosque. It said the current strain of Covid-19, Omicron, was not as severe and fatal as the Delta variant and as the conditions have improved, physical hearings of all courts have resumed, schools, clubs, bars, and markets have also reopened, therefore, there is no impediment to direct reopening of this waqf property. The application was filed in the board's petition which has sought reopening of the premises and contended that even after 'unlock one' guidelines permitted religious places outside containment zones to be opened, the Markaz, comprising the Masjid Bangle Wali, Madarsa Kashif-ul-Uloom, and attached hostel, continues to be locked up. On April 15, 2021, the court had allowed 50 people to offer namaz five times a day at Nizamuddin Markaz during Ramzan, saying there is no direction in the DDMA notification to close down places of worship. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The atmosphere is conducive for anyone to visit Kashmir but that call for Kashmiri Pandits has to be taken by them or "agencies", CRPF Director General (DG) Kuldiep Singh said on Thursday. The chief of the country's largest paramilitary force, which has deployed close to 65,000 personnel in the Kashmir Valley, said the CRPF will ensure that "whenever they are asked to make the atmosphere conducive by the government, they will do it". "The atmosphere is conducive for anyone to visit Kashmir, come and go. For Kashmiri Pandits, that call has to be taken by them or agencies. I don't know that...," Singh said, adding that "whatever the government asks us to do, we will do that". He also said that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will vacate the premises of those Kashmiri Pandits who come back to "claim" their ancestral properties in the Valley. The force, in Kashmir, has in its possession as many as 737 premises on which it has established camps and offices. These include 333 government buildings, 265 private buildings, including those of Kashmiri Pandits, 71 pieces of agricultural land, 26 industrial units or factories, 30 hotels, eight orchards, two cinema halls, a school and a hospital. Singh said the force has been transferred 524 kanals of land for creating its camps at 10 locations in Jammu and Kashmir. The administration of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir pays rent to owners in case of private properties, a senior CRPF officer said. "If they (Kashmiri Pandits) come to claim their properties held by us, we have no objections. We will immediately seek another place from the government," the DG said. Asked if the about 3.25 lakh personnel strong force will hold an exclusive screening of "The Kashmir Files" movie for its staff, Singh said the CRPF has not taken a call on this as of now. "Any film or drama that has motivational or inspirational content should be watched. We are a big force that is spread across...we will have to make arrangements. We will think about it," he said. "The Kashmir Files" is a Bollywood film based on the atrocities against Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley. The CRPF will hold its 83rd Raising Day on March 19 in Jammu where Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take the salute of the ceremonial parade and also address troops. The minister will subsequently chair a multi-agency security meeting on various operations being conducted by them in the Union Territory. Watch the latest DH Videos here: A day after taking oath as Punjab CM, Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said he would be sharing his personal WhatsApp number with the people on March 23 in what he believes will be a major initiative to ebb corruption and other malpractices plaguing Punjab. This anti-corruption helpline number will be my personal numberIf anybody seeks a bribe, send an audio and video on this number the government will ensure strict action, he said in a tweet on Thursday. Mann said the helpline number will be launched on March 23, the death anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The AAP government claimd that no CM has taken such an initiative that is aimed at infusing confidence among people in their fight to end corruption. Mann on March 17 also got some words of applause from unexpected quarters. A day after he resigned as Congress president, Navjot Sidhu tweeted; The happiest man is the one from whom no one expects Bhagwant Mann unfurls a new anti- Mafia era in Punjab with a mountain of expectations hope he rises to the occasion, brings back Punjab on the revival path with pro-people policies best always. The AAP has an overwhelming majority in Punjab with a record 92 MLAs in a House of 117 in this border state. Soon after coming to power, Bhagwant Mann (48) announced some distinctive measures that started by removing photographs of chief ministers and dignitaries from all government offices in Punjab. These were replaced by pictures of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Mann also ordered withdrawal of security cover to over 120 politicians including former ministers and MLAs. Besides its development model focused on quality education and healthcare infrastructure, the AAP government rode to power in the state on its pledge for zero tolerance for corruption. Mann sent out a loud and clear message for officials saying, I am not threatening any government employee as 99 per cent of govt employees are honest but 1 percent of such employees are corrupt which is where the rot exists. We will clean it all. The chief minister has also announced a reward for police and civil (Best Performance Award) which will be given quarterly for making a difference to the lives of the common man. Check out DH's latest videos: Three days after Congress Working Committee (CWC) reposed faith in Sonia Gandhis leadership, change-seekers Or G-23 leaders met here and demanded "collective and inclusive leadership in the party even as their leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to meet the Congress president to put forth the dissidents' demands. The meeting saw new leaders, including Gandhi family loyalist Mani Shankar Aiyar joining the grouping, even as the party pounded on the change-seekers. Sources said Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are also likely to attend Sonia's meeting with Azad when he will put forward a proposal to be effected in the party. Also Read | G-23 leaders trying to break Congress by holding meetings frequently: Kharge Sources said Sonia and Azad spoke over phone following which the meeting was fixed. After the meeting, the attendees issued a joint statement saying they met to deliberate on the "demoralising outcome" of the recent results of the Assembly elections and the "constant exodus" of workers and leaders. "We believe that the only way forward is for the Congress to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels," the statement said. The leaders felt that it is necessary to strengthen the Congress and demanded that the Congress initiate dialogue with other likeminded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative for 2024. "The next steps in this regard will be announced soon," they said. Also Read | Congress appoints senior leaders to five states to assess poll debacle Eighteen leaders who attended the meeting included Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Anand Sharma, MPs Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Vivek Tankha, Shashi Tharoor and Praneet Kaur, former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, former Chief Ministers Bhupinder Hooda and Prithviraj Chauhan, former MPs Sandeep Dikshit and Raj Babbar as well as Gandhi loyalist and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar. While Aiyar's entry was interesting, former Punjab Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Praneet Kaur as well as Sankarsingh Vaghela, a former Congress leader, are also new entrants into the group. Former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma also attended the meeting. Initially, the plan was to have Sibal host a dinner meeting but as his interview targeted the Gandhi family and especially Rahul Gandhi, the G-23 leaders changed the strategy and shifted the venue to Azads residence. A G-23 leader told DH, how can anyone go to Sibals house now after the interview. No sensible person will do that. Congress on its part stepped up the attack on change-seekers amid indications that it would not hesitate in taking action against Sibal. Why should we rule this (disciplinary action) out? a senior leader said. Sources said the G-23 leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik had all opportunities to raise issues in CWC and they had spoken in the meeting. Talking to the media means they have other intentions. They dont talk about issues the party raises like those on OROP or hijab or Kashmir Files but when it comes to talk about the party, they go to the media, the leader said. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, let them hold meetings. That cannot make Sonia Gandhi weak. Let them keep talking and meeting. The entire CWC told her to take steps to strengthen the party. Those who speak other things are trying to break the party. They are not doing anything to unite the party. Taking on Sibal, he said that the Congress MP may be a good lawyer but cannot claim to be a good leader. There are many who can give advice. But one should go to the ground to understand the ground reality. Only people with roots understand what needs to be done. Those who talk in the air dont know these things, Kharge added. Stepping up pressure, Chandni Chowk district Congress committee in Delhi passed a resolution seeking disciplinary action against the Sibal. Check out DH's latest videos: A rape accused on Thursday opened fire at the police party in Outer North Delhi's Khera Prahladpur road after he was asked to surrender. The police launched a counter attack in which he suffered a gun wound in his left leg's knee and was caught. Brijendra Kumar Yadav, DCP, Outer North Delhi, said that the accused was identified as Mohammed Akhtar. A pistol, empty cartridges and a stolen cell phone was recovered from him. A senior police official said that the victim went missing on March 9 at around 7 p.m. Her family told the police that she was playing outside the house when she went missing. The police lodged an FIR for kidnapping and started a probe. A day after the incident, on March 10, the girl was brought to her home by a neighbour who said that he found her nearby. The medical examination which was done the same day found nothing adverse and no sexual assault was mentioned in the medical report. "Girl's statement under 164 CrPC were recorded before magistrate the same day and nothing related to sexual assault was stated in her statement. Parents also agreed," said the police. On March 12, the girl started having some medical problems and was taken to a hospital, which upon examination said the girl's hymen was torn indicating sexual assault. The police then added sections of sexual assault and other relevant sections of POCSO. A team was formed to look into the matter. Thereafter, the search of the accused started. On Thursday, the police got information about the movement of the accused. The accused was also carrying stolen mobile phones and illegal arms. "The accused was intercepted on old Khera Prahladpur road in Sector-29, Rohini. After seeing police staff, the accused fired two rounds on police party. In retaliation police party also fired four shots and one bullet hit the left leg of the accused. He was caught," said the police. Further probe in the matter is underway. Check out DH's latest videos Telangana BJP leaders are asking the state's public to make a list of TRS's corruption, encroachments of lands, properties etc so that these structures could be bulldozed like in Uttar Pradesh when the party comes to power here. On Monday, the three Telangana BJP MLAs sat on a "prajaswamya parirakshana deeksha" (Save democracy agitation) at the Indira Park Dharna-Chowk in the city protesting their suspensions from the assembly budget session. A strong bulldozer will come to Telangana too to tear down the TRS's corruption like UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ended the mafia there. I appeal to the public to identify all the corrupt activities and encroachments of public and private, poor, farmers' lands by the TRS's MPs, MLAs and ministers, said T Raja Singh, BJP floor leader in the assembly. Also Read | BJP claims 'victory' over Telangana job notification We are readying the bulldozers, planning one for every constituency as the next government in Telangana would be BJP's, with people's blessings, the firebrand leader representing Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad said. Bulldozer is the reference to the Yogi administration's use of heavy machinery to raze some of the illegal structures, encroachments on government property in Uttar Pradesh. Singh made the bulldozer comments during the UP elections too for which he received show-cause notices from the central election commission. The T-BJP leadership is appealing to its cadres not to be intimidated by the police or the false cases, and commit for the party's victory in the 2023 polls. Also Read | Ready to shed last drop of blood for country's sake: Chandrasekhar Rao Former Telangana health minister and BJP MLA Eatala Rajender alleged that the TRS leadership had unsuccessfully spent Rs 600 crores to defeat him in the Huzurabad by-poll and have now undemocratically suspended me from the house. Eatala alleged that the ruling party is planning to win the next elections by pouring in money into all the constituencies. But your money or the strategies of PK (Prashant Kishor) would work here. Telangana is the land of self-respect, Eatala said in reference to reports that CM Chandrasekhar Rao has engaged the services of the political strategist. On 7 March, the first day of the session, Singh, Eatala and Raghunandan Rao were suspended for the entire session for allegedly disrupting the house proceedings during the 2022-23 state budget presentation. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday urged the Centre to re-designate Chennai as an embarkation point for Haj 2022 to prevent pilgrims from the state travelling 700 kilometres to catch a flight. In a letter to Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Stalin said direct Haj flights were operated from Chennai to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and back from 1987 to 2020. However, Chennai was not included in the embarkation points in 2021 following the Centres decision to reduce the number from 21 to 10. The decision has forced pilgrims from Tamil Nadu to travel 700 km to Kochi to catch the flight, Stalin said. Also Read Naqvi calls for precaution, prevention and prayer to make Haj 2022 possible He also told Naqvi that over 4,500 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands proceeded on Haj pilgrimage from Chennai embarkation point in 2019. The 700-km travel incurs additional costs, Stalin said, and asked the Centre to increase the number of embarkation points as Saudi Arabia has relaxed all Covid related restrictions for international pilgrims. I, therefore, request you to consider the convenience of the Haj pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states and to take urgent action to re-designate Chennai as an Embarkation Point for Haj 2022, Stalin said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: As the stirs against demarking land for the proposed semi-high-speed rail in Kerala has been taking ugly turns day by day with women and children facing police action on Thursday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that it was the opposition parties that trigger the violent stirs. On Thursday women who tried to prevent the officials from laying stones demarking land for the rail line were seen carried away forcefully by the police at Madapally near Changanaserry in Kottayam district of Kerala. The scenes of a child weeping as her mother was being forcefully separated from her by the police and being dragged and carried away were going viral. An emotionally charged woman said that if Pinarayi Vijayan was dreaming of highspeed rail, she was dreaming of protecting her hard-earned properties. Another local native said that he would resist the rail project at any cost as the ten cents of land that he purchased after working aboard for 20 years need to be protected. The tension escalated with local people and activists trying to prevent the officials by allegedly pelting stones and some of them even staging suicide threats with kerosene. After the arrest of some of the activists and local people, the agitators staged protests in front of the local police station demanding the release of those arrested. The agitators also called for a hartal in the locality on Friday. The Assembly session was progressing when the police action against the people happened. Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress brought the matter to the notice of the house and boycotted the house. He stated that the assurance being given by the Chief Minister in the house that there would not be any police excess on the agitators was being violated. The opposition party would strongly resist the government's attempts to suppress mass stirs using force, he said. Vijayan told the house that the opposition party was trying to trigger protest by creating unnecessary provocation even as the process of laying the stones for demarking the land was progressing peacefully. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Political parties are institutions fundamental to electoral democracies, where multiple such organisations compete against each other to win elections and form governments. Political parties, therefore, have a life and a responsibility of their own, separate from the "leaders" who temporarily head it. A normative line does separate the incumbent leader, successful or a failure, from the party as an institution. This applies as much to the position of Sonia Gandhi and her offspring, Rahul and Priyanka, as it does to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi-Amit Shah and to the Trinamool Congress vis-a-vis Mamata Banerjee and to DMK vis-a-vis M K Stalin and to Samajwadi Party vis-a-vis Akhilesh Yadav or any of the regional and smaller parties where the line separating the leader and the party does not exist. Leaders of political parties are accountable to the party and are expected to function with a modicum of responsibility. The Congress is an institution, like all political parties, and its 137-year life span has given it a place and an aura that makes it distinctly different from political parties that emerged later, some as recently as 2012, when the Aam Aadmi Party was established or 1998, when the Trinamool Congress was established after Mamata Banerjee broke away from the Congress over differences in strategy. It is not a captive of the present Gandhi family, Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul, regardless of their lineage, which can be traced back to Motilal Nehru, to Jawaharlal Nehru and then Indira Gandhi. The trio is merely stewards, not proprietors of the party. Also Read 'Only way forward...': Congress G-23 leaders meet over party leadership It is astonishing that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka behave like arrogant rentiers and can get away with it, for they continue to hold power and exercise authority, even when they, formally, have no authority and no legitimacy to exercise power within the crumbling structure of the Congress. Knowing that the leadership of the family is being challenged internally and lampooned by rivals, it is strange how the Gandhi family has insulated itself from the constant criticism and continues to manipulate and manoeuvre the decimated establishment. The dodges that it employs to remain in control of the party are straight out of B Grade family melodramas of the 1930s; Rahul Gandhi's declaration that he "humbly accepts the people's verdict," and even then continues to behave as though he owned the party; Sonia Gandhi's reported offer to resign, even when she manipulates the Congress Working Committee, packed with her handpicked loyalists, to kowtow. Responsible leaders resign. It is the responsibility of failed leaders in party politics to accept responsibility and relinquish office. Autocrats do not resign, even when their plans go wrong. Autocrats make their critics either disappear or gag them. Rentiers masquerading as leaders offer to resign, as Sonia Gandhi reportedly did, only to ensure that she can graciously concede to the request from loyalists to continue as a leader. Having manoeuvred to remain in control, in an act that was as irresponsible as it was shameful, Sonia Gandhi instructed the state Congress presidents of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand to resign, which they did. If Sonia Gandhi was a political leader and not the matriarch, and the Congress was a political party and not a piece of Gandhi property, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should have been asked to resign as a general secretary because she was definitely in charge of the election in Uttar Pradesh. Since Rahul Gandhi does not hold any office in the party but meddles in everything, the only resignation he can formally offer is from the party, which will not happen. Then there is the docility of even the disgruntled individuals and the long meeting of the Congress Working Committee, which was a performance, a classic piece of theatre, all sound and fury that adds up to nothing. It raises the question, what then is the Congress party today? Also Read How Sonia Gandhi's stance as Congress chief has changed over 5 months In its present state, the credentials of the central or national Congress leadership is problematic. It does not mean that Congress leaders like Ashok Gehlot or Bhupesh Baghel or D K Shivakumar, or Prithviraj Chavan and the galaxy of leaders from Maharashtra are not leaders of the Congress as a political institution. They are. The Congress in these states, and in states where it is the principal opposition, is both a venerable political institution and a competent election fighting machine. The inability of the central leadership of the Congress to function as a political institution implies that the people who head it are either irresponsible or shy away from responsibility because they are incapable of handling responsibility. It is a pity because the Congress was built brick by brick, evolved and changed under the leadership of a very large number of India's educated elite over the course of 137 years. There were stalwarts who built the Congress in the states, and there were stalwarts who built the party at the top. The same cannot be said of the central leadership (sic!) of the Congress and the high command. Legitimacy as leaders is not derived from lineage. Leadership is earned. As a yardstick, it is an easy way to measure why Akhilesh Yadav is a leader and heads a political institution, despite his lineage. By the same measure Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar, M K Stalin in Tamil Nadu, and Naveen Patnaik have earned their positions as party leaders. All of them have shouldered the responsibility as office bearers of their respective parties. Despite its incompetence, the persistence with which the BJP insists that the Congress is its principal rival points to a strategic construction of a narrative around a failed enterprise. The narrative implies that the regional and smaller parties are "fragments" that can never come together without the Congress as a centripetal force, stabilising a collective of disparate and competing elements. Also Read Punjab MPs do plain speak on defeat in meeting with Sonia; Sidhu sends in terse resignation letter The logic of the argument is flawed, hopelessly so. The smaller and regional parties do not usually compete against each other because regional parties have a footprint confined to their own turf. The ambition of some regional parties to spread beyond the natural borders of their original turf is probably a risky political exploit that will benefit the BJP and hurt the idea of a collective of opposition parties united against the BJP. By selling a narrative that disdainfully describes regional parties as "fragments", the Congress, as well as the BJP, have worked together to craft a tale of inferiority, in which the two big "national" parties are the anchors of all past stable and successful alliances and the smaller and regional political institutions are colliding fragments that can only offer unstable governments should they succeed in outnumbering the other side in a future election. The fact of the matter is that the smaller and regional parties, as the last phase of state elections revealed, are efficient fighting machines. The Aam Aadmi Party, on a shoestring budget and a skeleton organisation compared to the wealth and human resources of the BJP and the Congress and even the Akali Dal, managed to win against all three decisively. The Samajwadi Party fought against the BJP and emerged as the principal challenger, and it fought against the Congress that fantasised that it was staging a revival in Uttar Pradesh. By the same logic, the Shiv Sena fought a fierce battle to win enough seats in Maharashtra to reject the BJP and form a government with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. The time has probably come when regional and smaller parties need to stop looking at the political battleground through the lens of either the BJP or the Congress. Instead of spreading thinly over the vast political battleground, these parties probably ought to concentrate their energies and improve efficiency. If regional and smaller parties did indeed engage in bipolar fights against the BJP, it would be tough for Narendra Modi to swing the next election in favour of his party across India. It is the Congress, under the illusion that it is a "national" party with a "leadership" with a venerable lineage that is being propped up as the spoiler by the BJP to save itself from a contest that it is uncomfortable against a host of opposition parties, each different, but hostile to it. Until the Congress can shed its enervating dependence on the Gandhis and function as a political institution in an electoral democracy that is responsible to its organisation and not a family and can hold its leaders to account for their failures, it will continue to decline till one day it becomes a "signboard" on a wall marking its historical presence. (The writer is a senior journalist based in Kolkata) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Critical mass is the minimum amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear reaction. These sustained reactions make it possible for us to exploit nuclear energy. Sociologists have borrowed "critical mass" to describe various social phenomena. The phenomenon could be in social trends, politics or marketing. When adopted by enough people, the phenomenon grows in a self-sustained fashion, and very little needs to be done to encourage its growth. Critical mass begins from the enthusiasm shown by the early adopters of the idea. Films with superstars is a great example. The hard-core fans are happy to come for screenings even at six in the morning. Or thousands of technology enthusiasts line up despite the cold New York winter. Yes, technology enthusiasts are the same as superstar fans. The article tries to explore the success of 'The Kashmir Files' from the lens of critical mass. Mainstream Indian cinema, especially Bollywood, has had a few films on themes such as partition or riots, partly because of its business model since it depends on a large number of people coming to the theatres. Remember, a typical theatre would accommodate close to 500-1000 people. So, making action or romantic films helped the business. Art house cinema had to struggle to find smaller theatres where they would screen films for a mere week. Digital streaming channels hopefully will provide oxygen for such content in future. Vivek Agnihotri, the director of 'The Kashmir Files', had no previous success, nor did his films have stars. The industry's businesswomen and men treated it the way other smaller films were treated. Before the launch of 'The Kashmir Files', the director accused the "Bollywood mafia", including critics and comedy show hosts, of plotting to scuttle the film. The allegation came without any proof of illegal activity. This directly fed the narrative built for the last two years by a few media channels supported by social media influencers, which has created a good versus bad narrative to describe people in the industry. It is a common psychological trick to create a common enemy to enlist the support of similar people. "People like them" are attacking "people like us" is a classic psychological trick to get emotional support. As an example, the Democrats in the US used the narrative of "Russians" influencing Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election. In the absence of a superstar creating an audience committed to watching the film, the moment it was released becomes very important. Did Agnihotri use these techniques to create the first set of audiences determined to watch the movie? Only he would know the answer. American psychologist Robert Cialdini's book 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' alluded to the immense implicit power authority figures have on us. This includes the 'doctor in an apron' providing you medical advice on the toothpaste to be purchased or the policeman in his uniform. Critics and talk show hosts are 'authority' figures who provide the initial push for the film. However, in the case of 'The Kashmir Files', the film's content had another authority figure backing it, that of Mr politician - the prime minister, Members of Parliament, and the speaker of the Karnataka Assembly. Probably, no other cinema had such massive support. Contrast this to a week's shelf life of a review from a critic. Humans keep looking for social proof. Doing what the others do provides psychological shelter. We want to be seen in a positive light as law-abiding or patriotic citizens. If you scroll through your social media feeds, you will see a post exhorting you to do a bit for the nation. In the early years of independence, with low literacy levels, cinema played a role in education. Tax subsidy made sense if you wanted to educate people on the issues bothering the young nation. Now, what were the parameters used to decide the subsidy in the case of 'The Kashmir Files'? The money saved by not paying the taxes is small and may not even be enough to buy popcorn, but discounts work like magic. Ask any marketer, most of these aspects are intertwined, but it is a good thumb rule to understand the success around the cinema. Initial hype and public relations are like oxygen cylinders; they assure good opening. Irrespective of the size and the capacity of the cylinder, it will run out of oxygen. Later on, the film will need to run on its own merits. People will forget a movie in weeks, if not days if it does not connect with the audience. People elected Narendra Modi twice, but a film made on him did not even run for two weeks. Kashmiri Pandits were driven out of their homes sometimes by their own neighbours. India's partition also saw similar betrayals. I hope to see a nuanced exploration of why human beings betray their fellow beings, but the human spirit still braves on. (The writer is a Bengaluru-based management professional interested in films, society and politics.) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The bandh called by Ameer-E-Shariat Sagheer Ahmad Khan Rashadi and various organisations on Wednesday in protest against the Karnataka High Courts ruling on hijab evoked a good response in Mysuru. Business establishments and shops remained closed in main business areas and in areas where Muslims are the majority. Even shops of people from other communities were closed. Only a few small shops in residential areas and shops for essential items in other Muslim-majority areas were open. Also Read Girls skip exams after Karnataka HC hijab verdict The owner of a vegetable and fruits shop on Azeez Sait Double Road in Shanthi Nagar said, he would shut the shop soon. As vegetables and fruits are perishable and as people need them, I opened the shop for a brief time, he said. A Muslim auto driver said, besides his own need, his services were necessary for people, so he was ferrying passengers for a short duration. Representatives of Muslim organisations said it was a call for a voluntary bandh and no one was forced. For some, it is a matter of livelihood. For some, it is a commitment to deliver goods or services. So, it is up to them to shut shop or not. Some shops that were open in the morning gradually shut after 10 am, they said. Police security was beefed up in all business areas, especially in Muslim-majority areas, as a precautionary measure. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Karnataka BJP MLA and CM Bommai's Political Secretary M P Renukacharya charged that legislators who did not want to see The Kashmir Files "are 100% anti-nationals." "MLAs who love our country, irrespective of their parties, have seen The Kashmir Files. Those who didn't want to see it, I'd like to say they are 100% anti-nationals," Renukacharya told media persons after a screening of the movie for MPs and MLAs. The Karnataka government had on Sunday announced that the movie would be made tax-free in the state. In a tweet, he said, "Kudos to Vivek Agnihotri for #TheKashmirFiles, a blood-curdling, poignant & honest narrative of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their homeland. To lend our support to the movie & encourage our people to watch it, we will make the movie tax-free in Karnataka." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised the movie and slammed the "campaign to discredit" it by those who claim to be the flagbearers of freedom of expression. "They are shocked that the truth that they tried to suppress is now coming out with the backing of facts and efforts," Modi said in a ringing endorsement of the film that is now at the centre of a political slugfest with the Congress and some other opposition parties objecting to it. Check out latest DH videos here Nine Muslim girl students returned home without writing their examinations on Wednesday, after their demand to be allowed to wear hijab inside the classroom at Government First Grade College in Kaup was rejected. College Principal Dr Anil Kumar had asked students to remove headscarves while entering classrooms to write their internal examinations. Dr Anil Kumar said students were informed about the High Courts verdict. As they stood their ground on wearing headscarves, permission had been denied, he said. Among 17 Muslim girls studying in the college, four of them obeyed the court order and wrote the exams, said the principal. Rizana and Shehnaz studying in the college asserted that they want both education and hijab. Hijab was not an issue in any educational institution, they said. They also regretted that they were not able to write their examinations. In Government PU College in Udupi, where the hijab controversy first erupted in December 2021, many students attended the classes by removing their headscarves. Over 40 Muslim students including six girls who had approached the High Court remained absent. A majority of the Muslim students in schools and colleges in Kundapura and Byndoor remained absent. A handful of students attended classes at Government PU College and R N Shetty PU College in Kundapura. Students wearing hijab were sent back by a college in Basrur. A few students boycotted classes in Gangolli. The attendance of Muslim male students was low at colleges in Byndoor, Navunda, Kambadakone and Uppunda in the Udupi district, according to sources. DC appeals to parents to allow colleges to run smoothly Udupi Deputy Commissioner M Kurma Rao visited the Government Womens PU College on Wednesday. He told reporters that prohibitory orders were enforced in and around the college. He said there have been no reports of unrest on campuses across the district. Colleges and schools functioned as before. These days, colleges and schools have nearly 91% attendance, he said and appealed to parents and students to maintain peace and allow educational institutions to run smoothly. Jacuzzi-fitted bathrooms, lavish bedrooms, the Mysuru kingdom and the Nizams came up for discussion in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday as members lamented how public money is "wasted" on unnecessary expenditure. This was raised by former minister Krishna Byre Gowda, drawing a comparison between the Wadiyars and the Nizams to criticise wasteful expenditure as he pressed for more efficiency in using resources. Gowda, the Byatarayanapura MLA, was speaking on demand for grants in the Assembly. Gowda cited expenses incurred on constructing lavish circuit houses and inspection bungalows (IBs) around the state. "Have you seen the size of bedrooms? Ten poor people can build a house in that space. The bathrooms are 30x45 ft with Jacuzzis and high-pressure showers. For the life of us, we can't even maintain them," Gowda said. Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol intervened to point out that the design of the IBs originated from the Nizams. "Mysuru kings constructed circuit houses commensurate with the requirement," Gowda said. "This is the difference between Mysuru kings and Nizams. The Nizams felt that the state was for their benefit, whereas in Mysuru, there was a sense they are a part of the state. We have become Nizams of 21st century," he said, calling for rational use of resources, especially during the period of financial crisis suffered by the state. Former minister H K Patil noted that even the lavish circuit houses and IBs were not used by ministers and senior officials who preferred to stay in private hotels to avoid people coming to meet them. Gowda also said that when he was a minister in the previous Congress government, one of his Cabinet colleagues proposed spending Rs 125 crore on a new engineering college. He also criticised expenditure incurred by varsities who took up a large number of construction activities. "All varsities have become mini-PWD departments," he said. Public Works Minister C C Patil noted that many MLAs had submitted proposals for new IBs. Highlighting the simplicity of an IB constructed at Chitradurga, he said that the government could adopt the model for future structures. Check out DH's latest videos: Karnataka Law Minister J C Madhuswamy on Thursday told the Assembly that the government will consider giving an opportunity to students who missed their exams because of the hijab controversy. But, there is a catch. Students can be allowed for re-exams only if they missed the main exams that were held before the High Court issued an interim order. We can consider them missing the exams as either innocence or ignorance, Madhuswamy said. But, students who missed the exams even after the interim order came out saying [hijab] is more important cannot be allowed. Because, they defied the court order, Madhuswamy said. Also read | No urgent hearing: SC to examine pleas challenging hijab verdict after Holi The interim order came on February 11 barring students from wearing any religious clothing until the final order, which came out on March 15. Madhuswamy was responding in Zero Hour to Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhats request that the state government should provide another opportunity to those girls who missed exams and are ready to write them without the hijab. "No citizen can defy the court order. Appealing against an order is their civil right," Madhuswamy said. Until a decision is taken by the Supreme Court, the state government is bound to implement the High Court order. Madhuswamy said that there were precedents where court orders were opposed in the past - Cauvery water dispute and when forest brigand Veerappan took thespian Dr Rajkumar as hostage. During the Dr Rajkumar hostage crisis, we went to the Supreme Court seeking permission to release some convicts. The court asked us to go home if we cant rule. So, complying with court orders is administration of law-and-order, he explained. Madhuswamy also said the government will take the bandh call by minority organisations seriously and ensure that the High Court order is implemented. Bhat demanded action against students protesting the High Court order. Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar backed him. Is there no value for the High Court order," he asked, noting that the order was being criticised and opposed. "Such moves will create anarchy. Government should take action (against the bandh)." Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said appealing against the High Court order is in itself a sign of disapproval. But, the government cant stop a peaceful protest, which is their right, he said. Shettar argued that it would amount to contempt of court and set a wrong precedent. Check out DH's latest videos: The man, who was awarded 20 years of imprisonment for planting an improvised explosive bomb at the Mangaluru International Airport in January 2020, had managed to get raw materials to prepare the explosive from online service provider Amazon, as per the judgement. Investigation agencies have submitted a report to the court about the accused Aditya Rao (37) procuring raw materials to make explosives online and in the 80-page judgement, the court mentions the same. They found that the accused with an intention to explore the substance so as to cause terror and endanger human life, had pre-planned an outline and collected the information for preparing improvised explosive substances by calling up 'Just Dial' company, the investigation agencies have stated. Rao had visited several cyber centres, browsing centres as well as internet centres and collected the information. Upon such collection of information, he had ordered the necessary raw materials for explosives from the Amazon website, the investigation report says. Also read: Court convicts engineer Aditya Rao for planting bomb at Mangaluru airport After collecting the raw materials without any license, the accused had discreetly stored them in the staff quarters of a family restaurant in Mangaluru. Without permission from any authority, he had mixed the raw materials and prepared improvised explosive substances. After this, he had kept that improvised explosive substance in a black bag and moved it to the sensitive and crowded area at the departure gate of Mangaluru International Airport, the report says. He had left the black back containing improvised explosive substances at the airport and escaped from the place. In 2018, the accused had applied for a security supervisor post at Bengaluru airport and had spent Rs 7,500 for securing the post. When his attempts failed and he could not get the security supervisor job, he had made a hoax call that there is a bomb in Bangalore Airport and railway station. Later, he was arrested and sentenced to one-year imprisonment. After serving the sentence of one year he had developed hatred towards the government and with this hatred, he had committed the offence punishable under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act of 1908 and section 16 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. The facts which emerged from the prosecution papers are that the accused with an intention to threaten the unity integrated security and sovereignty of India had placed the improvised explosive substances, the judge observed. The Fourth Additional District and Session's Court of Dakshina Kannada district Judge B.R. Pallavi convicted the accused 37-year-old Adithya Rao for 20 years of imprisonment on March 11. The accused has been found guilty under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1908 and Section 16 of the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act 1967. He has also been fined Rs 10,000. Adithya Rao had planted the bomb in the Mangaluru International Airport on January 20, 2020. The authorities got the bomb detected and disposed it of the same day. The police department had launched a hunt for the accused. The development had led to many speculations and created tension all over the state. However, the convict Adithya Rao surrendered himself at the Director General and Inspector General office. He has been in jail since then. Rao, a resident of Manipal in Udupi district, had pleaded guilty before the court. Even though the accused pleaded guilty, the court by exercising discretion under section 229 of CrPC had invited the prosecution to prove charges levelled against the accused. Check out DH's latest videos Release: March 17, 2022 PA CareerLink Delaware County, in partnership with Delaware County Workforce Development, will host multiple job fairs in the coming weeks beginning with a three-hour Job Fair for Adults to be held on Thursday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Springfield YMCA. This adult-oriented job fair will be followed by two additional Job Fairs for Youth, to be held on April 28 and May 3, that will focus on summer work, internships, and other post-graduation opportunities. The March 24 Job Fair for Adults will feature close to forty employers and representatives of multiple trade unions from the Delaware County region looking to fill hundreds of full-time and part-time positions. Positions offer competitive employee benefits as well as opportunities for advancement. Participating Employers include: Aramark, AutoZone, Bayada Home Health Care, the Beacon Group, BeProud, Carpenters Local #255,Chester Community Charter School, Child Care Careers, City Wide Facility Solutions of Greater Philadelphia, Community Interactions, Inc., Community YMCA of Eastern Delco, The County of Delaware, Defensive Driving Academy, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, Drexelbrook Catering, EDSI, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, The Geo Group, The Giant Company, Heron Home Health, Main Line Health, Maris Grove, PA Agency of Nurses, Riddle Hospital, Substitute Teaching Service (STS), UPS, Voice & Vision, Inc., and more, including representatives of multiple union trades. Additional employers will continue to be added. Job seekers are advised to bring copies of their resume. On-site interviews will be held for some candidates and same-day hiring may occur for some positions. Job seekers will also have the opportunity to participate in a Resume Clinic, which will provide helpful resume critiques, as well as general job search advice and interview tips. EMPLOYERS: RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY! Openings remains for employers for all three job fairs. There is no fee to participate; employers participating in one or more job fairs will be provided with one table and two chairs. Employers interested in registering can contact Allison Francis Barksdale, Employer Engagement Manager with Workforce Development, via email at BarksdaleA@co.delaware.pa.us to reserve space. JOB FAIR DATES AND LOCATIONS Free parking is available at all three locations. Job Fair for Adults (New Job & Career Opportunities) Date: Thursday, March 24 Location: Springfield YMCA, 194 Sproul Rd., Springfield, PA 19064 Event Times: 10 a.m. 1 p.m. Job Fair for Youth I (Summer & Post-Graduation Opportunities) Date: Thursday, April 28 Location: Springfield YMCA, 194 Sproul Rd., Springfield PA 19064 Event Times: 3 p.m. 6 p.m. Job Fair for Youth II (Summer & Post-Graduation Opportunities) Date: Tuesday, May 3 Location: Ridley YMCA, 900 South Ave., Secane, PA 19018 Event Times: 4 p.m. 7 p.m. * * * About PA CareerLink Delaware County: Launched in 2012, PA CareerLink is part of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industrys initiative to transform the landscape of how job-seekers find family sustaining jobs and how employers find the skilled candidates that they need. Through this initiative, a user-friendly, premiere job-matching system has been created to help bridge the gap that currently exists between job-seekers and employers. Derry, NH (03038) Today Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. At right, Alex Grages stands outside the polls at Londonderry High School on March 8 in a big show of support for his mother, Kristen Grages, running for another term as Supervisor of the Checklist. Grages went on to win the position. Three County Derry community groups are set to share funding of more than 260,000 for youth development programmes. The International Fund for Ireland (IFI) announced last week that it would be awarding 4,430,621 towards peace building to groups throughout Ireland. Locally, Roe Valley Residents' Association in Limavady has been awarded 94,238 while Coleraine-based Causeway Rural and Urban Network received 87,422. Maghera Cross Community Link was given 81,891. The money will be used by the groups for a Personal Youth Development Programme which is unique in its approach and delivery with at risk young people. The programme aims to increase efforts to divert young people away from criminal behaviour towards programmes, training and initiatives that create better futures. Thanks to this programme more than 3,200 young people have achieved a range of accreditations and 528 are in further education and training. The IFI was set up by the British and Irish governments as an independent international organisation in 1986. It delivers a range of peace and reconciliation initiatives across the North and the southern border counties. It currently supports a total of 40 projects in Northern Ireland and 15 in the southern border counties. Welcoming the first funding package from Connecting Communities, IFI Chairman, Paddy Harte said: The IFI has made significant progress across a number of key areas in our peace and reconciliation work. "We have played an important role in removing Peace Walls and we helped to divert young people away from paramilitary recruitment and diffused tensions during times of serious civil unrest in the last year. While progress must be acknowledged, a number of challenges remain that will require urgent intervention to help improve community relations, reduce instability and the threat of violence. And the IFI Chairman Mr Harte added, The impact of Covid 19, ongoing political uncertainty and elections later this year in Northern Ireland alongside wider all island complexities around Brexit, the NI Protocol and increased calls for Border Polls indicate that tensions will continue to rise in communities who feel they have been left behind. A local government district in County Derry has the highest rate of people presenting as homeless in Northern Ireland, data released by the Department for Communities (DfC) has shown. Derry City and Strabane recorded 2,085 cases of people freshly presenting as homeless in 2021, a figure that represented a rate of 13.8 per 1,000 of the area's population. The figure recorded is higher than Belfast (13.6) and well above the 8.5 figure recorded by Northern Ireland as a whole. Out of the 2,805 presenting as homeless in the district, 1,209 were 'accepted' as homeless, a rate of 8.0 per 1,000 of population, a figure marginally below Belfast's rate of 8.3 per 1,000 of population. There were 16,207 fresh presentations of homelessness across the North last year, with 13% recorded in the Derry City and Strabane district. In contrast, Mid Ulster recorded the lowest rate per 1,000 of population of fresh presentations at 4.5, while Causeway Coast and Glens ranked 6th with its figure of 6.9. Between December 2020 to December 2021, there was an increase in those presenting as homeless in all three of Derry's local government districts. Derry and Strabane saw a 4% increase and Mid Ulster's figure increased by 7%, while Causeway Coast and Glens had the highest increase at 11%. During the same period, the number of discharges made, meaning those rehoused, those who refused three offers of accommodation, or those having rehoused themselves, fell in the districts. Causeway Coast and Glens had the lowest decrease at 4%, while Derry City and Strabane and Mid Ulster both recorded a decrease of 8%. Across Nothern Ireland, there has also been a 74% increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation since January 2019. The data also revealed a rise of 55% in the number of children in temporary accommodation during the same period. Nicola McCrudden, Chief Executive of Homeless Connect, said political parties needed to commit to 'positive policies and funding'. These figures clearly illustrate the ongoing homelessness crisis that we face, she said. Increasing numbers of people are struggling to keep a roof over their heads due to the fallout from the pandemic and general hardship that many people are facing. With the rapidly rising cost of living, more and more households are struggling to afford the cost of keeping their homes. With the ongoing war in Ukraine, it looks unlikely that the cost of living will fall any time soon and without greater support, it is highly likely more people will tip over the edge into homelessness. We are acutely aware that 300 million is available, that could make a real impact, but remains unallocated due to the fall of the Executive. I believe that where there is political will there is a way. We urge our political leaders to explore every avenue to find a way to spend this money to support those struggling with the cost of living and to support the homelessness sector. The levels of homelessness shown in these statistics are not inevitable . With the right policy choices and proper resourcing, homelessness can be prevented and reduced. In the upcoming election to the Assembly, we need parties to commit to positive policies and funding which will help change this situation. We have produced a manifesto with ten policies which would make a real difference if they were enacted. We need an executive united around the need to lead this society on the journey to end homelessness. Failure on this front will have devastating consequences for those impacted. We urge our political leaders to work together now and after the election to deliver a better outcome for our society. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Derry has been announced as one of the most breastfeeding friendly cities in the UK. Data collected by Bella Baby from Tripadvisor and breastfeeding friendly schemes across the UK revealed that Derry was the sixth highest ranked city in the UK for being breastfeeding friendly. Bella Baby reviewed Trip Advisor to see all the positive and negative mentions of breastfeeding in each city of the UK. Each positive mention was awarded 1 point and each negative mention was awarded -1 point. Following this, they also found a list of registered breastfeeding-friendly venues in the UK. Again, each venue that was listed was awarded 1 point. They then combined our findings and worked out what the score was per 100,00 people to see which cities were at the top. The Maiden City had 65 registered breastfeeding friendly listings on the travel site. Bangor topped the list, with Newry and Armagh also featuring in the top 10. Caoimhe McGonagle, spokesperson for Bella Baby, said the company wanted to celebrate 'all mums - including those who are currently breastfeeding'. "We were unsettled when we saw a 2015 report from Public Health England that revealed that a third of women feel embarrassed when breastfeeding in public, and because of this, we wanted to highlight and celebrate breastfeeding mums this year in order to break the stigma," she said. "We also wanted all women - including those who are currently breastfeeding - to feel comfortable out and about this Mothers Day, Finally, when conducting our study, we realised that there are hundreds of venues throughout the UK that are not currently registered to a breastfeeding-friendly scheme and have the facilities and designated areas for breastfeeding women. "We hope by highlighting this that many of these venues will begin to display stickers on their doors and windows, along with information online to highlight their inclusion of breastfeeding mums. Politicians in Northern Ireland have reacted with shock after ferry giant P&O sacked 800 seafarers and replaced them with cheaper agency workers. There were calls for the UK Government to intervene to ensure the vital Larne to Cairnryan service continued. DUP representatives said on Thursday that a conversation with the chief executive of P&O had assured them that there would be no redundancies at Larne Port as a result of the action taken by the company. The move by P&O has prompted outrage from politicians and workers, many of whom refused to leave ships, leading to security guards with handcuffs being deployed to remove them. The ferry operator, bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World in 2019, has insisted the decision to cut jobs was very difficult but necessary as it was not a viable business in its current state. But the move has been met with concern in Northern Ireland. Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said she was shocked by the news. My thoughts are with those staff working for P&O who have lost their jobs and also with those whose travel has been disrupted, she said. This is a developing situation and officials are working on a cross-departmental basis to assess any local impacts, especially for supply chains, and are keeping in close contact with their counterparts in the Department of Transport in London. She called on the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, to take every possible step to save jobs and to maintain connectivity for passengers and freight on Irish Sea routes. These concerns were echoed by the DUP MP Sammy Wilson and MLA Gordon Lyons, the Northern Ireland Economy Minister. Mr Lyons said the decision would have an impact on the wider Northern Ireland economy. The company have informed us that it will be another week before ships can operate from Larne Port, he said. Whilst customers have been directed to Belfast Port in the short-term, they will not have the capacity to ramp up operations in a sufficient manner to accommodate demand. With over half of all our freight moving through Larne Port, this announcement will also cause supply problems for companies and supermarkets in Northern Ireland, as well as those firms based here who sell to GB. Mr Lyons stressed that he had been told there would be no job losses at Larne Port. The chief executive of P&O has assured us that there will be no redundancies in the Port of Larne and that the company will be making an investment in the future to enhance the attractiveness of the port, he said. Whilst this is welcome, it does not make todays announcement and the manner in which it was done any more acceptable. Meanwhile, Mr Wilson said that the treatment of staff was unacceptable and accused the company of paying third world wages to the crew. Some of those who lost their jobs were informed of the decision on a video call from a P&O official who said: The company has made the decision that its vessels going forward will be primarily crewed by a third-party crew provider. Therefore, I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy. Mr Wilson said that while speaking to the P&O boss, he expressed his concern at the manner in which the staff, who are to be made redundant, have been treated. I have been assured by the company that staff will be compensated for the lack of notice of termination, he said. The way in which staff were removed from the ships is totally unacceptable and is not how any employer should treat their employees. Despite operating purely between UK ports, P&O will now be paying third world wages to their crew. This raises serious concerns about the companys morality. Solidarity to the 800 P&O workers laid off today. The company has shown utter contempt to staff; caused huge disruption to passengers & customers across manufacturing & logistics. The @Economy_NI & BG must do everything they can to save jobs at a time of rising costs of living. Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) March 17, 2022 The Sinn Fein economy spokesperson in Northern Ireland, Caoimhe Archibald, said that the treatment of workers had been shameful. At a time when soaring prices are exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis, that a company would make workers redundant in such an arbitrary fashion is disgraceful. I extend our partys solidarity with those workers and their families who are today receiving this awful news. I have written to the DUP economy minister asking what contact he has had with worker representatives and urging that all efforts are made to support workers and protect jobs including representation to the British Transport Minister. P&O must be held accountable for these unscrupulous actions and the British government needs to take action in defence of these workers, she said. Stewart Dickson, the Alliance Party MLA in East Antrim, called for urgent clarification and urged the Department for the Economy to engage with P&O. I am deeply disappointed in how P&O have handled this entire episode, showing underhanded behaviour which is not acceptable at best and draconian measures to remove staff at worst. There appears to have been no consultation done with staff or unions over this move, he said. The Ulster Unionist Party MLA for the area, Roy Beggs, said that ferry staff had been treated brutally. I have never heard of a company treating its staff and customers so poorly, Mr Beggs said. This does not bode well for the immediate future of the Northern Ireland economy. Ferries have been cancelled for the foreseeable future, leaving passengers and time-sensitive freight scrambling to book on the rival Stena Belfast to Cairnryan route. There is also an urgent need to clarify the status of staff at both the Port of Larne and those at the Port of Cairnryan. Karanvir Bohra And Wife Teejay Sidhu Welcome A Baby Girl; Latter Says Teen Deviyan In Our Family Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today announced a total of 154 Wisconsin National Guard members have completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) training since early January 2022. This collaborative effort among the Evers Administration, Madison College, and the Wisconsin National Guard was intended to bring needed short-term staffing support to Wisconsins hospitals and nursing homes. The goal was to open 200 or more beds by the end of February. As of March 7, 226 beds have been opened at 17 nursing homes and more beds will open as 56 more Wisconsin National Guard personnel are placed at six nursing homes across the state this week. One of our top priorities throughout the pandemic has been to make sure our hospitals and health care providers have the staff and resources they need to keep providing care to Wisconsinites when they need it most, said Gov. Evers. I am proud to announce that because of the Wisconsin National Guard and its volunteer members who stepped up to be trained as CNAs, we have met and surpassed our goal of the number of nursing home beds we expected to open up. The Wisconsin National Guard continues to be an invaluable partner and one who continues to provide resources that meet our current needs. Supporting Wisconsins health care system was critical as Wisconsin saw an unprecedented number of COVID-19 cases during the Omicron surge. At the height of the surge, Wisconsin saw the seven-day average of new confirmed cases climb to record highs, easily surpassing an average of 15,000 cases per day. The seven-day average grew nearly six-fold in just one month from mid-December to mid-January and became nearly 200 percent higher than the previous November 2020 peak. The surge in new cases sent a record number of Wisconsinites to hospitals across the state. By mid-January, there were 2,278 patients in the hospital with COVID-19, 488 of whom were in intensive care units. Many hospitals across the state were operating at or near peak capacity for weeks. Less than two months later, the situation has greatly improved. The current seven-day average of new confirmed COVID-19 cases is 402, with hospitalizations continuing to decline. It has truly been an all-hands-on-deck effort to support our states health care capacity during the Omicron surge. I am honored to have worked with our partners with the Wisconsin National Guard, Madison College, the Wisconsin Hospital Association, as well as numerous hospitals and long-term care providers who all came together to develop and roll out innovative short-term strategies to support the staffing pressure on our hospitals and nursing homes, said DHS Deputy Secretary Deb Standridge. Our partnership with Madison College and Wisconsin National Guard not only provided a critical opportunity to support our health care providers, it has also opened up future career opportunities in health care for our Wisconsin National Guard members. The citizen soldiers and airmen of the Wisconsin National Guard have answered every call put before them throughout the pandemic. Once again, theyre making our state proud and demonstrating their agility and ability to adapt to any mission the state asks us to complete, said Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsins adjutant general. Im so proud of their service and commitment over these last two challenging years, and Im grateful to have so many dedicated Wisconsinites serving in uniform willing to come to the aid of their friends and neighbors when the state needs help. The Evers Administration has worked to support its health care system during the COVID-19 surge: Staffing contracts: Since mid-October 2021, DHS and our states hospitals and long-term care providers have invested more than $90 million to work with staffing agencies to recruit 1,180 nurses, nursing assistants, and other types of health care workers to support 155 health and residential care facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities across the state. As Wisconsins COVID-19 cases are stabilizing, DHS has stopped accepting new staffing requests. DHS will continue to work with facilities that already have a staffing contract in place with DHS to recruit temporary staff. Since mid-October 2021, DHS and our states hospitals and long-term care providers have invested more than $90 million to work with staffing agencies to recruit 1,180 nurses, nursing assistants, and other types of health care workers to support 155 health and residential care facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities across the state. As Wisconsins COVID-19 cases are stabilizing, DHS has stopped accepting new staffing requests. DHS will continue to work with facilities that already have a staffing contract in place with DHS to recruit temporary staff. Public health advisory: In December, DHS issued a public health advisory calling on all Wisconsinites to take urgent action to prevent additional hospitalizations and deaths due to the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19. The advisory was issued because of the serious risk that continued, increased numbers of COVID-19 cases would overwhelm Wisconsins health care system and its ability to care for patients. In December, DHS issued a public health advisory calling on all Wisconsinites to take urgent action to prevent additional hospitalizations and deaths due to the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19. The advisory was issued because of the serious risk that continued, increased numbers of COVID-19 cases would overwhelm Wisconsins health care system and its ability to care for patients. FEMA support for Bellin Health: In December, the Evers Administration received federal assistance from FEMA to send a 20-person team from the U.S. Navy to support Bellin Healths COVID-19 response in the Green Bay area. This assistance is critical for supporting hospitals and health care systems that are at or nearly at capacity. The FEMA team first arrived at Bellin Health in December 2021 and its mission concluded on February 28, 2022. In December, the Evers Administration received federal assistance from FEMA to send a 20-person team from the U.S. Navy to support Bellin Healths COVID-19 response in the Green Bay area. This assistance is critical for supporting hospitals and health care systems that are at or nearly at capacity. The FEMA team first arrived at Bellin Health in December 2021 and its mission concluded on February 28, 2022. Partnership with Madison College to provide CNA training: In early January, Gov. Evers announced a new partnership with Madison College to provide training to Wisconsin National Guard Members. More than 150 National Guard Members have been trained through this historic partnership. DHS is urging all Wisconsinites to continue to do their part to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from the COVID-19 virus: Get vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster dose as soon as you are eligible. Stay home if you are feeling sick or have any symptoms of COVID-19. Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or were exposed to someone who has COVID-19. Wear a well-fitting mask when recommended and/or if you or someone you live or interact with may be at greater risk. Wearing a mask is recommended in public indoor settings in counties with a High COVID-19 Community Level. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider in your community, visit Vaccines.gov, or call 211 or 877-947-2211. For up-to-date information about Wisconsins COVID-19 response, visit the DHS COVID-19 webpage. You can also follow @DHSWI on Facebook, Twitter, or dhs.wi on Instagram for more information on COVID-19. Subscriber content preview By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Longtime Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is returning to lead the company on an interim basis after the coffee giant's current chief executive announced his retirement. Kevin Johnson said he will retire next month after five years as president and CEO and 13 years at Starbucks. Johnson, a former executive at Microsoft and Juniper Networks, succeeded Schultz as CEO in 2017. . . . Photo from Interstate Bridge Replacement Program [enlarge] The replacement program for the aging I-5 bridge over the Columbia River is in line to receive $1 billion from Washington state. Subscriber content preview BELLINGHAM (AP) U.S. and Canadian government leaders said Tuesday they have agreed to work together to address flooding near the northwest Washington state border with Canada on the Nooksack River. The Bellingham Herald reported Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier John Horgan in a joint statement pledged to build a sustained and ongoing transboundary initiative to address Nooksack River flooding prevention and response. . . . Subscriber content preview Rendering by Urbal Architecture [enlarge] Looking north from the future station platform, the area south of the apartments will be used by Sound Transit buses. Construction is well advanced on Sound Transit's Shoreline South/148th Station, where light rail service is expected to begin in 2024. Immediately north of that property is a row of houses, five of which sold in December for about $5 million to Ion 149th LLC, which is associated with multifamily developer AAA Management, of San Diego. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATTLE An industrial property at 915 S. Walker St. sold for $4 million, according to King County records. The seller was 2200 LLC, which under a different name acquired the land in 1992 for under $96,000, then developed it. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A small apartment building at 5246 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. sold this week for a bit under $4.9 million, according to King County records. The seller was Mayhood LLC, which acquired the property when new in 2016 for $4.3 million. . . . Since the start of the semester, the Student Advocacy Resource Center has received five times as many reports of roofies, or drug-facilitated assaults, than usual. The druggings happened at four different bars, and beg an important question: what should I do if a friend or I get roofied wh Workers assemble quarantine units amid snow at the construction site of a COVID-19 quarantine center in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, March 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Prevention and control measures should be in place earlier and deployed more quickly, and be stricter and more tangible, given that the stealthy Omicron sub-variant spreads quicker, said Chinese experts. The main culprit behind the ongoing wave of COVID infections in China is the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant, which is more contagious than the Delta variant, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The Omicron BA.1 spreads 77 percent faster than the Delta variant, while BA.2 circulates 66 percent faster than BA.1, Wu noted, citing relevant research results. Together with the significant coverage of vaccination, with infected people showing few symptoms and spreading the virus unconsciously, this has posed challenges to the anti-epidemic efforts in this wave of infections, said Wu. Lei Zhenglong, deputy head of the disease control and prevention division of the National Health Commission (NHC), said China has recently been under increasing pressure from inbound cases. Domestically, the country has seen cluster infections in multiple regions spread widely and taking place frequently. He cited the influence of the fourth wave of global COVID-19 outbreaks, mainly attributed to Omicron, and the stealthy and highly transmissive nature of the variant. So far, China's dynamic zero-COVID policy and containment measures have proved effective against Omicron, according to the experts. While the epidemic is evolving in Jilin, Shandong, Shanghai, and Guangdong, it has been put under effective control in Liaoning, Sichuan, Hubei, and Jiangsu, and come almost to an end in Inner Mongolia, said Lei. Task forces have been sent to provide guidance. Response measures are pressing forward orderly and vigorously, with positive signs in some regions. Strengthened regular prevention and containment measures remain a priority in these efforts to fight the virus, said Lei. Ports of entry, border areas, and primary facilities such as schools and nursing homes are the focus. China has experienced frequent resurgence of COVID-19 since March. There are infections in 28 provincial-level regions. NHC data show that the Chinese mainland Tuesday reported 1,860 new local cases. There were 13,780 patients under treatment on the day, but the death toll has remained unchanged at 4,636. US President Joe Biden has hailed Irish leadership for its handling of the Ukrainian crisis. During a virtual St Patricks Day meeting with Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Mr Biden also reaffirmed the US administrations unequivocal support for the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Biden, who identifies deeply with his own Irish heritage, was seated beside a traditional bowl of shamrock during the bilateral meeting. Taoiseach Micheal Martin called for unity of purpose over Ukraine He quoted Irish poet WB Yeats as he described the impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had on the world. All changed, changed utterly a terrible beauty has been born, he said. Mr Biden said Irish leadership on the issue has been noticeable and impressive. Both leaders condemned the invasion, with the Irish leader speaking about the need for a unity of purpose. Mr Biden praised Irelands willingness to take in refugees, adding: What Ireland is doing now, what you are doing, taking in Ukrainian refugees, speak so loudly about your principles. And its amazing and I want to publicly compliment you for it. I think youve already brought in over 7,000 or so refugees from Ukraine, and youre prepared to do more, so thank you. The Irish premier also thanked Mr Biden for the US backing of the Good Friday Agreement. He praised the steadfast support, referencing how important the Good Friday Agreement is in respect of stability and peace on the island of Ireland. He said: Over the last number of days, as Ive been here, weve also witnessed once again that two way, very robust economic relationship between the United States and Ireland. Mr Martin, appearing virtually for the second year in a row due to a positive Covid-19 test, said it was unfortunate he and Mr Biden could not meet face to face. This year, were meeting virtually across the road, so were getting closer, he joked. Mr Biden is profoundly proud of his Irish ancestry and has never been shy about his passion for the country, its history and its literature. References to Irish poets pepper many of his speeches, with Mr Biden choosing to namecheck the late Eavan Boland during a speech at the Ireland Funds Gala dinner in Washington on Wednesday evening. It was at the same event that the Taoiseach was notified of the positive Covid-19 result just as he was due to speak. Mr Martin appeared in good spirits during his appearance on-screen. An Irish Government spokesperson said earlier on Thursday that the Taoiseach was feeling well. He said Mr Martin received a negative Covid test result on Wednesday afternoon, but a further test was carried out when one of his delegation tested positive. This resulted in a positive test for the Taoiseach. Two Wyoming residents are in custody following a pursuit on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. The pursuit started shortly after 4:32 p.m. after Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) Troopers were notified of a vehicle headed south on I-25 with an occupant who had an active warrant for kidnapping. A WHP trooper located the car on US26 west of Guernsey. The trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver failed to yield. The driver of the vehicle fled east into the town of Guernsey before changing directions to head west on US HWY26. While troopers pursued the vehicle west, the driver attempted to drive into pursuing units and oncoming traffic. Around milepost 5 on HWY26, a collision occurred between the suspect vehicle and a WHP vehicle. The crash disabled the suspect's vehicle. The occupants of the car then fled on foot towards an adjacent farmhouse. Law enforcement chased the suspects towards the farmhouse but could not apprehend them before they gained access to a Ford F-250. The suspects eluded law enforcement by fleeing in the Ford south through adjacent fields, driving off-road and out of sight. A perimeter was established in the area to locate the truck. A little after 7 p.m., law enforcement located the Ford abandoned in a ravine. The occupants were observed fleeing on foot towards Gray Rocks Road. Due to the adverse road conditions, local agencies provided off-road vehicles to help search the area for the suspects. Around 10:12 p.m., a suspect was located near the creek hiding under tumbleweeds and taken into custody. The second suspect was found Wednesday morning near the Basin Electric Power Coop north of Wheatland and was taken into custody without further incident. The occupants have been identified as 26-year-old Joshua Taylor and 25-year-old Jeromie B. Ballinger. Taylor was booked into the Platte County Detention Center on the active felony warrant. Charges are pending on Ballinger. Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Duncan, OK (73533) Today Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low near 60F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low near 60F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Primary schools in County Louth are being invited to apply to compete in this years Marine Institute Explorers Healthy Oceans projects and will be in with a chance of winning a Marine Institute Explorers Ocean Champion Award this June. The Health Oceans Project and Awards is part of the Marine Institute funded Explorers School Project, and the project modules will be delivered by Leave No Trace Ireland trainers around the country. Padraic Creedon, Education Officer for Leave No Trace Ireland said he was delighted with the response of schools throughout the country to the Explorers Healthy Ocean project and there are still places for schools in Louth to apply to take part in the project and awards. This is a fantastic fun opportunity for schools in Louth to get involved in the Explorers Project which focuses on supporting the primary school curriculum and creating positive actions to raise awareness and engagement about the ocean in the schools and their local communities. The schools working with our Leave No Trace trainers and the Explorers Outreach Centres will be learning about the ocean and how to take action to improve ocean health, he said The Explorers teams and schools will be working on the Healthy Ocean Projects over the next term where they will be able to select one of three categories to focus on. These include: The first includes incorporating a marine theme into a Science, Technology, Engineering Arts and Maths (STEAM) project. The second category includes developing an Ocean Literacy Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) creative project which addresses an SDG. This may be based on SDG topics such as climate change, wellness, as well as life under water. The final category is providing teachers and students an opportunity to complete a project outdoors, ranging from creating outdoor sculptures to beach cleans. Patricia Orme, Director of the Marine Institute said the Healthy Oceans Projects furthers the Marine Institutes goals to increase marine education and engagement, and also encourages schools to engage with their local community. Through these projects we hope that the school children and their wider community will gain a greater appreciation of the importance of the ocean and an understanding of the significant impact of the ocean on our daily lives. This is the first year of the Ocean Champions Awards, and submissions based on the Healthy Oceans Projects will be judged by Leave No Trace trainers. The winners will receive a Marine Institute Explorers Ocean Champion Award for their school. Winners will be announced around World Ocean Day on the 8th of June. There are some places still available for schools to take part and for more information see Explorers School Projects at the Explorers Education Programme www.explorers.ie Development Perspectives Amplifying Voices project has won an AONTAS STAR Award. The project supports migrant communities to engage with cultural and educational activities for social integration. They were winners in the Social Inclusion category. The STAR Awards are an awards initiative organised by the national adult learning organisation, AONTAS as part of its annual Adult Learners Festival. They recognise and celebrate the achievements of community and adult learning projects throughout Ireland. Maria Acuna Gonzalez, Coordinator of Amplifying Voices said: Initiatives like Amplifying Voices are extremely important as they highlight stories of refugees resettled in Ireland shared directly by them. Eight migrants featured in a different podcast episode sharing their stories when moving to Ireland and their integration journey. The podcasts are not only an educational resource in itself but also served as a platform for migrants to enhance confidence in developing relationships with their new communities, delivering information on issues related to migration, and promoting positive integration by challenging common myths, biases, fears around migration integration in new communities.'' Rasha, a participant with the Amplifying Voices course said: With this course, I got to write my own story. It highlighted skills I didn't even know I had. I am now thinking of even publishing my own book in the future.'' Flo, another participant said: ''People, oftentimes, want to hear only positive things. But the reality is really more than just what we want to hear. You have to be open to listening to difficult stories and situations that are happening.'' Commenting on the project, Dr Niamh OReilly, CEO of AONTAS, said: We are delighted to award Development Perspectives for the outstanding work they are doing in the area of adult learning. This project demonstrated great innovation and a learner-centred approach to engaging adult learners in challenging times. The STAR Awards is an important opportunity to recognise the work of organisations and the achievements of their learners. The diversity of adult learning projects such as this one demonstrates the incredible impact of education, the role it plays in bringing people together, and the need for us to ensure educational equality across the island of Ireland. The Social Inclusion category was sponsored by The Open University in Ireland . Michael Bower, Assistant Director for The Open University in Ireland: Social inclusion is at the heart of The Open Universitys mission so we are honoured to sponsor the Adult Learning Initiatives that Support Social Inclusion awards. The winner of the large organisation award, the Amplifying Voices project led by Development Perspectives in Louth, demonstrated an innovative approach to adult learning with migrant populations based around storytelling. Colm ORegan, author, broadcaster and comedian MCd a special online celebratory event to acknowledge the outstanding contribution that all of the shortlisted STAR Award projects have made to the adult and community education sector. The STAR Awards is proudly sponsored by the Open University in Ireland and the Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCNNI), the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), Concern Worldwide, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the European Social Fund (ESF) and Mental Health Ireland. Sponsors will be offering special prizes to all 2022 STAR Award winners. Louth people are being urged to support Cystic Fibrosis Irelands annual fundraising day, 65 Roses Day, taking place Friday, 8th April. The annual fundraising flag day which derives its name from the way in which young children often first say the words "cystic fibrosis" seeks to raise much-needed funds for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) services and sees the fundraising day of action return in full for the first time since 2019. Volunteers will be out in force selling purple rose pins in towns and villages in Louth and the length and breadth of the country, as well as in participating Dunnes Stores, shopping centres and other outlets nationwide. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. Ireland has the highest incidence of CF in the world and some of the most severe types. There are more than 1,400 people living with CF in Ireland and the number is increasing each year as a result of improvements in treatment and care. Speaking ahead of 65 Roses Day, Philip Watt, Chief Executive of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, said: Cystic Fibrosis Ireland depends almost entirely on the public for the provision of its services and this 65 Roses Day is hoping to raise more than 350,000 for much-needed services for people with CF. Funds raised on 65 Roses Day will go to provide exercise equipment, counselling sessions, and grants for people undergoing a transplant, fertility assessment or who have recently been bereaved. Funds also go to support cystic fibrosis research and the building of new CF hospital facilities and the funding of specialist CF staff. Were calling on the people of Louth to show support for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland this year and to don purple to help raise much needed funds for people in Louth living with CF. 65 Roses Challenge Also supporting 65 Roses Day this year are Irish OIympians Natalya Coyle and Arthur Lanigan OKeeffe, who are urging Louth people to go for purple and undertake a 65 Roses Challenge. The husband-and-wife team are asking people to take up any 65-themed challenge from walking 65,000 steps, to running 6.5K, or cycling 65K, the sky is the limit. Full details on the 65 Roses Challenge, or to donate, can be found at www.65Roses.ie. Louth people wishing to volunteer to help sell purple roses on 65 Roses Day in their workplace or local shopping centre, please contact Brendan on 01 4962433 or email fundraising@cfireland.ie. Graduating students search for job opportunities at a job matching fair at Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, on March 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- China will provide job seekers with no fewer than 1 million internship openings this year to help them find employment as soon as possible, authorities said on Wednesday. The openings will be arranged with concerted efforts from the government and various sectors, and the campaign will strive for the participation of employers, college graduates and unemployed young people, according to a circular released by 10 government organs, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Education. Internship providers should pay for their interns' basic living expenses and any other fees incurred in their management and tutoring, the circular said. These providers will receive subsidies, and those with a retention rate higher than 50 percent after the end of the internship period will receive increased subsidies. China will strengthen its employment-first policy in 2022, according to this year's government work report. Claremont, NH (03743) Today Becoming partly cloudy after some evening rain. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Becoming partly cloudy after some evening rain. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. HANOI, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam on Tuesday fully reopened its borders for international tourists, its tourism authorities said. At a press briefing held Tuesday, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said foreign nationals can now enter Vietnam by air, land and sea through all border gates as long as they meet the COVID-19 prevention and control requirements, Vietnam News Agency reported. Prior to this policy, foreign tourists could only travel to Vietnam by air after booking a tour package with a designated travel agency under a vaccine passport program. Despite being offered a quarantine waiver, foreign tourists were restricted to visit just a few localities with the process heavily monitored. On Monday, the Vietnamese government ordered the health ministry to ease entry requirements for foreign tourists, with an aim of removing most of the related travel restrictions as per a proposal submitted earlier in February. Under the proposal, international travellers will only have to prove that they have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 with a negative test result while having insurance coverage of at least 10,000 U.S. dollars for possible COVID-19 treatment in Vietnam. As part of the efforts to restore tourism activities, Vietnam also resumed the visa exemption policy for citizens from 13 countries including Japan, South Korea, and Russia from Tuesday. In addition, from Tuesday immigration procedures for foreigners are ordered to be restored, according to a notice by the government office. Vietnam received a record number of over 18 million international visitors in 2019, showed official data. In 2020 and 2021, the number of international arrivals in Vietnam plunged 78.7 percent and 95.9 percent, respectively, due largely to the impact of COVID-19. The Southeast Asian country has set a target of receiving over 5 million foreign tourists in 2022, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Hong Kong: Edward Yau views supplies logistics Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau today visited several locations to view the logistics arrangements for anti-epidemic medical supplies arriving from the Mainland. Mr Yau first called on a workshop commissioned by the Government for packing anti-epidemic kits, then inspected the anti-epidemic kit distribution centre in the Independent Commission Against Corruption headquarters. After packing, the kits will be sent from the distribution centre to tens of thousands of COVID-19 patients and their close contacts undergoing home isolation or quarantine, the Government explained. In addition, Mr Yau viewed a stationary sewage sampling site in Kennedy Town to learn about frontline workers anti-epidemic work and the protective equipment needed. He had earlier visited the Convention & Exhibition Centre and Shaw Studios. In operation since early March as temporary storage areas and logistics centres, the two locations were lent by two local enterprises to the Government for free, greatly strengthening the storage capacity and logistics arrangements for anti-epidemic medical supplies delivered to Hong Kong. Separately, the bureau said various kinds of medical supplies are arriving in Hong Kong as its task force is working closely with its Mainland counterparts. The task force has so far secured over 100 million rapid antigen test kits, 180 million masks, 16 million other protective items and 1.5 million pulse oximeters. Most of the 600,000 boxes of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the central government have been given out to residents subject to restriction-testing declarations, patients at isolation facilities and citizens receiving treatment at Chinese medicine clinics. Medicines containing paracetamol for treating pain and fever are also arriving in Hong Kong progressively. Most of them will be allocated to Hospital Authority patients, while some will be distributed through anti-epidemic kits to COVID-19 patients under home quarantine, the bureau added. This story has been published on: 2022-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. High-tech, green development complementary By FAN FEIFEI (China Daily) 09:42, March 17, 2022 Technicians inspect a waste heat recovery facility in Maanshan, Anhui province, in December. LUO JISHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY China's greater efforts to promote the integration of the industrial internet, big data, artificial intelligence, 5G and other next-generation information technologies with green manufacturing will bolster the high-quality and low-carbon development of the industrial economy and inject new impetus into economic growth, officials and experts said. They said the moves, which align with China's pledge to peak the country's carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, will also improve energy utilization efficiency and drive industrial structure upgrades. Several central government departments are accelerating steps to formulate an implementation plan aimed at propelling the industrial internet, big data and 5G to empower green manufacturing in some key industrial sectors, such as iron and steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals and building materials. Meanwhile, local authorities are beefing up financial and credit support for the digitalization and green transformation of enterprises. Improving the ecological environment by fostering green and low-carbon development is among the highlights of the year's Government Work Report. The country will take steps to achieve its dual carbon goals and boost research, development and application of green and low-carbon technology, the report said. Luo Zhongwei, a researcher at the Institute of Industrial Economics, which is part of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the application of state-of-the-art digital technologiesincluding industrial internet, 5G and cloud computingin the green manufacturing sector is conducive to reducing power consumption, improving energy efficiency, accelerating low-carbon transition and encouraging upgrades of industrial structure. Luo highlighted the importance of fostering green and low-carbon development, which plays a vital role in promoting high-quality economic growth and addressing environmental pollution issues at their roots. In the face of new downward pressure and rising challenges, China has prioritized stable growth for industrial development this year. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it has placed more emphasis on stabilizing growth and maintaining steady development of the industrial economy. It has also urged efforts to bolster the construction of "new infrastructure" like 5G, industrial internet and data centers, speed up the large-scale industrial application of digital technologies, and boost the growth of digital economy. Xiao Yaqing, minister of the MIIT, called for efforts to enhance the core competitiveness of the manufacturing sector, fortify the resilience of industrial and supply chains as well as promote the upgrading of manufacturing and facilitate digital and green transformations. "The in-depth integration of emerging technologies such as industrial internet, big data and 5G with green and low-carbon industries, and the improvement of green manufacturing and service systems are expected to speed up technological innovation and digital transformation in the industrial segment," said Lu Chuncong, director of the China Academy of Industrial Internet. More efforts should be made to improve the digitization level of industrial enterprises, Lu said, adding that in particular, the digitization level of small and medium-sized enterprises is relatively low. "It is an urgent need for these enterprises to improve energy consumption management and strengthen data collection and supervision in the process of carbon emissions." (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) YINCHUAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Nestled in the foothills of Liupan Mountain, Xiji County was among the very last in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to get rid of penury, with local women playing a major role in the rural backwater's battle against poverty. The county, with a population of nearly half a million, was a revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC), where the first and second front armies of the Red Army joined forces in October 1936, marking the final victory of the "Long March". However, Xiji suffered due to poor public infrastructure, and the majority of its men preferred to migrate to big cities in search of work. The rural women left behind at home began to take part in local poverty alleviation efforts and became a driving force of the county's endeavor toward prosperity. The family of Luo Aiping, a 43-year-old resident in Xiji's Jiqiang Township, used to eke out a living through the earnings of her husband, a decoration worker. In 2019, the town established a soft drink factory, which turns local specialty like the goji berry and sea-buckthorn into juice, and Luo joined the factory as a worker in charge of packing finished products. It is now Luo's fourth year in the factory. She can earn about 4,000 yuan (630 U.S. dollars) a month. There are about 110 workers in the factory. Most of them were housewives from surrounding villages and towns. Around half of the workers' families were earlier classified as poverty-stricken households, but they have all risen out of destitution through diligence and hard work. "The factory has helped us live a better-off life," Luo said. In 2020, Xiji was removed from the poverty list, becoming Ningxia's last impoverished county managing to vanquish absolute poverty, thanks to China's poverty alleviation campaign. Today, the per capita annual income of the county stands at more than 12,000 yuan. Rural women like Luo are becoming Xiji's reliable labor force and they continue to contribute to the county's stable and sound development. Xinglong Township in Xiji County has a shopping street known by locals as "street of Poyi." "Poyi" means married women in the local dialect. It's named so because most of the shops are run by local married women, particularly women of Hui ethnic group. Ethnic clothes, delicate carpets, cosmetics, daily necessities and different kinds of halal food can be spotted everywhere on the street. Zhao Ping, 54, now owns four stores on the street. She used to be a street vendor, struggling for a decent life for nearly three decades. "The local government has provided us with necessary guidance and subsidies to help us start our own businesses. We can run our business here with ease and expect a rosy future," Zhao said. At a local potato noodle plant in Xiji County, dozens of female workers were busy making potato noodles, also dubbed as "Red Army Potato Noodle," which are expected to be sold across the country. In 1936, the Red Army soldiers taught the local Hui people how to make potato noodles. The delicacy is now helping the local people earning a better life. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed George Akhalkatsi as the new head of its Yerevan Resident Office, replacing Dimitri Gvindadze. Mr Akhalkatsi will take up his new role on 1 May 2022 and be based in the Armenian capital. He will oversee the Banks investments and operations in Armenia, reporting to Catarina Bjorlin Hansen, Regional Director for the Caucasus. Mr Akhalkatsi, a Georgian national, started his career as a lawyer before moving into banking at Societe Generale. He joined the EBRD in 2009 and his most recent position was Associate Director, Senior Banker based in Tbilisi. He has previously worked with the EBRDs Manufacturing & Services and Credit Risk Management teams in London. He has a Masters in Law from Tbilisi State University and an MBA from INSEAD. As the new Head of Office, Mr Akhalkatsi will draw on his significant country-level and cross-sectoral experience to maintain the Banks successful partnership with Armenia. The EBRD has been working in Armenia since 1992. Its focus is on helping to diversify the economy by supporting investment in various sectors, as well as promoting the development of the financial sector and small and medium-sized enterprises. To date, the Bank has invested more than 1.8 million in 200 projects across the country. The conversation about spaces in Ireland has gathered pace in recent months and years. Our housing and rental situation is showing no signs of improving, and these frustrations have been shared by those in the music scene, whose options have become limited also. I recently wrote about the amount of clubs closing in Ireland, and the last nightclub in Galway will now be turned into another hotel, as the situation gets worse. As war continues in eastern Europe, we can reflect that music venues and nightclubs are hardly the most important priority in the world, but nevertheless arts and culture play a very important role in all societies, and in Cork a group of passionate music fans are trying to change things. The Electronic Music Council (EMC) was recently formed by a number of DJs and producers who hope to support a sustainable music scene. I met with some of the group last week at Eventi Marketing agency, who have been supporting them from the off. I was impressed by the determination of everyone involved. The EMC is an organisation of creatives working together to generate a support network that continues to improve the current state of the electronic music scene in Cork City. It will campaign for positive, sustainable night culture solutions and multipurpose event spaces. They recognise that the pandemic has drastically impacted those within the music scene, with a deficit of night-time establishments in Cork meaning options are very limited for promoters, DJs, producers, and clubbers. The EMC make an important point in highlighting that many talented people have relocated from Cork to elsewhere due to this lack of options. Many of my music friends have done so in the last 10 years. The whole music scene is suffering. EMC aims to create a support network working towards creating a shared space for live events, workshops, conferences, and much more. This will foster and support culture that can rebuild our electronic music scene, making it more inclusive, sustainable, positive, safe, and educational for emerging artists to grow, reducing the inequalities they face in the current climate. These arent lofty or unreasonable aims. Its incredible that we have so many nightclubs and venues lying vacant in the city, just gathering dust. We spoke about the work Frank OConnor and Jude Sherry are doing online under the hashtag #DerelictIreland, highlighting the many buildings that are lying desolate and unused in all of our cities and public places. Many music venues lie derelict as well, and many lie unused. The late-night ones that are open, bar Cyprus Avenue and a few late bars, are generally operating as venues where chart music is the thing, so opportunities to run nights are few and far between. The Give Us The Night campaign has been making great progress on repealing the licensing laws, but when this happens we need viable options late at night. There must be some venues or bars that might be more open to even giving up their space on an off-night. I used the example of a club night we used do in the 90s called Mor Disco, which started in the upstairs of a bar that would not have been that busy on a Tuesday. The promoters got the venue, and proved themselves, and the night became so big we eventually filled the City Hall two years in a row, and they started a festival on the back of it. There are no limits when you have a vision, but sadly many young promoters and DJs dont even make it as far as a chat with the venue owner. Sometimes dance music has a bad rep, but I would imagine lots of venues could do with more business, so there might be some opportunities for promoters and venues to collaborate on off-nights, or even early evenings. Besides that, there will hopefully be more opportunities for spaces that are not traditional club spaces, such as The Marina or Black Market, or other such spots. From an underground perspective, there are lots of warehouses and other buildings around, so it would be cool if we could make progress on the licensing here too, as ultimately I think we need to look at music from a community and cultural perspective too. Workshops, discussions and practice spaces could all be incorporated, and then we could really watch the youth of Cork build something special! ST Patricks Day today (Thursday March 17) will be a big celebration, as we had to do without it for the past two years! Get out to your local parade, and cheer on the bands, dancers and floats that have been waiting for this day as long as you have. Then round off the day with a trip to the theatre. The Opera House, for example, where at 8pm global music icon Tori Amos makes a much anticipated return to Cork in support of her highly anticipated new album later this year. Since the release of her first, career-defining solo album, Little Earthquakes, and her No.1 album, Under The Pink, Tori has been one of the music industrys most enduring and ingenious artists, with three top 10 albums and the global smash hit single Professional Widow. Next Thursday, March 24, its the renowned Blindboy Podcast Live. With a No.1 book under his belt, this influential chap has spent the past two years becoming Irelands foremost podcaster, single-handedly changing peoples mindset on mental health and the stigma surrounding it. At the same time, he also dishes out poignant, fiendishly listenable hot takes on everything from the origins of disco to an Indonesian volcanos impact on the gothic period. Outspoken, informed and empathetic, Blindboy engages his audience with equal touches of realism and surrealism. There is a very authentic feeling of freedom with no topic off limits. Call 021 427 0022 or see www.corkoperahouse.ie for more. Ethan Dillon appears in Stacy, which starts its run at Cork Arts Theatre tonight, Thursday March 17 Or try Cork Arts Theatre tonight, where you can see Stacy, the Irish premiere of Olivier and Tony Award-winner Jack Thornes controversial and darkly confessional monologue play. A razor-sharp portrait of toxic masculinity from Minnow Productions, performed by Ethan Dillon and directed by Mags Keohane, this performance shows up vividly the brutal consequences of male entitlement. Until Mar 26, at 8pm. See www.corkartstheatre.com or call 021 450 5624. Prefer an evening in? From this Saturday, you can enjoy To The Lighthouse from the comfort of your armchair courtesy of the on-demand video stream from Everyman. Virginia Woolfs masterpiece of modernism, dramatised by Marina Carr and directed by Annabelle Comyn, was filmed live on the Everyman stage and you can book it from March 19-26. Further info on https://everymancork.com/ Dermot Whelan is at the Everyman on Sunday night, with Mind Full, his unique stress-busting show. And couldnt we all do with a bit of that? A certified meditation teacher, he will give you the tools you need to de-stress through meditation, all delivered in his much-loved comedic style. Soap star Una Crawford OBrien, who plays Renee Phelan in RTE show Fair City, is coming on tour with Halcyon Days, which will be at the Everyman from Monday to Wednesday next week. OBrien stars alongside actor Barry McGovern, known for his award-winning one-man Beckett shows. Written by Irish playwright Deirdre Kinahan, Halcyon Days is a poignant yet hilarious story, set in a nursing home, that dramatises the emerging friendship between Patricia (OBrien) and Sean (McGovern). As the pair negotiate their failing health, a combative and charming friendship begins to blossom. Its a play about hope, says Joe Devlin, who directs for Directions Out Theatre Company. That runs March 21-23, 8pm. See www.everymancork.com or call 021 450 1673. In Rossmore, the 59th West Cork Drama Festival is nearing its close. Tonight its the turn of Ballyduff Drama Group with The Rabbit Hole by David Lindsey-Abaire; tomorrow sees the Brideview group from Tallow with the Martin McDonagh classic, The Beauty Queen of Leenane. And then the judging! See www.rossmoretheatre.com or call 023 88385 for bookings and info. Rossmore, founded way back in 1948, is still going strong. YVONNE Duggans house is all about gratitude these days, as the mum-of-three basks in the success of her new childrens book series. The Rosscarbery woman was inspired to write the Be Grateful series after she struggled to find books she could read to her children at night. Yvonne has an impairment called Stargardt Disease, a rare genetic condition that leads to loss of vision. The busy illustrations that often accompany most childrens books dont make storytime easy. I cant read a lot of kids books because the writing will be too italic or it will be on top of a coloured background, or it will be too small, and Ill literally have to hold the book up in front of me and the kids will be like, Mammy, we cant even see the book, Yvonne says with a laugh. Yvonne Duggan, author of the book "Be Grateful", pictured at Castlefreke Woods with her children Nia, Cai and Seren along with activity and colouring books, part of the "Be Grateful" series. Because of this, she cant go shopping for books online like many other people. I really need to see the inside of a book to know if Ill be able to read it, Yvonne says. So, when the pandemic struck and she wanted to find a book on gratitude for her children, she couldnt find anything. I try to practice gratitude a lot and Ive kind of stopped and started with it over the years. At the start of the pandemic, I just kept focusing on it and I really found it made a massive difference, Yvonne says. My eldest children were aged three and four at the time and I wanted to find them a book on it. I was looking everywhere and I just couldnt find one. On Amazon, you can only see the front and back cover of a book so I had no idea which ones Id be able to read and they were all very American. I was getting really frustrated and was thinking, What am I going to do? And then one day I was at home upstairs and was just like, Ill write one myself. As ideas flooded to her, Yvonne rushed downstairs - whilst feeding her youngest - to make a plan. The book would be simple, engaging, and it would encourage parents to sit down with their children. I just kept writing and writing. I didnt want it to be a story that you just read to your kids and put back up on the shelf. I wanted something that would get them engaged, Yvonne says. And so, not only did Yvonne plan to create an easy-to-read book on gratitude, but also an accompanying activity book, which was inspired by her own experience as a parent. Yvonne Duggan, author of the book "Be Grateful", pictured at Castlefreke Woods with her children Nia, Cai and Seren. As a mum, you always have this mama guilt. You feel like youre not spending enough time with them. My daughter would ask me to colour a picture with her and Id be like, Two minutes I need to put on a wash. Then Id put on the wash and think OK, now the youngest needs a feed. Then Id feed her and be like, OK, now let me put on the dishwasher quickly, and Id feel so guilty afterward, Yvonne says. One day I just said to myself, Would you sit down and colour the picture with her, its only going to take two seconds. And when I sat down she started telling me all of these things that she wouldnt ordinarily tell me because we werent distracted, we were just having a chat and colouring. Inside the colouring book, parents can also find a code to print off PDFs of the activities. This idea was, again, based on the experience of most parents. My son would get a colouring book and just draw a line through it, and then not understand why we couldnt get rid of the line, Yvonne says, laughing. So at least with the PDFs you can start again and theyre all in black and white so that they print off the exact same way as they look in the book. The series is aimed toward children aged eight and under, but Yvonne hopes that some activities in the workbook will challenge children enough so that their parents will sit down and guide them. Theyre all really simple activities, but some are harder, with the idea being that parents will sit down and help them, Yvonne says. All it takes is five minutes - which is all kids want of you anyway. They just want you to sit down for that moment before they move on to something else. As for the book itself, Yvonne created it so that it can be read cover to cover or at a rate of one page a day. The theme running throughout is, of course, how to be grateful for what you have. Its about gratitude - about going through the different things that are in a childs life. It teaches kids how to be grateful for people, places and things, Yvonne explains. Yvonne Duggan, author of the book "Be Grateful", pictured at Castlefreke Woods. Picture Denis Minihane. For example, it goes through things like pets, and for those who dont have pets it asks what your imaginary pet would be and if you are grateful for your imaginary pet. It also goes through toys and reminds children not to take all the toys they have for granted. To launch the book, Yvonne set about finding an illustrator and printer and started her own business, called Mind Your Mind With Ease. On top of all of that, she was also working full time, taking a course in her Local Enterprise Office, raising her children, and dealing with the pandemic. Without the latter, however, she doesnt know if the books would have launched last September at all. The pandemic really reconnected us with appreciating all of the small things that we have, Yvonne says. It taught us that you dont always have to be looking or reaching out for other things. "We can always wish for and want more but to be grateful for what we have now is so important. The book touches on that, featuring some of the unsung heroes of the pandemic, such as the local shopkeeper or baker. It looks at being grateful for the people in our lives; our neighbours, our shop assistants, Yvonne says. And I hope that it will inspire parents too, to maybe say an extra thank-you the next time they see someone or send off a text. The books also have a link to a website that features videos, explaining what gratitude means. For Yvonne, its about one simple thing. Its all about what makes you happy. Every night before the kids go to bed we all name three things that were grateful for and that made us happy that day. That small thing alleviates my mama guilt so much. None of us go to bed agitated. Gratitude gets me into the right mind of thinking, and when you get into that positive state of mind, all of these opportunities start coming to you. I often questioned myself when I was writing the book, asking myself who I thought I was, but the desire to do it was so strong. Im proof that what you see in your mind, with the right way of thinking, you can have in your hand. This whole thing started out of frustration and now its helping so many people. And this is just the start of it. If you are staring at your energy bill this winter and wondering why it is so high, youre not alone. The cost of natural gas went up 24 percent in February compared to the year before and electricity went up by nine percent, The Guardian reported. This means that customers are seeing some of their highest electricity bills in years, The Wall Street Journal reported. [Prices are] some of the highest energy prices and electricity prices weve seen in recent memory, if not ever, depending on the geography, Bank of America analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith told NBC News last month. That is hitting consumers right now. A large part of the price surge has to do with natural gas, as natural gas power plants supply about 40 percent of U.S. power. Gas is in a crunch for a variety of reasons, The Guardian explained. Prices initially fell during 2020 because of lower demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, prices began to climb again in 2021 as demand increased, but supply was limited due to climate-fueled extreme weather events in oil-and-gas producing regions. These included a deep freeze in Texas in February of last year and Hurricane Ida, which put the pause button on oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. During the winter, demand naturally increased while the global supply was limited, according to The Wall Street Journal. The situation was made worse by Russias invasion of Ukraine, which worsened the global gas shortage. This means that prices wont necessarily fall when the weather warms. But now with sustained disruption of the world energy markets, we should expect to see higher prices till the end of the year, Public Utility Law Project executive director Richard Berkley told The Guardian. The situation is especially dire in the northeast, which gets a lot of its electricity from gas. There, electricity costs rose by 16 percent in January compared to the year before. Also in January, the New York metropolitan area experienced the biggest increase in electricity prices in more than 50 years, chief regional economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics Martin Kohli told NBC News. In New York City, Consolidated Edison said that customers who used around 300 kilowatt hours a month had their January bills rise by about 23 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal. One customer feeling the crunch is 44-year-old Hector Ruiz of Clifton Springs, New York. He said his gas and electric bill for February was just under $1,000. It had never before topped $500. My utility bill literally doubled overnight, Ruiz told The Wall Street Journal. Has it been a punch to the gut? Yes. All told, nearly 1.3 million households in New York state are at least two months behind on utility bills, according to The Guardian. This is also an environmental justice issue, because low income people and communities of color are more likely to live in older, inefficient buildings that cost more to heat. In New York City, 32 percent of Black households and 33 percent of Latino households have an energy burden the percentage of income spent on heating greater than six percent. The northeast isnt the only region affected. In California, wholesale power prices have also increased, The Wall Street Journal reported. For homes serviced by San Diego Gas & Electric, average bills increased by 11.4 percent at the beginning of the year. Berkley said the ultimate solution to this problem is to move away from volatile fossil fuels altogether. We need to build more wind, solar, hydro and tidal power, which are quite honestly expensive to create but are much cheaper in the future, Berkley told The Guardian. The second-largest reservoir in the U.S. dropped to a historic low on Tuesday as a climate-fueled megadrought continues in the nations West. Lake Powell, which sits on the border of Utah and Arizona, fell below 3,525 feet for the first time since the reservoir was filled more than 50 years ago to create the Glen Canyon Dam, AP News reported. There are now concerns about the dams ability to continue generating energy in the near future as the water levels drop faster than anticipated. We clearly werent sufficiently prepared for the need to move this quickly, John Fleck, who directs the University of New Mexicos Water Resources Program, told AP News. The Western U.S. is in the midst of its worst megadrought in 1,200 years, and the climate crisis has made the drought 42 percent more extreme than it would have been otherwise. So far, most of the concerns surrounding the drought have revolved around the supply of water to California, Nevada and Arizona, AP News explained. However, the situation at Lake Powell reveals that hydroelectric power is now also at risk. The Glen Canyon Dam provides power to around 5 million customers in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Currently, water levels at Lake Powell are 35 feet above the point at which turbines would stop moving, otherwise known as minimum power pool. The 3,525-foot level is considered a target elevation for drought contingency plans, according to CNN. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation predicted in early March that the water would fall to that level sometime between March 10 and 16. That the target has ultimately been breached is cause for alarm, experts said. Were talking about the second-largest reservoir ever constructed by the United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Drought Task Force co-leader and Dartmouth assistant professor Justin Mankin told Yahoo Finance. The thing is like 200 miles long when its full. Its held back by one of the largest concrete structures ever built by humans, the Glen Canyon Dam. So the idea that this massive structure, which I think is pretty emblematic of Americas best-ever effort to kind of transform water supply in the American West is failing is really putting us in uncharted territory, legally and politically and socially, economically. Lake Powells troubles reflect the broader impact of the megadrought on the entire Colorado River system. The river supplies more than 40 million people in seven Western states as well as Mexico, according to CNN. It also supplies Lake Mead, the nations largest reservoir, which powers the Hoover Dam. Lake Meads water levels fell to unprecedented lows in August of 2021, prompting the federal government to declare a water shortage for the Colorado River for the first time. By 2021, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and the Navajo Nation had all declared drought states of emergency, Yahoo News reported. In the immediate future, federal officials believe that snow melt will restore Lake Powell in the coming months. Spring runoff will resolve the deficit in the short term, Wayne Pullan, regional director for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, told AP News. However, our work is not done. In the longer term, the region has to rethink how it uses its water supply as the climate crisis continues. [W]hat were seeing is the beginning or some point in the process of what is going to be a really long and painful collapse of the Western water economy as we know it, Mankin told Yahoo Finance. While Texans suffer from freezing temperatures and extensive power outages, frozen wind turbines are being used as a ploy to spread skepticism on the reliability of renewable energy. This week, a relentless winter storm pummeled through parts of the southern and central U.S., causing people to crank their electric heating systems. In Texas, the energy demand became too high for its electric grid, forcing the state to begin rolling blackouts on Monday, leaving more than four million Texans in the cold and dark, The New York Times reported. So far, analysts say the grid system failed due to high electricity demand, pushing grid operators into worst-case scenarios, The New York Times reported. Other causes for the failed grid included fuel shortages as gas-fired power plants went offline while demand increased, and frozen wind turbines. Yet while some experts used the dire conditions to urge the state to adopt more climate-resilient energy systems, a few conservative commentators used the example of frozen wind turbines to encourage distrust of renewable energy systems in a state largely dependent on natural gas. Texas is frozen solid as folks are left w/ no power to stay safe & warm, Steve Daines, a Republican U.S. Senator from Montana, tweeted Tuesday. This is a perfect example of the need for reliable energy sources like natural gas & coal. Texas is frozen solid as folks are left w/ no power to stay safe & warm. This is a perfect example of the need for reliable energy sources like natural gas & coal. These blackouts would be devastating to MT. No heat & no power simply are not options in the dead of winter. https://t.co/Tpn4wuqrfM Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) February 16, 2021 According to The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which represents 90 percent of the states electric load, wind turbine outages were responsible for less than 13 percent of Texas lost generation. The majority of the power outages can instead be attributed to coal and gas, a local news outlet reported. The Montana senators tweet included a viral image of a helicopter spraying liquid to defrost a frozen wind turbine. According to the images caption, fossil fuels powered the helicopter while the liquid it sprayed contained them. Keep that in mind when thinking how green windmills are, Rep. Lauren Boebert from Colorado tweeted, gaining thousands of retweets, Earther reported. This same image has been shared by Luke Legate, a prominent oil and gas consultant, Earther added, although it is misleading. While helicopters are used to defrost wind turbines, the image is from Sweden in 2014, not present-day Texas, said Brian Kahn, managing editor of Earther. The photo is originally from a Swedish study on de-icing wind turbines using hot water. Now the image is being used to argue against clean energy in the U.S, Kahn wrote. Its a rather silly claim. Wind turbines in Texas did indeed fail during the frigid winter temperatures, losing about 4.5 gigawatts of capacity according to The New York Times. But as of Monday afternoon, 26 of the 34 gigawatts of ERCOTs grid that went offline were from thermal sources such as gas and coal, The New Republic reported. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mette Knudsen, on Thursday, March 17, met university representatives in Kabul and urged equal access to education for boys and girls as a "fundamental need" for a stable and economically prosperous Afghanistan. "Visiting private & state Univ's today in Kabul, UNAMA Dep. Head @Metknu met students, academics and managers urging equal access to education for boys & girls as a fundamental need for a stable and economically prosperous Afghanistan," UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) News tweeted. Earlier, several members of the Movement of Change for Afghanistan Party (MoCAP) held a protest in Kabul city calling for women's access to education and work. They also urged the Taliban to establish a commission for addressing the challenges faced by the women in the country, according to TOLO news. The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year. Although fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated. The Taliban have committed and continue to commit human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, a massive rollback of the rights of women and girls, censorship of and attacks against the media. Moreover, people in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, that have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system. Siksha O Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed-to-be University, Bhubaneswar, joined more than 20 leading Indian universities and institutions of higher education at a three-day conclave in Goa recently to pledge for better and improved action for achieving UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their institutions and cities. Universities and higher education institutions signed the Goa Declaration, the first such academic declaration for achieving SDGs, at the conclave held from March 10 to 12. The carbon-neutral event, PACT2030 (Pledge, Act, Change, Transform), was the brainchild of QS I-GAUGE, the brand for Indian education ratings which brings together the expertise, experience and reputation of UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Dr Bhushan Patwardhan, Chairman of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), who attended the conclave as the chief guest, said that knowledge, action, character and mental strength were important for quality education. Any desired change is possible only through education, he said. Avinash Rai Khanna, Vice-Chairman of Indian Red Cross Society; Dr Anil Prakash Joshi, Founder, Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO); Shaurya Doval, Founder, India Foundation and Prof Lawrence Pratchett, former Vice-Chancellor, International University of Canberra, Australia also attended the programme. Organised by Dr Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director - Middle East, Africa and South Asia, QS I-GAUGE, the conclave was co-hosted by the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Uttarakhand and Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (Deemed-to-be University), Tamil Nadu. Prof Pradipta Kumar Nanda, SOAs Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Pritam Nayak, Officer-on-Special Duty, represented the university at the conclave. A man receives a COVID-19 test in New York, the United States, Jan. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) -- The BA.2 variant is spreading fast in the United States, with infections nearly doubling every week, according to CDC data. -- BA.2's prevalence is the highest in the Northeast of the country. In the region spanning New York and New Jersey, the CDC estimated 39 percent of circulating viruses were BA.2. -- Early studies showed that BA.2 may be up to 30 percent more transmissible than the original Omicron. But so far it does not appear to cause more severe diseases. WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant now makes up nearly a quarter of new COVID-19 infections in the United States, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This data is up from around 1 in 10 new cases just a week prior. The BA.2 variant is spreading fast in the country, with infections nearly doubling every week, according to CDC data. BA.2 accounted for only 1 percent of new cases in the week ending Feb. 5, rising to 2.2 percent in the week ending Feb. 12, and 4.1 percent in the week ending Feb. 19, and 7.1 percent in the week ending Feb. 26, CDC data showed. The variant was responsible for 23.1 percent of coronavirus infections in the country in the week ending March 12, up from 13.7 percent in the previous week ending March 5, according to the CDC estimates. BA.2's prevalence is the highest in the Northeast of the country, CDC data showed. In the region spanning New York and New Jersey, the agency estimated 39 percent of circulating viruses were BA.2. In New England, prevalence of BA.2 was at 38.6 percent. Since January, Omicron has made up virtually all new infections in the United States. Early studies showed that BA.2 may be up to 30 percent more transmissible than the original Omicron. But so far it does not appear to cause more severe diseases. Health experts are keeping close watch on the variant, urging the public to remain cautious and not let down guard against COVID-19. People line up to receive COVID-19 tests on Times Square in New York, the United States, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) "We've been watching it closely," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday. "We expect some fluctuation, especially at this relatively low level, and, certainly, that to increase." Despite the spread of the new subvariant, U.S. daily cases and hospitalizations continue to drop while deaths plateau. Pfizer and BioNTech announced Tuesday that they asked U.S. regulators to authorize a second COVID-19 vaccine booster for people aged 65 and older. Pfizer cited data from Israel which showed COVID-19 infections were two times lower and rates of severe illness were four times lower among individuals who received a second booster dose of the vaccine, compared to those who received only one booster shot. If the additional booster was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it would be applied to the group of people who have the highest risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Sponsored By: St Anthony's Hospital KABUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has received a fresh batch of assistance donated by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) as the country is suffering from an economic meltdown. A handover ceremony was held Wednesday in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, attended by Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu and ARCS Secretary General Mawlawi Matiul Haq Khalis. "In order to help Afghanistan to improve needy people's livelihoods, the RCSC has taken a number of measures. After it donated a batch of assistance to Afghanistan in December last year, today another batch of flour has been donated to Afghanistan. Thousands of families will get this batch of flour," Ambassador Wang said at the ceremony. "At present, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the international food price has risen sharply, but China extended a helping hand to Afghanistan without hesitation, which showed the sincere friendship of the Chinese government and people to the Afghan people," he said. The Chinese ambassador noted that China is willing to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and help it rebuild its economy. "At the same time, China calls on the relevant party to unfreeze Afghanistan's overseas assets and return them all to the Afghan people." Wang added. "The fresh donation by Red Cross Society of China that recently arrived in Afghanistan included 131 tons of flour. The flour has been packed in 5,250 sacks and each sack contains 25 kg. The donated flour will be distributed to needy families in Kabul and eastern Paktika province," Khalis told reporters. "We are grateful to the Red Cross Society of China for its latest donation," he said, adding that the donation is very important for the Afghan people to address their urgent needs, Khalis said. Cherry Lee Ward Yeager age 87 of Athens died Monday at Athens Limestone Hospital. Mrs. Yeager was born October 21, 1934 in Giles County Tennessee. She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church Athens where she sang in the chrior, and was active in the WMU. Mrs. Yeager was a Red Cross vol BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China has urged the United States to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies, and vowed to take necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of domestic companies. Gao Feng, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, made the statements at a press briefing Thursday in response to questions regarding the U.S. Federal Communications Commission revoking the authorization of China's Pacific Networks Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ComNet (USA) LLC, to provide telecom services in the U.S. Previously, the U.S. side stripped two other Chinese telecom operators, China Unicom Americas and China Telecom Americas, of permission to provide such services in the country. "The United States has continued to generalize the concept of national security and abused state power to maliciously suppress Chinese telecom companies in the absence of facts," Gao said. He pointed out that such moves violate the principles of non-discrimination and fair competition, undermine international economic and trade rules and disrupt the normal market order. Gao urged the United States to stop politicizing trade and economic issues and provide a fair and stable market environment for companies from all over the world, including Chinese companies. This August 2016 file photo shows peaches from Isoms Orchard available at the Athens Saturday Market. Following a recent 4-0 vote by the Limestone County Commission, Athens Main Street is now managing two weekly markets for patrons at the Green Street Farmers Market Pavilion. Farmers interested in becoming a vendor or would like more information about the Athens Farmers Market should visit https://athensmainstreet.org/athens-farmers-market/ or https://www.facebook.com/AthensALFarmersMarket. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Ever since their launch in mid-July 2019, Sony's WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds have remained as one of the best in-ear wireless buds you can buy. With impressive sound quality and excellent noise cancellation, the XM3s were great value at their regular $200 price, but right now you can pick up a pair at Amazon for just $118. That's a whopping 40-percent discount and the lowest price we've seen yet. The WF-1000XM3s scored an 89 in our Engadget review and placed number one in our 2019 wireless earbuds buyer's guide. That's down, in part, to the excellent sound quality with bass that's powerful yet clear, bright highs and solid performance for all genres of music. The active noise cancellation is also seriously good, blocking out most background noise, while lasting around six hours on a charge with the feature enabled. The case, however, will provide you with roughly another 18 hours of juice for when you're on the go. There are some minor downsides, including the blocky design of the buds and case, which Sony did improve with the launch of the $248 WF-1000XM4 model which have also topped our wireless earphone buyer's guide. Those six hours of battery life are also two less than the eight hours offered by its successor. If it's over-ears you want, we should remind you that our current favorite pair of ANC headphones, Sony's WH-1000XM4, are still discounted to $278 right now. That's $72 off their usual price and close to an all-time low. They earned a score of 94 from us for their powerful ANC, immersive sound quality and multi-device connectivity. Twitter said it has "labeled or removed" more than 50,000 pieces of content that broke its policy on manipulated media in the wake of Russias attack on Ukraine, the company shared in a blog post today. Additionally, the platform removed roughly 75,000 accounts for inauthentic behavior and spam. Though this number encompassed users not specifically engaged in war propaganda, it included accounts associated with #IStandWithPutin, a hashtag that went viral last month thanks to a coordinated campaign of fake accounts. Unlike previous times where a single government or a state information campaign was to blame, Twitter found a wide range of actors were responsible for manipulating the platform, such as those recirculating old conflict footage as if it were new, as well as the many Ukraine-related fundraising scams that have cropped up in the wake of the invasion. Last month Twitter also promised to not amplify any tweets from users that included links to state-affiliated media (a step-up from its old policy, which was not to amplify or promote tweets that were only directly from accounts of the state-affiliated media). Since February 28th, Twitter says it has labeled more than 61,000 unique tweets that included links to state-run media. It estimates doing so reduced the reach of these tweets by around 30 percent. Twitter has allowed Kremlin-backed media like RT and Sputnik (as well as other state-run media) to continue to operate their verified accounts, but labels and accordingly demotes what the outlets tweet. Both propaganda outlets are also banned from advertising on Twitter. Misinformation about the invasion of Ukraine has thrived on social media, especially in the form of misleading photos and video. The government of Russia has blocked access to most Western-operated platforms for civilians (including Google, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok), largely as a way to suppress dissent amongst its own people. But the Kremlins own disinformation campaigns on these platforms appear to continue apace. A Russia-backed theory that the U.S. is helping Ukraine build bioweapons was further amplified by Chinese state media, as well as far-right and right-wing figures in the United States. The British defense secretary has ordered an inquiry into a video call he received on Thursday from an imposter pretending to be Denys Shmyhal, Ukraines prime minister. In a series of tweets, the Right Honorable Ben Wallace disclosed that the man asked several misleading questions and he eventually ended the call after becoming suspicious. The official described the hoax as a desperate attempt, and pinned the blame on Russia. No amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks can distract from Russias human rights abuses and illegal invasion of Ukriane. A desperate attempt, wrote the Conservative politician in the tweet. Wallace did not reveal any evidence backing his claim that Russia was responsible for the fake call, nor name any individuals involved. Deborah Haynes of Sky News noted that the perpetrators went to great lengths to stage the video call, including placing a Ukrainian flag behind the so-called Ukrainian prime minister and using fake details from the Ukraine embassy. At one point, the culprit asked Wallace if he received the substance they sent. A few more minutes of similarly absurd questioning finally raised enough alarm bells for Wallace to abort the call. A pair of Russian comedians known as Lexus and Vovan are infamous for regularly pranking world leaders. As Irish Times notes, the pair once called former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, posing as the president of Kyrgyzstan. The same pair also pretended in a call to the actual Poroshenko to be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They also duped British Prime Minister Boris Johnson into taking an 18-minute video call with an actor who was impersonating the prime minister of Armenia. During the call, Johnson talked about the UKs plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. While the Kremlin denies employing the pair, Russian state media often congratulates their actions. NEW: An imposter posing as Ukraines prime minister tricked his way onto a video call with Britains defence secretary in a suspected Russian ploy. @BWallaceMP ordered an immediate inquiry into the security breach that saw him engage with the fraud for about 10 minutes 1/ Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) March 17, 2022 While a security snafu at this level is no doubt embarrassing to the British defense ministry, disclosing that such a call happened is also important to national security. As Haynes notes, raising awareness of the call could thwart any attempts to doctor the footage and release it in order to mislead the public. Enid, OK (73701) Today Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 53F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 53F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Click for the latest, full-access Enid News & Eagle headlines | Text Alerts | app downloads The News & Eagle Editorial Board meets weekly to form the newspaper's stances on mostly local and state and occasionally national issues. Submit your opinion for publication to editor@enidnews.com. Find out more about submitting letters to the editor at https://www.enidnews.com/opinion/. Have a question about this opinion piece? Do you see something we missed? Do you have an editorial idea for the News & Eagle? Send an email to editor@enidnews.com. Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney is joining the ranks of dozens of celebrities who have turned into superheroes: Sony has just cast her in their upcoming film Madame Web, the next in a long line of super-films connected to the Spider-man franchise. Sweeney plays Cassie, a very sweet girl from an abusive family who doesn't always make the best choices - in relationships or otherwise. (Hey, it is Euphoria, after all.) Sweeney is also known for her role in HBO's hit series White Lotus. It's (mostly) safe to say that Sweeney is not up for the part of Madame Webb herself - we'll let The Direct tell you why: "Madame Web, is a mutant who debuted in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #210 in November 1980. On top of being born blind, Webb also suffers from a neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis which left her paralyzed and attached to a life support system. Webb's life support system is a unique chair provided by her late husband, Jonathan, and the design is similar to a spider web - thus paving the way for her to adopt the Madame Web moniker." Basically: She's old. It's safer to say Sweeney might play a side character in this movie - that is, unless they go with this storyline: "Madame Web met her tragic end at the hands of Kraven The Hunter...she transferred her powers to Julia Carpenter, a version of Spider-Woman. Being a younger and much more active heroine, Carpenter became the second coming of Madame Web, complete with all of the precognitive abilities of the original character." So Will Sydney Sweeney and Madame Webb Be Part of The MCU? Tentatively: Yes and no. The answer to that question - as well as the question of what exactly her power do - is incredibly interesting, because it has much greater implications for the Sony Spider-man universe, the MCU, and all superhero movies going forward. "Madame Web has a plethora of abilities which include telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition, but the most notable one is her connection with a mysterious force called Web of Life and Destiny, which encompasses the past, present, and future. Essentially, this web holds the multiverse together. Furthermore, this mystical force is said to be the root power source of every hero with spider powers across the multiverse. "As explained in Marvel's Spider-Verse comic event , through the Web of Life and the so-called Spider-Totems (which are every universe's Spider-Man), Madame Web has the ability to transport any version of Spider-Man across the multiverse. By doing so, the character can effectively transfer MCU's Spider-Man into Sony's Marvel universe to help out in a potential conflict and vice-versa." If this is how they choose to play it, they could be setting up to sever the Sony universe from the MCU, branching off to create their own Spiderman Cinematic Universe. Why Would They Take Tom Holland Out Of The MCU? Remember that the MCU doesn't actually currently own the movie rights to the Spider-man franchise. They still belong to Sony; they simply struck a deal with them back in the days of Infinity War to allow for their Spider-Man to star in five MCU films. When they ran out of films before No Way Home, it led to the well-publicized standoff between the two studios, before they finally made a deal for two additional films. After that, they agreed - Tom Holland would cross cinematic universes to join other characters like Venom, Morbius, and yes, Madame Web. They have the perfect opportunity to do it, too: With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness coming out in May, we already know that the fabric of the MCU is going to be seriously bent out of shape. It would make complete sense for our Tom Holland Spidey - who has already been wiped from the memories of his friends and families - to simply leave this universe behind and join the Sony Universe - possibly in another crossover event. If you want to read more about the likelihood of this eventuality, this article from The Direct has all the answers you could possibly want - even if we can't confirm anything yet. As the dust settled on the February 2022 summit between the European Union and the African Union in Brussels, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a remarkably candid interview to SABC News. When asked about the EUs flagship announcement of 150 billion investment in Africa, he said: We have lived through various promises, from the COP [UN conference on climate change] where $100 billion was promised per year we look at this with a degree of will this really be done? because we remember what was not done in the past. On the same day, the G20 finance ministers acknowledged that they had failed to meet a pledge to deliver $100 billion in International Monetary Fund (IMF) special drawing rights to support vulnerable countries during the pandemic. This target was first championed in May 2021 by French President Emmanuel Macron, co-chair of the EU-AU summit. Therefore, it is understandable that Ramaphosa appears to be somewhat skeptical about European commitments. This years summit builds on a 22-year history stretching back to the first EU-Africa summit in Cairo. That event resulted in the Cotonou Agreement, which laid out plans for the gradual integration of African countries into the global economy. The accord reflected high levels of ambition on three main pillars of cooperation: development aid and loans; trade and investment; and democracy, peace, security, and migration. But, in a recent commentary for the Center for Global Development, W Gyude Moore and Ovigwe Eguegu deftly show how the data tell a slightly more nuanced story. The EU is Africas largest trading partner. But, in 2021, manufactured products accounted for 68% of EU goods exports to Africa, while primary goods accounted for 65% of Africas goods exports to the EU. Foreign direct investment from Europe is also largely focused on these sectors and has barely kept up with African economic growth, which has quadrupled since the Cairo declaration. In the last decade, most African exports to the EU have been raw materials and energy rather than products that would boost the job-creating industries Africa needs. Furthermore, the EUs share of total aid to sub-Saharan Africa has declined since 2008. In the AUs blueprint for its development, Agenda 2063, industrialization is the priority. If successfully implemented, its flagship African Continental Free Trade Agreement initiative could lead to the kind of prosperity created by the EUs single market. Such prosperity is more than a political aspiration. Rather, it is an imperative. By 2070, young Africans will outnumber young EU citizens by 12 to 1. With 22 million young people entering the African job market every year, the potential for economic transformation is huge. But there will also be a significant threat of instability if these young people are unable to access opportunities. Such a situation could lead to what some European politicians fear the most: a major flow of unmanaged migration from Africa to Europe. This is where the Brussels summit could signal a turning point. Perhaps more than ever, there is a mutual interest in cooperation. Insiders suggest that this realization was palpable at the summit negotiations. One seasoned diplomat told me that there had been a huge change [of mindset] from previous EU-AU summits and key performance indicators should no longer be measured in financial commitments but in the agreement to work together towards common goals. This change involved frank discussions about the EUs decision to block South Africas and Indias proposal for an intellectual property waiver on Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics. African leaders negotiated significant concessions from the EU, including new commitments to finance vaccine manufacturing and engage in technology transfers, and an agreement to find a solution on intellectual property by spring 2022. These discussions also featured the remarkable yet almost unnoticed statement from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that compulsory licensing with a deep cut in profits should be on the table. If this package leads to true technology transfers, it could accelerate African production of vaccines and therapeutics. It could also contribute to the AUs ambition to manufacture 60% of all the vaccines it consumes by 2040. It is even conceivable that the EU and the AU could bring a joint position to the World Trade Organization Board, forming a powerful negotiating bloc and signaling their potential for diplomatic cooperation on other issues. That is, the commitment to the development of the African pharmaceutical industry could be a prelude to other forms of industrial strategy, principally that to support the clean energy transition. The six hundred million people in Africa who have no access to electricity need solutions fast. Finding these solutions could mean leapfrogging to cleaner technologies. But the continent could also become an engine for the global green energy transition: it has significant natural resources in the form of rare earth metals necessary for battery technology, as well as a climate suited to solar energy production. For this to be successful, it will be necessary to secure sustainable sources of funding. At COP26, the $8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership was announced to help South Africa transition away from coal. This is a significant undertaking that could act as a model for other forms of financing. The AUs Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy provides a blueprint for a transition plan that the EUs Global Gateway initiative could help finance. But that initiative raises many questions about who will lend to whom, what will the terms be, and what purpose the transactions will serve. With an increasingly bullish and cooperative AU, another possible source of tension lies in the meaning of the word partnership. For some on the African side, this means addressing some of the structural imbalances between Europe and Africa not least when it comes to having meaningful African representation in the G20, the IMF, and the World Bank. On the European side, the term is interpreted as equal representation of European and African interests. This is a subtle but important distinction. And this is where the success of EU-AU cooperation will be tested. Is this really a partnership where both parties work together to forge genuine solutions and hold each other accountable for commitments and results? The proof of the pudding, as Ramaphosa said at the summit, will be in the eating. Promises, Promises: The Future of the Europe-Africa Partnership Opinion by David McNair European Council on Foreign Relations / ECFR. The Opinion can be downloaded here Safe shelter "City Life Billboard" is presented in Hamburg . Accommodation finances itself through advertising space on its roof. City Life Billboard offers shelter for homeless people. Reference to the EU-wide target to eliminate homelessness by 2030. HAMBURG, Germany, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- - Picture is available at AP Images ( http://www.apimages.com ) - The German street magazine Hinz&Kunzt and the agency Philipp und Keuntje (PUK) officially present the City Life Billboard, the first advertising poster offering shelter to the homeless. Together with Ultra OOH Berlin and Mediaplus, the company built a trailer for homeless people to use as a mobile shelter throughout the city. The trick: The roof surface of the trailer is rented out as advertising space, which refinances the acquisition costs and at the same time, it generates money for a fund that finances permanent shelter for the homeless. Europe: hundreds of thousands without a safe place to live. Housing is a fundamental human right. Yet hundreds of thousands on the world's most prosperous continent lack a home. According to the United Nations Agenda 2030, homelessness is to be ended by 2030. However, concrete measures for this ambitious plan have not yet been presented in many places. A converted trailer as a safe haven. The City Life Billboard works to raise the necessary awareness on this issue. The interior of the certified emergency shelter is 1.85 metres in height, and the entire floor is designed as a level sleeping space with a soft and insulating base. The trailer also features a power connection inside, and high-quality insulation ensures a constant room temperature, even on cold nights. Anyone who wants to support Hinz&Kunzt and the fund for new housing projects can do so on the campaign page www.nullbis2030.de. Press contact: Louis SternbergfischerAppelt, relations+49 40 899699 297citylifebillboard@fischerappelt.de Jasper, IndianaKevin Schewe's Bad Love Tigers won its eighth international screenplay award with the Best Feature Script Award at the Cineville Calcutta Global Cinefest in India. Previous awards include Best Feature Screenplay at the Mumbai International Film Festival, Best Feature Screenplay and Best-Sci-Fi Screenplay at the Oniros Film Awards in New York City, Best Sci-Fi Screenplay at the New York International Film Awards, Best Feature Screenplay in London at the BIFF International Film Festival, Best Original Screenplay at the Rome International Movie Awards and Best Feature Screenplay Honorable Mention at the Florence Film Awards. Bad Love Tigers, the second book in a planned twelve book series, is about a dynamic group of young adventurers, known as the Bad Love Gang, who use a time machine to travel back to the World War II era, meet with President Roosevelt and embark on a perilous secret mission to protect an alien spaceship and defeat the Japanese in combat. The Bad Love Tigers Screenplay was just released to the international screenplay circuit at the end of February 2022, has already won eight International Awards, and is just getting started. It is a feel good, action-adventure blend of Stand by Me meets Raiders of the Lost Ark or Back to the Future meets Goonies. The strong international interest and accolades that it is generating shows its blockbuster potential to attract a global audience of all ages. Schewe's screenplay adapted from the first book, Bad Love Strikes, has won 14 International Awards at prestigious film festivals all over the world. In Bad Love Strikes, the Gang discovers The White Hole Project, a WWII era time machine created by Albert Einstein at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt in case the atomic bomb Manhattan Project failed. They design a time-travel mission back to WWII, Nazi-controlled Poland to save a group of Holocaust victims from certain death. The accurate history and edge-of-your-seat action has you rooting for this unlikely gang of misfit teenagers turned heroes! Bad Love Strikes screenplay awards: Best Sci-Fi Screenplay at the Los Angeles Film Awards; Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival Best Screenplay; Best Script at the Rotterdam Independent Film Festival; Best Script in a Feature Film at the Hollywood International Golden Age Film Festival; New York Tri-State Film Festival Best Sci-Fi Screenplay; Florida Shorts Film Festival Best Unproduced Script; Tokyo's Genre Celebration Festival Best Feature Screenplay; Madrid Arthouse Film Festival Best Unproduced Feature Script; Madrid International Short Film Festival Best Script; the Seoul International Short Film Festival in Korea Best Script; and in Munich, Germany at the New Wave Short Film Festival, where it was chosen as a Special Jury Screenplay Selection. It also garnered a Prix Royal Paris Silver Screenplay Award; the South Florida International Film Festival for Best Original Screenplay for Young Adults, and a Gold Script Writing Award for Sci-Fi Adventure from the Depth of Field International Film Festival. Bad Love Strikes screenplay has also finished as a Finalist and Semi-Finalist at 23 other international film festivals. Watch the book trailer for Bad Love Tigers at https://bit.ly/BadLoveTigers_Trailer The fourth installment in the Bad Love Book series, Bad Love Medicine, has just garnered its fourth book award and is available on Amazon's Audible. The popular series, which is time travel sci-fi mixed with science fact and history is now available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and Audible formats. Each of the Bad Love series audio books are narrated by Alan Carlson, an award-winning narrator with credits in non-fiction, academic, romance fiction and many other categories. You can purchase the audio book at Amazon's Audible. The entire four book set is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Love-Collection-Sci-Fi-Adventure-ebook/dp/B09LPPDBMM/ or www.jancarolpublishing.com. "If history was taught this way in school, everyone would be a scholar and educating ourselves not only about our accomplishments but the horrors of the past that should awaken and give insight to the path of a better future. A rare gem!"David Holladay, MD, 5-Stars "Skillful writing (both historical and fantastical), a zesty sense of humor, an appreciation for pop culture, and the ability to create memorably entertaining characters combine to make this an immensely impressive series and experience! Very highly recommended." Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Reviewer, 5-Stars Watch the book trailer from Bad Love Strikes at https://bit.ly/BadLoveStrikes-Trailer About Kevin Schewe: Kevin L. Schewe, MD, FACRO, is a board-certified cancer specialist who has been in the private practice of radiation oncology for over 34 years. He is an entrepreneur, having founded Elite Therapeutics and Bad Love Cosmetics Company, LLC. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts are welcomed upon their arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) "The traditional Chinese medicine experts will play an important role in sharing China's experience in treating COVID-19 patients with Cambodian doctors," Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Oeun Boraroth said. PHNOM PENH, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A team of 10 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts arrived here in the capital of Cambodia Wednesday evening to help the southeast Asian nation fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The team was warmly welcomed by Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Oeun Boraroth and Wu Guoquan, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, at the Phnom Penh International Airport upon their arrival. Boraroth said the experts will carry out medical tasks at the Cambodia China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh. "The TCM experts will play an important role in sharing China's experience in treating COVID-19 patients with Cambodian doctors," he told reporters, adding that they will also carry out the clinical diagnosis and treatment of other diseases. He said more TCM experts will be dispatched to Cambodia in the coming months. Meanwhile, Boraroth expressed his profound gratitude to China for having provided a large number of TCMs to Cambodia, saying that they are very efficacious to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms. "Traditional Chinese medicines are very useful. A lot of patients have recovered after using them," he said. The medical team was organized by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and selected by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Two TCM experts have arrived in Cambodia ahead of the team to carry out medical assistance work. Some of them used to be the frontline doctors during the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Wu said the state-level TCM medical team would train Cambodian medical professionals on how to treat COVID-19 patients using TCMs. "You are all not only doctors who save lives and heal the wounded, but also the builders of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future," he said. Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian (L) hands over traditional medicine Lianhua Qingwen Capsules to Cambodia's Health Minister Mam Bunheng in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on April 29, 2021. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) He said TCMs, namely Lianhua Qingwen capsules and Huashi Baidu granules, have been licensed to use for treating symptoms of COVID-19 patients in Cambodia, and they are very popular here and in other countries. "Facts have proved that traditional Chinese medicines are safe and highly efficacious," Wu said. Xu Fengqin, one of the TCM experts, said she was very pleased to be selected for such a vital mission in Cambodia. "We hope that China's experience and TCM technology will help Cambodia to treat COVID-19 patients more effectively," she said. Cambodia has fully resumed its socio-economic activities in all sectors and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since mid-November last year after most of its population have been inoculated against the COVID-19. The country reported 140 new cases and one fatality on Wednesday, bringing the national total caseload to 134,492, with 3,049 deaths and 130,028 recoveries, the health ministry said. San Antonio-based retail company Grunt Styles latest T-shirt design, which pays tribute to Ukraines national flag and a battle cry used against an invading Russian army, has raised $185,000 to support Ukrainian evacuation efforts. The military-themed apparel brand said the money will be donated to Save Our Allies, a veteran-founded nonprofit that offers medical support and assistance with ground evacuations of children and elderly Ukrainian citizens, the company said. On ExpressNews.com: Video of a man jokingly rapping about killing Putin at a North Texas city council meeting goes viral The new shirt includes the historic Gadsden flag with the coiled rattlesnake. This design uses the yellow and blue Ukrainian flag, along with the caption, Go F Yourself. The design is an apparent reference to what about a dozen besieged Ukrainian marines and border guards told a Russian warship at the start of the invasion in late February when they were ordered to surrender. The guards were stationed on Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, a rocky landmass about 185 land miles from Crimea in the Black Sea. Some Ukrainians have since adopted the snake-themed American Revolutionary War-era Gadsden Flag as their own. Others have made other adaptations, including a Ukrainian police officer who wore a Dont Mess with Texas patch while fighting for his country. The officer trained with the Houston Police Department, according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Grunt Style Grunt Style CEO Glenn Silbert told Fox Business on Tuesday that he was driven to help after seeing images of the Russian invasion of the country. The T-shirt design is a sign of solidarity, he said. Grunt Style was founded in 2009 when Daniel Alarik, an Army drill sergeant at the time, started designing and selling T-shirts out of the trunk of his SUV while stationed in Georgia. Grunt Style, originally from Chicago, is known for its patriotic flair, featuring American flags and guns. It moved to San Antonio in 2018. On ExpressNews.com: Beloved San Antonio Tex-Mex restaurant Jacala a total loss after early morning fire breaks out These people are being attacked, and there's a lot at stake around the world if people dont stand up, said Silbert. Theyre innocent people. Their lives are at stake. Theyre outnumbered. Theyre outgunned ... Theres gonna be a lot of collateral damage. The Gadsden flag is often used in the United States as a symbol of defiance and liberty. The flag is one of at least three kinds of flags created by colonists in the run-up to the Revolutionary War, according to Flag: An American Biography by Marc Leepson. The flag has shifted meanings over the years, but to Silbert, it symbolizes vigilance and willingness to fight against tyranny. timothy.fanning@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority on Wednesday moved forward with the Boring Co.s plan to build a loop of tunnels to shuttle visitors in Teslas between San Antonio International Airport and downtown. RMA board members voted 5-0 to negotiate a development deal with the tunneling company backed by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The system could include a leg linking the Convention Center to the Pearl mixed-use development on Broadway. The Boring Co.s proposal beat a competing plan from Bexar Automated Transport, a consortium of out-of-state tunneling, construction and software companies. This is not to take any other action other than to enter into negotiations, said RMA Chairman Michael Lynd Jr., CEO of Kairoi Residential. The airport-to-downtown loops estimated cost would be between $247 million and $289 million. A document provided by RMA staff Wednesday referred to the organization providing revenue bond financing for the project. Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News Revenue bonds are repaid with money generated by the enterprise for which the debt was issued. We use our capacity to issue bonds to support the project and then pay for it, essentially, Lynd said. And then the revenue stream comes back, pays the services of those bonds ... and then split based on whatever we as a board decide is a fair split for us. The Boring Co. estimated generating $25 million in annual revenue for the RMA, which would seek a ridership and revenue study in preparation of bond financing. Its unclear how much in bond financing the authority would provide. The staff-written document also noted that the Boring Co. would be willing to finance between $27 million and $45 million for the first phase of construction. The RMA whose members are appointed by Bexar County commissioners and its chair by Gov. Greg Abbott has refused to release the Boring Co.s and BATs full plans. Two RMA members missed Wednesdays vote. The boards selection of Austin-based Boring came two weeks after Lynd selected three board members, including himself, and staff to hold private interviews with the company and BAT. Four board members wouldve represented a quorum, which would have made the interviews open to the public. The Boring Co. said it could begin construction in 12 months, complete the first phase in 18 months and finish the entire project in 36 months, according to Bexar County Engineer Renee Green, who also serves as the RMAs director of engineering and operations. The company could operate and maintain the transportation loop under a lease agreement. Founded in 2016, Boring has built two testing projects in Hawthorne, Calif. In June, the tunnel-maker launched its 1.7-mile, three-station transportation loop beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, at a cost to taxpayers of $52.5 million. In October, it won approval from Las Vegas officials to move ahead with building the Vegas Loop, a proposed 29-mile tunnel to carry tourists between the Las Vegas Strip, Allegiant Stadium, the convention center and Harry Reid International Airport. The company is also looking to build projects in other cities, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But Boring has a history of canceled or unfinished projects. Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News In April, the company removed plans from its website to build tunnels in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., that it announced in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The initial excitement over the projects fizzled out amid federal environmental reviews. In 2018, Chicagos then-mayor, Rahm Emanuel, began negotiating with the company after the city tapped it to build a series of tunnels, but the plans went nowhere. In San Antonio, its not difficult for visitors to travel the 9.6 miles between the airport and downtown. Visitors routinely take rental cars, taxis, Lyfts or Ubers. In moderate traffic, the trip take about 15 minutes, mostly on U.S. 281. The Bexar County-created RMA, which relies largely on vehicle registration fees, has been searching for moneymaking endeavors in recent years. Its board solicited proposals in October 2019 from public and private groups for new delivery methods for transportation projects and development of new revenue sources, according to a staff presentation. Boring pitched the tunneling idea last July. After staff reviewed the proposal, the RMA formally asked contractors to turn their focus to submitting plans for a transportation project that can efficiently and economically transport people between the general vicinity of the San Antonio International Airport and the downtown area. The RMA received five proposals by the Dec. 1 deadline, and the board named the finalists in January. eric.killelea@express-news.net The U.S. Senate voted this week to make daylight saving permanent, which would render moot a local movement to move Connecticut into Atlantic Standard Time. Rep. Kurt Vail, R-Stafford, recalled Wednesday that this is the sixth consecutive year he introduced the bill in the Connecticut General Assembly to move Connecticut permanently to Atlantic Standard Time, but it failed to even get a public hearing in a key legislative committee. He was unaware of the U.S. Senates action until my phone blew up on Tuesday. I think there are people all over the country that kind of pushed for it, but its good to finally have something pass, Vail said outside the state House chamber in the morning. That was the whole point all along, is to finally get the federal government to do something, but they werent, so we tried to do it collectively. Vail said a constituent had originally asked him to consider submitting the legislation, so he asked other people in his district, which is partially rural, with farms. The time change actually messes up some of them, especially with the cows and the feeding, Vail said. There really is no need for it anymore, but the plan all along was to hope that the federal government did something and I think enough states were doing it that it started to gain some momentum. Certainly it has never been a partisan political issue at all. Vails original purpose was to cease the annual time change, which moving the state to Atlantic Standard Time would achieve. Under Vails proposal, Connecticuts time zone shift would be tied to other states in the northeast, but it would still have required federal approval. Connecticut is one of at least 30 states that have considered legislation to end the annual time shift. Hawaii and parts of Arizona currently do not observe Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Saving Time started during World War I in the United States and other countries, as a way to save energy by extending the time of day when the sunset. During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered year-round Daylight Saving Time, in effect putting the East in Atlantic time. On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate upended Vails plans by approving an end to the yearly shift beginning in 2023. The proposal, called the Sunshine Protection Act, was approved unanimously by voice vote. For the measure to take effect, the U.S. House would need to vote in favor, and President Joe Biden would need to sign it into law. Biden has not yet signaled his support for or against the measure "I know this is not the most important issue confronting America, but it's one of those issues where there's a lot of agreement," U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the bills sponsors, told Reuters. "If we can get this passed, we don't have to do this stupidity anymore." The concept is not without its detractors. Some have argued that it would be harder for students to catch the school bus in the dark. When the issue was debated in Connecticut, local broadcasters objected, arguing it would make programming difficult. Such a change would be extremely disruptive to viewers and listeners, who currently enjoy access to a mix of local and national programming which is available in the Eastern Time Zone, according to testimony submitted to the legislature in 2019 by Michael Ryan, president of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association. State House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, in an interview outside the House chamber Wednesday morning said: I think that Kurt is clearly grounded in the people. I think the lack of sleep for him was much more impactful and stayed with him longer than the rest of us. Because I think if we took a vote this week, everyone would vote for it. My dog wouldnt even get up. Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, speaking during a morning news conference prior to the days work said: I have to talk with Representative Vail. When I saw it this morning, I said hes got to be the happiest guy in the world. I dont really understand it, but it sounds like Congress got their act together in getting rid of it. The House sounds like theyre doing it, too. I dont know what cars will do, because my car automatically changes, so well have to figure that out. There will probably be a recall. Daylight Saving Time has been suspended nationwide a few times. In 1973, oil prices were also high when the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries placed an embargo on nations that had supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Then-President Richard Nixon responded by suspending the switch to and from Daylight Saving Time for two years. Daylight Saving Time on a year-round basis, which will result in the conservation during the winter months of an estimated equivalent of 150,000 barrels of oil a day, will mean only a minimum of inconvenience and will involve equal participation by all, Nixon said at the time. Kristine Larsen, an astronomy professor at Central Connecticut State University, said there is no scientific basis for Daylight Saving Time. Theres no there there for Daylight Saving Time, she said. Its a cultural thing, not an astronomical thing. Dressed in a navy blue suit with a yellow pocket square and tie, Alex Stein stepped in front of the Plano City Council on Tuesday and kicked on a hip hop beat from a nearby speaker. Stein then gyrated his hips and pumped his hands in the air. He rapped about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine and COVID-19 as elected officials watched in disbelief. A video of the North Texas man's over-the-top performance, whose lyrics included put a bullet in Putins brain and Im a pimp, I own a blimp, went viral on various social media sites. It also made national headlines on Fox News and other media platforms. This isnt his first performance at a public meeting. Stein once appeared as a contestant on ABCs 2012 reality show The Glass House, but has lately garnered internet fame for pranking public meetings and political rallies. Stein bills himself as a comedian and a satirist. Stein began the performance Tuesday by dedicating the song to the people of the Ukraine and referring to himself as Prime Stein 99. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 City of Plano Show More Show Less 2 of 2 City of Plano Show More Show Less He rapped: Im the proof when Im in the booth spitting on the mic. Anti-vax, Putin hates all of them Blacks. Put is a bad racist. Put him in the ground, white or brown, and Im in Plano town, and you know you just got found. Im a pimp, I own a blimp. Stein, who removed his jacket and screamed into the microphone, added: Gas prices way too high. Vladimir Putin needs to die. I love you, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, youre so smart. At the end of his performance, Stein thanked the mayor and said into the microphone, I love you. We need to take out Vladimir Putin like Lindsey Graham said." He was referring to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's call for a Brutus in Russia to carry out a Julius Caesar-style assassination of Putin. His Instagram page includes dozens of appearances in meetings in Houston, Dallas and New York. In each video, hes either rapping or doing another satirical bit. Stein recently rapped at a Dallas City Council meeting. He wore medical scrubs as he rapped: You gonna get corona from Mona. Dont vaccinate. Dont wait. Dont hesitate. You gotta vaccinate in the Lone Star State. Stein has told several media outlets that his performances are satire and meant to provoke a response from people. He also said he wasnt advocating having Putin assassinated. I dont really want to kill Putin, Stein told Insider. Im a vegetarian. But I think we have to have some diplomacy. And you guys, like Lindsey Graham, that are on the right, going on national TV, Fox News, talking about killing world powerful leaders. Thats not right. Thats not diplomatic. Thats the opposite of that. Stein was born and raised in a suburb of Dallas and works as a car dealer, according to several news accounts. He began attending public meetings in March 2020 to speak seriously about the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he felt politicians werent paying attention, so he turned to comedy. On Tuesday, Stein wasnt the only person to rap or attempt to prank the Plano City Council meeting. After Stein left to a round of applause from the audience, a man who only identified himself as Brian stepped up to the podium. Before rapping, he bemoaned having to pay child support and asked if he could smoke marijuana with elected city officials. timothy.fanning@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A historic landmark house downtown will be demolished after the owner told a city panel it would cost nearly $1 million to repair. But members of the Historic and Design Review Commission said they first want to see plans for something more substantial than a parking lot in place of the circa-1910 Queen Anne-style, two-story structure. The owner has said he intends to have drive-through access to a nearby street and some parking spaces once the lot is cleared in the northern downtown area. I just dont see that as good urban planning, said Commissioner Monica Savino, who encouraged the owner to come back with a redevelopment plan beyond the parking lot and pass-through. On ExpressNews.com: City pauses of removal of trees at Brackenridge Park The house at 615 Augusta St. was purchased in 2017 by Dr. William Gonzaba, founder of Gonzaba Medical Group and a longtime resident and property investor in the neighborhood. But it was gutted by a horrendous fire the following year, his attorney, Patrick Christensen, explained. Gonzabas property firm, Residences of Madison Square Park, is listed as the houses current owner. According to Christensen, the fire was caused by someone who broke into the house. Gonzaba, who also owns adjacent properties, has received citations from city code enforcement officers under standards for abandoned structures because of the damage thats been done, with multiple beams that are charred and dangerously brittle, Christensen said. We do not take this request lightly. We know we are asking for a lot the demolition of a property designated historic, he said. The safest recommendation would be to demolish the structure as soon as possible to eliminate the risk of personal injury. Christensen presented an engineers estimate that it would cost $961,559 to repair the original front portion of the house. Commission Chairman Jeffrey Fetzer, who visited the site, said the house had been structurally modified and compromised with rear additions and a replacement front porch and overhang. He said it is severely burned and charred inside. Another case involving an aging structure at risk for demolition was postponed at the request of an architect in the Lavaca neighborhood who seeks landmark protection for a circa-1929 commercial garage structure with a brick Mission Revival-style facade. The building, owned by Daniel Alanis, faces Florida Street and is part of Alanis Body Repair, 1422 S. St. Marys St., in southern downtown. City staff approved a demolition request for the building in January. But Darryl Ohlenbusch, a member of the Lavaca Neighborhood Association, filed a request for a review of historic significance Feb. 28, putting the demolition on hold. Ohlenbusch believes the building meets three criteria needed for landmark designation: its cultural value as a surviving early 1900s automobile repair structure; its scissor-truss roof construction and other architectural characteristics; and its character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure. City staff agreed it meets the first two criteria but not the third and did not support the historic designation. On ExpressNews.com: Dilemma pits historic structures against trees in Brackenridge Park In other business, commissioners approved: Conceptual plans for the San Antonio Independent School Districts renovation of the former Mann Middle School campus, 2123 W. Huisache Ave., near the Northwest Side. After hearing concerns from residents that the design is too plain and out of character for the neighborhood, commissioners asked the district to try to preserve the schools 1935 library and at least some of its original doors and windows and to work toward a final design that better complements the schools traditional art deco architecture. Preliminary plans for rehabilitative work to the historic Aztec Theater building downtown and construction of a one-story, 5,310-square-foot rooftop restaurant and bar. Installation of a marker at the city-owned Spanish Governors Palace to recognize Tejano ranchers who raised and herded cattle to help feed American forces in the U.S. Revolutionary War. The Texas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution will donate the marker, with final wording reviewed by the citys cultural historian, in observance of the nations 250th anniversary in 2026. shuddleston@express-news.net The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded organizations in San Antonio and Bexar County that serve the homeless community $14,192,844. The funds will help cover the cost of 27 projects spearheaded by San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries (SAMM) and the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH), among other charities. Our community funding is increasing by $1,299,962 year over year to $14 million total, reads a news release from SARAH. This increase is our communitys largest to date and is a credit to our strong performance, collaboration, and progress toward ending homelessness. The organizations that received the most money were: SAMM $4,845,406 The American GI Forums National Veterans Outreach Project, which serves homeless veterans $1,553,579 The faith-based organization Endeavors Providing Sustainable Hope program, which serves chronically homeless adults with disabilities $1,382,936 The Thrive Youth Center, which serves LGBTQ+ youth $909,965 SAMM, the National Veterans Outreach Project, the Thrive Youth Center, Family Violence Prevention Services and SARAH received money for more than one project. Other recipients included the Youth Resilient Project, Fairweather Family Lodge, Roy Maas Youth Alternatives, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the San Antonio AIDS Foundations Casa de Care and the Homeless Management Information System, a database operated by Haven for Hope. The funds represent a portion of the $2.6-plus billion the department announced it would distribute to cities nationwide March 14 in the form of Continuum of Care program grants, intended to encourage communities to work together to fight homelessness. Access to stable housing is a basic necessity the safety of a home is essential, especially as we continue to fight the COVID-19 virus, said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge in a news release. These Continuum of Care program grants, coupled with the historic resources in the American Rescue Plan, will deliver communities the resources needed to ensure that every person in a respective community has the equitable opportunity to a safe and stable home. caroline.tien@hearst.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Its spring break week at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and no teachers or students can be seen. The parking lot and classrooms are empty on an early Friday afternoon. But while most academic life is on pause, in a brightly lit lab on the third floor of the Science and Technology building, Davida Smyth, an associate professor of molecular microbiology, and her students are busy looking for signs of disease in a foul place. On this day, the teams most timely project involves analyzing wastewater for strains of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Its a long and complex process, with multiple steps and whirling machines. Under a proposed partnership of the San Antonio Water System and the Texas A&M-San Antonio Institute for Water Resources Science and Technology, Smyths lab would test wastewater from the four treatment plants in San Antonio for the coronavirus and any new variants that may evolve. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Untreated wastewater contains a myriad of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella and viruses, including the coronavirus. Testing such water can provide early warning signs of new strains of the coronavirus before an outbreak. When the virus first hit, we all focused on the people specifically, Smyth said. Wastewater took time to develop. But imagine, instead of testing one person to check for variants, youre testing thousands all at once through a wastewater sample. Given such warning, the city of San Antonio could quarantine specific areas, such as hospitals, apartment complexes or neighborhoods, before a new strain gets out of control. This has a lot of potential, Smyth said. And we can be better prepared for the next pandemic. The DNA of a spike Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Before Smyth moved to San Antonio, she conducted similar work at the New School in New York. In May 2020, nearly five months into the pandemic, a few scientists at City University of New York approached Smyth about doing work with them on wastewater and COVID-19 along with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Smyth jumped on the project, which involved conducting DNA sequencing analysis on the coronavirus, specifically the spike, which is the part of the virus that evolves into new variants. Every day for months, the team analyzed wastewater from New York City wastewater treatment plants, and over time, they observed differences in the DNA repeatedly present in specific areas of the city, Smyth said. She and the others saw the omicron variant in their results two weeks before clinical health teams who sequence the DNA of viruses in people were able to detect omicron in New Yorkers. Omicron was located in wastewater in South Africa first, so those scientists let the world know what they found, Smyth said. After that, we started looking specifically for omicron in New York wastewater, and when we thought we found it, we reported it to the city early on. Now, in San Antonio, Smyth will be conducting the same work this time with students. Walter Den, a professor with the A&M-San Antonio Institute for Water Resources Science and Technology, is having preliminary discussions with SAWS to gain access to wastewater samples from the four treatment plants on the South Side. The samples would be collected at the plants and certain spots along sewer lines, then sent to Smyth and her team at the microbiology lab for testing. Sewage sampling locations could include the San Antonio Zoo, because the coronavirus can be found in animals, as well as hospitals and university dorms, where the virus spreads quickly. A&M-San Antonio is working to sign agreements with SAWS, Den said. As soon as that happens, he said, were hoping to get the samples as fast as possible. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News A SAWS spokeswoman said the utility has also been approached by other universities about sampling wastewater. Analyzing the samples begins with filtering out the viruses in the wastewater from the bacteria and solid waste found in the sewer. Filters with holes as small as 0.2 microns in diameter a strand of hair is 70 microns separate the water. Once the coronavirus spike RNA is converted to DNA, it is isolated and sequenced. On Smyths computer, the professor can pull up the DNA sequence to check for variances. The goal is analyze 20 wastewater samples a week. In New York, it was just myself in my lab for the most part, Smyth said. If I get enough students helping me, we could get some real work done here. Water and communities Its important to Smyth that students learn in the lab and the community. The student body at A&M-San Antonio is more than 50 percent female and 72 percent Hispanic, and nearly 80 percent of students are the first in their families to attend college. Of the nearly 7,000 students enrolled at the university in fall 2021, 78 percent were from Bexar County. That makeup of the student body was part of what drew Smyth to San Antonio from New York City. Another reason was the communitys concern for its water resources. San Antonio is such a unique city because of its relationship with water and the aquifer, said Smyth, who hopes to train many students to work in epidemiology and with wastewater in environmental protection labs. They can be out in their own communities and helping their own city. When another pandemic hits the United States, which experts say is likely, cities and the country overall need to be more prepared than before, Smyth said. You learn science and you learn research by doing science and doing research, she said. Students here are learning and doing the research at the same time. The bottom line is training students for a future in water and microbiology. Its an opportunity. Elena Bruess writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. elena.bruess@express-news.net On St. Patrick's Day, they say everyone is Irish. But on every other day, only about 4.7 percent of Bexar County residents are of Irish ancestry, according to the U.S. Census. On ExpressNews.com: Beloved San Antonio Tex-Mex restaurant Jacala a total loss after early morning fire breaks out Thats an estimated 94,567 people with Irish roots living in the county. San Antonio was recently ranked as the fourth best U.S. city to celebrate St. Patricks Day a ranking that edges out Boston. Bexar Countys percentage of residents with Irish roots is larger than Travis County's at 3 percent. Hays and Williamson counties each have 4 percent. There were 1.6 million people living in Texas who claimed Irish roots in 2019, according to the U.S. Census. The Lone Star States small Irish population hasnt stopped it from paying tribute to the Emerald Isle. There are towns named Shamrock and Dublin. On ExpressNews.com: Heres where you can celebrate St. Patricks Day in San Antonio, including a big festival and river parade San Patricio and Refugio near Corpus Christi boast of being the first Irish settlements in Texas in the early 1800s. Closer to home, San Antonio celebrates its Irish heritage in several ways. On St. Patrick's Day, the River Walk turns into the River Shannon as 25 gallons of eco-friendly green dye are mixed into the water. Theres also a river boat parade, a Shamrock-N-Roll Concert and a Lucky Dog Parade. timothy.fanning@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Mary Ellen Goree worries San Antonio could lose its symphony as musicians near the six-month mark of their strike over a contract that cuts pay and reduces full-time positions. What my colleagues and I are hoping is to retain a full-time, full-size professional orchestra in San Antonio, said Goree, the principal second violin player in the San Antonio Symphony and the chair of the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony. Goree, colleagues and supporters held a sit-in at City Council chambers Thursday to remind the city they still havent reached a deal for a new contract with the symphony. Musicians held signs and stood near the back rows, not interrupting but wanting to make their presence known, as City Council held its regular meeting. (Were going) to remind people that were still here and that we are actually an asset of the city, Goree said. With a prolonged strike, it could be easy for residents to forget the musicians theyre no longer seeing on stage regularly, she said. Even though it can cause financial hardship on some members, Goree said they have no plans of stopping it and will remain on strike as long as they think necessary. The job itself also sometimes leads to financial difficulties for musicians. Even under the terms of the contract, our wages are barely livable, Goree said. The 72 musicians now on strike earned a minimum base pay of $35,775 a year during the contract negotiated in 2019. They unanimously rejected a contract proposal for the 2021-22 season that would have further reduced that pay and eliminated 30 positions. The Symphony Society of San Antonio, the nonprofit board that runs the orchestra, imposed those contract terms anyway in September. The musicians went on strike, saying they could not work under the contract. On ExpressNews.com: Striking San Antonio Symphony musicians, board at odds on orchestras financial health Corey Cowart, executive director of the San Antonio Symphony, said the organization has had three meetings in the last few weeks with musicians and mediators and is planning a fourth in an attempt to solve the dispute. We have faith the process will lead to an agreement all parties can support so we can, together, restore live performances for our community, our patrons, and music lovers, Cowart said in a statement. Kay Johnson, a retired teacher, joined musicians at the sit-in Thursday. Although not a member of the symphony, she wanted to show her support for the group. Its part of our heritage, and were letting it slip through our fingers, Johnson said. Musicians cannot live on the suggested salary. Johnson worried that cutting 30 positions and lowering wages would leave the symphony with high school musicians, not professionals who are highly trained in their field. Her top priority is supporting the striking orchestra in hopes it can remain in San Antonio and not dissipate. Goree and her colleagues have taken work with other orchestras to make ends meet. She pointed to other cities of comparable or smaller size that still manage to have full-time orchestras she says are funded at a higher level than in San Antonio. Theres no reason why the city of San Antonio cant support it, Goree said. megan.stringer@express-news.net by Lillian Banda KASAMA, Zambia, March 17 (Xinhua) -- For many cross-border traders in Zambia that conduct their businesses between Zambia and Tanzania, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) trains are the most affordable means of transporting both goods and people. The TAZARA railway line which runs between Dar es Salam in Tanzania and Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia was built with Chinese aid in the 1970s. It was meant to serve as the main outlet to the sea for Zambia's exports at a time southern Africa was facing political upheavals. Among the many that continue to benefit from TAZARA train services is Agnes Mumba, 42, a cross-border trader based in Kasama, the provincial capital of Zambia's Northern province. Mumba who trades in household goods and clothing says she has been using TAZARA trains for all the 15 years that she has been a cross-border trader. "I use the TAZARA train every time I travel to get merchandise from Tanzania. It is the most affordable mode of transport that has enabled me on maximizing profits," she explained. Mumba who was at the time of the interview at TARAZA train station in Kasama where she was waiting to board a train to Nakonde, a town located near the border of Zambia and Tanzania, said TAZARA trains have helped to boost businesses in Zambia. While a substantial number of people use TAZARA trains for business purposes, for some the train services are the only reliable means of transport that enables them to get from one town to another. This is particularly true for those in the northern part of the country with poor road networks. "We have challenges getting to Kasama town and other areas particularly during the rainy season as the roads become impassable, making it difficult for public transport to get to our place," said Mukuka Bwalya, 61, a resident of Makasa village in northern Zambia. According to Bwalya, traveling by train is not only affordable but also safer compared to other transport means. "The train costs about three times less than buses. One is also able to carry a lot of luggage without being charged exorbitant fees. The TAZARA railway line is a lifeline for many in Zambia," he said. Bwalya's sentiments were echoed by Joseph Banda, 52, a resident of Nakonde in Muchinga province of Zambia who added that the TARAZA is a reminder of Zambia and Africa's history, which would be incomplete without the mention of China. "It is good to note that the TAZARA railway line is still very useful despite being constructed over four decades ago," Banda said. Its impossible to know exactly how Russias war in Ukraine will end. Still, the United States and our European allies need to reimagine our future relationship with Russia. Mistakes and missed opportunities to include Russia in the security and prosperity of the remainder of Europe left Russia ripe for the rise of an aggressive leader such as President Vladimir Putin, bent on rebuilding a lost Russian empire. Today, the U.S. and our allies face a difficult question. We cannot directly help Ukraine without risking a wider war. Russias nuclear weapons take off the table the option of defeating and rebuilding Russia as Allied powers did in Germany and Japan in 1945. Inaction is also unacceptable in light of Putins actions and the ongoing brutality of Russias military campaign. Our leaders have resorted to economic sanctions. Sanctions against Russia have been some of the most extensive in recent history. To make sanctions work, nations must have a strategy for their end. Today, we are implementing sanctions to punish Russia, much like we have punished Iran, Syria, North Korea and Iraq in the past. History shows that long-term sanctions have done little to unseat dictators or change their behavior. Iraq faced crippling sanctions, yet it took the U.S. invasion in 2003 to remove President Saddam Hussein. Russia has turned sanctions from the 2014 annexation of Crimea around to support Putins argument that the West is out to hurt Russia and to blame economic weakness on outsiders instead of his governments mismanagement of the economy. The U.S. and our allies need a strategy to make sanctions work in a way that brings Russia back into European society. While clear punishment is necessary now, we need to provide pathways for Russias redemption after the war. These must have clear and realistically achievable conditions. No leader is likely to change course if the only way to end sanctions is the demise of themselves or their country. Ukraine provides an example of how the hope for rewards can motivate good behavior. In 1992, both Russia and Ukraine were not all that different. The 2008 promise of joining NATO and the promise of deepening ties with the European Union in 2013 and 2014 spurred reforms in Ukraine and resistance to the inevitability of post-Soviet poverty and corruption. Though far from perfect, Ukraine has progressed toward a free and democratic future. In the light of exclusion and punishment, Russia deepened its state of paranoia and authoritarianism. Whether Russia remains under Putins control after the Ukraine chapter closes, Russia will still be powerful, and its people will be untrusting of the U.S. and our allies. Opening the door to include Russia if it changes course means a future more like Ukraines, but sanctions without end are likely to leave Russia more like a giant North Korea isolated, dangerous, and bent on disrupting the peace and prosperity of its neighbors again. Ian Smith is the program director of graduate international relations at St. Marys University. The past two years have been the most trying and difficult time since the flu pandemic of 1918 that killed more than 600,000 Americans and millions worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 900,000 Americans and 5 million people around the world have lost their lives to the coronavirus. Locally, about 25 percent of Bexar Countys population has tested positive for COVID-19. More than 40,000 of our residents have been hospitalized, and tragically more than 5,200 of our residents have died from COVID-19 . Throughout the pandemic, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and I participated in 349 daily conference calls with health officials and reviewed 606 COVID-19 daily situation reports. In our daily conference calls with health officials, we reviewed the number of new COVID-19 cases, how many people were tested each day, nursing-home outbreaks, how many COVID-19 patients were in the hospital and the number of deaths. Based on the accumulated data, Nirenberg and I would decide what action we should take, and whether it would be a new emergency order or a change in health guidelines. Nirenberg and I also held 319 daily media briefings throughout the pandemic. We shared with residents the status of COVID-19, the 30 emergency orders we enacted and our advice on health safety protocols. At the end of each session, we answered questions from the media. Over the past two years, we have learned a great deal about the important role of public health and hospitals. It became clear we needed to align public health services with medical care to better promote comprehensive population health objectives that support health equity, acute care, preventive care and public health emergency response. Unfortunately, hospitals were at the back end of the COVID-19 pandemic. They received and treated COVID-19 patients at great risk to nurses, doctors and medical staff. Thousands of nurses have died from COVID-19 worldwide. Despite carrying a heavy load during the pandemic, they had virtually no say in public health policies and decisions that affected the number of COVID-19 patients entering the hospitals. After seeing the Bexar County Hospital District, commonly known as University Health, step beyond crisis care by opening one of the first, largest and most efficient mass COVID-19 vaccination sites in Texas, I was convinced it should take the lead in aligning hospitals with public health. University Healths mass vaccine center at Wonderland of the Americas administered more than 500,000 vaccine doses. With the experience University Health gained during the pandemic, officials and medical staff there can marshal resources to bring hospitals to the front line. With more than 9,000 employees, a state-of-the art hospital, a teaching hospital for UT Health, 25 outpatient care centers, telemedicine, hospital-at-home, digitizing all patient medical records, and the building of a new women and childrens hospital that will open next year, University Health brings a unique perspective to public health. On Tuesday we announced that University Health will create a public health division that will leverage strengths of effective communication, a skilled health care workforce, community partnerships and a sophisticated technology infrastructure to improve population health and health equity throughout Bexar County. The public health divisions administrative, research and clinical services will be located in a new building on the South Side next to Texas A&M University-San Antonio. University Health has an affiliation with Texas A&M-S.A. that supports initiatives related to public health, including collaborations to offer training and practical experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. The Bexar County Commissioners Court and University Health will jointly create a nine-member public health advisory board to provide input. The board will serve in a resource capacity regarding public health-related recommendations. Commissioners Court will set aside $60 million in federal pandemic aid to help fund the University Health public health division. Commissioners Court will also realign the public health services that five departments administer under the direction of County Manager David Smith. They involve food inspection, vector control, air quality, environmental enforcement and other services. A person with public health credentials will be hired to coordinate these services, as well as collaborate with Metro Health and University Healths public health division. Nelson Wolff is the Bexar County judge. Texas restrictive abortion law will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. That is the outcome of the Texas Supreme Courts ruling last week that put a stop to an ACLU challenge of Senate Bill 8, the so-called heartbeat bill, which bans abortions at six weeks of pregnancy. Senate Bill 8 treats women as second-class citizens, and it is preposterous that the courts have allowed this problematic law to stand. The ACLU described the decision as a devastating blow for abortion rights in Texas and across the country. Designed to circumvent judicial review, the law utilizes a bounty system of enforcement, empowering private citizens to sue anyone from a driver to a doctor who aids or abets women who have an abortion once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, generally about six weeks of pregnancy and before most women know they are pregnant. Rewards of $10,000 are offered for successful lawsuits, and not even cases of rape or incest are excluded. We conclude that Texas law does not grant the state-agency executives named as defendants in this case any authority to enforce the Acts requirements, either directly or indirectly, Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd concluded in the March 11 opinion. In December, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed most of the case brought by Texas abortion providers. As expected, the Texas law is spreading to other states that see it as a model. On Monday, Idaho became the first state to adopt a copycat of Texas abortion ban, according to the New York Times. Forcing women to carry unintended and unwanted pregnancies is unconstitutional for now. Women should have the freedom to make their own health care decisions based on their views, and this law blocks that right. This case raises an additional concern that the structure of law will invade into other parts of American life. The peril of government overreach portends for other rights, and should raise concern for all. Sterling, VA (20165) Today A few clouds. Low near 55F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low near 55F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. At a time of tectonic shifts in foreign policy alliances, with Russia and China forming a new pact and aggressively asserting themselves on the international stage, Washingtons national security community is splintered across the ideological spectrum on how best to counter the dual threats. Yet, even before Russia invaded Ukraine, a group of national security practitioners, military veterans, and scholars began trying to move beyond their policy differences to help repair the damage inflicted by the last U.S. foreign policy failure the chaotic U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan nearly seven months ago. When the Vandenberg Coalition, a group of primarily Republican experts representing diverse foreign policy views and approaches, began their Afghanistan assessment, its members couldnt have known that international alarm over Russias bloody land grab would soon eclipse the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan. Some national security experts believe that the two U.S. foreign policy nightmares are inextricably linked that Americas ignominious retreat in Afghanistan emboldened Vladimir Putin to move on Ukraine. While the world shifts its focus to Europe and weighs Putins intentions, Afghanistan remains a smoldering catastrophe with 22 million people, more than half of Afghanistans population, in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and with new terrorist threats emerging. China and Russia are also eying new economic opportunities in the war-torn, landlocked country where feuding tribal elements have defied foreign occupiers throughout history With this in mind, the Vandenberg Coalitions Afghanistan Working Group moved forward with releasing its planned report this week, a set of prescriptions its members believe will help restore American goals in the region and assist stalled international humanitarian relief efforts. One of the coalitions overarching U.S. goals in Afghanistan focuses on Chinas growing global influence on international display as Russia turns to Beijing for economic assistance. First reviewed by RealClearPolitics, the report argues that countering Sino inroads in Afghanistan is a critical U.S. national security interest, but that the U.S. should avoid trying to check Beijings every move, because doing so could become a costly distraction to more crucial competition in the region. China is unlikely to cooperate in a process that erodes Taliban control in Afghanistan and will instead attempt to increase its influence and access in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Pakistan, the report states. The U.S. is best served by focusing on competing with China primarily in the Indo-Pacific while otherwise raising costs for Chinese cooperation with the Taliban. In limited instances, the report asserts, U.S. and Chinese goals actually may align, especially when it comes to cracking down on terrorism safe havens in Afghanistan. If China follows through with its interest in the countrys natural resources, it will have an incentive to keep militant activity to a minimum while balancing its efforts to strengthen Pakistan. Beijing has so far refrained from recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate government, but Chinese media have highlighted the economic opportunities the new Islamic leadership presents for Beijing, particularly for lithium mining. Terrorist attacks, however, could disrupt mining activity. The Taliban has pledged not to allow foreign militants to regroup. Still, al-Qaeda, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the Islamic State Khorasan, or ISK, and many others continue to reside in the country, according to the first United Nations report on terrorism levels in Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal, released in January. The report found that ISK is regrouping, carrying out attacks more frequently, with its membership in Afghanistan doubling since August. When it comes to relations with the Taliban itself, the report urges the Biden administration to continue to diplomatically isolate the group that seized power as U.S.-backed forces collapsed and not to recognize it as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The coalition also stressed the importance of preventing the Taliban from gaining any access to or benefits from bilateral and multilateral assistance. However, the Vandenberg Afghanistan working group could not come to a consensus on whether the U.S. should maintain all of its current sanctions on the Taliban. Some group members advocate keeping U.S. and international sanctions in place and maintaining strict limits on the Talibans use of funds held by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Others argued that aggressive sanctions would exacerbate the suffering of the Afghan people without destabilizing the Taliban. After Afghanistan fell to Taliban control, the Biden administration insisted that the U.S. would maintain over-the-horizon counter-terrorism capabilities the ability to assess from afar the state of the terrorist threat emanating from the country. But the coalition believes more concrete steps are needed to enhance U.S. intelligence gathering. The report urges the Biden administration to expand cooperation with countries in the region, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan bilaterally and in conjunction with Turkey and Azerbaijan, to secure access for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance collection, as well as aerial strikes. The opposite is true for Pakistan, the report asserts, recommending that the U.S. avoid working with Islamabad as much as possible while bolstering relations with India. The U.S. should only engage with Pakistans leaders to the minimal extent necessary to retain access to its airspace to conduct drone strikes in Afghanistan, the report stated. With the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States has an opportunity to exert more diplomatic and economic pressure on Pakistan than in the past and raise the costs of its ongoing support for the Taliban. The Coalition also recommends that the U.S. restart non-lethal aid to the National Resistance Front, a military alliance of anti-Taliban Afghans who remain the only holdout group refusing to surrender to Taliban control. In trying to channel U.S. humanitarian assistance to the areas of greatest need, the coalition offers several recommendations, including a pointed policy difference with the Biden administration. The report urges Congress to pass legislation reversing a U.S. decision that would allow humanitarian non-governmental organizations to pay taxes or fees to the Haqqani network, long one of the most lethal and vicious factions of the Taliban. Congress should consider enacting legislation to reverse this action and free the status quo sanctions regime to ensure that the Biden administration cannot pursue similar policies moving forward, the report states. Other important top-line recommendations: -In ongoing evacuation efforts, the U.S. should establish a dedicated humanitarian parole channel for at-risk Afghans to expedite the departure of those who assisted the United States and share our values. -The U.S. should work to create a humanitarian corridor for aid delivery and safe passage for vulnerable civilians. -The Biden administration should reduce administrative barriers and improve cooperation and transparency with private evacuation groups. -The U.S. should help raise worldwide awareness of Afghanistans human rights crisis that includes the Talibans crackdown on the rights of women and girls, and do so through engagement with Afghan civil society groups. -The report urges the Biden administration to work with allies on a robust effort to reshape the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan mandate. This special global effort formed the foundation for international development in the country. Beyond the immediate issues of addressing the humanitarian crisis, the United States should ensure the United Nations, especially [that] the Security Council and other key international partners are working towards the restoration of a legitimate and Constitutional governmental order where the rights of all are respected, and political issues are settled at the ballot box and in parliamentary sessions rather than at the barrel of a gun, the report concluded. Because its unlikely that the Taliban would willingly agree to elections, humanitarian access, and other threats to their hold on power, the United States and others must be willing to deploy multilateral and bilateral coercive measures, the report said. At the beginning of the pandemic, the previous president had a vision one his scientific advisors urged him to abandon. Not only did Donald Trump want the economy back open, he said that by Easter Sunday of 2020, you will have packed churches all over the country. It never happened, at least not on the scale he envisioned. Two years later, after millions of vaccines have been administered and the virus has receded from its peak, things look very different. A sign of the times: After two years, the White House plans to resume regular public tours. Doors are scheduled to open on Good Friday. As Biden officials smile about the poetry of that rhyming calendar, the White House is dealing with a political paradox: How to secure more COVID aid from Congress as the administration pivots away from the pandemic. Its proving to be a hard sell. The same morning the White House announced a return to business as usual for tourists, the administration raised the alarm about a virus they believe is on the run. Cases are down 95% since the peak of the omicron variant. Hospitalizations have similarly plunged by 85%. More than 215 million Americans are already fully vaccinated. Yet officials warned on a call with reporters Tuesday morning that their pandemic coffers could soon be empty. For months, weve made clear to Congress, on a bipartisan basis, that the funding for tests, treatments, and vaccines was drying up and that additional funds would be needed, the official said. How much money do they need? The number administration officials floated was $22.5 billion. And if they dont get it? White House budgeteers will make trims to the request. They warn, however, that the U.S. wont have enough boosters or variant-specific vaccines for all Americans, according to a fact sheet provided by the administration. They wont be able to buy monoclonal antibody treatments, either, and the current supply is expected to run out as soon as May. Without a cash infusion, they predict that the testing capacity will collapse. Governors were warned late Tuesday morning that the administration would be reducing the number of monoclonal antibody treatments by 30% within a week. Republicans say they arent necessarily opposed to more COVID spending. They just want to know where all the other COVID cash went first, as Sen. Richard Shelby explained to Politico. Theres a doubt that they need this money with a lot of us, explained the Alabama Republican. Ive said this for weeks, a real accounting of the money [already spent on COVID] that the American people deserve and then go from there. If theres no money left, and its not hidden somewhere, and if they show a need, then you got, maybe, a persuasive case. Asked if the White House would negotiate for a lower number, a Biden official gave an emphatic no. And when then asked if they would accept using different funds for their COVID priorities, the official demurred, saying only that the money they provided over a year ago has been well spent, but we defer to Congress on the specific legislative approach. It is a routine kind of squabble, albeit one that comes at the tail end of a once-in-a-century pandemic. The difficulty for Biden may be that the public is moving on after he pivoted away from the virus during his State of the Union address. Masks are increasingly uncommon these days. Dr. Anthony Fauci has receded from the cable news circuit. News of a land war in Europe now eclipses COVID coverage. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told RealClearPolitics that COVID funding was a necessity, despite the publics shifting attention. We're in a different stage and we have a range of tools in order to fight the pandemic, she explained, adding that in order to keep up that fight, We need money. A new subvariant of the virus, BA2 omicron, has already made it to American shores. It is apparently even more transmissible than the original Omicron strain, Psaki noted, but also treatable. We need to have masks, tests, boosters, treatments for [the] immunocompromised in order to continue to treat the American people during a pandemic, she said. So, it remains urgent. That urgency was underscored by breaking news Tuesday evening. At least nine Democrats had already tested positive for the virus after those lawmakers attended a party retreat last week in Philadelphia. The president was also at the event, but he tested negative Sunday night, Psaki told reporters. Then, Kamala Harris husband Doug Emhoff tested positive. The vice president had stood shoulder to shoulder with Biden earlier in the day at an indoor event, and she was expected to share the stage with the president at an event in the East Room of the White House to celebrate Equal Pay Day. The room was packed front to back, but Harris wasnt there. Earlier today, the Second Gentleman tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, the Vice President will not participate in tonights event, the White House announced just moments before Biden entered the room. The Vice President tested negative for COVID-19 today and will continue to test. The president shrugged off the news like it was routine. Welcome to the White House, Biden told the crowd that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and numerous members of his cabinet. This is the biggest crowd weve had since we got here. Only later, after a gaffe where he mistakenly said that the first ladys husband contracted COVID, did Biden ask the mostly unmasked crowd to send to Harris our love. STRASBURG, Ohio The first 2022 meeting for the Happy Harvesters 4-H Club was Feb. 20, at the First Lutheran Church of Strasburg. Club members discussed their mission statement, a recap of 2021, the clubs by-laws, upcoming dates, many opportunities and ideas for this year and more. The club had its 2021 End of the Year Awards Party Feb. 27, at the United Methodist Church in Strasburg. Grace Haswell, Cole Himes, Lexi Himes, Sierra Minard, Zoey Minard, Wyema Porter, Peyton Vickers, Haley Wisselgren and Jacob Wisselgren received the community service award. For public speaking, Maddison Bowers received most-improved in the junior division, and Jacob Wisselgren received most-improved for the senior division. Mya Boylan was the junior division overall public speaker, and Cole Himes was the senior division overall public speaker. Maddison Bowers, Mary Ann Caldwell, Cole Himes, Peyton Vickers, Haley Wisselgren and Jacob Wisselgren received the perfect meeting attendance awards. First-year 4-H letters went to Mary Ann Caldwell, Grace Haswell and Wyema Porter, a second-year letter went to Zoey Minard, Jenna Trifelos received a third-year letter, and fourth-year letters went to Claire Haswell and Makayla Reiger. Reiger was also Miss Congeniality. The clubs graduating cloverbud is Arabella McClosky, graduating seniors are Caldwell and Trifelos and graduating 4-Hers are Claire Haswell, Reiger and Vidalia Porter. Cole Himes received the 4-H Trouper Award. Haley Wisselgren is the most-improved 4-Her. Caldwell was the rookie of the year, and Reiger was the 4-Her of the year. All members were given a small pocket cross and a $10.00 Gift Card to Cross Caffe. PLEASANT CITY, Ohio M&M Feed and Supply, in Pleasant City, Ohio awarded over $1,800 to area 4-H and FFA organizations. M&M Feed started this program in 2007 as a way to give back to kids in the community. These funds can assist the clubs financially so they focus less on fundraising, and more on the fun activities these groups provide, said owner Darlene Miser. Signing up for the 4-H and FFA reward program can be done online at mmfeedandsupply.com. M&M Feed customers can fill out the form yearly, updating their club and contact information. Every time they purchase items at M&M Feed they need to put the purchase under the name they signed up under to ensure their club is getting credit. Then one percent of all purchases goes to the designated clubs. Any customer can sign-up for the program, Miser said. You can have your aunts, uncles, club alumni and more sign up. The more customers and purchases you have under your club name, the more money the club gets. Clubs in Guernsey, Noble, Muskingum, Belmont, Monroe and Harrison counties will receive funds. M&M Feed and Supply has three store locations in Pleasant City, Old Washington and New Concord. If you are interested in learning more, reach out to their locations at 740-685-9600. BERLIN CENTER, Ohio Western Reserve Rangers 4-H Club selected its 2022 officers at its March meeting. They are president, Evelyn Collier; vice president, Gia Welsh; secretary, Delaney Crytzer; treasurer, Avery Mountain; recreation leaders, Grace Hall, Kate Miller, Isabella Stiner and Ciera Welsh; and health and safety officers, Allen Bettross and Carissa Byler. All officers were encouraged to attend the state-wide online officer training April 6. Clothing members will meet April 3, at 1:30 p.m., at Joann ETC Store to select items for their clothing projects. Karen and Bob Day and Allen Bettross shared what they learned at their behind-the-scenes tour of the BVR Rodeo at the Covelli Center last month. Robin Reph encouraged the 4-H families to attend the 2022 4-H Endowment Dinner and Auction April 2, at Mr. Anthonys, in Boardman. The 4-H Endowment supports the 4-H program in Mahoning County and helps youth to attend various camps and leadership activities and to help with current programs. Following the meeting members, parents and advisors filled over 850 eggs with candy for the 4-H-supported Easter egg hunt in April. BURTON, Ohio Geauga Beef and Swine 4-H Club had 25 members and 15 guests present at its March 6 meeting. The safety topic was about carbon monoxide. Members presented projects about swine showmanship, parasites and buying a good steer. All members have ordered their poultry projects for the year. Other members will soon be looking for swine, goat and lamb projects. The clubs 4-H week yard display can be seen at GAR Horizons, on Route 6, in Hambden. The club participated in an activity on stomachs and the differences between monogastric and ruminant. The next club meeting is April 3. SULLIVAN, Ohio The Black River FFA chapter started off its Spring Judging Invitationals on Feb. 19 at the Mt. Gilead Judging Invitational at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. Team members participated in the Horse and Poultry Judging competitions. The Poultry Judging competition consists of testing students capability to choose top quality poultry/poultry products. The following team members participated in the competition and placed individually: Katie Seger, 10th place; Summer Sooy, 42nd place; Jake Reisigner, 54th; and Peter Howard, 72nd. The Horse Judging competition consists of judging two halter classes, one performance, and a class of hay, identifying different types of tack and equipment, and taking a 50-question written test. Overall the horse team placed first out of 32 teams scoring 1,279 points. The team consisted of Abby Groesser, who placed first individually; Chloee Howard, third place; Rylee Howard, 12th; Madison Bias, 24th; Melanie Ezell, 40th; Allysa Hamilton, 42nd; and Tyra Davis, 51st. EDON, Ohio On Feb. 18, two Edon FFA members participated in the Agricultural and Power Diagnostics contest at Redline Equipment in Portage, Ohio. This contest was formerly known as tractor troubleshooting competition, where members rotate to five different stations and identify and repair the malfunctions on each piece of agricultural or industrial equipment. Jarrett Trausch and Lance Reitzel competed for Edon and placed fourth at the district contest. On March 3, Clayton Dulle, John Goebel and Skylar Osborn participated in the District Agricultural Mechanic Skills Career Development Event at Penta Career Center. The students had to exhibit knowledge about tools, labels, and safety procedures; as well as demonstrate skills in welding, mechanical repair, and equipment troubleshooting. The team placed sixth at the district contest. JEROMESVILLE, Ohio Hillsdale FFAs Ag Sales team placed first March 1 at the District 2 Ag Sales Career Development Event at Northwestern High School. The purpose of the Ag Sale Contest is to market agricultural products to profitability in todays competitive economy. The team will compete at the state competition March 14. MILLERSBURG, Ohio On Feb. 17, 22 members of the West Holmes FFA chapter departed for the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky. They traveled with Licking Valley FFA and Carrollton FFA. They toured Diefenbacher Greenhouse in Cincinnati and had dinner at Texas Roadhouse in Louisville. Then they visited the Louisville Expo Center to watch the tractor pull. On Feb. 18, they toured the Farm Machinery Show and got to visit with some of the top machinery companies in agriculture. After touring the show they ate lunch and departed back home. Members who attended were Kalan Bowling, Maison Carter, Haylee Conner, Garrett Fowler, Keith Hawkins, Justice Hendrix, Liberty Hendrix, Derek Miller, Pacee Miller, Madison Pearce- Lafery, Alex Pringle, Alysa Pringle, Hailey Richert, Dakotah Ringwalt, Andi Schuch, Becca Schuch, Jenna Sheldon, Hayden Smith, Alexa Tate, Ashley Tate and Quentin Vehrs. On Feb. 15, 29 members took the Greenhand quiz. The team placed 14th out of 152 teams. Also, 15 members took the Farm Business Management quiz. This quiz is about the knowledge and skills learned in production agriculture and typical farm management problems. The team placed 30th out of 90 teams. LOUDONVILLE, Ohio . Members of the Loudonville FFA chapter attended a judging competition March 5 in Marysville, Ohio. Those teams included nature interpretation and general livestock. For the general livestock Carlee Young was the leader of the Loudonville team. For her first time competing, she came in first place. The high school contest consisted of Brett Carnegie who placed 4th overall. The middle school contest consisted of Caiden Donaldson and Preston Smeltzer. The Treasury has ruled that AHDB's levies are outside of the scope of VAT, a move which could reduce the organisation's buying power by around one-tenth. The change will take effect from 1 April 2022, with the levy board expressing its 'frustration and disappointment' with the ruling. The Treasury had notified the AHDB of its formal decision to change its VAT status in October 2020. But since then, with the support of Defra, the AHDB had been 'arguing hard' against the decision and had asked for a formal review. While the case continues to be pressed, there was 'no sign of a change of heart' from HMRC, the AHDB explained. The organisation fears a shortfall of around 4 million on the VAT it will no longer be able to recover on the goods and services it purchases on behalf of levy payers. According to the AHDB, the organisation's buying power will thus be reduced by approximately 9 percent. The issue of VAT has been under consideration ever since the levy board was created, back in 2008. Since that time, it has always charged VAT on levy invoices and recovered input VAT on all goods and services paid for by the levy. Nicholas Saphir, chairman of the AHDB, said that HMRC's decision would 'punish' levy payers at 'a time of considerable farming need'. "This decision by HMRC is infuriating for AHDB and will rightly anger our levy payers, particularly at a time of such change and uncertainty being faced by farmers. Ever since AHDB was formed we have maintained that we should be entitled to recover VAT and we will continue to fight to try and achieve this." The AHDB has made an application to HMRC to be included as a Section 33 body entitled to recover some elements of VAT in relation to its non-business activities, which would reduce the impact. Mr Saphir said: "We also have had the support of ministers in Defra, Scottish government and Welsh government in our bid for Section 33 status. Our work towards Section 33 recognition - in parallel with a possible appeal through a tax tribunal - has no guarantee of success. "In the meantime, HMRC has instructed us to implement its decision and we must comply or face penalties. I have no doubt many levy payers will wish to express their feelings directly to ministers at the Treasury. Young farmers have called on the government to develop an 'ambitious' New Entrant Support Scheme to empower the next generation of farmers. In a meeting with Defra Minister Victoria Prentis this week, members of the NFU's Next Generation Forum highlighted the 'wealth of talent' of those wanting to join the industry. Defra's New Entrant Support Scheme, which is currently under development, should "empower a new generation of talented farming entrepreneurs". This scheme aims to help new entrants who are seeking to develop land-based businesses, as many face challenges such as access to capital, finance and land to farm on. Members of the forum told the Defra minister that the scheme should help new entrants with access to competitive finance, including government backed underpinned loans for individuals that may not have security but do have a viable business plan. The scheme should also improve access to land for new entrants, including reviewing legislative barriers in tenancy agreements and supporting joint ventures. Another proposal raised by the forum was a network of experienced farming mentors, who could support individuals with quality experience-based guidance and reward mentors for their service. The NFU's Next Generation Forum added that support partnerships between industry and government could grow new entrant entrepreneurs networks. Forum chair David Ractliffe said the meeting with Minister Prentis was 'a positive first step' in the creation of a successful new entrants scheme. "I stressed the number of aspiring farming entrepreneurs already in the wings of existing farming businesses, in our schools, colleges and universities who want to flourish and bring new ideas to the industry. "It is also vital that the new scheme focuses on equipping individuals through business skills training, in addition to farm training. It is vital that there are routes into farming for anyone who is keen to pursue a career in producing the nations food, whether they are from a farming background or not." Defra say applications for the New Entrant Support Scheme will open this year. CHENGDU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- When away from home, Gerong, who speaks only Kamba Tibetan, a Tibetan dialect, often found himself in awkward situations where few people could understand him. This month, however, when the 50-year-old Tibetan from Garze prefecture in Sichuan Province visited a hospital in the provincial capital of Chengdu, he communicated smoothly with a Mandarin-speaking doctor about his illness. What helped them conquer the language barrier is a speech recognition app on the smartphone that can convert the three main Tibetan dialects -- U-Tsang, Amdo, Kamba -- to texts and translate them into Chinese. The software, named the Dungkar Tibetan Keyboard, is the brainchild of a group of young engineers from iFLYTEK, an AI and speech-technology giant. "With its new capability to recognize the Tibetan dialects, the software can now meet the needs of about two-thirds of all Tibetans across China," said Nyima Wangdu, product manager of Dungkar. The Tibetan-language keyboard was first launched in 2017, but only began to support speech recognition early this month. It took the engineers nearly five years to enable the function after building a sufficient Kamba Tibetan corpus. "The main obstacles in developing the software were a lack of a corpus and a lack of support from linguists on Tibetan dialects," said Nyima Wangdu. To solve the problem, the group from iFLYTEK expanded the search for Tibetan dialect speakers. They enlisted nearly 60 Tibetan students from Southwest Minzu University to the project, who helped the team enrich the corpus of Kamba Tibetan. On the technical side, the group set up a team dedicated to developing a new generation of versatile multilingual speech synthesis systems. Cao Bin, one of the engineers, majored in linguistics in college. His work focused on tackling the syntactical differences between Tibetan and Chinese. For instance, he said, "March 13" is referred to as "13 March" in Tibetan. Deng Qi, a user interface designer in the group, had to deal with the aesthetic issue arising from the difference in sentence lengths of the two languages. "While we tried to make the lengths of the two languages match, we also worry about the accuracy of the translations," said Deng. "We made a great effort to achieve the ideal result." Now, Dungkar has more than 4.8 million users in Tibetan-speaking regions such as Tibet Autonomous Region, and Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. "I believe that language is not just a tool to communicate, but also a bridge that brings people in different places closer to each other," said Nyima Wangdu. Farmers will be 'unfairly penalised' if government proposals to enforce electric heat technologies in rural areas are passed, a trade association has warned. In a move to decarbonise rural heating, the heat and buildings strategy plans to phase out fossil fuel heating systems in over 100,000 off-grid businesses and 2 million homes. The phase out will begin from 2026, which is nine years earlier than for those on Englands main gas grid. Farms that rely on traditional fuels such as heating oil or LPG for space and water heating will be forced to install electrified technologies with expensive up-front install costs, such as heat pumps, if their current system breaks down. Trade association Liquid Gas UK, which represents firms in the liquified petroleum gas industry, warned that this could impact rural office spaces, milking parlours, poultry sheds or grain stores. It said the government should offer a range of options to rural businesses, including LPG and bioLPG, to support net zero ambitions. A blanket approach to the decarbonisation of rural heat fails to consider the complex needs of farming businesses, said Sophia Haywood, director of public affairs at Liquid Gas UK. The agricultural community relies heavily on traditional fuels for heating and hot water - their energy needs are vast. Many farms are typically located off-the gas grid, particularly in rural strongholds such as the south west and north west of England. In these regions, figures by Liquid Gas UK show that 40 to 60 percent of properties dont have access to mains energy. Studies also show that 48% of non-domestic retail businesses were built pre-1949, and that many have an energy rating of D or below, suggesting levels of thermal insulation are low. For a typical rural cottage, the up-front cost of installing a heat pump can be more than 18,000, and where building insulation or efficiency upgrades are needed, is closer to 32,000. Ms Haywood stressed that rural communities should be able to choose how best to heat their businesses and homes. Not only will farming businesses be affected, but the majority of those working in agriculture also live in rural areas, so theres the added concern on what this means for heating their homes. Its essential that rural people are given a range of low-carbon heat options, which includes LPG." The UK pig industry will be able to export products to Chile for the first time in a new deal worth an around 20 million over the first five years. Authorities in the South American country have today given the green light to 27 pork processing sites from across the UK to start commercial exports. The UK has an association agreement with Chile, which largely maintains prior preferential trading arrangements and rules of origin. This means that UK pork exporters can benefit from the import tariff under the Most Favoured Nation tariff of six percent, subject to certain conditions. The announcement comes in a year of successful export wins, with Mexico opening its doors to British pork last September, in a deal worth 50m over the first five years of trade. And since January, UK lamb exports have been shipped to the US following a decades-old ban due to concerns surrounding bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). AHDB international market development director, Dr Phil Hadley said the new deal was the latest in a run of successful market access wins for the red meat sector. "[It] is another example of the high regard and reputation our products command overseas," Dr Hadley said. Opening the market for UK pork to Chile will provide our pig farmers and processors with another valuable market to sell their products, providing a much-needed boost for the sector in difficult times. Pork production in Chile remained stagnant last year, with imports rising year after year for the last decade due to increased demand. As the second most consumed meat in Chile, consumption is expected to increase steadily, reaching an estimated 26.8kg per capita by 2029. Defra farming minister, Victoria Prentis welcomed the deal with Chile: The pig sector is facing a range of challenges and we must make use of all levers available to us. "That includes new export markets, and it is great to see the Chilean market open its doors to our pig producers. This will be worth 20 million over the next five years and will build on other measures we have introduced to bolster the industry. A group of young livestock auctioneers recently visited one of two premier bull studs in the UK to view the sector's latest advancements, including in AI and beef and dairy genetics. The tour and presentation formed part of a two-day meeting of the Livestock Auctioneers Associations (LAA) Next Generation Group. The group was established to represent younger auctioneers and fieldsmen working in livestock markets, as well as to connect with the younger generation of livestock farmers. The highlight of the networking event was the visit to the Genus ABS bull stud in Ruthin, North Wales, one of two premier bull studs in the UK, and home to some of its world-leading bulls. James Hudson, UK operations manager at Genus ABS, led the young auctioneers through the tour of the AI bull stud, including a visit to the viewing facility showing the live collection of semen. Mr Hudson also gave a presentation addressing the advancements of UK dairy genetics, and how this will shape the future of the industry, while also focusing on the technology and biosecurity involved at the specialist facility. Zanna Dennis, LAA development officer said: The advancement of genetics plays a huge part in the future of our industry, and as auctioneers we see the direct results with the livestock we see through our markets. Almost three years in the planning due to Covid restrictions, this latest next generation group meeting was also the first official visit to Wales since the appointment of the new chair and vice chair of the Welsh Livestock Auctioneers Association (WLAA). Simon Jones of Morgan Evans & Co Ltd, operating out of Gaerwen Auction Centre in Anglesey, was elected WLAA chair in June 2021, and is assisted by vice chair Katie Davies of McCartneys Knighton Livestock Market in Powys. Both welcomed the visit, recognising the groups key role in connecting with the younger generation of farmer and agricultural professional. Russell Steer, chair of the LAA Next Generation Group said: The event was very well attended by members from right across England and South Wales, as well as a strong presence of fresh faces from the North Wales area. The event concluded with the Next Generation Group committee meeting, in which members were invited to comment on industry issues, receive updates on the current work of the LAA, and to provide insights into innovative ideas for the future of the industry. Mr Steer said: This trip had been in the offing for almost three years and for it to be as well supported, educational and the overall success it was, is truly heart-warming and well worth the wait. "We now look forward to our next event which will be the AGM, held in Oxford to coincide with the Thame Sheep Fair in early August." Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions please enter here to gain access. If you are not already a Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! The unincorporated Town of Thoroughfare is small but rich with history. Its home to the Oakrum Baptist Church, which was founded by former slaves and remains active today. Its also the former site of the North Fork School, which served children of color in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and three sites where Union and Confederate soldiers clashed during the Civil War. The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement. Support Video: Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on March 16, 2022 called for China-EU cooperation in tackling global challenges. (Xinhua) China and the EU have the responsibility and ability to strengthen global cooperation, says Zhang Jun. UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called for China-EU cooperation in tackling global challenges. Today's world faces numerous global challenges. China and the European Union are two major forces in maintaining world peace, two huge markets in promoting common development and two great civilizations in promoting human progress, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. China and the EU have the responsibility and ability to strengthen global cooperation, he told a China-EU side event on women and biodiversity. "We should prioritize development and promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. We should work together to address climate change, preserve biodiversity, and make a success of the second part of COP15 (UN Biodiversity Conference). We should enhance tripartite cooperation with developing countries to promote gender equality and women's empowerment." China is willing to deepen cooperation with the EU and its member states, to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, to safeguard multilateralism, and to prompt the United Nations to do more to address global challenges, said Zhang. Next Story : Celebrating The Art & Business Of Indian Hairdressing At IHA 2021 Image: Instagram Kareena Kapoor Khan is ready to make her OTT debut with a suspense thriller on Netflix, to be directed by Sujoy Ghosh. On Monday, the actor offered her fans a sneak peek of her new film, which also features Paatal Lok star Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma of Gully Boy fame.Making the announcement on Instagram, Kapoor Khan shared a video of the crew at work. Are we doing the reading? What is going on? she asks in the video clip. Varma also went on to announce the project in a 25-second video. It starts with a production team member setting a flower vase, followed by footage showing the crew working together through the script. Off we are to another with Netflix! Excited to collaborate with these stalwarts. Trust me when I say, it keeps getting better, he captioned the video.Kapoor Khans potential OTT debut has been in the talks for a long time. As Sujoy Ghosh, who is renowned for directing thrillers like Kahaani and Badla, will direct the film, fans are excited about this release. Until now, the projects title has not been disclosed. Ghosh will not only direct the film, but will also serve as one of the producers alongside Jay Shewakramani and Akshai Puri.Image: Instagram The plot is based on Keigo Higashinos 2005 novel The Devotion of Suspect X. Higashinos Detective Galileo series continues into the third segment with this novel. He received a number of prizes, including the 134th Naoki Prize for the book.The book revolves around Yasuko Hanaoka, a divorced single mother, as the protagonist. She believes she has survived her terrible relationship with her husband Togashi, until he reappears demanding money from her. He threatens her and their daughter. Though as the situation worsens, he ends up dead in her home.Kapoor Khan voiced her eagerness to return to acting, citing murder, mystery, thrill, and Ghosh as reasons that influenced her decision to commit to the film. She praised his work, stating she liked his style and admired a director with a vision. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES SECURITIES LAW. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 16, 2022 / Element79 Gold Corp. (CSE:ELEM)(OTC PINK:ELMGF)(FSE:7YS) ("Element79 Gold", the "Company") has been requested by the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") to issue this statement about promotional activity concerning its common stock. On March 14, 2022, the CSE notified the Company that it became aware of certain promotional activities concerning the Company and its stock, including the distribution of a promotional page published by Capital Rankings which discussed the Company's recent news release, the Company and the gold industry (the "Promotional Content"). The Promotional Content presented factual statements regarding the Company, its business and industry alongside an editorial note and title. The Company was not previously aware of the editorial components of the Promotional Content and did not approve this content. The Company has since been in communication with the publisher of Capital Rankings and the unapproved Promotional Content has been replaced with content approved by the Company. Capital Rankings is a branded publication that produces content from a segmented editorial team and is owned and operated by a Canadian subsidiary ("CorpComm Canada") of CorpComm Services ("CorpComm International, and together with CorpComm Canada, "CorpComm"). CorpComm is one of the investor relations firms engaged by the Company as detailed in a press release dated August 25, 2021. Content published by CorpComm relating to the Company is normally reviewed and approved by the Company prior to publication. Due to a mistake on the part of CorpComm Canada, the Promotional Content which was draft content that should have been held for review and approval by the Company was published without approval of the Company. The Promotional Content presented factual statements regarding the Company, its business and industry alongside an editorial note and title which the Company did not have control or approval over. While the Company did not have editorial control over the Promotional Content, CorpComm Canada utilized publicly available information for the content, provides supporting documentation/sources alongside appropriate disclosures at the bottom of all content, and had editorial control over the materials. The Company does not believe the statements in the Promotional Content were false or misleading, however, the Company would like to clarify that the editorial note and title of the Promotional Content do not represent the views of the Company as they are the opinion of an author not within the editorial control of the Company. Further, the Company understands this promotional activity may have coincided with increased trading activity in the Company's common shares beginning on or about March 7, 2022. The Company does not believe the promotional activities were a factor in the recent increase in trading volume in the Company's common shares. The Company attributes the increased trading activity to news releases issued by the Company on January 31, 2022, February 3, 2022, February 7, 2022, February 15, 2022 and March 10, 2022, which investors can find on SEDAR and on the Company's website. The Company also attributes this increase in trading activity to general market sentiment, a rush towards economic "safe havens", and the increasing price of gold, which has soared to near-record highs at $2,050 USD per ounce recently. Compliance Upgrade Program and Staff Changes The Company has been advised by CorpComm that it has authorized changes to its compliance procedures and is implementing additional processes and procedures to avoid further mishaps like the Promotional Content in question having been released unverified and ahead of scheduling and required confirmations. In addition, the Company has brought on a full-time Corporate Communications team lead, Cole Lesueur of Purple Crown Communications. Cole's role and responsibilities will include content creation, data management, process review and pre-release advisement to Element79 Gold management and its board of directors for review and approval prior to any future News Release or marketing content is released. The Company believes these additional upgrades and proactive measures to be sufficient to limit the risk of future incidents and will continue to monitor and enforce continued compliance with its corporate disclosure policies. For more complete and specific information regarding the Company, its prospects and the risks associated with those prospects, readers should consult the Company's public filings on SEDAR, its website and other reliable sources. The Company encourages investors to contact their investment advisers prior to making any investment. About Element79 Gold Element79 Gold is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mining properties for gold and associated metals. Element79 Gold has acquired its flagship Maverick Springs Project located in the famous gold mining district of northeastern Nevada, USA, between the Elko and White Pine Counties, where it has recently completed a 43-101-compliant, pit-constrained mineral resource estimate reflecting an Inferred resource of 3.71 million ounces of gold equivalent* "AuEq" at a grade of 0.92 g/t AuEq (0.34 g/t Au and 43.4 g/t Ag)) with an effective date of Feb. 4, 2022. The acquisition of the Maverick Springs Project also included a portfolio of 15 properties along the Battle Mountain trend in Nevada, which the Company is analyzing for further merit of exploration, along with the potential for sale or spin-out. In British Columbia, Element79 Gold has executed a Letter of Intent to acquire a private company which holds the option to 100% interest of the Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project, which consists of 10 mineral claims located in Central British Columbia, approximately 20km west of Fort St. James. In Peru, Element79 Gold has signed a letter of intent to acquire the business and assets of Calipuy Resources Inc., which holds 100% interest in the past producing Lucero Mine as well as the past producing Machacala Mine. The Company also has an option to acquire 100% interest in the Dale Property which consists of 90 unpatented mining claims located approximately 100 km southwest of Timmins, Ontario, Canada in the Timmins Mining Division, Dale Township. For more information about the Company, please visit www.element79.gold or www.element79gold.com Qualified Person The technical information in the "About Element79 Gold" release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Director of Element79 Gold Corp and a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Contact Information For corporate matters, please contact: James C. Tworek, Chief Executive Officer E-mail: jt@element79gold.com For investor relations inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations Department Phone: +1 (604) 200-3608 E-mail: investors@element79gold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" under applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the Company's business strategy; future planning processes; exploration activities; the timing and result of exploration activities; capital projects and exploration activities and the possible results thereof; acquisition opportunities; and the impact of acquisitions, if any, on the Company, the Company's adoption of additional controls on communications and disclosure and the effectiveness of these controls and procedures. Assumptions may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Consequently, forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed. As such, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, assumptions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "forecast", "potential", "target", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Actual results may vary from forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the duration and effects of the coronavirus and COVID-19; risks related to the integration of acquisitions; actual results of exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; commodity prices; variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; actual performance of plant, equipment or processes relative to specifications and expectations; accidents; labour relations; relations with local communities; changes in national or local governments; changes in applicable legislation or application thereof; delays in obtaining approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; exchange rate fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; government regulation; environmental risks; reclamation expenses; outcomes of pending litigation; limitations on insurance coverage as well as those factors discussed in the Company's other public disclosure documents, available on www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Element79 Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693423/Element79-Gold-Comments-on-Recent-Promotional-and-Trading-Activities-at-Request-of-The-Canadian-Securities-Exchange OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP, CP.TO) said Wednesday that it has commenced its work stoppage contingency plan and will work closely with customers to achieve a smooth, efficient and safe wind-down of Canadian operations, if the union leadership and the company are unable to come to a negotiated settlement or agree to binding arbitration. Canadian Pacific has issued 72-hour notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC)-Train & Engine of its plan to lock-out employees at 00:01 ET on March 20, 2022, if there is no agreement with the union. The company said it had tabled an offer to address a total of 26 outstanding issues, including wages, benefits and pensions, but the offer was rejected by the union on Wednesday. '...Delaying resolution would only make things worse. We take this action with a view to bringing this uncertainty to an end,' said Keith Creel, CP President and CEO. TCRC represents about 3,000 locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers across Canada. 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. NAIROBI, Kenya, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Co-Impact is proud to officially launch its second fund, the Gender Fund, and share the growing pool of partners, funders and advisors coming together to advance the organization's model of collaborative giving for systems change. The Gender Fund, aiming to raise US $1bn to advance gender equality and women's leadership, unites philanthropists, foundations, locally-rooted program partners, advisors and private sectors from around the world. The distinct potential of the Gender Fund comes from the diversity, leadership and collaboration between supporters, including Cartier Philanthropy,the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, The Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation, MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett, Melinda French Gates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Thankyou Charitable Trust, Target Foundation, Tsitsi Masiyiwa/ Delta Philanthropies, and others. The Fund, run by Co-Impact, will benefit from a world-class Advisory Group - experts in women's rights, finance, social change and advocacy including Anita Zaidi, Crystal Simeoni, Elizabeth Yee, Lakshmi Sundaram, Mabel van Oranje, Rebeca Gyumi, Tara Abrahams, Theo Sowa, Vidya Shah and Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg. While funding for gender equality has been rising over the last decade, only 1% of that funding has reached women's organizations. The Gender Fund will bring significant resources into a grossly underfunded space and address "gendered systems" - the underlying norms, laws, practices, sanctions, and decision-making processes that lead to systematic barriers and persistent discrimination against women and girls. The Gender Fund will unblock pathways for women and girls to exercise their power, agency and leadership at all levels - from household and community to institutions and government. It will fund locally-rooted partners to ensure that health, education, and economic systems work and are accountable to those they are intended to serve. The urgency for this Fund is more significant than ever as the Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the deep realities of gender inequality and discrimination in our systems, institutions, and societies. Women continue to face entrenched barriers such as violence, restricted reproductive rights, workforce discrimination, and unequal representation in leadership. Commenting on the launch of the Fund, Olivia Leland, Founder and CEO of Co-Impact, said: "To make progress on gender equality, we need systemic change in the structures, laws, and policies and processes of government, in how markets function, and how social norms are shaped and enforced. "The mission of the Gender Fund is to deliver on the ambition of a world where systems and societies are just and inclusive, and where all women have the opportunity to exercise power, agency, and leadership at all levels." The Gender Fund aims to raise and grant US $1 billion over the next decade to provide predominantly women-led, locally-rooted organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America with large, long-term, and flexible funding. To date, financial contributions to the Fund have totalled over US $320 million, and grantmaking across the three regions is already underway. Melinda French Gates, global advocate for women and girls and the Co-Founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: "By partnering with Co-Impact, we're able to identify programs that address the barriers, blocking women from reaching their full potential as leaders. "We need change to happen at every level of society. And it starts with opening more doors for women to step into their power and craft policies that lift others up like them. This is our once-in-a-generation chance to rebuild our systems to finally work for women and girls." Co-Impact is committed to increasing the overall funding being directed to advancing gender equality. Working collaboratively with women's rights and grassroots organizations, feminist networks and funders is key to breaking down power dynamics and advancing gender equality. Co-Impact will provide at least 10% of the funds raised to feminist and women's rights groups and movements. Tsitsi Masiyiwa, Co-Founder of Delta Philanthropies and Higherlife Foundation, said: "There is no 'one' intervention, organization, or solution that can address every single barrier that is preventing women from living equitable and fulfilling lives. "Gender inequality exists and manifests differently in every country, sector, and society around the world. The idea is that each component of the wider ecosystem has its part to play and is therefore eligible for Gender Fund support." A range of grants are available for a broad ecosystem of actors working to advance gender equality and women's leadership through tangible actions. Co-Impact will also support organizations to generate, curate and disseminate research and learning on how to advance gender equality. The Fund began sourcing and awarding an initial set of 15 grants for initiatives addressing major barriers to gender equality. These include gender-based violence, maternal health, gender-inclusive education and women's leadership across the three regions. Over the next decade, Co-Impact aims to grow the Gender Fund and support initiatives in 13 focus countries, including India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Brazil, Peru, and Mexico. Media contacts For media enquiries, please contact: Renee Olende media@co-impact.org BB Partners Advisory Co-Impact@bbpartners.co.uk This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Upco International Inc. (CSE: UPCO) (OTC Pink: UCCPF) (FSE: U06) ("Upco" or the "Company") announces that Oktacom Inc. - a telecommunications company and subsidiary of UPCO - has been granted the 214 International Telecommunication License regulated in the United States of America. This license, from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), represents a substantial opportunity for Oktacom and its shareholders. It allows the company to provide telecommunication services between the US and other countries and fosters growth by allowing it to provide services directly rather than through third party providers. More specifically, it enables Oktacom as follows: To become a facilities-based international common carrier subject to 47 CFR 63.21, 63.22. To become a resale-based international common carries subject to 47 CFR 63.21, 63.23. To assign or transfer control of international Section 214 authority in accordance with 47 CFR 63.24. To exceed the foreign benchmarks applicable to common carrier radio licensees under 47 U.S.C. 310. This framework ensures that the U.S. market is protected against potential anti-competitive behavior by a carrier with market power in a foreign country. It also allows private line, switched long distance, prepaid services and calling card services. In other developments, and consistent with its marketing and business strategy, Oktacom's management is entering into a second phase of expansion with a new target identified in the Balkans, which offers aligned services: voice business, telecommunications carriers and traffic termination. In coming weeks, Oktacom will send a letter of intent to make an official offer to acquire this company. Successful closure of this deal will provide the group with a strong presence in this region, which will expand reach and bolster its revenue stream. Oktacom Inc. is also studying the market to offer Fiber Optik, Mobile Virtual Network Operator and Internet of Things services. About Oktacom Inc Oktacom Inc. is a telecommunications company that offers effective, high-quality communications with competitive prices in niche markets globally. The company was founded in 2014 by a team of experienced telecom and finance specialists. It operates in the wholesale business in different countries and is powered by Upco International, a publicly traded company that believes the future lies in technology development. About Upco International UPCO International Inc. is a cloud-based mobile service company which provides high-quality voice termination to a market driven by the growing activity in online communications and commerce. UPCO is a licensed Global Telecom Carrier within the international VoIP (voice over IP) wholesale business. UPCO has designed a software application for Apple iOS and Android, similar to SKYPE and WhatsApp, and with the pending addition of the Upco e-Wallet. Andrea Pagani andrea.pagani@upcointernational.com +39 334 661 8604 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117002 SEOUL, South Korea, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Botox, filler are considered to be the latest cosmetic procedures to satisfy people's desire to look younger and more beautiful. As the lifting operation has lately drawn the attention of the world, a leading medical device manufacturer of South Korea named ilooda announced its launching of a new product called hyzer me. ilooda launch its latest innovation hyzer me into lifting the market marking a new era in aesthetic lifting technology. hyzer me is a High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) device delivering 30W of powerful performance. The device offers dual main and precision handpieces and shows elaborate and fast operation by applying ultrasound through its cartridges subdivided into various depths. hyzer me has already been acknowledged around the globe for its safety and efficiency by acquiring Europe's CE mark and national approvals in Indonesia, Thailand, and Russia. hyzer me advantage of reduced pain compared to the conventional HIFU operations and causing no hindrance to everyday life immediately after the operation, this product is expected to become popular among consumers. The HIFU lifting principle of hyzer me transmits 65~70-degree heat to the SMAS of the skin, creates a thermal coagulation zone, and facilitates the regeneration of elastic fibers like collagen and elastin. The product is well received by both women and men alike because of its simple procedure and instant effects. The exclusive handpiece and cartridge for the eyes enable a more precise procedure, where users can expect improved effects after a single treatment. In addition, the user friendly interface makes for a more convenience for its users, while the product simplified compact design and attractive color options to make it look easy on the eye. The brand revealed an advertisement video for the "Strengthen Yourself" campaign upon its global launch. "Strengthen Yourself," the value and brand slogan of hyzer me, is expressed by the compelling and lively 3D artwork techniques that are suitable for digital content. With dynamic 3D graphics inspired by the hyzer me logo as the background, the video depicts the bold and liberal characteristics of the MZ generation. The video arouses the interest of viewers by stressing the cheerful sound and movements of the model with a speedy editing style. hyzer me has built its unique tone and manner as a 'bright and trendy brand with strong confidence,' transcending the mechanism applied to existing laser medical devices. The brand marketing manager of hyzer me explained, "The story of hyzer me will give courage to all people that strive to look young to break boundaries, overcome limitations, and manage a confident life. We hope they will focus on themselves instead of caring too much about how others think of them." The marketing manager, ES Ko stressed that this concept is the true source of hyzer me energy. Recently, ilooda has been popularizing cosmetic procedures in South Korea by making high-quality products. ilooda grew its presence in the global skin beauty market with a high-frequency micro needle product named SecretRF. The company has stabilized its global positioning by diversifying the product group with various new products, including hyzer me. Ilooda said, "We expect hyzer me to satisfy both medical staff and consumers. We plan to devote all our marketing capabilities to the widespread promotion of this product." Currently, ilooda exports its products to 67 countries, including U.S., UK, France, Germany, Turkey, and the Middle East countries. With the new products released this year, ilooda will continue to increase the number of target export countries. Detailed information about all ilooda products is available via webinars on the official website. Related Links https://ilooda.com Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1767466/hyzerme_30s_ENG_video_mp4.mp4 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1767467/hyzerme_image.jpg Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card JAKARTA, Mar 17, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, and PT Bank Danamon Indonesia Tbk (Danamon) are pleased to announce the launch of the Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card."Danamon understands that everybody, especially the emerging affluent and affluent segment, who is the target market for the Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card, appreciates their freedom and responsibility. By collaborating with JCB, Danamon wants to optimize customer spending through various benefits that match each individual's unique inspiration to break free from their daily routines. This is in line with Danamon's commitment to become a financial enabler and catalyst to help customers control their finances," said Yasushi Itagaki, President Director of PT Bank Danamon Indonesia Tbk."I am delighted to launch the Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card with Bank Danamon which is one of the biggest commercial banks in Indonesia. The cardholders can enjoy not only daily use of their card inside Indonesia but also across the world by using JCB merchant network. After the pandemic, we hope our cardholders can enjoy traveling around the world with the Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card," said Takumi Takahashi, President Director of PT JCB International Indonesia.The Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card holders will immediately get a Haagen-Dazs bonus voucher worth Rp. 50,000 and holiday vouchers of up to Rp. 3,500,000 which can be used for flight tickets or staycations with shopping starting from Rp. 10,000,000 by using the Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card in the first 2 (two) months after the card is approved.Also, the Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card holders can access JCB acceptance network with about 37 million merchants globally and enjoy special offers at selected merchants and customer services at JCB Plaza around the world.About Bank DanamonPT Bank Danamon Indonesia Tbk (IDX Code: BDMN) which was established in 1956, as of March 31, 2021, manages total consolidated assets of Rp 193 trillion with its subsidiary, namely PT Adira Dinamika Multi Finance Tbk. (Adira Finance). In terms of share ownership, 92.47% of Danamon's shares are owned by MUFG Bank, Ltd. and 7.53% owned by the public. Danamon is supported by a network of 846 conventional branch offices, Sharia units and subsidiary branch offices as well as more than 60,000 Danamon ATM networks, ATM Bersama, PRIMA and ALTO spread across 33 provinces. In addition to the physical network, Danamon services can also be accessed through Danamon Online Banking, mobile banking through the D-Bank and D-Card applications, SMS Banking, and phone banking services through Hello Danamon.With a variety of financial products and services, Danamon is ready to serve the needs of customers from various segments including Consumer, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), Wholesale (Corporate and Commercial), and Sharia banking as well as automotive financing through Adira Finance. In July 2020, Danamon also launched the Danamon Optimal segmentation to assist the upwardly mobile segment in managing finances. Danamon Optimal consists of products and services according to the needs of these individuals, from savings, loans to insurance equipped with all-digital services for ease of transactions. Danamon Optimal is expected to help customers belonging to this segment to be able to control their finances easily and wisely.As part of MUFG, a global financial group as well as Japan's largest bank and one of the world's leading financial institutions, Danamon will be able to access MUFG's strengths, expertise and network to serve our customers and facilitate Danamon's growth in realizing long-term value for all stakeholders. Danamon received an award as ranked first in the SLE Index 2021 for the BUKU IV Bank category from the 2021 Satisfaction Loyalty Engagement Awards event organized by Marketing Research Indonesia and Infobank. Danamon also won first place at the 9th Infobank Digital Brand Awards 2020 in the category of Conventional Commercial Banks with Core Capital of IDR 30 trillion and above (BUKU IV) with assets below IDR 500 trillion. Internationally, Danamon was also the Best Digital Bank Indonesia at the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2020. Danamon also received the Asia Traiblazer 2020 Award from Retail Banking International (RBI) with the title Highly Commended in the Best Digital Banking Initiative category. In addition, Danamon received the 2020 DX Gamechanger Award from IDC for the company's digital transformation.About JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 37 million merchants around the world. JCB Cards are issued mainly in Asian countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase its merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/ContactAyaka NakajimaCorporate CommunicationsTel: +81-3-5778-8353Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jpSource: JCBCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares 17 March 2022 REDDE NORTHGATE PLC ("Redde Northgate" or the "Group" or the "Company") Transaction in Own Shares Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD) announces that on 16 March 2022 it purchased the following number of its own shares to be held in treasury: Class of shares : Ordinary shares of 50p ("shares") Number of shares purchased : 45,846 Weighted average purchase price paid : 418.5005 pence per share Highest purchase price paid : 420 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid : 416 pence per share Following the above transaction, the Company's issued share capital consists of 246,091,423 ordinary shares of 50p each, of which 45,846 ordinary shares are held in treasury, and 1,000,000 preference shares of 50p each which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company is 246,045,577, which may be used by shareholders 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 Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as incorporated into UK domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the Company's buyback programme. Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions (all of 16 March 2022) Number of ordinary shares purchased Transaction price (GB pence per share) Time of transaction (UK Time) Transaction reference number Venue 454 418.50 09:19:00 00057728177TRLO0 LSE 386 418.50 09:19:00 00057728176TRLO0 LSE 400 418.50 09:19:00 00057728175TRLO0 LSE 632 418.50 09:19:00 00057728178TRLO0 LSE 400 418.50 09:19:00 00057728179TRLO0 LSE 1132 417.50 09:19:01 00057728180TRLO0 LSE 300 418.00 09:29:35 00057728726TRLO0 LSE 900 418.00 09:29:35 00057728727TRLO0 LSE 73 418.00 09:29:35 00057728728TRLO0 LSE 435 417.50 09:38:12 00057729155TRLO0 LSE 900 417.50 09:38:12 00057729156TRLO0 LSE 52 417.50 09:38:12 00057729157TRLO0 LSE 645 417.50 09:38:12 00057729158TRLO0 LSE 639 417.50 09:38:12 00057729159TRLO0 LSE 99 416.00 10:10:13 00057732114TRLO0 LSE 300 416.00 10:10:13 00057732115TRLO0 LSE 300 416.00 10:10:13 00057732116TRLO0 LSE 300 416.00 10:10:13 00057732117TRLO0 LSE 383 416.00 10:10:13 00057732118TRLO0 LSE 645 416.00 10:10:13 00057732119TRLO0 LSE 639 416.00 10:10:13 00057732120TRLO0 LSE 281 416.00 10:27:17 00057733507TRLO0 LSE 1007 416.00 10:38:00 00057734218TRLO0 LSE 1134 418.00 11:01:50 00057736243TRLO0 LSE 1375 418.00 11:01:50 00057736244TRLO0 LSE 416 418.00 11:21:36 00057737487TRLO0 LSE 793 418.00 11:21:36 00057737488TRLO0 LSE 743 418.50 11:21:36 00057737489TRLO0 LSE 402 418.50 11:21:36 00057737490TRLO0 LSE 89 418.50 11:21:36 00057737491TRLO0 LSE 467 418.00 11:32:08 00057738239TRLO0 LSE 831 418.00 11:32:08 00057738240TRLO0 LSE 1385 420.00 11:45:22 00057738863TRLO0 LSE 1152 419.50 11:45:23 00057738864TRLO0 LSE 1087 419.00 11:59:49 00057739648TRLO0 LSE 1236 418.00 12:16:04 00057740256TRLO0 LSE 10000 418.75 12:17:01 00057740293TRLO0 LSE 1140 417.00 12:37:15 00057740965TRLO0 LSE 247 417.50 13:00:35 00057741888TRLO0 LSE 300 417.50 13:00:35 00057741889TRLO0 LSE 109 417.50 13:00:35 00057741890TRLO0 LSE 618 417.50 13:01:02 00057741896TRLO0 LSE 1173 418.00 13:08:56 00057742183TRLO0 LSE 1268 420.00 14:44:04 00057749776TRLO0 LSE 1192 420.00 14:44:04 00057749777TRLO0 LSE 1151 420.00 14:44:04 00057749778TRLO0 LSE 1306 420.00 14:44:04 00057749779TRLO0 LSE 1187 420.00 14:44:04 00057749780TRLO0 LSE 1334 420.00 14:44:04 00057749781TRLO0 LSE 1219 420.00 14:44:04 00057749782TRLO0 LSE 1190 420.00 14:44:04 00057749783TRLO0 LSE Notes This announcement is made in accordance with the requirements of Listing Rule 12.4.6. For further information contact: Buchanan David Rydell/Jamie Hooper/Tilly Abraham +44 (0) 207 466 5000 Notes to Editors: Redde Northgate is the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle. The Company offers integrated mobility solutions to businesses, fleet operators, insurers, OEMs and other customers across seven key areas: vehicle rental, vehicle data, accident management, vehicle repairs, fleet management, service and maintenance, vehicle ancillary services and vehicle sales. The Company's core purpose is to keep its customers mobile, whether through meeting their regular mobility needs or by servicing and supporting them when unforeseen events occur. With its considerable scale and reach, Redde Northgate's mission is to offer a market-leading customer proposition and drive enhanced returns for shareholders by creating value through sustainable compounding growth. The Group aims to achieve this through the delivery of its strategic framework of Focus, Drive and Broaden. Redde Northgate services its customers through a network and diversified fleet of over 120,000 owned and leased vehicles, supporting over 600,000 managed vehicles, with more than 170 workshop, body shop and rental locations across the UK, Ireland and Spain and a specialist team of over 6,000 automotive services professionals. Further information please visit the Company's website: www.reddenorthgate.com A team of 10 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts arrived in the capital of Cambodia Wednesday evening to help the southeast Asian nation fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The team was warmly welcomed by the Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Oeun Boraroth and Wu Guoquan, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, at the Phnom Penh International Airport upon their arrival. Boraroth said the experts will carry out medical tasks at the Cambodia China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh. "The TCM experts will play an important role in sharing China's experience in treating COVID-19 patients with Cambodian doctors," he told reporters, adding that they will also carry out the clinical diagnosis and treatment of other diseases. He said more TCM experts will be dispatched to Cambodia in the coming months. Meanwhile, Boraroth expressed his profound gratitude to China for having provided a large number of TCMs to Cambodia, saying that they are very efficacious to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms. "Traditional Chinese medicines are very useful. A lot of patients have recovered after using them," he said. The medical team was organized by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and selected by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Two TCM experts have arrived in Cambodia ahead of the team to carry out medical assistance work. Some of them used to be the frontline doctors during the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Wu said the state-level TCM medical team would train Cambodian medical professionals on how to treat COVID-19 patients using TCMs. "You are all not only doctors who save lives and heal the wounded, but also the builders of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future," he said. He said TCMs, namely Lianhua Qingwen capsules and Huashi Baidu granules, have been licensed to use for treating symptoms of COVID-19 patients in Cambodia, and they are very popular here and in other countries. "Facts have proved that traditional Chinese medicines are safe and highly efficacious," Wu said. Xu Fengqin, one of the TCM experts, said she was very pleased to be selected for such a vital mission in Cambodia. "We hope that China's experience and TCM technology will help Cambodia to treat COVID-19 patients more effectively," she said. Cambodia has fully resumed its socio-economic activities in all sectors and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since mid-November last year after most of its population have been inoculated against the COVID-19. The country reported 140 new cases and one fatality on Wednesday, bringing the national total caseload to 134,492, with 3,049 deaths and 130,028 recoveries, the health ministry said. Produced by Xinhua Global Service DGAP-Ad-hoc: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. / Key word(s): Annual Results/Annual Results Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A.: Majorel Reports Strong Results for 2021 and Positive Outlook for 2022 17-March-2022 / 08:07 CET/CEST Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. News Release THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014. Majorel Reports Strong Results for 2021 and Positive Outlook for 2022 Net revenue 1,752m | Operating EBITDA 316m | Successful Strategy Execution Luxembourg, March 17, 2022: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. (Euronext Amsterdam ticker symbol: MAJ) ("Majorel", the 'Company"), a leading global provider of next-generation end-to-end customer experience (CX) solutions for digital-native and vertical leading brands, today reports its audited results for the fiscal year 2021 ended December 31, 2021. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Net revenue 1 of 1,752 million, up +31%; of 1,752 million, up +31%; Operating EBITDA 2 of 316 million, up +61%; Operating EBITDA margin 3 , up 340bps to 18.0%; of 316 million, up +61%; Operating EBITDA margin , up 340bps to 18.0%; Majorel expects its net revenue to increase in the range of 1,850-1,950 million (an increase of 12%-18% compared to the 2021 net revenue without COVID-19 related services); and Operating EBITDA margin to be in the range of 16.0%-17.0% in 2022. BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS Growth with existing clients: net revenue retention 4 of 116%; of 116%; Ongoing business expansion: acquired the China business 5 and entered Croatia; and entered Croatia; Digital expansion: Global Internet clients at 45%, Content Services, Trust & Safety at 21%, and Tech & Expert Services at 9%, each as percentage of total net revenue; Q1/2022: Turkish Mayen acquisition completed; Ghana and North Macedonia entered; strategic partnership with Booking.com announced. Commenting on the strong results, Thomas Mackenbrock, CEO of Majorel, said: "I am pleased to report that we delivered a strong performance in 2021, with double-digit revenue and profitability growth, and have successfully executed our strategy in all areas. Our existing clients have extended their business with us, adding new service lines, new locations, and new solutions while at the same time we have won more than 40 new logos. I'd like to thank our clients for their trust in us and our 69,000 team members worldwide for their passion and commitment. We are also proud of our debut as a public company and I'd like to thank our anchor shareholders and our new shareholders for their confidence and vision. Our success in 2021 is a strong foundation for 2022, and our current outlook is positive." Otmane Serraj, CFSO of Majorel, said: "I am very proud that Majorel has overachieved on its financial targets for 2021. Total net revenues of 1,752 million for the year represent a +31% increase over 2020, and Operating EBITDA is up +61% to 316 million. This development is supported by strong net revenue retention, which has grown to 116%. In addition, Majorel generated free cash flow of 118 million and the net cash position at the end of the year was 79 million, allowing us strategic flexibility for inorganic growth. Based on our current assessment, Majorel expects for 2022 its net revenue to be in the range of 1,850 million and 1,950 million with an Operating EBITDA margin to be in the range of 16.0-17.0%." Financial Overview, Business Overview, Corporate Responsibility, Subsequent Events, and Outlook 1. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW CONTINUED STRONG TOP-LINE GROWTH IN ALL SEGMENTS AND BUSINESS AREAS Net revenue for 2021 amounted to 1,752 million, representing an increase of +31% compared to the previous year's net revenue of 1,340 million. This development was driven by the strong growth in net revenue generated with existing clients, mainly in the target verticals Global Internet and BFSI. Net revenue in 2021 was impacted by special effects from the COVID-19 related business6 (102 million) and the first-time consolidation of the China business, contributing 98 million to the Company's net revenue. The China operations became part of the Majorel Group as of January 1, 2021. Excluding the two aforementioned special effects, like-for-like net revenue7 growth was +16%. Net revenue and net revenue by business Segment 2021 2020 YOY change Q4 2021* Q4 2020* YOY change* Net revenue 1,752m 1,340m +31% 470m 374m +26% EASA Segment 1,290m 1,086m +19% 337m 300m +12% GEMS Segment 364m 253m +44% 103m 74m +40% CEA Segment 98m N/A N/A 30m N/A N/A *Q4 results are unaudited, not reviewed and are based on management reporting. EASA Segment: Europe, Africa and South America With an increase of +19%, the EASA Segment has seen strong YOY growth in net revenue for 2021, reaching 1,290 million (2020: 1,086 million). The main drivers for this development were the continued expansion with Global Internet and BFSI clients, as well as the contribution of COVID-19 related services, which were all accounted for in this Segment. Like-for-like, excluding the COVID-19 related business, net revenue in the EASA Segment increased by +9% in 2021, which was also driven by the strong development in the Company's near- and offshore locations in Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. GEMS Segment: Global English, Middle East and South East Asia The GEMS Segment made a significant contribution to Majorel's success with an annual growth in net revenue of +44%. Net revenue for GEMS was 364 million in 2021 (2020: 253 million). This strong increase has been driven by the Company's continued expansion with Global Internet Clients, particularly in the Philippines, Canada, the US, Malaysia, Egypt, India, and Kenya. CEA Segment: China and East Asia The CEA Segment reported net revenue of 98 million for 2021 - in line with the Company's guidance that the CEA segment would contribute 5-7% of group net revenue. The positive contribution from this Segment has been driven by further expansion of the footprint in China, the continuing growth of digital consumer engagement services, and the focus on consumer products and digital clients. CONTINUED STRONG PROFITABILITY IN ALL BUSINESS SEGMENTS With an Operating EBITDA of 316 million, Majorel exceeded its latest, increased guidance from November 4, 2021 (290-310 million) and grew by +61% compared to 2020 (196 million). The main drivers of this development were: overall business growth; operational excellence; more complex, value-added services; client portfolio management; improved global delivery mix; COVID-19 related services; the continued high work from home (WFH) rate of 63%; and the first time consolidation of China. Majorel's Operating EBITDA margin expanded by 340bps to 18.0%, compared to 14.6% in 2020. EBIT amounted to 105 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, corresponding to a decline of -10% compared to the 2020 results of 116 million. This was due to the negative impact from special effects in connection with Majorel's private placement and listing in September 2021, of 128 million. Group Profit amounted to 80 million for 2021, representing a year over year decrease versus 86 million generated in 2020. Earnings per share (EPS)8 was 0.8. Free cash flow9 was 118 million (2020: 150 million). The net cash position at the end of the year was 79 million, together with its unused credit facilities allowing the Company strategic flexibility for inorganic growth. A potential dividend payment will be proposed at the AGM scheduled for June 20, 2022. Operating EBITDA and Operating EBITDA by Segment 2021 2020 YOY change Operating EBITDA 316m 196m +61% % margin 18.0% 14.6% +340bps EASA Segment 223m 153m +19% % margin 17.3% 14.1% +320bps GEMS Segment 75m 44m +44% % margin 20.6% 17.5% +310bps CEA Segment 15m N/A N/A % margin 15.4% N/A N/A EASA Segment: Europe, Africa and South America Operating EBITDA for the EASA Segment amounted to 223 million for 2021, a strong increase compared to 2020 Operating EBITDA of 153 million. The Operating EBITDA margin increased accordingly from 14.1% in 2020 to 17.3% in 2021. The margin improvement is driven by Majorel's main profitability drivers, especially: overall business growth, continued operational excellence; more complex, value added services; client portfolio management; continued high work from home rates; further expansion of Tech & Expert Services; and an increasing share of offshore delivery. The COVID-19 related businesses also contributed to the Operating EBITDA growth in EASA in 2021. GEMS Segment: Global English, Middle East and South East Asia Operating EBITDA for the GEMS Segment amounted to 75 million for 2021, increasing by +69% from 44 million in 2020. The Operating EBITDA margin increased from 17.5% in 2020 to 20.6% in 2021. Margin improvement in GEMS has been similarly driven by Majorel's main profitability drivers. CEA Segment: China and East Asia Operating EBITDA from the first time consolidation of the China business amounted to 15 million for 2021 with an Operating EBITDA margin of 15.4%. The CEA results benefited from the continuing growth of digital consumer engagement services, the growth of consumer products and digital clients, and the expansion of the footprint in China. 2. BUSINESS OVERVIEW - MAJOREL HAS DELIVERED ON ITS THREE GROWTH LEVERS Growth with existing clients and adding new logos Our current client portfolio, which comprises more than 400 clients worldwide from a wide range of industries, has a focus on fast-growing Global Internet and BFSI clients. Retaining and growing their business is the bedrock of our own success and our key focus area for growth. We call this "winning with the winners". We can also point to many clients we first met as start-ups and who are now major multinationals with many thousands of employees worldwide. Across all of our verticals, we work and grow with our clients in true partnership, and with deep roots built on trust. In 2021, this resulted in a notable net revenue retention of 116% (2020: 113%). Further to deepening and extending our partnerships with existing clients, Majorel also succeeded in adding more than 40 new logos to its client portfolio during 2021 - a strong foundation for building future long-term client relationships. Ongoing business expansion During 2021, Majorel welcomed around 13,000 additional team members to its global workforce. The Majorel family had approximately 69,000 team members on December 31, 2021. In January 2021, we acquired Arvato CRM in China, expanding our geographic footprint in this dynamic market and making us one of the few international providers operating at scale in the country. In June 2021, we welcomed the German Junokai CX consultancy firm into the Group, strengthening our Tech & Expert Services line of business. We also expanded into Croatia and made significant progress in developing our 2020 entry into Kenya - adding an extra dimension to our Global English capabilities. We have derived an increasing share of our net revenue from "offshore" delivery. The share of offshore in our global delivery mix rose from 35% in 2020 to 39% in 2021, against a midterm target of 45-50%. Excluding COVID-19 related business, the offshore net revenue share in 2021 would have been 41% in 2021. In addition, we prepared the market entry into North Macedonia and Ghana. These organic expansion plans have been realized in Q1 2022 (please see section 4. Subsequent Events, below). Digital expansion In line with our operational targets, Majorel leveraged growth opportunities linked to digital expansion in 2021. We realized substantial growth with our digital clients, and this drove an increased share of net revenue from Global Internet clients from 38% in 2020 to 45% in 2021, approaching the Company's mid-term guidance of >50%. The net revenue share of Telco clients was further reduced from 19% in 2020 to 12% in 2021, in line with Majorel's midterm target to reduce the exposure to around 10% of net revenue. In terms of business lines, Content Services, Trust & Safety increased its share of net revenue from 17% in 2020 to 21% in 2021 (mid-term target 20-25%). The net revenue share of Tech & Expert Services increased from 5% in 2020 to 9% in 2021 (midterm target 10-15%), supported by the integration of the China business and the Company's technology solutions for the COVID-19 related business. Our 2021 acquisitions have already added value to our digital offering. The China business includes a proprietary digital solution platform for managing and implementing complex D2C (direct to consumer) programs, which we plan to develop further. Alongside this, our Junokai acquisition represents an additional step towards expanding our CX consultancy/advisory services in EMEA - supporting wide-ranging clients in aspects of digital transformation of customer service. We also created a new business, MajUP, to offer solutions exclusively for startups. Our around 30 years of CX experience, combined with our own startup spirit, makes us a perfect partner to meet their immediate and long-term needs. Our proprietary vertical digital solutions continue to support our global digital offer. These include Majorel Digital Banking, supporting financial service providers in digitalizing and optimizing their processes and services to drive cost efficiencies, revenues and value-added services. The platform also includes Majorel Switch for bank account switching services and Majorel Navigator for next-generation insurance sales based on account information analysis. 3. CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY (ESG) We see Corporate Responsibility (CR) as a fundamental part of Majorel's DNA and a natural extension of the Company's core values - Creativity, Excellence and Respect. Our CR framework comprises five pillars: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Environment & Local Communities; Employee Rights & Fair Working Conditions; Wellbeing & Resiliency; and Corporate Citizenship. The diversity of our workforce plays a crucial part in our success and we are also expanding our potential talent pool by offering opportunities through impact sourcing. This initiative is making an important difference, reaching people in disadvantaged circumstances (whether socially, economically or through disability) who are typically missed by traditional recruitment programs. In the wider world, we are committed to making a positive impact, being an active contributor to our host communities, and treading as lightly as we can. We have also defined a roadmap with the destination of being a climate neutral enterprise by 2030. 4. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS We continued to successfully execute our strategy since the end of 2021, and have maintained our momentum with further geographic expansion and additional business growth. We executed the acquisition of Mayen Telekomunikasyon Hizmetleri A.S.("Mayen"), one of Turkey's leading independent nearshore CX providers. Mayen became part of Majorel as of January 1, 2022, strengthening our delivery network for Europe and allowing us to offer expanded services to our international clients - especially in the Global Internet vertical. On January 24, we announced our entry into North Macedonia, in Skopje, further adding to our strong footprint for European languages. On January 25, we communicated our entry into Ghana, Accra - further strengthening our already leading position in Africa. On February 10, we announced an agreement to an expanded strategic partnership with our client Booking.com to transfer 12 of Booking.com's 14 internal CX service centers in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas to Majorel. It also fulfils our strategic goal of expanding our geographic footprint into new countries - South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Lithuania - and further consolidates our existing presence in the other markets too. The new partnership agreement is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2022 after the transfer of the service centers from Booking.com to Majorel takes place, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and completion of works council consultations. We will continue to monitor risks on an ongoing basis, including macroeconomic developments and changes in local labor markets. Moreover, we will keep a careful watch on the saddening events unfolding in Ukraine, including economic consequences around the world and their potential impact on our business. 5. OUTLOOK This outlook is based on Majorel's current assessment on the development of the business in 2022 and the general CX market, combined with economic and labor market conditions in the Company's geographic footprint. It remains to be seen how recent events in Ukraine, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, may impact the business environment and world economy in this year. Based on current visibility, Majorel continues to expect strong organic growth from existing clients, supplemented by new logo wins and the positive impact from the effects of the acquisition of Mayen and the expanded strategic partnership with Booking.com (subject to customary closing conditions). This would result in an increase of 12% to 18% compared to the net revenue without COVID-19 related services in 2021. The company anticipates some COVID-19 business will remain in 2022, but at a much smaller scale than 2021 - this would approximately offset the expected limited negative business impacts resulting from the Ukraine crisis. Against this background, Majorel expects its net revenue in 2022 to again increase and to be in the range of 1,850-1,950 million. Further, the Company expects its Operating EBITDA margin for 2022 to be between 16.0%-17.0%, also factoring in the above mentioned effects. Please find below in the Appendix, the primary Consolidated Financial Statements: Profit and Loss; Comprehensive Income; Financial Position; Cash Flow; and Changes in Equity. WEBCAST WITH ANALYSTS AND INVESTORS Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 15:00hrs CET If you want to participate in the conference call, please pre-register by clicking here and you will then receive the dial-in details: https://event-registration.arkadin.com/6220b33b820c352429f1f474 To follow the presentation, participants of the conference call can use the following link (only slides, no audio): https://www.webcast-eqs.com/majorel20220317/no-audio If you just want to follow the presentation without participating in the conference call, you can follow the webcast via livestream and you will receive the audio via your Internet browser. No dial-in to the conference call is required. https://www.webcast-eqs.com/majorel20220317 A presentation of the 2021 results is currently available on the Investor Relations section of Majorel's website (www.majorel.com). FINANCIAL CALENDAR (INDICATIVE) Q1 2022 Trading Update: May 5, 2022 Capital Markets Day: June 9 - 10, 2022 Annual General Meeting: June 20, 2022 H1 2022 Results: August 30, 2022 Q3/9M Trading Update: November 3, 2022 ABOUT MAJOREL We design, build and deliver next-generation end-to-end CX solutions for many of the world's most respected digital-native and vertical leading brands. Our comprehensive east-to-west global footprint in 35 countries10 across five continents, with around 69,000 team members11 and 60 languages, allows us to deliver flexible solutions that leverage our expertise in cultural nuance, which we believe to be essential for true excellence in CX. We have deep domain expertise in tech-augmented front to-back-office CX. Additionally, we offer Digital Consumer Engagement, CX Consulting, and an innovative suite of Proprietary Digital Solutions for industry verticals. We are a global leader in Content Services, Trust & Safety. We believe the 'Majorel difference' to be our culture of entrepreneurship. CONTACT Investor Relations Insa Calsow EVP, Investor Relations ir@majorel.com Media Relations Andrew Slater SVP, Global Marketing & Communications media@majorel.com DISCLAIMER This announcement is released by Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. ("Company") and contains information that qualified or may have qualified as inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR). This announcement is made for the purposes of MAR and pursuant to Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055. Some of the financial and business information in this announcement is unaudited and not reviewed, and based on management reporting. It does not purport to contain all information required to evaluate the Company and/or its financial position. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's present expectations of future events and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. For a detailed description of these factors and uncertainties, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of our Prospectus, available at https://www.bourse.lu/issuer/MajorelGroupSA/105258. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements. NOTES 1 Net revenue for the Group corresponds to revenues as reported in our management reporting less certain direct, order-related external costs which are part of external expenses and costs of materials and consist mainly of cost of services purchased (subcontracted or outsourced services). Net revenue for each Segment correspond to the according Segment revenues less certain direct, order-related inter-Segment and external costs. Management reporting data exclude revenues from minor activities (primarily the Sonopress Business) outside the Majorel Group's core business which are reported in the consolidated income statement (the "Sonopress Business" is defined as certain non-core business activities historically carried out by Arvato de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., which was wound down in 2021). 2 Operating EBITDA is defined as EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) adjusted for depreciation/amortization, impairment and reversal on intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets, adjusted for (i) impairment on goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite useful life as well as gains from business combinations, (ii) impairment on carrying amounts on assets held for sale, (iii) impairment/reversals on other financial assets at amortized cost, (iv) impairment/reversals on investments accounted for using the equity method, (v) results from disposals of investments, (vi) fair value measurement of investments, and (vii) restructuring and other special items. We use Operating EBITDA to assess the operating performance of our business as Operating EBITDA shows our EBIT as adjusted for depreciation and amortization, which are non-cash charges, and specific periodic outcomes to enhance comparability of results over periods. When comparing Operating EBITDA with peer group data, it should be taken into account that the total adjustments in a given year do not represent the full amount of all special effects incurred in a given year, as rather only material effects subject to certain thresholds will be considered for the purpose of calculating Operating EBITDA. 3 We define Operating EBITDA margin as Operating EBITDA divided by net revenue. 4 Net revenue retention is defined as net revenue generated by clients in FY2021 divided by net revenue generated by the same cohort of clients in FY2020 (excluding China Business). 5 China Business means the acquisition of Shanghai Majorel Commercial Services Co., Ltd. (previously, Shanghai Bertelsmann Commercial Services Co. Ltd.), Shanghai Majorel Digital Marketing Co., Ltd. (previously, Shanghai Bertelsmann-arvato Information Services Co. Ltd.) and Shanghai Majorel CX Business solutions Co., Ltd. (previously, Bertelsmann-Arvato Commercial Services (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.). 6 COVID-19 Business means contracts to provide services in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 7 Change in like-for-like net revenue corresponds to net revenue growth year over year, adjusted for certain specific, probably non-recurring items. For 2021 to 2020 like-for-like net revenue comparison the contribution of the first time consolidation of the China business and COVID-19 related business were adjusted. 8 Basic earnings per share (EPS) is calculated by dividing the net profit attributable to shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year, excluding ordinary shares purchased by the Group and held as treasury shares and the shares held under the liquidity program, if any. Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. There is currently no category of dilutive potential ordinary shares. 9 Free cash flow is defined as Operating EBITDA less adjustments minus increase/plus decrease in net working capital after net cash out from pensions, payments from leases and net investments in property, plant and equipment and intangible assets excluding net payments from acquisitions and disposals of financial assets 10 As of February 28, 2022. 11 As of December 31, 2021. APPENDIX: CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Consolidated statement of profit and loss in millions 2021 2020 Revenues 1,811 1,375 Other operating income 37 20 External expenses and costs of materials (423) (308) Personnel costs (1,236) (894) Amortization/depreciation, impairment and reversals on intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets (85) (77) Results from investments accounted for using the equity method 1 1 Results from disposals of investments - (1) EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) 105 116 Interest income 1 - Interest expenses (3) (2) Other financial income 2 - Other financial expenses (5) (7) Financial result (5) (9) Earnings before taxes 100 107 Income tax expense (20) (21) Group profit or loss 80 86 attributable to: Majorel shareholders 80 86 Non-controlling interests - - Earnings per share (in ) - Basic 0.80 0.86 - Diluted 0.80 0.86 Consolidated statement of comprehensive income in millions 2021 2020 Group profit or loss 80 86 Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss Remeasurement component of defined benefit plans 9 (4) Items that will be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss when specific conditions are met Exchange differences - changes recognized in other comprehensive income 12 (8) Other comprehensive income net of tax 21 (12) Group total comprehensive income 101 74 attributable to: Majorel shareholders 101 74 Non-controlling interests - - Consolidated statement of financial position in millions 12/31/2021 12/31/2020 Assets Non-current assets Goodwill 94 53 Other intangible assets 20 8 Property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets 245 190 Investments accounted for using the equity method 3 2 Trade and other receivables 1 1 Other non-financial assets - 2 Deferred tax assets 38 15 401 271 Current assets Trade and other receivables 467 307 Other financial assets 11 1 Other non-financial assets 68 56 Current income tax receivables 18 9 Cash and cash equivalents 238 195 802 568 1,203 839 Equity and liabilities Equity Subscribed capitala) 1 - Capital reserve 255 275 Retained earnings 138 37 Majorel shareholders' equity 394 312 Non-controlling interests 5 5 399 317 Non-current liabilities Provisions for pensions and similar obligations 43 50 Other provisions 8 5 Deferred tax liabilities 2 - Financial debt 70 20 Lease liabilities 80 58 Other non-financial liabilities - 1 203 134 Current liabilities Other provisions 30 22 Financial debt 89 34 Lease liabilities 45 37 Trade and other payables 156 132 Other non-financial liabilities 261 153 Current income tax payables 20 10 601 388 1,203 839 a) As of December 31, 2021, the subscribed capital amounts to 1 million (December 31,2020: 404 thousand). Consolidated statement of cash flow in millions 2021 2020 Earnings before interest and taxes 105 116 Amortisation, depreciation and write-ups of non-current assets 85 77 Gains/losses from disposals of non-current assets - 1 Change in provisions for pensions and similar obligations (1) (5) Change in other provisions 11 13 Change in net working capital 24 39 Taxes paid (40) (17) Other effects 1 (1) Cash flow from operating activities 185 223 Investments in: - intangible assets (4) (3) - property, plant and equipment (57) (43) - purchase prices for consolidated investments (net of acquired cash) (56) (3) - prepaid consideration for business acquisition (58) - - other investments and financial assets (5) - Disposals of other fixed assets 6 4 Cash flow from investing activities (174) (45) Proceeds from/redemption of other financial debt 105 (16) Redemption of lease liabilities (46) (40) Interest paid (6) (5) Change in equity - 2 Dividends to Majorel shareholders (19) - Other effects (8) 1 Cash flow from financing activities 26 (58) Change in cash and cash equivalents 37 120 Exchange rate effects and other changes in cash and cash equivalents 6 (4) Cash and cash equivalents as of 1/1 195 79 Cash and cash equivalents as of 12/31 238 195 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity in millions Subscribed capitala) Capital reserve Retained earnings Majorel shareholders' equity Non-controlling interests Total Balance as of 1/1/2020 - 275 (37) 238 4 242 Group profit or loss - - 86 86 - 86 Other comprehensive income - - (12) (12) - (12) Group total comprehensive income - - 74 74 - 74 Dividend distributions - - - - - - Equity transactions with shareholders - - - - - - Other changes - - - - 1 1 Balance as of 12/31/2020 - 275 37 312 5 317 Balance as of 1/1/2021 - 275 37 312 5 317 Group profit or loss - - 80 80 - 80 Other comprehensive income - - 21 21 - 21 Group total comprehensive income - - 101 101 - 101 Dividend distributions - (19) - (19) - (19) Transfer 1 (1) - - - - Equity transactions with shareholders 1 (20) - (19) - (19) Other changes - - - - - - Balance as of 12/31/2021 1 255 138 394 5 399 a) As of December 31, 2021, the subscribed capital amounts to 1 million (December 31, 2020: 404 thousand). 17-March-2022 CET/CEST The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Norrland Gold Corporation ("Norrland" or "the Company")(TSXV:NORR)(Frankfurt:8VC) is pleased to announce the granting of a new tenement that is prospective for Rare Earth Elements as the Company continues to build an attractive diversified exploration portfolio in Sweden, a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction. Highlights: Increasing Norrland's land holding with the granting of the Liljendal Rare Earth Elements (REE) tenement; Geophysical work continues at the Vittantrasket and Pingisvaara gold projects; Re-logging historical drill core at the Junsele Battery Metals prospect. The Liljendal Rare Earth Elements (REE) tenement, located in central Sweden, covers an area of 1,732 hectares. The first exploration period expires February 2, 2025. The tenement covers more than ten kilometers along a major tectonic zone with known REE mineralization. Many of the Rare Earth Elements, such as Holmium, Yttrium, and others, were first discovered in Sweden in the late 18th and early 19th century. Sweden is sometimes referred to as the "Home of Rare Earth Elements". Rare Earth Elements are all considered strategic metals by the Swedish government who have an active interest in identifying sources within the European Union. The Company will conduct surface sampling and mapping with a view to defining drill targets in this well exposed area. This program will commence towards the end of the second quarter as weather permits. The current geopolitical turmoil and rising energy prices are likely to result in western economies accelerating the shift towards the 'green economy' and reducing reliance upon fossil fuels. The electrification of the energy used to drive machinery is a key part of the energy transition and one of the most significant energy shifts in history. Magnet metals are central to this transition and critical to manufacturing applications such as electric vehicles and wind turbines. The location of critical rare earth materials will become significant factors in future supply chains. Prices of Praseodymium-Neodymium Oxide (NdPr) continue to rise driven by burgeoning demand and growing shortage of supply in China. Location of Liljendal Map Source: www.eurare.org Gold Projects Update - Vittantrasket and Pingisvaara Geophysical work is ongoing at Norrland's two gold-prospects in Northern Sweden, Vittantrasket and Pingisvaara which was announced previously on December 9, 2021. Many of Sweden's deposits are hidden under moraine cover which presents a great opportunity for a new discovery. Vittantrasket is located within the most substantial geochemical gold in moraine anomaly in Sweden. The 4 million oz historical Boliden gold mine current 1 million plus oz Barsele gold project of Agnico Eagle are examples of known deposits in the same geological terrain and region in which the Company is working. Battery Metals Project Update - Junsele The Company announced previously on December 9, 2021 the granting of the Junsele tenement covering 1,225 hectares over a layered mafic with ultramafic layers intrusion in central Sweden. The Swedish government carried out a nationwide exploration program for Platinum in the 1980s. An unsubstantiated platinum assay of 21 g/t in a chip sample from narrow ultramafic bands was reported which represented the highest platinum value sample ever recorded by state geologists in Sweden. Junsele represents a virtually unexplored layered mafic complex with potential to host significant PGEs, nickel and copper. The Company plans to re-log historical drillcore at the Junsele project to validate historical grades and to plan for future exploration. Anders West, CEO, commented: "The granting of the Liljendal Rare Earth Elements tenement is a significant milestone for Norrland which increases our footprint in Sweden as we build a diversified portfolio of commodities. With metals and commodity prices moving to all-time highs and the increasing need to source these metals from top tier mining jurisdictions, Norrland is well positioned to receive interest from both investors and established mining companies seeking opportunities in strategic jurisdictions." "Sweden has a rich mining heritage and as a Swedish geologist I am very pleased that we have been able to secure attractive tenements in the right locations within Sweden. 2022 will be a busy year for Norrland as we seek to further develop the four projects. I look forward to updating shareholders with exciting news as the year progresses." Fig. 1. The location of Norrland Gold projects in prospective geological terrains in the Fennoscandian shield NORRLAND GOLD CORP. Anders West, CEO Qualified Person: The scientific and technical data contained in this news release, pertaining to the Vittantrasket, Pingisvaara, and Junsele Projects, has been reviewed and approved by Douglas J. Kirwin, who served as the qualified person (QP) under the definition of National Instrument 43-101. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. 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. Please visit us at www.norrlandgold.com SOURCE: Norrland Gold Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693394/New-Rare-Earth-Elements-REE-Tenement-Granted WERDOHL (dpa-AFX) - Vossloh AG (VOSSF.PK), a German supplier of rail infrastructure products and services, reported Thursday that its fiscal 2021 net income climbed to 35.9 million euros from last year's 20.8 million euros. The earnings per share increased to 1.31 euros from 0.98 euro a year ago. Operating EBIT rose to 72.3 million euros from 57.5 million euros last year, while the operating EBIT margin improved by 1.1 percentage points to 7.7 percent. Operating EBITDA increased to 124.2 million euros from 107.5 million euros in the previous year, with an EBITDA margin of 13.2. percent, compared to previous year's 12.4 percent on an operational basis. Group sales reached 942.8 million euros, an increase of 8.4 percent from previous year's 869.7 million euros. Orders received came to 947.6 million euros, up 3.5 percent. The order backlog was 611.4 million euros at the end of 2021, a 2.8 percent increase over the previous year. Further, the company proposed a dividend of 1.00 euro per share. Looking ahead for fiscal 2022, Vossloh expects continued increase in sales and EBIT. The company currently expects to achieve sales revenues of between 925 million euros and 1 billion euros. Vossloh expects an EBITDA margin of 13 percent to 14 percent and an EBIT margin between 7.5 percent and 8.5 percent. 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. MADRID, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KeyZell, a Spanish biotechnology company in the development phase of digital cancer treatments and tools, has just opened a private financing round which expects to achieve 5 million euros to boost its projects and consolidate itself as one of the biotech start-ups with the greatest international projection. KeyZell launches this new round of private investment to conduct a human clinical trial with one of its innovative cancer treatments, based on Dr. Nabil Hajji's research on cellular apoptosis induced by cell receptor blockage, as well as to improve its precision medicine Artificial Intelligence system that aims to be the future of cancer medicine, thanks to an algorithm that proposes the most appropriate personalized treatment for each patient depending on the unique characteristics of each person and type of cancer. KeyZell has already generated great interest from both national private investors and North American investment funds and has successfully closed a preliminary round of 450,000 euros, 50% above expectations. Among its investors are professional brokers as well as Spanish and Mexican businessmen. "We created KeyZell with the objective of developing new cancer solutions and tools that can help both medical professionals and patients in their fight against this disease. This financing round will allow us to achieve our ambitious objective," says Jose del Corral, company CEO. The company is committed to blockchain technology, implementing improvements on its AI-based tool and thus reinforcing this through clinical trials. Keyzell plans to finance the clinical trial in Australia while in negotiations with a strategic partner to carry out another trial in Mexico. In addition, working on the structures to carry out regulatory processes in Europe, United States, United Kingdom, Thailand, South Africa, Morocco and Canada. Keyzell has the pleasure of having Dr. Nabil Hajji among its founders who has led the research with collaborators from University of Seville and Harvard University, where they have discovered a new treatment which for the first time, after more than twenty years without advances in glioblastoma research, has succeeded in eliminating the most aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma. Media Contact: Ines Martinez imartinez@tinkle.es +34 661 750 597 New uplink services will ensure optimal viewing experiences for audiences across Europe SES and CANAL+ have expanded their partnership with a long-term agreement for uplink services for CANAL+'s French Pay-TV channel bouquet at 19.2 degrees East. The new agreement includes services delivered from two teleports in Betzdorf, Luxembourg, and starting in 2023, Munich, Germany, underscoring the importance and shared value of delivering superior and uninterrupted viewing experiences to CANAL+ subscribers. The current satellite capacity agreement between SES and CANAL+ sees SES satellites delivering premium content to more than 10 million subscribers across Europe and Africa until the end of the decade. SES and CANAL+ have been partners since 1995. CANAL+ utilises transponders at three orbital positions: 19.2 degrees East, 23.5 degrees East and 22 degrees West. "At CANAL+, we take pride in delivering prime content and the best quality video experiences to our subscribers around the world. By expanding our partnership with SES into ground services, we ensure that we reach the widest possible audience in the most reliable way," said Philippe Rivas, Distribution CTO at CANAL+ Group. "The combination of SES's ground and satellite network services provide the most powerful, most resilient and the most far-reaching content distribution network in the world. We're delighted that one of our longest-standing partners, CANAL+, has continued to put trust in our unmatched capability to broadcast SD, HD and UHD content to their subscribers," said Deepak Mathur, Executive Vice President of Global Video Sales at SES. Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram Read our Blogs Visit the Media Gallery > About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world's only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world's leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES's video network carries 8,400 channels and has an unparalleled reach of over 355 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com. About CANAL+ Group CANAL+ Group is a leading media company and pay-TV operator. It is also a leading player in free-to-air television with three national channels, C8, CSTAR and CNEWS, and an ads sales agency. CANAL+ Group has a wide international footprint with a presence in Europe, Africa and Asia. CANAL+ Group totals 23.7 million subscribers worldwide, including 9 million in mainland France. With STUDIOCANAL, CANAL+ Group is also a European leader in the production, acquisition and distribution of feature films and TV series. CANAL+ Group is wholly-owned by worldwide integrated content, media and communication group, Vivendi. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005074/en/ Contacts: For further information please contact: Suzanne Ong External Communications Tel. +352 710 725 500 suzanne.ong@ses.com LONDON (dpa-AFX) - British drug major AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.L) announced Thursday that its Rare Disease unit Alexion has entered into a settlement agreement with Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., resolving all patent disputes related to Ultomiris (ravulizumab). Alexion and Chugai have taken steps to withdraw patent infringement proceedings filed with US District Court for the District of Delaware and Tokyo District Court. Under the deal terms, Alexion will make a single payment of $775 million in the second quarter of 2022. The company will record a charge through the non-core P&L in the first quarter of 2022. No further amounts are payable by either party. The settlement does not impact AstraZeneca's financial guidance for 2022. Marc Dunoyer, Chief Executive Officer, Alexion, said, 'With this settlement, we will continue to advance our Ultomiris development programmes in new indications and focus on our mission to transform the lives of people affected by rare diseases.' 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. World's First 15-minute, Instrument-free, Lab-Quality Molecular Test Available Now Global molecular diagnostics innovator, Sense Biodetection (Sense), announced today that it had entered into a strategic distribution agreement with Cruinn Diagnostics Ltd. (Cruinn) for the Irish market. Cruinn, a leading supplier in the healthcare and laboratory market, is among the network of planned EU distribution partners authorized to market Veros COVID-19. Sense received CE Mark for Veros COVID-19 in early March 2022. "Cruinn's reputation for customer service and innovative point-of-care products is best in class in its market," commented Ryan Roberts, Chief Commercial Officer of Sense. "With Veros COVID-19 in its diagnostic portfolio, Cruinn can now offer customers a rapid, self-contained single-use molecular test that offers laboratory-quality results and can enable improved access and faster diagnosis than a lab-based test, helping to provide exceptional care for patients." "This will be the first instrument-free molecular test for COVID-19 to enter the Irish market, highlighting the strategic importance of this agreement to Cruinn," said Aidan Wearen, head of Marketing and Sales for Cruinn. "Sense's approach to molecular testing delivers great opportunity for accessibility, speed, and clinical value to patients at the point of care." Unconstrained by an instrument or reader, the Veros platform has the potential to improve access to rapid, highly accurate, point-of-care testing for many more people, which may lead to more precise diagnoses and improved speed to clinical decision making. Using a proprietary, rapid molecular amplification technology, Veros COVID-19 delivers instrument-free, lab-quality molecular results directly to users within minutes. Veros COVID-19's clinical performance was established in one of the most comprehensive clinical trials in COVID-19 diagnostic testing conducted to date. The multicentre study prospectively enrolled nearly 300 evaluable subjects during both the Delta and Omicron variant surges of the pandemic. All study sites represented near-patient testing point-of-care environments, with all test operators reporting no prior formal laboratory training or experience. Veros COVID-19 results were compared directly against a highly sensitive, CE Marked and WHO US FDA emergency authorized qRT-PCR test, from a world-leading developer and manufacturer of laboratory diagnostics. In just 15 minutes, the Veros COVID-19 delivered: 97.9% Accuracy (286/292) 95.2% Sensitivity (99/104) 99.5% Specificity (187/188) 100% of operators agreed the Veros COVID-19 was easy-to-use, read and understand the results, with minimal hands-on time required from start to finish See how it works here. For in vitro diagnostic use only. Veros COVID-19 is intended for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasal samples from symptomatic patients suspected of COVID-19 infection by qualified healthcare professionals, in near-patient settings. Before performing a test, please refer to the Instructions for Use. About Sense Biodetection Sense Biodetection is a global molecular diagnostics company focused on empowering patients and transforming healthcare access and affordability by bringing lab-quality results through easy-to-use, rapid, disposable molecular tests without the constraints of an instrument. The company's Veros product platform will enable widespread testing to enhance patient access, improve patient health and lower systemic healthcare costs. Backed by respected investors, such as Koch Disruptive Technologies, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Earlybird Health and Mercia Asset Management, Sense is growing rapidly as it launches Veros COVID-19 and builds a portfolio of additional tests for other diseases. Sense recently received CE Marking in Europe for Veros COVID-19. For more information, visit www.sense-bio.com and follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Cruinn Diagnostics Established in 1998 in partnership with some of the leading manufacturers from across the world, Cruinn Diagnostics Limited quickly established itself as one of Ireland's leading distributors of Laboratory supplies and equipment to the Clinical, Industrial, Pharmaceutical, Veterinary, University and Research industries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005055/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Mike Sinclair (for Sense Biodetection) Halsin Partners +44 7968 022075 msinclair@halsin.com Combination of Biosynth Carbosynth and vivitide creates global life sciences platform serving high-growth biopharma and diagnostics end markets KKR, a leading global investment firm, announced today the closing of its previously announced investment in Biosynth Carbosynth, an innovative life sciences reagents, custom synthesis and manufacturing services company, as well as Biosynth Carbosynth's acquisition of vivitide, a global provider of custom peptides and antibodies for the life sciences and biotech industry. Existing vivitide owner Ampersand Capital Partners will roll over its entire stake and become a substantial minority shareholder of the combined entity. Together, KKR and Ampersand plan to accelerate the company's geographic expansion, broaden its capabilities, and expand its product portfolio. "We are thrilled to begin this next chapter for Biosynth Carbosynth with KKR and Ampersand and to welcome our new colleagues at vivitide. We will benefit greatly from vivitide's strong U.S. presence, complementary portfolio of products and services, and entrepreneurial culture," said Dr. Urs Spitz, CEO and President of Biosynth Carbosynth. "This acquisition marks an important milestone in our ambitious journey to become a leading global partner providing critical materials to the biopharma and diagnostics industries. With the support of KKR and Ampersand, we look forward to continuing to partner with premium, rapidly growing businesses across the highly fragmented life sciences supply chain." Dr. Martina Diekmann, CEO of vivitide, added, "vivitide is proud to join forces with Biosynth Carbosynth, who shares our passion for scientific excellence, customer service, and continuous innovation. As part of a global operation, we will be able to accelerate our growth, expand our product offering, and continue to deliver best-in-class products and services to our customers." Kugan Sathiyanandarajah, Managing Director at KKR and Head of Europe for KKR's Health Care Strategic Growth strategy, and Anuv Ratan, Director at KKR, said, "The acquisition of vivitide further positions Biosynth Carbosynth as a premium global platform serving high-growth end markets in the life sciences. We look forward to supporting Urs, Martina, and the employees of both businesses and are thrilled to welcome Ampersand, with whom we have a long-standing relationship, as an important partner." Eric Lev, General Partner at Ampersand, added, "We are excited to see our vivitide investment become part of this global organization. We have built a trusted relationship with KKR over the past few years and look forward to working together with them to drive future organic and inorganic growth." KKR invested in Biosynth Carbosynth through KKR Health Care Strategic Growth Fund II, a $4.0 billion fund focused on investing in high-growth health care companies for which KKR can be a unique partner in helping companies reach scale. --ends-- About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co. About Biosynth Carbosynth Biosynth Carbosynth is a Research Products, Life Sciences Reagents and Custom Synthesis and Manufacturing Services Company with global research, manufacturing and distribution facilities. They are the supplier of choice for many in the pharmaceutical, life science, and diagnostic sectors and manufacture and source a vast range of chemical and biochemical products. The company specializes in carbohydrates, nucleosides, phospholipids, enzyme substrates, antimicrobials, APIs and natural products and have a full range of reagents for protein production and analysis. Find out more about Biosynth Carbosynth at www.biosynth-carbosynth.com. About Ampersand Capital Partners Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm with more than $2 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare sectors. Additional information about Ampersand is available at www.ampersandcapital.com. About vivitide vivitide is a global provider of custom peptides, antibody services, and catalog products for the life science and biotech industry. Formed by the merger of New England Peptide (founded 1998) and Peptides International (founded in 1983) in 2019, vivitide is headquartered in Gardner, MA, with significant operations in Louisville, KY. Committed to outstanding quality and customer service, vivitide provides a broad portfolio of custom peptide synthesis services, custom antibodies, catalog peptides, and biochemicals to academia, pharmaceutical, biotech, and diagnostic companies worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005424/en/ Contacts: Media Contacts KKR Alastair Elwen Sophia Johnston Finsbury Glover Hering +44 20 7251 3801 KKR_LON@finsbury.com The European Union (EU) funds a four-year, 8 million euro regional programme with SPARK, an international non-governmental organisation, to help reshape business communities in the Southern Neighbourhood towards a more inclusive, sustainable and tech-driven future. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005750/en/ The European Union (EU) funds a four year, 8 million euro regional programme with SPARK, an international non-governmental organisation, to help reshape business communities in the Southern Neighbourhood towards a more inclusive, sustainable and tech-driven future. (Photo: Business Wire) As the MENA region needs to adapt to complex environmental issues and rapidly changing social and economic behaviour, young entrepreneurs are taking the lead to transition into a greener, ecological and sustainable future. According to research published in 2018, "results only come from sustainable entrepreneurship that integrates all three pillars of sustainable development: economic, environmental and social". Entrepreneurs in partner countries are becoming more and more tech-oriented, social and environmentally aware. International communities are responding with more tailored support for these initiatives that are proving to be impactful and successful year after year. The EU is one of the leading players in this global change. With an active presence worldwide, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, the European Union is building on the previous projects' successes that promote greener, socially responsible and tech-driven futures for young entrepreneurs. SPARK, alongside two of its regional partners, IACE (Tunisia) and Ruwwad (Jordan), is funded by the EU to design, implement and improve start-up ecosystems in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. Led by refugees and local communities, with a focus on women and vulnerable youth, businesses will be supported to grow and create sustainable, decent jobs for the region's economic prosperity. The project will accelerate the current development trend towards scaling and equipping ecosystems with the means to replicate their best practices. Yannick du Pont, founder and CEO of SPARK: "With an important budget and a long-term duration, the project will provide comprehensive support aimed at strengthening competitiveness and faster growth, as well as the ability of local SMEs to generate more and better employment. It aims at influencing and improving the current business environment, making it more conducive to an innovative and knowledge-based economy." Henrike Trautmann, Acting Director for the Southern Neighbourhood and Turkey at DG NEAR noted: "This is important regional initiative will contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs in the Southern Neighbourhood. Our objective will be achieved notably through capacity building of the ecosystem players, exchange of expertise and cooperation with European clusters and networks, paving the way for a greener and more inclusive future." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005750/en/ Contacts: Nabil El Halwani n.halwani@spark-online.org LONDON, England, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of its commitment to the safe return to work for its employees, the Valuation Office Agency has implemented air purification in all of its offices to protect its staff. UK-based company MedicAir DentAir Ltd has been awarded a contract to supply the units to the VOA. With the pandemic restrictions easing, many people are no longer testing for Covid and are not isolating if infected. "This has caused significant concerns among a number of businesses," states Dr. Connor Bryant, one of the founders of MedicAir. "We are seeing hospitals, schools, and companies investing in MedicAir to mitigate the risks of returning to the office, especially now that isolation rules have been eased. We are proud to be selected to protect the VOA as part of their safe return to work." Air quality in indoor spaces goes far beyond Covid. Studies have shown that "sick building syndrome" is responsible for thousands of lost hours every year, with employees being more productive and having fewer staff absences when using air purification. MedicAir is a medical-grade air purifier that combines hospital-grade air filtration, activated carbon filtration, and virus-killing UVC technologies in a simple unit that is plugged in and provides instant protection with no professional installation. MedicAir is found in thousands of hospitals, schools, care homes, and businesses throughout the UK and Europe. It is a UK-based company founded by three medical professionals with the sole aim of providing affordable and safe air quality. MedicAir is available for offices, hospitals, schools, and homes at www.medicair.co.uk. Bryant Medical Group is a UK-based medical technology company that was established by Dr. Connor Bryant, a dentist. He has since built a company that innovates smarter technology in medicine and dentistry. Dr. Bryant or Dr. Perkins (Clinical Lead) are available for interviews in regards to any aspect of air purification or the concerns regarding around poor indoor quality (or sick building syndrome). All media inquiries should be directed to Orlando Mollica at orlando@medicairhealth.co.uk. Related Images Image 1: MedicAir Air Purifier The MedicAir air purifier being used in an office This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- On March 5, Chinese President Xi Jinping re-emphasized the necessity for the country to put into practice the new development philosophy, calling it the path that must be taken to develop China into a strong nation in the new era. "As long as we apply the new development philosophy in full, in the right way and in all fields of endeavor, accelerate efforts to create a new development pattern, promote high-quality development and speed up strengthening our country's science and technology capacity, we will definitely be able to consistently improve the competitiveness and sustainability of our country's development, seize the initiative and embrace a good future in the increasingly fierce global competition," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Xi made the remarks while participating in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region delegation's deliberation at the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress. The new development philosophy, featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, was put forward by Xi in 2015. It underscores the quality of economic and social development, and comprehensively answers the key questions surrounding China's future development, including its purpose, driving force, and methods. Moreover, it manifests the CPC's understanding of development path and pattern, as well as its values and political stance. With the philosophy charting a development path that fits China's actual situations, the country has made historic achievements and witnessed historic changes in its economic and social development under its guidance. Particularly, amid fundamental changes worldwide and the unprecedented challenges they bring, China's economy has shown remarkable resilience. In recent years, the world has seen a rise in anti-globalization sentiment. Due to it, and the restrictions on traveling and transportation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, parts of the global industrial chain and supply chain were brought to a halt. China's domestic economic circulation was largely affected. To address the problem, apart from adopting strong measures to coordinate pandemic control and economic growth, and expanding high-level opening-up, China has also actively built a "dual circulation" development paradigm, in which domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other with the domestic market as the mainstay. The timely adoption of these strategies has reinforced the resilience of China's economy and helped shield it from global impact. As a result, China became the first major economy to register positive economic growth amid the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, having witnessed an average GDP growth of over 5 percent, China continued to be a stabilizing force in the global economy. Moreover, determined to pursue economic development featuring openness and shared benefits, China has actively taken up its due responsibilities in stabilizing the global industrial chain and supply chain. For example, despite the impact of the pandemic, the China-Europe freight train remained in operation, playing a pivotal role in international transportation. In 2021, a total of 15,183 China-Europe freight train trips were made, bringing the total number of trips amounting to over 50,000. China's development path and the results it produces are recognized by the international society. "China achieved a truly remarkable recovery," said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. "As China is a vital engine for global growth, taking strong actions to support high-quality growth will help not only China, but the world." It is of vital importance for one to stay true to the right path in downpours and against the headwind. Prepared to face more complicated situations and more daunting tasks in the new development stage, China is bound to continue applying the new development philosophy, deliver more tangible benefits to its people, and contribute to global economic and social development. Company grows workforce in Europe and localises the nCino Bank Operating System for EMEA market with expanded product capabilities LONDON, March 17, 2022along with nCino's EMEA hub office in London. The Company has also increased its employee base by nearly 50 percent over the last year across Sales, Marketing and Product Development to drive further localisation of the nCino Bank Operating System Driving Digital Transformation Digital delivery is a core focus in the financial services industry with the number of people banking digitally in EMEA increasing by 23 percent since the start of the pandemic (McKinsey & Company, 2020). This has left financial institutions (FIs) racing to deliver tailored digital experiences. nCino, through its agile cloud-based platform, provides solutions to improve the digital journey for clients and employees via smart automation across loan origination, client onboarding, and account opening processes. With steady client growth across the region, nCino has invested in hiring local product development teams, with deep knowledge of in-market regulatory challenges and client needs, to provide innovative new solutions that help ensure FIs receive localised products to help solve their unique challenges. Tom Byrne, Head of Product at nCino, EMEA said "We're excited about our progress in EMEA and the work being done within the nCino platform to further localise it for specific regions. By reinvesting approximately 26 percent of our FY21 revenues back into research and development, we've been able to build market leading solutions for multiple countries across Europe. This includes recently launching an Automated Spreadingfeature, which can reduce the time it takes to spread and process financial statements by 75 percent, and which is being used by numerous customers across the continent. We're also excited to bring a bespoke Mortgage solutionto market for the UK and Ireland, which streamlines the mortgage process for lenders and brokers and creates a simplified and frictionless homebuying experience for borrowers." Continued traction in the UK has resulted in FIs such as GBB, Recogniseand Cambridge and Countiesadopting nCino's cloud-based platform as well as customers in new regions such as Germany) and Denmark). "A year into my role as Managing Director, I'm excited by the momentum we're experiencing and the demand for the digital banking solutions we offer. The teams we continue to build across the continent not only represent our culture but are also motivated by nCino's mission of transforming financial services through innovation, reputation and speed," said Jennifer Geary, Managing Director, EMEA at nCino. "As we look ahead, we know how important it is for us to understand and embrace the particularities of the markets we operate in, and we look forward to having nCino become even more known and recognised in EMEA through the success and value we deliver to customers." About nCino nCino. MEDIA CONTACTS Jasmin Athwal, nCino +44 7881 374552 jathwal@mww.com (mailto:jathwal@mww.com) Natalia Moose, nCino +44 7825 211135 natalia.moose@ncino.com (mailto:natalia.moose@ncino.com) This press release contains forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally include actions, events, results, strategies and expectations and are often identifiable by use of the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "could," "might," or "continues" or similar expressions. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon nCino's historical performance and its current plans, estimates, and expectations, and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent nCino's expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change and, except as may be required by law, nCino does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially including, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to the market adoption of our solution, international expansion, and privacy and data security matters. Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect nCino's business and financial results are included in reports filed by nCino with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (available on our web site at www.ncino.com or the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov). Further information on potential risks that could affect actual results will be included in other filings nCino makes with the SEC from time to time. First sectoral post-pandemic trade fair, the 26th HOMETEX to be held in Istanbul in the 3rd week of May is expected to draw industry players around the world. Following a two-year hiatus, the 26th Home Textile and Accessories Fair (HOMETEX) is set to take place at the Istanbul Expo Center on May 17 21. As one of the most important trade fairs in home textile sector, the Expo is expected to draw leading home-textile producers around the world. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005718/en/ Istanbul to Host Preeminent Home-Textile Trade Fair in May (Photo: Business Wire) To be held with an exhibition area of 200,000 square meters in 11 halls of the Expo, HOMETEX will feature national and international prominent manufacturers of curtains, towels, blankets, carpets, upholstery fabrics, and other home-textile products this year. Mr. Ibrahim Burkay, the President of Bursa CCI, says: "We invite all home-textile manufacturers to attend the event, which represents one of the most significant expositions of the sector." Ideal Networking Venue The expo will showcase textile products from numerous countries, including Turkey, France, Italy, India, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain and the US. According to Mr. Burkay means, the highly-anticipated event is the perfect opportunity to forge new ties and promote the sectoral development in international level. Besides, HOMETEX is an ideal venue for networking where both national and international movers shakers will converge in upon Home Textile Sector. Bringing together for the most part of the supply chain, the fair boasts a diverse range of participant profiles, including exporters, wholesalers, retail store owners, and suppliers. The event will also feature a dedicated "Trend Area" where all the latest home-textile trends will be showcased, B2Bs and seminars attended by prominent designers and innovators. 'Stronger and More Inclusive' According to Mr. Hasan Huseyin Bayram, president of the Turkish Home-Textile Industrialists and Business People Association (TETSIAD), the event will be the first major sectoral trade fair in the post-pandemic period. "Global industry leaders've expressed their eagerness to take part," he says. Mr. Bayram states that HOMETEX, to be held under the motto "Stronger and More Inclusive," would have profound implications for the home-textile sector globally and foster lucrative economic ties between participants. Organized by TETSIAD and the Global Fair Agency INC., the five-day event will kick off on May 17 at the Istanbul Expo Center in Yesilkoy. For additional information, please visit www.hometex.com.tr/en. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005718/en/ Contacts: Selahattin Budakoglu sbudakoglu@btso.org.tr Initial Capital of 20 Million to Back Early-Stage Businesses Solving the Planet's Biggest Challenges All funds fully committed and immediately deployable Investing in early-stage decarbonisation, sustainable energy, and social impact opportunities Over 2 million of planned investment in March/April Charitable Foundation Established to Support Non-Profit Organisations Elbow Beach Capital, an impact investment company, announces the launch of a venture vehicle with an initial 20m of committed capital, focused on decarbonisation, sustainable energy, and social impact opportunities. Elbow Beach Capital invests in early-stage businesses whose technologies have the potential to solve the planet's biggest challenges, while simultaneously achieving significant commercial growth. The fund targets long-term value creation, while working with founders and entrepreneurs to accelerate the development and implementation of positive impact technologies. Elbow Beach Capital will invest across a range of opportunities including: innovative and disruptive technologies which decarbonise supply-chains and create profitable circular economies; sustainable energy technologies and infrastructure which reduce dependence on fossil fuels; and those which have a social impact, improving quality of lives through improved access and reduced costs. Elbow Beach Capital was co-founded in 2021 by experienced investor and company founder Nick Charman, commercial and go-to-market strategist Jonathan Pollock, and conservation, sustainability and environmental technology expert, Thomas Hardy. "Early-stage investment plays a vital role in the advancement of industry-wide solutions to mitigate climate change and improve lives. Elbow Beach Capital is committed to ensuring that every investment it makes helps to protect the future of our planet, its inhabitants, and its unique ecosystems," said Nick Charman, Co-Founder and Chairman Elbow Beach Capital will make investments both within the UK, where it is headquartered, and globally, typically allocating between 0.5 million to 1.5 million of long-term growth capital to support: Early-stage businesses (pre-seed to Series A) Innovative and purpose-driven entrepreneurs with a commitment to improving lives Unique and scalable solutions to significant social and environmental problems Commercially viable companies with a clear runway to financial growth "The sustainability and environmental technology sectors are expanding but growth will need to accelerate dramatically if governments are to meet their ambitious climate targets. We see a massive opportunity for value creation in early-stage investment across a range of impact verticals," said Jonathan Pollock, Co-Founder and CEO. "We are excited to start backing innovative and purpose-driven entrepreneurs," added Jonathan "We are thrilled to be in a position to put our weight behind sustainable businesses with significant potential," said Thomas Hardy, Co-Founder and CTO. "We are looking forward to supporting founders in optimising their technologies and balancing growth and sustainability during a period of unprecedented innovation within impact sectors," added Thomas With 20 million immediately deployable, Elbow Beach Capital expects to announce several investments in March and April. Elbow Beach Capital Elbow Beach Capital is a private investment company focused on sustainable energy, transition technology and social impact businesses. We support exceptional founders and their teams in scaling their businesses through capital investments, coupled with ESG and go-to-market expertise. We back innovative entrepreneurs who are building businesses that will have a positive impact on our planet and society. For more information visit www.elbowbeachcapital.com. Elbow Beach, Bermuda Elbow Beach Capital is named after Elbow Beach, Bermuda. Over the course of their lives, each of our founders has enjoyed Elbow Beach's waters, wildlife, and coral reef. But the impact of climate change is becoming clearer and more worrying with every passing day. Weather patterns are changing, storms are worsening, and sea levels are rising. Small islands, such as Bermuda, are at the frontline, with those on the lowest incomes hit hardest by the negative economic consequences of climate change. Elbow Beach Capital is committed to ensuring that every investment we make helps to protect the future of our planet, its inhabitants and its ecosystems through technological advancement. Elbow Beach Foundation Elbow Beach Capital recognises that not all organisations undertaking important environmental, educational, and social projects are run for profit. To support these organisations, the company has launched Elbow Beach Foundation, which will identify two projects or organisations enabling positive social or environmental change and donate 25,000 to each of them annually. In addition, Elbow Beach Capital will commit 1% of its annual net profits to the Foundation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005089/en/ Contacts: Vigo Consulting Ben Simons Charlie Neish ElbowBeach@VigoConsulting.com/ +44 (0)20 7390 0226 Global Clinical Trial Technology Leader to Participate in Two Presentations for the Conference on Clinical Trial Supply Chain PHILADELPHIA, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Suvoda LLC, a global clinical trial technology company that specializes in highly complex studies, such as oncology, central nervous system (CNS) and rare disease, today announced that its Director of Services Delivery, Europe will be a key presenter and panelist in two sessions at the upcoming Clinical Trial Supply (CTS) Europe conference in Madrid, Spain taking place from March 22-23. More than 300 attendees and over 50 exhibitors are expected at this year's conference. CTS Europe will bring together pharmaceutical and biotech companies to discuss clinical trial supply chain operations, processes, tools, and techniques. In its first industry event since announcing a corporate rebranding earlier this month, Suvoda will be sharing clinical trial supply strategy insights and best practices in two key presentations on March 22, including: How to Optimize your Trial Supply Chain with a Flexible IRT Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | 10:00 AM CET Overview: Attendees will gain insight into the value of IRT for improved supply chain efficiency Speakers: Marcel Besier , Director of Services Delivery, Europe , Suvoda , Director of Services Delivery, , Suvoda Daniela Duffett , Solutions Consultant, Suvoda Panel Discussion - Navigating the Journey to Decentralized Trials: Establishing a Successful Patient-Centric Clinical Trial Supply Chain Resulting in Enhanced Patient Retention Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | 4:30 PM CET Moderator: Jennifer Smith-Parker, Senior Editor, GD Healthcare Speakers: Marcel Besier , Director of Services Delivery, Europe , Suvoda , Director of Services Delivery, , Suvoda Marcus Wajngarten, Senior Director, Home Supply, AstraZeneca Bernard Jaucot, Senior Director PSO, Global Clinical Supplies, PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific Building on Suvoda's momentum in 2021, the Company recently refreshed its brand and expanded beyond its flagship IRT product with the release of its eConsent and eCOA solutions, now in the early adopter phase, marking a critical step in the company's path to streamline complex clinical trials. Suvoda will be highlighting these developments and how companies can Trial wisely at the CTS Europe conference this month. For more details, you can register for CTS Europe here and experience the new Suvoda at www.suvoda.com . About Suvoda Suvoda is a global clinical trial technology company that specializes in highly complex, life-sustaining studies in therapeutic areas like oncology, central nervous system, and rare disease. Founded in 2013 by experts in eClinical technologies, Suvoda empowers clinical trial professionals to manage the most urgent moments in the most urgent trials through its IRT, eConsent, and eCOA solutions delivered on a single platform. Headquartered outside Philadelphia, Suvoda also maintains offices in Portland, OR, Barcelona, Spain, Bucharest, Romania and Tokyo, Japan. The company consistently boasts a customer satisfaction index of 9 out of 10, an NPS score of 70 in its annual surveys, and has been selected by trial sponsors and CROs to support nearly 1000 trials across 65 countries. To learn more, visit suvoda.com. Follow Suvoda on Twitter and LinkedIn. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1759317/Suvoda_Logo.jpg As European companies compete to deliver the best employee experience, Moveworks brings its AI platform to the UK, France, and Germany. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moveworks, the AI platform that automates support at work, today announced its expansion across Europe, with plans to open new offices in the UK, France, and Germany. The company will hire aggressively to meet demand in Europe, following a year of rapid growth in North America that included a $200 million Series C round. "Employee experience has become the number one priority for businesses in Europe, since remote work allows employees to explore job opportunities anywhere on Earth," said Moveworks CEO Bhavin Shah. "Now, they can simply log out of one company and log in to another, which means they'll no longer tolerate slow, old-school enterprise tech. We're excited to help thousands of European companies speed up the workplace - with AI that provides support, communications, and insights in real time." Remote and hybrid teams rely on Moveworks to stay productive from anywhere. Whether they need IT support, HR service, policy information, or a map of the office, employees describe their requests to the Moveworks bot, via enterprise messaging tools and web portals. The platform uses deep natural language understanding (NLU) to interpret each request, then analyzes every resource available at the company to deliver the most relevant solution in seconds. Critically, Moveworks offers multilingual support in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, making instant help available throughout Western Europe. At a time when 89% of UK organizations provide the option of flexible work, AI platforms are a necessity to fulfill that promise - wherever their employees live and whatever language they speak. "Our employees expect a seamless experience, which is why we're thrilled to be on this journey with Moveworks," said Gareth Byrne-Perkins, Director of Technology, Security & Services at Premier Foods. "We look forward to giving our colleagues immediate support in Microsoft Teams, where they already spend their digital day, just by asking the Moveworks bot. This is the heart of our Productivity & Collaboration strategy: transforming the Teams experience with AI." Moveworks' hiring efforts in Europe are focused on go-to-market talent, including account executives and sales development representatives. The company recently added two renowned executives - Chief Revenue Officer Marcello Gallo and Vice President of EMEA Marc Zakher - who enable each rep to "earn their PhD in enterprise sales" by mastering a proven customer engagement model. Already, the Moveworks team in Europe works with industry-leading customers in transportation, agriculture, technology, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. Named the #1 Best Place to Work in the Bay Area, Moveworks is bringing its people-first culture across the Atlantic. Interested in joining a hyper-growth AI company? Visit moveworks.com for more information, or apply directly at moveworks.com/careers. About Moveworks Moveworks is revolutionizing how companies support their employees - with the first AI platform that makes getting help at work effortless. The modern workday is full of disruptions, from IT issues to HR updates to policy changes. Moveworks understands exactly what employees need and provides the right solution in seconds, using conversational AI built for the enterprise. Our platform allows customers like DocuSign, Broadcom, and Western Digital to move forward on what matters. LAUSANNE, Switzerland, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry leaders from around the world have contributed to The State of Hospitality 2022 insight report, published by Sommet Education, world-leading education group specializing in hospitality management and the culinary arts. The report, which uncovers the latest employment, skills and talent management issues within the global hospitality sector, features in-depth perspectives from hotel management, high-gastronomy, luxury, travel, tourism and other experts from international organizations and from France, India, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and UK. Executives from Accor, Alain Ducasse Group, European Travel Commission, HOSPA - The Hospitality Professionals Association, HVS, Lartisien Group, L.E.K Consulting, Relais & Chateaux, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, United Nations World Tourism Organization, and World Travel and Tourism Council have all produced their visions on: Employment and skills shortages (including in specific roles). Initiatives in place to address these gaps. Emerging talent areas that are needed. Challenges around ethical recruitment, diversity, and inclusion within the workforce. The role of and the need from, education and training providers to support these issues. What can be done by government, and other industry/sector bodies, to help organizations attract, develop, and retain talent. The report also includes analysis of contextual economic and financial data around industry growth, resilience, investment, and emerging jobs. Writing in the report, Sommet Education CEO Benoit-Etienne Domenget, said: "Hospitality is more than a business. It is a community of contemporary nomads sharing the same curiosity for travel, an openness to different cultures, the attention to detail, the willingness to welcome and please others. Having spent the last 20 years in that industry, I have had the opportunity to experience how much people make a difference. People in our industry are more than a key success factor, they are the very heart of our DNA. Hospitality is a land of opportunities, and education is a key to seize them." The State of Hospitality 2022 insight report, published by Sommet Education, is available to download here. About Sommet Education: www.sommet-education.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1768518/State_of_Hospitality.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1280685/Sommet_Education_Logo.jpg PDF - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1768519/State_of_Hospitality_2022_Sommet_Education.pdf Media requests: Anouck Weiss - Chief Communication Officer media@sommet-education.com GOTHENBURG, Sweden, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WirelessCar, a global leader in transformative digital vehicle services for connected cars, today announced it has signed a two-year project called FREEDOM to conduct research and development on how to turn connected vehicles to sustainable mobility using AI. The project is a collaboration with the Center for Applied Intelligent Systems Research (CAISR) at Halmstad University, represented by Slawomir Nowaczyk , Professor of Machine Learning; and it is partially funded by Vinnova, Sweden's innovation agency within the call Fordonsstrategisk forskning och innovation, Effektiva och uppkopplade transportsystem. A data-driven approach can visualize mobility patterns and give new insights Using a data-driven approach, the FREEDOM project's objective is to find new insights and create digital services that will help shape sustainable mobility offers for car makers. More specifically, WirelessCar and its project partner aim to identify common travel patterns of both vehicles and people, and to quantify the crucial factors affecting the efficiency of the whole system. Challenges facing the transport sector Passenger cars account for nearly 41% of the global CO2 emissions from the transport sector, making them one of the most significant challenges facing cities today. It is also an excellent opportunity. Society is witnessing a shift in attitude towards solutions that both protect the planet and improve people's lives. However, innovative transport solutions require accurate insights as input to decision-makers, and the FREEDOM project aims to make those data-based insights more accessible. Slawomir Nowaczyk, professor of Machine Learning at Halmstad University: "Using vehicle data in the right way has huge potential, which we aim to explore-to decouple pollution and CO2 emissions from the mission of providing necessary mobility for all. Many different actors will benefit from the data of millions of connected vehicles once it is analyzed in the FREEDOM project." Using connected car data in a wider scope will pave the way Natalie Lucca, Product Owner Data & Analytics at WirelessCar and one of the project creators: "Connected car data is a surprisingly untapped resource, and machine learning based on it is a crucial tool for making many of these mobility initiatives sustainable. Machine learning algorithms will help develop services that lead to sustainable and efficient resource utilization, while at the same time being realistic in terms of convenience and cost." To make a significant contribution to the goal of sustainable mobility will require the meeting and cross-pollination of the following: technology development, studies of user motives, needs and prime movers, and value creation for different stakeholders-commercially as well as socially and environmentally. One important output of the FREEDOM project, therefore, are the interviews and observation studies with users about mobility preferences, hopes and fears concerning changing to electrified mobility, changing driving styles and everyday practices. The unique combination of quantitative and qualitative research will be the foundation for the FREEDOM project, one that secures a solid contribution to sustainable mobility. To learn more please visit our website: https://www.wirelesscar.com/ai-research-project-started-for-sustainable-mobility/ Media Contact: Noemi KubiakWirelessCar+46 765 200727 noemi.kubiak@wirelesscar.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/wirelesscar/r/wirelesscar-announces-ai-research-project-for-sustainable-mobility,c3526755 Dr Chas Bountra, Dr Richard Eglen, Steve Rees, Dr Cathy Tralau-Stewart, and Dr Ian Waddell to help deliver current and impactful scientific content to life science and drug discovery communities Dr Catherine Kettleborough to chair SAB, supported by Melanie Leveridge, Sanj Kumar, and Dr Saleha Patel Dr Antje Grotz to receive the Early Career Professional Impact Award at ELRIG UK's Research and Innovation (29-30 March 2022 in Oxford, UK) The European Laboratory Research Innovation Group (ELRIG) UK today announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with the appointment of senior drug discovery experts: Dr Chas Bountra OBE, Dr Richard Eglen, Steve Rees OBE, Dr Cathy Tralau-Stewart, and Dr Ian Waddell. The SAB will help the organisation continue to deliver reliable, cutting-edge content to the life science and drug discovery communities, driving collaboration and knowledge exchange between academic and biopharma industry thought-leaders. The newly formed SAB will be chaired by Dr Catherine Kettleborough, Science Strategy Work Group Leader at ELRIG UK and Head of Biology at LifeArc, and supported by Melanie Leveridge, Chair of ELRIG UK and Head of Screening, Profiling and Mechanistic Biology, and Global Compound Management at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanj Kumar, General Manager at ELRIG UK, and Dr Saleha Patel, Networking Work Group Leader at ELRIG UK and Senior Scientist at AstraZeneca. Dr Catherine Kettleborough has over 25 years' experience working at the interface of academic research and biopharma. As Head of Biology at LifeArc's Centre for Translational Sciences, Dr Kettleborough oversees reagent and assay development, screening, and target validation to support hit-to-lead and antibody discovery projects for novel drug targets identified by academic research groups globally. Prior to her current role, she was Assistant Director of Applied Research at MRC Technology where she managed the Assay Development and Screening Group. Dr Chas Bountra OBE is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Professor of Translational Medicine and Director of the Centre for Medicines Discovery in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford. Prior to this, Dr Bountra was VP and Head of Biology at GSK where he led the identification of over 40 clinical candidates for gastro-intestinal, inflammatory, and neuro-psychiatric diseases. Dr Bountra advises on a range of academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug discovery programmes, and he is an invited expert on several government and charitable research funding bodies. Dr Richard Eglen has over 40 years' experience in executive management positions across pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotechnology industries, and he is currently Senior Advisor to a leading private equity firm that specialises in healthcare, Arsenal Capital Partners. He is also a Fellow of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) and previously held senior roles at Corning Life Sciences, PerkinElmer, DiscoveRx Corp (now Eurofins Pharma Discovery Services), and Roche Pharmaceuticals. Dr Eglen has broad experience in drug discovery, having worked on key drug targets, as well as in developing technologies for cell and gene therapy, cell culture, high-throughput screening, cellular imaging and biomarker detection. Steve Rees OBE is VP of Discovery Biology at AstraZeneca with responsibility for functional genomics, reagent and assay development, and cell and gene therapies. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Rees worked at GSK for 24 years in various roles. He is currently an Industry Trustee of the British Pharmaceutical Society (BPS) Council and works to actively promote networking, educational, and mentoring opportunities for drug discovery scientists. Rees is also the former Chair of ELRIG UK and member of the SLAS Board of Directors, and has led multiple international collaborations and external partnerships, including the creation of the Cambridge COVID-19 Test Centre. Dr Cathy Tralau-Stewart has more than 20 years' experience in senior academic and industry leadership roles, with a focus on drug discovery and the translation of early research innovation into drug discovery programmes. She is currently CSO at C4X Discovery and, prior to this, was Senior Director of Alliances for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for the strategic development and management of academic alliances. In senior leadership positions at Imperial College London, the University of California, San Francisco, and the Stanford University-Takeda Alliance for Innovative Medicines, Dr Tralau-Stewart built drug discovery portfolios through to Phase III clinical studies. She is currently a Fellow of the SLAS and the Royal Society of Chemistry, as well as a Member of the BPS. Dr Ian Waddell is CSO for CUMULUS Oncology, with over 35 years' experience in project, line, and matrix management in the pharmaceutical industry. In his previous role as Director of Discovery Medicine and Translational Science at AstraZeneca, Dr Waddell managed research groups in cardiovascular and oncology disease areas, and, as Head of Biology in the Drug Discovery Unit of the CRUK Manchester Institute, he led a team that identified three clinical drug candidates. He was also CSO (Early Discovery) at Charles River Laboratories, where he supported its rapid growth as the Company began to focus on new modalities. Dr Waddell works closely with Alzheimer's Research UK and The Brain Tumour Charity. Melanie Leveridge, Chair of ELRIG UK, and Head of Screening, Profiling and Mechanistic Biology, and Global Compound Management at GlaxoSmithKline, said: "We are pleased to welcome this talented team of industry experts to our newly formed SAB. Their extensive expertise and knowledge across the drug discovery field will support ELRIG UK to ensure the content we deliver to our community of over 12,000 drug discovery scientists remains at the forefront of scientific research and industry trends." Dr Catherine Kettleborough, Science Strategy Work Group Leader and SAB Chair at ELRIG UK and Head of Biology at LifeArc, commented: "The appointment of the new SAB will be fundamental in our mission to ensuring the highest quality of scientific content and to bring the life science and drug discovery communities together to learn, connect, and collaborate, on an open access basis. We look forward to working closely with this exceptional group to reinforce our core values and efforts." The ELRIG Early Career Professional (ECP) Impact Award 2022 is designed to recognise and celebrate ECPs that are having a positive impact on preclinical drug discovery. Dr Antje Grotz, Postdoctoral Fellow at AstraZeneca has been selected to receive this years' award in recognition of her work performing a genome-wide CRISPR screen of human pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction to understand the molecular mechanisms mediating Type 2 diabetes risk, as well as for her efforts as an ECP at AstraZeneca and various science festivals. Dr Grotz will deliver a presentation at ELRIG UK's Research Innovation event taking place in Oxford, UK from 29-30 March. Dr Mark Soave, ECP Work Group Leader at ELRIG UK and Senior Scientist at OMass Therapeutics, added: "The ECP Impact award looks to highlight our future leaders by recognising the delivery of impactful science and technology, and we are delighted that Dr Antje Grotz is this years' recipient. We look forward to celebrating her well-deserved achievement at ELRIG UK's Research Innovation later this month." For more information on ELRIG UK's SAB, please visit https://www.elrig.org/about/governance/scientific-advisory-board/ For more details on the ECP Impact Award, please visit https://www.elrig.org/early-career-professionals/, and to learn more on ELRIG UK's Research Innovation event, please visit https://www.elrig.org/portfolio/research-innovation-2022/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220316005965/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Zyme Communications Dr Michelle Ricketts Tel: +44 7789 053885 Email: michelle.ricketts@zymecommunications.com Regulatory News: The Board of Directors of TotalEnergies SE (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) met on March 16, 2022, under the chairmanship of Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Board decided to convene the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting of TotalEnergies SE on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The legal notice of the meeting will be published soon in the BALO (Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires), and will be available on TotalEnergies' website. The Board of Directors also approved the documents to be submitted to the Shareholders' Meeting, including the Management Report on the position of the Company. This Report by the Board of the Directors is part of the 2021 Universal Registration Document of TotalEnergies SE that will be published soon on its website. On the proposal of the Governance and Ethics Committee chaired by Marie-Christine Coisne-Roquette, Lead Independent Director, the Board of Directors decided to propose to the Shareholders' Meeting the renewal for a period of three years of the directorships of Mrs. Lise Croteau, Mrs. Maria van der Hoeven and Mr. Jean Lemierre, whose terms of office will expire at the end of the Shareholders' Meeting. The appointment of a new director representing employee shareholders, replacing Valerie Della Puppa Tibi, whose term of office is also expiring, will also be submitted to the vote at the Shareholders' Meeting. The Board thanked Valerie Della Puppa Tibi for her active contribution to the work of the Board. In addition, the Board of Directors will propose to the next Annual Shareholders' Meeting the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit as statutory auditor for a term of six financial years, replacing KPMG, whose term expires on this date and cannot be renewed pursuant to law, and the renewal for a period of six financial years of Ernst and Young's term as statutory auditor. In accordance with the resolution approved by the shareholders in May 2021, on TotalEnergies' ambition with respect to sustainable development and the energy transition towards carbon neutrality, the Board of Directors undertook to report to the annual Shareholders' Meeting of May 25, 2022, on the progress made in implementing this ambition. In this respect, the Board of Directors approved the Sustainability Climate 2022 Progress Report, which will be published on March 24, 2022, and submitted to an advisory vote at the Shareholders' Meeting on May 25, 2022. The report sets out the implementation of the strategy and the progress made in 2021 with regard to the 2030 objectives, and completes TotalEnergies' ambition, particularly setting targets for reducing methane emissions by 2030 and scope 3 worldwide oil emissions by 2030, and a description of what the Company's activities would look like in 2050, achieving carbon neutrality, together with society. This report also explains how TotalEnergies considers the International Energy Agency's Net Zero scenario in its energy transition ambition towards carbon neutrality. The report will be published and presented on March 24, 2022 at the Strategy, Sustainability Climate meeting with investors. The Board of Directors will submit to the Shareholders' Meeting for approval resolutions on the compensation of its corporate executive officers, and various financial resolutions. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. @TotalEnergies I TotalEnergies I TotalEnergies I TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005491/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies Contacts Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Leucrotta Exploration Inc. (TSXV: LXE) ("Leucrotta" or the "Company") has previously announced a Plan to reach 30,000 boepd within a five-year time frame. The accomplishments outlined below will assist in accelerating the development and provide greater clarity on funding and timeline to achieve those goals: Gas processing arrangement noted below along with currently owned facilities provides Leucrotta with enough gas processing to reach an interim goal of approximately 25,000 boepd. $55 million infrastructure funding allows Leucrotta to reach its goals using existing cash ($30 million), estimated cash flow, and projected credit facilities. Expansion of Mica Project into Alberta provides jurisdictional and time flexibility in business plan. Commencement of Drilling Program will add production and cash flow sooner than previously anticipated. GAS PROCESSING AND MICA BATTERY FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS Leucrotta has entered into a 10 year gas processing agreement with NorthRiver Midstream Inc. ("NRM") to provide 50 mmcf/d of firm processing capacity at NRM's West Doe gas processing facility. The agreement commences after the construction of the Mica Battery and is subject to a ramp-up period. Leucrotta will also hold certain rights to additional firm processing capacity that, along with Leucrotta's owned 25 mmcf/d processing facility at Doe, will allow Leucrotta to reach 25,000 boepd in the Mica area. Concurrent with this agreement, NRM has agreed to provide up to $55 million of capital funding that Leucrotta will use to construct a battery facility at Mica (the Mica Battery"). The Mica Battery will consist of facilities for in-field processing of oil, gas and water and will deliver gas to NRM's West Doe gas processing facility. The Mica Battery will have an initial capacity of 60 mmcf/d expandable to 90 mmcf/d with added compression. ALBERTA DEVELOPMENT OFFSETTING MICA Leucrotta owns approximately 50 sections of Montney lands in Alberta that mirror the Mica Development in British Columbia. These lands are geologically very similar to Mica with good well control. Leucrotta recently completed a Lower Montney well in Alberta that was flowing over 600 boepd (150 bopd of 42 API light oil and 2.8 mmcf/d of liquids-rich gas) at the end of an 18-day flow test.(1) The well was drilled in 2018 for land retention and used a 1500 metre lateral and a 52 stage frac. This is in contrast to the recently completed Mica Test Pad that used 2400 metre laterals and 133 stage fracs. The Alberta well compares favourably to similar Mica wells and Leucrotta is very pleased with the result. Leucrotta views this as a very material development given the significant delineation of the resource and jurisdictional flexibility to spend capital and increase shareholder value while the Mica Project is being permitted and constructed. COMMENCEMENT OF DRILLING PROGRAM Leucrotta has secured a drilling rig and is preparing to drill a 5-well Montney Pad located in Alberta offsetting the Mica Development in British Columbia. Drilling is expected to commence by early April and will be drilled to a lateral length of 3,000 metres with 166 frac stages. The wells can be completed in early Q3 2022 and equipped and on-stream in late Q3 2022. The Mica development will proceed with a total of 10 wells during 2022 and early Q1 2023 to coincide with the commissioning of the Mica Battery once all regulatory approvals are received for Mica Project. OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL UPDATE Leucrotta estimates Q1 2022 and current production at 4,250 boepd. Production for the remainder of the year is projected to remain relatively flat until the new Alberta Pad is placed on production at which point approximately 4,000 boepd will be added. Mica Pads II and III (5,000 boepd per Pad) would be brought on sequentially during Q1 2023 and Q2 2023 in conjunction with the anticipated start-up of the Mica Battery in Q1 2023. Leucrotta estimates that current cash and working capital are approximately $30 million with no debt. In conjunction with year-end filings, Leucrotta will look to increase its bank credit facility to provide more flexibility with respect to its future capital operations. A new Corporate Presentation has been posted to the Leucrotta website at www.leucrotta.ca. We look forward to reporting on future developments as we continue to execute our plan and attain various milestones. (1) Test Results and Initial Production Rates The Alberta Lower Montney well was production tested for 5.8 days after the original cleanup and produced at an average rate of 522 boe/d (73% gas, 27% Oil and Condensate) over that period, excluding load fluid and energizing fluid. At the end of the test, flowing wellhead pressure and production rates were stable. A pressure transient analysis or well-test interpretation has not been carried out and thus certain of the test results provided herein should be considered to be preliminary until such analysis or interpretation has been completed. Test results and initial production rates disclosed herein, particularly those short in duration, may not necessarily be indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "believe", "intends", "forecast", "plans", "guidance" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements or information. More particularly and without limitation, this document contains forward-looking statements and information relating to the Company's capital programs and production. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including expectations and assumptions relating to prevailing commodity prices and exchange rates, applicable royalty rates and tax laws, future well production rates, the performance of existing wells, the success of drilling new wells, the availability of capital to undertake planned activities and the availability and cost of labour and services. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in development, exploration and production, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures, the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production rates, costs and expenses, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, marketing and transportation, environmental risks, competition, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources and changes in tax, royalty and environmental legislation. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this document are made as of the date hereof for the purpose of providing the readers with the Company's expectations for the coming year. The forward-looking statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. For further information, please contact: LEUCROTTA EXPLORATION INC. 2110, 530 - 8th Ave SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3S8 Phone: (403) 705-4525 www.leucrotta.ca Robert Zakresky President and Chief Executive Officer Nolan Chicoine Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117141 Rural women in revolutionary base fight poverty Xinhua) 10:10, March 17, 2022 A farmer harvests Chinese cabbages at a vegetable planting base in Gaoyuan Village of Xiji County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) YINCHUAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Nestled in the foothills of Liupan Mountain, Xiji County was among the very last in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to get rid of penury, with local women playing a major role in the rural backwater's battle against poverty. The county, with a population of nearly half a million, was a revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC), where the first and second front armies of the Red Army joined forces in October 1936, marking the final victory of the "Long March". However, Xiji suffered due to poor public infrastructure, and the majority of its men preferred to migrate to big cities in search of work. The rural women left behind at home began to take part in local poverty alleviation efforts and became a driving force of the county's endeavor toward prosperity. The family of Luo Aiping, a 43-year-old resident in Xiji's Jiqiang Township, used to eke out a living through the earnings of her husband, a decoration worker. In 2019, the town established a soft drink factory, which turns local specialty like the goji berry and sea-buckthorn into juice, and Luo joined the factory as a worker in charge of packing finished products. It is now Luo's fourth year in the factory. She can earn about 4,000 yuan (630 U.S. dollars) a month. There are about 110 workers in the factory. Most of them were housewives from surrounding villages and towns. Around half of the workers' families were earlier classified as poverty-stricken households, but they have all risen out of destitution through diligence and hard work. "The factory has helped us live a better-off life," Luo said. In 2020, Xiji was removed from the poverty list, becoming Ningxia's last impoverished county managing to vanquish absolute poverty, thanks to China's poverty alleviation campaign. Today, the per capita annual income of the county stands at more than 12,000 yuan. Rural women like Luo are becoming Xiji's reliable labor force and they continue to contribute to the county's stable and sound development. Xinglong Township in Xiji County has a shopping street known by locals as "street of Poyi." "Poyi" means married women in the local dialect. It's named so because most of the shops are run by local married women, particularly women of Hui ethnic group. Ethnic clothes, delicate carpets, cosmetics, daily necessities and different kinds of halal food can be spotted everywhere on the street. Zhao Ping, 54, now owns four stores on the street. She used to be a street vendor, struggling for a decent life for nearly three decades. "The local government has provided us with necessary guidance and subsidies to help us start our own businesses. We can run our business here with ease and expect a rosy future," Zhao said. At a local potato noodle plant in Xiji County, dozens of female workers were busy making potato noodles, also dubbed as "Red Army Potato Noodle," which are expected to be sold across the country. In 1936, the Red Army soldiers taught the local Hui people how to make potato noodles. The delicacy is now helping the local people earning a better life. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) by Xinhua writer Hu Tao BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian plane-maker Embraer is optimistic about China's booming air-cargo market and is willing to support the sectors' further progress in cooperation with local partners, said senior executives of the company. "China has played key roles in sustaining the global supply chain and industrial chain, especially during the global pandemic period, highlighting the value of the air-cargo sector," said Guo Qing, managing director of Embraer China. The country's high-quality growth will create new market opportunities for global players, Guo added. China's air-cargo market is a highlight in the global market, according to Guo, and like other markets, it is powered by demands from the e-commerce and logistics sectors. It also shows unique demands and market ecology in line with the country's social-economic conditions and geographical environment, he said. In 2021, China handled up to 108.3 billion express parcels, a 29.9 percent year-on-year increase. The parcel volume accounted for half of the global total, statistics from the State Post Bureau show. "An upgraded air-cargo market will be greatly powered by China's dual circulation development paradigm, where domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other," said Guo. He says the country's consumption upgrade will promote the logistics industry, including the burgeoning air-freight cold-chain sector, and the industry upgrade will push forward the reconstruction of the industrial chain. "Both upgrades will demand faster and more efficient air-logistics services. Embraer has recently launched the E-Jet series passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversion project to provide small-and-crossover standard-body freighters to the market," he said. Embraer forecasts a market demand for about 700 of the small-and-crossover standard-body freighters over the next 20 years. Among which, the Chinese market is forecast to demand 240 freighters of this size, accounting for 34 percent of the global total. "Aside from various aircraft models, Embraer can also provide customers with full life-cycle services ranging from spare-parts support to financial leasing, among others," said Mike Xu, chief operating officer of Embraer China. "Together with local partners, we have also established a complete pilot training network to better serve our Chinese customers," Xu added. By the end of 2025, China will have over 270 civil transport airports, which will handle 17 million flights a year, according to a plan on the development of the country's civil aviation industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The country's civil aviation sector will handle 930 million passenger trips and 9.5 million tonnes of cargo and parcels annually by 2025, said the plan released by Civil Aviation Administration of China. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Trifecta Gold Ltd. (TSX.V:TG) ("Trifecta" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Quinn Martin as Chief Financial Officer, to replace Mr. Larry Donaldson effective March 16, 2022. Trifecta also announces Mr. Bruce Kenway's retirement from the Board of Directors effective March 16, 2022. "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Larry and Bruce for their service and guidance since formation of the Company," states Richard Drechsler, President and CEO. The departures of Messrs. Donaldson and Kenway are part of a planned transition at the Company, and both have agreed to continue in advisory roles. Mr. Quinn Martin is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) with over 16 years experience working with public companies in a variety of sectors. He currently provides CFO services to reporting issuers working in the mineral resource sector, and also provides financial reporting consultancy services to numerous public companies in varying industries on Canadian Exchanges. Previously, Mr. Martin had spent 13 years working in assurance services for public companies at Davidson & Company LLP, where he was a Principal until his departure in 2018. He obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at Thompson Rivers University in 2005 and received his Chartered Accountant (CPA) designation in 2009. Mr. Martin is currently a Principal at Donaldson Brohman Martin CPA Inc. Independent Director Ms. Rachele Gordon will succeed Mr. Kenway as chair of Trifecta's Audit Committee. Under the Company's Incentive Stock Option Plan, Trifecta has granted Mr. Martin 250,000 incentive stock options at a price of $0.08 per share for a period of five years. These options are subject to vesting provisions under which 25% of the options will vest at the conclusion of each three months during the first year of the exercise period. About Trifecta Gold Ltd. Trifecta is a Canadian-based precious metals exploration company dedicated to increasing shareholder value through the discovery and development of 100% held gold projects in Yukon and Nevada. Drilling is ongoing at its Yuge Gold Project, located in northern Nevada, where multiple broad zones of gold mineralization have been identified near historical high-grade mines. The Company's Eureka Project hosts an 8 x 2.5 kilometre belt of surface showings and anomalous gold-in-soil that straddle the headwaters of two of the most productive placer creeks in Yukon's southern Klondike Goldfields. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Richard Drechsler" President and CEO For further information concerning Trifecta or its various exploration projects please visit www.trifectagold.com or contact: Corporate Information Trifecta Gold Ltd. Richard Drechsler President and CEO Tel: (604) 687-2522 ext. 262 Thisnews release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from the expected results. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Trifecta Gold Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693414/Trifecta-Gold-Announces-Changes-to-Management-and-Board Highlights Murtolampi represents an at surface, satellite deposit opportunity located only 2 kilometers north of the 2019 NI43-101 Kaukua Open Pit Mineral Resource Estimate. 2.7 g/t Palladium Equivalent (Pd_Eq) over 5.7 meters within 2.1 g/t over 24.2 meters starting at a true depth of only 5 meters in hole LK21-137. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Drill hole LK21-137 at Murtolampi, Finland intersected up to 2.7 g/t Pd_Eq over 5.7 meters, within 2.1 g/t Pd_Eq over 24.2 meters, starting at a true depth of 5 meters (Figure 1 and 2), said Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) (OTCQB: NKORF) (FSE: 7N11) ("Palladium One" or the "Company"). Derrick Weyrauch, President and CEO, commented: "The Murtolampi zone has again delivered a high grade, at surface drill intercept, and represents a potentially valuable satellite open pit in the greater Kaukua Area. Additional regional exploration will be conducted in 2022 starting with an Induced Polarization (IP) survey which began this month on the far eastern portion of the Haukiaho Trend wherein the favourable marginal series changes orientation toward the north (see Figure 1)." The Company drilled a total of 11 holes totalling 1,514 metres into the Murtolampi Zone, with values of up to 3.4 g/t Pd_Eq over 7.0 meters within 1.8 g/t Pd over 78.5 meters in hole LK21-026, (Figure 1 and 2, Table 1). see news release November 16, 2020. The Murtolampi zone is interpreted to be a faulted offset of the Kaukua trend and shares many similarities with Kaukua resource pit area. The Murtolampi zone has been traced over 600 meters of strike with a Core Zone of 350 meters. Murtolampi's Core Zone is exposed on surface and represents a very low strip satellite open pit opportunity beside the main Kaukau open pit located only 2 kilometers to the south. 2022 Regional Exploration in Finland The first phase of 2022 regional exploration program consists of a drone based magnetic and IP survey over the far eastern portion of the Haukiaho Trend, referred to as the Lota area (Figure 1). This portion of the favourable basal marginal series has received very little exploration compared to the rest of the property. Limited drilling by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) in the 1990's returned narrow intervals up to 0.19% Ni and 0.31 g/t Pd in gabbroic and peridotitic rocks. Several boulders were also located by GTK down ice of the Lota area with anomalous PGE grades. The limited geological work to date indicates that not only does the marginal series turn north in this location but it also dips very shallowly to the west which would provide a very favourable geometry for open pit style mining. Figure 1. LK Project location map showing the NI43-101 compliant Kaukua and Haukiaho Mineral Resource Estimate, Murtolampi Zone, along with Induced Polarization (IP) grids (blue lines) and new 2022 IP survey area. Yellow lines represent Exploration Permits, red lines represent Exploration Permit Applications and orange lines Exploration Reservations held by the Company. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/117119_f3a98905f41d3ab5_001full.jpg Figure 2. Murtolampi plan map showing IP chargeability anomalies and drill holes. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/117119_f3a98905f41d3ab5_002full.jpg Table 1. LK Project, select Murtolampi Drill Hole Results Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Pd_Eq g/t* In-Situ Pd_Eq g/t* Estimated Recovered PGE (Pt+Pd+Au) Pd g/t Pt g/t Au g/t Cu % Ni % Co g/t LK20-012 5.8 92.9 87.2 1.28 0.77 0.53 0.32 0.17 0.04 0.08 0.18 126 Inc. 28.5 80.6 52.1 1.58 0.96 0.73 0.44 0.24 0.06 0.11 0.20 135 Inc. 28.5 48.7 20.2 2.02 1.25 1.05 0.63 0.35 0.07 0.13 0.24 150 LK20-026 11.0 89.5 78.5 1.82 1.17 1.07 0.62 0.37 0.09 0.14 0.17 108 Inc. 59.5 88.0 28.5 2.40 1.52 1.45 0.85 0.51 0.09 0.15 0.24 140 Inc. 67.0 74.0 7.0 3.42 2.18 2.19 1.29 0.78 0.11 0.21 0.32 169 LK21-135 32.0 36.0 4.0 0.61 0.37 0.06 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.10 0.10 86 LK21-136 5.5 75.0 69.5 0.76 0.48 0.38 0.22 0.13 0.02 0.07 0.08 75 Inc. 7.0 31.0 24.0 1.05 0.67 0.59 0.35 0.21 0.03 0.09 0.10 82 Inc. 21.0 26.0 5.0 1.33 0.86 0.77 0.46 0.26 0.05 0.12 0.12 92 LK21-137 5.8 30.0 24.2 2.05 1.31 1.04 0.61 0.32 0.11 0.20 0.22 134 Inc. 5.8 23.9 18.1 2.46 1.58 1.29 0.76 0.40 0.13 0.23 0.26 149 Inc. 5.8 11.5 5.7 2.70 1.75 1.43 0.84 0.45 0.15 0.27 0.27 155 * Pd_Eq calculated using in-situ values and prices from the 2021 NI43-101 Haukiaho Mineral Resource Estimate; $1,600/oz Pd, $1,100/oz Pt, $1,650/oz Au, $3.50 Cu, and $7.50/lb Ni, and $20/lb Co. Limited historical metallurgical work on the Kaukua Deposit indicates final recoveries in the range of 73% Pd, 56% Pt, 78% Au, 91% Cu, 48% Ni and 48% Co and are used in the Estimated Recovered Pd_Eq grade calculation. ** Orange shaded values previously released (see press releases August 25, 2020, November 16, 2020) Palladium Equivalent (Pd_Eq) The Company is calculating Palladium equivalent using US$1,600 per ounce for palladium, US$1,100 per ounce for platinum, US$1,650 per ounce for gold, US$3.50 per pound for copper, US$7.50 per pound for nickel, and $20 per pound cobalt consistent with the calculation used in the Company's September 2021 NI 43-101 Haukiaho Resource Estimate. Qualified Person The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 About Palladium One Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) is focused on discovering environmentally and socially conscious Metals for Green Transportation. A Canadian mineral exploration and development company, Palladium One is targeting district scale, platinum-group-element (PGE)-copper-nickel deposits in leading mining jurisdictions. Its flagship project is the Lantinen Koillismaa (LK) Project in north-central Finland, which is ranked by the Fraser Institute as one of the world's top countries for mineral exploration and development. LK is a PGE-copper-nickel project that has existing Mineral Resources. PDM's second project is the 2020 Discovery of the Year Award winning Tyko Project, a high-grade sulphide, copper-nickel project located in Canada. Follow Palladium One on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at www.palladiumoneinc.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Derrick Weyrauch" President & CEO, Director For further information contact: Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO Email: info@palladiumoneinc.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of Palladium One Mining Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and tax consequences to Canadian and U.S. Shareholders. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117119 Loop Energy (TSX: LPEN), a designer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell-based solutions, announces a commercial agreement with Innotest AG, a Switzerland-based developer of stationary power systems. The agreement provides the opportunity for Loop Energy's eFlow technology to power buildings in Europe for the first time. Innotest has committed to purchase one Loop Energy S300 (30 kW) fuel cell system for integration into its Home Power Energy System. As part of Innotest's growing product range, the Home Power Energy System is intended to be installed into residential and commercial buildings to provide heat and electricity. The decision to select the 30 kW fuel cell system results from its ability to meet Innotest's stringent and unique performance metrics. Innotest plans to offer the Home Power Energy System in Switzerland and ultimately expand into other European markets. In addition, the companies expect to launch joint initiatives to promote the advantages of powering buildings with hydrogen fuel cells in the coming year. "Innotest's decision to select Loop Energy's fuel cell solution demonstrates the versatility of our technology," says Loop Energy Chief Commercial Officer, George Rubin. "We are very excited to deliver a fuel cell solution from our existing product line which we believe will provide value to both Innotest and its customers across the European market." "The climate crisis is requiring us to find innovative and zero-emission solutions to power our buildings and infrastructure," says Innotest Product Manager, Mathias Kreier. "By integrating Loop Energy's fuel cell technology into our Home Power Energy System, we aim to provide reliable and clean power to homes and businesses across Europe, contributing to driving renewable energy dominance and energy independence lifestyle." Loop Energy President CEO, Ben Nyland will also announce the partnership today at the Swiss-Canadian Cleantech Innovation Summit, where he is presenting the company's strategy to enter markets in Europe. More information about the summit can be found at: https://www.s-ge.com/en/contact/swiss-canadian-cleantech-innovation-summit About Innotest AG and Brand Home Power Innotest AG was founded in 1994 to develop and provide innovative measuring and testing technology. Innotest AG has succeeded in gaining international competence and expertise in the fields of ultrasound and electromagnetic test and measurement processes. The company's activities are research and development, test devices production and energy storage systems integration. Through Home Power, Innotest integrates innovative technologies delivering alternatives to shift renewable-energy surplus between seasons. For more information, please visit https://homepower.ch/. About Loop Energy Inc. Loop Energy is a leading designer and manufacturer of fuel cell systems targeted for the electrification of commercial vehicles, including light commercial vehicles, transit buses and medium and heavy-duty trucks. Loop's products feature the company's proprietary eFlow technology in the fuel cell stack's bipolar plates. eFlow is designed to enable commercial customers to achieve performance maximization and cost minimization. Loop works with OEMs and major vehicle sub-system suppliers to enable the production of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. For more information about how Loop is driving towards a zero-emissions future, visit www.loopenergy.com. This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflect management's current expectations and projections regarding future events. Particularly, statements regarding the Company's expectations of future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities or the markets in which we operate is forward-looking information, including without limitation the expected future demand for stationary fuel cell power systems for residential and commercial markets, Innotest AG's planned expansion into Europe, the expected fuel efficiency, reliability and performance of the Company's products, the ability of ability of the Company's products to meet Innotest's stringent and unique performance metrics and the Company's expectation of future orders for its products from Innotest AG. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions (including without limitation assumptions with respect the current and future performance of the Company's products and growth in demand for the Company's products from Innotest AG and other customers) and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and could cause actual results and events to vary materially from those that are disclosed, or implied, by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company to execute on its strategy, progress existing and future customers through the Customer Adoption Cycle in a timely way, the realization of electrification of transportation, the elimination of diesel fuel and ongoing government support of such developments, the expected growth in demand for fuel cells for the commercial transportation market and the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2021. Loop disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005165/en/ Contacts: Investor Inquiries: Bill Zhang +1 604.222.3400 Ext. 299 bill.zhang@loopenergy.com Laine Yonker +1 646.653.7035 lyonker@edisongroup.com Business Inquiries: George Rubin +1.604.828.8185 grubin@loopenergy.com Luigi Fusi (EMEA) +39.028457.3048 luigi.fusi@loopenergy.com Media Inquiries: Lucas Schmidt +1.604.222.3400 Ext. 603 lucas.schmidt@loopenergy.com Innotest AG and Brand Home Power Inquiries: Mathias Kreier + 4171.970.0970 Mkreier@innotest.ch 17 March 2022 ArcelorMittal has announced an investment of more than 300m, with the support of the French government, to create a new production unit for electrical steels at its Mardyck site in the north of France. This investment will create more than 100 direct jobs. With this new unit, which will specialise in the production of electrical steels for the engines of electric vehicles and which complements ArcelorMittal's existing electrical steels plant in Saint-Chely d'Apcher, in the south of France, all of the group's electrical steels will be produced in France, strengthening France's electromobility sector. The new production unit, which will be located on the existing ArcelorMittal site in Mardyck near Dunkirk, will produce the electrical steels used in electric motors in general (including for industrial machinery) and for electric and hybrid vehicles in particular. These steels, which are used in engines in the form of stacks of very thin layers (0.2 to 0.35 millimeters for the automotive industry), are characterised by their magnetic and mechanical properties: high polarisation to maximise engine performance, low losses to promote vehicle autonomy, and high yield strength to support engine rotation. The new industrial unit in Mardyck will have a 200,000-tonne production capacity and is scheduled to start up in 2024. It will strengthen the French electromobility sector, which is particularly well established in France, especially in the Hauts de France region and in Dunkirk where numerous industrial projects have been announced in recent months. As part of this contribution to the electromobility sector, ArcelorMittal's electrical steels will contribute to achieving the European Union's goals on the reduction of CO2 emissions from mobility. This project is supported by the French government as part of France 2030. Agnes Pannier-Runacher, French Minister Delegate for Industry, commented: "This major investment decision comes one month after the announcement of the steel decarbonisation project in Dunkirk and Fos, to which the Prime Minister gave the State's support. This project will contribute to our goal of carbon neutrality in 2050, while allowing us to strengthen our steel production capacities. It is another example of our industrial renaissance thanks to the policy of the President of the Republic." Eric Niedziela, Chairman of ArcelorMittal France and Vice President Climate Action ArcelorMittal Europe, commented:"With this new production unit, ArcelorMittal will be able to support its customers in their developments, and support the development of electromobility. Keeping the capacity to produce the steels of the future in Europe and in France is an essential part of our economic sovereignty, and I am pleased that the French government is supporting us in this investment through France Relance". Matthieu Jehl, CEO of ArcelorMittal France, commented: "This is a new chapter for our site in Mardyck, and for ArcelorMittal in France as a whole. These electrical steels are a great technical challenge, which our teams are ready to take up in order to continue to serve our customers with highly technical steels, manufactured in France". Ends LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With demand for virtual events rising, a new report reveals more than half of marketing directors are facing a technical skills shortage, leading them to outsource services to deliver brand experiences in today's market. Tracking Trends and Predicting the Future of the Experiential Market, by global brand experience agency, FIRST, shows that with 55 percent of marketing directors across the UK and US saying a shortage of technical skills in recruits is one of their top challenges, some 90 percent are now gearing up to outsource crucial expertise in a race to achieve the competitive advantages tech offers. With face-to-face sessions relying on high-resolution displays, data capture, and management software, marketeers' growing reliance on digital to deliver the best brand experiences has led to staffing limitations and the need to invest heavily in new tech. Data shows more than a third (39%) of marketing directors are prioritising this investment to help deliver virtual experiences. The research, thought to be the most complete audit of top-level marketing experts since the Coronavirus emerged, also found that many organisations are bringing crucial digital skills in-house. More than a third (41%) are planning to boost their brand experiences offering by recruiting digital specialists - meaning those without technical expertise could face a bidding war as recruits become more in-demand. The report features insight from US and UK marketing directors from 500 world-leading companies to help decision-makers hone their strategies to be fit for purpose in a new era for the sector. With the pandemic changing the nature of the events industry, the report found that four in ten (42%) respondents have already made the switch from online only and in-person only events to hybrid ones in the last year. Yet when quizzed about the biggest problems facing the sector, 14% cited lack of access to the right technology resources and talent, meaning many organisations may struggle to compete in delivering meaningful experiences for attendees. While 41 percent of directors are considering hiring digital specialists, 90 percent will outsource some or all their brand experience function - either by retaining an agency or expert freelancers or by establishing an embedded agency-within model. Indeed, three quarters (78%) have already farmed out more of their experiential portfolio over the last year, with over a third (37%) planning to make staff members redundant. Megan Henshall, Google Global Events Strategic Solutions Lead and a client of FIRST, identifies digital as a key area of focus for the organisation as it looks to outsource its skills pool. Traditionally self-reliant, the Global Events Team is now working with sources outside the organization to secure the skills needed post pandemic, moving to an agency-within model for the first time recently. Megan said: "We're all the better for reaching out for more collaboration externally. Across the board, we no longer work in silos and with capabilities now integrated, there is community and connection, which are vital for any events operation. People can readily swap ideas and knowledge and call upon the support of others in managing the new market realities shaped by Covid." Tracking Trends and Predicting the Future of the Experiential Market also found that many of the world's leading marketeers are keen to update their data collection processes as they navigate the transition from in-person experiences to data-rich online ones. One in three (35%) flagged up data and analytics as a top priority, with a lack of data collection and analysis capabilities at online events the biggest blocker for 11% during the pandemic. Jennifer Kauf, Senior Vice President Creative Strategy & Brand Marketing at FIRST, said: "Our report shows that the experiential industry is becoming ever more complex and competitive. Integration and delivery of content across every viable platform is key, but with so many channels available, the challenge is knowing how your end-user likes to receive it and when they like to. "There is no one size fits all solution, which is why the growing tendency among those who oversee the brand experience function to enlist outsourced expertise is no surprise. A partnership relationship with a seasoned provider that has built its name on staying ahead of the trends is an increasingly attractive prospect, whether this involves establishing a scalable embedded agency-within or simply benefiting from outside consulting." The investment seeks to support Sesame in redefining the company-employee relationship, taking a step beyond the digitisation of HR, with a focus on building individualised experiences for managers and employees, and for companies to have a clearer vision of their teams. The keys to this are the creation of a broad ecosystem of functions, including the application of business intelligence and AI. Sesame HR's ambitious goal is to help companies understand and manage the new world of work they face. The Spanish start-up integrates its functions in a digital ecosystem alongside other HR software products to facilitate and speed up the work of HR departments. With the 10 million raised in its Series A funding round, Sesame will expand that ecosystem by integrating itself in depth with leading tools available in the domestic and international market. It will also improve its People Analytics offering to apply AI to help companies better understand their employees and create fully personalised work experiences. The funding round is led by PSG, a leading growth equity firm partnering with middle-market software and technology-enabled services companies to help accelerate their growth. PSG's support will help strengthen Sesame's international presence by helping the company adapt its products to each new country, leveraging the firm's presence and expertise across Europe and the United States. According to Albert Soriano, CEO and Founder of Sesame: "It's essential to our business, since it allows us to make the experience of using Sesame bespoke to each country and aligned with the business needs of each region." Albert Soriano believes that the HR sector is experiencing a very special moment: "The new reality in the world of work is complex and the speed at which the changes come is overwhelming for many HR teams, so in addition to digitising and automating the management of teams, it is necessary to focus on the development of solutions that facilitate the transmission of company culture and to improve the employee experience". The customisation offered by Sesame HR is key to helping companies engage with and manage these new teams well. "One of the unique focuses of Sesame is to centralise the use of its own functions, as well as with other complementary software products necessary software for team management. However, we believe that this goes beyond the basic integration that many are used to in software, employing a deeper symbiosis that helps make the management of HR teams more efficient. With Sesame HR, we seek to facilitate work and improve the experience of our clients who can access a wide range of innovative tools via a single platform", adds Soriano. Along with customisation, another of Sesame's strengths is its People Analytics solution that helps companies to have a much clearer and more agile vision of their team. "Employees do not want to be treated as groups, they want individualised actions, decisions and performance measures. We believe the new way of working has opened up a fantastic opportunity for software products like Sesame to create solutions adapted to this new world. Beyond the digitisation of processes, we want to help companies adapt to this new era", explains Albert Soriano. Sesame HR goes beyond the digitisation of human resources Sesame HR has more than 5,000 clients and provides solutions for companies with between 10 and 2,000 employees. Today the suite enables the most routine human resources processes to be digitised so that the HR team can focus on what is most important: taking care of their employees, growing their business and building a successful corporate culture. Thanks to Sesame HR, vacation management, shifts, digital signatures, recruitment, document management, evaluations, onboarding, training and many other tasks have become digitised and automated, and therefore simplified. Since its inception, the company has sought sustainable growth. It currently operates in 30 countries, has more than 90 employees and will seek to significantly grow its workforce in 2022. About Sesame HR: Sesame HR is the human resources software that streamlines processes related to centralised employee management on a single platform. Through a series of tools and automation options, it helps managers, executives and HR professionals in companies to digitise and simplify the most routine tasks so that they can spend more time and effort building the best experience possible for their employees. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005506/en/ Contacts: Press Marta Llibre: marta@aboutoprstudio.com +34 647 56 18 80 Carla Magnet: carla@aboutprstudio.com +34 699 90 01 64 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 21, 2022 / CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX:MBA)(OTCQX International:MBAIF) ("CIBT") reports that it has received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") to commence a normal course issuer bid ("NCIB") to purchase up to 3,423,000 of its common shares, representing approximately 5% of the 68,460,740 common shares which were issued and outstanding as at the close of business on March 16, 2022 (net of shares purchased under the previous NCIB but not yet cancelled), to a maximum aggregate acquisition cost of approximately $3,000,000. The NCIB is being implemented because management believes that purchases under the NCIB constitute a desirable use of its funds on the basis that recent market prices of the common shares do not, and at certain times during the course of the NCIB may not, fully reflect the value of CIBT's business and future business prospects. CIBT may buy back common shares anytime during the 12-month period beginning on March 21, 2022 and ending on March 20, 2023, or on such earlier date as the Company may complete its purchases pursuant to the NCIB or provides notice of termination. Share purchases under the NCIB will be conducted through the facilities of the TSX and other Canadian marketplaces/alternative trading systems. The actual number of shares purchased, and the timing of any such purchases, will be determined by CIBT in accordance with the rules of the TSX. Any shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled. Subject to prescribed exceptions, CIBT may purchase up to 3,320 common shares per day, representing 25% of the average daily trading volume of 13,283 common shares during the six months ending on February 28, 2022. The exceptions to this limitation include block trade purchases of (1) shares having a purchase price of at least $200,000, (2) at least 5,000 common shares having a purchase price of at least $50,000, or (3) at least 19,924 common shares. The Company was authorized to purchase up to 3,556,000, common shares under its last normal course issuer bid. During the last 12 months, CIBT has purchased 2,734,500 of its common shares through a normal course issuer bid at a weighted average price per share of $0.70685507. These purchases were effected through the facilities of the TSX and other Canadian marketplaces/alternative market places. About CIBT Education Group: CIBT Education Group Inc. is one of the largest education and student housing investment companies in Canada, focused on the domestic and the global education market since 1994. CIBT owns business and language colleges, student-centric rental apartments, recruitment centres and corporate offices at 45 locations in Canada and abroad. Its education subsidiaries include Sprott Shaw College (established in 1903), Sprott Shaw Language College, Vancouver International College Career Campus and CIBT School of Business. CIBT offers over 150 educational programs in healthcare, business management, e-commerce, hotel management, and language training through these schools. In 2021, CIBT provided education and housing services to over 10,000 students through its various subsidiaries. CIBT owns Global Education City Holdings Inc. ("Global Holdings"), an investment holding and development company focused on education-related real-estate such as student-centric rental apartments, hotel and education super-centres. Under the GEC brand, Global Holdings provides accommodation service to 90 schools in Metro Vancouver, serving 1,500 students from 71 countries. The total portfolio and development budget under the GEC brand exceed $1.5 billion. CIBT also owns Global Education Alliance Inc. ("GEA") and Irix Design Group Inc. ("Irix Design"). GEA recruits international students for many elite kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities in North America. Irix Design is a leading design and advertising company based in Vancouver, Canada. Visit us online and watch our corporate video at www.cibt.net . Toby Chu Chairman, President & CEO CIBT Education Group Inc. Investor Relations Contact: 1-604-871-9909 extension 319 or | Email: info@cibt.net SOURCE: CIBT Education Group Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/694038/CORRECTION-FROM-SOURCE-CIBT-Reports-Normal-Course-Issuer-Bid Event Marks the Expansion of RMF's Presence in the Area With a New Office Space and Three Dedicated Loan Officers LADY LAKE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC (RMF) announces an open house event to be held at its newly-opened office space in Lady Lake, Florida, on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event is located at 510 County Rd. 466, Ste. 207E, Lady Lake, FL, 32159. RMF representatives from the area will be in attendance to discuss the benefits of reverse mortgages for funding an active retirement lifestyle. All are invited to stop by the event to learn more about reverse mortgage options including refinancing a mortgage, purchasing a home or financing new home construction with a reverse mortgage loan. To help support local restaurants, the open house event will feature gift card raffles with gift cards for restaurants around The Villages and surrounding area. RMF is committed to guiding older Americans in making their imagined retirement lifestyle a reality and in the comfort of their own home. In line with the company's dedication to providing exceptional customer support, straightforward guidance and ensuring an exceptional customer experience, RMF recently announced it has lowered the minimum age requirement to 55+ in certain states*, including Florida, for its proprietary reverse mortgage product Equity Elite. These lowered age restrictions now qualify an additional 2.7 million households nationwide for a reverse mortgage, granting the ability to have a larger cash flow for funding retirement expenses. The open house event will be hosted by husband-and-wife team, Skip Koehler and Becky Koehler, as well as Penny Thayer, who are each local residents and reverse mortgage loan specialists. "We're excited to expand RMF's presence and bring an array of reverse mortgage products to homeowners and homebuyers," said Richard Thorpe, Distributed Retail Sales Leader at RMF. "Skip and Becky Koehler have a combined 35-plus years of mortgage and reverse mortgage experience and are devoted to helping homeowners to finance the active retirement lifestyle they desire. Penny Thayer has 24 years of prior experience in real estate sales for developers like The Villages. This means that clients can trust her understanding of the process of both purchasing and financing a home." "Getting to know my clients better and being able to help them determine what their next step is for a reverse mortgage has always been very rewarding," said Penny Thayer. "My goal is to help clients to not only find their zest for retirement but also give them the tools they need to live the best version of retirement possible." "I discovered the benefits of reverse mortgages when I helped my mom with a reverse mortgage loan 25 years ago, giving her peace of mind, so that she could retire comfortably," said Skip Koehler. "I want homeowners to understand the financing options that are available to help them live an active and fulfilling retirement lifestyle." "Both my husband and I went through the reverse mortgage process, so I know what it feels like to reach your financial goals with a reverse mortgage," said Becky Koehler. "My aim is to listen to each client's hopes and desires and be able to provide them with solutions toward their retirement goals." To learn more about Reverse Mortgage Funding, please visit ReverseFunding.com. *Available to borrowers as young as 55 in select states only. Higher minimum age requirements may apply. Visit www.reversefunding.com/equity-elite for details. Reverse Market Insight Research Data, June 2021. About Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC Established in 2012, Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC (NMLS ID #1019941) is one of the nation's largest GNMA issuers of reverse mortgages and a recognized industry thought leader. RMF focuses on originating, acquiring, investing in, and managing reverse mortgage loans and securities backed by reverse mortgage loans. The company is headquartered in New Jersey, with corporate offices in New York and California and field offices throughout the U.S. RMF is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reverse Mortgage Investment Trust Inc. (RMIT), a specialty finance company in the reverse mortgage sector. RMIT is an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, a global private investment firm and an innovator in non-agency mortgages. The relationship with Starwood Capital affords RMF the unique ability to develop new product lines and create strategic partnerships within the Starwood Capital family of companies. As a proud member of the Meals on Wheels America Momentum Circle, RMF helps support the infrastructure, innovative research, programming, and critical resources necessary to support Meals on Wheels programs for older Americans. ### This material has not been reviewed, approved or issued by HUD, FHA or any government agency. The company is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD/FHA or any other government agency. NOT FOR CONSUMER USE. 2022 Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC, 1455 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003, 1-888-494-0882. Company NMLS ID: #1019941. For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Arizona Mortgage Banker License #0927682; Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license; Georgia Mortgage Lender Licensee #36793; Massachusetts Mortgage Lender License ML1019941; Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance; Licensed Mortgage Banker-NYS Department of Financial Services -in-state branch address 700 Corporate Blvd, Newburgh, NY 12550; Rhode Island Licensed Lender. For California consumers: For information about our privacy practices, please visit https://www.reversefunding.com/privacy. Not all products and options are available in all states. Terms subject to change without notice. Certain conditions and fees apply. This is not a loan commitment. All loans subject to approval. L4379-Exp032023 Contact: Melanie King Phone: (385) 298-1455 Email: mking@reversefunding.com SOURCE: Reverse Mortgage Funding, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693438/Reverse-Mortgage-Funding-to-Host-Open-House-Event-in-Lady-Lake-Florida Listing Follows Completion of Business Combination with Spartan Acquisition Corp. III Allego Management to Ring Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange Today, March 17, 2022, at 9:30 am ET in Celebration Allego N.V. ("Allego" or "the Company") (NYSE: ALLG), a leading pan-European electric vehicle charging network, announced that its ordinary shares and warrants will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange today, March 17, 2022, under the symbols "ALLG" and "ALLG.WS," respectively. Allego's listing follows the previously announced completion of Allego's business combination with Spartan Acquisition Corp. III ("Spartan"). Allego's management will participate in an opening bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange today at 9:30 am ET to celebrate the public listing. "It is a tremendous honor to bring Allego to the public markets, a company that's integral to the electric vehicle industry and creating a cleaner world," said Mathieu Bonnet, Chief Executive Officer of Allego. "The electric vehicle future has arrived, and we are proud to be at its forefront, providing critical infrastructure for EV drivers. Since our founding, we have experienced tremendous growth, and the demand for effective and convenient charging services increases each day. As a public company, we're confident we have the right strategy, team and capital to continue meeting the needs of the expanding EV market." Bonnet continued, "I want to thank the entire Allego team and our partners at Spartan for their hard work and dedication throughout this process. Going public validates Allego's innovative technology, effective business model that has led to a strong backlog, and our exemplary team endeavors. We look forward to supporting electrification as a public company in Europe, where there is significant momentum in EV sales." "Allego is a leading EV infrastructure business in a massive market that's still in the early innings of electrification," said Olivia Wassenaar, Head of Sustainable Investing at Apollo. "Allego's steady growth across Europe and marquee partners are testaments to its superior network and variety of charging solutions." Corinne Still, Apollo Partner, added "At Spartan and Apollo, we are committed to investing in growing businesses focused on decarbonization, and are pleased to support Allego as a public company." "We at Meridiam are proud to be at the forefront of EV charging investment, and to have supported Allego's pan-European expansion," said Julien Touati, Vice Chair of the board of Allego and Partner at Meridiam, Allego's majority owner. "Our investment in Allego represents Meridiam's commitment to sustainability and the energy transition. Today we are especially pleased to witness Allego enter the public markets, and we are fully committed to supporting Allego's future efforts to electrify Europe." Company Overview Founded in 2013, Allego is a leading electric vehicle, or EV, charging company in Europe and has deployed over 28,000 charging ports across 12,000 public and private locations, spanning 16 European countries. In 2018, the Company was acquired by Meridiam Group, a global long-term sustainable infrastructure developer and investor, which provided the necessary capital to expand Allego's existing global network, services, and technologies. The Company's charging network includes fast, ultra-fast, and AC charging equipment. The Company takes a two-pronged approach to deliver charging solutions, providing an owned and operated public charging network with 100% renewable energy and charging solutions for business-to-business customers, including leading retail and auto brands. The Company's demanding solutions business provides design, installation, operations, and maintenance of chargers owned by third parties. Allego's chargers are open to all EV brands and able to charge light vehicles, vans, and e-trucks, promoting increasing utilization rates across Allego locations. Allego has developed a rich portfolio of partnerships with strategic partners, including municipalities, more than 50 real estate owners, and 15 OEMs. As other fleets shift to EVs, Allego expects to leverage its expansive network of fast and ultra-fast chargers to service these customers, which see above-average use rates. Allego's proprietary software suite, developed to help identify and assess locations and provide uptime optimization with payment solutions, underpins the Company's competitive advantage. Allamo allows the Company to add premium charging sites to its network by analyzing traffic statistics and proprietary databases to forecast EV charging demand using over 100 factors, including local EV density, driving behavior, and EV technology development. This allows a predictable, cutting-edge tool to optimize those locations that are best positioned for higher utilization rates. Allego EV Cloud is a sophisticated customer payment tool that provides essential services to owned and third-party customers, including authorization and billing, smart charging and load balancing, analysis, and customer support. This service offering is integral to fleet operators' operations and enables the Company to provide insight and value to the customer and drive increased margins through third-party service contracts and operational and maintenance margins. Recent Operating and Strategic Initiatives: Allego plans to open 120 new fast-charging EV stations across the Netherlands and Belgium and separately secured 13 additional ultra-fast charging locations along major highways in Flanders, Belgium. Additionally, the Company entered a partnership to install ultra-fast charging locations in France. Allego expanded its existing partnership with Van der Valk VDC, a prominent European hotel group, to offer fast charging facilities at over 50 hotels across the Netherlands and Belgium. (October 8, 2021) In a project co-financed by the European Union and the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic, Allego expects to install 28 ultra-fast charging stations by the end of this year and double it to 56 ultra-fast stations by the middle of 2024. (January 20, 2022) The Company plans to build five ultra-fast charging locations near one of France's highly trafficked A355 Motorways, with over 28,000 individual vehicles utilizing the road each day. (January 21, 2022) Allego entered into a strategic partnership with Nissan. Spanning 16 countries and across more than 600 locations, Allego plans to install, operate, and maintain DC fast charging solutions of 50kW and 24kW. The partnership provides the full scope of charge point operations services for Allego DC charging hardware at Nissan dealer charging networks with five-year service and maintenance contracts for each charger. (December 2, 2021) The Honorable Jane Garvey was appointed Chairwoman of the Board of Allego. Upon the closing of the business combination with Spartan, Ms. Garvey, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Meridiam and the 14th Administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), assumed the role of Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Allego N.V., the combined company. Ms. Garvey served under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. (November 30, 2021) Allego expanded its partnership with REWE Nord to build hundreds of new charging locations across Germany. The partnership extension aims to increase the number of fast charging to over 100 locations within the REWE Nord network from the initial 14 fast-charging locations established in 2018. REWE Nord is the leading food retailer in Germany. (November 16, 2021) In addition to Ms. Garvey, who now serves as Chairwoman, the Board of Directors of the newly public company includes: Mathieu Bonnet, CEO of Allego; Julien Touati, Partner and Corporate Development Director at Meridiam; Sandra Lagumina, Partner and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Meridiam; Julia Prescot, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Meridiam; Christian Vollman, entrepreneur and angel investor; Thomas Josef Maier, a director on the Regional Advisory Board of Meridiam Infrastructure Europe and Eastern Europe; Patrick Sullivan, Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from 1993 until his retirement in 2020; and Ronald Stroman, member of the United States Postal Service Board of Governors. Transaction Overview As a result of this transaction, the Company will receive approximately $161 million of gross proceeds, including from a private placement ("PIPE") of ordinary shares anchored by strategic partners Fisker and Landis+Gyr as well as institutional investors, including funds and accounts managed by ECP. Investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc., which also sponsor Spartan, and by Meridiam, as long-term owner of Allego, also participated in the PIPE. Meridiam, the existing shareholder of Allego, will roll 100% of its equity and, together with management and former advisors, will own approximately 74 of the combined entity. Meridiam will continue to be a long-term strategic partner to the combined company. Advisors Credit Suisse served as sole financial advisor and capital markets advisor to Allego. Weil, Gotshal Manges LLP, and NautaDutilh served as legal advisors to Allego. Barclays served as sole financial advisor and capital markets advisor to Spartan. Credit Suisse and Barclays served as co-lead placement agent on the PIPE offering. Citi and Apollo Global Securities served as co-placement agents. Cowen served as Capital Markets Advisor to Spartan. Vinson Elkins L.L.P. served as legal advisor to Spartan. Latham Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to the placement agents. About Allego Allego (NYSE: ALLG) delivers charging solutions for electric cars, motors, buses, and trucks for consumers, businesses, and cities. Allego's end-to-end charging solutions make it easier for businesses and cities to deliver the infrastructure drivers need, while the scalability of our solutions makes us the partner of the future. Founded in 2013, Allego is a leader in charging solutions, with an international charging network that comprises more than 28,000 charge points operational throughout Europe and proliferating. In 2018, the Company was acquired by Meridiam, a global long-term sustainable infrastructure developer and investor, which provided necessary capital to enable the expansion of Allego's existing global network, services and technologies. Our charging solutions are connected to our proprietary platform, EV-Cloud, which gives our customers and us a complete portfolio of features and services to meet and exceed market demands. We are committed to providing independent, reliable, and safe charging solutions, agnostic of vehicle model or network affiliation. At Allego, we strive every day to make EV charging easier, more convenient, and more enjoyable for all. About Meridiam Meridiam was founded in 2005 by Thierry Deau, with the belief that the alignment of interests between the public and private sector can provide critical solutions to the collective needs of communities. Meridiam is an independent investment Benefit Corporation under French law and an asset manager. The firm specializes in the development, financing, and long-term management of sustainable public infrastructure in three core sectors: sustainable mobility, critical public services and innovative low carbon solutions. With offices in Addis Ababa, Amman, Dakar, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Libreville, Luxembourg, New York, Paris, Toronto and Vienna, Meridiam currently manages US$18 billion and more than 100 projects to date. Meridiam is certified ISO 9001: 2015, Advanced Sustainability Rating by VigeoEiris (Moody's), ISO 37001 Anti-Corruption certification by AFNOR and applies a proprietary methodology in relation to ESG and impact based on United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Forward-Looking Statements. This communication includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Allego's actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Allego's expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the business combination. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, and potentially adversely, from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside Allego's control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political, and legal conditions; (ii) risks related to the rollout of Allego's business strategy and the timing of expected business milestones; (iii) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of Allego's ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange; (iv) risks related to political and macroeconomic uncertainty; (v) the risk that the operating and strategic initiatives described in this communication are delayed or do not occur at all; (vi) the risk that the benefits to Allego of the operating and strategic initiatives described in this communication are delayed, are less than anticipated or do not occur at all; and (vii) the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, including its impact on any of the foregoing risks. The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Additional information concerning certain of these and other risk factors is contained in Allego's most recent filings with the SEC and in the registration statement on Form F-4 (the "Form F-4"), including the proxy statement/prospectus forming a part thereof filed by Athena Pubco B.V. in connection with the business combination on September 30, 2021, as amended on December 14, 2021, January 18, 2022 and February 1, 2022. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning Allego, the transactions described herein or other matters and attributable to Allego or any person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Allego expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in their expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any statement is based, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005510/en/ Contacts: For Allego Investors investors@allego.eu Media allegoPR@icrinc.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Orchid Ventures, Inc. (the "Company" or "Orchid") (CSE:ORCD) (OTC PINK:ORVRF), a multi-state cannabis innovation company, today announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with Rokin Inc. (Rokin Vapes), a Majority Owned Subsidiary of Limitless Venture Group Inc. (LVGI). Per the terms of the contract, Rokin Vapes will be purchasing a minimum of 200,000 cartridges per month from PurTec Delivery Systems by month four (4). "We are very pleased to announce a new distribution agreement with Rokin, a company that has the experience and professionalism that we look for in all of our partnerships. Rokin has built an impressive business with an extensive customer base, which continues to grow." said Richard Brown, President of Orchid Ventures, Inc. "The partnership with Rokin will allow them to extend their product portfolio with PurTec's premium vaporizer products and technologies, so that they can accelerate growth with their current client base and enable them to better attract new customers. In terms of the impact on PurTec, this agreement will equate to several million dollars in revenue over the next 12 months. Our new Director of Sales, Jessica Cox, has a long standing relationship with the leadership team at Rokin and was instrumental in securing this partnership. In her first couple weeks working with the PurTec team, Jessi has made a big impact and has significantly contributed to our sales efforts. We continue to increase our pipeline of sales prospects and are confident in our ability to close deals and grow revenue." "Rokin is extremely excited to partner with PurTec to sell PurTec hardware. We feel that the synergy between the 2 companies is strong and that there is a good fit in terms of our values and market objectives. This opportunity will enhance Rokin's growth strategy, and with the PurTec premium vaporizer products and exciting new technologies it will expand Rokin's product offerings, which will create new opportunities to accelerate growth and enable Rokin to achieve our aggressive sales plans.' said Daryl Bauer, CEO of Rokin Inc. ABOUT ROKIN Rokin, founded in 2016, has a mission to provide our customers with the highest quality, most technology driven vaping products available, while providing exceptional customer service. We proudly took our name in 2002 from a visit to the Rokin district in Amsterdam where we learned the art of vaping at the local cafes. Our goal is to capture the vaping market with flair by providing the community of users with high value, good looking and superior performing products at everyday affordable prices. Rokin is a subsidiary of Limitless Venture Group, Inc, a publicly traded company. https://www.lvginc.com/ ABOUT ORCHID VENTURES Orchid Ventures is a California-based cannabis innovation company that has developed a mass-market brand and loyal consumer following with its premium cannabis products and unique vape hardware delivery systems. Orchid also owns 100% of PurTec Delivery Systems, a company that produces, markets and sells clean vaporizer hardware that has been emissions tested against the most stringent standards in the world set forth by the EU, and has unrivaled product quality and value pricing. Orchid's management brings significant branding, product development and distribution experience with a proven track record of scaling businesses and building sustainable revenue growth through value-generating partnerships and innovation that creates enterprise value. Learn more at https://purtecdesigns.com/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS - ORCHID VENTURES, INC. Corey Mangold Founder, CEO and Chairman investors@orchidventures.com Investor Relations Corey Mangold 1-949-357-5818 corey@orchidventures.com The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Safe Harbor Statement Except for historical information contained herein, statements in this release may be forward-looking and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Orchid Ventures, Inc. and Orchid Essentials any of its affiliates or subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") or its management, identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and probably will, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including those described above and those risks discussed from time to time in the Company's Canadian securities regulatory filings with sedar.com, Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include such factors as (i) the development and protection of our brands and other intellectual property, (ii) the need to raise capital to meet business requirements, (iii) significant fluctuations in marketing expenses, (iv) the ability to achieve and expand significant levels of revenues, or recognize net income, from the sale of our products and services, (v) the Company's ability to conduct the business if there are changes in laws, regulations, or government policies related to cannabis, (vi) management's ability to attract and maintain qualified personnel necessary for the development and commercialization of its planned products, and (vii) other information that may be detailed from time to time in the Company's Canadian securities regulatory filings with sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE: Orchid Ventures, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693436/Orchid-Ventures-Announces-Signing-of-a-Distribution-Contract-with-Rokin-Vapes A medical staff shows the COVID-19 vaccine doses at a center in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 26, 2022. (Xinhua) "The 'vaccine divide' poses the biggest obstacle in defeating the pandemic, as only 5 percent population in low-income countries are fully vaccinated, far lower than the high-income countries," Chen noted. GENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- On behalf of over 60 countries, China on Wednesday voiced concern over the inequitable allocation and unbalanced vaccination for COVID-19, saying that the "vaccine divide" is posing the biggest obstacle in defeating the pandemic. The world is still far behind schedule to achieve the World Health Organization's goal of 70 percent COVID-19 immunization coverage by mid-2022, Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations (UN) Office at Geneva, told the 49th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. A nurse shows a vial of the Sinopharm vaccine at the Panadura Health Office in Kalutara District, in the outskirts of capital Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 8, 2021. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua) "The 'vaccine divide' poses the biggest obstacle in defeating the pandemic, as only 5 percent population in low-income countries are fully vaccinated, far lower than the high-income countries," Chen noted. He called on all countries to put the rights to life and health first, uphold the primary attribute of vaccination as a global public good, ensure equitable distribution of vaccines and speed up vaccination, so as to close the gap in immunization. The international community needs to act in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, give play to the role of multilateral mechanisms, give greater help to developing countries, and improve the availability and accessibility of vaccines and other health products in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, he said. A medical worker prepares a dose of China's COVID-19 vaccine in Windhoek, Namibia, on Jan. 9, 2022.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng) "We support intensified cooperation among countries in the research of variants and pharmaceutic research and development, strengthen multi-tiered defense against the pandemic, and bring an end to the pandemic," Chen added. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Forward Water Technologies Corp. ("Forward Water" or the "Company") (TSXV:FWTC) announces that Mr. Howie Honeyman, President and CEO, as well as Grant Thornley, Vice-President of Engineering Sales will present live at IFAT Munich from May 30 to June 3, 2022. Date: May 30 - June 3, 2022 Location: Canadian Pavilion Link: https://ifat.de/en/ The Company has been sponsored by both the Canadian and Ontario government to attend and exhibit at IFAT 2022 in Munich as part of the Canadian Pavilion and is proud to participate in this important conference. The 5-day event will offer participants an opportunity to compare products and services with international competitors, increase visibility of their products and services, participate in networking events and pitch to selected audiences. The IFAT in Munich is the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste, and raw materials management. This conference takes place every two years and has firmly established itself since its founding in 1966 as an industry meeting place. Exhibitors from all over the world present strategies and solutions, products, and pioneering innovations for sustainable management of resources in the industrialized nations and appropriate technologies for developing and emerging countries. The Company is proud to present its patented forward osmosis solution that has the potential to significantly reduce water usage in many industrial use applications. President and CEO, Mr. Honeyman comments "Being present at one of the leading European environmental conferences allows us to reach new customers and strengthen our relationships with those already engaged with Forward Water". About Forward Water Technologies Corp. Forward Water Technologies Corp. is a publicly traded Canadian company dedicated to saving the earth's water supply using its patented Forward Osmosis technology. The Company was founded by GreenCentre Canada, a leading technology innovation centre supported by the government of Canada. The Company's technology allows for the reduction of challenging waste streams simultaneously returning fresh water for re-use or surface release. The Company's mandate is to focus on the large-scale implementation of its technology in multiple sectors, including industrial wastewater, oil and gas, mining, agriculture and ultimately municipal water supply and re-use market sectors. For more information, please visit www.forwardwater.com . About IFAT Munich IFAT - The World's Leading Trade Fair for Environmental Technologies boasts a high international presence and an impressive number of exhibitors and visitors. A total of 3,305 exhibitors from 58 countries and 142,471 visitors from 162 countries used this platform for presentations and innovation in the water, sewage, waste, and raw materials sector. The next edition takes place in Munich from May 30 to June 3, 2022. All relevant key-players will present their latest products and services on environmental solutions. For more information, please visit https://ifat.de/en/ Mr. Howie Honeyman, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer Forward Water Technologies Corp. howie.honeyman@forwardwater.com For further information please contact: Kayla.ferderber@forwardwater.com 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 news release. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains any required regulatory approvals. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com . The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law. SOURCE: Forward Water Technologies Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693437/Forward-Water-Technologies-to-Participate-at-the-IFAT-Conference-in-Munich-Germany DXC helps GEFA prepare for the future of banking GEFA BANK, a leading financing partner for German SMEs and subsidiary of Societe Generale, has selected DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC) for a ground-breaking digital transformation project. With the "G-Rocket" program, GEFA BANK and DXC Technology will migrate the bank's mission-critical applications and data from its existing data center to Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005532/en/ GEFA BANK office in Wuppertal, Germany (Credit: GEFA BANK) "By moving to the cloud, GEFA is modernizing its IT infrastructure and gaining a higher degree of flexibility and scalability," says Michael Quint, CIO of GEFA BANK. "Together with our partner DXC, we have developed a transformation program to prepare ourselves technologically, as well as organizationally, for the future of banking. DXC has implemented a flexible, end-to-end operating model based on the cloud compliance and security framework of our parent company." In addition, DXC has put in place a training program with its partner Microsoft to prepare selected GEFA BANK experts for the future operation of the new cloud solution. "DXC has many years of experience in the banking and capital markets industry. With cloud, the rate of transformation and innovation in this sector has accelerated exponentially," said Marc-Alexander Drews, Banking Capital Markets Sales Executive at DXC. "Using our Cloud Right approach, we are not only supporting GEFA with their technology transition to the cloud, but also empowering their IT teams to realize its full potential." With the move to the Azure cloud, GEFA BANK and DXC will systematically deploy the bank's application landscape to cloud-native services such as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). As a result of this containerization approach, GEFA BANK will reduce the time-to-market for new services and create a modern development environment for innovative financial products. "The G-Rocket program and the cloud migration of business-critical applications is a unique challenge. Based on our many years of positive collaboration, DXC is the right partner for this transformation," added Michael Quint. Against this background, GEFA BANK and DXC have agreed to continue their cooperation until October 2027. The completion of the data center migration is planned for September 2022. GEFA BANK With over 70 years of industry experience, GEFA BANK is one of Germany's leading providers of sales and investment financing for mobile assets. The wholly owned subsidiary of the international banking group Societe Generale provides a wide range of financing products, including leasing, credit, hire-purchase as well as purchase and rental park financing for German medium-sized companies. In addition, GEFA BANK offers overnight and fixed-term deposit solutions for private and business customers. About DXC Technology DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) helps global companies run their mission critical systems and operations while modernizing IT, optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and scalability across public, private, and hybrid clouds. The world's largest companies and public sector organizations trust DXC to deploy services across the Enterprise Technology Stack to drive new levels of performance, competitiveness, and customer experience. Learn more about how we deliver excellence for our customers and colleagues at DXC.com. Forward Looking Statement All statements in this press release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements represent current expectations and beliefs, and no assurance can be given that the results described in such statements will be achieved. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements, many of which are outside of our control. Furthermore, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and may continue to be amplified by or may, in the future, be amplified by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the impact of varying private and governmental responses that affect our customers, employees, vendors and the economies and communities where they operate. For a written description of these factors, see the section titled "Risk Factors" in DXC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, and any updating information in subsequent SEC filings, including DXC's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2021. No assurance can be given that any goal or plan set forth in any forward-looking statement can or will be achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement or to report any events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005532/en/ Contacts: Christina Trauntschnig Head of Marketing and Communication, DXC DACH ctrauntschni@dxc.com Jonathan Batty PR Director, DXC EMEA Jonathan.batty@dxc.com Dagmar Uhlenbrock, Marketing, GEFA BANK dagmar.uhlenbrock@gefa.de CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new research report, the "Aerostructures Market by Material(Composites, Alloys & Superalloys and Metals), Component, End User (OEM, Aftermarket), Platform (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, UAVs, Advanced Air Mobility) & Region (North America, Europe, APAC, RoW) - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is estimated to be USD 49.0 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 75.0 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period. The growth of this market is mainly driven by increase in number of aircrafts, increase in demand for UAVs and introduction of advanced aircrafts. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=22021525 The Aerostructures market includes major players Spirit AeroSystems (US), Airbus (Netherlands), Saab AB (Sweden), Triumph group Inc (US), and Leonardo S.P.A (Italy). These players have spread their business across various countries including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. COVID-19 has impacted their businesses as well. Industry experts believe that COVID-19 could affect Aerostructures production and services by 7-10% globally in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the end-use industries adversely, resulting in a sudden dip in 2020 aircraft orders and deliveries. This is expected to negatively impact the aircraft market in the short term, with slow recovery expected in Q1 of 2021. Increasing need new aircrafts, new designs and adoption of composites are fueling the fuselage market which is projected to be the highest in the Aerostructures market during the forecast period. Based on component, the fuselage segment is estimated to lead the market during the forecast period, with a share of 39% in 2021. Fuselage controls the position and stabilize the surface with regards to lifting surfaces and ensures maneuverability and stability of the aircraft. Fuselage is an aircrafts main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage, which in turn is used as a floating hull. The composites segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on material, the composites segment is projected to be the highest CAGR rate for the Aerostructures market during the forecast period. Composite materials have played a major role in weight reduction, and hence they are used for both structural applications and components for all spacecraft and aircraft such as fighter planes, space shuttle and passenger airliners. The development of next-generation composite materials with lightweight and high-temperature resistance will help in designing high-performance, economical aircrafts. Browse in-depth TOC on "Aerostructures Market 501 - Tables 57 - Figures 330 - Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=22021525 The OEM segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on the end user, the OEM segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the Aerostructures market during the forecast period. Technological advancements and the need for better connectivity and communication in the aviation industry are additional factors influencing the growth of the Aerostructures market. The UAV segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on aircraft type, the UAV segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the Aerostructures market during the forecast period. The increasing applicability of UAVs in the defense sector has boosted the Aerostructures market. UAVs have less demanding flight profiles and environmental standard requirements than manned aircraft, and hence, the antennas used in UAVs are smaller and have lower mass as compared to those used in manned aircraft. The North American market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2026 The key factor responsible for North America leading the Aerostructures market is the high demand for new aircraft in the region. The growing demand for aircraft for commercial applications and their increasing utility in the defense sector to carry out transport and surveillance activities are additional factors influencing the growth of the North American Aerostructures market. Related Reports: Helicopters Market by Point Of Sale (OEM, Aftermarket), OEM Type (Light, Medium, Heavy), OEM Application (Military, Civil & Commercial), OEM Number of Engine, OEM Component & System, Aftermarket by Component & System, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/aerostructure-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/aerostructure.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg AMSTERDAM, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LUMICKS, a leading life science tools company that develops instruments for dynamic single-molecule and cell avidity analysis, today announced that a paper uncovering new insights into Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell functionality was published in the February 2022 issue of Frontiers in Immunology. The paper describes innovative research conducted at Kings College London under the auspices of Dr. John Maher, in collaboration with Leucid Bio, using LUMICKS' z-Movi Cell Avidity Analyzer. This new research suggests that adding a second targeting receptor to CAR T cells enhances their ability to target cancer cells and shows promise to improve immunotherapies for cancer in pre-clinical models. Said Dr. John Maher, Senior Lecturer at Kings College London in the School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Chief Scientific Officer of Leucid Bio, "The unique abilities of the z-Movi Cell Avidity Analyzer enabled us to measure the total strength of interaction between our panel of CAR T cells and cancer cells. Using the LUMICKS' z-Movi instrument, we could easily find the 'goldilocks' CARs that do not bind too strongly or too weakly to the target cells and show superior killing in pre-clinical models. New insights obtained using cell avidity measurements can really help improve the way we design cell therapies." Added Andrea Candelli, Chief Scientific Officer of LUMICKS, "We share the Kings College team's excitement about the additional evidence shown by this paper of the critical role that cell avidity plays in uncovering and optimizing CAR T cells. Dr. Maher's powerful research underscores the insights that our revolutionary technology can help researchers around the world discover, and help science better address core challenges in human health, particularly in designing potentially more effective immunotherapies to fight cancer." CAR-T cell immunotherapies modify T cells in the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells by genetically reprogramming T cells to make the CAR protein, by which T cells bind to, and attack, cancer cells. Such therapies are offered as treatments for certain cancers and many researchers, including Dr. Maher, are investigating new designs for CAR T-cell therapy for solid tumor cancers. The z-Movi measures the avidity, or level of binding, between immune cells like CAR Ts, and their targets, the cancer cells, enabling researchers to identify the most potent immunotherapeutic effector cells as candidates to target and destroy specific cancer cells. This new technology provides predictive, reproducible, and fast results at a single-cell resolution without compromising cell viability, and ensures safe sample handling. LUMICKS' cell avidity solutions use acoustics to measure forces and interactions between cells, with the goal of shortening the drug development cycle for adoptive cell therapies and other immunotherapies and reducing failure rates in clinical trials. First introduced in 2020, the z-Movi has found wide appeal in academic and biopharma laboratories around the world, with a rapid uptake in sales in 2021. About LUMICKS LUMICKS is a leading life science tools company that develops equipment for Dynamic Single-Molecule and Cell Avidity analysis, two rapidly emerging areas in biology research and immuno-oncology. LUMICKS' tools allow researchers to build the crucial and as yet unfinished bridge between structure and function at both a molecular and a cellular level. This is achieved by applying and measuring forces around biological interactions, enabling the detailed real-time analysis of underlying biological mechanisms. LUMICKS' C-Trap Optical Tweezers - Fluorescence & Label-free Microscopy, allows scientists to analyze complex biological processes in real-time. Similarly, the z-Movi Cell Avidity Analyzer enables the measurement and selection of immune cells based on their real-time interactions with target cells. For more information contact: Kassandra Barbetsea, media contact +31 (0) 63 482 09 48 PR@lumicks.com LUXEMBOURG (dpa-AFX) - Steel major ArcelorMittal (MT) said on Thursday that with the support of the French government, it is investing 300 million euros to start a new electrical steels manufacturing facility at its Mardyck site in France. The new steel unit in Mardyck will have a 200,000-tons output capacity and is anticipated to start functioning in 2024. The new plant, a boost for French electromobility sector, will create over 100 direct jobs and specialize in the production of electrical steels for the engines of electric, electric and hybrid vehicles. The new facility is in addition to the company's existing electrical steels plant in Saint-Chely d'Apcher. 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. MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden has announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine. This is in addition to $200 million authorized on Saturday to keep a steady flow of weapons and ammunition moving to Ukraine, bringing the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine to $1 billion within a week. This assistance will take the form of direct transfers of equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense to the Ukrainian military to help them defend their country against Russian invasion, Biden said Wednesday. This new package includes 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems that can shoot down Russian planes. It also includes U.S.-produced short-range air defense systems the Ukrainians have been effectively using. Biden said that at the request of President Zelenskyy, Washington is helping Ukraine acquire additional longer-range anti-aircraft systems and the munitions for those systems. Other arms and ammunitions in the new package include 2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems; 100 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems; 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, and 400 shotguns; 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds. Biden promised that 'more will be coming as we source additional stocks of equipment.' He vowed that together with its Allies and partners, the United States will keep up the pressure on Putin's crumbling economy, isolating him on the global stage. 'That's our goal: make Putin pay the price, weaken his position while strengthening the hand of the Ukrainians on the battlefield and at the negotiating table'. Speaking with reporters at another event Wednesday, Biden labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin a 'war criminal'. The Kremlin said Biden's comments are 'unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric.' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki later said the president had been speaking from his heart. 'He was speaking from his heart and speaking from what he's seen on television, which is barbaric actions by a brutal dictator, through his invasion of a foreign country,' she said at a news conference. At least 30 countries have provided security assistance to Ukraine to help its military thwart Russian forces that have been attacking their land for the last three weeks. Casualties have been reported in a Russian attack on a theatre sheltering more than 1000 civilians in the besieged southern city of Mariupol. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received a standing ovation as he addressed the parliaments of Germany and the United States. In his speech, Zelensky appealed to its leaders to take more action to tackle Russia's aggression. Ceasefire talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are making progress, reports say. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Breathtaking, self-disciplined and refined are just a few adjectives to describe Piotr Huang's performances, which leave thousands of audiences in awe every time he steps on a stage. As a professional dancer of eight years and now leading one of the dancing crews of Shen Yun Performing Arts , Piotr has perfect control of every inch of his body, from the moment he leaps into the air to when he lands soundlessly back onto the floor. Photo Credit: Shen Yun Performing Arts With a history of rigorous training and his determination to never give up, Piotr has set himself apart as one of the world's best classical Chinese dancers. He is currently going on a world tour as a principal dancer for Shen Yun. Born in Poland, Piotr flew to the U.S. thirteen years ago to study classical Chinese dance at the prestigious Fei Tian Academy of the Arts in Upstate New York. This institution trains many of Shen Yun's dancers, who offer nightly a rare glimpse into the fascinating world of traditional Chinese culture. While at Fei Tan, Piotr progressed from being an amateur performer to a master. During his forging years in which he formed his craft, he was often given the unique opportunity to observe his senior company members dance in rehearsals, which deeply moved and inspired him. This feeling made him realize that the most difficult thing in dance wasn't techniques, it was grasping and evoking the inner meaning of a dance and being able to share that with the audience. While his dignified movements and explosive leaps make him stand out from the crowd, Piotr has developed a larger sense of meaning from his dancing. Five thousand years of knowledge, wisdom, and traditions is what motivates him. In his eyes, it's more than just a love for dance - rather, he feels a sense of duty to share the exquisite customs, virtues, and spirituality of ancient China with global audiences. Piotr offers an insight into the inner meaning of classical Chinese Dance and the importance of bringing back traditional values such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and honesty through his art. According to Piotr, dance is an important way to tell people about your culture. Not only does it offer others knowledge about your traditions and norms, but it also allows them to appreciate and better understand you and your culture. All cultures should share via their traditional dance. "As part of the new generation who grew up in the West, we don't have that deep of an understanding of Chinese culture. So our dancing is relatively straightforward. The inner meaning is not as profound. When you understand the habits or values of people from ancient China, the feelings evoked by your dancing are not the same," Piotr said. As a performer, Piotr understands that dance that expresses culture is different from celebratory dance. This is because for cultural dance, you have to first understand the tradition behind it in order to then master the heart and soul one needs to put into the performance. The beautiful part about the classical Chinese dance that Shen Yun offers is that it emphasizes inner bearing. This is the inner spirit of a person, almost a cultural DNA that is passed down through thousands of years. Each person's inner bearing is unique, and this is what allows the dancers to tell the story of Chinese culture in a beautiful and inspiring way. "For example, if I do a simple movement, it's just what it isa move," said Piotr. "However, if I put my spirit and thoughts behind the move, it feels completely different." By immersing himself fully in the tradition and practices of ancient China, Piotr has been able to understand the concept of inner bearing and discover more about himself. His Polish-Chinese identity has taken on a whole new meaning. Although Piotr is ethnically Chinese, he didn't speak the language fully before and knew little about Chinese culture. So at Fei Tian, he honed his Chinese and immersed himself in the philosophies of sages like Confucius, who believed in virtuous conduct and self-cultivation. The more he studied, the deeper his love grew for both his cultural heritage and for dance. Soon he was selected to tour in practicum with Shen Yun, beginning a brilliant new chapter in his life. For each historical figure he plays in Shen Yun 's performances, Piotr pours over the character's life story and works written about him to understand every stage of the character's life. As he continues to tour with Shen Yun, he revels in each new opportunity to bring Shen Yun's splendor to audiences around the globe and to uplift them with a message of hope, goodness and spiritual elevation. Learn more about Piotr by reading this article or by watching this video . To learn more about Shen Yun, its history, and their one-of-a-kind experiences, visit their site here . MEDIA CONTACT: Denise C. Riley 979-554-1877 info@camdenmedia.net SOURCE: Shen Yun View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693502/Shen-Yuns-Piotr-Huang-On-Bringing-Back-Traditional-Values-Through-Dance VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lithium South Development Corporation (the "Company") (TSX-V: LIS) (OTCQB: LISMF) (Frankfurt: OGPQ) is pleased to announce finalization of the Environmental Baseline Study for the Hombre Muerto North Lithium Project (HMN Li Project), Salta, Argentina. E&C Consultores of Salta have been completing the final in field survey, collecting data on the Flora, Fauna, hydrology, and climate in areas of project influence during the rainy season. The final results are being prepared under the General Environmental Law of the Mining Code 24.585 and are expected to be tabulated by the end of March, for filing with the Mining Authority. Completion of the Environmental Baseline Study is an important milestone for the development of the HMN Li Project as it will form the base data to prepare the final Environmental Report for any future lithium production facility. Work to date has covered all 3,287 hectares comprising the salar portion of the project. Finalization of the Environmental Report will provide a key part in the completion of a Feasibility Study. A 2,000-meter drill program is being scheduled for the Alba Sabrina claim block to potentially expand the total current project resource. Other claim blocks within the package may also be drilled in the future. Process test work utilizing both conventional evaporation and Direct Lithium Extraction technology is also nearing completion, with results expected shortly Property Transfer Update Pursuant to the third addendum to the Acquisition Agreement for the HMN Lithium Project, a final tranche of 500,000 common shares has been issued to the property vendor(s), Jorge E. Moreno and Alba Silvia Sala, at a deemed price of CDN$0.55. The property title is now in the transfer process and expected to conclude in the coming days with the Company obtaining 100% ownership of the HMN Li Project, subject to a 3% production royalty to the vendors. About Lithium South Lithium South is focused on developing the Hombre Muerto North Lithium Project, located on the Hombre Muerto Salar, a major lithium-producing salar in Argentina. The property is adjacent to a US$840 million lithium mine development being undertaken by the Korean multinational corporation POSCO, which acquired the raw ground from Galaxy Resources Ltd. for US$280 million. The Company completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment of the HMN Li Project in 2019, utilizing conventional evaporation extraction. The Company is evaluating conventional evaporation as a process method, and Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) as an alternative method. Three candidates for DLE are currently being evaluated. Two, 2,000-liter bulk brine samples are being evaluated outside of Argentina. One sample is being tested by Lilac Solutions of Oakland, California. A second 2,000-liter bulk sample is being tested by Chemphys Chengdu, in China. DLE test work is also currently underway in Salta, Argentina by Eon Minerals. On behalf of the Board of Directors Adrian F. C. Hobkirk President and Chief Executive Officer Investors / Shareholders call 855-415-8100 / website: www.lithiumsouth.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed the content of this news release and therefore does not accept responsibility or liability for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward- looking statements. We seek safe harbor. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / AurCrest Gold Inc. (the "Company" or "AurCrest") (TSXV:AGO) would like to inform the shareholders of certain important information regarding the Company. AurCrest has filed its December 31, 2021 audited financial statements on SEDAR and is mailing its Information Circular outlining the items to be brought before the shareholders at this year's annual meeting, scheduled for Tuesday April 19, 2022 at 2 pm (the "Annual Meeting"). Particularly, the Company would like to advise shareholders that it will be seeking approval to effect a change of name of the Company to Big Tree Carbon Inc. AurCrest proposes a name change to reflect the new opportunity in the carbon resource business. As few companies have emerged in this new and important space, the Company believes identifying as a company in this resource-based business would be advantageous. The sequestration of the carbon mineral (C #6 on the periodic table) is a new and little understood industry on the global resource landscape. Big Tree Carbon Inc. intends to be a first mover and an important player in the development of this industry and recommends that identifying as such at this time would reflect this intention and identify this opportunity for the Company. We encourage all shareholders to exercise their right to vote and approve the name change. Concurrently, AurCrest would like to inform shareholders that the Company is proceeding with a series of summer exploration programs on the 100% owned Richardson Lake, Richardson North Extension, Ranger Lake, Ranger East, and Dancing Man mineral claim property assets. Field work will commence in June 2022 beginning with float plane supported restoration of the 2011-2014 Richardson Lake drill camp in preparation for the 2023 Winter lake ice-based drill program. Drilling is designed to expand 2014 airborne magnetic associations with auriferous metasedimentary units identified during the 2011 and 2014 programs. To better delineate drill targets, a lake bottom sediment survey will also be conducted for spatiotemporal geochemical hydrocarbon (SGH) interpretation. Permitting for the 2023 Winter drill program will be submitted for target zones along the northern shore of the lake. The Richardson North Extension (aka. Brownstone Lake) is also float plane accessible and is greenfield for the Company. Field exploration and soil sampling for SGH and mobile metal ions (MMI) will be conducted in areas of an inferred metasedimentary-crystalline lithologic contact as this area is believed to represent a northern continuation of the unconformity recognized in mineralized areas immediately to the south on the Richardson Lake property. The Ranger Lake-Ranger East property, now road accessible, will see field exploration and sampling focusing on 2021 airborne magnetic survey highs. In anticipation of a Fall 2022 follow-up drill program, additional pad locations will be identified and permitted in areas surveyed in 2021. Field exploration and sampling on the Dancing Man property, also road accessible, will investigate strong magnetic contrast zones in the northeastern portion of the property. Historically, similar magnetic highs in the area are associated with banded sulphide mineralization containing gold, copper and cobalt. We hope that all of our shareholders deliver their proxies and participate in the Annual Meeting. ABOUT AURCREST GOLD INC. AurCrest is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties. AurCrest has a portfolio of properties in Ontario, which include the Richardson Lake, Ranger Lake and Bridget Lake gold properties. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: AurCrest Gold Inc. Christopher Angeconeb President and C.E.O. (807) 737-5353 christopherangeconeb@gmail.com Ian Brodie-Brown Director of Business Development (416) 844-9969 bigtree007@icloud.com Forward Looking Statement: Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. AurCrest undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: AurCrest Gold Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693469/Aurcrest-Provides-Shareholder-Update Demand for the Company's MYTHC Life Branded Products Continues to Grow VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / FinCanna Capital Corp. ("FinCanna") ("the Company") (CSE:CALI)(OTCQB:FNNZF) an investment company focused on the U.S. licensed cannabis industry, is pleased to provide an update regarding its investee company, QVI Inc., operating as West County Brands, regarding the product rollout of its MYTHC Life brand and its joint venture with Cherry Kola Farms , an award winning producer of premium cannabis products in California. Beginning last week, sales & marketing partner Petalfast , introduced West County Brands own MYTHC Life's live rosin products and flavoured gummies, co-labelled with Cherry Kola Farms, to a cross section of retail dispensaries and multi-store operations in Northern and Southern California. The response was unanimously positive, further validating the brand's core product features of superior quality and disruptive price. Based on demand, industry leading distributor Calyx Brands, has committed to placing West County Brands products in 40 retail locations in March/April and are committed to expanding distribution throughout their existing 270 client account network by year end. This should put QVI in a position to rapidly grow its revenues in the coming months. West County Brands is currently in production with 4 SKU's of flavoured gummies and one SKU of live rosin gummies under the MYTHC Life brand and is continuing its production of Cherry Kola Farms live rosin products. All current production is scheduled for delivery to retail dispensary accounts as soon as completed. Going forward, West County Brands will ramp-up its output to meet the growing demand and will expand its production to include more SKU's under both its MYTHC Life and GOTHC Life labels. Annie Holman, Co-Founder and CEO of QVI said, "We're so pleased to be working with the outstanding people at Petalfast and Calyx. It was fantastic to meet with dispensary owners face-to-face last week and see their enthusiasm for our brand, MYTHC Life. I'll say it again, Calyx Brands and Petalfast are first-rate distribution and sales & marketing teams, covering the state of California and we expect tremendous success together." Andriyko Herchak, CEO of FinCanna Capital said, "I'm very pleased to see our "retail to manufacturing model" featuring superior products and disruptive pricing come together in such a powerful way. Our team is driving market penetration across the state with both dispensaries and delivery businesses to build out our sales and distribution footprint. It's exciting to see the order book growing, pushing the West County Brands team to add new SKU's and to ramp-up production to meet the increasing demand. We believe we have all the pieces in place for success; proven production capabilities, quality branded disruptively priced products, a profit-share joint venture with highly regarded Cherry Kola Farms and outstanding sales & marketing and distribution representation with Petalfast and Calyx Brands. The strong initial demand for our products has validated our business model and we look forward to increasing revenues and cash flow as our business continues to scale." To review FinCanna Capital's recent investor presentation click here . The legal U.S. cannabis market is expected to reach more than US$41 billion in annual sales by 2025 with California, the single largest market in North America, representing an estimated 20% market share or US$8.2 billion and edibles comprising over $900m of the overall California Market (New Frontier Data). About FinCanna Capital Corp. FinCanna is an investment company that provides growth capital to rapidly emerging private companies operating in the licensed U.S cannabis industry. FinCanna is focused on delivering high impact returns to its shareholders by way of a strategically diversified investment portfolio. For additional information visit www.fincannacapital.com and FinCanna's profile at www.sedar.com About QVI Inc. QVI, which stands for Quality, Value and Integrity, is located in Sonoma County, California. Their purpose-built facility previously known as The Galley and now West County Brands is differentiated from other manufactures by its proven automated capabilities to produce virtually all high-value cannabis products at large volumes under one roof. The facility is built to FDA and CDPH standards and is focused on high demand areas of production; Edibles, Live Rosins, Topicals, Tinctures, Chocolates, Hard Candies, Gummies, Beverages, Vapes, Pre-Rolls and Flower Packaging. QVI's immediate goal is to become the premier manufacturer in California, the largest single market in North America and, upon success, to license products nationally and globally. FinCanna Capital Corp. Andriyko Herchak, CEO & Director info@fincannacapital.com 1.833.346.2266 Forward-Looking Information Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements herein include" without limitation, statements about anticipated benefits of the joint venture agreement with Cherry Kola Farms (CKF); the launch (and timing thereof), implementation and anticipated benefits of the new "manufacturer to retail" revenue model and strategy, including anticipated superior margins, better pricing and implied profitability; the $2 million in private placement financing; and future plans and strategies of the Company. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks that the joint venture with CKF and the new "manufacturer to retail" model and strategy may not result in the anticipated benefits to the Company, or at all; the Company may not be able to raise $2 million in private placement financing, or any funds at all; the Company may not receive approval for the $2 million financing; and the risks identified in the CSE listing statement available at www.SEDAR.com and other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the respective companies undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. SOURCE: FinCanna Capital Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693474/FinCanna-Provides-Update-on-West-County-Brands-Product-Rollout People watch the first-ever TV drama screened since the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan and the evacuation of the U.S.-led forces at a cinema in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, March 10, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Afghanistan's cinema and film industry, which had been damaged by war, revives again as a TV drama was screened recently, the first time since the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan and the evacuation of the U.S.-led forces. KABUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- For the first time since the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan and the evacuation of the U.S.-led forces, a TV drama was screened recently as a sign of promoting the cinema industry in the war-torn country. The screening has raised hope among cinema makers that the film industry could be developed under the Taliban-led administration. "So far, we have faced no problem in shooting and preparing the serial, and I am hopeful that the situation would further improve to work better in the field," an actor told Xinhua. Surkh Sali, meaning Red Year, tells a love story of three personalities in contemporary Afghanistan, with its teaser on the cinema screen on the western edge of Kabul city a couple of days ago. People watch the first-ever TV drama screened since the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan and the evacuation of the U.S.-led forces at a cinema in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, March 10, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) In the serial trailer ceremony attended by 15 film cast, the onlookers lauded the TV drama, hoping that the serial could reach local television channels and mini-screens. Satayesh Atae, who attended the ceremony, told Xinhua that she believes that the permission to shoot the TV serial is a step towards developing cinema culture in the country. Like other national institutions, Afghanistan's cinema and film industry have been badly damaged due to over four decades of war. Although there are a handful of cinemas in Afghan cities including Kabul, there was no screening of local or foreign films, with television channels usually broadcasting Turkish- and Iranian-produced serials. Zabihullah Mujahid, deputy minister of information and culture of the Taliban-led caretaker government, has urged filmmakers to produce films based on values of Islamic teaching and Afghan culture. People watch the first-ever TV drama screened since the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan and the evacuation of the U.S.-led forces at a cinema in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, March 10, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Mujahid made the remarks at the screening ceremony of the first two documentaries made by Afghan filmmakers and displayed by the state-run film producing company the Afghan Film here on Sunday. "Cinema and screening films has a significant role in improving society, reconstruction and its introduction," said Hamayon Sakhani, a film actor. He also said cinemas in Afghanistan have been badly damaged and its rehabilitation lacks investment as the society needs them more than at any time. With a range of recent wins and upgrades among customers in Finland and Sweden, Hansen Technologies (ASX:HSN) continues to solidify its position as a valued partner for automated energy trading for Nordic energy leaders and the software and solutions provider of choice for the energy and utilities industry around the globe. In the period spanning October to December 2021, Hansen signed new agreements with Fortum, Power-Deriva, Tampereen Sahkolaitos, Kemijoki Oy, Jamtkraft and Vantaa Energy, leveraging various modules within Hansen Trade. Under the terms of these respective agreements, Hansen Trade will enhance the ability of these companies' efforts in mFRR, aFRR, day-ahead and intraday trading operations. These wins build on a wave of agreements that Hansen secured through 2021 for the deployment of several new modules within Hansen Trade, with Gasum, EPV Energia Oy, Malarenergi and Power-Deriva underscoring the value of the solution in the modern energy transition, across marketplaces, and at a time when energy and utilities companies are reassessing their long-term digital transformation goals. Run as a modular, cloud-based SaaS solution and optimised for real-time calculation, Hansen Trade fully meets the flexibility and scalability demands of the evolving energy trading market. Hansen Trade is the ultimate solution for automated trading, enabling energy companies to optimise the usage of their flexible production assets, minimise their balance error and reduce the costs of running a 24/7 trading desk. Guy Tennant, Chief Technology Officer, Hansen Technologies, commented: "With more than fifty years of product and service excellence behind us, we are proud to provide our customers with holistic solutions and competitive advantages that enable them to optimise critical business operations and successfully navigate a rapidly changing environment. The markets we serve are constantly subject to a great degree of change and what our customers need is the automation of critical business operations, with a modern and robust trading solution. Hansen is deploying the latest in modular and SaaS-based software to meet the needs of today's modern energy companies. As an automated, SaaS solution that helps in streamlining trading strategy for energy and utilities players in the region, Hansen Trade allows organisations to free up valuable resources to focus on more impactful tasks positioning them to navigate the complexity of an industry in flux." For further information about Hansen Technologies, please visit www.hansencx.com. About Hansen Technologies Hansen Technologies (ASX: HSN) is a leading global provider of software and services to the energy, water and communications industries. With its award-winning software portfolio, Hansen serves 600+ customers in over 80 countries, helping them to create, sell and deliver new products and services, manage and analyse customer data, and control critical revenue management and customer support processes. For more information, visit www.hansencx.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005230/en/ Contacts: Adnan Bashir Senior Manager, Global Corporate Communications Hansen Technologies +1 647-204-0999 Information concerning the availability of preparatory documentation Regulatory News: SOCIETE FONCIERE LYONNAISE (Paris:FLY) shareholders are informed that the preparatory documentation for the Annual General Meeting of Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., which will be held at 42 rue Washington Paris 8th, is available on the Company's website: www.fonciere-lyonnaise.com/en/publications/general-meeting In accordance with the French Commercial Code article R.225-88 provisions, any shareholder in possession of registered shares may ask to receive a copy of the documents and information covered by French Commercial Code articles R.225-81 and R.225-83. Holders of bearer shares may also request these documents from their authorised financial intermediary. Shareholders can also consult these documents at the SOCIETE FONCIERE LYONNAISE headquarters (42 rue Washington, 75008 PARIS). Notice of the meeting was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires (Bulletin of Mandatory Legal Notices or BALO) on 2 March 2022 (Bulletin n 26 publication n 2200335). This notice contains the agenda and draft resolutions as well as the conditions for participating and voting at this meeting. This notice can also be viewed on Company's website: www.fonciere-lyonnaise.com/en/publications/general-meeting About SFL Leader in the prime segment of the Parisian commercial real estate market, Societe Fonciere Lyonnaise stands out for the quality of its property portfolio, which is valued at 7.6 billion and is focused on the Central Business District of Paris (cloud.paris, Edouard VII, Washington Plaza, etc.), and for the quality of its client portfolio, which is composed of prestigious companies in the consulting, media, digital, luxury, finance and insurance sectors. As France's oldest property company, SFL demonstrates year after year an unwavering commitment to its strategy focused on creating a high value in use for users and, ultimately, substantial appraisal values for its properties. Stock market: Euronext Paris Compartment A Euronext Paris ISIN FR0000033409 Bloomberg: FLY FP Reuters: FLYP PA S&P rating: BBB+ stable outlook View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005565/en/ Contacts: SFL Thomas Fareng Phone +33 (0)1 42 97 27 00 t.fareng@fonciere-lyonnaise.com www.fonciere-lyonnaise.com 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. HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Silver Tiger Metals Inc. (TSXV:SLVR) ("Silver Tiger" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced bought deal offering (the "Offering") of common shares of the Company (the "Shares") with a syndicate of underwriters. An aggregate of 40,365,000 Shares at a price of C$0.57 per Share for gross proceeds to the Company of approximately C$23 million were sold including 5,265,000 Shares for gross proceeds of approximately $3 million on the exercise in full of the over-allotment option granted by the Corporation to the syndicate of underwriters. The syndicate of underwriters was led by Sprott Capital Partners LP, as lead underwriter and sole bookrunner, along with Desjardins Capital Markets', as co-lead underwriter, and included Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc., Echelon Wealth Partners Inc., Eight Capital, BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., PI Financial Corp., and Beacon Securities Limited (collectively, the "Underwriters"). The Underwriters were paid a commission of 6% on the gross proceeds of the Offering. In addition, the Corporation issued compensation warrants to the Underwriters entitling them to purchase 6% of the number of Shares sold under the Offering at a price of $0.57 per Share for a period of 12 months following closing of the Offering. The Offering was completed by way of short form prospectus in each of the provinces of Canada, except Quebec, pursuant to National Instrument 44-101 - Short Form Prospectus Distributions. The Shares were not offered or sold in the United States except under Rule 144A or Regulation D or in such other manner as to not require registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. About the El Tigre Historic Mine District The El Tigre historic mine district is located in Sonora, Mexico and lies at the northern end of the Sierra Madre silver and gold belt which hosts many epithermal silver and gold deposits, including Dolores, Santa Elena and Las Chispas at the northern end. In 1896, gold was first discovered on the property in the Gold Hill area and mining started with the Brown Shaft in 1903. The focus soon changed to mining high-grade silver veins in the area with production coming from 3 parallel veins the El Tigre Vein, the Seitz Kelley Vein and the Sooy Vein. Underground mining on the middle El Tigre vein extended 1,450 meters along strike and was mined on 14 levels to a depth of approximately 450 meters. The Seitz Kelley Vein was developed along strike for 1 kilometer to a depth of approximately 200 meters. The Sooy Vein was only mined along strike for 250 meters to a depth of approximately 150 meters. Mining abruptly stopped on all 3 of these veins when the price of silver collapsed to less than 20 per ounce with the onset of the Great Depression. By the time the mine closed in 1932, it is reported to have produced a total of 353,000 ounces of gold and 67.4 million ounces of silver from 1.87 million tons (Craig, 2012). The average grade mined during this period was over 2 kilograms silver equivalent per ton. The El Tigre silver and gold deposit is related to a series of high-grade epithermal veins controlled by a north-south trending structure cutting across the andesitic and rhyolitic tuffs of the Sierra Madre Volcanic Complex within a broad silver and gold mineralized prophylitic alteration zone developed in the El Tigre Formation that can be up to 150 meters wide. The veins dip steeply to the west and are typically 0.5 meter wide but locally can be up to 5 meters in width. The veins, structures and mineralized zones outcrop on surface and have been traced for 5.3 kilometers along strike in our brownfield exploration area. Historical mining and exploration activities focused on a 1.6 kilometer portion of the southern end of the deposits, principally on the El Tigre, Seitz Kelly and Sooy veins. The under explored Caleigh, Benjamin, Protectora and the Fundadora exposed veins continue north for more than 3 kilometers. Silver Tiger has delivered its maiden 43-101 compliant resource estimate and is currently drilling to update its resource estimate and publish a PEA. El Tigre Resource Estimate After acquiring El Tigre, Silver Tiger drilled 12,500 meters to define the wide halo of near surface gold mineralization around the mined high-grade veins of the historic El Tigre Mine. This allowed Silver Tiger to deliver a maiden resource estimate for the El Tigre Property to a depth of 150 meters containing indicated resources of 661,000 gold equivalent ounces at 0.77 g/t (21 g/t silver and 0.51 g/t gold) and inferred resources of 341,000 gold equivalent ounces at 1.59 g/t (88 g/t silver and 0.52 g/t gold). The National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate on the El Tigre Project, Sonora, Mexico" effective as of September 7, 2017 and dated October 26, 2017 prepared by David Burga, P.Geo., Yungang Wu, P.Geo., Fred Brown, P.Geo., Jarita Barry, P.Geo., Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, Alfred Hayden, P.Eng. and Richard H. Sutcliffe, Ph.D., P.Geo. of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. is available on the Corporation's website at www.silvertigermetals.com and on www.sedar.com under the Corporation's profile. VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation - Silver Tiger's El Tigre Project VRIFY is a platform being used by companies to communicate with investors using 360 virtual tours of remote mining assets, 3D models and interactive presentations. VRIFY can be accessed by website and with the VRIFY iOS and Android apps. Access the Silver Tiger Metals Inc. Corporate Profile on VRIFY at: https://vrify.com The VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation for Silver Tiger Metals Inc. can be viewed at: https://vrify.com/explore/decks/492 and on the Company's website at: www.silvertigermetals.com. Qualified Person David R. Duncan, P. Geo., V.P. Exploration of the Corporation, is the Qualified Person for Silver Tiger as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Duncan has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release and has reviewed the Technical Report. For further information, please contact: Glenn Jessome President and CEO 902 492 0298 jessome@silvertigermetals.com CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the timing and completion of the Offering, the intended use of proceeds from the Offering, potential mineralization, resources and reserves, the ability to convert inferred resources to indicated resources, the ability to complete future drilling programs and infill sampling, the ability to extend resource blocks, the similarity of mineralization at El Tigre to Delores, Santa Elena and Chispas, exploration results and the future plans and objectives of Silver Tiger, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "may", "is expected to", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans", "projection", "could", "vision", "goals", "objective" and "outlook" and other similar words. Although Silver Tiger believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Silver Tiger's expectations include risks and uncertainties related to exploration, development, operations, commodity prices and global financial volatility, risk and uncertainties of operating in a foreign jurisdiction as well as additional risks described from time to time in the filings made by Silver Tiger with securities regulators. SOURCE: Silver Tiger Metals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693505/Silver-Tiger-Announces-Closing-of-23-Million-Bought-Deal-Financing iMining Technologies has purchased land in the Manhattan District inside the Decentraland Metaverse and has launched its headquarters. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - iMining Technologies Inc. (TSXV: IMIN) (the "Company" or "iMining") a publicly traded Web3.0 company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Metaverse Advisory Group ("MAG") has secured two land parcels in the Decentraland metaverse. iMining also retained MAG to develop its headquarters and is pleased to announce the completion of iMining.com Towers, a virtual office in Decentraland's Manhattan district, located just West of the Decentraland Signage (also known as the Hollywood Sign). iMining.com Tower is the only location which has received a Point of Interest ("POI") in the Manhattan District within the Decentraland Metaverse with overwhelming votes of 800,000 VP. iMining Technologies and all its wholly owned subsidiaries will have their virtual headquarters located inside the iMining.com Tower. The two land parcels together provide a capability of developing an equivalent of more than 50,000 square feet of usable office space. The iMining.com Tower is located within the Manhattan District inside the Decentraland metaverse, which has a fully developed road infrastructure resulting in premium land prices compared to other areas in Decentraland. In addition to using the iMining Tower as virtual office space, the Tower will be used to generate additional revenue for the Company by (1) leasing a portion of the property to other individuals and institutions who want exposure to the metaverse; (2) placing advertising and other billboards; and (3) event space rental. "Any work will need to have a digital component in the metaverse but it doesn't mean that everyone has to be a computer engineer. Companies such as Zoom have transformed remote working but the development of metaverse will be a game changer," said Khurram Shroff, the Chairman, President and CEO of iMining Technologies Inc. "We already see companies such as JP Morgan, Samsung and Sotheby's have entered Decentraland metaverse making Decentraland the ultimate location for businesses gearing up for the future." The official launch party for the iMining.com Tower is planned for Q2 2022. At the launch party, iMining will present different spaces the building has to offer and provide an overview of the Company and its subsidiaries. Please visit the iMining.com Tower on parcel number 13, -103. About Metaverse Advisory Group: Metaverse Advisory Group is a virtual NFT based real estate company that develops and manages a portfolio of Virtual properties in major blockchain-based Metaverses including Decentraland and The Sandbox. It operates unique services including virtual property development, property management, and assisting companies with future of work, virtual events and meetings, marketing and advertising in the Metaverse. About iMining Technologies Inc. iMining is a publicly listed Web3.0 technology company developing technology for Crypto Mining, Decentralized Finance ("DeFi") and Non-Fungible Tokens ("NFT"). iMining also owns BitBit Financial Inc., an ATM Network and crypto OTC Trading Platform for individual and institutions. You may onboard with BitBit Financial https://bitbitfinancial.com/open-an-account/ iMining investments are directly linked to the Bitcoin Mining, Crypto Trading, Decentralized Finance ("DeFI") and Metaverse Non-Fungible Tokens ("NFTs"). With diverse blockchain investment and infrastructure solutions, iMining will be a leader in accelerating the growth of Web3.0 for the enterprise market. The Company's operations include secure and sustainable cryptocurrency payments, staking, mining and digital asset investment designed for the scale and compliance requirements of institutional clients. iMining is committed to building strong global blockchain ecosystems and supporting inclusive access to digital tools and technologies. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "Khurram Shroff" Khurram Shroff, President & CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact: iMining Corporate Offices: Saleem Moosa, Director Email: investor@imining.com Telephone: 1-604-602-4935 Toll Free: 1-866-602-4935 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance, and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions, and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, actual results of activities, future cryptocurrency prices, operating risks, and other risks in the cryptocurrency industry. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117128 Experienced sales leader to support the company's rapid growth by optimizing sales strategy CHICAGO and COLOGNE, Germany, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- cleverbridge, a front runner in global commerce and subscription billing for B2B and B2C organizations, is excited to welcome Steve Dunnigan as senior vice president of sales for the EMEA/APAC regions. Dunnigan comes to cleverbridge with more than 20 years of successful sales and go-to-market leadership experience in software and SaaS. Most recently, he led EMEA sales at Flexera, a SaaS-based IT management solution that enables enterprises to accelerate digital transformation and multiply the value of their technology investments. He has also previously held leadership roles at IBM and MicroStrategy. "cleverbridge has one of the leading all-in-one digital commerce solutions for B2B and B2C, and we're always looking for new ways to introduce our solutions to companies that can benefit," said cleverbridge CEO Wendi Sturgis. "Steve is the perfect choice to lead our EMEA and APAC sales efforts. With his forward-thinking approach to sales and demonstrated ability to rapidly grow technology companies, Steve will be an invaluable source to support our ambitious growth trajectory." A graduate of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Dunnigan is an innovative technology sales executive with a proven track record of leading global teams. "I am so excited to join cleverbridge at this remarkable moment in the company's evolution," said Dunnigan. "The partnership with EMH brings a calculated growth strategy and an expansion opportunity that cleverbridge hasn't seen before. I was intrigued by cleverbridge's unique customer relationships and significant retention rates. I feel extremely fortunate to be here to support cleverbridge and its clients during this exciting phase of growth." About cleverbridge cleverbridge enables B2B and B2C organizations delivering digital products to achieve their goal of growing. closer to their global customers and delivery needs for increased revenue, improved lifetime value, and business transformation. cleverbridge provides global billing solutions for digital goods, online services and SaaS companies in B2C and B2B markets. Its cloud-based platform simplifies recurring billing, optimizes the customer experience and offers comprehensive global compliance and payment capabilities. For more information on cleverbridge, please visit www.cleverbridge.com. MEDIA CONTACT Stephanie Duesing stephanie.duesing@cleverbridge.com 1-312-922-8693 x3325 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f9a49ea9-aef7-4e62-af04-4b9781aa8f1c DUISBURG (dpa-AFX) - ThyssenKrupp AG (TYEKF.PK), a German industrial engineering and steel company, said on Thursday that it has suspended its forecast for the fiscal 2022 on free cash flow before M&A as the persisting Ukraine crisis and related economic uncertainties will impact the Group's business performances. The steel maker's sales from Russia and Ukraine are significantly less than one percent. However, it assumes that the worldwide supply chain disruptions will hit its steel and automotive supply businesses. As of now, the Board said it continues to assume that the adjusted EBIT for the second quarter will still be higher, on quarter-on-quarter basis, adding that free cash flow before M&A, on the other hand, will be more strongly impacted by negative price effects than previously estimated. 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. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - David H. Brett, President & CEO, EnGold Mines Ltd., (TSXV: EGM) ("EnGold" or the "Company") reports assays from shallow drilling at the Road Gold Zone has returned results of 7.51 grams per ton gold over 1.5 metres within a broader intercept of 5.5 m grading 2.2 gpt gold in hole R21-03 between 55 m and 60.5 m down hole. Full results of the two holes drilled at Road Gold in 2021 are reported in the table below. Road Gold lies within the Company's 100% owned Lac La Hache Property in the southern Cariboo region of BC. "These near-surface multi-gram gold results confirm Road Gold as a prospective target for follow up drilling," said EnGold VP Ex Rob Shives, P.Geo. "We are still interpreting the Road Gold structure as it relates to a 1.8 km geophysical anomaly, indicating potentially significant strike extent." The Road Gold showing lies on part of an 1800 meter long, N-S trending, linear magnetic low, interpreted as a fault controlled, magnetite-destructive, potassic alteration corridor. The width of the magnetic low at Road Gold is 80 m (see attached figure). Bedrock grab samples were collected across a 30 m portion of the low where overburden depth allowed, and these averaged 2.0 gpt Au. Shallow drilling to date has encountered strong potassic alteration within fine grained volcanic rocks, but intense fracturing, faulting and blocky drill core prevented completion of the first three holes. Result to date are encouraging, suggesting additional testing at Road Gold and elsewhere along the structure is warranted. "Road Gold is a recent discovery on the Lac La Hache Property that underscores the abundance of potentially economic mineral deposits and occurrences along the Property's 10 km prospective trend," said EnGold President & CEO David Brett. "The Spout and G1 Copper skarn deposits, Ann North porphyry copper, Aurizon South & Aurizon Central gold (copper-silver) hydrothermal breccia zones and other prospects, are all related to the Alkalic Porphyry system underlying the Property. Our current, deep drilling program is testing depth extent under several zones." All drill intervals reported are core lengths only as the true width of the structure has not yet been fully determined. Table 1: Weighted Assays Results from 2021 Shallow Drilling, Road Gold. DDH From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) R21-03 55.00 60.50 5.50 0.03 2.2 0.55 incl 59.00 60.50 1.50 0.05 7.51 1.60 R21-04 25.00 33.00 8.00 0.09 0.08 0.73 incl 25.00 27.00 2.00 0.07 1.26 0.70 incl 31.00 33.00 2.00 0.10 1.24 0.80 Lac La Hache Project, British Columbia - Road Gold Zone Drill Results To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2268/117133_d4e6bb4f648e38ab_002full.jpg EnGold Mines Ltd, Lac La Hache Project, British Columbia To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2268/117133_d4e6bb4f648e38ab_003full.jpg Rob Shives P.Geo., VP Exploration and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release. About EnGold EnGold is a Vancouver-based copper, gold, silver, magnetite exploration company focused solely on its 100% owned Lac La Hache property in the Cariboo region of BC which hosts the Spout Copper Deposit, the Aurizon Gold Deposit and the G1 Copper Deposit and other targets within a large porphyry mineralizing system. With world class infrastructure at its doorstep, Lac La Hache is a great location to be exploring. EnGold Mines Ltd. David Brett President & CEO For further info contact David Brett, 604-682-2421 or david@engold.ca This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the expected use of proceeds of the financing. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which EnGold will operate in the future. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition. Although EnGold has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. EnGold does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117133 Surge in incidence of osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency, rise in geriatric population, technological advancements in the field of bone densitometry, and favorable reimbursement scenario in the developed economies drive the growth of the global bone densitometers market PORTLAND, Ore., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Bone Densitometer Market by Technology (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), Ultrasound, and Other Technologies), Application (Central Scan and Peripheral Scan), and End User (Hospitals, Clinics, and Other Medical Facilities): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021--2030." According to the report, the global bone densitometers industry was estimated at $38.39 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to hit $57.42 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 4.1% from 2021 to 2030. For Right Perspective, Download Sample PDF at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4540 Drivers, restraints, and opportunities- Surge in incidence of osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency, rise in geriatric population, technological advancements in the field of bone densitometry, and favorable reimbursement scenario in the developed economies drive the growth of the global bone densitometers market. On the other hand, several risks associated with bone densitometers impede the growth to some extent. However, increase in awareness and surge in adoption of bone densitometers are expected to create lucrative opportunities in the industry. Covid-19 scenario- Due to the ongoing stay-at-home drift, people happened to suffer more from chronic bone health concerns. Therefore, the development of systems for bone mineral testing has augmented the use of bone densitometer products, thereby impacting the bone densitometer market positively. This trend is going to continue post pandemic as well. The Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dxa Or Dexa) segment to maintain the lion's share- By technology, the Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dxa Or Dexa) segment accounted for the highest market share in 2020, generating nearly half of the global bone densitometers market. The same segment is also anticipated to cite the fastest CAGR of 4.3% from 2021 to 2030. This is due to increase in prevalence of orthopedic disease across the world. Do You Have Any Query Or Specific Requirement? Ask to Our Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4540 The hospitals segment to lead the trail- By end-user, the hospitals segment generated the highest share in 2020, holding nearly half of the global bone densitometers market, owing to increase the disorders such as bone fractures among individuals. The clinics segment, on the other hand, is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 4.3% from 2021 to 2030. North America to dominate by 2030- By region, North America contributed to the major market share in terms of revenue 2020, holding nearly half of the global bone densitometers market. Presence of key players across North America and robust infrastructure provided for research activities in the region drive the market growth. Asia-Pacific, simultaneously, is projected to cite the fastest CAGR of 5.3% from 2021 to 2030. This is attributed to rise in investments in the healthcare sector and growing R & D activities for new product launch in the province. Prominent market players- CNH Industrial N.V. Deere & Company XCMG Group Doosan Infracore Co Ltd. J C Bamford Excavators Ltd. Komatsu Ltd. Liebherr International AG Caterpillar Inc. Volvo Group Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Request for 14 days free trial: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter "We have also published few syndicated market studies in the similar area that might be of your interest. Below are the report title for your reference, considering Impact of Covid-19 Over This Market which will help you to assess aftereffects of pandemic on short-term and long-term growth trends of this market." Trending Reports in Healthcare Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount): Medical Cannabis Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Plant tissue culture market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Nephrology Drugs Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Cosmetic Dentistry Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Assisted Reproductive Technology Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 About Us 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 domain. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. 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. 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: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/life-sciences Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/life-sciences-industry-research/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg Citizens exercise in the open air within their community classified as a low-risk area for COVID-19 in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Yibo) XI'AN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, one of the major coal production areas of the country, saw record good air quality in 2021, with its six major air quality indicators reaching the level-II national standard for the first time. The province's 12 city-level areas had monitored an average concentration of PM2.5 at 36 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021, down 14.3 percent year on year. The PM2.5 reading is a gauge monitoring airborne particles of 2.5 microns or less in diameter, which can penetrate deep into people's lungs. The average concentrations of PM10 in these areas fell to 66 micrograms per cubic meter, down 7 percent year on year. A total of 295.4 days with good air quality were logged during the period in Shaanxi's 10 cities under national assessment, 10.3 days more than the goal set by China. This is the first time for Shaanxi to reach the overall national air quality standards, marking solid progress in the battle against air pollution, said Ji Wu, director of the province's atmospheric environment office. In 2021, Shaanxi launched a series of pollution prevention and treatment campaigns, including reducing industrial coal consumption except for coal used in electricity generation, penalizing enterprises that commit environmental offenses, and upgrading iron and steel enterprises, in an effort to better protect the environment and improve local air quality. NANJING, China, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Triastek, Inc. and Siemens Ltd., China have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to provide digital technologies for the global pharmaceutical industry. Combining Triastek's industry-leading 3D printing and digital pharmaceutical technologies and Siemens' global leadership in automation and digitization is expected to lead to innovative and transformative solutions for the development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. Regulatory agencies including the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration), European EMA (European Medicines Agency), and China's NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) have encouraged pharmaceutical companies to modernize their manufacturing processes through adopting continuous manufacturing processes and digital technologies. Triastek is actively implementing the continuous manufacturing approach in conjunction with advanced digital tools to streamline and improve their manufacturing processes and products. Combining these innovations with Siemens' digitization and automation expertise will address regulatory agency desires to reduce pharmaceutical product quality issues, lower manufacturing costs, and improve availability of quality medicines to patients. This collaboration between Triastek and Siemens will leverage their respective technological advantages, strengths, and capabilities to address pharmaceutical industry needs and improve patient outcomes. Triastek's proprietary pharmaceutical MED (Melt Extrusion Deposition) 3D printing platform technology for R&D and mass production integrated with the advanced automation and digital technologies provided by Siemens will accelerate product R&D, and facilitate continuous manufacturing approaches, paperless production, real time product release, equipment and facility maintenance. These innovations are expected to improve production line throughput whilst maintaining the highest product quality. Finally, in collaboration with Siemens, Triastek plans to establish an intelligent pharmaceutical manufacturing center, where a virtual laboratory, smart factory, and digital twin technologies will be incorporated into every aspect of pharmaceutical operations. Founded in 2015, Triastek has entered the mass production and business development phase. In October 2021, Triastek released its Era 2.0 Open Strategy, a plan to commercialize its proprietary MED 3D printing technology via collaboration with global pharmaceutical companies and suppliers. Based on its Open Strategy and the collaboration, Triastek provides digital product R&D and an innovative manufacturing platform that allows business partners to utilize and integrate Triastek technologies into their operations, from initial drug development through commercial production. Dr. Senping Cheng, Founder and CEO of Triastek, commented on the announcement: "This strategic collaboration has broadened the possibilities of pharmaceutical digitalization. Triastek's MED 3D printing technology represents a new digital pharmaceutical technology, building the foundation for a digital pharma future. MED 3D printing represents a novel drug R&D paradigm, from product development through product launch, while introducing new models to manage production and supply. Triastek will make this open platform available to digital technology providers in order to jointly advance the Pharma 4.0 initiative, serving our greater vision of transforming the future of the pharmaceutical industry." Mr. Jinsong Zhang, Senior Vice President and General Manager of sales region east of digital industries of Siemens Ltd., China also commented on this partnership: "Siemens' strategic cooperation with Triastek builds a win-win cooperation of a digital solution provider leader and a 3D printing pharmaceutical leader. Siemens has rich 3D printing experiences and a full spectrum of digital solutions for manufacturing transformation. I believe the fusion of 3D printing technology with pharmaceutical digitalization establishes a new paradigm, which unifies R&D and production, and advances the end-to-end model from demand to delivery. The partnership will help Triastek to accelerate digital pharmaceutical 4.0, which will eventually bring about significant benefits to the pharmaceutical industry worldwide." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1767714/Triastek_Siemens_announce_strategic_collaboration_accelerate_digital_transformation_pharmaceutical_i.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1550911/global_Logo.jpg PALM BEACH, Fla., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FinancialNewsMedia.com News Commentary - Lithium prices have jumped across the board over the past year on the back of heavy demand from the automotive sector, but inside China there is a mad scramble, particularly for carbonate, said Mining.com in a recent article. It said Carbonate continues to soar in 2022 after more than quadrupling in value last year, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a battery supply chain researcher and price reporting agency. The mid-March assessment by Benchmark shows battery grade lithium carbonate (EXW China, =99.5% Li2CO3) averaging $76,700 a tonne. That's up 10% over just two weeks and 95% since the start of the year. In March last year it was trading at $13,400 a tonne. The Wall Street Journal also was optimistic about the future of lithium, saying: "In the U.S. hunt for lithium, an essential component of the batteries that power electric vehicles and cellphones, one big untapped source might be bubbling under a giant lake in Southern California. The U.S. currently imports almost all of its lithium, but research shows large reserves in underground geothermal brines-a scalding hot soup of minerals, metals and saltwater. At California'sSalton Sea, three companies, including one owned by Warren Buffett's conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc., are pushing ahead with plans to do just that. Those efforts are backed by money from governments eager to secure supplies of critical minerals that are key to several modern technologies. Prices of lithium recently rose at their fastest pace in years as supply-chain bottlenecks mounted and demand from electric-vehicle makers." Active Mining Companies in the markets today include China Dongsheng International Inc. (OTCPK: CDSG), Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC) (TSX: LAC), American Lithium Corp. (OTCQB: LIACF) (TSX-V: LI), Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSE: SLI) (TSX-V: SLI), Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB). The plans could turn this southeastern corner of California into one of the largest producers of what some call "white gold" at a time when most of that material comes from Australia, Chile and China. The geothermal reservoir under the Salton Sea area is capable of producing 600,000 metric tons a year of lithium carbonate, according to estimates from the California Energy Commission. That level of output would surpass last year's global production. Another article from The Wall Street Journal added: "Lithium prices are rising at their fastest pace in years, setting off a race to secure supplies and fueling worries about long-term shortages of a vital ingredient in the rechargeable batteries that power everything from electric vehicles to smartphones. An index of lithium prices from research firm and price provider Benchmark Mineral Intelligence doubled between May and November and is up some 240% for the year. The index is at its highest level in data going back five years." China Dongsheng International Inc. (OTCPK: CDSG) BREAKING NEWS - CDSG TO ACQUIRE INTEREST IN LITHIUM CLAYSTONE PROJECT ADJACENT TO TLC DEPOSIT - China Dongsheng International Inc. (the "Company" or "CDSG") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an Agreement with American Lithium Minerals Inc., a Nevada based publicly held corporation, whereby CDSG will have the right to earn up to a Sixty Percent (60%) interest in the West End Lithium Project near Tonopah Nevada. The Company recognizes the massive growth in the global lithium-ion battery market. With the majority of automakers turning towards the production of Electric and Hybrid vehicles, the Lithium battery market grew to 44.49 billion USD in 2021 and is projected to reach 193.13 billion USD by 2028. Just in the last 12 months the demand for Lithium has resulted in a price gain of over 10x for Lithium Carbonate, one of the key components for battery makers. The West End Lithium Project is located directly adjacent to the growing resource of the Tonopah Lithium Claims ("TLC") Project of American Lithium Corp. The TLC Project is sedimentary hosted lithium claystone deposit and possesses a NI 43-101 compliant initial resource of 5.37 million tonnes Lithium Carbonate Equivalent ("LCE") in the Measured and Indicated category and 1.76 tonnes LCE in the Inferred category. The West End and TLC Projects are located just 6 miles northwest of the town of Tonopah, Nevada and just 200 miles by road from Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory. To date, the Lithium at the TLC project appears to be held within relatively near-surface claystones and exploration and drilling continues to expand along a northwest-southeast trend off the main mineralization. The project size compares favorably to the 3.13 million tonnes LCE Proven and Probable Reserves of the Lithium Americas' Thacker Pass Lithium Deposit located in Humboldt County, about 25 miles from the Nevada-Oregon border.CONTINUEDRead this full release for China Dongsheng International at:https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-cdsg/ Other recent developments in the mining industry include: Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC) (TSX: LAC) recently announced the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection ("NDEP") has issued the final key state-level permits for the Thacker Pass lithium project in Humboldt County, Nevada ("Thacker Pass" or the "Project"). The three approved permits include the Water Pollution Control Permit, Mine Reclamation Permit and Class II Air Quality Operating Permit. "With the final key state environmental permits in hand, Lithium Americas can begin to advance Thacker Pass towards construction," said Jonathan Evans, President and CEO. "Thacker Pass provides an opportunity to enable a US-based battery supply chain for the growing electric vehicle market. Our commitment to developing Thacker Pass in the most environmentally responsible way is demonstrated from over a decade of conducting the necessary planning, design and engagement." American Lithium Corp. (OTCQB: LIACF) (TSX-V: LI) recently announced excellent uranium leach test results from recent work completed at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization ("ANSTO Minerals") and TECMMINE Mineral Processing Consultants, based in Lima, Peru. These results are from work carried out on uranium mineralization from five of the Company's uranium deposits on the Macusani Uranium Project ("Macusani") in southeastern Peru and confirm excellent extraction, low acid consumption and short leach cycle times. ANSTO Minerals is a globally respected consultancy with world leading experience in uranium and lithium processing and played a key role in proving the ability to produce battery grade lithium carbonate from Falchani. While COVID 19 caused significant disruption in Australia with delays and closures impacting most businesses including ANSTO, with the situation now improving, the Company anticipates that ANSTO will be a key contributor as the Company looks to update PEAs on Macusani and Falchani and release its maiden PEA on TLC. Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSE: SLI) (TSX-V: SLI), an innovative technology and lithium project development company, has reached an agreement (the "Agreement"), dated February 23, 2022, with its strategic partner, LANXESS Corporation ("Lanxess"), that streamlines and expedites the plan for development of the first commercial lithium project in Arkansas, which is to be constructed at an operational Lanxess facility in El Dorado, Arkansas (the "Project"). Under the Agreement, Standard Lithium will control all development of the Project leading up to and including the completion of the Front End Engineering Design ("FEED") study. Standard Lithium will hold, at a minimum, a 51% majority equity stake in the Project and may retain as much as 100% of the Project. The Company will also retain 100% ownership of its South West Arkansas Project, all its proprietary extraction technologies, relevant intellectual property and know-how. Robert Mintak, CEO of Standard Lithium commented, "This agreement builds upon the successful working relationship that has been established between the companies. By entering into this Agreement, Standard Lithium takes ownership of the Project and its development timelines with a clear path towards delivering the first new commercial lithium production in the USA in over 50 years.1 We have already begun the process of engaging and integrating the strategic team members to make this project a success. With the recent investment from our largest shareholder, Koch Strategic Platforms, we are fully funded to complete all planned Project milestones leading to a Definitive Feasibility Study, which is expected to be completed in Q4 2022". Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced last year that its subsidiary, Albemarle Lithium UK Limited, signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity of Guangxi Tianyuan New Energy Materials Co., Ltd. ("Tianyuan"), a lithium converter located in Guangxi, China. Under terms of the agreement, Albemarle will acquire all outstanding equity from Tianyuan's shareholders for approximately USD $200 million, subject to certain adjustments. Albemarle expects the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, to close in early 2022. 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This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.Contact Information: Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com +1(561)325-8757 Oxitec has completed the first farm-scale pilots of Friendly fall armyworm on thousands of hectares of commercial corn in Brazil's key corn-growing regions. key corn-growing regions. These pilots have successfully validated the performance of the Friendly fall armyworm solution in farm settings, as Oxitec builds the product offering to deliver sustainable, effective and scalable impact for Brazilian farmers. The Friendly fall armyworm can reduce populations of fall armyworm and provide long-term protection of the effectiveness of biotech crops against this devastating crop pest. Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of biological pest control solutions, today announced the successful conclusion of the first farm-scale pilot deployments of its Friendly fall armyworm on commercial fields in Brazil . This announcement follows approval of the Friendly fall armyworm technology in 2021 by the Brazilian government's regulatory authorities and recent publication of the projected benefits that this solution can deliver to corn growers in Brazil and beyond. OXFORD, England, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- These landmark pilots were conducted on thousands of acres of commercial farmland in Sao Paulo State, a key corn-growing regions in Brazil, during the first annual corn crop season of 2021-22, successfully validating the performance of the Friendly fall armyworm solution in open field, farm settings. Following on achieving this milestone, Oxitec has partnered with Fundacao MT, a respected and long-standing innovator in Brazilian agriculture, to further validate the distribution, deployment and performance of the Friendly fall armyworm solution on thousands of hectares. With Brazil's second corn crop season now planted in Brazilian fields, the Oxitec team and their partners are expanding the pilot deployments to four large farms in the Midwest region of Mato Grosso, Brazil's leading producer of soy, corn, cotton and cattle. Powered by Oxitec's Friendly technology, Oxitec's fall armyworm solution has been developed to protect farmers' crops and livelihoods and will now proceed to large pilot programs in Brazil. The deployment of Oxitec's Friendly fall armyworm will reduce populations of fall armyworm in a safe and environmentally friendly way. This approach is designed to work in parallel with the existing tools available to farmers. A recent peer-reviewed publication describes the early research conducted in the development of Oxitec's Friendly fall armyworm, including results of mathematical modelling showing that releases of Friendly fall armyworm male moths into an agricultural landscape can significantly delay spread of resistance to biotech corn, thereby prolonging the effectiveness of these important pest protection tools. Grey Frandsen, CEO of Oxitec, said, "We're immensely proud of our global team in completing this first landmark season on commercial biotech corn in Brazil. This is a huge step forward on our path towards delivering transformative sustainability and value to Brazil's corn industry in the face of the growing threat posed by this devastating pest. We're now expanding to larger commercial farms and demonstrating our ability to produce, ship, and deploy over long distances across the country." Bruno Conti, Fundacao MT's Head of R&D, said, "We're honored to have established this partnership with Oxitec. Fundacao MT has the role of delivering to growers the most innovative and sustainable strategies for their crops and we are confident that, through this partnership, we will significantly contribute to the constant evolution of agribusiness." Natalia Ferreira, Oxitec's Brazil Director, added "We're delighted to deliver these successful pilots in partnership with Fundacao MT who, like us, are so focused on delivering sustainability to agriculture and to have a major positive impact on livelihoods. More About Friendly Fall Armyworm Further details about the science behind Oxitec's Friendly fall armyworm solution and its expected impact on sustainable agriculture, can be found in this peer-reviewed publication: https://bmcbiotechnol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12896-022-00735-9 About Oxitec Oxitec is the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock. Founded in 2002 at the University of Oxford, Oxitec is led by a passionate team comprised of 15 nationalities and is supported by world-class public, private and non-profit partners. Features an all-new Quad-Camera that sets a new standard for mobile imaging systems SHENZHEN, China, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global technology brand HONOR today announced the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate, featuring a powerful Quad-Camera system that introduces the world's first Dual Free-Form Lens and a range of cutting-edge camera innovations that massively improve photography and video capture experiences. The HONOR Magic4 Ultimate has also entered the DxOMark smartphone camera rankings in 1st place, a milestone achievement that attests to the brand's progress and R&D capabilities as an independent company. "The HONOR Magic4 Ultimate represents the pinnacle of HONOR R&D and demonstrates our ambition to become the technology brand of choice for even the most demanding consumers," said George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co, Ltd. "Delivering exceptional camera performance proven by independent researchers at DxOMark, all the while offering the display, performance and security features that consumers have come to expect from an HONOR flagship smartphone, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate is the ultimate pain point killer that pro users have long expected." An Industry-Leading Mobile Imaging System The HONOR Magic4 Ultimate introduces the most powerful and versatile camera system on an HONOR smartphone to date. 50MP Wide Camera with customized 8P Lens 64MP Ultra-Wide Camera with an unprecedented Dual Free-Form Lens 64MP Periscope Telephoto Camera 50MP Spectrum Enhanced Camera an additional brand-new custom-made image processor "The HONOR Magic4 Ultimate achieved the new Top score in the DXOMARK Smartphone Camera ranking, delivering an outstanding experience, particularly in photo and zoom, while being among the first in video." DXOMARK IMAGE LABS highlighted, "With respect to the Ultra-premium segment, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate provides the best performance for almost all criteria (Overall, Photo, Zoom) and is very close to the top for Video performance." Adopting the largest image sensor ever on an HONOR smartphone, the 50MP Wide Camera with a massive 1/1.12-inch sensor and a large aperture of f/1.6 delivers superior light-sensing performance that rivals even cameras with a 1-inch sensor and f/1.8 aperture. HONOR Magic4 Ultimate can take scenic night shots or low-light portraits that are brighter, with more vivid colors, better defined objects and minimal visual artifacts. The customized 8P Lens comes with a 37% improvement in center sharpness and a 30% improvement in edge sharpness, producing photos and videos that look detailed even when zoomed in. Also, with an Ultra Anti-Reflection (UAR) coating and Infra-Red Cutoff Filter (IRCF), the 50MP Wide Camera effectively minimizes the flare captured from strong light sources, so users can capture their most magical moments even in challenging lighting conditions. The 64MP Ultra-Wide Camera offers an impressive 126 field of view for capturing everything from parties to sprawling cities, while benefiting from the world's first Dual Free-Form Lens, which gets to the root of the wide-angle image distortion problem with an industry-low 0.5% edge distortion. With the anti-flare coating technology, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate can get a clean and large field of view, whether taking photos or videos. For faraway subjects, the 64MP Periscope Telescope Camera with built-in optical stabilization and fusion computational photography offers an impressive zoom range of 3.5x Optical Zoom and up to 100x Digital Zoom for users to capture steady images. Unique to the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate in the series, the 50MP Spectrum Enhanced Camera, which debuted in HONOR's first foldable flagship Magic V, allows the camera system to reveal more details in complex environments like mist. At the heart of the system, an additional brand-new custom-made image processor supports faster and more efficient AI computations to take Ultra Fusion Photography to even greater heights, enabling the industry's strongest 4K Night Mode video capture and real-time preview, making sure that shooting very bright, clear and vibrant videos in extreme darkness is possible. The HONOR Magic4 Ultimate also comes with support for an all-new professional-grade video format: Magic-Log2. Custom-developed based on the new camera modules, the new format enables the capturing of 15% higher dynamic range for recording video footage. Combined with the brand-new 3D LUT (Look Up Table) support, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate can make stunning HDR10+ video even in low light, which bringing movie magic to life easier than ever. The Power of Magic at its Best Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 5G Mobile Platform, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate delivers blazing fast performance and incredible battery efficiency across all typical usage scenarios. HONOR maximized the capability of this chipset, bringing further system optimizations with improved fluency and power consumption, while generating less heat and lowering latency for an even better user experience. The 6.81-inch next-generation LTPO Display delivers fluid, vibrant visuals with support for adaptive refresh rate to help users conserve battery. Consistent with the wider HONOR Magic4 Series, the display supports 1920Hz Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) dimming to offer a comfortable viewing experience even in low light environments. The HONOR Magic4 Ultimate is also the new top Android smartphone on DxOMark's Display rankings, with a score of 95 points. Running the latest Magic UI 6.0 based on Android 12, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate supports a range of HONOR signature smart life features. Colors and Availability Available in Black and White, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate will arrive in the China market later this year, with price starting at RMB 7,999. About HONOR HONOR is a leading global provider of smart devices. It is dedicated to becoming a global iconic technology brand and creating a new intelligent world for everyone through its powerful products and services. With an unwavering focus on R&D, it is committed to developing technology that empowers people around the globe to go beyond, giving them the freedom to achieve and do more. Offering a range of high-quality smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables to suit every budget, HONOR's portfolio of innovative, premium and reliable products enable people to become a better version of themselves. For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com or email newsroom@hihonor.com http://community.hihonor.com/ https://www.facebook.com/honorglobal/ https://twitter.com/Honorglobal https://www.instagram.com/honorglobal http://www.youtube.com/c/HonorOfficial Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1767794/image_1.jpg TalentGuard, a leading Human Capital Management Technology company, today has announced the opening of a new office in Dublin, Ireland to provide regional support and professional services to global customers. Ireland and the United Kingdom are priority markets for TalentGuard's global organization and will provide TalentGuard local access into Ireland's highly qualified talent pool. Dublin and Mexico City are the most recent of TalentGuard's global office openings with future plans to establish offices in other regions outside of the United States. "We are thrilled about opening this office in Ireland! We have terrific customers in the area with brilliant employees and are excited to tap into Ireland's talent for our own growth. This office will provide us with the opportunity to serve our customers in the best way possible while making our physical footprint in a new region," said TalentGuard CEO, Linda Ginac. TalentGuard was recently awarded a Brandon Hall Award for The Best Advance in Career Management or Planning Technology for its Workforce Intelligence Platform. This new office will create new job opportunities in the area while helping some of the country's best organizations solve complex talent challenges. For its first phase of recruiting, TalentGuard is seeking candidates in customer support, implementation and customer success. About TalentGuard TalentGuard provides the expertise, data and AI-powered insights to help organizations systematically manage job competence, objectively measure employee capabilities and continuously improve their ability to manage and empower their workforce. TalentGuard unlocks deeper insights on employee capabilities to make better workforce decisions. To learn more, visit https://www.talentguard.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005026/en/ Contacts: Anthony Campagnano anthony.campagnano@talentguard.com BANGALORE, India, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biosimilars Market is Segmented by Type (Human Growth Hormones, Monoclonal Antibodies, Insulin, Peptides, Erythropoietin, Others), and Application (Oncology, Chronic and Autoimmune Diseases, Growth Hormone Deficiency, Infectious Diseases, Others). The report covers global opportunity analysis, regional outlook, growth potential, industry forecast from 2022 to 2028. The Biosimilar market was valued at USD 9752.7 Million in 2022, and it is anticipated to reach USD 22550 Million by 2028, registering a CAGR of about 15.0% during the forecast period (2022-2028). Major Factors Driving The Growth Of The Biosimilars Market The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and the rising geriatric population has increased the demand for biosimilars. The reduced development costs, quick time to market delivery and rising healthcare expenditure create lucrative opportunities for the global biosimilar market. Quality and affordable treatment options enhance patient care and lead to cost savings and efficiencies in the healthcare system. The gradual patent expiry of several blockbuster biologic drugs will create immense opportunities for biosimilar manufacturers in the upcoming years. Moreover, the increasing research and development initiatives for developing monoclonal antibodies will significantly boost the biosimilar market growth during the forecast period. Get your sample today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-0T469/Biosimilar_Market Trends Influencing The Growth Of The Biosimilar Market The growing number of chronic diseases, autoimmune disorders, cancer and rising geriatric population has positively impacted the biosimilar market trends. These drugs provide quality, low cost health care services to a wide number of patients. The quick time to market delivery and reduced development costs enables companies to launch biosimilars faster into the market. This reduces healthcare expenditure, increases efficiency and provides more therapeutic options to patients. The better health outcomes will ultimately drive the global biosimilar market during the forecast period. A huge number of blockbuster branded biologic drugs are facing patent expiry in the coming years. This will create a severe shortage of drugs for filling the gap required for treatment of diseases. Hence government authorities and third party payers are encouraging the use of biosimilars. This will create huge scope for the growth of the biosimilar market in the future. The increasing research and development initiatives for developing mAbs(Monoclonal Antibodies) has already reached the stages of clinical trials. These antibodies are aimed at combating cancer, autoimmune or inflammatory diseases. A variety of mAbs are being developed that show great promise in the field of biosimilars. This will create ample opportunities for market growth during the forecast period. Browse the Table of Contents and List of figures at: https://reports.valuates.com/reports/QYRE-Othe-0T469/biosimilar Biosimilar Market Share Analysis Based on product, the monoclonal antibodies segment is expected to dominate in the biosimilar market share due to potential benefits of low cost healthcare expense and widespread application in treatment of diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders etc. Based on application, Oncology is the largest in the biosimilar market share due to the growing number of cancer cases globally. Biosimilars are an affordable alternative for reducing the costly cancer treatment options. Based on region, North America is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for growth in the biosimilar market share due to increasing prevalence of diseases and rising R&D initiatives by key players. Report Customization Request: https://reports.valuates.com/request/customisation/QYRE-Othe-0T469/Biosimilar_Market This report includes the following companies; we can also add the other companies as you want. Allergan plc BIOCAD Biocon BioXpress Therapeutics Boehringer Ingelheim Celltrion Coherus BioSciences Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Genor BioPharma Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited Novartis Pfizer Others Players Chapter Cost Request: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Othe-0T469/Biosimilar_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-0T469&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS The ASEAN and China biosimilars market was valued at USD 687.6 Million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 5,506.2 Million by 2025 with a CAGR of 29.7% during the forecast period. was valued at in 2017 and is expected to reach by 2025 with a CAGR of 29.7% during the forecast period. The global Biosimilar Monoclonal Antibodies market size is estimated to be worth USD 5320.8 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 12960 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 16.0% during the review period. size is estimated to be worth in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of by 2028 with a CAGR of 16.0% during the review period. The global Biopharmaceuticals market was valued at USD 82330 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 113300 Million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 4.7% from 2021 to 2027. was valued at in 2020 and is projected to reach by 2027, registering a CAGR of 4.7% from 2021 to 2027. The global Biologics and Biosimilars market was valued at USD 182380 Million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 260090 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% during 2021-2027. was valued at in 2020 and is expected to reach by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% during 2021-2027. The global biomaterials market size was valued at USD 64874 Million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 212405.2 Million by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 12.7% from 2021 to 2030. size was valued at in 2020 and is expected to reach by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 12.7% from 2021 to 2030. Global Oncology Biosimilars Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 Global Biosimilar Drug Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 Global Bevacizumab Biosimilar Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 Global Interferon Biosimilar Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 Cell Culture Market Size, Forecasts 2020 to 2027 Global Recombinant Non-Glycosylated Proteins Biosimilars Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 To see the full list of related reports on the Biosimilars ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources CONTACT US: Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call +1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91 9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Follow on Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Follow on Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Follow on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on Thursday showed an unexpected acceleration in the pace of growth in regional manufacturing activity in the month of March. The Philly Fed said its diffusion index for current activity jumped to 27.4 in March from 16.0 in February, with a positive reading indicating growth in regional manufacturing activity. The increase surprised economists, who had expected the index to edge down to 15.0. The unexpected surge by the headline index came as the new orders index shot up to 25.8 in March from 14.2 in February, while the shipments index soared to 30.2 in March from 13.4 in February. The number of employees index also climbed to 38.9 in March from 32.2 in February, indicating an acceleration in the pace of job growth. Meanwhile, the report showed the delivery times index spiked to 39.7 in March from 23.0 in February, while the unfilled orders index advanced to 39.7 in March from 23.0. The prices paid index also jumped to 81.0 in March from 69.3 in February, and the prices received index rose to 54.4 in March from 49.8 in February. Looking ahead, firms remained generally optimistic about growth over the next six months, although the diffusion index for future general activity fell to 22.7 in March from 28.1 in February. 'We believe manufacturing activity won't fall into an outright contraction, but high commodity prices and greater logjams spurred by Covid lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine will make it harder for US factories to meet demand,' said Oren Klachkin, Lead U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics. He added, 'The domestic rotation towards greater spending on in-person services will alleviate some of the pressures on factories, but goods demand will remain healthy.' On Tuesday, the New York Fed released a separate report showing New York manufacturing activity unexpectedly contracted in the month of March. The New York Fed said its general business conditions index tumbled to a negative 11.8 in March from a positive 3.1 in February, with a negative reading indicating a contraction in regional manufacturing activity. Economists had expected the index to dip to a positive 7.0. With the much bigger than expected decrease, the general business conditions index dropped to its lowest level since May 2020. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de NEWARK, N.J., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the report published by Brainy Insights, the global metal nanoparticles market is anticipated to grow from USD 14.26 billion in 2020 to USD 62.03 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 19.58% during the forecast period 2021-2028. The increasing demand for metal nanoparticles in the healthcare sector and the expanding end-user industries in the emerging economies are some of the factors fuelling the metal nanoparticles market. Get a sample of the report from: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/sample-request/12596 Metal nanoparticles are also called micron-scale pure metals. These nanoparticles are very handy in the healthcare sector because of their antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial nature. Apart from the healthcare sector, nanoparticles have various applications in the food & beverage industries, electronics, and personal care & cosmetics industries. Many metal nanoparticles like titanium, gold, silver, copper, and platinum have therapeutic effects and are widely used in diagnosis, drug delivery, and other medical areas. They are commonly used in pharmaceutical sectors where silver and gold nanoparticles are used to grow gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These factors led to metal nanoparticles as a novel antibiotic agent. The growing government support, private funding, and surge in demand for innovative drugs and therapeutics are also driving the metal nanoparticles market. With the rise in disposable income, the lifestyle of people has changed, thus increasing the demand for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, electronic, and food & beverage products. Metal nanoparticles are widely used for application in end-user industries. Because of the high aspect ratio and uniform size, they are widely used in energy storage and for the catalysis process. They also possess chemical and physical stability and are an excellent conductor for solar cells, capacitors, etc. Metal nanoparticles are also used in many other industrial and domestic applications. For more information in the analysis of this report, visit: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/report/metal-nano-particles-market-12596 The high cost of metal nanoparticles acts as a major restraint for the market. Metal nanoparticles are broadly used in many end-user sectors from healthcare to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to electric and electronic sectors. The high price of nanoparticles would lead to an increase in the product's price. All the end-user companies have to increase the product's price in which metal nanoparticles are used to get the acceptable profit margin in the forecasting sales estimated. The high price of the products could lead to fewer sales as there are other alternatives and substitutes for the market products. Key players for the global metal nanoparticles market include American Elements, Nanoshel, Nanostructured & Amorphous Materials, EPRUI Nanoparticles & Microspheres, US Research Nanomaterials, Meliorum Technologies, nanoComposix, BBI Group, Nanocs, Strem Chemicals, and Tanaka Holdings, among others. The big players are now focused on implementing strategies like joint ventures, product innovations, mergers and acquisition, partnerships, etc., to gain the market share and strengthen its position in the global metal nanoparticles industry. For instance, in October 2017 , BBI Group entered into an agreement to acquire Maine Biotechnology Service Inc. The acquisition would expand the organization's product portfolio in the healthcare, diagnostic, and food sectors. , BBI Group entered into an agreement to acquire Maine Biotechnology Service Inc. The acquisition would expand the organization's product portfolio in the healthcare, diagnostic, and food sectors. In April 2018 , American Elements announced further expansion in Lithium production to meet the requirement of light lithium alloys for the aerospace industry, thus increasing its revenue. Enquire before purchasing this report at: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/buying-inquiry/12596 The gold segment accounts for the highest market value of USD 4.60 Billion in 2020. The metal segment is divided into platinum, gold, silver, iron, titanium, copper, nickel, etc. The gold segment is accounted for the highest market value of USD 4.60 Billion in 2020. The antimicrobial properties and electronic properties of gold nanoparticles have drawn the attention of all the health care industries and electronic industries. The pharmaceutical & healthcare sector accounts for USD 5.73 billion of the market value in 2020. The end-user segment includes pharmaceutical & healthcare, electrical & electronics, catalyst, personal care & cosmetics, and others. The pharmaceutical & healthcare accounted for USD 5.73 Billion of the market value in 2020. The nanosize of the metal nanoparticles helps in the diagnosis of diseases. The bio-based accounts for USD 6.39 billion of market value in 2020. The synthesis process segment consists of chemical, physical, and bio-based methods. The bio-based segment accounted for USD 6.39 billion of market value in 2020. This method is safe, cheap, and environment friendly when compared to the conventional chemical synthesis process. To purchase research report: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/buy-now/12596/single Regional Segment Analysis of the Metal Nano Particles Market North America (U.S., Canada , Mexico ) (U.S., , ) Europe ( Germany , France , U.K., Italy , Spain , Rest of Europe ) ( , , U.K., , , Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , Rest of APAC) ( , , , Rest of APAC) South America ( Brazil and Rest of South America ) ( and Rest of ) Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa , Rest of MEA) The regions analysed for the metal nanoparticles market include North America, Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Asia Pacific region has the highest market share of USD 5.96 billion in 2020 reason being the surging demand for metal nanoparticles by the health care and electronic industries. The demand for cosmetics, healthcare, and electronics product in the emerging economies of the region would increase. North America had the second-largest market value of USD 3.68 billion in 2020 due to the advancement of technology in the electronics & semiconductor industry and the surge in expenditure within the healthcare sector. About the report: The global metal nanoparticles market is analyzed on the basis of value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analyzed on a global, regional, and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers an in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes Porter's five forces model, attractiveness analysis, and competitor position grid analysis. About The Brainy Insights: Brainy Insights is a market research company that provides actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. They have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the client's objectives of high-quality output within a short time. They provide both customized (client-specific) and syndicate reports. Their repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Their customized solutions meet the client requirements whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market. Contact Us Avinash D Head of Business Development Phone: +1-315-215-1633 Email: sales@thebrainyinsights.com Web: http://www.thebrainyinsights.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747971/Brainy_Insights_Logo.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - As the Covid pandemic releasing its accelerators fast in the United States, only a few thousands are remaining in the country's hospitals for treatment for the viral disease. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warned that misinformation that Omicron is the last Covid-19 variant are causing an increase of positive cases globally. As per the New York Times latest tally, just 25,553 coronavirus positive patients are admitted in hospitals. Hospital admissions reduced by 43 percent in two weeks. There is also a concurrent reduction in the number of patients admitted in intensive care units - 47 percent within a fortnight. I.C.U. admissions dropped to 4500. 56,631,117 people have so far recovered from the disease, the Worldometer tally shows. With 45014 new cases of coronavirus infection recorded from across the country on Wednesday, the national total increased to 79,632,049, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. With 1943 deaths reporting on the same day, total U.S. Covid casualties reached 968,343. There is a 31 percent fall in Covid deaths and 43 percent decrease in cases in the last fortnight. Arizona reported the most number of cases - 5153 - and casualties - 450. As per the latest data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 216,829,829 Americans, or 65.3 percent of the eligible population, have been administered both doses of Covid vaccine so far. This includes 88.9 percent of people above 65. 44.4 percent of the eligible population, or 96,232,774 people, have already received a booster dose that is recommended to provide additional protection from the killer virus. Meanwhile, sounding a warning, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus said at a news conference in Geneva, 'After several weeks of declines, reported cases of COVID-19 are once again increasing globally, especially in parts of Asia.' In the past week, the agency has seen an 8 per cent increase in detection of COVID-19 cases, with more than 11 million positive test results. 'These increases are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg', Tedros warned. With 6912 more deaths reporting from across the globe on Wednesday, the number of lives lost due to Covid in the world has risen to 6,060,452. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Pharmaceutical Filtration Market by Product (Membrane, Depth filter), Systems (Single-use, Assemblies), Technique (Microfiltration, Ultrafiltration), Application (API, Vaccine, Media), Scale of Operation (Manufacturing, Pilot, R&D) - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is projected to reach USD 29.7 billion by 2027 from USD 10.9 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 17.0% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2027. Browse in-depth TOC on "Pharmaceutical Filtration Market" 514 - Tables 50 - Figures 417 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=209343847 The Growth in the pharmaceutical filtration market can be attributed to factors such as the growing biopharmaceutical industry, rising R&D spending in pharmaceutical & biotechnology industries, an increasing adoption of single-use technologies, a rising number of new product launches by leading market players, increasing purity requirements in end user segments, and increasing advances in nanofiber technology. On the other hand, membrane fouling and the high capital investment required to set up new production facilities are expected to hinder market growth. The filters segment accounted for the largest share of the product segment in the Pharmaceutical filtration market in 2021. Based on products, the market is segmented into major three segments, namely, filters, systems, and other products. The filter market is further segmented into membrane filters, depth filters, and other filters, such as prefilters, bag filters, and magnetic filters. The systems market is further segmented into single-use systems and reusable systems. In 2021 the filters segment accounted for the largest share of the pharmaceutical market. The large share of this segment can primarily be attributed to the wide use of different types of membrane filters and depth filters for various filtration applications in the pharmaceutical industry, increased filtration requirements among the biopharmaceutical industry, and the higher frequency of purchase of these filters compared to systems and other filtration products. The Microfiltration segment accounted for the largest share of the process segment in the Pharmaceutical filtration market in 2021. Based on technique, the market is segmented into microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and other techniques. The other techniques segment includes reverse osmosis and ion exchange. The microfiltration techniques accounted for the largest market share of this market in 2021, and this can be primarily attributed to the advantages of microfiltration over other techniques due to the requirement of low operating pressure, lesser energy consumption, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, the requirement of limited manual actions, elimination of energy-consuming phase, such as evaporation technique. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=209343847 The Asia Pacific region is the fastest-growing region of the Pharmaceutical filtration market in 2021. Based on the region, the market is segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment of the market owing to the rising incidence rate of viral diseases, the need to maintain a clean manufacturing environment because of strict regulatory rules, the rapid expansion of generics production, advancements in nanofiber technologies, increasing R&D spending on biopharmaceutical projects, and the growth of the biotechnology industry in developing countries. Key players in the Pharmaceutical filtration market include Merck KGaA (Germany), Danaher Corporation (US), Sartorius AG (Germany), 3M (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US). Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=209343847 Browse Adjacent Markets: Biotechnology Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Related Reports: Depth Filtration Market by Media Type (Cellulose, Activated Carbon), Product (Capsule, Sheet, Module), Application(Final Product Processing (Biologics), cell Clarification, Viral Clearance, Operation Scale (Manufacturing, Lab) - Global Forecast to 2025 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/depth-filtration-market-143876285.html Pharmaceutical Membrane Filtration Market by Product (Filter, System), Technique (Microfiltration, Nanofiltration), Material (PES, PVDF, PTFE), Application (Final Product (Sterile Filtration), Raw Material, Cell Separation, Water) - Global Forecast to 2025 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/pharmaceutical-membrane-filtration-market-255408031.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. 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Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/pharmaceutical-filtration-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/pharmaceutical-filtration.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg CHANGCHUN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The northeastern Chinese cities of Changchun and Jilin, hardest hit by the fresh outbreak of COVID-19, have distributed millions of COVID-19 self-test antigen kits to citizens, including students, to accelerate massive epidemiological screening. Starting from 4 a.m. Wednesday, Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province, has given out more than 3.34 million self-test kits to part of its urban districts and Yushu City under its administration. As of Wednesday, Jilin City had sent part of its test kits to key groups, including students in local primary schools, middle and high schools, colleges, and employees at major enterprises. More than 270,000 doses usable for three days in the test kits have been handed out to the city's higher learning institutions to meet the daily testing need of their teaching staff and students. The provincial health authorities also reminded its residents that anyone who tested positive using the self-test kits should report to one's community, village, or the local disease prevention and control center at once. Positive test results presented by the kits cannot be the single diagnostic basis for confirmed COVID-19 infection. Further nucleic acid testing will be done before a final diagnosis. Citizens who tested positive using the self-test kits should stay put and isolate themselves from their families. They should wait for medical professionals to collect their samples, said local authorities. Jilin province reported 742 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 415 local asymptomatic carriers Wednesday. As of Wednesday, the construction of eight makeshift hospitals, with 11,488 beds, had been completed, and two temporary quarantine facilities, which boast 662 isolation rooms, had been established in the northeastern province. Members of the media are invited to register here . The four day hybrid event, organised by Economist Impact, will also explore how existing policy and regulatory frameworks have addressed climate change Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, will open the event with keynote remarks and Alok Sharma , president of COP26 , will give a keynote address at the in-person event in London , president of , will give a keynote address at the in-person event in Adina Valean, commissioner for transport, European Union will discuss how to effectively invest in green transport infrastructure Nick Watts , chief sustainability officer, NHS will detail how the NHS has become the world's first national health system to commit to becoming carbon net zero LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainability Week, the leading conference on helping businesses on their path to achieving their sustainability goals, announced the final speaker line-up for the 2022 hybrid event. The event will run from Monday, March 21st to Thursday, March 24th virtually and with an in-person day on Tuesday March 22nd at etc. venues, St Paul's, London. Members of the media are invited to register here . Over 190 leading figures from across the sustainability community, from business to intergovernmental organisations, investors, national governments, central bankers and civil society, are confirmed to speak at this year's event. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations will give his keynote remarks to open the virtual event at 9.00am GMT, Monday, March 21st. Alok Sharma, president of COP26, will present at the in-person event on Tuesday March 22nd, 8:15am GMT. Further speakers confirmed for next week's event include Alexander Van der Bellen, president, Republic of Austria; Carine Smith Ihenancho, chief governance and compliance officer, Norges Bank Investment Management; Alison Dolan, chief financial officer, Rightmove; Warren East, chief executive, Rolls-Royce; Jean Rogers, global head of ESG, Blackstone; Rebecca Marmot, chief sustainability officer, Unilever; Leyla Ertur, head of sustainability, H&M; Fatih Birol, executive director, International Energy Agency; Mark Read, chief executive, WPP; Francois Villeroy de Galhau, governor, Banque de France. A full list of speakers is available here . The theme of the four-day global event, organised by Economist Impact, is "Accelerating transition, building resilience". Its aim is to support policymakers and business leaders in implementing practical strategies to become more sustainable. The cross-industry agenda will examine how businesses and governments need to unite efforts and take a society-centred approach to solve our generation's biggest challenge: climate change. The programme will consist of live conversations, interactive sessions, roundtables and a virtual exhibition. Last year, the event attracted over 12,500 registrants from 138 countries. Sustainability Week will provide delegates with the tools to optimise their sustainability strategy based on the experience and insights of global changemakers. Themes that will be explored throughout the week include: How can more organisations develop their net-zero targets and roadmaps? How will rapid sustainable transformation insulate you from the impending energy crisis? How can financial markets and regulators come together to mobilise capital towards a greener, more inclusive and more climate-resilient economy? How can firms best understand the business risks that arise from environmental degradation and their own impact on biodiversity? What investment is needed to ramp up infrastructure development for the net-zero transition? What changes will businesses need to bring to their operations to ensure that the social dimension is being taken into account? How can green stimulus contribute to a "just transition" to net zero? How effective are taxonomies like the EU taxonomy in addressing the problem of greenwashing? Key talks through the week will include Fatih Birol, executive director of IEA, on how the energy transition will be accelerated in the coming years; Anna Konig Jerlmyr, mayor, Stockholm on how cities can be transformed to reach net-zero emissions by 2030;Martin Jetter, chairman, IBM Europe on how society can be enhanced through technological innovation. Additionally, Nick Watts, chief sustainability officer, NHS will detail how the NHS has become the world's first national health system to commit to becoming carbon net zero. Hear from them on how they will bring along their 80,000 supplies on this journey. Warren East, chief executive, Rolls-Royce on decarbonising hard to abate sectors and Francois Villeroy de Galhau, governor, Banque de France on the challenges central banks are facing in adapting to new EU taxonomy rules for green investment and what impact that they may have. Speaking ahead of the summit, Harry Chapman, head of sustainability events at Economist Impact said, "we are looking forward to hosting four days of remarkable and memorable discussions. With sustainability a key priority for many organisations, this event offers the perfect opportunity to help businesses become more sustainable faster, while also showcasing the latest innovations in the sector". More details about the week including the programme and a link to register are on the event website . To stay-up-date with the topics throughout the year, visit the Sustainability Project website . Thanks to all our sponsors: Deloitte, IBM, Infosys, OneTrust, Avery Dennison, Google Cloud, Mott MacDonald, Siemens, Alcoa, Baker Hughes, BASF, BP, British Business Bank, Citrix, Ecovardis, Emerson, GFK, Hedera Hashgraph, Interos, Melrose, National Grid, SAP, SkyCell, Standard Chartered, Wellington Management, BCG, Johnson and Johnson, Turkish Airlines, Novisto, Accenture, Resilience. Additionally we are working with TreeApp as our tree planting partner and rePurpose as our sustainability partner. About Economist Impact Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise. Our track record spans 75 years across 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, events expertise, design-thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information. About The Economist (www.economist.com) With a growing global circulation and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications. The paper covers politics, business, science and technology, and books and arts, concluding each week with the obituary. In addition to the web-only content such as blogs, debates and audio/video programmes available on the website, The Economist is available to download for reading on Android, Blackberry PlayBook, iPhone or iPad devices. The Economist Espresso, our daily briefing smartphone app, is also available for download via iTunes App Store or Google Play. View the Economist Group ESG policy here Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1753966/Economist_Impact_Logo.jpg Regulatory News: The original xHTML French-language version of the Sopra Steria Group (Paris:SOP) 2021 Universal Registration Document was registered with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) on 17 March 2022 under D.22-011. The document is available at https://www.soprasteria.com/investors (under Investors/Financial Publications Reports/Financial Reports) and it's made publicly available under the conditions set forth by existing regulations. The Universal Registration Document includes in particular the Annual Financial Report detailed in the cross-reference table on page 327; information relating to the Management Report, detailed in the cross-reference table on pages 325 to 326; reports of the Statutory Auditors and information relating to their fees; and information required with respect to the description of the share buyback programme. Disclaimer This document is a free translation into English of the original French press release. It is not a binding document. In the event of a conflict in interpretation, reference should be made to the French version, which is the authentic text. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005650/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations Sopra Steria Group Olivier Psaume investors@soprasteria.com +33.1.40.67.68.16 Press Relations Image Sept Caroline Simon-Phelip caroline.simon@image7.fr +33.1.53.70.74.65 GENEVA, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced today that it has signed agreements with 35 companies to manufacture the generic version of Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment nirmatrelvir, which in combination with a low dose of ritonavir can be supplied in 95 low- and middle-income countries. The sublicence agreements are the result of the voluntary licensing agreement signed by MPP and Pfizer in November 2021 that will help enable the supply of the medicines to countries comprising approximately 53% of the world's population. The non-exclusive sublicences allow generic manufacturers to produce the raw ingredients for nirmatrelvir and/or the finished drug itself co-packaged with ritonavir. The companies that were offered the sublicence demonstrated their ability to meet MPP's requirements related to production capacity, regulatory compliance, as well as international standards for quality-assured medicines. Six companies will focus on producing the drug substance, nine companies will produce the drug product and the remainder will do both. The companies span 12 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Jordan, India, Israel, Mexico, Pakistan, Serbia, Republic of Korea, and Vietnam. A licence has also been offered to a company in Ukraine, the offer will remain available to them as they are not able to sign due to the current conflict. While Pfizer negotiated an agreement with MPP that establishes the terms and conditions, the requests for sublicences from generic producers were reviewed by MPP and presented to Pfizer. Pfizer will not receive royalties from sales of nirmatrelvir from the MPP sublicensees while COVID-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. Following the pandemic period, sales to low-income countries will remain royalty free, lower-middle-income countries and upper-middle-income countries will be subject to a 5% royalty for sales to the public sector and a 10% royalty for sales to the private sector. "Nirmatrelvir is a new product and requires substantial manufacturing capabilities to produce, and we have been very impressed with the quality of manufacturing demonstrated by these companies," said Charles Gore, MPP Executive Director. "Furthermore, 15 companies are signing their first licence with MPP, and we warmly welcome our new generic manufacturing partners." "We have established a comprehensive strategy in partnership with worldwide governments, international global health leaders and global manufacturers to help ensure access to our oral COVID-19 treatment for patients in need around the world, said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. "The MPP sublicensees and the additional capacity for COVID-19 treatment they will supply will play a critical role to help ensure that people everywhere, particularly those living in the poorest parts of the world, have equitable access to an oral treatment option against COVID-19." Access the sublicences About MPP: The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders, to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, MPP has signed agreements with 13 patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, two long-acting technologies, two experimental oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and a COVID-19 serological antibody diagnostic test. MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP's main funder. MPP's work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). MPP's activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government and SDC. More information at https://medicinespatentpool.org/ and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1768742/Medicines_Paten_Pool.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1768743/Medicines_Paten_Pool_Logo.jpg DKSH Management Ltd. / Key word(s): AGMEGM DKSH Ordinary General Meeting 2022 17.03.2022 / 17:45 Media release Shareholders approve all motions All Board members re-elected Dividend increase to CHF 2.05 per share approved Zurich, Switzerland, March 17, 2022 - Today, DKSH announced that its shareholders approved all motions at the 89th Ordinary General Meeting by a large majority. The meeting was held without the physical presence of shareholders who exercised their rights via the Independent Proxy. 54,776,365 shares, i.e. 84.2 percent of total share capital were represented. Marco Gadola was confirmed as Chairman and all other Board members as well as the members of the Nomination and Compensation committee were re-elected. Shareholders authorized the dividend increase of 5.1 percent to CHF 2.05 per share. The payout is expected to be made as from March 23, 2022. Shareholders also voted in favor of all other motions. They approved the financial statements for 2021, granted discharge from liability to the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the financial year 2021, approved the compensation of the members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee and re-elected the Statutory Auditors as well as the Independent Proxy. DKSH's Chairman, Marco Gadola, said: 'I am thankful to all stakeholders for their support and look forward to continuing our cooperation. We are convinced that our strategy implementation is on track, allowing us benefit from favorable market, industry and consolidation trends in Asia Pacific for the long-term.' Watch our AGM video messages here: Chairman message CEO message About DKSH DKSH's purpose is to enrich people's lives. For more than 150 years, we have been delivering growth for companies in Asia and beyond across our Business Units Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials, and Technology. As a leading Market Expansion Services provider, we offer sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, eCommerce, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, DKSH operates in 36 markets with 33,100 specialists, generating net sales of CHF 11.1 billion in 2021. www.dksh.com For more information, please contact: DKSH Holding Ltd. Demet Bicer Manager, Group Media Relations Phone +41 44 386 7217 demet.bicer@dksh.com Rafael Duarte Director, Group Investor Relations Phone +41 44 386 7318 rafael.duarte@dksh.com Till Leisner Head, Group Investor & Media Relations, Sustainability Phone +41 44 386 7315 till.leisner@dksh.com End of Media Release Media relations: Victoire Grux Tel.: +33 6 04 52 16 55 victoire.grux@capgemini.com Investor relations: Vincent Biraud Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 87 vincent.biraud@capgemini.com Changes to the composition of Capgemini's Board of Directors proposed to the 2022 Shareholders' Meeting Paris, March 17, 2022 - The Board of Directors, based on the report of the Ethics & Governance Committee, deliberated on the changes to its composition to be proposed to the upcoming Shareholders' Meeting of May 19, 2022. The Board of Directors will propose to the 2022 Shareholders' Meeting the renewal of the terms of office of Messrs. Paul Hermelin, Xavier Musca and Frederic Oudea and the appointment of Ms. Maria Ferraro and Mr. Olivier Roussat as members of the Board of Directors for a period of four years. These proposals are in line with the Group's ambition to further the international diversification of its composition, deepen its sector expertise and enrich the diversity of its profiles. Following a successful management hand-over phase, the Board of Directors proposes to retain, at the end of the next Shareholders' Meeting, a governance structure separating the duties of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and to reappoint Mr. Paul Hermelin as non-executive Chairman of the Board, subject to the renewal of his term of office by the Shareholders' Meeting. The reappointment of Mr. Hermelin would enable the Board to continue to benefit from his experience, his expertise and his in-depth knowledge of the Group. During the Board Meeting following the Shareholders' Meeting, the Board of Directors also proposes to reappoint Mr. Oudea as Lead Independent Director, subject to the renewal of his term of office as a director by the Shareholders' Meeting. Ms. Maria Ferraro, a Canadian citizen, has acquired throughout her career financial expertise and solid experience in the manufacturing, technology and energy sectors within a global group at the heart of the Intelligent Industry's development. She would bring to the Board her inclusion and diversity expertise, as well as her knowledge of European and Asian markets. Mr. Olivier Roussat, a French citizen, is chief executive officer of a global construction, energy and transport infrastructures group, which is also a leader in the French media sector and a major telecoms player in France. He would bring to the Board his sector experience, particularly in the telecoms and media sector, as well as his expertise in digital and technology transformation. The Board of Directors considers Ms. Maria Ferraro and Mr. Olivier Roussat to be independent pursuant to the criteria of the AFEP-MEDEF Code to which the Company refers. The Board of Directors warmly thanked Ms. Laurence Dors, who expressed her wish not to renew her term of office, for her contribution to the work of the Board and its Committees throughout her term of office, and particularly as Chairman of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Patrick Pouyanne will become Chairman of the Compensation Committee following the Shareholders' Meeting. Assuming the adoption of these resolutions by the Shareholders' Meeting of May 19, 2022, the composition of the Board of Directors would therefore count 15 directors, including two directors representing employees and one director representing employee shareholders. 83% of its members will be independent1, 40% will have international profiles and 42% will be women1. BIOGRAPHIES Ms. Maria Ferraro A Canadian citizen, Ms. Maria Ferraro is Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Energy AG and Siemens Energy Management GmbH, as well as Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Siemens Energy. Ms. Maria Ferraro was appointed Member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Energy AG and Member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Energy Management GmbH effective May 1, 2020. Prior to her appointment, she held several senior management positions in Corporate Finance within Siemens in the United Kingdom, as well as in Canada, Germany and the United States. Before being appointed Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Energy, Ms. Maria Ferraro held the position of Chief Financial Officer for the operating company Digital Industries as well as Chief Diversity Officer at Siemens AG. Ms. Maria Ferraro was born and educated in Canada. She is a designated Chartered Accountant and spent her early career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Nortel Networks, holding a variety of roles in Canada and on a global level whilst gaining in-depth experience in European and Asian markets. Mr. Olivier Roussat A French citizen, Mr. Olivier Roussat is Chief Executive Officer of Bouygues SA. Mr. Olivier Roussat is a graduate of Institut national des sciences appliquees (INSA) in Lyon. He began his career with IBM in 1988 where he held a range of positions in data network services, service delivery and pre-sales. He joined Bouygues Telecom in 1995 to set up the network management center and network processes. He then became head of network operations, and telecoms and IT service delivery. In May 2003, he was appointed network manager and became a member of the Executive Committee of Bouygues Telecom. In January 2007, Mr. Olivier Roussat took charge of the Performance and Technology unit which groups Bouygues Telecom's cross-disciplinary technical and IT departments, including networks, information systems, process engineering, purchasing, corporate services and property development. He was also given responsibility for Bouygues Telecom's headquarters and Technopole buildings. Mr. Olivier Roussat became Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bouygues Telecom in February 2007 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in November 2007. He was then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bouygues Telecom from May 2013 to November 2018, before being appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors on November 9, 2018. On October 1, 2019, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of Colas. On August 30, 2016, Mr. Olivier Roussat was appointed Deputy CEO of Bouygues and on February 17, 2021, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Bouygues. Mr. Olivier Roussat is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bouygues Telecom and Colas, a director of TF1 and Bouygues Construction and a member of the Board of Bouygues Immobilier. About Capgemini Capgemini is a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of 325,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported in 2021 global revenues of 18 billion. Get the Future You Want | www.capgemini.com 1 The directors representing employees and employee shareholders are not taken into account in calculating this percentage, in accordance with the provisions of the AFEP-MEDEF Code and the French Commercial Code. Attachment Data from 76 patients with acute Graft-vs-Host Disease (aGvHD) treated with MaaT013 will be presented. Oral presentation will highlight MaaT013's potential in improving survival outcome for patients with gastrointestinal acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (GI-aGvHD). The data, previously shared at the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in December 2021, include results from HERACLES Phase 2 trial in 24 patients with steroid-resistant Grade III-IV GI-aGvHD and from the Early Access Program in France in 52 patients with Grade II-IV GI-aGvHD having failed previous therapies. Regulatory News: MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: MAAT the "Company"), a French clinical-stage biotech and a pioneer in the development of microbiome-based ecosystem therapies dedicated to improving survival outcomes for patients with cancer, announced today that positive results from its Phase 2 trial HERACLES (NCT03359980, n=24) and from its compassionate use program (EAP, n=52) for lead microbiome therapy MaaT013 will be reported in an oral presentation at the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT 2022) held as an online event from March 19th to March 23rd, 2022. The data, previously presented at the American Society of Hematology in December 2021, showed that MaaT013 treatment in patients that developed GI-aGvHD following hematopoietic cell transplantation demonstrated promising objective gastro-intestinal response rates (GI-ORR) in both groups. The observed GI-ORR with MaaT013 treatment at day 28 was 38% in the HERACLES trial, including 5 complete responses (21%), and 58% in the EAP patients, including 17 complete responses (33%). The 12-month overall survival in patients who responded to treatment was 44% in HERACLES and 59% in the EAP program. Results will be live-streamed and presented by Dr. Florent Malard, Associate Professor of Hematology at the Saint-Antoine Hospital and Sorbonne University, who participated in the HERACLES clinical trial. Oral Presentation details (virtual live session): Title: Pooled Allogenic Fecal Microbiotherapy MaaT013 for the Treatment of Steroid-Refractory Gastrointestinal Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Results from the Phase 2a Heracles Study and Expanded Access Program Abstract number: OS10-06 Session Name: OS10 Oral session 10: GVHD I, clinical Date/Time: Wednesday, March 23, 9:45 am 9:54 am CET Link to register: https://urlz.fr/hHX6 About MaaT013 MaaT013 is a full-ecosystem, off-the-shelf, standardized, pooled-donor, Microbiome Ecosystem Therapy. It is characterized by a consistently high diversity and richness of microbial species and the presence of ButycoreTM (group of bacterial species known to produce anti-inflammatory metabolites). MaaT013 aims to restore the symbiotic relationship between the patient's functional gut microbiome and their immune system to correct the responsiveness and tolerance of immune functions. MaaT013 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for its development in treating acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGvHD). About MaaT Pharma MaaT Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma has already achieved proof of concept in a Phase 2 clinical trial in acute GvHD. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, supports the development and expansion of its pipeline by determining novel disease targets, evaluating drug candidates, and identifying biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome, in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT). Forward-looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005789/en/ Contacts: MaaT Pharma Investor relations Herve AFFAGARD Co-Founder and CEO Sian Crouzet, COO/ CFO +33 4 28 29 14 00 invest@maat-pharma.com MaaT Pharma -media relations Pauline RICHAUD Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager +33 6 07 55 25 36 prichaud@maat-pharma.com Trophic Communications Corporate and medical Communications Jacob VERGHESE or Gretchen SCHWEITZER +49 89 23 88 77 31 maat@trophic.eu NEWS RELEASE Clichy, 17 March 2022 Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 21 April 2022 / 2021 Universal Registration Document. Clichy, 17 March 2022 - L'Oreal, the world's leading beauty company, announced terms of information availability regarding the Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 21 April 2022 and the 2021 Universal Registration Document. TERMS OF INFORMATION AVAILABILITY REGARDING THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THURSDAY 21 APRIL 2022 The Annual General Meeting of L'Oreal (hereafter the "Company") will be held on Thursday 21 April 2022 at 10 a.m.(Paris time) at Le Palais des Congres de Paris (2, place de la Porte Maillot, 75017 Paris). Shareholders of the Company who wish to physically attend the General Meeting would have to comply with the health measures in force at the time of the General Meeting. The meeting notice was published in the BALO (Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires) on Wednesday 16 March 2022 and includes the agenda, the draft resolutions and the main terms of participation and voting at this General Meeting. This meeting notice, the Board of Directors' Report on the draft resolutions and legal information regarding this General Meeting are available on the loreal-finance.com website (under Regulated Information / Annual General Meeting Documents). The other documents and information regarding this General Meeting will be available to shareholders and published on the aforementioned website as well, under legal and regulatory conditions, as from Wednesday 30 March 2022. This General Meeting will be broadcast live in video format on the loreal-finance.com website, unless technical reasons make such broadcast impossible or seriously disrupt it. The replay of this meeting will be available on the loreal-finance.com website as soon as possible following the closing of the General Meeting. Shareholders may vote by correspondence, by Internet or by giving proxy to the Chairman of the General Meeting or to any other natural or legal person, without physically attending the General Meeting. Shareholders have the possibility to send written questions ("questions ecrites") provided they are sent no later than Friday 15 April 2022 at midnight (Paris time) by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, including proof of shareholder status, and via the email address: info-ag@loreal-finance.com. In addition to the legal framework of written questions, shareholders will also have the opportunity to send questions to the Company, from Saturday 16 April 2022, which will not be considered as written questions within the meaning of the regulations, on the General Meeting's broadcast platform available on the loreal-finance.com website. These questions will be answered during the General Meeting, on the basis of a representative selection of the topics which have drawn the shareholders' attention. They will be answered within the time allotted. It is specified that priority will be given to answering questions sent by shareholders physically present at the General Meeting. Shareholders are invited to regularly consult the section dedicated to the General Meeting on the loreal-finance.com website, in order to have access to all the up-to-date information regarding this General Meeting. 2021 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT The 2021 Universal Registration Document has been filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers - AMF), in ESEF format, on Thursday 17 March 2022. It is available to the public under current regulatory conditions and may be found on the loreal-finance.com website (under Regulated Information / Universal Registration Document). The Universal Registration Document includes the Annual Financial Report, an Integrated Report, the Reports from the Statutory Auditors and their fees, as well as the information required for the share buy-back programme. It also includes information regarding L'Oreal's social, environmental and societal responsibility. "This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in French on our Internet site www.loreal-finance.com. This news release may contain some forward-looking statements. Although the Company considers that these statements are based on reasonable hypotheses at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or projected in these statements." About L'Oreal For over 110 years, L'Oreal, the world's leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines our approach to beauty as inclusive, ethical, generous and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 35 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L'Oreal for the Future programme, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality. With 85,400 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, hair salons, branded and travel retail), in 2021 the Group generated sales amounting to 32.28 billion euros. With 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world and a dedicated Research and Innovation team over 4,000 scientists and 3,000 tech professionals, L'Oreal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a Beauty Tech powerhouse. More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom L'OREAL CONTACTS Switchboard +33 (0) 1 47 56 70 00 Individual Shareholders and Market Authorities Mr Christian Munich +33 (0)1 47 56 72 06 christian.munich2@loreal.com Investor relations Ms Francoise Lauvin +33 (0)1 47 56 86 82 francoise.lauvin@loreal.com Journalists Ms Noelle Camilleri +33 (0)6 79 92 99 39 noelle.camilleri@loreal.com For more information, please contact your bank, broker or financial institution (I.S.I.N. code: FR0000120321), and consult your usual newspapers, the Internet site for shareholders and investors, www.loreal-finance.com or the L'Oreal Finance app, alternatively, call +33 1 40 14 80 50. This press release has been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology. You can verify its authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com Attachment The EU Taxonomy aims to align market participants on definitions of sustainability, but investors need to dig deeper to know just how "green" a fund really is The EU Taxonomy aims to align all market stakeholders on what is considered sustainable in the context of the EU, but investors need greater transparency on just how green the funds they are buying really are. Analysis by Clarity AI, the market-leading, global sustainability technology platform, reveals significant differences between fund revenues aligned with green and EU Taxonomy related objectives across different types of sustainable investment products in the market today. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005718/en/ Only 7% of funds have more than 10% green revenues. (Photo: Clarity AI) Under the Sustainability Finance Disclosure Regulation (or SFDR), investors need to report the EU Taxonomy alignment as part of the sustainability profile of funds, which need to be classified into one of three categories: Article 6: non-sustainable funds Article 8: funds that promote sustainable characteristics but not as an overarching objective Article 9: funds that have been specifically created to address sustainability goals In a whitepaper titled "EU Taxonomy: Using Tech to Analyze 'Green' Fund Performance," Clarity AI analyzed an investable universe of 31,000 equity funds on how these products perform against new EU Taxonomy requirements and assessed the common traits across funds, which are often branded in some way as "green." The analysis shows that: Globally, 3.6% of revenues can be considered green ("green revenues") that is, they contribute to mitigating climate change. Only 7% of the 31,000 equity funds analyzed have more than 10% green revenues, as defined in the EU taxonomy. 1 Article 9 climate-branded funds present four times higher alignment with the EU taxonomy than the overall sample average, with 15% of revenues classified as green. Article 8 funds, however, have a similar alignment to the average, with 3.9% green revenues. Funds focused on sectors that are doing heavy lifting in the green transition, such as utilities, show a higher exposure and alignment, with 25% green revenues. Funds with equity themes, such as alternative energy, are naturally more aligned with a green economy, with up to 27% green revenues. Patricia Pina, Head of Product Research Innovation at Clarity AI, said: "Considering the disparate definitions of and frameworks for sustainability all around the world, we can look to the EU Taxonomy as a pioneer in setting a common standard to align a large segment of global market stakeholders. At Clarity AI, we believe regulation needs to be supported by detailed, data-led insights, and transparency cannot be a nice-to-have. It is a must-have. "The EU recognizes that a key requirement to further the development of the sustainable investment market is 'access to high-quality sustainability-related data.' 2 This high-quality data also means moving away from subjectivity and using an objective and fact-based definition of what should be considered 'green,' 'social,' 'environmental,' and so on. The EU taxonomy gives us a common language that will enable stronger decision making and an acceleration to a more sustainable economy. "Reliable, transparent insights are at the heart of fact-based sustainable finance. They should become the norm in making informed decisions around 'green' investing." Notes to editors About Clarity AI Clarity AI is a sustainability technology platform that uses machine learning and big data to deliver environmental and social insights to investors and organizations. As of December 2021, Clarity AI's platform analyzes more than 30,000 companies, 180,000 funds, 198 countries and 187 local governments, and delivers data and analytics for investing, corporate research and reporting. Clarity AI has offices in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Clarity AI's client network manages trillions in assets under management. clarity.ai Methodology Clarity AI developed a comprehensive assessment of how companies and funds align with the EU Taxonomy classification of sustainability using its proprietary sustainable analytics technology platform. Clarity AI draws on the broadest possible spectrum of tools and data sources available to increase the coverage, precision and objectivity of the sustainability analysis, while remaining transparent. The method in this paper relies on the three steps of Clarity AI's EU Taxonomy analysis and displays two key metrics that investors will need to report: Eligible green revenue: as defined by revenues exposed to the activities outlined in the EU Taxonomy Aligned green revenue: which builds upon eligible activities and embeds an assessment of the technical screening criteria, DNSH and SS requirements Through its sustainability tech platform, Clarity AI can scalably assess >180,000 funds and >30,000 organizations. For this report, Clarity AI selected a subset of its universe where it takes a deeper look into the EU Taxonomy alignment for more than 31,000 funds globally. Clarity AI focused the analysis on the parent funds (independent of the asset classes) of equity-only funds for which it has enough characterization of the fund (e.g., assets under management, description, etc.). For the sake of comparison, they cover a broad range of regions, sectors and strategies. 1 As per the EU Taxonomy's methodology of calculating alignment: Use the weighted average of the percent green revenues by company, which is based on the weights within a portfolio 2 As per the European Commission study published in June 2021 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005718/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Edelman Julia Wright clarityAI@edelmansmithfield.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Westmount Minerals Corp. (CSE: WMC) (the "Company" or "Westmount") is pleased to announce that on March 17, 2022, it completed its initial public offering (the "IPO") of 4,584,000 common shares in its capital (each a "Share") at a price of $0.10 per Share for gross proceeds of $458,400. The net proceeds from the IPO will be used for working capital purposes, for general and administrative purposes, to carry out exploration of the Company's Douay East Project located in the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone within the greater Abitibi Greenstone Belt region in the province of Quebec and to make payments pursuant to the option agreement in respect of the Douay East Project. Research Capital Corporation acted as agent (the "Agent") for the IPO. The Agent received a cash commission equal to 10% of the gross proceeds of the IPO and a corporate finance fee. Additionally, the Company granted the Agent, and its selling group, non-transferable compensation options entitling the holder to purchase an aggregate of 458,000 Shares at a price of $0.10 per Share, exercisable on or before March 17, 2025. The Shares are expected to resume trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange on March 18, 2022, under the symbol ("WMC"). The offered securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to "U.S. persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the offered securities in any jurisdiction. About Westmount Minerals Corp. Westmount is focused on gold exploration in Canada. It is currently actively exploring the Douay East Project located in the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone within the greater Abitibi Greenstone Belt region in the province of Quebec. For more information, please refer to the Company's prospectus dated February 14, 2022, available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). On Behalf of the Board of Directors David Tafel Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information, please contact: David Tafel Chief Executive Officer and Director (604) 683-1991 Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the commencement of trading of the Company's common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange, future capital expenditures, anticipated content, commencement, and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Company's projects and mineral properties, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, resources and/or reserves on the Company's projects and mineral properties, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "will", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious and base metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future exploration of the Company's properties, that the COVID-19 global pandemic will not affect the ability of the Company to conduct the exploration program on the Douay East Project, the availability of financing on suitable terms, and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the Company's option to acquire the Douay East Project, the proposed expenditures for exploration work thereon, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the Canadian Securities Exchange), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, the Company's limited operating history, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus dated February 14, 2022, and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release except as otherwise required by law. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117203 Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 17 March 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 75,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 823.92p per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 1,310,421; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 223,680,882. The figure of 223,680,882 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Floating on a reservoir in Pinggu, northeast of Beijing, two couples of Chinese merganser ducks, nicknamed "living fossils with wings" have become the latest proof of the continuous local efforts in ecological protection. The drake of the Chinese merganser wears long crown feathers and has prominent scaly patterns on both sides, for which the species is also called "scaly-sided merganser", while the hen wears gray scaly patterns on her back and darker ones on both sides, and long crown feathers of reddish-brown color. This beautiful and rare waterfowl has been living on the planet for over ten million years. It is called a "living fossil" and it's an indicative species of the wetlands' ecological health. At present, it is estimated that no more than 3,000 wild specimens of this bird are left in the world. It has been listed in the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and it's also under first-grade state protection in China. Its name is defined by location. According to Jin Haiqing, wildlife monitor of Xiyu Reservoir with the Landscaping Bureau of Pinggu District, on the morning of March 8, some local bird watchers witnessed a merganser duck with extraordinary features. After being verified by the experts, two pairs of Chinese merganser ducks (Mergus squamatus) had been spotted at the reservoir. Curiously, though Chinese mergansers follow the flock of ordinary mergansers during their migrations, they usually do not mix with the rest and stay apart, observed Jin, who told a Xinhua reporter that at the reservoir, their food, like other waterfowl, is small fish and loach. Beijing is positioned at a key point along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the greatest flyway for migratory birds in the world, thus it is a key resort for the winged travelers to rest and feed. In recent years, thanks to the tireless efforts of strengthening protection, the ecological environment has been improving and more and more bird species have been observed around the city. Experts pointed out that the arrival of these rare ducks was the result of effectively protecting the original wilderness of the wetland around the reservoir, and taking effective measures to prevent poaching, electrofishing, and other illegal acts that may very likely harm the wildlife. The local government of Pinggu adopted the concept of "maintaining the original ecology" for the reservoir wetlands, set up fences to prevent illegal poaching and electrofishing from causing severe damage to the biosphere, and deploys local monitors to track and register biodiversity at important sites, said Zhang Yufang, deputy director of the Forest Chief System Office and deputy director of the Landscaping Bureau in Pinggu District. On March 13, Zhang Yufang and staff with the bureau came to Xiyu Reservoir for an inspection. He told Xinhua that in order to protect the birds that pass through the region, the bureau has also stepped up the monitoring and inspection of poaching and other illegal activities. Over the past weekend, more than 100 birdwatchers and photography enthusiasts rushed to the site to see the Chinese merganser duck, Jin told a reporter during a Xinhua live streaming program. In order to keep the birds from being disturbed, local bird lovers also spontaneously organized WeChat groups, calling on everyone to watch and photograph birds in a civilized manner, he said. Peng Yuzhong, a local bird watcher and photographer, was the first one to recognize the Chinese merganser at the reservoir. He and his wife came to observe the winged travelers on a daily basis since the migration season began. He believes that the nearly intact state of the reservoir wetland attracts the Chinese mergansers. "To protect the environment is for humanity to coexist in harmony with mother nature", he commented. If the intact ecosystem of the wetlands is to be better protected and restored gradually, it can be expected that more and more species are likely to make an appearance in the city, according to the experts. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Universal PropTech Inc. (TSXV: UPI) ("UPI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of matters voted on at its Annual General & Special Meeting of Shareholders held earlier today. Details of the matters put forth are set out in the notice of meeting and management information circular dated February 1, 2022. Chris Hazelton, Al Quong and Dan Cohen were elected directors of the Company. MNP LLP was re-appointed auditors of the Company and the amended and restated stock option plan was re-approved. About Universal PropTech Inc. Universal PropTech Inc. (TSXV: UPI) (OTCQB: UPIPF) (FSE: 8LH) is a leading building innovation company, selecting, integrating, deploying, and maintaining PropTech in healthy buildings. As trusted advisors, we provide holistic evidence-driven solutions and services for building developers, owners, and operators in Canada. UPI operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, VCI Controls Inc. ("VCI"), a leading supplier and integrator of PropTech healthy building solutions and services. VCI is an industry leader in the acquisition and deployment of intelligent building technology, including the integration of all building systems utilizing the latest in communications technologies and standards. VCI's business focuses on digital controls and mechanical services, performance monitoring, and energy efficiency solutions. With headquarters in Toronto, Universal PropTech Inc. has offices across Canada including, Halifax, Montreal, and Ottawa. For more information, visit www.universalproptech.com. Contact Information Universal PropTech Inc. Chris Hazelton President and Chief Executive Officer chazelton@universalproptech.com (647) 300-2957 Forward-Looking Statements Certain information provided in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "forecast", expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project", or similar words suggesting future outcomes. The Company cautions readers and prospective investors in the Company's securities not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as, by its nature, it is based on current expectations regarding future events that involve a number of assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company. The forward-looking information included herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information included herein is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange"), nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117206 DUBLIN, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the first live St Patrick's Day events on the island of Ireland for two years. In Dublin, thousands witnessed the joyful return of the much-loved St Patrick's Festival as a colourful parade animated the city streets to celebrate Ireland's national day. Joining as the St Patrick's Festival International Guest of Honour was American actor, John C. Reilly. The Step Brothers star was in Dublin taking in the sights, including a special visit to the Home of Guinness, the Guinness Storehouse, before attending the first St Patrick's Day parade since 2019. St Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world by the 80 million who claim links to Ireland. Irish music and dance have become synonymous with celebrations to mark the day. This year, Tourism Ireland is extending an invitation to celebrate Irish heritage in Milan, London, New York and Sydney on St Patrick's Day with the Green Button Festival. The Green Button Festival is lighting up digital billboards today in these four cities, connecting passers-by with some of Ireland's best-loved and up-and-coming musicians. City-dwellers can interact with the billboards to trigger sound and vision recordings of some of Ireland's top talent performing at various locations around the island. The festival is brought to life when passers-by use their smartphone to scan giant QR codes and press the green button to activate a performance. In addition to the big city billboards, the performances can be viewed by anyone anywhere via Ireland.com, so wherever you are around the globe today, an Irish music festival can be on hand. The event and the technology behind it is the first music billboard festival to happen across cities and time zones controlled by individuals' mobile phones. Festival acts include Clannad and Denise Chaila in County Donegal, Ryan McMullan from the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, which was named a UNESCO City of Music late last year. And also available on screen are acts such as contemporary folk band Kila, DJ and vocalist Gemma Bradley, and Riverdance, performing at the Giant's Causeway and Cliffs of Moher. The Green Button Festival is shining a light on the Irish music scene's established names and rising stars, revealing a whole new side to Ireland on St Patrick's Day. www.ireland.com Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpo_TRL_KIY The medtech company CorWave is taking a new step in its development. Already located in Clichy, next to Paris, the industrial start-up is preparing to move to larger premises capable of hosting its R&D center and the manufacturing facility needed to enter the clinical and commercial phases. The company, which is developing a breakthrough undulating membrane heart pump, is moving to the "Equinox" building on the banks of the Seine in Clichy. CorWave will occupy 2,400 m on three levels, one of which will be entirely dedicated to its manufacturing activities, including a clean room and a precision machining center (see video of the new premises here). The new facility is being built with the support of the Paris Region as part of its "Relance Industrie" program. CorWave is also supported by the French government, Bpifrance, the European Commission and private investors. "It was essential to locate our manufacturing facility and our R&D center on the same site in order to be able to approach our next development phases with confidence. Being a manufacturing start-up, we also felt that offering our talents a quality work environment, in a vibrant and connected area at the heart of the Paris Region, was a priority. This new facility will be able to meet our ambitions, and will eventually produce more than a thousand pumps per year, representing about 100 million in sales," said Louis de Lillers, CEO of CorWave. "Setting up an industrial site near Paris is a stimulating challenge that has been mobilizing our teams for several months. We strongly believe in the relevance of this urban factory model to ensure CorWave's long-term development, with the ambition of improving the lives of thousands of heart failure patients," added Zina Hamoumi, CFO of CorWave. The Paris Region commented: "CorWave's project is in line with the Region's commitment to developing medtech, with an innovative approach to boosting our vitality in this field, which is so fundamental to the Region's future. We place the challenges of re-industrialization and business support at the heart of our actions, particularly in the health sector. CorWave has received 500,000 in financial support from the Paris Region's call for projects "Relance Industrie", which is helping to maintain or create 70 jobs within CorWave." Agnes Pannier-Runacher, Minister Delegate for Industry, said: "I welcome CorWave's project and ambitions to develop and industrialize its heart pump in France. Under the impetus of the President of the French Republic, we have been providing massive support to the healthcare industries since 2017 so that they can create and produce the biomedicines, therapies and medical devices of tomorrow in France. 400 million euros are dedicated to the medical device sector thanks to France 2030 and will enable the emergence of French leaders in surgical robots and implantable devices, such as CorWave." To lead the industrialization phase of its medical device, CorWave recruited Michael Webb as Vice President, Manufacturing. Michael possesses global heart pump production experience, including expanding the HeartWare manufacturing plant, which enabled revenue growth from product launch to nearly $300M. Since last fall, he has been responsible for setting up CorWave's manufacturing facilities and leading the production and supply chain teams. Construction work on the new premises has begun and will last several months. About CorWave CorWave is a French company that develops innovative cardiac assist devices. CorWave's wave membrane is a breakthrough technology that differs from today's commercially available left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) by its physiological operation, designed to mimic a pulse and blood flow rates similar to those of a healthy heart. Ultimately, CorWave's membrane pump technology is expected to reduce the complications associated with current devices and improve the management of heart failure patients. CorWave was founded in 2012 by start-up studio MD Start and is funded by renowned investors including Bpifrance, EIC Fund, Financiere Arbevel, M&L Healthcare, Novo Holdings, Seventure, Sofinnova Partners and Ysios. The company has secured 80 million in equity and non-dilutive financing and employs over sixty people. For more information : www.corwave.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/corwave https://twitter.com/corwave https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbsymq1RWDU This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 954151. CorWave's R&D program is supported by the French government through the "Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir" (PIA). CorWave's industrialization program is supported by the Paris Region through the call for projects "Relance Industrie". View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005897/en/ Contacts: Press: Taddeo Agency Marie Gesquiere marie.gesquiere@taddeo.fr Phone: +33 6 26 48 97 98 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with Trillion Energy, QuestEx, Monarch Mining, and Leucrotta Exploration on their latest news. The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives. Trillion Energy (CSE:TCF) announces private placement Trillion Energy International (TCF) has announced plans to complete a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $10,000,000. The company will issue up to 60,606,060 units at a price of $0.165 per unit. Art Halleran, CEO of Trillion Energy sat down with Dave Jackson to discuss the financing. For the full interview with Art Halleran and to learn more about Trillion Energy's news, click here. QuestEx (TSXV:QEX) announces new exploration team QuestEx (QEX) has appointed Mr. Darren Lefort as Vice President of Exploration. Equity Exploration, who currently manages exploration work on QuestEx's mineral properties, has been retained to provide an exploration team on an as-needed basis. Darren will be working with Equity Exploration to finalize the company's drill targets and arrange logistics for the summer drilling program. CEO Joseph Mullin sat down with Shoran Devi to discuss the appointment. For the full interview with Joseph Mullin and to learn more about QuestEx's new appointment, click here. Monarch Mining (TSX:GBAR) receives additional assays from Beaufor Mine gold project Monarch Mining (GBAR) has received additional results from the 2021 underground drilling program on its Beaufor Mine gold project. President & CEO Jean-Marc Lacoste sat down with Shoran Devi to discuss the results. Monarch Mining is a fully integrated mining company focused on four advanced gold projects in Quebec. For the full interview with Jean-Marc Lacoste and to learn more about Monarch Mining's news, click here. Leucrotta Exploration (TSXV:LXE) provides update on business plan Leucrotta Exploration (LXE) has previously announced its goal to reach 30,000 boepd within a five-year time frame. The business plan includes a gas processing agreement, funding to construct a battery facility at Mica and the commencement of a drilling program in Alberta. CEO Rob Zakresky sat down with Shoran Devi to highlight the updates. For the full interview with Rob Zakresky and to learn more about Leucrotta Explorations' news, click here. Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald. About The Market Herald The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets. DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. 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CONTACT: The Market Herald Brianna Anthony brianna.anthony@themarketherald.ca themarketherald.ca SOURCE: The Market Herald View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693587/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-Interviews-With-Trillion-Energy-QuestEx-Monarch-Mining-and-Leucrotta-Exploration NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIER59 STUDIOS is inviting all participants of the artistic and advertising industries to propose possible solutions to the Russian military aggression on Ukraine, and its ruthless invasion. The following are those that Federico Pignatelli, Chairman of Pier59 Studios, is proposing to international political forces and communities: 1) To immediately establish a no-fly zone over all nuclear plants in Ukraine, which pose an unimaginable danger to all Europe. Should these plants be damaged, or lack electrical power, they risk propagating radiation all over Ukraine and Western Europe which would be per se equivalent to the effects of nuclear war. The no-fly zones should be immediately enacted by the European Air Forces, which are superior to their Russian counterparts and more than adequate to protect the air space. 2) To extend the international no-fly zone over hospitals and civilian targets, where the general population is taking refuge from Russian attacks. 3) To immediately reduce the European governments' importation of oil and gas from Russia by instituting an austerity program in Western Europe which would halt the use of any strictly unnecessary energy consumption, such as that utilized for: lighting advertisements, streetlights, heating on days where the temperatures exceed 3 degrees Celsius, and so on. 4) To continue to arm the Ukrainian forces with latest generation weapons to defend themselves from the indiscriminate Russian attacks. 5) To continue providing humanitarian help to the Ukrainian population with food, water, medicine, and clothing. 6) To enact new, wider, and strict sanctions against all public and private Russian financial institutions and companies and prohibit the purchase of all Russian product, of any kind. Pignatelli furthered his commentary, providing that: "Only by acting immediately and in a coordinated effort will this senseless war cease. If we allow Ukraine to fall under the dictatorship of Russia, the criminal Putin will be emboldened to propagate war to other European countries. His propaganda in Russia is a clear demonstration that he has plans to reconstitute the old Soviet Union State, which includes many sovereign and independent countries in Eastern Europe. It is a European emergency, and European government should take the lead. I applaud the Prime Ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia for having traveled to Kyiv as a sign of the European community's support. I encourage the leaders of other major European countries to do the same, and to have their respective Air Forces protect them from any attack in Kyiv. If we do not take immediate action to stop them now, Putin's aggressions toward Europe will continue to advance beyond the point of no return. I appeal to our community to propose any other possible scenarios to stop this devastating war and protect the future of Europe," concluded Pignatelli. Contact Email: info@pier59.com Contact Number: 212-691-5959 Pioneer Natural Resources today announced $20 million in humanitarian aid to relief organizations operating in Ukraine and the surrounding region. Chief Executive Officer, Scott D. Sheffield stated, "The death and destruction along with the displacement of millions of Ukrainians caused by Russia's unprovoked invasion requires assistance from both governments across the world and the global business community. Pioneer and our employees are proud to support our friends in Ukraine. We sincerely hope to see the conflict end as quickly as possible, and our thoughts are with all those impacted." Pioneer is a large independent oil and gas exploration and production company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with operations in the United States. For more information, visit Pioneer's website at www.pxd.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005028/en/ Contacts: Pioneer Natural Resources Company Contacts: Investors Neal Shah 972-969-3900 Tom Fitter 972-969-1821 Greg Wright 972-969-1770 Chris Leypoldt 972-969-5834 Media and Public Affairs Tadd Owens 972-969-5760 Kolibri Global Energy Inc. (the "Company" or "KEI") (TSX: KEI, OTCQB: KGEIF) is providing an update on the Barnes 7-3H well (98.07% working interest), which began flowback production last week in its Tishomingo field in Oklahoma. The Barnes 7-3H well is currently flowing back stimulation fluid at a rate that has been restricted by the Company's operations team. Despite the restricted rate, the well is producing approximately 400 barrels of oil a day. It is still early in the cleanup process, with only about 3.5% of the stimulation fluid recovered to date. Wolf Regener, President, and CEO, commented. "I'm very pleased to say that this early in the flowback, the well is already producing 400 barrels a day of oil at restricted production rates. It's so early in the flowback that the well hasn't even started producing gas yet. The well is currently producing these rates while flowing up casing. It is acting much stronger than our previous wells, which has enabled it to still be able to flow up casing at these rates. In previous wells, installing tubing in the wells and, in most cases, adding assisted lift would have been necessary by now. "This 400 barrel of oil a day rate is about 27% above the initial 30 day proved forecast curve case oil portion of the production rate utilized for our reserve report and is right in line with the oil portion of the initial 30 day type curve utilized by the Company's management. "We anticipate that the well will start producing gas and NGLs in the coming week as the well cleans up further. The Company's wells in this area generally produce about 20% gas and natural gas liquids by volume along with the oil. While there can be no assurance as to what the well's 30-day initial rate or ultimate productivity will be, based on the current flowing pressures, we are hopeful that the well will attain or potentially exceed management's type curve forecast, which is significantly higher than the reserve report proved forecast case. The Company will update the market when we have stabilized unrestricted production rates in the coming weeks." The Company has also updated its presentation on its website. About Kolibri Global Energy Inc. Kolibri Global Energy Inc. is an international energy company focused on finding and exploiting energy projects in oil, gas, and clean and sustainable energy. Through various subsidiaries, the Company owns and operates energy properties in the United States. The Company continues to utilize its technical and operational expertise to identify and acquire additional projects. The Company's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock symbol KEI and on the OTCQB under the stock symbol KGEIF. Cautionary Statements Readers should be aware that references to initial production rates and other short-term production rates are preliminary in nature and are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery. Readers are referred to the full description of the results of the Company's December 31, 2021 independent reserves evaluation and other oil and gas information contained in its Form 51-101F1 Statement of Reserves Data and Other Oil and Gas Information for the year ended December 31, 2021, which the Company filed on SEDAR on March 8, 2022. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of United States securities laws (collectively, "forward looking information"), including statements regarding the timing of and expected results from planned wells development. Forward-looking information is based on plans and estimates of management and interpretations of data by the Company's technical team at the date the data is provided and is subject to several factors and assumptions of management, including that indications of early results are reasonably accurate predictors of the prospectiveness of the shale intervals, that required regulatory approvals will be available when required, that no unforeseen delays, unexpected geological or other effects, including flooding and extended interruptions due to inclement or hazardous weather conditions, equipment failures, permitting delays or labor or contract disputes are encountered, that the necessary labor and equipment will be obtained, that the development plans of the Company and its co-venturers will not change, that the offset operator's operations will proceed as expected by management, that the demand for oil and gas will be sustained, that the price of oil will be sustained or increase, that the Company will continue to be able to access sufficient capital through financings, farm-ins or other participation arrangements to maintain its projects, and that global economic conditions will not deteriorate in a manner that has an adverse impact on the Company's business, its ability to advance its business strategy and the industry as a whole. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions on which such forward looking information is based vary or prove to be invalid, including that the Company or its subsidiaries is not able for any reason to obtain and provide the information necessary to secure required approvals or that required regulatory approvals are otherwise not available when required, that unexpected geological results are encountered, that equipment failures, permitting delays, labor or contract disputes or shortages of equipment or labor are encountered, the risks associated with the oil and gas industry (e.g. operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration and development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses, and health, safety and environmental risks, including flooding and extended interruptions due to inclement or hazardous weather conditions), the risk of commodity price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations, that the offset operator's operations have unexpected adverse effects on the Company's operations, that completion techniques require further optimization, that production rates do not match the Company's assumptions, that very low or no production rates are achieved, that the price of oil will decline, that the Company is unable to access required capital, that occurrences such as those that are assumed will not occur, do in fact occur, and those conditions that are assumed will continue or improve, do not continue or improve, and the other risks and uncertainties applicable to exploration and development activities and the Company's business as set forth in the Company's management discussion and analysis and its annual information form, both of which are available for viewing under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com, any of which could result in delays, cessation in planned work or loss of one or more concessions and have an adverse effect on the Company and its financial condition. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005973/en/ Contacts: Wolf E. Regener +1 (805) 484-3613 Email: wregener@kolibrienergy.com Website: www.kolibrienergy.com St. Paul, Minnesota--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - PolyMet Mining Corp. (TSX: POM) (NYSE American: PLM) today reports it has filed its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2021, and provides a first quarter 2022 business update. "Soaring global demand for clean energy- and electric vehicle-dependent metals such as copper, nickel, and cobalt, and supply chain realities laid bare by recent events in Eastern Europe make us keenly aware of our obligation to produce these critical minerals in Minnesota responsibly and as quickly as possible," said Jon Cherry, chairman, president and CEO. "We urge our government to embrace safe mining of these critical natural resources to expand clean energy and decarbonization efforts in the U.S." PolyMet made considerable progress in 2021 as several significant legal challenges by opponents were resolved or significantly narrowed in scope, Cherry said. He cited as two examples a ruling by the state Supreme Court in early 2021 that restored PolyMet's dam safety permits and the reactivation of the air permit in December by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency after it fulfilled the requirements of a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling. Progress has continued in 2022 as the Minnesota Court of Appeals in January affirmed nearly all aspects of the company's water discharge permit for the NorthMet Project. Importantly, the court found that water quality standards of the State of Minnesota and Fond du Lac Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa will not be violated as a result of the NorthMet Project. The water discharge permit is one of only three permits that remain on hold pending additional process, which is anticipated to be largely addressed this year. These are: Federal wetlands (Section 404) permit - a 401a2 hearing by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planned in early May to determine if the project "will affect" water quality within the reservation boundaries of the Fond du Lac Band. The State of Minnesota concluded during environmental review and permitting that the project does not affect water quality before reaching the reservation, which is 110 river miles downstream; Permit to Mine - a contested case hearing by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on the effectiveness of bentonite clay at the tailings impoundment is anticipated in the second or third quarter of this year. Several preliminary hearings already have been held; and Water discharge (NPDES/SDS) permit - the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency must consider whether any discharges are the "functional equivalent" of a direct surface water discharge. The ruling stems from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling unrelated to PolyMet and issued more than a year after PolyMet's permit was issued. This functional-equivalence analysis, known as the "Maui" test, is expected to be completed this year and to affirm earlier conclusions. To date, PolyMet has received favorable decisions in all six cases that have reached final conclusion - four federal and two state. Key Balance Sheet Statistics (In '000 US dollars) December 31, 2021 December 31, 2020 Cash $ 2,958 $ 3,554 Working capital 1 (17,609 ) (15,241 ) Total assets 468,126 460,714 Total liabilities 110,519 91,075 Shareholders' equity $ 357,607 $ 369,639 1 Deficiency due to the $17.7 million promissory note which was repaid in February 2022 as part of a new funding agreement with Glencore to provide up to $40 million during 2022. Key Income and Cash Flow Statement Statistics (in '000 US dollars, except per share amounts) Year ended December 31, 2021 Year ended December 31, 2020 General & administrative expense $ 12,810 $ 20,077 Other (Income) expenses: Finance income & other (2,872 ) (3,293 ) Non-cash rehabilitation accretion 1,934 2,083 Non-cash debt accretion and interest 3,697 1,963 Loss for the period: 15,569 20,830 Loss for the period ($/share) 0.15 0.21 Cash used in investing activities $ 6,859 $ 8,592 Weighted average shares outstanding 100,873,906 100,663,439 Loss for the year ended December 31, 2021, was $15.6 million compared with $20.8 million for the prior year. The decrease was primarily due to lower spend on Project studies and evaluation of the mineral resource partially offset by higher interest expense and insurance premiums. Capital expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2021, was $6.9 million compared with $8.6 million for the prior year. The decrease was primarily due to lower expenditure on the NorthMet Project as the company awaits resolution of legal challenges to permits. The financial statements have been filed at www.polymetmining.com and on SEDAR and EDGAR and have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. All amounts are in U.S. dollars. Copies can be obtained free of charge by contacting the company at 444 Cedar Street, Suite 2060, St. Paul, MN 55101, or by e-mail at info@polymetmining.com. Project developments described above are derived from these documents and should be read in conjunction with them. * * * * * About PolyMet PolyMet is a mine development company that owns 100% of the NorthMet Project, the first large-scale project to have received permits within the Duluth Complex in northeastern Minnesota, one of the world's major, undeveloped mining regions. NorthMet has significant proven and probable reserves of copper, nickel and palladium - metals vital to infrastructure improvements and global carbon reduction efforts - in addition to marketable reserves of cobalt, platinum and gold. When operational, NorthMet will become one of the leading producers of nickel, palladium and cobalt in the U.S., providing a much needed, responsibly mined source of these critical and essential metals. Located in the Mesabi Iron Range, the project will provide economic diversity while leveraging the region's established supplier network and skilled workforce and generate a level of activity that will have a significant effect in the local economy. For more information: www.polymetmining.com. For further information, please contact: Media Bruce Richardson, Corporate Communications Tel: +1 (651) 389-4111 brichardson@polymetmining.com Investor Relations Tony Gikas, Investor Relations Tel: +1 (651) 389-4110 investorrelations@polymetmining.com PolyMet Disclosures This news release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning anticipated developments in PolyMet's operations in the future. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "potential," "possible," "projects," "plans," and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will," "may," "could," or "should" occur or be achieved or their negatives or other comparable words. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the ability to receive environmental and operating permits, job creation, and the effect on the local economy, or other statements that are not a statement of fact. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements due to risks facing PolyMet or due to actual facts differing from the assumptions underlying its predictions. PolyMet's forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and PolyMet does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations and opinions should change. Specific reference is made to risk factors and other considerations underlying forward-looking statements discussed in PolyMet's most recent Annual Report on Form 40-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and in our other filings with Canadian securities authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Annual Report on Form 40-F also contains the company's mineral resource and other data as required under National Instrument 43-101. No regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117217 LUXEMBOURG / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Nexa Resources S.A. ("Nexa Resources" or "Nexa" or the "Company") (NYSE:NEXA) informs that production at the Atacocha San Gerardo open pit mine is temporarily suspended. The Machcan community has illegally blocked the road access to the mine due to protest activities and while there has been no material impact on Atacocha's production to date, mine production has been suspended, and activities are limited to critical operations with a minimum workforce to ensure proper maintenance. Nexa remains committed to the social development of its host communities and continues to pursue an active dialogue with the local community and authorities for a peaceful resolution of this situation. The 2022 production guidance is not expected to be materially affected and remains unchanged. On a weekly basis, Atacocha produces approximately 0.2kt of zinc, accounting for less than 3% of Nexa's zinc production. Nexa will keep the market informed of further developments. About Nexa Nexa is a large-scale, low-cost integrated zinc producer with over 60 years of experience developing and operating mining and smelting assets in Latin America. Nexa currently owns and operates five long-life underground mines - three located in the Central Andes of Peru and two located in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil - and is developing the Aripuana Project as its sixth underground mine in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Nexa also currently owns and operates three smelters, two located in Brazil and one in Peru, Cajamarquilla, which is the largest smelter in the Americas. Nexa was among the top five producers of mined zinc globally in 2021 and also one of the top five metallic zinc producers worldwide in 2021, according to Wood Mackenzie. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively referred to in this news release as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements contained in this news release may include, but are not limited to, zinc and other metal prices and exchange rate assumptions, projected operating and capital costs, metal or mineral recoveries, head grades, mine life, production rates, and returns; the Company's potential plans; the estimation of the tonnage, grade and content of deposits and the extent of the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates; timing of commencement of production; exploration potential and results; the timing and receipt of necessary permits for future operations; the impacts of COVID-19 in our operations. These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results and future performance and achievements will meet or not differ from the expectations of management or qualified persons. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "will," "may," "may have," "would," "estimate," "continues," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "expects," "budget," "scheduled," "forecasts" and similar words are intended to identify estimates and forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may be substantially different from the expectations described in the forward-looking statements for a number of reasons, many of which are not under our control, among them, the activities of our competition, the future global economic situation, weather conditions, market prices and conditions, exchange rates, and operational and financial risks. The unexpected occurrence of one or more of the abovementioned events may significantly change the results of our operations on which we have based our estimates and forward-looking statements. Our estimates and forward-looking statements may also be influenced by, among others, legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the Project, including risks related to outbreaks of contagious diseases or health crises impacting overall economic activity regionally or globally. These forward-looking statements related to future events or future performance and include current estimates, predictions, forecasts, beliefs and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, but not limited to, the business and operations of the Company and mining production, our growth strategy, the impact of applicable laws and regulations, future zinc and other metal prices, smelting sales, capex, expenses related to exploration and project evaluation, estimation of Mineral Reserves and/or Mineral Resources, mine life and our financial liquidity. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable and appropriate by management and qualified persons considering their experience are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies and may prove to be incorrect. Statements concerning future production costs or volumes are based on numerous assumptions of management regarding operating matters and on assumptions that demand for products develops as anticipated, that customers and other counterparties perform their contractual obligations, full integration of mining and smelting operations, that operating and capital plans will not be disrupted by issues such as mechanical failure, unavailability of parts and supplies, labor disturbances, interruption in transportation or utilities, adverse weather conditions, and that there are no material unanticipated variations in metal prices, exchange rates, or the cost of energy, supplies or transportation, among other assumptions. Estimates and forward-looking statements refer only to the date when they were made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any estimate or forward-looking statement due to new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Estimates and forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and do not guarantee future performance, as actual results or developments may be substantially different from the expectations described in the forward-looking statements. Further information concerning risks and uncertainties associated with these forward-looking statements and our business can be found in our public disclosures filed under our profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov). For further information, please contact: Roberta Varella - Head of Investor Relations ir@nexaresouces.com +55 11 3405-5601 SOURCE: Nexa Resources S.A. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693600/Nexa-Resources-Provides-Update-on-Atacocha-Mine-Operation DORADO, PUERTO RICO / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc. ("Pharma-Bio Serv" or the "Company") (OTCQB:PBSV), a compliance, project management and technology transfer support consulting firm that provides services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, medical device, cosmetic, food and allied products industries, today announced that revenues for the quarter ended January 31, 2022 were approximately $5.0 million, an increase of approximately $0.5 million when compared to the same period last year. Net income for the quarter ended January 31, 2022 was approximately $0.3 million, reflecting no significant change when compared to the same period last year. "Our efforts to diversify and expand our geographical revenue should be noted in this quarter's results. The continental US and Europe consulting markets represented 33% of total revenues, against 22% when compared to the same period last year. We seek to continue this geographic expansion and diversification to provide future growth opportunities and reduce risk from any particular geographic location," stated Mr. Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. About Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc. Pharma-Bio Serv services the Puerto Rico, United States, Europe and Latin America markets. Pharma-Bio Serv's core business is FDA and international agencies regulatory compliance consulting related services. The Company's global team includes leading engineering and life science professionals, quality assurance managers and directors. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws, which statements may include information regarding the plans, intentions, expectations, future financial performance, or future operating performance of Pharma-Bio Serv. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations, estimates, or projections of management as of the date of this earnings announcement. Although Pharma-Bio Serv's management believes these expectations, estimates, or projections to be reasonable as of the date of this earnings announcement, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant business risks, economic uncertainties, and competitive uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause its actual results or performance to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause Pharma-Bio Serv's actual results or performance to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include those set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of Pharma-Bio Serv's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2021, and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which filings are available on www.sec.gov. Pharma-Bio Serv disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events and circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law. Company Contact: Pedro J. Lasanta Chief Financial Officer 787 278 2709 SOURCE: Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693607/Pharma-Bio-Serv-Announces-Results-for-the-Quarter-Ended-January-31-2022 The community isolation facility (CIF) for COVID-19 patients, constructed with support from the mainland, is put into operation in Hung Shui Kiu, south China's Hong Kong, March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) The community isolation facility, located in Hung Shui Kiu, Hong Kong, and composed of modular cubicles, can provide about 2,350 beds for COVID-19 patients. HONG KONG, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The fifth community isolation facility (CIF) in Hong Kong constructed with support from the mainland was put into operation on Thursday after it was handed over to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. John Lee, chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government, on Thursday visited the newly-built CIF located in Hung Shui Kiu, Hong Kong, which can provide about 2,350 beds for COVID-19 patients. The facility, which covers a land area of about 32,000 square meters, is composed of modular cubicles, with each room equipped with basic furniture and bedding, air conditioner, and smoke sensor, among others. Designed and built by the China State Construction International Holdings Ltd., the construction of the facility was completed in less than a month. The community isolation facility (CIF) for COVID-19 patients, constructed with support from the mainland, is put into operation in Hung Shui Kiu, south China's Hong Kong, March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) The community isolation facility (CIF) in Hung Shui Kiu, constructed with support from the mainland, is put into operation in south China's Hong Kong, March 17, 2022. (Xinhua) The CIF also sets aside sections for care services for the elderly, which will begin operation in April. During his visit, Lee expressed his gratitude to the central government's aid in Hong Kong's epidemic fight, noting that the five CIFs provide over 10,000 beds and play a very important role in reducing severe cases, deaths in confirmed cases, and infections. On Thursday, Hong Kong registered 8,628 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 13,022 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Taurus Gold Corp., ("Taurus" or the "Company") announces that it has filed a preliminary long-form prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario (the "Offering Jurisdictions"), to qualify the distribution to the public of a combination of a minimum of 5,000,000 and up to a maximum of 7,500,000 non-flow-through units (the "Common Share Units") and up to a maximum of 2,000,000 flow-through units (the "Flow-Through Units", and together with the Common Share Units, the "Offered Units"), at a price of $0.20 per Common Share Unit and $0.25 per Flow-Through Unit, for total proceeds of $1,500,000 (the "Offering"). The distribution of the Offered Units will be completed pursuant to the terms of an agency agreement, to be entered into among the Company and Canaccord Genuity Corp. ("Canaccord"), the agent for the Offering. Each Common Share Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Corporation ("Common Share") and one half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant") entitling the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.35 per Common Share until the date that is twenty-four (24) months following the closing of the Offering. Each Flow-Through Unit is comprised of one Common Share which qualifies as a "flow-through share" pursuant to the Income Tax Act and one half of one Warrant. The Offered Units are to be sold on a "commercially reasonable efforts" basis by Canaccord in the Offering Jurisdictions. Completion of the Offering is subject to the sale of the Offered Units on or before 90 days after the issuance of the final receipt for the final prospectus respecting the Offering, unless extended under applicable securities laws. The Offered Units have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States of America, its territories and possessions, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia (collectively, the "United States") or U.S. persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act ("U.S. Persons")), unless exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws are available. The Company has concurrently applied to list its common shares ("Common Shares") on the Canadian Securities Exchange ('CSE"). Listing will be subject to the Company fulfilling all of the requirements of the CSE, which include distribution of the Offered Units to a minimum number of public shareholders. Amended and Restated Option Agreement - Charlotte Property The Company also announces that it has entered into an amended and restated option agreement (the "Amended and Restated Option Agreement") with 1011308 B.C. Ltd. (the "Optionor"), pursuant to the terms of which the Company has the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Charlotte Property, consisting of 139 full or fractional quartz mineral claims and mineral leases that cover an area totaling 2,317.8 hectares (approximately 23 km2) in the Mt. Nansen area in west-central Yukon Territory, Canada. The Amended and Restated Option Agreement amends and restates the original option agreement entered into on August 18, 2020 (the "Original Option Agreement"). Under the terms of the Amended and Restated Option Agreement, the Company can acquire a 75% earned interest in the Charlotte Property by exercising the first option, with a second option to acquire the remaining 25%. The exercise of the first option is conditional upon the Company: (i) paying to the Optionor $50,000 upon the earlier of completion of the Offering, or March 14, 2023; (ii) issuing 30,000,000 Common Shares to the Optionor, and (iii) incurring not less than $1,500,000 in expenditures on or before March 14, 2024 (or making the equivalent payment of cash to the Optionor in lieu) (the "First Option Expenditure Amount"). For the purposes of the Corporation's requirement to incur the First Option Expenditure Amount, the Corporation and Optionor have agreed that the expenditures in the amount of $1,034,835 incurred during the term of the Original Option Agreement shall be included in the calculation of the First Option Expenditure Amount. Under the terms of the Amended and Restated Option Agreement, the right of the Company to exercise the second option, on or before March 14, 2026, and acquire an additional 25% earned interest (100% total) in the Charlotte Property is conditional upon the Company: (i) having exercised the first option and having delivered written notice of the Company's intention to pursue the second option; (ii) the Company issuing an additional 10,000,000 Common Shares to the Optionor; (iii) the Corporation paying to the Optionor $200,000 on or before March 14, 2026; and (iv) the Corporation delivering a mineral estimate report, prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. A copy of the preliminary prospectus, as well as the Amended and Restated Option Agreement and an amended technical report for the Charlotte Property, can be found on the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. For more information, please contact: Trevor Harding, Chief Executive Officer Tel: 403 807 9345 Email: info@taurusgold.ca CAUTIONARY STATEMENT Statements in this press release may contain forward-looking information. Any statements that are contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the completion of the Offering and receipt of approval for the listing of the Common Shares on the CSE. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Taurus. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, including a final receipt for the prospectus, failure to qualify for listing under CSE policies, and failure to complete the Offering. Completion of the Offering is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, regulatory and CSE approval, and the entering into of an agency agreement with Canaccord. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Taurus does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by securities law. /NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRES/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117236 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Acme United Corp. has recalled nearly 165,000 PhysiciansCare brand over-the-counter drugs due to failure to meet child resistant packaging requirement. The company has recalled PhysiciansCare brand aspirin, extra strength non aspirin, extra strength pain reliever, ibuprofen, medication station, and multi-pack. They are packaged in cardboard boxes of 50, 100, 250, and 500 tablets per box. The company said the recalled over-the-counter products contain regulated substances, like aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen, which must be in child resistant packaging when being used in the household as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. Although no injuries have been reported, the company has asked customers to immediately store the recalled products in a safe location out of reach of children and contact Acme United for information on how to dispose of or return the product and receive a full refund. The recalled products were sold at Amazon.com and FSAstore.com from February 2014 through June 2021 for between $5 and $50. 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. GEORGE TOWN, CAYMAN ISLANDS, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CoinPayments, the world's largest provider of cryptocurrency payment services, is pleased to announce that Dennis Pederson has been appointed as the Company's new Chief Executive Officer. The appointment comes as CoinPayments continues to experience significant growth amidst an increase in demand worldwide for alternative payment solutions. In 2021, the Company saw global transactions totaling over $7 billion, an increase of more than 100% from the previous year. "I am excited and honored to be given the opportunity to lead the world's premier crypto payments gateway service provider," said Pederson. "This is a new era for us, and many positive changes will come over the next year. I look forward to seeing the Company continue to evolve and grow." Pederson joined CoinPayments in 2016 as the Company's General Manager. Since then, he has held multiple leadership roles, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, managing the overall operations of the business. Pederson's contributions over the years have been instrumental in CoinPayments' exponential growth. "As a co-founder, I couldn't be more elated with Dennis' appointment as CEO. He has already demonstrated incredible acuity in leading the Company, and I am certain in his new role, he will propel CoinPayments to the next stage of its development as we continue to scale and more payments move to the blockchain," said Sina Mirzaie. "While our global expansion continues, CoinPayments' goal remains the same - provide merchants of all sizes with a trusted, streamlined, and scalable solution to accept cryptocurrency payments," Pederson added. About CoinPayments CoinPayments is the easiest, fastest, and most secure way for merchants worldwide to receive cryptocurrencies as payment. It is the first and largest cryptocurrency payment gateway service provider, supporting more than 2,100 coins on its platform. It is the preferred crypto payment solution for merchants and eCommerce platform providers worldwide. Founded in 2013, CoinPayments is dedicated to providing clients with fast, secure, and user-friendly crypto payment APIs, shopping cart plugins, partner provider digital wallets, and a host of other solutions supporting cryptocurrency payment applications. Learn more at: https://www.coinpayments.net/ Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: MGM) (OTCQB: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G) ("Maple Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report the positive results of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (the "2022 MRE") for the Douay Gold Project ("Douay" or the "Project") in Quebec, Canada, which is held by a 50/50 joint venture (the "JV") between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. Total contained gold ounces at Douay have increased along with further conversion from Inferred to Indicated Resources categories based on successful exploration and infill drilling, comprehensive mineralization modeling, and using higher cost and gold price assumptions compared to the RPA 2019 MRE[1]. Highlights from the 2022 MRE: Pit-constrained Indicated Resources increased 21% compared to the RPA 2019 MRE 1 to 511,000 ounces ("oz") at an average grade of 1.59 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") (from 422,000 oz at an average grade of 1.52 g/t Au) compared to the RPA 2019 MRE to ("oz") at an average grade of 1.59 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") (from 422,000 oz at an average grade of 1.52 g/t Au) Pit-constrained Inferred Resources increased slightly compared to the RPA 2019 MRE 1 to 2,065,000 oz at an average grade of 0.94 g/t Au (from 2,045,000 oz at an average grade of 0.97 g/t Au) to at an average grade of 0.94 g/t Au (from 2,045,000 oz at an average grade of 0.97 g/t Au) Underground Inferred Resources increased 50% compared to the RPA 2019 MRE 1 to 460,000 oz at an average grade of 1.68 g/t Au (from 307,000 oz at an average grade of 1.75 g/t Au) compared to the RPA 2019 MRE to at an average grade of 1.68 g/t Au (from 307,000 oz at an average grade of 1.75 g/t Au) Initial Indicated Resources in the Nika Zone ( 30,000 oz at an average grade of 1.13 g/t Au) and the 531 Zone ( 58,000 oz at an average grade of 2.85 g/t Au), resulting from significant intercepts [2] from the JV's first drill campaign (see Figure 1 for zone locations) in the ( at an average grade of 1.13 g/t Au) and the ( at an average grade of 2.85 g/t Au), resulting from significant intercepts from the JV's first drill campaign (see Figure 1 for zone locations) Mineralized zones at Douay remain open for expansion and are largely untested below an average vertical drill depth of approximately 350 metres ("m") (see Figure 2) and are largely untested below an average vertical drill depth of approximately 350 metres ("m") (see Figure 2) Ongoing drilling at Douay is primarily focused on exploration targets in areas with lateral and depth expansion potential that are not part of the 2022 MRE Discovery Costs Since the RPA 2019 MRE, the Company and the JV have incurred an aggregate of approximately US$6.1 million in direct exploration expenditures. This equates to a discovery cost of approximately US$23/oz Au for the incremental resources defined in the 2022 MRE. "We completed two modest drill programs in 2020 amid a global pandemic and followed that up with a roughly 10,000-m maiden JV drill campaign in 2021 that, in line with our expectations, successfully converted Inferred to Indicated ounces and ultimately increased the overall gold endowment at Douay," commented Matthew Hornor, President and CEO of Maple Gold. "Targeted infill drilling demonstrates the potential for future resource conversion within the currently defined mineralized zones and continues to de-risk the deposit; however, the updated model that underpins the 2022 MRE indicates significant room for growth. Looking ahead, the Company is targeting larger step-out and deeper drilling along the full extent of the Douay resource area." The 2022 MRE is based on a total Douay drill database of 674 holes (241,626 m) within the resource area, of which 38 holes (15,647 m) were completed by the Company and the JV between 2019-2021. Approximately 6,200 m of drilling has been completed by the JV since the 2022 MRE and roughly 10,000 m has been approved and permitted for future drilling, with additional step-out and deeper holes planned. For further clarity, Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 drilling results at Douay are not included in the 2022 MRE. The 2022 MRE was independently prepared by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. ("SLR") and has an effective date of March 17, 2022. A technical report is being prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and will be available on the Company's website and SEDAR within 45 days of the date of this press release. Table 1 - Douay Resource Summary - March 17, 2022 Resource Category Tonnes (Mt) Grade (g/t Au) Contained Metal (000 oz Au) Pit-Constrained Mineral Resources (0.45 g/t Au cut-off) Indicated 10.0 1.59 511 Inferred 68.2 0.94 2,065 Underground Mineral Resources (1.15 g/t Au cut-off) Inferred 8.5 1.68 460 Total Mineral Resources Indicated 10.0 1.59 511 Inferred 76.7 1.02 2,525 Table 2 - Douay Pit-Constrained & Underground Resource Summary by Zone Resource Category Domain Tonnes (Mt) Grade (g/t Au) Contained Metal (000 oz Au) Pit-Constrained Mineral Resources (0.45 g/t Au cut-off) Indicated Porphyry 4.4 0.98 138 Douay West 4.2 2.13 286 Nika 0.8 1.13 30 531 0.6 2.85 58 Total Pit-Constrained Indicated 10.0 1.59 511 Inferred Porphyry 48.4 0.89 1,380 Douay West 2.3 1.16 87 531 4.8 1.38 212 Main Zone 0.5 1.16 17 North West 3.1 1.12 113 Nika 5.1 0.87 143 Central Zone 0.1 0.88 4 Zone 10 1.2 1.21 48 Zone 20 2.6 0.72 60 Total Pit-Constrained Inferred 68.2 0.94 2,065 Underground Mineral Resources (1.15 g/t Au cut-off) Inferred Porphyry 3.0 1.62 158 Douay West 1.4 1.77 82 531 1.4 1.80 79 Main Zone 1.4 1.63 72 North West 0.2 1.60 12 Central Zone 0.4 2.02 28 Nika 0.6 1.48 28 Total Underground Inferred 8.5 1.68 460 Notes to Douay 2022 MRE Tables: The 2022 MRE is compliant with Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards (2014) incorporated by reference in NI 43-101. The effective date for the Mineral Resource Estimate is March 17, 2022. Numbers may not add due to rounding. A minimum mining width of 3 m was applied to the Mineral Resource wireframes. The three-dimensional (3D) wireframe models were generated using a nominal 0.1 g/t Au threshold value. Prior to compositing to 3 m lengths, high gold values were cut for each zone individually. Bulk density was interpolated for Nika, Porphyry, and 531 zones on a block per block basis using assayed values. For all other zones, bulk density ranging between 2.72 t/m3 and 2.88 t/m3 was assigned to Mineral Resources based on the zone. Pit-constrained Mineral Resources are reported above a cut-off grade of 0.45 g/t Au and underground Mineral Resources are reported with constraining shapes which were generated using a 1.15 g/t Au cut-off value and include low grade blocks falling within the mineable shapes. Pit-constrained Mineral Resources are reported within a preliminary pit shell using assumed mining costs of C$3.00/t mined (rock) and C$2.30/t mined (overburden), processing cost of C$9.10/t milled, G&A cost of C$2.70/t milled, and a gold recovery of 90%. The Whittle pit shell used to estimate Mineral Resources used a long-term gold price of US$1,800/oz and a US$/C$ exchange rate of 0.80. However, the implied gold price for the Mineral Resources reported at the applied cut-off grade of 0.45 g/t would be significantly lower. Mineral Resources located outside the pit shell were reported on the basis of a potential underground mining operation at a gold cut-off grade of 1.15 g/t Au, based on a mining cost of C$63/t and the same processing and G&A cost assumptions listed above. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. There has been insufficient exploration to define the Inferred Resources tabulated above as an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource. There is no guarantee that any part of the mineral resources discussed herein will be converted into a mineral reserve in the future. Table 3 - Douay Pit-Constrained Indicated & Inferred Resource Sensitivity Table Indicated Mineral Resources Inferred Mineral Resources Cut-off Grade Tonnes Grade Contained Metal Cut-off Grade Tonnes Grade Contained Metal (g/t Au) (Mt) (g/t Au) (000 oz Au) (g/t Au) (Mt) (g/t Au) (000 oz Au) 0.25 13.3 1.28 547 0.25 122.6 0.67 2,657 0.3 12.3 1.36 539 0.3 105.1 0.74 2,503 0.35 11.4 1.44 530 0.35 90.4 0.81 2,349 0.4 10.7 1.52 520 0.4 78.3 0.88 2,204 0.45 10.0 1.59 511 0.45 68.2 0.94 2,065 0.5 9.4 1.66 502 0.5 59.7 1.01 1,936 0.55 8.8 1.74 492 0.55 52.5 1.08 1,814 0.6 8.3 1.82 482 0.6 46.4 1.14 1,701 Notes to Douay 2022 MRE Sensitivity Table: Listed Au grades and tonnes are shown for comparison purposes only, and the reader should refer to Table 1 for the official Mineral Resource tabulation. Table 4 - SLR 2022 MRE Compared to RPA 2019 MRE Category SLR 2022 MRE RPA 2019 MRE Variance Tonnes (Mt) Au Grade (g/t) Contained Metal (000 oz Au) Tonnes (Mt) Au Grade (g/t) Contained Metal (000 oz Au) Tonnes (Mt) Au Grade (g/t) Contained Metal (000 oz Au) Pit-Constrained Mineral Resources Indicated 10.0 1.59 511 8.6 1.52 422 16% 5% 21% Inferred 68.2 0.94 2,065 65.8 0.97 2,045 4% (3%) 1% Underground Mineral Resources Inferred 8.5 1.68 460 5.4 1.75 307 57% (4%) 50% Total Mineral Resources Indicated 10.0 1.59 511 8.6 1.52 422 16% 5% 21% Inferred 76.7 1.02 2,525 71.2 1.03 2,352 8% (1%) 7% Notes to Douay MRE Comparison Table: Listed Au grades and tonnes are shown for comparison purposes only, and the reader should refer to Table 1 for the official Mineral Resource tabulation. Pit-constrained Mineral Resources for both the SLR 2022 MRE and RPA 2019 MRE are reported above a cut-off grade of 0.45 g/t Au. Underground Mineral Resources are reported above a 1.15 g/t Au cut-off grade for the SLR 2022 MRE compared to a 1.0 g/t Au cut-off grade for the RPA 2019 MRE. The Whittle pit shell used to estimate Mineral Resources in the SLR 2022 MRE used a long-term gold price of US$1,800/oz and a US$/C$ exchange rate of 0.80 compared to a long-term gold price of US$1,500 and a US$/C$ exchange rate of 0.80 used in the RPA 2019 MRE. However, the implied gold price for the Mineral Resources reported at the applied cut-off grade of 0.45 g/t would be significantly lower. For additional details on the RPA 2019 MRE, please refer to the Company's press release dated October 24, 2019 which can be found on the Company's website (www.maplegoldmines.com). Figure 1: Douay oblique view showing SLR 2022 resource block model. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3077/117210_2b3f42bfa45b7afe_001full.jpg Figure 2: NW-SE longitudinal section showing distribution of below-pit-shell underground blocks and resource expansion potential at depth. Other mine/project information is shown for reference only. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3077/117210_2b3f42bfa45b7afe_002full.jpg Qualified Person The Mineral Resources disclosed in this press release have been estimated by Ms. Marie-Christine Gosselin, P.Geo., an employee of SLR and independent of Maple Gold Mines. By virtue of her education and relevant experience, Ms. Gosselin is a "Qualified Person" for the purpose of NI 43-101. The Mineral Resources have been classified in accordance with CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014). Ms. Gosselin, P.Geo. has read and approved the contents of this press release as it pertains to the disclosed Mineral Resource estimates. Further information about key assumptions, parameters, and methods used to estimate the Mineral Resources, as well as legal, political, environmental, or other risks that may affect the Mineral Resource estimate will be included in a NI 43-101 Technical Report to be filed on SEDAR within 45 days following the date of this press release. The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Mr. Fred Speidel, M. Sc., P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration of Maple Gold. Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this press release through his direct participation in the work. Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) The JV implements strict Quality Assurance ("QA") and Quality Control ("QC") protocols at Douay covering the planning and placing of drill holes in the field; drilling and retrieving the NQ-sized drill core; drillhole surveying; core transport to the Douay Camp; core logging by qualified personnel; sampling and bagging of core for analysis; transport of core from site to the Val-d'Or, QC, SGS laboratory; sample preparation for assaying; and analysis, recording and final statistical vetting of results. For a complete description of protocols, please visit the Company's QA/QC webpage at www.maplegoldmines.com. About Maple Gold Maple Gold Mines Ltd. is a Canadian advanced exploration company in a 50/50 joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited to jointly advance the district-scale Douay and Joutel gold projects located in Quebec's prolific Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt. The projects benefit from exceptional infrastructure access and boast ~400 km2 of highly prospective ground including an established gold resource at Douay (SLR 2022) that holds significant expansion potential as well as the past-producing Eagle, Telbel and Eagle West mines at Joutel. In addition, the Company holds an exclusive option to acquire 100% of the Eagle Mine Property. The district-scale property package also hosts a significant number of regional exploration targets along a 55 km strike length of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone that have yet to be tested through drilling, making the project ripe for new gold and polymetallic discoveries. The Company is well capitalized and is currently focused on carrying out exploration and drill programs to grow resources and make new discoveries to establish an exciting new gold district in the heart of the Abitibi. For more information, please visit www.maplegoldmines.com. ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD. "Matthew Hornor" B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO For Further Information Please Contact: Mr. Joness Lang Executive Vice-President Cell: 778.686.6836 Email: jlang@maplegoldmines.com Mr. Kiran Patankar SVP, Growth Strategy Cell: 604.935.9577 Email: kpatankar@maplegoldmines.com 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. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about exploration work and results from current and future work programs. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.'s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. 1 For additional details on the RPA 2019 MRE, please refer to the Company's press release dated October 24, 2019 which can be found on the Company's website (www.maplegoldmines.com). 2 Please refer to the Company's press releases dated May 26, 2021 and September 9, 2021. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117210 Mastt, a Sydney, Australia-based construction technology startup, raised $9.5m (AUD) in funding. The round was led by OIF Ventures, with participation from Assignar co-founder and CEO Sean McCreanor, Assignar Chief Revenue Officer Chris Peterson and Mastts own chief technology officer David Jablonski. Existing investors Artesian, Significant Early Venture Capital, Investible and Gravel Road Ventures, the venture fund of Aconex co-founders Rob Phillpot and Leigh Jasper, also contributed to the round. The company intends to use the funds to almost double its headcount and continue expansion abroad- Founded in 2019 by Doug Vincent, Raman Nambiar and Jamie Cerexhe, Mastt provides a SaaS platform for capital asset owners to access to real-time analysis across their portfolio and individual projects, enabling immediate decisions to prevent cost and time blowouts. Mastts smart algorithms partly automate this process, using data to drive decisions and benchmark project performance across infrastructure portfolios. It is now used across over 500 global projects, totalling over $25 billion in value. FinSMEs 17/03/2022 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky virtually addresses Congress on March 16 at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Auditorium in Washington, D.C. President Biden later announced the U.S. is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones. Fontana High School Bio Animatronic and Neuro Prosthetic students received a visit from author June Durr and animatronics creator Garner Holt on March 13. Holt designed a state-of-the-art replacement prosthetic arm for Durr in 2003, using techniques that Fohi students are currently learning in their animatronics lab. From left to right: Fohi senior Miranda Ordonez, Holt, Durr, FUSD Superintendent Randal Bassett, and Fohi Principal Ofelia Hinojosa. (Contributed photo by FUSD) Soldiers carry the casket of former Zambian President Rupiah Banda during a state funeral in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 17, 2022. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) by Elias Shilangwa LUSAKA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Thursday held a state funeral for the country's fourth President Rupiah Banda. President Hakainde Hichilema led hundreds of mourners, including foreign leaders, in paying homage to the former president who died Friday aged 85 after battling with colon cancer since 2020 while others followed the proceedings live on state broadcaster ZNBC. Among foreign leaders who attended the event held at the Showgrounds in Lusaka, the country's capital, were Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Namibian President Hage Geingob, former Malawian President Bakili Muluzi, former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano and former Tanzanian President Jikaya Kikwete. People lined Independence Avenue as the vehicle procession carrying the casket of the former president moved from Maina Soko Military Hospital to the Showgrounds. The former president was given a 21-gun salute by the army while jets flew past the Showground area in his honor. In his address, the Zambian president said Banda's death has left the country heart-broken especially since it comes a few months after the demise of the country's first President Kenneth Kaunda. Hichilema said a dark cloud has engulfed the country following the former president's death but was quick to state that the many contributions he made not only to Zambia but Africa will forever be cherished. According to the Zambian president, Banda served in many areas in the public service for more than 60 years from the time he was a youth and he showed exemplary leadership. "President Rupiah Banda's death has left the nation heartbroken. But even as we mourn him, we do so with a great sense of gratitude to our Creator for having given him to us," he said, describing the former president as a patriot and peacemaker and adding that he played a pivotal role during last year's generation elections by encouraging all the aspirants to accept the will of the people. He said Banda's decision to peacefully handover power when he lost the 2011 presidential election showed that he had the interest of the nation at heart which African leaders must learn from. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Banda has left a lot of lessons to the current crop of African leaders as he was a source of inspiration because of his exceptional leadership qualities. He said the former Zambian president was a true pan-Africanist and that his experience in the diplomatic field was evidenced by the role he played in the fight for the liberation of many countries in the southern African region. Joachim Chissano, the former president of Mozambique, said Banda will be missed as a member of the African Forum, a grouping of former African leaders. Banda, who served as the fourth president of Zambia between 2008 and 2011, will be buried Friday at the Embassy Park, a place reserved as a resting place for the country's presidents. The government has declared his day of burial as a public holiday. The casket of former Zambian President Rupiah Banda is seen during a state funeral in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 17, 2022. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) Former First Lady Thandiwe Banda (C) attends the state funeral of former Zambian President Rupiah Banda in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 17, 2022. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) Soldiers surround the casket of former Zambian President Rupiah Banda during a state funeral in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 17, 2022. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) The casket of former Zambian President Rupiah Banda arrives during the state funeral in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 17, 2022. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) This is our best offer! You get home delivery Monday through Saturday plus full digital access any time, on any device with our six-day subscription delivery membership. This membership plan includes member-only benefits like our popular ticket giveaways, all of our email newsletters and access to the daily digital replica of the printed paper. Also, you can share digital access with up to four other household members at no additional cost. Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal. Most subscribers are served by News-Post carriers; households in some outlying areas receive same-day delivery through the US Postal Service. If your household falls in a postal delivery area, you will be notified by our customer service team. Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below. Gainesville, TX (76240) Today Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. People evacuate in Irpin, Ukraine, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua) China is deeply worried about the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and saddened by the reported increase in civilian casualties and refugees. The pressing task now is to call for maximum restraint from all parties so as to prevent the occurrence of a larger scale humanitarian crisis, said a Chinese envoy. UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on all parties to the Ukraine conflict to exercise restraint so as to prevent a humanitarian crisis of an even larger scale. China is deeply worried about the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and saddened by the reported increase in civilian casualties and refugees. The pressing task now is to call for maximum restraint from all parties so as to prevent the occurrence of a larger scale humanitarian crisis, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. China supports the work by the relevant parties in maintaining communication, ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian corridors, and further facilitating personnel evacuation and humanitarian assistance, he told a Security Council meeting on the Ukraine refugee issue. The number of refugees and displaced persons caused by the conflict is still on the rise, bringing a huge impact on Ukraine and the surrounding countries. China supports relevant UN agencies in actively conducting operations and mobilizing the international community to assist all those in need, he said. People evacuate in Irpin, Ukraine, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua) In the recent past, some people of African or Middle Eastern descent encountered difficulties during evacuation. This should be taken seriously and addressed properly. All refugees, regardless of color, race or religion, shall be accorded the necessary protection under international refugee law, said Zhang. China pays high attention to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and has put forward a six-point proposal. The Red Cross Society of China has provided Ukraine with three batches of humanitarian supplies, with the third batch containing milk powder and quilts for children, he said. "We welcome any initiative or measure from any party that contributes to alleviating and resolving the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and should therefore play a positive role in easing the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. China hopes that the Security Council can stay united on the humanitarian issue and demonstrate a constructive attitude." The international community has the common wish for a cease-fire at an early date to alleviate the situation on the ground and prevent civilian casualties. China shares this wish, said Zhang. Humanitarian aid supplies sent by the Red Cross Society of China to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society are transported in Warsaw, Poland, March 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Chen) To date, Russia and Ukraine have held four rounds of negotiations. Keeping the negotiations going means there is a chance for cease-fire, and that there is a chance for a peaceful future, he noted. "China remains committed to promoting peace through negotiations. We support the United Nations and the parties concerned in vigorously carrying out good offices. We also hope that all parties will do more to facilitate peace talks, and not to add fuel to fire." Facts have proved that the wanton use of sanctions will not solve any problem, but will instead create new problems. Given the sluggish recovery in the global economy, ever-escalating sanctions are undermining the stability of the international industrial chain and supply chain, thus exacerbating food and energy crises, damaging people's livelihood in all countries, developing countries in particular, and triggering new humanitarian consequences. This is also an issue that the Security Council shall pay attention to when addressing the humanitarian issue of Ukraine, said Zhang. In light of the developing catastrophe in Ukraine, one wonders if President George W. Bush regrets not having taken a harder line against Russian President Vladimir Putin when he invaded Georgia in 2008. Or if President Barack Obama wishes he had tried harder to muster NATO and the rest of the free world to resist Putins annexation of Crimea in 2014. But thats the trouble with overused cliches such as Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. They sound surpassingly wise but, in practical terms, they dont tell us very much about how we should behave now. Often cliches such as these raise more questions than they answer. If Bush had resisted Putin in 2008 or Obama had in 2014, we do not know whether Russia would be currently residing quietly within its national boundaries or whether we would have already experienced World War III and would now be facing World War IV, the one that Einstein supposedly said would be fought with sticks and stones. In fact, the best that the cliche might do for us now is to remind us that in ten or twenty years we may look back on 2022 and wonder why we didnt act more decisively to prevent a ruthless autocrat from brutally destroying a country with nascent inclinations toward democracy, the rule of law and the free world. Of course, its not as if were doing nothing. The sanctions and the military and humanitarian support are damaging the Russian economy and are helping Ukrainians resist the assault on their country. But few argue that the sanctions are going to be enough to stop Putin. And while military aid is welcomed by the Ukrainians, it may be only enough to help them prolong rather than win the war and drive the casualty toll into the many thousands. Proxy wars never turn out well for the proxies. When we consider this war in 20 years, what will we wish we had done differently? We may wish that Bush and Obama had been more resistant in 2008 and 2014. We may wish that President Donald Trump had exhibited a stronger commitment to NATO. We may reevaluate Trumps treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Would Ukraine have been in a better position to resist Putin if Trump had welcomed the callow Zelenskyy into the fold of the free world and endorsed his anti-corruption efforts and the inclinations of his country toward the West? Would things be different now if Trump had not given the impression of conditioning an Oval Office visit for Zelenskyy and military aid for Ukraine on Zelenskyys agreement to investigate the Bidens? And in 20 years will we wish that the Biden administration had made a greater commitment to stopping Putin militarily? My preference is for soft power and diplomacy. But its a sad fact of history that often only hard power military force will stop an autocrat such as Putin. Putin may not be Hitler. But Hitler wasnt Hitler until he became Hitler, and Putin is demonstrating an alarming Hitlerian willingness to commit any atrocity necessary in order to win. Putin may look like Hitler only in retrospect, and, in retrospect, we may wish that we had done what was necessary to stop him. But heres a regret that I hope we dont have in 20 years: May we not fail to fully understand the stakes in the current conflict. Autocracy is on the rise and democracy based on laws and aspirations for equality are under threat. Trumps biggest mistake may have been to encourage Putin with a false equivalency between our nation and his. When a commentator pointed out in 2017 that Putin is a killer, Trump defended him: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Touche. But we must not let our mistakes and failures confuse us about the essential difference between our nations commitment to democracy, equality and the rule of law and the brutal totalitarianism currently expressing itself in Ukraine. May we not recognize only 20 years later that its a distinction worth fighting for today. John M. Crisp, an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service, lives in Georgetown, Texas, and can be reached at jcrispcolumns@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. Following are the latest developments of the situation: Turkey and Poland agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to end the Ukrainian crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "We mainly discussed the developments in Ukraine and Russia, as well as our bilateral relations. As two NATO allies, we had a detailed exchange of views. In this process, we will continue our consultation and cooperation with Poland," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in the Turkish capital Ankara. - - - - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday asked the United States to "do more" to help Ukraine defend itself against the ongoing military operation by Russia. In a speech delivered via videoconference to the U.S. Congress, he also asked the United States to champion the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, or, alternatively, to provide fighter jets to his country, requests that have both been rejected by the U.S. administration thus far. - - - - Ukraine has integrated its electricity transmission network into the European energy system, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. "Ukraine has become a member of the European Energy Union. The unification of Ukrainian and European energy systems has been completed," Zelensky tweeted. - - - - The way to solve the ongoing Ukraine crisis is not by crossing others' red lines, but to respect and abide by the commitments that have been made, a Pakistani expert told Xinhua in a recent interview. For Russia, the red line is the eastwards expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Najma Minhas, an international affairs expert and editor at Pakistani media outlet Global Village Space. "When you saw increasing movement eastward, the red line started going very, very red." - - - - A former Pentagon analyst said the U.S. military complex stands to benefit from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as it ramps up defense spending for what could be a protracted affair in Europe. "The American Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex (MICC) will benefit from this war (the Russia-Ukraine conflict) because it is setting the stage for a second Cold War that will increase tensions over the long term," said Franklin C. Spinney, a former Pentagon analyst. Gillette, WY (82718) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Brazilian plane-maker eyes China's booming air-cargo market Xinhua) 11:01, March 17, 2022 BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian plane-maker Embraer is optimistic about China's booming air-cargo market and is willing to support the sectors' further progress in cooperation with local partners, said senior executives of the company. "China has played key roles in sustaining the global supply chain and industrial chain, especially during the global pandemic period, highlighting the value of the air-cargo sector," said Guo Qing, managing director of Embraer China. The country's high-quality growth will create new market opportunities for global players, Guo added. China's air-cargo market is a highlight in the global market, according to Guo, and like other markets, it is powered by demands from the e-commerce and logistics sectors. It also shows unique demands and market ecology in line with the country's social-economic conditions and geographical environment, he said. In 2021, China handled up to 108.3 billion express parcels, a 29.9 percent year-on-year increase. The parcel volume accounted for half of the global total, statistics from the State Post Bureau show. "An upgraded air-cargo market will be greatly powered by China's dual circulation development paradigm, where domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other," said Guo. He says the country's consumption upgrade will promote the logistics industry, including the burgeoning air-freight cold-chain sector, and the industry upgrade will push forward the reconstruction of the industrial chain. "Both upgrades will demand faster and more efficient air-logistics services. Embraer has recently launched the E-Jet series passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversion project to provide small-and-crossover standard-body freighters to the market," he said. Embraer forecasts a market demand for about 700 of the small-and-crossover standard-body freighters over the next 20 years. Among which, the Chinese market is forecast to demand 240 freighters of this size, accounting for 34 percent of the global total. "Aside from various aircraft models, Embraer can also provide customers with full life-cycle services ranging from spare-parts support to financial leasing, among others," said Mike Xu, chief operating officer of Embraer China. "Together with local partners, we have also established a complete pilot training network to better serve our Chinese customers," Xu added. By the end of 2025, China will have over 270 civil transport airports, which will handle 17 million flights a year, according to a plan on the development of the country's civil aviation industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The country's civil aviation sector will handle 930 million passenger trips and 9.5 million tonnes of cargo and parcels annually by 2025, said the plan released by Civil Aviation Administration of China. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) PARIS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Russian-born French novelist Andrei Makine has called on the world to understand the real cause of Russia-Ukraine crisis so as to de-escalate the ongoing tensions. In order to end this conflict, "one must understand the antecedents that made it possible," Makine said in a recent interview with French daily Le Figaro, adding that people have to understand Russia's concerns. "When (Russian President) Vladimir Putin claims that Russia is under threat, it is not a pretext, rightly or wrongly, Russians really feel surrounded," he said, referring to the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "Putin gave a speech in Munich accusing the Americans of keeping NATO structures that were no longer needed and of wanting a unipolar world," Makine continued. In Makine's view, the solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict may lay in the reflection of the necessity of NATO's existence after the Cold War. "But the Americans decided otherwise. This would have meant the end of NATO, the end of the militarization of Europe which, supported by Russia and its wealth, would have become too powerful and independent," Makine said. Instead of uniting for the sole purpose of securing victory for Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in the March 26 by-elections, Masvingo Urban ward 4 candidates Thokozile Muchuchuti and Aleck Tabe are on each others throat, taking each other to court over removal of campaign posters. It is known that opponents are the ones often accused of removing posters of other contenders but in this case CCC candidates are reportedly sabotaging each other within their party. Muchuchuti claims to be certain that Tabes people are the ones removing her posters since they at one point caught them in the act and reported the case to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and police. We reported the issue to police when we saw Tabes people removing my posters one night because we did not want to place the law into our hands. We are law abiding citizens who respect the law even though there have been no progress of arrests since I filed the report. At ZEC, we were called together with Tabe for disciplinary hearing where they opened a code of conduct for both of us and warned against violating campaign strategies for each other, said Muchuchuti. Muchuchuti who claims to have been stripped off party privileges like monetary funds to carry out campaigns and has been getting help from the community as well as well-wishers, said she is now more defiant than ever despite victimization she is enduring because of the support of the community. After we were called by ZEC, the situation got even worse, it is like they took an oath just to sabotage the campaign for me but I will not bow down, especially now because of the support which I am receiving from the community. They are my driving force because they are motivating me building my victory, said Muchuchuti. Prior to that Muchuchuti dragged Tabe to court over the allegations of physically assaulting her, confiscating her documents and other particulars during the time when they were submitting their names at the nomination court. TellZimNews Dallas, Texas, March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puration, Inc. (OTC Pink: PURA) has implemented a strategy to disrupt major global markets with the introduction of hemp-based alternatives that contribute to carbon-neutral objectives. Under its new Farmersville Hemp Brand, PURA is working to introduce hemp as a multi-industry disruptor that can be a base of a better product or service, contributing notably to the 2050 sustainability objectives. PURA recently announced a strategy targeted at disrupting the $600 billion global lumber market and the $200 billion steel rebar market . As part of its Farmersville Hemp Brand strategy, PURA is on track to solidify its first partnership in the $1.2 billion Asia Pacific hemp region in order to tap into richer resources that can accelerate the expansion of industrial hemp solutions. News out today on China working to better support a market for Chinese companies in foreign investment venues could bode well for PURAs Asia Pacific plans. See Barrons Chinas Intervention Sends Stocks Soaring. Powells Unlikely to Make That Big a Splash . PURA has initiated construction on a facility in Farmersville, Texas where the company will conduct consultative education customized for each corporate customer to hands on demonstrate how hemp can be utilized to improve the efficiency of existing products and services and meet 2050 sustainability targets. Read the companys latest comprehensive update on PURAs Farmersville Hemp Brand rollout . For more information on Puration, visit http://www.purationinc.com Disclaimer: This News Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any these statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any those forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this news release. None of such forward-looking statements should be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the objectives and plans set forth in this News Release will be achieved or be executed. NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE: AI): (i) pursuant and/or traceable to the Offering Documents issued in connection with the Companys initial public offering conducted on or about December 9, 2020 (the IPO or Offering); and/or (ii) between December 9, 2020 and February 15, 2022, inclusive (the Class Period), of the important May 3, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased C3.ai 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 C3.ai class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3839 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com 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 May 3, 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 firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the Offering Documents were negligently prepared and, as a result, contained untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state other facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading and were not prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations governing their preparation. Additionally, throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding C3.ais business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, the Offering Documents and defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) C3.ais partnership with Baker Hughes was deteriorating; (2) C3.ais was employing a flawed accounting methodology to conceal the deterioration of its Baker Hughes partnership; (3) C3.ai faced challenges in product adoption and significant salesforce turnover; (4) C3.ai overstated, inter alia, the extent of its investment in technology, description of its customers, its total addressable market, the pace of its market growth, and the scale of alliances with its major business partners; and (5) as a result, defendants 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 C3.ai class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3839 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com 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 investors 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 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Care Capital Inc. (CSE: HLTH, FRANKFURT: L6V2) (the Company or Global Care) a global investment company which engages in early-stage investment opportunities in private and public companies, announces that James Henning has resigned as Chief Financial Officer of the Company to pursue other opportunities. The Company thanks Mr. Henning for his service and is pleased to announce that Bryce Clark has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of the Company to fill the vacancy. Mr. Clark practices public accounting and is the owner of Bryce A. Clark & Associates Ltd. located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mr. Clark has over twenty years of experience serving as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officer or a director of several TSX Venture Exchange listed public companies in the mining industry. About Global Care Global Care Capital is a global investment company which specializes in providing early-stage financing to private and public companies. The Company engages in new, early-stage investment opportunities in previously underdeveloped assets and obtaining positions in early-stage investment opportunities that adequately reflect the risk profile. GLOBAL CARE CAPITAL INC.: Company Contact: Mr. Hugh Maddin, Interim CEO 604-687-2038 info@globalcarecapital.com The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. English French TORONTO, March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada Carbon Inc. (the "Company" or "Canada Carbon" or "CCB") (TSX-V:CCB), (OTC: BRUZF), (FF:U7N1) is pleased to announce its first assay results from the rock samples taken as part the 2021 geochemical survey on its Asbury Property (the Property) (see news release dated July 21st, 2021). Canada Carbons objective was to investigate identified conductors located on the Property to see if they could be explained by graphitic mineralization. This survey confirmed that all of the tested conductors bear graphite mineralization (Figure 1), while multiple conductors are still to be tested. The confirmed conductors are between 350 and 1,075 metres in length. The 1,075-metre-long conductor contained a grab sample that graded 21.5% Cg and is located in the Northeast section of the Property. This sample is near a potential folding of the graphitic mineralization, which could increase its thickness and provide considerable size. The interpreted fold is also located near the MC-8805 showing, which returned 8.14% Cg over 18.9 metres (St-Pierre, 1988). Historic grab samples in the vicinity of the showing returned 2.67%Cg and 2.31%Cg (Mathieu & Lafrance, 2013). Approximately 250 metres Northeast of the mentioned fold are located two grab samples containing 5.85% Cg and 18.8% Cg. Only 30% of the conductors have been tested. Those located along the VTEM anomalies are a prime target for the next exploration survey which will consist of trenching and channel sampling along multiple conductors to better define their thickness and volume. Additionally, a ground TDEM survey is already planned for Spring 2022 to cover the conductors. This will better define their location while also defining the areas where the conductors are closest to surface. This, in turn, will allow the Company to optimize a program to efficiently trench the targets. Chief Executive Officer, Ellerton Castor, said: The Asbury results are very encouraging. Limited surface exploration work allowed us to better define the potential of the Property with the discovery of high-grade graphite mineralization. We are excited to plan a trenching program that will reveal additional bedrock to our technical team, which will allow us to better investigate the multiple conductors on the Property. We are comforted by the fact that all conductors tested so far, were caused by graphitic mineralization. The Company will also plan bulk samples for the purpose of metallurgical testing to verify that the graphite quality is suitable for commercial usage. It is important to note that the graphite output from the historical Asbury Mine was located in the same geological unit, on the Property. A meeting with the Notre-Dame-du-Laus municipality has already been scheduled to discuss the results and outline our next steps. Advancing our development plan for the Asbury property is critical to the Companys core strategic objectives: 1) continue our focus on the nuclear graphite product in order to leverage the innate purity of the Miller Deposit; 2) demonstrate our ability to supply multiple verticals through a robust program of product qualification and metallurgical testing; and 3) provide security of supply to our potential clients through development of multiple deposits." A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below: Methodology At the SGS Laboratories, rocks samples are prepared by drying, crushing (>3 kg) up to 75% passing 2mm, riffle splitting (250 g) and pulverizing (mild steel) to 85% passing 75m. Graphite was assayed using the GC_CSA05V package from SGS laboratory, which consists of roasting, HCL leach, combustion and infrared measurement (Leco) with reporting limits of 0.05% Cg to 50% Cg. Qualified Person This press release was prepared by Steven Lauzier, P.Geo, OGQ; and by Pierre-Alexandre Pelletier, P.Geo OGQ, who are qualified persons as defined under National Instrument 43-101, and who reviewed and approved the geological information provided in this news release. References Mathieu, G., Lafrance, B., 2013. Rapport des Travaux de Prospection, Projet Asbury. Focus Graphite Inc., GM 67860. Rive, M., Latulippe, M., Gobeil, A., Duquette, G., Marcoux, D., Vallieres, A., 1984. Rapport des Geologues Residents - 1983. Ministere des Ressources Naturelles., DV 84-06. St-Pierre, S., 1988. Journeaux de Sondage, Campagne d'Automne 1988, Projet McGill. Stratmin Inc. GM 48577. CANADA CARBON INC. Ellerton J. Castor Chief Executive Officer and Director Contact Information E-mail inquiries: info@canadacarbon.com P: (905) 407-1212 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). -- Discoveries of multiple new methods for Li 2 CO 3 production and purification VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (OTC: MEDAF) (FWB: 1ZY) (Medaro or the Company), a multi-faceted organization featuring an innovative spodumene processing technology and a cleantech mineral exploration and mining program, is pleased to report positive results in ongoing efforts to further improve its methods for producing and purifying Li 2 CO 3 (lithium carbonate). Subsequent to the recent proof of concept announcement of January 13, 2022 and processing milestone news of February 10, 2022, the 99.91% Li 2 CO 3 purity level reported previously has now been extended to 99.98%. In addition, new methods that could lead to production of 99.99% pure Li 2 CO 3 have been identified and will be tested in the near future. The successes recently achieved in Medaros laboratory testing have prompted a shift in focus toward process optimization and product development work. Accordingly, considerable attention is now being given to preparation of a first provisional patent application that will disclose two similar but distinct methods for processing spodumene concentrates to manufacture high-value Li, Al and SiO 2 materials. James G. Blencoe, Ph.D., CTO and lead developer of the JV technology advises, Recent results of our benchtop laboratory test work indicate the likelihood of at least three approaches to processing spodumene concentrates that are clearly superior to all technologies in current commercial application. This is a very positive development which will give Medaros future technology licensees the ability to choose the specific spodumene processing method that best suits their needs and goals. Medaros technical team continues to expand its bench-scale testing with samples of spodumene concentrate provided by current and prospective lithium producers, the aim being to demonstrate the applicability of the Medaro technology to all types and grades of spodumene concentrate from around the globe. Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro Mining notes, Our spodumene processing technology continues to provide excellent results and the potential for new opportunities. Our goal was to develop a significantly more cost-effective method for manufacturing commercial grades of spodumene-sourced, high-value Li, Al and SiO 2 materials. With these recent results it appears we may now have not just one but several methods to meet customer objectives. Moreover, by expanding Medaros portfolio of spodumene processing methods, we are directly enhancing shareholder value for our investors. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Mulberry, CEO Medaro Mining Corp. About Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (OTC: MEDAF) (FWB: 1ZY) Medaro Mining is a lithium exploration company based in Vancouver, BC, which holds options on the Superb Lake lithium property located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the Cyr South lithium property located in James Bay, Quebec and the Yurchison uranium property in Northern Saskatchewan. The Company is also actively involved in the development and commercialization of a new process to extract lithium from spodumene concentrate through a joint venture with Global Lithium Extraction Technologies. Find out more at: https://medaromining.com/. For detailed information, investors are invited to review the Companys filings available at www.sedar.com. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Investor Relations Email: info@medaromining.com Phone:604-256-5077 Web: https://medaromining.com/ New York, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Market Forecast to 2028 COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Application (Adhesives/Sealants, Lubricants & Grease, Hydraulic Fluids, Metal Working Fluids, and Others), the global highly reactive polyisobutylene market growth is driven by the increasing use of highly reactive polyisobutylenes (HR-PIB) in high-performance fuel and lubricant additive production, and the proliferation of the automotive sector. Get Exclusive Sample Pages of Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00020158/ Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in US$ 508.77 million in 2021 Market Size Value by US$ 697.44 million by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 4.6% from 2021 to 2028. Forecast Period 2021- 2028 Base Year 2021 No. of Pages 119 No. Tables 31 No. of Charts & Figures 60 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Application Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments TPC Group; RB PRODUCTS INC.; BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn. Bhd; Shandong Hongrui New Material Technology Co., Ltd; Daelim Co., Ltd.; Chevron Corporation; The Lubrizol Corporation; KEMAT Polybutenes; Weifang Binhai Petro-chem Co., Ltd.; and Nelson Brothers Incorporated are among the key market players in the global highly reactive polyisobutylene market. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/inquiry/TIPRE00020158/ Key Developments: In 2018, BASF PETRONAS Chemicals introduced new plant for the production of HR-PIB with a total annual capacity of 50,000 metric tons at its integrated site in Gebeng, Kuantan, Malaysia. In 2019, Daelim Industrial announced an investment in its polyisobutylene plant in Saudi Arabia. In 2020, Asia Pacific held the largest share of the highly reactive polyisobutylene market. The growing production of fuel and lubricant additives, such as fuel detergents and dispersants, for engine oils are mainly contributing to the highly reactive polyisobutylene market growth in the region. Further, the increase in industrialization and construction in the APAC region is driving the demand of machineries and equipment for manufacturing facilities, hydraulic fluids and sealants are widely used in this industries. HR-PIB has excellent sealant properties such as reducing shrinkages. The dominance of automotive industry in the region is driving the demand for lubricants and grease, which results in surge in consumption of highly reactive polyisobutylene in APAC. In recent years, the major market players in Asia Pacific have invested heavily in R&D activities. Speak to Research Analyst: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/speak-to-analyst/TIPRE00020158 Proliferation of Automotive Sector Boosts Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Market Growth: Demand for dispersants and detergents in the automobile industry has increased notably in the last few decades. China continues to be the worlds largest vehicle market in terms of annual sales and manufacturing outputs, while India is one of the largest automobile markets. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the country was the seventh-largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in 2019. It is also a prominent automobile exporter that further focuses on attaining strong export growth in the near future. To keep up with the growing demand, several automakers are investing heavily in various segments of the industry. The tremendous growth of the automotive sector in North America further contributes to the market growth in the region. As HR-PIB finds applications in the production of fuel and lubricant additives, sealants, adhesives, and greases, among others, the flourishment of the automotive sector creates a high demand for the same, which is boosting the market growth. Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Market: Segmental Overview Based on application, the market is segmented into adhesives/sealants, lubricants & grease, hydraulic fluids, metal working fluids, and others. The lubricants & grease segment held the largest share in the market in 2020. HR PIB possesses several other value-added advantages, including less char generation during manufacturing, and the ability to enhance final lubricant and fuel performance. HR PIB is extensively used as a fuel and lubricant additive to improve the overall performance due to its greater reactivity than conventional polyisobutylene. Buy Premium Copy of Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Market Size, Share, Revenue, Strategic Insights and Forecasts 2021-2028 Research Report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00020158/ Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Market: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant economic loss across the globe in 2020 and early 2021. Governments of various countries announced country-wide lockdowns to restrict the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which had a direct impact on the growth of the industrial sector. The automotive sector is one of the major consumers of HR PIB. China is a leading automotive market in terms of production and consumption. A decline in demand in this market has led to lowered demand for HR PIB. However, various industries, including the automotive industry, began resuming their operations from Q4 2020, which eventually triggered the demand for HR PIB. Browse Adjoining Reports: Polyisobutylene Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Molecular Weight (Low, Medium, and High), Product (Conventional PIB and Highly Reactive PIB), Application (Tires, Industrial Lubes and Lube Additives, Fuel Additives, Adhesives and Sealants, and Others), and End-Use Industry (Industrial, Food, and Others) Medium Molecular Weight Polyisobutylene Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Grade (Industrial Grade, Food Grade); Application (Sealant, Adhesive, Lubricant Greases, Rubber Modifier, Gum Base, Others.); End Use Industry (Automotive, Construction, Packaging, Electrical and Electronics, Food and Beverages, Others.) and Geography Polyisobutenyl Succinic Anhydride (PIBSA) Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Technology (Heating Adduction Technology, Free Radical Technology); Application (Polyisobutylene Succinimide, Emulsifying Agents, Others) and Geography Lubricant Additives Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - By Type (Dispersants, Viscosity Index Improvers, Detergents, Anti-Wear Additives, Antioxidants, Corrosion Inhibitors, Friction Modifiers, Extreme Pressure (EP) Additives, Pour Point Depressant (Ppd) , Emulsifiers, Others) ; Application (Automotive Lubricants Additives, Industrial Lubricant Additives) and Geography Hydraulic Fluid Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Base Oil (Mineral Oil, Synthetic Oil, Semi-Synthetic Oil, Bio-Based Oil); Application (OEM, Mining Equipment, Construction Equipment, Transportation, Oil and Gas, Metal Production, Food and Beverage, Others) and Geography Synthetic Ester Lubricant Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Dibasic, Aromatic, PAG, PAO, Others); Application (Hydraulic Oils, Metal Working Fluids, Diesel and Engine Oils, Gear Oils, Turbine Oils, Others); End User (Metal Production, Cement Production, Power Generation, Automotive Manufacturing, Marine, Oil and Gas, Others) and Geography About Us: The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials. Contact Us: If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Future Market Insights in a detailed market study published this month on fiber drums Market forecast the global market to surpass US$ 1.6 Bn mark by 2030. The need for change in packaging solutions is shifting focus on uptake of sustainable materials. As this trend gains momentum it is expected to fuel the growth of the global fiber drums market. Fiber drums are a near-perfect alternative to using plastic and other non-recyclable materials for production of rigid containers. Future Market Insights predicts that the demand for these drums will soar at a recognizable pace as the world inches closer to making environment-friendly choices. Fiber Drums Market Size (2022) US$ 1 Bn Projected Market Value (2030) US$ 1.6 Bn Global Market Growth Rate (2022-2030) 5.5% CAGR Collective Value Share: 3 Countries (2022E) 34 % Request a report sample to gain comprehensive insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6853 In tandem with the same sentiment, manufacturers and retailers have begun to experiment with materials and designs for packaging. Players in the retail industry are looking to curb the plastic waste generation by adoption of materials such as metal, glass and fiber which will lead to circular delivery models. Manufacturers have high focus on their approach to address sustainable packaging owing to growing consumer awareness. Fiber drums are thus being used for storing and transporting a variety of different goods and materials, including powders, soaps, grains, spices, chemicals, fertilizers and metal parts. Fiber drums are made with layers of cardboard or fiberboard which makes them recyclable and a greener alternative compared to plastic drums. The lightweight material of fiber drum is safe, secure and solid which ensures preservation of goods stored in them. Key Takeaways of Fiber Drums Market Study Food & agro allied industry is estimated to be the key end user industry of fiber drums as it is slated to account for 46% of the market by 2030 25-50 gallons fiber drums to have an incremental opportunity of US$ 273 Mn by 2030 owing to extensive usage in shipping and storing and ease in handling Metal closure is estimated to account for 69% of the global market by value and reach slightly over US$ 1,084 Mn in 2030 Europe estimated to account for 1/4 th market share in the fiber drums market owing to demand for sustainable packaging solutions. market share in the fiber drums market owing to demand for sustainable packaging solutions. East Asia is estimated to have an incremental opportunity of US$ 171 Mn by 2030 due to the growth of end-use industries in the region Intercontinental Trade of Industrial Products to Boost Demand for Fiber Drums Growth in demand for fiber drums is expected to result from expanding intercontinental trade. This is likely to boost the demand for shipping and packaging industry, consequently raising the uptake of fiber drums as packaging solution. Vendors in the fiber drums market have consistently worked on improvement in product design and value creation for end user. Since, global trade of industrial products has also increased three fold during the past decade, it necessitated industries such as bio-chemical manufacturers, food grade ingredient manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies etc. to use fiber drums to reduce their carbon footprint. Demand is also anticipated to be driven by widened use of large, layered fiber drums which ensures increased performance and are also economic in terms of drums made with materials such as metal and plastic. The adequate sealing of these drums with metal makes them an ideal choice for shipping across rough seas. The increasing performance of lightweight bulk containers such as these drums has strengthened the scope of their usage. For any Queries Related with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-6853 Scope of the Report Attribute Details Forecast Period 2022-2030 Historical Data Available for 2014-2021 Market Analysis US$ Mn/Bn for Value Key Regions Covered North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East & Africa Key Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Egypt, North Africa, South Africa, and GCC Countries Key Market Segments Covered Closure Type, Capacity, End-use, and Region Key Companies Profiled Grief Inc. Sonoco Products Company Mauser Group N.V. C.L Smith Company Schutz Container Systems, Inc. Orlando Drum & Container Corporation Industrial Container Services, Inc. Three Rivers Packaging Inc. Patrick J. Kelly Drums Fibrestar Drums Limited Milford Barrel Co Inc. Great Western Containers Inc. Enviro-Pak, Inc. Berlin Packaging Fibre Drum Company Pricing Available upon Request Impact of COVID-19 on Fiber Drums Market The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly has led to massive disruptions in the market with shortage of raw material, fractured supply chains. The packaging industry highly depends on related industries for its sales and revenues. Thus, with every other industry taking a hit, the fiber drums market is also seen a decline in sales in Q1-Q2 2020. Fiber drums manufacturers, will need to adapt with the global pandemic, which is forcing manufacturers to look for contingency plans and understand the vulnerabilities associated with the supply chain. This might result in reducing dependencies on any one country and increasing preference for domestic players for the need of raw materials. In the long run this could also boost local economies, create jobs, and reduce cost of raw materials. The fiber drums market is largely dependent on demand from end use industries such as chemical Industry, food & agro-allied industry, pharmaceutical industry, building & construction industry and others. In the coming days, as supply chains restore, demand for food & agro allied and pharmaceutical industries will witness a high demand owing to food security issues and increasing number of patients with COVID-19 and otherwise. These two types of demands are projected to drive the fiber drums market as shipping these on urgent basis will be national priority. Ensuring pharmaceuticals and food reaches the end user in a non-contaminated and intact manner will play a critical role in the deciding the success of this market. We Offer tailor-made Solutions to fit Your Requirements, Request Customization @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-6853 Fiber Drums Market Landscape Grief Inc., Sonoco Products Company and Mauser Group N.V. are the top players operating in the fiber drums market. Furthermore, C.L Smith Company, Schutz Container Systems, Inc., Orlando Drum & Container Corporation, Industrial Container Services, Inc. Patrick J. Kelly Drums, Fibrestar Drums Limited, Milford Barrel Co Inc. and Enviro-Pak, Inc. are prominent players in the fiber drums market. The Tier 3 players hold 4/5th market share in the global fiber drums market. In conclusion, key players contribute almost 1/5th of the global market. Explore FMIs Extensive ongoing Coverage on Packaging Domain Composite Drums Market - The composite drum is a name given to the specific type of drums which has double shell. The composite drums are made up of steel and plastic together. The inner shell is made up of plastic material, generally polyethylene and outer shell are made stronger with steel to give additional protection. Steel Salvage Drums Market - In recent years, industrial packaging have seen significant rise in demand due to technological advancement in industrial applications like petroleum, chemicals, etc. One such type of industrial packaging can be done by steel salvage drums. Nestable Drums Market - Nestable drums reduce the space needed and lower the cost of storing and shipping empty packaging. Nestable drums ensures the food safety and migration legislation. The rubber gasket of nestable drums offers the barrier against moisture. Corrugated Open-head Drums Market - The need for a secure transportation solution to carry solid and hazardous goods led to the development of corrugated open-head drums. The presence of a triple seam in the corrugated open-head drums gives them extra strength. Drum Plugs Market - The consumers are looking for packaging products and solutions which offer extended shelf life and ease of use. Different types of containers play a critical role in the storage and transportation of products for a longer period. Reconditioned Drums Market - Manufacturing the best quality, efficient and performance packaging is the need today. But the market demands for more cost-effective, environmentally friendly and better use of resources is expected to be filled by reconditioned drums market. Drum Funnel Market - Pharmaceutical packaging industry has experienced innovative advancements in recent years. Pharmaceutical packaging companies have to focus on minimizing errors to ensure that accurate and defect-free medicines reach to the consumers. Drum Pulper Market - According to the latest research by Future Market Insights, the global Drum Pulper Market will witness a steady growth the forecast period 2021-2031 at a CAGR of 1.0%. Insulated Drum Covers Market - Demand for insulated drum covers market will witness steady recovery in short-term, with an optimistic growth outlook in the long-run. The need to maintain proper care and quality of products shipped internationally is expected to drive the market. Overpack Drum Market - According to the study, the overpack drum market is set to witness rapid growth during 2021-2031. Urbanization and increase in global trade are indicating the rising need for overpack drum in the global market. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact: Future Market Insights, 1602-6 Jumeirah Bay X2 Tower, Plot No: JLT-PH2-X2A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/fiber-drums-market Evangelister Zhou's church has confirmed that she was impregnated by Madam Boss husband, Ngoni Munetsiwa. The statement by the Church of Asaph reads: Greetings all saints in the name of Jesus. From the Apostles office to clarify the news going around on social media. Its a complicated issue involving our youth member (Church of Asaph Zimbabwe) namely Ngonidzashe Evangelister Zhou (Ndhlovu). The story is true according to the source our daughter attempted to use the esteemed office of the Apostle to sugar-coat her immoral secret affair and suicidal videos threats. The church stands with all principles of serving the community and Biblical values without fear or favour. We condemn all acts of immorality and support families as the law of God. We encourage the Church to pray in such times and remain standing. Our Apostle is sound and strong, sending love to all Eva phoned H-Metro yesterday begging for the story to be put to rest, saying it had negatively affected her affair with Madam boss husband. She blamed her church pastor for disclosing the illicit affair, which she described as personal, and she just wanted to seek help. My life is now in danger because of the story, said Eva. I strongly blame my father, Pastor Jairos Maphosa, for engaging the media on an issue, I was seeking advice from him since Ngoni had been turning a deaf ear. This was personal and H-Metro did not help me, but instead ruined my affair, she said. Pastor Maphosa reiterated that his reason for sharing Evas misery to the media was an attempt to save her life as she had turned suicidal. Being asked to abort for the second time, to conceal an affair, also puts her life and that of the baby in danger. Eva is blaming me for this and has been looking for sympathisers from church members. We do not promote immorality or wrecking of marriages and life is more important than being shamed one day for wrongdoing, said Pastor Maphosa. However, H-Metro knows Ngoni called Eva yesterday asking her to sue this newspaper and deny all the allegations about the affair. H Metro Pune, India, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global behavioural therapy market size is projected to experience dynamic expansion in the forthcoming years owing to the increasing prevalence of behavioural disorders around the world, finds Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled Behavioural Therapy Market, 2021-2028. Over the years, there has been an increasing prevalence of behavioural disorders such as anxiety, depression, and others among the majority of the people across the world owing to the rising workload, poor mental condition, and other reasons. We offer scrupulous research studies to help stakeholders in the healthcare industry to adapt to new realities to remain an asset and sustain growth in the growing and competitive environment.A Our reports offer detailed research and development in the market with a thorough analysis of supply chain, patent analysis, and competitive landscape to cater to the requirements of the different stakeholders. Industry Development: November 2019: SSQ Insurance partnered with mental health services HALEO (for sleep disorders) and Mind Beacon Group (for moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression) to provide digital cognitive behavioural therapy. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/behavioural-therapy-market-103345 Market Growth Factors: In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness among the people about mental health, which has resulted in the rising awareness regarding behavioural therapy and proper treatment of mental disorders. North America dominated the Behavioural Therapy Market in the year 2019 owing to growing cases of mental disorders among the teen population, increasing numbers of psychiatric clinics in local areas and presence of key players in the region. The Behavioural Therapy Market scope for different regions will be provided in the final report. Increasing Adoption of Enhanced Medicines and Treatments to Fuel Demand for Treatment Options. Expanding Research and Development Efforts to Accelerate Market Growth. Rising advancements Increasing demand for GIS services by businesses To get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/behavioural-therapy-market-103345 Increasing Healthcare Infrastructure to Boost the North America Market Growth North America region is anticipated to witness substantial growth in the behavioural therapy market share on account of the increasing healthcare infrastructure in the countries such as the US and Canada. European region is projected to grow at a decent pace in this market owing to the increasing number of geriatric population in this region. North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.) Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/behavioural-therapy-market-103345 List of Key Players Covered in the Behavioural Therapy Market Report: Magellan Health, Inc., Acadia Healthcare, Universal Health Services, Inc., Springstone, American Addiction Centers, Haven Behavioural Healthcare, Inc., Behavioural Health Group, PEOPLE'S CARE HOLDINGS, INC. What are the key segments in the Behavioural Therapy Market By Type Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Cognitive Behavioural Play Therapy Systematic Desensitization Aversion Therapy Others By Application Depression PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Eating Disorders Anxiety Disorders Substance Abuse ADHD (Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder) Bipolar Disorder Others By Patient Type Children Adult By Treatment Settings Hospitals Outpatient Clinics Community Health Centers Others Ask for Customization of this Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/behavioural-therapy-market-103345 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Dublin, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Personal Lubricant Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The personal lubricant market size by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 8.86% during the period 2022-2027. The increase in Personal lubricants can also be attributed to the growing demand for other relatable Personal wellness products. For instance, one of the major reasons for the increasing demand for Personal lubricants is the rising demand for sex toys worldwide. Globally, North America will be the largest market for Personal lubricants in 2021. Thereby, the market demand has a rapid steady growth in APAC countries. The report considers the present scenario of the Personal lubricant market and its market dynamics for the period 2022-2027. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply side of the market. It also profiles and analyses leading companies and several other prominent companies operating in the market. SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS The water-based Personal lubricant segment accounted for 55.01% of the Personal lubricant market share and held the leading position in 2021, and they are popular among end-users and have a broad customer base. Thereby, it is likely to continue its growth at a steady pace in the coming years. However, by the end of the forecast period, the water-based segment is expected to continue its dominance in terms of usage and acceptance among end-users and account for the largest share in 2027 GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS The incremental growth among the top 3 contributing regions is North America with a share of over USD 300 million, followed by APAC and Europe, with an absolute growth of about 66% during the forecast period. Globally, North America was the largest market for Personal lubricants in 2021. However, the market demand is growing rapidly in APAC countries such as China & India. VENDOR ANALYSIS Reckitt Benckiser was the defined leader and the ultimate four Personal lubricant vendors with leading brands such as Durex Play and K-Y Jelly. LifeStyles sells its Personal lubricants under its SKYN brand. SKYN Personal lubricants are available in 11 markets, and the company is one of the key leading vendors in the Personal wellness business. The company serves customers with various products, ranging from condoms to Personal lubricants. The company operates with plans for helping the Chinese and other international markets KEY POINTS The demand for condoms and Personal lubricants is expected to increase from institutional buyers such as USAID, UNFPA, WHO, and other NGOs and foundations to anticipate the growth Demographical factors such as GDP, disposable income, and others play a significant role in the Personal lubricant market. Developed regions such as North America and Europe have a substantial demand of Personal lubricant usage owing to better education and high income KEY GROWTH FACTORS Increasing prevalence of erectile dysfunction Increased demand from baby boomers High availability of Personal lubricants Evolving gender-neutral tone Internet shaping purchasing behavior Introduction of private-label brands Increased promotional & marketing activities Rising penetration of dating applications in APAC Personal wellness festivals Trade shows & expos spurring growth The rising shift towards female customers Prominent Vendors LifeStyles Church & Dwight Karex Berhad Reckitt Benckiser Group BioFilm Other Prominent Vendors Bodywise B.Cumming CalExotics Cupid Limited Eau Zone Oils & Fragrances Empowered Products Good Clean Love Guy & O'Neill Hathor Professional Skincare HLL Lifecare Ltd ID Lubricants Innovus Pharma Kaamastra Live Well Brands Lovehoney Group Mayor Laboratories MD Science Lab PHE PJUR Group Sensuous Beauty Sliquid The Yes Yes Company Tenga Topco Sales Trigg Laboratories Thai Nippon Rubber Industry (TNR) XR Key Topics Covered: 1 Research Methodology 2 Research Objectives 3 Research Process 4 Scope & Coverage 4.1 Market Definition 4.2 Base Year 4.3 Scope of The Study 5 Report Assumptions & Caveats 5.1 Key Caveats 5.2 Currency Conversion 5.3 Market Derivation 6 Market at a Glance 7 Introduction 7.1 Overview 7.1.1 Raw Materials Procurement 7.1.2 Manufacturers 7.1.3 Distribution Landscape 7.2 Key Insights 7.3 Branding Strategies 7.4 Promotional Strategies 7.5 Marketing & Advertising Strategies 7.6 Pricing Analysis 7.7 Value Chain Analysis 7.7.1 Overview 7.7.2 Raw Materials 7.7.3 Manufacturers 7.7.4 Distributors/Dealers 7.7.5 Retailers 7.7.6 End-Users 7.8 Impact of Covid-19 7.8.1 Disruptions in Global Supply Chain 7.8.2 Counter Measures 8 Market Opportunities & Trends 8.1 Internet Shaping Purchasing Behavior 8.2 Introduction of Private-Label Brands 8.3 Increased Promotional & Marketing Activities 8.4 Rising Penetration of Dating Applications In APAC 8.5 Sexual Wellness Festivals, Expos & Tradeshows Spurring Growth 8.6 Rising Shift Towards Female Customers 9 Market Growth Enablers 9.1 Increasing Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction 9.2 Increased Demand from Baby Boomers 9.3 High Availability of Sexual Lubricants 9.4 Evolving Gender-Neutral Tone 10 Market Restraints 10.1 Stringent Regulatory Environment 10.2 Increased Safety Concerns 10.3 Lack of Awareness Among Consumers 10.4 Lack of Investor Confidence in Potential Startups 11 Market Landscape 11.1 Market Overview 11.2 Key Insights 11.2.1 Demand Insights 11.2.2 Vendors Analysis 11.2.3 Demographical Analysis 11.2.4 Consumer Behavior & Awareness 11.3 Market Size & Forecast 11.4 Five Forces Analysis 12 Lubricant Type 12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 12.2 Market Overview 12.3 Water-Based 12.4 Silicone-Based 12.5 Oil-Based 12.6 Hybrid 13 Gender 13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 13.2 Market Overview 13.3 Male Users 13.4 Female Users 14 Distribution Channel 14.1 Market Overview 14.1.1 Manufacturer, Production & Distribution 14.1.2 Distribution Through Retail Stores 14.1.3 Distribution Through Online Websites 15 Geography 15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 15.2 Geographic Overview For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kgsva0 Attachment Dublin, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "U.S. Continuing Medical Education Market - Industry Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The U.S. continuing medical education market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.92% during the forecast period. Healthcare is one of the industries where online and blended learning is replacing traditional classroom training at an incredible pace. Online learning is personal and is accessed using smartphones, tablets, and laptops at your choice of time and place. Online courseware is designed and built to be engaging and interactive, using quality images, video, audio, and animation to help users comprehend and retain knowledge. Next-Generation Simulation Technology For CME Changes in medical practice that limit class hours and patient availability, increased diagnostic, management possibilities, and technological advances have contributed to the increasing use of simulation techniques in medical education. Simulation technology as an educational tool is revolutionizing medical education, including the acquisition and maintenance of skills and knowledge, integrating technology into a comprehensive clinical curriculum that includes certification and recertification, and adopting proficiency and awareness, practical and competent improvement, and measurement of results. Thus, it will drive demand in the Continuing Medical Education Market in the US in the forecast period Preference Towards Short Time CME Courses Time is a challenging factor for physicians across the globe. Allocation of more time on other CME programs will further pressure their schedule. Physicians around the world prefer shorter educational activities required to manage their patients. Most young physicians prefer concise (i.e., < 15 minutes) online, text-based activities and interactive clinical decision-making resources. Physicians are the most critical assets for any healthcare system. Thus, there is a need for a structured process for continuous training, exposure, learning, and improvement to continue applying their skills and knowledge correctly. Vendors can use this as an opportunity to thrive in the healthcare education market U.S. CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION MARKET SEGMENTATION The E-learning delivery method will witness an absolute growth of more than 70% in the forecast period. Increased internet coverage and the evolution of gadgets have helped the education system adapt to new media to attract students. Some of the main benefits of the internet-based CME include improved access, convenience, and flexibility, reduced travel expenses, and time. But classroom learning still has the highest share in S. Continuing Medical Education (CME) Market. It is preferred as face-to-face interaction with the students, and the professors are more appealing. Many group activities help discuss and solve cases, thus providing better brainstorming and knowledge transfer sessions VENDOR LANDSCAPE The vendors in the CME market are start-up educational companies, branded medical schools, NGOs, physician associations, Insurance companies. In addition to this, the military institutions also provide CME programs to physicians Mednax Creqs has launched a new cloud-based continuing education platform. This unique and improved online portal is designed to help physicians, advanced practice providers, and other medical professionals across the US to earn AMA PRA Category 1 credits and nursing contact hours KEY HIGHLIGHTS COVID-19 has positively impacted the CME programs; there is increased demand for the CME programs for the latest technology and infectious diseases provided online Increased competitiveness and an increased number of healthcare professionals in various counties force physicians to pursue CME programs to stay competitive. This factor is driving demand in CME Market in the US KEY GROWTH FACTORS Introduction of Next-Generation Simulation Technology For CME Increased Demand for Mobile Platform Education Increased Adoption of CME Among Non-physicians Healthcare Professionals Increasing Preference for Short Time CME Courses Growth in Student Enrolment for Medical Schools KEY VENDORS AcademicCME AffinityCE Albert Einstein College of Medicine AMA Ed Hub American College of Cardiology American Medical Seminars American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Antidote Education Company Ao North America Aspirus AXIS Medical Education Ballad Health Baptist Health South Florida Baylor College of Medicine BorderRAC Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) Brody School of Medicine East Carolina University Bryan Health Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences The Center for Forensic Psychiatry The Carlat CME Institute Cine-Med CME Outfitters CME Procedures Continuing Education Company COPIC Insurance Company Curi Current Reviews EB Medicine Essential CME EXCEL CME Florida Psychiatric Society Forefront Collaborative Great Valley Publishing Company Georgia Chapter of the American College of Cardiology Greeley Company Haymarket Medical Education HonorHealth Indiana University School of Medicine Kenes Group Lowell General Hospital MagMutual The MEDICAL MUTUAL Liability Insurance Society Of Maryland Medicus Med Learning Group Med-IQ MedScape MLMIC Insurance Company NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company Oakstone CME Opus Medicus Orthopaedic Trauma Association Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health PESI Healthcare Relias Research to Practice Rockpointe Corporation Stanford Medicine Salus Global The Society for Simulation in Healthcare Tower Health UpToDate University of North Dakota University of California, Irvine World Class CME Key Topics Covered: 1 Research Methodology 2 Research Objectives 3 Research Process 4 Scope & Coverage 4.1 Market Definition 4.2 Base Year 4.3 Scope of The Study 5 Report Assumptions & Caveats 5.1 Key Caveats 5.2 Currency Conversion 5.3 Market Derivation 6 Market at a Glance 7 Introduction 7.1 Overview 7.2 Impact of Covid-19 8 Market Opportunities & Trends 8.1 Introduction of Next-Generation Simulation Technology For CME 8.2 Increased Demand for Mobile Platform Education 8.3 Increased Adoption of CME Among Non-Physicians Healthcare Professionals 8.4 High Preference for Short-Term CME Courses 9 Market Growth Enablers 9.1 Adoption of Digital Learning 9.2 Growth in Student Enrolment for Medical Schools 9.3 Shortage of Skilled Physicians 9.4 Consistent Expansion of Healthcare Industry & Occurrence Of New Diseases 10 Market Restraints 10.1 Pharma Influence Leading to Biased CME Content 10.2 Increasing Patient Pressure on Physicians 10.3 Heterogeneity of CME Training Programs 11 Market Landscape 11.1 Market Overview 11.1.1 US: Continuing Medical Education (CME) 11.2 Market Size & Forecast 11.2.1 Delivery Mode 11.2.2 Specialty 11.2.3 Providers 11.3 Five Forces Analysis 12 Delivery Mode 12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 12.2 Market Overview 12.3 Classroom-Based Training 12.3.1 Market Overview 12.3.2 Market Size & Forecast 12.4 E-Learning 12.5 Regularly Scheduled Series (RSS) 12.6 Journals 13 Specialty 13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 13.2 Market Overview 13.3 Oncology 13.4 Cardiology 13.5 Infectious Disease 13.6 Orthopedic 13.7 Dental 13.8 Primary Care 13.9 Gastroenterology 13.10 General Surgery 13.11 Pediatric 13.12 Allergy & Immunology 13.13 Endocrinology & Metabolism 14 Providers 14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 14.2 Market Overview 14.3 NPO And Physician Membership Organizations 14.4 Publishing/Educational Company 14.5 School of Medicine 14.6 Hospital/ Healthcare Delivery Systems 15 Competitive Landscape 15.1 Competition Overview For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nnhn2e Attachment Dublin, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Non-invasive Prenatal Testing Global Market Report 2022, By Type, By End User, By Instruments, By Consumables, By Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global non-invasive prenatal testing market is expected to grow from $3.67 billion in 2021 to $4.21 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. The market is expected to reach $7.34 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 14.9%. The non-invasive prenatal testing market consists of sales of non-invasive prenatal testing kits, instruments and related services. Non-invasive prenatal testing kits and equipment are used to diagnose genetic abnormalities, mainly chromosome defects in fetus in first trimester of pregnancy. Non-invasive prenatal testing includes ultrasound detection, fetal cells in maternal blood tests, cell-free DNA in maternal plasma tests and biochemical screening tests. The main types of non-invasive prenatal testing are consumables, and instruments. Consumables are products that are used up or depleted throughout their use. The various instrument used are NGS systems, PCR instruments, microarrays, ultrasound devices, and others (centrifuges, UV systems, incubators, microscopes) and the different consumables include assay kits and reagents, disposables. The applications involve trisomy, microdeletion, genetics, Rh factor that are used by hospital and diagnostic labs. Next generation sequencing has increased the throughput, scalability, and speed, and further enables researchers to perform a wide range of applications and study biological systems at a higher level. Next generation sequencing is a platform that has enabled sequencing of thousands to millions of DNA molecules simultaneously. The manufacturers have introduced this technology to reduce the time and money required and optimizes the output to generate results regarding genome, DNA testing. The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. The Market Characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market. The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, the impact of the COVID-19 virus and forecasting its recovery. Market segmentations break down market into sub markets. The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers the impact and recovery trajectory of COVID-19 for all regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets. Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified. The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers. Report Scope Markets Covered: By Type: Consumables; Instruments By End User: Hospital; Diagnostic Labs By Instruments: NGS Systems; PCR Instruments; Microarrays; Ultrasound Devices; Others(Centrifuges; UV Systems; Incubators; MicroScopes) By Consumables: Assay Kits &Reagents; Disposables By Application: Trisomy; Microdeletion; Genetics; Rh factor Countries: Australia; Brazil; China; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Russia; South Korea; UK; USA Regions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa Time Series: Five years historic and ten years forecast. Data Segmentations: country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments. Companies Mentioned F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG Illumina Inc. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings Natera Inc. PerkinElmer Inc. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Agilent Technologies Inc BGI Diagnosis Berry Genomics Co. Ltd LifeCodexx AG Myriad Genetics Inc. NIPD Genetics Sequenom Inc. Annoroad Gene Technology Centogene AG Counsyl Inc. EUROFINS Genoma Group Eurofins Scientific Next Biosciences Premaitha Health Plc Ariosa Diagnostics (Roche) Premaitha Health Beijing Genomics Institute Yourgene Health PLC GE Healthcare Koninklijke Philips N.V. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Pacific Biosciences of California Inc. QIAGEN N.V. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cdrcov About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment New York, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Firefighting Foam Market by Type, & Region - Global Forecast to 2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05492028/?utm_source=GNW Marine segment is projected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period By end-use, marine segment is expected to grow at a highest CAGR during 2021 to 2026. In the marine industry, firefighting foams are used as a fire protection measure for various applications such as marine vessels and offshore drilling rigs. Synthetic Detergent Foam segment is projected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period By type, synthetic detergent foam segment is expected to grow at a highest CAGR during 2021 to 2026.Synthetic detergent foam is made from a combination of hydrocarbon surfactants and solvents. This foam is ideally used for applications involving areas such as a basement, mine shaft, or a ships hold where volume fire control is required.. Middle East & Africa is projected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period The Middle East & Africa region is expected to grow at a highest CAGR during 2021 to 2026.The firefighting foam market in the Middle East is majorly driven by its use in the oil & gas industry. AFFF is the largest segment of the firefighting foam market in the Middle East & Africa.AFFF is most suitable for the oil & gas industry. Since the demand for oil and gas is high in this region, this has subsequently improved the demand for AFFF in the region. Profile break-up of primary participants for the report: By Company Type: Tier 1 65%, Tier 2 20%, and Tier 3 15% By Designation: C-level 25%, Director Level 30%, and Others 45% By Region: Asia Pacific 40%, North America 30%, Europe 20%, South America 3%, Middle East & Africa 7% Some of the key players operating in the firefighting foam market are Johnson Controls (US), Perimeter Solutions (US), Dr. Sthamer (Germany), National Foam (US), Angus Fire (UK), Kerr Fire (UK), Eau&Feu (France), and SFFECO Global (UAE). Research Coverage: The report defines, segments, and projects the firefighting foam market based on type, material type, expansion, end-use, and region.It provides detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market, such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. It analyzes competitive developments, such product launches, and expansions, undertaken by the players in the market. Reasons to Buy the Report: The report is expected to help the market leaders/new entrants in the market by providing them the closest approximations of revenue numbers of the firefighting foam market and its segments.This report is also expected to help stakeholders obtain an improved understanding of the competitive landscape of the market, gain insights to improve the position of their businesses and make suitable go-to-market strategies. It also enables stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provide them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05492028/?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. __________________________ English French Monarch has received additional high-grade assays from its 2021 underground drilling program, which include 19.05 g/t Au over 6.8 m, including 12.56 g/t Au over 1.4 m and 54.68 g/t Au over 2.0 m (BEU-21-30-032). These results are from the underground drilling program currently being carried out in the lower part of the mine. The Q Zone was mined most recently in 2019 and has proven to be one of the most prolific and continuous ore zones in the mine. These diamond drill results are significant and exciting as they confirm the continuity of this zone for at least 150 m westward along strike and 150 m down dip. Recent estimates show 247,000 tonnes at an average grade of 5.66 g/t Au in the Q Zone and its vicinity (measured and indicated resources according to BBA Inc.s 2021 NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate). These recent results could significantly boost Beaufors potential. MONTREAL, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MONARCH MINING CORPORATION (Monarch or the Corporation) (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) is pleased to announce additional results from its 2021 underground drilling program on its wholly-owned Beaufor Mine gold project, located 20 kilometres east of Val-dOr, Quebec. The results presented here come exclusively from hole BEU-21-30-032, targeting the western strike extension of the Q Zone. The target area returned an impressive 19.05 g/t Au over 6.8 m, including 12.56 g/t Au over 1.4 m and 54.68 g/t Au over 2.0 m. These diamond drill results are significant and exciting as they confirm the continuity of this ore zone for at least 150 m westward along strike and 150 m down-dip. The Q Zone has been mined through much of Beaufors recent history and has proven to be both continuous and of considerable width. Other holes drilled in the area throughout 2021 also returned positive results. These holes have been incorporated into the new geological model, which includes all recent and historical data and is based on BBA Inc.s geological interpretation as seen in their 2021 NI 43-101-compliant resource estimate. The Beaufor Mine initially began commercial production in the early 1930s and over the years has produced over 1.1 million ounces of gold. In June 2020, the Corporation initiated a 42,500-metre diamond drilling program to test two types of targets: the areas around historical high-grade intersections near the existing underground infrastructure, and isolated resource blocks, which are typically defined by a single drill intersection. Both of these near-mine targets can often be tested from the existing underground workings, generally by holes less than 200 metres long. To date, 283 holes totalling 47,038 metres have been drilled during the exploration and definition program. Given the positive results, additional holes are now being drilled to allow the zones in question to be converted into reserves and included in a future mine plan. Monarch is continuing its exploration definition drilling, with five underground drill rigs, and expects to restart operations by June 2022. Underground development and rehabilitation are ongoing in the W and 350 zones, which are easily accessible from the surface ramp located 100 metres from the main Beaufor shaft and presently extends to a vertical depth of 180 metres. BBA Inc. finalized the mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the Beaufor Mine in August 2021. An additional 111 holes totalling 26,600 metres have been drilled since. The results of this underground drilling program are very encouraging and continue to show the strong potential of the Beaufor Mine at depth, said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monarch. We are thrilled to be able to confirm the high-grade nature and significant width of the Q Zone towards the west. Additional drilling is definitely warranted to continue expanding this zone. Drill results are obtained by sawing the drill core into equal halves along its main axis and shipping one of the halves to ALS Canada in Val-dOr, Quebec, and AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario, for assaying. The samples are crushed, pulverized and assayed by fire assay, with atomic absorption finish. Samples exceeding 10.0 g/t Au are re-assayed using the gravity method and samples containing visible gold are assayed using the metallic screen method. Monarch uses a comprehensive QA/QC protocol, including the insertion of standards, blanks and duplicates. The technical and scientific content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Christian Tessier, P.Geo., the Corporations qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. About Beaufor The Beaufor Mine is located within the Bourlamaque Batholith at the eastern contact with the Dubuisson Formation. The Bourlamaque Batholith, a synvolcanic intrusion, is a major geological feature of the Val-dOr mining camp. It is a quartziferous granodiorite cut by fine-grained diorite dykes. Gold mineralization occurs in veins associated with shear zones dipping moderately south. Mineralization is associated with quartz-tourmaline-pyrite veins resulting from the filling of shear and extension fractures. Gold-bearing veins show a close association with mafic dykes intruding the granodiorite. A National Instrument 43-101 resource estimate for the Beaufor Mine property was prepared for Monarch Mining in August 2021 by Charlotte Athurion, P. Geo, BBA Inc. The mineral resource estimate is listed in the table below. Table 1: 2021 mineral resource estimate for the Beaufor Mine Category Tonnage (t) Grade (g/t Au) Ounces Au (oz) Measured 328,500 5.7 59,900 Indicated 956,400 5.2 159,300 Total Measured and Indicated 1,284,900 5.3 219,200 Inferred 818,900 4.7 122,500 Mineral resource estimate notes: The independent qualified person for the 2021 MRE, as defined by National Instrument (NI) 43-101 guidelines, is Charlotte Athurion, P.Geo., of BBA Inc. The effective date of this MRE is July 23, 2021. These mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability. The mineral resource estimate follows CIM definitions (2014) for mineral resources. Results are presented diluted and considered to have reasonable prospects for economic extraction. Isolated and discontinuous blocks above the stated cut-off grades are excluded from the mineral resource estimate. Must-take material, i.e. isolated blocks below cut-off grade located within a potentially mineable volume, was included in the mineral resource statement. The resources include 166 mineralized zones with a minimum true thickness of 2.4 m using the grade of the adjacent material when assayed or a value of 0.00025 when not assayed. High-grade capping varies from 20 to 65 g/t Au (when required) and was applied to composited assay grades for interpolation using an Ordinary Kriging interpolation method (ID2 for 96_01, 96_02, 20 zones, 21_01, 140, 367 and 350 zones) based on 1.5 m composite and block size of 5 m x 5 m x 5 m, with bulk density values of 2.75 (g/cm3). A second capping was applied for the second and third passes in order to restrict high-grade impact at greater distance. Inferred Mineral Resources were defined for blocks within the units that have been informed by a minimum of two drillholes within 50 m of a drillhole (100 m of drill spacing); Indicated Mineral Resources were defined for blocks within the units that have been informed by a minimum of three drillholes within 12.5 m of a drillhole (25 m of drill spacing); Measured Mineral Resources were defined for blocks within the units that have been informed by a minimum of three drillholes within 5 m of a drillholes (10 m of drill spacing) or 3 m around voids. Measured Mineral Resources were only defined for zones with a good reliability of the geological continuity or supported by underground workings. The estimate is reported for potential underground scenario at cut-off grades of 2.8 g/t Au (>=45 degree dip) and 3.2 g/t Au (<45 degree dip). The cut-off grades were calculated using a gold price of US$1,550 per ounce, a USD:CAD exchange rate of 1.32 (resulting in C$1,914 per ounce gold price); mining cost C$125/t (>=45 degree dip); C$150/t (<45 degree dip); processing cost C$35/t; G&A C$16/t; metallurgical recovery of 97%; royalties of US$37.52 per ounce; and refining and transport cost of US$1.50 per ounce. The number of metric tonnes and ounces were rounded to the nearest hundred and the metal contents are presented in troy ounces (tonne x grade/31.10348). Rounding may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grades and contained metals content. BBA Inc. is not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political or marketing issues, or any other relevant issues not reported in this Report that could materially affect the mineral resource estimate. About Monarch Monarch Mining Corporation (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) is a fully integrated mining company that owns four projects, including the Beaufor Mine, which has produced more than 1 million ounces of gold over the last 30 years. Other assets include the Croinor Gold, McKenzie Break and Swanson properties, all located near Monarchs wholly owned 750 tpd Beacon Mill. Monarch owns 29,504 hectares (295 km2) of mining assets in the prolific Abitibi mining camp that host a combined measured and indicated gold resource of 478,982 ounces and a combined inferred resource of 383,393 ounces. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Monarchs actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied therein. Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jean-Marc Lacoste President and Chief Executive Officer 1-888-994-4465 jm.lacoste@monarchmining.com Mathieu Seguin Vice President, Corporate Development 1-888-994-4465 m.seguin@monarchmining.com Elisabeth Tremblay Geologist and Communication Manager 1-888-994-4465 e.tremblay@monarchmining.com www.monarchmining.com Table 2: Beaufor Mine assay results and significant intervals (Underground Drill Holes) Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) * Au (g/t) BEU-21-30-032 168.0 169.0 1.0 8.23 252.2 259.0 6.8 19.05 Incl. 252.2 253.6 1.4 12.56 Incl. 257.0 259.0 2.0 54.68 263.0 263.9 0.9 14.00 *The width shown is the core length. The true width is taken into account in the mineral resource estimate. Table 3: Beaufor Mine drill hole location Hole Mine_E (m) Mine_N (m) Elevation (m) Azimut () Dip () Length (m) BEU-21-30-032 1942 3194 2344 313 -53 357 Table 4: Monarch combined gold resources Mineral resource estimates Tonnes (metric) Grade (g/t Au) Ounces Beaufor Mine1 Measured Resources 328,500 5.7 59,900 Indicated Resources 956,400 5.2 159,300 Total Measured and Indicated 1,284,900 5.3 219,200 Total Inferred 818,900 4.7 122,500 McKenzie Break2 In-pit Total Indicated 1,441,377 1.80 83,305 Total Inferred 2,243,562 1.44 104,038 Underground Total Indicated 387,720 5.03 62,677 Total Inferred 1,083,503 4.21 146,555 Swanson3 In-pit Total Indicated 1,864,000 1.76 105,400 Total Inferred 29,000 2.46 2,300 Underground Total Indicated 91,000 2.86 8,400 Total Inferred 87,000 2.87 8,000 TOTAL COMBINED4 Measured and Indicated Resources Inferred Resources 478,982 383,393 1 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Beaufor Mine Project, July 23, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Charlotte Athurion, P. Geo., Clovis Auger, P. Geo., and Dario Evangelista, P. Eng., BBA Inc. 2 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Evaluation Report on the McKenzie Break Property, February 1, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Alain-Jean Beauregard, P.Geo., Daniel Gaudreault, P.Eng., Geologica Groupe-Conseil Inc., and Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Claude Duplessis, P.Eng., GoldMinds GeoServices Inc. 3 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Swanson Project, January 22, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Christine Beausoleil, P. Geo. and Alain Carrier, P. Geo., InnovExplo Inc. 4 Numbers may not add due to rounding. Historical mineral resource estimate Tonnes (metric) Grade (g/t Au) Ounces Croinor Gold1,2 Measured Resources 80,100 8.44 21,700 Indicated Resources 724,500 9.20 214,300 Total Measured and Indicated 804,600 9.12 236,000 Total Inferred 160,800 7.42 38,400 1 Source: Monarch Gold prefeasibility study (January 19, 2018). This resource was completed for Monarch Gold and has not been reviewed by a qualified person for Monarch Mining as required under National Instrument 43-101 and is thus considered as an historical estimate. Furthermore, a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves; and therefore, Monarch is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. 2 Numbers may not add due to rounding. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6df09ee-7e03-4910-ae45-23570f341520 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77bc9108-babe-42c8-9745-1d1d1ffe36c6 Manama, Bahrain, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) officially launched the state of the art RCSI Bahrain Clinical, and Biomolecular Research Centre located in the Bahrain Oncology Center, in partnership with the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH). An official opening ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health. His Excellency Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said in his address to the attendees, The need for the RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre arose to help address the healthcare issues of the Kingdom of Bahrain and was the visionary idea of Professor Sameer Otoom President of RCSI Bahrain and Major General (Dr) Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa - Chief Executive Officer of the King Hamad University Hospital, and has been led by Professor Stephen Atkin, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies and Research at RCSI Bahrain. The Research Centre will support the positioning of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a GCC healthcare hub and will bring external funding as well as esteemed recognition to the Kingdom, making it a recognised regional centre of excellence. Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa - Secretary General of the Higher Education Council and Deputy Chairperson of the Higher Education Council Board of Trustees, said in her address to the attendees: The research that will be undertaken here at the RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre, and the outcomes that its findings will produce will not only result in cheaper and more efficient means of curing some of the most prevalent diseases, but it will also lessen the financial and logistical burdens on our public healthcare system, thereby elevating the quality of services provided and advancing the quality of life of Bahrainis and residents alike. Medical research, like most forms of scientific research, is not only essential for the development for a societys foundation, cornerstones of education and national qualifications, but it is also one of the key drivers that underpin the Bahrain Vision 2030. The official opening ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa - Secretary General of the Higher Education Council and Deputy Chairperson of the Higher Education Council Board of Trustees; Her Excellency Dr Maryam Al-Jalahma - Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA); Brigadier General Professor Hesham Yusuf Ali, Deputy of Major General (Dr) Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa - Chief Executive Officer of King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH); Dr Ahmed Al Ansari, Chief Executive Officer of Government Hospitals; Dr Jaleela Al-Sayed Jawad, Chief Executive Officer of Primary Health Care Centres; Professor Elias Fadel - Director of Bahrain Oncology Center and Chairman of Bahrain National Tumor Board; Professor Fergal OBrien, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and Head of Tissue Engineering Research Group at RCSI in Dublin; Professor Stephen Atkin, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies and Research RCSI Bahrain, executives and staff members from RCSI Bahrain and King Hamad University Hospital, as well as RCSI Bahrain medical students particularly interested in research. With the recently established protocols for human clinical trials by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) and in alignment with the National Health Plan and Bahrain Vision 2030, the RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre was established to promote teaching and research focused on prevalent health diseases in the Kingdom of Bahrain such as diabetes, obesity and other health conditions. Professor Sameer Otoom, President of RCSI Bahrain, commented, The RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre is a step forward in strengthening RCSI Bahrains long-standing commitment to enhancing human health and patient care through endeavour, innovative research and collaboration. We thank all our stakeholders involved in the establishment of the Research Centre and being a part of a significant milestone in the history of the University. Being located within the Bahrain Oncology Center, the RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre allows for a first-class experience for clinical research patients and visitors, where RCSI Bahrain researchers, clinicians and academic staff work collaboratively to conduct pioneering translational research across a range of health science disciplines. Professor Elias Fadel, Director of Bahrain Oncology Center and Chairman of Bahrain National Tumor Board highlighted that the opening of the RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre at the Bahrain Oncology Centre and in cooperation with King Hamad University Hospital, aims to enhance education and develop research and academic activities in various fields of medicine, especially in the field of stem cell sciences, under the supervision of a team of specialists. He also noted that research is an essential pillar for producing a database that contributes to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, which eventually contributes to raising the level of medical services in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Brigadier General Professor Hesham Yusuf Ali, Deputy of Major General (Dr) Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa - Chief Executive Officer of KHUH and Director General of Medical Affairs and Consultant of Otolaryngology at KHUH, praised the cooperation between the hospital, the Bahrain Oncology Center and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University of Bahrain in the field of advanced clinical and biomolecular research. This in turn will contribute to the development of research in a scientific environment, in accordance with the highest standards under the supervision of a group of specialists and experienced practitioners in this field. The Centre is an essential part of any large medical institution, and it will be a daily activity that greatly improves diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, in many areas. The RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre is divided into groups dedicated to specific areas of research. One area of expertise is the delivery of clinical trials to the highest of international standards at the Clinical Trial Unit, where samples are taken from patients and immediately processed and analysed, using the latest technologies, by the on-site Clinical Research Team. The Unit has already undertaken three national clinical trials, after being nominated in 2020 by the Supreme Council of Health and the National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) to establish, facilitate and support the national response for all COVID-19 clinical trials in Bahrain. Another area of research focus is tissue regeneration, led by the Tissue Engineering Research Group, where the team explores soft tissue regeneration, such as skin and nerves, using smart biomaterials made in laboratories and studying gene activated scaffolds and cellular responses to wound healing. This research is applied to the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and assessing the response of an anti-ageing protein on improving wound healing. A Stem Cell and Genome Engineering Group was also established to find cures and treatments for diabetic and neurological disorders, by utilising pluripotent stem cells and CRISPR mediated genome engineering. In addition, the Pancreatic Islet Cell Group will be studying pancreatic islet cells, to be able to improve cellular responses to the disease, with the ultimate goal being a cure for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Professor Stephen Atkin, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies and Research, who also oversees the Research Centre and all research initiatives, commented, The RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre has access to world-leading technologies in both clinical and translational medicine, to enable our researchers and clinicians to collaboratively conduct pioneering and patient-centred research, which addresses key national, regional and global health challenges. Thanks to the proactive regulations by the Ministry of Health and NHRA, the Research Centre will provide support in transforming Bahrain to a central hub for research and attract more global pharmaceutical manufacturers to the Bahraini market. The Cancer Research Group, in collaboration with the Bahrain Oncology Center, will further investigate the use of Sigma-1 receptor antagonists and data from in-silico research in treating breast cancer. In addition, the centre will be conducting pioneering work in DNA and RNA to analyse the genes and markers in clinical samples used for diagnostics in diabetes and cancer. -Ends- About RCSI Bahrain RCSI Bahrain is a constituent university of RCSI, which was established in Dublin, Ireland, in 1784. RCSI Bahrain, an independent private university, opened its doors to a cohort of 28 medical students in 2004. It is a not-for-profit health sciences institution focused on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. Today, the purpose-built campus is home to a student body of more than 1,300 across Schools of Medicine; Nursing and Midwifery and Postgraduate Studies and Research. For more information, please visit www.rcsi.com/bahrain RCSI Bahrain Instagram RCSI Bahrain Facebook RCSI Bahrain LinkedIn Attachments New York, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "CBD Gummies Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Category and Distribution Channel" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06244543/?utm_source=GNW According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CBD demonstrates no effects suggestive of any misuse or dependency potential in people.CBD gummies are chewable sweets infused with CBD oil. They resemble conventional gummies in terms of appearance and flavor. This makes them an attractive alternative over other CBD products, such as CBD oils, that have an overpowering plant flavor. Based on distribution channel, the CBD gummies market is segmented into specialty stores, online retail, and others.The specialty stores segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020. The online retail segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period.E-commerce platforms have registered significant growth as they provide lucrative services, such as home delivery, discounts, offers, cashback, to the customers. Moreover, customers can choose among a wide range of products by comparing different alternatives available. A variety of CBD gummies brands are available on e-commerce platforms like Amazon.com. Thus, the high availability of CBD gummies brands at affordable prices is one of the key factors driving the online retail segment. Based on region, the CBD gummies market is segmented into North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World.In 2020, North America held the largest share of the global CBD gummies market, whereas Europe is projected to register the fastest growth over the forecast period. Europe has a significant concentration of cannabis consumers.Recently, the European Union has legalized CBD; hence, manufacturers of CBD gummies have a strong growth potential across European nations such as France, Germany, the UK, and Poland. CBD gummies consumption is proliferating rapidly across markets in Europe as manufacturers are focusing on lowering the THC content and using clean-label and organic ingredients.Moreover, CBD regulations are getting softer as authorities in EU Member States now regard CBD as a novel product for food, beverages, and food supplements. These factors are projected to support the growth of the CBD gummies market across Europe over the coming years. The leading players in the CBD gummies market include Aurora Cannabis, Inc.; Canopy Growth USA, LLC; CBD American Shaman; CV Sciences, Inc.; Diamond CBD; CBDfx; Sunday Scaries; Medix CBD; Reliva CBD; and Fab CBD. The size of the global CBD gummies market has been derived using primary and secondary sources.To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market. Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants to validate the data and gain more analytical insights into the topic. Participants in this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, national sales managers, and external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders specializing in the CBD gummies market. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06244543/?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. __________________________ NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This summer, the New York Jazz Workshop is offering a large selection of adult jazz intensives, jazz camps for kids and teens, including the brand new All Girls Jazz Camp, a week-long Jazz Improvisation Workshop in Italy for adults, and a teen music summer camp in the heart of Manhattan. Jazz Programs for Adults NYJW offers seven different summer programs on various topics: some are instrument-specific, some are theme-based (improvisation, composition, etc). Each can be taken alone or in combination with other music programs and private lessons. July 19-22: Jazz Improvisation July 26-29: Guitar Aug 2-5: Bebop Aug 9-12: Vocal 1 Aug 16-19: Vocal 2 Aug 23-26: Brazilian Music Aug 29-31: "The Keys" Piano Intensive Teen Summer Camp (Ages 12-16) Teen Summer Jazz Camp allows teenage students to perform and learn about jazz in an environment that is friendly, informative, and fun. This summer, NYJW will host three sessions: July 11-15 July 18-22 Aug 1-5 Jazz improvisation is the ultimate form of interactive musical expression: students will learn how to apply jazz theory, ear training, and ensemble playing to all styles of music. The camp is led by a group of dedicated educators with years of experience teaching music to kids and teens. All Girls Jazz Camp (Ages 9-13) Jazz is about change. From New Orleans to the swing era, to bebop, till today, jazz musicians always keep pushing the music further to the next stage. However, one thing hasn't changed enough yet: female presence as jazz performers, composers, and bandleaders. The New York Jazz Workshop has set a goal to help create the change and invites aspiring young female musicians to take part in an all-girls jazz summer camp. The camp will expose participants to improvising and playing in ensemble settings, and give them the opportunity to be part of a supportive jazz community in NYC. Camps meet Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (July 11-15 and Aug 1-5) NYJW Goes to Italy June 12-18: NYJW leaves the Big Apple to make music in the beautiful landscapes of Tuscany. The Jazz Improvisation Workshop in Italy is under the guidance of Marc Mommaas (Tenor Sax/Composition: Co-founder NYJW and HJW, educator at The New School) and Kenny Wessel (Guitar/Composition: educator at NYJW, Long Island University and CCNY, US Jazz Ambassador and long time member of Ornette Coleman's groundbreaking ensemble), and Jeroen Vierdag (Dutch bassist of international fame, educator at the Conservatory of Amsterdam). Trip highlights include daily music sessions, private lessons, evening jam sessions, excursions, and a final concert. Enrollment is $1,500 and includes all workshop instruction and daily lunch. For more information, go to: https://newyorkjazzworkshop.com/workshops/jazz-improvisation-workshop-italy/ For registration and more information on any of NYJW's summer offerings: https://www.newyorkjazzworkshop.com Marco Chelo New York Jazz Workshop email: info@newyorkjazzworkshop.com phone: (212) 287-5908 Related Images Image 1: Jazz Programs 2022 New York Jazz Workshop Summer Programs 2022 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Renew America Movement (RAM), a nationwide, cross-partisan effort to restore a common-sense coalition to American politics, has launched Republicans for Mark Kelly. The new initiative is already organizing influential and grassroots Arizona Republicans in support of Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. The launch kicked off with a successful fundraiser in Scottsdale last night, hosted by Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, Former Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, and former Arizona State Senator Bob Worsley. Republicans for Mark Kelly will galvanize support among disaffected and principled Republicans in the state. Senator Kelly's record of bipartisan leadership for Arizona has earned the respect of many outside of his party, and given voters who don't support the dangerous direction of Arizona's GOP an honorable alternative. "Arizonans have long flexed their independent streak in politics," said RAM Advisor and former Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters. "From John McCain to Barry Goldwater, this is a state where integrity and courage matter more than party. Senator Kelly has proven his mettle, which is why he's earned broad support, even among Republicans like myself." "People are fed up with political parties that put their own interests ahead of the country's. Voters are waking up, especially in the GOP, and realizing that a leader's worth isn't defined by the letter next to their name on the ballot," said RAM Executive Director and former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor. "Senator Kelly has certainly earned the respect and support of all independent-minded Republicans in Arizona." For more information visit www.RepublicansForKelly.com. RAM in the News: Bloomberg, NPR, New York Times The Renew America Movement was established in 2021, following the release of "A Call for American Renewal," a declaration of principles signed by more than 150 prominent figures, including former governors, senators, congressmen, cabinet officials, and thought leaders. Visit www.RenewAmericaMovement.com for more information. Contact: Mike Ongstad MO@RenewAmericaMovement.com (240) 473-3260 Related Images Image 1: RAMLogo RAM Logo This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube has ruled out paying farmers in United States dollars for maize deliveries, but said there were exceptions for those growing export-oriented crops There are wider calls for dollarisation as the local currency keeps tumbling, but the government has stuck to its guns and ruled out dollarisation. In an address to Parliament on Wednesday, Ncube said there had been no change in policy, and farmers would be paid in Zimbabwe dollars. We are not there yet. We are not ready for that, we have our own domestic currency and we want to set all these agriculture sector prices in domestic currency and also to promote the use of our own currency, Ncube said. However, there are farmers who are receiving payments in US dollars because they are producing crops which are export-oriented such as tobacco, cotton even cotton is in part US dollar, that is understandable because those crops earn foreign currency but not for crops which do not earn foreign currency. We are not there yet in terms of pricing these in foreign currency, but we will look at other measures to support the farmer and we will be creative. Ncube said there were plans to deploy extra resources to fund winter wheat production as part of measures to arrest rocketing bread prices. He said an estimated 75 000 farmers would benefit from the programme that targets to produce 350 000 metric tonnes of wheat. Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara last week warned Zimbabwe faces bread shortages following a move by the Ukraine army to suspend loading shipping vessels to South East Asia, Middle East and Africa following the Russia-Ukraine war. The war has pushed up prices of wheat and maize, in a major demonstration of the disruptive effects of the conflict. The war has also triggered a wave of fuel price hikes across the world, Zimbabwe included. Furthermore, government is prioritising the domestication of value chains. In response to bread prices, government, through the winter wheat programmes, is supporting wheat farmers, targeting 75 000 hectares expected to produce 350 000 metric tonnes. This will significantly reduce reliance on wheat imports, Ncube said. In an effort to cushion the general public and businesses against increases in the price of fuel, for example, the government reduced the strategic reserve levy on domestic fuel price from US$12,7 cents to current levels of US$8,7 cents/litre beginning January 2022 through SI 31 of 2022. Government is looking into additional policy measures to address the situation. Newsday TEL AVIV, Israel, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ASTERRA announced the recent addition of tech industry executive, Pazit Malchi Bodesky as vice president of marketing. ASTERRA also announced the promotions of two senior leaders, Yuval Lorig and James Perry. As global leaders in the use of satellite data for water and infrastructure solutions, ASTERRA continues to expand because they provide immediate and tangible benefits using geospatial data in support of challenges on earth. In her new role, Bodesky will use her experience leading marketing in other global tech spaces to scale up growth for ASTERRA. Based out of ASTERRAs Tel Aviv headquarters, Bodesky brings 15 years with firms including VMWare, Samsung, and SanDisk. Bodesky shared, I look forward to closely interacting and cooperating with other industry leaders and partners to create an eco-system that works to make a difference in the world. Yuval Lorig was promoted to vice president of research and development. He specializes in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Quantum GIS, water resource management, utilities, and geography. Based in Tel Aviv, Lorig will continue the innovative development of new SAR Earth observation and remote sensing technologies. Our goals will be fulfilled with creative thinking by the R&D members for the development of our core technology and algorithms, he said. It will also be fulfilled by taking our extensive research and development in SAR AI, computer vision, and deep learning to the next level. In the North American office, James Perry was promoted to executive vice president, a role with global reach. Perry brought his extensive sales experience to ASTERRA nearly six years ago, spearheading growth with water-saving projects in sixty countries across the globe. Perry said, Our greatest achievement was accomplished by the adoption of ASTERRAs earth monitoring SAR capabilities and disruptive innovation into new markets. This effort saves significant lost water, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and preserves humanitys precious resourcesall this while driving jobs in the high-tech sector. The job additions and promotions are an important part of why ASTERRA is achieving the success that it is, stated ASTERRA chief executive officer, Elly Perets. I am pleased with our leadership; they are truly working to solve the critical problems of the world. This team is driving strong growth, forming great partnerships, and achieving sustainability for clients, all of which are earning awards and recognition within our industry. ABOUT ASTERRA ASTERRA (formerly Utilis) provides data-driven solutions for water utilities, government agencies, and the greater infrastructure industry in the areas of roads, rails, dams, and mines. ASTERRA products use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from satellites and turns this data into large-scale decision support tools. The companys proprietary algorithms and highly educated scientists and engineers are the key to their mission, to deliver actionable intelligence to advance Earths resource resilience. Since 2017, ASTERRA technology has been used in over 60 countries, saving over 169,280 million gallons of potable water, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 108,339 metric tons, and saving 423,200 MWH of energy, all in support of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. ASTERRA is headquartered in Israel with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan. Their innovative data solutions are used in multiple verticals around the globe. ASTERRA is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to bring their products to the next level. For more information on ASTERRA and to learn more about their technology, visit https://asterra.io. Media Contact Karen Dubey Corporate Marketing Director inquiry@asterra.io (858) 798-6709 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/911421b0-0f00-41b8-9ae0-6f9601b67b64 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1b24ce0-6b49-4ce6-a730-073b36d5b80a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b4babfe3-25e0-4328-91c8-98521e3b3bbd New York, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Bone Cement Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type [Polymethyl Methacrylate Cement, Calcium Phosphate Cement, and Glass Polyalkenoate Cement ], Application, and End User [Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and Clinics]." - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06244540/?utm_source=GNW However, the issues associated with available bone cements and the availability of substitutes are hampering the growth of the bone cement market. Bone cement is used to fix prostheses to the bone in orthopedic musculoskeletal surgical procedures for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, traumatic arthritis, vascular necrosis, severe joint destruction secondary to trauma, collagen disease, and revision of previous arthroplasty procedures. Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone density and deterioration of bone tissue.Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures. In recent years, there have been growing cases of osteoporosis. For instance, according to an article published by Restore Programme in October 2020, each year, osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures globally, which corresponds to one every three seconds, with one in three women and one in five men over 50 suffering from an osteoporotic fracture. In addition, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 8.9 Million fractures are associated with osteoporosis every year and more than 500 Million people are living with risk of developing Osteoporosis. Moreover, the global incidence of hip fracture is projected to grow by 240% in women and 310% in men by 2050 compared to rates in 1990. It is estimated that more than about 50% of all osteoporotic hip fractures are likely to occur in Asia by 2050. Also, about 300,000 people with age more than 65 years are hospitalized in US every year due to fracture as per the data of Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention. Furthermore, in the 29 countries of Europe (European Union + Switzerland & UK), the number of new fragility fractures was expected to reach 4.3 million in 2019, with 826,708 hip fractures (19%), 636,705 forearm fractures (15%), 662,544 vertebral fractures (16%), and 2,149,591 other fractures (50% ). Hip fractures accounted for 43% of fracture-related mortality in women, whereas clinical vertebral fractures accounted for 53%, and other fractures accounted for 3% in 2019. The comparable proportions in men were 34%, 65%, and 1%, respectively. Similarly, between 2019 and 2034, the population aged 50 and up is expected to grow by 11.4%. The population aged 75 and above increased significantly, with 29.6% in women and 42.6% in men. Further, based on fracture counts determined from age- and sex-specific incidence and population size in 5-year age intervals, the annual number of osteoporotic fractures in the 29 countries of Europe (European Union + Switzerland & UK), is predicted to increase by 1.06 million, from 4.28 million in 2019 to 5.34 million in 2034. The percentage rise throughout the 15 years will vary significantly by country, ranging from a moderate 8% growth (Latvia) to a spectacular 58% growth (Ireland). Osteoporosis leads to increased occurrence of fractures and procedures of the joint. Hence, the rising prevalence of osteoporosis is boosting the demand and sales of bone cement, contributing to the growth of the bone cement market. Type Insights Based on type, the global bone cement market is segmented into polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cement, calcium phosphate cement (CPC), and glass polyalkenoate cement (GPC).In 2020, the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cement segment held the largest share of the market. Moreover, the calcium phosphate cement (CPC) segment market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the period from 2021 to 2028.PMMA is a plastic with excellent mechanical properties and minimal toxicity. It is popular for hip-joint transplants because of its inert properties, but it degrades slowly. There is an increasing demand for PMMA bone cement due to the extensive use of PMMA in various orthopedic procedures such as arthroplasty, kyphoplasty, and vertebroplasty. Application Insights Based on application, the bone cement market is segmented into arthroplasty, kyphoplasty, and vertebroplasty.The arthroplasty segment held the largest market share in 2020, and it is further expected to be the largest shareholder in the market by 2028. Arthroplasty is performed when medical treatments fall short to relieve the pain and restore the functioning of the joint.Hence, it has been preferred to a large extent in recent years. The surge in demand for arthroplasty is bolstering this segments market. End User Insights Based on end user, the bone cement market is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and clinics.The hospitals segment held the largest market share in 2020, and it is further expected to be the largest shareholder in the market by 2028. The growth of the segments is attributed to the growing number of cases of osteoporosis. Hospitals are the primary healthcare centers where orthopedic surgeries, such as kyphoplasty, arthroplasty, and vertebroplasty are extensively treated, bolstering the growth of bone cement market. A few major primary and secondary sources referred to while preparing the report on the global bone cement market is the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), World Health Organization (WHO), International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), by Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA). Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06244540/?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. __________________________ Paris, France, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Home Design Institute (HDI) Paris, a leading educational firm providing professional training in interior and landscape design, announced today the results of a survey of nearly 250 participants on their feelings and perceptions after moving from a smaller home to a larger one. The data was comprised of students that took a free interior design course at HDI and that indicated they had moved to a larger primary residence in the last two years. Participants were asked a number of questions concerning their relocation. An overwhelming majority, 68%, indicated that they felt happier after living in their larger home for six months, citing a variety of reasons including increased comfort (79%), more space for individual family members to utilize (77%) and improved relationships between family members (44%). Less than one-third of all respondents were less happy after living in a larger home for six months; of those respondents, the most cited reason was having to pay larger bills (73%). The full responses were: After 6 months, 32% of respondents felt less happy after moving to a larger home citing: - Larger bills (73%) - More homework (52%) - Increased distance between family members (37%) - Decreased sense of security at home (23%) - Higher repair and maintenance costs (22%) - Difficulties with managing a larger property (18%) After 6 months, 68% of respondents felt happier after moving to a larger home citing: - Greater comfort at home (79%) - Availability of individual spaces for each family member (77%) - Home has become cleaner (54%) - Improved relationships between family members (44%) - Opportunity to create a calmer, individual workplace (38%) "It was really fascinating to see the strong feelings of the respondents in this survey," commented Ilian Petrov, Founder of the Home Design Institute Paris. "We were not expecting so many respondents to have the same answers, but it turned out that many of the participants felt the same way." Data indicates that worldwide, people are living with more space per person, and it is a reasonable conclusion to think the pandemic may have exacerbated this trend with the desire for larger spaces as individuals and families spent more time at home. Another result of this prolonged home time was skyrocketing demand for interior designers and home improvement contractors. Petrov said that HDI's free Interior Design Fundamentals course has become more popular than ever. The class is an introductory-level course designed for people who are looking to start as independent interior designers. ABOUT THE HOME DESIGN INSTITUTE PARIS Founded in 2014, the Home Design Institute (HDI) Paris is a leading educational company that operates primarily in Eastern and Western Europe. HDI has more than 10,000 students that have successfully completed the program and gone on to pursue their dream profession. For more information please visit: https://homedesigninstitute.com Press responses to be sent to: I. Petrov, CEO team@homedesigninstitute.com +33 178 90 46 50 Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment San Diego, CA, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- General Atomics (GA) has named Dr. Wayne Solomon as Vice President for its Magnetic Fusion Energy (MFE) Division, effective immediately. I want to congratulate Wayne on his promotion to the role of Vice President for the MFE Division, said Dr. Anantha Krishnan, Senior Vice President for the General Atomics Energy Group. Wayne has been an integral part of GAs Energy Group for many years and brings a wealth of experience and both institutional and community knowledge to this position. This is an exciting time for fusion, and as we look towards the future, I can think of no better person than Wayne to lead MFE. I am excited to take on this important role, Dr. Solomon said. Since first coming to DIII-D almost twenty years ago, I have been incredibly privileged to have worked closely with GAs incredible group of researchers on the most pressing challenges in fusion. A confluence of events has set the stage for rapid advances in fusion energy in the coming years, and I look forward to working with the team to secure an inspiring and rewarding future for everyone in MFE as we strive to make fusion energy a reality. Dr. Solomon joined GA in 2016 as Deputy Director for the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. Most recently, he held the role of Director of Science & Technology and Deputy Director for MFE, where he helped develop a long-range strategy for the Division and oversaw innovative science, research, and technology development programs within the Energy Group. Dr. Solomon also has had a strong involvement in the fusion science community. In 2018, he became a Co-chair of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Community Planning Process and helped lead the effort to develop a consensus long range strategic plan for the U.S. fusion community. After completion of that work, he was selected as a leader of the Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) Long Range Planning Subcommittee, and the report was unanimously endorsed by the full FESAC committee. Reflecting on his vision for the MFE Division, Dr. Solomon sees GAs world-leading theory and simulation teams as playing a significant role in developing solutions for the commercialization of fusion energy. I see a vibrant future for DIII-D, added Solomon, with key upgrades that will enable the facility and its team to close out major gaps on the path to a fusion pilot plant based on the steady-state advanced tokamak. A fusion pilot plant will need a range of technologies to be developed and matured to sufficient technical readiness. The MFE Division, working closely with our many collaborating partners, is poised to make significant contributions to many areas of fusion science, including blankets, diagnostics, control systems, materials, and magnets. DIII-D is the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the U.S. and is operated as a national user facility by General Atomics for the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science. Researchers come to DIII-D from across the globe to investigate a wide range of topics from fundamental plasma science to how future fusion power plants will work. Prior to joining GA, Dr. Solomon worked at DIII-D as a collaborating scientist from Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and led the Dynamics and Control research group. He holds a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from the Australian National University. GAs outgoing Vice President for MFE, Dr. Tony Taylor, will continue to contribute to GAs MFE Division as a Fellow. I wish to thank Tony Taylor for his more than four decades of outstanding service to GA and the fusion community, said. Dr. Krishnan. The MFE Divisions technical capabilities and programmatic impact has grown significantly under his steady leadership. As he steps away from the role of Vice President, we look forward to his continued guidance and support in his new role as a GA Fellow. About General Atomics: Since the dawn of the atomic age, General Atomics innovations have advanced the state of the art across the full spectrum of science and technology from nuclear energy and defense to medicine and high-performance computing. Behind a talented global team of scientists, engineers, and professionals, GAs unique experience and capabilities continue to deliver safe, sustainable, economical, and innovative solutions to meet growing global demands. About the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. DIII-D is the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the U.S. and has been the site of numerous pioneering contributions to the development of fusion energy science. DIII-D continues the drive toward practical fusion energy with critical research conducted in collaboration with more than 600 scientists representing over 100 institutions worldwide. As a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility, participation in DIII-D research is open to all interested parties. For more information, visit www.ga.com/diii-d. For more information contact: Zabrina Johal, Senior Director of Strategic Development 858-455-4004 Zabrina.Johal@ga.com Attachment BOSTON, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Block & Leviton announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Gatos Silver, Inc. (NYSE: GATO) for securities law violations. Investors who purchased shares and have lost money are encouraged to contact the firm to learn more about how they might recover those losses. For more details, visit https://www.blockleviton.com/cases/gato. What is this all about? Before the market opened on January 26, 2022, Gatos Silver, Inc. disclosed that an error in a July 2020 technical report overestimated the resources at the Cerro Los Gatos mine in Mexico. Gatos Silver estimates a 30-50% reduction in the metal content at the mine, of which the company owns a 70% stake. Shares of Gatos Silver, Inc. stock dropped more than 60% in premarket trading on January 26, 2022. Who is eligible? Anyone who purchased Gatos Silver, Inc. stock between October 25, 2020 and January 25, 2022 is eligible, whether or not they have sold their investment. Investors should contact Block & Leviton to learn more. What should you do next? The deadline to seek appointment as lead plaintiff is April 25, 2022. A class has not yet been certified, and until a certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. If you've lost money on your investment, you should contact Block & Leviton to learn more via our case website , by email at cases@blockleviton.com , or by phone at (617) 398-5600. Why should you contact Block & Leviton? Many law firms have issued releases about this matter; most of those firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Block & Leviton is a law firm that actually litigates cases. We are dedicated to obtaining significant recoveries on behalf of defrauded investors through active litigation in the federal courts across the country. Many of the nation's top institutional investors hire us to represent their interests. You can learn more about us at our website, www.blockleviton.com , or call (617) 398-5600 or email cases@blockleviton.com with any questions. This notice may constitute attorney advertising. CONTACT: BLOCK & LEVITON LLP 260 Franklin St., Suite 1860 Boston, MA 02110 Phone: (617) 398-5600 Email: cases@blockleviton.com Dallas, Texas, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puration, Inc. (OTC Pink: PURA) and PAO Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: PAOG) are working together on a new line of CBD Nutraceuticals under PURAs Farmersville Hemp Brand Name for the $40 billion womens health market . PURA and PAOG anticipate the new Farmersville Brand CBD Nutraceutical Line to boost 2022 revenue potentially beyond current projections. PAOG revealed in a February strategic update that the two companies were working together on a new line of CBD Nutraceuticals under PURAs Farmersville Hemp Brand Name. The joint CBD Nutraceutical developments have progressed, and the two companies now plan to launch the new product line next month in April. The new CBD Nutraceuticals will be available on North American Cannabis Holding, Inc.s (OTC Pink: USMJ) ecommerce site www.USMJ.com . Look for more news coming soon on the several products that PURA and PAOG will introduced for the womens health market under the Farmersville Brand name. Read PURAs latest comprehensive update on PURAs Farmersville Hemp Brand rollout . For more information on Puration, visit http://www.purationinc.com Learn more about PAOG at www.paogroupinc.com . Disclaimer: This News Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any these statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any those forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this news release. None of such forward-looking statements should be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the objectives and plans set forth in this News Release will be achieved or be executed. For More Information Contact: Puration, Inc. Brian Shibley, info@aciconglomerated.com (800) 861-1350 Las Vegas, NV, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corcoran Global Living (CGL) is excited to welcome Michael Zelina and his sales associates to the firms operation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Zelina was the broker, owner and co-founder of Red Luxury Real Estate, Marketing & Productions, a well-recognized hybrid company that embodied both a luxury boutique brokerage and a thriving marketing agency. To be presented with an opportunity to join forces with like-minded power players of the industry was a no-brainer, commented Zelina. The foundation of CGLs philosophy is built off a mindset that proudly states, power of the big with the heart of the small. We couldnt have said it any better ourselves. Were humbled and honored to transition our brokerage into Corcoran Global Living offering our VIP clients worldwide syndication with a local and domestic network that is beyond impressive. Co-founded by Michael Zelina, Luxury Broker, and Leah Marie Monroe, Chief Marketing Officer, Red Luxury quickly rose to success since its inception just four years ago. With a combined 45+ years of multifaceted and international selling, marketing, branding, real estate and business development, their mission was to provide a top-notch experience to all clients by offering the same Hollywood Marketability that had proven effective from their work with top agents in Beverly Hills and L.A. to Las Vegas. With this approach, clients could be part of the creative process and benefit from collaborating alongside professionals that were both highly trained in digital marketing and had a successful career history in the real estate industry. With this new partnership with Corcoran Global Living, Zelina and his sales team will move the brokerage side of the operation to Corcoran Global Living, while Red Luxury Marketing & Production Studios will continue on as an independent, full-service media agency. Corcoran Global Livings philosophy and Red Luxurys passion seamlessly aligned, commented Monroe. Those that empower, rather than limit, understand that you receive far more than you give by simply allowing talent to soar. The formula for success is to supercharge all intentions, genuinely and authentically. The leadership at CGL certainly embodies this big picture, forward-thinking culture. Zelinas global luxury marketing is further amplified by Corcoran Global Livings exclusive membership in the Board of Regents of Whos Who in Luxury Real Estate for the Greater Las Vegas area. This global network is showcased on LuxuryRealEstate.com, the No. 1 portal for luxury properties online, which represents several times more multi-million-dollar estates than any near-peer. Each Regent member represents a defined territory serving as a leading authority in the region. Holding more territories than any other member, Corcoran Global Living is also the select representative in Orange, San Diego, and San Bernardino Counties, coastal communities from Manhattan Beach to Long Beach in Los Angeles County, and in seven of the nine Bay Area counties within Northern California. We couldnt be more excited to welcome Michael and his team to the Corcoran Global Living family, stated Michael Mahon, Chief Executive Officer of Corcoran Global Living. Their experience in the top echelon of the market, the polished image that theyve crafted, and the energy, enthusiasm and vision that they bring to furthering growth in the luxury sector aligns perfectly with the goals and trajectory of Corcoran Global Living. Michaels sales team is headquartered out of Downtown Summerlin at 1980 Festival Plaza Drive, Suite 460. He can be reached at 702.626.7466 (call/text) or Michael.Zelina@CorcoranGL.com. About Corcoran Global Living Founded on the principle of putting people first, Corcoran Global Living, an independently owned and operated affiliate of The Corcoran Group, serves the Northern California, Southern California, Reno/Lake Tahoe, Southern Nevada and Central Ohio markets with more than 80 strategically located offices throughout the regions. Corcoran Global Living is well positioned to provide exceptional service to its loyal clientele with 2,800 dedicated, professional independent sales associates and gross annual sales of $11 billion. Known for making a positive difference in the communities where associates and staff live, the Corcoran Global Living organization is poised for expansive growth to service clients in California, Nevada, Ohio and additional new markets and communities. From luxury homes and income properties to vacation getaways and first-time homes, Corcoran Global Living has the experience, insight and expertise to achieve and surpass clients highest expectations. For more information, visit CorcoranGL.com. Attachment SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gainsight announced the completion of its 2022 fiscal year, during which the company exceeded its growth expectations, expanded its customer base, completed a strategic acquisition, grew its employee count, and enhanced its products, among other notable achievements. Our customer and product communities are growing like never before, said Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight. Im more fired up than ever by the direction of our industry, and how the ideas of customer-led, product-led, and community-led growth are transforming the ways companies grow. Gainsights fiscal year 2022 highlights included: Large Enterprise Customer Growth Across Industries Gainsight continued to grow its share of the Customer Success and Product Experience markets with multiple large enterprise wins, including its largest Product Experience deal ever. Gainsights customer base now includes nearly 200 public companies. New and notable customers include Refinitiv, HMH, Trend Micro, and Powerschool. Gainsight CS and PX Products Deliver More Opportunities For Companies To Drive Durable, Consistent, Customer-Led and Product-Led Growth Gainsight CS - Gainsight made CS easier to use by redesigning several areas of the product using its Horizon Design system , and enhanced its survey settings to give teams more control over how NPS and CSAT are calculated within Gainsight. The company also extended the availability of its AI-powered bot, Sally, into Microsoft Teams, and added the ability to include renewal analytics within its Horizon Analytics Dashboards. It also made enhancements to its Playbooks and Success Plans features to help Customer Success Managers improve their productivity by allowing them to more easily manage their daily tasks within Gainsight CS. Gainsight PX - Transformative enhancements were made to the Gainsight PX Knowledge Center Bot with the addition of Article Editor, which allows users to increase feature adoption and awareness by creating great-looking product release note cards, including embedding multimedia files. The company also released enhancements to its multi-question survey with ability to display multiple questions in a single step for optimized completion rates. Significant upgrades were made to the Gainsight PX Mobile SDK to natively support hybrid mobile applications. The company also built on its strength of supporting businesses with multiple products by launching Gainsight PX Multi-Subscription Admin which enables the management of global throttling and template sharing, making it easier to seamlessly orchestrate user experience across products. And Gainsight introduced a product mapper enhancement which adds heat mapping of instrumented features on each application page, making it easy to identify areas of the product that have been mapped or not. Gainsight Announces Pulse Impact to Expand Customer Success Employment Opportunities Gainsight doubled-down on its support of the communities where its employees, customers, and stakeholders work and live through the launch of Pulse Impact . Inspired by an industry-wide movement for greater Customer Success growth and market performance, Pulse Impact advances an equitable, human-first CS industry culture by addressing professional barriers to success and promoting an inclusive community that reflects the diverse world around us. Led by Gainsights Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff, Robin Merritt, key components of the program include job training and mentorship, DEI initiatives, strategic communications, shared platforms and curriculum. Gainsight Makes Strategic Acquisition of Industry-Leading Community Platform In January 2022, Gainsight acquired InSided , based in Amsterdam, adding to its portfolio a Customer Success Community platform uniquely designed to leverage the power of communities to drive product engagement and adoption, increase retention, and build lasting customer relationships. In conjunction with the acquisition, Gainsight named Robin van Lieshout, CEO and Founder of InSided, to the position of General Manager. Gainsight Grew Its Team and Earned Multiple Awards Also in January 2022, Gainsight announced the appointment of Brian Shelton to CFO . The company now has over 1,000 employees, an increase of 40% year-over-year. Additionally, Gainsight was awarded the Excellence in Engineering Award and Nick Mehta received the Top Individual Contributor Award (Flagship Fund) from the companys investor, Vista Equity Partners. Finally, Gainsight garnered the highly competitive Great Place To Work award from Great Place to Work for the second year in a row, and Mickey Alon, CTO of Gainsight PX, was named one of the Top 25 CTOs in 2022 . About Gainsight Gainsights innovative technology helps companies increase product adoption and drive greater net revenue retention by identifying at-risk customers, creating systematic processes to mitigate concerns and efficiently ramping up engagement efforts. Gainsights platform offers a powerful set of solutions focused on customer success, product experience, and community engagement that together enable businesses to put the customer at the center of everything they do. Learn how leading companies such as GE Digital, SAP Concur, and Box use Gainsight at www.gainsight.com . VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Everyone can contribute to world-changing scientific discoveries with the right tools and questions. Quantified Citizen is a mobile health research platform that powers scientific discovery through digitized health measures and a community of professional researchers and citizen scientists. The app leverages standard health measures that make it easy for anyone to rapidly create and deploy behavioral research studies. It has a growing library of studies on interventions like psychedelic microdosing for mental health, conditions like sobriety and its connections to mood, creativity, productivity and more. Anyone can choose studies based on their interests and, in as little as two minutes a day, contribute to global health and science. "We envision a world where doing scientifically valid health research is as fast and easy as creating a website, with the same global reach. Where scientific tinkering and self-examination are normalized, vastly accelerating the pace of discovery by unlocking unexamined data," shares co-founder and CEO Eesmyal Santos-Brault. Quantified Citizen's study on psychedelic microdosing's effects on cognitive performance and mental health was recently published in the prestigious Nature Scientific Reports. The study, informally called Microdose.me, is the largest microdosing study in the world at 17,000 participants and counting, and has been presented at numerous conferences, including Exponential Medicine, SXSW, Summit LA, and soon TED and Life Itself. "For way too long, science has been the domain of a professional class, and citizens have been merely passive observers. By partnering with citizen scientists, we aim to empower a generation of amateur researchers, and unlock scientific curiosity, imagination, and creativity on a scale never seen before," says co-founder and CTO Kalin Harvey The Quantified Citizen app is available on iOS and Android. A recent update offers visual redesign, new tasks and activities, and the ability to connect Apple Health or Google Fit. New studies have also been announced: Impact of COVID-19 - Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of mental health and social relationships. - Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of mental health and social relationships. Mental Health Tracker - Does mental health fluctuate with the seasons? Is it affected by a new routine or treatment regimen like a new medication? - Does mental health fluctuate with the seasons? Is it affected by a new routine or treatment regimen like a new medication? Attitudes Towards Psychedelics - A global survey of attitudes and beliefs towards psychedelics. - A global survey of attitudes and beliefs towards psychedelics. Sobriety and Well-being Study - How abstaining from alcohol or cannabis for one month affects sleep. - How abstaining from alcohol or cannabis for one month affects sleep. Personality and Drug Use - Do drugs play a role in altering our personalities? To fuel further growth and development of new study capabilities, Quantified Citizen is pleased to announce the closing of its oversubscribed Series Seed financing round, led by Bicycle Day Ventures and Limitless, along with notable investors Paul Stamets, Lance Tracey, Iter Investments, and Empath Ventures. Press Contact: Nikki Paqueo, Product Marketing Manager marketing@quantifiedcitizen.com, +1-604-800-2911 Investor Contact: Eesmyal Santos-Brault, Co-founder & CEO invest@quantifiedcitizen.com, +1-604-800-2911 Related Images Image 1 Quantified Citizen leverages citizen science in advancing global health and scientific research. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment SEATTLE, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kormotech, the largest pet food manufacturer in Ukraine, is strengthening its Save Pets of Ukraine initiative by partnering with U.S. entities Greater Good Charities, Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, American Pet Products Association, Pets Around the World, and Matrix Partners. The emergency initiative provides pet food and critical supplies to Ukrainian animal welfare organizations and pet parents devastated by the Russian invasion since February 24. The Save Pets of Ukraine initiative is implemented by U-Hearts Foundation, a non-profit established in Lithuania by Kormotech to advance programming activities aimed at improving pet life conditions in Eastern Europe. Since the start of Russia`s invasion in Ukraine, 94.5 tons of pet food have already been delivered to 260 shelters in Ukraine. Kormotech has been fulfilling requests with their own capabilities and pet supplies but are running out of inventory and cannot meet the demand being created by the destruction, said Liz Baker, CEO for Greater Good Charities. This new coalition around Save Pets of Ukraine will help raise urgently needed cash donations to purchase medicine and supplies in countries nearby, as well as source food and product donations for longer term relief. While many organizations, including Greater Good Charities, are focused on helping people and pets fleeing Ukraine, there is a desperate need to provide emergency relief to those remaining in the western section of this beleaguered nation. While pet food and supplies will be needed long term, the most urgent need is for cash donations so that products can be purchased quickly in neighboring countries and shipped in. With Kormotechs presence in the country, and its partners ability to source donations, Save Pets of Ukraine is uniquely positioned to help those remaining in Ukraine. Save Pets of Ukraine provides a mechanism for Ukrainian animal welfare organizations and individuals to request these critical items, and so far, has received thousands of requests. The most requested items are: Pet food for cats, dogs, birds, rodents and other pets Supplies, including collars, leashes, muzzles, cages, and carriers Medications for animals HOW TO HELP NOW Greater Good Charities is collecting cash donations on behalf of Save Pets of Ukraine. All donations made in the U.S. are 100% tax deductible, as allowable by law, and 100% of donations received will support the initiative. U-Hearts Foundation will coordinate the purchase and distribution of supplies into the country. Those interested in donating are invited to visit https://greatergood.org/savepetsofukraine Greater Good Charities is also sourcing product donations and coordinating the shipment of goods to neighboring countries for distribution. If you are a company in the U.S. or Europe interested in making a product donation, please email savepetsofukraine@greatergood.org. The initiative gives priority to pet volunteers and shelters, as well as humanitarian aid to points under constant fire. The group also endeavors to connect pet stores in cities not currently affected by the Russian invasion with individuals seeking help. # # # About Greater Good Charities Greater Good Charities is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that works to help people, pets, and the planet by mobilizing in response to need and amplifying the good. Greater Good Charities, with a 100/100 rating on Charity Navigator, and has provided more than $400 million in impact, including cash grants, in-kind supplies, and programmatic support, to over 5,000 charitable partners in 121 countries since 2007. To learn more about how Greater Good Charities is amplifying the good across the globe, please visit greatergood.org or follow Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. About Pets Around the World (PAW) Pets Around the World was formed by a group of experienced pet professionals that have an unwavering love of pets and to help connect the best pet food manufacturers with pet parents all over the world. Using the PAW global network, we are helping Kormotech to gather the much needed resources to help Ukraines pets and pet families. To learn more about PAW, please visit www.petsaroundthe.world. About Matrix Partners Matrix Partners is a brand strategy and communications agency that focuses exclusively on pet products. For more than 30 years, it has created pet brands that enrich the human-animal bond. Every Matrix team member is firmly committed to helping people and pets in need, having raised significant sums for the American Cancer Society and Autism Speaks, in addition to supporting several pet rescue organizations. We will reach out to our extensive pet industry and pet owner friends to solicit funds for this important initiative. For more information, please visit www.matrix1.com or email hello@matrix1.com. About Phillips Pet Food & Supplies Phillips Pet Food & Supplies began as a family owned and operated business in 1938. Today, there are 12 distribution centers strategically located across the country. We proudly service Pet stores, Aquatic stores, Feed & Farm stores, Groomers, Veterinarians, and Humane Organizations. Our commitment is simple: To provide our customers with the products and services that will contribute to the growth and profitability of their business. Visit us at www.phillipspet.com to learn more. Attachment A ZIMBABWEAN man living illegally in Botswana has been arrested for strangling an elderly Motswana woman to death and stealing her bicycle which he rode to Zimbabwe. The murder took place on Valentines Day. According to Botswana media, villagers in Tutume area in Botswana on the border with rural Bulilima in Matabeleland South province effected citizen arrest on Bhekimpilo Moyo of Chidiwe village in Ndolwane area. He had allegedly killed a 70-year-old woman identified as Chanda Kugwa before villagers caught him. The woman rode a bicycle to her fields and Moyo allegedly followed her and killed her before fleeing to Ndolwane in Zimbabwe. Moyo has since appeared before a magistrates court in Masunga, Botswana, charged with entering the country unlawfully, murder and prosecutors indicated a possible additional rape charge. Moyo was remanded in custody because he is a flight risk and will be back in court on Monday next week for routine remand. Allegations are that Moyo strangled the old woman to death in order to steal her bicycle, which he rode to Zimbabwe. The now deceased was last seen going to her fields riding a bicycle and when she did not return home in the evening, her brother followed her and found her dead body in the field. The witness phoned police who attended the scene and rushed the unconscious Kugwa to a local clinic where she was confirmed dead. There were visible injuries raising suspicion that she had been strangled. Where she was lying we spotted a strangers shoe print that we suspected was of the person who murdered her and stole her bicycle. Our investigations led to the arrest of the Zimbabwean man, said Tutume Superintendent Station Commander Jerry Halahala, quoted in media in Botswana. Members of the public effected citizen arrest on Moyo and handed him to the police. A video of the citizens arrested was trending on Facebook last week and Moyo admitted in the video that he killed the elderly woman and fled to Ndolwane village in Zimbabwe with her bicycle. He then returned to Setabataba village in Botswana to visit his girlfriend who stays there and thats when members of the public apprehended him. Chronicle Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States TORONTO, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) today announced the 2022 first quarter cash distributions for the ETF series (ETF Series) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds that distribute quarterly (Funds). Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on March 24, 2022, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on or about March 31, 2022. Details of the per-unit cash distribution amount are as follow: Fund Name Ticker Cash Distribution per Unit PIMCO Managed Conservative Bond Pool PCON $0.08000 PIMCO Managed Core Bond Pool PCOR $0.12743 The Manager, PIMCO Canada administers and manages the PIMCO Canada ETFs, and retains Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO), to provide sub-advisory services to the Funds. About PIMCO PIMCO was founded in 1971 in Newport Beach, California and is one of the worlds premier fixed income investment managers. Today we have offices across the globe and 3,000+ professionals united by a single purpose: creating opportunities for investors in every environment. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expect, intend, will and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Funds, PIMCO Canadas and/or PIMCOs current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law. No offering is being made by this material. Interested investors should obtain a copy of the prospectus, which is available from your Financial Advisor. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. All investments contain risk and can lose value. For a summary of the risks of an investment in a specific fund, please see the risks of mutual funds section of the prospectus. Investments made by a Fund and the results achieved by a Fund are not expected to be the same as those made by any other PIMCO-advised Fund, including those with a similar name, investment objective or policies. A new or smaller Funds performance may not represent how the Fund is expected to or may perform in the long-term. New Funds have limited operating histories for investors to evaluate and new and smaller Funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment and trading efficiencies. A Fund may be forced to sell a comparatively large portion of its portfolio to meet significant shareholder redemptions for cash, or hold a comparatively large portion of its portfolio in cash due to significant share purchases for cash, in each case when the Fund otherwise would not seek to do so, which may adversely affect performance. Funds can offer different series, which are subject to different fees and expenses (which may affect performance), having different minimum investment requirements and are entitled to different services. The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose. PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO LLC as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser. PIMCO as a general matter provides services to qualified institutions, financial intermediaries and institutional investors. Individual investors should contact their own financial professional to determine the most appropriate investment options for their financial situation. This material contains the current opinions of the manager and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission. PIMCO is a trademark of Allianz Asset Management of America L.P. in the United States and throughout the world. 2022, PIMCO PIMCO Canada Corp. 199 Bay Street, Suite 2050, Commerce Court Station, P.O. Box 363, Toronto, ON, M5L 1G2, 416-368-3350 Contact: Agnes Crane PIMCO Media Relations Phone: +212 597.1054 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Piera Systems, Inc. ("Piera") is pleased to announce a collaboration with Sensorbee AB ("Sensorbee") in its release of highly accurate Outdoor Air Quality Monitors ("AQM"). Sensorbee, based out of Linkoping, Sweden, makes highly differentiated outdoor monitors providing cities with extensive, hyper-local air quality measurements to enable their Smart City plans. "Air pollution is an enormous global health problem and our ability to combat it starts with accurately measuring it. We couldn't be more pleased with our collaboration with Piera and the quality of their particle sensors," said David Lowenbrand, CEO of Sensorbee. "We are now able to offer highly accurate outdoor air quality monitors while unlocking brand new applications." Outdoor air quality monitoring has traditionally focused on PM2.5 and PM10 but many pollution sources, including wildfire smoke and diesel pollution, contain particles in the sub-micron range. Many of these smaller particles infiltrate indoor spaces where most of our time is spent and they pose the greatest danger to human health thus making their measurements imperative to improving health outcomes. The ability to accurately track sub-micron particles in real time opens new applications, such as tracking diesel vehicles in urban environments and identifying likely sources of pollution even in large metropolitan areas. As cities ramp up their commitments to provide more breathable environments for their citizens, better data can offer vital insights that can inform more efficient mitigation efforts. "A sound Smart City plan starts with better data at its heart and we are excited to work with Sensorbee as they deploy their highly accurate outdoor air quality monitors to market. The ability to accurately monitor outdoor air quality is critical to cities racing to meet their Climate Change commitments," said Vin Ratford, CEO of Piera Systems. "Traditional outdoor monitoring of larger particles like PM2.5 and PM10 is simply inadequate and real-time monitoring of submicron particles is essential to improving breathability everywhere." Sensorbee stationary solar-powered air quality monitoring unit Sensorbee mobile air quality unit with magnetic feet for easy vehicle mounting About Piera Systems, Inc. Piera Systems Inc. is on a mission to make air quality measurement accurate, simple, inexpensive, and pervasive, enabling a major improvement in the health of all humans. Piera has developed a family of 'Intelligent Particle Sensors' utilizing a breakthrough custom processor to detect particulate matter (PM), a major component of air pollution. Unlike existing low-cost PM sensors, IPS has superior accuracy over a wider range, including harmful 'very fine particles' smaller than 1.0 micron, and reports particle size and count in real time at low power. IPS is the first software-defined PM sensor with up to seven particle sizes allowing its use in many applications. IPS data is analyzed using AI/ML algorithms to identify and classify pollution sources such as vape, cigarette smoke, cooking, etc. IPS sensors and Canaree air quality monitors answer the question, 'What's In Your Air?' More information on Piera Systems air quality solutions can be found at https://www.pierasystems.com. About Sensorbee Founded in 2018, Sensorbee is a cleantech startup that provides ultra-local, air quality sensors, data, and cloud-based analytics solutions. Sensorbee's solution is based on mobile and stationary sensors and offers comprehensive visibility into the air pollution and emissions in urban environments. Sensorbee enables governments and companies to reduce air pollution globally. Headquartered in Sweden, more information on Sensorbee air quality can be found at https://www.sensorbee.com. Contact Information Raj Seelam VP Marketing & Customer Success raj.seelam@pierasystems.com David Lowenbrand CEO hello@sensorbee.com +46 101385373 --#--- Related Images Image 1: Sensorbee Image 2: Sensorbee stationary solar-powered air quality monitoring unit Image 3: Sensorbee mobile air quality unit with magnetic feet for easy vehicle mounting This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment FRISCO, TX, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Verde Bio Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:VBHI), https://www.verdebh.com/ , a growing oil, gas and alternative energy Company, today filed its 10-Q for the three-month period November 2021 through January 2022. Mineral and Royalty income totaled $301,567. This is a significant increase in revenue but less than the Company was expecting. Verde Bio begins receiving revenue after a transfer process, which is not in our control. While we are in pay status on the majority of our properties, some have suspended revenue during this quarter due to consolidations, which causes a month or two delay as accounting is updated, said Scott Cox, VBHI founder and CEO. We can count on receiving back revenues in the current quarter and year-end. The revenue in our third quarter was based on an average of $72/bbl of crude oil and $4/mcf for natural gas. These prices have since increased, which will mean an additional increase in revenue for VBHI in the future, Mr. Cox explained. There have been historic increases in commodity pricing from when we originally bought our properties. Most of our original acquisitions from 2021 were bought at a basis of $45-$55/bbl oil, which means we can forecast almost a significant increase of revenue to the Company given oils recent highs of more than $120/bbl. We look forward to finally having a full quarter of pay on our properties and we believe our shareholders and overall market will be pleased by the results at year end, Mr. Cox said. Verde Bio Holdings CEO said the Company continues to examine many possible future acquisitions. Mr. Cox said the recent termination of the proposed acquisition of Biodiesel Production facilities occurred because it would have been a very complicated, expensive, and risky venture. We are pleased to continue with our current business plan of acquiring and investing in quality energy assets. In the third quarter we made two revenue producing acquisitions, a high growth gas asset in the Utica Shale and a long-life oil asset in the Permian Basin. We continue to execute on our business plan of increasing assets and revenue by strategic acquisitions, Mr. Cox said. Verde has begun looking at investments in wind and solar and other alternatives/renewables as well as continuing to add to its oil and gas portfolio. We believe these energy sectors will have heavy growth with high returns to the Company, Mr. Cox said. Additionally, the Company plans a name change soon to better reflect the direction and focus of Verde Bio as an energy company, and also it continues to further explore a potential listing on a national exchange. About Verde Bio Holdings, Inc. Verde Bio Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: VBHI), is a growing U.S. Energy Company based in Frisco, Texas, engaged in the acquisition and development of high-growth mineral rights and select non-operated working interests in premier U.S. basins. Verde currently owns producing mineral, royalty and over-riding royalty interests in the Denver-Julesburg Basin of Colorado and Wyoming, the Haynesville Shale of Louisiana, the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, the Delaware and Permian Basin of Texas and the Marcellus and Utica shales in West Virginia and Ohio. The Company is focused on providing strong shareholder returns through asset growth generated by our acquisitions of revenue producing assets. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty, are predictions only and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include the uncertainty regarding viability and market acceptance of the Companys products and services, the ability to complete software development plans in a timely manner, changes in relationships with third parties, product mix sold by the Company and other factors described in the Companys most recent periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Contact: Paul Knopick pknopick@eandecommunications.com 949.697.1323 NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIER59 STUDIOS is inviting all participants of the artistic and advertising industries to propose possible solutions to the Russian military aggression on Ukraine, and its ruthless invasion. The following are those that Federico Pignatelli, Chairman of Pier59 Studios, is proposing to international political forces and communities: 1) To immediately establish a no-fly zone over all nuclear plants in Ukraine, which pose an unimaginable danger to all Europe. Should these plants be damaged, or lack electrical power, they risk propagating radiation all over Ukraine and Western Europe which would be per se equivalent to the effects of nuclear war. The no-fly zones should be immediately enacted by the European Air Forces, which are superior to their Russian counterparts and more than adequate to protect the air space. 2) To extend the international no-fly zone over hospitals and civilian targets, where the general population is taking refuge from Russian attacks. 3) To immediately reduce the European governments importation of oil and gas from Russia by instituting an austerity program in Western Europe which would halt the use of any strictly unnecessary energy consumption, such as that utilized for: lighting advertisements, streetlights, heating on days where the temperatures exceed 3 degrees Celsius, and so on. 4) To continue to arm the Ukrainian forces with latest generation weapons to defend themselves from the indiscriminate Russian attacks. 5) To continue providing humanitarian help to the Ukrainian population with food, water, medicine, and clothing. 6) To enact new, wider, and strict sanctions against all public and private Russian financial institutions and companies and prohibit the purchase of all Russian product, of any kind. Pignatelli furthered his commentary, providing that: Only by acting immediately and in a coordinated effort will this senseless war cease. If we allow Ukraine to fall under the dictatorship of Russia, the criminal Putin will be emboldened to propagate war to other European countries. His propaganda in Russia is a clear demonstration that he has plans to reconstitute the old Soviet Union State, which includes many sovereign and independent countries in Eastern Europe. It is a European emergency, and European government should take the lead. I applaud the Prime Ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia for having traveled to Kyiv as a sign of the European communitys support. I encourage the leaders of other major European countries to do the same, and to have their respective Air Forces protect them from any attack in Kyiv. If we do not take immediate action to stop them now, Putins aggressions toward Europe will continue to advance beyond the point of no return. I appeal to our community to propose any other possible scenarios to stop this devastating war and protect the future of Europe, concluded Pignatelli. Contact Email: info@pier59.com Contact Number: 212-691-5959 English French MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Samsung Canada, please note that in the Canadian Availability section, the product link was incorrect. The corrected release follows: Samsung Electronics Canada today announced the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, expanding access to innovative Galaxy technology at an affordable price point. Fully loaded with AI camera experiences, an expansive and smooth display and two-day battery life1, Galaxy A53 5G is designed to power your every moment whether you are working, learning, creating or exploring. With 5G network access2, defense-grade security, seamless connectivity and an eco-conscious, stylish and slim design, Galaxy A53 5G delivers new ways to create, connect and thrive. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the positive impact mobile technology can have on their lives, said TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics MX (Mobile eXperience) Business. With the latest Galaxy A series release, were making it easier than ever to enjoy Galaxys advanced, innovative mobile experience at a great value. Capture an Awesome Shot in Any Situation Whether creating content or sharing it with friends, Galaxy A53 5G is packed with many of the powerful and fun features from the Galaxy S series for next-level camera experiences. Galaxy A53 5Gs quad-camera system features a 64MP OIS Camera with VDIS technology, paired with a high-resolution 32MP front camera for crisp and steady shots every time. Fueled by a brand new 5nm processor, Galaxy A53 5Gs innovative AI-powered camera makes images look awesome even in low light. Improved Night mode automatically synthesizes up to 12 images at once so night photos look bright with less noise. When shooting video in low-light environments, Galaxy A53 5Gs framerate automatically adjusts for bright, clear videos. The enhanced Portrait mode captures impressive depth and subject outlines with dual cameras and powerful AI. Moments can also be amplified with Fun mode, delivering playful filters and effects that now work with the Ultra-wide lens. Plus, Photo Remaster breathes new life into old and low quality photos, and Object Eraser removes pesky photo bombers in the background. Maximize Viewing Experiences In the past, a sunny day could make it hard to see your smartphones screen, but with the intelligent algorithm on Galaxy A53 5G, you can view your favourite content in vivid detail even outside. The expansive 6.5-inch3 Super AMOLED display also offers a 120Hz refresh rate for immersive viewing experiences. Plus, Galaxy A53 5G is now equipped with up to two-day battery4 life and 25W Super Fast Charging5 so watching, streaming and more can last even longer. Beautiful, Durable, Purposeful Design Expertly crafted to be fashionable, functional, and sustainable, Galaxy A53 5Gs slim bezel and Ambient Edge design seamlessly blends the camera with the body of the phone to create a smooth, stylish look. Galaxy A53 5G also delivers enhanced durability thanks to Tough Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and IP676 water and dust resistance for added peace of mind. Samsung has always challenged whats possible with technology and will continue to rethink how best to use the planets resources. Announced in August 2021 with Galaxy for the Planet, Samsung is committed to delivering tangible environmental actions to help make the planet healthier by 2025. Building on sustainability efforts, Galaxy A53 5G removes the charger plug and has reduced packaging. Packaging also uses sustainably sourced paper, while the device itself leverages recycled post-consumer materials (PCM) for the side buttons and SIM card trays. The Connected Galaxy Experience, Secure and at Your Fingertips Secured by the defense-grade Samsung Knox, Galaxy A53 5G helps to ensure data and information stays protected. Secure Folder acts as an encrypted, digital safe for private photos, notes and apps, and Private Share7 allows users to control exactly who has access to files and for how long. Galaxy A53 5G also offers Samsung Wallet8, a convenient and protected place to safely store your favourite debit, credit and loyalty cards. Galaxy A53 5G is also designed to work seamlessly within the Galaxy ecosystem, expanding audio options when connected to Galaxy Buds. Available on Galaxy Buds Pro and coming soon to Galaxy Buds2 and Buds Live, users will be able to enjoy 360 Audio technology9 for immersive 3D sound. When its time to get productive, Link to Windows10 can connect Galaxy A53 5G to a Windows PC so you can copy and paste or transfer files with ease, and even answer calls or texts directly from your desktop. Canadian Availability Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is available for pre-order starting March 17, 2022 and for purchase starting April 1, 2022 at Samsung.com/ca, Samsung Experience Stores, and with major carrier and retail partner locations across Canada for $589.99 (our regular price). For more information on Galaxy A53 5G please see: https://www.samsung.com/ca/smartphones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a53-5g-awesome-black-128gb-sm-a536wzkaxac/ For a stylish match to your Galaxy A53 5G smartphone, Galaxy Buds2 and Galaxy Buds Live will soon be available in Onyx at samsung.com/ca and select retail partners across Canada. Pre-Order Offer Canadians who purchase Galaxy A53 5G online at Samsung.com/ca or at a Samsung Experience Store location between March 17 and March 31, 2022, will receive Galaxy Buds Live as a gift with purchase.11 Peace of Mind with Samsung Care+ With a Samsung Care+ Plan, Canadians can experience a total care service for their new Galaxy Smartphone, Laptop, Tablet or Wearable device. Users will be protected for up to two years against physical or liquid damage and mechanical malfunction or defects, with a team of dedicated Galaxy experts available to help them get back on track12. To learn more, please see https://www.samsung.com/ca/offer/samsung-care-plus/ Door to Door Repair Service Across Canada Enjoy convenient pick-up, speedy repair, and contactless delivery to your home. If you need service support for your Samsung devices, you can arrange convenient Door-to-Door service pick-up through 1-800-SAMSUNG, Live Chat or text us at WECARE (932 273). Customers can also request a self-service repair and book simply through the Your Service portal found online at www.samsung.com/ca/galaxy-repair to arrange a convenient Door-to-Door device pick-up to their home. Pick-up and return of the Galaxy device is free of charge. Service is available for both In- and Out-of-Warranty customers. Coverage may vary. For more information on Door to Door Repair Service, please visit https://www.samsung.com/ca/galaxy-repair For more information about the latest Samsung Galaxy devices including specifications: www.samsung.com/ca/ About Samsung Electronics Canada Inc. Samsung Electronics Canada inspires Canadians to reach their full potential through a transformative ecosystem of products and services that deliver innovation and distinct design to every aspect of their connected lives. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, virtual reality and wearable devices, tablets and digital appliances. In 2021, Samsung was ranked as one of Canada's "Most Reputable Companies" in Leger's Corporate Reputation Study. Dedicated to helping make a difference in the lives of Canadians, Samsung's award-winning corporate giving initiatives support public education and health-related issues in communities across the country. To discover more, please visit www.Samsung.ca. Follow Samsung Canada at facebook.com/SamsungCanada, or Instagram @samsungcanada or Twitter @SamsungCanada. Product Specifications* Galaxy A53 5G Display 6.5-inch* FHD+ Super AMOLED 120Hz Infinity-O Display *Measured diagonally, the screen size is 6.5" in the full rectangle and 6.3" accounting for the rounded corners. The actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and the camera hole. Dimensions & Weight 74.8 x 159.6 x 8.1mm, 189g Camera Rear (Ultra-Wide) 12 MP F2.2 (Main) 64 MP F1.8 OIS (Depth) 5 MP F2.4 (Macro) 5 MP F2.4 Front 32 MP F2.2 Processor Octa-core (2.4GHz, 2GHz) Memory RAM: 6 GB Storage: 128 GB* MicroSD: Up to 1TB** *Actual storage availability may vary depending on pre-installed software. **MicroSD card sold separately. Availability may vary depending on market. Battery 5,000mAh(typical)* *Typical value tested under third-party laboratory conditions. A typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. Rated (minimum) capacity is 4,860mAh. Charging 25W Super Fast Charging* *Wall charger sold separately; use only Samsung-approved chargers and cables. To avoid injury or damage to your device, do not use incompatible, worn or damaged batteries, chargers or cables. Supports up to 25W Super Fast Charging. For more information on your device, please visit www.samsung.com. OS Android 12 One UI 4.1* *Availability of One UI features, apps and services may vary depending on OS version and market. Security Samsung Knox Network and Connectivity 5G*, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4G+5GHz), Bluetooth v 5.1 *Requires optimal 5G network connection. Check with your carrier for availability and details. Download and streaming speeds may vary based on content provider, server connection and other factors. Sensors Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Virtual Proximity Sensing Water Resistance IP67* *IP67 is based on test conditions for submersion in up to 1 meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Not advised for use in beaches, pools or near soapy water. Safe against low water pressure only. Rinse residue/dry after wet. * All functionality, features, specifications, and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice. 1 Based on average battery life under typical usage conditions. Average expected performance based on typical use. Actual battery life depends on factors such as network, features selected, frequency of calls, and voice, data, and other application usage patterns. 2 Requires optimal 5G network connection, available in select markets. Check with your carrier for availability and details. Download and streaming speeds may vary based on content provider, server connection and other factors. 3 Measured diagonally, the screen size is 6.5" in the full rectangle and 6.3" accounting for the rounded corners. The actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and the camera hole. 4 Based on average battery life under typical usage conditions. Average expected performance based on typical use. Actual battery life depends on factors such as network, features selected, frequency of calls, and voice, data, and other application usage patterns. 5 Wall charger sold separately; use only Samsung-approved chargers and cables. To avoid injury or damage to your device, do not use incompatible, worn or damaged batteries, chargers or cables. Supports up to 25W Super Fast Charging. For more information on your device, please visit www.samsung.com. 6 Galaxy A53 5G is rated as IP67. Based on test conditions for submersion in up to 1 meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Not advised for use in beaches, pools or near soapy water. Safe against low water pressure only. Rinse residue/dry after wet. 7 Private Share features require both the sender and receiver to have Galaxy mobile devices with Android 9 or later and the Private Share app. 8 Payment solutions and available features may vary depending on market, carrier, and service providers. 9 360 Audio availability requires a software update via the Galaxy Wearable app starting from March 30, 2022. 10 Users must link their Samsung Galaxy device to their Windows PC through Link to Windows on phone and Your Phone App on PC and follow the set-up prompts, including being signed into the same Microsoft account. Link to Windows is preloaded on select Samsung Galaxy devices. PC (Your Phone App) requires Windows 10 or above. Your Phone requires Samsung Galaxy device to be on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the PC. Some mobile apps may restrict content to be shared on other screens or may require a touch screen to be able to interact with them. Some apps on phone screen may require subscription and Actual UI may be different. 11 Some conditions apply. Offer valid March 17th to March 31st, 2022. Offer available exclusively online at Samsung.com/ca and Samsung Experience Stores in Canada. Now when you pre-order a Galaxy A53 Smartphone (SM-A536WZKAXAC Reg. Price $589.99) and complete your purchase, you will receive one (1) free pair of Buds Live - Black (SM-R180NZKAXAC Reg. Price $199.99). While quantities last. Selection and availability may vary. No rain checks. Limit of one (1) free pair of Buds Live - Black, per eligible device, per customer. Products must be purchased at the same time and on the same receipt. Products may be purchased separately at regular prices. No rain checks. Open to Canadian Residents only. Samsung reserves the right to change or cancel the promotion without notice. Cannot be combined with any other offer, unless expressly permitted by Samsung. 2021 Samsung Electronics Canada Inc. All rights reserved. 12 Terms and Conditions apply. For full Terms and Conditions, please see https://support-ca.samsung.com/secaew/consumer/ca/terms A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ded1b87-3c21-4d51-aeba-c1f736dd5c6c MONTREAL, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd ("Osisko" or the "Company") (TSX & NYSE: OR) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Eight Capital and RBC Capital Markets on behalf of the syndicate of underwriters (the "Underwriters"), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, an aggregate of 18,600,000 common shares of Osisko ("Common Shares") at an offering price of US$13.45 per Common Share (the "Offering Price") for total gross proceeds to the Company of US$250,170,000 (the "Offering"). Amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. The Company has granted the Underwriters an over-allotment option, exercisable at any time up to 30 days from and including the date of closing of the Offering, to purchase up to 2,790,000 Common Shares, at the Offering Price (the "Over-Allotment Option"). The Common Shares will be offered by way of a short form prospectus in all of the provinces of Canada and a registration statement on Form F-10 in the United States under the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system adopted by the United States and Canada. A preliminary short form prospectus and a registration statement on Form F-10 relating to the Offering have been filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), respectively. The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes, including funding resource royalty and stream acquisitions, the potential repayment, from time to time, of amounts drawn under the Company's revolving credit facility and other corporate development opportunities. The Offering is anticipated to close on or about March 31, 2022 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange and the applicable securities regulatory authorities. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. The Company has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the Offering that has not yet become effective. The Common Shares to be sold in the Offering described in this document may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. Before readers invest, they should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. The Company has also filed a preliminary short form prospectus relating to the Offering with each of the provincial securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Potential investors may get any of these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or, when such documents become available, via SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Alternatively, the Company, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the Offering will arrange to send potential investors the prospectus without charge from Eight Capital, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, by telephone at (647) 265-8217, or by email at ecm@viiicapital.com, from RBC Capital Markets, LLC in the U.S., Attention: Equity Syndicate, by telephone at (877) 822-4089, or by email at equityprospectus@rbccm.com, or from RBC Dominion Securities Inc. in Canada, Attention: Distribution Center, by telephone at (416) 842-5349, or by email at distribution.rbcds@rbccm.com About Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd Osisko is an intermediate precious metal royalty company focused on the Americas that commenced activities in June 2014. Osisko holds a North American focused portfolio of over 160 royalties, streams and precious metal offtakes. Osisko's portfolio is anchored by its cornerstone asset, a 5% net smelter return royalty on the Canadian Malartic mine, which is the largest gold mine in Canada. Osisko's head office is located at 1100 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montreal, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2S2. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements made in this press release may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, including the anticipated financial and other impacts of the Offering and the anticipated completion of the Offering, are forward-looking statements, as they involve implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "is expected" "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled" and similar expressions or variations (including negative variations of such words and phrases), or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions, events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Osisko believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may accordingly differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions management believes to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Osisko cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements and investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward looking statements made in this press release, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the most recent Annual Information Form of Osisko which is filed with the Canadian securities commissions and available electronically under Osisko's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Osisko cautions that the list of risk factors and uncertainties described in the AIF is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects Osisko's expectations as at the date of this press release and is subject to change after such date. Osisko disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. For further information please contact, please contact Osisko: Heather Taylor Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: (514) 940-0670 #105 Email: htaylor@osiskogr.com ACHESON, Alberta, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North American Construction Group Ltd. (NACG or the Company) (TSX:NOA.TO/NYSE:NOA) today announced a five-year contract awarded to Mikisew North American Limited Partnership (MNALP) by a major oil sands producer. Given the contractual scope included in the award, the new agreement qualifies as backlog which is estimated at $125 million. Based on the heavy equipment fleet and our experience at this site, we estimate this contractual backlog represents approximately one-third of the work we will complete over the contract term. The contract award bolsters and adds to NACGs combined backlog which was at $1.7 billion on December 31, 2021. This agreement continues to grow our vital Indigenous partnerships and with a term out to March 2027 provides improved contractual visibility on fleet usage. Joe Lambert, President and CEO, stated: It is gratifying to see our Indigenous partnership be recognized and rewarded by our customers. We have a great working relationship with the Mikisew Group and continue to find mutually beneficial ways to grow and expand our partnership. I am confident the continued safe, low-cost and sustainable partnership model that won us this scope will continue to provide competitive advantage and opportunity in the future. Dan Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer, Mikisew Group, stated: We are again pleased to announce another significant award for our Mikisew North American Limited Partnership. This partnership continues to outperform every metric we have including safety, aboriginal employment and returns back to our stakeholders. Joe and the entire NACG team are fantastic partners who continue to clearly demonstrate they are market leaders in the heavy civil construction space. About Mikisew North American Limited Partnership The Company has a 49% ownership and voting interest in MNALP with the majority owner (51%) being the Mikisew Group of Companies. About the Mikisew Group of Companies Mikisew Group of Companies (Mikisew Group) is the Independent Economic Development arm of the Mikisew Cree First Nation. Mikisew Group is comprised of two main operating entities and ten joint venture partnerships including MNALP. These entities service the Canadian oil sands in various capacities including fleet maintenance, transportation, site services, emergency response, camp and catering, construction and facilities maintenance. Mikisew Group also holds multiple minority position investments in infrastructure and other related projects. For more information about the Mikisew Group, visit www.mikisewgroup.com . About the Company North American Construction Group Ltd. (www.nacg.ca) is one of Canadas largest providers of heavy construction and mining services. For more than 65 years, NACG has provided services to the mining, resource, and infrastructure construction markets. For further information, please contact: Jason Veenstra, CPA, CA Chief Financial Officer North American Construction Group Ltd. Phone: (780) 948-2009 Email: ir@nacg.ca The information provided in this release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words expected, estimated or similar expressions, including the anticipated revenues and backlog to be generated by the contract as well as schedule of work under the contract. The material factors or assumptions used to develop the above forward-looking statements and the risks and uncertainties to which such forward-looking statements are subject are highlighted in the Companys MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2020 and quarter ending March 31, 2021. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements because of any number of factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond NACGs control. Undue reliance should not be placed upon forward-looking statements and NACG undertakes no obligation, other than those required by applicable law, to update or revise those statements. For more complete information about NACG, please read our disclosure documents filed with the SEC and the CSA. These free documents can be obtained by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or on the CSA website at www.sedar.com . Malvern, Pennsylvania (USA), March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rajant Corporation, the pioneer of Kinetic Mesh wireless networks, and its technology partners will be attending ISC West in Las Vegas at the Venetian Expo. Rajant will be featuring its latest products for safety and security - - - the Hawk FE1-4950 and FE1-5050, Peregrine Hybrid LTE, and ES1-5050CS. Present to showcase the real-time video/voice/data communications for public safety and industrial security will be Rajant, Dejero, Easy Aerial, Safety Dynamics, and Vorbeck. The event runs from March 22nd to March 25th, with Rajant joining partners in Booth 31045. Demonstrations feature critical first responder requirements for situational awareness, such as: Dejero - Blended high-bandwidth backhaul connections Easy Aerial Drone-in-a-box autonomous eye-in-the-sky Rajant Wireless M2M communications anywhere Safety Dynamics Acoustic gunshot detection system Vorbeck Video/VoIP communication wearables Rajant will host an education panel during ISC West at 10:00 AM on Thursday, March 24th, in the Venetian 302, Level 1. The session is entitled Rapid Escalation-Enabling Situational Awareness: Interoperability Networking for Frontline Response. The theme speaks to the unprecedented volatility and unrest in our communities, workplaces, institutions, and homesteads. These days, the time between what appears to be business-as-usual and chaos is compressed due to the advanced ability of wrongdoers to communicate, organize, and execute an incident. The frontline response must keep pace and counter-act to safeguard people, assets, and infrastructure under the most challenging conditions that are environmental and manufactured. The panel, comprised of representatives from Dejero, Easy Aerial, and Safety Dynamics, will be moderated by Rajant. They form a perspective of state-of-the-art technology, which is interoperable, automated, mobile, and intelligent. Attendees will learn how to outpace a rapidly escalating occurrence with full situational awareness using the right network to connect and convey mission-critical voice, video, and data in real-time. Attending ISC West is a great way to see Rajant Kinetic Mesh in action, shares Rajant Sales Director Chris Wall. Safety and security personnel today are equipped with two-way voice, but until now, providing video on every first responder on scene was not possible. By meeting our tactical integration ecosystem in Booth 31045, you will see that our wireless networking connects mission-critical M2M technologies, like Safety Dynamics acoustic shotgun detection, Vorbecks tactical pack wearables, and Easy Aerials drone-in-a-box. We will even feature a fully operational Rajant and Dejero network connected between ISC West and neighboring Vegas trade show IWCE in the Convention Center. Schedule time to meet at the show today, or stop by the booths to see the latest BreadCrumbs on display. #### About Rajant Corporation Rajant Corporation is the broadband communications technology company that invented Kinetic Mesh networking, BreadCrumb wireless nodes, and InstaMesh networking software. With Rajant, customers can rapidly deploy a highly adaptable and scalable network that leverages the power of real-time data to deliver on-demand, mission-critical business intelligence. A low-latency, high-throughput, and secure solution for a variety of data, voice, video, and autonomous applications, Rajants Kinetic Mesh networks provide industrial customers with full mobility, allowing them to take their private network applications and data anywhere. With successful deployments in more than 70 countries for customers in military, mining, ports, rail, oil & gas, petrochemical plants, municipalities, and agriculture. Rajant is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with additional facilities and offices in Arizona and Kentucky. For more information, visit Rajant.com or follo Attachments Edmonton, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) is proud to announce that Lisa Doig, P.Eng., will become APEGAs 103rd president at the 2022 annual general meeting (AGM) on Friday, April 22. Doig, a professional engineer, has extensive career experience spanning multiple industries, including petrochemical, upstream exploration and production, pipelines, electricity, and downstream oil and gas. She is passionate about clean technology, new technology and innovation, and has helped companies commercialize ideas in those areas. Doig will lead APEGAs executive committee of council, which comprises newly elected president-elect Manon Plante, P.Eng.; newly elected vice-president Tracey Stock, P.Eng.; and current president Brian Pearse, P.Eng., who will transition into the role of past-president at the AGM. APEGA also welcomes re-elected councillors Walter Kozak, P.Eng., and Jason Vanderzwaag, P.Eng., and newly elected councillors Lorna Harron, P.Eng.; Dean Mullin, P.Eng.; and Wendy Shier, P.Geo. Vanderzwaag will serve a one-year term to fill the vacancy caused by Stock becoming vice-president. They will join their colleagues who are continuing their terms: Margaret Allan, P.Eng., P.Geo.; Darren Hardy, P.Eng.; RaeAnne Leach, P.Eng.; Theresa Watson, P.Eng.; Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve, P.Eng.; Seema Makwana, P.Eng.; and Victoria Wishart, P.Eng. APEGA thanks outgoing councillors David Johnson, P.Geo., and Geoffrey Kneller, P.Eng., whose terms expire on April 22 at the AGM. Established in 1920, APEGA is responsible for regulating the practices of engineering and geoscience in the province of Alberta. Backgrounder: Biography backgrounders attached. Note: A zip file of high-resolution images of new council members is available for download. YouTube: Videos of the 2022 APEGA election candidates. Attachment English French MONTREAL, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NioBay Metals Inc. ("NioBay" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NBY) (OTCQB: NBYCF), a Company focused on the exploration, development and use of critical green metals with a priority on the Environment, Social, Governance and Indigenous participation (ESGI), received today a letter from the Moose Cree First Nation (MCFN). This letter announced the result of a small survey of the population which indicated an intent to preserve the South Bluff Creek area from any development. That area is where NioBays mining lease for its critical mineral project, the James Bay Niobium, is located and where drilling activities are currently ongoing. Based on the results of this survey, the MCFN requested a meeting with NioBay regarding ceasing its permitted exploration. NioBay is therefore suspending all exploration activities immediately on the James Bay Niobium Project until a meeting with MCFN can be held. Meanwhile, the Board of Directors is evaluating all options available to the Company at this point. NioBay has repeatedly stated that it would not build a mine without the consent of the MCFN community. This project is still in the exploration phase and the Company does not yet have information as to whether an economic operation may be viable at this location. The Company will present the results of its exploration work when this information is available. Land Acknowledgement The Board of NioBay acknowledges that the James Bay Niobium Project is within Treaty 9, and the primary homeland of the Moose Cree First Nation. We respect the Indigenous Rights and Interests of Moose Cree and those Indigenous communities within Treaty 9. About NioBay Metals Inc. NioBay will be a leader in the Environment, Social, Governance and Indigenous inclusion supporting the development of smart mine(s) with low carbon consumption and responsible water and wildlife management practices. Critical to our success will be the consent and full participation of the Indigenous communities in whose territories we operate. The Company holds a 100% interest in the James Bay Niobium Project located 45 km south of Moosonee, in the Moose Cree Traditional Territory of the James Bay Lowlands in Ontario. NioBay also holds a 72.5% interest in the Crevier Niobium and Tantalum project located in Quebec and on the Nitassinan territory of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation. About Niobium Niobium is a naturally occurring element. It is a readily available, reliable, soft metal that is ductile, malleable and highly resistant to corrosion. Because it enhances properties and functionalities, niobium is used in a wide range of materials and applications in the Mobility, Structural and Energy sectors. Niobium transforms materials. When added to materials like steel, glass and aluminum castings, niobium makes them smarter and lower environmental impacts, while also delivering other benefits like better performance, improved safety and increased value. Cautionary Statement Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information under the provisions of Canadian securities laws including statements about the Company's plans. Such statements are necessarily based upon a number of beliefs, assumptions, and opinions of management on the date the statements are made and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Paradox Public Relations Tel: (514) 341-0408 or 1-866-460-0408 jfmeilleur@paradox-pr.ca NioBay Metals Inc. Jean-Sebastien David, P.Geo. President & CEO jsdavid@niobaymetals.com www.niobaymetals.com Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is appealing a judges ruling that The New York Times did not defame her in a 2017 editorial, according to court papers filed Thursday. The firebrand Republican filed her notice of appeal to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan Federal Court, declining to wait for a pending ruling on a bid seeking a new trial with a new judge. Advertisement Following a two-week trial, Judge Jed Rakoff issued a surprise ruling siding with The Times Feb. 14 while jurors were still deliberating. The judge found Palin hadnt proven her case. He said the error at the heart of the case was an example of very unfortunate editorializing on the part of The Times but not one that amounted to libel. Advertisement Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin leaves federal court in Manhattan with her lawyer Ken Turkel. (Molly Crane-Newman/New York Daily News) On Feb. 15, a jury came to the same decision, determining The Times wasnt liable. On Feb. 16, jurors revealed theyd learned about Rakoffs decision from push notifications on their phones while they were deliberating. The article, Americas Lethal Politics, linked ads distributed by Palins political action committee SarahPAC to the 2011 shooting of then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). The gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, killed six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge. Writing the link to political incitement was clear in the Giffords attack, The Times incorrectly suggested the SarahPAC graphic put Giffords and 19 other Democrats under stylized crosshairs. The graphic placed Giffords electoral district in crosshairs, not the representative herself. The notice of appeal wasnt a surprise. Media lawyers and legal observers have long theorized Palins lawsuit could be heading toward the U.S. Supreme Court. Palins lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A tooth from a wooly mammoth that was found off the coast of Plum Island in December by a fisherman. It was auctioned off for $10,300 with proceeds going to World Central Kitchens efforts to feed Ukranians, both at home and as refugees, during the war with Russia. The nations largest public transit agency has so far weathered the financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic that began two years ago and MTA leaders on Wednesday celebrated its survival. Advertisement The MTA has survived an existential threat to its existence and is now poised to deliver on its role in the city and the regions revival, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said during a news conference at Grand Central Terminal. Dont forget what it took to get us to this point when were here to survive. It was a $15 billion infusion of federal aid that allows us to balance the budget through 2025. Advertisement MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, and MTA Metro-North President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi mark the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic by thanking essential workers at Grand Central Terminal on Wednesday. (Marc A. Hermann/Metropolitan Transportation Authority) The $15 billion came through three separate relief bills passed in Congress in 2020 and 2021 including two passed by a Republican-controlled Senate during Donald Trumps presidency. The money was necessary to offset the MTAs losses from fares and bridge tolls, which fell by more than 80% when the pandemic struck in the spring of 2020. Before the pandemic, fares and tolls covered roughly half of the MTAs $17 billion annual operating budget. Front page of the New York Daily News on May 1, 2020: Subways will shut overnight for 1st time in 115-year history to wash away virus, and Transit workers will be joined by hundreds of other cleaning cars in the wee hours to help stem spread of virus. (New York Daily News) Lieber, who in 2020 was head of the MTAs construction department, said he led the push for federal relief from Washington as soon as things turned dire. On March 17, 2020 the day after the citys schools, bars and restaurants closed MTA leaders sent a letter to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) asking for $3.7 billion in relief. The request seemed extreme to many at the time, but Lieber told the Daily News Tuesday it was justified. Within 10 days Trump signed the CARES Act into law, sending $25 billion to U.S. transit agencies and $4 billion to the MTA. Schumer was the sherpa for this whole expedition from the beginning to the end, Lieber said. The money was approved as hundreds of New Yorkers died in the pandemic every day. The MTA lost more than 100 workers to the virus by the end of May 2020, and transit officials now report the agencys total COVID-19 death count as 160. Advertisement After the first batch of money was approved, Lieber commissioned a report from the consulting firm McKinsey that estimated the long-term impact to the MTAs finances. Theyd need a lot more cash, the report found. The subway station at W. 42nd St. and Eighth Ave. was almost empty on May 5, 2020. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) It took until late December 2020 for Congress to sign off on another relief bill that sent another $4.1 billion to the MTA, and until March 2021 before Congress and President Biden passed another bill that sent roughly $6.2 billion to the agency. Other money inside the spending bills topped up the total amount of federal aid to around $15 billion. I believe this effort did in fact save the MTA, Lieber said. A no entry sign is seen outside the MTA subway station in Bryant Park in May 2020. (NOAM GALAI/Getty Images) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Those packages were not guaranteed when the MTA passed its annual budget in December 2020, and so the agency tapped into a little known Federal Reserve fund called the Municipal Liquidity Facility. The fund gave a three-year, $2.9 billion loan to the MTA, which comes due in December 2023. Paying off the loan could force the MTA to take on long-term debt if state officials dont sign off on new dedicated taxes for the agency. The MTA faces a $500 million budget shortfall come 2025, and Lieber said hes reluctant to plug it with debt. Advertisement MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, and MTA Metro-North President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi mark the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic by thanking essential workers in Grand Central Terminal on Wednesday. (Marc A. Hermann/Metropolitan Transportation Authority) Everybody knows we are loath to engage in deficit financing, said Lieber. I grew up in New York in the 70s, during the citys fiscal crisis, and we all know what deficit financing means. It means youre borrowing money to spend on operating costs. Its unclear exactly what the MTAs finances and its services will look like three years down the road. But in the meantime Lieber said the agency has hired more crews to keep trains and buses running, reversing crew shortages sparked by an MTA hiring freeze put in place during the first year of the pandemic. City transit workers mark the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Grand Central Terminal on Wednesday. (Marc A. Hermann/Metropolitan Transportation Authority) Some changes to mass transit put in place during the pandemic remain, like the MTAs decision to no longer conduct cash transactions at subway token booths and the closure of public restrooms in the subway. Lieber on Wednesday said cash transactions would not return, and that booth agents would at some point perform other duties. As for the restrooms? The chairman pointed to staffing shortages among cleaners, and said he wanted to make sure workers were protected and do not feel unsafe while they scrub them down. A young man who spent his final days afraid for his life was fatally shot in a van outside the Bronx, riddled with bullets after pulling a knife on his attacker, police and family said Thursday. Advertisement Both the victim and shooter were inside the van with others when it pulled up to E. 172nd St. and Harrod Ave. while a quarrel broke out between them just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, cops said. When 18-year-old Dellin Scarlett flashed a knife his rival shot him and kept pulling the trigger, shooting him in the chest, shoulder, abdomen and both arms and legs, cops said. Police sources said investigators believe the shooting was gang-related. Advertisement He had problems with people in the street. Hed stopped going to school. He had to run for his life, said his brother, Dean Scarlett, 24. He said his friends were changing, and he wasnt going to be chilling with them anymore. But now its too late. Dellin Scarlett, 18 (Obtained by Daily News) His brother, who works as a security car and a for-hire livery driver, came upon the crime scene, which was close to their home, but didnt know at first his brother had been mortally wounded as he tried to navigate around it. He figured out what happened after he got out his car and went into a nearby bodega, where he overheard police officers talking about the killing. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > He was defending himself. Hes not that kind of guy. Hes not a provoker, his brother said. Both the victim and shooter were inside the van with others when it pulled up to E. 172nd St. and Harrod Ave. while a quarrel broke out between them just before 3 p.m. on March 16. (GREGG VIGLIOTTI/for New York Daily News) The teen was a junior at Lehman High School, but hed been skipping class to stay clear of danger, his brother said. People streamed in and out of the teens home with flowers, consoling his grief-stricken family Wednesday night. He was one of three brothers and three sisters, Dean Scarlett said. Advertisement We had fun when Id take him to my place, said his brother, who lives in Manhattan. Its the first loss my family has ever had of someone close to us. Cops have made no arrests in the killing. He had a good spirit. Were heartbroken, his brother said. We demand justice be served. Stefano Domenicali wants the FIA to be as open as possible about the investigations surrounding the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. According to the CEO of Formula 1, the motorsport class is obliged to do so towards the fans, he reveals in an interview with Sky Sports. At the end of the sweltering 2021 season, the race control of the Abu Dhabi GP made some notable decisions. It ensured that not Lewis Hamilton, but Max Verstappen won the world title. Especially with Mercedes and Hamilton, this caused a lot of anger, although other teams also thought that something had to change. Domenicali wants to make reports public The last three months there have been several investigations, with which the FIA tried to find out what had gone wrong. While some of the reports were made public, others remain secret for the time being. Domenicali hopes this will change soon, so that Formula 1 can restore confidence in the sport. "I will attend the World Council next Saturday, and we will see," states Domenicali. "That is the aim to have a step forward to move forward from Abu Dhabi. We are already in Bahrain so theres no need to talk with the different approach rather than to say what we learn as regulator from that last race." Read more Verstappen is first to join renewed press conferences Ferrari is preparing for the first race weekend in Bahrain. In the preseason, the Italian racing team left a very positive impression, but Carlos Sainz saw that the competition was far from idle. Due to the new regulations, almost all teams are searching for the ideal setups this season. Ferrari did well during the first test days in Barcelona and maintained this level in Bahrain, where again three test days were on the program. It makes that the expectations of the general public are high. However, Sainz believes it is important to look at the situation objectively. Although the Bahrain Grand Prix seems to come too soon for McLaren and Mercedes, it is clear that Red Bull Racing is also in good shape. Ferrari can therefore expect a lot of opposition from the Austrian racing team. Sainz fears for Verstappen's qualities The Spanish driver saw during the winter tests that Max Verstappen has returned from his vacation in good shape. Sainz therefore thinks that the Dutchman is keen to take the win immediately. "I saw a lot of data and he looked very strong. Max made few mistakes, he seems confident," Sainz analyzed in conversation with Sky Italia. Read more Verstappen is first to join renewed press conferences A violent group of dirt bikers bent on revenge dragged a man and his adult son out of their car in Harlem and beat them after the driver accidentally struck one of the bikers, police said while releasing horrifying video of the clash. The 64-year-old driver found himself surrounded by bikers on W. 127tth St. and St. Nicholas Terrace about 4:25 p.m. Tuesday, after he collided with a biker who had just blown through a red light, cops said. Advertisement NYPD released photos of a group of dirt bike riders that dragged a man and his adult son out of their car in Harlem and beat them in a caught-on-video attack, after he accidentally struck one of their friends. (DCPI) The rider needed to go to a nearby hospital, and the rest of the group was out for blood, cops said. They swarmed the car, pulling the man and his 36-year-old son out of the vehicle then punched and kicked both father and son and stole a cell phone, wallet and cash, cops said. Advertisement NYPD released photos of a group of dirt bike riders that dragged a man and his son out of their car in Harlem and beat them in a caught-on-video attack. (DCPI) The marauders got back on their bikes and fled west on W. 127th St. Medics took both victims to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in stable condition, cops said. Police released video of the attack Wednesday, and are asking anyone with information about the suspects to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. Former NYPD Sgt. Ed Mullins, who faces federal fraud charges, is being sued for $1 million by the sergeants union he used to run. Mullins, the fiery former president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, is accused of fraud, unjust enrichment and breach of fiduciary duty related to [his] fraudulent scheme to steal and misappropriate union funds, the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday alleges. Advertisement Former Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News) (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) Mullins resigned his position and retired from the NYPD after the FBI raided his home and the unions lower Manhattan headquarters in October. He surrendered to federal authorities last month, and is accused of defrauding the union by using his personal credit card to pay for meals at high-end restaurants, clothing, jewelry, home appliances, a relatives college tuition and other items. Advertisement He then submitted false and inflated expense reports to the SBA, according to the feds. From 2017 to October 2020, Mullins sought reimbursement for those bills, falsely describing them as legitimate SBA expenditures, according to an indictment. The money came from a fund made up almost entirely of member dues, the feds allege. Mullins had a history of political bomb-throwing, with some of his high-profile criticism and name-calling targeting former Mayor Bill de Blasio, former NYPD Commissioner James ONeill and now New Yorks Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres who he referred to as a first-class whore. At the time of his arrest, Mullins was embroiled in NYPD inquiries over his Twitter activity, which included the Torres remark, a tweet where he called former city Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot a b---h and another which included an arrest report of the mayors daughter during a racial justice protest. On the day he retired, the NYPD docked him two months pay for unacceptable behavior. Neither Mullins nor the SBAs lawyers returned messages seeking comment Wednesday. Solaris will deliver 30 articulated Urbino 18 buses to Dortmund at the end of 2022. This investment by public transport operator Dortmunder Stadtwerke AG in electric Urbino buses is a component of the citys long-term strategy to reduce environmental pollution and noise in the urban area. The buses will be the first electric Solaris buses in the municipal carriers fleet. Earlier, the city acquired 13 Solaris buses with conventional diesel engines. The zero-emission Urbino electric vehicles will come to Dortmund exactly 10 years after the last deliveries. The electric Solaris buses due to join the Dortmund fleet will features the MobilEye Shield+ drivers assistance system that eliminates the blind spot. It detects pedestrians and cyclists moving close to the vehicle. This is particularly important during turns, when visibility can be impaired. The interior will include, among other things, USB charging ports, a passenger information system and environmentally friendly LED lighting. Solaris High Energy batteries, with a total capacity of over 600 kWh, will be charged by means of a pantograph as well as using a conventional plug-in connection. Thermal comfort will be ensured by efficient and environmentally friendly air conditioning with a CO 2 heat pump which uses heat from outside to reach the right ambient temperature inside the vehicle. This solution allows the energy efficiency of the vehicle to be raised, which translates to an extended driving range. The German market is the second largest for Solaris when it comes to registered electric buses. In 2021, it was Germany where the most e-buses in Europe rolled out onto the streets. Solaris, as a leading manufacturer of zero-emission solutions for public transport, has contributed substantially to this development. Over 250 Urbino electric buses currently ply routes in German towns and cities, making up over 20% of the local market. Feature: Wetland in Beijing welcomes "living fossil" Chinese merganser duck Xinhua) 13:01, March 17, 2022 BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Floating on a reservoir in Pinggu, northeast of Beijing, two couples of Chinese merganser ducks, nicknamed "living fossils with wings" have become the latest proof of the continuous local efforts in ecological protection. The drake of the Chinese merganser wears long crown feathers and has prominent scaly patterns on both sides, for which the species is also called "scaly-sided merganser", while the hen wears gray scaly patterns on her back and darker ones on both sides, and long crown feathers of reddish-brown color. This beautiful and rare waterfowl has been living on the planet for over ten million years. It is called a "living fossil" and it's an indicative species of the wetlands' ecological health. At present, it is estimated that no more than 3,000 wild specimens of this bird are left in the world. It has been listed in the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and it's also under first-grade state protection in China. Its name is defined by location. According to Jin Haiqing, wildlife monitor of Xiyu Reservoir with the Landscaping Bureau of Pinggu District, on the morning of March 8, some local bird watchers witnessed a merganser duck with extraordinary features. After being verified by the experts, two pairs of Chinese merganser ducks (Mergus squamatus) had been spotted at the reservoir. Curiously, though Chinese mergansers follow the flock of ordinary mergansers during their migrations, they usually do not mix with the rest and stay apart, observed Jin, who told a Xinhua reporter that at the reservoir, their food, like other waterfowl, is small fish and loach. Beijing is positioned at a key point along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the greatest flyway for migratory birds in the world, thus it is a key resort for the winged travelers to rest and feed. In recent years, thanks to the tireless efforts of strengthening protection, the ecological environment has been improving and more and more bird species have been observed around the city. Experts pointed out that the arrival of these rare ducks was the result of effectively protecting the original wilderness of the wetland around the reservoir, and taking effective measures to prevent poaching, electrofishing, and other illegal acts that may very likely harm the wildlife. The local government of Pinggu adopted the concept of "maintaining the original ecology" for the reservoir wetlands, set up fences to prevent illegal poaching and electrofishing from causing severe damage to the biosphere, and deploys local monitors to track and register biodiversity at important sites, said Zhang Yufang, deputy director of the Forest Chief System Office and deputy director of the Landscaping Bureau in Pinggu District. On March 13, Zhang Yufang and staff with the bureau came to Xiyu Reservoir for an inspection. He told Xinhua that in order to protect the birds that pass through the region, the bureau has also stepped up the monitoring and inspection of poaching and other illegal activities. Over the past weekend, more than 100 birdwatchers and photography enthusiasts rushed to the site to see the Chinese merganser duck, Jin told a reporter during a Xinhua live streaming program. In order to keep the birds from being disturbed, local bird lovers also spontaneously organized WeChat groups, calling on everyone to watch and photograph birds in a civilized manner, he said. Peng Yuzhong, a local bird watcher and photographer, was the first one to recognize the Chinese merganser at the reservoir. He and his wife came to observe the winged travelers on a daily basis since the migration season began. He believes that the nearly intact state of the reservoir wetland attracts the Chinese mergansers. "To protect the environment is for humanity to coexist in harmony with mother nature", he commented. If the intact ecosystem of the wetlands is to be better protected and restored gradually, it can be expected that more and more species are likely to make an appearance in the city, according to the experts. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) A Colorado woman who allegedly sold fentanyl pills to two high school students in a mall parking lot has been charged after one of their friends overdosed and died at school. Alexis Nicole Wilkins, 26, has been charged with distributing fentanyl resulting in death, the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado announced Wednesday. Advertisement One of the girls told investigators that she had been buying Percocet from Wilkins, a member of a local street gang, for months, sometimes selling them to classmates, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Daily News. In early December, she messaged Wilkins on Facebook, their normal means of communication, and said she wanted to buy two Percocet pills for $40 on behalf of another student. The two girls met Wilkins in the Citadel Mall parking lot on Dec. 2 and made the deal. The original buyer, identified only as Juvenile #2, told police she noticed that the pills were a different shade of blue than usual, but did not press Wilkins. Advertisement Alexis Nicole Wilkins (U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado) On Dec. 3, the two girls and a third female student met in the bathroom at Mitchell High School and the other two, identified as Juvenile #1 and Juvenile #3, crushed the pills and snorted them. Back in class, Juvenile #1, born in 2006, began foaming and lost consciousness, according to the criminal complaint. She was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. The El Paso County Coroner and Medical Examiners Office ruled her death as fentanyl intoxication. During interviews with detectives, Wilkins said she was unsure if all her pills contained just fentanyl, a mix of Percocet and fentanyl, or just Percocet, according to the criminal complaint. In 2021, coal exports from the United States increased by 23% to 85 million metric short tons (MMst) from 69 MMst in 2020, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Steam coal exports increased by 47% to 40 MMst, and metallurgical coal exports increased by 8% to 45 MMst. In 2021, the percentage of domestic coal production that was exported rose to 15%. Graph by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), based on EIAs Annual Coal Report and data from the US Census Bureau Power plants use steam coal (thermal coal), for electricity generation; homes and businesses also use steam coal for direct heat. Metallurgical coal, or coking coal, is used to produce coke, a primary fuel and reactant in the blast furnace process for steelmaking. Global demand for US metallurgical coal typically is more consistent than for thermal coal because the United States is one of the few suppliers of metallurgical coal. In 2021, the top five export destinations for US coal were India, China, Japan, the Netherlands, and South Korea. India imported the most US coal for the fifth consecutive year at 15.3 MMst (11.8 MMst, or 77%, was steam coal). China imported the second-highest amount of US coal in 2021, at 13 MMst (91%, or 11.7 MMst, was metallurgical coal). Shipments of US coal into Japan were split between steam (56%) and metallurgical (44%). 85% of shipments to South Korea were steam coal for electricity generation. Although the Netherlands is a top importer of US coal, the Netherlands is primarily a transshipment hub to ship coal throughout Europe, and only 10% remains in the Netherlands for its domestic use. A trade dispute between Australia and China that began in late 2020 resulted in China banning coal imported from Australia. The ban increased demand for metallurgical coal from the United States and other global suppliers. This trade dispute, in addition to relatively high seaborne coal prices, contributed to more US coal exports to Asia in 2021, the EIA said. Two of the worlds leading classification societiesDNV and Lloyds Registerhave recertified Leclanches Marine Rack System (MRS-2) for operation using the companys latest high energy 65 Ah lithium-ion pouch cells. The 65Ah G/NMC (graphite-nickel manganese cobalt oxide) cell enables the MRS-2 to provide 10% more energy within the same footprint & weight compared with the 60Ah cell. The latest generation MRS-2 is a modular and scalable lithium-ion battery system. It incorporates multi-layer safety measures from cell to system including its proprietary battery management system (BMS) which provides real-time access to battery status, performance and diagnostic data via a comprehensive user interface. The system is available in four standard rack heights to suit varying size battery room footprints. Pack voltages are available up to 1100 V DC. The system comes with a 230 VAC power supply or an insulated DC/DC power supply. Safety is a critical design element of the MRS with its integrated cooling and firefighting systems, including independent ventilation ducting system to actively extract hot and flammable gases, which together reduce the risk of thermal propagation to virtually zero. In addition, Leclanches liquid-cooled battery systems provide vessel operators with advantages over air-cooled batteries including improved safety, longer battery lifetime, smaller footprint/larger energy density, better heat transfer and lower energy consumption. With the latest certifications, the MRS has a broad range of certifications from leading industry groups including: RINA: 55 and 60 Ah cells DNV: 43, 48, 55, 60 and 65 Ah cells Bureau Veritas: 43, 48, 55 and 60 Ah cells LR: 55, 60 and 65 Ah cells The certification upgrade from DNV was approved in late January 2022, while the Lloyds Register type approval for the companys 60 Ah and 65 Ah cells was granted in October 2021. The approvals provide third-party assessment and certification of the systems performance and compliance with all applicable industry safety and regulatory requirements. The MRS-2 is already powering some of the most innovative fully electric and hybrid vessels including: The Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) has approved a project from InCharge Energy, Creative Bus Sales and IC Bus to deploy 42 electric school buses and an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to support the new fleet. The electric buses will serve more than 31,000 students from 42 schools in this Southern California community, situated east of Los Angeles in Riverside County. The new electric buses will reduce more than 1.2 million pounds in carbon emissions across the Moreno Valley, which has an Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups rating on the Air Quality Index. The school district expects 75% cost savings on bus maintenance, fuel and operations, allowing more funding to go to classrooms. This initiative represents the largest electric school bus purchase yet in California. IC Bus and Creative Bus Sales will supply the school district with 42-passenger IC electric buses while InCharge Energy will install and maintain 43 ABB TERRA 24 kW DC fast chargers. InCharge Energy will begin work on the EV charging infrastructure in April. The school district expects to be driving students in all 42 buses by the start of the new school year. InCharge Energy worked closely with MVUSD and Creative Bus Sales to generate grants and incentives from the federal government, the state of California and Southern California Edison, which bolstered the school districts commitment to this electrification project. The two companies secured vouchers from Californias Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP) for vehicles, hardware and installation. The school district also received funds from Californias Carl Moyer program and partnered with the South Coast Air Quality Management District for a US EPA Airshed Grant. Southern California Edison will provide funding support from its Charge Ready program for necessary utility upgrades, EV chargers and their installation. The Community Announcements calendar publishes twice weekly on Thursday and Saturday. The submission deadline for Thursday announcements is noon on the previous Tuesday. The submission deadline for Saturday is noon on the previous Wednesday. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. In a moment of desperate need, a missing Missouri woman called her mother. Dana Holt was last seen on March 2, getting off a train at the Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station in Dallas. Surveillance video captured the 30-year-old from St. Louis walking with a man who appeared to be helping her with her bags. Just a short time later, she called her mother, Deborah Holt, crying and in a panic. Advertisement She sounded terrified and scared. I was like where are you? She was like, Oh my gosh. Hes getting out of the shower. I got to go. That was it, the mother recalled in an interview with KTVI. I didnt get to say I love you or anything. Her sister, Audrey Clay, was also present for the call. Advertisement Dana Holt (Dallas Police Dept.) [Dana] said, He wont let me leave. I cant get any of my stuff, Clay said as she vowed to find her missing sister. If my sister sees this, I want her to know I love her, she told KXAS-TV. I never would imagine Id be doing this. Never. Shes my only sibling, and I wont stop looking for her. Despite the lengthy commute to Dallas, Clay said she hopped in a car along with her grandmother and wife and raced to Texas after the call. They immediately started handing out flyers on the train platform, asking anyone and everyone if they had seen their missing loved one. The last time Clay saw her sister, she was boarding an Amtrak train at the Gateway Transportation Center in downtown St. Louis around 7 p.m., just one day before she disappeared. She said the two weeks since have been emotionally taxing, the uncertainty of everything making it all the more difficult to handle. I just feel every day that goes by, it just gets scarier, and I just get more fearful, she said. Authorities described Dana Holt as a Black woman with blond hair and brown eyes. She is about 5-feet-9 inches and weighs about 250 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants. She has a tattoo on her neck and chest. If anyone has information about her disappearance, they are asked to call the Dallas Police Departments Missing Persons Unit at (214) 671-4268. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH In a short ceremony Thursday morning, the Greenwich Hibernian Association honored those with Irish ancestry and the upcoming parade grand marshal while they raised an Irish flag above Town Hall to kick off the celebration of St. Patricks Day in town. GHA founding member John Halpin and GHA President Hayden OShea joined former Selectman John Toner, who will serve as grand marshal in Sundays parade, in the St. Patricks Day flag-raising at Town Hall in Greenwich. The small crowd gathered under cloudy skies enjoyed the music from Jim Bonney, who played the bagpipes at the event. St. Patrick is the foremost patron saint of Ireland, and March 17 marks the date of his death. For decades, Irish Americans have celebrated their heritage on this day. The town will continue its celebration of St. Patricks Day on Sunday, when the annual parade returns after a two-year interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sponsored by the GHA, the event Sunday will be its 46th annual parade. It will be led by Toner, stepping off from Town Hall at 2 p.m., when Greenwich Police Officer Kevin Ingraham blows the ceremonial starting whistle. The route will move up Field Point Road, turn on West Putnam Avenue and then march straight down Greenwich Avenue to the Island Beach parking lot. Toner was born in Greenwich, the son of Bartley and Rose Toner, both immigrants from Ireland, he from County Donegal, she from County Tyrone. Ingrahams Irish ancestors came from Counties Tyrone and Cork. His family has lived in Greenwich for a century, with many members serving the town as firefighters and police officers. A special guest of honor will be William Maloney, who is the grand marshal for the parade in Norwalk, rescheduled to Saturday. His family has three generations of ties to Greenwich, after immigrating from Counties Carlow, Cork and Killarney. Maloney, who was born and raised in town, always wanted to be a police officer. He started his career in the Greenwich Police Department for two years before he joined Norwalk Police Department, retiring at the beginning of March after a 41-year police career. This years parades promises to be one of the largest in recent years, with 10 bands: Greenwich Pipe Band, Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band, Fairfield County Police Pipes and Drums, Westchester Firefighters Pipes and Drums, Iona College Pipe Band, Essex County Emerald Society Pipe Band, Port Chester High School Marching Band, Tappan Zee Bridgemen, Nash Drum Corp., and Wholly Brass Band. In addition, there will be at least 45 groups of local schools, scouts, fire and police departments and civic organizations marching along with Irish Step Dancers from three local schools. A number of antique and vintage vehicles will be in the parade, including an antique van sponsored by Sam Bridge Nursery and a 1935 American LaFrance Metropolitan 400 Senior firetruck from the Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Department. The always popular Pyramid1 Shriners Motor Patrol will perform in their miniature cars. For more information on the parade, visit www.greenwichhibernians.org. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Gene and Angela Schmidt, once high school sweethearts and now elementary school principals, have seen the world during their 45-year careers and 50-year marriage: Arkansas, Florida, England, Italy and finally Greenwich. Now, they are ready to retire at the end of the school year and revisit the places they hold dear, including the homes of their children and grandchildren. Gene Schmidt, Cos Cob School principal, credited the couples adventures to his wife. He is a homebody while she expands his comfort zone, he said. I definitely love change. I do, said Angela Schmidt, North Mianus School principal. I get bored quickly, so to be here this long is amazing. The Schmidts arrived in the Greenwich Public Schools in 2000, hired over an hourlong call to Milan to work at the districts first magnet school, the International School at Dundee. The school attracts students from all over the district with its International Baccalaureate focus. Angela Schmdit described IB as a framework for developing critical thinking in students that uses Greenwichs units of study in a more global way. The couple had experience with the IB program from their time in Italy and believe in the methods effectiveness. Schmidt knew she wanted to be a school administrator when they returned to the States. She accepted the teaching position at ISD after receiving assurances she could advance when a position opened. She became ISDs assistant principal in 2003 when Teresa Ricci was promoted to principal. When we opened ISD, having taught in an international school, they brought their experience and their perspective to what we were trying to establish here, Ricci said. And I think that was the impetus for two of them getting hired: to offer a broad spectrum of perspectives and experiences, and they did. Ricci, who is also retiring at the end of this school year, laughed as she told the Greenwich Time that she made sure that at teacher evaluation time, Angela Schmidt wasnt assigned to grade her husband. Different but effective After Angela Schmidt moved to a different school, Gene Schmidt became Riccis assistant principal. Ricci describes the Schmidts as different but effective in the job. She says Gene Schmidt holds more of an artistic eye. He has an art degree and hopes that retirement will bring him a time and place to paint. The couple also said they would like to create together in the kitchen with the help of international cooking classes. Were not the type thats just going to sit around on the couch and binge; thats not going to happen, Gene Schmidt said. The couple has a bucket list. At the top is a Viking River Cruise, something they have never been able to do in the school calendar. Angela Schmidt said she also would like to volunteer regularly at an animal shelter, preferably one that supports pit bulls. The couple said they have four dogs at home and hearts to care for those still looking for their homes. Soon, the Schmidts plan to sell their house in Stamford and move into their second home on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. They said they would like to buy a house closer to their four children and six grandchildren, who live across the country. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not seen their grandchildren for two-and-a-half years, delaying visits out of precaution. But, now, the whole family is planning to travel to Connecticut for a retirement celebration. Teaching credentials The Schmidts have accomplished much over their careers, with some of their achievements coming together and some independently. They co-taught a multi-age program in Florida, which led to their Fulbright Scholarships to England, Gene Schmidt said. Also, he was named the teacher of the year in Florida and distinguished teacher at ISD, and the Connecticut Association of School Librarians honored him as the 2016 Administrator of the Year. Angela Schmidt says her proudest moments are walking into North Mianus as principal and receiving the call to apply as a National Blue Ribbon School. North Mianus was one of 362 schools awarded the title in 2019. The two would have retired earlier, they said, but they felt needed in the school district. We had thought about retiring two years ago, but the pandemic and then the ensuing flood in this building reminded me of the importance of consistent leadership during difficult times, Angela Schmidt said. In February 2021, a ceiling collapsed and a pipe broke, flooding part of North Mianus. While repairs were made, many of its students attended classes in other Greenwich buildings for the rest of that school year, and some classrooms were moved to the former Trinity High School in Stamford from September until December. The entire student population was reunited at North Mianus just before the holiday break in December. I have been very happy to see this school through some of the most incredible obstacles and to know the staff is ready and able to take on new leadership, she said. There was no way that my wife would leave until the staff and students were all back at the school. Once North Mianus was back in the building and COVID seemed to be on the wane, we were able to see the light at the end of the tunnel for our schools and our next phase of our lives, Gene Schmidt said. annelise.hanshaw@hearstmediact.com Ray Olsen Photography. / Contributed photo KENT The Kent Memorial Library has chosen a 2012 pepper white Mini Cooper Convertible as its 2022 raffle car. The winning ticket for the car will be drawn Oct. 30 outside Kent Town Hall at the end of the annual Pumpkin Run road race. This is the 20th year of our raffle of a car to raise funds for the Library, and this one is a real beauty, said Jim Blackketter, Library board member and one of the men and women on the Car Guys team who choose the car and conduct the raffle. File photo / Hearst Connecticut Media GREENWICH Police said they were investigating a burglary and an attempted burglary that occurred in Old Greenwich in the early morning hours on Tuesday. The residents were home and asleep upstairs when an intruder or intruders entered their house and stole several items, according to police. Police said the burglary took place on Gisborne Place. Inside Frenchette, where the kitchen currently closes at 9:30 p.m. Photo: Tammie Teclemariam This article originally appeared in The Year I Ate New York, a newsletter about eating through the city, one restaurant at a time. Sign up here. Last week I got a real taste of normal after visiting New York Magazine HQ for the first time, followed by happy hour at a nearby bar a little employer-supported socializing to remind us that its not so terrible to be together after all. And it worked, because all of a sudden, this happy hour became three happy hours, and it was 8:30. p.m. I dipped out and decided to walk over to Frenchette only to see on my phone, to my horror, that the restaurant was closing soon. It wasnt even 9 p.m. As I hoofed it in a fresh pair of loafers, checking the time at every dont walk sign, it felt strange to rush when I didnt have a reservation or anyone waiting, and was only just hoping to make the last seating. Granted, Frenchette is in Tribeca, a neighborhood that thanks to its concentration of both wealth and children is like the Connecticut of lower Manhattan. The streets down here may clear out in the evening, but I was still not expecting this restaurants bedtime to be earlier than mine. I made it, barely, and was surprised to see the room completely full. Elegant couples and trios shared booths littered with bottles of wine and Vichy Catalan mineral water, while people at the bar drank espresso martinis and posed for Instagram. There was one empty bar seat, perfect for me. (Next to, it turns out, a woman who happened to be a newsletter subscriber hi!) When I sat down, I asked the less hirsute of two tall, skinny bartenders whether the restaurant really closes so early, and he confirmed that, yep, the kitchen tries to shut down at 9:30, but will stay open to fire food for anyone who comes in before then. It seemed odd, given the crowd, but it turned out I would be among the very last people to come in that night. I got my half-dozen oysters and noticed women to my left sharing a garlicky special of razor-clams casino. Definitely dont get food like this in Ithaca, one commented. A couple down the bar split an enormous lacquered shank of some sort, and the bartender was simultaneously stirring two drinks while shaking another. But by the time my two desserts landed a little after 10 p.m., the dining room had already started to clear. When I left, the restaurant was empty. Oysters and fresh sausage at Frenchette. Photo: Tammie Teclemariam A few nights later I found myself at Buvette, the tiny French brasserie in the West Village, and experienced the same strange Nitehawks sensation at a surprisingly early hour. I arrived around 8, but once again I was at the tail end of things. There was an empty four-top up front, some older couples scattered in the dining room, and a table of young guys in the back. I sat at the bar, my favorite place to sit in this restaurant because you can watch them plate everyones salads and tartines and desserts, and asked what was up. Is it always this slow now? The bartender said it was different on weekends, but that rush hour was around 7. The counter person in charge of firing the appetizers explained they close at 11, but our last seating is at 10:30. Are people still coming in then?, I asked. Not so much coming at that time, but still some people hanging out. I am not a planner, which in the past meant that if I wanted to eat anywhere without a reservation, my options were limited to walking in when some place opened at 5, or waiting until the dinner rush died down closer to 10. Now, though, the traffic patterns are all thrown off: 6 oclock is hotter than 9 oclock and if I had gotten to Frenchette at 10, I would have been out of luck completely. It wasnt always like this, of course Frenchettes original closing time was the much more reasonable midnight but I still have to wonder if this city really has become as boring as Mayor Adams seems to think. Id harbor that it probably has more to do with the tight labor market, fewer people going out overall, and the fact that the high earners who mightve stayed at the office until 8 or 9 before heading out to eat on a Wednesday are only now getting back to their former routines. My Buvette bartenders observations also line up with something Ive noticed, which is that people are arriving early and simply staying put. I remember being granted a 9:15 bar seat at Sofreh, the popular neighborhood spot in brownstone Brooklyn, on a snowy Friday night, even though I was warned, The kitchen is closing. They made it seem like they were doing me a favor by letting me sit at all, so I ordered quickly. Still, it was weird: Tables all around me were in the thick of conversation and the night didnt feel anywhere close to over. But almost all at once, the exodus began. By the time my kofteh arrived, the chatter had nearly silenced and the closing-time vibe was undeniable. Buvettes shockingly simple chocolate mousse is a perfect dessert. Photo: Tammie Teclemariam I suspect the return of warm weather and the mayors unyielding campaign to help New York become a city of excitement will encourage some people to push back their plans at night, but I also wonder whether too many of us have gotten used to the idea of meeting up at like 6 p.m. and then calling it a night. I dont share our mayors enthusiasm for returning home at 4:18 a.m., but it seems bad for everyone the restaurants, especially, which would benefit greatly from stretching out the hours during which they can actually make money if arriving for dinner at 9 p.m. feels a bit like showing up to a concert just in time to catch the bands last song or two. But then, right when youre ready for the encore to start, the house lights come up instead. Today, Google has confirmed that it will be hosting its I/O event this year live from the Shoreline Amphitheater. The event will mostly take place online, with some of it likely to be livestreamed from the venue. In a statement to The Verge, it is noted that This years event will be broadcast in front of a limited live audience, and is completely free and open to everyone virtually,. This audience is limited to primarily Googlers as well as some partners as Google told Axios' Ina Fried. We'll be back live from Shoreline Amphitheatre for this year's #GoogleIO! Join us online May 11-12 https://t.co/KgNKbaLeym pic.twitter.com/NUodJb7UCi Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 16, 2022 Googles annual I/O puzzle is also live on the I/O site along with the countdown click, which may be related to the puzzle, in fact. Google has already released the first Android 13 Developer Preview, so we expect I/O to focus mostly on Android 13. Google also tends to announce new additions to Google products like Assistant, Search, and Maps at Google I/O, so we can expect a helping of this as well. Source Via Technology companies and motorsport teams have always had strong ties due to the futuristic nature of both fields. The latest partnership comes straight from Mountain View, as Google and McLaren Racing announced a partnership deal for 2022. As part of the deal, the Android logo will appear on the engine cover of the F1 car, while the Chrome branding will be on the wheel covers. Google will also provide its products, including Android devices and the Chrome browser, to the team operations during all sessions of the racing weekend. The multi-year partnership will be with two teams of the McLaren portfolio - the McLaren Formula 1 Team and the McLaren MX Extreme E team. Google branding will also be visible on the overalls of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, F1 drivers, as well as Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust, the drivers of the Extreme E car. Zak Brown, CEO at McLaren Racing, said his team would be better supported to focus on driving performance. McLaren Racing represents the very best of whats possible on a racetrack across performance, inclusion, and sustainability, added Nicholas Drake, VP of Marketing at Google. The Google branding will appear on the MCL36 F1 car starting this weekend with the Grand Prix of Bahrain, while the number 58 McLaren MX Extreme E Car will see its new stickers starting from the 2022 Island X Prix scheduled for the first half of May. This deal isnt a first for the Papaya team from Woking, UK. Back in 2018, we saw OnePlus partner with McLaren, launching several devices with orange designs and accents, and in return, the smartphone brand was heavily promoted by the teams drivers. Qualcomm is also present on the 2022 F1 grid. Earlier this year, the San Diego-based company announced its Snapdragon logo would appear on the Ferrari F1-75, and at the race, on Sunday, well be able to see it on the cars sidepods and wheel wings. Source The upstate New York parents of a 17-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who died severely underweight and covered in bed sores were arrested Wednesday. The boys mother, Lisa Waldron, and stepfather, Anthony Waldron, were arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, according to the Oswego County Sheriffs Office. Advertisement The teenager, who has not been publicly identified, died in May after being found unresponsive at home in Palermo. In an extensive investigation, detectives interviewed his teachers, teachers, doctors, parents and physical and occupational therapists, and collected past records from medical institutions and schools. Advertisement (Shutterstock) In January, the medical examiner ruled the manner of death as homicide, caused in part by infection and malnutrition. Both Lisa and Anthony Waldron pleaded not guilty in front of a judge Wednesday night. Lisa Waldron was ordered held on a $10,000 bail and Anthony Waldron on a $20,000 bail due to his unwillingness to turn himself in, the district attorney said. Lisas 14-year-old daughter was ordered to stay with her grandmother, according to Syracuse.com. BBK Electronics-made phones have been at the forefront of fast charging for a couple of years now and companies under the umbrella are looking to maintain that leadership. Realme GT Neo3, for example, is confirmed to arrive with 150W UltraDart fast wired charging and today, the company released another teaser for it. The teaser posters show the GT Neo3's cell split in half, which is the usual battery design used for fast charging tech. The 4,500 mAh battery will charge from flat to 50% in just 5 minutes, so a full charge would probably take well below the 20-minute mark. Realme GT Neo3 teaser posters To ensure the safety of the charger, Realme says it passed 41 TUV Rheinland safety tests thanks to an independent chip responsible for the charging curve. There's also an additional cooling pad solution that should maximize heat dissipation. More recently, a OnePlus device passed 3C certification with 160W fast charging and Oppo introduced its 150W SuperVOOC charger, so it's probably safe to assume that they all use the same technology. Source 1 * Source 2 (both in Chinese) Flower crowns may have entered the American zeitgeist in recent years just take a look at Pinterest or Instagram but these intricate adornments have been a part of Pacific Island cultures for much, much longer. At Valley of the Latte, mwarmwar making is offered as part of a rotating cultural workshop series, and attendees leave with a flower crown of their very own. The workshop is led by workshop coordinator Anthony Tony Mantanona along with weavers Kristen Defngin and Veronica Rungmed. Both Defngin and Rungmed hail from Yap, where these adornments are known as nunuw. The women bring both their unique culture and years of experience to the table much to the delight of Mantanona, who regards them as experts and dear friends. Theyve been making mwarmwars since they were young, its part of their tradition, Mantanona said. Tradition across Micronesia I started learning nunuw when I was a student at elementary school in Yap. Because we have a culture class back home, and thats how I learn how to do it. But we start learning from the pandanus leaves, thats how we learn how to make it. We came here, theres no pandanus leaves, so we end up with ti leaves, Rungmed said. According to Mantanona, mwarmwars are also known as henton ulu in CHamoru and traditionally were worn by men. The henton ulu is not necessarily made using flowers, it can also be made using only leaves. We were normally using it as adornments. It was just for males, females will just put a flower like the iconic Hawaiians where they just put a flower in their ear just like them too, the flowers in the ears. ... Because the women would normally tie their hair up and then thats when they put some flowers in their hair and its only on special occasions, Mantanona said. In Yap, nunuw are also reserved for special occasions, though worn with more regularity than here on Guam, according to Rungmed. Part of the appeal of both the nunuw and leis is the beautiful scent of both the flowers and the leaves. Special occasions, for a birthday party, for church. For this kind with flowers, like plumeria to make it look nice, we use it for an occasion. But theres some kind of leaves that is very smelly. Those are for men and ladies, they usually use it every day because of the smell. Theyre all green, its not colorful. Its only green, but they put it on their neck like a lei because of the smell. But for this (nunuw) we just use it for special occasion, Rungmed said. Even as an experienced weaver, Mantanona has loved expanding his understanding of these cultural practices by learning from Rungmed and Defngin alongside workshop attendees. In our culture, the henton ulu is made out of coconut leaves or pandanus. But as I got to know my two co-workers here, Ive seen a lot of different nunuws. And one of the things that they told me was the purple and yellow color nunuws are for the men and then the women, they use different flowers or whatever they can create to make it beautiful, Mantanona said. I think you really should see their artwork. And even I to this day have four of them that they gave me, and I hang it up in my wall because its just beautiful. A love for sharing culture The three of them are genuinely delightful, finding humor and fun in just about everything. Defngin and Rungmed describe themselves as shy and like to let Mantanona do the talking, but they love to work with workshop attendees. Were happy to teach them how to weave, and some of them really want to come back and learn. And Im happy teaching whoever wants to learn, Defngin said. With her sharp sense of humor on full display, Rungmed says she loves to teach in part so that she and her team arent overwhelmed with mwarmwar orders every Mes CHamoru and graduation season. Were happy to teach them so when its time for CHamoru week, I hope they learn how to make it so we dont have to get a lot of orders. And when they come up to graduation, they will make their kids nunuws so we dont have to make it. So Im happy to teach them. But we mostly teach Americans, different people, not from this island. But sometimes locals came in and they say, Oh, I still remember, this is what Im gonna make for my kids. And Im so happy when I hear that, Rungmed said. You gotta be here and see them because theyre always laughing. Thats the greatest part with their attitudes. With our attitudes here, we always try to present a positive and enjoyable atmosphere. We have to put on our smile, and its not the fake one, its from our hearts. Thats what it is, from our heart, Mantanona said. Locals and visitors alike are welcome to the workshop, and will leave with their own handwoven mwarmwar. Defngin and Rungmed generously move among the students, offering hands-on guidance for technique, and their trained eye for color and design. Anybodys welcome here, and we wont deny any participation from anybody. But yes, I wish that more locals were coming because this is their island. And they dont know, some of them dont even come here, have never been here, whos lived here, whos lived in the village. And theyre like, This is what weve been passing by every day? Mantanona said. This is their home, you know, their hometown. This is their island. And its right in front of their face. And I just wish that more of the locals will take into consideration that this is their island. This is their culture. Learn it and own it. Prosecutor Leonardo Rapadas said murder suspect Rudy Quinata killed former Humatak Mayor Daniel Sanchez, but Quinatas defense attorney said co-defendant Joyner Scott Sked committed the crime. Quinata, he said, was the victim in an abusive relationship. The attorneys made their opening statements Thursday as Quinatas jury trial started in Superior Court. On Feb. 22, Sked was found guilty of murder. Rapadas told the jury how Sanchez was found dead in a shack owned by Quinata. He was apparently bludgeoned and stabbed to death, said Rapadas. He went on to say that if the case makes sense, Quinata will be found guilty of murder. He urged the jury to pay close attention to the evidence that will be presented. Quinatas attorney, Peter Santos, said it isnt a surprise that police assumed his client was responsible for the murder. Hes a big gentleman said Santos. Santos said police judged a book by its cover, when they assumed Quinata killed Sanchez. Mr. Rapadas asked you to pay attention. Pay close attention because the police officers didnt pay close attention, Santos said. Santos said Sked was an abusive psychopath who caused Quinata to fear for his life. There was a pattern with the men she was with, that she would abuse them, Santos said. Sister testifies Doreathea Topasna Santiago, Quinatas sister, testified that in early April of last year, she noticed an unfamiliar vehicle parked outside of Quinatas residence. In the morning I look up at his place, and he had a red truck, and I saw the gray car there. It was there all day. So later on in the afternoon I went up to check, she said. She went to the door, knocked and called out his name, but there was no answer. She also noticed blood splattered on the front of the door. Santiago grew worried and wanted to open the door herself. Her children advised against it, and she said her children told her, Uncle Rudy might not agree on that. Then the police showed up. Santiago explained that she also knew Sked, and she described the relationship between Sked and her brother. Santiago said Sked was too much into the drinking and explained that sometimes, Quinata would come over and ask Santiago to call the police on Sked. Hell run to my house. Just imagine a big man to run away from Joy, she said. Evan Montvel-Cohen, who is scheduled to be sentenced May 24 in federal court after pleading guilty to fraud, should get the maximum sentence, his ex-wife and son stated in February letters to the court. Montvel-Cohen in August pleaded guilty to use of a means of identification in furtherance of fraud, which has a 15-year maximum penalty, and bank fraud, which has a 30-year maximum penalty. Prosecutors in March 2021 accused Montvel-Cohen of aggravated identity theft for attempting to rent real estate using the identity of a former associate. His public defender, citing sentencing guidelines, this week asked the court to sentence Montvel-Cohen to one month of time served, with supervised release and a year of home confinement. He stated the government is improperly applying relevant conduct to the sentencing guidelines to push the maximum sentence up to 33 months. Montvel-Cohen should be sentenced only for the conduct to which he pleaded guilty, his attorney stated, instead of uncharged and unproven conduct. Montvel-Cohens ex-wife, Sharla Torre, last month sent a letter to Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, asking the judge to give him the maximum sentence. Torre stated they were married from January 1992 to July 2020. While I am not the victim in this case, my son and I are victims of Evans deceit, abuse and many crimes and infractions over the years, Torre wrote. Lied to me Montvel-Cohens son, Isaiah, told the court his father, is the most dishonest, irresponsible and insensitive person Ive ever met. He has actively lied to me, stolen from me and severely impacted my chances of completing my education and getting a job. Torre stated, This is not the first time that Evan has schemed to win the courts leniency by pleading guilty. In 2009, he won leniency in Hawaii circuit court by pleading no contest to theft. His sentence was five years of probation and some restitution money. He truly believes he can outsmart our justice system. As an example of the magnitude of his deception, Torre stated she strongly believes Montvel-Cohen lied about having brain cancer 20 years ago in order to move the family from Guam for medical treatment. She never went with him to the hospital, never saw hospital bills or records and does not recall seeing him take cancer medicine, she said. She said Montvel-Cohen defrauded and hurt family members, his best friends and his long-time business partner. Evans contempt for decency, recklessness and abuse have had devastating impacts on so many innocent people. He has become a rageful, contemptuous and entirely remorseless man, with zero empathy for his victims and categorically without a conscience, she wrote. I believe he is incapable of honesty, responsibility, true humility or remorse. I truly feel he is beyond rehabilitation I believe the maximum sentence would only just begin to address the immeasurable ways Evan has hurt so many decent people. An increase in the price of power seems inevitable because of higher global oil prices, according to Guam Power Authority General Manager John Benavente, who said it might be possible to delay an increase until May. The total power bill for GPA customers could increase by 10% to 13% during the next couple of months if oil prices continue to rise, he told the Consolidated Commission on Utilities Thursday morning during a work session for the power agency. Benavente presented commissioners with two options to increase the fuel surcharge, which is the most expensive part of monthly power bills. The current fuel surcharge is 18.08 cents per kilowatt-hour, and a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours of power per month pays $278.36. If the fuel surcharge is not changed, GPA expects to be $27.85 million in the hole for its fuel expenses by the end of July. One option would be to increase the surcharge to 20.6 cents, starting April, Benavente said, or increase it to 21.45 cents, starting May. Under the first option, a customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours of power would pay $25.70 more per month. Under the second option, that customer would pay an additional $33.70 per month, according to GPA. Even if the surcharge increases, the power agency expects to be about $20 million in the hole on its fuel expenses by the end of July, according to Benavente. Benavente said GPA can afford to buy fuel if the surcharge does not change, but it could mean a much higher increase in the surcharge in August. Cash reserve He said GPA has cash reserves which, in the past, have allowed it to get as much as $30 million in the hole on its fuel expenses. The current fuel surcharge, which started Feb. 1, is supposed to be in effect through July, but it can be changed in an emergency if fuel prices rise or drop significantly. The invasion of Ukraine has made the world market really difficult and very challenging, Benavente told the CCU. He said a barrel of fuel oil, which cost $87 in January, jumped as high as $119 a barrel after Russia invaded Ukraine. As of Thursday, it dropped to $95 per barrel. GPA, which a year ago paid about $17 million per month for its fuel shipments, now could pay between $25 million and $30 million per month, according to Benavente. If the CCU next week approves a resolution to change the fuel surcharge, it will be presented to the Public Utilities Commission, which is scheduled to meet March 31. CCU member Simon Sanchez said the PUC might not allow the power agency to get much deeper in the hole on fuel. As we know, the PUC is also nervous about significant under-recoveries, Sanchez said. The PUC has increased the fuel surcharge in the past, despite GPA recommendations. Republican Sen. Jim Moylan officially announced his run for the office of Guams delegate to Washington D.C. on Thursday. Surrounded by family and supporters from the Guam Republican Party, he filed his candidacy documents at the Guam Election Commission office. At the office, World War II survivor and advocate Irene Sgambelluri provided Moylan with the pen former President Donald Trump used to sign off on a federal war claims measure for Guam in 2020. Moylan said it was an honor to have a chance to pick up the torch that had been carried by previous delegates from Guam. If you want to know why I should be your next delegate First off, I have the spirit and the ability, to what Ive learned in the 35th and the 36th Guam legislature. Thats collaboration with your colleagues to understand and get the message across, to carry the message of Guam on to Washington D.C., Moylan said. Whats important to get that cooperation going is the relationships that you build. And as you can see, here, we have a strong relationship within the party, and we have the ability also to cross party lines to make things right for the people of Guam. The two-term senator made a trip to Washington D.C. early this month, where he said he met with delegates from the other U.S. territories and several members of Congress. Ive learned so much when I was there, and Im ready to tackle it, he said. Platform His platform will be released in the coming weeks, but he highlighted his efforts to tackle issues of public safety and improve the economy while serving in the Guam Legislature. The importation of drugs, the state of the corrections facility and veterans issues were also raised. Theres much more money available that we can fight for the people, he said. Moylan also said that he had met face to face with current Democrat Del. Michael San Nicolas to discuss his intentions to run. The two have worked closely on past issues, and Moylan previously said that he would run for delegate if San Nicolas ran for governor, though the latter has made no official announcement of his candidacy as of Thursday. Would I be willing to face off our Congressman Mike San Nicolas, if that was going to be the choice? Well, during our decision to run that was also discussed, and Ill leave it at that, he said. When pressed, he did not say whether he would withdraw, should San Nicolas run for delegate again, but stated that a decision had already been made on the matter. Currently, Moylan is the only Republican to announce a bid for delegate. Democrat Sen. Telena Nelson has picked up a candidate packet for the office, while the organization Michael San Nicolas for Congress has registered with the Election Commission and can begin fundraising. Landslide Guam has not had a Republican delegate since 1993, when former Del. Ben Blaz ended his term in office. Former Gov. Eddie Calvo said the time was ripe to end the Republican drought, with a red wave anticipated in Congress. Youre asking why now a Republican? Every poll shows theres going to be a landslide. There will be Republican control of the House and it will be substantial. And theres a strong possibility of a Senate majority also with the Republicans, Calvo said. The vice chair of the Republican National Committee will be arriving on Guam in coming weeks to meet with the local party, he said. A full slate of legislative candidates is also planned for the upcoming general election, now that Moylan will be exiting along with Republican Sen. Tony Ada, who is making a bid as lieutenant governor. Michael Lujan Bevacqua is an author, artist, activist and the curator for The Guam Museum. Two people were killed and two others were wounded Thursday afternoon when a gunman opened fire on a bus in South Florida. The shooter was arrested by police at the scene in Fort Lauderdale, local Fox affiliate WSVN reported. Advertisement The chaos caused a crash, which injured three more people, police said. The four shooting victims were on the bus when they were struck by gunfire, authorities said. The gunshot victims were taken to a local hospital, cops said. The car crash victims were treated at the scene and released. Advertisement The shooting happened in front of a Fort Lauderdale police station, but no officers were involved in the gunfire, police said. A motive for the shooting was not immediately reported. The bus driver was not injured. A teacher in Louisiana posts video on TikTok about dress code and gender identity struggles at school. A video of a beloved music teacher in Louisiana has sparked a fiery debate about dress code and gender identity during a school board meeting on Tuesday. Blaine Banghart, who identifies as trans nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, teaches music at University Elementary School in Shreveport, La. Advertisement In a recent video shared on TikTok, the always colorful teacher talked a little bit about their style. Im not allowed to be out as trans nonbinary at schoolso, of course, my response to this is to look as obnoxiously queer as possible, they said in a video showing their rainbow hair with leopard print and their oversized heart-shaped rainbow glasses. Advertisement Basically my goal is to look like a unicorn threw me up. If I cant do that, whats the point? they added. Bangharts video ignited a heated debate at the Caddo Parish School Board meeting this week, where parents expressed impassioned views both against and in favor of the teachers right to dress however they like. I have never spoken here as a citizen or parent of a student, but I am here today because this is important to me, my family and, most importantly, [the teacher], one father said, according to the Shreveport Times. Let everyone see on public record that there are good people here ready to defend other good people from vile, bigoted hate. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > One other person speaking in support of Banghart noted that discrimination against the teacher sends the wrong message to LGBTQ youth. My heart hurt, the supporter said, according to local television station KSLA-TV. I know how kids feel when theyre bullied, unfortunately, and adults can bully meanly if not more meanly. I feel really hurt and offended for [the teacher] for having to go through all of this. We have to remember that chamber right now that there are tons of gay, lesbian, trans, non-binary folks and they all needed a teacher when they are small. They all would have loved to have someone like [this teacher] in their classrooms and its important that we protect that. A fellow Caddo Parish teacher, Aubrey Garcia, urged others educators to also show their support. This is a non-issue and I feel that we are already in a teacher shortage, so if I can get out and support our teachers here in Caddo Parish, Im going to do it, she said. Regardless of their gender, their pronouns, their hair color, it doesnt matter. Some attendants criticized the teacher, saying that they are weaponizing the rainbow, and that Banghart was indoctrinating children. Advertisement One other woman, a Caddo Parish grandparent, suggested that children shouldnt hear about LGBTQ issues at school. As a Christian woman, I want [kids] to be raised in school; I want schools to teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic. I dont want them being taught things I wouldnt teach them at home about gender about sex, Pam Coke told KTAL-TV. Haiti - FLASH : At 104 years old, Odette Roy Fombrun launches a final appeal to the PM Author of numerous educational books, a collection on civics and several novels, the well-known and respected former Haitian teacher and feminist activist Odette Roy Fombrun (104 years old https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33972-haiti-social-mrs-odette-roy-fombrun-celebrates-her-104-years.html ), crowned "Living National Treasure" in 2009 in a message made public, makes an ultimate appeal to Prime Minister Ariel Henry asking him firmly to take action or "give way to more capable ones" Message from Odette Roy Fombrun to Prime Minister Ariel Henry : "Mr. Prime Minister, Stop your broken promises to get us out of the quagmire by achieving an inclusive agreement ! Finally take action ! The restoration of security, the end of destructive gangsterism, the restoration of our institutions in disarray are essential to save the country, to rebuild it, to put it on the path of development. The economy is in tatters, misery is raging and fear is visceral. The country can't take it anymore ! With all the strength of my 104 years, I issue this final appeal to you : Act now ! Take action ! Or give way to more capable ones ! Note : To urgently equip the forces of order, demand from the USA the return of the millions in gold seized from our Central Bank during the occupation of 1915-1934. It would be justice and the entire population would support your efforts." Odette Roy Fombrun Read a few speeches and positions taken by Odette Roy Fombrun : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29432-haiti-flash-odette-roy-fombrun-102-years-old-takes-position-in-the-file-state-against-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29324-haiti-flash-message-of-odette-fombrun-102-years-to-the-gravediggers-of-the-motherland.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26974-haiti-politic-at-101-odette-roy-fombrun-accuses-the-core-group.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22298-haiti-politics-message-of-wisdom-from-odette-fombrun-to-jovenel-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20958-haiti-politics-odette-roy-fombrun-proposes-a-revolution-to-the-pm.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20609-haiti-politics-constructive-proposals-by-odette-roy-fombrun.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20356-haiti-social-odette-roy-fombrun-appeals-against-immorality.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19363-haiti-politics-odette-fombrun-launches-an-appeal-to-presidential-candidates.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19434-haiti-politics-odette-r-fombrun-s-2nd-message-to-the-presidential-candidates.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33972-haiti-social-mrs-odette-roy-fombrun-celebrates-her-104-years.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Environment : Fishermen from Pestel capture a strange sea creature The Ministry of the Environment informs that a sea hare (Aplysia) was captured by fishermen in the commune of Pestel (Dept. Grand'Anse). The sea animal, a large shellless mollusk with sail-like fins, inspires fear among fishermen due to their belief in voodoo mythology and the "horns" on the back of the sea hare's head. These "corms" are sensory organs (rhinophores). Should be noted that this mollusc has spread and is found in all the seas of the globe near the coast. It measures between 7.5 to 15 cm up to 30 to 40 cm and more than 50 cm in the case of Aplysia gigantea or Aplysia vaccaria. They are harmless marine animals. The Ministry appeals to the population of Pestel not to kill this marine animal and instructions have been passed to this effect to the Departmental Directorate of Grand'Anse and recalls that the Department of Grand'Anse is home to the greatest marine biodiversity in Haiti in terms of biological wealth and its strong economic and tourist potential is still undervalued. Pestel, where this sea hare was captured, is part of the Marine Protected Areas complex declared on April 7, 2017 by presidential decree, namely the Baraderes-Cayemites Complex (Petit Trou-de-Nippes - Baraderes/Pestel/Roseaux), one of thetwo best areas of corals in very good health of the coastal and marine ecosystems of Haiti. HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Diaspora Covid-19 : Daily Bulletin #727 GLOBAL SITUATION 2019-2022: Epidemiological situation: Thursday March 17, 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 464,539,425 cases (+2,428,466 in 24 hours ), the day before (+1,842,346) Number of infected countries: 224 *Healings: 396,864,856 people have been cured of Covid-19 worldwide (+1,552,488 in 24 hours), the day before (+1,634,138) *Deaths: 6,082,116 people died of Covid-19 worldwide (+7,513 in 24 hours), the day before (+6,232) *Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries) in the world is currently 61,592,453 cases (+868,465 in 24 hours), the day before (+201,976) Average cure rate in the world: 85.43% (-) Average mortality rate in the world: 1.30% (-) World: Number of daily confirmed cases: (Day-1) Vaccination: 11.07 billion doses of vaccine injected (+10 million doses injected in 24 hours. Updated March 16, 2022 (latest data available). HAITI: Epidemiological situation: According to the Ministry of Public Health, +17 new cases of Covid-19 and its variants have been confirmed in Haiti as of March 13, 2022 (latest partial data available ) for a total of 30,478 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 (+15 cases as of March 10, 2022). Healings: 27,039 (+501) Cure rate: 88.71% (+) Deaths: 827 deaths (+0) () Death rate: 2.71% (=) 5th Wave (Omicron Dominant): Total of the 5th wave (beginning of December 27, 2021) 4,483 confirmed cases and 61 deaths Haiti: Active Cases Trend: (less recoveries and deaths) Screening since the start of the pandemic: 183,635 tests (+1,268 in 3 days) since March 19, 2020, latest data available. Note that the very small number of people screened every day 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 translates into a < B>number of daily confirmed cases largely underestimated. TOP 5 of the most affected municipalities in the West (2022): Delmas: 737 (+1); Petion-ville 615 (+2); Port-au-Prince 405 (+0); Tabarre 286 (+0); Croix-des-Bouquets 235(+2) Confirmed cases by department (2022 / 2021 / 2020): West: 2022: 2,533 cases; (2021: 9.890); (2020: 6,945 cases) North: 2022: 265 cases; (2021: 664); (2020: 677 cases) Center: 2022: 223 cases; (2021: 1.001); (2020: 508 cases) Artibonitis: 2022: 176 cases; (2021: 855); (2020: 593 cases) Northeast: 2022: 148 cases; (2021: 404); (2020: 314 cases) Southeast: 2022: 250 cases; (2021: 768); (2020: 274 cases) South: 2022: 213 cases; (2021: 891); (2020: 262 cases) North West: 2022: 249 cases; (2021: 383); (2020: 229 cases) Grand'Anse: 2022: 161 cases; (2021: 861); (2020: 176 cases) Nippes: 2022: 35 cases; (2021: 249) (2020: 149 cases) Cumulative deaths by department (2022-2021): West: 293 deaths (2020: 104 deaths) North: 54 deaths (2020: 34 deaths) Center: 78 deaths (2020: 13 deaths) Artibonite: 40 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: 27 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: 31 deaths 30-39 years: 54 deaths 40-49 years: 78 deaths 50-59 years: 133 deaths 60-69 years: 186 deaths 70-79 years: 181 deaths 80 years and over: 137 deaths Vaccination: 159,320 Haitians (1.37% of the population) +2,318 in 4 days have received a 1st dose of vaccine since July 16, 2021, date of the first injection through 149 open vaccination centers and 108,450 Haitians are fully vaccinated (2 doses, 0.93% of the population) +2.336 in 4 days. Update March 10, 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): 81,289,602 cases (+44,666 in 24 hours), the day before (+28,668) *Healings: 56,631,117 healings (+174,667 in 24 hours), the day before (+174,444) National Cure Rate: 69.66% (+) *Deaths: 994,739 deaths (+2,437), the day before (+1,264) National death rate: 1.22% (=) *Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries): 23,663,746 (-132,438 in 24 hours), the day before (-147,040) Tests: 968,708,197 last data available. USA: Number of daily confirmed cases (Day-1) Vaccination: 557.73 million doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, the date of the first injection in the United States (+270,000 doses in 24 hours). Updated March 16, 2022 (latest data available). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Confirmed cases since March 1, 2020: 576,788 cases (+90 in 24 hours) the day before (+57 in 24 hours). First case (March 1, 2020) Healings: 572,028 healings (+22 in 24 hours), the day before (+109) National Cure Rate: 99.17% (-) Deaths: 4,374 deaths (+0), previous (+0) Death rate: 0.75% (=) Positivity rate over 4 epidemiological weeks: 1.60% (+) Active cases: (excluding deaths and recoveries) 386 cases (+68 in 24 hours) the day before (-52) 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: Santiago: +47 new cases in 24 hours (+) Santo Domingo: +14 new cases in 24 hours (-) La Altagracia: +11 new cases in 24 hours (+) San Cristobal: +7 new cases () National District: +6 new cases in 24 hours (-) Tests (since the 1st case): 3,174,924 tests (+5,130 in 24 hours), the day before (+4,721) Vaccination: 15.38 million doses of vaccine injected since February 16, 2021, date of the first injection in the Dominican Republic (+10,000 doses injected in 24 hours). Updated March 16, 2022 (latest data available). QUEBEC: Confirmed cases since the first case (February 27, 2020): 939,650 (+1,380 in 24 hours), previous (+1,023) Healings: 912,733 people (+843 in 24 hours), previous (+1,094) Cure rate: 97.13% (-) Deaths: 14,213 deaths (+11 in 24 hours), previous (+20) Death rate: 1.51% (=) Active cases: (excluding death and recovery) 12,704 cases (+526 in 24 hours), previous (-91) Quebec: Trend of daily confirmed cases: (average weekly trend) Test: 16,907,235 people tested since the first case (+13,213 in 24 hours) Vaccination: 18,537,394 doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection (+4,462 doses in 24 hours), latest available data - MSSS as of March 16, 2022) FRANCE: *Confirmed cases since the first case (January 24, 2020): 23,758,447 cases (+108,832 cases in 24 hours), previous (+116,618) *Heals: 22,394,358 heals (+66,559), previous (+66,502) National Cure Rate: 94.25% (-) Deaths: 140,613 (), previous () Test: 246,629,975 (last data available February 27, 2022) France: Number of daily confirmed cases: (Day-1) Vaccination: 141.35 million doses of vaccine injected since December 27, 2020, date of the first injection in France (+30,000 doses injected in 24 hours. Update March 16, 2022 (latest data available) Previous bulletin : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36192-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-726.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 By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/03/16 Actor Ko Sang-ho is a relatively new face to South Korean television dramas, making his television debut as one of many named ensemble characters in the prehistorical semi-fantasy drama "Arthdal Chronicles" back in 2019. He then earned more named roles in "Dr. Romantic 2" in 2020 and "Vincenzo" in 2021 and most recently, in "Ghost Doctor" which concluded on February 22nd. There he played Dr. Ahn, a junior associate of the lead character played by Rain for the past four years. Advertisement In a recent interview Ko Sang-ho discussed his work portraying that arc, of the betrayal in the storyline as well as the admittied wrongdoing in search of ambition. Ko Sang-ho appreciated the spiritual dimensions of the role, noting that the story has redemptive qualities and even reconciliation despite the more villainous undertones. Ko Sang-ho felt that such an arc left room for a lot of heart. Doctor Ahn was not the first medical role for Ko Sang-ho, his having played Doctor Yang in "Dr. Romantic 2" who was also a surgeon. Ko Sang-ho described the work involved in such medical roles as difficult at first, but that he's gained more skill for it as time went on. Ko Sang-ho described his role as encapsullating the mindset of a person who sees a problem and tries to fix it. And so he strives hard to present the most complete possible picture. Ko Sang-ho also expressed appreciation for the tedious work involved in being a surgeon, noting that his surgery scenes are always the ones that take the longest time to film. Ko Sang-ho then noted important differences between the roles. While Doctor Yang saw the surgeon's gown as a badge of honor, Doctor Ahn saw it as a mere work uniform. This attitude led Doctor Ahn to making bad choices, leading to his complex character arc. On "Vincenzo" Ko Sang-ho played a similar role as a man who betrays the protagonist. Ko Sang-ho expressed some ambivalence about playing such villainous characters, but said he regarded the experience optimistically, giving him a chance to show depth as an actor. Ko Sang-ho also spoke highly of Rain describing him as an older brother. Ko Sang-ho has no confirmed upcoming projects. Written by William Schwartz Published on 2022/03/17 | Source New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Take Care of My Mom" (2021) Advertisement Directed by Park Kyung-mok With Kim Young-ok, Kim Young-min, Park Sung-yeon, Kim Hye-na, Lee Jung-eun, Kim Tae-baek,... Synopsis Stranger like family, family like stranger What is 85-year-old Mrs. Jeong Mal-im's choice? Mrs. Jeong Mal-im, an 85-year-old lady enjoys living alone with her longtime friend's dog in an old Western-style house in Daegu. Her only son, Jong-wook, will visit from Seoul after a long time, and while preparing here and there, her arm broke, and through the accident, a caregiver named Mi-seon was hired. She really hates being indebted to her children, and she doesn't feel comfortable with others so she insists on sending Mi-seon away, and Jong-wook who installed CCTVs due to his worries for her mother is frustrated at what's happening. Meanwhile, Mrs. Jeong seems to disappear from objects and side dishes after Mi-seon came, but there is no physical evidence, and Mi-seon, who takes care of her more gently than her real son, is proud of her, and the two become like real mothers and daughters. Then, one holiday, when Jong-wook's family suddenly visited, the conflict in the relationship that had been buried, bursts when they saw Mi-seon wearing the clothes of Mrs. Jeong, which was a gift from her daughter-in-law Yoo-jin... What's wrong with this family? We'll live together now so "Take Care of My Mom". Release date in Korea : 2022/04/13 A former Louisville police officer who fired pepper balls into a group of people protesting Breonna Taylors death, setting off a domino effect that ended with a National Guardsman fatally shooting a restaurant owner, was indicted Wednesday on federal charges. Katie Crews, 29, has been charged with using unreasonable force and violating an individuals rights in the June 1, 2020, incident that led to death of YaYas BBQ owner David McAtee, the Department of Justice announced. Advertisement Shortly before midnight on May 31, Crews, who was fired from the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department in February, unleashed pepper balls toward a group of people outside YaYas BBQ in an attempt to enforce the citys 9 p.m. curfew, according to officials. Machelle McAtee, Davids niece, was hit and ran inside, along with others, Commonwealths Attorney Tom Wine said in a statement in May. Advertisement David McAtee responded by firing his gun once, then stepped inside the restaurant and fired one more time. Louisville Metro Police Officer Katie Crews (Handout) LMPD police officers and National Guard soldiers then switched from non-lethal weapons to their service guns and four officers, including Crews, fired at McAtee, 19 times in total. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > McAtee was hit once in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene. None of the officers had bodycam footage, but investigators pieced the events together from interviews and surveillance footage from buildings in the area. The new federal charges against Crews are related specifically to firing the pepper balls, not McAtees death. Wine previously said last summer that the state would not bring charges against Crews, LMPD officer Austin Allen or National Guard members Andrew Kroszkewicz and Matthew Roark, saying they were acting in self defense. We agree with the Grand Jurys decision today that criminal activity by LMPD in the unwarranted shooting at innocent bystanders outside of YaYas BBQ is what directly lead to the death of David McAtee, McAtees family said in a statement to WAVE. These charges evidence LMPDs complete disregard for its own policies and the safety of citizens of Louisville. The citys denials of responsibility are just proof that despite claims of accountability and transparency, nothing has changed. Advertisement If convicted, Crews faces up to 10 years in prison Quincy, IL (62301) Today Cloudy with occasional rain late. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain late. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Hastings, NE (68901) Today Overcast with showers at times. Low around 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Overcast with showers at times. Low around 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit We couldnt help but notice the number of articles in recent editions of this news Legendary guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ace Frehley, the former KISS member known as the Spaceman, performed March 13 at the Hal Rogers Center (The Forum) in Hazard. While in Hazard, Frehley performed several songs including Rip It Out; Parasite; Strutter; Emerald; Rocket Ride; Rock Soldiers; Never Life/Good Times; Detroit Rock City; Hard Times; NYG; Strange Ways; Shock Me/Solo; Cold Gin/Diamond; and Deuce. The concert was part of Frehleys 2022 tour, and the Hazard event was his smallest venue performance of the year. Greg Napier, an event promoter at WZQQ radio station, said that although he thought more people would attend the event, the concert was successful and he is happy with the turnout considering the weather and pandemic. I thought it was good. I was satisfied, said Napier. I do know there were a lot of tickets that were purchased but some people were still stranded from this crazy snowstorm, he said, adding that many people who purchased tickets did not show to claim them. This this was the first live performance Napier has organized since the COVID-19 pandemic began. During the shutdown of events due to COVID, he said, he worried about not being able to host events like that again. I just didn't think it would happen again, but some way some how by the grace of God we pulled it off, and we've got another show in October with Kings X and tickets have already been selling for that, he said. The Ace Frehley concert, he said, attracted people from several states and even another country. We had 10 states represented as far west as Montana and as far south as Florida, and even Argentina out of the country, Napier said. I think hotels were definitely happy this weekend. Napier said he believes events like the Frehley concert help with tourism, and he is proud of his role in accomplishing that. As of today from my concert experience in Whitesburg and Hazard, the only state in the Union that I have not had attend my concerts has been Oregon, said Napier. As far as tourism draws that's the most proud thing I can say that 49 states have come to Eastern Kentucky for our shows. Napier said although he finds it interesting to draw in people from across the United States, he wishes more local people would attend the shows and appreciate the Forum. \ I just wish more folks from home would take advantage of this room and these types of artists, said Napier. It was really gratifying to see folks from home here. It's a unique setting because these artists, 99 percent of the time this is the smallest town they're going to play or the smallest theater. They like the people and they like coming through; it's a beautiful part of the world, said Napier. A lot of people I don't think really know even here at home all the great acts that came here. Many of the artists he books for performances, he said, tell him that the Forum is one of the best sounding venues or rooms they play on their tours. I take a lot of pride in that, said Napier, explaining that the process of preparing the Forum for events is time-consuming. I incorporate sound and light and production as far north as Cincinatti and to Pike County. It's a big process because the packages I use you can close the doors at the Forum and it's the same type of production as in any metro area. The work, he said, is hard, but rewarding. My whole thing is I want to give everyone the best show possible every time we put something on. It's like building a house in one day; you have to start like at the Forum there's no sound or lights then we have to incorporate them in and hours later it comes together, he said. During the Hazard concert, the demographic of those in attendance was very wide, with ages ranging from eight to 70 years old, said Napier. I think that's pretty cool, he said, stating that music is a way to bring people together. That's one of the beauties of rock n roll. You can be 70 years old but you still get that feeling like a 20 year old and that's timeless, and that's why people are still coming here to remember the good times. Especially in the world we live in today we need more live music whether it's at the Forum or down on Main Street with some local artists it's all important; it's more important than ever. It seems like the show brought a lot of joy to a lot of people and that's all I could ever ask for, said Napier. For more details about Frehleys 2022 tour, visit http://acefrehley.com/tour_dates/. For more information about upcoming events organized by WZQQ, tune into WZQQ or follow them on social media. Recently, the Perry County Central High School Commodore Players have been practicing their final full performance of the school year. The performance, The Outsiders, will be PCCHS Drama Teacher Phil Neaces last production before his retirement later this year. Neace said the play is being directed by senior Andy Riley. Riley, said Neace, has done a wonderful job on the production. I am so impressed when the seniors do direct, said Neace. Ill always say its the most difficult thing in the world its quite easy for a person like me to direct a show with young people because Im the authority figure and I hope they respect me, but he is leading his friends and he has to have that leadership while being friends and thats hard. Its one of the most difficult things to do and Andy has stepped up beautifully, he said. The performance, said Neace, will be a more serious and mature production, but he said he hopes a lot of the local youth are inspired by the work and take an interest in theater. This is definitely more of a mature work, Neace said. Its about kids who are in the roughest of circumstances surviving in those circumstances and really having to be forced to be adults when theyre still young, he said. The story, said Neace, is popular among middle and high school students, so he hopes local students take an interest in theater and help increase the participation in the program. Its been extremely difficult to get new kids involved because of the lack of exposure to theater due to the past couple of years, said Neace. The production is an important one to the students and to Neace, he said. This will be the last full performance. We have a one-act play for a festival in April then well figure something out for the end of the year for the fine arts night then Ill be retiring, said Neace. Please support the theater. We do hope people can come to it because this will be the end of 20 years and I want to see these kids get the crowd they deserve. The performance will be held Monday through Thursday, March 21-24 at 7 p.m. Gov. Hochul rolled out election endorsements from hundreds of New York faith leaders Thursday morning just a few hours before her disgraced predecessor planned to make an appearance at a Bronx church amid buzz that hes exploring a primary challenge against her. The 401 faith leaders, who hail from across the state and include Christian, Jewish and Muslim representatives, hauled praise on Hochul in a flurry of statements provided exclusively to the Daily News. Advertisement Gov. Hochul is the epitome of a leader who has dedicated her lifes work to public service, said Ebony Kirkland, one of the endorsers and the bishop of the Church of the Living God in Jamaica, Queens. As the first woman to hold this office, Gov. Hochul is paving the way for other trailblazers looking to make their own mark in government, business, community or church. Advertisement Then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (left) and then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (right) during a cabinet meeting at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. on Feb. 25, 2015. (Mike Groll/AP) The Hochul endorsement blast came just hours before former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was expected to deliver remarks at a church in the South Bronx led by former Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr., who has long attracted controversy for his anti-gay rhetoric and opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Diaz wrote in a Facebook post earlier this week that he invited Cuomo to his church because he and other Hispanic ministers in the community want to hear how he feels about the present direction that New York State has taken. Cuomo, who resigned as governor last August in the face of near certain impeachment over allegations that he had sexually harassed 11 women and obscured the true number of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes, has embarked on a political rehabilitation tour this month and his first focus appears to be the faith community. Before the planned stop at Diazs spot, Cuomo paid a visit on March 6 to an African-American church in Brooklyn, where he blamed cancel culture and state Attorney General Letitia James for his political downfall. And on Wednesday, sources confirmed to The News and other outlets that Cuomo isnt only seeking to rehabilitate his political image hes also seriously considering launching a 2022 primary bid against Hochul, who was sworn in as the states first female governor after his resignation. Considering Cuomos Thursday morning plans, the timing of Hochuls faith-related endorsement announcement emerged as an unmistakable sign that she wants to draw a contrast with her former boss. Im humbled and honored to receive the overwhelming support from hundreds of distinguished faith leaders whove been with us since day one, Hochul said in a statement. Our faith communities have always been a source of strength and solidarity that New Yorkers can depend on, especially during our most trying times. U.S. congressmen Hal Rogers (KY-05), Andy Barr (KY-06) and Brett Guthrie (KY-02) sent a joint letter to Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in support of Gov. Andy Beshear's request for damage assessments to be conducted in 26 additional counties that suffered damage during historic flooding across Kentucky from Feb. 27 to March 14, 2021, according to a statement issued April 30. Last Friday, President Joe Biden issued a Major Disaster Declaration, the largest in Kentucky history, activating federal funding assistance for more than two dozen counties. With the vast majority of damage in Congressman Rogers, Barr and Guthrie's districts, they immediately began advocating for an expanded declaration, working with Gov Beshear's team to ensure every need is assessed, the statement said, adding the congressmen jointly supported Beshear's request for expanded FEMA assessments and offered their support in a letter to the FEMA Administrator. "As Gov. Beshear noted in his request to FEMA, many households in these counties remain in critical need of individual assistance following the historic flooding that devastated the region. Many families have lost all belongings, furniture, appliances, and transportation, requiring many of them to restart their lives," Members stated in the letter. "The damage assessments that Governor Beshear has requested are a critical first step in ensuring these families receive the individual assistance they desperately need." The request would expand FEMA assessments in the following 26 counties: Anderson, Bell, Boyd, Calloway, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Greenup, Jackson, Jessamine, Knott, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Todd, Warren and Woodford. Once the FEMA assessments are complete, Gov. Beshear could request a formal expansion of President Biden's Major Disaster Declaration. Homeowners and renters in Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Johnson, Lee, Magoffin, Martin and Powell counties can now apply for FEMA disaster assistance by visiting, www.disasterassistance.gov, or by calling, 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). FEMA encourages flood victims to document damage and continue cleanup efforts to prevent further damage. It is important for families to keep receipts from all purchases related to cleanup and repair for federal reimbursement. Businesses and residents in the declared area can also now apply for low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans, including: Bell, Clark, Jackson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Madison, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Wolfe. For more information, visit, https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. Defendant gets maximum sentence for dealing fentanyl A 40-year-old Asheville man was sentenced to 18 to 23 years in prison Wednesday after a Henderson County jury found him guilty of one count of trafficking in fentanyl. Superior Court Judge William H. Coward sentenced Boevino Antwane Hammond to a mandatory sentence, for the highest statutory level, Level III, of trafficking in fentanyl, District Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced. The Henderson County Sheriffs Drug Enforcement and SWAT teams, assisted the Asheville Police Department in apprehending Hammond at 13 Cureton Place in Henderson County on March 15, 2018, according to court records and Wednesdays sentencing hearing. Hammond had warrants for his arrest out of Buncombe County for multiple drug trafficking charges. When the SWAT team attempted to serve the Buncombe County warrants by knocking on the door of 13 Cureton Place multiple times, and loudly announcing their presence, Hammond, who was a known occupant of the residence, failed to open the door. The SWAT Team breached the door and the Drug Enforcement and Swat Teams gained entry to the residence. Upon entry, they immediately apprehended and secured Hammond in the hallway of the residence. While apprehending the defendant, deputies noticed controlled substances, in plain view, in the residence and applied for a search warrant to thoroughly search the residence and seize any illegal drugs. A subsequent court-authorized search turned up a brick of approximately 162 grams of a white powdery substance, $1,950 in cash, a Magic Bullet mixer with drug residue on the blades, along with drug cutting agents and a measuring scale. In the bathroom there was 71 grams of white powder and another 1.64 kilograms of a mixture containing fentanyl that Hammond tried to flush down the toilet. Apparently, there was so much substance, it did not flush. The controlled substances were sent to the State Crime Lab where it was determined to be fentanyl. Prior to the apprehension of Hammond, the Henderson County Sheriffs Office had not run across the illegal substance of fentanyl, a highly lethal and destructive drug that was just beginning to proliferate in the United States in 2018. The Henderson County Sheriffs Office is to be commended for their professional assistance to the Asheville Police Department, and for selflessly putting themselves in harms way to execute a warrant under dangerous circumstances to ensure justice is served. Their flawless execution of Hammonds warrant, and meticulous handling of an extremely dangerous crime scene undoubtedly resulted in the saving of countless lives, Murray said. "Assistant District Attorney Heather Brittains skillful handling of the prosecution and sentencing of the defendant ensured he will not be poisoning the streets of Henderson County, or anywhere else for that matter, for many years to come," Murray said. This case is representative of how law enforcement and the District 42 Prosecutorial Team are partnering to make Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties a safe place to live, work, play and raise a family. Murray commended the hard work, sacrifices and dedication, of the law enforcement partners putting their lives on the line, every day, to keep the community safe. A WOMAN has told of how her elderly mother has been sleeping on the floor of her flat in Kyiv as the Russian bombings continue for the third week. Last week Natalie Johnson, from Lower Assendon, told the Henley Standard how 84-year-old Iryna Bozhko, who lives on her own on the 10th floor of a 28-storey block, had to sleep on the toilet floor to protect herself from any explosions. Now she has moved to the entrance of the flat where she feels it is safer to spend the night. Mrs Johnson calls her almost hourly to check on her welfare. She said: She has been sleeping less and less because of the bombings that now are coming even closer to her flat. She moved from the toilet and now sleeps on the floor by the entrance, which is more protected. A few nights ago she said goodbye to me because she was so scared and thought we would not speak again. She had packed a bag and she told me she was ready to run but when I rang her in the morning, she was safe. Its constant bombing and I heard it over the phone when I talked to her, it was really scary she sometimes puts the radio on to try to cover it. She counts the lights in the nearby buildings to check there are still people there. She managed to buy milk and bread and she still has food. Now we are keeping our fingers crossed and just praying for this to be over soon. Everyday I go to bed thinking, Will I talk to her in the morning? Mrs Johnson, who runs an online shop for womens cuff-links and an award- winning bed and breakfast, left Ukraine when she was 19 and got married but still considers it her home. She said: Im feeling very stressed. What is happening there is just inconceivable and there has not been much progress but I still believe that these next few weeks will be crucial and that the Ukrainian people will win. Meanwhile, a woman from Nettlebed has been joined by her mother and sister after they escaped from Kyiv. Anastasiia Lypynska is originally from the city and her relatives escaped on the third day of the Russain invasion. They stayed in Warsaw while they applied for UK visas. These were granted on Sunday. Ms Lypynska said: I feel better now because my mum and sister are here with me but neighbours sent photos on Monday showing that mums flat windows have been smashed by a blast. My mum feels terrible that they are here while her sister and her family are still there. Its very tense now because we know that the Russians are not succeeding in occupying Kyiv and are becoming more desperate. Everyone is worried about how they will try to do it. My cousin lives near the outskirts of Kyiv and says it is very loud and the sky is red. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. ALBANY Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo unleashed a torrent of attacks Thursday, blaming extremists from the Democratic Party for his undoing and ranting about bail reforms he signed into law, during a visit to a Bronx church. Cuomo, hellbent on repairing his public image after resigning last year in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct allegations, cast himself as the victim as he addressed a group of Hispanic ministers gathered by controversial ex-Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. Advertisement One manifestation of extremism is the so-called cancel culture, Cuomo lamented. Cancel culture says if you dont agree with me and my point of view, you can be canceled. The appearance comes amid rumors that the disgraced Democrat is mulling an attempt at reentering the political arena. Advertisement Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a New York Hispanic Clergy Organization meeting in Bronx, New York on Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP) [ Cuomo weighing running against N.Y. Gov. Hochul despite opposition from fellow Dems ] Whether that comes in the form of a potential primary run against Gov. Hochul, his former lieutenant governor, or an independent bid remains to be seen. I am more committed to fighting and fighting hard to do the right thing, so government works, he said. I am not going anywhere. I am going to continue to fight the good fight. While standing resolute in his plans to ensure good government, Cuomo made no attempt to win over progressives. He spent much of his speech Thursday striking a decidedly conservative tone and railing against Albany Democrats for refusing to revisit controversial topics such as the bail overhauls he signed into law. I believe this is most important issue facing the city, Cuomo said of the laws limiting the use of bail to jail suspects awaiting trial. People die while theyre sitting up there deciding what to do, and theyre not going to do it, he added, knocking legislative leaders who have resisted calls to roll back the changes. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo listens to remarks while attending a New York Hispanic Clergy Organization meeting in Bronx, New York on Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP) Cuomo railed against radicals he says have taken over the Democratic Party, castigating efforts to defund police and likening woke progressives to conservative Tea Party extremists. I speak as a concerned New Yorker and a very concerned New Yorker because the truth is, we are at a pivotal and dangerous time in this country, in this state, he said. Cuomos message seemed to resonate with the crowd, coordinated by Diaz, a Pentecostal minister with a long history of controversial stances and homophobic comments. Advertisement Diaz has at times compared abortion to the Holocaust, heaped praise on former President Donald Trump, and, in 2019, said the City Council was controlled by the homosexual community. But Cuomos pariah status among Dems is making for strange bedfellows. He recently dined with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in Manhattan and applauded Mayor Adams Thursday for his work so far at City Hall. He was a cop. He understands it, Cuomo said of the mayor, a former police captain and bail law critic. The bad news is he cant do it on his own. Cuomo, who claims he has been vindicated after prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against him, said recently he regrets stepping down. He would have faced certain impeachment had he remained in office. The ex-governor has spent millions in campaign cash in recent weeks, attempting to clear his name with slick TV commercials and ramping up in-person events. A poll released last week by Emerson College and The Hill found Cuomo would be a formidable challenger for Hochul if he entered the June Democratic primary race. Advertisement Hochul received 37% of Democratic voter support in a hypothetical matchup, while Cuomo garnered 33%. I have a lot of options. I am open to all of them, Cuomo told his Bronx audience Thursday, before joking about hoping for an offer from the Jets to play wide receiver. Im open to all options, and Im going to leave it at that. Greenville, TX (75401) Today Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. 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 Irish eyes werent all that smiled on Thursday, as St. Patricks Day marked an end to all of New Yorks two years of quarantining, mandatory face-masking, and limits to barroom socializing. There was a parade, too. Advertisement At the Pig N Whistle on W. 48th St. near Rockefeller Center, Dropkick Murphys and the Dubliners blared on the sound system as scores of St. Pattys revelers were thrilled over the renewal of the annual festivities. Its like being normal again, said Autumn Wright, 41, who flew in from Arizona to celebrate with her mom, Darlene Lemon Wright. Advertisement After COVID, we can finally have human connection, she said. On a day like this, we dont have to worry about COVID, or even the war. I missed St. Pattys Day, said Darlene Lemon Wright, a 61-year-old Manhattan resident. Mayor Eric Adams lifts a St. Patrick's Day pint with U.S. Army members at the Pig N Whistle in Midtown on Thursday morning. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Its a wonderful day ... I feel like my dad is with me today he used to take me to the parade every year, Darlene Wright said. He used to take me to the parade every year. New Yorks parade is the oldest in America it was first held in 1762, and runs 35 blocks on Fifth Avenue, past Central Park and St. Patricks Cathedral. Seeing the marchers especially those representing the citys fire and police departments made Daniel Contis day. Im very happy St. Pattys Day is back. I love the parade and all the bagpipes, said Conti, 22, a graduate student from Congers, N.Y., in Rockland County, as he downed post-parade beverages at the Pig N Whistle. The holiday and its parade are always a big event for the citys elected officials. For Mayor Adams, it meant sipping a St. Patricks Day beer at breakfast which was so good he had another round for dessert. Advertisement Mayor Adams greets employees of the Pig N Whistle in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday morning before the St. Patrick's Day Parade. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) After the back-to-back morning pints at Midtown pubs, the mayor joined hundreds of service members and green-clad revelers in the parade. I feel the energy, Adams said as he marched up Fifth Avenue with a contingent of NYPD officers. New York is ready. As ever, the beer-soaked festivities werent without another standard New York attraction the politics of city life playing out in the street. At Pig N Whistle, Adams was greeted by Lexi Kasper, a Brooklyn woman who had a bone to pick with him. Kasper, holding her 3-year-old son Jasper, asked the mayor when he would allow children under the age of five to go unmasked in schools. Well get it done, he responded. Believe in me. Advertisement Mayor Adams poses for an Army sergeant's selfie at the Pig N Whistle in Midtown before Thursday's St. Patrick's Day Parade, (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) But the buzzkill didnt end there for the mayor. More angry parents armed with signs saying Unmask Our Toddlers greeted him outside the bar, demanding he drop the mandate for the kids under 5. I got this. Ill take care of it, Adams said to one man yelling at him to drop the mandate while holding his 4-year-old daughter. New York City Mayor Eric Adams leaves the Pig N Whistle before walking in the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Thursday, March 17, 2022 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) But the protesters were the exception in Adams day. Unlike his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, who was booed regularly at parades, Adams drew applause along the parade route, where onlookers held signs emblazoned with upbeat slogans like, WELCOME BACK. Adams NYPD commissioner, Keechant Sewell, who marched alongside him, got some love, too. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > We love you, Commissioner Sewell, a spectator shouted as she and the mayor marched by. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 37 St. Patricks Day Parade on 5th Ave. in Manhattan, New York on Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Shawn Inglima/for the New York Daily News) The shift in tone wasnt lost on Patrick Lynch, head of the NYPDs rank-and-file Police Benevolent Association. He attributed much of it to Adams, a former NYPD captain, vocalizing his support for cops early on in his administration. I think City Hall and the mayor understands what New York City police officers go through now, and theyre doing the best to give support to the ladies and men that are in uniform, Lynch said. We need that. Its moral support, but its also smart support to help us get the job done. Political analysis aside the holiday, post-COVID, was just good fun. Its great to have St. Pattys Day back. We can finally have a break from all this COVID, said Luis Franco, 26, a doorman at the Pig N Whistle. Franco was working as the parade passed nearby but he was lucky enough to enjoy a performance afterwards by bagpipers. It was great, he said. Happy St. Pattys Day. On Sunday, I went with a couple of my family members to a baseball game in Milwaukee between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. Everything was going well. I used my phone to get driving directions to the stadium from St. Joseph, and the Apple Maps app got us to the exact location on Next month will mark the 120th birthday of the Rebbe, the most influential Jewish religious leader in recent history. To mark this special date, several Chabads in Orlando are coming together to bring the community Judaism: The Soundtrack, an evening of immersive musical experience, featuring Jewish Chasidic melodies, fascinating narratives, and motivational messages brought to Orlando by the acclaimed Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. On Sunday, April 10th, the program begins at 5 p.m. with a VIP dinner for sponsors. The main program begins at 6 p.m. Participants will discover the e... Hes Adam Kin-zinger! Republican representative Adam Kinzinger has once again mocked one of his partys most outlandish members for being intellectually challenged. The zinger landed Wednesday night after Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene challenged conservative commentator Bill Kristols assertion that her criticism of military readiness under President Biden implies she recommends betting against America. Advertisement I mean seriously, if anyone is going to say commander and chief its her. She literally has no idea its commander in chief and Im zero percent surprised. https://t.co/kpKrkovHIZ Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 17, 2022 In a poorly written tweet, Greene told Kristol to report to your commander and chief yourself and tell him your (sic) reporting for duty. Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran whos flown missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as being on the congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, dropped a bomb on Greene. Advertisement I mean seriously, if anyone is going to say commander and chief its her, he tweeted. She literally has no idea its commander in chief and Im zero percent surprised. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks during a rally, Saturday, March 5, 2022, in Rome, Ga. (Mike Stewart/AP) Greene also found herself in Kinzingers crosshairs Monday when she criticized the representative from Illinois for saying he wouldnt be a guest on Fox News host Tucker Carlsons conspiracy pushing television show. You are terrified to face Tucker Carlson, she charged. I know youre having a bad month, but to cheer you up: I hear the white nationalists got ahold of a space laser! Kinzinger wrote. Double win for you! [ Adam Kinzinger blasts evil Tucker Carlson, then zaps Marjorie Taylor Greene with space laser zinger ] In recent weeks, Greene has been criticized for speaking at a rally that reportedly promoted white nationalism as well as shouting during President Bidens State of the Union Address. The space laser claim was a shot at Greenes suggestion that space lasers operated by a prominent Jewish banking family may be to blame for California wildfires. She has since said she no longer believes that theory, nor does she think school shootings are a hoax. At a 2021 congressional hearing stripping her of her committee assignments, the congresswoman came clean on another revelation. I want to tell you 9/11 absolutely happened, she confessed. I do not believe that its fake. New York representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has said Greene is deeply unwell and clearly needs some help. (JTA) - The most prominent Jewish figure in Ukraine right now is the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The runner-up may well be another country's famous Jewish leader. Golda Meir, the fourth prime minister of Israel and a native of Kyiv whose family fled amid antisemitic violence, has loomed large ever since Russia launched its war on Ukraine late last month. Her words have appeared in pro-Ukrainian memes, been quoted by Ukrainian diplomats and even been pulled from the backpack of a battle-ready Ukrainian soldier. Almost as soon as the war began, memes riffing on a quote often attr... (New York Jewish Week via JTA) In Brighton Beach, New York, a community in Brooklyn known to many as Little Odessa, named after the port city in Ukraine, many Jews are struggling to navigate the fear and uncertainty that has wracked the community as Russia wages an unprovoked war on their former country. In the weeks of saber-rattling by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and with Russias invasion on Feb. 24, many have become distraught and terrified thinking about what might happen to the towns they grew up in and to their families and friends still living in Ukraine. Its... (JTA) A best-selling childrens novel that the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum has said should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust is getting a sequel. John Boyne, the Irish author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, announced Wednesday that he would be publishing a follow-up to the 2006 blockbuster about a 9-year-old German boys friendship with a Jewish child imprisoned at Auschwitz. The new book, he said, would be told from the perspective of the German boys sister, Gretel. The announcement comes just weeks after The Boy i... WASHINGTON (JTA) After months of maneuvering over $1 billion to replace Iron Dome batteries Israel lost in last years Gaza conflict, the money is to be included in a bipartisan spending bill Congress will consider this week as it looks to avoid a government shutdown. Also included in the $1.5 trillion Omnibus Appropriations Agreement announced early Wednesday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is substantially increased funding for nonprofit security, a key request by major Jewish groups over the last year. The House is likely to vote on the bill o... (JTA) Five years after raising the age limit for Israel tour participants, Birthright Israel is reverting to a policy of funding free trips only to young adults 26 and under. This summer will be the last chance for Jews aged 27 to 32 to participate in Birthright, with the exception of anyone older who had registered for a trip that was canceled because of the pandemic, according to a spokesperson for the nonprofit organization. The trips, designed to give young Jews (mostly Americans) a crash course in Israeli history and culture in the hopes of convincing them to remain involved in Jew... TAIPEI (JTA) Many countries have roundly rejected Russian President Vladimir Putins argument that his attack on Ukraine is needed to achieve the denazification of that country. But the argument is alive and well in Chinese state-run media. Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned in a televised speech a few days ago that the military operation against Ukraine is aimed at protecting the people who have suffered abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years. For this reason, Russia will seek to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine, one article on the state-backed si... WASHINGTON (JTA) In an emotional call with American Jewish leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized the Russian invasion of his country as pure Nazism. Zelensky also invoked his Jewishness in an appeal for assistance while speaking Monday via Zoom with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. On the call, Zelensky angrily rejected claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia launched the war to denazify Ukraine, saying that it was the Russians who were acting like Nazis. This is just pure Nazism, Zelensky said... (JTA) Around 300 Ukrainian Jewish refugees landed in Israel Sunday, among them some 90 orphans between the ages of two and 12, in the first round of what Israeli government officials are expecting to be a wave of thousands in the coming months. They were flown on three planes from Moldova, Romania and Poland. But whether Israel will accept Ukrainian refugees who are not Jewish, and therefore ineligible for Israeli citizenship under the countrys Law of Return, is unclear. The Law of Return allows any Jew who wishes to live in Israel to obtain Israeli citizenship. But Israel has not hi... (Israel Hayom via JNS) A four-year-old boy from Jerusalem has contracted the first known case of polio in Israel since 1989, the Health Ministry reported on Sunday. A ministry official told Israel Hayom that the child was in a state of weakness and in a condition that could deteriorate to paralysis. According to the ministry, neither the child nor his family had been vaccinated against polio. The Health Ministry thinks that the child from Jerusalem is just one of hundreds or thousands of children who might have been exposed to a mutant strain of polio. The population vaccinated aga... The Jewish Genealogical Society will host guest speaker Scott Genzer at its next Zoom meeting, March 22, at 7 p.m. -9 p.m. The topic of discussion will be "Using Facial Recognition to Identify Unnamed Ancestors." Photographs have always been a genealogical challenge because, unlike more conventional sources such as vital records, they do not impart clear data. Most often we simply attach the picture to our trees and then leave it there. However in early 2019, Genzer developed a new technique that shows how to use facial recognition via artificial intelligence / machine learning methods to i... Speech recognition software helps Tibetans better communicate Xinhua) 14:36, March 17, 2022 CHENGDU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- When away from home, Gerong, who speaks only Kamba Tibetan, a Tibetan dialect, often found himself in awkward situations where few people could understand him. This month, however, when the 50-year-old Tibetan from Garze prefecture in Sichuan Province visited a hospital in the provincial capital of Chengdu, he communicated smoothly with a Mandarin-speaking doctor about his illness. What helped them conquer the language barrier is a speech recognition app on the smartphone that can convert the three main Tibetan dialects -- U-Tsang, Amdo, Kamba -- to texts and translate them into Chinese. The software, named the Dungkar Tibetan Keyboard, is the brainchild of a group of young engineers from iFLYTEK, an AI and speech-technology giant. "With its new capability to recognize the Tibetan dialects, the software can now meet the needs of about two-thirds of all Tibetans across China," said Nyima Wangdu, product manager of Dungkar. The Tibetan-language keyboard was first launched in 2017, but only began to support speech recognition early this month. It took the engineers nearly five years to enable the function after building a sufficient Kamba Tibetan corpus. "The main obstacles in developing the software were a lack of a corpus and a lack of support from linguists on Tibetan dialects," said Nyima Wangdu. To solve the problem, the group from iFLYTEK expanded the search for Tibetan dialect speakers. They enlisted nearly 60 Tibetan students from Southwest Minzu University to the project, who helped the team enrich the corpus of Kamba Tibetan. On the technical side, the group set up a team dedicated to developing a new generation of versatile multilingual speech synthesis systems. Cao Bin, one of the engineers, majored in linguistics in college. His work focused on tackling the syntactical differences between Tibetan and Chinese. For instance, he said, "March 13" is referred to as "13 March" in Tibetan. Deng Qi, a user interface designer in the group, had to deal with the aesthetic issue arising from the difference in sentence lengths of the two languages. "While we tried to make the lengths of the two languages match, we also worry about the accuracy of the translations," said Deng. "We made a great effort to achieve the ideal result." Now, Dungkar has more than 4.8 million users in Tibetan-speaking regions such as Tibet Autonomous Region, and Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. "I believe that language is not just a tool to communicate, but also a bridge that brings people in different places closer to each other," said Nyima Wangdu. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Multiple ceremonial St. Patricks Day events in the nations capital were canceled after Irelands prime minister tested positive for COVID on Wednesday night. Micheal Martin, known as the taoiseach on the Emerald Isle, had to leave the Ireland Funds Gala in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night after hearing of the positive test, Politico reported. He was not wearing a mask while sitting next to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the gathering. Advertisement Martin, 61, had tested negative on an antigen test, but took a PCR test as well, according to Irish news outlet The Journal. He got the positive PCR result while at the gala. Ireland's prime minister Micheal Martin speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit on Ukraine at the European Council building in Brussels on Feb 24, 2022. (JOHN THYS/AP) President Biden spoke briefly at the event. Martin was supposed to speak too, but his appearance was canceled after he was whisked out of the room. Advertisement The two leaders were also expected to meet Thursday morning at a yearly event, but that link-up will be called off too, The Journal reported. Biden and Martin were further scheduled to speak together at a luncheon and at the yearly White House shamrock ceremony, according to Politico. Martins St. Patricks Day was supposed to start with a traditional breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris and her family, but that event was also canceled due to COVID. The breakfast was called off Tuesday after Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive. Harris and Martin spoke by phone Wednesday. Despite Emhoffs infection, Harris has continued to test negative for the virus. New York, NY - UJA-Federation of New York today announced a new round of emergency funding to address urgent humanitarian needs of people remaining in Ukraine as well as refugees who have been forced to flee to neighboring countries. Since Feb. 24, UJA has made $5 million in grants to help Ukrainians. "Last week I was in Poland near the border, and I will not soon forget the despair I saw on the faces of the refugees who are being helped by our partners. One man who had just fled Kyiv said to me in Hebrew, "Ein li koach" "I have no strength," a feeling no doubt shared by many others.... Six teens traveled to New York for the 14th annual CTeen Shabbaton, an international gathering of close to 3,000 Jewish teens. Led by Rabbi Yanky Majesky of Chabad North Orlando and Mrs. Fraidy Dubov of Chabad of Greater Orlando, teens were treated to a thrilling, non-stop program with tours of Manhattan, inspiring Shabbat meals, talks by renowned speakers, and a highly-anticipated closing ceremony titled "Wherever Whenever". Last year, the pandemic forced CTeeners online for a virtual Shabbaton. Zoe Carmi from Mont Dora High School is glad to be back in person this year. "This is my third... (JNS) Israel could expect to see the arrival of a total of 15,000 Ukrainians by the end of the month if it continues to allow entry to refugees fleeing their war-torn country at the current pace, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked told the Cabinet during its weekly Sunday meeting. Since the outbreak of the war, 2,034 Ukrainian nationals have entered Israel, she said. We are on an upward trend. Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told JNS that Israel is intent on exhausting every possible option in the hope of helping the Ukrainian people. He said t... People exit an Allegro train at the central railway station in Helsinki, March 3, 2022. Trains to Finland are packed with Russians fearful that now is their last chance to escape the impact of Western sanctions. TEL AVIV (JTA) - "You'll be calling until the mashiach comes," one woman responded this week to a frantic query about embassy appointments on a Facebook group for Russians planning to move to Israel. While Russians seeking to make the move, known as aliyah, may not have to wait until the messiah arrives, they are facing extended delays even as their country sinks into crisis because of the war their president, Vladimir Putin, launched last month against neighboring Ukraine. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, wait times for appointments at the Israeli embassies have grown recently and now can be... (JNS) - The Sovereignty Movement recently organized a tour of Judea and Samaria for public figures, journalists, social media influencers and others to explore the complexities and dichotomies of life in the region. The Feb. 23 gathering - under the leadership of Yehudit Katzover and Nadia Matar - focused on explaining the situation on the ground in many areas, including diplomacy, infrastructure, education, environmental issues, employment and quality of life for both Jewish and Arab residents of Judea and Samaria. The tour was headed by Yigal Dilmoni, CEO of the YESHA Council, which repr... (Israel21C via JNS) Regardless of which side of the conflict theyre on, young adults in three Taglit-Birthright Israel groups from Russia and Ukraine cannot return home after their free 10-day trip because of the war. So Birthright Israel has offered them the option to stay in Israel or reunite with their families when possible. The three groups include 26 participants from Ukraine. Sixteen of them were supposed to fly home on Thursday morning, but while they were sitting on planes, bombing began in Kyiv and flights were immediately canceled. Birthright then placed them at a hotel in... (JTA) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Israel for its support for his country Sunday, the day after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett flew to Moscow for a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I am grateful to Israel for their support for Ukraine, Zelensky said, according to a translation by Sky News published by The Times of Israel. We need the support of all countries and we were talking about the support we need now and how we are going to cooperate in the future after the war. Zelensky did not mention Bennett by name, nor did he men... (JNS) When responding to global crises, states must balance the tensions that arise between their moral values and strategic interests. The recent conflict between Russia and the West has seemingly cornered Israel into a thorny dilemma between protecting its immediate interests vis-a-vis Moscow and its moral obligation to align with other democratic states that have united against President Vladimir Putins demolition of international norms. From a moral and values perspective, there is no doubt which side Israel must be on. Ukrainian society, cities, schools and hospitals are under... As Russia has invaded Ukraine my feelings are mixed, contradictory, and contradictory to that of many others. For me, and many Jews, anything regarding Ukraine brings with it thought of our history and persecution there. In modern times we recall Babi Yar where 34,000 Jews were murdered in Kiev over three days in September 1941. The Nazis orchestrated and many Ukrainians were enthusiastic partners. Ukraine was part of the Pale of Settlement, the area in which Jews were permitted to live, meaning that we were prevented from living in the rest of Czarist Russia. Even if Jews had the ability t... (JTA) Ive always believed in living life to the fullest. When you grow up with a disability, you are faced with a choice of whether or not to let it define you as a person. People often find it easy to say no to someone with a disability, no, we cant accommodate that, no we arent set up for that, and so on. But I always wanted to hear yes, dont worry, well find a way. I grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland, just north of Washington, D.C. When I was seven years old, a close friend of my parents was running for the Maryland House of Delegates. My dad invited... WASHINGTON President Biden set out to finally complete the pivot to Asia, a long-sought adjustment of U.S. foreign policy to better reflect the rise of Americas most significant military and economic competitor: China. But Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine has made that vexing move even more complicated. Chinas government has vacillated between full embrace and more measured responses as Russian President Vladimir Putin prosecutes his war, making the decisions for Biden far more layered. Advertisement Biden and Chinas Xi Jinping are scheduled to speak by phone on Friday, a conversation that the White House says will center on managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russias war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern. The Biden administration is left needing to focus east and west at the same time, balancing not simply economic imperatives but military ones as well. Advertisement President Joe Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 15, 2021. (Susan Walsh/AP) Its difficult. Its expensive, Kurt Campbell, the coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the White House National Security Council, said during a recent forum of maintaining a high-level U.S. focus in two regions. But its also essential, and I believe were entering a period where thats what will be required of the United States and of this generation of Americans. Biden has been deeply invested in rallying NATO and Western allies to respond to Russia with crippling sanctions, supplying an overmatched Ukraine military with $2 billion in military assistance including $800 million in new aid announced Wednesday and addressing a growing humanitarian crisis. Eastern flank NATO allies, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, have made clear to the Biden administration that they want the U.S. to increase its military presence in the region and do more to address the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. More than 3 million Ukrainian refugees have fled their country in recent weeks. Though the war in Ukraine has dominated Bidens focus of late, White House officials insist they havent lost sight of China and are watching intently to see how Xi decides to play his hand. In recent months, Biden has announced the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia and raised the profile of the Indo-Pacific security dialogue known as the Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the United States). Hes also called out China for military provocations against Taiwan, human rights abuses against ethnic minorities and efforts to squelch pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong. There is a recognition among the Pacific allies that Beijing is watching how the world responds to Russia as China calculates how aggressive it can be with its smaller neighbors in the region. In backing sanctions, the Pacific nations were trying to send a message to Xi as well as Putin, according to a U.S. official familiar with the administrations thinking. The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 2, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (Kiichiro Sato/AP) We dont need China to be with us. We just need them not to be against us, said Frank Jannuzzi, president of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, which focuses on U.S.-Asia relations. Xi and Putin met in early February, weeks before the invasion, with the Russian leader traveling to Beijing for the start of the Winter Olympics. During Putins visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless friendship. Advertisement In the days after Putin ordered the invasion, Xis government tried to distance itself from Russias offensive but avoided criticizing Moscow. The government has offered to act as mediator and denounced trade and financial sanctions against Russia. At other moments, Beijings actions have been provocative. Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian echoed unsubstantiated Russian claims that there were 26 bio-labs and related facilities in Ukraine in which the U.S. Department of Defense has absolute control. The United Nations has said it has received no information backing up such accusations. Ryan Hass, who served as China, Taiwan and Mongolia director at the NSC during the Obama administration, said Beijing faces a momentous decision on whether to aid Russia. If Xi decides to do that, Its hard for me to see how the path remains open for China to maintain nonhostile relations with the United States and others in the West, Hass said. At the White House, Psaki has said any country doing business with Russia should think about where you want to stand when the history books are written on this moment in time. (JNS) Speaking after the recent meeting of the Palestinian National Council, its deputy chairman, Ali Faisal, clarified that there is a binding Palestinian decision to renounce all agreements with Israel. He added that from the point of view of the Palestinian leadership, the Palestinians have entered a path of resistance in all its formsa phrase that clearly includes the use of violence and terror. The decision of the [Palestinian] National Council was a recommendation to the [PLO] Central Council to renounce all the commitments of the Oslo Accords and stop the sec... Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his current invasion of Ukraine by asserting the country needed to be denazified. It was a rather odd assertion, to say the least. Ukraine is led by a proud, democratically-elected Jew, Volodymyr Zelensky, chosen by nearly three-quarters of the voters in 2019. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Jews were enjoying a vibrant religious and communal life until the Russian assault, and the government had adopted one of the toughest measures anywhere against antisemitism. Ironically, this was a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black. Indeed, it... President Biden, a Catholic with deep Irish roots, wore a green tie and a clover boutonniere for St. Patricks Day on Thursday, hailing the good spirits and feelings of the holiday as he enjoyed some mask-free revelry in Washington. But even with the COVID crisis recently relenting, a virus case struck Irelands leader, Micheal Martin, making the third pandemic St. Patricks Day a little weird at the White House. Advertisement President Joe Biden meets virtually with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Martin tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday. (Patrick Semansky/AP) In the morning, Biden met on a video link with the 61-year-old taoiseach, as the prime minister is called on the Emerald Isle. Martin, whose case is expected to keep him in the U.S. for 10 days, quipped that the virtual call still marked progress. Last year, we met virtually across the Atlantic, Martin, chuckling, told Biden on the call. This year, were meeting virtually across the road. So were getting closer! Advertisement Martin added that he was feeling good and took the opportunity to emphasize the benefits of illness-curbing vaccines. His country has been a world leader in its coronavirus vaccination and booster shot effort. President Joe Biden meets virtually with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Martin tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday. (Patrick Semansky/AP) Biden, meanwhile, used the annual display of unity between the two countries to emphasize the importance of global alliances given the ruthless war Russias president, Vladimir Putin, is waging on Ukraine. Were meeting at a moment when demands on unity in the world are really accelerating, said Biden, seated in the Oval Office beside a bowl of clovers and a bust of President John F. Kennedy, another Irish-American president who managed a Kremlin crisis. We have to be united, Biden told Martin. And we certainly are. Putins brutality and what hes doing and his troops are doing in Ukraine is just inhumane. President Joe Biden speaks at the annual "Friends of Ireland Luncheon" on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Patrick Semansky/AP) Ireland is expected to take in about 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, and some 7,000 have already arrived in the misty North Atlantic nation. Biden said the efforts speak so loudly about Irelands values. Advertisement The Rev. Thomas O'Connor, Abbot of Our Lady of Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, Mass., says a prayer alongside President Joe Biden at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Patrick Semansky/AP) On Thursday afternoon, Biden continued to criticize the authoritarian Russian leader in lacerating language, describing him as a murderous dictator and a pure thug. Ireland and the United States are working together, Biden said at a St. Patricks Day luncheon at the Capitol. And Putin is paying a big price. As the White House-Kremlin connection cools to frigid levels, the ties between the U.S. and Ireland seemed warm as ever. Advertisement The relationship between Ireland and the United States is a dynamic and, I think, essential partnership, Biden said. As much as its ever been. WASHINGTON The Senates bill to help millions of U.S. service members and veterans exposed to toxins at war isnt good enough, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday. According to the Veterans Administration, at least 3.5 million members of the services suffered toxic exposures in deployments overseas, many from the massive open-air burn pits that the military uses to incinerate trash, including human waste, medical supplies and electronics. Advertisement When the vast majority of those men and women report lung problems and other illnesses that are known to arise from such exposures, they are denied medical care by the VA, usually because a veteran cant prove a specific disease is linked to a particular incident. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) (Seth Wenig/AP) However, the House passed a bill recently that would grant treatment to any veteran deployed in the global war on terror, removing the burden of proof if they come down with any of numerous illnesses. Advertisement The bill mirrors legislation Gillibrand has sponsored in the Senate, but the Senates Veterans Affairs Committee has been pushing a less robust option. The reason why I like the House bill so much is it creates a presumption for all diseases, Gillibrand told the Daily News. The Senate bill makes decisions about whats in, whats out. And I prefer the approach where its a bright line of full coverage, all diseases. An Afghan National Army pickup truck passes parked U.S. armored military vehicles, as smoke rises from a fire in a trash burn pit at Forward Operating Base Caferetta Nawzad, Helmand province south of Kabul, Afghanistan on April 28, 2011. (Simon Klingert/AP) Gillibrand spoke ahead of a press conference, and a hearing before the Armed Services Committee meant to draw attention to the enormous numbers of active-duty warfighters and veterans sickened by their service. Speaking at the hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said there shouldnt be any second thoughts on caring for veterans, even if sick military members cant conclusively prove an illness is caused by a specific exposure. I think its important for this committee to look at the real costs of war, said Warren. I know that theres some debate over the data, but its just common sense that these toxins would cause significant problems for human beings... We cant keep waiting for action. While President Biden announced in his State of the Union Address that the Veterans Affairs would be presuming more toxic illnesses are service-related until recently, nearly 80% of veterans claims for toxic exposures had been denied. The refusal of services has been emotionally and financially devastating to veterans and their families. Rosie Torres explained to the committee that her husband, LeRoy, tried to commit suicide after the family tried and failed for years to get care while facing foreclosure and car repossession when he could no longer work as a Texas police officer. Its been a journey, a hellish journey, of delay and deny, said Torres. You ask yourself, How did we get here? And how is this happening in Americas backyard? It feels as if the nation has turned its back. Advertisement The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is set to advance its proposal soon. That bill includes a much broader effort to reform the entire VA. Gillibrand hopes the committee adds her version of burn pits legislation, or the Senate simply adopts the Houses version. Gillibrands bill has Republican cosponsors, and she believes it would pass easily on its own. I think that if we had an up or down vote, wed have well in excess of 60 votes. Itd be near unanimous, Gillibrand said. A Burkina Faso-born architect made history this week after receiving the prestigious Pritzker Prize, largely regarded as architectures highest honor, Diebedo Francis Kere, whos now based in Berlin, became the first African and the first Black architect to receive the honor in the awards 43-year history. Advertisement It is unbelievable, the 56-year-old told The Guardian after hearing the news. I dont know how this all happened. First of all, I am happy and overwhelmed, but the prize also brings a great sense of responsibility. My life is not going to be easier. The prize, first presented in 1979, is awarded to living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture. Advertisement This image released by the Pritzker Prize shows the Lycee Schorge in Burkina Faso. The Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to Berlin-based architect Diebedo Francis Kere. (Francis Kere/AP) According to Tom Pritzker, the chairman of The Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the award, Kere gracefully upholds the mission of this Prize, he said Tuesday, after announcing the recipient of this years award. [He] is pioneering architecture sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants in lands of extreme scarcity, Pritzker said. He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten. Kere was born in Gando, a village of about 2,500 residents in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. He first made headlines in 2001 after designing the villages first primary school. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The project established the foundation for his ideology, designing for a community to fulfill an essential need and redeem social inequities, according to a news release. Designing the Gando Primary School required a dual solution: a physical and contemporary design for a facility that could combat extreme heat and poor lighting conditions with limited resources, and a social resoluteness to overcome incertitude from within the community. Congratulations to Francis Kere, 2022 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize! pic.twitter.com/JZKAmEpmNt Pritzker Prize (@PritzkerPrize) March 15, 2022 Kere grew up with no access to clean drinking water, electricity, or kindergarten but where the community was your family. Everyone took care of you and the entire village was your playground. My days were filled with securing food and water, but also simply being together, talking together, building houses together, he said. His first sense of architecture can be traced to early memories of his grandmother telling him stories in low light, while we would huddle close to each other and her voice inside the room enclosed us, summoning us to come closer and form a safe place. Advertisement The jury, chaired by Chiles Alejandro Aravena, said that his entire body of work showcases the power of materiality rooted in place. His buildings, for and with communities, are directly of those communities in their making, their materials, their programs and their unique characters. They are tied to the ground on which they sit and to the people who sit within them. They have presence without pretense and an impact shaped by grace, the jury said in a statement. KYIV, Ukraine Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian air strike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000. Advertisement Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (VADIM GHIRDA/AP) More than a day after the air strike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city and movement difficult because of shelling and other fighting, there were conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive, Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayors office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand air strikes. Advertisement Medical staff sit in a hospital basement, used as a bomb shelter, during an air raid alarm in Brovary, north of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP) Other officials had said earlier that some people had gotten out. Ukraines ombudswoman, Ludmyla Denisova, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelter had held up. Satellite imagery on Monday from Maxar technology showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theater spelling out CHILDREN in Russian DETI to alert war planes as to who was inside the building. Across the city, snow flurries fell around the skeletons of burned, windowless and shrapnel-scarred apartment buildings as smoke rose above the skyline. We are trying to survive somehow, said one Mariupol resident, who gave only her first name, Elena. My child is hungry. I dont know what to give him to eat. She had been trying to call her mother, who was in a town 50 miles away. I cant tell her I am alive, you understand. There is no connection, just nothing, she said. Cars, some with the Z symbol of the Russian invasion force in their windows, drove past stacks of ammunition boxes and artillery shells in a neighborhood controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Russias military denied bombing the theater or anyplace else in Mariupol on Wednesday. This photo released by Donetsk Regional Civil-Military Administration Council on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 shows the Drama Theatre, damaged after shelling, in Mariupol, Ukraine. (AP) The strike against the theater was part of a furious bombardment of civilian sites in multiple cities over the past few days. Advertisement In the northern city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed amid heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, the local governor, Viacheslav Chaus, told Ukrainian TV on Thursday. Ukraines emergency services said a mother, father and three of their children, including 3-year-old twins, were killed when a Chernihiv hostel was shelled. Civilians were hiding in basements and shelters across the embattled city of 280,000, The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction, Chaus said. At least 21 people were killed when Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center before dawn in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Mayor Veniamin Sitov. The region has seen heavy bombardment in a bid by stalled Russian forces to advance. In eastern Ukraine, a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter was also hit Wednesday, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. There was no word on casualties in that strike. Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more help for his country in a video address to German lawmakers, saying thousands of people have been killed, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol, saying: Everything is a target for them. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office on Thursday, March 17, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shakes hands with a wounded Kateryna Vlasenko, 16, a refugee from Vorzel who covered her junior brother with her body during Russian shelling as they ran from their home town in a hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. (AP) Zelenskyys office said Russian air strikes hit the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. Emergency authorities in Kyiv said a fire broke out in a 16-story apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket, and one person was killed. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading economies accused Putin of conducting an unprovoked and shameful war, and called on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justices order to stop its attack and withdraw its forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television Wednesday to excoriate Russians who dont back him. Russians will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, said Putin, using language reminiscent of the Stalinist era. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > He said the West is using a fifth column of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it the destruction of Russia, he said. Advertisement The speech appeared to be a warning that his authoritarian rule, which had already grown tighter since the invasion began on Feb. 24, could become even more repressive. Both Ukraine and Russia this week reported some progress in negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that some negotiators were breaking into working groups, but there should be contacts today. Talks were held by video Wednesday. An official in Zelenskyys office told the AP that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral military status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. A multi-million dollar investment to transform an existing property into a new Novotel hotel has today been unveiled. Developed by GCP Hospitality and operated under Accor's midscale Novotel brand, the new Novotel Melbourne Preston emerges following an extensive refurbishment and rebrand. Rising seven levels and offering captivating views of the Dandenong, the hotel comprises 383 guestrooms, suites and fully self-contained studio apartments and is ideally positioned on Bell Street at Preston - home to eclectic pockets of vintage shops, cafes, bars and a diverse range of restaurants. GCP Hospitality CEO and Co-Founder, Christophe Vielle, said: "The opening of Novotel Melbourne Preston is a crucial milestone for GCP Hospitality as it demonstrates our dedication to expanding our hotel portfolio in Australia. Combining comfort, convenience and boasting a great location within easy reach of Melbourne's CBD and top attractions, Novotel Melbourne Preston is poised to be an exciting destination for business travellers and tourists alike." Novotel has one of the largest international brand footprints across the Pacific with more than 40 hotels in key metropolitan and leisure destinations. Melbourne-based architecture and design studio, Architectus, were engaged to create contemporary and sophisticated spaces throughout the hotel, including re-designed guestrooms, a designer reception and lobby area, a brand-new cafe Stampton & Co and restaurant The Stampton. Taking inspiration from the intertwining lively, urban commercial area to the west of the hotel and spacious, relaxed residential area to the east, the hotel's design context boasts a rich mixture of contrasting textures and materiality, along with a relaxed yet lively combination of colours. The ground floor of the hotel has been activated with the addition of two new reception spaces, new grab and go Stampton & Co cafe, as well as an assortment of seating arrangements and furniture, offering guests a range of options from quick set down, lounge area, co-working and informal meeting spaces, plus large meeting tables with integrated power. Finishes include custom designed carpets, ceramic floor tiles laid in various directions, formats and tones, as well as custom timber screens, dropped timber ceilings, and curtains to define different spaces. Guestrooms have been designed to maximise a sense of light and space, with custom design carpets and bespoke wall graphics of commissioned photography from the local area. Loose furniture adds warmth and pops of colour throughout the rooms, and is reflected in the custom designed vanities and mirrors to the bathrooms. All rooms also feature modern technology and facilities including a Smart TV, multiple USB hubs, work space, in-room safe and minibar on demand. The hotel will also be home to a new onsite restaurant, The Stampton, when it opens in April 2022. Serving a simple yet delicious all-day dining menu of fresh and local homestyle food with a bistro edge, the restaurant has been carefully designed to marry the rustic charm of a farmhouse with Melbourne's urban hospitality scene. The restaurant's comfortable and stylish indoor / outdoor spaces will transition seamlessly from day to night, and evoke a sensory experience though quality touches, handmade elements and a focus on ambience and a convivial marketplace atmosphere. The hotel's 16 meeting and events spaces have also been refreshed and renovated with new carpets, curtains, reupholstered chairs and an AV upgrade. Hotel website With a wealth of experience in urban properties, David Macklin assumes his post as General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou on familiar terrain. Thanks to previous postings in Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC, he understands the demands of properties that cater primarily to business travellers as well as the cultural nuances that are at the core of a dynamic and international location. Born in England and raised in Australia, Macklin is looks forward to integrating himself in the local culture both on a personal and professional level. "The interaction with guests and staff is the essence of hospitality and an integral part of my DNA," he says. His irrepressible energy has proven invaluable as he helped transform both Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An in Vietnam and most recently Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, Malaysia into two of the premier resort destinations in Asia. A graduate of Adelaide Hospitality School who furthered his education with a Catering and Hospitality Diploma from the City and Guild of the London Institute, David rounded out his formal education at the General Managers Academy from Cornell University's prestigious School of Hotel Administration. Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel today announced the appointment of Edward Braunlich to the role general manager of the destination-defining hotel, located on the historical site where King Kamehameha the Great, first king of Hawaii, once lived, and set on 13 idyllic beachfront acres. As a seasoned professional with more than 35 years of domestic and international hotel and resort experience, Braunlich's new role marks his formal return to the Hawaii Island, after having most recently served as the hotel's interim general manager. With one of his first hotel roles at Hyatt Regency Waikoloa (now Hilton Waikoloa Village), here, Braunlich first developed his passion for hospitality and Hawaiian culture. Braunlich brings an impressive 25-year tenure with Hyatt; eight years with Ritz-Carlton, and experience from six premier resorts in Hawai'i, in addition to opening 11 hotels during his many years in hospitality, to his role at Kona Beach Hotel. Braunlich also served on the task force for Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, HI, assisting with reopening the resort after a $200 million renovation. Throughout his storied career, Braunlich has also held general manager roles at Gingko Standard Hotel in Ybin, China, where his leadership led to a successful opening of the 300-room hotel; at Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch in San Antonio; Hyatt Siesta Key Beach Resort in Sarasota, Fla., and Hyatt Residence Club Bonita Springs, Coconut Plantation, Fla., among others. Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa in the Maldives, operated by local operator Lily Hotels, has promoted Christophe Adam who was previously in the role of the resorts Resident Manager to the position of General Manager. He will be responsible for the resorts overall operations, guest satisfaction, maintaining standards, and ensuring brand initiatives are successfully executed. With 27 years of hospitality experience and two degrees in International Hotel Management and Business Management, he brings a wealth of experience to Hideaway. Very close to his roots as a French Native, he has worked in Luxury Mauritian brand LUX* Resorts & Hotels in roles such as Resident Manager and Regional Director of Sales and Marketing before joining Lily Hotels. With this background, he has proven that hes got the right experience and drive needed to bring Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa to the next level. The fearless Russian journalist arrested for disrupting a live television broadcast said she was left with no choice but to speak out against President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. I have been feeling a cognitive dissonance, more and more, between my beliefs and what we say on air, Marina Ovsyannikova said during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. The war was the point of no return, when it was simply impossible to stay silent. Advertisement Now widely hailed as a hero for her bravery, Ovsyannikova, an editor at the state televisions flagship Channel 1 News, added her actions were all the more necessary because so many citizens are so easily brainwashed by the Kremlins propaganda. I worry about Russian soldiers, she noted. I think they really dont understand why they have to do this, why they [are] fighting. Advertisement On Monday, Ovsyannikova busted into the Channel 1 Newsroom, shouting anti-war sentiments and waving a sign in protest of Putins war in Ukraine. Stop the war, and No to war! she screamed out. She continued even as the news anchor moved forward with her broadcast, rapidly increasing volume in a bid to drown out her co-workers rally cries. Dont believe the propaganda, it read in Russian. Theyre lying to you here. It was also signed in English: Russians against war. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > In the end, the broadcast was cut, and a pre-recorded segment was instead played on air. Ovsyannikova said she planned the protest by herself and that she did not initially anticipate getting so close to the news anchor, but wanted to ensure her message was received. She added she was afraid until the last minute. Following her bold stand against the government, Ovsyannikova was taken into custody and then seemingly vanished for 12 hours. No one heard from her again until the following day, when she made an appearance in a Moscow courtroom, where was found guilty of organizing an unauthorized public event and ordered to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles or about $280. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 191 Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after an airstrike hit a tire shop in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, April 18, 2022. Russian missiles hit the city of Lviv in western Ukraine on Monday, killing at least six people, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow's troops stepped up strikes on infrastructure in preparation for an all-out assault on the east. (Mykola Tys/AP) The decision hinged primarily on a video recorded and shared by Ovsyannikova before her one-man protest. What is happening now in Ukraine is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor country, and the responsibility for this aggression lies on the conscience of only one person, she said. This man is Vladimir Putin. Ovsyannikova also reflected in the clip on regret she has for the years shes spent pushing propaganda with Channel 1. I have been working on Channel One and doing Kremlin propaganda, and now I am very ashamed of it, she said in the video. Its a shame that I allowed to speak lies from the TV screens, ashamed that I allowed to zombify Russian people. As an important component of their continued expansion in both the US and UK, offering outstanding freedom for hotel owners looking for conversion solutions backed up by best-in-class distribution and revenue management, Magnuson Hotels has named Jeremie Dardard as COO as the group moves into its next phase of growth. Dardard is based in the UK, and has been with Magnuson for four years, most recently as global head of corporate revenue strategy. He said: "What I like the most about Magnuson is the culture. There is no politics and that is very rare. "We have been signing hotels throughout the pandemic and been beating record after record with performance, but there is still more to achieve. I believe that owners are increasingly drawn to our model, which offers standards without standardization and no costly PIPs to join our growing portfolio." Magnuson Hotels is expanding across its brands, including an increased focus on franchising in the USA. The group signed 80 hotel agreements in 2021, in the US and UK and reported a 40.5% increase in RevPAR (revenue per available room) in 2021 for its Independent Collection over same period 2019. Magnuson Hotels London United Kingdom Website In his new role, Zach will report directly to CEO Sloan Dean, where he will oversee the expansion of the business analytics team as the company continues to grow its third-party managed portfolio. With over eight years of experience in hospitality and ten years of experience in analytics and business intelligence, Zach leads Remington's highly-talented "A-Team." He is responsible for all things related to data, reporting, and analytics. Zach's team spearheaded the development of the company's business intelligence platform,REMi, in 2018 and continues to ensure the platform maintains its status as the Gold Standard of business intelligence platforms in the hospitality industry. Before joining Remington, Zach worked for Morgan Keegan and Merrill Lynch in the investment banking and wealth management industries. Remington Dallas, Texas United States Website Google is expanding its free hotel booking links to show on Search and Maps, the company announced Wednesday. The company is also adding reporting capabilities, support for hotel rates in Google Business Profiles and rolling out Local Posts to hotels as well. Free hotel booking links expand to Search and Maps. In March 2021, Google started offering free listings within Google Hotel search. Now, the company is adding support for free hotel booking links on the Search results page and Google Maps. When a user clicks on these links, theyll be taken to the hotels (or online travel platforms) site where they can complete the booking. New click reporting. Hotel owners can see how many people clicked on their free booking links via a new report in Hotel Center. The company plans to expand reporting to include impressions and booking value in the coming weeks. Hotel rates in Google Business Profiles. Starting in April, individual hotels that meet eligibility requirements can manually add their rates to their Google Business Profile to participate in free hotel booking links. Read the full article at searchengineland.com Hoteliers in Ukraine are putting pressure on Western hotel firms to exit from Russia. An open letter Hotel News Now had early access to from the Kyiv-based Ukrainian Hotel & Resort Association and State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine has been addressed to the CEOs of the Western hotel companies with the seven largest room counts in Russia. Those firms are, in alphabetical order: Accor, Hilton, Hyatt Hotels Corp., IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Radisson Hotels Group. The letter also has been addressed to Jens Zimmer Christensen, president of Europes principal hotel and hospitality organization, HOTREC, and Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Read the full article at HotelNewsNow (part of CoStar) Industry leaders from around the world have contributed to The State of Hospitality 2022 insight report, published by Sommet Education, world-leading education group specializing in hospitality management and the culinary arts. The report, which uncovers the latest employment, skills and talent management issues within the global hospitality sector, features in-depth perspectives from hotel management, high-gastronomy, luxury, travel, tourism and other experts from international organizations and from France, India, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and UK. Executives from Accor, Alain Ducasse Group, European Travel Commission, HOSPA The Hospitality Professionals Association, HVS, Lartisien Group, L.E.K Consulting, Relais & Chateaux, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, United Nations World Tourism Organization, and World Travel and Tourism Council have all produced their visions on: Employment and skills shortages (including in specific roles). Initiatives in place to address these gaps. Emerging talent areas that are needed. Challenges around ethical recruitment, diversity, and inclusion within the workforce. The role of and the need from, education and training providers to support these issues. What can be done by government, and other industry/sector bodies, to help organizations attract, develop, and retain talent. The report also includes analysis of contextual economic and financial data around industry growth, resilience, investment, and emerging jobs. Writing in the report, Sommet Education CEO Benoit-Etienne Domenget, said: "Hospitality is more than a business. It is a community of contemporary nomads sharing the same curiosity for travel, an openness to different cultures, the attention to detail, the willingness to welcome and please others. Having spent the last 20 years in that industry, I have had the opportunity to experience how much people make a difference. People in our industry are more than a key success factor, they are the very heart of our DNA. Hospitality is a land of opportunities, and education is a key to seize them." The State of Hospitality 2022 insight report, published by Sommet Education, is available to download here. About Sommet Education Sommet Education is the world's leader in hospitality management education. Its global network of prestigious institutions comprises Swiss originated hospitality business schools Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches, together with culinary and pastry arts school Ecole Ducasse. In April 2021, Sommet Education acquired South African Education leader Invictus Education, adding four new schools to its portfolio: International Hotel School, IHS Gaming dedicated to the gaming industry; SAE Institute specialized in creative media education and Summit focused on B2B training and development. In 2021, Sommet Education also expanded in India through a majority stake in the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR). These institutions offer 400 undergraduate, graduate and technical training programs to 9,000 students from 100 nations and 10 000 learners. Teaching is offered across four continents on 18 campuses, as well as through state-of-the-art remote learning platforms. Between them, the schools have a network of 60,000 influential alumni in hospitality and beyond. Sommet Education is the only education group with two in the Top 4 globally-ranked institutions for hospitality education and by employer reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021). www.sommet-education.com Anouck Weiss Chief Communication Officer Sommet Education Sommet Education In 2021, despite lockdowns and tight travel restrictions, outbound travel increased worldwide. Strong growth in travel in the second half of the year brought the upturn in international tourism. However, around the world and in the individual travel segments trends varied. Outbound travel of the Americans and Europeans saw double-digit growth last year, whereas in Asia it continued to decline. As regards travel in 2022: even taking into account the continuing uncertainties on the part of the pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine, current survey results reflect keen demand for holidays & travel in the coming months. Despite the current mood of crisis, the findings of the latest survey point to strong growth and a clear recovery. Positive figures in 2021 with varying results around the world IPK Internationals World Travel Monitor reported outbound travel growing year-on-year by three per cent in 2021. However, around the world trends varied greatly. Thus in Europe and in America, outbound travel increased year-on-year by 10 and 11 per cent respectively, whereas in Asia it declined again by around 40 per cent. Overall in 2021, the historical tourism lows caused by the pandemic were overcome, while the post-Covid recovery began. IPK Internationals World Travel Monitor Photo by Messe Berlin GmbH Growth drivers in 2021 In 2021, holiday travel in particular witnessed growth (+4 per cent). Other private travel also saw an above-average increase (+9 per cent). By contrast, in the second year of the pandemic business travel reported a decline again (-14 per cent). In 2021, the number one growth driver was sun & beach holidays, which year-on-year increased by 30 per cent. All other holiday markets have yet to see their fortunes change, and compared with last year were unable to report positive results. That also applied to city breaks. Destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece registered above-average, double-digit growth, due to keen international demand for sun & beach holidays. Compared with last year, both the average duration of a trip and amount of money spent increased. Travel in the time of the pandemic: demand for more information and digitalisation A result of the pandemic is that, people want more comprehensive and easily obtainable travel and holiday information, and with it more digitalisation. A special IPK survey on digitalisation & travel found the following: close to 75 per cent of travellers consider digital services to be highly relevant, such as being able to book hotels, flights, events as well as visits to virtual attractions for example. The same applies to a comprehensive online presence and online bookability of destinations. Being able to use an app to book tickets, attractions and museums and use digital payment methods is also high on the priority list of outbound travellers. Travel intentions for 2022 The latest surveys conducted by IPK around the world show an ongoing strong interest (80 per cent) in outbound travel this year, despite Omicron. In Europe, outbound travel intentions have remained stable, at almost 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, while in America they have reached now almost 75 per cent, and in Asia 66 per cent. Globally, source markets with a high potential for outbound travel are mainly Germany, the UK, the USA, France and the Netherlands. Preferred destinations in 2022 Around the world, this years preferred destinations are Italy, Spain and Germany, followed by France and the USA in fourth and fifth place. Although destinations on the same continent continue to be the favourites, overseas travel to Europe is in demand especially among Americans and Asians. Sun & beach holidays remain popular keen interest in city breaks While holiday trips continue to be in high demand, interest in business travel over the coming months is stable too. In terms of holiday types people are planning, sun & beach holidays remain by far the most popular also this year, followed by city breaks (on an upward trend), round trips and holidays close to nature. Recovery from the crisis this year The global surveys conducted by IPK International show that in 2022 a big step forward can be made towards international tourism recovering. Globally, outbound travel could already reach 50 to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels this year. By 2024 at the latest, outbound travel volumes can be expected to be level with 2019. About ITB Berlin and IPK International This year, as part of the long-standing successful collaboration between ITB and IPK, ITB is again presenting the latest findings of the World Travel Monitor on international travel trends. IPK International is one of the worlds leading tourism consultancies and specialises in tourism research, marketing and planning. As well as conducting special surveys on the Covid-19 pandemic, over the last 25 years IPK has compiled the World Travel Monitor, which represents the most comprehensive survey worldwide on outbound travel trends in Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America. The World Travel Monitor is based on information from more than 60 countries and takes over 90 per cent of the global demand for outbound travel into account. Additional information on IPK International can be found at www.ipkinternational.com. The tourism market in Australia, and in particular the backpacker and hostel industry, was one of the most impacted sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the outlook is positive as borders reopen and backpackers start to pour back into the country. The tourism market in Australia, and in particular the backpacker and hostel industry, was one of the most impacted sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This culminated in a drastic 99% reduction in backpacker entrants as borders slammed shut in early 2020, and the future of the travel and tourism industry faced significant uncertainty. THE COVID IMPACT IN NUMBERS Traditionally, 250,000 jobs are filled from holidaymaker arrivals and generate approximately $3.2 billion for the Australian economy per annum. With international borders closed, many backpacker owners and operators saw their typical guest segments of working holidaymakers visa-holders and international students dwindle, leaving many businesses to rely on domestic backpackers and internationals that remained in Australia over this time. Persistent state border closures in 2021 put even further occupancy pressure on many of these operators. Traditionally Australia allows citizens of 44 countries to apply for working holidaymaker (WHM) visas, typically with over 300,000 WHM visa holders entering the country each year. March 2021 saw a mere 160 arrivals land in Australia on these visas and this combined with new international students halving, meant the guest pool for backpacker operators across the country had largely diminished. THE RISE OF THE FLASHPACKERS This motivated many owners and operators of youth hostels, student accommodation and co-living properties to look at innovative solutions to ensure their properties remained economically viable. This was highlighted by Youth Hostel Association (YHA) Australias recent reinvestment into their brand, partnering with Atlassian to restore its heritage-listed backpacker hostel at Sydneys Central Station. The development will see a revolution in the backpacker space, focusing on the digital nomad who will be drawn to the local dynamic tech hub. This redevelopment reflects the evolution of backpackers to flashpackers. These flashpackers or digital nomads are backpackers with a better budget, seeking out a solid internet connection and common areas with F&B facilities. Flashpackers effectively bridge the gap between budget travel accommodation and 5-star hotels. The recent rise of working from home has meant that people can work from anywhere, and many have moved employers to take advantage of this freedom and flexibility as digital nomads. With this, we expect this trend to only grow more popular into the future and become a mainstream accommodation offering. HOW ARE OWNERS & OCCUPIERS RESPONDING? Over the past two years, we have seen many owners and operators adapt and change their offering from focussing on the traditional backpacker segment. A great example of this is the new Bounce Noosa, a hybrid resort that offers both backpacker style and upscale rooms in a modern style and setting, tapping into the non-traditional domestic backpacker market. Some hostels have pivoted during this period, with the accommodations being used for alternate uses, including farm-worker accommodation, as well as government-backed crisis accommodation and for residential use, given the tightening in the rental market. Not all major groups were able to go through these challenging conditions unscathed, with the Tourism Adventure Group (TAG) one of Australia and New Zealands largest hostel groups, placed into voluntary administration in July 2021. The group, which was highly profitable in the pre-pandemic era reporting a $150 million turnover in 2019, were forced to go through Administration, which saw a restructuring of their 25-venue portfolio and several assets rebranded out of the group. THE START OF THE RECOVERY & THE FUTURE OUTLOOK Market sentiment for the Australian backpacker industry started to shift at the end of 2021, after the Federal Governments announcement of the imminent reopening of the international border. The 21st of February 2022 marked the removal of the final major barrier for vaccinated international visitors into the country and raised the call for backpackers to return to Australian shores once more. Since the governments easing of border restrictions beginning in late 2021, 80,000 international students have arrived in the country with a substantial 13,500 people arriving in the past week alone. In line with this, 1000 working holidaymaker visa holders and backpackers have landed in the past week and over 35,000 WHM visas have been approved since November. ACCOMMODATING PENT-UP BACKPACKER DEMAND In a bid to alleviate labour shortages and reduce disruption to the supply chain, the Federal Government is actively encouraging backpackers and international students back into the country through financial incentives. These incentives include waiving working holidaymaker visa fees for 12 weeks and international student visas for eight weeks from the 19th of January 2022. In a recent marketing email sent by YHA, in which the group generally only sees a click-through rate of 1%-2%, sent to more than 100,000 backpacker recipients with the tagline of Have you been dreaming of Australia, more than 30,000 people (30%) had opened the email in a matter of hours, demonstrating the significant pent-up backpacker demand eager to enter Australia. Despite the challenges faced by the industry, demand for high-quality hostel assets has remained strong. Since the end of 2020, six YHA assets have been sold totalling more than $40,000,000. These sales highlight investors can see through the challenging market conditions and are taking a medium to long term view recognising the countercyclical potential in the backpacker and hostel industry and will see significant gains as borders reopen and backpackers start to pour back into the country, filling beds and rooms. CBRE Hotels has just launched Backpackers by the Bay in popular tourist destination Airlie Beach, which is set to garner strong interest. Expressions of Interest close on the 24th of March 2022. The past year has also seen several major groups enter the market. Drifter Hospitality Group , backed by investment bank Barrenjoey, has partnered with Intrepid Travel, the worlds largest small-group adventure travel company, amid global expansion plans to offer hostel accommodation across Australia and New Zealand with the aim of achieving a portfolio value of $500 million over time. , backed by investment bank Barrenjoey, has partnered with Intrepid Travel, the worlds largest small-group adventure travel company, amid global expansion plans to offer hostel accommodation across Australia and New Zealand with the aim of achieving a portfolio value of $500 million over time. Event Hospitality, known for its Rydges, QT, and Atura hotel brands has also entered the hostel accommodation industry after completing its takeover of New Zealand group Jucy Snooze. The group is recognised for its unique capsule-style sleeping pods. The brand under its new ownership structure has plans for a rapid expansion into the Australian hostel accommodation market The group is recognised for its unique capsule-style sleeping pods. The brand under its new ownership structure has plans for a rapid expansion into the Australian hostel accommodation market Another major entrant is the international hostel giant Selina, who made their Australian market entry in 2021 with the Selina Melbourne, a 181-bed hostel comprising a library, cinema room, dining and kitchen area, basement bar, and coworking space. The new asset highlights the evolution these groups are making in hostel accommodation offerings and how operators have adapted their assets in recent times. Selina is also expanding into Queensland, in the former Base Uptown Brisbane, which formed part of the TAG Group restructuring. Kathryn House Communications Director CBRE Hotels (Bloomberg) Citigroup Inc. may have found a way of doing business in Texas while addressing one of the states hottest cultural divides. Buried in a filing released Tuesday night, the bank disclosed it will now cover travel costs for employees seeking an abortion after several states including Texas implemented or proposed a near-total ban on the procedure. The New York-based bank will pay expenses, such as airfare and lodging, that employees may incur if forced to leave a state for an abortion. Under Jane Fraser, who rose to become the banks chief executive officer a year ago, Citi is wading into the conflict over abortion rights just as some of the largest banks and asset managers in the U.S. accelerate a flight from the coasts, drawn to Texas and elsewhere by lower taxes, lighter regulation and warmer weather. Reaction from Texas Republicans was swift. The travel benefits offered by Citigroup is nothing more than a PR stunt by a woke company to support a culture of death, George P. Bush, the Texas land commissioner running for the Republican nomination for attorney general, said by email Wednesday. Texas is a pro-life state, and if elected Attorney General, I will hold actors who attempt to find loopholes in our laws accountable. Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, said Citigroups decision to finance the murder of unborn children with a heartbeat is appalling, but not surprising, considering its past adoption of far-left causes. He encouraged Republicans to avoid entrusting their finances with Citibank and other companies that are hostile to them and their values. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation last year that banned abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur as early as six weeks after conception. Under the law, individuals can sue doctors, clinic workers and others who help a woman end an unwanted pregnancy past the cutoff date. Abbott declined to comment on Citis move and the press office for state Attorney General Ken Paxton didnt respond to a request for comment. The biggest names in Wall Street and tech continue to expand in the worlds eighth-largest economy. Fearing political backlash, many have stayed silent amid the stream of laws enacted by Abbott, including banning mask mandates, tightened voting rules, and, most recently, classifying some medical and surgical care for transgender kids as child abuse. Indeed, banks operating in Texas were mostly quiet on Citis move. JPMorgan Chase & Co. didnt have an immediate comment. Bank of America Corp., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley all didnt respond to requests seeking comment. Some of the states biggest employers -- American Airlines Group Inc., Southwest Airlines Co., Exxon Mobil Corp., Halliburton Co., AT&T Inc. and Toyota Motor Corp. -- didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. We do not have a travel benefit for abortion services at this time, a spokesperson for Wells Fargo & Co. said. Citis policy presents plenty of murky legal issues. Columbia University law professor Carol Sanger said the bank will be opening itself and its human resources employees up to aiding and abetting liability under the Texas law. She said the bank may be gambling it wont get sued because nobody has been sued yet under the statutes enabling provision. This is such an outrageous law that they may have decided theyll make their play, potentially take their lumps, Sanger said. The essence of the law hasnt been decided yet. Josh Blackman, a law professor at South Texas School of Law, said Citis attorneys may have decided the risk of liability is so low and the cost of travel so insignificant, theyre willing to take that risk. The banks liability is unclear. Im not certain someone would even have the ability to sue just because Citi paid for an employees travel. Its not clear that would work. Match, Uber Some CEOs have tried to openly navigate the culture wars as they strive to retain talent. Match Group Inc. CEO Shar Dubey, whose Dallas-based company owns some of the biggest dating apps, said last year she was creating a fund to help cover the costs for employees and dependents who need to seek care outside the state. Lyft Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. pledged to pay legal fees for drivers sued under the Texas law. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said in September the company would offer assistance to employees who wanted to leave Texas in response to the anti-abortion law. On March 12, dozens of companies including Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.s Google, Dow Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, took out an ad in the Dallas Morning News urging the state to scrap Abbotts order on transgender kids. Read More: Firms Covering Abortion Travel Also Have Female CEOs in Common Investor advocates have been pressuring publicly traded companies to counter the push by Texas and other Republican-led states to enact measures focused on abortion, voting rights and LGBTQ issues. Shelley Alpern, director of shareholder advocacy at Rhia Ventures, a private-equity firm that focuses on reproductive health, said Citis move ratchets up the pressure on Texas. Its a real breakthrough moment because there have been a handful of other companies that have announced similar policies but none so far have Citis stature, said Alpern. So it really helps set a new standard and Im confident that other companies will follow. Womens rights groups were lukewarm on Citis move. While I think this is wonderful, its not enough, they can do so much more, said Aimee Arrambide, an executive director at abortion care advocacy group Avow. Businesses continue to come to Texas in droves. In the last year, Tesla Inc. broke ground on a pickup-truck factory in Austin and moved its headquarters to the state capital along with Oracle Corp. Samsung Electronics Co. announced its building a $17 billion semiconductor plant outside of Austin. Goldman plans to build a new office campus in Dallas that may become the banks largest presence in the U.S. outside its Manhattan headquarters. Charles Schwab Corp. left San Francisco for the affluent Dallas suburb of Westlake, where Fidelity has a campus. Vanguard plans to open a new office in Plano this May. Munis, Guns Citi is working on reviving its underwriting business in the state after a law barred local governments from working with companies that discriminate against firearm entities prompted the firm to suspend its municipal-debt underwriting there for several months. It returned to the market in December. Keith Wolf, a managing director at recruitment firm Murray Resources in Houston, said Citi could have made a bigger impact if it made a public announcement rather than disclosing the move in a filing. I imagine it would be a selling point for a group of job seekers. Wolf said he hasnt seen any slowdown in talent moving to Texas. These types of issues are very important but it doesnt mean they will just leave the state because overall its a great place to live, Wolf said. While some of these issues are a big concern for people, its not as easy as getting up and leaving. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Russias invasion of Ukraine has prompted some of Americas most prominent evangelical leaders to raise a provocative question asking if the world is now in the biblically prophesied end of days that might culminate with the apocalypse and the second coming of Christ. Theres no consensus on the answer, nor on any possible timetable. Megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, addressing his congregation at First Baptist Dallas, said many Christians are wondering, in the face of carnage in Ukraine, Why does God permit evil like this to continue? .. Are we near Armageddon and the end of the world? We are living in the last days, Jeffress said, Weve been living in the last days for the last 2,000 years. We dont know, is this the end? Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning? The curators of raptureready.com which shares commentary about end of days prophesies suggest things could move quickly. Their Rapture Index, on which any reading above 160 means Fasten your seatbelts was raised this week to 187, close to its record high of 189 in 2016. One of the most detailed alerts came from televangelist Pat Robertson, who came out of retirement on Feb. 28 to assert on The 700 Club that Russian President Vladimir Putin was compelled by God to invade Ukraine as a prelude to an eventual climactic battle in Israel. Robertson said verses of the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel support this scenario. You can say, well, Putins out of his mind. Yes, maybe so, Robertson said. But at the same time, hes being compelled by God. He went into the Ukraine, but that wasnt his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately. Its all there, added Robertson, referring to Ezekiel. And God is getting ready to do something amazing and that will be fulfilled. Also evoking Ezekiel and a possible attack on Israel was Greg Laurie, senior pastor at a California megachurch whose books and radio programs have a wide following. I believe were living in the last days. I believe Christ could come back at any moment, Laurie said in a video posted on YouTube. Citing the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic, he said biblical prophesies are being fulfilled in our lifetime. We are seeing more things happen in real time, closer together, as the Scriptures said they would be, Laurie said. So what should we do? We should look up. We should remember that God is in control. Predictions of an imminent end of days have surfaced with regularity over the centuries. One of the characteristics of apocalyptic thinking is that the most recent crisis is surely the worst this is the one that is going to trip the end times calendar, said Dartmouth College history professor Randall Balmer. Now, admittedly, there may be some evidence for that, especially with Putin mumbling about nuclear weapons, Balmer added via email. But I also remember the urgency of the Six Day War and George H. W. Bushs Persian Gulf War and, of course, 9/11. The suggestion that God is somehow using the Russia-Ukraine war to fulfill biblical prophesies troubles some Christian scholars, such as the Rev. Rodney Kennedy, a Baptist pastor in Schenectady, N.Y., and author of numerous books. This evangelical insistence of involving the sovereignty of God in the evil of Putin borders on the absurd, Kennedy wrote recently in Baptist News. Rapture believers fail to understand that if they assist in bringing about world war, there will be no Superman Jesus appearing to snatch all true believers into the safety of the clouds, Kennedy wrote. The rapture is an illusion. The rupture caused by Putin is a deadly reality. Russell Moore, public theologian at the evangelical magazine Christianity Today, said its wrong to try to connect world events to end-times prophecy, noting that Jesus himself said his second coming would be unexpected and unconnected with wars and rumors of wars. Its not consistent with the Bible and its harmful to the witness of the church, said Moore, noting that the world has outlived many episodes of end-times speculation. Moore said most Christians hes talked with are more concerned about Ukraines well-being. Im surprised at how little I am finding the idea that these events are direct biblical prophecy, he said. Im just not seeing that in the pews. Thats a change from the recent past, he noted, when many evangelicals tried to interpret world events as a road map to the apocalypse driving sales for hugely successful authors Tim LaHaye (Left Behind) and Hal Lindsey (The Late Great Planet Earth). Its very rare for me to find someone under the age of 50 preoccupied with such views today, Moore said. Jeffress said members of his congregation in Dallas are very troubled by the atrocities being committed against the Ukrainian people and think we should push back forcefully against Putins aggression. However, they are not headed toward their bunkers and preparing for Armageddon yet, Jeffress said via email. Most of our members understand that while the Bible prophesies the end of the world and return of Christ one day, no one has a clue when that day will be. The war in Ukraine has heightened anxieties for some members of Mercy Hill Chapel, said Oleh Zhakunets, lead pastor of the small Southern Baptist church that holds services in Ukrainian and English in Parma, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. Several members have close relatives in Ukraine some in more dangerous zones in eastern Ukraine and others who are welcoming refugees in the west, he said. Its a bag of mixed feelings, said Zhakunets, citing their worries for loved ones and their hope that God is in control. Congregation members believe in biblical passages detailing signs of Jesus return, he said, but they dont see Russias invasion as fulfilling a specific prophecy. A lot of that is just guesswork, Zhakunets said. We have hope that hes coming, but in terms of specifics, were not going to give that kind of what we see as a false hope. Associated Press reporters Peter Smith, Holly Meyer and Deepa Bharath contributed to this report. Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after an airstrike hit a tire shop in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, April 18, 2022. Russian missiles hit the city of Lviv in western Ukraine on Monday, killing at least six people, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow's troops stepped up strikes on infrastructure in preparation for an all-out assault on the east. (Mykola Tys/AP) The Russian military bombed a theater in southeast Ukraine where hundreds of civilians had taken shelter Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials. A Ukrainian news report said the building was destroyed. The exact number of deaths and injuries from the theater attack was not clear as of Wednesday night. Advertisement On Monday, images of the theater by the Maxar satellite firm showed the word children was written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the building. Reports said nearly 1,000 people driven from their homes were sheltered in the theater. The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater, or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. Advertisement This photo released by Donetsk Regional Civil-Military Administration Council on Wednesday shows the Drama Theatre, damaged after shelling, in Mariupol, Ukraine. (AP) The theater attack was the latest vicious assault on civilians in the besieged city of Mariupol. Last week, a maternity ward and childrens hospital in the city was bombed. A mosque, also with children inside, was attacked earlier this week. Mariupol city leaders have said more than 2,000 of Mariupols 430,000 people have been killed in just 21 days. In New York, Dmytro Kovalenko, 41, was working at Streecha, a Ukranian restaurant on East 7th St. on Wednesday when he learned of the theater bombing. Ukrainian news played on a television in a corner of the eatery. They bombed the opera just a few minutes ago. They couldnt do it without controlling the sky. Thats crucial, said Kovalenko. A view of a bomb crater after Russian shelling in the central of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (Pavel Dorogoy/AP) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed U.S. Congress on Wednesday and pleaded specifically for a no-fly zone above Ukraine to prevent Russias ongoing aerial assault. U.S. and European leaders have been extremely hesitant about a NATO-enforced no-fly zone, recognizing that such a move would pit U.S. and Russian forces directly against each other and risk World War III. Ukrainian Emergency Service workers take a body out of debris at the City Hall building in the central square following the Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday. (Pavel Dorogoy/AP) While Russias aerial bombardment of Kyiv, eastern and southern Ukraine has hardly ceased, the invaders ground forces continue making slow to no progress, according to U.S. defense officials. The two countries continued peace talks Wednesday, with Russia dropping a demand for Ukrainian surrender and Ukraine admitting it wont be joining NATO. Advertisement In his address to Congress, Zelenskyy compared Russias daily attacks to Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Remember September 11, a terrible day in 2001, when evil tried to turn your cities independent territories into battlefields, he said. Our country experiences the same every day, right now, at this moment. With News Wire Services A person died Wednesday after a northwest Houston shooting, according to Houston police. A call came in around 6:19 p.m. about the shooting. Police responded to the 2500 block of West Little York. Police said in a tweet that two teenage boys were sent to the hospital. In a later tweet about the incident, they said a male was dead at the hospital. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. NEWS IN YOUR INBOX: Sign up for breaking news email alerts from HoustonChronicle.com here. leah.brennan@chron.com A Houston man has been charged with murder in the shooting death on Wednesday of his supervisor at a Greenway Plaza area building, according to court documents. Montavius Terrell Wright, 26, remains in jail Thursday on $500,000 bail set by Magistrate Judge Lionel Castro, court records show. Prosecutors initially petitioned the court to set Wright's bail at $1 million, stating the shooting was done in "cold blood." The court document outlining the murder charge identifies the victim as Doran Kelly. Houston police and SWAT responded to the shooting around noon at 3800 Cummins Street on the 10th floor and found the 48-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head, Houston police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. More on HoustonChronicle.com: Teen fatally shot while driving on North Loop, authorities say Police found Wright two hours later inside his car at an apartment complex on 1600 Fannin Street, according to authorities. He was taken without incident. Stipulations of Wright's bail are that he not have contact with Kelly's family, a witness from the scene or any employee of Cedar Gate Technologies, where he worked at for the past three years, court records show. The witness a co-worker of the Wright couldn't provide investigators with what prompted the shooting Kelly, according to a court document. He told police he was sitting in his cubicle at Cedargate Technologies when he heard a gunshot, the court document states. The colleague then saw Wright point a pistol at Kelly, then lower it. The 26-year-old told the witness not to say anything before he ran down the stairwell, the document added. Cedar Gate Technologies, a healthcare technology company based out of Greenwhich, Ct., released a statement on Thursday morning stating they are collaborating with HPD in the investigation, according to a company spokesperson. More from Joel Umanzor: Man fatally stabbed in northwest Harris County, authorities report Wright is expected to reappear in front of a district court judge on Friday, according to court records. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 392 U.S. workers were workplace homicide victims in 2020 with 304 of the incidents consisting of a person intentionally shooting another person. As of Thursday morning, there have been 103 homicides so far this year, according to HPD officials. Comparatively in the previous two years, the city had 91 homicides at this point of the year in 2021 and 66 in 2020. Joel.Umanzor@chron.com A 13-year-old boy was fatally shot early Thursday while driving on the North Loop, police said. The boy was shot about 12:52 a.m. as he was driving a black Dodge on 610 North Loop between Irvington Boulevard and Fulton Street, police said. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said earlier they believed the driver was 16. Another 13-year-old also in the vehicle was struck. That person was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Another juvenile in the vehicle, also a teenage boy, was not injured during the incident, Houston Police added. He told authorities that someone from a black Chevrolet Tahoe shot at the car but has been vague with other details while initially speaking to officers, authorities said. More on HoustonChronicle.com: Property owner fatally shoots man in East End, HPD says No known motive or weapon has been identified at this time as homicide investigators look to gather more details, Houston police said. No other information is available at this time. This scene is breaking and updates will be added. Joel.Umanzor@chron.com A vehicle fled the scene Wednesday night of a northwest Houston crash that left a man dead, according to Houston police. An initial call came in around 7:53 p.m. about the crash. Officers responded to the 8600 block of Long Point. On HoustonChronicle.com: No explosive found at Hobby Airport after K9 alert, officials say A man was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police. Police said a vehicle involved fled the scene. On HoustonChronicle.com: Suspect apprehended in fatal shooting at Greenway Plaza-area building This is a developing story. Check back for updates. leah.brennan@chron.com An appellate court on Thursday sided with Texas school districts in their dispute with state officials over mask mandates, which numerous school systems already have lifted as pandemic conditions have eased. The states the 3rd Court of Appeals affirmed a trial courts orders that granted school districts temporary injunctive relief from the enforcement of an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott prohibiting mask mandates. In its opinion Thursday, the appellate court pointed to its opinion in a similar challenge involving Harris County. In that case, the court considered whether a disaster act gave the governor the authority to stop local government entities from implementing COVID-19 safety measures viewed by the governor as more restrictive than necessary, according to the opinion. For the reasons previously set forth in our opinion in Harris County, we again conclude that the Governor does not possess absolute authority under the Texas Disaster Act to preempt orders issued by governmental entities and officials, Thursdays opinion read. Many, if not all, school districts that defied Abbotts order have lifted their mask mandates, including Houston, Dallas, Spring and Aldine ISDs, which were among the plaintiffs. The attorney generals office did not respond to a request for comment. The finding was the latest in a legal saga that began last summer when parents and districts braced for a full return to in-person classes amid a surge of COVID-19 cases and the limiting of mask mandates. Various districts and government entities, including Harris County, bucked the executive order. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston-area health experts hope COVID-19 vaccine expansion breaks through apathy Circumstances are different than they were at the start of the academic year when vaccines had yet to be approved for many youngsters, which in part led to districts lifting their mandates after the latest surge in the winter. With the opinion, about three months before the end of the school year, the court confirmed the state Education Code gives districts the authority to decide. We conclude that the Education Code provisions granting broad authority to local school districts and community college districts to govern and oversee public schools within their districts do not prescribe the procedures for conduct of state business, the opinion stated. In sum, the Texas Disaster Act does not grant the Governor absolute authority to preempt orders issued by local governmental entities, such as school districts, and the provisions of the Education Code relied on by the school districts in issuing their respective facecovering requirements are not subject to suspension under the Act. David Thompson, one of the attorneys representing several districts, including HISD, welcomed the opinion. We are very pleased with the decision, Thompson said. It affirms the ability of school districts under the education code to make decisions that are in the best interests of their students, staff and communities. alejandro.serrano@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate One year after a gunman burst into three Atlanta-area spas, killing six Asian women and two other victims in a mass shooting that drew hate-crime charges, Asian Americans in Houston gathered downtown Wednesday evening to mark the grim anniversary of a slew of racist violence that has not stopped. LOOK BACK: 'That couldve been my mom': Deadly Atlanta shooting rocks Houston's Asian American community Sixteen-year-old Lauren Chauv sat at a table by a pavilion at Discovery Green, where a dozen speakers addressed a diverse crowd of 80, hoping to save the lives of fellow Asian American women. In front of her were two bowls. One had tea lights, meant to commemorate the eight people killed in Atlanta on March 16, 2021: Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Emily Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Yaun and Paul Michels. But next to it was a bowl of yellow whistles for people to alert bystanders when they are attacked. The whistles come with a card explaining their origin in an ongoing awareness campaign across the country as Asian Americans, especially women, continue to face brutal attacks and harassment. Its a device that might have helped Chauv two summers ago, after the pandemic reached her northwest Houston neighborhood. During the pandemic I experienced my first ever hate crime, she said. I was walking near home and a man came over and yelled at me to Go back home, chk! And I was just walking my dog. Ive actually had friends who were hate-crimed at school, Chauv said, recalling friends being kicked or pursued by students yelling about the China virus. Studies and community surveys have documented soaring numbers of anti-Asian incidents since the pandemic began, ranging from verbal harassment and workplace discrimination to deadly attacks. One self-reporting initiative, called Stop AAPI Hate, recorded 10,905 incidents between March 2020 and Dec. 2021, with over 400 across Texas. Many of the incidents were concentrated in cities in New York and California and most involved harassment. But in an Aug. 2020 report assessing over 60 incidents in Texas, the group noted one in five were physical attacks, targeting people from a wide range of Asian ethnicities. Many speakers at the downtown rally stressed that the Atlanta mass shooting was just one incident in a long history of anti-Asian violence in the United States, a kind of violence that is often downplayed. Shortly after Robert Aaron Long was arrested for the killings, Georgia police said he told them he had a sex addiction a condition not recognized as a diagnosis and saw his victims as a temptation to eliminate. Asian American leaders condemned a Georgia sheriffs captain who attributed the violence to Long having had a really bad day, though Georgia prosecutors later sought to increase penalties under the states hate crime law, arguing Long was motivated by his victims race and gender. The event downtown featured a police presence, including the Houston Police Departments hate crimes team. But charging perpetrators with hate crimes or at all can be difficult, said Lt. Jonathan Lui, who works in an area of southwest Houston covering part of Asiatown. It can be hard to convince people to report the crimes, to allow us to press charges, because people are scared, he said. One of the most common crimes is robbery, Lui said. People are targeted because theyre Asian elderly or Asian women, he said. Is it a crime or a hate crime? That can be not easy to tell. Harris County has seen relatively fewer formal hate crime cases compared to cities on the East and West coasts the county recorded five in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 42 in New York City, according to the academic Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism. But for attendee Chris Dunn, a Houston native, the lack of charges doesnt mean there isnt a problem of anti-Asian bias and the pervasive fear it creates in the community, she said. Its different than in New York, but that doesnt mean it doesnt happen here, said Dunn, who wore a purple t-shirt with block text: Loud & Proud & Asian & American. Its been hard for me personally I see my friends and family in the victims of the attacks, she said. Ive been lucky at least I just have to experience being yelled at on the street. Its hard for me to know if I was yelled at because Im a woman or because Im Asian, she said. Im not going to go up and ask them, but I wonder if I was not Asian, would I have been harassed? It's a question that some Asian American women never live to find out. In January, Michelle Go was pushed in front of a New York City subway, dying instantly. On Monday, a woman in New York survived being punched over 100 times by an attacker who called her anti-Asian and sexist slurs and followed her into her apartment building. Still, for speaker Munirah Zulkifli, the pandemic has brought not just a deepening of fear for Asian Americans, but an outpouring of support. "There's a duality to it," she said. "It got worse for people who already were suffering hatred, but people who would show solidarity with you have become more supportive, too." charlie.zong@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This article was updated to reflect that NASA's moon rocket has reached the launch pad. A 322-foot-tall moon rocket began its slow journey to the launch pad on Thursday evening. Over 10 hours and 28 minutes, NASAs Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft traveled 4 miles at a top speed of 0.8 miles per hour. It was the first time this combined vehicle had visited Launch Complex 39B at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It arrived Friday at 3:15 a.m. CDT. However, the engines wont ignite for a few more months. The rocket and spacecraft are at the launch pad to complete some final testing prior to launch. NASA will conduct a wet dress rehearsal where it practices loading propellant into the rocket and counting down to liftoff. More from Andrea Leinfelder: NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has taken over 20 flights on Mars, and it will fly through September Launch for NASAs Artemis I mission is targeted for late May or June, depending on how the wet dress rehearsal goes. Here are five things to know about the mission: 1. Artemis I is an uncrewed test flight Artemis I is the first time that NASAs Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule will launch together. There will not be astronauts onboard. NASA/Frank Michaux / NASA/Frank Michaux Instead, a manikin named Commander Moonikin Campos will be strapped into the Orion spacecraft. This spacecraft will fly around the moon on a weeks-long mission, and then it will return to Earth to land in the Pacific Ocean. Commander Moonikin Campos was named as part of a competitive bracket contest honoring NASA figures, programs or astronomical objects. Campos is a dedication to Arturo Campos, who helped bring Apollo 13 safely back to Earth. 2. A manikin will help NASA prepare for crewed missions Commander Moonikin Campos, sitting in the commanders seat, will be equipped with two radiation sensors. And he will wear the spacesuit that astronauts will wear during launch and reentry. NASA Sensors under his headrest and behind his seat will measure acceleration and vibration. Helga and Zohar will also be in the capsule to study radiation. These manikin torsos are manufactured from materials that mimic the human bones, soft tissues and organs of adult females. Zohar will wear a radiation protection vest; Helga will not. Orion will also have plant seeds, algae, fungus and yeast to conduct studies on how biological systems are affected by deep space. 3. Orion will fly farther than any other spacecraft built for humans NASAs Space Launch System rocket will generate 8.8 million pounds of thrust as it lifts off the launch pad and pushes Orion into space. NASA/Glenn Benson NASA/Glenn Benson All of the work platforms that surround the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are fully retracted on March 16, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket and spacecraft will roll to Launch Complex 39B atop the crawler-transporter 2 for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of launch. (NASA/Glenn Benson) All of the work platforms that surround the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are fully retracted on March 16, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket and spacecraft will roll to Launch Complex 39B atop the crawler-transporter 2 for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of launch. (NASA/Glenn Benson) The rocket's main propulsion will come from four RS-25 liquid propellant engines, which were previously flown on space shuttle missions, and two solid rocket boosters. The rocket will push the Orion capsule into space, where it will travel 280,000 miles from Earth and thousands of miles beyond the moon. 4. Orion will attempt a skip entry when returning to Earth Orion will be the first spacecraft designed for humans to attempt a skip entry, NASA said. To do this, Orion will dip into the upper part of Earths atmosphere and then use that atmosphere, along with the lift of the capsule, to skip back out of the atmosphere. It will then reenter to land in the ocean under parachutes. This movement, like skipping a rock across water, will help pinpoint Orions landing spot in the Pacific Ocean. NASA For comparison, the Apollo spacecraft entered the Earths atmosphere directly and could then travel up to 1,725 miles beyond that location to land in the water. This required U.S. Navy ships to be stationed in multiple remote locations. By using a skip entry, Orion can fly up to 5,524 miles beyond the point of entry, allowing the spacecraft to touch down with more precision. 5. NASA is preparing to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon The Apollo Program landed white men on the moon. With Artemis, who is the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the moon in Greek mythology, NASA plans to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon. Marie D. De Jesus, MBI / Associated Press The Artemis I mission will be followed by a crewed Artemis II mission that will similarly travel around the moon. Artemis III, scheduled to occur no sooner than 2025, will return U.S. astronauts to the lunar surface. Easier to vote and harder to cheat. How often we heard that refrain in 2021, as Texas Republicans executed their relentless pursuit of the phantom problem of voter fraud. Over and over again we were all told that election integrity legislation would secure the voting process and make it simpler. It didnt matter that Texas already had the most stringent voting restrictions in the country, or that Attorney General Ken Paxtons quest to hunt down voter fraud unearthed three cases last year. It didnt matter that civil rights experts and the U.S. Department of Justice warned the bill would disenfranchise people of color, older voters and others. Republicans passed it anyway. And now? Tens of thousands of Texans who voted by mail in the March 1 primary had their ballots thrown out. Though the Secretary of States Office has yet to complete an official count, an Associated Press analysis published Wednesday found Texas counties rejected nearly 23,000 mail ballots, largely due to technicalities newly required by Senate Bill 1. The AP found that nearly 13 percent of mail ballots were thrown out across the 187 counties that provided data. Here in the states largest county, nearly 1 in 5 mail-in ballots were tossed. Harris County received 36,878 mail ballots for the 2022 primary, and 6,888 mail ballots, or 18.7 percent, were ultimately rejected. In the 2018 primary, just 135 of the 48,473 mail ballots received were rejected, or 0.27 percent. Did the new rules weed out fraudulent voters? Hardly. Voters were apparently confused by a new rule that requires would-be voters to provide either a partial Social Security number or a Texas drivers license number. Fair enough, except that if you provided a perfectly valid Social Security number, but used your license number when you registered to vote something you might have done years ago then your ballot was rejected. Some whose ballots were rejected had time to try again, or could just show up in person, but well never know how many of those 23,000 voters were simply shut out of the process for the most persnickety of reasons. That GOP mantra to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat is a good start, or would be if they only meant it. Or if their efforts to make elections more secure were more than just a costly, pernicious snipe hunt, looking for widespread voter fraud that simply doesnt exist. Texans deserve a system in which they can register to vote and cast their ballot without fuss. Heck, dozens of states make registration possible using the internet. Voters should also be able to trust that ballots are being competently counted. Across the country, citizens do just that. And then theres Texas. In this months primary, thousands of voters tried to have their voices heard and were rebuffed. Our states leaders should be stopping in their tracks and vowing to make sure this never happens again. But thats not happening. Has Gov. Greg Abbott decried the sharp increase in rejected ballots? Has Paxton vowed to make sure no one who is eligible to vote is kicked out of the system just because they misremembered which ID number they registered with? No. The Secretary of States Office said they plan to devote a significant portion of our voter education campaign to enhancing awareness of the new requirements. Thats something, but we need a lot more. These new rules are frustrating to everyone, as all voters can make simple mistakes like the ones that kicked all those votes out of the system this time around. But those with more resources and more experience dealing with bureaucracy will tend to more easily navigate the roadblocks Republican lawmakers put in the way. In the past, requiring voters to jump through unnecessary hoops has disproportionately affected Black voters, and we werent surprised to learn this week that in this way at least, history is repeating itself. The Harris County elections office told us Wednesday that of the 138 county ZIP codes that had rejected ballots, the rate of rejection in ZIP codes with a Black plurality was roughly double that of ZIP codes with a white plurality. In countless ways, 2022 is not 1965. But it is troubling, and infuriating, that nearly six decades after we eradicated racist literacy tests, we yet again have leaders instituting rules that obfuscate the electoral process and cause voters to throw up their hands as their ballots are thrown in the trash. Sam Taylor from the Secretary of States Office told us well get an official count of rejected ballots soon after March 31, which is the deadline for counties to report voting history data. He also pointed out that new county reporting requirements set out in SB 1 helped his office catch 10,181 overlooked votes in Harris County days after the election. There are useful mechanisms in the bill. But county officials being forced to throw out nearly 1 in 5 mail ballots because of this legislation? Simply not acceptable. The near-miss with the Harris County ballots was just one part of an election fiasco that has the Democrats who run Harris County on the hot seat and elections administrator Isabel Longoria in the process of resigning. That anger was appropriate, as we argued at the time, but who will take responsibility for the new state rules that have led to mounds of tossed ballots? Who will come forward to make it right? We wont hold our breath waiting. Silence from Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Republicans in the Texas Legislature only lend credence to the view that this disenfranchisement was by design. Though the rejection rates were higher in Democratic-leaning counties than in Republican ones 15.1 percent to 9.1 percent people of all races, parties and ages were impacted, and all Texans should be outraged by the knowledge that their neighbors votes were cast aside in huge numbers. Texas should be better than this better than throwing out votes, and better than setting up confusing roadblocks. Instead were stuck with a process thats made it harder to vote, and easier to cheat people out of their fundamental right to have a say in how they are governed. In February 2012, on the altar of Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Savior where no women are allowed, Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina took guitars, sang more accurately shouted and asked Mother Mary, Please, drive Putin away. They were arrested and a third member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, who did not make it to the altar, was also arrested. Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina spent two years in prison. Samutesevich was released from jail early. These women in their 20s had the guts to mock Vladimir Putins harsh regime and face the consequences. My filmmaking partner, Natasha Fissiak, and I went to Moscow in December 2012 to make a documentary about these women, the members of the punk rock group Pussy Riot, who tweaked Putins huge ego in the citys largest cathedral. For 18 days, we filmed secretly in apartments and in the bitter cold during protests. Ten years later, Pussy Riots call for an uprising of the Russian people to take Putin away is even more poignant with his aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and today. Their defiant act has taken on new meaning as Putin attempts to subdue all of Ukraine. As I look back, those few days in Moscow gave me a taste of how afraid most Russians are of their government. What will it take to stop Putin? Who can stand up to him? How long will it take? Will the leaders in Moscows military and higher echelons of government show the world they have the courage of these women and say to Putin, No more war in Ukraine? Police knocked on the door My partner had been visiting family in Moscow during their trial. She came home politicized against their imprisonment. We dropped development of our feature film, Empress of Texas, about Ima Hogg, the art patron of Houston, and raised our initial budget for Pussy Riot the Movement within days. I applied for and received a tourist visa rather than a business one, which would take much longer and receive more intensive scrutiny. A Swiss filmmaker, who wrote on his visa application he planned to make a different documentary on Pussy Riot never received his visa. It was clear, therefore, when we flew into Russia, officials at the airport would be searching for more than tobacco and alcohol. Audio/visual equipment that could spread Western propaganda to the Russian people and the world would be suspect. We hired a Russian crew but needed hard drives to bring our footage back to the U.S. At customs, officials pulled three hard drives from our bags and asked why we had them. My partner, a citizen of the U.S. and Russia, explained they were for family photos and videos. Her pretty face and Russian passport convinced officials to release us. We were not about to tell anyone we were planning to give hooligans, as Pussy Riot was portrayed in court, a world platform to feature three women who had the gall to spit in Putins misinformation eye. Their sacrilege irked an important Putin champion. The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church had supported Putins election and increasingly authoritarian rule. He said Pussy Riot was doing the work of Satan and should be punished. The two powerful leaders are symbiotic in efforts to convince the Russian people of their protection from the evil West and spiritual sustenance for devout souls. For worshipers strictly forbidden to practice their faith openly under communist oppression, Pussy Riots blasphemy a profane punk rock song in church was too much. Few Russians felt respect or sympathy for Pussy Riot. When we arrived at our rented apartment for interviews with Russian artists, journalists and former Putin prisoners, a sour-faced receptionist warned we could not take cameras into the apartment as Putin routinely drove to the Kremlin on the street below. They meant to impress with anonymous phone calls telling us we were disturbing the peace. We moved our cameras to a second apartment. Our team invited Samutesvich, the member of Pussy Riot who was released early, to dinner. Her arrival time was 8 p.m., but she ran late. That was lucky. At 8:15 p.m. two police officers knocked on the door, looked around and asked to see the apartment lease and my partners passport. Our executive producer offered them a drink and dinner, which they declined and left. Samutsevich arrived at 8:30 p.m. We did our interview without further interruption. Samutsevich talked about Putins control of misinformation. She said, Mr. Putin can lie to the whole world and feel he is completely safe in doing it. Nobody will do anything to him. Once we had our documentary footage, my partner and I left Moscow from different airports, each carrying a hard drive. We left another one with our Russian crew and made it through customs without incident. The documentary was completed and had a five-city theatrical release, ran on multiple streaming sites and will be re-released soon. Educated and afraid Do the majority of Russians today support Putins attack on Ukraine? According to a Feb. 27, 2022 report from the OVD-info rights group, thousands have taken to the streets of 51 cities across Russia to protest the war. Nearly 6,000 have been arrested. A petition in Russian on Change.org has 1.2 million signatures: https://www.change.org/m/stand-with-ukraine. Given Russias rich history of art and literature it has one of the highest educational attainments in the world. Yet, I could not imagine living there in peace and comfort. Sighing with relief as we took off back to Houston, freedom never felt better. The women we interviewed who had been imprisoned by Putin clearly were fearful of speaking with us. Thats understandable given how widespread the threat of imprisonment is in Russia. One of the lawyers who represented Mikhail Khodorkovsky an oligarch who was imprisoned for a decade for challenging Putin publicly was arrested and spent four years in prison. He now lives in exile in Switzerland. As a gay mother of three, New Yorker journalist Masha Gessen self-exiled from Russia after the state enacted new homophobic legislation that threatened to take adopted children away from gay parents. Living a mere 18 days under the threat of possible arrest is nothing compared to the fear that many Russians live with. My hope is that Pussy Riots defiance represents a future in which the younger generations manage to hold fair and free elections. What are the members of Pussy Riot doing today? After the two were released from prison, they resumed criticism of Putin and are performing around the world. The Guardian reported recently that Nadya Tolokonnikova is in an undisclosed location and raised $7 million in five days through the sale of a non-fungible token, or NFT, of the Ukrainian flag. If Putin continues his assault into NATO countries, the coward is either an utter fool or madman who is ready to die and incinerate his people and ours. Let us hope Putins ego has limits and eventually self-preservation takes over that he is not a madman, that talks will lead to a ceasefire and the threats of a nuclear holocaust fades from the world. Making Pussy Riot the Movement was the experience of a lifetime. I had been fascinated by Russia and wanted to see the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet since age 9 after watching the movie, Never Let Me Go. Clark Gable, playing an American journalist, married a Russian ballerina played by Gene Tierney whose character was prohibited from leaving the country. Perhaps that hero who fooled the Russians and sneaked Tierney out influenced my choice of journalism as a career. I did not make it to the ballet in Moscow, but the world-class Houston Ballet is my favorite now and I continue to love Russian culture and the many Russian friends Ive made. We have to remember that many Russians do not want this war and they reject Putin. Back in 2012, Samutsevich explained, We have developed a culture of protest which did not exist in Russia to educate ourselves, to see whats happening in other countries and take only the best and try it in Russia. Maybe someday a younger generation of Russians will take the wisdom in her words and make the changes for which Pussy Riot risked their freedom, even their lives, in Putins Russia. Carole Keeney Harrington is a writer/filmmaker in Houston and a former editorial and feature writer at the Houston Chronicle. A U.S. citizen was killed in Ukraine during Russian attacks on the city of Chernihiv. The State Department confirmed the news Thursday, but did not identify the victim. Advertisement This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows burning buildings in a residential area in northeast Chernihiv, Ukraine on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP) Family members identified the man on Facebook as 67-year-old Jimmy Hill. They said he was waiting in a bread line when he and others were gunned down by Russian snipers. Hill was born in Minnesota and living in Ukraine with his partner, Ira, according to Minneapolis NBC affiliate KARE. He was caring for her at a hospital in Chernihiv when Russia launched its unprovoked attack on Feb. 24. Advertisement Iras condition was unknown Thursday, Hills sister told KARE. Chernihiv, a city about 70 miles north of Kyiv, has been under heavy attack since Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion. Russian forces have laid siege to city for about a week, according to reports, but the Russians still havent taken Chernihiv despite its location just 30 miles from the border of Russias ally, Belarus. Hill was the second American citizen killed the brutal war, following the March 13 death of journalist Brent Renaud. With News Wire Services Regarding Editorial: Joe Manchin killed Build Back Better. He just offered Biden a way to resurrect it., (March 14): The editorial says that Biden must salvage what provisions he can. But why must he? Because a highly partisan Chronicle says so? What provisions are truly worth salvaging except for Democrat political reasons? Critical thinkers will conclude that Biden's Build Back Better plan failed for one reason only: it was a lousy program to start with, bloated with needless Democrat candy and swollen with debt, increasing costs we can't afford. Thank God Manchin stood fast. J. Jones, La Porte The U.S. federal budget projections for fiscal year 2021 are $6.8 trillion. (Taxes only cover about half of it.) Divided into a population of about 330 million, that works out to about $20,600 for every man, woman and child. Yes, dear reader, you pay for a big portion of that. Plus state and local government. But according to the Houston Chronicle editorial board, that's too small. The federal government, they plead, must grow much more in order to pay for things such as: universal preschool, housing, green energy, health insurance subsidies and many others. Where does this end? History does not favor nations in which government tried to do too much. David M. Woods, Coldspring HBCUs Regarding Houston businessman donates $1 million to UT in honor of his father, the states first Black architect, (Feb. 28): I would have to believe that John Chase would have given his million dollars to Texas Southern University. Especially in this day and age, with Republican politicians trying to rewrite the history and accomplishments of Black Americans, denying the history and saying Critical Race Theory is being pushed in schools. I would think that his son would have looked at the needs of Black colleges in America. The million dollars could have helped TSU create an endowment in the name of John Chase. The University of Texas did not need $1 million. The UT endowment has a fund of nearly $43 billion. The TSU endowment fund is $73 million. As a man who taught at TSU, John Chase would have seen why the million dollars would be more helpful to Black students, who would have a better chance of being exposed to the architectural world at a Black university. Black Americans must start looking to help their own sometimes. The Black athletes and entertainers who are making abundant amounts of money should be giving back to their K-12 schools, who need help. Not these rich colleges. Again, now is the time to help others. Not those who have enough already. John Glenn, Fresno Protect the Postal Service Regarding House Dems seek probe of USPS plan for new mail truck fleet, (March 14): The world empowered a Soviet monster by refusing to invest in alternatives to oil, and yet we are allowing our ethically challenged Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to spend a reported $6 billion on up to 165,000 mail trucks, of which 90 percent are gas-powered, rather than electric. Thanks for the facts the Environmental Protection Agency also found that the new trucks would average only 8.6 mpg (with air conditioning turned on) and that DeJoy issued a contract for the vehicles before even completing its flawed review. We cannot ignore climate science and turn a blind eye to DeJoys flawed management and obvious attempts to gut the USPS an agency enshrined in the Constitution and which provides vital services to all Americans, rural, urban and suburban. Preceding the 2020 election, DeJoy removed some high-speed sorting machines and mail collection boxes without reasonable explanation and implemented conditions that cut overtime obviously impairing the efficiency of mail delivery. Because his decisions have threatened to compromise the prompt delivery of medication, first-class mail and mail-in ballots, we must scrutinize any decisions which expose DeJoys conflicts of interest or corruption by partisan politics. So, voters can take action now: support public servants who hold the Postal Service Board of Governors and the Postmaster General accountable. We need a can-do approach, using the newest technology to efficiently serve the public, not dismantle or compromise USPS. Sad to say, but Postmaster DeJoy has proven that he does not have the publics best interest at heart. Teresa J. Allen, Spring The United States and Iran had been negotiating a new nuclear deal, and Iran was finally ready to say, OK, here is what we are willing do. But Russia, asked by President Joe Biden to play an intermediary role, delayed action. The Iran deal should not embody any of the U.S. economic and other sanctions against Russia because of its Ukraine invasion, the invader insisted, meaning it would be out from under in a host of ways pleasing next to no one. Well, this whole Iran business has long been proceeding in strange ways, and what we really need is not just a deal excluding Russia, but a treaty requiring a two-thirds approval in the Senate, a constitutional requirement safeguarding us and rule of law instead of rule by incompetent presidents. If the original deal blessed by President Barack Obama had been a treaty, President Donald Trump could not simply have said, sorry, no more. And he would not have had to because there is no way a treaty would have contained such a lineup of stupidities. The deal worked out by Obama and five other nations, including Russia and China, did not do away with Irans ability to manufacture uranium sufficiently enriched to enable nuclear bombs. It did require that uranium already highly enriched be given to Russia, which has already given some of it back. The deals rules on inspections were slipshod at best. It allowed ballistic missile tests that the United Nations disallowed, and Iran is now bragging about missiles with long-range abilities. We unfroze billions of dollars helping to get American hostages returned and enabling Iran to finance terrorists. When Trump ended the deal while piling on devastating economic sanctions, he said he would be happy to renegotiate something that made more sense, but Iran revved up its enrichment process instead, no matter that its people were suffering. Taking charge lately have been new, tougher, more dogmatic leaders with intensified Israeli hatred and intentions to rule the world someday as the prospect of having a nuclear bomb is said to be mere weeks away. But the sanctions were suffocating, Biden seemed more conciliatory than his predecessor, and negotiations got underway with Russia playing a key role. The Iranians seemed to go back and forth with their willingness to come around, but did finally come up with something it felt might be more acceptable. Thats when Russia, needing help in its downright evil war against the Ukrainian people, made demands about Iranian trade that could help resuscitate its own oil business and escape the economic peril of sanctions it is enduring. An awful lot is going on behind the scenes, of course, and there are unknowns and complications no matter which way you look. But Bidens foremost concerns should be to keep Iran from becoming a nuclear power that could jeopardize millions and Russia gaining strength with worldwide consequences. A nuclearized Iran would likely cause Saudi Arabia and other countries into going nuclear, increasing the possibilities of apocalypse as Russia does the same thing. At the least, were talking about instituting world order, about the future of democracy, freedom, peace and security. Iran did not act joyfully to the Russian demands, fortunately, and the White House reaction has been pretty tough. Under the right kind of treaty, Iran would get rid of its enriched uranium and make lots of money helping its people as the gasoline price increases could go down internationally. But the United States should rely ever more on its own fossil fuel resources even as it aims to reduce CO2 emissions along with inhibiting Russian maliciousness and Irans imperialistic, anti-Israel, hegemonic, terroristic ambitions. Ambrose is a columnist for the Tribune News Service. In arguing forcefully before Congress for NATO to institute a no-fly zone over Ukrainian airspace, President Volodymyr Zelensky did what any besieged head of state would do: He advocated for what he believes will safeguard his people. His dedication to his countrys unyielding resistance to Russian aggression is admirable. Yet President Biden is not the president of Ukraine, and neither are the leaders of the NATO alliance, and they must make decisions that will best punish Putin and his forces without provoking a far wider and bloodier conflagration. Engaging in direct combat with the Russian military, likely sparking a hot war between nuclear-armed powers, from where we sit remains a too-risky proposition. Advertisement Members of Congress give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a standing ovation before he speaks in a virtual address to Congress in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center Congressional Auditorium in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times via AP, Pool) (AP) It is in Americas interest for the Russian presidents demented campaign to be countered and turned back, as its clear that allowing him to act on his expansionist designs has only encouraged him, and will do the same to other strongmen with territorial ambitions. The best way forward now is to continue with the two-pronged strategy of providing support for Ukraines army and territorial defenders, and punishing Putin at home. Bidens announcement of more than $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine might not be as flashy or cathartic as U.S. troops taking down the autocrats warplanes, but it is crucial to preserving Ukraines momentum. By all accounts, American anti-aircraft systems, anti-tank weapons and other advanced weapons have been vital in preventing the quick victory Putin had expected. With them, Ukrainian fighters can themselves combat Russian air power. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 191 Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after an airstrike hit a tire shop in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, April 18, 2022. Russian missiles hit the city of Lviv in western Ukraine on Monday, killing at least six people, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow's troops stepped up strikes on infrastructure in preparation for an all-out assault on the east. (Mykola Tys/AP) Continued sanctions and the cutting off of Russia from world markets and financial systems is a longer game, and while its hard to see the nexus between that and the bombs falling on civilian buildings in Ukraine, the truth is that the economic measures are already weakening Russias economy, and with it, Putins ability to prolong an increasingly unpopular war. Cooler allied heads might not keep Putin from battering Ukraine, but for now, they can box him in and head off a world war. OVERHEARD @ SXSW: Attendance deficit, Cheri Hu, Roblox, two busy meetups, Instagram NFTs and more As the music segment ramps up, attendance at the first IRL SXSW since 2019 is down. Local media is saying 20%, but sources tell Hypebot that the venerable gathering could be down 30 35% from pre-pandemic levels. Ive been on the ground since Tuesday afternoon and have been surprised by the lack of crowds almost everywhere. Thats great for social distancing, but bad news for the thousands of businesses and gig workers hoping for a much needed post-pandemic bump. Cherie Hu Cheri Hu and the Water & Music DAO Despite the attendance downturn, Cheri Hu had a strong crowd for her SXSW presentation on the motivation behind and developing structure of the Water & Music DAO. Its a huge shift from individual creator having full operational control to a DAO which has be built around serving emergent community interests, said Hu of her ongoing web3 journey. Among Hus informative sidebars was about artists exploring social tokens then souring on them and all of web3. If an artist is offering fans a collective model, how much control do they have? asks Hu. Do they have creative control? Thats led to hesitation with in the artistic community. Its the kind of problem that can kill a transformative idea before it gets off the ground. Roblox: The Metaverse is here The time I spent with Jonathan Vlassopulos, the Global Head Of Music at Roblox will lead to an in depth article soon about the music plans for this massive online gaming community and game creation platform. But theres no need to wait for the big takeaway: the metaverse is not coming, its here now and its time to stake out your claim. Two very busy Meetups Dmitri Vietze, the CEO of Rock Paper Scissors and the Music Tectonics Conference hosted the popular Music Tech Networking Meetup where I spotted Kevin Breuner of CD Baby, veteran music tech investor Brian Zisk, conference and startup consultant extraordinaire David Hazan, Josh Greenberg of Goldmill, venerable licensing consultant Vickie Nauman of CrossBorderWorks, Laura Simpson, CEO of Side Door, Felisha Booker, founder of Breaker Nation, Allison Shaw, CEO of Manic Monkee, Jeffrey Pezzuti who is the CEO of Eyelussion, Dallas Jackson of TipSee Music, Stephen Parker of startup accelerator gener8tor, Spencer Elliott of viewstub, the team behind social music app Anthems and many more. The Agent Promoter Meetup was filled too many agents and promoters to list here. Beyond an exuberance that after two long years live music is finally (fingers crossed) back, what struck me most about this gathering was how much more diverse it was than the last SXSW Agent Promoter Meetups Ive attended. Musical gender and ethnic diversity is not new at SXSW, but it is long overdue on the business side. NFTs are coming to Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed at SXSW https://t.co/EVhMR9eWHq Bloomberg (@business) March 15, 2022 Many global acts left out As always, the acts on this years SXSW schedule are from all over the world. But COVID related health regulations have turned travel plans into morass of visas, delays, expensive airfares, rapid-tests and red tape. Moving six people around out of your home country at any point is a stressful and logistical nightmare. Then you add people having been recovered from COVID, said Sian Walden, manager of the Wanderers, an Adelaide, Australia, pop duo showcasing at SXSW. Things are changing rapidly. One thing I was sure of a week ago, Im not exactly sure will be the case when we fly. (Billboard) Share on: Williams College President Thanks Berkshires Healthcare Heroes In 2020, COVID-19 turned our lives upside down. Medical and public health experts rushed to treat the sick and contain the spread. At Williams, we closed our campus and helped students leave for their safety a sad milestone in our 227-year history. Today, the college is once again bustling with students, faculty and staff, learning, living and working on campus. Throughout the Berkshires, communities are starting to emerge and look to the future again. Thursday, March 17, was the second anniversary of Williams' closure. Today, the college's senior staff and I want to thank the outstanding medical and public health professionals of Berkshire County and the region for caring for area residents so well throughout the pandemic. Presidents and CEOs Dave Phelps and Darlene Rodowicz at Berkshire Health Systems and Tom Dee at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center provided strong leadership as they and their teams of devoted doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers organized and ran testing programs, traced close contacts and provided dedicated care in extraordinary circumstances. At the same time, they also offered expert counsel to Williams and other area employers and organizations. Our gratitude extends, too, to all the heroic first responders, health-care professionals and public health specialists who have worked so hard these last two years. The people of the Berkshires have been through a lot. We mourn the many whom we have lost, and work to support others still on the long path to recovery. But with spring finally on the way, we at Williams want to take this moment to publicly thank the good people partners, colleagues, friends and neighbors who have helped bring hope back to our beloved Berkshires. Maud S. Mandel is the president of Williams College. John McNinch and his son, Tucker, have reopened Patrick's Pub in time for St. Patrick's Day. Patrick's Pub Open for Lunch and Dinner St. Patrick's Day PITTSFIELD, Mass. Patrick's Pub reopens its doors under new ownership after being closed for three transitional weeks, and plans to bring back the same staff and atmosphere that residents know. Though Patrick's is not yet open for lunch, it will serve a special St. Patrick's Day lunch and dinner menu with items such as bangers and mash, Irish nachos and corned beef and cabbage. The pub will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday for dining in and takeout. The father-son duo of John and Tucker McNinch said they have been working hard to make people happy with the food and prices that patrons have come to know over the years. "Ninety-five percent of the people that come to the restaurant are just good people looking to have good food. And if you're offering good food, good drinks at good price, you know, you've made these people happy," John McNinch said. The community has shown great interest in the reopening of the popular eatery and the upcoming lunch hours. A number of patrons inquired about the eatery while iBerkshires was there. The new owners have been working closely with the restaurant team members in order to keep the pub's staple items and to minimize the change. "The staff has been extremely helpful and we wouldn't be open right now without the staff coming back and working their butts off showing us the systems working with us to get everything up and running," Tucker McNinch said. "There's a few changes here and there. But we want to keep Patrick's Patrick's. I mean, it's one of the lifelines of Pittsfield. So I felt like it's one of those places where you don't want to change it. You want to keep it the same for all the people around here." Floor manager Shannon Lovallo has been working at Patrick's for 20 years and said she likes the new owners. "They are very laid back, very cool, and very approachable. I think everything is going to be wonderful once we get into the swing of things. It's just trying to get everybody into a new routine and learning new things," Lovallo said. Tucker McNinch was nervous opening night but praised the staff for their efficiency and said he learned a lot from working with the staff. "All the staff have been here for years. They all have a system. They were moving stuff out. They were doing incredible. And I was the one person that really just had no idea what was going on all night. So it was fun," McNinch said, "There's just different ways that everything's done. They are efficient here. Everything's done in a timely manner. They have everything prepped, ready to go. They're running the pager system, there's just so many different ways of running in the restaurant that I had never even thought about doing with the restaurants I've worked in prior that they've taught me a lot" The restaurant business is in the family's blood. John McNinch grew up working in his family's restaurant at Eastover resort until he moved to Boston to be with his future wife. "I too started in a family business, Eastover resort in Lenox my family owned and operated. So I grew up in this same type of environment, thrown into work as a child and worked through it that I left and I moved to Boston, because I like a girl out there," he said.. His attempt to enter the financing field didn't work out and he ended up working in various restaurants until he came back to the Berkshire and opened The Olde Heritage Tavern in an effort to bring a relaxed and home cooked atmosphere that he thought was missing in Lenox. He sold the business after 20 years last April. McNinch passed the restaurant experience down to his son, Tucker, who worked at his father's restaurant during the summer in high school and college. Tucker got a degree in finance and economics from Northeastern and is now co-owner of 101 Restaurant and Bar in the Holiday Inn and Patrick's. "I was a server. I was a busboy. I was a dishwasher. I was everything growing up, but now getting to be in the management side, getting into the ownership branch of it. It's cool and a change of pace for me," he said. Ansari Announces Run for Williamstown Select Board WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Bilal Ansari is running for Select Board in a campaign based on "Accountability, Belonging, and Compassion," he announced in a news release on Wednesday. His vision of Williamstown emphasizes accountability in all financial and management aspects of governance; enhanced quality of life for elders and our youth; and more support for low-income families and people who wish to acquire homes affordably. "We need ideas from all the people of Williamstown," Ansari said. "If we all intentionally work together, we can better identify and solve public policy issues." Ansari is running for one of the two open seats on the Select Board. He said he hopes to hear from the town's elders and youth, business owners and farmers, tradespeople and academics, and those struggling in any way day by day. His message is that this is their town, their government, and their livelihoods so their voices are essential. "I hope to increase public feedback and participation on town committees and subcommittees of residents from all walks of life," Ansari said. "When we truly welcome and hear all the voices, the harmony begins." Ansari was a proponent of 2020 Warrant Articles 36 & 37 and was instrumental in their overwhelming approval at the August 2020 annual town meeting. Ansari has more than a decade of experience leading groups and shepherding change. He works as the assistant vice president for campus engagement in the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Williams College. Prior to his current position, he was a Muslim chaplain in a variety of settings and regions including director of chaplaincy at the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace in Connecticut. Ansari has ties to Williamstown through his great-grandparents, the Logans, who were active in both the college and the town since 1923. He has continued in that tradition, serving as a founding member and president of Higher Ground, a disaster relief organization that responded to the needs of residents of The Spruces who were forced to abandon their homes in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. He was an original member of the Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Advisory Committee. DIRE tackled some of the thorniest problems the town has been grappling with since the 2020 revelations of anti-Black and anti-Semitic incidents and sexual harassment at the Williamstown Police Department. He also served as a member of the Affordable Housing Committee for three years and was the recipient of The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition's 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Peacemaker Award. Earlier this month, Ansari and 70 others attended a conference, hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice, reimagining the community's relationship with policing. The event culminated in a brief but positive speech by both Bilal and Officer Brad Sacco, who had orchestrated a 2020 police union letter which expressed disappointment in the level of support for law enforcement officers among public officials. The annual town election will be held on May 10 at Williamstown Elementary School. Clark Art Announces Summer Exhibitions WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The Clark Art Institute announced its summer 2022 exhibition schedule, featuring porgrams including a survey of Auguste Rodin's sculpture. Each year, we try to present a range of exhibitions that offer new scholarship, spark new ideas, and introduce new concepts or artists to our audiences. But with every show, we also hope to inspire a moment of delightpleasure in seeing something beautiful, learning something new, or seeing something different. We think that this year will be a summer full of delights at the Clark," said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark Art Institute. We will look at one of the world's great sculptors, Auguste Rodin, but we will be looking at his work through a very specific lens that tells a fascinating story of his early reception in the United States. We are particularly eager to introduce the distinctive prints of the Mexican modernist Jose Guadalupe Posada and believe they will offer new perspectives on an important period in Mexican history. And we are truly pleased to present an intriguing show that unites the works of two artists, Tauba Auerbach and Yuji Agematsu, under the canopy of a single concept, the meander." The Clark's summer exhibitions open on a staggered schedule, beginning in June. The program includes: Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern June 18Sept. 18, 2022 "Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern" considers the artist's legacy in America from 1893 to the present. This exhibition tells the story of the collectors, art historians, critics, gallerists, and philanthropistsnotably, many of whom were women who endeavored to make Rodin known in the United States. The nearly 1,300 works by Rodin held in American museums and private collections today testifies to their success. "Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern" includes approximately fifty sculptures and twenty-five drawings, presenting both the artist's familiar masterpieces and lesser-known works of the highest quality. The exhibition emphasizes Rodin's expertise across materials and media, with prominent examples of plaster, bronze, marble, graphite, and watercolor. The exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute and guest curated by independent scholar Antoinette Le Normand-Romain. Jose Guadalupe Posada: Symbols, Skeletons, and Satire July 16Oct.10, 2022 Jose Guadalupe Posada (18521913) was recognized already in 1888 as the foremost caricaturist, the foremost graphic artist" of his native Mexico. A tireless producer of caricatures and satirical imagery for the penny press, Posada built his career in an era of political repression and lived to see the social changes brought by the Mexican Revolution of 1910. This exhibition, drawn from the extensive collection of Posada's works at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, showcases the visual culture of Mexico in the years before its 1910 Revolution. This exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs. Tauba Auerbach and Yuji Agematsu: Meander July 16Oct. 16, 2022 This exhibition pairs new work by Tauba Auerbach and Yuji Agematsu, across parallel galleries in the Lunder Center at Stone Hill. The artist's experimentation in a range of media produces work that is as rigorous as it is visually arresting: calligraphic drawing, infrared imaging, and large-format painting are all part of Auerbach's universe. For Agematsu handheld sculptures are like small worlds. The flotsam he findsa foil wrapper, spent fireworks, a fishboneinterest him both aesthetically and anthropologically. This exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Robert Wiesenberger, associate curator of contemporary projects. Also on view this summer is Tomm El-Saieh: "Imaginary City," presented in public spaces around the Clark. The exhibition title comes from one of the works in the show (Vilaj Imagine) and refers to a cityscape theme common in Haitian art. For the artist, who has been unable to return to his birthplace in recent years due to the instability there, Port-au-Prince now also exists mainly as a figure in his memory and imaginationa site of joy and trauma, potential and uncertainty. This yearlong exhibition, on view through Dec. 31, 2022, is free and open to the public. This exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Robert Wiesenberger, associate curator of contemporary projects. Medical Matters Weekly Welcomes Tracy Dolan BENNINGTON, Vt. Southwestern Vermont Health Care's (SVHC) Medical Matters Weekly with Dr. Trey Dobson welcomes Tracy Dolan, the director of Vermont's Refugee Office, at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23. The show is produced with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV). Viewers can see Medical Matters Weekly on facebook.com/svmedicalcenter and facebook.com/CATTVBennington . The show is also available to view or download a podcast on www.svhealthcare.org/medicalmatters Dolan manages day-to-day operations and expansion of services for Vermont's refugee program. She has more than 25 years of experience working in public health. For the past 11 years, she has served in a variety of roles at the Vermont Department of Health. Most recently, as Deputy Commissioner, she helped create and strengthen partnerships with Vermont's Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, especially during the pandemic. Prior to coming to Vermont, Dolan worked in public health overseas with a focus on HIV/AIDS care and prevention, maternal and child health, and reproductive health. Among other countries, she has worked in Malawi, Zambia, and India. Dolan also developed programs for children and families in post-conflict settings, such as Afghanistan and Uganda, as well as for internally displaced people in Ethiopia and Kenya. After the program, the video will be available on area public access television stations. On CAT-TV, viewers will find the show on channel 1075 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Monday, 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 a.m. Friday, and 7 p.m. Saturday. GNAT-TV's Comcast channel 1074 airs the program at 8 a.m. Monday, 9 p.m. Wednesday, and 1 p.m. Saturday. Medical Matters Weekly is an interactive, multiplatform, guest-driven, medical-themed talk show hosted by Dr. Trey Dobson. It provides a behind-the-scenes perspective on health care and the interesting personalities that drive positive change within the industry and its surrounding professions. Topics include behavioral health, food insecurity, equitable care, and the opioid crisis. The show is produced in partnership with Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV) and is broadcast on CAT-TV, Greater Northshire Access Television, Facebook Live, YouTube, and podcast platforms. Your support is needed now more than ever Help support your local news Local news sources need your help. Stay in the know on Coronavirus, local updates, and more. The third batch of humanitarian aid supplies from China to Ukraine transferred from Warsaw CGTN) 15:21, March 17, 2022 The third batch of humanitarian aid supplies to Ukraine from the Red Cross Society of China left from Warsaw, Poland to Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon. The new supplies, including milk powder for children and quilts, are expected to arrive in Murovane, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine on Wednesday by noon local time. According to Xinhua News Agency, the first batch of supplies have already arrived in Ukraine and been distributed by the Ukrainian Red Cross Society to displaced persons most in need. (Web editor: Liang Jun, Hongyu) Arnold Schwarzenegger carried the weight of the world Thursday by making a video he hopes will reach the people of Russia. Im sending this message to various different channels to reach my dear Russian friends and the Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine, he began. There are things going on in the world that have been kept from you terrible things you should know about. Advertisement Before talking about Russian President Vladimir Putins ongoing and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the hulking action star recalled being inspired by weightlifter Yuri Petrovich Vlasov as a child. Schwarzenegger said his father, who fought on the side of the Nazis in World War II, told him to find a German role model rather than Vlasov, who was Russian. He didnt like Russians, the Red Heat star said. Advertisement I love the Russian people. That is why I have to tell you the truth. Please watch and share. pic.twitter.com/6gyVRhgpFV Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 17, 2022 When he was 14, Schwarzenegger, who is Austrian-American, got to meet his idol. He recalled Vlasov being kind and said he will never forget that day. He began sleeping with a photo of Vlasov above his bed and lifting weights himself. Even now, Schwarzenegger says he drinks his coffee from a mug Vlasov gave him later in life when they met again in Russia. Ive had nothing but affections and respect for the people of Russia, he said. [ Fox News celebrates a quarter-century of ... whatever it is theyre doing over there ] And thats why, according to the 74-year-old actor, he hopes Russians who hear his message believe him when he says Putins assault on Ukraine is unjust. He compared that aggression to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, where Donald Trump supporters, whod been lied to by their former president, tried to stop the certification of the 2020 election. Schwarzenegger first took issue at Putins claim that his armys goal was to de-Nazify Ukraine where the president is Jewish. De-Nazify Ukraine? he scoffed. This is not true. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Schwarzenegger emphasized that it was Putin, not Ukraine, who started the war. This is not the Russian peoples war, he added. The former California governor dubbed The Governator because of his hit film The Terminator then rolled video showing civilian targets that have been devastated by Russian artillery. Schwarzenegger also told viewers that it wasnt just Ukrainians being killed in Eastern Europe. Advertisement [ President Trump takes more shots at 'Apprentice' successor Arnold Schwarzenegger, rips 'FAKE NEWS media' ] I regret to tell you that thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed, he said. He also told Russians that their country has been isolated from the rest of the world because of its leaders actions. So I urge the Russian people and the Russian soldiers in Ukraine to understand the propaganda and disinformation youre being told, Schwarzenegger said. I ask you to help me spread the truth. He signed off asking Putin to end the war and told protesters in Russia that they were his new heroes, much the way strongman Vlasov had been. Actor Jussie Smollett got out of jail Wednesday on $150,000 bond while he appeals his conviction on charges of fabricating a racist and homophobic attack, then lying about it to police. Last week a Cook County judge sentenced the Empire star to immediately serve 150 days in jail on the five-felony-count disorderly conduct conviction. Advertisement Actor Jussie Smollett is led out of the courtroom after being sentenced at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Thursday in Chicago. (Brian Cassella/AP) I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that, Smollett shouted after the sentence was handed down. Part of his attorneys argument for the release had been the potential physical danger Smollett would be in while in Cook County Jail. In addition, they said, the appeal process could last longer than the sentence itself. Former state Rep. Matt Shea, who declined to seek reelection after a report charged him with engaging in domestic terrorism, is in a small town in Poland with a group of more than 60 children that he says were rescued from a Ukrainian orphanage. (Dom Dziennikarza via Seattle Times) Local law enforcement agencies pay their respects to Pierce County deputy killed in the line of duty Things are still going south for Kanye West. The divisive artist has been suspended from Instagram for 24 hours, according to a report. Advertisement Instagram locked his account after a racist post about Trevor Noah of The Daily Show, TMZ reported. West, who legally changed his name to Ye, will be prevented from commenting, posting and messaging on the app. In this Nov. 17, 2019, photo, Kanye West appears on stage during a service at Lakewood Church in Houston. (Michael Wyke/AP) In his attack on Noah, West repeatedly called the talk show host a k--n after Noah said the Kanye-Kim Kardashian-Pete Davidson mess was terrifying to watch. Advertisement West, 44, has been posting on Instagram for weeks about his relationship with Kardashian and her relationship with Davidson. Instagrams parent company, Meta, could take further action against Wests account if the posts continue to spiral, a spokesperson told TMZ. The drama recently devolved to the point that West and Davidsons private texts were aired publicly. In the messages, Davidson implored West to respect the familys privacy. Kim is literally the best mother Ive ever met, the Staten Island native wrote. What she does for those kids is amazing and you are so f---ing lucky that shes your kids mom. Ive decided Im not gonna let you treat us this way anymore and Im done being quiet. Kardashian filed for divorce from West in February 2021, citing irreconcilable differences. She was declared legally single earlier this month, but the divorce proceedings still arent complete. West has not taken it well. Paris, 17 March 2022 Today UNESCO announced new emergency measures to protect journalists in Ukraine, to help displaced Ukrainian journalist unions to continue their work and to support the free flow of information about the war. The Organization is providing an initial batch of 125 sets of Personal Protective Equipment as well as training on hostile environments. Every day, journalists and media workers are risking their lives in Ukraine to provide life-saving information to local populations and inform the world of the reality of this war. We are determined to support and protect them in every way possible. UNESCO has been resolutely committed to this since the beginning of the crisis, in close collaboration with its international partners and local professionals", said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. From the first day of the war, UNESCO has consistently called for the respect of international law to protect journalists, technicians, fixers and other media professionals as civilians in a conflict zone, and to refrain from any attack on communication infrastructure. The Organizsation has also monitored attacks on journalists and damage to press infrastructure, as well as systematically condemning the killing of at least four journalists and the wounding of several others. The UN agency is in constant contact with local journalists' associations, international NGOs and online platforms to identify needs, provide technical advice and work on urgent interventions. To respond to these needs, Audrey Azoulay announced Wednesday several additional emergency measures to be rolled out this week by UNESCO. 1. Providing protective equipment Thousands of journalists are reporting from the ground in Ukraine, many without the necessary protective equipment or training. This especially includes local Ukrainian journalists who previously reported on local issues and have been thrust into the role of war correspondents, unprepared for the risks they now face. UNESCO is providing them with an initial batch of 125 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), consisting of bullet-proof press vests and helmets. They will be distributed from next week by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), via its Press Freedom Centre in Lviv, and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). "As attacks on journalists during the war have already shown, having high quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can save lives. That is why UNESCO is working with its partners to minimise the number of journalists operating without this critical equipment", explained Audrey Azoulay. Tuesday, the Director-General of UNESCO called on UNESCO Member States to support this effort and provide the financial resources to amplify it. 2. Training journalists to work safely in war zones UNESCO is translating into Ukrainian and distributing in multiple languages its training manual for journalists on hostile environments, developed together with RSF. In addition to this manual, UNESCO is organizing online courses in Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) as well as the psychological trauma associated with operating in a conflict zone, in partnership with IFJ and RSF. UNESCO will also support efforts to establish in-person training, particularly at the Press Freedom centre in Lviv. Furthermore, UNESCO is providing funding so that trained professionals can be available 24 hours a day through a dedicated hotline set up by National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, which journalists can call if they need assistance evacuating from a danger zone. 3. Helping displaced Ukrainian journalist unions UNESCO is working with the International Federation of Journalists to relocate the offices of Ukraines two journalist unions to Poland, close to the border with Ukraine. This relocation will ensure that the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), with more than 4000 members, and the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU), with around 2000, can continue to provide practical support to all journalists in Ukraine and those who have fled to neighbouring countries. **** Samsung today announced Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G to deliver a complete package of the latest Galaxy innovations, offering a holistic mobile experience at a great value. Powered by a brand-new processor, coupled with Galaxys signature AI camera, expansive and smooth display, and two-day battery life, the new Galaxy A series features 5G connectivity, defense-grade security, an eco-conscious, stylish and slim design, and advanced connected experiences. Plus, both devices support continuous One UI and Android OS upgrades and security updates to ensure the user mobile experience is always awesome. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the positive impact mobile technology can have on their lives, said TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics MX (Mobile eXperience) Business. With the latest Galaxy A series release, were making it easier than ever to enjoy Galaxys advanced, innovative mobile experience at a great value. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Capture an Awesome Shot in Any Situation Whether creating content or sharing it with friends, Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G offer an advanced, next-level camera experience, packed with many of the powerful and fun features from the Galaxy A series. Galaxy A53 5Gs quad-camera system features a 64MP OIS Camera with VDIS technology that takes crisp and steady shots every time. Meanwhile, a high-resolution 32MP front camera delivers great selfies and clear video call experiences. Fueled by a brand new 5nm processor, the new Galaxy A series innovative AI-powered camera makes every image look awesome even in low lighting. Improved Night mode automatically synthesizes up to 12 images at once, so night photos look bright, with less noise. And when shooting video in low-light environments, the Galaxy A series framerate is automatically adjusted to create bright, clear videos. The enhanced Portrait mode captures depth and subject outlines more accurately with dual cameras and powerful AI. Meanwhile, with Fun mode, moments can be amplified using playful filters and effects that now work with the Ultra-wide lens. For the first time on the Galaxy A series, Photo Remaster breathes new life into old photos by offering ideal lighting and resolution settings, and Object eraser removes pesky photo bombers in the background. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Maximize Viewing Experiences Anywhere, Anytime In the past, a sunny day could make it hard to see whats on a smartphone screen, but the new Galaxy A series intelligent algorithm ensures the display comes through in vivid detail, even outside. Galaxy A53 5Gs expansive 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display also offers a 120Hz refresh rate for an immersive experience while Galaxy A33 5G features a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Plus, the new Galaxy A series is now equipped with up to two-day battery life and 25W Super Fast Charging so viewing, streaming and more can last longer. Beautiful, Durable, Purposeful Design The new Galaxy A series is expertly crafted to be fashionable, functional, and sustainable. The devices slim bezel creates a smooth, stylish look and Ambient Edge design seamlessly blends the camera with the body of the phone. Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G feature the tough Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and IP67 water and dust resistance, providing enhanced durability and peace of mind. Samsung has always challenged whats possible with technology and will continue to rethink how best to use the planets resources. Announced in August 2021 with Galaxy for the Planet, Samsung is committed to delivering tangible environmental actions to help make the planet healthier by 2025. Building on Samsungs sustainability efforts, the Galaxy A series removes the charger plug and reduces the size of the packaging. Packaging also uses sustainably sourced paper, while the device itself uses recycled post-consumer materials (PCM) for the side buttons and SIM card trays. Beyond materials, the longevity of the new A series is extended. Galaxy A53 5G guarantees up to four generations of One UI and Android OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates. These features allow users to access the latest software and security to maximize the smartphone lifecycle. The Connected Galaxy Experience, Secure and at Your Fingertips The new Galaxy A series ensures data and information stay protected, secured by the defense-grade Samsung Knox. When storing private photos, notes and apps, Secure Folder offers users an encrypted, digital safe, so only they can access its contents. Using Private Share, users can control exactly who has access to files and for how long. Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G will also include the new Samsung Wallet, a convenient and protected place to safely store everything from boarding passes to credit cards. Galaxy A53 5G and A33 5G work seamlessly with other Galaxy devices for the full, connected Galaxy ecosystem experience. Audio options are expanded by connecting the Galaxy Buds series with a range of devices, including Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G. Available on Galaxy Buds Pro and coming soon to Galaxy Buds2 and Buds Live, users will be able to enjoy 360 Audio technology which delivers true, immersive, 3D sound. When its time to get productive, use Link to Windows to connect the new Galaxy A series to a Windows PC to copy and paste, transfer files and even answer calls or texts. Price and Availability The Galaxy A53 5G will be available starting April 1 in all authorized Samsung Stores and online for: Galaxy A53 5G (8+256GB) - Php25,490 SRP Galaxy A53 5G (8+128GB) - Php23,490 SRP Galaxy A53 5G (6+128GB) - Php22,990 SRP (Online Exclusive) While the Galaxy A33 5G will be available all authorized Samsung Stores and online beginning April 22 for: Galaxy A33 5G (8+256GB) - Php21,990 SRP Galaxy A33 5G (8+128GB) - Php19,990 SRP Galaxy A33 5G (6+128GB) - Php18,990 SRP (Online Exclusive) Galaxy A33 5G (8+128GB) White - Php19,990 SRP (Online Exclusive) Galaxy A33 5G (8+256GB) White - Php21,990 SRP (Online Exclusive) Both the Galaxy A53 5G and A33 5G will come in Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Blue, and Awesome Peach variants. Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Another addition to the Galaxy A series, the Galaxy A73 5G, will also be available starting April 22 which comes in Awesome Gray, Awesome White, and Awesome Mint. It will be available in all authorized Samsung Stores and online for: Galaxy A73 5G (8+256GB) - Php29,990 SRP Galaxy A73 5G (8+128GB) - Php27,990 SRP Galaxy A73 5G (6+128GB) - Php26,990 SRP (Online Exclusive) A new Onyx color of the Galaxy Buds2 and Buds Live will launch in April, to complement the stylish design of the Galaxy A series. Starting March 18 to 25, those who pre-order the Galaxy A53 5G will receive gifts worth up to Php3,000. Galaxy fans can choose between a 3,000 Samsung E-Store Voucher or 3,000 Diamonds for Mobile Legends. Get the new Galaxy A53 5G via the Trade-In, Trade-Up promo to get tokens worth up to Php4,000 until June 30. The reasons behind the Great Resignation are as varied as the movement is widespread. Yes, people want to get paid more money or they want a better job title, but some people crave more flexibility or continued work-from-home perks. So when you're calling people back into the office, take care, as you may end up losing some of your top employees. As they return to the workplace, "organizations need to consider how it's going to make people feel," says James Bailey, professor of leadership and management at George Washington University. "You're going to change their lives, so be sensitive." For starters, some employees moved away, and any kind of return to work will necessarily require a major shift. What's more, they may not be able to afford to move back. While some people may have left cities for more space, others lost housing because of rent spikes, or moved to care for sick loved ones. Asking people to uproot the routine they've known for two years can be difficult, and in some cases you may want to make exceptions. Here's how to handle the return to work, delicately: Make it clear why you want people back. Tell your team why you want them back: It's good for the organization, as collaboration and creative collisions are more likely to happen when you're all together. But it's also good for employees, and you should definitely broadcast the reasons why that is. There are social benefits of being in an office, including being able to connect with like-minded people and make friendships. Coming into an office can also be good for employees' professional lives. Junior employees can showcase leadership skills; they can connect with mentors, too. "When people are remote, it's far more difficult to mentor them and provide them with the nuances and skills they need to advance their careers," says Teo Vanyo, a 40-something CEO of Stealth Agents, a Cherry Hill, New Jersey-based maker of virtual assistants. Let employees voice their resistance. Chances are you're going to have some people resist the return to the workplace. It's important that these "active resisters," as Bailey calls them, don't feel like their opinions are being shunned in the process, as it could foster resentment and, in the worst case, lead to multiple resignations. That's why whether it's a meeting with HR and leadership, a group discussion among colleagues, or a private discussion with a manager, it's best to hear directly from the employee what their hesitations and circumstances are. It's less likely that an employee will disagree with a decision as long as they feel included in the process, Bailey notes. You should also give supporters of the return-to-work plan an equal platform to express views, because in the best-case scenario, they're able to offer resistant employees support and encourage them to come back. Keep in mind as well that middle management should also be trained how to handle employees who many be resistant, as not all employees are comfortable talking openly with leadership and may wish to go to their direct managers with any concerns, notes Bailey. Revisit employee contracts. Before speaking with any employee about their relocation, revisit the employee's original contract to determine how it was written. If it's in an employee's contract that they're required to work from the office or that the job is based in a particular city, you may want to remind an employee who's moved away that doing so violates their original contract, and therefore their employment might be terminated because of it. Also, if you know you'll want people in the office, it's best to mention it in any job postings and interviews so candidates know it's a priority of the employer. Consider other options of employment. There are ways to keep your best employees around even if they've moved away. First, you can hire them as a consultant. A consultant position can allow your star players to still be involved in the process without physically being involved, and it could mean reworking your employee's contract to arrange for them to work on a part-time schedule that better fits their lifestyle. You can also offer them a different position at the company that allows them to continue to work remotely, if such a position exists. This can be an easier sell if you offer reskilling, additional training opportunities, or the chance for the individual to work with a new team. Offer return-to-work incentives. Consider offering programs that make coming back a little easier. This can include traditional cash incentives to cover relocation costs, or the costs of child care, or more flexible hours for when people do come in, such as allowing employees to leave early to pick up children. Even covering child care for a few months can give people the chance to figure out a new schedule, or find new housing or a new way to commute. You can also reimburse your staff for gasoline and transportation costs, though keep in mind it may be expensive and if you cover it for one employee, you'll likely need to cover it for all. Winnie Hart, an Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Global Board Director and member in Houston, is an author, keynote speaker, brand strategist and CEO of TwinEngine and Brand in the Box. We asked Winnie about her experience with leading leaders through crisis. Here's what she had to say. 1. Connect With Your Core. When the world is in crisis, leaders are expected to act. The eyes of your followers are on you, looking for guidance. Your words and actions are especially important at this moment. Before you speak or act, take time to connect with your personal truths, inner values, and purpose. The things that make you who you are, be more of those. Those qualities that people already appreciate and respect in you as a leader, align your thoughts and energy with that. When you speak and act from a place of deep purpose and higher mission, you will connect with the strength and stability that will inspire and motivate others to greatness. 2. Be Calm. Be Present. Your composure as a leader affects your followers and all those you interact with. To help others, take care of yourself mentally and physically so you can be fully present and fully effective. Take whatever time you need to find your inner place of peace and calm. When the world around you is in chaos and crisis, project the strength and peace that you are inside, and your words and actions will instill calm in others. 3. Tell The Truth. Act On Facts. In any world crisis, there may be miscommunications and confusion. Your role as a leader is to be a source of clear, honest, and factual information that others can rely on as true and actionable because your words will travel, be repeated and acted on. Explain the circumstances as you know it, in a straightforward manner, focusing on positive steps you and others can take to deal with and weather the situation. Choose your words thoughtfully and purposefully and communicate clearly and often. 4. You Don't Know What You Don't Know. You can't always see a crisis developing, so there will be situations in which you must make a decision even though you feel you don't have all the information you need. Still, you know who you are, you know what you stand for, and you can trust your intuitive inner compass. My dad used to tell my twin sister and me, "Winnie and Lorrie, you don't know what you don't know." He repeated it day after day, and we had no idea what he meant. Now, as an adult and a business leader, I finally get it. You can never have all the information you want, but if you speak and act honestly from your heart and your personal knowledge and wisdom, you can overcome fear of the unknown with a certainty of the known. 5. Be Positive. Focus On The Big Picture. It's crucial for leaders to be optimistic. Your thoughts and words create a ripple effect on the people around you. What you say and how you act in turbulent times can have an even greater impact. Positive thoughts and actions focus on strengths, successes, opportunities, and collaboration. Project positive energy, confidence and purpose and you will help create trust, hope, and optimism in others. In any crisis, instead of focusing on details, step back, observe and focus on the bigger picture and you will gain clarity about the effect you want to make. 6. Listen With An Open Mind. To understand others and their needs, LISTEN. True listening takes focus, concentration and a willingness to be open to new information and feedback. Listening shows others that you genuinely care and relate to their perspective. Pay attention to your audience's behaviors and acknowledge their feelings. Remember, listening isn't about what you want, or how you wish to be understood. It's about what your followers need and what they hear and understand. Make eye contact and don't interrupt someone speaking. If you're unsure what you heard, ask questions. Precise questions show that you're listening and that you're receiving and considering what the other said. 7. Be The Leader You Are Meant To Be--Lead. Finally, as a leader, it's your role and responsibility to lead. It is what you are meant to do. And it is what others expect. When faced with a crisis or an unknown future, make necessary decisions and act from within yourself, using your courage, intuition, emotional intelligence, and integrity as your compass to navigate troubled times. Leaders don't panic; they make a plan. They keep their cool, maintain an open mind, and make decisions based on facts and experience while in service of others. Effective leaders look for the opportunities in troubled times to transform the world around them into something better with the help of those they serve. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky received two standing ovations from the U.S. Congress when he made an impassioned speech yesterday, pleading for more aid to help his country turn back an increasingly powerful invasion by Russia. His speech offered several powerful lessons that every business leader--and especially every entrepreneur--should learn. Consider his example whenever the stakes are high and you need a pitch or presentation to be truly persuasive. Zelensky is asking for protection and help for a valiant people against a ruthless and widely reviled dictator. He has chosen to remain in harm's way rather than be evacuated to the West and safety--"I need ammunition, not a ride," he reportedly said. So when he speaks, most people outside of Russia are already inclined to listen and take his requests very seriously. At the same time, he knows that some of what he's asking for is a stretch for Western democracies, so he knows he needs to be as persuasive as he possibly can. And so, he uses a masterful tool that you can use too: He makes it all about his listeners, understanding them as completely as he can, and making it clear how much he empathizes with them before ever asking them to empathize with him. It shows the true power of empathy as a persuasive tool, not just to help you understand what your audience wants, or get them to understand what you want, but to forge a bond to bring both of you closer together. "When your sky was black from the planes attacking you" Zelensky spends the first three minutes of his 17-minute speech speaking with great feeling--not about Ukraine, but about the United States. He reminds his audience of the attack on Pearl Harbor, "when your sky was black from the planes attacking you," and of September 11th, the two occasions when America experienced aerial attacks as Ukraine is now. He talks about the democratic principles on which our nation was founded and which Ukraine is now struggling to preserve against a more powerful enemy: "Democracy, independence, freedom, and care for every person." Only after that does he describe the effect on the Ukrainian people of Russia's continued attacks, and then show those effects for everyone to see in a video of everyday Ukrainians both before and during the war that is harrowing to watch. Perhaps most important, Zelensky exhibits his empathy in one more way--by giving his audience requests that they can say yes to. He makes it clear that what Ukraine really needs is an enforced no-fly zone to stop the Russian bombings, but he is also well aware that this need will likely go unfilled, because enforcing a no-fly zone would require shooting at Russian aircraft, and both the U.S. government and most Americans are unwilling to risk a shooting war with Russia. So he offers some alternatives that perhaps we can say yes to: new and increased sanctions against Russia (he draws a direct line, noting that money paid to Russian companies can be used to finance the invasion), aircraft, and more weaponry. And he adds a further--very smart--request that individual members of Congress use their offices to pressure companies in their constituencies not to do business with Russia. That's something every member of his audience can do without even waiting for a vote. In the last three minutes of the speech, Zelensky does one more thing to try to strengthen the empathy and the connection between himself and his audience--he switches into English even though he's not very good at speaking it. That vulnerability, that willingness to meet the audience where they are instead of where he is, is a powerful final element to his appeal. Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region. Should the Supreme Court overturn Roe vs. Wade and allow states to make their own abortion laws? Let us know in this week's poll question below. You voted: India is buying Russian crude oil at steep discounts, which are not subject to sanctions, and is considering alternative payments channels for its bilateral trade payments. New Delhi appears to be pursuing a balancing act in its engagement with allies on all sides of the war in Ukraine due to unavoidable geographic, economic, and geopolitical considerations. India is looking to cut its huge energy bills by buying discounted Russian crude oil, a direct fallout of Russias invasion of Ukraine. India is also reportedly considering buying cheaper raw material for fertilizers from Russia and Belarus. Discussions on alternative payment channels are also underway for bilateral trade as sanctions remove Russian access to SWIFT, currency markets, etc. IOC, HPCL purchase Russian oil at deep discount Recently Reuters reported that Indias top oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), bought 3 million barrels of Russian Urals [crude oil] from trader Vitol for May delivery. This has been the first such purchase made since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began February 24. Vitol sold the cargoes at a discount of $20-$25 a barrel to dated Brent, as per the Reuters report. Following Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) this week reportedly made a purchase of two million barrels of Russian Urals crude for loading in May. As reported by The Indian Express, speaking to the upper house of parliament on Monday, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that India would evaluate taking up the Russian offer to sell crude oil at discounted prices after considering the various factors involved in the movement / supply of fuel from a non-traditional supplier. For example, IOCs purchase of Ural crude oil was made on the terms that the seller would deliver it to the Indian coast to counter any impact that the sanctions could have on arranging shipping and insurance. Cutting spiraling energy import bills key motivation Imports account for 85 percent of Indias energy requirements and only 1.3 percent of this is from Russia. Russia is the worlds second-largest crude oil exporter behind Saudi Arabia and has had strong market ties to European countries. While wide-ranging sanctions have been imposed on Russia, there have been exceptions made for oil and energy commodities trade. It is why international payment systems are still available to settle such purchase from Russia. Also, White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, confirmed on Wednesday that the discounted purchase of Russian crude oil did not violate sanctions. New Delhi has long-standing diplomatic ties with Moscow and has stopped short of outright condemnation of the invasion although it has called for an end to the violence. Chinese yuan an alternative pricing tool Earlier in the week, the Global Times reported that India could consider making Russian oil purchases using the yuan due to its stability if sanctions affected dollar payments. Currently, payments worth around US$500 million to Indian exporters for goods already shipped to Russia are stuck due to the ongoing financial sanctions. Relatedly, the Dow Jones reported on Tuesday: Saudi Arabia is in active talks with Beijing to price some of its oil sales in yuan instead of the US dollar. India exploring alternative payment channels for settlement of trade payments India has been exploring alternative systems to settle payments for its bilateral trade with Russia since early March. All these options are on the table and are being discussed by the two governments, the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Russia. Senior Indian government official speaking to the Mint. The Mint has published that this could involve linking Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the Russian Faster Payments System (FPS). A rupee-ruble trade payment pact is also being reportedly explored that would settle international transactions in rupee or even yuan. International sanctions have resulted in the removal of access to MasterCard, Visa, and SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) services for Russia. Russia has also been denied access to the international dollar, euro, and currency markets. India, Russia strategic partners While Indias trade exposure to Russia is limited, the country is a strategic partner for New Delhi, particularly on account of its tensions with neighbors Pakistan and China. Russias defense exports to India have included ammunition, weapons, fighter aircrafts, tanks, and modern missile systems. Just in December 2021, at the 2+2 dialogue, India and Russia had signed the military tech cooperation agreement 2021-2031, which included orders for military platforms worth over US$9 billion. A recent significant military deal was Indias purchase of the S-400 air defense system after a deal in 2018 to buy five units of the S-400 surface to air missile system worth US$5 billion. One unit has already been delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF). 50 Cent has plenty of thoughts about Jussie Smollett after the Empire actors early release from jail. The In da Club rapper, 46, took to Instagram Wednesday after news broke that Smollett, 39, was released pending an appeal. He had been sentenced last week to serve 150 days behind bars on charges of lying to authorities about having been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in January 2019. Advertisement They let this fool out in less than a week. LOL, the Queens native captioned an article reporting the development. Actor Jussie Smollett, center, leaves the Cook County Jail Wednesday, March 16, 2022, after an appeals court agreed with his lawyers that he should be released pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP) Though Smollett initially had the support of many fellow celebrities in early 2019, when he was believed to have suffered a racist and homophobic assault, the subsequent allegations against him quickly resulted in his character being written off the Fox musical drama. Advertisement Empire co-creator Lee Daniels in June 2019 said he was beyond embarrassed to have initially supported the actor. Smollett last week was also sentenced to 30 months of probation. He has also been ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and more than $120,000 in restitution. Youve turned your life upside down with your misconduct and shenanigans, Judge James Linn told Smollett during sentencing. In the wake of the sentencing, several celebrities including former Empire co-star Taraji P. Henson and sister Jurnee Smollett said the punishment was too excessive. Samuel L. Jackson, his wife LaTaynya Richardson Jackson, and Alfre Woodard previously wrote to Linn to request he not sentence Smollett to jail time. What Jussie Smollett did was dumb as hell, Trevor Noah tweeted last week. But its crazy that hes gonna spend more time in jail than the family who are mostly to blame for Americas opioid epidemic. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors. KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary. No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account." www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. OIL India said subsidiary Numaligarh Refinery will invest Rs 6,555 crore for implementation of petrochemical project at Numaligarh, Assam. The board also approved formation of a joint venture company between Assam Gas Company (AGCL) and Oil India (OIL) for the three geographical areas offered by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board [PNGRB]. Voltas will enter into a joint venture arrangement with Highly International (Hong Kong), a wholly owned subsidiary of Shanghai Highly (Group) Company. Gufic Biosciences has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary firm - Gufic UK, to expand its pharmaceutical business in United Kingdom. Satin Creditcare Network board on March 22 will consider fund raising by issuance of NCD on private placement basis. Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals has completed the transaction for sale of its trademarks pertaining to 'lodex' and 'Ostocalcium' brands in India to GlaxoSmithKline Asia Private Limited. Om Infra secured two prestigious contracts from Public Health Engineering Department, Region Churu (Rajasthan). Indiabulls Housing Finance board on March 22 will consider raising of funds via bonds, in one or more tranches, on private placement basis. BEML board on March 22 will consider an interim dividend for FY22 on equity shares, if any. The record date for payment of interim dividend is fixed as March 30. Yasho Industries has received board approval for a capital expenditure of Rs 350 crore in Phase 1 for its greenfield project at Pakhajan (Dahej), Gujarat. Coastal Corporation board on March 29 will consider a proposal to issue equity shares to the existing shareholders on rights basis. Allcargo Logistics board has approved an interim dividend of Rs3 per share. remaining of Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Indiana, PA (15701) Today Mostly cloudy. Low 46F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. Low 46F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) based in the Hague has ordered Russia to immediately suspend military operations in Ukraine. The verdict of the UN court on Wednesday came in response to a suit filed by Ukraine on February 27, accusing Russia of manipulating the concept of genocide to justify its military aggression. AFP Out of the 15 judges, 13 voted against Russia, while ICJ Vice-President Kirill Gevorgian of Russia and Judge Xue Hanqin of China voted in Moscow's favour. One of the 13 who voted against Russia was India's judge, Justice Dalveer Bhandari. Who is Justice Dalveer Bhandari? He is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and a Judge of Delhi High Court. AFP/ File He became a judge in ICJ as an Indian nominee in 2012 and was re-elected for a second term in November 2017. What ICJ said on Russia's war The Court begans by recalling that on February 26, Ukraine filed an application against Russia concerning "a dispute" on the interpretation, application and fulfilment of the Genocide Convention. Ukraine contended that having falsely claimed acts of genocide against the people of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Russia declared and implemented a "special military operation" to prevent and punish the purported acts. AFP The ICJ asked Russia to immediately suspend its attacks and cease all military operations as they were based on Moscow's stated purpose of preventing or punishing Ukraine for committing genocide. The Court also noted that Russia had decided not to participate in oral proceedings and later, presented a document setting out its position that in this case, the Court lacks jurisdiction and requested it to "refrain from indicating provisional measures and to remove the case from its list". In delivering the ruling, President of the Court Joan Donoghue outlined that the necessary conditions were met to give the ICJ the authority to indicate provisional measures, namely that the rights asserted by Ukraine are plausible and the condition of urgency was met in that acts causing irreparable prejudice can "occur at any moment". AP "Indeed, any military operation, in particular one on the scale carried out by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, inevitably causes loss of life, mental and bodily harm, and damage to property and to the environment," said the ICJ President. On behalf of the world court, she said: "The civilian population affected by the present conflict is extremely vulnerable," adding that Russia's aggression has resulted in "numerous civilian deaths and injuries... significant material damage, including the destruction of buildings and infrastructure. The judges were unanimous in their order that both parties refrain from any action that might "aggravate or extend the dispute... or make it more difficult to resolve". Judge Xue Hanqin from China opposed the order. Ukraine's contention that the Russian Federation's allegation of genocide against Ukraine is just an excuse for Russia's unlawful aggression raises doubt that this is a genuine case about genocide, she wrote in her dissent note. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Avi Schiffmann, a teenager who created nCoV2019.live, one of the biggest worldwide COVID-19 real-time data tracker websites two years ago has now come up with a new online tool for Ukrainian refugees to find shelter. Schiffmann, a 19-year-old Harvard University student launched his new website Ukraine Take Shelter on March 3 to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Avi Schiffmann According to Schiffmann it all began after he attended an anti-war protest, days after Putin invaded Ukraine. I know how to make all these websites and apps and, you know, I felt that nobody was going to do it, said Schiffmann told NBC. So why don't I just do it? So, I made this website. "a cool idea would be to set up a website to match Ukrainian refugees to hosts in neighboring countries," he wrote on Twitter on February 28. This was followed by another Tweet that said that he had already started making the website. That night, I started working on designing the user interface and the basic site structure, went to sleep, woke up in the morning, and called my friend Marco from college, who's an amazing web developer, said Schiffmann. this is being created rn, I hope to have it done within 24 hours. Avi Schiffmann (@AviSchiffmann) February 28, 2022 On March 1, he followed it up with another Tweet saying the website is 90% complete. According to Schiffmann the website allows potential host families to set up an account, offering shelter to Ukrainian refugees. If someone has a couch available, they can support a refugee, Avi told The Washington Post. And if somebody has an entire house, they can put it on the site and support a whole family. What weve done is put out a super fast, stripped-down version of Airbnb. Ukraine Take Shelter He said that within a week, over 4,000 potential hosts signed up. Available in 12 languages The website is available in 12 languages and refugees can type in their current locations, and dozens of host offers pop up. The listings include the language spoken by the host, information about the space available, and whether pets are allowed, etc. More than three million Ukrainians have become refugees in the three weeks since Russia invaded their country. Reuters Around 1.8 million have fled to Poland. Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova also are hosting a large number of Ukrainians. With the war showing no signs of ending, the number of displaced Ukrainians are likely to go up further in the coming days. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and that another wave is very likely. Now the world seems to be heading in that direction as several countries are reporting a record spike in new infections. "These increase are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we're seeing are just the tip of the iceberg," WHO's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. AP Stealth Omicron behind new surge A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its cousin the BA.2 sub-variant, and the lifting of public health and social measures, the WHO said. New infections jumped by 8% globally compared to the previous week, with 11 million new cases and just over 43,000 new deaths reported from March 7-13. It is the first rise since the end of January. The biggest jump was in the WHOs Western Pacific region, which includes South Korea and China, where cases rose by 25% and deaths by 27%. Reuters Africa also saw a 12% rise in new cases and 14% rise in deaths, and Europe a 2% rise in cases but no jump in deaths. More than half a million cases in UK In the UK, COVID-19 cases have risen up by more than half a million in the last seven days as infections continue to soar across the country. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed that 516,289 cases and 744 deaths within 28 days of a positive test have been reported in the last seven days, as of Wednesday 16 March. On Tuesday, there were 492,103 cases and 714 deaths reported over the previous seven days. AFP A new coronavirus variant, dubbed Stealth Omicron, is thought to be responsible for around 57 per cent of current cases in England. Since the beginning of March in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands have also recoded a rise in new cases. Warning for the US Experts have warned that the United States could soon see a similar wave to that seen in Europe, potentially driven by BA.2. The WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove said at the briefing that BA.2 appears to be the most transmissible variant so far. However, there are no signs that it causes more severe disease and no evidence that any other new variants are driving the rise in cases. Reuters China and South Korea In China, the record surge in cases has forced authorities to impose lockdowns in several cities. On Thursday, South Korea recorded over 6,00,000 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily spike the country has witnessed so far. Reuters The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Thursday South Korea reported a record 6,21,328 new daily Covid-19 cases, and a daily record 429 deaths. The latest tally marks a 55 per cent surge in just one day. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Trevor Noah took the high road Wednesday when responding to Kanye West using an alleged racial slur on him on Instagram. The Daily Show host, who became the latest target of the rapper after he commented about how the divorce with Kim Kardashian was playing out in public, said, There are few artists who have had more of an impact on me than you Ye. Advertisement Trevor Noah speaks onstage at the National Board of Review annual awards gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on March 15, 2022 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for National Board ) Noah added, You took samples and turned them into symphonies. You took your pain and through the wire turned it into performance perfection. I thought differently about how I spend my money because of you, I learned to protect my child-like creativity from grown thoughts because of you, sh-- I still smile every time I put on my seatbelt because of you. Advertisement The drama started on Tuesday, during Noahs episode of his popular Comedy Central show, when he said West was harassing his ex-wife, who is now dating Saturday Night Live comic Pete Davidson. The South Africa native has been a longtime fan of the 22-time Grammy Award winner, who had declared in that past that he was the best artist that God ever created. However, Noah who witnessed his mother suffering domestic violence firsthand took umbrage to how West was behaving toward his estranged spouse, calling it terrifying. Before the post was removed for its offensive content, Noah reportedly personally appealed to the Jesus Walks rapper. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Youre an indelible part of my life Ye. Which is why it breaks my heart to see you like this. I dont care if you support Trump and I dont care if you roast Pete. I do however care when I see you on a path thats dangerously close to peril and pain. In an earlier swipe at the Emmy Award-winning funnyman, West altered the lyrics to the African-American spiritual Kumbaya to include a racial slur used against Black people, as he repeated the line: K--n baya my lord. The epithet, usually spelled with the letter c instead of k, is a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person according to dictionary.com. The remarks led Instagrams parent company, Meta, to suspend West for posting for a 24-hour period because it violated its policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying. Advertisement In this Nov. 17, 2019 photo, Kanye West answers questions during a service at Lakewood Church, in Houston. (Michael Wyke/AP) As far as the use of the racial slur, Noah who addresses race matters regularly on his nightly talk show said such behavior only serves to divide Black people. Oh and as for K--nclearly some people graduate but we still stupid, he said. Dont ever forget, the biggest trick racists ever played on Black people was teaching us to strip each other of our blackness whenever we disagree, Noah added. Tricking us into dividing ourselves up into splinters so that we would never unite into a powerful rod. We often have heard that sperm from semen race towards the egg to enable fertilisation, with the fastest and fittest sperm winning the lottery. However, a study from 2020 highlighted that it isn't the sperm that rushes to claim its first position, its in fact the egg that chooses which one gets to win. Shutterstock Also Read: Sperms Don't Swim But Spin Like A Screw To Fertilise Eggs, Reveals Study This is according to a study conducted by researchers from Stockholm University and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. They've found that eggs use chemical signals to choose the sperm. Different womens eggs attract different mens sperms and that doesnt have to be their partners. John Fitzpatrick, an associate professor at Stockholm University said that human eggs tend to release chemicals dubbed chemoattractants that attract sperm to unfertilised eggs. They wanted to know if eggs use these chemicals to pick which sperm they attract. They looked at how sperm responded to follicular fluid -- fluid that surrounds eggs and contains sperm chemoattractants. They were looking to find if follicular fluids from different females attracted sperm from some males more than others. Fitzpatrick said in a statement, Follicular fluid from one female was better at attracting sperm from one male, while follicular fluid from another female was better at attracting sperm from a different male. This shows that interactions between human eggs and sperm depend on the specific identity of the women and men involved, he added. Unsplash Also Read: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Doesn't Affect Human Sperm, Claims Study The research also showed that the eggs dont always agree with the womens choice of partner -- didnt attract more sperm from their partner compared to sperm from another male. Fitzpatrick further explained that this could be since sperm have only one job -- fertilising the eggs -- so they dont really get to be choosy. Eggs on the other hand need to be choosy since they can benefit from picking one thats better quality or more genetically compatible. Keep visiting Indiatimes.com for the latest science and technology news. Amidst the much-awaited rollout of LIC IPO, the Kerala Legislative Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution against it. The Assembly is voicing concern over the Centre's move to sell stakes in LIC and urging it to retain the institution, which played a key role in the development of the nation, as per PTI. Kerala CMs Statement HBL Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution in the Assembly, opined that leaving the insurance giant LIC to the interests of private players would not be beneficial to the country and hence, the union government should revisit its decision of launching the LIC IPO. Kerala CM said "The union government is trying to justify its act by propagating that only 5% stakes will be sold through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and that is not privatisation. But it is clear that selling shares is the first step towards privatisation and that is the real objective of the government. He also recalled that LIC was nationalised with an aim to protect stakeholders from the exploitation of private companies and to ensure that insurance coverage was extended to the weaker sections and backward areas of the country. Further, Pinarayi Vijayan said that such an institution is being privatised now without giving any opportunity for a detailed discussion or examination in the Parliament. He criticised the Centre for amending the LIC Act by including it in the Finance Bill. As per PTI, the Kerala CM quoted figures by saying that the public sector insurance giant has so far invested 36.76 lakh crore for the benefit of the society and this mammoth source of resource would be over with privatisation. More Details About LIC IPO For the uninitiated, LICs draft papers for IPO were filed with market regulator SEBI last month, with the govt selling a 5% stake in the insurance giant through IPO, which is expected to be rolled out this month but might be delayed till May 2022. The IPO is key to the achievement of the governments disinvestment target for this financial year 2021-22. The IPO is a 100% offer for sale (OFS) by the Government of India and no fresh issue of shares by LIC. Also Read: Jefferies India Says LIC IPO Can Disrupt Market Balance For more of the latest financial news, keep reading Worth. Click here Guillermo Rauch is the CEO and founder of Vercel, a cloud infrastructure company that offers advanced deployment capabilities for front-end JavaScript, edge, and serverless functions. Vercel is a kind of new layer on top of cloud platforms that automates a lot of the application deployment work that used to be done by hand (most of which fell under the devops heading). Rauch is a longtime contributor to open source JavaScript, having also created MooTools and Mongoose. I got a chance to talk to him about some of the ground Vercel is breaking, including simplifying infrastructure and streamlining workflows for developers. Rauch also shared his insights into running a successful startup and how to approach funding. Matthew Tyson: Its exciting to talk with you. Ive been aware of your work for a long time, since MooTools. How did you get your start in coding? Guillermo Rauch: I got my start in coding when I was 10 years old growing up on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We got our first computer at home, which opened the doors to a global web and has shaped much of my lifes work, including what we are building at Vercel. I went through many false starts: Visual Basic, DJGPP for C/C++ on Windows, Borland compilers. Once I switched to Linux, coding really started working out for me. Open source opened the doors for me to a more developer- and beginner-friendly environment. Most importantly, I was able to find community. I made friends in local Linux development groups as well as online forums and IRC rooms. Those folks, many of them anonymous, had a tremendous impact in my journey. Tyson: Ah yes, I remember Borland compilers! How did you migrate from Linux user groups to the helm of Vercel? Was that a conscious decision? Im going to run startups!? Rauch: When I was learning to code, open source had not yet gained the momentum it has seen over the past decade. Today, infrastructure is global and developers are not looking to operate the infrastructure, theyre looking to be amplified by it. The evolution of open source has also shifted toward the frameworks that power the application layer, rather than the infrastructure layer. Linux has become an implementation detail of what makes our infrastructure possible. The developer mindset has shifted into, I want ease of use. For startups operating at a fast pace, this is how they can scale software and reach more people. Open source is fundamentally better for the web as the world is adopting and creating new technologies faster than ever before. Tyson: Yeah, the pace of change is astonishing. Vercel is described as The workflow for the modern web. When should a developer think about looking at Vercel? In what situations should they begin thinking, OK, the team could use Vercel to address this need.? Rauch: Were seeing the beginning of a new era where front-end developers can self-serve to global, virtually infinitely scaling cloud infrastructure with zero configuration and no devops work. The first point of contact with Vercel starts when you want to share the progress of your Next.js (or Svelte/SvelteKit or Vue/Nuxt etc.) application with the world. You can start deploying your app to the cloud and share/access it instantly with anyone in the world as soon as you start developing it. Not only are we seeing infrastructure getting simplified, but folks are syncing their changes to live applications constantly. Much like Dropbox and Figma did for productivity and design, were doing for development. Tyson: The idea of live syncing app changes is a big step towards the ideal and promise of continuous delivery. I imagine teams see a thoroughgoing improvement to application life cycles as they benefit from things like finding bugs closer to their source. Rauch: Were working to democratize the best practices that have been discovered and developed by the giants of the web. Companies like Google and Meta have mastered the ability to streamline workflows, where builds are instantaneous, the frameworks have been optimized, they are maintained by dedicated framework teams, and the developers work in large monorepos with billions of lines of code. Were bringing the power of those streamlined workflows to any developer, team, or company with Vercel. Tyson: What are the areas where the Vercel team is pushing the envelope? The big areas of R&D right now? Rauch: Were pushing the envelope in three key areas this year. First, everything were doing around the edgeprimarily in collaboration with partnersis focused on trying to bring data to the edge in making this instantly global approach to development. Second, with Turborepo, were giving customers the tooling that scales to billions of lines of code from front-end code bases and democratizing the concept of monorepos to all of our customers. And third is the complete elimination of the provisioning of a development environment, making development instantaneous, real-time, and browser-focused. Next.js Live is a key component of that push. Tyson: Is keeping up with the astounding pace of front-end tech evolution a huge challenge? Rauch: We built Vercel to solve slow, disjointed development workflows and instead integrate the entire development and deployment workflow into a single process. Our goal is to drastically reduce the time it takes for our customers to build innovative products and launch new ideas. Thats why our focus is on staying ahead of the challenges that might arise for front-end developers and ensuring we are constantly building the infrastructure they need to build the best web experiences for their customers. By providing developers with the SDK for the web, we are constantly curating the pace of innovation around the front-end ecosystem. We do this while also staying flexible and welcoming all the new technologies that are coming to market. It is our job to simplify this pace of evolution and package it to our customers in a consumable way. Tyson: Do you think these kinds of capabilities will extend to other stacks? Will we see Vercel handling Java/Spring apps in the future? Rauch: Were focused on allowing the more traditional stack to modernize while speeding up the front-end layer. Vercel amplifies the developer experience at the edgeallowing them to move faster and make a faster web appall while bringing data from back-end services. This is exactly what allows us to move so fast in the enterprise. Customers dont need to port back ends to Vercel. The most weve asked them to do is decouple the monolith. What were finding is that most companies are already on that trajectory. So we come in and we say, Oh, youre already doing that. Cool! Oh, you have a GraphQL API. Cool! Now connect to Next.js with the GraphQL API. Tyson: I find it fascinating to discover what makes tech startups succeed. What is your advice for others who want to meet with startup success? Rauch: Vercel was very much born out of open source, building community from day one, and iterating very closely in public with that community. This is where most startups are headed. Theyre launching earlier and theyre focusing on building relationships with their early users and customers. Theyre building together. We have always been very focused on the customer experience. We built backward from the ideal experience that we knew developers wanted. From there we got into, How can we make this scale? How can we implement this? What things can we write ourselves versus piggyback on others? But the focus was always the same. Tyson: That is very interesting, the idea of starting with the experience you want to deliver and working backward into the tech. A lot of us coder types get that one upside down. Another thing Vercel is doing is supporting both open source projects and its commercial enterprise. Has nurturing that synergy been part of the strategy from the get-go? Rauch: Early on, we bet on the fact that open source would become the way that both the developer and the CIO prefer to adopt software today. Enterprises are choosing open source, and developers will not adopt and learn a completely proprietary front-end stack. However, its not just open source. Its also building open platforms. Our platform is extensible to tools, hooks, and integrations. We care about that as much as we care about open source. Tyson: What advice can you share about the fundraising part of running a startup, for people who are looking to jump into that fray? Rauch: I am a strong believer in building the foundation for a developer community and paying attention to their engagement with the product. Some investors look at how many stars a project has on GitHub as the primary way of understanding whether there is funding potential for the technology. This is a signal of how well open source and enterprise SaaS are resonating. My advice for fundraising: Start by finding product market fit through open source. Before you get real currencies, see if youre getting that other currency in the form of GitHub forks, stars, and npm downloads. Next, finding the balance between open source and proprietary software is the tricky part. Rather than cutting features out of the open source package to sell them, find ways to amplify that project through the business instead, ideally through an autonomous service. Tyson: Fantastic. Can you talk a bit about Vercels tech stack? What languages and frameworks do you run on, and which cloud platforms? What are some areas where these choices worked well or were challenges? Rauch: As a general rule of thumb, we like to focus on open source and on an open source tech stack. Betting on open source has worked extremely well and has given us the versatility to choose the right underlying platform or solution for our customers. Next, were big believers in multicloud and optionality, which is why we have big investments and close partnerships with AWS, Azure, and Cloudflare. The value we bring to the market is that we can choose the right underlying technology, on behalf of the customer, to maximize their security and minimize their latency. In terms of languages and frameworks, we are big fans of using our own products. We use Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, and Turborepo. We also use Go and Rust because the future of JavaScript and TypeScript tooling is native and because they are great system infrastructure languages for scale. This process allows us to validate our technologies before we put them in the hands of developers. Tyson: There is a lot of activity (in JS and elsewhere) for improving build tooling. Vercel seems to be active on that front with its acquisition of Turborepo. Do you mind talking about that move and how it fits in with the vision? Rauch: Front-end technologies are constantly evolving. The diversity of frameworks, whether its Next.js or Svelte; the diversity of languages, whether its JavaScript, TypeScript, or Rust; and the diversity of runtime, whether its JavaScript or WebAssembly. Its ever-evolving. Turborepo is a high-performance build system that abstracts the complex configuration needed for most monorepos into a single, cohesive build system, giving large enterprises a world class development experience without the maintenance cost. This technique was pioneered by large companies like Google and Meta, but Turborepo makes it available to the masses and solves the problem with more versatility, getting customers as close to zero configuration as possible. Turborepo allows customers to structure their investment into their front-end code base in a way that the underlying applications can pick and choose how much they share of the broader code base. Customers can try out new technologies, while preserving a system that scales with the evolution of their team and their code base. So as code bases get really big, and as the number of different technologies that are involved in the repository grows, customers can orchestrate that complexity with Turborepo. Tyson: These are great insights. Thanks for taking the time, Guillermo. One last, sneaky question: Are those of us in the public going to get a chance to buy Vercel stock soon? Rauch: Building an open platform for everyone in the world is an ambitious goal. Right now, we are focused on the fundamentals: Building a product developers love and empowering anyone to participate in creating the future of the web. As much as I can, I will help my town. Culpeper artist raises money for Ukraine conflict Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below. Wendy Williams is looking to get back into the swing of things. The daytime talk show host, who has not been hosting her namesake series for its 14th season due to health struggles, said she should be ready to be back to work in three months. Advertisement Wendy Williams attends the premiere of Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show" on Oct. 28, 2019 in New York. (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) There are private things that I have to deal with and then Ill be ready to come back and be free and ready to do my thing, she told T.J. Holmes of Good Morning America in an off-camera, pre-taped interview that aired Thursday. Last month, Debmar-Mercury the producers of The Wendy Williams Show announced that the show would end after 13 years and be replaced in its timeslot this fall by a new series hosted by Sherri Shepherd and executive-produced by Jawn Murray. Advertisement The former Emmy Award-winning co-host of The View, who was previously a frequent guest on Williams show, served as a fan favorite guest host for the former WBLS shock jock. Williams was said to have been sidelined because of complications from Graves disease, an alleged breakthrough COVID-19 diagnosis and a stay at a Florida wellness center. Williams encouraged her Wendy watchers to keep watching, during the Holmes interview. Because Im going to be back on the Wendy show, bigger and brighter than ever. The 57-year-old divorcee also addressed her messy legal battle with Wells Fargo Bank, which froze her accounts for two months. She claimed that the banks actions prevented her from fulfilling her financial obligations, including employee payroll and mortgage payments. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > They say that I need somebody to handle my account. And I dont want that, Williams said. I want all my money. I want to see all my money that Ive worked hard for my entire life. My entire life. I dont lie, I dont cheat and I dont steal. I am an honest, hardworking person. The San Francisco-headquartered bank said in court documents that it has requested a conservatorship for the talk show host because it believes she is the victim of undue influence and financial exploitation. Holmes told her that the bank has called her an incapacitated person. Its an allegation Williams has denied. Advertisement When people want control of their accounts, they say anything, including something crazy like that about me, she explained. When we bought our first house, I couldnt understand the long lead time between contract acceptance and the day of settlement. We were expecting our first child and I was anxious to get moving! Wow! What I know now that I didnt know then! So much happens between contract and settlement. The title company, or settlement company, coordinates all aspects of the closing. They order a title search to make sure the seller can deliver clear, marketable and insurable title to the property. If there are any title issues, they work to clear them up. It is important to keep in mind that the title company selected (it is the buyers option in Virginia) is not representing the buyer or the seller they are representing the contract to make sure that all aspects that have been agreed to are adhered to at settlement. Of course, the seller and the buyer have the option, in addition, of being represented by their own attorney. The title company is also responsible for any homeowner association dues to be collected and to make sure that the seller isnt in arrears. In addition, the title company works closely with the buyers lender to produce an accurate closing disclosure outlining all expenditures, which the buyer must receive three days prior to the date of settlement. The title company also receives lender-required documents and prepares them for the buyers signature, in addition to preparing the sellers deed of conveyance, the instrument used to convey title to the new homeowner. Finally, the title company is also responsible for recording the new deed at the appropriate local jurisdiction, and if there is a seller loan involved, they ensure the payoff goes out to the sellers lender in a timely manner. Some final thoughts and tips: - Be sure the date you put in your purchase offer is a date you can meet as the Virginia sales contract reads settlement will occur on or before _____ with mutual consent. - Be sure to conduct a thorough final walkthrough with your agent. Check to make sure everything is in the property that is supposed to be. In our case, the portable dishwasher was missing. The seller said he didnt think we wanted it and was giving it to one of his kids! To make a long story short, the seller did return it to the property. - Lastly, dont expect the sellers to be at settlement at the same time as the buyers. Those days are largely over. Often, the sellers have already left the area and sign ahead of time. The point is, be prepared to get answers to any questions you may have for the sellers ahead of time. It may well be your only opportunity. Its important to work with an experienced buyers agent who has good communication skills. Your agent will work with the listing side to garner specifics prior to settlement. Interested in buying or selling this year? Contact me, I have the tools and strategies to help you navigate our local real estate market. Contact me for a free comprehensive Buyers Guide. Martha Floyd is a licensed real estate agent in Virginia with McEnearney Associates Realtors in McLean, VA and a Lifetime, Top Producer. If you would like more information on selling or buying in today's complex market, contact Martha at 703.408.9478 or visit her website MarthaFloyd.com. If you would like a question answered in our weekly column or to set up an appointment with one of our Associates, please email: InsideNoVa@mcenearney.com or call 703.549.9292. McEnearney Associates Realtors, 109 S. Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. www.McEnearney.com Equal Housing Opportunity. #WeAreMcEnearney The Ever Forward container ship is currently grounded in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, nearly a year after another ship run by the same company blocked the Suez Canal for six days. The container ship is operated by Evergreen Marine Corp Taiwan Ltd 2603.TW, the same Taiwanese transportation company that operates the Ever Given. The Ever Given ran aground last March, blocking traffic in the Suez Canal, one of the worlds busiest waterways and the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. The Coast Guard received reports on Sunday that the Ever Forward was grounded and is now conducting checks every four hours to ensure the safety of the crew on board and marine life, according to Petty Officer 3rd Class Breanna Centeno. The Coast Guard says the ship is grounded outside of the canal and is not blocking the traffic of other container ships. Evergreen Marine said in an emailed statement that the incident had not caused a fuel leakage, and did not block the navigation channel or disrupt traffic entering or leaving the port. Evergreen is arranging for divers to conduct underwater inspections to confirm any damage to the vessel, and is coordinating with all the concerned parties to refloat the ship as soon as possible, it said. The cause of the incident is under investigation by the competent authority. (Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Kenneth Maxwell) Maines human rights panel has ruled in favor of a transgender woman who complained that she was discriminated against when she was denied a room by an assisted living facility. The Maine Human Rights Commission voted 3-2 on Monday that there were reasonable grounds that Sunrise Assisted Living violated the Maine Human Rights Act and discriminated against the complainant on the basis of sex and sexual orientation or gender identity. The complainant, who initially was anonymous and has since identified herself as Marie King, 79, complained to the commission that Sunrise would not admit her because the facility was concerned she wanted to reside with a female roommate, attorneys for King said. With Kings permission, a social worker had disclosed that she was a transgender woman looking for housing in an assisted living facility. The facility is in Jonesport, about 200 miles northeast of Portland in Down East Maine. Rhonda Chambers, the administrator for the facility, declined to comment on the case. An attorney for the facility did not return a phone call. King said in a statement that she hopes her case helps prevent future discrimination against transgender people who are seeking elder care. Her attorneys, who are with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, said the case is the first known discrimination complaint filed in the country by a transgender older adult against a long-term care facility. Being turned away because Im transgender was wrong and it hurt, King said. Its a relief to have the commission recognize that. I know Im not the only person this has happened to and I hope my case leads to better understanding. The panels ruling opens the door for conciliation, said Amy Sneirson, executive director of the commission. That means the parties will sit down to see if they can find a resolution that both helps the complainant and satisfies the commissions concerns, Sneirson said. That process is required to happen within 90 days, Sneirson said. There is no appeals process, Sneirson said. An investigator took the case prior to Mondays vote and provided a recommendation in favor of reasonable grounds that Sunrise violated the Maine Human Rights Act, Sneirson said. She alleged that she was discriminated against on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity by being denied a housing opportunity, Sneirson said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Maine The glass tower in Paris where AXA SA, one of the worlds largest insurers, has its temporary headquarters looks as if a giant feral cat has ripped chunks out of it. In recent months that jagged feeling extends inside, too, as senior executives prepared to claw off an extraordinarily profitable part of the companys $20 billion business: the oil and gas clients whose ties to the insurer go back decades. AXA has made a name for itself more recently as a climate leader among financial institutions. It was the first of its peers to divest from coal and restrict the kinds of insurance it would offer to businesses mining and burning the dirtiest fossil fuel. It strives to take the temperature of its more than $1 trillion portfolio of investments, measured in increments of future warming, something few companies of its size and complexity have tried. Theres even an official corporate policy to be un leader du climat its made a public commitment to regularly ramp up its ambition and take further steps to shape the climate transition, including by further cutting the carbon footprint of its assets. But dividends for climate leadership can be ephemeral on a balance sheet. Taking a hard line against greenhouse gasses carries a much clearer upfront cost for an insurer ranked among the top 10 underwriters of oil and gas worldwide. Frances AXA Drops German Power Giant RWE as a Client over Large Coal Operations The pressure of corporate profits weighing against planetary losses surfaced in a PowerPoint presentation put together by AXAs main sustainability council last September. The so-called Role in Society Steering Committee is made up of about 45 climate-focused people from corporate social responsibility and risk teams and executives who specialize in sustainability and what AXA terms inclusive insurance. Their main recommendation: AXA should move to curtail ties to the oil and gas industry as a natural next step for a company already operating under a loud and proud net-zero commitment. The slide deck laid out various limitations that could come next. AXA, which already bans contracts involving tar sands and Arctic drilling operations, might set a policy against financing or insuring additional unconventional oil and gas exploration, a category that includes fracking and ultra-deepwater drilling. One slide displayed a map showing different demarcations of the Arctics boundaries, with a red line suggesting a larger area might be subject to more severe restrictions. But the presentation also included powerful dissenting comments from AXAs underwriters. For them, a boundary in the Arctic region or any other new climate line would sever lucrative relationships. AXA XL, the property and casualty insurance unit responsible for most of the companys oil and gas business, saw a risk that aggressive policies could hollow out the franchise. Staff would quit, taking technical know-how with them; clients would defect. The total projected loss to core business could reach $1 billion. This wasnt exactly a what-if scenario for AXAs fossil underwriters. The XL team joined the company in a 2018 acquisition and had to take on board the insurers existing coal restrictions. That process led to the forced termination of some client relationships, and the XL underwriters dreaded a repeat in the more lucrative oil and gas business. The counter-climate case was clearly stated, quoted in full in the deck: We cannot be part of the solution if we antagonize those many clients who are diverting their [oil and gas] profits into offshore wind farms, by walking away from them on the start of this challenging journey. By cutting off some oil and gas projects, AXA faced a bigger risk than an exodus of energy clients. The insurer stood to lose out on the substantial renewable energy businesses of the green future being built by todays oil and gas giants. Take TotalEnergies SE, a pillar of French business that, in addition to being Europes second-largest oil producer, is one of the regions top clean-energy players. Refusing to insure Total on an oil project might mean losing out on the renewables business, too. AXA also manages a lucrative retirement program for Total employees. Whether to burn clients or burn carbon is a choice facing every banker, insurer, and investor. Few are grappling with the trade-offs to the degree AXA is, making it a case study in the climate transition. Others are trying to have it both ways. A prime example is BlackRock Inc., whose first big move in 2022 was to rule out divestment from oil, gas, and coal companies. In the same annual letter on Jan. 18, Larry Fink, chief executive of the $10 trillion firm, put the responsibility for action on the companies themselves, invoking the dodo to describe those clinging to carbon-heavy business models. More than 450 of the worlds biggest finance companies, including BlackRock, have pledged to cut financed emissions from their portfolios and loan books in half by 2030, which would amount to a major move toward zeroing out planet-warming pollution by midcentury. Thats the commitment banks and asset managers made when joining the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, which emerged alongside last years United Nations climate talks in Scotland. (Michael Bloomberg, the owner and founder of Bloomberg LP, is co-chair of the alliance.) Activists tend to frame the decision as a contest between short-term and long-term thinking. Adopting meaningful net-zero targets will undoubtedly require foregoing some investment opportunities that would be profitable, says Colin Baines, investment engagement manager at Friends Provident Foundation, a UK charity that uses its endowment to push for a fairer and more sustainable economy. But in reality, carbon budget considerations usually lose out against the priorities of businesses monetary budgets. Most of the biggest financial firms, even the most climate-forward, such as AXA, continue to back fossil fuels. The question is: How much longer can pursuing ambitious climate goals reasonably coexist with financing heavy emitters? The answer hasnt been uncontested inside AXA. What sets the French insurer apart is that its too late for it to stick with the status quo: The company already decided to implement a tougher oil and gas policy and told certain stakeholders, including NGOs, that such measures were coming by the end of 2020. After missing that initial deadline and keeping the question open for more than a year, AXA CEO Thomas Buberl decided that hed finally reveal the restrictions on Paris Climate Finance Day. That meant AXAs leadership had to decide which clients to burn by Oct. 26, 2021. The PowerPoint presentation underscoring internal divisions between underwriters and sustainability executives left just weeks to settle the question. The negotiations and wrangling that followed, in a series of in-person meetings and video conferences, would go down to the wire. These decisions have never been easy: They reflect ambitious commitments which have financial and business consequences, an AXA spokesperson said. When it comes to oil and gas, our ambition is not to penalize an industry which will be key in the transition of the energy sector. It is to incentivize our clients and the companies we invest in to accelerate their own transition towards low-carbon business models. For the climate-conscious finance professional, coal has long been enemy No. 1. Any financial link to coal companies, the biggest contributors to human-induced global warming, were obviously the first to go. That puts oil and gas next in line. A smaller but growing number of companies are beginning to close the financial spigot: Deutsche Bank and UBS are among more than 80 finance companies with policies that limit financing certain types of production, including drilling in tar sands. For an insurer, exiting coal is much easier than oil and gas. More than $17 billion in premiums was paid on oil and gas projects in 2018, compared with just $6 billion for coal, according to estimates from Peter Bosshard, global coordinator of Insure Our Future, an environmental coalition. Perhaps as a result, the number of insurers with coal restrictions, according to analysts at Societe Generale SA, is significantly higher than those with oil and gas limits. The restrictions on coal are generally more expansive than the partial exclusions applied to oil and gas sub-segments. Inside AXA, the pushback focused on narrowing the exclusions. The XL underwriting unit countered with a proposal to continue insurance policies only with companies that had a proven track record in fracking activities. Protecting the oil and gas business fell to Scott Gunter, a 30-year insurance veteran who joined AXA from Chubb Ltd. two years ago and leads the XL unit from New York. Gunter, who reports directly to the CEO, oversees a $20 billion business with 9,000 employees. His team sought an alternative goal, setting a target to have frackers make up less than 10% of XLs overall underwriting portfolio. The sustainability team, led by Celine Soubranne in Paris, was dubious of the doomsday predictions coming from the underwriters. AXAs coal exclusions, first introduced in 2017, had led to a loss of about $100 million in revenue, compared with total annual revenue in 2017 of more than $100 billion. Although the coal policy pushed some clients away, others made changes to stay within AXAs guidelines. Soubranne oversees a team of about a dozen people and, unlike Gunter, doesnt sit on AXAs management committee. She worked in communications before moving over to sustainability and has been with AXA since 2007. Together with her ESG comrades from other parts of the insurance giant, she argued AXA needed to maintain its climate leadership and go above and beyond its peers, as it had on coal. And, she and her allies pointed out, since AXA is a founding member and chair of the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance, a coalition of insurers committed to eliminate emissions from their underwriting portfolios, the company was essentially obligated to go the extra mile. The net-zero alliance has some work to do. Four of the founding members AXA, Allianz, Munich, and Zurich Insurance Group provide more than 20% of all oil and gas insurance, according to Insure Our Future. That doesnt necessarily mean moving past oil and gas will be as economically damaging as some expect. It shouldnt be forgotten that the vast bulk of insurance revenues arent energy related at all, says Nick Holmes, former managing director and head of insurance at SocGen. They should be able to end fossil fuel insurance without in any way endangering their core business. And there has been a nonenvironmental upside to AXAs climate-friendly approach. The companys coal policy helped it win a 6% target stock price increase from SocGen analysts, led by Holmes at the time, after they decided to take into account ESG factors the biggest upgrade awarded to any insurer. Those same analysts said in July that restricting oil and gas insurance could further add to insurers ESG premiums. As Climate Finance Day approached, AXA faced two key sticking points in its internal deliberations: what to do with new oil and gas exploration sites and how to assess the credibility of oil companies transition plans. The sustainability team favored allowing the insurer to do business with companies that could demonstrate a science-based commitment to doing business in alignment with the 1.5C ambition of the Paris Agreement. The opposing factions within AXA took different conclusions from a report last year by the International Energy Agency. The IEA found that its net-zero scenario was incompatible with continued exploration for new oil and gas resources beyond those already approved for development. In the PowerPoint, this fact bolstered the case for restrictions. On behalf of the underwriters, AXA XL pointed out that oil majors with net-zero goals are still buying licenses and drilling wells. And those companies would certainly need insurance. With the battle lines drawn, it was down to the CEO to step in. Unusually for the ebullient insurance boss, Thomas Buberl wasnt pleased to see his face in the Financial Times. Showing him sporting a dark suit and slicked-back hair, the photo of the AXA chief was the centerpiece of a full-page ad bought by climate activists from Insure Our Future. The group questioned his credibility on climate change, just five days before AXA would state its new policy. Climate leaders dont insure oil and gas, it read. The NGOs were beginning to suspect the insurer might water down its green ambitions. In fact AXAs reputation as a climate leader could prove a liability: If its long-awaited new policy went too easy on oil and gas, it would send a powerful signal in the opposite direction. Buberl, 48, is a rare German to lead a major French company and was the youngest CEO among Frances CAC 40 businesses when he was appointed in 2016. He took the challenge from climate activists personally and thats how it was intended. Insure Our Futures Bosshard says hes convinced Buberl understands the climate emergency and has proved willing to move his company to meet it. The activists intended to use public pressure to make sure he remained directly involved. When he saw his face in the newspaper ad, Buberl hadnt told his staff what he would reveal in his speech about AXAs new climate policy, according to people familiar with the matter. The latest version had been presented to him less than a week earlier. Poring over the plan during the weekend before Climate Finance Day, Buberl didnt like what he saw, the people said. Commercial interests had trumped climate concerns, leading to too many loopholes. He called his lieutenants and demanded the policy be rewritten. In fact, people familiar with the debate say, Buberl appeared to be willing to go further than even the sustainability team under Soubranne. The CEO insisted operations affected by the policy be cut off immediately rather than be phased out over a grace period, as had been the case for AXAs restrictions on coal and tobacco. He sent the team back with changes, and more tweaks followed. Finally, a sweeping policy shift that began in the middle of 2020 was ready, just 24 hours before Buberls speech. Even then, only the broad brushstrokes of the policy were settled. The detailed documents explaining the nuances were still unfinished when Buberl left his office in La Defense on a Tuesday morning to finally chart his insurers path into the climate future. And then, improbably, Buberl never gave the speech. He didnt even make it into the building where Frances finance minister and central bank governor were also due to speak for Climate Finance Day. Activists from Friends of the Earth stormed the event, delaying the proceedings. A woman with her blond hair streaked black to represent an oil spill wore a T-shirt that read, Your money, our lives. The protesters chained themselves to the chairs and shouted slogans about French President Emmanuel Macrons climate record. It took more than an hour for the police to remove the protesters. Buberl never reached the podium. Three days later, he outlined his plan in a much more humble setting, a television studio interview with the organizers of the Finance Day event. His staff by then had managed to prepare the detailed supporting documents, finishing just hours beforehand. AXA had delivered on its promise of imposing restrictions on oil and gas insurance, securing its position as the first major insurer to do so. Announcing the policy two days before the start of the UN climate summit, AXA had pledged to curb its involvement with fracking and impose further limits on underwriting activity in tar sands and the Arctic. Those moves mean less than 5% of the 650 most polluting companies in the oil and gas sector would meet AXAs criteria. Even within this new climate policy, however, AXA had left itself latitude to insure fossil fuelsand climate activists havent relented in scrutinizing the greenest insurance giant. Reclaim Finance put out an analysis of the policy arguing that AXAs new rules would cover just 43% of all currently planned oil and gas projects worldwide. That one of the most progressive companies on climate issues had tied itself in knots to uphold its own goals shows just how fraught the energy transition will be for the biggest players in finance and insurance who will need to support it. Balancing planet and profit is an unforgivingly difficult task. Even giving a speech on the topic cant be guaranteed. Top photograph: In March 2021, AXA dropped German energy giant RWE as a client due to the utilitys large coal operations. Photo credit: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Carriers Energy AXA XL This edition of International People Moves details appointments at AXA XL, Willis Towers Watson and Sedgwick. A summary of these new hires follows here. AXA XL Promotes 2 Regional Managers in Europe AXA XL announced the appointments of Peter Knaus as regional manager, Northern Europe, in addition to his role as country manager, Germany and Julien Guenot as regional manager, Southern Europe, in addition to his role as country manager, France. Bruno Laval, chief distribution officer, APAC & Europe, and Regional Manager, European Growth Markets, will be leaving AXA XL to pursue opportunities outside of AXA Group. AXA XL will appoint a chief distribution officer for APAC & Europe in due course. These changes reflect AXA XLs decision to organize its European insurance operations into two geographical hubs: Northern Europe (comprising Germany, Switzerland, Austria & CSEE, Nordics and Benelux) and Southern Europe (comprising France, Italy and Iberia). Knaus has been with AXA since 1993. During his tenure, he held a number of senior underwriting and leadership roles, including head of Commercial Lines, chief underwriting officer and general manager at AXA Versicherung AG. He was appointed country manager, Germany, for AXA XL in 2019. Guenot started his career with AXA in 2003 before joining AIG and later joining AXA Corporate Solutions in 2009 to set up the companys operations in Asia, supporting the development of the whole Asia-Pacific region. He then moved to Italy to lead AXA Corporate Solutions Italian and Southern European operations before being appointed country manager, France, for AXA XL in 2018. Xavier Veyry, chief executive officer, APAC & Europe, thanked Laval for his dedication over his 20-year tenure with AXA XL, and for his contribution to our business in Europe and the wider business unit. *** WTW Taps Bassi for Newly Created Role in Insurance Consulting & Tech Insurance broker WTW has appointed Pardeep Bassi in the companys Insurance Consulting and Technology business. In the newly created role of global proposition leader in Data Science, Bassi will lead the advancement of the units data science capability globally, building on WTWs market-leading analytics and data science software, Emblem and Radar. Bassi most recently served as chief data science officer at LV= General Insurance, where he was responsible for creating and delivering the insurers advanced analytics and machine learning strategy; working across all business functions to identify and implement solutions for new opportunities where machine learning can provide value to the business. Prior to LV= General Insurance, Bassi has spent time at AXA and Domestic & General, where he built and led data science teams and initiatives. *** Sedgwick Names Horrocks Head of Fraud Tech & Intelligence in UK Sedgwick, a provider of technology-enabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions, announced the appointment of Laura Horrocks as head of fraud technology and intelligence for its UK-based investigation services division. In this role, Horrocks will oversee the development of Sedgwicks new counter-fraud solution from Shift Technology to provide clients with innovative fraud identification services. A Sedgwick colleague since 2015, Horrocks brings to her new role significant experience in counter-fraud. She previously worked as a fraud assessment and intelligence manager, integrating colleagues from across three investigation services divisions into one fraud assessment and intelligence team. Previously, Horrocks served as manager of Sedgwicks road traffic accident (RTA) insurer investigations team, investigating motor insurance fraud to help clients realise significant savings. Shifts machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technology gives Sedgwicks fraud investigations team a tactical edge and improves accuracy in pinpointing insurance fraud early, said Sedgwick in a statement. Sedgwick is the first claims management company to partner with Shift Technology and adopt its industry-leading fraud detection solution, the company added. Founded in 1969, Memphis-based Sedgwick now employs nearly 30,000 colleagues, located across 65 countries. Sedgwicks majority shareholder is The Carlyle Group. Stone Point Capital LLC, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), Onex and other management investors are minority shareholders. Topics InsurTech Fraud Tech Europe Willis Towers Watson AXA XL The Michigan Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit against a railroad, 10 years after a teen listening to music was struck by a train and severely injured in suburban Detroit. The court said a judge misinterpreted a case from 1899 and made other incorrect conclusions while ruling in favor of Grand Trunk Western Railroad. Jacob Marion, who was 14 at the time, was struck by a train as he walked down tracks while wearing headphones in Wyandotte in 2012. The conductor and engineer saw the boy and sounded a horn, but the trains emergency brake wasnt activated in time to avoid the collision, according to the appeals courts summary of the event. Judge Annette Berry applied a case from the 19th century, in which a deaf person was struck by a railroad hand car, and said train operators tried to alert Jacob but he didnt respond. But the appeals court, among other things, said tort law has come a long way since 1899. The lawsuit now will return to Wayne County court. A reasonable jury could conclude that defendants had Jacob in plain sight and recognized his peril for a period of time sufficient to react so as not to strike him, Judge Elizabeth Gleicher wrote last week. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Michigan A rash of railcar thefts in the Los Angeles area may have given a different impression, but nationally the number of reported cargo thefts dropped by 15% in 2021 compared to the prior year, according to CargoNets annual Supply Chain Risk Trends report. The company, which is a division of Verisk, tracked 1,285 cargo thefts in the United States and Canada last year with reported losses of $57.9 million. That was down from 1,517 thefts and $66 million in losses in 2020. Images of empty boxes pilfered from rail cars and strewn across railroad tracks received national attention in February. Union Pacific reported that rail thefts increased 160% in Los Angeles County in 2021 compared to the previous year. But Keith Lewis, director of operations for CargoNet, said it is impossible to say how much that widely reported crime spree contributed to overall cargo theft numbers. He said the railroads have their own police departments and dont always report thefts to law enforcement. The number of reported cargo thefts in California, however, did show an uptick: 276 thefts in 2021 compared to 244 in 2020. The CargoNet report shows that electronic goods were taken in 99 of those California thefts. No other state or province had anywhere near that number. Texas and Florida were the next highest, with 12 electronics cargo thefts each, according to the CargoNet report. Electronics was the favorite target of cargo thieves last year, accounting for 180 of the 1,285 thefts in the US and Canada. That was up from 154 last year. Household goods were the No. 1 target in 2020, with 202 reported cargo thefts. That dropped to 171 in 2021. The food and beverage category accounted for 125 cargo thefts in 2021, down from 194 in the prior year. The CargoNet report shows one form of cargo theft declined sharply in 2021: The number of fictitious pickups where a fraudster posing as a legitimate truck driver makes arrangements with a brokerage to pick up a load dropped to 16 from 62 in 2020 and 36 in 2019. Lewis said the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to the jump in fictitious pickups in 2020. He said the brokerages that match trucking companies with businesses that need to move freight dont typically do a lot of screening because they have to move cargo fast. He said there was even less scrutiny during the 2020 lockdowns. Everybodys working from home so the boss isnt looking over your shoulder asking what are you doing, he said. Lewis said brokerages have learned that they shouldnt assign a load of cargo to anybody who calls in with a Department of Transportation number, but mistakes still happen. He said hes not sure fictitious pickups are always reported. They are getting better at vetting and when they do get hit they are embarrassed and dont want to tell anybody, he said. They suck it up and move on. Security appears to be a greater concern throughout the supply chain. Steve Diebold, export manager for American Casting and Manufacturing Corp., said in an email that there is a movement away from plastic and lighter stamped metal seals among shippers, especially those that are moving hazardous cargo, food and high-value goods. The users are just trying to replace something easily broken with a stronger seal that would force a would-be thief to bring bigger tools or pass by their truck or container because it is harder to open, Diebold said. Easier targets with less to cut are the most likely to be hit by thieves. Essentially that stronger barrier seal becomes a one-time disposable lock and a visible theft deterrent. About the photo: Shredded boxes and packages are seen at a section of the Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Thieves have been raiding cargo containers aboard trains nearing downtown Los Angeles for months, leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded packages. The sea of debris left behind included items that the thieves apparently didnt think were valuable enough to take, CBSLA reported Thursday. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) Topics COVID-19 Fraud Trucking A new report from Moodys ESG Solutions drives home the point that climate change is here and now, and it is already causing death and destruction. The report from Natalie Ambrosio Preudhomme, assistant vice president-outreach & research, for Moodys ESG Solutions, draws on the recently released Sixth Assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. That report out earlier this month warned that climate change is leading to increasingly irreversible impacts, with a narrowing window to adapt to it. The main takeaways include from the Moodys report include: Climate change is causing death and destruction today, and changes in the vulnerability and exposure of communities, sectors, and economies to these impacts will be the largest driver of climate risk in the near- to medium-term, meaning that adaptation has a critical role to play in reducing risk. While adaptation measures already exist, their value and feasibility must be determined in specific local contexts for investors, policymakers, and lenders to most effectively and equitably ramp up needed financing. Effective adaptation requires both forward-looking climate data and community engagement. Harnessing forward-looking data during the planning and the due diligence phase of new developments and investments ensures the best return on investment over an assets life cycle and considering the characteristics of the surrounding community ensures the sustainability of the assets clients, employees and supply chains, Preudhomme writes. Financial stakeholders, governments and businesses have an opportunity to leverage climate data, alongside a local view on vulnerability, to integrate resilience into all investment decisions. Supply Chain Some more from the here and now department: Climate change is already disrupting the global supply chain, and is a greater threat than the global pandemic, according to a PBS News Hour story. The story notes the pandemic is a temporary problem compared to climate change, which is long-term dire, posing risks to every coastal community, every coastal transportation network. The greatest of the risks to the supply chain may be rising sea levels, but years before sea level rise begins inundating ports and other coastal infrastructure, supply chain disruptions caused by hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other forms of increasingly extreme weather are jolting the global economy, the story states. Examples called out include: The Texas freeze in February, which caused an energy blackout and forced three major semiconductor plants to close, exacerbating a global pandemic-triggered semiconductor shortage and further slowing production of microchip-dependent cars. Heavy rainfall and snowmelt in February caused some banks of the Rhine River in Europe to begin to burst, triggering a halt in river shipping for several days, and late in April, water levels on the river, dropped so low that cargo ships were forced to load no more than half their usual capacity to avoid running aground. Flooding in central China in July disrupted supply chains for commodities such as coal, pigs, and peanuts, and forced the closure of a Nissan automobile plant. Scientists say that such climate-related disruptions are bound to intensify in coming years as the world warms, the story states. In addition, ports, rail lines, highways, and other transportation and supply infrastructure will be threatened by increases in sea level of an estimated 2 to 6 feet and perhaps more by 2100. Actuaries on Wildfire Increasingly large and dangerous wildfires are being driven by the effects of climate change and more building in the wildland-urban interface. That notion may not be entirely new, but the scope of the increase laid out on Thursday by a group of actuaries was noteworthy. Members of the American Academy of Actuaries Extreme Events and Property Lines Committee discussed wildfire peril, wildfire modeling, and potential responses from insurers, policymakers, and others in a webinar. The webinar was moderated by Shawna Ackerman, chief risk and actuarial officer at the California Earthquake Authority. The speakers were Dave Evans, a consulting Actuary at Milliman, and Howard Kunst, chief Actuary at CoreLogic. You can see, over the last few years, 2017 to 2022, the significant increase the number structures destroyed, Kuntz said. He added: Were seeing these fires are becoming much bigger. We are seeing a significant increase in the number of structures that have been damaged or destroyed in the United States. Much of what was said on the webinar echoed the committees new paper, Wildfire: An Issue PaperLessons Learned from the 2017 to 2021 Events, which highlights key areas pertaining to wildfire risk, as well as the impact to the insurers and reinsurers. The paper notes several factors that have led to the increase in wildfire events over the past few years, such as the impacts of climate change and population shift toward the wildland-urban interface. Crop Insurance Farmers received billions in crop insurance payouts because of extreme weather, payouts over the past two decades were due to crop damage caused by drought or excess precipitation, conditions exacerbated by climate change. Shahla Farzan, a reporter with Harvest Public Media, writes this week that Midwest U.S. Farmers received tens of billions of dollars in federal crop insurance payouts since 2001, based on an analysis of federal data. The analysis is by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization, tracked yearly crop insurance payouts by county within a region that encompasses 13 states from Minnesota to Louisiana. Some environmentalists and farmers say the federal program, which is heavily subsidized by U.S. taxpayers, discourages growers from adapting to climate change and should be redesigned, Farzan writes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees the program, which pays farmers when their yields or revenues decline. Farmers can claim losses for certain weather-related events, such as drought or flooding, as well as declines in crop prices. The writer notes that U.S. taxpayers cover roughly 60% of the cost of policy premiums and may also be responsible for insurance payouts to farmers in the event of widespread crop damage. Missouri farmers received $4.9 billion in crop insurance payouts from 2001 to 2020, most of which were due to excess precipitation or drought, while at least 60% of all farmer payouts in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Illinois were related to excess precipitation or drought, according to Farzans reporting. Past columns: Topics Climate Change Gov. John Bel Edwards trusted Louisiana State Police to do the right thing and took a hands-off approach in police matters, even after Black motorist Ronald Greene died in a violent confrontation with troopers following a high-speed chase, the former head of the agency told state lawmakers March 15. Kevin Reeves distanced himself _ and the Democratic governor _ from the investigation of Greenes 2019 death during a three-hour bipartisan grilling that included accusations of racism and gross negligence by the states premier law enforcement agency. The hearing became heated at times as lawmakers expressed incredulity and frustration in Reeves demurrals and refusal to condemn the white troopers captured on body camera video punching, stunning and dragging Greene during his fatal arrest on a rural roadside in northeast Louisiana. Lawmakers alternatively described his disengagement as unacceptable and suspicious and promised to continue digging into the case. But Reeves was unbowed, insisting he will one day face God with a clear conscience: I can tell you right now that I will not have to account for participating in a cover-up of the death of Mr. Ronald Greene. Reeves, who stepped down in late 2020 amid criticism over his handling of the Greene case, acknowledged characterizing the arrest as awful but lawful and persisted in saying a car crash likely contributed to Greenes death, waving off a revised autopsy commissioned by the FBI that rejected that theory. He also revealed he kept a journal with contemporaneous notes even after retiring as superintendent but would not commit to providing them to the special committee investigating the states handling of Greenes death. My journal is my personal business, he said, and Im not here to discuss it. The eight-member panel was convened last month after The Associated Press reported that Reeves texted Edwards hours after the fact that troopers arresting Greene had engaged in a violent, lengthy struggle. On Tuesday, Reeves recalled having a follow-up conversation with Edwards about Greenes death _ concerning the initial coroners findings _ but said the two did not discuss the case in any depth until late 2020, when word of Greenes mistreatment and a federal civil rights investigation surfaced in media accounts. The governor has said he did not speak out about the troopers actions _ even after privately watching graphic body camera footage of the arrest _ because of the federal investigation. The governor trusted that Louisiana State Police were going to do their jobs, Reeves told the committee, describing the governor as a very busy man. Gov. Edwards generally left state police to do their business. Reeves cast himself as a hands-off leader who similarly trusted his deputies and detectives to investigate Greenes death, insisting he was far removed from an investigation that included a host of irregularities. We are going to trust our people until they give us a reason not to trust them, Reeves said. We should not constantly be looking for someone to do something wrong. Greenes mother, Mona Hardin, told the panel later that Reeves testimony clearly shows that you think you are way above the law. All I can say is the video speaks it all, Hardin said. There is no other way of seeing things than the way we all see it. He was literally beaten to death, stomped, dragged while chained and shackled. Reeves testimony came as a federal grand jury in Shreveport is hearing testimony in the yearslong investigation of the troopers who arrested Greene and whether police brass obstructed justice to protect them. State troopers initially told Greenes family and wrote in reports that he died as the result of a car crash after a high-speed chase outside Monroe. But AP last year published long-withheld body-camera video showing troopers jolting Greene with stun guns, punching him in the face and dragging him by his ankle shackles as he wailed, Im your brother! Im scared! Im scared! A reexamined autopsy commissioned by the FBI rejected the crash theory last year, attributing Greenes death to physical struggle, troopers repeatedly stunning him, striking him in the head, restraining him at length and Greenes use of cocaine. Reeves, however, insisted he believed the crash would definitely be a contributing factor in Greenes death and said he has not seen the new autopsy. Lawmakers questioned Reeves closely about when he first viewed the videos of Greenes death. He said he and other commanders watched two of the videos soon after Greenes death but he only saw a third video that showed more of what happened the next year when it was shown to Greenes family. Reeves disputed the contention by the local prosecutor handling Greenes case that the third video, recorded by the body camera of Lt. John Clary, was not initially turned over with evidence. Clary, the highest-ranking official at the scene of Greenes death, was accused of falsely denying the existence of his own body camera video. He remains under federal investigation even after state police cleared him of wrongdoing after an internal affairs investigation determined it was unclear whether he purposefully withheld the footage. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana Law Enforcement The recent arrest of two men associated with a large Florida roofing company, on charges of offering free roofs and rebates to cover homeowners insurance deductibles, has met with strong reactions around the state. The insurance industry has complained loudly that schemes by roofers to claim that age-related wear and tear is due to wind or hail damage, to be covered by insurance payments, have grown more numerous in recent years and are driving up insurance costs and premiums. Some said Wednesday that prohibitions against deductible schemes have been in place in Florida statutes for years, and the arrests are long overdue. Others said that the charges, brought by investigators with the state Department of Financial Services, could send a needed signal to unscrupulous roofing contractors in the state. Publicizing these arrests is a very positive thing, said Michael Peltier, communications chief for Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the largest homeowners underwriter in Florida. We have seen a surge in these types of roofing cases in the last few years. The idea of enforcing the regulations is a welcome thing, said Mike Silvers, director of technical services for the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association. This is a widespread problem and its creating problems on a lot of levels, including harming those businesses who dont peddle questionable insurance claims. Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis office announced Wednesday that Brian Webb and Brandon Jourdan of Webb Roofing & Construction, in Naples, were charged late last week with nine counts of filing fraudulent insurance claims, a felony. The Collier County Sheriffs Office arrest log shows that Webb, the 58-year-old president of the company, was also charged with being a fugitive from justice. Jourdan, 41, was booked into the Lee County jail and was released on bond. If convicted, the men could face up to 45 years in prison and fines of $45,000, the DFS said. Webb and Jourdan could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Patroniss office said that DFS investigators found that the alleged scheme worked like this: Webb Roofing employees enticed homeowners into submitting insurance claims for roofs that were allegedly damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Florida law requires insurers in most cases to pay for full roof replacements, not just repairs, when roofs sustain damage. The salespeople would then have the homeowner sign an assignment-of-benefits agreement as well as an advertising agreement, DFS explained. By signing the agreement and allowing an advertising sign to be placed in the homeowners front yard, Webb Roofing would then rebate or credit the amount of the deductible toward the cost of the claim, which is deemed illegal under Florida law. Scam roofing schemes are driving up insurance rates for every Florida family and plaguing our state, Patronis said in a statement. There is no such thing as a free roof and if someone comes to your door offering rebates or kickbacks to file a roof claim on your behalf, report them to my office for fraud immediately. The number of contractors that have been charged with similar practices in recent years, and the number who may be currently under investigation, was not available Wednesday, a DFS spokesman said. The notion of free-roof offers and paid deductibles has become a burning issue in the Florida insurance industry in the last few years. A few lawmakers at the 2022 legislative session last month waved copies of free roof flyers distributed by roof companies as evidence that state laws need to be strengthened to stem the practice and limit insurance industry losses. But some industry insiders have faulted state regulators for not utilizing existing state laws to crack down on more roofers. Florida Statute 817.234 notes that a contractor, or a person acting on behalf of a contractor, may not knowingly or willfully and with intent to injure, defraud, or deceive, pay, waive, or rebate all or part of an insurance deductible applicable to payment to the contractor, or a person acting on behalf of a contractor, for repairs to property covered by a property insurance policy. Patronis office did not indicate which statute that Webb and Jourdan were charged under, when or why the investigation was undertaken, or why more contractors have not been investigated under the law. Silvers, of the roofing association, said it may be difficult for DFS investigators to prove that a contractor actually offered to pay the deductible when the company promised rebates or discounts to customers. Successful prosecutions also require cooperation from homeowners who just received a new roof at no cost to them. Provisions in Senate Bill 76, signed into law in 2021, gave regulators and insurers a little more ammunition and may soon provide more, depending on the outcome of a pending court case. The law prohibits advertising by contractors that induces a consumer to contact a contractor or public adjuster for the purpose of making an insurance claim for roof damage. The law also bars soliciting by contractors or offering homeowners rebates, gift cards, cash or waiver of deductibles or anything of value in exchange for allowing the company to inspect a roof or make an insurance claim. Part of that law has been put on hold by a federal judge in response to a roofing company lawsuit charging that the law deprived them of their constitutional right to free speech. A final decision in the case is pending. Meanwhile, stakeholders have said, free roof solicitation has become more prevalent in parts of Florida. And its hard for homeowners to say no. Its become a large chunk of the residential roofing market, said Silvers, who owns a St. Petersburg roofing company. He said the roofing association has received a number of complaints from consumers who agreed to the paid-deductible schemes, only to find that the workmanship is shoddy and their new roofs have leaks. Silvers said, though, that insurance companies have brought some of the troubles on themselves. Some Florida insurers have begun notifying policyholders that they wont renew or write homes with roofs that are older than 10 years. That has only encouraged fraud, he said. If your roof is eight years old and you now have to replace it when its ten years old, you are certainly more likely to look favorably on the guy who knocks on your door offering you a free roof,' Silvers wrote in Florida Roofing magazine this month. Some homeowners may be willing to take advantage of the insurance company if they feel the insurer isnt being fair with them on requiring a new roof after only 10 years when the material is meant to last at least 20, he said. Some contractors also have filed fraudulent AOB claims that argue that hail caused the roof damage. But hail is rare and, in most cases, it isnt limited to roofs and will also damage cars and other parts of the house, Silvers said. Insurers should be more aware of that and look askance at claims when no other evidence can be found nearby. Silvers said the pay-your-deductible schemes appear to be done mostly by several larger roof contractors around the state, and it may not take many more publicized arrests to make them take notice and curtail their solicitation efforts. I hope that its beginning to turn the corner, he said. Topics Florida Contractors IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION - Advocates march at a rally at the Walt Disney Company in Orlando, Fla., spearheaded by advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) on Thursday, March 3, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. The advocates targeted Disney in two near-simultaneous rallies in Orlando and Burbank, Calif., to urge Disney to publicly speak out to oppose Florida's hateful, homophobic "Don't Say Gay" bill targeting LGBTQ+youth, their families, teachers and school counselors that is currently pending in the Florida legislature. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation) (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP) When Marissa Flint started working at Walt Disney World 12 years ago, she thought she had found a place where she belonged as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I felt like I had a place of employment that could help foster my sense of well being, especially with being newly out of the closet and coming from a small town up north with almost no LGBT people, said Flint, a lesbian married to another Disney employee. Advertisement But that perception has changed after the company failed to take a firm stance against the so-called dont say gay bill, she said, which targets Floridas LGBTQ+ community by prohibiting instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade classrooms and perhaps even in later grades. Flint, 34, urged Disney to denounce the legislation on a March 8 call with State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, and reiterated that in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday. Advertisement Actions speak louder than words, Flint said. ... The best they can do is try to push [Gov. Ron] DeSantis to not sign this bill. Over the past few weeks, Disney has faced mounting pressure from different sides of the political spectrum. Many employees and fans have decried Disneys financial contributions to the bills sponsors and criticized its initial silence, while DeSantis slammed the company for what he called a woke agenda. Disney creators, including those with Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Marvel Studios, have denounced the bill. Some fans pointed out that Susan Arnold, the chairwoman of Disneys Board of Directors since December, is a lesbian. Even after CEO Bob Chapek said the company opposed the measure the day after it passed the Florida Legislature and issued an apology for his silence on the issue, the criticism of Disney has endured and even grown. A group claiming to represent Disney employees has arranged a series of companywide walkouts this week and started a petition for Disney to indefinitely end its political contributions, commit to fighting harmful legislation on behalf of its employees and donate to gay and trans advocacy organizations. There must be consequences for elected officials who vote for bills like this, Eskamani said. And the hope is that the pressure from cast members, workers and the public is that Disney agrees and joins us in accountability efforts. Unite Here Local 362 President Eric Clinton, who represents union Disney workers, said the union is not affiliated with the group organizing the walkouts. Boycotting the company could end up harming the LGBTQ+ workers people are fighting to protect, he said. The union is working to support the thousands of LGBTQ+ workers affected by the legislation, he said, including advocating for Disney to take greater action against the legislation and support employees. Members are circulating a petition demanding Disney issue a public and forceful statement against the legislation, end financial donations to politicians supporting the bill, work to remove supporting politicians from office and expand mental health counseling services for affected workers. Advertisement This is still an issue of great concern, he said. Theres this feeling that the company says the right things but hasnt done the right things. ... [Chapeks] statement was welcomed, but I also think it was too late. Marissa Flint, a Disney employee and union member, stands in front of a Unite Here! sign at a 2021 Pride parade in Orlando (courtesy of Marissa Flint) California Gov. Gavin Newsom also jumped into the fray, writing on Twitter that Disney should reconsider its plans to relocate 2,000 mostly Imagineering jobs from Southern California to a new campus at Lake Nona in Orlando. Disney, the door is open to bring those jobs back to California the state that actually represents the values of your workers, Newsom wrote. However, the company has already bought the land for the new campus and is eligible for a $500 million-plus tax break from Florida if it builds it. Disney has not responded to requests for comment. The company also pledged to donate $5 million to LGBTQ+ organizations like the Human Rights Campaign. But the groups Interim President Joni Madison turned it down, citing Disneys inaction. The Human Rights Campaign will not accept this money from Disney until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Floridas Dont Say Gay or Trans bill, dont become dangerous laws, and if they do, to work to get them off the books, Madison said in a statement. Advertisement As part of Chapeks March 11 apology, he wrote Disney had paused all political donations in Florida and planned to increase its support for advocacy groups lobbying against similar legislation in other states. The road to passage The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, saw some notable GOP defections in the final vote, including state Sens. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and seven GOP House members, including state Rep. Rene Plasencia of Orlando. Baxley had said during Senate debate he was concerned about everybody now all about coming out when youre in school. State Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Miami, said being gay wasnt permanent. DeSantis had yet to sign the bill Wednesday, but he and his staff have vociferously defended it. After Chapek said he had spoken with DeSantis about his concerns that the bill would be weaponized against gays, DeSantis slammed the company as woke and brought up its financial ties to communist China. DeSantis and other Republicans have also insisted opponents have misrepresented the bill and urged Chapek and others to read it, despite specific criticism from Democrats and LGBTQ groups that language that says or age-appropriate that goes beyond kindergarten to third grade. Advertisement Feeding the monster Disney has given about $55 million to Republicans, Democrats and political committees in the state over the past 28 years, including about $5 million in 2020 and more than $2 million so far in 2022, state records show. The company has also given more than $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC since 2019. Eskamani said 80% of Disney contributions in Florida in 2020 and 2022 went to Republicans or politically affiliated groups. Theyve been feeding the monster and doing it for their own bottom line, Eskamani said. Because they have an economic agenda that for a very long time, had trumped any of their social concerns until this moment, when their employees and the greater public are expressing outrage, and rightly so. She also questioned what Disneys pause to review contributions would ultimately mean. What is [going to be] Disneys criteria to give? Eskamani said. Are you just a living, breathing Republican, and then you get money? Or are they going to establish some sort of criteria? Thats the question were all waiting to see. Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan, the citys first openly gay commissioner, said that pausing contributions is the only thing thats going to impact these legislators and get their attention. ... Thats the only things these legislators care about. Advertisement LGBTQ+ events going forward Gay Days, an annual Orlando-based celebration of the LGBTQ+ community that usually includes an outing to Disneys parks, is still happening this year, Gay Days Inc. President Chris Manley said. This is the first time it will happen since 2019. The majority of people that are responding are saying were happy were doing the event, he said. By being vocal, by being seen, I think thats helping a lot more. Gay Days plans to add a slogan along the lines of we say gay to its version of the traditional red T-shirts typically worn by participants, Manley said, referring to the slogan chanted at protests over the bill. The KindRED Pride Foundation, which works with LGBTQ+ music festivals held at or near Disney property such as Girls in Wonderland and One Magical Weekend, is encouraging people to attend RED Shirt Pride Days at Disney on June 4. In a release, the organization said visibility is more powerful than a boycott. We believe one way to fight back is show our numbers, said Tom Christ, board member of the foundation. Manley praised Disneys actions last week in response to the legislation, particularly its pledged donations to LGBTQ+ organizations, and said he knows others in the community pleased that Disney has appeared to reverse course. Advertisement I think Disneys learned from this mistake, he said. So Im happy with the direction Disneys going. krice@orlandosentinel.com and @katievrice on Twitter The U.S. Postal Service said it is continuing to investigate an accident at a North Carolina distribution center in September that caused an employee to lose an arm after touching a machine, the federal agency said Monday. The U.S. Postal Service also said that its reviewing a citation filed by the U.S. Labor Department that found serious safety violations at the Greensboro Network Distribution Center. The Postal Service places the safety and well-being of its employees as a top priority, the agency said in a statement Monday. It declined further comment. The Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it inspected the Greensboro facility following the Sept. 27 injury. The agency released its findings in a news release last week. OSHA said that the arm of the mechanic working at the facility was amputated after coming into contact with a machine that had a safety guard removed. OSHAs inspection identified repeat and serious safety violations, including failure to ensure that safety guards were in place as required and allowing conveyor guards to be routinely removed, leaving workers at risk of injuries, the news release said. The facility also failed to train staff on working near conveyors or proper methods for safely operating equipment, OSHA said. And the facility allowed workers without adequate training and protective equipment to perform tests on live electrical equipment, the news release said. OSHA said its citations come with $170,918 in proposed fines. The U.S. Postal Service ignored long-established safety standards and put workers at risk, OSHA Area Director Kimberley Morton said. USPS will be able to request an informal conference with OSHAs area director or contest the findings, the news release said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Workers' Compensation North Carolina A workers compensation insurance companys hefty penalty against its non-compliant insured will likely stand, after a federal appeals court found that the matter was governed by state insurance regulators, not by the courts. In Granite State Insurance Co. vs. Star Mine Services, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court and found that Granite States $1.5 million charge against its client was considered a filed rate or tariff approved by the Kentucky agency that reviews insurance rates. The filed-rate doctrine provides that tariffs duly adopted by a regulatory agency are not subject to collateral attack in court,' Judge Amul Thapar wrote in the March 15 opinion, quoting from a 1999 Kentucky state appellate court ruling. The judicial role is limited when legislatures vest agencies with the authority to approve rates, the court concluded. Thats true in the insurance industry, and its true of this policys audit noncompliance charge. So the filed-rate doctrine bars Star Mines challenge. And Star Mine points to nothing that disputes the damages amount. The decision appears to expand the reach of the filed-rate doctrine and could give new support to insurers who impose stiff penalties on noncompliant employers. In this case, the penalty was inappropriate and should be considered unenforceable, said Star Mines attorney, Thomas Springer. The decision is very disappointing, he said Friday. Springer, of Madisonville, may be best known for representing injured workers and for securing the landmark 2010 Kentucky appeals court decision in Gardner vs. Vision Mining. That court found that part of the states workers compensation law was unconstitutional because it treated mine workers black-lung claims differently from other workers pneumoconiosis claims. He said he came to represent Star Mine Services in the Granite State matter because he knows the principals of the firm, which had long been part of the mining operations around Madisonville. The Granite State litigation began in 2018. Star Mine provided staffing to Kentucky coal mines and it purchased a workers comp insurance policy from Granite State, an AIG company. The insurer billed the staffing company in two annual installments, the court opinion explained. At the start of each policy year, Star would estimate its total payroll. At the end of the year, Granite State would audit the firms books to determine the exact payroll and charge additional premiums or make reconciliation payments to the employer. In 2018, an audit revealed that Star Mine had significantly underestimated its 2017 and 2016 payrolls. To recoup premiums and avoid another shortfall, Granite State adjusted the estimated premium for 2018 and gave Star four weeks to comply. The staffing company never paid up, and Granite State canceled the policy three months early. Without insurance, Star Mine closed its business, the court said. To determine Star Mines final premium, Granite State still needed to complete a year-end audit. But the employer wouldnt comply and it never paid the updated premium. Granite State sent one final bill, for almost $1.5 million, which included the audit noncompliance charge. Star Mine never responded and Granite State sued for breach of contract. The appeals court noted that the policy and an industry manual filed with state regulators details the noncompliance charge, which can be twice the annual premium if an employer flouts the audit. Star Mine and Springer argued that the charge should be considered unenforceable. The penalty is based on the insurers estimated premium, which already gives the insurance company an unfair advantage, Springer said. They were already made whole by estimating the premium owed, he said. Kentucky state courts also have a long history of ruling that penalty provisions in contracts are unenforceable, Springer said. The federal appeals court disagreed, contending that the penalty was part of the insurance rate structure: The district court found that the filed-rate doctrine bars judicial review of the claim. The district court is correct: We cant review the merits of Star Mines challenge. The filed-rate doctrine is rooted in the idea of separation of powers, and keeps the judicial branch from second-guessing a state agencys rate-making authority. It also helps ensure that ratemaking is non-discriminatory, in that companies that sue in court wont be able to win lower rates than those that dont litigate, the court noted. The mine staffing company argued that the penalty was not part of a filed tariff or rate because the insurer had discretion in applying it. The policy and the carriers regulatory filings limit the charge to twice the estimated annual premium. True, Granite States discretion to apply the audit noncompliance charge means it has some room to discriminate among its customers, the judge wrote in the opinion. But that discretion is limited because the charge is filed. Though Granite State may choose not to apply the charge, it also may not charge anything beyond the fixed cap of twice the estimated annual premium. The opinion did not address whether the insurer will now be able to collect from a defunct staffing company. Springer declined to speculate on that, and said his client is still considering if it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision. Attorneys for Granite State Insurance could not be reached for comment. Topics Carriers Commercial Lines Business Insurance Alliant Insurance Services named Kerstin VanZanten vice president within its employee benefits group. VanZanten is based in Orange County, California. VanZantens background includes experience in benefits communication and enrollment and leadership roles with various large insurance carriers. VanZanten previously was with EOI Service Co., and was with Transamerica Employee Benefits before that. Alliant is a distributors of diversified insurance products and services. Burns & Wilcox added new associates specializing in architects and engineers insurance and management liability to its professional liability practice group. Maria Small joins as a professional liability broker and is based in San Francisco, California. Small has 15 years of industry experience. She most recently worked at Sequoia Consulting Group. The others joining Burns & Wilcox Tameka Livatino and Erin Pritchett. Livatino joins as underwriting director of architects and engineers, and based in Chicago, Illinois. Pritchett joins as a professional liability broker based out of the Detroit/Farmington Hills corporate headquarters in Michigan. Burns & Wilcox is a member of H.W. Kaufman Group. Topics California Alliant Californias State Compensation Insurance Fund on Thursday announced plans to distribute a roughly $55 million dividend to its qualifying policyholders with policies that took effect between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021. The dividend equals roughly 5% of the estimated annual premium reported during that period. State Fund last year reported roughly $1.1 billion in estimated annual premium and roughly $159 million in realized capital gains. Due to the significant capital gains we realized in our equity portfolio, and our strong financial position, we are able to return money to our policyholders for the third consecutive year, said State Fund president and CEO Vern Steiner. State Fund policyholders eligible for the 2021 dividend will begin to receive their payments after the expiration date of their individual policies. Topics California Answers Shortages on routes from Asia to Europe and North America have affected shipments of amazon map The closure of airspace during the Conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had a serious impact on the aviation industry, according to an analysis by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) released on Tuesday. Flights had to be diverted or cancelled because of the airspace closure, with routes from Asia to Europe and North America the worst affected. Asia accounted for 3 per cent and 4.5 per cent of international passenger revenues to and from North America and Europe last year. Air cargo between Europe and Asia accounted for 20.6 per cent of global air cargo revenues in the past 12 months, while air cargo between Asia and North America accounted for 26.7 per cent of global air cargo revenues in the same period. The current capacity shortage is exacerbated by the loss of capacity caused by economic sanctions and airspace closures. The closure of airspace during the Conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had a serious impact on the aviation industry. Flights had to be diverted or cancelled because of the airspace closure, with routes from Asia to Europe and North America the worst affected, the report said. Jet fuel prices rose to $141 a barrel on March 4, up 27% from the previous month, the report said. All airlines that have not hedged their fuel needs will be directly affected if sanctions against Russia intensify. Do You Need Freight Forwarders? DDP for World is a full-service and shipping forwarder dedicated to assisting our clients in focusing and growing their businesses. Send an Email to info@ddpforworld.com and get the latest freight price. Factors affecting freight forwarder amazon map Freight transportation In international freight transport, one of the most concerning issues is the price of freight transport. The cost is directly related to the cost of transportation. Because many exporters do not understand the price of transportation very much, and often have a lot of extra spending, then today to understand the factors of the price of international freight transportation? The amazon map price of shipping Transportation price is commonly known as freight, generally refers to the cost generated in the process of freight transportation. Another more important concept in transport price is the transport price index, which is generally used to measure transport price level and dynamics in the international shipping market. Factors affecting the shipping price of amazon map In the process of international transportation, there are many factors affecting the price of transportation, in addition to some fuel and labor costs, there are many important factors. For example, the nature of the amazon map, its own value and packaging form, as well as stowage factor and transporter's requirements for transportation, etc. There will be some fixed costs during the use of the ship, such as the ship's maintenance insurance and fuel consumption. There is also the change of supply and demand in the amazon map market. In the transport off-season, transport prices are relatively low, in the transport of the peak season, transport prices will be relatively high. The transportation prices are different for different amazon maps In the general international trade process, the price of transport according to different modes of transport, price is also different. International freight rates are divided into sea freight, air freight and rail freight. The specific amazon map freight rate can also be subdivided. For example, rail freight can be divided into passenger freight and freight. Shipping rates are also divided into tramp rates and liner rates. Tramp rates are also affected by market supply and demand relations at that time, while liner transport costs are relatively fixed. Airfreight can be divided into general goods, designated goods and special goods, and the specific transportation price is also determined according to the weight of transportation, at the same time, even if the volume is small, the weight is also counted by weight, but if the opposite is large, small weight, also according to the specific volume to calculate. The choice of international logistics, the quality of logistics will affect the seller's store score, but also affect customer satisfaction rate. Logistics advantages of the amazon map in the destination country and region In Eastern Europe, DHL has advantages in Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Hungary and other places while EMS has advantages in Greece, Russia, Turkey and other places. Western Europe, Northern Europe, southern Europe can use DHL international express, TNT international express, these two kinds of customs clearance capacity. TNT has a clear advantage in the Netherlands and Belgium. For Canada, the United States and other American countries, FedEx, UPS and DHL are all suitable for their strong customs clearance capacity and fast time. Applicable to Asia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries DHL, FedEx. DHL and FedEx are time-saving, but THE price of DHL is higher. Indonesia also suggests USING DHL because it has a stronger customs clearance capacity. In Oceania, DHL and UPS aging fast, with high prices; TNT and FedEx have lower prices but relatively few outlets. Particular attention should be paid to the "Made in China" label on the packaging of Australian products. Middle East express ARAMEX, EMS for Middle East region. Commercial express in Africa is very expensive. In remote areas, IT is suggested to send EMS international express. EMS countries have the strongest customs clearance capacity. The air express amazon map can reach many countries and regions that commercial express and postal express cannot reach, so the wide range of amazon map transportation is its advantage. Contact a professional freight forwarder- D DPFORWORLD-Professional freight forwarder in China Freight forwarders with large volumes of business can get large international express at lower discounts; And personal orders directly official, the price will certainly be more expensive. Secondly, the freight forwarders are skilled in business and are very familiar with the channels and market conditions of major international express companies. Know what to send, what to send and how to send. Directly report demand, for you to match the most cost-effective logistics, save worry and money. Do You Need Freight Forwarders ? DDP for World is a full-service and shipping forwarder dedicated to assisting our clients in focusing and growing their businesses. We do DDP shipping since 2015 by handling home decor, Pet products, battery, power banks, DG cargo, general cargo and Amazon FBA forwarding service. We make your shipping easier and faster by Sea, Air, Express, Truck or Railway. If you have any questions or needs about freight forwarder, please feel free to contact us, we will serve you wholeheartedly. Email: info@ddpforworld.com Inquery us Products PP, PC, PE plastic industry price soared is affecting the price of the polypropylene fiberglass As international oil prices hit a 14-year high, the impact of the soaring prices of PP, PC and PE, the world's "king of bulk commodities", began to spread downstream of the petrochemical industry chain, the plastic industry bears the brunt. Many plastics producers have cut back on the activity as their PP, PC and PE margins are squeezed by soaring costs, in the first sign that the demand disruption caused by soaring oil prices could spread to other industries. Operators of some Asian plants that make petrochemicals -- PP, PC and PE plastics used as key materials in everything from children's toys to car interiors -- have cut processing rates to as low as 80 percent, according to several industry traders. In the past, these facilities, known as petrochemical cracking plants, have typically operated at or near full capacity. Surging crude oil prices and doubts about the supply outlook for naphtha, an oil-derived commodity from Russia, are challenging the economics of plastic production at cracker plants in South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia, the traders said. It is also an early sign that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could cause business difficulties for industries that rely on upstream raw materials. L ooking for the latest price of the Plastic Material and PP, PE, PVC, EVA, ABS raw materials, and bulk bags , send an email to: sales@polypvc.com and POLYPVC sales team will reply within 48 hours. As much as 15% of Asia's naphtha imports come from Russia and the Black and Baltic seas, according to industry consulting firm FGE. Naphtha is a light oil produced from crude oil or other raw materials and used as chemical raw materials. It is mainly used as raw materials for catalytic reforming and cracking and other chemical processes. Its downstream products include ethylene, propylene, butadiene and a series of chemical products. For now, many petrochemical plants, which take about six weeks to complete, have suspended purchases from Russia and are hesitant to buy oil elsewhere at such high prices. High freight rates also add to the cost challenge and cause companies to cut back on activity now rather than risk big losses. Profit margins on goods such as ethylene and propylene, which are used to make plastics, are already thin and have shrunk further since the conflict. The reason for price fluctuation of upstream raw material the polypropylene fiberglass Oil head route polyethylene still occupies a dominant position in the market, from crude oil to naphtha to ethylene monomer and finally to polyethylene, the price fluctuation of crude oil and naphtha will directly affect the price of polyethylene. The fluctuation of the price of upstream raw material the polypropylene fiberglass has two kinds of influences on the polyethylene market in short term and long term. Short-term impact is the psychological impact of price fluctuations on intermediate traders. The change of dealers' bullish or bearish psychology is closely related to the price change of the polypropylene fiberglass of raw materials. For example, the continuous surge of oil prices or monomers may stimulate the speculation of dealers leading to a large volume of transactions, promoting the price of polyethylene. The impact is a cost driver and a long-term impact. The production and processing of polyethylene has a certain cycle, the rise and fall of crude oil will not have an impact on the cost of polyethylene spot in the short term, and the cost fluctuation will have a certain delay. If you are looking for the polypropylene fiberglass, please feel free to get a quote for the latest price, send an email to: sales@polypvc.com and POLYPVC sales team will reply within 48 hours. Price fluctuation analysis of the polypropylene fiberglass of upstream raw materials The polypropylene fiberglass in terms of supply is still mainly concerned with "two barrels of oil", that is, the inventory of CNPC and Sinopec, the maintenance and switch of equipment, and the settlement and assessment policies of sinopec. The impact of "two barrels of oil" may be weakened in the future as other processes such as coal-to-olefin and propane dehydrogenation come into operation. At present, the level of petrochemical inventory is an important factor affecting the price of polyethylene. Currently, the normal level of petrochemical stocks is about 700, 000 tons. When the inventory level exceeds the normal inventory, domestic petrochemical companies may take measures to reduce prices to promote sales under the pressure of sales. Conversely, when sales are smooth and inventories are low, it also means that petrochemical has the potential to push up. The overhaul and brand switching of the device will lead to changes in the original supply of a certain brand of the polypropylene fiberglass, breaking the original supply-demand balance and causing price fluctuations of the polypropylene fiberglass. The evaluation policy of the manufacturer will also have an impact on the price of the polypropylene fiberglass. For example, Sinopec settlement at the end of the month and petrochina monthly buy-out will have an impact on spot prices in terms of supply and pricing. Import impact of price fluctuation of upstream raw material the polypropylene fiberglass The influence of imported supply on the market price of the polypropylene fiberglass is mainly reflected in both quantity and price, and the influence of quantity is more important. Under normal circumstances, the foreign suppliers will sell a relatively fixed quantity to the Chinese mainland market, and the change of supply will affect the balance of supply and demand in the domestic market. If the domestic supply and demand are relatively stable, the import volume will shrink or surge for several consecutive months, which will lead to the destruction of the original balance between supply and demand. In the process of realizing the new balance of the polypropylene fiberglass, the spot price will rise and fall significantly. Speculative demand analysis of price fluctuation of upstream raw material the polypropylene fiberglass The change of the polypropylene fiberglass supply is closely related to the maintenance and operation rate of the equipment in the region, as well as the domestic demand in the region and the market conditions in the surrounding areas. Speculative demand generally refers to changes in demand caused by traders' actions, such as centralized stocking of goods or selling of the polypropylene fiberglass. The main aspects involved include traders' inventory, source cost, capital status and mentality. Traders' stocks are another major component of the amount of social resources. The inventory of the polypropylene fiberglass, a trader, represents the capacity of "reservoir". The high inventory level means that the market circulation link of the polypropylene fiberglass is not smooth, and the price rises are weak, showing signs of weakness. And low inventory, said the market transaction is ok, with upward momentum. In terms of financial situation, if traders are under pressure to pay foreign exchange, they will sell goods at low prices to recover funds, leading to ultra-low quotations in the market and shaking sentiment in the uncertain situation. But in general, this has limited impact on prices. In terms of mentality, it mainly refers to traders' expectations for the future market, which is directly related to whether to stock up and warehouse construction. It has a more obvious influence on short-term trading volume, thus guiding the price direction. Professional Plastic Material and PP, PE, PVC, EVA, ABS raw materials, and bulk bags supplier POLYPVC (Luoya ng Dema Import & Export Co., Ltd.) is a professional Plastic Material and PP, PE, PVC, EVA, ABS raw materials, and h igh quality and durable bulk bags, and flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBC) to haul heavy loads of powders, resins, and grains supplier . Luoyang Dema has rich experience in providing PP, PE, PVC, EVA, ABS raw materials, bulk bag and PP woven fabrics for customers all over the world. Widely products range of PE, PP, PVC, PET, ABS, meet your diversified demands for plastic raw materials. Flexible MOQ, let you have an optimal experience in purchasing. Huge inventory ensures to deliver to you quickly anytime. Professional tech team keep you from the quality defects. Abundant types of FIBC bag deliver excellent packaging solutions, outstanding manufacturing capacity guarantee all the designs can be implement, advanced modern production lines guarantee our clients get their packaging materials for in time. If you are looking for the polypropylene fiberglass, please feel free to get a quote for the latest price, send an email to: sales@polypvc.com and POLYPVC sales team will reply within 48 hours. Inquery us Taoiseach Micheal Martin has described economic links between Ireland and the US as a powerful two-way relationship. Continuing his visit to Washington ahead of St Patricks Day, Mr Martin met with a number of Irish multi-national companies which are based in the US. Speaking to the media, he emphasised the business and economic links between the two countries. He said: Today we have been concentrating on the economic dimension of the Irish American relationship, which is a powerful two-way relationship. We met with a number of Irish multi-national companies who have a very strong presence in the United States. American multi-nationals have a very strong presence in Ireland. Ireland equally has a very strong presence in the United States. At a conservative estimate, Irish companies employ about 100,000 in the United States and bring a lot of expertise to areas like food, life sciences, technology. Taoiseach Micheal Martin at a Science Foundation Ireland ceremony in Washington DC. Picture: Irish Government/PA Wire Mr Martin also met with representatives from small and medium-sized companies which are led by women and discussed better channels of mobility of workers between the US and Ireland. The Taoiseach later presented Science Foundation Ireland awards to John and Patrick Collison, the founders of financial services firm, Stripe. Later, he will appear at the 30th anniversary of the Ireland Funds Gala dinner, with President Joe Biden expected to make an appearance. On Tuesday night, Mr Martin declared Irelands tourism industry once again ready to welcome visitors from across the world after Covid-19. Mr Martin was speaking at a reception hosted by all-Ireland body Tourism Ireland at the Kennedy Centre in Washington before watching a special 25th anniversary performance of Riverdance. He added: The beauty, the history and the culture of our island has long made tourism one of the most important parts of not just our economy, but also our society. We have greatly missed welcoming American and other visitors to Ireland. Before Covid-19 in 2019 we welcomed over 11 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland. Now is the moment for us to again open our arms, to welcome visitors and to show you the extraordinary sights and experiences of a unique island. The Taoiseach and US President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting later today after Micheal Martin tested positive for Covid. Part of the meeting, which was due to begin at 2.30pm (Irish Time) was streamed live before both leaders have a private discussion. The in-person meeting between both men was cancelled in dramatic fashion last night after Mr Martin received a positive Covid test in Washington. Mr Martin had been attending the annual Ireland Funda dinner when the result of his PCR test came through and was forced to leave mid-way through the meal. The Taoiseach was also due to attend the traditional Speaker's Lunch on Capitol Hill later today, however, it is not yet clear if this event will go ahead now in the absence of Mr Martin. Micheal Martin said strengthening and developing the "existing channels of legal migration" between the two countries will also be explored in his virtual meeting with Joe Biden. Picture: Oliver Contreras/PA Wire It is expected that Ukraine will dominate discussions, however, the issue of undocumented Irish in the US and further cooperation between both counties will also be discussed. Mr Martin said strengthening and developing the "existing channels of legal migration" between the two countries will also be explored. "We have to develop newer mechanisms, the two-way exchange between our countries that are legal exchanges of people. "We also want to discuss the economic relationship between Ireland and the United States, which is a powerful relationship, not just in terms of the American multinationals that are present in Ireland, but also the number of Irish companies that are located in America, creating thousands and thousands of jobs in America." As the flow of refugees from Ukraine makes its way across Europe, homeowners are opening their doors to take in thousands of women and children. While the UK is offering homeowners a 350 payment a month through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, no such payments are being made to Irish people. But still, more than 20,000 people are willing to register with the Irish Red Cross to welcome Ukrainians into their homes or into their holiday homes. Many more are housing refugees from the war-torn region through unofficial channels such as relatives and acquaintances. People fleeing the terror are taking up offers of accommodation they have found through the many Facebook groups set up to help the Ukrainian refugees. Social Democrat TD Cian O'Callaghan said the bill will not stop all sex-for-rent, but that making it a criminal offence sends a powerful message to vulnerable people. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Some people here in Ireland are making offers available through classified advertisement websites which are commonly used on the continent including one person who has offered accommodation to a slim Ukrainian woman with the expectation of sex after a while. Vetting will only apply to people using official channels After that advertisement was revealed in the Irish Examiner on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin described it as morally reprehensible. He said that people offering homes to Ukrainian refugees will be vetted. Vetting, however, will not ensure beyond all doubt that Ukrainians taking up accommodation offers will be safe from exploitation either sexually or through labour. It will only cover those offering accommodation through official channels such as the Irish Red Cross. It will not cover those on Facebook groups or classified advertisement websites, for example. The vetting procedure will also only determine if people offering the accommodation have a criminal record. Social Democrats housing spokesman Cian OCallaghan said: Vetting is the most basic level of checking. It establishes if someone has a conviction. "While somebody could be vetted, they could still pose a threat to someones safety. Adverts openly propose swapping sex for rent The advertisement for the accommodation in Clare for a slim Ukrainian woman was still online as of yesterday a week before the Ban on Sex for Rent Bill 2022 goes to second stage in the Dail on March 23. The bill was brought by Mr OCallaghan on March 8. A quick scan of sites hosting such ads yesterday showed a number of them, despite the progress of the legislation seeking to ban both the practice and the advertising of such arrangements. One of the online advertisements states: Room to rent, would suit fit, submissive woman who would like to trade in return for lodgings. References required". The room, in Naas, Co Kildare, is offered for 1 per month. Another on the same site reads: Room available. Please contact for more details. Female only. Read More Sex-for-rent arrangements put tenants in vulnerable situations A property in Mallow, Co Cork, is available for adult fun, according to the advertiser when contacted for information about the property, but he says rent would also be considered. It is ironic that the Ban on Sex for Rent legislation was brought on International Womens Day, given that the majority of people targeted in sex-for-rent propositions are women. One Italian woman, Chantal, who told her story to the Irish Examiner, was propositioned by three different landlords when responding to rental advertisements on Facebook rental groups for accommodation in Dublin since the start of the year. She described the legislation as the best gift she could have received on International Womens Day. The legislation, which seeks a seven-year maximum prison sentence and a 50,000 fine as penalties, is unlikely to be enough to stamp out sex-for-rent offers, for a number of reasons. Three ways predators will evade the new law Firstly, such arrangements are not always offered in an advert regarding a rental opportunity. The Mallow property advertised in recent days is offered to females only and does not ask for a specific rent. It is only when contacted by a prospective tenant that the offer of adult fun is introduced and only after several attempts by the prospective tenant to establish what rent is required. Initially, the advertiser said he was open to offers when asked how much rent was required, but eventually, after constant requests from the prospective tenant, he said that some arrangement between us could be done, depending what u look like. Or else cash offer. He went on to suggest adult fun, but did acknowledge that he may consider cash offers instead. Secondly, advertisers either use a pseudonym or a first name only, and do not advertise the exact location of a property. This would make it difficult to prosecute if an exact location and identity are not identifiable. Some prospective landlords do make the location available but others demand photos or commitment to engaging in barter-type arrangements before even sharing photos of the properties. Thirdly, people targeted with such propositions will not always be willing to go to gardai. One Irish student who responded to an advertisement on a website offering a property for rent in Waterford, left the house last October on her very first night in the property after it emerged her landlord wanted her to engage in sexual acts with him. That woman told the Irish Examiner she had not gone to the gardai, even though the man went to her workplace the following day to look for her. She said: I wanted to report him to the police but like, I really dont know what I wouldve said to the police because everything happened so fast. Some people here in Ireland are making offers available through classified advertisement websites which are commonly used on the continent including one person who has offered accommodation to a slim Ukrainian woman with the expectation of sex after a while. Chantal, the Italian woman, didnt go to the gardai because she wanted to forget about the experience once she found a suitable place to stay. Mr OCallaghan knows that legislation is not enough to tackle the sex-for-rent issue and says action needs to be made on tackling the housing crisis. According to the most recent Daft.ie report, published over a month ago, the national average rent per month was 1,524. Mr OCallaghan said: Legislation is only a part of this but it is sending a signal from the legislature and from society that this absolutely is not on, making it abundantly clear that will be a criminal offence." It also sends out a strong message to anyone who has been at the receiving end of these demands that they can report it. Chantal said: People need to know what kind of hell is for us, expats from all over the world, often young professionals that want to work and start a better life, when we come here in Ireland. She added: I am from Italy and we know Ireland as an advanced country that can hold several opportunities. For the many Ukrainian women and children coming to Ireland to escape the war in their home country, Ireland is also being seen as a safe haven. But with concerns raised about trafficking gangs targeting them, and advertisements aimed at Ukrainian women with sex-for-rent offers, could some be facing into a new type of hell? Twenty-one people have been killed by Russian artillery that destroyed a school and a community centre in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, officials said. Merefa Mayor Veniamin Sitov said the attack occurred just before dawn on Thursday. The Kharkiv region has seen heavy bombardment as stalled Russian forces try to advance in the area. In the city of Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv, Ukraines emergency service says a hostel was shelled, killing a mother, father and three of their children, including 3-year-old twins. Russian forces in Ukraine are blasting cities and killing civilians but no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as a war Moscow was thought to have hoped to win within days entered its fourth week. Viacheslav Chaus, governor of Chernihiv, said 53 civilians had been killed there in the past 24 hours. The toll could not be independently verified. In the capital Kyiv, a building in the Darnytsky district was extensively damaged by what the authorities said was debris from a missile shot down early in the morning. As residents cleared glass and carried bags of possessions away, a man knelt weeping by the body of a woman which lay close to a doorway, covered in a bloody sheet. The New York Times has reported that the Pentagon estimates that more than 7,000 Russian troops have been killed since the start of the war three weeks ago more than all American troops killed in 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. British military intelligence said in an update on Thursday that the invasion had "largely stalled on all fronts", and Russian forces were suffering heavy losses from a staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance. Russia has assaulted Ukraine from four directions, sending two massive columns towards Kyiv from the northwest and northeast, pushing in from the east near the second biggest city Kharkiv, and spreading in the south from Crimea. Northeastern and northwestern suburbs of Kyiv have been reduced to rubble by heavy fighting, but the capital itself has held firm, under a curfew and subjected to deadly nightly rocket attacks. Elsewhere, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven leading economies are calling on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justices order to stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw its military forces. In a joint statement, the G-7s top diplomats condemned what they described as indiscriminate attacks on civilians by Russian forces including the siege of Mariupol and other cities. Meanwhile, a UN agency has warned that the conflict in Ukraine is likely to hinder access to food and fuel for many of the worlds most vulnerable people. A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development notes that Russia accounted for nearly a third of wheat imports for Africa, or $3.7bn, in 2018-2020, while 12%, worth $1.4bn, came from Ukraine. The report said initial assessments point to a substantive reduction in access to food and fuel despite efforts to prevent the disruption to supplies of key commodities such as wheat. Meanwhile, rising costs for shipping and for grains and other staple foods is pushing prices higher, hitting poorest people the hardest, the report says. The report said up to 25 African countries, especially the least developed economies, relied on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine. The lack of spare capacity in Africa limits the ability of those countries to offset any lost supplies, while surging costs for fertiliser will be an extra burden for farmers. Works by Yu Zhou and Yan Ma are on display during the 62nd Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival in 2021. This year's festival returns March 18-20. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) Winter Parks scenic Park Avenue will soon bear signs of an annual tradition with rows of artist booths, thousands of visitors clad in springtime attire and music floating through the air. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, which has attracted more than 200,000 visitors in previous years, returns for its 63rd event March 18-20, back to its usual early spring time slot after moving to May last year. The festival was postponed for 14 months amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but event organizers are eager to welcome patrons for what should feel like a more normal event. Advertisement We used to always have 225, and we cut back to 215 artists this year. They have a little bit more space between their booths, which is good since we have such limited space in the park, said Alice Moulton, the festivals historian and public relations chair. I think what makes our show so special is that its such a charming atmosphere, just to walk down Park Avenue with all the little shops and the outdoor cafes and the trees. Attendees browse work by artists during the 62nd Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival along Park Avenue on May 14, 2021. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) Throughout the decades, this Winter Park ritual has gained a reputation as a place where artists and attendees alike can make their visit worthwhile. Not only is Park Avenue the perfect walkable setting for displaying art, but theres money to be made for professional creators looking to sell their wares and works. Advertisement Were ranked among the top festivals in the country. Were considered one of the most profitable art festivals for artists. We have $74,500 in prize money, Moulton said. We have a very robust patrons program. We have probably about $85,000 that are dedicated funds for patrons to buy works with art bucks. In this juried show, the top award is a $12,000 Best in Show, but other cash prizes include 10 awards of excellence for $2,000 each, 20 awards of distinction of $1,000 each and 30 awards of merit worth $500 each. These are determined by three out-of-state jurors representing multiple disciplines. Festival visitors are reflected in a photo by Illinois artist Cali Hobgood during the 62nd Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival in 2021. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) Things to Do Weekly A look at entertainment and sporting events in Orlando and around Central Florida. > Because its so sought after, the festival took more than 1,000 applications this year to fill just over 200 spots. Within the hand-picked selection of high-quality art offerings, visitors can browse ceramics, photography, jewelry, glass, leather, metal, printmaking, painting, sculpture, wood and more. This years poster artist is longtime Orlando painter Tom Sadler, who focuses his attention on the natural scenery found in Central Florida. Event organizers reached out to him, looking for something that captured the shows ambience. They asked if I had ever painted the festival itself, and I had not, said Sadler, who will have original works shown at Park Avenue Contemporary Art this weekend. I wanted it to convey what I think of with this festival, kind of a lively scene. You kind of feel the momentum of being swept into it The sun is blazing down and its a nice, clear blue-sky day. Orlando-area artist Tom Sadler is the poster artist for this year's Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. (Tom Sadler/Courtesy of Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival) Aside from browsing artist booths, guests can enjoy live music throughout the three-day festival, plus a childrens area that allows young ones to paint and an exhibit with artwork from Orange County students. Food and drink vendors are available on-site as well. We have fun when we see people that have never been before, they tend to light up when they get around the art and atmosphere, said Terry Forrester, co-president of this years festival. Its kind of magical. You come in and it takes you away. If you go The 63rd Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival returns 9 a.m.-6 p.m. March 18-19 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 20 on Park Avenue near Central Park. The show is free to attend; no pets are allowed during festival hours. For more information, including parking and transit details, visit wpsaf.org. Advertisement Find me @PConnPie on Twitter and Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his proposals to boost the economy, fight inequality and improve Frances reactions to global crises if he wins a second term in next months election. Mr Macron spoke at a press conference that was his first major campaign event taking time off from his focus on the war in Ukraine to provide details about his vision for the next five years. He vowed to push ahead with a controversial pension reform that would progressively raise the retirement age from 62 to 65, and suggested that people who start working at a young age would still be able to retire before 65. Boosting Frances growth must go through investing more and working more, Mr Macron added, vowing to achieve full employment. French President Emmanuel Macron arrives on stage for a presidential campaign news conference in Aubervilliers, north of Paris (Thibault Camus/AP) The unemployment rate recently reached 7.4%, down from more than 10% when he came into power. Mr Macron also promised to keep investing in the French military, and fight inequalities at school and in healthcare access, amid other proposals. Asked about his campaigns motto, he said he wants the French to be stronger and happier all together. Even though he formally announced he is running for a second term at the beginning of the month, Mr Macron has not held any rallies yet. He has been criticised by other candidates for refusing to take part in any televised debate before the first voting round, scheduled on April 10. In recent days, he pushed for a ceasefire in Ukraine during phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and spoke on an almost daily basis with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Last week, he gathered EU leaders at the Versailles palace, west of Paris, to discuss sanctions against Russia. France holds the rotating presidency of the European Union Council, which gives Mr Macron a key role in co-ordinating the bloc of 27s response. Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech (Thibault Camus/AP) Next week, he is expected to be seen alongside US President Joe Biden at Natos summit in Brussels. Mr Macron recently released unusual pictures of himself working nights and weekends at the Elysee Palace, looking tired and unshaven, in jeans and a hoodie. If that is part of a campaign strategy it seems to be paying off, reinforcing his position as frontrunner in the race while making it difficult for other contenders to challenge him. Pollster Bernard Sananes, president of poll institute Elabe, said that obviously the international situation is reinforcing his stature. It gives the impression that Macron in 2017 has been elected on a promise to renew (politics) and that Macron in 2022 wants to be elected on the promise of (having) experience, he said in an interview with French newspaper LOpinion. Polls show most French, whether they intend to vote for him or not, consider he is up to the job, he stressed. Polls see Mr Macron about 10 percentage points ahead of far-right contender Marine Le Pen, placing them both in a position to reach the run-off and replay the 2017 election. They show that in that case the French president is widely expected to win. The French president is ahead in the polls (Thibault Camus/AP) Another far-right candidate, Eric Zemmour, far-left figure Jean-Luc Melenchon, and conservative contender Valerie Pecresse are among the other challengers. Rivals have accused Mr Macron of focusing on Ukraine to avoid domestic issues which may prove more tricky for him. Ms Le Pen said Mr Macron is using the war in Ukraine to scare French people, because he thinks scaring can benefit him. When theres a war, theres a reflex to be legitimist, Ms Pecresse said. People think: theres a captain leading the operation We must not be afraid to change the captain on April 11, she added. Advocates for Mr Macron argue that the situation in Ukraine involves key domestic issues that are being fully debated in the campaign, such as energy and defence policies. Political history expert Jean Garrigues stressed the unifying impact around the head of state in a war-related situation. We can see that Macrons adversaries have no experience equivalent to the presidential function, or even as key ministers, and are de facto in a situation of inferiority, he noted. French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech (Thibault Camus/AP) Pollsters said Mr Macrons greatest challenge as the frontrunner may be a low turnout, with sympathisers not going to polling stations because they think he will win, while those angry at his policies would further mobilise. Mr Macron himself acknowledged the risk in a behind-the-scenes video posted on his campaigns YouTube channel. Thats what Im going to tell the French, and also my supporters: If they think its done, it means we have lost, he said. Burma Myanmars Capital, Home to Junta Leaders, Spared Nationwide Power Outages The Water Fountain Garden in Naypyitaw. As all of Myanmar suffers serious power shortages that are having a huge impact on peoples daily lives, the countrys capital Naypyitaw, which is home to coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and many former military leaders, rarely faces blackouts. Late last year, the countrys major cities including Yangon and Mandalay began experiencing occasional power cuts of a few hours a day. The situation deteriorated in the third week of February, however, and since then there have been fewer than six hours of electricity per day. National electricity demand at peak times is 3,400 MW. The junta said recently that Myanmar is currently able to generate only 873 MW for the whole country due to infrastructure maintenance and upgrades at an offshore gas station. The fact that power shortages are rare in Naypyitaw means the capital is using the lions share of the electricity that is being generated, while other cities are plunged into darkness. There are virtually no electricity outages in Naypyitaw. When they do occur, they only last a few hours, said a resident of the capital. Naypyitaw comprises eight townships. Min Aung Hlaing lives in Zayarthiri Township, as do a number of other retired senior military officials. His Commander-in-Chiefs Office is in the same area. Power outages are completely unheard of in the neighborhood, according to Naypyitaw residents. Even the streets there are fully lit, while residential areas in some other townships in the capital face occasional short-time blackouts. In contrast to Naypyitaw, the countrys former capital Yangon is facing serious electricity shortages, making it difficult for residents to cook or pump water for household use. A resident of the citys Hlaing Township said, Power cuts have become a daily routine. We have to wait till the electricity turns back on to cook. We feel as though we have returned to the time before 2010, referring to the years of chronic power shortages under the previous military regime, which controlled Myanmar until early 2011. In many areas of Yangon, people are suffering water shortages due to the prolonged blackouts. Charity organizations are distributing water in mobile water tanks, but their efforts efforts are being hampered by skyrocketing fuel prices. One liter of gasoline for vehicles costs 2,000 kyats, up from around 600 kyats before the coup in February 2021. A leader of a charity organization in Yangons South Oakkalapa Township said, We donate water to those in need but we are also facing difficulties because of the high fuel price. Some businesses including those in the garment sector are also feeling the impacts of the electricity shortage. One owner of a garment factory with about 500 employees in Hlaingtharyar Township said, We have no regular electricity and face high fuel prices. We cannot run our business smoothly. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Planes Bomb Village Sheltering Displaced Karenni Civilians Myanmar Junta Chief Hands Golden Triangle Resorts to Associates Myanmar Junta Troops Kill Villagers; Hold Schoolkids Hostage Analysis Protege of Myanmar Junta Boss Tipped to be His Successor as Military Chief Captions: Lieutenant General Gen Moe Myint Tun. When President U Win Myint and his wife were detained on the morning of the February 1, 2021 coup, the arresting team was led by Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun, the number four man in the Myanmar military. Now the 54-year-old is the youngest member of the State Administration Council (SAC), the military regimes governing body. He is also the armys Chief of Staff and the youngest officer to hold a regional commander position since Senior General Min Aung Hlaing became head of the military. Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun is also the chairman of the junta-controlled Myanmar Investment Commission, making him one of the few SAC members to hold posts in both the armed forces and the regimes government. His loyalty to junta boss Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing is unquestioned. Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun reportedly sleeps under a picture of his chief. It is no surprise then that the Lt-Gen, who is over ten years younger than the junta chief, is being widely tipped as a potential successor to Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, should he hold an election in 2023 and run for the presidency. There is a precedent, too, for such a promotion. Former military dictator Senior General Than Shwe chose Min Aung Hlaing, who was then the youngest Lt-Gen. in the army, as his successor when he stepped down. Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun showed no respect to President U Win Myint when he came to arrest him, first asking him to step down on health grounds. President U Win Myint replied that he would rather die than resign. It was him [Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun] who told the president that they [the National League for Democracys leadership] are quite cocky, said a military officer familiar with the event. That disdain is in sharp contrast to the respect the Lt-Gen. displays for the regime chief. He first hung his picture above his bed in 2011, while serving as the head of the Fourth Military Operations Command in Hpugyi, Yangon Region, according to officers who served with him then. He worships him [Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing] as a God, said a captain who served under the Lt. Gen. Who is Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun? Although Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun has no record of outstanding military or administrative performance, he rose rapidly through the ranks. Moe Myint Tun was born in 1968 in Kyauktaga Township, Bago Region. He was part of the 30th intake at the Defense Services Academy. As a junior officer, he spent most of his time in administrative work. As a captain, he worked in the office of General Maung Aye, the then deputy chief of the former military regime, which called itself the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). He replaced General Maung Ayes personal staff officer Captain Win Tun when he died. Later, he became a lieutenant colonel, overseeing No. 303 Battalion based in Paung Laung, near the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw. The battalion was mainly responsible for providing security for the SLORC leaders in Naypyitaw. Since he became a captain, he was assigned to good postings and rose through the ranks to become a major general. He was assigned only to units near cities. He was never assigned to remote areas and I have never heard of him participating in combat, said one retired Lt-Gen. While serving as the head of the Fourth Military Operations Command, Moe Myint Tun was involved in one military operation in Karen State. But the operation was conducted when the Karen National Union and the then President U Thein Seins quasi-civilian administration had signed a state-level ceasefire. So there was no actual fighting going on in Karen State at the time. However, an officer under his command stepped on a landmine while chopping firewood during the operation. Moe Myint Tun ordered his officers not to report the incident to his commanding officers, a captain who served in his command at the time told The Irrawaddy. He asked us not to report the incident. He has a lust for positions of power. He is the kind of person who curries favor with higher-ups and oppresses subordinates, said the captain. Youngest Commander While he was serving in the Fourth Military Operations Command, Moe Myint Tun was assigned in March 2013 to handle sectarian conflict between Buddhists and Muslims in Meiktila in Mandalay Region. Following riots across the region, President U Thein Seins government had to declare a state of emergency in Meiktila, Mahlaing, Thazi and Wundwin townships, and sought the help of the military to ensure security. The riots resulted in heavy casualties because the security forces failed to handle the situation properly, critics said. Moe Myint Tun also confiscated land in Yangons Hmawbi Township while serving as the head of the Fourth Military Operations Command. He grabbed land from civilians to distribute to tactical and battalion commanders under him. He had to give the land back when people filed complaints about it, said an army officer currently serving in the Fourth Military Operations Command. But he did not return land he grabbed from local farmers in Hpugyi and Gyoe Phyu in Yangon Region. Instead, he applied for official land use permits to grow crops on that land, added the officer. In 2015, then Maj-Gen. Moe Myint Tun became the chief of Naypyitaw Command. At the time, he was 47-years-old and the youngest officer to hold the command. Two years later, he became a Lt-Gen holding the positions of both Chief of Staff (army) and Chief of the Bureau of Special Operations Six, which oversees Naypyitaw. He was then assigned to lead the Bureau of Special Operations Two, which oversees northern Shan State, at a time when the Myanmar military was fighting the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), part of the Northern Alliance, in the region. His soldiers arrested the leaders and confiscated the drugs and weapons of the Kaung Kha militia based in Kutkai in northern Shan State, thus destroying the militia. At the end of 2019, his troops also seized over 100 weapons, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, from the TNLA. Following last years coup, the Lt-Gen. became a member of the SAC and was also appointed chairman of the Myanmar Investment Commission. He remains the armys Chief of Staff. The Lt-Gen. has taken the helm of Myanmars economic affairs since the coup. From his time as personal staff officer to General Maung Aye, he has close ties with long-time cronies U Aung Ko Win, the Chairman of the KBZ Group, and U Tay Za, Chairman of the Htoo Group of companies. One of his classmates from the Defense Services Academy, U Nyunt Aung, is also the deputy commerce minister in the SAC. His children are still young. So there is no report yet of them establishing a company, said a businessman who asked for anonymity. But he is interested in business, added the businessman. Will Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun be Promoted This Year? If Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun is to be the next military chief, he will have to be promoted to General this year. By mid-2022, he will have been a Lt-Gen. for five years. Under new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Defence since the coup, officers who have served for five years as a Lt-Gen. have to retire if they are not promoted. General Maung Maung Aye, the current Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air Force), will turn 60 at the end of this year. Should Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun be appointed as his successor and promoted to General, then it is very likely that he will take over from Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing as the next head of the military. You may also like these stories: Kachin Independence Army, PDFs Attack Myanmar Junta Bases in Kachin State Myanmar Junta Foreign Minister Barred From ASEAN Meeting Myanmar Coup Leaders Protege Appointed to Junta Anti-Graft Body We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! SPECTRUM hosted a walkout at the fountain on Indiana State Universitys campus Friday. The walkout lasted from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in order to raise awareness against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation raised in 2022, and was part of walkouts being hosted across the United States. Trinity, TX (77320) Today Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Eugene Kaspersky: "Not having Kaspersky in Germany will not make Germany or Europe safer. Quite the contrary. " A warning by the German Federal Office of Information Security against the use of Kaspersky products had no technical advice or objective evidence to back it up, the chief executive of the Russian security firm says. Eugene Kaspersky said in an open letter on Wednesday that there had never been any evidence of products from Kaspersky formerly known as Kaspersky Lab being used or abused for malicious purposes. The BSI's advice, issued on 15 March, said ongoing military activity between Russia and Ukraine had led to Moscow warning about the EU, NATO and Germany and this was "associated with a significant risk of a successful IT attack with far-reaching consequences". Eugene [first name used to differentiate him from the company itself] said in the absence of evidence, he could only conclude that the BSIs decision was made on political grounds. Founded in Russia by a Russian national, with a headquarters division in Moscowthat doesn't mean Kaspersky is in Putins pocket. Deeper context can help you decide whether or not to trust the company.https://t.co/Ih1uZ0KmIz Neil Rubenking (@neiljrubenking) March 16, 2022 "It is sadly ironic that the organisation advocating for objectivity, transparency, and technical competence the very same values Kaspersky supported for years together with BSI and other European regulators and industry bodies decided or was forced to drop its principles literally overnight. "Kaspersky, the long-time partner and contributor of BSI and the German cyber-security industry, was given mere hours to address these bogus and unfounded allegations. This is not an invitation for dialogue it is an insult." The company was hit with a ban on the use of its products in the US public sector a few years ago, after mainstream media had published a series of stories claiming it was leaking data to Russian intelligence services, something the company strongly denied. Since then the firm has cut back operations in the US and set up so-called transparency centres where companies can sign up to look at the source code of its products. "Despite continuous calls from Kaspersky to conduct a deep audit of our source code, updates, architecture and processes at Kaspersky Transparency Centers in Europe, BSI has never done so," Eugene said. "My message to BSI, which now seems to be avoiding contacts with our German team, is simple: we consider this decision to be unfair and outright wrong. Nonetheless, we remain open to addressing any concerns you may have in an objective, technical, and honest manner. "We are thankful to the European regulators and industry experts who have taken a more balanced approach by calling for additional technical analysis and scrutiny of security solutions and the IT supply chain." The reputational and business impact of the BSI move was "significant", he said, questioning what end was served by such an evidence-free warning. "The war in Ukraine can only end through diplomacy, and we are all hoping for a cessation of hostilities and continuing dialogue," Eugene said. "This war is a tragedy that has already brought suffering to innocent people and repercussions across our hyper-connected world. "The global cyber-security industry that has been built on the basis of trust and co-operation to protect the digital links connecting us with each other may well be its collateral damage and thus leave everyone even less safe." The development of new upfront rules that force dominant digital platforms to treat their users fairly is the important next step in reforming Australias consumer protection laws, says ACCC chair Rod Sims. Delivering the 2022 Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture, Sims applauded the progress on stronger consumer laws in Australia, starting with the introduction of the Australian Consumer Law in 2011, which included penalties for breaches, and then a significant hike in penalties in 2018. When I arrived at the ACCC in 2011 a $1 million penalty against a large company was celebrated, Sims said. I remember the positive reaction to Optus having to pay a penalty of $3.6 million for a breach of the ACL in 2013. Then in 2018, it seemed a milestone that Ford, Apple and Telstra faced penalties in the $9 million to $10 million range. In 2021 we saw Telstra pay a $50 million penalty, Volkswagen pay $125 million and AIPE, a vocational training company, hit with a $153 million penalty. High penalties are essential for effective deterrence. The ACCC does not have the resources to tackle most consumer law breaches, so our approach is to take specific cases, and allow high penalties to send a message to all other companies, Sims said. Mr Sims said his proudest achievement was the alignment of consumer and competition law penalties in 2018. But glaring deficiencies in consumer laws remained, including the lack of a law against unfair practices and the lack of a general safety provision. Can you imagine a situation where someone was caught stealing and the result of the police inquiries was that they simply had to give the money back? No penalty for the actual stealing to deter others. But we have this in our product safety laws, Sims said. There is no law against selling unsafe good; you are not breaching any act by doing so. You simply have to recall the goods when they are seen to be unsafe. The next phase of consumer law reforms to be debated should relate to digital platforms with market power, Sims said. Digital platforms have business models that seek to exploit all the data they have on you. We need laws to prevent the misuse of this data, either by preventing so called dark patterns that get you to act against your best interests, or requiring steps to prevent scams, or allowing appropriate dispute resolution, Sims said. The 2022 Ruby Hutchinson Memorial Lecture was Sims final speech as ACCC Chair. Sims said it remained important for regulators to be vocal advocates for the rights of consumers and to identify opportunities for law reforms when needed. There are some who believe that regulators should only enforce the law as it is and not suggest publicly and need for law change. What a loss to the public debate this suggests, Sims said. The Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture is an annual speech in honour of the founder of the Australian Consumers Association, now known as CHOICE. The lecture is jointly hosted by CHOICE and the ACCC on World Consumer Day. The full speech, Continuing the ACL journey, is available here. One day, Orlando will be repped on the short list of James Beard Foundation Award finalists. But it wont come in 2022. Finalists for this years awards were announced yesterday, and none of the citys semifinalists Sue and Jason Chin of Good Salt Restaurant Group, Henry Moso of Kabooki Sushi, Evette Rahman of Sister Honeys or Rabii Saber of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, made the cut. Advertisement Its disappointing and yet, not unexpected, Joseph Hayes, playwright and former food and restaurant writer for Orlando Magazine, told the Orlando Sentinel. Hayes served as a James Beard regional judge for more than a decade. Ultimately, the important people still have to say this is a restaurant of a chef that is worth a nomination and award and that means getting people to Orlando. Advertisement The citys foodies feel his pain. Its not the first time Orlandos had this many bridesmaids. But this year, says a current local judge for the James Beard Awards, things were different. That was a problem in the past, the judge who will remain anonymous until the end of this years awards cycle admitted. It was unfair for Orlando-area restaurants and chefs, as I personally believe that not many of them came to try the food. There was no requirement to do so. And judges were not permitted to vote for any chef or restaurant whose food they had not had. Makes sense, but how can one judge nominees fairly without having sampled the entire field? Right, the current judge noted. That was part of the knock that it was not a very equitable process, particularly for smaller-market cities. These issues, among others such as diversity were part of the reason the James Beard Foundation made sweeping changes to the process that went into effect during the 2022 cycle following pointed scrutinization of its policies and procedures. This included a revised mission statement to recognize not merely culinary talent and achievement, but a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, environmental sustainability and a culture where all can thrive, as well as a reduction in awards committee terms from three years to two. So to prevent it from getting stale, youll see new people who will offer new perspectives and thats a good thing, the local judge noted Advertisement The new process takes input from the general public, subcommittee members and regional scouts, creating a roster that is steadily whittled down to the final group in each category. Tasting Panelists, [in part] responsible for tasting and scoring all Nominees based on a number of criteria, ultimately determining the winners, also are a part of the Awards Policies and Procedures. In the past, weve not had many semifinalists in the national categories. This year, we had four of the five.... the judge noted. National categories include those such as Rising Star Chef, in which Kabookis Moso made the semifinals in 2020, or Outstanding Pastry Chef. This year marked Rabii Sabers second nod in the category. Outstanding Baker and Oustanding Restaurateur also are national categories. Thats big, the judge emphasized, and I think it really provides greater exposure as opposed to the more regionalized distinctions. Though disappointed that no Orlando picks made the cut, there was a clear sense of optimism and a belief in the revamped process, which is visible just by looking at the citys diverse crop of 2022 contenders. We have such talented people here be they chefs or restaurateurs or bakers but we do need to see more representation overall.... The past few years have seen a reckoning at the James Beard Foundation, the judge said. Advertisement There have been a lot of changes.... We had to re-evaluate the values, the mission, all of that. And I think this year, all the moves theyve made are a positive step forward, and its one of the reasons that Orlando will get a finalist and possibly a winner in the future. 2022 winners will be announced at a June 13 awards ceremony in Chicago. Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun, join the Lets Eat, Orlando Facebook group or follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. GUEST OPINION: Australias tech industry has the highest rate of unplanned absence amongst employees. This is mainly due to the surge work that occurs as key projects keep expanding and deadlines keep moving out of reach. Simply put, burnout is where the exhaustion of emotional and intellectual capacity intersect. Happily, were starting to spot it and take it seriously. A 2022 Deloitte study discovered that 77% of respondents experienced burnout at their current job. 91% say that unmanageable stress or frustration impacts the quality of their work, and 83% said that burnout has negatively impacted personal relationships. Its a cycle that is easy to spot if you know what to look for: unrealistic timelines and KPIs are set for employees, employees are treated as an expendable resource, management is authoritative and doesnt value their efforts and offers nothing in the way of support. We were offered a slight reprieve as we worked remotely, as we could introduce our own self-care regimes, and companies employed their own policies to keep the office connected. Fighting burnout with empathy is a business investment as much as it is a personal one, as a study from Harvard Business Review found that empathetic companies actually outperform companies that dont care by 20 percent. In fact, theres even a Global Empathy Index that ranks the large tech companies by their policies based on empathy, the care they offer their employees and the work environment theyve created. Many businesses and business leaders have responded with an empathy-centric approach. Theyve invested in better understanding their employees experiences and responding with programs to better support them. Some companies have hosted listening sessions with employees, expanded their wellness programs and implemented more frequent and more personal venues for communication, creating more safe places to be heard. We now find ourselves at a unique time. As were all returning to the office, business leaders are focusing on getting back to normality. In reality, this means the focus is again on productivity. But empathy shouldnt be put away until the next crisis, it needs to be a crucial part of an organisations culture. While it may feel like going back to normal, normal will never be what it was, and our traumatic experiences of the last few years wont just evaporate. We have a chance to rebuild normal and focus on the individual first, instead of the collective. Workers find themselves in a precarious position and a one-size-fits-all approach to work, and burnout prevention is obsolete. Everyone is navigating anxiety about returning to the office and managing workloads and trying to stay healthy. Its crucial to create a holistic culture that encourages empathy across the entire organisation. About the Author: Dr Patrick Aouad, is a clinical and academic neurologist at the University of Sydney and North Shore Private Hospital and the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of [cu]health Australias first virtual medical practice for businesses. Its vision is to bring healthcare to the desktop of every working person and be the global digital healthcare solution for all businesses. Dr Aouad is a research fellow and supervisor with a strong interest in multiple sclerosis. He also holds an MPhil in the field of stroke, is internationally published and has received a number of accolades including registrar of the year and was a nominee for the Matthew Davey award in recognition of outstanding work. [cu]healths broader mission is to improve the wellbeing of every working Australian and offset the burden of poor employee health by connecting businesses with world-class digital healthcare. By translating the traditional model of healthcare into the digital age, where employees can access a suite of healthcare services anytime, anywhere to retain high-quality teams. Observability specialist New Relic has promoted Jason Leonidas to the role of ANZ regional vice president. "We are thrilled to have Jason take New Relic into the next growth phase in the ANZ region. His team-building capabilities, sales acumen, and impeccable customer experience-focused mindset will be crucial in scaling our operations to tap into the growing demand for full-stack observability solutions," said New Relic APJ senior vice president Ben Goodman. Leonidas' previous role was ANZ regional sales director. Prior to joining the company, he served as a senior sales director at Oracle, and as sales and services vice president at Actian. Leonidas started his career as a developer at Jaques Martin Industry and then became a consultant with Aspect Computing. Next, he joined Oracle for the first time as a business intelligence pre-sales consultant before becoming a solution architect and then moving into sales. He holds a bachelor's degree in information systems from Monash University. The New Relic 2021 Observability Forecast highlighted that 92% of ANZ IT professionals find observability of strategic importance to business, while 90% of IT decision-makers see observability as critical at every stage of the software lifecycle, especially placing high importance in planning and operations. "At a time when the IT sector in the ANZ region is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.5% by 2025, it is clear that observability will become fundamental to engineers who are designing technology solutions for their business," said Leonidas. "I am delighted to set the direction for New Relic and help clients deliver the best customer experience through our market-leading, full-stack observability solution that offers real-time visibility across systems with powerful telemetry data, coupled with the ability to correlate, contextualise and visualise the data for impactful business insights." New Relic's local customers include Australia Post, ANZ Bank, Afterpay, Airtasker, Flight Centre, Service NSW, IAG, Xero and Zip. Aaron Barcellos, who farms tree and row crops in Merced and Fresno counties, walks near a 1-megawatt fixed solar-array system that he had installed on the farm. It is one of two systems that together produce 1.4 megawatts of electricity and offset what is used on the farm. PHOTO CHRISTINE SOUZA/CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION Two men were recently arrested on racketeering and other charges in Seminole County, accused of running an illegal gambling operation with casino-style games out of a strip mall in Altamonte Springs. Dhanan Alexander Ganpat and Amit Rampersaud, both 34, are accused of running afoul of state gambling laws at Infinity Potential VIP, a business at 801 West State Road 436 that authorities say offered online sweepstakes that were indistinguishable from slot machines. Advertisement An agent with the Seminole County Sheriffs Offices Special Investigations Unit received a tip about the business in November from an informant, who passed along a flyer with pictures of gambling devices. The investigator visited the business undercover the following month, paying cash for what the business described as internet time which came with 100 sweepstakes entries per dollar, an affidavit said. Advertisement In reality, the investigator wrote, the entry credits were what was for sale, allowing customers to wager on computers that displayed slot machine-like randomized spins, collect winnings or lose the initial stake based on the outcome, then cash out at the front counter. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > The business also featured a fish table, the affidavit said, referring to a kind of digital arcade game that has sparked debates about its legality. Days after the undercover deputys visit, agents with the City County Investigative Bureau, a multi-agency vice task force, raided Infinity Potential VIP seizing 25 gaming devices and 20 computers, as well as a money counter and cash, the affidavit states. Both Ganpat and Rampersaud over the past week have been arrested on charges of possession of a slot machine, running an illegal lottery, keeping a gambling house and violation of Floridas Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, records show. Both have since been released from jail, records show. The investigator who wrote the affidavit for Ganpats arrest was also a lead agent in the investigation of Allied Veterans of the World Inc., which ran dozens of Central Florida internet cafes that were shut down in 2013 when authorities alleged they were actually gambling houses. More than 50 people were arrested in that case, which also prompted the resignation of then Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who was not arrested or charged but had business ties to the company. jeweiner@orlandosentinel.com Compiling reviews from IMDb and Metacritic, Stacker composed a list of the 50 best space movies of all time, from classic hits to new releases. Click for more. Donate Now As a public service during this pandemic, the Jewish News is providing free, unlimited access to all articles. Jewish News is a nonprofit publication that is owned by the community and relies on community support. China's Jilin hands out COVID-19 antigen test kits Xinhua) 16:57, March 17, 2022 CHANGCHUN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The northeastern Chinese cities of Changchun and Jilin, hardest hit by the fresh outbreak of COVID-19, have distributed millions of COVID-19 self-test antigen kits to citizens, including students, to accelerate massive epidemiological screening. Starting from 4 a.m. Wednesday, Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province, has given out more than 3.34 million self-test kits to part of its urban districts and Yushu City under its administration. As of Wednesday, Jilin City had sent part of its test kits to key groups, including students in local primary schools, middle and high schools, colleges, and employees at major enterprises. More than 270,000 doses usable for three days in the test kits have been handed out to the city's higher learning institutions to meet the daily testing need of their teaching staff and students. The provincial health authorities also reminded its residents that anyone who tested positive using the self-test kits should report to one's community, village, or the local disease prevention and control center at once. Positive test results presented by the kits cannot be the single diagnostic basis for confirmed COVID-19 infection. Further nucleic acid testing will be done before a final diagnosis. Citizens who tested positive using the self-test kits should stay put and isolate themselves from their families. They should wait for medical professionals to collect their samples, said local authorities. Jilin province reported 742 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 415 local asymptomatic carriers Wednesday. As of Wednesday, the construction of eight makeshift hospitals, with 11,488 beds, had been completed, and two temporary quarantine facilities, which boast 662 isolation rooms, had been established in the northeastern province. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) TALLAHASSEE Searches for new presidents at state universities are ramping up after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will keep secret the names and other information about applicants for the top jobs at colleges and universities. DeSantis on Tuesday signed the measure, which went into effect immediately. It came as five universities the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, Florida International University, the University of North Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University are in various stages of finding new leaders. Advertisement On Wednesday, University of North Florida trustees discussed their schools search, including a brief overview about how the new law could affect it. That (law) will affect all of the ongoing searches, including ours. So that is good to hear, UNF trustees Chairman Kevin Hyde said Advertisement The schools former president, David Szymanski, stepped down from the job in August. UNF trustees are expected to interview three to five finalists from May 4 to May 18. The new law creates a public-records exemption for information that could identify applicants until near the end of searches, when information about finalists would be released. Information about other applicants would remain undisclosed. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Supporters have argued the law, which received final approval from the Legislature this month, will help schools attract candidates who might otherwise be reluctant to apply because of concerns about their current employers finding out. But critics have said the law goes against the states history of open government. Florida International University is close to selecting a search firm in its bid to find a new leader. The universitys former president, Mark Rosenberg, abruptly resigned in January. Rosenberg initially cited health reasons, but later acknowledged that his resignation came after he caused discomfort for a female colleague. FIU trustees are set to interview three search firms during a meeting Friday. The University of Florida is in a similar stage, after President Kent Fuchs announced in January that he will step down when a new president is appointed, which is expected by early 2023. The University of South Florida is near the end of its search process, which means the new law likely will have little effect on it. The schools Presidential Search Committee this month advanced two final candidates, current USF Interim President Rhea Law and Jeffrey Talley, who are scheduled to tour the universitys campuses and meet with students and faculty on Monday. Former USF president Steven Currall announced his retirement from the job last summer. Advertisement Florida Gulf Coast University, meanwhile, is in an earlier stage, as President Mike Martin is set to retire at the end of the year. FGCU has not yet announced the members of a presidential search advisory committee or hired a search firm. President Joe Biden signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022 in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, Tuesday, March 15. Johnson City, TN (37604) Today Partly cloudy skies. Low around 50F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low around 50F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Professional salsa dancer Carlo Fernando counts repeatedly as he claps his hands to the music, teaching his 20 students at UCFs Barbara Ying Center the basics of salsa. Fernando had volunteered to be the instructor of the class sponsored by the Puerto Rican Student Association at UCF on March 3. The student club held the event to showcase the influence of Hispanic culture through dance. Advertisement During the lesson, students are laughing at each others mistakes, while fumbling on their own feet. Some pick it up much more quickly than others, even getting lost within the music. Carolina Orria, a UCF senior and president of the club, said the class was possible because Fernando volunteered to teach. The student organization has gotten zero funding from UCF Student Government since she has been involved with the club. And thats the problem, she says. Advertisement We dont take a membership fee; its all based on donations, Orria said. Or if we get aid or fundraisers. There are student organizations on campus that receive little to no funding from Student Government, even it budgets $350,000 a year to support them. For some clubs, the issue is not being familiar with the application process, which they say is complicated. Registered Student Organizations meet the following requirements: They have at least 12 UCF student members with official Knights emails; a president and one other officer with the support of a UCF faculty member; and a constitution and a mission that doesnt replicate another club, along with other external affiliation documents. UCF charges students $11.67 per credit hour in an Activity and Service Fee to fund student activities of all kinds. Student Government has earmarked $350,000 this year for funding student groups. Hannah Mittan, student government chair of the Financial Allocations for Organizations Committee, said. As we are coming back from COVID and all of that, we do have a lot of funds left over compared to previous years. Mittan said the $350,000 budget is divided into four fiscal quarters. If there is money left over, it rolls into the next quarter. To apply for the RSO and individual funding, students have to go through UCFs KnightConnect website and fill out the funding request forms. Mittan said RSOs can apply for up to $33,475. An example is when RSO Turning Point USA requested and received $17,930 to bring former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany to UCF for a speech last year. Student government provided that amount and Turning Point USA had to come up with the other $17,930 with both paying half the cost. Advertisement The American Society of Mechanical Engineers requested the least amount of funds this year: $357.48 for their Student Design Competition and only spent $216.38. Formula Student, an organization that designs, manufactures and competes with a new formula style vehicle each academic year, requested $33,110, the highest amount sought so far this year. So, theres a lot of available money for student organizations. The question is how can more groups access these funds? Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Orria said that to be less reliant on donations and fundraising, she would like to request $2,000 for her organization. But she has struggled filling out the application. Ive called a lot of times to get that financial form done, but once I start it, I see questions I have no clue how to answer, and then I stop, Orria said. I feel like they have a lot of resources that are not being communicated throughout. I think a big part of that is because UCF is so huge the information gets lost, Orria said. But if there was a better bridge between RSOs and the student government. Lets say if we had a meeting, like once a month to inform us what is going on. I think RSOs would take better advantage of the resources that SGA has to offer. Advertisement Mittan acknowledges that getting the required materials together can be complicated. Improvements to the website are under way, Mittan said, with the goal of giving a better understanding of the documents. We do want to give the same opportunity to every RSO, Mittan said. This story is part of a partnership between the Orlando Sentinel and UCFs Nicholson School of Communication and Media. Joplin, MO (64801) Today Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. A bridge tender was arrested Thursday in the death of a 79-year-old woman who fell from a West Palm Beach drawbridge Feb. 6 after it opened up while she was walking her bike across it. Artissua Lafay Paulk, 43, of Greenacres, was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, according to a news release from the West Palm Beach Police. Advertisement The victim, Carol Wright, was walking her bike across the bridge connecting West Palm Beach to the Town of Palm Beach when it opened. She grabbed a railing and held on as long as she could, then fell 60 feet to the pavement. [ RELATED: 79-year-old bicyclist often crossed drawbridge to Palm Beach. She fell to her death when it opened beneath her. ] Bridge tenders are required to make an established set of visual inspections before opening the bridge. Advertisement The bridge tender claimed to have checked for pedestrians before raising the span, according to a report by the Florida Department of Transportation obtained by WPTV-Ch. 5. I walked out on [the] balcony to see [the] roadway for people walking. I went back in [to] turn my lights to red. I then walked back out on [the] balcony to see that all cars had stopped, and no one was on [the] bridge, the bridge tender said, according to the news station. She waited for a man who was running across the bridge to get to safety before lowering the gates, she said. [ RELATED: Family demands answers in death of woman who plunged from West Palm Beach drawbridge ] Lance Ivey, attorney for the family of Carol Wright, said the arrest called into question the bridge tenders statements that she carefully checked for pedestrians before raising the bridge. Neither my clients nor myself took a position as to whether an arrest should or should not be made, he said Thursday in an interview with the Sun Sentinel. But the fact that an arrest was made today seems to cast doubt on the veracity of the bridge tenders post-incident statement that she did everything by the book. West Palm Beach Police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, took Paulk into custody. She was taken to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office Main Detention Center. Living Reporter and Theatre Critic Tim covers leisure and arts, and he is also a theater critic. He interned for the JI in 2015, and was hired in 2016. Tim graduated from UConn, Central College of McPherson, Kansas, and American Musical & Dramatic Academy. His favorite movie is "Jaws." Florida Republicans are clever. They have wasted no time riding a conservative movement to sanitize our public schools from books and discussions about race and the existence of gay and transgender people. The 2022 Florida legislative session was all about waging those cultural wars in the name of transparency and parental involvement in public education. But we see right through them. Advertisement One of the latest iterations is HB 1467, approved on the second-to-last day of session. It would make it easier for parents and, we suspect, political groups whose members might not have children in a local public school to challenge and ban instructional material and library books from public schools. This cover image released by Pantheon shows "Maus" a graphic novel by Art Spiegelman. The wave of book bannings around the country has reached a level not seen for decades. A Tennessee school district has voted to ban the Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel about the Holocaust due to "inappropriate language" and an illustration of a nude woman. (Pantheon via AP) (AP) It would also put Tallahassee in charge of compiling a list of books banned by school districts because of an objection, so that other districts can consider them in their selection procedures. Thats just our state government helping districts self-censor. After all, if a book is banned in one part of the state, why risk keeping it on your shelves and becoming the target of angry parents and activists? Advertisement The public testimony heard during legislative hearings provides a sample of whats to come. Bill supporters wearing Florida Parents Know Best T-shirts accused districts of showing LGBTQ cartoon videos to the kids without telling parents, as well as porn and providing critical race theory and gender confusion material. Democrats are running for the hills, shouting Nazis! and evoking Germanys 1933 book burnings. The comparisons to Hitler are unnecessary and should be reserved only for actions that truly come close to the horrors of his regime. Plus, conservatives know better than to outright ban books. Their strategy is more insidious. It wont empty the shelves of school libraries overnight, but it will open the door to fear, self-censorship by school administrators and for activists to make the lives of school districts harder. Books as boogeymen Florida law already prohibits pornography and content thats not age appropriate. Most important, parental involvement already is required, because each school board must adopt a policy regarding an objection by a parent or a resident of the county to the use of a specific instructional material. No books or instructional materials were challenged this or last school year in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, according to the district. Funny how that seemed to be working until school books became a boogeyman. HB 1467 would expand the types of books parents and residents can challenge to include those in libraries and reading lists besides instructional material assigned in class, sponsor Sen. Joe Gruters told a Senate committee this month. Elementary schools would have to post on their website, in a searchable format, all books available in the school library or required as part of a reading list. Those titles would be available for all members of the public, and some critics questioned: Why not make it available only for parents. Advertisement Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > We think we know why. Libraries arent just a parental concern anymore, they are a battlefield of the culture wars. Conservative groups across the country are trying to ban books such as I am Jazz, an autobiographical childrens picture book about a transgender teen, and the work of Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison, whose novels depict the pain of racism often through scenes that are uncomfortable to read depicting sex and sexual assault. Not surprisingly, the books that received the most challenges in libraries and schools in 2020 dealt with racism, Black American history and diversity in the United States, an American Library Association official told NPR. The bill requires employees in charge of choosing books in school libraries to undergo online training provided by the Department of Education. The department reports to the commissioner of education, an appointee of the governor, who has made schools a political tool, banning the teaching of critical race theory, even through districts say its not in their curriculum. He successfully pushed another bill to ban lessons about race that makes white kids feel uncomfortable. DeSantis also supports the so-called Dont say gay bill to ban instruction related to sexuality and gender identity in K-3. What that training would look like is unclear. But we can picture how it might instruct librarians to avoid critical race theory literature (say, a book about structural racism or white privilege). No, this bill isnt a Nazi-like book ban as Democrats claim. But its not all about transparency either as Republicans would have us think. Advertisement This editorial reflects the opinion of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Hassan Habib Merhi and Hussein Hassan Oneissi were acquitted in August 2020. Both men had been tried by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on charges of terrorism and murder for their alleged role in the 2005 assassination by bombing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri. The trial in absentia was the result of fifteen years of investigations. The prosecution had appealed, saying that the Trial Chamber had erred by ruling there was not enough evidence. On March 10, the appeals judges agreed that the Trial Chamber wrongly assessed the circumstantial evidence in the case, which was based almost entirely on mobile phone records, when they acquitted Merhi and Oneissi. They said the trial judges had committed errors of law invalidating the judgment and errors of fact occasioning a miscarriage of justice, according to a statement from the STL. Instead the appeals judges found them guilty of being accomplices to the bombing of Hariris convoy. The initial Trial Chamber judgment was long and full of historical and forensic detail. Around 300 witnesses had been heard during the trial and 170,000 pages of evidence submitted over the fifteen years since the first international investigators into Hariris murder were sent to Lebanon. The appeals judgement is similarly weighty. The Appeals Judgement contributes to the historical record as the factual narrative of what transpired, says STL Prosecutor Normal Farrell in an interview by email with Justice Info. Uncovering the facts as to what happened that mid-day on 14 February 2005, can be seen as a form of justice. It is the basis to counter false factual narratives or historical revisionism. It is, in part, a remedy. But not a complete remedy, and not complete justice. An in absentia conviction is only, essentially, second best justice. Complete justice requires that the convicted persons, who have evaded justice, be arrested. Trials in absentia On 14 February 2005, Hariri, a billionaire businessman who had been Lebanons Prime Minister from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 to 2004, was travelling in a motorcade in downtown Beirut when a bomb hidden in a van exploded, killing him and 21 other people. He had supported calls for Syria, the backer of Lebanese powerful militant political movement Hezbollah, to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. After collecting evidence, the UN and Lebanon jointly set up the Netherlands-based STL in 2007 to investigate the bombing. Five Hezbollah operatives were indicted by the STL in 2011 and 2013 and put on trial Mustafa Amine Badreddine, Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra. Ayyash was accused of co-ordinating the physical perpetration of the attack. Together with Badreddine he allegedly watched Hariri. The three others had more minor roles. Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the assassination. Badreddine, a higher level Hezbollah military commander, was reportedly killed in Syria in 2016. The four other accused were all tried in absentia and remain at large. In 2020, Ayyash was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The other three were acquitted. The trial judges concluded that no evidence implicated Hezbollahs leadership. The prosecution filed appeals against the acquittals of Merhi and Oneissi, not against Sabra. Ayyashs defence team tried to appeal his conviction. But the Appeals Chamber said there was no mechanism for the defence to challenge that verdict the STL legal framework does not contemplate a Defence appeal in absentia, it said. The reversal The STL was costing around 2.8 million euros per month for a total of about 1 billion dollars since the opening of an international investigation in 2015 and was gearing up to start a second trial against the same defendant, Ayyash, again in absentia. In June 2021 it ran out of cash, meaning it would have to close by the end of July due to lack of funds. Donors coughed up enough to cover only the appeals judgment about 7 million euros for 2022. The prosecutions case had mainly relied on the analysis of calls between different sets of mobile phones that it said were used to plan, prepare and execute the attack. It had argued that after the attack Merhi and Oneissi participated in the distribution of a video-taped false claim of responsibility. The Appeals Chamber concluded that a network of phones, labelled by the Prosecution as the Green Network, was used to coordinate the attack and that Merhi and Ayyash were members of the Green Network. It unanimously reversed Merhi and Oneissis acquittals and found them guilty of five counts of conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act, being an accomplice to committing a terrorist act, to intentional homicide, and to attempted intentional homicide. Judges said that shortly after the attack, Merhi and Oneissi did participate in the distribution of the video and ensured that it would be collected and broadcast on Al-Jazeera television within hours of the attack. The Appeals Judgement corrected the facts, including the involvement of Mustapha Amin Badreddine, a Hezbollah military commander, as a member of the network that coordinated the attack and the role of those who attempted to present a false claim of responsibility, says Farrell. The next step is sentencing in absentia. With the delivery of the sentence the Tribunal expects all judicial proceedings related to the main case will be concluded by July 2022, says Wajed Ramadan, spokesperson of the Tribunal. Previously the registrar said they would be heading towards a dormant entity. After their acquittal, arrest warrants against Merhi and Oneissi were cancelled, explains Ramadan. Following their conviction new local and international arrest warrants were issued on Thursday. The local arrests are sent to the Lebanese authorities. The Appeals Chamber also authorised the Prosecution to request Interpol to issue notices. The two mens whereabouts are not known. Efforts have to continue to arrest the three persons convicted, says Farrell. Syrias involvement still on the table Even though the tribunal was costly and took many years, Farrell claims a number of elements of success for the prosecution. First, the accused were convicted on the basis of complicated, technical telecommunications evidence. A conviction based extensively on technical data is historical in terms of international justice. Second, the investigation with the assistance of the Lebanese uncovered not only the network of individuals who carried out the assassination on 14 February 2005, but other covert networks used in the surveillance of the former Prime Minister over months. There was no contact or communication between the different cells or networks that worked together to effect that attack. Uncovering the various interconnected networks and their coordination allowed the court, and the Lebanese people to understand how it was possible that Rafik Hariri could be assassinated in broad daylight in downtown Beirut. Third, the conviction, based on facts accepted by the Appeals Chamber, was in accordance with the highest standards of international justice. The accused, though absent, were given their full rights of defence, were defended by Counsel and were convicted based on the required standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Farrell notes that the indictment against Ayyash for his alleged involvement in a second case concerning three other attacks stands even though the STL closes. Others are less sanguine. It was good for the judges to justify the additional months of pay at least the appeal has worked at the end, says Nidal Jurdi, who had been representing victims in the second, connected case. Robert Roth, professor of law at the University of Geneva and former judge at the STL resigned many years ago expressing a harsh critique of political interference in its work. He now says: Legitimacy does not rely on convictions. The real challenges to the legitimacy of the STL are still open: does it make sense to adjudicate seventeen years after the event? Have the real responsible been prosecuted? The suspicion of Syrian involvement, on which the Trial Chamber has expressed itself briefly but with strong words, is still on the table and will probably never be addressed. The appeals chamber judgment does not add to those earlier conclusions that there were organising hands behind the attack and that Syria and Hezbollah may have had motives to eliminate Mr Hariri. The tribunal closes with no definitive finding. Human Rights Watch is urging Ukraine to stop posting videos of captured Russian prisoners under duress, saying such treatment violated Kyivs international obligations. Ukraine has paraded captured Russian soldiers before the media at news conferences in Kyiv, and these images have been spread via official accounts on social media and messaging apps. Such actions violate the Geneva Conventions that aim to provide a framework for humanitarian law in conflict, the US-based group said in a statement late Wednesday. Ukrainian authorities should stop posting on social media and messaging apps videos of captured Russian soldiers that expose them to public curiosity, in particular those that show them being humiliated or intimidated, it said. Such treatment of prisoners of war violates protections under the Geneva Conventions intended to ensure dignified treatment of captured combatants on all sides, it added. It said social media accounts of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had posted videos of captured Russian soldiers who appear under duress or are revealing their names, identification numbers, and other personal information. Similar videos has also been posted on accounts apparently run by the interior ministry, it added. The Ukrainian authorities should stop posting these videos online, said Aisling Reidy, senior legal advisor at Human Rights Watch. The violations by Russian forces are pervasive and widespread, causing intense civilian harm, Reidy said. At the same time, Ukraine has clear obligations that it must uphold, including lawful treatment of POWs. The group said it was still awaiting a reply to a letter sent to the Ukrainian authorities expressing concern. Social media firms should take steps to suppress such content, and media outlets must refrain from broadcasting material of prisoners that breaks humanitarian law, it added. Human Rights Watch also said it had documented extensive violations and apparent war crimes by the Russian side in the conflict including indiscriminate attacks on civilians. The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the special military operations it commenced on 24 February 2022, said court president Joan E. Donoghue, looking directly into the camera live streaming the hearing from the Peace Palace in The Hague. In a 13-2 decision, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) broadly granted on March 16 a request for provisional measures which Ukraine had asked for three days after Russian forces began their full-scale invasion of the country. Kyiv argued that Russia violated the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, commonly called the Genocide Convention, by falsely claiming that Ukraine was engaged in an ongoing genocide against Russian-speaking people in the eastern part of the country. Immediately after the decision was announced, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the ruling on Twitter. Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice, he wrote. His legal team in The Hague was also extremely happy with the result. This is a victory for international law and for the Ukrainian people, Oksana Zolotaryova, of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters from the steps of the Peace Palace. Invoking the Genocide Convention Ukraine asked the court for a number of measures intended to quell the conflict. Kyiv wanted Russia to cease its invasion, avoid any action that might worsen the conflict, and provide regular updates to the court about its progress. In total, the court ordered Russia to do two things: immediately suspend the military operations, and ensure its military units and any other unit or individual it has control over take steps not to further the conflict. In a third measure, the court also told both countries to refrain from any action that might aggravate the conflict. It did not grant Ukraines request for regular updates. Measures dont have to be identical to those requested, Donoghue said in her reading. Ukraine wasnt arguing that Russia is committing genocide against Ukrainians. Rather, that Russia lied about its justification for the invasion and in doing so violated the Genocide Convention. The lie is the Russian Federations claim of genocide in Ukraine. The consequences are unprovoked aggression, cities under siege, civilians under fire, humanitarian catastrophe and refugees fleeing for their lives, David Zionts, a member of Ukraines legal team, told the court in a hearing last week. While the crime of aggression the literal invasion of another country is forbidden by the UN Charter, neither Russia nor Ukraine have signed declarations giving the court jurisdiction, forcing Ukraine to find another route to The Hague-based court. The Genocide Convention, created in response to the horrors of the Holocaust, outlaws genocide and is signed by 152 countries, including both Russia and Ukraine. A symbolic victory Russia boycotted a hearing on the provisional measures request last week, claiming Ukraines complaint was frivolous. Russias ambassador to the Netherlands, Alexander Shulgin, informed the court that his government did not intend to participate in the oral proceedings. Ukraines representative, Anton Korynevych, said Russias absence was telling. The fact that Russias seats are empty speaks loudly. They are not here in this court of law: They are on a battlefield waging an aggressive war against my country, he told the court in his opening statement last week. Moscow later submitted written arguments, claiming the court didnt have jurisdiction in the case. In fact, the Court wrote that, at this stage, it need[s] not satisfy itself in a definitive manner that it has jurisdiction as regards the merits of the case. The ruling opened the door for the possibility of more legal action. When asked if Ukraine was considering other options for complaining about Russias actions before the ICJ, Zolotaryova did not want to speculate. We dont want to tell our entire plan, she said. Few believe Moscow will comply with the order. Ukraine said they will give Russia 24 hours to abide by the decision and President Zelensky called on Russia to do so. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further, he said on Twitter. The court has no enforcement mechanism. It can refer countries who refuse to heed its rulings to the UN Security Council, where Russia has a permanent seat and would almost certainly veto any action against it. We are engaging in lawfare In its order, the ICJ said it is acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy that is taking place in Ukraine and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering. The Court is profoundly concerned about the use of force by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, which raises very serious issues of international law. Protestors who had gathered wearing Ukrainian flags and holding banners saying Stop Putin were happy the court had sided against Russia. This is the UNs court and they say Putin must stop. That is important, said a Ukrainian woman who did not want to be identified by name. She lives nearby and came with two neighbors to show their support for her country. Ukraines legal action before the ICJ is part of a broader strategy. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a similar set of measures against Russia two weeks ago, after Ukraine brought a complaint before the Strasbourg-based court. (Moscow has only increased its attack on its neighbor since then.) We are engaging in lawfare, Russia is engaging in warfare, Ukraines representative, Korynevych, told reporters before the ICJ hearing last week. Since then, the Council of Europe, the ECHRs oversight body, has kicked Russia out, citing the invasion as evidence that Moscow was no longer participating in the international legal order. Just before the ruling was announced on Wednesday, the International Criminal Courts (ICC) chief prosecutor turned up in Ukraine for a surprise visit with Zelensky. The pair met virtually to discuss the courts ongoing investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country. I was pleased to hold important exchanges with the president while in the country. We agreed all efforts are needed to ensure international humanitarian law is respected and to protect the civilian population, prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement after the meeting. The ICC, the worlds only permanent criminal court for such atrocity crimes, opened an investigation on March 2 following 8 years of preliminary examination during which it took no action. A record-breaking 41 countries referred the matter to the court in the days following the invasion. Turning the Genocide Convention on its head Noting that Ukraine considers that the Russian Federation has turned the Genocide Convention on its head, making a false claim of genocide as a basis for actions on its part that constitute grave violations of the human rights of millions of people across Ukraine, the ICJ judges observed that since 2014, various State organs and senior representatives of the Russian Federation have referred, in official statements, to the commission of acts of genocide by Ukraine in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The Court observes, in particular, that the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation an official State organ has, since 2014, instituted criminal proceedings against high-ranking Ukrainian officials regarding the alleged commission of acts of genocide against the Russian-speaking population living in the above-mentioned regions in violation of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It further recalled that, in an address made on 21 February 2022, the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin, described the situation in Donbass as a horror and genocide, which almost 4 million people are facing. The court further said: In his address, pronounced on 24 February 2022, the President of the Russian Federation () specified that the purpose of the special operation was to protect people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years. He stated that the Russian Federation had to stop a genocide against millions of people and that it would seek the prosecution of those who had committed numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russian Federation. The judges order specified that the ICJ is not in possession of evidence substantiating the allegation of the Russian Federation that genocide has been committed on Ukrainian territory. Moreover, it is doubtful that the Convention, in light of its object and purpose, authorizes a Contracting Partys unilateral use of force in the territory of another State for the purpose of preventing or punishing an alleged genocide. Under these circumstances, the Court considers that Ukraine has a plausible right not to be subjected to military operations by the Russian Federation for the purpose of preventing and punishing an alleged genocide in the territory of Ukraine. Russias submission is quite entertaining, Melanie OBrien, a law professor at the University of Western Australia and an expert on the Genocide Convention, told the media before yesterdays hearing. OBrien says Russias arguments were more tailored to a domestic audience rather than purely attempting to convince the judges of its positions. Russian and Chinese judges vote against However, a closer read of dissenting and separate opinions attached to the ICJs order give a more complex insight into the debates within the bench and how judges political sensibilities may play out. Both the Russian and Chinese judges voted against the two main measures. Russian Judge Kirill Gevorgian, who is also the vice-president of the Court, asserted that the ICJ had no jurisdiction in the case. It is evident that the dispute that Ukraine seeks to bring before the Court, in reality, relates to the use of force by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory. However, neither is the use of force regulated by the Genocide Convention nor does the use of force in itself constitute an act of genocide, he wrote in a declaration. The Chinese judge Hanqin Xue also tended to mirror Chinas balancing act over the war in Ukraine. While I fully endorse the call that the military operations in Ukraine should immediately be brought to an end so as to restore peace in the country as well as in the region, I reserve my position on the first two provisional measures indicated in this Order. () More importantly, given the complicated circumstances that give rise to the conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the measures that the Russian Federation is solely required to take will not contribute to the resolution of the crisis in Ukraine. The Court, in my view, should be cautious in entertaining the request submitted by Ukraine and avoid prejudgment on the merits of the case. () Ukraines contention that the Russian Federations allegation of genocide against Ukraine is just an excuse for Russias unlawful aggression raises doubt that this is a genuine case about genocide. In her view, Ukraines contention () is based on a mischaracterization of the Russian Federations position on its military operations. The document communicated by the Russian Federation to the Court shows that the legal grounds that the Russian Federation invokes for its military operations are Article 51 of the United Nations Charter on self-defence and customary international law. () Although the Russian Federation did refer to the alleged genocidal acts committed in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine in its official statements, it appears that the issue of the alleged genocide is not just one aspect of a broader political problem between the two States which may be separately examined, or the very reason for the Russian Federation to launch military operations against Ukraine, as claimed by Ukraine; it is an integral part of the dispute between the Russian Federation and Ukraine over the security issue in the region. As a result the Chinese judge said there was no plausible legal basis for Ukraines grievances under the Genocide Convention. This is not the first time that the Court is confronted with a tragic situation caused by the use of force, Judge Xue continued. The present Order, to my regret, prejudges the merits of the case (). Moreover, in the context of an armed conflict, one may wonder how those provisional measures can be meaningfully and effectively implemented by only one Party to the conflict. It appears that both the Russian and Chinese judges agreed to vote in favour on the third measure to refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute or make it more difficult to resolve it in particular because it was addressed to both Russia and Ukraine. NATO invites itself in the debate Moroccan Judge Mohamed Bennouna voted in favour of the Order because he felt compelled by this tragic situation, in which terrible suffering is being inflicted on the Ukrainian people, to join the call by the World Court to bring an end to the war. But he quickly added that he wasnt convinced that the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was conceived, and subsequently adopted, in 1948, to enable a State, such as Ukraine, to seize the Court of a dispute concerning allegations of genocide made against it by another State, such as the Russian Federation, even if those allegations were to serve as a pretext for an unlawful use of force. In his opinion, the Court clearly failed in establishing that any of the provisions of the Genocide Convention applied. He also criticized what he sees as a drifting application of the law, referring to NATOs interventions in Kosovo in 1999 as well as in Libya in 2011. NATO forces deviated from their initial mandate, by favouring regime change in that country, he wrote. In his view, the case brought in 1999 by Serbia against NATOs strikes in Kosovo was similar to the present proceedings, in so far as, in both instances, the applicant invoked the Genocide Convention in the context of an unlawful use of force by the respondent. He noted that back then the ICJ ruled it had no jurisdiction. As his Chinese colleague stressed, Judge Bennouna recalled that states remain in any event responsible for acts attributable to them that violate international law, including humanitarian law. But the fact remains that artificially linking a dispute concerning the unlawful use of force to the Genocide Convention does nothing to strengthen that instrument. German judge Georg Nolte wished to stress that he disagreed with the argument that the 1999 Yugoslavia case was similar. In that case, neither the applicant State [Serbia, in short, then known as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia] nor the respondent States [NATO] stated before the Court that the use of force by the respondent States had the purpose of preventing an alleged genocide. In the present case, in contrast, the Russian Federation has made allegations that Ukraine is committing genocide and has affirmed that its special military operation serves the purpose of preventing genocide. () The subject-matter of the Application by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999 was whether the use of force by the intervening States amounted to genocide. In contrast, in the present case, the subject-matter of the Application concerns the question whether the allegations of genocide and the military operations undertaken with the stated purpose of preventing and punishing genocide are in conformity with the Genocide Convention. It is true that, in 1999, certain respondent States came close to justifying their use of force by stating that their actions were taken with the intent to prevent genocide and that certain of their officials made allegations of genocide in that context. However, such justifications were not the stated purpose of the military operations by the respondent States, nor was that purpose so perceived by the applicant State. Beyond the legal dispute it wont escape some actors that Morocco is not a member of NATO while Germany is. The French judges direct challenge to Putin Jamaican judge Patrick Robinson fully endorsed the order. But regarding the third measure, he wrote that, in his view, there is no justification for directing this measure to Ukraine. It should have been directed solely to the Russian Federation. He also found regrettable that a fourth provisional measure requested by Ukraine that the Court should order the Russian Federation to provide a report to the Court on measures taken to implement the Courts Order on Provisional Measures one week after such order and then on a regular basis to be fixed by the Court was not granted. In light of the very grave situation in Ukraine caused by the special military operation, it would have been advantageous for the Court to examine periodic reports by Russia on its implementation of the provisional measures and to make appropriate orders, he wrote. All judges individual declarations or separate opinions appeared grounded in legal language. It was very different with French judge Yves Daudet, who was chosen by Ukraine because it had no judge sitting in the panel. Alongside Judge Robinson, Judge Daudet said that this measure of non-aggravation of the dispute should have been directed solely at the Russian Federation, which I recall was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the perpetrator of aggression against Ukraine. () I would like to make it clear here that this vote, as far as Ukraine is concerned, is in my view meaningless. Indeed, it is going against the evidence to think that Ukraine is likely to aggravate the conflict, when the reality shows that the Russian Federation alone is constantly amplifying military operations and making them more painful and tragic every day for a growing number of Ukrainians. Then the French judge went into a straightforward plea for Ukraines plight. The heroic defence of Ukrainians, both military and civilian, is taking place in a totally unbalanced way, in an unequal conflict marked by numerous and profound violations of international law and humanitarian law attributable to one side the Russian Federation which has military means of which the other side Ukraine is deprived, so that the possibilities of aggravation can only come from the former. In the current conflict, it is clear that the obvious escalation of the conflict, as it is developing day by day, is largely (but not only) due to the control of the skies by the Russian air force, which can bomb any target it decides to attack in more and more parts of Ukraine. Ukraine is under bombardment and can only fight a defensive war and resist as best it can against an attack by the worlds second largest army. If the Russian military operation is not going as smoothly as President Putin had hoped, it is certainly not because the Ukrainians are escalating the conflict, nor because they are in danger of doing so, but simply because they are showing a courage and determination that is admired the world over. I hope that they will not regard the Courts position as a form of insult to their courage, which it clearly does not intend to be. Then he made a much more direct address to Russias president. Finally, it should be recalled that more and more victims are to be deplored among the civilian population, among women and children, victims of the unspeakable cruelty of a Head of State whose designs violate the most elementary principles of humanity and civilization. Ukrainians () want peace and their State has turned to the Court to obtain it through international law. () Public opinion was informed by the media of Ukraines referral to the Court and many people placed their hopes in the voice of international law that the World Court would carry. I believe that this Order will meet their legitimate expectations. To this hope, I would add a wish: President Putin cannot be reproached for willingly referring to Russian history and sometimes to the period of the Empire. I hope that he will remember the initiative of Tsar Nicholas II in convening the first Peace Conference in The Hague in 1899, which was the cornerstone of the construction of a world order for peace and the peaceful settlement of disputes. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that he believes Russia is guilty of committing war crimes by attacking civilians in Ukraine. He also said that Moscow was not making sincere efforts in peace talks with Kyiv, and that President Joe Biden was preparing to issue a warning to China not to send arms to Russia in support of its invasion of Ukraine. Yesterday, President Biden said that in his opinion, war crimes have been committed in Ukraine, Blinken told reporters at the State Department. Personally, I agree, he said. Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction of the past few weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise, he said. The chief US diplomat cited the recent bombing of a theater in Mariupol in southern Ukraine where many people had taken refuge and spelled out children in large Russian letters on the pavement outside for protection. He also cited allegations that Russians opened fire on 10 civilians in line to buy bread in Chernihiv. With every day that passes the number of civilians, including children, killed and wounded, continues to climb, he said. Russia continues to attack civilian sites, including this week alone, a hospital, three schools (and) a boarding school for visually impaired kids in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. He said US experts were now documenting and evaluating reports of attacks on civilians to determine if formal war crimes cases can be made. We need to go through this process of compiling the evidence, collecting the evidence, understanding the evidence. Well share that, and our allies and partners Im sure will do the same, with all of the investigations that are ongoing, to support accountability using every tool that we have available, he said. Despite optimism from some areas, Blinken cast doubts on ongoing peace discussions between officials from Kyiv and Moscow as the war continues to rage, saying Russia is not negotiating seriously. On the one hand, we commend Ukraine for being at the table despite being under bombardment every minute of the day, Blinken said. At the same time, I have not seen any meaningful efforts by Russia to bring this war that it is perpetrating to a conclusion through diplomacy. Diplomacy requires both sides engaging in good faith to de-escalate. I dont see signs right now that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is prepared to stop. Blinken said that, in a phone discussion planned on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden would press Beijing to help end the war and not support Moscows unprovoked invasion. We believe China in particular has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and to defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support, Blinken said. Instead, it appears that China is moving in the opposite direction. He said Washington is concerned China will ship arms to help Russias invasion. In the talks Friday, he said, Biden will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russias aggression. And we will not hesitate to impose costs. Perus constitutional court on Thursday ordered the release of disgraced former president Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year sentence for crimes against humanity, a judicial source said. The court reinstated a pardon given to the 83-year-old in December 2017 that was subsequently revoked in October 2018, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. The courts decisions cannot be appealed and the source said Fujimori should be released within a few days. Fujimori, who was president from 1990 to 2000, is serving a 25-year sentence for two massacres committed by army death squads in 1991 and 1992, in which 25 people, including a child, were killed in a supposed anti-terrorist operation. Upon leaving office he fled into exile, originally to the land of his ancestors, Japan. But he was extradited back to Peru from Chile in 2007 and jailed, having been convicted in his absence. The source said the vote on whether to release Fujimori was equally split three for and three against. The rules say that when it is a draw, the presidents vote counts double, the source told AFP. Fujimori has long suffered from ill health and on Monday returned to prison following 11 days in a clinic receiving treatment for an irregular heartbeat. He is the only inmate at the small Barbadillo jail at the barracks of the special operations police in eastern Lima. Bloody new attacks on civilians fuelled accusations Thursday that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine, as the United States warned it will make China pay for any support given to Moscows assault. Three weeks into Russias devastating invasion, the harsh tally of assaults on civilian targets grew to include a school and a cultural centre in the town of Merefa, pounded by overnight artillery fire with 21 people killed, authorities said. Despite the mounting carnage, punishing international sanctions and unexpectedly strong resistance from Ukrainians, top US diplomat Antony Blinken said Thursday he saw no sign that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is prepared to stop. Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction of the past few weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise, he said, following warnings from the G7 that those behind such crimes will be held responsible. Blinken was doubling down on the tough language used by President Joe Biden who a day earlier branded Putin a war criminal and on Thursday called him both a thug and a murderous dictator. He spoke as authorities were still trying to count the dead at the theatre targeted by a bomb in southern Mariupol a day earlier which Ukraines leader Volodymr Zelensky held up as evidence Russia has become a terrorist state. In the latest of a series of resonant speeches to Western lawmakers, Zelensky told the German parliament that Moscow was building a new Cold War wall across Europe, between freedom and bondage. Russias unrelenting onslaught on Mariupol has drawn particular horror. Local officials say more than 2,000 people have died so far in indiscriminate Chechnya-style shelling of the strategic port, and 80 percent of its housing has been destroyed. Under new Russian shelling, rescuers were combing through the smoking rubble of the Drama Theatre, where Ukrainian officials said more than 1,000 civilians were sheltering in a basement bomb shelter when it was bombed. Human Rights Watch believes they numbered at least 500. Among the 30,000 civilians said to have fled Mariupol so far, evacuees said they were forced to melt snow for drinking water and cook food scraps on open fires, with water and power supplies cut off. In the streets there are the bodies of many dead civilians, Tamara Kavunenko, 58, told AFP after reaching the central city of Zaporizhzhia. Its not Mariupol anymore, she said. It is hell. US puts China on notice Biden and NATO have refused to get directly involved in the conflict, fearing an escalation with nuclear-armed Russia that would trigger World War III. Instead Biden has successfully marshalled a tight Western alliance against Moscow, piling sanctions on Putins regime while giving military support to Ukrainian forces. But one potentially dangerous outlier looms: China. Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow, and Washington fears the Chinese could switch to full financial and even military support for Russia, transforming an already explosive transatlantic standoff into a global dispute. A phone call between Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is planned for Friday, and Blinken said his boss would press Beijing to help end the war, rather than support its fellow authoritarian ally. Biden will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russias aggression and we will not hesitate to impose costs, Blinken said. The broader economic consequences from the war could cut global growth by over one percentage point in the next 12 months, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said. But Russias finance ministry said Thursday it had made interest payments worth $117.2 million on two foreign bonds, avoiding a default for now. Tear down this wall With stop-start peace talks ongoing, officials in Kyiv said Russia had agreed to nine humanitarian corridors Thursday for fleeing refugees, including one out of Mariupol. But Blinken said that Moscow was not sincere, stating: I have not seen any meaningful efforts by Russia to bring this war that it is perpetrating to a conclusion through diplomacy. As the death toll mounts and Russian forces squeeze Kyiv, Zelensky continued his increasingly desperate pleas for more help, particularly for military hardware and a no-fly zone. He has been making a series of impassioned speeches to lawmakers in Western nations, each one tailor-made by invoking the most stirring moments of their recent histories. This time, before the German parliament, he drew on a 1987 speech in Berlin by US president Ronald Reagan: Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this wall, he implored German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Its not a Berlin Wall it is a wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this wall is growing bigger with every bomb. In an overnight video message, Zelensky urged Russians directly to lay down their arms. If your war, the war against the Ukrainian people, continues, Russias mothers will lose more children than in the Afghan and Chechen wars combined, he said. It is hell The Ukrainian leader was speaking virtually from Kyiv, which Russian troops are still trying to surround in a slow-moving offensive. Fresh fighting broke out on the citys edge as Ukrainian and Russian forces traded shell and rocket fire in the northwest, AFP journalists witnessed. Civilians ran for cover as shelling set fire to a building near a warehouse, across the road from a mall with a multiplex cinema. Inside the warehouses car park, a Ukrainian soldier carrying a rifle ran in a crouch as gunshots crackled. A man carried a prone child in his arms into a nearby block of flats, and at least five ambulances raced towards the scene. In Odessa, on the Black Sea, civilians were bracing for attack, with tanks deployed at intersections and monuments covered in sandbags. Our beautiful Odessa, said Lyudmila, an elegant elderly woman wearing bright lipstick, as she looked apologetically at her citys empty, barricaded streets. But thank God we are holding on! Everyone is holding on! And elsewhere, civilians in bomb shelters did what they could to help forget the war raging outside even just for a while. From her shelter in Ukraines second city Kharkiv, Vera Lytovchenko has become a social media sensation with her violin performances and used the attention to launch a fundraiser. I want to help my friends and music teachers who have lost their homes, their jobs, their instruments, said the soloist. I dont want to feel helpless, she said. burs-st/ec In 1975 the United States and Russia completed the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, an historic turning point from the nationalistic space race era to one of international cooperation in space. The test docking mission led to the signing of the Space Cooperation Agreement in 1987, still two full years before the end of the Cold War. For 35 years, despite aggression, hostility and wars on Earth, space has been what we hoped it could be a unifying force for the best of humanitys intentions. We are faced now with the chilling reality that this era ended Feb. 24. As Putin waged an unprovoked war on the Ukrainian people, Dmitry Rogozin evaporated any remaining or perceived distance between Putins war machine and Russias Roscosmos space agency. Advertisement Ann Kapusta is the executive director of the Space Frontier Foundation, a space advocacy nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that the exploration and development of space is open to everyone through the power of free enterprise. - Original Credit: Courtesy photo (Courtesy photo) In a series of escalating toxic behavior, the Director General has made it abundantly clear that Roscosmos can not be counted as an ally in building a shared future in space. Post invasion, Rogozins opening dialogue to the space community was a threat to weaponize the International Space Station by crash-landing the station, and the seven international researchers aboard, into a civilian area on Earth. Further official Roscosmos propaganda depicted a (scientifically inaccurate) portrayal of cosmonauts detaching the Russian segment of the ISS and watching the U.S. Orbital Segment (USOS) and its researchers fall back to earth. Rogozin isnt just threatening to jeopardize international collaboration with the ISS, he is actively disconnecting and disassociating Roscosmos from the rest of the international space community. Roscosmos defaulted on the (fully paid and contracted) March 4 launch of 36 OneWeb satellites from Baikonur, bringing the satellites down from a loaded launch configuration aboard the Soyuz rocket. Advertisement Rogozin also withdrew his agencys launch support from the European spaceport in French Guiana, and is violating contracts to service and supply RD-180 and RD-181 engines to the U.S., publicly allocating them for Putins war and intelligence operations instead. In the face of threats and hostility from our oldest partner in this endeavor, can space still hold the promise of a unified future for humanity? Undeniably yes. But we must course-correct now, and make the difficult decision to move away from the status quo. We can no longer work in collaboration with Roscosmos and trust the safety of our USOS crew aboard the ISS. Despite our historic cooperation with Russia, we disregard these threats now at our own peril. We must stand in united opposition against the weaponization of space by Rogozin and Roscosmos. Fortunately our choices are not Russia or nobody. There are 75 other active government space agencies (including Ukraine), 14 with launch capabilities, and a thriving international commercial space economy. The time for a new era of collaboration is now. We must make full partners of those who see space exploration and development as an expression of freedom and we do that through collaboration with free nations. It is our responsibility to build a space frontier representative of the best that humanity has to offer here on our planet richness of diversity, free creative expression, a respect for science, and an understanding that we are all brothers and sisters, equally deserving of kindness, on a pale blue dot. Ann Kapusta is the executive director of the Space Frontier Foundation, a space advocacy nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that the exploration and development of space is open to everyone through the power of free enterprise. Family of man killed by police in Best Buy parking lot in Springfield files lawsuit Chris Cropp has been working with Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief for 10 years. His first assignment was the March 2012 tornado in West Liberty. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Today the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine; we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world, sacrificing our lives in the name of the future. These were the words of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his passionate virtual address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Ukraine, he said, is fighting for the values America cherishes: democracy, independence, freedom. Advertisement More than that, Ukraine is fighting for the post-World War II principle that powerful countries cant be permitted to invade, destroy, and annex peaceful neighbors as Adolf Hitler did and as Vladimir Putin is trying to do now. So it isnt enough for President Joe Biden to praise Zelenskyy, or for all of Congress to erupt in bipartisan applause or even for Congress to appropriate $800 million in new military aid for Ukraine. Advertisement Trudy Rubin is an op-ed columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. (Philadelphia Inquirer/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) The U.S. goal must be to ensure that Ukraine does not lose this war on the battlefield or in future talks with the duplicitous Putin. That means we must heed Zelenskyys plea to protect our sky. Despite the astonishing skill of Ukraines army and civilian volunteers in holding off the Russian ground attack, Putins forces are deliberately slaughtering Ukrainian civilians from the air. Their goal: to terrorize the country and force Zelenskyy to surrender. Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people fired nearly 1,000 missiles, countless bombs. They use drones to kill us with precision, the Ukrainian leader told Congress. Kyiv is under missile and airstrikes from Russian troops every day, but it doesnt give up. Remember Pearl Harbor, he urged. Remember Sept. 11, when evil tried to turn your cities into battlefields. Our country experiences the same every day, right now, at this moment, every night for three weeks now. I have a dream, Zelenskyy told Congress. I have a need. I need to protect our sky. I need your decision, your help. Zelenskyys request for a humanitarian no-fly zone over western Ukraine which remains relatively peaceful and a refuge for millions of fleeing Ukrainians has been rejected. Ditto for Zelenskyys continued effort to obtain Polands MiG-29 planes. Advertisement Yet, swallowing his frustration, Zelenskyy showed incredible resilience before Congress. If this is too much to ask, he said, we offer an alternative. You know what kind of [air] defense systems we need. S-300 (a Russian-made long-range air defense system) and other similar systems. The good news is that the Biden administration is working hard to locate and transfer S-300 systems from other NATO members that possess them and might be willing to offer them to Ukraine. Yet progress in obtaining these systems is too slow, as Russian missiles wreak more destruction daily. While the Biden team should be commended for its large new package of military aid, and Congress for pushing the package forward in a bipartisan fashion, more must be done immediately to save Ukraine. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > Most urgently, the mindset in Washington must change. When the war started, the bipartisan expectation (and that of U.S. intelligence officials) was that Russian forces would swiftly conquer Ukraine. Ukrainian bravery and the skill of its armed forces changed that. Now Russian military failures, and Zelenskyys brilliant leadership, have led to speculation that Ukraine might win. But a desperate, angry Putin is throwing all of his manpower and conventional weapons into destroying Ukraine. A destroyed Ukraine may even suit Putin better than an occupation, which Russian forces arent capable of carrying out. Advertisement The White House cant afford to permit Putin to succeed in this fashion. Nor can it afford to wait the months it will take for sanctions to fully kick in. Indeed, Putin may become more dangerous as his desperation grows. Instead, the administration must undertake a full-court press to get Zelenskyy S-300s, armed drones and anti-ship missiles to save the Port of Odesa. And, without publicity, get those MIG-29s to Ukraine. Yes, Ukraine could win by compelling Putin to pull back and declare victory but only if Washington shows a bipartisan determination to help Zelenskyy in the immediate future. Thats the only appropriate response to Zelenskyys brave and brilliant speech. Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for the The Philadelphia Inquirer. Ketchikan, AK (99901) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 39F. SE winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 39F. SE winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 70%. For much of her life, attorney Lori Wurtzel has working on civil rights issues, preaching the value of each vote. Last week, she won her first election - to the Maitland City Council - by a 3-vote margin. (Courtesy) Today we have a lot of turf to cover including questions about QAnon support from the newest appointee to the Florida Board of Education and why you cant expect any relief on skyrocketing home-insurance rates. But first lets look at how just three votes sealed the fate of one Central Florida election. Advertisement It happened in Maitland where City Council candidate Lori Wurtzel waited an agonizing three days for elections officials to certify the results. The final vote tally: Wurtzel had 1,003 votes compared to the 1,000 votes her two challengers received, meaning Wurtzel had won the race without a runoff. Advertisement A rich detail: Wurtzel is an attorney who has spent much of her life promoting voting as both a teacher who taught constitutional law in high school and as a lawyer who does pro bono legal work to restore rights to former felons. In the three days that I waited for the final result, I thought a lot about the power of one vote, Wurtzel said. I thought about my former students and how I would use this experience to teach a lesson. Thats not just a good lesson for students, but for everyone. The flip side So now you know how much each vote counted in Maitland. What you may not know is how few residents of that city cared enough to cast ballots at all. Turnout was dreadfully low just 14.7%. And it wasnt just Maitland. In Oakland, voter turnout was 13.4%. Even in Apopka, where there was a hotly contested mayoral race, turnout was only 19.2%. We live in a society that flocks to Nextdoor and Facebook to debate community issues but then skips the chance to directly impact those issues. Orange Countys election office reported the highest turnout in Winter Park at 31.7%. Thats more than double what it was in Maitland, but still fewer than 1 in 3 registered voters. The coming civil wars On the heels of one member of the Florida Board of Education resigning in the wake of scandal where investigators found he tried to personally profit off a struggling school district, Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed a new member. Advertisement And shes not exactly controversy-free either. Her name is Esther Byrd, wife of State Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach. And the Florida Times-Union reported: Byrd most notably landed in the public eye for her tweets supporting the Capitol insurrection as well as the QAnon conspiracy theory and defending the Proud Boys. But it didnt stop there. A Jacksonville TV station also reported that Byrd warned of coming civil wars in a tweet last year before deleting her account. WJXT said the former marine who manages her husbands law office told her Twitter followers: In the coming civil wars (We the People vs the Radical Left and We the People cleaning up the Republican Party), team rosters are being filled. Every elected official in DC will pick one. There are only 2 teams With Us [or] Against Us. Advertisement Revealing thoughts from Floridas newest education official. (Assuming the state Senate confirms her anyway, which seems like a pretty safe assumption.) Insurance rates up, no help If youre like many Floridians, youve seen your homeowners insurance rates skyrocket recently or maybe even been dropped by your carrier. So what did the Florida Legislature do about it in their recently adjourned session? Pretty much nothing. The Tampa Bay Times summed up the complicated issue in its piece: Legislature leaves without addressing property insurance crisis. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > In it, the Times wrote: Florida homeowners will probably have to continue riding out a turbulent property insurance market on their own for the next year after state lawmakers ended their yearly legislative session without enacting any reforms. Now, lawmakers found time to wage culture wars galore. They united to rage against teachers and woke corporations. Advertisement But GOP Sen. Jim Boyd told the Times that his party leaders couldnt come up with any solutions to help homeowners, saying: Bottom line: homeowners lost, and thats what troubles me. Boyd said GOP leaders could maybe call a special session to address the issue much like they did last year when they granted a monopoly on statewide sports-betting to their donor buddies with the Seminole Tribe. (A judge later ruled the deal unconstitutional.) But so far, legislative leaders seem dont seem to consider citizens mounting insurance problems as that much of a priority. In fact, the piece quoted Senate President Wilton Simpson sounding pretty indifferent to the whole mess, saying: We were disappointed we couldnt get more done this year, but thats part of the process. And so we decided it would be better for the next Legislature to take that issue up. Simpson, by the way, is already running for another office: state agriculture commissioner. smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has warmly welcomed the breakthrough among four Members on a waiver of the Trade Related Intellectual Property agreement for the production of vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic OAKRIDGE, Ore. -- More information is coming to light after a semi-truck driver survived a close call on Highway 58 near Oakridge on Monday. Shane Murphy with JK Pickle Trucking was driving on the highway at about 11 a.m. when he came across a semi-truck headed in the other direction that was trying to pass on a double yellow. The two trucks barely missed each other, and damage was only done to Murphy's mirror. Director of operations at JK Pickle Trucking, Rod Brady, told KEZI 9 News they tracked down the other trucking company involved in the incident, which is located in Manteca, California. The owner reportedly told Brady their driver informed them there had been an incident, but the driver only said they had tried to pass a slower truck and took evasive action to avoid a crash. However, the driver reportedly did not share that the other truck's mirror had been broken or that the incident had happened in a no-pass zone. In an email, the owner of the other company reportedly told Brady they would take "appropriate action" to make sure no incidents like this happen in the future. No citations have been issued at this time, and Brady said he wants others to take this incident as a learning experience. He wants to remind drivers to be safer on two-lane roads, especially when passing. Brady also said Oregon State Police wants to use the dashcam video for training purposes. Murphy, who was not hurt in the incident, said he definitely had some guardian angels watching over him. "Well, I was thankful and I had just put my grandpa and uncle to rest on Friday the week before, so I looked up and said thank you to them," said Murphy. "I was just really thankful that it was me instead of a school bus full of kids." Looking to update your home? Watch the KHQ Spring Home Design Guide featuring the areas top home improvement businesses on Sat, May 7 at 4:30pm on KHQ. And click here to win a $500 VISA gift card, courtesy of our presenting partner - VPC Electric! Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here. A man has been jailed for four years for his part in a robbery at Gowran Post Office. During the robbery the post master was injured in the horrific experience. The money stolen has never been recovered. Kilkenny Circuit Court imposed the jail sentence on James Cash, formerly of 2 Ardristan Heights, Tullow, and currently in custody. Mr Cash pleaded guilty to robbery. The incident took place on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, when three masked men armed with a pickaxe handle and a piece of timber went into Gowran post office, just after it opened that morning. The men smashed a security screen and demanded money, making off with a substantial amount of cash. The getaway car was later found burned out by gardai. Judge Orla Crowe described the incident as highly planned and highly premeditated. The investigation spanned a number of counties and a huge amount of CCTV was inspected, Kilkenny Circuit Court heard. A Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat were seen travelling in convoy on the morning of the robbery. CCTV also showed the three masked raiders smashing the security screen and James Cash scaling the post office counter. The postmaster received minor injuries in the incident, small abrasions to his forehead and a finger. He has now retired from the postal service. Kilkenny Circuit Court heard that Mr Cash did not hit the postmaster but he did admit to burning the getaway car. The cars were bought a day or two before the robbery. Mr Cash has more than 50 previous convictions, Judge Crowe noted, delivering her judgement. She also acknowledged he has since expressed remorse. However, she said, Mr Cash was first charged on January 24, 2021. He failed to turn up in the district court and the circuit court on several occasions and travelled to Northern Ireland and the UK in the years since. For part of that time he was serving a jail sentence in the UK. Mr Cash has had a drug problem since the age of 14, the court heard, and his family home life was chaotic. Judge Crowe said there were elements of planning but also of spontaneity in the incident. Substance abuse was behind Mr Cashs offending, she said, and he is a very different man now to the man he was then. He has attended addiction counselling and other courses while in custody. Mr Cashs previous convictions included 11 counts of burglary, four counts of handling stolen property, incidents of escaping lawful custody and an assault. He served a sentence in the UK for burglary. Judge Crowe said a Probation Report had judged Mr Cash at high risk of reoffending if he does not address his problems. The ten-year delay in the case coming to court in Kilkenny was down to Mr Cashs own behaviour, the judge said. It had taken two bench warrants to bring him to court then he went to another jurisdiction where he offended and was jailed. Aggravating factors in the case were that the crime was highly planned and highly premeditated, Judge Crowe said. The two cars used by the men were bought in advance and later burned out. The judge said the arrival of three men wearing balaclavas and armed, was a horrific experience for the post master, who, fortunately, seems to have moved on. Judge Crowe said there were mitigating factors in the case. Mr Cash has come to a considerable level of realisation and wants to put things right. He is a father of four, with obligations and duties and sees things in a different way. In a letter to the judge Mr Cash said he wanted to live a quiet and peaceful life. The judge said the offence warranted a custodial sentence. She imposed a jail term of five years, back dated to the day Mr Cash was taken into custody. She suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on condition Mr Cash enter a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for five years from his release, attend all appointments with the Probation Service and engage with services as directed. A group of 15 travel professionals working with one of Italys leading tour operators, Boscolo Tours, has been enjoying a fact-finding visit around Kilkenny and Ireland as guests of Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland. The aim of the visit was to really enthuse the travel agents about our superb tourism offering and to highlight some of our top attractions and experiences. Their busy itinerary included St Canices Cathedral and Kilkenny Castle. They also enjoyed lunch in Matt The Millers Bar & Restaurant. Marcella Ercolini, Tourism Irelands Manager Italy, said: We were delighted to invite representatives of Boscolo Tours to visit Kilkenny and Ireland. Their visit was a great opportunity to showcase our superb tourism offering. Seeing is believing and our aim is that when they return home, they will be even more enthusiastic about the destination, helping to secure a greater share of their business for Ireland in 2022 and beyond. We will be launching our new Green Button campaign in Italy over the coming weeks, to re-start tourism and encourage Italian travellers to press the Green Button and book Ireland for their next holiday. Our key message is that we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome back our Italian visitors. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council, Taher al-Sonni, said on Wednesday that the holding of "transparent and fair" elections, with consensual laws and a solid constitutional basis, is the only real guarantee for restoring the legitimacy of the people, ending the conflict and resolving the crisis in the country Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Presidential Council discussed here Wednesday with a number of ambassadors from countries accredited to Libya ways to establish a consensual constitutional basis for general elections in the North African country Jasper, TX (75951) Today Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Jasper, TX (75951) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 49F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 49F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Support local journalism Local news, sports and entertainment when you want it. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the best local news, sports and entertainment coverage. What does Foreign Minister's Press Conference at this year's Two Sessions signal? Xinhua) 17:08, March 17, 2022 (Source: Xinhua) Xinhuanet, Beijing, March 10: Amid the increasingly turbulent and complex state of global affairs, the press conference with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi under the limelight at this year's Two Sessions, which took place a few days ago, has attracted tremendous attention both at home and abroad. In an exclusive interview with Yang Dingdu, reporter of Xinhuanet, Vice President of China Foreign Affairs University Wang Fan and Director of the China Institute of International Studies' Department for European StudiesCui Hongjian have interpreted the important signals sent at this press conference. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. Reporter: First of all, please tell us your overall impressions on the press conference attended by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at this years Two Sessions. Wang Fan: At the foreign ministers press conference, China firstly has exuded full confidence. This is because the just-concluded Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games has proved that China, as the host nation, is capable of teaming up with other nations to put on a splendid, simple and safe grand gathering, in spite of many difficulties China faces.Throughout this whole process, we also observed most of the world's peoples' commitment to unity, as well as their willingness to cooperate. Foreign Minister Wang, who is a State Councilor, has specifically mentioned that China has demonstrated unity during the whole process of the Winter Olympics. It is this unified atmosphere that gives us the confidence to face the future. Secondly, China has showed its responsibility as a bigmajor country. China is now playing an increasingly important role, shouldering whatever responsibilities it can as well as acting in a proactive and constructive manner when it comes to matters of great importance, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. Moreover, China has called on other big nations to shoulder the necessary responsibilities to maintain world peace and safety. This is because, the problems we are facing in the current context such as non-traditional security concerns cannot be resolved by any one nation alone. They require the equal cooperation of all big major countries. Reporters: In response to a Reuters journalist's pointed line of questioning regarding the state of affairs in Ukraine,Wang Yi responded that [China] will make "its own independent judgements on the merits of the matter". How can we interpret this statement? Cui Hongjian: At the press conference, Western media outlets' questions regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict were not only pointed, but very tricky. This Reuters journalist's line of questioning was particularly representative of Western public opinion at the time. Their central ideas were twofold: first, they called into question whether China's attitude toward the conflict is one of upholding loyalties rather than ethics in other words, whether we side with Russia merely because of our close ties, and whether these ties make us incapable of having an independent stance. Second, they questioned if China should do more and be more proactive, if only for the purposes of maintaining our status and role as a great power. These two questions laid a number of traps, yet I felt Wang was cool and level-headed in his response, which centered on our nation's stance. Not only did he avoid falling into these rhetorical traps he explained what it is that we truly want and what we are doing, one thing after another. Truthfully, when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China has an extremely clear opinion, which Wang Yi has expressed before on a number of occasions. But I felt that, at this press conference, when addressing the international community, Wang went even further in his explanation than before. Though he thoroughly expressed China's stance, merely discussing principles and stances is not enough particularly when it comes to China, considering that the international community's expectations toward us are rising. By delving into the "merits of the matter", Wang made China's stance even more explicit. His response was extremely systematic, comprising of "four obligations", which are interconnected and form an organic whole and addressing all concerns. We must also pay attention to resolving certain issues of the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, such as avoiding a humanitarian crisis and reducing civilian deaths. Wang specifically mentioned the need to resolve major humanitarian crisis. I think this shows that, when it comes to dealing with international relations, China not only focuses on ties between nations, but also considers things from the perspective of civilians, because of our concept of a "community with a shared future for mankind". This is a manifestation of the Chinese Communist Party's implementation of people-based governance within the field of foreign diplomacy: our stances revolve around the international community and the common people of all nations. Finally, when it comes to planning ahead, if we merely address the symptoms of global issues rather than their root causes, then incidents like the Russia-Ukraine conflict are likely to occur again in the future. This is also to say that Europe must develop a sustainable security framework according to long-term goals and in keeping with the principle of the regions inseparability. This is China's thorough viewpoint that takes into consideration both present and future. It is our extremely clear independent stance, based on our judgement of the facts of the current situation. Reporter: Wang mentioned that resolving complex issues requires a cool and rational approach if we are to avoid needlessly exacerbating conflicts. And yet, currently, the West including NATO are indeed pouring fuel on the flames. What did the West actually do to address the continually escalating the Ukraine crisis? Wang Fan: We must first address the matter of responsibility. In fact, China has already shouldered our responsibilities in this matter as well as maintaining an impartial, accurate assessment of the facts, upon which we have worked out a number of solutions. At the same time, we are also aware of the extremely complex context behind these problems. They are caused by multiple factors and are not the sole responsibility of any one nation. Simply imposing sanctions or blaming on any one nation will not effectively resolve the problems, rather they require everyone to cooperate and meet each other halfway. However, we've seen that certain countries are the originators of the Ukraine crisis. They have had a hand in instigating the crisis and have proactively contributed to making it worse. Some even planned it behind the scenes. Their goal is not to resolve problems, on the contrary, they intend to perpetuate them and even make them spread. As the crisis is continually worsening, they have donated weapons and ammunition to one side of the conflict. This is a typical way of pouring fuel on the flame. We also know that sanctions against Russia will have a negative impact on the entire international community, including Europe. In the long run, they may also be detrimental to the United States and the US dollar system. Worse still, such sanctions will further exacerbate conflicts. So, the contradiction between Russia and Western powers will not be solved by imposing sanctions, but will be made worse, triggering a chain of negative consequences. Therefore, Wang specified that the more tension there is or the more differences there are, the more negotiations are necessary. What Wang meant are we must exercise rationality and restraint in regard to the problems. What kind of measures can help alleviate the problems? Russia and Ukraine holding multiple rounds of talks in order to reach an initial agreement regarding opening humanitarian corridors is an extremely promising starting point. In this regard, China has also contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese plans. I think that Wang's mentioning of these plans is a good demonstration of how we are promoting negotiations and how we are pushing things to develop in a positive direction. This includes maintaining the rapidity, promptness, effectiveness and security of humanitarian corridors under the UN framework, as well as fundamentally ensuring the safety and protecting the lives of both Ukrainian and foreign civilians. I feel that addressing these concerns will truly put us on the right track to resolving the crisis. Reporter: Wang said that the ties between China and Russia are founded on the values of autonomy and independence that they are built on the premise of not forming an alliance, not opposing one another, and not ganging up on other nations. More importantly, they are not influenced by any third parties. Could you elaborate on Wang's stance? Cui Hongjian: The China-Russia relations are one of the most important bilateral ties in the current global state of affairs, and The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has made sound achievements over the years. In light of current Russia-Ukraine conflict, more attention are being paid to the Chinese-Russian relations. Wang initially re-emphasized several principles of the Chinese-Russian relations, such as non-alliance. This effectively responded to certain concerns held by the international community, Western nations in particular. Because, there is a viewpoint in the West to the effect that China has tacitly consented to or even supported Russia's actions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has then served as the basis for allegations that China and Russia have formed a kind of alliance. However, Wang emphasized China's stance of not forming an alliance, as well as the reasons behind this stance. Wang saidthat it isnot China's own desire, it is a mutual consensus between China and Russia. Cooperating without forming an alliance is one of the true implications of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Of course, I also understand that Western countries have, throughout the history of international relations, often found themselves either in a state of alliance or opposition. This reductive, dualistic mode of relations has limited their perception. However, over the years, including during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China has always adheredto the principles of the UN Charter, while maintaining a close cooperative partnership with Russia. This is patently clear. When developing ties with a nation, China doesnt sully the relations with selfish motives or have its own interests. China acts in the shared interests of the two peoples and promotes cooperation in all areas with the ultimate goal of helping the development of the two countries and improving the living standards of the two peoples. At the same time, the cooperation between China and Russia also serves the purpose of maintaining regional stability. For instance, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has made great contributions to this end. It needs to be re-emphasized that our relations do not target other nations, nor should they be interfered with by other nations. This is an extremely important point. Wang mentioned later on in his response that the development of Chinese-Russian relations has a very powerful internal driving force. We know that, if such internal driving forces arenot handled properly, then countries can find themselves in a state of "maintaining ties for the sake of it". For instance, certain countries in the West have often adopted an opportunistic approach to international relations taking advantage of their allies for as long as needed, and abandoning them the moment they're no longer of use. However, if Chinese-Russian relations have maintained a degree of stability, it's precisely because of this powerful internal driving force. This force results not only from the fact that we're two neighbouring powers it's also because of the mutual benefits we've derived from our collaborations in fields such as energy and trade. Thanks to this internal driving force, our relations aren't subject to the influence of a third party. Tensions between the US and Russia aren't going to give us any ideas, or affect our relations with Russia. This is the right way for a great power to approach foreign diplomacy. Reporter: What kind of influence will this incident have on relations between China and Europe? Cui Hongjian: When addressing China-EU relations on this occasion, Wang said two things left a particularly strong impression on him: firstly, China-EU ties had their own pattern of development, and secondly, China and the EU have many stable consensus, such as multilateralism. The two things are characterized in part by mutually beneficial cooperation and are not influenced by third parties. This is significant because China-EU relations have been frequently disturbed by external factors last year. For instance, when Biden took office in early 2021, he deliberately courted favour with Europe in an attempt to form a kind of alliance competing against China. Indeed, certain European countries, or certain individuals have made performances after ceding to this temptation. But China-EU relations have a solid foundation based on consistent cooperation and exchanges over the past 40 years. The annual some 800 billion US dollars worth of bilateral tradehas truly been beneficial to our respective economies and peoples. Therefore, in spite of complex factors as well as the global pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China-EU relations have been remaining strong with a bright prospect. Reporter: Director Wang, you just mentioned that certain countries in the West including the United States were originators of the Ukraine crisis. What could the United States stand to gain from the crisis? Could you please provide a detailed explanation of their various vested interests, geopolitically, politically and economically? Wang Fan: As we all know, the United States' strategy is one of global hegemony. Truthfully, from the end of the Cold War onwards, the US has consistently considered how to spread and perpetuate its hegemony. As far as the US was concerned, that moment in time was a golden opportunity in this regard, in that their former rival, the Soviet Union, had just disappeared, making it the sole global power. At the time, many media outlets and experts from the US were discussing how the world had become "unipolar", and how the state could be maintained into the 21st Century. Global hegemonism is an important characteristic. It isn't established on the basis of regional stability or unity, but rather on fractions and factions. By causing other regions to play off against one another, the US is able to gain a firmer hold over distant shores. From the Cold War to this day, the UShas carried out this kind of strategy. When it comes to East Asia, the US has continually stirred the pot in the hope of exacerbating tensions between China and Japan. The moment Japan displays a willingness to cooperate with China, the US exerts pressure on it. We can clearly see that the US hopes that the few nations in this region will check and balance each others power, and even weaken one another. For several years now, when it comes to Europe, everyone has been discussing why it is that the US created this situation that has now led Russia to take military action. Truthfully, it is to do with NATO's fifth eastward expansion. What is the purpose of NATO'S eastward expansion? Russia hasn't expanded westward, nor have they directly threatened other countries in Europe something that even the United States themselves have admitted. The context behind NATO's expansion is complex. One of its goals is to bolster NATO's cohesiveness. After the Cold War, did NATO truly have a raison-dtre? The bloc needed to find a new rival to justify its existence, and it set its sights on Russia. By presenting Russia as a threat, NATO has found a means of continually expanding eastward, increasing Europe's distrust and antagonism toward Russia in the process. This in turn has exacerbated Russia's response, creating the state of opposition and conflict between Europe and Russia that we see today. The United States' objective is to divide Europe -- to prevent Europe from becoming a united entity. The truth is that, in the past, Russia even expressed a desire to join NATO, but was ultimately rejected. Therefore, you can clearly see the US' strategic intentions. They have taken advantage of the current Russia-Ukraine conflict to weaken Russia so that Russia is no longer a source of anxiety or a long-term threat. We also know, as US senators have said themselves, that in any military conflict, the US army forces have a lot to gain through offering various forms of military assistance, as well as donating and testing weapons. Another motive is to turn the tables when it comes to Russia and Ukraine's struggle for natural gas. Russia and Ukraine have continually quarreled over the fact that Russia is one of Europe's main suppliers of natural gas and oil. More than half of Germany's oil comes from Russia. Before the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated, Germany and France were on the fence. Now, things have conspicuously changed: they've begun to take part in imposing sanctions on Russia. These sanctions are what the U.S. desires most. The turmoil in Europe will influence the stock market and investments, which may potentially be redirected to the US. This string of factors means that the US is able to capitalize on and profit from crises. Reporter: With the Five Eyes Alliance countries, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the trilateral AUKUS pact, and bilateral military agreements in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. has created an aggressive formation. What is U.S.objective? What purpose will it serve them? Wang Fan: In the context of the rivalry between the U.S. and China, the US has, according to its hegemonistic logic, increasingly presented China as a global threat. This formation is the U.S. strategic approach to addressing this so-called threat. The U.S. entire global strategy currently centers on the Asia-Pacific region. This "Indo-Pacific strategy" is, in fact, its core strategic zone, which it has chosen specifically as a means of targeting China. Because the US is currently experiencing a certain degree of economic downturn, its global deployment has shrunk. This means that it must now concentrate its strategic efforts within a specific region, i.e. the Indo-Pacific. Furthermore, the U.S.has also required to consistently strengthen its existing alliances and forming new onesthroughout the process of concentrating its forces. That means creating factions and bloc-like forces to oppose whomever it perceives as threats. The Five Eyes Alliance countries, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, AUKUS and other such pacts all fall within this greater strategy. Though such a strategy may appear aggressive, it is plagued by several internal pitfalls. For example, throughout the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, India has had a different opinion regarding matters involving Russia. India has also made its own decisions according to its judgement of the merits of the matter. Moreover, the U.S. system of alliances appears on one hand to be about protection and assistance; yet, on the other hand, it exerts control over these alliance members and hopes to guide their behaviour. This forms a contradiction with the so-called strategic autonomy of nations in these regions. The US hopes to pull these alliance members into its global battalion, but the members have their own regional concerns that make them unable to completely comply with the U.S. orders. Though the U.S. makes efforts to bolster these alliances, the alliances actually serve the purpose of creating division. Reporter: What expectations do you have toward foreign diplomacy this year? Cui Hongjian: Much as Wang said, the international community, including China, will face severe diplomatic challenges this year. For example, the pandemic has yet to be overand the Russia-Ukraine conflict will likely undergo certain changes soon. At the same time, there's the post-pandemic recovery of the global economy and the furthered implementation of the UN's sustainability goals for 2030, which pertain to the economic and social development of every nation and include transitions to green energy and digital technology. However, the main efforts will be focused on alleviating certain regional conflicts. For the international community and China alike, this year's diplomatic tasks are extremely onerous. And yet, Wang displayed steadfast confidence at the press conference. Only by sticking to the goal of a community with a shared future and staying on the path of multilateralism, can China continuously play the role of a reliable big country taking more responsibilities. Looking at the whole world, I believe that China is undoubtedly a steady pillar of the international community. As some regions in the world are now suffering serious turmoil, China is able to lead the Asia-Pacific region towards prosperity. With stability and prosperity, China can play an even greater role on the global stage and help the international community tide over more difficulties and challenges. Reporter: Many thanks to both of you. We look forward to more exciting performances of Chinas diplomacy in the days ahead in 2022. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, has called on Parliament to expedite a positive response to her proposal to form a joint committee to work towards achieving constitutional rule Actor Jussie Smollett appears at his sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on March 10 in Chicago. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New details are released in the Olathe East High School shooting that wounded 3. A security guard inspects a destroyed telecommunication station in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 14. Reuters-Yonhap Korea will provide $20 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen this year to help people affected by the conflict in the Middle Eastern nation, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Ham Sang-wook, deputy foreign minister for multilateral affairs, made the pledge during a virtual high-level pledging event on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, co-hosted by the United Nations, and the governments of Sweden and Switzerland, the ministry noted. Korea will offer food and other support for vulnerable groups in Yemen as its people have been struggling with the fallout of a prolonged civil war, it added. (Yonhap) gettyimagesbank Korea's trade commission said Thursday it plans to launch an antidumping investigation into seamless copper pipes from China and Vietnam. The Korea Trade Commission under the industry ministry said it has decided to launch the antidumping probe on the judgment that cheap imports of such products caused damage to the related industry in Korea. Seamless copper pipes are commonly used in air conditioners, refrigerators, and cooling and heating systems due to their high levels of corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity. In September last year, two Korean producers asked the government to conduct an antidumping investigation into imports of those products. As of the end of 2020, seamless copper pipes from China and Vietnam had accounted for about 30 percent of the Korean market, trailing a share of 60 percent by domestically-produced goods, according to the trade ministry. The trade commission plans to decide whether to impose antidumping duties after a three-month probe. (Yonhap) By Suh Jeong-in The decision to restart negotiations represents a very timely response to tectonic changes in the current trade environment. These include the strategic competition between the United States and China, disruptions in the global supply chain coupled with COVID-19 pandemic, regionalization including reshoring or nearshoring, digital transformation, and climate change. Korea and Mexico have gained an even keener sense of the clear need to stabilize supply chains and diversify their economies. I would like to reflect upon the possible effects and implications of such an FTA between the two countries. Firstly, the Korea-Mexico FTA will provide new engines for growth for both economies by generating fresh opportunities in a number of industries. During the Korea-Mexico Economic Forum in December 2021, several experts anticipated that an FTA would result in an increase of exports of Mexican agricultural products to Korea. The Government of Mexico, giving deep thought to its commercial activation strategy as an engine for national growth, recently unveiled its 2022 Economic Reactivation Plan. And this includes concluding FTAs with Korea, Brazil, Ecuador and the U.K., among others. Secondly, the Korea-Mexico FTA will generate fresh impetus for our joint efforts in the economic investment. Korea is the second largest Asian investor in Mexico. Kia Motors made an investment in 2015 to build a plant that produces 400,000 vehicles annually. Korea's world leading electronics and steel companies including Samsung, LG, WINIA and POSCO have production platforms in Mexico. However, the volume of Korean investment in Mexico has been rather sluggish since it reached its peak in 2015. Now, against the backdrop of leading Korean companies considering strategic investments to ensure a stable economic base in North America, a Korea-Mexico FTA will contribute to the revitalization of Korean investment in Mexico by providing a stable institutional basis. Thirdly, the Korea-Mexico FTA is very timely. It is a valuable tool in order to prepare to meet the challenges and harness the opportunities of the future. And this is particularly the case in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution which has been much accelerated due to COVID-19. There are many areas in which the two countries can work together, generating a synergy covering electric vehicles, 5G networks and semiconductors. This is just to name a few. There has been recent Korean investment in Mexico in the production of key components for electric vehicles. I believe that a Korea-Mexico FTA will open up new horizons. It will bring new dimensions in the economic ties as our partnership moves beyond traditional fields to encompass and embrace thriving opportunities. I would now like to give thought to what may be the tasks for each country so as to achieve a successful conclusion of the FTA negotiations. A key task will be how to address concerns pertaining to sensitive sectors in the case of Mexico, the steel, chemical and textile industries, and in the case of Korea, the agricultural sector. There is a need to undertake a thorough analysis of the possible impacts of the FTA. We should consider taking measures to prepare against possible damage that could be caused in the early stages of implementation. Yet I believe that both countries already have ample experience in this regard and that they are indeed well able to deal with those concerns. On Mexico's part, its trade imbalance with Korea could be another source of concern. However, in fact, since 2018, Mexico's trade deficit with Korea has been considerably reduced. I have consistently emphasized to my Mexican counterparts that the Korea-Mexico FTA would have the effect of making our trade more balanced, that the benefits to both would be broadened and expanded, and that we are in fact well on the right track. Finally, I sense that there is heightened pressure for these negotiations to be completed successfully, especially since this is our third attempt to reach an agreement. Fortunately, there is a shared recognition that this would prove to be win-win. In addition, we are facing an economic situation and a global trade landscape very different from what it was previously. I firmly believe that the signing of the FTA between Korea and Mexico in 2022, the year of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our nations, would serve as a very cornerstone for the ties of economic cooperation for the next six decades. What comes to mind now are the inspiring words of a Mexican businessperson who, drawing a meaningful metaphor, reflected: "The FTA is like highways." I will truly engage in heartfelt efforts to pave an economic highway between our countries, a pathway, an avenue, which will be a solid foundation for the shared prosperity of our nations, of our peoples, sparing no effort to this noble end. Suh Jeong-in is Korea's ambassador to Mexico. Ryan Reynolds spoofed an airline safety video for his Aviation American Gin. The Free Guy star boasted about his gin - which is apparently the worlds highest-rated gin - as released a promo video on YouTube in partnership with British Airways on Wednesday (16.03.22). In the clip, The 45-year-old actor said: "This aircraft is equipped with Aviation Gin. Please ensure your seatbelt is fastened whenever drinking it. Spilling even one drop of the world's highest-rated gin will result in you being duct taped to your seat for the remainder of the flight." "In the event of loss of cabin pressure, Aviation Gin will automatically fall from the panel above your head. You're welcome." However, despite his desire to please passengers - as the gin bottle shaped flotation devices fall down - he labels the stunt reckless. Ryan quips: "This is starting to feel reckless. Let's just stop now. We're going to stop." The video comes after the airline opened a bar in New Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport named after the Deadpool stars new gin, along with Betty Buzz - a line of non-alcoholic mixers made by his wife Blake Lively, the mother of their three daughters, James, seven, Inez, five, and Betty, two. British Airways labelled the collaboration with Ryan a great addition to their in-flight drinks menu. Tom Stevens ,the airlines director of brand and customer experience said: Offering our customers a premium experience throughout their journey is important to us. Partnering with Aviation American Gin is another great addition to our on-board service. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: BILLINGS, Mont. - A former nursing home worker accused of stealing money from a resident admitted to Fraud and identity theft charges Thursday. The Department of Justice (DOJ) reports Elizabeth Marie Stephenson, 36, worked at Eagle Cliff Manor in Billings during the time of the fraud incidents. According to the DOJ, the nephew of and power of attorney for the 96-year-old victim noticed more than $11,000 was missing from the victims checking account, with multiple $700 withdrawals made between July and August at Wells Fargo ATMs. A debit card was also used to purchase credit on a Telmate Inmate Service account at a detention facility. The victim did not notice he was missing money from his account until somebody told him. An investigation identified Stephenson, who was an employee at the nursing home at the time and had a boyfriend who was in custody and had a Telemate account in Idaho. Eagle Cliff Manor reportedly terminated Stephensons employment after finding she had put her name on a credit card application on the victims Wells Fargo account. The DOJ says a statement for the card showed a $3,500 payment to a criminal defense law firm in California and a $106 charge to Telemate. A receipt from the law firm reportedly indicated Stephenson represented that she was the owner of the card and provided a Billings address. Investigators also noted the first unauthorized transaction on the victims checking account was at Walmart on July 24, 2020, and that, in total over the next month, more than $17,000 was taken from the account, including withdrawals of $700 nearly every day. When talking to an investigator, Stephenson said she worked with the victim and that she was dating someone incarcerated in Idaho, but denied the thefts. After being confronted with the evidence, Stephenson said the victim gave her his debit card and PIN and asked her to get him a six pack of beer. When Stephenson went to the store, she bought the beer and then took out money for herself. She then continued to withdraw cash for her own expenses and admitted to transferring the victims funds to the Telemate account. Stephenson claimed the victim provided consent, but acknowledged that he did not have the capacity to authorize her to take his money. Elizabeth Marie Stephenson pleaded guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. She faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, consecutive to any other punishment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft crime. Have a news tip or would like to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@kvoa.com. The Northern New England Red Cross is installing smoke detectors this weekend. Do you have a fire evacuation plan for your home? How about when you are traveling? Despite questions about the cost to ratepayers, Wisconsin regulators have given three utility companies the green light to buy a Kenosha County solar farm that will include the states first large-scale battery storage system. The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to allow Madison Gas and Electric and two subsidiaries of the WEC Energy Group to buy the Paris solar farm for $433 million. The 200-megawatt solar plant will generate enough electricity to supply about 60,000 homes and will be coupled with a battery system that can deliver 110 megawatts for up to four hours, allowing the plant to provide power even when the sun is not shining. WEC argued it needs the plant to replace some 1,600 megawatts of fossil fuel generation slated for retirement in the next two years. MGE, which will own a 10% share of the project, said it is the lowest-cost option to fill its needs as the company retires about 200 megawatts of coal-fired generation. Consumer advocates say the utilities particularly We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. failed to show the purchase would benefit ratepayers or properly assess the risks associated with battery storage, which has not been deployed at this scale in Wisconsin. The Citizens Utility Board said the official record was devoid of a facility-specific analysis of the project and relied on WECs flimsy, albeit voluminous $3.5 billion plan to replace coal-fired generation with clean energy. CUB said MGEs analysis was more appropriate but should have considered more variables. PSC staff confirmed the solar plant analysis, but staff could not independently verify the cost-effectiveness of the battery storage. Chair Rebecca Valcq and Commissioner Tyler Huebner faulted WEC for relying on an opaque generation plan that was first presented to shareholders and did not evaluate alternatives. The applicants need to do better, Valcq said. They owe it to their customers. But Valcq said the commission is bound by state law, which requires approval if a project meets certain criteria. We only have the authority to do what has been given to us, she said. Commissioner Ellen Nowak said the project would save customers money over time. MGE president Jeff Keebler said battery storage is a new and important technology that will help the company eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. WEC president Scott Lauber said the project would provide affordable, reliable and clean energy for a sustainable future. The PSC voted in late 2020 to authorize Chicago-based developer Invenergy to build the project on about 1,500 acres in the town of Paris with a 50-megawatt storage system, which would be larger than any deployed in Wisconsin. The commission later approved a larger battery system. Invenergy began grading the Paris site in October and plans to complete the project by May of next year, according to the latest progress report. The commission is currently evaluating Invenergys plans to build a 165-megawatt battery system coupled with a 300-megawatt solar farm in southeastern Dane County, which WEC and MGE are also seeking approval to purchase. A judge on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old Windsor man to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing, dismembering and attempting to incinerate his parents in the family fireplace. I cannot conceive of a way to fulfill my duty to protect the public that I serve were I to perceive that at some point in time, an individual who committed these crimes should be released back into that public, Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland said in sentencing Chandler Halderson to the stiffest punishment the state of Wisconsin allows. It took a jury only two hours on Jan. 20 to find Halderson guilty of two counts each of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and falsifying information about a missing person in the deaths of his parents, 50-year-old Bart and 53-year-old Krista Halderson, last July. It followed a week and a half of often-gruesome testimony and other evidence asserting that Halderson shot his parents in the home they shared, then cut up their bodies before first trying to burn them in the family fireplace and then dumping them along the Wisconsin River and at the rural property of the partner of his then-girlfriends mother. Before asking Hyland to hand down the sentence he ultimately did, prosecutors described Haldersons upbringing as nearly ideal, with two married parents who cared about him and access to good schools, housing and opportunity. Almost every homicide Ive prosecuted theres been a fairly tragic backstory of the defendant violence, drugs, just tragedy. You often are left with an explanation not an excuse but an explanation as to why a crime occurred, Deputy District Attorney Andrea Raymond said. Theres not an explanation here. Chandler grew up with a life of privilege. Deputy District Attorney William Brown noted that among the factors the court is supposed to use in deciding whether a convicted murderer should ever be eligible for parole is whether that person has rehabilitative needs. But he had no idea of what they are. He seemed to be a pretty normal kid, with a pretty normal life who did a pretty abnormal thing. ... We dont know what his rehabilitative needs are, he said. And if you dont have that, Im not sure how much you can consider that factor. One of Haldersons attorneys, Crystal Vera, made clear that the defense wasnt asking for future parole, just a chance that a court could consider it at some point. Its not a process that is a guarantee, she said. She acknowledged that Halderson didnt have the kind of background thats common among other convicted murderers, but noted his relatively young age and how that could factor into future rehabilitation. Chandler is young. He just turned 24, Vera said. There is a lot of growing up, there is a lot of adulting that hes going to miss out on that hes going to have to do in an institution, that ultimately is going to affect who he becomes in the future. Appeal vowed Halderson had been silent through the trial, refusing to testify in his own defense or speak to his attorneys about the events of that month, according to a court filing earlier this week, and appearing unmoved by testimony. Vera and Haldersons other attorney, Catherine Dorl, called no witnesses, and in a motion entered last Friday, Halderson attempted to skip his own sentencing a bid Brown called an affront to the publics interest and that Hyland rejected. That changed for a few brief moments Thursday, when Halderson spoke to the court for the first time by saying he would appeal his conviction and asking for any attorneys listening and willing to take on my appeal (to) take a moment to please reach out to me. Its not that I do not have feelings, its that I was warned to not show them in the scrutiny of this case, he said. Asked after the hearing if their client had ever expressed to his attorneys his desire to appeal or that he had any problem with their representation, Dorl cited attorney-client privilege in declining comment. Family speaks In victim impact statements filed with the court before Thursdays hearing, two people who identified themselves as Haldersons brother Mitchells fiancee and a best friend to Bart and Krista called on Hyland to impose life behind bars. The friend, identified in court documents only as JAH, called Krista a bubbly person who was kind, considerate and encouraging, and Bart was remembered for helping his sons attain Eagle Scout status. If Chandler could do this to his own family, just imagine what he could do to someone he did not love, the friend wrote. Mitchells fiancee, identified in court documents only as CAN, said Krista always made me feel at home and called Bart a great handyman who helped us set up many things when we moved into our new home. As for Halderson, given the fact that he was capable of such calculated and horrific acts of murder, I do not believe my family would be safe if he were to ever be released from prison, she writes. Motive unclear Haldersons choice to remain silent through most of the case has left court officials and the public with little clue as to his motive. Prosecutors believe Halderson killed his father after Bart Halderson discovered his son had been lying to the world for months or years about attending college, having a job at American Family Insurance, being part of a rescue dive team and, most recently, being hired to work in Florida for SpaceX. He was arrested on July 8, a day after he told the Dane County Sheriffs Office his parents had left for a Fourth of July trip to the family cabin with an unidentified couple on July 2 and never returned a story investigators soon started poking holes in. In reality, prosecutors argued, Halderson shot his father in the back on July 1 and his mother a few hours later when she arrived home from work. As he sought over the holiday weekend to cover up the crime, Halderson kept his parents body parts in a freezer in the basement, the prosecution theorized, even as his then-girlfriend spent the night. Some remains were never found. Grandmothers note The only member of the Halderson family or its circle of friends to call publicly for a chance at parole for Halderson was his paternal grandmother. In a handwritten note Raymond read Thursday, Haldersons grandmother said she loved her grandson even though what he did was horrific. I cant believe his parents would want him to be incarcerated for life. Hyland said that wasnt something he could do. I cannot grant to Mr. Halderson the generosity of spirit that his grandmother has for him, and which his own parents would surely have had if he had just owned up to what he had deceived them about, he said. I cannot say to the community here in this room or at large in this county that Mr. Halderson should have the ability to be reviewed and be considered for release back into our community at any point, despite his young age. Phil Gruber is the news editor at Lancaster Farming. He can be reached at 717-721-4427 or pgruber@lancasterfarming.com. Follow him @PhilLancFarming on Twitter. The previous days storm dumped over an inch of rain, and Jeff Zechmans pastures were wet and muddy, but that didnt muck up the plans of the dozen or so farmers who were there to learn about conservation funding opportunities and see best management practices in place on Zechmans 115-acre farm. Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 17 (ANI/NewsVoir): Modenik Lifestyle, today, announced a new brand identity for its men's essential clothing (innerwear, thermals and casual wear) brand Dixcy Scott. The new identity is complemented by innovations in both product and packaging that aim to capture a new age consumer across the value chain of economy, mainstream and premium segments. Also Read | Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Jayanti 2022: Date, Purnima Tithi and Significance of Day Marking the 536th Birth Anniversary of the Great Spiritual Teacher. The new brand identity and innovations come shortly after the launch of Modenik Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd., formed with the merger of Dixcy Textiles Pvt. Ltd. and Gokaldas Intimatewear Pvt. Ltd., the parent company of brand Enamor. The announcement today reinforces Modenik's vision of 'Being the most preferred company for comfortable and fashionable essential clothing' and represents the integrated way in which Modenik is working to achieve its vision. The consumer-insight led brand transformation is a response to the evolving Indian male consumer who is seeking to express himself in a time where new definitions of masculinity are taking shape and the choice of innerwear is becoming an important statement of their personal identity. Dixcy Scott now features three distinct sub-brands - Dixcy Scott Maximus, Dixcy Scott Originals and Josh by Dixcy Scott that are positioned for the Premium, Mainstream Premium and Economy segment respectively. Also Read | Redmi 10 With 50MP Dual Rear Camera Setup Launched in India at Rs 10,999. Catering to the modern-day consumer, the Dixcy Scott Maximus range has pushed boundaries integrating high-end fashion and heightened-consumer experience through comfi-fit, cleantech, and maxi-dry features The Dixcy Scott Originals range establishes improved product performance focusing on the fit, finish, comfort, and quality with comfi-fit, duratech, and softech features The enhanced product range in the Josh by Dixcy Scott line captures and upgrades the unorganised consumer segment into choosing a brand as a lifestyle choice "Our new brand identity, product innovations and expansion are well timed to build on the 30+ year legacy of the Dixcy Scott brand. With our well-established distribution strength, we intend to be the preferred choice of essential clothing for the new Indian male across income-classes. Dixcy Scott's new brand identity will be amplified through a communication campaign aimed at establishing its role as a catalyst in the evolution journey of Indian men by providing comfortable and fashionable essential clothing. The TVCs showcase the product features and superior product performance of the new and diverse range of Dixcy Scott innerwear for men. The tagline - 'Body Language Jo Chha Jaaye' connotes a feeling of confidence that a man would experience by selecting Dixcy Scott innerwear, which reflects in his positive body language," said Sunil Sethi, Executive Chairman of Modenik Lifestyle. On the campaign, Shekhar Tewari, Chief Category and Operations Officer of Modenik Lifestyle adds, "With the launch of the 3-part TVC, we have attempted to bring forth a fresh first-of-its-kind narrative in the innerwear endorsement segment. Drawing inspiration from consumer-insights and best-in-class integration of design and technology, the TVCs reiterate the brand's principle of staying true to the consumer. We aimed at showcasing our varied product range, the interwoven benefits of comfortable innerwear on a person's confidence levels and body language, and our transformed approach in brand positioning. While we are consistently working towards understanding and catering to our ever-evolving consumer needs, we are maintaining a seamless balance and precedence of both functional and emotional pay-offs." Dixcy Scott has a strong network of 850+ distributors that supplies products to 1,20,000+ retail outlets across the length and breadth of the country. Modenik Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. is the post-merger entity of Advent International's (a global private equity firm) portfolio companies Dixcy Textiles Pvt. Ltd. and Gokaldas Intimatewear Pvt. Ltd.; the parent company of brand Enamor. The company is headquartered out of Bengaluru. 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) Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], March 17 (ANI): Bhagavad Gita will be introduced as a part of the school syllabus for class 6 to class 12 students in Gujarat from the academic year 2022-23, state education minister Jitu Vaghani said on Thursday. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly during a discussion on budgetary allocation for the education department, Vaghani said that, "To include Indian culture and knowledge system in school education from the academic year 2022-23, In the first phase, values and principles contained in Bhagavad Gita are being introduced in schools from classes 6-12 as per understanding and interest of children." Also Read | Train Services of Maitree Express and Bandhan Express Between India, Bangladesh Likely To Resume From March 26. "Bhagavad Gita should be introduced in the form of story and recitation in the textbooks in class 6 to 8. In class 9 to 12, Bhagavad Gita should be introduced in the form of story and recitation in the first language textbook," the minister said. He said that the 700-verse long Hindu scripture should also be included in the prayer program. Also Read | Sanjay Raut on The Kashmir Files' Tax-Free Plea: Film on Balasaheb Thackeray Was Not Made Tax Free, Yet People Came to Watch It. "Recitation of Bhagavad Gita should be included in the prayer program. Various competitions and creative activities like Shlokgan, Shlokpurti, Vaktrutva, Nibandh, Natya, Chitra, Quiz etc based on Bhagavad Gita should be organized in schools," he added. (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 [India], March 17 (ANI): After the G23 meeting concluded at senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's residence to deliberate on the 'demoralizing outcome' of the recent results of the Assembly elections, the Congress' G23 leaders on Wednesday said that the only way forward for the party is to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels. The joint statement of Congress' G23 leaders read, "We the following members of the Congress Party met to deliberate on the demoralizing outcome of the recent results of the Assembly elections and the constant exodus of both our workers and leaders." Also Read | Xiaomi Redmi 10 Smartphone Launching Tomorrow in India; Expected Prices, Features & Specifications. It further said, "We believe that the only way forward is for the Congress to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels," he further added. In order to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it is necessary to strengthen the Congress Party. We demand the Congress party to initiate dialogue with other likeminded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative for 2024 and the next steps in this regard will be announced soon," it said. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi to Address Foundation Course Function at LBSNAA Tomorrow. As per the statement, the meeting was held in the knowledge of party chief Sonia Gandhi and "she was informed of the meeting when Azad and the party chief had a telephonic conversation on Tuesday to have a meeting on Thursday." The statement said that the meeting was called to inform the rest of the members about the discussion held in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and to decide on a further strategy. G23 leaders including Shashi Tharoor, Kapil Sibbal, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manish Tiwari, and others were seen leaving the residence of Azad after the meeting ended. Following the poll debacle of Congress in five states and a row and accountability over leadership, senior Congress leader and member of the dissident "G-23" group of leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, is likely to meet party chief Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath on Thursday, the time of which is yet to be finalized from the party chief's office. Azad hosted a number of G23 leaders at his residence on Wednesday. The meeting was earlier set to be held at the residence of Kapil Sibal, who had invited the leaders of G23 and other parties to his residence for dinner but the venue was shifted to Azad's residence after Sibal's recent "attack" on the Gandhis. Sibal had after the Congress' rout in five assembly polls had given an interview to a newspaper said that it was time for a leadership change in the party and for someone else other than the Gandhis to head the Congress. According to sources, the Congress leadership is extremely unhappy with Kapil Sibal and also with Anand Sharma. A middle way can be found only after the meeting of Azad and Sonia Gandhi, said sources. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhopal, Mar 17 (PTI) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a yellow alert warning of heat wave conditions in nine districts of Madhya Pradesh for the next two days. Also Read | Ukraine Legalises Cryptocurrency To Fight Russian Invasion. Severe heat wave conditions prevailed in Narmadapuram, with mercury rising to 43 degrees Celsius, the highest maximum temperature in Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday, senior meteorologist PK Saha of IMD Bhopal said. Also Read | RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha Says 'Country's Heartbeat Will Stop if Biharis Decide Not To Work'. Similar conditions were witnessed in Rajgarh, Dhar, Ratlam and Khargone districts during the day, he said. The heat wave condition is likely to prevail at few places in Narmadapuram, Ratlam, Shajapur, Khargone, Dhar, Khandwa, Damoh, Chhattarpur and Rajgarh districts, for the next two days, the official said. The maximum (day) temperature touched 39 degrees Celsius, 4 degrees above normal, while the minimum (night) temperature hovered at 18 degrees Celsius, which was normal, in Bhopal, he said. The maximum and minimum temperatures were 38.4 degrees Celsius, three above normal, and 22.6 degrees Celsius, five above normal, respectively in Indore, Saha said. The maximum and minimum temperatures were at 37.9 degrees Celsius and 20.8 degrees Celsius respectively in Jabalpur, while in Gwalior, they were at 37 degrees Celsius and 17.9 degrees Celsius respectively, he added. Citing the cause for the weather condition, Saha said that the dry westerly winds from neighbouring Rajasthan were blowing into the central state. The westerlies will relent on Friday and might push the temperatures down by just one or two degrees, he added. (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, Mar 17 (PTI) Noting that India has been raising with China the plight of Indian students, studying in Chinese universities and unable to go back for physical classes, the external affairs ministry on Thursday urged Beijing to adopt a "congenial stance" in the matter as the continuation of these strict restrictions was putting the academic careers of thousands of students in jeopardy. Replying to a separate query on whether Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi was visiting India later this month, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said,"I have a very short answer on this. I don't have any information to share on this at this moment." Also Read | Sanjay Raut on The Kashmir Files' Tax-Free Plea: Film on Balasaheb Thackeray Was Not Made Tax Free, Yet People Came to Watch It. People familiar with the matter on Wednesday said that a visit to India by Wang later this month could be on the cards but there is no finality on it yet. It is learnt that the proposal for the visit came from the Chinese side and Wang also intends to travel to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh as part of a four-nation tour. On Indian students studying in China unable to return to that country, Bagchi said India has taken up the issue with Beijing. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 16-Year-Old Girl Sedated, Raped in Agra. "We have highlighted the plight of the students and how the continuation of these stringent restrictions was putting the academic careers of thousands of students in jeopardy," he said. Bagchi also referred to the statements made by the Chinese foreign ministry on February 8 and March 14 on the issue. He also referred to a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on February 8 that China is looking into the matter in a coordinated manner and that arrangements for allowing foreign students to return to China are being examined. "But let me clarify that till date, the Chinese side has not given any categorical response about the return of Indian students. We will continue to urge the Chinese side to adopt a congenial stance in the interest of our students and that they facilitate an early return to China so that our students can pursue their studies," Bagchi said. He said the issue was also taken up with Wang by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a meeting in Dushanbe in September last. The two foreign ministers had held talks in the Tajik capital city on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). (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], March 17 (ANI): The preliminary round of discussion was held at Vikasa Soudha on Wednesday, with regard to extending the internationalization of education for degree, post-graduation, and engineering courses, the facility which at present is made available for diploma courses. It was discussed in the meeting to introduce Twinning Degree programmes for the above courses. Also Read | Xiaomi Redmi 10 Smartphone Launching Tomorrow in India; Expected Prices, Features & Specifications. Speaking at the meeting, C.N. Ashwatha Narayana, Karnataka Minister for Higher Education said, "At present MoU with Montgomery County community college of Pennysylvania has been implemented. The same needs to be extended for other courses which will be in accordance with the internationalization of education." Responding to Minister's proposal, Kannika Choudhari, HE Envoy, Pennsylvania, USA, suggested entering into MoUs with Athens State University, York College (Pennsylvania), Harrisburg Univerisity of Science & Technology, Indiana University (Pennsylvania), Husson University, Thiel College, Alvernia University and Misericordia University to achieve the desired objectives. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi to Address Foundation Course Function at LBSNAA Tomorrow. "The students taking up these courses will be sent to American Universities in specific years of their studies and paid internships will be part of these courses. This also enables students to get employed in the USA after completion of their course, if they desire," Narayana said. Once the MoUs come into effect, the students can have a Twinning Degree of 6 years, Integrated Post-Graduation of 5 years, Twinning Post-Graduation of 4 years, M.S.Nursing (Integrated), and M.S.Biochemistry (Integrated), he stated. He further said, "There are huge opportunities for those who have pursued graduation in Nursing and Health Administration. To make most of this, the officials have been instructed to draw up the modalities on introducing such courses." These MoUs will facilitate opportunities to study higher education at the global standards. The expenses of selected students from SC/ST and other backward communities will be completely borne by the government. If needed, the educational loan from banks will also be made available, he told. P.Pradeep, Commissioner, DCTE, Prof.Lingaraju Gandhi, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore City University were present. The Bangalore City University and Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, USA exchanged letters of intent on Wednesday, which would allow for English learning and pursuing an integrated course in Computer science. Lingaraja Gandhi, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore City University, and Kannika Choudhary, HE Envoy, Pennsylvania, USA, exchanged the letter of intent and related documents. After implementing the MoU, the students of Karnataka can be benefitted from the English learning programmes of Harrisburg University and further can become part of the American academic activities. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Two accused have been arrested for peddling drugs in Mumbai. (Photos/ANI) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 17 (ANI): Mumbai Police has arrested two persons for allegedly peddling drugs from the Santosh Nagar area in Mumbai. As per information provided by the police, the accused have been identified as Gaurav Kumar Prasad (19) and Krishna Kumar Pandit (26). Both are from Bihar. According to the police, they used to get drugs from Bihar and sell them in Mumbai. Also Read | Japan PM Fumio Kishida To Visit India on March 19 To Discuss Global and Regional Issues With PM Narendra Modi. Over 3 kilograms of cannabis worth more than Rs 1 crore has been recovered from them. According to DCP Somnath Gharge, the police at Dindoshi Police Station on March 15 received information about the accused going to sell cannabis in the Santosh Nagar area. A trap was laid and both the accused were arrested. Also Read | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Says 'Keeping Armed Forces Ready at All Times Our Top Priority'. "Police at Dindoshi Police on March 15 got to know about that the accused were going to sell drugs in the Santosh Nagar area. A trap was laid and both the accused were arrested with more than 3 kilograms of cannabis worth more than 1 crore. The accused hail from Bihar. They used to get drugs from there and used to sell them here," said the senior police officer. Investigation into the case is ongoing, said the police. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Payal Mehta Imphal (Manipur) [India], March 17 (ANI): Senior Manipur BJP leader Thongam Biswajit Singh is among people credited with changing the fortunes of the party in the state. The BJP won a majority on its own for the first time in Manipur and Biswajit Singh's name has been doing the rounds as a candidate for chief minister's post in the northeastern state. Also Read | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Says 'Keeping Armed Forces Ready at All Times Our Top Priority'. The BJP retained power in Manipur by winning 32 seats with its main rival Congress managing to win only five seats in the 60-member assembly. The National People's Party has won seven seats, Janata Dal (United) six, Naga People's Front five, Kuki People's Alliance two seats and Independents three seats. The BJP contested the election with Chief Minister Biren Singh as a key face but the party is yet to take a decision on the next chief minister. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War Latest Updates: 21 Killed, 25 Injured in Shelling of Merefa in Kharkiv Oblast; ESA Suspends Russian-European Mars Mission Over Ukraine Invasion. Biren Singh had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday in Parliament and had termed it a "courtesy visit". When Thongam Biswajit Singh joined the BJP from Trinamool Congress about six years back, not many were sure he would turn out to be a key leader behind the party's impressive growth in the state. He was seen to be in contention for the Chief Minister's post in 2017 but he supported N Biren Singh's candidature. Biswajit Singh was given key portfolios in the government. A four-time MLA, Biswajit Singh was seen to have played a key role in sealing BJP's alliances with the Naga People's Front and National People's Party in 2017 for forming the first BJP-led government in the border state. Biswajit Singh, who has risen from a humble background, won this year's assembly polls from Thongju. His supporters said he did not campaign in his constituency and devoted time to other seats and his wife campaigned for him. After Biswajit Singh joined BJP, he was disqualified under anti-defection law and won a bye-election by a big margin. Assam chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor, had recently lauded Biswajit Singh's efforts for strengthening BJP in the state. "The contribution made by Biswajit cannot be undermined. Any time there was an issue in Manipur, he promptly called me and immediately agreed to either speak or call of the central government to solve the issue. He holds a big place in his heart for the people of Manipur," Sarma had said. Biswajit Singh is also credited with exposing "several scams" during the Congress rule. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed as observer and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju as co-observer for the election of BJP's legislature party leader in the state. The meeting is expected to take place early next week in Imphal. Biswajit Singh is also seen to have decent clout among MLAs in his support and speculation over the choice of next chief minister continues. Biswajit Singh had on Thursday refused to comment on speculations doing the rounds about him in the race for the next Chief Minister of the state. "I don't want to comment on that. We don't have any group among ourselves, that is for sure. The BJP is a democratic party and leadership will decide this (the CM issue)," 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) New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): Many factors like women, caste combination, education qualification, age and performance of the MLAs will be taken into consideration before the formation of the Yogi government 2.0, said sources on Thursday. Several rounds of meetings have taken place within the party after poll results on March 10. Also Read | Enforcement Directorate Summons Abhishek Banerjee, Wife in Coal Scam Case. "Many new leaders who joined the BJP within months before the election have also come out victorious and they are likely to be inducted into the government. However, what is come out from the exercise that has been carried out so far is that without a doubt the caste combination of a particular region and the representation of the elected MLA from that area will be taken into consideration while announcing cabinet," the sources said. According to sources, there was open public displeasure against several ministers and MLAs of the last term largely owing to the fact that these leaders would hardly go and meet people in the constituency. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Facebook Removes Deepfake Video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Asking Citizens To Lay Down Arms. "Like Bihar, this time in Uttar Pradesh women voters who stood up in huge numbers to vote for the party were instrumental to BJP winning a majority in the state. It is also given to understand that the women representation in the Yogi Cabinet will be a substantial one and quite a few women MLAs would be inducted," sources added. In the next couple of days, the BJP will also be finalizing the candidates for MLC elections on 36 seats. A few ministers, who have also been MLCs before, are likely to get repeated. "What are the big shocks in this election for the BJP was the loss of Keshav Prasad Maurya who was a deputy Chief Minister in Yogi 1.0 government from Sirathu. Given his experience as well as popularity it is being said that he will be made an MLC. Congress turned BJP leader Jitin Prasada is also likely to be repeated as an MLC as he has been a minister in the Yogi government," said sources. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made at least two visits to the national capital after the election results to meet top leaders of the party. Among the other leaders from the state who attended these meetings include Dinesh Sharma, Keshav Maurya, BJP State President Swatantra Dev Singh, Uttar Pradesh General Secretary Sunil Bansal. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a part of a few meetings, most of the meetings have been taken place in the presence of BJP national president JP Nadda, general secretary organization B L Santosh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP Uttar Pradesh election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP UP in charge Radha Mohan Singh. BJP Uttar Pradesh core committee held a six-hour-long crucial meeting on Wednesday to discuss the formation of government in the state. The BJP emerged victorious winning 255 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The SP was the second largest party with 111 seats and its ally SBSP secured the win in six constituencies. Mayawati's BSP was reduced to only one seat. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], March 17 (ANI): Several students of Chinese descent walked out of a University event in New York last week in protest after an Uyghur student spoke about the Chinese government's rights abuses in Xinjiang. At a weekly speaker series, Cornell student Rizwangul Nur Muhammad asked a US lawmaker why Washington had imposed sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine but is yet to take a similar measure against the Chinese government. Also Read | 'Russia Is Strong Enough To Defeat Its Enemies', Says Former President Dmitry Medvedev. In response to her question, some Chinese international students booed and left an event last week in protest, Axios reported. Taking to Twitter, Elissa Slotkin, a US representative from Michigan said an Uyghur student who talked about Chinese policy toward the Uyghur community, was the victim of a coordinated protest to the criticism of the Chinese government Also Read | Russia Denies 'Significant Progress' in Talks With Ukraine. "The young woman, who was herself an Uyghur, told me about her brother, who has been detained in China since 2017. She asked why the world wasn't paying more attention to the treatment of the Uyghur minority," Slotkin tweeted. "I responded by pointing out what is well known about Chinese policy toward the Uyghur community: that the government has carried out imprisonment, forced labour, and forced indoctrination. In response, a group of Chinese international students got up and walked out, in what appeared to be a coordinated protest to the criticism of the Chinese government," she said. Slamming the action taken by the Chinese students, the US lawmaker said, "I take no issue whatsoever with the Chinese people or the Chinese students in the class, but I won't dance around the human rights abuses of the Chinese Communist Party." "Since then, the young woman who asked me the question has become the victim of bullying and intimidation by some fellow students. There's no excuse for that behaviour, and I expect Cornell to ensure that all students can express themselves free of intimidation or threats," Slotkin said. According to US media reports, Uyghurs and other Chinese groups sometimes face intimidation and threats to their family members in China when they speak out on US campuses about the Chinese government. (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 York [US], March 17 (ANI): Following a request by six countries including the UK, US, France, Albania, Ireland, and Norway, an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been called at 3:00 PM ET (7:30 PM IST) on Thursday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. "The UK and [Albania, France, Ireland, Norway, and the United States] have called for a Security Council meeting on #Ukraine. Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians. Russia's illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all," the UK's permanent mission to the UN had said on its Twitter page. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: US Sending More Anti-Aircraft Systems, Drones to Ukraine, Says President Joe Biden. The development comes amidst the continued efforts by Russia and Ukraine to reach a negotiated settlement through the talks being held in Belarus. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier today that the negotiations towards peace between Russia and Ukraine are in progress but fairly difficult, Sputnik News Agency reported. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: ICJ Orders Russia to Suspend Military Operations in Ukraine Immediately. "The negotiations are still in progress. The negotiations are fairly difficult, and the current conditions of negotiation, I would say it continues," Zelenskyy said on Wednesday when asked about the status of the peace talks. While the fourth round of talks continued on Wednesday, a few details emerged suggesting that talks might be reaching some headway with a Ukrainian delegation member saying that the two sides are now willing to reach a compromise. "The positions of the parties were very different and we have only now begun to reach some kind of compromise," Ukrainian delegation member Mykhailo Podolyak told the Ukraina 24 broadcaster, he added that Kyiv and Moscow will reach a peace agreement sooner or later, Sputnik News Agency reported. Podolyak also later tweeted that a draft peace plan circulating in the media calling for severe concessions from Ukraine was actually just a draft of the Russian side's request. "Briefly. FT published a draft, which represents the requesting position of the Russian side. Nothing more. The side has its own positions. The only thing we confirm at this stage is a ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops, and security guarantees from a number of countries," the tweet said. Earlier in the day, the head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said that the preservation and development of Ukraine's neutral status, the country's demilitarization, as well as issues related to the size of the Ukrainian army, had been discussed at the talks. The Ukrainian side proposed "the Austrian, Swedish version of a neutral demilitarized state, yet a state with its own armed forces and navy," he said. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later today that this option "can be seen as a real compromise," Sputnik further reported. "[Ukraine's] neutral status is now being seriously discussed in conjunction with security guarantees, of course," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. A businesslike spirit at the talks gives hope that it will be possible to agree on the issue of the neutral status of Ukraine, the minister added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kabul [Afghanistan], March 17 (ANI): Former Afghan Government employees of the State Ministry for Peace Affairs on Tuesday protested against the Taliban for the non-payment of their salaries for months. The protesting employees said that they have not received their salaries for months and are now facing problems, reported local media. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: US Sending More Anti-Aircraft Systems, Drones to Ukraine, Says President Joe Biden. State Ministry for Peace Affairs, officially known as State Ministry for Peace (SMP) is an Afghan government ministry responsible for peace process focused on ending ongoing wars in Afghanistan diplomatically. Earlier in December 2021, the Taliban had dissolved the state ministries for peace. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: ICJ Orders Russia to Suspend Military Operations in Ukraine Immediately. Meanwhile, the Taliban had promised to work on a mechanism based on which they will pay the salaries of all the government employees, Khaama Press reported. But, just like the vague promises made to the international community about inclusive government, women's rights, general amnesty to former Afghan Government employees etc. remains unfulfilled by the Taliban. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, March 17: The US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairperson Gregory Meeks on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the Karnataka High Court's verdict on wearing Hijab in educational institutions saying that the decision will restrict freedom of expression and effectively make girls choose between their religion and their right to education. "Disappointed by the court's decision to restrict freedom of expression, effectively making girls choose between religion & their right to an education," said the Congressman. Karnataka HC Dismisses Plea Against Hijab Ban, Says 'Wearing of Hijab Not an Essential Part of Islam'. "Whether in the US, India, or anywhere, how minority communities are treated is a true measure of a society," he added. The US congressman has been chairing the US house committee on Foreign Affairs since 2021. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi on Tuesday held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions saying they are without merit. In its order, Karnataka High Court observed that the Holy Quran does not mandate the wearing of the hijab, and stated that it is a cultural practice and is used as apparel as a measure of social security. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest outside college over being denied entry. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions.On February 10, the High Court had issued an interim order stating that students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issued the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case were concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgment. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States is responsible for foreign policy legislation and oversight. The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would list for hearing after Holi break, appeals challenging Karnataka High Court's order that dismissed petitions against the ban on Hijab in educational institutions. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad, Mar 17 (PTI) In a first, a private trader in India has exported commercial goods to Uzbekistan through Pakistan and Afghanistan in a historic trade activity linking the four countries, according to a media report. Trucks carrying 140 tonnes of cargo, mostly sugar from India, departed Kabul on Wednesday for the Uzbek capital Tashkent, the Voice of America reported on Wednesday. Also Read | Ballerina Olga Smirnova Quits Bolshoi Ballet Over the Ongoing Ukraine-Russia War, Will Now Dance for the Dutch National Ballet. The shipment arrived in the Afghan capital a day earlier from Pakistan via the Torkham border crossing between the countries, a spokesperson of the Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce Maulana Zaheer was quoted as saying in the report. The ministry organised a special ceremony to facilitate the transit of the Indian goods, hailing it as a major step towards turning Afghanistan into a key trade link between Central and South Asia. Also Read | Servant Of The People: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys Show Returns to Netflix in the US. The commercial cargo originated from Mumbai and travelled through the Karachi seaport in Pakistan earlier this month before being trucked to its Uzbek importer under a recently inked bilateral transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, a Pakistani official told the state-owned American radio broadcaster. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the agreement along with several other documents during his two-day official visit to Islamabad in early March. The Pakistani official emphasised that the Uzbekistan-bound Indian commercial consignment was a privately-arranged activity under the agreement and had no government involvement from any of the four countries. "It will now become a regular activity, and Uzbekistan will be able to import goods from anywhere through Pakistani seaports," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media. The Taliban authorities are bound to facilitate the trade activity because Uzbekistan, a landlocked country like Afghanistan, also has rights to access Pakistani ports to conduct international trade, the official said. Islamabad allows Kabul to use its ports and land and air routes to conduct trade with other countries under a long-running bilateral arrangement known as the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). Under the APTTA, Afghan traders are allowed to export their goods to India through Pakistani land, air and sea routes, but they can import Indian goods only through seaports because of strained ties between Islamabad and New Delhi. However, Pakistan recently allowed India to use its land routes to transport 50,000 tonnes of wheat that New Delhi had donated in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, where millions of people face acute hunger, the report added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Geneva/United Nations, Mar 17 (PTI) Fresh cases of COVID-19 are again spiking globally, especially in parts of Asia, after several weeks of decline and this rise is "just the tip of the iceberg", World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned. With each country facing a different situation with different challenges, Ghebreyesus cautioned that the pandemic is not over. Also Read | Breakingviews Nickel Gets Nixed, French Firms Linger in Russia: Podcast Latest Tweet by Reuters. We call on all countries to remain vigilant. Continue to vaccinate, test, sequence, provide early care for patients, and apply common-sense public health measures to protect health workers and the public, he said on Wednesday in Geneva. After several weeks of declines, reported cases of COVID-19 are once again increasing globally, especially in parts of Asia. These increases are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg, Ghebreyesus said. Also Read | Ukraine Legalises Cryptocurrency To Fight Russian Invasion. As of March 13, 2022, over 455 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 6 million related deaths have been reported globally. More than 10 billion vaccine doses have been administered. The WHO chief said that when cases increase, so do deaths. Continued local outbreaks and surges are to be expected, particularly in areas where measures to prevent transmission have been lifted, he said, adding that there are unacceptably high levels of mortality in many countries, especially where vaccination levels are low among susceptible populations. He also appealed that where vaccines are available, people should get vaccinated. And we continue to work night and day to expand access to vaccines everywhere, he said. The COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update released this week said that after a consistent decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported globally on a weekly basis since the end of January 2022, during the week of March 7 through 13, the number of new weekly cases increased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous week. At the regional level, the Western Pacific Region, the African Region and the European Region reported an increase in new weekly cases of 29 per cent, 12 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, as compared with the previous week; while a decrease has been reported by the Eastern Mediterranean Region (-24 per cent), the South-East Asia Region (-21 per cent) and the Region of the Americas (-20 per cent). The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (38 per cent), the Western Pacific Region (27 per cent), the African Region (14 per cent) and the Region of the Americas (5 per cent), while it remained similar to that of the previous week in the European Region and decreased in the South-East Asia Region (9 per cent). (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New York [US], March 17 (ANI): Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on Wednesday said that India has been at the forefront of uplifting and empowering women at the socio-economic and political front while addressing the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on Status of Women (UNCSW). "India is witnessing a rapid transition from women's development to women-led development, we have developed a multi-pronged approach in our strategy under the leadership of our honorable Prime Minister," Irani said in her address. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: US Sending More Anti-Aircraft Systems, Drones to Ukraine, Says President Joe Biden. The Minister highlighted several aspects of the socio-economic and political status of women in India, giving various statistics related to female literacy, sex ratio, female ownership of land, houses, and bank accounts, and also political participation of women in parliament. "We are firmly committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination, disadvantages, and violence against women. This is the fundamental framework that underpins our development story in which women's agency and leadership plays a key role in the realization of our aspiration of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', that is an India that is self-reliant, not just for our own sake, but in the interest of the global community in the post-COVID world," the minister said. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: ICJ Orders Russia to Suspend Military Operations in Ukraine Immediately. Irani also paid homage to female healthcare workers and scientists for their major role in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in India. "I pay homage to the service and resilience of over 6 million Indian female frontline workers who have protected our communities during the pandemic and Indian female scientists who have immensely contributed to the development of the vaccine and test kits in India," she said. She further highlighted the steps being taken by the Indian government to facilitate gender equality in India. "The government of India has taken various steps to ensure that women in India are educationally, socially, economically and politically lifted," Irani said while citing steps like the introduction of a Gender Inclusion Fund under the New Education Policy (NEP), provisions in the new labour codes to promote female employment and encouraging female participation in previously unconventional sectors like mining and defence. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. It is a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and was established on June 21, 1946. (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 [Pakistan], March 17 (ANI): Ahead of the vote on the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has directed the civilian intelligence agencies to monitor the lawmakers, reported local media citing sources. According to the sources, the development came during a meeting of the PTI's political committee chaired by Imran Khan in Islamabad on Wednesday, reported The News International. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War Latest Updates: 21 Killed, 25 Injured in Shelling of Merefa in Kharkiv Oblast; ESA Suspends Russian-European Mars Mission Over Ukraine Invasion. Imran Khan has directed the spy agencies to monitor the lawmakers' location, movement and record their phone calls. The premier also ordered them to strictly monitor Sindh House and submit a report to him on a daily basis. Notably, this comes after dozens of dissident PTI MNAs came out in open on Thursday and moved to Sindh House citing security concerns. Also Read | CJI NV Ramana Discusses Expats' Issues in First Visit to UAE. Meanwhile, Imran Khan tasked Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to placate the disgruntled lawmakers of PTI to thwart the Opposition's no-trust move, according to the media outlet. Amid growing discontent against the Imran Khan government, the Opposition parties in Pakistan had submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, Mar 17 (AP) Senior managers at tech companies would face up to two years in prison if they fail to comply with British rules aimed at ensuring online safety for internet users, the UK government said Thursday as it unveiled the draft legislation in Parliament. The ambitious but controversial online safety bill would give regulators wide-ranging powers to crack down on digital and social media companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. Also Read | Ukraine Legalises Cryptocurrency To Fight Russian Invasion. Authorities in the United Kingdom are the vanguard of a global movement to rein in the power of tech platforms and make them more responsible for harmful material such as child sex abuse, racist content, bullying, fraud and other harmful material that proliferates on their platforms. Similar efforts are underway in the European Union and United States. While the internet has transformed people's lives, tech firms haven't been held to account when harm, abuse and criminal behavior have run riot on their platforms, U.K. Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said in a statement. If we fail to act, we risk sacrificing the wellbeing and innocence of countless generations of children to the power of unchecked algorithms. British lawmakers still need to vote to approve the bill before it becomes law. Also Read | California Accident: 9 Injured After Vehicle Crashes Into Tomas Rivera Middle School in Perris. The government has toughened the legislation since it was first written after a committee of lawmakers recommended improvements. Changes include clamping down on anonymous trolls, requiring porn sites to verify users are 18 or older, and making cyberflashing or sending someone unsolicited graphic images a criminal offense. Tech executives would be criminally liable two months after the law takes force, instead of two years afterward as proposed in the original draft. Companies could be fined up to 10% of their annual global revenue for violations. There's also a wider range of criminal offenses that could result in prison sentences of up to two years in the updated draft. Initially, tech executives faced prison time for failing to quickly provide regulators with accurate information needed to assess whether their companies are complying with the rules. Now, they would also face it for suppressing, destroying or altering information requested or not cooperating with regulators, who have the power to enter a tech company's premises to inspect data and equipment and interview employees. The government said it will outline categories of harmful but legal material that the biggest online platforms such as Google and Facebook will have to tackle, instead of leaving it up to the whim of internet executives. That's aimed at addressing concerns of digital activists who worried the law would crimp freedom of speech and expression because companies would be overzealous in removing material that upsets or offends people but isn't prohibited. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, March 17: The Maharashtra government on Thursday issued guidelines for Holi, saying people should celebrate the festival of colours without congregating on a large scale, and observe COVID-appropriate behaviour as the disease is still prevalent. This year, 'Holika Dahan' is being observed on Thursday, and 'Dhulivandan' and 'Rangpanchami' - during which people apply colours to each other - will be celebrated on March 18 and 22, respectively. Lathmar Holi 2022: Barsana and Nandgaon Pay Homage to Lord Krishna and Radha; Know History of The Tradition Here. Holi/Shimga is celebrated on a big scale throughout Maharashtra. The festival should possibly be celebrated without crowding and by observing COVID-appropriate behaviour given the coronavirus situation, the state Home department said in a circular. The government said Dhulivandan and Rangpanchami should be celebrated in a simple manner to ensure the coronavirus infection does not spread. The government also asked people against taking 'palkhi' (palanquin) processions to households during the festival. Local administration should (instead) arrange for darshan (of palkhi) at the local temple, the government said. The local administration should also ensure effective observance of the COVID-appropriate behaviour. Since the last two years, all festivals in the state are being celebrated in a low-key manner in the wake of the pandemic. Of late, Maharashtra has seen a dip in COVID-19 cases. It reported 237 fresh infections and two deaths on Wednesday, as per official figures. New Delhi, March 17: Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is visiting India on March 19 and will hold discussions on global and regional issues with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Kishida is coming to India for two days on the invitation of Modi. Both the leaders are expected to hold deliberation over the situation in Ukraine. The war has entered into 22nd day with Russia making all efforts to take over cities after cities. President Vladimir Putin has said Russia was ready to discuss Ukraine's neutral status but that Moscow would still achieve the goals of its military operation. Japan PM Fumio Kishida Holds First Telephonic Talks With US President Joe Biden, Agree to Strengthen Alliance. About the Japanese Prime Minister's visit, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "India and Japan summit will be held on March 19. "On invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida will be undertaking an official visit to New Delhi from March 19 to March 20 for the 14th Indian Japan annual summit." It will be the first meeting of the two leaders. The previous summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018. Indian and Japan have multifaceted cooperation within the ambit of the special strategic and global partnership. "The summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as share views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, so as to advance the partnership for peace stability and prosperity in the Indo pacific and beyond," Bagchi said. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2022 11:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). In another case of rising crime against women, the Director of a private school was arrested by Police on Wednesday for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl by asking her to come for extra classes New Delhi, March 17: Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, who is on his maiden visit to the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday held talks with the UAE Justice Minister and the head of the Emirates Supreme Court. The discussion was focused on the Indian expatriates in the Gulf country and for closer judicial cooperation between the two nations. CJI Ramana, accompanied by Indian Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir and Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohli, held a meeting with UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Federal Supreme Court President Mohd Hamad Al Badi, and Supreme Court Judge Abdul Rahman Al Balushi on issues concerning Indian expatriates. Investigative Journalism Is Unfortunately Vanishing From Media Canvas, Says CJI NV Ramana. Addressing a felicitation function organised by the Indian community in the UAE at the India Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi, he said: "Today we discussed some issues which are bothering the Law Minister and the Ambassador." "There are around 175 people whose extradition orders are pending and when the Ambassador brought it to notice, we represented it to the UAE Law Ministry to look into this and try to expedite these extradition orders. "There is 105 transfer of sentence orders and that too will be expedited. One more request was for access to visit Indians in prisons. These are humanitarian issues which we need to take care of," he said. "After this, there was the matter of judgments regarding the workmen who were terminated and those verdicts not being implemented. They said they will review the numbers given every six months," he added. "In family courts, we've seen legislation made by the UAE government to protect traditional laws of Indians who are non-Muslims so that they can follow their laws. They have agreed for this and it seems they have created some courts," he said. One of the difficulties, he said, is that there are not enough interpreters. "They'll say they'll take care so people who don't understand Arabic can use interpreters. "The UAE Minister has promised the issues will be taken care of. I appreciate the Ambassador's hard work and sincerity," the CJI said. He said that India and the UAE share strong friendly ties and that the two nations have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. "One of the major reasons for strong ties between the two nations is that Indians constitute one of the strongest ethnic groups. Nearly 3.5 million Indians are living here comprising 30 per cent of the total population. Indians have contributed to the development of the UAE over the years," he added. CJI Ramana also said that suggestions could be made to the organisations like the Indian Culture Centre to think of creating a legal assistance centre to help those in need of legal assistance in India. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2022 09:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The death toll for the Mexican journalist killing rose to eight, as another media practitioner was killed in a home located in the west of Mexico City. According to AP, the latest journalist killed in Zitacuaro was identified as Armando Linares, a reporter from Monitor Michoacan website, per Axios. Linares was reportedly shot at least eight times on Tuesday afternoon outside his home in Zitacuaro, per The Guardian. Reports also confirmed that the Mexico journalist was killed by assassins who remained on the loose as of Wednesday. To date, the motive for killing Linares is still unclear, CBS News reported. READ NEXT: Mexico Journalist Killings: Death Toll Rises to 7 After Another Reporter Was Killed in Zacatecas Mexico Journalist Killing: 8th Reporter Killed Announced the Death of His Colleague Linares' death came six weeks after his colleague Roberto Toledo, a camera operator and video editor for Monitor Michoacan, was slain. CBS highlighted that Linares was the one who announced Toledo's death on January 31 that occurred in the same city where he met his demise. Linares said that Toledo was targeted for exposing corruption, claiming that they do not bring any weapons and that pen and paper are the only things who can defend them, per The Guardian. Axios mentioned that Toledo was shot and killed by three armed men in Zitacuaro. Linares said in an interview in February that they wrote about illegal logging and several issues, like corruption in their municipality. The reporter furthered that they also have organized crime just like the rest of Mexico. After Toledo's death, Linares claimed that he received several death threats after he enrolled in a government protection program. The journalist added that the death threats came from people who identify themselves as an armed group and criminal gang, per CBS. "We can't verify whether it is true or not that they are this armed gang," Linares added. Linares was the eighth media practitioner that is victims by Mexico journalist killing this year, per Axios. Other journalist victims in the country include Herbert Lopez, Lourdes Maldonado Lopez, and Jorge Camero. AMLO Says Investigation Underway for Recent Victim of Mexico Journalist Killing On Wednesday, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador emphasized in his daily press briefing that they are already investigating and that authorities responded to the latest victim of journalist killings in the country, per The Guardian. However, the president did not further on the details, whether there were developments in their investigation. Meanwhile, the journalists from Monitor Michoacan, the company where Linares served as director, demanded the Mexico president to "take with due seriousness the murders, attacks and violations of the rights of journalists and workers of media in Mexico," according to Proceso. The journalists also demanded AMLO's administration to stop using them "politically" and implement the "necessary, immediate and effective" measures to curb the cases of journalists killed, disappeared, and violated in the country. READ NEXT: Joe Biden Latest Gaffe: President Says He Contracted COVID-19 Instead of Kamala Harris' Husband Doug Emhoff This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Why Are so Many Journalists Being Killed in Mexico? - From Al Jazeera English U.S. President Joe Biden told the press on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "war criminal," while condemning Russia's bombing of apartment buildings, maternity wards, hospitals, and other civilian targets. The administration was asked for clarification on Biden's statement, wherein White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki answered that the president's remarks "speak for themselves," according to an Axios report. Psaki noted that Biden was "speaking from his heart" and speaking based on what they have seen on the television. She then described those as "barbaric actions" by a "brutal dictator." It was the first time that the United States president has labeled the Russian president a "war criminal," while other senior officials had previously declined to say the same statement. Officials instead expressed concern about alleged Russian atrocities and support for an international war crimes investigation. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Biden's statements "unacceptable" and "unforgivable" rhetoric. READ NEXT: Donald Trump Mocks Joe Biden After Being Sanctioned by Russia, Says He Could Talk to Vladimir Putin to Prevent World War III U.S. President Joe Biden's "War Criminal" Statement Peskov said that they believe "such rhetoric" to be unacceptable and unforgivable on the part of the head of a state, "whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world," according to a BBC News report. Meanwhile, Psaki said that a legal review is underway at the State Department to review Russia's actions in Ukraine and whether they constitute war crimes. The Senate unanimously approved a resolution condemning the violence in Ukraine and calling for an investigation of Putin, as well as members of his regime for war crimes, according to a CBS News report. The International Court of Justice has ordered Russia to cease its invasion, and has opened an investigation regarding the war. Meanwhile, the United Nations human rights office recorded around 600 civilian deaths. However, it is believed that the toll is much higher. Russia-Ukraine Crisis The U.S. has warned earlier that China had signaled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia. The United States then stated that China will face consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions in its invasion of Ukraine, according to another BBC News report. The Chinese foreign ministry then accused the U.S. of spreading disinformation while Russia has denied asking Beijing for military help. The statements came before top U.S. and Chinese officials met in Rome. Russia has reportedly asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones. The U.S. warned allies that China had suggested it was open to a move to provide military and economic support, according to reports. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that they will not allow that to go forward and allow a lifeline to Russia from the economic sanctions. Sullivan added that while the U.S. believed China was aware that Putin was "planning something" before the invasion happened, the Beijing government may not have grasped the full extent of it. READ MORE: Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky Says if Pres. Joe Biden Acted Sooner 'There Would Be No War' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Biden calls Putin a 'war criminal' - from ABC News A government agency in Brazil on Wednesday awarded President Jair Bolsonaro the "medal of Indigenous merit," a move that was slammed by ethnic leaders the same day. According to Al Jazeera, the said award was given by Brazil's Justice Ministry through Justice Minister Anderson Torres to Bolsonaro and other administration officials on Wednesday. The decree published in the country's official gazette underscored that the award is given to Bolsonaro and other honorees for protecting and defending Indigenous communities, per France 24. Aside from Bolsonaro, 25 other honorees were also given the said award. France 24 noted that Brazil's Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina, Defense Minster Walter Braga Netto, and Infrastructure Minister Tarcisio Gomes were among the awardees on Wednesday. Traditionally, Brazil's medal of Indigenous merits is awarded to academics and environmentalists. The previous awardees of this recognition include anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro and Chief and Environmentalist Raoni Matuktire. READ NEXT: Mexico Journalist Killing Reaches Death Toll of 8 After Latest Shooting [Full Details] Indigenous Groups Slam the Award Given to Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro As Bolsonaro accepted the "medal of indigenous merit" award on Wednesday, several ethnic groups hit back on the recognition given to the Brazilian president. In a statement, Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples (APIB) national coordinator, Sonia Guajajara, called the move from the Justice Ministry "absurd." "As if all the reversals we've had weren't enough, this barbaric dis-government has now added another: a medal of merit for Jair Bolsonaro and his allies for their 'significant' services to Indigenous peoples," Guajajara said, per Al Jazeera. It was not the first time that Guajajara's organization go against Bolsonaro, as they brought a case against the president last year over his "anti-Indigenous policies" and accused the chief executive of "genocide" and "ecocide," per France 24. It can be recalled that Indigenous leaders and their allies have accused the Brazilian president of forcing Indigenous people out from their land through promoting environmental destruction and allowing the further deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Meanwhile, The Congressional Environmental Front said that their leader, Lower-House Deputy Alessandro Molon, filed a motion in Congress to annul the decree awarded to Bolsonaro. Molon pointed out that it was outrageous that the same government that tried to legalize mining on native lands and placed the lives of Indigenous people at risk have received the medal. Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Under Fire for Pushing to Legalize Mining on Indigenous Reservations A day before the awarding, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro was criticized by major mining firms for pushing to legalize mining on Indigenous reservations, such as those located in the Amazon Rainforest, according to France 24. Al Jazeera noted that the government hoped to fast-track a bill that would allow mining and oil exploration on Indigenous reservations protected by Brazil's constitution, amid the Ukraine-Russia war that affected the country's supplies of fertilizers. The largest firm was represented by the Brazilian Mining Institute (IBRAM) said that the bill was "inappropriate." The group said that they believe that the move from Bolsonaro's administration should be "fought rigorously." The group furthered that they believe "industrial mining is viable anywhere in Brazil," but it should be subjected to several regulations, such as viability studies, geological analyses, and environmental licenses. READ NEXT: Peru Landslide: 60-80 Homes Buried After the Tragedy; Missing People Reported This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: How Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Puts Indigenous People at Risk - From NowThis News The death toll of the recent Peru landslide climbed to two on Wednesday, as the rescue efforts in the site of the tragedy continue. Jose Rivas, the spokesman for the police rescue team, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that they recovered at least two people from the rubble, one that belonged to a man, and one that belonged to a one-month-old baby girl. "Most probably he was trying to protect the girl and the landslide buried both of them," Rivas underscored. The spokesman also further noted that the two bodies were found in the rubble of a market. The authorities did not further on the details of the two, including their identities. READ NEXT: Brazil Awards Indigenous Merit to Pres. Jair Bolsonaro; Groups Blast Move Calling It 'Absurd' Peru Landslide: 8 Rescued From the Rubble The authorities rescued at least eight individuals in the aftermath of the tragedy. The said development was confirmed by Peruvian Defense Minister Jose Luis Gavidia, claiming that the said people rescued were unharmed from the rubble. However, Gavidia did not mention the site where the said people were rescued. Gavidia also noted that there were eight others who remained missing following the landslide. The said number was much lower than the previous statistics of 15 missing people the defense minister mentioned earlier on Wednesday, according to Reuters per Toronto Sun. Gavidia emphasized that three children were among the missing people reported as the landslide unfolded in Peru's La Libertad region. The developments on the search and rescue in Peru came as police and fire brigades continue their search in hope of finding more survivors, according to Toronto Sun. Peru Pres. Pedro Castillo Urges Residents to Move Other Place On Wednesday, Peru President Pedro Castillo urged the inhabitants near the collapsed hillside to move to other places, contending that the "force of nature" cannot be controlled when the place with a high risk of danger is occupied, TeleSur reported. "I understand the need, but we must organize ourselves since you cannot live at risk. We can build roads, schools, but we must bear in mind that the force of nature comes and devastates us," Castillo stressed during his visit. The President then emphasized that the residents will be supported by the state "100 percent" if ever they found a place to relocate. Castillo furthered that the municipal, regional, and Peruvian government is committed to organizing the relocation of the families of a community located near the river where another landslide could occur, per TeleSur. The Peruvian president then revealed that a new army contingent will join the search and rescue operation in the site and the Council of Ministers will declare the town of Retamas in a state of emergency to receive the necessary help it needs. It can be recalled that the landslide in Peru unfolded on Tuesday, as it buried around 60 to 80 homes when a hill suddenly collapsed in La Libertad. On Wednesday, the National Institute of Civil Defense highlighted that the landslide was a result of heavy rains. READ NEXT: Mexico Journalist Killing Reaches Death Toll of 8 After Latest Shooting [Full Details] This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Landslide Hits Peruvian Town of Retamas; 60 Houses Buried, 15 Trapped - WION Venezuela recorded a total of 429,000 tourists in 2017, ranking 136th in the world. The South American country earned around $546 million in the tourism sector alone. The earnings correspond to 0.11 percent of its gross domestic product and approximately two percent of all international tourism receipts in South America, according to WorldData. Venezuela boasts Caribbean coastal beaches, Andean peaks, and wetlands. It also has a rich biodiversity, being a tropical country. But before traveling to Venezuela, be advised of the country's travel advisory and other safety guidelines. READ NEXT: Nicaragua Travel Guide: Tourist Attractions and Safety Tips to Know Before Your Trip Venezuela Travel Safety Guidelines The U.S. State Department has raised an alert Level 4 travel advisory for Venezuela, which means that travelers were advised not to travel to the South American country. The State Department advises tourists not to travel to Venezuela due to arrest and detention of U.S. citizens without any due process or fair trial guarantees. According to the State Department, there is always a high rate of crime and civil unrest in the country. Venezuela is also known for poor health infrastructure and kidnapping. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yet to issue a Travel Health Notice due to COVID-19, indicating an unknown level of COVID-19 in the country. In 2019, the State Department announced the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas, with all consular services, routine, and emergency, are suspended until further notice. The U.S. government also has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela. The State Department noted that violent crimes such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking are common in Venezuela. It added that political rallies and demonstrations also occur often with little notice. Tourist Attractions in Venezuela One of Venezuela's most popular tourist attractions is the Morrocoy National Park. It is located in the northeastern part of Venezuela, containing numerous islets and cays featuring sandy beaches, according to Touropia. Coral reefs and tropical fish are aplenty in the waters around the cayos. Other sea creatures such as dolphins, marine turtles, and even some coastal caimans can also be found. Venezuela can also be a great hiking spot with Mount Roraima. The mountain is a flat table mountain surrounded by cliffs, which creates an island floating in the sky on the plains. It can be found in large part of southeastern Venezuela. Mount Roraima and Angel Falls are some of the only destinations in Venezuela that adventurers around the globe are frequently visiting. The mountain is shared by three countries: Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. Angel Falls is one of the most famous tourist attractions, with it being the highest uninterrupted waterfalls in the world. The falls were originally known as Kerepakupai Vena, or "fall from the highest point" by the local natives. It was later changed to Angel Falls to honor the U.S. aviator who was first to fly over the falls, Jimmie Angel. Part of every visitor's list in Venezuela should include riding the Merida Cable Car, being the world's longest and highest cable car. The cable car route is almost 12 kilometers and soars more than 4,700 meters in the air. It stops along the way, giving visitors a chance to get out and do a little trekking. READ MORE: Travel in Brazil Amid Pandemic: Here Are Things You Should Be Aware of Before Visiting the Latin American Country This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Top 10 Things To Do In Venezuela - Venezuela Travel Guide - From Gallery Showbiz More than 100 dogs were recently found dead in a lagoon of toxic liquid at a sanitary landfill in Amecameca town in Mexico City. According to Periodico AM, the dogs were looking for water when they found the leachate lagoon and drank the liquid generated from the waste. The dogs were able to reach the lagoon because the fences that protect the landfill were already in poor condition and were destroyed. Dogs in Amecameca Landfill in Mexico Had Been Long Dead Authorities believed that the dogs had been long dead because the carcasses fell apart when the municipal cleaning staff removed them. For this reason, the dogs were reportedly buried on the same property. Authorities said the leachate, which is any contaminated liquid generated from water percolating through a solid waste disposal site, has been there since the last administration. The city council reported that in the last 12 months, the waste disposal site did not receive the required care since the compacting machine used to handle the garbage and cover it with soil was broken, El Universal reported. It added that four garbage trucks broke down during the first week of the current administration but were immediately repaired. The new administration found that the deposited garbage in the landfill was in disorder, as an open dump without complying with the measures recommended by the Ministry of the Environment for a type C sanitary landfill. "In the same way, the leachate generated from the garbage was only stored. So when the fence was destroyed, the dogs entered and went into the lagoon," the local government noted. READ NEXT: Mexico Deports Drug Trafficking Leader El Huevo After His Arrest Fueled Violent Attacks Horrific Dog Attack in Mexico Kills a Woman A woman in Ajacuba town in Mexico's state of Hidalgo died after dogs attacked her on Wednesday afternoon. The Attorney General's Office of Hidalgo has initiated an investigation regarding the death of the woman, who was attacked by the dogs along Ignacio Allende street in the Santiago Tezontlale community, AM reported. The Municipal Public Security has received a notice informing them about the discovery of a dead person who was allegedly attacked by dogs. State authorities reportedly went to the site and processed the removal of the body. Municipal police confirmed that a woman, around 73-years-old, was found dead due to dog bites. Around 60 people at the scene pointed to the dogs' owner, who was allegedly inside his home when the incident happened. It was still unclear how many dogs attacked the woman. This scenario was similar to what happened to a boy in Australia last Christmas Eve. A dog attacked the 5-year-old boy while playing outside their house in Gold Coast city. His grandmother and a neighbor tried to rescue the boy from the dog attack but were unsuccessful. Moments later, the paramedics arrived. The boy was rushed to a hospital, but he died hours later. READ MORE: Jalisco Cartel in Mexico Is Creating Homemade Bombs Similar to Those Use by Islamic Militants Amid Drug War This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Stray Dogs Overrun Streets of Mexico - From CGTN America Front-page featured Steadfast advocate': UW-EC names first floor of new science building after Thompson Staff photo by Dan Reiland From left, UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson, Mayo Clinic Health System Vice President Dr. Richard Helmers and UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt took a sledgehammer swing on Tuesday to the Putnam Hall residence building. This year, Katharine Thomas Hall and Putnam Hall will be torn down to make way for the new Science and Health Sciences building at UW-Eau Claire, for which Thompson has been a consistent advocate. Staff photo by Dan Reiland UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson speaks Wednesday while UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt looked on. UW-Eau Claire hosted an event honoring Thompson, who will step down Friday from the position. In recognition of Thompsons advocacy for higher education, part of the new Science and Health Sciences buildings first floor will be named the Tommy Thompson Riverview Commons. EAU CLAIRE One of the projects interim UW System President Tommy Thompson has supported over the years has been a new Science and Health Sciences building at UW-Eau Claire. At each step, Tommy has been our greatest cheerleader, UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt said Wednesday. In recognition of Thompsons advocacy, part of the new science buildings first floor will be named the Tommy Thompson Riverview Commons. Schmidt made that announcement Wednesday morning during a ceremony on UW-Eau Claires campus honoring Thompsons time as UW System interim president. Thompson will step down Friday from the position. Thompson stressed the importance of colleges in creating future leaders and emphasized that higher education is an investment, not an expenditure. You got a problem, come to the university, Thompson said. Were here to help. Were here to grow. Were here to be your partners We are a problem-solver for the state of Wisconsin. We are the economic engine thats going to make it all happen. Thompson, former Wisconsin governor, became the UW Systems interim president in July 2020 and has held the role for 20 months. Mike Falbo will serve as UW System interim president from March 18 until June 1, when Jay Rothman will take office. Thompson has not announced his future plans but is moving into the next stage of life. So is the UW-Eau Claire campus. This year, Katharine Thomas Hall and Putnam Hall will be torn down to make way for the Science and Health Sciences building. The new science building is estimated to cost $256 million. It will replace Phillips Hall, which Schmidt called aged and inefficient. UW-Eau Claire has received $109 million to construct the building, including $93 million from the state legislature. Mayo Clinic Health System gave $13.7 million to build a 10,000 square-foot research space in the new facility. The state has approved design and construction of the new science building, which is in the second design phase. The remaining $147 million still requires approval from the legislature. It can be considered as part of the states 2023-25 budget. On Wednesday, Thompson again supported the project, asking state lawmakers for additional funding. Legislators, I love you dearly, but I want more money, Thompson said. Dr. Richard Helmers, Mayo Clinic Health Northwest Wisconsin Regional Vice President, said the new building will assist area patients. The research area will allow Mayo Clinic staff and UW-Eau Claire scientists and students to work in tandem on cutting-edge research that will improve health care in our counties and transform patient care, Helmers said. Schmidt agreed: I hope that all of us over the last couple of years have understood the importance of science and health. The new Science and Health Sciences building will be a key part to help this country, state and the world remain strong and safe. Schmidt also said the science building is an example of Thompsons partnership mindset while at the helm of the UW System. Thompson in turn praised Schmidts vision, calling him the entrepreneurial chancellor of the century. He doesnt know how to say no, Thompson said of Schmidt. Hes pugnacious, hes tenacious, hes a pit bull dog all rolled into a fantastic leader. Schmidt said it was a pleasure and a breath of fresh air to work for Thompson and expressed gratitude for his decisive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He ensured we had everything we needed, and he made sure that we were able to not only work for our campus, but reach into our community, Schmidt said. Without his energetic approach and decades of experience, wed all have had a much tougher time weathering this storm. For his work, Schmidt presented Thompson with a university medallion. He also gave Thompson custom-made Blugold water skis, to which Thompson replied, Oh my God, I love it. During his final stop in Eau Claire while spearheading the UW System, Thompson remained an advocate for the new science building. Its an investment in the future, Thompson said. Its an investment in economic development. Its an investment of making the Eau Claire community the strongest and best that it possibly can be. This aerial view shows the potential location of a new Dollar General Market in Hartsville. The Board of Zoning Appeals has granted a variance from sign requirements, but the Planning Commission has yet to review any official site plans. A man received a three month prison sentence on a public order matter at Portlaoise District Court last week. PJ OShea, 39, of 20 OMoore Place, Portlaoise was charged with failing to comply with a Garda direction and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at Lyster Square, Portlaoise on February 12 this year. Sgt JJ Kirby told the court that on that date Mr OShea was outside the post office at 9am and was begging aggressively. He was asked to move on by the gardai. When they came back he told them to f*** off and f*** off you foreign b****** to Garda Solinski, a Polish garda. The court heard he was on bail at the time. Sgt Kirby said he was well known to the court. Appearing for Mr OShea, solicitor Philip Meagher said he was a single man who was well known to the court He had many years of difficulty with drug addiction. He normally lived with his mother and siblings. Mr Meagher said that things for him go well for a number of months but then he falls off and he gets back into bad company and matters spiral from there. He then presents in a dishevelled and pathetic state and lives rough. This happened recently. He looks for money because his social welfare is cancelled. He begs to buy food and by his own admission drugs. Mr Meagher said that Mr OShea had told him he wants to get help. Mr Meagher suggested a custodial sentence with help later to get treatment. He said that unless Mr OSheas addiction was dealt with the same spiral would occur again. He added that when Mr OShea gets out of prison he is a different man. The court heard he was on remand for other matters. Judge John King noted that he had plenty of time to address his issues. He sentenced him to three months. Builders are being invited to tender for the construction of Laoiss first ever beach resort. Pond Beach Resort at Clomeen North in Errill is sure to make a splash as the only beach resort in the county. As Laois has no beach of its own and doesn't border another country with a coastline, Iveta Melgaile and Patrick Bowe decided to provide the county with a beachside resort. The planned beach resort consists of a new glamping site complete with buildings for leisure, sports, culture, lodging and restaurants. Companies interested in winning the contract will be aske dot install three glamping pods, proprietary wastewater treatment system and polishing filter and all associated site works. The first phase of the tender was issued this week. The deadline for tender is April 8th. Laois County Council granted planning permission for the project January 2022. The construction of a beach in any inland area would be novel but it is even more unusual for Laois which is the only county in Ireland that doesn't touch another county that does not touch the sea. St Patrick's Day is here and after a long two year break thanks to Covid-19 the Irish are ready to celebrate once more by donning anything green they can find in their closets, painting a shamrock on their face and joining in the festivities that are happening not just on our little Ireland but all over the world. Whether you are heading out to the parade, the pub or staying at home, one thing we can all agree on is there's nothing quite like watching a good aul Irish movie for the day that's in it! Here are just some gems that we are incredibly proud of. My Left Foot The incredible story of Christy Brown (played by Daniel Day Lewis) who had cerebral palsy and learned to write and draw with his foot. Definitely worth a re-watch! My left foot is on tonight at 11.35pm on RTE 1 Flight of the Doves The unforgettable tale of the two Dove siblings who flee their uncles home in England to search for their grandmother in Ireland. Everyone should see this whether their from Ireland or not because "You don't have to be Irish to be Irish". Flight of the Doves is on today at 1pm on RTE 2 The Guard Laidback Irish policeman Brendan Gleeson finds his easygoing life disrupted by a drug-smuggling operation and an uptight FBI agent. Great comedy thriller! The Guard is on tonight at 9.30pm on RTE 2. Michael Collins The historical biopic of the Irish revolutionary who led a guerilla army against the English. Superb movie! Sing Street The story of a young boy who starts a band to get the attention of a girl. Absolutely brilliant and hilarious! The Snapper No list of Irish movies is complete without this classic about young Sharon who falls pregnant from the older neighbour across the street. Full of well-known one liners and always worth a re-watch when it's on! Brooklyn The beautifully told story of a young girl that emigrates to America who is torn between love and family commitment. Starring Saoirse Ronan who was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. Wild Mountain Thyme Technically not a classic or a beloved Irish movie (I'll say no more) but certainly one that will give you a good laugh and get you talking about what it is actually is to be Irish! Some soldiers in the Curragh Camp are sleeping in cars because of a local housing crisis, a TD claimed in the Dail. Sinn Fein deputy Patricia Ryan called for vacant homes in the Curragh Camp area to be put into use as accommodation for military personnel and civilians. She said: "We have a housing crisis in this country and must look at every opportunity available. I am dealing with people on the Curragh Camp and soldiers need homes too. We have 6,600 people on the housing list in County Kildare at present." She added: "I visited the Curragh Camp three weeks ago and saw the dereliction at first hand. I am sure the Minister has visited it several times. We have soldiers sleeping in cars because they cannot afford to find anywhere else to live. I ask that this situation be dealt with. Minister for Defence Simon Coveney said: "It has been a long-standing policy to discontinue the provision of married quarters to serving Defence Forces personnel. It is not intended to reverse this long-standing policy which was introduced in the early 1990s and was implemented on a gradual basis in recognition of the sensitivities involved for those personnel and their families. "With regard to former married quarters in the active military installation at the Curragh Camp, the future use of such buildings' facilities is primarily a matter for the Defence Forces to consider in the context of their operational and training requirements. "To be clear, it is not intended to reverse the policy on the provision of married quarters. This is particularly relevant in the context of the Curragh Camp which is now a training centre and not a self-contained military community, as was the case in the past. Where appropriate and required it is open to the military authorities to consider their conversion to single living accommodation for serving personnel in the Defence Forces Training Centre. "To this end, the Deputy will be aware that I recently announced the biggest allocation for the Defence Forces built infrastructure of 45 million for 2022, of which 35 million is specifically targeted at the progression of major capital projects. A further 10 million is being provided to the Defence Forces on a fully delegated basis for the purposes of maintenance of the current building stock." Speaking after the debate, Sinn Fein TD said: "The Minister acknowledges that The Curragh is the headquarters and, in many ways, the flagship of the Army and that there are too many derelict buildings in the Curragh. "The buildings must be brought back into use, whether it is for housing, temporary accommodation, or some other use. "Leaving them to rot is not an option." After two years of lockdown, the people of Newbridge got to finally let themselves get lost in a tidal wave of celebration which was felt all throughout the town this St Patrick's Day. A large number of organisations and clubs were in attendance at the annual parade, which kicked off at 12 midday and was watched a huge crowd. Some of those taking part included: Sarsfields and Moorefields GAA clubs, Nio Taekwon-Do club, the Kildare Ploughing Association, the Kildare Filipino Community, the Leah Moran Stage School, the Stage Academy of Newbridge and members of the Defence Forces and the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, otherwise known as ONE. Several special guests and local dignitaries also attended the event, including, among others, politicians Patricia Ryan TD, Senator Fiona O Loughlin, Cathal Berry TD, Councillor Noel Heavey, Mayor Rob Power, former local school principals Pat O Leary and John O Donovan, and author and Arts Council member Pauline Clooney. Local musician Johnny Peters entertaining the crowd Newbridges own Johnny Peters also sang a few tunes to entertain the crowd at around 1.30pm, and also took time out of his performance to thank former Newbridge Parish News and Views newsletter editor Breda Reid, who has taken in a Ukrainian family. 14-year-old Alex Hughes also delivered a signature of Irish music with a rousing pipe performance. Teresa Harrison acted as the Grand Marshall of the Parade, while Brenda Donohoe was the Master of Ceremonies. Commenting ahead of the parade, a member of ONE, William Lawlor, said: "We take part in the parade every year, and its nice to be able to come out again, out of the pandemic after two years." The Kildare Filipino Community's contribution to Newbridge's St Patrick's Day parade Aina Dugenio Conway of the Kildare Filipino Community also expressed her excitement ahead the parade, telling the Leader: "We are super excited for the parade; its so important to feel part of the community, Kildare feels like home away from home, we all treat each other like family." A member of An Garda Siochana at the parade, Michael Donlan, added that he was 'glad to see the community back on the street again.' The citizens of Ukraine in County Kildare were also held in a particularly high regard this year, with many groups wearing various yellow and blue garments, in addition to different vehicles flying the Ukrainian flag. One participant with the Ploughing Association, Dominic Dunne, explained the importance of standing in solidarity with Ukraine: The Irish people understand what theyre going through. St Patricks Day is usually a bit of fun, but this year its a bit more serious (for this reason)... we have to show them that we care about them. Zoryana Pshyk with her daughter, Melania Chephya A member of the Ukrainian community, Zoryana Pshyk, who is also the chairperson of Kildare Integration Network, took to the main stage near the Town Hall, where she thanked the Newbridge community for their generosity. Reflecting on the parade after it ended, Miriam Hughes, the mother of musician Alex, said: "It was fantastic and great to see live parades back. "Everyone was in great form in the crowds, and it was amazing to see the sun shine." Young musician Alex Hughes with his grandparents With representation from all across the town and the numerous different cultures that reside within it, it truly felt like a wave of pure, patriotic pride was felt throughout Newbridge town. Failte aris, Droichead Nua. A man found driving with excess alcohol was disqualified from driving, at Naas District Court on March 2. Ivan Deliu, 75, whose address was given as 101 Easton Green, Leixlip, was prosecuted for an offence at Kilcock Road, Maynooth, on November 6, 2019. Sgt Jim Kelly said the defendant was holding a Moldovan driving licence, which is not valid here. He said a breath sample returned a reading of 16 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The court heard that the alcohol reading amounted to drinking two or three mouthfuls of beer. Read more Kildare news If he had a full licence we wouldnt be here, said Sgt Kelly. Solicitor David Powderly said the defendant had had an Irish licence but this had expired. Mr Powderly said the case is very unfortunate and the man is worried about his family living in Moldova because of the military conflict in Ukraine. Judge Desmond Zaidan imposed a driving disqualification of six months with no fine, which he said is the minimum. Ireland has confirmed the opening of new support centres in Dublin Cork and Limerick for refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, which was sparked by the Russian invasion. The country has also issued more than 5,000 PPS numbers to Ukrainian refugees since the war began, allowing them to work and access state support. The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, said on Thursday that three city centre hubs will help Ukrainian refugees obtain PPS numbers, social welfare support and give them access to other state services. Ireland has already taken in more than 7,000 refugees since the war began. The support centres in Dublin and Cork are already open, with the one in Limerick set to open next week. The welcome room at the processing facility for Ukrainian refugees at Dublin Airport Ms Humphreys said: These dedicated hubs in Dublin, Cork and Limerick will ensure that Ukrainian families and individuals who have fled this terrible war can get the supports they need as quickly as possible. My officials are present in these new centres, as well as our Intreo Centres, to assist the Ukrainian people in obtaining the likes of a PPS number, which is a crucial first step to accessing different services offered by the state. Teams of staff from my department and the Department of Justice will be working over the Bank Holiday period, on Friday and Saturday, to assist the people from Ukraine arriving into Ireland with their immediate needs. Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that the hubs will provide new dedicated locations where we can ensure everyone entering the state, no matter which port of entry they arrive at, has an opportunity to receive their temporary permission letter, their PPS number and income supports. She said that Ireland has granted temporary protection to more than 3,000 people, primarily through a reception facility at Dublin Airport. The traditional St Patrick's Day bilateral meeting between Taoiseach Micheal Martin and US President Joe Biden will go ahead by videoconference today. The annual visit by the Taoiseach to the White House was cancelled after Mr Martin was informed that he had contracted Covid on Wednesday night. He had been due to speak at the 30th anniversary of the Ireland Funds Gala dinner in Washington. At the time he was sitting alongside House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other guests. He left the gathering after the positive result was confirmed. The Taoiseach was due to hold talks with President Biden and take part in the traditional shamrock handover ceremony in the Oval Office on Thursday. Arrangements are ongoing for the engagements to be switched to a virtual format. An Irish Government spokesperson said the Taoiseach was feeling well but is currently self-isolating on public health grounds. He added that Mr Martin had received a negative Covid test result on Wednesday afternoon, but a further test was carried out when one of his delegation tested positive. This resulted in a positive test for the Taoiseach. Mr Martins speech at the Ireland Funds event was instead given by Irish Ambassador to the US, Daniel Mulhall. I know you will all join with me in wishing the Taoiseach a speedy recovery, he told the audience in Washington. The positive test also casts doubt on whether the Taoiseach can return to Ireland for a national day of remembrance on Sunday to commemorate those who died during the Covid-19 pandemic. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking with with US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC Just before the positive Covid-19 test result was confirmed, Mr Martin had been listening to remarks from US President Joe Biden, who addressed the dinner on Wednesday evening. Mr Biden had welcomed the Taoiseach to Washington and said he was looking forward to renewing their friendship on Thursday. Mr Biden, who was greeted with a lengthy round of applause and repeated cheers from the audience, was in fine spirits as he addressed the gathering. He welcomed Taoiseach Micheal Martin and recalled meeting him at the White House shamrock ceremony in 2009, when Mr Martin was foreign affairs minister and Mr Biden was vice-president. Weve come full circle. Youre Taoiseach, Im President what the hell are we going to do? Last year, Mr Martin had been forced to meet with the US President virtually due to the pandemic. All parties had been looking forward to an in-person meeting this year. In front of an audience that included Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis, Mr Biden spoke passionately about his Irish heritage but did not shy away from the multiple crises facing the world. He said that Ireland was the only country in the world that was nostalgic for the future. But of course, that means dealing with the present. US President Joe Biden speaks at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC during Taoiseach Micheal Martins visit In our time weve seen more change and challenges, I believe, than any time in generations. A once-in-a-century pandemic and economic unease and anxiety, existential threats, a climate crisis, and what we see today in Ukraine, an unprovoked war of aggression and just a vicious, vicious, vicious treatment. The march of reactionary forces of nationalism, nativism and isolationism, of autocracies not just in Europe. Weve seen it around the world. Weve seen it here in America. The president spoke the alternative US tradition of strength, necessity and endurance of democracy. President Biden also said that Ireland, the home of his emigrant ancestors, was now a leader on the global stage. Mr Biden ended his remarks by recollecting that both his and former president Barack Obamas distant grandfathers were Irish He described the Republic of Ireland as a global force in culture and in the arts. He added: Leaders on the world stage, members of the United Nations Security Council, a country with a past that tugs at our hearts and a future thats going to shape the world. Mr Biden had ended his remarks by recollecting that both his and former president Barack Obamas distant grandfathers had left Ireland in the middle of the 19th century. The two shoemakers, the president told the room, might have known each other and left Ireland within weeks of one another. They left everything behind for an uncertain future. But I wonder, in all their dreams that they could ever have dreamt, that each of their grandsons would one day be president of the United States of America. Thats America. Mr Biden had welcomed the Taoiseach to Washington and said he was looking forward to renewing their friendship on Thursday In his speech, the Taoiseach had been due to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and his Governments Shared Island initiative. Delivering the address instead, the Irish Ambassador said that the conflict in Ukraine served as a reminder of how fragile peace can be. Praising the support of US politicians in the peace process, Mr Mulhall said: We mustnt lose sight on the fact that peace and stability are organic and can grow and prosper, but they can also wither. They need tending and willing guardians. The implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is therefore a continuous process. Its impact has been transformational and yet work to reconcile communities and heal old wounds by necessity continues. Your commitment to that cause is as important today as it ever was. It has already borne great fruit. Mr Mulhall said that the Irish Government was committed to working with the UK Government to protect the achievements of the peace process, including more recently in response to Brexit. So you think that you know everything about St Patrick? It's all just the driving the snakes from Ireland, converting the pagans and using the shamrock to teach about the Holy Trinity? Well we bet you didn't know this..... We should be really wearing blue The original color first associated with St Patrick was blue. But because the Saint preached about the Holy Trinity through the symbol of the shamrock gradually it became the most common shade in connection with him. You weren't legally allowed to drink on St Patrick's Day Due to strict laws curtailing the of sale of alcohol on Holy Days in Ireland, from 1927 to 1961, the only place you could legally get a drink on Paddys day was at The Royal Dublin Dog Show. Of course, if you had access to your own drink at home there was nothing stopping you enjoying a tipple or two but those relying on pubs back then were all very sadly disappointed. He wasn't Irish Ok, we probably all should know this by now but you would be surprised by the number of people who insist that St Patrick was actually Irish. He wasn't. Patrick was born in what was then Roman Britain at the end of the 4th century AD and taken to Ireland by slavers when he was a teenager. The exact location of his birth is still debated with some believing he hailed from Wales and others convinced he came from Scotland. He wasn't originally called Patrick Surprisingly enough St Patrick's name wasn't actually Patrick - at least it wasn't his birth name. He was named Maewyn Succat, and according to legend changed his name to Patricius, or Patrick, which derives from the Latin term for "father figure," when he became a priest. There were never any snakes in Ireland This could be a bit contentious but there weren't any snakes in Ireland despite the tradition that St Patrick drove them all from our shores. The reference is thought to be metaphorical: St. Patrick who converted pagans to Christianity was the man who supposedly drove "evil" non-Christians from the land. Parades first started in America It may surprise you to know but the first St Patrick's Day parade wasn't held in Ireland but in America, New York City to be exact. According to historians the first St. Patrick's Day celebration in America was in 1737 hosted by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston. An illustration of a New York City St Patrick's Day Parade in the 1800s. St Patrick's Day isn't just a national holiday in Ireland March 17 is also a national holiday on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, a tiny island with around 4,000 inhabitants which became home to a large number of Irish emigrants in the 17th century. Montserrat is holding an entire week of celebrations, including a Patricks Day dinner, a calypso competition and a church service. A Russian air strike has ripped through a theatre in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter. Some hope emerged, as an official said some people had managed to survive the Mariupol theatre strike. A photo released by Mariupols city council showed an entire section of the large, three-storey theatre had collapsed after the strike on Wednesday evening. Several hundred people had taken refuge in the building, seeking safety amid Russias three-week siege of the strategic Azov Sea port city. A satellite image shows burning buildings in a residential area in north-east Chernihiv, Ukraine At least as recently as Monday, the pavement in front of and behind the once-elegant theatre was marked with huge white letters spelling out children in Russian, according to images released by the Maxar space technology company. Rubble had buried the entrance to the shelter inside the theatre, and the number of casualties was unclear, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration, said. Ukrainian parliament member Sergiy Taruta, a former governor of the Donetsk region where Mariupol is located, later said that some people had managed to escape alive from the destroyed building. Mr Kyrylenko said Russian air strikes also hit a municipal swimming pool complex in Mariupol where civilians, including women and children, had been sheltering. Now there are pregnant women and women with children under the rubble there, he said, though the number of casualties was not immediately known. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more help for his country in a video address to German legislators on Thursday, saying thousands of people have been killed in the war that started almost a month ago, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol. Everything is a target for them, he said, including a theatre where hundreds of people found shelter that was flattened yesterday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks from Kyiv The address began with a delay because of a technical problem caused by an attack in the immediate vicinity of where Mr Zelensky was speaking from, Bundestag deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt said. Mr Zelenskys address to the Bundestag came a day after he delivered a speech via video to the US Congress that garnered several ovations as he called for more help. The Russian Defence Ministry denied bombing the theatre or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. Mr Zelenskys office said Russia carried out further air strikes on Mariupol early on Thursday morning, as well as artillery and air strikes around the country overnight, including in the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital Kyiv. There was no immediate word on casualties. In Kyiv, where residents have been huddling in homes and shelters, a fire broke out in an apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket early on Thursday, killing one person and injuring at least three others, according to emergency services. Firefighters evacuated 30 people from the top floors of the 16-storey building and extinguished the blaze within an hour. On Thursday, Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community centre in Merefa, a city near the north-east city of Kharkiv, according to Merefas mayor Veniamin Sitov. A Ukrainian soldier looks through binoculars at a military checkpoint There were no known civilian casualties. The Kharkiv region has seen heavy bombardment as stalled Russian forces try to advance in the area. Six nations have called for a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Thursday afternoon, ahead of an expected Friday vote on a resolution demanding protection for Ukrainian civilians in vulnerable situations. Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians, Britains UN Mission tweeted, announcing the call for the meeting that was joined by the US, France and others. Russias illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all. Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television on Wednesday to excoriate Russians who do not back him. Russians will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, he said. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. He said the West is using a fifth column of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it the destruction of Russia, he said. The speech appeared to be a warning that his authoritarian rule, which had already grown tighter since the invasion began on February 24, shutting down Russian news outlets and arresting protesters, could grow even more repressive. In a sign of that, Russian law enforcement announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be false information about the Ukraine war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. But it also came amid signs that talks were finally making progress. A volunteer with the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces helps a woman cross a street in Kharkiv Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said after Tuesdays meeting that a neutral military status for Ukraine was being seriously discussed by the two sides, while Mr Zelensky said Russias demands for ending the war were becoming more realistic. Wednesdays talks, held by video, appeared to wade more deeply into technicalities. Mr Zelenskys adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees for Ukraine from several countries. This is possible only through direct dialogue between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin, he tweeted. An official in Mr Zelenskys office told The Associated Press that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on a legally binding document with security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral status. Russia has demanded that Nato pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky went before the US Congress via video and, invoking Pearl Harbour and 9/11, pleaded with America for more weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia, saying: We need you right now. US President Joe Biden announced the US was sending an additional 800 million dollars (608 million) in military aid to Ukraine. He also called Mr Putin a war criminal, in his sharpest condemnation since the invasion began. Although Moscows ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Mr Putin said earlier that the operation was unfolding successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans. He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country. The fighting has led more than three million people to flee Ukraine, the UN estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. Ukrainian military servicemen fire salutes during the funeral of their comrades, Roman Rak and Mykola Mykytiuk, in Starychi, western Ukraine Nowhere has suffered more than the encircled city of Mariupol, where local officials say missile strikes and shelling have killed more than 2,300 people. The southern seaport of 430,000 has been under attack for almost all of the three-week war in a siege that has left people struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Meanwhile, Russian forces have freed the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol in exchange for nine of their captured conscripts, an official from Ukraines presidential office said. Kyiv accused the Russians of kidnapping mayor Ivan Fedorov about a week ago. Surveillance video showed him being marched out of city hall apparently surrounded by Russian soldiers. Residents of Melitopol, a city in the south-east currently under Russian control, have been protesting to demand his release. Moscow initially denied sending conscripts to fight in Ukraine, but later the Russian military admitted that some conscripts have been involved in the offensive and even got captured by Ukrainian forces. COMMUNITIES the length and breadth of Limerick will turn a strong shade of green this Thursday. Its all because for the first time since 2019, St Patricks Day parades can take place free of Covid-19 regulations. From Abbeyfeale in the west to Ballylanders in the east, from Castleconnell in the north to Kilfinane in the south, no fewer than 10 parades will take place, as Limerick communities are expected to turn out in numbers to mark our national day. Thousands of people will pack OConnell Street this Thursday, while towns and villages will see hundreds of people out and about, as the fun returns with the parades. In the city, the grand marshals of the parade will be Limericks victorious hurling players with the Liam MacCarthy Cup in tow. They will lead a 250-strong procession from Limerick GAA celebrating the theme of belonging and identity. With Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Daniel Butler unavailable, the metropolitan district leader, Cllr Catherine Slattery will don the chain of office and deputise at the parade this year. Its a massive honour for the Old Cork Road woman, who said: It means the world to me. Im a proud Limerick woman in politics, and Im so looking forward to meeting and greeting the people of Limerick. Its all change for the parade route this year, due to the fact much of OConnell Street is currently closed off due to the ongoing work related to its 10m revitalisation programme. It will start beside the Youthreach College in OConnell Avenue, colloquially known as the Red Tech, before continuing down to the Cecil Street-OConnell Street junction. Rather than heading onwards towards Penneys, where the viewing stand is traditionally located, participants will turn left into Cecil Street, then left again into Henry Street. They will march past Sarsfield Street and Liddy Street, where the parade will officially come to an end before the viewing stand at Arthurs Quay Park. Elsewhere in Bruff, the theme of this years St Patricks Day parade is together again, with the aim of the event to give an opportunity for promotion to the many clubs and organisations which contribute to community life in the area. Notably, the Ukrainian flag will be carried in solidarity by members of Bruffs international community. DJ Grimes, who suffers from the rare Bardet Biedl syndrome will lead out the parade in the town at 2.30pm and add something else to his list of personal achievements. To get people in the mood for the holiday, Limerick Council has launched a playlist. Online at limerick.ie, it showcases a mix of local bands, musicians, solo artists and songwriters. THE MINISTER for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has announced the establishment of three new city centre hubs, including one in Limerick, to support Ukrainian nationals who have fled the Russian invasion. The Ukraine Support Centres in Dublin, Cork and Limerick will assist Ukrainians in obtaining PPS Numbers, availing of Social Welfare income supports, and receiving referrals to other State services. The centres in Dublin and Cork will open from tomorrow while the centre in Limerick will open next week. The opening of these new hubs follows on from the launch last week of a one-stop shop at Dublin Airport. Announcing the opening of the additional Support Centres, Minister Humphreys said: These dedicated hubs in Dublin, Cork and Limerick will ensure that Ukrainian families and individuals who have fled this terrible war can get the supports they need as quickly as possible," commented Minister Humphreys. We have already issued over 5,000 PPS Numbers to people who have arrived from Ukraine since the start of the invasion by Russia. We have also provided many families and individuals with income supports such as Supplementary Welfare Allowance and I want the people of Ukraine to know that my department is here to help and support you in every way we can," she added. Through her department, the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, is also supporting the opening of the new centres. The Temporary Protection Directive has been activated at EU level, for the first time, to grant temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine. We have already granted temporary protection to more than 3,000 people, primarily through our reception facility at Dublin Airport," she said. The new hubs being announced by Minister Humphreys and I today, provide new dedicated locations where we can ensure everyone entering the State, no matter which port of entry they arrive at, has an opportunity to receive their temporary permission letter, their PPS number and income supports," she added. The exact location and opening times of the new support centre in Limerick have not yet been announced. Anhui province was rated as A by China National Intellectual Property Administration in terms of annual protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), according to an assessment result recently released by the administration. In 2021, the eastern Chinese province took the lead in the nation in introducing measures for inspection and assessment of protecting IPR. Relevant government agencies, including the Administration for Market Regulation of Anhui and the Department of Justice of Anhui, deepened the reform in IPR protection, improved policies on IPR protection and a diversified dispute resolution mechanism, and promoted regional cooperation in IPR law enforcement. The number of valid invention patents hit 121,700 at the end of 2021. Meanwhile, more than 1 million valid trademarks were registered in the province. The number of invention patents per 10,000 people reached 19.9 as of last December, up 29.2 percent from the same period a year earlier. In 2021, 10,920 IPR cases were handled by courts in Anhui and 482 IPR criminal cases by public security departments. The province ranked 8th in China, according to a national assessment of IPR development. Oil clawed back some losses after a three-day slide as investors weighed the fallout from Russias invasion of Ukraine and virus lockdowns in China. Futures in New York climbed to trade near $96 a barrel after slumping 13% over the past three sessions. The war has severely disrupted Russian oil flows, and the International Energy Agency predicted the nations output will drop by about a quarter next month. Libyas prime minister said OPEC should boost supply faster to help solve the energy crisis." Investors are also monitoring a virus resurgence in China, the worlds largest oil importer. Traffic congestion levels in partially locked down Shanghai are more that a third lower than a year ago and there are also restrictions on movement in the manufacturing hub of Shenzhen and Jilin province. Rapid developments around the war in Europe and the ensuing sanctions are driving wild fluctuations in the market, and holdings in oil contracts have slumped due to the volatility. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that hes optimistic Saudi Arabia may raise output after a meeting with the kingdoms Crown Prince, but he got no guarantees that would occur. Russia said a Ukrainian proposal that it would become a neutral country but retain its own armed forces could be viewed as a compromise, offering for some hopes for a cease-fire. A Ukrainian official cautioned that issues remained and said talks hadnt progressed significantly. The U.S. Federal Reserve, meanwhile, raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point, launching a campaign to tackle the fastest inflation in four decades even as risks to economic growth mount. Brent crude had surged to nearly $140 a barrel earlier this month, only to swiftly fall back to below $100 this week, exceeding the threshold of 20% used to characterize a bear market. The extent of the liquidation shows up in open-interest data. Holdings in oil futures have fallen to the lowest since 2015 across the main Brent and WTI contracts combined. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi may visit India soon, a first high profile visit from China since border stand-off in Galwan Valley in Ladakh, ANI reported on Thursday. ANI report stated that Wang's visit to India is being worked out. Meanwhile, neither the Chinese embassy in Delhi nor the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the proposed visit formally. This will be the first high-profile and physical meeting between the leaders of both countries after Galwan clash and the beginning of the border stand-off that started in May 2020. The key objective of Wang's visit is to restart physical engagement and also invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS meet to be hosted by Beijing later this year. It is pertinent to mention that India-China stand-off at border is still continuing as multiple rounds of military and diplomatic discussions did not reap results. India has called for complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh at all friction points. Earlier, the 15th round of Corps Commander level talks between India and China was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on March 11, 2022. India and China agreed to maintain the security and stability along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector during the 15th round China-India Corps Commander Level talks, said the Indian Army Spokesperson. The two countries carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on January 12, 2022, for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. India and China have been holding talks on the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh area to resolve the standoff. As governments across the world have resumed travel and business activities due to the decline in the Covid-19 pandemic, Israel has identified two new variants of the virus. According to the statement by Israel's ministry, the new Covid strain is the combination of two sub-variants of the Omicron version of coronavirus-dubbed BA.1 and BA.2. The new variant was recorded during a PCR test on two passengers at Israel's Ben Gurion airport. "This variant is still unknown around the world," the ministry statement read. Talking about the symptoms occurring from the new variant, the Israeli government said that passengers developed mild symptoms of fever, headaches, and muscle dystrophy and do not require a special medical response. Israel's pandemic response chief, Salman Zarka said the phenomenon of combined variants is well known. Downplaying the risks posed by the new Covid-19 variant, the minister said, "At this stage, we are not worried about it leading to serious cases". Israel has administered three Covid-19 vaccine shots (Including booster doses) to over four million people out of the total 9.2 million population. And, the country recorded almost 1.4 million cases of Covid infection, including 8,244 deaths to date. Last month, Israel announced that unvaccinated tourists would be allowed to enter as part of an easing of covid restrictions. The country was seeing a "consistent decline in morbidity data," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. A previous effort to reopen the border last November foundered after just a few weeks because of the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Israel was one of the first countries to launch a national vaccination campaign in December 2020. Earlier this month, the government announced it would provide fourth Covid vaccine shots to people over 60 and health workers, amid a surge driven by the Omicron variant. (With AFP inputs) Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the countrys economy had taken a profound blow from Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine. Our economy will need deep structural changes in these new realities, and I wont hide thisthey wont be easy; they will lead to a temporary rise in inflation and unemployment," Mr. Putin said in televised remarks on Wednesday before a video meeting with Russian government officials. The impact of sanctions has reverberated across Russia, leading to factory closures, job losses, a doubling of interest rates and a decline of the ruble. Inflation has galloped ahead of the central banks target. Russia is at risk of defaulting on its debt. Mr. Putin said the Wests effort to organize an economic blitzkrieg" against Russia had failed, but warned there would likely be further attempts to step up pressure on Russia. Referring to an exodus of Western companies from Russia in recent weeks, Mr. Putin held out an olive branch to those multinational companies still doing business in his country. We value the position of those foreign companies that, despite the inexcusable pressure from the U.S. and its vassals, continue to work in our country," he said. Going forward, they will definitely receive additional opportunities for development." The remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to the U.S. Congress, urging lawmakers to further ratchet up economic pressure on Russia for the invasion. He also called on legislators to pressure American companies in their districts that are still doing business with Russia to stop. Mr. Putin pledged to carry out a raft of measures to offset the pain of the sanctions on Russians, including increased payments to pensioners and state employees, a hike in the minimum wage and financial assistance to businesses. The purchasing power of ordinary Russians has been deeply eroded after Western sanctions triggered a sharp devaluation of the ruble. But Mr. Putin stopped short of endorsing Soviet-style price controls. He also said Russias central bank wouldnt resort to printing money to meet the governments spending needs. Coordinated U.S. and European Union sanctions have hammered the Russian economy, cutting off much of Russias financial system from the rest of the world and choking off the flow of many imported goods. Western companies ranging from Boeing Co. to McDonalds Corp. to Volkswagen AG have pulled back from Russia, either to comply with sanctions or because of public anger over the war in Ukraine. In his remarks on Wednesday, Mr. Putin blasted one of the Wests main financial weapons against Russiafreezing the assets of Russias central bank held in North America and Europe. That prevented Moscow from using much of its stockpile of $630 billion in reserves to prop up the ruble. Now everyone knows that financial reserves can simply be stolen," Mr. Putin said. He called the freezing of Russias central-bank assets illegitimate and warned it would lead countries around the world to store their reserves in tangible assets such as gold, land and raw materials instead of financial assets. Since Russia attacked Ukraine in late February, the ruble has lost about 18% of its value against the dollar, according to FactSet. It had been down more than 40% earlier this month before recovering losses. Russian consumers have reported price increases and shortages of some goods in stores. The countrys statistics agency said on Wednesday that consumer prices rose by 2.09% in the week ending March 11, bringing the increase since the start of the year to 5.62%. That easily exceeds the 4% target set by the central bank for the entire year. Meanwhile, a cutoff of components from Western suppliers has threatened to halt production across a swath of Russian industry. During the video meeting with Mr. Putin on Wednesday, the leader of Russias Tatarstan region said production at truck maker Kamaz, which employs tens of thousands of people in his region, could fall by 40%. Russia could also be on the cusp of defaulting on its debt for the first time since 1998. The Russian government was required to pay $117 million in interest payments on two dollar-denominated government bonds Wednesday. Russias finance minister said the payment had been made and appeared to be tied up at the U.S. bank where Moscow holds its dollars. The U.S. Treasury Department countered that sanctions didnt prevent Russia from servicing its debt. Russias central bank is set to meet Friday to discuss possible interest-rate changes. At its last meeting on Feb. 28, just as Western sanctions were beginning to bite, the central bank more than doubled its benchmark rate to 20% to make holding the ruble more attractive and cushion its expected fall. Click here to read the full article. Gabrielle Union has levied criticism towards the Walt Disney Company over its widely derided decision to take a soft stance regarding new anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in Florida. The actress, who stars alongside Zach Braff in the studios upcoming Disney Plus reimagining of Cheaper by the Dozen, voiced her dismay regarding the situation on the red carpet for the streaming release. Somebody asked me, Are you disappointed? Im disappointed when my order isnt right at In-N-Out. I dont even think thats a word that you could use for something like this, where childrens lives are literally hanging in the balance, Union told Variety at the premiere. We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression. Period. The damage is done. The Walt Disney Company and CEO Bob Chapek have been embroiled in controversy over the past weeks for the corporations initial decision to take a soft stance on new legislation in Florida, popularly dubbed the Dont Say Gay bill, which would limit discussions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation in educational environments. The bill was passed by the states House of Representatives on Feb. 24 and the state Senate in early March. On top of that, Variety learned that Chapek had received a letter from LGBTQIA+ employees at Disney requesting that company take a public stance condemning the bill. An Orlando Sentinel report on Feb. 25 also revealed that Disney has donated money to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of the bill. There are so many states that are following suit [with Floridas legislation], because there is no pushback, because no one in positions of power [or] corporations are taking a hard stance, Union continued. Lets look whos donating to what and lets call people out I think a lot of people like to confuse accountability and consequences for cancel culture. And as long as you have a microphone and a stage thats not cancel culture, honey We have to campaign and fund for those people who stand for all of us. When asked on the topic of Disney associates reaching out to Chapek, Union hypothesized, I think a lot of people reached out to him. And if you have to see my child for that to be to be the difference maker, thats not enough. Theres a lot of kids out there, not just famous ones. A group of LGBTQIA+ employees at The Walt Disney Company are planning a week of staff walkouts in response to the Chapeks handling of the Dont Say Gay bill. Union also spoke about the anti-trans legislation in Texas. She had a message for trans youth who may be fearful of its impact. There are bad people controlling your fate, but we are working our asses off to make sure that not only do you survive but that you thrive, said Union, whose stepdaughter Zaya is trans. There are so many more people that are working actively so that you have peace and that you can exist in the same way as everyone else has the ability to exist. We are fighting and we will never stop fighting. As long as I have air in my lungs we will not stop fighting for you and Im not alone in that. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In honor of one of our favorite teenage activities, Sunday Citizen compiled a list of movies with memorable sleepover scenes, from broadway adaptations to teen movies of the 2000s. Click here to read the full article. An appeals court ordered former Empire actor Jussie Smollett released from jail on Wednesday, just seven days into a 150-day sentence for faking a hate crime. In a 2-1 ruling, the justices ordered Smollett released pending the appeal of his conviction, on the condition that he post a $150,000 bond. The justices did not explain their ruling. Smolletts attorney, Nenye Uche, had warned that Smollett was the subject of threats and could face physical harm while in custody. He also argued that Smollett was likely to be kept in solitary confinement, which could damage his mental health. Sean Wieber, representing the special prosecutors office that handled the case, countered that in fact Smollett was not being held in solitary confinement which the Cook County jail system has discontinued since 2016 and that the jail had taken care to protect his physical and mental health. Wieber also argued that Smolletts appellate arguments are without merit. Smollett was sentenced to serve five months after being convicted at trial in December of five counts of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony. Smollett was found guilty of staging a hate attack, in which he claimed to have been assaulted by two men who yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him and put a noose around his neck in January 2019. Smollett was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution to the City of Chicago, for the cost of paying overtime to officers who investigated the purported attack. Judge James Linn delivered a blistering rebuke of the actor last Thursday, calling him a charlatan who had faked the attack because he craved attention and wanted to throw a national pity party for himself. Smollett then got up and started shouting that he was not suicidal, indicating that if he were found dead in jail, people should understand that he did not kill himself. Many observers expected that Smollett would be sentenced to probation, given the relatively minor nature of the offense. But Dan Webb, the lead prosecutor, argued for a jail sentence, noting that Smollett had lied to the jury by maintaining his innocence on the witness stand and had not shown any remorse. Smollett was written off the final season of Empire following the hoax. But he did have some support from Hollywood and from civil rights groups at his sentencing. His attorneys read letters of support from actor Alfre Woodard and from Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, as well as from Jesse Jackson and the NAACP. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. After staying quiet in the three days since Dolly Partons declaration that shed like to bow out of contention for the hall, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation has come forth with a statement, in effect indicating that Parton will remain on the ballot. With voting already well underway, the Foundations position is that, while her thoughtful statement is worth consideration, the Hall of Fame is a big tent that includes far more than core rock acts and it will be left up to the voters. All of us in the music community have seen Dolly Partons thoughtful note expressing her feeling that she has not earned the right to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the statement says. In addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world. The statement continues, From its inception, Rock and Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm & Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture. Dolly Partons music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed. Her nomination to be considered for induction into to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered. The Foundation goes on to reiterate that voting is already in process: Dollys recommendation, along with the other 16 nominees for the class of 2022 was sent out earlier this month to our 1,200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony. It concludes, We are in awe of Dollys brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Parton further explained her position in an interview with Fox Thursday morning: Well, I didnt feel exactly right about that, she said, while being interviewed on the show Fox & Friends along with James Patterson, who co-authored her new book Run, Rose Run. Because my perception, and I think the perception of most of America I just feel like thats more for the people in rock music. Ive been educated since then, saying that its more than that, but I still didnt feel right about it. It kind of would be like putting AC/DC in the Country Music Hall of Fame. That just felt a little out of place for me. Earlier this week, Variety reported that sources close to the Halls leadership said they were disinclined to do anything that would interrupt or subvert a vote already in progress, and were hopeful that Parton will change her mind if she is voted in, as anecdotal evidence among voters indicates she may well be. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Its set during the senior year of Ben (Connor Kalopsis), the kind of eager, obsessive-compulsive overachiever who prints out several backup copies of his homework assignments, and Tanner (Ramona Young), a hacker, high on energy drinks, whos his equally brainy but less responsible best friend. These two exist in their own unpopular cloistered geek space. But then fate throws a curveball at the striving-to-be-perfect Ben. His AP physics class is run by the most infamous teacher at West Greenview High: a veteran instructor named Mrs. Wheeler played, in a performance of must-see deviousness and passive-aggressive glee, by Rita Moreno. Mrs. Wheeler, with great pride, presents herself as the ultimate stern taskmaster, a kind of knowingly formidable teacher-as-drill-sergeant. Shes not just explaining the intricacies of physics (which shes actually quite good at); shes training young minds to be ready for everything the world will throw at them. And so she regards her students with a twinkle of punitive rigor thats borderline sadistic. (She also wears black gloves she never takes off, suggesting there may be weirder depths to her fanaticism than we can see.) Moreno, in a silver bob of a wig (the character is explicitly presented as wearing one), her eyes agleam, her mouth a fixed smirk, her voice pouring forth with a kind of old-school mellifluous California clarity thats equal parts self-satisfaction and misanthropic superiority, comes on like shes warming up to star in The Pauline Kael Story. She makes Mrs. Wheeler a delectable imp of sunny contempt. We see why everyone hates her, from the students she terrifies to the principal (Keith David) whose parking spot she ritually steals. Yet we can also see that Mrs. Wheeler is a brilliant woman who practices teaching as a form of tough love. For a while, we give her the benefit of the doubt. Until, that is, she goes a notch too far. When it comes to light that a student cheated on a test, she announces that shes going to give all the students a failing grade unless the cheaters identity is revealed. Shes asking them to rat the cheater out, and shes punishing any innocent, hard-working kid who wont go along or who simply doesnt know. Thats not a fair deal. Whats worse, it has the potential to mess with Bens scholarship plans, which is why hes beyond distraught. So Tanner, almost basking in the injustice of it all, comes up with a plan to give Mrs. Wheeler the karmic payback shes been courting. Several years before, a dissolute student named Wayne went missing; the presumption is that he was an addict who died in a ditch somewhere. Tanner devises a plan to blast out a theory, complete with deepfake videos and Photoshopped social-media hooks designed to go viral, that Mrs. Wheeler is the person who murdered him. The idea is to create a social-media storm that makes her writhe in agony, at least until the storm passes over. The Prank was directed by Maureen Bharoocha, from a broadly witty script by Rebecca Flinn-White and Zak White, and in its borderline cartoon way it has a satirical savvy about how currents of misinformation are spread that recalls the good parts of Dont Look Up. Mrs. Wheeler tries to fight off the rumors by ignoring them, as if the very idea of this scandal were beneath her. There are juicy scenes set in the office of the principal, who she treats with withering disdain something destined to come back at her, with that wily actor Keith David relishing every line. By the time the police haul off Mrs. Wheeler in handcuffs, we think we know just where the movie is headed: into the realm of moralistic media burlesque, complete with lessons about how the Internet has an amoral life of its own, and about how taking the law into your own hands especially if you happen to be a precocious high-school kid is destined to blow up in your face. We also suspect that Mrs. Wheeler will be revealed to be a very different person than we thought. And when Ben goes over to her comfy suburban castle of a home and discovers a more relaxed version of her shes nice! with no black gloves! thats just what happens. But not in the way we expected. The Prank starts off as a fresh, funny riff on high-school society in the age of toxic cynicism: the negotiations between Tanner and the cafeteria lady over how many chicken strips shes going to get, the films understanding of the news cycle of high school. But then the movie takes a turn intolets just say, the darkness. And when it does, it leaves any true connection to the real world behind. At that point I began to tune out. And yet! By all means see The Prank for Rita Moreno, who proves, after years of TV work and the West Side Story remake, that theres a place for her in the movies you werent expecting. Reviewed at Park Ave. Screening Room (SXSW Narrative Spotlight), March 4, 2022. Running time: 90 MIN. Production An XRM Media, Sneak Preview Productions, Inphenate production. Producer: Steven J. Wolfe. Executive producers: Michael Y. Chow, Glenn Rigberg. Crew Director: Maureen Bharoocha. Screenplay: Becca Flinn-White, Zak White. Camera: Matthew Rudenberg. Editor: Sarah C. Reeves. Music: Deron Johnson. With Connor Kalopsis, Ramona Young, Rita Moreno, Keith David, Kate Flannery, Meredith Salenger, Jonathan Kimmel, Nathan Janak, Betsy Sodaro, Romel De Silva. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Tom Cruise is set to be celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival this May with a career retrospective, an in-person conversation on stage and the premiere of his eagerly awaited Top Gun sequel Maverick: Top Gun. The actor will be in attendance at the Palais des Festivals on May 18 for a tribute event that will take in his 40-year film career. He will also take part in a conversation with journalist and Cannes associate Didier Allouch. As Variety reported earlier this week, Top Gun: Maverick will receive a special screening in Cannes a huge coup for festival director Thierry Fremaux who has been keen to program the studio tentpole since 2020. Fremaux first aimed to get the movie secured for an out-of-competition slot before COVID-19 delays upended the film release calendar. It will now screen in Cannes just ahead of its May 25 premiere in France, and May 27 release in the U.S. Cruises co-star Jennifer Connolly will also be in Cannes for the premiere and festival, Variety has confirmed. Cruises long-awaited return to the cockpit as hotshot pilot Lt. Pete Maverick Mitchell was likewise delayed by the pandemic, which pushed the movies planned release date several times. The film is now set to hit theaters on May 27, while the Cannes Film Festival runs from May 17 to 28. There was initially some uncertainty as to whether Top Gun: Maverick would play Cannes due to Cruises frenetic shooting schedule. The actor has been filming Mission: Impossible 7, which has suffered a number of COVID delays as well as an unwieldy budget. Other movies heading to Cannes include Baz Luhrmanns Elvis as well as George Millers Three Thousand Years of Longing starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, as revealed by Variety. The full Cannes line-up will be revealed during a press conference on April 14. The festival is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and is planning a full-fledged return to form following a smaller festival in 2021 and a virtual event in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Deadline was first to report news of Cruises career retrospective in Cannes. Elsa Keslassy contributed to this report. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. HOUSTON (AP) A man shot and killed his supervisor Wednesday in a high-rise office building in Houston, police said. The shooting happened around noon on the 10th floor of the 20 Greenway Plaza office tower just off Interstate 69 west of downtown, Executive Assistant Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said. At a news conference, Satterwhite said the gunman was known to co-workers and officers swarmed the building, searching for him floor by floor. Eventually, police tracked the suspect to the Houston House Apartments, a downtown high rise 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of the shooting scene, where he surrendered to officers in the building garage, Satterwhite said. No other injuries were reported. No identities have been released, and no motive has been determined. Police expect to charge the man with murder, Satterwhite said. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. There are many challenges to an acting career - the uncertainty and lack of routine for starters. But for Longford native, Lorna Quinn, it has been a very enjoyable and rewarding journey so far. The daughter of Frank and Rheda Quinn, Lorna grew up in Longford with her three brothers Colm, David and Darran, and her sister Elaine, attending Newtownforbes National School and then Mean Scoil Mhuire in Longford. It is clear that a career in the performing arts was on the cards for Lorna from a very young age, with various activities and classes providing her with a creative way to express herself from a young age. When I was twelve, I started Speech and Drama classes with Evelyn Kelly. I felt so much at home within this fun, playful and creative environment. I absolutely loved it, she recalled. I also joined the Longford Musical Society when I was in sixth class with my friend Simone. We had great fun being part of the chorus for Annie Get Your Gun. I loved watching the actors Barbara Creevy, Paula Oates, Benny OBrien, Padraic OBrien, Tom OBrien and John Kelly in rehearsal. It was all very exciting and very inspiring! I continued my pursuit of drama by joining Backstage Youth Group also. I had an absolute ball working with Gus Hanley, Doug Fox Roberts and Paul Higgins. I was acting in new plays and performing on stage at the Backstage Theatre. I was truly bitten by the acting bug. And it wasnt just the acting side of it that Lorna enjoyed in those early years of her career: In Transition Year, myself and my two friends Grainne Fox and Shaunagh Connaire started a girl-group called As3, she said. We wrote our own songs and recorded them with Paul Gurney in Longford. It was a very special and memorable time for us and for our families. We still reminisce very fondly about this time in our lives. While she spent a lot of her teenage years performing on stage, Lorna admits that her progression to professional acting was gradual. I was quite quiet as a child, and still am to a certain degree, and I think acting provided me with an outlet to express myself and to say words that I perhaps could not find myself when I wanted to speak or to share my opinion, she said. I still remember that joy and sense of freedom in the drama classroom aged twelve. Drama and performance have been a part of my life ever since this time. I studied Drama and Theatre Studies at UCC and I then trained to become a professional actor at The Gaiety School of Acting. During this time, I also qualified as a Speech and Drama teacher. In fact, Lorna started teaching drama in a primary and secondary school in Dublin in recent years - an enjoyable role from which she has learned a lot, while also providing her with a strong sense of security and stability. Working in a profession that is very insecure and uncertain by nature can be challenging. There are highs and there are lows, Lorna explained. I am still learning every day about how to navigate the unpredictable path of pursuing an acting career! I do know it can surprise you when you least expect it. You just never know when a call or an email will arrive with an invitation to audition for an exciting production or to record a voice-over it consistently keeps you on your toes. The uncertainty and lack of routine in the life of an actor can be difficult, she said, and Lorna herself admitted to finding times between acting jobs quite difficult. There is a lovely sense of security and stability when you have a firm handle on the path ahead (as much as one can have!). It allows you to relax somewhat and take comfort in knowing you have work secured for the foreseeable future, she said. This is not always a given with acting! As a result, it is important to really mind yourself during these quieter periods, and to have something else (another job or a creative project) that can run parallel to your pursuit of performance work. Being cast as Jo March in Little Women at the Gate Theatre in 2011 was a hugely significant break for Lorna as she said it marked the beginning of a lovely working relationship with the Gate Theatre. I still pinch myself when I look back. I learned so much, and I truly treasure every production I was so fortunate to be a part of, she said. Shortly after my debut at the Gate Theatre, I was cast as Lucy Mallon in Fair City. Playing this character is definitely a career highlight! In fact, she added, the character of Lucy is her favourite role to date, so Lorna was thrilled when Lucy was brought back to Carrigstown last autumn after a ten-year absence from the popular soap. I felt responsible for sharing and playing her story to the best of my ability, she said. The story writers created a fascinatingly complex character who continually took the Fair City audience by surprise. I loved the challenge of trying to understand her. Every word and action, however cutting and surprising it may have been, was rooted in a deeply troubled past. She was very much alone in the world. I think for me as an actor playing her, it was very important that I had compassion and understanding for this character, to see her humanity and to understand why she behaved the way she did. It really was a wonderful role for me to play, and such an exciting opportunity to return to this character after ten years. Looking to the future, Lorna has big plans to keep up her acting career, but also to continuing her own drama teaching. I will soon be starting Creative Drama classes in Longford on Saturday afternoons at the Temperance Hall, she explained. I am very excited about this. There has been a lovely response so far. If readers are interested, I still have spaces available for age groups between eight and 16 years. Anyone interested in attending the classes can get in touch via lornaquinndrama@gmail.com. I would encourage anyone who is interested in acting and performance to seek out a drama class in their local area, said Lorna when asked to share some advice to young people hoping to pursue a career in acting. This space will allow you to learn and to develop your craft in a fun, creative and supportive environment where you can hone your skills and grow in confidence. Also, watch out for opportunities to audition for films or TV series that may be filming in Ireland. Being on a set will give you a practical insight as to what it is like. It is very exciting to see what happens behind the camera. Many young actors are now creating their own work. If you have skills in writing, filming and/or directing, I would advise all young actors to start creating their own work. My advice would always be to follow your heart. You never know when that lucky break might come along! After a two-year hiatus, Still Voices Film are delighted to announce the return of the Film Society. A jam-packed programme of Irish and international films kicks off with a screening of the Oscar long-listed Irish-language film Arracht on Friday March 18 at 8 pm in Ballymahon Library. Arracht tells the story of Colman Sharkey, a fisherman living in Connemara, who visits his landlord to plead for clemency for his starving community. After a violent altercation forces him on the run, he fleas, living in an island cave in isolation. Starving, grieving, on the verge of giving up, he meets a sick young girl and a life-saving friendship develops. The programme also contains a very special screening of the highly acclaimed film The Dance on Thursday March 24 at 8pm in the Backstage Theatre. The film follows the staging of a new international dance and theatre work (MAM) by the acclaimed choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan, from the first day of rehearsal to the opening night performance. The Dance is a fiercely true and beautiful account of a magical process of work, brought to life by the inimitable Pat Collins (Song of Granite, Silence). This screening is not to be missed and tickets are available from www.backstage.ie. For the full programme of events and more information on each screening visit stillvoicesfilmfestival.com. Use the Arrows < > above to go through the gallery 'Ar Ais Aris' was the theme of todays Longford St Patricks Day parade, with those who lined the streets for the first parade since 2019 savouring the colour and magic of the occasion despite the squally rain showers. The parade featured on the RTE Six One News with representatives from the Midlands Polish Community displaying their solidarity with Ukraine and winning the title of Best Community Float which was presented to them at a ceremony in Market Square. The theme of standing with Ukraine featured prominently, with Longford ICA Federation appealing for an end to violence and that everyone has a right to peace. Evelyn and Enda Neary of local charity Cians Kennels were Grand Marshals for the 2022 parade. Sporting organisations, including Longford Slashers hurling club and Longford RFC minis, were to the fore. The Youth Endeavour Award went to the entry from Autism Awareness Turn Longford Blue and this was a fitting accolade as today marked the first occasion that there was a special dedicated sensory area along the parade route. After the brilliant parade, Jimmy Jests (Jimmy Connell) was MC in the Market Square for a hugely entertaining performance of traditional Irish music. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jimmy Jests (@jimmyjests) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Whats On in Ballymahon (@whatsoninballymahon) A journey of 3,000 kms from war torn Ukraine to the Midlands started with a leap of faith for one Ukraine mum and her seven-year-old daughter. The brave duo, who spent six nights in a bomb shelter before making their escape, heard of a lift going to Ireland. Longford family tell of fleeing war torn Ukraine A Ukrainian family living in Ballymahon have spoken of how they narrowly escaped being caught up in Russias escalating invasion of their homeland just days after flying into the country on holiday. Online investment scam wipes out Leitrim/Longford man's life savings People are being urged to exercise extreme vigilance to the rising prevalence of online investment scams after a local man saw his entire life savings wiped out overnight. We travelled for five days to get here it was a sudden decision. I was looking for the opportunity to go to an English-speaking country and I heard that there was a lift going to Ireland, said Iryna Britanova-Listratenko who arrived in Ireland on Saturday, March 12. I left my parents, relatives, and my husband all back in the Ukraine. They cant leave their home, but it is not safe to stay in Ukraine- so I had to go with my daughter Sasha. I come from the East of Ukraine, and this is part of my country that is being bombed- the war started in my hometown of Kharkov, and it is being bombed every single day since. A lot of people have died already, including kids. We had to stay in a bomb shelter for six days and after that we were lucky to leave. When they started bombing houses, we left the city very early in the morning. We found some safe roads and drove to another part of the country where it was safe and where we heard about the lift to Ireland through the Red Cross. My parents worried about taking the lift, but we were assured that we would be safe, and this decision is what saved us. Iryna, who is currently staying locally with a family outside Abbeyleix, says she is still in a state of disarray since fleeing for their lives but very thankful to be here. She had heard of Ireland through her love of U2 before taking a chance to come here. She is a fluent English speaker as well as Primary school teacher with a masters degree so the first thing she wants to do is to find a job teaching and accommodation for herself and Sasha. "I dont feel comfortable here without a job as I don't have enough money with me so first I would like to find a job and a place to stay. Until then they have found a novel way to fundraise and give back to the Red Cross by selling prints of Sashas art. Sasha not only speaks English and plays the piano, but she is also an accomplished artist. Sasha's paintings will go on display at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise from Friday, March 18 until April 1 and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross to support their humanitarian efforts in war-torn Ukraine. When she was smaller, we noticed her gift for painting, said Iryna. She had a private teacher and has done some amazing pictures. This is a way for us to say thanks and to give back to those still in need in Ukraine." (Read more below paintings) Meanwhile, since their arrival, the local community has rallied around the pair since they arrived with a school place for Sasha at Raheen primary school as well as a free uniform and seat on the local bus. Sasha is starting school here and I believe she will be ok as when she was only 3 years old, I took her to live in China where I worked for 5 years. She was surrounded by Chinese children at her nursery and had to learn to speak the language. She is more comfortable here in Ireland speaking English. Iryna still talks with her family every day since arriving in Ireland. For now, they are in a safe place, and we can get in touch every day, she said. Sasha still cries every single day. She is only seven and she cries because her dad is staying in Ukraine. I tried to tell her that we will reunite again in the future, but nobody knows when. And as for Sasha she already sees the similarities between her home country and Ireland telling her mum that both countries have 'a lot of goodness and kind-hearted people'. To donate or buy a piece of art by Sasha please visit her exhibition where you can order a print directly, prices start at 10 but higher donations will be gladly accepted. Sasha's exhibition will be on display at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise from Friday, March 18 until April 1. The historic practice of illegal adoptions in Ireland will again be in the spotlight, a year on from an initial documentary by RTE Investigates, with the latest documentary due to reveal how 12 months later many adoptees are still searching for answers and struggling to discover their true identities. The programme, which will air on Wednesday night, will also highlight the treatment of illegal adoptees by State agencies that are supposed to protect them, and the lengths the State is going to, to fight those seeking justice through the courts. Brian's Story In January 2020, TUSLA told Brian Webster who is now living in Co Tipperary that the people whod raised him were not his biological parents. Brians birth was registered as if he had been born in May 1961 in Dublin to a Catholic couple living in New York. At almost 60 years of age Brian learned he had in fact been born to a young Irish woman three weeks earlier than the date on his birth cert. The placement was organised by the Sisters of Charity at St Patrick's Guild in what was an illegal adoption and happened at a time when sending babies abroad for adoption had long been outlawed. This time last year Brian told RTE Investigates: "My whole world sort of just changed in an instant at that point because I couldnt believe what I was being told so thats where I was then. Im just hoping that somebody out there is looking for me, you know somebody wants me." In a statement to RTE Investigates last year, TUSLA said the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR prevented it from sharing what it considered to be third party information. In Brians case that included his birth mothers details, leaving him in the dark about his biological family. Following the broadcast of the documentary there was no further progress with TUSLA, but just weeks after the programme he did get some worrying news that his birth mother was in hospital. "That left me wondering did she have Covid, did she have a broken leg. Its really difficult to explain because you dont know who the person is, you dont know anything about them, all you know is they gave birth to you and thats it, thats where it ends and of course you want to reach out to them, youd want to meet them, youd want to talk to them." Conscious that time for making contact was slipping away and knowing that the few documents TUSLA had shared with him had largely being redacted, Brians wife Eilis turned detective. "She actually found out who I am. She wasnt going to let this rest, she wasnt going to say ok Im waiting on somebody else to find out, Im going to help you and Im going to try and find out. On the index card for the dioceses of where my birth mother was from, protruded from the bottom of the redacted portion looked like the back down portion of the letter G. Looking at that then we realised that there was only I think four dioceses in the country with a G in it." Eilis and Brian had discovered his birth mother was from the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. But Brians joy at having narrowed his search was short-lived when he got another phone call from TUSLA during lockdown. "It wasnt good news, it was that my birth mother had died and it was said that the door to me meeting her is now shut, and I thought thats an awful thing to say to someone." Eilis searched the local death notices and within minutes shed found the woman they believed was Brians biological mother. "It was fabulous to know thats what she looked like you know, I mightnt get to talk to her but I now know what she looks like - I mean its like the birth of a child, its the first time you see them except its in reverse, you get to see your mother for the first time. But the death notice also revealed something much more upsetting. "The worst part of reading RIP.ie was that she was buried at twelve oclock that day. I was called two and half hours after she had been laid to rest to tell me that she was gone she had died two days previously to that. So even the opportunity of even looking in on Zoom at her funeral that was taken away from me as well." A week later Brian and Eilis made the journey to visit his mothers grave. "I lit a candle and put it on the grave but I was so conscious of other people in the graveyard that any time I heard voices or heard a car door close I scampered away from the grave, I just didnt want to be seen, I felt like an intruder, like a criminal being there because nobody knows me, nobody knows anything about me." Sixteen months had passed since Brian was first told of his illegal adoption. Having been denied crucial personal information by TUSLA during that time, meant any opportunity to be reunited with his birth mother was lost. "Im angry that the information that relates to me is being withheld from me, its my information, she was my mother and its not fair that somebody else can look at it and know who she was, somebody thats not even related to her knows who she was and I dont, thats just cruel." Having spent his entire life as an only child, Brians searches online also revealed his birth mother had gone on to have more children and he had three half siblings. "My Mam and Dad that raised me, they were fantastic people, I loved them, I'll never ever forget them, but these people are different - these are blood relatives, these are my real family." In recent days, Brian has had contact with a half-sister for the first time, they plan to meet next week. In an exclusive interview with RTE Investigates, Professor Conor O'Mahony, pictured above, the State's Special Rapporteur on Child Protection said: "There needs to be some urgency about this. Many of the individuals affected are now getting older. Some of them need help. And already the delays which have happened over the decades and addressing this have created a situation where the opportunity for people to re-establish contact has now been taken away by the fact that people have died along the way." "Where the State has delayed for decades in adequately addressing the issue, and that the direct consequence of that has been to significantly exacerbate the trauma of the people affected and to deny any possibility of rectifying that violation, it's a well-known legal phrase that justice delayed is justice denied." "Doing nothing on illegal birth registrations is not an option for the State. It's very clear that there is a legal obligation on the State to rectify a violation of the rights of identity, which occurred in respect of considerable numbers of people and in circumstances in which the State was aware that that violation was taking place. So doing nothing is certainly not an option." In March last year, RTE Investigates acclaimed documentary told the story of some of the thousands of children who were illegally adopted in Ireland innocent babies who were registered at birth as if they were the biological children of the parents who raised them. The investigation revealed some of the high-powered individuals who facilitated the once common practice, showed how despite being alerted to the issue the authorities did little to intervene and how many decades later those children, now adults, were still battling bureaucracy to find their identities. The programme featured moving accounts from some adoptees who were desperately seeking to find out who they are. For the last year RTE Investigates has continued to follow some of their stories against the backdrop of the recently published Birth Information and Tracing Bill this latest documentary observes the struggle of illegal adoptees as they attempt to trace and connect with biological family members, their ongoing fight to access the most basic personal information and whether they believe the promised legislative change will help their unique situations. An Garda Siochana are urging members of the public to exercise caution when socialising over the St. Patricks Day bank holiday weekend. Particular care should be taken with personal items particularly mobile phones. An Garda Siochana have made a number of recent detections and prosecutions following incidents of theft in Dublin city centre. Following investigations into a number of incidents of theft in Dublin city centre, Gardai conducted a search of two hotel rooms in North Dublin on Sunday March 13, 2022. During the course of the search, six mobile phones were recovered, each one wrapped in tin foil to prevent tracking. A male, aged in his 20s, was arrested and has since been charged. He appeared before Dublin District Court on Monday March 14, 2022 for the offence of handling stolen property. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Dublin District Court on Wednesday March 16, 2022 at 10.30am. To date, two of the mobile phones have been returned to their owners. Gardai are continuing to conduct enquiries in an effort to locate the owners of the other phones. During a separate investigation, Gardai recovered two stolen mobile phones and a purse during patrols on Camden Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, March 13, 2022. A male, aged in his 30s, was arrested when the items were found in his possession. He has since been charged in relation to this investigation and was released on bail to appear before court on April 6, 2022. The phones were successfully returned to their owners. As St. Patricks Day celebrations resume after two years of cancelled events due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Gardai are aware of the high volume of people expected to join the festivities. Gardai will continue to conduct high visibility and plain clothes patrols throughout Dublin city centre over the bank holiday weekend, keeping people safe. Younger people in particular are urged to exercise caution while celebrating this weekend and to take measures to ensure personal safety. Personal Safety Advice: Drink alcohol responsibly Never drink and drive, no matter the time of the day/ night Plan your night out, tell someone where youre going and when youll be back Dont let your friends or family walk home alone; there is safety in numbers If you have to, walk in well lit areas and make sure you can be seen by passing traffic (reflective gear/torch) Take care when carrying personal property (handbag, smartphone or tablet) in crowded areas, keep them in a safe location within view Watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas; keep handbags zipped and dont put your wallet in your back pocket. In bars and restaurants take care about where you store coats and handbags. Park and lock your car in secure, well lit areas. Keep valuables including bags and coats hidden. Mobile Phone Safety The following practical measures can help in preventing and reducing mobile phone theft: Register your mobile phone with your service provider. Take careful note of your unique 15 digit mobile phone International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. By pressing *#06# on your phone keypad the IMEI will appear on the screen. Enable the PIN Security feature and keep your phone locked at all times. When out and about, keep your mobile phone out of public view, be streetwise and always be aware of your surroundings. If you are making or receiving a phone call in public, do so with your back to a wall and reduce the opportunity to be attacked from behind. Never leave your mobile phone behind in an unattended vehicle. If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, contact your mobile phone service provider immediately to suspend your service and prevent unauthorised calls being made and billed to you. Your provider will block your SIM card and IMEI number to prevent your phone from being used on the mobile network. Report the loss or theft to An Garda Siochana, providing identification numbers for your SIM card and IMEI number. This information may assist in the recovery of your mobile phone. Irish landmarks will be lighting up with the colours of the Ukrainian flag this St Patrick's Day. The Office of Public Works (OPW) announced the change from the typical green Ireland is known for to blue and yellow to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The OPW has for many years symbolically "greened" Ireland's most iconic heritage sites on St Patrick's Day, but called this year "different". Traditionally, #OPW has set the mood for #StPatricksDay by symbolically greening our most iconic Irish landmarks. This year we send a message of solidarity by illuminating 41 sites in the colours of Ukraine. Read Minister @podonovan's statement here: https://t.co/gcC0RK5TH2 pic.twitter.com/REQxGgR4Pb March 16, 2022 In a statement, Minister for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Patrick ODonovan, said, "This year is different, however, and even as we look forward to marking St Patricks Day with our friends and loved ones, we think of the people of Ukraine whose lives, safety and sovereignty are at risk. "For them and for the eyes of the world, we send a message of solidarity by illuminating 41 Irish landmarks across the country in the colours of Ukraine tonight and over the St Patricks Day weekend to underline that the people of Ireland stand with Ukraine." Espanola, NM (87532) Today Partly cloudy skies. Low 36F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 36F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Micheal Martin has tested positive for Covid-19 in Washington. It means he will be unable to meet US President Joe Biden in person later on Thursday as part of the traditional shamrock ceremony. Mr Martin had been due to speak at the 30th anniversary of the Ireland Funds Gala dinner on Wednesday evening. He left the gathering after the positive result was confirmed. Mr Martins speech was instead given by Irish Ambassador to the US, Daniel Mulhall. I know you will all join with me in wishing the Taoiseach a speedy recovery, he told the audience in Washington. It remains unclear how the White House St Patricks Day celebrations will now be handled. Early indications on Thursday suggested the event may take place virtually, but nothing has been confirmed. It also casts doubt on whether the Taoiseach can return to Ireland for a national day of remembrance on Sunday to commemorate those who died during the Covid-19 pandemic. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking with with US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC Just before the positive Covid-19 test result was confirmed, Mr Martin had been listening to remarks from US President Joe Biden, who addressed the dinner on Wednesday evening. Mr Biden had welcomed the Taoiseach to Washington and said he was looking forward to renewing their friendship on Thursday. Mr Biden, who was greeted with a lengthy round of applause and repeated cheers from the audience, was in fine spirits as he addressed the gathering. He welcomed the Taoiseach and recalled meeting him at the White House shamrock ceremony in 2009, when Mr Martin was foreign affairs minister and Mr Biden was vice-president. Weve come full circle. Youre Taoiseach, Im President what the hell are we going to do? Last year, Mr Martin had been forced to meet with the US President virtually due to the pandemic. All parties had been looking forward to an in-person meeting this year. In front of an audience that included Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis, Mr Biden spoke passionately about his Irish heritage but did not shy away from the multiple crises facing the world. He said that Ireland was the only country in the world that was nostalgic for the future. But of course, that means dealing with the present. US President Joe Biden speaks at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC during Taoiseach Micheal Martins visit In our time weve seen more change and challenges, I believe, than any time in generations. A once-in-a-century pandemic and economic unease and anxiety, existential threats, a climate crisis, and what we see today in Ukraine, an unprovoked war of aggression and just a vicious, vicious, vicious treatment. The march of reactionary forces of nationalism, nativism and isolationism, of autocracies not just in Europe. Weve seen it around the world. Weve seen it here in America. The president spoke the alternative US tradition of strength, necessity and endurance of democracy. President Biden also said that Ireland, the home of his emigrant ancestors, was now a leader on the global stage. Mr Biden ended his remarks by recollecting that both his and former president Barack Obamas distant grandfathers were Irish He described the Republic of Ireland as a global force in culture and in the arts. He added: Leaders on the world stage, members of the United Nations Security Council, a country with a past that tugs at our hearts and a future thats going to shape the world. Mr Biden had ended his remarks by recollecting that both his and former president Barack Obamas distant grandfathers had left Ireland in the middle of the 19th century. The two shoemakers, the president told the room, might have known each other and left Ireland within weeks of one another. They left everything behind for an uncertain future. But I wonder, in all their dreams that they could ever have dreamt, that each of their grandsons would one day be president of the United States of America. Thats America. Mr Biden had welcomed the Taoiseach to Washington and said he was looking forward to renewing their friendship on Thursday In his speech, the Taoiseach had been due to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and his Governments Shared Island initiative. Delivering the address instead, the Irish Ambassador said that the conflict in Ukraine served as a reminder of how fragile peace can be. Praising the support of US politicians in the peace process, Mr Mulhall said: We mustnt lose sight on the fact that peace and stability are organic and can grow and prosper, but they can also wither. They need tending and willing guardians. The implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is therefore a continuous process. Its impact has been transformational and yet work to reconcile communities and heal old wounds by necessity continues. Your commitment to that cause is as important today as it ever was. It has already borne great fruit. Mr Mulhall said that the Irish Government was committed to working with the UK Government to protect the achievements of the peace process, including more recently in response to Brexit. Representatives of Longford County Council, who are in New York for the St Patricks Day period, met with senior executives from Tourism Ireland. They were briefed on Tuesday, March 15 on Tourism Irelands extensive promotional programme in the United States for 2022, which is in full swing right now. This year, Tourism Ireland is rolling out its biggest ever programme of promotions in the United States, to restart overseas tourism to Ireland. Following a devastating two years for the tourism and travel sector, the programme will allow Tourism Ireland to upweight its campaigns, punch through the noise and convert lookers to bookers, in order to save businesses and create jobs. Tourism Irelands message is that Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back our American visitors. Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Irelands Head of North America, said: We were delighted to meet with the representatives of Longford County Council and to have the opportunity to brief them about the extensive promotional programme we are undertaking in the United States this year. We are rolling out our Green Button campaign right now urging American travellers to press the Green Button and book their trip to Ireland this year. "Our extensive programme of high impact campaigns and promotions is targeting those consumers with the greatest potential to travel to Ireland. Our message is very simple: Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from the United States. Our St Patricks Day programme includes an extensive programme of trade, media and consumer activity to restart overseas tourism this year. Our aim is to remind American holidaymakers that Ireland offers the warmest of welcomes and great fun, as well as wonderful scenery and heritage. We are taking every opportunity to capitalise on Irelands heightened profile around this St Patricks Day period. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 17 2022 DASNY To develop agreement to help improve construction projects in Nassau and Suffolk. Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York will be developing a Project Labor Agreement in partnership with the Long Island construction labor unions that will be used on all large-scale projects DASNY undertakes on Long Island. The Governor also committed to appoint a representative of organized labor to the statewide Climate Action Council, tasked with implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. "New York is embarking on the greatest economic comeback we've ever seen, and Long Islanders will play a crucial role in that comeback," Governor Hochul said. "This partnership with Long Island construction labor unions is a crucial way to ensure our major projects not only deliver results for Long Islanders but create good-paying jobs and opportunities for our workforce. New York was built by working people, and we are always proud to stand with the women and men of organized labor." Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements with one or more labor organizations that generally establish the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project. The PLA to be developed will reflect the terms and conditions for all projects DASNY undertakes on Long Island above a certain agreed-upon dollar threshold. DASNY has a long history of successfully using PLAs across the state to deliver high quality, on-time and on-budget work on numerous large, complex projects. In addition, DASNY will work with labor to develop pipelines for residents to family-sustaining careers in construction through proven union apprenticeship programs. Dormitory Authority of the State of New York President and CEO Reuben R. McDaniel III said, "In DASNY's experience, Project Labor Agreements provide structure and stability to large construction projects that protect workers and help reduce delays that add costs to taxpayers. We look forward to developing the PLA on Long Island and working with labor on an important initiative that will benefit the workers of Nassau and Suffolk counties." President of the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council Gary LaBarbera said, "A countywide Project Labor Agreement on Long Island with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in projects each year and create thousands of meaningful family-sustaining careers for our hardworking tradesmen and tradeswomen. I applaud Governor Hochul for her exceptional leadership and deep commitment to advancing projects that build community, the middle-class, and robust opportunity for the State of New York." President of Nassau and Suffolk Building and Construction Trades Council Matthew Aracich said, "I want to thank Governor Hochul for always being a strong advocate of Labor. The DASNY PLA for Long Island will guarantee all major construction projects must use union, building trades, and local labor moving forward. This is a major milestone for our industry and this PLA will do more than just provide work for our 65,000 members, it will give us the ability to expand opportunities for men and women of color, expand diversity, and create middle class jobs for people who deserve them." President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO John Durso said, "The execution of Project Labor Agreements on public work is good public policy. Governor Hochul will strengthen our economy and put protections in place for workers across Long Island with the stroke of her pen. Project Labor Agreements offer broad social and economic benefits protecting taxpayer money and lifting downward pressure on worker wages. A finalized agreement will provide DASNY with certainty and the ability to predict and control labor costs, something that will add tremendous value during these particularly volatile economic times." DASNY completes hundreds of millions of dollars of construction projects each year and is a critical partner in building lasting infrastructure projects that serve New Yorkers' health, educational and human service needs. These projects help create jobs, support New York's economy, bolster State institutions, and strengthen New York's communities. Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News: ---------- 4Global PLC - London-based data, services and software for sporting events and the promotion of physical activity - Set to achieve 35% revenue growth in year ending March 31, in line with expectations. Adjusted earnings before interest and tax and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to top expectations. Market consensus for adjusted Ebit is GBP316,000, while for adjusted Ebitda it is GBP325,000. "The company is also delighted to be awarded a contract to provide assistance with the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer. 4GLOBAL is providing support to manage the delivery of security operations for the entire event. This role will provide assurances that the correct planning has been undertaken to date, validating security strategies and testing operational plans," 4Global says. Pact is worth GBP130,000 and will be recognised in financial 2023. Adds: "The company is also pleased to report that it has won a number of licence contracts with both local authorities and operators for the use of 4GLOBAL's Social Value Calculator. The SVC enables leisure providers to measure and provide evidence of the social value created from investment in sport and physical activity enabling clients to calculate and estimate of the monetary value arising from investment." ---------- Nanoco Group PLC - Manchester-based quantum dots developer - Signs further pact with "important" European electronics customer. Will deliver enhanced and scaled up version of its technology. Now expects revenue for year to July 31 to exceed GBP2.1 million from year earlier. "The revenue from this fourth work package with the customer will contribute to the group's performance in the third quarter of FY22," Nanoco says. ---------- Ariana Resources PLC - exploration firm with interests in Turkey - Announces 2022 output guidance at joint venture Kiziltepe mine. Gold output of 25,000 ounces expected, 2.5 times larger than feasibility plan for this stage of mine life and up from 20,737 ounces in 2020. ---------- Zenith Energy Ltd - Calgary, Canada-based oil & gas company - Enters into USD6.0 million unsecured convertible loan facility with consortium of lenders. Facility includes immediate USD2.0 million drawdown. Each drawdown has repayment term of 15 months. Facility carries 9% yearly interest. Zenith issues lenders with 92.1 million share purchase warrants at price of GBP0.012 each. ---------- Altus Strategies PLC - Didcot, England-based mining royalty company - Reports "further significant gold intersections" from drilling of Diba & Lakanfla gold project in Mali. ---------- Deepverge PLC - Dublin-based environmental and life science group - Buys engineering services company Glanaco Ltd for GBP1.1 million, GBP650,000 in shares and GBP430,000 in cash. Deepverge also secures mezzanine loan worth up to GBP25 million with Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC Ltd and YA II PN Ltd. Facility available for up to three years in form of 12-month mezzanine loan notes. ---------- S-Ventures PLC - AQSE-listed investment firm focused on health & wellness, organic food and wellbeing sectors - Revenue in 16 months to September 30 amounts GBP1.5 million. Pretax loss comes in at GBP1.0 million. ---------- Castillo Copper Ltd - Perth, Australia-based exploration company focused on copper across Australia and Zambia - Revenue in six months to December 31 totals USD293,000, down from USD497,000 a year prior. Pretax loss narrows to GBP781,670 from GBP1.1 million. "The main focus was to continue developing the core assets to ensure the strategic intent to transform Castillo Copper into a mid-tier copper group remained on track," Castillo says. ---------- Argo Group Ltd - London-based alternative investment manager - Revenue in 2021 rises to GBP4.4 million from GBP3.3 million. Pretax profit falls to GBP298,000 from GBP1.7 million. Company posts GBP600,000 loss on investment, swinging from GBP1.5 million gain in 2020. ---------- Serica Energy PLC - gas producer in UK North Sea - Production from Rhum field restarts, after replacement of faulty component at Rhum Subsea Control Module. "Production from the Bruce field has continued throughout these operations and Serica's other producing fields (Erskine and Columbus) were not impacted by this Rhum issue," Serica says. During Rhum shutdown, net output has been in excess of 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. ---------- Guild Esports PLC - London-based esports company - Makes Razer its official gaming chair partner in two-year sponsorship pact. "The total contract value, which is confidential, is 80% payable in cash over two years and the balance is payable as value in kind, for which Razer will be providing state-of-the-art gaming chairs for Guild's professional players and content creators globally, along with gaming chairs for the Guild Academy and Guild's headquarters, which will open in London's Shoreditch later this year," Guild says. ---------- By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News: ---------- Segro PLC - FTSE 100-listed industrial property investor - Launches EUR1.15 billion unsecured "green bond" as part of European medium-term note programme. Issue will be split into two tranches: EUR650 million with a four-year term, priced at 70 basis points above euro mid-swaps; and EUR500 million with an eight-year term priced at 110 basis points above euro mid-swaps. Chief Financial Officer Soumen Das says: "The proceeds of this issuance will enable us to continue to respond to our customers increased requirements for modern space built to the highest levels of sustainability standards." ---------- Bank of Cyprus Holdings PLC - Nicosia-based lender - Notes it does not have any banking operations in Russia or Ukraine, following the sale of its operations in Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia in 2015. Has a legacy net exposure of about EUR10 million in Russia which is being run down. Has no exposure to Russian bonds or banks which are the subject of EU sanctions, and currently has credit balances in accounts held with subsidiaries of European banks in Russia amounting to about EUR13 million. "Overall, the group expects limited impact from its direct exposure, while any indirect impact will depend on the duration and severity of the crisis and its impact on the Cypriot economy, which remains uncertain at this stage," the bank adds. ---------- Gulf Investment Fund PLC - invests in companies in Gulf Cooperation Council countries - Launches tender offer for own shares. "The tender price will be determined once the company's assets have been allocated between the continuing pool and the tender pool, the assets contained in the tender pool have been fully realised and all the liabilities to be borne by the tender pool have been accounted for," company explains. Notes will limit offer to where it has 38.0 million shares in issue following offer. ---------- Ten Lifestyle Group PLC - London-based lifestyle and travel service platform - Wins "significant" commission from an unnamed existing "major global financial services client" to develop and enhance Ten's proprietary digital platform used by the client's customers. Expects existing contract, which is classified as "extra large" by company as it exceeds GBP5 million, to rise in value of a "medium" contract, valued between GBP250,000 and GBP2 million, over the next 12 months and may be renewed over the following years. Adds: "In this addition to the existing contract, Ten will be paid to develop new features that are expected to increase customer engagement, the number of active users and related revenues. These include the integration of the client's own assets into the existing asset-rich digital platform environment to enhance the overall proposition to the customer base." ---------- Mobile Streams PLC - London-based mobile content provider - Broker option for placing "materially over-subscribed" for by existing shareholders. Demand for broker option at about seven times original minimum at GBP700,000. Allocations were scaled back to GBP350,000 through issue of 116.7 million new shares. Now has 3.11 billion shares in issue. Chief Executive Mark Epstein says: "We are now extremely well-funded, and the business is in the strongest position it has been in for years." ---------- Semper Fortis Esports PLC - London-based professional esports team operator - Launches new blockchain-based play-to-earn gaming division, SMPR Guild. "Play-to-earn is a new category in video gaming that rewards players for winning and completing tasks with game-based tokens which are free to use in-game or convert into cryptocurrency and then into fiat currency," company explains. Company will purchase in-game items, or non-fungible tokens known as NFTs, which are the characters, plots of virtual land, and weapons required to play a game and then provide access to these to active game players on a revenue share basis. ---------- SimiGon Ltd - Israel-based software company - Says Gal Erez, a 4% shareholder in the company, withdraws application for restraining order over firm's merger and share cancellation. Last day of trading will now be March 25, with cancellation from AIM to be March 29. In mid-January, agrees to a merger with Power Breezer Sub Ltd and Maxify Solutions Inc, which will value the company at USD8.5 million. Shareholders in SimiGon are expected to receive 16.5 US cents per share. ---------- Scancell Holdings PLC - Nottingham, England-based cancer immunotherapies developer - Says it progresses its new anti-glycan monoclonal antibody platform GlyMab. Adds: "The company's fourth proprietary platform has the potential to expand further its pipeline of novel anti-cancer mAbs and the versatility to yield other drug formats including antibody drug conjugate and CAR-T candidates. Scancell is developing a unique pipeline of tumour-specific anti-glycan antibodies with the initial aim of generating early-stage clinical data, either alone or in combination with potential strategic partners." Currently has a pipeline of five anti-glycan mAbs. ---------- LungLife AI Inc - Thousand Oaks, California-based developer of clinical diagnostic solutions for lung cancer enhanced by artificial intelligence - Says "pivotal" clinical study to evaluate the company's LungLB test will now include multiple US Veterans Affairs medical centres, of which the first participant has been enrolled from the Bay Pines VA in Florida. The VA has the US largest integrated health care system. Chief Executive Paul Pagano says: "I am delighted that we will have representation from the VA Healthcare System in our study, as this marks an important step on our journey towards the successful deployment of the LungLB test." ---------- Berkeley Energia Ltd - clean energy company focused on bringing wholly owned Salamanca project in Spain into production - Not aware of any information that would explain recent trading. Closes up 19% in Sydney on Thursday and gains 7.5% in London. "The company notes the recent increase in trading of its shares on the Spanish Stock Exchanges, which has seen an increase in the company's share price by over 70% since March 10 with over 112 million shares traded," it adds. Points to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the current high energy prices in Europe, particularly in Spain which has seen spot electricity prices increase significantly to record highs in March, there have been news articles in the Spanish and European press referring to nuclear power being assessed as a viable alternative to decrease Europe's dependence on Russian energy. ---------- Hurricane Energy PLC - Surrey, England-based oil producer - Notes Lancaster field produces 263,000 barrels of oil during February, at an average oil rate of 9,394 bopd. Ends February with USD71 million in net free cash, down from USD85 million at end of January. Chief Executive Antony Maris says: "Through a combination of further strong operational performance at Lancaster and continued high commodity prices, coupled with our ongoing constructive discussions with Bluewater over a charter extension for the Aoka Mizu, we continue to build the platform for Hurricane's future." ---------- By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Cancer diagnostics company Pacific Edge (NZX: PEB , ASX: PEB) today announces the appointment of Tony Barclay as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Mr Barclay, who takes up the role on 21 March 2022, is a highly experienced healthcare industry leader. He brings to Pacific Edge deep experience of taking innovative New Zealand technology to international markets, including the US. He was formerly Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (FPH) from when the healthcare business was separated from Fisher & Paykel Appliances in 2001. From then he led the finance team and was a member of the senior leadership team until 2018, a period which saw FPH grow to be one of the largest and most successful companies on the NZX. He is currently Independent Chair of Izon Science, a world leading Christchurch-based manufacturer of nano-biological separation and characterisation tools and Chair of Australian-based Baymatob, a pioneer in womens health and AI-guided monitoring for pregnancy and labour. He is also an Independent Director of Veriphi, an Auckland-based technology company developing intravenous drug identity and concentration verification devices. Pacific Edge Chair Chris Gallaher said: We are delighted Tony has agreed to join the Pacific Edge Board. He brings to the company world-class corporate finance expertise and a deep understanding of the challenges fast growing healthcare technology companies face taking their products to the world. We expect these perspectives will be of enormous value as Pacific Edge works to incorporate Cxbladder technologies into global standards of care for urolthelial cancer and drives towards their adoption by clinicians and healthcare providers around the world. Mr Barclay said: I am looking forward to joining the Pacific Edge Board. Cxbladder offers clinicians and healthcare providers a compelling proposition. The suite of tests offers clinicians accurate, reliable, cost-effective, non-invasive urothelial cancer diagnostic tools that are backed by a growing body of high-quality peer-reviewed clinical evidence. I am looking forward to working with the team to realise the enormous opportunities the company enjoys around the world. Mr Barclay has been a Chartered Accountant in New Zealand since 1990 and is a member of the Institute of Directors and the Institute of Financial Professionals New Zealand (INFINZ). He received his Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting and finance from the University of Otago, New Zealand. Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 5th May 2022 Morning Report GAS MARKET UPDATE MAY 4TH ANZ 2022 Half Year Results Documents PGW Raises Guidance Air NZ Rights Offer Period Closes and Bookbuild Commences 4th May 2022 Morning Report BIF acquires shares in ZeroJet Limited Morrison & Co completes acquisition of Infratil shares IKE Q4 and FY22 performance update Chorus amends syndicated bank facility NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN OR AUSTRALIA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. 17 March 2022 CleanTech Lithium PLC Admission to Trading on AIM and First Day of Dealings CleanTech Lithium PLC ("CTL", "CleanTech Lithium" or the "Company"), a company involved in the exploration and development of two lithium projects in Chile, is pleased to announce the admission of its entire issued ordinary share capital to trading on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange plc at 8.00am today under the ticker CTL ("Admission"). The Company's Admission Document, as well as other information required pursuant to AIM Rule 26, are available on the Company's website at www.ctlithium.com. Admission follows a Placing by Fox-Davies Capital for a total of 18,666,667 Ordinary Shares at 30p per Ordinary Share (the "Placing Price"), raising gross proceeds of 5.6m, before expenses (the "Placing"). Fox-Davies Capital acted as sole Broker and Beaumont Cornish acted as the Nominated Adviser in relation to the Admission. Placing Statistics: Placing Price per Ordinary Share 30 pence Gross proceeds of Placing 5.6 million Free Float 66.09% Net proceeds of the Placing received by CTL 4.8 million Number of Ordinary Shares in issue following Admission 79,033,242 Market capitalisation at the Placing Price 23.7 million CTL is run by an experienced team, with strong local knowledge, mining and financial markets experience, seeking to produce commercial scale quantities of battery grade lithium, with near zero emissions, through the development of two lithium projects. Highlights: Two, highly prospective lithium assets in Chile, offering near-term production potential Lithium is forecast to experience among the fastest growth rates in demand of any mineral sector Produce low or zero emissions lithium in the second half of 2024, a critical advantage in the fast-growing EU market, by employing renewable energy Vastly reducing the environmental impact of lithium production in Chile by utilising direct lithium extraction technology ('DLE') Projects are well located to utilise Chile's abundant renewable energy for process power Proven Management team in the Chilean mining and renewables energy sector, with strong financial markets experience Commenting, Aldo Boitano, Chief Executive Officer, of Cleantech Lithium PLC, said: "The Placing and Admission to AIM will greatly support our ability to deliver value for all stakeholders from the Company's two significant lithium projects in Chile. These assets offer a rare opportunity for investors to gain exposure to lithium projects, located within the heart of the lithium triangle, in South America. "The projects offer near-term potential to produce battery grade lithium, which is a core component of batteries needed for the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. We aim to produce zero or near zero emissions lithium, with minimal environmental impact, creating a clear advantage in the fast-growing EU markets. "I would like to thank existing shareholders for their continued support, as well as welcome new shareholders as part of the Placing. We look forward to maintaining ongoing dialogue and to keeping the market updated on our progress." For further information contact: CleanTech Lithium PLC Aldo Boitano Jersey office: +44 (0) 1534 668 321 Chile office: +562-32239222 Or via Celicourt Celicourt Communications +44 (0) 20 8434 2754 Philip Dennis/Felicity Winkles cleantech@celicourt.uk Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser) Roland Cornish +44 (0) 207 628 3396 Fox-Davies Capital Limited (Broker) +44 20 3884 8450 Daniel Fox-Davies daniel@fox-davies.com About CleanTech Lithium PLC CleanTech Lithium is an exploration and development company with two lithium projects in Chile, the Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin projects ("Projects"). CleanTech Lithium holds (either directly or under option) mining exploration and mining exploitation licences over the Projects which are prospective for lithium resources based on the lithium enriched brine in the surface and subsurface of the basins. There are two main sources of lithium being the brines from salt lakes (or 'salars') and hard rock mines. Conventional production of lithium from brines uses large evaporation ponds, which deplete the aquifers of the salt lake basins, impacting indigenous or local communities. Hard rock lithium mines have the direct environmental impact of large open cast mining operations and require energy intensive processing which has high associated CO2 emissions. CleanTech Lithium intends to produce lithium using a sustainable DLE method, which returns water to its source instead of depleting vital aquifers. The intention is to utilise renewable energy for process power. Projects are based in Chile, one of the world's best regions for solar and other renewable energy. The overall process aims to have a very low CO2 footprint potentially providing a critical advantage in the European Union (EU) market which has set strict CO2 emissions limits. Assets The Company's Projects are both located within 300km by road from the mining center of Copiapo in the Atacama region of Chile, within a major mining district. The total licence area of the two Projects is 177km2, comprising 67km2 at Laguna Verde and 110km2 at Francisco Basin. Both projects are located at altitudes of over 4,000m and have no indigenous or other communities within the basins. The more advanced Laguna Verde Project features a hypersaline lake, 15.2km2, covering the low point of the basin. This surface lake has been subject to a JORC Measured resource estimate of 77,834 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) at a grade of 246mg/L lithium. A sediment hosted aquifer is interpreted to lie directly beneath the surface brine resource and up to 300m thick, which has been subject to a JORC Inferred resource estimate of 1.16 million tonnes LCE at 246mg/L lithium. The Francisco Basin features a salar and lagoon with shallow surface brine, and a gradually rising plain to the south which is the focus area of the project. Two surface sampling programmes in 2018 and 2019 recorded average lithium grades of 375mg/L and 694mg/L. A geophysics programme based on a Transient Electromagnetic ('TEM') survey identified a low resistivity zone over an area of 10 - 15 km2. A reconnaissance drill hole drilled in the basin confirmed the sediment aquifer thickness from 100m to 220m. Work Programme The key milestones are resource drill programmes at both Projects culminating in upgraded resource estimates, laboratory scale and pilot plant DLE test-work that will ultimately produce 10 tonnes per month of battery grade lithium, along with key permitting and feasibility studies including an environmental impact study and permit and scoping through to final feasibility studies for Laguna Verde. First production is targeted for the second half of 2024. Lithium & the Lithium Market The Directors believe that the market for lithium will continue to enjoy a positive price trend with long term estimates by Benchmark Minerals[1] forecasting a price of US$15,000/tonne for battery grade Lithium Carbonate and Lithium Hydroxide from 2025 - 2040. Current spot prices are in excess of US$60k/tonne. Lithium demand is forecast to rise from 350,000 tonnes in 2020 to 2.5 million tonnes in 2030 and over 7 million tonnes in 2040, based on estimates by Benchmark Minerals. The EU is the world's fastest growing lithium market and in 2020 an EU Commission report on the battery supply chain industry highlighted both the strategic importance of lithium and the requirement to de-carbonize the supply chain. Major auto-makers are increasingly emphasizing sourcing lithium with less environmental impact than the supply from evaporation pond operations and hard rock lithium mines. Strategy CleanTech Lithium plans to use DLE to minimise the environmental impact of extraction from salars. It also intends to use renewable power wherever possible for its operations, thereby reducing the CO2 footprint of lithium production. DLE represents a major improvement in the sustainability of lithium extraction. There are no evaporation ponds and the brine is returned to the basin, minimising depletion to the basin aquifers. CleanTech Lithium has noted strong support from the Chilean government and mining authorities for the Company's DLE based extraction plan, which is a new path for lithium production in Chile. DLE based projects are expected to be an important component of meeting the increasing demand for lithium. CleanTech Lithium's Projects are well located to utilise Chile's abundant renewable energy for process power. The Projects are also located in the world's best region for solar power. The Company's CEO Aldo Boitano, is a pioneer of Chile's solar industry and has been involved in the deployment of solar projects with a combined output exceeding 800MW. Laguna Verde is also classified by the Ministry of Energy as a site for geothermal energy, which offers an efficient method of producing processing heat. Overview of Chile Chile is among the highest income countries in Latin America and has the highest investment grade rating in the region (S&P A, Moody's A1). It is among the most economically and socially stable nations in South America and leads the region in rankings for competitiveness, economic freedom, openness to investment, and low perception of corruption. Because of the importance of mining to the Chilean economy, mining law in Chile is advanced and similar to that found in other mining-dominated jurisdictions such as Australia, Canada, and certain states such as Nevada in the USA. The law is transparent and effective, making Chile a place where mining companies want to do business. Under the law, the state owns all mineral resources. Exploration and exploitation of these resources is permitted through mining licences. AIM Admission Document Available at www.ctlithium.com The dealing codes for the Ordinary Shares are as follows: ISIN number JE00BPCP3Z37 SEDOL number BPCP3Z3 TIDM CTL LEI number 213800Y3TN5JQCDA9U59 Total Voting Rights For the purposes of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules ("DTRs") of the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"), the total number of Ordinary Shares with voting rights in the Company as at the date of this announcement is 79,033,242. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change of their interest in, the Company under the FCA's DTRs. Capitalised terms used in this announcement and not separately defined shall have the meaning given to them in the Company's Admission Document. Important Notices This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any securities in any jurisdiction, nor shall it (or any part of it), or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, or act as any inducement to enter into, any contract or commitment whatsoever relating to any securities. Recipients of this announcement who intend to purchase or subscribe for Ordinary Shares in the Company are reminded that any such purchase or subscription must only be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the final Admission Document relating to the Company. This announcement does not constitute an offer of securities in the United States or to US Persons. Ordinary Shares of the Company may not be offered or sold in the United States or to US Persons without being registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("U.S. Securities Act") or an available exemption from such registration. The Company does not presently intend to register any securities under the U. S. Securities Act and no public offering of shares is being or will be made in the United States or to US Persons. The information contained in this announcement is not for publication or distribution in, into or from the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa or New Zealand or any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation or breach of any applicable law ("Restricted Territories"). Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of Restricted Territories securities laws. This announcement (and the information contained herein) does not contain or constitute an offer of securities for sale, or solicitation of an offer to purchase securities, in the Restricted Territories where such an offer or solicitation would be unlawful. No money, securities or other consideration is being solicited and, if sent in response to the information contained herein, will not be accepted. Beaumont Cornish Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as nominated adviser to the Company in connection with the Placing and Admission. Its responsibilities as the Company's nominated adviser under the AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers are owed solely to London Stock Exchange plc and are not owed to the Company or to any Director or to any other person in respect of his decision to acquire shares in the Company. Beaumont Cornish is acting exclusively for the Company and for no one else in connection with the Placing and Admission. Beaumont Cornish will not regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this document) as its customer in relation to the Placing and Admission and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish or for providing advice in relation to the Placing, Admission or any transaction or arrangement referred to in this announcement. Fox-Davies Capital Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as broker to the Company in connection with the Placing and Admission. Fox-Davies is acting exclusively for the Company and for no one else in connection with the Placing and Admission. Fox-Davies will not regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this announcement) as its customer in relation to the Placing and Admission and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to customers Fox-Davies or for providing advice in relation to the Placing, Admission or any transaction or arrangement referred to in this announcement. Forward looking statements Certain statements in announcement are or may constitute forward looking statements, including statements about current beliefs and expectations of the Directors. In particular, the words "envisage", "projects", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "should", "plan", "intend", "will", "would", "could", "target", "believe" and similar expressions (or in each case their negative and other variations or comparable terminology) can be used to identify forward looking statements. Such forward looking statements relate to matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this announcement and include statements regarding the Board's expectations of external conditions and events, current business strategy, plans and the other objectives of management for future operations and estimates and projections of the Group's financial performance. Though the Board believes these expectations to be reasonable at the date of this announcement, they may prove to be erroneous. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, achievements or performance of the Group, or the industry in which the Group operates, to be materially different from any future results, achievements or performance expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Prospective investors are strongly recommended to read the risk factors set out in Part II of the Admission Document. Any forward looking statement in this announcement speaks only as of the date it is made. Save as required by law or regulation or the AIM Rules for Companies, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to any forward looking statements in this announcement that may occur due to any change in the Board's expectations or in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement. Any forward looking statement in this announcement based on past or current trends and/or activities of the Group should not be taken as a representation or assurance that such trends or activities will continue in the future. No statement in this announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or to imply that the earnings of the Group for the current year or future years will match or exceed the historical or published earnings of the Group. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of the Company's website is not incorporated by reference into, and does not form part of, this announcement. -ENDS- Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Louisiana... Mississippi River At Red River Landing affecting West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. For the Lower Mississippi River...including Red River Landing, Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, Reserve, New Orleans...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/lix. Click on the Rivers and Lakes menu for forecasts and observations. The next statement will be issued when updates are needed. && ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Mississippi River At Red River Landing. * WHEN...Until early Saturday morning. * IMPACTS...At 51.0 feet, All river islands along the reach from Red River Landing to Baton Rouge will be inundated. Recreational camps and river bottom farm land will be under water. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 11:00 AM CDT Wednesday the stage was 49.6 feet. - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 11:00 AM CDT Wednesday was 49.7 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage Friday evening and continue falling to 41.5 feet Wednesday, June 01. - Flood stage is 48.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 48.8 feet on 04/22/2014. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && Felix Bolanos, Spain's minister for the presidency (prime minister's office), has announced that the Spanish government will lower the prices of electricity, gas and fuel on 29 March. The government intends to approve a decree law on this date. This will be for the national plan in response to the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine. Bolanos says that the government is currently studying different alternatives in order to be able to make the reductions in prices. Spain is hopeful of reaching consensus with fellow EU countries, but if not, "the government will adopt measures". Options under consideration, Bolanos outlined on Wednesday, are state aid, fiscal aid, capping prices or establishing a single price for energy so that it can be made cheaper. Politically, the minister said that a meeting with the main opposition Partido Popular on Wednesday was "cordial and constructive". The government is to hold talks with all parties represented in Congress, except Vox. Bolanos noted that Vox had "declined" the invitation. "It is a time for unity. The only enemy is Putin and the savage war he has provoked. We call on the PP and the rest of the parties so that Congress responds with unity to this emergency." This unity is something that Spain will wish to demonstrate at a meeting of the European Council on 24 and 25 March. The minister stressed that the government is aware of "what it is costing to fill the tank, pay for electricity and keep homes warm". Measures to be adopted, he insisted, will allow prices to be lowered in an "immediate and simple" fashion. Ireland has long contributed to literary history and continues that tradition today. Manistee County Library carries classic Irish authors and up-and-coming new authors. Celebrate everything Irish with a good book! These titles and more are available at the Manistee County Library. Our online catalog and hours of operation are available on our website manisteelibrary.org. St Patrick of Ireland: a Biography by Phillip Freeman tells the story of the life of the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick was abducted into slavery in Ireland and had a vision he would go free. After returning home to his family in Britain, Patrick announced he would spend his remaining years caring for the people who had enslaved him. Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: the Fathers of Wilde, Yeats and Joyce'' by Colm Toibin aims to educate the reader by examining the father and son relationship. What develops is a picture of Irish culture and history. First published in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde continues to enchant readers with the exploits of four people pretending to be who theyre not in order to impress each other. Known for its humor and widely quoted, this play was made into a movie in 1952 and remade in 2002. Both versions can be requested from MeLCat at mel.org. James Joyces Dubliners explores the city in the nineteenth century through the lives of its inhabitants. Written as short stories, each tale presents a snapshot of a life and as a whole, this book produces a vivid look at the Irish city. Did you know that Bram Stokers given name was Abraham? Born just outside of Dublin, Ireland, and best known for his book Dracula, Stoker also wrote many short stories that were compiled into Best Ghost and Horror Stories Fourteen short stories full of murder and mayhem provide a hauntingly good read. Marian Keyes wrote The Mystery of Mercy Close in which life isnt going so well for Helen. Her private investigators business has no new cases and shes had to move back in with her parents. When help does arrive, its in the form of her ex-boyfriend, whos bandmate is missing. The second title in the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French is The Likeness. Cassie chooses to transfer out of the Murder squad. When her boyfriend calls to the scene of a murder, she is startled to find the dead girl is her double and is carrying the ID Cassie used when she was an undercover detective years before. Now Cassies former boss wants Cassie back undercover as bait to catch a killer. Winner of the Booker Prize, Roddy Doyle wrote the short stories in Life Without Children during the pandemic. Bringing empathy to the lockdown and its aftermath, Doyle captures life as we now know it. The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor, an American author who was educated in Dublin, begins the Maggie DArcy series. Still haunted by her cousin's disappearance years before, Maggie, now a detective, returns to Ireland when another girl goes missing. Her determination to solve both cases brings her closer to danger. Maeve Binchy was known for recreating family life in her novels and it often feels like visiting friends. Scarlet Featheris a contemporary story that follows a husband and wife as they embark on a catering business that brings them more than expected. A Week in Winter '' is set in a remodeled stone house turned hotel in a small coastal town. The first visitors to the inn are a varied cast of characters who provide humor and anxiety during their stay. In This House is Haunted, a new governess arrives at her post after being assaulted at the train station. Greeted by her wards, not their parents, she is more than a bit concerned. She becomes aware of a presence in the house that does not want her there. Determined to stay at her post, Eliza looks into the history of the house and family. This gothic ghost story by Irish author John Boyne hits all the right notes for a scary late night read. The classic childrens series, Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis sees siblings land in a new world when they travel through a wardrobe. Their adventures include a lion, magic spells, and a call to fight a wicked witch. Lewis is also well known for his nonfiction works including The Screwtape Letters and Out of the Silent Planet. Other books that can introduce young readers to Ireland are The Names Upon the Harp: Irish Myth and Legend by Marie Heaney which brings to life, with words and beautiful illustrations, in tales of magic and bravery. Tomie DePaolo tells the story of Jamie ORourke and the Big Potato: an Irish Folktale. Join a lazy farmer who makes a deal with a leprechaun when his wife is injured and cant take care of him. Bring a bit of the Irish to your house with The Farmette Cookbook: Recipes and Adventures From My Life on an Irish Farm by Imen McDonnell. Discover daily rituals and traditional Irish cooking skills and recipes. Irish Pudding, Tarts, Crumbles, and Fools: 80 Glorious Desserts by Margaret Johnson is a wonderful way to end a meal. Using fresh fruit and kitchen staples, create delicious desserts to share with family and friends. Mankato, MN (56001) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. PGG Wrightson Limited* (PGW) Chair, Rodger Finlay announced that he would be retiring from the Board effective 30 June 2022. Mr Finlay said that After a stimulating term as Chair I have determined that the time was right to retire and to free up capacity to devote to other recent governance commitments. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Chair of PGW which is such an important part of the fabric of New Zealands primary sector. It is gratifying to be departing the business while it is in such great financial health and so well placed for the future. Deputy Chair, Joo Hai Lee said The Board and management team wished to extend their gratitude to Rodger for his great service to the company as Chair and as a member of the Audit Committee. Rodger has provided excellent leadership through his tenure as PGW has reset its strategy and refocussed on its core offerings. The business has prospered throughout this period and the impressive results we have seen speak for themselves. We thank Rodger for his excellent contributions and wish him well for the future. In the coming weeks, the Board will reassess its governance requirements and update the market as to the appointment of a Chair as we approach the end of the fiscal year. Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 5th May 2022 Morning Report GAS MARKET UPDATE MAY 4TH ANZ 2022 Half Year Results Documents PGW Raises Guidance Air NZ Rights Offer Period Closes and Bookbuild Commences 4th May 2022 Morning Report BIF acquires shares in ZeroJet Limited Morrison & Co completes acquisition of Infratil shares IKE Q4 and FY22 performance update Chorus amends syndicated bank facility Poland's Karolina Bielawska won the Miss World 2021 crown amidst controversy in a gala that was held at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The other two finalists were United States' Shree Saini and one of the favourites to win the 70th edition of the gala, Olivia Yace, from the Ivory Coast. "When I heard my name, I was surprised, I still can't believe it, I feel honoured," said Bielawska after being crowned by Jamaican Toni-Ann Singh, who won the 2019 edition. Empathy, gratitude and compassion The 23-year-old model, who is studying for a master's degree in administration and enjoys doing volunteer work, decided to be "more authentic" and "enrich the lives" of other people. "If you want to discover something new, try to learn to be richer in empathy, gratitude and compassion," she answered in the round of questions. Controversial gala Controversy sparked during the gala due to legal problems between the organisers and the fact the no Latina candidate made it to the Top 12. The final of the contest was scheduled for December 16 at the Puerto Rico Coliseum, but it had to be postponed after 38 positive COVID-19 cases were recorded between candidates and staff. The top 12, which this time was made up of 13 women due to a tie, included candidates from Vietnam, Mexico, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Poland, Somalia, the United States, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, India, Indonesia and the Ivory Coast. Criticism and legal disputes The announcement caused disappointment from the attendees, who were surprised by the absence of some of the main favourites such as Venezuela's Alejandra Conde and the Puerto Rican Aryam Diaz. Meanwhile, the company Puerto Rico with a Purpose (PRwaP) has sued Miss World 2016 and president of the organisation Reignite Puerto Rico Inc., Stephanie Del Valle, for alleged fraud. PRwaP demanded the payment of 1,225,000 dollars, a sum earned from public funds that the former Puerto Rican beauty queen allegedly had not returned. Del Valle countersued PRwaP, requiring more than 31 million dollars for moral damages, and announced that she would not participate in the Miss World 2021 final events. In fact, the attendees showed their support to Del Valle and booed some of the organisers or sponsors of the event, such as the cryptocurrency mogul Brock Pierce, who is in charge of PRwaP, and the president of the Miss World Organization, Julia Morley. If you are one of the many fans of 90 Day Fiance (and if you are reading this article you certainly are) the wait is over, because the reality show is back with its season 9 with seven couples and many classic conflicts between couples. What is the plot of 90 Day Fiance? Just in case you're new to the show, the show involves a long-distance lover applying for a K-1 visa, so that the engaged partner of a U.S. citizen can enter the United States. So far it all sounds uncomplicated, what's the catch? Well, after the fiance arrives in the United States, they only have 90 days to determine whether or not they want to get married, but in the event that they do not get married within the aforementioned time frame, the fiance must return to their home country. What we know about 90 Day Fiance Season 9 For this ninth season, 90 Day Fiance brings us a couple of familiar faces, Ariela and Biniyam (whom you may remember for having been part of several seasons of the spinoff 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way), who venture out of Ethiopia to try their luck in New Jersey. In addition to them, six new couples complete the main characters of this new season, all with the goal of getting married and having a long life as a couple in the United States. Meet the cast of 90 Day Fiance Season 9 In addition to the aforementioned Ari, 20, and Bini, 31, we will get to know the love story of Kobe, 34, from Cameroon and Emily, 29, from Salina, Kansas, who even already have a baby after meeting in China. Kara, 29, of Charlottesville, Virginia, met Guillermo, 23, during a work trip to Venezuela, but now with him arriving in Virginia his insecurities could clash with her partying habits. Bilal, 42, a divorced father of two from Kansas City, Missouri, is set to marry Shaeeda, 37, from Trinidad and Tobago, whom Bilal proposed to just a week after they met. Miona, 23, from Serbia dreams of spending her life enjoying luxury in Los Angeles with Jibri, 28, who is actually from a small town in South Dakota. Yvette, 48, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Egyptian Mohamed, 25, are the couple with the biggest age difference on 90 Day Fiance, season 9. Finally, Patrick, a divorced Austin, Texas resident, hopes his 25-year-old Brazilian fiancee, Thais, can leave his extravagant home life behind. When is the release date for 90 Day Fiance Season 9? Season 9 of 90 Day Fiance premieres on both TLC and Discovery+ on April 17 at 8 p.m. ET, in addition to other streaming service options such as Hulu and Filo. 90 Day Fiance Season 9 Trailer Undoubtedly, the trailer for 90 Day Fiance season 9 will give you more clues about what chaotic romantic relationships you can enjoy this time around. Man shot dead in reported settling of scores between rival drug gangs in Madrid Man shot dead in reported settling of scores between rival drug gangs in Madrid A 46-year-old man was shot dead in the San Blas neighbourhood of Madrid, Spain, in an alleged account of score settling between rival drug gangs on Wednesday, March 16. The alleged perpetrator of the shooting has turned himself in to police after the incident, which took place at 15:00 CET in front of the Las Rozas shopping centre. Police sources informed the Europa Press agency that the driver of a car died after being shot from a person who was in another vehicle. A car reportedly rammed a grey Citroen from behind and a man fired eight times from another vehicle at the driver of the rammed car. The assassins managed to escape, and police are looking for a black or silver BMW X5. One of the stray bullets from the shooting went through the car of the murdered man and hit the nearby Alsace Metro entrance, and another hit the van of a man who was driving in the area. Telemadrid reports that police are investigating a potential account settling between drug gangs as the main hypothesis of the murder in broad daylight. Voz Populi revealed that the murdered man was a member of the Milagrones family, while the ABC newspaper reports that the murdered man had a criminal record for intentional homicide. Weather Alert ...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...Portions of Arkansas and Oklahoma, including the following counties, in Arkansas, Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian and Washington AR. In Oklahoma, Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Pushmataha, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington OK. * WHEN...Through Thursday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Main-stem river flooding is expected in several locations. Extensive low land flooding will be likely in some areas, especially where the heavier rain has already occurred. Many low-water crossings will likely become flooded. Area creeks and streams are already running high and will likely flood with more heavy rain. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Additional rounds of thunderstorms with very heavy rain are expected this evening through the overnight hours. Widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain is expected with locally higher amounts of 5 to 6 inches. The heavier rain will begin to shift east of far southeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas Thursday afternoon. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor the latest forecast and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action quickly should flooding develop. Be especially cautious while driving at night. Do not drive through water of unknown depth. && Russias problem is that the Kremlin cannot get its mind around the fact that the West is Russias enemy, not its partner. by Paul Craig Roberts As readers know, I refer often to dumbshit Americans. I am beginning to wonder if the same applies to Russians. As for dumbshit Americans, the evidence is never ending. We now have a Pew Research poll of Americans, if it is accurate, that finds that 36% of American Republicans and 35% of American Democrats support American military intervention against Russia in Ukraine even if it risks a nuclear conflict with Russia. The Poll finds that half of the US population thinks that Russias concern with her national security is a major threat to US interests. It blows my mind that more than one-third of the US population are willing to endure nuclear armageddon for the utterly corrupt, nazi-dominated Washington puppet state of Ukraine. Americans have no interest whatsoever in Ukraine, and Ukrainians are an insignificant percentage of the US population. The dumbshit Americans who are willing to go to nuclear war for Ukraine are the dumbshits who sit in front of CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, listen to NPR, read the NY Times and Washington Post. These are people who are brainwashed and live in a false reality created for them by official narratives that serve only the narrow interests of the ruling elite. Most of the dumbshits wouldnt die for their spouse, parents, or children. But they are so programmed by the whore media that they are willing to die so Ukraine can shell Donbass Russians in their villages and cities. Really, this is stupidity beyond imagination. I have always thought that Putin and the governing class in Russia were more intelligent, but I am beginning to wonder. Certainly Putin called Washington out at the 2007 Munich Security Conference when he said that Washingtons unipolar world was over, that there were now on the scene other powers with independent interests. However that was 15 years ago. Since that time, other than repel the US orchestrated Georgian attack on South Ossetia and the recent attempt at color revolution in Kazakhstan, Russia has done nothing to protect her vital interests. To the contrary, the Russian central bank placed its foreign exchange reserves abroad where they have been confiscated. The Kremlin has encouraged the Wests opinion of Russia as pussies by permitting eight years of shelling of the Donbass republics by Ukrainian neo-Nazis using weapons provided by Washington and its NATO puppets. And now the Kremlin has permitted all sanction outrages against Russia without applying devastating counter-sanctions. Putin has adopted the role of the government leader who obeys international law alone in the world. Amazingly, Putin thinks this show of righteousness will have an impact on Satan. In a world of gangsters, what good does it do for Putin to respect contracts and private ownership? As I have often thought, the Kremlin has no idea what it is dealing with. Russia is riddled with doubt about the Soviet past and is a sitting duck for Washingtons psyops operation. As I said would happen, Russias go-slow war has played 100% into their enemies hands. Russia needed a quick victory to forestall a devastating psyops campaign against her and to intimidate further NATO expansion. What the Kremlin achieved by believing that the West would respect humanitarian intentions is infamy. Instead of discouraging provocations of Russia that will eventually lead to nuclear war, the Kremlins liberal goody-goodly war policy, which the West sees as irresolution, has encouraged more provocations Now the Kremlin is faced with in a few days the former Russian province of Georgia participating with NATO in military exercises. Finland, seeing nothing but Russian weakness in Ukraine, as portrayed by the Western pressititues, is now brave enough to apply for NATO membership. It looks as if it will take the Russian military longer to subdue part of powerless Ukraine than it took Hitler to conquer all of Europe. This does not impress Europeans that it is dangerous to provoke Russia. It doesnt shake the belief in the expansion of NATO. All NATO members know that the expansion of NATO is an offensive measure, not a defensive one. The purpose of missile bases on Russias border is to remove Russia as a constraint on Washingtons hegemony. The Saker and Andrei Martyanov defend Russias military capability, but what good is it if it cannot be used, because the Kremlin doesnt want to harm many civilians or scare Europe? Putin thinks that Washingtons empire is going to fail, but not when Europe sees Russia failing. If reports are correct, the Kremlin didnt even have enough sense to get its foreign exchange reserves out of the hands of its enemies, where they have been confiscated, before initiating its limited military intervention in Ukraine. The question that the Russian press hasnt asked is why did Russias Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, who has announced that half of Russias gold and foreign exchange has been seized by sanctions, permit the incompetent head of the Russian bank, Elvira Nabiullina, to disperse Russias foreign exchange reserves abroad where it was easily stolen by the sanctions? This level of incompetence is unbelievable even in a third world country. Why does Putin support these obviously incompetent officials whose every action supports the effectiveness of the Wests sanctions against Russia? Russias problem is that the Kremlin cannot get its mind around the fact that the West is Russias enemy, not its partner. The Foreign Ministry seems to think that only misunderstandings need to be cleared up so that Russia can be part of the West. An article published in 2014 explains Russian impotence despite Russias clear, and unused, military superiority. The author explains that President Putins inability or unwillingness to stand up more vigorously to the geopolitical aggressions of the Unites States and its allies stems, therefore, not so much from military weakness, or lack of economic resources per se, as it is from the way its economy has become dependent on oligarchs economic role and, therefore, on the skittish global markets, or the imperialistic whims of Western powers. Sadly, Russia is not alone in grappling with this dilemma of economic dependency and/or vulnerability to globalization of marketsin essence, to the whims of international financial markets, or the aspirations of the global plutocracy. In all these years, Russia (and China) have done little to insulate themselves from adverse forces operating against them. In short, Washington conquered Russia in the Yeltsin years when the Russian intellectual class and the oligarchs, who privatized in their bank accounts Russias national resources, found that their interests resided in the West and not in Russian sovereignty. The Kremlin, demonstrating its commitment to democracy and openness, has permitted innumerable Western and CIA financed NGOs to operate inside Russia in behalf of Washington. The Kremlin, in its naivete, has tolerated, perhaps even supported, a fifth column against Russia within itself. The Kremlins toleration of a fifth column working against Russia is beyond comprehension. I am aware that the sanctions against Russia will alert other countries that might have aspirations of sovereignty and that awareness will spread that it is Washingtons hegemony, not Russia, that is a threat to the world. But can this awareness be effective? The Western pressitutes control the narratives. Facts do not matter to the West, no matter how many times Putin and Lavrov stress the facts. They waste their time and energy. In the Western world facts are powerless, as is evidence of all kind. In the place of facts there are official narratives that turn lies into truth and that turn fiction into fact. The Russians waste their time responding to false accusations. The accusations are a psyops operation. By responding the Kremlin validates the accusations. I have come to the conclusion that the Kremlin lacks the awareness that it is dealing with evil that is smarter and more determined than the Kremlin. The Kremlins failure to deal with the West with force is leading the world to nuclear armageddon. Washington, sensing Russian weakness and having so many allies against Russia is going to push the provocations to the point that the only alternative to Russias surrender is nuclear war. Even The Saker, a needless apologist for Russia as objective facts support the Russian case, has come to the conclusion that the situation is headed towards a full-scale military confrontation (conventional and nuclear) between the Empire of Lies and Russia. This is what I said from the beginning. The fact-based world the Russians think is there is not there. The world in which the Kremlin is operating has no relationship to the world in which Washington is operating. In his speech yesterday Putin showed a dawning realization that the West was closed to Russia and that Russia faces a conflict with a West that is simply moral degradation, complete de-humanization. Only a few, and they are not widely heard, are aware that the Wests sanctions and seizure of Russian central bank assets are acts of war as are US and NATO arms deliveries to the Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces. The Kremlin has warned against interference with their military operation. If the Kremlin chooses to regard the Wests actions as interference, wider war will be upon us. That Washington takes such risks reflects its insistence on hegemony and the Kremlins toleration of years of provocations. Norway: Talk on proposed beginners amateur radio license The Academic Radio Club (ARK) report the annual ham radio meeting at Gardermoen featured a presentation by Torbjrn LA4ZCA on Norway's proposed new beginners license ARK say: Norwegian Hammeeting is a convention for radio amateurs in Norway to connect and where relevant organizations like NKOM [communications regulator] and NRRL [national society] present their news and information ... When introduced, this beginner license will have lower issuance requirements in exchange for limited rights in terms of things like operating bands and output power. Additionally there is a plan to introduce the hobby early on in schools and make the study material more accessible. ARK has been hosting license courses for a while, so we are naturally interested in this project, considering the opportunities the new license will bring our members. Read the ARK report on the Norwegian Hammeeting 2022 https://www.la1k.no/2022/03/16/ark-at-norwegian-hammeeting-2022/ https://twitter.com/la1ark 2021 - Norway looking to introduce Entry Level ham radio license that will enable young people to build their own transmitters and transceivers http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2021/november/norway-looking-to-introduce-entry-level-ham-radio-license.htm New York (United Nations), 16, March 2022 (SPS) - The Representative of the Frente POLISARIO to the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO, Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, held a meeting on Tuesday with Ms. Martha Pobee, Deputy Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Africa, in the Department of Political Affairs, Peacebuilding and the Department of Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO, for its acronym in English). The meeting, which took place at the headquarters of the United Nations Secretariat, addressed the peace process sponsored by the United Nations in Western Sahara, at a time marked by the collapse of said process caused by the Moroccan violation of the ceasefire fire, last November 13, 2020, and the resumption of the armed struggle for the Saharawi people. Sahrawi diplomate informed the UN official about the latest progress regarding the conflict at the level of the United Nations and the African Union, especially in light of the efforts made by the continental organization, through its corresponding organizations, with the aim of helping to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict between the Saharawi Republic and the Kingdom of Morocco. SPS 125/090/TRA Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party administration has repeatedly purchased arms from the United States with taxpayers' money and attempts to seek "independence" by force, a mainland spokeswoman said on Wednesday, expressing firm opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan region and any forms of official exchanges or military contact between the US and the island. Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remark in response to media reports that the Taiwan region recently signed an arms procurement contract with the US for a military communication system. The island has signed the contract with the US to purchase a Field Information Communications System worth NT$6.99 billion ($245 million), which will be delivered by September 2025. It is follow-up implementation of a US arms sale plan to Taiwan from December 2020. The administration of US President Joe Biden has approved two arms sales to Taiwana potential $750 million deal in August and $100 million in Februaryto boost the island's military capacity. Zhu said, "The attempts to seek 'independence' by force will not succeed and will only harm peace and stability across the Straits and the interests of Taiwan residents." According to a public opinion survey released on Tuesday by the Taipei-based Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, the island's residents have less confidence that the US will send troops to help Taiwan in the event of a war across the Straits. In a survey the society conducted in October 2020, 55.1 percent of respondents said the US would do so, dropping to 42.7 percent in the recent poll conducted last week, the island's media reported. On the future development of cross-Straits relations, 77.3 percent of the respondents said that peaceful exchanges should be maintained, while only 16.1 percent support confrontation with the mainland. Zhu said, "More Taiwan compatriots have come to realize that the US puts its own interests first at all times and its commitments to others cannot be relied on at critical moments." She said that the future of Taiwan and Taiwan compatriots' security and well-being, lie in the peaceful development of relations across the Straits and national reunification, rather than "empty promises" from external forces. The DPP has miscalculated the situation as it looks for US support for its "independence" agenda and attempts to rely on external forces' help to split China, said Zhu. The spokeswoman also called on Taiwan residents to clearly see the DPP's deception of relying on the US to seek "independence "and work together to achieve lasting peace across the Taiwan Straits. Fort Lauderdale residents may have been surprised when a colorful flier recently appeared in the mail proclaiming that a top executive of the citys international boat show supports a $1 billion redevelopment plan for the Bahia Mar resort, where the annual extravaganza is based. The show and the developer have been butting heads for months over the developments impact on the show. Advertisement Late last year, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, which owns the show, told city commissioners the proposed development could force them to hold smaller shows at the cost of $2 million annually in profits. But the flier circulated by the developer noted that Andrew Doole, president of Informa Markets, which operates the show, told the city that a new plan for Bahia Mar is a better Plan for the Boat Show with more space. Advertisement Now, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and Yachting Promotions Inc. are suing the developer, Rahn Bahia Mar LLC and the city, alleging the developer issued false statements indicating that the boat show operators support Bahia Mar s proposed redevelopment, when Bahia Mar is fully aware that Plaintiffs do not support its current proposal. [ RELATED: Fort Lauderdale plays lets make a deal with Bahia Mar land ] For months, the boat show operators and developers have clashed over the impact the redevelopment proposal might have on the shows ability to deliver major economic benefits annually to the marine industry, South Florida and the state at large. In 2021, despite the continuing [COVID-19] global pandemic, the suit says, the boat show contributed approximately $1.8 billion to the Florida economy, including $709.7 million in estimated sales by Florida companies, with $233.9 million in estimated sales by Broward County based companies. The show has operated on the Bahia Mar site since 1983, and last year paid the developer $6.3 million to lease the space. In its suit filed in Broward Circuit Court, the association and promotions firm assert a gag provision in their lease with the developer bars them from setting the record straight. The marine companies have been deprived of their fundamental rights of free speech the suit asserts. As a result, Plaintiffs have been unable to correct false and misleading statements about their positions concerning the Boat Show proposals, leaving the city and the public without the information necessary to make an informed decision about Bahia Mars proposed redevelopment, the suit alleges. The complaint has asked the court to delay an April 5 city commission hearing on the redevelopment plan until the association and promotions firm can feel comfortable speaking without any repercussions. Several passages in the lawsuit are redacted because the firms do not believe they can legally make their positions public. A developers flier touting a redevelopment plan for the Bahia Mar resort in Fort Lauderdale is being called misleading in a lawsuit brought by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and Yacht Promotions Inc., which operates the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and say the proposal does not have their full support. (David Lyons/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Doesnt see a muzzle In a telephone interview Wednesday, James Tate, co-founder of Tate Capital LLC of North Miami and the Bahia Mar projects developer, said there is no gag provision in their lease agreement. We have no idea what theyre talking about. Advertisement He said a previous lease did contain a clause barring disparaging language, but it was removed in 2017. We said you can speak freely and openly and honestly as long as its a public venue and as long as were invited. At the end of the day we all live in the sandbox, he added. We all need to play fairly and nicely. As for the support the flier cited from Andrew Doole, Tate referred to a video of Doole speaking at a December, 2021 city commission meeting. Andrew Doole said, yes its a good plan, yes, its good fit, Tate said. Doole could not be reached for comment. The Marine Industries Association referred questions to Fort Lauderdale attorney Sigrid McCawley of the Boies Schiller Flexner law firm, who filed the complaint on Monday. Advertisement The boat show contributes billions of dollars to our local economy and it is critical that the public and its elected officials are fully informed before making any decisions, which is why the Marine Industries of South Florida and Yachting Promotions Inc. have brought this lawsuit for a declaration of their right to be able to speak freely about the Bahia Mar proposal, she said in a statement to the Sun Sentinel. Private contracts are not allowed to suppress someones ability to provide city officials with key information, she added. In our democracy, it is crucial that elected officials have a complete and accurate recitation of the facts before they make decisions affecting public rights. The city, which is named in the suit as a nominal defendant because of its land ownership, declined comment late Wednesday. This is a dispute between Rahn Bahia Mar and the Marine Industries Association and Informa, said city manager Chris Lagerbloom in an emailed message. The city has no comment. Retraction demand According to the suit, the companies on March 8 notified Bahia Mar that its statements were false and defamatory but Bahia Mar has refused retract its false statements. At the same time, Bahia Mars interpretation of the Gag Provision precludes [the companies] from issuing their own corrective statements to the city and public at large, the suit alleges. Because of Bahia Mars false public statements and enforcement of the Gag Provision, [the companies] are being denied their fundamental right to petition the government under the First Amendment and Article I, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution, and are being denied a reasonable opportunity to be heard under state law. Advertisement The companies assert they will suffer irreparable harm if they are barred from commenting on Bahia Mar s proposal prior to the city commission meeting. A common goal In a January commentary published in the Sun Sentinel, Tate, his brother, Kenneth, and Sergio Rok, a co-developer of Bahia Mar, wrote that the developers and community all share the same common goal, which is to transform Fort Lauderdales gem of a property into a world-class luxury-branded resort hotel, community and marina with most of the property being dedicated for public use. For the first time ever, our proposed lease sets up a community trust fund to ensure that a portion of the money generated from Bahia Mar is redirected to our residents most in need, the men wrote. Additionally, our development will create 6,380 construction and trade jobs for Fort Lauderdale residents, thus creating more than $375 million in new household income for our working-class residents. The net present value of the proposed lease exceeds $300 million, which all belongs to the city. Fort Lauderdale has owned the land since 1947, when it bought the site from the federal government for $600,000. The entire parcel is 38.65 acres, with 15.96 acres of upland and 22.69 acres of boat dockage. In 1962, the city leased the site to the private sector. The lease was last updated in 1995. A flier lays out the developer's case for supporting its plans to proceed with a major redevelopment of Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale. The flier recently landed in the mail boxes of city residents. (David Lyons/South Florida Sun Sentinel) The current lease, held by Rahm Bahia Mar, earns the city $1.7 million per year in rent. The lease ends in 2062. Tate has approval granted by a prior commission in 2017 to build 651 rental apartments plus a new hotel, shops, restaurants and a marina village. Advertisement But the developer wants a new 50-year lease with a 50-year extension so he can finance four luxury condo towers with 350 units. Tate has offered to up the rent from $1.7 million to $3.7 million a year. Many say thats not enough, and the city called for a new appraisal. A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted seven men on charges they swindled $1.9 million from investors by falsely claiming to have developed a revolutionary windmill turbine that could generate power at a fraction of the cost of existing technology. The indictment was filed in U.S. District Court in Miami on July 29 but remained under seal until Monday, after two defendants surrendered to authorities. All of the defendants were declared fugitives in an Oct. 2 filing that was also unsealed on Monday. Advertisement The operation spanned several states and involved 10 companies, including internet marketers, data services, and capital funds that the defendants used for transfer of misappropriated investment proceeds, the indictment states. Much of the fraud occurred in South Florida, where the defendants operated two offices in Broward County and a third in Miami-Dade County, according to the indictment. The grand jury found that the operation raised about $1.9 million from investors between July 2016 and March 2019 by touting a wind turbine they called PowerStack that they said was evaluated by Siemens, a multi-national technology company, as far and away the most efficient wind turbine technology in the world. Advertisement [ RELATED: CEO of alleged wind turbine investment scam must give up ill-gotten gains ] Promotional materials provided to investors said Siemens tests confirmed that the wind turbine technology will produce electricity at a tiny fraction of the cost of any other method, renewable or fossil. That statement, the grand jury found, was just one of numerous assertions that were false and fraudulent. Of the $1.9 million raised from investors, the defendants misappropriated about $1.5 million for their own use and benefit, the indictment states. Combined, the defendants face 44 felony charges, including mail fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering. The indictment alleges that the defendants prepared fraudulent promotional materials to show prospective investors, failed to disclose that 50% of proceeds from stock sales would be paid to individuals involved in the scheme, and diverted proceeds of the sales to benefit themselves. Most of the charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of any property purchased with proceeds derived from the alleged fraud. The two defendants who surrendered to authorities are identified in the indictment as Broward County residents. They are Igor James Weisbrot, president and treasurer of Bacchus Capital Group; and Wayne Scott Simpson; manager and registered agent of Realty Data Services. [ RELATED: How two South Florida women lost thousands to the Geek Squad email scam ] The other defendants are: John Alexander Van Arem; Ontario, Canada; owner of Beacon Digital Solutions, a Nevada corporation Anthony Graeme Goldstein; Ontario, Canada; president and director of Thunderbird Power Corp. Lynn Richard Hinds; Queens Creek, Arizona; CEO of Thunderbird Power Corp. Donovon T. Stiltner; Miami-Dade County resident; investor relations manager of Thunderbird and CEO of Miami-based ISLG Marketing Inc. Stanley Herbert Johnson; California resident Simpson, Johnson and Weisbrot each faced previous allegations of violating rules governing sales of securities. Weisbrot lost his registration with the National Association of Securities Dealers in 1993 after failing to pay a fine for improperly inflating prices of stock he sold to customers. Simpson pled guilty in 2015 to participating in a fraud scheme that lured victims into purchasing residential properties in Detroit, Michigan. Advertisement Johnson pled guilty in 2009 to misrepresentation in offer and/or sales of securities in Shelby County, Alabama. [ RELATED: Wind turbine scammers used South Florida sales agents to bilk more than $1.9 million from 60 investors, feds say ] In addition to the wind turbine offering, the indictment accuses Goldstein, Weisbrot, Van Arem, and Stiltner of participating in an illegal scheme to sell stock in an online company that allowed consumers to buy lottery tickets in other states. Of about $4.9 million raised from investors in the LottoNet operation, the sellers and brokers misappropriated about $2.4 million, the indictment states. Money raised in that operation, according to a 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission complaint, was used for personal spending on clothing, wedding related expenses and strip clubs. Thunderbird Power Corp. and several affiliated companies were also the targets of an investigation and permanent injunction obtained in September 2021 by the SEC. In that case, Hinds, Thunderbirds former CEO, was ordered to repay more than $1.9 million in ill-gotten gains. The SEC complaint named Hinds, Goldstein and Van Arem as co-defendants and said the three employed sales agents in Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach and Vero Beach to sell wind turbine investments. Advertisement Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com. The late Rishi Kapoor is all set to entertain his fans and movie buffs with his final performance in filmmaker Hitesh Bhatias Sharmaji Namkeen. The iconic actor was halfway through the shoot of Sharmaji Namkeen when he passed away. Post which the makers decided to complete the remaining portions by roping in Paresh Rawal to play the same character. Since it is a rarity in Indian cinema to have two actors play the same role in a film, Ranbir Kapoor released a special video explaining the change and making an emotional appeal to the audience. Similarly, the trailer also made sure to educate the audience about having on board two different actors playing the same character. Amazon Prime Video Well, it may be probably the first instance of such casting in Hindi films, it has happened a few times earlier in the west. In fact, the final film of Rishi Kapoor shares this very unique similarity with the final film of Academy Award-winning late Hollywood actor Heath Ledger. Known for playing supervillain Joker in The Dark Knight, Heaths final film was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus released in 2009. The young actor had reportedly completed 80 per cent of the film before he died of a drug overdose. Amazon Prime Video The makers then decided to rope in three different actors to play the same character portrayed by Heath Ledger and the final cut of the film had Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell play transformations of his character as he travels through a dream world. While Rishi Kapoors last film Sharmaji Namkeen will have two different actors playing the same role, Heath Ledgers last film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus featured four different actors playing the same character. Check out the trailers of Sharmaji Namkeen and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus below: Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, Sharmaji Namkeen also stars Juhi Chawla and will release on Amazon Prime Video on March 31. Most men dont shop often but when they do, they dont exactly get what they want. It might not be false for younger men since there are ample styles and options to choose from, but men over 30 and 40 years of age do struggle to find decent casual clothes in the bundle of uber-cool, street style fashion meant for the younger generation these days. iStock Also, a lot is discussed on a daily basis about how brands dont make clothes in all sizes for women and what a struggle it is to find an XXL or 3XL in most labels. However, the discussion for mens apparel doesnt get any spotlight. Its the same for men and someone brought it to light with a hilarious tweet. iStock The former editor of a leading business newspaper, R Srinivasan put up a post on Twitter addressing the issue. He said that there are no decent jeans available for an average Indian male and all he can ever find is skinny fit, low rise or ripped pair of jeans. Most desi dads would agree to this. iStock He tweeted, It's tough living in a country where two thirds of the population is under 30. I can't now get a non-skinny fit, non-low rise, non-pre-faded/torn pair of jeans for love or money! And most stores don't stock beyond a 36 waist. I mean has anybody seen the older Indian male? It's tough living in a country where two thirds of the population is under 30. I can't now get a non-skinny fit, non-low rise, non-pre-faded/torn pair of jeans for love or money! And most stores don't stock beyond a 36 waist. I mean has anybody seen the older Indian male? R Srinivasan (@srinivasanravi) March 17, 2022 Well, we totally agree. He speaks for all average Indian men when he says theres limited waist size in menswear apparel in most stores while obviously, people come in all shapes and sizes. The response to his tweet is proof that desis relate to it. iStock While some said they struggle with the same thing, others suggested places they shop from, hacks and tips that theyve come up with after going through the same. Here is what they said: welcome to the club! Abhinandan Singh (@abhinandan_ks) March 17, 2022 Exactly... I think no one mfr these type of jeans anymore..for us-type poor souls. Ultimately i hv to go to one size up to get a comfortable fit and manage the waist by one step down belt Kunal Chattopadhyay (@Hicoonal) March 17, 2022 The only option left for you now is tailor made then Ronendra Singh Sapam (@ronendrasingh) March 17, 2022 Thats bn the case for at least a decade! Turn to amazon and discover elastic at the waist nandita sengupta (@nandibull) March 17, 2022 Lee's Rodeo fit is non-skinny Noel Edwards (@noeledwards79) March 17, 2022 Same story with my dad. aditi (@SilverMagicChip) March 17, 2022 Although it was funny, wheres the lie? It does happen to men and this needs to be discussed more. Not only regarding more sizes but also how there should be more options of regular clothes that cater to men of all ages. iStock Indian menswear brands and designers, are you listening? Gloria Brown Bruister, 81, passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., with her loving daughters by her side. Born on July 21, 1940, to Jay Lavell and Mattie Noblin Brown, Gloria graduated from Meridian High School in 1958. Married soon after to Hubert L. Bruist Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today Hemp World, located at the Junction Shopping Mall in Jackson, offers a variety of hemp products from lollipops and brownies to slushies and gummie candies on Feb. 28, 2022. The owner is one of the businesses hoping to get a dispensary license to sell medical marijuana. An assortment of gourmet doughnuts is on the menu at the Salty Donut, opening later this summer inside West Palm Beach's Rosemary Square. (Danielle Margherite / Courtesy) Once a month at Rosemary Square in West Palm Beach, 250 sugar-starved weekend customers queue up outside the Salty Donuts distinctive green camper and buy out the pop-ups tantalizing guava and cheese, and white chocolate tres leches doughnuts. The Miami-raised doughnut shop has been teasing its permanent arrival since October as supply chain woes forced delays on a new 1,927-square-foot storefront behind the camper. Now the gourmet confectionery says construction will wrap within weeks and the new shop will debut later this summer at 700 S. Rosemary Ave., Suite 200. Advertisement We wanted to stay top of mind because the opening is taking forever, says owner Andy Rodriguez, who cofounded the Salty in 2015 with his partner and now wife Amanda Pizarro. The people are really seeking us out. The Salty Donut's camper has been popping up inside West Palm Beach's Rosemary Square once a month since October, and selling out their gourmet treats within hours. The shop's permanent location will open this summer. For now, the camper will next pop up March 25-26. (Danielle Margherite / Courtesy) When it opens, the 28-seat Salty the chains sixth location will feature a take-out order window and a full bakery beckoning with treats ranging from traditional to cheat-meal sinful: glazed, cinnamon and brown butter, prickly pear margarita and maple bacon. For now, Rodriguez says, more Salty Donut pop-ups will keep the momentum going on March 25-26, April 23-24 and May 14-15, from 10 a.m. until sold out. Advertisement And they do sell out always, Rodriguez says. Even when the Salty Donut was a scrappy aloha camper puttering around a Wynwood parking lot the food truck was their lone kitchen Instagram and word-of-mouth drew hundreds of hungry Wynwoodites to the pop-ups. What enchanted locals most were the bakerys small batches of 24-hour-raised brioche doughnuts, the pilgrimage to pick up a dozen before they inevitably sold out, and liquor-spiked versions for adult customers. They were our amazing, fun beginnings, Rodriguez says. And we continued the tradition. We have four campers now that go all over the country and do private catered events. It started as a necessity but now we use them for pop-ups. The doughnut chain has since exploded in popularity, adding permanent storefronts in Wynwood, South Miami, Orlando, and two in Austin and Dallas. In 2018 the web publication Thrillist, for what its worth, christened them among the 31 best donut shops in America. That same year, Forbes 30 Under 30 list added Pizarro to its lofty ranks. These days, Rodriguez is more like a powdered sugar-nosed Tony Montana presiding over a growing chain of decadence. Every two months, he and Pizarro fly from their home in Miami to the Saltys test kitchen in Dallas trendy Bishop Arts District. They sit at boardroom tables, meet with a battalion of pastry chefs led by their full-time director of pastry innovation, Audry Scheib, and get down to the serious business of sampling 80 experimental flavors, one after another. An assortment of gourmet doughnuts is on the menu at the Salty Donut, opening later this summer inside West Palm Beach's Rosemary Square. (Danielle Margherite / Courtesy) Its a ton of fun but its also super-serious, and theres a lot riding on these meetings, Rodriguez explains. Were playing around with pastries that arent doughnuts. Were asking questions like, Are we going to do a horchata one in Dallas and a coquito one in Orlando? And, How do we market them? Its a cool and humbling experience. The Salty Donut enters a Palm Beach County market uncluttered with rival gourmet doughnut shops. Jupiter Donuts has a handful of shops from Boynton Beach to Jupiter. Duck Donuts has a single location in West Boca Raton. Meanwhile, Broward County, to name a few, has Mojo Donuts, Pink Donuts, Dandee Donut Factory, Yonutz! and Sweet Alchemy Confectionary. Rodriguez says he started looking at Rosemary Square weeks before the pandemic hit, and looked at the same time for space around Fort Lauderdales Flagler Village north of downtown. But if Fort Lauderdale offered a confusing sea of indifferent landlords, Rosemary Square had just one developer-owner: Related Companies. Its an easier thing to convince a landlord who already wants you there over one who doesnt care, he says. Related built this great center of gravity in Rosemary Square, and they know how to market it, which is why they have hip brands like Sweetgreens and Pura Vida. Advertisement [ Restaurants now open: Calvin Dumplings in Fort Lauderdale, HoneyBelle in Palm Beach Gardens | PHOTOS ] Salty Donuts menu is still being finalized each doughnut shop has flavors tailored to the city it serves but so far there will be guava and cheese, white chocolate tres leches (a rum-punched three-milk mixture, crusted on the bottom with white chocolate and finished with torched meringue) and cookies and cream (a vanilla-bean cake doughnut glazed with Oreo crumbs and maldon salt). The shop, decorated with with what Rodriguez calls beachside cafe vibes, also sells coffee and espresso, along with over-the-top flavors such as maple and brown sugar cold brew, cinnamon cereal milk lattes and matcha-lemonade teas. The Salty Donut, at 700 S. Rosemary Ave., Suite 200, in West Palm Beach, will be open this summer. Go to SaltyDonut.com. Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. After two years of wearing masks and avoiding indoor crowds, navigating the next phase of the pandemic in South Florida can feel especially difficult. Debra Touhey, of Cooper City, says she isnt ready to let down her guard yet, but shes pushing herself a little. Advertisement For the first time in two years, Touhey, 63, ventured back to the movie theater with her 14-year-old son. She sat in the back row and bought the two seats on either side of her family, just to ensure social distancing. Im trying because this might be the new normal, Touhey said. With omicron in retreat, Floridians are figuring out their new boundaries along with what COVID precautions they will permanently adopt and in which situations they still are not comfortable. In an online Sun Sentinel survey, respondents expressed a range of risk tolerance for travel as well as activities such as grocery shopping, indoor dining and attending business meetings without a mask. Advertisement All around there are signs of life coming back to a pre-coronavirus normal: The plastic barriers at cash registers came down recently at Publix nearly two years after they were installed. Masks are no longer being required at various performance arts venues in South Florida. I know a lot of people have stopped wearing their masks, Touhey said. I still wear my mask almost every time in public and especially indoors. I feel I have to be as careful as can be. As older parents, our situation is unique. I wont deprive my son but we are going to go slowly. Marguerite and Hampden Smith return from a walk on the beach near their home in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea on Thursday, March 17, 2022. The couple are vaccinated and boosted and have resumed going to church, among other outings. (Joe Cavaretta / South Florida Sun Sentinel) The Florida Department of Health reports the virus is still infecting more than 10,000 people a week in Florida and killing about 1,000 on average. But with the positivity rate less than 3% in the state, and South Florida counties, many people are beginning to resume their pre-pandemic behaviors. Hampden Smith, 81, is emerging from a pandemic mindset. He is taking this next phase slowly. Smith and his wife, of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, are vaccinated and boosted and have resumed going to church. It feels great. We really missed it, Smith said. Most people are keeping a distance. Theres not much hugging going on. Smith, though, isnt ready to take off his mask in church, or Costco and Publix. I will probably always be wary of indoor closeness, he said. Some people say they are struggling with accepting risk. Advertisement Robin Gill, of Jupiter, says she is boosted and vaccinated, works from home, and is taking it step by step with resuming activities she did before the pandemic. This week, she ventured to a restaurant for the first time in two years. The COVID mindset is a hard one to turn off, she said. I dont feel like we are far enough out of the pandemic yet. People are in different stages of gauging whats safe for them, says Broward psychologist Dr. Jessica Ruiz. Ruiz said one of the reasons this phase of the pandemic is so hard to navigate is because some people have had more anxiety and more personal loss over the last two years of battling a disease that transmits invisibly at times. Others are still at high risk for hospitalization. We have to remind ourselves, everyone is different, she said [ RELATED: COVID cases and positivity rates drop to lows last seen at the end of 2021s delta wave ] Increasingly though, as new cases decline, social pressure to shrug off COVID precautions will play a role in what people feel comfortable doing, she said. Social pressure is actually very powerful, said Ruiz, chief psychologist at Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward. You are much more likely to make decisions and follow through based on what the people around you are doing. Advertisement [ RELATED: As COVID-19 vaccine demand falls, Florida has 9.6 million stockpiled doses and they have expiration dates ] Pamela Jordan, of Boca Raton, said shes cautious but resumed her normal life months ago. She is not vaccinated, had COVID in December 2021 and has stopped wearing a mask. I took it off the second it was no longer mandatory, she said. Jordan, 52, says she travels, attends parties, goes to the movies, the gym and medical appointments without a mask and with the mindset that she is going to live her best life. People are scared and I cant fault them. I just think differently. Young adults, the demographic in Florida with the highest cumulative number of COVID cases, were the first to return to crowded nightclubs, concerts and weddings. My friends and I have for the most part stopped wearing masks, said a 24-year-old from Fort Lauderdale who asked not to be named. I dont think I should feel guilty about that. After two years of taking precautions and living with uncertainty about where the pandemic is headed, some people have realized they want to make certain behaviors permanent. Advertisement Survey participants told the Sun Sentinel they will continue to have their groceries delivered, participate in doctors appointments by Zoom, work from home as much as possible and even use hand sanitizer more regularly. [ RELATED: After two years of neglecting medical care, patients are flooding clinics and many conditions have become dire ] Several dozen said they are healthier than before the pandemic and plan to continue those behaviors. I went back to running regularly outdoors, said Stanley Eisen, of Pompano Beach. It helps keep me sane. Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com. Harry Bellew spent 51 years working in the credit union industry before retiring in 2009 and moving back to his hometown of Owensboro. Today, he uses the same skillset he developed over the course of his career in his role as vice president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Western Kentucky. Founded in Paris, France, in 1832, the nonprofit organization helps provide a variety of assistance to those in need. It is very, very meaningful, the 81-year-old Bellew said from a wingback chair at the societys Owensboro thrift shop. Helping the poor is something that just gives you great satisfaction. It gives you a lot of joy and helps you sleep at night. While he volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul office at his church, St. Stephen Cathedral, for eight years, Bellew was asked to join the organizations board about four years ago. Richard Remp-Morris, executive director and CEO of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Western Kentucky, said Bellew was able to use his professional experience in finance to help the organization. It would be difficult to really fully express what Harry really means to us, Remp-Morris said. He brings a wealth of wisdom and financial experience. After taking his seat as vice president of the board, Bellew was able to help St. Vincent de Paul refinance its mortgage for its thrift store at 200 E. 18th St. in Owensboro. A few years go, we were at one of those crossroads that boards go through, where we were starting to get a little concerned about funding, Remp-Morris said. We went from paying $7,300 a month in mortgage to $4,200 a month because of Harry Bellew and his ability. That move alone will save the nonprofit organization about $150,000 over the next five years, he said. Bellew said there seems to be a common misunderstanding that St. Vincent de Paul is only a resource for Catholics. A lot of it has to do with our name, he said. I also work for St. Josephs Peace Mission, and we have the exact same thing, because of our name, we are considered a Catholic institution, and we are not at all; we serve anybody who needs help. Bellew said he began volunteering on nonprofit boards will he was still working in Louisville as a way to give back to the community. I am a believer in the old adage that to whom much is given, much is expected, he said, and I have been blessed, so I feel responsible to give back. Bellew said the organization is funded through parishioner donations and receives no grant funding from the federal, county or city government. While the COVID-19 pandemic cased a reduction in both donations and sales at the store, the deadly tornado that swept through western Kentucky in December brought about a refocus in the organizations donations. Donations started pouring in here from everywhere, relief from out of state and in-state, Bellew said. We collected over $260,000 in donations from both local and out of state. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Western Kentucky is working with Catholic Charities to provide what are known as Houses in a Box for those displaced by the tornado. Bellew said the boxes contain everything a family of four would need to get started in a household. The nonprofit also donated $100 gift cards to be given to individuals affected by the tornado in Dawson Springs, Bowling Green and Bremen. Bellew said his best advice for someone looking to become a community volunteer is to do a little research and discuss it with a spouse, because it is a time commitment. There are literally dozens and dozens of opportunities, he said. Think it through carefully, and try to match your skill sets to an organizations needs. As the nation continues experiencing a healthcare worker shortage, the goal of Owensboro Health Medical Group is to continue recruiting more physicians to the area and expanding services, according to OHMG COO Mack Howell. Howell spoke at the Rotary Club meeting Wednesday about how the medical group plans to address the physician shortage locally, as well as how OH plans to continue growth and expansion in its 18-county service area in western Kentucky. If you look across the country, everyone is really challenged with physician shortage, especially in primary care, he said. OH, according to Howell, is looking to recruit physicians in all specialties, with an emphasis on primary care physicians and cardiologists. According to Howell, recruiting more physicians, and healthcare workers in general, means being a great place to work and cultivating interest in not only the healthcare field, but local healthcare. OH has worked to develop an Innovation Center, where educational institutions and healthcare professionals would work together to train the next generation of healthcare workers and cultivate interest in the field. Additionally, Howell said, OHMG takes on about six new residents each year and typically offers employment opportunities post-residency, as well. The goal, Howell said, is to sign on between 30 to 40 new physicians each year. In 10 years, OHMG went from having contracts with 31 physicians in 2011 to 141 by the end of 2021. To date, the medical group has contracts with 148 physicians and has signed new contracts with 24 physicians that will start some time this year. Of those, 18 will be new to the Owensboro community, which will mean not only growing OHMG, but also Owensboro in general. Bringing in more physicians, he said, means being able to expand and make healthcare more accessible for more people. He said it lowers the wait time for an individual seeking care to see a physician. The goal, he said, is about five days. Currently, that wait is longer across the board. Additionally, he said, it means bringing more specialized care into smaller communities and preventing individuals from having to drive outside of their city of residence to receive quality care. So far, Howell said, the healthcare system is on its way to meeting its goals and has recruited a lot of people in recent months. The dwindling of COVID-19 cases at the hospital has also allotted more time for that as well, he said, as things become more normalized and resources reallocated from handling pandemic surges to other things that could help expand services and assist in the overall growth of OH. Bringing more people into Owensboro also means more occupational tax dollars being brought into the community, as well as more spending locally, he said. Weve come a long way when we look at the people who work for us at OHMG, he said. We just want to have good physician service in western Kentucky. Christie Netherton, cnetherton@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7360 We're sorry, but we're unable to locate the page you requested. The page may have been removed, renamed, or deleted. You can try searching for the topic using the search button in the right hand corner above. Fort Lauderdale A 34-year-old Fort Lauderdale man was shot and killed at a business Sunday in an episode captured on surveillance video, and police want the publics help finding the shooter. Police say shortly before 7 p.m., somebody walked into a convenience store at 800 NW 22nd Road, shot Steven Black, and left. Advertisement When police arrived, Black was dead. Police say Steven Black was shot and killed Sunday night at a Fort Lauderdale business, and they need help finding the suspect. (Fort Lauderdale police) Police said the suspect is 5-foot-7 with a thin build. Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Orlando Almanzar at 954-828-5546, Detective Thomas Taylor at 954-828-6673, or Broward Crimestoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477). Pianist Dr. Carl Angelo was the second recitalist in the Memorial Presbyterian Church 2022 Lenten Concert Series. His program covered periods from the Baroque to the early 20th century. The program opened with Biblical Sonata No.1 by Johann Luhnau which portrays Davids victory over Goliath. It was followed by the perennial J.S. Bach favorite, Sheep May Safely Graze. Moving forward about a hundred years, the audience was treated to Felix Mendelssohns Prelude and Fugue in E Minor. The recital closed with one of Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies from Ottorino Respighi. The program demonstrated Angelos virtuosity in a bright, entertaining manner. Angelo is the director of music and fine arts and organist at First Presbyterian Church in Flint. He has served on the faculty of Saginaw Valley State University and as pianist for the Saginaw Choral Society as well as performed as soloist and accompanist throughout the United States. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Health care providers and patients in need of lifelong medical care due to catastrophic injuries from traffic crashes are asking legislators to revisit Michigan's recent auto insurance reform. The Republican leader of the Michigan House has decided that discussion is over, at least for the rest of this term. On Wednesday, House Speaker Jason Wentworth, R-Farwell, who backed the 2019 Auto Insurance Reform Act, said it's time to move on from the attempts to repeal part of the law which has caused unintended harm to care providers. While a majority of the legislation was widely praised, Midland County is feeling unintended impacts of the 2019 legislation. Reimbursement for post-acute services (services that support an individual's continued recovery) that do not have a Medicare code were reduced by 45%. Affected services include adult foster home care, attendant care in homes and transportation. Some businesses providing rehabilitation services are now alerting families that starting July 1, they will no longer provide certain services due to the 45% cut in reimbursement from insurance companies for services that arent covered by Medicare. Laura Alexander, CEO of Compassionate Care Home Health Services of Saginaw, described the challenges a Midland County man will now face after his care was discontinued. The man, who lives in a rural area, was injured in a severe car crash and now requires in-home care for eight hours a day, seven days a week. "His auto insurance carrier is now only willing to reimburse that care at $11.60 an hour, which as you can imagine, does not begin to cover the costs of putting a caregiver in the home," said Alexander. "We were working diligently with the insurance company, trying to come to some kind of understanding. "Eventually, this man has lost his services. He's one example of so many across the state," she continued, adding that the local resident is a man in his mid-50s. Impact spreads throughout Michigan In 2019, lawmakers responded to Michigans highest-in-the nation auto insurance premiums by passing legislation giving drivers the option to choose their level of personal injury protection, replacing the state requirement that drivers buy unlimited lifetime coverage. The law, which also made it optional to buy unlimited personal injury protection benefits starting in mid-2020, is a major reason why $400-per-vehicle refunds are being issued to all insured drivers because of a $3 billion surplus in a fund that reimburses insurers for medical claims above $600,000. Critics say people seriously injured in crashes are losing care and access because their caretakers cannot withstand the 45% insurance cut. More than 6,000 patients in the state will lose care if the fee schedule isnt changed, according to a survey of more than 110 post-acute care facilities commissioned by the Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council. The survey also said 90% of facilities expect a total of about 4,000 jobs lost. Tom Judd, president of the council, said Wentworth caved to the insurance industry without holding a hearing on the issue. What Speaker Wentworth is doing is akin to walking away from the scene of an accident with smoke smoldering and crash victims writhing in need of help, he said, vowing to redouble efforts to end what he called a crisis for providers and crash victims. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat up for reelection in November, urged lawmakers to make changes last year before the reimbursement reductions took effect. She also has touted the refunds. Whitmer and legislators set aside $25 million for post-acute providers that can show deficits caused by the changes, though that amount has been criticized as inadequate. One recently-introduced bipartisan bill is sponsored by 58, or more than half, of the 106 House members including more than a quarter of the Republican caucus. Unlike several other no-fault insurance states, Michigan does not have a fee schedule for care covered by auto insurers. They pay much more for the same services than is paid by employer plans or government insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid. Under the new fee schedule, services that Medicare covers will have a 200% reimbursement rate, while more specialized services such as home health care without a Medicare code will be reimbursed 55% of whatever they were charging for services at the start of 2019. Alexander spoke before the Midland County board of commissioners during the public comment period of the regular meeting on Tuesday, March 1 and Tuesday, March 15. Editor's Note: If you or someone you know has been impacted by this legislation and would like to be interviewed by The Daily News, please contact Reporter Tess DeGayner at tess.degayner@hearstnp.com. Kim Shiflett After more than 50 years, NASA is set to send humans to the moon as part of the Artemis program and people can watch the megarocket rollout live on Thursday. The first mission will include the rollouts of the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and Orion spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The rollout process will include the legendary crawler which weighs in at 6.6. million lbs. The four-mile stretch from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad carrying the SLS and Orion will take approximately 11 hours to the SPC launchpad, according to Space.com. Midland-based Three Rivers Corporation has earned a National Safety Excellence Pinnacle Award, Associated Builders and Contractors highest safety honor, and a National Excellence in Construction Pyramid Award for its work completed on Sanford Hardware. Both awards were presented during ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday, March 16. The 2021 National Safety Excellence Award winners were selected from ABC member firms that achieved Diamond, Platinum, and Gold status in ABCs STEP Safety Management System in 2021. During the selection process, contractors were judged on self-evaluation scores, lost workday case rates, total recordable incident rates, leading indicator use, process and program innovations, and video interviews conducted by members of ABCs National Health and Safety Committee. Three Rivers is tremendously honored to be recognized nationally for our continuous emphasis on safety, and for efforts that helped Sanford Hardware reestablish itself in the local community, said Jon Lynch, president of Three Rivers Corporation. Safety is the top priority for everything we do at Three Rivers, and to be awarded Associated Builders and Contractors highest safety honor speaks to the dedication of our entire team. Furthermore, the success of the Sanford Hardware rebuild would not have been possible without the resiliency and commitment to the community exhibited by the Sian family. This project is a direct result of their efforts along with all project partners, funders, and subcontractors who helped make the project a resounding success. The Excellence in Construction Awards is the construction industrys leading national competition that honors general and specialty contractors for world-class, safe and innovative construction projects from across the nation. The building that housed a general merchandise store and post office before becoming Sanford Hardware had been a staple in the Sanford community for well over 125 years. As a result of the flood and dam failure in May 2020, the original structure was destroyed. Knowing the importance of Sanford Hardware to the local community, Three Rivers and its partners rebuilt this landmark business from the ground up to ensure the store and community could continue to support one another well into the future. To complete the project at an accelerated pace, Three Rivers secured donated materials, services, and priority scheduling from subcontractors. Creating a work culture that focuses on safety and total human health is a top priority of ABC, said 2022 National Chair of the ABC Board of Directors Stephanie Schmidt, President, Poole Anderson Construction, State College, Pennsylvania. Three Rivers not only represents some of ABCs top performers but also demonstrates the difference it makes when implementing the foundations of and daily conditions for world-class safety. Schmidt also commented on Three Rivers EIC Award, stating, For over 30 years, ABC has been honored to award outstanding construction projects like Sanford Hardware by Three Rivers Corporation. Through hard work on this project, Three Rivers shows the value of teamwork, overcoming challenges, and creativity on the job site. The EIC award honors all construction team members, including the contractor, owner, architect, and engineer. The winning projects are judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges overcome, completion time, workmanship, innovation, and safety. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Courtesy photo/West Shore Community College Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo/West Shore Community College Show More Show Less 3 of 3 SCOTTVILLE West Shore Community Colleges 42nd Police Academy recently held seminars with the goal of filling the gaps of academy curriculum surrounding the typical interview process, benefits and soft skill expectations. During the seminars, conducted on March 11, female recruits were paired with recent graduates and veteran officers to discuss police culture, comradery, strength of a female officer, and physical and emotional fitness. A similar seminar and discussions were held with male recruits in a separate session. Both seminars reviewed a list of items that often come up with new officers when they start their careers, including a field training program and navigating professional opportunities. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIDDLETOWN As a Ukranian mother and her two preschool-aged children get used to life in Middletown after fleeing Russian attacks, members of the community are coming up with creative ways to provide support. Victoria Zakhidna, 27, escaped from Ukraine with her children, Daniel, 5, and Elizabeth, 4, and arrived in Middletown on March 8. She is staying with her sister Mariana Zakhidna, who said theyre adjusting really well so far. They are in the process of finding a local preschool program for the children to enroll in, and are in contact with family and friends who remain in Ukraine, including Victoria Zakhidnas husband, Andrii, who stayed to fight for their country. Victoria Zakhidna admitted that the time difference makes communication difficult. All of their family members are okay, but she is constantly worried. So far, everyone is safe, but there is so much uncertainty. When Victoria Zakhidna and her children left the city of Ternopil, they had very little supplies, and most of it was for the children. They were searched by Russian soldiers at the border between Ukraine and Poland, endured a 12-hour bus ride, and dealt with harsh conditions before finally arriving at JFK International Airport. Victoria Zakhidna said her sister was prepared for the worst-case scenario. She had expected to make do with very little after arriving in Connecticut. She had no idea what she was going to do, Mariana Zakhidna said. In short order, the Middletown community began reaching out to help. Local businesses, including Sugar Leaf, Cake, Batter & Roll and Perkatory Coffee Roasters, all set up donation boxes for customers to drop off supplies. For some items, such as clothing, theyve already received more than they need. Me personally, I didnt expect this much, Victoria Zakhidna said. She said that her sister was more surprised by the generous help than she, and even questioned if they were deserving of so much support. Shes overwhelmed, Mariana Zakhidna said. Were so grateful. Lindsey Chartrand owns Cake, Batter & Roll. Shortly after she learned about the familys resettlement, she set out to help. That very next day I thought, they need stuff now, and reached out, she said. She didnt stop at the donation boxes, however. Chartrand, who has a background in event planning, has organized a unique event to raise funds for the family. Ive had this idea on the back burner for a while, she said. The I Kissed a Goat and I Like it event will take place Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at 124 College St. For a $5 donation, participants can kiss, pet, feed or take a selfie with a goat donated by Ferndale Farm in Berlin. All proceeds will go to the family. Nonperishable food, toiletries and local gift cards are also being collected. Its a fun, spirit-lifting event when spirit-lifting is needed, said Chartrand, who has already heard a lot of excitement surrounding the event. People are fighting over who gets to kiss first. She is co-hosting the event with Kristin Souza, owner of Sugar Leaf, a gift boutique and wellness business across the street. Sugar Leaf is raffling off Ukranian-made products, with proceeds going to support the Zakhidnas. Tickets will be on sale on site. Chartrand said that, while she loves planning events, thats not why shes doing this. Sometimes, you might try to help, but you dont feel like youre really making a difference, she explained. This way, I know Im helping at least a couple people, and everyone that participates can feel that way. A GoFundMe drive has been set up for the family. Visit gofundme.com for details. For information on the event, navigate to facebook.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Ursel Shaffer / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Ursel Shaffer / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Ursel Shaffer / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5 MIDDLETOWN Ursels Web, at 140 Washington St., is hosting its 12th annual Easter show with an opening reception Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show includes old favorites, as well as many new items, according to a press release. There are hand-painted wooden bunnies and darling wooden Stupsi (cute-nose) rabbits, wooden eggs and boxes hand-painted by local artist Mary Geary, hand-painted eggs from Austria and Poland, German glass chickens, hand-painted glass from Austria, and egg-shaped wooden kaleidoscopes by local artist Ed Goodrich. A day after the state filed a motion to end federal oversight of the state Department of Children and Families, Gov. Ned Lamont heard about the departments progress in addressing some of the major issues they were facing several decades ago. Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes, who started out at DCF as a case worker in 1992, told Lamont of improvements theyve made in the past 30 years, including hiring more case workers, reducing those workers case loads, lowering foster care rates and increasing kinship placements. Lamont visited the agencys main office in Hartford Tuesday morning to thank the staff for all the changes theyve made, as well as the changes they plan for the future. People forget about all the lives youre saving, Lamont told DCF officials. We desperately need these kids ... We need everybody lifted up in order to keep this state growing. DCF is getting it right, he added. The Office of the Attorney General and others filed a joint motion Monday to end the federal oversight over DCF, which started after a federal civil rights class action lawsuit alleged structural failures in Connecticuts child welfare system that put children and families at risk of harm in December 1989. The filing came after the most recent status report from the federal court monitor confirmed that DCF has both met and consistently sustained the expectations from the court. The Court Monitor is confident that the DCF has the necessary infrastructure to continually improve performance," the report states. The agency is now offering more proactive, preventative and supportive services, said Jodi Hill-Lilly, the deputy commissioner, who started with the department in 1988. Whats really interesting is to hear families talk about wanting to be involved in the department, she said. Certainly we have our share of folks who are continuing to be angry because of our involvement, but theres some that knock at the door for us to be involved. Were not the same agency we were in the 80s, she added. The state agency has made a lot of strides to improve since the early 2000s. In 2004, social workers visited 33 percent of in-home family cases at least twice a month. Now that number is up to 90 percent. Additionally, the percentage of children experiencing repeated, substantiated maltreatement has been cut in half, from 9.3 percent in 2004 to 4.7 percent in 2021, according to the motion. Also, case workers arent as overwhelmed as they used to be. The 1,300 to 1,400 case workers in the agency each have, on average, about 12 to 15 cases, according to data from the agency. The state agency has aimed to keep families together as long as theyre safe. Since 2019, there has been a 19 percent reduction in foster care cases, according to Dorantes. This hasnt resulted in a spike in abuse, either, Dorantes told Lamont Tuesday. Repeat in-home maltreatment went from 9.4 percent in 2004 to 4.7 percent in March 2022, according to the states motion. You dont want to send kids home for the sake of sending them home, we want to make sure that theyre safe, she said. For children who do need to be removed from the home, DCF tries to put them with relatives or someone they know, which is known as a kinship placement. In January 2010, the kinship rate was at 21 percent. By January 2022, this was at 42.3 percent a 21.3 percent increase, according to the motion. The rate of children being placed in out-of-state congregate care has also plummeted. On March 31, 2011, the number was at 352. As of March 15, 2022, there are only six children in these out-of-state facilities. When children need clinical intervention, I think that needs to be close to their families and it needs to be in a way that works toward getting them back home, Dorantes said. In December 1989, the federal lawsuit said DCF failed to make reasonable efforts to keep families together, failed to adequately investigate child abuse and neglect complaints, and failed to provide adequate safety, oversight and health care services to the children in the care, custody or supervision of DCF and children who the departments knows were or would be neglected, abandoned or at serious risk for maltreatment. In January 1991, the state reached an agreement, or a consent decree, with the plaintiff and a judge adopted a 120-page plan to improve DCF operations. This included focusing on investigations and pre-placement services, foster care and out-of-home placement services, mental health and medical care, staffing and other factors. This was then overseen by a court monitor. DCF made strides to improve, but not enough at the time. The motion states the agency struggled to comply with case loads and staffing, among other factors, throughout various exit plans. The agency turned a corner in 2011 when Joette Katz was appointed as the DCF commissioner, according to the state. Kats immediately sought to overhaul DCFs organization structure by moving staff to regional offices and spearheaded fundamental policy changes that emphasized a family-centered approach, according to the motion. Dorantes, who was hired in 1992 as one of the early hires of the initial decree, was appointed as commissioner in 2019 and was immediately committed to continuing and expanding the progress of her predecessor, the motion states. Dorantes focused on meeting measures that had not been met. This resulted in sustained, reduced case loads, improved quality of in-home visits and additional time for household members and observation. Under Commissioner Dorantes leadership, improvements under the governing 2017 Revised Exit Plan accelerated and full, sustained complaince has now been reached, the motion says. Connecticuts Child Advocate Sarah Eagan said DCF has made enormous progress. Eagan has worked around the child welfare system for almost 20 years and has been the child advocate since 2013. Her agency monitors and evaluates public and private agencies that are supposed to protect children. In particular, she has noticed DCFs drastic reduction in relying on institutional care and a large increase in placing children with relatives. We dont put babies in group homes anymore. Things like that, its great progress, she said. And we dont ship all of our foster care children who have autism to out-of-state facilities. This doesnt mean everythings perfect, though, Eagan said. There remain unmet needs, she said. I dont think its a milestone that says why all our work is done ... Its a milestone that says a lot of things have been accomplished and theres no longer a need for forced oversight from the federal court. The state will have to rely on itself to sustain and continue to build on the progress that has been made, she added. Eagan hopes that policymakers, child welfare stakeholders and DCF itself can come together, make goals for the future and determine what state-based oversight will look like. The DCF of today benefits from three decades work of child welfare evolutions and positions Connecticut to lead best practice areas and improved outcomes in support of the children and families we serve, Dorantes said in a statement. We await further direction from the court as to the outcome of this motion. Families who think they may need help with child care, support or other resources should call 211 or visit 211CT.org. Families can also find behavioral health services and support by going to ConnectingToCareCT.org. To report instances of child abuse or neglect, call the DCF Careline at 800-842-2288. North Lauderdale The Broward Sheriffs Office is investigating the death of a man who was found in a lake in North Lauderdale on Wednesday evening. Authorities found the man dead in a lake in the 1100 block of Southwest 73rd Avenue shortly before 7 p.m., said Michael Sargis, North Lauderdale city manager. Advertisement Sargis said the man had been in the water for quite some time once officials found him. The Sheriffs Office Crime Scene Unit remained at the scene late Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether the circumstances surrounding the mans death were accidental, Sargis said. Advertisement This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox. A Connecticut mixed martial arts fighter died this week following his first bout at an event in Massachusetts, according to officials. A blog post from New England Mixed Martial Arts identified the fighter who died as Christian Lubenga. Lubenga trained out of Black Wolf MMA, a gym in Orange. Christian wasnt just any student. Christian was the kind of human who brought life and light into any room he walked into. Christian was our family, the gym said in a post on its Instagram account. We shared laughs, stories, blood, sweat, tears. Hes the kind of person I aspire to be like and I wish more people were like him. Polite, professional, humble, always kind to everyone no matter what. Lubenga made his his debut last Saturday against another first-time fighter, Cody McCracken, in the 155-pound, or lightweight, class at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass., MassLive and the AMMO Fight League, which hosted the event, reported. The fight was part of the Battle of St. Patricks event, and Lubenga died two days later on Monday, MassLive reported. West Springfield police said the Hampden County District Attorneys office is investigating the death. Lubenga was transported to the hospital after the fight because he said he wasnt feeling well, according to police. The medical examiner will be conducting an autopsy to determine his cause of death, the fight league said in an email. AMMO Fight League said that it uses certified and licensed referees to monitor and control the fighters actions while they are in the cage. The fight league said it was saddened to have such a young promising fighter pass away. For the short period of time that we dealt with Christian, he was such a delightful person to work with, very respectful and polite, AMMO Fight League said in a statement. Staff writer Liz Hardaway contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Despite a slight decrease at gas prices at the pump, costs remain near record highs. But there are some apps and tips that can help Connecticut residents reduce the amount of money spent on gas. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, gas prices sharply increased globally, causing a spike in the U.S. even though America imports only about 8 percent of its petroleum products from Russia. The state average price for a gallon of regular gas was $3.884 on Friday, down from $3.897 on Wednesday, according to AAA data. The average cost for a gallon of regular gas in Connecticut on March 9 surpassed the states previous high record at $4.39 on July 9, 2008. Nationally, a gallon of regular gas costs an average of $4.073, down slightly from $4.083 on Wednesday. There are a few ways to search for the cheapest gas options near you, and ways to save at the pump by keeping up with some basic driving skills and vehicular maintenance. GasBuddy Available online and through an app, GasBuddy offers up-to-date prices on gasoline in any given area of Connecticut with users inputting prices they are paying. Users can input specific cities or areas, along with ZIP codes, to get the most recent gas prices. According to GasBuddy, the cheapest gas reported as of Wednesday morning in these areas were: Bridgeport: $3.75 a gallon at the Citgo on North Avenue. New Haven: $3.88 a gallon at the Best Gas on Ella T. Grasso Boulevard Stamford: $3.79 a gallon at the Gulf and BP stations on Hope Street Danbury: $3.65 a gallon at the Sinclair on White Street Geico One of the nations top auto insurance companies also offers a way to search for the best gas prices in a given area. The website allows individuals to enter their address and search within a specific radius from five miles up to 25 miles. Many of the gas price entries are within the past several hours. Google Maps and Waze Google Maps, through its website and its app, offers up-to-date gas prices when people search gas station within a given area. Waze, the popular GPS app owned by Google, also offers a similar feature and includes gas prices input by users throughout the area. Tips to use less gas Mayko said drivers can take the following steps to reduce the need to fill up at the pump as frequently: Reduce speed: Gas mileage decreases rapidly while driving over 60 mph Check tires: Properly inflated tires improve gas mileage by more than 3 percent per tire General maintenance: Properly maintained cars help with overall fuel efficiency Car pooling: Avoiding making any unnecessary trips and carpooling when possible will help reduce personal costs of gas during this time. Anyone who suspects price gouging on gas prices during this market disruption should file a complaint with Connecticut Attorney General William Tongs office at www.dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint/ or by calling 860-808-5318 A Navy flight officer was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday after federal officials discovered he lied on his security clearance paperwork to hide his connections to China and the head of a Chinese defense contracting firm, as well as violations of gun laws. The case of Lt. Fan Yang, revealed in court documents and a Justice Department press release, started before Yang became an officer in 2013 and eventually grew to include his family business and wife as money flowed in from employment contracts he signed with Chinese partners. Yang lived in Jacksonville, Florida and was a crew member on one of the Navy's P-8 Poseidon aircraft. A naturalized citizen since 2006, Yang joined the Navy briefly from 2005 to 2007 but was discharged, according to court records. He re-joined the service as an Officer Candidate School applicant after getting a degree in electrical engineering. Read Next: What the Reported Deaths of 4 Russian Generals Mean About the Fighting in Ukraine Sometime in between all these events, Yang met a Chinese citizen named Songtao Ge, according to the Justice Department. Ge is described in court documents as "Chairman of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd" who, during his many trips to the U.S. between 2013 and 2018, "invested time and money in obtaining tactical weapons training by hiring U.S.-based firearms and tactical instructors with prior military experience." The relationship between Yang and Ge grew during those years and by 2016 Yang got the Chinese businessman to hire his wife, Yang Yang, to "handle business operations, conduct business negotiations, collaborate with other factories, declare products at customs, and conduct other similar business" for the company in exchange for an initial salary of $3,000 per month. "The money was used to pay Yang Yang's salary, Shanghai Breeze's expenses in the United States, and for goods that [Ge] ordered the Yangs to purchase," the press release explained. The funds were "frequently routed through the Yangs' family business," it added. The Navy officer started to run into trouble in 2017 and again in 2018 when he purchased two 9mm handguns and filled out paperwork declaring they were for his use. Yet Ge "reimbursed the Yangs for both purchases and had [one] pistol engraved with his initials -- 'G.S.T.' -- and the phrase 'Never Out of the Fight.'" This led to two of the charges against Yang: lying on firearms forms and conspiring to violate firearms laws that prohibit ownership by foreigners. Yang ran afoul of the law again on his security clearance paperwork. According to court documents, he had had a top secret security clearance since 2012. However, in renewing that clearance in 2019, he omitted his relationship with Ge, various financial entanglements with China, and his wife's job with Ge's company. The couple's relationship with Ge was deep enough that the man had been to their home and paid for the two to visit him in Nebraska. Court documents show that Yang's shipmates told investigators that he asked his Navy chain of command for time off in July 2018, telling them the family was going to "Disney." In reality, the pair secretly traveled to Nebraska and met with Ge. "Lt. Yang brought discredit to the Navy and threatened military operational readiness when he decided to make straw purchases of firearms for a foreign national and lie about that relationship during his security clearance background investigation," Special Agent in Charge Michelle Kramer of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said in the press release. "Lt. Fan Yang swore an oath to protect this country, but instead he posed a significant risk to U.S. national security," Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks of the FBI's Jacksonville Field Office said in the press release. Although Yang's case is reminiscent of Jonathan Toebbe, a Navy nuclear engineer who recently plead guilty to sneaking classified documents to federal agents posing as foreign spies, federal officials did not allege that Yang used his clearance to transfer information or intelligence to Ge or any other Chinese nationals. The Navy, when asked about this case, was not able to immediately offer a comment on Yang's current status with the service. For his part, Yang was sentenced to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His wife pleaded guilty in December 2020 and ended up serving 14 months of prison time for her role in the charges. Ge pled guilty in November 2020 to lying on export documents and trying to fraudulently "export special forces maritime raiding craft and engines to China," according to the press release. He was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison in July 2021. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Navy Officer Guilty of Hiding Ties to Chinese Businessman When Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, posted a graphic photo on Telegram this week showing the dead body of a Russian military officer, he claimed "the shoulder straps of a major general" were found nearby. The body is believed to be that of Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev, an officer who reportedly commanded the 150th Motor Rifle Division and had fought in Syria, and died as Russian forces stormed the Ukrainian coastal city of Mariupol. "This is a serious blow to the morale of Russian commanders. And the huge success of the Heroes of Mariupol," Gerashchenko wrote. Read Next: These 87 Names Could Replace Those with Confederate Ties for Army Bases Like Fort Bragg Mityaev's alleged death would make him the fourth Russian general reported killed in action in the first three weeks of the war, showcasing the intense resistance and heavy casualties President Vladimir Putin's forces have faced since invading Ukraine. In addition to Mityaev's death, news that Maj. Gens. Vitaly Gerasimov, Andrei Kolesnikov and Andrei Sukhovetsky had all been killed in action was widely circulated by Ukrainian officials and some Russian media. But the alleged deaths have not been announced by Moscow officials or verified by the U.S. Department of Defense. "I can't confirm the reports about generals being killed in action," one senior U.S. defense official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, told Military.com during a briefing with reporters. "We just can't independently corroborate those." Russian military experts said reports of four generals being killed in Ukraine are a testament to how well the Ukrainians are fighting and showcase some of the blatant errors Putin's forces are making. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the CSIS International Security Program and a retired Marine Corps colonel, said Russian generals have a tradition of leading troops into battle going back to the roots of the Soviet Union and the Red Army. But the vulnerability of an invading force makes these officers more susceptible to fire in the open, he added. "Every military recognizes that they'll take casualties, so everybody is replaceable from generals on down the privates," Cancian told Military.com. "The Russian generals are probably leading from the front. They're clearly getting out there, and there's an element of vulnerability to that." A Russian major general essentially equates to a brigadier general in the U.S. military. The American military tends to keep high-ranking officers behind the front lines, leaving a lot of the leadership in combat situations to junior officers and senior enlisted members who then communicate up the chain of command. Due in part to this structure, it's rare for the U.S. military to lose generals in combat zones. The most recent example was Army Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, who was gunned down by a disgruntled Afghan soldier in 2014. Greene was the highest-ranking officer to be killed during America's wars in the Middle East and marked the highest-ranking fatality since the Vietnam War in 1972. Jeffrey Edmonds, the former director for Russia on the National Security Council in the Obama administration and now a senior policy analyst at the CNA think tank in Washington, D.C., told Military.com that political pressure from Moscow is likely pushing many of Putin's military officers to the front lines. "I think in this particular case, generals are much closer to the line because they're trying to force this move, probably because of political drivers behind it to just get in the city," Edmonds said. "They clearly still think that they can take Kyiv and then the rest of this thing will still fall." Compounding the problem, the Russian military is currently short of personnel in the lower-level officer ranks, meaning a lot of the responsibility for movement is on generals in the field. Col. John Barranco, a U.S. Marine Corps fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said targeting Russian generals may prove to be an effective strategy for the Ukrainians. "I do think it hurts Russian morale, and I think it helps Ukrainian morale," Barranco told Military.com. "I think it has an impact tactically. These guys are up front for a reason." Notably, Ukrainian special forces have been targeting Russian officers and military leaders with remote piloted drones and special weapons such as high-powered sniper rifles provided by NATO allies. Even as officers in the field face heavy fire, there are reports that those back in Moscow have their own problems. Last week, Ukraine Defence Secretary Oleksiy Danilov claimed Putin had fired as many as eight generals over his country's military losses during the invasion. While the Ukrainian and Russian governments have offered up conflicting casualty numbers, U.S. intelligence officials told The New York Times that at least 7,000 Russian troops have been killed, with another 14,000 to 21,000 injured in less than a month, significant numbers given the 150,000 troops believed to be in Ukraine. By comparison, the U.S. lost around 7,000 service members over the course of two decades in Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Much of the Russian public doesn't know the extent of the casualties due to intense censorship and control of the media by Putin's regime. But reports of Russian soldiers surrendering or fleeing have been widely circulated by Ukraine and online. As reports of casualties and officer deaths increase, some military experts believe Russian soldiers who are seeing the horrors firsthand are at a breaking point. "The Russian citizens that know absolutely the most about this war are the soldiers that are getting shot at as we speak," Edmonds said. "The poor preparation, the lack of justification, the heavy casualties, the difficulty with it, all of it has contributed to this pretty low morale, from what we can tell." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: Putin Says Russia Must Undergo a 'Self-Cleansing of Society' to Purge 'Bastards and Traitors' The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. We took a knee on a ridge above a village watching the gun trucks advance below. The platoon radio operator called in air support. As I knelt next to my squad leader and another team leader, I began to think about college. So, college is free if you have a CAR? I asked, glancing over my shoulder to look at the Marines in my fire team, who were spread out in their security positions as rounds cracked around us. Someone confirmed this is indeed a benefit of the Combat Action Ribbon. And to get a CAR, you have to shoot back? This was also confirmed. I took a seated firing position and wrapped my rifle sling around my arm just like I had been taught at Parris Island. After putting the rifle to my shoulder, I took a breath, aligned the sights, flipped the rifle off safe, and applied a slow, steady squeeze to the trigger as I exhaled. After the round propelled across the scene in front of us and I flipped the safety back on, I took a knee. Steve Wahles 21st birthday at a range outside Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2004. Photo courtesy of the author. Im going to college, I said. I was barely 21 the first time someone shot at me, and it did not feel like what I thought war would feel like. It amazed me that the war still raged by the time I got to Afghanistan in 2004. Saddam Hussein had been captured a few months before my first ambush. What were we doing in Afghanistan? We were supposed to be in the Mediterranean checking off a list of liberty ports. The war had other plans. Our Marine Expeditionary Unit had been diverted to Kandahar, and we were going to hunt down Osama Bin Laden because that is why the United States had gone to Afghanistan. When my mom called me on Sept. 11, I had been hungover and still in bed. They blew up the World Trade Center! she said. Not understanding what was happening, I told her she was mistaken, and then I turned on the TV. I watched the second plane hit and knew it was a significant event. I figured we were going to war. Because I was between basic training and infantry school, I was back home and had plans to meet with my recruiter that day. As I walked out the door, in my uniform, the recruiter called. Dont wear a uniform and dont tell anyone youre a Marine! What the f***? I had just finished basic training and had earned the privilege of strutting around in a uniform conveying my superiority. We were Marines and we were going to war. Why would I lay low at a time like this? I was an idiot and he was a sergeant, so I changed and sped to the recruiting office. Steve Wahle just before he shaved his head before heading out on his teams first patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2004. Photo courtesy of the author. I had some ideas about what I would find when I pulled up to the office: There would be a helicopter in the parking lot and Marines would hand us M16s as we boarded. We would go somewhere distant and do harm to those who had just harmed us. That was not what happened. The recruiters told all of us newly minted Marines to calm down. The plan was still for us to report to the School of Infantry in North Carolina. I knew the war would be over before we finished our training and were assigned to infantry units. I did not drop out of high school purely because my recruiter told me I had to graduate to serve in the Marines. I had enlisted as soon as my junior year ended as part of the Delayed Entry Program. I would go to Parris Island after I graduated in 2001. As I worked through the enlistment papers, I wanted to decline the GI Bill. A salty corporal with a stern face and a knife hand pulled me aside and told me to enroll. He convinced me that I would not miss the $100 a month, and, even if I did stay in until retirement, it was a good investment. I signed up. If I could find that corporal, I would thank him profusely for his insight. It had taken three years, but I had finally made it to war. But while I did get a combat action ribbon in Afghanistan, it did not get me a free education. I bumbled through college on the old version of the GI Bill and acquired some student loans because I refused to ask for help to figure out how to stretch it. I knocked out an associates degree and then a bachelors degree just in time to graduate into a recession. After working in various hospitality jobs, I stumbled into a job working alongside other veterans and eventually decided to be a social worker at Veterans Affairs. U.S. Marines with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6 sight in on makeshift targets outside Patrol Base 7171, Helmand province, Afghanistan April 5, 2012. (Ismael E. Ortega/U.S. Marine Corps) VA paid for graduate school and hired me before I graduated. Working with veterans led me to consider bigger questions about social structures and what it means to be a veteran in the United States. After five years at VA and completing the requirements for a clinical license, I decided the next sensible thing to do was go get a doctorate. Over the past two years, I have immersed myself into chaotic reading and deep thought about veterans. By extension, I have also thought about war. War always lurked in the background and was somehow tied to being a veteran. It was not until President Joe Bidens announcement that the war in Afghanistan would end that I considered what it meant to be a veteran after war. While I was familiar with the history of the Bonus March and the development of GI Bill, I had not considered global war on terrorism veterans to be beyond war. It was always present. The war was not over; it was just over for them. A woman and children wait for transportation to the terminal at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Aug. 20, 2021. (Mark Andries/U.S. Marine Corps) The announcement came as I worked on a dissertation proposal. I planned to ask veterans to let me interview them. I wanted to know what it was to be a veteran, and I wanted to untangle the complexities of being veterans and all the other facets of their selves. Then I realized I had feelings about the war ending. I assumed those I intended to interview would also have feelings that color what it meant for them to be veterans. I was visiting a buddy from the Marine Corps when the news came that the Taliban now controlled Kabul. We had been in Afghanistan together, and we had both met our wives after our enlistments ended. War was a distant part of our lives and we just moved on with the day. What did it mean to me that the war was ending in chaos? In the meantime, my next audiobook became available at the library. Phil Klays Missionaries became my commute listening for a week, and it felt pertinent. It is a fantastic story and gave me some perspective. It did not resolve any of the complex feelings I had, but it did assure me that I was not the only one grappling with the implications of war. A Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) calms down an infant at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan. (Davis Harris/U.S. Marine Corps) After a day working on a VA research project and watching Twitter alerts, I walked to the local brewery. The last U.S. plane had just left Afghanistan. I took with me an old sociology book with chapters about German and U.S. soldiers during World War II. The sociologists wanted to understand how group membership and identity influenced how each side fought the warin particular, how the German army kept it up for so long. I planned to read and have a pint to symbolically close the war. But rather than reading, I took a picture of the beer and sent it to some veteran friends. The war is over, I wrote. Cheers. I did not know what I was trying to tell them, but it felt sardonic. Unsure of where to go or what to do, I ordered another pint. As I waited, the bartender talked with a customer about the war ending tomorrow. Its over, I said, as I paid for my new pint. Whats over? the bartender asked, confused. I was confused too. It was an odd thing to tell a stranger. The war, I said. It is tomorrow in Afghanistan. There was no cheer, no mutual recognition of the historical significance, no further conversation. I sat down with my beer and went back to my phone. Editors Note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. What is martial law? While there is no universal definition, the term often refers to the use of the military for law enforcement. But contrary to popular belief, simply calling up federal or state military members to assist during times of natural emergency or civil unrest is not necessarily the same thing as implementing martial law. Looking at the history of laws surrounding the use of the military in law enforcement can also give some clues as to what American scholars and officials consider martial law today. What Is Martial Law? While not specifically defined in the U.S. Constitution, many legal experts consider martial law to be the use of military personnel to dramatically assist or completely replace a nation's normal legal system in times of emergency. Whether any given use of the military rises to the level of martial law is tied to exactly how much military support or action is used. Under total martial law, the normal American law enforcement and legal system is replaced by a stricter set of laws and punishments that is completely controlled by the military or executive branch of the government. The normal checks and balances system built into the Constitution is suspended. Though debated in some legal discussions, martial law can also occur in stages, without ever getting to total takeover by the military. Under current U.S. law, the president, Congress or a local military commander may impose degrees of martial law under specific situations. Related: 6 Times Martial Law Was Declared and the Constitution Suspended in the United States Who Can Declare Martial Law? Martial law can be declared by the U.S. president, the governor of a state or, in limited emergencies, by a local military commander. How and when it is declared is governed by a series of laws. Examples of Martial Law in the U.S. The first time martial law was declared in the U.S. was in New Orleans by General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, though the decision was unpopular with both the public and the other branches of government. Jackson was fined $1,000 by a judge for having a reporter who wrote an article critical of the measure arrested, though he later used his influence after leaving the presidency to convince Congress to pass a special law to get him his money back. All told, martial law has been declared in the U.S. about 68 times, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute. Most of those 68 cases of federal troops being deployed within the U.S. borders involved labor unrest (29 times), and those 68 invocations of martial law have resulted in about 33 separate legal challenges to the declaration. Martial law was last officially declared in the U.S. in 1963. Related: 6 Times the Military was Used for Riot Control in the US Martial law has twice been implemented nationally by a president during wartime, first by Abraham Lincoln in border states between the North and South during the Civil War, and then again by local military officials in Hawaii during World War II. This was later approved and expanded by Franklin Roosevelt's executive order to include the incarceration of Japanese-Americans on the West Coast. Both martial law declarations were challenged in court, and both times, the courts ended up ruling that at least a portion of those implementations were unconstitutional or too broadly applied. In fact, nearly every time active-duty troops have been mobilized for law enforcement within the U.S., there has been backlash throughout the nation, with debates for and against it lasting years. In several examples of martial law -- such as when President George W. Bush placed foreign detainees in a prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, outside of U.S. court jurisdiction and was later overruled by the Supreme Court, or a loophole in current law that gave President Donald Trump control of all D.C. National Guard troops deployed to the district during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol -- Congress and the courts have usually reacted swiftly and strongly to any domestic military deployments. Since martial law sidesteps the constitutional division of powers and grants additional, emergency powers to the executive branch, such events do not usually sit well with the other branches of government. Two laws enacted as the result of previous actions include the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act. Both are now widely used in emergency situations, even though their constitutionality is still often called into question more than 100 years after they were enacted. The Insurrection Act spells out the only times that federal forces may be used in a domestic role while the Posse Comitatus Act limits their use in those circumstances. Examples of Non-Martial Law Troop Use in the U.S. Federal troops can be used to enforce law and order without an official declaration of martial law. In the U.S., they have been utilized at least 14 times under the Insurrection Act before the 1990s and 23 times since 1992 under the Posse Comitatus Act, according to the Congressional Research Service. In 1932, President Herbert Hoover famously directed the military to clear protesting veterans and their families from an encampment near the U.S. Capitol, where they were protesting delays in payments of their war bonus. Douglas MacArthur and George Patton were both involved in the operation, which involved tanks and soldiers with fixed bayonets clearing a camp full of veterans and their families. It did not sit well in the court of public opinion. Here are some other examples of recent federal troop domestic deployments by decade: 1950s -- President Dwight D. Eisenhower used federal troops to enforce school integration in Arkansas; 1960s -- President Lyndon Johnson used them to quell riots after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination; 1970s -- President Richard Nixon used them to stop anti-war protests, including those at Kent State University in Ohio; 1980s -- President George H.W. Bush used troops to end looting after Hurricane Hugo; 1990s -- President Bill Clinton used them to aid a siege of a religious sect headquarters in Waco, Texas; 2000s -- President George W. Bush used troops to prevent looting following Hurricane Katrina; 2010s -- President Barack Obama used them during the occupation of a National Wildlife Refuge by political extremists; 2020 -- President Donald Trump used them during racial unrest. What Is the Insurrection Act? The Insurrection Act of 1807 gave the president the ability to deploy active duty and National Guard troops within the U.S. when necessary. Troop activation is authorized: When requested by a state's legislature. If the legislature can't be rapidly convened, the governor can also request federal assistance during an insurrection within that state. If an insurrection occurs in a state, and that state cannot or will not provide for the protection of its citizens, federal forces may be deployed to maintain order. If there is an insurrection in any state making it impracticable to enforce the law in any other state, those states may request federal assistance. If a state fails to provide federally guaranteed rights, federal assistance may be allowed to protect the citizens. The president must first issue a proclamation ordering insurgents to disperse before he may invoke the Insurrection Act. What Is the Posse Comitatus Act? The Posse Comitatus Act, first enacted in 1878, basically prohibits federal forces from assisting in domestic law enforcement unless the president has directed operations under the Insurrection Act or related laws. It is the legal precedent in use during most military involvements in civilian activities today. It was originally enacted as both a reaction to Lincoln's invocation of martial law during the Civil War to use military courts to try civilians, and to protect freed slaves from mistreatment in the newly liberated post-secession states. The act allows military personnel to only assist civilian police in enforcing existing laws, while granting authority for the federal government to ensure federal rights are unilaterally provided and enforced nationwide. Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Military Draft Mobilizing the National Guard for Martial Law Most state constitutions allow for the state's government to mobilize their National Guard troops in a law enforcement activity within their state. States often also have agreements with each other that allow troop deployments to neighboring states during emergencies. When serving in either a state or Title 32 status, typically reserved for activations around natural disasters, Guard members may enforce their state's laws. However, if Guard members are called into federal service, they become part of the federal armed forces and, as a result, are limited in their duties by the Posse Comitatus Act. What Can the Military Do During Martial Law? Normally, active-duty troops may only perform domestic duties related to national defense. That includes such things like counterterrorism, drug interdiction or dealing with weapons of mass destruction. If a situation exists that requires the military to serve in a law enforcement role, it must be authorized in writing by the president or, in an emergency, by the local military commander. Federal troops acting under the Posse Comitatus Act are limited to only performing the duties of a deputized posse to assist civilian police in enforcing existing laws. In fact, the military is severely limited in exactly what duties it may perform when assisting civilian police, rules spelled out in DoD Instruction 3025.21. Army Doctrine ADP 3-28 also details defense support of civilian authorities. Federal military forces assisting in civilian law enforcement must remain under federal military command and control at all times. Local military commanders also have the authority to temporarily deploy federal troops to keep the order during large-scale unexpected civil disturbances that threaten order or may cause significant loss of life or destruction of property. Limitations on Martial Law Law enforcement support during martial law falls into two broad categories: direct and indirect. Direct support involves enforcing the law and engaging in physical contact with offenders. Indirect support consists of aid to civilian law enforcement agencies, but not enforcement of the law or direct contact with offenders. Indirect support includes logistics, transportation and training assistance, except in life-threatening emergencies. Direct support includes performing search operations or criminal investigations, making arrests, pursuit and even traffic control. Military members in a Title 10 federal activation status may not be involved in direct civilian law enforcement activities unless expressly authorized by the president, U.S. constitution or act of Congress. There are very specific rules for use of force by military personnel. Laws even exist preventing DoD from using unmanned aircraft systems (drones) to assist civil authorities without specific approval from the secretary of defense and preventing troops from conducting any operations at a polling place unless it is necessary to "repel armed enemies of the United States." Martial Law in the U.S. Today While the executive branch of the government may often rely on the military to assist civilian law enforcement, Congress and the judicial branch tend to frown upon these actions and, depending on the situation, move to prevent that from happening. For example: see Rasul v. Bush. In a 1946 case related to the implementation of martial law in Hawaii, the Supreme Court said in their ruling: "Our system of government is the antithesis of total military rule, and its founders are not likely to have contemplated complete military dominance within the limits of a territory made a part of this country." The debate and tension over when it's appropriate will to use federal or National Guard troops for martial law is unlikely to end. Want to Know More About the Military? Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. Norfolk, VA (23510) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Locally heavy thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Timothy Starks, a 20-year-old rapper known as Baby Cino, walked out of a Miami-Dade jail on Wednesday afternoon after posting bond on a gun charge. Minutes later, as the red Nissan he was riding in turned onto the Palmetto Expressway, he was suddenly ambushed by a gunman in another car in a wild daylight shooting in the middle of traffic. Starks died in the the hail of gunfire, shot in the head. He was still wearing the wristband given to inmates at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Advertisement Miami-Dade police on Thursday publicly identified Starks and a friend who picked him up from jail, Dante Collins Banks, 20, who also was wounded in the attack. Detectives have not identified a suspect, but did say a dark-colored vehicle was seen fleeing the area at a high rate of speed. For the full story, go to miamiherald.com. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. March 19: The latest breakdown from Feinsand marks the deal as a $4.5MM base with a $1.5MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option for the 2023 season. There are also $500K in incentives tied to the 2022 season. March 17: The Cubs have reached an agreement with free-agent infielder Jonathan Villar, reports Robert Murray of Fansided. The ACES clients contract is pending the completion of a physical. Villars deal with the Cubs is worth $6MM, tweets MLB Networks Jon Heyman. The one-year deal also includes a mutual option for the 2023 season and performance incentives that can boost that $6MM base, tweets MLB.coms Mark Feinsand. Villar, 30, spent the 2021 season with the Mets, where he put together a solid .249/.322/.416 showing with 18 home runs, 18 doubles, a pair of triples and a 14-for-21 showing in the stolen-base department. That marked the second straight season of solid production at the dish for the switch-hitting Villar, who also slashed .274/.339/.453 with 24 long balls and 40 stolen bases as a member of the Orioles. Unfortunately for Villar, that pair of above-average seasons at the plate bookended a disastrous 2020 showing that has hampered his earning power in free agency to some extent. Splitting the 2020 campaign between Miami and Toronto, Villar posted a combined .232/.301/.292 line through 207 trips to the plate. Small sample or not, that marked the least-productive year of what is now a nine-year career as a big leaguer and it came on the cusp of Villars first venture into free-agent waters. The Cubs infield picture is largely up in the air at the moment, so its not yet clear just where Villar will slot in. Hes capable of playing second base, third base and shortstop, though hes better suited for the former two positions than the latter. The Cubs are hopeful that former No. 4 overall pick Nick Madrigal, acquired from the White Sox for Craig Kimbrel at last years trade deadline, will be able to step up as their everyday second baseman. Madrigal, however, is recovering from surgery to repair a full tear of his hamstring last year, so its not a given that hell hit the ground running. At third base, the Cubs currently look like theyll rely primarily on journeyman Patrick Wisdom. Although Wisdom came out of nowhere to smash 28 home runs last season and post a .231/.305/.518 (115 wRC+) batting line as a rookie, he did so while striking out in a staggering 40.8% of his plate appearances. He cant be counted upon to repeat last years surprising power display if hes going to continue striking out at a near-41% pace, and Villar will give Chicago some cover at the hot corner if Wisdom takes a step back. Looking to shortstop, the Cubs will hand things over to veteran Andrelton Simmons. The longtime Braves and Angels defensive standout struggled through an awful year at the plate in his lone season with the Twins last year (.223/.283./274) but remains one of the sports best gloves. Hell probably log the lions share of innings at shortstop as he searches for a rebound to prior levels of offense. Villar can back up any of the three positions, and the Cubs still have former first-round pick Nico Hoerner as an option to fill in around the infield as well. Hoerner, much like Madrigal has virtually no power but possesses excellent bat-to-ball skills and a sharp eye at the plate (14.7% strikeout rate, 10% walk rate in 2021). Each of Madrigal, Simmons, Wisdom and Hoerner hits right-handed, so Villars switch-hitting bat gives manager David Ross some more flexibility and additional matchup options. The Cubs continue to stockpile pitching depth, signing right-handers Robert Gsellman and Adrian Sampson. ESPNs Jesse Rogers reported the Gsellman signing, while Bryan Smith of Cubs Prospects reported Sampsons return to the organization. Both are minor league deals, as per Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune and MLB.coms Jordan Bastian. (All links to Twitter.) Gsellman has spent his entire pro career in the Mets organization, but New York chose to non-tender the righty back in November. Due to a variety of injuries over the last two seasons, Gsellman has only tossed 42 2/3 MLB innings since Opening Day 2020. Gsellman showed some flashes of brilliance over his four previous seasons working as a starter, swingman, and a full-time reliever with the Mets, pitching to a 4.44 ERA over 308 frames from 2016-19. This versatility made Gsellman a useful arm to have on a pitching staff, though after two injury-marred years, it seems as though the Mets were simply ready to move onto other options. Sampson is another swingman type who started five of his 10 appearances with the Cubs last season, with a nice 2.80 ERA over 35 1/3 innings (even if advanced metrics werent impressed by Sampsons low-strikeout arsenal). 2021 was the fourth MLB season for Sampson, who debuted with the Mariners in 2016 and also pitched with the Rangers in 2018-19. The right-hander spent much of 2017 recovering from flexor tendon surgery and then went abroad in 2020 to pitch for the KBO Leagues Lotte Giants. Since the lockout ended, the Cubs have hit the ground running on pitching additions, bringing the likes of David Robertson, Daniel Norris, Chris Martin, Jesse Chavez (on a minor league deal) and Steven Brault onto the roster. Gsellman and Sampson bring even more depth to the mix, and given their similar skillsets, the two righties could essentially be competing for one swingman-type role. It could be that both pitchers end up seeing work with Chicago, given how the Cubs and other teams are adding depth as a guard against any arm injuries caused by this shortened Spring Training. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner spoke to various members of the media today and gave some updates regarding the team. Perhaps most notably, he said that the club plans to engage Aaron Judge and his representatives to talk about a contract extension soon. (Links from Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com and Erik Boland of Newsday.) He says that he instructed general manager Brian Cashman to focus on immediate needs first due to the lockout creating a time crunch for roster building, but that the talks would begin before Opening Day on April 7th. The slugging right fielder is entering his final year of team control. Since the 2021 season ended, Judge has frequently said that he is open to an extension that would keep him in the Bronx beyond this year. However, the star outfielder indicated yesterday hes not interested in carrying on negotiations beyond Opening Day. If were able to talk and get something done in spring training before the season starts, that would be ideal, especially since this is an important year, Judge told reporters (including Andy Martino of SNY). Weve got a lot of things to focus on during the course of the year, winning a division and winning a championship here in New York. I dont want contract talks or extensions and all that talk to be a distraction throughout the year. So, if were able to agree to something here in the spring before we head up to New York, thats wonderful and it would be an honor. If not, well talk after the season. Needless to say, an extension for Judge wont be cheap. In 572 games to this point in his career, hes hit 158 home runs and has a slash line of .276/.386/.544, producing a wRC+ of 151 and 24.3 fWAR. The three-time All-Star is coming off one of the best showings of his career. Judge tallied 633 plate appearances last season and hit .287/.373/.544 with 39 home runs. As he has throughout his time in the big leagues, he posted top-of-the-scale exit velocities and rated as a capable defender in right field. Judge certainly wont feel any financial pressure to take a below-market deal. Not only is he six months from free agency, he has already banked upwards of $13MM in arbitration earnings. More importantly, hes in line to more than double that this upcoming season. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Judge for a hefty $17.1MM salary during his final trip through the arbitration process. Hes slated to hit the market next winter in advance of his age-31 campaign, where he could be one of the top players available if he doesnt sign an extension in the coming weeks. Russia has ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe after over a quarter of a century of membership in the pan-European rights body. Moscow announced on Tuesday that it was quitting the council, ahead of the formal decision taken Wednesday by the body's committee of ministers to expel Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. In a highly symbolic moment, the flag of Russia was lowered and removed from its staff outside the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Wednesday afternoon. The flags of the 46 remaining member states were kept flying. The committee of ministers, the body's main decision-making organ, decided "the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership". The Russian foreign ministry said it had "no regret" about leaving and claimed that EU and NATO member states had turned the organisation into an "instrument for anti-Russian policies". 'Deprived of human rights protection' The so-called "Ruxit" from the Council of Europe means that Russia will no longer be a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, and its citizens will no longer be able to file applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The leaders of the Council of Europe, including Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric, said in a statement that Russian authorities were depriving "the Russian people of the benefit of the most advanced human rights protection system in the world". Nicolas Hervieu, a professor in EU law, described Russia's withdrawal from the ECHR as "a major event". Human rights complaints against Russia made up "close to a quarter of the total number of cases brought before the Strasbourg-based court", he said in a tweet. Russia joined the Council of Europe on February 28, 1996. It is only the second time in the history of the council that a member state has announced its exit, after Greece walked out temporarily in the late 1960s. Russia was suspended from all its rights of representation on 25 February, the day after tens of thousands of Russian troops entered Ukraine. Only Russia and Armenia voted in favour, while the representatives of Serbia and Azerbaijan did not attend. Not using the death penalty is a precondition of COE membership, and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy national security council chief, had evoked bringing back capital punishment if Russia left the body. (with AFP) In a bid to promote high-quality oil palm production in the country, Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana, a Non-governmental Organization, in partnership with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), will train palm oil producers in the first quarter of 2022. The effort, expected to enhance market access for workers in the palm oil value chain in producing districts, would also ensure that finished products meet both local and international market standards. Under the partnership, Artisanal Palm Oil Millers, and FDA, would train many artisanal mill owners and over 3,000 machinery fabricators and processors, to promote high-quality food safety standards among artisanal palm oil producers. Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) officers would be strengthened, monitor and enforce standards in the preparation and sale of palm oil. A release issued by Mr.Paul-Kwabena-Amaning, President of Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana and copied to Kingdom FM on Wednesday said the FDA was statutorily mandated to work with the Association to monitor and enforce standards for the preparation and sale of food products in the country. Artisanal Palm Oil Millers, on the other hand, through its Sustainable West Africa Palm Oil Programme, had been working to transform the oil palm sector in the country by promoting best management and milling practices. Therefore Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana s deployment of field officers in palm oil-producing districts would make up for the FDAs lack of offices at the district level that had hitherto, made it difficult for the authority to reach palm oil processors in the districts. The release explained that under the partnership, a training programme, on food safety and good manufacturing practices in the palm oil production process would be held for workers in the value chain. It would cover topics such as hygienic sterilization and digestion of the palm fruits, identifying food safety hazards during processing, the use of potable water for palm oil processing, waste handling, test management techniques, cleaning and siting of milling equipment, and personal hygiene of workers at the mills, among others. The effort would build on one day training program that Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana and the FDA recently organized at Ministry of Trade Conference room on Thursday 17th March,2022 in the Greater Accra Region. The first training for members on packaging of palm oil products was done at Twifo Hemang in September last year. Same is expected to be replicated in all palm oil production communities with technical support from FDA. The release quoted President of Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana, Mr.Paul-Kwabena-Amaning, saying that a substantial part of Ghanas palm oil imports could be sourced locally from artisanal palm oil producers if they met the quality requirements of both industrial users and palm oil exporters. The Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana is now soliciting for financial support from companies that will enhance the oil palm industry, food safety and export to support this packaging training program to improve the oil palm industry. The requirements, he said, included palm oil with low free fatty acid below five per cent, low rancidity (having the right taste, smell and colour), and had no physical, biological or chemical contaminants. Our expectation is that our two organizations would pull resources together to support artisanal palm oil producers to meet these requirements, he said. He further stressed that, is also quoted as saying that his organisation was pleased with the partnership, and expressed the hope that the collaboration would equip artisanal oil palm producers to process safe and quality products. He added that food hygiene and safety should be a core element of all food preparation processes, including palm oil, hence the need for processors to obtain and regularly update their knowledge in food safety and good manufacturing practices. The programme seeks to contribute to the transformation of the oil palm sector in Ghana, increase incomes of smallholder farmers and processors, and generate economic growth and jobs thus to build sustainable production for oil palm and other commodities. The Accra Psychiatric Hospital is to be redeveloped into a new modern 220- bed Psychiatric Hospital under the Agenda 111 hospitals project. Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, the Minister of Health, who stated this in a Facebook post, dismissed reports suggesting that the Hospital had been sold to a private developer. The Minister explained that the redevelopment of the Hospital would be done under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract. The story making rounds that the Accra Psychiatric Hospital has been sold is not TRUE. It hasn't been sold. It is to be redeveloped under Agenda 111 into a new modern 220 bed Psychiatric Hospital under an EPC Contract, Mr Manu said. Tenders have been received and are being evaluated currently. Afterwards, it will go for VFM, Cabinet and loan will go for Parliamentary approval, he added. The Minister said staff of the Hospital might be relocated to the Pantang Hospital to pave way for the redevelopment. He said the authorities would ensure that until all processes were completed and the contractor was ready to commence work, the staff would not be relocated. In August 2021, the Government secured a US$100-million start-up fund through the Ghana Investment Infrastructure Fund (GIIF) for the commencement of work on selected hospital projects under the Agenda 111 programme. Under the programme, government intends to construct 101 hospitals in districts where there are no hospitals as part of measures to achieve universal health coverage and enhance access to quality healthcare. The Government also intends to construct 6 Regional Hospitals in newly created regions, as well as one Regional Hospital in the Western Region. The programme also includes the establishment of two psychiatric hospitals for the middle and the southern belts, seven regional hospitals and the rehabilitation of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. Situated at Adabraka in Accra, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital was constructed in 1904 and was called Lunatic Asylum. The facility accommodated 200 patients at the time. The Hospital at the time consisted of four wards; Female, Male, General and Criminal wards. The Lunatic Asylum later underwent modifications and extension into the Psychiatric Hospital with a bed capacity of 600. GNA The Bulgarian Ambassador to Ghana has laid out his governments terms to the Ghana government following the illegal demolition of the Bulgarian Embassys property. Speaking exclusively to TV3 on Wednesday, March 16, Ambassador Yanko Yordanov asked that the Ghana government guarantees the safety of staff of the Embassy and take guidance from the Vienna Convention to determine who takes responsibility of rebuilding the demolished structure. The structure located at East Cantonments was demolished in 2017 by a private developer who claims ownership of the land. The said land was leased to the Embassy for a period of 50 years and is expected to expire in 2033. A notice by the Lands Commission and pasted on the property, which is already being developed by the private businessman indicates the Bulgarians own the property and therefore you are to stop work immediately or we will take the necessary action to invoke the laws under the Lands Act as the notice stated. The Bulgarian Ambassador, who is not happy about the development, asked the state to ensure that the property is protected. He said he visited the Presidency for his accreditation during which the matter was reported to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo . The Ambassador, however, said they can also ensure the property of the asset but its officials have been denied access to the site by the developer. He said its security company can also take the responsibility of protecting the property but this arrangement must be in conformity with the Vienna Convention, which Ghana is signatory to. The Minority in Parliament led by its leader, Haruna Iddrisu, fears the development may spark a diplomatic row if urgent steps are not taken to address the issue. 3news.com BOCA RATON Another new neighborhood will be built amid a big demand for housing in South Florida, this time offering 16 new townhouses and three single-family homes in Boca Raton, just east of Interstate 95 near Yamato Road. The townhouses will go up along Yamato, just west of Northwest Third Avenue. And the single-family homes will be built along Third Avenue, forming an L-shape at the intersection. Neighbors have raised concerns about traffic and noise. Advertisement The area has seen a string of new development, with several apartment buildings having been built in the past few years and a potential massive redevelopment project still being worked out by developers for the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, both just west of the highway. [ RELATED: This Boca Raton property, poised for 1,000 new residences, just received a staggering $320 million deal ] Were excited to finally fill in this spot on Yamato Road, Jerome Jerry Rich, the developer, said at the last City Council meeting. Advertisement Rich mentioned how the neighborhoods location is across the street from a city fire station and just east of I-95. He couldnt be reached for comment Wednesday. The townhouses would be within four buildings, with four units each, totaling about 3,600 square feet, according to documents submitted by the developers. The units would feature a garage and then one or two floors above it. [ LEE EN ESPANOL: Esta nueva comunidad de Boca Raton ofrecera variedad de casas y townhouses cerca de la I-95 ] A rendering shows what the planned Yamato Villas community will look like near the intersection of Yamato Road and Northwest Third Avenue, just east of Interstate 95. Boca Raton's city council recently gave unanimous approval to the project. (City of Boca Raton / Courtesy) The three single-family houses would be two stories high and 2,400 square feet each. City Councilwoman Andrea ORourke said she liked that the project included different styles of housing. I love the idea of mixed-use, I love the idea of seeing townhouses being built, ORourke said. Its a nice variety that we dont have enough of in our community. [ RELATED: Neighbors organize against rezoning for Yamato Villas ] In 2017, nearby residents organized to oppose rezoning the land there to allow multifamily housing. Change is inevitable, but Yamato Villas wants towering heights in proximity to our homes. No one welcomes townhouses or the noise that will decrease our property values, one neighbor said at the time. We want to maintain the quality of life without an intrusive development. Those neighbors couldnt be reached for comment this week. The land was rezoned in 2018, according to Tori Boone, land development coordinator for the city. Her department recommended the City Council approve the request, which it did unanimously last week. Advertisement Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat. 17.03.2022 LISTEN The Ghana Police Service has released a statement indicating that FixTheCountry Movement convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor is still in its custody after failing to meet his bail requirements. The Tema High Court, presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, granted Oliver Barker-Vormawor bail in the sum of Two Million Ghana Cedis (GH 2,000,000.00) with two sureties. As part of the bail conditions, the Court ordered that one of the sureties should deposit his document covering the landed property within the jurisdiction of the Court. Pursuant to the orders of the Court, the Police took the accused person to the Court to execute the bail. At the court, the Registrar informed the Police that he had submitted the document presented by the sureties to the Lands Commission for verification and he was therefore unable to proceed with the execution of the bail until a response was received from the Lands Commission. As a result, the Police could not release the embattled FixTheCountry convener on bail as granted by the Tema High Court. Consequently, the accused person was taken back into custody to await the completion of the bail processes by the High Court Registrar. We wish to point out that the accused person was granted court bail and therefore, the execution of the bail is dependent on the Court and not the Police. The accused person will therefore be released when the court is satisfied that the bail conditions have been duly met, parts of the Police statement reads. Below is a copy of the Police statement: God bless our homeland Ghana, and make our nation great and strong, Bold to defend forever, the cause of Freedom and Right; that is part of the lyrics of Ghanas great National Anthem, and based on this inspiring song, the common Ghanaians will resist the oppressors decision to pass the fraudulent E-Levy. Ghana has reached a stage where our long happy democracy has been hijacked by the current president, Nana Akufo Addo, who continues to abuse his power, ignoring the law and trying to change things stated in the constitution to his favor, all because of his desperation to pass E-Levy. Since my childhood, I became familiar with Ghanas great National Anthem but to resist the oppressors rule, my mind reflects on foreign aggression, without a slight knowledge that the oppressors" rule will come from our own country, Ghana, over a fraudulent E-Levy. Why would a president be so stubborn, inconsiderate, uncaring, and unremorseful over something the majority of the population isnt interested in? Nobody is interested in a coup or military regime but the truth is Ghanas democracy is dead and the country is under a military-style dictatorship. What a disrespect to the common Ghanaians, after being mocked with the controversial E-Levy cake, the government that has denied the people job for five years, wants them to accept? I stand for the common Ghanaian because he is also a human being. Never treat others what you wouldn't like others to treat you. Nana Akufo Addo, Ghana is now under a dictatorship camouflaged in democracy. The entire country is being ruled by the concept of dictatorship, camouflaged in the modern political theory of democracy. Everybody is suffering under the tyranny of this current president, yet people are scared to criticize or speak about it. When Ghana was better politically and economically, the NPP politicians were able to deceive Ghanaians that Mahama is incompetent, corrupt, and greedy, therefore, their mission is to make things better. Two of their promises were to cut taxes and protect the publics purse. After five years in power, the NPP government isnt able to fulfill any of its promises, above all, financial mismanagement, reckless spending, lavish lifestyle of the president, and chronic corruption have emptied the governments coffers, creating a high rate of unemployment and economic doom. Today, the cunning President Nana Akufo Addo, wants his incompetence and corruption addiction to become the common Ghanaians' burden. No, that cant happen because the common Ghanaians are not responsible for Akufo Addo's incompetence and corruption rampage. In such a depressive situation, the common Ghanaians will always look unto the Supreme Court to deliver them, unfortunately, the high court had already been infiltrated by the cunning president, therefore, the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah is working for the president, not for the people. It will be the biggest error if this fraudulent E-Levy is passed because its for a huge loan to add to Ghanas current huge debt which will take probably over thirty to forty years to pay. Akufo Addo doesnt care because his greed wouldnt enable him to see the good and the bad or crime or non-crime. However, based on the inspiration of the lyrics of Ghanas National Anthem, we will resist the oppressors' rule with all our will and might, and Akufo Addo and his incompetent corrupt government will fail. My deepest thanks to the one who wrote this National Anthem because he has left us with something great our enemies cant defeat us, we will dwell on its inspiring lyrics to crush the oppressors' rule. 17.03.2022 LISTEN The FixTheCountry Movement has accused the Ghana Police Service of riding on the back of administrative processes to deliberately keep Oliver Barker-Vormawor in its custody. The Tema High Court, presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, granted Oliver Barker-Vormawor bail in the sum of Two Million Ghana Cedis (GH 2,000,000.00) with two sureties. Although he was expected to be released by the Police on bail, the FixTheCountry convener who stands accused of treason felony had to spend another night in jail. The Police in a statement emphasised that it could not release Oliver Barker-Vormawor due to his inability to meet the bail requirement pronounced by the Tema High Court. Reacting to the Police statement, the FixTheCountry Movement has issued a release alleging that the Police intentionally refused to release its convener. We deplore the calculated attempts by the Ghana Police Service and whatever internet they are acting on behalf of, to use administrative processes which have been intentionally convoluted to frustrate the order of the court and undermine Olivers liberty. We are reminding the Police that their days of issuing statements to back their wanton abuse of executive power is over, parts of the FixTheCountry Movement release read. It concludes, Ghana Police Service should strive to serve us with integrity and not disingenuity. We demand the immediate release of Oliver now. Find a copy of the release below: Ghanas first female Brigadier-General Emefa Edjeani-Afenu will be buried on Friday, March 25. This was disclosed by the Paramount Chief of the Avatime Traditional Area in the Volta Region, Osie Adza Tekpor VII, when he led a delegation to officially inform President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House of the burial arrangements of the late Brigadier-General. President Akufo-Addo described the news of the death of the Brigadier-General as one of the saddest news he has had to receive. He disclosed that the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres, called to extend the condolences of the UN to Ghana following the passing away of the army officer. President Akufo-Addo noted that the call from the UN Secretary-General is an indication of the Brigadier-Generals impact on the international stage. He also pledged his support to the family of the late Brigadier-General to ensure successful funeral rites. Brigadier-General Edjeani-Afenu died on Monday, 24 January 2022 at the 37 Military Hospital following a short illness. She was promoted to the highest position occupied by a female in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in March 2016. After 18 months of regular training at the Ghana Military Academy, she was commissioned into the GAF on 25 April 1980 as a Second Lieutenant. For her regimental training, she served as a Platoon Commander at the 2nd Battalion of Infantry in 1980. From 1981 to 1982, she was posted as Platoon Commander and Adjutant to the 3rd Border Guards Battalion. Brigadier-General Edjeani-Afenu was the first woman to be appointed Deputy Military Adviser (DMILAD) at the Permanent Mission of Ghana to the UN, New York till 2016. Source: classfmonline.com 17.03.2022 LISTEN Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA), the Afigya Kwabre South constituency chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), who is aspiring to lead the Ashanti regional branch of the party, has said building a political party is not a one-man affair. "Political party organisation and its financing is not a one-man business. It is more or less a communal labour where many people contribute to the growth of the party". He told Kumasi-based Hello FM recently that if the one-man show and pride is not discouraged in the NPP, especially in the Ashanti Region, it will be difficult for the party to win the next general elections. "The Ashanti region is the bedrock of NPP; in fact, it contributes about 20% of votes to the party in national elections but it is obvious that the party's fortune in the region is dwindling, he said. We lost two of our parliamentary seats to the NDC in the last elections. While the NPP increased their votes in the region by over 155,000 in 2020, the NDC increased their votes by over 160,000. This is the time the NPP needs to bring onboard everyone to help propagate the good work of the Party. It is not time for division. We have to work together, think together and decide together to solve the issues confronting the party." Odeneho, who is seeking to end the tenure of incumbent Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) stated that chairmanship in the region is a serious business and, therefore, needs serious people at the helm of affairs to galvanise the base and change the fortunes. "The truth is no single person can finance political party activities. President Kufuor, in his time as leader, could not do it alone. He fell on party supporters and sympathisers for support and contribution. The sitting president, Nana Akufo-Addo, did the same with yi bi ma campaign. So, let's stop the arrogance and one-man show business in NPP, especially Ashanti region and rather adopt a consensus approach to party building," COKA said. He stated that what the party needs now is someone who is a unifier and is ready to mobilise people to work for the betterment of the party. "I have been through the ranks of the party from polling station to constituency chairman and to the regional finance committee. I am the unifier the NPP in Ashanti region needs to break the 8," he added. Lawyer Justice Abdulai, who is going for judicial review of the Supreme Courts recent decision on the voting right of Deputy Speakers while presiding over the business of parliament, has revealed that a lot of people have called him to offer financial assistance toward filing for the review but he has rejected all such gestures. Mr Abdulai told CTVs Dwabre Mu host Nana Otu Darko on Thursday, 17 March 2022 that he does not want his intentions sullied by any monetary offers. Mr Abdulai petitioned the court to declare as unconstitutional, First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusus action of counting himself as one of the MPs on the floor while presiding over the proceedings of the House in relation to the formation of a quorum for the passage of the 2022 budget, which had earlier been rejected by the minority side. He was of the view that once a Deputy Speaker, who is an MP, presides in the stead of the Speaker, he loses his right to vote. In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, 9 March 2022, however, the seven-member Bench, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, held that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution, a Deputy Speaker, who is a Member of Parliament, does not lose his right to take part in decision-making in parliament. Speaking to the media on the ruling on Saturday, 12 March 2022, Mr Abdulai, who is also a lawyer, said: This issue about the Deputy Speaker and the substantive Speaker being one and the same is something that I thought the Supreme Court should have made a firm pronouncement on. The Constitution says that whoever occupies a position whether acting or deputy has the same powers and authorities as the substantive one. The Standing Orders reaffirm this same position that the Deputy Speaker is the same or occupies the same position or function as the Speaker, he argued. Because of this difficulty, I expected a firm pronouncement on those matters by the Supreme Court to put a finality to that part of it. A firm pronouncement would have put some level of clarity and finality to the disagreements that are presently ongoing, he noted. He said: In their own judgment, [Justices] felt, probably it wasnt borne out of the reliefs that I was seeking, so, they refused to grant it. Thats fair and part of the legal processes. The law lecturer told Nana Otu Darko in his Thursday interview that he has been inundated with calls ever since the apex court ruled on the matter. Im receiving calls from both prominent people in the NPP and NDC Ive also received calls from both past and present students of mine. Also, he said a lot of TV stations have called me specifically to fund-raising purposes to support the review. Mr Abdulai said he finds it very humbling that a lot of Ghanaians are ready to offer some help toward the judicial process but has decided against accepting any monetary offers. Also, he revealed that he has been in touch with some statesmen who, collectively, are trying to use the judicial process as a rallying point to bring together former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and John Mahama together with President Nana Akufo-Addo as well as past and present Speakers of Parliament, to deliberate on the matter and push for national unity, since, in his view, his aim of unifying the country through the court petition is rather turning out to be counter-production because the 7-0 ruling of the Supreme Court appears to have deepened the cracks of division in the nation. Source: Classfmonline.com Ugandan author and activist Norman Tumuhimbise and a female journalist have been charged with cyber-stalking the country's president, their lawyer told AFP Thursday, the second writer to be arrested by the authorities recently. Tumuhimbise, who heads local pressure group The Alternative Movement and an online media platform Alternative Digitalk TV, was due to launch a book critical of President Yoweri Museveni on March 30. The 36-year-old was among nine journalists arrested for offensive communication a week ago. Seven were released without being charged, his lawyer Eron Kiiza said. "Norman Tumuhimbise and his colleague, Farida Bikobere, who works with him at Digitalk TV, were charged with cyber-stalking the president," Kiiza told AFP. Following Wednesday's hearing, "The two denied the charges and were remanded to Luzira prison until March 21," he said, referring to a maximum-security facility in the capital Kampala. "Both were tortured like the other journalists with whom they were arrested." According to court documents seen by AFP, prosecutors allege Tumuhimbise and Bikobere used their online platform to relay "offensive communication... directed against the person of the President of Uganda". Tumuhimbise and his colleagues were reportedly bundled into a van by armed security personnel last week, with Kiiza alleging that police also confiscated phones, laptops, recorders and cameras from the media outlet. Tumuhimbise is the second writer to be charged with offensive communication in recent months. Award-winning Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled to Germany last month to seek medical treatment after allegedly having been tortured following his detention on charges of insulting Museveni and his son. Rukirabashaija's arrest had raised international concern, with both the European Union and the United States calling for his release. The charges against Rukirabashaija related to unflattering comments on Twitter about Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, and his powerful son Muhoozi Kainerugaba. In one post he described Kainerugaba, a general who many Ugandans believe is positioning himself to take over from his 77-year-old father, as "obese" and a "curmudgeon". Uganda has witnessed a series of crackdowns aimed at stamping out dissent, with journalists attacked, lawyers jailed, election monitors prosecuted and opposition leaders violently muzzled. If convicted, Tumuhimbise and Bikobere risk a year in jail and/or a fine, under the computer misuse act. Ugandan environmental activists hit out at a mega oil project by TotalEnergies in East Africa. Four leading youth activists were received by the French National Assembly yesterday (Wednesday) to pressure the government to take a stance on the project. Vanessa Nakate, nicknamed the African Greta Thunberg, was among them. Nakate is a Ugandan climate activist and author of the book A Bigger Picture. She talked to RFI's Christina Okello and told her that she had come to France to ask the government to make it clear what its position on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, (EACOP). The EACOP, which is currently under construction is also known as the UgandaTanzania Crude Oil Pipeline. Its purpose is to transport crude oil from Uganda's oil fields to the Port of Tanga, Tanzania on the Indian Ocean. Once completed, the pipeline will be the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world I've come here to ask the French government to stand with us, to stand with the people, and with the planet, to make a decision about whether they are in support of the EACOP project in my country or not, Nakate said. RFI: What is EACOP? VN: EACOP is the East African Crude Oil Pipeline that is going to affect the lives of so many people. The communities that are being impacted right now, people are being left homeless. It is going to go through some of our wildlife habitats like the Murchison Falls, it is going to go through Lake Victoria, which is depended upon by over 40 million people. Any kind of oil spill would mean suffering for so many people as this is a source of food and a source of income for so many communities. RFI: Won't EACOP create jobs? VN: I understand when my government and the people in my country say that EACOP is going to give jobs to so many people but when I look at the environmental impact of oil extraction in other countries, which is just short-term benefits, we need to look at the long-term benefits of our lives and of our planet. That's why in our demands we demand for climate finance from global north countries, from richer countries. Climate finance for countries like mine that are on the frontlines that are not responsible for the climate crisis, because there is a need for us to develop but to develop in the right way, in a sustainable way, to develop and lift people out of poverty without harming the planet. RFI: Is Africa being heard? VN: That incident that happened in Davos in 2020, it shows how many activists from the African continent struggle to have their voices listened to and their voices amplified and platformed. And while the African continent is suffering the worst impacts of climate change, we don't see it on the world's papers. So, it's important for people to know that we won't have climate justice if the most affected people are not listened to, are not platformed and are not amplified. Eight years have passed since the French army launched its operations in Mali at the request of Mali's interim government at the time. This country was then going through a political and humanitarian crisis which highlighted the persistent grievances of certain parts of the populations of the north. The immediate objective of the mission was to prevent separatist and criminal groups from advancing towards Mali's capital, Bamako, and to safeguard the country's sovereignty until an international peacekeeping force became operational. Operation Serval quickly turned into a regional counter-terrorism operation, dubbed Barkhane. After the conflict dragged on for years, in June 2021 a second coup within a year led to the resignation of President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. Colonel Assimi Goita, who took the lead in the August 2020 coup, was declared interim president. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a gradual withdrawal of Operation Barkhane troops. Already, before the coup, anti-French sentiment in Mali had grown and French public opinion had disapproved of the military operation. A few years later at the beginning of the year 2022, one week the Russian military invasion in Ukraine. France and its African and European allies have confirmed that they will withdraw the 2,400 French soldiers from Malian territory while maintaining a smaller European force in place. They said they would "continue their joint action against terrorism in the Sahel region". This withdrawal was to last four to six months before the center of French operations in West Africa was relocated from Mali to Niger. The total impact of the French withdrawal is difficult to estimate at this stage; it will depend on the ability of regional and international actors to fill the security vacuum. The jihadist groups could feel encouraged, as some claim, or, on the contrary, could resume talks with the transitional government, since the "occupier" is gone. As observers of French and European security policy in Africa, we expect this latest measure to bring about fundamental security transformations in the region. Beyond the uncertainties, France's withdrawal will have fairly predictable effects, namely the emergence of a new security vacuum, a deeper sense of disaffection between the junta and European partners, and new obstacles to development and humanitarian efforts. A new security vacuum The French withdrawal means a loss of military capabilities especially helicopter gunships and field hospitals. Peacekeepers, UN and African peacekeepers, and European partners relied on these capabilities to protect their troops in Mali. To continue peacekeeping operations, other allies should make up for this shortfall. The French operation Barkhane and the multinational Task Force Takuba are the most directly involved in the fight against jihadist terrorist organizations in Mali. The mandate of the UN mission, Minusma, is limited to the implementation of the Algiers peace agreements of 2015, on the conflict between the Malian government and the rebel groups based in the north of this country, and to the protection of civilians. The French withdrawal will likely impact Minusma which has already suffered more casualties than any other ongoing peacekeeping mission in the world. Experts point in particular to France's air power, one of the most effective control systems for countering jihadist groups. The military junta and part of the population rely on Russian mercenaries to ensure government security. The capacity of the Wagner mercenary group to compensate for the French withdrawal and to reinforce the efforts of the central government in terms of counter-terrorism is debatable. Indeed, this group has a habit of exploiting political instability for its own economic interests. Such cooperation also has political and diplomatic consequences due to international condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. European mandates questioned Even before France announced its withdrawal, Europe's strategic approach to the Sahel was showing signs of failing. The Malian army has refrained from making significant reforms in the security sector. International cooperation failed to strengthen civilian control, and could not prevent coups in 2020 and 2021. The Malian military junta has postponed the elections to 2025 and Russian mercenaries have arrived in Mali. These events have led European governments to doubt whether and how to continue their engagement in the Sahel. Sweden has announced its immediate withdrawal from Task Force Takuba and Minusma by 2023. Germany's new defense minister, Christine Lambrecht, said it's hard to imagine Germany's armed forces remaining in a country where the government makes them feel unwelcome. Development without security? The Russian invasion of Ukraine could complicate the situation, as European countries are likely to redirect their attention and resources towards NATO commitments. From a logistical and political point of view, maintaining a military presence in Mali could become difficult, but a total withdrawal of the military including the contributions of European troops to Minusma included would be premature. This could also have implications for European countries' commitment to development and humanitarian aid. A deterioration in the security situation could undermine stabilization efforts. Difficult decisions to make The change in the Sahelian security landscape after the French withdrawal also offers an opportunity to reflect on the different types of international engagement in Mali. It requires a well-coordinated military strategy with regional players, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union. European actors, in particular, should not repeat the mistake of sidelining ECOWAS as was the case after 2013. Promoting the G5 Sahel as the main regional security actor has proven insufficient, as this organization is still struggling to find its place in the region and is highly dependent on French aid. Instead of a heavily militarized approach, a human-centred approach is needed, as it would put human security at the forefront, foster civil society and strengthen decentralized governance institutions. The Malian military junta can consider the French withdrawal as a first success. This withdrawal may be welcomed by Malians who have been frustrated with the lack of improved security over the years. However, Mali's security and development challenges persist. The military junta must decide whether to opt for international isolation or to work for peace, development and better living conditions for all Malians. If it chooses the second option, it will need the support of regional and international partners. The authors 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 Benedikt Erforth, Senior Researcher, German Development Institute And Julian Bergmann, Senior Researcher, German Development Institute Suspected jihadists attacked a bus and a truck in southwest Niger, killing 21 people in the troubled Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso, local and security sources said on Thursday. Niger, the world's poorest country according to the UN's Human Development Index, is fighting extremists on multiple fronts. Tillaberi is located in the flashpoint "three borders" zone of Niger, Burkina and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) operate. "A terrorist attack on Wednesday afternoon by heavily armed men travelling on motorcycles and in a vehicle killed 19 people travelling in a bus, including two police officers," a security source said. "Two others were killed in an attack on a truck," added the source, who asked to remain anonymous. They burned to death when the truck, carrying fruit and vegetables, was set on fire. Five people including a policeman were wounded in the attack on the bus, which was also torched. They were taken to the capital, Niamey, for treatment, the source said. Seven passengers -- four women and three men -- managed to escape from the bus. The attack occurred near the Petelkole border post, 10 kilometres (six miles) from the border with Burkina, a local official said. In October 2021, three police officers were killed and several others wounded in a suspected jihadist attack on the Petelkole border post. The Nigerien Modern Transport Company confirmed one of its buses "returning from Ouagadougou was the subject of a deadly attack" in a statement. Map of Niger locating Tillaberi region. By Tupac POINTU AFP "After this unfortunate event, we inform our customers that departures to Burkina Faso are suspended until further notice," added the company, one of the country's largest serving multiple western African capitals. Since 2017, western Niger has been regularly targeted by Islamist groups, despite the deployment of thousands of anti-jihadist troops and the imposition of a state of emergency. Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum has previously said 12,000 of the country's soldiers are involved full-time in anti-jihadist operations. Earlier this month, five soldiers were killed by a mine in Niger's southwestern Torodi region, where jihadist attacks using improvised explosive device (IEDs) are increasingly frequent. And in southeastern Niger, suspected jihadists from Nigeria's Boko Haram group killed 10 people in villages near the town of Diffa this month. Bazoum announced late February the start of "discussions" with jihadists as part of "the search for peace." TALLAHASSEE In what a dissenting justice called a fundamental shift, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday issued a ruling that likely will make it harder for many plaintiffs suing tobacco companies about smoking-related illnesses. The 6-1 ruling dealt with plaintiffs in a large group of cases known as Engle progeny cases and claims that tobacco companies fraudulently concealed or conspired to conceal information about the health effects and addictiveness of smoking. Advertisement Siding with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., the Supreme Court said plaintiffs must show that smokers relied on misleading information from cigarette makers to prevail on the claims. (What) matters for purposes of reliance is that the plaintiff be able to prove a causal connection running from an Engle defendants statement or statements, to the plaintiffs beliefs about the health effects or addictiveness of smoking cigarettes, to the plaintiffs injury, said the 25-page majority opinion, written by Justice Carlos Muniz and joined by Chief Justice Charles Canady and Justices Ricky Polston, Alan Lawson, John Couriel and Jamie Grosshans. The statements relied upon must have been capable of causing the plaintiff to form a false belief about the health effects or addictiveness of smoking cigarettes. Advertisement But Justice Jorge Labarga, in a 14-page dissent, said the majority opinion disturbs settled law regarding Engle progeny litigation and injects uncertainty into the remaining Engle progeny cases. He called it a fundamental shift in this courts jurisprudence. Until today, it was settled law in Florida that a jury in an Engle progeny case was permitted to infer reliance based upon evidence of the smokers own history coupled with the tobacco industrys pervasive advertising and creation of a false controversy about the risks of smoking, without the necessity of proving that the smoker relied on any specific statement by tobacco companies, Labarga wrote. The ruling came in a case involving John C. Price, who started smoking at age 12 and died at age 74 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A Duval County jury awarded $6.4 million in compensatory damages to Prices estate in an Engle progeny case against R.J. Reynolds. But a panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal in 2019 overturned that verdict and ordered a new trial, agreeing with R.J. Reynolds position that the jury should have been instructed to find that Price relied to his detriment on a statement that concealed or omitted information. The Supreme Court decided to take up the case, at least in part because the 1st District Court of Appeals decision conflicted with rulings by three other district courts of appeal in Engle progeny cases. A 2006 Supreme Court ruling set the stage for smokers or their surviving family members to file Engle progeny cases. That ruling, an outgrowth of an unsuccessful class-action lawsuit, established critical findings about issues such as the dangers of smoking and misrepresentation by cigarette makers. It also provided a window for individual class members to file lawsuits against tobacco companies and allowed them to use the findings in those cases. Smokers or their surviving family members filed roughly 8,000 cases, with many still tied up in the courts. Advertisement In his dissent Thursday, Labarga wrote that the underlying findings in the Engle litigation conclusively established that the tobacco companies agreed to conceal, omit, and misinterpret information regarding the health effects of cigarettes or their addictive nature, with the intention that smokers and the public would rely on this information to their detriment. He added that requiring proof that smokers relied on tobacco company statements had been soundly rejected by a majority of Florida appellate courts. But Muniz wrote that showing reliance is key in fraud cases. In the common law of fraud, reliance is what establishes the necessary connection between a fraudulent representation and the plaintiffs injury, he wrote. Put differently, regardless of the form of the defendants fraudulent conduct, reliance is an indispensable aspect of proving causation in a fraud claim. 17.03.2022 LISTEN Tension is brewing at the Keta branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta region as some party members have been accused of engaging in illegality. This comes after the Denu High Court placed an injunction on the internal elections in the Keta constituency. ModernGhana News understands there was a free for all fight at the party office between some angry members of the party and the organizers of the vetting which resulted in the destruction of some party properties. Party properties such as tables, chairs, vehicles and the register were destroyed during the chaos. Some persons also sustained various injuries degrees of injuries. There was heavy police presence at the party office where the situation was brought under control. Mr Shelter Adzololo, a former regional executive member of the party disclosed to our reporter that, some party members were caught vetting members contesting for various positions in the constituency on Thursday, March 16, 2022 despite the court injunction. He accused Mr Elikem Sewordor, a constituency executive member of spearheading the vetting process. It will be recalled that Mr Amuzu Akpadu Amedoda a party member and four others dragged the Keta NPP election committee led by Mr Philip Bokorga, the committee's chairman to Denu High Court over an allegations of the committee selling the constituency nomination forms to their favourites denying some eligible members the opportunity to contest. The matter landed in Denu High Court where an injunction was placed on the elections. 17.03.2022 LISTEN Wars disturb and delude. The Ukraine conflict is no exception. Misinformation is cantering through press accounts and media dispatches with feverish spread. Fear that a nuclear option might be deployed makes teeth chatter. And the Russian President Vladimir Putin is being treated as a Botox Hitler-incarnate, a figure worthy of assassination. The idea of forcing Putin into the grave certainly tickled South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. Liberated by more generous rules regarding hate speech (freedom in Silicon Valley is fickle), Graham took to Twitter to ask whether Russia had its own calculating Brutus willing to take the murderous initiative. Moving forward almost two millennia for a historical reference, the Senator pinched an example from the Second World War (when else?). Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military? The only way to conclude the conflict was for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. In support of the proposition came Fox News host Sean Hannity, using long discredited logic in dealing with the leaders of a country. You cut off the head of the snake and you kill the snake. Right now, the snake is Vladimir Putin. Armchair psychologist types tend to suggest that homicidal fantasies are fairly common. Julia Shaw of University College London told those attending the Cheltenham Science Festival in 2019 that this was to be expected from humans, enabling them to think through the consequences of their actions, obey a moral code and develop our empathy. Shaw might have missed a beat on this one, especially regarding the harm wished upon the Russian leader from a certain number in self-declared Freedoms Land. Empathy has been in short supply, and the moral code, if it can be called that, has gone begging. Grahams homicidal call did bring out its critics, but the outrage was far from unconditional. To have shown balance would have betrayed the cause and revealed solidarity for wickedness. There were the mild, spanking rebukes from Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from Minnesota. As the world pays attention to how the US and its leaders are responding, Lindseys remarks and remarks made by some House members arent helpful. Republican Senator Ted Cruz thought it an exceptionally bad idea, preferring massive economic sanctions, boycotts of Russian oil and gas, and the provision of military aid to Ukraine. Democratic Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, wondered if a certain number of people had lost their minds. I have seen at least a half a dozen insane tweets tonight. Please everyone keep your wits about you. Billionaire financier Bill Browder, the inspiration behind the Magnitsky Act of 2012, preferred to diminish Putin as a very little man. Hes very scared of everybody, and hes very vindictive. And so hes constantly looking around for betrayal. Hardly worth assassinating, it would seem. One should give Graham some leeway here, despite the flat assertion by White House press secretary Jen Psaki that assassination was not the policy of the United States. Given that the US has not been averse to assassinating leaders or prominent figures, why be squeamish now? President Abraham Lincoln thought it morally appropriate to condone the assassination of leaders who had caused suffering for an extended period of time, and could not be ousted by peaceful or legal means. With Cleos irony, he would himself be assassinated along the lines of such logic by thespian John Wilkes Booth. For decades, Washington wished to do away with Cubas obstinately resilient Fidel Castro, bumbling along and eventually failing. (Such oafish, nursery incompetence surely demands a Netflix production.) With the Peoples Republic of China starting to make its mark in the 1950s, President Dwight Eisenhower thought it appropriate that a blow be struck by singling out one of the Communist states brighter lights, Premier Zhou Enlai. The Central Intelligence Agencys murderous effort involved blowing up an Air India flight for Bandung in 1955, killing 16 passengers. Zhou never boarded the flight. A second effort at attempted poisoning was aborted. The CIA did not always fail, even if it gave an excellent impression of doing so. There was more success in operations against Congos Patrice Lumumba and the Dominican Republics Rafael Trujillo. During the absurdly named Global War On Terror, drones became the weapon of choice to target high profile figures, a murderous policy given a bubble wrapping of weasel words. As recently as January 2020, President Donald Trump went so far as to order the killing of one of Irans most popular figures, the legendary leader of the Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani. At stages, US officials have shown remarkable candour on the policy of targeting heads of state, despite the existence of Executive Order 12333 which states that, No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination. In 1990, Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael Dugan promised that, in the event of war between the two countries, US planes would make a special point of targeting Saddam Hussein, his family and his mistress. It must have then come as a surprise to him that a certain Secretary of Defense, the usually amoral Dick Cheney, would sack him for making comments possibly in violation of the assassination ban. Dugan should have stuck to generalities, such as targeting the countrys leadership. Its all in the presentation. What of the point of assassination, that most severe form of censorship? Stephen Kinzer is solid in pointing out that liquidating that man in the Kremlin will hardly guarantee a more accommodating replacement. No one who hopes to secure power in Moscow [] could ever accept Ukraines entry into NATO or the presence of hostile troops on Ukrainian soil. But Kinzer is even more on the mark for pointing out that US efforts tend to be hallmarks of stunning failure. All this chat about purported tyrannicide should not detract from the pattern of US history, which has affirmed that the imperium will dispose of leaders and prominent figures it does not like, even if it fails along the way. Little wonder that Graham and his ilk are urging Russians to fulfil their blood-soaked fantasies. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. Email: [email protected] Mr Eric Kwabla Ofori, the Director of New Horizon Foundation of the Blind (NHFB) in Ho, said persons with disability (PWDs) could attain greater heights and contribute meaningfully to national development if provided with a conducive environment to operate. He said the current education system was a hindrance to achieving their full potential adding: If the environment is friendly we can participate fully and show off our potentials. He called for comprehensive mechanisms to address factors militating against the progressive match of PWDs to improve their standards of living. Mr Ofori made these comments at a training workshop organised by the Foundation, in partnership with the Deutsche Blindenhillswerk (DBWH), and the Ghana Education Service for selected teachers and officers from 13 schools within the Ho Municipality on Inclusive Education. It aimed at strengthening their capacity on inclusive pedagogies and approaches for learners with visual impairment in basic schools, in line with the Standard Based Curriculum. The programme forms part of the Foundation's six months project on Enhancing Full Participation of Learners with Visual Impairment in the Teaching and Learning Activities." Mr Ofori said the Standard Based Curriculum required that a child was trained based on his or her capacity, hence the importance to build the capacity of teachers and equip them with the requisite skills to deliver. He said though the government was promoting inclusive education if teachers were not adequately equipped, the policy would not be effectively implemented. Mr Isaac Kodobisah, the Volta Regional Special Needs Education Coordinator, said the use of appropriate teaching methodologies was a prerequisite for promoting effective and quality teaching and learning. When the appropriate methodologies were not applied, students would find it difficult to understand what was being taught and that affected their performance negatively, he said. Mr Kodobisah urged teachers to endeavour to use the right methods and develop interactive measures to make teaching and learning appealing to students, especially persons with visual impairment. He said disability should not be a barrier to the development of PWDs, adding: We are all potential disables, hence conscious efforts must be made to create the environment that will cushion PWDs to explore their potentials and realise their dreams. Some participants who spoke to Ghana News Agency described the programme as helpful and said it had enlightened them on how to pay special attention to PWDs in their class. Madam Peace Koka, a Teacher at Ho-Kpodzi Basic B, where Inclusive Education is currently ongoing, told the GNA that the skills acquired would go a long way to help her deliver effective inclusive education to her pupils. Madam Antoinette Barnor-Gbagbo, the Headmistress of Ho-Kpodzi E.P. Primary School, said the workshop had inspired, motivated and taught her how best to handle visually impaired students. She disclosed that the school currently had six visually impaired female students and appealed to the Government, individuals and philanthropists to support it with braille and other teaching and learning materials for easy teaching. GNA Rome, 17 March 2022 As the war continues to rage in Ukraine, impacts of rising food prices and shortages of staple crops are already being felt in the Near East and North Africa region and spreading to the worlds most vulnerable countries, including in the Horn of Africa, with poorest people at greatest risk, warned the UNs International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today. This comes amidst mounting concerns by the international community that the ongoing conflict will escalate global hunger and poverty. A quarter of global wheat exports come from Russia and Ukraine. Forty percent of wheat and corn from Ukraine go to the Middle East and Africa, which are already grappling with hunger issues, and where further food shortages or price increases risk pushing millions more people into poverty. Russia is also the worlds largest fertilizer producer. Even before the conflict, spikes in fertilizer prices last year contributed to a rise in food prices by about 30 percent. IFADs analysis looks at the impact that the war will have on already poor small-scale producers and rural communities. I am deeply concerned that the violent conflict in Ukraine, already a catastrophe for those directly involved, will also be a tragedy for the worlds poorest people living in rural areas who cannot absorb the price hikes of staple foods and farming inputs that will result from disruptions to global trade, said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD. We are already seeing price hikes and this could cause an escalation of hunger and poverty with dire implications for global stability. IFADs analysis shows that price increases in staple foods, fuel and fertilizer and other ripple effects of the conflict are having a dire impact on the poorest rural communities. For example: In Somalia, where an estimated 3.8 million people are already severely food insecure, the costs of electricity and transportation have spiked due to fuel price increases. This has a disproportionate impact on poor small-scale farmers and pastoralists who, in the face of erratic rainfall and an ongoing drought, rely on irrigation-fed agriculture powered by small diesel engines for their survival. In Egypt, prices of wheat and sunflower oil have escalated due to Egypts reliance on Russia and Ukraine for 85 percent of its wheat supply and 73 percent of its sunflower oil. In Lebanon, 22 percent of families are food insecure and food shortages or further price hikes will exacerbate an already desperate situation. The country imports up to 80 percent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, but can only store about one months worth of the crop at a time due to the blast in Beiruts port in 2020 that destroyed the countrys major grain silos. Central Asian countries that rely on remittances sent home by migrant workers in Russia have been hit hard by the devaluation of the Russian ruble. In Kyrgyzstan, for example, remittances make up more than 31 percent of the GDP, the majority of which comes from Russia. Remittances are crucial for migrants families in rural areas to access food, education and other necessities. IFADs experts stress that small-scale producers are already reeling from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, droughts, cyclones and other natural disasters. Their incomes are expected to be affected by the rising cost of inputs, reduced food supplies and disrupted markets. This is also likely to have devastating and long-term impacts on their nutrition and food security. IFAD is working closely with governments, rural communities and other partners and exploring ways to step up global support to the regions most affected, including building on its Facility for Refugees, Migrants, Forced Displacement and Rural Stability (FARMS), which supports agricultural livelihood opportunities for refugees and host communities. It is also intensifying its work to reduce post-harvest losses, improve storage and strengthen local and regional food markets. IFAD is committed to increasing the resilience of the worlds poorest rural people who are critical for producing a third of the worlds food. We must do all we can to ensure they have the resources to keep producing food and be protected from additional shocks, said Houngbo. In the short-term, however, it will be difficult to mitigate the global impacts of this crisis. I join the UN Secretary-Generals call to end the conflict now and restore peace. It is the only solution to avert global catastrophe. IFADs experience during previous food crises shows that interventions such as stabilising local market systems, cash transfers, strengthening remittances, setting up savings and loans groups, training and subsidies for agricultural enterprises, and value chain investments (including infrastructure, support for microfinance institutions, aggregation services that link farmers to markets) are effective in building resilience and reducing the impact of shocks. IFAD will draw on this experience and its unique expertise as an International Financial Institution and UN rural development agency to guide its response to the current crisis. The Takoradi Habour Circuit Court A has ordered Josephine Panyin Mensah, the woman in the alleged fake kidnapping and pregnancy case to file her defence. Josephine is facing two charges; one for the deceit of a public officer, and the other for the publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and panic. The court presided over by His Worship, Michael Kwadwoe Ampadu, ordered the defendant to open her defence since the prosecutor, Supt. Emmanuel Basintale, has been able to establish a prima-facie case in all two counts of charges after cross-examination of eight witnesses. The case has been adjourned to April 7, 2022. The lawyer for the defendant, Philip Fiifi Buckman, speaking to Citi News after the court hearing on Thursday, March 17, 2022, said an application was filed against the prosecution since it has not submitted a prima facie case to enable the defendant to open her defence, but the court in its wisdom declined the application. Philip Fiifi Buckman We filed an application that the prosecution has not established a prima facie case for the accused person to open her defence. So, we came to put our case before the court, but the court thinks otherwise, saying the prosecution has opened their prima facie case and called for the prosecution to open her defence. The lawyer further stated that when the defendant begins opening her defence he would bring in witnesses if need be. When we finally decide to open our defence, I will call my witnesses when the need arises. He however said they would have to debunk what the judge said that the prosecution has been able to establish a prima facie case, meaning that they have done what is demanded of them, hence the defendant should bring forth their defences. It is incumbent on us to debunk what the prosecution has brought by bringing in witnesses. The judge has listened to one side and thinks it is well laid. So, come and lay yours for a decision to be made. In September 2021, Josephine Panyin Mensah was all over the media for her alleged kidnapping story, which got both her family and the country at large worried. When she was found in Axim, several miles away from Takoradi, she was mute, unkempt, and without any sign of the said pregnancy. Claims that she delivered on the same day she was allegedly kidnapped with the baby taken by her supposed kidnappers, were put under scrutiny after the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah said the pregnancy was fake. Further, police investigations affirmed the Ministers report on the matter that there was no pregnancy and that the kidnapping incident was staged. ---citinewsroom Ghana will host the external court session of the Community Court of Justice, (CCJ) ECOWAS for the first time since its introduction in March 2007 in Mali. Sixty pending cases have been listed for the session, and they are scheduled to take place at the Law Court Complex in Accra over 11 days, from Monday March 21, 2022, as per the Cause List released by the Court. Judgments are scheduled for delivery in 25 of the cases listed for the external sitting in Accra while the remaining 35 are for hearing. The external court session which is a key element of the ECOWAS Court's annual work programme is being hosted by Ghana this year, in response to several requests. The essence of the program is to bring justice to the common man at the Community's grassroots, especially the indigent citizens who could otherwise not afford the cost and logistics of travelling to the seat of the Court in Abuja to access justice, the President of the Court, Justice Edward Amoako Asante said. Furthermore, the President said the session avails the Court of the opportunity for judicial dialogue with national courts of Member States and exposes lawyers and Community citizens to the Practice and Procedure of a regional international court. It also enables the Court to engage with high political authorities of the host member state and serves as a citizen outreach opportunity for the Court on its competence, mandate as well as practice and procedure of the Court. Citing Article 26 (2) of the 1991 Protocol on the Court, Justice Asante said the protocol allows the Court to undertake such sessions in the territory of member state outside the Headquarters of the Court where circumstances or facts of the case so demand and based on an order of the Court convened by its President. The order for the Accra session was dated 29th October 2021 and signed by Justice Asante. Justice Asante said that since its introduction, similar sessions have been held in Niamey, Ouagadougou, Porto-Novo, Ibadan (Nigeria), Lome, Guinea Bissau, Abidjan (twice) and Bamako. Despite the importance of the session, the President said it could not be held in 2019 and 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic which compelled the Court to integrate remote hearings for cases, including the external court session. The session is expected to be declared open on Monday, March 21, 2022 by the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who is also the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS. Source: 3news.com|Ghana The Bulgarian Ambassador to Ghana and Nigeria, Mr Yanko Yordanov has said Bulgaria will not retaliate against the downing of its Accra Embassy despite the illegal action being in contravention of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961. A private developer who has now been identified as President Akufo-Addos appointee on the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) Board, Dr Adu-Ampomah, entered the property illegally with heavy equipment in August 2021 and demolished it. Despite a stop work order issued by the Lands Commission, the developer, in defiance, continued to develop the land and has raised a structure on the property belonging to the Bulgarian government. This move prompted the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, to direct Dr Adu-Ampomah to, as a matter of urgency, halt all building activities on the land when he visited the site on Wednesday, 16 March 2022. Reacting to this development on 12 Live on Class91.3FM on Thursday, 17 March 2022, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Ghana and Nigeria, Mr Yanko Yordanov, said despite his countrys disappointment in the action of the developer, the country will not retaliate. He told 12Live anchor Valentina Ofori-Afriyie, Let me emphasise: there will be no retaliation of any magnitude, let me emphasise. When Ghana had an Embassy in Bulgaria between 1984 and 1993 that was an Embassy that was landed by Bulgaria to Ghana with no cost involved to Ghana. That demonstrates that since that time, Ghana and Bulgaria were the greatest of friends and this is why we are very surprised about what happened because the friendship and cooperation always prevailed over any kind of other situation between Bulgaria and Ghana. He stressed, This is why I wouldnt say there will be a retaliation, we do recognise its an act committed by very few individuals who have nothing to do with the Ghanaian people, who are always very friendly to Bulgaria and we do respect that Mr Yordanov, however, said Bulgaria wants the Ghanaian government to restore the embassy. We are a bit disappointed that this situation continues after more than five years. We want Bulgaria granted access to its own property that has been recognised as Bulgarias by Ghanas own Supreme Court. He said the message he wants to pass is: We [Bulgaria] dont accept this situation, it is really unacceptable, and at the same time while we continue insisting on Ghanaian authorities to do their part, we are also hopeful that very soon a decision will be made and a settlement will be done so Bulgaria and Ghana will focus on our very much positive agenda in terms of cooperation and trade, education and all the areas of common interest. Source: Classfmonline.com 17.03.2022 LISTEN The United Nations (UN) Eminent Peace Ambassador and the Country Director for International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) Ghana Chapter, Dr Samuel Ben Owusu has underscored the need to create more awareness of hope and opportunities for the Ghanaian youth, Women and children, especially those who live around mining communities in Ghana. His suggestion is in connection with the disastrous gas explosion which took place in Appiatse where several properties and lives were lost. These kinds of issues, Dr Samuel Owusu said affect women and children on a more catastrophic scale than men, hence, he recommended that a hope and refuge centers for women and children are also set up. He made the submission when he paid a courtesy call on the current Charge de Affairs and Head of Missions of the Australian High Commission in Ghana, Her Excellency, LeAnn Johnston. Dr Samuel Owusu prayed the Australian High Commission to support the efforts of IAWPA and its project of hope to achieve social justice for the youths of Ghana. Dr Sam Owusu expressed his appreciation to Her Excellency for the opportunity and pledged to collaborate with the Australian High Commission to empower more people in the sub region. Response As part of celebrating International Women's Day, which was recognised on March 8, 2022, Her Excellency agreed to assist more women and girls, especially girls in science and technology by empowering them with financial scholarships and support for their education. "We are ready to support programmes that seek the well-being and empowerment of the youth, women and children of Ghana," she said. 17.03.2022 LISTEN The Ghana educational system is having concentric challenges that in due time could translate into further falls in the already falling standards. Aside from infrastructure challenges, lack of teaching and learning materials, understaffing and teachers refusing posting to rural communities and poor staff remuneration, the fundamental challenge has been with the lower levels of education (Nursery and KG). I embrace all reforms that had been brought forth by NaCCA and the Ministry of Education. The most outstanding is STEM in which the minister aims at producing more technical individuals with science and technology backgrounds. It's also refreshing to have a curriculum that's meant to suffice current trends and to meet the world's standards. In as much that I embrace these reforms, it is important to note that if the lower levels of education are left unattended to, we will continue to get many things wrong especially with our basic education system. I want the Minister to understand that the majority of the students who show promising talents in science and technology are not from public basic schools. Private basic school students dominate our public SHS enrollment, especially in the best schools, at the expense of the public basic school students. A clear picture of falling standards in the public basic schools. The truth is that Private Schools in Ghana have prioritised lower levels of education* and that is what's fueling their academic excellence. From playgroup to toddler class through to Nursery and KG, they ensure that pupils at the age of six (6) can at least read simple sentences and write simple words and at the same speak basic English and work out basic arithmetic. This forms the basis for their academic growth and over the years it has proven to be a potent force. No wonder many basic school teachers have their children in private schools; a paradox that will take years to crack. Many public basic schools hardly run the Nursery and KG system and even if it's available, the infrastructure and the resources, as well as the teaching materials, are woefully inadequate. I got the opportunity to visit a village basic school and the KG education is a mess. The children are scattered, unkempt and famishing. This is because they had only one attendant and she could hardly control the crawling, hurly-burly class. The worrying and shocking aspect of it is that the facilitator is an SHS graduate who has been hired by the community to facilitate teaching and learning at that level. This gloomy picture might not be limited to that community alone, it permeates many other communities and even towns. It is interesting to know that children are admitted to the public basic schools without having passed through at least the KG system. It's in the basic one that teachers struggle to let them assimilate writing and reading as well as the speaking of basic English let alone working basic arithmetic. This herculean task greets many Basic 1- 3 teachers making primary education very unproductive thereby affecting JHS education in the country. The Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education could take steps to develop the Nursery and the KG systems and furnish them and make them work better for the basic schools. In this regard, the weak fundamentals that haunt many basic schools could be nib in the bud. Government can also give the Nursery and KG education to private individuals to establish and manage in every school under a subsidiary program if it is not ready to prioritize the same. The efficiency and the effectiveness of this program could be piloted in some selected schools across the country and eventually roll out nationwide. Government must remember that education is a progressive event and if we close our eyes on the fundamentals, it could have consequences on future outcomes and the kind of skilled human resources the country could produce. Isaac Ofori MPhil Student UEW 17.03.2022 LISTEN Fear has gripped students of Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) in the Ashanti region following attacks on male students hostel by armed robbers at Asafo. The students fear that if adequate measures are not put in place, they might be forced to quit school to protect their lives. Their concerns follow a robber who wielded a pair of scissors and a screw driver, managed to rob a student who was studying outside his room of his phones and other electrical gadgets. Though the robber was caught and the mobile phone and other gadgets retrieved, the robber escaped with the help of his friends. The robbery incident which happened at dawn on Monday, March 14, 2022, has compelled the students living at the various hostels at Asafo to relocate to other nearby places for protection. Some students who spoke to this portal on Wednesday said several students have suffered such robbery attacks with some losing their money, laptops and mobile phones. They blamed the situation on the managers of the hostels for not providing adequate security at the various hostels after paying large sums of money for their stay. In fact, we are living in fear now as this is not the first time such an incident has happened to a colleague. We are appealing to the managers of the hostels to provide security personnel to protect our lives and properties, they said. Some who threatened to quit school to protect themselves appealed to the Ashanti Regional Police Command, to either provide them security or mandate the hostel managers to do the needful. The Assembly Member for Asafo Electoral Area in the Kumasi metropolis, Hon Isaac Okine, expressed worry over recent robberies at the private students hostels in the area. He told this portal that for several years, students, mostly from the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), had suffered robbery attacks during the night time and called for immediate attention to address the issue. 17.03.2022 LISTEN Whites/Europeans invaded West Africa in the 1400s, and arrived not only with trinkets, pots/pans, and dated guns to trade, but disease and conflict. There were many whites who had a total disregard for Black/African cultures, and others who just wanted to learn how to manipulate the cultures and run roughshod over African people for their own benefit. Upon whites arrival indigenous slavery was minimize and then entangled into chattel slavery by several money-hungry wicked chieftaincies (i.e. Asante; Akwamus; Akyem; Kwahu; Fante; Krepesee A. Perbi), and Europeans strategies to ignited internal conflicts among Africans to feed their insatiable appetites for forced free laborthat is to enslave Africans to work their plantations and build their nations. What is amazing, during that period in history there were no European Berlin Conference borders, not until 1844. Even after European colonialists were ushered out via Pan Africanists independence and Nkrumah-Selassie OAU (Organization of African Unity), African politicians still maintain European borders as they continue to do business with families of former European colonialists enslavers, European religious systems, and white secret societies (i.e. Freemasons; Skull and Bones; . Europeans, the real a.k.a. obruni (Akan) meaningwhiteman or foreigners, is a term used by Black/Africa ancestors directed at European colonialists and slave masterswhich the abused and exploited African ancestors in retaliation, bitterly cursed the whiteman and blasted the term obruni through clinched teeth. Africans ancestors nor are their repatriating Ascendants, and any other Africans for that matter an obruni-- nothing endearing about this, no more than calling another African a nigger, coon, or monkey, which are also insulting derogatory terms. The terms are not descriptive of Africans, and there have never been any African lands named to represent those terms. In this case, the term is misdirected and Africans calling other Africans obruni is neither appropriate nor applicable to neither African Diasporans nor Africans in other parts of the continent. Black/African diasporans are not whites, of course; nor are they foreign to Mother Africa. European colonialists languages were forced on the tongues of enslaved Africans in the diaspora. Likewise, enslaved and colonized continental Africans were able to maintain their tribal/mother tongues--especially those teaching European missionaries and traveling Dutch merchants the local languages. And still, after gaining independence, the official language of Ghana today is British English, and youth are taught in schools they are surrounded by so called Francophone nations. They are African nations! --that happen to speak French via European colonization and indoctrination, similar to the African diasporan experience. What must be taught and understood, both Continental Africans and Diasporan Africans beginnings, their Blackness is in Africas Nile River Valley areas and Asia (see D. Houston: C. Diop; Y. Jochannan; J. H. Clarke; J. Jackson; C. Williams; E. Muhammad; F. Cress Welsing; I. Sertima; A. Hilliard; C. Acholonu; L. Jeffries; M. Asante; R. Rashidi and many other African historians). Blacks/Africans are one people! The history must be taught, and then Sankofa-ism will flow fluently. For those unaware, the repatriation of African diasporans is nothing new, those who were STOLEN FROM AFRICA (B. Marley) have been returning since the 1700s, even after fighting in the American Revolutionary War against England. In the 20th century, the repatriation process continued with President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the Fifth Pan African Congress. Nkrumahs bridge building efforts were about ushering in African diasporans (not obruni) to their place of origin-- Mother Africa. Those who overthrew President Nkrumah made no efforts to further build the Pan African Bridge. Many were too entangled in additional military coup detats, busy jocking for prime ministership or presidency, and scrapping to control valuable natural resources. However, in 2000, President J. J. Rawlings pushed Right of Abode involving a ten (10) year required residency, no political rights; in 2016, President John Mahamas 34 as he was making his exit out of the presidencynothing constitutional; and in 2019, President Akufo Addos Year of Return 200+ economic citizenship, also no political rights. In 2020, Addos Beyond the Year of Return supposedly a follow up to the Year of Return, simply put was a vague project, be it intentional or unintentional. Question is-- was Ghana prepared for African diasporans repatriation? Emphatically, no-- today, poor infrastructure and corruption. There are over millions African diasporans, many planning to repatriate, some not, and others who would just find it healing to know they have a right to return and political rights just as any other Africans. In 2000s, many Ghanas politicians contemptuous schemes became increasingly noticeably, more about moneya price tag was even placed on the heads of African diasporans. A little more sophisticated than the old chattel slave markets. During the Year of Return, it was even declared by repatriation organization leaders and rallied by Ghana media that African diasporans worth was a whopping $3 billion dollars. Ghana government actions were probably appeasing to European neo-colonialists and/or anti-Pan Africanists. President Addos Presidential Executive Order as it pertains to issuing African diasporans economic citizenship sent out a clear message and reassured European neo-colonialists that diasporans can come spend their dollars, euros and pounds, and build houses, businesses, and pay taxes, BUTthey are not allowed to play a role in the political scheme of things in Ghana of course, to many African diasporans this is unacceptable. To date, Ascendants of Africans who were chattel enslaved throughout the diasporan (with or without Ghanas economic citizenship) are repatriating African diasporans, and they have no political representation on Ghanas parliament floor or within the presidency and its administration, and yet certain continental Africans travel abroad to campaign for African diasporans to invest-- funnel money into Ghana/Africa, especially for construction of Wakanda cities. Why should theybecause they are Africans? Then those continental Africans and Ghana government must understand, Ascendants of Africans who were enslaved should be treated as Africans, FIRST. Many Ascendants of Africans are seeking full citizenship from Ghana, especially from an African nation that was able to claim independence via the Pan African movement (started by African diasporans in 1900 in the West); and an African nation that proclaims democracy (reflecting on taxation without representation is tyrannyJ. Otis), and thus far, African diasporans are returning to Ghana without being given full citizenship, BUT-- there is no problem requesting diasporan to invest; informing diasporans they are categorized and carded as non-citizens for $120 by an Africa nation; including xenophobic and/or undereducated locals labeling African diasporans (members of the Sixth Region of Africa (AU) obruni. With this being said, one must ask are there more executive orders and economic citizenry waiting for African diasporans? If full citizenship is eventually provided for African diasporans, will it be possible to acquire it without a private repatriating organization leader standing guard at the threshold of Ghanas Diasporan Affairs office with hands out for a membership fee? If not, this would be another scam that has to be dealt with. The Year of Return debacles became so prevalent Ghana Professor Stephen Kwaku Asar, CDD-Ghana Democracy and Development Fellow in Public Law, posted an article on Ghanas year of return: Citizenship without political rights (2019); in addition Kwabena Agyare Yeboah, posted We need to talk about Ghanas Year of Return and its politics of exclusion (2019). Question is- why was the Year of Return problematic? Rawlings, Mahama, and Addo, never referred to African diasporans as obruni, but some could say they were/are treated as so. Are African diasporans viewed as walking money bags, having to prove their worth or buy their way back into Africa --by way of some of the same tribes/nations that placed African ancestors in holdings to be sold and stolen away by European slave traders? For those unaware, African ancestors were enslaved, brutally forced into the filthy bowels of European slave ships and taken to America as early as 1502, not 1619 as proclaimed by President Addo-- history from the Britishs perspective. Lets not exclude enslaved African ancestors who arrived in Mexico and South Carolina long before other Africans were brought to Virginia (W. Katz). Are the Ascendants of African ancestors being excluded? As Maya Angelou once stated as it pertains to early repatriates in Ghana, which Angelou was among them-- tolerated a lot to be ignore. (T. Lubabu). The saga continues. Some African diasporans have repatriated and there are others planning to repatriate to Ghana (Africa). How can an African nation ignore or exclude the Ascendants of Africans who were enslaved as they return to the scenes of the crime, which is right in Ghanas governments backyard slave castles/dungeons (Ascendants charged entry fees), slave markets, and an area of West Africa once known as the hub of slavery? And, then to add insults to injury-- deny full citizenship after a grueling over 400 year abduction and brutal enslavementthis is not only repeating slave market piracy behavior, but exclusion, and it is unacceptable. There must be a healing process, reconciliation committee and a developed African-centered education. Solution: Communicate with the office of Diasporan Affairs Office concerning Ascendants of Africans who were enslaved repatriation process, which should not be handled by a private organization no more than the slave castles/dungeons should be and the handling of Ghanaian diasporans by a private group?; and Minister of Education and NaCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment), inform them ourstory/history is to be taught in classrooms and written in textbooks from an African-centered perspective, and students must be taught how to apply the learning to African cultures and Black economic empowerment (see C. G. Woodson), which would bring an end to such exclusion and misconceptions. References: Katz, W. L. (1974). Eyewitness: The Negro in American history. Belmont, CA: Pitman Publishing Corporation. Maya Angelous meeting with Africa by Tshitenge Lubabu (2011) https:www.theafricareport.com/7921/maya-angelous-meeting-with-africa/amp/ Dr. K. Makeda Muhammad is a Repatriate a returnee to Africa via Ghana in 2011. Dr. Makedas field of study is Black Studies; she is an educator, writer, Pan Africanist, community activist, and social media freedom fighter. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced it is commencing investigations into the recruitment processes at the Ghana Police Academy. The OSP added that it will probe the use of office for profit, abuse of profit and power favoritism, nepotism and the selection of unqualified persons. In a statement sighted by Modern Ghana News, the OSP indicated that investigation is geared towards suspected corruption and corruption related offences in respect to recruitment of Course 51 of Cadet Officers Training at the Ghana Police Academy. According to the OSP, the investigation will also target corruption and corruption related offences in offices as well as victimization. See details here: Meanwhile, there have been several discussions on the recruitment process into the police force after seven policemen were indicted for their involvement in several bullion van robberies in the country which led to the death of one policeman. Analysts have called for the disbandment of the SWAT unit and reform it. Mali's ruling junta has ordered French public broadcasters RFI and its sister TV station France 24 off the air, claiming they have falsely accused the army of committing abuses accusations the broadcasters roundly reject. The Foreign Ministry has called the decision "a grave attack on freedom of the press". Allegations that the army, as well as jihadists, have carried out a wave of civilian killings since December 2021 were made by the head of the United Nations rights commission Michelle Bachelet and rights group Human Rights Watch on Tuesday. They were then relayed in news reports by RFI and France 24. RFI also broadcast its own report earlier this week, airing comments from alleged victims of abuse by the army. The government in Bamako "categorically rejects these false accusations against the courageous FAMA (Malian Armed Forces)," spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga said in a statement dated Wednesday. The junta is "initiating proceedings... to suspend broadcasts by RFI and France 24... until further notice," he continued. 'Unfounded allegations' The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the decision to suspend the broadcasts by the state-funded media is "a grave attack on the freedom of the press". A spokesperson for the European Union described the junta's decision as unacceptable and said the accusations on which it was based were "unfounded". "By attacking the freedom of the press, the freedom to inform and to be informed, the junta is continuing and confirming that it is pushing ahead regardless," foreign policy spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said in Brussels. France Medias Monde the parent company of RFI and France 24 said it strongly protested against the unfounded allegations which seriously questioned the professionalism of its broadcasts. In a statement Thursday, the group said it deplores the procedure undertaken by the Malian government, warning it would explore every form of recourse to avoid being pulled off the air. RFI and France 24 were still broadcasting on Thursday morning in Mali which has been wracked by jihadist violence for over a decade. 'Criminal intent' The junta, which seized power in August 2020, said there had been "false accusations" in a report early in the week in which RFI aired comments from alleged victims of abuse by the army and mercenaries believed to be from the Russian private-security group Wagner. RFI collected testimony from some 10 people. Sekou Bah described being taken to an army camp near Sofara "where there were lots of white faces" as part of an anti-terorrist operation. He was "suspended upside down by his feet and interrogated by Malian soldiers". Others said they had been detained for days, even weeks, without food, unable to contact their families. Maiga said Malian news websites, newspapers and its national radio and TV stations were all "banned from rebroadcasting and/or publishing programmes and news articles put out by RFI and France 24". He compared the French broadcasters to Rwanda's Radio Mille Collines the Hutu extremist hate radio that incited listeners to exterminate minority Tutsis during the 1994 genocide. "Certain allegations, particularly those advanced by RFI, have no other objective than to sow hatred," he said, adding that this demonstrated the "criminal intent" of some journalists. Summary executions Mali's junta also accused Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Michelle Bachelet, the UN human rights chief, of making false allegations against the government. HRW this week released a report accusing Malian soldiers of killing at least 107 civilians in central and southwestern Mali since December 2021. The victims, most allegedly summarily executed, include traders, village chiefs, religious leaders, and children, the rights organisation wrote. Mali's under-equipped army has also often been accused of committing abuses during the brutal conflict. But the army-dominated interim government, installed after a 2020 military coup, regularly rejects such accusations. President Emmanuel Macron last month announced the impending withdrawal of thousands of troops deployed in Mali under France's anti-jihadist mission in the Sahel. A senior political lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to reshuffle the managers of the countrys finances and the economy to enable him to tap into fresh ideas and energies in helping to sail the country through the current economic hardships. According to Prof Gyampo, the country is currently in hard times and, although he believes President Akufo-Addo still has the men to help him bring respite, it will be much better if he would look outside his party and, where necessary, bring onboard other Ghanaians to help rescue the economy. Prof Gyampo said these in an open letter to the President on the current hard times being experienced by Ghanaians. He gave the president a nine-point suggestion that he believes can help restore the economy if the president heeds. Among them, Prof Gyampo suggested that President Akufo-Addo should reduce the size of his government now by realigning some functionally duplicative ministries and dropping some ministers. Some proposals can be made to this effect, but a government that wants to lead by example in these hard times should know the ministries that are a complete waste and drain on our limited resources and either realign or scrap them, he wrote. If necessary, Prof Gyampo also proposed that Nana Akufo-Addo reduce his own salary and that of his remaining appointees by 30 per cent, and reduce or completely suspend the payment of all the allowances and per diems that are given to people who already earn huge salaries. Apart from the Presidency, Prof Gyampo also wants the President to reduce or completely withdraw the fuel coupons that grant free fuel to all appointees, friends and family members so all will buy fuel and be frugal with the little they have. Below is the full open letter to Nana Akufo-Addo: Open Letter to President Akufo-Addo on Current Hard Times. Your Excellency, I greet you. It is clear that times are hard and many Ghanaians never imagined that these will happen in your regime. You gave all of us a lot of hope in the lead up to the 2016 General Elections and to be fair, you cannot be accused of not doing anything since your election. The challenge, however, is that, apart from Free SHS, your appointees and communicators have been super-incompetent in touting your achievements in a manner that ingrains them in the psyche of the people, thereby creating the impression that not much has been done. But this may be discussed in detail in another candid letter to you another time. For now, my focus is on the hard times in which we find ourselves. There may be several legitimate explanations accounting for the current tough times. But as the Hobbesian account of the generation of the Leviathan show, the essence of instituting a government, is not to explain, but to solve problems, so we do not relapse into the State of Nature. I have heard many of your appointees trying to offer credible explanations behind the scenes, about why we are where we are now. But with respect, Sir, we never gave a mandate for a second term for problem explanations that are inconsequential to dealing with the tangible challenges we are all experiencing now. If something can be done, it must be done now. If nothing can be done, Ghanaians must be in the know, so they can resign themselves to fate. But I honestly believe there are a couple of things that you can do to show leadership, whip up patriotism and elicit support from the citizenry in helping you to navigate all of us from the current challenges we face as a people. I humbly make the following suggestions for your consideration: 1. Reduce the size of your government now, by realigning some functionally duplicative ministries and dropping some ministers. Some proposals can be made to this effect, but a government that wants to lead by example in these hard times should know the ministries that are a complete waste and drain on our limited resources and either realign or scrap them. 2. If necessary, please reduce your own salary and that of your remaining appointees by 30 per cent, and reduce or completely suspend the payment of all the allowances and per diems that are given to people who already earn huge salaries (even when reduced by 30 per cent). 3. Apart from the Presidency, please reduce or completely withdraw the fuel coupons that grant free fuel to all appointees, friends and family members, so all will buy fuel and be frugal with the little they have. 4. Park all the V8 Vehicles, auction some, and let the remaining be used only when appointees are travelling out of the city centres to the remote hinterlands where the real use of these vehicles may be needed. Let these appointees drive their saloon vehicles to work. Let us supplant the view that, poor people are extravagant. 5. Let all appointees stay and work here in Ghana. If they have to travel, let them fly with economy class tickets. Your recent flight with a commercial airline to Dubai is commendable and must be emulated. 6. Reinstate the hurriedly scrapped toll booths and let them begin to collect road tolls, adjusted a little from 50 pesewas to 1 cedi for salon vehicles, and from 1 cedi to 2 cedis for big engines. 7. Scrap some of the nuisance taxes on petroleum products to cushion Ghanaians. 8. The 2020 Auditor-General Report suggested that we lost 12.8 billion cedis due to infractions and other irregularities committed by statutory institutions. Please quickly institute measures to ensure we dont continue to fetch water with a basket, even in these hard times. 9. Finally, sir, I know you believe in loyalty and you trust those in whom you repose much confidence. But I think you must consider the possibility of reshuffling the managers of our finances and the economy, just for the purposes of tapping into fresh ideas and renewed energies in helping you to sail us through the storms currently hitting us. I believe you still have the men to help, else, please look outside your party, for we are all sinking in a common boat and where necessary, other Ghanaians must be brought on board for the rescue. Your Excellency, I am of the firm belief and conviction that, these measures will help you garner the needed support from the citizenry in these difficult times, offer some solutions, and make the call for belts to be tightened, receptive and not repulsive. Thank you, Sir. Yaw Gyampo A31, Prabiw P.A.V. Ansah Street Saltpond Suro Nipa House Kubease Larteh-Akuapim Source: Classfmonline.com 17.03.2022 LISTEN The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is yet to open nominations for its members to pick forms to contest for various leadership positions from the branch, ward, regional to national levels. Some prominent individuals in the party who have interests to vie for certain positions have started doing their underground work to canvass support for their bids when the time comes. To that end, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister, hon. Nii Armah Ashittey paid a courtesy call on the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to inform them of his intentions to contest for the National Chairman position of the umbrella family. The visit was to amongst other things inform the chiefs who are the fathers and custodians of the land his decision to vie for the high office and to seek their blessings and guidance. Addressing the chiefs, hon. Nii Armah Ashittey said he has what it takes to lead the NDC on a solid road to recapturing power from the abysmal-performing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and therefore wants their blessings. I have come to you as your son and indigene of the land to officially informed you of my intention to vie for the chairmanship position of the party. The NDC needs a new and formidable person to lead it to victory and I believe I have the capabilities, experiences and competences required to chair a party such as the NDC. "I have been an ardent NDC person since its early stages and that as it stands currently, things are not going the right way in the party and we need formidable person to rescue the party and lead us to victory come 2024. "If given the nod to chair the party by our delegates, I will work assiduously to change the face of the party and make party more vibrant by putting in the required and necessary measures that befit the NDC. "I will take a second look at the partys constitution and seek for its amendment to move in tandem with the modern day party politics as accepted by developed democracies. "In so doing , I will make sure our branches are made effective and vibrant to be able to lead the crusade to recapture power for the party come 2024. Branches should be the focus and anchor of our party and that if the branch is made vibrant, I believe things will move in the right and positive ways. "The NDC is currently bedevilled with a lot of challenges and one of such challenge is financial. There are many people who are more than qualified to contest for positions to lead the party but because they lack the needed financial muscles they are unable to pick and compete," he told the chiefs. He indicated that the party elections is an internal affair and must therefore not be done with enmity, rancour, wrong and counter-accusations. "Every person contesting has a good vision for the NDC and so, we must not create enmity and divisions due to internal elections." He expressed his readiness and commitment to work with anyone who is chosen by the partys delegates to lead them to victory in 2024. In his response, Oboade Notse King Prof Odaifio Welentsi III, who doubles as the Chief of Nungua thanked hon. Ashittey for the visit. "We are the custodians and fathers of the land and we are therefore happy for him and welcome him with open arms as an indigene of the land," he stated. The Nungua Chief wished Nii Armah Ashittey well in his journey to becoming the NDC chairman and added that their doors are always open for any advise and guidance. Oboade Norse Kong Prof . Odaifio Welentsi III called for the amendment of Ghanas constitution to enable chiefs and queen mothers to have a say in party politics in the country. Bulgarian Ambassador to Ghana and Nigeria, Yanko Yordanov, has accused Ghana government of breaching the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. He warned of far-reaching implications on diplomatic relationships with Ghana due to the demolition of a facility on the premises of its Embassy in Accra. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries. The Bulgarian Embassy, located at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments in Accra, was demolished by a private developer in 2017. The Lands Commission has since ordered the developer to stop work on a redevelopment project on the site. But work has since been progressing. Yanko Yordanov, who is worried about the turn of events, called on the government of Ghana to as a matter of urgency ensure that the protocols of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations are respected. He said he had held discussions with President Akufo-Addo on the matter. He [President Akufo-Addo] assured me that this will be resolved very soon, but our expectations didnt match the reality at all and for this reason, we are still insisting on the implementation of the Vienna Convention which must be done in a very proper way. At a press conference in Accra, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration explained that the government has no hand in the demolition by a private developer. But the Bulgarian Ambassador to Ghana and Nigeria, Yanko Yordanov, indicated if that is the reality, then the government must ensure that a Supreme Court ruling affirming their legitimate ownership of the land which previously housed the Bulgarian Embassy is enforced. This property has been recognized as ours by every judicial level in Ghana, including Ghana's Spreme Court. What I expect is that the ruling of the Supreme Court be implemented and Bulgaria be granted access to its own property, he said. By Citi Newsroom The Minority in Parliament has filed a private members motion for a bi-partisan probe into the circumstances that led to the death of two policemen who were suspects assisting with investigations into recent bullion van robberies. The Ranking Member on the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, James Agalga, has been addressing the media on the rationale for the said motion. The killing of the two police officers has now resulted in a situation where the police administration would be denied of very crucial evidence in its quest to unravel the bullion robberies in our country. What makes the matter even more worrying is the fact that the persons implicated, some of whom are now dead, are, themselves, police officers. That is what makes a probe and an enquiry very compelling. Police have said the two arrested police officers killed during investigations into recent bullion van robberies met their demise while they were assisting with an operation to fish out their collaborators from their hideout. The two officers who were killed were identified as Constable Reindolph Ansah and Lance Corporal Stephen Kwaku Name. The bullion van attacks being investigated occurred at Kingsway, Baatsona, Jamestown, and North Kaneshie Industrial Area last year. On March 8, the police announced the arrest of the four policemen, alongside one other suspect. Five other civilian suspects had gone into hiding, according to the police. ---citinewsroom The petitioner in the Supreme Courts ruling that a Deputy Speaker has the right to vote when presiding and form quorum during Parliamentary business has asked the former President John Dramani Mahama to stay in his corner and not venture into the realm of law. According to Justice Abdulai, the former President has no capacity to advise him on the law. If anybody has to be advised on the law, it is me who should be advising the former president on the remit of the law because I am a lawyer, he contended. Mr Mahama who in his opinion disagreed with the Supreme Court ruling describing it as leading the country into the realm of absurdity advised Justice Abdulai to seek review. Reacting to Mr Mahamas advise, the petitioner explained that the former president cannot be seen or heard to be advising me on the law. The former president cannot advise me on the law because he is not a lawyer by profession, he added. Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on Accra 100.5 FM, Thursday, March 17, 2022 Justice Abdullai noted that Mr Mahama can advise him as a younger brother on other matters because he has been President before but not on matters of law. I respect him as a former president but not on matters of law, he maintained. According to him, he went to the SC to seek three reliefs namely, finality, clarity, and timeliness on the matter that has become an albatross on the neck of all well-meaning Ghanaians. He added that the situation of the Constitution being silent on a Deputy Speaker presiding and voting but the Parliamentary Standing Orders being clear that a Deputy Speaker cannot vote or form quorum was worrying. He said this was the reason he took the pains to go to the SC for an interpretation. He added that the confusion does not auger well for the peace of the country stemming from the hung Parliament. He revealed that he has prepared all his arguments for a review on the matter Source: Classfmonline.com 17.03.2022 LISTEN #FixTheCountry convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor has been released from police custody. He was let free on Thursday, 17 March 2022 after having been in detention for over a month. The activist was released following the execution of his bail. Despite having been granted bail on Wednesday, he spent an extra night in police custody to await the completion of the bail processes by the High Court Registrar, a statement issued by the Ghana Police Service indicated. One of the sureties attached to the bail was to deposit documents covering a landed property. However, the Registrar of the court was unable to proceed with the execution of the bail until a response was received from the Lands Commission, after Mr Barker-Vormawor had presented the documents to the landed property. The Police urged individuals who are unfamiliar with these legal processes to take note and be circumspect with their comments on these matters. The court earlier granted the activist a GHS2-million bail. The court also said Mr Barker-Vormawors passport should remain in the custody of the State and he must report himself once a week to the police command. Oliver Barker-Vormawor has been charged with treason felony by the police. He made his first appearance in court on Monday, February 14 where he was denied bail and remanded into custody. He was arrested on Friday, 11 February 2022 at the Kotoka International Airport when he returned from the UK for making suggestive coup threats on social media. The police indicated that his post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic. He had suggested in a Facebook post that if the e-levy was passed: "I'll do the coup myself. Useless army!" Source: classfmonline.com Scores of supporters of the FixTheCountry Movement jubilated in style in Accra on Thursday, March 17, 2022, when their convener, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor was finally released on bail. The Tema High Court, presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, granted Oliver Barker-Vormawor bail in the sum of Two Million Ghana Cedis (GH 2,000,000.00) with two sureties. As part of the bail conditions, the Court ordered that one of the sureties should deposit his document covering the landed property within the jurisdiction of the Court. Pursuant to the orders of the Court, the Police took the accused person to the Court to execute the bail. At the court, the Registrar informed the Police that he had submitted the document presented by the sureties to the Lands Commission for verification and he was therefore unable to proceed with the execution of the bail until a response was received from the Lands Commission. As a result, the Police could not release the embattled FixTheCountry convener on bail as granted by the Tema High Court. Finally, today, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor and his lawyers have met all the bail requirements for his release. While the FixTheCountry Movement celebrates his release, his lawyers are preparing for his return to court on March 29. He was charged with treason felony over a post on his Facebook page where he threatened to stage a coup in the country should parliament approve the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy. Nearly 100 Vietnamese guest workers enter RoK under EPS scheme Nearly 100 Vietnamese workers arrived in the Republic of Korea (RoK) under the Employment Permit System (EPS) of the country on a flight to Incheon International Airport on March 17. Nearly 100 Vietnamese guest workers enter RoK under EPS scheme (Photo: VNA) This is the largest group of EPS workers to the RoK since the country resumed its reception of those people in May last year after a temporary hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The RoK is currently one of the key labour export markets of Vietnam. It is expected that the number of Vietnamese workers under the scheme to the RoK will continue to increase after the Northest Asian country begins applying a new entry regulation from April 1. After the RoK government lifted the restriction on the weekly and daily number of people entering the country in order to adapt to its "safe living with COVID-19" plan, labourers from all countries are allowed to enter the RoK if they were vaccinated against COVID-19 and tested negative for Coronavirus by PCR method within 48 hours before their departure. Workers entering the RoK are paid by their employers for the entire cost of quarantine in accordance with three levels of support. Any attempt to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and undermine its prosperity and stability is doomed to fail, a Chinese envoy said on Wednesday, stressing that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, made the remarks at a side meeting during the ongoing 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, the principle of "One Country, Two Systems," under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy, has been fully implemented, Chen said. A Chinese national flag and a flag of the HKSAR are raised at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong to mark the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, July 1, 2021. /CFP He reviewed the enactment and implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and changes made to the HKSAR's electoral system under the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong." The HKSAR has witnessed a "historic turnaround" from chaos to governance and from governance to prosperity thanks to these moves, he said, adding that the legal rights of the Hong Kong people are better exercised in a safer environment. He expressed confidence that the HKSAR will defeat COVID-19 with full support from the central government and people across China. John Lee Ka-chiu, chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government, who also attended the meeting hailed the role of the national security law in restoring order in Hong Kong. He added that the changes to the electoral system have improved the quality and efficiency of Hong Kong's Legislative Council. Permanent representatives and senior diplomats from over a dozen countries, including Russia, Iran, Sri Lanka, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Niger, South Sudan, Eritrea, Laos, Cameroon, Syria and Belarus, voiced support for the one-China principle, reiterating that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China. They also expressed support for China's legislative efforts to safeguard national security and voiced opposition to external interference in Hong Kong affairs. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responds to questions from the media at the close of the legislative session on Monday, March 14, 2022. (Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via AP) (Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat /AP) The freedom state? Seriously? Our governor and his acolytes have labeled, or should I say, mislabeled, Florida as the freedom state. Let me be clear. If he continues to have his way, Florida will only be free for the people who think and look exactly like he does. Advertisement Freedom for immigrant children? No. Freedom for LGBTQ+ families and their children? Absolutely not. Advertisement Freedom for women to control their own bodies? A hard NO! Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, returned home to Palm Beach County "disgusted and embarrassed" by what Republicans did and didn't do in Tallahassee this session. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) Freedom to vote freely and by means that are safe and secure? No, no, and no. And believe it or not, Gov. Ron DeSantis even created a new police force to oversee our elections, even though audit after audit has already shown Florida elections to be safe and secure. But of course, with his election police, he now wields a weapon he can use to intimidate, threaten, and cajole voters. Even businesses are being told how they must think and act, and if they stray from the governors thought police and dare to encourage equality and respect of people in their employ regardless of their gender, sexual preference or gender identity, they too can be sued. When it comes to basic respect and individual rights, the 2022 legislative session will undoubtedly go down as the worst in Florida history, and it will surely be remembered as a turning point when Florida moved away from personal liberties, freedom of expression and freedom of thought to one that took an unconstitutional hard right turn towards despotism. I have said it before and will repeat it here: Even George Orwell, were he alive today, would be shocked to learn that his dystopian fears were actually playing out. Through it all, the GOP leadership ignored some of the more pressing issues facing our state. As average everyday families struggle to find affordable housing, affordable insurance, affordable health care, affordable medicine, or jobs that pay a livable wage, the GOP leadership ignored those crises and instead attacked gay and transgender children, found ways to ban books, turned our classrooms into battle zones and even found new ways to restrict access to the ballot box. If there was any doubt that this was the year to attack Floridians who dont look, think or act like a Fox News talking head, one senator admitted on the floor of the Senate, after I grilled him about his true intentions, that his attack on sexual preference or gender identity was really about stopping kids from becoming gay. He even openly stated his belief that by talking about gender issues we can actually create homosexuals. (Sadly, I am not making that up.) Advertisement Further, the governors spokeswoman literally said that anyone who supports gay rights is either an actual pedophile or supports pedophiles. And no, she was not fired for saying this! I return home disgusted and embarrassed for our state. But make no mistake, this fight is too important to give up on now. The rights of Floridians all Floridians, every single one of them matters to me, and I hope matters to every single voter in our state. I hope to not only bring that message to the people of this state but to return to this battlefield and continue this fight. To that end, I will work even harder to take on these battles with the hope of redirecting our states leaders to not only undo the harm they inflicted this year, but to focus on the very real and very tangible challenges facing Floridians every single day. Sen. Tina Polsky of Boca Raton, a Democrat, represents District 29 in Palm Beach and Broward counties. 17.03.2022 LISTEN Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has disclosed that President Nana Akufo-Addo is set to ease restrictions at Ghanas land borders. The Minister also indicated that the President has also been meeting on the rising cost of fuel in Ghana, which is currently at GHS 10 per litre. This has compelled calls for some taxes on petroleum products to be scrapped. Yesterday and today @NAkufoAddo has been engaged in meetings in preparation to announce the easing of restrictions at our borders and tackling escalating fuel prices, he said in a tweet. Land borders have been closed since the onset of the coronavirus two years ago as part of measures to prevent the virus. Pressure has been mounting from various sections of society for the government to finally ease the restriction on land borders. This week, the Minority in Parliament asked that the land borders be opened with immediate effect for the free flow of goods and persons among neighboring countries. Some long-distance commercial bus drivers operating in Accra also urged the government to reopen the country's land borders to enable them to resume operations. In December 2021, President Akufo-Addo said it was not the right time to reopen borders, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases because of the Omicron variant. The Ghana Health Service had also urged the government to keep the country's land borders closed as part of measures to ensure that the Omicron variant does not spread. ---citinewsroom Member of Parliament for Pru East, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, has accused the Minister of Finance of feet-dragging in implementing proposals to cushion Ghanaians against rising fuel prices. According to Dr. Donkor, there is no justification for the refusal of the government to protect consumers in the face of rising fuel prices. I am aware that recommendations have been made to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry is reluctant to implement the directive of government, and that is absolutely unacceptable. The Ghanaian people are suffering from high prices yet, the externalities cannot be discounted, but there is a section that is within our control, so we cannot ride on the externalities to justify the current prices. Prices at the pumps crossed the GHS 10 per litre mark on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Dr. Donkor is of the view that more can be done to salvage the suffering masses. He added his voice to the call for some petroleum taxes to be removed from the price build-up. The Ghanaian state has the capacity of controlling the taxes and levies. This is not the first time we are having an increase in petroleum prices due to global trends. Anytime it rises beyond a certain amount, the Ghanaian state reduces the amount of taxes on the product so that some relief is given to some consumers. He said: We have called on government several times [but to no avail]. We are producing oil, and we are gaining from the upstream, therefore, the tax, like the special petroleum tax can be halted while those that can be reduced are drastically brought down. He recommended that a second look be taken at the whole pricing regime so that the burden on consumers can be reduced. He said the National Petroleum Authority, NPA, should embark on a conservation campaign to educate consumers on how to efficiently use their petroleum products. We must also take a second look at the entire pricing regime. Are there inefficiencies in the pricing regime? Can we improve on the efficiencies in the pricing and sectoral regime so that the gains of these efficiencies can be pushed to the consumers, especially in these difficult times? The NPA as the regulator should also embark on a conservation campaign. In these times, the public should be educated on methodologies of managing the use of petroleum products. ---citinewsroom The petitioner in the Supreme Court case concerning the voting rights of Deputy Speakers, Mr Justice Abdulai, has said he does not need legal advice from former President John Dramani Mahama. According to Mr Abdulai, the former President has no capacity to advise him on the law. In his view, he should rather be advising Mr Mahama who is not a lawyer on the law. Mr Mahama had earlier described the 7-0 unanimous decision of the apex court that presiding deputy speakers had the right to vote as regrettable and I look forward to the applicant applying for a review of this ruling. Reacting to Mr Mahamas comment, Mr Abdulai told Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on Accra100.5FMs morning show Ghana Yensom on Thursday, 17 March 2022: The former president cannot advise me on the law because he is not a lawyer. I respect him as a former president but he cannot advise me on matters of the law, Mr Abdulai insisted. Mr Abdulai petitioned the court to declare as unconstitutional, First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusus action of counting himself as one of the MPs on the floor while presiding over the proceedings of the House in relation to the formation of a quorum for the passage of the 2022 budget, which had earlier been rejected by the minority side. He was of the view that once a Deputy Speaker, who is an MP, presides in the stead of the Speaker, he loses his right to vote. In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, 9 March 2022, however, the seven-member Bench, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, held that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution, a Deputy Speaker, who is a Member of Parliament, does not lose his right to take part in decision-making in parliament. Speaking to the media on the ruling on Saturday, 12 March 2022, Mr Abdulai, who is also a lawyer, said: This issue about the Deputy Speaker and the substantive Speaker being one and the same is something that I thought the Supreme Court should have made a firm pronouncement on. The Constitution says that whoever occupies a position whether acting or deputy has the same powers and authorities as the substantive one. The Standing Orders reaffirm this same position that the Deputy Speaker is the same or occupies the same position or function as the Speaker, he argued. Because of this difficulty, I expected a firm pronouncement on those matters by the Supreme Court to put a finality to that part of it. A firm pronouncement would have put some level of clarity and finality to the disagreements that are presently ongoing, he noted. He said: In their own judgment, [Justices] felt, probably it wasnt borne out of the reliefs that I was seeking, so, they refused to grant it. Thats fair and part of the legal processes. The law lecturer also told host Nana Otu Darko, the host of CTVs Dwabre Mu morning show on Thursday that he has been inundated with calls ever since the apex court ruled on the matter. Im receiving calls from both prominent people in the NPP and NDC Ive also received calls from both past and present students of mine. Also, he said a lot of TV stations have called me specifically to fund-raising purposes to support the review. Mr Abdulai said he finds it very humbling that a lot of Ghanaians are ready to offer some help toward the judicial process but has decided against accepting any monetary offers. Also, he revealed that he has been in touch with some statesmen who, collectively, are trying to use the judicial process as a rallying point to bring together former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and John Mahama together with President Nana Akufo-Addo as well as past and present Speakers of Parliament, to deliberate on the matter and push for national unity, since, in his view, his aim of unifying the country through the court petition is rather turning out to be counter-production because the 7-0 ruling of the Supreme Court appears to have deepened the cracks of division in the nation. Source: Classfmonline.com The Vice President of Ghana, H.E Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is set to host African public sector leaders in the 3rd edition of the Africa Public Sector Conference & Awards (APSCA 2022). The event is scheduled to hold May 11-13th 2022 at the Plush Kempinski Hotel, Accra Ghana. APSCA organized by InstinctWave, in Collaboration with the Office of the Head of Service has also announced the call for entries for nominations for the three-day event. Now in its third year, APSCA 2022 themed, Repositioning Africas Public Sector for Sustainable Development" will bring together all levels of government stakeholders to showcase international and local case studies, their projects, innovations that stood them out to be more citizen-centric, vibrant, transformative and sustainable. The event is an invigorating week-long event with activities such as sporting, games, awards and dinner among others. The Conference will feature thought leaders to share ideas, discuss the newest trends, economic issues and experiences from across different countries. Speaking on the event, Mr Akin Naphtal, the GCEO of InstinctWave, the organizer of the event, said APSCA will reward public sector agencies and leaders who have showcased excellence in policy innovation and exceptional leadership at various levels of governance. Expected to attend are public and private sectors decision-makers as well as other stakeholders from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and some other Middle Eastern Africa Countries. Top 50 outstanding Public Sector Leaders who have delivered extraordinary value, exceptional leadership would be announced and recognized at the award night. Nominations and submission of entries has begun and closes 22nd of April, 2022 through our website www.africapublicsector.com ABOUT APSCA African citizens are demanding real-time public services from government agencies, for Africa to grow exponentially as expected, the public sector must play a key role in this development. The 3rd Africa Public Sector Conference & Awards (APSCA) 2022 will bring together, leaders in the public and private sector with opportunities to build partnerships, share insights on strategies, policies and best practices that will drive more efficient and smarter public services in Africa. The award night will celebrate and recognize outstanding state-owned organisations, public sector agencies, ministries and leaders demonstrating excellence in leadership, policy innovations, service delivery, inspiring innovations and individuals raising the benchmark of excellence that leaded to socio-economic growth across Africa. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East, Dr. Kwabena Donkor has called on government to consider the plight of the Ghanaian people and scarp some taxes on petroleum products to bring down the prices of fuel at the pumps. On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, the fears of Ghanaians came to pass when the prices of fuel at the pumps jumped from a little over GHS8 to cross the GHS10 mark per litre. With both private and commercial drivers now buying fuel at an unprecedented high prices, it is anticipated that the conditions of living in the country would get harder. Speaker to Citi News, Dr. Kwabena Donkor has proposed that government through its Ministry of Finance consider scrapping nuisance taxes on petroleum taxes. In addition, the MP of Pru East asks that government see to it that taxes that cannot be totally scrapped are reduced. He said once this is done, the prices of fuel in the country will come down to alleviate the hardships on Ghanaians. When prices rise and the state is making the revenue from the higher prices, that tax should be taken away totally. The Ghanaian state has control over the taxes and levies and this is not the first time we have had high petroleum pricing arising out of global trends. Anytime it has happened in the past, and it happened under President Kuffuor, Prof. Atta Mills, under Mahama. Anytime prices rise beyond a certain level the Ghanaian state reduces the amount of taxes or even eliminates the taxes so that they give some relief to consumers, Dr. Kwabena Donkor told Citi News. The lawmaker continued, We are calling on the government to scrap some of the taxes like the special petroleum levy and reduce those they cannot scrap. Dr. Kwabena Donkor in his interview alleged that the Finance Ministry is being reluctant to implement recommendations made by the government towards bringing down the cost of fuel. Meanwhile, transport fares are set to go up again following the latest increment in the prices of fuel. The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has described as false and diversionary claims that its personnel are on rampage in Bawku and killing civilians. It said in a statement on Thursday, March 17 that its personnel at 11 Mechanised Battalion with the support of the police conducted a series of cordon and search operations in Bawku and its environs in a bid to fish out armed assailants. This operation was triggered, according to the military, as a result of renewed clashes and sporadic shooting in the border town in the past few days. But the operation, according to GAF, resulted in exchange of fire between personnel and some armed assailants at Sabongari, a suburb of Bawku. In the process, one assailant died and five persons including three soldiers two of whom have been medevacked to Accra injured. Immediately, 10 suspects were rounded up and handed over to the Bawku District Police for further investigations. The statement signed by Director of Public Relations Captain Michael Addo Larbi of the Ghana Navy explained that some of the suspects who had been hit by bullets were traced to the Akunye Memorial Hospital, where they were placed under armed guard. Another, a woman, was sent to the Vineyard Hospital for treatment. Although the situation has been brought under control, the troops of 11 Mechanised remain on high alert to deal with any situation that may rise. The Ghana Armed Forces wishes to state categorically that these cordon and search operations have been carefully planned in accordance with the rules of engagement in order to rid the Bawku Municipality of the armed assailants engaged in the sporadic shootings. The allegations being circulated on social media that GAF personnel are on the rampage killing people and animals are false and diversionary and must accordingly be ignored. ---3news.com The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has called on the media to support the authority and the Communication for Development and Development Consult (CDA Consult) campaign against the proliferation of substandard electrical and electronic products. Mr. Francis Mensah Akpaloo, GSA Scientific Officer, and Technical Supervisor, Electronics/Electrical and Communications Engineer who made the call noted that fake or substandard products affect all and we need a concerted effort to deal with it. He, therefore, cautioned the public against the purchase and use of substandard electrical appliances and products on the market, warning that substandard electrical cables can lead to fire outbreaks. Mr. Akpaloo stated at a Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day, seminar organized by the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office which is a platform rolled out for state and non-state actors to address national issues. Speaking on the topic: Exposure of electrical appliances and gadgets to direct sunshine and elements of the weather: its impact, Mr. Akpaloo explained that apart from enforcement of the laws; the media highlighting on the electrical and electronic sector would help reduces the proliferation of fake products into the country. He said as the counterfeiters perfect ways of beating the regulatory agencies, so are the agencies perfecting ways of stopping them in their tracks, therefore, we need the support of all, thats why GSA consider CDA Consults collaboration as critical towards distilling our society of counterfeit products. Mr. Akpaloo also revealed that another means to deal with substandard goods is to equip GSA with modern technology to undertake its mandate efficiently. He said resources were key for the GSA to achieve its mandate of establishing and promulgating standards to ensure the high quality of goods produced in Ghana, whether for local consumption or export. The GSA is also mandated to provide quality assurance through inspection, testing, and metrology, among others. He acknowledged that even though the Authority is currently equipped, technology keeps changing, and we need to be ahead in the industry. The GSA Engineer noted that to augment its equipment for testing, in November 2021, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Millennium Development Agency (MiDA) donated a world-class air conditioning testing laboratory for the Authority. He added that in 2014, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) also donated to the GSA laboratory that tests fridges and freezers. Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency, Tema Regional Manager commended GSA for intensification of their market surveillance to ensure that products on the market are wholesome and meet quality standards. He said it is also important for consumers to properly examine products, to be sure of their quality and the expiry date before buying. Mr. Ameyibor noted that measures to intensify the National Campaign against patronage of Counterfeit Electrical Products and Electrical Appliances must involve all stakeholders and commended the CDA Consult and GSA for the effort. He explained that the upscale National Anti-Counterfeit Campaign seeks to inculcate industry professionals as well as consumers to protect themselves from counterfeit electrical products. Mr. Ameyibor noted that it is only through targeted and concerted efforts, involving media, manufacturers, governments, and organizations that would prevent the counterfeiters market from thriving. He said counterfeiters rely on deception and pegging prices below market levels to attract consumers and so they can penetrate our homes, businesses environment, and commercial and industrial facilities. The more sophisticated counterfeiters become, the more difficult it is to identify counterfeit products, so the best way to avoid counterfeit electrical products is to purchase products from the manufacturers authorized distributors or retailers, Mr. Ameyibor advised. Africas COVID-19 vaccine uptake rose by 15% between January and February as several countries embarked on mass vaccination drives to expand coverage and protect populations against the adverse health impacts of the virus. Around 62 million doses were administered across the continent in February up from 54 million in January. The uptick was driven mainly by vaccination campaigns in populous countries including Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. To boost the COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Africa, World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and partners are supporting mass vaccination drives in at least 10 priority countries to reach 100 million people by the end of April 2022. A mass vaccination campaign in Ethiopia, for instance, pushed up the number of doses administered by 136% between 23 January and 6 March 2022. In Kenya, a two-week mass vaccination drive in early February saw an average of 200 000 people vaccinated daily compared with 70 000 per day before the campaign. Tanzania, while not yet carrying out mass vaccinations, witnessed an increase of 152% in vaccine uptake between January and February. The vaccination drives have ignited a positive momentum against the pandemic in Africa. With every additional person vaccinated, the weaker the power of COVID-19 over our lives becomes, said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. While this progress is welcome, the pace of vaccination across the continent needs to increase nine-fold if we are to reach our target of vaccinating 70% of the population by June 2022. To date, the continent has fully vaccinated just 15% of the adult population. Of the 714 million doses received so far, 435 million or 61% has been administered. Fifteen countries are yet to reach 10% of their population fully vaccinated. Twenty-one African countries have fully vaccinated between 10% and 19% of their populations. Five countries have fully vaccinated between 40% and 69% of their populations. Only Mauritius and Seychelles have surpassed 70% vaccination coverage. Early lessons learned from the multi-partner support being provided to countries show that diversifying vaccination delivery strategies including mass vaccination campaigns and strong community engagement enable countries to reach large numbers of people quickly. Political commitment and strong leadership at all levels are key to producing positive results. Effective coordination and sufficient funding to support operational costs are pivotal to the success of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. As Africa strives to step up vaccine uptake, it is witnessing a sustained decline in COVID-19 cases. Reported cases have fallen for nine straight weeks since the peak of the fourth pandemic wave in early January. The continent reported a 10% decline in cases in the week ending on 13 March compared with the week before. Deaths declined by 37% over the same period. Although the continent is reporting fewer and fewer cases, this does not signal the end of the pandemic. We must maximize on this opportunity to protect as many people as possible with the vaccine and close all the avenues for a COVID-19 resurgence, Dr Moeti said. As COVID-19 risk perception among populations decreases and preventive measures are relaxed, our challenge is to ensure that countries continue scaling up vaccine uptake. ---WHO Africa News Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for European Studies of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has urged President Akufo-Addo to reduce the size of his government to address the hard times currently being witnessed in the country. In a post on his Facebook page, the UG lecturer indicates that times are hard in Ghana under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo. Insisting that measures should be taken to mitigate the hardship on Ghanaians, Prof. Gyampo has recommended amongst other things that the President not only reduce the size of his government but cut his salary as well. Reduce the size of your government now, by realigning some functionally duplicative ministries and dropping some ministers. Some proposals can be made to this effect, but a government that wants to lead by example in these hard times should know the ministries that are a complete waste and drain on our limited resources and either realign or scrap them. If necessary, please reduce your own salary and that of your remaining appointees by 30 per cent, and reduce or completely suspend the payment of all the allowances and per diems that are given to people who already earn huge salaries (even when reduced by 30 per cent), parts of the Prof. Gyampo post on Facebook reads. In addition, the Political Science lecturer wants President Akufo-Addo to reduce or completely withdraw the fuel coupons that grant free fuel to all appointees, friends, and family members, so all will buy fuel and be frugal with the little they have. I am of the firm belief and conviction that, these measures will help you garner the needed support from the citizenry in these difficult times, offer some solutions, and make the call for belts to be tightened, receptive and not repulsive, the post on the Facebook page of Prof. Gyampo concludes. Read the full post below: Open Letter to President Akufo Addo on Current Hard Times. Your Excellency, I greet you. It is clear that times are hard and many Ghanaians never imagined that these will happen in your regime. You gave all of us a lot of hope in the lead up to the 2016 General Elections and to be fair, you cannot be accused for not doing anything since your election. The challenge however is that, apart from Free SHS, your appointees and communicators have been super-incompetent in touting your achievements in a manner that ingrains them in the psyche of the people, thereby creating the impression that not much has been done. But this may be discussed in detail in another candid letter to you another time. For now, my focus is on the hard times in which we find ourselves. There may be several legitimate explanations accounting for the current tough times. But as the Hobbesian account of the generation of the Leviathan show, the essence of instituting a government, is not to explain, but to solve problems, so we do not relapse into the State of Nature. I have heard many of your appointees trying to offer credible explanations behind the scenes, about why we are where we are now. But with respect, Sir, we never gave a mandate for a second term for problem explanations that are inconsequential to dealing with the tangible challenges we are all experiencing now. If something can be done, it must be done now. If nothing can be done, Ghanaians must be in the know, so they can resign themselves to fate. But I honestly believe there are a couple of things that you can do to show leadership, whip up patriotism and elicit support from the citizenry in helping you to navigate all of us from the current challenges we face as a people. I humbly make the following suggestions for your consideration: 1. Reduce the size of your government now, by realigning some functionally duplicative ministries and dropping some ministers. Some proposals can be made to this effect, but a government that wants to lead by example in these hard times, should know the ministries that are a complete waste and drain on our limited resources and either realign or scrap them. 2. If necessary, please reduce your own salary and that of your remaining appointees by 30 percent, and reduce or completely suspend the payment of all the allowances and per diems that are given to people who already earn huge salaries (even when reduced by 30 percent). 3. Apart from the Presidency, please reduce or completely withdraw the fuel coupons that grant free fuel to all appointees, friends and family members, so all will buy fuel and be frugal with the little they have. 4. Park all the V8 Vehicles, auction some, and let the remaining be used only when appointees are traveling out of the city centers to the remote hinterlands where the real use of these vehicles may be needed. Let these appointees drive their salon vehicles to work. Let us supplant the view that, poor people are extravagant. 5. Let all appointees stay and work here in Ghana. If they have to travel, let them fly with economy class tickets. Your recent flight with a commercial airline to Dubai is commendable and must be emulated. 6. Reinstate the hurriedly scrapped toll booths and let them begin to collect road tolls, adjusted a little from 50 pesewas to 1 cedi for salon vehicles, and from 1 cedi to 2 cedis for big engines. 7. Scrap some of the nuisance taxes on petroleum products to cushion Ghanaians. 8. The 2020 Auditor-General Report suggested that we lost 12.8 billion cedis due to infractions and other irregularities committed by statutory institutions. Please quickly institute measures to ensure we dont continue to fetch water with basket, even in these hard times. 9. Finally, sir, I know you believe in loyalty and you trust those in whom you repose much confidence. But I think you must consider the possibility of reshuffling the managers of our finances and the economy, just for the purposes of tapping into fresh ideas and renewed energies in helping you to sail us through the storms currently hitting us. I believe you still have the men to help, else, please look outside your party, for we are all sinking in a common boat and where necessary, other Ghanaians must be brought on board for the rescue. Your Excellency, I am of the firm belief and conviction that, these measures will help you garner the needed support from the citizenry in these difficult times, offer some solutions, and make the call for belts to be tightened, receptive and not repulsive. Thank you Sir. Yaw Gyampo A31, Prabiw P.A.V. Ansah Street Saltpond Suro Nipa House Kubease Larteh-Akuapim The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have announced that an operation conducted within Bawku and its surrounding communities has led to the arrest of 10 armed assailants. The operation became necessary following the recent shooting incidents in Bawku that have left two persons dead. In a press release from the Ghana Armed Forces, it has disclosed that three of its soldiers sustained injuries during the latest operation with one of the assailants being killed in the process. Ghana Armed Forces personnel have conducted series of cordon and search operations in Bawku and its environs in a bid to fish out armed assailants following renewed clashes and sporadic shootings over the past days. This led to the exchange of fire between personnel of the 11 Mechanised Battalion and some armed assailants at Sabongari, a suburb of Bawku on Wednesday 16 March 2022. In the process, one assailant died and five persons including three soldiers were injured. Ten (10) suspects were arrested and handed over to the Bawku District Police for further investigations, part of a press release from GAF signed by Director of Public Relations, Captain Michael Addo Larbi has said. The Ghana Armed Forces note that its cordon and search operations have been carefully planned in accordance with the rules of engagement in order to rid the Bawku Municipality of the armed assailants engaged in the sporadic shootings. "All the allegations being circulated on social media that GAF personnel are on the rampage killing people and animals are false and diversionary and must accordingly be ignored," it stated. GAF notes that it continues to collaborate with other security services in ensuring peace in Bawku to enable the people to go about their normal duties and therefore requires the support and cooperation of all peace-loving Ghanaians in this quest Below is a copy of the GAF press release: A report to Fort Lauderdale by Colliers International shows the rectangular One Stop Shop site in relation to its surroundings. (Colliers International ) It will be a cultural center serving alcohol until 2 a.m. It will be an outdoor nightclub and pulsating live music venue for up to 1,600 people a night. Advertisement It will be public space under the control of a private developer who will pay no property taxes and keep all the revenue. (Read the fine print). [ RELATED: Developer gets his deal: ArtsPark coming to Flagler Village ] This is the ArtsPark that the Fort Lauderdale City Commission blessed Tuesday by approving a comprehensive agreement on a 4-1 vote over the strong opposition of residents, some from nearby Flagler Village. Advertisement Developer Jeff Johns company, One Stop FTL, plans a concert hall and an eight-story high-end food market on less than one-third of the 3.3-acre site, leaving the remaining two-thirds as open space but not necessarily public space. Theres a difference. From Page 14 of the agreement, (emphasis added), subject to limited exceptions: ONE STOP FTL shall have the exclusive ability to restrict or prevent access to the Community Arts Park to any specific member(s) of the public as they may deem appropriate to avoid loitering ... This is a developer-driven public-private partnership born as an unsolicited proposal. Its not so much a partnership as a license to make money. Its a lucrative, long-term handout of a scarce patch of green space encased by concrete canyons, with more to come. Residents are promised theyll have the unique experience of sampling a European-style food market. It sounds great. But theyll also have to accept loud crowds and late-night revelry for up to 250 nights a year, according to the agreement and questions about parking and traffic remain unanswered. The developer gets a 50-year license with two 25-year extensions. He controls the site and pays no property taxes or payments in lieu of taxes (developers of two other major city park projects dont make those payments, either). But Fort Lauderdale is a vibrant city where growth is all around us, all the time. Why does it need to subsidize a developer? Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steve Glassman (Mike Stocker / Sun Sentinel) Based on what were called conservative projections, a city real estate consultant from Colliers International estimates $137 million in payments by the developer to the city over 50 years, with dramatic increases in the second 50 years because of cost-of-living escalators. Voting for the project were Mayor Dean Trantalis and commissioners Robert McKinzie, Ben Sorensen and Steve Glassman. Advertisement Steve Glassmans legacy This project becomes Glassmans legacy. Hes the District 2 commissioner and most enthusiastic champion of the project, at times publicly criticizing those who challenge him. Tim Powers, a 27-year resident, chastised Glassman for not listening more closely to neighborhood concerns. Glassman dismissively said the criticism is from 10 or 15 people, and that hes heard from many supporters. The pair had a tense exchange at Tuesdays meeting. In our opinion, the agreement is tilted too heavily in the developers favor. From Page 9 of the agreement (emphasis added): 5.1. GRANT OF USE. ... The CITY grants to ONE STOP FTL the exclusive, year-round right during the Term to: use; manage; occupy; operate; program; market; broadcast and telecast from (via any medium now known or hereinafter developed); grant use to third parties ... " The city will eventually get a lot of revenue from this project, but its small compared to the potential profits, and the money wont start to flow until after the project is built. Much of the profit will be from food and alcohol sales. Why doesnt the city demand a cut of that revenue? Advertisement From Page 17 of the agreement (emphasis added): ONE STOP FTL shall control, collect, receive, and retain all revenues generated by any means at or in connection with the Cultural Center and Community Arts Park ... " Residents questioned the citys legal exposure because the developer has no assets against which a lien can be imposed. This project is largely a triumph of intense City Hall lobbying and clever branding. If whats planned can be called a cultural center, then lets re-brand the Elbo Room. Call it the Museum of Natural Fort Lauderdale History. Whats the rush? The commission majority seems to be in an awfully big hurry to get this edifice built. As Glassman said Tuesday: We have to act, and act quickly. Advertisement Why? The scruffy site at 301 N. Andrews Ave. sits padlocked to keep out the homeless. Its not going anywhere. From a 1945 political ad in the Fort Lauderdale News, promoting the so-called One Stop Shop site for a new City Hall. Here's how it looked then, facing south on Andrews Avenue. (Fort Lauderdale News) Residents pleaded for a delay until after a full site plan is submitted and approved by staff. The city forged ahead, but Trantalis assured residents that if a site plan is not acceptable to the city, the project wont proceed. But this horse has left the barn. Vice Mayor Heather Moraitis cast the only no vote. She won applause with this observation about her city: We make this a great place for everybody else to come, but we really dont do a good job of making it a great place for our neighbors just to kind of live in. For such a scarce and strategically located site, this is not a good enough deal for Fort Lauderdale taxpayers. Residents must keep the pressure on and make this vote a pivotal issue in the next city election. 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. Alhaji Saani Inusah, the former Wa All-Stars Team Manager, has allegedly shot dead one Stephen Mane, a former lecturer at the Dr Hilla Limann Technical University, over land in dispute. Four other people also sustained various degrees of injury during the incident. An eyewitness told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Alhaji Inusah got infuriated over the attitude by a group of men who had dug foundation holes on a piece of land he (Inusah) claimed ownership of. He said in an attempt to ward off the encroachers he used a pomp action gun to shoot at them but the bullet, unfortunately, hit innocent road users, killing the former lecturer on the spot. A filing station attendant told the GNA on condition of anonymity that the engine of the lecturer's vehicle got overheated and he parked on the shoulders of the road ostensibly to solve the problem. The attendant said as soon as the deceased alighted he was accidentally hit by a stray bullet through the sporadic shooting and died on the spot. "Those of us selling fuel here were lucky because long vehicles were buying fuel and the bullets hit one of the vehicles and that saved some of us," the attendant said. According to the eyewitness, a motorcycle rider and Bajaj tricycle rider, also known as Yellow Yellow" were among the injured. Meanwhile, ACP Peter Ndekugri, the Upper West Regional Police Commander, has confirmed the incident and said the suspect was in police custody and would be processed for court. The four injured persons are responding to treatment at the Wa Municipal Hospital while the body of the deceased had been sent to the Regional Hospital Morgue. Mr Vitus Songotuah, the Registrar of the Dr Hilla Limann Technical University, told the GNA that the late Stephen Mane retired from the University in 2021. He described him as a very committed and knowledgeable lecturer who never joked with his lectures at the Secretarial and Management Studies Department. GNA Exorbitant jet fuel prices on the back of high crude oil costs are expected to drive up domestic air fares from their current levels. In recent days, fares have risen by around 20%-25% on most domestic routes on a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis. With ATF (aviation turbine fuel) prices being hiked to over Rs1 lakh per kilolitre, fares are expected to rise further. "This time the industry had already braced for an ATF price hike, with most of the airlines hiking fares on certain legs by about 20%-25% in the past couple of days," said Aloke Bajpai, Co-founder and Group CEO, ixigo. "However, despite rising airfares, demand for travel for the upcoming summer season is still going strong. We have seen an average MoM increase of 35%-40% in travel search queries in March for popular leisure destinations like Goa, Port Blair, Amritsar, Varanasi, Srinagar & Andaman & Nicobar," Mr Bajpai added. Presently, fuel-based expenses account for around 40% of the overall operating cost of an airline. Significantly, the trend will hamper air passenger growth for the industry. Besides, the rise in ATF prices might derail the economic recovery of India's aviation sector which has been heavily battered by COVID restrictions. "ATF constitutes about 40% of the operating cost of an airline, and the recent hike of 18% in ATF will put significant margin pressure on the airlines. The impact of this will be seen in increase of ticket prices, and we should see an upward revision of 5%-8% in air fares," said Jagannarayan Padmanabhan, director and practice leader, transport and logistics, CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory. "This has come at a time when the industry was coming back to normalcy and the increased fare could prove to be a dampener for leisure travellers," Mr Padmanabhan added. According to Suprio Banerjee, vice president and Sector Head, ICRA: "ATF represents the single-largest cost element for airlines, accounting for 30%-40% of their total operating expenses. As such, the profitability of the airlines is significantly linked with ATF prices, which have witnessed consistent rise and have risen 57.2% in March 2022 on a YoY basis. "With limited pricing power of the airlines, and given the stiff competition with passenger traffic still in recovery mode, the rise in ATF prices is certainly going to impact the earnings profile adversely in the near term." In India, the domestic ATF prices are derived from international fuel prices, denominated in the US dollar, thereby rendering the ATF prices susceptible to exchange rate movements. Notably, the rupee has also seen depreciation against the US dollar lately, which has been reflected in the prices. The ATF prices are much more expensive than international benchmarks due to high levels of taxation. The industry has been demanding that the fuel type be brought under the ambit of GST, similar to the status given to 'Bunker Diesel' which is used in the shipping sector. On Wednesday, high crude oil prices led OMCs (oil marketing companies) to hike ATF prices to more than Rs1 lakh per kilolitre. In the national capital, the price of jet fuel was raised by 18.32% to Rs1,10,666.29 per kilolitre (kl) from Rs93,530.66 per kl. In the other metro cities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, the price was increased to Rs1,14,979.70, Rs1,09,119.83 and Rs1,14,133.73/KL, respectively. The rise came as crude oil price has remained on elevated levels due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Fuel retailers revise jet fuel prices on a fortnightly basis. "Aviation fuel prices increased by 18%, accounting for over 40% of a plane's operating cost," said Kshitij Purohit, lead of commodities and currencies at CapitalVia Global Research. "It has climbed six times since 2022, reaching Rs1,10,666 per kl. The increase in the price of ATF may result in an increase in the price of airline tickets; however, during the festive season, people are more likely to travel in India, thus companies may raise prices moderately to avoid losing volume." Bhanu Patni, senior analyst at India ratings and research, said: "The current hike in ATF prices is due to high crude oil cost which has been rising due to geo-political tensions between Russia and Ukraine. We have seen ATF prices rise by over 40% since the start of 2022." 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. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is disrupting supplies of agricultural commodities and, while it creates an opportunity for exports, it is also set to have an adverse impact on India's import bill due to higher prices, says a research report. In the note, CRISIL Ratings says, "Both the Black Sea nations are major suppliers of key commodities such as wheat, sunflower oil, and corn. On its part, India is an exporter of wheat and a major importer of edible oils, including sunflower oil. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is likely to have a deep impact on India's farm sector." Russia and Ukraine collectively account for about 14% of global wheat production and around 30% of global wheat exports. At a high 14%, India's share in global wheat production is the same as the combined share of Russia and Ukraine. However, due to higher domestic consumption, the country's share in global wheat exports is a mere 3%. "With wheat exports from Ukraine and Russia hit due to the conflict and sanctions, we see bright prospects for Indian produce in export markets. India's wheat production in calendar 2022 is expected to be about 2% lower on-year at 108 million tonnes (MT) due to decline in acreage as farmers shifted to rapeseed and mustard in the rabi season," the rating agency says. Including the carry-over stock from 2021, CRISIL estimates wheat supply for the year at about 147MT. Domestic consumption for the year is estimated at 105MT. According to CRISIL, the Ukraine-Russia conflict will prompt countries such as Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Turkey to widen the door for Indian wheat. In fact, Russia and Ukraine together account for about 85% of Egypt's wheat imports. Moreover, it says, Indian wheat is currently in the harvesting stage. The country can capitalise on the current void in the export market as the European Union (EU) nations will begin harvesting only by July-August. "India, if it manages to cash in on the opportunity, will be able to export 45-50% more wheat this calendar, that too, over a significantly high base of 2021. The higher export will, however, pull down this year's ending stock by an estimated 15-16% on-year. This is expected to push up the price of the grain 8-10% on year in the first quarter of next fiscal. For the full fiscal, the price rise is likely to be 3-4% as the price stabilises at a lower level," CRISIL says. Another agricultural commodity see the impact of the conflict is maize, where Ukraine is the third-largest exporter. The country accounts for about 3% of the global maize production and around 13% of global exports. As exports from Ukraine decline, Indian maize will be able to take advantage, CRISIL says, adding the country is estimated to see a 7%-9% rise in rabi corn production. However, India's gains in wheat and maize could well be squandered on edible oils, where the country is a major importer. Ukraine accounts for about 33% share in the global production of sunflower oil, followed by Russia with 26%. Together, the two nations account for the lion's share of about 78% in global oil exports. Thus, CRISIL says, as the conflict hits exports of both these nations, at least for the first half of next fiscal, the price of sunflower oil is likely to skyrocket. This, in turn, could send prices of the entire edible oil complex soaring in the short run. "Take palm oil, which is the most consumed edible oil in India, with a 40% share in the country's edible oil consumption basket, while sunflower oil has nearly 10% share. Disruption in the supply of sunflower oil is expected to push up palm oil price in the near term," it added. During the first half of the next fiscal, CRISIL expects some upward pressure on the palm oil price for four reasons, like shift in demand from sunflower oil towards palm oil; unresolved labour issues in Malaysia hitting palm oil supplies; restrictive export policy of Indonesia; and increase in consumption during Ramadan. It says, "If Russia and Ukraine manage to resolve their issues by June, global sunflower oil supply is expected to normalise in the second half of the fiscal, thereby exerting downward pressure on the palm oil price." According to the rating agency, three other factors could also help soften palm oil prices in the second half of fiscal 2023. This includes improvement in supply from June onwards (peak palm oil production season in Malaysia and Indonesia); resolution of Malaysian labour issues after Ramadan; and a 5%-7% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in global palm oil stock in the oil year 2022 between November 2021 and October 2022. For this, CRISIL has assumed the geopolitical tensions would subside by the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2023 and southwest monsoon in 2022 would be normal. The purpose of the legislative session is for priority bills to become law. Thousands of bills are introduced; this year, 293 bills became law. Its hard to keep up with them all, so heres a brief rundown of major bills that became lawand bills that did not. A collection of 60 affordable units are heading to Delray Beach this summer, as many residents face rent hikes they cant afford. The set of five two-story buildings, called Island Cove, sits on three acres and is expected to add some relief to a rental market that hasnt slowed down. Advertisement With the rental hikes the community is experiencing, its very much needed. But its a drop in the bucket compared to what we need, said Shirley Erazo, the CEO of the Delray Beach Housing Authority, a non-profit that aims to provide safe and quality affordable housing in the city. The complex received its site plan approval from the city in February, and its construction permits are under review with the city, with approval hoping to happen in the next month or so, Erazo said. Advertisement Groundbreaking should happen in the summer, said Erazo. The development will have 40 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units. Units prices will be set at a rate that is affordable to the area median income of each level. Rents for the most part should range between $1,200-$1,600, depending on the unit. nine units will be priced affordably for those who make 30% of the area median income 33 units will be priced affordably for those who make 60% of the area median income nine units will be priced affordably for those who make 70% of the area median income nine units will be priced affordably for those who make 80% of the area median income Some of the units will be set aside for local teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers and EMTs. Rents have risen in Delray Beach by over 30% over the past year, with the median rent for a two-bedroom reaching $2,517, according to data from Zumper. The complex will have a clubhouse, pool, gym and a childrens playground, among other amenities. The land, which is currently vacant, is located between SW 8th Street and SW 10th street and SW 12th Ave and SW 13th Ave. [ RELATED: Affordable townhomes coming to Delray Beach ] The apartment complex is part of the phase III of Village Square, which has taken more than a decade to develop due to rising building costs that made affordable housing more difficult to produce. In 2019, the housing authority made plans to develop 54 townhomes to allow for more density on the parcel of land, but scrapped it as building costs rose. Advertisement Local developer Smith and Henzy Advisory Group will be building the units in a partnership with the Delray Beach Housing Authority and the Delray Housing Group. Funding from the project comes from a few sources, including a 4% Housing Tax Credit, money from the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, along with some bonds. The 6th Cavalry Museum at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., received around $28,000 in grant money for a 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion exhibit in 2020, according to Brenda Partridge Brown. Brown's mother, Willie Belle Irvin, a Moultrie native, was in the 6888th. Her photo and a short biography are at left in this display case. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Permian Basin Comic Con X will have a full lineup of voice actors, actors, wrestlers and cosplayers. The multi-day event begins Friday, and festivities will last until Sunday at the Horseshoe complex. Encanto voice actress Adassa, who plays Dolores, will be attending this weekend, making her first-ever Comic Con. Adassa will be hosting a pane on Sunday. "American Pie" actors Tara Reid and Thomas Ian Nicholas will also be in attendance, as will "Good Times" actor Jimmie Walker. Anime voice actors in attendance include Justin Briner (My Hero Academia and Seraph of the End), voice actor David Matranga (My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan), voice actress Emily Neves who is also a director and scriptwriter (Akame ga Kill! and Angel), voice actress Tia Ballard (Guilty Crown and Fairy Tail), voice actor Josh Grelle (Attack on Titan and Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple), voice actress Jad Saxton (Haganai NEXT and High School DxD BorN), voice actress Brianna Knickerbocker (Genshin Impact and Demon Slayer). Four of the anime voice actors attending -- Saxton, Neves, Ballard and Grelle -- have Texas roots. The convention will have Tik Tok rooms, where attendees can record and submit their Tik Toks for a contest with a $500 prize $500. Deadly Sweet Maid Cafe, a San Antonio-based pop-up specializing in Japanese comfort food, baked goods and dance performances, will be set up during the convention. There will be an after-party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday at the Skybar Lounge. There also will be a kids' and adult cosplay contest. MBABANE Cases of rape, mob justice, murder, rape and those under SODV are now on the rise. This was said by Chief Justice (CJ) Bheki Maphalala yesterday when congratulating the four new permanent judges of the High Court. Lizinga lemacala emob justice ayangekunyuka, siyawabona kanye nalowo emurder, SODV ne rape lizinga lisetulu kakhulu, said the chief justice in vernacular. He said they believed that the appointment of the four judges would reduce the backlog of cases. His Majesty King Mswati III has appointed three senior lawyers and a UNESWA law lecturer as permanent judges of the High Court. The senior attorneys are Zonke Magagula, Bonginkhosi Magagula, Bongani Sydney Dlamini along with law lecturer at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Khontaphi Manzini, they were yesterday sworn-in by the CJ. Dlamini, who is a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and Manzini were also part time commissioners at the Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC). Manzini is the wife of senior Lawyer Jack Mabandla Manzini, who is an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court. The two other judges (Judges Zonke and Bonginkhosi) were running private law firms and were on diverse occasions appointed as acting judges of the High Court. The CJ wished the four judges the best. Maphalala said some of the new judges would be deployed to the newly-established Commercial Court. According to the CJ, the Commercial Court would start working probably next week as all was now in place, including support staff and equipment. Disputes The Commercial Court will deal with all types of business disputes, including breach of contract, tort, property, trust and probate, IT disputes, judicial review, corporate mergers, global restructuring, insurance portfolio transfers, international swaps and derivatives or other investment disputes and intellectual property. The Investor Road map Unit in 2015 said although the country had improved in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business 2016, there were areas where Eswatini was not performing well, for instance, enforcing contracts. It has been reliably gathered that the Commercial Court will be housed at the Royal Science Technology Park, which is situated at Nokwane. Matters enrolled at the Commercial Court are less likely to be postponed on the date of the actual hearing since there are various steps in place to ensure that matters are ready for trial, including case management and holding frequent pre-trial conferences. The Commercial Court will be a division of the High Court of Eswatini and vested with jurisdiction to hear and determine commercial disputes. He further pointed that the court would utilise and be guided by High Court rules in so far as the rules were not inconsistent with the practice directive. The mandate of the Commercial Court is to promote the expeditious and efficient resolution of commercial dispute, said CJ Maphalala. He further pointed out that the registrar of the High Court would allocate commercial cases to the judges of the Commercial Court after due consultation with him (CJ). An anime voice actress has been splitting her time between Midland and Houston to advance her career. Christina Kelly, 30, started her voice acting career in 2015, playing main character Mine in Akame ga Kill!. Anime is a style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed at adults but featuring shows for children too. Ive been in Midland for about six years, Kelly said. Im not from here originally but my husband (Gary Graham) works in the oil field. He has been working in the industry since 2012 and he got a promotion which moved him here to become a district valve manager for his company. Realization set in when she saw Midland on a map and started to wonder how she was going to make her acting career work. When he got offered the position, I didnt really think about where Midland was in Texas, she said. I went to school in Houston then I moved to Corpus Christi where my husband was working while commuting to work in Houston every now and then. Kelly was supportive of her husbands promotion and figured she could continue working as a freelance artist based from wherever he needed to relocate. She started acting in theater during high school which prompted her to want to pursue acting as a career. Kelly didnt set out to become a voice actress. She attended the University of Houstons School of Theatre and Dance then graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting. I didnt think I was going to do voice-overs at all, she said. I really thought I was going to act in television, film or professional plays. Houston has a very big theater community. ... I love the grandiose of the theater, including the costumes and makeup. More Information Millennials in Midland is a feature that will look at a growing segment of the Midland population -- those born from 1981 to 1996. See More Collapse During her senior year at the University of Houston, an adjunct faculty member at the time -- who had worked in voice-over for more than 20 years -- sent out an email to a couple of students that he liked in the program to tell them Sentai Filmworks was holding auditions. She auditioned in October 2015, despite feeling unwell, but didnt hear back from the studio for a while. Four months later she landed her main character role in Akame ga Kill!. The training I got (at the University of Houston) really helped with voice-over because anime can be a very big, loud and crazy world, she said. The characters are generally larger than life and really fun. Kelly said her favorite character so far has been Mine. I really identified with the character, I think I was a lot like her when I was younger, she said. I think she was like a 15-year-old and I was like her, really insecure, strong and shy. She has a crush on the main character and is really mean to him to hide it. She is a tiny but mighty character. Kelly is also known for playing Mary Saotome in Kakegurui, Alice Nakiri in Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Loki in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? and Saotone Shichimiya in Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions. So far, she has more than 70 credits in the anime world of voice acting. I dont feel like thats a lot, she said. Theres a few actresses I know who have done more than 200 shows, but Im sure I will get there eventually. Kelly continues to do on camera acting as well. She splits her time between her apartment in Houston and her home in Midland. She said she will usually spend two weeks a month in Houston, recording voice-overs then if she doesnt have anything going on for a while she would simply stay in Midland. I love being a Texan and a lot of us (anime voice actors) live here, she said. California has a lot of studios, including Burbank, which focuses on dubbing studios, but there is so much work here in Texas. The industry has changed from when she first started, especially in Texas, she said. In late 2020, Sony announced that it had acquired AT&Ts Crunchyroll, through Funimation, two major anime studios. Funimation is a Flower Mound-based anime distributor founded in 1994. The Funimation headquarters moved to the Cypress Waters mega-development in Flower Mound. She said some studios want voice actors to sound similar to the original Japanese voice actor when playing characters. Most of the time you get a little bit more freedom but at the end of the day it all depends on the director. Kelly will not be at this years Permian Basin Comic Con, but she attended the event last year. She will be going to the Central Texas Comic Con, and she will be at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Houston instead. Kelly said she had a great time at last years Permian Basin Comic Con. She was even able to show some of her colleagues her home in Midland after the event. She also attended the Midessa Anime Convention last year. I was hanging out with some of my friends from California during the Midessa Anime Convention, she said. They asked if I flew in from Houston, but I told them, 'no I live here' and they couldnt believe that I got to go home and sleep in my own bed. She added that finding things to do in Midland was a little overwhelming to begin with but she has soon found the most important aspects for her including yoga, Starbucks, Target and a great friend group. At first it was a little overwhelming trying to find things to do in Midland but then I started building a foundation and finding a friend group, Kelly said. She added that those interested in a career doing anime voice-overs should look into pursuing an acting degree. There are definitely avenues to take like community theater or voice-over classes in Dallas, if this is something you really want to do, she said. I wouldnt change it for anything. Of course, it is hard but it is worth it. If you want to live by the beach and next door to "Yellowstone" star Kevin Costner, be prepared to pay up. An oceanfront horse ranch adjacent to the movie star's property in Carpinteria, CA, has landed on the market for $109 million. Sean Matthews with Compass and Eric Haskell with The Agency are co-listing the property. Known as Rancho Carinoso, the serene, 4.2-acre spread boasts an oceanfront horse ranch with its own private beach. It also offers bragging rightsliving near the acclaimed actor. Pricey property Just 33 listings are available in Carpinteria, with a median list price of $1.2 million. Oceanfront properties like this one are a rare occurrence on the market, according to Matthews. "This incredibly special slice of coastline is unlike any other beachfront estate on the market today," he says. The ranch ranks as runner-up for most expensive home in this coveted coastal townright behind a $160 million compound. So why the nine-digit price tag? The estate has incredible sentimental value to my client, as he and his family have enjoyed the home for generations," Matthews says. As one of the last large beach estates on the Southern California coast, he adds, it is the kind of property you run across only once in a blue moon. The seller, Arthur Cameron III, is the grandson of a Texas oil tycoon, Arthur Cameron, and the actress Kay Aldridge. In a statement, the owner, who also owns a 377-acre ranch 40 minutes outside Santa Barbara, describes the listing as "an unparalleled place to grow up and live within. Celeb central Costner purchased his nearby 10-acre property in 2006 for $28.5 million. In 2017, he placed the home on the market for $60 million. After a price reduction to $49 million, it came off the market the following year. Located just south of Santa Barbara, the seaside community neighbors the town of Montecito. Both places are a favorite of celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, George Lucas, Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis. Growth factor While the waterfront equestrian estate is an idyllic spot, the home on the ranch is surprisingly small. The 2,500-square-foot modern design from 2014 offers three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a detached 1,000-square-foot garage. A buyer has options to add to or expand the two existing structures with multiple building sites on the property. And the land isn't limited to homes. The property is zoned for nine horse stables and offers a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system allowing for turnkey landscaping, says Matthews. There are other features to attract a buyer. Boaters can enjoy docking a yacht conveniently in front of the homesite just off the private beach. Since the property is located on a surf break, activities such as swimming, boating, fishing, or lobster diving are all available. Owners can keep a hangar of water toys, such as small boats and kayaks, on the beach portion of the property, the listing notes. The acreage also comes with private nature hiking trails, fruit trees, and ATV access on the grounds. The picturesque, private horse trail leads directly to the beach, where horse riding is allowed at all times of day or night. That's not something permitted on the public beach, which limits equine activity to certain hours. This is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of California's iconic coastline and make it your own, Matthews says. The post Oceanfront Home Next Door to Kevin Costner Surfaces for $109M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Earlier this year, about 30 Texas National Guard members were ordered to stand watch outside some of the wealthiest private ranches in South Texas, more than an hours drive away from the Mexico border, as part of Gov. Greg Abbotts highly touted mission to curb illegal immigration. Placed at spots along U.S. Route 77 running north to Corpus Christi including the sprawling and renowned King Ranch and the GOP-connected Armstrong Ranch the troops were ostensibly meant to deter migrants and smugglers who might cross through private ranches to avoid detection at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near the city of Sarita. But service members with firsthand knowledge of the mission told The Texas Tribune that troops rarely saw migrants from their posts nearly 80 miles away from the border and were unable to give chase because they were not authorized to enter the private ranches if they saw migrants cutting through. In practice, service members said, they stood around for hours, staring at each other and the highway, outside the private ranches some of which had their own private security. We really dont understand why we are there, a service member told the Tribune. Were essentially mall security for ranches that already have paid security details to protect them. The Texas Tribune is not identifying the service members because they were not authorized to speak to the media and feared retaliation. Those troops said their time was wasted standing guard outside ranches with wealthy or politically connected owners when they could have been more useful at other posts closer to the border where they could be more effective to the mission, which is known as Operation Lone Star. Representatives for the King and Armstrong ranches said they did not request the presence of the National Guard outside their ranches and that the troops were on the public right of way and not on their private property. The service members are no longer stationed outside of the private ranches, service members said. They were removed in February, shortly after The Texas Tribune began asking questions about the deployment. Col. Rita Holton, a spokesperson for the Texas Military Department, said the agency could not comment on the deployment because of operational security concerns. The dispatching of troops to wealthy private ranches raises more questions about the use of National Guard troops, who have widely decried the mission as aimless, political and oversized, as the cost of the effort has already ballooned to $2 billion a year. State leaders transferred nearly half a billion dollars to the Texas Military Department last month from three other state agencies to cover the mounting costs of keeping thousands of Texas National Guard troops on the southern border. State Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen, who represents a border district and sits on a committee overseeing border security efforts, said the reports of National Guard service members stationed at private ranches in the states interior were disturbing. I have no objections to them being on the border, he said. But I certainly have concerns with military presence at private ranches. It would be a waste of time and of resources. Theres better use of the National Guard on the border, not in the interior. Even if the service members saw migrants crossing through ranches, they are unable to do anything because they do not have authority to go on the land and arrest them, said Hinojosa, who compared their deployment to scarecrows. Abbotts office declined to comment and referred questions to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department. Not much to do Abbott kicked off Operation Lone Star last March and ramped up its scale in September, leading to involuntary deployments with only a few days notice for part-time troops who have civilian jobs, lives and families. He eventually deployed 10,000 troops to the mission, many of whom have said they were not given a clear task or adequate training, equipment or lodging. A leaked survey of members of one of the six Operation Lone Star units found widespread skepticism and frustration with the mission. On Monday, Abbott replaced the Texas Military Departments top leader after months of criticism. In January, the Texas Military Department sent troops to stand guard outside the famed King Ranch, the largest ranch in the United States, which covers more ground than the state of Rhode Island. It also sent troops to the Armstrong Ranch, the property of a longtime Republican family that has hosted GOP leaders like Karl Rove, former Gov. Rick Perry and former Vice President Dick Cheney. In an infamous 2006 incident, Cheney accidentally shot his friend in the face during a hunting expedition at the Armstrong Ranch. The injuries were nonfatal. Troops were also sent to stand guard outside the ranch where Kenedy County Judge Charles Burns lives. Burns is a Democrat. These ranchers have enough money to do private security or have private security guard these gates, said the second service member who spoke to the Tribune. The optics are just kind of crazy. Jay Kleberg, a member of the family that owns the King Ranch who is running for land commissioner as a Democrat, said in a written statement that Operation Lone Star is a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars and a serious threat to the health and safety of our Texas National Guard. He said he did not have information on where the service members were stationed, but it was beyond time to end Operation Lone Star. If it were up to me, these Texans would be home with their families and back at their jobs, not wasting their time on our border, Kleberg said. The deployment along U.S. 77 consisted of multiple stations, each staffed with two service members and a Humvee. At any given time, 10 National Guard service members were posted along the highway leading to the Sarita checkpoint. With three shifts throughout the day, 30 service members were required daily to set up the points along private properties near the highway. Honestly, theres not much to do, if anything at all, said the second service member. Its pretty boring just standing there for eight hours. At the end of their shifts, service members then had to drive back to their living quarters in Harlingen, about 60 miles away. State officials said the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department deployed personnel to the area at the request of the Kenedy County sheriffs office, a local property rights association, and local landowners who were seeing migrants and smugglers cross their properties to circumvent the Sarita checkpoint. The migrants and traffickers were driving through ranch gates on several properties to the north and south of the Sarita checkpoint to avoid apprehension, and this was leading to costly damages and dangerous vehicle pursuits along the heavily traveled Highway 77, Ericka Miller, a spokesperson for DPS, said in an email in response to questions. In early January 2022, DPS and TMD began posting personnel at several rotating locations in the area in order to address these concerns. While the state troopers and National Guard troops were there, Miller said, vehicle pursuits and reports of damaged properties dropped. But Miller could not provide any official statistics on the number of apprehensions or arrests from DPS before or after service members were deployed. The Texas Tribune filed a public records request for those statistics, but DPS said it had no responsive documents. The Tribune also filed a request with the Texas Military Department. State Rep. James White, R-Hillister, who leads one of the House committees that oversees the deployment, said data is needed to measure the missions success. They have to have the data, White said. Why do we have them here versus here? And with that data we can extrapolate success or needs improvement. White, who supports the deployment, said leaders needed to listen to the troops on the ground about their concerns and explain to them the impact their deployment is having. He said the border mission is needed to combat human and drug trafficking through the Texas border. Burns, the Kenedy County judge, said he had not requested the deployment of troops to stand guard outside his ranch but that he supported their presence there. If thats where they felt they need to be, Im in agreement, Burns said. Put them where they can do the best job. Last year, Kenedy County received more than $700,000 from the state at Burns request as part of Operation Lone Stars grant program for counties affected by the increase in migration through Texas. The second service member said troops rarely saw migrants or smugglers. In 45 days, the troops had not seen anywhere near the amount of activity as other strategic locations along the border and were limited in their ability to apprehend migrants or smugglers. The service member said troops were not allowed to enter the private ranches where they were standing guard. If they saw migrants or smugglers cutting through, the service member said, troops had to alert Border Patrol, which would then be tasked with chasing and apprehending the trespassers. Its strictly observe and report. If a [migrant] was coming toward us, wed get on our radio and call Border Patrol, the service member said. We cant act on any suspicious activity or any activity at all. The first service member said they had seen very little [migrant] presence since the troops were deployed to the ranches, and the Border Patrol has been the one to inform us of the presence and handled all apprehensions. State Rep. Alex Dominguez, D-Brownsville, a vocal critic of Operation Lone Star, questioned the efficacy of the deployment of Guard members to the ranches. It is unfathomable to me why these service members would be stationed there other than for the optics of seeing a military vehicle manned by service members, he said in a statement. If any immigrant would be moving northbound through the general area of the Armstrong or King ranches, they likely would avoid major arteries and travel through the brush. To my knowledge, the service members do not access the brush area. We needed it Among local officials, the deployment of troops along U.S. 77 was greeted with support. Since theyve been there, the number of bailouts and the number of intrusions into private property and going through gates and fences has decreased, Burns said. I think their presence has been very beneficial to the county. Similarly, Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas said the presence of National Guard troops has helped deter migrants and smugglers and relieved the burden on his small agency. We needed it, he said. Theyve come through for us, and I appreciate everything the governor has done. Neither Salinas nor Burns could provide official evidence or data to show how the presence of the troops had deterred migrants and smugglers in the area, but Salinas said that anecdotally, ranch owners were happy that their fences were no longer being knocked down by smugglers who would cut through their properties to evade law enforcement. Its really made a big difference, he said. Traffic has gone down. But even with the troops stationed along the highway, Salinas said, ranches were still seeing groups of migrants walking through their properties to avoid the Sarita checkpoint. As soon as they get close to the checkpoint, they bail out and go through the ranches, he said. That led one of the service members to question just how much impact their presence had on the deterrence of migrants in the area. If you can get in between us and still have the same effect, [then] theyre [just] walking further, the second service member said. Theyre just adapting to us being there, but theres no real data supporting us stopping this from happening. Jessica Bolter, an associate policy analyst of U.S. immigration policy at the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, said the continued presence of migrants and smugglers speaks to the limitations of an enforcement-only approach. Simply increasing enforcement doesnt solve the challenges of unauthorized migration, particularly because theres never going to be complete 100% enforcement across the border, Bolter said. Migrants and smugglers are always going to find new ways to cross through these areas as long as push-and-pull factors driving migration continue to exist. While state officials may be serving local constituents by trying to prevent damage to their properties and trespassing, Bolter said posting personnel outside private properties so far inland is unlikely to reduce overall unauthorized immigration at the border. In order to effectively curb migration, Bolter said, officials would have to address the reasons migrants leave their home countries, try to work with other countries that other migrants pass through and create an effective asylum system at the border. These are all things that the state government doesnt have the ability to do, which is why its response is always going to be somewhat limited, she said. Even if it starts working as a deterrent in one area of the border, its likely migrants will just shift to crossing in another area. Uriel Garcia and Eddie Gaspar contributed to this report. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. The great burger debate continues. Who's better, Whataburger or In-N-Out? Food Insider's chief video correspondent gave Whataburger four and a half out of five stars but couldn't bring himself to make a decision in the heated debate. Graham Flanagan with Food Insider stopped at a Whataburger in New Mexico and posted a video to Twitter on Sunday, March 13, trying out a Double Whataburger with cheese, fries, spicy ketchup, and a chocolate milkshake. RELATED: 5 very extra ways to customize your Whataburger orders this weekend The verdict, of course, is not bad. Flanagan says the burger is "very heavy" but says its very good. He then goes on to compare the Whataburger to a Whopper from Burger King. Yikes. "I really wish we had a Whataburger in New York," Flanagan says in the video. Whataburger, are you listening? He says the fries are similar to McDonald's fries, which is a fair comparison. He says the spicy ketchup has a kick to it, and puts spicy ketchup on his burger, calling it a "pro tip" to the sound of club airhorns. Food Insider's tweet has the gall to say "Whataburger is the In-N-Out of Texas," but does Flanagan say whether he would go with Whataburger over the California-based burger chain? "Too close to call," he says. It's not. Flanagan does say that hopes the brand continues to expand. Don't worry. It will. MBABANE - Prophet Major V has denied stealing the E900 000 that was allegedly unlawful deposited into his account held with Swaziland Building Society (SBS). He made the denial in his bail application where he further averred that he had a bona fide and valid defence to the charge he was facing. The prophet, whose real name is Vusumuzi Brother Dlamini, is facing a charge of theft, which he allegedly committed on February 3, 2022. The man of the cloth was arrested by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) while at his place of abode in Matsapha yesterday morning. Dlamini is the second person to be arrested in connection with the theft of the money at the bank. First to be arrested was Ndumiso Khumalo, who is the banks Assistant System Administrator. Khumalo is alleged to have facilitated the allegedly fraudulent transaction. He is currently on suspension and is out on bail. It is alleged that the prophet, being a holder of an SBS Account No.52000362621, unlawfully and acting in furtherance of a common purpose, stole money amounting to E900 000. According to the charge sheet, the money was in lawful possession of Melusi Dalton Malinga of SBS. Dlamini made his first appearance at the Mbabane Magistrates Court before Acting Principal Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati, who remanded him in custody until March 25, 2022 pending his committal to the High Court. Permission During his appearance, the prophet complained about his pictures being taken without permission sought from him. He told this journalist that ncono ngoba sengikubonile, nawe kutakuvelela (fortunately I have seen you, this will happen to you too). When he left the court premises after he was remanded, some people who were seated outside were overhead calling his name in jubilation, saying, Major V! Major Vs arrest comes hardly a week after he withdrew his court papers in the matter where he had been taken to court by the bank over the same money. When the money was mysteriously deposited into his account, the bank rushed to the High Court where it obtained an interim order to freeze part of the money that was left in his account. Dlamini, who is represented by Ntobeko Piliso, was vigorously opposing the application but later changed his mind and withdrew his opposing papers. It was reported that when the prophet was first asked about the source of the money, he allegedly told bank officials that it had been deposited by his wife. He later changed the story to say it had been deposited by a drug dealer he did not know. In her papers, the Managing Director (MD) of the bank, Mbali Sibanyoni, told the court that the prophet dismally failed to produce any evidence which demonstrated that the money belonged to him. The sum of E900 000 was a product of a fraudulent act done by the banks employee, one Ndumiso Khumalo, who unlawfully transferred the said funds to Dlaminis account on February 3, 2022. Therefore, these monies having been unlawfully appropriated by Khumalo for the benefit of Dlamini, the bank is entitled to reverse the transaction, contended the MD argued that the sum of E900 000 which was deposited into Dlaminis account was as a result of a criminal act done by Khumalo. She told the court that Dlamini could not seek to claim same as a gift. Interdict According to the MD, when the bank approached the High Court on February 18, 2022 to seek the interdict, it relied on an error suspected on its system. It was her contention that this reliance on the error at the time was justified. She narrated to the court that Dlamini had deposited E500 on February 22, 2022. However, the general ledger showed a debit of E500 and a credit of E900 500, which was unusual in the banking industry. Sibanyoni said besides the above, Dlaminis statement, instead of showing a credit of E500 to his benefit, it reflected a cash deposit of E900 500 (with the narration Cash Deposit Self ) when the only cash deposit which was present on that day was for E500. She went on to submit that the bank had engaged an intellect who advised it on February 7, 2022 that there was nothing wrong with its banking application. In light of the above, it was reasonable for the bank to suspect that the system had an error, hence it then engaged ETS Innovations to check the date, she argued. ETS Innovations is a company based in Centurion, South Africa and it is responsible for the banks data base support and maintenance. The MD highlighted to the court that preliminary investigations by the intellect viewed this transaction as a systems error because of the abnormality of same. This, according to Sibanyoni, was because as per the system records, the customer made a deposit of E500, made up of one E200 note, four E50 notes and five E20 notes. She brought it to the attention of the court that the general ledger entries, when viewed, showed a mismatch in the sense that they showed a debit entry of E500 and a credit of E900 500. Muskogee, OK (74401) Today Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 63F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 63F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. A woman holds a sign during a "Break The Silence Justice for Asian Women" rally, in Times Square, in New York City, March 16, 2022. Mount Carmel School student Larry Dean T. Cruz was recently recognized by the College Board National Recognition Program and was awarded the Indigenous Recognition Award and the National Rural and Small Town Recognition Award based on his exemplary examination scores for the PSAT and Advanced Placement courses. MBABANE Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini has urged police officers under the Intelligence Department to sharpen the pencil and ensure that an example was set on people who go around burning properties across the country. Speaking during a press conference held at the Hhohho Regional Headquarters yesterday, the head of government said it was high time that police officers were diligent and ensured that all cases were investigated to finality. Let us make our investigations watertight, he said. He also mentioned that those responsible for the law were doing something to ensure that the screws were tightened when it came to the granting of bail. Dlamini stated that government had noted with concern the increase in the number of cases of people who committed similar violence-related offences once released on bail. It should be noted that when someone is released on bail, he or she is warned against committing a similar offence. The premier said government was also cognizant of the fact that the individual perpetrators were getting paid by foreigners who wanted to foster cooperation with Eswatini. He said evident to that, there were individual emaSwati who issued directives to the arsonists from a foreign country. Worth noting is that there are people who are referred to as International Solidarity Forces who are linked to the ongoing attacks on security personnel, private and public properties across the country. Dlamini said it was unfortunate that some people listened to the individuals and caused damages in their own country. We wish emaSwati can realise the foreign mission and stop destroying their own country, Dlamini said. According to Dlamini, the ongoing political unrest was more of a social problem than a political one. He said emaSwati were angry and frustrated as they endured the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in job losses. He stated that social problems escalated to crime, which saw some people looting shops across the country. It was Dlaminis observation that certain individuals then took advantage of the social problems and linked them to politics which then lured the minds of emaSwati into engaging in criminal activities including the burning and vandalism of properties across the country. The premier stated that government had noted the ongoing abuse of police officers, which he said had been extended to their families. Recently, police officers lost their properties after their camp houses were petrol-bombed by unknown people. Properties belonging to officers accused of harassing pro-democracy supporters were set alight. Police officers are not victimised because they have differing views but because they are government employees. Those who have been injured and had their properties damaged are not different from people who were injured while on their line of duty. Therefore, they deserve to be assisted, the premier said, further stating that he could not make a promise for now. He said even though the assistance to the law enforcement agency could not be termed as compensation, they deserved to get something. Dlamini stated that government was yet to engage its partners to see how the officers of the law who suffered the losses could be assisted. The head of government acknowledged that just like other people facing difficulties when doing their jobs, it happened that some police officers came hard on people. He said any person doing a difficult job was bound to to make mistakes. People are not the same and the situation differed. Difficulties sometimes see people breaching procedures, he said. A North Korean flag flutters on top of a 160-meter tower in North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong, in this picture taken from the Tae Sung freedom village near the Military Demarcation Line, inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, April 24, 2018. Passengers ride aboard the MTA's New York City Transit subway, in New York, May 3, 2021. Editor Zaldy Dandan is the recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com KEARNEY As the number of Ukrainians fleeing their homeland surpasses 2.5 million, one couple who was able to flee and make their way to Kearney, along with their host family, are doing what they can to help those not able to get out. Liz Shchepetylnykova and her husband, Vitaliy Sharlay, were able to take refuge in the Northland in February thanks to the generosity of the Harper family. The locals are one of many families across America doing what they can to provide aid to Ukrainians. The decision to leave Sharlay said the decision to leave was tough, with weeks of stress, but needed to be made. We tried to understand what are the red flags, when should we step up and go, he said of their home in Ukraines capital of Kyiv, where the pair lived near the Ministry of Defense. The final red flag, Shchepetylnykova said, was when shelling began at the end of February. It was our friend calling us at 5 a.m. saying, They started shelling, get out, she told the Courier-Tribune 10 days later. I feel a storm of emotions. It doesnt really feel like 10 days, but more like 10 years. For Shchepetylnykova and Joann Harper, it was a bittersweet reunion. Shchepetylnykova was a foreign exchange student hosted by the Harpers 16 years ago. The pair have stayed in close contact through the years. When she lived with the Harpers, Shchepetylnykova attended North Kansas City High School. When we saw what was happening, there was no hesitation. We had to do what we could to get them out, said Harper. They are Harpers. Their last name may not really be Harper, but they are Harpers. They are family and we love them. Continued support Harper said Shchepetylnykova and Sharlay along with those they love who are still trying to get out, have an open invitation to their home. Ill put beds wherever we can fit them, said Harper. While Harper is taking in those fleeing, others in her family headed to Ukraine to do even more. Harpers son-in-law and grandson Eric and David Wolf recently arrived at the war-torn countrys border with Romania. The father-son duo, according to Erics wife and Joanns daughter Traci Wolf, left the U.S. last week with humanitarian supplies, to volunteer, and hopefully bring Shchepetylnykovas parents and the couples pet back to Kearney. Return date is TBD. The challenge is getting an expedited/emergency appointment for her parents at the U.S. Embassy in Prague or anywhere near where they are currently staying with our other former foreign exchange student, Sasha, said Traci. We are in contact with Sam Graves and Emanuel Cleavers office, and anyone who will listen, in hopes for some assistance to facilitate that happening. Shchepetylnykova and Sharlay are grateful for the love and support theyve received, are thankful for efforts of soldiers back home to protect all they hold dear and are motivated by their countrymen doing whatever they can to fight the Putin regime trying to wipe Ukraine from the map. How others can help While not everyone is fit for military service or physical fighting, everyone has unique skills that can aid Ukraine, said Shchepetylnykova. Everyone can help in their own and different ways, she said. As scholars and human rights activists, the pair have been raising awareness of the issues facing Ukraine and other nearby countries for years. The couple are using their connections to help fight the information war, pushing back against Russian propaganda, and provide humanitarian assistance to those displaced. This a war about colonialism, said Sharlay. Its important to acknowledge the world has an issue with understanding history correctly, said Shchepetylnykova, adding issues with Russia and her homeland have been ongoing not since Feb. 24, but since the 1990s. For Ukrainians, this is World War II all over again. The couple believe Putin has made it clear he is hell-bent on not reforming the USSR, but doing more - bringing back the Russian Empire. The pair have been outspoken critics of the Russian leader, who they equate to Hitler and label a terrorist. He continues to commit war crimes, said Shchepetylnykova. In addition to speaking with the Courier-Tribune, the activists have appeared on Kansas City TV and radio stations and plan to do more on a national level. The couples efforts have put a target on their backs and may have landed them on a Russian kill list. When asked if that worried them, Shchepetylnykova said that possible fear is not what matters. What matters is helping Ukraine, she said, adding people here can help by calling their political leaders to urge humanitarian aid and military relief for Ukraine or by donating to reputable sources that directly benefit the citizens there who need it most. Harper said no matter which side of the political spectrum one might fall, she hopes others get involved to help the citizens of Ukraine. The three things that everyone has in common, all of us around the world, is that they believe in their god, their country and they believe in their family and friends. What do we (as Americans) believe in? Its the same. Everybody is really the same no matter where you are or who you are. MANZINI Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have described the call to vet aspirant politicians by senators as a waste of time. The MPs were of the view that the assertions made by the senators were not in line with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini and therefore, the call to have aspiring politicians vetted by chiefs was undemocratic. The members of the august House were reacting to submissions made by senators during the annual performance and budget debate of the Ministry of Tinkhundla, Administration and Development held at Senate on Tuesday. Senator Prince Mphatfwa in his submission was quoted as having questioned what the ministry did to ensure that when elections were conducted, the right candidates were chosen. Prince Mphatfwa said when aspirant politicians formed queues during election, there was no vetting. In reaction to this, Lomahasha Constituency MP Ndumiso Masimula said his belief was that the senators were just passing time. Elections The legislator said a candidate who stood for the national elections was handpicked by the electorate. Masimula said such a contender was chosen by the majority who believed that their aspirations would be articulated in Parliament and result in the policies of the country taking the direction they hoped for. A legislator becomes a messenger of what the people want and they constantly update him or her. So, I believe the senators were just speaking, he said. He said there was nowhere in the laws of the land where it was stipulated that a chief had to vet an aspirant politician. Masimula explained that the senators should know better that law was a principle and not common sense. The Lomahasha MP said such submissions were evidence that this country was undemocratic. Nkilongo MP Timothy Myeni shared similar sentiments. He said: This is wrong and it is what we dont want. People should vote for someone they want and who shall speak what they perceive to be the right route to the future they want. Myeni said if chiefs started having a say on who should be voted for and or played a role in vetting an individual based on his or her political stance, such an act would deprive the electorate of democratically exercising their rights. On the other hand, Nkwene Constituency MP Vulimpompi Nhleko said the opinion shared by the senators was not right. He said democracy was an individuals right and whoever the electorate chose to vote for was their choice which should not be infringed upon. Nhleko said the laws of the country currently did not permit what the senators had proposed and should a chief be tempted to publicly share an opinion of what he thought of an aspirant politician, that chief could be sued for defamation. It is worth noting that some MPs have openly critiqued the Tinkhundla System of Government in Parliament and other forums. This has not augured well with loyalists of the system of government. According to Section 96 of the Constitution, which is the qualifications for membership of Parliament, a person qualifies to be appointed, elected or nominated, as the case may be, as a senator or a member of the House if that person is a citizen of Eswatini (Swaziland); has attained the age of 18 and is a registered voter; has paid all taxes or made arrangements satisfactory to the Commissioner of Taxes; and is registered as a voter in the inkhundla which that person is a candidate (in the case of elected members). A $750,000 grant will help expand a sexual assault response team in Brown, Pike, Schuyler and six other west-central Illinois counties. It will be one of two in rural parts of central Illinois. The second will include 10 counties in the eastern part of the state. Funding also will help improve services for victims of sexual assault by supporting sexual assault nurse examiners, who are specially certified to conduct forensic examinations of victims as well as provide nursing care. In addition, more training on sexual assault response will be offered to law enforcement authorities, health care providers, victim advocates and prosecutors. The funding is being made available through the Illinois Attorney General's Office from the federal Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program. Regions were chosen based on availability of victim services center and sexual assault nurse examiners, the proximity of multiple hospitals, and having a four-year public university. The western section of the state has a sexual assault response team; the funding will allow it to expand into four additional counties and also will allow a 24-hour on-call program for sexual assault nurse examiners. The Illinois Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Program has helped us provide quality, trauma-informed, patient-centered care to individuals during what is often the worst moment of their lives, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. I am committed to ensuring that communities have tools to support victims of sexual assault. This federal grant will allow us to expand the critical services provided by sexual assault nurse examiners and sexual assault response teams to additional regions throughout central Illinois. Three teens were cited after firing airsoft guns at several people an action police say is not only illegal but potentially dangerous. Jacksonville police were called about 8 p.m. Wednesday with reports that several people were being shot with airsoft guns. The guns are low-power toy replicas that fire plastic or resin projectiles. Police stopped three people about 10 minutes later in the 700 block of East Lafayette Avenue who matched descriptions from witnesses. The teens, two 15-year-old boys and a 17-year-old girl, were cited on city ordinance violations. Police Chief Adam Mefford said Wednesday that there was a mix of regular pellets and gel pellets involved. Although airsoft guns are non-lethal, Mefford said some are realistic enough that they could create a problem if brandished against someone who is carrying a concealed weapon and might not immediately be able to tell the difference. In addition, he said, law enforcement authorities who are responding to this type of call need to treat any gun as though it's a real, loaded weapon until they can determined otherwise. There was no indication the teens were mimicking a TikTok trend involving Orbeez beads colorful gels that can be fired from airsoft guns that has drawn warnings from police departments nationwide. The trend involves capturing videos of people or property being shot with the gelatin balls and posting them online with the hashtag #orbeezgun. Videos with the tag have been viewed more than 24 million times. Vernal, Utah, police cautioned on a Facebook post that "although marketed as a toy, the projectiles are capable of inflicting injury and firing one at a person is a crime." The barbarity of the Russian assault on Ukraine is neither mitigated by the ineptitude of the Russian army nor can hearts be uplifted by the bravery of the Ukrainians. Murder on a colossal scale is taking place in plain sight on television day after day. At this writing, there are 3.5 million refugees and thousands of civilian casualties reported. This is killing, killing, killing without respite. The Russian economy is destroyed, and the consequence of this bloody slaughter is affecting the world economy. Even pusillanimous nations like India and Brazil feel the hot breath of the crazed organ grinder Vladimir Putin and his Russian bear. The invasion of Ukraine was folly and a criminal act, but its continuation has become pure and sustained evil. Some in the U.S. commentariat have suggested with amazing thought gymnastics that all this is because of the expansion of NATO. But if NATO hadnt expanded after the fall of the Berlin Wall, then Russia wouldnt have felt threatened and wouldnt have invaded Ukraine. Nonsense. Russia has felt threatened in Europe since the days of the tsar. If NATO hadnt expanded to include the Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, Russian troops would be billeted there right now. Had Ukraine joined NATO, the United States wouldnt be paying the price at the pump and Europe wouldnt be shivering out the last days of winter, wondering how it will get through the coming months without enough fuel to produce electricity. Security is the abiding fault line in Russias thinking about the West. Sure, St. Petersburg is close to the rest of Europe and could be overrun. And Moscow isnt so far from European neighbors that it couldnt be reached easily by an invader: Napoleon got there, and Hitler could have if he had been a better strategist. But most of Russia with its 11 time zones is geographically out of reach. That makes it hard to swallow the security argument. Putin wants to restore Imperial Russia and the empire that reached even farther under communism which makes him a diabolical romanticist. He wants to restore Russian hegemony over its former states: Ukraine first. Larry ODonnell, the MSNBC host, correctly postulated that for NATO, or the United States alone, to intervene to help Ukraine, nuclear war could result; war not just in Europe but also between the United States and Russia the very thing that dominated the world from 1945 to the fall of the Soviet Union. ODonnells argument reveals the impotence that comes with nuclear weapons and sets up this question: Can we never challenge Russia, China or any other country with a substantial nuclear arsenal and the ability to deliver its weapons into the United States and Europe? If that is so, does it inoculate Russia from invading the Baltic states? We know the reality that lurks behind Chinas ambitions for Taiwan. Is that more inevitable than ever? President George W. Bush said we would do whatever it takes to defend Taiwan. That is very unlikely now, if it ever was. It isnt that the reality of the international scene has changed so much as it has come into a clear and harsh light. However, one thing has changed: The slaughter, the unspeakable suffering in Ukraine will change the attitude of a generation to Russia in Europe. Russia will be a pariah, not a partner. The United States fears war with Russia, but Russia, much weaker in every way, must fear war with NATO and the United States. On a visit to Moscow, toward the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, I heard a four-star Russian general say, Never again. But the Ukraine invasion is again. Will Russia and other aggressors be deterred long after the last of the dead are buried in Ukraine, and long after the last body bag has gone back to Russia? Maybe for a generation, which is about how long it will take to rebuild the global economy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine has run its ghastly course. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) spoke on the Senate floor in support of the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. Feinstein was Thursdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. The bipartisan legislation authored by Senators Feinstein, Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was signed into law by President Biden on Tuesday and reauthorized VAWA through 2027. Here are her words: I rise today also in recognition of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. Im delighted that President Biden signed it into law yesterday as part of the omnibus spending bill. Its important to know that this bill reauthorizes critical programs that help respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Its long overdue, but today this [bill is now] law. Last month, I introduced this bill alongside Senators Ernst, Durbin, both of whom are here today, Murkowski, who is also here today, and additional cosponsors. A number of advocates joined us, including Angelina Jolie, to speak about the importance of the legislation. The bill we introducedhas really strong bipartisan support, including that of 11 Republican cosponsors. In addition to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act through 2027, the law includes bringing it up to date, and thats important. It means that existing programs will be able to do an even better job protecting and supporting survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Its the result of a truly bipartisan effort and I want to thank Senators Ernst, Durbin, both are on the floor, particularly Senator Murkowski, for working with me to prepare this important piece of legislation. Im very appreciative of the partnership because the law will become a reality. We also had help from a number of our Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle who made important contributions to this effort. This act plays a critical role supporting law enforcement in their efforts to stop these perpetrators before its too late. It reauthorizes important programs and provides the necessary updates to strengthen them. So what does it do? First, it enhances and expands services for survivors, including survivors in rural communities, LGBT survivors, survivors with disabilities and survivors who experience abuse later in life. Older people get a lot of violence. It reauthorizes and strengthens the criminal justice response to domestic violence, including by improving the Justice Departments STOP grant program and strengthening the ability of tribal courts to address instances of domestic violence on tribal lands. It also establishes a pilot program that focuses on addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking through community-based, victim-initiated efforts to seek accountability. And the law invests in prevention education efforts that will improve the health care systems response to sexual violence we hope. And these changes can have a real impact. Heres one example: The International Association of Forensic Nurses reports that only one in four U.S. hospitals has a sexual assault forensic nurse on duty. Our bipartisan law remedies this problem by providing additional funding and training to increase access to forensic nurses, particularly in rural areas where strangely enough a lot of this violence takes place. Through this bipartisan law, we will make significant improvements to our nations response to domestic violence, but I want to caution everybody, it isnt perfect. I really regret that certain provisions were unable to be included in this bill. In particular, I had hoped we could include a provision to close the boyfriend loophole. Most people dont know that while individuals convicted of domestic violence against a spouse are prevented from purchasing a firearm, thats not the case for those convicted of domestic abuse against a dating partner. We tried to get that part passed and its very disappointing that there was not sufficient bipartisan support for this provision to close what will remain a dangerous loophole. So, clearly, we still have work to do. There are those use who follow these assault carefully and make a determination where this bill works and where it might need improvement, and Ive just suggested one so we will watch those figures carefully. Id like to thank the many advocates who provided valuable input and support for this effort. This bill was written in close consultation with the people who are on the front lines helping survivors of domestic violence every day. For nearly 30 years, the Violence Against Women Act has played a vital role in the federal response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As Katie Ray-Jones, the CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline noted, the Violence Against Women Act provides survivors with a variety of options to meet their evolving and complex needs for services and support. For example, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, in a single day in 2020 there were 76,525 survivors. In one day, 75,000 women were affected. They all received assistance thanks to programs funded and supported by the Violence Against Women Act. So despite the progress made over the last three decades, sexual, emotional and physical abuse are still painful realities for far too many Americans. We need to say this over and over again. We need to change minds and change actions. More than one in three women and more than one in four men will experience rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in my home state [of] California, approximately 35 percent of California women and 31 percent of California men will experience violence from intimate partners in their lifetimes. Thats an amazing figure if you think about it. In conclusion, let me end with this: All too often, these instances of domestic violence have fatal consequences. Every day, people are killed by a current or former intimate partner. This law is long overdue. 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. Honeywell Building Technologies has signed an agreement with Egypts Misr Italia Properties, to support its digital transformation journey through the creation of sustainable, smart community living in both existing and new projects under development. This includes the Cairo Business Park and Il Bosco City projects. In the first collaboration with Misr Italia Properties, Honeywell will deploy pilot projects that enable smart living through its latest advanced solutions including Honeywell City Suite and Honeywell Forge enterprise performance management software. The MoU will focus on integrating the solutions across Misr Italia Properties developments into a single command and control platform, for enhanced visibility and control. Honeywell will deploy advanced city surveillance systems (CCTV) for improved emergency response and access control; sustainable and energy efficient technologies for energy optimization as well as smart irrigation, smart street lighting, water management and smart parking, said the statement from Honeywell. The pact with Honeywell will strengthen Misr Italia Properties strategic position as a growing business, with a unique vision for smart and sustainable solutions in Egypts real estate market. It also enhances Honeywells established tracked record of delivering smart city solutions in Egypt and the wider Middle East and North Africa region. "Egypt is at the forefront of driving some of the worlds most prestigious smart city projects as it seeks to enhance the standard of living and accelerate the pace of digital transformation," said Khaled Hashem, President, Honeywell, Egypt and North Africa. "Were proud to have the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities at Misr Italia Properties key developments, where our next-generation solutions will play a key role on a community and city-wide scale," observed Hashem. "As we establish and operate safer, efficient and more sustainable communities, Honeywell continues to support the development of critical projects across the country," he added. Mohamed Hany El Assal, CEO and Managing Director of Misr Italia Properties, said this collaboration seeks to build on the trust of the companys existing and new clients by meeting their needs. "This will be done through using the best modern solutions and technologies for all projects in the New Administrative Capital and New Cairo, particularly Cairo Business Park and Il Bosco City in New Cairo. Mohamed Khaled El Assal, CEO and Managing Director said: "All the innovative technologies that will be implemented by Honeywell across our residential, commercial, and administrative projects prove the strength of the projects infrastructure and are capable of accommodating these expansive new technologies." "One of the most important systems that Honeywell will implement is the central control system that will play an active role in reducing electricity consumption and equipment malfunctions, and improving efficiency in managing power outages. It will also provide the latest technologies to equip meeting rooms to facilitate and speed up work and communication among team members, saving time and increasing efficiency," he added. Honeywell is collaborating with the Administrative Capital of Urban Development (ACUD) to provide advanced internet of things (IoT) software and hardware solutions in the leading smart city living project of the New Administrative Capital. Additionally, Honeywell recently signed a MoU with Etisalat Misr to develop advanced solutions for smart buildings, communities and cities across the country. Honeywell has been present in Egypt for more than 50 years and is committed to providing the best talent and technologies to support development across the nations major industries.-TradeArabia News Service California counties that have adopted the Voter's Choice Act View Photo San Andreas, CA Calaveras County election officials have extended the public comment period regarding the creation of an Election Administration Plan (EAP). That plan is required under the Voters Choice Act (VCA) model, which in addition to the vote-by-mail options available to all Californians, voters in VCA counties will have up to 10 days of in-person voting and the choice of casting their ballot at one of several voting locations within their county. Further explanation of the act can be found on the California Secretary of States website. Calaveras along with 28 counties, including Tuolumne, have adopted the VCA. To get voter feedback, Calaveras will hold an EAP public hearing Monday (March 21) from 2-4 p.m. at the county elections office at 891 Mountain Ranch Road in San Andreas. That is the same day that the extended comment period ends. The EAP is the Countys general plan on conducting elections under the 2019 Senate Bill 450. The current adopted plan and proposed amended plan can be found by clicking here. Those wanting to attend the hearing remotely can contact the Elections Department at (209)754-6376 or toll-free (833)536-8683 for details. Comments can also be emailed to: electionsweb@co.calaveras.ca.us Bahrain has launched 24 key initiatives to develop the services of the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), including expansion of instant and electronic visas and issuance of electronic passports. This was revealed at a Cabinet meeting yesterday, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The initiatives also include the King Fahd Causeway visa, the introduction of the trusted traveller system and a training visa, the introduction of a residence permit for foreign wives of Gulf nationals, the cancellation of arrival cards, the delivery of passports inside and outside Bahrain, and the reduction in price of the multi-entry visa, said a Bahrain News Agency report. The decision follows the review of a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Interior. These initiatives are part of Bahrains Economic Recovery Plan and will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the Kingdom and supporting development across economic, investment and service sectors, it said. Meanwhile, Interior Ministry Undersecretary for NPRA, Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, hailed today the directives of Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, to grant entry visas and family residency permits to promote family stability of Bahrainis. The decision allows the NPRA to issue entry visas and family residency permits to close relatives of the wives of Bahraini men or husbands of Bahraini women. According to the decision, the applicant should be Bahraini, the foreigners should be of good conduct and have valid health insurance in Bahrain throughout the stay period. The Interior Ministry Undersecretary said that the decision includes the mechanisms to apply for the permit through the Visas and Residency Directorate by filling out a form and attaching it with documents to prove the relationship. Click here to read the full article. Chris Cuomo wants CNN parent WarnerMedia to keep paying him even though he no longer works there. The former CNN primetime anchor alleged in an arbitration filing Wednesday that his career has suffered damages in excess of $125 million, and suggested CNN had allowed several of his one-time colleagues to violate standards and practices in a bid to keep viewership. The anchor also said his firing by CNN late last year cost him nearly $15 million in salary that he would have earned if he had served out his last contract. In the filing, Cuomos attorneys argued that CNN favorites like Don Lemon and Jake Tapper, as well as analyst Jeffrey Toobin, had potentially violated the news outlets practices over the years, but were not punished for doing so. As long as CNNs ratings would not be hurt, [former CNN Worldwide President Jeff] Zucker and [former CNN Chief Marketing Officer Allison] Gollust were more than willing to overlook major transgressions by CNN personalities, Cuomos filing alleges, or even engage in blatant misconduct themselves. CNN declined to comment. Cuomo and CNN parted ways last year after the anchor was caught up in the sexual-harassment scandal that engulfed his brother, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo. The younger Cuomo was found by CNN to be aiding his brothers team of officials, and after initially being suspended, was ousted. Cuomo maintains that CNN knew of the counsel he was offering his sibling. In February, however, the move to separate CNN from the anchor had surprising consequences: Zucker resigned after failing to disclose a personal relationship with Gollust, and Gollust left the company within weeks amid claims which she has denied that she worked too closely with the governors office and pressed producers on the kinds of questions they should ask. Their abrupt exits roiled the WarnerMedia news outlet just weeks before it is to be taken over by Discovery, which is acquiring WarnerMedia from AT&T. A spokesman for Zucker and Gollust could not be reached for immediate comment. The filing brings up reports of behavior by Lemon, Tapper and Toobin, noting that the two anchors were not disciplined for ways they interacted with sources that drew allegations and criticism, nor was Toobin disciplined for an off-camera incident in which he exposed himself to co-workers at The New Yorker. Whether Cuomos claims will bear any fruit remains guesswork at best. He was not paid out severance due to the circumstances around his firing, which CNN executives maintained involved a deeper level of involvement with his brothers defense efforts than they had been led to believe. Cuomos team asserts otherwise. Cuomo fully complied with CNNs standards and practices, including by keeping CNN executives apprised of his actions at all times, the arbitration filing says. [CNNs parent unit] Turners unjustifiable termination of Cuomo reflects nothing more than an apparent rush to judgement and caving to uninformed public and internal pressure that was based on speculation and assumption rather than facts and evidence. Indeed, Cuomos arbitration filing alleges Zucker and Gollust were fine with the joint appearances by the Cuomo brothers until after the former governor was implicated by claims of sexual harassment. Until that time, the filing says, CNN was more than happy to benefit from the connection between the governor and CNNs most popular news anchor. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The James Beard awards just announced their finalist for 2022 and several Texas-based names have made the cut. Despite boasting eight semifinalists, the San Antonio culinary community only broke through to the final in one category. Chef Steven McHugh of Pearl-area Cured is a finalist in the Best Chef: Texas category of the James Beard Foundations 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards. It McHugh's sixth time as a finalist. McHugh is the singular San Antonian proceeding in the competition out of the group of chefs, restaurateurs, bakers, and bars that were announced as semifinalists on February 23. Mixtli, La Panaderia, High Street Wine Co., 2M Smokehouse, Burnt Bean Co., and Clementine are some of the local spots that did not advance to become finalists. On a national level, Texas still has a decent presence in the next round. Julep in Houston is up for Outstanding Bar Program, and Roots Southern Table in Farmers Branch has received nods in the Best New Restaurant category. Chef Edgar Rico, of Austin's Nixta Taqueria, is one of six finalists for Emerging Chef. McHugh will be facing off against the following chefs in the Best Chef: Texas category: Tiffany Derry of Roots Southern Table in Farmers Branch, Christine Ha and Tony J. Nguyen of Xin Chao in Houston, Quy Hoang of Blood Bros. BBQ in Bellaire, and Iliana de la Vega of El Naranjo in Austin. If McHugh wins, he will be the first San Antonian take home the James Beard award. More on James Beard: San Antonio eateries earn nods from prestigious James Beard awards Award winners will be announced at the official James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 13, 2022, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The James Beard foundation, a New York-based nonprofit, was founded 30 years ago in honor of the life of chef and premiere 20th century gastronomer, James Beard, who passed away in 1985. The first of the annual awards, marking culinary innovation and excellence, were given out in 1991. It has been compared to a culinary Oscar's ceremony. This years marks the return of the James Beard Awards after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the foundation published a list of nominees but ultimately decided against giving out awards that year and in 2021. Courtesy, Jamie Hoppe Two years ago, bars across San Antonio were facing the unknown of indefinite closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, places like The Bang Bang Bar are gearing up to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, with themed bites like Guinness-glazed turkey legs. Owner Jamie Hoppe says The Bang Bang Bar's survival through the pandemic is a reason to get a party going. The bar celebrated its sixth anniversary in January. St. Patrick's Day adds to the reason to share a toast. Mike Sutter /Staff Update, noon: A few hours after the fire was reported, Jacala's social media pages posted a Facebook Live showing fire crews still working the scene. Cynthia Lambert, who runs the family restaurant with her sisters, had a tear-filled message for customers. "Our hearts are broken and I know your hearts are broken," she says through tears. "God's there, I love you. I know y'all love us and I'm so sorry, but this happened." A good Irish pub, no matter where on earth it's situated, is a thing of beauty. My favorite time to visit is late afternoon, with an Irish coffee sipped in a snug wooden nook that gets dimmer and more comfortable as you linger. All the better if it's nasty outside, the wet weather highlighting the coziness and sense of slowed time that exist in the best of these spaces. I love them. And here in the United States, on St. Patrick's Day, I'll be doing my damnedest not to enter one. American Irish pubs become different beasts on the holiday heralding the holy snake-charmer of the Emerald Isle, and the relaxation of covid restrictions may make this year's celebrations particularly boisterous. While it's nice to see other humans again, my post-quarantine brain is not yet up for the onslaught of Beverages That Ought Not Be Green, in the hands of shamrock- and leprechaun-festooned people, all pounding drinks and faking brogues and occasionally expelling excess Guinness from their mouth-holes. I'm a good chunk Irish myself, but celebrating anything - whether a saint, a heritage or the return of the lower halves of people's faces - with bad drinks in large quantities just doesn't appeal. My head is still spinning from a pitch I got this month, one that declared St. Patrick's Day is "not just an excuse to drink, it is an excuse to drink A LOT!" before suggesting a drink made of tequila and matcha - neither of which, for y'all keeping score at home, is Irish. (Of course, for the record, neither was St. Patrick.) I'll be toasting at home with "Paddy Drinks: The World of Modern Irish Whiskey Cocktails," the new book from the team at the Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog in New York. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting, the Dead Rabbit is a top-notch Irish bar on the first floor, with an outstanding craft cocktail parlor hidden above. And the bar's latest book is the antithesis of the sloppy green boozing that dominates this time of year. Instead, it's loaded with whiskey drinks that are elegant, precise, often complex, and keyed to the unique qualities of the particular spirits used to make them - drinks that could show dyed-green-lager drinkers the Erin of their ways. The name of the book is a bit tongue-in-cheeky, as Dead Rabbit founders Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry explain in their preface. Some years back, Muldoon and McGarry stopped in at Death & Co., another well-known craft cocktail bar in New York, to check out the menu from its new head bartender. They were surprised to find a specific section dedicated to Irish whiskey drinks. In New York, the two Irishmen had felt somewhat alone in their appreciation of Irish whiskey, whose reputation hadn't yet rebounded. So they were delighted to encounter the "extraordinarily well-considered and well-executed cocktails" centered on some of Ireland's best bottles. They were less delighted by the name of that menu section: "Paddy Drinks." "Paddy" is an old slang term for Irish people, sometimes used affectionately, but often pejoratively. And Muldoon and McGarry feared the term "was reflective of an attitude that saw no real quality or refinement within the drinks." But clearly, drinks this good weren't meant to be easily dismissed. The bartender who had put that menu together, Jillian Vose, had gone through her own realization about Irish whiskey. When she took over as head bartender at Death & Co., she'd been seeing a number of new Irish whiskeys available, but was encountering some resistance to using and stocking them. This was in the "We don't like vodka" era, Vose notes: "You have to admit, especially in New York, people were snobs about certain spirits. That was the case with Irish whiskey. It's just the way it was." Based on some of those attitudes in her mentors, she had assumed that the category must not be good. But as she tasted more of them, especially long-standing brands that had stood the test of time, and learned to trust her palate and judgments, she realized that some of the bottles - and the drinks that could be made with them - were too good not to talk about. Muldoon and McGarry ended up getting to know Vose (who is half Irish) and eventually hired her as head bartender at the Dead Rabbit. All three are co-authors (with Conor Kelly) of "Paddy Drinks." The title, Muldoon and McGarry write, was their way of getting even for those earlier attitudes about Irish whiskey, "reclaiming Paddy Drinks as a category that deserves - no, demands - respect on its own merits. The whiskey we know is gloriously subtle and distinctive, offering a vast panorama of flavors and aromas." Take the Precision Pilot, for example, where Vose was shooting for a light Negroni variation. She opted for Tullamore Dew, a blended whiskey, because she thought it "wouldn't have too much tannin or too much spice that would be too dominant. It has a lot more fruity notes," she says. "But the pot still and single malt in the blend also give it the body to support the other ingredients." The Dead Rabbit's upgrade of a classic called Cameron's Kick is another example of putting the right whiskey in place. Redbreast 12, a rich pot-still whiskey, has the heft to stand up to the peaty Islay Scotch whisky it shares the glass with, and its time in sherry casks makes the bar's addition of oloroso (not part of the 1920s-era recipe) an inspired touch. The book is loaded not only with drink recipes, but also with explanations for the production processes that make various types of Irish whiskey what they are, and flavor profiles that provide budding mixologists thoughtful tips for pairing and mixing. Thanks to a foreword by drinks historian David Wondrich, there's also a glimpse into the history of the Irish pub in America and the way that Irish immigrants have shaped how America drinks. Wondrich notes that German immigrants were quicker to pick up on American fancy cocktail culture, noting that by the late 19th century, "a large proportion of America's most celebrated mixologists were first- or second-generation German immigrants." But he argues that some of the Irish bartenders who ended up behind the bar at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, a highly influential spot, had a hand in shaping American cocktail traditions by exercising a restraint needed to weed out some of the more baroque drinks of the era. "In thus trimming back some of the more exuberant branches of the cocktail's family tree, [these Irish American bartenders] might have made it less ornamental," Wondrich writes, "but they also made it stronger and better adapted to last through the rough winter that, as far as the great American tradition of the bar was concerned, began in 1920 and only ended with the cocktail renaissance of the twenty-first century." "The whole idea of the Dead Rabbit was to bring the Irish pub to the 21st century, but also pay homage to the true pubs of Ireland," Vose says. Here, there's not a green beer in sight. - - - Cameron's Kick Cocktail A 1920s-era cocktail upgraded with bitters and nutty oloroso sherry, this concoction by Jack McGarry and Greg Buda of the Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog in New York City balances rich Irish pot-still whiskey against a peaty single malt (the bar uses Redbreast 12 and Bowmore 12, respectively). Where to Buy: Orgeat is available at some liquor stores and online. The bar recommends the orgeat from orgeatworks.com. We used one from Small Hand Foods. Total time: 5 mins 1 serving INGREDIENTS Ice (cubes for shaking, one large shard for serving) 3 dashes Angostura bitters 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice 3/4 ounce orgeat 3/4 ounce oloroso sherry 1 ounce peated single-malt Scotch whisky, such as Bowmore 12 1 ounce Irish pot-still whiskey, such as Redbreast 12 Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish DIRECTIONS Place a chunk of ice in a large cocktail coupe and transfer to the freezer to chill. Fill a shaker with ice, then add the bitters, lemon juice, orgeat, sherry, Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey and shake hard. Double-strain into the chilled glass, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and serve. - - - Precision Pilot Cocktail Here's a bright and bittersweet Irish whiskey drink from Jillian Vose, head bartender at the Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog in New York City. The bitter Campari and aromatic grapefruit play off each other. The bar uses Tullamore Dew, a blend of pot-still, malt and grain whiskies. Total time: 5 minutes 1 serving INGREDIENTS Ice cubes for stirring, one large cube or sphere for the drink 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters 1/2 ounce grapefruit liqueur, such as Combier Liqueur de Pamplemousse Rose 3/4 ounce Campari 1 ounce Lillet Rose 1 ounce blended Irish whiskey (such as Tullamore Dew Original) Strip of grapefruit peel, for squeezing DIRECTIONS Add a large ice cube or sphere to an Old Fashioned glass and set aside. Fill a mixing glass with ice, then add the bitters, grapefruit liqueur, Campari, Lillet Rose and whiskey and stir to chill and dilute. Strain into the glass, then twist the strip of the grapefruit peel over the surface of the drink to express the aromatic oils. Discard the peel and serve. - - - Recipes adapted from "Paddy Drinks: Modern Irish Whiskey Cocktails," by Jillian Vose, Jack McGarry, Sean Muldoon and Conor Kelly (Harvest, 2022). - - - Recipes tested by M. Carrie Allan. MOSCOW/KIEV, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following a new round of negotiations between Russian and Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow is prepared to continue high-level trilateral negotiations with Ukraine mediated by Turkey. "If such initiatives appear, we would only be happy to continue communicating in this format," Lavrov said at a press conference following his talks with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow. He explained that Moscow would only be interested in talks with Ukraine if these would lead to concrete results and solve existing problems. According to Cavusoglu, Turkey is ready to host a potential meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine. Lavrov met with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Turkey's southern province of Antalya last week on the sidelines of an international forum. This was the first high-level meeting between Moscow and Kiev since Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24. Earlier Wednesday, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said Russia and Ukraine have achieved some progress on a number of issues during the new round of talks. "Some progress has been achieved on a number of positions, but not all. The positions of the parties are quite clear, we are moving slowly," local media reported, citing Medinsky, who is also the head of Moscow's delegation. "The preservation and development of Ukraine's neutral status, Ukraine's demilitarization along with a whole range of issues related to the size of the Ukrainian army are being discussed," Medinsky said, adding that the Ukrainian side had proposed a Swedish or Austrian example of a neutral demilitarized state. The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. For South Africa's Deputy President David Mabuza, diplomacy remains "the key tool" to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict and no amount of condemnation and side taking will resolve this problem. South Africa continues to call for the parties to work together towards building trust and confidence by "intensifying existing peace mechanisms and dialogue" in order to achieve long-lasting solutions to the conflict, he said. Qin Gang, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, said in an opinion piece published Tuesday in The Washington Post that China did not know in advance about Russia's plan for a military operation against Ukraine, nor did Beijing support it. "On Ukraine, China's position is objective and impartial," the ambassador said. "The purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be fully observed; the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine, must be respected; the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously; and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported." In another development, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday in Brussels that the organization is working on resetting its deterrence and defense in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "We face a new reality for our security. So we must reset our collective defense and deterrence for the longer term," said Stoltenberg following the extraordinary meeting of NATO ministers of defense, of which defense ministers from Ukraine, Georgia, Finland and Sweden also participated. The NATO's military commanders have been tasked with developing options on land, in air, at sea, in the cyber space, and in space, according to Stoltenberg. The process for the reset started with a political decision, which is now followed by a consultation of the military commanders, who should issue their advice within weeks, said Stoltenberg, adding that leaders of NATO member states will make a decision by June. Grunt Style Grunt Style, a military-themed clothing brand headquartered in San Antonio, has raised $185,000 in one week to help offer aid in Ukrainian evacuation efforts. According to a release from the company, the clothing brand used an expressive T-shirt to help raise the funds. The Grunt Style's Gadsden-themed T-shirt pays tribute to Ukraine's national flag and includes a statement made by Ukrainian soldiers when they were besieged by Russian warships in late February, "Go F*ck Yourself." William Luther /San Antonio Express-News As if there havent been enough fires in San Antonio as of late, the latest report from the National Weather Services says weather conditions for the rest of the week could lead to other blazes. The Thursday, March 17 report is warning residents that critical fire weather conditions are possible in San Antonio each day through Sunday, March 20. These conditions are brought on by tight pressure gradients over the state of Texas combined with a very dry air-mass, making it easy for fires to spread. Yves here. John Helmer makes a bombshell revelation in his latest post, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in an in-person summit on March 15, not as widely touted in Ukraine, but in Poland. It is virtually certain that given the difficulty of assuring safe passage that Zelensky has not returned to Kiev. This allegation matters because it vitiates the effort to depict Zelensky as the second coming of Winston Churchill, heroically holed up in his capital as bombs are falling. Zelensky staying, or appearing to stay, in Kiev, is also a rallying point for the sure-to-lose-but-still fighting Ukrainian army and the civilians who still unrealistically hope that Ukraine can win on the battlefield. Admittedly, Helmer relies significantly on the debunking of visual evidence.which has not proven difficult to do with a lot of Ukrainian propaganda. Helmer was a master well before the wor, having made the downing of MH-17 a pet project (he not only finely parsed photographs, but made careful readings of inconsistent and shifting claims of experts and prosecutors). One might point out that showing that the official visual narrative of the meeting is faked does not necessarily prove that Zelensky was not in Kiev. Helmer presents other evidence that supports his contention, including reports from sources in Poland. What I found was compelling was that it was utterly implausible that the Polish, Czech, and Slovenian leaders made a long, overland trek to Kiev, as official accounts claimed. That would be disastrously risky in the absences of Russian assurances of safe passage, which were never made. That then begs the question of what actually happened. Lambert added, I hate this Bellingcat-style analysis because absent a very trusted source, theres no getting to the bottom of whats photoshopped and what isnt. That said, Helmer is trusted, things like railway stations and Presidential seating style can be independently checked, and the argument about railways seems dispositive. (Im also persuaded by the military haircuts on the so-called reporters.) By John Helmer who has been the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to have directed his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. Originally published at Dances with Bears The summit meeting of East European leaders, hosted in Kiev by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on March 15 was fabricated by the Polish government, with Polish secret service agents playing the part of journalists, and fake photographs of the meeting, press briefing, and train journey prepared by Zelenskys press office. The operation was designed by the Poles to promote their role in support of the Ukraine, the Ukrainian refugees, and in defence of Europe against Russia, and seek new European, American, and NATO alliance funds and military equipment. A according to the Ukrainian publicity, the operation was designed to promote the appearance that Zelenskys regime is in control of Kiev, and to accelerate their application for admission to the European Union (EU). The Anglo-American media have reported the meeting, as announced by Petr Fiala, the Czech prime minister, with the aimto express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence, The result of the summit meeting, according to the Financial Times in London, was a show of European solidarity even as Russian shelling continued on residential neighbourhoods in the Ukrainian capital. The trip by the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia is the most high-profile visit to Kyiv since Russia invaded the country on February 24. It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made, the Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced. It is here that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that the future of us all hangs in the balance. Morawiecki and the western press were lying there was no meeting in Kiev. Instead, the meeting was staged at the Polish rail junction town of Przemysl, 95 kilometres west of Lvov (Lviv), and 20 kms inside the Polish frontier with the Ukraine. In a report published by the Associated Press (AP) bureau in Warsaw, the long journey over land from Poland to Kyiv by Morawiecki, Polands deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Prime Ministers Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Janez Jansa of Slovenia sent the message that most of Ukraine still remains in Ukrainian hands. The evidence gathered from sources in Warsaw and from analysis of the videos and photographs published on the meeting proves there was no long journey; no meeting in Kiev or in Lvov, the Galician region capital, which is the operating headquarters of the Ukrainian government. From the evidence provided by the Poles and also by the Zelenskys publicity staff, it is now clear that only a small part of western Ukraine remains in Ukrainian hands. Zelensky himself is now in Polish hands. The Warsaw sources say the idea for the summit meeting was initiated by Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Since the death of his twin brother in an aircraft crash at Smolensk, Russia, in 2010, Kaczynski has been one of the most influential politicians in Poland; he is in charge of the defence, security, interior and justice ministries. He is fiercely anti-Russian. Associated Press (AP) presented this photograph of Kaczynski at the summit meeting with the disclaimer that it did not originate the photograph itself. Instead, it had been supplied by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office. The Polish sources believe there was no possibility that Kaczynski, Prime Minister Morawiecki, or the Czech and Slovenian delegations would have applied to Moscow for safe conduct to Kiev; nor would they have risked their own security by running the gauntlet of Russian electronic and air surveillance and missile attack on a two-hour train journey from Przymysl to Lvov, or on the seven-hour journey to Kiev. Instead, the Czech and Slovenian officials flew into Rzeszow Jasionka, the nearest airport to Przemysl; the airfield is also a NATO logistics and security base. They then drove to Przemysl. There the Ukrainians had despatched one of the luxury versions of the regular train service between Przemysl, Lvov, and Kiev. This had been fitted up for fabricated photographs of the Polish, Czech and Slovenian officials meeting as they purportedly travelled towards Zelensky in Kiev. The press which has published these pictures knows them to have been faked and has assisted in concealing the real location. THE FABRICATED TRAIN JOURNEY The red line is known as Rail Line No. 92 -- https://mediarail.wordpress.com// and https://pl.wikipedia.org/ THE TRAIN In a converted train compartment, left to right: Jansa of Slovenia; Morawiecki and Kaczymski of Poland; Fiala of the Czech Republic. The individuals on the extreme left and right cannot be identified. The red file on the table appears to be standard issue for the Polish intelligence services which report to Kaczymski. Advertising for the trains luxury suites confirms the train depicted in the publicity photographs. Source: https://www.rynek-kolejowy.pl/ FAKE ARRIVAL AT KIEV RAILWAY STATION, ACTUALLY PRZEMYSL Left to right: Fiala, Jansa, Kaczymski taking the lead position in front of the group, and Morawiecki. Top: shadows at the feet of the official group photograph reveal the picture was taken in the open-air, sun-lit section of Przymysl station as revealed in the photograph at bottom. All photographs confirm the paving design of the rail platform is specific to Przemysl. KIEV AND LVOV RAILWAY STATIONS Left, the interior of the Kiev railway station; right, Lvov. The platform paving is similar in Kiev and Lvov but quite different at Przemysl. The roofing of the two stations covers the length of the platform and allows no open-air section as at Przemysl. THE SUMMIT MEETING The staff man on Kaczynskis left is wearing a bullet-proof vest indoors, indicating he is from the Polish secret services and has either forgotten he is pretending to be in the Kiev presidency safely under Ukrainian control, or else he has forgotten he is supposed to be a civilian. The video screens with the Ukrainian propaganda slogans on both walls appear to have been photo-shopped in the preparation of the photographs by Zelenskys press office. The picture on left has been tagged as an official one by Zelenskys staff for publication on their Facebook account. The Ukrainian symbol on the wall is unlike those fixed to the walls of presidential meeting rooms in Kiev. The right picture is a closeup of the paper cups on the table. They are evidence of an improvised meeting room, not one at Zelenskys office in Kiev. Likewise, the contemporary-style chairs shown are incompatible with Ukrainian presidential seating style. PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE THE MEETING ROOM The sign pasted to the door over the heads of Fiala and Jansa says Situation Room in Ukrainian. It has been improvised. If the meeting had taken place in a genuine situation room, the absence of computers belies it. Left, interior camera set-up for the media; right, reporters shown at the exterior of the building. All the purported journalists are men with military haircuts; no women appear to have been included in the press briefings. The Associated Press (AP) a US-owned corporation based in New York has provided the most detailed bulletin on the meeting, its participants, and what they discussed. The agency byline reveals that its reporters filed their story from Warsaw; they were not present at the events they claim to have verified. The only direct source for the AP report was reported to be a Polish official who was reported as saying: The visit had been planned for several days but was kept secret for security reasons, said Michal Dworczyk, chief of staff for Morawiecki. In the fine print under APs publication of photographs of the meeting, the agency issued a source disclaimer. The images came from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, AP said. Dear patient readers, Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war both real fog and stage fog in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked. And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders. Yves P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies: Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please dont do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them. * * * #COVID19 China? Myanmar The Koreas India Syraqistan Pentagon May Boost Troop Presence In Somalia Defense One. Feeling their oats. New Not-So-Cold War Biden Administration Imperial Collapse Watch Zeitgeist Watch Class Warfare What is killing the millenials? Unacceptable Jessica Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here If Nashville is a city of multihyphenates, then Aaron Distler is among its most decorated citizens. Meet the pasta-maker-bagel-baker-drummer-coffee-purveyor-delivery-driver-entrepreneur-father-pandemic-pivoter. With Mr. Aarons Goods Distlers business selling handmade pasta, bagels, sauces and other foodstuffs (think coffee, Rancho Gordo beans and sodas) he has landed on the venture he intends to pursue long-term. Those goods are available for pickup and delivery out of TKO, a Chinese restaurant in Inglewood. The pastas are also served in some of the citys best restaurants, including The Catbird Seat, International Market, Drusie & Darr and Cafe Roze. Distler, 42, has a resume containing lots of Nashville history. After moving to town in 2004 to play drums, he worked as pastry apprentice (somewhat unsuccessfully) at the now-departed, once-beloved Provence Breads & Cafe. He was an assistant for late comedian Ralphie May and his wife Lahna Turner. (Thats a gig he got in true Nashville fashion: The ex-wife of one of Distlers former bandmates cut May and Turners hair, and she recommended Distler.) He helped May and Turner launch their Fat Baby BBQ sauces. That job was Distlers first experience launching a food product, learning about USDA inspections and storage and packaging, all details that unbeknownst to him would prove useful later on. After Ralphie May passed away in 2017, his managers the Dorfman family hired Distler to work in several comedy clubs they owned, including Zanies and another in Huntsville, Ala. When the Dorfmans later bought Breedens Orchard in Mt. Juliet, Distler worked there, launching their store and farming apples and peaches. I loved it, he says. It was really nice going out there and seeing the sunrise. He also hung out with his friends, including TKO owner Ryan Bernhardt, who grew up with Distler in Evansville, Ind., and Aaron Clemins, who cooked at a number of favorite eateries including Kuchina + Keller. They ate and laughed and brainstormed ideas that sometimes seemed like jokes and sometimes became real things, such as Bills Sandwich Palace. (While Mr. Aarons Goods and Bills Sandwich Palace both now share space with TKO and the friends work together in the kitchen again, Distler doesnt have any involvement in Bills Sandwich Palace today. Thats all Aaron and Christen Clemins.) Inspired in part by his late Aunt Patty, who first taught him to cook, Distler had been making pasta the Amish-style noodles he sells today are an homage to her recipes. Distler was working at the orchard during the days, and after hours he was making pasta with a used pasta extruder he bought in Tuscaloosa, Ala., thanks in part to a loan from his mom. He had the extruder set up in a building at the orchard. On Bernhardts encouragement, Distler expanded into wholesaling to local restaurants. Cafe Rozes Julia Jaksic was the first to put his pasta on the menu in a regular rotation, and that gave him the confidence to approach others. Nashville is a big city with small-town vibes, says Distler. I dont know that I would feel comfortable walking in and talking to a chef somewhere else. He likes working with chefs because he likes learning to make something new, like when he figured out how to make a koji pasta for Brian Baxter at Catbird. It just blows my mind, he says. It is the coolest thing to be able to learn from all those chefs. But Distler, Bernhardt and Clemins also still come up with more lowbrow ideas, such as the now-popular taco-flavored pasta shells. In 2019, Distlers orchard job was scaled back to part time. He and his partner Callie Bradley had a then-2-year-old daughter, and Distler needed more work. He thought about making pasta full time, but his pasta extruder was set up in the extra space at the orchard. Just move it over here, Bernhardt said, put it in the kitchen, and well figure it out later. It was probably the kindest thing anyone has done for me and changed my life, Distler says. All I did was give him the space, says Bernhardt. Why wouldnt I do that? We can all be a family again, is what Distler remembers Bernhardt saying when both Mr. Aarons Goods and Bills Sandwich Palace started cooking out of the TKO kitchen together. TKO is open for dinner only, so having friends cook there earlier in the day makes the best use of the space. When the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily stopped Distlers restaurant orders, he offered pasta pickup and delivery to the public, and the treat was welcomed by folks stuck at home. He started making bagels though Bradley is now the bagel master. In addition to the shared rent, being under the same roof means the friends get to brainstorm together again. Their latest idea was born of Distler and Bernhardts shared Evansville childhood: Mr. Pizzas Bakies and Buckets, a bucket of spaghetti inspired by one they loved as kids. (And Bradley had a similar beloved bucket growing up in Illinois.) The two are teaming up to sell buckets of Mr. Aarons pasta and sauces (designed to feed two to four people) and garlic butts (a garlic knot shaped like a butt) to families for a bargain price. Theyre offered on the TKO menu as a pop-up on Sundays now, with hopes of making them a regular item in the future and are currently served in buckets that read mucho nachos. After many years as a jack-of-all-trades, Distler is now focused on building a legacy for his family while bringing Nashville the best goods he can find. I want to be the Gen-X version of Paul Newman, he says. When I have my own brand of pet food, Ill know Ive made it. Dr. Tameka Winstons biography is full of accolades. She holds a Ph.D. in education from Tennessee State University, where she now serves as chair of the communications department and professor of communications. Shes been the recipient of several honors, including TSUs Woman of Legend and Merit Award and the 2017 Nashville ATHENA Award, which is presented annually to an exceptional female leader. She is the only faculty member to receive the Professor of the Year Award in TSUs College of Liberal Arts twice. She is a consultant to the University of Delta, Agbor, in Nigeria as that schools faculty builds its communications program, and she collects books to send to the Agbor community each year. By all accounts, Winston is an influential Nashvillian. But when we meet at the John Seigenthaler Center on Vanderbilt Universitys campus, shes more eager to talk about her humble beginnings. Winston grew up in a small shotgun house in Belzoni, Miss. Neither of her grandfathers could read or write, and her grandmother pushed her to go to college and excel. She wanted to meet in the building named for the legendary Tennessean editor and journalist because it was the reason she first visited Nashville in 1999. As a junior at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, Winston was selected for the Chips Quinn Scholars Program for Diversity in Journalism, a paid internship created by the USA Todayfounding editor and longtime Gannett company president John C. Quinn to give college students of color newsroom experience. It was and still is a program of the Freedom Forum in Washington, D.C. The institute flew Winston and her cohort to Washington for specialized training in broadcast or print journalism, and then they were off to their assignments. But her first assignment at a Mississippi daily didnt work out. It was the early days of email, and Winstons fellow Chips Quinn intern sent a jokey forward to the production printer instead of the printer next to his desk. She rushed to retrieve it, and they were both fired on the spot. But John Quinn called her personally to make it right: Would she like to intern in Nashville at the First Amendment Center? Seigenthaler founded the First Amendment Center with offices in Washington and Nashville in 1991 to help promote appreciation and understanding of the values on which the United States was built. (After Seigenthalers death in 2014, Vanderbilt named the center after him.) Winston didnt have a car or any money, but Quinn assured her that she could stay in Vanderbilt Village for no charge and walk right over to work each day. Thats what she did. Mr. Seigenthalers team took care of me, Winston says. They took her grocery shopping and to the mall. They drove her to assignments. Seigenthaler was at the D.C. office and would come to Nashville every couple of months, and he always met with the interns to discuss their work. Ill never forget that type of kindness, she says. Quinn kept in touch with Winston for the rest of his life, as he did with many of his interns. Shed receive his handwritten letters full of advice and encouragement. Before she joined the faculty at TSU, she gave teaching middle school a try. She was struggling with this path when she received one such letter from Quinn with a message: Remember, you were once that age. She brings this spirit to her work at TSU and especially in her interactions with her own proteges. She founded the Black Docs Mentoring program, through which she mentors scholars of color pursuing doctoral degrees across the country. Her Sirius XM radio show Black Docs on hiatus but due to resume in the fall invites five Black female doctors who are experts in various fields to discuss their lives and work. Winston authors textbooks in communication studies. While this might not sound glamorous on its face, she sees it as a way to help Black students see themselves reflected in their studies. What I saw in undergrad, for me, wasnt a direct reflection of African American work, she says. And I wanted that to be included our history as well. Quinn had a saying hed repeat to his proteges about racism, especially during their training sessions as college students. Winston remembers it today. Youre going to continue to soar. Dont let the bastards get you down. Its been a difficult year for parents navigating their childrens education. From changing COVID-19 protocols to contentious school board meetings, an education funding overhaul and censorship efforts, many difficult conversations are happening some that may distract attention from student learning. Elizabeth Bibi Hines and the other leaders of Nashvilles Parent Advisory Council are working to keep parents informed, facilitating conversations between parents and the school district. If you take the district-wide [Parent Advisory Council] meeting or school board meeting its just so big, Hines tells the Scene. The topics are kind of over your head, it may not help you prepare to meet the needs for your child. Hines says the council combats that by operating in clusters so parents can support and advise each other about nearby schools. Hines has served as the chair of the Parent Advisory Council since last March. When she first learned about the group, it wasnt fully functioning it only had two active clusters. After the pandemic-necessitated virtual school year, parents wanted to get the council fully up and running. Hines initially wanted to run for the District 7 school board seat vacated by Will Pinkston, but she hadnt lived in Nashville long enough. And so she ran for the Parent Advisory Council chair and won. Though Hines didnt grow up in the Metro Nashville Public Schools system, she comes from a family of educators. She had family members who taught in Nigeria, where Hines was born, and her mother has also worked at several universities here in the U.S., and is currently at Meharry Medical College. Hines obtained a civil engineering degree from the University of Virginia. After she graduated, she says, The intent had been to go back to Nigeria and complete this dam in the city I grew up in. But as probably most immigrants find out, once you get your degree in the States and you start working unless you work for maybe U.S. aid or an international company the chances of going back [are] slim to none, because you have a life here now, and this is the only life youve known. When Hines became pregnant with twins, It was clear that I wasnt going to go back to that engineering life as Id known it. She moved to Nashville in 2017, and her twin boys were ready for school. Hines had worked as a substitute teacher and tutor, and she knew about PTAs from movies and that she wanted to be part of one. I came in hot [to] the first PTA meeting, because I had been hearing all of these things about no funding and teachers are leaving and school board members are upset. And I came into the PTA meeting, and we were talking about selling cookies or T-shirts or something. I thought we were coming to a meeting to solve world problems. And we were here to fundraise. So I was in the wrong room. Eventually, she found the Parent Advisory Council. In her time as chair, she has facilitated town halls before board meetings that have covered topics like student dashboards and academics, provided parents with information about district operations, led a panel discussion about COVID-19 and hosted viewings of the Nashville Public Education Foundations By Design: The Shaping of Nashvilles Public Schools documentary. Leading the council is a volunteer position. Hines also works for the nonprofit Braver Angels, a group that defines itself as a citizens movement to bring liberals, conservatives and others together at the grassroots level. She says her job has helped her as the chair of the Parent Advisory Council. You have all these individuals who are very passionate about all their ideas. And [I ask], How can we get all these different people to agree to something to come to a compromise? Hines notes that she wants to follow the lead of Nashvilles student board members: Angelie [Quimbo] and Abenezer [Haile] are setting an example of students. I dont think it will be beneficial for students coming to the school board meeting and screaming at the board for what they want. So Abenezer and Angelie are going in and approaching it with what I would consider dignity and integrity, and its admirable. So thats the same thing I want for our group. Moving forward, Hines wants to be a teacher and interact with the district from the inside. In the fall, shell start working toward a masters degree in education at Vanderbilt. She received a scholarship, which is geared toward training more science, technology, engineering and math professionals to become educators. Her long-term goal is to become a principal at Croft middle school when current principal Dr. Jeremy Lewis is ready to pass the baton, of course. (Natural News) On April 23, 2015, the NY Times ran a story under the headline: Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal. (Article by Jon Rappoport republished from Blog.NoMoreFakeNews.com) I quote the Times: The sale gave the Russians control of one-fifth of all uranium production capacity in the United States. But the untold story behind that story is one that involves not just the Russian president, but also a former American president [Bill Clinton] and a woman [Hillary Clinton] who would like to be the next one. At the heart of the tale are several men, leaders of the Canadian mining industry, who have been major donors to the charitable endeavors of former President Bill Clinton and his family. Members of that group built, financed and eventually sold off to the Russians a company that would become known as Uranium One. Frank Giustraa mining financier, has donated $31.3 million to the foundation run by former President Bill ClintonSince [US] uranium is considered a strategic asset, with implications for national security, the deal [to sell Uranium One and US uranium to Putin] had to be approved by a committee composed of representatives from a number of United States government agencies. Among the agencies that eventually signed off was the State Department, then headed by Mr. Clintons wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton. As the Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013, Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation. Uranium Ones chairman used his family foundation to make four donations totaling $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the Obama White House to publicly identify all donors. Other people with ties to the company made donations as well. And shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Mr. Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin that was promoting Uranium One stock. Note to the women of The View: Try a citizens arrest of the Clintons. Stand up. Muscle up. Put the cuffs on these traitors. Live stream it. Thank you for your service. Whats that? You wont do it? Youre just a gaggle of monumental bullshitters with your big-time anti-Russian talk? You want to arrest Tucker Carlson but not the Clintons? I see. Read more at: Blog.NoMoreFakeNews.com (Natural News) No matter how much money the government pulls in, its never enough, so the government has come up with a new plan to make it even easier for its agents to seize Americans bank accounts. (Article by John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead republished from TheDailyBell.com) Make way for the digital dollar. In an Executive Order issued on March 9, 2022, President Biden called for the federal government to consider establishing a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Similar to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, CBDCs would also be a form of digital money, but there the resemblance ends. If adopted, CBDCs would be issued by the Federal Reserve, the central banking system for the U.S. government. One CBDC digital dollar would equal the value of a physical dollar. And like the physical dollar, which ceased to be backed by gold more than 50 years ago, the CBDC would be considered a government-issued fiat currency that is backed by the strength and credit of the U.S. government. (Of course, thats not saying much considering that much of the time, the U.S. government operates in the red.) Although government agencies have six months to weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of a centralized digital currency, its as good as a done deal. For instance, three weeks before the Biden Administration made headlines with its support for a government-issued digital currency, the FBI and the Justice Department quietly moved ahead with plans for a cryptocurrency enforcement team (translation: digital money cops), a virtual asset exploitation unit tasked with investigating crypto crimes and seizing virtual assets, and a crypto czar to oversee it all. No surprises here, of course. This is how the government operates: by giving us tools to make our lives easier while, in the process, making it easier for the government to track, control and punish the citizenry. Indeed, this shift to a digital currency is a global trend. More than 100 other countries are considering introducing their own digital currencies. China has already adopted a government-issued digital currency, which not only allows it to surveil and seize peoples financial transactions, but can also work in tandem with its social credit score system to punish individuals for moral lapses and social transgressions (and reward them for adhering to government-sanctioned behavior). As China expert Akram Keram wrote for The Washington Post, With digital yuan, the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] will have direct control over and access to the financial lives of individuals, without the need to strong-arm intermediary financial entities. In a digital-yuan-consumed society, the government easily could suspend the digital wallets of dissidents and human rights activists. Where China goes, the United States eventually follows. Inevitably, a digital currency will become part of our economy and a central part of the governments surveillance efforts. Combine that with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) initiatives that are tantamount to social media credit scores for corporations, and you will find that were traveling the same road as China towards digital authoritarianism. As journalist Jon Brookin warns: Digital currency issued by a central bank can be used as a tool for government surveillance of citizens and control over their financial transactions. As such, digital currency provides the government and its corporate partners with a mode of commerce that can easily be monitored, tracked, tabulated, mined for data, hacked, hijacked and confiscated when convenient. This push for a digital currency dovetails with the governments war on cash, which it has been subtly waging for some time now. Much like the war on drugs and the war on terror, this so-called war on cash has been sold to the public as a means of fighting terrorists, drug dealers, tax evaders and more recently, COVID-19 germs. In recent years, just the mere possession of significant amounts of cash could implicate you in suspicious activity and label you a criminal. The rationale (by police) is that cash is the currency for illegal transactions given that its harder to track, can be used to pay illegal immigrants, and denies the government its share of the take, so doing away with paper money will help law enforcement fight crime and help the government realize more revenue. According to economist Steve Forbes, The real reason for this war on cashstart with the big bills and then work your way downis an ugly power grab by Big Government. People will have less privacy: Electronic commerce makes it easier for Big Brother to see what were doing, thereby making it simpler to bar activities it doesnt like, such as purchasing salt, sugar, big bottles of soda and Big Macs. This is how a cashless societyeasily monitored, controlled, manipulated, weaponized and locked downplays right into the hands of the government (and its corporate partners). So whats really going on here? Despite all of the advantages that go along with living in a digital agenamely, convenienceits hard to imagine how a cashless world navigated by way of a digital wallet doesnt signal the beginning of the end for what little privacy we have left and leave us vulnerable to the likes of government thieves, data hackers and an all-knowing, all-seeing Orwellian corpo-governmental state. Unfortunately, short of returning to a pre-technological, Luddite age, theres really no way to pull this horse back now that its left the gate. To our detriment, we have virtually no control over who accesses our private information, how it is stored, or how it is used. And in terms of our bargaining power over digital privacy rights, we have been reduced to a pitiful, unenviable position in which we can only hope and trust that those in power will treat our information with respect. At a minimum, before any kind of digital currency is adopted, we need stricter laws on data privacy and an Electronic Bill of Rights that protects we the people from predatory surveillance and data-mining business practices by the government and its corporate partners. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, the ramifications of a governmentany governmenthaving this much unregulated, unaccountable power to target, track, round up and detain its citizens is beyond chilling. Read more at: TheDailyBell.com (Natural News) Stocks for different Chinese companies continued on a downward trend as lockdowns imposed by Beijing paralyzed business operations. Forming part of Chinas zero-COVID strategy, the lockdowns came in response to spikes in Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. Shares of e-commerce company Alibaba fell as much as 10 percent on March 14, continuing to a 23 percent decline in just a three-day period. The firm established by Jack Ma, alongside the broader technology industry in China, has come under scrutiny from the central government in Beijing for some time now. Tencent shares also experienced a downturn, falling as much as eight percent on March 14. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese technology giant could face a record fine for violating the countrys anti-money laundering laws. Tencent owns the social media platform WeChat, which is widely used on the mainland. Technology firms were not the only victims of the downhill trend affecting Chinese companies. Stocks of Yum China which owns the franchise rights to KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in the country fell 10 percent on March 14. The decline of Yum China stocks followed its warning that COVID-19 lockdowns severely affected its operating results. It pointed out a 20 percent year-over-year slowdown in sales in the first two weeks of March, which was attributed to the lockdowns. Regulatory action by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also contributed to the downturn in Chinese stocks. It named five Chinese firms traded on U.S. exchanges Yum China among them as candidates for potential delisting due to inadequate disclosures under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA) on March 10. The SEC gave the five companies a deadline of March 29 to submit evidence disputing their HFCAA identification. Following the March 10 announcement by the SEC, Yum China shares fell as much as 15 percent. Despite not being named in the announcement, Alibaba stocks also plunged as much as 10 percent on that day. Zero economic activity looming with zero-COVID policy China has adhered to a zero-COVID policy ever since the pandemic began in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, in March 2020. However, the rise of the more infectious B11529 omicron variant proves to be a challenge to the zero-COVID approach. (Related: China implements strict lockdown, claiming they have to stop the spread of COVID the supply chain will be impacted.) Many cities in eastern China, including the port cities of Shanghai and Shenzhen, have been put under lockdown at the behest of Beijing. Known for being a technology hub, Shenzens local economy is under threat due to the lockdowns. Singaporean newspaper Business Times reported that authorities placed Shenzhens 17.5 million residents on March 13 into lockdown for at least a week, as COVID-19 cases surged there. The Shenzhen lockdowns have shuttered a factory owned by Taiwanese company Foxconn in the area, potentially worsening the supply chain crunch. Foxconn operates facilities that assemble iPhones and other products for tech giant Apple. Financial institutions in the city located in Guangdong province, such as brokerages and big state banks, likewise suspended in-person services. Aside from Shenzhen, the city of Shanghai also suspended in-person classes and inter-city bus services. The city of Changchun in the northeastern Jilin province was also locked down amid rising COVID-19 cases, with the measure affecting its population of about nine million. Several economists have put in their two cents on the decision to lock down Shenzhen and other cities in the east. ANZ Chief Economist for Greater China Raymond Yeung said more cities may follow Shenzhens example, noting how public transport was shut down and residents movements were limited. If the lockdown is extended, Chinas economic growth will be significantly affected. Meanwhile, S&P Global Ratings Chief Economist for Asia-Pacific Louis Kuijs said the restrictions in Shenzhen make the economy particularly vulnerable to the more contagious omicron variant. He added: For China, omicron is a key risk for domestic demand, output and possibly supply chains. Visit Collapse.news to read more about the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on economies. Watch the video below about Shenzhen authorities imposing a total lockdown following seven COVID-19 deaths. This video is from the ZGoldenReport channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: China quarantines more than 80 cities as coronavirus continues to spread and kill as school dorms turned into disease-ridden prison camps. BRUTAL: Chinese Leaders to Sacrifice Coronavirus-Infected Cities to Save 11 Others; Prepared to Accept Millions of Fatalities. China is looking to relax Wuhan lockdown, but doubts remain is coronavirus really under control in its epicenter? Over 28 million people in China under lockdown as locally transmitted coronavirus cases appear to rise once more. Sources include: News.Yahoo.com Markets.BusinessInsider.com 1 Markets.BusinessInsider.com 2 BusinessTimes.com.sg Brighteon.com (Natural News) European countries are considering increasing their investments in fossil fuels to maintain energy security. In recent years, many European countries as well as nations in other parts of the world have carried out programs to lessen the consumption of fossil fuels in favor of investing in more renewable energy sources like wind and solar. What it did was further the political climate agendas of progressives and environmentalists at the expense of the energy security and stability of their nations. In Europe, most of the continent is in turmoil following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent economic sanctions placed upon the country. This has prevented much of the continent from being able to receive all of the Russian oil and natural gas it uses to keep the lights on. Europe relies on Russia to supply 40 percent of its natural gas, 27 percent of its oil needs and 46 percent of its coal. (Related: Biden begging socialist Venezuela for oil after killing US energy independence.) In Germany, the new coalition government headed by a left-wing party and an environmentalist party will not approve any new permits for drilling oil and gas in the North Sea. Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-free market Free Democrats Party believes this part of the agreement should be postponed as the current energy crisis has highlighted how much the country needs fossil fuels. We have to question the decision in the coalition agreement. Due to global market price developments, this looks more economical, he said in an interview with German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. Against the changed geopolitical background, I think it is advisable to examine the entire energy strategy of our country without any prohibitions on thinking. Europe looking to divest from Russian fossil fuels While European countries may be looking to expand their fossil fuel reserves, the continent wants to do so independent of Russia. In an upcoming summit of EU leaders, the bloc is expected to move forward with a program to immediately refill gas stores independent of Russia in preparation for the next winter. Refilling of gas storage across the Union should start now, reads a draft document of the conclusions for the summit. Member States and the [European Commission] will urgently coordinate measures necessary to ensure adequate levels of gas storage before the next winter. While European countries may be in agreement with their desires to phase out their reliance on Russian oil, gas and coal, there is some disagreement on what short-term measures could be put in place to limit the effects of the ongoing energy crisis. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo wants the entire bloc to agree on Europe-wide price controls. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte argued such a move could make it difficult for the EU to divest from Russian fossil fuels. Rutte argued that intervening in the market by introducing price caps could make the continent an unattractive place for would-be fossil fuel exporters to deliver fuel to Europe. Such a move would force the EU to keep relying on Russian oil and gas. Other countries like Latvia and Poland argue for completely halting purchases of Russian energy first, regardless of where the bloc or the individual EU member states choose to reinvest in fossil fuels and in what manner. Latvia and Poland believe an energy embargo on Russia would have an effect and could lead to the nation becoming unable to continue funding its invasion of Ukraine. If we were to stop the purchase of Russian energy, that would stop the funding of the Russian military machine, said Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins. If not tougher sanctions now, then when? Ukrainians are paying with their own blood for Europes energy purchases from Russia, said one Polish diplomat. Germany and Hungary are opposed to energy embargoes due to their dependence on Russian fossil fuels. They argue that not only would Europe be unable to keep the lights on, it would also have a severe effect on Europes economy and push the already-high energy prices even further. While we condemn Russias armed offensive and we also condemn the war, we will not allow Hungarian families to be made to pay the price, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Learn more about the energy crisis in Europe by reading the latest articles at Power.news. Watch this episode of Johannes Tyrannis as host Johannes Mathijs Koenraadt talks about Europes energy crisis, and what people can expect as it continues. This video is from the Johannes Tyrannis channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: France declares all-out economic and financial war on Russia before backtracking because Moscow controls European energy flows. Energy markets in turmoil as European gas climbs 60%. Oil prices surge to multi-year highs as Ukraine conflict causes ripple effect in global oil supplies. Renewables put Europes electrical energy at the mercy of Russia. Germany halts Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Russia over Ukraine incursion, putting citizens at risk of freezing. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com GlobalNews.ca Reuters.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Attorney Thomas Renz, who publicized data from the Department of Defense showing a significant rise in serious illness and injury in military personnel following the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, has issued a special legal notice with nearly 200 pages of supporting evidence. Some of the most alarming data included in the evidence comes from a trio of DoD whistleblowers, who shared proof from the Defense Military Epidemiological Database of a nearly 1,000 percent overall rise in injuries and diseases. This database, Renz reports, is considered the premier epidemiological database in the world, monitored by an entire division of the military, part of the data feeding into the DHHS related to vaccine safety, and frequently cited by public health professionals in peer reviewed publications. He presented the data in a public hearing to Senator Ron Johnson, a ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Senator Johnson then wrote a letter to the Secretary of Defense about it, and he received a response stating that there had been a glitch in the database impacting data from 2016 to 2020 and that 2021 had not been an anomaly. According to Renz, if that had truly been the case, the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Department of Defense, the White House and public health officials throughout the world were wrong for five years including 2020, the first year of the pandemic. Referring to the fact that the DoD later adjusted the figures for the years it claims were affected by the glitch to make 2021s numbers appear more consistent with previous years, he wrote: The glitch then magically repaired itself in 2021 despite the fact that the error went unnoticed until we shared this information in 2022. The Pentagon has yet to explain why the real numbers were not in the official system for five years and where the originally published numbers came from, nor have they explained why 2021s figures were supposedly accurate but previous figures were not. However, what we do know is that one of two things must be true depending on whether 2021 was abnormal or the previous five years figures were indeed similar to 2021, as Renz points out: Either there was mass vaccine injury in the military, or our military has been very unhealthy and the Pentagon completely lost control over epidemiological surveillance of these health issues for years. Either way, this is the story of the year. Significant rises seen in several serious illnesses Among the data found in the DoD database and highlighted by Johnsons letter was a 2,181 percent rise in hypertension from 2020 to 2021, a 1,048 percent rise in diseases of the nervous system, a 680 percent rise in multiple sclerosis, a 551 percent rise in Guillain-Barre syndrome, and rises well above 100 percent of various types of cancer and infertility. Other data Renz wanted to draw attention to include a DoD document that shows Dr. Fauci lied by claiming the virus was a crisis of the unvaxxed and demonstrating that the jabs are even less effective among minorities and a Pfizer document proving the dangers of the vaccines were known early on and that potential side effects have been covered up. There is also a DoD Senior Leading Briefing demonstrating that a quarter of active duty and reserves have not yet been fully vaccinated and are therefore subject to dismissal from the military. In addition to calling for the vaccine mandates for military personnel to be lifted immediately, Renz is pleading with officials to look at the facts and take a stand. Sources for this article include: WND.com RonJohnson.Senate.gov (Natural News) Several studies have found that exposure to forever chemicals increases the risk of developing severe Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Studies have pointed to how these forever chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) weaken the immune system. In turn, people with weaker immune systems are more susceptible to developing a serious or potentially fatal COVID-19 infection. Researcher Christel Nielsen of Lund University in Sweden said: Theres a clear science and evidence that immunological response and PFAS are connected and associated. Thats why the COVID aspect is so important to pursue. Nielsen and her co-author Anna Joud looked at whether PFAS exposure would increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 in their study. The October 2021 paper published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) examined the southern Swedish town of Ronneby. A third of Ronnebys population has been exposed to drinking water with high PFAS levels for decades. The study by Nielsen and Joud found that Ronneby had a COVID-19 infection rate 19 percent higher than the nearby town of Karlshamn during the first year of the pandemic. Drinking water in Karlshamn had lower PFAS concentrations than that of Ronneby. The results suggest a potential link [between high PFAS exposure and] COVID-19 susceptibility, the authors noted. (Related: Hormone-disrupting chemicals in our homes could be detrimental to immune health, raising the risk of COVID-19.) Another study that tackled the effects of PFAS in people also featured Scandinavian participants. The December 2020 study published in PLOS One looked at the PFAS concentrations in the blood of 323 COVID-19 patients in Denmark. It found that Danes exposed to higher levels of the forever chemical perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) had a higher chance of developing severe infections. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health environmental health professor Philippe Grandjean, the studys corresponding author, said of the findings: If you had PFBA in your blood, then you were more likely to go to the hospital, stay longer, get into intensive care and die from the infection. Forever chemicals also increase the risk of dying from COVID According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS are found in many different consumer, commercial and industrial products. Their moniker forever chemicals stems from their long-lasting nature and very slow breakdown time. The chemical PFBA identified in the December 2020 study is used as a component of fire-fighting foams and as a coating for paper, leather and textiles. The EPA added that PFAS are found in the blood of people all over the world. Once inside the body, they can block, mimic or disrupt hormones contributing to diminished immunity against COVID-19 and other illnesses. Aside from increasing the risk of COVID-19 infection, PFAS also make people more likely to die from COVID-19. A March 2021 study published in IJERPH scrutinized the mortality risk from COVID-19 infections in the Veneto region, located in northern Italy. Venetos Red Zone, situated in the regions southwest, is known for having drinking water with high PFAS concentrations for decades. The researchers found that areas within Venetos red zone had COVID-19 mortality rate 27 times higher. We observed a higher mortality risk for COVID-19 in a population heavily exposed to PFAS compared to the resident population in the other municipalities in the Veneto region which was possibly explained by PFAS immunosuppression, bioaccumulation in lung tissue or pre-existing disease being related to PFAS, the researchers noted. [The] fact that the Red Zone population had an unusually high PFBA exposure in the drinking water, along with the evidence that PFBA concentrates in the lung tissue, suggests PFBA as a potential key exposure. PFAS may have the potential via immuno-toxicity to exacerbate COVID-19 respiratory symptoms or, more generally, the severity of the disease through a direct or indirect mechanism. Visit Chemicals.news to read more stories about the health risks of being exposed to PFAS. Watch Sydney Evans of the non-profit Environmental Working Group talking about PFAS contamination of drinking water below. This video is from the Weltansicht channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: PFAs, chemicals commonly found in household and everyday items, found to interfere with metabolism and body weight. Forever chemicals from almost 42,000 sources threaten to contaminate drinking water. Forever chemicals found to be significantly more toxic than previously thought. Sources include: EcoWatch.com MDPI.com 1 Journals.PLOS.org EPA.gov SigmaAldrich.com MDPI.com 2 (Natural News) Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proves that there was a surge in deaths among millennials in the United States after the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates were implemented. According to the data, the millennial generation in the U.S. suffered more than 61,000 excess deaths during the second half of 2021 alone. Edward Dowd, a former portfolio manager for Wall Street investment firm BlackRock, who made a career out of crunching numbers to make important investment decisions, recently went public with his analysis of CDC data. On the social media website Gettr, where Dowd first published the results of his analysis, he wrote that the millennial generation experienced a Vietnam War event, noting that 58,000 Americans died during that conflict. Understand this data comes from the CDC, said The New American journalist Ben Armstrong on an episode of his show on the media network, The Ben Armstrong Show. So, you know, its most likely even worse than what Im reporting, because you know, the CDC has not been forthright and everything, he continued. (Related: ALARM BELLS: All-cause death rates in US have increased by 40% compared to pre-pandemic levels.) You could say the CDC conducted a Vietnam War on millennials, said Armstrong. And I think this is the low-end stuff, folks. Its using the CDC, who has been covering up and lying to everybody [about] their own stuff, so you know it has to be on the low-end. It has to be. This is the stuff that they think looks good. Millennials experienced worst-ever excess mortality event due to COVID-19 vaccines In an interview with Steve Bannons show War Room, Dowd described what he found as shocking and called it the worst-ever excess mortality, I think, in history. According to Dowds analysis, millennials in the U.S., or people between the ages of 25 and 40, experienced an 84 percent increase in excess mortality in the fall of 2021. This was the highest increase in excess deaths among all age groups last year. It was seven times higher than excess deaths among the Silent Generation, born between 1928 to 1945, with the youngest members of that generation being 76 years old. Dowds data also highlights that the surge in excess deaths hit millennials at the same time the COVID-19 vaccine mandates were introduced. And then [excess deaths] re-accelerated into the end of the year, said Dowd. This coincides with the time when the COVID-19 booster vaccines were introduced in the United States. I think this is the smoking gun that the vaccines are causing excess mortality in all age groups, said Dowd. So, Im going to put a word out there. Its an old word but it should be reintroduced into the conversation. Its called democide: Death by government. So the government, through the mandates, has killed people. Dowd noted that the estimate of 61,000 excess deaths among millennials in 2021 is a low estimate. It takes time for millennial-aged deaths to be reported because theyre usually not hospital deaths, he said. So, that datas going to be updated and its probably gonna show that continued, disturbing trend. Dowd said he worked with an insurance expert in compiling and analyzing the data. He also worked with Brook Jackson, a whistleblower who was contracted to work on one of Pfizers clinical trials for its vaccine. An acquaintance on Wall Street, who Dowd called a senior chief risk officer, or an actuary, learned about Dowds research and asked to compare notes. This leads Dowd to believe that the financial community will soon respond to the excess deaths caused by the vaccines. If youre on Wall Street and you still think Pfizer and Moderna are good buys, Ive got news for you: Theres some catalysts coming that are probably not going to be good for holding those stocks, said Dowd. He added that the liability protections afforded to Big Pharma companies by the federal government will probably not protect them this time. More stories about deaths caused by COVID vaccines can be found at VaccineDeaths.com. Watch this episode of The Ben Armstrong Show as host Ben Armstrong goes into detail about the CDC data that proves millennial deaths in the U.S. have surged after the introduction of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. This video can be found in the channel The New American on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Fully vaccinated and boosted make up the vast majority of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the UK. Leaked top-secret Pfizer document shows COVID-19 vaccine is FAR MORE DANGEROUS than the world knows. Studies confirm spike protein mRNA in COVID vaccines alters human DNA within hours after injection. Fully vaccinated individuals are SHEDDING GRAPHENE and infecting the unvaccinated, causing serious health complications. MATH DOESNT LIE: COVID-19 vaccines are far deadlier than flu vaccines. Sources include: Brighteon.com WND.com GlobalResearch.ca (Natural News) The heightened threats of nuclear war amid Russias invasion of Ukraine have spiked the interest of Americans to be prepared for such a possibility. This has led to more people purchasing potassium iodide tablets, which have a proven ability to blunt the effects of radiation exposure. The manufacturer of iOsat said its $14 packs of potassium iodide tablets are already sold out on its website. Identical tablets are already up for sale for as much as $149 per pack on online marketplaces like eBay. We anticipate to be restocked after mid-March, wrote the manufacturer on its website. CamelCamelCamel, a website that tracks the prices of goods sold online, found that one bottle of 180 potassium iodide pills used to cost just $30 several weeks ago on Amazon. Now, the cost has more than doubled to about $70. On the website for NOW Foods, a bottle of potassium iodide tablets is now priced at $29.98, up from about $20 in late 2021. Manufacturers in the United States have noted that their inventories have been rapidly decreasing since Feb. 24, when the invasion of Ukraine began. European countries also experiencing surge in demand for potassium iodide Just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces occupied Chernobyl and the area around the old power plant, the site of one of the worlds most catastrophic nuclear disasters. A week later, Russian forces advancing from occupied Crimea in southern Ukraine shelled the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europes largest such facility, causing a fire at one of the sites buildings to break out. Russian forces in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv destroyed an atomic-physics lab that was supposed to be protected under international safeguards. In the capital of Kyiv in the countrys north, several nuclear waste facilities were heavily damaged by Russian munitions during the first week of the war. Meanwhile, Putin has placed Russias nuclear arsenal on a special regime of high alert combat duty. U.S. intelligence has noted that this is more for posturing, possibly in an attempt to get Ukrainian negotiators to concede to more Russian demands. (Related: World War III will be nuclear and destructive, warns Russian foreign minister.) But this has not stopped fears of a nuclear disaster or nuclear war from rising, especially in Europe. Finland, for example, which shares an 830-mile-long border with Russia, has seen a 100-fold increase in demand for potassium iodide. In Norway, over 90,000 packets of potassium iodide tablets were sold in one week, and retailers and domestic manufacturers are now experiencing supply shortages. In Belgium, at least 30,000 residents went to pharmacies to avail themselves of free potassium iodide pills. CDC cautions against taking too much potassium iodide In light of the increased demand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put out announcements explaining the dangers of taking too many potassium iodide tablets at once. The CDC further explained that in the event of a nuclear incident like the nearby detonation of a nuclear weapon or a catastrophic disaster in a nuclear reaction, radioactive iodine (radioiodine) is released into the air. The radioactive iodine can enter the body, usually by being breathed in, and is then quickly absorbed by the thyroid gland. Once in the thyroid, the radioiodine can either destroy the gland or cause different kinds of cancers. Radiation protection specialists have pointed out that, while potassium iodide is not a magic bullet that can protect people against all radiation exposure, if taken correctly it can offer some protection, especially for the thyroid. It will not protect against external radiation or internal radiation from radionuclides other than radioiodine, wrote the Health Physics Society. This salt, if taken either before or very soon after a radioiodine intake and if taken in the proper dose, will block the uptake of radioiodine by the thyroid. Learn more about the threat of nuclear war, and what people can do to prepare for it at Nuclear.news. Listen to this episode of the Health Range Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talk about how Putin, Biden and NATO are all attempting to escalate tensions and push the world into a nuclear world war. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: U.S. military head says country faces substantial nuclear threat from Russia, China. Steve Quayle tells Mike Adams: Globalists want to achieve the extermination of the human race through nuclear war. Former RT editor-in-chief: Were on the brink of a nuclear war. Banker says civilization has a 10% chance of collapsing due to nuclear war. The binary weapon extermination plot becomes clear: mRNA spike protein injections suppress DNA repair, followed by global nuclear events that unleash DNA-damaging radiation. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Newsweek.com WashingtonTimes.com Bloomberg.com Poynter.org Brighteon.com (Natural News) As predicted, the Big Pharma machine is already talking about pushing a fourth Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine on the masses in a way similar to seasonal flu shots. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla appeared on CBS News Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan to deliver pre-scripted talking points about how people are going to need a fourth injection in order to stay immune against the Fauci Flu. Do you think that we will every fall have to prepare ourselves with a booster shot for COVID just like we get a flu shot? Brennan asked Bourla. I think so, he responded. Many variants are coming and omicron was the first one that was able to evade in a skillful way the immune protection that we are giving. But also in order, the duration of the protection doesnt last very long. So, what we are trying to do is to make not only a vaccine that will protect against all variants, including omicron, but also something that can protect for at least a year. You can watch a clip of the segment below. According to Bourla, it is absolutely necessary that people get a fourth boost because the third shot, which was originally called a booster, is not that good against infections and it doesnt last that long. Right now, the protection that we are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths, Bourla said, though he admitted that the third shot is pretty much useless for infections. We are just submitting data to the FDA and will wait to hear what other experts say outside of Pfizer. Bourla wants everyone to get injected with annual Pfizer COVID shots People have been banned on social media platforms like Twitter for saying the very same thing that Bourla is now admitting about the shots not working as claimed, by the way. But for some reason, Bourla always gets a free pass to say whatever he wants. At one point, Bourla actually called for parents who utter disinformation about his Pfizer shots to be punished as criminals. Bourlas company also said that it is proud to stand with China leaders as among its many globalist partners pushing new pharmaceutical innovations like Fauci Flu shots. Bourla said Pfizer is now working very diligently to come up with an annual injection that will supposedly provide year-long protection against all versions of the Fauci Flu that will inevitably be announced by the White House and its corporate-controlled media partners. Pretty ballsy of him not to have fled the country yet, wrote one commenter about Bourla. He certainly is not reading the room, joked another about how Bourla clearly does not understand how most people feel concerning his injections. I will never trust a doctor ever again, nor any government agency trying to tell us what to do to be safe,' wrote someone else. Too many sold their souls and could give a s**t about our individual health; only drink the kool-aid and follow the globalist agenda. Another pointed out that if Bourla gets his wish about a fourth COVID booster injection, there will surely be a fifth, sixth, seventh and infinite number of additional shots pushed on the masses. This guy is stalling and awaiting bought approval for the next mRNA disease panacea, suggested someone else. The infrastructure is now in place for the next mass rollouts of low temp product. They are not going to let it all go away. Pumping boosters until then. More related news about Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources include: CitizenFreePress.com NaturalNews.com 1 NaturalNews.com 2 (Natural News) A vaccinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota said he developed tinnitus after his second dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. (Article by Nolan E. Bowman republished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org) Dr. Gregory Polands symptoms began 90 minutes after receiving the vaccine. He described the condition as fairly severe and extraordinarily bothersome, interfering with sleep and the ability to concentrate. Tinnitus is defined as hearing sounds when no actual, external sounds are present. Some people report: Ringing in the ears. Buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing and clicking. Thumping. Hearing music when none is being played. According to data released March 4 by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), 19,630 people have reported developing tinnitus after a COVID vaccine. There are no VAERS data on whether or not this condition resolved or is ongoing. A Dec. 14, 2021 Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers lists tinnitus as a side effect of the Janssen COVID vaccine, marketed by J&J. Pfizer and Moderna do not note any causal connection between the vaccine and hearing issues, according to ABC News, and neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor U.S. Food and Drug Administration list the condition as a side effect. Tinnitus is also a symptom of COVID, especially among long-haulers. Texas Roadhouse CEO Kent Taylor last year committed suicide after experiencing severe post-COVID symptoms, including tinnitus. Spike protein in virus, vaccine may cause trigger tinnitus Poland last month hosted a video discussion with two leading tinnitus researchers, Konstantina Stankovic, M.D., Ph.D., and Shaowen Bao, Ph.D., during which they examined the mechanisms of tinnitus. Stankovic, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, has been studying tinnitus in COVID patients since the beginning of the pandemic. Of the 10 patients she studied who had COVID and tinnitus, all of them had either reduced or non-existent hair function. She found the virus entered the inner ear cells and preferentially affected hair cells, referring to the hair cells of the cochlea, an integral part of the inner ear and the organ responsible for the conversion of sound into an electrical signal the brain then interprets. The virus causing COVID-19 can directly infect the human inner ear cells, and this could explain what we are seeing, Stankovic said. Researchers estimate nearly 15% of people who recovered from COVID developed tinnitus, and this condition is now associated with long COVID. Poland, who got a booster shot despite developing tinnitus after his second COVID shot, raised the question of whether or not that was the right thing to do. Bao, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, said his research on vaccine-induced tinnitus, which is awaiting peer review, indicates the spike protein present in the virus and in the vaccine is a likely contributor to tinnitus. Although Bao did not identify a molecular mechanism for spike protein-induced tinnitus, results from his own survey indicate the incidence of tinnitus following the first shot is 10% higher than that following the second shot, a small but statistically significant percentage. This indicates a spike protein-mediated effect and not an immune response effect because the immune response is known to be greater after the second dose, Bao said. From his survey of 400 people who developed post-vaccination tinnitus, 100 chose to receive a second dose of the vaccine despite having unresolved tinnitus from the first injection, Bao said. Of those 100 people, 38% reported worsening symptoms after the second dose, a much higher risk than the 70 per million cases reported in VAERS. Bao concluded that, for unknown reasons, some people are more predisposed than others to this adverse event. Poland decided to get the booster shot. His tinnitus went away for about 24 hours only to return at a higher pitch, he said. Poland did not return calls from The Defender about whether his condition has improved and if he reported it to VAERS. More research needed, experts say These experts observations highlight the challenge we have in identifying the real cause of the conditions endured by people during the pandemic, said Dr. Madhava Setty, senior science editor for The Defender. Setty added: The spike protein has been implicated as the cause of many ailments following both vaccination and COVID-19, from myocarditis to clotting disorders. We cannot know which is more dangerous, the virus or the vaccine, if we do not have a large number of unvaccinated people to observe. The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) encourages people who develop tinnitus after a COVID vaccine to report it to VAERS. The association states that manufacturers of COVID vaccines currently dont list tinnitus as an expected adverse reaction (although, as reported, J&J does list it). The ATA states: At present, none of the available coronavirus vaccines include information on tinnitus as a side effect. It is only through the reporting of side effects that adjustments are made in the list of common or rare side effects, so please report any adverse events that occur after vaccination. Poland, Stankovic and Bao concluded tinnitus should not deter people from getting their booster shots, and said more research on tinnitus is desperately needed due to its tremendous ill effect on peoples health and well-being and healthcare costs. According to the ATA: Millions of Americans experience tinnitus, often to a debilitating degree, making it one of the most common health conditions in the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that nearly 15% of the general public over 50 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus. Roughly 20 million people struggle with burdensome chronic tinnitus, while 2 million have extreme and debilitating cases. Scientists and doctors are still getting a better understanding of this condition and ways to treat it, Bao and Stankovic said. A variety of causes have been identified, and some people experience it as an acute, temporary condition, while for others it is chronic and ongoing. It can also lead to hearing loss. There are no available evidence-based therapeutics for treating tinnitus. Some people have seen positive results with white noise therapy. Targeting inflammation might yield the best therapeutic strategies, Bao said. Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org Authorities are reporting 23 civilians dead, including children, after a Ukrainian missile strike against a civilian center in the Russian-speaking city of Donetsk. Western mainstream media has neglected to report on the alleged attack on civilians while the Ukrainian Government is denying it ever happened. However, extensive video footage has been released documenting the strike and its casualties. (Natural News) (Article by Frankie Stockes republished from NationalFile.com) The Russian defense ministry and Donetsk authorities report that 23 civilians were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on the city of Donetsk, the capital of the Donestk Peoples Republic. An additional 28 civilians have been reported wounded in what those on the Russian side of the conflict are calling a war crime. Donetsk, along with several other Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine, broke away from the nation in 2014 after its elected pro-Russian government was overthrown in a revolution backed by George Soros and Barack Obama. Ukraine has been in chaos ever since and the Russian state has accused the Ukrainians of committing genocide against the Russian-speaking population, though it should be noted that these claims have not been verified. In one video clip of the alleged Ukrainian missile strike taken from a surveillance camera, civilians in Donetsk can be seen in what appears to be a bank. Business is seen carrying on as usual in the clip before its subjects are suddenly thrown to the floor and windows are blasted out of the building as the missile landed nearby. Outside, a bus stop in the city center had been ravaged and dead civilians, including children, dotted the street. Some citizens could be seen frantically mourning the losses as emergency workers responded. People were waiting in line near an ATM and were standing at a bus stop, Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk Peoples Republic told the media. There are children among the dead, he went on to say. The Russian side claims the missile was a Ukrainian Tochka-U rocket and was designed to act as a cluster munition capable of detonating above the city of Donetsk to inflict maximum damage. To the contrary, at least one pro-Russian separatist leader says the Ukrainian missile was actually intercepted and shot down, breaking into pieces as a result. On the other hand, the Ukrainians deny the missile came from them, and say there is no point in even talking about it. It is unmistakably a Russian rocket or another munition, theres not even any point talking about it, Leonid Matyukhin, a Ukrainian military spokesman, told media during a briefing, suggesting the missile attack was a false flag. As the Russo-Ukrainian War has unfolded in recent weeks, Western media and social networks have sought to tightly control the narrative coming out of embattled regions, censoring combat footage and other news that paints the Ukrainian side in a bad light, while likening the Russians to German Nazis in World War 2. As previously reported by National File, Americans and other Western volunteers who travelled to Ukraine to aid in the war effort have reported horrifying experiences and brutality among the Ukrainian forces. One American volunteer described his harrowing experience on video, and claimed that Westerners had been killed in an air strike on Ukrainian positions. The same man, who made it out of Ukraine, reported that Western volunteers are effectively locked inside the country. He said that while foreign volunteers have been attempting to leave, Ukrainians have destroyed their passports and threatened to shoot them in the back should they walk away. Ukrainian forces reportedly struck civilians in #Donetsk, the capital city of the breakaway Donetsk Peoples Republic. pic.twitter.com/ZPGcLn05Ic Frankie Stockes Reporter (@stockes76) March 16, 2022 Read more at: NationalFile.com (Natural News) Robert Habeck, Germanys economic and energy minister, is warning that his country might want to take it easy with all the Russia bashing and associated sanctions if it wants to remain prosperous. Germanys planned boycott of Russian oil and gas, for instance, will only hurt Germans by ushering in mass unemployment and poverty. If we flip a switch immediately, there will be supply shortages, even supply stops in Germany, Habeck told public broadcaster ARD in a recent interview. Europes second largest economy, Germany is intensely searching for ways to diversify its energy supplies in the medium term. However, anything too abrupt will decimate the country. A member of Germanys Green Party, Habeck warned of mass unemployment, poverty, people who cant heat their homes, people who run out of petrol, and more if Germany stops importing Russian oil and gas. Russia has halted ammonium nitrate fertilizer exports for at least the next month. As reported by the Guardian (U.K.), Germany is one of the most dependent European countries on Russian energy. About 55 percent of its natural gas, 52 percent of its coal and 34 percent of its mineral oil come straight from the Kremlin. Even so, German authorities are planning to give up all Russian coal by summer and phase out all Russian oil by the end of the year. This will almost certainly destroy Germany and its robust economy, not to mention its citizens. With coal, oil and even gas, we are step by step in the process of making ourselves independent, Habeck said. But we cant do it in an instant. Thats bitter, and its not a nice thing morally to confess to, but we cant do it yet. Biden bans imports of Russian oil, setting US up for similar economic failure The United States currently imports about eight percent of its crude oil from Russia, or at least it did in 2021. The Biden regime recently announced a full ban on Russian oil amid already skyrocketing gas prices. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, meanwhile, continues to send lethal weapons to Ukraine to fight against Russia. He also supports cutting off Russia from the Swift payment system, as well as freezing the completed but not-yet-functional Nord Stream 2 pipeline underneath the Baltic Sea. Unlike the U.S., though, Scholz does not, because he cannot, ban all Russian energy from flowing into Germany because the country would collapse in an instant. Currently there is no other way to secure Europes supply with energy to generate heat, for mobility, for power supply and for industry, Scholz stated. The estimates as to how a halt in Russian gas deliveries to Germany would affect that countrys economy vary. Some believe it would shrink Germanys gross domestic product (GDP) by as little as 0.1 percent while others say it could be in the 5.2 percent range. Germanys left-wing government thinks that all of this is just fine. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, for instance, said in addition to not opening the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Germany should also shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, plunging the country back into the dark ages. Hilariously, some left-wing politicians also believe that Germany can fill the void of Russian energy by building more wind turbines and solar farms. One current project in Germany involves clear-cutting a 1,000-year-old forest to build more wind turbines. Simplifying the process whereby new wind and solar farms are to be authorized was one of the promises of the traffic light governments coalition deal, but construction alone will take time, warned the Guardian. More related news can be found at Collapse.news. Sources include: TheGuardian.com NaturalNews.com 1 NaturalNews.com 2 (Natural News) Ben Armstrong knows exactly why American globalists are showing so much interest in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ukraine has been a corrupt country. And Russia was a corrupt country. But the reason why the globalists in America especially care so much about Ukraine is it was their money laundering country, he said during the March 11 episode of The Ben Armstrong Show. According to Armstrong, the corruption of both Ukraine and Russia serves as motives of the globalists pushing for World War III. Ukraine was known for money laundering all around the world, folks. But understand that our government officials would love to get the money out of Ukraine. They love to make deals with the corrupt Ukrainian government so that they themselves and their family members can get rich. We know this for sure, Armstrong said. He pointed out that President Joe Biden and his family laundered their money in China, but the Clintons, who are the most notorious for doing these types of things, put their money in Ukraine. So its their piggy bank, as Ive always told you, they are looking at it. This is where we get millions of dollars for our own families. This is why they care so much about it. But there are other motives because there are globalist motives, as well, Armstrong explained. He pointed out that this was especially noticeable when these families tried to impeach Donald Trump over a phone call with Ukraine. (Related: The real reasons why Ukraine is so important To Biden, Clinton and their global crime cabal: Ukraine is their little crime playground where their devastating secrets are hidden.) Armstrong then pulled out a clip from The Wayne Allyn Root Show, where the radio host accused people like John Kerry, the Clintons and the Bidens of getting rich on taxpayer dollars. They use their office, to enrich themselves and their friends and the Ukraine war is an extension of that, Root said. Moreover, these are the same people who gave money to media companies to push the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. Bidens connection with Ukraine more than just personal gain its for his family, too Bidens demons extend to his son, Hunter, who has business dealings in Ukraine, Russia and China. Some of these included high-paid consultancies and gifts, as well as allegations that then-Vice President Biden had shaped the American foreign policy to benefit his son. Later on, the younger Biden confirmed that he was under federal investigation over a tax matter in December 2020, just days after his father was elected president. He was not charged with any crime. The larger question is whether Hunter Biden has financial ties to foreign figures and businesses while his father served as vice president to Barack Obama. The younger Bidens foreign ties are not limited to the gas company Burisma. He is a board member of BHR Partners, a private investment fund backed by Chinese state entities. He is also connected to a hedge fund, Paradigm, and a consultancy called Seneca Global Advisors. Lastly, he is involved in the fundraising firm Rosemont Seneca. (Related: The plot thickens: Hunter Biden investment firm funded Ukraine biolabs.) Why are Hunter Bidens dealings important? Its because Republicans, including senior Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, called on the Department of Justice to evaluate whether or not Hunter or the presidents brother, James Biden, should have registered as foreign agents over their business arrangements with the Chinese government-backed energy company CEFC, among other things. Follow Corruption.news for more stories about corrupt U.S. government officials. Watch the video below to know why the globalists are very interested in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This video is from The New American Channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Biden regime blames Russia-Ukraine conflict for rising inflation, deflecting from the many decades of corrupt monetary policy that actually caused it. Corrupt Biden Justice Department, FBI raid homes of Project Veritas journalists for the crime of doing their jobs and exposing malfeasance. Biden declares US ban on Russian oil imports in response to Putins Ukraine invasion. After denying existence of US bio labs in Ukraine, Biden regime warns that Russia could release the bioweapons they contain. Medias attempted smear of Trump over Ukraine revelations turns into massive DUMP of Joe Bidens corruption and money funneling operations. Sources include: Brighteon.com TheGuardian.com (Natural News) Jeffrey Pedersen and Shannon Townsend discussed during the March 14 episode of Matrixxx Grooove on Brighteon.TV the truth about the company of presidential son Hunter Biden, who funded biological labs in Ukraine. It all started with Metabiota, a company headquartered in San Francisco, California, which has over a decade of experience cooperating with industry and governments worldwide to build resilience to epidemics and protect global public health. Metabiota produces bioagents under diplomatic cover According to Pedersen, Metabiota produces bioagents under diplomatic cover at secret labs and then sells pandemic insurance and trackers to help countries get ahead of what they are putting out. He added that the company is part of the Pentagons Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) program and funded by Rosemont Seneca, a company connected with Biden and Christopher Heinz, stepson of former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Biden and Heinz are key investors of Metabiota, which is also a pandemic tracker and pandemic insurance firm. (Related: The plot thickens: Hunter Biden investment firm funded Ukraine biolabs.) Pedersen added that Metabiota also operates in many different places, including Ukraine and Washington, DC. He added that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) activates undercover agents on the biolab companies. When the U.S. said it doesnt have biolabs in the Ukraine, Pederson noted, it only means that private companies like Metabiota and Black & Veatch are the ones operating it under the watch and funding of the American government. Townsend pointed out that the government is able to utilize these subsidiary organizations and pretend like it doesnt have anything to do with them. However, he mentioned that the American people are a lot smarter now since everybody is waking up, looking at it and asking for an accounting. Shady added that a lot of people want to know the truth but the mainstream media has no interest about it. Putin has upset the balance of New World Order The Matrixxx Grooove co-hosts also talked about General Mike Flynn. Pedersen presented a video clip of Flynn saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin has now upset the balance that the New World Order (NWO) is trying to achieve by invading Ukraine. The former U.S. Army lieutenant general stated that he understands the dynamics currently playing out in Ukraine, and that people like Dr. Yuval Noah Harari, World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab, Bill Gates and others connected with the NWO have their own strategic idea of how they want to see the world develop without God and soul. Flynn added that he knows how they function and how to shut those operations and functions down. Townsend said that these buried issues must be found so that people will be able to talk about it and that evidence must be exposed in order to gain momentum and get strength. Pedersen added that Flynn was a former head of the DIA and that he was picked by President Donald Trump as national security adviser because of his expertise in the field of corrupt intelligence agencies around the world. According to Townsend, the Nazi Azov Battalion mercenary army was set up after the Obama-Biden administration instigated the coup in Ukraine. He took note that the democratically elected president of Ukraine was ousted because they needed someone for the globalist. He added that the people in eastern Ukraine have been holding the line against the Azov Battalion for the past few years and that the Russians are killing the latter for trying to encroach on the Ukrainian people. Follow Corruption.news for more news related to corruption at the highest levels of government. Watch the full March 14 episode of Matrixxx Grooove below. Catch new episodes of the program Matrixxx Grooove every weekday at 12-1 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: REVEALED: Hunter Biden firm partnered with arm of Chinese military. Column: Suddenly, Hunter Biden scandals are real. Leaked audio recording reveals Obama-Biden regime officials plotting coup against Ukrainian president in 2014. Sources include: Brighteon.com NetworthPost.org Biography.com (Natural News) Some two years into COVID Mania, it appears that the forces for COVID tyranny have abandoned their failed war on a virus, at least for now. But they still cant give up on the reality that it was all for nothing. They cant acknowledge that the people in charge of society got everything they wanted, and ended up destroying hundreds of millions of lives, with nothing beneficial (at least for decent people) to show for it. (Article by Jordan Schachtel republished from TheCOVIDWorld.com) There have now been dozens and dozens of high-profile detractors from the COVID narrative who have recently been de-platformed from the conversation. Yours truly, as a frequent narrative offender, is almost definitely existing there on borrowed time. Big Tech is engaged in a giant mop-up operation to protect the COVID narrative. Powerful governments and the corporate press, as their most loyal allies, are happy to churn out the material to accommodate them. These forces are creating an echo chamber that insists upon complete uniformity. So to protect the narrative, dissidents must be banished from the public square. According to the narrative, we just discovered that these tools may not really work. But that cant be the fault of the people who employed these tools. In the echo chamber, there was no dissent to this two-year campaign of draconian terror. Exposing the longevity of the outsider narrative will cause a problem for the people in charge, so its best to instead remove evidence that this outsider narrative existed in the first place. The Morning: Do Covid Precautions Work? The answer is surprisingly unclear Says @DLeonhardt from The NY Times. This is infuriating. Now The NY Times starts to back-peddle on Covid protocols. And look what else! ? pic.twitter.com/bgLRnHufqP NYCHomoCon (@NYCHomoCon) March 9, 2022 You cant have reporters showcasing evidence that all of these tools to stop COVID never worked. They must proclaim that this is a new discovery, and not something these rogue independent journalists have been articulating for two years. Glad that @DLeonhardt is at long last informing our suburbanite and UWS fellow citizens of what Red-Staters have known for the past couple of years Vaccines, Masks, Staying At Home Did Not Make A Major Difference In COVID Case Rates, NYT Writer Says https://t.co/yTl4qnChSu Nan Hayworth, M.D. (@NanHayworth) March 10, 2022 Some of the greatest detractors from the COVID narrative are slowly being purged by Big Tech. Just this week, the outstanding journalist Michael Senger, the author of Snake Oil: How Xi Jinping Shut Down The World was banned from Twitter. His infraction? Restating the reality that the past two years have been a catastrophe of pseudoscience, and that all of the suffering imposed upon the masses have only created additional problems on top of the virus problem. Twitter has permanently suspended Michael Senger for the tweet below. This is shocking and tragic, and follows on the heels of Daniel Kotzins (thankfully temporary) suspension. They are trying to silence us, and I assume the same fate will befall me soon. pic.twitter.com/dorYaIeMJL Jenin Younes (@Leftylockdowns1) March 9, 2022 Friday morning, they added radio host Shannon Joy to the list for highlighting the tens of thousands of VAERS side effect reports in COVID vaccines given to children. There had to be a reason for it all, because you dont want people to get the impression that the whole Public Health industry is a giant ideological scam. You dont want to give people the idea that Big Pharma has transformed into a cartel of money and power-hungry snake oil scammers and outright scam artists. You dont want the plebeians to start thinking that the CDC, FDA, NIH and every other Government Health department couldnt care less about their health, and are merely a tool of state interests. So instead of coming clean about these aforementioned realities, the Big Tech mop-up crew has turned its attention to protecting the countless lies concocted by the ruling class, so that these actors can retain good standing in the eyes of their constituency. Read more at: TheCOVIDWorld.com (Natural News) Russias invasion of Ukraine has left European carmakers like Volkswagen and BMW scrambling to find alternative sources of essential parts. The hunt for fresh supplies is the most recent challenge for an auto industry already dizzy from high metal and energy prices, supply chains tangled by the pandemic and a shortfall of semiconductor chips. (Related: Ford expects car production to SHRINK IN HALF during the second quarter due to semiconductor chip shortage.) The conflict in Ukraine has now interrupted the output of wire harnesses, which cover up to 3.1 miles of cables in the average car. Special to each model, vehicles cannot be built without them. As a consequence, world No. 2 automaker Volkswagen and competitor BMW have reduced output and momentarily closed some assembly lines, while Mercedes-Benz has advised its production will be affected soon. Volkswagen, BMW looking for suppliers from other regions Prime brand Audi has stated that the entire Volkswagen group is working to get main suppliers to transfer their Ukrainian wire harness production to other plants or seek alternative suppliers. It said the search includes Eastern Europe, North Africa, Mexico and China. We have been working successfully with various suppliers from these regions for our models for years. It is possible, for example, that suppliers will split production across several locations, Audi said in a statement. BMW also mentioned that it is in intensive talks with suppliers to discover alternative sources for parts, while world No. 4 carmaker Stellantis said it has already moved its sourcing from Ukraine to another place in Europe, refusing to say where. According to Nick Klein, vice president at global logistics firm OEC Group, carmakers that have depended on Ukraine will need to move quickly. Youll need to order way ahead of time because youll face delays and carmakers will be competing against each other for the same sources, declared Klein, who specializes in automotive logistics. Western Ukraine, which is known for its low-cost, highly skilled workforce and nearness to Europes car factories aside from its wealth of raw materials, has developed into a major production hub for wire harnesses, with Japans Fujikura and Frances Nexans among those manufacturing there. Several manufacturers, like Fujikura, have suspended Ukrainian production completely since the invasion, while others are operating at decreased capacity. Fujikura and Nexans have not replied to requests for comment on their possible plans. Relocating production to plants in other low-cost markets with a lively wire harness industry, such as Romania, Serbia or Tunisia, includes buying new equipment to increase capacity and could take months to set up. Suppliers and carmakers are already discussing who will pay the bill according to industry sources. Some wire harness manufacturers already have alternative plants Some wire harness manufacturers in Ukraine like Kromberg & Schubert, Japans Yazaki and Leoni already have alternative plants in other nations. Leoni refused to comment on its plans while K&S and Yazaki did not reply to requests for comment. According to a wire harness manufacturer in Ukraines west region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, there is still a flow of supply out of the country. However, because of concerns for the safety of workers, production continues only during the day because of night curfews. Several trucking companies are transporting wire harnesses south across the border into Romania because for the time being the fighting has not reached that region. However, that situation could change soon. The number of truckers who are willing to drive those routes as this continues will be less and less. Theres going to be a point where you cant get anything out of there safely, Klein said. He added that European carmakers need as many sources of parts as possible while facing a messed up global supply chain. Right now you cannot have enough suppliers and you cannot have enough shipping partners, because of the climate were in, Klein said. Follow MarketCrash.news to know more about the supply crunch in the car industry. Watch the video below to know why Biden wants electric cars to make up half of auto sales by 2030. This videos is from the Northern Prole Media channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Microchip shortage affects production of new vehicles, leads to higher car prices. Top selling vehicles are being held back, made without computers as semiconductor shortage sweeps the globe. Apple shifts focus to self-driving cars, expands its own test fleet to 27 vehicles in California. US burdened by tire shortage as global supply chain crisis continues. Chocolate-based fuel and plant fiber car A new wave of eco-friendly innovation. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Metro.us Brighteon.com (Natural News) White House press secretary Jen Psaki was bombarded with questions from reporters during a recent press briefing, nearly all of which called for the United States to basically wage World War III against Russia. Instead of advocating for a more diplomatic route, members of the left-wing press grilled Psaki about why fake president Joe Biden is not sending more weapons to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have made it so clear that what they believe they need the most is more war planes and fighter jets, howled a masked Asian reporter to Psaki. So, why is the U.S. assessing something different? Why does the U.S. believe they know better what Ukraine needs than what Ukrainian officials are saying they need the most? A blonde female reporter then proceeded to badger Psaki about why the White House thinks it knows more than the Ukrainian regime as to what weapons and other military apparatus are needed to ward off Vladimir Putins troops. It sounds like were pretty dug in on our position when it comes to the no-fly zone, when it comes to the MiGs, despite this growing bipartisan call in Congress to shift a little bit, the reporter harangued. To put it bluntly: Is Zelensky wasting his time tomorrow asking for these things? A pudgy, slightly effeminate male reporter then picked up the baton to rattle Psaki with another line of pro-war, pro-aggression questioning aimed at getting more weapons into the hands of Zelensky and his troops. President Zelensky will be speaking to Congress tomorrow. Hes been pushing for fighter jets, a no-fly zone. We expect to hear some of those same requests tomorrow as well. Has the administrations thinking shifted on that at all? the man asked, waving his hand around in the air. A montage of the questioning put together by The Intercept can be viewed below: Corporate media reporters suggest that a false flag attack against Poland could get the White House to send more weapons to Zelensky The blonde female reporter then interjected with a question about Estonia, which is also calling for a no-fly zone. Theyre a NATO member, the reporter continued to whine. They share a border with Russia. How do we view their calls for a no-fly zone? Yet another female reporter asked after that, concerning Zelenskys address tomorrow, whether the White House plans to grant his expected request for more assistance. A lot of the U.S. positions on that havent changed, as you just said, when it comes to the no-fly zone, this reporter continued. But on the aircraft specifically, the Pentagon said last week that Secretary Austin said they do not support the transfer of additional fighter aircraft at this time. Is that still the United States position? On and on and on and on the grilling went, with many of the same reporters, as well as others, hinting at a possible false flag attack on Poland, and what that might do to change the White Houses position. Nearly everyone in the room claiming to be a reporter pushed and pushed and pushed the issue of sending arms and other military weaponry to Zelensky right away. Why do these reporters want war with Russia this badly? Why are they banging the war drums continuously rather than seeking a more peaceful solution? Are they all connected to the arms industry and the military-industrial complex? The military-industrial complex took over the media back in the 60s, wrote someone in response to the video. All reporting is now propaganda. The latest news coverage about the lefts push for World War III against Russia can be found at WWIII.news. Sources for this article include: YouTu.be NaturalNews.com CitizenFreePress.com (Natural News) NATO has amassed 30,000 troops and 50 warships near Russias border for military exercises, risking Russian President Vladimir Putins rage. The drill, called Cold Response, started Monday, March 14, in Norway amid increasing tensions between Russia and the West over the invasion of Ukraine. The exercise involves 30,000 troops from more than 25 countries from Europe and North America aside from 200 aircraft and 50 vessels. The biggest North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise, which is held just a few miles from the Russian border, was scheduled long before Moscows invasion of Ukraine but its importance has now been heightened. This exercise is extremely important for the security of Norway and its allies. We will practice an allied reinforcement of Norway. It is not being held because of the Russian authorities attack on Ukraine, but given the backdrop, there is a heightened significance, said Norwegian Defense Minister Odd Roger Enoksen. The purpose of the drill is to test how Norway and Alliance members would join forces on land, in the air and at sea in line with Article 5 of NATOs charter, which requires member states to come to the aid of another member state under attack. I find it totally normal, perhaps now more than ever, to train together to demonstrate our capacity and our willingness to defend our values and our way of life, said General Yngve Odlo, chief of Norways Joint Headquarters and in charge of Cold Response. The Norwegian armed forces said it gave thorough information to the Russians, including the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, saying that was critical for preventing misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict Russia has refused to watch the exercise, which is held every two years and is due to wrap up on April 1. Watch out for Putins roid rage And even though it was planned months ago, it is bound to anger the Russian leader who may have roid rage possibly caused by cancer treatment. Western spies have contemplated Putins decision to invade Ukraine may have been triggered by his physical health condition as he appears ashen and bloated in the latest pictures released by the Kremlin. They believe Putin is suffering from a brain condition, such as Parkinsons disease or a more generic form of dementia or has cancer. Another theory is that the Russian President is suffering from roid rage from the long-term use of steroids. Side effects of steroids include increased risk of infection, which it is claimed could explain his paranoia about catching the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Meanwhile, Secretary of State for Health of the United Kingdom Sajid Javid claimed that Britain will go to war against Russia if Putin attacks a NATO country after Russian forces launched missile strikes just 12 miles from the Polish border with Ukraine. The airstrike at the Yavoriv military base near Lviv killed at least 35 people and injured 134 individuals. Poland is a member of the 30-strong defensive military alliance which also includes the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany. (Related: Poland surrenders entire fleet of MIG-29 fighter jets to latest escalation of NATO war against Russia.) Weve been very clear from the start, with our NATO allies, that if there is any kind of attack on NATO territory, then it will be war with NATO and there will be a severe response. Even if just a single toecap of a Russian soldier steps into NATO territory, then it will be war with Russia and NATO would respond, Javid stated. That hasnt changed throughout this conflict and there would be a significant response from NATO if there was any kind of attack from Russia. Our message has been very clear from the start. Any kind of attack, anything that touches NATO territory or impacts NATO in any significant way, then we would respond. Follow WWIII.news for the latest news about the Russia-Ukraine War. Watch the video below to know more about NATOs war games near Russias border. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related articles: How one billion people could die in a NATO war against Russia. Putin puts his nuclear forces on high alert in response to NATO actions, sanctions, amid ongoing Ukraine war. China slams US, NATO for provoking Russia to invade Ukraine. (Natural News) The recent threat of Russian nuclear warheads reaching across Europe has caused hysteria for constructing bunkers as fear spread across the continent. Giulio Cavicchioli, the owner of company Minus Energie, which creates ready to use nuclear shelters, has gone from working on around 50 bunkers in the past 22 years, to fielding around 500 inquiries in two weeks. Its a hysteria for construction of bunkers, he said. Its much scarier now. Its not only the wealthy or the preppers that are looking into bunkers. Artemis Protection, the maker of prefabricated luxury bunkers with air-filtration systems, charges at least a half-million euros per shelter. However, the French companys owner, Mathieu Seranne, said that they have started receiving tons of demand from normal people. In the past, only the really wealthy were interested in them. We had to change our whole commercial strategy, he said. Artemis Protection is now selling stripped-down shelters that are much cheaper to adapt to the new demand. Russias invasion of Ukraine has revived fears of a nuclear calamity in Europe for the first time in decades. With Europeans already on high alert against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the manifestations of their anxieties and desires for self-defense have shifted from masks, vaccines and lockdowns to bunkers, iodine pills and air raid sirens. This threat of a nuclear war is permeating a new generation of European consciousness and is now prompting a new look at defense infrastructure, survival guides and fallout shelters. We are extremely concerned by the nuclear safety, security and safeguards risks caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union said in a statement. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former commander of the United Kingdoms Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Defense Forces, said Europe had put the nuclear war to bed after the fall of the Soviet Union until the madman invaded. He also said bunkers across Europe have fallen into disrepair and are now decayed. We are completely unprepared, he said. But each day that it goes forward, its becoming more of a reality that actually this is something maybe we need to think about in some detail. Some countries are already prepared Finland, which sits on Russias western border, has maintained high military readiness, regularly testing alarms and carrying on a long tradition of preparedness, as per the secretary-general for Finlands Secretariat of the Security Committee, Petri Toivonen. According to him, Finland has been continuously constructing shelters, adding that at the moment, it has the capacity to house four million people in 50,000 shelters. (Related: Keep prepping because the Governments plan to survive nuclear war doesnt include you.) Russias annexation of Crimea also started a total defense strategy in Sweden that had eased after the fall of the Soviet Union. Now, the countrys Civil Contingencies Agency is testing its air-raid warning system and circulating Cold War-style precautionary pamphlets. The 20-page guide includes a checklist for basic supplies to get from the supermarket to survive while on the run or in a shelter. Switzerland is also prepared. The country passed legislation requiring nuclear shelters in residential buildings in the 1960s. These protective structures were designed to protect the population and to ensure the readiness of civil protection resources during an armed conflict, especially when weapons of mass destruction are involved. These shelters provide a basic form of protection against a wide range of direct and indirect arms impact and should be available for disasters and emergencies such as increased radioactivity, earthquakes or acute risk of an avalanche. While these obligations were more recently softened, reinforced steel doors and gas filters or bunkers are familiar aspects in houses around the country. They also had over 350,000 communal bunkers, including one shelter on top of a Lucerne highway for 20,000 people, which could protect the entire population. Other than bunkers, people are also seeking protection from iodine pills, which can help absorb radiation in the thyroid and help prevent cancer from exposure. (Related: Hundreds of families in South Dakota preparing for the end of the world in Manhattan-sized underground facility.) Belgium is already meeting the sharp increase in demand with packs of pills free for those with a Belgian identity card. So far, the countrys pharmacies have distributed over 30,000 boxes. Demand has also increased in the Netherlands, Finland and Italy. Follow WWIII.news for more updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and how it is effecting the rest of the world. Watch the video below for more information about why people are finding the need to buy bunkers to prepare for a nuclear war. Watch this video and more on the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: While Ukraine has become a nuclear powder keg that could blow-up the world through miscalculation, its also become a disaster for US superpower credibility under Joe Biden. Prepping tips: What you can learn from the rich on preparing for SHTF events. Worlds super-rich investing in luxurious billionaire bunkers. The wealthy are going underground as luxury doomsday bunkers sprawl across Kansas. Doomsday bunker business is booming due to growing plandemic rebellion. Sources include: DNYUZ.com EEAS.Europa.eu BABS.admin.ch (Natural News) However bad the food shortage was expected to be due to Russias invasion of its Ukrainian neighbor, they are going to get worse following a decision made by the Kremlin earlier this week. According to reports, the government of President Vladimir Putin has decided to halt all exports of most agricultural commodities including wheat, rye, barley and corn at least until June 30 in what appears to be Moscows pushback on the sanctions imposed on his country by the West. Interfax, Russias newswire agency, reported that the countrys Agriculture Ministry announced the ban, which began March 15 just as some observers, including One River CIO Eric Peters are likening the coming global food shortages to the original Holodomor (which, by the way, occurred in Ukraine under Stalin). The Holodomor was a man-made famine instituted by that authoritarian butcher from 1932 to 1933, peaking in the late spring of 1933, Britannica.com noted. The site added: It was part of a broader Soviet famine (193134) that also caused mass starvation in the grain-growing regions of Soviet Russia and Kazakhstan. The Ukrainian famine, however, was made deadlier by a series of political decrees and decisions that were aimed mostly or only at Ukraine. In acknowledgment of its scale, the famine of 193233 is often called the Holodomor, a term derived from the Ukrainian words for hunger (holod) and extermination (mor). The Agriculture Ministry, together with the Industry and Trade Ministry, has drafted a government resolution that provides for a temporary ban on the export of basic grain crops from Russia from March 15 to June 30 of the current year inclusive, the ministrys press office told Interfax. There is still some hope that a worst-case scenario can be avoided, but that is becoming more doubtful literally by the day. According to Douglas Karr, founder of the business blog Martech Zone, a global food shortage means just that it will be global so it will be felt in the land of plenty as well: America. Karr reportedly spoke with several U.S. food industry officials who said farmers in the Midwest and South are already having difficulty obtaining enough fertilizer to grow crops ahead of this years planting season, which is just around the corner for some parts of the country. He also said that farmers in the Midwest are switching, likely a reference to crops that need fewer nutrients because they cant get nitrogen nor fertilizer. Convo with farm today: Meat processors booked out a year because stockpiling beef. Farmers in South cant get fertilizer for crops now. Farmers in Midwest are switching, cant get nitrogen nor fertilizer. Buckle up, folks! The media isnt even warning you. #economy Douglas Karr (@douglaskarr) March 11, 2022 There is also this: Even before Russian troops stormed across Ukraines border, there were already global food shortages, thanks in large part to the supply chain crisis created (and perpetuated) by months-long lockdowns and factory closures following Chinas creation and release of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition to Russia curbing exports, Ukraines government has also halted food exports to ensure that its people have enough as Russian forces continue pounding their cities and taking over land used for food production. All said, the United Nations has warned that prices for food which were already at record highs will spike even more, from eight to 20 percent from this point on. Add on skyrocketing oil, gasoline and natural gas prices and you have all the makings of a worldwide catastrophe (and the massive unrest it will spark). If Russia winds up banning food experts, and especially wheat, for months or longer, the global food shortages will likely lead to a far worse crisis than the one that caused the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, tore Syria apart and spread to North Africa. Sources include: Britannica.com ZeroHedge.com NewsTarget.com (Natural News) A number of large multinational corporations including Coca-Cola, McDonalds, IBM and Procter & Gamble (P&G) have decided to stop doing business with Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. And Russian authorities are striking back with warnings about arrests and asset seizures. Russian prosecutors have reportedly contacted numerous entities via phone, letters, and even in-person visits to warn that the Russian government is ready to start punishing these companies, including by taking their intellectual property. The warnings have prompted at least one of the targeted companies to limit communications between its Russian business and the rest of the company, out of concern that emails or text messages among colleagues may be intercepted, some of the people (familiar with the matter) said, reported The Wall Street Journal. Immediately following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia incurred a barrage of sanctions from Western governments, which systematically condemned Pres. Vladimir Putins actions. Many Western companies said they would no longer do business with or in Russia, and many leftists, mostly, also took Ukraines side by vowing to boycott all things Russian in a mass display of xenophobia. Stopping short of using the word nationalization, Putin did say that he is in favor of appointing external administrators to head the offending multinational corporations that exist inside Russia in order to transfer them to those who want to make them work. The Russian prosecutors office announced an order of strict control against companies that suspended their activities in Russia. It further warned of increased monitoring of labor legislation compliance, under penalty of prosecution. When pressed for comment by the AFP, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Procter & Gamble and Yum Brands (i.e., Taco Bell and KFC) did not respond. D.C. already threatening a false flag attack over Ukraine conflict The AFPs version of the story makes Russia sound like a bully and these companies as victims of a hostile regime that demands obedience. But is there more to the story than that? As we reported, there is a whole lot more to the story than the Western corporate-controlled media is letting on about the possible true reason for the invasion. It turns out that the Pentagon operates dozens of bioweapons laboratories across Europe, Asia and Africa. Several of them are located in Ukraine, and we now know that at least one of them was working with modified bat coronaviruses. Russian authorities confirmed following several operations in Ukraine that Pentagon-run biolabs have been tampering with deadly pathogens, many of which have mysteriously leaked in years past, sickening and killing people. A $2.1 billion military-industrial complex program run by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) made this all possible, and Russia says it was too much of a threat to continue allowing right across the border from Moscow in Ukraine. The United States government initially lied about the biolabs, claiming they did not exist and were just a conspiracy theory. Now the deep state admits the biolabs are real, but claims that they were only for research purposes and that the true threat is Putin getting access to them. Based on the rhetoric coming from Washington, D.C., it is almost expected that the military-industrial complex will attempt to launch a false flag attack of some sort (maybe another bioweapon or possibly an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)?) that it will then blame on Russia. No need to wonder why people are living with more diseases and disease outbreaks than people alive 100+ years ago, wrote someone at Natural News about the Pentagon-run biolabs. To top that off the peasants are expected to forfeit every human right, and their humanity in the fake fight against disease eradication by adding more carcinogens into the bloodstream. More related news coverage about the Ukraine conflict can be found at Chaos.news. Sources for this article include: TimesOfIsrael.com NaturalNews.com WINDHOEK, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's trade balance with Asian countries decreased from a surplus of 1.7 billion Namibia dollars recorded in December 2021 to 1.3 billion Namibia dollars obtained in January 2022, according to the country's statistics agency (NSA) on Thursday. Exports declined by 318 million to 3.2 billion Namibia dollars whereas imports increased by 156 million to 1.9 billion Namibia dollars, NSA statistician general Alex Shimuafeni said in the latest NSA trade statistics. Despite the trade balance decrease, Shimuafeni said China emerged as the main export market for Namibia, absorbing 32.3 percent of all goods exported, ahead of South Africa in the second position with a market share of 18.3 percent of total exports. "Zambia ranked third with a relative share of 6.1 percent while Spain and France occupied the fourth and fifth positions with respective shares of 4.8 percent and 4.4 percent," he added. Shimuafeni said copper blisters was Namibia's largest export commodity during the month under review accounting for 26.6 percent of total exports mainly destined to China, France and the Netherlands. "This was followed by uranium which accounted for 12.8 percent of total exports destined mostly to China," he added. Meanwhile, in terms of imports, South Africa, Zambia, DRC, UAE and Bulgaria were the major source of imports for Namibia. "These top five import markets supplied Namibia with 69.7 percent of all imports required by the country, up from its December 2021 level of 67.9 percent and 58.4 percent recorded in January 2021," he concluded. (Natural News) Australian-American journalist and political commentator Sydney Watson is shining the light on a gender identity clinic in Texas that up until very recently has been performing double mastectomies on 12-year-old girls wishing to become transgenders. Though she does not call out the clinic by name, Watson said it is located in a red area, meaning a more conservative area of Texas. Watson had her friend Arielle Scarcella call the clinic and record it, revealing everything that was said in a video shared to social media. The clinic no longer performs double mastectomies on 12-year-olds due to proposed law changes in Texas. However, it has been doing these procedures on preteens until very recently. Before the law change, how old was the limit? Scarcella asked a woman at the clinic during the calls. We were 12 and over, the clinic representative responded, adding that children this young only received the procedure if they met all the requirements and had been in therapy for a long time. As of right now, literally when that first mandate went through, they dropped our malpractice insurance for the doctors instantly for anyone under 18. The woman at the clinic proceeded to try to defend what her employer had been doing up until that point, claiming that it aligned with state guidelines. However, she only ended up proving just how easy it is for children in America and in the Lone Star State to destroy their bodies in order to change genders. Watch below: I asked my friend @ArielleScarcell to call a clinic here in Texas that Id been told performs breast removals (top surgery) on children. The clinic told Arielle that the surgeons operated on children 12 AND OVER. This is NUTS. Watch my full video here: https://t.co/K0cD03avmN pic.twitter.com/YCRziSqJvI Sydney Watson (@SydneyLWatson) March 11, 2022 Transgender mutilation of children is child abuse The proposed law change in question is a declaration issued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is seeking to classify the prescription of puberty blockers and certain sex-change operations on children as child abuse. There is no doubt that these procedures are abuse under Texas law, and thus must be halted, Paxton wrote. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has a responsibility to act accordingly. Ill do everything I can to protect against those who take advantage of and harm young Texans. Back in 2018, we reported about another Texas clinic, that one in Coppell, where a mother and pediatrician by the name of Dr. Anne Georgulas, M.D., was trying to force his six-year-old son to live as a transgender. Georgulas apparent obsession with pushing sex change therapy on her son was deemed to be Munchausen by proxy, a condition in which an adult feigns either physical or psychological condition in a child for their own subconscious reasons, according to Dr. Michelle Cretella from the American College of Pediatricians. Most often the perpetrator is the biological mother and she often has a background in health or medicine, Cretella warned. In the case of imposing gender dysphoria on a son, there are cases in the scientific literature of severe maternal depression triggered in a mother longing for a daughter. The mothers depression lifts when the boy dresses and acts as a girl. This has been termed gender mourning.' Another doctors website highlighted by Watson shows that other sex-change physicians are basically celebrating the opportunity to mutilate childrens bodies. The one she showed says it is happy to offer top surgery to minors, adding that doing it as young as possible is necessary because it may well be much more detrimental to the patient to wait until the age of 18 for surgery. More related news coverage about the transgender mutilation of children can be found at Gender.news. Sources include: 100percentfedup.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The National Health Security Office (NHSO) of Thailand has paid the equivalent of $45.65 million so far to settle the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine injury compensations claims in their country. These payouts were made to 12,714 people, as well as the family members of those who have died as a result of the vaccine. Another 891 claims are pending, and a total of 15,933 have been filed since the beginning of the compensation program that began on May 19, 2021. Of the 2,328 that were rejected, 875 are being appealed. These figures, which were released on March 9, represent a continued increase in claims approved by Thailands NHSO. As of December 25, 2021, only 8,470 claims had been approved for compensation. Thailand primarily administered British-Swedish AstraZeneca and Chinese-made Sinovac vaccines. Its vaccine injury compensation is also seen as an example of a no-fault compensation program. No-fault programs refer to a measure that is put in place by public health authorities, private insurance companies, manufacturers and/or other stakeholders to compensate individuals harmed by vaccines. It allows a person who has sustained injuries to be compensated financially without having to attribute the fault or error to the manufacturer or individual. (Related: Life insurance policies can refuse payouts for the jabbed because covid vaccines are medical experiments.) Thailands compensation schemes have different categories with different payout schemes. Injuries and illnesses sustained as a result of COVID vaccination see a maximum payout of 100,000 baht ($2,892). Those who sustained disabilities that affect their childhood receive 240,000 baht ($7,157). Finally, for cases of death or permanent disability, families can receive up to 400,000 baht ($11,928). Dr. Jadej Thammatacharee, NHSOs secretary-general, set up the fund in 2021 with a 100 million baht ($2.98 million) budget. That quickly ran out because the no-fault system makes it easier for affected individuals to secure compensation relative to similar schemes in the United States or other western countries. The claims requirements are easy to submit. Individuals or their families on their behalf can submit the claims where they were vaccinated, at provincial health offices or NHSO regional offices, and can be entered up to two years after the first adverse effect occurrence. (Related: Australia now ADMITS covid vaccines are harming people, offers up to $600,000 in compensation for the seriously injured.) Individuals claiming injuries or side effects can file a claim for initial financial aid to provide an unspecified amount to claimants before they can confirm that the injuries resulted from the vaccine. If it is later determined that the adverse effects were not a result of the vaccine, the claimants can still keep their initial financial payout. The turnaround time on claims is also quick: 13 panels across Thailand meet on a weekly basis to consider compensation claims, which are approved within five days. Rejected claims can be appealed directly to the NHSO secretary-general within 30 days. US behind on vaccine injury claims payments Thailands effective claims system is a stark contrast to that of the United States, which only approved one unpaid COVID vaccine injury claim since November 2021. According to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), they have not compensated any COVID-19 countermeasures claims as of March 1, 2022. They have, however, denied compensation to six because the standard of proof for causation was not met, and/or a covered injury was not sustained. The single one that had been eligible for compensation is still under review. Republican Senator Ron Johnson introduced the Countermeasure Injury Compensation Amendment Act last week to expedite the claims by those injured by the vaccines. The bill would amend the CICP to improve responsiveness and create a commission to examine the injuries directly as a result of COVID countermeasures. They can also allow those whose claims have been previously rejected to resubmit for new consideration. With a single claim approved and six denied, the CICP has a backlog of over 7,000 claims, with over 4,000 alleging injuries or death from COVID vaccines and nearly 3,000 alleging injuries or death from other COVID countermeasures. Follow Pandemic.news for more updates on COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video below to know more about Thailands COVID injury payout scheme. This video is from the Tammy Cuthbert Garcia channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Covid-19 vaccine blood clot sufferers seek payout from government. Covid vaccine victims could seek monetary compensation under new bill proposed by Senate Republicans. Thailand suspends mass vaccinations with AstraZeneca jab, in wake of blood clot deaths. Covid injection injury payouts in U.K. set to outpace 40 years of combined vax damage disbursements. Massive $1.9T covid relief bill is nothing more than a massive money laundering operation to pay back Democrat donors and supporters. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org HRSA.gov Brighteon.com (Natural News) The Google-owned YouTube video platform has flagged a video featuring former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard blasting the military-industrial complex for trying to ignite World War III rather than pursue diplomacy in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Marking the video as inappropriate and offensive, YouTube arbitrarily decided that Gabbards criticisms of the regime are simply not allowed on its platform, even though it was clipped from a segment on Fox News Ingraham Angle with Laura Ingraham. Congresswoman, why are we talking about no-fly zones instead of the fact that for the first time we have President [Volodymyr] Zelensky stepping back from his earlier NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] wishes and even demands? Ingraham asked Gabbard during the banned-from-YouTube segment. Gabbards response was that the West has been trying to interfere with repeated attempts to settle the conflict peacefully because its good for the military-industrial complex to have this proxy war with Russia, something that Hillary Clinton laid out just recently. Gabbard said she is extremely frustrated with the fact that nobody in U.S. positions of power seem to want to discuss a statement from Zelensky about being open to the fact of saying, Hey, yeah, maybe well set this NATO membership thing aside. Zelensky also seems willing to talk with Putin directly to negotiate, Gabbard said, but the military-industrial complex will have none of it. Instead of peace, warmongers both in the government and the media are banging the drums of war because of how profitable it is for them. This war machine, this power elite in Washington, want to turn Ukraine into another Afghanistan, turn into killing fields where this long-term insurgency is supported, Gabbard said. And they bleed out and cripple, kill as many Russians as possible for who knows how long, and theyre really showing their real aim in the fact that theyre not taking action right now to end this conflict. YouTube: Transgender child mutilation is just fine, but dont you dare talk about diplomatic solutions to the Ukraine crisis Gabbards truth bombs were apparently too much for the YouTube community, which reported the video and had it flagged with a warning message. The following content has been identified by the YouTube community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences, the video now reads, requiring viewers to acknowledge that Viewer discretion is advised and to click a box saying I understand and wish to proceed. Since just about anything could be considered inappropriate or offensive to someone, somewhere, YouTube should probably slap that warning box up on all of its content, just to be fair. This will never happen, though. Videos about Drag Queen Story Hour and the transgender mutilation of children will continue to play without any warnings whatsoever, while a former congresswoman speaking truth will get flagged as dangerous and threatening. Another thing to point out is that one must sign into YouTube and confirm his or her age before being allowed to watch the Gabbard video, which is now categorized as Age-restricted. Inappropriate and offensive to whom? asked someone on the YouTube video in question. The war machine? Why do they not mark leftist content as such as it offends many on the right? That would be a cold day in hell when they do. Apparently, YouTube supports all-out world war. YouTube and Google beclown themselves with this ridiculous attempt at soft-censorship. We see what clowns you are, YouTube. Another person wrote that YouTube employees and leadership are intellectually bankrupt, as demonstrated by their blatant censorship of Gabbards views. Theres absolutely nothing even remotely offensive or inappropriate about this video, you partisan, ignorant a**holes, wrote someone else on YouTube. More related news can be found at Censorship.news. Sources include: ReclaimTheNet.org NaturalNews.com Sign up to get breaking news, weather forecasts, and more in your email inbox. Sign Up Now I was struck with awe as I watched President Joe Biden tell the American people that the energy crisis is Russias fault. Really, Mr. President? Lets look at the simple facts. Just over one year ago, under President Donald Trump, the United States was energy independent and it was also a net exporter of energy. Under Biden, we are now a net importer of energy. Starting on his first day, President Biden embarked upon his big green plan to kill the Trump era energy policies. President Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline; ended ANWAR Drilling; banned fracking; ended new oil and gas leases on federal land; placed restrictions on U.S. energy production; implemented new environmental rules on emissions and rejoined The Paris Climate Agreement. BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held phone talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President-elect Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Xi congratulated Turkmenistan on the successful presidential election, and again congratulated Serdar Berdimuhamedov on his election as the president of the country, wishing Turkmenistan new and greater achievement in the Revival of a New Era of a Powerful State. Xi noted that China-Turkmenistan relations have achieved leapfrog development in recent years, with the two sides establishing strategic partnership and bilateral cooperation in various fields reaching the highest level in history. The Chinese side attaches great importance to China-Turkmenistan relations, Xi said, adding that China will continue to firmly support Turkmenistan's domestic and foreign policies, and firmly oppose external interference in Turkmenistan's internal affairs. China stands ready to build on past achievements and move forward with Turkmenistan, so as to lift bilateral relations to higher levels and jointly build an even closer community with a shared future between the two countries, Xi said. Xi stressed that the China-Turkmenistan cooperation fully reflects the high level of mutual trust and sincere friendship between the two countries. The two sides have signed a five-year inter-government cooperation plan, which has drawn up a road map for all-round cooperation between China and Turkmenistan in the coming period and identified key areas and priorities for cooperation, Xi said. The two sides should continue to promote cooperation in such fields as energy and natural gas, and strengthen the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan's development strategy to revive the Great Silk Road, Xi said, so as to make the cake of mutually beneficial cooperation ever bigger, achieve more new progress and improve the well-being of the two nations. Noting that the current international and regional situation is complex and sensitive, Xi said both sides should maintain timely communication, close cooperation and mutual support on major issues, uphold true multilateralism, and contribute to promoting the democratization of international relations as well as international fairness and justice. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Serdar Berdimuhamedov spoke highly of the achievements made in the development of bilateral relations in recent years. They said that the Turkmen side will continue to firmly adhere to the policy of friendly cooperation with China, and keep on making joint efforts with China to actively promote all-round practical cooperation in various fields, adding that they believe that Turkmenistan-China relations will see further development, which will better benefit the people of the two countries. New Castle, PA (16103) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 45F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 45F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. CNHI Harrisburg Bureau Eric Scicchitano is the CNHI Pennsylvania state reporter. He is a former CNHI Reporter of the Year and previously worked at The (Sunbury) Daily Item before until he took over the Harrisburg beat in January 2022. Email him at erics@cnhinews.com. BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held a phone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo. China and Indonesia are both representatives of major developing countries and emerging economies, Xi noted in the phone talks. In the face of major global changes and the COVID-19 pandemic, both rarely in a century, Xi said, the two countries have moved forward hand in hand and risen to challenges, established a new pattern of bilateral cooperation on the "four-wheel drive" of political, economic, cultural and maritime affairs, and carried forward the main theme of solidarity against the pandemic and common development. The two countries have set the general direction for jointly building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, and set up a model of sincere cooperation between major developing countries, Xi added. China stands ready to maintain close communication with Indonesia to push for new development of bilateral friendly cooperation and inject even greater stability and positive energy into regional and global development, Xi said. Xi stressed that the two sides should implement the consensus reached on issues such as deepening COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, and continue to strengthen cooperation in fighting the pandemic. Both sides, he said, should ensure that the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway can start to operate on schedule, well implement such key projects as the regional comprehensive economic corridor and the "Two Countries, Twin Parks," and jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality, so as to help accelerate Indonesia's development and bilateral cooperation. China holds a positive attitude towards the projects as long as they are conducive to Indonesia's development and cooperation between the two countries, Xi added. He called on both sides to maintain a stable global market and smooth supply chains worldwide, promote the concrete implementation of the Global Development Initiative, firmly safeguard the ASEAN-centered regional architecture which is open and inclusive, and stay committed to unity and cooperation for mutual benefits and win-win results. China supports Indonesia in playing its role as the president of the Group of 20 (G20), and focusing on the theme of "Recover Together, Recover Stronger," so as to ensure the 2022 G20 Bali Summit a success, Xi added. For his part, Widodo congratulated China on the successful conclusion of the annual "two sessions" as well as the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Noting that bilateral trade and investment cooperation between the two countries is growing rapidly, he said Indonesia is ready to work with China to complete the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway as scheduled for the benefits of the two nations. Indonesia looks forward to carrying out tripartite cooperation with China to help build the new capital city of Indonesia, and hopes that China will continue to support Indonesia in building the regional comprehensive economic corridor and green industrial parks, he added. Indonesia fully supports the Global Development Initiative proposed by Xi, which is conducive to the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Widodo said, stressing that Indonesia is ready to maintain close communication with China to push forward the implementation of the initiative and contribute to the common development of the world. Indonesia is ready to maintain close communication and coordination with China to make sure that the G20 focuses its work on economic recovery and global development, and to work together to address pressing global issues, he noted. The two sides exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and agree that all parties should stick to promoting peace talks, prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, control the negative impact of sanctions on the world economy and avoid dragging down the world economic recovery process. For the first time, 5G-capable smartphones outsold 4G/LTE devices in global monthly sales in January 2022, as demand for 5G upgrades reached its highest point yet, according to a report issued by Counterpoint Research. The upward trend of 5G smartphone sales has been accelerating for some time, and Counterpoint's report said that Western Europe and North America's proportion of 5G sales has reached 76% and 73%, respectively. According to Gartner director analyst Bill Menezes, recent gains in 5G smartphone sales have been fueled in large part by device upgrade cycles. "You're starting to get 5G phones sold by default, as people upgrade on a two- or three-year cycle," he said. "From what I've seen on some of the carrier sites, there's some midrange or cheaply priced 5G phones out there, so even users who don't want to pay $1,000 for a 5G phone can get one." But it's important to remember, Menezes added, that 5G phone sales aren't aligned with actual 5G network deployments Verizon recently disclosed that only about 25% of its customers were on 5G networks, despite spiking 5G phone sales. Newburyport, MA (01950) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Newburyport, MA (01950) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Ukrainian people move towards a border crossing at the border area between Ukraine and Poland. (Xinhua/Ren Ke) Regarding the sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on Russia, a Pakistani expert said that it has banned oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal imports from Russia, commodities in which the United States is more or less self-sufficient, but the country has reportedly not banned uranium imports from Russia on which the U.S. is largely dependent. by Ali Jaswal ISLAMABAD, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The way to solve the ongoing Ukraine crisis is not by crossing others' red lines, but to respect and abide by the commitments that have been made, a Pakistani expert told Xinhua in a recent interview. For Russia, the red line is the eastwards expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Najma Minhas, an international affairs expert and editor at Pakistani media outlet Global Village Space. "When you saw increasing movement eastward, the red line started going very, very red." Noting that the United States has been pushing NATO members to increase their military spending, Minhas said that some European countries which were previously not spending much on military buildup have now increased their defense budgets. Fuel prices are displayed at a gas station in Paris, France, March 16, 2022. The price of petrol now exceeds two euros (2.19 U.S. dollars) per liter in France because of the Ukraine crisis, putting a severe strain on business and household budgets. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) This is not limited to military buildup, said Minhas, adding that some Western countries are also encouraging their civilians to carry arms and fight in Ukraine. Regarding the sanctions that the United States has imposed on Russia, she said that it has banned oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal imports from Russia, commodities in which the United States is more or less self-sufficient, but the country has reportedly not banned uranium imports from Russia on which the United States is largely dependent. "On the other hand, the United States expects that European countries, which are approximately 40 percent dependent on Russia for their natural gas, should stop importing it automatically. It's a huge irony for the Europeans to look at," she said. Moreover, Minhas said that the actions the West has been taking against Russia are pushing the world towards another Cold War, which is not good for the world. "The world had actually moved on and beyond (from Cold War)," she said. "Countries have spent more on people's health, and their education instead of military spending." Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Our County Editor Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). ANKARA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces killed 3 members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Turkey's Defense Ministry said Thursday. The YPG members were "neutralized" when they were in preparation for an attack against Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield zone in northern Syria, the ministry tweeted. Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" to imply that "terrorists" were killed, wounded, or captured in security operations. Turkey's forces and the YPG members often exchange fire near the Syrian border, and the tension has increased since early January when three Turkish soldiers were killed by a bomb explosion on the border. A day earlier, the ministry said Turkish forces killed eight YPG members in northern Syria. The Turkish army launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019, and Operation Spring Shield in 2020 in northern Syria. Turkish authorities say the operations aim to eliminate terror threats against Turkey and provide a safe zone that will facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homes. Ankara sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the EU, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades, claiming more than 40,000 lives. LeConte Nix: We have to normalize that going to therapy is great and is needed just like going to a movie or your regular doctors appointment. We all have stuff that we hide mentally or avoid. Now, think about a young adult who only knows how to deal with anger by violence of some sort, because he or she has never been taught how to handle certain situations." Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Longview, TX (75601) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. UNITED NATIONS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A high-level pledging conference for humanitarian needs in Yemen has fallen far short of target. The United Nations appealed for 4.27 billion U.S. dollars. But at the virtual event co-hosted by the United Nations and the governments of Sweden and Switzerland on Wednesday, only 1.3 billion dollars was pledged by 36 donors. The largest donation came from the United States with 585 million dollars, followed by the European Commission with 173 million dollars, Germany with 124 million dollars, and Britain with 118 million dollars. In his remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that a humanitarian funding crunch risks catastrophe in Yemen. In recent months, the United Nations has been forced to scale back or close about two-thirds of life-saving programs. Food rations have just been reduced for 8 million people. In the coming weeks, nearly 4 million people in major cities may lose access to safe drinking water. And 1 million women and girls may lose access to reproductive health and gender-based violence services, he said. Guterres said the United Nations needs 4.27 billion dollars to reach 17.3 million people in Yemen. Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a nongovernmental organization that helps displaced people, was disappointed at the outcome of Wednesday's conference. "More people are in need this year in Yemen than in 2021. More lives will be lost. More children will starve. More families will sleep outside. More communities will be without access to clean water. Yet somehow, we will have less money to support them. World leaders must not allow this to happen," he said in a press release. The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to scientific progress in wastewater-based surveillance of community infections. Moreover, the measurement of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ribonucleic acid (RNA) in sewage samples was used as a complementary surveillance tool during the early stages of the pandemic. Study: Emergence and Spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Alberta Communities Revealed by Wastewater Monitoring. Image Credit: boonchoke / Shutterstock.com Soon after, hundreds of wastewater COVID-19 monitoring groups and online dashboards were established throughout the world, including in Alberta. This strategy was based on the fecal shedding of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 who could be diagnosed by quantification of the viral RNA in sewage sampled at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or other nodes. Research teams located in Alberta and other places around the world have suggested that wastewater is a leading indicator of COVID-19 during the pandemic waves since these results have preceded clinically diagnosed cases by four to six days. Thus, sampling, testing, and reporting of viral RNA in wastewater can provide early warning of the population-wide disease burden that, in turn, can help with decision-making processes on disease control. Background South Africa first detected the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in the Gauteng province on November 24, 2021. The Omicron variant was quickly labeled as a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization on November 26, 2021. Soon after, the Omicron variant was rapidly detected throughout the world. By January 2022, the Omicron variant had become the dominant circulating strain in most countries around the world, thus prompting the re-introduction of public health restrictions. Studies have suggested that wastewater testing could differentiate changes in the disease burden caused by different VOCs in communities. Sequencing of viral genomes from wastewater can be achieved through targeted amplicon tiling protocols or shotgun metagenomics; however, these approaches are time-consuming and costly. Comparatively, targeted reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay of the RNA from wastewater has provided accurate data on VOCs at a lower cost and in near-real-time. In a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv,* researchers utilize variant-specific RT-qPCR assays to monitor wastewater in 30 municipalities up to three times per week to determine the emergence and temporal change in the prevalence of the Omicron and Delta variants in Alberta. About the study The current study involved the collection of wastewater samples from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) up to three times per week. RNA was then isolated from the wastewater either by affinity binding columns or ultrafiltration, followed by RNA extraction. Notably, wastewater collected from Calgary, Lethbridge, and Fort McMurray was processed using both methods. The quantification of RNA was achieved through RT-qPCR. Delta, Omicron, and total SARS-CoV-2 assays were triplexed together to estimate an Omicron-to-Delta ratio in each wastewater sample. Additionally, the daily number of new clinically diagnosed COVID-19 cases were collected from Data Analytics of Alberta Health Services. Study findings The Omicron variant was first detected in the wastewater of the Alberta community during late November and early December. In fact, between 3% and 9% of samples collected between December 5, 2021, to December 9, 2021, exhibited a sustained presence of Omicron in Calgary. The detection of Omicron in the capital city of Edmonton was reported on December 10, 2021. Proportion of Omicron relative to Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants in community wastewater samples assessed using RT-qPCR assays for specific variants following sample processing using ultrafiltration (A) or affinity columns (B). Lines of best fit plotted with second order smoothing are shown for different WWTPs, including 3 that had samples processed using both ultrafiltration (A) and affinity columns (B) for comparison (see dashed lines for Calgary-1, Fort McMurray and Lethbridge; Fig. S1). Monitoring lasted for 53 days beginning on November 28th (plotted as consecutive days on the x-axes). The grey shaded area on the right side (A, B) shows the 7-day rolling average of new clinical cases reported in Alberta (right y-axis), which increased after the Omicron variant was predominant in municipal wastewater from 30 communities sampled at 21 WWTPs throughout the province (C). Calgary and Edmonton are served by 3 and 2 WWTPs, respectively (A, B), and some individual WWTPs also serve several municipalities (e.g., Edmonton-2 serves 6 others; Red Deer serves 3 others; Calgarys WWTPs serve 3 others). The timing (in days) of the Omicron-to-Delta ratio passing 10%, 50% and 90% of community COVID-19 burden (D-F) reveals general trends of decreasing population size (bubble diameter and y-axis) and distance from the nearest airport in Calgary, Edmonton or Fort McMurray (bubble shading). Bubble plots only include data from Calgary-1 and Edmonton-1 WWTPs (the largest WWTP from each city), scaled to the population of the corresponding sewershed sub-catchment in those cities. The rate of increase of Omicron in the international resort town of Banff was higher as compared to larger cities such as Edmonton and Calgary. Omicron was found to have surpassed 80% of all community cases in Banff, while it had surpassed just 50% of new cases in Calgary and Edmonton. The proportion of Omicron infections was also found to grow in smaller bedroom communities that were located adjacent to Edmonton and Calgary. Smaller and remote communities such as Brooks experienced the most delayed emergence of Omicron and did not reach higher proportions until December 29, 2021. Conclusions The current study demonstrates that wastewater testing can provide an unbiased and accurate representation of disease prevalence, especially during the early stages of the disease. This approach is also cost-effective and can help provide objective information to policymakers and public-health authorities in near-real-time. Therefore, wastewater testing can be adapted by other large jurisdictions for the detection of emerging pathogens. *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. In a recent study posted to the journal Biomolecules, researchers evaluated biomarkers that could help identify coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients needing invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Background COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. There have been 460 million confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases and more than six million COVID-19-related deaths so far globally. Several SARS-CoV-2 patients with severe disease need IMV. However, many other COVID-19 patients require only supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula, i.e., non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV). Previous reports have indicated that COVID-19 patients have elevated serum levels of programmed cell death protein ligand-1 (PD-L1) and matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7). Nevertheless, there are little data regarding soluble PD-L2 (sPD-L2), soluble T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing-3 (sTIM-3), and soluble Galectin-9 (sGal-9) levels in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Further, potential biomarkers that might assist in identifying whether a SARS-CoV-2 patient needs invasive ventilatory support are yet to be discovered. About the study In the present cross-sectional study, the researchers assessed whether MMP-7 serum levels and molecules associated with exhausted T cells could be used as biomarkers to distinguish between NIMV and IMV COVID-19 patients. The COVID-19 patients included in the research were hospitalized at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (INER), Mexico City, during March and August 2020. According to the need for IMV, 105 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 patients were split into two groups: 1) NIMV patients and 2) IMV patients. In addition, 23 age-matched healthy individuals served as controls. The controls' blood samples were procured before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. At the time of hospital admission, the patients' health records were evaluated to assess comorbid conditions, demographic information, respiratory parameters, and smoking status. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) more than 30, and arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO 2 )/fractional inspired oxygen (FiO 2 ) was determined using arterial blood. All sera collected from patients were maintained at 20C until it was used. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of sMMP-7, sGal-9, sTIM-3, sPD-L2, and sPD-L1, which were then compared to clinical data. Twelve patients were evaluated again after eight months to analyze the variation of the biomarker levels between acute illness and post-SARS-CoV-2. Results and discussions The study results demonstrate that the PaO 2 /FiO 2 values were lower in the IMV COVID-19 patients. The IMV patients had a lengthy hospital stay and high levels of sMMP-7, sPD-L1, and sTIM-3 relative to NIMV patients. The sTIM-3 levels were linked to the severity of SARS-CoV-2 and were negatively associated with PaO 2 /FiO 2 and positively associated with procalcitonin, D-Dimer, and troponin levels. These inferences suggest that IMV SARS-CoV-2 patients might have elevated procalcitonin and sTIM-3 levels due to an uncontrolled inflammatory process. The sGAL-9 was positively linked to sMMP-7 and sTIM-3, indicating that it regulates inflammation during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although the sTIM-3 and sPD-L1 levels were heightened in NIMV and IMV SARS-CoV-2 patients, IMV patients exhibited much higher levels of these markers. These observations indicate that the COVID-19 patients have dysfunctional immunological checkpoints, which contributes to an unregulated inflammatory process linked to illness severity and IMV. It was observed that the apt biomarker for predicting IMV in SARS-CoV-2 patients was sMMP-7. This was because the sMMP-7 levels were only elevated in IMV COVID-19 patients and not in NIMV patients and healthy controls. The sMMP-7 levels also correlated with the severity of the illness and inflammatory lung injury during acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Further, MMP-7 levels were elevated in patients with lung fibrosis, especially idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Unexpectedly, sPD-L2 demonstrated a protective effect in IMV SARS-CoV-2 patients. It was inversely correlated with troponin, platelets, and days of IMV in COVID-19 patients. By contrast, sPD-L2 correlated positively with PaO 2 /FiO 2 . Following eight months of SARS-CoV-2 infection, IMV patients had a significant decrease in the initially elevated sGal-9, sPD-L1, and sTIM-3 levels, implying recovery of the immune response. These patients' sPD-L2 levels were increased, which also suggested enhanced immunity, while their sMMP-7 levels remained unchanged after eight months. Conclusions The study findings show that the sPD-L1, sTIM-3, and sMMP-7 levels were considerably higher in individuals with severe SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that these biomarkers might assist in identifying patients who require IMV. The present study highlights the need for more investigations to determine if the co-existence of hyper-inflammation caused by increased sTIM-3 and sPD-L1 levels is due to anergy, immunosenescence, immunoparalysis, or exhaustion. Overall, the study shows that sMMP-7, sTIM-3, and sPD-L1 are possible biomarkers of COVID-19 severity that could be used to differentiate people who need IMV. Further, it suggested that MMP-7 might be a marker for the continuity of lung lesions after COVID-19. In a recent study posted to the Vaccines journal, researchers assessed the efficacy of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in Syrian hamsters. Background The subsequent emergence of new variants due to the mutation potential of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of the reasons for the continuous spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some SARS-CoV-2 variants have been classified as "variants of concern (VOCs)" because they can spread swiftly. The VOCs have caused a surge in breakthrough infections as the current COVID-19 vaccines are centered on the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain. Hence, it is critical to demonstrate protection against the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs with newly produced COVID-19 vaccines. The authors of the current study have earlier established the rapid-acting potential of two VSV-based vaccines containing the SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins (VSV-SARS2) individually and combined with the Ebola virus glycoprotein (VSV-SARS2-EBOV) in non-human primates (NHPs) and hamsters. About the study In the present study, the scientists extended the time to the SARS-CoV-2 challenge in the VSV-SARS2-EBOV or VSV-SARS2-vaccinated Syrian golden hamster models. The team vaccinated the hamsters via the intramuscular (IM) or intranasal (IN) routes. Further, after 28 days of vaccination, the hamsters were challenged with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta, Beta, and Alpha VOCs. This was to evaluate the impact of prolonged vaccination to challenge strategy on the vaccine efficacy (VE) against the three SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. In addition, the scientists also determined whether the previously observed disparities in VE associated with the vaccination routes were maintained or vanished in the long term. Seventy-two female Syrian golden hamsters aged five to eight weeks were used in the study. The hamsters were randomly stratified into groups of six animals. The study cohort was vaccinated with VSV-SARS2-EBOV or VSV-SARS2 via IM (thigh) or IN routes. Further, the hamsters in the control groups were VSV-EBOV-vaccinated via IN or IM routes. Four days following the challenge with the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, the hamsters were euthanized for sample procurement. The SARS-CoV-2 Delta, Beta, and Alpha strains were titered and grown on Vero E6 cells. The VSV-SARS2 vaccines either individually or in conjunction with VSV-SARS2-EBOV were used in the investigation. Oral swab samples were procured employing the QIAamp Viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) Mini Kit. Cytopathic effects (CPEs) were documented using the virus neutralization assay. Findings The results indicate that a single dose of VSV-based COVID-19 vaccinations given 28 days before SARS-CoV-2 exposure was enough to protect Syrian golden hamsters from the three SARS-CoV-2 VOCs assessed. All immunized hamsters had undetectable infectious SARS-CoV-2 titers and reduced lung viral RNA levels. This inference correlates with diminished or nonexistent histopathologic lesions in the lower respiratory tract of the virus-infected animals. When challenged with the SARS-CoV-2 Beta or Alpha VOCs, all vaccinated hamsters exhibited a substantial decrease in viral RNA in oral swabs, independent of the immunization route. Irrespective of the vaccine, IN vaccination route was associated with a substantial decrease of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Delta-challenged hamsters' oral swabs. This observation matched with earlier findings that IN vaccination was the most effective in a 10-day time to challenge investigation. The VSV-EBOV vaccinated control group hamsters demonstrated interstitial pneumonia for the SARS-CoV-2 Delta, Beta, and Alpha VOCs. They also exhibited robust immunoreactivity in the pneumocytes, alveolar macrophages, and bronchiolar epithelium following the three SARS-CoV-2 VOCs challenge. These findings imply that a VSV-based COVID-19 vaccination effectively prevents SARS-CoV-2 VOC-associated severe lower respiratory tract illness. More importantly, it might minimize viral transmission during the acute phase of infection. Conclusions The study findings demonstrated that the VSV-SARS2-EBOV or VSV-SARS2 vaccination through the IN route produced a significant protective effect against the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs compared to the IM route in hamsters. This inference was supported by the lower lung SARS-CoV-2 load and virus shedding in hamsters vaccinated via IN route than the IM-vaccinated animals. Irrespective of the challenge virus, the histopathologic study of the lungs demonstrated that the IN-vaccinated hamsters had the lowest degree of lung damage relative to IM-vaccinated animals. Of note, the Syrian golden hamsters were challenged with the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs after 28 days of VSV-SARS2-EBOV or VSV-SARS2 vaccination. Overall, the study showed the potential of VSV-based COVID-19 vaccinations in preventing severe SARS-CoV-2 VOC infection and lowering viral shedding. Nevertheless, further investigation on the transmission of the VOCs will be required to corroborate this data. A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server discussed the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures on the future transmission of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in South Africa. Background RSV causes lower respiratory infections accounting for 5% of global deaths of children aged five years or less, and the COVID-19 pandemic has reportedly disrupted RSV circulation. A five-point alert system was constituted in March 2020 to determine the strengths of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) like social distancing, use of face masks, travel bans, among others, for COVID-19 mitigation. Implementation of NPIs had significant effects, including the decreased circulation of communicable respiratory pathogens, with a record low number of infections of RSV and influenza reported in 2020. According to some studies, nearly every infant contracts RSV by two years, with severe infections observed in those less than six months of age. Infants get infected primarily in high-contact settings like childcare centers and schools. Moreover, reinfections are also recorded, probably due to the waning of immunity over time. Climatic factors like low specific humidity partly drive RSV infections. Usually and unlike most temperate regions, RSV outbreak peaks in Autumn during February June in South Africa preceding the influenza season. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of NPIs has reduced the burden of endemic pathogens, leading to naive infants who were not exposed to these pathogens. As NPIs are being eased based on the (decreasing) prevalence of COVID-19 infections, concerns have been raised about a severe outbreak of RSV infections among those contracting the virus for the first time. The study The present study predicted the age structure, magnitude, and timing of the RSV outbreak in 2022 in South Africa through an epidemiological model. The researchers utilized data collected through the influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) surveillance programs between January 2015 and August 2021. Surveillance covered hospitals and clinics across five South African provinces. Respiratory specimens were obtained from patients through nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs and nasopharyngeal aspirates, which were tested using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Data on the COVID-19 pandemic were used to assess the effects of COVID-19 preventive measures on the transmission of RSV. The authors calibrated their model to pre-COVID-19 data and estimated the impact of NPIs during 2020-21. Subsequently, the model was run to project RSV trajectory for 2022 2027, considering no interventions from 2022. Further, the size of RSV peak in 2022 and total outbreak size relative to pre-COVID-19 times were estimated. Findings The authors found a disrupted transmission pattern of RSV because of COVID-19 NPIs. The typical RSV season in 2020 was almost entirely suppressed, but a resurgence was observed during the August December 2020 period, coincident with the relaxation of NPIs. RSV transmission persisted in early 2021; however, the stringent NPIs implemented in response to the third COVID-19 wave reduced RSV circulation. Age distribution of severe infections was affected due to the disrupted transmission. A 47% and 37% reduction in RSV transmission was estimated during the first and second COVID-19 lockdown periods, respectively. According to the predicted model, an irregular and intense pattern would be observed in 2022, with a peak incidence rate in April 2022. The number of hospitalizations would increase at the peak time of the 2022 outbreak by 32% relative to that in the pre-COVID-19 period (2015-19). Their model predicted the resumption of a typical RSV seasonal pattern from 2023, assuming that schools will function without closures. Next, the research team investigated the effects of varying lengths and intensities of NPI implementation and noted that low levels (less intense) of NPIs caused a negligible impact on predictions. But as the NPIs were implemented strictly, an intense yet smaller RSV outbreak in 2022 was predicted, increasing the buildup of naive population and resulting in a much more severe outbreak in 2023 relative to 2022 levels. A prolonged period of NPIs (3 years) decreased the likelihood of an intense and more extensive outbreak upon easing of NPIs, and the transmission dynamics were predicted to follow typical seasonal patterns. Conclusions The study predicted an intense outbreak of RSV infections in 2022, peaking in April with a 32% increase in magnitude compared to pre-COVID-19 seasons. The hospitalization burden would also increase at the peak time among all infants (<2 years), but the highest relative increase would be among those aged 6 23 months. Based on the outbreak predictions for 2022, the authors suggested that hospitals take necessary precautionary measures to face a large, out-of-season RSV outbreak in April. *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. As immunocompromised people across the country work to get Evusheld, a potentially lifesaving covid therapy, several hundred providers of the injections were removed from a federal dataset on Wednesday night, making the therapy even harder to locate. White House officials had announced March 15 that a planned purchase of more doses would have to be scaled back without new federal funding. And federal and state health departments aren't making it easy to find, leaving patients whose hospitals say they don't have enough of the drug to write desperate tweets and Facebook posts seeking the shots while unused vials sit in the refrigerators of other providers. Few states list on their websites where residents can find Evusheld most provide no information or link to an incomplete federal map. The therapy is a pair of monoclonal antibody injections designed to prevent covid infection. It received emergency use authorization in December for people 12 and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised or unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons, more than 7 million people. For people who haven't responded to a covid vaccine, it could offer lifesaving protection. According to White House officials, the U.S. will likely run out of Evusheld by the end of the year. The week before the White House's announcement, the Department of Health and Human Services repeatedly told KHN that the problem was supply, not money. HHS spokesperson Elleen Kane stated multiple times that the federal government had bought every dose of Evusheld that AstraZeneca could supply in 2022. But an AstraZeneca spokesperson who declined to be named told KHN that more was available to buy. HHS did not respond to questions about the planned purchase. HHS expects to receive enough Evusheld for 850,000 people by year's end, Kane said last week. Even if all those doses come through, the supply would be nowhere near what is needed to treat the millions of people it could benefit. So far, enough doses to treat 229,000 people have been sent to providers and about one-quarter of that has been used, according to Kane. Evusheld supply shortfall More than 7 million Americans are eligible for Evusheld. There's enough supply so far to treat 420,000 people. 430,000 more people could be treated by the additional supply expected by the end of the year. After two years of immunocompromised people being left behind by the federal government, "the very least that the Biden administration could do is procure more than enough Evusheld so that everyone who" is eligible can receive the therapy, said Matthew Cortland, a senior fellow working on health care and disability issues at Data for Progress, a left-leaning think tank. KHN's analysis of Evusheld provider data published by HHS found that, until March 16, a data file published by HHS included several hundred providers that were omitted from the more user-friendly Covid-19 Therapeutics Locator map. On Wednesday evening, HHS updated the downloadable data file for the first time in eight days, removing hundreds of providers that hadn't reported how many Evusheld doses they had used in the past week. Several data columns were also removed, including the total number of doses that had been delivered to each site and the most recent delivery date. This information was not publicly available elsewhere; now people seeking Evusheld won't find those providers on any federal website and data analysts cannot track the pace at which the therapy is being used. KHN had flagged several discrepancies between the map and the data file to HHS as part of an investigation into the Evusheld rollout across the country. The data file is now nearly identical to what is used on the map, albeit with a few days' lag. In Mississippi, for example, 35 Evusheld providers were shown on the map on March 11. Only half of those were also included in the data file. And the data file included yet more providers that weren't shown on the map. HHS did not explain why providers had been listed on the map but not included in the data file. KHN found that even if an Evusheld provider hasn't recently reported its supply to HHS, that doesn't necessarily mean it didn't have the shots available. In Pennsylvania, the federal locator map shows only one-third of the hospitals and clinics that have received Evusheld, according to the KHN analysis. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is offering Evusheld to any eligible person with a doctor's referral, according to Erin McCreary, the director of antimicrobial stewardship innovation and an infectious diseases pharmacist who helped lead the system's Evusheld rollout. But until last week, people looking for Evusheld in Pennsylvania would not have found UPMC on the federal locator map. When the health system, which has 40 hospitals and several hundred outpatient locations, first got Evusheld, its supplies were so limited that it had to run a lottery for about 20,000 of their highest-risk patients. More than 1,650 people have now received Evusheld at 22 clinics throughout the system. McCreary said the word is now being spread through a webpage, social media, and a flyer and video sent to eligible patients. McCreary said people from as far away as Seattle, where UW Medicine is still using a lottery system, have reached out to see if they could get Evusheld at UPMC. HHS requires that providers record how much Evusheld they've used into a federal system every business day. McCreary was sending weekly numbers to the state health department, but she said her team hadn't realized they also needed to fill out the federal form. Within three days of a KHN reporter asking about the omission, UPMC started reporting its numbers. UPMC can now be found on the HHS map. But because all its doses are sent to a central pharmacy, only that single location appears on the map instead of all 22 clinics where Evusheld is administered. KHN cannot say how many doses have been used in each state or which states are rolling out the therapy to residents fastest because HHS has declined to make that data public, despite numerous requests. In addition to the hospitals and clinics not shown on the map, all publicly available data omits an unknown number of providers who choose not to be listed because they do not serve the general public, including long-term care facilities and federal agencies. A bolded disclaimer above HHS' locator map warns the public against using the map or contacting providers in it directly. The agency says that people eligible for Evusheld should talk to their doctor, who can find out where patients can get the shots and send a referral. Jennifer Spring, a registered nurse in the San Francisco Bay Area, took matters into her own hands. How to find Evusheld Evusheld is available for people who are at least 12 years old, weigh at least 88 pounds, and are moderately to severely immunocompromised or unable to receive covid vaccines for medical reasons. See the FDA fact sheet for more information. Here's how to find it: 1. Talk to your doctors to see if the place where you normally get care has Evusheld available. Some providers are still using a lottery system because of low supply, so you may need to wait or check with other providers. 2. If you can't get Evusheld from your doctors, check the HHS covid-19 therapeutics locator map. Use the "therapeutic selector" dropdown to select Evusheld. 3. Call the providers closest to you and ask if they are giving Evusheld to non-patients with a doctor's referral or if you can be added to their waitlist, if one exists. 4. Ask your doctor for a referral if needed. After months of trying to get it at the hospital where she's treated for multiple sclerosis, she finally received Evusheld at an independent infusion center. "It was such a profound relief, it was almost a little surreal," she said in an interview the next day. When a car crash victim is wheeled into the trauma operating room where Spring works, she often doesn't get a chance to learn the patient's name before getting to work on saving their life. She certainly doesn't know if they're contagious with covid. The strong immunosuppressant she takes to treat her multiple sclerosis meant that even after four vaccine doses, she had produced no antibodies. Spring first reached out to her neurologist months ago to make sure he knew she was interested in getting the therapy. Although "he's a wonderful doctor," he didn't have any information about when she'd be able to get it until February, when he said he'd need to send her case for review by the infectious disease team at the hospital where she is treated. That's when Spring said she "mentally gave up on the idea of being able to receive it there anytime soon" and looked elsewhere, knowing from her own job how busy that team would be. Cortland, at Data for Progress, has asked HHS multiple times to remove the warning against patients using the map directly. Cortland said HHS has not responded. "If HHS is actually concerned about low utilization rates of Evusheld, HHS needs to tear down the barriers they've erected to immunocompromised patients directing their own care, and communicate honestly and directly with the American people, instead of hiding behind 'talk to your provider,'" Cortland said. And not all hospitals have enough Evusheld to go around. Dr. Raymund Razonable, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, said his program had enough for its most vulnerable patients until late February, when the FDA announced that to prevent infection against new omicron subvariants patients would need double what had been initially given. Although the federal datasets show that the Mayo Clinic has hundreds of unused vials, they have all been reserved for patients with none to spare. The Minnesota Department of Health told KHN that every dose HHS allocated to the state has been sent to hospitals and other medical facilities. The infusion center where Spring finally received Evusheld on March 8 wasn't listed on HHS' map because the center last reported how many doses it used just over a week earlier. And California's Department of Public Health doesn't publish its own list, instead linking to the incomplete national map. But the Oakland facility was included in the HHS data table until the recent change. Spring learned that the clinic had Evusheld available from a website created by a Microsoft engineer, which makes that data file easier to navigate. Once Spring made an appointment online and sent the center's referral form to her doctor, she got her shots in less than a week. The cost of Evusheld itself is covered by the federal government. But the infusion center was out of network with her health plan, so she had to pay a nearly $200 administration fee. Spring worries about other immunocompromised people who don't have the time and ability to find the shots or to pay out-of-network charges. If that was the case, she said, "I would still just be waiting until my health care provider and health care facility were able to figure out when I could get it." Two days after she got her shots, the infusion center tweeted that it had extra Evusheld to go around, writing, "So few referrals that we declined shipment this week, no space in the medication refrigerator and over 70% of unbooked appointments." Methodology KHN analyzed data from the covid-19 therapeutics locator map and the accompanying open dataset, both downloaded on March 11. HHS said it excludes providers that mark themselves as non-public from both the locator map and open dataset. These excluded providers are generally long-term care facilities, prisons, federal agencies, and other organizations that do not serve the public and where most doctors could not refer their patients. Until March 16, the dataset included providers regardless of how much inventory remained. The map excludes providers who haven't reported how many doses they had used in the past week even if they've recently received new Evusheld shipments. The columns detailing the number of doses delivered and last delivery date were removed in the update. Some locations appear on the federal locator map but were not included in the accompanying dataset before the changes on March 16. KHN asked HHS about these discrepancies, but HHS did not provide an explanation. The map's data disclaimer states that "locations that report fewer than 5 courses of the selected therapeutic are not displayed," though KHN found that these locations did actually display on the map. To create the state-level maps, we matched the underlying data behind the locator map with the open dataset from March 11 using provider name, address, city, and state. We then checked each entry and manually matched those where the name or address was written slightly differently across the two files. Mayo Clinic researchers studied the differences in genomic data quality among racial groups in one of the largest and most widely used cancer research datasets, The Cancer Genome Atlas. We found lower quality genomic sequencing data in self-reported Black patients and patients of African ancestry. This finding serves as a reminder that when designing, conducting and interpreting cancer genomic studies, the underlying data quality differences between patients need to be carefully examined." Yan Asmann., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic bioinformatician and senior author of the study The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is the first study to report data quality disparities among racial groups. It is important because ethnic minorities often experience cancer disparities in the U.S., and Blacks and African American people have higher death rates and shorter survival for many cancer types. These disparities reflect the complex interplay of nonbiological factors (socioeconomic, environmental and behavioral) and biological factors, such as genetic and genomic features. To identify genetic factors underlying cancer disparities data that are equitable in quantity and quality across racial groups are required, explains Dr. Asmann. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas, researchers compared the qualities of germline and tumor exomes among ancestrally African and European patients. The study included seven cancer types: Breast Uterine corpus endometrial Kidney renal papillary cell Kidney renal clear cell carcinomas Colon Prostate Lung adenocarcinomas These were the tumor groups that enrolled more than 50 ancestrally African patients. Researchers looked at sequencing depth, tumor purity, and qualities of germline variants and somatic mutations. "We found germline and tumor exomes from Black patients were sequenced at a significantly lower depth in six out of the seven cancers we studied," says Dr. Asmann. "Lower sequencing depths of tumor and germline exomes likely resulted in less-complete data, underdetection of germline variants and somatic mutations, and inferior variant quality among patients with African ancestry." Future considerations It is widely known that minority groups have historically been quantitatively underrepresented in DNA databases, compared to those of European descent. This has resulted in a catalog of genetic variants that likely does not represent the full range of human genetic diversity. "Patients' genomics data are often used in clinical decision-making, including patient selection for personalized therapies, and prediction of therapy responses and clinical outcomes," says Aaron Mansfield, M.D. the co-corresponding author of the study. "We plan to study the impact of this finding on patient care." Dr. Asmann expounds that the findings serve as a reminder to researchers who use The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets about the potential underdetection of germline variants and somatic mutations among ancestrally African people. "These data highlight the need to consider epidemiological factors when designing and conducting future genomic and genetic studies," concludes Dr. Asmann. "The scientific community and The Cancer Genome Atlas may consider resequencing residual DNA, if still available, from these Black patients with cancer with confirmed African ancestry, or additional ancestrally African patients could be sequenced at high coverage to compensate for the current disparity." A University of Oklahoma engineering student has received the rare honor of being awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Bill MacCuaig, a doctoral student in the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering, has been recognized for a technique that may help improve the detection of pancreatic cancer, a particularly aggressive disease in which only one in 10 people diagnosed live beyond five years. The NIH award allows promising doctoral students like Mr. MacCuaig the opportunity to develop into productive, independent scientists. External awards like this will provide him with funding support, as well as give him career-enhancing recognition. His work could make a notable and valuable contribution to the field of pancreatic cancer research. We're very proud of him." John Klier, Ph.D., Dean of the Gallogly College of Engineering MacCuaig's work focuses on developing a clinically translatable nanocontrast agent to target pancreatic cancer for intraoperative imaging during surgical resection of pancreatic tumors using optoacoustic tomography. "Pancreatic cancer is one of the most challenging cancers to treat because it is buried deep within your abdominal tissue so, it can be extremely difficult to detect in medical imaging," MacCuaig said. MacCuaig adds that he would eventually like to learn if his technique is safe and effective in people. "I hope at some point my work will go to clinical trials." Lacey McNally, Ph.D., a faculty member in the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, serves as MacCuaig's mentor. She notes that MacCuaig scored in the eighth percentile on the NIH grant NIH percentiles range from 1 to 99 and a lower number indicates a better score, according to the National Cancer Institute. MacCuaig came to Oklahoma in 2019 after earning a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Rochester in New York. A native of Massena, New York, he anticipates completing his doctoral studies in mid-2023. Following graduation, he'd like to work in the biotech industry. This year, MacCuaig is one of two to receive the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award in the state of Oklahoma. Rachel McNamar, a graduate research assistant at the OU Health Sciences Center, received funds to investigate novel targets in cancer therapy. A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server assessed the physical, cognitive, psychological profile of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) condition (PCC) in healthcare workers (HCWs). Various reports of PCC have been observed in hospitalized as well as non-hospitalized patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, knowledge regarding the risk factors, prevalence, and time-span of PCC is still insufficient. About the study The present case-control study examined the risk factors and prevalence of PCC symptoms as evaluated five to 28 weeks post-acute COVID-19 among hospitalized and non-hospitalized HCWs in Quebec. PCC was defined as the perseverance of any of the 15 symptoms, namely shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, runny nose, sore throat, chest pain, fever, fatigue, headache, loss of taste, loss of smell, difficulty walking, joint or muscle pain, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, post-acute COVID-19 for either four or more weeks (PCC4w) or 12 or more weeks (PPC12w). Eligible participants for the study included symptomatic HCWs who were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed for SARS-CoV-2 infection between 12 July 2020 and 29 May 2021. The test-negative cohort included HCWs who tested PCR-negative for SARS-CoV-2 and had no history of COVID-19 infection. Consenting participants answered a standardized online or phone questionnaire through which sociodemographic data, COVID-19 vaccination status, and employment characteristics were collected. COVID-19-infected HCWs also answered questions regarding symptom onset, COVID-19-related hospitalization, and the number of weeks taken to recover fully, while non-recovered patients provided information regarding the presence and severity of symptoms. For all the eligible participants, the questionnaire examined four facets of cognitive function: difficulty in maintaining concentration, difficulty in organizing oneself, forgetfulness, and losing essential items. These questions were answered using a five-level Likert scale with values ranging from never, rarely, sometimes, often, to very often. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler scale (K6) on a scale of 0 to 24, where a score between 7 and 12 indicated high psychological distress and a score over 12 indicated a very high level of psychological distress. The K6 scale evaluated the frequency of feeling hopeless, depressed, nervous, restless, and worthless as experienced by the individuals in the preceding month. Results The study results showed that a total of 31,091 HCWs were infected with COVID-19 during the study period and included 79% women, 48% of participants aged over 40 years, and 1.2% hospitalized patients. The PCC4w analysis was conducted on 6061 COVID-19-infected HCWs, among which 2% were hospitalized while 98% were non-hospitalized. The PCC12w analysis comprised 1,783 HCWs, including 2% hospitalized and 98% non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Also, the control cohort included 4,390 participants. A total of 46.2% of the non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients had symptoms persisting for four weeks and longer, while 39.9% had symptoms lasting 12 weeks and more. On the other hand, 76.3% of the hospitalized COVID-19 patients had symptoms for four weeks, and more and 67.6% had symptoms for 12 weeks and more. Approximately 49% of the non-hospitalized COVID-19 cases reported persistent symptoms four to seven weeks after the onset of acute-COVID-19, while 36.6% had persistent symptoms for 24 to 27 weeks. In the hospitalized and non-hospitalized patient cohorts, 64% and 30% reported fatigue, 17% and 20% reported a loss of taste or smell, 56% and 20% had shortness of breath, 33% and 15% suffered from cognitive dysfunction, 23%, and 13% had headaches, and 22% and 10% reported muscle and joint pain that lasted four weeks and more. Among patients suffering from persistent post-COVID-19 fatigue, 99% also experienced pre-COVID-19 fatigue. Furthermore, 84% of the patients reported mild pre-COVID-19 fatigue, while 63% and 28% reported moderate and severe post-COVID-19 fatigue, respectively. Among the non-hospitalized PCC4w patients, the prevalence of difficulty in maintaining concentration, difficulty in organizing oneself, forgetfulness, and losing essential items was reported as often or very often by 33%, 23%, 20%, and 10% of the patients, respectively, in comparison to 39%, 28%, 34%, and 15% reported by hospitalized PCC4w patients. Similar observations were also reported by the hospitalized and non-hospitalized PCC12w patients. Notably, 6%, 26%, and 68% of patients experiencing mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 symptoms reported losing necessary items often or very often, indicating an association between disease severity and significant memory loss. Conclusion The study findings showed that PCC significantly affects cognition among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. With the high risk of infection to HCWs, understanding the whole impact of PCC symptoms like cognitive dysfunction can help prevent further severe implications on the indispensable delivery of quality healthcare. *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. In a recent study published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , researchers identified independent factors associated with early and late deaths in hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Background As of March 2022, COVID-19 has claimed over 6 million lives worldwide. This fatal infection due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious and manifests acute life-threatening symptoms in some individuals, especially immunocompromised and hospitalized patients. Several studies have examined the clinical condition in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. In a study conducted in France, the research team found that the median time from intensive care unit (ICU) admission to death was 14 days in patients with COVID-19; and the time of death varied according to comorbidities and severity of illness. Determining and understanding the predictors of mortality concerning the time of death in COVID-19 patients could provide much-needed evidence to aid the clinical management of these patients. About the study In the present cohort study, researchers identified the factors associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to Taipei City Hospital (TCH) in Taipei, Taiwan between 14 May and 31 July 2021. The research team recruited COVID-19 patients of 18 years or above with a positive reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. The follow-up with the study patients continued until death, hospital discharge, or up to 13 August 2021. The primary variable of interest of the study was the treatment outcome, categorized as successful treatment or mortality; they further classified mortality - as early or late death. As per study definitions, early death referred to mortality within the first two weeks of hospitalization, and late death referred to mortality after two weeks of hospitalization. The study covariates included socio-demographic characteristics (age and sex) and comorbidities. The researchers analyzed the demographic data of the study participants and presented it as standard deviation (SD). They used a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for intergroup comparisons. The team computed odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for assessing the crude associations of factors related to mortality. Further, they reported adjusted ORs (AORs) with 95% CIs to indicate the strength and direction of the association of factors related to mortality. They also performed a sex-based subgroup analysis to determine the factors associated with mortality. Additionally, using multinomial logistic regression, they examined the factors associated with early and late death among these patients. Study findings The cohort study included 831 COVID-19 patients, with an overall mean age of 59.3 years; 49% of these patients were men, and 12.2% died during hospitalization. Notably, of the 101 deceased COVID-19 patients, 66 (65.3%) and 35 (34.7%) died early and late, respectively. The deceased patients were older, more likely male, and suffered from a higher proportion of cancer rates, heart failure, as well as end-stage renal disease. These patients were also more likely to be admitted to the ICU and receive intubation treatment. After adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and disease severity, the uni-variate and multi-variate analyses showed AOR values (with 95% CIs) for independent predictors of mortality, including age 65 years, heart failure, and end-stage renal disease as 6.47, 11.67, and 18.67, respectively. The subgroup analysis results showed that age 65 years was associated with a higher risk of mortality in both male and female COVID-19 patients; likewise, heart failure and end-stage renal disease were the predictors for mortality in male patients. Conclusions Taken together, the study findings showed that the overall mortality risk in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was exceptionally high. Notably, two-thirds of COVID-19 deaths occurred within two weeks of hospitalization, and the observed median time from hospitalization to death, in such cases was six days. Since the clinical condition of the hospitalized patients could deteriorate rapidly, it is crucial to monitor their clinical symptoms during the treatment, particularly for the elderly and those with comorbidities. The observed in-hospital mortality rate of 12.2% among hospitalized patients was almost similar to 11.1% and 12.0% among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the US and UK, respectively. Age over 65 years was found to be an independent predictor of early and late death in patients with COVID-19. Additionally, age-related defects in T-cell and B-cell function might explain the high mortality in older patients with COVID-19. Hence, the authors recommended prioritizing the elderly for antiviral treatment with sotrovimab, molnupiravir, and paxlovid to reduce the risk of mortality. Previous studies showed that the male sex was associated with an increased expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is known to be associated with severe COVID-19. Hence, monitoring male patients with COVID-19 for their clinical condition during hospitalization is also recommended. Likewise, COVID-19 patients with heart failure or end-stage renal disease should be considered priority groups for COVID-19 treatment. SANAA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi militia announced on Wednesday that it is ready to negotiate with the Saudi-led coalition to end the country's seven-year civil war. The Houthis said they "welcome dialogue with the coalition countries in any neutral country" which did not join the war in Yemen, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV quoted a statement by the Houthi militia as saying. The Houthi militia did not provide further details. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthis forced him into exile. In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers used molecular surveillance to identify cases of co-infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) Delta and Omicron reported in Argentina during December 2021 and January 2022. Background Previously, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was widely used to monitor SARS-CoV-2 variants; however, it was time-consuming and expensive, so its usage in resource-limited settings remained restricted. Molecular surveillance has allowed the identification of sporadically reported cases of co-infection in a single individual by two different SARS-CoV-2 lineages. These cases presented an opportunity to examine viral genetic recombination and the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 lineages that may cause more severe clinical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms. Co-infections with SARS-CoV-2 lineages, both local and global, are quite relevant because variant circulation keeps changing and new variants continue to emerge. The emergence of new recombinant viruses, only possible due to co-infection, results in increased transmissibility or immune evasion as this combines advantageous mutations from distant variants. Hence, decreasing the prevalence and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants could minimize the formation of recombinant lineages with higher competitive fitness. However, studies exploring the frequency of co-infected patients and their possible role in promoting recombination-driven SARS-CoV-2 evolution are sparse. About the study In the current study, researchers analyzed 2067 SARS-CoV-2-positive samples collected between December 2021 and January 2022 in the province of Cordoba, Argentina, for VOC detection. They conducted this study as part of the molecular surveillance program of the local government of the Cordoba province. They used a TaqMan SARS-CoV-2 mutation panel to detect L452R and P681R mutations and, based on the results of the first round of mutation identification, detected the P681H, K417N, L452Q mutations. They used a multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to simultaneously detect the wildtype (wt) and the mutant-nucleotide sequences. Next, they performed WSG on the samples that showed a co-infection profile in the mutation-specific real-time RT-PCR using the Illumina platform and submitted sequenced samples to the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database. Study findings Of the 2067 analyzed samples, three, i.e., only 0.1% of SARS-CoV-2 cases, showed profiles compatible with co-infections. Of these three, only one patient presented severe symptoms, including pneumonia and dyspnea. However, it most likely occurred because this patient was not vaccinated, was over 60 years of age, and suffered from arterial hypertension. Further research is needed to confirm observations made on co-infected patients. Although all through the study duration, the distribution of variants kept changing, Omicron was detected at the end of January 2022. The L452R mutation presented amplification for the mutation and the wt sequences, whereas the P681H mutation was positive for the mutation sequence and negative for the wt sequence. The amplification of the P681R mutation was positive for the mutation sequence but negative for the wt sequence. Thus, raising the possibility of another mutation in that position. Finally, the K417N mutation, together with its wt sequence, was weakly amplified in cases of co-infections. Repeating the nucleic acid extraction and specific RT-PCRs on original test samples for VOC detection produced the same results. There was enough ribonucleic acid (RNA) and a high viral load in sample N1 for further investigation via WGS. The sequence contained 29867 nucleotides, of which 0.34% were mutations, compared to the reference sequence WIV04. The proportion of reads matching Omicron was higher than reads corresponding to the Delta VOC. Conclusions According to the authors, this is the first study describing co-infected cases carrying two distinct lineages of SARS-CoV-2 in Argentina. Omicron was first identified in Cordoba province during the initial days of December 2021. It quickly disseminated, accompanied by an increase in the number of cases, giving rise to the third COVID-19 pandemic wave in the province and entire Argentina. Although rarely reported due to difficulties in identifying them, perhaps co-infection events are quite common during periods of high viral circulation; however, in such cases, the presence of one of the lineages in a greater proportion results in the detection of only one lineage. The study highlighted the importance of continual molecular surveillance to detect co-infections and viral recombinations, especially during high viral circulation. It could also help evaluate clinical cases related to co-infections to explain occurrences of severe cases. Nevertheless, similar to previous reports, the authors of the current study detected co-infections during the third wave of COVID-19 in Argentina, with very high levels of viral circulation. *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. Millions of Americans have needed hospitalization for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, including hundreds of thousands in the recent Omicron surge. And on top of the bills for their hospital care, a new study suggests that many of them could face hundreds or thousands of dollars in costs after they leave the hospital. The new study comes just a month after a previous one from the same team showed that getting hospitalized for a serious case of COVID-19 could mean hospital bills averaging $1,600 to $4,000 for many patients. Now, the team has looked at costs for the health care that patients needed in the six months after their first COVID-related hospitalization. On average, patients with private insurance had bills just under $290, and those with Medicare Advantage were asked to pay around $270, suggesting that most patients had modest costs. But for nearly 11% of privately insured patients and 9.3% of people covered by Medicare Advantage, the first six months after a COVID-19 hospitalization brought bills totaling $2,000 or more. For people hospitalized in 2021 and 2022, these costs were likely higher, the researchers note. That's because the data come from 2020, before insurance companies rolled back temporary voluntary waivers that had protected patients from out-of-pocket costs for COVID-related hospitalizations, including COVID readmissions. Writing in the American Journal of Managed Care, the team of health care researchers from Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan's academic medical center, and Boston University Questrom School of Business describe findings from their analysis of out-of-pocket costs billed to patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in March through June 2020. Bills through December 2020 were included. For both the privately insured and Medicare Advantage populations, out-of-pocket costs for post-discharge were driven by additional hospitalizations, procedures, and prescription drugs. The authors also looked at post-discharge bills among a comparison group of patients hospitalized for non-COVID pneumonia during this same time. The pneumonia patients actually had slightly higher out-of-pocket costs, potentially because most insurers waived out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 readmissions in 2020. Although post-discharge out-of-pocket costs were modest for most COVID-19 survivors, about 10% of patients paid more than $2,000. These costs will be on top of the large bills for COVID-19 hospitalization that patients are now getting, owing to the expiration of insurer cost-sharing waivers. The collective costs of hospitalization and care after discharge could result in financial toxicity for thousands of Americans." Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D., study's lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at the U-M Medical School The authors call on insurers to reinstate waivers for COVID-related hospitalizations, to reduce the financial toll on patients and reduce the chance that people with COVID-19 will avoid seeking care out of cost concerns. A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server assessed the reduction in antibody titers observed after the third dose of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) BNT162b2 vaccine in adults. The rising number of breakthrough coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections has led to the introduction of a booster vaccine dose in the vaccination schedule for adults. However, there is still a lack of knowledge concerning the durability and long-term effect of the booster vaccine-induced immune response. About the study The present study assessed the antibody titers produced against SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) immunoglobulin G (IgG), four and 11 weeks post booster vaccination with BNT162b2, and 11 weeks post-second BNT162b2 dose administration. The study consisted of employees of a German secondary care hospital named the Hospital Reinbek St. Adolf-Stift, who had received three BNT162b2 doses. Blood samples were drawn from the eligible individuals 11 weeks post-second vaccine dose administration and four weeks post-third vaccination between November 2021 and December 2021. In January 2022, 11 weeks after the third dose, a follow-up blood sample was also obtained. An anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay was employed to estimate the level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the samples in terms of binding-antibody units per ml (BAU/ml). Also, neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were ascertained. Results The study results showed that blood samples were drawn from a total of 103 participants 11 weeks post-third dose vaccination. The participants had a median age of 48.03 years, while 73% of the participants were female. A total of 95.9% of the participants had a positive antibody response 11 weeks after the second vaccine dose with a mean titer value of 611.92 450.31 BAU/ml. Also, four weeks after the third dose vaccination, all the participants showed positive seroconversion and tested seropositive for 11 weeks after the third dose vaccination. A mean antibody titer value of 611.92 450.31 BAU/ml was observed 11 weeks after the second dose as opposed to the titer value of 2389.10 1433.90 BAU/ml found four weeks post the third vaccine administration, indicating a significant increase in the antibody titer level due to the third dose. A substantial increase in neutralizing antibodies was also observed after the third dose vaccination. Furthermore, four weeks post the third dose, the mean IgG-titer value was 4155.59 2373.65 BAU/ml which reduced to 2389.10 1433.90 BAU/ml 11 weeks post the third dose. A similar drop was also found in the titer values of neutralizing antibodies, with a marked decrease within 11 weeks after the third dose while still maintaining a high titer level of 99.73% 0.18%. Conclusion The study findings showed that a significant drop in binding-antibody titers and neutralizing antibody titers was observed within a short term after the third dose vaccination; however, the titers remained comparatively high. The researchers believe that the clinical data provided by this study about the short-term persistence of antibody levels post-second and third vaccine doses indicate the need for a potential fourth vaccine dose. *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. The zine "MoodRing" features the artwork and writing from local teens. The launch party will be held at the Carnegie Center this Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. (Newser) Update: After years in detention in Iran, two British-Iranian nationals are back in the UK. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were released Wednesday and arrived home early Thursday, following months of negotiations between the UK and Iran, the BBC reports. In a photo shared by Ashoori's daughter, Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, can be seen at the airport holding her 7-year-old daughter. The charity worker had been accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government in 2016, while she was visiting family in Iran. Ashoori, 67, was accused of spying in 2017. The releases came after the UK settled a decades-old debt to Iran, per the AP, though officials have downplayed any link between the two things. A third detainee, Morad Tahbaz, was also freed from prison but has not yet been allowed to depart Iran. Our original story from May 2, 2021, follows: Iran said through state media Sunday that the US has agreed to a deal in which prisoners would be freed in exchange for the release of $7 billion in its frozen assets. The US immediately said there's no such agreement. The reports "are not true," said State Department spokesman Ned Price, the Hill reports. "Unfortunately, that report is untrue," White House chief of staff Ron Klain said CBS' Face the Nation, adding that the US has been seeking the prisoners' freedom. "We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time," Klain said. The state TV report had said the Biden administration had agreed to release four Iranian prisoners being held in the US in exchange for four American 'spies,'" per Reuters. The report also said Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian national, would be freed once Britain had paid what it owes Iran for military equipment. "We recognize the IMS debt should be repaid, and we're looking at arrangements for securing that," Britain's foreign minister, Dominic Raab, said Sunday. She's jailed after being convicted in Iran of trying to overthrow the government, a charge her family and employer deny. Zaghari-Ratcliffe served five years for the conviction before a court added another year last week. Britain has called that inhumane. "I think she's been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way," Raab said. (Read more Iran stories.) (Newser) Update: Survivors have emerged from the wreckage of a theater in Mariupol that was destroyed by a Russian attack Wednesday, an adviser to the city's mayor says. Authorities say it appears that the building's bomb shelter, which housed up to 1,000 civilians in recent days, withstood the attack, the Guardian reports. So far, there have been reports of injuries but not deaths at the Drama Theater of Mariupolbut communications with the besieged city have been largely cut off and authorities say continued Russian attacks are making rescue efforts difficult, reports the BBC. Russia, which has been heavily bombarding Mariupol and other cities, denies carrying out the attack. "Our armed forces dont bomb cities. Everyone is well aware of this," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, per the New York Times. Our story from Wednesday follows: Russian forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering Wednesday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said, even as the two sides projected optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. The airstrike ripped apart the center of the once-elegant building, where hundreds of civilians had been living since their homes had been destroyed in the fighting, Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement. Many people were buried in the rubble, officials said, though there was no immediate word on how many had been killed or injured, the AP reports. Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word "children" written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the building, the Maxar space technology company said. "Another horrendous war crime in Mariupol," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, calling the bombing a "massive Russian attack." The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater. In other developments: Putin says things are going to plan . While Moscow's ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Vladimir Putin said the operation was unfolding "successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans." He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to "squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country." . While Moscow's ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Vladimir Putin said the operation was unfolding "successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans." He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to "squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country." Kremlin says Ukraine is offering neutrality. Reuters reports that Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, told state TV: "Ukraine is offering an Austrian or Swedish version of a neutral demilitarised state, but at the same time a state with its own army and navy." Ukraine denies it . Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied Russia's claim that Ukraine was open to adopting a model of neutrality comparable to Sweden or Austria. Podolyak said Ukraine needs powerful allies and "clearly defined security guarantees" to keep it safe. . Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied Russia's claim that Ukraine was open to adopting a model of neutrality comparable to Sweden or Austria. Podolyak said Ukraine needs powerful allies and "clearly defined security guarantees" to keep it safe. Fighting intensifies near capital . Kyiv regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces had intensified fighting in the Kyiv suburbs and a highway leading west, and across the capital region, "kindergartens, museums, churches, residential blocks and engineering infrastructure are suffering from the endless firing." A 12-story apartment building in central Kyiv erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel. . Kyiv regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces had intensified fighting in the Kyiv suburbs and a highway leading west, and across the capital region, "kindergartens, museums, churches, residential blocks and engineering infrastructure are suffering from the endless firing." A 12-story apartment building in central Kyiv erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel. 13 killed in breadline. Ukrainian authorities say 13 people were killed while waiting in line for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv on Wednesday morning, the BBC reports. The local police chief says dozens more were injured when the shells hit a high-rise building and fell to the ground. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) UNITED NATIONS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on the parties in Libya to stick to the bottom line of peace and refrain from any action that may complicate the situation. The 11-year-old conflict in Libya has brought disastrous consequences to the Libyan people with far-reaching spillover effects on Africa, the Sahel region in particular, and the Mediterranean. It is the shared hope of the Libyan people and the international community for the Libyan peace process to stay on the right course, make continued progress, and achieve lasting peace as soon as possible, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. Nevertheless, for some time now, the differences and tensions between the parties in Libya have intensified. The momentum built up since last year is losing steam. The uncertainty of the political process has increased. All these are extremely regrettable and worrying, he told the Security Council. "The current cease-fire in Libya has been hard-won. A relapse into conflict will unravel all the gains of peace over the past two years," warned Dai. China has noted that all parties in Libya have generally stayed calm and exercised restraint at this critical moment. China hopes that they will continue to seek political settlement and avoid taking any action that may complicate the situation, he said. All parties that have influence on the situation in Libya should adhere to the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned principle and play an active and constructive role in this regard, he said. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) should, within its mandate, continue to work with the 5+5 Joint Military Commission in conducting cease-fire monitoring. Foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya should withdraw without delay in a phased, balanced, orderly and organized manner, he said. The difficulties in Libya's political process are essentially due to the lack of consensus among parties, said Dai. "We hope that all parties in Libya will restore the momentum of dialogue that prevailed some time ago, reach an early agreement on issues vital to the future of Libya, especially on a timeline and roadmap of the political transition, tackle the direct causes of election postponement, and hold elections as soon as possible while maintaining peace and stability in the country, so as to usher in a new chapter for Libya's national development." China encourages UNSMIL to continue to actively facilitate peace talks. China supports in principle the renewal of UNSMIL's mandate and calls for the appointment of a UN special envoy for Libya as soon as possible. Growing the economy and improving people's livelihood can help the Libyan people enjoy the peace dividend and bolster the force for peace. Libya's oil production returning to pre-war levels has not been easy to come by. As the main source of Libya's national revenue, the stable production and export of oil should be guaranteed, he said. The humanitarian situation in Libya has improved. China encourages the international community to actively engage in Libya's reconstruction, and scale up support for Libya's economic recovery and development, said Dai. The Libyan government has long been concerned about the losses suffered by the frozen assets. The Security Council and the Libya Sanctions Committee should take this matter seriously and adopt practical measures, he said. (Newser) People at events across the US on Wednesday honored the victims of the Atlanta spa killings a year ago and called attention to ongoing violence and the anti-Asian hatred behind it. "It is important to call this what it is, a crime that is racially motivated," said Robert Peterson, whose mother, Yong Ae Yue, was slain in Atlanta last year. "My mother was an Asian woman who was targeted because of who she was," he told a gathering of about 200 people, Reuters reports. The victims included six women of Asian descent, per the AP. "It should not take a tragedy such as this one for us to wake up," said Rep. Bee Nguyen, the first Vietnamese American to serve in the Georgia House. "This has been ongoing in the history of our country." In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu said earlier in the week that the Atlanta slayings were, "in some ways, the conclusion or another step in the escalation of attacks that our communities have been facing since the pandemic began, as we saw the horrifying videos of elders pushed to the ground, women attacked while waiting for the bus." Just last weekend, New York police said a woman was brutally beaten by a man after calling her an anti-Asian slur. Wu called it "a very specific kind of pain to see yourself, your parents, your grandparents, your children reflected in those who are being attacked." Events in a series of cities were organized by the Asian Justice Movement. Civil rights groups had planned a Community Remembrance Day in Atlanta urging "healing and solidarity," per People. In Washington, about two dozen members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, spoke outside the Capitol. Rep. Judy Chu said, "America was finally shocked awake to the reality of anti-Asian hate" by the Atlanta violence. Peterson said it will take "a social response, an institutional response" to stop the violence, per the Guardian. His mother "just wanted to just wanted to work and provide for her family," Peterson said. "My message is that my mother was my mother, but she also could have been your mother." (Read more anti-Asian attack stories.) (Newser) Critics definitely haven't loved every Nicolas Cage movie in the last few decades, but they're united in praise for his latest, in which he plays an actor called Nick Cage. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which one critic calls "the most Nicolas Cage movie ever," has a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes following its Saturday debut at the SXSW festival in Texas, where Cage was in attendance, Digital Spy reports. Cage plays a divorced and debt-ridden version of himself who accepts $1 million to attend the birthday of a wealthy and possibly criminal superfan. The movie, which will be released in cinemas next month, features references to, and clips from, dozens of Cage films. Three takes on the movie: Owen Gleiberman, Variety: The comedy "has a delirious good time poking fun at Nicolas Cage, celebrating everything that makes him Nicolas Cageand, in the end, actually becoming a Nicolas Cage movie, which turns out to be both a cheesy thing and a special thing." Drew Tinnin, Dread Central: Unbearable Weight "probably couldnt have been made with any other actor besides Cage. Theres not really anyone out there so acutely self-aware and willing to boldly acknowledge their unique position in the cultural landscape." He adds: "This could easily be called Nicolas Cages best performance because, really, its every performance bottled into one. Marya E. Gates, RogerEbert.com: "Filled with easter eggs for fans of any facet of Cage's career, the filmmakers dont place a judgment on which of his films have the most value, understanding that a favorite film is intimate and personal, and that what matters is that it does resonate on some level." Director and co-writer Tom Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten say they hadn't met Cage before they wrote the movieand he turned it down several times before saying yes. Etten tells NBC that the script wouldn't have worked with any other actor. "There's such a deep love for him in a way there aren't for some of those other people that have had similar trajectories," he says. Gormican says a scene in which Cage kisses his younger alter ego Nicky was the actor's idea. "Its the thing you only get with Nic. He comes to you and says, Tom, Id like to French kiss myself.'" (Read more Nicolas Cage stories.) (Newser) Russian forces are continuing to bombard Ukrainian cities, killing civilians and wrecking infrastructure, but the invasion has "largely stalled on all fronts," according to Britain's defense ministry. An intelligence assessment released Thursday says Russians "have made minimal progress on land, sea, or air in recent days and they continue to suffer heavy losses," the Guardian reports. Ukrainian resistance remains "staunch and well-coordinated," and while Russia controls some areas, especially in the east and the south, the "vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities," remains in Ukrainian hands, the report says. American intelligence agencies have made similar findings. The Pentagon estimates that 7,000 Russian troops have been killed in the three weeks since the invasion, more than the US death toll in 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the New York Times reports. But the war has also taken a heavy toll on Ukrainian troops and civilians. In Mariupol, officials say rescuers are searching the wreckage of a theater hit by a Russian attack on Wednesday. Officials say hundreds of women and children had been sheltering in the building. "The bomb shelter held. Now the rubble is being cleared," mayoral adviser Petro Andrushchenko tells Reuters. "There are survivors. We dont know about the victims yet." Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Wednesday that the invasion was going to plan and denounced the "scum and traitors" who don't support what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation." Talks are expected to continue Thursday and there are signs that progress is being made. An official in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office tells the AP that one of the main subjects now being discussed is where Ukraine's borders will be after the war and whether Russian troops will be stationed in occupied territories. The official says Ukraine is ready to discuss neutral status if at least one Western nuclear power is included in the talks and security guarantees for Ukraine are provided. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) Chapman University professor David Berkovitz instructed students not to use class materials or other resources when they completed a midterm and final exam for his business law class from home during the spring 2021 semester. He also instructed students not to copy any part of the exams. He now says one or more didn't listen, as evidenced by pleas for help with exam questions posted on document-sharing website Course Hero, and he's suing as a result. "Normally, a professor wouldn't sue his own students for something like this," Berkovitz's lawyer, Marc Hankin, tells the Washington Post. But Hankin says Berkovitz had no other choice in his quest to unmask the cheaters. After finding his exam questions online in January, along with requests for help answering them, Berkovitz asked Course Hero to reveal the identity of the poster. "But the company allegedly refused, telling Berkovitz he would need a subpoena," per the Post. Berkovitz, a lawyer himself, got right to work obtaining copyright certificates for his exams, then filed a copyright infringement lawsuit claiming the unknown students "infringed Berkovitz's exclusive right to reproduce, make copies, distribute, or create derivative works." Though the California university isn't a part of the suit, a rep tells the Orange County Register that professors are free to push for the removal of copyrighted content they own. Course Hero says it deleted Berkovitz's exams. However, four essay questions remain, along with suggested answers, the Register reports. Hankin tells the Post that the required subpoena will be served this week, and that Berkovitz will likely drop the suit once he has a name or names to pass to the university for possible disciplinary action. "He's not trying to bankrupt his students or their parents," says Hankin. "What he's trying to do is prevent cheating and have a chilling effect on students cheating going forward." Hankin notes students were graded on a curve, meaning a high score for a cheater may have resulted in lower grades for students who completed the exams honestly. (Read more copyright infringement stories.) (Newser) The US is getting a new COVID coordinator, and the change in leadership is seen as a shift in strategy in regard to the virus. Essentially, the nation is moving from emergency mode to long-term prevention mode, per the AP. The White House said Thursday that Jeffrey Zients is stepping down from the post he's held over the last 14 months, one in which he oversaw the largest vaccination campaign in US history, reports the Hill. He will be replaced by Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. The shorthand of the move is seen in their resumes: Zients doesn't have a medical background, but he's seen as an expert manager, and he spent much of his time working with drug companies and public health officials behind the scenes as the pandemic unfolded. Jha, however, is an epidemiologist, notes CNN. He has been a regular presence on news shows throughout the pandemic, generally arguing in favor of aggressive measures to contain the virus. "When Jeff took this job, less than 1% of Americans were fully vaccinated; fewer than half our schools were open; and unlike much of the developed world, America lacked any at-home COVID tests," President Biden said in praising his outgoing official. "Today, almost 80% of adults are fully vaccinated; over 100 million are boosted; virtually every school is open; and hundreds of millions of at-home tests are distributed every month." However, the New York Times ticks off other points: The delta and omicron variants "caught the White House off guard," and "the public was often confused by conflicting messages." The vaccination campaign, meanwhile, ran into more friction than the White House anticipated, it adds. (Read more Jeffrey Zients stories.) (Newser) Another American citizen has been killed in Ukraine, the State Department said Thursday. The person has not yet been identified, but the death occurred during a Russian artillery attack on the northern city of Chernihiv, reports the AP. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the death but did not provide details, per the Washington Post. The person is at least the second US citizen killed in the Russian invasion, the first being journalist Brent Renaud. CNN notes that Chernihiv has seen some of the heaviest attacks since the invasion began. The enemy continues systematic artillery and air strikes of our regional center, destroying civilian infrastructure," Vyacheslav Chaus, head of the Chernihiv region, wrote on Telegram. "Just yesterday [Wednesday], 53 bodies of our dead citizens, killed by the Russian aggressor, were brought to the city morgue. It was not immediately clear if the American was among those casualties. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) Shamokin, PA (17872) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seen on the screen delivering a speech via videoconference to the U.S. Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., the United States, March 16, 2022. (J. Scott Applewhite/Pool via Xinhua) WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday asked the United States to "do more" to help Ukraine defend itself against the ongoing military operation by Russia. In a speech delivered via videoconference to the U.S. Congress, he also asked the United States to champion the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, or, alternatively, to provide fighter jets to his country, requests that have both been rejected by the U.S. administration thus far. Zelensky also called on the United States to double down on sanctions against Russia, including asking all American companies to end their business associations with Russia and punishing all Russian politicians "who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are against Ukraine." TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in frequent touch with all Bahrainis stranded in Ukraine and this information was confirmed by a senior ministry official to The Daily Tribune today. The ministry is in touch with Bahraini citizens present and residing in Ukraine, and have been in constant contact with them to ensure their safety and guide them to ways to facilitate their departure from Ukrainian territory and return to the Kingdom, the official said. In a statement issued earlier, the ministry said that it has begun evacuating several citizens and residents in coordination with the Kingdoms missions located in Berlin and Moscow, in addition to the Kingdoms consulate in Belarus, and cooperation with missions of Gulf Cooperation Council countries in Ukraine. The ministry is working to find safe means for the exit of the citizens to the border crossings of neighbouring countries as soon as possible to preserve their security and safety. The ministry would also like to report that it successfully obtained temporary travel documents for the newborn children of Bahraini citizens married in Ukraine to facilitate their return. The number of Bahraini citizens and residents in Ukraine at the start of the military operations was 32 and the ministry has been able to facilitate the exit of nine of them through safe ports in cooperation and coordination with embassies in the capital Kyiv, the ministry said. Responding to media reports, the ministry explained that on February 27, the Consular Services Sector received a request from a citizen for a transit ticket for his son currently with his mother in Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry coordinated with the Bahrain Embassy in Berlin to grant the child a ticket to facilitate his return to Bahrain with his guardian in an exception to the conditions and criteria guiding such cases, given the exceptional circumstances through which citizens stranded in Ukraine are going. The embassy in Germany issued the necessary tickets and contacted the child's parents to ensure that they received the required documents. The embassy also contacted the child's mother who is in Ukraine to inform her on the available means of travel in the current circumstances - the train from within Ukraine to the border crossings, like all possible departures. However, the mother refused to travel by train and preferred to stay with her Ukrainian family for now. In the case of the family of eight, the ministry stressed that it is in constant communication with the family and that it asked them to leave before the security situation in Ukraine intensifies for the sake of their safety. On March 4, the family requested a special permit to leave Ukraine through the Russian border, as the distance is only 60 kilometres from their residence. Bahrain's Embassy in Moscow submitted the request to the Russian Foreign Ministry, and it is still waiting for the approval of the concerned Russian authorities. Bahrain's Honorary Consul to Belarus is in constant contact with the family to guide and urge them to exit through safe roads and corridors, the ministry said. The ministry added it is also in constant contact with the family to follow up on facilitating their exit through the train stations provided by the Ukrainian government free of charge to transport civilians. Unfortunately, the family has rejected the proposal and insists on providing a private bus or travelling through the Russian borders. The ministry said it would continue, through diplomatic means, to follow up on the situation of the family, and will make all possible efforts to facilitate their departure from Ukraine in light of the tense security conditions there. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Worlds first all-terrain hypercar, designed to give a new dimension to off road driving, will be introduced to prospective buyers during a Middle East tour beginning in Bahrain this weekend to coincide with the F1 Grand Prix. The Hunter, a 600 bhp, four-wheel drive all-terrain adventure vehicle with an unrivalled ability and performance across any landscape, is the product of a joint venture between UK based Prodrive and Mumtalakat of Bahrain. It is born out of the Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) competition car driven by Sebastien Loeb in the worlds toughest motor sport race, the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. The Hunter thrives in desert sand, dunes and rough mountain tracks, yet is docile enough to drive in an urban environment. Beginning in Bahrain, the first development vehicle is touring the Middle East where customers are being offered the opportunity to drive the Hunter and confirm their personal specification for production vehicles to be delivered later this year. The Hunter is even more powerful than the version driven by Loeb, with a 50% increase in power from the 3.5 litre V6 twin turbo engine and more suspension travel to absorb the harshest of terrain. But while the car is even faster and more capable than the race car, it is also more refined. Ian Callum, who styled the exterior of the original competition car, has returned to the project to create a new interior more in keeping with every day use than racing. A digital display gives the driver all the important information they need, while the centre console houses the more traditional controls found on a road car. The Hunter is the product of over 40 years of successful off road competition at Prodrive whose chairman, David Richards, said there are numerous hypercars on the market, however they all need good roads or even race tracks to show their performance. We identified that in certain parts of the world, particularly the Middle East, there are vast expanses still to be explored that go way beyond the access provided by asphalt roads, he said. Therefore, why not create a vehicle that gives the opportunity to explore these regions with performance way beyond that offered by any off-road vehicle before. The Hunter retains the Dakar competition cars engine, drivetrain and suspension, but to improve driveability, the manual sequential gear box has been replaced by a six speed paddle shift, giving a smooth gear change in just milliseconds. As the hypercar does not have to comply with strict competition regulations, power has been increased by more than 50%. The 3.5 litre twin turbo V6 has been refined and retuned on Prodrives advanced transient dyno in Banbury, UK to produce over 600bhp and 700 Nm of torque while making its power delivery smoother and easier to drive. Prodrive estimates that this would give it a 0-100 kph time in less than four seconds and a top speed of nearly 300 kph. However, the vehicle is fitted with bespoke 35 off-road tyres designed to optimise grip over rough terrain and sand rather than on tarmac. Richards said: We took the deliberate decision to keep the Hunter Hypercar as close to the original as possible. Its about giving owners the opportunity to experience what it is like to drive Loebs Dakar car across the desert, but with all the comforts of a road car and the ability to drive it from your home, through a city, to any destination of your choice. Get up close to teams with F1 Pit Lane Walk for all ticket-holders today at BIC Get up close to teams with F1 Pit Lane Walk for all ticket-holders today at BIC TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East, is inviting all ticket-holders to this weekends Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2022 to be a part of an exclusive F1 Pit Lane Walk today. The pit walk is scheduled for 6 pm to 7.30 pm and it is open at no extra cost. This fan-favourite activity gives those attending a chance to see the F1 teams up close and in person as they work in their garages preparing for all the action happening tomorrow to Sunday on track. Fans will be able to take pictures and, if lucky, spot one of their favourite F1 drivers in their garage, working with their engineers and mechanics. The pit walk has not been held the past two years, but BIC has brought it back for 2022, which is an extra special year for F1 following the sweeping new regulations put in place along with the introduction of the revolutionary design of the F1 car. Tickets to the race weekend are selling fast, and those interested to join in on the biggest event in the Kingdom are urged to purchase theirs as soon as possible in order to be a part of Thursdays pit walk. Fake police media sites alert as many in Bahrain receive mails asking to pay fines for illegal Internet surfing Fake police media sites alert as many in Bahrain receive mails asking to pay fines for illegal Internet surfing TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Staff Reporter The Anti-Cyber Crimes Directorate within the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security has warned against being victims of fake websites carrying the logo of the Bahrain Police Media Centre, being used for e-scam and stealing credit cards. Those websites, discovered during routine follow up to ensure electronic protection for all users, appear while using malicious links that direct users while surfing the Internet and inform individuals that they must pay fines for illegal Internet surfing, the directorate said. The warning comes as part of proactive procedures to discover new criminal electronic methods to enhance awareness of citizens and residents, it added. Many individuals received emails asking to pay fines for illegal Internet surfing. Speaking to The Daily Tribune, a victim who does not want to be identified, said he received a mail in the name of Bahrain Police asking to pay a fine of BD190 by credit card or face jail. I was devastated upon seeing the message as I have never watched or attempted to access pornographic or other illicit material online. I have always been a law-abiding individual, he said, requesting the Interior Ministry to take strict action against the scammers. Another individual, also a victim of the scam, said he felt stunned after receiving the mail. I have two teenaged sons and suspected them of attempting to access illicit contents. I even questioned them without knowing that this was a scam. The mail generally sent to victims asks them to pay a fine of BD190 by credit card as prescribed by Decree No: 179-374 of 2022. Your browser has been blocked due to repeated visits to pornographic sites containing materials prohibited by the laws of Bahrain, namely pornographic promoting paedophilia, violence and homosexuality. If you fail to pay a fine to attempt to unblock your computer without paying a fine, all information on your device will be permanently deleted to prevent the dissemination of pornography. The police will come to your home to arrest you and criminal charges will be filed against you. Your device will be unlocked automatically after the fine is paid, the mail says. It also instructs to pay the fine within 12 hours or face arrest from the police. The Daily Tribune earlier reported about a smishing scandal, in which scammers targeted many by sending SMSs in the name of the Crime Investigation Department (CID). Smishing or SMS phishing is a fraudulent act through which scammers send text messages to trick a person into revealing some sensitive personal information that could be used for all sorts of fraud activities including siphoning money from bank accounts or transferring money to other bank accounts using online funds transfer apps. The Daily Tribune has also been carrying many reports in the last few weeks about fraudsters targeting the online banking and financial transaction network in the Kingdom. The published articles carried the plight of many citizens and expatriates, who together lost thousands of Bahraini dinars to the scammers. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) officially launched the state-of-the-art RCSI Bahrain Clinical, and Biomolecular Research Centre located in the Bahrain Oncology Center, in partnership with the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH). An official opening ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health. Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla said in his address to the attendees, The need for the RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre arose to help address the healthcare issues of the Kingdom of Bahrain and was the visionary idea of Professor Sameer Otoom, President of RCSI Bahrain, and Major General (Dr) Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of the King Hamad University Hospital, and has been led by Professor Stephen Atkin, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies and Research at RCSI Bahrain. The Research Centre will support the positioning of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a GCC healthcare hub and will bring external funding as well as esteemed recognition to the Kingdom, making it a recognised regional centre of excellence. Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa, Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council (HEC) and Deputy Chairperson of the Higher Education Council Board of Trustees, said in her address to the attendees: The research that will be undertaken here at the RCSI Bahrain Clinical and Biomolecular Research Centre, and the outcomes that its findings will produce will not only result in cheaper and more efficient means of curing some of the most prevalent diseases, but it will also lessen the financial and logistical burdens on our public healthcare system, thereby elevating the quality of services provided and advancing the quality of life of Bahrainis and residents alike. Medical research, like most forms of scientific research, is not only essential for the development of a societys foundation, cornerstones of education and national qualifications, but it is also one of the key drivers that underpin the Bahrain Vision 2030. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The High Appeals Court overturned the conviction of a Bahraini man accused of fraud, citing lack of evidence. The Bahraini man was earlier sentenced to one year in prison and was also fined BD1,000 after his Asian employees were found to have used counterfeit spare parts. Five people, including two company owners and three employees, were arrested in connection with selling fake spare parts. According to court files, the defendants owned a trading company and a warehouse, in which they were storing the spare parts. During a routine inspection visit by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, the employees were caught to be making boxes similar to the ones that they are used to accommodate original spare parts, the Public Prosecution announced in a statement earlier. They were selling them like they were original, having used special computer-generated barcodes. The defendant was acquitted after it was found that he had inherited the companys share from his deceased father and was not aware of the employees activities. Meanwhile, the other company owner was found guilty due to his role as a manager with full authority The new branch is situated in Budaiya next to the NEC Exchange and near to the 2nd roundabout towards Saar. travelSouq will offer hotels, car rental, inbound tours, outbound tours, and flightsas easily as booking flights on their websites. The branch was inaugurated by Dr Nasser Ali Qaedi, CEO of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Senan A Aljabrey, Director of Monitor and Licensing BTEA, Jehad Amin, Chairman - Association of Bahrain Travel and Tours Agents ABTTA, Fuad Dawood Nonoo, Owner of Travelsouq (sister company of NEC), Biju Jacob, Director Digital Business - NEC and other officials. Travelsouq opened its first branch in Budiaya on Monday, promising it will provide more convenience for our customers living in and around Budaiya. Dr Nasser Ali Qaedi mentioned that he is delighted to inaugurate the Travelsouq branch which will help to promote tourism in Bahrain. He also said that government will support any initiatives to grow tourism in Bahrain. Fuad Dawood Nonoo, owner of Travelsouq (sister company of NEC) mentioned that he is excited to open the first Travelsouq branch, which will serve our existing NEC customer base and also the local market. He also quoted that Travelsouq will continue to grow and seek opportunities to increase the product portfolios and open new branches in Bahrain. Travelsouq, focusing on the online booking requirements, is IATA licenced travel agency operating for the last 3 years in Bahrain. The portal has been designed keeping in mind individuals and business travellers. Travelsouq said it has good popularity among online customers and many customers are availing services via www.travelsouq.com. The true benefit, however, is that multilingual customer service works to answer customer questions and irons out any problems that might arise, making it easier for the clients to plan their vacation. Japanese prosecutors filed an appeal Wednesday against the verdict in the trial of former Nissan executive Greg Kelly, who recently was cleared of almost all charges he had faced related to alleged under-reporting of his former boss Carlos Ghosns pay. The Tokyo District Court handed down a six-month sentence suspended for three years earlier this month. It found Kelly, an American, guilty of under-reporting former Nissan Chairman Ghosns compensation for just one of the eight years cited in the charges. The defense has already appealed and is pushing for Kellys total innocence. Tokyo prosecutors have said they had been studying whether they had grounds for an appeal for the years Kelly had been cleared of any offenses. They had demanded Kelly be sentenced to two years in prison. The case now goes to the Tokyo High Court, which will examine all eight years in the allegations, since both sides are appealing. People who are given suspended sentences are not required to be in Japan. Kelly was welcomed back to Tennessee earlier this week by Sen. Bill Hagerty, who supported his case from the start. Tourists take photos of giant pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has kicked off a months-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of its giant panda program. Located in northwest Washington, D.C., the famed zoo announced a series of online and on-site events starting March 16 through Aug. 27 to mark "50 years of unprecedented achievement in the care, conservation, breeding, and study of giant pandas." "After 50 years, giant pandas remain an iconic species for our zoo," said Brandie Smith, John and Adrienne Mars director, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, in a statement. "More importantly, they represent how great conservation outcomes can be achieved through great partnerships with our Chinese colleagues," Smith underlined. "Being able to introduce hundreds of millions of people worldwide to pandas and inspiring them to care about their conservation for five decades, coupled with our scientific breakthroughs, is a milestone truly worth celebrating." At least hundreds of visitors -- mostly parents and their children -- explored the zoo's giant panda habitat around Wednesday noon. While the fluffy bears in black and white were all sleeping, people still enjoyed the sight of them while curious to learn knowledge of the valuable species through posters on the wall. In the outdoor exhibit is the Giant Panda Family Tree Photo Gallery, where there are photos and information about the zoo's giant panda breeding program and how cubs born there are contributing to their species' survival in China. More events will come next month. On April 16, visitors can enjoy lion dance performances, panda-shaped buns, and calligraphy demonstrations at the habitat, while the giant pandas will receive special enrichment treats. There are currently three giant pandas living in the zoo -- 23-year-old female Mei Xiang, 24-year-old male Tian Tian, and their 18-month-old male cub Xiao Qi Ji. Mei Xiang gave birth to three other cubs in the zoo, all of who returned to China when they were four years old as part of the institute's cooperative agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA). Ever since their arrival at the zoo, giant pandas have symbolized cross-cultural collaboration between the United States and China. In 1972, then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai gifted two giant pandas to the United States as a gesture of goodwill following then-U.S. President Richard Nixon's groundbreaking visit. Nixon and his wife, Pat Nixon, selected the Smithsonian's National Zoo as female Ling-Ling and male Hsing-Hsing's home in the United States. Then-Zoo Director Theodore Reed personally escorted the bears from China, and they arrived in Washington, D.C., on April 16, 1972. Four days later, Pat Nixon formally welcomed the giant panda pair to the zoo. For five decades, the zoo has cared for the giant pandas by creating and maintaining one of the world's foremost panda conservation programs. Collaboration between Chinese colleagues and the zoo's team of animal care staff, scientists, and researchers has been the cornerstone of those efforts. The unified effort to create and share knowledge is saving this species from extinction. Giant pandas are listed as "vulnerable" in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are an estimated 1,800 in the wild. The zoo has renewed its Giant Panda Cooperative Research and Breeding Agreement with the CWCA three times since 2000. The current research agreement extension was signed on Dec. 7, 2020, and stipulates the zoo's pandas will continue to live at the zoo through 2023. In exchange, the zoo contributes funds and expertise toward conservation efforts in China. Tourists take photos of giant pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Tourists take photos of giant pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows giant panda Mei Xiang at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows giant pandas Mei Xiang (L) and Xiao Qi Ji at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows the giant panda family tree at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Visitors look at the giant panda family tree at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows giant panda Xiao Qi Ji at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Nikkei - Apr 30 No sooner had Okinawa crossed a tourism milestone than the coronavirus pandemic closed Japan's borders. Now, as the leading Japanese resort destination looks to make a comeback, it needs to find ways to bring in more cash and not just more visitors. A U.S. Air Force cargo jet began on Wednesday to ship helmets and other non-lethal military kit donated by Japan to Ukraine, marking the first time an American aircraft has carried Japanese Self-Defense Forces gear to another country. A C-17 transport jet flew from the United States to touch down at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, and pick up three truckloads of plastic-wrapped boxes. Japans government declined to list the equipment inside. We won U.S. military support to use their planes so we are sending them on those aircraft so the equipment can arrive as soon as possible, said Makoto Oniki, Japans vice minister of defense. He spoke at the U.S. militarys Asian air transport hub as ground crews behind him loaded the cargo onto the C-17, which can carry about 77 tons. ...continue reading BEIRUT, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's cabinet approved an electricity reform plan on Wednesday, a critical step in addressing the country's financial crisis, according to a statement by the Council of Ministers, or Lebanon's cabinet. The plan includes the construction of new power plants and the establishment of an electricity regulatory authority in 2022, as requested by western donors and the World Bank. The International Monetary Fund, with which Lebanon is negotiating a possible bailout program, said that reforming the electricity sector was a key pillar of the country's recovery from a deep financial crisis. After a cabinet session, Energy Minister Walid Fayad pledged to do his best to establish the regulatory authority, the state-owned National News Agency reported. Since 1990, the electrical sector has accounted for around 40 percent of Lebanon's public debt of more than 100 billion dollars. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY Two years in a global pandemic has highlighted the need for expanded mental health services across the state, and the Connecticut Institute for Communities, Inc., (CIFC) is hoping to improve access to these essential services in Danbury with a new psychiatric residency program. CIFC received a $500,000 grant from the federal Health Resources & Services Administration to begin the planning and development of their future residency program. The funding will last through November 2023, but the organization will rely on further congressional funding to support the program once it starts accepting medical students. The Teaching Health Center at CIFC, where the residency program will be housed, already has an Internal Medicine residency program that has passed 38 residents through its doors since its inception in 2016. The new psychiatric program will eventually host 16 psychiatry residents at a time, phasing in four residents per year in a four-year program. Katie Curran, CEO and president of CIFC, said in a press release that the organization is grateful for the grant, which will help address a national shortage of behavioral health professionals and a critical need in Danbury. There is a ton of data out there that shows the disparity, said Samantha Lawlor, deputy director of planning and communications for CIFC. People do not have access to mental health care, and especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health concerns and needs have just skyrocketed. Health Care Professional Shortage Area scores show where health professionals are needed most, with 1 being the lowest need and 25 being the highest and most urgent. Danbury sits at 23, one of the highest scores in the state, Lawlor said. A map from the Health Resources & Services Administration shows that Danbury is in need of mental health, dental, and primary care providers. Lawlor said that the very high demand for psychiatric services also means other providers are trying to expand services now, too. This has been something that's been on the horizon for us for a long time. We were just waiting for the right funding opportunity, Lawlor said. With the support of U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., as well as Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., the organization will receive the money to complete its planning from locating clinical sites to employees to curriculum development. Hayes said in the press release that she was delighted by the grant. There is a desperate need to strengthen behavioral health services, especially for people of limited means and CIFC is the only accredited Teaching Health Center in Connecticut. I look forward to continuing my work in Congress to secure more federal funding for programs like this in our state, she said. Murphy stated that mental health should be treated with the same urgency as physical health. This important federal funding will help expand the mental health workforce in underserved communities - meeting patients where they are and helping to better integrate primary care with mental health services, he said. The state released new data this week showing that three Danbury schools Westside Middle, Park Avenue Elementary, and Shelter Rock Elementary were in need of expanded school-based health center offerings to handle students mental health needs. Dr. Frank Fortunati, director of Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and Associate Chief of Psychiatry, noted that the mental health conditions hospital staff sees have been increasingly acute since before the pandemic. Theyve only gotten worse. Folks that are coming into the hospital for care, generally, their condition is more severe on average than what we were seeing before, he said. That generally means itll be a bit of a longer stay in the hospital. But sometimes, when people reach out for services, they can face stigmatic or financial barriers. Medicaid cant be applied to collaborative care where a primary care physician may work in tandem with a psychiatrist to care for a patient, Fortunati said. And with demand so high, many psychiatrists choose to work with patients who can afford to pay out-of-pocket for services. As a non-profit, CIFC works primarly with low and moderate income families in the Danbury area, getting them the medical and mental health services they need without the price tag. The residency program will be one way the organization tries to provide expanded mental health services to the historically underserved populations. Almost all psychiatrists are full all the time and its hard to get folks in, Fortunati explained. A friend of Fortunatis recently asked for help in finding a psychiatrist. Fortunati reached out to four different contacts they were all full. His answer for addressing barriers that exist in finding mental health care? Increasing the supply of psychiatrists and advanced practice nurses. That would help. But there has to be an examination of rates to look at the parity issue. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Kendra Baker / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Danbury Fire Department / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 NEWTOWN State police are seeking the publics help in its investigation of a road rage incident that occurred on Interstate 84 earlier this week. A motorist filed a complaint Monday morning about an erratic driver who allegedly threw objects at his vehicle. WINDSOR- ESSEX COUNTY, ON, March 17, 2022 /CNW/ - Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada's recovery, in communities across the country, including those in Windsor and Essex County. Today the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, alongside Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for WindsorTecumseh and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Gary McNamara, Warden of the County of Essex and Mayor of Tecumseh, Drew Dilkens, Mayor of the City of Windsor, Hilda MacDonald, Mayor of the Municipality of Leamington, and Chief Mary Duckworth of Caldwell First Nation, announced nearly $20million in federal funding to create an estimated 61 new affordable homes for individuals and families in Windsor, Essex County and the Caldwell First Nation, through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). These housing units will support Canadians who are in uncertain housing situations, experiencing or at risk of homelessness or living in temporary shelters. The first project, located at 310 Sherk Street in Leamington, will be managed by the Bridge Youth Resource Centre and will consist of 8 units for young adults, women, Indigenous people, and Black Canadians. The second project, to be operated by Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation, will be located at 462 Crawford Street in Windsor. The 15 units will be targeted to young adults, those living with physical disabilities, Indigenous people and Black Canadians. The third project will also be operated by the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation and will be located at 3351 Bloomfield in Windsor. The project will create approximately 12 units, including for Indigenous people, women and children, Black Canadians, those experiencing homelessness or those at risk of homelessness, those with physical disabilities and racialized groups. All three projects are expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2022. Two additional projects, led by the Caldwell First Nation, will build 26 units for members of the Caldwell First Nation. The units will be a mix of townhomes and fourplexes for seniors and other members of the community. Both projects are expected to be complete by summer 2022. New investments under the Rapid Housing Initiative will create thousands of good jobs in the housing and construction sector, grow the middle class, and build back stronger communities while getting us closer to our goal of eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada. Quotes: "Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Today's investment through the Rapid Housing Initiative is a step towards the right direction to support those most vulnerable in Windsor and Essex County, and Caldwell First Nations. These new homes will offer their residents stability and safety and is another way our National Housing Strategy continues to ensure no one is left behind." The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion "Before the pandemic began, there were over 5,000 families on the waiting list for affordable housing in Windsor and Essex County. Creating housing rapidly to address this generational challenge is a priority for our Government. This new funding will provide immediate support to build safe and stable housing for our most vulnerable neighbours." Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for WindsorTecumseh "In an environment of escalating home prices, making sure all residents of our region have appropriate and affordable housing is more challenging and urgent than ever. The County of Essex is proud to partner with the federal government, City of Windsor and The Bridge Youth Resource Centre in an innovative project to address those needs in the Municipality of Leamington." Gary McNamara, Warden of the County of Essex and Mayor of Tecumseh "Everyone deserves safe and stable housing. Like all municipalities across Canada, Windsor is no stranger to the rising costs of housing. Putting more shovels in the ground to build more homes is an important step to help reduce prices, support and address chronic homelessness, create more affordable, innovative and purpose-built housing options, and prove that access to home ownership is possible at all levels of income. I'm grateful to the Government of Canada for their significant investment in Windsor and Essex County as we continue working together in the face of a national housing crisis." Drew Dilkens, Mayor of the City of Windsor "The Municipality of Leamington is always appreciative of funding that improves the quality of life for its residents. The Bridge Youth Resource Centre has been a tremendous resource for vulnerable young people in our community since they opened their doors. Providing monies for valuable assets in Canadian communities is money well spent." Hilda MacDonald, Mayor of the Municipality of Leamington "I have gratitude as Caldwell First Nation was included in this initiative and now can begin to build energy efficient sustainable housing for our citizens and future generations. Caldwell First Nation is the process of creating an urban First Nation within the boundaries of the Municipality of Leamington. Our citizens now have the opportunity to reside in safe and energy efficient sustainable homes. Meeting our community needs by providing affordable sustainable housing to meet the needs of growing families is important to leadership, this initiative is much appreciated" Chief Mary Duckworth, Caldwell First Nation "We are grateful to have been included in CMHC's Cities Stream of the RHI funding through the City of Windsor to allow our organization the opportunity to provide affordable housing to those who need it most. We are also thankful for the support of the project from the Municipality of Leamington and the County of Essex. We have seen first-hand the challenges our youth face in finding local housing options. Through this initiative, we are continuing the work to support our youth in reaching their potential as well as achieve our strategic vision goals. This project is part of a larger tiny home initiative to create a safe and inclusive community that extends to service other population groups, including young adults, women, seniors, Indigenous people and Black Canadians." Krista Rempel, Executive Director of The Bridge Youth Resource Centre Quick facts: The RHI is a $2.5 billion program to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of over 10,000 units of affordable housing. program to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of over 10,000 units of affordable housing. The RHI has received significant interest from Indigenous groups, which has resulted in 41% of all units created under the program being targeted to Indigenous peoples. Units are intended to be constructed within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants (with some exceptions), with units in the North and in special access communities intended to be constructed within 18 months. Close to 33 per cent of this new funding will go toward women-focused housing projects. The units will be built within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants. The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people under the NHS, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2 individuals, racialized and Black Canadians, and recent immigrants or refugees. The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home. Associated links: As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation For further information: Media contacts: Arevig Afarian, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected] WINNIPEG, MB, March 17, 2022 /CNW/ - Canadian farmers are key players in building a healthy environment and a more sustainable agriculture sector in Canada. Today, on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada Water Agency) and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, highlighted the support of over $66 million to help Manitoba and Prairie farmers adopt sustainable farming practices and clean technologies that build farmers resilience to a changing climate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Parliamentary Secretary Duguid highlighted federal support of up to $62 million for two organizations to deliver the On-Farm Climate Action Fund in Manitoba and other Prairie provinces. Manitoba Association of Watersheds will deliver up to $40 million to provide knowledge, tools, skills and financial incentives that aim to help farmers to adopt and deploy real, measurable and practical climate solutions across Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the area of rotational grazing, nitrogen management and cover cropping. Canola Council of Canada will deliver up to $22 million to work with farmers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta to increase canola yields while reducing nitrous oxide emissions. Both groups will distribute the funding through individual application intakes to help farmers adopt and implement immediate on-farm beneficial management practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases. Activities supported through the Fund are expected to reduce GHG emissions by up to 2 million tonnes by 2024, while improving the health and resiliency of farmers soil. In addition, Parliamentary Secretary Duguid highlighted support of up to over $4.4 million for 10 projects approved so far across Manitoba under the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program. This will help farmers adapt to a changing climate and boost their long-term competitiveness, all while cutting emissions. This funding is focused on three priority areas: green energy and energy efficiency; precision agriculture; and the bioeconomy. Together with Canadians and communities, the Government of Canada is taking real action to fight climate change and build a strong, prosperous agriculture sector. Canada's agriculture sector currently accounts for 10 percent of Canada's GHG emissions and has the potential to play a key role in reducing national GHG emissions and improving climate resiliency. The Government of Canada is focused on working as a partner for Canadian farmers as they help Canada meet its national emissions reduction targets, protect the environment, and strengthen the competitiveness of Canada's agricultural businesses and economy. Quotes "The fight against climate change is not only about reducing Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, but also helping farmers to innovate and adopt more sustainable farming practices. In Manitoba, we have partnered with two sector organizations to deliver funds directly to local farmers who are ready to take action and build climate resilience. We are also investing directly in 10 new clean technology adoption projects to make local farming practices more sustainable. Together, we will continue to do what is necessary to protect our environment and provide farmers with the support needed to make their operations more sustainable for future generations." - The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food "Here in Manitoba, farmers with the support of academic and industry groups, are implementing amazing new technologically-advanced practices that are improving their sustainability on a daily basis. As our Government prepares to present its plan to reduce emissions and reach our climate 2030 goals, today's announcement shows very tangibly what we can do to support Manitoba and Prairie farmers to achieve greater sustainability, while improving their bottom line." - Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada Water Agency) and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South "Manitoba Association of Watersheds is thrilled to have the opportunity to support farmers throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan as they implement and expand use of beneficial management practices that are known to have positive effects on water and soil health, and climate resiliency. We welcome the opportunity to support our farmers by providing incentive based programs alongside training, development and mentorship opportunities to help ensure successful, long-term adaptation of these practices." - Garry Wasylowski, Board Chair, Manitoba Association of Watersheds "Canadian canola farmers are leaders in sustainability and we're pleased that the Government of Canada is providing support to continue their progress. We look forward to partnering through the On-Farm Climate Action Fund to advance productivity and build climate resilience through nitrogen management for the canola value chain." - Jim Everson, president, Canola Council of Canada Quick Facts Today's On-Farm Climate Action Fund announcement echoes a national announcement, made by Minister Bibeau on February 22, 2022 , of 12 recipient organizations approved to deliver the Fund, which will help address barriers to wider adoption, including up-front implementation costs, lack of risk protection and limited availability of information and agronomic services. , of 12 recipient organizations approved to deliver the Fund, which will help address barriers to wider adoption, including up-front implementation costs, lack of risk protection and limited availability of information and agronomic services. First announced in Budget 2021, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund is an initiative to help farmers tackle climate change. It is part of the Government of Canada's Agricultural Climate Solutions initiative, which falls under the $4 billion Natural Climate Solutions Fund, an initiative managed by Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Agricultural Climate Solutions initiative, which falls under the Natural Climate Solutions Fund, an initiative managed by Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Farmers across Manitoba are encouraged to use the On-Farm Climate Action Fund Web Tool for Farmers to determine which recipient organization best serves their needs. are encouraged to use the On-Farm Climate Action Fund Web Tool for Farmers to determine which recipient organization best serves their needs. Today's Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program announcement echoes a national announcement, made by Minister Bibeau on February 3, 2022 , of the first wave of approved projects under the Program, which will help farmers adapt to a changing climate and boost their long-term competitiveness, all while cutting emissions. Information on the 10 projects approved so far across Manitoba under the ACT Program is available in this searchable database. , of the first wave of approved projects under the Program, which will help farmers adapt to a changing climate and boost their long-term competitiveness, all while cutting emissions. Information on the 10 projects approved so far across under the ACT Program is available in this searchable database. Under the ACT Program, the Adoption Stream supports the purchase and installation of commercially available clean technologies and processes with a priority given to those that show evidence of GHG emissions and other environmental co-benefits. The Research and Innovation Stream supports pre-market innovation, including research, development, demonstration and commercialization activities, to develop transformative clean technologies and enable the expansion of current technologies. All projects and final funding are subject to negotiation of a contribution agreement. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced $550 million in federal investments to support the development and adoption of clean technologies and beneficial management practices. In addition to the ACS On-Farm Climate Action Fund and the ACT Program, the $185-million Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) Living Labs program has been launched to support carbon sequestration and GHG emission reduction. Related Products Additional Links Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada Like us on Facebook: CanadianAgriculture SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada For further information: Marianne Dandurand, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, [email protected], 1-343-541-9229; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 613-773-7972, 1-866-345-7972, [email protected] GENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- On behalf of over 60 countries, China on Wednesday voiced concern over the inequitable allocation and unbalanced vaccination for COVID-19, saying that the "vaccine divide" is posing the biggest obstacle in defeating the pandemic. The world is still far behind schedule to achieve the World Health Organization's goal of 70 percent COVID-19 immunization coverage by mid-2022, Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations (UN) Office at Geneva, told the 49th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. "The 'vaccine divide' poses the biggest obstacle in defeating the pandemic, as only 5 percent population in low-income countries are fully vaccinated, far lower than the high-income countries," Chen noted. He called on all countries to put the rights to life and health first, uphold the primary attribute of vaccination as a global public good, ensure equitable distribution of vaccines and speed up vaccination, so as to close the gap in immunization. The international community needs to act in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, give play to the role of multilateral mechanisms, give greater help to developing countries, and improve the availability and accessibility of vaccines and other health products in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, he said. "We support intensified cooperation among countries in the research of variants and pharmaceutic research and development, strengthen multi-tiered defense against the pandemic, and bring an end to the pandemic," Chen added. TORONTO, March 17, 2022 /CNW/ - Laramide Resources Ltd. ("Laramide" or the "Company") (TSX: LAM) (ASX: LAM) (OTCQX: LMRXF) is pleased to announce the appointment of David Thomas, in the newly created role of General Manger of U.S. Operations, effective immediately. As the General Manager based in the United States, Mr. Thomas will be responsible for all aspects of Laramide's operations for its U.S.-based uranium projects, including U.S. investment, multi-project development and regulatory compliance, and ensuring alignment with the Company's global uranium exploration and development strategy. "David's extensive experience in permitting, engineering, mining operations and construction of major projects worldwide will be instrumental as we continue to develop our projects, expand our team and business, and secure investments for Laramide in the U.S. We are excited to bring such established leadership to the team as we ramp up to support the permitting initiatives and potential in our large-scale uranium assets," said Laramide President & CEO Marc Henderson. Mr. Thomas is an engineer who brings more than 30 years of leadership in mining and project construction in both private and publicly traded companies. He has held senior mining executive roles, specifically in the construction and commissioning of mines. Mr. Thomas most recently served as the Vice President of Projects and Mine General Manager at Sabre Gold Corp., Inc., where he was instrumental in project permitting and engineering. Over his career, Mr. Thomas has worked in senior executive roles with producers including Newmont Gold Mining Corp., Nordgold, and Comstock Mining Inc. Mr. Thomas has also played several vital executive roles in the USA and abroad developing energy projects. Warrant and Operations Update The Company is providing a financial update on the outcome of the Warrant Holders' exercise of the Company's February 2022 common share purchase warrants. Laramide is pleased to announce that 100% of the outstanding $0.40 purchase warrants that expired on February 21, 2022, were exercised and resulted in total proceeds of $1.35 million from the exercise of 3,375,000 shares. Together with the Company's previous cash balances, and combined with securities available for sale, Laramide now has in excess of $10 million in cash and securities on hand and is essentially fully funded through 2022, a year that is expected to see increased exploration and development activity, in alignment with the rapidly improving uranium market where the spot price of uranium recently reached a 10-year high of $60/pound. In addition, Laramide would like to announce that Extract Advisors LLC elected in early March, 2022, to convert $1,286,700 (US$1,000,000) of the outstanding convertible debt at the conversion price of CDN$0.40 per share resulting in the issuance of 3,216,750 shares of the Company. Laramide is in the late planning stages for an extensive field season in Australia this year, which will commence with drilling at the Westmoreland Uranium Project. More details about our 2022 exploration plans will follow soon. To learn more about Laramide, please visit the Company's website at www.laramide.com. About Laramide Resources: Laramide is a Canadian-based company with diversified uranium assets strategically positioned in the United States and Australia that have been chosen for their low-cost production potential. Laramide's Churchrock and Crownpoint properties form a leading In-Situ Recovery (ISR) division that benefits from significant mineral resources and near-term development potential. Additional U.S. assets include La Jara Mesa in Grants, New Mexico, and La Sal in the Lisbon Valley district of Utah. The Company's Australian advanced stage Westmoreland project is one of the largest uranium projects currently held by a junior mining company. Laramide is listed on theTSX: LAM and ASX: LAM, and on the OTCQX: LMRXF. Forward-looking Statements and Cautionary Language This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expect, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Laramide disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save and except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Since forward-looking information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, exploration and production for uranium; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of resource estimates; health, safety and environmental risks; worldwide demand for uranium; uranium price and other commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; environmental risks; competition; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties and environmental regulations. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking information and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits may be derived therefrom and accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. SOURCE Laramide Resources Ltd. For further information: Marc Henderson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto, Canada, +1 (416) 599 7363, [email protected] The meeting of the G-23 leaders took place with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in the know, informed the rebel leaders of the party. Dissenting leaders of Congress under the banner of G-23 met at Ghulam Nabi Azads residence on Tuesday to deliberate on the thrashing defeat faced by Congress in the recently concluded assembly elections in five states. The rebel leaders issued a statement after the meeting that said the Congress party needs to adopt collective and inclusive leadership. The joint statement by the leaders of G-23 read, We, the following members of the Congress Party, met to deliberate on the demoralizing outcome of the recent results of the Assembly elections and the constant exodus of both our workers and leaders. The statement further said, We believe that the only way forward is for the Congress to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels. In order to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it is necessary to strengthen the Congress Party. We demand the Congress party to initiate dialogue with other likeminded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative for 2024 and the next steps in this regard will be announced soon, said the statement by the rebel leaders. The meeting of the G-23 leaders took place with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in the know, informed the rebel leaders of the party. She [Sonia Gandhi] was informed of the meeting when Azad and the party chief had a telephonic conversation on Tuesday to have a meeting on Thursday, the statement by the leaders informed. The statement said that the meeting was called to inform the rest of the members about the discussion held in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and to decide on a further strategy. Earlier on Sunday, G-23 leaders ahead of the Congress CWC meeting suggested senior party leader Mukul Wasniks name for the post of party president. The suggestion was rejected by the party. G23 leaders including Shashi Tharoor, Kapil Sibbal, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manish Tiwari, and others were seen leaving the residence of Azad after the meeting ended. The Government of Sri Lanka and the State Bank of India are the parties to the agreement. The signing comes during the two-day visit of Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksha. Sri Lanka on Thursday inked an agreement for a credit line worth USD 1 billion with India. The signing comes amid the worsening economic condition of Sri Lanka. The credit line will ensure procurement of food items, medicines and other essential commodities. The Government of Sri Lanka and the State Bank of India are the parties to the agreement. The signing comes during the two-day visit of Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksha. The Sri Lankan minister held a meeting in Delhi with Indias Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of External Affairs Dr. S Jaishankar after which the agreement was signed by the two countries. The ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of mutual interest and economic cooperation. The signing of the credit line comes a day after Rajapaksa on Wednesday met PM Modi and thanked him for extending support for the Sri Lankan economy. PM Modi spoke about the central role that Sri Lanka occupies in Indias Neighbourhood First policy and its S.A.G.A.R (Security and Growth for all in the Region) doctrine. Modi reiterated that India would continue to stand with the friendly people of the neighbouring country. Sri Lankas currency has experienced significant devaluation against major international currencies. The country has also been facing crippling fuel and gas shortages and daily power cuts, Espousing Indias Neighborhood first policy, Jaishankar took to Twitter to express Indias support for Sri Lanka and said, Neighborhood first. India stands with Sri Lanka. USD 1 billion credit line signed for the supply of essential commodities. Key element of the package of support extended by India. The key objective of Wang's visit is to facilitate the restart of physical engagement between the two countries and invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Beijing BRICS meeting later this year. Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi is likely to visit India soon, as reported by ANI. This will be the first high-profile visit of a Chinese dignitary to India after the beginning of the border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh in May 2020. However, it is learnt that Wang Yis visit to India has not been formalized yet. Neither the Chinese embassy in Delhi nor the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the proposed visit formally. The key objective of Wangs visit is to facilitate the restart of physical engagement between the two countries and invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Beijing BRICS meeting later this year. Meanwhile, the Indian and Chinese side have conducted 15 rounds of Corps Commander level Talk along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The last round of the talks took place at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on March 11, 2022. The talks till now have succeeded in resolving the crisis in the North and South Bank of Pangong Tso, Galwan and Gogra Hot Spring areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has termed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order on the Russian invasion of Ukraine as complete victory against Russia in the ICJ. Post the judgement by ICJ, Zelenskyy said in a tweet, Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice. The ICJ ordered to immediately stop the invasion. The order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further. Zelenskyy also asked Russia to immediately comply with the ICJ order and vacate Ukraine. This comes amid the peace ongoing peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Belarus. The International Court of Justice on Wednesday ruled that Russia should suspend its military operations in Ukraine with immediate effect. The order that was passed by a majority vote of 13-2 favored Ukraine. Notably, Indias lone judge in the ICJ, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, voted against Russia. This is significant as India has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. New Delhi has abstained from voting in the resolutions against Russia in the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly. Russia skipped the hearing in the matter and termed the lawsuit as absurd. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on a statement, On March 7-8, UN International Court of Justice in The Hague held a hearing on the request for provisional measures presented by Ukraine in an unsubstantiated lawsuit against Russia. In light of the apparent absurdity of the lawsuit, we decided not to attend it. Gregory Meeks on Thursday criticized the Karnataka High Court's verdict on the Hijab row in educational institutions. He is currently the chairperson of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee. Chairperson of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, on Thursday criticized the Karnataka High Courts verdict on the Hijab row in educational institutions saying that the decision will force girls choose between their religion and their right to education, and restrict their freedom of expression. The Congressman said in his statement, Disappointed by the courts decision to restrict freedom of expression, effectively making girls choose between religion & their right to an education. He further said, Whether in the US, India, or anywhere, how minority communities are treated is a true measure of a society. Earlier in February, Indias Ministry of External Affairs had condemned foreign reactions on the Hijab matter and said that motivated comments on Indias internal issues are not welcome. The statement by MEA said, A matter regarding dress code in some educational institutions in Karnataka is under judicial examination by Karnataka High CourtMotivated comments on our internal issues arent welcome. The Indian statement came after Pakistan summoned the Indias Charge dAffaires in Islamabad over the Hijab riow. After withdrawing from the JCPOA, the US re-imposed all the sanctions on Iran that it had previously lifted under the deal. US is considering to fully revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA) with Iran which the former pulled out of in 2018 under Donald Trumps presidency. After withdrawing from the nuclear deal, the US re-imposed all the sanctions on Iran that it had previously lifted under the deal. During a US Department of State press briefing in Washington, spokesperson Ned Price hinted that the US is willing to lift sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a bid to revive the JCPOA. When asked about reports suggesting US willingness to lift eliminate sanctions against the IRGC, Price did not refute the claim. He said while talking to reporters, The issue of sanctions relief is really and has been at the heart of these negotiations, but were just not going to speak to specifics at this stage. Notably, the development comes after US banned Russian energy imports as a result of the Russia invasion of Ukraine. Iranian oil can fill the void left by the ban on Russian oil and gas imports by the US. The State Department spokesperson also informed that Washington is keen on reviving the JCPOA with Tehran as the Iranian nuclear program has advanced at a considerable pace. Price stated, We want to do everything we can to see to it that a mutual well, to determine if a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA is in the offing, and it would need to be in the offing in the short term. As weve said, there is little time remaining, given the nuclear advancements that Tehran has made. MOSCOW, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A laboratory in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkov has studied transmitting diseases to humans through bats under U.S. control, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday. "Specialists of the Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces have studied original documents revealing the details of the U.S. implementation of a secret project to study the ways of transmitting diseases to humans through bats in a laboratory in Ukraine's Kharkov," the ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. "According to the documents, these studies were carried out on a systematic basis and under direct supervision of U.S. specialists for many years," he told a briefing. The Russian Defense Ministry will publish a new package of documents on the developments of Ukrainian biological laboratories, which were received from lab employees, he added. Russia has expressed grave concerns over U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine, where various kinds of dangerous viruses were stored and studied. Last week, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland testified before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine, admitting "Ukraine has biological research facilities." "We are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach," she said. On March 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video post on his facebook account that "no chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction were developed on my land." BRANFORD An armed individual was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds early Thursday after an alleged attempted robbery at a local motel, police said. Officers responded to the Branford Motel at 470 East Main St. during the early morning hours to investigate a reported shooting. Police said the first officers at the scene found the shooter, who reported he was robbed at gunpoint while staying at the motel. Officers found the armed male victim in a room at the motel with multiple gunshot wounds. Medics attempted to treat the individual, but found him to be dead, police said. Police said officers are in the process of identifying the victim and notifying next of kin. Later Thursday morning, police said detectives are still in the beginning stages of what is expected to be a lengthy investigation. Investigators have identified and are in the process of interviewing all people involved, along with additional witnesses. Connecticut State Police also responded to the hotel to help local investigators process the scene. Police said there is no threat to public safety. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 203-481-4241 or the tip line at 203-315-3909. A jury found a man guilty Thursday of shooting and killing his daughter in 1995, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. Robert Honsch, who is serving a life sentence in Massachusetts for killing his wife, is scheduled to be sentenced June 15 for his daughters homicide, according to New Britain States Attorney Brian Preleski. Police found two unidentified bodies in September 1995 that were later determined to be Honschs wife and daughter. His daughter, 17-year-old Elizabeth Honsch, was discovered shot in the head and wrapped in sleeping bags and garbage bags in a parking lot in New Britain, according to Preleski. About 10 days later, police found another unidentified woman, later identified as his wife Marcia Honsch, shot in the head in the Tolland State Forest in Massachusetts, Preleski said. A tireless effort to identify the two individuals proved to be fruitless until a break in the case in 2014, Preleski said. Police were able to connect Honsch with his daughters homicide through DNA and fingerprint evidence, according to Preleski. Police found and arrested Honsch in 2014 in Dalton, Ohio. At the time, he was remarried with three children and living under the name of Robert Tyree, Preleski said. In 1995, Honsch and his family lived in New York, the Associated Press reported. Honsch went to family members homes shortly after the homicides and told them that his wife and daughter went to Australia ahead of him. He said he would follow them due to a job transfer, according to Preleski. Honsch then fled to South Africa and came back to the United States years later, Preleski said. Honsch is serving a life sentence in Massachusetts for his wifes homicide. In 2019, he rejected a plea deal from Connecticut prosecutors that offered a 25-year prison sentence. The Associated Press contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH State Sen. Ryan Fazio made a dire diagnosis of what he said ails the state when it comes to economic performance and job creation. Speaking before the Retired Mens Association of Greenwich, Fazio said its the fault of a poor performance by the states elected officials. Its almost as if in Connecticut the state government was doing everything possible in its power to reduce economic opportunity, said Fazio, a first-year Republican member of the state Senate. Fixing that, he said, will require wholesale changes. We need to do a 180, Fazio said during his remarks Wednesday morning at the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich. We need to change to a direction that actually encourages job creation in our state, that encourages work and investing and economic growth, that ensures fiscal responsibility, that removes the burdens on small businesses that are the backbone of our economy and that ensures higher demand for labor, wage growth and economic opportunity for all. Fazio won the seat in the 36th District in a special election last August and is running for reelection in November to represent the district, which covers all of Greenwich and part of Stamford and New Canaan. Throughout his remarks, Fazio criticized the states economic performance. Connecticuts economy has been failing the middle class for a long time, he said. Over the last 10 years, we have the fourth lowest rate of economic growth. We have the sixth highest unemployment rate. We have the fourth lowest rate of population growth. Over the last 30 years, we have seen the lowest appreciation of home values in the United States and we have seen the highest increase of poverty since 1990. Fazio blamed high taxes and heavy state debt as well as what he called as a punitive regulatory structure that hurts small businesses with mandates. The bad news is we face immense challenges as a state, he said. The good news is its a management problem. Its a policy problem and it can be changed. Our fundamental strengths are deep-seated and our people are good. I believe this state can succeed like never before with a positive change. Connecticut is a great state with a horrible state government. Fazio also discussed education and again offered strong criticism of state leadership, saying the state has the resources it needs to be the best in education in the country but there has to be reform. He cited the successes at Stamfords Charter School for Excellence, which according to its website has a population of more than 70 percent Black and Hispanic students . If it was its own stand-alone elementary school district, it would have the second highest test scores of any school district in the entire state, after New Canaan and ahead of Westport, Fazio said. It is only funded at $11,500 per student because of the charter school funding formulas in the state, compared to, I think, the city average of about $18,000. Yet this school is probably the best school in the entire state pound for pound when we look at it, he said. And yet I dont think any major leader in the state has gone to them and asked them what they are doing, how can they copy it and how can they make the quality of public education across Connecticut on par with the quality of education here. On high energy costs, Fazio recommended an all of the above policy incorporating all types of affordable energy, and eliminating the barriers he said are keeping affordable energy from the middle class. During the question-and-answer part of the event, though, Fazio admitted change would be difficult. Republicans are poised to make competitive runs at all the states major offices in November, but he admitted the GOP is not likely to both take the governorship and flip the leadership in the state Senate and House. As a result,the odds to some extent are stacked against what Im talking about, Fazio said. But he also said he believes voters are making an effort to decide which candidates in every election would do the best job. Ive actually become less cynical and more optimistic about our possibilities, Fazio said. Ive become more optimistic because I feel regular people are trying to find the right answers and thats especially true in our part of the country and our part of the state. ... People here are willing to make an individual decision based on who they think will do the best job, apart from (political) party. Thats something I appreciate very much about our community. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SEYMOUR What do Naugatuck Valley residents want in a restaurant? Erick Williams, the co-owner of Olives and Oil in Seymour, wants to give it to them. We want to give you what you want. So if you want to come in, you want a large, small half cheese, no cheese, we have some really fun specialty pies, Williams said. (And) we got these giant grinder rolls in. Olives and Oil opened to great fanfare in January of 2020, barely two months before the start of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. And now, after enduring two years of shutdowns, mandates and the delta and omicron waves, the restaurant relaunched on Wednesday with a focus on casual fare after listening to what customers were saying. Williams said when the restaurant opened, it was more inspired by the New Haven restaurant scene, which is where the original Olives and Oil is located. It offered specialty cocktails, an extensive wine list and rustic Italian cuisine. The Seymour location in contrast, continues to serve its Notorious P.I.G. cocktail along with a variety of red and white wines, but now also serves burgers, grinders and more specialty pizzas including a General Tsos chicken pie and a mashed potato pie. Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis attended and she said when she first heard the restaurant was closing for two months, she was worried. Other businesses had closed, never to reopen, she said. But it turns out her fears were unfounded. I was a little concerned about them closing because it was another business closing. But when they said they were just closing for a rebranding, I said, Okay, thats great. Theyre gonna come back stronger, Drugonis said. Williams said his business still hasnt fully recovered from the pandemic. He has lost employees due to decreased business and the rebrand is also an attempt to recover from that. We really saw a massive dip again in sales. We never recovered from the first shutdown really, honestly, he said. And, we saw a massive dip again, with everything we saw on our other restaurant, in New Haven and in Rocky (Hill). And we just saw that as an opportunity. Are we just gonna stay here and burn out? Or are we gonna make a change? So we came up with a new menu. The menu change, Williams said, came about after doing business in the area for two years and realizing customers placed a premium on value and the new menu reflects that. Youre going to come in and youre going to take stuff home, youre going eat it for two days, he said. Youre going have these 18-inch large pizzas. You have 12-inch small pizzas, the grinders are 14 inches long, they weigh like three pounds. You got big bowls of pasta. Were doing all this stuff. Williams also adjusted the pricing so diners get more for their money, he said. The two-month shutdown allowed time to revamp the menu and install a brick oven. Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce President Bill Purcell said it was important for Valley residents to support local businesses. Its a comeback, but it does need the support of our community. Whether its dine in or takeout we need these restaurants. Theyre distinctive, and this is a distinctive place, Purcell said. Statewide, Purcell said about 600 restaurants have either permanently or temporarily closed during the pandemic. Although the restaurant industry is resilient, reduced foot traffic is still a challenge for businesses in the Valley. He said the rise of hybrid working schedules have altered customer behavior in the area and it would take a while for businesses to make sense of the new environment. Williams however, said customers will ultimately decide if the relaunch is successful. Its up to the people that come out and to me it really is, he said. I built it. Now I hope they come. Villagers move apples in Qingde Town of Xiangcheng County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Kun) CHENGDU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- When away from home, Gerong, who speaks only Kamba Tibetan, a Tibetan dialect, often found himself in awkward situations where few people could understand him. This month, however, when the 50-year-old Tibetan from Garze prefecture in Sichuan Province visited a hospital in the provincial capital of Chengdu, he communicated smoothly with a Mandarin-speaking doctor about his illness. What helped them conquer the language barrier is a speech recognition app on the smartphone that can convert the three main Tibetan dialects -- U-Tsang, Amdo, Kamba -- to texts and translate them into Chinese. The software, named the Dungkar Tibetan Keyboard, is the brainchild of a group of young engineers from iFLYTEK, an AI and speech-technology giant. "With its new capability to recognize the Tibetan dialects, the software can now meet the needs of about two-thirds of all Tibetans across China," said Nyima Wangdu, product manager of Dungkar. The Tibetan-language keyboard was first launched in 2017, but only began to support speech recognition early this month. It took the engineers nearly five years to enable the function after building a sufficient Kamba Tibetan corpus. "The main obstacles in developing the software were a lack of a corpus and a lack of support from linguists on Tibetan dialects," said Nyima Wangdu. To solve the problem, the group from iFLYTEK expanded the search for Tibetan dialect speakers. They enlisted nearly 60 Tibetan students from Southwest Minzu University to the project, who helped the team enrich the corpus of Kamba Tibetan. On the technical side, the group set up a team dedicated to developing a new generation of versatile multilingual speech synthesis systems. Cao Bin, one of the engineers, majored in linguistics in college. His work focused on tackling the syntactical differences between Tibetan and Chinese. For instance, he said, "March 13" is referred to as "13 March" in Tibetan. Deng Qi, a user interface designer in the group, had to deal with the aesthetic issue arising from the difference in sentence lengths of the two languages. "While we tried to make the lengths of the two languages match, we also worry about the accuracy of the translations," said Deng. "We made a great effort to achieve the ideal result." Now, Dungkar has more than 4.8 million users in Tibetan-speaking regions such as Tibet Autonomous Region, and Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. "I believe that language is not just a tool to communicate, but also a bridge that brings people in different places closer to each other," said Nyima Wangdu. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WEST HAVEN The city sold the former Thompson School at 165 Richards St. this week, the latest in a series of sales of buildings that have been abandoned for over a decade that started almost a year ago. The City Council approved the sale of the building to Enclave Properties for $250,000. According to Corporation Counsel Lee Tiernan, the intent is to convert the building into luxury apartments. Councilman Mitch Gallignano, D-4, whose district includes the property, said he had been waiting for the building to sell for over 10 years. Whats a luxury apartment? he asked Tiernan. A virtual doorman, a roof deck, a fitness center, lounge, granite counters, real cabinets, porcelain throughout all the bathrooms, Tiernan told the council. This is the best offer the city has ever had for that parcel. In 2019, the city approved the sale of the former Thompson School and the former Stiles School as a package deal to Park Lane Group for $450,000; prior to that, a plan to sell to an Indianapolis-based housing developer fell through because of unrealized federal tax credits. In February, the city council approved the sale of Stiles for $175,000 to a developer intending to create a mixed-use development that would incorporate hydroponics to grow lettuce year round without the use of soil. Although the Thompson building is a historic building, Tiernan said the developer is not seeking any historic tax credits by preserving its features. The former school closed in 2010 amid declining enrollment in West Haven schools and was sold to the city. Fernando Pastor, designer and architect for Enclave, worked on the Thompson School project. It took a year, so were excited. Its a great opportunity, Pastor said Tuesday. The next step is to put together a presentation to get zoning approval. In August, Pastor told the City Council said Enclaves intention was to keep much of the interior intact, preserving hallways and potentially converting individual classrooms into units with an estimated rent of $1,600 to $1,800 per month. Enclave has developed or is in the process of developing a number of luxury apartment buildings in New Haven, including the Whitney Modern development at 703 Whitney Ave. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com WALLINGFORD The state has reached a $1 million settlement with a local pain management medical practice that officials allege upcoded the services it provided when filing for reimbursement through the state Medicaid program. Attorney General William Tongs office on Thursday announced the settlement with PCA Pain Care Center and owner Benjamin Robinson. My office will pursue any provider that overcharges Connecticuts state Medicaid program or misuses resources intended for the care of our states most vulnerable residents, Tong said in a statement. This settlement provides recovery of damages from the over-billing and payment for post-settlement monitoring of PCAs billing practices. Such settlements are not uncommon. In the past year, the attorney generals office has announced at least a half-dozen of these types of settlements with medical providers accused of fraud, overbilling, or overcharging the states public health system. Doctors offices are required to submit claims to Medicaid with a billing code, which then determines how much the practice can be reimbursed for the care it provided. The investigation by the attorney generals office focused on whether starting in 2013, PCA upcoded or used codes that would reimburse their office at a higher rate than PCA deserved when submitting claims for services they provided to patients, the office said. The state alleges PCA coded almost all of its claims second most complex level of service regardless of what care service was actually provided. PCA and Robinson have paid $1 million along with an additional $45,000 for the cost of any audits the state Department of Social Services may conduct of PCAs claims. This $1 million settlement and related payment underscore the fact that Medicaid providers need to be completely honest and above-board in their claiming and billing practices, DSS Commissioner Deidre Gifford said in a statement. By and large, our enrolled providers are just that. Unfortunately, however, some outliers are subjects of fraud investigation and enforcement. To report instances of health care fraud, call the Attorney Generals Antitrust and Government Program Fraud Department at 860-808-5040 or by email at ag.fraud@ct.gov ; the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 860-258-5986. A man charged with stealing more than $431,000 from the city of West Haven through fraudulent invoices also received more than $85,000 for picking up leaf bags for the city last August and September. John Trasacco, a Branford resident, was paid $85,400 for leaf/debris removal and dumping from Aug. 3 through mid-September through a company called KAT Environmental Services, newly released financial documents show. The payments issued to KAT Environmental were not mentioned in the federal indictment against Trasacco, which was unsealed on Feb. 18. But the transactions were authorized in the same manner as the money that went to the two other businesses Trasacco founded and controlled, The L&H Company and JIL Sanitation: KAT Environmental was formed in July of last year, just before it contracted with West Havens public works department, and the pair of invoices the company submitted were approved by Michael DiMassa, who previously served as a state Democratic lawmaker and an assistant to the West Haven City Council. DiMassa is at the center of an ongoing criminal investigation, which has revealed serious financial and oversight problems within the city. DiMassa was arrested in October and charged with fraud. Several city officials said they had never heard of KAT Environmental, and Mayor Nancy Rossi said the contracts the company received were never put out to bid to allow other businesses to compete for the work. Meanwhile, members of the state board overseeing West Havens finances are now questioning whether the state needs to take a more aggressive approach to managing the municipalitys money. Federal prosecutors accused DiMassa last month of conspiring with several people, including Trasacco, to submit fraudulent invoices to West Havens finance department in order to cash in on federal pandemic relief funds and other taxpayer money. Trasacco and DiMassa did not respond to phone calls and emails for this story. Neither did their defense attorneys. Tom McCarthy, West Havens public works director, did not respond to several questions from the Connecticut Mirror. But Rossi said she spoke to McCarthy about KAT Environmental and its business with the city last year. The citys staff, Rossi said, did not solicit offers from other companies before paying KAT Environmental, even though West Havens laws require a public bidding process for any contract over $10,000. The public works department, Rossi added, only used KAT Environmental to pick up the yard waste for a short amount of time. And she said the city ended that business relationship because the company had awful workers. The invoices submitted by the company didnt specify how many homes it was to pick up yard waste from or in which parts of the city it was working. Instead, the company billed West Haven a flat rate of $2,000 per day. Rossi said those services were needed in the city in last summer mostly to allow people to dispose of their grass clippings. But two of West Havens City Council members said they were unfamiliar with KAT Environmental and the work it was paid to perform for the city. Peter Massaro, the new Democratic chairman of the City Council, said he was not aware of Trasacco or any of his companies prior to his arrest last month. Thats all I can comment about this, Massaro said. It is still under investigation. I never heard about this company. Bridgette Hoskie, the chairwoman of West Havens finance committee, confirmed that the city pays outside companies to pick up yard waste throughout the city, but she didnt know the specifics of those contracts or which companies perform that work. I know that we do contract out leaf bag pickups, but whether or not the services were provided, that doesnt come before the city council, she said. Fictious vendors Members of the state Municipal Accountability Review Board, which has overseen West Havens finances, have struggled to get a handle on the citys purchasing system for more than four years. MARB members repeatedly warned West Havens leaders during monthly meetings that the city didnt have the necessary controls in place to catch fraudulent invoices or unscrupulous contractors who might be seeking to take advantage. Annual audits of West Havens finances also highlighted the risk that presented to the city and its taxpayers. At present, the city allows purchases without first approving vendors, West Havens auditors wrote in December 2020. This increases the risk of fictitious vendors as well as not being able to obtain the best price or quality. In addition, unintentional conflict of interest issues may arise. All of those problems burst into public view last fall when DiMassa and another city employee, John Bernardo, were arrested by the FBI for allegedly funneling more than $463,000 in federal relief money to a shell company they set up. The fallout from the federal criminal investigation has continued to grow since then. Last month, Trasacco and DiMassas wife, Lauren Knox, were added to the list of defendants who are accused of cheating West Haven out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, MARB members have stepped up the pressure on West Havens elected leaders to force them to adopt better purchasing rules and to fix the citys finance department, which continues to be understaffed. Several members of the review board have noted that it is not just local tax dollars that are at risk from West Havens continued mismanagement. The state, they pointed out, has given West Haven more than $16 million in restructuring funds since 2018 to stabilize the citys finances and to help the citys staff make the necessary changes to its financial systems. That state assistance could soon come to an end, however, if West Haven doesnt make significant improvements. Increasing state oversight?State officials warned West Haven last fall that it would not receive any additional money from MARB until the city could prove that it had fixed its purchasing policies and its other financial controls. Stephen Falcigno, one of the 10 current members of MARB, told his colleagues this month that he believed the state needed to play a more direct role in managing the day-to-day operations of West Haven by installing more state employees in West Havens city hall. Only then, he argued, could MARB properly protect state taxpayers, who continue to provide money to help West Haven and its residents. I think at some point we are going to have to increase our level of participation, Falcigno said. I think we need to look at more stringent ways of helping West Haven achieve some of the goals they are trying to accomplish. Several other members of MARB agreed that West Haven was clearly not moving fast enough to fix its finances and basic accounting policies. Christine Shaw, who represents the Connecticut Treasurers Office in MARB meetings, noted that West Havens leaders continue to claim that they are working on the same issues month after month. I think the reason MARB exists and why this type of oversight is in place is so the city can get its fiscal house in order, Shaw said. For now, members of MARB are in a holding pattern. They are waiting on a forensic audit that is examining how West Haven used the more than $1.1 million in federal CARES Act funding it received last year. That audit is expected to be finished by the end of this month. There was no backup at the Rainbow Bridge in early November as Canadians were allowed to enter the US with proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Five aspirants have purchased forms for the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship Expression of Interest and Nomination forms ahead... Five aspirants have purchased forms for the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship Expression of Interest and Nomination forms ahead of the partys National Convention. Prof. Al-Mustapha Ussiju, the partys Director of Organisation, the APC Caretaker Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, in a statement on Tuesday announced the sale of the forms. The five aspirants who have purchased the forms for the chairmanship position are Malam Saliu Mustapha, and a former Governor of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Adamu. Others are another former Governor of Nasarawa, Tanko Al-Makura; and Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, George Akume. A former Governor of Zamfara, Mr Abdulaziz Yari, from the North-East, has also obtained the form despite the partys leadership zoning the position to the North-Central. From the North East, a former Governor of Borno State, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, is rumoured to be mulling acquiring chairmanship forms from the partys national secretariat to contest in the 26th March 2022 convention. The convention is expected to witness about 4,000 delegates from across the country where new national executives will be elected to manage the partys affairs. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said he wont resign from office, noting that he will end... Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said he wont resign from office, noting that he will end his tenure gloriously by May 2023. He spoke on Thursday in Abuja during his keynote address at a conference organised by the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents. The AGF debunked media reports that he had resign from office, while he urged media practitioners to be factual in their reportage. The justice minister also called for prosecution of journalists used by mischievous politicians. Malami said, It is high time that we enhance media literacy for Nigerians to appreciate fact-checking and verification of information. Many who relied on some unprofessional information disseminators will be taken aback that the Malami that was claimed to have resigned as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was still seen in office discharging his functions including attending the Federal Executive Council meeting yesterday, granting interviews to journalists and still today declaring this conference open as the Attorney General of the Federation. There is naturally an end to everything. My tenure in office has not yet ended. I pray for a glorious end. Malami, 54, has been a prominent member of the cabinet of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), since 2015. He is said to be highly regarded by the President who reportedly seeks his legal advice on major national matters. Buharis high estimation of Malami was confirmed last year when the President during an interview refused to contradict his attorney general. The Delta State Command has arrested three members of Arobaga confraternity in connection with the alleged murder of four members of Eiye co... The Delta State Command has arrested three members of Arobaga confraternity in connection with the alleged murder of four members of Eiye confraternity during a cult clash between the rival cult groups in Jesse Community, Ethiope-West Local Government Area of the state. CP Ari Muhammed Ali disclosed this at a press briefing in Asaba on Thursday. He gave the names of the arrested suspects to include Victor John m, Nelson Friday m and Festus Friday m. CP Ali, who said the suspects are in the Command cooling off their heels added that, Investigation is ongoing, CP Ali noted that sanity has, however, been restored in Jesse community. It would be recalled that four suspected cultists were killed in Jesse community recently. An exhibitor pours a glass of wine for a visitor at "Oenorama 2022," an exhibition of Greek wines, in Athens, Greece, on March 12, 2022. Greece's wine industry has made great strides in recent years, gaining recognition worldwide. China is one of the markets which Greek winemakers now aim to conquer, experts told Xinhua recently in Athens. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Greece's wine industry has made great strides in recent years, gaining recognition worldwide. China is one of the markets which Greek winemakers now aim to conquer, experts told Xinhua recently in Athens. Some 250 wineries from all regions of Greece presented about 3,000 wines of all types at "Oenorama 2022," the largest exhibition of Greek wines in the world, which took place here between March 12 and March 14. After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the exhibition returned, offering visitors a chance to taste the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages. Since 1994, the launch date of this annual event, Oenorama's General Manager Constantine Stergidis has witnessed the remarkable progress of the Greek wine industry, which he described as "very dynamic." "We have many new wineries, small ones that are opening, which is good, because this creates a critical mass for Greek wine and Greece's wine industry abroad," he said. "We are starting to make more progress in viticulture, which is very important for the final product," he added. In recent years, Greek wines have won quite a few international awards, and they are becoming increasingly popular in demanding markets such as France. The past five years have seen a steady increase in the average price of a bottle of Greek wine, which proves this point, Yannis Voyatzis, former president of the National Inter-Professional Organization of Vine and Wine (EDOAO), told the Greek daily Kathimerini recently. During the years of the Greek debt crisis, the country invested in its wineries, doubling their number from 635 to 1,295. Between the northern parts of the country and the Island of Crete in the south, the authorities list 120 Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) and over 30 Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) for Greek wines. Enterprise Greece, the country's official trade and investment promotion agency, has recently released an analysis based on Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) figures, according to which the total value of Greece's wine exports was 72.05 million euros (79.4 million U.S. dollars) in 2020 and 84.83 million euros in 2021. Based on 2020 data, Germany with 37.68 percent was the top export market for Greek wine, followed by the U.S., Canada and France. Although China imported 0.59 percent of Greece's wine output in 2020, the International Trade Center's (ITC) "Export Potential Map Greece" shows that the country is a promising target for Greek exporters. "It is potentially an important market, because I think that the Chinese are very well-versed in the history of Greece and wine is part of our history. Many of our vineyards are in areas of archaeological interest or are tourist destinations, like Santorini," Stergidis said. "China is an extremely important market or potentially important market for wines of Greece. I think that as wine becomes more popular in China, then in just a few years' time, we will see Chinese drinkers getting closer to Greek wine," Master of Wine Konstantinos Lazarakis, told Xinhua. Aris Tselepos is a second-generation vintner at Tselepos Wines, which since 2015 has established stable cooperation with its partners in China. "In the last few years Greek wine has established itself in the world market and it is doing its next steps in the market of Asia as well," he told Xinhua. "My experience has told me that it is a market with a huge growth the last few years. We export the products of all three of our wineries and we see a huge growth year after year, expecting to keep growing and keep strengthening this partnership," he said. (1 euro = 1.10 U.S. dollars) An exhibitor pours wine into a glass at "Oenorama 2022," an exhibition of Greek wines, in Athens, Greece, on March 12, 2022. Greece's wine industry has made great strides in recent years, gaining recognition worldwide. China is one of the markets which Greek winemakers now aim to conquer, experts told Xinhua recently in Athens. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) A visitor takes photos at "Oenorama 2022," an exhibition of Greek wines, in Athens, Greece, on March 12, 2022. Greece's wine industry has made great strides in recent years, gaining recognition worldwide. China is one of the markets which Greek winemakers now aim to conquer, experts told Xinhua recently in Athens. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) A visitor tastes a glass of wine at "Oenorama 2022," an exhibition of Greek wines, in Athens, Greece, on March 12, 2022. Greece's wine industry has made great strides in recent years, gaining recognition worldwide. China is one of the markets which Greek winemakers now aim to conquer, experts told Xinhua recently in Athens. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) An exhibitor pours a glass of wine for a visitor at "Oenorama 2022," an exhibition of Greek wines, in Athens, Greece, on March 12, 2022. Greece's wine industry has made great strides in recent years, gaining recognition worldwide. China is one of the markets which Greek winemakers now aim to conquer, experts told Xinhua recently in Athens. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) No. The money should go to something that would benefit all citizens of the county, not just Watertown. Yes. The community would benefit from the indoor pools the project would provide. Vote View Results Watertown, NY (13601) Today A few showers early with clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight A few showers early with clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Residents exercise in a residential area in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 16, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) Staff members pack vegetables to be delivered to households in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 17, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) A resident reads a book in a residential area in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 16, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) A resident works from home in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 17, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) A resident receives nucleic acid test in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 17, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) Staff members check information of residents for nucleic acid test in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 17, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) A resident exercises in a residential area in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 17, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) A staff member checks information of residents for nucleic acid test in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 16, 2022. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) The founders of Lucid and Levelset, the two New Orleans tech companies that sold last year for a combined $1.6 billion, have sweetened the potential purse three local startups will be competing for next week during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. Scott Wolfe, founder of Levelset, and Patrick Comer, founder and head of Lucid, have pledged $750,000 of investment capital that will be shared among three companies competing in the Idea Village's IDEAPitch competition. That donation, along with the money from other local investors will boost the top prize to $400,000. That's up from $50,000 that was handed to the winner at the last Entrepreneur Week in 2019. Each of the runners-up will receive $175,000. The three startups are Jamm Around, which bills itself as "a LinkedIn for music creators", Cluey Consumer, aimed at "socially conscious consumers", and Iconic Moments, which is riding the NFT craze to help museums and other cultural institutions raise money. All were part of The Idea Village's VILLAGEx accelerator program, which helps entrepreneurs grow their ideas into fully-fledged companies. "This pledge makes IDEApitch one of the largest pitch competitions in the country," Idea Village CEO Jon Atkinson said. The pitch competition serves as the finale of the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week that begins Monday. It is set for March 25. Turbo-charged prize money Other investors contributing to the enlarged prize pot along with Comer and Wolfe are Gayle Benson, Cathy and Walter Isaacson, Amith Nagarajan, Michael Gollner and Faith Savage, and Dr. John Ellstrot. If you built a portfolio of the 40+ companies that have participated in IDEApitch over the last 10 years, you would have invested in some incredibly successful companies, said Comer, who now serves as the board chairman of CINT Group, the Sweden-based firm that purchased Lucid. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The competition is a vehicle to highlight the three finalists as well as the other members of the Idea Village accelerator. More generally, it could help to raise the profile of the New Orleans start-up community. The prize money is pledged as an investment on the same terms as other investors in the company's next round of financing, which typically would be three times the prize money over the next year and half of the company's development, Idea Village said. The...investment prize structure puts founders in the driver's seat to raise a substantial round of capital that will launch and scale their business, said Atkinson. It is also about encouraging others to participate in the success of these companies, making it easier for a diverse mix of entrepreneurs to access capital. Landmark year for start-ups Last year was seen as a turning point in the effort to foster an investment culture support new companies in the New Orleans area. Lucid, an advertising intelligence company, was the first "unicorn" start-up of the tech era for New Orleans, a moniker that refers to companies that sell or go public for $1 billion or more. Its sale was preceded by Levelset's $500 million sale to another company in the construction software business. New Orleans needs to prove that it can repeat the process and to demonstrate that it can be a place where lots of startups and innovative companies can thrive, said Wolfe. Gayle Benson said: This investment not only helps new startups born out of The Idea Village create momentum for further growth and seeking new capital but also earmarks profits from the success of these companies towards an endowment for Idea Village securing the future of innovation in New Orleans." Entrepreneur Week runs from Monday to March 25 and is free and open to the public. Programming is spread between the Ace Hotel, Gallier Hall, Hotel Peter & Paul, and Hotel St. Vincent. Authorities are searching for five juvenile offenders who escaped from the Bridge City Center for Youth on the west bank overnight. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed being notified about the escape through a 911 called just after 4 a.m. Teens who tried to carjack Tesla in Mid-City arrested; carjacking attempt caught on video A 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy who were caught on camera trying to carjack a Tesla via the vehicle's dashcam were arrested, WWL-TV's No one from the Office of Juvenile Justice, the state agency that operates the facillity, could be reached for comment Thursday morning. At least one of the five teens is from the New Orleans area, according to a report from WRBZ-TV. The others are from Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette. No other details were available. A deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office shot at two teens who authorities say were armed while in a stolen vehicle Wednesday night. The encounter led to a chase that ended with the teens crashing into a canal in Marrero, according to the department. The boys, ages 14 and 15, were not hit by gunfire, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the department. But they were taken to the hospital and treated for injuried suffered in the crash. As of Thursday afternoon, the 14-year-old was still hospitalized, Rivarde said. The 15-year-old was released from the hospital and taken to the Juvenile Intake Center in Harvey, according to Rivarde said. His charges were not immediately available. The interaction began around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday when deputies were called to investigate a suspicious vehicle near the intersection of Lincoln and Second Zion avenues (map). The caller, according to JPSO, said the vehicle's occupants may have been involved with gunfire in the area. Vehicle stolen from New Orleans Deputies found the vehicle, a Toyota RAV4 they later determined was stolen from New Orleans. Two teens were inside and deputies saw they were armed with guns, according to a written statement from JPSO. Both boys are from New Orleans, authorities said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up While deputies "were engaging" the teens, JPSO said a deputy fired his gun. They did not release details about the conversation or what led to the gunfire. The teens then drove off, JPSO said, and deputies chased the vehicle until the teens crashed into a canal on Plaza Drive. The teens got out of the crashed vehicle, JPSO said, and ran away. Teens ran away after crash One teen was found in the 1900 block of Ames Boulevard, authorities said, and the other was found behind a business in the 6200 block of Lapalco Boulevard. They were taken to the hospital, JPSO said, and their conditions were not immediately available. The boys are expected to face several criminal charges, accordng to Rivarde. The vehicle has been removed from the canal as of 4 a.m., JPSO said. Check back for more details as they develop. A few weeks ago, New Orleans police officer Harrison Paluska heard the call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for foreign fighters to help defend Ukraine from Russian invaders, and he couldnt look the other way. I'm hoping to just do my part, whatever they need me to do, Paluska, 24, said. I got my body armor, I got my helmet, I got my uniforms, my medical kits, all that kind of stuff. Zelenskyy made another emotional plea directly to Congress this week for additional U.S. help, saying the American people are helping not just Ukraine, but Europe and the world to keep the planet alive, to keep justice in history. Paluska studied history in college and has family and friends living in some of Ukraines hardest-hit cities. So Zelenskyys call to arms was personal to him. To see a war where it is almost like it was in 1939, 1940, where it's a country's liberty and its attempt to go past the corruption and all the Soviet occupation and move past that, I think, is something that's attractive to a lot of people, he said. I think that it's a war for a lot of people that is good versus evil. I think a lot of people see Vladimir Putin for essentially a war criminal or a tyrant. The baby-faced redhead from Grand Rapids, Mich., has resigned from the Police Department and was packing up his apartment Wednesday, so he can head to Michigan to see his family on Friday and leave for the front next week. Paluska spent two years as a beat cop on night watch in the 6th Police District, responding to shootings and armed conflict in some of New Orleans most crime-riddled neighborhoods, such as Central City. He spent four years before that serving in the volunteer Michigan State Defense Force, supporting the Michigan National Guard. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up He knows none of it amounts to warfare training, but he thinks the experience will help him. I don't think anything compares to combat, especially from a modern combat standpoint, he said. There's just no way to know. But I think that component of it, as well as that stress management where it's like, you're going to a call to someone with a gun or someone with an open line is getting beat by their spouse or something like that. You get that adrenaline and you just got to be able to control that. Paluska made contact with the international Georgian Legion fighting in Ukraine. He plans to fly to Warsaw, Poland, to meet up with his contacts, who will take him to the Ukrainian border and then on to Lviv, the major city in western Ukraine. He said it's his belief in democracy and freedom thats spurring him on. Thats earned him the admiration of fellow police officers in New Orleans, who are taking to social media to offer prayers and encouragement. He said he hopes his friends dont join the fight, especially those who have families to feed. Still, he said, the expressions of love and support from his friends and former colleagues have been overwhelming. The offers I've gotten for donations of body armor, money, MREs, medical equipment, all of that kind of thing - especially since I've only been here about two years - blow me away, he said. Like, the brotherhood that this city, this department has, especially since it's gotten smaller, you definitely cling to each other, and you want to see the best for each other. For Paluska, the best would be nothing less than a free Ukraine. This war is wholly unnecessary, he said. But the issue is, now that it's here, what are you going to do about it? What are you willing to do about it? New Orleans police seek two vehicles wanted in connection with a post-Mardi Gras shooting in the Central Business District that left a man and a woman injured. They ask for the public's help locating the pictured SUV, possibly a Chevrolet Tahoe, and silver coupe. At around 2 a.m. on March 2, an unknown gunman opened fire from the SUV 's passenger side. He shot at a crowd gathered in the 800 block of South Peters Street between Julia and St. Joseph streets, police said. A 23-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman went to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. The SUV fled, and the coupe followed it, police said. Anyone with information about the shooting may call detectives at (504) 658-6080 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at (504) 822-1111. Carlie Kollath Wells contributed to this report. A Covington High School student was arrested Wednesday evening after a school employee and parents contacted law enforcement to report a threatening message about shooting up the school that was posted on Snapchat. The 17-year-old was booked into the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center on one count of terrorizing, according to a news release from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. A screenshot of the social media post, which referred to an apparent plan for a shooting at the school on Thursday morning, was shared many times on Facebook, the Sheriff's Office said. Deputies went to the student's home in the Covington area, where he admitted making the post but said it had been misinterpreted. The Sheriff's Office had extra deputies on hand at both Covington High and Fontainebleau High Thursday morning to provide additional security and reassure parents and students. We have made it very clear all threats will be investigated, and enforcement action will be taken if warranted, Sheriff Randy Smith said in a prepared statement. We will continue to work with our schools and investigate any and all threats at our schools." He urged parents to talk to their children and make clear that threatening posts, even intended as jokes, could lead to criminal charges. A New Orleans man who fled from law enforcement officers across St. Tammany Parish rammed two Sheriff's Office vehicles and presumably shot himself during the chase from Covington to Slidell, authorities said Thursday. When Brandon Irvin, 39, was finally caught, hiding in a drainage culvert, officers found he had a gunshot wound to the leg. No officers from the four law enforcement agencies engaged in the chase had fired their weapons, the Sheriff's Office said. Ballistics tests were requested. Covington police were pursing a Chevrolet Suburban when they called the Sheriff's Office for assistance Wednesday just before midnight, the Sheriff's Office said. Deputies joined the chase eastbound on Interstate 12. Driving on rims Irvin, who was speeding, ran over a spike strip near the Airport Road exit at Slidell but continued driving on the vehicle's rims, exiting onto U.S. 11 and driving north until he left the road and rammed two Sheriff's Office vehicles, damaging both, the agency said. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Wearing a ski mask, Irvin drove back onto the road before finally stopping at Louisiana 1091 and running off. Upon arrest, he was taken to a hospital for treatment of the gunshot. In Irvin's vehicle, authorities found two guns, one spent shell casing and a large quantity of marijuana packaged for sale and suspected cocaine. The Sheriff's Office has obtained warrants to book him with aggravated flight from an officer, two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property and two counts of hit-and-run driving. Covington police were expected to add more counts. Slidell police and Louisiana State Police also assisted in the chase. Wind-whipped flames are marching across more of New Mexicos tinder-dry mountainsides, forcing the evacuation of area residents and dozens of patients from the state's psychiatric hospital as firefighters scramble to keep new wildfires from growing. The big blaze burning near the community of Las Vegas has charred more than 217 square miles. Residents in neighborhoods on the edge of Las Vegas were told to be ready to leave their homes. It's the biggest wildfire in the U.S. and is moving quickly through groves of ponderosa pine because of hot, dry and windy conditions that make for extreme wildfire danger. Forecasters are warning of extreme fire danger across New Mexico and in western Texas. Trucks and other cars gather during a truck convoy protest against COVID-19 restrictions in Hagerstown, Maryland, the United States, on March 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Over the past ten days, the truckers and other drivers have circled the Capital Beltway that surrounds Washington, D.C. multiple times to protest mask and vaccine mandates. WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Police closed "a number of freeway exits" in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday afternoon, as a convoy of truckers were driving through the area in protest of COVID-19 measures. The police tweeted the move is intended to "keep traffic moving safely," writing that "these rolling road closures are occurring in real-time as they are needed, and will be lifted as soon as they are no longer." In an earlier tweet, the police asked motorists to expect traffic delays, as well as demonstration activity on highways in and around the U.S. capital. A handful of vehicles believed to be part of the so-called People's Convoy reportedly made it into downtown Washington, D.C. on Wednesday afternoon. Trucks and other cars gather during a truck convoy protest against COVID-19 restrictions in Hagerstown, Maryland, the United States, on March 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) The People's Convoy has camped outside a speedway in Hagerstown, a city in Washington County, the state of Maryland, since early March. Over the past ten days, the truckers and other drivers have circled the Capital Beltway that surrounds Washington, D.C. multiple times to protest mask and vaccine mandates. Their activities, a spinoff from protests in Canada staged by truckers upset with vaccine requirements earlier this year, have drawn both support and criticism across the United States. U.S. states and cities are lifting restrictions against COVID-19 but the protesters have also called for an end to the national emergency concerning the pandemic. Potter/Tioga Counties -- For decades, maple sugar producers across Potter and Tioga counties have been building a budding industry that now draws in visitors from all over the country. This Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., nearly two dozen producers will welcome hundreds to their farms for the 18th annual Maple Weekend, according to Ashlynn Dunn, secretary for the Potter-Tioga Maple Producers Association. When people think about maple syrup, they always think about Vermont, Dunn said. They dont think about all the other states involved. As part of Maple Weekend, 22 maple sugar producers have opened up their sugar shacks and stocked their store shelves with syrups and other maple-flavored goodies to sell to eager customers. Many of the farms are also serving pancake breakfasts or bringing in food trucks to serve specialty maple-inspired fare. Wanda Warwick and her husband, Brian, of Sticky Bucket Maple, have one of those farms. Theyve been busy preparing to welcome folks to their 287-acre farm and shop in Sabinsville, Potter County. Since they started participating in Maple Weekend 15 years ago, the event has gotten bigger every year, Wanda said. Theyve had to hire sugar shack greeters and parking attendants just to keep up with the flow of visitors, she said. The lure of maple goodies has drawn visitors to the Sticky Bucket from as far away as Texas, Maryland, and New Jersey. The couple have been keeping watch over their 12,000 taps and waiting for temperatures to hit that sweet spot. Sap only flows in that brief period of time when the temperature drops below freezing at night, and climbs above freezing during the day. Were hoping it doesnt stay too warm, Warwick said, of the coming weekend. It changes the sap. This year, Sticky Bucket Maple is bringing in a Canadian-born chef who created a specialized menu for sugar shack visitors that features blueberry pancakes with lemon curd, whipped cream, and maple syrup, a maple and bacon bratwurst, and a maple bacon cheeseburger. The shop is also stocked with their usual fare: maple syrups and candy, maple mocha bark with dark chocolate, maple-infused candles, and maple coffee. Dunn, whose family runs Sons of Dunn Family Farm in Coudersport, Potter County, says visitors can plan out their trip using this map from the Potter-Tioga Visitors Bureau. Some visit as many maple sugar producers as they can in a day, Dunn said, while others spend an entire day at their favorite farm. Its really a lot of fun, Dunn said. People who stop in every year become like family. For more information, visit Potter-Tioga Maple Producers Facebook page. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Harrisburg, Pa. Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane was arrested Saturday in her hometown of Scranton for driving under the influence of alcohol, police there said Monday. Kane, 55, was released on general impairment DUI charges following a two-car crash, Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll said. Formal charges will be filed this week, he said. There were no reported injuries from the crash, which Carroll said occurred around 6:30 p.m. He would not say whether Kane was administered a blood-alcohol test, nor elaborate on how the arresting officer determined that she had consumed alcohol. He also would not say whether she was alone in the car when the incident occurred. A woman who answered a cell phone for Kane on Monday hung up on a reporter. Kane, the first Democrat and first woman to be elected attorney general, served as Pennsylvanias top prosecutor from 2013 to 2016, when she resigned in the final year of a tumultuous first term after she was convicted of perjury, official oppression, and other crimes. It was not immediately known Monday whether the pending charges will affect the status of Kanes probation stemming from her earlier convictions. Her conviction marked a stunning end to what had been a meteoric rise to power for Kane, a political newcomer whose name was mentioned for higher office. But a year into her first term, her upward political trajectory was derailed after The Inquirer revealed that she had secretly shut down a sting investigation that caught Democratic legislators from Philadelphia pocketing cash from an undercover informant posing as a lobbyist. Furious that the information had become public, Kane sought revenge against a former state prosecutor whom she blamed for the story. A jury found that she leaked secret investigative information in an attempt to punish the prosecutor, and then lied under oath about it to a grand jury. She was disbarred after her conviction. Kane was sentenced to 10 to 23 months in prison, but ended up serving less than the minimum just over eight months qualifying for an early release based on credit for good behavior. Under the terms of her sentencing, Kanes probation is for a five-year period following her July 2019 release from prison. WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Harrisburg, Pa. -The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Denzell Swan, age 38, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 14 to 41 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for distribution of cocaine. According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, following a year-long investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives focusing on drug activity at a bar in York City, it was determined that Swan was part of a drug trafficking organization. Using an undercover federal agent, federal law enforcement purchased more than 500 grams of crack cocaine from Swan and his co-conspirators in 2019. As part of the overall investigation, the United States Attorneys Office charged others affiliated with the distribution of cocaine in York. The status of the other cases is as follows: Anthony Rankins is awaiting trial; Dorral Basknight is awaiting trial; William Barton was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment; Michael Adams pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing; and Furman Dennis pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case. This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justices violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Bloomsburg, Pa -- Columbia County parole officers are asking for the public's help in finding 43-year-old Bryan Norris, who reportedly took off from a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center recently. Norris, of Bloomsburg, was arrested in Catawissa on drug charges in 2021 and pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in Columbia County court. As a condition of his parole in October, Norris agreed to go to the Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge Center rehab, according to Don Coleman, chief probation officer for the county. "He goes in and our officers are checking on him periodically," Coleman said. "Then all of a sudden in January, they're not getting back to us at the rehab." Some facilities will notify law enforcement when a patient with legal restrictions has left, but some don't, he noted. Eventually, staff acknowledged Norris had left the facility, he said. An arrest warrant has been issued for Norris. To see a list of wanted individuals, visit Columbia County Adult Probation/Parole Facebook page. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Williamsport, Pa. -- A mother accused of the homicide of her two daughters, Nicole and Jasmine Snyder, admitted during a preliminary hearing on Wednesday that she and her girlfriend starved each of the two girls so she would die. During the hearing held at the Lycoming County Courthouse for Echo Butler and Ronald Butler, Marie Snyder relayed intimate details of the death of both of her daughters. The girls, just four and six years old at the time of their deaths, were subjected to physical abuse, verbal abuse, restraint, humiliation, and starvation, Snyder admitted. Nicole and Jasmine Snyders remains were found buried on a property at 653 Livermore Road on November 6 and 7, 2021. An investigation into the disappearance and death of the children revealed unspeakable abuse leading up to each girls' death. Lycoming County DA Ryan Gardner has called for the death penalty for Echo Butler for her role in the deaths of the two girls. Ronald Butler, Echo's father, is accused of child endangerment and lying to authorities. Marie Snyder and Michele Butler, Echo's mother, waived their preliminary hearings which were also scheduled for Wednesday. Testimony They were being starved and beaten every day, Snyder confessed on the stand. Echo would grab their throats so they couldnt breathe, and choke them until their eyes would roll back into their heads, Snyder told a silent courtroom. Nicole was made to stand in a corner, hands often bound behind her back with rope for 12 hours a day, Snyder said. Jasmine, too young to stand in one place, was sometimes confined to a car seat, her legs crossed and bound by the car seat strap, her hands tied so she wouldnt pick at her fingers, Snyder said. Both girls were given only tiny portions of food, according to Snyder's testimony. At first they were fed three times a day, then after a while it was two, then one, until both were denied food and water the two weeks leading up to each of their deaths. Dale Fisher, a neighbor and relative to Michele Butler, was the second witness called to the stand during Mondays hearing. Fisher said during one visit he took note of how little the girls were fed compared to Snyder's youngest child, a boy. During a party at the Livermore address, Fisher said he and several other people at the home ate pizza while the two girls were only allowed to eat a small amount of cold peas served directly from the can. She [Echo Butler] treated them rudely, Fisher said. Every time I saw them eat, they had peas. They were really skinny." Fisher said two other visits caused him concern, including the last time he saw Nicole. During that visit Echo Butler was giving her a bath and he heard blood curdling screaming coming from the bathroom. I asked Ron and Michele, What the hell is going on in there? but they didnt answer, Fisher said. It was the culmination of those visits that Fisher said prompted his wife to place a call to Lycoming County Children and Youth. Fisher said he believed the agency did make a visit to the house. No one from Lycoming County Children and Youth was called by the Commonwealth to testify on Monday. Nicole Snyder Nicole Snyder died "on or around May 10, 2016," according to a police affidavit filed January 7. Prior to her death, Snyder estimated Nicole weighed five pounds. "Why did you purposefully withhold food and water?" Garder asked. "So she would starve and die," Snyder told the court. The day Nicole died, Snyder said she did place a call to 911, but was stopped by both Echo and Michele Butler. She placed a second call and told the 911 operator that her child had accidentally dialed 911. Nicole was placed inside a tote bin and taken to a shed on the property. Her body remained there for days as Echo and Michele Butler allegedly devised a plan to dispose of the corpse, according to Snyders testimony. Echo Butler allegedly dug a hole by the shed and placed Nicoles body in it. Michele Butler then put moth balls on the childs body so it would not smell, Snyder said. Jasmine Snyder According to Snyder, Jasmine had been living with a neighbor, Lisa Shoemaker, when Nicole died. In November of 2016, Marie Snyder, Echo Butler, Jasmine, and Snyder's youngest son moved to an apartment on Catherine St. in Williamsport. At first, Jasmine was treated "good," according to Snyder. "I told [Echo] I couldn't lose another one, I couldn't do it again." During that time, Children and Youth did pay a visit to the Catherine St. residence to check on Jasmine and [name redacted]. "Jasmine was playing on the floor," Snyder said, prompting the case worker to leave. But by August 11, 2017, Jasmine's life allegedly ended the same way her sister's did. Jasmine "weighed less than a gallon of milk," Snyder said. Jasmine was placed in a tote that had previously been filled with toys, brought to the Livermore address, and buried beside her sister, according to Snyder. Ronald Butler On Wednesday, Ronald Butler's defense attorney Matthew Diemer asked Judge Solomon to dismiss the child endangerment charges, claiming that none of the presented testimony implicated Ronald in the crimes. "Living in a home is not enough to show legal duty of care," Diemer argued. Testimony from both Snyder and Fisher indicated that Ronald did not participate in the girls' lives, by cooking, bathing, reading to, or educating the children, Snyder testified. Snyder also said she did not see Ronald abuse the children. Additionally, Michele and Echo Butler and Marie Snyder lied to Ronald Butler about the whereabouts of the girls, saying they had gone to stay with friends, said Snyder. Charges Echo Butler faces 19 total charges ranging from criminal homicide and conspiracy - criminal homicide to endangering the welfare of children, unlawful restraint/serious bodily injury, simple assault, conceal death of a child, recklessly endangering another person, abuse of corpse, and tamper with/fabricate physical evidence. Ronald Butler, Echo's father is charged with two third-degree felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and a misdemeanor charge of obstruction. Solomon ruled to hold the case over on all counts. All four will appear in Lycoming County Court for formal arraignment on April 11. Echo Butler docket sheet Marie Snyder docket sheet Michele Butler docket sheet Ronald Butler docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Send us your news, photos, and videos and let us know what's going on! Submit Here AMMAN, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Wednesday announced its request for proposals to build a 450-km pipeline under the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance National Project. Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammed Najjar said in a statement that the documents had been sent to five pre-qualified consortiums for their offers. The strategic project, at an estimated cost of 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, will be fully implemented on the Jordanian soil and provide some 300 million cubic meters of desalinated water a year, said the minister. Najjar noted the project would adopt clean energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Launched in February 2020 as the largest water project in Jordan, the Aqaba-Amman project consists of a seawater conveyance system, a desalination facility and a freshwater conveyance system. Jordan is in dire need of water resources, as its water share per capita has declined to fewer than 100 cubic meters per year over the past decades, well below the global water poverty line of 500 cubic meters. As DxOMark describes, the Magic4 Ultimate has a 50 MP primary camera that has a 1/1.12-inch optical format, 1.4 m pixels and a 23 mm equivalent focal length. Moreover, Honor equips the Magic4 Ultimate with 64 MP telephoto and ultra-wide-angle sensors and a 50 MP spectrum camera. Additionally, Honor includes a 12 MP front-facing camera and a rear-facing ToF sensor. Incidentally, Honor includes a second front-facing camera that provides 3D face recognition. Apparently, the Magic4 Ultimate relies on a custom image signal processor (ISP) that delivers 28.8 TOPS of performance at just over 2 W of power. In part, this explains why Honor's latest flagship scored 146 points in DxOMark's camera tests, taking it above the Huawei P50 Pro, Mi 11 Ultra and the Mate 40 Pro+. It is unclear whether Honor will launch the Magic4 Ultimate globally, but it will retail for CNY 7,999 (~US$1,259) in China. Photo taken on March 15, 2022 shows the container vessel Ever Forward in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) The "grounding has not prevented other ships from transiting into or out of the Port of Baltimore," the port authorities said. WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Efforts are underway to refloat a giant container vessel stuck in the Chesapeake Bay, the largest inlet in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern United States. William Doyle, executive director of the Port of Baltimore, tweeted on Wednesday that technical experts boarded the Ever Forward Monday and Tuesday to evaluate its condition. "A salvage team, Naval architects, and divers are working to determine the best course of action to free the ship," Doyle wrote, adding that the U.S Coast Guard is lead federal agency in this matter. The 334-meter cargo ship became stranded on Sunday evening after departing the Port of Baltimore for Norfolk, Virginia. There have been no injuries or pollution-related spills. The ship's location is just off Gibson Island near the Craighill channel in the Chesapeake Bay. According to vessel tracking website VesselFinder, it remains "aground." The "grounding has not prevented other ships from transiting into or out of the Port of Baltimore," Doyle continued. "Business and commerce-related activities at the Port of Baltimore continue as normal." The U.S Coast Guard has put in place a safety zone around the Ever Forward. Nearby vessels are required to slow down and conduct one-way traffic. The Ever Forward is believed to be operated by Evergreen Marine Corp., whose Ever Given got stuck in Egypt's Suez Canal in March 2021, blocking the waterway for days and causing delays in global shipping. Passengers depart from a SkyWest airliner in April 2019. The aircraft had just finished a flight from Dulles International and then flew nonstop to Chicago. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch is traveling to Israel on Friday to promote the Hoosier State and its many connections with the Jewish state. The Republican will be part of a delegation of six GOP lieutenant governors set to meet with, among others, Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll and Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov. The trip also will include stops at Israeli defense facilities and agricultural areas. Crouch's duties as lieutenant governor include serving as Indiana's secretary of agriculture. "This trade mission presents a terrific opportunity to further develop relationships with industry leaders in tech, agriculture and manufacturing in the Middle East," Crouch said. "Indiana and our nation have strong ties to Israel, and I am excited to meet with Israeli leaders and further grow our relationship." Crouch was invited to visit Israel by the conservative State Government Leadership Foundation, which also is covering the costs of her travel. The foundation said that sending the lieutenant governors to Israel is a reminder "the partnership between the U.S. and Israel is one of the strongest in the world." The other lieutenant governors in the delegation are: Jeanette Nunez of Florida, Adam Gregg of Iowa, Mike Foley of Nebraska, Pamela Evette of South Carolina and Deidre Henderson of Utah. Crouch's trip to Israel comes some 10 months after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb made a surprise visit to Israel just days after Israel and Hamas militants ended 11 days of fighting that killed more than 200 people, primarily Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Holcomb was the first U.S. governor to visit Israel in 2021. It also was his first overseas trip since start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Crouch is due to return to the Hoosier State on March 23. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The boutique Aster & Gray is doubling its space at a new, more visible location in downtown Valparaiso. Over the last few weeks, the fair trade and artisan boutique has been moving its storefront from 20 Indiana Ave. to 118 Lincolnway. A grand opening celebration with giveaways will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. The local musician Andre Detti, who plays cover songs, will perform live music from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. "We'll also have complimentary lemonade and desserts for everyone to snack on while they shop our curated collection of beautiful new merchandise," said Abby Spihlman, Aster & Gray's social media and event coordinator. Aster & Gray opened in downtown Valparaiso four and a half years ago, carrying products from artisans and small businesses. The business, which will mark its fifth anniversary in early August, quickly outgrew its space. "It's been amazing for us," Spihlman said. "We were maxed out in the old space." Aster & Gray has cultivated a loyal clientele, drawing customers from as far away as Michigan and Chicago. "The new location is twice as big," Spihlman said. "It's allowed us to start carrying shoes, expand our home and clothing sections and carry more products." The Porter County Museum is taking over Aster & Gray's former space on the Courthouse Square. The woman-owned boutique will now be located by the Blackbird Cafe on Lincolnway. "We're going to have more visibility on Lincolnway, the main street of downtown," she said. "Before, we were tucked away." The business is hiring a new sales associate and adding inventory. "We'll have more clothing, more home decor and kitchenware," she said. "We'll have more dresses, more denim, a mix of clothing. We'll have multi-generational stuff for people who may dress more conservatively. We'll have something for everyone." With more square footage, Aster & Gray will start selling shoes for the first time. "We'll have sandals, heels, clogs, a little bit of everything," she said. It's also looking to grow its online business in the new space. "We'll have more storage and backstock that will allow us to process online orders and stuff online," she said. "We had limited space at the old space and this will let us elevate our online shop." The online shop will be down until April as Aster & Gray settles into the new space. It ships and offers in-store pickup. In the new space, Aster & Gray will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit asterandgray.com or find the business on Facebook or Instagram. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEIRUT, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The new chief of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday called for solutions to disputes between Lebanon and Israel along the Blue Line through enhancing communication and coordination and the tripartite mechanism, according to a statement by Lebanon's Presidency. "This would reduce tension, build confidence and secure a space for negotiations to reach a cease-fire and a lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon," Aroldo Lazaro Saenz said during his first meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. Noting the UNIFIL's commitment to secure stability and promote peace in Lebanon and the region, Lazaro hailed the Lebanese Armed Forces as UNIFIL's "primary partner" in performing its tasks. For his part, Aoun also highlighted the importance of continued cooperation and coordination between the Lebanese army and UNIFIL in maintaining calm and stability in south Lebanon that sees continued Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty by land, sea and air. The Blue Line is a demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel as well as Lebanon and the Golan Heights published by the United Nations in 2000 for the purposes of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon. The line, stretching for 120 km along Lebanon's southern frontier, is a key to peace in the region. Franciscan Physician Network added a gastroenterologist and relocated an OB/GYN to a new office. Board-certified gastroenterologist Yun Ju Kim joined the Franciscan Physician Network Crown Point Internal Medicine and Specialty Center, where she is welcoming new patients. Kim studied at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea. She did her residency at Zucker School of Medicine/North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. She completed her fellowship in hepatology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. and her fellowship in gastroenterology at Zucker School of Medicine/North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. "Dr. Kims clinical interests include gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, colorectal cancer screening and prevention, inflammatory bowel disease, viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease and autoimmune liver disease," Franciscan Health said in a press release. "Dr. Kim is an independent provider who chooses to practice at Franciscan Health Crown Point." She is now accepting new patients at 1205 S. Main St., Suite 201 in Crown Point. To make an appointment, call 219-663-6520. An OB/GYN also relocated to the Franciscan Physician Network office in Dyer. Board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist Roman Puliaev is now accepting new patients to his relocated office at Franciscan Physician Network Womens Specialty Dyer on the Franciscan Health Dyer campus in the Medical Pavilion South, 2150 Gettler St., Suite 260. "Dr. Puliaev received his training at Crimea State Medical University in Simferopol, Crimea. His residency was at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago," Franciscan Health said in a press release. "Dr. Puliaevs clinical interests include normal and high-risk pregnancy, menopause management pelvic pain and bleeding abnormalities." Puliaev also is seeing patients virtually. To make an appointment, call 219-864-2626. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. U.S. Steel, Old National Bank and BMO Harris Bank, all of which have large footprints in the Region, were named among the Worlds Most Ethical Companies. Ethisphere, which aims to define and promote ethical business practices, recognized 136 companies across the globe from 22 countries and 45 industry sectors. It made the determinations based on culture, ethics, compliance, governance, leadership, reputation and environmental and social practices. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based company said its honorees outperform a comparable index of large cap companies by 24.6 percentage points. Honorees included BMO Harris, which has branches in Munster, Valparaiso, Gary, Griffith, Dyer, St. John, Schererville, Merrillville, Crown Point, Portage and Hammond. Today, business leaders face their greatest mandate yet to be ethical, accountable, and trusted to drive positive change, said Ethisphere CEO Timothy Erblich. We continue to be inspired by the Worlds Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to integrity, sustainability, governance, and community." U.S. Steel was the only integrated steel producer to be honored and one of just three metals companies. We are being honored for practices that speak to the strength of U. S. Steel today, and what will make us an even stronger company in the future, said Duane Holloway, a U. S. Steel senior vice president and its general counsel. Evansville-based Old National, which is entering the Northwest Indiana market after buying First Midwest Bank, was honored for the 11th time. We are extremely proud to be honored as one of the Worlds Most Ethical Companies for the 11th consecutive year, said CEO Jim Ryan. Maintaining high ethical standards are at the core of Old Nationals culture, and this recognition reflects our team members longstanding commitment to integrity, transparency and to simply doing the right thing for our clients and communities every day. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LAPORTE A leading maker of mattresses cut the ribbon Wednesday at its new plant in LaPorte County, where it plans to hire 300 more workers by late 2023. Corsicana Mattress Co. opened its ninth location in the U.S. about three months ago inside a once vacant 165,000 square foot manufacturing structure at Indiana 2 and 500 West. James Booth, chief operating officer for the Dallas, Texas based firm, said the assembly plant, with close to 40 employees, is operating at about 10% capacity. The plan is to be at full capacity once another roughly 300 workers have been hired and trained over the next 18 months. You can only bring so many people in at a time and train them. Theres a tremendous amount of training, Booth said. He expects about 15% of the beds-in-a-box produced by the company will come out of the new plant once full capacity is reached. Customers seem drawn by the price and convenience of the combination inner spring and memory foam mattress which folds out when taken out of the box. The bed in a box is available at brick-and-mortar stores and online. Booth said the company, founded in 1971, also makes its own traditional mattresses and mattresses under a contract to the specifics of other brands. The firm, listed by Furniture Today as among the ten largest makers of mattresses in the nation, employs about 950 people at eight other locations in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Arizona, Washington, Connecticut and Illinois. Booth said the company was looking to open another Midwest location to reduce shipping costs for customers when he discovered the structure empty for about 20-years between LaPorte and Westville. He was immediately sold on the height, column spacing and layout of the building. Its what we needed, he said. Booth said more than $3 million was spent on restoring the once dilapidated but structurally sound facility. Over $4 million was invested on things like equipment and inventory. Booth said the location is also ideal for reaching more customers between Chicago and Detroit because of shipping costs being lower from having a plant closer to those markets. Another reason cited for the expansion was meeting higher demand from an increase in online sales early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Other incentives came in the form of a 10-year tax abatement from LaPorte County and $2.3 million tax credits based on job creation from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. LaPorte County Commissioner Sheila Matias said newly created jobs are the most rewarding part about the effort involved in bringing the property back to life. Matias also said what's special is a once crumbling structure with trees growing on the inside put back to good use. It was a long journey. I cant be happier. I cant be prouder, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts perform a unique Americana-style of music rooted in vintage soul, pop music and a bit of western swing. Although as talented as his famous father Rick (of Cheap Trick), Miles Nielsen created his own unique sound with this group a dozen years ago, which continues to evolve on its newest album, "OhBaHoy." Catch them at 7 p.m. Central/8 p.m. Eastern on Friday at The Acorn (107 Generations Drive) in Three Oaks, Michigan. Tickets: $30 and up. Performing Saturday at The Acorn, while on their "40th Anniversary Tour" are 10,000 Maniacs, fronted by vocalist Mary Ramsey. Tickets: $65 and up. More on both shows: acornlive.org. To date, country music star Clint Black has released 22 number one singles, and one has the opportunity to hear many of them this Friday when Black performs an 8 p.m. show on the Hard Rock Live! stage at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana (5400 West 29th Ave.) in Gary. Tickets: $49.50 and up. More: hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com. This just in! RuPauls Drag Race We're the World Tour stops at the Hard Rock Live! stage on Aug. 12 for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets ($60 and up) go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Central at ticketmaster.com. Celebrate St. Pat's a little longer as Chicago's long running Celtic punk rockers, The Tossers swagger their way onto the Hard Rock Cafe stage this Saturday to dish out their unique brand of attitude-heavy Irish rock and folk music. Akin to such as The Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, an evening with The Tossers brings a new edge to a St. Pat's celebration. Showtime: 8 p.m. More: hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com. The Marco Villarreal Trio featuring Lannie Turner and Frank Russel perform jazz, blues and more this Friday at Elements Wine Bar (23 Washington St.) in Valparaiso. Lauren Dukes & Steve Ball perform acoustic music on Saturday. Music at 7 p.m. nightly. More: facebook.com/elementswinebar. The Howlin' Hoosiers rock on Friday at Leroy's Hot Stuff (333 W. U.S. 20) in Porter, followed Saturday by jam band, Chester Brown. Sunday's weekly "Blues Jam" happens from 7 to 11 p.m., following a special 3-7 p.m. "Celebration of Life for Jenny Barany," the late wife of beloved NWI folk musician Ronn Barnany. Musician friends are invited to play. More: leroyshotstuff.com or 219- 926-6211. A 7 p.m. budget-friendly, all ages, triple bill headlined by Misfit Toyz, rounded out by Creatures of Habit and EBoyz, happens Saturday at Hobart Art Theater. Tickets: $5. More: brickartlive.com. Humane Society of Northwest Indiana's annual Pet Rock revealed some of the items to be auctioned on March 26 at County Line Orchard in Hobart, includes hand-signed memorabilia by Paul Rodgers (Bad Company), The Jacksons, STYX, Foreigner, Jon Bon Jovi, Blues Traveler, Dave Davies (The Kinks), John 5, Mark Farner (ex-Grand Funk), Tantric, Doyle (The Misfits), Buckcherry, Uncle Kracker, Robby Krieger and John Densmore (of The Doors), Dennis DeYoung (ex-STYX), Peter Noone (Hermans Hermits), wrestler Mick Foley, plus the late Joe Diffie and Charlie Daniels, among others. More: humanesocietynorthwestindiana.org. 89.1FM-Lakeshore Public Radio's "Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges" has a double-header of guitar gods featured Friday between 1-3 p.m. Central, featuring back to back interviews with Steve Vai (1-2 p.m.) and Andy Timmonds (2-3 p.m.), discussing their respective new albums, "The Story of Light" and "Plays Sgt. Pepper," both on Favored Nations Records. Stream at lakeshorepublicradio.org. Opinions are solely those of the writer. Reach him at beatboss@com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DYER A Dyer resident returned home to find their home broken into and valuables taken, police said. Police responded Monday afternoon to a home in the 100 block of Chateau Drive. The homeowner said they left for work around 8 a.m. and they found their home ransacked after they returned around 4 p.m., the Dyer Police Department said. The home had been broken into and valuable items including valuable coins, currency, and jewelry had been taken. The time of incident is unknown as there was no alarm system or home surveillance footage to reference. The suspect and vehicle is not known. Police asked anyone with information to contact Dyer Detective Bryan Sanders by email at bsanders@townofdyer.com. Police previously cautioned Dyer residents to be on the lookout after several valuables were taken in a burglary scheme last week. At 6:45 p.m. March 10, Dyer officers were called to a residential burglary report in the Mallard Cove subdivision. The suspects were posing as town employees visiting houses to check the water pressure, according to the Dyer Police Department. After the homeowner let the suspects inside the residence, they stole jewelry from the home and fled in a dark colored pickup truck. "Do not allow anyone in your home unless you know them personally or it is a scheduled appointment," police said. "The Dyer Police Department is reminding residents that town employees will always have official town identification cards, and they will be in vehicles with the 'Town of Dyer' logo on them. Utility workers will also have ID on them if they are at a residence to do work." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT A Chicago man charged with murder in the 2019 shooting death of a teenage girl found dead in Gary told police in 2020 his cellphone data would place him near the homicide scene because he was soliciting a prostitute. Deonlashawn C. Simmons, 36, admitted in an interview played Wednesday for Lake Criminal Court jurors that he spent time with Takaylah Tribitt, 14, on Sept. 13, 2019, at his mother's house on Chicago's South Side. Tribitt was found dead from a gunshot wound to her head Sept. 16, 2019, in an alley near East 20th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street in Gary. She had an electrical-type cord around her neck, and her hands were bound behind her back with a second cord. Simmons, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, told Detective Sgts. William Poe and Edward Gonzalez during an interview at a Chicago Police Department facility he and Tribitt argued because he didn't allow enough time for her to get her hair done, she left his mother's home and he never saw her again. When the detectives asked if he thought it was strange that Tribitt's body was found about a block away from where several of his relatives lived in Gary, Simmons said, "Exactly." "My daddy's side of the family they trying to get me locked up," he said. Simmons denied he took Tribitt to Indiana. "Is there any reason for your cellphone to be hitting out in Gary that day?" one of the detectives asked. When Simmons said "no," the detectives asked, "What if I told you it was? How would you explain that?" Simmons said, "Impossible," as he leaned back against a wall, looked up at the ceiling and covered his face with his hands. When the detectives pressed him to explain, he said, "I could tell you I bought some (expletive)," referring to a female prostitute. Detectives then asked if Simmons could explain why his DNA was on certain items found at the crime scene. "She was around me," Simmons said. "I don't know what part of the body my DNA was on." Later, after the investigators executed a search warrant for Simmons' DNA, Simmons said, "If it wasn't by her (privates) I don't give a (expletive)." Analysis at an Indiana State Police lab found Simmons to be a likely contributor to DNA on one of the cords found with Tribitt's body, according to court documents. During cross-examination by defense attorney Michael A. Campbell, Poe testified police received a number of possible leads after a photo of a Supergirl T-shirt Tribitt was wearing when she was found dead was released to the media. Tribitt remained unidentified for more than a month, and some of her family members were not able to positively identify her after viewing autopsy photos. The condition of her body might have made it difficult to identify her, Poe said. One of the leads police received came from the Chicago Police Department, which produced a report after a security guard at the Dearborn Homes public housing complex on the South Side reported having a conversation with Tribitt between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Sept. 14, 2019. Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Shaw repeatedly objected to the form of Campbell's questions as the defense attorney asked Poe why he didn't make more of an effort to interview the security guard. Campbell later said the guard had provided a statement that could "exonerate" Simmons. Poe said he attempted to speak with the security guard, who lived in East Chicago, but she didn't return his calls and he was never able to meet with her. "I can't force this lady to talk to me," Poe said. Poe said Tribitt's Facebook data showed she was typically very active on the social media site, but that activity slowed significantly Sept. 13, 2019. Tribitt's Facebook data showed her last known location was in the area of Simmons' mother's home about 1:30 a.m. Sept. 14, 2019, he said. Simmons cellphone data showed he was last known to be in Indiana specifically near Interstate 80/94 and Cline Avenue at 3:47 a.m. Sept. 14, 2019, Poe said. A forensic pathologist for the Lake County coroner's office testified Tuesday that Tribitt, whose body was found about 9 a.m. Sept. 16, 2019, likely died three to four days before her autopsy was performed. In response to Campbell's questions, Poe said he did not have conclusive evidence that Simmons had a gun in the alley where Tribitt was found. However, the detective testified the discovery of one spent shell casing next to her body would lead him to believe she was killed at the crime scene. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO A 21-year-old Gary man faces a criminal charge after allegedly tattooing a 16-year-old girl without her parents' consent, according to a charging document. Jeremiah Smith was arrested late Monday morning on an A misdemeanor count of tattooing a minor, records show. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to one year in jail. A police officer said he spoke with the alleged victim in the case Jan. 25 at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center. She reportedly told the officer she had heard Smith provided tattoos to minors without parental consent and arranged to get matching tattoos with her then-boyfriend. The girl and her then-boyfriend went to Smith's Burns Harbor apartment in August and Smith later admitted to police he tattooed the girl, a charging document says. He said he did not know her age. Police said he also tattooed the girl a second time later in the year at his Gary residence. An initial hearing in the case is scheduled for April 20 before Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Thode. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO A 27-year-old South Haven man, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in Schererville while free on bond in a Porter County child molesting case, has pleaded guilty in the Porter County case, records show. Jordan Henderson-Sullivan pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony count of child molesting in return for prosecutors dismissing a second felony count of vicarious sexual gratification with a child under the age of 14, according to the proposed plea agreement. The proposal says the sentence will be argued, but any time given will be served on GPS-monitored home detention and probation and not behind bars. Henderson-Sullivan will be required to register as a sex offender and follow all registration requirements if the proposed deal is accepted by Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer. A sentencing date is scheduled for April 14. Police said they were contacted in late July 2020 by a Michigan state trooper, who reported a possible sexual offense involving Henderson-Sullivan. The alleged Porter County abuse was discovered while the girl was visiting family members in Michigan, Porter County police said. The girl had physical symptoms and described how Henderson-Sullivan had been sexually abusing her, according to police. The Lake County case alleges that Henderson-Sullivan used apps to arrange to meet a 17-year-old May 14 in Schererville to sell her $35 in marijuana. The girl told Schererville police a man she met online picked her up, drove to a shopping area off U.S. 41, parked behind a business and sexually assaulted her, Lake Criminal Court records state. The man identified himself to the girl as James Wright Brighton, but police later identified Henderson-Sullivan by reviewing surveillance video from the area and using a license plate reader system. The girl also identified him in a photo lineup, records state. Henderson-Sullivan admitted he met a girl, but denied he sexually assaulted her, according to court documents. He is charged with two felony counts of rape and one count of felony sexual battery. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Zhang Ming in Beijing, capital of China, March 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Zhang Ming in Beijing on Thursday. Wang congratulated Zhang Ming on his assumption of office and spoke highly of the SCO's achievements since its establishment. In the face of the impact of the Ukraine crisis, the SCO should play a more active role in maintaining regional and even global security and stability, Wang said, calling for the "Shanghai Spirit" to be vigorously carried forward, along with a deepening of the solidarity and cooperation of member states, and the active practice of the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. Wang also called for resolute opposition to a return to the Cold War mentality, creating camp confrontation and illegal unilateral sanctions, adding that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be respected to safeguard international fairness and justice. As the host country, China will as always support the work of the secretary-general and the SCO secretariat, Wang said. Pledging to make due contributions to the development of the SCO, Zhang said the organization is paying close attention to the situation in Ukraine and hopes for restoring peace and shared security as soon as possible and achieving lasting peace and stability in the world. CALUMET TOWNSHIP Multiple students are facing criminal charges following a large brawl late Thursday morning at Calumet New Tech High School at 3900 Calhoun St., Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said. Around 11 a.m. a school resource officer from the Lake County Sheriff's Department called for police assistance for three males fighting in the school cafeteria. Lake County Sheriff's officers and surrounding agencies responded and arrested three men and a male juvenile who were allegedly involved. Two of the men will each face charges of disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement. The third man and the juvenile will face a charge of disorderly conduct, police said. The identities of those involved have not yet been released. "Lake Ridge Schools administration is working with the school resource officer to investigate the incident," Martinez said. "Students were able to resume their regular schedule for the remainder of the day without further incident." It was the second lunchtime incident this week leading to police involvement, according to social media posts by the school. The first came Tuesday when police were called in to investigate fireworks being set off in the cafeteria. School officials confirmed in a social media post Thursday afternoon that the fights broke out among students during the lunch period and police were called. Staff and police officers responded immediately and the school's resource officer continues working with administrators to "address those involved," the school said. Officers from several area departments, who had rushed to the school in the wake of the report of the fight, had cleared the scene by around noon, Martinez said. County police remained on scene with school administrators and were sorting through students involved in the brawl and subsequent activities, according to the sheriff. No one from the administrative offices of the Lake Ridge Schools returned a call Thursday from The Times seeking comment. In the wake of Tuesday's fireworks incident, the school said on social media, "While we are thankful that no one was injured, the incident caused a significant disruption in our building. Anyone found to be responsible for setting off the fireworks will face disciplinary action, per district policy." Staff Writer Anna Ortiz contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. State Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland, and state Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, are hosting three town hall meetings Saturday to discuss the results of the 2022 Indiana legislative session. The public events are set for 10 to 11 a.m. at the Lincoln Community Center, 2450 Lincoln St., Highland; 1 to 2 p.m. at the Dyer-Schererville Branch of the Lake County Public Library, 1001 W Lincoln Hwy, Schererville; and 3 to 4 p.m. at the Griffith-Calumet Township Branch of the Lake County Public Library 1215 E. 45th Ave., Griffith. The lawmakers hope the first session primarily will be attended by Munster and Highland residents, the second session by Schererville and Dyer residents, and the third session by Griffith residents. They're expected to speak about the new laws approved by the General Assembly during the 10-week annual session that wrapped up last week. The legislators also will take constituent questions about other pending issues in the 1st Senate District and the 12th House District for possible action next year at the Statehouse. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GARY Throughout the winter, the Gary City Council approved multiple ordinances allocating American Rescue Act money now city officials are beginning to lay out a plan for the remaining funds. In September 2021, Gary Mayor Jerome Prince proposed a spending plan for the first half of the $80.3 million ARPA funding the city was allocated. Over the past few months, the council and the Prince Administration have discussed multiple ARPA appropriations. Tuesday afternoon, Councilwoman Tai Adkins, D-4, gave a presentation on the current status of the funds and laid out what exactly the money can be used for. "I wanted to just do an update in terms of our status as it related to ARPA," Adkins said. I also wanted to give the public an opportunity to understand the process. Thus far, the council has approved an ordinance allocating $3 million for premium pay for city employees, $11.2 million for City of Gary public safety payroll, $10.1 million for original revenue loss and $400,000 to continue the Guaranteed Income Validation Effort, or G.I.V.E., program. The council has also approved ordinances planning to spend $5 million for a joint venture broadband project and $1.5 million for a leadership and job training program. The council has yet to approve ordinances officially appropriating funds for the projects. Two ordinances one allocating $60,000 for the hiring of an ARPA manager for a one-year contract and another allocating $250,000 for broadband updates to the Gary City Hall have both been tabled for the time being. If all of the proposed ordinances are passed, Gary would still have $8.5 million remaining out of the $40 million they were allocated in May. Last summer, Adkins opened an ARPA survey where residents could give spending suggestions. Feedback was also sent through the email arpainput@gary.gov. Using survey and email responses, Adkins laid out several potential allocations such as funding a small business grant program, improvements to the City of Gary Health Department, supporting the Gary YWCA and creating a Mobile Mental Health Program. We do have a mental health issue within the city, Adkins said. With the onset of the pandemic, it has escalated. The $10.1 million of ARPA funds that will help the city recoup COVID-19-related revenue loss, will go back into the general fund. Adkins presented some possible uses for the additional money. Ideas included funding the citywide Jewel Park Program which was started in 2020 to modernize and upgrade Gary parks, building demolition throughout the city, increasing street lights, particularly in blighted parts of the city, and reinvigorating the 50/50 sidewalk program which supports sidewalk repairs. Funding a program that would assist home owners with down payments on new constructions or a residential new construction tax abatement program could bring more rooftops to the city, Adkins said. To assist with citywide development, Adkins also suggested the council work with the Redevelopment Commission to create an industrial park land acquisition fund. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MERRILLVILLE Bonuses will be issued to full-time town employees throughout this year. Although no raises are being provided in 2022, the Town Council recently authorized the bonuses. Clerk-Treasurer Kelly White Gibson said police officers will receive $4,000 bonuses. Full-time employees from all other departments and civilian employees at the police department will receive $2,400 bonuses, she said. Council President Rick Bella said the bonuses wont affect the towns general fund because Merrillville will use American Rescue Plan funding for the bonuses, which will be dispersed quarterly. An ordinance associated with the bonuses indicates the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect tax revenues, which is why the council chose to issue bonuses instead of raises. The Town Council recognizes the hard work of the town employees for the benefit of the towns residents, much of which continues to occur in still difficult and unusual circumstances, the ordinance states. In another employee-related matter, George Fields Jr., 26, became the towns newest police officer after he was sworn in during Tuesdays council session. The Lowell High School graduate served four years with the New Chicago Police Department and two years with Lake Station, Merrillville Police Chief Wiley Luther Cuttino said. Cuttino said Fields has participated in K-9 training, and hes also interested in joining the departments adopt-a-school program. In that initiative, officers volunteer their time to participate in a variety of activities with students. That includes greeting students as they arrive at school, reading in classes, having lunch with students and possibly attending field trips. Cuttino said Merrillvilles newest officer is following the lead of his father, George Fields, who has served 25 years with the Merrillville Police Department. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Dr. Kowal-Connelly suggested mitigating major stressors before the trip begins. Plan flight or travel more in tune with your kids biological clocks, she said. A red-eye might be cheaper, but is it worth the chaos of a tired toddler? Additionally, make it a point to give children undivided attention while traveling. Plan games that you can do together as a family while on your flight or in the car. [Read more about better family vacations in our guide, How to Travel With Children.] Just as you think ahead to pack snacks to help keep your kids moods stable, you can also anticipate ways to keep your own equilibrium balanced. If you are determined to have the perfect family vacation, you may feel a disproportionate level of distress when things go wrong. One way to bring expectations down to a reasonable level is to consider how we think and talk about the trip ahead of time, said Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell Medical College. If parents position a vacation as the best trip ever, then they are setting expectations really high and it wont take much to be disappointed. Small hiccups like bad weather, an afternoon temper tantrum or an unplanned museum closure can be a letdown, but if expectations are reasonable, bouncing back by finding something else to do or regrouping for some much-needed nap time can make all the difference. Realistic expectations also mean evaluating how much activity children can manage. Too many activities can make children anxious and edgy, leading to meltdowns. Plan age-appropriate activities, and only choose one or two per day, Dr. Saltz said. Children and parents have shorter fuses when overtired, which can lead to arguing or temper tantrums. Its important to think about each family members interests and tolerance for the activities planned. Sleeping in a hammock under a palm tree may sound idyllic to one family member and agonizingly boring to another. Being naive, he said, I felt that I could address all those negative issues. The Times in 2019 quoted him as saying: When I documented, I was not doing it from the outside in, but from the inside out. I knew if I dont take these images, were going to leave it to someone who doesnt know the first goddamn thing about us, and theyre going to define everything there is to know about us. Mr. Maristany evolved into, as Sothebys put it last year, one of the most prolific and consequential Latinx photographers of the latter half of the 20th century. Reviewing Down These Mean Streets, an exhibition at El Museo del Barrio in Manhattan inspired by the 1967 book of the same title by the Spanish Harlem author Piri Thomas, Holland Cotter wrote in The Times in 2018: Mr. Maristany works in a genre that blends documentary and portraiture. He sees whats wrong in the immediate world he lives in the poverty, the crowding but also sees the creativity encouraged by having to make do, and the warmth generated by bodies living in close, affectionate proximity. From 1974 to 1977, Mr. Maristany was director of El Museo del Barrio, a leading Latin American cultural institution founded in 1969 by a fellow artist, Raphael Montanez Ortiz. Early in his career Mr. Maristany championed dignity over fame, as he put it, meaning that he intended to retain control over his works. But his photographs were later showcased by the museum in the exhibitions PRESENTE! The Young Lords in New York in 2015; Culture and the People in 2019; and Taller Boricua: A Political Print Shop in New York in 2021, a display of prints supporting Puerto Rican independence and workers rights and denouncing imperialism, all produced by the hundreds, mostly in the 1970s, by activists from the Puerto Rican Workshop. The workshop flourished largely at the same time as the Young Lords, whose savvy command of the media and theatrical public protests in one case a garbage offensive leading to a spectacular bonfire of uncollected trash; in another, the transformation of a local church into a community center produced results. The first time the gunman struck in Washington, he hovered over his victim and shot him three times as a train passed. The second time, prosecutors said, he shot the victim in the head, face, chest, thigh and buttocks, then sat on a curb playing loud music. And the third time, he stabbed the victim several times, shot the man twice and set him on fire. It was all part of a bizarre, unprovoked shooting spree targeting homeless men across two cities, Washington, D.C., and New York, that resulted in the deaths of two men and the wounding of three others. Shell casings stamped with the letter C tied the shootings together, a tip gave police a name and cellphone tracing led investigators to a suspect: Gerald Brevard III. He was formally charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday in Superior Court in Washington, where prosecutors said they were still gathering evidence to support additional charges. Court documents released Wednesday outline a murderous rampage against helpless, immobile targets. Under a photo of the suspect posted on Monday on his Instagram account, and uncovered by the police, is the legend, Feeling Devilish, Feeling Godly. Alexander McQueen returned to New York, for one night only, with several large piles of pungent dirt and wood chips. The debris, dumped into a Brooklyn warehouse and then sculpted into tall hills, became the backdrop for the labels fall 2022 show, which was titled Mycelium, after the threaded fungal networks from which mushrooms grow. Obviously there were mushrooms in the collection, just as one was printed in chartreuse on a poster sent to guests with their invitations. Mushrooms appeared in vibrant colors on tattered oversize knits, growing freaky tendrils via single strands of flowing mohair. They were also on asymmetric sleeveless dresses, piling on top of one another in a psychedelic melange of crystals, beads and sequins. Thats partly why, when Gay needs baking inspiration, she turns to blogs and Instagram accounts sometimes run by casual home cooks who also like to experiment. She particularly likes the website Sallys Baking Addiction (She always explains why shes made some of the choices she has in the recipe, Gay said). Theres also the Instagram account @thefantasybakery, run by a Los Angeles-based baker who has an affinity for cake pops. Then, Gay said, theres Ina Garten, of course. Though Gay doesnt concern herself with overly fussy techniques, she follows Gartens lead in encouraging cooks to use the good ingredients. For this recipe, Gay said, Use a really good mascarpone. And use high-fat European butter for the frosting. Roxane Gays Take on Tessa Huffs Milk and Cookies Cake (The recipe below, apart from Gays adjustments, which are italicized, is a lightly edited reproduction of the original, which can be found in Huffs book Icing on the Cake [Abrams, 2019].) For the cookie dough-inspired filling: cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter 2 cups confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract teaspoon fancy molasses Pinch of salt 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk, if needed cup mini chocolate chips For the white cake: cup milk cup sour cream 2 cups cake flour 1 cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder teaspoon salt cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 egg whites For the mascarpone buttercream: 1 cup salted butter 1 cup shortening 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 lbs. confectioners sugar (about 7 cups) 5-6 tablespoons milk Gel food coloring Mascarpone (to taste) Make the cookie dough-inspired filling: 1. In a light-colored medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring to keep the milk solids from sticking and burning at the bottom of the pan, for about 8 minutes, until the butter is very fragrant and nutty, and light-medium amber in color. There may be dark brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Strain the browned butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container and discard any burned milk solids. Chill the browned butter in the refrigerator until it has the consistency of room-temperature butter, about 1 hour. 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer), beat the cooled browned butter on low speed until smooth. Slowly add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, molasses and salt. Once these are incorporated, turn the mixer to medium and mix for a couple of minutes, or until the filling is smooth and creamy. If the filling is too thick to spread, gradually add the milk, starting with 1 tablespoon. Stop the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips by hand. Make the white cake: 1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. 2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir the milk and sour cream. 3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat the ingredients on low speed until just combined. Add the butter, vanilla and about cup of the milk mixture. Mix on medium until the dry ingredients are evenly distributed and moistened, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. 4. Add the egg whites to the remaining milk mixture and stir to combine. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the egg mixture in three additions, mixing for about 15 seconds after each addition and stopping the mixer between additions to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows the newly-built community isolation facility located in Hung Shui Kiu, south China's Hong Kong. The fifth community isolation facility (CIF) in Hong Kong constructed with support from the mainland was put into operation on Thursday after it was handed over to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. The newly-built CIF provides about 2,350 beds for COVID-19 patients. (Xinhua) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows the newly-built community isolation facility located in Hung Shui Kiu, south China's Hong Kong. The fifth community isolation facility (CIF) in Hong Kong constructed with support from the mainland was put into operation on Thursday after it was handed over to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. The newly-built CIF provides about 2,350 beds for COVID-19 patients. (Xinhua) In a series of text messages, a white supervisor and other police officers in Montgomery County, Md., talked about preparing for a race war, and expressed hope that Black Lives Matter protesters would be killed, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week by a Black colleague. The officer, Mark Miles of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, says in the lawsuit that his supervisor and other officers repeatedly made racist, hateful and offensive comments on a group text chain that was used to discuss work assignments and other business. The officers sent the texts, which were excerpted in the lawsuit, as protests set off by the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020 swept across the United States, increasing scrutiny of police brutality and racism. At the time, Officer Miles, who was hired in October 2019, was the only Black officer in his squad, known as Shift 5, which he joined in March or April of 2020, and which operated primarily in Montgomery County, outside Washington. The department also polices parks in Prince Georges County, Md. In December 1990, Bush asked him to resign. The catalyst was a ruling by the Education Departments civil rights division that college scholarships designated solely for a racial minority were discriminatory and illegal, and that federal aid would be denied to any college that awarded them. The ruling infuriated many educators and civil rights advocates, who said it might undo years of educational progress for minority students. Politically embarrassed, the White House reversed the ruling, and Bush named former Gov. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee to replace Dr. Cavazos. Months after Dr. Cavazos departed, the Justice Department said it was investigating his wifes use of frequent-flier mileage that he had accumulated as secretary. His wife, Peggy Ann Cavazos, a former nurse, had held no official position but had gone with her husband to work every day, attended meetings, helped edit his speeches and policy papers, and accompanied him on trips. Officials later said that no charges had been filed and that the investigation had been quietly dropped. Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr. was born on Jan. 4, 1927, the oldest of five children of Lauro Sr. and Tomasa (Quintanilla) Cavazos, whose ancestors settled in Texas long before it became a state in 1845. Lauro and his siblings were born on the King Ranch, the states largest spread, near Kingsville. It is now a National Historic Landmark. His father was the foreman for the ranchs showcase Santa Gertrudis cattle, and his mother was descended from Francita Alavez, the Angel of Goliad, who saved the lives of many Texas prisoners in the Texas Revolution, a rebellion against Mexico in 1835-36. The siblings, who spoke English to their father and Spanish to their mother, attended a two-room schoolhouse on the ranch for the children of King laborers. Starting in 1935, they went to public schools in Kingsville. After graduation from high school in 1945, Lauro joined the Army and served in the stateside infantry in the last days of World War II. One of his brothers, Richard E. Cavazos, who died in 2017, became the first Hispanic four-star general of the Army. A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a former police officer in Louisville, Ky., on a charge that she used unreasonable force in firing pepper balls at a person to try to enforce a curfew during protests against police violence in 2020 an act that led to the fatal shooting of a popular barbecue chef by a Kentucky National Guard member. The killing of the chef, David McAtee, at his shop, YaYas BBQ, came as the local authorities were enforcing a curfew following two days of protesting and rioting in the wake of the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. The grand jury indicted Katie R. Crews, 29, of Jeffersonville, Ind., accusing her of violating an individuals rights while acting as an officer of the Louisville Metro Police Department, according to a statement from the United States Department of Justice. Image Katie R. Crews, a former police officer in Louisville, has been charged with using ureasonable force. Credit... Louisville Metro Police Department Ms. Crews fired a pepper ball at an individual, while the individual was standing on private property and not posing a threat to the defendant or others, the statement said. If convicted, Ms. Crews faces up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said. Last year, prosecutors interviewed Mr. Archer and subpoenaed him for documents and grand jury testimony, the people said. Mr. Archer, who was sentenced last month in an unrelated securities fraud case in which a decision to set aside his conviction was reversed, had served with Mr. Biden on Burismas board, starting in 2014. People familiar with the investigation said prosecutors had examined emails between Mr. Biden, Mr. Archer and others about Burisma and other foreign business activity. Those emails were obtained by The New York Times from a cache of files that appears to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop. The email and others in the cache were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation. In some of the emails, Mr. Biden displayed a familiarity with FARA, and a desire to avoid triggering it. In one email to Mr. Archer in April 2014, Mr. Biden outlined his vision for working with Burisma. In the email, Hunter Biden indicated that the forthcoming announcement of a trip to Ukraine by Vice President Biden who is referred to in the email as my guy, but not by name should be characterized as part of our advice and thinking but what he will say and do is out of our hands. The announcement could be a really good thing or it could end up creating too great an expectation. We need to temper expectations regarding that visit, Hunter Biden wrote. Vice President Biden traveled to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, about a week after the email. In the same April 2014 email, Hunter Biden indicated that Burismas officials need to know in no uncertain terms that we will not and cannot intervene directly with domestic policymakers, and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board. He suggested enlisting the law firm where he worked at the time, Boies Schiller Flexner, to help Burisma through direct discussions at state, energy and NSC, referring to two cabinet departments and the National Security Council at the White House. WASHINGTON President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine invoked the memory of Americas darkest days on Wednesday as he pleaded for more military aid to combat Russias inhumane destruction of his country, directly challenging President Biden and members of Congress to help by showing a wrenching video of the carnage in Ukraines cities. Appearing before Congress by video link from Kyiv, Mr. Zelensky likened Russias three-week onslaught in Ukraine to Japans World War II air assault on Pearl Harbor, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you, and to Sept. 11, when innocent people were attacked, attacked from the air. Dressed in an olive green T-shirt and seated next to a Ukrainian flag, he urged the United States and its allies to fulfill a moral duty by imposing a no-fly zone over his country to prevent Russian attacks from the air. I call on you to do more, Mr. Zelensky said, describing the conflict raging in Ukraine as an assault on the worlds civilized nations. Speaking directly to Mr. Biden, he added: I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. The reality is that our children are exposed to these themes, to a certain extent, with or without our control, Dr. Wang said. Watching a movie like Turning Red together as a family, and checking in with kids during and after, can help children develop a willingness and openness to share their confusion with us. I think thats where the transformative conversations can happen. Talk about bodies, periods and puberty When Mei first turns into a red panda, she hides in the bathroom, and her mother brings in boxes of menstrual pads, assuming she had gotten her first period. While some parents are upset at the nod to menstruation, experts say its good for both girls and boys even young ones to learn about body parts and normal body processes. Of all the things parents have to be concerned about when it comes to raising children, a normal body function like menstruation should not be one of them, said Elizabeth Schroeder, a New York-based sex educator. There is so much shame wrapped up in how bodies work, when instead we should be celebrating them. The movie normalizes periods, and that kind of openness can make girls feel so much more confident and accepted while going through adolescence, said Annie Tao, a clinical psychologist who treats children and teens at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. If your child watches Turning Red before having learned what periods are, you could use the scene as an opportunity to explain the concept to them, Dr. Smetana said. Lauren Tetenbaum, a social worker based in Westchester, N.Y., said she explained to her 5-year-old son that Mei got her period because thats what happens to girls when they become teenagers. He was like OK, cool. Parents can also share their perspective on how other characters in the movie reacted to the idea of Meis menstruation. I talked to my 8-year-old about how the dad seemed embarrassed about periods and that isnt OK, said Terrae Weatherman of Saint Paul, Minn. My husband was there during the discussion and helped reinforce that men should know about periods because that is how some bodies work. The period scene also creates an opportunity for parents to talk about their own experiences. Chloe Caldwell, a writer based in Hudson, N.Y., talked about her struggle with premenstrual dysphoric disorder with her 11-year-old stepdaughter when they watched the movie. The rhetorical clash between the United States and Russia escalated on Wednesday when President Biden said that he believed President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was a war criminal, and a top Russian official said the comment was unacceptable and unforgivable. Mr. Biden was responding to a reporters question as he was leaving an event at the White House. Later, the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters that Mr. Biden was speaking from his heart and speaking from what hes seen on television. In the weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, there have been attacks on refugee escape routes, heavily populated civilian neighborhoods, schools, hospitals and, on Wednesday, a theater that was being used as a bomb shelter. On Wednesday, an International Criminal Court prosecutor, Karim Khan, held a virtual meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky while in Ukraine. Late last month, Mr. Khan said he was seeking authorization to open an investigation into the war, and that his office had already found a reasonable basis to believe war crimes had been committed. He said it had identified potential cases that would be admissible. The Yale Centers director, Courtney J. Martin, who organized the exhibition and invited Riley to select all of the work in it, encouraged the artist to reassess her career from its beginning and create a new context for her early work. Theres clearly space between what The Responsive Eye was immediately, what it became art historically, and where she saw that idea of perception going, Martin said. Covering two floors of the Yale Center, the new show makes it clear that the early black-and-white Op work with which Riley is still strongly associated particularly in the United States was really a starting point for a deep, historically grounded engagement with color. Her progression from one palette to the other has been quite deliberate, and, in Rileys telling, retraces the steps of her rigorous art school training. Where you once had a figure standing on a white sheet of paper, you are forced in tonal studies to include the environment, the entire visual scene. It helps you tremendously to relate to color, she said. Making abstract paintings, I had to go through the same stages. In the works from her transitional gray period, like Deny 1 (1966), floating ovals arranged in a grid pattern appear to shimmer and recede as the eye tries to reconcile warm and cool grays. This deep exploration of black and white gives way to the tonality of gray years where shes just playing with gray. And then the color emerges, Martin said. But the color emerges only when shes exhausted the possibilities with gray. When color does at last emerge, new forms accompany it. The shows second floor opens with works from another impressive debut, just a few years after The Responsive Eye: Rileys representation of Britain at the 1968 Venice Biennale, where she was awarded the international prize for painting for her taut, vibrant arrangements of colored stripes. She was the first woman to receive that accolade. Cibic, who was born in the former Yugoslavia (in what is now Slovenia) in 1979, has spent her career examining how nationhood and international unity are fragile performances. To her, the invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is just the latest example of how statecraft is always a form of stagecraft. Look at Putins long table, she said, and look at President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, an actor who played a president who becomes the president. Before Most Favoured Nation, Cibics explorations of the performative nature of politics included a film called The Gift, which won Britains prestigious Jarman Award last year. It was filmed in buildings used as the backdrops for performing political power, places like the Palais des Nations in Geneva and the Palace of Culture and Sciences in Warsaw. In the film, shot in arresting, stylish palettes, actors representing architecture, music and the arts try to persuade a committee that their discipline is the most appropriate to make up a cultural gift to an unnamed, divided nation. The films dialogue is assembled from archived debates from around Europe on the topic of how the state can use culture as a means of soft power. Cibic can trace her interest in these topics back to her upbringing in Yugoslavia, where she saw how the state encouraged unity between the six Yugoslav republics by building monuments. She studied fine art in Venice, and started staging theatrical works with a group of other women from her region that played with notions of how nationhood is performed. Yeah, thats right, Zelensky brought out all of Americas major moments: I have a dream, 9/11, Mount Rushmore. You know he was on Wikipedia last night planning this out: [imitating Zelensky] OK, Pearl Harbor, Boston Tea Party should I mention Hulk Hogan sex tape, maybe? TREVOR NOAH And by the way, props to him, I mean he knows way more about America than most U.S. senators know about his country. Like, can you imagine how they would sound if they had to give an inspiring speech using Ukrainian history? [imitating U.S. senator] Uh, people of Ukraine, remember the vision of your founder I want to say Daniel Ukraine? TREVOR NOAH Im also impressed that Zelensky was able to dodge so many land mines in his research, because you realize this could have gone very wrong: [imitating Zelensky] And now to 9/11, which as we all know from YouTube was inside job. I see you, Bush. TREVOR NOAH A Pakistani expert has slammed the U.S.'s appalling atrocity in torturing detainees in its black jails around the world, saying "you can't even imagine what methods were used in prisons." Produced by Xinhua Global Service CASTLES IN THEIR BONES By Laura Sebastian 514 pp. Delacorte. $18.99. (Ages 14 and up) Sebastian, the author of the best-selling Ash Princess trilogy, returns with another dark fairy tale, this one about three royal sisters on a kingdom-building mission. Castles in Their Bones takes place in the vaguely medieval continent of Vesteria, which is made up of four countries: Bessemia, Cellaria, Friv and Temarin. The countries are currently peaceful, but the ruthless Empress Margaraux of Bessemia wants to rule them all, and shes willing to play a long game to ensure her success. She has two tools at her disposal: magic and her children. While some of Vesterias rulers dont approve of the use of stardust, a wish-granting powder made from cosmos, rumor has it that Margaraux used the precious stuff to conceive her children. As soon as her star-touched triplet princesses were born, the empress betrothed them to her neighboring countries apparent heirs in an act of fealty. But she secretly raised them as assassin-spies, trained in the lethal arts of poison and politics. Now 16 years old, they are ready to assume their fated roles: Once they are safely enthroned, the girls will work to throw their respective countries into chaos, allowing their mother to claim each kingdom with ease. But the princesses quickly realize they are not like their Medean matriarch they develop troublesome feelings of love and kindness that begin to offset their ingrained mercilessness. When Margaraux discovers that her girls have disobeyed her, she unleashes the full potency of her icy fury, and the results are devastating. However, a clandestine meeting with an old enemy in the concluding chapter reveals that Margaraux has vulnerable secrets of her own, setting the stage for an inevitable sequel. Cresss familys new home basement lodgings at the Broken Arms is a small, windowless room in the roots of an old dead oak tree. Mr. Titus Pillowby Owl, their landlord, makes it clear that failing to pay their rent, 10 moths a night, will cost them their apartment or, if his appetites change, their lives. Death and menace lurk everywhere. Besides the fox, Cress is warned of a snake (nicknamed the Final Drainpipe), a bear and humans, who live in a war zone. She hears her mother speak of her fathers untimely death as a result of a step too far in a dangerous direction. For writers, there are plenty of reasons to turn to anthropomorphized animals. They can quickly elicit empathy from readers while simultaneously providing the distance necessary to better process intense personal feelings and trauma (like the death of a parent). Theres also a comedic aspect to animal characters dressed in human clothes going about their business (the denizens of Richard Scarrys Busytown immediately come to mind). Maguires menagerie includes a narcissistic skunk, a ditsy hen and a mouse with a borscht belt sense of humor who used to do impressions on the circuit. In a story about grief and loss, comic relief is welcome, but this cast of characters quips, quirks and signature phrases often cross into shtick. Fortunately, David Litchfields luminous illustrations beautifully flesh out these characters. Like Mama Watercresss woven tapestries, the artwork is alive with color and helps braid a pastiche of elements into a vivid and cohesive whole. Cress Watercress is most convincing on Cresss inner life. Maguires descriptions of her dark moods, bursts of anger and fear that she will end up like her father are piercing and sensitively written. With great subtlety, Maguire (Wicked, Egg & Spoon) even touches on suicidal ideation: When Cress tells a squirrel friend, Ill just lie down with my paws over my eyes and wait for the Final Drainpipe to come across me, it cant be dismissed as a joke. A staggering number of Russian troop deaths More than 7,000 Russian troops have been killed in just three weeks of fighting in Ukraine, according to conservative estimates from U.S. intelligence. Thats more than the number of U.S. troops killed over 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Among those killed were three Russian generals, according to Ukrainian and NATO officials. Ukrainian officials reported yesterday that a fourth general had been killed. U.S. officials say such high numbers have implications for the combat effectiveness of Russian units. A 10 percent casualty rate for a single unit, including dead and wounded, renders it unable to carry out combat-related tasks, according to Pentagon officials, who say Russian casualties are near that level. Two U.S. military officials said that many Russian generals are talking on unsecured phones and radios. In at least one instance, they said, the Ukrainians intercepted a generals call, geolocated it, and attacked his position, killing him and his staff. Some Russian troops are also reportedly deserting because of low morale; one recent U.S. intelligence report described soldiers parking their vehicles and walking off into the woods. The high rate of casualties goes far to explain why Russias much-vaunted force has remained largely stalled outside of Kyiv, Ukraines capital. With Russian ground forces in disarray, Moscows military strategists have increasingly turned to aerial bombardment, at a horrific cost to civilians. The Wall Street Journal analyzed a two-day battle in Voznesensk, a town in southern Ukraine, during the early days of the war. Ukrainian forces, including local volunteers and the professional military, eliminated most of a Russian battalion tactical group on March 2 and 3. Russian forces batter Ukraine Russian forces destroyed a theater in the coastal Ukrainian city of Mariupol where about 1,000 people had been sheltering yesterday, in a day of intensifying brutality. At least 10 people were killed by shelling in Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, as they waited in line for bread. Russias Defense Ministry denied carrying out the attack on Mariupol. Follow the latest updates. Three weeks into the war in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, made an impassioned appeal to the U.S. Congress, casting the defense of his nation as a battle for democracy. As he spoke, his countrys forces staged counterattacks near Kyiv and the Russian-occupied city of Kherson as battle-depleted Russian troops continued their attempt to encircle major cities. President Biden, responding to Zelensky, said the U.S. would send Ukraine an additional $800 million in security aid, including antiaircraft and antitank missiles. Biden has sharpened his rhetoric regarding Russias leader, describing Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, as a war criminal. But he did not agree to more direct military intervention, including the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Ukraine. The Interpreter: As Russia digs in, whats the risk of nuclear war? Its not zero, one nuclear strategist said. Koch Industries, the industrial conglomerate run by the billionaire Charles Koch, has said it will continue to operate factories in Russia as other companies pull out after Russias attack on Ukraine. Dave Robertson, the president and chief operating officer, said in a statement dated Wednesday that the aggression in Ukraine was an affront to humanity, but that Koch would not stop operating two Russian glass factories in its Guardian Industries unit. Guardians business employs 600 people and makes up a small portion of the privately held company, which had estimated revenue of $115 billion last year. Koch Industries will not walk away from our employees there or hand over these manufacturing facilities to the Russian government so it can operate and benefit from them, Mr. Robertson said. In recent days, dozens of large corporations, including British American Tobacco, McDonalds and Ikea, have said they were temporarily suspending sales, closing stores or winding down operations in Russia. Many had invested millions or billions of dollars in the country in recent decades. In the morning, while it is still dark out, Ms. Hancock and DeAngelo Austin, her 12-year-old nephew, whom she is raising, leave for work and school from their two-bedroom apartment in Vacaville, northeast of Oakland, riding in her polished 2014 white Mustang. She arrives at her work site at 6:30 a.m., half an hour before her shift starts she does not want to be late and an hour and a half before DeAngelos school begins at the nearby Oakland Military Institute College Preparatory Academy. DeAngelo waits in the Mustang until he gets a lift from the construction site to school from a family friend. Ms. Hancock sends him to that school, which she also attended, with the hope that it will keep him out of trouble. She sees herself in her nephew. If he didnt have my help, Im afraid hed turn to the streets, she said. On a bright winters day just after sunrise, she enters the construction site and swings 50 pounds of rebar, a steel bar used to reinforce concrete, onto her right shoulder. Then she threads her way across an obstacle course of ditches and discarded steel before bending at her waist to install the rebar. Sometimes the rebar she lifts is three times longer than she is tall. Mostly, she works alone. Her co-workers, many of whom speak Spanish, are friendly but say little. Ive always wanted to work construction, she said. When she was young, Ms. Hancock helped her uncle repair garages and paint buildings. I first saw Domenico DeMarco in action more than 20 years ago, although if you ever saw him at work you know that there was hardly any action to see unless you watched him very closely. Over the years he had organized his mise en place so compactly, eliminated extraneous movements so ruthlessly, that it could seem, to the untrained eye, that he simply bowed over a circle of raw dough and waited while it assembled itself into a pizza. Mr. DeMarco has died at age 85, his daughter Margie DeMarco Mieles announced Thursday in a Facebook post. Originally from the Italian province of Caserta, he began making pies at Di Fara Pizza in Midwood, Brooklyn, in 1965. He worked efficiently. Thats not the same as saying he worked quickly. Even in the years before Mr. DeMarco became something of a national folk hero and the lines on weekends would stretch on to the sidewalk outside his shop on Avenue J, getting hot food out of his kitchen took a while. Although pad Thai is the national dish, it is a recent addition to culinary tradition. Thailand has its own rich and ancient cuisine, but the technique of stir-frying noodles entered the repertoire from China. Pad see ew and pad kee mao have been popular for generations, but retained an identity that was separate from traditional Thai cooking. After a 1932 coup that shifted the Thai government from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy, and a period of devastating rice shortages, the new regime made a push toward nationalism, efficiency and public health. These dovetailed into the official ordination of a new, fully Thai, national dish. Chinese soy and oyster sauces were replaced by fish sauce. The other ingredients chosen were native to the country (fish sauce, palm sugar), shelf-stable (dried shrimp, tamarind, peanuts) or affordable (rice noodles, cheaper than rice per serving). Today, there are countless variations of pad Thai around the country. Ms. Limanons favorite, fragrant with shallots and garlic, is adapted from a recipe once used in the royal palace (or so she was told by her cooking teacher). Some popular versions are colored deep orange by the innards of shrimp and crabs, or spiked with red chile powder. Each serving of pad Thai hor khai, made by the deftest street vendors, is wrapped in a silk-thin omelet. The regime that came to power in 1932 did not last, but the recipe did. It has rot chaat dee. The people would never have adopted it so enthusiastically otherwise, she said. Recipes: Shrimp Pad Thai | Pad See Ew | Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) And to Drink Wine may seem counterintuitive with pad Thai. Most people probably choose beer, which is a fine combination. But this dish goes well with many aromatic whites, particularly those that are moderately sweet, like a German spatlese riesling. Even better would be a well-aged auslese, which is potentially sweeter than spatlese (unless aged for at least 10 years, at which point the sweetness begins to mellow). Dry rieslings from Germany and Alsace would also be great. Other options include gruner veltliner, dry gewurztraminer, silvaner, sauvignon blanc and pinot blanc. I would not opt for a red, but if you do lean that way, Ive found that fresh cabernet francs and Beaujolais-Villages will match the bold flavors in this dish. ERIC ASIMOV Kulkarni called the patient and told her that the M.R.I. was abnormal. She came back a couple of days later. He couldnt tell her based on the pictures just what kind of tumor she had. The most common would be a meningioma, a tumor of the tissue that lines the brain. An acoustic neuroma was rarer but also possible. This is a slow-growing tumor originating in the tissue that connects the ear to the brain. She was a little young for that; these tumors usually appear in men and women over 40, and they usually cause problems in hearing and balance rather than in vision. Whatever it was, the tumor was so large that it blocked the circulation of the spinal fluid through the brain, causing the nerve to swell. It would have to be removed. Occupational Hazard? Kulkarni knew the patient didnt have health insurance. He called around to the neurosurgeons he knew, trying to figure out how to get this woman the care she needed. The only answer seemed to be for her to get in through the emergency department. Thanks to a law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, all emergency departments are required to provide stabilizing treatment to any patient who comes in, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. The care provided isnt free; patients are billed, but they have to be treated. She went to the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, and the mass was removed. The pathologist confirmed that the tumor was an acoustic neuroma. Reading up on this type of growth, the patient noted that hearing loss is a common symptom. She had hearing loss in her left ear, but she hadnt made a connection between that problem and the one with her eyes. She thought that the constant exposure to the sound from her violin might have caused a little damage. She figured it was just the price of doing what she loved. After the surgery, her hearing didnt change, but the strange star bursts completely disappeared. Straight lines still have the tendency to buckle in her peripheral vision, though. Before her hair had even grown enough to hide the scar, the bills began to roll in. The numbers were even more frightening than the images of the tumor. The ultimate accounting totaled around $650,000. She and her husband worried that they would have to declare bankruptcy. They had some money they were saving for a rainy day, but this was a tsunami. Salvation came, unexpectedly, when a friend of a friend asked if they had talked to the hospital about financial help. It turned out that Columbia Presbyterian did have a financial-aid program. In fact, all nonprofit hospitals are required to provide financial assistance to people who need it; its mandated by the Affordable Care Act. They didnt have to bankrupt themselves. They are grateful that the ordeal ended well. And, two years after the surgery, they are beginning to rebuild their savings because you never know when it might rain again. Lisa Sanders, M.D., is a contributing writer for the magazine. Her latest book is Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries. If you have a solved case to share, write her at Lisa.Sandersmdnyt@gmail.com. Beware of laughing when watching Intregalde because your laughs will have a way of catching and dying in your throat. A sly, mordantly funny, at times brutal satire about altruism and its discontents, the movie offers something of an emotional workout. One minute youre grooving on the story and the nice, warm feeling you get from watching Romanian charity workers dole out food and treats for Christmas. The next youre squirming as they lose their bearings and their good intentions go ridiculously awry. At the heart of Intregalde is the tension between individual and community, and the age-old tug between self-interest and caring for others. What do we owe others? What do we owe ourselves? The movie doesnt offer any obvious answers; its more interested in stirring the pot. But it still provokes the kind of searching questions that arent always asked outside of lecture halls, places of worship or newspaper columns. Yet, if youre like me, I imagine that these are some of the very questions that when youre not hurriedly running on your gerbil wheels haunt you, troubling your thoughts and sleep. The story takes place in a rural part of Romania that gives the movie its title, a sparsely populated area with beautiful hills, wide valleys, unpaved roads and a spooky loneliness. There, a group of boisterous volunteers from Bucharest has gathered to pass out donations to locals. The volunteers seem pumped with energy as they fill large plastic bags with cheese, cans of salmon and other offerings. The vibe is upbeat, almost giddy. The director Radu Muntean (he also co-wrote the script) plunges you right into the makeshift storehouse where the donations are hurriedly being gathered in an excited churn. As the camera energetically moves around the space, it at once catches the amped mood (as if it too were a volunteer) and discreetly nudges your attention toward individual people. Once theyve loaded up, the volunteers clamber into muddied S.U.V.s, forming a humanitarian convoy to make the world a better place. Youre riding too, the camera having hitched along with some of these folks. They all look happy and seem smart and agreeable. But as they continue, drive on and off the road, admire the scenery, change cars and buy a sheep for a barbecue, they also come into lacerating focus. Liu Jia collects a sample from villager Zhang Fuye for nucleic acid testing in Peijiazhuang Village, Lueyang County, Hanzhong City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Ren Zhengdong/Xinhua) XI'AN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A series of photos showing a medical worker collecting nucleic acid samples in a village have recently gone viral on Chinese social platforms, winning praise from netizens. One photo showed a medical worker wearing protective gear stooped to swab a farmer's throat in a field. Other photos also showed the medical worker collecting nucleic acid samples at farmers' homes. Those photos were recently taken in Peijiazhuang Village, Lueyang County, Hanzhong City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, by Ren Zhengdong, a village official. The medical worker is Liu Jia, a doctor from a local hospital. In early March, confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in Lueyang County. To curb the spread of the epidemic in the rural areas, nucleic acid testings have been carried out across villages and towns in Lueyang. Nearly 20 doctors in Liu's hospital have been dispatched to the villages to collect nucleic acid samples for rural residents. "The elderly person in the photo is Zhang Fuye, who is 82 years old," recalled Ren, who worked with Liu to collect nucleic acid samples on March 11, adding that Zhang was not at home when they arrived. "We found Zhang and his wife were digging potatoes in their field. Given their ages, we went to the field to do the test. Then, I pressed the shutter for Liu and Zhang," Ren said. "Both the medical worker and the farmer are awesome. The medical worker even went to the farmland to do the test," a netizen named "Luoluo" wrote on Douyin, a popular short-video app in China. "The medical worker did a great job and the farmer cooperated very well," another internet user named "past/past" wrote. "The village is located deep in the mountains and villagers live in scattered places. Our medics need to tramp over hills and dales to collect nucleic acid samples one by one," said Liu, who is responsible for taking samples in Peijiazhuang Village. Liu starts his work every morning at 8:00 am. "It usually takes me 10 hours to collect more than 380 nucleic acid samples across the village," said Liu, adding that it takes more than 40 minutes to ride a motorcycle to the farthest villager's home. "But it would take them about two hours to reach us. So we come to them to save their time," he added. Liu said that villagers are busy with spring farming as the weather turns warm, medics and village officials try their best to do door-to-door nucleic acid tests. "Many villagers are elderly. We must not make trouble for them. It is ok for us as we are very young," the 28-year-old man said. "It shows China's determination to fight against the epidemic." "The dedication of the frontline medics deserve admiration. There are no blind spots in China's epidemic prevention and control," netizens wrote. Liu Jia collects a sample for nucleic acid testing in Peijiazhuang Village, Lueyang County, Hanzhong City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Ren Zhengdong/Xinhua) Liu Jia collects a sample for nucleic acid testing in Peijiazhuang Village, Lueyang County, Hanzhong City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Ren Zhengdong/Xinhua) The states bail law was overhauled shortly after Democrats assumed full control of the Legislature in 2019 and began spearheading long-sought criminal justice reforms they said were meant to stop criminalizing the poor. One chief objective was to reduce the number of individuals awaiting trial who were incarcerated because they could not afford bail. The changes drastically limited the ability of judges to impose bail to a select set of crimes, including violent felonies and sex offenses. Most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies became ineligible, meaning that those charged with such crimes have been released without having to post bail. But even before the changes were implemented, they faced significant criticism; by early 2020, a broader list of crimes were made eligible for bail. Even with those amendments in place, Republicans used the changes made to the bail law as a campaign issue in their attempts to cast Democrats as soft on crime, arguing that the revisions had led to the release of dangerous criminals. Some prosecutors and police departments also joined the backlash, blaming the reforms for New York Citys recent increase in murders, shootings and certain other crimes, though there is little data to suggest the law is at fault. A recent poll from Siena College showed that a majority of New Yorkers considered crime a serious problem and wanted the state to amend its bail laws. Parts of Ms. Hochuls plan appear aimed at targeting subway crime and the rise of gun violence. Her plan would allow police to arrest people for certain crimes against subway riders and workers, where at present they can only receive desk appearance tickets. Perhaps the most consequential element of Ms. Hochuls proposal is her plan to give judges permission to use criteria to consider the danger individuals charged with certain crimes pose to those around them. Currently, judges can only impose the least restrictive conditions necessary to ensure defendants return to court. Ms. Hochuls proposal would change that for defendants charged with certain violent crimes and gun crimes. In that time, the company has worked to reverse the negative image of robots: Spot made a guest appearance last month on The Tonight Show, and recently had a cameo role in the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett, as a docile, sheeplike animal. The Fire Department also has plans to show the dog to school STEM programs across the city. But concerns about privacy, surveillance and cybersecurity doomed the robots earlier rollout in New York. The robots first came under scrutiny when the Police Department, responding to a home invasion, sent the dog in to determine whether anyone was still inside an apartment. More criticism followed after the robot was seen out with officers in the lobby of a public housing building in Manhattan. At the time, John Miller, the Police Departments deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, said the department had terminated its lease early because the device became a target for critics who he said used the robot to fuel debate over race and surveillance. City Council members later introduced legislation to prohibit the Police Department from using or threatening to use any robot armed with a weapon. (That legislation did not pass, and weaponizing Spot is strictly against the companys code of ethics, Mr. Noel said.) Peter Asaro, the co-founder of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control and a spokesperson for the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, has worked with the United Nations for nearly a decade to ban the use of weaponized robots on a global scale. For Professor Asaro, who is also a faculty member at the New School, more education and outreach are key particularly when it comes to robotics and public safety. And then case counts soared, emergency rooms became overloaded, ventilators were scarce and trucks were parked outside the medical examiners office. There was the lockdown and the morass of new regulations on gatherings, on restaurants, on gyms. On faces. Infectious disease experts like Dr. Celine Gounder had heard about Covid-19 months earlier, after the end-of-year holidays as 2019 gave way to 2020. She had told the residents she supervised at Bellevue Hospital in January to be on the lookout. Im saying we need to be on top of this because this is going to come here, Dr. Gounder, now a senior fellow and editor at large for public health at the Kaiser Family Foundation and Kaiser Health News, told me this week. Theyre looking at me like Im crazy, its something out of the movies, never going to happen here. [What New York Got Wrong About the Pandemic, and What It Got Right] Officials were slow to grasp the scale of the coming crisis. Bill de Blasio, the mayor at the time, sent four top aides a late-night email on March 11 headed Need case studies ASAP. He told them to assign the city Office of Management and Budget or the Mayors Office of Operations not the Health Department to get me a quick initial analysis of what three countries that appeared to be managing the virus have done right Germany, South Korea and Singapore. Need to learn what works really, really quickly, de Blasio said. We are flying too blind. That email was a turning point for de Blasio, who had been slow to understand how fast the virus was spreading. He sent the email just after 10 p.m. on March 11, 2020, the day the St. Patricks Day Parade had been postponed and the N.B.A. season had been suspended. It was also the day the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. The idea is to identify jurors whose experiences could render them unable to be fair and impartial. By this logic, it may seem reasonable to ask potential jurors during selection for a sex crime trial whether they have ever experienced sexual violence. Lawyers on both sides may have good reasons for wanting to know. But the search for impartiality in a sex crime trial must be handled differently. Questions like the one to the Maxwell jury show how far American courts are from reflecting some basic truths about sexual violence and send the wrong message about what impartiality means. For one thing, sexual violence is extremely pervasive. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five American women will experience rape or attempted rape at some time in her life, to say nothing of other sorts of assault. One in four American men will experience some form of sexual violence, including rape, coercion or unwanted sexual contact. Furthermore, when an inquiry includes sexual harassment which encompasses behavior that may not even be illegal how many women can confidently tick the box no? Even assuming some people can truthfully attest to having experienced none of the above, questionnaires like the one in the Maxwell case want to know what friends and family have suffered, too, making it tough to imagine who could possibly say no if people are paying attention. These queries can turn a sacred civic responsibility into a source of humiliation and disrespect. We know how underreported sex crimes are. According to the most recent estimates, up to some three-quarters of the time, the victim never goes to the police. Many victims often express fears of being defined by the worst thing that happened to them. If you are among the vast majority who choose silence after such a crime, imagine how jarring it would be to be required to identify yourself as a victim in court under time pressure, maybe even in writing, on a form whose future disclosure you cant control simply because you reported for jury duty. These questions also imply that sexual violence carries a taint and makes for defective jurors. This is troubling in itself. Consider where it leaves us: Do we really want to stack our juries with objective people who believe no doubt often incorrectly that they dont know anyone who has ever been sexually harassed, abused or assaulted? Wouldnt such a jury have biases of its own? Studies show that rape myths (that a woman should do everything she can to repel her attacker, for example, and that her resistance is a critical factor in determining the rapists culpability) affect deliberations in rape cases. To signal a preference for the supposedly unencumbered juror may produce a jury pool even more burdened by false and prejudicial views. Alison J. Nathan, the presiding judge, took care to note before the hearing that theres nothing wrong with jurors relying on their experience when deliberating in a case like Ms. Maxwells: To be clear, the potential impropriety is not that someone with a history of sexual abuse may have served on the jury. Rather, it is the potential failure to respond truthfully to questions during the jury selection process that asked for that material information so that any potential bias could be explored. In fact, we should not just tolerate jurors drawing from experience; we should recognize it as the reason our Constitution empowers a diverse jury, not the same judges over and over again, to decide criminal convictions. At the heart of conventional medicine is a foundational distinction between symptoms and signs. Symptoms like fatigue and joint pain are subjective markers of disease, while signs like fever and arthritis are considered objective markers. Unlike symptoms, signs can be observed and measured by a practitioner, often with the aid of technologies such as blood tests and radiologic imaging. When it comes to making a diagnosis, signs trump symptoms. This enduring hierarchy can be traced to the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the United States and Europe, when physicians who had relied on external symptoms for diagnosis shifted to a focus on internal anatomy and pathology by using technologies like microscopes. The French philosopher Michel Foucault observed that during that time, medicine transitioned from a practice in which the physician asked, Whats the matter with you? to a practice in which the physician asked, Where does it hurt? The first question invites a patients description of symptoms; the second question leads to a location on the patients body that can be observed and measured by the physician. The diagnostic importance of signs over symptoms was further cemented in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the establishment of evidence-based medicine. It aims to standardize clinical care through guidelines and a pecking order of scientific evidence, with objective evidence of randomized controlled trials at the top and subjective evidence of expert opinion at the bottom. The shift to evidence-based medicine solidified objective evidence as the strongest and most legitimate basis for the diagnosis of disease and reinforced contested illnesses as medically unexplained, a term that has often been used to describe physical distress caused by mental illness. In the same way that conventional medicine prioritizes signs over symptoms, it often prioritizes mortality (risk of death) over morbidity (a diminished quality of life). During interviews, mainstream Lyme disease physicians and scientists often told me that no one dies from Lyme. Because Lyme disease is rarely fatal, the thinking goes, there are doubts about the extent to which it compromises the quality of life of those who suffer from it. The death toll from Covid-19 has been staggering and disproportionate. But medicines emphasis on mortality over morbidity has consequences for how suffering is measured as well as the efforts undertaken to prevent disease transmission and the thresholds used for determining when the pandemic is over. If we expand sufferings metric to include long Covid morbidity, then individual and collective decision making would not only take into account the risk of hospitalization and death but would also include the risk of long Covid. If youre worried that people might shirk or slack, theres an easy workaround: Make the four-day week a reward for performance. Thats what Perpetual Guardian, an insurance company in New Zealand, has done. As long as you maintain your productivity, you get to stay with four days. Im willing to bet that many people will be happy to commute to work four days in exchange for an extra day of freedom. Of course, shortening the workweek may not be a panacea. New organizational policies are like new medicines: They generally have side effects and unintended consequences. But many of your time-honored best practices were created for a world that no longer exists. If you never rethink the way youve always done things, you cant evolve as the world evolves. If you dont run experiments, you arent building a learning organization. After all this time away from the office, many people are used to the time saved from not commuting and being able to better schedule their days. While it seems that the never-ending Zooms might be over, what parts of that should remain? And what parts need to go? Were still going to have plenty of virtual meetings, but its time to stop requiring people to have their cameras on all the time. If we know each other, I dont always need to see your face. Research has shown that turning cameras off reduces fatigue (especially for women and newcomers), and only hearing peoples voices can also help us avoid being distracted by misleading facial expressions and body language, leaking unwanted emotions, and having conversations that are dominated by one person. But dont lose the chat window. Its become my favorite way of fighting groupthink. We have extensive evidence that if you bring a group of people together to brainstorm, they generate fewer ideas and less original ideas than those same individuals working alone. Group brainstorming stifles diversity of thought through production blocking (we cant all talk at once), ego threat (I dont want to look stupid), and conformity pressure (I want to jump on the bandwagon), and those problems are amplified for people who lack power and status. If youre the most junior person in the room, the only woman of color in a team of white men, or the introvert in a group of extraverts, its that much harder to overcome those pressures. An effective solution is called brainwriting. You give people the problem before the meeting or at the start of the meeting, and then let them jot down their own ideas. You get more variety and more quality, and then you can let the wisdom of crowds evaluate and refine. I cant tell you how many meetings Ive run in the past two years where Ive asked people to type in the chat, and we end up with a much richer set of possibilities than we wouldve seen otherwise. As hard as it has been to be isolated, some people depended on being at home for child care and other domestic matters. What should companies do to help them transition back to office life? And will this mean better policies around adding more access to such services? The eyes of the world are focused on the millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russias brutal invasion. But Russians are fleeing their own country too, at a speed most likely not seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. They are running not from foreign bombs but from their own government. Rumors of impending martial law, closed borders, conscription and punitive military service have fueled panic. Amid state shutdowns of almost all of the last major independent media outlets and the announcement of draconian punishment for any coverage or criticism of Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine, tens or even hundreds of thousands of members of Russias liberal intelligentsia and political opposition are scrambling to escape. Many have already headed to Georgia and Armenia, two major visa-free destinations accessible now that Russian airlines have been banned from most Western airspace. Some have gone to Central Asia, where they are packing hotels in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, or to the Asian and Middle Eastern countries that do not require visas. Others lucky enough to have Schengen visas have rushed west by car and train. The number of routes out of the country is shrinking, and the price of plane tickets has risen. A social media channel offering advice on emigration from Russia to the free world already has more than 100,000 members. Some Russian passport offices appear to be overwhelmed. Boris Nikolsky, a classics professor, spoke to me from the Armenian capital Yerevan, where he had fled with his family. The plane from Moscow to Yerevan was packed with people I knew, he recalled. Lots of young people the future of Russia is leaving. Mr. Nikolsky said he left because he didnt want his kids to grow up in an atmosphere of repression. I remember Soviet times, he said, and this is much worse. Last year, Mr. Nikolsky and his son were detained at one of the protests that erupted after the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny returned to Russia. As a result, Mr. Nikolsky told me, he lost his job at Moscows Higher School of Economics. He said he will not go home until Mr. Putin is out of power. He hopes that the disastrous war in Ukraine will bring about Mr. Putins downfall. All our hopes are with the Ukrainians, he said, adding in a later email: I ask for their forgiveness. The guilt for what happened lies with all of us, all citizens of Russia, and my departure doesnt relieve me of this responsibility. Many of the antiwar Russians I have spoken to over the past two weeks are struggling, like Mr. Nikolsky, with the question of collective responsibility. They believe that Mr. Putins attempt to eliminate Ukraine as a sovereign nation demands a strong international response, including economic sanctions, even though such measures treat ordinary people as collateral damage in an effort to pressure a government to change its behavior. But it is an unavoidable reality that sanctions have made things harder for those who wish to flee. How to obtain cryptocurrency is a frequent topic of discussion for Russians hoping to leave, especially now that Visa and Mastercard have stopped servicing Russian bank cards. In a recent public plea, a group of antiwar Russians begged for a reversal of the policy, saying: Just imagine yourself being unable to rent a place to sleep, unable to book a ticket. You cannot live and you cannot move away. Michelle Goldberg: You can already see in the United States for all the peoples talk about us coming together, high gas prices are already becoming a millstone for Joe Biden. My guess is that the refugees its not going to be as destabilizing as the refugee crisis in 2015, and part of this is just because of race, part of it is because it is much easier to assimilate into a neighboring country. Even in Hungary, where you see, like I said, a lot of pro-Putin sentiment, theres virtually no anti-refugee sentiment, which I think is interesting. Lulu Garcia-Navarro: Bret, Im going to turn to the United States now, because Zelensky also spoke to the U.S. Congress this week, and the Biden administration is now giving some $800 million more in military aid. You wrote that the West has basically appeased Putin and that the Biden administration is operating on a series of catastrophic illusions, that sanctions will work, that these strengthening alliances between Europe and the U.S. will be a deterrence. Biden is going to Brussels next week for NATO and E.U. meetings. You want him to do what exactly? Bret Stephens: I want him to help Ukraine win. Lulu Garcia-Navarro: How? Bret Stephens: Well, theres a great deal more that we could do. The most obvious case is President Bidens decision not to permit MiG-29s, which are planes which Ukrainian pilots are familiar with these are surplus planes that, I think, the Poles have to be transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force. There are S-300 antiaircraft missile systems, which are also in NATO military stocks, that could be transferred over to Ukraine. Theres a possibility, instead of having a formal no-fly zone, which I understand is politically probably untenable, to at least create humanitarian air corridors not NATO-backed, but perhaps U.N.-backed to make sure that cities like Kyiv arent starved to death, which is almost certainly what Putin intends to do. The president can have, if he hasnt done so already, a covert finding to establish C.I.A. bases in places like Romania and Poland to aid a long-term insurgency. So we have provided Ukraine with enough aid for it to fight. But my concern, Lulu, is that were not in this just to prolong Ukraines agony, to hold out a hope that turns out to be a vain one. I think we want to make sure that what Russia is attempting to do fails on its own terms. And ideally although this is not the endgame that the results are so catastrophic that it causes Putin to fall in Moscow itself, his regime to fall and be replaced, because otherwise he will simply attempt this experiment again five, six, however many years down the road. Lulu Garcia-Navarro: David, listening to Bret, I have to say I cant stop thinking about what a dangerous time this is. The U.S. and Russia, between them, possess 90 percent of the worlds nuclear weapons. So should the U.S. offer more weapons to Ukraine as Bret suggests, or humanitarian air corridors? David Brooks: More or less, my approach is the status quo plus more. And I think we are imposing real costs on Russia. I think were destabilizing Russia. I think were doing a lot to strengthen the Ukrainians in their brave fight, and we should do more of that, but we shouldnt fundamentally transform the nature of this conflict, which I think a no-fly zone has the risk of doing. Dr. Parker, he said, was happy when people pointed out a mistake in his calculations but not pleased when people accepted prevalent scientific assumptions without question. He had little patience for Its well known that Dr. Turner said. Even though Dr. Chandrasekhar, a future Nobel laureate, disagreed with Dr. Parkers conclusions, he overruled the reviewers, and the paper was published. Four years later, Dr. Parker was vindicated when Mariner 2, a NASA spacecraft en route to Venus, observed energetic particles streaming through interplanetary space exactly what he had predicted. When Dr. Zurbuchen joined NASA in 2016, the agency had been working for years on a mission called Solar Probe Plus, which was to swoop close to the sun repeatedly. Dr. Zurbuchen said he disliked the name Solar Probe Plus and wrote to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine asking it to suggest a person to name the mission after. The unequivocal response: Eugene Parker. NASA had never before named a spacecraft after a living person. But Dr. Zurbuchen, who had met Dr. Parker years earlier, said he did not have much trouble getting Robert Lightfoot, the acting administrator of NASA at the time, to approve the change in 2017. Dr. Zurbuchen then called Dr. Parker to ask if that would be all right with him. He said, Absolutely. It will be my honor, Dr. Zurbuchen recalled. Dr. Parker later said he was surprised that NASA had asked for his permission. A few months afterward, Dr. Parker went to visit the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, where the spacecraft was built and tested. Dr. Fox, then project scientist for the mission, recalled saying, Parker, meet Parker. The next year, Dr. Parker and his family traveled to Florida to watch the launch of his namesake spacecraft. Dan Ives, a tech investment analyst with the firm Wedbush Securities, told me that he believed the worlds digital transformation was just getting started and that technology companies would continue to grow larger and stronger. But he said that investors were rethinking the ability of some young companies to keep growing at the rate they did a year or two ago. In some corners, Ives said, the froth has clearly come off the tech market. Waning optimism is hitting young tech companies that are just getting started. The prices investors are paying for start-ups at early stages of development hit a peak in the second half of 2021, according to a recent financial presentation from the start-up investment firm Redpoint Ventures. Dan Primack, a journalist at Axios, said two months ago that the go-go era is history for tech start-ups and other types of young companies. Primack knows that similar predictions have been off base repeatedly, but he cited evidence that investors were no longer throwing cash at anyone who says the word innovation. Being reckless or even financially irrational has paid off for investors in start-ups for a long time, and Primacks point was that the riches were no longer as great as they used to be. Again, all this could prove a blip, and tech could continue to add both wealth and importance. I also know that not many of you are shedding tears over cratered stock prices for Facebook and Netflix. Fair. A blind faith in technology isnt great for us, but the belief in technology has also been beneficial. That optimism in technology has given companies the cash and freedom to bring us zippy laptops, Doritos delivered in 15 minutes and more options to work away from an office. If and when the tech party becomes less lavish, the changes that weve taken as a given may disappear, in ways that may be both potentially disruptive and healthy. Well see. Micheal Martin leaves the Convention Centre Dublin after he is elected as new prime minister of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland, June 27, 2020. (Photo by Liu Xiaoming/Xinhua) Martin tested positive on the eve of his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House, Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE reported. DUBLIN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has tested positive for COVID-19 while on a visit to the United States, his office said in a news release on Thursday. In a statement, President Michael D. Higgins sent his good wishes to Martin. "I was so very sorry to learn of this news breaking while the Taoiseach (prime minister in Irish) was busy representing Ireland in the United States leading up to our National Day," he wrote. "I wish the Taoiseach a speedy recovery and also wish him further success with the continuation of his program in Washington." Children watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade in London, Britain, March 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Martin is currently in the United States on the occasion of St. Patrick's Day, a national holiday in Ireland that falls on March 17 every year. Martin tested positive on the eve of his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House, Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE reported. The meeting eventually took place by video. Martin is self-isolating and is feeling well, RTE said. U.S. President Joe Biden walks on the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2022. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) LONDON Theres no nudity in Cock, the 2009 Mike Bartlett play that opened Tuesday in a starry revival at the Ambassadors Theater here. But by the time its 105 minutes, no intermission, have come to an end, youve seen its characters stripped emotionally bare. The play has had quite a trajectory, from its London origins in the Royal Courts 80-seat studio space to a run in New York (where it had the longer, less provocative title The Cockfight Play) and now to a commercial West End perch where tickets are going for three figures prices you might find for a big musical like Cabaret. The shows director, Marianne Elliott, is a significant force in London theater, and the cast is led by Jonathan Bailey and Taron Egerton, two theater-trained actors more widely known these days onscreen. Bailey came to prominence in the Netflix series Bridgerton, while Egerton was a hugely charismatic Elton John in the biopic Rocketman and has starred in several of the Kingsman films. The plays author has enjoyed his own ascent. He won acclaim in London and on Broadway for King Charles III, which predicts how Englands monarchy might evolve after the queen dies, and has two new plays due in London this spring, one of which, The 47th, imagines Donald Trumps 2024 campaign for the presidency. (That one opens next month at the Old Vic.) Searching further, he said he found discrepancies with other sources of data that he believes made undergraduate class sizes look smaller than they are, made instructional spending look bigger than it is and made professors look more highly educated than they are. Columbia officials said that the numbers could be sliced in different ways, including in ways that would be even more favorable to the university, and that the public data sources Dr. Thaddeus used were not always the final word. Asked about Dr. Thaddeuss analysis, U.S. News & World Report did not address the details, but said that it relied on schools to accurately report their data. University officials said its rise had hardly been as precipitous as Dr. Thaddeus suggested. From 1988 to 1989, the university vaulted 10 places, to eighth from 18th, in large part because the rankings relied more on data, and less on a survey of reputation among university presidents. It has ranked in the top five for a decade, Columbia said. High school students and their parents rely on the rankings as a putatively objective way of judging which colleges to apply to. College presidents fear that a drop in rankings will tarnish the reputation of their school and deter top students from applying. Critics of the rankings say that the criteria that go into them such as class size and instructional spending can be manipulated, and that the very act of rating schools has produced conformism in the race to the top. To say, as U.S. News does, were going to rank 392 institutions from one to 392 is just absurd, and it forces all the wonderful diversity in that group into a single template, Mr. Diver said. For a brief period in 1992, Lynn Yeakel carried the hope of many American women on her shoulders. While watching the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, she was among millions of people who were outraged by the way the Senate Judiciary Committee treated Anita Hill, a law professor who had accused Mr. Thomas of sexual harassment. The optics of the all-male, all-white committee grilling a Black woman and more or less dismissing her complaint about sexual harassment not a widely acknowledged dynamic at the time drove several women to run for office in what pundits called the Year of the Woman. Ms. Yeakel (pronounced YAY-kul), a Pennsylvania Democrat who had never run for office before, was among them. She took on Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, whose aggressive interrogation of Ms. Hill during the hearings, which riveted the nation, put him at the top of the list of men whom women voters most wanted to defeat. The stalemate is playing out in a state whose 15 House seats the seventh-largest congressional delegation in the nation represent the second-largest trove of congressional districts whose boundaries remain to be drawn for this years midterm elections. (Florida, with 28 House seats, is the largest.) The delegations partisan makeup could determine control of an almost evenly divided House of Representatives. The Ohio Supreme Court is also in a standoff with the Redistricting Commission over the states congressional map, having already rejected one version in January as too partisan. It is considering a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the commissions newly redrawn map of Ohio congressional districts, which would create solidly Republican seats in 10 of the 15 districts. The map would leave Democrats with three safe seats and two competitive seats where the party would hold slight edges. The fight over the maps could well move to federal court, where Republicans have asked that a three-judge panel be created to consider instituting the Redistricting Commissions rejected maps so that elections can proceed. Chief Judge Algenon L. Marbley of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio declined to act on Monday, noting that the State Supreme Court was considering the maps. But Judge Marbley, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, indicated that he would step in if there were serious doubts that state processes will produce a state map in time for the primary election. In North Carolina, Pennsylvania and some other states, state supreme courts have played decisive roles in redistricting this year, casting aside gerrymanders in favor of fairer maps often drawn by nonpartisan experts. The Ohio court is at an impasse because the State Constitution allows the court to reject maps it deems unconstitutional, but gives it no clear authority to make maps more fair, much less to adopt ones that the commission did not draw. Image Maureen OConnor, the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and a Republican, said the states G.O.P.-dominated Redistricting Commission was creating chaos by repeatedly drawing maps that violated the Ohio Constitutions mandate for political fairness. Credit... Earl Gibson III/Getty Images It wasnt supposed to be this way. Ohioans thought they had abolished hyperpartisan political maps for good seven years ago, when they resoundingly approved a constitutional amendment that took mapmaking authority away from politicians in the legislature and gave it to the new commission. That referendum ended a long struggle between voting rights advocates and political leaders of both parties, who had resisted any change in the mapmaking process. One of the voters charged, Jamie Wells, told investigators that the UPS Store was her home base. She said she lived in a mobile home and split time between a nearby campground and Louisiana. Ms. Wells did not respond to phone or email messages. If convicted, she stands to serve up to three and a half years in prison though she would most likely receive a much shorter sentence. In La Crosse County, Wis., District Attorney Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, received a similar referral: 23 people registered to vote with addresses from a local UPS Store, and 16 of them voted in 2020. But Mr. Gruenke said he had concluded that there was no attempt at fraud. Instead of felony charges, the local clerk sent the voters a letter giving them 30 days to change their registrations to an address where they lived. It didnt seem to me there was any attempt to defraud, Mr. Gruenke said. It would be a felony charge, and I thought that would be too heavy for what amounted to a typo or clerical error. Mr. Toney linked his decision to his views about the 2020 election in Wisconsin, which the Democratic candidate, Joseph R. Biden Jr., won by more than 20,682 votes out of 3.3 million cast. While he had never challenged Mr. Bidens win, he said he believed that there is no dispute that Wisconsin election laws werent followed and fraud occurred. I support identifying any fraud or election laws not followed to ensure it never happens again, because elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, Mr. Toney said. (Ms. Wells, one of the voters Mr. Toney has charged, also said she believed something was amiss in the 2020 election. They took it away from Trump, she told investigators.) WASHINGTON The Senate Republican news conference on Wednesday was proceeding with the usual partisan criticism of President Biden and exhortations for him to do more much more to bolster Ukraines defense when the microphone went to Senator Ted Cruz. The Texas Republican, in a made-for-television voice, made a stark assertion: This war didnt have to happen the most significant war in Europe since 1945, since the end of World War II, he said, before telling reporters that Mr. Bidens White House caused this. Lawmakers in both parties have described their shared determination to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia as the most remarkable consensus in Congress since the aftermath of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. President Zelensky has managed not only to unite the West; to a large extent, hes managed to unite the Congress, Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, said of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. But the sense of common purpose has not translated into bipartisan backing for the commander in chief; if anything, it has sharpened Republicans lines of attack against Mr. Biden. The tension over how to approach this juncture of the pandemic was evident in a statement announcing the departure of the presidents coronavirus response coordinator on Thursday. Mr. Biden said the United States had entered a new moment in the fight against the virus and acknowledged the pleasure that many people were feeling as they emerged from more than two years of fear and anxiety. Americans are safely moving back to more normal routines, using the effective new tools we have to enable us to reduce severe Covid cases and make workplaces and schools safer, Mr. Biden said. But he quickly added, Our work in combating Covid is far from done. That work includes persuading lawmakers in both parties to approve billions of dollars to continue fighting the virus. Administration officials say the money would be used to replenish supplies of vaccine, masks and new viral drugs used to treat Covid. Jeffrey D. Zients, the departing coronavirus response coordinator, insisted this week that the additional money for Covid is not nice to have; this is need to have. But a bipartisan agreement between lawmakers and the White House to repurpose money that had already been approved for states fell apart when some Democratic lawmakers refused to go along. The difficulty of passing a new Covid spending package underscores how much the national attitude has changed since the pandemic began. A year ago, the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan included more than $178 billion for vaccinations and other Covid-related health care expenditures. Now, Mr. Biden is struggling to make the case for much less. At the White House on Thursday, Ms. Psaki said Mr. Biden tested negative for the virus on Sunday and continues to be tested at least once a week, but had not done so since the disclosure of the Irish prime ministers test. Ms. Abramss focus on state and hyperlocal issues reflects an understanding that to win Georgia, any Democrat must capture votes in all corners of the state. That also means knowing the issues closest to voters in every corner. Everything either happens in Atlanta, or outside of Atlanta in the suburbs, said Bobby Jenkins, the mayor of Cuthbert and a Democrat. But as the election in November showed, youve got a lot of Democrats, a lot of people in these rural areas, and you cannot overlook them. There arent many in this county. But when you band all of these counties together in southwest Georgia, then you can create some impact. Ms. Abrams has also used visits like the one to Cuthbert and a later meet-and-greet in the central Georgia town of Warner Robins to criticize Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who beat her in the same race in 2018, over what she called his weakening of the states public health infrastructure during the pandemic and his underinvestment in rural communities. If we do not have a governor who sees and focuses on how Georgia can mitigate these harms, how Georgia can bolster opportunity, then the national environment is less relevant, because the deepest pain comes from closer to home, Ms. Abrams said in the interview. Still, that national environment remains unfriendly to Democrats. Less than eight months before the November midterm elections, the party is staring down a record number of House retirements, a failure to pass the bulk of President Bidens agenda and a pessimistic electorate that is driving his low approval ratings. Yet Democrats see reasons for hope in Georgia. The state continues to grow younger and more racially diverse, in a boon to the network of organizations that helped turn out the voters who flipped Georgia blue in 2020. Many of those groups remain well-staffed and well-funded. And while Ms. Abrams is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, Mr. Kemp faces four challengers, including a Trump-backed candidate, former Senator David Perdue. A Louisiana high school student who was captured on video appearing to throw cotton balls at a Black student and whip him several times with a belt was arrested on Tuesday on a hate crime charge, the authorities said. Video recorded on March 9 in the cafeteria of Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, La., shows a student walking over to a table of African American students, throwing cotton onto the table and then hitting one of the students with a belt, the schools president, Jeremy Gueldner, said in a statement on Wednesday. The footage, which was recorded by another Vandebilt student, was shared on social media, and the school started an investigation that included the Terrebonne Parish Sheriffs Office, he said. The name of the student, who is white, has not been released. Mr. Gueldner said disciplinary action had been taken. DAR ES SALAAM, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Wednesday pledged to support Tanzania in ensuring full participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making in issues affecting them. Mark Schreiner, the UNFPA country representative for Tanzania, said protecting and upholding the rights of persons with disabilities is a human right imperative and is essential for continued strong economic growth in the country. Schreiner made the remarks in a meeting between President Samia Suluhu Hassan and persons with disabilities held at Chamwino State House in the capital of Dodoma. Schreiner said Tanzania needs solid data and evidence on persons with disabilities in order to deliver on its commitment to achieving its development aspirations as set out in its development plans. He also said the August 2022 Population and Housing Census will provide a unique opportunity for an update of the situation of persons with disabilities in Tanzania by age, sex, disability and geographic location. "There is a need to understand their potential and their realities to inform national planning, policies and programs and determine resource allocation to implement Tanzania's commitments to promote the rights of persons with disabilities," he stressed. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez should be extradited to the United States to face drug-trafficking and weapons charges, a Honduran judge ruled on Wednesday. The Honduran authorities detained Mr. Hernandez in February, capping a spectacular downfall for one of Central Americas most powerful men. He is expected to appeal the extradition decision. During the court hearing, the judge presented a document sent by the United States Justice Department through the American embassy in the capital, Tegucigalpa, that laid out the charges against Mr. Hernandez. His lawyers also presented at least 20 pieces of evidence in his defense. Mr. Hernandez is accused of participating in a violent drug-trafficking conspiracy that since 2004 has transported 500 tons of cocaine from Venezuela and Colombia to the United States via Honduras, according to the document. His opponents called the ruling an insult to his victims and a blow to efforts to end impunity for the powerful in Peru, where four former presidents face money laundering or corruption charges that could imprison them for several years. Once more in our country the right to justice for victims isnt being fulfilled, Gisela Ortiz, a former culture minister and the sister of a man killed in a 1992 death squad massacre, told Radio Programas del Peru. We have to keep insisting. The ruling marked the latest reversal in fortunes for Mr. Fujimori, a former agriculture professor who swept to power in 1990 on a populist platform and resigned by fax from his parents homeland of Japan a decade later as he faced widespread protests over accusations of corruption and electoral fraud. Mr. Fujimori was detained in 2005 during a visit to neighboring Chile and extradited to Peru in 2007. Two years later, he was convicted of human rights violations for the extrajudicial killings of 25 civilians by death squads during his governments counterinsurgency campaign. The court at the time said that his convictions amounted to crimes against humanity, which his opponents say should bar him from receiving any kind of pardon. Mr. Fujimori has also been convicted of kidnapping and political corruption,and is still awaiting trials related to another massacre and the alleged forced sterilization of Indigenous women while he was in power. On Christmas Eve in 2017, former center-right president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski granted Mr. Fujimori a humanitarian pardon after striking a deal with a faction of Mr. Fujimoris supporters in Congress that helped him avoid impeachment. But within a year, a Supreme Court judge had annulled the pardon and ordered him back to prison, finding it had been granted for political and not medical reasons as required by law. BANGKOK A Cambodian court convicted 19 members of the countrys main opposition party on charges of incitement and conspiracy on Thursday, as Prime Minister Hun Sen pushed forward with a set of trials that critics condemn as the latest effort to eliminate the last vestiges of dissenting political voices in what is already a virtually one-party state. The court handed down sentences of between five and 10 years, with the longer terms given to seven leaders of the political opposition who had fled abroad to avoid arrest, including Sam Rainsy, the leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party; the partys deputy leader, Mu Sochua; and another opposition politician, Eng Chhay Eang. They had already been found guilty last year of what the authorities said was a plot to topple the government and sentenced to terms of more than 20 years. One other person who was not a party member was also convicted Thursday. The trials, which have been going on for more than a year, have ensnared more than 100 people. SEOUL South Korea reported its peak daily coronavirus infection number of the entire pandemic on Thursday, recording 621,328 cases in a country of 50 million people. It was the second straight day the country set a record, during a weeklong surge of Omicron cases that has dwarfed all its previous waves, with one in every 20 people testing positive over the past seven days. But during this surge, South Korea, which responded to past swells with all-out efforts to track, test and isolate the infected, is responding with a collective shrug. With the vast majority of its adult population vaccinated and about nine out of 10 of those 60 and older with a booster, South Korea is pushing ahead with plans to ease social distancing measures, relax border restrictions and learn to live with the viruss risk, even as it is experiencing some of the highest per-person infection rates anywhere in the world. Some human rights advocates have pointed to a humanitarian double standard in which Europe prioritizes aiding white Christians over helping others fleeing war and strife. The wonderful outpouring of solidarity with Ukrainian refugees stands in stark contrast to the treatment of migrants and refugees from other parts of the world, most of them brown and Black, Judith Sunderland, an associate director for Europe and Central Asia for Human Rights Watch, said in an interview. Europe is doing the right thing this time but this tremendous empathy and solidarity should stretch to everyone in need. Other European leaders have also described Ukrainian refugees as less of a threat and more deserving of help than others. Denmark, which has some of the toughest anti-immigration legislation in Europe, passed a law on Wednesday that offers Ukrainian refugees expedited residency and work permits, giving them access to the education and health care systems. The law came as Syrian asylum seekers have been languishing for months in deportation centers in Denmark, after the country started revoking their residency permits in 2019. Russia-Ukraine War: Key Developments Card 1 of 4 Fears of an expanded war rise. With the Russian military still struggling, Western officials are looking with increased alarm to Russias Victory Day holiday on May 9. Anxiety is growing that President Vladimir V. Putin will exploit the celebration of the Soviet triumph over the Nazis to intensify attacks and formally declare war. Russian oil embargo. The European Union unveiled a plan to halt imports of Russian crude oil in the next six months and refined oil products by the end of the year. If approved as expected, it would be the blocs biggest and costliest step yet toward ending its own dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Support for Moldova. The E.U. promised to provide additional military support for Moldova, the increasingly pressured neighbor of Ukraine. Security fears have grown there during the invasion, swelling after a series of explosions rocked Transnistria, the countrys own breakaway region, where Russia has maintained soldiers since 1992. On the ground. Moscow continued to demonstrate its destructive power. In the western city of Lviv, strikes on three power substations knocked out electricity in many areas. In the eastern region of Donetsk, 21 people died on May 3, the highest number of casualties in a day since last month. In 2016, as many refugees fled conflicts in the Middle East and Africa to Europe, Denmark passed a law requiring newly arrived asylum seekers to hand over valuables, including jewelry and gold, to help pay for their stay in the country. Ukrainian refugees are exempt from that law. The Danish government has also made an agreement with local authorities aimed at integrating asylum seekers into Danish communities within four days of their being granted a temporary residency permit. Its going to go very fast. Within a couple of weeks many Danes will have a new colleague, a new neighbor or a new classmate, Mattias Tesfaye, Denmarks immigration minister, said on Danish television. ROME An appeals court in Rome on Thursday overturned the life sentences of two American men convicted last year of killing a police officer while vacationing in the Italian capital, but it did not absolve them of the crime. The jury reduced the sentence of one of the men, Finnegan Elder, to 24 years in prison and of the other, Gabriel Natale Hjorth, to 22 years for the 2019 homicide of Deputy Brig. Mario Cerciello Rega, in a case that drew attention far beyond the Italian capital. The lawyers said they would appeal the verdict and the sentences, and expressed dismay at the ruling. The court has 90 days to produce its verdict in writing. I am bitter because Gabe is innocent, said Fabio Alonzi, one of Mr. Natale Hjorths lawyers. Mr. Natale Hjorths father and uncle were present for the hearing but declined to speak to reporters afterward. President Biden canceled his face-to-face meetings with Prime Minister Micheal Martin of Ireland on Thursday after the prime minister received a positive result on a coronavirus test during a gala event in Washington on Wednesday night that both men attended. Daniel Mulhall, Irelands ambassador to the United States, confirmed the positive test early Thursday, complicating the prime ministers plans to spend the day with Mr. Biden for traditional St. Patricks Day celebrations. Mr. Biden and Mr. Martin instead met virtually on Thursday morning, with Mr. Biden seated near a television monitor showing Mr. Martin, with a bowl of shamrock on a coffee table. The president said he was deeply sorry for the inconvenience for the virtual format. White House officials said that Mr. Biden, who is 79 and has been vaccinated and boosted, was not in close contact with Mr. Martin during Wednesdays gala, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as being within six feet of someone for at least 15 minutes. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that Mr. Biden is tested weekly for the coronavirus, and that his last test was on Sunday. YEREVAN, Armenia The United Nations cultural agency said on Thursday that it was sending body armor and helmets to Ukraine to help protect Ukrainian journalists, many of whom have gone from covering local news to suddenly becoming war correspondents. At least four journalists, including a Ukrainian, have been killed covering the fighting since Russia began its invasion last month. Every day, journalists and media workers are risking their lives in Ukraine to provide lifesaving information to local populations and inform us of the reality of this war, Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of the agency, UNESCO, said in a statement released from Paris. The body armor was part of emergency measures adopted by the agency to protect journalists in Ukraine and help displaced journalists continue their work. A UNESCO diplomat said it was the first time in any conflict that the U.N. agency had sent body armor to journalists. What has amazed me is how the activist community reacted, said Lenny Emson, who leads KyivPride and uses the gender-neutral courtesy title Mx. Its very encouraging how people work and how people did not stay inside panicking. They organized themselves for the community. The conflict has confronted people who are gay, lesbian or gender nonconforming with the same agonizing choices as the rest of the countrys 44 million people. Some have fled as refugees or moved to Ukraines west in search of safety. Others have stayed to help relatives or because they are trapped in besieged towns or cities. Still others have joined Ukraines defense forces. At the same time, some people who are L.G.B.T.Q. have faced problems unique to their sex or gender identity. Mx. Emson said that she was aware of about 100 transgender women who were in the process of attaining legal gender recognition when the war started. After the invasion, Ukraine banned men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country to ensure they could be conscripted for military service. The transgender women are effectively trapped because of the letter M in their passports, Mx. Emson said. Some people who are H.I.V. positive no longer have ready access to medication. Neither do people in the process of gender transition. Protests that led to a revolution in 2014, during which Ukraines pro-Moscow president was overthrown in favor of a Western-leaning one, served to deepen ties between gay rights activists and other branches of civil society. The drive for human rights, which underpins gay rights, was central to the protests that centered on Kyivs Maidan Square. Talk to licensing agencies to find the best fit and learn the requirements. Foster care is usually administered by state and local governments, often through contracts with private agencies. For example, in California and many other states, a mix of public and private agencies administer the system. In New York City and Florida, Geen said, foster care is administered entirely through private entities. Shop around for the right organization, he said. You need to feel comfortable, because those are people who are preparing you to take care of another life and to be there for you through thick and thin. When foster parents burn out and leave the system, I was repeatedly told, it is typically not because of the children but because of a lack of support, perceived or not, from the system. So its important to get a sense of how a foster care agency views its families, before you take in a child. I view it as concentric circles, Rodriguez said. In the center is the foster family holding the child, the caseworkers are holding the foster family, and the lawyers and the court have to be holding the caseworkers. Foster care agencies should not be treating foster families as little more than a bed in a safe home. Taking in a child is a demanding commitment, so the amount of training and preparation is important, too. And licensing requirements vary state by state. We have states that are down to six or eight hours of pre-service training, Irene Clements, Executive Director of the National Foster Parent Association, told me. This can leave parents unprepared for the reality of caring for children whove experienced trauma and who sometimes have related emotional or behavioral challenges or of working as part of a care team that includes the birth family. The PRIDE training program, used in New Jersey, Texas and several other states, covers major topics like how to meet the developmental needs of children, how to understand and manage loss, and how to work with birth parents and the child welfare system to move a child toward a permanent home, in nine three-hour sessions. If your local training requirement is less comprehensive, Clements recommends supplementing it with online courses through Foster Parent College or Creating a Family. Background checks and home visits by agency workers are required for licensing. They can feel intrusive but are mostly standard and routine. And be aware that any extended family members living with you are part of the background check and licensing process, too. Consider your particular abilities and limitations. Jeremy Kohomban, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the Childrens Village, a foster care provider in New York, told me that, in his organization, all kinds of households single-parent, gay, conservative Christian, liberal have been life-changing foster families. What were asking is whether you can be the adult thats consistent and is willing to give a child unconditional belonging. So its important to think about how, or if, you can provide that consistency. Do you have an educational or work background that relates to child welfare, development or medicine? Is your work flexible enough to permit you to manage above-average medical needs? Typically states cover the routine expenses of raising foster children, including medical and day care costs. If you already have children in your home, you may need to take their ages into account when deciding on how many children, and what ages, you will accept. The median age of children in foster care in 2017 was about 7 years old, with teenage children being over-represented in institutional care. NIAMEY, March 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 19 people, including two policemen, were killed on Wednesday afternoon in a terrorist attack on a bus coming from Burkina Faso to Tera (in western Niger), Niger's security source said on Thursday. The attackers riding on motorbikes intercepted the bus near the village of Petel kole around 1 p.m., fired at the passengers and set fire to the vehicle, said the same source. Niger's security forces flushed out the terrorists who dispersed in the surrounding areas. The area known as the "three borders" (Niger-Mali-Burkina Faso) has become in recent years the theater of operations for terrorist groups which carry out deadly attacks on both sides of the borders, targeting the armed forces and the civilians. Rachel Oliner and Justin Worsdales one-bedroom condominium in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was perfectly sufficient when they worked in offices. But when they found themselves swapping back and forth between the bedroom and the windowless home office during the pandemic, something had to give. We could hear all of each others conversations, and Justin is a musician on the side, said Ms. Oliner, 32, who works in operations for a startup. Mr. Worsdale, 40, is a software engineer. They hung their bicycles from the ceiling and jockeyed for space in the small kitchen. Their dream was to live in a Brooklyn brownstone, but it seemed unattainable. Who can buy a house in New York City? Ms. Oliner asked. She followed the Instagram account of Danielle Nazinitsky, a Compass agent who specializes in townhouses, contacted her last summer and was surprised to find out that they could. [Did you recently buy or rent a home in the New York metro area? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] The couple set their price at around $1.6 million, which, when youre looking for a townhouse in not-far-out Brooklyn, is pretty difficult, Ms. Oliner said. Mr. Worsdale would have liked to remain in Williamsburg, where he had lived for almost 20 years, but houses there were scarce and out of their price range. Williamsburg is a very condo-centric neighborhood, Ms. Nazinitsky said. Ms. Oliner preferred to head to Bedford-Stuyvesant, where she had previously lived with roommates. The couple liked the tree-lined residential streets of Stuyvesant Heights, which was close to subways, shops and services, Ms. Oliner said. They were open to a two-family house, for the rental income. And they hoped to find a place in good condition, although most houses in their price range were a mess inside, with water damage, sagging stairs, cracked ceilings or rotting windowsills. Justin comes from Miami, where central air is king, and he wanted central air and central everything, Ms. Oliner said. Window units never really cool off the place, Mr. Worsdale said. That is a level of suffering I am not willing to deal with anymore. Buyers often find air-conditioning to be a big hurdle to get their heads wrapped around, Ms. Nazinitsky said, because it is so expensive to install. Mr. Worsdale had his own philosophy of the hunt: Its like playing a slot machine, he said. You almost have to become numb to being turned down. I think you have to have your hopes and dreams dashed a certain amount of times. Among their options in Stuyvesant Heights: Last month, Dmytro Kuzubov put on his headphones and walked around Kharkiv for hours. He felt that the war would start soon and he wanted to visit some of his favorite places. Kharkiv is his hometown: a vibrant, youthful city of nearly 1.5 million people steeped in academia, art and literature. UKRAINE Kharkiv The attacks started a few days later. Unable to take control of the city, Russia has resorted to destroying it. As in Syria and Chechnya, Russia aims to demoralize the citys inhabitants with overwhelming and indiscriminate firepower. It is following a similar plan in other Ukrainian cities, such as Mariupol and Mykolaiv. The most horrible thing was the whistle of jets. I will remember them all my life, said Mr. Kuzubov, who has since fled Kharkiv, along with hundreds of thousands of others. Sergey Bobok/Agence France-Presse Getty Images This was a kindergarten classroom. Andrew Marienko/Associated Press This was somebodys living room. Pavel Dorogoy/Associated Press And this was the site of the Old Hem, a popular pub in the buildings basement, where a statue of Ernest Hemingway greeted patrons out front. It was one of my favorite places. A lot of stuff happened there screaming, fights, drinking, funny songs, said Alex Sedov, a third-generation Kharkivite. It was a great place, and Im very sad its gone. Russia has attacked Kharkiv with artillery, rockets, cluster munitions and guided missiles on at least 13 different days, a relentless barrage, lately targeting the city at night. Most Kharkiv residents are Russian speakers, and many are ethnic Russians. At least 500 civilians have been killed, according to the citys emergency services agency. The true number is likely higher, and rescue workers continue to dig through the rubble. Residential building Kindergarten Apartment Tram depot Saltivka School Kharkiv National University Old Hem Nikolsky Mall Kharkiv 2 MILES Residential building Kindergarten Apartment Tram depot School Kharkiv National University Old Hem Nikolsky Mall Kharkiv 2 MILES Source: East View Geospatial (base map data) Kharkiv is not yet completely destroyed, but we hear constant shelling, constant bombing, said Natalka Zubar, a 57-year-old I.T. professional who has remained in the city. Its a place of constant airborne terror. The city is full of historic monuments, home to 24 universities and some 200,000 students and professors, Ms. Zubar said. The main Kharkiv National University building still stands but has been damaged from nearby explosions. Windows of one of the main university buildings were blown out. Sergey Bobok/Agence France-Presse Getty Images The economics department was hit directly. Oleksandr Lapshyn/Reuters And the university gym was destroyed. You would see so many young people on the streets; it gave the city this kind of energetic, vibrant feeling because of the youth, said Maria Avdeeva, a disinformation and security expert. Imagine tomorrow, life goes back to normal in Kharkiv. Where will they live? Where will they go to university? For Ms. Avdeeva and other lifelong residents, the annihilation of the city is incomprehensible. She remains in Kharkiv, documenting its destruction. Last weekend she walked around in search of stores still selling food. It was Saturday, usually you would think: Go to a shop, go to a cafe. What a Saturday should be like, she said. Its nothing of that kind now. On March 1, a rocket struck directly in front of the Kharkiv regional administration building, an imposing structure in the citys main square that flew the Ukrainian flag from its roof. The education department, the finance department almost everything which is connected to the functioning of the Kharkiv region had offices in this building, Ms. Avdeeva said. The building is not only important, it is meaningful, too. Pavel Dorogoy/Associated Press It is the symbol of Kharkiv, and everyone who is coming to Kharkiv takes pictures here. There is no way you can come to Kharkiv and not notice this building, said Ms. Avdeeva. The adjacent square was also heavily damaged in the strike. Originally named after the founder of the Soviet secret police, the square was renamed Freedom Square after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. Pavel Dorogoy/Associated Press They are destroying our historical heritage and our architectural heritage. They want to destroy it all, they want to demoralize people, Mr. Kuzubov said. A week before the invasion, Mr. Kuzubov and his friends went to see the movie Rhino by Oleh Sentsov, a Ukrainian filmmaker, at the newly opened Nikolsky Mall. At around 10:30 p.m. on March 9, a rocket crashed through the roof, leaving shattered glass and debris everywhere inside. Kharkiv Region Police, via Reuters This is the mall now. Andrew Marienko/Associated Press This was a tram depot. Sergey Bobok/Agence France-Presse Getty Images This was a school. Some of Russias strikes in the opening days of the invasion were aimed at military targets. Since then, they have been indiscriminate. Hundreds of apartment buildings have been hit, including this one in Saltivka, a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of Kharkiv. They are maximizing the terror. They are shelling or bombing random objects now, said Ms. Zubar. But we would rather die fighting for the city than leave. Slide 1 of 19, Hudson Heights Co-op $799,000 MANHATTAN 350 Cabrini Boulevard, No. 7K A two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,000-square-foot apartment with a sunken living room that has built-in bookshelves, a dining area, a windowed kitchen with a breakfast bar, and a primary suite, in an Art Deco elevator building from 1935 with a part-time doorman and laundry room. Kimberly T. Hastie, Brown Harris Stevens, 917-836-6578; bhsusa.com A Wisconsin dentist was recently found guilty of intentionally damaging his patients teeth so he could charge them more after fixing them. 61-year-old Scott Chamolli faces up to 10 years for each of his five healthcare fraud charges, and a maximum of five years for two other charges. The experienced dentist allegedly made millions by purposely drilling or breaking his clients teeth and then charging them extra to fix the damage. According to prosecutors, after causing the unnecessary damage, Chamoli would pressure his patients into unnecessary procedures just to boost his profit. Even though many of the victims thought their teeth were fine, they trusted him as the professional and paid for the unnecessary procedures. Photo: Unsplash/Caroline LM Some of these patients were extremely vulnerable individuals in abusive relationships, recently widowed, survivors of cancer and living paycheck to paycheck scrounging to afford the co-pays required for the unnecessary procedures he was billing, prosecutor Julie Stewart said in 2020. Scott Chamollis scheme only came to light in 2019, when he decided to sell his practice. the new owners looked over the files and noticed the unusually high number of procedures the dentist had carried out in the previous three years. According to one insurance company executive, while an average Wisconsin dentist performs fewer than six crowns for every 100 patients, Chamolis rate was 32 crowns per 100 clients. A former assistant at Chamolis dentistry business testified that his office went from busy to extremely busy after he consulted with marketing experts who recommended that he sell more services to boost profits. Baily Bayer added that she was new to the profession but still found it odd that the accused would take X-rays after performing some drilling on the patients teeth. Prosecutors told the court that Scott Chamoli would use the shots of the deliberately damaged teeth as before photos to send insurance companies and justify the crown procedures. These were only partially covered by insurance so his patients had to pay considerable amounts of money as well. The disgraced dentists lawyers insisted that the only thing their client was guilty of was hard work. He certainly denies that his hard-earned wealth of many, many years of dental practice at the 40 to 60 hour per week range are the product of anything other than his own diligence, hard work and good business acumen, one of his lawyers said. Scott Charmoli faces up to 20 years in prison, but is likely to get a much more lenient punishment. His sentencing is scheduled for June 17. Lal Bihari is probably Indias most famous living dead, one of many people killed off in official records so that relatives can claim their possessions for themselves. Killing off somebody on paper is apparently not that hard to do in India. All you need is some bribe money and local officials willing to do some dirty work in exchange for that money. Victims are usually people who have been away from their birthplace for a long time, and the culprits are greedy relatives trying to claim their land or their family homes. But once youre dead in official records, proving that youre actually alive is a much more difficult endeavor, especially when the people you are trying to convince are the very same who were paid to kill you off in the first place. Lal Biharis story is probably the most famous example of a dead mans struggle in India. His woes began in 1976, when he returned to his birthplace, the village of Khalilabad, in Uttar Pradesh, for residence, income and caste certificates, needed to secure a loan for his heirloom business. When the clerk first looked up at him and told him that Lal Bihari was dead, he smiled, but the clerk didnt smile back Lal Bihari died last year, the lekhpal told him. I dont know who you are. But I am here before you, a puzzled Bihari replied. You know me. I have met you before. The clerk didnt care. He showed the dead man that the official record showed that he had died on July 30, 1976, a year prior, and that his land had gone to his cousin. Even though he was shocked by the news, Lal Bihari was confident that he could make things right soon. After all, he was living proof that he hadnt died. He had no idea that he would spend the next 18 years fighting to be resurrected. Bihari began his struggle by contacting a lawyer who laughed at him, saying A dead man has come to me. He then tried to file complaints with the local authorities, the very same people who had declared him dead to begin with. Soon, locals started mocking him, calling him mritak (dead man) and a ghost. He felt humiliated, but there was nothing he could do. In 1980, a politician by the name of Shyam Lal Kanojia gave Bihari a piece of advice that would change his life. Instead of being ashamed of his status as a mritak, he should instead embrace it and use it to shame those who had killed him off. Your case is going nowhere, Kanojia said. You are a mritak. Why not openly call yourself one to shame those who did this to you? From that day forward, Lal Bihari started making a spectacle of himself, in an attempt to highlight his problem, and thats how he discovered that he was one of many other living dead in India, many of whom needed help and guidance. Among the many stunts Bihari pulled in his 18 years as a mritak, Lal Bihari tried running in a regional election, to prove that he was alive, claimed widows assistance for his wife, because he was officially dead, and even kidnapped his young cousin, whose parents Bihari believed had bribed officials to declare him dead, and he even founded a non-profit to help other living dead. Newspapers started writing about him, and his story spread around India. It wasnt until 1994 that Lal Bihari was resurrected in local official records, and only after the arrival of a new lekhpal. But that wasnt the end of his story. After going through this 18-year ordeal, the Indian man dedicated much of his time to helping other living dead, through his organization, Mritak Sangh. He has since helped hundreds of people, launching investigations against dozens of corrupt officials. His unbelievable story was brought to the silver screen, in the movie Kaagaz. Although the Indian government describes the issue as not institutional or widespread, Lal Bihari believes that the number of living dead in India is somewhere in the tens of thousands. Fueled by greed, the land-grab method of declaring relatives dead is still very popular in the Asian country and even pits children against parents. My own son had killed me off, Panchu, a 75-year-old in Adampur village told Open the Magazine. If it had not been for Lal Bihari, I would still be dead. Deinococcus radiodurans is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds toughest bacterium, and it is fully deserving of that title. Scientists discovered the red, spherical bacterium that later came to be known as deinococcus radiodurans about 70 years ago, when examining a can of ground meat that had spoiled despite having been sterilized by exposure to doses of radiation in the megarad range. Research would later show that this lowly bacterium can withstand 10,000 times the amount of radiation that would normally kill a human being, thanks to a miraculous ability to repair numerous DNA double-strand breaks in a matter of hours. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Its DNA is highly damaged at 1.7 million rads, Michael Daly of Montana State University-Bozeman told Science Daily. Its DNA is all chopped up. There are between 1,000 and 2,000 DNA fragments per cell, but theyre all fixed in about 24 hours. But radiation isnt the only thing deinococcus radiodurans is virtually impervious to. Over the years, scientists have found that it can survive extreme drought conditions for long periods of time, complete lack of nutrients, extreme temperatures, and even the void of outer space. In August of 2020, studies conducted on the International Space Station had found that deinococcus radiodurans could survive in outer space for at least three years. Many believe that this discovery supports the theory of panspermia, the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed in various ways. We may be the generation to understand the origins of life, said Anne Kinney, director of NASAs Astronomical Search for Origins and Planetary Systems Program. It comes down to, Are we the center of the universe or not'. The remarkable ability of deinococcus radiodurans to withstand in extreme environments and then repair itself has been extensively studied by biologists and scientists, in the hopes of adapting this mechanism to humans, to help them better resist radiation exposure and also to handle toxic waste. So far, scientists have been unable to determine what the bacteriums natural habitat might be, as it has been observed in environments as diverse as elephant dung and granite in Antarctic dry valleys. Decades after its discovery, deinococcus radiodurans still holds the Guinness record for the worlds toughest bacterium, and is regarded by many as the most resistant organism ever discovered. Its many nicknames include Super Bug and Conan the Bacterium. A 58-year-old French woman has been fight to get her life back, after being wrongfully declared dead by a court, during a long-running dispute with a former employee. Jeanne Pouchain has been trying to prove she is alive and well for three years, ever since a labor court declared her dead, allegedly acting on information provided by one of her former employees, who she was in a legal dispute with. The verdict not only ended a decade-long lawsuit between Pouchain and her ex-employee, it also ruined her life as a citizen. Her name was wiped from official records, she lost her ID card, her drivers license, medical insurance, bank account, everything. It was like she didnt exist anymore. Photo: Venita Oberholster/Pixabay I went to see a lawyer who told me it would be quickly resolved as I had been to my doctor who certified that I was very much still alive, Ms. Pouchain recently told AFP. But because there had been a legal ruling this wasnt enough. The resident of Rive-de-Gier in Frances Loire region lost her legal existence and the rights which result from it, when the court declared her dead, in 2017. Today, she is even afraid to go out unless she really has to, afraid of might happen to her if she winds up in a situation where she needs to prove her identity. And all because a court ended her life on paper, without even checking if she had actually died. Jeanne and her lawyer blame one of the womans former employees for the nightmare she has been experiencing for the last three years. In 2000, Pouchains cleaning company had to let some of its employees go when it lost a big contract, and one of them sued the company. But that was only the beginning . In 2004, a court ordered Pouchains company to pay the terminated employee 14,000 euros in damages, but because had been taken against her company and not Pouchain herself the ruling was never enforced. Five years later, the ex-employee tried to go after Pouchain herself, but the case was thrown out. In 2016, it was filed again in an appeals court, which believing Jeanne dead, ordered her successors her husband and son to pay damages. But why would the court declare her dead? Well, the ex-employee and her lawyer claim that Pouchain herself is to blame, by refusing to answer correspondence and generally trying to avoid litigation. Still, for the court to simply believe the ex-employees version, that her letters to her former boss had gone unanswered, and that she had died, is very to believe. Its a crazy story. I couldnt believe it. I never thought that a judge would declare someone dead without a certificate, Pouchains lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, said. But the plaintiff claimed Mrs Pouchain was dead, without providing any proof and everyone believed her. Nobody checked. Crazier still is the difficulty of reversing the courts decision. Even though Jeanne Pouchain has stood in front of several judges over the last three years, her legal status is in limbo. She is no longer deceased, but she isnt alive either. She is somewhere in between. Neither Jeanne or her lawyer know how long their battle to legally resuscitate her will last, of if shell ever go back to her normal life, but all they can do at this point is continue to fight. London-based Gravity Global expands its operations in the US with the acquisition of 9th Wonder B2B and Morsekode. The Gravity Global US business will be led by Jose Lozano, currently CEO of 9th Wonder. He will report to Gravity global group chief executive Mark Lethbridge. Morsekode CEO/chief creative officer Mark Morse will serve as a managing partner. The acquisition gives Gravity Global owned offices in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Denver, Dallas and Houston. Our teams have worked closely and in partnership with Gravity Global for many years as part of its network, said Lozano. This now puts a formal structure in place so we can truly achieve our global ambitions. WPP is forming a long-term consultative partnership with Reddit. Under the arrangement, WPP will get a first look at Reddits commerce solutions so both companies can collaborate on joint products to take to shared clients. In addition, the partners will collaborate on client campaigns, focusing primarily on lower-funnel education, strategy and tactics. The partnership builds on Reddits existing relationship with GroupM, WPPs media division. WPP was also part of Reddits Product Council, which launched last year. I am excited to further strengthen our relationship with WPP and its suite of clients as we continue to collaborate and build together, said Reddit, global executive vice president and president of advertising Harold Klaje. Sunshine Sachs is rebranding as Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, reflecting the promotion of current partners Keleigh Thomas Morgan and Heather Lylis to co-presidents of the firm. Founder Ken Sunshine and CEO Shawn Sachs said in a note that Morgan and Lylis have helped to grow the agency from a small boutique PR firm of less than 10 people to a full-service consultancy with more than 250 employees and offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Austin and San Francisco. The shops business has expanded into integrated campaigns, media relations, talent integration, creative, sponsorship and events. The rebrand comes as Sunshine Sachs was preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The Chief Executive of Offaly County Council Anna Marie Delaney appointed Siemens to conduct a leading research project exploring the potential and opportunities for the integration of a Data Centre with renewable energy and green hydrogen in the Midlands. Building on the energy heritage built up through the peat-generation era, this project at Rhode Green Energy Park will provide evidence based research to enhance the development of green energy enterprises within the Midlands, a region in close proximity to the Greater Dublin Area. This Study is co-funded by the Just Transition Fund and North Offaly Development Fund (NODF). The North Offaly Development Fund is a community group with Rhode Green Energy Park as its flagship project. Chaired by Eugene Mulligan, the group has been working in close collaboration with Offaly County Council for a number of years to harness the potential of the site. Throughout the county, Offaly County Council has taken a lead role in embracing renewable energy in recent years, and is examining opportunities in emerging areas including Green Hydrogen and synergies between renewable energy generation, battery storage, large-scale energy usage and spin-off industries. Speaking this week, Anna-Marie Delaney said: The co-location of diverse renewable energy systems integrating into the national grid at Rhode Green Energy Park provides unique prospects for cutting edge innovation and demonstration hubs. Collaborations between industry, academia and stakeholders are underway to explore opportunities such as a Green Hydrogen integration and demonstration hub, and large scale energy user integration with renewables. Siemens, the company awarded the contract, bring leading international experience and expertise in Data Centres and renewables. Joe Walsh, General Manager of Siemens said that his team was looking forward to working on this project which is anticipated to deliver key insights of regional and national significance. Councillor Liam Quinn, Cathaoirleach of Edenderry MD and Director of NODF CLG welcomed the initiative. He commented that it demonstrates Offalys commitment to innovation and sustainable economic development, and is an important milestone in the development of Rhode Green Energy Park. Background The Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) is a key tool to ensure that the transition towards a climate-neutral economy happens in a fair way, leaving no one behind. It provides targeted support to help mobilise at least 65-75 billion over the period 2021-2027 in the most affected regions, to alleviate the socio-economic impact of the transition. The National Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a key pillar of the Governments plan for the Midlands region. A fund was made available in 2020 to support communities transitioning to a low carbon economy. The objective of the Fund is to facilitate innovative projects that contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the Wider Midlands region (including East Galway, Kildare, Laois, Longford, North Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath) and have significant employment and enterprise potential. Offaly is particularly affected as the region transitions away from peat as an energy source. Offaly County Council (as lead Applicant) and North Offaly Development Company (as partner) have been awarded 75,000 in funding under Just Transition Funding to complete a Research Project / Feasibility Study entitled Exploring Data Centre Integration with Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen in the Midlands. Offaly County Council and North Offaly Development Fund have previously identified the potential for Data Centre co-location with renewable projects planned and constructed, as outlined in an Opportunity Assessment available on the Offaly County Council website. Offaly County Council & North Offaly Development Fund have received funding from the Just Transition Fund and are at an advanced stage in the development of Rhode Green Energy Park on the site of the former Rhode Power Station. The recently conducted Eirgrid consultation entitled Shaping Our Electricity Future identified scenarios and opportunities for grid development. Offaly and the wider Midlands has significant potential in this regard, having the transmission infrastructure which previously serviced peat burning Power Stations. Furthermore, the CRU have recently commented that it was likely that data centres would be asked to locate outside of Dublin (where power demand was highest), to locate close to power sources. Offaly Co. Co. has permitted a significant number of renewable energy development and wishes to explore the potential for data centre integration. It is also notable that Bord na Mona have recently announced (27/09/21) the development of an Energy Park which is considering similar opportunities. Project Goal One of the leading areas of enterprise growth in Ireland is data centres. There is potential to explore the co-benefits of aligning the energy transition (which is the primary focus of the Rhode Just Transition Project also known as Rhode Green Energy Park) with the transition to a data-driven economy. This can open the opportunity to attract investment in data centres and associated technology-centred enterprise to the Midlands. In the future data centres will locate where low-carbon energy systems are available. This will give a competitive advantage to a sector increasingly concerned with its carbon footprint and corporate sustainability goals. At Rhode, there is an abundance of renewable energy potential, and the collaborative model for the Green Energy Park can enable waste heat from data centre cooling to be captured and used. However, further research is required to examine how to release this potential of Rhode and the Midlands. An emerging area of research and innovation at international level is the use of green hydrogen (created from excess renewable energy) as a data centre energy source. This has the potential to provide both very low carbon operation and safe back-up energy storage to support data centres. The development of a green hydrogen demonstration project at Rhode is already being advanced to feasibility stage. This project would research how best to shape the development of the energy transition project at Rhode to match the data centre sector requirements and ambitions, with a view to attracting significant inward investment and employment creation. Rhode Green Energy Park Due to the closure of the power station in Rhode, Co. Offaly the North Offaly Development Fund (NODF) was established with the objective to benefit the community of Rhode and surrounding area. In particular, NODF is intended to assist enterprise creation and development, with the aim of increasing employment and enhancing the economic and social profile in the area. The company received its funding from ESB Networks. The development of the Rhode Business Park was originally initiated by NODF for enterprise development for the benefit of the local economy and local community. Redevelopment of the site as a Business Park was approximately 90% complete in 2008 when, due to the on-set of the recession this work stopped. NODF had by this time invested 1.8million developing the park and Offaly County Council had invested 0.9 million developing the access infrastructure. In 2020, Offaly County Council commissioned an Opportunity Assessment Report that reviewed the existing activity in the area with a particular emphasis on green energy and the energy transition. The report identified a number of enterprise and employment opportunities for North Offaly, focussed on the Rhode Green Energy Park. Offaly County Council subsequently secured close to 1m to completion and transform the park infrastructure, enabling these opportunities to be developed. This will include integration of renewable energy with industrial and business employment. Photo taken with a mobile phone shows passengers stranded in a JR Yokosuka Line train following an earthquake, Japan, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Sun Jialin/Xinhua) TOKYO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit northeastern Japan on late Wednesday night, leaving several people with mild injuries, according to local government. The temblor occurred at around 11:36 p.m. Wednesday local time (1436 GMT) with a north latitude of 37.7 and an east longitude of 141.7 and at depth of 60 km. Tsunami waves were observed after the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning. Strong shaking was felt in the country's northeastern and eastern areas, especially in Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures where the quake logged six upper on the Japanese seismic intensity scale which peaks at seven. Several people in the two prefectures were admitted to hospitals after suffering from mild injuries, such as a head bump or an injured ankle. So far there is no official report of deaths or severe injured cases from the earthquake. A tsunami warning of up to one meter was issued to coastal areas in the Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures, with residents urged to stay away from the coast. The earliest tsunami wave arrived at Ishinomaki city in eastern Miyagi Prefecture at 11:50 p.m. Wednesday local time (1450 GMT), with an estimated height of one meter and an actual height of 20 centimeters. Multiple tsunami waves of estimated one-meter height also arrived around 00:20 a.m. Thursday local time (1520 GMT) in several harbor cities in Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures. Transportation disruption was reported following the earthquake as a Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train derailed partly but the 100 passengers aboard were not injured, said the Shinkansen operator. In addition, east Nippon Expressway Company said it has closed several sections of expressways, including the Tohoku Expressway in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture, and Joban Expressway in Soma, Fukushima. The quake caused blackout in Fukushima's Soma, according to the city office. The capital city of Tokyo also detected strong tremors, and power outage has been reported in parts of Tokyo and nearby areas after the quake. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and Tohoku Electric Power Network Company said about 2.2 million homes in total lost power, among which about 700,000 households were in Tokyo. TEPCO, which is also the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, said workers were checking whether there were damages. The plant's condition was "basically okay," according to a government official. Spent nuclear fuel pool was shut down at Fukushima Daini nuclear plant following the powerful quake, but a part of the facility has been restored, the operator of the plant said. Meanwhile, Japan Atomic Power Co. said it is assessing the situation at its Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant in nearby Ibaraki Prefecture, and no abnormalities were detected at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata prefecture. The Japanese prime minister's office set up an emergency center in response to the powerful quake. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that he instructed officials to gather relevant information and make utmost efforts to rescue the injured and respond to those affected by the quake. There is nothing like an aggrieved Irish mother, remarked Judge Alec Gabbett at Tullamore District Court recently. On April 2, 2021, a woman tried to stop gardai from entering her home to carry out a search under the misuse of drugs act until she saw they had a warrant, Tullamore District Court heard. The woman became very aggressive and picked up a glass ornament to throw at Gardai and had to be restrained, the court heard. A white powder was discovered in the house. Her solicitor said the defendant was 48 and it shouldnt have happened. Her son was just 16 and when she saw him being arrested she panicked. This was the first time the house was searched. She overacted. She is not working and has two children. She is on job seekers allowance. The father of her children has little or no involvement with them and her son has a learning difficulty. She is doing her best, her solicitor said. Judge Alec Gabbett said the offence warrants a conviction. Anyone who assaults a garda he said. Her solicitor said she didnt assault the gardai it was an obstruction, But Judge Gabbett said it was the same thing. He said the gardai have had enough problems in the last two years without people impeding their work. He fined the defendant 200 and gave her six months to pay. The hugely popular Phil Newton was awarded honorary life member of Offaly group READY on March 13 when 40 members of the group met for dinner in the Tullamore Town House Volunteer with the group, Phil has been with READY since its inception 42 years ago. She was taken totally by surprise when the announcement was made. Phil said she was very excited and touched by the honour. "A big thank you to Mary McKiernan and Barry LaComber, the new chairpersons. I also thank my most wonderful long time friend Annie Keeley for keeping the secret. Brilliant celebrations last night. Thank you all so much for all the wonderful memories over the years. Love you all. Ye are the bestest. I have enjoyed a most wonderful 42 years as a member of this magnificent organisation," said Phil. Meanwhile, she said "The food was scrumptious, musician Rubin James played his heart out and there were other Irish musicians from Tyrellspass. "Everyone enjoyed the night and we look forward to other events throughout the year," said Phil. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. While gambling operations around the world have moved to shut out Russian punters, Stake.com can still be readily accessed in Russia. Annastacia Palaszczuk has drawn on the experiences of her grandparents to offer Queenslands help to those fleeing Ukraine. by Raheela Nazir ISLAMABAD, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government has decided to scrap all the COVID-19 related restrictions nationwide amid a continuous downward trend in the number of new cases, with experts and officials calling for continued surveillance and vaccination process. Asad Umar, chairman of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), which oversees the country's response to the pandemic, said on Wednesday that Pakistan is removing restrictions as it has come close to eliminating the pandemic in the country. "We have decided that all the restrictions we have imposed related to the coronavirus. We are ending all of them ... We need a transition process towards a normal, ordinary life," the chairman said during a press conference in Islamabad. However, he said that all restrictions on citizens not vaccinated against the coronavirus would remain in place until 80-85 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, adding that the government would keep monitoring the disease prevalence on a daily basis to decide for any change in policy in future. Pakistan witnessed a major decline in the daily COVID-19 case count. The country reported 493 new infections over the past 24 hours, with the positivity rate falling to 1.42 percent, the NCOC said on Wednesday. Pakistani experts and officials believe that though the coronavirus restrictions are being lifted in the country, the threat of the pandemic is not over yet, urging the public to continue taking precautions and vaccines to fully defeat the deadly disease. Talking to Xinhua, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan said that Pakistan has successfully overcome the challenge of COVID-19 due to prudent policies and measures taken by the government. Provincial governments, healthcare professionals, media, and scholars played a vital role in controlling the pandemic, he said, adding that vigorous vaccination process helped the country in curbing the virus spread. At the moment, over 70 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated, and over 80 percent received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, "which is quite encouraging" for the country of over 220 million population, Sultan said. Calling the termination of COVID-19 restrictions "a positive sign" for the country, Fawad Khan, an Islamabad-based health expert, said that as the government has taken the risk of opening up the country for the sake of people, now responsibility lies on people's shoulders to keep following standard operating procedures. "The government and health institutions should continue its surveillance and vaccination campaign dynamically to ensure COVID-19 would not raise its ugly head again in Pakistan," he told Xinhua. The Green Party politician has received widespread praise for how she is representing Germany in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On International Women's Day, DW looks at how she has exceeded expectations. The Ukrainian president will address the German parliament on Thursday morning for the first time, following a series of appeals Zelenskyy had been making to leaders. Follow DW for the latest. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear that NATO will not "intervene militarily" in Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance's goal was to prevent the conflict from escalating. The White House has mocked Russian sanctions imposed on senior US individuals, quipping that nobody was planning a holiday to Moscow and suggesting Vladimir Putin's regime had targeted the wrong Joe Biden. Two weeks since the last official death toll, funerals of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine continue. The U.S. should supply aid to Ukraine. But we must be more consistent in determining who deserves humanitarian intervention. Explore the data on coronavirus in the UK and find out how many cases there are in your area. Ukraine and Russia traded blame for an attack on a theater in the besieged city. A post from Mariupol authorities seemed to suggest as many as 1,000 people were inside. Follow DW for the latest. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is expected to call on Germany to support his country following the invasion by Russian forces and enact tougher sanctions against Moscow. Follow DW for the latest. KABUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's caretaker government has formed a commission to help Afghans who left the country after the change of government return to their homeland, the government said in a statement on Thursday. "The Commission of Liaison and Repatriation of Afghan Personalities has been formed under the supervision of Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar, the acting minister of mines and petroleum, to help Afghans return to their motherland," the statement said. The formation of the body came after a cabinet meeting was held, the statement said, adding the commission has been formed in according to the decision of the cabinet. The six-member commission will liaise with Afghans who have left the country so that they can return to their homeland and live in peace with their Afghan brothers instead of staying abroad, it said. Many Afghan security forces and civil servants left Afghanistan following the takeover by the Taliban in August last year. In recent months, Sultan Massoud Daqiq, a leading expert on international development, Abdul Salam Rahimi, state minister for peace of the former Afghan government, several pilots of the Afghan airforce and a female mayor have returned to the country. Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister of the caretaker government Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar called on Afghan investors to return to the country. Mariupol city officials said its drama theater had held and a search for survivors was underway. President Zelenskyy called on Germany to support his country. Follow DW for the latest. An intimate short documentary about the growing crisis of Americans held hostage by foreign governments, "Bring Them Home" follows one family's desperate effort to free their loved one from being used as a geopolitical pawn by Iran. Canada will soon have two warships deployed overseas supporting NATO's efforts to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This Saturday, HMCS Halifax will leave the East Coast to join allied ships in the Baltic region. Watch VideoOne man was detained in Poland suspected of raping a 19-year-old refugee he'd lured with offers of shelter after she.. Newsy 12 Mar 2022 The European Union has condemned "serious violations and war crimes" committed by Russia in Ukraine. Earlier, President Zelenskyy called on Germany to support his country. Follow DW for the latest. Quentin Sommerville and Darren Conway are in Kharkiv, where Ukraine's army has repelled Russia for three weeks. Russian President Vladimir Putin is among the most powerful leaders in the world today. He launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the US, UN, and even NATO failed to stop him from ordering the attack. Ukraine's ambassador to New Zealand Kateryna Zelenko has thanked New Zealand for its support during the Russian invasion. "We live in a strange world where the countries which are close neighbours with a shared history and culture... National wants to grill the Police Commissioner about the Parliament occupation and riot but the Government says any review must be free of political interference.The occupation ended on March 2, when rioting broke out and protesters... Downing Street has defended the payment of 400 million to Iran after the Government was accused of paying blood money to.. Belfast Telegraph 17 Mar 2022 ISTANBUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States should be as transparent as possible about the existence of its biological laboratories in Ukraine and reveal details before dragging the world into a dangerous process, two Turkish experts have told Xinhua. "At this point, all humanity needs transparency, not only the people on the battlefield but also the entire world," Abdullah Agar, a security expert and academic at the Istanbul-based Bahcesehir University, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. Korkut Ulucan, a specialist in medical biology and genetics, said such laboratories must be accessible to international scientific committees, and their activities need to be audited by multiple independent organizations. "To prevent a leak, these laboratories should be gradually evacuated with utmost care, under high-level security conditions and the supervision of a committee of scientists, and they must be inactivated," Ulucan told Xinhua. Ulucan, also an academic at the Istanbul-based Marmara University and lecturer at the Uskudar University, warned that a possible spill and the "uncontrolled emergence of secret activities" could lead to massive destruction. One of the killers of Sophie Lancaster, who was attacked in a park along with her boyfriend because they were dressed as Goths, is set to be freed from jail. Grimsby Telegraph 31 Mar 2022 'How can a family fleeing war try to fill in visa forms sitting on suitcases in a shelter with no power for a phone? 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The White House is warning that Russia may seek to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine. But asked if such an move would cross a "red line" leading to U.S. military involvement, Jen Psaki says U.S. troops will not be sent to fight. (March 10) Some Americans, angered by the deadly violence and the humanitarian crisis from Russia's war with Ukraine, are dumping their frustrations on Russian busineses and brands_or anything that sounds Russian. (March 17) President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin "a murderous dictator" and "pure thug" as he addressed a St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the Capitol Thursday, and thanked Ireland for standing with the world against Putin's aggression. (March 17) Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed with President Joe Biden's assertion that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine. "Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime," Blinken said. (March 17) TomoNews US 17 Mar 2022 KYIV, UKRAINE Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles fired into Ukraine from Russia have been found to contain decoys that.. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) welcomes Polish President Andrzej Duda in Ankara, Turkey, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) ANKARA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Poland agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to end the Ukrainian crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "We mainly discussed the developments in Ukraine and Russia, as well as our bilateral relations. As two NATO allies, we had a detailed exchange of views. In this process, we will continue our consultation and cooperation with Poland," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in the Turkish capital Ankara. Duda paid a visit to Turkey on Wednesday to discuss with the Turkish president ways to defuse the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Erdogan welcomed the Polish president in Ankara as part of Turkey's mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. "We continue our attempts to achieve a ceasefire," Erdogan said, adding that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will continue "shuttle diplomacy" visiting Ukraine on Thursday after his talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Wednesday. Erdogan said he would attend the NATO summit in Brussels on March 24 and hold talks on the process regarding Russia and Ukraine. The Turkish president also praised Poland for hosting Ukrainian refugees. "Having hosted the largest number of refugees in the world for eight years, Turkey understands Poland best," he said. Duda, for his part, said the main issue of the talks with Erdogan was the Ukrainian crisis and they also discussed the refugee influx from Ukraine to Poland. "Today, approximately 2 million refugees have entered Poland. According to our calculations, 100,000 people cross the border every day. Today we can talk about a refugee crisis," Duda said. Elaborating on bilateral ties between Turkey and Poland, the Polish president said his country wants to enhance cooperation with the Turkish government in the defense industry in addition to the economic collaboration. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Polish President Andrzej Duda attend a joint press conference after their talks in Ankara, Turkey, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) holds talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Ankara, Turkey, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) Ukraine accused Russia Thursday of bombing a theatre that was sheltering more than 1,000 civilians in the city of Mariupol, after US President Joe Biden branded Vladimir Putin a "war criminal". Watch VideoNetflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government cracks down on what people and.. Newsy 06 Mar 2022 A glimmer of good news has emerged in Mariupol, where people are being pulled out of a theater that was being used as a shelter. Newsy 15 Apr 2022 Watch VideoCatching COVID is bad enough, but a bout with the virus could soon cost you if youre uninsured. A federal.. Evoplay Adopts Emergency Measures in Response to War in Ukraine Published March 17, 2022 by Brett C Leading iGaming software developer Evoplay has put emergency relocation plans into effect as the situation in Ukraine continues to unravel. In addition, the company has pledged substantial funds towards the humanitarian effort in the war-ravaged nation. Top-tier casino game developer, Evoplay recently announced the implementation of its emergency contingency plans vis-a-vis its Ukrainian team members. Evoplay is comprised of a large number of Ukrainian team members, many of whom are in clear and present danger. However, now that Evoplay has relocated to a safe zone, it is ready to continue providing services to operators. The Russia/Ukraine conflagration erupted on 24 February 2022. Since then, this game development studio has relocated 15% of its workforce to Cyprus. This week, it has also arranged living and working facilities next to its new office, which opened in Lviv, Ukraine. The latter facility is geared towards employees who wish to remain in the country. In addition, Evoplay and its many partners, including internal and external stakeholders, routinely support charitable causes, notably those for the Ukrainian people and humanitarian efforts. A Staff Fund for the Safety & Wellbeing of Team Members Evoplay recently established a charitable fund for all of its staff members. As a result, the Ukraine-based team will have complete logistical and financial support to relocate to the safest regions in the country. If team members wish to relocate to Cyprus, this remains an option. Many of Evoplays staff have already lent their support to the relief & volunteer efforts. In addition, Evoplay has granted unlimited leave of absence and financial assistance for its team members involved in humanitarian efforts. All Evoplay operations will continue from the new European locations, with contingency plans to allow the studio to make good on its 2022 game development plans. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Evoplay, Ivan Kravchuk, commented on these social responsibility initiatives, As a Ukrainian company at heart, and true advocates of world peace, we cannot stand idle at such a challenging time and have pledged to support the Ukrainian relief effort in any way we can. We will channel every resource we have at our disposal into efforts to rehouse our Ukraine-based team members. Supporting the wider needs of Ukraine during such a dark time in our history is the least we could do, and we pledge to do everything we can to support humanitarian efforts on the ground as the situation develops. We thank all of our friends and partners for their kind words of support. Greentube Consolidates its Position in Switzerland with 7 Melons Deal Published March 17, 2022 by Florin P Greentube signs a landmark deal with Grand Casino Bern to promote its most popular games in Switzerland through the online casino brand 7 Melons. Greentubes presence in Switzerland just got stronger, as the company signed an agreement with Grand Casino Bern. The prestigious land-based operator has an online presence, in the form of the 7 Melons casino brand. Now that the NOVOMATIC Interactive division shook hands with their online casino, it will bring its finest games to the fingertips of 7 melons members. These players will be the beneficiaries of this agreement, as they will have the chance to spin the reels of some truly amazing slots. A Leading Presence in the Swiss Online Sector Greentube saw the tremendous potential of the Swiss market and was among the first software developers to enter once it got regulated. They have consolidated their presence by reaching out to Grand Casino Berns online brand 7 Melons and signing this deal. The immediate result is the fact that their latest releases, such as the Dolphin's Pearl deluxe 10 are available to Swiss players. They can also spin the reels of classic slots such as Book of Ra deluxe, Lucky Ladys Charm deluxe, and Super Cherry 5000. 7 Melons was relaunched recently, to meet the expectations of online punters from Switzerland. The fact that it benefits from the backing of the prestigious Grand Casino Bern casino caught the eye of Greentube. They have expanded their presence here steadily over the last few years, by signing several deals with local operators. Swiss players had the chance to get familiar with their games and so, they have many fans nationwide. Many of them are expected to check out the latest releases at 7 Melons online casino. Switzerlands Online Gaming Market is Surging It took a while for regulators to create the framework needed for international gambling operators to enter the Swiss market. The measures proved to be a huge success and the online gaming market has grown at a steady pace in this country. The high number of software developers and casinos applying for a license here suggests that this trend will continue in the next few years. Lisa Sandner, Greentube's Sales & Key Account Manager for Switzerland acknowledged the importance of this agreement. For the company she represents, this deal is an important milestone as it consolidates its presence in one of the fastest-growing gambling markets. Grand Casino Bern is a reputable brand in the Alpine country and its alliance with Greentube indicates its confidence in NOVOMATICs Interactive division. 7 Melons players are also expected to celebrate the addition of Greentubes portfolio. Start playing at trusted Switzerland casinos here The Worldwide Gambling Industry Stands in Solidarity with Ukraine Published March 16, 2022 by Brett C The global gambling industry has rallied in support of Ukraine in light of the Russian invasion. The outpouring of support has united individuals from all walks of life. Everyone feels a sense of responsibility towards the unjust, illegal, and criminal actions taking place. Its a testament to the global consciousness. Ukraine is a key player in the global gaming industry. Many organizations employ Ukrainians in high-tech, software development, online gambling, and related fields. Ukraine is a major tech hub for the online gaming world, and industry enthusiasts are fully aware of that. For this reason, many organizations in the global gambling industry are working as one, establishing various support mechanisms and structures to help the Ukrainian people during this trying time. Choose Love Ukraine Crisis Fundraiser The gambling industry launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise 2,500,000. The name of the campaign is: Choose Love's Ukraine Crisis Fundraiser, and it's already racing towards its target. At the time of writing, the Choose Love Ukraine Crisis Fundraiser had generated 2,377,678.22. The aid money will provide for the refugees flooding out of Ukraine and into neighboring NATO and non-NATO countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Moldova, among others. The Gaming Industry for Ukraine said, 'We elected to support Choose Love after extensive research, as they can make use of the funds raised in the quickest and most efficient manner by assisting those who need it the most. We urge every company who can to join us in this effort.' The fundraiser is currently delivering services and essential aid to all individuals in Ukraine and to those who are leaving the country. The funds are being directed at providing food, emergency medical attention, legal support, mental health, clothing, shelter, and for the needs of the LGBTQIA community. Industries are Rallying in Support of the People of Ukraine Besides money, the campaign also requests physical products, inventories, and materials such as water bottles, power banks, towels, clothing, and unused merchandise anything that can assist their efforts. Companies with unused stark from planned promotions are being urged to support the millions of refugees in need. Companies that want to donate products and overflow stock are encouraged to contact karolinapelc@beyondplay.io. Scores of inspirational initiatives have been set up, and many more are still being developed as we speak. Individual elements in the gaming industry have joined forces to provide robust support by working as one. Their friends, colleagues, and supporters in Ukraine benefit directly from these initiatives. The current efforts show the gambling industry for what it is in a time of crisis a force for good. The chief executive officer of Atlas in Ukraine, Sergei Efimenko, said, 'Many of our IT developers have joined the Territory Defence, and many others are helping to build protections on the streets. Where there were nice flowers and fountains, now we build anti-tank protection and positions for machine guns. But at the same time, we as a company have obligations for our partners, so from different places in Ukraine, sometimes even from underground - wherever you can catch mobile internet or get a laptop - people are doing their job. People are getting used to living with alarms and explosions and spending nights in the underground.' Oskaloosa, IA (52577) Today Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low around 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low around 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The key to solving the Ukraine crisis is in the hands of the United States and NATO, and China hopes that the United States can truly stand on the side of peace and justice with most developing countries in the world, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a press conference that China has been promoting peace talks and making efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully, and will continue to play a constructive role on the issue. He stressed that the initiators of the Ukraine crisis should carefully reflect on their role in it, earnestly assume their due responsibilities, and take practical steps to ease the situation and solve the problem, rather than blame others. The U.S. government's decision on NATO's eastward expansion is directly linked to the current crisis in Ukraine, Zhao said, adding that the key to resolving the Ukraine crisis lies in the hands of the United States and NATO, and China hopes that the United States can truly stand on the side of peace and justice with most developing countries in the world to ease the situation in Ukraine. He said China's position on the Ukraine issue is fair and objective, and the countries that should really "feel uncomfortable" are those that think they have won the Cold War and can dominate the world, ignore the concerns of other countries and continue to advance NATO's enlargement through five rounds of eastward expansion. Ottumwa, IA (52501) Today Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Sanctions, which cause considerable damage, are "unlikely" to succeed in achieving political aims, a renowned U.S. economist has said. "The United States and the EU are very energetic in the imposition of sanctions, trade barriers, technology barriers, and financial barriers towards Russia ... I do not agree with this," Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and a senior United Nations advisor, has told Xinhua. Sachs made the remarks after the White House announced Friday that it will revoke Russia's most-favored nation trade status and will ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds, the latest move in several rafts of Western sanctions against Russia amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Perceiving sanctions as Washington's widely used instrument, Sachs said, "the rampant use of extra-territorial sanctions and secondary sanctions is unlikely to succeed in their political aims (of the U.S. government), but do cause considerable damage." The economist, who served as a special advisor to three consecutive UN secretary-generals including Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, and Antonio Guterres from 2001 to 2018, said he believes that negotiation is a wiser and better choice to settle disputes. The notion that all nations and people of goodwill should support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's enlargement into Ukraine is a "terrible" and "provocative" idea and should be taken off the table now, Sachs said, adding that a country's sovereignty should be respected and its internal affairs brook no interference. He called for "an increased readiness of all sides" to negotiate a solution to the Ukraine crisis. "It is the failure of diplomacy and the resort to force that is our greatest collective threat," he said. "We should aim at a peaceful, multi-polar world, in which no country aspires to be a global 'hegemon' and in which alliance politics are replaced by the global rule of law, mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations under the UN principles, and the global rule of law and UN multilateralism," he added. Sachs urged the U.S. government to "exercise greater prudence and self-restraint," and encourage other countries, including Russia, to do so as well. Director of Content and Operations Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. MOSCOW, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday asked Washington to provide all information on the activities of U.S.-linked biological laboratories in Ukraine. The nervous and unjustified reaction of the United States to Moscow's concerns only confirms "the extremely dangerous and illegal activities" carried out in these facilities, the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a briefing. "We can see the stubborn silence, the reluctance to talk about the issue on international platforms, the concealment of facts, and the destruction of evidence," she said. Zakharova noted that these laboratories in Ukraine have worked directly "in conjunction with the Pentagon." Due to the absence of a verification mechanism under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), it is impossible to monitor the degree to which these laboratories are involved with U.S. programs, she said. Washington has been opposing a verification mechanism since 2001, the diplomat stressed. "This suggests that the Americans are not just carrying out prohibited activities, but also blocking all possibilities for specialized international institutions to verify their prohibited activities in the field of biological weapons," she said. Moscow is proposing to resume work on a legally binding protocol on an effective verification mechanism within the BTWC, Zakharova said. Last week, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland testified before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine, admitting "Ukraine has biological research facilities." "We are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach," she said. On March 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video post on his facebook account that "no chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction were developed on my land." Palestine, TX (75801) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) A 13-year-old girl gets help from neighbors on whose house she had frantically rang the doorbell, saying that she was starved and forced to wear a shock collar for three years as a form of punishment when she "misbehaves." The neighbor said that the girl was ringing their doorbell frantically. When the neighbor, Karen Villec, opened the door, the girl handed her the shock collar, and it buzzed in her hand, she recalled. The girl also said she was forced to assist three adults with shoplifting. Chattanooga Daily News reported that three women were charged with one count of aggravated assault, child abuse, and neglect of a child since the Vellics reported the incident. Call for help in the shock collar Officers responded to a call about possible child abuse on March 1, after Villec reported the incident. The girl showed her neck where there were two marks from the dog collar. Villec said that her husband called 911 while calming the girl in the kitchen. Court records indicated that three women were identified as suspects: 20-year-old Rachel Mennig, 22-year-old Rebecca Mennig, and 42-year-old Kelly Mennig. The women were taken into custody and held at the Candem County Jail. They are expected to make their first court appearance on Friday, at 9 AM. The responding officers found that the child had markings on her neck, consistent with wearing the collar. Authorities also took the girl to the hospital for treatment and examination. The 13-year-old girl told the police that Rachel, Kelly, and Rebecca Mennig had been using the shock collar as a form of punishment since she was in the fourth grade. She added that she was also deprived of food and clothing amenities. Investigators said Kelly Mennig denied knowing about the shock collar. The 13-year-old girl has been removed from the home by the Child Protection and Permanency Division. Villec was also happy to know that the girl had already gone back to school. Read Also: Dog Affection Cures Pain in People, Brings Out Feelings of Positivity, Study Says Controversial training tools for dogs Shock collars are considered a controversial training tool for dogs as it delivers a varying degree of electronic stimulation by their handlers through remote control. The device can cause burns and painful wounds to a dog's neck and is banned in Denmark, Norway, and various parts of Australia as it causes phobia, stress, and physiological distress. It also results in faster heart rates and painful burns to the dog's skin. Some vets report that some dogs quiver on the ground after administering the shock through the collars. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says the shocks increase the heart and respiration rate or cause gastrointestinal disorders in dogs. The collars also tend to malfunction, which may either cause no shock or nonstop shock on the animal. The device is not meant for humans. Related Article: Family of Opioid Crisis Victim Confronts Sackler Family, Owner of Oxycontin Maker, Purdue Pharma Photo: (Photo : LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP via Getty Images) A Chinese couple was reportedly caught attempting to smuggle babies from Ukraine across the border to Romania, sparking outrage worldwide. The two unnamed Chinese nationals timed their human trafficking plot while many Ukrainians were attempting to leave their war-torn country because of the Russian invasion. However, their plan to smuggle the two Ukrainian babies out of the country was foiled at the Porubne checkpoint in Cerhnivsti. The Daily Star reported that alert border guards questioned the Chinese pair about their lack of paperwork for the two children. According to local reports, the joint-State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and Romania discovered that the Chinese pair arrived in Ukraine without any children a few weeks ago. Romanian and Ukrainian police have now launched an investigation regarding the attempted smuggling of babies. Human trafficking is a growing problem in China Photos of the babies being cared for by Ukrainian border police have appeared overnight on the government's website. The identity of the babies' real parents is still unknown and their immediate future. The story gained worldwide attention when it went viral on Reddit. One user in that discussion website wrote that China has a huge child trafficking problem. The Reddit user said that Chinese people kidnap so many of their own children, and it has no human rights. Human trafficking has been a major problem in China for many years now, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The main reason why that is the case is that the country does not impose harsh penalties for people committing that offense. According to the South China Morning Post, buying trafficked children and women gets less jail time in China than buying illegal animals or plants. The maximum jail term for someone found guilty of buying a trafficked child or woman is three years. To make matters worse, the person found guilty of human trafficking in China may serve even less time in jail if the court rules that the buyer of the child or woman did not abuse the trafficked individual or hinder the efforts to rescue them. Read Also: Russian Families Clash and Block Each Other on Facebook Over Opposing Views of War in Ukraine Human trafficking case sparks outrage in China Compare that to someone who bought illegal plants or their by-products in China, and their jail term could last for up to seven years. Buying endangered animals could mean life imprisonment or even the death penalty for the guilty party. Talk of penalties for human trafficking surfaced last month after a video emerged of a mentally ill woman in China's Xuzhou city with a chain around her neck in a village hut. According to a BBC report, the Chinese mother-of-eight was found locked up in a doorless shed outside her home, wearing just a thin layer of clothing in freezing cold temperatures. It became a hot topic on Weibo, with the woman's video generating more than 3 billion views. Chinese officials first dismissed the human trafficking claims but were forced to make a U-turn after pressure from outraged netizens. Related Article: 5-Year-old Student Attacks Teacher in Florida, Gets Hospitalized Photo: (Photo : STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) The father of a young 3-year-old boy who accidentally shot and killed his mother in a Chicago suburb over the weekend is set to face a misdemeanor gun charge, the community's police chief told reporters on Monday, March 14. Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins Jr. announced that 23-year-old Romell Watson, who was detained after the tragic shooting, will be charged with unlawful use of a weapon. Collins said that Watson, released on Monday evening, would be processed on the charge. Watson could not be reached for comment on Monday, with the Associated Press reporting that they could not find his telephone number. An online court record of Watson's case that might list his attorney also could not be found. Watson charged because he did not have a concealed carry permit Collins provided a statement earlier about the case, saying that their investigators were working alongside prosecutors of Cook County to determine the exact charges they will file against Watson. Collins made it clear, however, that there was no indication that Watson fired the weapon or even knew his son was holding the weapon at the time of Saturday's shooting which tragically killed his partner. Collins said, "We do not have anything to indicate that the dad fired the weapon, so the avenue we are pursuing is that the gun was his responsibility." Collins pointed out that investigators have already determined that Watson legally owned the weapon used in the accidental shooting. However, Watson did not have a concealed carry permit that he would have needed to carry the gun in the vehicle. Collins told CBS News that Watson was legally entitled to own the weapon, but he transported the gun in a vehicle in a manner not prescribed by law. The tragic shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. Police said the family was sitting inside their vehicle when the tragedy struck. Read Also: Mother of Missing 8-Year-Old Girl Arrested on Suspicion of Murder; Sophia Mason's Family Devastated 3-year-old boy admits firing the gun in police interview The father was in the car's driver's seat while the mother was in the passenger seat. The 3-year-old boy, who found the weapon, was in a car seat in the back of the vehicle, which was stationed outside a Food 4 Less store in the community about 20 miles south of Chicago in the state of Illinois. Collins provided details about the unfortunate incident, saying the three-year-old boy "somehow got hold of the gun and began playing with it in a playful manner." The police chief said he pointed the gun and fired the shot, striking the boy's mother in the neck. According to an AFP report posted on NDTV.com, 22-year-old Daejah Bennett was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was taken for treatment. Collins said detectives conducted a forensic interview with the child to find out details about the shooting. According to Collins, the child said during the interview that he was the one who fired the gun, so the police are confident that the 3-year-old boy was the one who shot and killed his mother. Related Article: Parents of Gabby Petito File Lawsuit Against Brian Laundrie's Parents, Claims They Knew of Murder Airport cybersecurity company Thales has been awarded a contract by airport management group Societa per azioni Esercizi Aeroportuali (SEA) to deliver its AiRise ShareView solution and improve the groups operational efficiency. SEA operates Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa airports in Italy. Thales airport operations plan is expected to integrate SEA system data from the main processes that affect the management of the airport (airfield, terminal and accessibility). ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> The AiRise ShareView platform has been designed to centralize and analyze operational data to provide an accurate, real-time view of airport operations and enable airport staff to react more effectively to unplanned events. The platform presents three main airport-oriented features. The first is a real-time map of the airport to enable global situational awareness of individual services. This is intended to make interventions easier and more immediate. The second is a customizable dashboard that measures specific operations, monitoring objectives and ultimately performance. A workflow manager is also included to automatize standard operating procedures for processes relevant to the key performance indicators measured. The platform will gather data from several operational systems and provide a broad, accurate and reliable view of the real-time situation to all stakeholders. This is to enable them to react more effectively to unplanned operational events. Marco Scarpa, secure communications and information systems director at Thales Italia, said, We are extremely pleased to have been chosen as technological partner in such a key project for SEAs digital transformation. Leveraging our airport solutions portfolio as well as the world-class expertise in airport technologies implementation in complex projects, from New York JFK to Oman, Bahrain, Lyon and Geneva, we will provide SEA with a best-in-class operational solution tailored to their needs that will contribute to the operational improvement of SEA Airports. Apple announced on their Korean website today that their largest Apple Store in Korea is coming soon to the heart of Myeong-dong, where people from all over the world continue to visit, in the heart of splendid Seoul. Through this store, Apple aims to provide a source of inspiration that is open to all, where imagination and creativity are constantly springing up. Apple Myeong-dong, a place where locals could communicate and inspire each other. A place that will shine brightly with everyone's sparkling ideas. While the location of the store is in a business district where companies like SK Telecoms, Daewoo International, LG U+ and many financial institutions reside, it's also a cultural center with trendy shops and restaurants, department stores and a museum. (Click on image to Enlarge) On Apple's official announcement page, there's a graphic with a link in it for those interested in downloading a special wallpaper that resembles our cover graphic. Ghana is turning to an internationally certified agro-processing facility in Dubai to add value to its cocoa and coffee and export them to the global market without hindrance. This will ensure that the country obtains more value from both commodities, about 10 times more than what it currently earns. Ghana can rake in over $10 billion, compared to the current $2.5 billion it earns from its raw commodity export. The Dubai Agric Commodities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a United States (USA) Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) certification which enables products from its processing facilities to enter the US and European markets without hindrance. It is a state institution that adds value to the raw commodities to the exporting countrys specifications and finds markets for the finished products globally. Currently, Ghana's chocolate products do not have the USA FDA certification, making cocoa products from the country difficult to enter the US and European markets, except the raw commodity, which commands very low prices, compared to finished products. The Agric Commodities route is, therefore, a strategy to access the global market without hindrances. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has begun discussions with the institution, culminating in the sector Ministers recent visit to the facility in Dubai. If the move gets the green light, Ghana's cocoa products, such as semi-finished cocoa products and finished chocolate and others, are to be fully processed in Dubai and packaged for the world market. Currently, even though Cote dIvoire and Ghana produce about 60 per cent of the worlds cocoa, a market worth over $130 billion, the two countries together get only $6 billion, with Ghana's share being $2.5 billion annually. This is because Ghanas cocoa enters the international market in the raw state, without any value addition, and that does not attract much value. Visit The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, toured the Agric Commodities during his recent visit to the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020 to get first-hand information on the institution. Reciprocally, the Director of the institution, Saeed Al Suwaidi, last week called on the minister to firm up discussions with the ministry on the way forward. While in Ghana, Mr Suwaidi held discussions with the ministry and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and toured the Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), as well as the Cocoa Research Institute at Tafo in the Eastern Region. He also took along samples of Ghanas coffee and cocoa for testing to find out if the products met the standards of the institution. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Akoto explained that there would be a government-to-government agreement, in which a framework would be established for COCOBOD to collaborate with the institution and for the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) to send cocoa beans there for processing. Additionally, he said, CPC would also channel its fully and semi-processed products into the institution. Breakthrough We are on the brink of a major breakthrough in the traditional way that we sell our cocoa and other commodities, Dr Akoto stated. Describing what Ghana currently received from the world market as a pittance, the minister explained that the set-up in Dubai would "make sure that that stranglehold is released. "What I saw in Dubai is a facility which goes from A to Z on the value chain," he explained. The minister added that the Agric Commodities was a perfect ground for going around all those years of shackles, whereby a few selected companies had a stranglehold on the economies of developing countries. Dr Akoto expressed the belief that if the discussions went through, it would be a windfall for Ghana's cocoa and coffee, emphasising that it would be a breakthrough for the country. Centre for cocoa Mr Suwaidi told the Daily Graphic that he was in Ghana at Dr Akotos invitation to look at the possibility of adding cocoa to the range of products passing through his facility. He said currently, his institution handled tea and coffee and was keen on adding cocoa, saying: "We are looking at opening a centre for cocoa in Dubai, using the same winning formula that we use for coffee and tea. He added that the company wanted to build a super centre for cocoa in Dubai, and that as far as it was concerned, Ghana represented cocoa and, therefore, Ghana's cocoa has to be in the equation. Mr Suwaidi explained, for instance, that even though the UAE was a nonproducer of tea, "currently, we produce 500 million tea bags annually". For coffee, he said, there were about 25 countries around the world routing their coffee through his institution for the global markets. We don't actually own anything inside our facility; what we do is help people own and use our facility with their ownership of the product; meaning that they use our facilities for storage or processing and repackaging, Mr Suwaidi stated. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Standard Chartered, as part of International Womens Day celebrations, has launched a business proposition Lift by Standard Chartered to support women entrepreneurs in the country to grow their business. Lift by Standard Chartered is an initiative being rolled out by the Bank for Women-Owned Businesses/ Entrepreneurs to help them take their business to the next level. This is a campaign offering a unique client value proposition to support women-owned businesses. The offer includes discounts on loans, lower arrangement and processing fees, discounts on investment solution fees and flexible pricing for forex conversion. The business proposition will further include free business training, seminars and networking events; access to specialist teams across trade, investment, and insurance; make available dedicated business relationship managers; and connect clients to a dedicated international network with access to over 50 markets across the banks franchise. Launching the proposition, Head, Consumer Products and Business Banking, Yvonne Fosua Gyebi said, We believe that supporting women owned businesses will solidify the economic foundation of the country and create a positive ripple effect economically in the society as they are able to support their families and the economy at large. The Business Banking segment is strategically positioned to deliver on this mandate by connecting and driving growth for MSMEs businesses. Business Banking is focusing on this client segment to provide the right support to drive growth and participation for women owned businesses. This will enable them thrive and become more competitive in the marketplace. The initiative will support these businesses and help bring to life our position as a leading disruptor, innovator and champion of change. Inequality, along with gaps in economic inclusion, means that many young people, women and small businesses struggle to gain access to the financial system to save for their futures and grow their businesses. Standard Chartered believes that supporting women-owned businesses will solidify the economic foundation of the country and will have a more ripple economic effect in the society. Standard Chartered is determined to improve the lives of people and their communities by unleashing the financial potential of women and small businesses in its core markets including Ghana. The bank stands for equitable access to financial support for women and small businesses. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), a leading indigenous Ghanaian bank has marked its 50th Anniversary celebrations with a massive staff town hall, followed by breakfast sessions with its customers, across Ghana. The town hall session was held at the bank's head office in the Airport city here in Accra, with the various branches around Ghana joining virtually. This was the flag-off event for the bank, to commence its jubilee celebrations. Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) opened its doors to the public in 1972, as a policy bank established by the state. It was purposely set up to assure the republic had an indigenous merchant banking capacity. The Bank has evolved into a leading Ghanaian universal bank, noted for digital innovation and leadership in corporate and public-sector banking. The town hall session commenced at 7:00 am and the high points on the program included Christian and Moslem prayers, goodwill messages from staff and a cakecutting session. The Bank's Chief Executive, Nana Dwemoh Benneh noted; I am exceedingly proud to be the CEO of the Bank at this milestone. The Bank has weathered many storms, to reach this mark, and we thank God for our achievements and impact. We dedicate this celebration to the greatest instruments of our success, our customers across Ghana. To them, we owe our all. Madam Rejoice King, head of the Trade Department, who has served the bank for 34 years, in her remarks noted I am proud of my service here at the Bank. I have felt great loyalty to the bank because the bank has always treated customers like family and has been interested in the development and promotion of hard-working staff. Also, I have been enamored by the Banks focus on Ghana. In my time, here I have witnessed how our Bank has helped Ghana by supporting the establishment of other key organizations like the Ghana Stock Exchange. I am confident in our executive body, and I am sure if we all pull together and deliver our OGYA strategy, the Bank will weather any storm for the next century Nii Amankrah Tetteh, Executive Director for Business said we have a portfolio of some of the most loyal customers in Ghana, with who we have grown with, since 1972. We should be proud of this. In this jubilee year, lets recommit ourselves and re-engage with every single customer. Lets continue to activate the Power of Feedback project, listen to our customers and use their insight to delight them. Other activities marked for the Jubilee include customer promo, family fun days and CSR and thought leadership activities. UMB is a full-service financial institution specializing in customized banking products and services. Licensed by the Bank of Ghana, the Bank prides itself on being a completely indigenous Ghanaian Bank. UMB is noted for bringing a uniquely Ghanaian perspective to banking, since 1972. UMBs strategic intent is to become a digital-first, SME focused Bank, leveraging its significant corporate banking and public-sector brand equity to evolve a profitable retail banking franchise, using technology to offer competitive products and services to customers and clients. Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Manufacturers of everything from flash drives to glass for Apple iPhone screens are warning of shipment delays as they comply with Chinese controls to curb the spread of COVID-19, further straining global supply chains. Authorities across China are trying to try stem the spread of the country's worst COVID-19 outbreak in two years, putting millions of people in lockdown, curbing transport and shutting factories. Some of the toughest measures have been applied in the key manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Changchun, as well as the Chinese financial centre of Shanghai, which is home to the world's busiest container port. Fabien Gaussorgues, who provides contract manufacturing services from a factory in Dongguan, said he was struggling to procure parts needed for electric scooters, warehouse robots and electric toys because of the shutdowns. "It's not critical yet but it's getting more difficult every day," Gaussorgues said. "Suppliers in Shenzhen cannot produce, so they're not delivering goods. So next week we don't have material for production," he added. Lens Technology , which supplies lenses and glass material to customers such as Apple (AAPL.O), said on Monday the production and delivery of some products would be impacted after it suspended work at its Dongguan plant. And Netac Technology (300042.SZ), which makes portable hard drives and USB flash drives, similarly warned of shipment delays as its factory in Shenzhen had to stop work. While major ports in Shenzhen and Shanghai said they were operating normally, logistic providers said there were trucking delays due to road and testing restrictions and some firms in Shenzhen had stopped their warehouses from accepting deliveries. Refinitiv data showed increased container congestion at key Chinese shipping hubs, with the number of vessels awaiting docking in the outer anchorages of the Yangtze Estuary, Pearl River Delta, Zhoushan and Qingdao port more than double the average of March 2021. Chinese share prices, which plunged on Monday, slumped to close at 21-month lows on Tuesday as surging coronavirus cases threatened the outlook for the world's second-largest economy. Other companies which have warned that the COVID-19 curbs are impacting their businesses include Chinese automaker BYD (002594.SZ), KFC operator Yum China (9987.HK), iPhone assembler Foxconn (2317.TW), Toyota (7203.T)and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE). BYD, headquartered in Shenzhen where most companies have been told to ask staff to work from home, said that there had been some impact on production at its site. "We are actively coordinating a response and carrying out epidemic prevention and control," BYD said. Yum, operator of KFC and Pizza Hut in China, said on Monday during an earnings briefing that its operations had been significantly impacted by the outbreaks, and same-store sales fell 20% year-on-year in the first two weeks of March. "It's a very tough month for every food service retailer in China," a source at a large Western catering chain told Reuters. Source: REUTERS Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Poultry Farmers Association of Ghana has announced an increment in the prices of eggs by 10% effective Monday 14 March 2022. Per the new prices, a crate of eggs is now selling between GHC27 and GHC35 depending on the size and place of purchase. Napoleon Agyemang, the national president of the association has been explaining the reasons for the increment to Asaase Business. With the percentage increase, we usually will go by the difference between the previous price and the recent price. We can get about 5%, 8% or 10%. It comes in different areas; some farmers in the Western, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo regions are all selling at different prices so you cannot really point to a general percentage increase. But, theres been some increase, maximum 10% so that if you used to sell it at GHC20, it moves to GHC22, Agyemang said. Factors Everything that we use for poultry has increased. Talk of the feed; every now and then you see feed cost going up. If you consider the increase in the feed by feed manufacturers; you can see that every week the prices are going up and we as farmers have no option but to shift it to the sales price. Feed cost has gone up; medication has gone up even day-old chicks prices have gone up, he said. It starts immediately since the increase came last Friday. So, immediately it is starting. But then itll take time to get to the membership. Not every poultry farmer is a member of the association so itll come in circulation then everybody will do the adjustment till we all get to uniform prices, Agyemang said. Source: asaaseradio.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The European Union should create an asset database to help to track down the owners of assets held by shell companies and make EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs more effective, a think tank said on Wednesday. The 27-nation EU has imposed restrictions on 877 individuals, including wealthy Russian oligarchs and other prominent business people, over Russia's aggression against Ukraine. But the EU Tax Observatory, an independent think-tank hosted at the Paris School of Economics, said part of the wealth of those sanctioned was hard to trace because of financial secrecy and a lack of a comprehensive record of beneficial owners of shell companies used to hide real ownership. The think tank estimated about half of total Russian household wealth was held abroad. "There is as much financial wealth held by rich Russians abroad -- in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Cyprus, and similar offshore centres -- as held by the entire Russian population in Russia itself," it said. It said Russians used chains of shell companies via the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus to make investments or to buy European real estate. Russian citizens also used golden visa schemes offered by certain European countries to obtain residence or citizenship in exchange for investment, it said. "A comprehensive database tracking where and by whom wealth is held could increase the efficiency of targeted sanctions," the authors of the paper - Theresa Neef, Panayiotis Nicolaides, Lucas Chancel, Thomas Piketty and Gabriel Zucman said. They said an EU task force could collect, cross-check and analyse all available information on wealth and assets held in EU countries by wealthy individuals above a given threshold. This could pave the way for a permanent European Asset Registry that would gather wealth information across all asset types and could be used to fight financial crime, they said. Source: REUTERS Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Think tank, Data and Advocacy Consult, Ghana, has called on the Ghana Police Service to make Nana Amponsah, Chief Executive Officer of the Okobeng Mining Company, a cautionary tale to rich and powerful people who break the law with impunity. This comes in the wake of the arrest and charge of Mr. Amponsah for allegedly conspiring to murder two of his business rivals in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. Nana Amponsah was arrested in January after audio recordings of an alleged conversation between him and a contract killer were leaked to the police. In the said audio he is alleged to have ordered for the murder of two other small-scale miners in the area; Emma and Adjei Ben, who were supposedly encroaching on his mining concession. Their death was to serve as a deterrent to other small-scale miners in the area who might try to encroach on his concession. According to Data and Advocacy Consult, Ghana, such horrendous behavior should be discouraged especially among the rich and powerful who may feel they are above the law. The group has thus called for the full rigors of the law to take its course and ensure that justice is served. That the laws as stated or recommended by the 1992 constitution do not discriminate against persons or give exclusive privileges to a person or group of persons who are affluent or wield political power of any divide over a person or group of persons to commit criminal offences with impunity, the group said. They added that his prosecution and subsequent incarceration, should he be found guilty, would serve as a strong deterrent to others that may seek to tow the same line of action. That this will serve as a deterrent to person or group of persons who assume or are of the fervent conviction that they could commit any criminal offence and use money or political power to influence or compromise the carriage of justice, probity and accountability, they said. This they say will repose the confidence of the people in the Police Service and other law enforcing state agencies as this will communicate the state institutions commitment to ensuring that the safety and constitutional rights of the people are protected. They finally called on the Inspector General of Police to take a keen interest in this matter to ensure the promotion of justice and the continues fight against crime and humanity for service to mankind is service to God and country. Meanwhile, Nana Amponsah will be reappearing in court today, March 17. Source: myjoyonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The US has increased the number of Somali officials under visa restrictions for undermining the countrys democratic process. This comes after Somalia again missed a 15 March deadline for completing parliamentary elections that have been delayed for more than a year. The names of the officials have not been released yet. The election deadline has now been extended to the end of the month to allow the remaining seats in the lower house to be filled. The US embassy in Somalia lauded the states of South West and Galmudug for concluding their parliamentary elections before the deadline and expressed disappointment over the delays by other states. The US says it will use visa restrictions and other tools to promote accountability and support the conclusion of the electoral process. The statement also noted that there were credible reports of irregularities, harassment and intimidation of journalists and opposition members. Somalia has not held a one-person-one-vote election for more than 50 years. Under the current system, MPs are chosen by delegates appointed by clan elders and members of civil society who are selected by regional state officials. The MPs will then vote for a new president. The current president's term ended last year but was extended amid delays partly blamed on his rivalry with the prime minister. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A non-governmental organization, Hope For Future Generations (HFFG) has cautioned the media and general public to refrain from violating and stigmatizing persons with disabilities and mental health conditions. In a statement issued by the Executive Director of Hope for Future Generations, Mrs Cecilia Senoo and Coordinator-General of The PsykForum, Ms Vivian Aubyn, the organization condemned the use of derogatory words by the panellists in describing people with mental health conditions. The use of such derogatory words are stigmatising and discriminatory and it is against their human rights. The effect of stigma and discrimination include delay in seeking treatment, treatment discontinuation, difficulties obtaining housing and employment, social isolation, and adverse economic effects among others. They encouraged the media and public to resort to the use of positive language when describing or talking to and about people with disabilities including people with mental health conditions, explaining the use of positive language shows acceptance, reduces stigma and allows people with mental health conditions to live normal healthy lives and work to reach their full potential. About HFFG & The PsyKForum Hope for Future Generations and The PsyKForum is a consortium implementing the Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) and stigma reduction for mental health and disability inclusion project funded with UK Aid from the UK Government under Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme). Read full statement below: Your browser does not support iframes. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Accra-based Radio Gold has started a test transmission with the hope to start full-time broadcasting in a month's time. In a statement dated March 16, 2022, signed and issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the radio station, Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, who is a former Deputy Minister of Information, the test transmission will last for a month after which regular programming will begin. Radio Gold was shut by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in 2017 after it failed to renew its operating license for the frequency 90.5 FM over a long period. The action by the NCA affected 33 other broadcast stations who were all shut down after a 2017 audit embarked upon by the NCA. Radio Gold had over a long period not paid to renew its operating license. In 2021, the NCA approved the granting of a total of 133 FM radio broadcasting authorisations to some entities. Radio Gold was among the entities whose new applications were approved and it was offered the same 90.5 megahertz on the Frequency modulation (FM). Below is a copy of the statement issued by the management of Radio Gold on the test transmission: Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A High Court judge, Justice Daniel Mensah says he will encourage activism but a coup d'etat is not an option in a democracy. At the Tema High Court on Wednesday [March 16, 2022] where he presided and granted bail to Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a convenor of the #FixTheCountry movement, who has been charged with treason felony at the Ashaiman District Court, Justice Mensah insisted that a coup is never an option in a democracy. He, has, therefore, advised Barker-Vormawor not to go to the extent of thinking about a coup detat no matter how he feels about a regime. The Tema High Court granted Barker-Vormawor bail at GH2 million with two sureties, one of which is to present documents covering a landed property. Granting bail, the court said it cannot disable itself from granting the activist bail but had a word of caution for him. No matter how we feel about a regime, a coup isnt an option. Ill encourage activism but know the extent, the judge told Oliver Barker-Vormawor. Click to Tweet The Attorney-General had filed an affidavit opposing Barker-Vormawor's bail application on the grounds that the accused was a flight risk and does not have a fixed abode in Ghana. But the court said it cannot accept that argument by the Attorney-General. Barker-Vormawor has also been directed by the court to report to the police once a week while investigations into the case continue. The court also directed that the police should continue to hold his passport. The application for bail at the High Court followed the inability of the Ashaiman District Court, where he has been arraigned on the treason felony charge to grant him bail. A district court cannot grant bail to a person charged with treason felony unless a higher court. Barker-Vormawor has been in police custody since February 11, 2022, when he was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). He was remanded into police custody when he was first arraigned at the Ashaiman District Court on February 14, 2022, on a charge of treason felony. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana is implementing innovative measures to meet all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, has said. To achieve the goals, she said, the country needed an average of $45 billion a year until 2030. In addition, she said, there was the need to ensure macroeconomic stability and the appropriate governance regime for sustainable human development. Mrs Osei-Opare said this when she presented a paper on: Our World at a Triple Tipping Point: The Urgency of SDGs Action, on the second day of the Ho Edition of the SDGs Day Out at the Ho Technical University (HTU) last Tuesday.. The three-day event, which took off last Monday, was on the theme: Leave No One Behind. Vigorous efforts Akosua Frema Osei-Opare in a hearty exchange of greetings with Togbe Adza Osei VI, the Paramount Chief of the Akoviefe Traditional Area The Chief of Staff said while vigorous efforts were being made to repair the damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic,Ghana and the world at large were confronted with the stark reality of the dangerous condition of the earth, as reflected in the unprecedented changes in climatic conditions and ocean health. She said variability in rainfall patterns; drought and high temperatures posed a real risk to agricultural productivity and a threat to agri-business industrialisation drive. She noted that the large number of Ghanaians whose livelihood activities were directly linked to nature-based resources were highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Sea level rise and tidal surge resulting from climate change pose existential threats to coastal settlements and ecosystems, as recently experienced in Keta and neighbouring settlements in the Volta Region. With many of our critical infrastructure, such as oil and gas plants, thermal power generation, major highways and ports, as well as settlements and monuments, dotted along the coast, the potential economic and social cost of coastal erosion and tidal surge could be enormous, she added. To reverse that trend, Mrs Osei-Opare stressed the need for decisive actions now to safeguard the oceans capacity to regenerate and continue to deliver substantial economic, environmental and social value for human development. As a member of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, she said, Ghana was committed to sustainably managing 100 per cent of its ocean. Pursuant to that, work would start shortly on the preparation of a Sustainable Ocean Plan for the country, she announced. Stakeholder involvement Mrs Osei-Opare called on all stakeholders to actively get involved in the process and ensure its successful implementation. She maintained that investing now in a sustainable ocean economy would definitely improve the lives and prospects of everyone everywhere in the country, since the ocean provided many of the solutions for the sustainable development challenges facing the nation and all mankind. The Presidential Advisor on SDGs, Dr Eugene Owusu, said the goals sought protection for the planet, the creation of prosperity, among other development goals, and must, therefore, be seen as an opportunity for better living conditions for all. The realisation of the SDGs, therefore, required a strong partnership between the government, on the one hand, and civil society, the private sector, traditional rulers and academia, on the other, he said. Technical university supports The Vice-Chancellor of the HTU, Professor Ben Q. Honyenuga, said the ravages of COVID-19 provided an opportunity for the nation to rebuild. He said the HTU was collaborating with the SDG Unit at the Presidency towards the achievement of the SDGs. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Parker Odailai France has been arrested and arraigned before court by the Regional Police Command over an assault case. The suspect was put before court on Wednesday after he was granted a Police inquiry bail on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting a delegate. According to reports, the Regional Secretary is suspected to have ordered a gang of eight well-built men to assault Daniel Amakye Kingsford, who wanted to observe the acclamation of Ablekuma West polling station executives at the Dansoman Liberty Park on Sunday, March 13. Report said, one Amakye Kingsford, also an aspirant for the upcoming constituency elections, was said to have been pushed to the ground by the suspect, who also ordered the men to beat him up. A source who revealed the incident explained that It took the intervention of some people around to rush him to an undisclosed hospital. Meanwhile, the Police in a statement said We continue to assure the public that the police are committed to the protection of life and property at all times and also poised to promote law and order for a peaceful society. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called 'Kabila', a Consultant at KN & Associates - a Human Resource Management and Legal Services firm - has slammed the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin over his reply to the Supreme Court and President Nana Addo on the court verdict about Deputy Speakers to participate in decision-making in Parliament or not. Hitherto, the right of the Deputy Speakers to be considered Members of Parliament and take part in parliamentary decisions has been vehemently opposed by the Minority. The opposition even resulted in a brawl last year in the chamber when Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, sitting in for Speaker Alban Bagbin, decided to hand over his seat to the Second Deputy Speaker in order to join a quorum to vote on the 2022 budget. The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, March 9, ruled that a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament". President Akufo-Addo Comments On SC Ruling Following the court decision, the President of the Republic explained why it's legitimate for the Deputy Speakers to participate in voting. ''We are being told that the decision of the court amounts to judicial interference in the work of Parliament. I'm not quite sure that the people who are saying have actually taken the time to read the constitution of our country. It says so in black and white. ''The legislative power of Parliament [that is vested] that is of the State which is vested in Parliament is subject to the provisions of the constitution. All organs of the Ghanaian State including me as the Head of Executive, we are all subject to the teachings of the constitution. There is nobody in the Ghanaian State that is above the fundamental law of the land'', he said. The President asserted that defying the ruling will ''lead to the very matter that we have striven so long to avoid; the concentration [of power] of unregulated power in our State. We don't want that. We've had that experience before and we brought about this constitution in order not to allow that to reoccur'' and expressed shock over what he believes is over-concentration on this subject matter, saying ''I'm astonished about how much public energy has been wasted, I say so with the greatest of respect, been wasted in an area on an issue where there is so much clarity and I'm happy that the court''. Speaker's Reply The Speaker, issuing a statement on the ruling, described the President's comments as ''myopic'' and the ruling as a ''reckless incursion'' of Parliament. Excerpts of the statement read; ''Good morning comrades. I have resisted the temptation of making a comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue of the voting rights of Deputy Speakers when presiding. But the unfortunate and myopic comment of the President has compelled me to let it out. The SC decision, is to say the least, not only an absurdity but a reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament. ''The trend of unanimity is equally troubling. It doesnt help explore and expand our legal jurisprudence. The Presidents comment is myopic and unfortunate. It only goes to worsen the schism between the Executive and Parliament.'' ''The issue being discussed is the political question doctrine. It took centuries to detail out the strands of this doctrine and the principles are settled as to when and how this closed book could be opened. Please, I encourage the Plaintiff to go for a review'', the Speaker stressed. Kabila Fires Speaker But Kabila finds the Speaker's statement in a distasteful manner and queries him on why he would call for a review of the verdict. Reminding Mr. Bagbin about some statements he made where he called for a legal remedy on the Deputy Speakers' issue, Mr. Pratt wondered what has changed for the Speaker to such remarks about the court ruling. Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kabila rebuked Mr. Babgin saying, ''none of his statements worried me like the part which says what the Supreme Court has done is an incursion into remit of Parliament. Mr. Speaker, I beg to differ; you are wrong! Now, you are asking the applicant to go back for a review. I want to ask Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin that if the Supreme Court grants the review, will it be an incursion into the remit of Parliament or it will be an incursion into the remit of the Executive''. He believed the opposition and unparliamentary happenings in the Legislative House, by the Minority, is to fuel President John Mahama's "comeback'' campaign and nothing else. ''In fact, the gymnastics that occur in Parliament is a continuation of the failed JDM 2020 comeback," he stated. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A pregnant woman surprised her husband with a 160,000 Lamborghini as a reward for his help with their child after giving birth. Malaysian cosmetic guru Anes Ayuni Osman, 19, is due to give birth to her first child with her entrepreneur husband Weldan Zulkefli, 20, in late March and will enter a 100 day confinement period. The traditional practice sees women limit their movement after birth in order to reduce the risk of postpartum complications and help rebalance hormones. As a reward for his help during the period, Anes surprised her husband with a Lamborghini Huracan Evo and shared a video of the moment to TikTok. She added that she will be relying on him day and night, and expects him to change nappies, saying: 'Hes fine with that because he has been cleaning up after our cat all this time. He can stay awake at night because his business brain works better at night doing marketing.' Read Full Story .... dailymail.co.uk >>> : Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Shatta Wale gathers momentum to face his mothers accusations as he continues to spill more family secrets. Accordingly, he blames his mother for his tough childhood because she run away from her marital home. Mama Shatta, born Madam Elsie Evelyn Avemegah, accused her son of abandonment and neglect, which led to her homelessness. She also detailed how badly Shatta has treated her despite the sacrifices she made to make sure he excels. In a counter-narrative, the dancehall artiste has exposed his mother for thwarting the plans his family made to better their lives. In his usual fashion, Shatta Wale spoke angrily about his familys suffering because of his mothers selfishness. I am from a broken home. My mother left my father. Let me tell you, people, something. When I was in SHS 1, we studied thirteen subjects in Ghana. Im not a machine or factory to learn thirteen subjects a day. So I told my father that I cant continue schooling. Then, my father planned to relocate the family to Miami (USA). The first time I heard Miami, it was from my father. When I was a child, I travelled to London and others. He had gotten a contract in America, so he wanted to relocate his family. Oh, my sister and brother, my mother left my father. She rubbished the plans. She run away and left my father. My father tried, tried and tried. God is our witness. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Aquatic science biologist Shawn Stenhouse releases an Atlantic salmon back into its tank during a Fisheries Department health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. Premier John Horgan has written a letter of concern to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying federal salmon farm transition plans threaten hundreds of jobs and the economies of coastal British Columbia communities.THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath looks on inside the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto, on May 19, 2020. Horwath has kicked long-time member Paul Miller out of caucus and will not let him run under the party banner in the June election. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jack Boland, Pool Image A person wears a face mask as they walk past the emergency department of the Vancouver General Hospital on November 18, 2020. B.C. will conduct an independent review of the government's operational response to the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.10 per week for 10 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. Online Qualifier Grzegorz Glowny Wins 2021 EPT Prague Main Event (692,252) March 16, 2022 Christian Zetzsche Contributor The return of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) to European soil has been a thorough success and the 5,300 Main Event in the King's Casino at the Hilton Hotel in Prague has concluded. Out of a field of 1,190 entries, Grzegorz Glowny defeated Andrea Cortellazzi in heads-up play to claim the biggest portion of the 5,771,500 prize pool. For the victory, Glowny earned a payday of 692,252 and the maiden post-pandemic EPT Main Event title. The top four finishers all locked up career-best prizes and agreed to an ICM deal in the second attempt after the first negotiations fell through. Notably, it was Glowny who declined the deal and became the short stack only to stage a successful comeback thereafter. 2021 EPT Prague 5,300 Main Event Final Table Results Place Winner Country Prize (in EUR) 1 Grzegorz Glowny Poland 692,252* 2 Andrea Cortellazzi Italy 579,420* 3 Symeon Alexandridis Greece 497,278* 4 Gab Yong Kim South Korea 622,610* 5 Demetrio Caminita Italy 245,870 6 Armin Rezaei Austria 181,800 7 Teun Mulder Netherlands 138,570 8 Valentino Konakchiev Bulgaria 98,750 *The final four players agreed to an ICM deal and continued to play for 110,796 and the trophy The winner story of Glowny very much reminds one of the victory of fellow countryman Piotr Nurzynski in Barcelona 2018, who qualified online at PokerStars while traveling in South America with his fiance. Likewise, Glowny earned his entry in the Main Event via a 530 satellite and scored the biggest cash of his career. En route to victory, he was supported by a boisterous rail including his partner and became the fifth EPT champion from Poland. Among the final four who agreed to an ICM deal was also Symeon Alexandridis and Gab Yong Kim, the latter of which locked up the biggest cash prize but was the first to depart thereafter. Armin Rezaei became the first casualty on the final day followed by Demetrio Caminita. The former EPT champions Dimitar Danchev and Hossein Ensan were eliminated on the penultimate day, missing out on the chance to become the third two-time champion of the popular live poker series. When asked if he can put into words what had just happened, Glowny was quite overwhelmed: "Absolutely not. It's too much. I am too tired to think otherwise. It's obviously a massive win." Glowny remarked that the pressure on the final table was very high but he was able to stay focused. He also mentioned a difficult spell when he went card dead and became the short stack. This was not unknown territory for Glowny throughout the last few days as he was a short stack near the money bubble and even dropped to as little as four big blinds on Day 4. After the first deal negotiations fell through, Glowny was on the ropes once more but scored a pivotal double through then chip leader Kim. "I ran ace-jack into ace-king. I don't know if this was even a decent move or not and I got lucky. After that, my confidence was back. So, yeah, for the most part, I think I was able to be focused", Glowny said with a smile on his face. He has been playing poker for a few years and mainly focused on the online poker arena. In what became his first EPT Main Event ever, Glowny tasted success in the most remarkable way. "Live tournaments are a completely new thing," he said, but he will certainly continue to take part in live events from now on after such an amazing experience. Grzegorz Glowny Action of the Final Day After a topsy turvy previous day, South Korea's Kim entered the final day with the lead and preserved it during the opening stages. Glowny then pulled to the top of the leaderboard after he knocked out Rezaei with ace-king suited versus ace-queen suited in a preflop contest. He was also responsible for the elimination of Caminita as well after winning a "fake flip and go" with pocket fives versus eight-six suited. From there on, the action became somewhat cagey and Alexandridis stuck around with a shorter stack. Deal discussions broke out during the break but it was Glowny who declined and the action carried on. The following level saw the rise of the Greek while Glowny became the short stack only for the roles to be reversed once more. When the final four contenders agreed to deal numbers, the action and atmosphere at the table visibly loosened up. Alexandridis went from short stack to chip leader in quick succession and Cortellazzi then doubled through him to take over control. The Italian knocked out Kim with a turned flush against two pair to become the runaway chip leader. Glowny double twice through Alexandridis and then finished the job he had started when a dominated ace got there to knock out the Greek in third place. That set up the stage for a thrilling duel in which Cortellazzi mixed up his strategy regularly and utilized open-shoves as a weapon. This ultimately backfired when he pushed with an ace and Glowny held with pocket queens to take an overwhelming lead, the tournament then concluded in the very next hand. This concludes a successful return for PokerStars to the live poker scene in Europe with its flagship EPT series, which is set to have the next stop in just over a month from now. The 1,100 Eureka Main Event and the 2,200 Eureka High Roller set new records in the Czech Republic and the 5,300 Main Event came up short by just three entries to achieve the same feat. From April 28 until May 07, 2022, the Casino de Monte-Carlo will once more be the host venue on the French Riviera. Sharelines Poland's Grzegorz Glowny topped a 1,190-entry field to win the @PokerStars #EPTPrague for 692,252. RGPS Announces $1M Guaranteed Season Finale Event at Thunder Valley March 17, 2022 Connor Richards Editor & Live Reporter U.S. The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) is planning on ending 2022 with a bang as it announced today that it will host a series at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in California featuring the largest guarantees ever offered by RGPS. The RGPS Contenders Thunder Valley stop, scheduled to run from November 25 to December 5, will include RGPS first-ever One Million Dollar Guarantee Season Finale Event, a $2,500 buy-in tournament with a $1 million guarantee. Additionally, the series will include a $1,000 buy-in opening event with a $250,000 guarantee, another first for the RunGood team. Thunder Valley The tour has come a long way since its debut, Tana Karn, Founder and CEO of RunGoodGear, said in a news release. We are thrilled to be working with (Director of Poker Operations) Ben Erwin and his team at Thunder Valley Casino Resort on such a momentous occasion. We look forward to amping up the party to eleven. In total, the RGPS Thunder Valley stop will consist of 10 events over a 12-day period. The winners of the two marquee events will also receive seats to the RGPS Pro Am, which will be filmed in PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas in December 2022. Thunder Valleys Erwin noted that RGPS, which started in 2014 with a handful of stops around the Midwest, has gained an amazing following among players across the country. This incredible rise in popularity has solidified RunGood as one of the premier poker tours in the country. What a privilege it is to host the Contenders Season Finale that will feature the first $1,000,000 guarantee in the tours history, Erwin said in the news release. RunGood, the recipient of two Global Poker Awards for Mid-Major tournament series, is represented by several ambassadors, including poker commentators Jamie Kerstetter and Joe Stapleton, as well as Boston Rob Mariano, Julie Cornelius, Preston McEwen, Kris Burchfield and Daniel Lowery. RGPS Ambassador Jamie Kerstetter RGPS Contender season is already underway, with a handful of players having qualified so far for the Pro Am event in December. Recent qualifiers include Max Le, who took down the RGPS Contenders Tunica $575 Main Event earlier this month following a six-way chop at the final table for $31,234, as well as Dakotah O'Dell, who in February won the RGPS Contenders Horseshoe Council Bluffs $575 Main Event for $48,771 after a four-way deal. The same month, Noel Eicher won the RGPS Jamul Casino Main Event for $38,390 after a three-way deal. Two more contenders will be added as RGPS makes its latest stop at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek from April 21 to May 2. After that, the RunGood crew is headed to Downstream Casino Resort in Oklahoma from May 17-22. Additional information about upcoming RGPS events can be found at rungoodevents.com. Check out the PokerNews RGPS hub here! Robert Cowen Wins EPT High Roller Title Months After Winning WSOP Bracelet March 17, 2022 Jeff McMillan Contributor Day 3 of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague 10,300 EPT High Roller has come to an end after 11 hours of play. A day that started with 23 hopefuls ended with one champion, who took home the EPT trophy and the 475,410 grand prize. That champion was Robert Cowen of Wales, who added another big title to his growing poker resume. Cowen won his first WSOP bracelet back in November and now, four months later, he takes home his first EPT trophy for nearly double the amount of money of his WSOP victory. With his poker resume including cashes that extend all the way back to 2008, Cowen has now won well over half (~$900,000 of his career ~$1,400,000) within the last four months, pointing to evidence that Cowen is a player on the serious come up. The event drew 271 players, creating a total prize pool of 2,628,700. A total of 39 players finished in the money. 2021 EPT Prague 10,300 EPT High Roller Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize Money 1 Robert Cowen United Kingdom 475,410 2 Andriy Lyubovetsky Ukraine 402,170 3 Conor Beresford United Kingdom 256,300 4 Ricardo Caridade Portugal 206,880 5 Adrian Mateos Spain 162,190 6 Mike Watson Canada 122,760 7 Christopher Puetz Germnay 90,160 8 Kayhan Roshanfekr Norway 66,240 Find all EPT Prague recaps here Cowens Day 3 was a remarkable one. He started the day with just ten big blinds and was the 22nd stack out of the starting 23 players. He was nearly out the door just fifteen minutes into the day when he was all in and trailing through the flop but would hit a pair on the turn to double and stay alive. From there on out, it was time to spin it up as he gradually gained chips to thwart the immediate threat. Still third lowest in chips at the two-table redraw, he would stay hovering around the bottom third into the final table where he was the fifth stack out of eight. After the dinner break, it was time to make his move as he started to accumulate with five remaining, before really turning up the pressure three-handed where he would put a lock on his opponents until the title. Robert Cowen Action of the Day The day began with 23 and would start to move at a steady downward clip as players dropped at a consistent pace, going down to 15 before the first break. That pace would continue into the second break where ten would remain at that point. The final table was reached shortly after that when Niall Farrell was taken out in ninth place after securing a pay jump by the matter of a few seconds. The final table continued at the same steady pace when Kayhan Roshanfekr was the first to depart in eighth place. Christopher Puetz was the next to go in seventh when he ran his ace-queen into the ace-king of Adrian Mateos who was starting to emerge as the big stack at that point. Mike Watson then went out in sixth place just before the dinner break. Heading into dinner break, Mateos had a big chip lead on the field and wouldve been the odds on favorite to take the title at that point. But things took a drastic turn after dinner as Mateos started losing several pots in a row and after just one hour was suddenly the short stack. He would not be able to regain any momentum and his slippery slide culminated in a fifth-place finish. Adrian Mateos finished in fifth place (162,190) after previously holding a big chip lead Ricardo Caridade was then eliminated in fourth place, as he was able to ride a short stack through to several pay jumps. Three-handed play was an even affair with each player having highs and lows. Eventually, Conor Beresford would bow out after losing a big flip to Andriy Lyubovetskiy to set up heads up play. Cowen and Lyubovetskiy agreed to an ICM deal before heads up play to even out the payouts more but left 50,000 up top to play for and the EPT trophy. Lyubovetskiy, representing Ukraine, had started the day as chip leader and was near the top most of the day before a downturn with two tables left that almost saw him go out before the final table. He would stave off the short stack struggle and rise back towards the top at the final table to enter heads up play with 43% of the chips and a serious chance to win. But, heads-up play was short despite the deep stacks, and soon, Cowen found himself as champion after his king-nine held against queen-jack. That wraps up the PokerNews coverage of EPT Prague! Join us again for more EPT action in EPT Monte Carlo coming in Late April. Sharelines A major victory for Robert Cowen at EPT Prague, where he won the high roller. Read about it on PokerNews. Day 3 of the 10,300 High Roller has come to an end after 11 hours of play. A day that started with 23 hopefuls ended with one champion who took home EPT trophy and the 475,410 grand prize. The tournament attracted a field of 271 entries and the top 39 finishers earned a slice of the 2,628,700 prize pool. That champion was Englishman Robert Cowen who added another big title to his growing poker resume. Cowen won his first WSOP bracelet in November and now, four months later, he takes home his first EPT trophy, which is for nearly double the amount of money of his WSOP victory. With his poker resume including cashes that extend all the way back to 2008, Cowen has now won well over half (~$900,000 of his career ~$1,400,000) within the last four months, pointing to evidence that Cowen is a player on the serious come up. 2021 EPT Prague 10,300 EPT High Roller Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize Money 1 Robert Cowen United Kingdom 475,410 2 Andriy Lyubovetsky Ukraine 402,170 3 Conor Beresford United Kingdom 256,300 4 Ricardo Caridade Portugal 206,880 5 Adrian Mateos Spain 162,190 6 Mike Watson Canada 122,760 7 Christopher Puetz Germnay 90,160 8 Kayhan Roshanfekr Norway 66,240 Cowens Day 3 was a remarkable one. He started the day with just ten big blinds and was the 22nd stack out of the starting 23 players. He was nearly out the door just fifteen minutes into the day when he was all in and trailing through the flop but would hit a pair on the turn to double and stay alive. From there it was time to spin it up as he gradually gained chips to thwart the immediate threat. He was still third lowest in chips at the two-table redraw and would stay hovering around the bottom third into the final table where he was the fifth stack out of eight. But still, he remained crouching in the weeds as he was the short stack at dinner break. Then it was finally time to make his move as he started to accumulate with five remaining and really turn up the pressure three-handed where he would put a lock on his opponents until the title. Robert Cowen Action of the Day The day began with 23 and would start to move at a steady downward clip as players dropped at a consistent pace, going down to 15 before the first break. That pace would continue into the second break where ten would remain at that point. The final table was reached shortly after that when Niall Farrell was taken out in ninth place after securing a pay jump by the matter of a few seconds. The final table continued at the same steady pace when Kayhan Roshanfekr was the first to depart in eighth place. Christopher Puetz was the next to go in seventh when he ran his ace-queen into the ace-king of Adrian Mateos who was starting to emerge as the big stack at that point. Mike Watson then went out in sixth place just before the dinner break. Heading into dinner break, Mateos had a big chip lead on the field and wouldve been the odds on favorite to take the title at that point. But things took a drastic turn after dinner as Mateos started losing several pots in a row and after just one hour was suddenly the short stack. He would not be able to regain any momentum and his slippery slide culminated in a fifth place finish. Ricardo Caridade was then eliminated in fourth place, as he was able to ride a short stack through to several pay jumps. Three-handed play was an even affair with each player having highs and lows. Eventually, Conor Beresford would bow out after losing a big flip to Andriy Lyubovetskiy to set up heads up play. Cowen and Lyubovetskiy agreed to an ICM deal before heads up play to even out the payouts more but left 50,000 up top to play for and the EPT trophy. Lyubovetskiy, representing Ukraine, had started the day as chip leader and was near the top most of the day before a downturn with two tables left that almost saw him go out before the final table. But he would stave off the short stack struggle and rise back towards the top at the final table and enter heads up play with 43% of the chips and a serious chance to win. But heads-up play was short despite the deep stacks and soon Cowen found himself as champion after his king-nine held against queen-jack. That wraps up the PokerNews coverage of EPT Prague in what has been a widely successful series. Stick around for more EPT action in EPT Monte Carlo coming in Late April. COLUMBIA The next leader of the South Carolina House is expected to be a Sumter Republican whose inclusive approach to budgeting has won him praise from both parties over the past several years. Barring something unforeseen happening, Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith will be elected the next House speaker during the chamber's post-election organizational session in December. It turns out no race is needed to determine who will replace House Speaker Jay Lucas in the powerful post. Within an hour of Lucas announcing March 15 he would not seek reelection this fall, Smith was the lone candidate, with more than enough House members necessary eagerly telling him he had their vote. The chamber's GOP and Democratic caucus leaders both said Smith represents a "seamless transition" of leadership. "He has a good relationship with everyone in the chamber," said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia. "We couldn't ask for anything more." House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, said Smith was the obvious next person for the job. "What Murrell Smith brings to the table is an extension of what Jay Lucas began and, that is, one of inclusion, of hearing ideas, that ability to work in a bipartisan manner, and a rural-versus-suburban-versus-urban mentality that every ZIP code is important and every member, regardless of party label," said Simrill, who also is not seeking reelection after 30 years in the House. Speaker Pro Tem Tommy Pope, R-York, said he'd already decided, for his family's sake, not to pursue the time-consuming post. But he hopes to remain in the No. 2 spot with Smith, saying he likes his role as a trouble-shooter. Smith, a 21-year veteran of the chamber, has led the House's budget-writing committee since December 2018. It's a job he enjoys and says he will definitely miss. But when Lucas informed him last week he wouldn't run again, Smith decided after much prayer to cast his name in for speaker, though he wanted to wait until after his longtime friend made it official. Smith, Simrill and Lucas have been best of friends since the Sumter Republican was first elected in 2000 and joined their legislative office suite. "I decided it was something I was interested in offering myself for," Smith, 53, said March 16 about being the next speaker. He wasn't sure what to expect, but "it kind of took off on its own" after Lucas' emotional announcement. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, the chamber's longest-serving member, said Smith, like Lucas, will be a good speaker, as he has the potential to steer the GOP-dominated House away from "bumper-sticker politics" using Simrill's term to what's best for the state's long-term interests. That means focusing "on those bread-and-butter issues that matter to most South Carolina families," said the Orangeburg Democrat, who is first vice chairwoman of Ways and Means. Smith said he and Lucas share commonalities in not only their perspectives, but both are also attorneys from rural South Carolina, representing their hometowns. Sumter, a city of less than 40,000 people, hasn't been home to a House speaker since 1986, when Democrat Ramon Schwartz Jr. left the chamber. When Smith ran for office in 2000, Schwartz supported his Democratic opponent, but soon after the election, the two became friends. Smith gave the eulogy at Schwartz' funeral in 2017. Assuming the House election goes as expected in December, "I'm honored to be placed in the same category of such a prominent citizen of Sumter," Smith told The Post and Courier. "The love he had for this institution he imparted on me." But for now, Smith, who hasn't had any major-party opposition since he won the seat, said he's concentrating on winning it for a 12th term and working with the Senate to move the biggest-ever spending package to the finish line. His management style helps explain why there was very little floor debate Monday on a $13.9 billion spending package for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The House approved how to spend a record-high amount in an unprecedented single day. Having so much money to address needs also helped. "I've tried to govern here at Ways and Means by collaborating. I think that's critical for success in legislation," Smith said. "I want to continue the collaboration. We're all elected by the same amount of people and we all deserve the same amount of respect, but getting respect also means you've got to give respect to others." Charleston, SC (29403) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Four S.C. technical colleges have been chosen to join a new network of historically and predominantly Black community colleges across the country. Denmark Technical College, Central Carolina Technical College, Northeastern Technical College and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College are now part of the 22-school network formed by the national nonprofit Complete College America. Contribute to the education discussion Join our Facebook group for constructive discussion on education news in South Carolina. Our reporters covering education will be in the group to help lead and moderate conversations. Join now Donate to our Investigative Fund to support journalism like this Our public service and investigative reporting is among the most important work we do. Its also the most expensive reporting we do. We cant do it without your support. Donate Now The group was created to help historically and predominantly Black community colleges share research and best practices that can help connect students of color with promising careers. Despite the significant number of Black students they serve, Historically Black Community Colleges and Predominantly Black Community Colleges have only relatively recently gained the increased recognition they deserve for the unique and critical role that they play, said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America in a March 10 press release. In January 2021, Rutgers' Graduate School of Education reported that there were 12 historically Black community colleges and 49 predominantly Black community colleges across the country. Approximately 13 percent of Black students in the United States go to community colleges, according to data compiled by the Community College Research Center. Willie L. Todd Jr., president of Denmark Tech, cited falling college graduation rates across the nation as a reason such a partnership is important, especially for students from historically marginalized groups. "As a small, rural, two-year HBCU, the challenges our adult students face are amplified in their pursuit of a higher education," he said. Denmark Tech is two-year college located in rural Bamberg County. It offers courses in construction, computer services and repairs, electromechanical engineering, welding, and other areas. As part of the network, Denmark Tech will go over its current programs and see whether they align with employers needs, according to a March 14 press release sent out by the school. After the project is completed, Denmark Tech will share data collected on its student outcomes. Complete College America, together with the network, will pool their findings and use them to help inform state and federal policy with the goal of better assisting students attending historical and predominantly black community colleges. More coverage To read more in-depth stories from The Post and Courier's Education Lab, go to postandcourier.com/education-lab. S.C. politicians and agencies have championed investment in technical schools as a solution to fix the systemic education problems in the state, particularly students' ability to secure profitable careers. According to the S.C. Department of Education's 2020-21 school report card, only 28.7 percent of high school graduates were college and career ready. Last year Gov. Henry McMaster announced the state was making a $17 million investment in a program that would provide scholarships to students attending any technical college in South Carolina. In February, the Education Department also announced that it planned to invest $11.5 million in technical education programs over three years. At a Feb. 9 press conference announcing the agency's investment, Superintendent Molly Spearman said it is imperative for students to get the knowledge and skills necessary to gain the high-paying and high-skilled jobs available in South Carolina. The other schools in the network include the following: COLUMBIA Almost seven years after a historic flood swept away dams and damaged others in a small Midlands town, residents still face closed and impassable roads, an empty lake and questions about how to pay for solutions and who is responsible for leading it all. Arcadia Lakes is a town of less than 1,000 people northeast of Columbia. As its name suggests, town boundaries on either side of North Trenholm Road include several bodies of water. During the historic flooding in 2015, multiple dams in the area were destroyed or damaged, including in nearby Forest Acres, leaving the private property owners who lived on the lakes responsible for repairs. Some homeowners groups have proceeded with repairs, a process that follows a similar template of securing a small business loan and creating a special tax district to assess homeowners the cost of repaying the borrowed money over a number of years. In Arcadia Lakes, one waterfront community has yet to solve its damaged dam and the traffic issues it has caused in the town at large. Town officials, state lawmakers and community members sought a path forward with rebuilding Arcadia Woods Lake dam and a section of Arcadia Lakes Drive during a community meeting at Forest Lake Presbyterian Church on March 16. They were encouraged by South Carolina enjoying unprecedented piles of cash from federal COVID programs. State Rep. Beth Bernstein and state Sen. Mia McLeod, a pair of Democrats whose districts include the town, said at the meeting they will ask for money in the state budget but need specific estimates and are unsure about whether they can request public funds for a private company, which is what the dam owners have formed. "If there is something to be done, this is the time to do it," Bernstein said. On the west side of Trenholm Road, 14 property owners make up the company that owns Arcadia Woods Lake and its dam under Arcadia Lakes Drive. Arcadia Woods Lake was first built in 1931 as a private club for prominent Columbians, a longtime resident said during the meeting. The lakebed was deeded to surrounding property owners in the 1960s but the dam had a single owner until their death in 2010. The lake has been drained since 2012 after state regulators first noticed a hole in the structure, and that was further damaged in the historic flood three years later. The road over the damaged dam has been closed since the flood, rerouting traffic along Arcadia Lakes Drive, a key thoroughfare some residents use to cut to busy Two Notch Road or to reach S.C. 277 and downtown Columbia. The residential street has become a cut-through for more cars and become a safety issue, residents said. For drivers, the difference can add time to a commute, drive more traffic to other neighborhoods around the closed road and limit access by first responders. Neither the road nor the dam has been fixed. The property owners received an estimate from 2018 for about $250,000 to repair the dam to the point of holding water, property owners president Jay Evans said. With only 14 property owners, the group couldn't afford the $1.5 million or more needed to replace the dam entirely, Evans said. Evans and the property owners have a permit for work to repair the dam, but the design would be too narrow along the top to accommodate a two-lane road, S.C. Department of Transportation engineer Andy Leaphart said. If the property owners repair the dam to the minimum standards required by state dam regulators, the state highway agency will pay the cost to fill the extra width and rebuild the two-lane road, Leaphart said. The process could be lengthy and the dam and road repair best carried out at the same time. Community members decided during the meeting March 16 to appoint a small committee to coordinate the project moving forward. "I'll tell you I have more hope tonight than I've had previously," Arcadia Lakes Mayor Mark Huguley said. Four S.C. technical colleges have been chosen to join a new network of historically and predominantly Black community colleges across the country. Denmark Technical College, Central Carolina Technical College, Northeastern Technical College and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College are now part of the 22-school network formed by the national nonprofit Complete College America. Contribute to the education discussion Join our Facebook group for constructive discussion on education news in South Carolina. Our reporters covering education will be in the group to help lead and moderate conversations. Join now Donate to our Investigative Fund to support journalism like this Our public service and investigative reporting is among the most important work we do. Its also the most expensive reporting we do. We cant do it without your support. Donate Now The group was created to help historically and predominantly Black community colleges share research and best practices that can help connect students of color with promising careers. Despite the significant number of Black students they serve, Historically Black Community Colleges and Predominantly Black Community Colleges have only relatively recently gained the increased recognition they deserve for the unique and critical role that they play, said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America in a March 10 press release. In January 2021, Rutgers' Graduate School of Education reported that there were 12 historically Black community colleges and 49 predominantly Black community colleges across the country. Approximately 13 percent of Black students in the United States go to community colleges, according to data compiled by the Community College Research Center. Willie L. Todd Jr., president of Denmark Tech, cited falling college graduation rates across the nation as a reason such a partnership is important, especially for students from historically marginalized groups. "As a small, rural, two-year HBCU, the challenges our adult students face are amplified in their pursuit of a higher education," he said. Denmark Tech is two-year college located in rural Bamberg County. It offers courses in construction, computer services and repairs, electromechanical engineering, welding, and other areas. As part of the network, Denmark Tech will go over its current programs and see whether they align with employers needs, according to a March 14 press release sent out by the school. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! After the project is completed, Denmark Tech will share data collected on its student outcomes. Complete College America, together with the network, will pool their findings and use them to help inform state and federal policy with the goal of better assisting students attending historical and predominantly black community colleges. More coverage To read more in-depth stories from The Post and Courier's Education Lab, go to postandcourier.com/education-lab. S.C. politicians and agencies have championed investment in technical schools as a solution to fix the systemic education problems in the state, particularly students' ability to secure profitable careers. According to the S.C. Department of Education's 2020-21 school report card, only 28.7 percent of high school graduates were college and career ready. Last year Gov. Henry McMaster announced the state was making a $17 million investment in a program that would provide scholarships to students attending any technical college in South Carolina. In February, the Education Department also announced that it planned to invest $11.5 million in technical education programs over three years. At a Feb. 9 press conference announcing the agency's investment, Superintendent Molly Spearman said it is imperative for students to get the knowledge and skills necessary to gain the high-paying and high-skilled jobs available in South Carolina. The other schools in the network include the following: Alabama: Bishop State Community College, Chattahoochee Valley Community College, Gadsden State Community College, H. Councill Trenholm State Community College, J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College, Lawson State Community College, Shelton State Community College, Wallace Community College Selma Arkansas: Arkansas State University Mid-South, Southeast Arkansas College, University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College Georgia: Atlanta Metropolitan State College Illinois: Olive-Harvey College (City Colleges of Chicago) Massachusetts: Roxbury Community College Michigan: Wayne County Community College District A Charleston restaurant was named a finalist for the 2022 James Beard Awards on March 16. The downtown restaurant Butcher & Bee earned a finalist nod in the Outstanding Restaurant category. It is one of just five restaurants selected in the category. Butcher & Bee was joined by four other restaurants nationwide: Brennan's in New Orleans; Chai Pani in Asheville, N.C.; Parachute in Chicago; and The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle. Butcher & Bee first opened in 2011 on Upper King Street before moving to its current location, 1085 Morrison Drive, in 2017. The restaurant group, spearheaded by Michael Shemtov, also owns a location in Nashville, Tenn., and The Daily, a grab-and-go daytime destination with locations in Charleston and Atlanta. After earning the semifinalist nod Feb. 23, Shemtov told The Post and Courier he credited the original staff members who helped put the restaurant on the map and his current team for the honor, adding that he is confident they can meet the heightened expectations that come with being recognized by the James Beard Foundation. We like to say that in our daily lives we are really not competing against other dining establishments but rather against ourselves, trying to be better today than we were yesterday, Shemtov said. I think the team will use this recognition as fire to fuel that passion for improvement. This year the foundation brought the awards back for the first time in two years after canceling a virtual ceremony scheduled for September 2020 and announcing that it would begin a yearlong initiative to audit and overhaul the awards process, with intent to remove any systemic bias. The foundation also returned to its traditional format of celebrating winners in person. Finalists for the restaurant and chef awards were announced in Scottsdale, Ariz. Winners of the restaurant and chef categories will be announced June 13 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago, and James Beard Foundation Media Awards nominees will be unveiled April 27 in New York City. Wild Common executive chef Orlando Pagan, who was named a semifinalist in the Best Chef: Southeast category, was bested by four chefs in North Carolina and one in Tennessee in the category. American cuisine is defined by the blending of cultures, flavors and cooking techniques. French-inspired, Asian fusion, seafood-centric and Tex-Mex are all descriptors Charleston diners have become familiar with, whether theyre declared by a patron, food writer or the restaurants chefs and owners themselves. This thought brings us to Rancho Lewis, the latest venture from Lewis Barbecue pitmaster John Lewis, who was born in El Paso, Texas. Many might be tempted to describe the restaurant as Tex-Mex, a type of food that was born in Central Texas city San Antonio. Its not. Located in the space previously occupied by exploratory food court Workshop, Rancho Lewis will serve what Lewis calls border cuisine. Lewis and fellow Texan Patty Arredondo, Rancho Lewis general manager, cant wait to show diners exactly what that means. Texas is a large state, and theres a lot of Texas-Mexico border, Arredondo said. As Americans people immediately want to go to Tex-Mex. And its different. Texas has its regions just like South Carolina does. Lewis childhood home was a mile from Mexico, and neighboring New Mexico was about two doors down. While he launched his barbecue career in Austin, Lewis remained passionate about the Texas-Mexico border cuisine he grew up eating. After bringing Texas barbecue to Charleston in June 2016 when Lewis Barbecue opened, Lewis shared border cuisine with Charleston at Juan Luis, a concept that first debuted in Workshop and later served enchiladas, breakfast tacos and more in a stucco-walled trailer parked outside Lewis Barbecue. Rancho Lewis will be the full-circle, full expression of the El Paso-inspired concept. Its kind of where Mexican American cuisine was born, said Lewis, whose great-grandparents once operated a chile farm in New Mexico. Then the farther you move away from the border, it starts getting a little bit different. Driving Rancho Lewis menu will be green and red chiles from Hatch, N.M., which will figure into about half of Lewis dishes. By partnering with growers and facilities in New Mexico that roast, chop, bag and freeze the chiles, Rancho Lewis will have access to a crop with a mere monthlong growing season all year. Wood for grilling meats will be shipped to Charleston from Texas, and another hallmark of Rancho Lewis will be its beans, sourced from Morrow Farms in New Mexico. Those they grow on a high plateau, Lewis said. Its really dry up there, but it gets really cold too; makes just some really neat-tasting pinto beans. Perhaps the defining characteristic of the restaurant will be the tortilleria that will churn out fresh corn and flour tortillas daily using a technique called nixtamalization. This process involves treating corn with lime before its cooked, dried and ground into masa, at which point it's processed with a molino, or traditional Mexican stone mill, that Lewis carved himself in his workshop. Lewis, who also built the pits at Lewis Barbecue, spent three years perfecting the molinos design. The end result, according to Lewis and Arredondo, will be flavorful tortillas with enough texture to stay intact when filled with beans, meat, vegetables and cheese. You wont find any double-tortilla tacos at Rancho Lewis. The restaurants menu will be broken up into two parts: One side will highlight open-fire mesquite grilled meats like quail or steak and the other will feature enchiladas, burritos, tacos, nachos and more. Some of these dishes might sound like they could fit into a Tex-Mex menu, but the duo is defiant that they will look, taste and feel different at Rancho Lewis. Those who had a taste of Juan Luis will know theyre telling the truth. Betsy Berry of B. Berry Interiors is leading the design efforts at Rancho Lewis. Lewis and Arredondo remain tight-lipped about exactly what to expect inside the restaurant. Its almost like the light in the kitchens in these areas are almost different and how do we capture that here at Rancho, Arredondo said, describing restaurants and home kitchens near the Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico, border. As a Tejano and as a Texan, I can assure you that anybody that walks into that space will be transported to those places on the border that feel like home and familiar to people. And the food does too. Rancho Lewis Instagram account hints at some of the El Paso and Adobe-style design elements, such as wooden touches, leather, ceramic lamps, sunburst brick, ceiling tiles and metal finishes. The rest will remain a secret until Rancho Lewis opens at 1503 King St. in March or April 2022. GEORGETOWN Two areas in Georgetown and Horry counties have received a total of $2.6 million in federal funding to examine what can be done to fix historical flooding issues. Sandy Island in Georgetown County and the Buck Creek Watershed in Horry County were part of 106 other infrastructure projects across the country that recently received more than $166.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of the federal infrastructure bill. The two counties were selected because they were identified as two of the most critical and highest priority projects for improving the nations land and water resources, said Michael Mascari, a spokesman with the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service. Only accessible by boat, Sandy Island is bordered on the east by the Waccamaw River and the west by the Great Pee Dee River. The entire island encompasses 12,000 acres with the majority owned by The Nature Conservancy and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. Recent flooding has threatened infrastructure, notably homes, businesses and transportation routes, a release announcing the funding said. Georgetown County Director of Public Services Ray Funnye said the 50-plus residents who live on the island have been affected by an increase of erosion on the shore banks from flooding. He said they identified several flood-prone locations, one of which is a low area between the fire station and New Bethel Baptist Church, founded in 1880 and the only church on the island. When it rains, they (residents) have a difficult time getting from their residences to the boat landing, Funnye said. We asked whether this would be grant worthy so we can help them get out when the weather is not good. In Horry County, the Buck Creek borders S.C. Highway 9 starting near the state line and spills into the Waccamaw River near the Aberdeen Country Club in Longs. The Loris/Longs area has seen hundreds of homes in the past several years sprout up in one of the countys fastest-growing regions. Changes within the primarily agricultural watershed are a concern regarding recent flood events, a news release said. A watershed plan will provide guidance for reducing flood damages. Mascari said that watershed projects like Sandy Island and Buck Creek typically take 18 months for planning, 24 months for the design and two to five years for construction. He said they anticipate more projects from South Carolina in the next round of funding to be announced on March 31. A national health care safety group has taken the first step toward denying accreditation for Roper Hospital in downtown Charleston, a move that could imperil the hospital's ability to receive federal payments for its services. The Joint Commission, a nonprofit group that enforces health care standards, inspected the hospital last week. It found a condition that "poses a threat to patients or other individuals served," according to a public website where the evaluator lists general descriptions of its findings. A spokeswoman for the commission said in an email she would not share details on what led to the denial. A spokesman for the hospital also refused to disclose what the issue or issues were. A Roper executive stressed in a statement to employees that it's a preliminary decision, and they're already working to correct unspecified problems. The accreditation process is meant to hold hospitals to high standards of patient care. Inspectors check the hospital's procedures and equipment, ranging from record-keeping to sterilization techniques to a building's fire protection. The Oakbrook, Ill.-based Joint Commission employs about 1,000 people who examine hospitals, laboratories, ambulatory care services and other health care facilities. In all, it claims on its website to inspect more than 22,000 facilities, and says it is the oldest and largest group to do this work. In response to a request from The Post and Courier, a Roper St. Francis Healthcare spokesman forwarded a March 17 message to the system's staff from Vice President of Acute Care Matt Desmond. Desmond wrote that "there is nothing that matters more than providing safe, high quality care." He added that officials had not received a full written report from the Joint Commission but that Roper had started working on plans to improve before inspectors left the flagship hospital. Roper Hospital was built in 1946 and has 332 beds. It houses cancer, heart and vascular care, an emergency room and other services. The system also operates three other hospitals in the area that were not part of the inspection. In November, the system announced it would move Roper Hospital from its downtown location in favor of one off the Charleston peninsula. How soon is still undetermined. Roper has the opportunity to appeal the decision and can do so two times before the certification is pulled entirely. An appeal takes approximately six months, Joint Commission spokeswoman Maureen Lyons wrote. She added that Roper's laboratory and home care programs did receive accreditation after their most recent surveys. They are reviewed separately from hospital care. Inspectors were at the hospital for their typical three-year visit and will return within a month to see if Roper has addressed the issues, Desmond wrote. The consequences of losing accreditation are serious. The process is supposed to enforce the safety standards of Medicare and Medicaid, programs that are important spigots of federal funding for health care services. "Like you, we care deeply about our reputation and services, and ensuring Roper Hospital maintains its accreditation and continues to serve patients is our sole focus right now," Desmond wrote in his message to employees. The initial denial of accreditation comes as the hospital system faces multiple lawsuits alleging women developed non-tuberculous mycobacteria infections following surgeries related to breast cancer treatment at Roper Hospital. The bacterium is a slow-growing strain that's developed a resistance to antibiotics. Desmond, in his statement to employees, said the Joint Commission's findings were "not related to mycobacteria infection concerns or risks." The infections culminated in an investigation by state and federal public health agencies in 2016. The hospital's water supply was later treated to rid it of the bacteria. Lawsuits filed last year claim an infection prevention expert at the downtown hospital ignored initial warnings from a surgeon with privileges there who had noticed the infections in his patients after breast reconstruction surgeries. Other hospitals have improved their standing after receiving preliminary denials from the Joint Commission. A 2017 investigation by the Wall Street Journal showed that the Joint Commission rarely pulls accreditation permanently, even from hospitals with serious lapses. South Georgia Medical Center, in the southern Georgia city of Valdosta, received a similar notice of preliminary failure in September 2018 after the commission found an unspecified condition that poses a threat to patients or other individuals served, according to a report in the Valdosta Daily Times. Though a consultant told the newspaper that a loss of accreditation would be catastrophic, the hospital not only kept its accreditation but was awarded the Joint Commissions gold seal of approval the following year. Glenn Smith contributed to this report from Charleston. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. COLUMBIA A Beaufort attorney accused of conspiring with Alex Murdaugh to steal a multimillion-dollar insurance settlement has been released from jail on a $100,000 surety bond. Judge Alison Lee set bail at a hearing March 17 for Cory Fleming, who faces charges of criminal conspiracy and various fraud-related offenses on allegations he helped his longtime friend siphon settlement money intended for the family of Murdaugh's deceased housekeeper. Lee said Fleming, a longtime Beaufort resident with a wife and two college-age children, was not a flight risk. She determined the $100,000 amount was appropriate based on the seriousness of the charges. Fleming could post 10 percent, or $10,000, to be released from jail, the judge said. Fleming appeared at the March 17 virtual court hearing wearing a light-blue jail uniform. His attorney, Deborah Barbier, said her client surrendered to authorities that morning. Fleming was jailed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, the same Richland County facility where Murdaugh remains held on fraud charges. Fleming posted bail Thursday afternoon, a jail staff person confirmed. Barbier was joined on a video call by Fleming's family, including his wife, a Lowcountry public defender, she said. The family declined to speak at the hearing. Fleming, 53, is the first co-defendant to be ensnared in the tangled web of fraud claims surrounding Murdaugh, who faces 75 charges on allegations he hoodwinked former clients and colleagues out of nearly $8.5 million while serving as a prominent and well-connected Hampton County attorney. An indictment unsealed March 16 alleges Fleming conspired with Murdaugh to steal almost $3.5 million from the family of Gloria Satterfield, who was the Murdaugh family's housekeeper until she died from a slip-and-fall at the Murdaugh home in 2018. Murdaugh encouraged Satterfield's sons to sue him after their mother's death, according to the indictment, and recommended Fleming for the job. Fleming secured settlements from Murdaugh's insurance carriers in the case, but the sons said they never saw a dime. Authorities say almost $3.5 million was siphoned into a fraudulent bank account Murdaugh controlled. Murdaugh spent some of the money paying off debts utility payments, personal loans and a six-figure credit card bill, the indictment states. The Beaufort attorney transferred the wealth into Murdaugh's bank account, authorities allege, and knew about the fraud. Creighton Waters, a prosecutor for the Attorney General's Office, said at the hearing Fleming had his staff write out three checks from the settlement fund to pay for bogus legal expenses. Fleming instead used the money to pay off personal bills, Waters said. Fleming also secretly paid Murdaugh half his legal fee, an "improper" and "corrupt" finders fee. "People entrusted with power to act in any system can abuse it," Waters said. "And that's allegedly what we have here a corruption of the system." Attorney Eric Bland, an attorney for the Satterfield family, said at the bond hearing that they wanted to make sure all the attorneys involved in the alleged fraud were held accountable not just Murdaugh. Bland acknowledged Fleming paid restitution to the Satterfield family last fall, after Bland and fellow attorney Ronnie Richter filed a lawsuit over the missing money. But Fleming was a "personal embarrassment" to the legal profession, Bland said. Barbier said Fleming practiced law for approximately 28 years before his license was suspended in October. That included a two-year stint in the Beaufort County Solicitor's office, Barbier said. Fleming was a devoted father of two children with no criminal history, Barbier said. Fleming, a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker, has done renovation work on a family rental property since losing his license, Barbier said. Barbier declined to comment after the hearing. After nearly a decade at the helm of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, Executive Director Gillian Zettler is leaving her position at the five-day food and beverage event for a new opportunity. Zettler, who served in the top post for the past nine years, is departing the festival to accept a new role in Charleston with Beemok Hospitality, an affiliate of Beemok Capital, the family office of local businessman and philanthropist Ben Navarro. She will serve as the hospitality group's executive director of events and programming. The Charleston Wine + Food Festival's board of directors plans to name an interim director soon and will now begin a search for a permanent executive director, the nonprofit said in a March 17 statement. "Its definitely been some of the best and most trying moments of my career over the past decade. Ive been able to work with, work alongside, be inspired by, be educated and informed by so many brilliant people," Zettler told The Post and Courier. "I feel just very, very peaceful with the transition." Zettler joined the Charleston Wine + Food Festival in 2013 after serving as executive director of Euphoria, Greenville's wine and food festival. The Clemson University graduate was unanimously chosen after the Charleston festival's board conducted a national search. "It was clear to both the search committee and the board of directors that Gillians enthusiasm, passion and experience leading Euphoria made her a great fit for this position, festival representatives said at the time. She took over for Angel Postell, who resigned in spring 2013. Zettler helped bring a national spotlight to Charleston's signature food and beverage event, which returned in 2022 following a two-year hiatus. She focused on fostering growth organically, helping the festival add more events that best represented South Carolina and its history. While the festival has drawn criticism over the years, Zettler never shied away from conversations about how it could improve. Under her leadership, the event established its identity as an entity focused on connecting members of the hospitality industry and developing partnerships that better served the local community year-round. Big changes to the programming and locations of events, including moving its culinary village to North Charleston, were made ahead of the 2022 festival. Zettler said she felt it was her mission to bring the festival to the other side of the pandemic. Wine + Food board Chairwoman Mamie Bush said Zettler's brand of leadership helped make the 2022 festival a "huge win," crediting Zettler with strengthening the festival's balance sheet, programming and commitment to diversity and inclusion during her tenure. "We're really excited for her. She really has been an integral part (of the festival) for nine years," Bush told The Post and Courier. "What she was able to do (this year) is what she always does in my opinion. She's just such a very genuine leader in my opinion." Zettler now joins a hospitality group that's making waves locally, following the purchase of the iconic Charleston Place hotel for $350 million. The property bookmarked by King and Meeting streets is the "flagship asset" of Beemok Hospitality, which seeks to buy "premier hotel, restaurant and entertainment assets that showcase Charleston and the Southeast," according to a 2021 statement. While Zettler did not reveal full details of what her new position would entail, she said she would be charged with the curation of a wellness event in Charleston. "Im really inspired by what their mission is as a company," Zettler said. "Im just excited that I got tapped to create something from the ground up. It just feels like its a remarkable opportunity." Leaving the festival is bittersweet, Zettler said, but she has confidence the organization will continue to grow under its new leader. As of June 2020, the festival had $1.17 million in net assets, according to the latest data available from the S.C. Secretary of State. Over the past 16 years, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival has welcomed almost 335,000 guests. The 2023 Charleston Wine + Food Festival is scheduled for March 1-5. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. COLUMBIA South Carolina's delegation in D.C. is urging President Joe Biden to increase military aid to Ukraine following an emotional appeal to Congress by the nation's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a stirring March 16 address, Zelenskyy, whose country is battling a violent incursion by Russian military forces, called on the U.S. to provide additional military aid to his country. He also renewed calls to implement a "no-fly" zone over the country, which many believe could draw forces aligned with NATO into the conflict. His speech came five days after Congress voted to approve more than $13 billion in military aid to the country in its latest omnibus spending bill, and moments before Biden announced the shipment of military provisions including drones, 7,000 small arms and several million rounds of ammunition. Some members of South Carolina's delegation in Congress say more can be done. Upstate Republican U.S. Rep. William Timmons, a captain in the S.C. Air National Guard, called on Biden to allow the shipment of 29 MiG fighter jets from Poland and to impose even stronger economic sanctions on the country. In a statement, he said the United States "must use every tool at our disposal, short of beginning a world war, to help the Ukrainian people." Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has called for the assassination or arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, echoed those calls, holding a press conference on Capitol Hill to push his Senate resolution supportive of releasing the MiG jets and reaffirming his own support for Putin's removal. Lowcountry U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace said the United States should consider posing threats for additional sanctions on China, which has reportedly been in talks with the Kremlin to provide financial assistance as the country's economy has buckled under the weight of sanctions from the U.S. and others. "We need to make sure that China stays the hell out of this thing," Mace, R-Charleston, told The Post and Courier. However, lawmakers are urging a cautious approach over concerns that going too far could entice Russia into escalating the conflict or potentially draw the United States into the war. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! While Zelenskyy recognized Graham, R-S.C., for his war crimes amendment against Russia during his speech, Graham has continued to express reluctance for a no-fly zone, saying he would only support one if Russian forces were found to be using biological weapons. Mace also suggested that too aggressive sanctions on China could have a whiplash effect, citing the significant trade relationship the sprawling economic powerhouse currently holds with the U.S. and the rest of the world. She said the United States should take more active steps to help prepare the country for possible sanctions, including regulatory reforms to bolster American manufacturing and diversifying American trading partners. "If they want to shut us off, they can," Mace said. "There are steps that we can take to reduce our reliance on China, which are things that we should be doing for the longevity of our economy. That means having less reliance on China and more reliance on our allies that are around the world." While all supported additional aid to Ukraine, the manner in which that spending is achieved will likely be an ongoing issue. Though the vote to approve the $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine was achieved on a bipartisan basis, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., was among the 31 senators who voted against it, saying he supported a separate spending bill to address the problem. "I am a strong supporter of helping the Ukrainian people resist Vladimir Putins vicious and unjust war, and I will be the first to vote for a standalone bill that bolsters the fight for Ukraine," he said in a statement. "Sadly, Democrats used an international crisis to jam through another reckless government spending package." Mace said Congress is currently in a holding pattern to see whether the current levels of aid are sufficient, and could evaluate additional aid to Ukraine sometime in the near future. "In the next couple of days and weeks we'll be able to tell if that was sufficient enough and how the the resources were expended," she said. "It's too early to tell right now." Since 2020, Guam has seen an "unusually high" number of people dying at home or before reaching the hospital, and later confirmed positive for COVID-19, according to updated government data. This prompted Department of Public Health and Social Services interim chief medical officer Dr. Robert Leon Guerrero and other health officials on Thursday to reiterate their calls for residents to immediately seek medical help if they feel some symptoms, or to get checked regularly if they have chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension. Some 108, or 32% of the total 341 COVID-19-related fatalities on Guam since March 2020 were pronounced dead on arrival, DPHSS said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "Thirty-two percent of our COVID-related deaths are dead on arrival, which is very unusual," said Ann Pobutsky, territorial epidemiologist at DPHSS. She said this is very unusual, at least for Guam, since this has not been compared to other jurisdictions, although Italy and New York also reported a high number of DOA cases in 2020. "We do think its concerning and its odd, and we are going to take a look in more detail," Pobutsky said during a regular Public Health COVID-19 briefing with media. DPHSS officials saw a spike in DOA cases initially in 2021 during the delta surge, and again during the omicron surge at the beginning of 2022. Pobutsky said officials went back to check the data from 2020. Here are the number of dead-on-arrival cases among COVID-19-related fatalities, based on updated DPHSS data: 2020: 23. 2021: 54 (most occurred during delta surge). 2022: 31 (omicron surge). "Thirty-two percent of the COVID-related deaths seems high and unusual, but we think, from what weve looked at, in terms of the data, is explainable by the high levels of chronic diseases in our population, people not seeking treatment when they could have because a lot of dead-on-arrivals were swabbed on the same day that they died. Nobody knew they were sick," Pobutsky said. A joint DPHSS and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study showed that socioeconomic factors, along with chronic diseases, played a major role in the high number of dead-on-arrival cases during the delta surge. 2 more deaths Guam's 341 total COVID-19-related fatalities included two reported Thursday by the Joint Information Center: A 69-year-old man died March 10 at Guam Regional Medical City. He had been vaccinated and received a booster shot. He tested positive Feb. 28 for SARS-CoV-2. An 81-year-old man died March 16 at Guam Memorial Hospital. The patient had been vaccinated. He hadn't received a booster shot. He tested positive March 8. "(We) are deeply sorry for the family and friends on the passing of their loved ones, and we pray you find healing and peace, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a statement. "As we begin a slow and gradual lifting of restrictions, we must remain vigilant, especially among vulnerable family members." DPHSS reported 57 new COVID-19 cases out of 686 tests performed Wednesday. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations went down to 19 as of Thursday, and one of the COVID-19 patients was in an intensive care unit. Still in 'high-risk' category Guam's COVID-19 cases have continued to decline, but officials said the island remains in an omicron surge and that its transmissibility rate is still considered in the "high-risk" category. Dr. Annette David, lead epidemiologist for Guam's State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup, said Guam remains in the "high-risk" category in terms of COVID-19 transmissibility per 100,000 over the past seven days. Some two weeks ago, Guam had 1,100 cases per 100,000 population. As of Thursday morning, that number is down to 385 cases per 100,000 population, which is still considered a "high-risk" level because 200 cases is the cutoff. David and other officials expect that Guam will see much better rates next week, which could lead to more restrictions being lifted. The new COVID-19 hospitalization rate is down to 12 per 100,000 for Guam, or very close to the cutoff of 10, while demand for staffed inpatient beds is down to 7%. Hawaii is now at 86 cases per 100,000 population, and the state is about to lift its mask mandate and other restrictions. Former Guam radio and marketing executive Evan Montvel-Cohen is hoping to be spared from having to spend any time in federal prison and instead will be placed on a year of home confinement and supervised release. Montvel-Cohen asked for the lenient sentence due to his severe medical issues and his plea of guilty to one count of use of means of identification in furtherance of fraud and one count of bank fraud. But his family wants the court to sentence him to the maximum punishment possible. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. I expressed hope that it sticks. With that I mean, that the sentence goes to the extent of the law and make crystal clear that he has to stop his fraudulent behaviors, said Elisabeth Kalau, the defendants mother, who wrote a letter to the chief judge stating that claims that she has dementia is yet another of her sons falsehoods. Regretfully, his dishonestly and falsifications are known to members of both sides of his family. The defendants adult son, Isaiah Torre Montvel-Cohen, also wrote to the court, requesting his father be given the maximum sentence. Evan Montvel-Cohen is the worst, most dishonest, irresponsible, and insensitive person Ive ever met. He has actively lied to me, stolen from me and severely impacted my chances of completing my education and getting a job. He has hurt me and my family in immeasurable ways and is a danger to the people around him. It would be a grave mistake to let him go free and under-punished, the defendant's son wrote. Additionally, Sharla Torre, who was married to Evan Montvel-Cohen for more than 28 years, echoed the same message in a separate letter to the federal court. This is not the first time that Evan has schemed to win the courts leniency by pleading guilty. In 2009, he won leniency in Hawaii Circuit Court by pleading no contest to theft. His sentence was five years of probation and some restitution money. He truly believes he can outsmart our justice system. She wrote that she and her son are victims of Evans deceit, adding, Ive come to believe that Evan is a malignant narcissist/psychopath. He bends the rules to serve his voracious greed and hatred. In my decades living and working with him, I know him to be uncommonly skillful, persuasive, and cunning, and if left free, he will continue to use these against other victims. For these reasons, I believe he has been and remains a true danger to society Please dont allow him to repeat the harm. Evan Montvel-Cohen faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, and 15 years for the charge of identification in furtherance of fraud, the plea agreement stated. According to court documents, he offered a man a job at his advertising firm, C2 Social, in the summer of 2019. He was accused of sending the man a check to help with the expenses of moving to Guam, but the check bounced while the man was on his way to the island. He was also accused of using the man's personal information to rent a home in Tamuning and leaving the rent unpaid. He has agreed to pay nearly $60,000 in restitution to the victims in the case. Sentencing, which was set for March 24, has been postponed to May before District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood. 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 Prof. Charles Kesler, editor of the Claremont Review of Books, and author, most recently, of The Crisis of the Two Constitutions, recently visited Berkeley to give a lecture on his book, and sit down with John Yoo and me to discuss what were calling the Claremont Question, which is really just a headline for several controversies. The largest is the Trump question and the character of nationalism and populism generally, but we also discuss the controversies over the 2020 election, January 6, and the role of our friend and Claremont colleague John Eastman, who is being dragged through the mud by the vengeful left. Although we recorded in the early afternoon, our conviviality might make listeners conclude that we had started in with cocktails rather early, but not true! And our exit music this week is appropriate to our theme: Jonathan Richmans Government Center. You know what to do now: listen here, or wander on down to the Sproul Plaza of conservative freedom of thoughtour hosts at Ricochet. Many noted Vice President Harriss apparent confusion about the status of Ukraine as a member of NATO (or not) in her remarks at the DNC winter meeting last week. It may deserve a place in the work in progress that I call Veep Thoughts by Kamala Harris. I thought it was nothing more than the usual blather. Politicos Alex Thompson checked the speech against the White House transcript. He found that it had been corrected or clarified: So I will say what I know we all say, and I will say over and over again: The United States stands firmly with the Ukrainian people [and] in defense of the NATO Alliance. (Applause.) Woo hoo! Harris or Harris made the same mistake on Twitter, though she blamed it on the DNC. The tweet has since been deleted and retweeted in corrected form. The New York Posts Callie Patterson reports: A spokesperson for the vice presidents office told Fox News on Wednesday that the @KamalaHarris account is controlled by the Democratic National Committee. The DNC later told the outlet that the word [and] was omitted by accident, so we took it down and reported with the correct remarks. Which leaves us with the text of Harriss DNC speech. Was the text in error or did she misread it, and did she review it before she gave it? Does she have any idea what she is talking about? The last is a rhetorical question. We have been tracking the contradictions, incoherence, and madness of President Bidens imminent deal with Iran in this series. Adam Kredo presents a striking example in the Washington Free Beacon story New Iran Agreement Would Let Russia Cash in on $10 Billion Contract To Build Nuclear Sites. Subhead: Biden admin will waive sanctions so Russia can build contested nuclear plant. Kredo reports: Russias top state-controlled energy company is set to cash in on a $10 billion contract to build out one of Irans most contested nuclear sites as part of concessions granted in the soon-to-be-announced nuclear agreement that will guarantee sanctions on both countries are lifted. Russian and Iranian documents translated for the Washington Free Beacon show that Rosatom, Russias leading energy company, has a $10 billion contract with Irans atomic energy organization to expand Tehrans Bushehr nuclear plant. Russia and the Biden administration confirmed on Tuesday that the new nuclear agreement includes carveouts that will waive sanctions on both countries so that Russia can make good on this contract. Separate from the imminent deal, but undoubtedly related to it, the administration is reportedly working on another arrangement that would result in the removal of the Iranian Revolutions Guard Corps from its listing as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Barak Ravid cites three Israeli and two U.S. sources to this effect in his Axios story. Note: Lee Smith questions the uses to which Ravid has been put in his Tablet column Biden Blames the Jews for His Ukraine Policy. Orde Kittrie comments on the possible removal of the IRGC from the FTO listing in the National Interest column Lifting Human Rights Sanctions on Iran Would Be a Mistake. Professor Kittrie has a point, of course, but calling the move a mistake seems unduly tactful. UPDATE: The Associated Press has just posted Matt Lees story As Ukraine war rages, diplomats near Iran nuclear agreement. Z was the 1969 political thriller that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Referring to the political assassination with which the film begins, Z stood for he lives. I hope that when the Russias war on Ukraine comes to an end, Z can stand for Zelenksy and his survival will be literal rather than metaphorical. Zelenskys appearance before Congress yesterday prompts these obvious thoughts. Ukraine is an independent and sovereign country. I support its persistence as such. Victor Davis Hanson presents the excruciating choices available to it under present circumstances in the American Greatness column Zelenskys classical choices. He sketches four choices: Salamis, Thebes, Thermopylae, or Melos. If I were Ukrainian, I dont know for which I would opt. What about Victor? He suggests it is too soon to tell (These four choices depend not just on reason, morality, and emotion, but on the pulse of the battlefield in the next few days). I support the choice of Ukrainians as represented by President Zelensky. If he choose to fight, we should support his desire to fight so long as it is consistent with the interests of the United States. Russias invasion of Ukraine is unprovoked aggression. Putin himself has been unable to state a reason that can be taken at face value. David Goldman invokes the specter of World War I in his Asia Times/PJ Media column Reliving the nightmare of 1914. Goldman cites Christopher Clarks 2013 book The Sleepwalkers. Im sure the thought is on the mind of many others. American interests limit what we can prudently do to support Ukraines resistance. How far can we go without provoking Russia into expanding the war or going to war with Russia ourselves? The Biden administrations alleged efforts to deter Russias aggression were a complete and utter failure. The administrations denial that it intended to deter Russia is pitiful. VDHs classical choices column is somewhat clinical in nature. His own judgment is explicit here: So far Zelenskyy has been brilliant as he expresses his appreciation for Western sanctions and arms. His insight seems to balance his otherwise unhinged demand for far more dangerous escalationsspecifically to establish a no-fly zone and thus in World War III style confront, in the air above Ukraine, a bellicose Russia with the worlds largest nuclear arsenal. He provides additional observations in todays column 10 realities of Ukraine. His tenth reality observes: It is not un-American to point out that prior American appeasement under the Obama and the Biden Administrations explains not why Putin wished to go into Ukraine, but why he felt he could. It is not treasonous to say Ukraine and the United States previously should have stayed out of each others domestic affairs and politics but still do not excuse Putins savage aggression. It is not traitorous to admit that Russia for centuries relied on buffer states between Europe lost when its Warsaw Pact satellite members joined NATO after its defeat in the Cold War. But that reality also does not justify Putins savage attack. That still leaves us with the question: What is to be done? I.e., what more is to be done, if anything? The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned against relaxing COVID-19 protocol, noting that the pandemic is not over as cases are increasing globally. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus told journalists in Geneva on Wednesday that after several weeks of declines, reported cases of COVID-19 were once again increasing globally, especially in parts of Asia. According to him, a combination of factors, including misinformation that the pandemic is over, the lifting of mask mandates, ending physical distancing and a more transmissible Omicron BA.2 variant are causing an increase of COVID-19 cases globally. In the past week, the agency has seen an eight per cent increase in detection of COVID-19 cases, with more than 11 million positive test results. These increases are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg, he explained, warning that when cases tick up, so do deaths. Mr Ghebreyesus said that continued local outbreaks and surges were to be expected, particularly in areas where measures to prevent transmission had been lifted. He said that there are unacceptably high levels of mortality in many countries, especially where vaccination levels were low among susceptible populations. Each country is facing a different situation with different challenges, but the pandemic is not over, he reiterated. WHOs Maria Van Kerkhove explained that a combination of factors was fuelling the increase of cases worldwide, beginning with a more transmissible variant. We still have Omicron which is transmitting at a very intense level around the world. We have sub-lineages of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. BA.2 is more transmissible, and this is the most transmissible variant we have seen of the SARS-COV2 virus to date, she warned. The COVID-19 Technical Lead informed that in the last 30 days of more than 400,000 sequences sampled, 99.9 per cent are Omicron, and 75 per cent correspond to the BA.2 variant. We do not see an increase in severity with BA.2. However, with huge numbers of cases you will see increase hospitalisations and we have seen this in country after country, Kerkhove highlighted. Another factor influencing the increase of numbers is the lifting of public health and social measures. Lifting of the use of masks, lifting of physical distancing, lifting of restrictions limiting peoples movement, this provides the virus an opportunity to spread, Kerkhove cautioned. The expert also pointed out that there are huge amounts of misinformation causing a lot of confusion among people. The misinformation that Omicron is mild, misinformation that the pandemic is over, misinformation that this is the last variant that we will have to deal with, she explained. Meanwhile, Mike Ryan, WHOs Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme clarified that the virus has not settled down into a purely seasonal or predictable pattern yet. So, the idea that we are through with it in the northern hemisphere and now we have to wait until next winter, I think (for example) when we look at increasing rates in the UK, we need to be very vigilant and cautious with this, he said. The expert added that the virus is still very fit and its moving around easily and in the context of waning immunity and vaccines not acting perfectly against infection, the virus will likely continue to echo around the world. (NAN) The cast of the first Nigerian instalment of the award-winning franchise, The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOLagos) has been unveiled. They are Carolyna Hutchings, Iyabo Ojo, Chioma Ikokwu, Mariam Timmer, Laura Ikeji and Toyin Lawani-Adebayo. The show debuts exclusively on Showmax on April 8, 2022, with new episodes every Friday. It is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal Studio Group. RHOLagos will be the first Nigerian instalment of the award-winning franchise that is nationally distributed by NBCUniversal Formats. The latter is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. This also marks the 16th international version of The Real Housewives format and the third African adaptation, following the success of The Real Housewives of Johannesburg and Durban, both now streaming on Showmax. Fans of the show can now get to watch the opulent lives of six glamourous women in Lagos. Interesting cast lineup Carolyna Hutchings is the CEO of Hutchings Limited, a real estate, oil and gas, and agriculture company. She is also the founder of Hopeville Foundation, a non-profit that caters to women and children. Ms Hutchings is a mother-of-three. Laura Ikeji is a social media influencer, author, and entrepreneur. Mrs Ikeji is a mother-of-two and the wife of a former Super Eagles player, Christopher Kanu. Chioma Ikokwu is a lawyer, co-founder and CEO of luxury hair brand Good Hair Woman and Brass and Copper Restaurant & Lounge. She also runs women- and children-focused charity called the Goodway Foundation. She has never been married. Toyin Lawani-Adebayo is a renowned celebrity stylist, fashion designer, business mogul and CEO of Tiannahs Place Empire. She is a mother-of-three and is married to musician and creative photographer, Segun Wealth. Iyabo Ojo is a famous Nollywood actress, produceFerrisTok sensation, brand influencer, entrepreneur and CEO of Fepris Limited. She is divorced and a mother-of-two. Mariam Timmer is a PR expert and chief executive director at Six Sixteen Agency. Shes the creative director at Lure Fashion Limited, an online retail fashion line, an online content creator, YouTuber and entrepreneur. Mrs Timmer has a daughter and is married to John Timmer. Concept In true Lagos style, the producers say the cast will be moving up all the high fashion, luxury, drama and power moves the franchise has come to be known and loved globally. Speaking about the show, Candice Fangueiro, head of content, Showmax Africa, said, as an African brand, showcasing and telling African stories is at the core of their content production. She said: We are excited to be partnering with NBCUniversal Formats to bring The Real Housewives of Lagos to our subscribers. The Real Housewives of Durban, now in its second season, has smashed viewing records and delighted fans. Our Nigerian subscribers herein for a treat with the local edition. Busola Tejumola, executive head of content and West Africa channels at MultiChoice Nigeria also added that the show will explore the rich culture and lifestyle of Africas largest megacity, Lagos, through the eyes of six of the citys most glamorous women. Produced by Livespot 360, RHOLagos will be available exclusively on Showmax in more than 40 African countries. Naona Usoroh is the director in charge of environmental, social and economic needs at Alluvial Agriculture. She has a background in economics. She works on the gender aspects of the MasterCard Foundation project to support 65,000 farmers over a two year period. She leads the gender and youth mainstreaming areas of the project. In this episode of our Women in Agriculture series, she tells PREMIUM TIMES how the organisation empowers female farmers in Nigeria. PT: You have a background in economics, how then did you get into agriculture? Ms Usoroh: I had a short thing with insurance, then I moved on to working with a nonprofit and from the nonprofit, I transitioned to agribusiness. Nonprofits focused on climate change and environmental sustainability. Basically, I worked in the Niger Delta, where there was a lot of exploration of oil, spillage and environmental issues. So we worked around that. We worked with communities to support them in their fight for justice, just basically helping them in livelihoods, raising awareness of the issues that theyre facing. After that, I moved on to agribusiness. PT: Your organisation has a partnership with MasterCard Foundation and then you hope to empower 65,000 farmers, 80 per cent of the farmers are expected to be women, Tell us more about it? Ms Usoroh: We started in June/July 2020 and it is supposed to end June 2022. We have done one year, seven months, and have about five months left on the project. PT: How would you say this progress has been so far considering the targets you set for your project? Ms Usoroh: Yeah, it was very ambitious, right? To target working with 80 percent women out of 65,000. Initially, we had challenges with the numbers. Then we changed our strategy. We started approaching the communities differently. When we go to a community, we dont go and say oh, were here to empower you; to work with farmers, about 80 per cent has to be women once you say that, the tendency is that most men come and register. Well, we went and said, This is a womens project. Once we started doing that, we would increase the number of women. So the community leaders know that they need to bring the women out, they need to help them work with this company that has come. Thats how we were able to reach the numbers, its still a struggle. But with that strategy it helped a lot. PT: What factors do you consider before going to these locations to select the farmers? What regions did you visit, and then what inspired you to get to these regions to empower their women? Ms Usoroh: First, the project is for eight states. Eight focus states. So in every state, we have farming communities. We employed staff who were experienced on the ground. They advise us about areas that we can go to. We also did a lot of research. We travelled far and wide to metro communities, and communities that were willing to cooperate with us in terms of help in bringing out their women to work with us, we partnered with them. So its basically from people who are on the ground and knew the farming communities, where the irrigation sites were, and from our own research and of course networking. For example, we have a community here with 500 hectares of land and the women are willing to work with you, we go there as long as its in those states, and its in the three focal crops. The states are Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Cross River, Niger, Bauchi and Plateau States. The three focal crops are maize, rice, and soybeans. So once we identify communities who are traditional maize farmers or soy farmers in these focal states, we partner with them, and they are willing to work with us. PT: In our previous series, some of these women mentioned that there is a procedure in which you register them and then you supply them with inputs then they pay back with either cash or part of their harvest, is this true? Ms Usoroh: Okay, so the main goal of this project is to help the farmers, create sustainable business, transition from subsistence farming to commercial farming, right? Owning and managing a commercial farm business. There was a survey that we did, we had a whole activity towards conditioning their minds to say, look, this is a business, you can progress, you can move forward, you can scale, one of the things we needed to do is get the farmers on track. Thats why we needed to register them. We also worked with banks for financial inclusion. Some of these women farmers particularly had no bank accounts and we were able to help them so the banks came to the communities, helped them to register, helped them get their BVN, and other documents. For payback, its the grant we got from MasterCard to assist us provide input at subsidised rates. The little that they had to pay was paid in produce not cash. It was easier for them and they didnt have to pay 100 per cent. Like I said, it was highly subsidised. For the inputs they only had to pay about 25 per cent of the cost of the inputs. We converted that to cash. We didnt even agree on the price at the beginning because we didnt want a situation where it would be were cheating them or theyre cheating us. At harvest, the market prices are what determines how much theyll pay back the yield they produce. PT Are there times these women are unable to meet up with the payments? Ms Usoroh: Of course, there are those challenges but you know, thats why we want to transition them because see, if somebody is farming on one hectare, right, how much profit really can you make on one hectare of land? How much can that do for you from the seeds we have given them and the inputs we have given them in the right dosage, recommended dosage? It helped them at least get more yield than previously. But it still is not enough, especially coming out of COVID-19 still not enough. So yes, we had situations with some farmers. To recover was a challenge because I mean, its difficult if you have a set income and they are farming most of the time once per season. If they are able to scale, which is what this project wants to do, at the end of post intervention, we should be able to get banks to finance some of these farmers and give them credit for inputs not just for one hectare for two hectares. So with that scale, paying back will not be a problem. But if they have enough they will have enough revenue to pay even if they eat. They will not be inundated with bills and you know just surviving. Yes, we have challenges with people. Well, so far, so good, we are still trying to manage that. Usually a lot of it comes from trust. Trust, they are used to being free, but we are trying to make them see the benefits of working with an organisation like ours, we cannot be free forever and for you to grow and scale, you need to be able to prove that you are trustworthy. Then for them to trust us, they need to believe that we are not just there for the short term, not just for this one year, two years, we are here for the long haul. If youre here for the long haul, you would not want to not repay, because if I dont repay, I cant benefit from them next year. So, I think when we build that trust, our working relationship will be far more profitable for both parties and better . But yes, its a challenge. Well, you see, we see good progress as we are there, the second year is slightly better than the last. PT: Are there specific sanctions when they are unable to pay back? Ms Usoroh: The sanction is that you cant benefit again. You just cant benefit again. Then you see your colleagues, your other farmers benefiting and you will not qualify for credits. So it doesnt make any sense to not fulfill your obligation really. PT: Can you put a particular figure to the number of persons who are benefitting presently? Advertisements Ms Usoroh: For now, we have about 41,000 farmers. Between when we started and now but its more women. PT: Do you have a particular reason why youre giving preferential treatment to women, why you consider them more in this project? Ms Usoroh: We are closing the gap, I dont think its preferential. Its just we are creating opportunities for women. See, in some of these projects and a lot of work we do, if youre not deliberate about including women in whatever youre doing your operations, your work, the gap is going to widen further in corporate spaces, if youre not deliberate about hiring women, As long as a woman is qualified, you give her a chance. You have to be deliberate. Thats why we set this target. Theres research to back up that when you empower a woman, the multiplier effect is greater, and returns on investment may be higher. If I say so myself, even women are better creditors or debtors, theyre serious about growing their business. Theyre serious about paying back, but theyre serious about growing their business so they will do whatever it takes. That means cooperation with the company has come to support you, even when we have our training sessions they participate, they listen and you know they cooperate with us a lot, its easier to honestly work with women. Its easier to work with. Thats my opinion. PT: There are various crops grown in Nigeria, why do you consider three crops? What factors did you consider when choosing the crops? Ms Usoroh: Its kind of obvious. I mean, we import rice. We are a rice consuming country. Check the statistics on how much we consume and how much we produce. This is a huge disparity. Then the maize as well, the poultry industry depends a lot on the maize, we also do not produce a lot of maize for internal consumption. PT: The women, you have empowered now, can you tell us the specific progress youve recorded in their farms and as an institution. I think you should take some kind of records and how they started and how it is going. So kind of progress you have recorded. Ms Usoroh: Good progress, because its not just the input that weve given them. Weve also helped them market their products. So thats one big thing, you know, she has all these inputs now. 40 bags and she now starts going around looking for who to buy. We buy it at market rates. She doesnt have to go far. She just brings it to us and we buy it at the market rate. Its fair for her. So market access is one of the things weve helped them and getting their money in bulk at the same time. Rather than a triple through an account that she has opened. That makes a lot of difference. Were not just doing the MasterCard Foundation project, there is another project. Theres a story we heard the other day and it was very moving, she was able to finish her house. Yes. From the support that she got from us in partnership with the sustainable trade initiative. So like I said, its not just the input, we have also trained them in better agronomic practises. Weve also trained a lot of them. There is this system where we train, we call them our women change champions, which we train them to as master trainers to train the remaining farmers, the remaining farmers train the farmers in their classes and their groups. We groomed the women on keeping financial records, how to calculate how, when or how much profit she makes, how to keep records, those kind of skills, you know, and weve sent a woman change champions to go back to the field to get feedback on how that small training What it has done for them and the impact, the testimonials are quite moving. Shes able to have a book and register how much shes spending for inputs, or how much she has gotten, labours, inputs, etc. The total, how much she spends throughout and then how much she will get if she gets this year, and then the profit margin, etc. Its that knowledge has helped them to even save, to understand if theyre making a profit, or if they will make a loss. Its really helping them. I think because of that theyre able to understand what Alluvial wants for them, and intend to do. What the goal is, which is to help them become profitable farm businesses. For the lay men, I can say the impact has been I wouldnt say great, because the time frame is too short, the outcome, the intermediate outcome from that has been encouraging. Its encouraging, because usually they dont have the support. They dont and now theres this company that is coming to support them not just giving them this but providing training, you know, and they value that a lot. We train them on how to drive/operate tractors. With this skill, they are able to operate a tractor for their own benefit without the need to hire a tractor operator. We are also through the trainees, facilitating increased access to mechanisation services as we are in the process of qualifying some of the Female tractor operations training (FTOT) trainees to receive tractors on a lease-to-own basis. PT: You mentioned buying these products from them, what do you do to them? Ms Usoroh: We have an agreement with offtakers and processors as well. We have middle men because of our interactions and our partnership with the farmers as we regard them as our partners. PT: You said theyre paying back some of the inputs with their harvests? So basically you buy it from them? Ms Usoroh: Yes, the inputs are paid to the input companies. We buy the inputs at the market rates so whatever the balance is from the 25 per cent the farmers contribute which is the agreement between us and the input companies. PT: Now, even though there is some agreement, do you make any commitments towards security considering that they have issues with security and other threats in some of your focal states, do you consider all this? Ms Usoroh: Of course we dont work in volatile areas. We have workers and the farmers wont even farm if its risky. Were not telling them where to go as you are farming on your own farm. We are not saying go and farm, No. Its, we are here if you want to work with us, come and farm. So I dont think theres any farmer that would willingly go to work where theres high security challenges, These places are not considered as places with high security challenges but the thing is these herders go anywhere and even come to your house. The truth is, since we started working we havent had any reports. We are very careful about where they work as we have wonderful staff on ground that are indigenes of the communities. We didnt send people from other places; everybody working lives within the state so they know the terrain. PT: Being in agric business as a woman, what does it mean to you to make significant differences considering farming and other factors attributed to agriculture? Ms Ushoro: When it comes to farming, and according to statistics, women make up the majority of smallholder farmers, right. Then when it comes to the top, the business of agric, trading of commodities, corporate agriculture, there is the lack of female representation, you know. So, as a woman in this space theres a lot riding on me being successful. Theres a lot riding on me also paving or helping other women come into this space and I do that personally. Aside from my work with Alluvia. I feel that Im not just here for myself. There are opportunities in this space. As much as I can, I can show other women those opportunities, and also bring more women into the site. Thats a responsibility that I need to have. I have to be deliberate about it as well. So its in my conscience and I try to get as much as I can. PT: Youre a middleman, you give them inputs, that is, herbicides and all the agro chemicals they need and then also mechanisation services as well. How can we break the logjam between fertiliser procurement and the system of distribution in Nigeria as you know, you make it easier for these women actually when you buy and you give to them. Without you, some of them you dont have access to good fertilisers. How well do you think we can minimise or even mitigate the challenge? Ms Usoroh: The challenge for me is logistics. Moving products from one point to the other, from the fertiliser plant to the communities that actually need and then as economies of scale, if there are 400 farmers and they need fertiliser, is it profitable for a company to supply them? It may be difficult for some but to a large extent farmers do go to the market and buy these things, fertilisers particularly. There are some locations where they need help bringing them in as they need to buy it and transport it and may not have that money in bulk to buy it. One of the things we tell the farmers is if you come together as cooperatives, not just as individuals, that helps, so you can purchase in one bulk and its delivered to your community as opposed to go in travelling all the way to the nearest town or the nearest city where they have fertiliser stores, and buying four bags, five, three bags, etc. It is a logistical challenge, an infrastructural challenge and one that is bigger than any company in the government. But there are ways around it, like I said, coming together by helping them understand the dynamics and the advantages of being in groups and the economies of scale buying produce in large quantities. Thats one of the ways of helping. President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sincere regrets for the inconvenience caused to citizens of the country following a prolonged shortages of petroleum products and electricity supply. In a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday in Abuja, the President believed that the issue of shortage of petroleum products was something that the administration had successfully averted in its seven years in office. Scarcity of petrol has lingered in many parts of the country in the last one month. Similarly, the nation was thrown into darkness following the collapse of the national grid twice in the last few days. Mr Buhari, who apologised to all citizens over the shortages of fuel and electricity across the country, assured that the challenges would soon be over. He said: The administration knows the fuel shortage has placed a strain on Nigerian citizens and businesses, but relief is on the way. I specially apologise to all sections of the society for this. The government is working round the clock to attend to this issue. An action plan agreed earlier this month is being implemented to address the scarcity. Working together with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), this plan is now bearing fruit. Sufficient fuel supply has returned to a handful of states, with the queues at stations falling. In the coming days, we expect this to be the case across the rest of the country. Looking to the longer term, funds are being targeted toward keeping fuel availability affordable for the country. The international energy markets have surged drastically in recent months, the government will, however, ensure that consumers are protected against these price spikes. The president frowned at the reported cases of sharp practices at the nations fuel depots and among owners of petrol stations across the country. He, therefore, directed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the NNPC and the entire security apparatus of the nation to take strong action against those responsible for such abnormalities. On the issue of electricity blackouts being experienced across the nation, Mr Buhari remarked that: The blackouts seen in the national grid are also being addressed. A dip in hydroelectric generation due to seasonal pressures has coincided with technical and supply problems at thermal stations. On this, the government is also working tirelessly to resolve the issues at the latter to guarantee sufficient power flows into the national grid. Mr Buhari maintained that already, emergency measures had been put in place following a meeting convened with key stakeholders to address the low power generation in the country. He stated that the main challenge was identified as being one of low gas power generation as a result of sabotage of gas pipelines leading to shutdown of power plants coupled with ongoing routine maintenance on other gas power plants. He added that already, actions were agreed upon between the players in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and also NNPC to recover over 1000MW. According to him, these actions targeted the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) plants, (Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and power plants run under NNPC Joint Ventures, Agip and Shell (NAOC and SPDC). The president disclosed that progress on the key actions had already ensured the restoration to the grid of 375MW after the pipeline from Okpai 1 was repaired. To also ramp up the underutilised capacity of the NDPHC capacity, a USD 50 Million Gas Supply agreement is being finalised to secure the sustainability of up to 800MW of underutilized NIPP assets, he further revealed. The president assured that governments attention to these problems would bear fruits very soon. Advertisements (NAN) The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cancelled its emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for Thursday. The party issued the notice for the cancellation of the meeting hours after a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the reinstatement of Mala Buni as the interim national chairman of the party. Mr Buhari, in the letter sent to the Governor of Kebbi State and Chairman of Progressive Governors, Abubakar Bagudu, cautioned the partys governors against divisive utterances. Amidst the partys raging internal crises, Mr Buni was booted out of office last week on the recommendation of the APC governors. He was replaced by Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello, who summoned the cancelled emergency NEC meeting slated for Thursday. In a statement signed by the partys interim National Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, Mr Buni called off the meeting a day after meeting with Mr Buhari, who is currently on a medical vacation in London. As directed by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning (CECPC) and Governor of Yobe State, H.E. Mai Mala Buni, a purported emergency meeting of the Partys National Executive Committee (NEC) slated for Thursday, March 17, 2022 is hereby cancelled, the statement read. The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential hopeful, Bola Tinubu, says he remains the most competent person for the job. Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, said this at his consultation with the House of Representatives caucus of the APC on Wednesday in Abuja. He said: There is no other one in the race hiding or open, I am the only one in the race and most competent and most qualified to be your president come year 2023. I am the only one who has been through the tutelage. I am the only one among them who has been consistent in one party. They are not stable. Some of them are rolling stones. I have been through the National Assembly, he stated. Mr Tinubu started the Fourth Republic under the Alliance for Democracy (AD) where he was elected in 1999 and 2003 before he formed the defunct Action Congress (AC), which later changed to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). ACN merged with other opposition parties into APC in 2013. He said he started his political career as a senator in the short-lived Fourth Republic adding; I am very proud of myself as a democrat because the essence of democracy is the assemblage of wise and prudent people. Mr Tinubu commended members of the National Assembly for their commitment, adding that the legislators represented the crux of the people while commending them for doing well by advancing democracy. He said he was at the assembly to request the support of the lawmakers. This is my lifelong ambition, which I discussed with President Muhammadu Buhari. I told the President that I want to step in his shoes and not step on his toes. Mr Tinubu said the president responded, thus; come out, lets see you and how you can promote your democratic credential, adding that he has multiple honours, a first-class degree in accounting. According to him, I am not here to be defensive; I am here with humility that I am one of the best products that you can sell as a presidential candidate. Speaking on his rumoured ill health, Mr Tinubu said: They dont have anything to say; they say I am not well, they are not my doctor. I am not applying to do a mixing for concrete and sand and building 34 skyscrapers. I am only applying to do a job with my can-do. I am only here to do a great job, break the shackle of poverty and remove the roadblock in our revenue. The former governor of Lagos State said he inherited one of the worst governed states in Nigeria, but turned the fiscal outlook of the state around from a N600 million a month internally generated revenue to N40 billion a month. He queried why Nigeria would not be competing with Russia with all the resources at its disposal, saying; we have God-given resources, capacity, knowledge, and the brain. We can do it. You can make me succeed with your support. I want us to forge a future for this country, we are the most populous, and we have the best brain and resources. Speaking earlier, Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that Mr Tinubu was the man who put APC together and had declared his intention to preside over the affairs of the country. He said that as the election was approaching, it was imperative to hear the message from those who wanted to govern the country, saying, we have been hearing how many people are running for the presidency of Nigeria in 2023. The speaker, however, said that it would not speak well of the country when it boasted to be the largest in Africa and seven weeks before the primaries, only one person had been seen, one person running up and down consulting. He said Mr Tinubu had been traveling the length and breadth of Nigeria, marketing his trade and delivering his message. I feel its wrong for a country like Nigeria that we are only hearing names but nobody is campaigning, It is unfair to every citizen of Nigeria. We cannot take Nigeria for granted, he said. House Leader Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, however, urged members to support the candidacy of Mr Tinubu, adding that he had done a lot in contributing to Nigerias democracy. He said that his emergence would bring about a truly democratic leader that would pilot the affairs of the country. Advertisements Mr Doguwa, however, put the aspiration of Mr Tinubu into a voice vote where members unanimously gave an overwhelming endorsement to his bid to become the president in 2023. (NAN) Come June 7, the outgoing 11th substantive vice-chancellor at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Eyitope Ogunbodede, is expected to hand over to his successor. The selection process for the new helmsman which had commenced some weeks ago, is expected to be rounded off this morning (Thursday) while the successful candidate will be announced in the afternoon. The universitys public relations officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, in a short message to PREMIUM TIMES, confirmed that a vice-chancellor-elect will be unveiled today. Mr Olanrewaju, who declined to give further details of the processes, said the interview of the successful candidates had commenced on Monday and was rounded off on Wednesday evening. Another source on the campus, who does not want to be quoted, for fear of sanctions, confirmed that the joint Senate and Governing Council selection committee would present its report to the larger council meeting on Thursday morning for ratification and eventual announcement. Selection processes In 2016, the selection process for the successor of the universitys 10th substantive vice-chancellor, Bamitale Omole, became so rancorous and escalated to full-blown crisis. The development had then led to the balkanisation of the institutions chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the formation of the Congress of Nigerian Iniversities Academics (CONUA). While Mr Omole had reportedly schemed to be succeeded by one of his deputies, Ayobami Salami, the workers of the university alleged imposition and their protests had led to the cancellation of the whole processes. An acting vice-chancellor, Anthony Elujoba, was appointed, who was in office until June 7, when Mr Ogunbodede assumed office after his appointment via a fresh selection process that was adjudged fair and just by major stakeholders. Though the nationwide strike by ASUU, which commenced on February 14, and now extended by two months, may have overshadowed the ongoing selection process, members of the university community said the absence of what they described as the usual noise is because the process has been transparent and fair. There are, however, a group of indigenes of Ile-Ife, the universitys host community, who are rooting for one of them, Rufus Adedoyin, a professor of Physiotherapy and former acting dean of the faculty of basic medical sciences on the campus. The campaigners described him as a son of the soil and appealed to the government to appoint him as the first indigene of the ancient town to become a substantive vice-chancellor on the campus since its establishment in 1961. But some members of the universitys community have condemned the clamour, describing it as an attack on the true essence of a university. They said the universality of a university is what makes it an ivory tower and that bringing up such sentiments of ethnicity, religion and gender, would reduce the significance of the institution. Contenders Apart from Mr Adedoyin, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that 10 other professors from the university also applied and 11 others from outside the institution, making a total of 22 applicants. However, as of Monday, March 14, when the interview for the shortlisted candidates commenced, only 16 were said to have made the list. They include Simeon Bamire, a professor of resource economics and deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academics; Kayode Ijadunola, a professor of public health and community medicine and former provost of the universitys college of health sciences; Gbenga Alebiowu, a professor of pharmacy and former provost of the institutions postgraduate school; and Mabayoje Aluko, a professor of sociology and anthropology and former chairman, committee of deans. Others include Gbemisola Adeoti, a professor of Literature at the universitys English Language department; Sola Aderounmu, a professor of computer science and engineering; and Bioye Aluko, a professor of estate management. There are also Jimoh Farinde, a professor of agricultural extension and rural sociology; and Willie Siyanbola, a professor at the centre for energy research and development of the institution. The only female candidate on the list is Kehinde Taiwo, a professor of food engineering. Among the external applicants on the list of the shortlisted candidates is a former student and former lecturer at the university and now a celebrated researcher in microbiology in South Africa, Anthony Oko. The details of the remaining four on the list could not be obtained as of the time of filing this report. Who should be the next VC? A lecturer at the university and former welfare officer of ASUU on the campus, Chijioke Nwasomba, has said all sentiments should be discarded, insisting that the university deserves a great academic with records of excellence in both administrative and academic capacities. Mr Nwasomba, who said he has been on the university campus for 31 years, said the institution deserves someone who can turn things around by building on the existing infrastructure and maximise the large expanse of land to venture into mechanised farming. Advertisements He said; There is nothing that should stop OAU from being known in Africa for cassava production or cocoa, using the students and staff. You will use students to do that and introduce work-study groups so that in the next five years you would have huge cocoa seeds that will be planted everywhere. Imagine how this place will be in the next five, 10 years if everywhere is taken over by cocoa. He said such a development will also put an end to the perennial crisis of land encroachment between the university community and the host town. Mr Nwasomba added; So what this university needs is a man with vision and academics who is outstanding and understands how to run a 21st-century university. A man who talks less but works; a man who will address the welfare needs of staff and attend to some of the challenges of Ife, because Ife is a relatively old university with roads and other infrastructure getting bad everyday. The summary is that we want a university that is world class, not a university that will be thinking in the past. And this university has a potential to be a world class university if the correct leadership is enthroned, it has all it takes to become a world class university if it has a leadership that is visionary and great. A United States court has scheduled the trial of a woman accused of helping the founder of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, to facilitate a $20 million bank fraud, to begin in June. Ebony Mayfield, who allegedly signed and submitted false documents used by Mr Onyema to defraud banks, faces a bank fraud charge at the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia, Atlanta Division. Mr Onyema and Air Peace Limiteds Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, also face 36 charges at the U.S. court in connection with the alleged fraudulent scheme. But they have yet to show up or send a lawyer to represent them in court. However, a Notice Setting Trial issued by Michelle Beck, a courtroom deputy clerk, on February 4, 2022, has scheduled Ms Mayfields trial to begin on June 27. Between April 25 and May 16, according to the courts schedule, parties are expected to file various preliminary motions and replies ahead of a pretrial conference and motions hearing slated for June 2. The June 2 pretrial hearing will be the last proceedings before the jury trial scheduled to begin before the trial judge, Eleanor Ross, on June 27. Alleged fraud Prosecutors say Mr Onyema recruited Ms Mayfield to act as a manager of his Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which he allegedly used for perpetrating the alleged $20 million fraud between May 2016 and February 2018. Springfield Aviation, according to court documents, was established by Mr Onyema in the U.S. state of Georgia in April 2016 purportedly to specialise in the wholesaling, trading/ and sale of commercial aircraft and parts. But prosecutors say Ms Mayfield was recruited as a manager of Springfield Aviation with the role of entering into aviation-related contract on behalf of the firm, despite her lack of education, training, or licensing in the review and valuation of aircraft, including aircraft components. In a court filing obtained by PREMIUM TIMES which Ms Mayfield filed for variation of her bail bond, she indicated to be a food service professional also known as waitress. The alleged fraud allegedly began with Mr Onyema and others applying for export letters of credit to cause the transfer of funds purportedly to fund the purchase of aircraft by Air Peace from Springfield Aviation, between May 2016 up till at least February 2018. In support of the letters of credit, Mr Onyema and others were said to have submitted documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC. The Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, was said to have sent the documents to Ms Mayfield and directed her to sign them on behalf of Springfield Aviation. Mr Eghagha, according to court filings, also instructed Ms Mayfield to present the documents to the respective banks in support of each letter of credit. The support documents, U.S. prosecutors say, were found to be falsified. The aircraft that was referenced in each of the export letters of credit was also never owned or sold by Springfield Aviation, the government added. The submission of the documents allegedly enabled Mr Onyema to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts of Springfield Aviation controlled by him. Mr Onyema, after receiving the money in the United States, allegedly laundered over $16 million the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts. The CEO of Air Peace, a major Nigerian airline operator, and Mr Eghagha now face 36 charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and credit application fraud in the U.S. court. Ms Mayfield, on her part, faces only one charge of bank fraud in a different case at the same court. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Georgia State authorities have dissolved Springfield Aviation allegedly used for the fraud. This was said to have followed the failure of the company to file its annual registration after its principal officials, including Mr Onyema, were charged in 2019. Ms Mayfield was arrested on June 7, 2019 for her alleged roles in the alleged fraud. The U.S. government filed a charge against her in open court in December 2019. She has since been granted bail. But no date has been fixed for the trial of Mr Onyema and Mr Eghagha by the U.S. court due to their unavailability. Bond modification On December 28, 2021, Ms Mayfield filed an application in court for the modification of bail bond. She requested that the court allow her to travel outside of the Northern District of Georgia; allow her pretrial supervision to be transferred to Houston, Texas in the Southern District of Texas. Advertisements Ms Mayfield said she would like to move back home and be near her family and continue her waitress job. She added that she would like to move there on February 15, 2022. Catherine Salinas, a U.S magistrate-judge, granted the request on January 19, 2022. Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe. The United States Attorney Generals office has debunked the news making the rounds about fresh allegations of $400,000 fraud allegedly perpetrated from detention by Abbas Ramon, also known as Hushpuppi. Thom Mrozek, Director of Media Relations, United States Attorneys Office (Los Angeles), distanced both the attorney-generals office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from the fresh allegations against the Instagram celebrity. The American official provided the clarification in his response to an enquiry sent to him by PREMIUM TIMES early Thursday. Mr Mrozek, who got our reporters initial email at about 7a.m. Los Angeles time, promised to carry out an investigation after this newspaper expressed concerns about the authenticity of the documents in circulation on the Internet. Many major Nigerian media platforms on Thursday published reports of a fresh court filing by an agent of the FBI, Andrew Innocenti, which purportedly detailed fresh fraud allegations against Mr Abbas. The content of the document, which claims to have new information involving Abbas, had what appeared scintillating investigative details that ended up deceiving many reputable news platforms. It purportedly accused the former Instagram celebrity of committing fresh credit card fraud from detention, abusing the opportunity given to all prison inmates in the U.S. for access to phone calls, the Internet and computers with limited and regulated usage. Recorded international activities (reviewed pursuant to federal search warrant issued in this district) of Abbas in the US Federal correctional facility, Central District of California, reflect that Abbas purchased Economic Impact Payment (EIP) debit cards and laundered the proceeds totalling over $400,000, the document added. The document also paraded names like Mr Innocentis and that of a magistrate-judge of a District Court of Central California, Rozella A. Oliver, which featured in documents previously filed in Hushpuppis pending case. Hushpuppi, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering charge at the same court, is awaiting sentencing slated for July 11. After extensive review of the document, this newspaper doubted its authenticity. The document lacked the usual headings that usually provide basic details such as the name of the court where the document is filed, the parties, the suit number, and the title of the filing. Our observation about the lack of clarity and the incompleteness of the document led PREMIUM TIMES to reach out to relevant contacts for confirmation. The office of the lawyer to Mr Abass denied knowledge of the filing of the document when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday. The document was also not found in the courts docket accessed through online channels by this newspaper. Responding to an e-mail enquiry by this newspaper, Mr Mrozek, the spokesperson for the U.S. attorney-generals office in Los Angeles, described the document in circulation as fake. Mr Mrozek, after extensive investigation within the U.S. justice system, quoted both Mr Innocenti and the attorney-generals office as denying the document. After looking at the document excerpted in recent media accounts, the document appears to have been fabricated, he stated. The official added: The U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles, which filed the case against Mr. Abbas, has not filed any such document. We have checked with the FBI agent who supposedly authored the document, and he confirms it is a fake. Scintillating allegations In the allegations levelled against Mr Abbas in the viral document, the FBI purportedly accused him of participating in the purchase of Economic Impact Payment (EIP) debut card fraudulently obtained from compromised U.S. citizens. The document described EIP as stimulus checks or recovery rebates as a key provision of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Impact Security (CARES) Act legislation that Congress passed to passed to help reduce the financial burden on citizens. It noted that inmates in correctional facilities across the U.S. are allowed certain activities including access to phone calls, the Internet and computers with limited and regulated usage. It added that inmates have constitutional rights to their privacy and that phone calls from correctional facilities by inmates are not recorded except when necessary and a warrant is obtained for this purpose. Inmates internet activities are not logged or recorded except when necessary, the document added. It also stated: Between January 28, 2022 and March 4, 2022, security officers at US federal correctional facility, Central District of California, observed more frequent usage of the Internet by Abbas. With the knowledge that the crimes Abbas committed which he is being charged for are all Internet related crimes, security officers were concerned and informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Advertisements On March 7, we obtained a federal search warrant issued by Central District of California to monitor and record Abbas intent activities. It added that the FBI agent claimed to have monitored Mr Abbas internet activities between March 7 and March 13. It claimed Mr Abbas spent an average of 55 minutes on the Internet during each session. It identified one AJ as Hushpuppis accomplice and promised to unearth the persons identity. Background Hushpuppi had in July last year signed a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors alleged that no later than on or about January 18, 2019, through on or about June 9, 2020, Hushpuppi knowingly combined, agreed, and conspired with multiple other persons (co-conspirators) to conduct financial transactions into, within, and outside the United States involving property that represented the proceeds of wire fraud. He allegedly targeted multiple victims and laundered and/or attempted to launder funds fraudulently obtained, and attempted to be fraudulently obtained, through bank cyber-heists, business email compromise (BEC) frauds, and other fraud schemes. In some BEC schemes involving victim companies in the United Kingdom, Mr Abass was said to have with one co-conspirator discussed on May 12, 2019, how they anticipated fraudulent payments of approximately 6 million per week. Once a victim deposited funds into a bank account, defendant would coordinate with other coconspirators to obtain or move the funds, and then to further launder the funds, the U.S. government said. In addition to admitting defendants involvement in the schemes intending to defraud the victims listed above, Mr Abass was also said to have admitted involvement in a scheme to defraud a victim company in Qatar that was building an international school (the Qatari Victim Company) and the owner of that company. He was also said to have, in December 2019, begun conspiring with a co-conspirator to defraud the owner of the Qatari company who was seeking a lender to invest $15,000,000 in a project to build an international school. In a separate case, the U.S. government accused a suspended deputy commissioner of police, Abba Kyari, of aiding part of the fraud perpetrated by Hushpuppi. Mr Kyari and others have been charged by the U.S. government. He is awaiting extradition for his trial to start in the U.S. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has said there is no confusion or conflict over the extradition proceedings and cocaine-trafficking charges filed against Abba Kyari, a suspended deputy commissioner of police. Mr Malami said this while addressing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday. There have been concerns that the move to extradite Mr Kyari to the U.S. may be scuttled by the cocaine-related charges filed against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The concerns are anchored on section 3 (6) of the Extradition Act, which prohibits the extradition of a fugitive standing trial on different criminal charges in Nigeria. The part of the Extradition Act reads, (A) A fugitive criminal who has been charged with an offence under the law of Nigeria or any part thereof, not being the offence for which his surrender is sought; or (B) Who is serving a sentence imposed in respect of any such offence by a court in Nigeria, shall not be surrendered until such a time as he has been discharged whether by acquittal or on the expiration of his sentence or otherwise. But Mr Malami, without addressing the specific implication of the statutory provisions on the move to extradite Mr Kyari, described the concerns about the likely impact of the cocaine-trafficking charges on the extradition move as a misconception. There is no confusion, but there is a great misconception or perhaps either mischievous or otherwise on the part of certain, perhaps journalists that have not taken their time to study a situation, understand it and act accordingly, he said. He recalled that the United States government had asked for Mr Kyaris extradition regarding his roles in a $1.1million fraud spearheaded by a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, before the NDLEA charged him with cocaine-related offences in February. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Malami filed the extradition proceedings against Mr Kyari based on the U.S. governments request. Despite the clear provisions of the Extradition Act and the likelihood of the defence citing the NDLEA case as grounds for dismissing the extradition proceedings, the AGF maintained that there was no conflict between the two cases on Wednesday. What I am saying is there is nothing like confusion, there is nothing like conflict, there are two distinct and separate cases, he said. He added, So the conclusion as to whether a person should be extradited or not, is a function, or perhaps multilateral function inclusive of the international community that makes a request, the Office of the Attorney General request and the judiciary to which the request is presented for review, analysis and decision. Asked the status of the extradition proceedings, Mr said, Its being processed at the judicial level. The comment appears to be an attempt to set the judiciary up for blame, considering that the court may have to dismiss the extradition proceedings once the pending NDLEAs cocaine case is cited by Mr Kyaris legal team. It also fuels speculations about a conspiracy theory that the NDLEA case was hurriedly filed in court to scuttle the extradition proceedings, and have Mr Kyari remain in Nigeria where his trial can go on without an end for years. Non-committal response Mr Malamis response to the question of the implication of the cocaine charges on the extradition case was non-committal. Asked about the legal implication of elevating the illegal dealing in cocaine charges above the extradition case, the AGF said, You can have hundreds of cases pending in court related to a single individual. So that is the position things and as you rightly know perhaps you may have a criminal case pending before a state high court another one pending before the federal court depending on the magnitude dimensions, characters and peculiarities of the case. I hope it is clear. He went on to distinguish between the extradition case and the cocaine-related, without being clear on whether or not the extradition proceedings might be scuttled. And then while this (communication with U.S.) was ongoing, the request for extradition was being considered, another case came in, which has to do with the NDLEA, and this time around a local case that is devoid of any international dimension, he said. He explained further that what you have are two distinct separate and independent cases one international in dimension the other one local, so your idea of conflict does not arise. He blamed the misconception arising from the matter on journalists whom he accused of reporting cases out of context without caring to understand the true provisions, dimensions and characters of a case might have. Advertisements What I am saying is there is nothing like confusion, there is nothing like conflict, there are two distinct and separate cases, he added. Further probe on fraud allegation Mr Malami also reiterated that his office had yet to exonerate Mr Kyari of his alleged involvement in the Hushpuppi fraud case. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Malami explained that his recent legal advice to the police was not meant to exonerate Mr Kyari. He described the case as a work in progress. Mr Malami noted that the report of the investigation was submitted to his office for a review to see whether there is a need for enhancement of investigation as it relates to certain key elements of the offence. So it is from this background perspective that you will need to consider what fully transpired in the case of Abba Kyari. Allegations were made, investigations were conducted, and then requests for further enhancement of investigation were indeed made by the Office of the Attorney General for the purpose of covering the field in arriving at an informed decision one way or the other. So while this process of correspondence between the Office of the Attorney General and the police is ongoing, it is indeed a work in progress and never conclusive position. So that is what I can tell you clearly, there was indeed an independent request for an investigation. Interim investigation report was presented to the office of the attorney general and the attorney general at the point requested for further enhancement of the investigation and highlighted some areas in respect of which enhancement of investigation is required. So it is indeed premature or perhaps mischievous for any conclusion to have been driven in the direction of exoneration or otherwise of liability or responsibility related therein. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the immediate-past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, over corruption allegations. Sources at the commission, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the press on the matter, said Mr Obiano was nabbed at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, as he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States. The arrest was said to have taken place at about 8.30p.m. on Thursday. This was just hours after Mr Obiano handed over as governor of the South-East state of Anambra. An EFCC source said Mr Obiano had been on the commissions list for some time. EFCC today March 17, 2022 picked up ex governor Obiano of Anambra State. The former governor who has been on the Commissions watchlist was arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport Lagos at about 8.30pm as he prepared to board a flight to Houston, USA, a source told PREMIUM TIMES. As of the time of the arrest, the ripples generated after Mr Obianos wife, Ebelechukwu, was slapped by Bianca Ojukwu, widow of the late Biafra leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, at the inauguration ceremeony of the new governor of Anambra State, had yet to simmer down. A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Charles Soludo, was sworn in as the new governor of the state on Thursday. Obiano on watch list Although the details of the EFCCs allegations against Mr Obiano could not be immediately ascertained on Thursday, it will be recalled that the commission had since last year placed the former governor on its watch list. PREMIUM TIMES reported in November last year that the EFCC had in a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) dated November 15, 2021, requested the Service to place the governor on watchlist and inform it anytime he is travelling out of the country from any of the International airports and other points of entry and exit. It was not clear why the anti-graft agency placed the governor on watchlist. But knowledgeable sources had told this newspaper that the move was an indication that the agency might have been discreetly investigating the governor and possibly had intelligence that he planned to travel after handing over power to his successor. EFCC operatives swooped on him on Thursday hours after he lost the constitutional immunity shielding him from criminal prosecution while in office as governor. The Police in Anambra State said they have arrested suspected cultists who allegedly attacked a vigilante group at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The Forces spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday said the gunmen carried out the attack on Tuesday. Mr Ikenga said the gunmen were the same cultists that killed two police officers and carted away their two AK-47 rifles during an attack on the chairman of the Tricycle Owners Association, near UNIZIK junction on December 14. He said police operatives laid ambush for the cultists after their latest attack on the vigilante group. The effort paid off as police succeeded in demobilising the gang and recovering of a cache of weapons which included the two AK-47 rifles earlier stolen from the two policemen murdered on 14 December, 2021, the police spokesperson said. Mr Ikenga said police operatives killed the gang leader, identified as Uchenna Nwobu, also known as Anali, and arrested one other member of the gang during the operation. He said the police received a tip on March 15 on the cult group attack on the UNIZIK vigilante group. The police, in collaboration with other security agencies, arrested several of the gang members allegedly responsible for deadly attacks across the state in the past two weeks, the police spokesperson said. Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, regretted that several gun attacks have been recorded in the state in recent times. He, however, said the police were determined to stem the tide. These serious incidents motivated the command in going the extra mile in intelligence-gathering and discreet investigation, he said. Three locally made pistols, one locally-made chief recovery pistol, Nine AK-47 magazines, two battle axes and a Mercedes Benz car were among other items recovered from cultists during the operation, Mr Ikenga said. Investigation is ongoing (and is) aimed at tracking down other members of the gang and establishing the rightful owner of the recovered car, he said. The newly sworn-in Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, has assured residents that he will work every day to make them proud. Mr Soludo stated this on Thursday, after his inauguration as the sixth elected governor of Anambra State at the Government House, Awka. He thanked the people for voting him at the November governorship election, just as he praised the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the party leaders for giving him the platform to serve the people. Mr Soludo, a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, particularly praised the National Chairman of APGA, Victor Oye, and the immediate past governor of the state, Willie Obiano, for their unwavering support and commitment to the realisation of a new Anambra project. As I repeatedly promised, I will work hard every day to make Anambra proud, Mr Soludo said. He said he would forward the list of the nominees for the commissioners to the state House of Assembly within one week. Mr Soludo said he would immediately begin the implementation of his urban regeneration plan in the state. The governor reiterated his position that his administration would only rely on made-in-Anambra products to encourage local production. He said the light refreshment for the swearing-in event would only be local delicacies made in the state. Mr Soludo said the ceremony would also be devoid of the usual fanfare in line with his long-standing philosophy and his commitment to cutting the cost of governance in the state. I insisted that this event must not cost the government of Anambra one Kobo and it has not. Even the little refreshment and canopies here, were all paid for, personally. And again, today, my first day at work, there is no need for celebration, Mr Soludo said. About 50 people were invited for the event, amongst them were the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mr Oye and wife; Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Uchenna Okafor and wife. An official of Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday bemoaned the rate at which young couples divorce. Koledoye Adeniyi, the courts president, said this during the dissolution of marriage between Olubunmi Adebanjo and Balogun Adebanjo on grounds of abandonment and constant battery In his ruling, he said: it is sad these days the rate at which young couples within a short period of their marriages run to court for divorce. It is necessary for a man and a woman to observe and study each other very well before going into marriage. But more often than not, this does not happen and couples quickly get married as soon as they fall in love not caring whether the love is genuine or not, which is why they put up the excuse of being incompatible with each other and seek divorce. Using the case at hand as an example, he said the union would have been saved if there was genuine love in the first place. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olubunmi, a caterer, had approached the court on February 8, accusing her husband of abandoning her for two years. She also complained of incompatibility, lack of love, care and frequent beating. Olubunmi had told the court that her husband would pick up quarrels with her over trivial issues, and beat her at any slight provocation. She told the court that her husband stopped caring for her immediately after their marriage and became hostile and unfriendly. Olubunmi added that he had taken to lying, smoking and drinking and moving around with women. The couple was married for five years. The respondent, Balogun Adebanjo, when summoned by the court on phone, said he was not interested in the marriage. He also told the court to go ahead and do what was expected. The court dissolved the union, ruling that the two had ceased to be husband and wife, and could go their separate ways. It ordered the respondent to allow the petitioner move out her belongings peacefully and that any violation to the judgment should be regarded as contempt of court. NAN reports that contempt of court on conviction attracts an imprisonment for a term of six months without an option of fine. (NAN) A member of the Ogun House of Assembly, Sola Adams, has cried out over the invasion of farmlands by elephants adding that they also injured a farmer at Itashin in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state. Mr Adams, who spoke during plenary in Abeokuta, noted that the recent incident where elephants attacked villagers in his constituency remained worrisome. The lawmaker stated that the injured farmer was receiving treatment at Ijebu Ode General Hospital, calling on the relevant agencies to do the needful and return the elephants to where they should be. Responding, Olakunle Oluomo, the Speaker, condemned the invasion of the elephants. The speaker advised farmers to stop further encroachment on the natural habitat of elephants. According to him, the issue of elephants incursion into town which occurred at Itasin in Ijebu East, required the state Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry to engage the Nigerian Conservative Foundation. This is towards preserving the species and the entire ecosystem, he said. Also during the plenary, the speaker challenged the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Security Matters, Olusola Subair, to explore the State Security Trust Fund for the procurement of more security apparatus across the state. The speaker added that there was a need to procure more security apparatus, especially in the riverine areas to beef up the security of lives and property of residents. He made the call while responding to the submission of his Deputy, Akeem Balogun, and Deputy Chief Whip, Olusola Adams. The lawmakers spoke on the need to tighten security around the border areas with Lagos and Ondo states, especially around Ode-Omi, Iwopin in Ogun Waterside, and Imobi in Ijebu East Local Government Areas, respectively. (NAN) The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a bill seeking the repeal of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Act. Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, briefed State House correspondents after a hybrid meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mr Malami said that the bill sought to enhance what the two agencies had been doing arising from the identified gaps for the purpose of improving their functions. The first item which has to do with a memo which seeks for the approval of the council for the repeal of the CCB and CCT is intended to repeal an Act, he said. As you are rightly aware there is exist what is an Act of the National Assembly, which is known as the CCB and Tribunal Act Cap C 15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which has been presented to the FEC for an amendment bill or repeal bill that is targeted at enhancing what these two bodies are doing. The CCB is responsible for the enforcement of the code of conduct of public officers. The CCT is responsible for enforcing by way of judicial trials and proceedings, which is associated with the code of conduct of public officers. So, we have succeeded in presenting issues relating to the expansion of powers of the bureau not only to limit itself to the idea of presenting cases and investigations but also to include the possibility of forfeiture, confiscation and seizure of assets when the need arises, which were not part and parcel of the CCB before now. The minister said that the bill sought to expand the scope of CCT, taking into consideration the workload. He said there were a lot pending cases, but CCT had limited personnel to address them. Fundamentally, that bill is intended to consider it from the point of expansion of its powers, from the point of increase in the composition of the tribunal and then from the point of expanding the scope of punishment that should be meted; all out of the desire to take the fight against corruption to the next level. Mr Malami said the second item that was presented to the council was a reporton the Conference of State Parties to the UN Convention against corruption held in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, from December 12 to December 17, 2021. He said Nigeria sponsored an international resolution relating to asset recovery among others. The intention of that resolution is to see how best Nigeria can bring about international understanding relating to the recovery of assets by way of simplifying the process; by way of ensuring, at the end of the day, that we create an international community understanding relating to the process of recovery of assets. At the end of the day, arising from the conclusion of the meeting, Nigeria has succeeded in developing a resolution relating to enhancing access to and use of beneficial ownership information to facilitate identification, recovery and return of assets. As you rightly know in the case of P and ID, at the time Nigeria ran into trouble in the case of P and ID and we had against us an award of over 10 billion dollars against the Nigerian state, those that were behind it were hidden; they were not identified at all. So, it took us a lot of trouble, internationally and locally, to identify the beneficial owners of P and ID. Mr Malami said Nigeria had developed an international resolution of beneficial ownership register that whoever was investing in Nigeria as a company and internationally should have full disclosure of their identity before embarking on any international investment. According to him, Nigeria has succeeded in presenting that resolution and it has a lot of support from a number of countries. He listed the countries as Pakistan, State of Palestine, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Burkina Faso, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the US, Brazil, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Honduras, Angola, Algeria, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Kenya, among others. So, what I am saying is that Nigeria has taken its fight against corruption not only locally but indeed internationally by way of ensuring that adequate infrastructure both legal, legislative and otherwise are put in place for the purpose of facilitating the tracing and recovery of assets. But the point of interest arising from what Nigeria did relating to the Conference of State Parties is the fact that the international community appreciated Nigerias effort in the fight against corruption while Nigeria has been highly rated as a leader in Africa in the area of developing structures for recovery, repatriation and disposal of proceeds of crime among others. That was the presentation and submission of the Federal Ministry of Justice before FEC this afternoon, he said. Advertisements (NAN) The United States Centre for Disease Control (US-CDC) on Wednesday said it had partnered with Nigeria for decades to provide anti-retroviral treatment to 1.7 million people living with HIV. The US-CDC Nigeria Country Director, Dr Mary Boyd, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on the sideline of a World Press Conference to herald the upcoming Primary Health Care (PHC) Summit. NAN reports that the Primary Health Care Summit is to take place on March 24th and March 25th, 2022, in Abuja. Mrs Boyd said the US-CDC has also helped in scaling up immunisations, including COVID-19, malaria and other disease outbreaks. For decades, the United States has partnered with Nigeria to invest in the health and well-being of Nigerians. The U.S.-CDC stands with the Nigerian government and expects that the upcoming PHC summit will be instrumental in enabling the highest quality of care for all by ensuring service integration, equity, accountability and resilience. Primary Health Care saves lives, saves economies, and is foundational to making health systems work better for all people. Mrs Boyd noted that globally, including in the U.S., COVID-19 exacerbated not only pre-existing weaknesses in the system but also inflicted devastating health and economic costs that many countries are still struggling to emerge from. She, however, said that it had created a once-in-a-generation opportunity for transformational change. It has highlighted the critical role of PHCs in pandemic response from testing to contact tracing to vaccination response; all these in addition to its primary responsibilities of providing routine immunisation, polio response, the epidemic of chronic diseases and cancers, she explained. Mrs Boyd lauded the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the multi-sectoral response for their concerted response in the COVID-19 pandemic. I also want to thank the FMOH and NPHCDA for calling all partners together and taking advantage of this opportunity to re-think the PHC delivery in Nigeria, the country director added. NAN recalls that the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) will be hosting the private sector, government leaders, and international partners at its summit. The summit, with the theme: PHC Re-Imagining: Evolving A Resilient Platform For Achieving The Countrys National And Global Health Goals Via A Peri-COVID Era, would be launching a bold new programme to transform primary health care in Nigeria. It is geared towards launching a historic programme to transform the under-resourced, weak primary health care system in Nigeria by leveraging private sector, international agencies and government collaboration. The summit will bring together national elected leaders, top government officials, and leading private sector executives to present ambitious and attainable plans that will lead to tangible and large-scale changes to Nigerias primary health care (PHC) system by the year 2030. The programme will be solutions-focused and dedicated to delivering improved PHC services across the country. (NAN) The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, on Wednesday spoke to journalists on the current power outage and why the country has yet to make real progress in raising power generation and supply. Mr Aliyu blamed the outage and the collapse of the national grid on maintenance problems and gas shortages. Read his remarks below: The issue were currently facing now, just like I told you, when I came for the press briefing about two weeks ago was not actually only as a result of the drop in the level of water. Most of you captured only that part. That is far from it. Its not much from that angle. The more reason we are facing this situation now is as a result of the shortage of gas and some of the generators have to go to maintenance. It is a scheduled maintenance and it is supposed to be scheduled outage but we have not envisaged that we will have issues around vandalization of pipelines which the NNPC has addressed as you can see evidently everywhere, aviation fuel, and queue for petrol in the filling stations. It is a combination of many factors. That compounded the problem we are having on the grid. The generators cannot supply because of lack of gas. Some of you are aware, just two days ago, I summoned an emergency meeting which was unprecedented. For the first time, I brought in all the sector players, from NNPC, AGIP, Shell, the regulator, NERC, the umpire, NBET, some of the GENCOs like Niger Delta Power Company, and TCN, transporter, the ministry, and the Special Adviser to the President on Infrastructure. We came together and used the whole day trying to proffer solutions. I challenged all of them. I said this is like a war situation. We need to find solutions. We need to come out with answers. We need quick and emergency solutions. As you rightly put it, the power on the grid has dropped due to those things that affect it; lack of gas and maintenance that some of the generators are undergoing. So, that triggers it. You know technology, that drop in the supply that goes down on the grid, it triggers some response, some started to trip down and that also causes the whole system to go down. We had it the day before yesterday, we recovered it. We had it again, we covered it. So, we have covered it now. We are on top of it. The grid is back. We are trying to get more megawatts to push on the grid through that meeting that I told you. So, everybody is now contributing to that meeting. Those things that you have mentioned about bickering, this one saying this, this one saying that is no longer the case because I have told them that we are one. Nobody should blame anybody. Because if you go on the blame game, then how do you solve the problem? So, it was part of the things the meeting was able to address the day before yesterday. So, we have started seeing the outcome of the meeting. As I leave here today, I will get more information on what I have to go and do. We have set up small committees, two, three committees and all gearing towards getting more megawatts to put on the grid. So, basically, it is around gas. You see you have to have gas contracts between the GENCOs and the gas suppliers, some are firm contracts, some are not. So, all these cases, we are looking into them. And we have proffered some solutions, which may take some few days to mature. So, as I said, if I go out now, I will get some information on where we are. So, this is the situation. On what I said last time, we still stand on that. We have a capacity of 8000 megawatts when I was explaining the time I came here. We have the one on the grid, we have the embedded and we have the captive. So, if you combine all of them, we have that. So, what is happening now is as a result of all these problems that were encountering, and were on top of it. Very soon, we will come out of it. So, wheres the disconnect if she insists that we are still on 5000 and you are maintaining an 8000 status? I want you to understand me very well when I speak. Im not saying that I am insisting on anything. I told you, this project that we have got approval is to expand the grid. The grid is not that strong. It carries so much load. We have to maintain it and loads it gradually through all this expansion. Let me tell you and give you a typical example, you have a 330 kv line, this is a very high voltage load and you need to take it. Distributor cannot connect from 330 to the community. Then, you have to put a massive substation and drop the 330 to 132 and radiate. This is the expansion. And if you radiate 132 and you continue to extend 132, by the time you extend it further more, you will get light like torch light. So, if it goes further, you need to take 330 up there, then you radiate. So, this is the kind of expansion we are doing. I gave you a typical example of the Benin lot to Osogbo, where we have a line that is stalled due to right of way. It is a 330 line. If you take 330 to a particular area, you have created a power cord where it can radiate further and you get quality electricity. So, these are things that we have not been doing for a long time. And this is what this government is set out to be doing. I told you, we have several projects, which between 2015 and now is almost around $4 billion on the transmission and its ongoing. And I also told you that we are encountering a lot of challenges of right of ways. For instance, this one is the issue of right of way. But we have gotten approval now, over N5 billion to open up and expand Lagos, Ogun, where presently they may not be enjoying quality electricity. So, we need to do this more. We have not denied that the transmission is not strong to carry load. Otherwise, we have over 13,000 megawatts installed capacity at the GENCOs. But we have been able to do only 5000. So, I hope its clear enough. Is that clear? Any assurance from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC that there will be sustained supply of gas even when you recover the grid? Yes, that was why I told you I called for the emergency meeting that very day. Before that day, we have problem around PI One. As a typical example, we lost over 300 megawatts, and they were able to repair that pipeline. The PI came back on the grid. We have P2, which were talking around it. The work has also started on it. So, there are so many things we are doing. And I told you we were on top of it, and inshaAllah well talk about the one that has been resolved. Do you say the N1 trillion crisis on the debt owed to GENCOs has been resolved? I think Ive spoken all round. On gas issue, this should be one of them. So, we are trying to solve all the problems. For instance, just last time, I told you about the debts owed by the government to DISCOs. I told you we are paying that. We are paying around N40 billion. The remaining balance is being reviewed by consultants to come out with an exact figure. So, something is being done about that. And regarding the GENCOs and the gas suppliers, this is another issue between them and our obligation to the GENCOs is being looked at and we are working on that seriously. Drama ensued on Thursday at the inauguration of Charles Soludo as the governor of Anambra State when the wife of the outgoing Governor Willie Obiano, Ebelechukwu, slapped Bianca Ojukwu at the event. Mrs Ojukwu is the widow of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who was at the scene of the event reported that the incident occurred immediately after Mr Soludo took his oath of office. NAN reported that dignitaries, including Mr Obiano, were already seated when Mrs Obiano stepped in and moved to the front row where the widow of Mr Ojukwu was seated and slapped her. The action drew the attention of security agents and some personalities who pulled Mrs Obiano off the hold of Mrs Ojukwu who was visibly shocked at the action. Mrs Obiano was later taken away and shortly afterwards, her husband left the venue since the incident happened after the new governor had been sworn in. Mr Soludo, alongside the Deputy Governor, Onyeka Ibezim, took their oath of office in a low-key ceremony. The new governor, in his inaugural speech, vowed to change the economic fortunes of the state. About 50 people only were invited for the event, amongst them were the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Oye and wife; Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Uchenna Okafor and wife. Dont repeat Obianos mistakes Meanwhile, a lawmaker in Anambra, Timothy Ifedioranma, has advised the incoming governor of the state, Charles Soludo, not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor. Mr Ifedioranma, who represents Njikoka State Constituency I in the Anambra House of Assembly, gave the advice on Thursday, shortly before Mr Soludos swearing-in, while assessing the performance of Mr Obianos administration. The lawmaker, a member of the All Progressives Congress, said Mr Obiano had good intentions but that the actions behind the good intentions were not properly carried out. He said Mr Obianos legacy projects were carried out at the expense of other sectors of the state. We are grateful for the International Airport, it has made travelling easy for residents but the fact is that the airport project crippled other sectors of the economy and state. An example is the state of our roads, they are in bad shape. Now we have an airport but we do not have a road to that airport. Another one is that we can have an international convention centre that is not of that magnitude and that will not gulp close to N10 billion. We can have 5,000 instead of the 10,000 seating capacity that was built, so that the funds can be channelled to other important projects. Governance is about the welfare and security of people. Obiano began well during his first tenure in the aspect of security but he ended poorly and somebody has to say it. If he had ended his administration in the first tenure, I would have scored his performance 80 per cent but his last tenure was a disaster. So many other sectors suffered because he was pursuing his legacy projects. So, I need to tell him the feelings of my constituents as an elected member of the state Assembly, Mr Ifedioranma said. My advice to the incoming governor, Soludo, is that he should not make the same mistakes his predecessor made so that at the end of his tenure, he will be remembered for good, he added. (NAN) The Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Inuwa, says he met with bandits and communicated with them afterwards but denies aiding their activities in the state, saying, Im also a victim of their merciless attacks. Mr Inuwa, who has been the scribe of the state government since 2015 when Governor Aminu Masari assumed office, has declared his intention to run for governor in 2023. The academic turned politician has faced accusations of aiding bandits, which led to some youth burning down his private residence in Danmusa Local Government Area in 2019. His hometown, Danmusa, is one of the communities in the state worst-hit by bandits attacks. Im also a victim Responding to a question on the issue from a reporter Wednesday afternoon, while briefing journalists on his decision to contest, Mr Inuwa said he is not a friend of the bandits but has been a victim of their attacks. He said in the early days of Mr Masaris administration, he risked his life twice by presenting himself to the bandits to hold as collateral to persuade them to accept dialogue with the state government. I used a motorcycle to go and meet their leaders. I told them that I will stay with them in their camp, so that their leader could go and discuss with His Excellency. I told them that if their leader returned, they should allow me to go, and if he didnt return, whatever was done to him they should do to me. I did that because I wanted and still want peace. I knew the risk involved but I trust the governor and I knew how sincere we are in the fight against insecurity. Even the bandits were surprised that I could submit myself to them. I did that because I wanted to assure them that we were not trying to harm their leaders who were being summoned to Katsina for the peace meeting, Mr Inuwa said. On how he became a victim of banditry, the SGS said his close relatives, including his eldest brother, niece; and a friend were kidnapped by the bandits in Danmusa and they had to gather money to rescue them. Those who are saying that; we know them. We know from where the rumours are coming. But that doesnt deter me because as someone from Danmusa local government area, what would be my benefit to be aiding banditry? What would I get? He however said he had a cause to communicate with most of the bandits especially after they had accepted the peace accord. When they repented, you know that most of them repented, we had their phone numbers and we were communicating with them. Not only me, the police commissioner, the Director DSS and all Security heads in the state. There were representations from both Emirs of Katsina and Daura and others. We used to meet with them every two weeks to discuss issues and how to extend the peace accord to those who had not repented. So, when the peace accord collapsed and some of them went back to banditry while others were killed by their rivals, some people decided to use that to spread a rumour that I have a link with bandits and I am supporting them. But even the Director DSS, the Brigade Commander have their (bandits) numbers too, the governor speaks with them too.. We know those spreading the rumour. I dont care because I know I have no hands in banditry, he said. The Niger State Government has explained why the activities of armed bandits are on the rise in the state despite the concerted efforts made to address the menace. The Secretary to the State Government, Ahmad Matane, gave an insight into the problem when he appeared on the Sunrise programme of Channel Television on Thursday. He said banditry has become well structured with a high level of communication that enables bandits to call for reinforcement when under attack. Mr Matane said the state government has also realised that the conventional security architecture cannot protect vulnerable communities from attacks by bandits. The community will tell you that we have sighted bandits in a particular location but it will take two to three hours before you can mobilise to respond, by which time the bandits would have finished their operation, he said. We have also found that the conventional security architecture has inadequacy in the number of personnel and even in equipment. Banditry has become an enterprise, making millions from the abduction of victims. They use a lot of the money to buy more weapons and that reinforces and strengthens their capability to continue what they are doing, Mr Matane said. He said 90 per cent of the bandits live in Zamfara State from where they carry on their activities across state borders, including in Niger. Cattle rustled in Niger State are moved into Zamfara and they are in thousands. In one local government last year, they lost over 18,000 cattle and in the last few weeks, we estimate that 10,000 to 15,000 herds of cattle have been lost. All the cattle have moved in one direction (Zamfara). There are a lot of economic gains in the banditry activities. Because of that, it will be difficult to cut it off because it has become an enterprise. It is not only the locals that are bandits. They hire mercenaries from outside the country to carry out the activity and they are paid off as mercenaries and they go back, Mr Matane said. Community policing The official, who coordinates security matters for the state, said: We need to build a community policing system that should be the first to respond before any reinforcement from conventional security. We need to also begin to deploy technology in dealing with the matter, he added. Mr Matane said when the state government was thinking of dialogue, officials visited some of the bandits commanders, but their demand was neither here nor there. They kept saying that they had been neglected for a very long time, they had lost their cattle, they have no western education, they have limited access to schools, health care and many more. But we said that that was no excuse to take up arms against the government and the communities, he said Mr Matane said the Niger State government created a safety measure by reviving the Bobi grazing reserves which is about 30,000 hectares, where pastoralists have access to pasture and water. However, he said that has not solved the problems. President Muhammadu Buhari had recently directed the military to respond robustly to killings and kidnappings by bandits in Niger State. But the killings have not abated. The latest reported attack from the state occurred on Tuesday when a divisional police officer, Muhammad Umar, two other police officers and four vigilantes were killed by bandits. Officials said over 151, 380 people, mostly peasant farmers, were displaced in the state by the activities of bandits in the last two years. The displaced persons were registered in 13 local government areas, with Rafi council area, neighbouring Zamfara, topping the chart with 28,987 displaced persons. The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, discharged and acquitted a former Chief of Air Staff, Mohammed Umar, of diversion of N66 million from the account of the Nigerian Air Force. Mr Umar, a retired air chief marshal, battled one count of money laundering involving N66 million allegedly stolen from the account of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) during his time as the Chief of Air Force between 2010 and 2012. Delivering judgement on the case, on Thursday, the judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, held that the prosecution failed to provide any evidence that Mr Umar gave the instruction for the transfer of the said funds for the renovation of his private property in Abuja. Mr Dimgba said it would be dangerous to speculate on a wild assumption that Mr Umar must be aware of every financial transaction from the Nigeria Air Force bank account. The judge had earlier in February 2021 dismissed six out of the seven charges initially lodged against Mr Umar by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). However, the judge ordered the former Air Force chief to refund the sum of N57 million to the Nigeria Air Force within seven working days. The money was the actual amount used in refurbishing Mr Umars private property at Asokoro area of Abuja. In the courts verdict, Mr Dimgba referenced the legal aphorism of letting 99 guilty persons go free than convicting one innocent, where there are doubts as to the evidence led by parties in a criminal case. It appears to me that there are very reasonable doubts thrown up in the case, which will make it very difficult for any reasonable tribunal, conscious of the religious and the legal injunctions set out above on the need for care lest an innocent person be condemned, the judge said. Having reviewed all the evidence provided by the two parties, as well as evaluated counsel oral and written submissions, I am inclined to resolve the issue which I identified in the beginning part of this judgement in favour of the Defence. I am not convinced that the Prosecution have discharged the burden placed on them to the requisite standard on the sole count which the Defendant was called upon to defend himself on. In the final analysis, I find the Defendant innocent on the sole count, and consequently discharge and acquit him, the judge declared. Acquitted ex-Air Force chief to refund N57 million After reviewing the facts of the case and finding the defendant innocent, the judge, however, held that, It will be against good conscience for the Court to shut its eyes to the fact that the defendant (Mr Umar) benefitted from funds belonging to the NAF, even if not in a manner sufficient to warrant his conviction for the offence that he has been charged or any other offence that he could have been found liable for. He noted that the sum of N57 million that was wired from the NAF operations account to a law firm that facilitated the renovation of Mr Umars private property did not add value to Air Force. I am satisfied that the said sum of N57 million was not payment for any value received by the NAF from the Defendant nor did it fall within the lawful expenditures of the force. It was rather made for the renovation of the Defendants property. Allowing the Defendant to retain the benefit will be a clear case of unjust enrichment under the Law of Restitution, the judge reasoned. Notwithstanding the Prosecutions failure to prove the charge in the count as required by law, necessitating the Defendants acquittal and discharge, there is evidence that the actual transfer from the NAF account domiciled at UBA Plc into the Stanbic IBTC Account No. 9202077424 belonging to the Capital Law Firm was N57 million. The Court was satisfied that the purpose for which the funds were transferred was for the renovation/improvement of the Defendants personal property, House No. 1853 Deng Xiao Ping Street, Off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension Abuja, Mr Dimgba observed. Relying on Section 333(1) of the ACJA 2015, and the inherent powers of the court, the judge ordered Mr Umar, despite his acquittal, to refund N57 million that was expended on his private property to the federal government. The defendant shall not be allowed to keep the benefit of the N57Million funds of the NAF actually used by the Prosecutions own witnesses (PW1, PW2 and PW6) at the time when the Defendant was the Chief of Air Staff to renovate/improve his personal property. Allowing him (Mr Umar) to retain this benefit will violate good conscience and in violation of the equitable principles of the Law of Restitution, and which abhors unjust enrichment, he added. Orders To recover the said funds, Mr Dimgba said: The Defendant shall refund to the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) the total sum of N57 million (fifty seven million naira) being the amount actually transferred into the Stanbic IBTC Account No. 9202077424 belonging to Capital Law Office and used for the renovation/improvement of the property known as No. 1853 Deng Xiao Ping Street, Off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension Abuja belonging to the Defendant, within seven working days from today. The Defendant shall file a Report of Compliance with the above order with the Registry of this Court and serve a copy of same on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission within 10 working days from today. Advertisements In the event of failure by the Defendant to comply with the above orders of the Court, the Defendants property known as House No. 1853 Deng Xiao Ping Street, Off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension Abuja shall stand permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria as a tainted asset, the judge said. Back story Mr Umar, who was first arraigned in 2016, had six of the seven charges struck out on account of EFCCs inability to lead evidence against the former Air Force chief. The judge said his review of the evidence led by the prosecution revealed considerable doubts, cloud of mystery, and general contradictions and discrepancies. He said there were unresolved questions on how EFCC arrived at the N4.8 billion allegedly converted fraudulently by the defendant, and what was its proper application. The judge recalled that the Prosecution Witness 1 (PW1), Air Commodore Yushau, a retired air commodore, who was the Director of Finance (DoF) of the NAF, testified about how he, on monthly basis, delivered the dollar equivalent of N558.2 million to Mr Umar at his residence for a period of 24 months for the upkeep of the COAS office. This claim was corroborated by PW9, Hamma Damma Bello, the EFCC investigator on the case, the judge said. He added that both witnesses (PW1 and PW9) maintained that this practice of delivering that sum of money was for the duration of the period (about 24 months) in which the defendant was COAS of the NAF. But the judge noted that by a simple arithmetic, it would mean that the sum which the defendant collected and allegedly converted will be a sum of approximately N13,400,000.00 and not the sum of N4,846,639,000.00 which the defendant was alleged to have converted. He added: This would be the sum of N558,200,000.00 collected monthly multiplied by the about 24 months that the Defendant was the COAS of the NAF. How the prosecution came by this figure of N4,846,639,000.00 (Four Billion, Eight Hundred and Forty Six Million, Six Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira) in the count is a matter of mystery, and there was no attempt to lead evidence to show how this figure was arrived at. The judge also said there were discrepancies in the testimonies of PW1, PW6 and PW9, the star prosecution witnesses whom he said gave different figures as the amount delivered monthly to the defendant as his monthly upkeep. Mr Dimgba said the anti-graft agency also failed to show that the practice of setting aside such a significant amount of money for upkeep for the COAS office was illegal. He noted that although this practice on the surface does raise eyebrows, the philosophy behind it was explained by PW6 who was the Commander of Pay and Accounts. It will be recalled that Mr Umars successor as Chief of Air Staff, the late Alex Badeh, was also standing trial on similar charges until his death in 2019. The Centre for Journalism Innovations and Development (CJID) on Wednesday trained journalists on effective coverage of issues bordering on Illicit Financial Flows (IFF). The one-day training, held in Abuja on Wednesday in collaboration with the Torch Light group, had in attendance about 40 Nigerian journalists from different newsrooms. Illicit financial flows involves money laundering, bribery by international companies, tax evasion, falsification of business transactions, corruption among others. A 2020 report by the UNCTAD estimated that Africa loses $88.6 billion annually due to IFF, with Nigeria contributing 30 per cent. The extractive sector is the most affected in Africa. Speaking at the training, Mboho Eno, the CJID programme deputy director, described the training as vital to sustaining conversations on illicit financial flows in the country. We have had in recent years a lot of leaks on how Nigerians hide their wealth in tax havens abroad and how they engaged in illicit financial flows, so, training journalists to understand the implications of IFF will help sustain conversations around it and hasten prosecution, Mr Mboho said. The Torchlight Groups project manager, Emeka Ukatu, said the project was to forestall issues driving the youth into drug trafficking and transnational crimes. The Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES, Musikilu Mojeed, urged Nigerian media to increase reportage of illicit financial flows to educate the public. There was no action taken on Nigerians exposed for having off-shore accounts and shell companies in the Pandora Papers because journalists were not able to ask necessary questions when the culprits embarked on a media tour to clear their names. This was as a result of journalists not having the prerequisite knowledge of how illicit financial flow operates despite evidence presented to the public, Mr Mojeed said. A facilitator at the training, Stella Atakpa, said money laundering investigation is a complex kind of reporting that requires smart drivers. She added that reporters need to know agencies and organisations that fight against financial criminal activities for easy collaboration. The director of innovation at CJID, Adedeji Adekunle, discussed the issues of tracking IFF and understanding business, money and governance systems. Bandits have killed another police officer in Niger State during an attack on the divisional police station at Bangi in Mariga Local Government Area, the state government has said. A statement on Thursday by the spokesperson for Governor Abubakar Bello, Mary Noel-Berje, said the bandits carried out the attack on Wednesday. A day earlier, bandits had killed four police officers, including a divisional police officer, Muhammad Umar, and four vigilantes in Magama council area of the state. But in the latest incident, the governors spokesperson said the joint security operatives in the state repelled the attack on the police facility and killed scores of the terrorists. According to the statement, Governor Bello acknowledged the dedication of the conventional and unconventional security agencies in the fight against terrorism in the state. It is soul soothing to know that the criminals had a bad outing against innocent lives, the statement said. The governor commiserated with the police for yet losing an officer in a gun duel with terrorists. He also sympathised with the family of the deceased police officer and prayed God to console them and repose the soul of the departed. READ ALSO: The Governor reassured all of his unwavering determination and unalloyed support to ensure that terrorism in the state becomes a thing of the past. It was reported that terrorists in their numbers, Wednesday, stormed Bangi Divisional Police station to attack security personnel in a similar way they did at Nasko about three days ago. They (bandits) were however unfortunate as the joint security operatives got a wind of the plan and fiercely engaged the terrorists which led to the killing of dozens of the criminals while many others escaped with gunshots injuries. During the exchange of fire, an Inspector was said to have been shot and died on the spot. About 50 motorcycles belonging to the terrorists were said to have been recovered, the statement said. A memo has surfaced showing how the interim national secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), John Akpanudoedehe, was removed by his colleagues in the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). As revealed by the memo dated March 8 and seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, the interim secretary was removed through motion of no confidence during a meeting of the committee at the national secretariat in Abuja. With the exception of the Yobe State governor, Mala Buni, who was at the time on medical leave, 10 of the 12-member committee, led by the controversially-appointed chairman of the party, Abubakar Bello of Niger State, voted for his removal. According to the memo in which Mr Akpanudoedehes removal was documented, members present at the meeting unanimously agreed that the secretary should step aside and stop forthwith all activities and duties associated with the office. We, the members of the CECPC of the All Progressives Congress as duly constituted or the 25th of June, 2020 by the National Executive Committee of our great party, and sitting in our regular meeting on the 8th Day of March 2022, hereby unanimously resolved and adopt a motion of NO CONFIDENCE on the Secretary of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress, and direct that from today henceforth, he steps aside as the Secretary of the Committee and stops forthwith all activities and duties associated with the office. The undersigned are a full quorum of the Committee of the 2/3rd required, the memo reads. Opposition to leadership change While no reason was given for Mr Akpanudoedehes removal, this newspaper reported the strong stance of the secretary against the process that facilitated the takeover of Mr Bello over his ally, Mr Buni, last week. The secretary had dismissed reports of Mr Bunis removal even as the Niger State governor dramatically entered the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on March 7 to assume the role meant for Mr Buni. Mr Akpanudoedehe, who also perceived his job was on the line, said the party had a process for removing its leader and not through anonymous sources. The media report is fake news and should be disregarded, he said. The APC is a progressive political party guided by rules. Leadership changes are not announced by sources through name dropping in the media. We urge our teeming supporters, members and indeed the general public to remain calm and support the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC CECPC conduct a rancour-free and credible National Convention deserving of our great party. However, after stating his stance, Mr Akpanudoedehe went missing in action. For days, the secretary didnt report for duty, apparently prompting the Bello-led committee to appoint one of its members to interface with journalists, a role previously played by the embattled secretary. The interim National Youth Leader, Ismaeel Ahmed, took over the role of interacting with journalists at the secretariat. In between the in-house struggle and power play, the secretary returned to the national secretariat briefly last Tuesday to perform his duties. Addressing journalists upon his return, Mr Akanudoedehe said that the partys leadership was intact and functional as originally constituted. He also said Mr Buni was on his way from London to resume duties as chairman. Mr Akpanudoedehe was to actively resume his duties on Wednesday after President Muhammadu Buhari cautioned the APC governors against removing Mr Buni and making utterances that could cause disunity in the party ahead of its March 26 National Convention. First, the issue of the leadership of the Caretaker Extra Ordinary Convention Committee (CECOC) should immediately return to status quo ante; Second, all members of the Governors Forum and their followers should desist from any behaviour or utterance that will likely lead to disunity in the ranks of the party, and ultimately jeopardise the transition to the convention; Third, the Mai Mala Buni-led CECC should, accordingly, be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention as planned- unfailingly, on 26 March, 2022, the letter issued by Mr Buhari directed to the partys governors. With the return of Mr Buni to his interim role, as instructed by Mr Buhari on Wednesday, Mr Akpanudoedehes position as well as other members of the CECPC can be said to remain secure until the conduct of the partys convention. Advertisements On the day the president wrote the letter, Mr Akpanudoedehe issued a press statement cancelling the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting fixed for Thursday by Mr Bello. Besides, the governorship ambition of the secretary in his native Akwa Ibom may have been rekindled. Appointment In June 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed the 12-member Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) headed with Mr Buni as chairman to steer the affairs of the party. Mr Akpanudoedehe, former senator and junior minister at the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was appointed as secretary. The committee was also mandated to organise a national convention to elect new members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party within six months. However, it has not been able to do so. Some party members have alleged that While Mr Buni is using his position to negotiate for the vice presidential slot of the party in the 2023 election, Mr Akpanudoedehe is using his to promote his ambition to pick the partys ticket in his native Akwa Ibom State. Governor Mala Buni of Yobe State has taken over the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), after returning from a medical trip abroad. This was contained in a release by his Director General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, in Damaturu on Thursday. While he was away, there were attempts to remove him from office as the caretaker committee chairman. Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, also a member of the CECPC, took the leadership of the party on the prompting of some APC governors. In the statement, Mr Mohammed said that Mr Buni, who was also in London to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari, appealed to all party members to remain calm and law abiding. Put the recent events in the party behind you and work towards a successful Convention. The success of the party remains paramount and needs the support of every member. As we head towards the National Convention, the party needs the support of every stakeholder and member to succeed. As democrats and committed party members, we should avoid issues that are capable of diverting our attention from the path of success, he said. Mr Buni said it was a waste of time to hold grudges against individuals involved in the recent happenings in the party, saying grudges were detrimental to the success of a party. He expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the amicable resolution of recent misunderstanding in the party. We appreciate the good leadership role played by Mr President in resolving the recent events to keep a united and strong APC, he said. Mr Buni said all actions taken by the APC CECPC under Mr Bello, who was the acting chairman, remained valid and binding. I duly transmitted power to His Excellency the Niger State Governor Muhammed Sani Bello. Therefore, all actions and measures taken by the committee under his leadership as acting chairman, remain valid and binding, he said. In another statement by his media aide, Mr Buni denied suspending some activities initiated by the Niger governor. This is to bring to the notice of all stakeholders and members of the party that the purported suspension of some activities initiated and executed by the CECPC under the acting chairman and Niger Governor, Muhammed Bello is not true. Therefore, all activities that were done in my absence remain valid and binding. All party stakeholders and members are hereby advised to disregard the previous statement discarding the activities of the committee under the leadership of the acting chairman, Mr Buni said. Therefore, all actions and measures taken by the committee under his leadership as Acting Chairman remain effective, Mr Buni said. He called for the support and understanding of the party members to move it forward to a successful National Convention slated for March 26. (NAN) A professor of agriculture and former deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academics at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Adebayo Bamire, has been announced as the institutions 12th substantive vice-chancellor-elect. Mr Bamire was said to have ranked first ahead of a professor of Art and former deputy vice-chancellor at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Razaq Kalilu, and Kayode Ijadunola, a professor of public health and community medicine and former provost of the OAUs college of health sciences, who ranked second and third respectively. Meanwhile, a handful of protesters on Thursday afternoon blocked the universitys main gate shortly after the announcement, saying an indigene of the host community- Ile-Ife, should have been appointed. As earlier hinted by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday afternoon, the announcement was made by the universitys governing council led by a business mogul and founder of Superior Motors, Oscar Udoji. The announcement ended a selection process which had kicked off in December, and which saw a total of 20 applicants taking part in the process. In a statement issued by the university and signed by Mr Udoji, the VC-elect will assume office on June 7, when the tenure of the incumbent, Eyitope Ogunbodede, is expected to end. Mr Udojis statement read in part: In line with the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act as amended, the report of the Selection Board was considered by the Council which, after a careful and dispassionate review of the report, decided to appoint Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, a professor of Agricultural Economics from the Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, as the Vice-Chancellor of the University with effect from June 7, 2022. The decision of the Council shall be communicated to the Visitor to the University, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari through the Hon. Minister of Education. Protest According to sources, some individuals, who are said to be indigenes of Ile-Ife, had assembled at the universitys main gate on Thursday afternoon, accusing the governing council of deliberately scheming out an indigene from being appointed. An applicant, Rufus Adedoyin, a professor of Physiotherapy, had been backed by a group of elders and youth of Ile-Ife community under the umbrella of Town and Gown. They cited examples of the Universities of Ilorin, Jos and lately, Ibadan, who have been administered at different times by indigenes of their host communities. The protesters have, however, threatened to shut down the university completely on Friday, saying there shall be no peace until the decision is reversed. In a short video obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the protesters also threatened to go traditional and fetish in fighting their battle. So we are telling you that tomorrow, from Ipetu, Modakeke, Ifetedo, Origbo, and anywhere in Ife land, there shall be no movement. We will come with masqurades, demons and sacrifices, an unidentified youth who addressed a crowd of protesters, said. The universitys public relations officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, however, neither picked his call nor replied to a message sent to his phone requesting the universitys reaction to the protest. Who is Bamire? Born on January 18, 1959, Mr Bamire hails from Oyan in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State. He was said to have attended St. Clares Nursery and Primary School, Osogbo, for his primary school education and had his secondary education at St. Charles Grammar School, also in Osogbo. He studied Agricultural Economics at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) and bagged his Bachelor of Agriculture in 1985; M.Phil., in 1992, and Ph.D. in 1999. Mr Bamires PhD thesis was said to have won the National Universities Postgraduate Thesis Award in 2001. During the tenure of the universitys 10th vice-chancellor, Bamitale Omole, Mr Bamire had reportedly won the deanship election of the faculty of agriculture by a lone vote. As the dean, Mr Bamire reportedly had a frosty relationship with the then vice-chancellor, Mr Omole, who was eventually chased out of the campus one month to the end of his tenure in 2016 by protesting workers over allegations of corruption and compromised selection processes of his successor at the time. The crisis, which led to the balkanisation of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on the campus, eventually led to the appointment of an acting vice-chancellor- Anthony Elujoba. However, since the appointment of the outgoing vice-chancellor, Ogunbodede, Mr Omole, a professor of History and International Relations, has had it tough on the campus. Advertisements He reportedly voluntarily retired earlier this year at the age of 68, instead of waiting to attain the 70-year-retirement age permitted by the law governing the university system in Nigeria. Backstory This newspaper had earlier reported how the selection process of a new vice-chancellor had culminated into the interview of 16 shortlisted candidates which started on Monday, March 14 and ended on Wednesday, 16. The process has been described by many members of the university community as fair, balanced and just, saying the fairness had made it less rancorous unlike what was experienced in 2016. My intervention is aimed at those who may not know the truth and are confused or have wrongly believed the concoctions being served online in the name of activism. To be frank, I am not hoping that my clarifications would stop the mischief makers from continuing with their malicious project. They are not reasonable characters. All they want is miscarriage of justice so that they would be decorated with murderous medals for destroying an innocent soul. They will never succeed. In view of the serial and unrelenting misrepresentation of facts and mischief orchestrated by forgers, pathological liars and pseudo anti-corruption activists, in partnership with an online publication globally notorious for its culture of blackmail and extortion, it is important to set the record straight on the pronouncements of the Court of Milan, Republic of Italy, in the OPL 245 trial. The court discharged and acquitted all defendants of criminal charges on March 17, 2021. Of particular interest to me is the extent of involvement of my client, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), who served as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice of Nigeria between 2010 and 2015, during which the OPL 245 dispute was resolved and the oil block was acquired by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and ENI S.p.A. from Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd for a combined consideration of $1.3 billion. Although Mr Adoke was not on trial in Italy, his name came up frequently in the court proceedings because of the desperate desire of Mr Fabio De Pasquale, the Deputy Public Prosecutor for Milan, to criminalise the OPL 245 transaction by impugning the integrity of Mr Adoke and casting aspersions on his legal advice as the Attorney-General of the Federation, in which position he acted on the lawful and legitimate instructions of President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR). In trying to work to an answer, Mr De Pasquale came up with a series of investigative theories, some of which were propounded by the so-called anti-corruption campaigners, who were out to win awards as transparency champions by trampling on the truth. To them, all is fair in war. They can cook up anything, forge any e-mail and stage-manage any interview, as long as they would get applause from their funders and promoters. Mr De Pasquale argued in court that the OPL 245 Resolution Agreement of 2011, which was based on a Settlement Agreement reached between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd on November 30, 2006, was illegal. He argued that it was also illegal to award an oil prospecting licence (OPL) through a court-ordered Settlement Agreement. De Pasquale and his team theorised that the $801 million paid by Royal Dutch Shell plc and ENI S.p.A. to Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd to acquire the rights to the oil block was illegal and was a scheme to bribe Federal Government of Nigeria officials. They alleged that Mr Adoke participated in the bribery scheme and profited to the tune of N300 million ($2.2 million at the time) from the $1.3 billion transaction. Specifically, they said Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, a property developer known to both Chief Dan Etete, the promoter of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, sold a property worth N700 million for N500m to Mr Adoke. They further alleged that the N200 million difference was a bribe. The Italian prosecutors tried to use the property transaction as evidence of corruption. Since some of these expended allegations are sub-judicial in Nigeria because Mr Adoke is still being tried in two honourable courts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the same issues, my comments would have to be limited to the Milan Court decision. Also, some of the facts are already in the public domain and as such do not require any further comments from me. Luckily, the full text of the 458-page judgment, marked Judgment No. 3055, is available on the internet. Anyone interested in reading the document, which I intend to quote generously in this article, should google OPL 245 full decision and download it. It documents the key presentations made by the prosecutors and the final pronouncements of the court after nearly three years of trial. It is significantly of note that no adverse findings were made against Mr Adoke, contrary to the lies being peddled online by the coalition of miserable pseudo activists. I may allow myself to speculate that some of their tantrums might be out of ignorance, because, admittedly, it is not every lay person who can read and understand a court decision. The judges normally summarise presentations by the prosecutors and the defendants before making a pronouncement. It is not uncommon for those not familiar with legal proceedings to take a summary of presentation as part of the court finding or decision. However, because these mischief makers have been on this project for a while, and because they have enjoyed the funding and support of those well versed in law, I am very much tempted to conclude that ignorance is not the case, or perhaps ignorance is just a red herring. It is malice. I will now go into the specifics. It had been alleged that Mr Adoke exerted unlawful pressure on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to endorse the Settlement Agreement. But the Milan Court pronounced on page 241 of its judgment that: We cannot instead accept the comments on the fact that Adoke Bello allegedly exerted unlawful pressure on NNPC and DPR. In fact, as we have seen, it had been the Minister himself who had engaged these departments and demanded that an agreement be made reflecting their suggestions, so that the companies (Shell and ENI) were forced to give ground on recognition of the back-in rights, which were not included in the previous contractual framework, which called for direct purchase from Malabu, considering that that company had been granted a license free of these restrictions. On the rightfulness of awarding an OPL based on an out-of-court settlement (and the attempt to link it to corruption), the judges said on page 248 that: The opinions of the Public Prosecutors expert are absolutely contradictory and legally erroneous. Although she admitted that licenses in Nigeria may be issued by the government on a discretionary basis, it underscores the anomaly represented by the issuance of a license in the context of an out-of-court settlement agreement that involved a party, Eni, that was considered to have nothing to do with the legal disputes over ownership of the license. On the basis of these erroneous premises of its own expert, the prosecution transforms a fact from common experience (out-of-court settlements of disputes may come about through the intervention of a third-party investor or financier) into circumstantial evidence of underlying corrupt arrangements. They continued on page 249: Contrary to what was revealed during the trial proceeding, the prosecution argues that there were no other cases of assignments of oil license after out-of-court settlements, although the defense experts pointed out that the use of a Resolution Agreement as the basis for a direct award is not an unprecedented event. Examples are found in the Annual Report 2016 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry published by the DPR, which reports that certain assets were assigned/reassigned on the basis of out-of-court settlement agreements. The circumstance generates no wonder, since the settlement is a typical arrangement, which is common practice in circumstances involving a dispute. In this regard, we should mention in passing that, from the legal point of view, the license was not awarded with the Resolution Agreement, but the latter was used as the negotiating tool whereby the Government assured itself approval by Snud (Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep) and Malabu to reassignment in favor of Snepco (Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Co) and NAE (ENI-Agip). Indeed, the deed of assignment is comprised of a discretionary measure issued by the Minister and of which the Resolution Agreement constituted a simple factual premise. On the allegation of conflict of interest, the prosecutors argued that Chief Etete, as Minister of Petroleum in 1998, should not have awarded an oil block to a company in which he had interest. The court agreed with the position of the defence lawyer that it was never raised as a breach of law before any court. In fact, the 1998 assignment was subsequently confirmed several times by the government, even before Mr Adoke became AGF. The court agreed with the defence lawyer who had argued that the fallaciousness of the prosecutions reasoning was such that the Public Prosecutor was forced to contradict himself when he explicitly affirmed that confirmation of the license awarded to Malabu had legitimated it to sell the license. The court then declared at Page 249: So, the Court agrees with the defense attorneys, and even with the Public Prosecutor, that the confirmation of the license by the Nigerian Government in July 2010, during the pendency of the arbitration proceeding, definitively legitimated the negotiations for acquisition of the license itself. On the charge that Adokes involvement in meetings and communications with key actors in the OPL 245 negotiations was evidence of vested interest for corrupt enrichment, the judges said on page 291 that: Equally devoid of evidentiary value is the fact that the Minister Adoke Bello intervened in the context of these communications, guaranteeing the legitimacy of the agreements underlying the payments, legitimacy that has already been demonstrated and would in fact also be recognized by the Nigerian judicial authority at the request of the same public official (see the ruling of Judge Binta Nyako). The prosecutions argument, based on the fact that the defendants knowingly provided the money for the bribe paid by Etete to the public officials, is reasonably contradicted by the outcome of the SOCA authorizations. SOCA is the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency, which gave JP Morgan the go-ahead to transfer funds to Malabu in 2011 after investigating the suspicion of fraud. On page 317, the judges, in dismissing allegations of bribery in the OPL 245 deal for lack of proof, reproduced the transcript of the interrogation of a defendant, Mr Vincenzo Armanna, a former ENI manager, by the prosecutor over the issue of kickbacks. Armanna said that, in fact, Adoke threatened to arrest and prosecute ENI officials for negotiating kickbacks. The conversation is reproduced below: PUBLIC PROSECUTOR: But the meeting, which I can now specify directly because you mentioned it this morning, when the Attorney General said: Theyre bribes, Ill put you all in jail, when was that? And who was there? DEFENDANT ARMANNA: It was the first one with a bigger group, so it wasI think it was after November 15. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR: And what did he say exactly? DEFENDANT ARMANNA: That they were bribes and that we were blackmailing Dan Etete and forcing him to pay a fee to Obi and that we would be arrested. It is, therefore, a matter of public record that Mr Adoke actually warned against bribery in the transaction and threatened to get the commission agents arrested and prosecuted. This is the same Adoke that is being maligned and defamed as a bribe taker. Before Mr Armannas testimony, Ednan Tofik ogly Agaev, a former Russian ambassador to Colombia, had also withdrawn his earlier claim to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in which he said Mr Adoke was involved in bribery. Agaev refused to adopt the statement in court, saying he was pressured to mention a name during interrogation and he mentioned Adoke. In other words, Agaev lied to the FBI to get off the hook. I must, however, regret that there was an allegation against Mr Adoke before the Italian court that was not exhaustively dealt with: the accusation that he bought a house from his supposed share of the kickbacks. Every piece of evidence was purely circumstantial and an over-extension of the facts just to fit the narrative: One, that Mr Adoke previously knew the property developer; two, that the property developer was close to Chief Etete; three, that Mr Adoke tried to buy a house for N500 million after the OPL 245 transaction; four, that the property had just been acquired by the developer for N700 million; five, that the N200 million difference was his kickback; six, that as a public servant, where could he have earned the N500 million to buy the property. Of course, the conclusion of the judges was that there was no proof of corruption and while we may say Mr Adoke was exonerated, that will still not totally solve the puzzle around the mortgage and will continue to be used by the mischief makers as evidence of corruption. But here are the facts, most of which were presented in Italy by the prosecutors but which they deliberately jumbled together because they were shooting at a target. Mr Adoke never denied knowing Alhaji Abubakar, the property developer. He never denied being offered a house at Plot 3271 Cadastral Zone A06, Maitama District, Abuja. What he has said, and quite consistently, is that Alhaji Abubakar approached him to buy the property for N500 million. He then approached his bankers, Unity Bank Plc, where he was a substantial shareholder, and asked for a mortgage of N300 million. He was to make an equity contribution of N200 million to complete the payment. The bank opened a mortgage account, credited it with N300 million and transferred the funds to Carlin International, owned by the developer. However, because Mr Adoke could not raise his equity of N200 million, Alhaji Abubakar had to return the N300 million to Unity Bank. The bank took the money and closed the account. The developer then sold the property to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). All the documents presented in court by the prosecutors, as provided to them by EFCC, established the facts. Actually, Mr Adoke lost money because he had to pay high interests on the loan. But the prosecutors fiddled with the facts. Since there was an agenda, the prosecutors said the same property had previously been purchased for N700 million by Alhaji Abubakar. What they maliciously hid from the court was that three buildings were being developed on the 5,500sqmtr-plot. They also did not tell the court that it was just one of the three buildings that was offered to Mr Adoke for N500 million. They made it look like it was the entire property and cruelly calculated a discounted benefit of N200 million. This is evil, to put it mildly. Also, they failed to disclose to the court that the property now belongs to the CBN, which bought it in 2013 because Mr Adoke could not complete the payment. Mr Adoke said he had been hoping to sell a plot of land in Abuja to raise his N200 million equity but he did not get a buyer. He never said he was going to pay for it from his salaries as a public officer. But this was the impression presented to the court. To sum up, the Italian court has, after an extensive trial, put a lie to the allegations levelled against Mr Adoke over his role in the OPL 245 deal. The Hon. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court declared in 2018 that Mr Adoke could not be held personally liable for carrying out a lawful presidential order. The U.S. Department of Justice investigated the transaction and brought it to a close in October 2019 without any charge. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) closed its own investigation in April 2020. As yet, no court of law has concluded that the OPL 245 deal is a scandal. It is just the narrative cooked up by self-serving pseudo activists and forgers, and vented by notorious online blackmailers. The truth will eventually prevail and those who participated in the defamation should know that they will pay when the stage-managed storm is finally over. My intervention is aimed at those who may not know the truth and are confused or have wrongly believed the concoctions being served online in the name of activism. To be frank, I am not hoping that my clarifications would stop the mischief makers from continuing with their malicious project. They are not reasonable characters. All they want is miscarriage of justice so that they would be decorated with murderous medals for destroying an innocent soul. They will never succeed. But if the intention of Mr Adokes traducers is just to destroy his name and keep him busy with having to declare his innocence every day, they have succeeded to some extent. I congratulate them. They should continue to enjoy their pyrrhic victory. It is just a matter of time before they stew in their own juice. No matter how many miles a lie travels, it takes the truth just a nanosecond to pursue and overtake. In fact, with the truth now coming to the fore, many of them are already regretting their actions and apologising in private to Mr Adoke. But their day of inescapable reckoning beckons. Femi Oboro is Solicitor at Gromyko Amedu Solicitors, 148 Acre Lane, Brixton, London, UK, SW2 5UT. Tel: +44 (0)208 678 8996 Email: femi.oboro@gromykoamedusolicitors.co.uk Nigerian is fast gaining notoriety as a country of ritualists with stories of ritual killings daily reported in the traditional and social media. The latest of this cannibalistic atrocity is the gruesome murder of 22 year old Oluwabamise Ayankole who was abducted after boarding a Lagos State Government owned Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) bus and was later murdered and had parts of her body removed which confirmed the suspicion that she may have been killed for ritual purposes. Bamise who was on her way home from work was thereafter tossed out of the BRT Bus at Ebute Ero. Bamise according to eyewitnesses, was still alive after she was tossed out of the vehicle at the Ebute Ero bridge but she gave up the ghost because she did not get help on time. The social media was awashed with her last chat and video expressing fears for her safety inside the desolate BRT bus in which she and another lady and three men were the only occupants. As if she knew, her instinct warned her of the danger ahead but she was helpless. Murder in a BRT bus which is expected to be one of the safest means of transportation owned by the government of Lagos State is a sacrilege. Bamises gruesome murder is only an addition to the harvest of deaths by ritualists in the last few weeks across Nigeria. While many Nigerians are yet to grapple with the shock of the gruesome beheading of Sofiat Kehinde, a 17 year old girl in Abeokuta by four ritualists between ages 18 and 20, the murder of Bamise sent shock waves to all as anybodys child, relative or friend could be the next victim. Late last year in Ado Ekiti, a seven year old girl, Demilade was sent on an errand by her mother four houses away but the little girl disappeared immediately and all efforts to find her proved abortive until her corpse was found in a pastors house the following day! Timothy Adegoke checked into a hotel in Ile-Ife to write his Post Graduate examinations but he never came out alive as he was murdered overnight and buried some metres away from the hotel. The proprietor of the hotel is currently standing trial! In Ogun State, a woman connived with her husband to kill her visiting friend and dismembered her. The remains of the victim was later found in a bucket in the couplesroom. A ritual killer, Timothy Odeniyi who was arrested by Amotekun Corps in Ondo State confessed that he used to harvest human parts at burial grounds which he sells to his clients. In Jos, 20 year old Moses Oko killed one Jennifer, a student of the University of Jos and removed some of her body parts. In Ikorodu Lagos state, a suspected internet fraudster (yahoo+), 32 year old Afeez Olalore killed his younger brother for ritual purposes. In Uyo Akwa Ibom state, Uduak Akpan, a serial ritual killer killed 20 year old Iniobong Umoren , a job seeker and buried her in a shallow grave. In Ilorin Kwara State, a next door neighbor allegedly murdered a groom-to be for ritual purposes. In 2019, Nigerians were alarmed about the arrest in Port Harcourt of one of Nigerias notorious ritual killers called Gracious David West who confessed to have killed at least 15 women for ritual purposes. In November 2019, one year old boy Eniola Kolawole was declared missing at Sotitobire Miracle Centre, Akure Ondo State and has not been found till today. Irate youths set the church ablaze but the pastor who had been on trial has since been discharged and acquitted. One Shakirat was murdered in Iwo, Osun State and her body was dumped behind her mothers shop with some of her parts missing! It is an understatement to say that satan has taken over our affairs completely as cases of ritual killings keep rising by the day! The question now arise, is rituals for money making real? Perhaps this is why the Nigerian-American media scholar, newspaper columnist and activist, Prof.Farooq Kperogi while bemoaning the unending spate of ritual murders in Nigeria argued, the only solution lies in the liberation of Nigerians from stupid, backward, unproductive and murderous superstitions. The witch doctors who tell people to bring the body parts of murdered people to make them rich are often one of the most wretched people you can find on earth. If money rituals were real, they would be wealthy and wont let anybody in on the secret. Not many people agree with the view of Kperogi because if money making ritual does not exist, why is ritual killing on the increase across the country? There have been many unverifiable variants and anecdotes concerning how money rituals work especially among yahoo boys which is called yahoo plus. There is a type whereby ebora (a spirit) will bring the money to the yahoo boy after necessary sacrifices with human parts have been done. There is another type that will make the victim, usually a foreigner obey whatever the yahoo boy says including sending millions of dollars on request. There is yet another type that involves using the pant of a woman. The pant as they say, will fetch the ritualist a lot of money. It is not only yahoo boys that are into ritual killing but they may have influenced others who are not into internet fraudsters to kill for rituals because of the belief that it is working for them. Some yahoo boys even go to the extent of eating human faeces, having spiritual bath in broad daylight at a public place, appearing only in pants in broad daylight to withdraw money from ATMs and so many bizarre and silly things! The question remains, how much is ritual killing giving those involved in it that is worth the desperation of taking the life of a fellow human being? Definitely it cannot give billions because many of the Yahoo plus boys even get broke after about 3 to 6 months while some go mad! So whats the need for ritual killing? Apart from Yahoo boys there are reports of a well organised clientele of ritual killers which means that not all who are involved in ritual killing directly use the human parts but they are agents of some powerful personalities who buy the parts from them. There are newspaper reports that human parts markets exist in some areas of Lagos. It is also ridiculous that human life has been so reduced to nothingness that a human head is sold for as low as 20,000 ( twenty thousand naira!). Research also show that many people who seek power and wealth like politicians and businessmen also use human parts for charms for good fortune and for fortification against real and perceived enemies! I wish to remind this group of politicians and businessmen that the greatest fortification and blessings comes from God who is the custodian of power and fortune. The underlying factor responsible for the present malaise is desperation on the part of our young ones who are eager to get rich quick. There is unprecedented moral bankruptcy and toral collapse of family values of hardwork, honesty and integrity. We should go beyond lamentation and take drastic action. We must dig into the root cause of this barbaric act and approach it from there. What we are seeing are symptoms rather than cause. Our society has been sold to the dogs and many souls sold to the devil, the result is what is confronting us. A 17 year old wanting to ride the latest automobile sold for millions of naira, not through any work but by any means, society celebrating any rich person not minding the source of his or her wealth is responsible for the present madness. Images of boys displaying wealth on social media and messages that all that matter is money and the message is sinking fast and spreading like wildfire! In one of the videos that circulated on the social media, a boy was asked if he could use her mother for rituals, he didnt hesitate before saying yes as long as he will be rich! Thats what our society has turned to! We are breeding monsters and heartless beings who would not mind going to any length just to be rich! A child who would not blink an eyelid before killing his own mother for rituals would kill anybody without thinking about it! It is such a pity! It is common these days to find human head in a cellophane bag carried by a teenager sitting next to you in a bus! Human parts have become very common like animal parts ! It is such a shame that we have become a cannibalistic society! It is now normal to suspect the man or woman sitting next to you in a public place as a ritualist! It is that bad! Beyond lamentations that have not helped, we must all resolve to end this monster that is threatening to consume us all of us. Nobody is immune from ritual death. Bamise and other victims of ritual killings must not die in vain. Now that the driver of the BRT bus and his cohorts has been apprehended, their trial must be swift and transparent. Cameras must be installed in all BRT buses that would be monitored at a base station and on no account must this be switched off by any BRT driver. The national and state Houses of Assembly should begin to work on laws to empower special courts to try ritual murder cases with stiffer penalties. Everybody must be vigilant and we must de-emphasise material wealth in our society while the source of wealth of emergency millionaires and new kids on the block must be questioned and such characters ostracized by the rest of the society as it was the practice on the days of yore when there was sanity. We must say no to ritual killings! We are neither animals nor vampires! Even animals dont kill themselves senselessly as we are witnessing presently! Hakeem Jamiu writes via hakeematus@gmail.com Less than six hours after his inauguration as the sixth Governor of Anambra, Charles Soludo has announced the appointment of three persons into his administration. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the statement containing the new appointments was released to reporters by Mr Soludos media aide, Joe Anatune, on Thursday in Awka. The statement announced the appointment of Osita Chukwulobelu, a professor, as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chukwudi Okoli as the Accountant General, while Chinedu Nwoye has been appointed as the deputy chief of staff/state chief of protocol. Mr Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was sworn-in earlier on Thursday in a low-key ceremony in Awka. The governor, in his inaugural speech, assured residents of the state that he would work every day to make them proud. He thanked the people for voting him at the November governorship election, just as he praised the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the party leaders for giving him the platform to serve the people. He particularly praised the National Chairman of APGA, Victor Oye, and the immediate past governor of the state, Willie Obiano, for their unwavering support and commitment to the realisation of a new Anambra project. As I repeatedly promised, I will work hard every day to make Anambra proud, Mr Soludo said. He said he would forward the list of the nominees for the commissioners to the state House of Assembly within one week. Mr Soludo said he would immediately begin the implementation of his urban regeneration plan in the state. The governor reiterated his position that his administration would only rely on made-in-Anambra products to encourage local production. (NAN) The Traditional Worshippers Association of Nigeria has warned members of other religions in Ogun State to refrain from interfering in the burial rites of traditional rulers in the state. The traditionalists also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, governors, and all security operatives to refrain from being used as agents of destruction, adding that issues of tradition are of utmost importance. The traditional worshippers said this on Wednesday at a press briefing in Sagamu, Ogun State. Governor Dapo Abiodun, last January, signed the Ogun State Chieftaincy Bill into law, amidst push-backs from traditionalists. The government said the law is aimed at curbing fetish practices in the process of installing and burying traditional rulers in the state. The law also grants family members of a traditional ruler the right to determine the mode of his burial. At Wednesdays press briefing, the traditionalists argued that the new law allows a deceased monarch to be buried in accordance with the customs and traditions of the land, citing section 55 (i-v) of the law. Ifasola Opeodu, who spoke on behalf of the traditionalists, said granting family members the rights to the burial rites of a monarch will lead to a clash between them and the traditional institution. Section 55 (i-v) of new Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, 2021 is to preserve the necessary rites as attached to the post of traditional rulers in a given community and the section provides thus: (ii) a traditional ruler shall be entitled to be buried in accordance with the customs and traditions of the land, save, however, that his body shall not be subjected to any mutilation or cannibalization. Mr Opeodu said the era of cannibalization had been abolished, saying traditional worshippers of Ogun State are not practicing cannibalism and up till this moment, we have not seen any testimony or reliable evidence from Obas or individual to the effect that the Osugbo and the traditional worshippers in Ogun State are feeding on humans flesh. The group warned members of other religious bodies to stay out of the installation of monarchs as well as their burial processes. Budding trees and blooming flowers. The return of robins, loons and other migrating birds. The return of bees, butterflies and frogs. Melting snow and lake ice. Longer days and light in the evening. Shedding the winter garments. The myriad scents of flowering trees and plants. Vote View Results Plattsburgh, NY (12901) Today Becoming partly cloudy after some evening light rain. Low 42F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Becoming partly cloudy after some evening light rain. Low 42F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. This year's 'Empower Every Moment' campaign, led by award-winning National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan, puts Iceland's exceptional vistas, cascading mountains and hidden waterfalls as the focus all filmed and photographed using only OPPO's latest flagship smartphone, the Find X5 Pro. The Find X5 Pro's 4K ultra-night video and ultra HDR photography capabilities are empowered by the OPPO-developed MariSilicon X Imaging NPU (neural processing unit), a dedicated chip that redefines the concept of night-time videography and photography for striking 4K imagery without sacrificing the subject or the background. Bingo Liu, President of OPPO Western Europe, remarked: "Our goal at OPPO is to empower people through technology to create amazing experiences, and with the Find X5 Pro, people will be able to capture the full spectrum of life's colours. What better way to depict this than by visiting one of the most beautiful parts of the world and immortalising the landscape with striking true-to-life photography. Our previous campaigns with National Geographic brought to the forefront the hidden beauties of our planet, and we're so excited for people to see what they've done this time using our Find X5 Pro's powerful camera system that can capture 1 billion breath-taking colours." Kiliii Yuyan, award-winning National Geographic photographer, reflected: "One of the most challenging areas of smartphone photography is making pictures in low light. It's easy to miss capturing detail, as well as extreme lights and darks that can elevate your photography to another level." Kiliii Yuyan's award-winning work has previously illuminated the stories of the Arctic and human communities connected to the land. Informed by his ancestry that is both Nanai (Siberian Native) and Chinese-American, he has travelled across the polar regions working with indigenous cultures and wildlife. He has seen and experienced the adventures and perils of the world escaping collapsing sea ice, chased by whales in Greenland, and found kinship at the edges of the world. The Campaign Empower Every Moment Launching on 15th March, the campaign, 'Empower Every Moment' will celebrate Kiliii's journey through Iceland, exploring places such as the iconic glacier lagoon Jokulsarlon, the remarkable black sand beach of Fauskasandur and the raw beauty of Kvernufoss; where he captured the stunning locations with the OPPO Find X5 Pro. In addition to the campaign with National Geographic, OPPO is also giving six people a chance for a once in a lifetime trip to experience Iceland for themselves. Through posting on Instagram the beautiful moments in their life and using #GetawayWithOPPO and #OPPOFindX5Pro with no limits to entries. The entries will be judged by an independent panel of experts looking at the following criteria uniqueness, quality, and raw photography talent. OPPO Find X5 Pro Empower Every Moment The latest flagship by OPPO, the Find X5 Pro, raises the bar on smartphone imaging and premium design. The new smartphone is packed with industry-leading features to empower consumers to be their true selves and express their individuality on their terms. The Find X5 Pro boasts a futuristic aesthetic that achieves clean, modern sophistication and world-first imaging experiences, including a dedicated imaging Neural Processing Unit developed by OPPO, MariSilicon X, which overcomes smartphone video capture's greatest challenge night-time recording and enables captivating photography. Complimented with an incomparable dual flagship IMX766 camera system, unrivalled performance, ultra-fast 5G connectivity, and incredible SUPERVOOC TM Flash Charging technology. - For more information please contact: jiatong.li@oppo.com - For more announcements and news, follow OPPO on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram - For more information on the 'Empower Every Moment' campaign as well as the OPPO and National Geographic partnership, go to: https://www.oppo.com/uk/events/empower-every-moment/ About OPPO OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone Smiley Face in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find X and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO provides its users with the ColorOS and internet services including OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 50 countries and regions with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world. Contact Jiatong Li T: +49 15238850933 E: jiatong.li@oppo.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1764831/Image_1_OPPO.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1764832/Image_2_OPPO.jpg SOURCE OPPO HELSINKI, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Selecting sustainability enhancing office spaces is an efficient way for companies to implement environmental responsibility and promote energy efficiency to fight against climate change. Trevian Asset Management has a purposeful goal to obtain an environmental rating in accordance with European standards for all office buildings it manages. This also supports the environmental objectives and sustainable development of the property users. Bayer considers premises solutions as a significant component in achieving its ambitious sustainability targets. Environmental responsibility is measured in the real estate industry following various rating systems aiming to promote climate goals. Certificates are issued, for example, as proof of environmental efficiency and responsibility. Trevian Asset Management's concrete climate goal is to achieve a BREEAM certificate for as many of its office buildings as possible. BREEAM is used to assess, among other factors, energy efficiency, material choices, waste management, and environmental management of the properties. For Bayer, which has selected Sydanpuu, owned by Green Yield Finland, company specialized in green property investments, and leased by Trevian, in Espoo, as its new premises, strong climate goals are essential for the sustainability strategy. Bayer Oy has offices in Turku and Espoo, and the Espoo office also houses the headquarters of Bayer's Northern European regional organization, Bayer Nordic. Bayer has set itself the global goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and aims to accomplish this, among other things, through sustainable office space solutions. Corporations have a significant role to play in mitigating climate change. At Bayer, we want our growth to be both ecologically and economically sustainable and have reduced our carbon footprint by as much as 89 percent in three years, for example, by switching entirely to renewable energy at our Turku production plant. The chosen solutions at the Espoo office premises also contribute to achieving our sustainability targets, says Kati Nyman, Bayer's Head of Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability in the Nordic region. Monitoring the carbon footprint throughout the value chain is an integral part of evaluating the measures taken. Trevian's role is to support companies like Bayer in their climate targets through sustainable office space solutions. Economic growth and sustainable development are mutually reinforcing; sustainability must be a joint responsibility of all industries and a visible part of each company's individual business strategy, says Kim Sars, Trevian's Chief Compliance Officer. For more information, please contact: Maria Pukki Asset Manager Trevian Asset Management +358 44 715 0745 maria.pukki@trevian.fi Aino Forsti-Smith Head of Communications, Finland Bayer Nordic SE +358 20 785 8339 aino.forsti-smith@bayer.com Trevian Asset Management is a Finnish investment and asset management company specializing in commercial and residential properties. The company was established in 2012 and is owned by its key personnel. The company produces actively managed real estate equity funds and asset management services optimized for its customers. The services are focused especially for institutional real estate investors, banks, and other professional investors. Trevian's assets under management near 1.0B. www.trevian.fi/en/ This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/trevian/r/trevian-and-bayer-favour-sustainable-choices-in-office-premises-selection,c3526662 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Trevian EVANSTON, Ill., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Beghou Consulting has added three seasoned life sciences industry consultants to lead its advanced analytics and data science team in Pune, India. Amish Dhanani, Abhigya Jain and Nilanshu Sinha are associate principals who have been instrumental in setting up Beghou's office in Pune. "Amish, Abhigya and Nilanshu have spent their careers using analytics to help life sciences companies develop and deploy effective commercialization strategies," said Saurabh Kukreti, principal at Beghou Consulting and leader of the firm's Pune team. "They will play a key role as we continue to grow our advanced analytics and data science team in Pune and help clients leverage analytics and technology to improve commercial effectiveness." Dhanani leads teams and projects focused on marketing analytics, omnichannel marketing, advanced analytics and data sciences, and primary market research for Beghou. Prior to joining Beghou, Dhanani was an associate principal at Eversana and a business consultant at ZS. He earned an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and a bachelor's degree in electronics and instrumentation from the Institute of Engineering and Technology, DAVV. Jain counsels life sciences companies of all sizes on a variety of commercialization issues, including sales force effectiveness, market access and go-to-market strategies. Prior to joining Beghou, Jain was an associate principal at Eversana and a consultant at ZS. He earned a bachelor's degree in information and technology from the Institute of Engineering and Technology, DAVV. Sinha leverages experience in forecasting, real-world data analytics, data warehousing, and value and access to guide life sciences industry clients. Prior to joining Beghou, Sinha was an associate principal at Eversana and held roles at ZS and pharmaceutical company MSD. He earned a bachelor's degree in electronics and instrumentation from Cochin University of Science and Technology. "Our team in Pune has played a key role in enhancing our firmwide analytics capabilities, and Amish, Abhigya and Nilanshu will be major players in our efforts to continue to expand these capabilities," said Dan Wetherill, partner and leader of Beghou Consulting's advanced analytics and data science team. "They bring impressive technical skills and strategic expertise to our firm, and we are excited to have them on the team." About Beghou Consulting Founded in 1993, Beghou Consulting specializes in helping life sciences companies especially emerging pharma companies establish and manage commercial operations to better market and sell therapies. Deploying advanced analytics and proprietary technology, Beghou consultants have provided strategic counsel to the top pharmaceutical companies in the world, supporting some since infancy. Headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, the firm has eight offices and employs more than 200 professionals around the world. To learn more, visit www.beghouconsulting.com or follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/750669/Beghou_Dark_Logo.jpg SOURCE Beghou Consulting CABINET ORGANIZATION Say goodbye to clutter under the sink with the new BOTTON II organizational system that maximizes storage for recycling, cleaning supplies and more. The BOTTON ll fits seamlessly below the sink base cabinet and boasts easy to access under the sink organization, including two removable four-gallon bins with handles and a top shelf for additional storage. The often ignored, but frequently used sink cabinet have great potential for optimizing workflow by making everyday items easily within reach, yet out of sight. Reinvent your sink cabinet with the BOTTON II the perfect final touch to any BLANCO UNIT. Easy to install on the bottom of the cabinet using just four screws, the BOTTON II is 10" wide, 19" deep and 15 3 4" tall. FOLDABLE GRID BLANCO's impressive roster of clever accessories broadens with the Foldable Grid. This multi-purpose sink grid is designed to maximize space above the bowl. Use it as a rack for rinsing produce, drying dishes, heat protection for countertops or a practical addition to the worktop to help ease prep and fill pots. The options are limitless, making it an indispensable tool in the kitchen. The Foldable Grid is made of high-quality stainless steel rods and is connected by flexible, slip-proof silicon for added stability. When it is not in use, it can be folded up and stowed at the edge of the sink or in your cabinet. The Foldable Grid is 18 1/8" long and 17 5/16" wide and works for a variety of BLANCO sinks. NEW FAUCET FINISHES Matte Black Embrace bold with Matte Black. Whether you need a pop of contrast in a white kitchen or a dramatic accent to complement dark countertops, BLANCO's new Matte Black finish is a versatile option that works with a variety of colors and design styles. BLANCO's Matte Black will be offered in the EMPRESSA, RIVANA and ATURA faucet collections and EMPRESSA, RIVANA and LATO soap dispensers. Opt for a Matte Black finish in the RIVANA semi-pro faucet, inspired by professional kitchens for the full Semi-pro Home Chef BLANCO UNIT experience. Satin Gold Elevate your space with BLANCO's new Satin Gold faucet finish. Unlike deeper-toned brass and bronze faucets, Satin Gold receives a warm welcome for its modern, soft hue. Delicate details, and the subtle texture of the brushed finish, radiate luxury while easily mixing and matching with existing metals in the kitchen. Satin Gold will be offered in the EMPRESSA, RIVANA and LINUS kitchen faucet collections and EMPRESSA, RIVANA, TORRE and LATO soap dispensers. For those interested in a farmhouse-inspired BLANCO UNIT, the EMPRESSA faucet collection in Satin Gold brings a touch of vintage elegance that traditional design enthusiasts will love. Learn more about the BLANCO UNIT here. To download images for PR and social media use, click here to access our media kit. About BLANCO With BLANCO, kitchen chores are transformed to be sources of joyful moments. BLANCO is the premium brand for the well-thought-out kitchen water hub in residential homes. At its core, the BLANCO UNIT is based on three founding pillars: "Drink, Prep, Clean" and is characterized by a wide array of seamless combinations of sinks, high-end faucets, water optimization solutions, complementary accessories and organization systems. This range of product and the design, color and material options, make it easy for every kitchen lover to find their perfectly customized UNIT at BLANCO. Founded over 95 years ago, the company is now an internationally recognized premium brand for the kitchen water hub. With subsidiaries in Europe, North America and APAC, plus its trading partners, BLANCO has a presence in about 100 countries all over the world and offers its customers a portfolio that is perfectly tailored to consumer needs. The company headquarters and key production sites in support of North American demand are in Southwest Germany and Canada. Established in 1925 by Heinrich Blanc, BLANCO is part of BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding. BLANCO America and BLANCO Canada have proudly served the North American market for over 30 years. BLANCO.com Connect with us on social: BLANCO America Instagram | BLANCO America Facebook | BLANCO America LinkedIn BLANCO Canada Instagram | BLANCO Canada Facebook | BLANCO Canada LinkedIn For more information, contact [email protected] . SOURCE BLANCO Related Links http://www.BLANCO.com NEW YORK, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambridge Wilkinson ("CW") is pleased to announce the closing of an $80MM debt facility for a long track record real estate sponsor in the Southeast United States. This bridge and construction facility will be used to develop a multi-family development on a 600-acre master plan community. Our client has purchased more than 28 projects representing 2,600+ entitled acres and 6,000+ units. "We have seen continued demand for both equity and debt capital from prominent Real Estate Firms that have robust pipelines of projects across the country. We are happy to have brought a strategically structured bridge and construction solution to this client, which is designed to grow with their portfolio as they continue to expand. We at CW work with real estate sponsors across all property types and geographies, sourcing capital solutions which allow them to scale their platforms" said Rob Bolandian, Partner and Global Head of Investment Banking at Cambridge Wilkinson. About Us: Cambridge Wilkinson is a leading global investment bank with the speed, connections, and the confidence to get transactions done. With a focus on middle market companies, we arrange debt and equity capital raises from $25 million to $5 billion and advise on mergers and acquisitions. In addition, we also provide flexible and scalable leverage facilities and credit facilities for private equity funds and alternative credit funds. We bring deep experience working with specialty finance institutions, real estate entities, funds as well as businesses spanning a variety of other industries. We offer unique access to a broad network of capital sources including large family offices, credit funds, banks, non-bank credit groups, insurance companies, private equity, sovereigns, and endowments.All securities assignments are completed through Avalon Securities, Ltd. a FINRA member and SEC registered broker-dealer. Rob Bolandian, Partner & Global Head of Investment Banking [email protected] Howard Chernin, Partner & COO [email protected] US 1-646-582-9423 SOURCE Cambridge Wilkinson "The members of the Hospice Women of Philanthropy are an amazing group of women in our community," said Cathy Smith, vice president of community relations for PAR Inc. and Hospice Women of Philanthropy Member. "They are a passionate, diverse group of caring individuals who share the love of helping others. Not only do they support projects that help people at the end of life, but they also fund services that help heal the grieving hearts of children and adults. PAR is so inspired by the wonderful work done by LifePath Hospice staff. It is truly our honor to support the Spring Soiree." Internationally renowned author, Mitch Albom, returned as featured speaker after sharing his memoir, "Finding Chika," at the fifth Annual Spring Soiree in 2020. At this year's event, Albom reflected on his new book, "The Stranger in the Lifeboat." In Albom's new novel, a group of shipwrecked passengers pull an unidentified man from the sea after praying for rescue. After revealing his identity, the strange man leads the passengers on a profound journey of faith and hope. "I am very happy to be returning to the Tampa area to once again be with the Hospice Women of Philanthropy who do such important work and help so many families with loving kindness," said Albom. "There was not a dry eye in the room as Mitch shared his personal stories of what it was like to be at the end of life with two of his favorite people: his college professor Morrie Schwartz and Chika, a young orphan from Haiti who lost her battle to cancer at the age of 7," said Renee Vaughn, Hospice Women of Philanthropy member. "Mitch has a way of helping you see loss and heartache through a lens of gratitude and hope. His words will have a lasting impact on all that attended." The Hospice Women of Philanthropy is a group of local women who participate in building and strengthening hospice-related programs through joint contributions. The group also provides women with opportunities for education to foster and develop their capacities for philanthropic leadership. About LifePath Hospice LifePath Hospice, an affiliate of Chapters Health System, is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that supports more than 7,300 patients each year in Hillsborough County as they face the challenges of advancing age and illness. Healthcare professionals and trained volunteers embrace the LifePath Hospice mission to make the most of life by relieving the suffering of patients and their families affected by serious health issues. Since 2008, the organization has been accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation's premier healthcare accrediting body and in 2017 was awarded deemed status. About Chapters Health Foundation Chapters Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization committed to supporting Chapters Health System, a progressive leader in home health, palliative care, hospice, and grief support. Chapters Health Foundation provides more than $7.4 million annually to help offset the accumulated costs of unfunded and underfunded programming including but not limited to charity care, helping to meet the needs of patients and families who cannot afford hospice services. Chapters Health Foundation also provides $1.3 million in funding for the provision of grief support across Chapters Health and in 2020, provided more than $1 million to assist with underfunded pediatric and adult palliative care services. SOURCE Chapters Health Foundation Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest list had an average growth rate of 147% percent. NAPERVILLE, Ill., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine today revealed that Cloudbyz is No. 30 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Midwest region economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. "We are excited to be included in the list of fastest-growing private companies in the midwest," said Dinesh Kashyap, CEO of Cloudbyz. "In spite of challenges faced in the industry within the past couple of years, we were able to grow 349% under the shadows of Covid. As a bootstraps organization, we are proud to have had such tremendous growth and success and strive to be a major contender in the market. We would like to thank our customers, employees, and partners who helped us to achieve this growth." The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Midwest region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 144 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 19,821 jobs and nearly $11.7 billion to the Midwest region's economy. Companies based in the Chicago, Illinois, Noblesville, Indiana, and Overland Park, Kansas, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/midwest starting March 15, 2022. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Cloudbyz offers innovative cloud-based solutions in the life sciences, healthcare, and enterprise IT domains. Our expertise lies in being a technology catalyst for drug development, clinical trials, and business management. Our company abides by a customer-centric approach for the entire client lifecycle including post-go-live warranties, staff training, onsite and offsite support, among others. We aim to deliver sustained value and partner collaboration through a comprehensive suite of clinical trial tools for effective clinical trial management. Contact: Grace Anderson Sr. Product Marketing Manager 1-630-481-6357 [email protected] More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . SOURCE Cloudbyz HUDSON, Ohio, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD) continues efforts to care for the safety of team members and their families in Ukraine and stands resolutely with its global neighbors for a swift and peaceful resolution to the crisis in the region. Since the beginning of the crisis, the company has suspended shipments and sales of any kind into Russia. As a company headquartered in the United States with extensive business in the European Union (EU), Diebold Nixdorf is required to adhere to any economic sanctions, trade laws and other guidelines that have been set forth by the U.S. and EU governments. The company has been communicating regularly with employees and customers impacted by the crisis across the region while adhering to all applicable requirements. Additionally, as previously announced, the Diebold Nixdorf Foundation is supporting Doctors Without Borders in support of international relief efforts. As disclosed in its recently filed Form 10-K, Diebold Nixdorf's combined revenue for Russia and Ukraine represented approximately 2% of the company's total reported revenue for 2021. About Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce. They automate, digitize and transform the way people bank and shop. As a partner to the majority of the world's top 100 financial institutions and top 25 global retailers, their integrated solutions connect digital and physical channels conveniently, securely and efficiently for millions of consumers each day. The company has a presence in more than 100 countries with approximately 22,000 employees worldwide. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information. Twitter: @DieboldNixdorf LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/diebold Facebook: www.facebook.com/DieboldNixdorf YouTube: www.youtube.com/dieboldnixdorf DN-C SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated Fighting water poverty close to home by donating to DigDeep and the Navajo Water Project CLEARFIELD, Utah, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NuvoH2O is proud to announce our partnership this month with DigDeep, a diverse organization united by a belief in the human right to water. They work to solve the water crisis happening here in America, an often overlooked section of those suffering from a lack of running water in their homes. DigDeep's work is critical to over 2 million Americans who live without the sinks, bathtubs, or toilets that many of us take for granted. As a company committed to providing eco-friendly soft water solutions, NuvoH2O is proud to work with DigDeep in honor of World Water Day 2022. Dig Deep and NuvoH2O NuvoH2O is announcing that any new whole-home system sales paired with their auto-ship program from March 8th to March 22nd will be donated to DigDeep's Navaho Water Project. Click here for more details . This project focuses on providing water to the Navajo Nation, where 30%-40% of residents don't have running water in their homes. NuvoH2O's ultimate goal of this project is to bring awareness to the water crisis in America. Most of us are unaware that more than 2 million Americans across the country have little to no access to running water. We believe that access to clean, potable water is a human right, and we hope that everyone will consider how their life would be different if they had to get all the water they use every day from a jug or bottle "If we can help change or improve at least one person's life, we have succeeded. If we can help open people's eyes, including our own employees, to the water poverty issue right here in our own country, we have succeeded. We believe that small steps can become big changes." - Eshelle Rodriquez, NuvoH2O Impact Manager The NuvoH2O corporate office is just 8 hours north of the Navajo Nation, and we feel a strong motivation to honor them as we lead into World Water Day on March 22nd. Either through our eco-friendly water softening technology or our charitable work both at home and abroad, NuvoH2O is committed to providing access to the best quality water possible for everyone we can. About NuvoH2O NuvoH2O is a licensed trademark of Nuvo Residential, LLC. Manor Duo is a licensed trademark of Nuvo Residential, LLC. CitraCharge is a registered trademark of Nuvo Residential, LLC. Nuvo Residential LLC is a privately owned corporation based in Clearfield, Utah. NuvoH2O is dedicated to developing eco-friendly water softening and water treatment technologies. NuvoH2O is happy to provide any photos or additional quotes by contacting [email protected] . Contact: Byron Tait Washburn 801 660-0553 [email protected] SOURCE NuvoH2O The Fund Will Increase the Pipeline of Funding for Black-owned Small Businesses CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Expanding Black Business Credit network ( EBBC ) officially announced today the final close of its Black Vision Fund . The fund will lend long-term funds to six successful Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) with long histories of inclusive investing in order to expand their lending activity to small businesses in underserved communities. A primary goal is to reduce the racial wealth gap that plagues the Black community. "The Black Vision Fund is the result of a network of Black-led/focused loan fund CEOs collaborating to create a fund that will demonstrate that there is a large market opportunity that has been neglected, which is the growing number of successful Black-owned small businesses in the country," says Gary Cunningham, President and CEO of Prosperity Now. Black Vision Fund's CDFI network servicing a variety of markets across the country includes MEDA, Community First Fund, City First Broadway Bank, Black Business Investment Fund, Hope Enterprise Corporation/Credit Union, and National Community Investment Fund. EBBC members are experienced Community Development Financial Institutions with more than $1.5 billion in combined total assets who currently help support entrepreneurs and small businesses in Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and California. The fund will be managed by LISC New Markets Support Company (NMSC), an affiliate of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and benefits from an anchor contribution from EBBC made possible by a significant grant from Wells Fargo. Additional funding partners include Amalgamated Bank, Ceniarth, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Opportunity Finance Network (OFN). All of these funders have contributed long-term, low-interest loan capital to the Black Vision Fund which will be on-lent to participating CDFIs. The CDFIs, in turn, will provide financing to eligible small businesses operating in or benefiting disadvantaged communities, including Black-owned small businesses. According to the U.S Federal Reserve, while Black-owned businesses were more likely to apply for bank financing, less than 47% of their applications were fully funded. The data found that Black-owned businesses were two times as likely to be turned down for loans as white business owners. Building on EBBC's commitment to create thriving business ecosystems that strengthen Black-owned small businesses, Black-led nonprofits, and the Black-focused/led CDFIs that help them to succeed, the Black Vision Fund invests in CDFIs serving as a lending intermediary between funders and disadvantaged small businesses throughout the country. "Black-led and Black-focused financial institutions locate and invest in Black communities at much higher rates than white-owned financial institutions," says Bill Bynum, CEO of Hope Credit Union in Jackson, Mississippi. "The CDFIs supported by the Black Vision Fund will provide vital capital that will accelerate the growth of Black-owned small businesses." Greater investment in Black-led or Black-focused financial institutions and businesses would have an historic impact on the racial wealth gap and expanding access to credit for Black business owners. Financing Black businesses increases the net worth of families of owners, creates local jobs, provides needed local goods and services, and ultimately contributes to supporting economic growth in Black communities. To learn more about EBBC and Black Vision Fund, please visit ebbcfund.org About EBBC Expanding Black Business Credit (EBBC) was formed in 2016 as a CEO Peer Learning Network by leaders of Black-led/focused Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to share best practices in lending to Black businesses and prove that there is an attractive market of Black-owned businesses that can be financed by the financial services industry and thereby reduce persistent inequalities of wealth, income and opportunity in Black communities. They created a report to prove the value of equalizing lending to Black-owned small businesses and developed the Black Vision Fund to execute on it. About Black Vision Fund The Black Vision Fund (BVF) approves and invests loans in EBBC member Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that will then provide financing specifically to Black-owned small businesses. It is a vehicle that helps corporate and philanthropic investors put their capital to work to address racial and socio-economic disparities, fueling CDFIs with long histories of inclusive investing and deep connections to the communities they serve. SOURCE Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Research shows that exercise improves mental health and well-being. Consumers stand to benefit from new resources for fitness facilities to use when creating initiatives and programs to address mental health issues. BOSTON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The fitness industry is working to normalize mental health and recognize it as another element of overall wellness that needs to be exercised and cared for. With the recently released IHRSA Foundation toolkits, health clubs, gyms, and studios can provide consumers with mental health programming and initiatives that fit their individual needs. The fitness industry can provide a safe, supportive environment for consumers to improve mental health and physical well-being, combat loneliness, reduce stress, or be part of a positive community. The IHRSA Foundation's new free toolkit, Supporting Mental Health & Well-being: A Toolkit for Health & Fitness Centers, makes it possible for health clubs, gyms, and studios to create programs and initiatives to address mental health and well-being for all members and consumers. "We've had a serious mental health crisis on our hands for a while, and the pandemic has elevated it in an even more concerning way. Our mental health and well-being have plummeted globally and the health and fitness industry has a crucial role to play in reversing this public health crisis," said IHRSA President & CEO Liz Clark. "We encourage everyone to seek help to improve their well-being through movement in a supportive, positive community. With these free resources from the IHRSA Foundation, fitness facilities are able to better assist members and consumers who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and loneliness or who just want to improve their mental wellness." One in five U.S. adults and one in six European adults suffer from a mental health issue. Current rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and other behavioral health issues have some arguing that the next global pandemic may be poor mental health . According to a United Nations policy statement , "This historic underinvestment in mental health needs to be redressed without delay to reduce immense suffering among hundreds of millions of people and mitigate long-term social and economic costs to society." The health and fitness industry can combat mental health issues by providing a safe, supportive place to improve mental health. Physical activity is linked to a number of positive mental health and well-being outcomes e.g., better mood, happiness, and quality of life. Along with a list of opportunities for the fitness industry to address mental health and well-being, fitness facilities that possess the IHRSA Foundation resources are equipped with: Current knowledge, attitudes, and awareness among fitness industry professionals about mental health and the benefits of exercise, Evidence on the benefits of exercise for general mental health and well-being and clinical and subclinical mental health conditions, and Examples of fitness industry leaders addressing mental health in their facilities with advice for other operators. The IHRSA Foundation toolkits were made possible thanks to a generous grant from the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation . For more information and free downloadable resources, visit ihrsafoundation.org . About IHRSA Foundation The IHRSA Foundation was established in 2012 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a goal to promote health through exercise. Its purpose is to support the charitable and educational functions of IHRSA , the Global Health & Fitness Association. The IHRSA Foundation focuses on four key areas to support and promote physical activity, wellness, and health promotion: programs, research, education, and engagement. Learn more about the IHRSA Foundation at ihrsafoundation.org . Media Contact: Sami Smith Communications & PR, IHRSA [email protected] 617-951-0055 SOURCE IHRSA Foundation Future Flagship Corporate Location Generated $5.4 Million in Revenue in 2021 Second Colorado Acquisition Fuels Market Expansion for the Company's Dispensary Franchise, Unity Rd. Acquisition Includes Cultivation License, Complementing the Company's National Retail and Product Expansion Efforts DENVER, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) (the "Company") a vertically integrated cannabis dispensary franchisor and operator that produces premium, award-winning products announced today that it has signed an Asset Purchase Agreement (the "APA") with The Herbal Cure, a medicinal and recreational dispensary and cultivator operating in Denver, Colorado. The Herbal Cure was founded in 2010 and generated revenues of $5.4 million in 2021. Located in the desirable and central neighborhood of Washington Park in Denver, the 1,500 square-foot medicinal and recreational dispensary will be the Company's future flagship location for the brand. Item 9 Labs Corp. anticipates the dispensary to be transitioned over to its cannabis dispensary franchise brand, Unity Rd., within six months of closing the acquisition, which is currently awaiting regulatory approval by Colorado's Marijuana Enforcement Division (the "MED") and the City of Denver. The acquisition includes the current 5,000 square-foot facility, which has 3,500 square feet of space for on-site cultivation operations, corporate offices, team training and more. Item 9 Labs Corp. has room to expand the sales floor with additional point-of-sale terminals and expanded product assortment, in addition the potential to offer delivery services through one of the Company's social equity partners. On the cultivation side, the APA also consists of a 3,000 square-foot medicinal and recreational cultivation. The Company anticipates introducing its award-winning cannabis products from Item 9 Labs to the Colorado market in the year ahead. With nearly 30 podium finishes in Arizona marijuana competitions, Item 9 Labs is a trusted source for premium cannabis products with a catalog that spans 100-plus products across five core categories, including several active cannabis strains, cannabis vape products, premium concentrates and Orion vape technology. "The Herbal Cure acquisition represents an accretive opportunity for the Company and is well-positioned with our national retail and product expansion strategy," said the Company's Chief Strategy Officer, Jeffrey Rassas. Unity Rd. is the growth vehicle that will bring Item 9 Labs products to new markets. The Company is focusing product expansion efforts on states such as Colorado, where there are two to three Unity Rd. shops in operation to ease new market product entry and focus operations. In Colorado, Unity Rd. currently has a franchise shop located in Boulder as well as a corporate shop opening in the next few months in Adams County that will later be sold to a Unity Rd. franchise partner. This expansion strategy gives the Company's dispensary franchise partners front-of-the-line access to a reliable, award-winning product supply chain. The Unity Rd. brand also benefits from the national product consistency that consumers have come to expect from franchise brands. "With The Herbal Cure dispensary ideally located in South Denver, we anticipate seeing accelerated brand penetration in the market thanks to heightened exposure amongst daily commuters as well as high traffic from tourism, especially during the summer months," said the Company's Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions, Mark Busch. "This flagship location is a tremendous value-add for the Unity Rd. brand as we develop in the Colorado market and is a premier avenue for our plan to bring our Item 9 Labs products to the state." In addition to Colorado, Item 9 Labs Corp. is actively seeking acquisitions of cannabis dispensaries in key markets in Arizona, Michigan and Oklahoma to convert into the Unity Rd. brand. Currently, the dispensary franchise has multiple agreements signed with nearly 20 entrepreneurial groups who are in various stages of development nationwide. It offers entrepreneurs the tools, resources, systems and training needed to successfully run a cannabis dispensary in their market, meanwhile maintaining full ownership of their business and dispensary license. More Information on Item 9 Labs Corp. and its brands: Visit https://item9labscorp.com/ Cannabis Operators Interested in Selling Their Dispensary License: Contact Mark Busch at [email protected] About Item 9 Labs Corp. Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) is a vertically integrated cannabis operator and dispensary franchisor delivering premium products from its large-scale cultivation and production facilities in the United States. The award-winning Item 9 Labs brand specializes in best-in-class products and user experience across several cannabis categories. The company also offers a unique dispensary franchise model through the national Unity Rd. retail brand. Easing barriers to entry, the franchise provides an opportunity for both new and existing dispensary owners to leverage the knowledge, resources, and ongoing support needed to thrive in their state compliantly and successfully. Item 9 Labs brings the best industry practices to markets nationwide through distinctive retail experience, cultivation capabilities, and product innovation. The veteran management team combines a diverse skill set with deep experience in the cannabis sector, franchising, and the capital markets to lead a new generation of public cannabis companies that provide transparency, consistency, and well-being. Headquartered in Arizona, the company is currently expanding its operations space by up to 640,000-plus square feet on its 50-acre site, one of the largest properties in Arizona zoned to grow and cultivate flower. For additional information, visit https://investors.item9labscorp.com/. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks and effects of legal and administrative proceedings and governmental regulation, especially in a foreign country, future financial and operational results, competition, general economic conditions, proposed transactions that are not legally binding obligations of the company and the ability to manage and continue growth. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include the introduction of new technology, market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents we file from time to time with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect current events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Media Contact: Item 9 Labs Corp. Jayne Levy, VP of Communications [email protected] Investor Contact: Item 9 Labs Corp. 800-403-1140 [email protected] SOURCE Item 9 Labs Corp. GIG HARBOR, Wash., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- James D. Atkisson, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Palliative Medicine Specialist for his work in the Medical field and in acknowledgment of his work at Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care. Dr. James D. Atkisson has been working as a Palliative Medicine Specialist for over 38 years. He has practiced at Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care for the past fifteen years, located at 2901 Bridgeport Way West in University Place, WA. He has always wanted to be a doctor and help people. Dr. Atkisson was first inspired after witnessing a childhood friend who hurt his leg while playing. Dr. Atkisson constructed a splint for his friend to help him walk, and this was when he knew he would pursue a career as a physician when he grew up. To attain his college education, Dr. Atkisson attended the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1976. He then completed a General Surgery Residency at AMI Presbyterian Denver Hospital. Dr. Atkisson then did two Internal Medicine residencies at Danbury Hospital in 1980 and Greenwich Hospital in 1982. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP), and is board-certified in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a group led by physicians to evaluate doctors who achieve high standards in Internal Medicine healthcare. Dr. Atkisson currently works in Hospital and Palliative Medicine at Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care in University Place, WA. He understands the pain a family feels when their loved ones are diagnosed with a terminal illness or decide to remove themselves from medical treatment. He works to make the patient's final days comfortable, relieve pain, and support their family. Dr. Atkisson mainly focuses on quality of life care, working closely with the Hospice Team to support the patient and minimize their discomfort. He tries to reduce the patient's pain levels so they may spend time with their family in a relaxed environment after they stop receiving medical treatment. Dr. Atkisson enjoys working in this field to help his patients optimize their quality of life. He would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to his Chemistry Professor and great mentor at the University of Kansas, Earl Huyser. On a personal note, Dr. Atkisson loves to travel the world and spend time in the great outdoors. For more information, visit www.chifranciscan.org. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who WASHINGTON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowenstein Sandler's Global Trade & National Security practice has announced the launch of G-BRIDGE, a business matchmaking platform aimed at connecting tech innovators with government agencies in need of staying on top of the latest developments in their respective sectors. G-BRIDGE, an acronym for "Generating Business Relationships in the Defense and Government Environment," introduces companies with cutting-edge technologies to the federal government and large government contractor stakeholders, providing agencies with access to the most effective and innovative products and systems. Doreen M. Edelman, partner and Chair of the firm's Global Trade & National Security practice, leads the initiative, along with long-time legal advisor for U.S. Army counterintelligence operations and counsel at the firm, Jeffrey B. Jones. "Because our lawyers work in the most innovative and tech-driven sectors, we are able to identify the companies that can help government agencies and contractors operate at the highest levels of innovation and efficiency," says Edelman. "The unique backgrounds, experience, and connections of our team members provide significant credibility in interactions with the federal government and agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, and the Treasury." Edelman was ranked the 2021 "Top Advisor" by Foreign Investment Watch and has 30 years of global trade and policy experience in the District of Columbia. Other team members include Laura Fraedrich, who has over 25 years of experience counseling clients on complex international trade matters across the technology, financial services, energy, and telecommunications industries; Jones, former principal legal advisor and legal supervisor for all U.S. Army counterintelligence investigations, operations, and collection efforts conducted throughout the United States, with a special focus on cybersecurity; and Christian C. Contardo, former national security attorney at the Departments of the Treasury, Justice, and Homeland Security. G-BRIDGE serves government customers, large government contractors, and partner companies by identifying the government agencies or departments that can most benefit from their solutions, and facilitating opportunities for companies to meet and discuss their proposals with potential customers and contractors. "G-BRIDGE will provide highly valuable services to government agencies and contractors, which are frequently challenged to stay at the forefront of cutting-edge solutions in their sectors," says Jones, who has over 20 years of service as a lawyer in the military and federal government, most recently with the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). The D.C.-based team will offer clients a suite of additional services, including corporate organization support, advice on international trade issues (including import, export, sanctions, and foreign direct investment), government contracting assistance, and bid protest representation. The firm has partnered with law firm Smith Pachter McWhorter PLC for government contracts assistance and Power 3, a bid proposal and recruiting service, to assist companies in responding to RFIs and RFPs, and recruiting candidates at all security clearance levels to fill existing or future contract requirements and/or company needs. About Lowenstein Sandler LLP Lowenstein Sandler is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities. SOURCE Lowenstein Sandler LLP AMITYVILLE, N.Y. , March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As an experienced Cardiologist, Dr. Marilyn M. Chengot has been in practice for 13 years. Dr. Chengot has spent the last four years working at her family's medical practice, Amityville Heart Center, located at 129 Broadway in Amityville, NY. She treats patients for noninvasive cardiovascular disease, nutrition counseling, weight loss consulting, women's health, and cardiac issues. Dr. Chengot is affiliated with several additional medical facilities, including the Mercy Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital, and the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center. Marilyn M. Chengot, MD To treat patients, Dr. Chengot examines them to determine their symptoms and diagnosis. Many of her patients suffer from congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, or heart failure. Dr. Chengot works closely with patients to diagnose acute cardiac conditions, heart defects, or blood vessel issues. She often performs nuclear stress testing, electrophysiology tests, and echocardiography. Dr. Chengot takes appointments via telehealth to treat patients remotely. Dr. Chengot is a member of the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, the Women in Cardiology (WIC) Section of ACC, the Alliance for Physician Certification, the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Stenography, and the American Medical Association. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Before embarking on her medical career, Dr. Chengot began her studies at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Dr. Chengot then attended the St. George's University School of Medicine, graduating with a Medical degree. She next completed an Internal Medicine residency in 2012 and a Cardiology Fellowship in 2015 at the Winthrop University Hospital. Dr. Chengot was the Chief Resident, the last year of her residency. Today, Dr. Chengot is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC). She is board-certified in Internal Medicine (2011) and Cardiology (2016) by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). In addition to her clinical role, Dr. Chengot is an Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Department of Medicine at the NYU Long Island School of Medicine. She has written numerous articles of case studies and research from her time in the field. In 2002, she published "A Comparison Of A Single-Stage Isoproterenol Tilt Table Test Protocol With Conventional Two-Staged Tilt Protocol In Patients With Syncope" in the Journal of Invasive Cardiology. In 2009, she and her peers wrote, "Fatal case of pneumonia associated with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in HIV-positive patient." Her most recent publication from 2011 is "Nosocomial Escherichia coli pacemaker pocket infection." When she isn't working, Dr. Chengot enjoys cooking, exercising, and spending quality time with family. She frequently volunteers for children's activities and gives back to the community through the St. Rose of Lima Church. She also enjoys presenting public speaking engagements regarding women's health at community health fairs. She would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to her father and mother, Mathew Chengot, MD, and Mrs. Binny Chengot. For more information, visit http://ww1.amityvilleheartcenter.com/. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Thousands of contestants from 93 countries entered the Challenge, which was held over a period of four months (July 14 to November 8, 2021). The 18 winning entries were selected from five categories: Architecture and Places, Education, Comics, Napkin Sketches, and Storytelling, along with three grand prizes. A complete list of winners can be viewed on the Mental Canvas website. A panel of 11 judges drawn from comic artists to signature architects, with expertise in computer graphics, design, illustration and architecture, determined the 18 winners. The winning entries were selected based on how effectively they used the Mental Canvas system, aesthetic quality, ingenuity, and fidelity to the specific category. Sabeen Virk , a visual artist from Alberta, Canada, won the grand prize for recounting the story of Yasuke, the African Samurai. "I wanted to tell his story through a series of spatial drawings set in an infinite space. Mental Canvas was a perfect tool for this. It gave me a 3D space, where I could move around and explore my 2D drawings in a way that I couldn't with pen and paper alone. It's pretty amazing to see your art come to life this way." Second prize overall went to Ambareesh Haridas , a professional storyboard artist from India whose series of cartoon narratives has established him as one of the most prolific and talented Mental Canvas creators. Rafa Alvarez , an illustrator, teacher, and cartoonist living in Berlin captured third prize overall for a short comic entitled, "The Age of Self," where he addressed the question, "What would a history class in the future say about what is happening right now in this day and age?" Alvarez added that "The advantage of using Mental Canvas is that you can tell stories in a different way than you would do on a printed page. [In Mental Canvas Draw] all the panels are constructed in a three-dimensional space, and the background itself plays a role in the story, which I think is pretty cool." Carnegie Mellon professor and Challenge judge Johannes DeYoung said, "This was a difficult contest to judge. There were so many amazing entries. We were constantly blown away with how the entrants used the unique capabilities of Mental Canvas." "Mental Canvas pushes the boundaries of drawing, bringing an element of exploration and storytelling that's just not possible with pen and paper," said Michael Cowan, Senior Director of Microsoft Surface Product Marketing Management. "This is a great example of hardware and software coming together to harness pen and touch to help creatives bring their ideas to life in a more natural and personal way." "We could not have been more pleased by how creatives around the world responded to our challenge," said Mental Canvas founder Julie Dorsey. "When we built Mental Canvas, we knew it would be useful for early ideation in design, exploring real and imagined spaces, prototyping and communicating visual ideas. Only later did we come to appreciate how it could be used for storytelling, comic art, educational presentations and so many other purposes. The challenge also showed us how quickly and easily creative people can adapt to new drawing paradigms that integrate aspects of 3-dimensional modeling and animation. But what was most rewarding was seeing the incredible range and absolute beauty of the submissions, and knowing we were helping artists do things they had never been able to do before. Mental Canvas reimagines drawing and brings it into the digital age with an entirely new set of capabilities. I think the Challenge has shown what's possible when drawing is freed from the limitations of the page." Showcase video: https://youtu.be/QDKyouUodhk?list=PLdFjA1fF8BuC2w4ENynUJl0gUoHNMOqgC Official hashtag: #reimaginedrawingchallenge Availability and requirements Download the Mental Canvas Draw app on Windows Store and App Store. About Mental Canvas Mental Canvas, Inc . is a software technology company whose mission is to enhance visual communication by elevating the medium of drawingits conception, creation, and consumption. From advertisements to conceptual sketches to movie storyboards, people use Mental Canvas to explore ideas, communicate concepts, design products and tell stories. Mental Canvas' spatial drawings are a rich new interactive media type, which can be consumed across all web-enabled devices. Mental Canvas is backed by EQT Ventures, HearstLab, M12 - Microsoft's Venture Fund, SVB Financial Group and, in 2018, was the winner of M12's inaugural, international Female Founders Competition. CONTACT: Sena McGrand, Aspectus Group for Mental Canvas, [email protected]; Tel: 917-941-4975 SOURCE Mental Canvas Up to $20,000 Opportunities Grant to Help First Time College Students Complete Career-focused Studies in Medical Assisting, Medical Billing & Coding, and Business Administration CONWAY, S.C. , March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Miller-Motte College campuses in Conway and Charleston, South Carolina are proud to announce the launch of the 2022 Miller-Motte College Opportunities Grant. This Grant encourages first time Miller-Motte College students to complete a career-focused program of study. This grant is applicable only to those students seeking to study in the Medical Clinical Assistant, Medical Billing & Coding, and Business Administration Programs at Miller-Motte College. Who is eligible to apply for this Miller-Motte College Opportunities Grant? Adults who have completed some college Adults who have completed no college Recent high school graduates Recent GED completers Anyone seeking a career change! Miller-Motte College believes in providing quality career training to meet the demand of local, regional, and national employer partners. "Miller-Motte College believes in supporting the demand of employer partners in our Conway and Charleston markets, and we believe no student who seeks higher education should be limited from this opportunity for financial reasons. That's why we have invested in the Miller-Motte College Opportunities Grant, and we look forward to bringing that opportunity to those who live and work in Conway, Charleston and the surrounding communities," says Andrea Snow, SVP of Ancora Education, the parent company of Miller-Motte College. What are the criteria to receive the Miller-Motte College Opportunities Grant? To apply, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine the students' exact amount of grant funding. Students must be enrolled full-time in their chosen eligible program. Students must remain active and make satisfactory academic progress in their coursework to remain eligible for the grant. Eligible students can receive up to $20,000 as part of the Opportunities Grant over the course of the program in order to complete their program of study debt-free. In addition to this Opportunities Grant, Miller-Motte College believes in an all-inclusive program support model, providing a student technology package, textbooks and materials, and supplies to the student as part of the cost of tuition. About Miller-Motte College Miller-Motte College has two convenient locations in South Carolina and offers training programs in Business, Healthcare, and Skilled Trades. Graduates have access to Career Assistance which includes guidance from our Career Services team, resume updates, workshops, and more. Learn more at www.miller-motte.edu . SOURCE Miller-Motte College New Chair brings extensive financial and life sciences experience with industry-leading companies SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Bio, Inc. , the pioneer in high-throughput single-cell DNA and multi-omics analysis, today announced it has appointed Stuart Essig, PhD, as Chair of its Board of Directors. Dr. Essig is currently a Managing Partner of Prettybrook Partners and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Integra LifeSciences, after serving as that company's CEO from 1997-2012, when Integra's revenues grew from $15 million to more than $1.0 billion. "We're delighted to welcome Stuart to our Board of Directors at this exciting time in Mission Bio's evolution," said Yan Zhang, PhD, CEO of Mission Bio. "His proven track record at leading companies through periods of high growth will be a valuable asset as we continue to expand the capabilities and market reach of our Tapestri Platform." Dr. Essig is a director for several public and private companies across the life sciences industry, including Integra Lifesciences, SeaSpine, IDEXX, Breg and Availity, and previously served on the boards of St. Jude Medical and Zimmer. His background in finance includes current roles as a Senior Advisor to TowerBrook Capital Partners and a Venture Partner at Wellington Partners, as well as a prior role as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. "I'm a big believer in the work that Mission Bio is doing to revolutionize single-cell multi-omics, and excited to be joining its Board," said Dr. Essig. "Tapestri is a tremendous product backed by Yan's outstanding team, and I'm looking forward to lending my expertise to help the company reach its full potential." For more on Mission Bio and the Tapestri platform, please visit missionbio.com . About Mission Bio Mission Bio is a life sciences company that accelerates discoveries and cures for a wide range of diseases by equipping researchers with the tools they need to better measure and predict our resistance and response to new therapies. Mission Bio's multi-omics approach improves time-to-market for new therapeutics, including innovative cell and gene therapies that provide new pathways to health. Founded in 2014, Mission Bio has secured investment from Novo Growth, Cota Capital, Agilent Technologies, Mayfield Fund, and others. The company's Tapestri platform gives researchers around the globe the power to interrogate every molecule in a cell together, providing a comprehensive understanding of activity from a single sample. Tapestri is the only commercialized multi-omics platform capable of analyzing DNA and protein simultaneously from the same sample at single-cell resolution. The Tapestri Platform is being utilized by customers at leading research centers, pharmaceutical, and diagnostics companies worldwide to develop treatments and eventually cures for cancer. Media Contact Consort Partners for Mission Bio [email protected] SOURCE Mission Bio "Heidi Stone is a talented hotelier whose proven leadership and commitment is reflected through her team," said Chris McKlarney, Administrator for Giles County, VA . "Collectively, they have made Mountain Lake Lodge into a premier Virginia destination, set for continued growth and translating to even greater opportunities throughout our community." Stone brings 35-plus years of hospitality experience to her new role. She and her team have transformed the historic property from near-ruin a decade ago into a thriving, highly successful lodging destination that enjoys soaring occupancy, revenues and group business, along with national recognition that celebrates its Dirty Dancing cult status. During her extensive career, Stone has served as Director of Sales & Marketing for the independent four-star High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid, NY and Berkeley Hotel in Richmond, VA, and has worked with such brands as Doubletree, Disney World, Hilton, Omni Resorts and Peabody Hotels. Originally from upstate New York, she earned her degree in hotel and restaurant management at SUNY. Stone's first job at age 16 was at the front desk of a nearby hotel, whose general manager became her mentor and instilled in her enough inspiration for an entire career. Stone believed then and now that anything is possible her advice for young people starting out in the hotel industry is to seek out a leader to mentor them. Now Stone leads with a culture that inspires employees, gives them opportunities to grow, and promotes from within. "I was fortunate to get the mentoring and training I needed, and I want to do the same for those coming up behind me," said Stone, who strives to grow associates "on purpose," provide training to be their best and become long-term players. "Mountain Lake has experienced tremendous growth from within, tenure and loyalty," she added, attributing much of the resort's success to her management team. Executive promotions include: Lyndsi Hale to Vice President of Sales; Jeremiah McKendree to Vice President of Recreation & Retail; AJ Stephens to Vice President of Food & Beverage; Marsha Stevers to Vice President of Finance, and Bill Walker to Vice President of Facilities. Located amid a 2,600-acre nature preserve and bird sanctuary in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, Mountain Lake Lodge known as Kellerman's Mountain House in the classic movie is still the ideal place "to have the time of your life" as it mixes modern amenities with outdoor activities, traditional family fun and nostalgia. For reservations, visit www.mtnlakelodge.com. SOURCE Mountain Lake Lodge Your savings need to be converted to stable coins, because Rand invests stable coins in on-chain structured products to pay for your expenses or whatever you are saving for. Criptan is a regulated FIAT on/off ramp partner, and we pay for their services when you join Rand. Criptan is the simple way to transfer your savings to Rand, to get investing and earning. Once launched, European users will be able to deposit using a credit/debit card to Rand and withdraw directly from Rand to their bank accounts. Later this year, FIAT onboarding will be extended to more regions including South America and Asia, so watch this space for more announcements coming soon. Make your savings work harder for you with Rand! About Criptan Criptan is your gateway to the Crypto-world. Criptan uses robust technology to provide custody of its clients' crypto assets and provide FIAT on/off ramp services to its commercial clients. Criptan seeks to bring the world of cryptocurrencies closer to people's day-to-day lives where everyone can access the crypto space easily, earn yields on their savings through partners like Rand, and spend it wherever they want, everywhere. Founded in 2018 by Jorge Soriano and Jaume Sol, Criptan's mission is to bring crypto to everyone. Connect with Criptan: Discord | Website | Twitter About Rand Rand Network is a personal finance booster that helps you pay for all your monthly expenses on autopilot. Rand connects people to produce returns in a way that is safe and also helps you save money rather than spend it. Simply open an account, create a Private Vault for yourself or with your friends or family, and that's it. Rand produces yield on your savings, covering all your monthly expenses in one place. But Rand also gives you the chance to win big cash prizes by joining Public Vaults where members are selected at random each week to win. If you don't win, your initial investment stays put or can be withdrawn whenever suits you. It is that simple. Rand Network is a new and exciting project that solves one of the most significant sources of stress for young adults and professionals, how to obtain a return on their capital. Rand was born from the passion and drive of CEO and founder, Pol Martin, to help his peers with the difficult financial circumstances of being young adults. As a Generation Z, he has witnessed first-hand how some of his closest friends struggle to safely generate passive income or returns on their savings without extensive knowledge of financial instruments or markets. Rand is the result of his desire to offer young adults a chance to complement their financial savings, and to enhance their financial wealth. Rand has already made some big moves in its early stages. Having its partnerships with Acala, Tokensoft, Automata and Criptan already confirmed, the future looks bright! Connect with Us! Telegram | Website | Twitter | GitBook | Newsletter SOURCE Rand SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stardust, a seamless solution for game developers integrating NFTs into their immersive games, was selected as the partner of choice for leading free-to-play games publisher Tilting Point. This partnership combines Tilting Point's publishing platform known for scaling developers' games through UA funding and management, app store optimization (ASO), ad monetization, platform deployment and more with Stardust's technology infrastructure and blockchain agnostic approach to creating in-game NFTs and immersive experiences to propel growing developers to new heights of success. "Partnering with Tilting Point positions Stardust as the API for leading game publishers building on blockchain," said Canaan Linder, founder and CEO of Stardust. "Together, Stardust and Tilting Point are paving the way for indie developers to quickly and easily bring play and earn and blockchain games to mobile players worldwide while leveraging next-generation, AIdriven marketing for branding and monetization." Whether for an indie developer or AAA game publisher, Stardust is committed to providing equitable access to the tools for building in the metaverse, which aligns perfectly with Tilting Point's progressive publishing strategy and data-driven approach to player acquisition and in-game marketing. "At our core, Tilting Point is and has always been about accelerating and amplifying developers' businesses and, in so doing, changing their lives," said Samir Agili, President and Co-CEO of Tilting Point. "The metaverse provides even more opportunities for our developers' growth, and we have big plans to help them take advantage in myriad ways. This new partnership with Stardust will enable us to be the bridge from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 for our indie developer partners, as well as easily bring new metaverse-ready games to mobile players worldwide while leveraging next-generation, AI-powered marketing for branding and monetization." Tilting Point currently has more than 35 developer partners and has great experience in boosting the global efforts of developers and connecting them with universally recognized IPs. Developers benefit from Tilting Point's expert services in app store optimization, marketing creative and UA management bolstered by Tilting Point's user acquisition fund. Tilting Point has previously launched several top franchises in games, including SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off, Star Trek Timelines and Warhammer: Chaos & Conquest. Like Tilting Point, Stardust is committed to empowering game developers with the tools to not just adopt blockchain technologies but to thrive in the metaverse. The company's low-code, blockchain-free API allows game developers to integrate NFTs quickly and cost-effectively in their games, delivering an effortless experience for building and scaling metaverse-ready experiences. By empowering creators with access to its no-code, plug-and-play solutions for building on blockchain, Stardust enables game developers with the means to monetize in-game experiences, as well as acquire, engage, and incentivize a new generation of players in the metaverse. "Tilting point is at the forefront of mobile gaming," said Stardust COO, Atif Khan. "Having worked with its brain trust on numerous projects over the past decade, I'm excited by what our two companies will achieve together, spawning a new era of immersive player-first experiences that leverage blockchain." About Stardust Stardust powers the metaverse by making it possible for game developers to enable NFTs in their games with a blockchain-free API. Enabling game developers to build on blockchain via their effortless back-end solution, Stardust provides a seamless ecosystem for game publishers to build and scale metaverse-ready games. From a growing list of blockchain options to provisioned player-wallets using Fireblocks and a built-in NFT marketplace, Stardust is paving the path for the play-to-earn revolution. Website | Twitter About Tilting Point Tilting Point is a leading free-to-play publisher that powers up existing live games using deep marketing and product expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a user acquisition war chest. Recognized as one of the top mobile game makers in the world by PocketGamer.biz in 2021, Tilting Point was founded in 2012, and has grown to a staff of over 460 people with offices in New York, Barcelona, Boston, Kyiv, Seoul, San Diego & St. Petersburg. Tilting Point's most successful games include Star Trek Timelines, Warhammer: Chaos & Conquest, and SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off. For more information, please contact: Jay Morakis M Group Strategic Communications (for Stardust) +1 646.859.5951 [email protected] SOURCE Stardust Global Clinical Trial Technology Leader to Participate in Two Presentations for the Conference on Clinical Trial Supply Chain PHILADELPHIA, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Suvoda LLC, a global clinical trial technology company that specializes in highly complex studies, such as oncology, central nervous system (CNS) and rare disease, today announced that its Director of Services Delivery, Europe will be a key presenter and panelist in two sessions at the upcoming Clinical Trial Supply (CTS) Europe conference in Madrid, Spain taking place from March 2223. More than 300 attendees and over 50 exhibitors are expected at this year's conference. CTS Europe will bring together pharmaceutical and biotech companies to discuss clinical trial supply chain operations, processes, tools, and techniques. In its first industry event since announcing a corporate rebranding earlier this month, Suvoda will be sharing clinical trial supply strategy insights and best practices in two key presentations on March 22, including: How to Optimize your Trial Supply Chain with a Flexible IRT Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | 10:00 AM CET Overview: Attendees will gain insight into the value of IRT for improved supply chain efficiency Speakers: Marcel Besier , Director of Services Delivery, Europe , Suvoda , Director of Services Delivery, , Suvoda Daniela Duffett , Solutions Consultant, Suvoda Panel Discussion - Navigating the Journey to Decentralized Trials: Establishing a Successful Patient-Centric Clinical Trial Supply Chain Resulting in Enhanced Patient Retention Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | 4:30 PM CET Moderator: Jennifer Smith-Parker, Senior Editor, GD Healthcare Speakers: Marcel Besier , Director of Services Delivery, Europe , Suvoda , Director of Services Delivery, , Suvoda Marcus Wajngarten, Senior Director, Home Supply, AstraZeneca Bernard Jaucot, Senior Director PSO, Global Clinical Supplies, PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific Building on Suvoda's momentum in 2021, the Company recently refreshed its brand and expanded beyond its flagship IRT product with the release of its eConsent and eCOA solutions, now in the early adopter phase, marking a critical step in the company's path to streamline complex clinical trials. Suvoda will be highlighting these developments and how companies can Trial wisely at the CTS Europe conference this month. For more details, you can register for CTS Europe here and experience the new Suvoda at www.suvoda.com . About Suvoda Suvoda is a global clinical trial technology company that specializes in highly complex, life-sustaining studies in therapeutic areas like oncology, central nervous system, and rare disease. Founded in 2013 by experts in eClinical technologies, Suvoda empowers clinical trial professionals to manage the most urgent moments in the most urgent trials through its IRT, eConsent, and eCOA solutions delivered on a single platform. Headquartered outside Philadelphia, Suvoda also maintains offices in Portland, OR, Barcelona, Spain, Bucharest, Romania and Tokyo, Japan. The company consistently boasts a customer satisfaction index of 9 out of 10, an NPS score of 70 in its annual surveys, and has been selected by trial sponsors and CROs to support nearly 1000 trials across 65 countries. To learn more, visit suvoda.com. Follow Suvoda on Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Suvoda LLC SHORT HILLS, N.J., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is pleased to announce that Congress has passed the FY'22 appropriations bill increasing funding for the National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) by at least $500,000, which would allocate at least $9.2m for the coming year. Due to ongoing advocacy from the community, Congress included several of the Reeve Foundation's top priorities like funding for the NPRC, Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DOD) research funding. National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) Funding Every year, funding the National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) is the top priority for the Reeve Foundation to continue to provide the vital resources and tools to our community; whether you are newly paralyzed or a caregiver looking to help a loved one, the Foundation is here to provide the information you need to navigate life after a spinal cord injury or paralysis. Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems Working in coordination with United Spinal Association, the Reeve Foundation helped advocate for increased funding to Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), has provided essential services for individuals from the moment of injury through their return to full participation in the community. NIH and Research Funding The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DOD) invest in critical spinal cord injury and paralysis research. Every year, the Reeve Foundation advocates for funding for these agencies. Congress included a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health, bringing the total to $43,649,687,000. "Our dedicated advocates have helped us educate Congress on the importance of the services offered by the Foundation," says Kim Beer, Director, Public Policy, Reeve Foundation. "We could not have achieved this without the help of the Reeve Foundation Regional Champions, who have held meetings with Congressional staff and sent 4,462 emails to House and Senate offices urging them to support the National Paralysis Resource Center. We will build on this momentum as we shift to focus to FY'23 appropriations and work to achieve more legislative wins this year." If you are interested in joining our efforts, sign up to receive advocacy updates and join us for our next Regional Champions advocacy webinar on March 22 at 2 pm EST. About the Reeve Foundation The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. By uniting the brightest minds in the field, we are working tirelessly to accelerate scientific discovery across the field of spinal cord research by investing in labs across the globe. Additionally, through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living, the Reeve Foundation's National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) promotes the health, well-being, and independence of people living with paralysis, providing comprehensive information, resources, and referral services assisting over 100,000 individuals and families since its launch in 2002. The Reeve Foundation is committed to elevating our community's voices and needs to achieve greater representation and independence. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau's standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB's Charity Seal. For more information, please visit www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292. SOURCE Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation PBTF will host over 20 in-person Ride for Kids events across the nation, but motorcyclists don't need to attend an event to participate in Ride for Kids. PBTF's "Ride Anywhere" model allows riders to turn any ride into a fundraiser for the largest patient advocacy funder of pediatric brain tumor research. Registration for Ride for Kids is open, and motorcyclists are already fundraising. Registrants and fundraisers can win Honda motorcycles, along with other fundraising incentives. Additional details can be found on the PBTF Newsroom at: www.curethekids.org/about-us/news-room/pbtf-news/2022/2nd-annual-national-ride-for-kids-day.html Ride for Kids Day is made possible in part through the generous support of corporate partners like American Honda, the Comoto Family of Brands, and GEICO Motorcycle, along with dozens of other local event sponsors. Visit www.rideforkids.org to register today. About the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Every day, 13 children and teens are diagnosed with a brain tumor, the deadliest and most common form of cancer in kids under 15. Every day after, they are in a fight for their life. It's a fight the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is here to help families win. The largest patient advocacy funder of pediatric brain tumor research and the leading champion for families and survivors, PBTF's mission of Care. Cure. Thrive. reflects our commitment to curing all pediatric brain tumors and transforming how children and their families are cared for. Since 1991, PBTF has provided strategic leadership and funding to accelerate the number of targeted therapies for children battling brain tumors today, while equipping families with the patient-family education, financial relief, and emotional support they need to navigate their child's journey. A world without childhood brain tumors is possible when we work together to put kids first. Learn more at www.curethekids.org. SOURCE Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation SAN JOSE, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NetworkFinancials is introducing its first TROVA index called TROVA ESG Index and sharing its performance benefits to the investment management community. TROVA Index is built upon unbiased investment insights and performance driven metrics pioneered by NetworkFinancials. NetworkFinancials Platform and Datasets Name TROVA ESG Index Performance TROVA ESG Index is focused on ESG impact by underlying companies scored by NetworkFinancials innovative TROVA Data Analytics Engine. This index gives unique opportunity for passive investment managers and active managers who are looking forward to generating superior return and achieving ESG goals. Portfolio built out of TROVA Data is proven to beat consistently key index such as S&P 500. "Beating industry benchmark or category specific average return and comparable key index with significant margin across market cycle is the latest validation to our innovation" stated by Debi Prasad Sahoo, Founder of NetworkFinancials. Investment management professionals interested to offer unique investment experience to investors in terms of investment return and impact can leverage TROVA ESG Index. Incorporating data driven models require proven approach to build robust portfolio and to achieve investment success consistently. This is where investment solution built around TROVA Data can fulfill the need of passive investment and active investment with more efficiency. TROVA is one of its kind to provide wider choice of attractive investments for Active Fund Managers and enable Passive Fund Managers to achieve the rewards of superior investment return with seamless transition experience. Learn more about TROVA ESG Index @ https://www.network-financials.com/institutional-investors-and-fund-managers Interested to be among the selective fund managers and in making a mark in the wall street by leveraging TROVA Index benefits? Reach out to us at [email protected]. Fund Managers interested for high-performance investment insights and offering forward looking data driven investment solution using TROVA Data can submit request for demo here https://www.network-financials.com/trova-demo-request. About TROVA: TROVA is a high-performance Investment Data Platform from NetworkFinancials powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is built ground up to empower investors with unbiased investment insights for getting higher return and mitigating risk during market volatility. TROVA Data uniquely works as catalyst in making positive impact to society by meeting the aspirations of socially responsible investing and ESG goals. About NetworkFinancials NetworkFinancials Inc is a San Jose, California (USA) based FinTech startup. NetworkFinancials mission is to simplify investment research and build most unbiased data platform that investors can rely upon to meet their investment goals and aspirations. And empower investment community to make investments to create positive social impact that inspires others to invest. To learn more about NetworkFinancials, visit us @ https://www.network-financials.com Follow us on: Linkedin @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/networkfinancials-inc Twitter @ https://www.twitter.com/TrovaData NetworkFinancials Contacts Media and Business Enquiries Supriya Ghosh San Jose, California (USA) Email: [email protected] Phone: +1-408-502-3650 SOURCE NetworkFinancials, Inc. The naming of the new river ships comes as Viking continues its 25 th anniversary and a year of multiple milestones. In January 2022, the company launched Viking Expeditions and its first Polar Class vessel, the Viking Octantis . By the end of the year, Viking will have also welcomed a second identical expedition ship, as well as two new identical ocean ships, new purpose-built vessels for the Nile and Mekong rivers and new Mississippi River voyages. "As we mark 25 years of sailing the iconic waterways of the world, it is always a proud day when we welcome new ships to our fleet and offer more opportunities for curious travelers to explore the world in comfort," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "Today we are especially pleased to honor eight talented and accomplished individuals as godmothers of our newest river ships, and we look forward to the start of another season of European river voyages." Viking Naming Ceremony In keeping with maritime tradition that dates back thousands of years, Viking invited eight distinguished cultural partners and important members of the company's extended family to serve as ceremonial godmothers of the new ships. The honored godmothers include: Alma Deutscher , Godmother of Viking Gymir A musical phenomenon, Alma captivates the classical world with her talents as a violinist, pianist, composer and conductor, and at just 17 years old was hailed as the "new Mozart" at an early age. She recently appeared on an episode of Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV ( Anne Diamond Welcomes Back Composer and Musician Alma Deutscher ), where she discussed her upcoming concert series, which will be exclusive for Viking guests on select river voyages visiting Vienna . , A musical phenomenon, Alma captivates the classical world with her talents as a violinist, pianist, composer and conductor, and at just 17 years old was hailed as the "new Mozart" at an early age. She recently appeared on an episode of Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV ( ), where she discussed her upcoming concert series, which will be exclusive for Viking guests on select river voyages visiting . Helen Deutscher , Godmother of Viking Egdir A violinist, pianist and vocalist, Helen is an accomplished musician who honed her musical and performance skills at the Music Gymnasium in Vienna and as a member of the Vienna State Opera's children's chorus; she has also performed in several productions of her sister Miss Alma Deutscher's opera, Cinderella. Helen and Alma recently appeared together on an episode of Viking.TV ( Anne Diamond Interviews Classical Musicians, Alma & Helen Deutscher ) where they discussed their remarkable lives and many musical milestones. , A violinist, pianist and vocalist, Helen is an accomplished musician who honed her musical and performance skills at the Music Gymnasium in and as a member of the Vienna State Opera's children's chorus; she has also performed in several productions of her sister Miss opera, Cinderella. Helen and Alma recently appeared together on an episode of Viking.TV ( ) where they discussed their remarkable lives and many musical milestones. Dr. Janie Deutscher , Godmother of Viking Radgrid An author and educator, Dr. Deutscher is also an accomplished musician and earned an organ scholarship to Oxford University where she later taught medieval literature; in recent years, she has concentrated on homeschooling and supporting the musical ambitions of her two daughters, Alma and Helen, godmothers of Viking Gymir and Viking Egdir , respectfully. , An author and educator, Dr. Deutscher is also an accomplished musician and earned an organ scholarship to where she later taught medieval literature; in recent years, she has concentrated on homeschooling and supporting the musical ambitions of her two daughters, Alma and Helen, godmothers of and , respectfully. Brenda Hunsberger , Godmother of Viking Hervor For more than four decades, Ms. Hunsberger, Senior Vice President of Travel Services with AAA Club Alliance, has worked in the industry as an accomplished travel agent; she believes in the power of travel to transform perspectives and change lives. , For more than four decades, Ms. Hunsberger, Senior Vice President of Travel Services with AAA Club Alliance, has worked in the industry as an accomplished travel agent; she believes in the power of travel to transform perspectives and change lives. Karryn Christopher , Godmother of Viking Gersemi Ms. Christopher is Executive Vice President of Preferred Partnerships & Marketing for Signature Travel Network, a member-owned travel cooperative established in 1956, where she has led the transformation of the company's sales and marketing division. Ms. Christopher is Executive Vice President of Preferred Partnerships & Marketing for Signature Travel Network, a member-owned travel cooperative established in 1956, where she has led the transformation of the company's sales and marketing division. Ghislaine Wood , Godmother of Viking Fjorgyn As the Deputy Director of the University of East Anglia's Sainsbury Centre, one of the most important public university art galleries in Great Britain , Ms. Wood carefully curates exhibitions, including the upcoming "Visions of Ancient Egypt," which was developed in partnership with Viking; opening in September 2022 , the exhibit will honor the 100 th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb. Ms. Wood discussed her work at the Sainsbury Centre in a recent episode of Viking.TV ( Explore Alaskan Objects at the Sainsbury Centre with Ghislaine Wood ), including the origins of their Alaska collection which examines how indigenous Alaskan communities developed technologies and tools to adapt to their environment . , As the Deputy Director of the University of Sainsbury Centre, one of the most important public university art galleries in , Ms. Wood carefully curates exhibitions, including the upcoming "Visions of Ancient Egypt," which was developed in partnership with Viking; opening in , the exhibit will honor the 100 anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb. Ms. Wood discussed her work at the Sainsbury Centre in a recent episode of Viking.TV ( including the origins of their collection which examines how indigenous Alaskan communities developed technologies and tools to adapt to their environment Muriel Wilson , Godmother of Viking Skaga As the Director of Event Strategy & Sponsorships for Virtuoso, Ltd., Ms. Wilson has been a distinguished staff member of the global network of agencies for more than 40 years and leverages her deep knowledge of the industry to develop quality hospitality and travel experiences for Virtuoso's travel advisors and preferred partners. , As the Director of Event Strategy & Sponsorships for Virtuoso, Ltd., Ms. Wilson has been a distinguished staff member of the global network of agencies for more than 40 years and leverages her deep knowledge of the industry to develop quality hospitality and travel experiences for Virtuoso's travel advisors and preferred partners. Kari Garmann , Godmother of Viking Kari Former member of The Parliament of Norway and Oslo City Council, Ms. Garmann has made valuable contributions to Norway in the areas of government, business and banking throughout her career. The naming event was executed by connecting the new ships via satellite across two European cities: Paris and Amsterdam. The Viking Fjorgyn, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid and Viking Skaga were docked in Paris at the Port de Grenelle, where they were named by their godmothers. The other four ships Viking Egdir, Viking Gersemi, Viking Gymir and Viking Hervor were docked in Amsterdam and named by their godmothers, who also joined the celebration in Paris. In keeping with another maritime tradition, a bottle of Gammel Opland aquavit was broken on the bow of each new ship. Gammel Opland hails from the same county in Norway where Chairman Hagen's mother, Ragnhild also lovingly known as "Mamsen" was born and was her favorite brand of aquavit. More information on the history of ship naming ceremonies and the special role that godmothers play can be found in a recent episode of Viking.TV (Explore the Role of a Ship's Godmother, a Revered Nautical Tradition), hosted by Viking Executive Vice President Karine Hagen. This year Viking will offer guests a Privileged Access performance led by Alma Deutscher at Vienna's illustrious Wiener Konzerthaus. She will conduct the historic Strauss Capelle orchestra and perform the music of Mozart, the waltzes of Strauss on the violin and her own compositions. New Offerings on the Seine Building on Viking's offerings in Paris and the four new Viking Longships sailing the Seine River, the company has announced today a new post-trip extension entitled Paris: A Culinary Experience that will explore the cuisine of the French capital. Available beginning in 2023 for guests sailing on the 8-day Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary, the new extension allows guests to immerse themselves in the culinary history of Paris and taste the gastronomic delights the city has to offer. Guests on the 3-night extension will disembark their ship in Paris and explore the city with a culinary guide, visiting the "Belly of Paris" and the Rue Montorgueil, home to the city's first patisserie, before checking into their hotel. The following day, guests will visit a Parisian cooking school to attend a croissant baking workshop with a local chef and learn about the pastry's origins, before enjoying an evening wine and cheese tasting with an expert sommelier at a private wine cellar. On the final day, guests journey to the Jacquemart-Andre Museum for a tour of the 19th century mansion and its private art collection followed by a special workshop delving into the art of table etiquette. Each day allows ample free time for guests to explore iconic Parisian landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees from their centrally located hotel. Additionally, Viking has announced a new holiday sailing, the 8-day Christmas on the Seine, sailing roundtrip from Paris. Available during the holiday season beginning in 2022, guests will sail through Normandy's snow-covered countryside while enjoying the festive Christmas markets. Guests can select from holiday-centric shore excursions such as baking homemade gingerbread at the 850-year-old Abbaye du Valasse or attending a festive Christmas ornament making workshop in Rouen. Onboard, guests will enjoy special holiday-themed festivities including regional dining specialties, seasonal treats and more. Booking Details From now through March 31, 2022, Viking is offering special savings plus airfare from $599 on all 2022 and 2023 departures of Paris & the Heart of Normandy. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent for details. Media Assets For more information, images and b-roll for Viking, contact [email protected]. About Viking Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person's Cruise in contrast to mainstream cruises. With more than 250 awards to its name, Viking has been rated the #1 River Cruise Line and #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Conde Nast Traveler in the publication's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. Viking has also been consistently rated the #1 ocean cruise line and one of the best river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv. SOURCE Viking F&I Agency increases Zurich's access to auto dealerships across the United States SCHAUMBURG, Ill., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zurich North America is expanding its Finance and Insurance (F&I) sales distribution strategy by adding select F&I agencies to complement its national direct sales approach. The move lays a foundation for reaching a wider market of auto dealers across the United States. Zurich is one of the nation's leading providers of Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance and F&I solutions for auto dealers offering a full suite of vehicle protection products for gas-combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. "Expansion into the F&I agency space is a game changer for us and a big win for auto dealers," said Vince Santivasi, Head of Direct Markets for Zurich North America. "Making our products, services and training available through select agencies means more auto dealers can access Zurich's F&I expertise and expanded capabilities to benefit the bottom line for their businesses." Zurich's F&I Agency operations, led by Todd Kaminski, Head of Business Development, launched in January and is developing a network of select F&I agents to represent Zurich to auto dealers across the U.S. These agents have access to Zurich's F&I products, programs and solutions designed to meet the unique needs of auto dealerships and their customers. In addition to industry-leading vehicle protection products, offerings available through select agents include income development and profit participation programs, as well as compliance resources to help dealers maximize profits and address a growing and changing environment. As with Zurich's direct sales force, Zurich's F&I agencies are backed by the Zurich brand, well known for its financial strength and stability, industry-leading risk management resources and customer service. Zurich has utilized a direct market distribution model to sell F&I products and services to auto dealers for more than 50 years. "We remain steadfastly committed to our robust national sales force," added Santivasi. "Combining the stellar reputation and proven success of our Direct Markets sales team with the expanded reach and expertise of select F&I agencies only strengthens our opportunities and broadens our horizons." Agents interested in learning more can visit Zurich's F&I Agencies. Zurich can trace its roots in the automotive industry to 1922. Over the last 100 years, Zurich has evolved alongside its auto dealer customers, listening to their needs and challenges, and developing solutions that help accelerate their growth and protect their legacy. "As we celebrate 100 years of service to auto dealers, we also are focused on the next 100 years of customer service, innovation and sustainability," added Santivasi. "Adding select agents to our distribution model to help reach more auto dealers is one way we are looking to the future." About Zurich North America Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology and include more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500. We've backed the building of some of the most recognizable structures in North America from the Hoover Dam to the Confederation Bridge. Our North American, LEED Platinum headquarters is located in the Chicago area. We employ approximately 9,000 people in North America and have offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. Further information is available at www.zurichna.com. Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurer serving more than 55 million customers both people and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Founded 150 years ago, Zurich is transforming insurance. In addition to providing insurance protection, Zurich is increasingly offering prevention services such as those that promote wellbeing and enhance climate resilience. Reflecting its purpose to 'create a brighter future together', Zurich aspires to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. It is targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 and is one of the world's most sustainable insurers, as shown by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. In 2020, Zurich launched the Zurich Forest project to support reforestation and biodiversity restoration in Brazil. The Group has about 56,000 employees and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information is available at www.zurich.com. SOURCE Zurich North America FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Identifinders International, in conjunction with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit and the Surry County's Sheriff's Office, is pleased to announce the arrest of 71-year-old Warren Luther Alexander for the 1992 murder of Nona Stamey Cobb. On July 7, 1992, Ms. Cobb's body was found at the weigh station on the northbound side of Interstate 77, Surry County, North Carolina. Alexander was arrested in Diamondhead, Mississippi on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. He has been charged with murder and is being held at the Hancock County Jail awaiting extradition to North Carolina. Authorities are investigating the possibility of additional victims. "This arrest was made because of the great teamwork between the SBI Cold Case Unit and Identifinders International. It is an example of why forensic genetic genealogy has come to play such an important role in solving cold cases," stated SBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nate Thompson. "The SBI Cold Case Unit was forward-thinking in applying FGG to solving this case," said Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, President and Founder of Identifinders International. "We understand there were many agencies involved and appreciate the degree of collaboration that led to this arrest." A press conference will be held when Alexander is extradited back to North Carolina. No additional information is available at this time. About Identifinders International Identifinders International is a fee-based forensic service that works with law enforcement agencies, coroners, and medical examiners to apply genetic genealogy, Y-DNA and autosomal SNP analysis to solve cold case homicides, sexual assaults, and unidentified remains. For more information, please visit www.identifinders.com . Contact: Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD [email protected] 714-296-3065 SOURCE Identifinders International TiKVA has recently undertaken missions to help Ukrainian refugees evacuate the country to safety. 5WPR is representing TiKVA Odessa pro bono. NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 5WPR, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the U.S., has begun work with TiKVA, a set of children's homes in Odessa, in support of their mission of saving the lives of at-risk Jewish children and relieving the suffering of impoverished Jewish families in Odessa, Ukraine. Most recently the organization has undertaken numerous missions to help refugees from Ukraine cross the Ukraine-Romania border to safety. To date, they've helped more than 2000 refugees children and elderly escape the situation in Ukraine. "It has been heartbreaking to watch the war in Ukraine unfold, and we have been eager to put our skill and resources to use as a small way to support those who are helping the Ukrainian people on the front lines," said 5WPR Co-CEO, Matthew Caiola. "We are honored TiKVA has entrusted us to support their work and look forward to sharing the exceptional mission they're undertaking at such a critical point in history." "We are so thankful for the partnership with 5WPR and the work they've done already to help us shine a light on the devastating circumstances confronting the people of Ukraine," said Rabbi Refeal Kruskal, CEO of TiKVA Odessa. "We greatly appreciate their generosity in supporting us as we are dedicating our resources to helping the Ukrainian people." Led by Rabbi Refael Kruskal, TiKVA has pivoted in its mission to help evacuate thousands of Ukrainians mostly children and the elderly to Romania since the onset of the war with Russia. Located 275 miles south of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine. About TiKVA TiKVA Children's Home was founded in 1996 with a commitment to provide orphaned, abandoned, abused and homeless Jewish children of Odessa, Ukraine with food, shelter, education, counseling and a warm loving environment. To learn more about TiKVA Children's Home, and to donate please visit www.TiKVAOdessa.org. TiKVA Children's Home is a registered non-profit charitable organization with 501(c)(3) status. About 5WPR 5W Public Relations is a full-service PR agency in NYC known for cutting-edge programs that engage with businesses, issues and ideas. With more than 250 professionals serving clients in B2C (Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Nonprofit), B2B (Corporate Communications and Reputation Management), Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Digital Marketing (Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, SEO). 5W was awarded 2020 PR Agency of The Year and brings leading businesses a resourceful, bold and results-driven approach to communication. SOURCE 5W Public Relations WASHINGTON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As social media attention grows, 70% of small businesses focus and invest in social media advertising this 2022, according to new survey findings from Visual Objects, a portfolio site that features case studies and client reviews of the top creative agencies. The top four small business advertising channels are social media, print advertising, PPC and search ads, and streaming advertising 54% of small businesses want to use more social media in their 2022 advertising. Compared to other mediums or channels, social media is relatively new in the advertising space, and small businesses see invaluable merit in investing in popular platforms. Despite the criticism and negative attention from the public, Meta's Facebook remains the top choice (70%) for small businesses delving into social media advertising. Visual Objects conducted a survey among 1,003 small business owners and managers to see how they approach advertising this 2022. The findings highlight which channels are given more attention, how much the respondents plan to spend, and how traditional advertising stands in the age of digital advertising. 2022 2022 Small Business Advertising Report Here are Visual Objects' findings: A majority of small businesses (70%) invest in social media advertising. Over a quarter of small businesses (26%) used between 10-30% of their advertising budget on social media showcasing. Facebook remains the top social media channel (70%) for small business advertising, followed by YouTube (54%) and Instagram (52%) Over a quarter of small businesses spent less than $10,000 on advertising in 2021, with 36% of small businesses stating that COVID-19 had a moderate impact on their business. Annual advertising spending decreased for a quarter of small businesses (25%) in 2021. on advertising in 2021, with 36% of small businesses stating that COVID-19 had a moderate impact on their business. Annual advertising spending decreased for a quarter of small businesses (25%) in 2021. Only 30% of small businesses plan to invest in print advertising, but businesses with more than 250 employees plan to invest even less (36%). Fifty-four percent of small businesses (54%) plan on spending more on social media in 2022. Stephen Light, CMO and co-owner of Nolah Mattress , an e-commerce brand, believes that social media is a popular advertising tool because of its reach. "Social media offers unprecedented reach, the ability to hyper-target deeper insight into consumer behavior, and the opportunity to engage more personality with your audience all of which are crucial to business growth and longevity," Light said. Small businesses prefer social media advertising due to its accessibility, influence, and cost-effectiveness. To find out more about the results and trends, take a look at the full report here . About Visual Objects Visual Objects is your visual field guide to finding and hiring the best B2B service provider. A sister website of Clutch, the leading B2B services review platform, Visual Objects features portfolio items and client reviews of top creative, design, development, and marketing companies from around the world. Media Contact Morgan Flores Senior Manager of Content Strategy & SEO (202) 350-4344 [email protected] SOURCE Visual Objects NEW YORK , March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Acquis Consulting Group ('Acquis') is pleased to announce the appointment of Sujay Saha to lead its business brand, 'Cortico-X', focused on transforming customer and employee experiences in this digital age. Sujay Saha Sujay is a former Partner from PwC with almost 20 years of management consulting experience. Much of his career has been focused on driving large-scale experience-centered transformations across multiple industries, including Financial Services, Healthcare, and Technology. Sujay has published extensively in the experience strategy and transformation arena, and he has co-built products to accelerate digital transformations and improve customer and employee experiences. Sujay earned his MBA in Strategy & Global Business from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra in India. The name 'Cortico' is inspired by the word 'cortex' and represents the convergence of creativity and logic to enable transformative experiences ('X'). Acquis has been partnering with organizations to enable their digital transformations at an increased pace over the past few years and under the leadership of Sujay, Acquis Cortico-X will take those efforts to the next level. Acquis Cortico-X partners with clients and technology companies to incubate and commercialize products, and further expand the breadth and depth of Acquis's consulting services to accelerate digital change. According to David Kaufman, CEO of Acquis, "Sujay's leadership of Acquis Cortico-X will enhance our ability to address the broader market trend towards experience management, in concert with our 'People First' core value. We are thrilled to welcome Sujay and know he will complement and grow the team with the right mix of creativity, experience, and agility." "Acquis has built a tight knit global team comprised of strong consultants from top tier consulting firms, as well as seasoned industry practitioners" Sujay Saha added. "I'm delighted to have joined an organization that can quickly adapt to the needs of our customers and employees in the evolving digital world. The expansion of Acquis Cortico-X will further enhance Acquis's ability to advance together with the needs of our clients." About Acquis Consulting Group Acquis, repeatedly named one of the 'Best Small Firms to Work For' by Consulting Magazine, is a world class management consulting firm best known for helping ambitious organizations design strategies and putting those strategies to work. Founded in 1998, Acquis has worked with US and International organizations on strategic efforts, ranging from more than 100 Fortune 500 companies to early stage start-ups. For more information on Acquis, please visit www.acquisconsulting.com. SOURCE Acquis Consulting Group LVIV, Ukraine, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lviv Regional Military Administration authorized at national level, and the Service for Children of Lviv Military Administration, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aerial Recovery and fellow U.S. based charity New Horizons for Children to work in partnership to provide safeguarding for orphans of Ukraine. Aerial Recovery and New Horizons for Children will provide funding and personnel to facilitate the following key stages of assistance: Aerial Recovery Increase capacity of accommodation and agreed childcare provision and safeguarding in Lviv for displaced children/orphans Ensure that all onward cross-border movement of children proceed with all necessary permits and authorizations All parties will work with accredited NGOs on escorted evacuation of children from dangerous areas of hostilities in east Ukraine to safe havens in west Ukraine to safe havens in west Facilitate the provision and movement of western aid supplies to areas of need in the east The Memorandum of Understanding is effective upon signing on Saturday 12th March. Amendments and additions to which can be made with agreement of all parties, an agreed notice period of one month prior to termination of the agreement. Updating from Ukraine, Jeremy Locke, Chief of Operations, spoke of Aerial Recovery's Ukraine mission, "We are delighted to have been able to facilitate the safe passage and temporary rehoming of 247 children and orphans from conflict areas to safe cities in western Ukraine" Locke added, "There are still thousands of orphans in desperate need of evacuation from hostilities and time is running out. We will continue our efforts for as long as the vulnerable of Ukraine can benefit from our assistance." Aerial Recovery and Global Empowerment Mission*, both registered non-profit organizations, have joined forces to support the estimated 3-7 million people who could become refugees due to the conflict in Ukraine. Global Empowerment Mission has been servicing refugees who have reached the Polish border from 24th February, the beginning of the hostilities. 100% of donations to Aerial Recovery will go to support orphans and refugees. AerialRecovery.com Aerial Recovery is the non-profit arm of Aerial Recovery Group, an organization re-missioning Veterans through meaningful employment, missions, and partnerships. Aerial Recovery Group's mission is to: Save Lives Eliminate Confusion Maximize Support Accelerate Recovery Aerial accomplishes this by employing the most qualified, trained, and elite military Veterans to deploy as Humanitarian Operators to man-made and natural disasters all over the world. The Veterans' vast training and years of experience in austere environments, combined with the resources and aid of partner non-profit organizations allows for highly effective missions and sustainable projects that save people's lives, ease their suffering, and preserve human dignity. Aerial Recovery and Aerial Recovery Group exist under the Aerial Group of brands, all founded by Britnie Faith Turner. Turner is a serial entrepreneur whose businesses all exist to elevate people and places. Turner believes that through the creation of force for good businesses, world issues such as poverty and human trafficking can be eliminated and replaced with meaningful opportunities that empower people and sustain the planet. Aerial's commitment to a triple bottom line approach is proving that conscious business is not only viable but the way of the future. *Global Empowerment Mission is dedicated to restoring hope and opportunity in the lives of those most affected by disasters. GEM has partnered with Aerial Recovery to establish a welcome center for the Ukrainian refugees on the border of Poland and has been aiding with flights, trains, hotels and much needed supplies. globalempowermentmission.org Media Contact: Tori Rolson +1-615-693-2270 [email protected] SOURCE Aerial Recovery MEXICO CITY, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. (" Aeromexico " or the " Company ") (BMV: AEROMEX), informs that, as disclosed in our prior relevant event of this date, (i) the resolutions adopted by the Shareholders Meetings of the Company held on January 14 and February 14, 2022 are now effective (" Shareholders Meetings "), (ii) Aeromexico has consummated its Plan of Reorganization (and ancillary documents thereto) (jointly, the " Plan of Reorganization "); and (iii) it has successfully concluded its financial restructuring process and emerged from its Chapter 11. The delivery of the new listed and consolidated shares (reflecting the effects of the consolidation (reverse split) of shares), representing the new capital stock of the Company as of today, will be delivered, directly through the S.D Indeval, Institucion para el Deposito de Valores, S.A. de C.V., or through the custodian broker S3 Caceis, in favor of the brokers and/or custodians of shareholders owning shares representing the new capital stock of Aeromexico. As set forth in the Plan of Reorganization, the equity value of the reorganized Company ("Plan Equity Value") is approximately US$2,564'000,000.00 dollars, and the new outstanding listed shares are 136,423,959 (excluding treasury shares pending to be subscribed in the amount of 13,642,396). The authorized total amount of shares issued by the Company are 150,066,355 shares. The theoretical value of the new shares is approximately of $389.0187 pesos per share (Plan value of the Company (US$2,564'000,000.00 dollars) divided by new subscribed shares (136,423,959), which results in approximately US$18.79 dollars per share converted at the official exchange rate ($20.7035 pesos per one dollar of the United States of America) published today by the Central Bank of Mexico in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federacion)), which should start being reflected by the market. The largest shareholders of the reorganized Company include funds managed by Apollo Global Management, Delta Air Lines, as well as existing and new Mexican investors that formed the group with voting control. The Baupost Group, Silver Point Capital, Oaktree Capital Management and other funds that were part of the ad hoc groups of creditors are also shareholders after investing approximately US$720 million in new capital. This is in addition to other amounts related to fees accrued on the "DIP Facility" and on the new equity contributions payable in new stock as provided in the Plan of Reorganization. Additionally, key stakeholders are funding new exit debt of approximately US$762.5 million in the form of new U.S. dollar denominated Notes. As a result of the Plan and related transactions, the Company gained access to approximately US$1,500'000,000.00 dollars in new capital. Pursuant to the resolution of the Shareholders Meetings, a new Board of Directors has been formed that is comprised of a majority of Mexican nationals and independent members in full compliance with Mexican foreign investment law and regulations, along with the continued participation of existing Mexican controlling investors, the Chairman of the Board, Javier Arrigunaga, and the CEO, Andres Conesa. "Today is an incredibly exciting day for Aeromexico and we are ready to soar to new heights as we emerge from Chapter 11. We look forward to starting a new chapter in our Company's history, backed by a sound financial base, solid capital structure, and investors who have full confidence in our future. Thanks to the dedication of the entire talented Aeromexico family, as well as the support, trust, and empathy of our customers, unions, authorities, suppliers, and business partners, we have successfully completed this process. As we move forward, we will not only continue to streamline our Company to become even more sustainable, resilient, and competitive, but we will also significantly expand our network and fleet all while offering excellent service and maintaining our position as Mexico's flagship airline", said Mr. Conesa. Throughout the restructuring process, Aeromexico has worked to expand its operations sustainably, opening six new routes, restarting service on more than 30, and increasing its total seat offering by more than 320% compared to June 2020 figures. The Company currently flies 84 national and international routes, connecting bustling cities in Mexico, such as Guadalajara and Monterrey, to the European market through Madrid. In 2022, Aeromexico plans to continue building on this momentum, including the restart of services to London. Since 2021, Aeromexico has received 31 airplanes and expects to receive 22 more over the course of 2022. At the end of this year, the Company expects to have a fleet of 145 aircraft with an average age of seven years. Aeromexico is planning to invest approximately US$5'000,000,000.00 dollars over the next five years in fleet and customer experience improvements allowing the Company to maintain its state-of-the-art service. Aeromexico will continue serving customers, honoring milestone program, restarting service on certain international routes and opening new routes, while continuing to comply with strict protocols to protect the health and safety of employees and customers. Aeromexico continues operating in full observance of all applicable Mexican laws and requirements under public concessions granted by the Federal Government, controlled by Mexican investors. The parties under the Plan of Reorganization, our investors and any third party, continue, and will continue, to have full access to, and knowledge of, all key documents and milestones relating to our Chapter 11 restructuring proceeding, information that is available in previous relevant events issued by Aeromexico, and particularly in the public docket and public documents of our voluntary restructuring proceeding (https://dm.epiq11.com/case/aem/dockets). This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of the Company and its management with respect to its performance, business and future events. We use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect,", "intend," "target," "estimate," "project," "predict," "forecast," "guideline," "should" and other similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but they are not the only way we identify such statements. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in this release. The Company is under no obligation and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Grupo Aeromexico: Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation in Mexico and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, has its main operations center in Terminal 2 of the Mexico City International Airport. Its destination network has reach in Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Asia and Europe. The Group's current operating fleet includes Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft, as well as the latest generation Embraer 190. Aeromexico is a founding partner of SkyTeam, an alliance that celebrates 20 years and offers connectivity in more than 170 countries, through the 19 partner airlines. Aeromexico created and implemented a Health and Hygiene Management System (SGSH) to protect its clients and collaborators at all stages of its operation. www.aeromexico.com www.skyteam.com SOURCE Grupo Aeromexico S.A.B. de C.V. BE Group is ready to prepare minority construction firms in any city become bid ready CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A decade ago, Suzanne Stantley realized that billions of dollars in construction projects were going on in communities throughout the country and that most African American businesses were not in the loop to bargain for, identify and connect with the right decision-makers. She learned these businesses' inability to make connections impacted their ability to participate in the American dream, and she knew exactly what she had to do. She took her more than thirty-five years as a trained marketer and parlayed that into a venture that would bring companies, small and large, together to do business. Her vision was to bring diverse businesses, government, project owners, large prime contractors, suppliers and buyers together where they could network and talk about building relationships. And she named that vision the Construction Industry Conference, which will host its 10th conference virtually later this year. CEO Suzanne Stantley Contractor training While executing and planning the conference, Suzanne launched the contractor development side of her company, BE Group, that would focus its efforts on helping these diverse firms build the capacity to bid on and win contracts. Afterall the end game is to win contracts and generate revenue. She realized that in many states, and in particular her home state of Illinois and home city of Chicago, African-American firms received less than one percent of the annual revenue generated in the commercial industry. As she expanded her firm's services, she rebranded the concept and named it TOOLS, Transforming Organizations' Operations and Leadership Strategies. TOOLS assists diverse construction firms increase their capacity to bid on, win and manage construction contracts through business assistance, training and focused individualized support. She has provided her program to the City of Chicago, the Chicago Department of Aviation and the Illinois Tollway. TOOLS can be implemented in any state, city, or municipality and Stantley's firm is for hire. Its services can be procured by government, at any level, be it an agency like a transportation department, housing department, or any department that has construction projects and has mandates for the inclusion of minority firms on their projects. "Generally, the large primes, the big firms who win the multi-million-dollar contracts, have minority participation goals. Most are unable to find a pool of candidates who understand the inner workings of the commercial industry to win contracts with them to achieve their goals. They are the key buyers of our services as they are charged with the inclusion of minorities on contracts they win. And we are for hire," says Stantley. "Cities across America can no longer sit by as billions of dollars of construction is taking place and not have minority construction firms involved in those projects. Even before the recently signed massive $1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill, many cities were slated to spend billions on roads and bridges, airports and a myriad of other types of building projects. And unless and until diverse firms gain a greater understanding of what it takes to operate in this arena, they will never gain access to even a portion of these contracts," Stantley adds. TOOLS offers its services free to minority construction firms, who are generally struggling to stay afloat, which is why the program seeks its funding from government, prime contractors, developers and philanthropists to make its services available to the minority owners. While many minority owners may have not obtained advanced degrees, their ability to perform their trade is unquestionable. Stantley believes what they need is what TOOLS provides, preparation so they can have a real shot at achieving the American dream. Nationally, there are appropriately 750,000 minority firms who generate less than $500,000 of revenue annually each. These are the firms we want to support, "by expanding their capacity, we can increase their employee count 200-300% and add exponentially to the improvement of the lives of all they impact." BE Group, also publishes Building Entrepreneur magazine a valuable resource providing businesses information and later this year, the Group is launching a portal, Building Entrepreneurs, where businesses can promote their operations to an audience of project owners and others interested in identifying and connecting with them. About BE Group Inc. BE Group's founder and CEO, Suzanne Stantley began her career in marketing after earning an MBA. Her career started with a tenure at Leo Burnett Advertising, the largest advertising agency in the world at the time. There she became the first African-American woman hired into their management training program, working with some of the largest fortune 500 companies in the nation. Contacts: Suzanne Stantley, CEO, 312-436-0301, [email protected], www.contractoradvisors.us Media Relations Contact: Emma Young, (312) 953-6363, [email protected] SOURCE BE Group Inc. Vendor Landscape The market structure is expected to remain fragmented during the forecast period. Vendors are deploying different organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Arm Ltd., Cadence Design Systems Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Intel Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., NVIDIA Corp., Oracle Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SK Inc., Synopsys Inc., Toshiba Corp., Wave Computing Inc., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Graphcore Ltd. among others are some of the few key vendors competing to maintain their market position in the market. Various players in the market are engaging in strategic partnerships and joint ventures coupled with launching differentiated products to up their game in the AI infrastructure industry. View more about the market's vendor landscape highlights with a comprehensive list of vendors and their offerings. AI Infrastructure Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026) North America - size and forecast 2021-2026 - size and forecast 2021-2026 Europe - size and forecast 2021-2026 - size and forecast 2021-2026 APAC - size and forecast 2021-2026 South America - size and forecast 2021-2026 - size and forecast 2021-2026 Middle East and Africa - size and forecast 2021-2026 Key Market Segmentation Segmentation by Type: Processor: During the projection period, the processor segment's share of the AI infrastructure market will expand significantly. Consumer electronics make the most use of processors. Due to their ability to tolerate severe temperatures, they have found applications in the military, defense, and telecommunications. As more businesses embrace AI infrastructure, the demand for processors to support this architecture will rise. As a result of this rising demand, the segment will increase at a positive rate over the projection period. Storage Memory Request a FREE Sample of this report for more highlights into the market segments. Regional Market Outlook North America will contribute to 49% of the market growth during the forecast period. The growth of this region can be attributed to the early adoption of AI and increasing investments in technology Apart from regions, if we look at the country-wise market growth, the US, China, Japan, UK, and Germany will contribute to the highest market growth. Download our FREE sample report for more key highlights on the regional market share of most of the above-mentioned countries. Latest Trends, Driving the Global AI Infrastructure Market Market Trend: Increased availability of cloud-based applications: In order to implement AI technologies in an on-premises data centre, businesses must have enough processors and data storage to handle the data quickly. Furthermore, organisations considering developing their own in-house products have discovered that doing so might be costly. As a result, cloud-based software and platforms assist businesses in overcoming the challenges of AI adoption. Furthermore, for most businesses, particularly start-ups and SMEs, using cloud-based AI services is a more viable and cost-effective alternative. As a result, during the projection period, the growing availability of cloud-based solutions will fuel the rise of AI infrastructure. Market Challenge: Privacy issues associated with AI deployment: Data on numerous parameters, such as customers' buying history, internet activities, and payment information, is obtained using modern data mining algorithms. E-commerce behemoths like Amazon, for example, employ machine learning in conjunction with collaborative filtering and next-in-sequence models to forecast customer buying behaviour and recommend products based on previous purchases. To improve its forecasts, Amazon has access to a massive database of consumer buying behaviour. The possibility that attackers may weaponize AI and utilize it to expand and strengthen their cyberattacks is one of the major worries with AI's progress. Such threats are projected to have a negative influence on market growth over the predicted period. Find additional information about various other market drivers & trends mentioned in our FREE sample report . Need More? Are You Looking for Information Not Covered in This Report? Want to understand more about the various research methodology? Evaluate a specific segment or region in detail Identify key suppliers, customers, or other market players Analyze market regulations Tailor this report according to your needs. Get it done with our $1000 worth of free customization. Speak to Our Analyst Now ! Related Reports: Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems Market by Component and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Online Travel Agencies IT Spending Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 AI Infrastructure Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 18.46% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 18.82 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 17.56 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 49% Key consumer countries US, China, Japan, UK, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Arm Ltd., Cadence Design Systems Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Intel Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., NVIDIA Corp., Oracle Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SK Inc., Synopsys Inc., Toshiba Corp., Wave Computing Inc., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Graphcore Ltd., Imagination Technologies Ltd., and Micron Technology Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis 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 Contents: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Type Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Type 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Type Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Type Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Type 5.3 Processor - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Processor - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Processor - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Processor - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Processor - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Storage - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Storage - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Storage - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Storage - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Storage - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Memory - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 36: Chart on Memory - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Memory - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Chart on Memory - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Memory - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Market opportunity by Type Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by Type ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 41: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 42: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 44: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 45: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 82: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 83: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 84: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 85: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 86: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 87: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 88: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 89: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 90: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 91: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 92: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Exhibit 93: Advanced Micro Devices Inc. - Overview Exhibit 94: Advanced Micro Devices Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 95: Advanced Micro Devices Inc. - Key news Exhibit 96: Advanced Micro Devices Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 97: Advanced Micro Devices Inc. - Segment focus 10.4 Alphabet Inc. Exhibit 98: Alphabet Inc. - Overview Exhibit 99: Alphabet Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 100: Alphabet Inc. - Key news Exhibit 101: Alphabet Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 102: Alphabet Inc. - Segment focus 10.5 Cadence Design Systems Inc. Exhibit 103: Cadence Design Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 104: Cadence Design Systems Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 105: Cadence Design Systems Inc. - Key offerings 10.6 Cisco Systems Inc. Exhibit 106: Cisco Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 107: Cisco Systems Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 108: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key news Exhibit 109: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 110: Cisco Systems Inc. - Segment focus 10.7 Intel Corp. Exhibit 111: Intel Corp. - Overview Exhibit 112: Intel Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 113: Intel Corp. - Key news Exhibit 114: Intel Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 115: Intel Corp. - Segment focus 10.8 International Business Machines Corp. Exhibit 116: International Business Machines Corp. - Overview Exhibit 117: International Business Machines Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 118: International Business Machines Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 119: International Business Machines Corp. - Segment focus 10.9 Micron Technology Inc. Exhibit 120: Micron Technology Inc. - Overview Exhibit 121: Micron Technology Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 122: Micron Technology Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 123: Micron Technology Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Microsoft Corp. Exhibit 124: Microsoft Corp. - Overview Exhibit 125: Microsoft Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 126: Microsoft Corp. - Key news Exhibit 127: Microsoft Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 128: Microsoft Corp. - Segment focus 10.11 NVIDIA Corp. Exhibit 129: NVIDIA Corp. - Overview Exhibit 130: NVIDIA Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 131: NVIDIA Corp. - Key news Exhibit 132: NVIDIA Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 133: NVIDIA Corp. - Segment focus 10.12 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Exhibit 134: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 135: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 136: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Key news Exhibit 137: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 138: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 139: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 140: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 141: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 142: Research methodology Exhibit 143: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 144: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 145: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio According to McLean & Company's 2017-2021 HR Stakeholder Management survey database, Talent Acquisition is the second most important HR function to stakeholders. However, it has become increasingly challenging for organizations to acquire quality candidates effectively. Talent acquisition specialists are overwhelmed with the number of requisitions and face competing demands, from responding to hiring manager inquiries to keeping candidates engaged throughout the process, which all contribute to the inability to hire strategically. McLean & Company's new research blueprint indicates that in order for Talent Acquisition to be effective in delivering these key outcomes, it must operate within a highly efficient process. There are trade-offs to be made between efficiency, quality of hire, and candidate experience. When focusing on efficiency, caution is needed to ensure that the candidate experience and the quality of hire are not neglected. Insight from McLean & Company states that new hires who strongly agreed with the statement "I felt well informed of the steps in the hiring process during the first interview" were more likely to be highly engaged than other new hires. Given the cost per hire, which averages around $4,000 (SmartRecruiters, 2020), it is more important than ever that organizations get the right talent in the door the first time around, as hiring the wrong candidate will result in unnecessary costs. 2022 continues to be a candidates' market. Organizations have to fight for talent, and if the process is not efficient, candidates will go elsewhere. In the newly released blueprint, McLean & Company's framework models a three-step methodology to create an efficient talent acquisition process. The blueprint is intended for HR leaders to map out the current TA process and identify gaps, select TA solutions, and optimize the process. This type of approach will allow HR leaders to: Create an efficient talent acquisition process to decrease the time spent on hiring and focus more on hiring strategically. Enable talent acquisition specialists to hire strategically by clearly outlining a consistent process for all stakeholders involved. This consistency will also translate to a more positive experience for candidates. Download the full Increase the Efficiency of the Talent Acquisition Process research blueprint. To learn more about McLean & Company and to download all the latest research, visit hr.mcleanco.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter. Media professionals are encouraged to register for McLean & Company's Media Insiders program for more research and insights. This complimentary program provides unrestricted, on-demand access to HR, IT, and software industry content and the ability to speak with subject matter experts from a group of more than 200 research analysts and thought leaders. To register for access, contact [email protected]. About McLean & Company Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice methodologies, McLean & Company offers comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans, and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. SOURCE McLean & Company LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Threat Intelligence Market size is expected to record a valuation of USD 26.15 Billion by 2028, Registering to Accelerate at a 17.96% CAGR, According to the most recent study by Brandessence Market Research. The Global Threat Intelligence Market size was Valued at USD 9.03 Billion in 2021. Demand of Threat Intelligence Market is Increasing Due to Increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks and data breaches, rising use of cloud-based services & internet-of-things (IoT) devices, and growing adoption of threat intelligence solutions & services in many sectors like BSFI, military, government & healthcare. Get Sample of [email protected] https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/359 Threat Intelligence Market Scope of Report The global threat intelligence market has been touted to grow significantly in the coming decade and the product adoption in this market is going to see a huge amount of success. There are many organizations who are looking for the next-generation security solutions to tackle the threats that are becoming really sophisticated and that is a major factor behind the growth of the global market. The term threat intelligence refers to an analysis and organization of data about a potential and current threat that will hurt a business organization in multiple forms. There are also three types of overarching threat intelligence, namely, strategic, operational and tactical. The tactical threat intelligence or the TTP is one which offers a lot more specific detail on the technique, tactic and procedures of the threat. The operation threat intelligence is one which focuses on a lot of details like the timing, nature, capabilities and motivation of the threat actors. Threat intelligence market trends show that the threat intelligence can also be associated to the cyber threats which are driving the higher-level organization strategy. The threat intelligence system is one which aids the enterprises by putting focus on the areas of an organization or business which are most vulnerable to these attackers and also emphasizing the specific measures of security. The threat intelligence is one which provides any context necessary for making informed decisions regarding the network security particularly after there has been an attack. The threat intelligence from cyber threat helps in preventing the cyber space from different events. Threat Intelligence Market: Competitive Analysis The global threat intelligence market players are working really hard to gain a sizable market share and to get a good amount of growth and a prominent position in the market. Some of these players are: IBM Cisco Mimecast Webroot Infoblox NSFocus LogPoint Bitdefender Imperva Recorded Future Infosys Verizon Secureworks Proofpoint CrowdStrike Trend Micro McAfee FireEye VMware AT&T Check Point DXC Technology Anomali Sumo Logic These are companies heavily investing in research and development. Buy This Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/Checkout?report_id=359 The growing adoption in various sectors such as the banking institutions of the digital platforms has also increased the cybersecurity threat. These threats need to be countered therefore threat intelligence is a market which is growing majorly in these areas. The banking region is one where the compromise of data can have major financial implications and thus it is one of the more protected regions. News: Tego Cyber Inc. Commenced Development of Threat Intelligence Application for Integration with the Elastic Security SIEM Platform On November 5th, 2021; Tego Cyber Inc. started the advancement of another alternative of its threat intelligence application for joining with the Elastic Security SIEM stage. The arrangement with Elastic Security addresses an additional market for the Tego Threat Intelligence Platform. Elastic has north of 16,000 paying subscribers including 34% of the Fortune 2000. Every one of these clients addresses likely future clients. Tego Cyber plans to develop versions of the Tego Guardian application for incorporation with extra SIEM stages including Devo, AT&T Cybersecurity, IBM QRadar, Exabeam, and Google Chronicle. The objective is to have a version of the Tego Guardian application accessible for combination with the main 10 SIEM platforms inside the following two years. Survey of Threat Intelligence market Report: The threat intelligence market survey shows that the cyber threat sources are ones that include open-source intelligence, social media intelligence, technical intelligence or the intelligence which comes from the dark web. There is cyber threat intelligence which is providing a lot of benefits like enabling the organizations in developing a position of proactive cybersecurity and bolstering the policies of overall risk management. With growth in the implementation of these cloud platforms and other networking technologies, IoT in the organizations are further exposed to a lot of the cybersecurity threats. This is among the key threat intelligence market drivers as it encourages adoption of the global market. There is also a risk of the attack from insiders which leads to a breach and loss of the information. This can set off the growth requirement of these security processes in addition to the threat intelligence. There is an integration of the threat intelligence for competing with the attacks which has been a major recent development of threat intelligence market as it has been leading to a rise in adoption of the product in the market. A big factor which has contributed to the growth is also the rise in how it has been adopted by the small and medium enterprises and a higher implementation of the threat solutions across a lot of the sectors. The emergence of cyber-crimes in the developed countries has also created a considerable demand in the market. The governments are now doing their best to get optimum results out of spending in cybersecurity. Get Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestMethodology/PostId/359 Segment Analysis: In the developed regions, there is an increase in the penetration of smartphones and that is triggering the global threat intelligence market as there is a grave threat to cyber-securities in this region. The India threat intelligence market is growing as there is an increase in the urbanization and that is helping in the growth of the market. However, it is something that is complex in understanding and there is a lot of training which needs to go into this market which will affect the overall growth. Further there is a shortage in the global threat intelligence market of funds and a poor technology integration which is restraining the growth to some extent. On the basis of deployment model, the global threat intelligence market has been segmented into the cloud-based and on-premise. The cloud-based segment has been growing as it is offering the SaaS security services and as well as business applications which the small and medium enterprises will adopt and hence lead to a major growth. On the basis of component, the global threat intelligence market has been bifurcated into the solution and service segment of which the solution segment has been expected to show the biggest growth. This is because the solutions which are required right now are in the high-end technology solutions in addition to the rise in the demand of organizations for the protection of network infrastructure. On the basis of vertical, the global market has been segmented into IT, government, banking, telecommunications, healthcare, BSFI, manufacturing and education sectors. The banking sector has been expected to show the most growth as it is the most vulnerable to these threats. On the basis of region, the global threat intelligence market has been segmented into Europe threat intelligence market, APAC threat intelligence market, North America market and Rest of the World. North America is expected to see the largest share while the maximum growth is registered in the APAC region. On Special Requirement Threat Intelligences Market Report is also available for below region: North America U.S, Canada Europe Germany , France,U.K., Italy , Spain , Sweden , Netherland, Turkey , Switzerland , Belgium , Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific South_Korea , Japan , China , India , Australia , Philippines , Singapore , Malaysia , Thailand , Indonesia , Rest Of APAC Latin America Mexico , Colombia , Brazil , Argentina , Peru , Rest of Latin America Middle East and Africa Saudi Arabia , UAE, Egypt , South Africa , Rest Of MEA Get Full Access of all Report: https://brandessenceresearch.com/healthcare/threat-intelligence-market-size Related Reports: i-Factor: Live Market intelligence platform I-Factor is our guaranteed seal to keep our clients ahead of the competition, always. This knowledge platform delivers real-time updates on key economic indicators, competitive landscape, changing demand, trends, customized regional insights, and more. The platform visualizes key data points to help make decision making agile, trustworthy, and holistic. Register for free trail here @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/i-factor/login/userRegister Brandessence Market Research & Consulting Pvt ltd. Brandessence market research publishes market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations and Ph.D. Students. We have a delivery center in Pune, India and our sales office is in London. Website: https://brandessenceresearch.com Blog: https://brandessenceresearch.com/blog/top-5-automotive-aftermarket-companies-in-global-market-2021 Edge Data Center Companies Follow Us: Linkedin Mr. Vishal Sawant Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Corporate Sales: +44-2038074155 Asia Office: +917447409162 SOURCE Brandessence Market Research And Consulting Private Limited RIVERSIDE, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Zulu Ali has been named General Legal Counsel of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded on September 19, 1963, at Morgan State University (then Morgan State College) in Baltimore, Maryland, and is currently the 5th largest Black Greek Lettered Fraternity. The fraternity holds membership in the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), an umbrella organization commonly referred to as the Divine 9 composed of nine international historically African American Greek letter sororities and fraternities, and the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). ATTORNEY ZULU ALI Attorney Ali is a practicing trial attorney and activist. A former police officer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he earned a Juris Doctorate in law (J.D.) from Trinity International University; a Masters in Administration of Justice (M.S.) and Business (M.B.A.) from University of Phoenix; a degree with a focus on African studies from Regents College through a consortium with Tennessee State University, and is a doctoral scholar researching pan-African business and trade at California Southern University. Attorney Ali is the Founder and principal attorney at the Law Offices of Zulu Ali and Associates, LLP based in Riverside, California (zulualilaw.com), which is the largest Black-owned law firm in California's Inland Empire. The firm focuses on representing persons accused of crimes, immigrants, and persons seeking civil justice in state and federal courts. Ali is on the list of counsel at the African Court of Justice and Human Rights in Tanzania, Africa, and the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands. Attorney Ali served as Director of the American Committee for United Nations Oversight, an advocacy group that lobbied the United Nations for police reform in 2015. He is the Director of the Stop and Frisk Youth Leadership Academy, which mentors and trains at-risk youth to deal with police encounters; Director of the Southern California Veterans Legal Clinic, a legal clinic offering no cost and low cost legal services to military veterans; and an active member of Beta Zeta Omega chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. In 2017, Attorney Ali was recognized as one of the most influential African American Leaders in Los Angeles by the National Action Network, founded by Reverend Al Sharpton. Attorney Ali has been Honored as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in his area by the National Black Lawyers and National Trial Lawyers; a Top 10 Lawyer by the American Academy of Trial Attorneys, American Institute of Legal Counsel, American Jurist Institute, and Attorney & Practice Magazine; and Rue Ratings Best Lawyer in America. He is the Founder and CEO of 10 Nubian Queens & 5 Kings Media (http://10nubianmedia.com), a mass media production company focusing on black family and social justice content in film, radio, theater, music, and book publishing. Additionally, Zulu Ali is host of the nationally syndicated, radio talk show, Justice Watch with Attorney Zulu Ali (justicewatchradio.com) which broadcasts from NBC Radio studio in Redlands, California, and he is a member of the National Black Radio Hall of Fame (Chicago chapter). Ali has been married to his wife (Charito) since 1986, has four adult children (Christine, Whitney, Ashley, and Lynda), four grandchildren (Amayah, Tye, Izem, and Amina), and resides in Southern California with his family. Media Contact Rosa Nunez Kobi 9517828722 [email protected] SOURCE Law Offices of Zulu Ali & Associates, LLP As part of the month-long celebration, Baskin-Robbins will be offering a special promotion where guests who purchase a Double Medium Sundae will get a free Kids Scoop through March 30, 2022, allowing guests to enjoy their favourite flavours and discover new ones all month long. "Since opening our first shop in the UAE in 1979, Baskin-Robbins has been an ice cream leader in the Region, helping guests discover the joy of a life lived with variety," says Michael Haley, President and Managing Director of International for Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes nearly 32,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In restaurants worldwide. "An outstanding operator with a legacy of business success, Galadari is a true global champion of the Baskin-Robbins brand, and together we look forward to igniting the next chapter of brand growth." The number one specialty ice cream brand in the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Baskin-Robbins is beloved by guests of all ages across the Region. The brand scoops happiness in the form of cups, cones, sundaes, beverages, and cakes in a wide variety of flavours, from regional bestsellers like Pralines N' Cream and Cotton Candy, to innovative creations like the new Toffee Date Pudding sundae. Striving to offer a seamless ice cream experience that delights every time, Baskin-Robbins delicious treats are available to enjoy in-shop, at home, and via delivery, as well as at the nearest supermarket. "I want to thank all the team members at Galadari Brothers, Baskin-Robbins, and Inspire Brands that have tirelessly worked together in order for us to reach this milestone," said Suhail Galadari, Co-chairman of Galadari Brothers. "Baskin-Robbins has truly made an impact on the F&B scene in the UAE and the Region, and we are proud to be a part of their success story. This achievement has inspired us to work even harder and take the brand to greater heights. To fans of the beloved ice cream brand, I say that there will be no shortage of special moments that are spent over a scoop of their favourite ice cream flavour." Mohammed Galadari, Co-chairman of Galadari Brothers, said, "Countless families and friends have always looked to Baskin-Robbins to be a part of their special moments and occasions. Whether it is a loved one's birthday, an anniversary, a graduation, or even a treat at the end of the day, fans have chosen Baskin-Robbins time and time again to make that moment just a bit more magical and delicious. Now with the 1,000th store opening its doors in the Region, we are going to reinforce our message of bringing delicious treats paired with exceptional customer service to make truly memorable moments." "We are proud of all that we have achieved together with the Baskin-Robbins and the Inspire Brands teams," said Mohamed Yahya Kazi Meeran, Director and Group CEO of Galadari Brothers. "The brand has always been dedicated to ensuring that they are within easy reach of any customer that wishes to grab a delicious treat whenever the mood strikes them. They have carefully observed the needs of the market and listened to the feedback of their loyal customers in order to shape their strategy for the future. We will continue to innovate, curate new experiences, and look for opportunities where we can highlight the brand's years of expertise and flair for spreading joy. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Inspire Brands and Baskin-Robbins as it continues on its steady growth trajectory across the region." "As we celebrate the opening of our 1,000th Baskin-Robbins location, I could not be more proud of the strong ice cream business we have built across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Morocco, Jordan and Australia," said Ahmed Osman, Chief Executive Officer of Galadari Ice Cream Company. "Thank you to the millions of guests across the Region who have made Baskin-Robbins a flavourful moment in their everyday lives. We look forward to continuing to serve you across our 1,000 shops, and to bringing Baskin-Robbins premium ice cream and experience to new cities and guests in the years to come." About Baskin-Robbins Baskin-Robbins is the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, with more than 7,700 retail shops in 53 countries worldwide. Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium hard scoop ice cream, a full range of beverages and a delicious lineup of desserts including custom ice cream cakes and take-home ice cream quarts and pints. Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 by two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,400 ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. Baskin-Robbins is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit www.BaskinRobbins.com and www.InspireBrands.com. About Inspire Brands Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company whose current portfolio nearly 32,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In locations worldwide. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit InspireBrands.com. About Galadari Ice Cream Company Galadari Food and Beverage Division is a flagship company within the Galadari Brothers Group and the world's largest Baskin-Robbins franchisee with 1,000 stores worldwide. Galadari F&B is the master franchisee for the Baskin-Robbins brand in the MENA Region, as well as the master franchisee for Baskin Robbins in Australia as part of a joint venture with Inspire Brands. Galadari F&B was the first company to introduce an international ice cream brand in the Region and today has the largest store network in the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) industry in the Gulf Region. For more information, visit www.baskinrobbinsmea.com. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Baskin-Robbins FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company today announced that Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC ("Morgan Stanley") has commenced cash tender offers (each, an "Offer" and collectively, the "Offers") for the notes set forth below (collectively, the "Notes" and each a "series" of Notes), up to a maximum aggregate combined purchase price (including accrued and unpaid interest from the last interest payment date to, but excluding, the applicable Settlement Date ("Accrued Interest") on such Notes payable in connection with such Offers) of $200,000,000.00. The Offers are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated March 16, 2022 (the "Offer to Purchase"), which sets forth a description of the terms of the Offers. A summary of the Offers to purchase the Notes is outlined below: Title of Security CUSIP Number Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority Level(1) Fixed Price(2) Fixed Spread (Basis Points)(2) U.S. Treasury Reference Security Bloomberg Reference Page(3) Early Tender Premium(4) Floating Rate Notes due June 2022 ("Fixed Price Securities") 075887BU2 $500,000,000 1 $1,003.50 N/A N/A N/A $50 3.363% Notes due June 2024 (the "June 2024 Notes") 075887BV0 $997,719,000 2 N/A +20 bps 2.000% U.S. Treasury Notes due 05/31/2024 FIT5 $50 3.875% Notes due May 2024 (the "May 2024 Notes") 075887BL2 $143,611,000 3 N/A +25 bps 2.500% U.S. Treasury Notes due 05/15/2024 FIT5 $50 3.734% Notes due December 2024 (the "December 2024 Notes") 075887BF5 $875,000,000 4 N/A +25 bps 1.000% U.S. Treasury Notes due 12/15/2024 FIT5 $50 3.700% Notes due June 2027 (the "2027 Notes")* 075887BW8 $1,725,081,000 5 N/A +80 bps 1.875% U.S. Treasury Notes due 02/28/2027 FIT1 $50 ___________________________ (1) Subject to the Maximum Tender Payment and proration, the principal amount of each Series of Notes accepted for purchase in the Offers will be determined in accordance with the applicable acceptance priority level (in numerical priority order with 1 being the highest Acceptance Priority Level (as defined below) and 5 being the lowest) specified in this column. (2) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase is inclusive of the Early Tender Premium of $50 per $1,000 principal amount of each Series of Notes. (3) The applicable page on Bloomberg from which the Dealer Manager will quote the bid side prices of the applicable U.S. Treasury Security. (4) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date. * Denotes a Series of Notes for which the calculation of the applicable Total Consideration may be performed, subject to market practice, using the present value of such Notes as determined at the Price Determination Time (as defined below) as if the principal amount of Notes had been due on the applicable Par Call Date (as defined below) of such Series rather than the maturity date. We refer to this Series as the "Par Call Notes." The remaining Series of Notes that are not denoted with an * are referred to as the "Maturity Notes." See "Terms of the OffersPurchase Price." With respect to the Par Call Notes, we refer to the earliest date on which the Notes may be redeemed by the Company for the par value of such Series of Notes as the "Par Call Date." Each Offer is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on April 12, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by Morgan Stanley (such date and time, as the same may be extended or earlier terminated with respect to each Offer, the "Expiration Date"). To receive the Total Consideration (as defined below), holders of the Notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 29, 2022, unless such deadline is extended with respect to the applicable Offer(s) (such date and time, as the same may be extended with respect to each Offer, the "Early Tender Date"), to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below). Tenders of Notes may not be validly withdrawn after 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 29, 2022 (the "Withdrawal Deadline"), unless extended by Morgan Stanley with respect to the applicable Offer. After such time, Notes validly tendered may not be validly withdrawn unless the withdrawal rights are extended by Morgan Stanley or are extended as required by law. The consideration paid in the Offer for BD's Floating Rate Notes due June 2022 per $1,000 principal amount of the such Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the applicable Offer is the amount set forth in the table above under the heading "Fixed Price." The amounts set forth in the table above under "Fixed Price" includes an early tender premium of $50 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase (the "Early Tender Premium"). The applicable consideration (including the Early Tender Premium) offered per $1,000 principal amount of each series June 2024 Notes, the May 2024 Notes, the December 2024 Notes and the 2027 Notes (the "Fixed Spread Securities") validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the applicable Offer will be the total consideration, determined by reference to the applicable fixed spread for such series of Notes specified in the table above plus the applicable yield to maturity (the "Reference Yield") based on the bid-side price of the applicable U.S. Treasury Reference Security specified in the table above (as applicable to each series of Fixed Spread Securities, the "Reference Security") as quoted on the applicable Bloomberg Reference Page specified in the table above at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on March 30, 2022, and calculated as set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw Notes after the Early Tender Date and on or prior to the Expiration Date will be eligible to receive the applicable Total Consideration for Notes of that series minus the Early Tender Premium. In addition, in each case, all holders of Notes accepted for purchase will also receive Accrued Interest from, and including, the most recent applicable interest payment date preceding the applicable Settlement Date to, but not including, the applicable Settlement Date, if and when such Notes are accepted for payment. Morgan Stanley will accept for purchase, and pay for, Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn upon the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Offers specified in the Offer to Purchase for which the maximum aggregate purchase price, including Accrued Interest, payable in respect of such Notes does not exceed $200,000,000.00 (the "Maximum Tender Payment"). Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Offers, all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn on or before the Early Tender Date will be accepted based on the acceptance priority levels noted in the table above (the "Acceptance Priority Levels"). Notes having a higher Acceptance Priority Level will be accepted before any Notes tendered on or before the Early Tender Date having a lower Acceptance Priority Level pursuant to the Offers, and all Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date having a higher Acceptance Priority Level will be accepted before any Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date having a lower Acceptance Priority Level pursuant to the Offers. However, any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn on or before the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase before any Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date, even if such Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date have a higher Acceptance Priority Level than Notes tendered on or before the Early Tender Date. Pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, Morgan Stanley has reserved the right, but is under no obligation, at any point following the Early Tender Date and before the Expiration Date, to accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date (the "Early Settlement Date"). The Early Settlement Date will be determined at Morgan Stanley's discretion and is currently expected to occur on March 31, 2022, subject to all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by Morgan Stanley. Irrespective of whether Morgan Stanley chooses to exercise its option to have an Early Settlement Date, it will purchase any remaining Notes that have been validly tendered by the Expiration Date, subject to the Maximum Tender Payment, the application of the Acceptance Priority Levels and all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by Morgan Stanley, on a date following the Expiration Date (the "Final Settlement Date"). The Final Settlement Date is expected to occur promptly following the Expiration Date, subject to all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by Morgan Stanley. The expected Final Settlement Date is April 14, 2022, unless extended by Morgan Stanley or as required by law, assuming all conditions to the Offers have been satisfied or waived by Morgan Stanley. None of the Offers is conditioned upon the tender of any minimum principal amount of the Notes and none of the Offers is conditioned on the other. Morgan Stanley's obligation to purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offers is subject to and conditioned upon the satisfaction of, or Morgan Stanley's waiver of, the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, including the successful completion of a financing transaction by Embecta Corp. as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase. This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase Notes or a solicitation of an offer to sell Notes in any jurisdiction in which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation under applicable securities or blue sky laws. The Offers are being made solely pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is serving as Offeror and Dealer Manager (on its own behalf) of the Offers. Questions regarding the Offers may be directed to Morgan Stanley at (800) 624-1808 (toll free) or (212) 761-1057 (collect). Requests for the Offer to Purchase or the documents incorporated by reference therein may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc., which is acting as the Tender Agent and Information Agent for the Offers, at [email protected] or the following telephone numbers: banks and brokers at (212) 269-5550; all others toll free at (800) 290-6424. About BD BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics, and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services, and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 75,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in BD's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. CONTACT: Troy Kirkpatrick, [email protected] SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) JERSEY CITY, N.J., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Global Big Data in Healthcare Market - Components and Services (hardware (data servers and storage, servers, and networking), software (electronic health records, practice management software, revenue cycle management software, and workforce management software), and analytical services (descriptive analytics, prescriptive analytics, and predictive analytics)), Application (clinical data analytics (quality care, clinical decision support, population health management, precision medicine, and reporting compliance), financial analytics (claims processing, revenue cycle management software, and risk assessment), and operational analytics (workforce analytics and supply chain analytics)), Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast To 2030." Request for Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1215 According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytics, the global big data in the healthcare market is valued at US$ 22.02 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach US$ 84.5 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 16.20% during the forecast period of 2022-2030. Modern technologies are necessary to find solutions for disease treatment and enhance clinical knowledge. Big data techniques for healthcare examine extensive clinical databases and help organizations make clinical and business decisions. Adopting different big data solutions can make healthcare data analysis and management faster and easier. Multiple factors such as the increasing government initiatives to develop healthcare facilities, advancements in medical and digital technologies, adoption of mobile healthcare applications, rising prevalence of chronic diseases are projected to propel the market growth during the estimated timeframe. Moreover, growing healthcare expenditure, increasing use of cloud-based healthcare applications, and the rising government funding for technological implementations in the healthcare sector is expected to witness lucrative opportunities during the forecast period. Healthcare organizations started implementing digital, cloud-based solutions to improve the management, understanding and analysis of clinical and life science data, likely to boost the demand for big data in healthcare market growth in the forthcoming years. On the other side, the expensive big data techniques, lack of skilled labour, and data privacy and security concerns may restrain the market development over the forecast years. Regionally, North America held a significant market share in 2021 and is expected to lead the big data in healthcare market in the upcoming year (2022-2030), owing to the increasing healthcare expenditure and rapid adoption of digital technologies by healthcare companies. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to register considerable growth over the forecast years due to the rising demand for medical data management tools and growing innovations of cloud-based, AI-based tools and platforms for healthcare data management by the pharma and IT companies. Request for Proposal/ToC: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-big-data-in-healthcare-market-/1215 Key market players operating in the big data in healthcare market include Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Cognization Technology Solutions Corporation, Cerner Corporation, Computer Programs and Systems, Aetna, Inc., DELL, Epic Systems, eClinicalWorks, GE Healthcare, Health Catalyst, IBM Corporation, Siemens Healthineers, Xerox Holdings Corporation, Oracle Corporation, McKesson Corporation, MedeAnalytics, Inc., Optum, Philips Healthcare, Tableau Software, Inc., Premier, Inc., SAP ERP, SAS, among others. Key developments in the market: In January 2022 , PINC AI, the technology and services platform of Premier, Inc, launched INsights, an enhanced self-service healthcare solution to create customized, on-demand analytics. PINC AI, the technology and services platform of Premier, Inc, launched INsights, an enhanced self-service healthcare solution to create customized, on-demand analytics. In December 2021 , Oracle Corp. acquired medical-records systems provider Cerner Corp. for about $28.3 billion to add a broad customer base in the healthcare industry to bolster the software maker's cloud-computing and database businesses. Oracle Corp. acquired medical-records systems provider Cerner Corp. for about to add a broad customer base in the healthcare industry to bolster the software maker's cloud-computing and database businesses. In July 2021 , Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, collaborated with Cognizant, a world-leading professional services firm, to develop end-to-end digital health solutions. This collaboration enables healthcare organizations and life sciences companies to improve patient care and accelerate clinical trials. Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, collaborated with Cognizant, a world-leading professional services firm, to develop end-to-end digital health solutions. This collaboration enables healthcare organizations and life sciences companies to improve patient care and accelerate clinical trials. In March 2021 , Health Catalyst, Inc., a provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, launched the new Healthcare.AI. It was created to deliver augmented intelligence (AI) products and services to the healthcare industry. Health Catalyst, Inc., a provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, launched the new Healthcare.AI. It was created to deliver augmented intelligence (AI) products and services to the healthcare industry. In January 2018 , Allscripts acquired Practice Fusion, a health IT vendor offering cloud-based EHR and data analytics tools for life science companies. Obtain Report Details @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-big-data-in-healthcare-market-/1215 Market Segments Global Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Components and Services 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Hardware Data and Storage Servers Networking Software Electronic Health Records Practice Management Software Revenue Cycle Management Software Workforce Management Software Analytics Services Descriptive Analytics Predictive Analytics Prescriptive Analytics Global Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Application, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Clinical Data Analytics Quality Care Population Health Management Clinical Decision Support Precision Medicine Reporting Compliance Financial Analytics Claims Processing Revenue Cycle Management Software Risk Assessment Operational Analytics Workforce Analytics Supply Chain Analytics Global Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Delivery Model, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Cloud On-Demand Global Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Healthcare Vertical, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Pharmaceutical Medical Devices Healthcare Services Other Verticals Global Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Region, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa North America Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) U.S. Canada Europe Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Germany France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific Big Data in Healthcare Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) India China Japan South Korea Australia & New Zealand Latin America Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa Big Data in Healthcare Market Analysis, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) GCC Countries South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Why should buy this report: To receive a comprehensive analysis for the global big data in healthcare market To receive an industry key insights and future trends of the big data in healthcare market To analyze the big data in healthcare industry drivers and challenges To get information on the big data in healthcare market size (Value US$ Mn) forecast to 2030 Significant investments, mergers & acquisitions in the big data in healthcare market industry For More Information @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-big-data-in-healthcare-market-/1215 Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic: Global Clinical Trial Imaging Services Market Global Clinical Trials Software Market Global AI-Based Clinical Trial Solution Providers Market Global Site Management Organizations (SMO) Market About Us: InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner. Contact Us: Priyanka Tilekar InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Visit: www.insightaceanalytic.com Tel : +1 551 226 6109 Asia: +91 79 72967118 Email: [email protected] Follow Us on LinkedIn @ bit.ly/2tBXsgS Follow Us On Facebook @ bit.ly/2H9jnDZ SOURCE InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. ALBANY, N.Y., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The bio-alcohol market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2031. The use of bio-alcohol in various applications such as transportation fuel, paints, flavor enhancer, chemical intermediate, perfume, and electronic cleaning fuels the growth of the bio-alcohol market. Bio alcohols are sourced from biological resources or biomass that are in line with various environmental benefits. Bio alcohol is popularly known for its renewable characteristic with fewer carbon emissions, and reduces greenhouse emissions significantly. Led by the U.S., North America is a key region in the bio-alcohol market. The region is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 10.3% during the forecast period. Germany held the leading share of the bio-alcohol market in Europe in 2020. Increase in demand for bio-alcohol as a transportation fuel, agro chemical, and chemical intermediate is propelling the bio-alcohol market in Germany. Stringent government regulations for carbon emissions and government subsidies to support the use of biofuels supports the growth bio-alcohol market in Germany. Get PDF Brochure for More Insights https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=12689 China, Japan, India, and some nations from South America are expected to hold significant share of the bio alcohol market in the upcoming years. Bio-alcohol Market Key Findings of Report Keen players in the bio-alcohol market are entering into newer regions to increase their revenue share of the bio-alcohol market. Manufacturers are adopting contingency measures to minimize the impact on the price of the final product in the event of uncertainties in the availability of raw materials and taxes levied on bio-alcohol products in new regions. This involves engaging in establishing balanced relationship with suppliers and ecosystem partners. Bio-alcohols are increasingly being used in the manufacture of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products to serve the rising demand for organic and natural products Urgent need to complement conventional fuels with bio-based fuels to serve the incessantly expanding demand with urbanization is creating opportunities in the bio-alcohol market Based on source, the corn segment accounted for a leading revenue share of the bio-alcohol market in 2020. Bio-alcohol obtained from corn finds several applications such as in chemical intermediate paints, transportation fuel, perfumes, electronic cleaning, and flavor enhancers. Bio-ethanol produced from corn is used at an industrial level in several developed and developing countries. Get Covid 19 Analysis https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=covid19&rep_id=12689 Transportation application segment is anticipated to account for the leading share of the bio-alcohol market in the upcoming years. Biodiesel obtained from bio-alcohol is close to conventional petrochemical diesel oils that do not require modification in engines. Biodiesel is primarily used in small engines and can be mixed with gasoline or diesel. Bioethanol is becoming increasingly popular among other bio-alcohols as it is obtained through fermentation of microorganism and enzymes with starches, sugars, or cellulose. At present, bio-alcohols are used to manufacture textiles, diluents, paints, glues, and perfumes. Bio-alcohol Market Growth Drivers Advantages of bio-alcohol sourced from biological resources or biomass for their biodegradability, sustainability, and renewable source that are in line with environment conservation initiatives fuels the growth of bio-alcohol market Need to complement crude oil based fuels with sustainable fuels to address stringent emission regulations, rising crude oil prices, and increasing energy consumption cements the growth of bio-alcohol market Request a Sample https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=12689 Bio-alcohol Market Key Players Some of the key players operating in the bio-alcohol market are; BASF SE VERBIA BRASKEM Cargil Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation BP Biofuels Valero Energy Corporation GODAVARI BIOREFINERIES LTD. Arkema Vereinigite BioEnergie AG DuPont DSM Raizen Genomatica Inc. CREMER OLEO GmbH & Co. KG Make an Enquiry Before Buying - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=EB&rep_id=12689 The bio-alcohol market is segmented as follows; Bio-alcohol Market, by Type Bioethanol Biopropanol Biomethanol Biobutanol Bio-BDO Others (Bio-glycerol and Bio-ethylene glycol) Bio-alcohol Market, by Source Sugarcane Sugar beet Grains Corn Others (Grains and Bio-waste) Bio-alcohol Market, by Application Transportation Fuel Perfume Flavor Enhancer Paints Electronic Cleaning Chemical Intermediate Pharmaceutical Application Agro Chemicals Others (Infrastructure and Power Generation) Bio-alcohol Market, by End-use Transportation Food & Beverage Cosmetics & Personal Care Paints & Coatings Industrial & Institutional Cleaning Chemicals Others (Construction) Bio-alcohol Market, by Region North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany France U.K. Italy Russia & CIS & CIS Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa & GCC Countries South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Chemicals & Materials Industry battles Tangible Impact of Economic and Cultural changes, Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals & Materials: Electrochromic Polymers Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/electrochromic-polymers-market.html EV Adhesives Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ev-adhesives-market.html About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyse information. Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ Contact Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/bio-alcohol-market.htm SOURCE Transparency Market Research RALEIGH, N.C., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Moon Estate Sales , the leading estate sale franchise in the U.S., is poised to expand its reach into Southern and Northern California by 30 units, in alignment with the increased demand for real estate sales and liquidation. "With a hot seller's real estate market in California, the liquidation of estates is a needed service for those looking to capitalize on the market's record year in 2021," said Bob Lang, president of Blue Moon Estate Sales. "Blue Moon Estate Sales is confident that growing into a robust market like California will provide endless opportunities for franchisees and our brand." Blue Moon Estate Sales franchisees are empowered to provide timely and thorough sales with professional staging, marketing and pricing. Blue Moon Estate Sales delivers a well-established framework for franchise owners to benefit from a proven business model, detailed training and ethics program, network of like-minded peers and management support. "Real estate and liquidation services are services that most don't know they need until they need it," said Jason Zara, a Blue Moon franchise owner in California whose grand opening is set for April 2022. "Blue Moon Estate Sales is excited for the opportunity to help take the stress away from people who require help to consolidate their estates or are looking to cash out on their extra possessions." In 2021, Blue Moon Estate Sales was recognized by Franchise Times Best Franchise to Buy and Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. Blue Moon Estate Sales is capitalizing on its unit growth, market growth, financial strength, stability, brand power, and 2021 systemwide revenue growth of over 100% to continue expanding across the U.S. The initial investment for a Blue Moon Estate Sales franchise is approximately $69,840 to $80,850, including a $49,500 franchise fee. To purchase a franchise with Blue Moon Estate Sales, a candidate needs at least $50K in liquid capital. Additionally, Blue Moon Estate Sales offers a special incentive of $2,500 off the franchise fee for veterans and first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs, and firefighters. To learn more about Blue Moon Estate Sales franchising, visit www.bluemoonestatesales.com/franchising . About Blue Moon Estate Sales Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., Blue Moon Estate Sales is a growing national franchise with 78 locations in 24 states. Established in 2009, Blue Moon Estate Sales was created to set the highest of standards in an unregulated industry. After five successful years in the Raleigh market, founders Deb, Ken and David Blue wanted to bring their proven business model to a larger audience. Thus, in 2013, Blue Moon Estate Sales started franchising, running an industry-leading training program and providing ongoing support, and is now part of the Best Life Brands family, with private equity backing by The Riverside Company. SOURCE Blue Moon Estate Sales Bronchitis Treatment Market 2022-2026: Scope The bronchitis treatment market report covers the following areas: Bronchitis Treatment Market 2022-2026: Drivers and Challenges The increasing prevalence of smoking is driving supporting the bronchitis treatment market growth. According to CDC, in 2020, around 32.51 million consumers in the US used cigarettes. The prevalence of smoking in Canada was 12%, approximately 3.7 million consumers in 2020. The UAE allows smoking in public places such as government facilities, restaurants, pubs and bars, public transport, and indoor offices. In South Africa, there were around 6 million smokers in 2019. Thus, the increasing prevalence of smoking leads to increased cases of chronic bronchitis. Such factors will positively impact the growth of the global bronchitis treatment market during the forecast period. The high cost of healthcare is challenging the bronchitis treatment market growth. The cost of healthcare is high in developed countries such as the US, Germany, France, and Sweden. Moreover, developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, and Argentina have a lack of resources and low per capita income. The absence of proper healthcare infrastructure and less amount government aids received in the form of medical expense reimbursement further pose a challenge for the patients in these countries. Such factors will negatively impact the growth of the global bronchitis treatment market during the forecast period. Bronchitis Treatment Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the bronchitis treatment market, including Akorn Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Cipla Ltd., Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Lupin Ltd., Merck and Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi SA, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Viatris Inc. among others. The global bronchitis treatment market is highly competitive. Prominent vendors have established a sizeable market presence. The competition in the market will become more intense with the development and launch of new drugs and treatments for bronchitis. Vendors need to continuously innovate their offerings and build capabilities as there is less service differentiation. Healthcare facilities are selecting vendors based on the degree of superiority of their drugs. Subscribe to our "Lite Plan" billed annually at USD 3000 that enables to download 3 reports/year and view 3 reports/month. Bronchitis Treatment Market 2022-2026: Segmentation Drug Class Antibiotics Anti inflammatory drugs Bronchodilator Geography North America Europe Asia Rest Of World (ROW) Learn more about the contribution of each segment of the market. Download a Free Sample Report Bronchitis Treatment Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist bronchitis treatment market growth during the next five years Estimation of the bronchitis treatment market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the bronchitis treatment market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of bronchitis treatment market vendors Related Reports: Biomaterial Wound Dressing Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Radiopharmaceuticals Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Bronchitis Treatment Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.76% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 1.12 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 2.96 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 40% Key consumer countries US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Akorn Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Cipla Ltd., Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Lupin Ltd., Merck and Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi SA, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Viatris 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 Contents : 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Drug Class Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Drug Class 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Drug Class - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Drug Class - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Drug Class Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Drug Class Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Drug Class 5.3 Antibiotics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Antibiotics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Antibiotics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Antibiotics - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Antibiotics - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Anti inflammatory Drugs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Anti inflammatory Drugs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Anti inflammatory Drugs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Anti inflammatory Drugs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Anti inflammatory Drugs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Bronchodilator - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 36: Chart on Bronchodilator - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Bronchodilator - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Chart on Bronchodilator - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Bronchodilator - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Market opportunity by Drug Class Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by Drug Class ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 41: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 42: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 44: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 45: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 Australia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Australia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Australia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Australia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on Australia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 New Zealand - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on New Zealand - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on New Zealand - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on New Zealand - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on New Zealand - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 AstraZeneca Plc Exhibit 89: AstraZeneca Plc - Overview Exhibit 90: AstraZeneca Plc - Product / Service Exhibit 91: AstraZeneca Plc - Key news Exhibit 92: AstraZeneca Plc - Key offerings 10.4 Bayer AG Exhibit 93: Bayer AG - Overview Exhibit 94: Bayer AG - Business segments Exhibit 95: Bayer AG - Key news Exhibit 96: Bayer AG - Key offerings Exhibit 97: Bayer AG - Segment focus 10.5 Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH Exhibit 98: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Overview Exhibit 99: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Business segments Exhibit 100: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Key news Exhibit 101: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Key offerings Exhibit 102: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Segment focus 10.6 Cipla Ltd. Exhibit 103: Cipla Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 104: Cipla Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 105: Cipla Ltd. - Key news Exhibit 106: Cipla Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 107: Cipla Ltd. - Segment focus 10.7 Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. Exhibit 108: Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 109: Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 110: Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 111: Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Segment focus 10.8 GlaxoSmithKline Plc Exhibit 112: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Overview Exhibit 113: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Business segments Exhibit 114: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Key news Exhibit 115: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Key offerings Exhibit 116: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Segment focus 10.9 Lupin Ltd. Exhibit 117: Lupin Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 118: Lupin Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 119: Lupin Ltd. - Key news Exhibit 120: Lupin Ltd. - Key offerings 10.10 Merck and Co. Inc. Exhibit 121: Merck and Co. Inc. - Overview Exhibit 122: Merck and Co. Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 123: Merck and Co. Inc. - Key news Exhibit 124: Merck and Co. Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 125: Merck and Co. Inc. - Segment focus 10.11 Pfizer Inc. Exhibit 126: Pfizer Inc. - Overview Exhibit 127: Pfizer Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 128: Pfizer Inc. - Key news Exhibit 129: Pfizer Inc. - Key offerings 10.12 Sanofi SA Exhibit 130: Sanofi SA - Overview Exhibit 131: Sanofi SA - Business segments Exhibit 132: Sanofi SA - Key news Exhibit 133: Sanofi SA - Key offerings Exhibit 134: Sanofi SA - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 135: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 136: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 137: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 138: Research methodology Exhibit 139: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 140: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 141: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Dallas, TX area dental group brush365 has partnered with FeatherPay to supercharge their patients' payment experience ATLANTA, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- brush365, a group of Dallas area dental clinics, today announced its partnership with FeatherPay, an Atlanta-based healthcare fintech company. brush365 will use FeatherPay to power their patient payment experience, giving their patients greater transparency and flexibility in how they pay for dental care. brush365 "FeatherPay allows our patients to have dignity in their payment experience by creating a platform that facilitates multiple payment options in one dashboard. We are also super excited to have FeatherPay for in-house financing options that are hassle-free as well as a way to run monthly transactions for our membership plan. Partnering with FeatherPay was a no-brainer." -Sara Mahmood DDS MS FAGD, Founder & Owner of brush365 "We are humbled and honored to help further brush365's mission to deliver honest, transparent dental care to the greater Dallas areas. FeatherPay exists to deliver a great patient experience that enables affordability and convenience of care, and we are excited to partner with Dr. Mahmood and the team at brush365 to that end," said Craig Haynor, CEO and co-founder of FeatherPay. To book an appointment visit www.brush365dental.com. brush365 is a full-service dental company with a tagline and promise of providing "Dentistry with Integrity". Their offices are state-of-the-art with Cerec same day crown technology, iTero digital impressions, Ultra Low Dose (ULD) 3D imaging, and all the bells and whistles needed to create a comfortable and efficient visit. Their joyful team was meticulously selected for their adherence to providing honest, high-quality care at affordable, in-network pricing. With early morning, late evening, and weekend appointments, brush365 believes that you should never have to take off from work or pick your kids up early from school in order to get a dental cleaning. At their offices across the DFW metroplex, you'll feel the difference as soon as you walk into our doors. Their company radiates kindness and is honored to provide lasting dental care to the communities they serve. Contact brush365 [email protected] FeatherPay is a payment platform that drives revenue and lowers operational costs for practices, all while delivering a great experience for patients. It does this by consolidating all the different ways a practice enables their patients to pay into a single experience for patients and administrators. With FeatherPay, patients digitally receive payment notifications via email/SMS, clearly understand their payment amounts, and can combine multiple payment methods in a single transaction, whether paying in the office, over the phone or on their mobile device. FeatherPay also simplifies back-office operations such as reconciliation, auditing, refunds, and patient billing, and digitizing AR processes leading to more efficient and accurate processes that save time and money. Contact FeatherPay [email protected] Media Contact: Michael Biederman 302.540.7635 [email protected] SOURCE FeatherPay PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia officially announced today, that it was reopening to international tourists and travelers who are fully vaccinated. Tourists may enter the Kingdom of Cambodia without quarantine, without an antigen test or a negative PCR test, and may obtain visas on arrival. Since the onset of the Pandemic, the country saw an over 80 percent drop in international tourism, with a significant effect on tourism businesses and direct jobs in the tourism industry. Thanks to the early adoption of a robust Tourism Promotion and Recovery Plan, the country is well prepared to welcome travelers en masse once again. During the Covid 19 pandemic, the Royal Government of Cambodia has invested significantly in infrastructure projects to improve ease of access to its major tourist sites. This includes the development of dozens of beach resorts, a major rehaul of roads, and the addition of bike lanes around sites like the Angkor Wat temple complex. Cambodia is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the world-renowned Angkor Wat. The country has an additional eight potential cultural sites nominated for future UNESCO World Heritage Status. Its Tourism Master Development Plans for 2035 include Siem Reap Province, Kep Province, and Mondulkiri Province as "The Paradise of Eco-tourism." Cambodia's commitment to tourism was well noted at the recent International Tourism Exhibition (TRAVEX) they hosted, which was attended by 27 countries. Thanks to its strategic plans, Cambodia has been extremely effective in its national vaccination campaign for COVID-19. As of February 2022, nearly 90 percent of the population of 16 million was vaccinated, placing Cambodia among the top vaccinated countries in the world. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia St. Juliana School: Students are making blue and yellow hearts and crosses that will be displayed in school windows in addition to prayers being written by students to be sent to Ukrainian families. The children's choir has learned Ukrainian songs and will be singing them at Church. Edison Park Businesses: St. Juliana Parish has partnered with the local businesses to support fundraising efforts. In exchange for a donation, customers will get a postcard resembling the Ukraine flag where they can write their name to be displayed inside the businesses. Fundraising: So far, $15,000 has been raised through t-shirt sales and direct donations. St. Juliana has set a fundraising goal of $50,000. Donations can be made at givecentral.org/ukr, through collections at Church or at one of our Edison Park Business Partners. When: Pray for Ukraine Mass March 19, 2022, at 5:00pm Where: Saint Juliana Parish 7201 N. Oketo Avenue Chicago, IL 60631 About: Established in 1927, Saint Juliana Parish is a Roman Catholic church on the northwest side of Chicago in the Edison Park neighborhood. Our faith-based community includes a vibrant pre-school through 8th grade program that earned National Blue Ribbon status from the U.S. Department of Education. Donations for the Pray for Ukraine campaign will be donated to Catholic Relief Services for the benefit of Ukrainian Relief Efforts. SOURCE St. Juliana Parish Trifecta Capital Advisors embraces the fiduciary standard, announces newly-formed independent-owned Registered Investment Advisory firm Tweet this "As an independent firm, we needed to select a custodian to safeguard client assets and execute on our investment strategy," explained Berman. "We chose Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab), a leading custodian for independent advisors which custodies more than $3.5 trillion in assets on behalf of over 13,000 independent RIA firms." "We embrace the fiduciary standard. That means we are legally obligated to put client needs first, 100 percent of the time," said Tromp. "Our mission is crystal clear: enable clients to achieve their financial goals and to provide a customized, transparent and engaging client experience." THE TRIFECTA TEAM Jeff Berman has been managing client assets for more than 20 years, having launched his career at LaSalle Bank in 1999. He joined BMO in 2010 as a Senior Portfolio Manager where he confidently managed the largest portfolio nationally at over $2B. Berman holds a BS in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago, and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He is Series 65 licensed. Sue Oleari began her career in finance nearly 30 years ago and most recently served as Regional President in Wealth Management at BMO. During her career, she managed a large portfolio of commercial relationships and progressed through multiple leadership roles in various lines of business. For five consecutive years, she and her female colleagues that led business units at BMO were awarded The Most Powerful Women in Banking Top Banking Team by American Banker magazine. She served as the Board Chair for BMO Harris Financial Advisors, is on the Board of Directors for the Joffrey Ballet, and dedicates her time and resources as a founding member of blood cancer support organizations. Oleari holds a BS in Finance with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is Series 65 licensed. Paul Tromp, a financial professional since 2000, spent the first two years of his career as an international tax consultant with Arthur Andersen. He then moved on to BMO, where he was a lead relationship manager and financial planner serving high net worth clients. His attentiveness and expert advice fostered a loyal and dedicated client base. Tromp earned a BA in Accounting from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) professional. CLIENTS FRONT AND CENTER "We'll do everything that we can to help our clients reach their wealth accumulation, financial well-being, and legacy goals,' said Tromp. "Having embraced the fiduciary standard, we will always put clients' needs first. As an independent Registered Investment Advisory firm, we have complete freedom to make this standard the cornerstone of our practice, enabling us to offer an approach to client service and an investment philosophy that is uniquely ours." "We are excited to be able to offer our clients expanded access to investment solutions," added Berman. "By using industry-leading technology solutions, we can provide clients with a real-time, on-demand, customizable financial experience with which we can collectively track their progress. At Trifecta, there are no one-size fits all solutions." "We have been told repeatedly by our clients that their relationship with us brings them confidence and peace of mind," Oleari said. "This is music to our ears. Our ability to listen intently and collaborate with our clients makes all the difference." ABOUT TRIFECTA CAPITAL ADVISORS Trifecta Capital Advisors is a privately-owned SEC Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) based in Northbrook, IL. Founded in 2022, the firm provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to individuals and families. For additional information, please visit: www.TrifectaCapitalAdvisors.com. MEDIA CONTACT Grace Voglezang Impact Communications, Inc. 800-974-7753 / 913-649-5009 [email protected] SOURCE Trifecta Capital Advisors Newly appointed trustees join the governing body responsible for developing Clark Atlanta's mission as a leading HBCU. Tweet this "The momentum continues at Clark Atlanta University as we tirelessly work to provide a world class education for our scholars, to prepare them to excel and be competitive among the top students in, not just our country but, the world. We can only accomplish this goal by ensuring that our leadership have a vested interest in student development and can assist us with providing our scholars with preeminent opportunities that will open doors for them in all industries," said President George T. French Jr., Ph.D. Dr. Pickard is known for creating a new generation of entrepreneurs with Millionaire Moves Seven Proven Principles of Entrepreneurship, vision/attitude, opportunity, relationships, talent/skillset, financial, failure and faith. His forty-five-year entrepreneurial career began as a McDonald's franchise in Detroit, Michigan. Since its founding the Global Automotive Alliance, (GAA) has generated more than $5 billion dollars in sales with eight plants in the U.S. and Canada. Pickard has served on several non-profit and business boards including Asset Acceptance Capital Corporation, Michigan National Bank, LaSalle Bank, Business Leaders for Michigan, National Urban League, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce and is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. "I am honored to join the Board of Trustees for Clark Atlanta University, an institution with such a long history of excellence in higher education. Without a doubt CAU is an example of how to produce notable graduates who change the world. It has and continues to be a model of service within higher education," said William F. Pickard, Ph.D. "My pledge is to continue in the tradition of visionary and servant leadership as shown by a former son of LaGrange, GA Mr. John Thomas King, who served this great institution as a trustee from 1870 to 1920." Mr. Bryant, considered by many Fortune 500 CEOs as 'a conscious on capitalism,' is a prominent thought leader on financial literacy, financial inclusion, economic empowerment and financial dignity. He has most recently been named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Most Influential Atlantans" and one of Georgia Trend Magazines' "Notable Georgians". Bryant is the chairman and chief executive officer of Bryant Group Ventures and The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-controlled owner of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the U.S. Both Operation HOPE and The Promise Homes Company have experienced explosive growth under Bryant's leadership, 553% from 2014-2018, and 303% from May 2017 to present, respectively. Five past U.S. presidents have recognized his work, and he has served as an advisor to three former sitting U.S. presidents, from both political parties. He is responsible for financial literacy becoming the policy of the U.S. federal government, and is the only American citizen to cause the renaming of a building on the White House campus, changing the name of the US Treasury Annex Building to the Freedman's Bank Building, in honor of the Freedman's Bank of 1865, chartered to 'teach freed slaves about money,' or the financial literacy of that day and age. "This past year has confronted the world with an unprecedented set of challenges, and I look forward to helping the University enter a new chapter with the benefit of lessons learned and with a commitment to making Clark Atlanta University stronger than ever," said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE. "Together, our efforts will connect, support and empower CAU graduates who are serving their communities and continuing the centuries-long tradition of using their talents to impact change in unexpected ways." Bryant was also recently named the first Entrepreneur Scholar-in-Residence at CAU's School of Business Administration. To learn more about Clark Atlanta's Board of Trustees, click here or visit the website at www.cau.edu About Clark Atlanta University Established in 1988 by the historic consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869). Clark Atlanta University continues a 150-year legacy rooted in African-American tradition and focused on the future. Through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement. CAU cultivates lifted lives that transform the world. Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing "The Black National Anthem"; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu. MEDIA CONTACTS: Jolene Butts Freeman 404-456-8371 [email protected] Lalohni Campbell 303-593-7145 [email protected] SOURCE Clark Atlanta University "Online degree programs are an excellent option for those seeking the greatest value out of their education." Tweet this "Everyone is looking for the highest quality education at the lowest price tag," says College Consensus founder Jeremy Alder. "With fewer external expenses involved, online education is an excellent option for those seeking the greatest value out of their degree." To determine The 50 Best Value Online Colleges, College Consensus considered schools with at least three fully-online bachelor's degree programs and the lowest full-time, out-of-state tuition rates. The results of respected college ranking systems were then combined with thousands of real student reviews to create a unique meta-ranking. This approach provides a comprehensive and holistic view missing from other college rankings. The Top 10 Best Value Online Colleges & Universities for 2022 are: Western Carolina University Eastern Illinois University University of North Dakota Southern Illinois University-Carbondale University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Westfield State University University of South Florida University of Wisconsin-Stout California State University-East Bay Florida International University Visit the ranking to see the full list of 50 schools. "Budget-conscious students and families deserve to know their options when it comes to low-cost online education," continues Jeremy Alder. "By listing the top Consensus-ranked online schools in order of affordability, our ranking of the Best Value Online Colleges & Universities allows students to instantly see what are the best schools at the best price for an online degree." In addition to offering an innovative approach to college and graduate school rankings, College Consensus also offers expert advice and guidance on all aspects of college life, from finding the perfect college, to getting accepted, paying for it, applying to and attending graduate school, and finding a professional path after graduation. This list is a feature of our Annual Consensus Rankings. Throughout March and April, College Consensus will be publishing dozens of new national, regional, and state college rankings for 2022. For information on leveraging this award, winners may contact College Consensus' licensing partner, Wright's Media, at [email protected]. Facebook Twitter Instagram SOURCE College Consensus Report highlights progress on key environmental, social and governance (ESG) data CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced the publication of its Fiscal 2021 Citizenship Report, which shares the company's progress against key ESG initiatives and actions that support each of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The report details Conagra's efforts to nourish people, the planet and communities, and focuses on four different topic areas: Good Food, Responsible Sourcing, Better Planet and Stronger Communities. Highlights from the report include: Strengthening an inclusive culture: As part of Conagra's comprehensive D&I strategy, the company introduced inclusive behaviors, which provide employees with a common framework for fostering unity and effectively working across differences, launched new professional development programs for people of color to advance racial equity and enhance leadership capabilities, and made progress on 2025 representation goals related to women and people of color. In addition, for the seventh year in a row, Conagra achieved a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. As part of Conagra's comprehensive D&I strategy, the company introduced inclusive behaviors, which provide employees with a common framework for fostering unity and effectively working across differences, launched new professional development programs for people of color to advance racial equity and enhance leadership capabilities, and made progress on 2025 representation goals related to women and people of color. In addition, for the seventh year in a row, Conagra achieved a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. Announcing approximately 93% of packaging materials by volume 1 were renewable, recyclable or compostable: To combat the growing issue of waste from plastic packaging, Conagra made meaningful progress on its goal to make 100% of its current plastic packaging renewable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. To combat the growing issue of waste from plastic packaging, Conagra made meaningful progress on its goal to make 100% of its current plastic packaging renewable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Innovating through sustainable operations: Through its 12 th annual employee-led Sustainable Development Awards program, the company conserved 64 million gallons of water, decreased its carbon footprint by 91,000 metric tons, reduced waste by more than 12,300 tons and minimized material use by 17.6 million pounds. Through its 12 annual employee-led Sustainable Development Awards program, the company conserved 64 million gallons of water, decreased its carbon footprint by 91,000 metric tons, reduced waste by more than 12,300 tons and minimized material use by 17.6 million pounds. Donating 30 million pounds of food to Feeding America and its network of food banks, which is the equivalent of 25 million meals: Conagra continued its longstanding partnership with Feeding America, the nation's leading hunger relief nonprofit, to fight food insecurity in the communities its employees call home. "At Conagra, Integrity is among our timeless values: we work hard to do the right things and do things right. Every day, our employees exhibit their commitment to Integrity by building more sustainable production and business practices, advancing our culture of belonging and giving back to help end food insecurity in our communities," said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of Conagra Brands. "I am grateful to our team for their continued commitment to nourish our people, the planet and our communities." In addition, the report includes supplementary ESG data addressing the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards, elements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, and CDP disclosures related to climate change, water stress and deforestation. Data in the 2021 Citizenship Report primarily covers the company's fiscal year 2021, which ended May 30, 2021, unless otherwise specified. To read Conagra Brands' Fiscal 2021 Citizenship Report in its entirety, please visit www.conagrabrands.com. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, and Slim Jim, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.ConagraBrands.com. 1 Estimates are based, in part, on industry-wide average weights and post-consumer recycled content levels, guided by best practices on environmental footprint accounting. For more information, please contact: MEDIA: Tim Wrona 312-549-5400 [email protected] SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. New evaluation framework offers a holistic, value-driven way to measure the success of healthcare innovations BOSTON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) launched a new value-driven framework for evaluating healthcare innovations. In contrast to existing frameworks, the new fit-for-purpose evaluation framework captures both financial and quality-of-life effects, reflects value over various periods of time, gathers perspectives from all stakeholders, and assesses effects on both the individual and the system of care. As the boom of healthcare innovation continues, investment in relevant technologies requires large upfront costs with an expectation of improved outcomes and adequate returns downstream. Large investments in healthcare innovations will only continue to accelerate, all the while the COVID-19 pandemic continues pressuring systems to evolve to be more effective, efficient, and resilient. However, the lens through which we evaluate healthcare innovations has largely been disconnected from the reality of how care is delivered and experienced. Previous frameworks to evaluate the value of healthcare innovations have been limited in focus because of pressures from third-party payers, typically being restricted to analyses of economics, not quality of life; to assessments of population- or individual-level benefits, not both; and to measurements only at a specific time point, not over time. To address these needs, VHA collaborated with DiMe to develop an evidenced-based framework based on an extensive review of over 30 years of literature and recent interviews with subject matter experts. VHA is already deploying this new, fit-for-purpose evaluation framework across its innovation portfolio to ensure that the investments it makes will return to our Veterans and the support systems that care for them. The VHA is free of the considerations that the rest of the healthcare industry faces, making it uniquely positioned to lead this effort for a few key reasons. Firstly, the VHA is not under the influence of third-party payers motivated heavily by per-member-per-month cost. Rather, the VHA supports Veterans from the moment they retire from service for the rest of their lives, making it worthwhile to strategically invest in solutions for both near-term and long-term value for Veterans, the people who care for them, and taxpayers. Secondly, the VHA cannot "cherry-pick" select populations to serve based on payer mix or location. It must serve all the 9+ million Veterans who rely on it for care, considering both the health of the individual as well as the system in place to care for them. "The VHA has an opportunity unlike any other, and we feel confident that this new evaluation framework will serve as a powerful reference for any decision maker in healthcare who is trying to make the right choices about the proliferation and innovation opportunities they face today," says Jennifer Goldsack, CEO of DiMe. "DiMe is thrilled to partner with the VHA on this work, which has the potential to be successfully adopted by the rest of the healthcare market and initiate a new way of measuring success." "Technology is moving quickly and it's hard for Veterans like me to keep up. I'm proud to know that VHA is pushing the boundaries of how innovative healthcare can not only serve me and my 9 million fellow Veterans, but also set an example for the rest of the industry at large," says Michael Borges, Veteran Patient, Retired U.S. Airforce. The new evaluation framework creates a blueprint for the wide array of stakeholders to pursue and realize the true value of innovations in a challenging healthcare system, now and in the future. About the Digital Medicine Society: The Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) is the professional society serving the digital medicine community, driving scientific progress and broad acceptance of digital medicine to enhance public health. At DiMe, our commitment to fully integrating experts from all of the disciplines comprising digital medicine is unwavering. From regulators to white-hat hackers, ethicists to engineers, and clinicians to citizen scientists, we are proud to welcome all experts committed to ensuring that digital medicine realizes its full potential to improve human health. Join us ! Media Contact: Jamie Gray, [email protected] SOURCE Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) Raise Co-Led by Carbon Direct Capital Management, Ahren Innovation Capital, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, for first major deployment This growth capital, one of the largest private financings in direct air capture to date, will finance the first deployment of Heirloom's low-cost, scalable direct air capture process. In the year since launch, Heirloom has made a major breakthrough in accelerated carbon mineralization, and built a team of engineers and scientists from institutions like Tesla, Plenty, Google, Apple, Berkeley , and Penn. , and Penn. At gigaton scale, Heirloom's technology has the lowest peer-reviewed cost of any direct air capture process in the world. Heirloom has attracted forward-thinking, sustainably minded companies like Stripe, Shopify, Klarna, and more as customers. SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Heirloom, a direct air capture company permanently removing CO 2 from the atmosphere, announced today that it has raised $53MM in a Series A funding round co-led by Carbon Direct Capital Management, Ahren Innovation Capital, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, with The Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund as an additional participant. Alice Newcombe-Ellis of Ahren will join Heirloom's board of directors. The IPCC has made it clear that we need to permanently remove tens of billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to keep global temperature rise below 1.5. The funding, among the largest private financings in direct air capture to date, will help Heirloom to scale by funding their continued research and development, and their first deployment. "The costs of Direct Air Capture have to come way down to make a meaningful impact on climate change," said Shashank Samala, Co-founder and CEO at Heirloom. "Utilizing low cost, earth abundant minerals as a sponge for CO2 is key to making the economics work. In the 10 months since we launched, we've made a breakthrough in the rate we take up CO2 from the atmosphere, giving us a clear path to ultra-low cost, highly scalable carbon removal, and achieving our mission to help reverse climate change." Heirloom is fundamentally changing the carbon removal space. By using abundant and affordable minerals, a simple, modular system, and leveraging mature technology and infrastructure, their technology has the lowest peer-reviewed, at-scale cost of any direct air capture technology on the market. The Series A financing also includes investments from leading climate funds and entrepreneurs, including Breyer Capital, Grantham Environmental Trust, Chris Sacca's Lowercarbon Capital, Marc Benioff's TIME Ventures, Carbon Removal Partners, and Seven Seven Six. Over the last year, Heirloom has also received grant funding from the ARPA-e and the National Science Foundation. "Carbon removal is essential to hit our climate goals," said Jonathan Goldberg, founder and CEO of Carbon Direct. "Heirloom's vision is to remove 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2035 and deliver cost-effective direct air capture. Heirloom is already being deployed, and Carbon Direct is excited to work with Heirloom to hyper-scale its critical technology." "To limit the planet's warming to 1.5C, we need to combine significant carbon reductions with carbon removal from the atmosphere. Our catalytic investments in durable direct air capture technologies like Heirloom aim to drive mainstream adoption by bringing down the green premium through large-scale deployment," says Mark Kroese, General Manager, Sustainability Solutions at Microsoft. About Heirloom Heirloom's mission is to remove 1 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2035. Founded in 2020 by repeat entrepreneurs and invented by the world's leading experts in carbon dioxide removal, their technology enhances natural processes to help minerals absorb CO2 from ambient air in days rather than years. By combining the best of engineering and nature, Heirloom is able to offer the most cost-effective and scalable direct air capture solution on the market. To learn more, visit www.heirloomcarbon.com. About Carbon Direct Carbon Direct combines scientific expertise, technology and financial capital to scale carbon management into a global industry. Our investment business - Carbon Direct Capital Management LLC - makes direct investments into leading carbon management technology companies. Our advisory business - Carbon Direct Inc. - works for corporate clients to fulfill their carbon management commitments. Carbon Direct's team of world-renowned carbon scientists has a critical understanding of the risks and opportunities of carbon technologies. The firm has offices in New York City and Seattle. To learn more, visit www.carbon-direct.com About Ahren Innovation Capital Ahren Innovation Capital is an investment institution that supports transformational companies at the cutting edge of deep science and deep tech. A group of highly diverse, creative and original thinkers leading their domains, Ahren Innovation Capital believes in taking considered risk that will deliver superior rewards capturing a generational opportunity to provide smart capital to deep technology. With a philosophy espousing the importance of relationships and trust, Ahren Innovation Capital provides long-term capital and support to exceptional founders and teams, empowering them to achieve the unimaginable. About Breakthrough Energy Ventures Founded by Bill Gates and backed by many of the world's top business leaders, BEV has raised more than $2 billion in committed capital to support cutting-edge companies that are leading the world to net-zero emissions. BEV is a purpose-built investment firm that is seeking to invest, launch and scale global companies that will eliminate GHG emissions throughout the economy as soon as possible. BEV seeks true breakthroughs and is committed to supporting these entrepreneurs and companies by bringing to bear a unique combination of technical, operational, market and policy expertise. BEV is a part of Breakthrough Energy, a network of investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, policy advocacy and other activities committed to scaling the technologies we need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Visit www.breakthroughenergy.org to learn more. SOURCE Heirloom LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ciriaco "Cid" Pinedo, Ed.D., has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF), one California's largest nonprofits, providing social services to over 125,000 people annually across seven counties. Martin Castro recently retired after 21 years as MAOF's President and CEO. Pinedo will begin as MAOF's CEO on April 18, 2022. A respected executive and educator with over 20 years of experience in nonprofit, government, academic, business, and religious organizations, Pinedo was most recently the CEO of the Children's Fund. He previously served as the President of the Hope Through Housing Foundation, the COO of the National Community Renaissance, and Associate Superintendent of Business Services and Economic Development for Chaffey Community College. "MAOF's programs uplift the whole family, serving everyone from infants to seniors. We are thrilled to have Cid Pinedo at the helm, not only for the breadth of experience and perspective he brings, but also because he embodies the values, heritage, and history of MAOF," said Board Chair, Anita Quinonez Gabrielian. "On behalf of the Board and the 875 dedicated employees of MAOF, we are grateful for the incredible legacy that Martin Castro has left and look forward to welcoming Cid as our new CEO." Pinedo currently serves on the boards of the Los Angeles County Fair Association Corporation, the Riverside Art Museum - Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and History, and the Luminarias Mental Health Services Institute. He is also a Commissioner for the San Bernardino County Housing Authority and a member of the Funders Alliance of San Bernardino. "As the son of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation college graduate, I feel it is my personal obligation to provide access and support to anyone who lacks the resources to actualize their future story," Pinedo said. "As CEO of MAOF, I am very honored to work with the board, staff and all levels of the community to effectuate transformational change for families in California." Pinedo holds a BA in Philosophy from St. John's Seminary College in Camarillo, a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Management from the University of La Verne and was bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Union Institute & University. The appointment of Pinedo follows a thorough recruitment process overseen by MAOF in partnership with Envision Consultinga nonprofit consulting firm with offices in Los Angeles and New York, specializing in executive search, organizational strategy, merger exploration and executive leadership transitions. SOURCE Envision Consulting Smart mailbox developer had called regulatory relaxation earlier INDIANAPOLIS, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dan O'Toole, Founder and CEO of DRONEDEK, today lauded a federal aviation committee for recommending new regulations that would encourage drone-based package delivery in the United States. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) issued its report late last week. Dan O'Toole, DRONEDEK CEO "Our smart mailbox has the capacity to overhaul the global package delivery system and bring needed efficiency and environmental benefits," O'Toole said. "I'm happy to see progress being made that will allow the U.S. to catch up to other countries." O'Toole had earlier complained that countries like Ireland, Canada, Uganda, Rwanda are ahead of the U.S. in this niche market. The committee report notes that the use of UAS continues to grow and evolve globally: "The technology has proven to provide many societal and economic benefits and can be used as a critical tool to support numerous use cases and public safety efforts." Benefits include inspections of critical infrastructure, and delivery of medical supplies and packages to consumers, as well as public safety efforts including aiding with disaster recovery, wildfire response, and search and rescue missions. The new recommendations call on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to: Set an acceptable level of risk for UAS consistent across all types of operations being performed that will enable the FAA to adopt a common and consistent set of regulations and guidance to operators. Modify right of way rules to accommodate UA operations. Create an operator qualification to cover topics associated with Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) and shielded UAS operations, and create a new Remote Pilot certificate rating to cover BVLOS operations beyond the scope of the extended Part 107 rating. Establish a new BVLOS Rule which includes a process for qualification of UA and UAS, applicable to aircraft up to 800K ft-lb of kinetic energy. Adopt a non-mandatory regulatory scheme for third party services to support UAS BVLOS operations. Industry experts project double digit growth in the drone delivery sector in the next few years, if regulations ease and guidelines are established. The FAA rules include "line-of-sight" requirements for the drones, as well as privacy and safety concerns for flights. DRONEDEK's "mailbox of the future," is a platform-agnostic, smart receptacle designed to consolidate all deliveries to one secure and connected point. Each unit accepts all types of deliveries from any carrier; traditional, robotic, autonomous, and drone delivery are all compatible with our units. DRONEDEK keeps all delivered items secured (and away from porch pirates, weather, and animals) until the user with access retrieves it. About DRONEDEK: DRONEDEK is one of the first companies in the world to focus on drone delivery for commercial and residential use. Its smart mailbox enables customers to fully automate their delivery process for the last inch of the last mile. See the mailbox and learn more at DRONEDEK.com Media Contact Cheryl Reed 317-446-5240 [email protected] SOURCE DRONEDEK Experience research technology platform doubles growth while partnering with world's most innovative companies to develop industry-leading products CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- dscout, the fast-growing remote experience research technology platform, announced today it has secured $70 million in Series C funding led by Guidepost Growth Equity. The new capital will fuel the company's rapid market expansion, continued technology and product development, and hiring initiatives. Chris Cavanagh, general partner of Guidepost, will join the company's board, as well as Brett Schnittlich, former president and board member of Guidepost portfolio company, Lucid, which was acquired in December 2021 by Cint Group AB for $1.1 billion. With 73 percent of consumers pointing to a product's experience as the main purchasing driver, organizations around the world are looking for ways to scale quality experience research to meet the growing demands of the market. This is why hundreds of the world's most innovative companies in industries ranging from technology to financial services to healthcare and CPG turn to dscout's experience research technology platform to scale their research efforts and design superior products and experiences. Dscout provides organizations with the technology tools and services to recruit for and conduct moderated and unmoderated research and analysis with flexibility and depth, producing human insights critical to the product innovation process. The infusion of capital will accelerate dscout's investment in further democratizing the platform, enabling team members across every role and organization to access and gather actionable research insights. "Guidepost is a true partner to dscout, pulling from their deep experience scaling innovative platforms, particularly in the broader research technology space," said Michael Winnick, dscout founder and CEO. "With both Chris and Brett joining the board, we gain not just financial support, but industry and operational expertise that will influence how our product and business can continue to harness technology to bring deep insight into organizations with unprecedented speed and scale." "Modern businesses know that deep human understanding is the foundation of building incredible products and services. The old way of doing things basic surveys, collecting surface-level data without focusing on why the data exists is no longer enough to stay competitive," said Chris Cavanagh, Guidepost general partner. "Dscout has fundamentally transformed the way in which organizations conduct research and gather deep, critical insights and its growth and performance to date leave no doubt that it will continue to grow its lead in the experience research and innovation sector." dscout is being advised on the transaction by Lightning Partners and Goodwin Procter LLP. Guidepost Growth Equity is being advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP. About dscout: dscout is a leader in experience research, enabling the world's most innovative companies to unlock human insight at scale. dscout's flexible remote research technology platform allows organizations to handpick research participants, field a multitude of moderated and unmoderated methodologies, accelerate analysis, and create impactful, media-rich research deliverables. Learn more at dscout.com. About Guidepost Guidepost Growth Equity is a leading growth equity firm that partners with technology companies offering innovative solutions in large, dynamic markets including application software, data and information services, infrastructure software and services, and tech-enabled services. Current and prior investments include Dyn (acquired by Oracle), Jive Communications (acquired by LogMeIn), Lucid (acquired by Cint Group AB), Mineral, OutSystems, ProtoLabs (IPO on NYSE), and WP Engine. Guidepost Growth Equity provides the flexible capital, operational support, and strategic guidance necessary to support the continued success of growth-stage businesses and has over $1.6 billion of capital under management. For more information, please visit our website at guidepostgrowth.com. Media Contact: Abby Hunt, [email protected] SOURCE dscout Company adds to previous contribution of $150,000 with additional $100,000 to support fisheries, water quality, research. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a recent contribution of $150,000, Duke Energy Florida is donating an additional $100,000 to Coastal Conservation Association Florida (CCA Florida) the state's leading organization dedicated to marine fisheries conservation, education and advocacy. The recent donation was announced at CCA Florida's Manatee County Chapter Banquet and Auction on March 3. The funds will add to a previous $150,000 contribution from Duke Energy and the Duke Energy Foundation to support CCA Florida's efforts to bring new reef systems to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as test new approaches to clean up fish kills after red tide. "There is no better time than now to invest in environmental organizations like CCA Florida, the true champions of marine conservation in our state," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Duke Energy's continuous collaboration is about so much more than being good environmental stewards; it's about supporting an organization that we believe will have a lasting impact on our communities." CCA Florida and the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association (MBARA) plan to deploy a new artificial reef off of Mexico Beach later this year, which will include the installation of three super reef structures, 10 grouper disc structures and five Florida limestone pyramid structures on a nearshore pre-permitted reef site. All three reef structure types are easy for boaters to find and safer to navigate, making them attractive to fishermen. The mixed array also provides greater habit structure diversity, which attracts more species of fish. "From creating ecosystems to enhancing fisheries, our work is driven by the purpose to improve Florida's marine habitat for today and generations to come," CCA Florida Executive Director Brian Gorski said. "Our efforts are amplified when we have community partners like Duke Energy and its dedicated staff that believe and invest in our mission." Eric Latimer, with Duke Energy's Environmental Services team, was also recognized at the event for dedicating three decades to replenishing Florida's fish populations through his work at the Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Citrus County. In addition, he became an honorary CCA Florida Legacy Member, a coveted lifetime membership. As part of a multifunctional and multiyear process to rebuild and maintain game fish stocks, Duke Energy Florida will continue collaborating with CCA Florida and expand its release efforts along the East Coast this summer. To date, the partners have released more than 100,000 redfish and spotted sea trout along Florida's West Coast providing abundant fishing opportunities to recreational anglers. Learn more about Eric Latimer, the Duke Energy Mariculture Center and Duke Energy's unique collaboration with CCA Florida in this article on the company's illumination website. CCA Florida The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) was founded in 1977 after drastic commercial overfishing along the Texas coast decimated redfish and speckled trout populations. One of 19 state chapters, CCA Florida became the fifth state chapter in 1985. A 501(c)3 nonprofit, CCA's purpose is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. Through habitat restoration projects, water quality initiatives and fisheries advocacy, CCA Florida works with its over 18,000 members including recreational anglers and outdoor enthusiasts to conserve and enhance marine resources and coastal environments. Join the conversation on Facebook or learn more at ccaflorida.org. Duke Energy Florida Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), owns a diverse generation mix of natural gas, coal and renewables, providing about 10,200 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.9 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area. Media contacts: Duke Energy Audrey Stasko Cell: 315.877.3031 Media line: 800.559.3853 Coastal Conservation Association Florida Mary Hillyer Walther Phone: 407.617.0604 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Duke Energy Upgrade to Microsoft's Newest Operating System FREMONT, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Durabook, the global rugged mobile solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, announced today that its current line* of rugged products is fully compatible with and ready to be upgraded to the new Windows 11 operating system. Microsoft will be providing current owners/users a free upgrade to the new OS in the first half of 2022. Upgrade timing will vary according to devices, with users receiving a notice from Microsoft that they can upgrade their device. Product owners can then choose to upgrade now or on a later date. Durabook Announces Its Full Line of Rugged Computers is Windows 11 Readyindows 11 Ready "As a Microsoft direct-support manufacturer, Durabook always implements the latest technology to provide our customers the best-customized solutions along with comprehensive technical support," said Twinhead CEO Fred Kao. "We couldn't be more excited about the new Windows 11 operating system. In addition, we have actively tested our entire line of rugged devices to ensure each product is compatible with it and that integration is uncomplicated and seamless." Windows 11 is a faster, simpler, more cyber-secure operating system that provides instant productivity. Empowering today's professional workforce, it allows users to: Optimize screen space and workflow by keeping essential apps and information at hand with pre-configured snap layouts and snap groups that intelligently adapt to the size and dimension of the device's screen. Pick up where they left off simply by clicking the desired snap group in their toolbar. Create multiple virtual desktops that keep unrelated, ongoing projects organized. With multiple desktops, users can manage and switch instantly between projects and work streams at the click of a button. They can even open multiple windows to handle multiple applications simultaneously. Integrate Microsoft Teams into their taskbar to provide seamless collaboration with limitless connectivity anywhere, anytime, in an office, or the field. Windows 11 is the operating system for hybrid work environments. It delivers new experiences that allow users to work the way they want (including enhanced touch and pen features, integrated voice typing, and multi-finger gesture capabilities). It is also secure by design and easy and familiar for IT personnel to deploy and manage. All built on the foundation of consistency and compatibility that Windows 10 was known for. Designed with security in mind, Windows 11 features built-in hardware-based isolation, proven encryption, and Microsoft's most robust protection yet against malware. In addition, it ensures comprehensive protection from chip to cloud with a cross-device access. Current Durabook users and owners wanting more information regarding the Windows 11 operating system should visit https://www.durabook.com/en/windows-11/. * Includes all rugged products currently listed on Durabook.com: laptops Z14I, S15AB, S14I; tablets R11, R11L, U11. ABOUT DURABOOK Durabook has been the core brand of Twinhead International Corporation in Taiwan, a world-renowned manufacturer of rugged mobile solutions for more than 30 years. All Durabook devices are designed, manufactured, and tested to the highest standards to ensure maximum quality and reliability. Committed to engineering and service excellence, Durabook products have been widely adopted by government and enterprise customers, including oil and gas, utilities, field service, military, and public safety for more than a decade. For more information, visit www.durabook.com. PR Contact: Susan van Barneveld / Rita Lee Copernio (714) 891-3660 [email protected] All products/services and trademarks mentioned in this release are the properties of their respective companies. 2022 Twinhead International Corp. All rights reserved. SOURCE Durabook Our ESG Evaluation of 79 reflects Edenred's unique role in improving working conditions for its clients' employees and facilitating governments' policies to communities through its focus on benefits and wellbeing. The evaluation further reflects the company's actions to mitigate its already-limited exposure to environmental risk, particularly with regard to waste. Also, we expect Edenred to strengthen its management of indirect greenhouse gases. Finally, although the company has exposure to governance risk from operations in countries with relatively lower governance standards, predominantly Brazil, its governance standards are generally in line with those of France. Edenred's effective strategic planning and decision-making processes anchor its strong preparedness to address long-term risks and opportunities in its industry, and deploy its ambition to become "the everyday companion for people at work." In tandem, the company's strong culture contributes to effective execution of its strategy. For instance, it did not halt capital expenditure throughout the pandemic, with this supporting its long-term business. Edenred is a services company headquartered in France that provides transactional solutions to organizations, their employees, and partner merchants. The company's solutions fall into three business segments: employee benefits (61% of revenue in 2021), fleet and mobility solutions (26%), and complementary solutions (13%), which includes its Corporate Payments solutions (such as business-to-business payments). Services are concentrated in Europe (64% of revenue in 2021) and Latin America (28%). What Is An ESG Evaluation? S&P Global Ratings' ESG evaluation is a cross-sector, relative analysis of an entity's capacity to continue to operate successfully. 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S&P Global Ratings, 55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041 SOURCE S&P Global Ratings BANGALORE, India, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Emergency Lighting Market is Segmented by Type (Self-Contained Power System, Central Power System, Hybrid Power System), by Application (Residential, Commercial, Industry)): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212027. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Lamps & Lighting Category. The global Emergency Lighting market was valued at USD 5645.3 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 9064.4 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.0% during 2021-2027. Major factors driving the growth of the emergency lighting market: Government regulations for industrial emergency lighting, as well as an increase in the number of construction projects around the world, are expected to propel the emerging lighting market forward. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-J416/Global_Emergency_Lighting_Market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING MARKET: The emergency lighting market is growing due to an increase in construction projects and government regulations for industrial emergency lighting in various countries. Most newly constructed buildings now have emergency lighting installed during the construction process. Furthermore, the easy availability of low-cost, attractive lights is expected to have an impact on the emergency lighting market's growth. The preference for design-driven emergency lights is one of the most recent market trends. Manufacturers and lighting designers are now emphasizing the aesthetic aspect of emergency lights, as it plays an important role, particularly in places like hotels, architectural structures, and homes. The positions and appearance of emergency lights are causing concern among end-users. Vendors are increasingly introducing visually appealing emergency lights that do not jeopardize safety. During the forecast period, this is expected to create lucrative opportunities for Emergency Lighting market players. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-J416/global-emergency-lighting EMERGENCY LIGHTING MARKET SHARE Based on type, the self-contained power system is expected to be one of the most profitable. Independent of the central battery system, self-contained batteries provide the required emergency lighting from a decentralized source. Based on application, the Residential segment holds the largest market share. The demand for this segment is being fueled by factors such as the increased construction of residential buildings and apartments in the APAC and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) regions. China has the most export quantity and manufacturers in the Emergency Lighting market, while Europe is the second-largest sales volume market. Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-J416/Global_Emergency_Lighting_Market By Company Philips Schneider MPN Acuity Brands Ventilux Eaton ZFE Hubbell ABB Mule LINERGY Legrand Clevertronics Emerson STAHL Notlicht Olympia electronics electronics Zhongshan AKT RZB Inquire for Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-J416/Global_Emergency_Lighting_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-J416&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: - Global LED Emergency Lighting Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Intelligent Fire Emergency Lighting and Evacuation Indication System Market Research Report 2021 - Global Off-grid Hybrid Power System Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Commercial Emergency Lighting Sales Market Report 2021 - Global Emergency Ceiling Light Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Emergency Lighting Inverters Market Outlook 2022 - Global Central Emergency Lighting Inverter Market Research Report 2022 - Global Central Emergency Lighting Inverter Market Research Report 2022 - Global Emergency Lighting Tethered Drone Market Research Report 2021 Click here to see related reports on Emergency Lighting Market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports LinkedIn - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports Equipment market share across the country indicates significant competition and customer choice on EnergySage, even as solar prices increase slightly for the first time BOSTON, Mass., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EnergySage has released its fourteenth semiannual Solar Marketplace Intel Report , which covers dynamic pricing, equipment, and consumer preference trends shaping today's U.S. residential solar and energy storage industries. The report analyzes millions of transaction-level data points generated by quotes sent to homeowners shopping on EnergySage.com in 2021 for solar panels and batteries from solar companies in 37 states and Washington, DC. This report continues to serve as a leading indicator of 2022 market trends and beyond. Below are three key insights from the latest Solar Marketplace Intel Report, which can be downloaded for free in its entirety at energysage.com/data . By a slim margin, solar prices increase for the first time For over seven years, the quoted price of solar has decreased on EnergySage every six months. For the first time since 2014 when EnergySage began tracking prices, that trend reversed. Though minor, the quoted price of solar increased by 0.4 percent, most likely due to the effects of supply chain constraints and shortages. More people are purchasing solar panel systems with energy storage capabilities Consumer interest in energy storage remains high; 70 percent of customers request storage quotes when creating their EnergySage accounts. The demand for solar-plus-batteries has translated to higher attachment rates as well. In 2021, 13 percent of residential systems installed through EnergySage included energy storage, up from 9 percent in 2020 and climbing. Equipment market share varies widely at the state level Costs, consumer preferences, and installer offerings all shift significantly geographically. In 73 percent of the states where EnergySage operates, solar shoppers received quotes including 10 or more different equipment pairings in 2021 a strong sign of significant competition and customer choice on EnergySage. Silfab remains the most quoted panel brand in the most states, while Enphase remains the most quoted inverter brand in the most states. "With solar prices on the rise, albeit slightly, the data in this latest report really speaks to the importance of, and the levels of, transparency, competition, and comparison-shopping offered on EnergySage," said EnergySage CEO and founder Vikram Aggarwal. "Our Marketplace helps consumers easily evaluate their options so that they can find the right solution for their needs at a fair price, all without sacrificing equipment quality." EnergySage is the country's leading online comparison-shopping marketplace. This latest report furthers the company's mission to make renewables like rooftop solar, energy storage, and community solar more accessible and affordable through unbiased information, transparency, and choice. For questions and feedback about this or previous reports, please contact [email protected]. About EnergySage, Inc. EnergySage is the leading online comparison-shopping marketplace for rooftop solar, energy storage, project financing, and community solar. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, EnergySage is trusted by over 10 million consumers across the country to help them make smarter energy decisions through simplicity, transparency, and choice. Unlike traditional lead-generation websites, EnergySage empowers consumers to request and compare competing quotes online from a network of more than 500 pre-screened installation companies a formula that is proven to result in a higher rate of adoption, 20 percent lower prices on average for consumers, and significantly lower costs for renewable energy providers. For these reasons, leading organizations like DSIRE, Environment America, Intuit, Kaiser Permanente, and National Grid point their audiences to EnergySage. Visit EnergySage for more information, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Twitter , and YouTube . SOURCE EnergySage, Inc. BOSTON and MONTREAL, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - enGene Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering novel non-viral gene therapies for local administration into mucosal tissues enabled by its proprietary DDX platform, today announced the appointment of James C. Sullivan, PhD, as its Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). In his role as CSO, Dr. Sullivan will lead research and development efforts that focus on new ways to expand the use of the company's gene therapy platform and assets. Dr. Sullivan's experience includes end-to-end drug development across multiple therapeutic modalities and IND and s/NDA filings. He has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications. "I have been very impressed with the entire enGene team and its platform technology," stated Dr. Sullivan. "I believe that I am joining the organization at an incredibly momentous time in its history. By leveraging our unique platform, we are capable of creating so many opportunities for meaningful gene therapies that will benefit patients' lives around the globe. The tremendous potential of our pipeline and technology, combined with the compelling clinical results of enGene's NMIBC trial, has firmly positioned us to develop first-and best-in-class therapies." Dr. Sullivan joins enGene from Translate Bio, a Sanofi company, following its $3.2 billion acquisition in 2021, as Senior Vice President, Head of Pulmonary Discovery where he assisted in the development and advancement of mRNA therapeutics across rare and common diseases. Dr. Sullivan was also an Executive Director focused on cell and gene therapy at Sana Biotehnology, responsible for building the translational science function and build-out for clinical trial design and PK/PD biomarker development for gene therapy programs. At Vertex Pharmaceuticals, he was an s/NDA team member for several innovative products, including, Kalydeco, Orkambi, Symdeko, Incivek, as well the first-ever CRISPR-based gene editing therapeutic product for the treatment of certain hemoglobinopathies. Dr. Sullivan obtained his PhD in Biology at Boston University. "We are remarkably excited to welcome James to the enGene team," said Jason Hanson, Chief Executive Officer at enGene. "James is joining enGene at a pivotal time as we continue to see strong results emerge from our Phase 1/2 registrational study for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC). He brings an extensive range of expertise that spans basic research and clinical development, along with a robust track record of developing and executing innovative strategies that have realised significant impacts on patients' lives. We look forward to his scientific expertise as we grow our portfolio of genetic medicines for mucosal tissues and expand the clinical development repertoire of EG-70 for difficult-to-treat cancers." Editor's Notes About enGene's DDX platform - EG-70 Based on enGene's DDX platform, EG-70 is a novel non-viral gene therapy encoding two RIG-I agonists to stimulate the innate immune system, and IL-12 to stimulate the adaptive immune system. By stimulating both arms of the immune system, intravesically administered EG-70 yields remarkable tumor regression in preclinical models of bladder cancer, with induction of effective immunological memory and minimal signs of toxicity. About the LEGEND study The LEGEND study, both first-in-human and first-in-class, is an open-label, monotherapy, multi-center, dose-escalation trial evaluating safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy of EG-70 administered by intravesical instillation. To learn more about the first-in-human clinical trial of EG-70 in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov. For additional information about the LEGEND study, please visit thelegendstudy.com. About enGene Inc. enGene Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies based on localized delivery of nucleic acid payloads to mucosal tissues. The dually derived chitosan (DDX) platform has a high-degree of payload flexibility including DNA and various forms of RNA with broad tissue and disease applications. In preclinical models, enGene's DDX technology has been demonstrated to effectively induce expression of therapeutic genes following delivery to the lung, gastrointestinal tract and urinary bladder. Engene has developed scalable GMP-compliant manufacturing of DDX products. http://www.engene.com Note regarding forward-looking statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on currently available data and information. These forward-looking statements fall within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "target," "believe," "expect," "will," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "would," "positioned," "future," and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on enGene's current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions that by definition involve risks, uncertainties, that are difficult to predict and are subject to factors outside of management's control and that could cause actual results to differ substantially from statements made including but not limited to: risks associated with the success of preclinical studies, clinical trials, research and development programs, as well as regulatory approval processes. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. enGene has no approved drugs available for sale marketing at this time and may never have an approved drug. You are cautioned not to rely on enGene's forward-looking statements, which are only made as of the date hereof. The Company is under no obligation to update these statements. SOURCE enGene DUBLIN, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Europe Online Payment Fraud and Security 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. As online payment transactions become more numerous, so do the forms of potential fraudulent activities. B2C E-Commerce losses due to online payment fraud were expected to increase by over 10% worldwide in 2021. Card fraud in E-Commerce comprises more than two-thirds of all card fraud in the UK, and many institutions are implementing increased online security precautions to address consumer concerns. For example, payment habits in the UK and Germany have been influenced by this need for more security and its lack of security discourages many Spanish shoppers from making purchases on social networks. Online-payment-related fraud on the rise Losses incurred from online payment fraud are on the rise worldwide and are projected to have more than doubled in the five-year span between 2018 and 2023. In the European region, and most prominently in the UK, consumers are altering their payment habits post-COVID-19 in search of greater security. In Germany, two out of every three of E-Commerce companies has identified a noticeable rise in fraudulent activities. Over 85% of online retailers in Switzerland reported having been victims of fraud. Questions Covered in the report: What are the top reasons behind changes in payment habits in several countries in Europe amid COVID-19? amid COVID-19? How large are the losses to fraudulent online payment activities in the European E-Commerce market? How important is the consideration of online payment security to digital buyers in Europe ? ? Which preventative measures are being taken against online payment fraud, globally and in the UK? What are the different types of fraud experienced by the various countries in Europe ? Key Topics Covered: 1. Management Summary 2. Global Developments Overview of Online Payment Fraud Trends, February 2022 Overview and Updates of Payment Authentication Solutions, February 2022 Breakdown of Digital Banking Fraudulent Transactions, by Channel, incl. Mobile App, in %, Q3 2019 - Q2 2021 Value of B2C E-Commerce Losses to Online Payment Fraud, in USD billion, 2020 & 2021e Value of Consumer Losses To Fraudulent Robocalls, in USD billion, 2021e & 2022f Top Important Factors in Consumers' Online Experience, in % of Consumers, September 2021 Number of Users Making Online Payment With Facial Recognition, in billions, 2020 & 2025f Number of Users Who Will Be Confirming Transactions With Voice Recognition, in millions, 2020 & 2025f Attitudes Towards Interaction With Business Online, incl. Purchasing, in % of Adult Consumers, January 2021 3. Regional Reasons for Changed Payment Habits During COVID-19, in % of Consumers, by Austria , Bulgaria , Germany , Italy and the UK, April 2021 , , , and the UK, Share of Online Retailers Who Experienced Fraud/Attempted Fraud in the Past 12 Months, in %, March 2021 4. UK E-Commerce Fraud Loss on UK-Issued Cards, in GBP million, and Share of Total Card Fraud, in %, 2015 - 2020 Value of Fraud Losses Committed on a UK-Issued Credit, Debit or Charge Card, by UK and International Location, in GBP million, H1 2018 - H1 2021 Top Reasons For Changes in Payment Method Habits Changes Amid COVID-19, in % of Consumers, April 2021 Share of Adult Consumers Who Use More Security Steps While Online, in %, January 2021 5. Germany Share of E-Commerce Companies Who Stated that Fraud Had Risen Sharply/Very Sharply, in %, March 2021 Share of E-Commerce Companies Who Stated That Fraud Had Risen Due To COVID-19, in %, March 2021 Top Reasons For Payment Method Habits Changes Amid COVID-19, in % of Consumers, April 2021 6. France Most Trusted Payment Methods, by Degree of Confidence, in % of Adults, October 2021 Fraud Risks in Payment Methods, by Type, and by Importance Degree, in % of Adults, October 2021 Top Situations of Being a Victim of Fraud, by Degree of Fear, in % of Adults, October 2021 7. Spain Breakdown of Reasons for Never Purchasing on a Social Network, in % of Online Shoppers, 2020 & 2021 8. Italy Top Reasons For Payment Method Habits Changes Amid COVID-19, in % of Consumers, April 2021 9. Austria Share of Respondents Who Have Been Victims of Internet Fraud, in %, November 2020 Top Internet Fraud Types Experienced, in % of Respondents, November 2020 Top Important Factors When Shopping Online, in % of Respondents, September 2021 Top Reasons For Payment Method Habits Changes Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, in % of Consumers, April 2021 10. Switzerland Share of Online Retailers Who Have Been Affected by Fraud, in %, 2021 Companies Mentioned American Express Discover Financial Services JCB Mastercard Inc UnionPay Visa Inc For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ga2u0u About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Leader in video analytics and AI technology continues to invest in strengthening its executive team with appointment of recognized security industry veteran. DALLAS, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolon Technology, Inc., a developer of proprietary software technology that takes surveillance video and turns it into real-time actionable information, has been actively expanding its leadership team, and today announced that Tom Galvin has joined the executive team as Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Galvin will lead all research and development (R&D) and engineering efforts as the company advances its video analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) offerings. Galvin comes to Evolon from ACRE who acquired Razberi Technologies in 2020, a company he helped found and where he served as Chief Product Officer. With over 25 years of industry experience, Galvin is renowned for his expertise in the development of video management software used for the electronic security and surveillance industry and is the inventor of seven patents, including the Razberi ServerSwitch. Prior to Razberi Technologies, Galvin served as the executive leader of product management and product development at GVI Security. Prior to GVI, he was the president and founder of NetVideo Consulting where he provided strategic product consulting to manufacturers and software vendors for video surveillance products. Galvin was a product leader responsible for product management and development at General Electric Security and served as vice president of product development at Verint. Galvin started his telecommunications career at MCI Telecom, which is now Verizon, where he was responsible for developing network-based intelligent services. He also held senior engineering roles with Rockwell Collins and Boeing. Galvin earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University and a MBA from the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business. "We couldn't be more pleased to welcome someone with Tom's professional pedigree to Evolon," said Kevin Stadler, Evolon's CEO. "He is a proven leader and technical visionary of the highest caliber, and we're extremely fortunate to have him join our executive team. We're confident that he'll quickly help us accelerate our efforts to bring better, faster, and cheaper solutions to market." Galvin will make his first public appearance as Evolon's CTO at ISC West at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas from March 23rd to March 25th. He will be available for comment in the company's booth (#4050) on the expo floor throughout the conference as time permits. About Evolon Technology, Inc. Evolon (formerly Jemez Technology) provides advanced, highly accurate perimeter surveillance software technology for critical infrastructure protection and central station monitoring, and its patented software & analytics transform video security cameras and security systems into smart devices by eliminating nuisance alerts. Evolon's award-winning edge-based video analytics and AI/deep learning solutions are fully scalable for commercial and government organizations that require real-time situational intelligence to enhance security effectiveness and to reduce the potential for loss due to criminal activity or business downtime. Evolon was founded by a talented team of former engineers and scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory, with decades of national security experience in the design and deployment of advanced surveillance technologies. For more information, visit www.evolontech.com. Evolon and the Evolon logo are registered trademarks of Evolon Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SOURCE Evolon Technology, Inc. Industry first solution solves life sciences' need for a modern, secure, compliant, and universally accepted connectivity platform for communication and collaboration between organizations, healthcare professionals, and patients NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EXEEVO, a global enterprise SaaS leader focused on revolutionizing healthcare professional and patient experiences for life sciences organizations, announces its first in-application, all-device solution creating native integration between Exeevo Omnipresence and Microsoft Teams. Compelling features of the integration with EXEEVO Omnipresence and Microsoft Teams include: "The Microsoft Teams integration enables life sciences organizations to communicate with healthcare professionals and patients using the familiar Teams platform across EXEEVO Omnipresence enabling a collaboration-centric organization wide channel." Tweet this Native integration : communication flows effortlessly and in real-time between Omnipresence and Teams with the ability to launch Teams from within Omnipresence, or to link an activity to Omnipresence from within Teams, whether for events, meetings, calls, or chat. : communication flows effortlessly and in real-time between Omnipresence and Teams with the ability to launch Teams from within Omnipresence, or to link an activity to Omnipresence from within Teams, whether for events, meetings, calls, or chat. Meeting Capabilities: users have access to the full range of Omnipresence and Teams capabilities, including the ability to add or share content before and during a meeting, obtain customer consent, capture signatures, create sample drops and sales orders. users have access to the full range of Omnipresence and Teams capabilities, including the ability to add or share content before and during a meeting, obtain customer consent, capture signatures, create sample drops and sales orders. Real-time audio, video, and presentation controls: in addition to the Omnipresence functionality, all Teams features are enabled, including gallery and speaker view, whiteboard, audio and video recording, translation, meeting notes creation, and more. Meetings are scalable from 1 to over 1000 participants in a live face-to-face session, fully tracked within the EXEEVO Customer Experience Platform for the entire organization to benefit. in addition to the Omnipresence functionality, all Teams features are enabled, including gallery and speaker view, whiteboard, audio and video recording, translation, meeting notes creation, and more. Meetings are scalable from 1 to over 1000 participants in a live face-to-face session, fully tracked within the EXEEVO Customer Experience Platform for the entire organization to benefit. Device and browser agnostic: compatibility assured in desktop, tablet, and mobile environments including iOS, Android, and Windows operating systems and browsers. Plus, you can use your computer and phone together in meetings conflict free, for more flexible communication sharing and control. compatibility assured in desktop, tablet, and mobile environments including iOS, Android, and Windows operating systems and browsers. Plus, you can use your computer and phone together in meetings conflict free, for more flexible communication sharing and control. Robust cyber security: the integration provides Microsoft Team's adherence to world-class cyber security standards ISO 27001 and SSAE16 SOC, along with integrated mobile device management to help keep data safe and secure. The Exeevo Omnipresence Teams integration is available March 2022; with the first customer Go-Live representing over 1,800 sales representatives, interacting with over 150,000 healthcare professionals, conducting a projected 200,000+ remote meetings quarterly. "At EXEEVO, we are committed to eliminating barriers to create efficient and productive environments that improve how life sciences companies communicate and collaborate with their customers and stakeholders, as well as internally," said Derek J. Evans, Chief Growth Officer. "Our integration provides companies with a secure, feature-rich, and familiar communications experience across the EXEEVO Customer Experience Platform, enabling users access to the extensive and growing range of Teams features to deliver the best possible experience. This important advance was made possible due to our deep strategic relationship with Microsoft and industry partners." "Microsoft Teams provides partners with an extensible platform on which they can deliver digital-first technology-forward solutions to better support the Life Sciences industry," said Casey McGee, Vice President, Global ISV Sales, Microsoft. " Integrating native Microsoft technology like Teams into EXEEVO Omnipresence helps accelerate EXEEVO's ability to modernize workflows while also improve workplace collaboration and communication. This allows EXEEVO to better equip life sciences organizations with technology that helps care teams and healthcare professionals stay connected while concentrating on patients' wellbeing." Discover EXEEVO Omnipresence here. Additional Information For information on EXEEVO, visit: https://www.exeevo.com/mission Connect with EXEEVO on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/exeevo Follow EXEEVO on Twitter: twitter.com/Exeevo_com Like EXEEVO on Facebook: facebook.com/exeevoinc About EXEEVOTM Exeevo is a global leader in customer relationship management (CRM) for the life sciences industry. Our unified sales, marketing, and patient experience solutions are powered by our omnichannel customer experience platform which synchronizes touchpoints across customers, accelerates the delivery of insights, and creates hyper-personalized experiences for healthcare professionals and their patients. Exeevo serves 1,000's of subscribers from pharmaceutical medical device organizations in over 30 countries. Headquartered in New York, Exeevo has offices in India, Europe, and North America. Sales: Derek J. Evans Exeevo [email protected] Media: Cynthia Ruffino Exeevo [email protected] SOURCE Exeevo Inc. TORONTO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FabriikX continues to enhance its unique, curation-focused NFT platform, launched earlier this year, with the addition of new private collections from the likes of award-winning Italian artist, Marco Biscardi. Alongside the new collection, Fabriik has launched a secondary marketplace that allows NFTs, previously purchased on FabriikX, to be resold. Through the secondary marketplace customers can buy, sell and re-sell NFTs directly with other collectors and get paid instantly. Plus, there are no minting or transfer fees, and all data lives directly on-chain. Marco Biscardi is an award-winning Italian painter and photographer whose artworks have been widely exhibited on a national level, as well as in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Educated at NUCT Cinecitta Studios in Rome where he originally studied cinematography, he won the Italian National Prize for Contemporary Art organized by ArteMuseiRoma in 2016. His vibrant contemporary pieces echo the great catastrophes of the past through the lens of modern contradictions. He firmly believes that NFTs can empower artists and democratize the art industry. Marco's collection, entitled ORIGINS , features 40 unique NFTs comprised of a series of tiles, with each tile being a separate NFT. There is only one NFT of each tile available. Each tile is digitally hand painted and features spots of paint creating drips, on single colour, contrasting backgrounds. Marco: "NFTs are revolutionizing the existing trading model in the art market, especially for digital art. NFTs are poised to reshape the art world. They are changing not only how art is bought and sold, but also what kind of art we value, and which artists. With NFTs transforming the way we buy, sell, and perceive art, we cannot forget art in the original context." "Everything is moved by pure, simple art. As we progress into this world of digital art, let's reflect on what inspired us to get here in the first place. How can you represent art more than paint dripping on a flat background? With this completely digitally hand-painted collection, I want to look both ahead and back at the same time. To close the loop, I've had to come back to the ORIGINS." He added: "I chose to work with FabriikX for two main reasons. They are the only platform to offer a curated marketplace, focusing on the digitisation of high-end art. Secondly, they mint onto the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain which is far faster, more secure and cheaper than any other blockchain. With others, you can pay more in fees than you make on the NFT, but with BSV and FabriikX you can reach a wide audience and be profitable." Lior Cyngiser, Business Operations Lead for FabriikX: "We are delighted to be welcoming Marco Biscardi to FabriikX. He is a highly respected and established artist who has fully embraced the opportunity NFTs offer to professional artists and was looking for the type of curated experience only FabriikX is offering." He added: "The secondary marketplace is an exciting extension for us as it means we are now able to offer customers the opportunity to re-sell their NFTs direct to interested buyers, something which has not existed until now." Other artists' NFT collections scheduled to drop this month include Diddy Wheldon's second collection of landscape paintings coming to FabriikX on Monday 21 March, followed by Guy Holmes, Mayson Heald and Nestor Andreev, who all have NFTs scheduled to drop w/c 28 March. About FabriikX FabriikX is a new kind of NFT marketplace experience. Built on the power of the BSV blockchain, FabriikX offers expertly curated exclusive content from top creators within arts, sports, and music, as well as NFTs from the best creative minds in our community. To Fabriik, NFTs are much more than just digital collectibles they are experiences that connect collectors with the creators and communities they care about most. Its Inaugural Community Collection featured 145 artists and 600 unique pieces of artwork. Currently live on the platform are 538 available for sale. And there are 145 NFTs (from 44 new artists) scheduled for release in March. More from Fabriik Fabriik Money Button is a simple way to make or accept payments over the internet. Payments cost less than one cent and are almost instant. You can pay, tip, and buy BSV with its unique swipe feature. And now you can also trade crypto directly from your wallet too with Fabriik Weave a quick and effortless way to trade up to US$1000 in crypto per day. About Fabriik Fabriik is made up of a group of developers and innovators who are passionate about the opportunities an interconnected network of cryptocurrency products will bring to the world of finance. We see a better future for finance - where everything is digital, and anything is possible - where you can have full visibility of your money, all in one place, and it's easy to invest, trade, grow, and transform your assets, your way. We're building the tools to make this possible so that anyone can grow and spread their wealth - whether you're just starting to explore crypto and NFTs or you're fully invested in the advancement of blockchain technology. Fabriik. Reimagine Prosperity. Risk Warning: Trading in cryptocurrencies carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. You should consider whether you understand how cryptocurrencies work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. SOURCE Fabriik AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Christian Ray Flores, a former Russian pop star whose song Our Generation energized the youth to vote against the Communists in the 1996 presidential election, is now campaigning for Ukrainian refugees. The Co-founder of the Ascend Mission Fund, focusing on entrepreneurial humanitarian projects is a former Russian pop-star turned entrepreneur, evangelist, and investor based in Austin, TX. The Ukraine Relief Network uses a decentralized approach to quickly and flexibly reach refugees. Christian Ray Flores - Co-founder of the Ukraine Relief Network Christian Ray Flores - Co-founder of the Ukraine Relief Network Tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees are stranded in bomb shelters or seeking safety in relatives' apartments and villages. Any place that offers relative safety from the bombing, shelling, and street-to-street fighting. Most of these refugees leave their homes in a hurry, with only their clothes on their backs. They quickly ran out of the essentials: food, warm clothing, medicine, clean water, gas. Because they're in a war zone most of them do not have access to humanitarian aid. The Ukraine Relief Network uses a network of Christian churches on the ground, deeply connected to the local communities to find groups of people in need of immediate aid. The aid is dynamically distributed through "nodes" - coordinators on the ground who also provide mutual accountability and reporting for the aid being delivered. This decentralized network is able to quickly respond to needs in a constantly changing chaos of war providing essential supplies, organizing volunteer drivers to evacuate people from hot spots, helping people get to the border, where neighboring countries are providing more long-term help. The Ukraine Relief Network is quickly expanding to include Angel Partners: individuals, businesses, and non-profits looking to provide direct help for refugees and get daily updates on the ground from the people being helped through photos, videos on the AMF website, and Facebook Page. This active engagement in aid to Ukraine also means Christian Ray Flores is unable to travel to Russia under the current regime as a law has been passed that makes it a crime to speak out against the war, with jail time for up to 15 years as punishment. "My grandfather was Ukrainian, my grandmother was Russian. My two oldest daughters were born in Moscow and my youngest in Kyiv. The consequences for speaking out against the war are dire, but standing up against evil in this manifestation is not optional for me." - Christian Ray Flores Extra Information: The Ukraine Relief Network: www.ascendmission.fund/ukraine Ascend Mission Fund Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AscendMissionFund Christian Ray Flores newsletter: www.christianrayflores.com Pictures of Christian Ray Flores: Pic 1, Pic 2 Media contact: Karla Braithwaite +1 (973) 809-8343 [email protected] SOURCE Ascend Mission Fund SEOUL, South Korea, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors recognized global automotive thermal and energy management solutions supplier Hanon Systems as a 2021 Supplier of the Year. GM celebrated honorees at its 30th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona, earlier this week. GM's Supplier of the Year award recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding GM's requirements, in turn providing GM customers with innovative technologies and among the highest quality in the automotive industry. This year, GM recognized 134 suppliers from 16 countries with the Supplier of the Year distinction. This is the fifth consecutive year Hanon Systems has received this award, and the seventh honor in the company's history when Halla Climate Control Corp. was named GM Supplier of the Year in 1997 and 2000. "We are proud to again receive this award," said Nurdal Kucukkaya, president and representative executive officer of Hanon Systems. "This recognition validates the collaborative relationship we share with GM, and the strong focus of our talented global workforce to deliver value every day." "This year's Supplier of the Year event was special not only because it's the 30th anniversary of the program, but because it provided us with the opportunity to recognize our suppliers for persevering through one of the most challenging years the industry has ever faced," said Shilpan Amin, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "These top suppliers showed resilience and reinforced their commitment to pursuing sustainability and innovation. Through our strong relationships and collaboration, GM and our suppliers are poised to build a brighter future for generations to come." A global cross functional team selected the 2021 Supplier of the Year winners based on performance criteria in Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales and Logistics. About Hanon Systems Hanon Systems is a full-line supplier of automotive thermal and energy management solutions for electrified and conventional vehicles. Its offering includes a wide range of solutions in the areas of heating ventilation and air conditioning; powertrain cooling; compressor; fluid transport; and electronics and fluid pressure. The company currently operates 53 manufacturing sites and three regional innovation centers, and employs more than 21,000 people across 21 countries. To learn more, visit hanonsystems.com. About General Motors General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com. Follow Hanon Systems: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanonsystems YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6bSZ7NMg7LPhXDyTOMwebQ/feed SOURCE Hanon Systems Teams Compete In Photography Challenges, Sim Races, and Car Races to Win $5,000 for the Charity of the Winning Team's Choice LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the all new 2022 Toyota GR86, global esports organization Gen.G and Toyota are creating a three episode competition called "The GR86: Racers' Edge". Two teams, made up of Gen.G creators, auto influencers, and top racing talent, will use the GR86 to compete in photoshoots, a real life race at Willow Springs International Raceway, and a simulation race at the Gen.G Headquarters in Santa Monica. The winning team will win a $5,000 donation for the charity of its choice. Gen.G and Toyota Host The GR86: Racers EdgeTo Pit Gamers, Sim Racers, and Auto Racers in a Three Episode Contest Hosted by Sara Choi, the series features professional race car drivers Samantha Tan and Toyota Racing's own Ken Gushi, gaming content creators Peter Park and Jessica Kim, TheSimGrid Season 4 PRO-AM champion Elz Indrini, Editor-In-Chief of Pit+Paddock Samuel Du, auto enthusiast Joshua Sok, and TyrannoCyrusRex. "The GR86: Racers' Edge", airing on March 17, 21, and 24 on Gen.G's Instagram @GenGesports , will be judged based on the fastest race times between the two teams. Fans can learn more and watch the series at www.TheGR86RacersEdge.gg , or follow Gen.G @GenG or Toyota USA @Toyota on Twitter. "Toyota USA has been a great partner for Gen.G, and we're always excited to explore new territories with them and show how much the gaming and esports audience overlaps with car lovers," said Gina Chung Lee, Chief Marketing Officer for Gen.G. "It was super cool to see how the creators themselves fared in these challenges, and we know their communities will love following along." Gen.G and Toyota launched a similar esports and gaming partnership in 2021 with the "Toyota Sedan: Drive Your Game" campaign, a 10-day gaming stream virtual race that featured nine content creators on three teams, and the "Toyota Sienna Dream Builds", a week-long Minecraft build competition centered around the theme "Let's Go Places in Your Dream Ride". Both events involved leading content creators and influencers to engage fans in various competitions. To learn more about Gen.G, their recent partnerships and plans for the organization throughout 2022, visit https://geng.gg/ . SOURCE Gen.G Ultrafast grocery convenience company approaches 40 million downloads in nine countries CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Getir, the pioneer of ultrafast grocery delivery, announced today the close of its $768 million Series E funding round, bringing the company's valuation to $11.8 billion and cementing its position as a decacorn. Led by Mubadala Investment Company, the round included Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG), Alpha Wave Global, Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global as major investors. With this latest investment, Getir becomes Europe's first grocery delivery decacorn, having raised $2 billion to date. Since January 2021, Getir has been successfully realizing its ambitious expansion plans across Europe and the US, now reaching a total network of over 1,100 g-stores and close to 40 million app downloads across 9 countries, delivering almost one million orders daily. The latest investment will be utilized to further support Getir's rapid growth within the countries in which it operates, while solidifying its position as leader in the category it created. "We are defining the ultrafast delivery sector and this latest round of funding is a testament to Getir's position as industry pioneer. In such an exciting and competitive market we cannot afford to stand still. This investment will enable us to further develop our proposition and technology, as well as invest in our employees to continue to attract the best talent," says Nazim Salur, Founder of Getir. "Groceries represent one of the largest offline to online opportunities globally, led by fast-changing consumer habits which have accelerated online purchasing adoption. We believe Getir will continue to prove to be an industry leader as it expands into new categories and geographies. We remain impressed by management's ability to enter new markets whilst providing an exceptional customer experience. We are proud to continue our partnership with Getir as it embarks on the next phase of its growth," says Ibrahim Ajami, Head of Ventures and Growth at Mubadala. As of today, Getir has operations across three continents, delivering to customers in nine different countries. Founded in Turkey, Getir has expanded its operations to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and most recently the United States. Getir operates in all 81 cities in Turkey and 48 cities across Europe and the US. For investment related enquiries, please contact: [email protected] About Getir Getir is the ultrafast delivery pioneer. The tech company, based in Istanbul, has revolutionized last-mile delivery with its 10-minute grocery delivery proposition offering approximately 2,000 everyday items to its customers in minutes, 7 days a week, day and night. Getir is now operating in all 81 cities of Turkey and has launched operations in the UK in January, in the Netherlands in May, Germany and France in June, Spain and Italy in September, Portugal in October and the United States in November 2021. Getir is, first and foremost, a technology company that operates in retail and logistics. It was founded in 2015 by Nazim Salur (founder of BiTaksi, Turkey's leading taxi app), Serkan Borancili (founder of GittiGidiyor which was acquired by eBay in 2011) and Tuncay Tutek (ex-PepsiCo and P&G executive in Europe & the Middle East). SOURCE Getir Part of Givex platform rollout into 650 Foodtastic restaurants across 21 brands TORONTO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Givex Information Technology Group Ltd. ("Givex") (TSX: GIVX) is very happy to announce the successful installation of its leading-edge restaurant technology platform in 40 Milestones restaurants Canada-wide. With this latest round of installations, Givex has implemented its end-to-end technology solution in more than a third of Foodtastic's 650 restaurants across 21 brands. Today, 40 Milestones restaurants in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick use a full suite of Givex technology, including point-of-sale (POS), kitchen display, gift card and payment systems in addition to an online ordering app. Notably, the installations were completed in less than two months despite the challenges of the holiday season, winter weather and supply chain issues. "We are happy that Foodtastic selected Givex as its restaurant technology platform," said Mo Chaar, Givex chief commercial officer. "The Givex platform, including GivexPOS, gift cards, online ordering and [email protected], provides Foodtastic with full insight into their business so they can better serve their franchisees and customers," added Chaar. Foodtastic is a major player in the Canadian food and beverage business, with 650 restaurants across 21 brands, including Milestones, Second Cup and Pita Pit. It was Givex's technology, efficiency, service and the ability to quickly generate and provide relevant data that led Foodtastic to choose Givex as its restaurant technology partner when it decided to replace its legacy POS system. "Givex clearly supports its clients, and we are very happy with how well the platform rollout went, especially Givex's flexibility to work with our partners to ensure our restaurants have everything they need for operations," said Gerry Kakaroubas, Foodtastic vice president of operations. "Our staff adapted to the new system very well and are excited about the overall functionality of the GivexPOS system," he continued. About Givex Givex (TSX: GIVX) is a global fintech company providing merchants with customer engagement, point-of-sale, and payment solutions in a single platform. We are integrated with 1000+ technology partners, creating a fully end-to-end solution that delivers powerful customer insights. Our platform is used by some of the world's largest brands, comprising approximately 113,000 locations across more than 100 countries. Learn more at givex.com. SOURCE Givex "Hamilton Beach Brands was very pleased to partner with HealthBeacon in 2021 as the exclusive marketer and distributor of its Injection Care Management System in the US and Canada under a multiyear agreement. The system we are marketing is branded Smart Sharps Bin from Hamilton Beach Health powered by HealthBeacon," said Greg Trepp, president and CEO, Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc. "For the past several months, our companies have collaborated on the product launch and website development. We are in the beginning stages of launching a robust digital marketing campaign to drive awareness and sales of the Smart Sharps Bin and we are excited to offer this system to US consumers from our new direct-to-consumer website and Amazon. We plan to expand distribution with other online, pharmacies and brick-and-mortar retailers. We expect to launch in Canada in 2023," said Mr. Trepp. HealthBeacon CEO & co-founder, Jim Joyce said, "At HealthBeacon, it is our fundamental aim to make our advanced medication management system globally accessible. Our partnership with Hamilton Beach Brands will place us in a strong position to reach and support the millions of patients who need to take critical medications by injection in their homes. We are especially proud to be making this announcement in conjunction with our sponsorship of APhA 2022 Annual Meeting and Exposition. Pharmacists have a key role to play in bringing digital health solutions to patients, particularly solutions that focus on improving treatment adherence." "Over 9 million patients in the U.S. keep chronic and critical diseases at bay by learning how to self-administer injectable medication. Chronic conditions that require self-injection can be confusing and overwhelming and our goal with the Smart Sharps Bin from Hamilton Beach Health is simple: helping patients. Hamilton Beach is a brand consumers trust and with the Smart Sharps Bin, we look forward to making it easier for patients in the US to manage their injectable medications, stay on track with their treatment and safely manage the disposal of their used injectable medication," said Mr. Joyce. This novel digital health technology has the potential to transform care for patients on at-home injection therapies for a broad range of chronic conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, obesity and migraines. The Smart Sharps Bin provides intelligent medication management reminders, tracks injection adherence, offers 24/7 live customer care and provides for the safe and convenient disposal of used syringes through the U.S. Postal Service's approved mail-back program. The Smart Sharps Bin is FSA/HSA eligible. HealthBeacon pioneered the Smart Sharps Bin in 2014 and it is currently available in 17 global markets. HealthBeacon's innovative technology is not only seeking to reduce the burden of care on millions of patients that depend on injectable therapies but is proving its ability to do so through real-world data. To learn more about the Smart Sharps Bin, visit www.smartsharpsbin.com and follow along on Instagram @smart_sharps_bin and Smart Sharps Bin on Facebook About Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company is a holding company for Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc., a leading designer, marketer, and distributor of a wide range of branded small electric household and specialty housewares appliances, as well as commercial products for restaurants, fast food chains, bars, and hotels. The Company's consumer brands include Hamilton Beach, Proctor Silex, Hamilton Beach Professional, Weston, TrueAir, Brightline personal care products, and Hamilton Beach Health. Hamilton Beach licenses the brands for Wolf Gourmet countertop appliances, CHI premium garment care products, and Clorox air purifiers. Hamilton Beach markets the Bartesian premium cocktail delivery system through an exclusive multiyear agreement. Commercial brands include Hamilton Beach Commercial and Proctor Silex Commercial. For more information about Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company, visit the Company's website at www.hamiltonbeachbrands.com. The Company's brand websites include www.hamiltonbeach.com, www.proctorsilex.com, www.cloroxhomeappliances.com, www.smartsharpsbin.com and www.westonbrands.com. About HealthBeacon Limited Headquartered in Dublin, HealthBeacon is an Irish digital therapeutics company that develops products for managing injectable medications for patients in the home. The HealthBeacon Injection Care Management System tracks adherence and persistence with medication schedules through the provision of medication management reminders, safe and sustainable sharps disposal devices, educational tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) driven data analytics. The Company operates in 17 countries primarily across Europe, North America and the United Kingdom employs more than 50 people and has obtained more than 30 design and utility patents. Peer reviewed evidence supports a 26% improvement in therapy adherence by patients, which improves clinical outcomes and significantly improves efficiency in health systems. The Company's mission is to become the world's leading digital therapeutics platform for injectable medications. SOURCE Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company SEOUL, Korea, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive thermal and energy management solutions supplier Hanon Systems (KS:018880) today announced it is launching a new plant in Hubei, China, which reinforces the company's increasing support to automakers in the electrified vehicle segment. The new plant will manufacture heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) modules for electrified vehicles. "Hanon Systems continues to grow its global business by investing in the design of innovative eco-friendly automotive solutions and supporting automakers in the electrified vehicle segment," said Min Sung, president and chief executive officer of Hanon Systems. "This site demonstrates the company's commitment to support global vehicle manufacturers operating in China with locally supplied solutions." The site includes about 6,000 square meters (approximately 65,000 square feet) of manufacturing space that will incorporate standardized global manufacturing and business processes, state-of-the-art and energy-efficient equipment, and room for expansion to address future business needs. Production is expected to begin in early-2023 and yield approximately 100 new jobs in the local market. Hanon Systems has a long history designing and manufacturing HVAC modules. This experience enables the company to provide a suite of solutions to automakers that satisfies an increasing range of requirements to optimize performance, improve fuel efficiency, improve in-cabin air quality and deliver passenger comfort. About Hanon Systems Hanon Systems is a full-line supplier of automotive thermal and energy management solutions for electrified and conventional vehicles. Its offering includes a wide range of solutions in the areas of heating ventilation and air conditioning; powertrain cooling; compressor; fluid transport; and electronics and fluid pressure. The company currently operates 53 manufacturing sites and three regional innovation centers, and employs more than 21,000 people across 21 countries. To learn more, visit hanonsystems.com. Follow Hanon Systems: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanonsystems YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6bSZ7NMg7LPhXDyTOMwebQ/feed SOURCE Hanon Systems "Howard Cox has been a champion of improving health care in our country for decades," said HBS Dean Srikant Datar. "His visionary leadership, extensive expertise, and formidable intellect have driven change at some of the largest health care organizations in the country. I am delighted that his ongoing support for HBS will help ensure that the next generation of leaders can transform this space. He truly exemplifies our mission of making a difference in the world." With nearly 50 years of experience founding, advising, and growing health care firms, including major players like Stryker Corp., Cox has witnessed the sector's evolution first-hand. He knows that leaders with great management skills can have a significant impact and he believes that funds derived from reducing health care expenditures could be used to improve education and increase wages, helping to close the income and opportunity gap. "The US spent close to 20 percent of its gross domestic product on health care in 2020, the highest by far among developed countries. Health care also has doubled as a share of total government expenditures in the last three decades," said Cox. "Improving health care in the US should be a team effort, with doctors focused on improved outcomes and managers focused on improved efficiencies with the goal of reducing health care costs as a percentage of GDP. I hope that my gift will inspire other alumni to contribute to the Health Care Initiative to further magnify its impact." Cox's belief in a team approach led him to encourage and help fund the establishment of the Health Care Initiative at HBS in 2005, believing that the school's resources and capabilities could enable it to be especially impactful. "Dean [John] McArthur was an important figure in the health care sector in Boston and he and I shared a passion for making it better," said Cox. "When Kim Clark became Dean, John and I discussed with him how HBS could make a difference by playing a big role in improving health care in this country and how I wanted to help make that happen by providing the initial funding to establish a health care initiative at the school. Dean Clark agreed, and continued to invest in it, as has every dean since, and that's why I want to continue investing in HBS." The Health Care Initiative impacts managerial practice and the pace of innovation by educating leaders and innovators who aspire to improve value across the health care industry. The Initiative fosters and promotes faculty research, supports the development of a portfolio of high-impact educational programs, and creates an interconnected HBS health care community. Since launching in 2005, the Initiative has spurred groundbreaking research and engaged with thousands of business and medical professionals to create a thriving community focused on understanding and improving health care. In recognition of this commitment, the School named the Health Care Initiative faculty chair position in Cox's honor. "It would be hard to overstate the significance and lasting impact of Howard's gift to the Health Care Initiative," said Robert Huckman, Howard Cox Health Care Initiative Faculty Chair and Albert J. Weatherhead III Professor of Business Administration. "Improving the health care system is one of the greatest management challenges of our time. This gift will significantly increase the annual funding available for this important work and enable us to conduct research and engage the community in novel ways. We're honored that Howard continues to invest in our work and we're humbled by his support of our efforts to put the insights of that work into practice." Cox was born in New York City in 1944. His father, Howard Ellis Cox [MBA 1939], was a decorated World War II pilot, New York attorney and Long Island developer. His mother owned and operated Ann Cox, Inc, a New York fashion design firm. Cox attended Princeton beginning at the age of 16, graduating in 1964. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1967 and HBS in 1969. Following service in the U.S. Army on assignment to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he joined Greylock Partners in 1971. During his career, he led more than 30 successful investments. In addition to Stryker, the health care and life sciences investments included American Medical Systems; Amisys Managed Care; Arbor Health; Centene; Landacorp; Lunar; Meditech; Promega; Rehab Systems; and VHA Long Term Care. In 2003, Cox, together with Greylock founding partners William Elfers, Daniel Gregory and Charles Waite and fellow General Partner Henry McCance, received the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of having helped to build more than 250 companies and nurture numerous leading-edge products in a wide range of areas, including information technology, health care, telecommunications, and software. In addition to his work with Greylock, Cox has devoted much of his time to national security issues, chairing the Finance and Investment Committee of In-Q-Tel, which brings new technologies to the U.S. intelligence agencies, and joining the Business Executives for National Security, the Brookings Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Defense Business Board, which advises the Secretary of Defense on best business practices. "The HBS Health Care Initiative has helped to shape management practice in the field for more than a decade, but it might never have existed were it not for the vision, tenacity and generosity of Howard Cox," said Richard Hamermesh, MBA Class of 1961 Professor of Management Practice (Retired) and founding Faculty Chair of the HBS Health Care Initiative. "Howard was not only patient with us as we got the Initiative off the ground, he was also generative with ideas and insights. We benefited so much from his counsel, and he really helped to build the foundation for what exists today." The Health Care Initiative also recently named a new director, Michael Gaines (MBA 1996), who spent the past 25 years in biotech and pharmaceutical organizations building a career in marketing, corporate, and brand strategy. He held a broad range of leadership roles in both U.S. and global bio/pharma organizations, and most recently founded Gaines Biopharma Consulting as he recognized that there were many small- and mid-sized clinical-stage organizations that needed experienced leadership to launch brands and help pursue strategic partnership. He will bring that same spirit of mentorship, collaboration, and innovation into his role at HBS. About Harvard Business School Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 200 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 70 open enrollment Executive Education programs and 55 custom programs, and HBX, the School's digital learning platform. For more than a century, HBS faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching to educate leaders who make a difference in the world, shaping the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe. Media Contacts Mark Cautela [email protected] (617) 495-5143 Nicholas Parmelee [email protected] (781) 210-5027 SOURCE Harvard Business School Members and community leaders honored with leadership and communications awards NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of Business Communicators' Nashville chapter (IABC Nashville) has honored local members with individual 2021 leadership awards. The awards honored individuals who have made significant contributions to IABC Nashville and the communications profession and were announced during January and February's professional development events. "We're proud to have so many outstanding communicators and contributors as part of our IABC Nashville Chapter," said Kristin Appelman, IABC Nashville president. "These awards celebrate individuals who spend countless hours supporting our chapter and the communications profession." Receiving the Rising Star Award is Michael Payne, who is the social media manager at Tennessee Performing Arts Center and has served as IABC Nashville board secretary and now president-elect. The Rising Star Award honors those with less than 10 years of professional experience who are young, dynamic leaders who are shaping the future of IABC. Jessica Hopson, senior account supervisor at Lovell Communications and former IABC Nashville VP of Communications received the Communicator of the Year Award. This award annually recognizes professionals who have demonstrated excellence in communication and leadership and have more than 10 years of experience. Finally, Paul Ladd, senior correspondent and Director of Listener Response at World Christian Broadcasting received the Hall of Fame Award. "Paul has been a staunch supporter of our chapter for decades now and has served both at the chapter and regional level, including serving as chapter president more than once," said Birdie Loeffler, former president of IABC Nashville and nominator of Paul. "He is highly accomplished in his communications career and you'd be hard-pressed to find an important public figure he hasn't interviewed over his lengthy and impressive career. He exhibits constant professionalism and is an upstanding member of our organization." To learn more about IABC Nashville and its upcoming programs, visit Nashville.IABC.com or on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to learn more. About IABC Nashville IABC Nashville is the local chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, serving middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky. The Nashville chapter is one of more than 100 chapters in 70 countries, with a mission to provide professional development and networking opportunities to members, as well as the larger communications community. In 2017, they received the Small Chapter of the Year Award for outstanding efforts to bring professional communicators together in significant and inspiring ways. The chapter is diverse, with members representing agencies, government, corporations, universities, and nonprofit organizations. IABC Nashville also offers ties to job bank services and the annual Music City Gold Pen Awards program. IABC is the only place to connect with communicators globally. SOURCE IABC Nashville "We are honored to welcome Marie Swift into the community. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to make an impact on the business world," says Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils. Tweet this "We are honored to welcome Marie Swift into the community," said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Agency Council. "Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social, capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world." Forbes Councils is a collective of thought leaders, drawn from selective communities. The Forbes Agency Council is a space for leaders and executives of PR, media, creative and ad agencies to form meaningful connections and build a community. As an accepted member of the Forbes Agency Council, Swift will pursue initiatives that highlight her public relations knowledge and professional influence. This includes working with the editorial team at Forbes to share her insights on Forbes.com, contributing to Q&A panels alongside other industry leaders, and publishing original content themed around her area of expertise. ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). Members are respected leaders and executives who are selected for the council based on the depth and diversity of their experience as leaders in the communications industry. Criteria for acceptance includes a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. Learn more at https://councils.forbes.com/forbesagencycouncil. ABOUT IMPACT COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Marie Swift is President and Chief Executive Officer of Impact Communications, a full-service marketing communications and PR firm established in 1993. In August 2020, she and her colleagues initiated the "Conversations That Matter" project with strategic support from the Advisory Solutions arm of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. The project, which entailed original research, content creation, and promotional efforts, won a "Wealthies" Award from WealthManagement.com in September 2021. Additional awards for the Conversations That Matter project were conferred in 2021 by APEX Awards for Publication Excellence (Grand Award Campaigns, Programs and Plans), and the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) (Award of Distinction Integrated Campaign / Business-to-Business). Swift is currently a member of the Forbes Agency Council. In 2021, Swift was honored as a Luminary Class of 2021 by ThinkAdvisor.com. Learn more about Swift and Impact Communications at: www.ImpactCommunications.org. Contact: Grace Vogelzang Impact Communications, Inc. 913-649-5009 [email protected] SOURCE Impact Communications Personalized tumor-informed assay helps patients get ahead of cancer SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, today announced full access to its Personalized Cancer Monitoring (PCMTM) platform to help detect minimal or molecular residual disease (MRD) in patients with solid tumors. Invitae PCM uses a novel set of personalized assays based on a patient's tumor to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood, offering the ability to perform risk stratification, response assessment to treatment and detection of cancer recurrence, based on recent studies. "Relapse risk stratification is a clinical need for many patients undergoing treatment for solid tumors and is best served by up-to-date molecular tools to complement and improve upon the standard of care methods for recurrence detection," said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., chief medical officer, Invitae. "The PCM platform complements current monitoring methods, and has the ability to determine a cancer therapy's effectiveness earlier than those methods for many patients, allowing clinicians the opportunity to refine treatment options." Over the past several years, research from Invitae and the greater scientific community, including the TRACERx study led by Professor Charles Swanton at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London (UCL), and funded by Cancer Research UK, has shown that MRD monitoring can reliably identify lung cancer patients at high risk of relapse, detect post-surgical recurrence often earlier than standard imaging, assess therapy response, and potentially act as a surrogate for clinical trial endpoints. With these capabilities, MRD monitoring promises to shorten clinical trials and accelerate the development of potentially life-saving new drugs. Invitae PCM is a pan-cancer, tumor-informed liquid biopsy assay, co-developed with the TRACERx consortium, that uses a next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze ctDNA in a patient's plasma. "MRD is an important biomarker in the adjuvant and surveillance period," said Professor Charles Swanton, MBPhD, FRCP, FMedSci, FRS, FAACR, at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL Cancer Institute and Chief Clinician of Cancer Research UK. "As we've seen in the TRACERx study, PCM provides prognostic information, can aid in cases of radiographic ambiguity, and demonstrates high clinical sensitivity and specificity." Liquid biopsy tests have been available for therapy selection, but to identify MRD at an earlier stage than conventional methods before patients clinically relapse, the technology must be sensitive enough to detect ctDNA at very low levels. Additionally, an MRD test with high specificity is also needed to reduce the likelihood of false positive results. The PCM test utilizes advanced technologies to arrive at high levels of sensitivity and specificity, detecting tumor DNA at very low levels of concentrations in peripheral blood. Validation studies demonstrate greater than 99.9% sensitivity in detecting ctDNA at a 0.008% variant allele frequency. "We are excited about PCM availability globally, as this is an evolving area where we have invested over the last year and we believe has the potential to give patients the information needed to understand their recurrence risk to fight and beat the disease," said Sean George, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Invitae. Each assay is custom designed to detect a patient's unique tumor signature, allowing for personalized results to guide treatment decisions. Invitae PCM requires both blood and tumor tissue samples from the patient to conduct tumor-normal whole exome sequencing (WES). Based on the results, Invitae's proprietary algorithm selects 18-50 tumor-specific variants to include on the patient's custom-designed ctDNA panel. This range of variants allows for a balance of highly sensitive and specific MRD detection in cancers that have lower or higher mutational burdens. If an MRD-positive result is obtained at any point in a cancer patient's journey, the clinician and patient can discuss the implications of the result and the most appropriate treatment or clinical trial options. "This molecular knowledge impacts cancer patients throughout their cancer journey, making this a mainstay in precision oncology," said George. Invitae is actively expanding the research portfolio globally to continue to gather data on PCM clinical utility as well as MRD-guided studies. Invitae anticipates multiple publications this year across its PCM studies in lung, breast, head and neck, and GI tumors as well as several prospective studies kicking off in the first half of the year. These prospective studies include a pan-tumor study ( MARIA ) and several studies in breast and GI cancers, including ARTEMIS, a study examining Invitae's PCM offering specifically for patients with pancreatic cancer. The study will be conducted in partnership with a high profile institution near Tokyo, the National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. Sample collection will begin in Q2 2022. For more information about Invitae PCM, visit Invitae . About Invitae Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com . About TRACERx Study TRACERx (TRAcking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)) lung study is the single biggest investment in lung cancer research by Cancer Research UK. Taking place over nine years, we believe the translational research programme is the first study to look at the evolution of cancer in real time and in immense detail. Researchers follow patients with lung cancer all the way from diagnosis through to either disease relapse or cure after surgery, tracking and analysing how their cancer develops. TRACERx is led by the University College London via the Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence and also supported by the National Institute for Health Research, University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Francis Crick Institute and the Rosetrees Trust. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the availability, features and potential impact of the company's PCM platform; the company's beliefs regarding the benefits of MRD monitoring; and the company's plans to continue to gather data on PCM clinical utility and conduct MRD-guided studies. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the company's history of losses; the company's ability to compete; the company's failure to manage growth effectively; the company's need to scale its infrastructure in advance of demand for its tests and to increase demand for its tests; the company's ability to use rapidly changing genetic data to interpret test results accurately and consistently; security breaches, loss of data and other disruptions; laws and regulations applicable to the company's business; and the other risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Invitae Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Contact: [email protected] (628) 213-3283 SOURCE Invitae Corporation MADRID, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KeyZell, a Spanish biotechnology company in the development phase of digital cancer treatments and tools, has just opened a private financing round which expects to achieve 5 million euros to boost its projects and consolidate itself as one of the biotech start-ups with the greatest international projection. KeyZell launches this new round of private investment to conduct a human clinical trial with one of its innovative cancer treatments, based on Dr. Nabil Hajji's research on cellular apoptosis induced by cell receptor blockage, as well as to improve its precision medicine Artificial Intelligence system that aims to be the future of cancer medicine, thanks to an algorithm that proposes the most appropriate personalized treatment for each patient depending on the unique characteristics of each person and type of cancer. KeyZell has already generated great interest from both national private investors and North American investment funds and has successfully closed a preliminary round of 450,000 euros, 50% above expectations. Among its investors are professional brokers as well as Spanish and Mexican businessmen. "We created KeyZell with the objective of developing new cancer solutions and tools that can help both medical professionals and patients in their fight against this disease. This financing round will allow us to achieve our ambitious objective," says Jose del Corral, company CEO. The company is committed to blockchain technology, implementing improvements on its AI-based tool and thus reinforcing this through clinical trials. Keyzell plans to finance the clinical trial in Australia while in negotiations with a strategic partner to carry out another trial in Mexico. In addition, working on the structures to carry out regulatory processes in Europe, United States, United Kingdom, Thailand, South Africa, Morocco and Canada. Keyzell has the pleasure of having Dr. Nabil Hajji among its founders who has led the research with collaborators from University of Seville and Harvard University, where they have discovered a new treatment which for the first time, after more than twenty years without advances in glioblastoma research, has succeeded in eliminating the most aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma. Media Contact: Ines Martinez [email protected] +34 661 750 597 SOURCE KeyZell The Library District was selected for its "Bringing the Library to Transit Riders" program, a partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC). The program enables transit riders to instantly sign up for access to online materials using the RTC's free onboard WiFi on approximately 400 transit buses throughout the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Riders simply scan a QR code featured inside buses to download the Libby app, and sign up for library access by entering their mobile number. The library system instantly verifies the new account, and riders can immediately begin borrowing eBooks, eAudiobooks, magazines, and movies at no cost, on the bus, at home, or anywhere on the go. The program also allows temporary library access to transit riders who are visitors to Las Vegas via a seven-day pass to the Libby app. "Through this initiative, the Library District is making the library more accessible to discover the life-changing resources we provide in new and unexpected places," said Kelvin Watson, executive director, who joined the Library District in February 2021. "The RTC's fleet of buses made more than 35 million passenger trips in 2021, making RTC the ideal partner for us to reach potential new customers who may have never had a library experience before. This innovative program uses simple technology to let riders access free resources and enter a wonderful world of discovery." "The RTC is committed to increasing equity and accessibility for our customers, and this innovative partnership has allowed us to support our riders with tools and resources to grow, learn and enrich their lives," said M.J. Maynard, RTC chief executive officer. "We are excited about this meaningful collaboration with the Library District to bring all of the services the library has to offer in a simple, accessible and equitable way directly to our riders during their daily commute." The 2022 Library of the Future award is the third such win for Watson. His library teams also received the award for programs that he implemented at Broward County Libraries in Florida and at Queens Borough Public Library in New York. He is the only three-time recipient in the award's history. "This is just one of several innovative programs that Kelvin has introduced during his first year at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, using technology to reach new audiences in unexpected places," said Brian Wilson, chair of the Library District Board of Trustees. "Our service area covers 8,000 square miles, from urban neighborhoods to small towns, and our residents benefit greatly from Kelvin's leadership, resourcefulness, and creative thinking." The award will be presented to Watson during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. in June 2022. About Las Vegas-Clark County Library District The award-winning Las Vegas-Clark County Library District is an independent taxing entity that serves a diverse community across 8,000 square miles. Through its 25 branches and website, the Library District offers a collection of 3.2 million items consisting of books, movies, music (including streaming and downloadable), online resources, as well as free programs for all ages. The Library District is a vibrant and vital member of the community offering limitless learning; business and career advancement; government and social services support; and best of all, a place where customers find a sense of culture and community. For more information, please visit LVCCLD.org. About the RTC The RTC is the transit authority, designated metropolitan planning organization, regional traffic management agency and administrator of the Southern Nevada Strong comprehensive regional plan for the Las Vegas valley. The RTC's vision is to provide a safe, convenient and effective regional transportation system that enhances mobility and air quality for citizens and visitors. The RTC encourages residents and visitors to use a variety of transportation choices to help reduce traffic congestion, clean the air and improve the quality of life in Southern Nevada. For more information about the RTC and its major initiatives or to download its transit app rideRTC, visit rtcsnv.com and stay informed by subscribing to our blog. SOURCE Las Vegas-Clark County Library District In addition to ranking No. 113 overall, Level Agency is the top-ranked firm in the Pittsburgh Metro. PITTSBURGH, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine revealed this week that, with a two-year revenue growth of 71 percent, Level Agency is No. 113 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Northeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Northeast region economy's most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. "We are grateful to Inc. for this validation of our leadership," says Patrick Patterson, Level Agency Managing Partner and President. "This incredible recognition would not be possible without our dedicated and innovative team or our clients who have trusted us to lead the marketing charge for them year after year." The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Northeast region. In 2020 alone, they added 5,010 jobs and nearly $2.7 billion to the economy. Companies based in the New York City and Boston areas had the highest growth rate overall. Level Agency was one of 18 Pennsylvania companies on the list, and the fastest-growing firm in the Pittsburgh metro. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. The past two years have been marked by unprecedented changes in the marketplace. The digital marketing space has seen increased scrutiny from users concerned over data use and privacy, forcing industry stalwarts like Google and Apple to rewrite the rules. While this has left some digital marketers unsure of where to turn next, Level Agency has leaned into this change and leveraged it for growth. "Our belief that all marketing can create value, build trust, and inspire change, paired with a hypothesis-driven, curiosity-led approach to strategy, has meant we've been able to keep our clients ahead of marketplace changes, explains Patrick Van Gorder, Partner and Executive Vice President. "We call this philosophy Test. Learn. Grow. This recognition is further evidence that the formula works. More about Level Agency, Inc., and the Inc. 5000 Regionals About Level Agency: Change is the only constant in today's marketing ecosystem. Level Agency designs performance marketing campaigns using its systematic Test. Learn. Grow. framework. This adaptive approach accelerates ROI, reduces waste, and helps our clients win the knowledge race. To learn more about how this Great Place to Work drives performance for clients, read our case studies at www.level.agency. And be sure to follow along with Level's journey by subscribing to the Test. Learn. Grow. Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, several companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. Contact: Patrick Patterson, Managing Partner & President Phone: 412.956.0423 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Level Agency NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Libra Group, an international business group whose subsidiaries have assets and operations in over 50 countries, announced it has made a strategic investment in green energy company GreenMet, formerly known as Greentech Minerals Holdings. GreenMet is leading the infrastructure development of sustainable supply chains for critical rare earth minerals, such as green steel, to meet U.S. and greater North American green energy and technology needs. The company was established to address the need for responsibly sourced critical minerals and metals, which are vital to advance uptake of renewable energy, build infrastructure, and compete globally. This investment is a natural next step for the Libra Group and complements its broad renewable energy portfolio that includes solar, wind, and biogas. Greenmet is currently working to develop six major projects that have a combined projected value of over $2 billion and is quickly building unprecedented solutions in the battery and magnet supply chain. GreenMet was founded by former Green Berets and public servants, including former senior administration and congressional staffers. The team is led by CEO Drew Horn, a former U.S. Army Special Forces officer, who later led U.S. efforts to assess and respond to vulnerabilities in the rare earth supply chain. He has examined these issues from many lenses, including through his work with the White House, Department of Energy, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He founded GreenMet to address the overwhelming need for a sustainable and secure supply chain for rare earth metals, magnets, and green steel in North America. "Ensuring a sustainable supply chain for rare earth minerals and metals, to include green steel, is vital to our national interests and economic future," said GreenMet CEO Drew Horn. "We are proud to build the foundation for greater resource independence when it comes to rare earth minerals, which will power our technological progress and also allow North America to move toward a greener future." The U.S. rare earth mineral market is a multibillion-dollar sector due to the central role they play in everyday products such as smartphones and computers, as well as modes of transportation and energy production, and even health equipment and critical national security devices such as fighter jets and drones. As North America works to transition to affordable renewable energy sources, rare earths are essential components of solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries. This strategic investment comes on the heels of an announcement by the Biden Administration about the critical need for domestic production of minerals and mining to address a significant shortage. Currently, 84 percent of rare earth extraction and production is done outside of North America. Furthermore, there are no globally accepted mining standards or ESG principles applied to ensure sustainable and responsible supply chain practices. Libra Group Chairman and CEO George Logothetis stated, "GreenMet is a natural next step for our Group, including global subsidiaries that are laying the foundation for our clean energy future with utility-scale solar and wind energy. This work is critical to the global economy and our planet's future." Logothetis continued, "Drew and GreenMet's leadership have an unparalleled understanding of rare earth mineral suppliers and buyers with a proven, global perspective. Libra Group is proud to advance GreenMet's mission of ensuring a more sustainable supply chain for these precious materials that underpin the U.S. economy. Ensuring these materials are responsibly-sourced is key to transitioning to a secure, green energy future." As part of the strategic partnership between the Libra Group and GreenMet, four members of the Libra Group Executive Team will be appointed to the GreenMet Board of Directors. GreenMet currently has six developed projects in the pipeline. The company will soon unveil an expert advisory team including academics and ESG leaders to inform its business. About the Libra Group The Libra Group (www.libra.com) is a privately-owned international business group whose subsidiaries have assets and operations in more than 50 countries. Libra is predominantly active in six sectors, including several vital to the global economy. Sectors include renewable energy, shipping, aviation, hospitality, and real estate, as well as selected diversified investments. The Group has also created 10 social responsibility programs that have a positive impact on the lives of many people around the world. These programs reflect the Group's values, as well as a deep commitment to ESG at the core of everything we do. About GreenMet GreenMet (www.Greenmet.com) is focused on developing the infrastructure for sustainable, reliable and secure supply chains of rare earth metals and minerals to meet North American energy and technology needs. This includes the production of rare earth minerals and metals, including the production of key magnets, battery material, and green steel. SOURCE Libra Group As a stand-alone tool or as a complement to their well-established Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) assessment, Literably FS identifies gaps at the skill and sub-skill level and informs classroom teaching in real-time. "We're committed to becoming the only literacy assessment partner our customers need," said Tyler Borek, chief executive officer, Literably. "Educators are drowning in time-consuming, disjointed offerings that distract from instructional time and don't contribute to district-wide understanding. By bringing technology best practices to classrooms, we're proud to be changing the way educators assess student literacy. It's long overdue." More than half of California's students read below grade level. The California Department of Education has assembled a task-force dedicated to ensuring that every third grader will read at grade level by 2026. Literably wants to help the state meet its aggressive goal by delivering the first comprehensive picture of every student's reading ability, quickly and accurately. The flexible nature of Literably FS makes it highly effective with English Learners and those with reading challenges like dyslexia. Literably ORF is already in its ninth year in schools and districts across the United States and California, including Tustin Unified School District, Cupertino Union School District, New Haven Unified School District, La Mesa-Spring Valley District and others. Educators are hailing the company's flagship solution as "easy-to-use," "a time-saver," "accurate," "actionable" and "game-changing." "This program is exactly what every teacher has been dreaming about. How do I complete [literacy assessments] for my whole class without losing a whole day of instructional time? How do I make sure the scoring of these are completely consistent across the whole school? LITERABLY!" Sarah Nitsos, District Coordinator, Wiseburn School District "For the first time we have detailed data instead of just a 3-digit Lexile score. All K-5 teachers district-wide were able to group readers within the first few weeks of school. Literably offers convenient, efficient, and informative data for teachers, interventionists, and families. It's really helped me do my job faster and better." Susan Lavelle, Union School District, Teacher on Special Assignment to the Superintendent. "My favorite part of Literably is the student recording. I love being able to listen to students read. The Secret Access Link is a great tool that can be shared with parents, resource specialists, speech pathologists, etc. I also appreciate how quickly students can complete the test." Sarah Williams, Teacher, Union School District, CA. Future platform enhancements will include offerings that span all five pillars of literacy (phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), as well as support for second language learners and tools that screen for reading challenges like dyslexia. This unified, novel, and easily acquired understanding will allow for better planning and individualized teaching. Pricing & Availability Literably's solution is priced per district or school, by student, and is available immediately at www.literably.com/signup . About Literably Literably is a digital reading assessment platform that replicates teacher-administered assessments online and enables educators to know every reader. Literably provides literacy educators with an immediate, accurate and actionable picture of each student's reading capabilities and challenges. Schools use Literably to solve four primary challenges with conventional teacher-administered reading assessments: efficiency, consistency, data access and next steps planning. Literably uses a blend of normed human grading and speech recognition to score two reading assessments online for schools and districts: Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Foundational Skills (FS). Research by a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education has shown that Literably ORF can predict student performance on the Smarter Balanced assessment. Literably currently serves over 200,000 students at over 500 schools in 34 states. Literably was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. SOURCE Literably NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Axylyum Charter, the parent company of the growth enablement product, AXY Wrap, announced today that they have entered into an agreement with Matador Lending. Effective immediately, all loans within the Matador Lending portfolio are optioned through Axylyum Charter's exclusive product, AXY Wrap. One of the most innovative products to hit the mortgage-backed security market, AXY Wrap acts as a safeguard for retail and wholesale private lenders. In the event of default, Axylyum Charter acquires the distressed asset at 100% of the origination price. 'Wrapping' a portfolio with AXY Wrap accomplishes what was previously unheard of in the industry it eliminates the significant risk of financial loss associated with a defaulted asset. "We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Matador Lending and their executive team. Well known throughout the industry, Matador Lending is not only respectedthey are what many private lending firms strive to be like. We are pleased to be a part of their growth strategy," stated Jane Petroff, Director of Capital Markets at Axylyum Charter. Feeling restricted by the limited lending products available on the market, Matador Lending became an independent mortgage brokerage in 2019 with the purpose of developing their lender relationships and serving non-traditional consumers. Currently, they serve the Texas, California, Georgia, and Florida markets, with plans to expand into other states. "We have been looking for a way to give our borrowers more effective loan products when they don't qualify for agency loans. Our partnership with Axylyum Charter helps us accomplish this by allowing us to confidently lend to borrowers who may not have qualified in the past. We are very excited and are looking forward to working together," stated Apurva Sanghavi, President of Matador Lending. In 2021, Axylyum Charter was recognized by The New York Real Estate Journal as 'Company of the Month' and has been featured in numerous notable publications such as Real Estate Weekly, National Mortgage News, Mortgage Banker Magazine, and Globe Street. ABOUT AXYLYUM CHARTER: Axylyum Charter has disrupted the commercial lending space with their growth enablement product, AXY Wrap. Specifically designed for private money lenders, AXY Wrap supports portfolio expansion by removing the risk of default. For more information about AXY Wrap, visit www.axylyum.com. ABOUT MATADOR LENDING: Matador Lending was founded in 2019 in Houston, Texas by a team of 4 mortgage professionals whose goal was to provide their clients with a variety of lending options. By partnering with hundreds of lenders, they serve nearly every type of consumer in the marketnot just a small subset of borrowers. For more information about Matador Lending, visit www.matadorlending.com SOURCE Axylyum Fascioli started his career with McCann Worldgroup in one of the network's smallest offices, in Uruguay, and steadily rose to prominence through a succession of high-visibility management roles across the LATAM region, making him a veteran and time-tested leadership talent. Bill Kolb, Chairman & CEO, McCann Worldgroup, said, "Fernando brings many years of successful leadership across our global network to this expanded role, and we are thrilled to promote from within our own ranks for such an important regional leadership position. Fernando helped drive dramatic growth for our operations in Latin America and fostered a powerful spirit of collaboration between our many offices. And he made good on our commitment to provide our clients with the most creatively-effective work in their competitive marketplaces. Fascioli joined McCann Uruguay and four years later moved up to McCann Peru, where he rose to the role of CEO. By 2007, he had expanded McCann Peru to include multiple Worldgroup agencies, and the office was crowned the largest and most successful agency in Peru. Fascioli took on the role of Chief Growth Officer for McCann Worldgroup Latin America, moved into the role of CEO, McCann Chile, and in 2014 was promoted to President, LATAM and the Caribbean. Among his many accomplishments, Fascioli partnered with Interpublic Group (IPG) in 2015 to create GRAPHENE, a bespoke unit to globally service LATAM Airlines. Under his leadership, McCann was named Network of the Year at the Latin American Effie Awards and reached the top 2 position in Gunn Creative Rankings in the region. "Fernando has grown a model of integrated marketing communications across the vast scope of the Latin American and Caribbean markets that aligns with what clients everywhere are looking for to drive business and brand growth," said Chris Macdonald, Chairman & CEO, McCann. "We know he will bring that same level of passion, innovation and success to our network across the UK and Europe." "The amazing people who I learn from and partner within agencies and clients are my superglue with McCann Worldgroup along the journey and will be for what's next," said Fascioli. "I envision a fluid network with the capabilities to solve increasingly complex marketing challenges together with our clients, having talent density and specialty agencies collaborating seamlessly to create meaningful connections between brands and the people to grow sustainable businesses." Fascioli, who will relocate to London, will assume the mantle of leadership in Europe and the UK from Lund, who established an exceptional record leading the network. McCann Worldgroup's Europe and UK operations consistently achieved recognition for excellence in creativity, effectiveness, business growth and innovation under Lund's stewardship. "This feels like the end of a great chapter," said Mark Lund. "Working with such a group of brilliant and collaborative people at McCann Worldgroup over the last seven years has been a wonderful privilege and I'm very proud of what we've accomplished together. For me the time is now right to focus on a portfolio of non-executive roles, as well as much more study and travel." McCann Worldgroup's network in Europe has operations in more than 45 countries and spans multidisciplinary capabilities in advertising, relationship management, promotion/event/ shopper marketing, design, PR, healthcare communications and digital marketing. McCann UK was recognized for three successive years as the No. 1 UK agency by revenue. And in 2020, McCann Worldgroup UK was ranked the IPA's #1 most effective network of the year. From 2020 to 2021, as the pandemic disrupted the entire industry, McCann Worldgroup achieved strong organic growth from 14 out of its top 20 clients; the agency also won new business from multiple regional and global clients. In 2021, Campaign Magazine awarded McCann Worldgroup "European Creative Network of the Year". About McCann Worldgroup McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG ), is the irrefutable leader in the business of a creativity. The company is united across 100+ countries by a single mission: To help brands earn a meaningful role in people's lives. McCann Worldgroup was named the world's most creatively-effective marketing services company by The Effie Awards for three consecutive years. The network comprises McCann (advertising), MRM (science/technology/relationship marketing), Momentum Worldwide (total brand experience), McCann Health (professional/dtc communications), CRAFT (production), Weber Shandwick (public relations) and FutureBrand (consulting/design). SOURCE McCann Worldgroup Partnership to Support the Regulation of the State's Medical Cannabis Market with the Implementation of the Company's Track-and-Trace System LAKELAND, Fla., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Metrc , the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory systems in the U.S., announced its new contract with the state of Minnesota to support the state's regulation of medical cannabis, the Company's 19th government contract to date nationwide. Metrc will implement its robust track-and-trace platform to help facilitate the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program's data collection and regulatory oversight. The Company's system offers a unique RFID tag model, where each individual plant and product is traceable through a patented radio-frequency identification tag, allowing for seamless data tracking for each plant, optimizing inventory control and cultivation management. This inventory management system helps ensure regulatory compliance, assists with the accurate reporting of sales data, combats the illicit market, and provides much needed advances in consumer and product safety. "As the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program continues to evolve, we are excited to bring our state-of-the-art track-and-trace platform, which will enable state regulators to conveniently and securely track, store and retrieve millions of data points from operators around the state," said Jeff Wells, CEO of Metrc . "Metrc is eager to work side-by-side with the Department of Health and partner with existing operators within the state to create an effective and well-regulated medical marketplace that Minnesota's regulators, patients and operators can truly trust." Metrc now holds exclusive government contracts in every region of the U.S, including Alaska, California, and Washington, D.C. While these areas have diverse regulatory frameworks, each jurisdiction shares the common goal of ensuring safe legal cannabis markets. Metrc continues to be the favored partner of regulators and businesses in serving their unique needs and goals. About Metrc Metrc is the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory systems in the United States. Our solution combines advanced software, radio-frequency identification (RFID), a dedicated customer-support team, and a secure database to track cannabis from growth, harvest, and processing to testing, transport, and sale. Metrc is engaged in 19 government contracts and serves more than 250,000 users, including growers, testing facilities, dispensaries, state regulators, and law enforcement officials. We are proud to play a leading role in ensuring the safety and security of the nation's legal cannabis market. Media Contact: Justin Bernstein Mattio Communications [email protected] SOURCE Metrc The Nation's Number One Independent Spiked Seltzer Brand Adds Key Operations, Finance and Sales Hires to Support the Brand's Continued Growth AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mighty Swell, the award-winning spiked seltzer brand born in Austin, TX, today announced the addition of three executives to their leadership team, including Andrew Pieri as Vice President of Operations, Jon Aronson as Vice President of Finance and Anthony Avizenis as Vice President of Sales. Mighty Swell continues to set records as the nation's number one independent hard seltzer brand, including a recent ranking of #93 on Inc. 5000's Regionals Southwest list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The company sought to add key executives to support this growth. Further details about the latest additions to the Mighty Swell leadership team include: Andrew Pieri, Vice President of Operations Pieri joins Mighty Swell from Anheuser-Busch InBev, where he served as a Regional Supply Chain Director and held multiple roles across the US as part of their Global Management Trainee Program. He graduated with a B.S in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. In his new role, Pieri's top focus is to continuously improve internal processes while expanding Mighty Swell's network of suppliers and logistics providers optimizing the brand to operate at full capacity given the global supply chain environment. Pieri will work in partnership with Andrea Clodfelter, Mighty Swell's Director of Brewing & Innovation, to guide innovation and accelerate the delivery of new flavors and formats, such as the recently launched Keep It Weird Variety 12 pack. Jon Aronson, Vice President of Finance Aronson joins Mighty Swell from Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits where he served as Vice President of Revenue Management across 44 US markets. Aronson was previously Director of Commercial Finance for LALA Foods, a subsidiary of Grupo LALA, one of North America's largest dairy companies. Aronson holds an MBA from the University of California, Irvine. As Vice President of Finance, Jon will direct financial operations across Mighty Swell, leading the brand's in-house finance team, interfacing with its board and investors, and partnering with the operations team to find efficiencies, while increasing product margins. Anthony Avizenis, Vice President of Sales Avizenis joins Mighty Swell from Founders Brewing Company, a top 10 US brewery, where he served as Vice President of US Field Sales. Prior to Founders, Avizenis was General Manager of Bay Area Beverage, a California beer wholesaler. Avizenis has years of deep-rooted sales experience from major brands ranging from PepsiCo Frito-Lay to the Campbell Soup Company. As the Vice President of Sales, Avizenis will be responsible for overseeing, directing, and managing Mighty Swell's field sales teams ensuring sales and revenue targets are exceeded and helping to grow Mighty Swell's distribution footprint nationally. "Upon becoming CEO of Mighty Swell, I began a search for departmental leaders to further professionalize our team, and to support and expedite our growth as we continue down the path toward national expansion," said Jeana Harrington. "Each of them has a proven track record within the alcohol industry and will add immediate value. I am thrilled and grateful to have these high-caliber leaders join our team." ABOUT MIGHTY SWELL SPIKED SELTZER Mighty Swell Spiked Seltzer was founded in 2016 in Austin, Texas. Mighty Swell's product line includes twelve refreshing flavors that are certified gluten-free and OU Kosher certified with pure, natural ingredients and just 100 calories a can. Mighty Swell's wild, weird and defiant Keep it Weird Variety 12 pack began hitting shelves on March 1. Mighty Swell products are available in supermarkets, wholesale clubs, military outlets, and drug, convenience, and liquor stores in 27 US markets and two foreign countries. More information on Mighty Swell is available at www.mightyswell.com , on Instagram (@mightyswell) and Facebook (@mightyswellseltzer). SOURCE Mighty Swell Spiked Seltzer NORCROSS, Ga., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- World leading medical solutions company Molnlycke is proud to join with colleagues from across the perioperative nursing community at this year's AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana, between March 19th 23rd. As we come together in person for the first time in over two years, Molnlycke invites attendees to join them at Booth 7028 as it shares perspectives, practices and innovative solutions to support clinician safety, infection prevention and pressure injury management. Molnlycke is excited to announce that it will once again be supporting the event through accredited continuing education (CE), AORN Foundation support and participation in the Expo. The company looks forward to celebrating and commemorating the contribution of health and care workers after a very demanding two years for the nursing profession. Molnlycke's clinical nurse specialists will be presenting two CE sessions during the AORN Expo conference days; "Value Based LEAN Solutions: Creating Standardization Efficiencies in the OR" and "Surgical Site Infections: Take Action to Stop SSIs in Their Tracks". Molnlycke will feature a variety of product solutions that support clinician safety, infection prevention and pressure injury management. The latest addition to the industry leading Biogel product line, Biogel PI UltraTouch S surgical gloves will be available for nurses to try. These gloves have been designed with a new skin-friendly formula that is clinically proven to minimize the risk of allergic contact dermatitis in the operating room.1 Molnlycke will also have advanced wound care dressings on display. Only Molnlycke dressings have over 100 pieces of evidence to support their effectiveness in skin protection across the continuum of care, including the OR.2 Giving more together Molnlycke invites attendees to visit the booth opening night and enjoy a New Orleans inspired cocktail. Molnlycke is a committed partner to the global nursing community is pleased to announce we will also be continuing to support the AORN Foundation. The company will be providing match-funding donations made to the AORN Foundation during their campaign at the conference, supporting their commitment to advance patient and workplace safety through education and research. Commenting on the upcoming conference, Jeanne Marie Leahy, Vice President of Marketing, Surgical Gloves of Molnlycke, said: "Few professions have given so much in the last two years as the global nursing community. We are so excited to be once again joining nurses from across the US and around the world at the AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo. We are proud to support facilities across the US as they strive to improve clinician safety, reduce infection rates, and improve pressure injury outcomes. Continuing education is always a key feature of the conference, so we are proud to be able to offer multiple opportunities to share the latest in clinical evidence in the prevention of surgical site infections and OR efficiency solutions through our accredited sessions at the booth. As hospitals work to recapture lost revenue from postponed surgeries, it is even more critical that we deliver on our commitment to provide total value at every turn through our product offerings and partnership with hospitals." To find out more, visit www.molnlycke.us/news-events/events/aorn2022/ References 1.Final Design Verification Report. Molnlycke Health Care. Data on File. 2. Molnlycke Health Care report GMAS-2020-037 Bordered foam dressings for pressure ulcer prevention: a review of the pre-clinical, clinical and economic evidence (April 2020) Data on file. About Molnlycke Molnlycke is a world-leading medical solutions company. Our purpose is to advance performance in healthcare across the world. That is why we aspire to equip everybody in healthcare with solutions to achieve the best outcomes. We develop and bring to market innovative wound care and surgical solutions along the entire continuum of care from prevention to post-acute settings. Our solutions provide value, supported by clinical and health economic evidence. Molnlycke was founded in 1849. Today, our solutions are available in around 100 countries; we are the number one global provider of advanced wound care and single-use surgical products; and we are Europe's largest provider of customized trays. Our headquarters are in Gothenburg, Sweden and we have about 7,800 employees around the world. Learn more at molnlycke.us Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/998246/Molnlycke_Logo.jpg SOURCE Molnlycke Allison Eden announces her first design collaboration with wholesale furniture manufacturer ZUO Modern. Launching at High Point Market April 02-06, 2022 in two featured showrooms within the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC). BROOKLYN, N.Y.,, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Graphic Assets Folder HERE Allison Eden announces her first design collaboration with wholesale furniture manufacturer ZUO Modern. Launching at High Point Market April 02-06, 2022 in two featured showrooms within the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC). The first location IH-607 is in IHFC's Interhall - a curated design symposium on the first floor that showcases emerging brands - for a dedicated space to debut Allison Eden by ZUO. The second location is within ZUO's new 30,000sf High Point showroom on the 5th Floor of the IHFC, Hamilton Wing, Space H-534, and features a speakeasy - candy store visual theme. Both spaces will feature Allison Eden by ZUO, an exclusive collection with 20 limited edition designs that consist of custom-designed fabrics, featured on ZUO's stylishly modern upholstery for lounge, dining, and bar chairs. Based on Allison's iconic mosaic patterns, they deliver bright pops of color with a mid-century modern flair to pair with solid leather and velvet fabrics. Allison Eden, Creative + Founder, Allison Eden Studios commented, "I am so excited about this collaboration with ZUO Modern. As I have dreamed of putting my designs on fabrics for everything from furniture to clothing to housewares and to find such a creative manufacturer was serendipitous to me. Our two brands are perfectly in sync together. Designing prints for this collection that are happy, colorful, and fun. Evoking a smile and so this debut collection is sophisticated but also whimsical and I am so honored to launch this collection at High Point Market and to be a part of a group of the most creative minds that come together to develop the future of design." This is the first design collaboration in the furnishing industry for Allison Eden Studios and the first licensed collection that ZUO has entertained. Described by design enthusiasts "as bold and brilliant with a nod to vintage 60's mod style", as both brands are leaders in creating their own counter-culture while they redefine what is cutting edge and fashionable. "I couldn't be more excited about this new collection we've developed with Allison Eden," said Luis Ruesga, CEO of Zuo. "It gives our audience a fun and elevated take on classic mid-century modern upholstery with a look you won't find anywhere else." Celebrating 30 years in the glass tile and mosaics industry, Allison specializes in creating kaleidoscope technicolor glass mosaics and is a graduate in fashion design from the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. Establishing herself as a true mosaic artist, she has collaborated with some of the most renowned interior designers and design firms from all over the globe. To create one of a kind designs for luxury clients, and other high-end commercial environments. With award-winning and exquisite custom pieces, she has developed for hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise ships, resorts, movie sets, and luxury residences around the world. Among her A-list hospitality clients are Mandarin Oriental, Marriott International, Wynn Casino, Margaritaville, and Norwegian & Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, just to name a few. Known for her stunning mosaics, throughout the east coast and for her award-winning holiday window displays which have adorned Bloomingdale's, flagship store on 59th street in NYC. Allison Eden is quite simply a design superstar. About Allison Eden Studios Based out of Brooklyn, NY, Allison Eden, Founder of Allison Eden Studios, specializes in kaleidoscope technicolor glass mosaics. Creating beautiful and brilliant mosaic designs, her exceptional body of work has gained international attention and a global audience with custom pieces that are displayed in every major city across the US. From hotels to restaurants, to casinos, to cruise ships, and within a long list of celebrity clients that include Elton John, Faye Dunaway, Kris Jenner, Rihanna, and Pink private homes. Allison's designs have also successfully been translated into a fashion forward line of clothing and accessories, art, wall decor, rugs, wall coverings, luxury home goods, textiles, and most recently a collection of mid-century modern upholstery for ZUO Modern. Additionally, her exquisite designs have been featured in countless publications, including Architectural Digest, Interior Design Magazine, Architectural Record, NY Times, Metropolitan Home, NY Post, and Elle Decor. To experience her work visit AllisonEden.com and follow her on Instagram @AllisonEdenStudios. Allison Eden Studios 164 Cook Street Brooklyn, NY 11206 O: (212) 243-9944 E: [email protected] Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12909392 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Allison Eden Studios, Inc. As European companies compete to deliver the best employee experience, Moveworks brings its AI platform to the UK, France, and Germany. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moveworks, the AI platform that automates support at work, today announced its expansion across Europe, with plans to open new offices in the UK, France, and Germany. The company will hire aggressively to meet demand in Europe, following a year of rapid growth in North America that included a $200 million Series C round. "Employee experience has become the number one priority for businesses in Europe, since remote work allows employees to explore job opportunities anywhere on Earth," said Moveworks CEO Bhavin Shah. "Now, they can simply log out of one company and log in to another, which means they'll no longer tolerate slow, old-school enterprise tech. We're excited to help thousands of European companies speed up the workplace with AI that provides support, communications, and insights in real time." Remote and hybrid teams rely on Moveworks to stay productive from anywhere. Whether they need IT support, HR service, policy information, or a map of the office, employees describe their requests to the Moveworks bot, via enterprise messaging tools and web portals. The platform uses deep natural language understanding (NLU) to interpret each request, then analyzes every resource available at the company to deliver the most relevant solution in seconds. Critically, Moveworks offers multilingual support in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, making instant help available throughout Western Europe. At a time when 89% of UK organizations provide the option of flexible work, AI platforms are a necessity to fulfill that promise wherever their employees live and whatever language they speak. "Our employees expect a seamless experience, which is why we're thrilled to be on this journey with Moveworks," said Gareth Byrne-Perkins, Director of Technology, Security & Services at Premier Foods. "We look forward to giving our colleagues immediate support in Microsoft Teams, where they already spend their digital day, just by asking the Moveworks bot. This is the heart of our Productivity & Collaboration strategy: transforming the Teams experience with AI." Moveworks' hiring efforts in Europe are focused on go-to-market talent, including account executives and sales development representatives. The company recently added two renowned executives Chief Revenue Officer Marcello Gallo and Vice President of EMEA Marc Zakher who enable each rep to "earn their PhD in enterprise sales" by mastering a proven customer engagement model. Already, the Moveworks team in Europe works with industry-leading customers in transportation, agriculture, technology, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. Named the #1 Best Place to Work in the Bay Area, Moveworks is bringing its people-first culture across the Atlantic. Interested in joining a hyper-growth AI company? Visit moveworks.com for more information, or apply directly at moveworks.com/careers. About Moveworks Moveworks is revolutionizing how companies support their employees with the first AI platform that makes getting help at work effortless. The modern workday is full of disruptions, from IT issues to HR updates to policy changes. Moveworks understands exactly what employees need and provides the right solution in seconds, using conversational AI built for the enterprise. Our platform allows customers like DocuSign, Broadcom, and Western Digital to move forward on what matters. SOURCE Moveworks CALGARY, AB, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Nanalysis Scientific Corp. (TSXV:NSCI,OTCQX:NSCIF, FRA:1N1) ("Nanalysis" or the "Company") announces that the Company has received repayable funding of $4,985,000 to expand manufacturing operations and global markets for nuclear magnetic resonance products from the government of Canada. "We are very thankful for the support from the Canadian government," said Sean Krakiwsky, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nanalysis. "Nanalysis is thrilled to be one of the recipients from Prairies Economic Development Canada. This funding allows us to accelerate product innovation, expand our manufacturing capabilities, build up inventory levels to mitigate any supply chain issues and de-risk potential down time through redundant equipment. These funds will help enable us to continue to drive significant growth as we expand our global footprint." The funding is provided through Prairies Economic Development Canada's ("PrairiesCan") Business Scale-up and Productivity program, which provides fast growing tech firms with support to scale-up and enter new markets. Nanalysis will draw down on the funds over the next three years with interest-free repayments commencing on September 1, 2025. About Nanalysis Scientific Corp. (TSXV: NSCI,OTCQX: NSCIF, FRA: 1N1) Nanalysis trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) in Canada with ticker symbol 'NSCI', OTC and the Frankfurt exchange under the ticker symbol '1N1'. The company's business is what we term "MRI and NMR for industry". The company develops and manufactures portable Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers or analyzers for laboratory and industrial markets. The NMReady-60 was the first full-feature portable NMR spectrometer in a single compact enclosure requiring no liquid helium or any other cryogens. The company has followed-up that initial offering with new products and continues to have a strong innovation pipeline. Nanalysis recently announced that it has begun selling a 100MHz device in 2020. The Company's new device will be the most powerful and most advanced compact NMR device ever brought to market. Nanalysis devices are used in many industries (oil and gas, chemical, mining, pharma, biotech, flavor and fragrances, agrochemicals, law enforcement, and more) as well as numerous government and university research labs around the world. The Company continues to exploit new global market opportunities independently and with partners. With the recent acquisition of K'(Prime) Technologies Inc. (KPrime), the company maintains a North American sales and service company of over 40 individuals who cover scientific instrumentation for pharma, food, chemical and oil & gas customers, as well as imaging systems for security applications. About Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) is the federal department that supports economic growth in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Its programs and services help businesses, not-for-profits and communities grow stronger. Its mandate is to support economic growth and diversification in the Prairie provinces and advance the interests of the region in national economic policy, programs and projects. Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements and Legal Disclaimer This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law pertaining to the following: the Option and other matters ancillary or incidental to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Nanalysis Scientific Corp. CEO Dr. Kenneth Chahine teams up with venture funds Juxtapose and Obvious Ventures to build the nation's most personalized, accessible, and comprehensive allergy care platform. NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nectar, an innovative and comprehensive allergy care platform, announced today their $8 million seed round led by Juxtapose and Obvious Ventures, who are co-building the company alongside Founder and CEO Kenneth Chahine, Ph.D. Nectar will be the consumer-facing brand of Nectar Life Sciences , an allergy-focused healthcare holding company led by Dr. Chahine. The Nectar platform will leverage data and clinical research to offer personalized allergy care aimed at treating the root cause of allergies and providing long-lasting relief. Nectar's differentiated model will provide consumers with long-needed convenience, seamlessly flowing between virtual care and physical clinics for comprehensive allergy care targeting environmental, pet, and food allergies, eczema and asthma. Nectar's vertically integrated operations will power telehealth experiences and a licensed compounding pharmacy to create personalized, innovative, and proprietary treatments for consumers. Allergies are one of the leading causes of chronic illness in the U.S., with over 120 million Americans suffering allergies and their comorbidities, like migraines and conjunctivitis, which sit at the root of $360 billion in healthcare opportunity. Only 35% of moderate and severe allergy sufferers say they're satisfied with their current treatment, which translates to an industry net promoter score of a staggering negative 65. Dr. Chahine is one of the country's leading entrepreneurial operators at the intersection of science and healthcare and is co-founding Nectar with unmatched experience transforming cutting-edge science into consumer solutions. In addition to being a two-time CEO in the healthcare space, and an experienced scientist, Dr. Chahine was a founder of AncestryDNA and former EVP of Ancestry.com, a product that has been used by nearly 10% of the U.S. population. He also founded AncestryHealth, a telehealth genetic test for predisposition to conditions such as breast and colon cancer. Collectively, he brings a unique depth of experience around e-commerce, data-driven science, healthtech product development, and AI in consumer-facing contexts. "Allergies are a massive and growing chronic condition across the world, and it can be a debilitating pain point in people's daily lives, with over 90% of sufferers stating that they have stayed home from school, work, the outdoors, or a social event because of allergies. Our mission is to turn data and clinical research into personalized, accessible, and comprehensive allergy care," said Dr. Chahine. "We are very excited to reinvent the allergy industry and introduce our direct-to-consumer platform." Dr. Chahine teamed up with Juxtapose, a New York-based venture fund that builds companies from the ground up, and Obvious Ventures, a San Francisco-based early-stage venture fund, to co-found the company. The $8 million seed funding will be used to continue developing proprietary and personalized allergy solutions ahead of the nationwide launch of Nectar in the coming months. "We are thrilled to partner with Ken on this new venture and to be a part of creating something truly transformative in a massive, and largely unsolved, corner of health sciences," said Patrick Chun, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Juxtapose. "Building long-term relationships with the world's best entrepreneurs has always been central to our approach, and Ken is a prime example of the type of transformative leader we're grateful to partner with." Juxtapose is the largest inception-stage venture fund building businesses at the juncture of healthcare and technology, most recently co-founding Tend, Orchard, and Care/of. The principals at Juxtapose have collectively launched over 20 technology-enabled healthcare businesses from scratch. Obvious Ventures invests in purpose-driven startups solving systemic challenges across trillion-dollar industries like food, healthcare, energy, and mobility. "The combination of Ken's singular background in bringing to life delightful experiences in complex scientific areas, Juxtapose's healthcare building track record, and Obvious Ventures' investing experience in deep science and consumer health is representative of the ambition of Nectar," continued Mr. Chun. "More consumers suffer from allergies than chronic diseases like diabetes. We are thrilled to be part of the Nectar mission to improve human health for millions," said James Joaquin, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Obvious. "Ken's vision for building a science-backed, trusted brand in allergy solutions will reshape the way consumers think about their personal health." Learn more at nectarlifesciences.com. About Nectar Life Sciences Nectar is building a comprehensive, vertically integrated allergy healthcare platform that leverages data and clinical research to offer a personalized, patient-centric approach to allergy care. Led by founder and CEO Kenneth Chahine, Nectar is the first direct-to-consumer launch brand to be developed from Nectar Life Sciences. About Juxtapose Founded by Patrick Chun and Jed Cairo in 2015, Juxtapose is an inception-stage investment firm that is exclusively focused on building industry-transforming businesses from the ground up. The fund has supported the creation and financing of technology companies such as Care/of, Tend, Orchard, Great Jones, DayForward, and Modern Age. Juxtapose partners with the world's most experienced and talented entrepreneurial operators to found and scale category-defining technology companies that are set up to win in the industries in which they operate. Read more at juxtapose.com . About Obvious Ventures Obvious Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in startups and entrepreneurs reimagining trillion-dollar industries through a world-positive lens. Since launching in 2014, Obvious has backed over 90 companies using technology to create a smarter, healthier, more sustainable world. The fund has led investments in breakthrough companies such as Beyond Meat, Olly, Virta Health, and Recursion. Obvious was co-founded by Ev Williams, James Joaquin, and Vishal Vasishth. More information is available at obvious.com. Media Contact: Charlie Mathon [email protected] SOURCE Nectar The Northeast and a dozen other U.S. megaregions will shape the country's future over the next century. Each one is a network of metropolitan areas united by history, culture, economics, and shared infrastructure and natural resource systems. They contain only 30 percent of the nation's land, but most of its people. As a new book makes clear, they face complex challenges that require planning, policy, and governance that cross traditional political boundaries. Written by planning scholars Robert D. Yaro, Ming Zhang, and Frederick R. Steiner, Megaregions and America's Future explains the concept of megaregions, provides updated economic, demographic, and environmental data, draws lessons from Europe and Asia, and shows how megaregions are an essential framework for governing the world's largest economy. Far from being a substitute for a strong national government, megaregions are, in the authors' view, the perfect geographic unit for channeling federal investment and managing large systems such as interstate rail, multistate natural resource systems, climate mitigation or adaptation, and major economic development initiatives. "Creating national, megaregional, and metropolitan governance systems will require a reinvention of the federal system and a nationwide program of innovation and experimentation unlike any that the country has undertaken since the New Deal almost a century ago," the authors write. The book pays particular attention to defenses against sea-level rise and storm surges, calling for regional alternatives to the "go-it-alone approach" of cities like Boston and New York, and to high-speed rail, which could open access to opportunity as it has in other highly industrialized countries. Building better rail networks within cities and regions is critical to the success of high-speed rail, the authors write. Geared to urban and regional planners and policy analysts, staff and decision makers in transportation, environmental protection, and development agencies, faculty and students in related fields, as well as business leaders, Megaregions and America's Future includes a case study of the Northeastthe nation's oldest megaregion and the source of the conceptbut delves deeply into every megaregion, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast to Southern California. The book builds on two decades of Lincoln Institute scholarship on megaregions, including several books on the European model and Regional Planning in America: Practice and Prospect, a foundational text in the field of regional planning. Megaregions and America's Future is available on the Lincoln Institute's website: https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/books/megaregions-americas-future. Praise for Megaregions and America's Future "Written by the leading experts on regional planning at this scale, this timely book will become a go-to source." Barbara Faga, Professor of Professional Practice in Urban Design, Rutgers University "Megaregions are an essential framework for understanding the economic, environmental, social, and climate change challenges we now face. This is the seminal book on a concept critical to our futurefrom the authors who conceived and mapped its contemporary definition, challenges, and opportunities. Agglomeration effects on economic growth, new communication technologies, emerging transportation modes, and codependent environmental forces will shape the future of our cities into megaregions. This book gives us the understanding and tools to steer them toward equity, resilience, and sustainability." Peter Calthorpe, Senior Vice President, HDR "This ambitious book makes the case for recognizing American megaregions as a driver of policy, planning, and investment. It provides a road map for breaking down jurisdictional boundaries to address urgent needs in affordable housing, ecosystem vulnerability, and transportation-system connectednessand it is essential reading for anyone hoping to broaden their thinking about our national trajectory." Sara C. Bronin, Professor, Cornell University "In Megaregions, authors Yaro, Zhang, and Steiner productively 'rediscover' the region as a category of political, ecological, and economic order particularly well suited to address contemporary challenges associated with ongoing urbanization. The volume presents a timely and provocative rereading of the region as an instrument of planning, combining equal parts empirical analysis and spatial proposition. Megaregions is painstakingly researched, exquisitely composed, and beautifully written. It offers a sober yet optimistic lens through which to project the future of the American city and its prospects in relation to the ongoing project of America." Charles Waldheim, John E. Irving Professor of Landscape Architecture and Director, Harvard University Graduate School of Design "Yaro, Zhang, and Steiner successfully present a coherent rationale for the "megaregion," which is the next focus area for the planning profession. The authors correctly argue that it is the best scale for infrastructure investment. Advocacy for a new grassroots institutional structure is the key to success." Michael Morris, P.E. Transportation Director, MPO for Dallas-Fort Worth region About the Authors Robert D. Yaro is professor of practice emeritus in city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania. Ming Zhang is professor of community and regional planning at the University of Texas at Austin and director of the USDOT University Transportation Center: Cooperative Mobility for Competitive Megaregions. Frederick R. Steiner is dean and Paley Professor of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania. About the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. A nonprofit private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges. Through education, training, publications, and events, we integrate theory and practice to inform public policy decisions worldwide. SOURCE Lincoln Institute of Land Policy The incise drape is the first to feature Avery Dennison's patented BeneHold CHG adhesive technology DUBLIN, Ohio, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) today launched the first surgical incise drape using industry-leading antiseptic Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG). The drape features Avery Dennison's patented BeneHold CHG adhesive technology, which helps reduce the risk of surgical site contamination with organisms typically associated with surgical site infections (SSIs). The incise film is strong, conformable and breathable and provides a sterile surface to create a barrier to contamination. The adhesive helps prevent edge lift of the drape, while still removing easily after surgery without harming fragile skin. "CHG is trusted as a topical antiseptic for surgical patient skin preparation," said Tina Keller, senior consultant in Clinical Operations at Cardinal Health, "and utilizing the antimicrobial properties of CHG in the actual adhesive of the surgical drape is an innovative approach that is intended to improve patient care by further reducing the risk of microbial contamination. We look forward to showcasing this innovative new product with clinicians at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) global conference this week." In addition to preparing a patient's skin for surgery, incise drapes are utilized as a method of helping protect the wound from horizontal bacterial contamination during surgery, which may be present on the patient's surrounding skin. Surgical site infections account for 20% of all hospital-acquired infections; with a mortality rate of 3%, SSIs cost health systems more than 1 million additional inpatient days, as well as $3.3 billion in costs each year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1. An in-vivo animal study 2 showed the novel CHG surgical incise drape significantly reduced MRSA contamination in the wound and around the incise area when compared to non-antimicrobial and iodophor based drapes. View the Cardinal Health whitepaper for a summary of the study. "The BeneHold CHG adhesive technology is perfectly suited for incise film applications. The adhesive helps prevent edge lift and maintain a sterile surgical site, while a breathable film encourages good adhesion without damage on removal, including from fragile skin," said Barbara Van Rymenam, global director of innovation platforms at Avery Dennison Medical. "Avery Dennison is delighted to be partnering with Cardinal Health to bring this innovative technology and product offering to the operating room." The Cardinal Health Surgical Incise Drape with CHG meets the International Organization for Standardization and the United States Food and Drug Administration requirements for cytotoxicity, irritation, acute systemic toxicity, skin sensitization and pyrogenicity. Stop by booth #7231 at AORN this week to learn more about the new incision drape, attend live continuing education sessions, or take a break at the "relax and recharge" station. Learn more about the surgical incise drape here. 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NHSN Surgical Site Infection Event (SSI). https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/9pscssicurrent.pdf. Published January 2021. Accessed February 15, 2021. 2. Carty N, Leaper D, Perry L, Edmiston CE Jr,. Preliminary analysis of the antimicrobial activity of a novel surgical incise drape containing chlorhexidine gluconate against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in an in vivo porcine, incisional-wound model. Am J Infect Control. 2021 Jul;49(7):857-861. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.01.016. Epub 2021 Jan 29. PMID: 33524452. About Cardinal Health Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products, and a provider of performance and data solutions for health care facilities. With 50 years in business, operations in more than 30 countries and approximately 44,000 employees globally, Cardinal Health is essential to care. Information about Cardinal Health is available at cardinalhealth.com. About Avery Dennison Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company's products and solutions, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical, and retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. The company employs approximately 36,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2021 were $8.4 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com. Media Relations, Cardinal Health: Courtney Tobin T: +1 (614) 822-4016 M: +1 (937) 243-4822 [email protected] Media Relations, Avery Dennison Medical, Product and Technical Inquiries: Barbara Van Rymenam M: +32 497 10 32 33 [email protected] Media Relations, Avery Dennison Medical, General Inquiries: Andrew Deckert M: +1 (224) 374-2109 [email protected] SOURCE Cardinal Health Third Annual Analysis of Asia-Pacific Fraud Shows IVT Rate Falling to 0.37% When Multiple Supply Chain Participants Have TAG Seal SINGAPORE, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), an advertising industry initiative to fight criminal activity and strengthen brand safety in the digital advertising supply chain, today released a new analysis of data from major Asia-Pacific markets showing record-low rates of Invalid Traffic (IVT) in TAG Certified Channels, where multiple supply chain participants have adopted the industry's standards against fraud. Conducted by The 614 Group , the third-annual TAG Asia-Pacific Fraud Snapshot found a 0.37% percent rate for invalid traffic in TAG Certified channels where multiple entities involved in the transaction such as the media agency, buy-side platform, sell-side platform, and/or publisher have achieved the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal. In Non-Certified Channels (NCC), the rate was more than 2.5 times higher. "Ad fraud criminals search for weaknesses in the supply chain to exploit, so our industry's continued success in fighting fraud depends on broad participation by companies around the world at every step in those ad transactions," said Nick Stringer, TAG's VP Global Engagement and Operations. "This study shows once again that because having multiple TAG Certified participants in a transaction safeguards ad spend from fraud so effectively every company that earns the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal effectively reduces fraud for both their customers and their supply chain partners, thus ensuring broader protection across the industry." The 614 Group study measured invalid traffic (IVT) rates in TAG Certified Channels by analyzing 158 billion ad impressions from January to December 2021 from three of the largest advertising agency holding companies across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The number of impressions measured increased nearly 59% from the 99.7 billion measured in 2021. "Since 2017, The 614 Group has been measuring the impact of TAG Certification in markets around the world, and the evidence becomes more compelling each year that the ad industry can maintain consistent, low, and predictable levels of fraud by adopting the same high standards across the supply chain," said Rob Rasko, CEO of The 614 Group. "This year marks a major increase in the level of engagement we saw from our local partners. We are not only grateful but also excited about the great enthusiasm that the advertising leaders of Asia Pacific have shown for our important research initiatives and industry summits." In addition to the Asia Pacific nations involved this year's, TAG is in discussion with China Advertising Association (CAA) to expand its analysis to include the Chinese market next year. The full 2022 TAG Asia Pacific Fraud Snapshot can be found here . Additional information about TAG's Certified Against Fraud Program and how companies from across the advertising ecosystem can receive the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal can be found at tagtoday.net/fraud. Methodology This report uses the methodology established by The 614 Group in 2017 for the first US benchmark study and subsequently has been used in similar TAG Fraud Benchmark studies since then. The 614 Group analyzed data from leading agency holding companies -- along with their MRC-accredited measurement vendors -- by collecting and aggregating impressions for campaigns that were executed in select markets across the Asia Pacific region from January 1 to December 31, 2021. These impressions included display media and video ads in desktop, mobile web, and in-app environments. The analysis did not use sampling of any kind, as 100% of the impressions received from the agencies who shared data were analyzed. Upon receipt, all data was aggregated within a secure database in order to create the proper reporting. In addition, The 614 Group conducted a series of industry expert interviews with executives at agencies and others on background for qualitative perspectives. About the Trustworthy Accountability Group The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is the global certification program designed to fight against criminal activity and protect brand safety in the digital advertising industry. TAG advances its mission of eliminating fraudulent traffic, facilitating the sharing of threat intelligence, and promoting brand safety by connecting industry leaders, analyzing threats, and sharing best practices worldwide. The 700+ member TAG community includes the world's largest and most influential brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech providers. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net . Contact: Andrew Weinstein 202-667-4967 [email protected] SOURCE Trustworthy Accountability Group Featuring premium 40mm drivers, immersive Dirac Virtuo spatial audio solution, robust ANC technology, and up to 60 hours of playback per charge, Monolith M1000ANC headphones rock! BREA, Calif., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Monoprice, the best kept secret in consumer electronics, today announced the Monolith M1000ANC premium wireless headphones. With a stylish modern design, premium build and sound quality, a bevy of high-end features and up to 60 hours playtime per charge, these headphones hit all the right notes for a low price of $129.99. "Our Monolith headphones have an excellent reputation for superb performance at unbeatable prices. These headphones are no exception," said Hobie Sechrest, Monolith Business Unit Manager, Monoprice. "As with all Monolith products, the M1000ANC headphones were engineered for excellent sound quality. Not only did we achieve that, but we also further expanded their capabilities by teaming up with Dirac to deliver an immersive and high-quality soundscape." Premium Through and Through As with all Monolith branded audio products, the M1000ANC headphones were engineered to deliver extraordinary quality, performance, and value without compromises. These stylish new headphones feature an ultra-comfortable, lightweight padded headband design with pivoting earcups and memory foam earpads that provide a superb fit for fatigue-free listening. The high-quality 40mm drivers deliver fantastic sound quality, with crisp highs, smooth mids and deep bass. Dirac Virtuo enhances the listening experience by expanding the sound stage far beyond the physical limitations of the headphones, allowing listeners to hear their music in a more immersive, natural sounding way. These headphones come equipped with a carrying bag, USB-C charging cable and 3.5mm audio cable. "Though spatial audio is becoming mainstream, most consumed content is still stereo," stated Lars Isaksson, Dirac's Head of Business Development, Streaming & Headphones. "Dirac Virtuo turns this stereo content into a high-quality immersive sound experience with an accurate soundstage and perfected sound quality. With Dirac Virtuo, Monolith M1000ANC customers will experience an expanded soundscape that includes all spatial cues of the original stereo content as if it were coming from a pair of high-end home speakers. Monoprice, like Dirac, is a pioneer in audio industry and we look forward to continued collaboration that creates premium, high-quality listening experiences for consumers worldwide." Features Usually Found in Headphones Twice the Price Bluetooth 5 With the latest generation of Bluetooth technology, these headphones benefit from higher data transfer rates and lower power consumption to deliver high-quality listening experience, rock solid connection and increased battery life. With the latest generation of Bluetooth technology, these headphones benefit from higher data transfer rates and lower power consumption to deliver high-quality listening experience, rock solid connection and increased battery life. Active Noise Cancellation - Monolith M1000ANC headphones feature Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation technology and allow up to 35dB of noise reduction. Environmental noises are suppressed so that listeners can hear every nuance of their music clearly. By placing a hand over the earcup, ambient mode activates, letting outside noise in so listeners can hear conversations and their surroundings. Monolith M1000ANC headphones feature Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation technology and allow up to 35dB of noise reduction. Environmental noises are suppressed so that listeners can hear every nuance of their music clearly. By placing a hand over the earcup, ambient mode activates, letting outside noise in so listeners can hear conversations and their surroundings. A Better Calling Experience - Have crystal clear calls in the busiest areas with Qualcomm Echo Cancelling and Noise Suppression technology. Listeners can use touch controls to answer, decline, or end their calls. Have crystal clear calls in the busiest areas with Qualcomm Echo Cancelling and Noise Suppression technology. Listeners can use touch controls to answer, decline, or end their calls. Long Battery Life Listeners will enjoy up to 60 hours of music playback time on a single charge without any interruptions. Quickly charge the M1000ANC headphones with any USB-Type C charging cable. A quick 5-minute charge provides up to two hours of playback. Each Monoprice product is backed by a 1-year warranty and 30-day money back with no questions asked return policy. About Monoprice, Inc. (DBA Monoprice.com) Located in Brea, Calif., Monoprice, Inc. is an e-commerce leader providing thousands of high-quality and affordable electronics and tech products. Maintaining a business philosophy that focuses on the needs of its customers, the company strives to bring simplicity, fairness and confidence to consumers and businesses shopping for big-ticket electronics and tech accessories. As a one-stop-shop for most consumer electronics needs, Monoprice oversees a variety of house brands that deliver lasting quality, premium specs and industry-leading performance, including Dark Matter, Monolith, Pure Outdoor, and Indio. For more information about Monoprice, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, and the Monoprice Blog. About Dirac: Dirac is here to change the world of sound. We're inventing the future of audio with superior experiences for any content, device, and space. For the many, not the few. Based in Sweden, Dirac optimizes digital audio, perfecting sound for better listening in any environment. The patented sound solution technology spans across mobile, gaming, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, headphones, streaming, automotive, residential and commercial AV, boosting whatever sound you're listening to, wherever you're listening. For professionals, Dirac produces the industry's most powerful suite of audio tools for signal processing. Some of the world's most respected brands, including Rolls Royce, Volvo, Polestar, BMW, BYD, Harman, Datasat, NAD, ASUS, and OPPO bring the Dirac sound experience to their customers. Dirac is a global company with headquarters in Uppsala, Sweden and R&D facilities in Copenhagen, Denmark and Bangalore, India, with representation in China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and USA. www.dirac.com Click here for media assets SOURCE Monoprice SEATTLE, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) today announced the appointment of Amie Thuener to its Board of Directors, effective March 15, 2022. Thuener has more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience. For the past nine years, she has worked at Alphabet, where she has served as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since 2018 and is responsible for global external financial reporting, including certifying the company's financial statements. Additionally, she has oversight of the finance teams for Alphabet's Other Bets, including Verily, Waymo and others. In this capacity, she has an advisory and governance role, including annual budgets, incentive compensation plans, strategic deals and enterprise valuations. From 2013 to 2018, she served as Chief Accountant at Google, leading its SEC reporting, accounting policy and M&A finance teams. Prior to joining Alphabet, Thuener worked as a Managing Director at PwC, providing accounting consulting services for companies of all sizes and across industries for 16 years. She also served as a practice fellow on the Financial Accounting Standards Board. "We are pleased to welcome Amie to our Board and are confident her expertise will provide important contributions to the Company," said Brad D. Smith, chairman of the Nordstrom Board. "Her experience working for some of the world's most innovative companies will help us as we continue to navigate a shifting retail landscape to deliver on our reputation for unmatched customer service." About Nordstrom At Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN), we exist to help our customers feel good and look their best. Since starting as a shoe store in 1901, how to best serve customers has been at the center of every decision we make. This heritage of service is the foundation we're building on as we provide convenience and true connection for our customers. Our digital-first platform enables us to serve customers when, where and how they want to shop whether that's in-store at more than 350 Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local and Nordstrom Rack locations or digitally through our Nordstrom and Rack apps and websites. Through it all, we remain committed to leaving the world better than we found it . SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc. In collaboration with TargetX, Northland Pioneer College launches a new CRM platform to personalize communication with prospective students; remove barriers to enrollment and student success SHOW LOW, Ariz., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Northland Pioneer College , a community college serving a demographically diverse population of Native American, first-generation, and working adult students, today announced the launch of a new digital and mobile-friendly enrollment hub that will remove barriers to college access and enrollment. In collaboration with Liaison company TargetX , the developer of a CRM platform for student success and enrollment, admissions staff and other college personnel will be able to use a single platform to track the progress prospective students make toward enrollingand work collaboratively to guide them through the process. "College access and completion offers a pathway to social and economic mobility, but the complexity of the enrollment process itself can too often be a deterrent for students from underserved backgrounds and first-generation students," said Dr. Chato Hazelbaker, president of Northland Pioneer College. "To deliver on our affordability and access mission and support the college-going aspirations of more students, we need to create an enrollment experience that is easier for students to navigate and more supportive of their needs." After experiencing an enrollment decline, Northland Pioneer College has set an ambitious institution-wide goal in 2022 to grow enrollment as part of a three-year strategic plan . Over the past year, the college gathered data on its internal enrollment process and determined that a significant number of students who began the application process ultimately never registered. The launch of the TargetX CRM at Northland Pioneer College is part of its internal initiative to enhance the student intake and onboarding processesand remove barriers to access and enrollment. Colleges and universities nationwide continue to grapple with two consecutive years of declining enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with some of the largest decreases occurring at community colleges and among first-generation students. Nationally, Native American student enrollment dropped 13% between 2020 and 2021the largest decline of any racial or ethnic group. More than 28 percent of Northland Pioneer students identify as American Indian/Alaskan Native. More than 80 percent of students attend part-time, and nearly a third are older than 25. To streamline the enrollment experience for these diverse student demographics, the college will use a centralized hub from TargetX that will enable students to view their progress in the enrollment process and identify which milestones need to be completed. The TargetX platform will integrate with the college's existing Salesforce platform to provide a customized solution to support enrollment and engagement on campus. Once students are enrolled, advisors and student support personnel will use the TargetX Retention Suite to receive early alerts, provide information on student services, and communicate proactively with students who may be at risk of withdrawing. "To counter historic declines in enrollment, community colleges are finding new and creative ways to scale the sort of high-touch communication and support students need to navigate the enrollment and financial aid process," said Sasha Peterson, chief innovation officer at Liaison International and CEO of TargetX. "This work is about creating an enrollment experience that is more responsive and accessible to students throughout the processwhile at the same time empowering administrators with the insights they need to support students during every step of the journey." The integration is the latest example of Liaison's Total Enrollment approach, which enables institutions to integrate historically-siloed products, applications, and workflow tools from other technology providers, such as Salesforce, alongside those developed by Liaison. The features and functionality from across the Liaison family of products provide campus leaders with a unique set of planning, analytics, outreach and communication tools and services to help institutions navigate complex enrollment and retention challenges and tailor support for incoming and enrolled students. For more information on Liaison's Total Enrollment solution, visit liaisonedu.com/total-enrollment . About Northland Pioneer College: Northland Pioneer College (NPC) is a regionally accredited, publicly supported, comprehensive community college serving Navajo County, Arizona. Campuses are located in four of the largest Navajo County communities: Holbrook, Show Low, Snowflake/Taylor and Winslow. Instructional centers are located in Hopi/Polacca, Kayenta and Whiteriver. NPC also partners with community members in Apache County, Arizona, with instructional centers in Springerville/Eagar and St. Johns. NPC is governed by the Navajo County Community College District, the nation's second-largest community college service area 21,158 square miles (54,800 km2). The Navajo, Hopi and White Mountain Apache Indian Reservations occupy more than 60 percent of the total land in the college's service area. NPC has an open admissions policy. About TargetX: TargetX is a higher education CRM company that provides an enterprise-wide solution to help colleges manage relationships with their most important constituencies, including prospective students, current students, alumni and potential donors. The company's Enterprise CRM is built on the powerful development platform of Salesforce.com the worldwide leader in customer relationship management and a pioneer in cloud computing. With its 15-year reputation for innovative technology and industry expertise, TargetX has become one of the most trusted CRM providers in higher education. To learn more, visit targetx.com . About Liaison International: Through a powerful combination of technology and services, Liaison helps over 31,000 undergraduate, graduate and post-bac programs across more than 1,500 campuses achieve their recruitment, admissions, enrollment and student success goals. Liaison's campaign management, enrollment and recruitment tools include TargetX and the Enrollment Marketing Platform (EMP) as well as its Centralized Application Service (CAS), Othot, SlideRoom, and Time2Track. To learn more, visit liaisonedu.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. SOURCE Liaison "This award is testament to our leading role with respect to RISE with SAP as a globally successful SAP partner in the small to midsize enterprise sector," said Norbert Rotter, CEO of NTT DATA Business Solutions AG. "Digital transformation is picking up speed around the world and an ever-increasing number of companies are putting their trust in our cloud expertise to utilize SAP S/4HANA Cloud for new business models. This demand has helped us to grow in a dynamic market environment." SAP selects the nominations for the SAP Partner Excellence Awards from its large and diverse partner base, using internal SAP sales data. A committee composed of regional and global SAP representatives determines the winner in each category based on various criteria such as sales achievement and performance. The awards are given in a number of categories, including overall sales, innovation, technology, services and solution-specific areas. "Your solutions help customers to adopt innovation with ease, grow sustainably and operate more effectively in the cloud," said Rumyana Trencheva, SVP Midmarket and Partner Business MEE, SAP. "I am pleased and honored to congratulate NTT DATA Business Solutions AG on receiving the SAP MEE Partner Excellence Award for RISE with SAP. We look forward to collaborating with you on the transformation into the cloud. Let's shape the future together." As a longstanding partner, NTT DATA Business Solutions AG are experts in delivering SAP products. "RISE with SAP opens up entirely new possibilities, and SAP Business Technology Platform, included in the RISE with SAP bundle, offers new technologies that make advanced data analysis, machine learning and IoT functions possible," said Dr. Andreas Pauls, EVP Region DACH, Managing Director Germany at NTT DATA Business Solutions AG. NTT DATA Business Solutions AG was presented with the award at the MEE Partner Ecosystem Success All Hands Call 2022, an event that brought together SAP executives, SAP field sales representatives and partners. SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. About NTT DATA Business Solutions NTT DATA Business Solutions designs, implements, manages, and continuously enhances SAP solutions to make them work for companies and their people. Aiming to help companies to transform, grow and become more successful, NTT DATA Business Solutions connects with a more than in-depth expertise for SAP solutions its clients business opportunities with the latest technologies individually and across all business areas. As part of the NTT DATA group and as a global strategic partner of SAP, with close ties to other partners, NTT DATA Business Solutions gives clients and prospects access to innovative solutions and developments and thus makes an important contribution to innovation and long-term business success. NTT DATA Business Solutions employs around 12,000 people in 30 countries. About NTT DATA NTT DATA a part of NTT Group is a trusted global innovator of IT and business services headquartered in Tokyo. We help clients transform through consulting, industry solutions, business process services, digital & IT modernization and managed services. NTT DATA enables them, as well as society, to move confidently into the digital future. We are committed to our clients' long-term success and combine global reach with local client attention to serve them in over 50 countries around the globe. Visit us at nttdata.com. Media contact international Head of Corporate Communications Silvia Dicke NTT DATA Business Solutions Konigsbreede 1 33605 Bielefeld, Germany T: +49 (0) 521 / 9 14 48 - 107 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE NTT DATA Business Solutions AG CARSON CITY, Nev., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Publicly traded company NuGene International Inc. (OTC Pink: NUGN) announces the completion of a change in control with Livento Group LLC, a Delaware Corporation. David Stybr, the CEO of Livento, acquired majority voting control in a private transaction through the purchase of 100 Super Voting Preferred A shares and 5 million Preferred C shares from Milan Hoffman, CEO of Emergent LLC. Livento Group LLC has confirmed a change of NUGN's business model, redirecting its focus to the film and television industry. Livento currently has contracts with a production company that produces films for Netflix and Prime Video, in addition to co-producing large budget films worldwide with top actors in the film industry. To date, they have produced and co-produced sixteen films on Netflix, the latest of which was released September 3rd. As part of the transaction, David Stybr has been appointed Sole Director and Milan Hoffman has resigned from her positions. "Our immediate focus in the coming weeks will be the removal of "shell" status on OTC Markets and the performance of a full audit," stated the new CEO. "Once these preliminary actions are complete, we will submit a form 10Q and proceed from there. We are currently in the process of completing the initial change of control information needed for OTC Markets," he added. Milan Hoffman will be assisting with Livento's transition to the public markets for the next few months. "I'm beyond thrilled that we were able to find such an incredible CEO and team for NUGN. This will go a long way to restore shareholder value and may even surpass expectations," stated Milan Hoffman, CEO of Emergent LLC. "I am impressed with their management's experience and honored to be providing them with a public vehicle that will bring their vision to the next level. They have every resource and capability necessary to make NUGN realize its maximum potential." Statements in this press release that are not historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although Livento Group LLC believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, Livento Group LLC is unable to give any assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors or events that could cause actual results to differ may emerge, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. About Emergent LLC: Emergent LLC is a full-service business compliance firm. We strive to help our clients achieve the regulatory standard necessary for business restructuring and reverse mergers. [email protected] https://twitter.com/EmergentLlc SOURCE NuGene International Inc. To understand more about Market Dynamics. Download our FREE sample reporthouse According to the recent market study by Technavio, the Online Premium Cosmetics Market potential growth difference will be USD 15.26 billion from 2021 to 2026, with an accelerated CAGR of 7%. The report provides a detailed analysis of drivers & opportunities, top winning strategies, competitive scenario, future market trends, market size & estimations, and major investment pockets. APAC will register the highest growth rate of 43% among the other regions. The significant increase in the demand for premium cosmetics owing to the rise in disposable income will facilitate the online premium cosmetics market growth in APAC over the forecast period. China and Japan are the key markets for online premium cosmetics in APAC. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions. Download FREE Sample: for more additional information about the key revenue-generating economies Vendor Insights- The online premium cosmetics market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as new product launches to compete in the market. Market vendors are focusing more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. For instance, CHANEL Ltd. offers premium cosmetic products under the brand name Peche Rosee. Some of the major vendors covered in this report are: Amorepacific Group Inc. Avon Products Inc. Antonio Piug SA CHANEL Ltd. Clarins Pte Ltd. Dambiro de The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. Hermes International SA Kao Corp. Kose Corp. Lancome Loccitane International SA LOreal SA LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE Oriflame Holding AG The Procter and Gamble Co. Revlon Inc. Shiseido Co. Ltd. Unilever PLC Johnson and Johnson Inc. Find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings. Download Free Sample Report Key Segment Highlights By Product Skincare The skincare segment held the largest online premium cosmetics market share in 2021. The segment will continue to account for the largest share during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increase in the older population and advances in the technology used in manufacturing skin care products. The skincare segment held the largest online premium cosmetics market share in 2021. The segment will continue to account for the largest share during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increase in the older population and advances in the technology used in manufacturing skin care products. Makeup Haircare Others Download our FREE sample report for more key highlights on other contributing segments. Latest Drivers & Trends Driving the Market- Online Premium Cosmetics Market Driver: Rise in Ageing Population: The increasing aging population and the need to prevent the signs of aging among end-users are expected to increase the demand for anti-aging cosmetic products. These cosmetics are formulated using various substances, such as resveratrol and carotenes. Antioxidant properties of these cosmetics prevent the skin from premature aging and provide essential nutrients to the skin, in turn, driving the market growth Online Premium Cosmetics Market Trend: Growing preference for organic cosmetics and cosmeceuticals.: Organic cosmetics are gaining traction among the users due to the growing awareness about the harmful effects of parabens and phthalates in chemical-based cosmetics. Organic products are made from natural extracts such as neem and aloe vera to protect the skin from premature aging. For instance, Forest Essentials offers Light Day Lotion, a lotion that contains Ayurvedic herbs like Ashwagandha and Gokharu, which provide nourishment to the skin and prevent the formation of free radicals that damage it, eventually boosting the market growth. Find additional information about various other market Drivers & Trends mentioned in our FREE sample report . Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Customize Report- Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak to our analyst and know more insights about this market report. Our analysts can also help you customize this report according to your needs. Our analysts and industry experts will work directly with you to understand your requirements and provide you with customized data in a short amount of time. We offer USD 1,000 worth of FREE customization at the time of purchase. Speak to our Analyst now! Here are Some Similar Topics- Premium Cosmetics Market by Distribution Channel, Product, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024 Natural Cosmetics Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Herbal Cosmetics Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 CBD Infused Cosmetics Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Online Premium Cosmetics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 15.26 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 6.0 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 43% Key consumer countries US, Canada, China, Japan, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Amorepacific Group Inc., Avon Products Inc., Antonio Piug SA, CHANEL Ltd., Clarins Pte Ltd., Dambiro de, The Estee Lauder Co. Inc., Hermes International SA, Kao Corp., Kose Corp., Lancome, Loccitane International SA, LOreal SA, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Oriflame Holding AG, The Procter and Gamble Co., Revlon Inc., Shiseido Co. Ltd., Unilever PLC, and Johnson and Johnson Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis 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. Key topics covered 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Product Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Product 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Product Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Product 5.3 Skincare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Skincare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Skincare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Skincare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Skincare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Makeup - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Makeup - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Makeup - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Makeup - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Makeup - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Haircare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 36: Chart on Haircare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Haircare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Chart on Haircare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Haircare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 40: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 41: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 42: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 44: Market opportunity by Product ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 45: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 46: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 47: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 48: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 49: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 82: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 83: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 84: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 85: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 86: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 87: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 88: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 89: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 90: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 91: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 92: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 93: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 94: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 95: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 96: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 CHANEL Ltd. Exhibit 97: CHANEL Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 98: CHANEL Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 99: CHANEL Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 100: CHANEL Ltd. - Segment focus 10.4 Clarins Pte Ltd. Exhibit 101: Clarins Pte Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 102: Clarins Pte Ltd. - Key offerings 10.5 Lancome Exhibit 103: Lancome - Overview Exhibit 104: Lancome - Product / Service Exhibit 105: Lancome - Key offerings 10.6 LOreal SA Exhibit 106: LOreal SA - Overview Exhibit 107: LOreal SA - Business segments Exhibit 108: LOreal SA - Key news Exhibit 109: LOreal SA - Key offerings Exhibit 110: LOreal SA - Segment focus 10.7 LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE Exhibit 111: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Overview Exhibit 112: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Business segments Exhibit 113: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Key news Exhibit 114: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Key offerings Exhibit 115: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Segment focus 10.8 Oriflame Holding AG Exhibit 116: Oriflame Holding AG - Overview Exhibit 117: Oriflame Holding AG - Business segments Exhibit 118: Oriflame Holding AG - Key offerings Exhibit 119: Oriflame Holding AG - Segment focus 10.9 Revlon Inc. Exhibit 120: Revlon Inc. - Overview Exhibit 121: Revlon Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 122: Revlon Inc. - Key news Exhibit 123: Revlon Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 124: Revlon Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Shiseido Co. Ltd. Exhibit 125: Shiseido Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 126: Shiseido Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 127: Shiseido Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 128: Shiseido Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.11 The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. Exhibit 129: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Overview Exhibit 130: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 131: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Key news Exhibit 132: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 133: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Segment focus 10.12 The Procter and Gamble Co. Exhibit 134: The Procter and Gamble Co. - Overview Exhibit 135: The Procter and Gamble Co. - Business segments Exhibit 136: The Procter and Gamble Co. - Key offerings Exhibit 137: The Procter and Gamble Co. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 138: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 139: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 140: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 141: Research methodology Exhibit 142: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 143: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 144: List of abbreviations About Us 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 Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Orea Mining Corp. ("Orea") (TSX: OREA) (OTCQX: OREAF) (FSE: 3CG) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Formal Option Agreement ("FOA") to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Antino Gold Project ("Antino"), located in Suriname, South America. As announced on July 6, 2021 , a Binding Term Sheet ("BTS") was signed to acquire up to a 75% interest in an advanced-stage gold exploration project located in a significant alluvial and small-scale open pit gold mining district in Suriname; The FOA has been fully executed; An airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey covering 110 square kilometers has provided high-resolution topographic data and orthophotos for project development; and Geological mapping and core relogging of the main open pit mining areas is underway. Rock Lefrancois, President & CEO of Orea, commented "We are very excited to ramp up our field work and commence exploration at Antino, starting with a low-cost geological model for the planning of the first phase of drilling on priority resource definition targets." About Antino Antino is an advanced stage gold exploration project located in mining friendly Suriname, South America, 275 kilometers southeast of the capital Paramaribo. The project consists of Rights to Exploitation of Gold (Suriname mining titles) covering 200 square kilometers. Under Suriname mining regulations, the mining titles allow for exploration and mining without any additional permits. The project is located in a significant area of alluvial and small-scale open pit gold mining at the intersection of major gold deformation zones known as CGSZ and NSSZ. Past exploration conducted by Canadian junior exploration companies during 1993-97 and 2006-07, including over 30,000 meters of drilling, has provided an excellent database and identified several targets for immediate resource development. A large portion of the project remains underexplored. Accommodations, communications, equipment, machinery, security and personnel have been established at Antino by the optionor, facilitating logistics for exploration. Antino project location map is available at the following link: www.oreamining.com/i/nr/2022-03-17-map-antino-location.pdf Earn-in Terms Orea to acquire up to a 75% interest and become operator of Antino through three option stages as follows: First Option Stage for 51% Interest Orea to acquire an initial 51% interest in Antino within three years of the Commencement Date (defined below) by: Orea to acquire an initial 51% interest in Antino within three years of the Commencement Date (defined below) by: Making cash payments totaling US$1,650,000 , of which only US$350,000 is payable within the first year; , of which only is payable within the first year; Issuing common shares of Orea totaling 3,400,000; Incurring a minimum of US$6,000,000 in exploration expenditures; and in exploration expenditures; and Completing a NI 43-101 Technical Report containing a minimum of 500,000 oz of gold in any category. Second Option Stage for an Additional 19% Interest for a Total of 70% Orea to acquire an additional 19% interest in Antino, for a total of 70%, within two years of completion of the First Option Stage by: Orea to acquire an additional 19% interest in Antino, for a total of 70%, within two years of completion of the First Option Stage by: Making cash payments totaling US$1,500,000 ; ; Issuing common shares of Orea totaling 200,000; Incurring a minimum of US$10,000,000 in exploration expenditures; and in exploration expenditures; and Completing a positive preliminary economic assessment (PEA). In the event that Orea does not proceed with the completion of the Second Option Stage, Orea will transfer its interest in Antino back to the optionor. Third Option Stage for an Additional 5% for a Total of 75% Orea to acquire an additional 5% interest in Antino, for a total of 75%, within three years of completion of the Second Option Stage by: Orea to acquire an additional 5% interest in Antino, for a total of 75%, within three years of completion of the Second Option Stage by: Incurring a minimum of US$10,000,000 in exploration expenditures; and in exploration expenditures; and Completing a bankable feasibility study (BFS). The Commencement Date starts when certain conditions have been met, including receiving regulatory approvals required to consummate the transaction, such as stock exchange approval and approvals required by any Government Agency under applicable law. Upon successful earn-in of Antino, Orea and the Optionor will form a joint venture with the objective of accelerating Antino into commercial production. Qualified Person Rock Lefrancois, President & Chief Executive Officer of Orea and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed this news release and is responsible for the technical information reported herein, including verification of the data disclosed. About Orea Mining Corp. Orea is a leading gold exploration and development company operating in a prospective and underexplored segment of the Guiana Shield, South America. Its mission is to develop gold deposits with a reduced environmental footprint using innovative technologies, upholding the highest international standards for responsible mining. In French Guiana, Orea holds a major interest in the world-class Montagne d'Or mine development project and is also advancing the Maripa gold exploration project. In Suriname, Orea is advancing the Antino gold exploration project through its option agreement to acquire up to a 75% interest. For more about Orea visit the company's website at www.oreamining.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: Rock Lefrancois President & CEO Forward-looking statements Certain statements made herein, including statements relating to matters that are not historical facts and statements of the Company's beliefs, intentions and expectations about developments, results and events which will or may occur in the future, constitute "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance, reflect current expectations or beliefs regarding future events and are typically identified by words such as "anticipate", "could", "should", "expect", "seek", "may", "intend", "likely", "budget", "plan", "estimate", continue", "forecast", "believe", "predict", "potential", "target", "would", "might", "will", and similar words, expressions or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. These include, but are not limited to, statements and information regarding: the Company's plans to earn into the Antino gold project; the Company's objective to become an emerging gold producer; the acquisition of exploration projects including terms of acquisition, exploration or development plans, intentions to acquire additional exploration or development interests and the implications thereof; the production capacity and potential of future plant and equipment; future exploration and mine plans, objectives and expectations and corporate planning of the Company, future studies and environmental impact statements and the timetable for completion and content thereof and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, the matters and activities contemplated in this news release. Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such assumptions and analyses are made by the Company's management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances. All assumptions and analyses are those of the Company's. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions, and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including compliance by the Company with regulatory and permitting requirements applicable in Suriname, the sufficiency of Company's working capital; the Company's ability to secure additional funding for the continued exploration and development of its properties; the price of gold and other metals; and the Company's ability to retain key personnel. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, political and economic risks in Suriname, regulatory risk including but not limited to unforeseen changes in regulatory requirements, the Company's ability to enforce its contractual and other legal rights to explore and exploit its properties, risks related to exploration and development, permitting and licensing risk, future profitability of the Company, the ability to obtain additional financing on a timely basis, the price of gold and marketability thereof, government regulations including with respect to taxes, royalties, land tenure and land use, title to the Company's properties, currency exchange rates and fluctuations, environmental risks, dilution resulting from the issuance of additional securities of the Company, joint venture risks, the availability of equipment, conflicts of interest, competition in the mining industry, uninsured risks, market fluctuations, global financial conditions, credit risk and risks arising from pandemics and epidemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes will not occur. Events or circumstances could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those estimated or projected and expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements are included in the "Risk Factors" section in Company's annual information form dated December 15, 2021 for the year ended September 30, 2021 ("AIF"). Readers are further cautioned that the list of factors enumerated in the "Risk Factors" section of the AIF that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions with respect to the Company, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements and information contained herein are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements and information contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. SOURCE Orea Mining Corp. MONROE, Ore., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lainey Morse who created the Goat Yoga phenomenon announces a new location in Rabun Gap, Georgia, Original Goat Yoga and The Goatel in the Blue Ridge Mountains B&B. The owner is Sherri Belk who has a passion for using her animals and farm to improve the mental health of whoever visits her farm. They offer both Goat Yoga Classes as well as The Goatel, which is a vacation rental that is focused on improving mental health. This caters to those who are nature lovers, love animal experiences and adventure and are looking for a unique animal-themed vacation destination. Each night stay includes our trademarked Goat Happy Hour Therapy. The Goatel is the perfect spot for family getaways, friends' reunions, bachelorette parties, goat yoga retreats or just a peaceful getaway to relax, bond with animals and recharge. They are less than two-hour drive from Atlanta. CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio-based Petland stores, with franchise locations nationwide, today announced that they raised more than $114,000 during the 2021 St. Jude Halloween Pin-Up Promotion benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital . As a St. Jude partner for 13 years, Petland has long celebrated how St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. "St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is near and dear to our heart," said Petland's Vice President of Public and Legislative Affairs Elizabeth Kunzelman. "Our Petland family across the country understands the difference one dollar can make and always goes above and beyond to make the campaign successful." Petland first formally partnered with St. Jude in 2009 and has since raised more than $1.1 million for St. Jude by asking customers to donate $1 or more at the register through October to support the lifesaving St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children. To acknowledge the donation, customers sign a St. Jude Halloween-themed pin-up which is displayed in the store. Petland also initiated a corporate campaign for the home office, offering payroll deductions for donations. Several franchisees and store operators have visited the St. Jude campus in Memphis as well as the St. Jude Target House, one of several housing facilities designed to provide a home away from home for St. Jude patient families. Generous supporters who participate in fundraisers like the St. Jude Halloween Promotion help ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. To learn more about the St. Jude Halloween Promotion, visit stjude.org/halloween. Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with quality, full-service retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, El Salvador, and Saudi Arabia. For more than 55 years, Petland Pet Counselors have been dedicated to matching the right pet with the right person and meeting the needs of both. To its customers who already have pets, Petland is dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond. Petland was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in south central Ohio. For more information on Petland, visit www.petland.com. About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel. Elizabeth Kunzelman, Director of Public Affairs Petland, Inc. 740-775-2464 [email protected] SOURCE Petland Download Now! Major Price Models in the Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement Market The report discusses in detail each pricing model and the pros and cons attached to every pricing model prevalent in the market. Also, the report provides insights with respect to the category supply chain and the margins of various suppliers within the supply chain. The most widely adopted pricing models in the Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement Market Volume-based pricing Customized pricing Learn about various other pricing models: Request for a FREE sample report Spend Growth and Demand by Region The Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement market will register an incremental spend of about USD 3.49 Billion during the forecast period. However, only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. Moreover, on the supply side, North America, Europe, and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base. The growth is expected to be primarily driven by increasing demand and adoption of the category across those few regions. To get a detailed analysis of the regional factors driving the Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement Report: Download the sample report now! Subscribe to our "Free Limited Period Starter Procurement Plan" to get the following: View 6 full reports View 800+ report samples Pre-order upcoming reports Dedicated account manager Subscribe Now for FREE! Most Adopted Procurement Strategies by Buyers Across the Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement Market The report provides a detailed insight of the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries and analysis of these strategies with respect to innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost. Adoption of these procurement strategies will enable the buyers to reduce category TCO and achieve cost savings, while sourcing for thermal equipment requirements. To get the exact information on various procurement strategies: Get the FREE Sample Report Now! This Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement Market report answers help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers, for instance: Am I engaging with the right suppliers? Which KPIs should I use to evaluate my incumbent suppliers? Which supplier selection criteria are relevant for? What are the workplace computing devices category essentials in terms of SLAs and RFx? Our Top Selling Procurement Reports: Asset Recovery Services - Forecast and Analysis: The asset recovery services will grow at a CAGR of 9.49% during 2021-2025. Asia Asset Recovery Pte Ltd., TES-Amm Singapore Pte Ltd., and Iron Mountain Inc. are among the prominent suppliers in asset recovery services market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. Vulnerability Management Sourcing and Procurement Report: Vulnerability Management Procurement Market, prices will increase by 4%-6% during the forecast period and suppliers will have a Moderate bargaining power in this market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. Celebrity Talent Management Services - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: This report offers key advisory and intelligence to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their celebrity talent management services requirements. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. 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 robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contact SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge BANGALORE, India, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Private Tutoring Market is Segmented by Type (Online or E Tutoring, Teaching in Home Afterschool Cram School), by Application (4-12 Years Old, 13-21 Years Old): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212027. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Education Category. In 2021, the global Private Tutoring market size will be USD 236 Million and it is expected to reach USD 391.5 Million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 8.8% during 2021-2027. Major factors driving the growth of the Private tutoring market are: The continued demand for higher education and degrees is expected to drive the growth of the private tuition market. Students and families are turning to tutoring to help them stay competitive and get into sought-after schools and universities as the job market becomes more competitive. Furthermore, online tutoring methods have seen a rapid rise in adoption due to benefits such as improved focus, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Students can learn at their own pace with online tutoring. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-280/Global_Private_Tutoring_Market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF PRIVATE TUTORING MARKET Increased competition among students will increase the growth of the private tutoring market. Students with better grades who meet strict criteria, such as passing difficult entrance exams or English language exams, are accepted into top schools or universities. This has raised the stakes for students seeking admission to international schools or colleges. This is especially true for middle-class families who want to work in the service industry but don't have the necessary qualifications. Private tuition assists them in achieving their objectives and increases demand for private tuition as others try to keep up or get ahead of them. In the Private Tutoring market, online tutoring is considered to be an emerging trend. As college students become more interested in technology-based learning, tutoring organizations with online subscriptions are becoming more popular. Presentations, 3D coloured diagrams, flashcards, and animations have all been used to help create subject-related content that keeps children focused. As a result, students' interest in the subject has grown during the learning process, resulting in an increase in demand for online tutoring. Additionally, online tutoring allows students to learn at their own pace while also saving money for parents. All of these factors are expected to bolster the private tutoring market. Increased education spending by wealthy parents to support the growth of the private tutoring market. Because they can afford high-quality services, high-income families are more likely to spend more on their children's development. Adult learning is also undergoing constant changes, as evidenced by increased participation and diversification in tertiary education, as well as a greater prevalence of obtaining education through distance learning. This trend is in turn is expected to drive the growth of the private tutoring market. Certification courses are in high demand due to increased employment opportunities in the high-tech, manufacturing, and medical sectors. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-280/global-private-tutoring PRIVATE TUTORING INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Based on type, Online learning methods are expected to gain significant market share. Learners can use digital devices to access online learning, which includes online private tutoring services. Based on application, the largest market share is held by the age group between 13-21 Years Old, followed by 4-12 Years Old. Based on region, North America is expected to be the most lucrative during the forecast period. One of the most important private tutoring market trends in the United States is the growing emphasis on microlearning. Microlearning consists of small modules that are easy for learners to grasp in a short amount of time. Quizzes, games, and just-in-time content delivery in the form of video, audio, text, or infographics are all examples of microlearning. Inquire for Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-280/Global_Private_Tutoring_Market Leading Companies: Ambow Education New Oriental TAL Education Xueda Education American Tutor TutorZ com Eduboard Manhattan Review ITutorGroup MindLaunch MandarinRocks Web International English Kaplan Brighter Minds Tutoring EF Education First. Inquire for Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-280/Global_Private_Tutoring_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-280&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: - The global K12 Education Technology market size is projected to reach USD 56490 Million by 2026, from USD 11850 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 25.0% during 2021-2026. - The global E-Learning Virtual Reality market size is projected to reach USD 300.3 Million by 2028, from USD 65 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 23.8% during 2022-2028. - The global learning management system market size was valued at USD 1.2 Billion in 2020 and is projected to hit USD 3.6 Billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 20.76% from 2020 to 2027. - The global K12 Tutoring market size is projected to reach USD 3619.8 Million by 2028, from USD 1052.5 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 19.0% during 2022-2028. - The global K-12 Software market size is projected to reach USD 3619.8 Million by 2028, from USD 1052.5 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 19.0% during 2022-2028. - The global Education Technology and Smart Classroom market size is projected to reach USD 239900 Million by 2028, from USD 92870 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 14.3% during 2022-2028. - The global Corporate elearning market size is projected to reach USD 37160.40 Million by 2026, from USD 17245.65 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 10.91% during 2020-2026. - The global Education ERP market size is projected to reach USD 15470 Million by 2027, from USD 8397.9 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 9.0% during 2021-2027. - The global elearning market size is projected to grow USD 370 Billion by 2026, from USD 226 Billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 8.56% during 2021-2026. - Global K12 Online Tutoring Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021-2027 - Global Online Tutoring Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021-2027 - Global Academic E-Learning Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 - Global AI in Education Market Report, History and Forecast 2016-2027, Breakdown Data by Companies, Key Regions, Types and Application ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports LinkedIn - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Proagrica , the largest technology and data business serving the global ag market, has launched its Advanced Inventory Management system (AIMS) in Europe, following success in South Africa and Australia. The management solution, which is part of the Proagrica Network, enables an efficient, cost-effective and centralised system that allows both manufacturers and retailers to manage supplier-owned stock across retail networks - encouraging greater visibility and collaboration across the supply chain. Notably, AIMS will help larger crop input manufacturers distribute their product across 20 countries in Europe, giving them real time visibility of stock levels. This in turn will help with financial planning and has the potential to help the whole food industry to tackle food shortages when crops are impacted by disease or other disruption. The platform also integrates with existing IT systems, such as Point of Sale (POS) or ERP, and also eliminates repetitive data entry, synchronising inputs and ensuring services align with one another. Peter Leppan, Director EMEA & Enterprise Product at Proagrica, comments: "The success of AIMS in the Southern Hemisphere, and in particular Australia, demonstrates the value of such tools in our sector. Manual management of stock operations is full of potential pitfalls; being able to view inventory to make accurate forecasts is invaluable." The management system, which can be accessed through your browser or mobile-based system, will allow agents and retailers to meet the needs of suppliers through stock management best practice and the provision of sales data that is both accurate and timely. AIMS is a secure, invite-only platform, which currently has over 3300 unique registered users across Australia, accounting for more than 1200 sites in the ANZ region alone. This equates to 80% of all sites involved in cropping, horticulture and mixed farming in the country, all of which are using AIMS with at least one supplier. Leppan continues: "Transparency and collaboration are key when it comes to ensuring an efficient supply chain. AIMS meets this need over multiple locations and covers all stock, whether that's seed, crop protection products or fertiliser. "The system is a key component of the Proagrica Network and it has the potential to have a major impact on how agribusinesses operate in Europe. And from the success we have seen in Australia and South Africa, I'm confident that it will be a success." For more information please visit, https://proagrica.com/products/inventory-management/#key_features About Proagrica Proagrica, part of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group, is a global provider of independent connectivity and data-driven support solutions for the agriculture and animal health industries. It delivers actionable intelligence to drive business growth across the value chain. Proagrica's superior products and services connect and empower industry participants to address their key needs around trading, productivity and compliance. Proagrica's solutions are built around the key competences of data connectivity and data analytics, delivering seamless supply chain management, and customer insight and engagement; essential for businesses looking to improve their value offering and expand in the modern marketplace. Proagrica.com About LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group is a portfolio of brands that span multiple industries providing customers with innovative technologies, information-based analytics and decision tools and data services that help businesses and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we have offices throughout the world and are part of RELX (LSE: REL/NYSE: RELX), a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit risk.lexisnexis.com/group and www.relx.com. Press Contact For more information, please contact: Tom Ingoldby E: [email protected] T: +44 7825 814 634 Andy Riley E: [email protected] T: +44 7503 673 384 SOURCE Proagrica Approximately 90% of power delivered to QTS' current aggregate data center footprint will be supported by renewable energy sources ATLANTA, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- QTS Realty Trust, a leading provider of hybrid colocation and mega scale data center solutions and EPA Green Power Partner, today announced it has signed a definitive 20-year agreement with Georgia Power subscribing to nearly 350 megawatts of new renewable energy that is being added to the power grid supporting its Atlanta-Metro and Suwanee Georgia data center campuses. The agreement is part of Georgia Power's Customer Renewable Supply Procurement (CRSP) tariff. Through CRSP, energy from up to 1,000 megawatts of renewable resources will be available for subscription by new and existing commercial and industrial customers. This renewable energy will be generated directly from new solar facilities located in Georgia, and helps customers like QTS and other large companies meet their sustainability goals. QTS will purchase the renewable energy at a fixed rate that ensures QTS will continue to offer its customers among the lowest power costs in the Atlanta market. "Georgia Power is pleased to provide QTS, the largest customer participating in the CRSP program to date, access to low cost renewable energy as part of our diverse energy mix," said Wilson Mallard, Director of Renewable Development at Georgia Power. "Working with the Georgia PSC to develop and approve offerings, we are focused on growing cost-effective renewable energy options for all customers." Factoring in the signed agreement with Georgia Power, which takes effect in 2024, approximately 90% of total power delivered to QTS' current data center footprint will be procured from renewable energy sources, with additional initiatives underway to reach 100% across the entire QTS footprint by 2025. QTS' innovative renewable power procurement strategy prioritizes initiatives that create and add net new renewable energy to the power grid, a key initiative sponsored by QTS' CEO, Chad Williams. "Georgia Power has been a trusted energy provider to QTS since we opened our first data center in Atlanta in 2005," said Travis Wright, Vice President, Energy and Sustainability, QTS. "As the data center market leader in Atlanta, we have worked closely with Georgia Power to expand the availability of renewable energy sources through innovative programs like CRSP. This new agreement represents an important milestone as part of QTS' documented commitment to procure 100% of our power from renewable energy sources by 2025." Greg Blank and Rob Harper, Senior Managing Directors at Blackstone, said "Blackstone is fully committed to helping companies build a stronger, greener economy. This agreement is aligned with our ambition to reduce carbon emissions at all of our investments, and we are proud that our partnership with QTS is supporting the transition to a cleaner energy future." To see all of the QTS, environmental, sustainability and governance initiatives, please check out QTS' 2020 ESG Report here. About QTS QTS Realty Trust, Inc. is a leading provider of data center solutions across a diverse footprint spanning more than 9 million square feet of owned mega scale data center space within North America and Europe. Through its software-defined technology platform, QTS is able to deliver secure, compliant infrastructure solutions, robust connectivity and premium customer service to leading hyperscale technology companies, enterprises, and government entities. QTS is a Blackstone portfolio company. Visit QTS at www.qtsdatacenters.com, call toll-free 877.QTS.DATA or follow on Twitter @DataCenters_QTS. About Blackstone Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $881 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Media Contact: Carter B. Cromley (703) 861-7245 [email protected] SOURCE QTS Realty Trust, Inc. Two new directors to stand for election at the AGM Company adopts Board Tenure Policy TORONTO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Quarterhill Inc. ("Quarterhill") (TSX: QTRH) (OTCQX: QTRHF), is providing details of its upcoming Annual Meeting of shareholders ("AGM") to be held virtually on Thursday April 21, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). TO VOTE AHEAD OF THE VIRTUAL AGM The AGM will be held in a virtual only format this year out of an abundance of caution to proactively deal with the potential issues arising from the continuing unprecedented world-wide public health impact of COVID-19 and to limit and mitigate risks to the health and safety of our communities, shareholders, employees, directors and other stakeholders. Shareholders will have an equal opportunity to participate at the AGM online regardless of their geographic location. In addition, as permitted by the Canadian Securities Administrators and pursuant to exemptions from the management proxy solicitation and financial statement and management's discussion and analysis delivery requirements received from the Director appointed under the Canada Business Corporations Act, Quarterhill is using "notice and access" to deliver proxy-related materials including Quarterhill's notice of meeting, management information circular (the "Circular") and related materials (collectively the "Meeting Materials") to both registered and non-registered shareholders. "Notice and access" is a set of rules for reducing the volume of materials that must be physically mailed to shareholders by posting the Meeting Materials online and providing shareholders with a notice stating where they are available. Rather than receiving a paper copy of the Meeting Materials in the mail, shareholders will have access to them online. Shareholders will receive a notice package containing the information prescribed by applicable Canadian securities laws (including a description of the matters to be addressed at the Meeting and of the notice-and-access procedures to access the Meeting Materials), as well as a form of proxy (for registered shareholders) or a voting instruction form (for non-registered shareholders) (collectively, the "Notice Package"). Where a shareholder has previously consented to electronic delivery, the Notice Package will be sent to the shareholder electronically, and otherwise will be mailed to the shareholder. The Notice Package is being mailed on or about March 17, 2022 (the "Notice"). If you have not received your copy of the Notice Package by March 31, 2022, please contact your broker if you are a non-registered shareholder or contact Computershare if you are a registered shareholder. These materials outline in detail how to participate at the AGM. The Meeting Materials are available at Quarterhill's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com as well as in the Investor Section of Quarterhill's website at www.quarterhill.com. As in prior years, shareholders have multiple options to cast their vote ahead of the AGM, which include on-line, via telephone or via mail. Details on using each method are included in the Circular and the form of proxy. Shareholders who are planning to vote ahead of the AGM must submit their proxy voting instructions to Computershare no later than 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. As noted in its press release dated March 3, 2022, Quarterhill is proposing changes to its Board of Directors at the AGM. Rusty Lewis and Pamela Steer will be newly standing for election to the Board at the AGM along with current directors, Roxanne Anderson, Dr. Michel Tewfik Fattouche, John Gillberry, Bret Kidd, James Skippen and Anna Tosto. Background detail on all nominees can be found in the Circular. Quarterhill has also adopted a Board Tenure Policy (the "Tenure Policy"), which sets a 12-year maximum tenure limit for directors. To permit orderly Board renewal, Quarterhill will implement a transition period for directors who have reached the maximum tenure under the Tenure Policy over the next three years starting at the AGM. In particular: (1) current Board members Richard Shorkey and Paul McCarten are not standing for re-election at the AGM this year; and (2) John Gillberry and James Skippen have declared that they will not stand for re-election at Quarterhill's 2023 AGM. Details on the Tenure Policy can be found in the Circular. LISTENING TO THE VIRTUAL AGM All shareholders will be able to listen to the AGM and view the Company's slide presentation as guests via audio webcast. To do so, login online at: https://web.lumiagm.com/429372562, click "Guest" and then complete the online form. Please log in 30-45 minutes prior to the start time of the AGM on April 21, 2022. TO VOTE OR ASK QUESTIONS AT THE VIRTUAL AGM For registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders to vote their proxies and/or ask questions at the AGM, please follow the instructions set out in our Circular. All shareholders wishing to have a question addressed at the virtual AGM can avoid the registration requirements set out in the Circular by submitting them in advance to [email protected]. Questions will be collected, organized by theme and posed to management at the AGM. Quarterhill is committed to addressing all appropriate questions submitted by shareholders either live during the AGM or in advance, as timing and circumstances permit. Shareholders who have questions on how to vote their proxy in advance of the AGM, or on how to register to vote at the AGM, can contact Quarterhill's strategic shareholder advisor and proxy solicitation agent, Kingsdale Advisors, at 1-855-476-7980 or, from outside North America, by collect call to 1-416-867-2272, or by Email at: [email protected] About Quarterhill Quarterhill is a leading provider of tolling and enforcement solutions in the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) industry, as well as, through its Wi-LAN Inc. subsidiary, a leader in Intellectual Property licensing. Our goal is global leadership in ITS, via organic growth of the Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC (ETC) and International Road Dynamics, Inc. (IRD) platforms, and by continuing an acquisition-oriented investment strategy that capitalizes on attractive growth opportunities within ITS and its adjacent markets. Quarterhill is listed on the TSX under the symbol QTRH and on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol QTRHF. For more information, visit www.quarterhill.com Forward-looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding Quarterhill and its business. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by Quarterhill in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and the expected effects of new business strategies, as well as other factors that Quarterhill believes are appropriate in the circumstances. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed herein may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Quarterhill, including: potential risks and uncertainties relating to the ultimate geographic spread of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"); the severity of the disease; the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to contain the COVID-19 outbreak or to treat its impact; the potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and financial markets and any resulting impact on Quarterhill and/or its business. Other factors include, without limitation, the risks described in Quarterhill's March 11, 2021 annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the "AIF"). Copies of the AIF may be obtained at www.sedar.com. Quarterhill recommends that readers review and consider all of these risk factors and notes that readers should not place undue reliance on any of Quarterhill's forward-looking statements. Quarterhill has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE Quarterhill Inc. Raydiant Challenges Local Bay Area Retail Entrepreneurs to Compete for $50K SoMa Real Estate Package Tweet this "At Raydiant, we're deeply committed to showing up for our community of local entrepreneurs. The pandemic has created a lot of heartache and setbacks for restaurant and retail owners trying to get started, and we're excited to offer a rising retailer the opportunity to open their first space, or to expand their footprint," shares Bobby Marhamat, CEO at Raydiant. "We'll offer the commercial real estate, the structural buildout, and funding to help them scale. It's a win for Raydiant, and for our SoMa community. We're excited to breathe more life into our neighborhood, especially as residents head back to the office." The pop-up real estate offering is valued at over $50,000. The package includes up to a 12-month commercial retail lease at Raydiant's HQ, 35 Stillman Street, a busy SoMa side street near the Giants stadium and South Park. Raydiant will cover costs associated with the structural build out and work with the chosen entrepreneur to design the layout and aesthetic to their liking. Raydiant will offer the winner a $10,000 stipend to be used towards marketing and operational expenses to get their business up and running, and outfit their retail space with Raydiant-powered tech and digital signage. Raydiant's platform will empower the chosen retailer to display digital menus, integrate with POS systems, and even power contactless check-out experiences. Timing couldn't be better as residents across the Bay Area are being summoned back to their physical workplaces. Companies across the tech sector with SoMa office locations including Google, Uber, Twitter and Wells Fargo are transitioning to hybrid work models , in most cases, requiring a "3:2" schedule - 3 days in the office, and 2 optional work from home. Marhamat continues, "Before the pandemic, our pocket of SoMa was bustling and thriving. With more companies rallying behind the return to work, including our own SF office, we're excited for the opportunity - and increased foot traffic - that will come to our contest winner, as well as our hundreds of Raydiant customers who have been hustling to adapt and innovate for the last two years." Raydiant's own Bay Area-based employees have been back in the office since the summer, and are enjoying the camaraderie, speed of decision making, and collaboration that comes with working in-person, safely. According to Marhamat, "We closed our Series B in February and have big ambitions ahead. We just can't afford to miss out on the massive benefits that come with in-person interactions and relationships. We're in support of Bay Area tech companies returning to the office safely, and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our Downtown retail providers." Raydiant is welcoming entrepreneurs of all sizes across the restaurant and retail space to apply, with the main qualifier being that the applicant has been in business for at least six months. Raydiant will not be able to support a full commercial kitchen buildout, but can support minor kitchen appliances and the infrastructure to sell finished goods onsite. About Raydiant Raydiant is the AI-powered, in-location experience management platform of choice for the world's largest brands in restaurant, retail, banking and more. With Raydiant, franchise managers, IT, marketing and communications executives can more effectively scale their brick-and-mortar operations, reduce anxiety from outdated technology oversight, and seamlessly create more engaging and personalized in-store experiences that keeps customers coming back and buying more. Raydiant works with nearly 4,500 brands, from SMB to enterprise, including First Bank, Dickey's BBQ, Harvard University, The Salvation Army, Red Bull, Chick-Fil-A, Thomson Reuters, and Wahlburgers. Founded in April 2017, Raydiant is headquartered in San Francisco, California and has raised a total of $50 million from 8VC, Atomic Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, Mark Wahlberg Investments, Bloomberg Beta, Gaingels, Illuminate Ventures, Transmedia Capital, and Ron Conway. To learn more, visit www.raydiant.com . Media Contact: Morgan Chaney, VP of Marketing at Raydiant [email protected] SOURCE Raydiant LAS VEGAS, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Respiratory Inhalers Market Insights and Forecast report provides the current and forecast Respiratory Inhalers Market, upcoming innovation in the devices, individual market shares, challenges, drivers and barriers, market trends, and key competitors in the Respiratory Inhalers Market. Some of the salient features from the Respiratory Inhalers Market report: As per DelveInsight analysis, in terms of revenue share, North America is predicted to register the fastest growth in the Respiratory Inhalers market. is predicted to register the fastest growth in the Respiratory Inhalers market. Major Respiratory Inhalers market players proactively working in the field include names like Novartis AG, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline plc, CHIESI Farmaceutici S.p.A., Lupin, Zydus Cadila, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., OMRON, Koninklijke Philips N.V., PARI GmbH, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, Lepu Medical Technology( Beijing )Co., Ltd., Rossmax International Ltd, Promed Technology Co., Limited, HELTMAN Medikal A.S., Pneuma Respiratory., Cipla Inc., Microlife Corporation., Honsun, and others. and others. DelveInsight analyzes that the Global Respiratory Inhalers market is expected to reach USD 47.83 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 5.38% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026. by 2026 growing at a of during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026. In September 2020 , GlaxoSmithKline plc and Innoviva, Inc . received FDA approval for Trelegy Ellipta as the first once-daily single inhaler triple therapy for the treatment of both Asthma and COPD in the US. plc and . received FDA approval for as the first once-daily single inhaler triple therapy for the treatment of both Asthma and COPD in the US. In July 2020 , Novartis received the European Commission (EC) approval for Enerzair Breezhaler, including the first digital companion (sensor and app) that can be prescribed alongside treatment for uncontrolled asthma in the EU. received the European Commission (EC) approval for including the first digital companion (sensor and app) that can be prescribed alongside treatment for uncontrolled asthma in the EU. In January 2020 , Aptar Pharma partnered with Lupin to launch India's first connected smart device for respiratory disease, ADHERO. partnered with Lupin to launch first connected smart device for respiratory disease, ADHERO. in May 2020 , Propeller Health, one of the leading digital health companies dedicated to the management of asthma and COPD received FDA clearance to bring its connected platform to AstraZeneca's Symbicort to help digitize the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). one of the leading digital health companies dedicated to the management of asthma and COPD received FDA clearance to bring its connected platform to to help digitize the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). in May 2020 , Iconovo received CE mark approval for its capsule-based dry powder inhaler ICOcap for use in clinical trials. received CE mark approval for its for use in clinical trials. In July 2020 , Teva Respiratory, LLC., a U.S. affiliate of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. launched ProAir Digihaler (albuterol sulfate 117 mcg) Inhalation Powder for Patients with Asthma and COPD. To pick on the latest highlights related to Respiratory Inhalers, get the snapshot of the key highlights entailed in the Respiratory Inhalers Market Report Respiratory Inhalers Overview Respiratory Inhalers are portable devices used to deliver medications for obstructive airway diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonology Disorders (COPD), asthma, among others into the airways. Inhaled pharmacologic therapies are the cornerstone of treatment and prevention for patients suffering from asthma and COPD. The inhalers provide the benefit of avoiding the systemic exposure of drugs and are delivered topically into the airways leading to local efficacy within the lungs in comparison to oral or parenteral formulations. Generally, respiratory inhalers are of four types: pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs), dry powder inhalers (DPIs), slow mist inhalers (SMIs), and nebulizers. Respiratory Inhalers Market Insight Among all the regions, North America is expected to occupy a major share in the overall Respiratory Inhalers market during the forthcoming years. This domination is owing to the increasing prevalence of COPD in the region. Additionally, increase in adoption of technologically advanced Respiratory Inhalers, growing product launches associated with inhalers in the region, presence of well-established healthcare facilities, and rising government initiatives to raise awareness regarding respiratory disorders and their proper management in the region, as well as the presence of key Respiratory Inhalers companies are expected to escalate the Respiratory Inhalers market. For instance, On December 07, 2020, AireHealth, an innovative digital health company received 510(k) FDA clearance for its connected nebulizer. Click here to Understand more about the Respiratory Inhalers Market Landscape @ Respiratory Inhalers Market Assessment Respiratory Inhalers Market Dynamics The Global Respiratory Inhalers market is projected to witness significant growth owing to the rising approval and launches of various technological products in the Respiratory Inhalers market. In addition, degrading air quality and rise in air pollution, growing awareness regarding inhalers and their use to control respiratory disorders, and an increase in smoking among the population across the globe would contribute to the rise in the Respiratory Inhalers market. In addition, rising efforts by key players to raise awareness regarding the use of inhalers in controlling various obstructive airway diseases are also expected to rise the adoption of Respiratory Inhalers among the patient population thereby bolstering the Respiratory Inhalers market during the forecasted period. Moreover, decreasing air quality in industrialized areas due to increasing air pollution is also a key factor propelling the Respiratory Inhalers market. The COVID-19 pandemic had a limited effect on the Respiratory Inhalers market. During the initial phase of the pandemic due to the implementation of stringent nationwide lockdown, various healthcare facilities were disrupted. However, it is estimated that people severely affected with COVID-19 infection may develop respiratory illness as an after effect which will surge the demand for Respiratory Inhalers among the COVID recovering patients. Also, various clinical trials are ongoing at present to study the efficacy of asthma inhalers on COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, the launch of vaccines and their administration across the globe will normalize the Respiratory Inhalers market situation in the post-pandemic situation. To gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 impact on Respiratory Inhalers, get a snapshot of the Respiratory Inhalers Market Analysis Scope of the Respiratory Inhalers Market Report Coverage : Global Global Study Period: 2021-2026 2021-2026 Market Segmentation By Product Type - Dry Powder Inhaler, Metred Dose Inhaler, Soft Mist Inhalers, Nebulizers [Ultrasonic Nebulizers, Mesh Nebulizers, And Compressor Nebulizers - Dry Powder Inhaler, Metred Dose Inhaler, Soft Mist Inhalers, Nebulizers [Ultrasonic Nebulizers, Mesh Nebulizers, And Compressor Nebulizers Market Segmentation By Type - Conventional Inhaler Devices And Smart Inhaler Devices - Conventional Inhaler Devices And Smart Inhaler Devices Market Segmentation By Patient Type- Adult And Pediatrics Adult And Pediatrics Market Segmentation By Indication - Asthma, COPD, And Others - Asthma, COPD, And Others Market Segmentation By Geography - North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of World - , , , and Rest of World Key Respiratory Inhalers Companies - Novartis AG, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline plc, CHIESI Farmaceutici S.p.A., Lupin, Zydus Cadila, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., OMRON, Koninklijke Philips N.V., PARI GmbH, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, Lepu Medical Technology( Beijing )Co., Ltd., Rossmax International Ltd, Promed Technology Co., Limited, HELTMAN Medikal A.S., Pneuma Respiratory., Cipla Inc., Microlife Corporation., Honsun, and others. Novartis AG, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline plc, CHIESI Farmaceutici S.p.A., Lupin, Zydus Cadila, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., OMRON, Koninklijke Philips N.V., PARI GmbH, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, Lepu Medical Technology( )Co., Ltd., Rossmax International Ltd, Promed Technology Co., Limited, HELTMAN Medikal A.S., Pneuma Respiratory., Cipla Inc., Microlife Corporation., Honsun, and others. Porter's Five Forces Analysis Product Profiles Case Studies KOL's Views Analyst's View Delveinsight Analysis: The Global Respiratory Inhalers market is expected to reach USD 47.83 billion by 2026 growing at a (Compound Annual Growth Rate) CAGR of 5.38% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026. Know more about which MedTech player is set to emerge as the trendsetter @ Respiratory Inhalers Market Landscape Analysis Table of Contents 1 Respiratory Inhalers Market Report Introduction 2 Respiratory Inhalers Market Executive summary 3 Regulatory and Patent Analysis 4 Respiratory Inhalers Market Key Factors Analysis 5 Respiratory Inhalers Market Porter's Five Forces Analysis 6 COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Respiratory Inhalers Market 7 Respiratory Inhalers Market Layout 8 Respiratory Inhalers Market Global Company Share Analysis Key 3-5 Companies 9 Respiratory Inhalers Market Company and Product Profiles 9.1 Novartis AG 9.2 AstraZeneca 9.3 GlaxoSmithKline plc 9.4 CHIESI Farmaceutici S.p.A. 9.5 Lupin 9.6 Zydus Cadila 9.7 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. 9.8 OMRON 9.9 Koninklijke Philips N.V. 9.10 PARI GmbH 10 Project Approach 11 KOL Views 12 DelveInsight Capabilities 13 Disclaimer 14 About DelveInsight Learn more about the report offerings @ Respiratory Inhalers Market Outlook Pulse Oximeters Market DelveInsight's 'Pulse Oximeters Market Insights, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast - 2026' report deliver an in-depth understanding of Pulse Oximeters, historical and forecasted Pulse Oximeters market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key companies involved like Medtronic, Nonin Medical Inc, Lepu Medical Technology, TytoCare Ltd, VYAIRE, OMRON Corporation. Meditech Equipment Co ., Ltd, and several others. Cough Assist Devices Market "DelveInsight's 'Cough Assist Devices Market Insight, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast, 2026' report delivers an in-depth understanding of Cough Assist Devices and the historical and forecasted Cough Assist Devices market trends, market drivers & barriers, unmet needs and key companies involved such as Koninklijke Philips N.V, Percussionaire Corp., Emerson, Hill Rom, Dima Italia SRL, and many more. Cough in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Market DelveInsight's 'Cough in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)-Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast 2030' report delivers an in-depth understanding of the cough in IPF, historical and forecasted epidemiology as well as the Cough in IPF market trends, market drivers & barriers, unmet needs and key companies involved such as Algernon Pharmaceuticals, Trevi Therapeutics, Nerre Therapeutics, and others. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Market DelveInsight's 'Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast2030' report deliver an in-depth understanding of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), historical and forecasted epidemiology as well as the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) market trends, market drivers & barriers, unmet needs and key companies involved such as AstraZeneca, Amgen, Circassia Pharmaceuticals Inc, Biomarck Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Theravance, Innoviva, Inmunotek, Mereo BioPharma, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and several others. Airway Management Devices Market Global Airway Management Devices Market was valued at USD 1.51 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of 6.20% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026, to reach USD 2.35 billion by 2026. The report delivers an in-depth understanding of the Airway Management Devices, historical and forecasted epidemiology as well as key companies involved in pipelines such as Smiths Medical PLC, Narang Medical Limited, Intersurgical Ltd, Teleflex Incorporated, Stryker Corporation, Medtronic PLC, and others. Asthma Diagnostic Devices Market "DelveInsight's 'Asthma Diagnostic Devices Market Insight, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast, 2026' report delivers an in-depth understanding of Asthma Diagnostic Devices and the historical and forecasted Asthma Diagnostic Devices market trends, drivers, barriers, and key companies involved such as Medline Industries, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Siemens Process Instrumentation, Smiths Medical, Vyaire Medical, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Vitalograph, Circassia Limited, Intermedical (UK) Limited, and several others. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Treatment Devices Market "DelveInsight's 'Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Treatment Devices Market Insight, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast, 2026' report delivers an in-depth understanding of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Treatment Devices and the historical and forecasted Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Treatment Devices market trends, drivers, barriers and key companies involved such as GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis AG, Merck & Co., Koninklijke Philips N.V, AstraZeneca, 3M, GF HEALTH PRODUCTS, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc, Smiths Medical, Baxter, and others. Other Trending Reports Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia CML Market Congenital Hyperinsulinism Market Diabetes Insipidus Market Limbal Stem Cells Deficiency Market Syncope Market Proteus Syndrome Market Intestinal Obstruction Market Allergic Asthma Due to Dermatophagoides Farinae Market Bag3-related Gene Therapies Market Tay-Sachs Market Interested to know more about the breakthrough happenings? Take a look at the posts below About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant, and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports Pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Connect With Us at LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Contact Us Shruti Thakur [email protected] +1(919)321-6187 www.delveinsight.com SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP The PENTAX JUPITER series binoculars are designed for comfortable viewing, even for first-time binocular users. The series includes models with magnifications of 8x40, 10x50, 12x50 and 16x50. Each incorporates a large objective lens with an aperture of more than 40 millimeters, providing superb light-gathering power and assuring a sharp, high-contrast image of the subject. The optical element has been treated with a multi-coating process to minimize unwanted reflection of light, delivering a well-defined subject image, free of flare and ghost images. The binoculars have also been designed to be simple to use and comfortable to hold, with an easy-to-access focus ring and an exterior rubber coating that helps to ensure a secure grip on the body and minimize the possibility of slippage. The PENTAX JUPITER series is compatible with the optional and currently available TP-3 tripod adapter for use with a tripod. | Pricing and Availability | The PENTAX JUPITER series binoculars will be available in April 2022, with the following manufacturer's suggested retail pricing: JUPITER 8x40 - $89.00, JUPITER 10x50 - $99.00, JUPITER 12x50 - $109.00; JUPITER 16x50 - $119.00. | Specifications | FeatureModel JUPITER 8x40 JUPITER 10x50 JUPITER 12x50 JUPITER 16x50 Magnification 8 10 12 16 Objective lens diameter 40mm 50mm 50mm 50mm Real field of view 8.2 6.5 5.6 3.5 Field of view at 1000m Field of view at one thousand yards 143m 429ft. 114m 342ft. 98m 294ft. 61m 183ft. Exit pupil 5.0mm 5.0mm 4.2mm 3.1mm Eye relief 13mm 13mm 11mm 13mm Relative brightness 25.0 25.0 17.6 9.6 Minimum Focusing Distance: m (ft.) 6m (19.7ft.) 9m (29.5ft.) 9m (29.5ft.) 10.3m (33.8ft.) Dimensions Height: mm (in.) 132mm (5.2in.) 167mm (6.6in.) 162mm (6.4in.) 167mm (6.6in.) Width: mm (in.) 188mm (7.4in.) 199mm (7.8in.) 199mm (7.8in.) 199mm (7.8in.) Depth: mm (in.) 58mm (2.3in.) 66mm (2.6in.) 66mm (2.6in.) 66mm (2.6in.) Weight: g (oz.) 735g (25.9oz.) 870g (30.7oz.) 860g (30.3oz.) 885g (31.2oz.) Included Accessories Case, Neck Strap, Eyepiece lens cap, Objective lens cap | About Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation | Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Company Ltd. Is part of Ricoh Group, which operates in about 200 countries and regions. The company operating now as Ricoh Company Ltd. was originally founded in 1919, under the name Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co. and launched its first SLR camera in the 1950s under the PENTAX name. Today, the company continues to produce the heritage-rich, award-winning line of PENTAX DSLR cameras, lenses and sport optics equipment as well as Ricoh's offering of stylish and compact digital cameras, known for their wide-ranging, rich set of features. For further information, please visit www.us.ricoh-imaging.com 2022 Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies. SOURCE Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation ODESSA, Texas, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saulsbury is pleased to announce that it was awarded the contract to construct the first phase of a new compressor station in South Texas. Activities include the turn-key construction of civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation scopes. This award reflects Saulsbury's ability to provide full-service project execution solutions to its clients through both Field Services and E&I operating groups. "This is a huge win for the Saulsbury team. We are thrilled to see the rapid and continued growth of our South Texas operations," said Travis Zatopek, Director of Operations for Field Services. Travis Springer, Senior Director of Operations/General Manager of Electrical & Instrumentation Operations notes, "We are excited to begin on this fast-track project in the Eagle Ford for our very important, repeat client. By combining our experience in small capital construction along with our expertise in electrical and instrumentation work, Saulsbury shows it can be a trustworthy solution provider for our clients." Saulsbury's Field Services and E&I groups have extensive experience providing turnkey oil and gas construction services while maintaining an exceptional safety standard. These groups support all projects by offering a comprehensive range of services from construction kickoff through commissioning support. About Saulsbury Industries Saulsbury Industries is a full-service engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction company that specializes in building the infrastructure necessary to fuel the future. Saulsbury serves its clients in heavy industrial markets by designing and building safe, well executed, capital-efficient projects nationwide. Headquartered in Odessa, Texas, the company's national office footprint includes Dallas, Houston, Port Arthur, Henderson, Abilene, Pecos, and Corpus Christi, TX; Carlsbad, NM; Tulsa, OK; and Bismarck, ND. For more information, please visit www.saulsbury.com and follow Saulsbury on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. SOURCE Saulsbury Industries OTCQX: SHWZ DENVER, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Medicine Man Technologies, Inc., dba Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has received final approval from the NEO Exchange (the "NEO") to list the Company's common shares onto the NEO, a tier one Canadian stock exchange based in Toronto, Ontario. The common shares are expected to begin trading on the NEO on March 23, 2022, under the symbol SHWZ. Schwazze is currently listed on the OTCQX and believes that the additional listing onto the NEO, enabling the Company's common shares to be traded on a senior exchange in Canada, will provide additional exposure to an increased number of retail and institutional investors. "The NEO listing is an important milestone for Schwazze and provides an additional platform as we bring our story to new investor audiences, and we continue to execute our proven growth playbook as an MSO with a differentiated regional position." commented Nancy Huber, Chief Financial Officer of Schwazze. "The NEO is now setting the pace for Cannabis companies who want to attract the right institutional attention and increase their liquidity." Schwazze public disclosure documents are available under Schwazze's profiles on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Schwazze Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high- performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth. About the Neo Exchange Inc. The Neo Exchange Inc. is Canada's Tier 1 stock exchange for the innovation economy, bringing together investors and capital raisers within a fair, liquid, efficient, and service-oriented environment. Fully operational since June 2015, NEO puts investors first and provides access to trading across all Canadian-listed securities on a level playing field. NEO lists companies and investment products seeking an internationally recognized stock exchange that enables investor trust, quality liquidity, and broad awareness including unfettered access to market data. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may," "continue," "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements include the Company's expectations regarding the listing date for its common shares on the NEO and the expected benefits of listing on the NEO. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, including the acquisition described in this press release, and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, * the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, and (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such lawsListing on the NEO is subject to satisfaction of the final listing conditions. The benefits of listing on the NEO depend on increased liquidity for the Company's shareholders and exposure due to listing on a senior exchange. Such benefits may not be realized. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law. SOURCE Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. Security Operations the Fastest Growing Segment of the Cybersecurity Industry BIRMINGHAM, Mich., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Author, industry analyst, and founder of IT-Harvest, Richard Stiennon, announced the publication date of May 25, 2022 for "Security Yearbook 2022: A History and Directory of the IT Security Industry." It is available for pre-order at www.it-harvest.com/shop. Security Yearbook 2022 is the first edition to be printed in color. Cover of Security Yearbook 2022 "Security Yearbook 2022" is the third edition of the annual "Security Yearbook," a desktop reference for the entire cybersecurity industry. There are completely updated sections on funding rounds, publicly traded company performance, cyber attacks, and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). The Directory contains 2,850 vendors arranged alphabetically and by country and category compared to the 2,615 that were tracked in the 2021 edition. The most dramatic result of 2021 was in new funding. Cybersecurity investments broke all records: $26 billion compared to the $10.7 billion recorded in Security Yearbook 2021. There were 474 companies that took in new funding. Over 100 vendors took in more than $50 million apiece. Of the 16 sectors, Security Operations grew the fastest at 25% year over year, indicating that more enterprises are investing in building SOC capabilities. "Security Yearbook" is the only published history of the IT security industry. This year the 2022 edition includes 2,850 vendors listed by country and category. The percent change in headcount for each vendor is provided in the Directory. "This is one of the most valuable metrics for determining a vendor's health," Stiennon said. "Successful companies grow." The result of over a decade of research, "Security Yearbook 2022" starts at the early days of RACF, ACF2, Check Point Software, Symantec, and McAfee, coming right up to the present day, including the dramatic transformation occurring at McAfee. "Security Yearbook 2022" is a book filled with rich histories of the vendors and the people behind the companies the misfits and pioneers that have together built today's $300+ billion cybersecurity industry. Their individual stories are recounted in their own voice alongside the author's market research and analysis, making this a one-of-a-kind read and an indispensable guide to the entire IT security industry. "'Security Yearbook' has become my life's work," said Richard Stiennon. "It is a full-time job just keeping up with the space. In this book I incorporate everything I have learned in 26 years of being part of an industry that grows over 24% annually." "Security Yearbook 2021" is already an indispensable reference for industry veterans and CISOs. Industry analysts, Wall Street analysts, professors, and marketing teams use it for product selection, and short-listing. The industry is subdivided into 16 different sectors, including Network, Endpoint, Data Security, GRC, and MSSPs. New sectors such as Security Analytics, Threat Intelligence, and Deception will be of particular interest to practitioners who are looking to understand advanced cyber defense tools and practices. About Stiennon Richard Stiennon is Chief Research Analyst for IT-Harvest, the firm he founded in 2005 to cover the 2,850 vendors that make up the IT security industry. He has presented on the topic of cybersecurity in 31 countries on six continents. He published Curmudgeon: How to Succeed as an Industry Analyst in 2020. In 2019 he published Secure Cloud Transformation: The CIO's Journey. He also wrote Surviving Cyberwar (Government Institutes, 2010) and Washington Post Best Seller, There Will Be Cyberwar. He is a member of the advisory board at several technology startups and sits on the boards of Anitian, and QuickHeal. Stiennon was Chief Strategy Officer for Blancco Technology Group, the Chief Marketing Officer for Fortinet, Inc. and VP Threat Research at Webroot Software. Prior to that he was a Research VP at Gartner. He has a BS. in Aerospace Engineering and his MA in War in the Modern World from King's College, London. Follow @cyberwar on Twitter. Contact: Richard Stiennon 650-388-6402 [email protected] SOURCE IT-Harvest Inspiring journey to Everest Base Camp led by biotech journalist Luke Timmerman aims to raise more than $1 million for cancer research Expedition is part of the company's expanded efforts to make oncology a priority globally, reinforcing its commitment to advancing cancer research BOSTON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Servier Pharmaceuticals, a leader in oncology committed to bringing the promise of tomorrow to the patients we serve, today announced the company will join Luke Timmerman's trek to Everest Base Camp on March 23 through April 8, 2022, in Nepal. Servier has joined this Climb to Fight Cancer expedition as a Survivorship Sponsor to raise more than $1 million for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. "To bring innovations to our patients, we must aim high, explore new peaks and never be afraid of the trail ahead," said David K. Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Servier Pharmaceuticals. "Servier is proud to support Fred Hutch and join the climb alongside this team of industry leaders to advance cancer research. As a company governed by a non-profit foundation, we see our values and priorities mirrored in the humanitarian approach that Fred Hutch applies to science and their collaboration with research partners to develop new ways to diagnose, predict, prevent and treat cancer around the world." Olivier Madec, Global Head of M&A and Venture Investments at Servier, will represent Servier on the 17-day hike through the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp in honor of both his mother, a 30-year cancer survivor, and the 22-year-old son of a colleague who defeated hodgkin lymphoma in 2019. Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 10 million people dying from the disease each year.1 To bring innovative treatment options to patients living with difficult-to-treat cancers, Servier has made oncology a priority globally and allocates more than 50% of its research and development budget to cancer research. "We are truly grateful that people and organizations around the world are supporting Fred Hutch and Climb to Fight Cancer," said Kelly O'Brien, Vice President of Philanthropy at Fred Hutch. "Fred Hutch has been committed to science that changes lives since 1975 with groundbreaking treatments like bone-marrow transplantation, and together with Servier we share a desire to make the world a better place." Since 1997, Fred Hutch's Climb to Fight Cancer has sought to "cure cancer one mountain at a time." Experienced mountaineers, cancer survivors and first-time climbers convene annually to participate in mountain climbs across the globe to honor patients, loved ones and raise funds for cancer research. To date, these climbers have raised more than $11 million for life-saving research. "The Climb to Fight Cancer brings biotech executives, investors and scientists together in common cause for cancer research," said Luke Timmerman, Founder and Editor of the premier biotechnology newsletter Timmerman Report. "Hiking to Everest Base Camp doesn't involve the risks of going to the summit, but it is 17,600 feet above sea level. Getting there takes determination, resilience and teamwork. These are some of the same qualities it takes to make progress against cancer. I'm thankful for Servier's visionary support of this effort." Timmerman summited Mt. Everest in 2018 and raised $340,000 along the way through a Climb to Fight Cancer campaign for Fred Hutch. The following year, he led a Climb to Fight Cancer team to the summit of Kilimanjaro and raised $1.6 million. With more than 21 oncology assets at various stages of clinical development, and 20 research projects ongoing, Servier is committed to finding solutions that address patient needs across the entire spectrum of disease and in a variety of tumor types. The company continues to build a robust portfolio of oncology treatments and brings commercial expertise in hematology and solid tumors. Visit Olivier Madec's fundraising page to learn more and support the Climb to Fight Cancer. About Servier Pharmaceuticals Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC is a commercial-stage company with a passion for innovation and improving the lives of patients, their families and caregivers. As a privately held company, Servier has the unique freedom to devote all of its time and energy towards patients who require our treatments, care and innovation in areas of unmet medical need. As a leader in oncology, Servier is committed to finding solutions that will address today's challenges. The company's oncology portfolio includes innovative medicines designed to bring more life-saving treatments to a greater number of patients, across the entire spectrum of disease and in a variety of tumor types. Servier has significantly accelerated its investment in hard-to-treat cancers with more than 50% of research and development dedicated to delivering significant advances in areas of high unmet need that may truly move the needle for our patients. Servier believes co-creation is fundamental to driving innovation and is actively building alliances, acquisitions, licensing deals and partnerships that bring solutions and accelerate access to therapies. With the company's commercial expertise, global reach, scientific expertise and commitment to clinical excellence, Servier Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to bringing the promise of tomorrow to the patients that we serve. More information: www.servier.us Follow us on Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter Press Contact Servier Pharmaceuticals (U.S.) Megan Talon [email protected] References World Health Organization (WHO). Cancer. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer. Accessed March 2022 . SOURCE Servier Pharmaceuticals Arnott Brings Decades of Aeronautics, Control Systems, Supply Chain, and Production Experience to Help Advance Vita's Offerings BROOMFIELD, Colo., and WASHINGTON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vita Inclinata (Vita), developer and producer of helicopter and crane load stabilization and precision hardware, today announced Shane Arnott has joined the company as a senior advisor. Currently holding the position of Chief Engineer at Anduril Industries, Arnott will apply his experience to ensure Vita's solutions meet production expectations as well as leverage his aerospace and unmanned, autonomous systems skills to advance the Vita Load Navigator and Vita Rescue System's performance. Shane Arnott Joins Vita Inclinata as Senior Advisor. "Arnott is an extraordinarily accomplished individual who will bring a wealth of knowledge to Vita," said Caleb Carr, CEO, Vita. "We are privileged to welcome him as one of our senior advisors and look forward to his guidance on supply chain and management as well as innovative production line methods." In addition to his present position within Anduril, Arnott was employed by Boeing for over 23 years, performing responsibilities as Program Director, Airpower Teaming System and Autonomous Systems, Senior Technical Fellow, Director of Phantom Works International, and Lab Manager, UK, and Australia. Prior to Boeing, he held the position of Adjunct Professor - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queensland University of Technology. Arnott holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Systems Engineering at the University of Queensland, and a BSc CSE, Computer Systems Engineering at La Trobe University. Complementing his degrees, he attended Harvard Business School for Creating Emerging Markets and Global Strategy Management as well as MIT Sloan School of Management in the Entrepreneur Development Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors as Company Director. "Vita is engaged in a very important mission to provide new and innovative lifesaving rescue and construction systems," Arnott said. "Their system is in effect an unmanned aerial system which is my expertise. I look forward to bringing 'big company' experience to help Vita excel at its mission." About Vita Inclinata A friend's death during a rescue operationwith a helicopter close but unable to stabilize due to weather and terrainwas the genesis of Vita Inclinata. Founded in 2015 as a way to solve a real problem, Vita today controls chaotic swinging and spin and adds safety and precision for rotor-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and cranes. With the mission of "Bring them home, every time," Vita's technology changes the narrative while saving lives, time, and money across industries, including search and rescue, military, firefighting, public safety, construction, wind energy, and oil and gas. The company is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, with offices in Washington, DC, and Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, please visit www.vitatech.co. For more information, contact: Betsey Rogers BridgeView Marketing 603-821-0809 [email protected] SOURCE Vita Inclinata NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Gatos Silver, Inc. ("Gatos" or the "Company") (NYSE: GATO). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Gatos 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 January 25, 2022, post-market, Gatos issued a press release disclosing that "[d]uring the Company's resource and reserve update process for the Los Gatos Joint Venture ("LGJV") . . . the Company concluded that there were errors in the technical report entitled 'Los Gatos Project, Chihuahua, Mexico' with an effective date of July 1, 2020 (the '2020 Technical Report'), as well as indications that there is an overestimation in the existing resource model." Accordingly, "[o]n a preliminary basis, the Company estimates a potential reduction of the metal content of CLG's mineral reserve ranging from 30% to 50% of the metal content remaining after depletion" and advised that "the mineral resource and reserve estimates in the 2020 Technical Report should not be relied upon." On this news, Gatos' stock price fell $7.02 per share, or 68.89% percent to close at $3.17 per share on January 26, 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 NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated ("Quest" or the "Company") (NYSE: DGX). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Quest 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 January 1, 2022, the New York Times published an article regarding the efficacy of Quest and other screening labs for certain prenatal tests, reporting that Quest's tests yield misleading results and that the Company does not accurately disclose the chances of receiving a false positive test result. On this news, Quest's stock price fell $8.66 per share, or 5.01%, to close at $164.35 per share on January 3, 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 NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of TAL Education Group ("TAL" or the "Company") (NYSE: TAL). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether TAL 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 April 25, 2021, media reports revealed that the City of Beijing had fined four online education agencies, including TAL, the maximum fine of 500,000 yuan (approximately $80,000) each for misleading customers with false advertising regarding course pricing. On May 12, 2021, news reports revealed that an impending crackdown by the Chinese government on the private tutoring sector would be further reaching and more drastic than previously publicly known, including that regulators had already taken adverse actions against TAL and other for-profit tutoring companies. On this news, TAL's American Depository Share ("ADS") price fell $6.89 per ADS, or 13%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $46.25 per ADS on May 13, 2021. On June 1, 2021, Chinese regulators announced that they had fined 15 off-campus training institutions, including TAL, for illegal activities such as false advertising and fraud. On this news, TAL's ADS price fell $7.24 per ADS, or nearly 18%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $33.27 per ADS on June 3, 2021. Finally, on July 23, 2021, China unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its education sector, banning companies that teach the school curriculum from making profits, raising capital or going public, effectively ending any potential growth in the for-profit tutoring sector in China. On this news, TAL's ADS price fell $16.12 per ADS, or 78.56%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $4.40 per ADS on July 26, 2021. 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] SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. ("New Oriental" or the "Company") (NYSE: EDU) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 22-cv-01876, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons who purchased New Oriental American Depository Shares ("ADSs") between April 24, 2018 and July 22, 2021, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") against New Oriental and certain of the Company's senior officers and directors. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired New Oriental ADSs during the Class Period, you have until April 5, 2022 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] New Oriental provides educational programs, services, and products to students across the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and delivers online courses through its online learning platforms. In the early 2000s, the Company entered the K-12 after-school tutoring sector. Moreover, in 2005, New Oriental commenced its online education services through its Koolearn platform. The Company now provides comprehensive online education services through its subsidiary, Koolearn Technology Holding Limited. In February 2018, the Chinese government released a set of regulations aimed at reining in excessive tutoring fees and limiting the perceived societal harm resulting from the ubiquity of for-profit tutoring programs such as those offered by New Oriental. Among other changes, the regulations prohibited after-school tutoring institutions from providing courses more advanced than the syllabus and curricula applicable to the respective primary and secondary school students, providing courses designed to enhance exam-taking skills, and linking school enrollment with tutoring results. Overall, the regulations were aimed at reducing disparities in school performance between relatively affluent students able to afford after-school tutoring and those that could not. Because New Oriental operates in a highly regulated industry within China, the impact of new laws and regulations impacting the Chinese tutoring industry and the Company's compliance with the Chinese regulatory framework and government prerogatives are of material importance to investors. In fact, New Oriental acknowledged the material importance of maintaining strict compliance with Chinese laws, regulations, and government prerogatives. In New Oriental's Form 20-F filed with the SEC on September 16, 2020, New Oriental stated that the Company was "continuously making efforts to comply with the requirements under these regulations and implementations" governing after-school tutoring businesses imposed by the Chinese government, and any failure to do so could "materially and adversely affect [New Oriental's] business and results of operations." The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) New Oriental's revenue and operational growth was the result of deceptive marketing tactics and abusive business practices that flouted Chinese regulations and policies and exposed the Company to an extreme risk that more draconian measures would be imposed on the Company; (ii) New Oriental had engaged in misleading and fraudulent advertising practices, including the provision of false and misleading discount information designed to obfuscate the true cost of the Company's programs to its customers; (iii) New Oriental had falsified teacher qualifications and experience in order to attract customers and increase student enrollments; (iv) New Oriental had defied prior government warnings against linking school enrollments with the provision of private tutoring services; (v) as a result of the foregoing, New Oriental was subject to an extreme undisclosed risk of adverse enforcement actions, regulatory fines and penalties, and the imposition of new rules and regulations adverse to the Company's business and interests; (vi) the new rules, regulations, and policies to be implemented by the Chinese government following China's annual "Two Sessions" parliamentary meetings were far more severe than represented to investors by Defendants and in fact posed an existential threat to the Company and its business; and (vii) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and lacked a reasonable factual basis. On April 25, 2021, media reports revealed that the City of Beijing had fined four online education agencies, including the New Oriental subsidiary Koolearn, the maximum fine of 500,000 yuan (approximately $80,000) each for misleading customers with false advertising regarding course pricing. On May 12, 2021, news reports revealed that an impending crackdown by the Chinese government on the private tutoring sector would be further reaching and more drastic than previously publicly known, including that regulators had already taken adverse actions against New Oriental and other for-profit tutoring companies. On this news, New Oriental's ADS price fell $2.77 per ADS, or 19.4%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $11.51 per ADS on May 13, 2021. On June 1, 2021, Chinese regulators announced that they had fined fifteen off-campus training institutions, including New Oriental, for illegal activities such as false advertising and fraud. On this news, New Oriental's ADS price fell $1.77 per ADS, or 16%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $9.32 per ADS on June 3, 2021. Then, on July 23, 2021, China unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its education sector, banning companies that teach the school curriculum from making profits, raising capital, or going public, effectively ending any potential growth in the for-profit tutoring sector in China. On July 25, 2021, New Oriental published an "update" on the new regulations, which stated that the Company will "comply with relevant rules and regulations when providing educational services" and "expects such measures to have material adverse impact on its after-school tutoring services related to academic subjects in China's compulsory education system." On this news, New Oriental's ADS price fell $4.46 per ADS, or nearly 70%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $1.94 per ADS on July 26, 2021. 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 Metaverse Creative Studio and Hip-Hop Legend Team Up on BIT BUTTS NFTs to End Colorectal Cancer LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- META-X Studios, the Metaverse-native development home to NFTs, blockchain games, and film and television projects has partnered with hip hop legend, Sir Mix-A-Lot to launch a collection of 6,666 unique, hand-drawn NFTs. BIT BUTTS is a fun and irreverent NFT drop that unites some of Hollywood's top creative talent with the Billboard-topping rapper and producer to raise money for and awareness of colorectal cancer research and prevention. BIT BUTTS is a "cheeky" bit of good-natured collectible fun that also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Sir Mix-A-Lot's iconic #1 single "Baby Got Back" and benefits one of the most under-funded cancer charities. Unlike BIT BUTTS, colorectal cancer isn't funny; it impacts more than 150,000 Americans each year. Black communities are at particular risk, facing the highest incidence and mortality rates. With BIT BUTTS, baby gives back a portion of each proudly minted tush to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending this life-threatening disease. BIT BUTTS will be released later this month at NFT-LA in a limited collection drop of 6,666 hand-sketched, hand-colored and hand-assembled, completely unique digital derrieres created by world-class animation artists. Sir Mix-A-Lot, the hip hop icon who once proudly announced to the world that "he likes big butts, and he cannot lie", has personally designed the rarest BIT BUTTS in the collection. "When the team at META-X showed me what they were doing it was a no brainer for me," laughs Sir Mix-A-Lot. "And as an artist entering this new medium of NFTs, the idea of designing my own branded butts was exciting. Add to it the benefit of raising funds for a great cause like Colorectal Cancer, and wow! I hope everyone enjoys grabbing onto some nice NFT booty while helping others at the same time." "NFTs are a supercharged media for storytellers," says META-X Studios CEO Joe Sichta. "We chose BIT BUTTS as our debut launch because we all need a good laugh right now for a good cause. Working with Sir Mix-a-Lot and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance was the perfect fit to showcase our firepower as an NFT creative factory, while raising awareness of a serious issue that can be embarrassing to talk about. We're out to de-stigmatize colorectal cancer with a bit of ridiculous fun, and to donate a portion of the proceeds to support the work of the Alliance." "We are honored that META-X Studios has chosen to support the Alliance and a cause that touches millions of lives the mission is to end colorectal cancer through preventive screenings and cutting-edge treatment. BIT BUTTS will start conversations, heighten awareness of this disease, and support programs for patients that will save lives," said Michael Sapienza, CEO of Colorectal Cancer Alliance. NFT collectors, music fans, art and animation lovers, and all those who don't take themselves too seriously are encouraged to join the META-X Studio's Discord channel for special whitelist access to mint when the collection is released during the NFT-LA event, taking place March 28-31. Join the META X Discord and you may just be chatting with Sir Mix-A-Lot: https://discord.gg/meta-x Follow @bitbutts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates! For more information on the event visit https://www.nftla.live/ Visit quiz.getscreened.org for free, personalized screening recommendations based on individual risk factors. About META X Studios META X Studios is Metaverse-native creative factory developing original IP spanning NFTs, on-chain games, animated television series and films. Founded by an award-winning team of artists, animators, comic creatives, writers, producers, and directors who have successfully launched top NFT projects and developed content across Crypto, GameFi, DAOs, and decentralized social networks, they are creating the META-X Metaverse, a community platform that presents characters, stories, and worlds that resonate with global audiences through playfulness, humor and fun. For more information, visit https://metaxstudios.com/ About Sir Mix-A-Lot Seattle native Sir Mix-A-Lot is a multi-platinum selling hip hop artist best known for his iconic hit "Baby Got Back," the #1 Billboard Hot 100 single for 5 straight weeks. Prior to "Baby Got Back", the Grammy and American Music Award winning writer, producer and performer was a platinum-selling album artist with a strong following in the hip-hop community, known for bouncy, danceable, bass-heavy tracks indebted to old-school electro. Even though Mix had sold over 2 million units on an independent label, it took signing with Rick Rubin's Def American label to carry him into the mainstream. In addition his artistry, Mix is also known for his business acumen having maintained ownership of his publishing rights to his work, an imperative he preaches to today's young artists. About the Colorectal Cancer Alliance The Colorectal Cancer Alliance (Alliance) is a national nonprofit committed to ending colorectal cancer in our lifetimes. Working with a nation of passionate allies, the Alliance diligently supports the needs of patients and families, caregivers, and survivors; eagerly raises awareness of preventative screening; and continually strives to fund critical research. For more information, please visit ccalliance.org. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE META-X Studios Program expansion includes Yemen and Iraq, countries where previous programs were interrupted due to conflict. NEW YORK , March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, has announced new launches and expansions of partnerships in the Middle East region, with new cleft care programs set to open in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Oman in the coming months. In partnership with local medical professionals, Smile Train has recently re-launched cleft care programs in Yemen, soon to be followed by the resumption of services in Iraq, reinstating programs once halted by widespread conflict and crisis throughout those countries. Programs will also be further expanded throughout conflict-affected Palestine. The need for cleft care in this region is especially great. Thousands of babies are born with clefts in the Middle East each year, including more than 1,000 in Yemen and Turkey and more than 1,600 in Iraq. Globally, every three minutes a baby is born with a cleft lip and/or palate. Children with untreated clefts can face physical difficulties eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking. Without treatment, clefts can cause lifelong disability or even death, but timely treatment alleviates many of these difficulties, ultimately enabling children to thrive. "At the heart of our work is our relentless pursuit of ensuring every cleft-affected person has access to the care they deserveand locally led partnerships enable us to do just that. It is imperative that we continue to expand our offerings in the Middle East region, as we know providers in many countries throughout the region are eager for support and training," said Susannah Schaefer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Smile Train. "Many families have waited years for help to combat the far-reaching impacts of cleft with life-changing surgery. With the resumption and re-launch of partnerships throughout the region, Smile Train and our partners will be able to bring these patients and families the care that they need." "Children with clefts are being born around the world, including in conflict zones, every day. Cleft treatment changes and saves lives, and every moment of delay is heartbreaking. Conflict has interrupted our historic partnerships in several countries around the worldin Yemen, in Iraq, and most recently Ukraine, where our partners have pivoted to provide crisis care," added Erin Stieber, Chief Programs Officer, Smile Train. "But our return to Yemen and Iraq, and our expansion into new countries, will further our global work to establish sustainable, locally led models that build more resilient health systems. When it is safe to do so, working with local teams, we're able to resume our work quickly and get back to serving those in need. Smile Train will not rest until every cleft-affected person, regardless of their country of origin, has access to the care they need and deserve." About Smile Train Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about Smile Train's sustainable approach, please visit smiletrain.org. Media Contact Nijha Diggs Smile Train [email protected] SOURCE Smile Train According to its website, the NAM was founded in 1895 and is the largest industrial trade association in the United States, with more than 14,000 members from small businesses to global leadersin every industrial sector. The NAM is the nation's most influential manufacturing advocate, telling the story of the manufacturing industry and equipping manufacturers with resources through its news and insights channels and partnerships with the Manufacturing Leadership Council, The Manufacturing Institute (MI) and the Innovation Research Interchange. "I am honored to join the NAM board and represent Southwire as we work to contribute to the continued growth and success of all manufacturers," said Stinson. "Our company has a clear growth strategy and a commitment to remain generationally-sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond. As our world becomes even more connected and as electrification plays an even greater role, I look forward to working alongside my industry peers to promote opportunity and prosperity and, ultimately, further strengthen the future of manufacturing." Executives on the NAM Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, are the driving force behind the NAM's efforts. As a Board member, Stinson will bolster the NAM's leadership in policy advocacy, workforce solutions, legal action, operational excellence and news and insights. Board members play a key role in the NAM and the MI's "Creators Wanted" campaign, a member-driven initiative to inspire, educate and empower more Americans to pursue careers in modern manufacturingand to shift perceptions about careers in the industry. The campaign, which supports MI programs for students, women, veterans and other underrepresented communities and features a first-of-its-kind mobile experience and tour, seeks to cut the skills gap by 600,000 workers by 2025 and increase the number of students enrolling in technical schools, vocational schools and apprenticeships by 25%, as well as the number of parents who would encourage their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing to 50% from 27%. "Manufacturers are the driving force behind our economic recovery, and the NAM's mission is to ensure that we always keep moving forward. Rich Stinson is a recognized leader in our industry, and the NAM will be stronger thanks to his service on our Board of Directors," said Jay Timmons, NAM president and CEO. "Rich will bring invaluable insights as we advocate for the men and women of our industry and advance the values that have made America exceptional and our industry strongfree enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity." About Southwire A leader in technology and innovation, Southwire Company, LLC is one of North America's largest wire and cable producers. Southwire and its subsidiaries manufacture building wire and cable, metal-clad cable, portable and electronic cord products, utility cable products, OEM wire products and engineered products. In addition, Southwire supplies assembled products, contractor equipment and hand tools. For more on Southwire's products, its community involvement and its vision of sustainability, visit www.southwiresustainability.com. About NAM The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.5 million men and women, contributes $2.57 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org. 2022 Southwire Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Contact: Ashley Bush Director, Communications and Giving Back Phone: (678) 684-7634 [email protected] SOURCE Southwire CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Securities Quote Xchange (SQX) has launched an industry-leading database linking securities worldwide with their crypto holdings. This database covers exchange-traded products, mutual funds, and listed equities that hold crypto assets. Features include crypto exposure surveillance, crypto holdings, and crypto price correlation. Despite regulatory uncertainty the financial markets have embraced crypto assets. Increasingly listed instruments and collective investment have invested in crypto assets. Because of their extreme volatility investors need to know to what extent they are exposed to crypto assets so that they can manage their risks. Tim Tatum, SQX CEO says "This database will be valuable to compliance officers, investors, clearing firms, custodians, and exchanges. As we can see from recent events, cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile, and investors should be monitoring the risk as they invest in instruments with underlying assets exposed to cryptocurrencies." The Crypto Exposure Data service covers all global regions, including, Australia, Asia, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Available via SFTP and API. Updated daily. For more information, please visit sqx.com/crypto-exposure-data or get in touch with our team via [email protected]. About Securities Quote Xchange: Securities Quote Xchange ("SQX"), a Chicago based company specializes in covering hard-to-price securities, including broker-quoted notes, municipal and corporate bonds as well as the exposure of listed instruments to crypto assets. SOURCE Securities Quote Xchange Joining as the St Patrick's Festival International Guest of Honour was American actor, John C. Reilly. The Step Brothers star was in Dublin taking in the sights, including a special visit to the Home of Guinness, the Guinness Storehouse, before attending the first St Patrick's Day parade since 2019. St Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world by the 80 million who claim links to Ireland. Irish music and dance have become synonymous with celebrations to mark the day. This year, Tourism Ireland is extending an invitation to celebrate Irish heritage in Milan, London, New York and Sydney on St Patrick's Day with the Green Button Festival. The Green Button Festival is lighting up digital billboards today in these four cities, connecting passers-by with some of Ireland's best-loved and up-and-coming musicians. City-dwellers can interact with the billboards to trigger sound and vision recordings of some of Ireland's top talent performing at various locations around the island. The festival is brought to life when passers-by use their smartphone to scan giant QR codes and press the green button to activate a performance. In addition to the big city billboards, the performances can be viewed by anyone anywhere via Ireland.com, so wherever you are around the globe today, an Irish music festival can be on hand. The event and the technology behind it is the first music billboard festival to happen across cities and time zones controlled by individuals' mobile phones. Festival acts include Clannad and Denise Chaila in County Donegal, Ryan McMullan from the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, which was named a UNESCO City of Music late last year. And also available on screen are acts such as contemporary folk band Kila, DJ and vocalist Gemma Bradley, and Riverdance, performing at the Giant's Causeway and Cliffs of Moher. The Green Button Festival is shining a light on the Irish music scene's established names and rising stars, revealing a whole new side to Ireland on St Patrick's Day. www.ireland.com Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpo_TRL_KIY SOURCE Tourism Ireland The 2022 FinTech Breakthrough Award recognizes the collaborative innovation spontaneously taking place by AP professionals on Stampli's Invoice and Communications Feed, which is at the heart of every single invoice. The Stampli Invoice and Communications Feed provides an auditable log of all invoice-related activities such as the invoice email itself, supporting documents, field updates, communications, and approvals or rejections. "Stampli has accomplished something exceptionally rare by winning the FinTech Breakthrough Award for AP in 2022 for the second consecutive year and having 'broken through' two separate barriers," said Tiffaney Fox Quintana, VP of Marketing, at Stampli. "Stampli's first Breakthrough win was for its unique collaboration focused AP product; our second win is in recognition of the spontaneous collaborative customer innovation occurring on Stampli. This is a ground-up innovation by those often-overlooked in the AP trenches, not a top down initiative by management. I'm proud that Stampli provides full control over spend, all the while enabling those that live in the platform room to innovate with the Invoice and Communications Feed all the while maintaining internal controls." The FinTech Breakthrough Awards is the premier awards program founded to recognize the FinTech innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories, including Digital Banking, Personal Finance, Lending, Payments, Investments, RegTech, InsurTech and many more. The 2022 FinTech Breakthrough Award program attracted more than 3,850 nominations from across the globe. "Not only are Stampli's advanced automation capabilities 'breakthrough,' but they are also empowering AP teams with communications tools on top of the invoice so that AP collaborates better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases to quickly resolve issues and questions," said James Johnson, Managing Director, FinTech Breakthrough. "Stampli is redefining and breaking through the AP Automation category with this modern, team-based collaborative solution. We are so excited to be able to award them with our 'Best Accounts Payable Solution' award in the 2022 FinTech Breakthrough Awards program." Previously, Stampli was recognized in 2021 as the "Best Accounts Payable Solution" by FinTech Breakthrough for the uniqueness of its collaboration-centric AP Automation software. Stampli provides efficiency at each stage of the AP lifecycle and empowerment for all involved, giving the Accounts Payable team time back to focus on higher-value activities. Stampli currently holds office locations in the United States in Mountain View, California and Nashville, Tennessee, and internationally in Tel Aviv, Israel and Kiev, Ukraine. In addition to the FinTech Breakthrough Awards, Stampli was recently recognized in G2's 2022 Best Software Awards for Best Software Product, Best Accounting & Finance Product, Best Mid-Market Product, and Highest Satisfaction Product. Stampli also earned recognition on CB Insights 250 FinTech List for 2021, and was recognized by Comparably as a top 100 company in four prestigious categories including: Best Company Culture, Best CEO, Best Place to Work for Women, and Best Place to Work for Diversity. The company closed its most recent funding round in Spring of 2021, securing $50 Million in Series C to bolster growth in product capabilities, team size, and market presence. About Stampli Stampli is a complete AP automation platform that brings together accounts payable communications, documentation, corporate cards, and payments all in one place, allowing AP to have full control and visibility over corporate spending. By centering communications on top of the invoice itself, AP departments collaborate and communicate better with approvers, vendors, and anyone involved with purchases, allowing approvals to happen 5x faster. In addition, Stampli's AI, Billy the Bot, learns an organization's unique patterns to simplify GL-coding, automate approval notifications, identify duplicate invoices, and reduce time spent on manual data entry. Stampli's flexible platform fits seamlessly into any existing processes and integrates with financial systems, including NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, and more. For more information, visit www.stampli.com . About FinTech Breakthrough Part of Tech Breakthrough , a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for technology innovation and leadership around the globe, the FinTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in Financial Technologies and Services companies and products. The FinTech Breakthrough Awards provide public recognition for the achievements of FinTech companies and products in categories including Payments, Personal Finance, Wealth Management, Fraud Protection, Banking, Lending, RegTech, InsurTech and more. For more information visit FinTechBreakthrough.com . SOURCE Stampli Online auction of equipment from bankrupt chain draws bids from around the world; Tiger now slated to sell similar gear from 10 additional closed Pacific Theatres locations. LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Demand from across the theater and professional AV industries drove strong results in Tiger Group's February 22 auction of equipment from Pacific Theatres. Tiger Group's Feb. 22 online auction of assets from Pacific Theatres drew theater owners, live event production companies, rental houses and other buyers. This Christie digital projector is among the late model digital laser and cinema projectors sold at the event. Projector lenses were also snapped up at the auction, along with such gear as cinema monitors, servers, amplifiers, media blocks, popcorn servers and a state-of-the-art LED screen. Tiger is now gearing up for a sale of similar equipment from 10 additional closed Pacific Theatres locations. The movie chain, formerly one of North America's largest, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in March 2020 in the wake of Covid-19 lockdowns. Tiger's globally marketed online auction featured 297 lots of equipment, including projectors, a state-of-the-art LED screen, cinema monitors, servers, amplifiers, media blocks and even popcorn makers, all from an initial group of closed Pacific Theatres locations. "Ninety-nine percent of those lots were bid upon and sold to theater owners, live event production companies, rental houses and other buyers," said Jonathan Holiday, Director of Business Development, Tiger Commercial & Industrial. "We had 12,047 views and a total of 5,040 bids, with people from 57 countries watching the event live. The 40 winning bidders hailed primarily from across the United States and Canada, with registrants from as far away as Ukraine and France." Sales of this type and size are rare, Holiday explained, and the Pacific Theatres name also enjoys widespread recognition. However, the ongoing recovery of movie theaters clearly was a factor as well. "We had quite a strong influx of theaters that participated in the auction sale, which is great to see," Holiday said. "These were the 'survivors'those operators that managed to come through the difficult period with enough working capital to start positioning for the future." Several of these operators bought late-model digital laser projectors. "These are the latest technologies that movie theaters are using for projection," Holiday noted. "Equipment upgrades certainly were part of the dynamic, underscored by sizable purchases from a major cinema chain in Canada." Othersincluding mission-driven arthouse theaters that draw their support from charitable foundationshad the opportunity to purchase equipment that suited their budget, which would not have been the case with new gear, Holiday said. Another standout: high-performance audio and speakers. "The amplifiers, processors and other sound equipment on offer were in great condition and performed extremely well thanks to the participation of several audio and speaker users and resellers, " Holiday said. Also noteworthy was Tiger's successful sale of a 2019 Samsung LED screen with audio components. "It was one of just two such LED screens installed in the United States and drew strong interest," Holiday said. Tiger Group is now gearing up for the next round of Pacific Theatres equipment salesthousands of lots from ten closed locations (eight in California and one in each in Chicago and Bethesda, Maryland) with a combined 170-plus screens and gear valued at over $4 million. "Just as in our initial sale, these auctions will feature top brands like Christie, Dolby, NEC, GDC and QSC, with a great deal of the equipment being late-model and in excellent condition," Holiday said. "We anticipate strong demand once again and are finalizing the details as we speak." For additional information, email: [email protected] or call (805) 497-4999. Media Contacts: At Tiger Commercial & Industrial Division, Jonathan Holiday, (805) 367-3893, [email protected]; at Jaffe Communications, Elisa Krantz, (908)-789-0700, [email protected], or Bill Parness, [email protected]. SOURCE Tiger Group The commercial printer has increased die-cutting and embossing production to provide brands with more creative designs. ORLANDO, Fla., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From cartons and signage to brochures and folders, a visually appealing design is crucial for marketing your brand. With so much competition for consumers' attention, brands must think outside of the box with their packaging and marketing materials to make an impact. Andres Rodriguez, Plant Manager; JohnHenry Ruggieri, President; John Ruggieri, Chairman of the Board SunDance Corporate Headquarters in Orlando, FL SunDance, an award-winning printing company in Central Florida, recently purchased the Easymatrix 106 C/CS die-cutter from Heidelberg to allow brands even greater creativity with their designs . The Easymatrix is a versatile piece of equipment that can be used for anything that requires die cutting, kiss cuts, contoured cuts, or perforations. Some examples include: Folding cartons (including those with intricate cut requirements) Corrugated cardboard up to 4 mm thick Packaging Signage and displays In addition to die-cutting, the new equipment can also emboss and deboss popular for greeting cards, folders, tickets, brochures, and other commercial applications. Embossing and debossing are the processes of stamping a 3D impression onto the material for an eye-catching and tactile effect. They're particularly great for showcasing a logo and enhancing perceived value. With more creative printing options available at SunDance, it'll be easier for businesses and non-profits to elevate their brand with a unique design. "We understand how important it is to stand out, as well as the challenges," said JohnHenry Ruggieri, the president of SunDance. "Adding the Easymatrix to our production lineup helps us achieve even more interesting designs that get our clients noticed and remembered." About SunDance Founded in 2007, SunDance is a multi-channel marketing solutions company that offers creative design, print, web, and more. SunDance's innovative work has received top accolades, including Florida's Best Printer Golden Flamingo Award. The company is also a certified Women's Business Enterprise and the first certified offset Sustainable Green Printer in Florida. Please visit sundanceusa.com for more information. Contact: Kandi Johansmeyer, Senior VP Sales & Marketing [email protected] (407) 563-5004 SOURCE SunDance GREENSBORO, N.C., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers, announced today that its financial results for the quarter ending March 31, 2022 will be released on Thursday, May 5, 2022, after the market close. The Company will host its conference call for analysts, investors and other interested parties on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. To access the conference call, listeners should dial 1-877-605-1702 and request to join the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. SKT Call. A live audio webcast of this call will be available to the public on Tanger's Investor Relations website, investors.tangeroutlets.com. A telephone replay of the call will be available from May 6, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time through 11:59 p.m. on May 20, 2022, by dialing 1-877-660-6853, replay access code #13728075. An online archive of the webcast will also be available through May 20, 2022. About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT) is a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers that owns, or has an ownership interest in, a portfolio of 36 centers. Tanger's operating properties are located in 20 states and in Canada, totaling approximately 13.6 million square feet, leased to over 2,700 stores operated by more than 600 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 41 years of experience in the outlet industry and is a publicly-traded REIT. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com . Investor Contact Information [email protected] SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. 40 TOTAL National Labor Relations Board Charges Settled RENO, Nev., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Keolis Transit has come to terms and settled 17 additional labor charges with Teamsters 533 for violations of the National Labors Relations Act. "This brings the total number of charges settled to 40, with more likely to follow," said Teamsters Local 533 President Gary Watson. These 40 charges, all resolved in the union workers' favor, should finally paint a clear picture of how the contractor for the Regional Transportation Commission mismanages public transit operations. "This settlement agreement was obtained due to our members' dedication and resiliency by standing strong together against adversity. The National Labor Relations Board Settlement Agreement details a monetary settlement for two of our sisters who were retaliated against for honoring the picket line, among many other violations related to the three strikes in 2021," said Watson. "I am incredibly grateful for my Union; they have diligently protected me against the retaliation of Keolis Transit. Keolis tried to coerce and intimidate me to cross the picket line, I refused, and was subsequently terminated," stated Union Member Rachel Drum. Sister Drum will be returning to the job shortly, recouping all back wages and benefits. Numerous labor violations were committed specifically against female workers. "It is appalling and unacceptable for anyone to be subject to the draconian treatment by Keolis. They deserve safe working conditions free from harassment. This settlement is a victory for all our members," added Watson. "The appointed commissioners of RTC Washoe Neoma Jardon, Oscar Delgado, Bob Lucey, Vaughn Hartung and Ed Lawson allowed their Executive Director, Bill Thomas to explicitly state during the strikes that Keolis was bargaining in good faith, while the Teamsters were not," said Watson. "Those commissioners should demand that Mr. Thomas publicly denounce Keolis' actions and should offer the passengers, our community, and our members a public apology. Additionally, they should retract their endorsement of Keolis and put safeguards in place to protect our workers in public transit," Watson stated. Chartered in 1934, Teamsters Local 533 represents about 2,300 workers in various trades throughout northern Nevada and eastern California, including about 200 RTC/Keolis employees. For more information, go to http://teamsters533.org/ . Contact: Gary Watson, (775) 348-6060 ext. 104 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 533 Cadman Seattle's postponement further delays critical infrastructure and low-income housing projects; Meanwhile, ready-mix concrete drivers are already back at work at local company Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel SEATTLE, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After striking for more than four months to demand that their employers stop violating federal labor law, on Monday, over forty ready-mix concrete drivers and support staff who work at Cadman's ready-mix concrete facility on East Marginal Way and Salmon Bay's ready-mix concrete facility in Ballard agreed to return to work. The good-faith gesture from the Teamsters will allow a number of key infrastructure and construction projects to resume after being shut down for several months. As of this morning, Salmon Bay ready-mix drivers are back at work, but Cadman has refused to return its Seattle mixer drivers in a timely manner or provide them with a return date. This will further impact key projects, including repairs to the West Seattle Bridge, Sound Transit's expansion projects, the Convention Center expansion, the Highway 520 restoration project, critical low-income housing projects and countless other public and private construction projects. "Although there is substantial evidence of collusion between Cadman, owned by Germany's HeidelbergCement, and its partner companies, Gary Merlino Construction/Stoneway Concrete and CalPortland, to artificially increase the price of concrete in our region and break our union along with other building trades unions, we decided that we could no longer allow these companies to continue destroying our community," said Todd Parker, a concrete mixer driver with Cadman. "I'm extremely disappointed that Cadman and its management in Germany continue to demonstrate their blatant disregard for everyone who has been adversely affected in our region by their anticompetitive business practices and union-busting." Hundreds of Local 174 mixer and dump truck drivers employed by CalPortland, Stoneway Concrete, Gary Merlino Construction, and Cadman's ready-mix facilities located in Bellevue, Redmond, and Issaquah continue to strike to protest the companies' mounting violations of federal labor laws. "Unfortunately, we are dealing with a concrete cartel abusing its power and holding our community hostage," said Tim Davis, a concrete mixer driver with Stoneway Concrete. "Most recently, the companies have unlawfully refused to stop conspiring during negotiations. Gary Merlino Construction, which owns Stoneway Concrete, is demanding that it will only sign a contract with its workers if they agree to cross picket lines." To date, the unlawful actions of Cadman, CalPortland and their respective parent companies HeidelbergCement and Japan's Taiheiyo Cement, along with Gary Merlino Construction and its subsidiary Stoneway Concrete, have led to: the price of concrete more than tripling in Seattle; the layoffs of thousands workers in the construction industry; contractors losing millions of dollars in delays; and hundreds of dangerous "Outlaw" and "Ghost" mixer trucks coming into Seattle-area communities and placing the general public at risk. Teamsters Local 174 Press Contact: Dean Pearce [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 174 NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With demand for virtual events rising, a new report reveals more than half of marketing directors are facing a technical skills shortage, leaving their organizations unable to deliver remote or hybrid experiences. Tracking Trends and Predicting the Future of the Experiential Market, by global events and experiences agency, FIRST, shows that with 55 percent of marketing directors across the UK and US saying a shortage of technical skills in recruits is one of their top challenges, some 90 per cent are now gearing up to outsource crucial expertise in a race to achieve the competitive advantages tech offers. With even face-to-face sessions relying on high-resolution displays, data capture and management software, marketeers' growing reliance on digital to deliver the best brand experiences has led to staffing problems and the need to invest heavily in new tech. Data shows more than a third (39%) of marketing directors are prioritizing this investment to help deliver virtual events. The research, thought to be the most complete audit of top-level marketing experts since Coronavirus emerged, also found that many organizations are bringing crucial digital skills in-house. More than a third (41%) are planning to boost their brand experiences offer by recruiting IT specialists meaning those without technical expertise could face a bidding war as recruits become more in-demand. The report features insight from US and UK marketing directors from 500 world-leading companies to help decision-makers hone their strategies to be fit for purpose in a new era for the sector. With the pandemic changing the nature of the events industry, the report found that four in ten (42%) respondents have already made the switch from online only and in-person only events to hybrid ones in the last year. Yet when quizzed about the biggest problems facing the sector, 14% cited lack of access to the right IT, meaning many organizations may struggle to compete in delivering meaningful experiences for event attendees. While 41 percent of directors are considering hiring digital specialists, 90 percent will outsource some or all their brand experience function - either by retaining an agency or expert freelancers or by establishing an embedded agency-within model. Indeed, three quarters (78%) have already farmed out more of their experiential portfolio over the last year, with over a third (37%) planning to make staff members redundant. Megan Henshall, Google Global Events Strategic Solutions Lead and a client of FIRST, identifies digital as a key area of focus for the organization as it looks to outsource its skills pool. Traditionally self-reliant, the Global Events Team is now working with sources outside the organization to secure the skills needed post pandemic, moving to an agency-within model for the first time recently. Megan said: "We're all the better for reaching out for more collaboration externally. Across the board, we no longer work in silos and with capabilities now integrated, there is community and connection, which are vital for any events operation. People can readily swap ideas and knowledge and call upon the support of others in managing the new market realities shaped by Covid." Tracking Trends and Predicting the Future of the Experiential Market also found that many of the world's leading marketeers are keen to update their data collection processes as they navigate the transition from in-person experiences to data-rich online ones. One in three (35%) flagged up data and analytics as a top priority, with lack of data collection and analysis capabilities at online events the biggest blocker for 11% during the pandemic. Jennifer Kauf, Senior Vice President Creative Strategy &Brand Marketing at FIRST, said: "Our report shows that the events industry is becoming ever more complex and competitive. Integration and delivery of content across every viable platform is key, but with so many channels available, the challenge is knowing how your end-user likes to receive it and when they like to. "There is no one size fits all solution, which is why the growing tendency among those who oversee the brand experience function to enlist outsourced expertise is no surprise. A partnership relationship with a seasoned provider that has built its name on staying ahead of the trends is an increasingly attractive prospect, whether this involves establishing a scalable embedded agency-within or simply benefiting from outside consulting." To find out more about how marketers are making plans for 2022, including the importance of embedded teams and why content is king, download the FIRST report here . SOURCE FIRST The Type C meeting with the FDA provides guidance to strengthen QIXLEEF nonclinical and toxicological data package for marketing approval. OTTAWA, ON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development received the response letter for a Type C meeting with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its inhaled cannabinoid-based product, QIXLEEF. The meeting was held to discuss the nonclinical safety requirements for the marketing approval. Guy Chamberland, CEO and CRO of Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. commented, "The November 2021 news release confirmed that QIXLEEF aerosol, generated by the Mighty Medic medical device, met the USA cGMP regulatory requirements, including the delivered-dose uniformity (DDU) criteria, established by the FDA for inhalation aerosols. Last month, we announced that preliminary data from over 40 episodes of breakthrough pain in each of the experimental and active treatment groups suggested that QIXLEEF could be an effective analgesic for pain management. This new feedback provided by the FDA is very good and will allow the Company to refine its toxicology plan and address the key issues that are of concern to patients who will want to use QIXLEEF for a relatively long period of time. The interactions with regulators, like the FDA, are critical for both the Company and shareholders. The FDA guidance will pave the way for marketing approval and allow the Company to elaborate cost-effective strategy as part of the drug development program. To date, our data shows that QIXLEEF might become an alternative analgesic to reduce the use of opioids in patients with severe or chronic pain. An alternative to opioids is long overdue." The FDA provided guidance on the Company's nonclinical safety program required to submit a marketing application. Drug metabolite testing in animals is a prerequisite and one of the utmost importance for the FDA is the disproportionate amount of CBD metabolite, 7-COOH-CBD, that was found in humans treated with Epidiolex compared to animals. The higher amount of 7-COOH-CBD was correlated to hepatotoxicity raising a safety concern on CBD usage in humans. As previously disclosed, the Company was able to demonstrate that the CBD metabolite, 7-COOH-CBD, is only 2.5 times higher in subjects inhaling QIXLEEF compared to 40 times higher in CBD oral administration, thereby supporting a better safety profile for inhaled QIXLEEF. Additionally, the FDA requires a more exhaustive assessment of brain histopathology as the inhalation route of administration facilitates QIXLEEF delivery to the brain. A carcinogenicity assessment is required as QIXLEEF is intended to be administered on a chronic basis for long-term usage in patients living with pain. Accordingly, the Company will provide the FDA with a bridging strategy to reduce development costs. The requirements for developmental and reproductive toxicology will also require a bridging strategy to ensure that the risks to patients who are pregnant, at risk of becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding are adequately characterized. Despite the extensive information in the literature, bridging strategies are essential to address specific aspects of a prescription drug as well as to link these findings to existing data. The information received from the FDA will allow the Company to align its nonclinical safety strategy for both the USA and European markets. About QIXLEEF QIXLEEF is the Company's proprietary investigational new drug currently being studied in two FDA authorized clinical trials. QIXLEEF is a botanical therapy with a fixed dosage of THC and CBD. The drug is inhaled using a medical vaporizer and manufactured in Canada in a licensed cGMP facility authorized by the Canadian Health Authority. About REBORN1 - Clinical Trial REBORN1 is a Phase 2 study authorized by U.S. FDA to evaluate inhaled cannabinoids against a class of immediate-release oral opioids for the management of breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP). This is a 10-week proof-of concept, open-label randomized study to evaluate the effect of inhaled QIXLEEF as compared to morphine sulfate or hydromorphone or oxycodone for the treatment of BTcP in 20 patients. About PLENITUDE - Clinical Trial Plenitude is a Phase 2 multicenter clinical trial authorized by U.S. FDA to evaluate the safety and efficacy of inhaled cannabinoids for the uncontrolled pain relief in 78 patients with advanced cancer. It is a 4-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group design trial followed by an open label period of 11 months. About Tetra Bio-Pharma Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA:JAM1) is a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development with a FDA and a Health Canada cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Their evidence-based scientific approach has enabled them to develop a pipeline of cannabinoid-based drug products for a range of medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, and oncology. With patients at the core of what they do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing biopharma industry by regulators, physicians, and insurance companies. For more information: www.tetrabiopharma.com Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation. SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. Texas-Based Organization Honors Business Legends and Supports Emerging Business Leaders HOUSTON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation (TBHF) announces the six inductees for its 40th Anniversary and Induction Dinner: John Arnold (Houston), Ric Campo (Houston), Thomas O. Hicks (Dallas), Jeffery D. Hildebrand (Houston), Paul W. Hobby (Houston), and Whitney Wolfe Herd (Austin). "The Texas Business Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its six inductees for 2022. Inductees are recognized as trailblazers in business and exemplary leaders who have made significant contributions in their local communities and beyond, through both philanthropic and civic engagement. Although inductees can be nominated by anyone from the general public, they are selected by their peers and determined by a majority vote by Hall of Fame members," said TBHF Chair Amanda Brock. The Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation honors the accomplishments and contributions of outstanding business leaders in our state by celebrating and telling their stories. These stories, and the business "Legends" behind them, perpetuate the notion and ideal of the transformational business leader with an unparalleled commitment to enterprise, excellence and community. In addition to recognizing six extraordinary business leaders each year, the Texas Business Hall of Fame awards forty $15,000 awards to scholars and veterans who have demonstrated an early inclination for entrepreneurship and innovation, through its Future Legends Scholar & Veteran Award Program, which is active in 24 universities throughout Texas. Both leaders and emerging leaders in the community are recognized at the annual Texas Business Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. "The selection process, combined with the organization's emphasis on both economic and social impact makes this one of the most prestigious business honors in the state," said TBHF Legend and the 2022 Master of Ceremonies, Richard Fisher. Presented by Texas Capital Bank, the annual Induction Dinner will be hosted in Houston at Hilton Americas on November 3, 2022. The dinner is preceded by a private awards luncheon, sponsored by Deloitte, for the Hall of Fame's 40 2022 Scholar & Veteran Award recipients. About Texas Business Hall of Fame: The Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation honors the accomplishments and contributions of outstanding business leaders in our state by celebrating and telling their story. These stories, and the business Legends behind them, perpetuate the notion and ideal of the transformational business leader with an unparalleled commitment to enterprise, excellence, and community. In addition to recognizing six extraordinary business leaders each year, the Texas Business Hall of Fame awards forty $15,000 awards to scholars and veterans who have demonstrated an early inclination for entrepreneurship and innovation. Texas Business Hall of Fame inductees (referred to as Legends) and the emerging leaders we support are recognized at our annual Texas Business Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. For more information, visit https://texasbusiness.org SOURCE Texas Business Hall of Fame BALTIMORE, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) is pleased to announce David Penson, MD, MPH, MMHC, has been named Secretary-elect, a position he will assume in May 2022 with ratification at the AUA Annual Business Meeting, and hold until May 2023 when he will become Secretary of the Association. David Penson, MD, MPH, MMHC, has been named Secretary-elect of the American Urological Association. As Secretary-elect, Dr. Penson will prepare for his future role by serving ex officio with the current Secretary on various AUA committees and attending all Board meetings. Once elevated in May 2023 to a four-year term as AUA Secretary, Dr. Penson will formally support the development of the Scientific Program for the AUA Annual Meeting and serve as Editor of AUANews, the official monthly news magazine of the AUA. Additionally, Dr. Penson will represent the AUA to numerous domestic and international organizations; coordinate communications with urology specialty societies; oversee policy review activities; and serve on the Board of Directors for the AUA. "Dr. Penson's knowledge and experience, particularly with several AUA councils and committees, makes him an excellent fit for this position," said AUA President Raju Thomas, MD, FACS, FRCS, MHA. "The Board and I look forward to working with Dr. Penson and we're confident that his expertise and proven leadership will enhance the AUA's ability to promote the highest standards of urological clinical care through education, research and health care policy in this very important position." An active member of the AUA since 1997, Dr. Penson most recently served as Science & Quality Council Chair and has previously served as Public Policy Chair. Additionally, he has held several leadership roles within the AUA Western and Southeastern Sections. Dr. Penson is chair of the Department of Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and serves as director of the Center for Surgical Quality and Outcomes Research in the Vanderbilt Institute for Medicine and Public Health. He obtained his MD from Boston University, completed his urology residency at UCLA Medical Center and completed the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar fellowship at Yale University, while obtaining his MPH. Dr. Penson boasts more than 300 published papers and book chapters and numerous honors and awards, including the AUA Gold Cystoscope Award and the AUA Distinguished Service Award. About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. Media Contact: Caitlin Lukacs, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager 410-689-4081, [email protected] SOURCE American Urological Association Los Angeles' Most Beloved Pub Marks Historical Centennial Milestone with Celebrations Throughout the Year LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From its roots on a dirt road known today as the trendy and busy Los Feliz Boulevard, the iconic The Tam O'Shanter turns 100. Los Angeles' oldest restaurant owned and operated by the same family in the same location will kick-off the anniversary festivities today with its annual St. Paddy's Day Bash filled with live music, green beer, and good cheer. The centennial celebration will continue over the remainder of the year with an array of special events that celebrates the food and includes the 100th Anniversary Whisky Tasting Series, a unique tasting of whisky's most celebrated independent bottlers. The Tam will also introduce a special edition barrel whisky and cocktail, a historic coffee table book that features the rich history of the restaurant over the last 100 years, and summertime celebratory BBQs. "For 100 years, The Tam O'Shanter has provided its guests with a unique Los Angeles experience that is full of nostalgia, history, great food and world class hospitality, and we are ready to celebrate this incredible milestone with the community, friends, staff and loyal Angeleno customers," said Ryan O'Melveny Wilson, CEO of Lawry's Restaurants Inc. "This extraordinary milestone would not have been reached without the sense of pride that everyone has for The Tam O'Shanter and its operation, especially our customers and co-worker's, some of whom have been with us for over four decades." The Tam O'Shanter was established in 1922 by Lawrence Frank and Walter Van de Kamp who created a dining empire with the Van de Kamp's bakery and coffee shop chain, and Lawry's The Prime Rib restaurants. Featuring the storybook-style architecture of Hollywood set designer Harry Oliver, the Tam O'Shanter was named after the famous Robert Burns poem and decorated throughout with Scottish decor. Over the past 100 years, the restaurant has withstood the test of time, weathering war years, recessions, natural disasters, pandemics, and everything in between. During the 1920s, the Tam O'Shanter was a popular hangout for Hollywood's elite, including: Walt Disney, Rudolph Valentino, Fatty Arbuckle, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson and many others. Today, the restaurant remains in the family, and is led by Ryan O'Melveny Wilson, CEO of Lawry's Restaurants Inc, and great-grandson of Lawrence Frank. The restaurant has clearly embedded itself into the fabric of the city and Los Angeles' blossoming food scene. The St. Paddy's Day Bash begins at noon with a $10 cover to enter the tent. VIP tickets are available, with lunch and dinner reservations open from 11 am to 10 pm. Proof of vaccination will be required for all guests over 12 years old and a Valid Photo Id for those 21+ for alcohol service. The Tam O'Shanter is located at 2980 Los Feliz Blvd. For more information and for reservations, please visit www.lawrysonline.com/tam-o-shanter/ . About The Tam O'Shanter Delighting diners for 100 years, the Tam O'Shanter is Los Angeles' oldest restaurant operated by the same family in the same location. More than a steakhouse, guests enjoy good cheer, warm hospitality and exceptional food in a cozy old-world atmosphere. Media Contact Tracy Rubin JCUTLER media group [email protected] SOURCE The Tam OShanter In the presence of the chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, and hospitality managers whose establishments have been selected by the inspectors, the 2022 Star Ceremony will also be the opportunity to celebrate all the trades that form part of gastronomy today. "We are extremely happy to rediscover the hospitality and products of the New Aquitaine region in order to highlight the chefs and their teams and thus recognize the commitment of everyone in the profession during this particularly difficult period. Bringing the MICHELIN Guide teams to Charente is a way of reminding gourmets the world over of the abundance of talent ready to have them experience memorable moments, and this across the whole of France. Chefs established in France are more motivated than ever and this new edition of the MICHELIN Guide will showcase their pugnacity, their inventiveness and a sense of customer care that is unique in the world," declared Gwendal Poullennec, MICHELIN Guide International Director. Michelin's ambition is to sustainably improve its customers' mobility. The leader in the mobility sector, Michelin designs, manufactures, and distributes the tires best suited to their requirements and uses as well as services and solutions to improve transport efficacy. Michelin also puts forward offers that allow its customers to enjoy unique moments when traveling. Michelin also develops high-technology equipment intended for multiple fields. Based in Clermont-Ferrand, Michelin is present in 170 countries, employs 123,600 people and operates 71 tire factories that, together, produced approximately 170 million tires in 2020. (www.michelin.com). MICHELIN GROUP PRESS DEPARTMENT +33 (0) 1 45 66 22 22 www.michelin.com @MichelinPress 27 Cours de l'Ile Seguin, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt SOURCE MICHELIN Guide LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For students all over the world, choosing a university is one of the biggest decisions they'll ever make. Whilst students often shortlist five institutions as potential options, securing a place at their first or second choice university is the key to succeeding in future ambitions. The Profs Tutors is an award-winning team of tutors and education consultants, based in London, UK. Since their inception, they've facilitated online and offline tutoring for thousands of students, specialising in degree level and professional qualifications, A-levels, International Baccalaureates, GCSEs, and university admission processes. Today, The Profs Tutors are celebrating a major milestone in their journey, as 90% of their university applicants have received offers from their first or second choice universities. Below, we detail how The Profs Tutors reached this major milestone and why securing a place at a 1st or 2nd choice university can have a long-lasting impact on a student's life: How The Profs Tutors helped 90% of their university applicants receive offers from their first or second choice universities: The Profs Online Tutors are a network of highly-qualified, professional, self-employed private tutors and education consultants. They consist of university academics, PhD students, professional private tutors, retired executives and entrepreneurs with a strong academic background. Tutors provide personalised support and mentoring in all educational subjects, from Anthropology to Zoology and everything in between. Tutors work closely with students to improve the students' knowledge and skillset in their chosen subject area, ultimately helping them to achieve better grades and meet the admissions criteria set out by their preferred choice of university. With a fantastic track-record of helping students, not only have their learners received offers from their first or second choice universities, but The Profs Online Tutors has become one of the highest-rated tutor platforms on TrustPilot. University admission processes are complex, and achieving the grades required to study a course is just one part of the puzzle: Achieving the grades to meet the entry requirements for a university is critical. However, more reputable and higher-ranked universities will consider more than the grades achieved, as they scout through pools of applicants to determine who is most likely to succeed. The Profs Admissions Tutoring is carried out by tutors who are experts in the subject area that students are applying for. As highly trained university academics, subject-leads, PhD students and professional private tutors, they know exactly what top universities are looking for from their candidates. Through mentorship and tutoring, the tutors at The Profs work with students to not only achieve the grades required, but to submit an application that stands out during the admissions process. This includes writing and submitting personal statements, preparing and training for university interviews, submitting an application based on the admissions policy of a preferred university, and any other requirements to submit said-application. The benefits of securing a place at a first or second choice university: Securing an offer from a first or second choice university can have a long-lasting impact on the life of a student. Typically, preferred institutions will provide a much higher quality of teaching, access to better facilities, and industry-recognised qualifications, which can improve the success a student has with future career paths and enhance earning potential. Whilst a preferred institution can add a reputable name to the degree achieved, many will also outperform other institutions when it comes to the quality of student life, the support received throughout, or simply, provide a preferred location of study. Such is the importance of securing an offer from a first or second choice university, the vetting process to become a tutor with The Profs is vigorous, ensuring quality and results. In fact, The Profs University Tutors have one of the most competitive vetting processes of any company in the UK, with only 3% of tutors accepted to work with students. How to find a tutor that will help you to receive an offer from a preferred university: The Profs Tutors provide both online tutoring through their virtual platform, and face-to-face tutoring in London. Head over to the website today to learn more about the 400+ expert tutors and the subject areas covered. More Information The Profs Tutors are an award-winning tutoring company based in London, UK. They connect students that are in need of academic help with a network of highly-qualified, professional, self-employed private tutors and education consultants. Tutors can help improve a student's understanding and ability, increase their confidence, accelerate their learning and improve their grades. Learn more via the website: https://www.theprofs.co.uk/ https://thenewsfront.com/the-profs-online-tutor-platform-celebrate-90-of-their-university-applicants-receiving-offers-from-1st-or-2nd-choice-universities/ Company: The Profs Contact Person: Richard Evans Address: Hogarth House 136 High Holborn London, England WC1V 6PX United Kingdom Phone: 020 8004 7639 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.theprofs.co.uk/ SOURCE The Profs Members of the media are invited to register here . The four day hybrid event, organised by Economist Impact, will also explore how existing policy and regulatory frameworks have addressed climate change Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, will open the event with keynote remarks and Alok Sharma , president of COP26 , will give a keynote address at the in-person event in London , president of , will give a keynote address at the in-person event in Adina Valean, commissioner for transport, European Union will discuss how to effectively invest in green transport infrastructure Nick Watts , chief sustainability officer, NHS will detail how the NHS has become the world's first national health system to commit to becoming carbon net zero LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainability Week, the leading conference on helping businesses on their path to achieving their sustainability goals, announced the final speaker line-up for the 2022 hybrid event. The event will run from Monday, March 21st to Thursday, March 24th virtually and with an in-person day on Tuesday March 22nd at etc. venues, St Paul's, London. Members of the media are invited to register here . Over 190 leading figures from across the sustainability community, from business to intergovernmental organisations, investors, national governments, central bankers and civil society, are confirmed to speak at this year's event. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations will give his keynote remarks to open the virtual event at 9.00am GMT, Monday, March 21st. Alok Sharma, president of COP26, will present at the in-person event on Tuesday March 22nd, 8:15am GMT. Further speakers confirmed for next week's event include Alexander Van der Bellen, president, Republic of Austria; Carine Smith Ihenancho, chief governance and compliance officer, Norges Bank Investment Management; Alison Dolan, chief financial officer, Rightmove; Warren East, chief executive, Rolls-Royce; Jean Rogers, global head of ESG, Blackstone; Rebecca Marmot, chief sustainability officer, Unilever; Leyla Ertur, head of sustainability, H&M; Fatih Birol, executive director, International Energy Agency; Mark Read, chief executive, WPP; Francois Villeroy de Galhau, governor, Banque de France. A full list of speakers is available here . The theme of the four-day global event, organised by Economist Impact, is "Accelerating transition, building resilience". Its aim is to support policymakers and business leaders in implementing practical strategies to become more sustainable. The cross-industry agenda will examine how businesses and governments need to unite efforts and take a society-centred approach to solve our generation's biggest challenge: climate change. The programme will consist of live conversations, interactive sessions, roundtables and a virtual exhibition. Last year, the event attracted over 12,500 registrants from 138 countries. Sustainability Week will provide delegates with the tools to optimise their sustainability strategy based on the experience and insights of global changemakers. Themes that will be explored throughout the week include: How can more organisations develop their net-zero targets and roadmaps? How will rapid sustainable transformation insulate you from the impending energy crisis? How can financial markets and regulators come together to mobilise capital towards a greener, more inclusive and more climate-resilient economy? How can firms best understand the business risks that arise from environmental degradation and their own impact on biodiversity? What investment is needed to ramp up infrastructure development for the net-zero transition? What changes will businesses need to bring to their operations to ensure that the social dimension is being taken into account? How can green stimulus contribute to a "just transition" to net zero? How effective are taxonomies like the EU taxonomy in addressing the problem of greenwashing? Key talks through the week will include Fatih Birol, executive director of IEA, on how the energy transition will be accelerated in the coming years; Anna Konig Jerlmyr, mayor, Stockholm on how cities can be transformed to reach net-zero emissions by 2030; Martin Jetter, chairman, IBM Europe on how society can be enhanced through technological innovation. Additionally, Nick Watts, chief sustainability officer, NHS will detail how the NHS has become the world's first national health system to commit to becoming carbon net zero. Hear from them on how they will bring along their 80,000 supplies on this journey. Warren East, chief executive, Rolls-Royce on decarbonising hard to abate sectors and Francois Villeroy de Galhau, governor, Banque de France on the challenges central banks are facing in adapting to new EU taxonomy rules for green investment and what impact that they may have. Speaking ahead of the summit, Harry Chapman, head of sustainability events at Economist Impact said, "we are looking forward to hosting four days of remarkable and memorable discussions. With sustainability a key priority for many organisations, this event offers the perfect opportunity to help businesses become more sustainable faster, while also showcasing the latest innovations in the sector". More details about the week including the programme and a link to register are on the event website . To stay-up-date with the topics throughout the year, visit the Sustainability Project website . Thanks to all our sponsors: Deloitte, IBM, Infosys, OneTrust, Avery Dennison, Google Cloud, Mott MacDonald, Siemens, Alcoa, Baker Hughes, BASF, BP, British Business Bank, Citrix, Ecovardis, Emerson, GFK, Hedera Hashgraph, Interos, Melrose, National Grid, SAP, SkyCell, Standard Chartered, Wellington Management, BCG, Johnson and Johnson, Turkish Airlines, Novisto, Accenture, Resilience. Additionally we are working with TreeApp as our tree planting partner and rePurpose as our sustainability partner. About Economist Impact Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise. Our track record spans 75 years across 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, events expertise, design-thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information. About The Economist (www.economist.com) With a growing global circulation and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications. The paper covers politics, business, science and technology, and books and arts, concluding each week with the obituary. In addition to the web-only content such as blogs, debates and audio/video programmes available on the website, The Economist is available to download for reading on Android, Blackberry PlayBook, iPhone or iPad devices. The Economist Espresso, our daily briefing smartphone app, is also available for download via iTunes App Store or Google Play. View the Economist Group ESG policy here SOURCE Economist Impact BRUSSELS, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2022 European Capitals of Smart Tourism, Bordeaux and Valencia embark on their year fostering smart tourism growth and experiences in Europe. With a shared culture of excellence in the digitalization, sustainability, accessibility as well as cultural heritage and creativity, both cities are the forefront of shaping the future of smart tourism in Europe. The smart tourism experience in both Bordeaux and Valencia is represented through the series of excellent best practices that the cities demonstrate as smart tourism leaders in Europe. Each visit to the cities ensures that the question: what is smart? Is not left unanswered. Starting with Valencia, 2022 European Capital of Smart Tourism, the smart tourism experience beings before tourists have even visited the city. With Valencia's new Tourism Intelligence System (SIT) , a comprehensive database of tourism figures gathered by the city, relevant stakeholders and businesses are able to provide optimised offerings and opportunities based on real-time and comprehensive data. As a forerunner in sustainable tourism, Valencia offers tourists the opportunity to enjoy a city that takes the future of the planet into account. Over the last two years, the Spanish city became the first city in the world to verify its tourism carbon and water footprint , an initiative that is key to Valencia's Sustainable Tourism Strategy to make the city a carbon-neutral tourist destination by 2025. In addition, by equipping their tourist offices with the latest Visualfy systems, Valencia offers tourist information in an inclusive and innovative fashion. As a coastal city, the smart tourism experience of Valencia must include the beach. Through its participation in the MITOMED project , Valencia has developed an integrated management model of coastal and maritime tourism to measure the sustainability of tourism activities and their social and economic results and impacts. Furthermore, within the MITOMED framework, Valencia has equipped its seashores with walkways and accessibility features, all of them being measured and constantly updated to deliver the best sustainable and user-friendly experience on its beaches. Bordeaux, 2022 European Capital of Smart Tourism, is where the smart tourism experience is sustainable and local with an emphasis on innovative urban regeneration. The French city is a champion of producing new economic, cultural, and social changes that enrich the city's urban landscape. That is the case of the Darwin Ecosystem , a complex of abandoned military barracks turned into coworking space, and Les Bassins a Flot , a former industrial wasteland converted into prosperous new district for residents and tourist alike to experience and enjoy. As a smart tourism capital, the experience ensures that accessibility is top priority, the Tourist office has developed specialised guides with information about all services available to people with reduced mobility. Bordeaux boasts a transport network that is 100% wheelchair accessible, and many areas of the city have been adapted for use by individuals of reduced mobility and with human assistance. For gamers and young visitors alike, Bordeaux offers an innovative exploration of the area through the mobile app, Terra Aventura , users can discover the natural and cultural heritage of many different places. For a more traditional smart tourism experiences, the webzine 'Un air de Bordeaux', created by residents for everyone the website hosts an array of activities and events as well as experiences that come directly from the public living in Bordeaux. Bordeaux and Valencia at ITB 2022 To kick-start the year, the 2022 European Capitals of Smart Tourism Bordeaux and Valencia along with the winner of the 2022 EDEN initiative Middelfart, took part in this year's virtual ITB Convention, the world's leading travel trade show. On 10 March 2022 participants, and attendees of ITB had the opportunity to hear more about the European Capital of Smart Tourism initiative and watch the live presentation titled: "Think Globally, Act Locally: Smart and Sustainable Tourism in Europe". The full recording can be found here. Find out more about the 2022 European Capitals of Smart Tourism here: Bordeaux and Valencia. 'Leading Examples of Smart Tourism Practices in Europe' now online! The report 'Leading Examples of Smart Tourism Practices in Europe', the go-to guide to smart tourism in the EU, is now available online. The collection of best practices has been derived from the applications the cities submitted to the 2022 European Capital of Smart Tourism competition. The report showcases the most innovative projects, ideas and initiatives, in: Accessibility, Sustainability, Digitalisation, Cultural heritage and creativity. It aims to raise awareness about smart tourism tools, initiatives and projects, sharing the best practices in tourism implemented by cities and strengthening peer-to-peer learning and innovative development of tourism. Read the report and get inspired here: https://smart-tourism-capital.ec.europa.eu/best-practices_en Furthermore, the first edition of the EDEN Best Practices Report, which showcases the most innovative initiatives in sustainable tourism, can be found here. For all the latest news on the European Capital of Smart Tourism, sign up to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. For further press information, contact: European Capital of Smart Tourism Secretariat: Sandra Bumbar-Malchow / Antigoni Avgeropoulou, [email protected] , +49 (0) 30 70 01 86 390 Notes to Editors: 1. Smart tourism responds to new challenges and demands in a fast-changing sector, including the expectation of digital information, products, and services; equal opportunities and access for all visitors; sustainable development of the local area; and support to creative industries and local talent. 2. The 2022 European Capital of Smart Tourism competition was open to submissions from 22 April 2021 to 16 June 2021 Terms and conditions are available at www.SmartTourismCapital.eu 3. The European Jury met on 27 October 2021 in Brussels and selected two cities, Bordeaux and Valencia, to hold the title of the European Capitals of Smart Tourism in 2022. 4. The launching events took place on the 1 February 2022 in Valencia and 3 February 2022 in Bordeaux respectively. SOURCE European Capital of Smart Tourism Madison Auction offers an exceptional bunch of top-level global wines. From classic Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, to Italian and US top producers. There will be 41 lots of Bordeaux, 67 lots of Burgundy, 8 lots of American cult wines, and a bunch of Champagne and Italy selections which we believe can meet your needs of collection, investment, business banquets, and daily tasting. Madison Auction is the first home-grown wine auction house in Asia's wine capital (www.madison-auction.com). Starts from 12pm March 16th (Hong Kong Time), you can bid on Madison Auction bidding platform (https://www.madison-auction.com/auctions ) or Madison Auction APP (Press the QR code to download Madison Auction App). The online sale will be last till March 20th, 11pm. Jump at this good chance to collect these treasures to your cellar! Please contact [email protected] for further inquiry. Here are some of the highlights of this sale. Among 67 lots of Burgundy wines, there are extraordinary wines from renowned producers: 3 lots from Domaine Prieure Roch (Lot 26-28) in magnum bottles and 1 lot in standard format (Lot 1) are notable (see below to view more details); Jacky Truchot , another winemaking legend alongside the 'godfather' of Burguny Henri Jayer. We shall present his masterpiece before his retirement - 2001 Jacky Truchot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (Lot 102, see below), which has been increasing in value in recent years, don't miss it; , another winemaking legend alongside the 'godfather' of Burguny Henri Jayer. We shall present his masterpiece before his retirement - 2001 Jacky Truchot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (Lot 102, see below), which has been increasing in value in recent years, don't miss it; Among the 6 lots from Domaine Leroy (Lots 6-9, 53, 59), 1993 Chambertain Grand Cru, 2009 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru, Les Beaux Monts (lot 6&9, Click here to review more details ) and special 2004 Vosne-Romanee (Lot 59, see below), please stay tuned; (Lots 6-9, 53, 59), 1993 Chambertain Grand Cru, 2009 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru, Les Beaux Monts (lot 6&9, ) and special 2004 Vosne-Romanee (Lot 59, see below), please stay tuned; 15 lots of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (Lot 2, 19-25, 54-58, 82 & 83), under the dazzling light of reds, don't forget there is also 1 lot of 1994 Montrachet Grand Cru (Lot 82, Click here to review more details ); ); 12 lots of attractive Burgundy top whites, in addition to the prestigious Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru (Lot 82), there are also Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru (Lot 91), and the hard-to-find cult producer Domaine Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru, Les Genevrieres (Lot 78), etc., all have only one precious bottle. Among the 41 lots of Bordeaux, wines from Grand Chateaux are captivating: Only 2 bottles of the 1990 Petrus Pommeral (Lot 29, see below), with Robert Parker's perfect score; perfect score; A suit of Banded Original Wooden Cases in impeccable condition from renowned producers, such as 6 bottles of 2009 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1er Cru Classe (Lot 116), etc. Place your bid; Several fine wines with Robert Parker's full marks, including but not limited to 2009 Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru Classe (Lot 34), 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 1er Cru Classe (Lot 70), 2009 Chateau Pavie Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe A (Lot 42 & 43) and 2009 Chateau Montrose Saint Estephe 2eme Cru Classe (Lot 40 & 41) are all hot items in the auction. Multiple lots of Champagnes, California cult wines and Italian creations are a must: 3 lots of Sine Qua Non collections received high points from Robert Parker (Lots 48-50, Click here to review more details ); (Lots 48-50, ); The Napa Valley Reserve, founded by Bill Harlan , will present 3 lots of Tara Private Reserve for collectors this time (Lots 16-18, Click here to review more details ); , will present 3 lots of Tara Private Reserve for collectors this time (Lots 16-18, ); In the array of Champagnes, the world's most expensive Blanc de Blanc Champagne - the Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut (Lot 64, Click here to review more details ). Buyers interested in Italian fine wines should not miss the Italian Mixed Lot (Lot 66), which brings together several local masterpieces. Happy Bidding and Good Luck! Recommendations 2010 Domaine Prieure Roch Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru Lot 1 | 6 Bottles, OWC Est. HK$ 90,000 - HK$ 140,000 2005 Domaine Prieure Roch Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru Lot 26-28 | 1 Magnum Est. HK$ 28,000 - HK$ 45,000 This estate was founded in 1988 by Henry-Frederic Roch - the former co-owner and co-director of the legendary Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and the nephew of Mrs. Leroy. Due to its unique wine label design being similar to a kitchen knife, it is nicknamed "Chopping Knife" by Mainland drinkers. The winery has gathered the quintessence from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Leroy since its birth. Several elements (a papyrus leaf, 2 yellow ovals, and 3 red egg shapes) in its wine label design represent vines, nature, human beings, and grapes respectively. It denotes that the owner respects and believes natural and traditional winemaking methods. No sulfur is added to the wine, allowing the natural yeasts to work, so the terroir can vividly reveal the charm of the grapes. The owner of Burgundian winery Philippe Pacalet is the former winemaker of the Domaine Prieure Roch, which nowadays is famed for its natural wine. The production of Domaine Prieure Roch is of high purity, rich and elegant in taste, exceptionally fragrant and elegant, but produced in very restricted quantities. The winery covers an area of about 1 hectare in the Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru, with the annual production of only 3,000 bottles. The wines have elegant and smooth tannins, complex and concentrated flavors without losing a sense of freshness. When Henry-Frederic Roch passed away in 2018, the market price of his wines continued to soar. The average prices of 2005 and 2010 Domaine Prieure Roch Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru in Wine Searcher (hereinafter referred to as WS) have increased by 7 times and 3 times respectively in a few years! Not to mention, the magnum format of vintage 2005 has never appeared at the auction market in recent years. 1990 Petrus Pommeral Lot 29 | 2 Bottles | RP 100 Est. HK$ 50,000 - HK$ 220,000 With Robert Parker's perfect score blessing, the average price of 1990 Petrus Pommeral in WS has steadily increased by more than 30% over the years. Only 2 bottles available. 2004 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanee Lot 59 | 2 Bottles | BH 95 Est. HK$ 70,000 - HK$ 130,000 Because of her husband Marcel Bize passed away in 2004, Lalou Leroy only made 1 Bourgogne wine and 4 Village wines that year, including this 2004 Vosne-Romanee. But in fact, the grapes that made this co-called Village wine are from the Grand Crus of Richebourg, Romanee saint-vivant and the top 1er Crus of Vosne-Romanee, Les Beaux Monts, Aux Brulees, etc. The declassification of a special vintage created an exceptional legend. The average price of this wine in WS has increased by more than 6 times in recent years. Italian Mixed Lot Lot 66 | 5 Bottles Est. HK$ 7,000 - HK$ 13,000 1997 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia (1) 2004 Gaja Barbaresco (1) 1999 Tenuta di Trinoro Rosso Toscana IGT (1 Magnum) 2004 Castello di Ama L'Apparita (1) 2001 Castello di Ama Vigneto Bellavista DOCG (1) This Italian Mixed Lot is definitely designed for Italian wine aficionados. It brings together the famous and rare wines from the two classic Italian wine regions: Piedmont and Tuscany. In addition to the well-known Gaja and Ornellaia, Castello di Ama, a renowned art winery in Tuscany, must be mentioned. It produces wines with restricted quantity and rigorous fine quality, and has been awarded Tre Bicchieri by the authoritative Italian magazine Gambero Rosso more than 30 times. Among all its wines, the L'Apparita series is an iconic Super Toscany, the first 100% Merlot produced in Tuscany even earlier than Masseto. 2001 Jacky Truchot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Lot 102 | 1 Bottle Est. HK$ 20,000 - HK$ 42,000 In Burgundy, Jacky Truchot's status is comparable to that of "Dionysian" Henri Jayer. The winery is located in Morey-Saint-Denis, Jacky Truchot had been making wine in there from 1978 to 2005 until his retirement. In the eyes of Burgundy connoisseurs, his wine is one of the most traditional and elegant representatives of Burgundy, extremely collectible. Among all his creations, the flagship series, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has been soaring at auction market due to its scarcity, and the average price of WS has also risen nearly 4 times in a few years. Please stay tuned to our 2022 March Online Sale from now to March 20th 11pm to discovery valuable items from the greatest producers. We hope they can create countless memorable moments for you. We continue to accept consignments at 0% seller's commission throughout the year for upcoming sales contact us today for an estimation on your collection. Email: [email protected] Tel: +852 3188 6613 SOURCE Madison Auction Limited BETHESDA, Md, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Fautrel, Co-Founder of Seventy2 Capital, announced that he has been asked to join the Putnam Investments Advisory Council. The Council consists of accomplished financial advisors, who are regularly consulted on ways that Putnam can best serve the advisor community, with the goal of driving successful outcomes for clients. "I am pleased to have been named to the Putnam Investments Advisory Council and welcome the opportunity to engage with colleagues from across the industry on important issues and emerging trends," said Thomas Fautrel. The Putnam Investments Advisory Council consists of leading advisors who are neither employed by Putnam nor are members of firms that are direct affiliates of Putnam. At the Council's quarterly meetings, advisors provide candid thoughts on Putnam's offerings and interact with peers to broadly discuss the financial services industry. About Putnam Investments Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is a global money management firm with over 80 years of investment experience. At the end of January 2022, Putnam had $196 billion in assets under management. Putnam has offices in Boston, London, Munich, Tokyo, Singapore, and Sydney. For more information, visit putnam.com. About Seventy2 Capital Seventy2 Capital is an independent, private client practice, headquartered in Bethesda, MD. With decades of combined experience at some of Wall Street's largest firms, advisors specialize in addressing the unique needs of Fortune 500 executives, successful individuals, and families, and small to medium-sized businesses. Seventy2 Capital's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of care and professionalism has earned its advisors some of the most advanced designations including the CFA, CIMA, CFP, CAIA, and national industry awards. The practice has also been recognized as one of the 2019 and 2020 Best Places to Work in the Greater Washington Area by the Washington Business Journal. Visit Seventy2 Capital . About Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network For 20 years, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, the independent brokerage arm of Wells Fargo & Company, has simplified independence by partnering with successful financial advisors and fostering a mutual passion for doing what's right for clients. Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer, and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. www.wfafinet.com Seventy2 Capital Wealth Management is a separate entity from Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC. E-mail: [email protected] Media Contact Anna Marano 3012982242 [email protected] SOURCE Seventy2 Capital "We take a founder-first approach to investing, partnering with entrepreneurs to help them bring disruptive technologies and business models to market more quickly," said Jim Adler, founding managing director of Toyota Ventures. "With the 2022 call for innovation, we are looking to support talented startup teams that are developing smarter and more sustainable factories of the future. There are a host of challenges facing the supply chain and manufacturing industry it's a critical time, and we see this as a perfect opportunity for startup teams with bold ideas and solutions to accelerate the Industry 4.0 transformation." "MPIC is thrilled to partner with the Toyota Ventures team in their search to identify startups that are revolutionizing manufacturing facilities," said Daniel Zachry, group manager of Toyota's Manufacturing Project Innovation Center. "As we reimagine how we build cars, increasing customization and rapid transformation to building electrified vehicles, we see startup innovation as a key ingredient." With more than $500 million in assets under management and over 50 portfolio companies, Toyota Ventures invests in startups worldwide through its flagship funds, the Toyota Ventures Frontier Fund and the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund. The first call for innovation, in 2018, sought out robotics startups and led to an investment in Pasadena, California-based Elementary. In the 2020 call for innovation, focused on smart and connected cities, Toyota Ventures made an investment in Montreal, Canada-based YPC Technologies. Now, Toyota Ventures invites startups developing solutions focused on Industry 4.0 and sustainable manufacturing that meet the following criteria to apply to the 2022 call for innovation: (1) raised less than $10 million in funding, (2) can demonstrate a working prototype and (3) have a viable business model that can deliver real value to customers. More specifically, the investment team is in search of entrepreneurs who are challenging the status quo in areas such as: 3D simulation AI and computer vision Adaptive robots Additive manufacturing Augmented reality Autonomous mobile robots Carbon footprint reduction footprint reduction Collaborative robots Cybersecurity Data analytics Electrification and battery manufacturing Energy efficiency Worker training and safety Toyota Ventures is now accepting online applications for this call for innovation through May 31, 2022, and submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Qualified startups will be evaluated based on their team, technology, business model and go-to-market strategy, and will be subject to standard diligence before any investment is made. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to learn more and apply today on the Toyota Ventures website . About Toyota Ventures Toyota Ventures is a San Francisco Bay Area-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups from around the world. Founded in July 2017, its mission is to discover what's next for Toyota by helping startups bring disruptive technologies and business models to market quickly. With more than $500 million in assets under management, the firm's funds include the Toyota Ventures Frontier Fund focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, autonomy, mobility, robotics, smart cities, digital health, financial technologies, materials, and energy; and the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund focused on innovative solutions for carbon neutrality. For more information about Toyota Ventures and its portfolio companies, please visit www.toyota.ventures. MEDIA CONTACT Maggie Mouat 805-704-0919 [email protected] SOURCE Toyota Ventures New study finds that gaps in regional data and privacy legislation underscores need for a universal data governance framework NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the emergence of big data, the attention on legitimate and transparent data collection, management, and analytics is now at a fever pitch. To better protect the welfare of their citizens, guarantee national security and safeguard their sovereignty and competitiveness, governments around the world have introduced privacy laws and data protection regulations. However, in its new whitepaper, Data Governance: Definitions, Challenges, and a Universal Framework global technology intelligence firm ABI Research argues that the current laws and regulations do not go far enough. A new universal data governance framework must be introduced to address the data governance needs in emerging technologies. In the early Internet era, most of the data captured in databases were Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and metadata. Published in 2016, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a game-changing piece of regulation that dictates and governs how the European Union's citizens' PII is used, stored, and shared. Since its formulation, public agencies, private corporations, and non-governmental organizations have established internal data governance practices to comply with GDPR and similar regulations. This includes Brazil's General Data Protection Law, China's Personal Information Protection Law, Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information, and South Africa's Protection on Personal Information Act. Despite all the effort, the global regulatory environment remains very fragmented. A good example is the United States. There is no common consensus to handle PII among the different states and industry actors. Navigating through all these regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions is very time-consuming and exhausting. In addition, the classification of new PII, such as audio recordings and IP addresses, remains unclear. "A new data government framework that introduces broader definition of PII can go a long way to protect customer rights and privacy. As the world is becoming increasingly interconnected and information flow shifts rapidly towards digital platforms, these data do not respect national boundaries. A universally accepted and well defined data government framework can reduce regulatory complexity and remove barrier for adoption," explains Lian Jye Su, Principal Analyst at ABI Research. More importantly, most, if not all, of these regulations are not futureproof. As of 2022, all data protection regulations focus on PII. While PII remains critical for certain verticals such as social media, sales and marketing, and banking and finance, other enterprises are processing an increasing amount of machine-generated data, geospatial data, and synthetic data for emerging technologies, such as Real-Time Location Services (RTLS), cloud and edge AI applications, autonomous driving, digital twin, and metaverse. As enterprises adopt and deploy these technologies in their daily operation, they are also adopting cutting edge data management and processing techniques. "A universal data government framework can introduce regulations to prevent malicious usage of data types beyond PII. The framework can guide enterprises on the right mechanism when dealing with distributed and large-scale data collection, processing, and storage. It can also help to ensure data identification, accessibility, interoperability, and reuseability," explains Su. Ideally, this new data governance framework designed by an internationally recognized standard development organizations, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Furthermore, it must be universally accepted, forward-looking, and focuses on fairness, equality, and data sovereignty. "Emerging technologies have proven to be great tools to eliminate economic inequality, promote digital literacy and accessibility, and empower marginalized communities. However, how they collect and store data cause legitimate concerns around data sovereignty, commercial malpractices, and cybersecurity. Therefore, the industry must work together to develop a universal data governance framework that can minimize these concerns and allow the technologies to reach their full potential," concludes Su. To learn more about the universal data governance framework, market gaps and challenges, and ABI Research's strategic recommendations for companies, download the whitepaper: Data Governance: Definitions, Challenges, and a Universal Framework. About ABI Research ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm delivering actionable research and strategic guidance to technology leaders, innovators, and decision-makers around the world. Our research focuses on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries, economies, and workforces today. ABI Research For more information about ABI Research's services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com. Contact Info: Global Deborah Petrara Tel: +1.516.624.2558 [email protected] SOURCE ABI Research RESTON, Va., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, today announced it has been awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Navy's Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) to support the service's undersea warfare systems. This single-award, Seaport Next Generation (NxG) task order has a total estimated value of $84 million. It includes a one-year base period, as well as four one-year options. Work will be performed in Virginia and Japan. "Ensuring our sailors have the most advanced capabilities to defeat advancing threats is a top priority for our company," said Will Johnson, Leidos Senior Vice President, Logistics and Mission Support. "We look forward to continuing our longstanding support of the Program Executive Office Undersea Warfare Systems as they work to keep the seas open and free." Through this contract, Leidos will provide operations and maintenance (O&M) crews aboard United States Naval Ship (USNS) Tactical Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance (T-AGOS) platforms and contract vessels. Additionally, the company will provide a cadre of Field Support Team (FST) engineers to provide engineering, logistics and technical support to the Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) fleet and IUSS (Integrated Undersea Surveillance System) Operations Support Center (IOSC). About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 1, 2021, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Contact: Melissa Duenas (571) 526-6850 [email protected] Thomas Doheny (571) 474-4735 [email protected] Jalen Drummond (571) 992-5046 [email protected] SOURCE Leidos Holdings, Inc. The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing the continued investment of the Vantagepoint family in helping others in their community. WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners recognized Louis, Illyce, Lane, Mandi, Rachael, and Abby Mendelsohn along with their company Vantagepoint A.I. on March 8, 2022 for their on-going corporate giving to local charities as well as Shriners Hospitals for Children and The Children's Cancer Center. Amid the hardships brought on by the pandemic for many of the residents of Pasco County, Vantagepoint A.I. not only maintained but increased its corporate giving. The Mendelsohn girls also instigated their own projects to help local children as part of their training as future leaders of the company. Vantagepoint has an award-winning company culture based upon teamwork, positivity, communication, innovation, respect, integrity, passion, and purpose. Rachael and Abby, have also suggested the addition of kindness as a core value. "Our traders and our team help us do great things for others," said Rachael Mendelsohn (11), "we're glad our county commissioners noticed it and we hope other people will copy us." "It doesn't take a lot to make a big difference in someone else's life," added Abby (8). See the Proclamation presentation at https://youtu.be/fAB-xMBVngg. Vantagepoint A.I. regularly donates a percentage of its revenue to charity; Mr. Mendelsohn maintains a scholarship for young people interested in entrepreneurship who may not have the resources to continue their education; and Lane Mendelsohn, now President of Vantagepoint A.I., continues to find small organizations and causes that are often overlooked for the team to support. "I am humbled by the recognition we've received and grateful for the opportunities we've been given to be a force for good for so many people. I am excited for the future, we plan on doing more much, much more!" said Lane Mendelsohn. About Vantagepoint AI, LLC. Headquartered in Wesley Chapel, Florida., VantagePoint software forecasts Stocks, Futures, Forex, and ETFs with proven accuracy of up to 87.4%. Using patented Neural Network processes, VantagePoint's artificial intelligence predict changes in market trend direction up to three days in advance, giving traders insight into optimal times to make their trades. Second-generation, family owned, Vantagepoint A.I. employs over 90 team members. To see artificial intelligence in action, schedule a demonstration at www.vantagepointsoftware.com/demo Media Contact: Lisa Moretti, [email protected] SOURCE Vantagepoint AI, LLC In her role, she will lead and execute Wavemaker's people and culture initiatives to attract, retain and engage employees in the US. She will leverage her deep experience across learning and development, DEI, and talent acquisition to help ensure a diverse and representative employee population. She will focus on partnerships and initiatives to hire and reskill talent in a tight labor market. Maley joins from Wavemaker Asia Pacific where she held the role of chief people officer, APAC. In this regional role, Maley was responsible for leading talent strategy across 17 APAC markets where she worked closely with regional leaders and key stakeholders within each market to drive innovative initiatives across attraction, development, and engagement. Maley also actively collaborated with GroupM's people team to deliver the best possible employee experience for employees in the region. In tandem with her role at Wavemaker, Maley also held the role of VP of Talent for GroupM's Xaxis in APAC. Prior to her regional post at Wavemaker APAC, Maley spent 8 years leading talent acquisition for GroupM, most recently as Head of Talent Acquisition for Asia Pacific. In this capacity, she led the implementation of GroupM's hiring strategy and solution implementation across the APAC region. Earlier in her career and in her first role in the group, Jessica worked as the first talent acquisition lead for GroupM in Australia, where she developed and implemented innovative hiring strategies across all GroupM agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide. "We're thrilled to welcome Jessica to Wavemaker North America," said Louisa Wong, CEO, Americas region, Wavemaker. "Not only does Jessica come from within our global Wavemaker family, but she has a proven track record creating an exceptional people-first culture that values the contributions of every member of the team." "Our people are our greatest resource and I'm excited for the opportunity to attract, retain, support and engage the best talent in the North American market," said Maley. "Given market conditions, it's more important than ever to invest in our people to help them to grow, learn and thrive and I'm excited to test, learn and apply strategies that have been very successful in other markets." Maley's career journey within the GroupM network in Australia, Asia Pacific, and now North America, is a testament to GroupM talent mobility providing the agency's people across all levels with new opportunities and variety around the network and the globe. About Wavemaker We believe there always is a better way to grow. We positively provoke growth for our clients by reshaping consumer decision-making and experiences through media, content, and technology. The Wavemaker way is globally consistent. Fueled by the world's most powerful consumer data, we understand where and how marketing can intervene decisively to help brands win more sales. Our 7,200 people across 88 markets have the deep knowledge, confidence, and courage to provoke growth for some of the world's leading brands and businesses. We are a part of GroupM, WPP's global media investment management company. Discover more on wavemakerglobal.com , Twitter and LinkedIn . SOURCE Wavemaker The architecture and interior design firm worked on the Palo Alto location, evolving a unique digital concept into a physical experience SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- William Duff Architects (WDA), a California-based architecture and interior design firmwhose hospitality projects range from airport lounges to food court outposts, and fast casual and contemporary casual restaurants for both established and emerging brandsrecently completed Local Kitchens' Palo Alto location. It is the pioneering micro food hall's largest location to date, at 2,200 square feet, and its fifth in the San Francisco Bay Area. Located on a street with heavy foot traffic, the Palo Alto location for Local Kitchens features a generously scaled glass entrance for convenient access, and a welcoming ambience. Photo by Michelle K. Min Located on a street with heavy foot traffic, the Palo Alto location for Local Kitchens features a generously scaled glass entrance for convenient access, and a welcoming ambience. Photo by Michelle K. Min "Local Kitchens started with a big idea that co-founders Jon Goldsmith, Andrew Munday and Jordan Bramble wanted to realize, and that is to bring the best cuisines under one roof," recalls Jonathan Tsurui, WDA associate principal. Tsurui, who works closely with WDA founder Willam S. Duff, Jr, AIA, to manage the firm's retail practice, adds, "WDA helped Local Kitchens develop their proof of concept (first location) in Lafayette." Even as the brand morphed, the focus on hospitality and guest experience remains a cornerstone, while the kitchen is the core space: Each one has a specific layout and workflow to ensure an optimal shared kitchen environment for anywhere from 5-10 featured restaurant brands. For the Palo Alto location, the existing kitchen was expanded by consultant County Restaurant Supply, while WDA deployed Local Kitchens' new branding and updated aesthetic by creative services agency Play Studio to the front-of-house, setting the stage for future locations. "With each location slightly different in size and focus, incorporating architecture brand guideline templates across all locations will help Local Kitchens grow," notes David Grey, Director of Construction & Design. He adds, "Architecture plays a role in our brand building, and for the Palo Alto location in particular, WDA helped us create a design and architecture template that we can scale." The challenge of unifying the brand architecturally made for an exciting experience for project manager Chris Stokes, job captain Katerina Leung, and the rest of the WDA design team. As Stokes puts it, "How creative can we be on an extremely compressed schedule?" WDA's adaptive design approach allowed function to determine form, which is necessary in dynamic projects where pivoting is often required. Tsurui explains, "Local Kitchens is always improving to ensure each location is successful. They are open to ideas and feedback, and passionate about their concept, which stokes our passion for designing." ABOUT WDA (wdarch.com; @wdarch_inc) William Duff Architects (WDA) delivers thoughtful, innovative architecture throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Founded in 1998 and located in San Francisco, WDA finds inspiration in the talented people who live and work there, and the region's embrace of sustainability. The firm's commitment to a culture that fosters curiosity, collaboration, and innovation drives its success across its residential, retail and commercial practices. High-resolution images, and/or interviews with Jonathan Tsurui available upon request. About Local Kitchens ( localkitchens.com @eat.local.kitchens) Local Kitchens is a pioneering micro food hall housing between five to ten concepts that bring the best dishes of Northern California together under one roof, with convenient online ordering and fresh, high-quality options for everyone. Currently with five locations in the San Francisco Bay Area (Palo Alto, Mountain View, Cupertino, Lafayette and San Jose) and one location in Roseville, CA, Local Kitchens plans for further expansion throughout the Bay Area, Southern California and across the country. Media Contact: Lisa Boquiren [email protected] 323-522-6391 SOURCE William Duff Architects (WDA) PALM BEACH, Fla., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FinancialNewsMedia.com News Commentary - Lithium prices have jumped across the board over the past year on the back of heavy demand from the automotive sector, but inside China there is a mad scramble, particularly for carbonate, said Mining.com in a recent article. It said Carbonate continues to soar in 2022 after more than quadrupling in value last year, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a battery supply chain researcher and price reporting agency. The mid-March assessment by Benchmark shows battery grade lithium carbonate (EXW China, 99.5% Li 2 CO 3 ) averaging $76,700 a tonne. That's up 10% over just two weeks and 95% since the start of the year. In March last year it was trading at $13,400 a tonne. The Wall Street Journal also was optimistic about the future of lithium, saying: "In the U.S. hunt for lithium, an essential component of the batteries that power electric vehicles and cellphones, one big untapped source might be bubbling under a giant lake in Southern California. The U.S. currently imports almost all of its lithium, but research shows large reserves in underground geothermal brinesa scalding hot soup of minerals, metals and saltwater. At California's Salton Sea, three companies, including one owned by Warren Buffett's conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc., are pushing ahead with plans to do just that. Those efforts are backed by money from governments eager to secure supplies of critical minerals that are key to several modern technologies. Prices of lithium recently rose at their fastest pace in years as supply-chain bottlenecks mounted and demand from electric-vehicle makers." Active Mining Companies in the markets today include China Dongsheng International Inc. (OTCPK: CDSG), Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC) (TSX: LAC), American Lithium Corp. (OTCQB: LIACF) (TSX-V: LI), Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSE: SLI) (TSX-V: SLI), Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB). The plans could turn this southeastern corner of California into one of the largest producers of what some call "white gold" at a time when most of that material comes from Australia, Chile and China. The geothermal reservoir under the Salton Sea area is capable of producing 600,000 metric tons a year of lithium carbonate, according to estimates from the California Energy Commission. That level of output would surpass last year's global production. Another article from The Wall Street Journal added: "Lithium prices are rising at their fastest pace in years, setting off a race to secure supplies and fueling worries about long-term shortages of a vital ingredient in the rechargeable batteries that power everything from electric vehicles to smartphones. An index of lithium prices from research firm and price provider Benchmark Mineral Intelligence doubled between May and November and is up some 240% for the year. The index is at its highest level in data going back five years." China Dongsheng International Inc. (OTCPK: CDSG) BREAKING NEWS - CDSG TO ACQUIRE INTEREST IN LITHIUM CLAYSTONE PROJECT ADJACENT TO TLC DEPOSIT - China Dongsheng International Inc. (the "Company" or "CDSG") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an Agreement with American Lithium Minerals Inc., a Nevada based publicly held corporation, whereby CDSG will have the right to earn up to a Sixty Percent (60%) interest in the West End Lithium Project near Tonopah Nevada. The Company recognizes the massive growth in the global lithium-ion battery market. With the majority of automakers turning towards the production of Electric and Hybrid vehicles, the Lithium battery market grew to 44.49 billion USD in 2021 and is projected to reach 193.13 billion USD by 2028. Just in the last 12 months the demand for Lithium has resulted in a price gain of over 10x for Lithium Carbonate, one of the key components for battery makers. The West End Lithium Project is located directly adjacent to the growing resource of the Tonopah Lithium Claims ("TLC") Project of American Lithium Corp. The TLC Project is sedimentary hosted lithium claystone deposit and possesses a NI 43-101 compliant initial resource of 5.37 million tonnes Lithium Carbonate Equivalent ("LCE") in the Measured and Indicated category and 1.76 tonnes LCE in the Inferred category. The West End and TLC Projects are located just 6 miles northwest of the town of Tonopah, Nevada and just 200 miles by road from Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory. To date, the Lithium at the TLC project appears to be held within relatively near-surface claystones and exploration and drilling continues to expand along a northwest-southeast trend off the main mineralization. The project size compares favorably to the 3.13 million tonnes LCE Proven and Probable Reserves of the Lithium Americas' Thacker Pass Lithium Deposit located in Humboldt County, about 25 miles from the Nevada-Oregon border. CONTINUED Read this full release for China Dongsheng International at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-cdsg/ Other recent developments in the mining industry include: Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC) (TSX: LAC) recently announced the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection ("NDEP") has issued the final key state-level permits for the Thacker Pass lithium project in Humboldt County, Nevada ("Thacker Pass" or the "Project"). The three approved permits include the Water Pollution Control Permit, Mine Reclamation Permit and Class II Air Quality Operating Permit. "With the final key state environmental permits in hand, Lithium Americas can begin to advance Thacker Pass towards construction," said Jonathan Evans, President and CEO. "Thacker Pass provides an opportunity to enable a US-based battery supply chain for the growing electric vehicle market. Our commitment to developing Thacker Pass in the most environmentally responsible way is demonstrated from over a decade of conducting the necessary planning, design and engagement." American Lithium Corp. (OTCQB: LIACF) (TSX-V: LI) recently announced excellent uranium leach test results from recent work completed at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization ("ANSTO Minerals") and TECMMINE Mineral Processing Consultants, based in Lima, Peru. These results are from work carried out on uranium mineralization from five of the Company's uranium deposits on the Macusani Uranium Project ("Macusani") in southeastern Peru and confirm excellent extraction, low acid consumption and short leach cycle times. ANSTO Minerals is a globally respected consultancy with world leading experience in uranium and lithium processing and played a key role in proving the ability to produce battery grade lithium carbonate from Falchani. While COVID 19 caused significant disruption in Australia with delays and closures impacting most businesses including ANSTO, with the situation now improving, the Company anticipates that ANSTO will be a key contributor as the Company looks to update PEAs on Macusani and Falchani and release its maiden PEA on TLC. Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSE: SLI) (TSX-V: SLI), an innovative technology and lithium project development company, has reached an agreement (the "Agreement"), dated February 23, 2022, with its strategic partner, LANXESS Corporation ("Lanxess"), that streamlines and expedites the plan for development of the first commercial lithium project in Arkansas, which is to be constructed at an operational Lanxess facility in El Dorado, Arkansas (the "Project"). Under the Agreement, Standard Lithium will control all development of the Project leading up to and including the completion of the Front End Engineering Design ("FEED") study. Standard Lithium will hold, at a minimum, a 51% majority equity stake in the Project and may retain as much as 100% of the Project. The Company will also retain 100% ownership of its South West Arkansas Project, all its proprietary extraction technologies, relevant intellectual property and know-how. Robert Mintak, CEO of Standard Lithium commented, "This agreement builds upon the successful working relationship that has been established between the companies. By entering into this Agreement, Standard Lithium takes ownership of the Project and its development timelines with a clear path towards delivering the first new commercial lithium production in the USA in over 50 years.1 We have already begun the process of engaging and integrating the strategic team members to make this project a success. With the recent investment from our largest shareholder, Koch Strategic Platforms, we are fully funded to complete all planned Project milestones leading to a Definitive Feasibility Study, which is expected to be completed in Q4 2022". Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced last year that its subsidiary, Albemarle Lithium UK Limited, signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity of Guangxi Tianyuan New Energy Materials Co., Ltd. ("Tianyuan"), a lithium converter located in Guangxi, China. Under terms of the agreement, Albemarle will acquire all outstanding equity from Tianyuan's shareholders for approximately USD $200 million, subject to certain adjustments. Albemarle expects the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, to close in early 2022. DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult =a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by China Dongsheng International Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". 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The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.Contact Information: Media Contact email: [email protected] +1(561)325-8757 SOURCE FinancialNewsMedia.com Wishpond and LaLeo will partner to resell Wishpond's platform and other Wishpond software and services in Latin America LaLeo has more than 300,000 customers in Latin America , which will help to raise Wishpond's profile and business in this region VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Wishpond Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: WISH) (OTCQX: WPNDF) ("Wishpond" or the "Company"), a provider of marketing focused online business solutions, is excited to announce a new partnership with J.P. Libros Ediciones Oklever, S.A. De C.V. ("LaLeo") to help sell Invigo's EverGeniusTM platform to the Latin American market. LaLeo, headquartered in Mexico City, is the largest medical eCommerce marketplace in Latin America that serves the needs of doctors, dentists, medical students, and clinics. LaLeo sells a wide selection of medical books, medical and dental devices, consumables and accessories to more than 300,000 medical professionals and students. Wishpond's wholly owned subsidiary, Invigo, uses its EvergeniusTM platform to offer specialized digital marketing services to help medical and dental clinics improve brand recognition and website conversions by growing their customer base and increasing revenue. The platform's key features include customer relationship management (CRM), reputation management, call tracking, marketing automation tools, mobile marketing through SMS, pay per click management, sales funnels, and analytics. Pursuant to the partnership with Wishpond, LaLeo will provide support Invigo's EvergeniusTM software platform to its medical and dental customers in Latin America. This partnership will help Wishpond access and sell into these major new markets. "We're very pleased to partner with LaLeo," said Ali Tajskandar, Chairman and CEO of Wishpond. "LaLeo has built an enviable market share and a tremendous brand name as the go-to eCommerce vendor for medical and dental books and supplies. The Latin American market is an important growth market for us and we believe that our EvergeniusTM platform can help LaLeo's medical and dental customers grow their customer base in those markets." Pursuant to the agreement, Wishpond will provide LaLeo with training, software and support for the EvergeniusTM platform while LaLeo will host, resell and provide support with respect to the platform to its customers as well as providing localization and other customizations for the Latin American markets. Wishpond and LaLeo will share a percentage of the revenue derived from sales of software and services that are facilitated by LaLeo. "We are extremely excited to work with Wishpond," said Francisco Zarete, CEO of LaLeo. "We see tremendous synergies working with Wishpond since they offer a complete suite of software and services perfectly suited to help LaLeo's customers with their online marketing needs. We are excited to introduce our customers to the Evergenius platform." This partnership opens up a significant opportunity for Wishpond to access and sell to a large and growing Mexican and Latin American market more efficiently through LaLeo which has more than a million followers. It also allows LaLeo to increase its engagement and grow its business with its medical and dental customers. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Ali Tajskandar" Director and CEO Wishpond Technologies Ltd. About Wishpond Technologies Ltd. Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Wishpond is a provider of marketing-focused online business solutions. Wishpond's vision is to become the leading provider of digital marketing solutions that empower entrepreneurs to achieve success online. The Company offers an "all-in-one" marketing suite that provides companies with marketing, promotion, lead generation, and sales conversion capabilities on one integrated platform. Wishpond replaces disparate marketing solutions with an easy-to-use product, for a fraction of the cost. Wishpond serves over 3,000 customers who are primarily small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in a wide variety of industries. The Company has developed cutting-edge marketing technology solutions and continues to add new features and applications with great velocity. The Company employs a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model where substantially all the Company's revenue is subscription-based recurring revenue which provides excellent revenue predictability and cash flow visibility. Wishpond is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker "WISH", and on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker "WPNDF". For further information, visit: www.wishpond.com. About LaLeo LaLeo is an online marketplace that sells a wide selection of medical books, medical and dental devices, consumables and accessories in Latin America. Headquartered in Mexico City, LaLeo is dedicated to serving the needs of doctors, dentists, medical students, and clinics. LaLeo is committed to providing the highest quality medical equipment and resources and distributing them extensively around Latin America. No border is an obstacle, and LaLeo will continue to provide clients with the best medical titles, equipment and consumable supplies in order to spread medical learning, improve access to medical care, and help support the medical industry as a whole. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, that are not based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "continue", "estimate", "forecasts" and other similar expressions. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments resulting from the partnership with LaLeo may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Company, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking information in this press release are reasonable, such forward-looking information has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the Company's control, including, but not limited to, risks associated with partnering with an entity outside of the local jurisdictions of the Company, risks associated with personal information protection and compliance with local laws, risks associated with breach of contract by any counterparties, data security risks, risks other parties may seek to copy, steal or otherwise devalue the intellectual property of Wishpond and the risk factors discussed in the public disclosure documents of the Company which such risk factors are incorporated herein by reference and are available through SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, 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 policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Wishpond Technologies Ltd. ScreenHits TV is partnering with Wurl to deliver and monetize FAST channels in ScreenHits TV's current territories (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina), as well as several new territories later this year as part of its rapid international expansion efforts across Europe, Latin and North America, the Indian sub-continent and Africa. These channels will be distributed on the ScreenHits TV app available across several platforms including on Fire TV, iOS and Android TV now being rolled out across leading smart TV brands to make the best entertainment and news streaming content available on one screen. The announcement was made jointly today by Rose Hulse, Founder and CEO, ScreenHits TV, and Craig Heiting, SVP, Worldwide Business Development at Wurl. "This is an exciting opportunity to join forces with ScreenHits TV, one of the most innovative streaming apps available," said Heiting. "The ability to provide ScreenHits TV's FAST channels to a global audience is helping millions more viewers easily access the very best of streaming content." "With Wurl's reach to 300 million-plus connected TVs worldwide across 50 countries, ScreenHits TV will have access to a selection of premium channels for our live feed that we can partner with as we grow in new territories," said Hulse. "This will help us to further our goal of continually reaching new viewers and growing revenue for our leading streaming and content partners." About ScreenHits TV ScreenHits TV (SHTV), based in London, is a curated streaming aggregator providing the leading global and local streamers to a rapidly growing number of territories around the world, including the U.S., UK, Germany, Latin and North America, the Indian sub-continent and Africa. Currently available via a newly enhanced desktop platform and iOS app on the Apple Store and Amazon Fire TV Stick, SHTV is now rolling out an app across territories on Android mobile phones. It will also soon be offered on Metz, Google Chromecast and other leading connected TV manufacturers, as well as new platforms. Officially launched in spring 2021 by ScreenHits TV Founder-CEO Rose Hulse following a year of beta testing, the SHTV platform is designed to make life easier by allowing users to find on-demand content and live linear channels from their favorite streamers for a low monthly fee and all grouped together on one easy-to-navigate screen. The platform provides users with ability to share recommendations and viewing habits with friends from their own network of social media channels, while offering a "Watch Together" function; cash-back discounts of more than 25% on subscription packages; and a child protection PIN that parents can put on their accounts to guard against any content that is not kid friendly. The pure desktop version ( www.screenhits.tv) comes without a monthly fee, allowing viewers to organize their streaming services and view a customized TV guide, as well as global and local TV channels. About Wurl Wurl, the world leader in powering streaming TV, interconnects over 1200 streaming channels from the world's top content companies with the leading streaming distribution services in over 50 countries. The Wurl Network platform helps leading studios such as A+E Networks, AMC Networks, Bloomberg, BBC Studios, CNNi, Reuters and Sony Studios, deliver programming to the biggest streaming platforms, including Amazon IMDb TV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, LG, Rakuten, and VIZIO, while maximizing monetization. Reaching over 300 million connected TVs around the globe, Wurl makes it effortless for content companies to build and track global distribution for branded linear channels, live events, and on-demand programming to manage and monetize their ad inventory. The company also recently announced its new performance marketing service, Wurl Perform, which is designed to reduce churn, acquire new viewers and increase return on ad spend. Wurl is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Wurl, please visit wurl.com or follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn . Contact: For Wurl: Tyler Champley Wurl, Inc [email protected] (425) 321-3711 For ScreenHits TV: Jim Benson The Lippin Group [email protected] SOURCE Wurl, Inc. Zanoprima Lifesciences ("Zanoprima") is the first company to manufacture and make commercially available an enzymatically synthesized form of pure (S)-nicotine SyNic that is chemically identical to that derived from a tobacco plant but devoid of harmful tobacco-specific nitrosamines, carcinogens, alkaloids, and other impurities that accompany tobacco-derived nicotine. SyNic is the purest form of nicotine over 99% (S)-nicotine on the market. Ashok Narasimhan, CEO of Zanoprima, stated, "Over many years, Zanoprima has invested substantial time, resources, intellectual capital, and scientific expertise into developing Zanoprima's groundbreaking enzymatic patented process for synthesizing an (S)-nicotine that is devoid of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and other impurities. Zanoprima's legal action reflects our company's dedication to vigorously protecting our intellectual property in the U.S. and around the world." Zanoprima's Patent includes as Claim 1, "A process of making (S)-nicotine comprising the steps of: (i) reducing myosmine with an enzyme with imine reductase activity to form (S)-nornicotine; and (ii) methylating the (S)-nornicotine formed from step (i) to form (S)-nicotine; wherein step (ii) is carried out by way of reductive methylations; and wherein in step (ii) the (S)-nornicotine is reductively methylated, using formaldehyde or a formaldehyde-based compound in the presence of a reductant." Zanoprima's Complaint alleges that, after publication of Zanoprima's Patent, Hangsen filed a Chinese Patent Application describing a process that copied the process invented by Zanoprima. But, as alleged in the Complaint, Hangsen's patent application was rejected by the Chinese Patent Office in June 2021 citing Zanoprima's patent as prior art. The Complaint also alleges Hangsen imports into the U.S. from China and sells products containing "alleged high-purity synthetic (S)-nicotine and nicotine products that are marketed and sold under various names including as MOTiVO Synthetic S-Nicotine," and that such imported products "are manufactured by a process that practices every step of claim 1" of the Zanoprima Patent. In addition to seeking damages for infringement, Zanoprima's Complaint seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Hangsen from continuing its infringing actions. "Zanoprima Lifesciences' process for manufacturing SyNic represents a technological innovation that provides a fully traceable (S)-nicotine, with high levels of enantiomeric and chemical purity, which is commercially available at prices that rival that of tobacco-derived nicotine. Further, SyNic represents the greatest opportunity to facilitate the movement towards a tobacco free world, enabling all companies, including pharmaceutical companies making nicotine-replacement therapies, to meet their ESG goals through reduced dependence on tobacco-derived nicotine," Mr. Narasimhan said. About Zanoprima Lifesciences Ltd.: Zanoprima Lifesciences, a U.K. based company, was founded in June 2014 by Ashok Narasimhan and Nicholas Hyde with the aim of reducing tobacco-related harm by designing and developing replacement products. The vision for Zanoprima arose from concern in the pharmaceutical industry regarding the provenance and purity of tobacco-derived nicotine being used in the same products intended to reduce addiction to tobacco as well as disease and death associated with tobacco. Zanoprima's SyNic is manufactured to meet or exceed U.S. Pharmacopeia standards in an FDA-approved facility that fully complies with CGMP standards. SyNic is available for use in a wide variety of recreational nicotine and nicotine replacement therapy products such gums, lozenges, patches, modern oral nicotine products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and heat not burn devices. Learn more at www.zanoprima.com. SOURCE Zanoprima Lifesciences Ltd. Aldoro Resources Ltd (ASX:ARN) has completed a 65-hole mineral resource drilling program to further define mineralisation at the Niobe Rubidium-Lithium-Tantalum Project in WA, intersecting prospective pegmatites in the majority of holes drilled, often at multiple levels below the surface. Aldoro says it is encouraged by the results from this final stage of drilling, with intersections confirming data gleaned from historical drilling. Sample testing ongoing Pegmatite intersections have continued to be as thick or thicker than expected, with full details to be announced once detailed logging, X-ray Fluorescence testing (pXRF), and quality assurance and quality control checks are completed. The company has also identified abundant mica species in geological logs, indicating more pegmatites may be hosted in the stratigraphy and further encouraging investigation of the Niobe Dyke system. A pXRF program is now being completed, gathering data from each metre interval of reverse circulaton (RC) drill core to fast-track interpretation and planning. The results of the pXRF readings will be reported as they come to hand. With the Niobe drilling program completed, Aldoro is now preparing to deliver a JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate when all assay results have been received. The RC rig has demobilised to return to the Wyemandoo Project, where an extensive greenfields drill program has been planned. About Aldoro Resources Aldoro Resources is a mineral exploration and development company with a collection of nickel/copper/platinum group metal (PGM) focused exploration projects and advanced rubidium exploration projects in Western Australia. The companys flagship nickel/copper/PGM project is the Narndee Project, where initial drilling of the first of more than a dozen targets has intersected nickel sulphides. Aldoro is also exploring the Niobe Rubidium/Lithium/Tantalum Project and is encouraged by the very high grades of rubidium at the at-surface deposit which extends over multiple kilometres. The companys other projects include the Cathedrals Belt Nickel Project (nickel-copper-PGM), with a significant tenement holding surrounding St George Minings Mt Alexander Project, the Leinster Nickel Project and Windimurra Igneous Complex (nickel-copper-PGM, lithium). Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF) said it has generated five drug candidates targeting cancer from its fourth and latest proprietary platform GlyMab. The anti-glycan monoclonal antibodies (mAb) created will target specific tumours such as those associated with pancreatic, small cell lung, colorectal and gastric forms of the disease. In the case of its SC2811 asset, the mAb will interact with a glycolipid identified on T cell stem cells. Four of the five - SC129, SC27, SC134 and SC88 - have now been successfully humanised, which means they are ready for the next stage of development, Scancell said. "We believe our proprietary GlyMab platform provides a powerful and versatile approach to generating novel antibody drug candidates that bind to sugar motifs, rather than peptide epitopes, found on the surface of glycosylated proteins and lipids that are implicated as drug targets in particular cancers and potentially other diseases, added Scancell chief executive, Professor Lindy Durrant. In the same announcement, investors were told the company has inked an agreement with an unnamed major European pharmaceuticals company. The new partner, the fourth for the GlyMab platform, wants to further evaluate one of the company's Glymab antibodies for the treatment of cancer. Scancell is a clinical-stage life sciences group that owns three other technologies that have generated drug candidates - Moditope and ImmunoBody, its most advanced platforms, are used to develop vaccines and AvidiMab is used to create antibodies. In afternoon trade, the shares were changing hands for 11.38p, up 1.1%. ---adds share price--- The dividend for the year rises by 49% Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (AIM:CMCL, NYSE-A:CMCL) said 2021 was a turning point for the Zimbabwe-focused group after the completion of a new central shaft at its Blanket gold mine. Revenues rose 21% to US$121mln in 2021, helped by a strong gold price and flat costs of production. Production rose to 67,476 ounces (oz) of gold (2020: 57,899oz), a new record for the Blanket Mine. The target this year is to increase this to between 73,000oz-80,000oz as the new shaft ramps up operations. "Operationally, the last 12 months have marked a turning point for the business," Steve Curtis, chief executive, said. The Central Shaft has been a huge project costing approximately US$67mln, all funded through internal cash flow and I am delighted that it was commissioned in the first quarter of 2021. "We continued to increase the dividend in 2021. The total dividends paid in 2021 were 50 cents per share - almost 50% higher than in 2020. Caledonia's immediate strategic focus is to complete the remaining underground development associated with the Central Shaft project, which is expected to increase production, reduce operating costs and increase the flexibility to undertake further exploration and development at depth. Ariana Resources PLC (AIM:AAU) said it expects a 20% jump in gold production this year from the Kiziltepe mine in western Turkey. The gold output guidance for Kiziltepe is expected to be about 25,000 ounces of gold, which is 2.5 times greater than the feasibility plan for this stage of mine life, and an improvement on its 2021 production of 20,737 ounces. READ: Ariana Resources says Kiziltepe gold production beats guidance Kiziltepe is operated by Zenit Madencilik: a joint venture between Ariana (23.5%), Proccea Construction Co (23.5%) and Ozaltin Holding AS (53%). "Another very successful year of production at Kiziltepe was wrapped up in 2021, which included the completion of the processing plant expansion, said managing director Dr. Kerim Sener. This was a critical development for Kiziltepe, enabling overall production by year-end to exceed guidance for the fifth year running, despite the expected reduction in throughput grade. The Kiziltepe gold-silver mine was expected to produce about 20,000 ounces of gold per year over eight years of initial mine life from 2017 to 2024. The company did not provide any guidance for silver production as silver is treated as a by-product credit. Ore throughput to the mill during 2022 is expected to double from last year to about 400,000 tonnes. Average monthly ore production from the open pit is expected to be about 21,000 tonnes, said AIM-traded Ariana. A stockpile of more than 330,000 tonnes, representing well over a year of production at the current mining rate, has already been built up on site. The average gold grade to be mined during the year is expected to be about 2.5 grammes a tonne and gold recovery is expected to exceed 90%, an improvement over 2021, it said. Marshalls (LSE:MSLH) has built up a share price rise after reporting record profits and a better than expected start to the current year. Revenues for the twelve months to the end of December increased by 26% to 589.3mln, while adjusted profits jumped 221% to 72.1mln. The company, a specialist in concrete and natural stone landscaping products, said it experienced issues with both raw material and labour shortages This led to significant raw material cost inflation, additional overtime costs to cover COVID-19 related absenteeism and some customer project delays. But demand for its products remained strong, and cost increases were recovered through a mid-year price increase and a further price increase was implemented successfully in January 2022. Chief executive Martyn Coffey said trading continued to be strong since the year end, despite continuing supply chain issues. He said: "At the end of February revenues were up 13% and order volumes up 5% compared to the same period in 2021. Despite the terrible situation in Ukraine and the current geo-geopolitical uncertainties that prevail, the outlook for the construction market remains positive... "Given the strength of recent and current trading the board's expectations for the current year are now ahead of its previous view." The company has climbed 4.51% to 672.5p. 3.09pm: Reabold Resources (AIM:RBD) rises after drilling application near Hull is approved Investment company Reabold Resources (AIM:RBD) has seen its shares surge after key planning applications at West Newton, a hamlet near Hull, were given the go-ahead. The East Riding of Yorkshire Council Planning committee approved the applications for drilling and production at the West Newton A site as well as a time extension to allow for further exploratory drilling at the West Newton B site were approved. Reabold is partnered with Rathlin Energy in the project, and holds an economic interest of around 56% via its 59% stake in the company. Reabold co-chief executive Sachin Oza said: "As a low-carbon energy project, West Newton supports local investment in East Riding and contributes towards the UK's ambitions for energy security, whilst supporting our pathway to Net Zero. "We are delighted by this approval and are extremely excited for the future of West Newton. We look forward to the next phase of progression towards development for this nationally significant asset." Reabold has risen 30.3% to 0.43p. 12.51pm: Shearwater wins US$4.1mln cyber defence deal Shearwater Group PLC (AIM:SWG) is heading higher after winning a cyber defence contract. The company's Brookcourt Solutions business has signed a US$4.1mln three year deal with a global financial organisation, to improve the resilience of its digital operations. Shearwater chief executive Phil Higgins said: "This is an outstanding contract win for Brookcourt Solutions, demonstrating our deep understanding of best-in-class technologies and the strong partner portfolio that we have on offer for our customers. Being trusted to efficiently deploy cutting-edge, robust, effective and cost efficient cyber security solutions to global financial organisations of this calibre is something that we are very proud of." Shearwater's shares have added 9.48% to 95.25p. 11.30am: Simigon (AIM:SIM) closer to completing merger after restraining order is withdrawn Simigon (AIM:SIM), the training specialist, has moved a step closer to its proposed merger with Maxify Solutions. The deal, which values Simigon (AIM:SIM) at US$8.5mln, prompted 4% shareholder Gal Erez to apply for a restraining order to prevent the cancellation of the company's Aim shares. Now Simigon (AIM:SIM) has announced Erez has withdrawn his application, and it expects the merger to be completed on 28 March. A lawsuit in the Tel Aviv District Court remains in place, however, the company said. Its shares are up 4.3% at 1.41p. 10.22am: Nanoco climbs after winning electronics contract Nanoco Group PLC (LSE:NANO), which manufactures cadmium-free quantum dots and other nanomaterials, has sparked up after signing a new agreement with an important European electronics customer. The deal involves the delivery of an enhanced and scaled up version of its technology, and is expected to mean this year's revenues exceeding the 2.1mln generated in 2021. Chief executive Brian Tenner said: "This agreement is a further important milestone on Nanoco's path to commercial production of materials for sensing applications. As part of that path, the board has decided to re-locate R&D and scale up activities from the Manchester R&D centre to our Runcorn production site. This move will streamline product development as we prepare our Runcorn facility for commercial production. "Global interest continues to grow in the use of Nanoco's nanomaterials in a very wide range of potential infra-red sensing applications. We remain focused on our short to medium term goal of commercialising Nanoco's nanomaterials with meaningful production volumes, subject to final customer adoption of the technology in end use devices." Its shares are up 6.11% at 19.1p. 9.43am: Berkeley Energia surges on rising uranium price Berkeley Energia Ltd (LSE:BKY, ASX:BKY), which is developing the Salamanca uranium project in Spain, is in demand after a jump in the metal's price. A surge in its share price on the Australian Stock Exchange in the past few days prompted a letter to the company asking for an explanation. Berkeley said it knew of no particular reason for the increase, and there was no unannounced information which could account for it. But it added its shares had surged by 70% on the Spanish exchanges since 10 March 2022 with over 112mln shares traded. It said: "The company further notes that in light of Russia's invasion in Ukraine and the current high energy prices in Europe, particularly in Spain which has seen spot electricity prices increase significantly to record highs in March, there have been news articles in the Spanish and European press referring to nuclear power being assessed as a viable alternative to decrease Europe's dependence on Russian energy. "This has already seen the French government order its state energy company, EDF, to establish new reactors as part of its plan to strengthen France's energy security and to sell more nuclear power into the European energy market, and other European governments commence reviews of their existing energy policies. "This has led to the significant strengthening of the uranium spot price which currently stands at US$55 per pound and represents a year-to-date increase of over 30%." In London today its shares are up 22.15% to 26.75p. 8.53am: Zinc Media (AIM:ZIN) shines after winning BBC One programming contract Zinc Media (AIM:ZIN) is in the spotlight after winning a contract with the BBC. The producer's Tern TV division - in partnership with Belfast based Green Inc - has won a two year commission worth 2.75mln for BBC One's Sunday Morning Live programme, following an open competitive tender launched in September 2021. The contract, which is the largest commission for Tern TV to date and the first live programme for the group, extends the weekly magazine show for BBC ONE to two series per year. Chief executive Mark Browning said: "This is another milestone moment for the Group and for Tern TV in Northern Ireland. Winning this contract propels the group into live television. It vindicates our investment in Nations and Regions production and provides a bedrock of forward booked revenue from which to further grow our production business." Zinc shares have climbed 7.5% to 86p. Meanwhile Tintra PLC (AIM:TNT) is in demand after it said it was developing the first purpose built bank for the metaverse, the last tech buzzword. It said: "Though many incumbent and legacy banks are currently opening lounges and branches in the metaverse via platforms like Decentraland, Tintra intends to create the first bank capable of functioning operationally within the digital realm of the metaverse." Chief executive Richard Shearer added: "We are building banking infrastructure that will allow us to open borders and business sectors across Asia, Africa and Latin America...The methodology to achieve this is by building tomorrow's bank and then reverse engineering it back to fit today's regulatory and fiscal landscape - as opposed to others who, in our view, are taking a more bottom up approach." The news has sent its shares up 30p or 14.63% to 235p. Ship personnel have been told by the company to disembark and advised by the RMT union to stay on board P&O Ferries, part of DP World, has suspended all sailings pending a major announcement that could reveal major redundancies. Dubai-based logistics giant DP World said the company is not going into liquidation but did add that the change it is about to announce would secure the viability of P&O Ferries. The @POferries situation is unclear. DP World insists it's not announcing liquidation. Unions already demanding protection of UK seafarer jobs amid speculation that hundreds of UK seafarers are to be sacked and replaced with foreign labour [Thread] Richard Meade (@Lloydslisted) March 17, 2022 All of P&Os vessels have been asked to discharge their passengers and cargo and standby for further instructions. Employees on board the vessels have been told to disembark, prompting speculation that the company is, in the words of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union, planning to sack hundreds of UK seafarers and replace them with foreign labour. The union has instructed its members to remain on board the vessels. @RMTunion: We are deeply disturbed by growing speculation that the company are today planning to sack hundreds of UK seafarers and replace them with foreign labour. Richard Meade (@Lloydslisted) March 17, 2022 In the meantime, P&O services have been suspended and the company is trying to arrange alternative arrangements for customers who have booked places on its ferries. Services were suspended at 7.30am today. Customers are being advised to arrive at the port and make their way to the DFDS check-in booths. Whatever the announcement is, they are keeping it locked down for now. It seems the UK Chamber of Shipping were not informed and unions are speculating rather than making statements, so there's little clarity right now. Richard Meade (@Lloydslisted) March 17, 2022 Transport Secretary Grant Shapps took time off from ordering that 10 yachts linked to Russian oligarchs be prevented from leaving British waters to express concern over the news relating to P&O Ferries. "I'm working with the Kent Resilience Forum and I've just instructed them to become intricately involved and other partners in this, and we'll be taking steps later today - including ensuring that my officials will be having urgent discussions with P&O about the situation, particularly of concern for their workers, Shapps said, according to Sky News. P&O services will not be running for the next few hours. We are advising travellers of alternative arrangements. We will update this feed every 30 minutes with the operational situation. P&O Ferries Updates (@POferriesupdate) March 17, 2022 P&O Ferries warned in May 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic was affecting global travel that around 1,100 jobs were at risk. The company, which has a long and storied history as hinted at by its old name of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, operates four routes: Dover Calais; Hull Rotterdam; Liverpool Dublin; and Cairnryan Larne. Its a big comedown from the glory days of the P&O Steam Navigation Company, which was established in 1835, and first secured a government contract for the regular carriage of mail between Falmouth and the Iberian peninsula in 1837. In 1840, the company won the mail delivery gig for UK/Egypt on the proviso that its steam-ship services would be extended to India within two years. The Indian mail service was inaugurated in the autumn of 1842 by P&O's purpose-built, 1,800 tons, wooden paddle steamer Hindostan and additional mail contracts followed in what was then referred to as the Orient now widely regarded as an antiquated term and deemed in some circles to be offensive. The term is derived from oriens, the Latin word for east. By March 2006, P&O had grown to become one of the largest port operators in the world and together with P&O Ferries, P&O Ferrymasters, P&O Maritime Services, P&O Cold Logistics and its British property interests, the company was acquired by DP World for 3.3 billion. Harbour Energy (LSE:HBR) PLC today predicted it will clear its US$2.3bn debt pile by next year, underlining the buoyant conditions currently for oil producers as the crude price surges ahead. North Sea-focused Harbour was formed a year ago by a merger of debt-laden Premier Oil with privately-owned Chrysaor in what was seen by many as the last gasp attempt to save the listed business from failure. Indeed, ahead of the mergers completion Harbour was the most shorted stock in the market as professional investors bet the only way down for the merged group. But that was at a time when oil was changing hands for US$55 a barrel, now it is US$100 and the mood in todays statement was exuberant. Linda Cook, a former Shell director and chief executive, said: During 2021, we generated $678 million of free cash flow. As a result, net debt excluding unamortised fees stood at $2.3 billion at year-end, down from $2.9 billion at the time of completion of the Merger. More than 90% of its output comes from the North Sea. Production in 2021 was 175,000 barrels a day on average, but this is expected to rise by 15% to between 195-210,000 a day in 2022. Added to the higher crude price, Cook is predicting cash will flood into the business. We are generating material and resilient free cash flow, underpinned by our high quality, diverse UK asset base. At $100/bbl and 200 p/therm average prices for 2022, we expect to generate between US$1.5 and $1.7bn of free cash flow (after tax and the US$200mln dividend payment) with the potential to be debt-free in 2023. Cook also reported reserves had increased to 488mln barrels, or 157% of this time a year ago while announcing a dividend of 11c. Revenue for the year was US$3.6bn while the group swung to a net profit of US$101mln from a loss of US$778mln. Shares rose 4% to 412p. Tern PLC (AIM:TERN), which specialises in Internet of Things technology businesses, is on the move after a couple of positive updates. Earlier this month the company participated in the Sure Valley Ventures UK Software Technology Fund, which has now made its first investment. The fund has led a 2mln investment round, providing 1mln itself, in RETiniZE Ltd, a creative-technology company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. RETiniZE is developing Animotive, a software product using virtual reality technology for 3D animation production. The investment is designed to support RETiniZE's growth plan for the next two-years and the global rollout of Animotive. Meanwhile Device Authority Ltd, where Tern has a 53.8% holding, has been included in a project focused on IoT security standards in conjunction with Crossroads Innovation Group (LSE:TIG), a Virginia-based consulting firm. Led by the Virginia Innovative Partnership Corporation with funding from the Virginia Smart Community Testbed and the US Department of Homeland Security, this project will evaluate best-practices and technology standards related to securing IoT infrastructure. Tern shares are up 13.46% at 14.75p. 2.28pm: Avacta moves higher after selling animal health business Avacta Group PLC (AIM:AVCT) has moved higher after selling its veterinary business to Sweden's Vimian Group AB for up to 2.3mln. The business, Avacta Animal Health, already sells immunotherapy products from Nextmune, a Vimian Group company, to veterinary clinics across the UK. The business also provides testing kits to veterinary laboratories across Europe. It made a loss of 0.3mln in the year to December 2020 and was valued in the books at 1mln. Avacta has received an upfront payment of 0.9 million and will receive a deferred consideration of up to 1.4mln dependent on performance. The sale proceeds will be used to fund the development of Avacta's diagnostics and therapeutics divisions. Avacta shares are 4.76% better at 57.67p. 12.15pm: IP Group unveils record results helped by Oxford Nanopore flotation IP Group PLC (LSE:IPO), the intellectual property specialist, has issued a smart set of results. The company reported record full year profits of 449mln, up 142%, with a strong performance across all its sectors. In particular it realised a cash return of 84.1mln from the 3.4bn flotation of one of the firms in its portfolio, Oxford Nanopore Technologies PLC (LSE:ONT). That helped lift its total realisations from 191mln to 213.4mln. Net asset value rose 30% to 1,738.1mln or 167p a share. That has fallen since, after a drop in the price of Oxford Nanopore - where IP still owns 10% - since the float. Chief executive Greg Smith said: "2021 was a landmark year for IP Group as we celebrated our 20th anniversary by recording our best set of financial results to date, including record profits, cash realisations, portfolio investment, and a return on NAV of almost half-a-billion pounds. It was fitting that some of our most exciting portfolio companies also completed landmark corporate transactions, with the highlight being Oxford Nanopore's multi-billion-pound flotation." Its shares are up 6.16% to 94.8p. Analysts at Berenberg issued a buy note and raised their price target from 162p to 170p. AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said: The departure of long-time chief executive Alan Aubrey and chief investment officer Mike Townend and a slide in the share price of Oxford Nanopore have weighed on sentiment toward intellectual property incubator IP Group, but new boss Greg Smith will be pleased to see how record full-year results from the FTSE 250 firm are drawing a positive response from investors. A 40% drop in Oxford Nanopores shares since the end of 2021 has shaved 233 million, or nearly 22p a share, off the net asset value (NAV) of IP Groups portfolio but all other things being equal that still leaves NAV at 145p. At 95p, the shares trade at a 35% discount to that, so some investors may be taking the view that IP Group now looks attractively valued." 11.03am: China funds recover as authorities pledge to support markets The lockdowns in China following a growing number of Omicron cases undermined companies with exposure to the region earlier this week. But news that Chinese authorities had pledged support for financial markets has seen a revival in sentiment. So JP Morgan China Growth and Income PLC is up 13.07% at 350.5p, Fidelity China Special Situations PLC (LSE:FCSS) is 10.76% better at 242p and Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust has added 9.36% to 298p. But Paul Donovan, chief economist at UBS Global Wealth Management, said: "Markets have been a mess in recent days, with the focus on spin not substance. Chinese lockdowns today are nothing like those of two years ago, but markets struggled to get past the word lockdown. Now the Chinese government is pledging support, and so support is the only word that matters." (Read more on the story here.) 10.17am: Eagle Eye Solutions in demand as it moves into profit Eagle Eye Solutions Group PLC (AIM:EYE), the digital marketing specialist, has caught investors' attention after it moved into profit and gave an upbeat outlook. The company, whose customers include major supermarkets as well as the likes of Pizza Express and Greggs, said first-half revenues rose 40% to 15.1mln and it turned a 0.1mln pretax loss into a 0.6mln profit. It said the third quarter had made a positive start, with trading in line with its expectations. Its new business pipeline is growing at a record level, including deals with Halfords, a large US grocery retailer as well as food and pharmacy group Giant Eagle since the end of the half. Chief executive Tim Mason said: "With the pandemic having accelerated the digital strategies of retailers around the world, personalised digital engagement with consumers is more relevant than ever. The strong revenue and profit performance in the period, growth of our international customer base and continued successful consolidation in the UK, demonstrates our ability to execute on this opportunity." Its shares are 8.16% better at 434.8p. 9.09am: Pennpetro Energy soars after Tunisian deal Pennpetro Energy PLC has flared up after unveiling a deal in Tunisia. The independent oil and gas company - which is currently focusing on production in the Gonzales Oil Field in Texas - has reached a deal to take an 80% working interest in a joint venture between Upland Resources (LSE:UPL) and the Tunisian state oil company. It will also operate the project at Upland's Saouaf permit area. The current work programme needs to be carried out prior to the current expiry of the Saouaf permit on 23 December 2022. Pennpetro also agreed to reimburse Upland for the 80% of its prior costs in Tunisia, which is capped at no more than 290,000 and will consist of ordinary shares. Pennpetro chief executive Tom Evans said: "Today's announcement marks an important strategic milestone under Pennpetro's expansionary petroleum initiatives. We are excited to partner with Upland in their Tunisian venture. Upland has done a lot of excellent technical and commercial work to this point and have built an excellent relationship with the Tunisian authorities. "Our timing couldn't be better given the critical burgeoning need for additional gas and blue hydrogen supplies to Europe, especially given the fact that the Saouaf permit area is situated under the existing TransMed gas pipeline feeding gas from Algeria to Italy with spare capacity." Pennpetro's shares have jumped 37.27% to 37.75p. Elsewhere Bytes Technology Group PLC (LSE:BYIT, JSE:BYI) is better after an upbeat trading statement. The software and cloud services group said full-year results would be ahead of expectations, with invoiced income up more than 26% to around 1.2bn. Adjusted operating profits rose by approximately 23%. Chief executive Neil Murphy said: "We continue to build positive momentum in our business as we further invest in new talent and maintain our focus on customer service. The last year has seen Bytes continuing to strengthen its market position in cloud, security and annuity software and services, working with some of the world's most successful software companies. We are making good progress with our strategy and are well positioned to deliver on the significant opportunity ahead of us." Its shares are up 8.66% to 459.2p. Under the agreement, FRG will sell and distribute Dream Water and LivRelief products throughout North America Harvest One Cannabis Inc told investors that it has further expanded its presence in the United States with the signing of a sales distribution agreement with Flat River Group (FRG), a leading North American e-commerce distributor. Under the agreement, FRG will sell and distribute Dream Water and LivRelief products throughout North America. FRG partners with consumer goods companies that manufacture housewares, games, toys, pet supplies and outdoor sporting goods and has fulfillment centres in Michigan, Missouri and Illinois. It also partners with major retail outlets such as Amazon, Walmart, Macy's, Kohl's, Wayfair, Target, the Home Shopping Network, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Bluestem. "Increasing our e-commerce presence in North America is one of the key initiatives for our brands Dream Water and LivRelief," Harvest One president and CEO Gord Davey said in a statement. "Our online sales in North America have grown substantially and the agreement with FRG will help to further accelerate distribution and increase online revenues and margins. FRG specializes in distributing consumer goods in the United States, our largest and most lucrative market. FRG vice president of purchasing and business development Dan Myers added: We are excited to partner with Harvest One and to help them reach and exceed their online business growth goals by sharing our e-commerce expertise. Harvest One is a global cannabis-infused CPG leader that develops and distributes premium health, wellness and self-care products with a market focus on sleep and pain. The company is uniquely positioned in the cannabis space with a focus on cannabis-infused and non-infused consumer packaged goods. Harvest One owns and operates two subsidiaries: Dream Water, which offers consumer sleep aids, and LivRelief, which offers a range of CBD skin creams. Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com Golden Independence Mining CEO Jeremy Poirier joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has released a strong independent Preliminary Economic Assessment on the companys Independence project in Nevada. Poirier sharing the numbers including after-tax NPVof 35 million with an IRR of 18% with a 1,700/oz gold and 24.00/oz silver price. Significant leverage to metal prices with after-tax NPV5% of US$45M and IRR of 22% at spot prices. Initial Capital of US$63 million including working capital and contingencies. The Mine life of 6.1 years using only 60% of the near surface resource. We are pleased to welcome John to the team as we build toward a national rollout of our leading product, PURE EP, CEO Kenneth L. Londoner said BioSig Technologies Inc has announced that John Sieckhaus will be joining the company as chief operating officer. The Westport, Connecticut-based company said that Sieckhaus brings 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including 21 years at St Jude Medical and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). We are pleased to welcome John to the team as we build toward a national rollout of our leading product, PURE EP, CEO Kenneth L. Londoner said in a statement. John's leadership experience in the electrophysiology space and his impressive track record in capturing and growing market share in the US is well-aligned with our mission to bring our signal processing technology to as many hospitals as possible in the coming years." During his tenure with St Jude Medical, BioSig said Sieckhaus held commercial leadership positions of increasing responsibility, including US national sales leader, senior vice president and general manager when he led sales and customer relationship management activities in the US across all cardiovascular product lines. It noted that his experience in building and leading high-performance teams, in addition to integrating multiple new and novel technologies and introducing them commercially, led to significant revenue growth for St Jude Medical over his career. Most recently, Sieckhaus held the position of vice president - field clinical affairs for Abbot, where he created a world-class field clinical and monitoring team to support clinical trials across multiple business units within Abbott's Cardiovascular portfolio. "I am very excited to join this team and look forward to building upon the foundation of the PURE EP system and its capabilities, Sieckhaus added. Focusing in the area of electrophysiology by providing better solutions in identifying and treating complex arrhythmias for our clinical customers and patients will be extremely rewarding. The PURE EP is an FDA 510(k) cleared non-invasive class II device that aims to drive procedural efficiency and efficacy in cardiac electrophysiology. To date, 75 physicians have completed more than 2150 patient cases with the PURE EP System. BioSig Technologies is a medical technology company commercializing a proprietary biomedical signal processing platform designed to improve signal fidelity and uncover the full range of ECG and intra-cardiac signals. Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com Dr Norton will be assuming the advisory responsibilities of Dr John D Clements, who is formally retiring from his advisory role within the company Mountain Valley MD Holdings Inc (CSE:MVMD, OTCQB:MVMDF) said it has appointed Dr Elizabeth Norton to an advisory position to support the company's key Quicksome vaccine and cold chain projects. Norton is an immunologist with 20 years of experience in evaluating immunity, vaccines, and microbial infections. She has a public health and research background with a current faculty appointment as an associate professor with tenure in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Tulane University in Louisiana, in the United States. "It is such an honor to be working with Norton on our advanced Quicksome vaccine applications," said Azhar Rana, chief medical officer at Mountain Valley MD. "Dr Norton's skill and expertise will be instrumental as we look at applying our Quicksome technology across an expanded variety of human and animal health vaccines with the goal of improving global vaccine access and effectiveness." Norton began her training at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and received an Master of Public Health in international health. In her doctoral and post-doctoral programs at Tulane University, she evaluated innate immunomodulation and mucosal delivery techniques, with the main focus of her lab to evaluate strategies to improve memory responses to vaccines through mucosal adjuvants. Her work has involved the management of large, collaborative projects for adjuvanted polio and tuberculosis vaccines, and has also pioneered a derivative adjuvant for intranasal use in pneumonia, opioid, and influenza vaccines. Since the pandemic, Norton also runs a project for the Tulane University Convalescent Antibody and Immunity Network (TUCAIN) National Institutes of Health /National Cancer Institute U54 evaluating cellular and memory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccine responses in adults, children, and cancer subjects and oversees blood and tissue collections. Norton has been consistently NIH-funded since 2013, authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications, received 3 patents, served on numerous NIH and other study sections and is a national and international speaker in her field. Norton will be assuming the advisory responsibilities of Dr John D Clements, who is formally retiring from his advisory role within MVMD. Clements will continue to provide support on an ad-hoc basis to the company. Contact Ritika at ritika@proactiveinvestors.com British Airways jets are currently grounded in South Africa indefinitely, with the countrys aviation regulator expressing concerns over engine failure and landing gear malfunctions. Comair, which manages flights for BA, which is part of International Consolidated Airlines Group's (LSE:IAG), across southern Africa has been suspended from flying since Saturday following an initial temporary ban by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. That ban was upgraded to an indefinite period one a day later, with the regulator saying, Comair operations experienced occurrences ranging from engine failures, engine malfunctions and landing gear malfunctions, among others. As a result, the carrier has been forced to cancel flights to the ten destinations it services on behalf of BA, including Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia. Our priority now is to assist passengers who have been stranded. We have chartered two aircraft to assist vulnerable passengers and those who most urgently need to travel," said chief executive Glenn Orsmond, quoted in the Telegraph. Officials are investigating the problems, with Orsmond adding the suspension of services is a huge blow to our customers, employees and the flying public as it effectively takes 40% of the capacity out of the market. The implications for the aviation sector and the country are considerable should the suspension continue for any length of time. Comair is the largest regional carrier in South Africa, with a fleet of 26 Boeing jets, largely consisting of 737s and 800s. Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The Company is a publisher. You understand and agree that no content published on the Site constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is... In exchange for publishing services rendered by the Company on behalf of Oklo Resources Ltd named herein, including the promotion by the Company of Oklo Resources Ltd in any Content on the Site, the Company receives... Antilles Gold Ltd (ASX:AAU, OTCQB:ANTMF) has had two significant wins in its long-running disputes with the Dominican Republic Government. The first is a finding by the Dominican Constitutional Court that the company is not liable for taxation assessments on its completed Las Lagunas Gold/Silver Project. The second involves the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) being confirmed as the jurisdiction for Arbitration of Claims against the Dominican Government. Claims against the government total approximately A$40 million including legal costs and interest. Background to dispute In 2004, a subsidiary of Antilles Gold, EnviroGold (Las Lagunas) Limited (EVGLL), entered into a contract with the Dominican Republic Government. This contract required EVGLL to oxidise 5.4 million tonnes of sulphide gold tailings from the Pueblo Viejo mine that were stored in the Las Lagunas dam. This was the principal element of an environmental remediation program to limit acid mine drainage from the dam and permitted EVGLL to extract gold and silver from the tailings, with the expectation of a profitable operation. The terms were that EVGLL would be exempted from any national or municipal tax, including income tax, but pay the government 25% of the cash flow generated after recovery of EVGLLs investment in the project, plus a 3% royalty on precious metals. A condition precedent to the contract was the requirement for EVGLL to gain approval from the Congress of the Dominican Republic for a waiver of taxation, which EVGLL received within the stipulated time frame. The government, through its taxation department, has lodged numerous income tax and asset tax assessments against EVGLL over the past seven years, together with claims for penalties and interest. This has required EVGLL to defend each assessment in the Dominican Courts, as well as subsequent appeals by the Taxation Department against Court decisions favourable to EVGLL. Favourable Constitutional Court ruling The Taxation Department ultimately challenged the legitimacy of the Special Contract in the Dominican Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court has recently posted on its website that it has upheld a previous Supreme Court Judgment in which the Supreme Court acknowledged the tax exempted status of EVGLL under the contract. It also stipulated that both the sharing of cash flow and royalties are not taxes but rather considerations to be paid to the Dominican State under the contract. The Constitutional Court Judgement should be issued within two to three weeks and there is no provision for the government to appeal decisions of the Constitutional Court. EVGLL will claim damages against the government to recover its legal costs, overheads and other associated costs. These damages will add to the tally of previous claims against the government for breach of contract with respect to certain obligations under the contract. Arbitration jurisdiction Claims against the Dominican Government totalling approximately A$40 million including legal costs and interest are now being arbitrated at the ICSID, a unit of the World Bank in Washington DC. Despite this, the Dominican Government chose to challenge ICSID being the jurisdiction and agency for settling disputes. The challenge was recently dismissed by a unanimous decision of the three-member Arbitration Tribunal. Arbitration proceedings, interrupted by the jurisdictional challenge, can now continue at the ICSID, with its decisions on the claims expected in June 2023. EVGLLs London-based lawyers are extremely confident of achieving a positive outcome for the company. Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) has signed a further letter of intent (LOI) with Wingsing International Ltd, the commercial arm of Tianzhu Steel, for offtake of the iron titanium (FeTi) co-product to be produced from its namesake vanadium project in Western Australia. The company plans to produce about 900,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of FeTi co-product from the Australian Vanadium Project, in addition to about 11,000 tpa of vanadium pentoxide from its proposed mine and processing facility. AVLs strategic location for a vanadium processing facility near Geraldton enables the sale of the FeTi co-product thus enhancing the projects economic resilience through the addition of a secondary revenue stream. Shares have risen on the news and, looking ahead, both parties intend to finalise the ore sale contract in 2023, with an order of 100,000 tpa of iron titanium co-product. Strategic decision AVL managing director Vincent Algar said: Through our consultants tireless work in China we are building brand awareness for the FeTi co-product AVL will produce along with its vanadium products. We are establishing relationships directly with some of the countrys top steel producers. We look forward to working with Tianzhu Steel to supply this unique product which is able to cost-effectively improve mill operational efficiency. These agreements further validate AVLs strategic decision to locate its vanadium processing plant close to Geraldtons port, strengthening the AVL pathway to funding and project development. This LOI has had a further positive effect on AVL shares. Today securities have been as much as 16.33% higher to A$0.057 a new high of more than 3.5 years. This follows yesterday's 43% increase on the back of securing a $49 million competitive grant from the Australian Federal Government under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative Collaboration Stream. LOI summary This LOI is non-binding and it intends to record the interest of the buyer to support the development of the project and for the parties to negotiate and agree on a binding ore sale contract. The price of the FeTi co-product will be referenced to the 62% Fe Platts Iron Ore Index, with a mutually acceptable price adjustment reflecting the market situation at the time and based on amicable consultation. AVL will provide the buyer with a quarterly update on the projects progress and will supply samples for testing at regular intervals for the buyers feedback. Encouragingly, the second LOI with a direct end-user follows the first LOI, further validating AVLs strategic vanadium processing plant location, close to Geraldton Port FeTi co-product The FeTi co-product is ideally suited for use in iron sintering feeds, providing a low-cost titanium source and additional low-cost iron units to steel producers. Blast furnace operators often add titanium to sintering blends to improve furnace refractory protection and to minimise maintenance costs associated with furnace relines. Notably, AVLs FeTi co-product will enter the market as a stable alternative to existing reliable and unreliable sources of similar material. Furthermore, the iron ore and vanadium prices have historically not moved together, offering unique opportunities for AVL to mitigate vanadium price risk and provide a secondary revenue source for the project. About Tianzhu Tianzhu Steel has an annual steel production of 5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) from its mill in Hebei Province, PR China. The company is also one of the top H section steel producers in China, with an annual capacity of 1.2mtpa. Tianzhu Steel is innovative in using various types of ironmaking raw materials and is currently under relocation and expansion project to increase the steel capacity to approximately 7mtpa. St George Mining Ltd (ASX:SGQ) is out to raise $6 million to fund the next phase of exploration and development across its base metals project portfolio. The West Aussie nickel-focused stock will secure $5 million from a strongly supported placement and hopes to raise a further $1 million under a share purchase plan (SPP), although it reserves the right to accept applications for up to $2 million at its discretion. In a shot in the arm for the ASX-lister, two of the companys key leaders have put up their hands to invest a cumulative $300,000 under the placement. The funding runway will support work at St Georges flagship Mt Alexander asset, as well as exploration at the companys other properties including the Paterson Project and for working capital. Opportunity in burgeoning nickel sector Speaking to the fundraise, St George executive chairman John Prineas said: These capital raising initiatives will provide St George with a strong balance sheet to advance the exciting exploration and development assets in its portfolio, particularly at the Mt Alexander Project. With high-grade nickel-copper sulphide deposits discovered as shallow as 20 metres from surface across a large yet underexplored mineral system, Mt Alexander stands out as a significant opportunity for investors looking for growth opportunities in the nickel sector. The location of Mt Alexander in an established mining region of Western Australia further underscores its compelling development potential at a time when investors and end users worldwide are searching for the next generation of quality nickel sulphide supplies. We are committed to continuing to create substantial shareholder value and thank existing and new shareholders for recognising the strong upside that we have at St George." Placement details Under the capital raises placement arm, St George will issue just more than 96 million shares at $0.052 apiece, raising $5 million before costs. New shares will be issued under the explorers existing placement capacity, and Cannacord Genuity acted as lead mananger to the placement. Julian Hanna, who recently joined St George as general manager - growth and development, has committed to invest $100,000 in the placement. In addition, executive chairman Prineas hopes to contribute $200,000, however, both these investments require the greenlight from shareholders. SPP details Eligible shareholders also have a chance to secure up to $30,000 worth of SGQ stock under the companys share purchase plan. Investors can buy in at the same price as St Georges placement shares and the company will raise as much as $2 million under the offer. Those interested in investing will need to do so before the plan closes on Wednesday, April 13 St George can also undertake a scale back and close the offer earlier, if need be. An indicative timeline for the plan is mapped below: About Mt Alexander St Georges Mt Alexander Project is 120 kilometres south-southwest of the Agnew-Wiluna Belt, which hosts numerous world-class nickel deposits. The project comprises six granted exploration licences, while a seventh granted exploration licence is to the southeast of the core tenement package. The Cathedrals, Stricklands, Investigators and Radar nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group element (PGE) discoveries are on one of the exploration licences, which is held in joint venture by St George (75%) and Western Areas Limited (25%). St George manages the project, while Western Areas retains a non-contributing interest in the project until there is a decision to mine. All other project tenements are owned 100% by St George. Geopacific Resources Ltd (ASX:GPR) has delivered further drilling success from grade control and resource extension drilling programs at its Woodlark Gold Project in Papua New Guinea. The company has observed a continuing trend of positive shallow high-grade results received from grade control drilling at the Kulumadau pit including: 37 metres at 5.59 g/t gold (207-gram metres) from 8 metres; 26 metres at 7.38 g/t (192-gram metres) from 34 metres and 9 metres at 20.2 g/t (182-gram metres) from 20 metres; and 9 metres at 15.5 g/t (140-gram metres) from surface. Further, Geopacific has also received encouraging results in seven holes from resource extension drilling at Busai with strong intersections including: 7 metres at 4.59 g/t gold from 41 metres and 7 metres at 1.70 g/t from 50 metres; and 9 metres at 1.24 g/t from 58 metres and 10 metres at 1.31 g/t from 71 metres. Looking ahead, a further 25 grade-control holes and five resource extension holes from the Kulumadau deposit have been completed with samples at the laboratory awaiting assays. Expand mineral resources Geopacific CEO Tim Richards said: The grade control drilling campaign continues to deliver encouraging results. We have now received assays from 34 grade control holes with a substantial number reporting significant high-grade intercepts, supporting our view that there is considerable upside potential within the existing pit shells. The further seven resource extension drill holes returned favourable results that highlight the broader exploration potential across the mining leases. The continued trend of positive results across the drilling campaign highlights the potential that exists across Woodlark Island to expand our mineral resources. I look forward to updating the market in coming periods as we continue to receive further grade control and step-out drilling results. Drill program Geopacifics ongoing drilling program is focused on Mining Lease exploration, targeting significant near-pit potential including high-grade prospective areas within the Mining Lease with visible gold at the surface. The results from grade control drilling at Kulumadau pit indicate a series of near-surface high gram-metre intersections. In addition, the resource extension drilling results to date from Kulumadau and Busai reinforce the potential for pit extension, with all three planned pits at the project open along strike and at depth. Forward plan Exploration drilling to the north and east of the current Kulumadau resource started in February 2022 and is ongoing with 14 holes from this program awaiting assays A reconciliation of the grade control model to the mineral resource will commence upon receipt of all outstanding samples. Furthermore, the drilling campaign for the remainder of the first half of 2022 will focus on Woodlarks significant near-pit exploration potential within the existing mineral lease Coffee with Samso Episode 132 is with Barry Cahill, Executive Director of Cyprium Metals Ltd (ASX:CYM). The time has come for Cyprium Metals to lay out the theme for the Nifty Story. The release of the Restart Study is, effectively, the beginning of what is about to come as the company progresses down the path of mining and delivery copper plates. In this episode of Coffee with Samso Barry shares with us how the Cyprium business will take shape in the coming 18 months. The company is planning to be in production in 2023 and this is effectively shaped by this study. Barry shares with us how the story will unveil itself with all the approval stages being met and in the process of being submitted. The process of extracting the copper is not an arduous process, and funding at this stage for the start should not be an issue. On the 11th March, the company announced the following: Nifty Copper Project Restart Study HIGHLIGHTS Current copper price ~USD4.60/lb Oxide C1 costs of USD1.91/lb and C3 costs of USD2.82/lb Average production of 25,000 tpa copper cathode Oxide cathode production 146,100 tonnes copper metal Pre-production capital AUD149M Positive engagement with Financiers now accessing final study and extensive data room NPV @7% of AUD277M with an IRR of 37% (post tax) Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) to include 2021 drilling & inferred resource conversion Oxide mine life 2023-29 at ~6.3 years (pre-MRE upgrade) with sulphide potential +20yrs Metallurgical testwork confirms 85% recovery in Retreat and 90% in Oxide Pit material Free cashflow AUD544M Payback in 3 years Regulatory approvals submitted and on track Sulphide heap leach metallurgy testwork commenced NEXT STEPS Finalise the Financing of the project during Q2 2022 Update the Mineral Resource and in pit inventory, including expansion options Complete financing and final government approvals post FID Commence refurbishment and construction post finance and government approvals Plate copper metal in the second half of 2023 Chapters 00:00 Start 00:15 Introduction 00:58 Barry and the mineral resource. 03:45 The Copper price margin. 05:06 Potential future mine life. 07:18 The Nifty West Drilling 08:50 The Pit Shells 10:48 The Nifty Processing Story 16:25 How big can the Nifty resources get? 18:10 What could derail the Nifty Story? 22:00 How does the Nifty Story compare to others in the market? 25:58 Any Environmental Issues? 29:07 Why is Cyprium so cheap? 31:53 History repeats itself. 32:44 What are shareholders and potential investors look at in Cyprium? 35:50 Who are your peers? 36:48 The other projects? The Total Strategy. 41:05 The plan going ahead. 44:55 No short cuts in mining. 45:25 The case of Risk Reduction. 46:28 Conclusion. PODCAST About Barry Cahill Executive Director Mr. Cahill is a mining engineer with over 30 years experience in exploration, operational mining and management. In particular, his experience covers management of project development and construction from exploration drilling through project funding, commissioning and development. He was the Managing Director of Finders Resources Limited from 2013 until its takeover in 2018. Mr. Cahill has previously been Executive Director of a number of public companies including Operations Director at Perilya Limited and Managing Director of Australian Mines Limited and Norseman Gold Plc. About Cyprium Metals Limited (Cyprium Metals Ltd (ASX:CYM)) Cyprium Metals Limited (ASX: CYM) is an ASX listed company headquartered in Perth, WA, that is poised to grow to a mid-tier mining business and manage a portfolio of Australian copper projects to deliver vital commodities, strong shareholder returns and sustainable value for our stakeholders. Cyprium has projects with mineral resources of 200,000 tonnes of copper (Hollandaire 51.5kt JORC 2012 and Nanadie Well 151.5kt JORC 2004) and 100,000 ounces of gold (Hollandaire 28.8koz JORC 2012 and Nanadie Well 74.2koz JORC 2004) in the Murchison region, an established Western Australian mining jurisdiction, which includes the Cue Copper Project and the nearby Nanadie Well Copper-Gold Project. Cyprium has a highly credentialed executive management team in place with a meaningful equity investment, to target projects that have a copper mineral resource, with sulphide mineralisation and high sulphide content, together with excellent potential to increase the size of the mineral resource. The development of the projects will be optimised using low-cost sulphide heap leach, which is ideal for stranded projects, problematic mineralogy, lack of scale and/or challenging locations. Innovative processing solutions will be used with the aim of producing final metal product on site to maximise value. Cyprium pursues their strategy with all of their stakeholders, which includes employees, global markets, suppliers, shareholders, communities and government, that is based on integrity, co-operation, transparency and mutual value creation. Please let Samso know your thoughts and send any comments to info@Samso.com.au. Remember to Subscribe to the YouTube Channel, Samso Media and the mail list to stay informed and make comments where appropriate. Other than that, also feel free to provide a Review on Google. For further information about Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talks visit: www.samso.com.au About Samso is a renowned resource among the investment community for keen market analysis and insights into the companies and business trends that matter. Investors seek out Samso for knowledgeable evaluations of current industry developments across a variety of business sectors and considered forecasts of future performances. With a compelling format of relaxed online video interviews, Samso provides clear answers to questions they may not have the opportunity to ask and lays out the big picture to help them complete their investment research. And in doing so, Samso also enables companies featured in interviews to build valuable engagement with their investment communities and customers. Headed by industry veteran Noel Ong and based in Perth, Western Australia, Samsos Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talk interviews both feature friendly conversations with business figures that give insights into Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) companies, related concepts and industry trends. Noel Ong is a geologist with nearly 30 years of industry experience and a strong background in capital markets, corporate finance and the mineral resource sector. He was founder and managing director of ASX-listed company Siburan Resources Limited from 2009-2017 and has also been involved in several other ASX listings, providing advice, procuring projects and helping to raise capital. He brings all this experience and expertise to the Samso interviews, where his engaging conversation style creates a relaxed dialogue, revealing insights that can pique investor interest. Noel Ong travels across Australia to record the interviews, only requiring a coffee shop environment where they can be set up. The interviews are posted on Samsos website and podcasts, YouTube and other relevant online environments where they can be shared among investment communities. Samso also has a track record of developing successful business concepts in the Australasia region and provides bespoke research and counsel to businesses seeking to raise capital and procuring projects for ASX listings. Disclaimer The information contained in this article is the writers personal opinion and is provided for information only and is not intended to or nor will it create/induce the creation of any binding legal relations. Read full disclaimer. Jindalee Resources Ltd (ASX:JRL) has intersected significant near-surface lithium mineralisation over large thicknesses and with excellent grade continuity from a diamond drilling program at McDermitt Lithium Project in the US. These diamond drill holes have encountered several higher-grade zones (>3,000ppm lithium) within the mineral resource, reinforcing the potential scalability of the project highlighting some of the best intersections at McDermitt to date. Results include: 73.5 metres at 1,554 ppm lithium from 30 metres, including 10.5 metres at 3,055 ppm; 60 metres at 1,880 ppm from 48 metres, including 15 metres at 2,707 ppm; and 38 metres at 1,751 ppm from 43 metres including 3 metres at 3,805 ppm. The drill results are expected to increase confidence in areas of inferred mineral resources adjacent to indicated mineral resources. Moving forward, with all assays from the 2021 drill program now being received, the new drill data will be used to update the mineral resource estimate (MRE), which is anticipated to be completed early in the June quarter. The market welcomed the news with shares trading as high as A$3.25 intraday, up 23.1% from the previous close while JRL's market cap is approximately A$168.26 million. Growing bipartisan support Jindalee is encouraged by recent announcements from both sides of US politics expressing concern with the current dependence of the US on foreign sources of critical minerals (including lithium), that could have positive implications for the development of McDermitt. On March 8, 2022, Senator Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) introduced legislation to support the processing and production of critical minerals to increase and expand domestic manufacturing and ease reliance on foreign sources of oil and gas. This was followed by a bipartisan letter to President Biden on March 11, 2022, jointly signed by Senators Murkowski, Manchin, Risch and Cassidy, urging the president to invoke the Defense Production Act to accelerate the production of battery materials, including lithium. Next steps Planning for the next phase of drilling in 2022 is well-advanced with all drill permits in hand The remainder of the drilling will focus on investigating the untested mineral potential across the western tenure and look for opportunities for higher-grade material. Jindalee continues to advance the project through its application for an Exploration Plan of Operations (EPO). Baseline studies to feed into the EPO are being coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). Furthermore, metallurgical test-work has commenced at Nagrom, Western Australia. Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The Company is a publisher. You understand and agree that no content published on the Site constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is... In exchange for publishing services rendered by the Company on behalf of Apollo Minerals Ltd named herein, including the promotion by the Company of Apollo Minerals Ltd in any Content on the Site, the Company... Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:PAR) has secured regulatory and ethics approval to clinically trial its lead treatment candidate on osteoarthritis patients in the UK. The green light represents the last in a series of approvals Paradigm needed to get the Phase 3 PARA_OA_002 trial off the ground. Now, Paradigm is ready to commence clinical trial site activation in the UK and it expects to begin enrolling participants with knee osteoarthritis across five sites. Shares in the healthcare stock were trading 6.36% higher at $1.287 each near market close after the news. Milestone approval In todays market announcement, Paradigms chief medical officer and interim CEO Dr Donna Skerrett expressed her delight the program was getting off the ground. We are very pleased to have received the combined regulatory and ethics approval in the UK from the MHRA, which is another milestone, as we continue to progress with clinical site initiation of our phase 3 PARA_OA_002 study in Australia, the US and now in the UK, she stated. At the start of this year, the UK implemented a new system to review both regulatory and ethics applications that cover clinical trials of investigational medicinal products (CTIMPs). The combined review offers the sponsor (Paradigm) a single application submission and co-ordinated review leading to a single UK decision for CTIMPs. Before the new system, Paradigm was granted permission to become part of the pilot test phase rollout. Now, as early adopters of the new process, Paradigm received additional support and direct communication from the UK regulators, a consolidated regulatory and ethics review, quicker review times, and reduced costs. About Paradigm Paradigm is on a mission to take existing, approved drugs and apply them in a new, patented application. The healthcare stocks primary focus to date is its pipeline indications covering the use of pharmaceutical compound Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (PPS), supported by full patent and IP protection. Commercially speaking, Paradigm is immediately invested in repurposing PPS to treat osteoarthritis. Theres a global unmet need surrounding this ailment and Paradigm has advanced its treatment candidate to phase three clinical trials that address all aspects of the disease including inflammation, pain and regeneration. A key feature of PPS activity is its anti-inflammatory and tissue regenerative properties, and Paradigms wider focus remains exploring PPS' use in treating the myriad conditions that begin with and are sustained by inflammation. Other indications include the treatment of joint function, mobility and pain in patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), chronic heart failure (CHF), treating alphavirus induced arthralgia (in patients with Ross River Virus and Chikungunya); and allergic respiratory conditions, including allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We wrote about the amount of capital raised via the ASX in January $17 billion as if it was a gargantuan figure. But now the February figures have been released, it seems like an ant in comparison. For the month of February -which, as a reminder, only has 28 days, three less than January nearly $98.6 billion in capital was raised by listed entities. Primary markets deserted To be more precise, $98.591 billion in total capital was raised in February, a 1,076% increase on 12 months ago. Interestingly, however, the vast, vast majority of that $96.8 billion did not come via primary markets, but fell under the secondary category of other, including scrip-for-scrip. Shares are first issued on the primary market, before being traded via investors on secondary markets. Only $56 million in primary capital was raised in February, down 36% on the prior February, while $1.7 billion was raised directly via secondary markets. FY22 on heat Its been a phenomenal 2022 financial year when it comes to capital raisings. $206.2 billion has been raised thus far, up 236% on this time in FY21. $45.6 billion has come via primary markets and $160.7 billion via secondary markets. 172 new entities have joined the ASX, while 91 have been de-listed. New companies, new capital Only seven companies joined the ASX in February, but the flurry of new listings is still outpacing FY21. Initial public offerings flourished in 2021, with EY Global IPO leader Paul Go saying it was as strong as the market had been in two decades. And though he cautioned the IPO market could slow down this year, the number of listed entities increased to 2,309, compared with 2,188 the year before. Proactive Investors has looked ahead to some of the most interesting companies being rumoured to list on global markets this year, which amazingly includes the discussion website Reddit. To prepare you for investing in an IPO, weve also published this handy guide on what to look out for when perusing a prospectus. - Daniel Paproth Platinex Inc CEO Greg Ferron joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with news that wholly-owned subsidiary Endurance Elements Inc has acquired 149 mining claims located along the western boundary of its W2 copper-nickel-platinum group elements (PGE) project in Ontario's Ring of Fire. Ferron also discussing Platinex's other main asset, Shining Tree Gold, as well as its portfolio of royalties from gold, PGE and base metals properties in Canada and Chile. Our products are meant to help people's lives better take away problems with sleep, pain, and anxiety, CEO Harvest One Gord Davey said Harvest One Cannabis Inc is seeing its transition to a global health and wellness company gaining momentum. By offering a broad range of products under its two leading subsidiaries Dream Water and LivRelief, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based company is helping its customers to sleep better and live healthier. Our team is focused on making people's lives better, said Gord Davey, CEO of Harvest One. We want our customers to have a better night's sleep so that they have a great next day. A great night's sleep helps in better digestion, anxiety, and overall performance the next day, Davey told Proactive. Our products are meant to help people's lives better take away problems with sleep, pain, and anxiety. Harvest One was established on values of being humble, happy, and better performing. Those are the values that our team lives by each day, Davey said. We're about sustainability, and providing all-natural products. Davey has led teams through transitions and restructuring for companies like Coca-Cola and Red Bull, placing them successfully in the retail and e-commerce markets. One of the reasons why I got into the cannabis space is because I believe that the cannabis plant is medicinal. I believe in the products that we carry, he said. Daveys experiences in CPG products have led him to gracefully pivot from being a strictly cannabis-oriented production facility to that of a health and wellness consumer packaged goods company. He sat down with Proactive to talk about Harvest Ones plans for 2022 and its successful business model. Proactive: What led to the transition from being a cannabis-focused brand to a health and wellness company? Gord Davey: We have two extremely strong brands LivRelief, and Dream Water, and both are CPG brands that are in a marketplace to help people. When we first started Harvest One, we had a plan to be fully integrated. The plan was to produce, cultivate, manufacture cannabis, and be in that type of market, as well as develop consumer packaged goods brands, and infuse them with cannabis. In that plan, there's a lot of capital involved. Because there were so many people cultivating, processing, and developing cannabis, we took the approach to be a health and wellness company that is uniquely positioned in the cannabis space. We sell our products in retail and e-commerce markets. Then, as markets are regulated, we can infuse it with cannabis in various aspects. We have a very strong team, and we focus on sales, marketing, distribution, and innovation. With that in mind, we have established our commercial plan around those deliverables rather than having high-risk operational facilities. Can you tell us more about the product line under the two subsidiaries, LivRelief and Dream Water, capturing a market share in pain relief, sleep and anxiety? What are you offering to consumers and what else is lined up for this year? There are two brands. Dream Water has been in the marketplace in North America for the past 11 years. We have taken that product and expanded its distribution in the US and Canada and global markets. Our products are available in about 55,000 retail outlets across North America. We distribute to seven different countries, and have a footprint in more countries than that. Amazon is our largest customer for Dream Water. Our LivRelief brand are non-infused products are sold over the counter (OTC), primarily in Canada in about 4,500 stores across the country. LivRelief also has a line of products infused with cannabis, sold in seven provinces across Canada. We are the number one and number three best-selling SKUs (stock keeping units) in Ontario for our infused LivRelief topicals. Moreover, we're continuing to pick up market share, distribution, and retail outlets. For 2022, we have innovation lined up for both Dream Water and LivRelief as we continue to extend our flavors, as well as consumption methods. We will launch new ways to take Dream Water. For instance, we've just launched Dream Water sleep gummies in the United States, and it's going very well. Other concepts like Dream Water immunity and Dream Water beauty are also in the pipeline. Dream Water will also be infused with cannabinoids. With our LivRelief brand, there will be innovation like infusing heat in it, or a LivRelief that may have cooling effects. There will be a global expansion of LivRelief this year. We are planning a launch of our LivRelief products into the United States, into Europe, and in other countries as well around the globe. The company reported strong revenue in 1Q 2022, alongside other strong numbers like a 62% decrease in liabilities and improved EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization). What have been the driving factors for the growth both in the US and internationally? We've been very focused on sales, marketing, distribution, and innovation, alongside strong commercial plans. We have channel strategies in groceries, in mass stores, in drugstores, along with an e-commerce strategy. We have been able to execute specific deals with specific programs, for instance, programs with Publix, Circle K, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Kroger, and Wegmans. We have grown our products exponentially inside those stores, and have invested in a more robust marketing and awareness program. When you are investing in that, more people know about your product. What we found out is that our products have high customer retention. We have influencers like Post Malone, Demi Moore, and the Kardashians who use our product. We don't pay them anything, they just post for us. In addition, Besides, increasing our channel strategies and our customers within those channels strategies has really led to that growth. I will say it's sustainable growth and sustainable margin growth with our customer base. We've been able to add value to those products and maintain a healthy margin as we go forward. Does Harvest One have a strong balance sheet to carry plans this year as the company looks to expand its footprint globally? We have a clean, strong balance sheet. We are extremely focused on fiscal responsibility, thanks to chief financial officer Jack Tasse. Our expenses have come down and they continue to come down because we watch every dollar that goes out. We do a return on investment (ROI) for every dollar that we're spending, and expect a certain amount of revenue back. These are sustainable growth patterns that were in 1Q and 2Q. Like many other companies, we were adversely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). We haven't lost sales, we've just deferred those sales into 3Q and 4Q because we couldn't get deliveries out to certain global partners due to COVID. But our margins in 2Q continue to be strong. Our EBITDA continues to be strong, and our expenses continue to come down. Harvest One recently adopted the lean assets model to scale its future profitability. How has this model helped the company so far? We've been following this model for the past 18 months, and have been pivoting from a high capital intensive company. We have de-risked and removed costs through a lean model where we have contract manufacturers to produce our products. We own, control, and coordinate our intellectual properties inside our company. We own the formulations, trademarks, and brands. We just have a lean model where contract manufacturing partners produce for us. Dream Water is made with a fantastic partner out of Dallas. All of our LivRelief products are made by a company in Quebec. All our infused products are made by a company out in the west. All partners are GMP-certified, and have high standards in production. We don't carry assets that cost us money to run, and put all our efforts into sales, marketing, innovation, and distribution. Contact Ritika at ritika@proactiveinvestors.com Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The Company is a publisher. You understand and agree that no content published on the Site constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is... In exchange for publishing services rendered by the Company on behalf of O3 Mining Inc named herein, including the promotion by the Company of O3 Mining Inc in any Content on the Site, the Company receives from said... The UK government will today introduce its much-anticipated Online Safety Bill aimed at holding global tech companies and their executives accountable for harmful content found online. The bill will force social media platforms, search engines and other apps and websites allowing people to post their own content to protect children, tackle illegal activity and uphold their stated terms and conditions, a government statement said. Executives whose companies fail to cooperate with regulator Ofcoms information requests could now face prosecution or jail time within two months of the bill becoming law, instead of two years as it was previously drafted. The regulator will have the power to fine companies failing to comply with the laws up to 10% of annual global turnover, force them to improve their practices and block non-compliant sites. Executives also face jail time if they destroy evidence, fail to attend or provide false information in their interviews with the bill's regulator Ofcom and obstruct the watchdog as it enters company offices. The landmark legislation, which has been in the works for five years, tackles a range of harmful online content, such as cyberbullying, pornography, and racist tweets, as well as material promoting self-harm. Social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, are under fire for allowing harmful content to be shared on their platforms. Tech companies now will have a duty of care to protect their users against harmful content, or they will be fined heavily by the communications watchdog. If they fail to remove harmful content, social networks could even be blocked, while their bosses may be imprisoned. Secondary legislation approved by Parliament will outline the 'legal but harmful' content categories that have been agreed upon. Among the new aspects of the bill is a 'right to appeal' for people whose social media posts were removed unfairly. "The internet has transformed our lives for the better. Its connected us and empowered us. But on the other side, tech firms havent been held to account when harm, abuse and criminal behaviour have run riot on their platforms," Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries told media. "Instead they have been left to mark their own homework." Damian Collins, chair of the Joint Committee on the draft Online Safety Bill, which examined the previous draft, said it was a "huge moment for the safety of all internet users." "The UK is leading the world with legislation to finally hold social media companies for the offences that take place on their platforms, like hate speech, fraud, terrorism, and child abuse," he said. There have been concerns raised by some campaigners over the use of the phrase 'legal but harmful' in the Bill and its potential impact on free speech. Executive director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said the term amounted to creating a censorship charter that could harm free speech. The Valens Company's BC God Bud was ranked the best-selling stock-keeping unit across all product categories in January and February The Valens Company (TSX:VLNS, OTCQX:VLNCF) Inc, a leading manufacturer of cannabis products, said it has continued to grow its share of Canadas recreational market and said it expects further growth in the coming quarters. The company said its share of the national market rose to 3.1% in February 2022 from 2.4% in November 2021, raising its market ranking to 10th from 12th. Its share of the Toronto market increased to 3.2% from 2.3%, with its ranking climbing to 9th from 11th. "We have shown strong quarter-over-quarter growth, as we continue to execute on our business strategy across all our brands in the Canadian recreational market, Tyler Robson, chief executive officer, co-founder and chair of Valens said in a statement. Furthermore, with the recent launch of Versus ready-to-drink seltzers, our Contraband ultra-premium flower offering, CNDYLND, and other recently launched product initiatives we look to continue our momentum into the coming quarters and deliver on our market share and profitability objectives in 2022," Robson added. Valens Company increased its share of the national beverage market to 11.2% in February from 9.3% in November, according to data from Hifyre. Its flower market share rose to 3.5% from 2.5% on a national basis and to 4.1% from 2.3% in Toronto. The company held 3.2% of the national edible market in February compared with 2.7% in November. Its BC God Bud was ranked the best-selling stock-keeping unit (SKU) across all product categories in January and February 2022. Valens Company is a leading manufacturer of cannabis products that provides proprietary cannabis processing services, in addition to product development, manufacturing, and commercialization of cannabis consumer packaged goods. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The Company is a publisher. You understand and agree that no content published on the Site constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is... In exchange for publishing services rendered by the Company on behalf of BANXA named herein, including the promotion by the Company of BANXA in any Content on the Site, the Company receives from said issuer annual... Oragin Foods Inc has provided a business update on key initiatives as it advances operations. The company said it is in advanced stages related to the onboarding of a highly reputable and skilled individual(s) with significant food and beverage industry experience working with some of the most well-known Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands in North America to advance the company's US operations, including its Future of Cheese brand, as well as identifying possible target acquisitions to expand the portfolio of plant-based brands under the company's CPG division. Oragin said plans are underway to allocate resources, capital, and additional expertise to rapidly grow its CPG business with a significant focus on the US plant-based and retail markets, as well as the continued planned expansion of the company's retailer, Organic Garage. The company noted that it has a healthy cash balance of over $2 million that will help further its short-term business goals and lay the foundation for its long-term business goals. Meanwhile, the company said its commercial real estate team from Savills is currently in negotiations on numerous sites for the planned expansion of its retailer, Organic Garage, with plans to expand locations across Ontario. Also, the renovation of the Organic Garage Thornhill location is proceeding as planned and is anticipated to be fully completed by the end of April, reflecting the new Organic Garage branding and amenities. Once complete, the Thornhill location will have all the same amenities as the company's newer retail locations, including the successful 'Hand-Picked Partners': Cali-Rolls Sushi, Cheese Boutique, Village Juicery, and Rival House. The location will also include the company's 'Expanding Zero Waste' stations for self-serve RO Water, Spices, Olive Oil, Vinegar, and Teas. Due to numerous customer requests, Organic Garage will launch its e-gift card program, which will be available for purchase online following the company's upcoming new website update. It anticipates the e-gift card will generate an additional stream of revenue for Organic Garage, and will complement the further expansion of the online customer base via the partnership with online grocery delivery and pick-up giant, Instacart. Future of Cheese operations The development of the e-commerce platform is underway and the company said it plans an accelerated second-quarter launch due to significant customer demand, primarily from customers outside of the southern Ontario market, where the products are currently sold in retail locations. Advanced discussions are underway to grow the Future of Cheese senior management team as the brand plans its near-term expansion into the US market. These individual(s) have significant industry-leading experience in the brand development and sales and marketing areas for well-established North American CPG brands both in the general, and plant-based, spaces. Oragin said advanced discussions are currently underway with established Canadian and US-based co-packers to produce the Future of Cheese line of plant-based cheeses and to ensure the company can service the potential large-scale demand from national retailers and distributors without interruption or production bottlenecks. Sales for the Future of Cheese have increased approximately 230% quarter-over-quarter (Q4 2021 - Q1 2022). The retail expansion has increased approximately 50% in the same period. "As we remain very aware of the global focus on the tragic events taking place in Europe, and the attention on news related to these events, we want to assure our shareholders that progress and advancements are underway as planned. We will follow up with news of material milestones as we complete current negotiations and agreements while remaining respectful of the news flow related to the events overseas," said Matt Lurie, president of Oragin, in a statement. "This continues to be a very exciting time for our company, and we look forward to sharing further developments in the near future." Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham Murchison said it will receive gross proceeds of about $3,254,255 if all of the warrants are exercised during the early exercise period Murchison Minerals Ltd (TSX-V:MUR, OTCQB:MURMF, TSX-V:MUR.V) announced a warrant exercise incentive program, which is designed to encourage the early exercise of up to 27,118,788 of its outstanding unlisted warrants that are exercisable for company common shares. Murchison said the incentive program is expected to strengthen its current cash position and provide the company with additional capital to meet its 2022 budgeted exploration expenses and for working capital purposes. Each warrant holder that exercises their warrants before April 15, 2022, will receive one-half of an additional common share purchase warrant, in which each whole incentive warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Murchison common share until April 15, 2023, at a price of $0.18. Murchison noted the warrants are currently exercisable as follows: five million warrants at a price of $0.12 per common share expiring on September 5, 2022; and 22,118,788 warrants at a price of $0.12 expiring on October 21, 2022. The incentive program will begin March 17, 2022, at 9 am ET and expire on April 15, 2022, at 4 pm. Murchison said it expects its CEO Troy Boisjoli and company director Donald Johnson will both participate in the program. The company also noted it will receive gross proceeds of about $3,254,255 if all of the warrants are exercised during the early exercise period. Murchison Minerals is a Canadabased exploration company focused on nickel-copper-cobalt exploration at the 100%-owned HPM project in Quebec and the exploration and development of the 100%-owned Brabant Lake zinccoppersilver project in northcentral Saskatchewan. The company also holds an option to earn 100% interest in the Barraute VMS exploration project also located in Quebec, north of Val d'Or. Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com Riyadh, March 17 : Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and visiting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have signed a memorandum of understanding on the formation of a strategic partnership council between the governments of the two countries. During their talks, they discussed opportunities to develop bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The two leaders also reviewed regional and international issues of common interest, including the developments in Ukraine, and efforts to address them, it added. Johnson arrived in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after his visit to the United Arab Emirates during his Gulf tour. Kiev, March 17 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency has reported, citing Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak. "Obviously, the only way to end this war is direct talks between the two presidents, and this is what we are working on in the current talks," Podolyak, also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, was quoted as saying. Work is underway to prepare the documents that could be signed during the meeting of the two leaders, the official was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. The Ukrainian side has high hopes that ceasefire will be achieved in the near future, he added. The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link and continued into Wednesday. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, March 17 : The White House commemorated the one-year anniversary of a deadly shooting spree in the metropolitan area of Atlanta in the southeastern state of Georgia. On March 16, 2021, Robert Aaron Long, a male white gunman, killed eight people at three spas in Atlanta, six of whom were women of Asian descent. US President Joe Biden tweeted on Wednesday that the gunman targeted Asian-run businesses, Xinhua news agency reported. "As we honor the victims, we must work to build a future where no one fears violence," he wrote. Later in the day, Biden signed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act at the White House. "This law broke the dam of congressional resistance and cultural resistance and it brought this hidden epidemic out of the shadows," Biden said in his remarks. Vice President Kamala Harris also marked the anniversary, called the shootings "a horrific attack." "We must do everything we can to ensure all Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities are safe from violence, discrimination, and fear," Harris noted. Long was charged with dozens of crimes. He had pleaded guilty to charges filed by Cherokee County and was sentenced to life without parole. Research published earlier this year found that hate crimes targeting the Asian American community have reached new levels in the United States. The compilation of hate crime data, published by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, revealed that anti-Asian hate crime increased by 339 per cent last year compared to the year before. Tehran, March 17 : The Iranian Foreign Minister has said that London has paid off its debt owed to Tehran, noting the settlement was unrelated to the release of the two dual British-Iranian nationals imprisoned in Iran. Hossein Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in an address to foreign ambassadors and heads of missions to Iran ahead of the Nowruz, the Iranian new year which begins on March 21, 2022, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Iran's official news agency IRNA. The two British-Iranians, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anousheh Ashouri, were released on humanitarian grounds, he said, adding they had been "arrested and tried on espionage and security charges in Iran." Abdollahian noted that during the past four months, he had been in intense contact with his British counterpart Liz Truss to ensure the payment to the Central Bank of Iran. The UK owed millions of US dollars to Iran for an unfulfilled military contract dating back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. The UK had delayed the payment for many years citing sanctions against Iran as the reason. Bulandshahr, March 17 : The Bulandshahr district court in Uttar Pradesh has approved sedition charges against 36 accused in the 2018 Siyana violence case. The incident, which occurred due to rumours of cow slaughter, led to the brutal death of a police inspector and a civilian. The main accused, Yogesh Raj, a Bajrang Dal member, has been in jail ever since the Supreme Court stayed the Allahabad High Court's order granting him bail. The apex court had said it "cannot let lynching over cow slaughter go on". Additional sessions judge (ADJ) Vineeta Vimal, in her order, said, "It has been confirmed from the police investigation that the accused were part of an unruly mob with weapons. They arrived at the spot with an aim to disturb peace. The court allows Section 124-A (sedition) in the charge sheet and trial will take place accordingly." The orders were shared with all the accused who pleaded 'not guilty'. The Siyana violence took place in Bulandshahr on December 3, 2018. A mob had gone on a rampage after a cow carcass was found in a sugarcane field near the Mahav village in Siyana. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, posted at the Siyana police station, was killed in the attack. A youth, Sumit Kumar, also lost his life during the violence in which the Chingrawati police outpost was set on fire. Forty-four people were named in three separate charge sheets. Two of the accused died in the past three years, while one is a minor whose case is under trial in a juvenile court. The Bulandshahr police had initially lodged an FIR for murder, violence, and sedition against the accused. Later, in March 2020, the court dropped sedition charges from the charge sheet as the police did not have the requisite permission from the state to press the same. In June 2019, the UP government sanctioned the sedition case. It took over two-and-a-half years for the court to press sedition charges. "Among the 41 accused only six are currently in jail while 38 are out on bail," said Yashpal Singh Raghav, special government council. New Delhi, March 17 : The fourth edition of 'Bonjour India 2022' has been announced by the French embassy in India. The event celebrates 75 years of India's Independence and 75 years of the establishment of Indo-French diplomatic relations. Besides projects narrating the shared history of the two countries, through photography, science and letters, it also aims to be an opportunity to build communities, foster social interaction and create opportunities for diversity, joy and amity after a long time since pandemic overtook the world. The event will showcase in 19 Indian cities a program of 120 events created in collaboration with French and Indian partners, in domains including education, science, literature, cinema, gastronomy, street art, performing arts and photography. Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said, "Bonjour India is a gift from France to the people of India when the country celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence. India and France have enjoyed a close cultural partnership for decades, thanks in particular to the network of 14 Alliances Francaises throughout India. During this festival, we will honor the past exchanges and create new collaborations." He added, "We believe that our two nations can grow closer by appreciating cultures and co-creating art, amalgamating views from both the countries. I look forward to coming together with the most creative people from our countries, resulting in greater creativity and enrichment. I believe that the free exchange of ideas between our two countries will plant the seeds of new thoughts that will help tackle the challenges that lie ahead." Washington, March 17 : For the first time since Moscow waged its war on Kiev on February 24, US President Joe Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" as the latter is "inflicting appalling devastation and horror on Ukraine". Biden made the remarks while responding to a reporter's question at the White House on Wednesday, the BBC reported. When the reporter asked the President is he was ready to call Putin a "war criminal", Biden responded by saying: "Did you ask me whether I would tell ....? Oh, I think he is a war criminal." Later in a tweet, the American leader said: "Putin is inflicting appalling devastation and horror on Ukraine - bombing apartment buildings and maternity wards. "Yesterday (Tuesday), we saw reports that Russian forces were holding hundreds of doctors and patients hostage. These are atrocities. It is an outrage to the world." Also in a statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden's branding of Putin as a "war criminal" came as the US President had been "speaking from his heart" after seeing "barbaric" images of the violence in Ukraine, "rather than making any official declaration", reports the BBC. She noted that there was a separate legal process, run by the State Department, to determine war crimes, which was was ongoing separately. But Biden's remark did not go down well with Russia, which may further escalate diplomatic tensions amid the ongoing war. "We believe such rhetoric to be unacceptable and unforgivable on the part of the head of a state, whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world," the BBC quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying to Russia's state-run TASS News Agency. Kiev, March 17 : Ivan Fedorov, the Mayor of Melitopol who was allegedly abducted by Russian forces on March 11, has been released from captivity, according to Ukrainian government officials. The development was confirmed on Wednesday by Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, reports the Ukrayinska Pravda. Tymoshenko said that a "special operation" to release Fedorov from Russian captivity had concluded. Meanwhile, Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President, said after Fedorov was released, he held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. But Yermak did not provide any details of the conversation. Citing media reports, the BBC report said that Fedorov was "exchanged for nine Russian prisoners". Speaking on Ukrainian television, a Press secretary to Zelensky said the Russian conscripts were between 18 and 19 years old. Earlier this week, the military administration of Zaporizhzhya region, where Melitopol is located, had said that Fedorov was taken to the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, "where he is incriminated with terrorism". Following his abduction, there were widespread protests in condemnation. A protest rally in Berdyansk on Monday demanding the release of Fedorov was obstructed by Russian forces. "Armed Russian troops surrounded the square and pushed people away. The occupying forces accompanied their actions with warnings from loudspeakers to ban rallies," the military administration. Since Russia began its invasion on February 24, there has been several abductions. On March 10, the Russian forces abducted Leyla Ibragimova, a deputy of the Zaporizhzhya Regional Council, in Melitopol. She was later released, reports the Ukrayinska Pravda. During a protest in the city on March 12, activist Olga Haisumova was kidnapped amidst the demonstration. Meanwhile, the fates of abducted Dniprorudne Mayor Yevhen Matveyev and Head of Melitopol District Council Serhiy Priyma remain unknown. New Delhi, March 17 : Winds, droughts, and heavy storms are affecting key agricultural regions around the world, causing many farms to fall short of their required product demand, say scientists. Take the case of tomatoes in Italy, the largest tomato producer in Europe, supplying an average of 6-7 million metric tonnes per year. However last year, farms in northern Italy were 19 per cent under the contracted volumes and sadly, this is expected to decline even further. This is because the climate, that was once a warm paradise perfect to grow the fruit, is now becoming colder and more susceptible to rain. These lower temperatures are slowing the ripening process of the fruit, and in 2019 less than half of the contracted volumes were produced on time. If this continues to happen, the supermarket prices will continue to increase and "we could begin to see shortages on the shelves". CIA Landlords have researched how climate change has affected the production of five of the world's most loved produce, including tomatoes, and revealed the most catastrophic climate events that have occurred recently to plummet their growth. Italy's forests have also declined in recent years because cows in Italy, which are used to produce afine leather goods,' are needing the space to be reared. This, in turn, has decreased the amount of oxygen and CO2 in the air. This will have a negative effect on citizens' health -- polluted air cannot just exacerbate existing respiratory illnesses but also cause them. The global climate is predicted to change drastically in years to come due to the effects of human-caused climate change. Scientists have claimed the world has until 2040 to reduce the effects of climate change and if "we refuse to act now we will reach a apoint of no return' by this time". But how will the effects of climate change present itself in the food industry? Besides tomatoes, almonds, coffee, hazelnuts and soybeans are among some of the produce most affected by climate change. California grows 80 per cent of the world's export of almonds and the state's industry is now worth $6 billion. However, the growing process of almonds is lengthy and requires a lot of both physical and human energy. California uses 60 per cent of the honeybee hives in the country just for almond pollination each winter, and the cost of transporting the bees, and keeping them in cold storage until this point means that the carbon footprint of almond production is huge. Almonds also require the most water to grow out of all nuts, just one seed needs 3.2 gallons to reach the size needed in order to be turned to milk. This is becoming increasingly difficult as the popularity of almond milk has risen -- this diary alternative makes up 63 per cent of the plant-based milk market. However, droughts across California are causing farmers to abandon their orchards as there is barely enough water to sustain them. The droughts have also meant farmers are having to treat the almonds with different pesticides, some of which are deadly for honeybees, an already endangered species. As a result California could begin to see a decline in greenery and flowers, that the bees would have pollinated, and the price of almonds could rise. So is the case with soybeans. The weather in Brazil is becoming hotter and drier. But with soybeans growing best in warm and moist climates, farmers are having to adapt how they grow the crop. By using different pesticides, and forcing the plants to become more tolerant of different climates, farmers have been able to effectively increase the amount of soybeans produced. However, this is not sustainable as the climate will continue to worsen. Consequently, it is forecasted that the soybean production will decrease by 86-92 per cent by 2050. Soybean plants also require lots of space, and land throughout Brazil has been deforested to make way for rows upon rows of the crop. This has occurred most in the Amazon, where mass fires have been lit to make room for the crops, as a result scientists have confirmed the rainforest now emits more CO2 than it absorbs. "This is a global problem as we rely upon the Amazon to provide us with six per cent of the world's oxygen supply and to keep carbon out of the atmosphere. If we continue to destroy this space, the air quality of our planet will decrease and global warming will be exacerbated," warn scientists. This will present itself in increased temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and biodiversity and agriculture will decline around the world. According to research by CIA Landlords, the coffee production is predicted to reduce by 76 per cent in Brazil in the next few years due to the drying climate the country is being hit with. This is because coffee plants grow at their best in moist, tropical climates, with soils and temperatures that reach around 21 degrees Celsius. However, climate change is drying the air in Brazil, making the climate less than ideal for growth, causing a decline in coffee bean production. But it is not all sad news for the latte lovers out there as Italy is hoping to be able to produce the nation's favourite bean soon due to their rising temperature. United Nations, March 17 : Maximo Torero, chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has warned against a possible heavy toll on global food security posed by the ongoing Ukraine conflict. To assess the potential impact on international food prices caused by a conflict-induced reduction in cereal and vegetable oil exports from Ukraine and Russia, simulations have been carried out, Xinhua news agency quoted Torero as saying to reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York. On the basis of their already elevated baseline values, wheat price would increase by 8.7 per cent in a moderate-shock scenario and by 21.5 per cent in a severe-shock scenario, he said. For maize, the increase would be 8.2 per cent in the moderate case and 19.5 per cent in the severe scenario. For other coarse grains, prices would rise by 7 to 19.9 per cent, and for oilseeds by 10.5 to 17.9 per cent, he said. Globally, in terms of impacts on food security, in the moderate scenario, the number of undernourished people would increase by 7.6 million people, while this level would rise to 13.1 million people in the severe-shock setting, said Torero. Moreover, additional upward pressure on fertilizer prices has stemmed from disruptions and high transportation costs following the imposition of export restrictions and due to sharp increases in bulk and container freight rates caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. International food prices had already reached an all-time high even before the conflict in Ukraine. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 140.7 points in February, up 3.9 per cent from January, and 20.7 per cent above its level a year earlier. In 2021, Russia and Ukraine ranked amongst the top global exporters of wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, and sunflower oil. For its part, Russia also stood as the world's top exporter of nitrogen fertilisers and the second-largest supplier of both potassic and phosphorous fertilisers, he said. Overall, almost 50 nations are dependent on Russia and Ukraine for over 30 per cent of their wheat import needs. Of these, 26 countries depend on the two countries for over 50 percent of their wheat import needs, according to Torero. Wheat is a staple food for over 35 per cent of the world's population. The crisis represents a challenge on food security for many countries, especially for low-income, food import-dependent countries and vulnerable populations, he said. In the wheat and meslin sector, Russia was the top global wheat exporter, shipping a total of 32.9 million tonnes of wheat and meslin, or the equivalent of 18 per cent of global shipments in 2021. Ukraine was the fifth-largest wheat exporter in 2021, exporting 20 million tonnes of wheat and meslin and with a 10 per cent global market share. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Chennai, March 17 : Tamil Nadu state government-run power utility, Tangedco has signed deals with Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd and Power Trading Corporation of India Ltd for procurement of 2,900 MW of power. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was present during the power purchase agreement, Tangedco said in a statement. State Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji told IANS that Tangedco has signed the power purchase agreement to meet the demand-supply gap. He also said that power purchase agreements have been signed at much lower rates than the previous governments. The state has an average demand of 15,000 MW per year and the peak demand during summer is estimated to be 17,000 MW of power. Senthil Balaji said that the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) would provide 1500 MW of power to the state. The power purchase agreement with the Solar Corporation of India is for 1000 MW and is signed under the manufacturing linked inter-state transmission scheme (ISTS). The cost of power is Rs 2.61 per unit and will meet the power utility's renewable power purchase obligation, the statement read. As per the understanding, the Solar Corporation of India will provide power to Tamil Nadu from next fiscal onwards. The agreement with the Power Trading Corporation is for 400 MW of power and per unit of power will be bought at a rate of Rs 3.26 per unit. The agreement, according to Tangedco is for 3 years. Los Angeles, March 17 : Actress Sydney Sweeney of 'Euphoria' and 'White Lotus' fame, has joined 'Madame Web', a comic book tent-pole set in Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters. Sweeney's role has not been announced, reports 'Variety'. As previously reported, Dakota Johnson has been cast as the title character. In the comics, Madame Web is a paralysed, elderly woman with myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder requiring her to connect to a life support system resembling a spider web. S.J. Clarkson, known for her work on the darker Marvel series 'Jessica Jones' and 'The Defenders', which moved from Netflix to Disney Plus, has been hired to direct 'Madame Web'. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, the duo behind Jared Leto's upcoming vampire chiller 'Morbius', will write the screenplay. Plot details have been kept under wraps. In the comics, Madame Web is introduced as a blind clairvoyant mutant whose abilities prove to be greatly beneficial to Spider-Man and his fellow arachnid allies, like Spider-Woman. Given her condition, though, she's never battled villains herself. 'Madame Web', Sony's first modern comic book adaptation to feature a female in the headlining role, is one of the several Spider-Man related spinoffs in development. Amaravati, March 17 : The number of unemployed registered in Andhra Pradesh stood at 6,16,689 as on January 2022, according to information provided by the state government in the Legislative Assembly. The unemployed registered with district employment exchanges included 4,22,055 and 1,94,634 women. The ministry of skill development and training revealed this in a written reply to opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs Sambasiva Rao, Veeranjaneya Swamy and others. Among 13 districts, Visakhapatnam has the highest number of unemployed at 98,504, followed by Kurnool at 64,294. Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's native district Kadapa is at third place. The district has 58,837 registered unemployed. Anantapur district has the lowest number of unemployed - 18,730. According to data submitted by the central government in Parliament last month, the unemployment rate in Andhra Pradesh was 4.7 per cent. In November last year, the data by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed that the unemployment rate in Andhra Pradesh was 5.4 per cent. The unemployment rate dropped in the state after a surge during the peak Covid period in May-June last year. After the recent announcement by neighbouring Telangana to fill over 80,000 vacancies in various government departments, the opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh have also stepped up the pressure on the state government to fill vacancies. The TDP has demanded that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy fulfill his election promise to provide 2.30 lakh government jobs. Last week, Andhra Pradesh finance minister Buggana Rajendranath told the State Assembly that a total of 66,309 posts are vacant in various government departments. He revealed that the state has 7,71,177 sanctioned posts. While there were 5,29,868 regular employees, another 1.75 lakh were working on contract and outsourced basis. He claimed that 1.26 lakh employees were recruited in 2019 in the newly created village and ward secretariats across the state. Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 : A priest attached to the Syrian Orthodox Church in Pathanamthitta district was arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a 17-year-old girl on Thursday, police said. The Women's Police Station officials took into custody 34-year-old Pondson John, the priest attached to the Orthodox Church at Koodal, from his residence. According to a police official, the arrest of the priest has been recorded and the remaining procedures are on. The arrest was based on a complaint of a school girl who confided to her friend about the incident. Her friend, in turn, informed the school authorities. Later, the school authorities informed the local Child Line officials who got in touch with the local police, who after a preliminary probe took the priest into custody. According to the complaint, the teenager was taken for counselling to the residence of the priest on March 12. Under the pretext of counselling, the priest misbehaved with the young girl. The next day, the priest reached the house of the girl and again he repeated the offence. The priest will be produced before a local court later in the day, said the police. Tel Aviv, March 17 : Israel will not lift more Covid-19 restrictions amid rising infections "in several locations around the world", the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. Following a consultation meeting with health officials, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz decided that the mask mandate will not be lifted, but the measure will be reviewed again in April, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. In addition, the installation of air filter systems in classrooms will be stepped up and the government will continue the vaccination campaign calling on the entire population over the age of 12 to receive the third dose of the Covid jab, the statement said. The announcement came about two weeks after Israel lifted many of the coronavirus restrictions. On March 1, the government cancelled the Green Pass scheme which allowed entry to public venues only to vaccinated people. On Wednesday, the Health Ministry announced the detection of a new coronavirus strain, a combined strain of the original Omicron lineage BA.1 and its subvariant BA.2, from two in-bound passengers at the Ben Gurion International Airport. In the evening, the Ministry reported that 6,332 new coronavirus cases were confirmed over the past day, bringing the total number of infections in the 9.2-million-population country to 3,737,352. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, March 17 : New BJP government in Goa is likely to be formed between March 22 and 24. BJP sources said that the party leadership is all set to retain Pramod Sawant as next chief minister of Goa. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari and other senior leaders in the national capital, Sawant returned to Goa late Wednesday evening. An insider aware of development told IANS that Sawant and others left New Delhi and a new government will be formed early next week. "Post Holi, meeting of the legislative party will be called after consultation of union ministers and central observers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan. Currently, there is discussion to form the government between March 22 and 24 after completing all the formalities like electing the legislative party, meeting governor of state claim and fix date for swearing in ceremony," he said. Sawant, who was made chief minister of Goa after the death of Manohar Parrikar in March 2019, led the BJP to win 20 out of 40 seats in the Assembly. The BJP has received support from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which won two seats, comfortably crossing the magic number of 21 to form the government. State in-charge C.T. Ravi, Goa BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and state general secretary (Organisation) Satish Dhond were also present in the meeting with Prime Minister Modi and Shah. In a tweet after meeting Sawant, Prime Minister Modi had said: "Met @DrPramodPSawant and the team of @BJP4Goa. Our party is grateful to the people of Goa for blessing us yet again with the mandate to serve the state. We will keep working for Goa's progress in the times to come. This morning, Ravi tweeted: "I had the opportunity to interact with Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah and apprise Him about #GoaElections2022. Goa CM Shri @DrPramodPSawant, @BJP4Goa President Shri @ShetSadanand & State OGS Shri Satish Dhond were present in the meeting." New Delhi, March 17 : , The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday summoned Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and his wife Rujira to join an investigation in connection with a coal block allocation scam. The agency has asked Banerjee and his wife to join the investigation on March 21-22. Abhishek Banejree had on September 6, 2021, recorded his statement before the ED officials. He was interrogated for around six hours. But the probe agency was not satisfied and hence summoned him again along with his wife. In September 2021, the couple, via their counsel, had moved a plea before the Delhi High Court against the ED's summon. But their plea was dismissed by the court on March 11. The couple said in their plea that they were residence of West Bengal and had sought relief on that ground. Their contention was challenged by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the ED. He told the court that ED was not confined by any area under PMLA. This case is being probed by the CBI and the ED. Both the agencies are doing parallel probe. CBI's case was lodged in November last year. Canberra, March 17 : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said China would face consequences if it backs Russias war on Ukraine, arguing such a move would be an "abomination" while hinting at new international sanctions for Beijing. Asked whether any penalties were in store for China over its refusal to condemn the ongoing Russian assault, the Prime Minister said that Australia would join with allies in sanctioning the country, RT reported. "We will move in lockstep with our partners and allies on these issues, and the United States has made some very clear statements about this and we support those statements," he said on Wednesday, calling on "the whole world" to "put an end to this terrible violence and aggression by Russia in Ukraine". Morrison went on to argue that Beijing must be "very transparent" about its ties to Moscow, including "when it comes to throwing them an economic lifeline during this global crisis" and "potentially what, if any, support has been discussed for military support for Russia", adding the latter decision "would be an abomination". The leader's comments follow similar statements from Washington, which has also warned of "significant consequences" for any military or economic assistance to Moscow. "We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had said last week, ahead of a meeting with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Los Angeles, March 17 : Actress Gabrielle Union has levied criticism towards the Walt Disney Company over its widely derided decision to take a soft stance regarding the new anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in Florida. The actress, who stars alongside Zach Braff in the studio's upcoming Disney Plus reimagining of 'Cheaper by the Dozen', voiced her dismay regarding the situation on the red carpet for the streaming release, reports Variety. "Somebody asked me, 'Are you disappointed?' I'm disappointed when my order isn't right at In-N-Out. I don't even think that's a word that you could use for something like this, where children's lives are literally hanging in the balance," Union told Variety at the premiere. "We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression. Period. The damage is done." The Walt Disney Company and CEO Bob Chapek have been embroiled in controversy over the past weeks for the corporation's initial decision to take a soft stance on new legislation in Florida, popularly dubbed the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which would limit discussions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation in educational environments. The bill was passed by the Florida's House of Representatives on February 24 and the state Senate in early March. On top of that, Variety learned that Chapek had received a letter from LGBTQIA+ employees at Disney requesting that company take a public stance condemning the bill. An Orlando Sentinel report on February 25 also revealed that Disney has donated money to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of the bill. "There are so many states that are following suit (with Florida's legislation), because there is no pushback, because no one in positions of power (or) corporations are taking a hard stance," Union continued. "Let's look who's donating to what and let's call people out. I think a lot of people like to confuse accountability and consequences for cancel culture. And as long as you have a microphone and a stage that's not cancel culture, honey. We have to campaign and fund for those people who stand for all of us." When asked on the topic of Disney associates reaching out to Chapek, Union hypothesised: "I think a lot of people reached out to him. And if you have to see my child for that to be to be the difference maker, that's not enough. "There's a lot of kids out there, not just famous ones." A group of LGBTQIA+ employees at The Walt Disney Company are planning a week of staff walkouts in response to the Chapek's handling of the 'Don't Say Gay' bill. Union also spoke about the anti-trans legislation in Texas. She had a message for trans youth who may be fearful of its impact. "There are bad people controlling your fate, but we are working our asses off to make sure that not only do you survive but that you thrive. "There are so many more people that are working actively so that you have peace and that you can exist in the same way as everyone else has the ability to exist. We are fighting and we will never stop fighting. As long as I have air in my lungs we will not stop fighting for you and I'm not alone in that," said Union, whose step-daughter Zaya is trans. Washington, March 17 : The US Treasury Department announced the launch of a multilateral task force which will "collect and share information to take concrete actions, including sanctions, asset freezing, and civil and criminal asset seizure, and criminal prosecution" against Russian Oligarchs and elites. In a statement, the Department said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Wednesday virtually met with representatives from Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the European Commission, to launch the Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) multilateral task force. The task force was first announced by on February 26. "The task force, consisting of Finance Ministry and Justice or Home Ministry in each member jurisdiction, each committed to using their respective authorities in concert with other appropriate ministries to collect and share information to take concrete actions, including sanctions, asset freezing, and civil and criminal asset seizure, and criminal prosecution," said the statement. Yellen said "our sanctions, trade restrictions, and other measures have already imposed significant costs on Russia, its leadership, and those who enabled (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's unprovoked invasion into Ukraine". "This multilateral task force will raise those costs even more, by galvanising coordinated efforts to freeze and seize assets of these individuals in jurisdictions around the world and deny safe haven for their ill-gotten gains," she was quoted as saying in the statement. Meanwhile, Attorney General Garland said that work was underway with "our international partners to freeze and seize properties belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs worldwide". "We will continue to work together to take all appropriate actions against those whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue its unjust war against Ukraine," he added. According to the Treasury Department, information provided by US law enforcement to foreign partners has helped detain several vessels controlled by sanctioned individuals and entities" in the last three weeks alone. It added that the ships seized are worth "hundreds of millions of dollars". The members of the working group have also been given a list of 50 people to focus their investigations on, the Department noted. Moscow, March 17 : Responding to claims by Ukraine that an airstrike destroyed a theatre in Mariupol and killed civilians sheltering there, the Russian Defence Ministry said there had been no such strikes against ground targets in that city, and accused the neo-Nazi "Azov" battalion of killing its hostages. The Russian military was aware of reports that "Azov" militants had kept civilians inside the theatre as human shields, and did not consider the building a target for airstrikes for that reason, Ministry representative Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. "Previously, it was known from the refugees who got out of Mariupol that the Nazis of the Azov Battalion could hold civilians hostage in the theatre building, using the upper floors as firing points," RT News quoted Konashenkov as saying. Taking into account the potential danger to civilians, and "the provocation already carried out by the nationalists on March 9 with hospital No. 3 in Mariupol, the theater building in the city center was never considered a target for destruction", he added. According to Konashenkov, the "available reliable information" indicates that Azov militants committed "a new bloody provocation by blowing up the theatre building they had mined". Patna, March 17 : A day after the BJP demanded that "The Kashmir Files" be made tax-free in Bihar, RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwari requested Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to see the film before releasing it in the state. Without naming any party, Tiwari said that the movie has been made at the behest of a particular political party with a "vested" interest. "It is true that violence took place in Kashmir valley during 1990s. The militants and separatist organisations had carried out a violent campaign against Kashmiri Pandits and forced them to flee the valley. But wasn't their safety the responsibility of the then government of Jammu and Kashmir? At that time, Sheikh Abdullah was the chief minister and the governor was D. Jagmohan, a BJP leader and RSS sympathiser. Moreover, Vishwanath Pratap Singh was the prime minister of India and was running the government with the support of BJP," Tiwari said. "Whatever happened in Kashmir was a failure of the state and central government. The filmmaker has hidden the failures of state and central government and projected Muslims and criminals responsible for brutalising Kashmiri Pandits," Tiwari said. The massacre of Kashmiri Pandits was extremely unfortunate but the filmmaker has provided false data in the film. The state government of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar Vidhan Sabha in 2010 said that 1.5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the valley during the 1990s and 219 persons were killed, he pointed out. "The 30-year-old history of Jammu and Kashmir is being used to achieve the political goal of a particular political party which is wanting to intensify communalism in the country and create hatred for Muslims in the mind of Hindus," he said. "If we talk about history, Muslims were in majority in 1947 in Jammu region. During the partition, violence spread to such a level that Muslims came into minority category in the region. The question is how we are using our history. Are we using it to flare up the fire or are we using it to douse the flame," Tiwari asked. The Narendra Modi government is wanting to flare up fire in the country through this film. "I am afraid that my friend Nitish Kumar has held the wood in his hand to intensify more fire in the society." Earlier, Sanjay Sarawgi, a BJP MLA from Darbhanga demanded in the Assembly to make the film tax-free in the state. He also gave an example of several BJP-ruled states like Karnataka, MP, UP, Haryana announcing the film tax-free in their respective states. Following his demand, the deputy chief minister assured the house to hold a meeting in this regard. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is yet to take a decision on it. On Monday, Nitish Kumar offered 'Chadar' to Maner Sharif in Patna district where he said that he used to frequent the place for peace and maintain brotherhood between the two communities in the state. Moscow/Kiev, March 17 : Following a new round of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev amid the ongoing war between the two sides, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that his country is prepared to continue high-level trilateral negotiations with Ukraine mediated by Turkey. "If such initiatives appear, we would only be happy to continue communicating in this format," Xinhua news agency quoted Lavrov as saying at a press conference following his talks with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow. He explained that Russia would only be interested in talks with Ukraine if these would lead to concrete results and solve existing problems. According to Cavusoglu, Turkey is ready to host a potential meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine. Lavrov met his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Turkey's southern province of Antalya last week on the sidelines of an international forum. This was the first high-level meeting between Moscow and Kiev since Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24. Earlier on Wednesday, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said Russia and Ukraine have achieved some progress on a number of issues during the new round of talks. "Some progress has been achieved on a number of positions, but not all. The positions of the parties are quite clear, we are moving slowly," local media reported, citing Medinsky, who is also the head of Moscow's delegation. "The preservation and development of Ukraine's neutral status, Ukraine's demilitarisation along with a whole range of issues related to the size of the Ukrainian army are being discussed," Medinsky said, adding that the Ukrainian side had proposed a Swedish or Austrian example of a neutral demilitarised state. The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. For South Africa's Deputy President David Mabuza, diplomacy remains "the key tool" to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict and no amount of condemnation and side taking will resolve this problem. South Africa continues to call for the parties to work together towards building trust and confidence by "intensifying existing peace mechanisms and dialogue" in order to achieve long-lasting solutions to the conflict, he said. In another development, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday in Brussels that the organization is working on resetting its deterrence and defense in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "We face a new reality for our security. So we must reset our collective defence and deterrence for the longer term," said Stoltenberg following the extraordinary meeting of NATO ministers of defence, of which Defence Ministers from Ukraine, Georgia, Finland and Sweden also participated. The NATO's military commanders have been tasked with developing options on land, in air, at sea, in the cyber space, and in space, according to Stoltenberg. The process for the reset started with a political decision, which is now followed by a consultation of the military commanders, who should issue their advice within weeks, he said, adding that leaders of NATO member states will make a decision by June. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Geneva, March 17 : The World Health Organization (WHO) has delayed the assessment process for granting emergency use authorisation to Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against Covid, in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. According to a WHO official, the global health agency was forced to put off the assessment because booking flights to Russia is impossible as Western countries have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft after the country invaded Ukraine on February 24, The New York Times reported. Further, the health agency's inspectors will also be unable to use credit cards in Russia as Mastercard and Visa have suspended their operations. "We were supposed to go do inspections in Russia on March 7, and these inspections were postponed for a later date," said Dr. Mariangela Simao, an assistant director general of the WHO, at a news conference in Geneva. "The assessment, along with inspections, have been affected because of the situation." Simao said a new timetable would be drawn up as soon as possible, the report said. The two-dose Sputnik V was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute, part of Russia's Ministry of Health. Russia began distributing the vaccine in the fall of 2020, and regulators in more than 70 countries have approved it for use, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which backed the vaccine's development. But the vaccine has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency or the WHO. Russia has also repeatedly failed to follow international procedure and provide all the data that the regulators need to assess safety of the vaccine. An EU health official, last year, accused Russia's government of repeatedly delaying inspections of Russian facilities. However, Russian officials insist that the delays in the approval process have been political, the report said. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Islamabad, March 17 : Pakistan has invited Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to attend the upcoming conference of Foreign Ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad as a "guest of honour", a rare move to accord this opportunity to a top diplomat from a non-OIC country, The Express Tribune reported. Wang will address the conference scheduled for March 22 and 23 as a special guest. At least 48 Foreign Ministers from the 57-nation OIC have so far confirmed their participation. This is the second OIC meeting being hosted by Pakistan in three months. In December 2021, Pakistan also hosted an extraordinary session of the OIC on Afghanistan, the report said. Meanwhile, sources said that Wang, apart from attending the OIC conference, would also attend the Pakistan Day Parade to witness the performance of recently-inducted Chinese fighter jets J-10C into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Pakistan is the first country to get the J-10C fighter jets from China, The Express Tribune reported. The Chinese Minister will also meet the country's civil and military leadership to review the bilateral ties as well as discuss regional and international issues. Progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects would also be reviewed during his visit, The Express Tribune added. Gandhinagar, March 17 : The Gujarat government informed the Assembly on Thursday that there is a 43 per cent rise in custodial deaths in the state in the past two years. Information regarding custodial deaths was sought by Amreli MLA Paresh Dhanani from the government. In reply, the government said a total of 157 custodial deaths have been reported in the state in the last two years. Moreover, there is a rising trend in custodial deaths. The government tabled the data on Thursday, in which it admitted that a total of 88 incidents of custodial deaths were reported in 2020 and 100 such incidents in 2021. In 2019, a total of 70 such deaths were reported, which means there is a rise of 42.85 per cent in just two years. Replying to Dhanani's query regarding the compensation provided to the family of the victims, Minister of State (MoS) home, Harsh Sanghvi informed the house that one family of the victim was provided Rs 6,00,000 in Surat and nothing else is left to pay to other families of the victims. The MoS home informed that in Ahmedabad, one Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) has been suspended and an offence has been registered against four officers/staffers and a constable of Khanpur observation home under the Indian Penal Code sections 302, 323, 114, General Police Act sections 135(1), Atrocity Act section 3(2)(5), and Juvenile Justice Act section 75 and 82. Bengaluru, March 17 : Hadn't fate played its cruel game, Kannada actor late Puneeth Rajkumar would be celebrating his 47th birthday with fans and friends on Thursday. His last movie, 'James' release marked the special day even as public and celebrities paid their tributes to the superstar of Kannada filmdom. "Our most loved Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar's life, his public conduct, helping nature towards the poor is exemplary and inspiring," Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said. Speaking to media persons, Bommai said, "we should remember his huge achievements and good work at such a young age. We would have been celebrating his 47th Birthday today if he was alive. His life is an inspiration to us though we all are in grief after losing him." The chief minister wished all the success for Puneeth starrer 'James' which hit the screens on Thursday. The date to present the 'Karnataka Ratna' award to Puneeth posthumously would be decided in consultation with his family members. A committee would be constituted to organise the award presentation function in a manner befitting the honour of Puneeth and Dr Rajkumar, Bommai said. Puneeth Rajkumar passed away on October 29, 2021. The youngest son of Kannada matinee idol Late Dr Rajkumar, was a versatile personality who excelled on the big and small screens. He was known for his philanthropy. Several film personalities from the south Indian film industry took to social media on Thursday to express their love and tributes to Puneeth Rajkumar. They include Mohanlal, Sarath Kumar, Sai Dharam Teja and others. Lucknow, March 17 : The Yogi Adityanath government, even before being officially sworn in for the second term, is preparing to further improve and develop and health infrastructure in the state. The government is preparing to fulfil its promise of a government medical colleges with state-of-the-art facilities in every district of the state. According to the government spokesman, six Dhanwantri Mega Health Parks will be set up in the state with an investment of about Rs 30,000 crore. This will make the state self-sufficient by expanding the production of medical facilities like health and surgical instruments and medicines on a large scale. Under the Maharishi Sushruta Health Infrastructure Mission, health infrastructure will be improved for a better health system at every level with a cost of over Rs 10,000 crore. In addition to doubling the number of seats for medical courses like MBBS, over 6,000 doctors and 10,000 paramedical staff will be appointed in the state. Along with this, doubling the number of ambulances equipped with state-of-the-art life support facilities in UP, dialysis centres in every district, expanding the network of Jan Aushadhi Kendras with TB free state by 2025 to provide essential medicines at affordable prices to all citizens is also on the cards. Chennai, March 17 : Officials of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) are wondering about the impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict on the delivery of atomic power plant components from Russia's Rosatom for four plants being set up at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. Russia's integrated nuclear power player Rosatom is supplying four 1,000 MW reactor components to NPCIL that is setting up four atomic power plants in Kudankulam. The NPCIL has to arrange ships for bringing the reactor components from Russia to India. Following the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the US, the UK and other Western countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia. Speaking to IANS, a senior NPCIL official preferring anonymity said the shipping sector is affected because of the conflict. The official also said Rosatom will inform about the items that can be lifted from Russia and ships will be arranged accordingly. Sources close to NPCIL told IANS that Western ships may not be available to lift the cargo from Russia to India and the option is to look for Chinese or ships from other countries. Questions from IANS sent to Rosatom South Asia Marketing (India) on the issue remained unanswered. India's atomic power plant operator NPCIL is currently building four nuclear power plants (Units 3, 4, 5 & 6) of 1,000 MW capacity each at Kudankulam. Already, two 1,000 MW plants (Units 1 and 2) are operational at Kudankulam. All the six units are built with Russian technology and equipment supplied by Rosatom. Major equipment for building the 3rd and 4th units have reached Kudankulam from Russia. A sizable number of component supplies for 5th & 6th units are to come from Russia. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Bengaluru, March 17 : Late Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar's swansong movie 'James' hit the screens on Thursday, which is also his birthday. The movie has got one of the biggest openings in recent times. The fans of Puneeth have decorated the theaters and organised various social service events which have created a sort of festive mood in the state. Several political leaders and film personalities paid homage to the young actor who passed away too soon at the age of 46. Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said that late actor Puneeth was an asset of Kannada film industry. He will continue to live in the hearts of people forever. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said that he remembered the late actor with love and sadness. Puneeth still rules the hearts of crores of people, he said. Priya Anand, the lead actress of 'James' watched the movie in Navrang theatre in Bengaluru and she could not control her tears. Raghavendra Rajkumar, senior actor and elder brother of Puneeth said that 'James' is not just a movie but it's an emotion. Kishore Pattikonda, the producer of the movie said that, Puneeth should have been alive to see the response for the movie. He said the team had gone to Puneeth's house and got the blessings from his family. The film is generating huge response from the audience, he said. Director Chetan said that the fans are happy after watching their favorite star on the screen. The response is tremendous in all places. Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, the wife of superstar has also wished success for the film. Meanwhile, the police have beefed up security in the premises of the Kanteerava studio as huge number of Puneeth's fans are visiting his samadhi on his birthday. New Delhi, March 17 : Robert Troy TD, Minister of State Trade Promotion, Digital, and Company Regulation is on his visit to India as part of this year's St Patrick's Day Ministerial missions. This visit will play a great role in developing trade, political, economic & commercial links between Ireland and India. It will also promote Ireland as a location to study, a source of innovative technology to support increased exports by Irish companies to India, and promote foreign direct investment into Ireland by Indian companies. During his visit to Delhi, Troy met with key business leaders and authorities at educational institutions to support the growing economic and educational links between Ireland and India, and explore opportunities for further collaboration. Troy was accompanied by Conor Fahy, Regional Director, Middle East, Africa, India at Enterprise Ireland. Fahy said that this visit will have many positive impacts including a better understanding of the Indian business, education, and investment market. He stated that India has a lot of potential for growth while Ireland's innovation and technological solutions can help the country further its potential. This exchange between both countries concerning education, business, investment, and culture will bring growth in both directions as Ireland will gain expert market penetration and diversification for its companies. On sustainability and innovative technology, Fahy said, "Ireland is a green economy and we believe that it is important to put sustainability at the core of all businesses. We strongly support Paris Agreement and our focus is to move towards achieving greener solutions. Therefore, we are investing heavily in research to find sustainable ways to manufacture and resolve supply chain issues. We are looking forward to collaborating with Indian companies which are looking for built-in solutions to bring sustainability to their operations. Hence, there is a huge opportunity for Irish companies in the Indian market." Many Irish organizations are already developing and providing technical assistance to Indian companies working in education, ICT, Pharma, and Aviation. Ireland is the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals globally and has witnessed significant growth in India over the last few years. Students are the future of any nation and their education is the foundation towards a better tomorrow. India and Ireland both align with this belief and renowned institutions partner and engage in different exchange programs. On education, Fahy said, "Ireland offers a horizon of opportunities for aspirants and is become a preferred destination for higher education. I am delighted that Minister Troy visited Delhi University and met the key-drivers of education in India as both India and Ireland are on the same mission to make world-class education accessible to all. Besides, cross-border collaborations are a revolution in the higher education industry and this partnership will not only boost India-Ireland's bilateral relationship but also create a fine talent that will lead innovation for a sustainable tomorrow. Furthermore, as innovation holds a very important place in Ireland, we at Enterprise Ireland also encourage and support innovative ideas." Ireland is an open economy, which provides huge room for global economies to collaborate. Minister Troy's visit to India is a welcome step to boost Enterprise Ireland's strategic goal of increasing Irish exports of goods and services to India from a130 million in 2020 to a250 million in 2024. New Delhi :Leaders of Apna Dal (S) Anupriya Patel and Ashish Patel meet BJP President JP Nadda in New Delhi on Thursday, March 17, 2022.(Photo:Twitter) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi :Leaders of Apna Dal (S) Anupriya Patel and Ashish Patel meet BJP President JP Nadda in New Delhi on Thursday, March 17, 2022.(Photo:Twitter) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 17 : Union Minister and Apna Dal president Anupriya Patel met BJP chief J.P. Nadda and congratulated him for historic victory of alliance in recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Sources said that formation of a new NDA government in Uttar Pradesh was also discussed during the meeting. "Apna Dal president Anupriya Patel congratulated Nadda for historic victory of alliance in Uttar Pradesh. She also discussed government formation including Apna Dal representation in the new cabinet. She also discussed some other issues concerning Uttar Pradesh," sources in Apan Dal said. Sources pointed that the party is willing to join the UP govt this time, however, no specific demand for the number of cabinet berths are made. "We wish to join the government this time and decision about number of cabinet berths for the Apna Dal has been left with the BJP leadership and the Chief Minister. We have not made any specific demand about number of cabinet berths," a source said. Apna Dal leader Ashish Patel, union minister and BJP state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and UP BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh were also present during the meeting held at Nadda's residence here. Islamabad, March 17 : In a first, Pakistan has allowed a private Indian trader to export commercial goods to Uzbekistan as part of the trade activity between New Delhi, Islamabad, Kabul and Tashkent. According to details, at least 140 tonnes of cargo, mostly Indian sugar, crossed over into Pakistan and travelled to Afghanistan through the Torkham border. The shipment was sent ahead towards Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent on Wednesday. Maulana Zaheer, spokesperson of Afghanistan's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said that a special ceremony was organised to facilitate the transit of Indian goods in Kabul. "The shipment arrived in Kabul a day earlier from Pakistan via Torkham border crossing. The ministry organized a ceremony to facilitate the transit of Indian goods, "This is a major step towards turning Afghanistan into a key trade link between Central and South Asia," he added. The cargo had originated from Mumbai and had travelled through the Karachi seaport earlier this month, where the Uzbek importer received it. The cargo was then loaded into trucks from Karachi and sent towards the Torkham border into Afghanistan after which it would travel to Uzbekistan. "This was done as under the recently inked bilateral transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Uzbekistan," said a Pakistani official. The agreement was signed during the recent visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during which, several bilateral trade agreements were mutually agreed and materialized. "The Uzbekistan-bound Indian commercial consignment was a privately arranged activity under the agreement and had no government involvement from any of the four countries," stated the Pakistani official. "It will not become a regular activity, and Uzbekistan will be able to import goods from anywhere through Pakistani seaports." The official also revealed that the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan is bound to facilitate trade activity and Uzbekistan also has the right to access Pakistani ports for international trade, having the same right that is facilitated for Afghanistan. Pakistan has allowed Afghanistan to use its ports and air routes to carry out its trade activities from other countries. This facilitation is provided as part of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), which allows Afghan traders to export their goods to India via Pakistan's land, air and sea routes. However, the Afghan traders can only import through Pakistan's seaports because of the tense relations between the two countries. Los Angeles, March 17 : Olga Smirnova, one of Russia's top dancers, made a huge decision and revealed that she quit the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Smirnova will now join the Dutch National Ballet, reports aceshowbiz.com. "The whole company is thrilled and energized," Artistic Director Ted Brandsen said on Wednesday by phone from Amsterdam. Raving about Smirnova, Brandsen added, "She's a beautiful artist and a beautiful person. There's something really magical about her. She dances with her entire soul. So to have her join our company is wonderful - even though the situation behind it is so tragic and so awful." Brandsen said Smirnova got in touch through a mutual friend to ask about joining his company. He said he has admired her for years, mostly from a distance, since she caught his eye at her graduation performance from the renowned Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg. In addition to Smirnova, he welcomed former Mariinsky dancer, Victor Caixeta, from Brazil, who left Russia amid the war, reports aceshowbiz.com. Brandsen revealed that Caixeta left the Mariinsky along with the company's first English principal dancer, Xander Parish, and Parish's wife. In an Instagram post, Parish announced his departure from the Mariinsky. He also said that he left Russia "at least until peace comes. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine." Earlier this month, Smirnova condemned the war in Ukraine in a post on the messaging platform Telegram. "We cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe," Smirnova wrote last week. I never thought I would be ashamed of Russia," the ballerina continued in her post. Smirnova described herself as one-quarter Ukrainian as her grandfather is Ukrainian. She continued, "It is that we continue to live as if this were the 20th century. Now I feel that a line has been drawn that separates the before and the after. It hurts that people are dying, that people are losing the roofs over their heads or are forced to abandon their homes." Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Phnom Penh, March 17 : Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday announced that the country has decided to reinstate the visa-on-arrival scheme for all international travellers who have been vaccinated against Covid and were entering via air, land and sea ports. Addressing the media, Hun Sen that all inbound travellers are no longer required to present a medical certificate for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours prior to their arrival. He added that inbound passengers will also not be required to undergo a rapid test upon their arrivals at any ports of entry, reports Xinhua news agency. These decisions took effect immediately, he said. "We lift these restrictions in order to attract investors, business people and tourists," Hun Sen said in a speech live broadcast on the state-run National Television of Cambodia (TVK). "We must learn to live with Covid-19." Health Minister Mam Bunheng said all inbound passengers must show their Covid-19 vaccination cards or certificates upon their arrivals. "For unvaccinated passengers, they must undergo a 14-day quarantine at facilities designated by the Ministry of Health or competent authorities," he said in a statement. Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, is optimistic that the latest move would encourage international investors and tourists to Cambodia. "This full reopening of borders for vaccinated travellers clearly reflects the government's success in its vaccination drive against Covid19, with China being the main vaccine supplier," he told Xinhua. Cambodia has so far administered one dose of Covid-19 vaccines to 14.76 million people, or 92.3 per cent of its 16 million population, the Ministry of Health said. Of them, 13.89 million, or 86.8 per cent of the total population, have been fully vaccinated with two required shots, the Ministry added. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hyderabad, March 17 : Telangana police on Thursday detained two persons in connection with an incident in which a four-year-old girl died when an airgun misfired. The incident occurred at Vavilala village in Jinnaram mandal of Sangareddy district near Hyderabad when few children were playing with the weapon. Police have detained the owner of the farmhouse for negligence and 17-year-old son of a watchman's relative who had pressed the trigger while playing with the airgun. In the accident that occurred on Tuesday but came to light late on Wednesday, a pellet from the air gun pierced through Shanvi's head. She was shifted to government-run Osmania Hospital where she succumbed while undergoing treatment. The girl was the daughter of Nagaraju, working as watchman in the farmhouse owned by a man from Hyderabad. As different crops were being grown in the farmhouse, the owner had kept an airgun to scare away birds and animals damaging the crops. Nagaraju and Sukanya, migrant workers from Nizamabad district, did not know that there were pellets in the airgun. Their daughter was playing with children Sukanya's sister when the incident occurred. Police registered a case under section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and took up further investigation. Deputy Superintendent of Police Bheem Reddy said the two children of watchman and children of watchman's relative who had come to attend a local fair were playing with the airgun in the farmhouse. Police said the incident occurred due to the negligence of the farmhouse's owner. Children used to take selfies and play with the weapon. On Tuesday when the group of children were playing, a 17-year-old boy picked up the gun and pressed the trigger. Shanvi came in front of the airgun and the pellet hit her in the head. Azamgarh : , March 17 (IANS) The Azamgarh police have arrested one Meraj Ahmed, following an encounter, for looting people through a gay social network app. The accused suffered bullet injuries and has been admitted to the district hospital. According to police sources, Meraj Ahmed of Jamilpur area, used to call people at lonely places through a popular gay social network app and loot them. SP Azamgarh Anurag Arya said that most of his victims avoided making any complaint with police due to threat of social disrepute. Arya said that one of his victims had alerted Maharajganj police after some miscreants looted his motorcycle and mobile phone from near a culvert. Inspector Maharajganj, H Singh, while checking vehicles near Raghupur barrier on late on Tuesday night, noticed two motorcycle-borne persons passing through the area. On being asked to stop, one of them opened fire on the police and tried to flee. In the exchange of fire, Ahmed got injured and fell down while his accomplice Mohd Danish managed to escape. Police recovered a looted motorcycle, eight mobile phones, one country-made revolver, and live cartridges from his possession. Arya said Ahmed confessed to his involvement in over 24 cases of loot and mobile snatching in Azamgarh and Mau district. He also confirmed that he, along with his gang members, was active on a gay social network app. They used to contact the app members and call them at lonely places in the name of dating and then loot them. New Delhi, March 17 : Global PC brand Lenovo on Thursday appointed Ajay Sehgal as the Executive Director for India commercial business. Based in Mumbai, Sehgal0 will be responsible for driving growth for the overall Lenovo India commercial PC and Smart Devices business. "Companies large and small are accelerating their digital transformation, and are seeking trusted partners to help them navigate this exciting transition. I am confident that his experience will help take our commercial sales organisation to the next level along our journey of service-led-transformation," Shailendra Katyal, Managing Director, Lenovo India, said in a statement. Prior to joining Lenovo, Sehgal worked with Vodafone as Executive Vice President, Enterprise Business. In previous roles, he has worked with HP India as well as with Xerox, and has handled multiple leadership positions across the PC and printing solutions businesses. In Q4 2021, the overall India tablet market grew 31 per cent year-on-year, while for the entire year it grew 4 per cent YoY. Lenovo topped the tablet market in India, mainly driven by its enterprise tablet business. Lenovo Tab M10 HD Tablet series garnered 32 per cent market share and primarily in the value for Money (Rs 7,000-Rs 25,000) segment. Lenovo shipments recorded 23 per cent YoY growth in CY2021. The company has a strong offline play, catering to enterprise and consumer demand. Islamabad, March 17 : Pakistan is faced with a major challenge to counter a settlement dispute claim of $6 billion in the Reko Diq case as Washington's district court has dismissed Islamabads motions, seeking a stay on enforcement of the $6 billion award by International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The ICSID imposed a billion dollar fine on Pakistan on July 12, 2019 for revoking a mining contract at Reko Diq in the country's Balochistan province. The case was also reviewed by the British Virgin Island (BVI) court, which gave the ruling into the case and attached assets of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) in New York and Central Paris to enforce the award. Pakistan has maintained that it had not waived its sovereign immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), highlighting that no valid arbitration agreement existed. However, the Washington district court highlighted and emphasised that it is not entitled to review such an arbitrability agreement with reference to ICSID award under the FSIA. "Even if we were allowed to do so, it would owe deference to the arbitration tribunal's decision on this issue," the Washington DC district court maintained. "The US statute implementing the ICSID Convention required courts to give awards the same full faith and credit as if the award were a final judgment of the state court," the court ruling highlighted. Pakistan's contention that the arbitration tribunal lacked jurisdiction ratione materiae to grant full faith and credit, an argument disposed of by the court, insisting that longstanding precedent bars this attempt to recycle a losing jurisdiction argument. The rejection of Pakistan's contention consequently impacted on the motion to dismiss the case and was swiftly rejected by the court. The court closed its order with the ruling that the $6 billion award was final and that in the application of Articles 53(1) and 54(1) of the ICSID Convention, Pakistan is obliged to abide and comply with the award, followed by the steps required to enforce the obligation under the award. The court directed both parties to agree on a joint proposed final judgment, consistent with its Memorandum Opinion, including the current amounts for pre and post-award interest. Mumbai, March 17 : Bollywood actress Mrunal Thakur alongside Avinash Tiwary is coming up with a new short film titled 'Jahaan', which releases Thursday. The film is produced by Unbox films and directed by Celina John. Talking about the film producer Sanjay Sharma of Unbox Films said, " 'Jahaan' is one of our most special projects. This short film narrates a very innocent yet riveting love story that will surely entertain audiences." The film is a romantic thriller. The story of the film revolves around a young couple - Ghazal and Inder, who are passionately in love. Facing ups and downs in their marital life, the partners are living in a house that they feel emotionally connected to. The story takes a turn when their real estate broker tries to find a new tenant but Ghazal and Inder have no intention to let go of the house. The film releases on Amazon miniTV. "We believe in narrating stories that resonate well with audiences at large and Jahaan is one such offering that will leave a lasting impression on the audience," said Girish Prabhu, Head of Amazon Advertising. The powerful on-screen performances have led the short film to win several awards both nationally as well in the international circuit, including the Best Producer Award at the Hollywood Gold Awards, The Gangtok International Film Festival. It has also featured in the Official Selection at The Standalone Film Fest and Award, The New York Flash Film Festival. New Delhi, March 17 : Companies, many based in Ireland, leased 515 airplanes worth about $10 billion to Russian airlines. They may never get them back. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a law switching the jets over to the Russian airplane registry, making their return very difficult, Politico reported. In doing so, Russia is breaching the Chicago Convention, the international rules that underpin civil aviation, according to European Transport Commissioner Adina Valean. The European Commission is working with regulatory agencies to get the jets back, she told the European Parliament on Tuesday. But her comments are unlikely to inspire much faith from lessors. "We are in the process to try to do our best," she said, adding: "But to be honest, we're not very trustful because when you have such abusive behavior from a country like Russia, it's difficult to say what the outcome will be," Politico reported. The bloc has given leasing companies until March 28 to wrap up their contracts and get their planes home. However, only a few dozen airplanes have made it back to their owners -- largely those that were outside Russia when the skies closed. The rest are in Russia and Putin's new measure moves them onto shaky legal territory, said Donal Hanley, a professor at the Institute of Air and Space Law at Montreal's McGill University. Panaji, March 17 : A day after BJP central leaders reportedly gave an informal nod to Goa's caretaker Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to prepare for a second stint, another contender to the post and former Health Minister Vishwajit Rane lost his cool on Thursday when he was questioned about the chief ministership issue, which was a subject of heated political speculation. Rane, who was in Panaji to pay homage to former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar on the occasion of the latter's death anniversary, told media persons not to ask him faltu (useless) questions, when he was asked to comment on developments related to the race for the chief minister's post. "Do not ask me faltu questions. Media's job is to create sensation. Don't ask me anything faltu. I have come to offer condolences to my leader. You ask these questions to the central leadership," Rane said. Rane, a former Congress leader, and Sawant are both traditional political rivals and have had run-ins in the past in a cabinet led by the latter from 2019-2022. While Sawant, who led the party to its best ever electoral tally of 20 seats without the benefit of coalition allies, was tipped to be Chief Minister this time round too. But Rane allegedly also tried to stake his claim for the top post. The former Health Minister has formally denied any attempt on his part to bid for the top chair, after a sudden meeting with Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai last week which set the political circles abuzz about a contest for the top post between Rane and Sawant. On Tuesday, his wife Deviya Rane, a newly elected MLA from the Poriem assembly constituency, also created a flutter when she said that like all elected legislators, her husband too was ready to accept the top political seat. "Of course any elected representative can be ready and he is a very experienced politician for the last 15 years. But the final decision is of the central leadership," Deviya Rane had told reporters. She however said that there was no dissent over the choice of chief minister within the BJP, adding that the decision was left to the party high command. Sawant's credentials for chief ministership were reportedly endorsed after his visit to the national capital on Wednesday when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J.P. Nadda among other central BJP leaders. Sawant however maintains that the final decision on the issue would be taken by the party's central leadership, while adding that his visit to the national capital was related to the post election formalities of the party. "Me, the state party president and senior party officials went to Delhi to submit election reports. We went to say thanks to the party leaders," Sawant said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, March 17 : The Supreme Court has held that a daughter who is not willing to maintain any relationship with her father, is not entitled to any money either for education or marriage. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.M. Sundresh said: "In so far as the daughter's expenses for education and marriage are concerned, it appears from her approach that she does not want to maintain any relationship with the appellant and is about 20 years of age." "She is entitled to choose her own path but then cannot demand from the appellant the amount towards the education. We, thus, hold that the daughter is not entitled to any amount." The top court order came on a divorce plea filed by the husband and turned down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Granting divorce, the bench said: "There remains no doubt about irretrievable breakdown of marriage in the facts of the present case. Thus, we are inclined to exercise our jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution of India by granting a decree of divorce on the said ground." It noted that nothing really subsists in this marriage except mutual acrimony and it is not even possible for the parties to sit across the table or to even talk over telephone to come to a reasonable understanding. The bench noted that the wife has practically no money and means, and lives with her brother who is supporting her and her daughter's education. Determining the amount to be paid as permanent alimony to the mother, the bench said: "We consider it appropriate to fix the permanent alimony of the respondent, at present being paid at Rs 8,000 per month as interim maintenance, at Rs.10,00,000 in full and final settlement of all claims." The top court added if the mother so desires to support the daughter, funds are available. The daughter has been living with her mother since birth. The husband had filed a plea before a district judge seeking dissolution of marriage, after his plea for restitution of conjugal rights, was dismissed. The district judge allowed the plea, which was challenged by the wife before the high court. The husband moved the top court, after the high court set aside the lower court order. The Supreme Court mediation centre attempted for reconciliation proceedings, but it was not successful. Panaji, March 17 : The BJP may not have been able to appoint its Chief Minister or even swear-in ministers after the February 14 assembly polls in Goa, but the party has already started preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, according to state party president Sadanand Shet Tanavade. Speaking to reporters, Tanavade also said that the state unit had already submitted profiles of winning candidates to the central BJP leaders and added that it was the central leaders who would take a call on whom to pick as chief minister. He also added that the name of the state's new chief minister could be announced after Holi, even as party sources claim that Pramod Sawant, who served as chief minister from 2019-22 and is the current caretaker CM, had already made the cut. "BJP will win both MP seats in North Goa and South Goa constituencies. Before that we will win panchayat elections too. We have started planning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and panchayat polls too. Hundred percent we will win," Tanavade told reporters, when asked about the party's preparations for both the electoral events on the horizon. Explaining in detail about the purpose of his visit, along with Sawant, state BJP organising secretary Satish Dhond and the party's national general secretary in-charge of Goa C.T. Ravi to the national capital, Tanavade said they met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J.P. Nadda among other central BJP leaders in Delhi on Wednesday. "After the Goa assembly polls, we have to submit an overall report to the central leadership. How many constituencies we won, where all we fell short. What we need to do in those areas where we lost now. What are the reasons. Such meetings are held in relation to all states where polls are held. Reasons behind victory and loss are assessed," Tanavade said. When asked if names of potential chief minister for Goa were discussed at the meet, Tanavade said that a profile of all winners with their achievements had been submitted to the BJP's central leadership, which would now take a final call. Tanavade also said that the BJP's central emissaries led by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was expected to arrive in Goa and the party's decision related to chief ministership would be known "in a couple of days". Tomar is expected to chaperone a meeting of the newly elected BJP legislators, where they would be informed about the name of the state's new chief minister. BJP insiders however claim that Sawant's candidature had been endorsed by senior party leaders during his Delhi visit on Wednesday. Sydney, March 17 : In a first such move, Google on Thursday said it will soon ask users in Australia to provide a valid driver's license or passport to access age-restricted content on YouTube and Google Play. If Google systems are unable to establish that a viewer is above the age of 18, it will request to provide a valid ID or credit card to verify their age, said the company. "Over the coming month, we will be introducing a new age assurance step on YouTube and Google Play," said Samantha Yorke, government affairs and public policy senior manager at Google. This added step is "informed by the Australian Online Safety (Restricted Access Systems) Declaration, which requires platforms to take reasonable steps to confirm users are adults in order to access content that is potentially inappropriate for viewers under 18", she added. The move is to provide users with "age appropriate experiences". "As part of this process, some Australian users may be asked to provide additional proof of age when attempting to watch mature content on YouTube or downloading content on Google Play." Google considers a valid ID as one issued by the government, such as a driver's licence or passport. Currently, when content is age-restricted, users coming to YouTube must be signed-in with a Google account and their account age must be 18 or older in order to view the video. To make sure the experience is consistent, viewers attempting to access age-restricted videos on most third-party websites are redirected to YouTube where they must sign-in and be over 18 to view it. "We understand that many are turning to YouTube, Google Play, and our other services at this time to find content that is both educational and entertaining," said the company. Mumbai, March 17 : As rapper-dancer Raftaar is coming back on stage along with his desi hip-hop group Kalamkaar for the celebration of Holi, he expresses his excitement and why this stage show is all the more special for them. Raftaar told IANS: " I will be performing on stage and celebrate Holi that too in Delhi my hometown after two years! There are so many songs including 'Ghana Kasoota' that I have released during the pandemic but didn't perform live. This is the time I meet my fans and play for them! I along with our Kalamkaar artistes will play music for them and splash colours...can't really express my excitement in words. Take me back to stage." The 'Dhaakad' famed artiste could not hold back his excitement not only for his upcoming show but also the fact that how Holi, the colour of festival holds a very special place in his heart. "Holi is special for many reasons for me. When I was a teenager I, along with my friends would play with mud, water and we used to do so much fun! I did my first performance for Holi celebration in Dubai...that was also quite a memorable one," recalls Raftaar. Raftaar will perform along with Rashmeet, Kr$na, Deep Kalsi, Karma and Yunan as part of the Zee Live Supermoon Holi tour. Supermoon in the intellectual property of Zee Live. The first concert will be held in Delhi on March 18. The second stage show will take place in Mumbai on April 23. Mumbai, March 17 : Actor Abhimanyu Singh who is playing a pivotal role in the upcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Bachchhan Paandey' says getting due credit for talent and becoming a star has a lot to do with time and luck. He says brighter days are ahead for his career. While his performance in the last Akshay-starrer 'Sooryavanshi' was quite appreciated in the upcoming film also he has got a meaty role to play, he claims. Asked about if he thinks he is finally getting his due as an actor, Abhimanyu told IANS: "I think getting the due for an actor at times come with time, and not immediately. I also think that it is not easy to become a star unless your stars are aligned, you know what I mean, luck factor. I have been working on TV and did theatre for more than eight years." He continued, "I know that my ability as an actor has not been fully explored but in a couple of upcoming projects that is going to happen. I am hopeful." Starting his career in TV with 'Swabhimaan' in 1994, he has appeared in films like 'Aks', 'Gulaal', 'Rakta Charitra', web series like 'Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare' and 'Bhaukaal'. In 'Bachchhan Paandey' he is playing the character named Pendulum. Sharing his experience of working with Akshay, Abhimanyu said, "One of the best parts of working with sir is, on set he creates ease so even if we are running under a tight schedule, we do not feel the pressure. He also has a habit of talking to everyone and treating people with a sense of equality. A superstar like him, with so much ease, no air about the stardom is something really makes everyone on set remain disciplined, sincere yet we all enjoyed the process of making the film." Directed by Farhad Samji, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, also featuring Kriti Sanon, Arshad Warsi, Pankaj Tripathi among others, the film releases in theatres on March 18. New Delhi, March 17 : Congress leader and member of the G-23 faction Sandeep Dikshit said that no pressure has been exerted on the party high command through the G-23 meeting, even after losing the Assembly elections in five states. However, the pressure is only for doing the right thing. According to him the Congress high command, due to personal reasons, has underutilised good leaders whose thoughts and actions are important to make the party stronger. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal had also recently said that the Gandhi family should now step aside from the party's leadership role. Talking to IANS about this, Dikshit said: "Every person in a group has the right to put forward their opinion. I have read Sibal's statement. I don't think he has challenged anyone. His interview was not about the group's statement as we have put the statement of the group in front of everyone." Meanwhile, news of former Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad set to meet the Congress high command on Thursday, has been doing the rounds. However, it is not yet confirmed when they will meet. Talking about it, Dikshit said that he has no information about the meeting and he "cannot even confirm whether it will happen or not." While the BJP is busy preparing for the next election, the Congress is struggling to deal with its internal strife. However, highlighting the democratic nature of his party, Dikshit said: "Congress is a big party, so these problems occur. There is democracy in our party, unlike the rest. We always raise questions here, which is not possible in other parties. Is it? Therefore, it is common to have conflict within groups where different people bring different approaches to the table." On Wednesday, the Congress's G-23 group discussed its strategy for the Gandhi family at a meeting held at Ghulam Nabi Azad's residence. Later a statement was released by the G-23 leaders, saying: "We believe that the only way forward for the Congress is to adopt a model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels. This is necessary to strengthen the Congress party. We demand that the Congress initiates dialogue with like-minded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative in 2024." According to Dikshit, G-23 is a group which cares about the Congress party and invests more time in the party than focusing on fulfilling its own selfish ends. "Although our current situation is not very pleasant and we have become weaker in the last few years, we have to work harder to build our place here, as the mindset of the people havs changed now," he said. Hyderabad, March 17 : All three BJP MLAs in Telangana staged a protest here on Thursday against what they call refusal of Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy to honour the orders of the High Court on their suspension from the House. Wearing black scarves Eatala Rajender, Raja Singh and Raghunandan Rao sat on the protest at Indira Park in the heart of the city. Large number of party leaders and workers participated in the day-long 'Save democracy protest' amid tight security by the police. The MLAs alleged that they were suspended at the instance of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and though the High Court had suggested the Speaker to reconsider their suspension, he did not honour the suggestion of the court. The police had initially denied permission for the protest but later granted the same after BJP leaders moved the High Court. Raghunandan Rao said only BJP can restore democracy in the state. He said with the permission of the party leadership they planned to organise similar protests in all districts. He said they were suspended for questioning the government's move to do away with the governor's address on the first day of the budget session. Rajender alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao spent hundreds of crores to defeat him in Huzurabad by-election. He said after failing in this attempt, KCR got him suspended from Assembly along with other BJP MLAs to muzzle the voice of the opposition. He said they would take the issue to people's court which will ultimately take a decision to save democracy. BJP MLAs had called on Speaker on March 15, a day after the High Court asked them to meet him. They had informed him about the observations made by the court while hearing their petition challenging the suspension. March 15 was the last day of the budget session of the State Assembly. The session had commenced on March 7 and on the very first day all three MLAs of BJP were suspended for disrupting the proceedings. Protesting over the government's move to commence the budget session without the Governor's address, the BJP legislators tried to disrupt the proceedings. On a resolution moved by the government, the Speaker announced their suspension for the entire session. The MLAs had approached the high court challenging their suspension. They argued that their suspension was against the rules of the Legislative Assembly and the Constitution of India. After a single judge refused to stay the suspension, the legislators filed an appeal before a division bench. A bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice A. Venkateswar Reddy on March 14 left the decision to the Speaker. The court hoped that the Speaker will take an appropriate decision to uphold democratic principles in line with the impartial role of his office in the House. New Delhi, March 17 : Infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and Covid-19 are likely to spread in Ukraine as Russia's invasion displaces people and disrupts health services, Nature reported. Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24. While many have fled the country, those remaining are huddled in basements, subway stations and temporary shelters to protect themselves from bombardment, increasing the risk of Covid spread. Besides, with lack of water and sanitation, cases of diarrhoeal diseases are certain to rise, and the risk of polio and measles outbreaks is also high. Access to diagnostic services and treatments for TB and HIV/AIDS are also being interrupted, as health facilities and roads are reduced to rubble, the report said. "I am very, very worried for Ukraine. First and foremost, this may lead to a long-term conflict that will completely destroy the health system," Lucica Ditiu, a Romanian physician and the Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership in Geneva, was quoted as saying. Importantly, the war took place at a time when the country was already facing poor access to immunisations and essential health services due to Covid. While vaccination rates were dangerously low in Ukraine - about 65 per cent in Kyiv, but as low as 20 per cent in some regions - Covid testing took a hit following the invasion. The country saw a peak of the Omicron wave in February. This means undetected transmission is probably significant, World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing earlier this month. Ukraine was also grappling with an outbreak of vaccine-derived polio with two cases in the country's west last year, and the most recent in December. Poliovirus was also isolated from 19 healthy contacts. The conflict has also paused a three-week campaign to vaccinate nearly 140,000 children, launched on February 1; it has also hit polio surveillance, so the virus might be spreading undetected, warns the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, based in Geneva. Further, Ukraine had a large outbreak of measles that began in 2017 and continued until 2020, with more than 115,000 cases. The country also has one of the world's highest burdens of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. Diagnosis and treatment of TB cases had already plunged by about 30 per cent during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021, leading to increased transmission. "Ukraine was challenged before the war in providing antiretroviral therapy, and the war has magnified those challenges," Raman Hailevich, the country director for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was quoted as saying. The country had been making progress, but "this war can put us ten years back again", added Valeriia Rachynska, at the All Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS. Amid the indiscriminate shelling, people might not be able to pick up their medicines. "And even if you make it to a medical facility, it has to be stocked with drugs," Hailevich said. People fleeing to safety might have a one-month supply of drugs, or two weeks' worth, or less, Rachynska said. Those who can't relocate to a safe place, and those in Russian-occupied territories, are the most vulnerable, she added. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, March 17 : Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Kuldeep Singh on Thursday said as many as 175 terrorists have been killed while 183 have been apprehended in Jammu and Kashmir since March 2021 till date. The CRPF has also killed 19 Maoists and arrested 699 in various operations in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected states during the same period, he said, adding that two terrorists have surrendered in J&K while 598 Maoist cadre or supporters have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, and 287 in the Northeast region. Singh also said that during this period, 253 arms were recovered in J&K, 164 in LWE region and 128 in northeast region whereas over 96 kg of explosives were recovered in in Jammu and Kashmir, 1,493 kg in LWE areas and 26 kg in the NE region. The CRPF has also recovered 23 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in J&K, 398 in LWE areas and four in northeastern states whereas 232 grenades were recovered in J&K, 12 in LWE areas and 27 in NE states, he added. Referring to the recent killing of a CRPF personnel who was at home on leave in Kashmir Valley, Singh said that this was the first such incident this year and added that the security agencies acted promptly and arrested the culprit within the shortest possible time He also said that a total of 41 VIPs were provided with VVIP security cover during the recently-concluded Assembly elections in five states while the security of 27 protectees has been withdrawn after the election. Singh also said that on Saturday, the force will conduct its 83rd Raising Day parade at the MA Stadium in Jammu - the first time when this is being celebrated outside the Delhi-NCR. Chandigarh, March 17 : The newly constituted legislative assembly, whose three-day session began here on Thursday, was different as most of the security guards did not recognise a few new faces who arrived for the session. The first of the session commenced with Pro-tem Speaker Inderbir Singh Nijjar administering the oath of office and secrecy to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as Member of the Vidhan Sabha. Breaking the convention, all women members were administered oath after the Chief Minister. Thereafter, all other members were sworn in by the Speaker as members of the newly constituted Assembly district-wise in an alphabetical order. The Chief Minister announced an anti-corruption helpline. A day after resigning from the post of Punjab Congress chief, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who faced defeat from his stronghold Amritsar (East), supported Mann's crusade against corruption. "The happiest man is the one from whom no one expects. Bhagwant Mann unfurls a new anti-mafia era in Punjab with a mountain of expectations, hope he rises to the occasion, brings back Punjab on the revival path with pro-people policies, best always," Sidhu said in a tweet. Rising from the ashes like the phoenix, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) last week, in a maiden emphatic win, crushed the traditional players that ruled the border state of Punjab for over seven decades with its stunning victory largely by its greenhorns on 92 of the 117 seats of the legislative assembly. The previous ruling Congress, which won 77 seats in 2017, managed to win only 18 seats with most of its stalwarts like Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and state party chief Sidhu facing humiliating defeat from their respective strongholds. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, March 17 : TV actors have decided to add a splash of colour in their own way to celebrate Holi. For some it is important to play a safe Holi and others have planned out parties or decided to enjoy with only close family members. Popular TV celebs share their Holi plans for this year and what makes this festival special for them. They also share tips on playing a safe Holi. Zain Imam from 'Fanaa Ishq Mein Marjawaan' shares: "Holi is a festival that has been an integral part of our childhood. When I was younger, I loved playing with water balloons. I use only organic 'gulal' to play with colours with my friends and family as I am very cautious about celebrating the festival with safety. I wish one and everyone a Happy and safe Holi!" This year actor Himnashu Soni has some different plans to enjoy this festival of colours. He wants to celebrate with the cast of his show and is keen on attending Holi events. He says: "This year, I will be attending Holi events and playing with my star cast of 'Aggar Tum Na Hote' to celebrate the occasion. One should always play Holi with herbal colors and should apply an ample amount of coconut oil to save the skin from any reaction caused by the colors. I always try to play environment-friendly Holi." The actor recalls his childhood days and shares: "I still remember when I was a kid, I used to make water balloons and would celebrate Holi with my family. After playing with colours, I would also roam around with my friends on bikes or in cars playing peppy songs." Actress Kamna Pathak has a close association with this festival and her hometown in Madhya Pradesh. She calls it a land of celebration and shares what are her plans and how Holi is celebrated at her place. Kamna says: "Madhya Pradesh is a land of celebration, and Holi celebration continues here for two long days. On day one, a bonfire is organised by the different temples. On day two, the real fun begins as people bid goodbye to winter and welcome the new season by colouring each other with colours and sharing sweets like Gujiya and laddoos. 'Happu Ki Ultan Paltan' actress adds: "Singing, dancing, and the traditional beats of Dhol add to the occasion's gaiety. Five days after Holi, Rang Panchami is celebrated by the tribal community of the state. I adore my hometown, and I enjoy celebrating Holi with my Madhya Pradesh-based family and friends." On the other hand, Joyoshree Arora has a dislike for playing Holi with wet colours. "I love Holi as a festival but I don't like playing with wet colours," she says. Joyoshree recounts a few memories from her childhood days and shares: "My fondest memories of Holi dates back to my childhood when we used to make colours from Palash flowers. I really like organic colours, they are very gentle on the skin which multiplies the fun. Shooting Holi on the 'Sab Satrangi' set was a lot of fun. I make my own sweets and being a Bengali, I love gujiya, Shakkar pare and Doodhpuli. This year, I am planning to make Balu shahi for my family." 'Kaamnaa' actress Chandni Sharma expresses her excitement as this year she will be celebrating the festival the way she used to celebrate it earlier. "For the last few years, we've desperately waited to celebrate Holi the way we always have. Thankfully, this year we'll get very close to those memories once again! I look forward to getting together with my friends, both reel and real family and celebrating the festival of Holi." For actor Vijayendra Kumeria, Holi comes with mixed feelings. As there is fun and masti at one point but he also misses his school days celebration. "My best memories of the festival, still, are the good old school days when we would play Holi with school friends after class. It's truly memorable to remember how we would dress in an old uniform to change into a fresh one after playing - none of it has changed, and I really miss those beautiful days," concludes the 'Mose Chhal Kiye Jaye' actor. Gandhinagar, March 17 : The state government on Thursday admitted that a total of 49 exotic animals and birds have died at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, the Jungle Safari Park located near the Statue of Unity (SoU) at Kevadia. More than 36 percent of the imported exotic species couldn't survive the park's environment and around 24 percent of the animals from other Indian zoos also couldn't make it. The information was given in the ongoing budget session of the legislative assembly in reply to a question asked by Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar from Danilimda constituency. Officially, the government admitted that a total of 22 exotic animals were brought from overseas, out of which eight animals lost their lives. Among these imported animals and birds, there were 5 Aplacas, 4 Lamas, 5 Wallabies, Giraffes, 3 Zebras, 3 Wildebeest and 2 Oryx. From these, only three Alpacas, two Lamas, 2 Wallabies, a lone Giraffe, one Zebra, three Wildebeest and 2 Oryx survived. Ram Ratan Nala, director of the Jungle Safari, had in 2020 confirmed that there was a loss of a Giraffe due to diaphragmatic hernia in March 2020. Six months prior to that, the Safari had lost another Giraffe. One Giraffe had died during the landing of the flight bringing it at an airport. "This is not surprising. When did the government speak the truth in the state assembly? Now democracy has died and state assembly sessions have only become a formality," Paresh Dhanani, the former Leader of Opposition Party (LOP), told IANS. In all, according to the available information, four Giraffes were brought, out of which three had died. But the government's reply on Thursday in the state assembly only mentioned a single Giraffe which has survived. "When the Safari Park at Kevadia was initiated, it was developed by the forest department, but thereafter it has been handed over to the Kevadia Statue of Unity Development Authority. Yes it is true that initially, four Giraffes from abroad had been brought to the park, out of which only one has survived," Shyamal Tikadar, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PrCCF), Wildlife told IANS. According to the written reply by the minister, most of the exotic animals and birds, brought from overseas and other states and which died, suffered from respiratory and circulatory failures. The other reasons of their death included hypovolemic shock, asphyxia, multi-organ failure, severe abdominal colic, pneumonia, cardiac failure, New Delhi, March 17 : Jet Airways on Thursday said that it is working closely with authorities to get its "air operator certificate" re-validated. According to a company statement, the restart activities are "progressing well". "We are working closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on the approval process and timelines for proving flight, following which the 'Air Operator Certificate' of Jet Airways will be re-validated," the statement said. "The resumption of scheduled services will follow soon thereafter." As per the statement, restarting an airline is a complex exercise that "must be done meticulously", in coordination with the regulatory authorities. "We are well underway with the process. The timeline reflects the typical duration of an AOC process however we fully expect to have the proving flight and AOC well in advance of the filed timelines." Besides, the statement said that extension of timeline has "nothing to do where aircraft is registered and deregistered or the cost of leasing". "Further, there is no regulatory requirement of taking an aircraft outside India for the purposes of re-registration. "We are working with multiple aircraft lessors as well as aircraft manufacturers to source aircraft that will be inducted into the Jet Airways fleet over the next three to five years." Bengaluru, March 17 : Even as Muslim traders supported the bandh call given by community organisations in Karnataka and closed their shops in few pockets, it did not have any impact on the day to day life in the state. The ruling BJP and opposition Congress, meanwhile, locked horns in the assembly over the bandh. The BJP sought action against those who are going against court verdict and the Congress maintained that they have the right to protest. Responding to bandh call, the shoppers, businessmen and traders closed their shops in Shivajinagar, K.G. Halli, D.J. Halli, Padarayanapura and few other pockets in Bengaluru. Police Commissioner Kamal Pant said that the bandh has been observed in many places but there is no impact. The police conducted flag marches in sensitive locations in the capital. In Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi districts, Muslim businessmen closed their shops to support the bandh. However, the normal life was not affected at all. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Raghupathy Bhat in the assembly demanded that legal action has to be initiated against those who have given bandh call questioning the court verdict. He said, the verdict can be challenged in the Supreme Court. Calling bandh will make no difference, action has to be initiated against them. Jagadish Shettar, former Chief Minister supported Raghupathy Bhat and said that observing bandh is not a good development. "Is there no value of the court judgment?" Shettar questioned. "Protest against the government is different. But, if they observe bandh against court order, it will lead to anarchy in the society. No one should support it and strict action must be initiated," he said. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, however, supported the bandh saying that there is a provision to appeal in the Supreme Court. Observing bandh peacefully and protesting is their constitutional right. How can it be stopped? They should be allowed to observe bandh, he said. Deputy Opposition leader U.T. Khader maintained that the bandh call is given not to disrespect the court order but to express their dissatisfaction over judgment. BJP National General Secretary and MLA C.T. Ravi intervened and said that vote bank politics over the issue is wrong. "Why should there be uniform in schools? Court had given verdict after detailed inquiry, how is it ok to protest and call for bandh against court order?" Ravi questioned. Meanwhile, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra reacting to the bandh call said that this is a peculiar situation. The law of the land would not apply to them, they don't follow the court order. This is a special case. If anyone violates court order and carry out activities like this, stern action would be initiated. There is a provision for an appeal in the Supreme Court. But, these activities will lead to law and order situation in the state and this is wrong, he stated. Kiev, March 17 : Ukraine has legalised cryptocurrency as the country received donations worth tens of millions of dollars from individuals and groups to help it fight the Russian invasion. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed the law that creates conditions for further formation of the legal field in the market of virtual assets. The new market will be regulated by the National Commission on Securities and Stock Market. The signed law determines the legal status, classification and virtual assets ownership rights and determines the list of providers of virtual assets and conditions of their registration. Until now, the Ministry of Digital Transformation has been developing the legal framework in this area. "The Ministry of Digital Transformation is also actively working to amend the tax and civil codes of Ukraine to fully launch the virtual assets market," the government said in a statement. The signing of the crypto law is an important step towards bringing the cryptocurrency sector out of the shadows and launching a legal market for virtual assets in Ukraine. "Ukraine has legalised the crypto sector. From now on, foreign and Ukrainian cryptocurrency exchanges will operate legally and banks will open accounts for crypto companies," the government tweeted. Crypto exchanges and companies that handle other virtual assets will have to register with the government. "With the beginning of the war, cryptocurrencies have become a powerful tool for attracting additional funding to support the armed forces of Ukraine," said the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov. "In more than three weeks of war, the Crypto Fund of Ukraine has raised more than $54 million in cryptocurrencies," he informed. Media reports claimed that the government has received close to $100 million in crypto donations. El Salvador was the first country to permit consumers to use cryptocurrency in all transactions, alongside the US dollar, in September 2021. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 : Kerala Tourism's flagship event -- The Kerala Travel Mart which is all set to go offline after the 2021 event being held virtually following the pandemic, has got a huge response. It is now scheduled to be held here from May 5 to 8. The inaugural session of the KTM on May 5 will be followed by business meets from May 6 to 8 at Kochi. Baby Mathew, President of KTM Society the organizer of the event, said so far 374 foreign buyers and 1171 domestic buyers have registered for participation in the event, and the number is set to go up in the coming days vouching for the industry's confidence in the post-pandemic resurgence of tourism. "The industry's response to the ensuing edition of KTM has been extremely encouraging, especially after the Government of India announced its decision to lift air travel restrictions this month. The enquiries so far have even surpassed the response received by the pre-pandemic KTM conclaves", said Mathew. The pro-active steps taken by the Kerala Tourism Department for the quick revival of tourism in the state have imparted an added thrust to KTM, he said. Though the prime focus of this edition is on the domestic buyers, the travel and tourism entrepreneurs from abroad are also showing great interest in participation, he said. "Arrangements are progressing well for the conduct of the business sessions in a hassle-free manner by adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour. We expect a meaningful buyer seller meet and interactions beneficial to all the participants," added Mathew. The meet will feature exclusive spaces to showcase "Keravan Kerala", the state's recently launched caravan tourism initiative, and the globally acclaimed Responsible Tourism. Caravan Tourism and Adventure Tourism will be the key themes of this edition of KTM. The government's initiatives to promote tourism in the Malabar region will also receive major attention at KTM. New Delhi, March 17 : Even a week after the declaration of the assembly polls results, suspense over the chief minister of Uttarakhand continues. Meanwhile, the newly elected BJP MLAs in the state have been asked to stay in the state capital from March 20 onwards for the next few days. The Assembly polls results were declared on March 10 and the BJP had appointed central observers for the election of the legislative party leader on March 14, but even after a week there is no certainty of when the new chief minister will be elected. The BJP has appointed defence minister Rajnath Singh and minister of state of external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi as the central observers. The BJP has retained power for a second term in Uttarakhand by winning 47 seats in the 70-member House. A party insider claims that the defeat of incumbent Pushkar Singh Dhami from Khatima is the main reason behind the delay in the election of the new chief minister and formation of a new government in Uttarakhand. "After Dhami's defeat, first of all the party leadership will take a call on whether he will be given a chance or not for successfully leading the party to a historic victory. We are clueless about the formation of the government even after eight days of the declaration of the poll results," an Uttarakhand BJP leader said. It is learnt that the BJP leadership is trying to find a suitable formula acceptable to all without going against its own stand. "Our leadership is discussing several possibilities for the formula for the formation of the new Uttarakhand government and it is likely to be revealed in the next one or two days," a BJP source said. The BJP, meanwhile, asked all the newly elected MLAs to be in Dehradun from March 20 to initiate and complete the process of the formation of a new government. "All the BJP MLAs have been asked to stay in Dehradun for two-three days from March 20. We believe that our leadership has given this direction to call the meeting of the legislative party to elect a new leader and stake claim to form the government. The swearing in will be held soon after," a party insider said. New Delhi, March 17 : Samsung Electronics on Thursday announced mid-rangers Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G smartphones with 5G connectivity, defence-grade security and advanced connected experiences. The Galaxy A53 5G will be available in select markets beginning April 1 and the Galaxy A33 5G will be available from April 22. The India availability and prices of the devices will be released at a later date. A new Onyx colour of the Galaxy Buds2 and Buds Live will arrive in April, the company said in a statement. "With the latest Galaxy A series release, we're making it easier than ever to enjoy Galaxy's advanced, innovative mobile experience at a great value," said TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics' MX (Mobile eXperience) Business. Galaxy A53 5G's quad-camera system features a 64MP OIS Camera with VDIS technology. Meanwhile, a high-resolution 32MP front camera delivers great selfies and clear video call experiences. Fuelled by a brand new 5nm processor, the new Galaxy A series' innovative AI-powered camera makes every image look awesome - even in low lighting, claimed the company. Galaxy A53 5G's expansive 6.5-inch[3] Super AMOLED display also offers a 120Hz refresh rate for an immersive experience while Galaxy A33 5G features a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The new Galaxy A series is equipped with up to two-day battery life and 25W Super Fast Charging. Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G feature the tough Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and IP67 water and dust resistance, providing enhanced durability and peace of mind. Building on the sustainability efforts, the Galaxy A series removes the charger plug and reduces the size of the packaging. The new devices will also include the new Samsung Wallet, a convenient and protected place to safely store everything from boarding passes to credit cards. New Delhi, March 17 : Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party has moved the Supreme Court challenging the State Election Commission's (SEC) decision to postpone the municipal elections without any reasonable ground. The plea contended that the decision has been taken solely on the basis of unofficial communication by the Central government. "The brazen influence of the Government of India over the State Election Commission and its flagrant meddling with the conduct of municipal elections forms the subject matter of this writ petition," said the plea. The plea sought a direction to the SEC to conduct the municipal elections in Delhi, according to the initially conceived schedule, before the expiry of the tenure of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, in May 2022, in a free and fair manner. The petition contended that the SEC, on March 9, issued a press note for holding the polls in April. "However, precisely half an hour later, by way of a press note, it conveyed that it had received some communication from the Lt. Governor of Delhi, conveying that the Government of India was intending to pass a legislation to merge the trifurcated Municipal Corporations of Delhi. In light of this communication, the press conference to declare the election schedule was indefinitely postponed; the municipal elections consequently being deferred," said the plea. The plea added that no formal state communication has been issued to this effect yet. Even in the ongoing Budget Session, no agenda has been declared regarding the tabling of a Bill to this effect, it added. "As no subsequent formal notification, agenda or communication regarding the merger of the Corporations has come from the state, it clearly showed the delaying tactics to hamper the free and fair conduct of elections beyond the constitutionally mandated period of five years, as per Article 243U of the Constitution," it said. The plea questioned whether the SEC can be influenced by an unofficial communication sent by the Centre to defer municipal elections, which the poll body was prepared to conduct. "The timing of this communication, right before the declaration of the schedule also leaves much to be desired. The conduct of the government makes evident its attempt to interfere with the free and fair conduct of elections. Instead of stopping the government from doing so and protecting its independence, the respondent commission has given in and deferred the elections", added the plea. The plea contended that the sole influence of the government in deferring the municipal elections is a clear infringement of the independence of the State Election Commission and an evident obstruction to the impartial conduct of elections. "Issue a writ of mandamus, directing Respondent Commission to expeditiously conduct the municipal elections in Delhi as per their initial proposal, in a free and fair manner," said the plea. Chennai, March 17 : The Indian Coast Guard on Thursday said it has apprehended a Sri Lankan fishing boat with six crew members fishing in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). According to the Coast Guard, the Lankan boat was apprehended on Wednesday. The Coast Guard Ship Vajra whilst on patrol, detected a boat 117 nautical miles South-East of Kanyakumari. Subsequently, the Coast Guard ship sighted the Lankan boat fishing with nets in the Indian waters. On sighting the Coast Guard ship, the Lankan boat tried to flee but was intercepted by the former. The illegal fishing in Indian EEZ by the Sri Lankan fishing boat is a violation of the Maritime Zone of India (MZI) Act, 1981, Coast Guard said. The Lankan boat was thoroughly rummaged by the Coast Guard boarding team. On investigation, it was found that the boat had the electronic chart display system and crew were well aware about fishing in the Indian EEZ. In addition, the Automatic identification system onboard, was deliberately kept switched off. Further investigation revealed that the boat had Tuna long line in water and was fishing well inside Indian EEZ. The boat had about 350 kg of catch onboard. The fishing boat along with six crew members was apprehended by the ship and brought to nearest designated port Tuticorin. An FIR against the Sri Lankan boat was registered and the boat along with its crew has been handed over to Marine police Tharuvaikulam, Tuticorin. Moscow, March 17 : Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has accused the West of waging hybrid warfare against his country due to the long-standing tradition of Russophobia. He believes that despite enormous pressure, Moscow will defend its vision of the world order. According to the former President, the reason for the ever-growing anti-Russian sentiment is that Moscow has become a strong power in the world, capable of standing up for its interests and protecting its citizens abroad. He also believes the West wants to "make (Russia) weak and completely submissive. Better yet, tear it apart". Despite the enormous pressure and resistance, Medvedev says Russia is strong enough to defeat its enemies and protect its national interests. "The frenzied Russophobia of the West, apparently, will never reach the bottom. The expansion of NATO to our borders, the economic and information war unleashed against our country on all fronts, endless threats and intimidation, the fierce persecution of our citizens abroad. All this is the reason for the extreme aggravation of the international situation that the whole world is experiencing these days," Medvedev wrote on Thursday, RT reported. He also accused Western leaders of double standards and hypocrisy, calling their policies towards Moscow immoral and criminal. "We sincerely strived to have a good relationship with them," he said. New Delhi, March 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will participate in the second India-Australia virtual summit on March 21, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India and Australia virtual summit will be held on March 21 where Indian and Australian leaders will hold the summit. "This summit follows the historic first virtual summit which was held on June 4, 2020 when our bilateral relationship was elevated to comprehensive strategic partnership," Bagchi said. He also said that during this forthcoming virtual summit the leaders will take stock of progress made on various initiates under the comprehensive strategic partnership. The virtual summit will lay forward the new initiatives and enhanced cooperation in a diverse range of sectors. "The leaders are expected to commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility and education among others. "Views on regional and international issues will also be discussed," said the officer. India, Australia comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained the momentum of upward trajectory. Both countries continue to collaborate closely despite the Covid-19 pandemic in areas such as science and technology, cyber defence, critical and strategic minerals, public administration and governance. Modi met Morrison in Washington for their first in person meeting after the Covid-19. This meeting was held last September on the margin of Quad leaders summit 2021. In June 2020, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support. The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) allows militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defence cooperation. Moscow, March 17 : The Kremlin has termed a report in the Financial Times about a supposed 15-point draft peace plan with Ukraine as false. The sides held several rounds of talks after Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, later switching to regular discussions via video link. Replying to a reporter's question on Thursday as to if Russia and Ukraine were close to signing a peace deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "No, the work continues [on the matter]." He added that Russia will inform the public of any breakthrough in the talks, RT reported. The statement came after the Financial Times reported on Wednesday that the sides had made "significant progress" and were discussing a 15-point draft plan, which would include the withdrawal of Russian troops, and Ukraine becoming a neutral state in exchange for protection by Western allies. Peskov confirmed that some of the issues mentioned by FT were on the agenda, but dismissed the overall report as "essentially false". Mykhailo Podolyak, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, said that the draft from the FT report represented what Russia wanted from Kiev and "nothing more". He reiterated that Kiev was seeking a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian forces, and legally binding security guarantees. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Moscow, March 17 : The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that it will soon release additional documents pertaining to the operation of Pentagon-funded biolabs in Ukraine. Moscow believes they have been involved in bioweapons research, RT reported. Russian military specialists in weapons of mass destruction are analysing documents obtained from staff members of the Ukrainian labs, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a daily briefing. He claimed they detailed "implementation by the US in Ukraine of a secret project to study the ways humans can be infected by bats", which was done in Kharkov. The official said the same Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine in the Ukrainian city worked for years to study under which conditions wild birds carrying flu could cause an epidemic in humans and to assess the damage that would result. Konashenkov didn't explain why such research should be considered military in nature, as assessed by the defense ministry. The spokesman further said more Ukrainian documents will soon be released on the transfer of human samples from Ukraine to the UK and other European nations. The materials will be accompanied by Russian military assessments of the work they detail, he said. 'Instead of helping people, Cong was busy in doing politics on Ukraine crisis' Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 17 : India's merchandise exports have reached almost $390 billion, as of March 14, and are expected to cross $400 billion in the current fiscal FY22, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. Addressing the Atmanirbhar Excellence Awards and 7th Technology Summit 2022, organised by the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association here, he said India's auto components industry had, for the first time, recorded a trade surplus of $600 million. The minister said the government was sensitive to the auto sector's concerns related to chip shortages. The recently approved 'Semicon India Programme', with a budget outlay of Rs 76,000 crore, would help reduce import dependence and eventually help the country become self-sufficient in the chips space, he said. Expressing his concerns over lower volume of production affecting business viability, he called for the promotion of scale of production in the e-mobility space. Islamabad, March 17 : At least two dozen disgruntled MNAs of Pakistan's ruling PTI have been shifted to the Sindh House after the police action in the Parliament Lodges, claimed PTI's estranged leader Raja Riaz on Thursday, Geo News reported. Raja Riaz claimed that if Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan assures all MNAs that no action will be taken against those who decided to vote against him on the day of the no-confidence motion, they are ready to go back to the Parliament Lodges. PTI MNAs Malik Nawab Sher Waseer and Riaz said that around 24 PTI members have been staying in the Sindh House right now. They said that many others are ready to come here, however, the PML-N is unable to accommodate all the members. Riaz, who is a member of the Jahangir Tareen Group, said that the disgruntled members would vote for the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan in "accordance with their conscience", Geo News reported. Waseer also said he would not contest the next general elections on a PTI ticket. While Riaz claimed that 24 members are staying in the Sindh House, senior journalist Hamid Mir said that according to his counting, "20 PTI MNAs are present in Sindh House". He said that several disgruntled leaders are avoiding the camera; however, he said that all of them have confirmed that the reason for staying at the Sindh House is out of fear. "The disgruntled members fear that the government will take action against them similar to the March-10 raid by police on the Parliament Lodges," Mir said. New Delhi, March 17 : Joining an elite group of countries working on various aspects of Arctic, India on Thursday released its Arctic policy "India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development". "India's Arctic policy would play an essential role in preparing the country for a future where humankind's biggest challenges, such as climate change, can be addressed through collective will and effort. India's Arctic policy shall be implemented through an action plan, and an effective governance and review mechanism involving the interaministerial Empowered Arctic Policy Group," Union Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh said while releasing the Policy document. Implementing India's Arctic policy will involve multiple stakeholders, including academia, the research community, business, and industry, he said. India's engagement with the Arctic dates back to a century when the Svalbard Treaty was signed in February 1920 in Paris. India is already undertaking several scientific studies and research in the Arctic region. "Indian researchers are monitoring Arctic glaciers for their mass balance and comparing them with glaciers in the Himalayan region. India has also been actively involved in studies related to the Arctic oceanography, atmosphere, pollution and microbiology," Singh said. Over 25 institutes and universities in India are currently involved in Arctic research and about a 100 peer-reviewed papers have been published on Arctic issues since 2007, a release from Ministry of Earth Sciences said. In 2014 and 2016, India's first multi-sensor moored observatory in Kongsfjorden and the northernmost atmospheric laboratory in Gruvebadet, Ny Alesund, were launched in the Arctic region. Until 2022, India has successfully conducted 13 expeditions to the Arctic, the release added. Mumbai, March 17 : Acclaimed filmmaker Shyam Benegal has released the poster of his upcoming film, 'Mujib - The Making of a Nation', a biopic on the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, officials said here on Thursday. The poster release coincided with the 102nd birth anniversary of 'Bangabandhu', as Rahman is revered. The film is made under an audio visual co-production agreement between India and Bangladesh. Rahman, who provided the political leadership that culminated in the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971, had met Mahatma Gandhi in his early political career. Gandhi always remained a great source of inspiration for Rahman throughout his life to empower the masses. The biopic celebrates Rahman's life, takes the viewer into the course of history and makes them relive it, depicting the accomplishments of the great leader which still live on. The film was announced two years ago by the two countries during the commemoration of Rahman's birth centennial, and the poster release marks the completion of the film production. Speaking on the occasion, Benegal said it was a tough task for him to depict Rahman's towering life on the screen. "It remains a very emotional film for me... To bring Bangabandhu's towering life on reel is a tough task. We have portrayed his character in an uncompromising way. He remained a great friend of India and we hope the poster connects with the audiences," said Benegal. Referring to the collaboration between India's National Film Development Corporation and Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, Benegal said that he was glad to work on the feature film and had a joyful experience working with the two film corporations. NFDC Managing Director Ravinder Bhakar said that the NFDC has pioneered films by legendary directors who are renowned the world over even today, and it was a great pleasure to be associated with Benegal again. "Working with BFDC for an iconic film was a pleasure and 'Mujib - The Making of a Nation' shall be a landmark film in NFDC's history," Bhakar said. BFDC Managing Director Nuzhat Yeasmin said that she was "overwhelmed to see the film witness the light of the day". "This film is an emotion for us. Bangladesh is eagerly waiting for Benegalji's version of Bangabandhu's biopica. He is a legendary filmmaker and greatly admired by all of us," Yeasmin said. Wellknown Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo, 40, who plays the role of Rahman in the biopic, said he was "fascinated by the role and it was a dream come true". "I am honoured to be part of this biopic project. No words to express how big this feature film is for me and my nation. I felt the warmth and enjoyed the great hospitality during the production of the film in India," said Shuvoo. Shot extensively in India and Bangladesh, the film's production concluded in December 2021. Bengaluru, March 17 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday stated in the Legislative Council that he will initiate action against Dharwad Rural DySP M.B. Sankad for lodging an FIR against the Speaker of the Council Basavaraj Horatti. JD (S) MLC Bhoje Gowda raised the issue and stated that the Chairperson holds a constitutional post. A case had been registered against him under the atrocity Act violating the guidelines, showing disrespect to the post, he added. He stated that protocol has not been maintained and the government has washed its hands off the matter after suspending a sub-inspector. A DySP is responsible for this incident and action must be taken against him, he demanded. Bommai stated that it is recorded in the protocol guidelines that after the post of the Governor, the post of Chairperson is most important. Whenever legal action is taken against persons holding constitutional posts, protocol has to be followed. "The protocol has been violated, after learning about the development I had spoken to the Chairperson. He had obtained a stay from the High Court. We have already initiated action against the sub-inspector. We are also considering to take action against the investigation officer, the DySP," Bommai stated. U.B. Venkatesh and Saleem Ahmad, both Congress MLCs, said that whenever there is a similar incident, action is initiated only against junior officers and the senior officials are protected. The government can't keep quiet at a time when the Speaker is insulted, they added. Opposition leader in the Council B.K. Hariprasad stated that the sub-inspector belonging to the Dalit community has been made a scapegoat in the case. The Akhila Karnataka Valmiki Nayaka Mahasabha lodged a complaint against Horatti and five others in Dharwad Rural police station in connection with a dispute over the management of an educational institution. It was alleged that though Basavaraj Horatti is not the chairperson of the Sarvodaya Trust but he is misusing his authority and exercising the powers of the chairperson. New Delhi, March 17 : Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, who is on his maiden visit to the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday held talks with the UAE Justice Minister and the head of the Emirates Supreme Court. The discussion was focused on the Indian expatriates in the Gulf country and for closer judicial cooperation between the two nations. CJI Ramana, accompanied by Indian Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir and Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohli, held a meeting with UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Federal Supreme Court President Mohd Hamad Al Badi, and Supreme Court Judge Abdul Rahman Al Balushi on issues concerning Indian expatriates. Addressing a felicitation function organised by the Indian community in the UAE at the India Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi, he said: "Today we discussed some issues which are bothering the Law Minister and the Ambassador." "There are around 175 people whose extradition orders are pending and when the Ambassador brought it to notice, we represented it to the UAE Law Ministry to look into this and try to expedite these extradition orders. "There is 105 transfer of sentence orders and that too will be expedited. One more request was for access to visit Indians in prisons. These are humanitarian issues which we need to take care of," he said. "After this, there was the matter of judgments regarding the workmen who were terminated and those verdicts not being implemented. They said they will review the numbers given every six months," he added. "In family courts, we've seen legislation made by the UAE government to protect traditional laws of Indians who are non-Muslims so that they can follow their laws. They have agreed for this and it seems they have created some courts," he said. One of the difficulties, he said, is that there are not enough interpreters. "They'll say they'll take care so people who don't understand Arabic can use interpreters. "The UAE Minister has promised the issues will be taken care of. I appreciate the Ambassador's hard work and sincerity," the CJI said. He said that India and the UAE share strong friendly ties and that the two nations have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. "One of the major reasons for strong ties between the two nations is that Indians constitute one of the strongest ethnic groups. Nearly 3.5 million Indians are living here comprising 30 per cent of the total population. Indians have contributed to the development of the UAE over the years," he added. CJI Ramana also said that suggestions could be made to the organisations like the Indian Culture Centre to think of creating a legal assistance centre to help those in need of legal assistance in India. New Delhi/Dhaka, March 17 : The Indian government has progressed on the path of ensuring that bilateral relations with our immediate neighbours are cordial. While a long-pending land boundary agreement with Bangladesh was signed and implemented only half-a-decade back, India has moved swiftly to aid Sri Lanka in the growing debt crisis with China. Though Bhutan has remained firmly within the Indian government's ambit of foreign policy, it is still unsure about the Motor Vehicles Agreement to be signed between the sub-regional BBIN grouping (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal). In order to discuss the next steps to operationalise the agreement for the free flow of goods and people between the four countries, a meeting of minds was organised last week. Interestingly, the BBIN meeting was the first in-person meeting since the pandemic struck in February 2020. The officials from the four countries finalised the wordings of two separate protocols aimed at passenger and cargo movement with an additional enabling agreement. Such an enabling Memorandum of Understanding goes a long way even without the Bhutan's approval yet. Naturally, this pending ratification from the Bhutanese government would be required to implement the project in full flow. India is always appreciated the common shared history and culture that exists between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India. By operationalising the MVA Passenger and Cargo Protocol, a significant step has been taken to realise the full potential of trade and people-to-people connectivity between the BBIN. Fostering greater sub-regional cooperation has been marked as the way forward for India. However, the Bhutan government's concerns over sustainability and environment while dealing with this project have also been accorded due sensitivity and importance at this juncture. Prioritising remaining a carbon-negative country, it is unlikely that Bhutan will change its position on the subject even though India remains hopeful that it would. Even though progress on the project has been gradual, several trial runs have now been successfully held on the Bangladesh-India road route for passenger buses and cargo trucks. Contentious issues like insurance and bank guarantees, along with the size and frequency of freight carriers into each country, are also up for finalisation now. International agencies, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, have evinced interest in the project. To safeguard the interests of both countries, an immediate upgradation of physical and commercial infrastructure on the India-Bangladesh border has been successfully undertaken over the last two years. In fact, land as well as sea ports have been prioritised as part of the $750 million scheme of the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation Programme of the World Bank. In an unfortunate chain of events, the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to a situation where green exports to Bangladesh have been affected immediately. Since India has been able to maintain a surplus of wheat, Bangladesh has requested that some form of aid may be given at the earliest. Even though Bangladesh has been steadily buying more wheat from India over the last few years (60 pert cent of Indian wheat has been bought by Bangladesh alone in the current financial year), India has also begun to see a major uptick in exports across the globe. Recently, India also evacuated a Bangladeshi student as part of India's ongoing mission to bring its citizens out of Ukraine. After India's successful first stint in the rescue operation, neighbouring countries like Nepal have also reached out to India for help. Over the last two years, the relationship between India and Bangladesh has improved with the latter launching its nationwide Covid vaccination drive after India's contribution of 2 million vaccine doses. Celebrating the golden jubilee of its independence from Pakistan and the centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, it was decided that December 6 would henceforth be commemorated as 'Maitri Divas' between the two countries since India had recognised Bangladesh 10 days before the liberation took place. With this constant improvement in relations and numerous projects coming to fruition, a great deal has been achieved between the countries. It is natural to expect the relations, trade and people-to-people connect between these countries to improve further. Colombo, March 17 : As Sri Lanka is grappling with its current economic crisis, many in India feel that it is a testing time for Indias 'neighbourhood first' policy as well. Given the deep cultural and racial linkage between the two countries since times immemorial, such an expectation is natural and genuine. Once in a while every country faces its moment of economic crisis and India also had it in 1991. Now when Sri Lanka, one of the closest neighbours of India and a successful democratic country, has come under pressure of a multipronged crisis, it is but natural that the people of both the countries have expectations that India plays a 'rainmaker' at least by ensuring that essential supplies in the country are maintained till the country negotiates assistance from multilateral agencies. When Sri Lanka is bravely grappling with severe economic and financial crisis, people in India feel that standing in solidarity is the test of a real friend. At a time when countries like the United Kingdom and Canada have directed their citizens to postpone their travel plans to Sri Lanka as the country is passing through severe foreign exchange crisis and shortage of essential supplies such as food, fuel and medicine, the people of India have expressed their solidarity with Colombo. This was apparent since October 2021 when Indians rushed to Sri Lanka after the travel bans were relaxed. In fact, India became the largest source of tourist visits to the country in the month, which marked the first remarkable increase in tourism since it started declining fast in April 2021 due to Covid restrictions. It needs to be recalled that the Sri Lanka government announced a national financial emergency on August 30, 2021 after a steep fall in the value of the country's currency, which caused a spike in food prices amid continued twin deficits, i.e., fiscal deficit and trade deficit. Apparently, the flood of Indian tourists might seem to be driven by geographical proximity, but deep inside is the long historical and cultural relations between the two peoples, which has stood the test of time. Sri Lankan economy depends on tourism crucially for foreign exchange. Although the sector has started looking up, Sri Lanka still needs support for replenishing foreign exchange and procuring essential supplies. In India, a sort of a moral pressure on the part of the people has driven the government to do all that it can to help the island nation. It is about the whole gamut of ties and people to people relations that are at play. As Covid restrictions continued, the tourism industry of the country could not gather momentum and by November 2021, Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves dipped to as low as $1.6 billion, while in the next 12 months, the government and the private sector in Sri Lanka were required to repay an estimated $7.3 billion in domestic and foreign loans, including a $500 million international sovereign bond repayment in January 2022. It was estimated that Sri Lanka would need to borrow at least $437 million for necessary payments. (The major problem facing the country now is how to manage foreign debt service of $4.8 billion that is due during February-October 2022). The country's official reserves plummeted to $2.3 billion by February 2022. Meanwhile, on the recommendations of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the country restricted imports of 367 non-essential items, including fish, footwear and wine etc. This was done with an aim to control the outgo of foreign exchange at the time of crisis and keep it only for essential imports. At this difficult juncture, when Sri Lanka is assiduously trying to mobilise assistance from its development partners, India in line with a long and reliable partnership with the country has offered a $1 billion worth of relief package. This development follows India's loan of $900 million to Sri Lanka in January to build up its depleted foreign reserves and for food imports. Respecting people's expectations, India stood as a reliable partner with Sri Lanka amid the current crisis. In the last six months, India offered Sri Lanka a $500 million oil line of credit, a currency swap arrangement worth $400 million and a deferral of $515 million under the Asian Clearance Union besides supplying over 40,000 MT fuel through Indian Oil in the month of February. It is reassuring for Sri Lanka that India has shown unconditional support and solidarity at the time of crisis. India has a 96 per cent favourable endorsement as a development partner among the people of Sri Lanka as surveyed by Ipsos Global Scan. But the people of the two countries expect more tangible and continued manifestations of the same. The island nation's Sinhala population, constituting 75 per cent of the total population, and Tamil people, constituting 25 per cent, trace their origin to the Indian sub-continent and culture. The two countries are very closely bound by history and religion -- both Buddhism and Hinduism. This long-held bond between the two countries generates great expectations and the governments of the two nations should stand up to fulfil the expectations, especially fighting the crises together -- both in weathering and warding it off. There is an increasing realisation that India and Sri Lanka's security and prosperity is entwined and cannot be seen otherwise. If Sri Lanka is fighting its economic crisis, there is a strong feeling in India that the people of Sri Lanka should not be left isolated. The government of India is under the moral pressure on behalf of the people of both the countries to do the maximum it can. And India knows it very well. It had its first FTA with Sri Lanka. It is the largest trading partner of the country. In these testing times, both the countries need to cooperate to the best possible extent, not only to honour their great historical ties, but also to meet their historic responsibility. In fact, it's time that the whole of SAARC comes together to not allow one of the most beautiful countries of the region to sink under the burden of a financial crisis. Standing together at such moments create shared histories to be never forgotten. And the people of the two countries are expecting only what they deserve. Imphal, March 17 : More than a week after the assembly election results in Manipur, the leadership issue still hangs in the balance even as the state BJP President on Thursday said that the name of the new Chief Minister would be finalised after Holi. Manipur's caretaker Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and another contender for the top post Thongam Biswajit Singh along with BJP state President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi on Tuesday rushed to Delhi to discuss the leadership issue with the central leadership of the BJP and returned to Imphal on Thursday. Sharda Devi while talking to the media here said that after the Holi festival, the name of the BJP legislature party leader would be finalised. "In Delhi, we have discussed the outcome of the recent assembly elections with the central leaders. I have no communication about the next leader of the legislature party," she said. Both Biren Singh and Biswajit Singh, also separately expressing their anguish over the speculative news in the various media about the new Chief Minister, said that the leadership issue was not discussed in Delhi. "Important Parliament session is going on and the people are in a Holi celebration mood. So after that the Central leaders and observers would take the decision on the leadership at an appropriate time," Biswajit Singh said. A senior BJP leader told IANS that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju, who were on Monday appointed as central observers, are likely to come to Imphal early next week to hold discussions with other BJP MLAs and leaders to finalise the name of the legislature party leader. While Biren Singh, a former Congress leader, joined the BJP in October 2016, Biswajit Singh was the second-in-command in the outgoing BJP government after the Chief Minister and has been in the party for longer than Biren Singh. Biswajit Singh was the lone BJP MLA in Manipur in 2015, two years before the saffron party wrested power in the northeastern state for the first time, defeating the Congress which had governed the state for many years including three consecutive terms (15 years) from 2002 to 2017. In the February-March assembly elections, Biren Singh won from his traditional Heingang assembly constituency for a record 5th time while Biswajit Singh was elected to the assembly for the fourth time from Thongju seat. The BJP has a thin majority of 32 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly. The BJP's erstwhile ally the National People's Party, secured seven seats while the Janata Dal (United) won six seats, and the Congress and the Naga People Front bagged five seats each. The Kuki People's Alliance, a newly floated tribal based party, managed two seats while three Independent candidates also got elected to the Assembly. The NPF, the JD (U) and an Independent member have announced their support to the BJP government. Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP supremo Conrad K. Sangma had also said that his party is ready to join the BJP-led government in Manipur if the dominant party invited them. The NPP, the estranged ally of the BJP in Manipur, had fielded 38 candidates and fought the recent Assembly elections separately and won seven seats. During the run up to the elections the relations between the two parties turned bitter and both accused each other over various issues. Sangma said that the NPP is a partner of the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre and supports the BJP in Arunachal Pradesh and is working together in Meghalaya. The BJP with two MLAs is the partner of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by Sangma, who's NPP is the dominant party in the MDA. Amaravati, March 17 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday revealed that the his party's previous government in Andhra Pradesh had rejected the offer of Pegasus to sell its spyware to the state. Lokesh, who was Information Technology Minister in the TDP cabinet headed by his father N. Chandrababu Naidu, clarified that the TDP government did not purchase any spyware. "Yes, Pegasus offered to sell its spyware to the AP government as well but we rejected it," he told reporters. Lokesh denied that the TDP government purchased or used any spyware. "We never indulged in any illegal phone tapping. If the government purchased the spyware, there would be a record of it." He was reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's purported claim that the Chandrababu Naidu government purchased the Pegasus Spyware. "She was misinformed. If we had resorted to such things, Jagan Mohan Reddy would not have come to power in 2019," he said. "I don't know whether she has indeed said that, and where and in which context. If she did say that, she is certainly misinformed," said Lokesh adding that Chandrababu Naidu would never indulge in such illegal acts. "If there had been any such thing, would the (current) Jagan regime spare us? In the last three years, they have tried every trick to fix us in one thing or the other but failed, because we did nothing wrong," said Lokesh, who is a member of the Legislative Council. Lokesh further said that immediately after coming to power, Jagan Reddy had got all files in the IT and all other departments inspected thoroughly. He would have taken action if any illegal act was found, he added. Bengaluru, March 17 : Noting economic, political, and strategic equations are changing all over the world and major world powers are in a tussle, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that India's defence needs have also increased and constant modernisation of the armed forces is the need of the hour. In his address after inauguration of a seven-storeyed Flight Control System (FCS) integration facility at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory here, he said: "Keeping ourselves ready is our top priority and we are constantly working to enhance our strategic capabilities. Be it technology or products, services or facilities, their advanced and fasterdevelopment is the need for the hour." Lauding the DRDO for playing a crucial role in strengthening national security, he said that the FCS is a unique project not just in the country but in the entire world and is an embodiment of the new energy of new India. "This energy is of technology, commitment, institutional collaboration among public sector, private sector and academia and above all, of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. The complex will also provide simulator training to the pilots of combat aircraft, and Rajnath Singh described this as one of the most important components of the complex. The simulators provide an opportunity to learn by making mistakes without the possibility of any kinds of losses, he said. Commending DRDO and L&T for developing hybrid technology, he expressed confidence that it will increase the productivity of construction process, promote optimum utilisation of resources, reduce losses due to wastage, and will be helpful in speedy completion of projects. In hybrid construction technology, the column and beam elements of the structural frame are built with steel plates, and the columns are concrete filled steel hollow cross sections. The slabs are partially precast and all these structural members are assembled at site. Concreting is done simultaneously to make the structure monolithically cast, thus eliminating any dry joints as in case of precast construction. In this case of concrete-filled hollow sections, the steel provides a permanent framework to the concrete core which reduces the time and effort drastically as compared to conventional construction. Rajnath Singh described the hybrid technology as an important milestone for the construction sector and hoped that in the coming times, India will become one of the leading countries in the field of construction technology. He expressed hope that although the mandate of DRDO is to develop futuristic technologies, its spin-off benefits will be available to the civilian sector as well. "Our traditional construction industry is generally considered to be labour intensive, high risk and low on productivity. But, the way DRDO has constructed the FCS complex through hybrid technology, our infrastructure projects will be completed in a low cost and time-bound manner in the times to come," he said. He called upon the DRDO to continue exploring new possibilities in construction technology and contribute to nation building through new innovations. The FCS facility is a building with the plinth area of 1.3 lakh square feet. The construction has been completed in 45 days, setting a unique record of completing a permanent building of seven stories with hybrid construction technology for the first time in the history of construction industry in the country. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman, Dr G. Satheesh Reddy and other senior officers of DRDO and state government were also present during the inauguration. Mumbai, March 17 : The Reserve Bank of India has extended the tenure of RBL Bank's interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Ahuja by three months. In a regulatory filing made to the BSE, the bank said: "We wish to further inform that on request of the Bank, RBI vide its letter... dated March 17, 2022, has approved the extension of term of Rajeev Ahuja, interim Managing Director & CEO of the Bank for a further period of three months with effect from March 25, 2022 or till the appointment of a regular MD & CEO, whichever is earlier." Last year, Ahuja was appointed as interim MD & CEO of the bank for a period of three months with effect from December 25, 2021. The Board had accepted the request of CEO Vishwavir Ahuja to proceed on medical leave and appointed Rajeev Ahuja, the existing Executive Director of the bank as the Interim Managing Director and CEO subject to regulatory and other approvals. On December 25, 2021, the RBI had appointed Yogesh Dayal as an Additional Director on the Board of the RBL Bank. At that time, the RBI in a statement had said: "The Reserve Bank would like to state that the bank is well capitalised and the financial position of the bank remains satisfactory. "Further, it is clarified that appointment of Additional Director/s in private banks is undertaken under Section 36AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as and when it is felt that the board needs closer support in regulatory or supervisory matters." Visakhapatnam, March 17 : With the Centre expediting the process for privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, the committee spearheading the movement against privatisation has given a call for Visakhapatnam city bandh on March 28. The decision was taken at a meeting of the struggle committee against privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant comprising various trade unions on Thursday, which also marked completion of 400 days of relay fasts demanding protection of the steel plant. The committee leaders said their agitation would continue till the Centre takes back its decision. They appealed to the public and political parties to extend support to the bandh. The committee also plans to collect signatures of 100 MPs in favour of the steel plant. The development came close on the heels of Centre inviting bids from firms for valuing the assets of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), also called Visakhapatnam Steel Plant or Vizag Steel. The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) on January 27 gave "in principle" approval for 100 per cent disinvestment of government stake in RINL along with RINL's stake in its subsidiaries/joint ventures. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), which manages the government's equity in public sector companies, on March 11 floated the request for proposal (RFP) for appointing an asset valuer registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) to carry out the valuation of the company's assets and assist the Centre in the process of strategic disinvestment of RINL. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh's opposition parties on Thursday organised a huge rally protesting the decision to privatise Krishnapatnam thermal power plant also known as Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTPS). Leaders and workers of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Left parties and people's organisations participated in the rally. They threatened to intensify the protest if the state government failed to withdraw the move to privatise the plant. They termed as "suicidal" the government's move to handover the plant to a private player on a 25-year lease. CPI national Secretary K. Narayana, who led the rally, alleged that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government in the state was implementing the agenda of BJP. He said the move would lead to an increase in electricity tariff in the state. Narayana said the farmers and other weaker sections of the society would no longer get subsidised power due to privatisation of SDSTPS. TDP politburo member S. Chandramohan Reddy demanded that the state government immediately take back its decision keeping in view the public interest. Moscow, March 17 : Moscow considers "inadmissible and unforgivable" the words of US President Joe Biden, who called Russia President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal", said Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Press Secretary. Peskov also said that hundreds of thousands of people around the world have been killed by US bombs. The words of Biden, who called Putin a "war criminal", are "absolutely inadmissible, unacceptable, unforgivable", said Peskov, RT reported. "Our President is a very wise, far-sighted and cultured international figure and the head of the Russian Federation," said Peskov while answering a question as to why Putin does not answer the American leader. Moscow cannot take into account the decision of the International Court of Justice, which demanded an immediate halt to the special military operation in Ukraine, said Peskov. He added that negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will continue. "Our delegation, headed by (Vladimir) Medinsky, with the participation of experts and relevant departments, is ready to work around the clock, and it demonstrates this readiness. Unfortunately, we do not see a similar zeal on the Ukrainian side," Peskov added. Moscow, March 17 : The Russian Defense Ministry has presented documents which it said confirm the cooperation between the United States and Ukraine in the production of biological weapons. The department said that during the work, Ukrainian scientists identified six families of viruses, including coronaviruses, and three types of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, according to the ministry, the Kharkiv Institute of Veterinary Medicine studied wild birds as carriers of highly pathogenic avian influenza, RT reported. Igor Kirillov, Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the RF Armed Forces, held a briefing on the results of the analysis of documents related to the US military biological activities in Ukraine. "We believe that components of biological weapons were created on the territory of Ukraine," he said. According to him, this is evidenced by a document dated March 6, 2015, confirming the direct participation of the Pentagon in the financing of military biological projects in Ukraine, RT reported. "According to established practice, American projects in the field of sanitary and epidemiological well-being in the territory of third countries, including Africa and Asia, are funded through national health authorities. "I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Agreement on Joint Biological Activities was concluded between the US military department and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. However, the real recipient of funds are the laboratories of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense located in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov and Kharkov. The total amount of financing amounted to $32 million," Kirillov added. He noted that these biological laboratories were chosen by the project to study the pathogens of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, leptospirosis and hantaviruses, since these pathogens have natural foci in Ukraine and Russia. "Their use can be disguised as natural disease outbreaks. That is why this project received additional funding, and the deadlines for its implementation were extended," said the representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, RT reported. "During the implementation of these projects, six families of viruses (including coronaviruses) and three types of pathogenic bacteria (causative agents of plague, brucellosis and leptospirosis) were isolated. This is due to the main characteristics of these pathogens that make them attractive for infection purposes: drug resistance, rapid spread from animals to humans, and so on," Kirillov said. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, March 17 : In a fitting homage to the ongoing commemoration of 30 years of friendship between India and Israel, The Israel Embassy created a special show in collaboration with designer Sahil Kochhar, the European Union, and Khushii to commemorate women coming together for social change. "Amidi" - infinite, beautiful, and magnificent - was the best way to characterise the women who walked the runway in a stunning capsule collection designed by acclaimed fashion designer Sahil Kochhar complemented their attractiveness. Minister of External Affairs and Culture for India, Meenakshi Lekhi, was also present to encourage and support the endeavour. "Women and their power to drive social change needs to be celebrated across the different strata of society that they come from," said H.E. Ambassador Naor Gilon. A woman's empowerment is the same as a family's empowerment. Amidi has been able to weave together a lovely story for social change through fashion with this gorgeous fashion exhibition and this incredible gathering of powerful women from many fibres of society." Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Ambassador Naor Gilon said, "Women and their power to drive social change needs to be celebrated across the different strata of society that they come from. Empowering a woman is equal to empowering a family. With this beautiful fashion showcase and this incredible group of powerful women coming from different fabrics of society, Amidi has been able to stitch together a beautiful narrative for social change through fashion." But this wasn't your typical fashion show; the runway was transformed into a platform for bringing together women from all walks of life and allowing some of Khushii's most brilliant ladies to share their inspiring experiences. Taking centre stage were nine women who with the help of local NGO Khushii, despite their personal setbacks and challenges, have shown a unique determination to become successful and independent. These women are now helping others in their community to become successful and independent as well. Together with them were diplomats from embassies as well as members of the European Union Delegation, walking alongside and applauding their spirit and strength. Working together on the show has given the young women a great sense of empowerment and the funds raised will further help in empowering and skill building of more girls from across communities. Talking about the collection, designer Sahil Kochhar said, "I am very happy to come together with the Embassy of Israel for this very special initiative. This collection is personal and unique to me. It is a tribute to womanhood in all its forms coming together to celebrate these very special girls. I hope these young girls feel their very best while walking down the ramp as the stars that they really are." The celebration was hosted by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium in his mansion, which was designed by noted Indian artist Satish Gujral and provided the perfect backdrop for the occasion. About the participating girls from Khushii Foundation Riya Kumari is one of three siblings and is from Azadpur, Delhi. Currently she is completing her second year from IGNOU. She aspires to be an independent woman who takes care of her family. She is studying towards becoming a nurse. Hailing from Mukund, Bihar, 23-year-old Ruchi is highly passionate about stitching her own clothes or even suits for others and has trained herself in the art for the last 6 years. Through the constant love and support of her family, Ruchi imparts her knowledge to three students under her wing and hopes to pursue more opportunities in the stitching industry. Laadli is altruistic in nature. Determined to be able to help others as much as she can while thinking about herself the least, Laadli is a hard- working, sincere child. She has completed a GDA course and is interested in improving her skills in the field of design. Babita, a 29-year-old woman, first discovered the Khushii NGO while working in an anganwadi. After her marriage, she encountered several problems. She was encouraged to pursue a GDA course. After completing it, she is now interested in working in either the field of nursing or any other field where she can help others. She says she will always want to stay associated with Khushii. Nisha is interested in the field of tailoring and stitching. She completed a course for the same at Khushii and is looking to gain experience in this industry so that she can explore her interests as well as guide others. Poonam is curious about everything new that she comes across and is eager to learn more about it. She also took a tailoring course at Khushii to learn more about it. Manu is currently pursuing an MA from IGNOU. She has also completed a GDA course and is interested in being an independent, working woman so that she can support her mother, the way she supported her. Kritika has just completed the twelfth grade and has taken an interest in stitching. She is a quick learner and aspires to be an independent working woman. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Patna, March 17 : A leader of Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) was assaulted by a mob, including women, outside the women police station of Rohtas district on Thursday. The JD-U leader was identified as Mod Narayan Singh, President of the JD-U's labour wing in Rohtas. He had allegedly molested a woman inside his home and also threatened her with dire consequences outside the women police station. "We have received a complaint from the victim. The matter is currently under investigation. FIR will be registered after the investigation," Superintendent of Police, Rohtas, Ashish Bharti told IANS. The police said that Singh had called a woman for some household work in his official residence in Dehri town of the district, locked the door as soon as she entered, and allegedly molested her. She managed to run to the roof and shouted for help. Soon, a large number of neighbours assembled outside and managed to rescue her. As the woman went to the women's police station to lodge a complaint, Singh, accompanied by a couple of personal bodyguards, chased her and managed to intercept her outside it. He threatened her with dire consequences but she slapped him several times. Seeing a woman slapping a man, passersby came to her support and thrashed the trio. The JD-U leader had to run into the women police station to save himself. New Delhi, March 17 : On the eve of Holi, doctors here have warned that dry colours may cause more harm to the eye as compared to liquid colours. According to Shantanu Mukherji, a senior consultant with the Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals, "Synthetic colours contain harmful agents like industrial dyes and alkalis, which are incredibly toxic for the human skin, especially the eyes. Their use can also cause symptoms like irritation, redness, allergies and even permanent loss of vision in case of severe chemical injury to the eye." "The other thing that causes eye problems is poor hygiene. If one tries to remove colour by rubbing the eye with dirty fingers, it may expose one to the risk of infective conjunctivitis," he added. Talking about skin problems after Holi, dermatologist Amit Bangia advised applying oil on exposed skin before playing Holi. "Use colours made from natural ingredients as much as possible like rose petal, marigold flowers, turmeric, beet root etc. Remove colour with mild face wash and moisturise the skin after cleaning the color," he said. Bangia also said that the festival of Holi involves close proximity in large gatherings, which is a perfect recipe for the spread of Covid. Children who are not vaccinated and the elderly who are susceptible to complications should avoid playing Holi, he added. Jaipur, March 17 : On the eve of Holi, the Rajasthan Police sent across a message through tweets, warning those who create ruckus during the festival by invoking the immortal characters from the cult Bollywood film 'Sholay' -- Jai and Veeru. In the 1975 hit film, Amitabh Bachchcan played Jai, while Dharmendra enacted the role of Veeru. The theme of the tweets by Rajasthan Police is based on the characters from 'Sholay', including 'Mausi' whom Dharmnedra requests for solemnising his marriage with Hema Malini, who played the role of Basanti. One of the tweets shows the scene where Dharmendra is hanging from a water tank and warning Mausi by saying 'khood jaoonga, mar jaoonga', while people below say 'Mausi taiyar hai'. The police version says, "Mausi taiyar ho na ho, par Rajasthan police taiyar hai." Another tweet says, "Ha se Holi per bhale hi rangeen ho jaye sarobar, lekin ha se huddang na karen varna ha se Hawalat ki hawa pad sakte hai." However, social media users criticised the police for posting such tweets only during Holi, and not during any other festival of any other community. One social media user said, "It would have been good had the police had the courage to launch a similar campaign on any other religious event/festival." Dhaka, March 17 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said it was really sad and painful for the nation that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated, along with his family including his youngest son Russel, by some of the same Bengali people for whom he had risked his life, faced incarceration for years, and established the dignity of a nation for them. In her remarks at a programme at the Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara in Gopalganj, to mark the 102nd birth anniversary of the Bangabandhu and the National Children's Day, she said that her government has long-term plans to make the future beautiful for the children, as no other children can lost their lives including parents like Russel, her innocent youngest brother, who was only 10 years old then. The National Implementation Committee for Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Centenary Celebration, in collaboration with the Women and Children Affairs Ministry, had arranged the programme, featuring a discussion and a cultural soiree. The event began with the National Anthem followed by the theme song of "Mujib Borsha". An audio-visual presentation titled "Tungipara: Hridoye Pitribhumi (Father's Land in Heart)" was screened. This year, the theme of national children's day is "Bangabandhur Janmodiner Ongikar, Sokol Shishur Soman Odhikar (Equal Rights for all children, Commitment of Bangbandhu's birthday)". Sheikh Hasina, also the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, said though there had been a reign of killers, war criminals, Al-Badr and Razakars (collaborators of Pakistani forces) in the country after the assassination of her family members, she returned home to fulfil the dreams of her father. "(I returned home) to ensure that the children would not live with the pain of losing family members like us, rather they would have a nice and improved life," she said. Noting that the Father of the Nation used to love children very much, the PM said her government in 1996 declared the 17th March as the children's day. "Bangabandhu used to like playing with children. When he was playing with children, he seemed like a child. "But it is unfortunate that even children were not spared in 1975 carnage. Children and women had not been killed even during Karbala tragedy," she said. She said that following the footsteps of Bangabandhu, her government had taken various steps for the welfare of the children, including establishment of schools in every area and measures to protect them from social menaces like terrorism and militancy. "Coming in power again through the 2008 election, we've done a lot further for the welfare of children," said Sheikh Hasina, highlighting various measures and laws taken for the children during her regime. Noting that Bangladesh today attained the status of a developing country, she said: "We'll definitely make Bangladesh the developed and prosperous Sonar Bangla. It's our commitment." In this context, she mentioned her government's vision 2041 and Delta Plan-2100. "I've prepared a plan over how this Bangladesh would develop till 2100." Sheikh Hasina reiterated that her government's plans focus on making the future of children bright and decent. "Our goal is that our children would remain safe and get a beautiful life." Bangabandhu's grandsons - Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Sheikh Rehana's son Radwan Mujib Siddiq were present, along with cabinet members, members of parliament and Awami League central leaders, Gopalganj Zila Parishad Chairman and AL's district unit president Chowdhury Emdadul Huque. Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated the six-day Mujib Borsha Folk Fair to be held at Government Sheikh Mujibur Rahman College premises in Tungipara from March 21-26. She said Awami League and its associate bodies will arrange programmes in Tungipara on separate days from March 18 to 25 to mark the Mujib Year. Patna, March 17 : Passengers of a private airline created ruckus at the Patna airport on Thursday after its Pune flight was delayed for hours and staff refused to reveal the reasons. The Pune-bound SpiceJet flight SG756 was scheduled to depart from the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport Patna at 3.05 p.m. and the passengers had completed boarding, when airport officials de-boarded them, claiming there were technical glitches. They have also informed the passengers that the flight would go at 7.30 p.m. Many passengers waited at the airport while some of them went home. When they returned to the airport and enquired the reason for the delay with officials of the airline concerned, the latter reportedly refused to give exact answer. Following the incident, the passengers staged a protest at the airport, disrupting operations and not allowing other flights of the airline to take off. This led to an altercation between the protesting passengers and those of one scheduled to go to Delhi. Some of the women passengers claimed that they were misbehaved by male passengers. As the situation went out of control, the airline officials left the airport and also switched off their mobile phones. The situation was finally brought under control after CISF personnel intervened. The SHO of Patna airport police station said that he has not received any complaint in this matter. "We are not aware of whatever happened inside the airport," he said. Phones of local SpiceJet officials were found switched off. Chennai, March 17 : At least 25 persons were injured in a 'Jallikattu' competition held at Manganampatti village in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday. Among the 25 people who were injured, 21 were treated at the venue itself as their injuries were not grave. Four persons with serious injuries were referred to the Pudukottai government hospital. Police sources told IANS that 574 bulls were released during the event, which lasted for more than six hours. The number of bull tamers who participated in the event was 300. Among the injured, 11 were spectators, seven were bull owners and seven were tamers. New Delhi, March 18 : The North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCRMS) has brought a change in the lives of Arunachal Pradesh residents, helping them in generating income through various means. Ministry of Development of North-East Region shared a story of one man whose life was completed changed through the NERCRMS. Shiha Mog, a resident of Bijoypur-III village under Bordumsa, Arunachal Pradesh had to leave his house, after his marriage, in search of a job. He had no means to support his family at his village. He moved to another state in search of work, but he was unable to get work that paid enough to support his family. As he failed in finding a work, he returned home and resumed farming crops on his father's shared plot of land. However, his family's requirements could not be met by cultivation alone. In 2019, NERCRMS came to light in his village and he was able to propose his preferred unit in a NaRMG (Natural Resource Management Group) meeting. "It was later placed through the Annual Work Plan and Budget 2019-2020. He became the beneficiary of the project under NERCRMS with electrical activity in 2019 and received Rs 25,000 from the project. With his Rs 5,000 savings, he opened an electrical shop in the village," said the ministry showing how NERCRMS changed lives. Initially, Mog undertook house wiring to support his family. Later, it was an additional profession. The project transformed his life, transforming him from an agriculturally dependent individual to a technologically independent individual. "By earning an amount of Rs 12,000 per month, he became more financially secure and focused on his technical profession. As a result of the initiative, the project gave him the opportunity to increase his annual income for his family," the ministry said. The ministry also shared how NERCRMS has changed the lives of woman residents of a village, close to the Myanmar border, in the state. Konsa is one of the villages, where the women who were unable to sell their products at a reasonable price, however with a short training, NERCRMS changed their lives as they are now selling off their products in weekly market set up by the ministry. The residents here deals into agriculture items i.e chilly, pumpkin, ginger maize, millet and squash as well as non-timber products such as bamboo shoots, banana blossoms, wild edible leaves, and fruits. Women were unable to promote their locally accessible products and services due to a lack of transportation and high fares, but to promote the local business, the weekly market was adopted under NERCRMS with the help of an NGO. Bhopal, March 18 : Madhya Pradesh police claimed to have busted a gang allegedly involved in duping people on pretext of providing 'VIP' mobile numbers. The gang duped around 500 people from multiple states, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh and have pocketed nearly Rs 3 crore in the last three years. Three people were arrested while the hunt to nab couple more is still on, a senior police official in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district told the media on Thursday. According to the police, the arrested accused have been identified as Shubham Rai (28), Ashok Tripathi (57) and Dilip Kukreja (44). Police claimed to have seized documents linked to the bank accounts, seven digit cards, cheque books, Aadhar cards, eight mobile phones and a two-wheelers from their possession. Police said that the alleged fraudsters used over 50 bank accounts. The state police was in search of these fraudsters since February after a resident of Jabalpur, Harjinder Singh, filed a complaint with a local police station claiming that he received a text message on February 2, offering to provide a 'VIP' mobile number or a number with a customer's preferred digits. Subsequently, Harvinder got a call from a person who claimed to be an agent a telecom company and offered to provide him a 'VIP' SIM card on payment of Rs 41,300. The caller also provided details of a bank account for making the payment. As per the police, Harvinder transferred the money, but he did not received any SIM card in return as has been promised. He then lodged a complaint to the police. During the investigation, police found that the money was transferred to the bank account of Ashok Tirthani, one of the person involved in the scam. The police first arrested Tirthani and during the interrogation he told that Dilip Kukreja, Shubham Rai and some other persons are involved in the case. Rai had been earlier arrested in a cheating case in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, police said. "Three persons of the gang have been arrested for duping over 500 people in several states. Some more more members of the group are still on run and they will also be brought to the justice soon," a senior police officer said. Jaipur, March 18 : A delegation of Rajasthan BJP watched Bollywood movie - 'The Kashmir Files' on Thursday and subsequently urged Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to make the movie tax free in the state. BJP state president Satish Poonia along with other office bearers of the party, public representatives and senior workers watched the film in Jaipur. The entire cinema hall resonated with the chants of 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', and slogans praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J.P. Nadda were also raised. Talking to the media, Poonia said, "Jawaharlal Nehru wanted power, so the country was partitioned. But even after that the situation did not improve under the Congress rule. Despite such adverse circumstances, taking bold steps, Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel unified the country." "Had Sardar Patel been the Prime Minister of the country, then perhaps such days would not have been seen," he claimed. Poonia said that the manner in which Kashmiri Pandits were persecuted was heart-wrenching. "This has been depicted meaningfully in the movie. By watching this film, the people of the country will know the facts. The public will be able to analyse how the Congress's policy of appeasement has affected the unity and integrity of the country." He said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should make this film tax free, so that the people of Rajasthan would also know the truth about the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits. Responding to a question, Poonia said that the film has nothing to do with religious sentiments. "The politics of appeasement was promoted by the Congress, but the support base of the Congress has slipped and it is on the verge of extinction, the people of the country have understood the reality of the Congress... Apart from Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, there is no existence of Congress anywhere and under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP will form a government with a thumping majority in these two states," he added. Meanwhile Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, "There is no need for any debate over 'The Kashmir Files'. The debate on this film in the media and social media spoils the atmosphere of brotherhood and harmony; media should avoid such debates. The exodus of Pandits from Kashmir at that time was a sorrowful incident for all the countrymen, irrespective of their religion. The atmosphere that is being created in the name of the film will further increase the divide between different religions including Hindu-Muslim, which is not in the interest of the country." United Nations, March 18 : India has said it was ready to "engage" in diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine where the UN has raised "grave fears" for millions of people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "emphasized that there is no option but the path of dialogue and diplomacy", India's Permanent Representative, T.S. Tirumurti, said on Thursday. "We stand ready to continue to engage on these objectives in the Security Council, as well as with the parties (to the conflict), in the coming days," he said. Modi has spoken to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and urged them to hold direct talks. Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said that while there were "grave fears about the fate of millions of residents" who were "facing intensifying attacks", there were some positive developments in talks between Russia and Ukraine, but they have not led to a ceasefire. She said, "This week, there were positive signals reported regarding the ongoing direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives. We welcome all such engagements." "However, we note that these signals of support are not translated into the cessation of hostilities that is so desperately needed," she added. After the negotiators, Vladimir Medinsky of Russia and Mykhailo Podolyak of Ukraine, held a round of video talks, Zelentsky said on Wednesday, "I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov introduced a note of optimism in the 22-day war, saying they were "close to an agreement". Tirumurti said, "We reiterate our call for immediate cessation of hostilities across Ukraine." Without naming Russia, which launched the war, he said, "We continue to underline the need to respect the UN Charter, international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states." "The humanitarian situation has worsened, particularly in the conflict zones," he said. He said that humanitarian assistance should not be politicised and be guided by the principles of "humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence". To contribute to alleviating the humanitarian crisis, Tirumurti said that India has already sent over 90 tonnes of relief supplies to Ukraine and its neighbours since March 1, he said. "We are in the process of identifying other such requirements and sending further supplies in the coming days," he said. DiCarlo warned that "dangerous ripple effects are felt around the world" from the war because of threats to the supply of food from Ukraine, the world's breadbasket. Between February 24 and March 15, she said, 726 people have been killed, 52 of them children, and most of the casualties resulted from the use of explosive weapons with wide impact in residential areas. "The actual number is likely much higher," she said. There should be a thorough investigation into the attacks on civilians and those responsible should be held to account, she said. "Life-saving medicine we need now is peace," World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said outlining the health catastrophe in Ukraine. He said that WHO has verified 43 attacks on health care facilities, with 12 people killed and 34 injured, including health workers. "Attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law - anytime, anywhere," he said. He said that UN convoys with humanitarian supplies have not been able to reach several areas. US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that she had just met with Ukrainian civil society leaders who "reported terror - the terror that Russia is inflicting across Ukraine", including the shooting of people standing in a bread line. China's Permanent Representative Zhang Jun said that "a chance for ceasefire" was emerging. He said, "Sanctions will not solve problems, instead will create new problems" given the sluggish recovery and trigger a humanitarian crisis. Russia's Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzia acknowledged the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, but denied the accusations of Russia attacking places like medical facilities or a theatre sheltering people or a mosque. "We note with regret that Ukraine has always was a pawn in the struggle against Russia and remains such a pawn still," he said. He said that Russia will not press for a vote on a resolution it had introduced to counter a resolution proposed by France and Mexico on facilitating humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. Moscow was calling for an emergency session of the Security Council on Friday on what he said were bio-weapon labs in Ukraine, he said. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War In a discussion with Georgetown Law students and Dean William M. Treanor, former unanimously confirmed Under Secretary of State Keith Krach, a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, offered his unique perspective on building global trust networks in the private and public sectors by assembling high-performance teams and challenging the status quo. Krach shared lessons learned from his four decades of bringing transformational leadership to multiple sectors, including robotics, engineering automation, e-commerce, higher education, philanthropy, economic statecraft, and even the way people sign. During his conversation with the Georgetown Law students, Krach pointed to the importance of trust in forming successful partnerships and coalitions: Trust is the most important word in any language. It is the basis of every relationship business, personal, or otherwise. You do business with people you trust. You partner with people you trust. You buy from people you trust. You love people you trust. Krachs deployment of the Clean Network Alliance of Democracies, rooted in his Trust Principle doctrine, led to his Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Lack of trust, Krach told the students, is the dictatorships Achilles' heel. Trust is a strategic competitive advantage free nations have over authoritarian ones. Democratic trust principles, such as respect for the rule of law, human rights, the environment, labor practices, and sovereignty of nations are the foundation of trusted collaboration, and a peaceful alternative to the totalitarians Power Principle, rooted in brute power, coercion, and intimidation. What you did running U.S. economic diplomacy and building the Clean Network is of the utmost importance especially now, Treanor told Krach. Your use of the Trust Principle to defend against technological authoritarianism, safeguard global economic security, preserve democracy in Taiwan, and protect human rights resonates with Georgetowns core values. The Jesuit mission of men and women for others that's in our DNA here. Thats why people come here and what they hope to do in their careers, so your message is inspiring. Krach's transformational diplomacy based on the Trust Principle doctrine has integrated Silicon Valley Strategies and foreign policy tools into a new category called Tech Statecraft. His dedication to the mission of advancing freedom continues as the Chairman and Co-founder for the Center for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue (CTDP). On joining CTDPs board, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta observed the urgency of adopting Krachs Trust Principle-based model to counter authoritarianism: Chinas techno-economic aggression presents a serious threat to the free world, especially when it comes to advanced technologies. The Clean Network pioneered a trust-based model for countering authoritarian aggression across all areas of techno-economic competition. I support the adoption of that successful model by the CTDP in its noble mission. Former National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster added: The Clean Networks defeat of the Chinese Communist Partys masterplan to control 5G communications was the first time a government-led initiative proved that Chinas economic warfare is beatable because it exposed their biggest weakness: nobody trusts them. Krach concluded his talk with Treanor and the Georgetown Law students by emphasizing the importance of securing high tech from authoritarianism: Considering the integral role of tech in humanitys next chapter, world peace is unattainable without the widespread adoption of trusted technology. Georgetown University Law Center is a global leader in legal education based in the heart of the U.S. capital. As the nations 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 Centers 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 schools motto, Law is but the means, justice is the end. Frank Freeman, Osage LLC Chairman, and Sam Curtis, CEO of AtLink, sign a contract to provide broadband internet service to Osage County Osage Innovative Solutions is excited to have partnered with AtLink to provide High-speed Broadband Internet service to Osage County in general and the Osage people specifically. Osage Innovative Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary of Osage, LLC, and AtLink Services, LLC, Oklahomas largest locally-owned fixed wireless broadband service provider, have signed a multi-year agreement establishing an alliance to form a newly-created entity dubbed Osage Broadband, to deliver high-speed fiber optic and fixed-wireless broadband Internet service to Osage County. AtLink will also provide 24-7 Customer Care support, installation, and onsite technical service, as well as billing and account maintenance. With focused impact for Osage Nation citizens and businesses, the project promises to help bridge the digital divide for tribal members and non-members alike. Osage Innovative Solutions is excited to have partnered with AtLink to provide High-speed Broadband Internet service to Osage County in general and the Osage people specifically. This effort will allow the Osage Nation to close the Digital Divide that exists for many people in Osage County. Osage Broadband will allow for our people to conduct remote learning, promote economic development, enhance connectivity in an ever-demanding world and most importantly, to help educate our people about Osage culture and language. In short, this endeavor will assist in ensuring the Sovereignty of the Osage Nation. Dr. James Trumbly Director of Osage Innovative Solutions, LLC. AtLink is excited to be part of such an innovative and critical venture that will jointly leverage Osage resources and expertise with our nearly 20 years of industry experience to accelerate the delivery of vital broadband service. Connectivity to state-of-the-art technology is now more important than ever for families, students and businesses, and AtLink is proud of this latest project to broaden the reach of our service and deliver the type of speed and network reliability that Oklahomans both demand and deserve, said Samual Curtis, President of AtLink Services. Osage Broadband, powered by AtLink will initially be deployed throughout the second and third quarters of 2022 in the communities of Gray Horse, Hominy, Fairfax, Bowring and Pawhuska, with accelerated expansion for additional targeted areas of Osage county thereafter. About Osage Innovative Solutions, LLC Osage Innovative Solutions (OIS) is part of the Osage, LLC family and was founded in Pawhuska in 2009. OIS was originally founded as a technology and innovation company. OIS is a tribal 8(a) small business and has held several US Government contracts, including working with the Military at Ft. Leonard Wood in our ancestorial home of Missouri. To learn more about Osage Innovative Solutions, visit http://www.OsageBroadband.com or OsageLLC.com. Media Contact Osage Innovative Solutions, LLC. Jim Trumbly 719-629-8825 jtrumbly@osagellc.com About AtLink Services, LLC AtLink Services is a wireless internet service provider founded in Oklahoma City in 2005. AtLink Services is the largest Oklahoma-based wireless internet service provider, serving more than 15,000 Oklahomans in rural communities. To learn more about Atlink, visit http://www.atlinkservices.com/http://www.atlinkservices.com/ Media Contact AtLink Services, LLC. Brent Greene 405-753-7151 brentg@atlink.net Sint Eustatius Statia has one of the most dynamic tourism products in the world. Its a small island that packs a powerful punch. TripCast360 announces a sponsorship deal with the Caribbean Island paradise of Sint Eustatius. Statia, as its affectionately known to many will sponsor the TripCast360 podcast and newsletter with advertising support along with enhanced editorial opportunities. TripCast360 will promote Sint Eustatius numerous times a month across all their social media platforms. In making the announcement, TripCast360 producer and co-host David Cumberbatch says, Statia has one of the most dynamic tourism products in the world. Its a small island that packs a powerful punch. Sint Eustatius is a global gem, says Michael Gordon Bennett, TripCast360s co-host and producer. We had Charles Lindo, the Tourism Director for Sint Eustatius on our podcast, and you could feel his passion and love for the Golden Rock (Sint Eustatius nickname) and the idea of adventure and tranquility existing in one destination. The Discover Sint Eustatius podcast is a huge hit with our listeners. Lindo reminds visitors, Statia is one of the rare places in the Caribbean not overrun by mass tourism a huge plus for many of todays travelers. Sint Eustatius is a global leader in sustainable and eco-tourism. The diving and snorkeling are spectacular. The underwater marine parks with studded shipwrecks and living coral reefs teeming with sea life is known by divers and snorkelers around the world. Those who prefer more land-based activity, Statia offers many hiking trails with beautiful vistas. The highlight of walking Statia is the Quill, a 2,000 meter (6,500 feet) high dormant volcano that takes about an hour to reach the summit. Once at the top, visitors are in for a surprise as they traverse the tropical rainforest in the volcanos crater. Accommodations range from the beauty of Statias first upscale property the Golden Rock Resort to many boutique properties with five to 10 rooms, most along a beach or scenic hilltop where visitors can enjoy the splendor and beauty of the Caribbean. About TripCast360 TripCast360 is a travel podcast designed with YOU - the everyday traveler in mind. Hosted by travel industry veterans Michael Gordon Bennett and David Cumberbatch, the show features interviews with travelers from around the globe who share their first-hand experiences, stories and opinions. TripCast360 educates and entertains listeners about the wonderful world of travel and tourism. For more information about the podcast, visit http://www.tripcast360.com. About Sint Eustatius Known as the Golden Rock, Sint Eustatius (known affectionately as Statia), is an open-air museum and diving haven. It is surrounded by a beautiful marine reserve with 7 distinct dive ecosystems and a wealth of coral reef habitats. An island of only 8.1 square miles with a population of 3,500, Statia offers no mass tourism, but intimate experiences await visitors to this sleepy Dutch Caribbean island. Learn about Sint Eustatius at statia-tourism.com. Today unitQ, the platform empowering companies to take a data-driven approach to product quality, is available in AWS Marketplace. This milestone makes the AI-enabled unitQ Monitor available to all Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers, including those purchasing through AWS Marketplace, a curated digital catalog that customers can use to find, buy, deploy and manage third-party software, data, and services to build solutions and run their businesses. unitQ Monitor can be used to improve product quality, user retention, and engagement by turning qualitative user feedback into data-driven insights. Our listing in AWS Marketplace is an exciting step towards helping our customers better support their audiences, said Aaron Verstraete, Head of Strategy and Partnerships at unitQ. Without access to the right tools, companies are unable to harness the power of what their audience is sharing with them. The unitQ Monitor provides a new view into the human data companies need to build the best user experiences possible. And now, these teams can access unitQ easily through AWS Marketplace, making it easy for customers to improve their product quality. Todays leading companies are looking at their data to inform decisions. Unfortunately, all too often, teams lack a window into product quality because the information lives across so many disparate channels. The unitQ Monitor consolidates feedback across multiple private and public channels from Zendesk, to Twitter, to the App Store, to Intercom classifying them into over 500 granular categories, called Quality Monitors. This provides teams across companies from support, to engineering, to product, and beyond the quantitative insights they need to identify, prioritize, and fix issues faster. Todays news will allow AWS customers to further detect, troubleshoot, and fix urgent product quality problems. This announcement marks one of many exciting developments from the team at unitQ, including: A partnership integration between unitQ and PagerDuty - to resolve product quality issues faster than ever, which is now available to the 18,000+ companies across 90 countries relying on PagerDuty An integration between unitQ and Slack - that enables unitQ users to be instantly notified of new user feedback, quality issues, and bugs An integration between unitQ and Helpshift - to analyze feedback and issues from Helpshift, an in-app customer self-service platform for many of the worlds top mobile apps and games Household names like Spotify, Strava, and Klarna are already utilizing the unitQ Monitor, and on average, unitQ customers improve their product quality by over 20% in the first 30 days of having access to this new, real-time, and impactful data. To learn more about how to access the unitQ Monitor on AWS please visit, https://www.unitq.com/aws/. About unitQ unitQ is one of the first platforms that empowers companies to take a data-driven approach to product quality. Leading technology companies including Spotify, Klarna, Pandora, and Strava rely on unitQ for product quality. unitQ has raised $41M in funding from Accel, Creandum and Gradient Ventures, Googles AI-focused venture fund. The company is based out of Burlingame, California and is founded by Christian Wiklund and Niklas Lindstrom, entrepreneurs who previously founded Skout, a social app with over 50 million users that was acquired by The Meet Group in 2016. Learn more at http://www.unitQ.com. To be recognized as the regions fastest-growing during the turmoil is a testament to our successful business model and culture. We plan to continue our growth pattern over the next few years while continuing to provide exceptional service to our clients," says CEO and Co-Founder, Gregg Kidd. Inc. magazine today revealed that Pinnacle Holding Company [Pinnacle] is No. 121 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Northeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Northeast region economys most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. Its an honor, once again, to be named to an Inc. list, says CEO and Co-Founder, Gregg Kidd. The past couple of years have been challenging for most businesses across the country. To be recognized as the regions fastest-growing during the turmoil is a testament to our successful business model and culture. We plan to continue our growth pattern over the next few years while continuing to provide exceptional service to our clients. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Northeast region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 124 private companies had an average growth rate of 208% and, in 2020 alone, they added 5,010 jobs and nearly $2.7 billion to the Northeast regions economy. Companies based in the New York City and Boston areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Northeast, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at Inc.com/regionals/northeast starting March 15, 2022. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About Pinnacle Holding Company For over 25 years, Pinnacle Holding Company and its subsidiaries have provided all-inclusive solutions to meet the financial needs of individuals, businesses, and other organizations in New York and beyond. Pinnacles suite of companies includes Pinnacle Investments, an independent broker-dealer; Pinnacle Capital Management, a money management firm; Confidential Planning, a 401(k) and 403(b) provider; and Pinnacle Employee Services, a professional employer organization. From wealth management to human resources management, no other firm has the resources or provides the one-on-one connection that our advisors and consultants deliver. The Pinnacle Holding Company oversees more than $2 Billion in client assets. To learn more about Pinnacle, please visit Pinnacle-LLC.com. Media Contact: Elizabeth Higman, Marketing & Branding Manager ehigman@pinncle-llc.com 315-295-3832 More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit Inc.com. Navigo is a proud supporter of Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, already implementing its Navigo Forward program that donates a portion of Navigo proceeds to this special charity. In honor of Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities 43rd anniversary, Navigo donated $5,000 as part of the charities' Share the Love week during March 4-11, 2022. Throughout the weeklong anniversary celebration, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities raised awareness and funds in support of its mission to nurture the health and well-being of children and families. Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities keeps families together and near the care they need, when they need it most. We share in their dedication to helping these deserving families access quality pediatric healthcare and allowing them to be actively involved in their childrens care. We are delighted to be able to present them with this donation to further the great work they are doing. Stuart Poole, Navigo CEO. The Atlanta-based Navigo opened its doors last month, and it provides nationwide concierge service to individuals and groups looking for TV, internet, cell, and home security services. Navigo eliminates the need for individuals and groups to spend time looking for available deals and plans; Navigo steps in and does the heavy lifting for its customers. Navigo has partnered with over 25 major carriers including AT&T, CenturyLink, DirecTV, Cox, HughesNet, Spectrum, Xfinity, and more. Thanks to these partnerships, Navigo locates the best deals for its customers. If you are looking to shop or purchase TV, internet, cell, and home security services, please visit http://www.navigoforward.com today. If you are interested in forming a free group for your work, homeowners association, or other groups to save on TV, internet, cell, and home security services, please contact CEO Stuart Poole at stuart.poole@navigoforward.com. About Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to nurturing the health and well-being of children and families. For more 43 years, Atlanta RMHC has kept families with sick children close to each other and the medical care their child needs. Through its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, Atlanta RMHC has served more than 65,000 families since 1979. Atlanta RMHCs programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family-centered care, ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their childrens care. For more information, visit armhc.org or call (404) 315-1133. Follow Atlanta RMHC on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Joel Lockwood, President at Sycle Sycle is already the number one provider in this space. Joels leadership will further strengthen Sycles offerings, expand their partnership ecosystem, and enhance their strategic enterprise relationships. Sycle LLC, the leading practice management solution provider in hearing healthcare, is pleased to announce that Joel Lockwood has been appointed President of Sycle. Lockwood will lead the organization in its mission to facilitate the delivery of better hearing to the world. Joel is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of leadership and executive experience in the Technology sector, guiding teams across functional areas focused on delivering products and services to customers. His management experience includes enterprise, start-ups and agency organizations, working with F500 customers as well as small businesses. His specialty is the development of optimal growth strategies based on metrics and analysis. Prior to the President position, Joel was VP of Marketing and Communications for Sycle. Were excited to have Joel on board as President, said Tony Manna, President of Cochlear Americas/Cochlear LTD., Sycles parent company. Sycle is already the number one provider in this space. Joels leadership will further strengthen Sycles offerings, expand their partnership ecosystem, and enhance their strategic enterprise relationships. Joel has held executive positions at large corporations such as Computer Associates, Sun Microsystems, America Online, and Teradata, as well as successful start-up companies. He spent ten years as Partner and President of Ozone Online, a digital marketing agency. In his career, Joel has worked with customers large and small, including P&G, Intel, Amgen, Autodesk, Siemens, Medtronic, and other industry leaders. I am especially thrilled to take the helm of a company that is positioned so well for the future, said Lockwood. We have an amazing team, top to bottom, and are working on some exciting technologies that will greatly enhance our customers ability to deliver excellent service to their patients. I look forward to leading the company through the next stage of growth. About Sycle Sycle is a global Software as a Service (SaaS) company headquartered in Lone Tree, Colorado with offices in Alabama and Vancouver. Sycle provides innovative solutions for managing a modern audiology practice. Sycle was founded in 2001 with a clear mission: To facilitate the delivery of better hearing to the world. It started as an idea to help audiologists better connect with their patients; today, Sycle has evolved into the audiology industrys number one practice management software. Over 8,000 clinics and 20,000 hearing care professionals in 13 countries worldwide depend on Sycle to run their businesses. Sycle develops software and integrations that eliminates tedious tasks and streamlines workflows. This allows clients more time with their patients and ultimately helps them treat more people suffering from hearing loss. To learn more, visit https://sycle.net. About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) People have always been Cochlears inspiration, ever since Professor Graeme Clark set out to create the first multi-channel cochlear implant after seeing his father struggle with hearing loss. Since 1981, Cochlear has provided more than 650,000 devices in more than 180 countries, helping people of all ages around the world to hear. As the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, Cochlear connects people with lifes opportunities and welcomes them to the worlds largest hearing implant community. Cochlear has a global workforce of more than 4,000 people, with a passion for progress, who strive to meet the needs of people living with hearing loss. The company continually innovates to anticipate future needs, investing more than AUD$2 billion to date in research and development to push the boundaries of technology and help more people hear. One Step GPS Makes No. 42 On Inc Regionals List This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals Pacific list had an average growth rate of 195% percent Inc. Magazine revealed that One Step GPS is No. 42 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Pacific list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful private companies within the Pacific region economy generating sustainable growth and jobs. We are honored to be recognized and will continue to provide a much-needed service to our fellow businesses. Fleet tracking has become such an integral part of any company with vehicles, and we are happy to be making their jobs easier and assisting businesses to grow. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Pacific. Between 2018 and 2020, these 150 private companies had an average growth rate of 195% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 10,252 jobs and $5.1 billion to the Pacific regions economy. Companies based in the Irvine, Santa Monica, and Venice, California, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Pacific, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/pacific starting March 15, 2022. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. One Step GPS is a top-rated GPS Fleet Tracking company based out of California known for their unbeatable customer service and outstanding low monthly cost. They have dedicated themselves to providing top tier fleet tracking features without the need for a contract or device expenses. They provide a device for you, offer a 100-day money back guarantee and will even pay for shipping both ways. It is not often a company has such confidence in their product and services, so its no wonder how they are growing so fast and why their customers praise them. To learn more, visit their website OneStepGPS.com More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology: The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media: The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Coastline International, Inc in San Diego, CA 2022 marks the 40th anniversary that Coastline International has been providing manufacturing services for leading companies worldwide. Established in 1982, Coastline has a long history of working with top OEMs to provide superb customer service and manufacturing partnership through their Tijuana, Mexico based facilities. Coastline has gained a reputation for their quality and service throughout the past 40 years of becoming experts in nearshore manufacturing. Why Contract Manufacturing in Mexico? While Coastlines manufacturing operations are strategically located on the Tijuana side of the US-Mexico border, Coastline International is a US-owned and managed company and all corporate operations are based out of San Diego, California. Since its inception in 1982, Coastline has operated the same maquiladora business model which encompasses the management of all manufacturing services and import-export activities for their customers to allow for seamless access to their highly skilled and competitive labor workforce in Mexico. In the early 1980s and 1990s era, Coastline was primarily concentrated on electronics and industrial applications. Core competencies focused on printed circuit boards (PCBA), soldering, potting, wire harnesses, box builds, manual packaging, assembly of aerospace rivets & fasteners, and power supply & battery pack assembly. Coastline capabilities have historically aligned with industry demands, and in the late 1990s, the requirements of the medical device industry found their way to Coastline Mexico facilities. As the manufacturing and assembly processes for many medical products were and continue to be, quite labor-intensive, it was made very clear that the manufacturing infrastructure in the Tijuana region was a great fit to support the emerging market. With Coastlines history of high-quality assembly work, it was a natural transition to embrace new medical companies as customers. Coastline Internationals Evolution Over the Years Over the years as the opportunities grew, Coastline continued to evolve and adapt to the industry requirements. In the early 2000s, Coastline obtained ISO certification and to this day the Quality Management System remains current on both ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 revisions. The Coastline facilities in Mexico have built a robust staff and experienced management team which has continued to grow along with the development of their customer base. In 2018, Coastline obtained a new 20,000 sq. ft. building and invested in the build-out of an additional Class 8 (Class 100,000) cleanroom production space. The Tijuana facilities currently comprise a total of three buildings which include four cleanrooms and multiple production floors & warehouses across the 50,000 sq. ft. campus all of which is in the same secure gated industrial park approximately 10 miles from the San Diego border. Throughout the past 40 years, the focus on manual assembly has been a common denominator across the vast portfolio of products manufactured at Coastline. As Coastline has adopted new customers in thriving industries, legacy production also certainly remains from many long-standing customers, some of which have been engaged for more than 20 years. Although labor-driven processes continue to remain a core proficiency, Coastline has also embraced significant equipment-reliant manufacturing capabilities such as ultrasonic welding, RF welding, UV curing, die-cutting, sterile-barrier sealing, in addition to automated processes such as form-fill-seal (FFS) packaging. Coastlines customer base covers a wide spectrum of companies across industries which include Fortune-500 companies, late-stage start-ups, and many organizations in between. All of Coastlines customers either have a long history of successful products or have created traction in the marketplace with new innovation. In order to support their growth, it has been essential for these OEMs to identify a strategic manufacturing partner to help reduce costs and also provide the capacity to scale production for the growing demand. By working with Coastline, these companies have been able to rely on the Tijuana site for scalable production consequently, they can focus on product development, innovation, sales & marketing, and all of the other critical aspects related to the demands of a successful modern company. The management team at Coastline has committed to creating a culture of integrity within the organization. As a result, Coastline has been fortunate to maintain turnover levels considerably below the regional and industry averages. Coastline has also found great success through focusing on employee development and internal promotion in order to create opportunities for current personnel. Many of Coastlines employees have been with the organization in excess of 10-20 years, some even passed the 30-year mark. Over the years, hundreds of jobs have been created by way of Coastlines manufacturing operation in Tijuana and the future is looking bright with continued growth ahead. In conjunction with a passion for their employees, the other element fundamental to their success has been the dedication to service for their customers. Coastline has been recognized for their service offering which includes management presence from the USA on-site; this boots on the ground approach of US-management representation embraces the partner mentality and creates a direct line of communication to the manufacturing site. Coastline has countless times been able to witness firsthand the lifecycle of products ramping from early design-phase all the way to steady-state high volume production lines. The accomplishment of their customers is vital to Coastlines success, as the mutually beneficial relationship is based on reciprocity and the spirit of partnership. Coastlines goal is to truly operate as a Tijuana-based extension of their customers. A Bright Path Forward As 2022 will make 40 years of manufacturing in Mexico for Coastline International, the organization is committed to many more positive years ahead. The leadership team is very excited about Mexicos position Tijuana in particular in the current global landscape for contract manufacturing. In addition to facility investments, Coastline has continued to invest in its staff to build and maintain the necessary foundation for further steady growth and an exciting future to come. To learn more about Coastline or contact for manufacturing inquiries, please please contact Brett South at: brett@coastlineintl.com For all other inquiries, please direct to: info@coastlineintl.com The FinTech Breakthrough 2022 Award logo Year after year, Numerated has proven to be an industry leader through tireless innovation and we extend our sincere congratulations to the team for a well-deserved 2022 FinTech Breakthrough Award win. - James Johnson, Managing Director, FinTech Breakthrough Numerated, the modern loan origination system for business banking, is the 2022 Best Lending Platform according to FinTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top performing fintech companies across a number of categories including innovation, performance, and ease of use. This years recognition marks the fourth consecutive year the Boston-based fintech has won a Fintech Breakthrough Award. In 2021, Numerated earned the FinTech Breakthrough Award for Best Overall Business Lending Company. Being driven to be the best is one of our core values here at Numerated, said Numerated CEO and Co-Founder Dan OMalley. To us, that means building a loan origination system that offers the best experience, for customers and bankers, on the market. It means providing our financial institutions with a tool that makes business banking incredibly efficient. And, it means being a true partner in helping our customers quickly recognize value in their investment. Founded in 2017, Numerated is building the future of the loan origination system on a vision of radically simplifying business banking for lenders and their borrowers by using data. The Numerated Loan Origination System helps borrowers secure approval for business loans and lines of credit in minutes rather than days, by eliminating or automating most of the tedious work associated with these complicated financial products. The award-winning platform is fast and easy to implement, learn, and use, with more than 140 financial institutions having leveraged the platform to process more than $50B in lending for over 400,000 businesses, to date. Financial institutions using a digital loan origination system will have a significant advantage over traditional competitors as quickly shifting customer expectations favor digital experiences, said James Johnson, managing director, FinTech Breakthrough. With a development process centered around the needs and feedback of financial institutions, Numerated is helping banks and credit unions of all sizes in their transition to digital lending. Year after year, Numerated has proven to be an industry leader through tireless innovation and we extend our sincere congratulations to the team for a well-deserved 2022 FinTech Breakthrough Award win. Numerateds recognition as the Best Business Lending Platform by FinTech Breakthrough comes as the company is building momentum on the tail end of 2021 and to start the new year. In December, Numerated made headlines through their acquisition of fellow Boston-based startup Fincura, and just this week was ranked No. 4 on Inc.s Northeast Regional list of fastest-growing private companies. Learn more about the Numerated Loan Origination System at http://www.numerated.com. #### About Numerated Numerated is a modern loan origination system for business banking that dramatically reduces work for financial institutions and their customers. Banks and credit unions use Numerated to meet businesses expectations for digital convenience while driving significant gains in efficiency. The platform uses data to streamline originations for any business banking product, from application to decision to close. More than 400,000 businesses and 30,000 financial institution associates have leveraged the platform to process over $50 billion in lending, making Numerated the fastest-growing fintech SaaS company on the 2021 Inc. 5,000. About FinTech Breakthrough Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for technology innovation and leadership around the globe, the FinTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in Financial Technologies and Services companies and products. The FinTech Breakthrough Awards provide public recognition for the achievements of FinTech companies and products in categories including Payments, Personal Finance, Wealth Management, Fraud Protection, Banking, Lending, RegTech, InsurTech and more. For more information visit FinTechBreakthrough.com. Media Contact Chris Cunningham numerated@haymaker.co Sideview of a red 2022 Hyundai Kona on the side of a road Mathews Hyundai is committed to providing Ohio drivers with the most up-to-date Hyundai vehicles. Many of the new Hyundai automobiles for the 2022 model year have already arrived at the store. The 2022 Hyundai Kona is one of these automobiles. This subcompact crossover's new, revised 2022 model year car is now available at Mathews Hyundai. Under the hood of the new 2022 Kona is a new 2.0L 4-cylinder Atkinson engine with 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque. It is linked to a Smartstream Intelligent Variable Transmission for the first time. The Limited and new N Line trim levels, on the other hand, come with a 1.6L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque as standard. An upgraded 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox is instead used which has been returned exclusively this year for improving performance. The store claims to have many units of the various trim levels of the 2022 Hyundai Kona in stock. The SE, SEL, Limited, and N-line trim levels are included in the inventory list. As a result, local buyers are encouraged to check out the dealership's online inventory as soon as feasible. Residents in the Marion region may call the sales team at (833) 331-0082 for additional information on the 2022 Hyundai Kona or scheduling a test drive. Mathews Hyundai is situated at 1793 Marion Mt. Gilead Road/ Route 95, Marion, OH 43302. Check out the website at https://www.mathewseasthyundai.com/ We are honored that twelve Szaferman Lakind attorneys were selected for inclusion in this years Super Lawyers lists. The firm is proud to announce that twelve (12) Szaferman Lakind attorneys have been included in the 2022 New Jersey Super Lawyers lists issued by Thomson Reuters. Recognized by their peers in the legal community, the attorneys included in the 2022 list represent seven (7) practice areas including: Family Law, General Litigation, Personal Injury: Plaintiff, Class Action, Environmental Litigation, Workers Compensation and Employment & Labor. The Szaferman Lakind attorneys included in the 2022 list are: Barry Szaferman, Family Law Brian G. Paul, Family Law Arnold C. Lakind, General Litigation Craig J. Hubert, Personal Injury Litigation: Plaintiff Robert E. Lytle, Class Action Michael R. Paglione, Personal Injury Litigation: Plaintiff Janine G. Bauer, Environmental Litigation Jeffrey K. Epstein, Family Law Samuel M. Gaylord, Workers' Compensation Tanya L. Phillips, Workers' Compensation Daniel S. Sweetser, Employment & Labor Thomas J. Manzo, Personal Injury Litigation: Plaintiff (2022 New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars List) Partner Thomas Manzo was included in the 2022 New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for the third consecutive year. According to Super Lawyers, Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. Only 5% of attorneys are selected to the Super Lawyers list and only 2.5% are selected to the Rising Stars list. Candidates are eligible for Rising Stars if they under the age of 40 or have been practicing for less than 10 years. We are honored and humbled that twelve Szaferman Lakind attorneys were selected for inclusion in this years Super Lawyers lists, commented Co-Managing Partner Barry Szaferman. We thank Super Lawyers and our peers in the legal community for this recognition and we would like to further thank all of the attorneys and staff at the firm for their continued dedication and hard work on behalf of our clients. Founded in 1977, Szaferman Lakind is a full-service, Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent law firm that was listed among U.S. News & World Reports Best Law Firms from 2014 through 2022.* Based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Szaferman Lakind has 30+ attorneys who provide legal representation to businesses, investors, professionals, families and individuals in several areas, among them family law, general and commercial litigation, personal injury, workers compensation, estate and business planning and business law. To contact Szaferman Lakind please call 609.275.0400 or visit http://www.szaferman.com. *Some Szaferman Lakind lawyers have been selected to Super Lawyers list(s). The Super Lawyers lists are issued by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found at superlawyers.com/about/selection_process. Szaferman Lakind was selected to U.S. News Best Lawyers Best Law Firms list. The Best Law Firms list is issued by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers. A description of the selection methodologies can be found at bestlawfirms.usnews.com/methodology.aspx. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Providing quality service and listening to what our merchants and community have to say is our top priority. Inc. Magazine today revealed that Awkward Styles is No. 108 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Pacific list, with two-year revenue growth of 118%, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington. Awkward Styles Print on Demand was previously ranked in INC 5000 in 2019 and 2021. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful private companies within the Pacific region economy generating sustainable growth and jobs. We are incredibly happy to be honored on this years Pacific Regions list. Providing quality service and listening to what our merchants and community have to say is our top priority. We are ready to continue proving our commitment. - Kaya Gokhan, Awkward Styles CEO Awkward Styles, a Los Angeles-based company founded in 2014, offers print-on-demand and dropshipping services for e-commerce sellers and brands. Awkward Styles offers seamless integrations for Etsy, Shopify, and Wocommerce sellers. Announcing its POD platform launch in 2021, the company has been diligently adapting to a rapidly changing eCommerce industry since then. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Pacific. Between 2018 and 2020, these 150 private companies had an average growth rate of 195% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 10,252 jobs and $5.1 billion to the Pacific regions economy. Companies based in the Irvine, Santa Monica, and Venice, California, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Pacific, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/pacific starting March 15, 2022. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Contact: Alex Galindo (562) 379-1165 alex@awkwardstyles.com Awkward Styles Catalog https://bit.ly/3Jw78yV More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Math Scripts: Algebra I: a useful educational resource for parents, teachers, and students. Math Scripts: Algebra I is the creation of published author Carol Armstrong Hardee, a loving mother and high school math teacher who was selected as one of two fellows from the state of Texas to attend the AT&T Teachers in Technology Institute. She served as a teacher on special assignment for her school district as a middle school math mentor for the Urban Systemic Program and a staff developer in the Math and Science Program, both sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and is nationally certified. Hardee shares, Math Scripts: Algebra 1 is a supplemental resource to any Algebra 1 course. It is designed to allow students to practice solving equations and inequalities studied in Algebra 1 using a script. The script provides word-for-word steps using the rules of equations, inequalities, and order of operations. Students can partner with other students and speak the parts in the script that describes step by step how to solve what is given. They have a great opportunity to write what they are saying, which helps them to process how what they are saying is related to how to denote the solution process symbolically. In other words, they are not only able to say the correct process, but they see how it should be written, building their literacy. There are different levels for each topic, so students can begin at an entry level and continue with more complex scripts. Speaking the language of math by performing math scripts will help your student become more fluent in math. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Carol Armstrong Hardees new book is an encouraging and easy to follow resource for math students. Hardee draws from a dedicated career as a math instructor to present students with a helpful guide to cementing their understanding of algebra. Consumers can purchase Math Scripts: Algebra I at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Math Scripts: Algebra I, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. It has taken us years upon years to get to where we are now. But it feels good to know that we are revolutionizing the jewelry space. Helloice creates some of the most trendy and fashionable jewelry items. While being a luxury brand, Helloice offers significantly lower prices as compared to the competitors. Thats because the company believes in providing fair and honest pricing to people looking to buy luxury items. Taking this philosophy a step ahead, Helloice gears up towards the Easter Sale. This sale will allow customers to purchase one item, then receive another one free of cost. The Easter Sale is an ideal opportunity for people who want to experience the true magic of hip-hop, trendy, and luxurious jewelry. The Easter Sale applies to all items available at the Helloice store. These items include Cuban Chain, Jewelry sets, diamond watches, religious pendants, chains, and many more. The Easter Sale can be availed by using the promotional code FREE at the time of purchasing. Helloice was created by a group of young men who wanted to give back to the community. This group of seven young fellows set out on a mission to provide luxurious, elegant and appealing, yet affordable jewelry items that everyone could afford. With this mission, Helloice aims to reach the world and scale the business to the global market. What makes Helloice different and special from the rest of the brands, is the dedication and passion towards the craft. With a strong devotion to what the company does, Helloice produces some of the finest pieces of jewelry. The unique craftsmanship of each product by Helloice speaks for itself. Moreover, the jewelry items are completely harmless to the skin. They have no reaction to the skin and cause no damage. Felix, the founder of Helloice says, People tend to believe 'This is expensive, it must be better' or 'This is cheap, it must be worse.' When the fact of the matter is we use better materials, have better designs and offer better prices than everyone else out there. It has taken us years upon years to get to where we are now. But it feels good to know that we are revolutionizing the jewelry space. Helloice can be reached on social media like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. About Helloice: Helloice was founded in Miami, Florida in 2017 with a mission to revolutionize the jewelry space. The company offers some of the best looking and the best feeling jewelry items along with being affordable for all. With the latest Easter Sale, customers can shop to their hearts content. Media contact Website address: https://www.helloice.com/ https://www.facebook.com/helloicejewelry/ https://www.instagram.com/helloiceofficial/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuj7LfLH6n31T2VCd16PpSA Freed-Hardeman University President David R. Shannon announced Thursday that Chick-fil-A will be coming to the FHU's Henderson campus in Fall 2023. We are thrilled to share this news with our student body! Serving Chick-fil-As beloved chicken, drinks and sides here will mean a great deal to students, faculty, staff and area residents, and we know that Chick-fil-A will be welcomed with open arms by our incredible community. Met with thunderous applause following a surprise presentation Thursday, Feb. 24, Freed-Hardeman University President David R. Shannon announced that Chick-fil-A will be coming to the FHU campus in Henderson. Under the guise of celebrating the presidents 55th birthday, staff members rolled a giant cake onto the Loyd Auditorium stage following chapel. The president addressed students, faculty and staff in attendance and made the announcement while one of the Eat Mor Chikin Cows jumped out of the cake. We are thrilled to share this news with our student body! Shannon said. Serving Chick-fil-As beloved chicken, drinks and sides here will mean a great deal to students, faculty, staff and area residents, and we know that Chick-fil-A will be welcomed with open arms by our incredible community. The university, which will operate a licensed Chick-fil-A location, plans to construct a new building to serve the popular menu items. We are working on the dining and kitchen design and menu options with the Chick-fil-A corporate team, Jason Brashier, CFO and vice president for financial services, said, as we are working toward a fall 2023 opening. The new building will face Main Street in Henderson, making it easily accessible from downtown and within the campus. Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family-owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,500 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C. and Canada. More information is available at chick-fil-a.com. The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson, Memphis and Dickson, FHU offers associates, bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees. More information is available at fhu.edu. CSG is honored to again be named by Forbes as one of Americas Best Management Consulting Firms, says John Walsworth, CSGs Chief Executive Officer. "This recognition attests to the dedication of our team and the consistent quality of our work. CSG Government Solutions, a national leader in government program modernization, today announced it has again been named by Forbes as one of Americas Best Management Consulting Firms in 2022. This is the fifth consecutive year that CSG has received this recognition. Americas Best Management Consulting Firms is comprised of the best consultancies based on results of an online, two-step methodology including expert and client surveys. Forbes surveys more than 7,500 executives who have worked with management consulting firms. CSG was ranked nationally in the top 35 consulting firms serving the Public Sector/Non-Profit/Education market. CSG is honored to again be named by Forbes as one of Americas Best Management Consulting Firms, says John Walsworth, CSGs Chief Executive Officer. Our clients have trusted us for twenty-five years to help manage important program modernization projects. This recognition attests to the dedication of our team and the consistent quality of our work. CSG Government Solutions deploys highly experienced teams and innovative methods, knowledge, and tools to help governments modernize complex program enterprises. CSG clients include 46 state and territory governments, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Labor, and large municipal governments. CONTACT: Tim Lenning Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing CSG Government Solutions 180 N. Stetson Ave Suite 3200 Chicago, IL 60601 312.444.2760 Fax: 312.938.2191 tlenning@csgdelivers.com ABOUT CSG GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS: CSG Government Solutions is a leading government operations consulting firm helping states modernize critical program enterprises. We help governments leverage innovative technology and processes to meet the challenges of administering complex programs. Founded in 1997, CSG has established itself as a trusted advisor to government agencies across the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.csgdelivers.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Servicon is paying tribute to its previous president and CEO, Terry Sweeney, who led the organization for nearly 30 years. We are proud to say that we are a women-owned and operated business, but many people dont know that this has been the case for decades, says Sewell. Today, wed like to shine a light on Terrys history and pioneering legacy with Servicon. This Womens History Month, Custodial and Infection-Prevention Leader, Servicon, is paying tribute to its previous president and CEO, Terry Sweeney, who led the organization for nearly 30 years and made huge inroads as a woman leader in the industry. Sweeney helped establish Servicon as a pioneer for equality, building a thriving environment for its employees. When Sweeney began working at Servicon in 1979, there were remarkably few women in leadership positions throughout the janitorial industry. She says that she hardly ever even encountered female buyers, let alone executives. Sexism was rampant and women often werent viewed as leaders, to the detriment of the entire industry. However, Servicon owners, Richard and Gloria Mahdesian -- Dick and Gloria as Sweeney lovingly referred to them -- were strong advocates for women, and they took a chance on Sweeney that paid off greatly. They appointed her President of the organization, and she made immediate impacts on the industry with her strategic vision and by building leaders within the company. She remained as President until her retirement in 2008. Laurie Sewell, current President and CEO of Servicon, wants employees and others in the industry to celebrate Sweeneys important contributions. Additionally, during Womens History Month, Sewell looks to recognize all women, past and present at Servicon, who have made a significant impression at Servicon. We are proud to say that we are a women-owned and operated business, but many people dont know that this has been the case for decades, says Sewell. Today, wed like to shine a light on Terrys history and pioneering legacy with Servicon. Sweeney famously wasnt afraid to speak up when needed, demonstrating that women can be assertive and thrive in traditionally male dominated spaces. Richard Mahdesian once asked her, Terry, why do you always make things difficult for me? and she responded, Do you just want a yes person in this role? Because then youll need to find someone else. He never asked her again and trusted her every step of the way. Throughout Sweeneys tenure, Servicon promoted the values of respect and equality, elevating the industry in every aspect and building healthy environments for everyone. Servicon always represented a different model, and when Terry stepped into her leadership role, she was fearless in demanding everyone treat each other with respect, and that all employees and clients knew that people and their experiences matter, adds Sewell. Sweeney says Richard Mahdesian always had her back and let her exert herself to her fullest capacity. I could never have asked for a better mentor, she said. Years later, Sewell said the same of her: Terry Sweeney was my mentor from the time I started as an intern at Servicon fresh out of college. As one of the first female presidents in our industry, she was a true pioneer who inspired Servicon employees to excel and live our values. Im proud to call her my friend and grateful that she still lends me her advice whenever I need it. The story of Servicon isnt complete without discussing Terrys lasting impact and legacy. Servicon continues its purpose is to elevate the industry and create healthy environments for people to thrive. This has been a part of its DNA from the beginning, and Servicon has Sweeneys leadership to thank for a large part of the organizations success in achieving its purpose. About Servicon At Servicon, we are dedicated to providing exemplary environmental, custodial, and maintenance services for complex facilities throughout California. We live by our purpose to elevate the industry and provide healthy environments for people to thrive. Women-owned and operated, we work and live by our vision of creating a better working future. We employ more than 1,800 workers nationally and are based in southern California. For more information, visit servicon.com. San Diego-based entrepreneur Michael Chagala, Google SEO consultant, is featured on the cover of Fiverrs Q4 | 2021 Shareholder Letter based on his success using the platform. I know I can reach more small- and medium-sized businesses through my presence on Fiverr. And with their growth comes more economic stability and strength for all of us as a country, said Michael Chagala Past News Releases RSS San Diego-based entrepreneur Michael Chagala, Google SEO consultant and algorithm expert, is featured on the cover of Fiverrs Q4 | 2021 Shareholder Letter based on his success using the platform. In 2021 Chagala averaged more than $50,000 per month from the digital marketing services he provides from Fiverrs marketplace. Since joining Fiverr, he has made over $700,000 with an average order price of $865. As a 5-star, Top Rated Seller, Chagala, who left the corporate world for gigs on Fiverr, is an example of how the freelance platform is achieving its mission to change how the world works together. The Fiverr platform connects businesses of all sizes with skilled freelancers offering digital services in more than 400 categories across eight verticals, including graphic design, digital marketing, programming, video, and animation. It is a distinct privilege to be featured on the cover of Fiverrs Q4 | 2021 shareholders letter, said Michael Chagala. I know I can reach more small- and medium-sized businesses through my presence on Fiverr. And with their growth comes more economic stability and strength for all of us as a country. It was a goal three years ago I couldnt have imagined. Thank you for the honor, Fiverr. With more than 500 5-star reviews, Chagalas Fiverr handle RankHarvest, a United States SEO Agency, specializes in local, national, and global SEO strategies for brands of all sizes. Chagala utilizes Fiverr features like Seller Plus and Promoted Gigs to sell pre-packaged SEO services, implemented over 30 days. For example, the Analytics tab on Seller Plus allows him to make informed decisions and provide high-quality service. Over the two years he has been active on Fiverr, Chagala has received Top Rated Seller and Fiverrs Choice Seller awards. In addition, he earned Digital Excellence honors in energy, green, and construction categories. He participates in Fiverr user experience forums, does tutorial webinars, and has completed all the Fiverr Learn courses in his category. Before joining Fiverr, Chagala was a marketing executive at one of Californias largest renewable energy companies. His choice to leave the corporate world was to create a lifestyle to spend more time with family while working closely with people. When asked if he has achieved the lifestyle of his dreams, his response is a resounding yes! About Michael Chagala Michael Chagala brings more than 16 years of experience in enterprise-level SEO to his Fiverr clients, having worked for brands such as Sony, AIG, and the NFL. In addition, he has worked directly with Googles Brand Accelerator team, bridging the gap between Googles artificial intelligence algorithm and corporate brands. On Fiverr, RankHarvest offers premium search engine optimization services to local, national, and global brands in competitive markets, complex niche ranking challenges, and product launches. Chagala was recognized as a San Diego Business Journal 2013 Information Technology Executive of the Year award winner, and he was a 2015 San Diego Top Tech Exec finalist. In addition, he has been featured in Forbes, Wired, Greentech, and more. Visit RankHarvest at https://www.fiverr.com/rankharvest and connect with Michael Chagala on https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchagala/. I am excited to offer patients in the Orange County area the many benefits that ketamine therapy can provide at our new state-of-the-art clinic location, says Dr. David Mahjoubi. For people in Orange County battling the symptoms of physical and mental health conditions, ketamine can be a powerful tool for treatment. The Ketamine Healing Clinic of Orange County is conveniently located at 1640 Newport Blvd., Suite 320 in Costa Mesa, CA, which is just minutes from Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Irvine and Huntington Beach. The Ketamine Healing Clinic of Orange County is led by Dr. David Mahjoubi, the director of the Ketamine Healing Clinic of Los Angeles. With over 8 years of experience and over 10,000 ketamine infusions administered, Dr. Mahjoubi is one of the most experienced ketamine infusion providers in the country. The Ketamine Healing Clinic of Orange County offers patients a tailored approach to using ketamine as an effective alternative therapy to fight major depression, anxiety, PTSD and chronic pain. It is also recognized as a new treatment option for alcoholism or to help significantly reduce alcohol or marijuana use. From IV placement to the post-infusion experience review, the medical staff at the Ketamine Healing Center of Orange County strives to provide the best possible experience for patients receiving the latest in ketamine therapy. At the Ketamine Healing Clinic of Orange County, every IV infusion is custom-designed to meet each patients unique needs. The clinic offers an onsite laboratory to make sure all hormones and vitamin levels are optimized if needed. The new OC clinics modern, private rooms with relaxing decor promote a sense of well-being and comfort for patients during treatments. Open on Saturdays and late evenings on weekdays, the office provides flexibility for patients new to ketamine infusions or for those who need a "reset infusion" once in a while. The Ketamine Healing Clinic of Orange County uses advanced technology to provide the most up-to-date infusion delivery system. Infusions for mood are 60 min long, potentially allowing for greater effectiveness through enhanced brain exposure to ketamine. The clinic also provides high-dose ketamine infusions for chronic pain sufferers. The infusion times can be as little as one hour, or as high as 5 hours to ensure patients receive high-dose ketamine infusions to eliminate or significantly reduce their pain. Infusions completed at other clinics are counted at the new Ketamine Healing Clinic of Orange County, so that patients may qualify for the booster, or "reset," infusion price, or membership. The Ketamine Healing Clinic of Orange County also offers an at-home nasal ketamine spray, or sublingual tablet, that provides a highly effective bridge after the initial infusion series to continue the benefits of the infusions. The ability to offer an at-home nasal ketamine spray, or an oral tablet, to chronic pain sufferers, can possibly help significantly reduce or get individuals off their opiates, allowing for a better quality of life. I am excited to offer patients in the Orange County area the many benefits that ketamine therapy can provide at our new state-of-the-art clinic location, says Dr. David Mahjoubi. More About Dr. David Mahjoubi: David Mahjoubi, M.D., is a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology. He earned his medical degree at The Chicago Medical School and carries over a decade of experience with intravenous ketamine, beginning from his residency training at the University of Southern California (USC) and Los Angeles County Medical Center. Following his residency, Dr. Mahjoubi joined the Anesthesia Group at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and became an active user of IV ketamine for both conscious sedation and general anesthesia cases. He then founded Ketamine Healing Clinic of Los Angeles, providing a highly effective option for patients with treatment-resistant depression, chronic pain and other issues. He is a respected leader in his field and has authored multiple publications. To learn more, please visit http://www.ketaminehealing.com or contact the Ketamine Healing Center of Orange County at (949) 514-8261 or (866) 987-7874. This Is What Ed Says...: an inspiring and eclectic opportunity for spiritual inspiration. This Is What Ed Says... is the creation of published author Edwin Ellis, a loving grandfather, who at eighty-six years old, finds great joy in helping to raise four of nine cherished grandchildren. Ellis taught in the education field for forty-four years and was also a carpenter and shipwright. Ellis shares, This Is What Ed Saysis a result of a course I took while I was a student in a masters class. The instructor wanted his students to do more than superficially think about problems or situations; he called it musing or deep thinking. Musing turned out to be an enjoyable task because it opened up my eyes to implications or actions that affected others as well as myself. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Edwin Elliss new book will encourage and delight readers of any background. Ellis shares in hopes of motivating readers to evaluate their choices and consider the long-term consequences of ignoring Gods hopes for all. Consumers can purchase This Is What Ed Says... at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about This Is What Ed Says..., contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Steve Mandala, Chief Revenue and Local Media Officer, Estrella Media: With this organizational alignment, we create the framework to change and fuel the Hispanic marketplace." Estrella Media, the transformative Spanish language media company serving a diverse multiplatform Latino audience in the U.S., today announced the elevation of seven executives on its sales team. Steve Mandala, Chief Revenue and Local Media Officer made the announcement. Brian Fisher was promoted from Vice President, Digital Sales to Senior Vice President, Digital Sales, and Rogerio Alves was named to replace him as Vice President, Digital Sales. In addition, market leaders Claudia Santana, Daniel Lowry, Nic Valls, BJ Perez, and Reza Hariri were promoted to Vice President and Regional Director of Sales roles. "Since joining the Estrella Media team three months ago, I've been impressed with these leaders' passion, creativity, and best-in-class work," said Mandala. "With this organizational alignment, we create the framework to change and fuel the Hispanic marketplace. This team will lead and develop diverse teams who educate and advocate for the important Estrella audience. It is a strengthened marketplace with Estrella, and with this change, we will continue to shape how brands, agencies, and audiences support the Hispanic audience and content." Leading the announcement is Brian Fisher, promoted to Senior Vice President of Digital Sales. He was formerly Vice President, Digital Sales for the company. In his elevated role, Fisher continues to drive the national digital sales opportunities and strategy for Estrella Media's AVOD, FAST, and digital platform sales. He reports to Mandala and remains based in New York. "Brian has taken a leadership role within the national sales team through his effective work in growing our digital sales and taking on direct responsibility for network sales. He has elevated the company's sales position through his work, and his commitment to excellence is obvious to all of us. He is the right person to lead this very important area of the company," said Mandala. Rogerio Alves will replace Fisher as Vice President of Local Digital Sales. Alves will continue to grow Estrella Media's digital business, focusing on local digital sales working with all of Estrella's local sales leaders and account executives. He reports to Fisher and is based in New York. Vice President and Regional Director of Sales promotions include: Claudia Santana, formerly General Sales Manager in Los Angeles, will have responsibility for all of Estrella Media's Southern California television and radio stations and digital properties, including EstrellaTV's flagship television station KRCA in Los Angeles and KSDX in San Diego, and radio stations Que Buena in Los Angeles and Riverside (KBUE, KBUA, KEBN, and KRQB), and La Ranchera (KWIZ). Jose Luis Ramirez, General Sales Manager, KRQB, reports will report to Santana. Santana reports to Mandala and is based in Estrella's Burbank offices. Nicolas Valls, formerly General Manager of WGEN, will have continued responsibility for sales for Miami TV station WGEN and expanded responsibility for Estrella's WASA TV station in New York. He reports to Mandala and is based in Estrella's Miami station offices. Daniel P. Lowry, formerly Director of Sales for Dallas, will oversee Estrella's Texas television and radio stations and digital properties, including television stations KMPX (Dallas) and KZJL (Houston), radio stations La Raza (KNOR in Dallas; KTJM and KNTE in Houston), Luna (KBOC in Dallas), El Norte (KQQK in Houston), and La Ranchera (KZZA in Dallas). Wynette Ortiz, Director of Sales, Houston, and Alex Fernandez, General Sales Manager, Dallas, will report to Lowry. Lowry reports to Mandala and is based in Estrella's Dallas offices. BJ Perez, formerly General Sales Manager, Denver, will continue his sales responsibilities for Denver TV station KETD and expand his role to oversee Chicago TV station WESV. He reports to Mandala and is based in Estrella's Denver offices. Reza Hariri, formerly General Sales Manager, San Francisco, will continue his sales responsibilities for San Francisco TV station KEMO and add responsibility for Phoenix TV station KVPA. He reports to Mandala and is based in Estrella's San Francisco offices. About Estrella Media, Inc. Estrella Media is a leading Spanish-language media company and one of the largest U.S. producers of Spanish-language video and audio content for multiplatform distribution worldwide, with a library of over 20,000 hours of original video content. Estrella Media's content studio feeds all its digital and linear media platforms, including EstrellaTV, its national broadcast television network that is seen in over 40 million U.S. households on 17 owned or operated stations and over 30 affiliated stations, as well as through cable and satellite providers and digital streaming platforms; Estrella News, the first 24/7 Spanish-language multiplatform digital news network in the U.S.; and Estrella Games, the first 24/7 curated Spanish-language game show channel in the U.S. In 2021, Estrella Media's digital content surpassed one billion viewership minutes. Estrella Media also owns and operates 16 radio stations and the Don Cheto Radio Network, airing on affiliated stations throughout the U.S., featuring one of the nation's most popular radio talents, Don Cheto. Estrella Media also produces large-scale music festivals, concerts, and special events throughout the U.S. To learn more about Estrella Media and see company updates, please visit Estrella Media at estrellamedia.com, and follow us on Twitter @Estrellamedia_, Facebook @Estrellamediainc, and LinkedIn @Estrella Media, Inc. Contact: Hanna Bolte, hbolte@estrellamedia.com; 310-497-5586 Dina White, dwhite@estrellamedia.com; 917-226-8366 We look forward to meeting with board members in the area, as well as helping to support an important initiative the Alice Ferguson Foundation, said Trent Harrison, president, MidAtlantic, FirstService Residential. We look forward to helping make a difference for the environment. Join FirstService Residential, the leading residential community association management company in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, at the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of Community Associations Institutes (WMCCAI) 2022 Conference and Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The expo is the largest event across all of the CAI chapters worldwide. FirstService Residential associates will join more than 2,100 industry professionals and residential community association board members for a comprehensive two-day event. We are delighted to attend this important event, said Michael Mendillo, president, FirstService Residential. This conference offers a great opportunity for those serving on a condo or HOA board to gather new insights as well as network with industry experts. We are happy to be able to share the expertise weve gained through decades of working with communities and boards. This years expo features sessions covering association management trends and topics and opportunities to share, learn, network and discuss challenges and solutions. FirstService Residentials team will participate in Association Maintenance, Repair & Reserve Obligations after the Surfside Tragedy presentation. Join them Saturday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m., as they cover association governance changes, impact on board participation, reserve funds and property insurance. Staci Gelfound, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Vice President, FirstService Residential, will participate on the panel. For every person who enters our booth raffle, FirstService Residential will donate $5 to the Alice Ferguson Foundation to support the promotion of the environmental sustainability of the Potomac River watershed. The Foundations educational programs unite students, educators, park rangers, communities, regional organizations and government agencies throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area toward a common goal of protecting the valuable watershed. We look forward to meeting with association board members in the area, as well as helping to support an important initiative by donating to the Alice Ferguson Foundation, said Trent Harrison, president, MidAtlantic, FirstService Residential. We look forward to helping make a difference for the environment. Visit FirstService Residentials associates and industry experts at booth #701 to learn about the benefits of collaborating with a professional residential property management company and help support the Alice Ferguson Foundation. http://www.fsresidential.com About FirstService Residential FirstService Residential is North Americas property management leader, partnering with more than 8,500 communities across the U.S. and Canada, including low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives; single-family communities; master-planned, lifestyle and active-adult communities; and mixed-use and rental properties. HOAs, community associations and condos rely on their extensive experience, resources and local expertise to maximize property values and enhance their residents lifestyles. Dedicated to making a difference, every day, FirstService Residential goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation (FSV), a North American leader in the property services sector. Visit http://www.fsresidential.com. Chambersburg native Dr. Betty Moseley Brown returns to the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center for a book signing on March 19. Each chapter of the book corresponds to the qualities that spell Marinesmotivation, attitude, resilience, intentional, nourishment, energizer, and self-awareness. Franklin County Visitors Bureau welcomes Dr. Betty Moseley Brown to the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center on March 19 for a book signing and reminiscence of hometown Chambersburg PA. Moseley Brown is signing her new book, Leadership Lessons: Personal Reflections from a Woman Marine, beginning at 1 PM in the second level of the 11/30 Visitors Center. Moseley Brown joined the United States Marine Corps at age eighteen in 1978. She followed in the footsteps of her mother, Orenda Moseley, who served in the Army; and her father, James Moseley, who served in the Air Force. Pursuit of a military career was a natural step for this young woman. Moseley Brown continued service as a Marine until 1992, but her dedication to the military continued across decades of work at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Presently, she is the Designated Federal Official for the Veterans Family, Caregiver and Survivor Federal Advisory Committee and previously served as the Associate Director, Center for Women Veterans. She is a Distinguished Toastmaster, an alumnus of Leadership Veterans Affairs, and the 19th National President of the Women Marines Association. In 2016, Moseley Brown was awarded the Dickey Chapelle Award, which recognized her contribution to the morale, welfare and well-being of the men and women of the United States Marine Corps. The service and experience of a lifetime is the foundation of Leadership Lessons: Personal Reflections from a Woman Marine. Writing the book, Moseley Brown created an acronym, using each letter of Marines to highlight the qualities so important in her service and life. Each chapter of the book corresponds to the qualities that spell Marinesmotivation, attitude, resilience, intentional, nourishment, energizer, and self-awareness. Leadership Lessons will be available for sale at the March 19 event. Moseley Brown is giving a portion of the proceeds of the book to support The Womens Memorial, pictured on the books cover. To reserve a place, register here. Walk-ins are welcome. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore Franklin County PA and enjoy the trails of history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive from Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Discover more...plan a visit soon at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or by contacting 866.646.8060 Were incredibly proud to have helped build this jewel of a library which is also New York Citys first Net-Zero Energy library, said John LaRow, Senior Vice President, Gilbane Building Company. Gilbane Building Company celebrated the grand opening of the New York Public Librarys (NYPL) newest location, Charleston Library, located at 225 Bricktown Way on Staten Island. Gilbane representatives joined NYPL President Anthony Marx, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) officials, Library staff, elected officials, and community members for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the 10,000-square-foot building, which makes its debut as the 14th branch in the borough. Were incredibly proud to have helped build this jewel of a library which is also New York Citys first Net-Zero Energy library, said John LaRow, Senior Vice President, Gilbane Building Company. The Charleston Library is a great example of how a public building can be built with energy-saving features that prioritize sustainability and reduce carbon emissions. Were grateful for our strong partnership with the New York Public Library and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the support of the local community in realizing this project. The $17-million projectmanaged by NYCEDC with Gilbane Building Company and designed by Ikon 5 Architectsoffers dedicated spaces for adults, children, and teens, as well as books, computers, and multi-purpose rooms for a wide-range of programs and classes. Plans for the branch were informed by the Librarys Building for You engagement program, which solicited feedback from the community through public surveys and meetings to identify important amenities and services to the neighborhood. The new Charleston Library features: Flexible community spaces for programs such as Little Movers Storytime, Infant Lapsit, book discussions, technology workshops A special branch chair from well-respected furniture maker Thos. Moser, a Maine-based company. The chairs were built to be reminiscent of the special chairs that architects Carrere and Hastings designed for the 42nd Street library in 1907, still in use at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building A childrens room with storytime area, stroller parking, computers, and a bathroom A teen room with computers and lounge space An adult reading room with computers, views of Fairview Park An entry plaza with bench seating Located in the Bricktown Commons shopping center, a 58-acre retail complex developed by the Economic Development Corporation, the LEED Gold branch is the first Net Zero/Net Positive library in New York City. With funding provided by the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) to enhance energy efficiency, the branch boasts a solar panel array on the roof which will provide nearly 100% of the energy that the building uses throughout the year. Additionally, the project had 63% minority, women-owned business (MWBE) participation during the construction of the library. The Charleston branch includes a new, permanent public artwork by artist Mark Reigelman, commissioned by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art program. The piece, "Curiouser," is inspired by literature and consists of a collection of objects capturing the essence of important literary items and stories. The small metal sculptures, ranging from keys to cats, are installed on the interior and exterior of the building where they can be discovered by library visitors of all ages. The Charleston Library is the second new branch to open on Staten Island in 10 years, joining Mariners Harbor Library, which opened on December 15, 2013. A full renovation is also underway at Port Richmond Librarya historic Carnegie building that opened on Staten Island in 1905which will receive significant improvements to its interior design and infrastructure and increased accessibility. The branch is expected to reopen in fall 2023. The Library also completed an extensive expansion of the Stapleton branch, another Carnegie Library, in 2013. The Library is grateful to the Mayor, City Council, Staten Island Borough President, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Department for Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) for their support of this project. About The New York Public Library For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locationsincluding research and branch librariesthroughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at http://www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support. About New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that creates shared prosperity across New York City by strengthening neighborhoods and creating good jobs. We work with and for communities to bring emerging industries to New York City; develop spaces and facilities for businesses; empower New Yorkers through training and skill-building; and invest in sustainable and innovative projects that make the city a great place to live and work. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. About Gilbane Building Company Gilbane Building Company provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, close-out, and facility management services for clients across various markets. A family business founded in 1870, Gilbane has active participation from the 4th, 5th, and 6th generations of the Gilbane family. Since 1949, Gilbane has delivered construction services in New York State for clients across multiple market sectors, including commercial office, multi-unit, and high rise residential, cultural, education, healthcare, public sector, science and technology, and mission-critical. For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com. "Gilbane not only represents some of ABCs top performers, but also demonstrates the difference it makes when implementing the foundations of and daily conditions for world-class safety." The Associated of Builders and Contractors (ABC) has presented Gilbane Building Company with its National Safety Excellence Award and Eagle Award. Both awards were presented during the Excellence in Construction Awards Gala held on March 16, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. Gilbane's National Safety Excellence Award recognizes the companys Diamond level achievement in ABCs STEP safety system. STEP, the standard for developing world-class safety management systems in construction, is designed to help both large and small contractors evaluate every aspect of their corporate safety and health programs and identify opportunities for improvement. Creating a work culture that focuses on safety and total human health is a top priority of ABC, said 2022 National Chair of the ABC Board of Directors Stephanie Schmidt, president, Poole Anderson Construction, State College, Pennsylvania. Gilbane not only represents some of ABCs top performers, but also demonstrates the difference it makes when implementing the foundations of and daily conditions for world-class safety. We are honored to again receive recognition from the Associated Builders and Contractors, said Thomas M. Laird, Jr., Gilbane Building Company President and CEO. Gilbanes commitments to safety and construction excellence run through every aspect of our projects. Through our diligent preplanning, effective training, visible leadership, and employee engagement, we strive to ensure the highest levels of safety. Gilbane Earns ABC Eagle Award for The Ion in Houston, TX Rice University along with Hines selected Gilbane to redevelop and transform the existing 190,000 SF Sears, Roebuck and Company into a 310,000 SF multi-use innovation hub. Rices vision was to have a building-wide amenity component that would consist of a retail presence on the ground floor, including a cafe, coffee bar, lounge, and restaurant. The design of this retail space includes core and shell services. The remaining portions consist of co-working space, event space, academic space (classrooms and lecture rooms), and an office coffee bar/cafe. The restoration includes the installation of an open light well down the middle of the building to allow for natural sunlight to reach each level. The building renovation includes new steel structures for the 4th and 5th floors, as well as a new roof structure and penthouse. The Ion is a shining example of Gilbanes commitment to building excellence, said Laird. Were deeply proud to have delivered this state-of-the-art facility which is a centerpiece of Houstons innovation district. For 32 years, ABC has honored award-winning construction projects like The Ion because the work by the team at Gilbane Building Company exemplifies the best of the best in construction, said 2022 National Chair of the ABC Board of Directors Stephanie Schmidt, president, Poole Anderson Construction, State College, Pennsylvania. This exemplary construction project was built safely and on time. It is an honor to congratulate Gilbane Building Company for their hard work and showcase of construction excellence. About Gilbane Building Company Gilbane Building Company provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, close-out and facility management services for clients across various markets. Founded in 1870 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has over 45 office locations around the world. For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com. PPG joins Out Leadership Out Leadership, the oldest and largest coalition of global companies working to improve LGBTQ+ equality in the world, is delighted to welcome PPG as its newest member firm. PPG, a global, paint, coatings and specialty materials manufacturer with more than 50,000 employees in more than 75 countries, joins an illustrious and influential group of 95 member companies that span industries such as global banking, investment management, private equity, alternative investments, legal, consumer goods, business advisory, media, manufacturing and more. Todd Sears, CEO & Founder, Out Leadership, said: Were delighted to have PPG join our global community of firms that collectively represent over 7 million global employees. The company has a deep, longstanding, and wide-ranging commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives. Their belief that employees unique perspectives provide a significant competitive advantage in todays global economy make them a great fit for our coalition of firms that are leading the push for equality and diversity globally. Marvin Mendoza, global head, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, PPG , said: PPG is thrilled to join the global community Out Leadership has built. As we work to advance and amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ employees, this partnership is key. It will directly support our commitment to grow our business through inclusion and, most importantly, help each employee bring their whole self to work. Inclusive and equitable cultures allow diverse teams to succeed and perform better. More than being a smart thing to do for our business, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are the right things to do on many levels. We are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment every day. Underscoring this commitment has been: Michael McGarry, PPG chairman and chief executive officer, was one of the first 150 signatories of the CEO ACTION FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION pledge. This is now the largest CEO-driven business coalition, with 1,600-plus companies advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In 2020, PPG strengthened their focus on DE&I, appointing Marvin Mendoza as global head of DE&I. Since then, Mendoza has built a team of DE&I professionals responsible for designing, leading, and executing their global DE&I vision and strategy. Earned a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundations 2022 Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Enhanced and expanded their employee resource networks (ERNs), reaching more than 15,000 employees in events through 2021. Started biannual DE&I scorecard discussions with strategic business units and functions to promote transparency and accountability. Sears continues, Im especially encouraged by the company designating executive sponsors from the PPG Operating Committee to lead their employee resource networks. This type of visible allyship from senior leaders is vital to achieving equality in workplaces around the world. We look forward to working with PPG and our coalition of global member firms to continue to push for LGBTQ+ equality at every level of business as we work to develop the best and brightest LGBTQ+ talent in leadership positions and boardrooms around the world. ### About PPG Industries: PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for nearly 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 75 countries and reported net sales of $16.8 billion in 2021. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit http://www.ppg.com. We protect and beautify the world is a trademark and the PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. About Out Leadership: Out Leadership is the oldest and largest global LGBTQ+ business advisory that partners with the worlds most influential companies to build business opportunities, cultivate talent, and drive LGBTQ+ equality forward. We believe that LGBTQ+ inclusion positively impacts business results, and that including LGBTQ+ people at the most senior level of executive leadership builds business. We call this idea Return on Equality. A certified B Corporation, Out Leadership is comprised of more than 90 global member firms with a combined market capitalization of over $6.3 trillion, annual revenues exceeding $1.8 trillion, and representing over 5.6 million global employees. Out Leadership convenes CEOs, business leaders, and allies at exclusive invitation-only events across 4 continents. Out Leadership also operates three talent initiatives: OutQUORUM, which aims to increase LGBTQ+ representation on corporate boards; OutNEXT, the first global talent development program for emerging LGBTQ+ leaders; and OutWOMEN, connecting senior-level LGBTQ+ women in business. To learn more, please visit https://outleadership.com/ For further information, please contact: Stephen Smith Head of Marketing Out Leadership marketing@outleadership.com Information Technology World Awards by GLOBEE Information Technology vendors and companies from all over the world can participate The Globee Awards organizer of the worlds premier business awards programs and business ranking lists is now accepting nominations and entries for the 2022 IT World Awards honoring achievements and recognitions in the information technology and cyber security industries worldwide. Subscribe to Globee Awards YouTube channel Follow Globee Awards on twitter Follow Globee Awards on LinkedIn Learn more about the 2022 IT World Awards and how to nominate here: https://globeeawards.com/it-world-awards/ IT industrys premier excellence awards program, the IT World Awards honors achievements in every facet of the information technology and cyber security industries. This annual industry and peers program now has several major sections making this one of the most and only complete IT recognitions and achievements award programs in the world. There are many categories for which your organization and the people behind its success can be nominated. Categories are classified under the following groups: Company-Organization Awards categories Corporate Communications and Public Relations Awards categories Creative, Social and Traditional Media Awards categories Customer Service & Support Awards categories Best Deployments and Customer Success of the Year Awards categories Executive & Professional Awards categories Chief Technology Officers Awards categories Human Resources Awards categories Information Technology Users Awards categories Marketing Information Technology Awards categories New Product & Service Awards categories Product Development and Engineering Awards categories Sales and Business Development Awards categories COVID-19 Business Response Awards categories A special category group for startups of the year will include the achievements of new startups formed since 2018 in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, IT Cloud/SaaS, IT Hardware, IT Hybrid, IT Services, IT Software, Security Cloud/SaaS, Security Hardware, Security Hybrid, Security Services, Security Software, and Telecommunications. A worldwide judging panel of executives and professionals representing a wide spectrum of industries will determine the winners. Winners will be presented and honored in a virtual ceremony attended by the finalists, winners, judges, and industry peers from all over the world. Industry experts and end-users of information technology products and services can participate in the judging process. IT World Awards will also recognize Chief Technology Officers from all over the world for their achievements in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, IT Cloud/SaaS, IT Hardware, IT Hybrid, IT Services, IT Software, Security Cloud/SaaS, Security Hardware, Security Hybrid, Security Services, Security Software, and Telecommunications. Winners of previous years are listed here: https://globeeawards.com/it-world-awards/winners/ Apply here to participate as a judge and an industry expert to help decide the winners: https://globeeawards.com/it-world-awards/judges/ Stay posted and read success stories of organizations by subscribing to the Globee Newsletter: https://globeeawards.com/subscribe/ About the Globee Awards Globee Awards are conferred in eleven programs and competition: the American Best in Business Awards, Business Excellence Awards (Best Employers), CEO World Awards, Communications Excellence Awards, Customer Sales & Service World Awards, Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards, Disruptor Company Awards, Golden Bridge Awards, International Best in Business Awards, IT World Awards, and Women World Awards. Learn more about the Globee Awards at https://globeeawards.com All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Greenberg Traurig Shareholders to Speak at SIFMA 2022 C&L Seminar Five Greenberg Traurig, LLP shareholders will speak at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Associations (SIFMA) 2022 Compliance & Legal (C&L) Society Annual Seminar to be held March 20-23 at the Grande Lakes Orlando in Orlando, Florida. The firm is also a longstanding sponsor of the prestigious annual event. SIFMA focuses on the shared interests of hundreds of broker-dealers, asset managers, and investment banks advocating for effective and resilient capital markets. SIFMAs C&L Annual Seminar is a meeting place for compliance and legal professionals from across the financial services industry. Tracy L. Gerber, co-chair of Greenberg Traurigs Broker-Dealer Securities Litigation Practice, will moderate the Ask FINRA: A Panel of Senior FINRA Officials Respond to Your Questions session. William B. Mack, co-chair of Greenberg Traurigs Financial Regulatory and Compliance Practice, will be a panelist during the Private Client Enforcement Developments session. Nikki Lewis Simon, Greenberg Traurigs chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer, will be a panelist during the Ethical Considerations and Current Developments in Diversity & Inclusion session. Kyle R. Freeny, a shareholder in Greenberg Traurigs White Collar Crime and Special Investigations Practice, will be a panelist during the How Many Overseas Fiancees and Nigerian Princes Can There Be? - Protecting Against Fraud, Mis-appropriation and Other Schemes session. Steven M. Malina, a shareholder in Greenberg Traurigs Securities Litigation Practice, will be a panelist during the Arbitration panel. About Greenberg Traurigs Securities Litigation Practice: Greenberg Traurig has one of the broadest and deepest securities litigation practices in the country. The firm has been lead defense counsel in hundreds of securities class actions, derivative lawsuits, and SEC investigations and enforcement actions. These include some of the largest and most complex regulatory actions ever filed and one of the most highly publicized securities fraud cases in recent times. The firm has one of the most experienced and largest teams in the United States representing both market leading broker-dealers and Directors & Officers to final award or judgment in thousands of securities arbitrations and trials throughout the country. The team has tried some of the largest arbitration cases to verdict, including numerous matters involving more than $100 million. The attorneys regularly handle matters before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Dispute Resolution, Securities and Exchange Commission, American Arbitration Association, National Futures Association, and state and federal courts across the country. About Greenberg Traurig's Financial Regulatory and Compliance Group: Greenberg Traurigs Financial Regulatory and Compliance Group has wide-ranging experience assisting national, regional and local clients in a variety of matters affecting the financial services industry. The national team of skilled attorneys works with clients as they face regulatory, litigation, legislative, supervision, examination, licensing, compliance and governance matters. Greenberg Traurig's regulatory attorneys regularly advise banks, broker-dealers, investment advisors, mortgage lenders and servicers, payday lenders, consumer finance companies, registered and private investment funds, debt collectors and other financial institutions in complying with state and federal regulatory requirements and interfacing with governmental agencies. About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firms efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification Plus, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 42 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. The vision of GroGuru is to help farmers increase crop yields and more efficiently use water and other scarce resources in a more sustainable way. GroGuru, Inc., a technology leader in increasing water efficiency and improving sustainability for commercial farmers, announced today it has joined the CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact initiative in co-secretariat with the Pacific Institute. As part of GroGurus ongoing commitment to using water and other natural resources efficiently and reducing the impacts of our resource use, these actions strengthen the companys commitment to implement innovative, sustainable water strategies across its facilities around the world. The CEO Water Mandate is a platform for business leaders and learners to advance water stewardship practice. Companies that endorse the CEO Water Mandate commit to action and continuous improvement across six key elements of water conservation, and to report annually on their progress, which includes direct operations, supply chain, and watershed management, collective action, public policy, community engagement, and transparency. In implementing water stewardship, endorsing companies also identify and reduce critical water risks to their businesses, seize water-related saving opportunities, and contribute to water security and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The CEO Water Mandate is now endorsed by GroGuru and over 200 companies from various industries around the world. The vision of GroGuru is to help farmers increase crop yields and more efficiently use water and other scarce resources in a more sustainable way. Implicit within this vision is supporting the conservation of natural resources through increase water efficiency for farmers and increasing food security at the same time, said Patrick Henry, president and CEO at GroGuru. We see our joining the CEO Water Mandate as a natural extension of our membership in the UN Global Compact, and our continued commitment to finding solution to the water conservation and food security issues that face our planet. About GroGuru GroGuru, Inc. is a privately held company based in San Diego, CA, founded in 2014. GroGuru supplies precision soil and irrigation monitoring and management systems to the commercial agriculture industry. GroGuru is all about strategic irrigation management, helping farmers make more money by increasing crop yield and more efficiently using water in a sustainable way. GroGuru has a patented wireless underground system (WUGS) for soil monitoring, an AI-based recommendation engine in the Cloud, and an intuitive farmer-friendly user interface that farmers can access on their tablet, computer or mobile device. GroGuru sells an innovative hardware-enabled subscription-based solution to farmers that enables optimal irrigation, as well as a software as a service (SaaS) marketed as GroGuru InSites. GroGurus patented WUGS technology enables a permanent installation of soil sensors, even in annual field crops. GroGuru has been a part of the OCTANE LaunchPad, EvoNexus, AgLaunch, the Yield Lab, SVG-Thrive and Plug & Play AgTech accelerator programs. About the CEO Water Mandate The CEO Water Mandate is a United Nations Global Compact initiative that mobilizes business leaders on water, sanitation, and the Sustainable Development Goals for corporate water stewardship. Endorsers of the Mandate commit to continuous progress against six core elements (direct operations, supply chain and watershed management, collective action, public policy, community engagement and transparency) and in so doing understand and manage their own water risks. Established in 2007 and implemented in partnership with the Pacific Institute, the Mandate was created out of the acknowledgment that global water challenges create risk for a wide range of industry sectors, the public sector, local communities and ecosystems alike. For more information, follow @H2O_stewards on Twitter and visit our website at ceowatermandate.org. About the United Nations Global Compact As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 12,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the worlds largest corporate sustainability initiative one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org. Havis is pleased to introduce a new suite of storage products to support the 2021-2022 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) and Special Service Vehicle (SSV). These storage solutions support one of America's leading public safety SUVs and provide solutions for officers throughout the United States," says Brett Young, Havis National Sales Manager for Public Safety. Havis, Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of in-vehicle mobile working solutions for the public safety sector, is pleased to introduce a new suite of storage products to support the 2021-2022 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) and Special Service Vehicle (SSV). This recently launched collection of rugged storage solutions completes the Havis's "Dash-to-Trunk" line of purpose-built solutions for the 2021-2022 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Vehicles. These innovative solutions continue to provide law enforcement with premier and user-friendly products. All of the 2021-2022 Chevrolet Tahoe storage solutions mount in the cargo area behind the second-row seat, partition, or K9 Transport, and utilize OEM mount points for solutions that require no or minimal drilling. The rugged storage portfolio offers a wide variety of heights, widths, features, and accessories to allow Public Safety Professionals to customize their storage configuration. These vehicle-specific rear storage solutions are compatible with Havis K9 Transport Systems and partitions from Pro-gard and Setina. "Havis is proud to expand our rugged storage solutions for the 2021-2022 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle, says Brett Young, Havis National Sales Manager for Public Safety. These storage solutions support one of America's leading public safety SUVs and provide solutions for officers throughout the United States." For more information and to see the complete suite of Havis products for the 2021-2022 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV and SSV vehicles, contact media@havis.com, or visit http://www.havis.com. ABOUT HAVIS Havis, Inc., is a privately held, ISO 9001 certified company that manufactures in-vehicle mobile office solutions for public safety, public works, government agencies, and mobile professionals. For more than 80 years, the Havis mission has been to increase mobile worker productivity with industry-leading products that are built to the highest safety and quality standards and are designed with comfort in mind. Havis is dedicated to responsible intellectual property management, and fosters ongoing innovation. Havis's patent and trademark portfolio demonstrate a commitment to consistently researching and developing unique products and solutions for mobile industries around the world. With headquarters in Warminster, PA, and an additional location in Plymouth, MI, Havis currently employs more than 300 people. For more information on Havis, please call 1-800-524-9900 or visit http://www.havis.com. "We love using recycled and reclaimed materials and eco-friendly practices in our furniture. Its a great opportunity to have a location that matches our style." - Hank Cravey, co-founder and CEO of Home Trends & Design On March 30, Home trends & Design (HTD) will open the doors to its new, permanent showroom in High Point, N.C March 31-April 6. The sustainability-focused furniture manufacturer last made an appearance at High Point Market in 2019, and the expansion comes on the heels of a significant two-year growth spurt. This success lends HTD the opportunity to reconnect with its publics at the premier home furnishings trade show. Since its founding in 2005, HTD has emphasized the importance of sustainability in the furniture industry. In addition to co-founding the Sustainable Furnishings Council in 2016, the company also established the Mango Foundation in 2015. The new HTD showroom is housed in a century-old mercantile building located in downtown High Point. Following its 2020 purchase and the first of two rounds of renovations, the two-story brick structure is opening for Spring High Point Market. We love using recycled and reclaimed materials and eco-friendly practices in our furniture, said Hank Cravey, co-founder and CEO of Home Trends & Design. Its a great opportunity to have a location that matches our style, is very easy for our customers to visit, and will ensure this historical structure is preserved. You can visit HTDs new High Point showroom at 118 N. Wrenn St. High Point, N.C 27260 during Spring 2022 Market. Learn more about Home Trends & Design and view its online catalog at htddirect.com. About Home Trends & Design: Based in Austin, Texas, Home Trends & Design (HTD) is a leading manufacturer and wholesaler of eco-friendly lifestyle home furnishings. HTD furniture is designed with an emphasis on organic and renewable materials, time-honored construction and cutting-edge styles for today's sophisticated consumer. Founded in 2005, the company has grown to include manufacturing throughout Southeast Asia as well as in Austin, TX. HTD is also a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and founded the Mango Foundation in 2015, dedicated to planning a tree for every dining table sold. See all furniture collections and learn more at htddirect.com. We acknowledge the contributions of groundbreaking leaders, innovative thinkers, and rising starsall of whom are helping to transform our industry on a daily basis. Most importantly, we hope this program will inspire the next generation to demolish the glass ceiling once and for all. Checkers and Rallys, UNO Restaurants, Inspire Brands and GoGoGuest are among the companies employing this years honorees for outstanding achievement in restaurant technology. Hospitality Technology (HT) magazine is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards. The 2022 awards program is sponsored by Tillster, the global leader in powering online ordering and delivery solutions for restaurant brands. We are incredibly honored to once again be a part of this years Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards program, says Hope Neiman, Chief Marketing Officer at Tillster. What these women have accomplished, and what their future in the technology sector holds, is a testament to their dedication in furthering our industry through both innovation and leadership. These awards remind us how important it is to acknowledge and celebrate workplace diversity. Women provide a variety of perspectives that enrich our industry as a whole. We look forward to celebrating the many successes of these leaders and future nominees. Now in its sixth year, the Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards program seeks to honor outstanding women from both restaurants and technology suppliers for reimagining restaurant processes and operations while demonstrating excellence in leadership, inventiveness and skill. The Top Women in Restaurant Technology awards program celebrates the achievements of women across a diversity of career levels and roles in our industry, says Robert Firpo-Cappiello, editor-in-chief of Hospitality Technology magazine. We acknowledge the contributions of groundbreaking leaders, innovative thinkers, and rising starsall of whom are helping to transform our industry on a daily basis. Most importantly, we hope this program will inspire the next generation to demolish the glass ceiling once and for all. Winners were recognized in the following categories: Rising Star: Presented to women from any level of an organization with less than five years' experience in the industry, who have demonstrated leadership and are already making a mark in foodservice technology at an early stage in their careers. Innovator: Presented to women who are forward thinkers and who have executed on tools and strategy to transform the foodservice technology space in a positive manner by creating or deploying emerging technologies that reimagine how things are done while paving the way for future technologies. Lifetime Achievement: This award is presented in recognition of a lifetime (no less than 15 years) of service and accomplishments in the foodservice technology industry. We seek to honor women who have had an impact on the foodservice technology industry as well as their colleagues and industry peers through enthusiasm, mentorship and commitment, while also showing how technologies can provide new ways of doing things. The winners of the 2022 Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards are: Lifetime Achievement Regina Jerome, Senior Vice President of Information Technology, UNO Restaurants (Norwood, Massachusetts) Mary Melvin, Director Restaurant Technology, Checkers and Rallys (St. Louis, Missouri) Innovator Lisa Acero, Senior Manager Deployment - Restaurant Systems & Support, Inspire Brands (Boston) Jennifer Giusti, Director, HR Technology, Darden Restaurants (Orlando, Florida) Kelly McCardle, IT Director, bartaco (Arlington, Virginia) Theresa Schaefer, EVP, Product & Design, Olo (Seattle, Washington) Rising Star Laura Beach, Sales Account Executive, AMAZON Web Services - AWS (Columbus, Ohio) Jen Lesniak, Senior Director of Consumer Products, SpotOn (Chicago) Courtney Maxedon, VP of Interactive Marketing, Kahala Brands, (Phoenix, Arizona) Jessica Valenzuela, CEO and Co-Founder, GoGoGuest (San Francisco) Industry Heroes Hospitality Technology also announced this years Industry Heroes at MURTEC. The Industry Heroes Awards recognize both restaurants and technology suppliers for exemplary contributions to the restaurant industry during the pandemic. HTs Industry Heroes Awards acknowledge members of our restaurant technology community who truly went above and beyond in the face of closed dining rooms and lockdowns, to help restaurants pivot and continue to serve customers, support employees, and remain in business, said Abigail Lorden, publisher of Hospitality Technology. This years winners are New York-based restaurant management platform BentoBox and Chicago-based Wow Bao and its dark kitchen concept. Wow Bao is proud and honored to have been able to help so many restaurants these past 18 months, and we are very excited for the continued innovation and evolution of this new dining segment, said Geoff Alexander, President & CEO, Wow Bao. BentoBox is honored to be recognized as one of Hospitality Technology's Industry Heroes alongside so many incredible innovators in the restaurant industry, said Krystle Mobayeni, Co-Founder of BentoBox. We would not be in this position without the trust, support and collaboration from our incredible restaurant partners. We are deeply committed to serving the hospitality community and are eager to continue helping restaurants accelerate growth and thrive for many years to come. Top Women in Restaurant Technology Award winners and Industry Heroes were chosen by Hospitality Technology magazine and members of its Research Advisory Board. Winners will be profiled in the Summer 2022 issue of Hospitality Technology magazine and throughout the spring in digital profiles on http://www.hospitalitytech.com/topwomen22 and http://www.hospitalitytech.com/industryheroes22. The winners were announced and honored during an awards program on March 9 at the 27th annual MURTEC (Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference), which was held March 7-9, at The Paris in Las Vegas. About Hospitality Technology Hospitality Technology (HT) is the only publication dedicated to covering the role of information technology in improving business performance for both hotel and restaurant operators. The Hospitality Technology editorial portfolio includes: a print publication that publishes four times annually and reaches more than 16,000 hospitality industry executives, three networking and educational events (MURTEC, HT-NEXT and MURTEC Executive Summit), a comprehensive website, e-newsletters, web seminars, and several exclusive annual reports and studies. Hospitality Technology is the parent brand of the Restaurant Technology Network (http://www.restauranttechnologynetwork.com), a membership community of restaurants and suppliers working together to solve industry challenges by shaping standards and sharing best practices. Visit Hospitality Technology online at http://www.hospitalitytech.com. Hospitality Technology is published by EnsembleIQ, headquartered in Chicago. About Tillster Tillster is the global leader in powering digital ordering, delivery, couponing and loyalty solutions, across web, app, kiosk and call center platforms. The company empowers restaurant brands looking to increase revenue, achieve operational efficiencies, and better engage guests. Enabling nearly 50 million digital orders per year, it offers the added dimension of integrated marketing and data mining, including proprietary AI and machine-learning tool. With teams in North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC, Tillster serves more than 100 global and regional brands, including Burger King, Baskin-Robbins, Freddys Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Godfathers Pizza, Jollibee and Pollo Campero. For more information, please visit http://www.tillster.com. Contact: Anna Wolfe Senior Editor - Restaurants Hospitality Technology magazine awolfe(at)ensembleiq(dot)com Our goal is to be the first and best partner for European founders with the ambition to scale. Hoxton Ventures announced today that it has closed a $215 million new fund, Hoxton III, which will be used to build and scale Europes most promising early-stage startups. The fund was significantly oversubscribed and exceeded its target of $150 million by 43 percent. The company also announced that Charles Seely joined the team as an equal partner. This is our largest fund yet and a reflection of the emergence of Europe as a growth market for tech startups, said Hussein Kanji, a partner at Hoxton. When we started Hoxton eight years ago, there was doubt that Europe could produce winning tech companies. Last year, Europe attracted more capital than China with $116 billion invested, up from $8 billion a decade ago. There are great companies being built in Europe, and were proud to be one of the earliest American VCs to spot this opportunity. Hoxtons first fund has delivered some of the highest returns in Europe, with three of its investments going public last year: Deliveroo, Darktrace, and Babylon Health. The firm invests in seed-stage companies that are building new market categories and that intend to expand into the U.S. market. We look for companies that have the ambition to scale globally, not just locally. said Charles Seely, an entrepreneur and investor who relocated to London from Silicon Valley. Our goal is to be the first and best partner for European founders with the ambition to scale. I spent most of my life building and investing in companies at a seed stage, and look forward to using my connections in the U.S. to help our portfolio expand outside of the European market. Hoxton has made 63 investments to date, with 19 from the new fund. Four investments are currently worth over a billion dollars. The new fund gives Hoxton the ability to make larger investments at inception, and to make follow-on investments in the portfolios future rounds. One of those startups is UK grocery delivery company, Bother. Hoxton led a $6 million seed round in October 2021 in the company, which uses AI to pre-fill customers baskets with items based on previous buying frequency. Today, Bother is one of Europes fastest growing startups. Seely co-led the investment in Bother with Hoxton partner Rob Kniaz. With Bother, were the first check in an entirely new category of grocery delivery. Hoxton isnt scared to be contrarian and invest early, as long as we believe the company has the potential to grow into a global leader, said Kniaz. Seely was most recently an advisor to Cambridge Quantum, which merged with Honeywell Quantum Solutions to form Quantinuum. He also led 60+ early stage investments at his prior fund, including investments in Honey, Maven, Ouster, Zipline, and Zume. ### About Hoxton Ventures Hoxton Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm based in London and investing in European technology startups that can scale into large, global winners. It focuses on startups that either disrupt existing industries or invent entirely new market categories. It was the first institutional investor in Babylon Health, Darktrace and Deliveroo, and its portfolio companies have grown to an aggregate value of over $47 billion. Hoxton typically invests between $500,000 and $5 million into pre-seed and seed stage companies, and follows its capital through the life of the company. For more information please visit https://www.hoxtonventures.com. Gods Mysteries and Truth: Revealed in Gods Holy Word: a thought-provoking discussion of Gods Word. Gods Mysteries and Truth: Revealed in Gods Holy Word is the creation of published author Johnny L. Hatfield, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who has preached the Word of God for over twenty years. Hatfield shares, Gods mysteries and truth uncovered Will faith in God really work? False doctrines and false prophets Is divine healing real? Were true homosexuals born that way? Was the blood of Jesus human or divine? Is the rapture biblical? Will all Christians get out in the rapture? Can Christians live free from sin? Does God really speak to people? Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Johnny L. Hatfields new book offers a helpful breakdown of scripture that will encourage students of the Bible. Hatfield presents an articulate discussion of scripture in hopes of spreading awareness of Gods Word. Consumers can purchase Gods Mysteries and Truth: Revealed in Gods Holy Word at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Gods Mysteries and Truth: Revealed in Gods Holy Word, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. At ASCD 2022, Kognity, a global edtech leader, will unveil Kognity for NGSS, its new complete digital solution for teaching high school science, created to meet and align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Using Kognitys platform, built for 21st-century teaching, U.S. high school science teachers will inspire their students to think like scientists through a combination of physical and virtual activities, packaged into an engaging and scaffolded journey through the material. The Next Generation Science Standards are a multi-state effort in the United States to create new education standards that are "rich in content and practice, arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. The standards were developed by a consortium of 26 states and by the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Research Council, and Achieve, a nonprofit organization that was also involved in developing math and English standards. When we looked at the learning resources ecosystem, we realized that there was a lot of work being done in edtech and then separately there was a good deal being done by content and curriculum providers. But there werent many who were working at the intersection of combining technology with pedagogy to elevate learning, says Hugo Wernhoff, CEO and cofounder, Kognity. "Thats where Kognity lives it's a merging of the two sides of the coin, in a format thats very user-centric. In other words, we didnt want to be just an edtech company, or just a content/curriculum publisher Kognity for NGSS is a marriage of both those things. Kognity for NGSS, already being piloted in high schools around the country, is a comprehensive high school science curriculum featuring interactive materials centered around anchoring phenomena to get students thinking globally and locally about important questions. The flexible content is designed to engage students and promote inquiry and skills-based learning through features such as simulations, videos, and 3D models. High school science teachers can use Kognitys framework to teach in their own way, with confidence that their instruction is aligned to NGSS performance expectations. Auto-graded assignments, real-time student insights, and facilitation tips help save time and allow teachers to focus on what matters most: teaching. To implement its innovative new high school science curriculum in schools and districts around the United States, Kognity appointed an advisory board of top leaders in education technology, science learning, and education policy. The Kognity for NGSS Advisory Board members are: Sheryl R. Abshire, Ph.D. As the recently retired Chief Technology Officer of Calcasieu Parish Public Schools Louisiana, Abshire is a longtime transformational technology innovation/integration expert. She has initiated the integration of technology into curriculum areas throughout districts and states, both nationally and internationally. As a school principal, teacher, library/media specialist, and assistant professor at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, Abshire is an accomplished grant writer/trainer and reviewer for the National Science Foundation. A founding member of the ISTE NETS/ISTE Standards and Accreditation Committee, she is involved in infusing technology into standards-based instruction. Erin Lark, Ed.D. Lark is an award-winning, National Board Certified STEM teacher who coordinates highly capable and differentiation services for Vancouver Public Schools in Washington State. She has taught students in kindergarten through college and is dedicated to identifying and supporting future innovators in the classrooms of today. Lark is an instructor in graduate teacher preparation programs, a professional development coordinator, academic journal editor, interdisciplinary curriculum writer, blogger, and podcaster who specializes in the intersection of STEM disciplines with social-emotional learning and social justice in education. Jeff McCoy. McCoy is associate superintendent of academics for Greenville County Schools, South Carolina, leading the academic division. Prior to assuming the associate superintendent role, McCoy held various district leadership positions and is starting his 21st year with the district. He serves on both state and national boards, including the National School Transformation Conference Advisory Board, the National Chief Academic Officers Working Group, and the Education Research and Development Institute Advisory Board. Julene Reed, Ed.D. Reed is an international consultant, presenter, researcher, instructional designer, author, and educator with more than 25 years of experience in K12 education. She focused on environmental issues in her work with Jane Goodall and Roots & Shoots in Tanzania and the United States. As director of Polar Bears Internationals Tundra Connections program, Reed delivered live broadcasts (with scientists and polar bear experts) on climate change, polar bears, and environmental sustainability to thousands of educators and students globally from a research buggy on the shores of the Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba. Jennifer C. Stimpson, Ed.D. Stimpson is a veteran science teacher, entrepreneur, and community leader, serving students through practice and innovative programming. She served as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator, and is a Black female scientist and an HBCU, Big 12, and Ivy League alumna. Her global vision of promoting science literacy for middle school girls is reflected in her community, civic, and public mission and advocacy to promote justice in science education. Stimpson served as a U.S. Congressional Fellow to the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Albert Einstein Fellowship Program, advancing state and federal STEM education policy. Commenting on the advisory board, Wernhoff says, "I look forward to working closely with this illustrious group of education leaders and to leveraging their insights to continually improve Kognity for NGSS and support teachers and districts as they teach science and elevate learning for U.S. students. For more information or to schedule a free demo of Kognity NGSS, visit http://www.ngss.kognity.com. About Kognity Founded in Sweden, Kognity was designed to redefine the traditional textbook and supercharge the learning process as we know it. It all began with two students who wanted to create the types of exciting and dynamic interactive learning resources theyd always wanted to experience in their own classrooms. Resolving to create a modern textbook to fulfill the needs of the modern learner, the result was Kognity. Today, Kognity is loved by thousands of students, in hundreds of schools, in over 100 countries. For more information, visit http://www.ngss.kognity.com. Modo Labs Now from one screen they can see a list of all the tasks they need to complete from many different software systems including PeopleSoft enrollment, housing, financial, everything, right in the portal, and handle them on the spot." Modo Labs announced three more higher education institutions that are extending their Modo Campus apps to include direct access to Oracles PeopleSoft student information system. With this integration, students at University of Cincinnati, Fresno State and Stanislaus State will be able to register for classes, view schedules, add/drop classes, access financial transactions, check grades and more, as part of a unified campus app experience. They join the University of Akron in the trend toward elevating student success by centralizing PeopleSoft along with other tools and information students need within a modern, fast digital experience on mobile or desktop devices. The popular Modo PeopleSoft integration was developed by RojoServe, acquired by Modo in January 2022. It enables students and faculty to access PeopleSoft functionality via Modo-powered campus apps, eliminating the step of having to search and download a separate application. The Modo PeopleSoft integration improves performance of PeopleSoft on mobile and preserves the detailed business logic universities invest in building to drive their PeopleSoft solutions. Modo demonstrated the integration at Alliance Conference this week. At University of Cincinnati, integrating PeopleSoft into their Modo-powered Bearcat Portal was a key part of an overall vision to make it easy for students to complete required administrative tasks across their entire campus and academic experience, all from a single sign-on. Kasey Drennen, the Universitys Director of New Student Orientation, said, Now from one screen they can see a list of all the tasks they need to complete, from many different software systems including PeopleSoft enrollment, housing, financial, everything, right in the portal, and handle them on the spot. Its a huge improvement over sifting through dozens of email reminders and navigating different tools and systems. And it helps keep them from missing important deadlines. This is a game changer for us, as our current PeopleSoft Student Center is not mobile friendly, said a spokesperson for Fresno State on behalf of the Technology Services - Enterprise Applications, and Student Affairs/Enrollment Management teams that managed the project. This integration provides a simplified mobile friendly interface allowing students to access critical information from their smartphones. Students have had some mobile access to PeopleSoft functionality in the past, but we really wanted them to be able to quickly look at their schedules, accept their financial aid packages, and register for classes all within the app, said Vickie Salisbury, Project Coordinator and Analyst in Stan States Office of Information Technology, who leads mobile app development for the university. Theyre on their devices so much, having that capability right in the app gives them a more straightforward, familiar way to access not only PeopleSoft, but events, Canvas, social media everything they really need, all in one place. Every campus uses multiple tools and information systems, and the campus app can be the unifying element for all of them, said Modo Sr. Director, Product Management and Marketing Matt Willmore. Research shows that one-tap access to information from their student information system, including PeopleSoft, is key to engaging students. Having more information that they can act on easily to make a decision, meet with their advisor, check their progress, change their majorthis is where the power of a unified app meets the real needs of students. It removes potential barriers to their progress and contributes to their success. More than 300 colleges and universities use Modos platform to create campus apps that unite campus life and the academic journey, with tools for learning management, course enrollment, communications, health and wellness, event notifications and ticketing, tours, wayfinding, digital ID, food ordering and more. About Modo Modo provides a low-code app building platform that makes it fast and easy for hybrid workplaces and campuses to deliver, evolve and scale a branded digital experience with all the personalized information, tools and resources people need to succeed. Trusted by global Fortune 1000 brands and 300 higher education institutions, Modos Workplace and Campus solutions deliver the agility to keep people secure, productive, and connected, wherever they are and no matter how quickly things change. Visit modolabs.com to learn more and request a custom demo. Wagma Mommandi, Kevin Welner In this months episode of NEPC Talks Education, NEPC Researcher Christopher Saldana interviews Wagma Mommandi and Kevin Welner about their new book, Schools Choice: How Charter Schools Control Access and Shape Enrollment. Mommandi is a PhD candidate in education policy at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education and a former public school teacher. Welner is a CU Boulder professor and serves as NEPCs director. Mommandi and Welner argue that who can access charter schools has implications for a host of charter school issues, such as student achievement, enrollment growth, transparency, segregation, and accountability. They explain that access also lies at the heart of the much-contested debate about the publicness of charter schools. In Schools Choice, they explain how current charter laws have set up a system of incentives and disincentives that encourage charter school operators to pursue students who are high-scoring and cost less to educate. Many charter schools respond to these competitive incentives by controlling access to shape enrollment through a variety of practices that occur before, during, and after charter school enrollment including marketing, burdensome application processes, and exclusionary discipline. Altogether, Mommandi and Welner identify 13 different ways that charters shape their enrollment. Mommandi and Welner encourage state policymakers to approach charter schools as a tool that can and should be crafted in ways that promote broader policy goals. They explain that current laws treat school choice as an end in itself, without considering how market pressures and incentives shape enrollment. They note that when access for all students is not a requirement of laws regulating school choice, schools start choosing their students instead of the other way around. A new NEPC Talks Education podcast episode, hosted by Christopher Saldana, will be released each month from September through May. Dont worry if you miss a month. All episodes are archived on the NEPC website and can be found here. NEPC podcast episodes are also available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, under the title NEPC Talks Education. Subscribe and follow! The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: https://nepc.colorado.edu Ever wondered where God is when you are hurting the most? Could the loss of a child ever be part of His plan? L. A. Field asks. In Silver Lining: The Story of Summer, Snow, and Sky (published by WestBow Press), readers will discover the story that unfolds for Field and her family when they face these questions as they renew their trust in Gods faithfulness and forge ahead towards a bold, new life. This is Fields story of loss and hope as her family face challenges of subfertility, triplet births and grief. This is their account of how Summer, Snow, and Sky led them through stormy seasons to find their own precious silver lining. God showed them incredible love and healing through their relationship with him and the support of others. I share personal journal entries and experiences with God. Throughout the book, there are encouragements from family and friends, visions and hearing Gods still small voice speak to me and spur me on to see the promise for my life fulfilled, Field says. When asked what she wants readers to take away from the book, Field answers, Loss comes to all of us but as we focus on the promise of our eternal destiny, looking outside of our situation to help others, making meaning out of our grief, keeping our perspective hopeful and grateful and mostly, drawing near to God and trusting Him, we set ourselves up to receive healing no matter what we face. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/816846-silver-lining Silver Lining: The Story of Summer, Snow, and Sky By L.A. Field Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 260 pages | ISBN 9781664221758 Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 260 pages | ISBN 9781664221741 E-Book | 260 pages | ISBN 9781664226807 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author L.A. Field is a published author, songwriter, counsellor and teacher who has inspired people from around the world with her unique storytelling and music. From visiting teenagers in Czech Republic hospitals to performing for communities in the U.S.A., India, South Africa, and Australia. Her well-grounded grasp on the human condition, healing and hope gained from her own personal challenges and triumphs, adds a distinctive quality to her writing. WestBow Press is a strategic supported self-publishing alliance between HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Author Solutions, LLC the world leader in supported self-publishing. Titles published through WestBow Press are evaluated for sales potential and considered for publication through Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. For more information, visit westbowpress.com or call 844-714-3454. Pivt and NYC Navigator have entered into a strategic partnership to improve social support for relocated employees and their families. Pivt is the first mobility-focused social networking app provided to relocated employees as a wellness benefit, designed to improve the social well-being of employees on the move, increase retention, and help usher in the era of business without borders. Within the app, users can connect with other relocated individuals and their families, as well as gain access to community experts for local resources and recommendations. With Pivt, individuals and families are able to prepare, plan, and be welcomed into their new community long before, during, and after relocating because no one should feel alone in a place they call home. NYC Navigator supports relocation needs for employees living, working, and thriving in the New York City Metro area. Much like Pivt, NYC Navigator serves as an advocate to Recreate Home, which they do through high touch destination services, social events, and partnering with innovative solutions like Pivt. Both companies aim to provide a fluid transition to relocated individuals, while also offering an all-in-one digital space from the time they begin their move to when theyve transitioned to their new home. We are so excited to be partnering with Brenda and NYC Navigator," notes Pivt CEO Lynn Greenberg."They do such a fantastic job of cultivating community and recreating the feeling of home for employees and their families. We look forward to partnering with them to add a digital component to this. Brenda Levis, President of NYC Navigator, agrees, saying,NYC Navigator is thrilled to be forming an innovative, collaborative partnership with Lynn and her brilliant team at Pivt! By combining our live social events, and Pivts digital community, we will be offering unprecedented social support for relocating employees and their families, creating a tremendous benefit for both the employee and employer. By combining Pivt and NYC Navigator, the industry is getting one step closer towards supporting more employees mental and social health during what can be an incredibly stressful life event - relocating. For more information, you can visit Pivt at pivtapp.com and NYC Navigator at nycnavigator.com. Demos for Pivt are available and can be scheduled here: https://pivtapp.com/contact/ About Pivt: Companies spend roughly $90k to relocate an employee to a new city, but nearly quit within a year of moving, because the employee or their family fails to integrate socially into the new location. This accounts for billions in losses to corporations and creates immeasurable stress to employees and their families. Pivt is the first mobile app designed to reduce turnover and improve the wellbeing of relocated, remote, and mobile employees. Pivt cultivates a social network with other mobile employees and families to share trusted advice, regional information, and make social plans. Pivt partners with employers and relocation service providers to support employees and their families on the move and specializes in making anywhere feel like home. About NYC Navigator: NYC Navigator is an internationally recognized, award-winning, women-owned, Destination Services Provider based in New York City. At NYC Navigator, the greatest reward is to walk alongside our transferees, helping them settle into their new dwelling and community; providing familiarity and useful information to feel at home in their new location. Claudine Van Gonka Hosting a blood drive is one of the most impactful ways to help families in Southern California. We are extremely grateful to TerraPro Solutions and Better Business Bureau Pacific Southwest's San Diego Campus, for their support in hosting a life-saving blood drive. The San Diego Blood Bank Blood Drive will be held on Friday, March 25th, from 10:00am to 3:30pm at the Better Business Bureau, 4747 Viewridge Ave., San Diego, CA 92123. The public is encouraged to donate. The U.S. has a national blood crisis. The San Diego Blood Bank and blood banks across the country are experiencing a major decline in donor turnout. These collection challenges have disrupted blood supply, resulting in alarmingly low inventories of blood products for our community. Blood cannot be manufactured; it must be voluntarily donated by a human. Giving blood a single time can help save up to three lives. The San Diego Blood Bank serves hospitals in Southern California, including trauma centers and neonatal intensive care units. Hosting a blood drive is one of the most impactful ways to help families in Southern California, states San Diego Blood Bank Director of Community Relations and Marketing, Claudine Van Gonka. We are extremely grateful to TerraPro Solutions and BBB Pacific Southwest's San Diego Campus, for their support in hosting a life-saving blood drive. In keeping with our be a good human values, TerraPro Solutions is pleased to support the life-saving work of the San Diego Blood Bank, said Kimberlee Centera, CEO, TerraPro Solutions. We value the spirit of collaboration that unites us in supporting the important work of the San Diego Blood Bank, remarked Linda Karimi, director of hospitality and business development Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest. Every donation saves lives. Anyone considering donating blood can visit SanDiegoBloodBank.org or call 619-400-8251. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. About San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB): SDBB is dedicated to community health by providing a reliable supply of blood to patients in need. Our vision is to further ensure the health of our community by simultaneously delivering related health and wellness education and services and extending into research. SDBB is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit that serves hospitals in San Diego, Orange, Imperial and Los Angeles counties with blood transfusion products and reference laboratory services. SDBB currently operates nine donation locations and 10 bloodmobiles. For more information about SDBB, visit http://www.SanDiegoBloodBank.org or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. About TerraPro Solutions: TerraPro Solutions, a leading risk mitigation renewable energy project development consultancy has generated over 12 GWs in Solar, Wind, and Energy Storage. With a total financed value of over $6 billion, it is the top development consultancy in the renewables market. TerraPro Solutions provides high-level expertise in the development of renewable energy projects. Services include site feasibility and land acquisition, due diligence for investment, financing, and construction, compliance, and post-construction operations. For more information contact Annemarie Osborne 949-237-2906 aosborne@terraprosolutions.com or Vanessa Faucher 858-573-2000 vfaucher@terraprosolutions.com or visit http://www.terraprosolutions.com. About Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving the Pacific Southwest: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2020, people turned to BBB more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 6.2 million businesses, and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Incorporated locally in 1938, BBB Serving the Pacific Southwest serves Greater Arizona and Southern California, providing critical tools to ignite success including mentorship, online products and access to capital. Our objective expertise educates the community on ethical behavior in the marketplace and how businesses can build trust. # # # Wendy Johnson Lario, chair of the New Jersey Labor & Employment Practice at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs, and co-chair of the firms Employment Litigation & Trials Group, will be honored at Seton Hall University School of Laws Annual Alumni Gala at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, NJ May 6. Lario, a graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law and chair of the Seton Hall Law Board of Visitors, will receive the Distinguished Graduate Award, which recognizes alumni who have significantly contributed to the legal field. As chair of the Seton Hall Law Board of Visitors, Lario works with the Dean, faculty, administration, and alumni to address key strategic initiatives for the Law School. Lario has been a member of the Board for many years and has also led the Boards Womens Leadership Committee where she worked to identify and develop innovative methods to engage female students and alumnae. She played a critical role in developing the Law Schools annual Womens Leadership Summit, which brings together women in the law, thought leaders, and allies for a day of inspiration, connection, and education. Wendy is a respected litigator, a great mentor, and a beloved leader and she has long been an ardent advocate for women and diversity in the law, Greenberg Traurig New Jersey Managing Shareholder David Jay said. Wendy is very deserving of this award and we are honored to support her and all of her efforts to strengthen our community. Lario focuses her practice on representing employers in litigation involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and whistleblowing, among others. She appears regularly in federal and state courts in New Jersey and New York and defends employers against charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (NJDCR), and the New York Division of Human Rights (NYDHR). She also provides advice and training to management and in-house counsel on a variety of employment issues. Lario lectures extensively and conducts seminars and training sessions concerning numerous employment law issues and trains and lectures on womens leadership, performance management, social networking, state and federal laws, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination, New Yorks Human Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), New Jerseys Family Leave Act, and New Jerseys Conscientious Employee Protection Act. In addition to her work for Seton Hall, Lario is a past president of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association and a fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America. About Greenberg Traurigs New Jersey Office: Established in 2002, Greenberg Traurigs New Jersey office has grown into a team of nationally recognized attorneys who provide legal advice to international, national, and local business and technology clients. The New Jersey offices practice areas include Complex Commercial and Class Action Litigation; Hatch-Waxman Litigation; Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Health Care Litigation; Product Liability & Mass Torts; Corporate; Restructuring & Bankruptcy; Construction Law; Franchise & Distribution; Immigration & Compliance; Intellectual Property & Technology; Labor & Employment; Real Estate; Tax; and Private Wealth Services. As a significant contributor to the firm's international platform, the New Jersey team offers clients both the know-how and geographic reach of a global law firm combined with the dedication and responsiveness of a local firm. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 42 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. Soter Technologies Announces Strategic Alliance with SwabTek to Create Vape and Illegal Drug Detection and Deterrence Bundle for Schools Our top priority in joining together is to help reduce youth vape and narcotic consumption, and to better educate students about the significant harms of these illegal substances," said Derek Peterson, CEO of Soter Technologies. Soter Technologies, a leading safety and technology company based in Ronkonkoma, NY, has announced its strategic alliance with San Diego, California-based SwabTek, an innovative provider of rapid field test kits for security personnel. The new alliance will see the companies pair their respective technologies to offer educational institutions the School Safety Bundle, a comprehensive vaping and narcotic deterrence system for use on school campuses nationwide. The School Safety Bundle includes one of Soters cutting-edge FlySense vape detection system devices as well as fifteen of SwabTeks Cannabis Detection Tests and two Fentanyl+ Detection Tests. The FlySense vape detector provides a means for educators to detect the use of vape devices by monitoring air quality and providing real-time alerts for incidents of suspected vaping. SwabTeks narcotics identification tests are a perfect complement to the FlySense system, allowing educators to perform on-site screening for drugs in vape devices, including cannabis, nicotine, and other narcotics, like fentanyl. Together, the bundled solution offers schools a complete, affordable way to detect and deter student vape and drug use on campus. Our top priority in joining together is to help reduce youth vape and narcotic consumption, and to better educate students about the significant harms of these illegal substances. In many cases, however, prevention and education cannot occur without the ability to intervene in active vape and drug use. The School Safety Bundle gives educators the tools they need to effectively detect and follow up on incidents of vaping on campus. It serves as an effective deterrent to reduce the use of these vaping devices and drugs by children, said Derek Peterson, CEO of Soter Technologies. As students return to in-person learning in school buildings following the lifting of restrictions issued during the pandemic, the on-campus vaping epidemic is rapidly re-emerging. Increasingly, administrators feel they are undermanned, and ill-equipped to deal with this problem in their schools. Students are now using easily concealable vape pens to experiment with nicotine, cannabis, and even harder drugs. Vape detectors by themselves only notify school officials that vaping is occurring in a specific area, but not what substances may be in the vape liquid inside the devices, said Bobby Betros, CEO of SwabTek. SwabTeks tests provide a simple, reliable, and safe way to know what a student is consuming, on the spot. Combining these tests with the FlySense device strengthens schools ability to detect and deter incidents of vape and drug use. SwabTek offers a full line of law enforcement-grade narcotics identification tests, including tests for cannabis, fentanyl, and other narcotics. The Cannabis Detection Test is a complete solution for cannabis and marijuana identification, allowing the user to screen vape pens, edibles, plant material, and other substances for cannabis compounds like THC. The easy-to-use swab technology employed by SwabTek tests produces results in seconds, and can be safely used by school administrators without the need for police involvement. The School Safety Bundle also includes two Fentanyl+ Detection Tests, for use on vape pens, pills, and powders. According to multiple reports across the country, fentanyl is increasingly being found in student vape pens. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) lists fentanyl as the leading cause of death in adults, ages 18-45. Fentanyl is also one of the leading causes of death in high school children and is often laced in marijuana. Schools utilizing FlySense will receive alerts of detection if someone is vaping in on-campus bathrooms. Administrators can then investigate and test subjects as well as any devices found on their persons for chemical residue which indicate use of banned or illegal substances. Both companies have received significant media coverage about their products, including stories on national programs, including The Today Show. For more information about Soter Technologies, visit https://www.sotertechnologies.com/. For more information about SwabTek, visit https://swabtek.com/. -END- About Soter Technologies Based in Ronkonkoma, New York, Soter Technologies is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of students and the general public with advanced technology and creative solutions that fits todays marketplace and needs. Using advanced sensor, IoT, and software technology, Soter Technologies develops and delivers innovative solutions in two distinct and unique product lines FlySense and SymptomSenseTM. FlySense offers environmental intelligence, which makes the world a safer and healthier place, from schools to enterprises to public spaces. The FlySense Vaping and Elevated Sound Detector is the first in the world to introduce a vape and bullying detection and alert system for schools. SymptomSense products are designed to detect illness and protect facilities. Soter Technologies name is inspired by Greek mythology wherein Soter is the personification of safety, deliverance, and preservation from harm. For more information about the company and its services and products, visit: http://www.sotertechnologies.com. About SwabTek SwabTek is a US-based manufacturer that produces the world's only dry reagent detection tests for narcotics and explosives. SwabTeks technology replaces hazardous liquid chemicals and complicated procedures with simple and safe, dry-reagent technology. SwabTek products are available online now at https://swabtek.com/collections/kits and offline by contacting a member of SwabTeks team at sales@swabtek.com. Find out more about SwabTek at swabtek.com and follow the brand on LinkedIn, @swab_tek on Twitter, @swabtek on Instagram, and on Facebook for more updates. Studio Hill When the land around us was put up for salethreatening the landscape weve loved since 1936we were terrified because we did not expect to find the help we needed to protect our family farm. But, when all the banks said no, Steward said yes, said Jesse McDougall. The race to save and scale family farms is on across America. Farmers and ranchers are looking for innovative ways to keep their agricultural businesses afloat by adding new revenue streams into the mix. For Studio Hill, a 4th-generation family farm in rural southern Vermont, this meant seizing an opportunity to purchase adjacent farmland and double-down on their wildly-popularly regenerative farm stay. For the past decade, owners Caroline and Jesse McDougall have been working tirelessly to transition their conventionally-run farm to a holistically-managed, chemical-free operation. Working to rehabilitate 250+ acres of degraded land, they raise sheep and poultry on pasture and use regenerative management to foster healthy, biologically-active soilssomething theyve mastered to become a Savory Influencer Hub (a designation of the Savory Institute). But, in order to pay the bills and ensure that their family farm thrives for generations to come, Studio Hill has turned to agritourism as an auxiliary source of income. Seeking to learn more about the promises of regenerative agriculture, visitors come from all over the country, and beyond, to spend a few days exploring the abundance and hope in the regenerating ecosystem. Like with many small agricultural businesses, the real challenge for Studio Hill was accessing capital to fund their expansion. Though, through a partnership with Stewarda private commercial lender offering business loans to regenerative farms and ranchesStudio Hill is close to realizing its dream. A campaign on Stewards website aims to raise $1.4M that will fund the loan needed to increase Studio Hills acreage, grow its livestock herd, and expand its farm stay capacity. When the land around us was put up for salethreatening the landscape weve loved since 1936we were terrified because we did not expect to find the help we needed to protect our family farm. But, when all the banks said no, Steward said yes. We cried. We danced. We will protect and care for these hills for generations to come, Jesse said. Those wishing to support the growth of regenerative agriculture and participate in Studio Hills lending campaign can visit gosteward.com for further details. ### About Steward Founded in 2017, Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping regenerative farms with the resources they need to grow. By providing access to flexible loans, Steward partners with regenerative farm & food businesses to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands, and bolster local food systems. Steward has provided over $7M in loans to fund 54 unique agricultural projects, backed by more than 1,000 individual lenders. Steward is proud to be a Certified B Corp. Learn more, apply for a loan, or lend support at gosteward.com Machine learning has made its way into the beauty industry, complimenting a new era of online shopping. Doe Lashes, a company known for its hand-made, ultra-fine silk lashes, has pushed itself ahead of the beauty technology curve by introducing an ML eye quiz. What is an ML eye quiz? With Doe Lashs new capability using M^3's patent pending Selfie Sizer technology, discover your eye size, and then shop directly within the quiz to find lashes that match and compliment your eyes. For Doe Lashes, it is an opportunity to provide their customers with a truly personalized and inclusive beauty experience. As the only company with a quiz that can measure people's eyes to find their best lash fit, Doe provides customers the ultimate security that their lashes are their best fit. Doe is also the first company to deploy AR technology with the shoppable experience giving customers personalized recommendations. Doe Lashes designs its products based on the idea that makeup should feel like an extension of your natural beauty. The addition of the ML lash quiz to their services compliments that idea perfectly. With the new technology, customers can find the perfect lash that accentuates their natural and unique faces, and it's as simple as taking a photo or completing a quiz. False lashes are fun to wear and a great way to express yourself, but as many are aware, an ill-fitting lash can be a nightmare. Luckily, Doe has removed the guessing game from buying lashes online. Doe Lashes are vegan and cruelty-free with ultra-fine silk fibers and a handcrafted cotton band. The lash cotton band is cut at a thickness that allows it to stay in shape after over a dozen wears - providing more value than the typical one-wear lashes. Using ethical AI and data storage, Doe uses zero-party data to craft each recommendation and does not store pictures after the quiz is completed. It is an entirely private experience. About: Centered around natural beauty and providing lashes that are comfortable and last through multiple uses, Doe Lashes is a vegan, cruelty-free online lash company. Doe Lashes strives continually to give their customers the best - because they deserve it. Doe lashes are available in natural and bolder-looking lash sets. Experience the cloudlike comfort of Doe Lashes with no irritation, no heavy feelings on your eyes - just a smooth and unforgettable experience that makes you want to have Doe-like eyes every single day. Ready to find the perfect lash for your beautiful face? Take the quiz here: https://www.doelashes.com/pages/lash-quiz. About SelfieSizer.com: Selfiesizer.com is a project by M^3 (pronounced "M cubed"). This is a demo of our facial measuring technology. We find it pretty handy for measuring IPD (inter-pupillary distance) for things like configuring our VR headsets to optimal settings and for figuring out which PPE masks fit our face best! We started M^3 during the pandemic as an offshoot of My Mask Movement, a 501(c)3 that was using an iPhone app to measure faces and creating custom-fit, 3d-printable protective masks. Selfiesizer.com is a demo of similar facial measuring technology but running in a web browser. Validity, the leading provider of data quality and email marketing success solutions, recently announced the expansion of its crisis communications program, Validity for Good, enabling senders to deliver critical messages relevant to the Ukrainian crisis globally. Using this email delivery service, organizations can ensure messages related to public safety reach those impacted by the conflict. Email remains one of the most essential communications channels during the Ukrainian crisis, yet organizations are facing the increasing reality that emails containing critical messages about public welfare are failing to get through to citizens. This happens for a couple of reasons. The first of which is that in order to reach both their constituents and the general public, organizations are forced to send messages to their complete email lists rather than targeted segments, which overwhelms spam filtering algorithms and reduces the effectiveness of email communication. The process is then complicated further by bad actors, who often take advantage of the emergency communications efforts in order to transmit dangerous messaging, including phishing, malware, ransomware, and spam. With Validity for Good, email senders no longer have to be concerned that their life saving messages are going unread - and the program is faster than ever for organizations to get off the ground. For instance, previously customers had to pass a multi-point email program evaluation by Validity, ensuring that the sender is trustworthy, adheres to best practices, and that their email campaigns meet strict program requirements before theyre approved to enter the certification program. However, the updated and expanded version of Validity for Good provides an expedited path to certification for critical infrastructure, governmental, and other essential communications related to the crisis, allowing them to bypass the traditional certification process and get more vital information into the hands of people that rely on it. The crisis in Ukraine demands clear and effective communication and our team wanted to help, said Mark Briggs, chairman and CEO of Validity. Validity for Good, senders gives agencies and organizations email campaigns a critical signal to mailbox providers that the sender can and should be trusted, in order to help ensure their critical emails arrive in inboxes, not spam folders. Its imperative for these messages regarding public safety and relief efforts in Ukraine to reach the inbox, while misinformation and other scams are blocked. Businesses can sign up for this free service on the Validity for Good microsite: https://www.validity.com/validity-for-good/. About VALIDITY For over 20 years, tens of thousands of organizations throughout the world have relied on Validity solutions to target, contact, engage, and keep customers using trustworthy data as a key advantage. The Validity flagship products DemandTools, BriteVerify, Everest, and GridBuddy Connect are all highly rated solutions for CRM data management, email address verification, inbox deliverability and avoiding the spam folder, and grid CRM applications. These solutions deliver smarter campaigns, more qualified leads, more productive sales, and ultimately faster growth. For more information, visit Validity.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. "Vesta is a fintech pioneer in fraud protection and fully guaranteed payment technologies. Their machine learning intelligence represents a true fintech breakthrough, ensuring good transactions are rightfully accepted, rather than rejected over fear of fraud" Vesta, a leading transaction guarantee platform for online purchases, today announced that it has been recognized for the second consecutive year as Best Financial Transaction Security Platform in the sixth annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards. The program is led by FinTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global FinTech market today. Vestas fraud prevention solutions Payment Guarantee and Payment Protect enable eCommerce companies to grow their business by focusing on revenue rather than fraud risk. The solution maximizes revenue by reducing the number of false positives and customer friction points associated with payment denials and approval delays. Vesta helps merchants reduce the operational costs of chargeback remediation and tedious manual reviews while, at the same time, enabling fraud and risk teams to make better approval decisions. This leads to more approved legitimate transactions. The FinTech Breakthrough Awards recognizes FinTech innovators, leaders, and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories, including Digital Banking, Personal Finance, Lending, Payments, Investments, RegTech, InsurTech and many more. The 2022 FinTech Breakthrough Award program attracted more than 3,950 nominations from across the globe. Stopping fraud is one thingapproving more transactions is another. Vesta is a fintech pioneer in fraud protection and fully guaranteed payment technologies. Their machine learning intelligence represents a true fintech breakthrough, ensuring good transactions are rightfully accepted, rather than rejected over fear of fraud. Congratulations to the entire Vesta team on being our choice for Best Financial Transaction Security Platform. said James Johnson, Managing Director, Fintech Breakthrough. We are honored to receive this award from FinTech Breakthrough. Fraud is a serious problem for merchants, both directly and indirectly. Often times, merchants hurt their businesses more by being so focused on preventing fraud that they reject many transactions where they are not 100% certain of their legitimacy. This means lost sales and lost revenue. said Ron Hynes, CEO of Vesta, Our solutions allow our customers to focus on growing their business and eliminating their fear of fraud. Payment Guarantee offers card-not-present transaction fraud detection that reduces merchants risk of revenue leakage from fraud to zero, while increasing transaction approval rates. Backed by a 100% no fraud guarantee, Payment Guarantee is a managed service that handles all aspects of payment fraud detection, including manual reviews and chargeback representation, on behalf of merchants. Vesta taps into the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tailor Payment Guarantee to each specific business, vertical, business model and risk profile. Transaction analysis occurs in real-time, with results delivered in under a second. Payment Protect provides highly accurate payment fraud detection in the form of machine learning-based risk scoring that is tailored to each merchants unique business. Each result comes with real-time decision insights, so merchants better understand the aspects of a transaction that are driving its overall riskiness. Additionally, Vestas technology is truly industry agnostic. Whether supporting telecommunications customers or any number of online merchants, payment service providers or channel partners, Vestas products can protect against payment fraud. To learn more about Vesta products, visit vesta.io. #### About Vesta Corporation Vesta is an end-to-end transaction guarantee platform for online purchases, delivering unparalleled approval rates, a better customer experience, and eliminating fraud for leading brands in telco, e-commerce, travel, and financial services. Using machine learning backed by 26 years of fraud-fighting experience and historical transaction data, Vesta increases approvals of legitimate sales for its customers, while eliminating chargebacks and other forms of digital fraud, driving the true cost of fraud to zero and taking on the liability for fraud so merchants can focus on increasing sales. The company is headquartered in Portland, OR, with offices in Atlanta, Miami, Ireland, Mexico, and Singapore. For more information visit vesta.io. About FinTech Breakthrough Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for technology innovation and leadership around the globe, the FinTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in Financial Technologies and Services companies and products. The FinTech Breakthrough Awards provide public recognition for the achievements of FinTech companies and products in categories including Payments, Personal Finance, Wealth Management, Fraud Protection, Banking, Lending, RegTech, InsurTech and more. For more information visit FinTechBreakthrough.com. From left to right: Massimo Carnelos (Embassy of Italy), Giovanni Mantovani (Veronafiere), Stevie Kim (Vinitaly International), Giovanni Sacchi (ITA - Italian Trade Agency). In the face of the pandemic, our wine companies have persevered, and collectively made 2021 a historically successful year for Italian wine exports. We want to support and celebrate these great companies in their efforts. Fanning the flames of excitement for the return of a full-blown Vinitaly in April, the Vinitaly Roadshows brought Italian wine tastings and press conferences to New York and London. The Roadshows were organized by Veronafiere, with the patronage of the Italian Trade Agency, and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, with the goal of promoting Vinitaly 2022. First stop: New York. On this occasion the Vinitaly Roadshow took the shape of a Press Conference and Lunch, held 8 March 2022 at Il Gattopardo Ristorante in Manhattan. This event followed on the heels of Vinitaly International Academys Italian Wine Ambassador course, held from 4-7 March at the International Wine Center in New York, which saw the certification of 4 new Italian Wine Ambassadors. Guests invited to the Roadshow included VIA students and Italian Wine Ambassadors, members of the Italian Trade Agency and Veronafiere, and members of the press. Antonino Laspina, Italian Trade Commissioner, welcomed guests, followed by a virtual speech through Zoom link by Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Veronafiere. The conference wrapped up as Wine Spectators Senior Editor Alison Napjus presented the eleventh edition of OperaWine, the collaborative event in Verona that will be held April 9, celebrating the top 130 Italian wine producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. An elegant lunch was then accompanied by a selection of top Italian wines. Second stop: London. The Vinitaly Roadshow Press Conference and Lunch took place on 14 March 2022 at The Dilly in Piccadilly from 12:30-2pm. Participants included members of the Italian Trade Agency, Veronafiere, VIA Italian Wine Ambassadors, and members of the trade and press. Massimo Carnelos, Head of Economic Office of the Embassy of Italy, Giovanni Sacchi, ITA Director, Giovanni Mantovani, General Manager of Veronafiere, and Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International, addressed the guests in person, followed by Sarah Abbott MW, who chose the wines to accompany lunch and gave an introduction to the selection. The Vinitaly Roadshows celebrate Veronafieres commitment to holding this years Vinitaly in April, the traditional month for the signature Italian wine trade event of the year. While other trade shows have been postponed and canceled, Vinitaly forges ahead. We think its an important statement to the global wine market that we hold firm on the Vinitaly dates, says Giovanni Mantovani, CEO, Veronafiere. In the face of the pandemic, our wine companies have persevered, and collectively made 2021 a historically successful year for Italian wine exports. We want to support and celebrate these great companies in their efforts. Vinitaly will take place at Veronafiere in Verona, Italy from 10-13 April 2022. About: The grand Vinitaly 2022 will be held from April 10th to the 13th. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, which will be held on the 9th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA, and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the 21st edition of its Certification Course. To date, there are 271 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts. 4D Global While many left the workforce during the pandemic, 4D Global hired even more employees to meet the growing demand for billing and revenue cycle management services. I attribute our success to a steadfast adherence to our core values of integrity, teamwork, excellence, respect, growth and innovation. Inc. magazine today revealed that 4D Global is No. 78 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Southwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southwest region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. As a healthcare human resources company, our job is to support doctors and facilities by managing the most important aspects of their billing and profitability. In my 28 years working in healthcare, Ive seen a steady and steep increase in the costs and complexities of delivering healthcare services. 4D Global earns the confidence of healthcare providers every day by delivering competitively priced, superb work product - even during a pandemic. While many left the workforce during the pandemic, 4D Global hired even more employees to meet the growing demand for billing and revenue cycle management services. I attribute our success to a steadfast adherence to our core values of integrity, teamwork, excellence, respect, growth and innovation. Our employees are passionate about the work because they know how important it is and how many patients and providers rely on us. Continuing to integrate advanced technology with our human resources remains our primary strategy for the future, says Chanie Gluck, CEO & Founder 4D Global The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southwest region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 141 private companies had an average growth rate of 154% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 10,563 jobs and nearly $10.9 billion to the Southwest regions economy. Companies based in the Austin, Texas, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Fort Worth, Texas, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southwest, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/southwest starting March 15, 2022. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. 4D Global is a medical billing staffing company. They help healthcare companies grow and scale their revenues by providing specialized medical human resources in India. 4D Global leads the industry with employee satisfaction, motivation, and loyalty. 4D won the prestigious Best Place To Work Award in November 2021. 4D Global is on continued growth trajectory, poised to double their revenues in 2022-2023. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multi-platform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. April 19th is World IBS Day. Help raise awareness this April 19th by using #WorldIBSDay on social media. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is often stigmatized and misunderstood with symptoms significantly impacting the quality of life for many patients. World IBS Day on April 19th with the support of Mahana Therapeutics will join patients, family members, and healthcare professionals to increase awareness about IBS. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common digestive disorder which can significantly impair a patients quality of life due to its recurring episodes of abdominal pain, discomfort and bowel changes in diarrhea or constipation. This years theme for World IBS Day is The IBS Experience through Pictures, Prose and Poetry. A collection of creative pieces submitted by patients via the World IBS Day website (worldibsday.org) will be part of a free patient webinar event on World IBS Day as well as displayed at Digestive Disease Week in May in San Diego, California to illustrate the patient journey with IBS. Patients can sign up for the April 19th webinar at https://tiny.one/IBSweb. Additional events can be found on the World IBS Day website. We also ask everyone to use the hashtag #WorldIBSDay on social platforms to help raise awareness on April 19th. Steve Basta, CEO of Mahana Therapeutics said, Personal expression of the lived IBS experience through creativity is a truly inspiring theme and we are delighted to be supporting World IBS Day in 2022 to raise awareness around this distressing chronic condition. We are proud to be providing a new treatment option for IBS patients and health care providers with Mahana IBS, the world's first FDA-cleared prescription only digital therapy proven to reduce IBS symptom severity. Mahana IBS is delivered via mobile app and available at no cost for eligible patients in the USA through our 'zero cost' patient access program. Jeffrey Roberts, Creator of World IBS Day and IBS Patient Support Group stated that, World IBS Day was established to take place every year on April 19th to unite the world to raise awareness about IBS. We are grateful to add Mahana Therapeutics as a Partner for 2022 as they launch a new treatment option for patients around Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which we hope will reduce patient symptom severity. About Jeffrey Roberts and the IBS Patient Support Group: The IBS Patient Support Group was established by Jeffrey Roberts who was the founder of the first Irritable Bowel Syndrome patient community website in 1995. The IBS Patient Support Group community was launched as a public education advocacy community for sufferers and believes in evidenced-based medicine and non-anecdotal treatment options for patients. Jeffrey Roberts has been an Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferer for over 25+ years and has worked closely with researchers, industry and patients for over 30 years. Visit https://www.ibspatient.org About Mahana Therapeutics: Mahana Therapeutics is a leading developer of effective prescription digital therapeutics that are designed to empower patients with chronic conditions to live fuller lives. The companys first product, Mahana IBS, is the first digital therapeutic to receive FDA clearance for the treatment of IBS and provides cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to adults with IBS. More information is available at https://www.MahanaTx.com Rather than reveal this years Golden Kite Award winners during its winter conference, the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators presented the awards in a stand-alone program on March 15. SCBWI announced winners live on Zoom, in an event featuring National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature Jason Reynolds. SCBWI executive director Sarah Baker welcomed attendees to the most prestigious literary awards for childrens books that are judged specifically by our peers as creators themselves. Golden Kite nominees and judges come from SCBWIs membership; winners receive $2,500 plus $1,000 for the nonprofit of their choice, while honorees receive $500 plus $250 to donate. Reynolds, though a raconteur par excellence, admitted to having started the day uninspired: Im always trying to figure out, What exactly have I not said? What ways can I frame the things Im thinking about? It so happened that his 76-year-old mother had called him to fix her broken mailbox, and the saga of his chilly Washington, D.C., morning became grist for his mill. My mother is a proud woman, and this is unbearably embarrassing for her, to have this mailbox thats looking a little raggedy, Reynolds began. I try to be as patient as possible, because shes been patient with me for a very long time. I also understand that our elders are a vulnerable population, and we tend to sort of dismiss them. So I try to always say yes, no matter what the ask is. He would circle back around to this concern for the vulnerable. Reynolds spun a tale of finding a new mailbox, choosing from a big-box stores cornucopia of replacements, and realizing that someone designs every cheap plastic or pseudo-chic metal mailbox to keep the contents safe and dry. Letters, coupons, bills, and cards come from places that Ive never been, from friends that I havent seen in years, from strangers. Who knows whats going to be in there? he asked. As Reynolds riffed, the Zoom chat lit up: Jason can turn *anything* into the best story ever, one viewer commented. We the writers, we the advocates, we the ambassadors, have to do everything we can to protect our books, protect our stories. Circuitously, Reynolds recognized the humble mailbox as a communication hub for young readers, a population just as vulnerable as my mother. Literally, I thought to myself, oh, snap, I make mailboxes. Mailboxes deliver and guard information in every genre, whether junk mail or a thank-you note. We the writers, we the advocates, we the ambassadors, have to do everything we can to protect our books, protect our stories, he said. There is an identity that can be stolen if we dont protect the containers of the letters. Reynolds closed by musing, Now I gotta call my mother and say thank you for putting me through all that this morning. Golden Kite coordinator and emcee Bonnie Bader took over to introduce the awards categories. First up was the award for Picture Book Text, announced by Lift author Minh Le. Joanna Ho won for Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, illustrated by Dung Ho (HarperCollins), directing her donation to the educational equity nonprofit First Book (They are the reason I was able to revamp my schools entire library, Ho said). Winsome Bingham received the honor for Soul Food Sunday, illustrated by Charles G. Esperanza (Abrams), with a donation to Bronx literacy organization Start Lighthouse. Poppy Takes Paris illustrator Kristi Valiant announced the awards in Picture Book Illustration. Stephen Costanza took home the Golden Kite for King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin (Atheneum), with a donation to San Antonio arts organization Musical Bridges Around the World. During his acceptance, he sat at his piano and played a few bars from Joplins 1902 ragtime hit The Entertainer, reinforcing the African American composers simple but radical trick of syncopation. Micha Archer received the illustration honor for Wonder Walkers (Penguin/Paulsen) and supported literacy nonprofit Barbershop Books. Nonfiction categories, announced by Sonny Rollins Plays the Bridge author Gary Golio, were up next. Writing for younger readers, Colleen Paeff won for The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved Londons Poop Pollution Problem, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (McElderry), and sent her donation to L.A. library organization Access Books. Cynthia Levinson, author of The Peoples Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art, illustrated by Evan Turk (Abrams), received the young readers nonfiction honor, and recognized the Highlights Foundation. Two winners were awarded in the category of nonfiction for older readers. Ariel Henley received the award for A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), and sent her donation to My Face, an organization serving children and adults with craniofacial differences. Growing up, Henley said, I never got to see faces like mine in the media, and so writing this book was my dream. When my book came out in November, I got a couple of messages on social media of kids with craniofacial conditions, holding my book in Barnes & Noble. And I have no words to explain [how much] that means. Anton Treuer likewise received the nonfiction award for Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition (Levine Querido), and donated in support of the Minnesota Area Indian Bar Association. Pieces of Why author K.L. Going announced the Middle Grade Fiction winner, Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca (Quill Tree); LaRocca supported the World Literacy Foundation with her proceeds. LaRocca also shared advice with her SCBWI fellows: I am one of you, and I am with you. If you ever wondered whether you should write the story of your heart, you should. And if you ever wondered when to do it, the time is now. Adrianna Cuevas accepted the honor for Cuba in My Pocket (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), and directed funds to Lambda Literary LGBTQ Writers in Schools, supporting inclusive K-12 curricula. Mike Curato, author of Flamer, presented the Illustrated Book for Older Readers category. Fahmida Azim won the Golden Kite for illustrating Rukhsanna Guidrozs Samira Surfs (Kokila), and she donated to the Rohingya Childrens Projects. Eugene Yelchin received the honor for The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (Candlewick), and shared his good fortune with the Dream Builders Project. Aminah Mae Safi, author of Not the Girls Youre Looking For, announced the final category, Young Adult Fiction. Pamela N. Harris took the prize for When You Look Like Us (Quill Tree), which she said she wrote to bring necessary attention to missing Black girls whose cases are too often ignored, dismissed, or downplayed and to promote more empathy for Black and brown children. Harriss donation is slated for the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Richmond. The YA honor went to Olivia Abtahi for Perfectly Parvin (Putnam), with Abtahi calling attention to The Word, A Storytelling Sanctuary. Bader closed the event with heartfelt appreciation: I am really happy I put on waterproof mascara, because all of the speeches brought me absolutely to tears. Zoom spontaneity (and a brisk pace) helped bridge the distance between audience members and the newly crowned winners. This article has been updated. The war in Ukraine has prompted many companies and institutions to stop working with Russian publishers and organizations. Publishers are canceling or not renewing contracts, while organizers have banned Russians from participating in international book fairs and there are a growing number of calls in different countries to ban imports of Russian books. Today, Evgeny Kapyev, general director of Eksmo, issued an open letter asking the world to reconsider this ban on Russian books and interaction with Russian publishers. Eksmo is the largest general trade publisher in Russia, publishing some 10,000 titles a year and is responsible for approximately 30% of total book sales annually. Eksmo is currently barred from operating in Ukraine, having been accused of distributing propaganda, a claim Eksmo says is the result of its titles having been pirated in 2014 and its trademark misused. Here is Kapyev's letter unedited and in full: Dear partners, colleagues, authors, I know many of you personally for more than 15 years, and weve been together through thick and thin. I have already expressed my attitude to the current unjustifiable situation, and my sympathy goes to the victims. I know that many of you are facing a hard moral dilemma whether to work with Russian publishers or not, and banning all relations with us seems to be the easiest way out. Yet, I would like to invite you to think of our mission: publishers mission, authors mission and the mission of literature in general. Is it just a business matter for you or is it above all a strive to make word a leading tool to achieve understanding, to help humanity ideas make it to the top of the worlds agenda? Even if publishing is considered just as a source for profit and nothing else, please keep in mind that the biggest part of taxes paid by publishers are used to support public welfare. Should you decide that publishing is more than just moneymaking for you than I believe, it is necessary to ask yourself: what do my books bring to this world good or evil? If the answer would be Evil, than all business with Russian publishers should definitely stop. In case you decide that your books stand for Good and yet cease all business with Russia, which means less good books will reach Russian readers, I am afraid the consequences might be bitter and mutual understanding between countries, cultures and nations might decrease even more. Over the last 30 years the Russian book market has changed drastically. Nowadays a majority of publishing houses are privately owned. We have been creating this market, discovering the best authors, brilliant contemporary titles and introducing The Nobel, The Booker and The Pulitzer prizes winners to the multimillion readership in Russia. We made a lot of contemporary Russian authors heard internationally. In the last 15 years together we have almost eliminated piracy hardly this exists in print and no more than 3% of all e-books are pirated now despite quite the contrary, awful situation we had seen in the past. To our regret, we have to admit that only 50% of Russian population does read books, while the rest prefer internet and social networks and we put enormous efforts to move the second half to books. We have helped our readers to develop a refined book taste, and they are now paying great attention to the quality of translations and topics raised, including diversity, ecology and sustainable growth, which are very popular topics among the Russian young adults now. Lets together think how we can help make our world a better place. It depends on all of us today what our tomorrow will look like: will we be building walls or bridges? WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. At their latest meeting, the Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Council (IN S&W) approved three new projects to fund during the spring and summer seasons. Additionally, the council is asking for nominations of individuals for board positions of districts 1, 4 and 7. In compliance with IN S&Ws regulation to hold elections for three council members each year on a rolling basis, the organization is looking for representatives from the following districts: * District 1: Consisting of Porter, Lake, Jasper, Laporte, St. Joseph, Marshall, Fulton, Stark, Pulaski and Newton counties. * District 4: Consisting of Benton, White, Warren, Tippecanoe, Fountain, Montgomery, Vermillion and Parke counties. * District 7: Consisting of Marion, Hancock, Rush, Shelby, Morgan, Johnson, Hendricks and Putnam counties. Anyone interested in becoming district representative or in nominating someone for a district representative position should contact IN S&W Purdue adviser Meredith Cobb at 765-426-1195 or mcobb2@purdue.edu by April 1. There is also a fillable form on the website to sign up to be included in all mailings and emails related to the checkoff, along with an option to submit your name for nomination in the upcoming election. At the most recent meeting of the IN S&W Council, three new projects were accepted for funding. These include a sheep shearing contest at the Indiana State Fair, funding for the Indiana Sheep Associations 2022 Symposium and the 2022 Indiana Make it With Wool (MIWW) Competition. In January, a contestant from Indiana earned fourth place overall at the National MIWW competition in San Diego. About the Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program was created to support educational, promotional and research efforts involving sheep in Indiana. Funds for the council are collected from the sale of all sheep in Indiana - 0.5% of the net market price of each sheep sold. All funds collected by stockyards, sale managers, producers and others should be sent to the councils business office at Purdue. More information is on the programs website https://indianasheep.com/checkoff.php Writer: Emma Hopkins-OBrien, 317-607-5664, emmaellenhopkins@yahoo.com Source: Meredith Cobb, 765-426-1195, mcobb2@purdue.edu Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415; Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page New York City, NY (11385) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 55F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 55F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. When: Wednesday, March 30, 2022, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Where: Online, Launch seminar for Global Intellectual Property Protection & New Constitutionalism (Oxford University Press, 2021), eds Jonathan Griffiths and Tuomas Mylly. Available for open access here. 16th February 2022, 1700-1830 GMT (1800-1930 CET / 0900-1030 Pacific / 1200-1330 EST) Panellists Professor Tuomas Mylly, University of Turku & Professor Jonathan Griffiths, Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute (introduction by the editors) Professor Graeme Dinwoodie, Global Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law (commentator) Professor Uma Suthersanen, Professor of Global Intellectual Property Law, Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute (commentator) The constitutionalization of intellectual property law is often framed as a benign and progressive integration of intellectual property with fundamental rights. Yet this is not a full or even an adequate picture of the ongoing constitutionalization processes affecting IP. Global Intellectual Property Protection & New Constitutionalism, written by international experts and covering a range of different areas of intellectual property law, takes a broader approach to the process. Drawing on constitutional theory, and particularly on ideas of new constitutionalism, the chapters engage with the complex array of contemporary legal constraints on intellectual property law-making. Such constraints arising in international intellectual property law, human rights law (including human rights protection for right-holders), investment treaties, and forms of private ordering. This collection aims to illuminate the complex role of this "constitutional" framework, by analysing the overlaps, complementarities, and conflicts between such forms of protection and seeking to establish the effects that this assemblage of global and regional norms has on legal reform projects and interpretations of IP law. Some chapters take a broad theoretical perspective on these processes. Others focus on specific situations in which the relationship between intellectual property law and broader "constitutional" norms is significant. These contexts range from Art 17 of the EU's Digital Single Market Directive, to the implementation of harmonized trade secrets protection, from the role of Canada's Charter of Rights to the impact of the social model of property in Brazil. Hosted in Dubai until the end of March 2022, Expo 2020 is the first international Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region in its 170-year history. A total of 192 countries are represented at dedicated pavilions around the Exhibition Centre, located in a new purpose-built city in Dubai which is twice the size of the principality of Monaco, and where 25 million visitors are expected to attend over six months. Abu Dhabi Medias production crew is using four EnGo mobile transmitters for sending live footage and interviews from the Expos Exhibition Centre pavilions to a WayPoint receiver located at Abu Dhabi Medias purpose-built on-site studio. The EnGo transmitters also provide real-time voice communication to enable the director in the studio to talk to the presenter on the ground. Local systems integrator, Ideal Systems, was commissioned to build Abu Dhabi Medias purpose-built state-of-the-art five-camera studio and gallery at the Expo 2020 site, with five wireless cameras being used to capture content from the pavilions.A further ten EnGo transmitters are streaming two daily live shows, from the studio in Dubai, to three Dejero WayPoint 104 receivers at Abu Dhabi Medias headquarters in Abu Dhabi where the receivers reconstruct the feeds, decode the HEVC and output for broadcast and redistribution worldwide.Use of Dejeros technology is saving Live HD, a government media entity supporting Abu Dhabi Medias coverage of Expo 2020, substantial time and resources said Jean Claude Rahme, its head of OB: The Expo 2020 exhibition area is huge at 45,000 square metres, so the logistics of running fibre lines from location to location, or installing antennas for satellite connectivity within a building of this size would have taken up huge resources in terms of installation, maintenance and cost, he explained.With EnGo, connectivity is very straightforward. We regularly encode at up to 20 Mbps from the pavilions because we are able to use six point-to-point SIM cards to aggregate IAD connections from Etisalat cellular networks and achieve full coverage inside the building. Because we use EnGo mobile transmitters, there are no limitations when it comes to line-of-sight to satellite antennas nor do we have to rely on a single private network.The EnGo uses Dejeros Smart Blending Technology to create a resilient internet connection by aggregating multiple networks into a single service. This allows for the transmission of high-quality live video with glass-to-glass latency as low as 0.5 seconds over the bonded cellular connections. Effectively, Dejeros technology is replacing the need for ENG satellites, said Rahme.Dejero was the best solution for us, concluded Rahme. Not only does it provide more flexibility and mobility for our production crew on site, it also gives us completely reliable connectivity both with our studio at the Expo and our headquarters in Abu Dhabi which is crucial to the speed at which we can gather the content in order to build and deliver our daily morning and evening programmes. The Secrets to Civilisation looks at the next-generation earth sciences that are changing our understanding of the ancient past. The 3 x 60 HD series, produced by OTF Studios, Impossible Factual and CuriosityStream, has now been picked up by a number of international platforms and VOD services, including ZDF ARTE, NRK Norway, ORF and VRT Belgium, RTV Slovenia, DR TV Denmark, Yleisradio Finland and Viasat World for its channels across Europe, CIS and Asia.The documentary is a cornerstone of OTFs history-focused Yesterday content pillar, which forms one leg of the new three-pronged creative strategy for content namely Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow launched in 202 under incoming CEO Bo Stehmeiers creative and commercial restructure.Another highlight of the Yesterday slate is Tycoons (3 x 60 - pictured), produced by OTF Productions for CuriosityStream , which unpacks the stories of the worlds richest entrepreneurs with names such as Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and conglomerate Wang Jianlin.The other two content pillars are Today (focusing on humankinds relationship with itself and the planet through the genres of natural history, travel and adventure, lifestyle, crime and impact) and Tomorrow (science). The new content paradigm is supported by three business models: OTF Originals, OTF Studios and OTF Fast.New to OTFs Today portfolio, 52-minute film Hippo King tells the life story of one of the planets largest and most elusive land mammals: the three-ton giant hippo bulls that live in the remote reaches of Africas Great Rift Valley. At the heart of the Tomorrow roster is Greenhouse (1 x 60 / 1 x 90), produced by GoodThing Productions (2040) which chronicles the conception, planning and construction of a property that addresses three of the most urgent issues of the 21st century: affordable housing, sustainability and food security.We have set ourselves clear objectives in terms of the quality and themes that can best deliver commercial results and the success of The Secrets to Civilisation proves that its an approach that works for our global client base, said Stefanie Fischer, OTFs managing director of sales. In addition, were now reaping the benefits of the ecosystem we have established that integrates in-house production, third-party content and distribution.Commenting on the MIPTV offer, Loren Baxter, head of acquisitions at OTF, said: This is one of our most carefully curated slates and not only in terms of subject matter and quality, but in its balance of in-house, co-financed and third-party productions. The interest already being generated by our new titles is not only encouraging, but confirmation that our Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow approach is providing the market with what it wants and thats a great feeling to be taking down with us to MIPTV. The resource curse is a term used to describe a nations dependence on minerals or fossil fuels to power development and economic growth. In the Middle East, this paradox of plenty has historically led to productive economies characterized by an inflated public sector workforce dependent on subsidy programs and undisciplined fiscal policies. Conversely, countries lacking resource wealth find themselves compelled to keep a tight rein on government spending and to prioritize human capital and innovation. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia made headlines several years ago when it unveiled Vision 2030, an ambitious plan for moving the kingdom away from reliance on fossil fuels by restructuring the government to stimulate private sector growth outside of the oil sector. Most Americans think that the Gulf is awash in oil. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates hold a lions share of the worlds oil and gas reserves. Nevertheless, there are two countries, Oman and Bahrain, that are in fact resource challenged. The oil and gas sector accounts for only 36 percent and 20 percent of GDP, respectively. For these states, economic diversification is a strategic necessity. Bahrain has bet big on FinTech.. According to forecasts for 2024, the total revenue of the global fintech sector will grow to USD 214 billion, including digital payments, mobile banking, money transfer services, and cryptocurrency. In the Middle East, the FinTech sector witnessed somewhat steady growth in the recent past, with a compounded annual growth rate of 30%. Over the last year, we have witnessed a surge in FinTech activity, where by the first half of 2021, the Middle East witnessed 50% year-on-year growth due to a healthy mix of innovation and regulation. Crowdfunding and open banking have already propelled Bahrain into the number one positionin the MENA region and second globally in terms of Islamic finance regulation. It ranks 31st out of 176 countries for ICT innovation. Over the next four years, national employment in the ICT sector is projected to grow by 35 percent, and the number of start-ups in the ICT sector will increase by 20 percent. The research group Startup Genome has named Bahrain among the worlds top fintech ecosystems to watch. Such success does not happen overnight. It is the result of strategic vision and disciplined implementation. Fourteen years ago, well before its Gulf neighbors jumped on the diversification bandwagon, Bahrains Crown Prince and current Prime Minister spearheaded the creation of Vision 2030, the regions first whole-of-government overhaul of the economy to stimulate private-sector growth outside of the energy sector. Well before the digital transformation of the past decade and the trend towards cashless societies that the Covid pandemic has only accelerated, Bahrain had put in place an infrastructure that has enabled fintech to take root and thrive. With the government at the center of efforts to drive innovation, Bahrain created anopenand unambiguous regulatory framework for banking, telecoms, and data protection. Its progressive enabling environment includes a business-friendly bankruptcy law, access to venture capital, wage subsidy programs, and a 0% corporate and personal tax regime. From 2015 to 2018, foreign direct investment increased from 0.2 percent of GDP to 4 percent respectively. The number of firms increased by 50 percent, and the number of jobs in the private sector by 30 percent. Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 30 percent of GDP and 75 percent of private sector job opportunities. Because of this state-of-the-art ecosystem of policy, talent, capital and technology, the fintech sector is now flocking to Bahrain. The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has been at the forefront of this transformation. In 2017, it established the FinTech and Innovation Unit to act as an enabler to innovation within the financial services sector by putting in place a supervisory environment to help identify new emerging business models, test them, assess risks, and then come up with the necessary regulations. That same year, Bahrain created the regions first on-shore regulatory sandbox,whereby ideas could be tested, refined, and licensed within a controlled environment until they were ready for market. More than 150 participants and applications have come in from MENA, Asia, and the United States. The Central Bank has since set out rules and frameworks that govern things such as crowdfunding, cryptoassets, robo-advice, open banking and insurance aggregation. In 2019, the Central Bank of Bahrain became the first regulator in the Middle East to launch rules for the licensing of cryptocurrency asset services.In December of last year, the CBB was the first regulator in the Middle East and North Africa to give approval for Binance, the world's leading blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, to establish itself as a crypto-asset service provider. Earlier in 2021, it announced a partnership between local lender Bank ABC and JPMorgan to pilot cross-border digital currency payments using JPMorgan's Onyx platform. Last May, the Central Bank launched Bahrain Supernova, a series of nation-wide fintech innovation challenges to boost collaboration and integration between financial institutions and start-ups utilizing open APIs. The digital platform enables the screening, interaction and collaboration among innovators, financial institutions, and regulators, with the aim of further accelerating Bahrains transformation towards an AI-powered digital economy. Bahrains 2018 establishment of the regions largest fintech incubator, Fintech Bay, epitomizes the synergies between regulators, entrepreneurs, financial institutions and Big Tech. A joint venture between the Economic Development Board of Bahrain and the international incubator FinTech Consortium, Fintech Bay includes more than thirty global banks, insurers, payment processors, telecoms and technology companies as corporate partners. By bringing all these actors together, Fintech Bay will accelerate local early stage fintech companies to the next growth stage of commercialization; expedite partnership opportunities;attract foreign growth-stage fintech companies to establish their regional head-offices in Bahrain; and facilitate their go to market approach into GCC. An important validator of the soundness of Bahrains approach to diversification is the participation of leading American corporate partners in these initiatives. Amazon Web Services chose Bahrain as the site for its regional data hub. Citibank has based its global technology hub in Bahrain. The universities of Georgetown, Berkeley, and Michigan are assisting with the countrys National Fintech Talent Program. Microsoft, Cisco and American Express are anchor partners in Fintech Bay. In addition to Bahrains favorable regulatory and ICT infrastructure, as well as its relatively low cost of doing business, geography also plays an important role in the decision making of these investors. Domiciling their businesses in Bahrain gives them the opportunity to enter emerging markets across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. That expanded region is an $8 trillion market and home to 3 billion people, 70 percent of whom have limited or no access to financial services. The recent explosion of fintech-related activity in Bahrain was a long time in the making and is poised to accelerate further in the coming years. In this sector, the race goes to the swift. Bahrain has gotten a big head start on its competitors, and those who place their bets on it will be positioned to reap the rewards. Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa is Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States. Netflix is giving a glimpse of the new series Anatomy of a Scandal. ADVERTISEMENT The streaming service shared a trailer for the drama series Thursday featuring Sienna Miller as Sophie Whitehouse, the wife of Parliament minister James Whitehouse ( Rupert Friend ). The preview shows Sophie (Miller) weather the fallout of her husband's affair. The character must not only struggle with her marriage to James (Friend) falling apart but is also thrust into the public eye after he is accused of rape. Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery also stars as Kate Woodcroft, the barrister who prosecutes James. Anatomy of a Scandal is based on the Sarah Vaughan novel of the same name. The show is described as "a psychological thriller and gripping courtroom drama" that "infiltrates Britain's elite through personal and political scandal, where the truth lies between justice and privilege." Anatomy of a Scandal is written by David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies) and Melissa James Gibson. The series premieres April 15 on Netflix. Other upcoming series based on books include Tokyo Vice and Shining Girls. Andrew Garfield discussed his decision to star in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland on Jimmy Kimmel Live. ADVERTISEMENT Garfield told Kimmel on Wednesday that he was waiting to hear if Maguire had agreed to star in the film before he signed on. Spider-Man: No Way home features Garfield, Maguire and Holland as their versions of Spider-Man. "I would follow Tobey anywhere, so it was like, 'If Tobey's in then I'm in,'" Garfield said. Kimmel also asked Garfield if he thought that Spider-Man: No Way Home should be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Garfield is already nominated for Best Actor for his role in Tick, Tick...Boom! "It's a great movie. Jon Watts is an incredible director, he pulled together all these different stories and strands and didn't make it feel like kind of cynical. He made it feel totally heartfelt and important," Garfield said before stating that he loves how himself and Maguire's version of Spider-Man were able to help Holland in the film. "I love that, the idea that we were called in there for a specific mentoring brotherhood kind of reason. That's just beautiful," he said. Netflix announced Wednesday that the Ukrainian comedy Servant of the People will return to the streaming service. The show was the last acting role of Volodymyr Zelensky before he was elected President of Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT "You asked and it's back!" Netflix wrote in a tweet. "The 2015 satirical comedy series stars Volodymyr Zelenskyy playing a teacher who unexpectedly becomes President after a video of him complaining about corruption suddenly goes viral." Servant of the People ran for three seasons from 2015-2019 with a total of 51 episodes. Zelensky won the election in 2019. BBC also re-aired Servant of the People in the Britain as Zelensky defends Ukraine against invading Russian forces. Prior to his political career, Zelensky was a standup comic and actor. He appeared in Ukrainian romantic-comedies and won a season of the Ukrainian edition of Dancing with the Stars. TRAVERSE CITY Difficulties in building alternatives to a bridge linking Hartman and Hammond roads have essentially ruled them out. Thats what Todd Davis, senior transportation planner with WSP, told a sparse crowd at the last of three public meetings for the Boardman Corridor Planning and Environmental Linkages process Wednesday. His firm is working with OHM Advisors on the process, both on behalf of the Grand Traverse County Road Commission. East-west transportation coverage Continuing and archived coverage of the Traverse City area's east-west transportation issue, including the long-debated Hartman-Hammond bridge Consultants along with state and federal agencies alike are confident in eliminating new crossings at Cass Road and the former Sabin Dam site, Davis said in presenting the locally preferred option and seeking more input. Instead, theyre looking at a crossing site thats been examined as a possibility starting more than 20 years ago the Hammond-Hartman corridor, Davis said. Why? It has the smallest acreage of wetland impacts, the greatest percentage of reduced traffic volume on South Airport Road and the lowest number of residential displacements, he said. Its been a controversial proposal ever since, and on Tuesday a few audience members werent convinced a new crossing was even needed. Davis, who gave the lions share of the presentation inside of Networks Northwest Conference Center, said continued traffic growth is a major reason why one is, and the reasons listed are just the top three why the Hartman-Hammond link makes the most sense in 10- to 25 years. Some constraints led to the elimination of Cass Road and the former Sabin Dam site, he said. Adding spans on Cass Road and building a new road west to U.S.-31 would require building a bridge below some Michigan Department of Transportation-owned tracks. Bill Zipp, Senior Supervising Engineer with OHM Advisors, said MDOT notified the firm that it wouldnt abandon the tracks, which dead-end just west of Grawn. Tunneling under the railroad would drain some perched wetlands on either side of the track. Consultants also recently discovered a conservation easement complicating the construction of any connecting road west of the new bridges, Davis said. Building at the old Sabin Dam site seemed to make a lot of sense, as its already been disturbed, Davis said. The cost would also be lower than the estimated $44 million to link Hammond and Hartman roads, then U.S.-31. But the Boardman River Nature Center is close by, and widening Keystone Road to handle traffic between the new bridge and Hammond Road would require displacing several homes. Linking Hammond and Hartman roads had the best reduction in traffic on South Airport Road, according to traffic modeling, Davis said. That modeling showed a 37 percent reduction by 2045 versus no new connection, amounting to 13,203 fewer cars per day on South Airport Road. The new bridge would handle roughly 18,000 cars per day in the same year, versus 11,000 for the Sabin Dam site and 6,000 for Cass Road. Fern Spence and husband Doug said they werent convinced theres a need for a new crossing. Fern Spence said she thinks of how people fill bigger houses with more stuff. So another crossing could just bring more traffic congestion. Instead, the Spences said they want more transit-oriented development. Fern wondered if 17,000 or so cars a day is worth the cost of construction, and Doug said he would rather see the money put into public transit. That would be more equitable across income levels, especially for people who cant afford a car and depend on public transit to get around, Doug said. I work at Munson and I understand what people are talking about is not so much traffic, its the cost of their car, its the cost of gas, he said. So I think these models that theyre using could really be looking at a future that has less people driving, especially if they have alternatives. Those alternatives could be especially important as the cost of owning a car continues to increase, Fern said. She hopes Bay Area Transportation Authority continues to improve its bus stop shelters and schedules to attract more users. With the Planning and Environmental Linkages process coming to a close, the road commission board is expecting a report in April, said Brad Kluczynski, commission superintendent. Those who didnt make the final hearing there were six names on the sign-in sheet, not counting press, and Kluczynski said five attended an earlier session Wednesday afternoon can still submit their comments, according to the road commission. They have two more weeks to submit comments online at https://is.gd/BoardmanPEL. Itll be up to the board to decide whether to submit both the Hartman-Hammond link and a no-build option for a full National Environmental Policy Act review, Kluczynski said the next required step to move the long-term project forward. In this image provided by the City of Porterville the Porterville City Council gives Porterville Police Officers who were recognized a standing ovation on Tuesday. The screen in the upper left hand corner also shows the Officers and those in attendance giving the Officers a standing ovation. The University of Georgia is to receive $5 million in government money for Parkinson's research as part of the omnibus spending bill agreed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden on March 15, according to a Thursday press release from the University. Olivia is a junior journalism major at the University of Georgia. Her love for writing and sharing stories from the community led her to The Red & Black. She loves being able to highlight the people who make up the Athens community. Follow OLIVIA WAKIM 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 On March 16, 2021, eight people, six of whom were Asian women, lost their lives because of a mans reported sex addiction, which he claimed drove him to fire shots in a string of mass shootings targeting three Asian-owned spas in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Match Day, an event commemorating the next stage in medical students careers, was held at noon on Friday in George Hall at the University of Georgias Health Sciences Campus for residents applying to the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, according to a UGA press release. Ukrainian pop music could be heard across the University of Georgias North Campus Wednesday afternoon as UGA community members gathered for a rally in support of Ukraine. Decked in yellow and blue and carrying signs in both English and Ukrainian, the demonstrators voiced opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putins Feb. 24 invasion and expressed support for those affected by it. 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 A fall 2020 survey among students at the Community College of Vermont revealed that 61 percent of respondents had experienced at least one form of basic needs insecurity during the pandemic. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rights groups blasted the verdict as a show trial designed to quash criticism of Hun Sens ruling party. CNRP Friday Women protest in front of the court March 17 while the court announces verdict. UPDATED at 1:12 P.M. ET on 2022-03-18 A Phnom Penh court on Thursday convicted 21 members of the banned-opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of incitement and conspiracy after a mass trial that rights organizations said was politically motivated. The defendants, seven of whom are living in exile, received sentences between five and 10 years in prison. One defendant was convicted, but his sentence was suspended due to health problems. Cambodias Supreme Court banned the party in November 2017 for its supposed role in an alleged plot to overthrow the government, controlled by Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP). The move to dissolve the CNRP marked the beginning of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs and independent media outlets that paved the way for the CPP to win all 125 seats in the countrys July 2018 general election. Since then, the government has brutally cracked down on former CNRP members, causing many to flee the country. Cambodia canceled many of their passports and barred them from returning. Prosecutors argued during the trial that the defendants were part of a secret network that wanted to seize control of the government, citing as evidence an alleged CNRP plot for its exiled leaders to return to the country. Additionally, government prosecutors blamed the opposition for the European Unions 2020 to revoke an exemption from certain tariffs and restrictions for exports to EU-member countries. In truth, the EU Commission made that decision because of the Cambodian governments poor civil and political rights record. Among the seven exiles convicted Thursday were the partys co-founder and interim leader Sam Rainsy and deputy presidents Eng Chhai Eang and Mu Sochua. The verdict was politically motivated, Eng Chhai Eang told RFAs Khmer Service. I am not interested and did not pay attention to the verdict, he said. This verdict was not meant to serve the people with justice. Both Eng Chhai Eang and Mu Sochua have said they wanted to return to Cambodia to appear in court. Please revalidate our passports so we can go to Cambodia and serve our prison terms, Mu Sochua, who lives in California, told RFA. I want to end this case. I will stay in prison to end the case. The defense lawyer in the case, Sam Sokong, told RFA he would appeal the convictions. I think my clients expressed their opinions and the right is protected by the constitution, he said. Constructive criticism is protected by law. Outside the court, four people were injured during clashes between CNRP supporters and authorities. RFA attempted to contact the court spokesperson Y Rin, but he could not be reached for comment. Rights groups condemned the verdict, saying that it was unfair to convict the accused without their participation in the trial. There were so many loopholes, including that the defendants were stopped from participating, Ny Sokha, director of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, told RFA. It is not a surprise. This is a politically motivated case since the beginning. Cambodian American rights advocate Theary Seng was outside the court Thursday with the wives of the CNRP members on trial as the verdict was read. She told RFA that the cries and suffering of their families was heartbreaking. We are living under a dictatorship who sees the people as the enemy and thus uses violence to suppress them, she said, adding that the verdict drew similarities to the Khmer Rouge era, referring to the brutal 1975-1979 reign of Pol Pot. Since Cambodia has a system of democracy, we should never see such mass trials like this. Justice requires court to try [each defendant] individually so that an accused person can have an opportunity to explain and testify for himself and herself to the court, she said. Charles Santiago, the chair of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, a group of former lawmakers that promotes democracy in Southeast Asian countries, called the verdict baseless in a statement. The trial was the latest example of the complete erosion of democracy and pluralism in Cambodia under the iron fist of Prime Minister Hun Sen, and further evidence that he will do whatever is in his power to remove all forms of opposition to his rule," Santiago said. "Hun Sen and his political party, which currently holds all 125 National Assembly seats, have used Cambodia's courts to pursue their agenda of maintaining complete control of a country where no dissenting voices are allowed, he said. Santiago said that the silence of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is chaired by Hun Sen, weakened the credibility of the regional bloc. New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the trial was part of a witch hunt that discredited Cambodia and its courts. Foreign governments, the United Nations, and donors should call out this attack on the political opposition and Cambodias remaining vestiges of democracy, Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director said in a statement. Cambodias politicized courts have facilitated Prime Minister Hun Sens effort to destroy the last remnants of democratic freedoms and civil and political rights in the country. Concerned governments should do all they can to reverse this assault on the Cambodian people. Translated by Samean Yun and Sum Sokry. Written in English by Eugene Whong. CLARIFICATION: The article was updated to reflect that the court convicted 21 defendants and handed a suspended sentence to one who is suffering from health problems. An earlier version said that only 20 members of the opposition were convicted. A FBI wanted poster for Sun Qiang is visible as Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney Breon Peace speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, to discuss recent law enforcement actions to address transnational repression. The Justice Department says a Chinese operative sought to undermine the congressional candidacy of a Chinese dissident in New York, including by seeking to uncover or even manufacture derogatory information that would cause him to lose the race. The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday accused five people of attempting to suppress criticism of the Chinese government, including by trying to thwart the campaign of a candidate for Congress. In three separate cases unveiled on Wednesday, government prosecutors allege several plots to undercut criticism of China on U.S. soil. The allegations include considering physically assaulting the congressional candidate; attempting to bribe U.S. tax officials in exchange for information about an advocate for democratic reform in China; and spying on members of the U.S.-based Chinese dissident community. This activity is antithetical to fundamental American values, and we will not tolerate it when it violates U.S. law, Matthew Olsen, the assistant attorney general leading the DOJs National Security Division, said in a statement. The Department of Justice will defend the rights of Americans and those who come to live, work and study in the United States. We will not allow any foreign government to impede their freedom of speech, to deny them the protection of our laws or to threaten their safety or the safety of their families. The first case alleges that Qiming Lin, 59, of China, an agent of Chinas Ministry of State Security, hired a private investigator in New York to disrupt the campaign of a Brooklyn resident and asked the investigator to physically attack him. The New York Times identified the candidate as Yan Xiong, a student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests who has been an outspoken critic of the Chinese government. After naturalizing as a U.S. citizen, Yan in 2015 participated in pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Last year he announced his candidacy to represent Long Island, where he lived at the time, in Congress. According to the DOJ statement, Lin told the investigator that the security ministry did not want Yan to be elected and asked him to find damaging information about the candidate. If none was available, Lin allegedly suggested manufacturing a scandal by attempting to hire a prostitute to seduce him and then taking clandestine pictures of the encounter. In December, Lin asked the investigator to consider attacking Yan. The DOJ released a transcript of what it said was a voice message from the state security agent: Beat him [chuckles], beat him until he cannot run for election. Heh, thats the-the last resort. You-you think about it. Car accident, [he] will be completely wrecked [chuckles], right? If convicted, Lin, who remains at large, could face up to 10 years in prison. The second case is against Shujun Wang, 73, of Queens, who has allegedly been spying on the Chinese diaspora for the security ministry since 2015. Once a visiting scholar and author, he contributed to the formation of a pro-democracy organization in Queens that honors two former Chinese Communist Party leaders who advocated reforms but were removed from power. Wang allegedly collected information about activists, dissidents and human rights leaders and reported his findings to the Chinese government. He was able to gain their confidence and record information he learned in conversations with the victims, the DOJ said. The victims of Wangs efforts included individuals and groups located in New York City and elsewhere that the PRC considers subversive, such as Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, advocates for Taiwanese independence, and Uyghur and Tibetan activists, both in the United States and abroad, the DOJ said. He also denied connections with the PRC government or security ministry during a 2017 interview in Queens, the statement said, but later admitted his crimes to an undercover law enforcement officer. Authorities arrested Wang in New York on Wednesday. If convicted, he faces 20 years in prison. The third case accuses Fan Frank Liu, 62, of Long Island, Matthew Ziburis, 49, of Oyster Bay, New York, and Qiang Jason Sun, 40, of China, with attempting to act as agents of the PRC by bribing tax officials for information about a pro-democracy activist living in the U.S. Liu heads a New York-based media company and hired Ziburis, a former correctional officer, as a bodyguard. The two allegedly took instructions from Qiang Sun, who is based in China and works at an international technology company. In another plot, Liu posed as an art dealer interested in buying the works of a dissident, while Ziburis bugged the dissidents workspace and vehicle. Sun then could spy on the dissident over the internet. Liu and Ziburis were also arrested Wednesday, and face three charges, two of which could result in sentences of up to five years each. One charge carries a potential 15-year sentence. The DOJ has previously expressed concern over Chinese government attempts to disrupt activities by dissidents in various communities in the U.S. The Obama administration in 2015 warned China about its agents in the U.S. who attempted to harass Chinese residents. Relations between Washington and Beijing are at a low point due to Chinas close relationship with Russia and Moscows invasion of Ukraine, which the U.S. and its allies oppose. Chinas stance has put it at loggerheads with it neighbors and with Western powers, particularly the U.S. How to solve the territorial disputes in the South China Sea that have flummoxed diplomats for decades and stoked fears of superpower conflict? Actually, its quite simple, according to British scholar Bill Hayton. Just acknowledge that the current occupiers of each feature have the best claim to sovereignty over it. Hayton, associate fellow in the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House, a U.K. think-tank, shared his views in a recent commentary in Perspective, a publication of the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. He argues that researchers now know enough about the history of the South China Sea to resolve the competing territorial claims to the various rocks and reefs. The basic facts of the South China Sea disputes are well-known. Six parties Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing territorial claims. China holds the biggest claim, up to 90 percent of the sea, demarcated by a so-called nine-dash line. It says it has historical rights to the area a position rejected by an international tribunal in 2016 that Beijing has refused to acknowledge. Chinas stance has also put it at loggerheads with Western powers, particularly the U.S. The disputes are not just about claims to the tiny islets and reefs scattered across the South China Sea, but also claims to jurisdiction over maritime zones associated with these features. Because of that, a seventh country, Indonesia, also has a stake. Although it does not regard itself as a party to the South China Sea dispute, China claims historic rights to parts of the sea overlapping Indonesias exclusive economic zone. Hayton says that of the six formal claimants, all claim at least one islet, and a few islets are claimed by at least five states. The rival claims have always been thought to be too complicated to ever sort out. There are too many rocks and reefs, too many claimants, too much history. Trying to understand and disentangle all the overlapping claims is just impossible, or so people thought, said Hayton. I dont think thats true, he said. Territorial issues in the South China Sea only started in the beginning of the 20th century so you dont have to look at thousands of years of history. The Chinese-built base at Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands, pictured in an Aug. 20, 2021, satellite image. Credit: Planet Labs Inc. The role of the International Court of Justice The real problem is different claimants have framed their claims to claims to island groups. It would be very hard to try to work out who has the best claim to the whole island group, Hayton explained. China and Vietnam, for example, claim the whole of the Paracel and Spratly island chains. But once you try to disentangle and desegregate the claims and look at who has the best claim to specific features, then things become a lot easier. No particular country, or state or regime ever controlled the whole of the South China Sea, he said. In Haytons opinion, breaking down expansive claims to entire island groups into specific claims to named features would open a route to compromise and the resolution of the disputes. The scholar pointed out that there have been successful precedents in Southeast Asia. Indonesia and Malaysia resolved their dispute over the islands of Ligitan and Sipadan in 2002; as did Malaysia and Singapore over three sets of uninhabited rocks in the Singapore Straits in 2008. In both cases, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) played an important role. By ruling out vague claims to sovereignty from time immemorial and demanding specific evidence of physical acts of administration, the ICJ also gave the South China Sea claimants a route out of their impasse, Hayton suggested. The historical evidence of physical acts of administration on the disputed rocks and reefs suggests, with a few exceptions, that the current occupiers of each feature have the best claim to sovereignty over it, according to the British scholar. The main exception would be the Paracel Islands where Vietnam occupied about a half until China took over in 1974 after a bloody battle that saw 74 Vietnamese soldiers killed. Southeast Asian states have an interest in recognising each others de facto occupation of specific features and then presenting a united position to China, Hayton added. In the case some countries are unwilling to make use of the ICJ and international law, he suggested that non-governmental organisations could get involved to create a so-called Track Two Tribunal. Track two typically describes informal or unofficial discussions by people outside of government to help find solutions to complex diplomatic issues. Hayton said they could collect rival pieces of evidence, test the claimants legal arguments, and present the likely outcomes of any future international court hearing to the claimants and their publics. A file photo showing Vietnamese activists during a gathering to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of China's occupation of the disputed Paracels in the South China Sea, in Hanoi, January 19, 2016. China took full control of the Paracels in 1974 after a naval showdown with Vietnam. Credit: Reuters Difficult tasks Hayton, however, admitted that the process would not be easy. Populations in different countries would be claiming that this is some terrible sell-out but frankly, all of the countries are working on the basis that this is the status quo that theyre going to accept. They need to turn that into a political commitment, he said. Haytons proposal would have merit in an ideal world, said Mark Valencia, a scholar at the Chinese National Institute for South China Sea Studies. But unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world and nationalist-infused domestic politics would likely prove a fatal stumbling block to acceptance and implementation of this proposal, Valencia said, adding that most politicians in Southeast Asian countries would try to stay as far away as possible. The maritime analyst also warned that since China would not accept and adhere to a formal arbitration ruling against it for maritime space, it is highly unlikely to accept the verdict of an unofficial Track Two Tribunal regarding territory. Furthermore, the idea that each claimant keeps what it currently occupies and drops its claims to other features has been proposed before without any takers, he said. Cracks have started to appear in the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s online censorship of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with social media users posting video footage showing downed Russian aircraft, Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian troops, and Russian soldiers requisitioning food from local stores to stave off hunger in recent days. In defiance of CCP propaganda directives banning anti-Russian content from Chinese social media platforms, the Weibo account Ukraine Super Chat on Thursday reposted a subtitled video clip of a Ukrainian man warning Russians not to come and join the war, following the death of his 23-year-old son in Kharkiv. "Boys, don't come here," the man says, facing to camera, addressing Russians. "You will die. You killed my son. I will kill your son." The Weibo user who posted the video commented: "A father's heartbreak ... That's why nobody should start a war casually; there is no way to control the monster once it is out of the box." User @Xiaoqiwj commented on the repost: "Shouldn't we be condemning the aggressors and murderers [not] the other people who are staying in their homes to protect their homes!" @Jun Weitonghui added: "Curse the evil spirit[s] who started and instigated this war!," while @Yueying_R wrote: "Kill the common thief." "Justice must prevail! Ukraine must win!" @Willing 07621 wrote, while @Ping_Ping_An_Jing_Jing_Huang_Huang wanted to know if Russian president Vladimir Putin would be prosecuted at the International War Crimes Tribunal, asking: "When does Putin go to The Hague?" Strict guidelines on coverage Internet censors in China ordered news outlets and social media accounts to avoid posting anything critical of Russia or favorable to NATO after Russia began moving troops across the border into Ukraine last month. All copy about the war is to be approved by the CCP's propaganda department prior to posting, while social media platforms are required to delete "inappropriate" comments about the situation in Ukraine. A current affairs commentator surnamed Jiang said pro-CCP Little Pink commentators are still trying to "guide public opinion" on such videos. "A large number of people are applauding the invader Russia," Jiang said. "They are ridiculing and even gloating over the Ukrainian people who were invaded, which made me very sad to see." Some are establishment intellectuals who should know better, Jiang said, while the rest are just following the crowd. "There is a group who don't know much, and just follow the guidance of the government to root for Russia," he said. Biased but truthful Former journalist Zhao Ping said he was taught that most journalism is biased, but should still be truthful. "Someone once said when I was a journalism student ... [that we] report the truth, but only the truth that we choose to report," Zhao said. "This was a saying that was very popular in journalism training back then in China." "But that meant that we were still reporting the truth, even though we were choosing it. Nowadays, we don't report the truth at all," he said. "Now, even the official media is tampering with the truth." He said state media in China had cut out certain qualifiers from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's remarks regarding NATO membership. "President Zelenskyy said [Ukraine] would have to face up to the fact that it can't be a member of NATO in the near future ... but [Chinese state media] cut the part about the near future out," he said. "Chinese news is basically a joke." At risk of greater isolation Wang Jiahao, a doctoral student at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, said whether or not Beijing actually provides Russia with military aid as reportedly requested, will depend on how the situation develops. "If Russia is successful in taking Kyiv, it would show that they are capable of completing military operations without China's help, so the logic would be that China doesn't need to provide assistance to Russia," Wang said. "But if Russia fails to capture Kyiv, there will be a situation of relative stalemate," he said, adding that China would then have to figure out whether its help would reverse the situation. Wang said China, in making its allegiance to Moscow, risks greater isolation in the international community. "If Sino-Russian ties continue to get closer, it will get linked with anti-Russian sentiment, and the European Union will take tougher measures against China," he said, warning that the war could undermine CCP leader Xi Jinping's international infrastructure and influence project. "This will have a huge impact on Chinese investments in Europe, including the Belt and Road initiative," Wang said. "Chinese leaders at the National People's Congress annual session [earlier this month] were very nervous about the impact of the situation in Russia and Ukraine on global economic recovery," he added. Chinese journalist Lu Nan said China is unlikely to rethink its relationship with Russia, however. "Their position isn't going to change, regardless of whether they support this war implicitly or explicitly," Lu said. "The Chinese government and Russia are in this together, with this unlimited cooperation agreement, which includes military cooperation." Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. More land handed over for Long Thanh airport project The southern province of Dong Nai has handed over another 304 hectares of land for the implementation of the first phase of Long Thanh International Airport project. Dong Nais Long Thanh District is boosting site clearance work to allocate more land for the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to carry out airport construction. The district has planned to hand over another 300 hectares of land for the project. Long Thanh International Airport To date, Dong Nai has handed over around 1,800 hectares out of the total 2,532 hectares of land for Long Thanh International Airport projects first phase. The remainder will be given to the project within this month. Lai Xuan Thanh, chairman of ACV, said the company was working with its consultants to speed up progress so that the first phase would be ready for operation no later than September 2025. In the first phase, one runway with a length of 4,000m, taxiways, an apron, and a passenger terminal with other auxiliary works will be built to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year. The airport will cost VND336.63 trillion (USD14.5 billion) and have four runways, four terminals and other auxiliary facilities to handle 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo a year by 2040. Khoukham Keomanivong, a Lao worker and member of the Free Lao Movement, was arrested by Thai police in Bangkok on Jan. 29, 2022 for overstaying his visa, and was released on bail on Feb. 1 with the help of a human rights lawyer. Now living in Canada, the advocate for human rights and democracy in Laos recently spoke with RFAs Lao Service about what hes doing now and his plans for the future. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. RFA: How are you feeling? Khoukham (KK): Im feeling relieved, out of danger and out of the unsafe zone. Now, Im focusing on adjusting to the new environment here in Canada. Im not feeling well now. I have a fever. But the Canadian authorities are taking care of me. First, Im quarantining for 14 days, so Im staying here by myself and Im kind of lonely. But the most important thing is that Im in a safe place and in a free country now. I think nobody will restrict my freedoms anymore. RFA: Whos sponsoring you, and what are you planning to do in the near future? KK: My sponsor is the Canadian central government. Im planning to study and maybe work at the same time. The Canadian government will be providing assistance to me for one year, covering all my expenses. And after that one year I should have completed my studies and be able to help myself and be on my own. RFA: Do you have any plans to resume your role as an activist regarding the problems in Laos? KK: Deep in my heart, Im still the same person, and in whatever country I live free or not Ill continue to speak out and express myself about my native country. I think that is a basic human right. I might come out one day and be just as critical as I was before, because here in Canada I dont have to be afraid of anyone anymore. Its our right to speak out. We know that our country, Laos, is not doing well. If my country was as developed or even more developed than other countries in ASEAN, I would be the first person to praise the Lao government. But right now our country is still poor, so I still have some work to do. When I talk to other people and tell them Im from Laos, they dont even know where Laos is. Why is that? Its because Laos is still undeveloped. Our leaders role on the international stage is negligible, so it seems to me that our country is still inferior in the eyes of other countries. We must do whatever we can to bring about change. RFA: What are you going to do? KK: Im 38 years old, so Im still relatively young, and I can make use of social media. This can be a mouthpiece for the new generation to share comments and experiences. Social media is an important channel for communication in every country in the world. People dont take up arms or use violence to create change these days. That era is over. The voice of the people can change a country, and this is the way I prefer, the peaceful way. Im still single, so I can do this again at any time. But observers say the junta has no systematic plan to address the issue. Reports of counterfeit banknotes circulating in Myanmar have skyrocketed in recent weeks amid the juntas mismanagement of the economy, but experts say the military regime is ill-equipped to address the problem because officials only know how to give orders but not implement them. Since February, a growing number of posts have appeared on social media allegedly documenting fake high-denomination bills involved in public cash transactions, while offers for counterfeit kyats are commonly advertised online or papered on walls at bus terminals in cities and towns across the country. Earlier this week, Facebook user Rose Angle posted a video in which he complained about a growing number of fake kyats and provided a demonstration of how the dye could be washed off one he claimed to have obtained simply by holding it under a running faucet. The post received several responses by users who included photos of what they claimed were counterfeit bills they had received in cash transactions. RFAs Myanmar Service spoke with sources in the business and banking communities, as well as other members of the public, who said they had personally dealt with fake currency and described the problem as increasingly severe. A salesperson based in the seat of Bago regions Pyay township told RFA that he was recently made to cover his companys loss after he accepted counterfeit banknotes in one cash transaction. We didnt realize it at first, but when we brought the notes to the bank, they determined that some of them were counterfeits, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. When such fake notes are discovered, we must pay from our own pockets and its not easy to do that when there are two or three 10,000-kyat counterfeit notes. It hurts a lot. Thirty thousand kyats (U.S. $17) is a lot for us. The salesperson said a similar incident occurred in mid-February and that he had discovered counterfeit currency twice that month. He now regularly examines the watermarks and thickness of all bills during cash transactions but noted that spotting fakes is difficult for average people who lack the tools to detect them. Soe Tun, a businessman in the commercial capital Yangon, told RFA he had been forced to obtain a counterfeit bill detector because of the increase in fake bills in circulation. We have to be very careful these days as counterfeits are now more common than ever before, he said, suggesting the problem had worsened since the junta seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021 coup, sending the economy into a freefall. For money changers, there are machines to detect these counterfeit notes, but they arent accessible to ordinary people. Otherwise, your best option is to deal with payments through bank accounts, particularly if there is a large amount of money involved. Other sources noted a proliferation of advertisements in recent weeks offering 1 million kyats (U.S. $560) worth of counterfeit bills for as little as 100,000 kyats (U.S. $56), which they said had exacerbated the problem. Investigation underway Aung Kyaw Than, the juntas Director General of the Central Banks financial management department, told RFA that efforts are being made to crack down on the sale of counterfeit notes online. But he said that reports of such services are overblown. These are likely rumors, as I havent seen such sales being made, he said, adding that the juntas Ministry of Home Affairs is investigating the matter to take proper action. Junta Deputy Information Minister Zaw Min Tun outright dismissed concerns over the reports of counterfeiting. We have discovered some counterfeit notes, but it wasnt a lot, he said, adding that the fakes were not of high quality. Were also watching what's happening on social media and trying to find out the source of the reports. We have found that [offers of counterfeit bills] werent being acted on. I just want to say that theres no need to worry about this problem. The junta comments follow media reports citing an official announcement in January which said a police raid on counterfeit bill producers in Karen states Myawaddy township had nabbed more than 1,700 fake 10,000-kyat denomination bills along with uncut sheets of paper used to print currency. Economist Zaw Pe Win said the problem will continue if the junta fails to put systematic controls in place. The problem with the military is that it only knows how to give orders, but it offers no systematic or technical policy for how to implement them. The junta just tries to fix problems however it sees fit, he said. If the military doesnt change that approach, things wont get any better. Criminals will produce counterfeits, if given a chance, and they will be distributed to the public. Unless the junta can find an effective way to stop this, the situation will become worse. Zaw Pe Win said that the juntas violent repression of anti-coup protests had destroyed investor confidence in Myanmar and the resulting economic turmoil, but ordinary people are the ones suffering the consequences. He said the military must normalize foreign trade relations and provide stability if it hopes to repair the economy but has so far been unable or unwilling to do so. Meanwhile, the proliferation of counterfeit notes has only added to the anxiety of a population already grappling with a rapidly depreciating kyat, rising commodity prices, and worsening food shortages in the wake of the coup. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Authorities say they were responding to a riot, but some question the juntas version of events. A photo published online by the military's 'Viber Group' shows an aerial view of Kalay Prison in Myanmar's Sagaing region, March 15, 2022. Authorities in Myanmars Sagaing region killed seven inmates and injured a dozen others after using live ammunition to quell a riot at Kalay Prison on Tuesday, according to the junta. But sources say the deaths were likely the result of a violent crackdown on a protest over ill-treatment at the facility. A statement issued by the junta said that guards at the Kalay prison were forced to open fire with MA-11 assault rifles Tuesday night when around 50 prisoners led by a detained member of the anti-junta Chin National Defense Force (CNDF) paramilitary group named Van Dam tried to escape. The junta claimed that Van Dam and his fellow inmates had taken Warden Kyaw Thu, Deputy Warden Cho Min Latt and Deputy Superintendent Yan Paing Myo hostage, and attempted to flee the prison using the men as bargaining chips. The CNDF is an offshoot of the prodemocracy Peoples Defense Force (PDF) and has been labeled a terrorist organization by the military. The dead were identified as Van Dam, Myo Win Aung, Win Ko Naing Ko, Mount Nyi, Myo Min Tun, Chan Min Ko and Tu Khaing. The names of the injured have yet to be confirmed. Kalay Prison is located far from any populated area, and RFAs Myanmar Service was unable to independently verify the claims made in the official statement. However, residents of the area and a CNDF official told RFA that they are skeptical of the juntas statement based on what they had learned of the incident. What was announced by the military is so different from what the people heard. The military never tells the truth, and this statement is another example of that, said one Kalay resident, who declined to be named for security reasons. At least seven people were shot dead in prison. The bodies were taken to the towns hospital, where they were well-guarded. The bodies are said to now be in the morgue. While the source suggested that the junta was not telling the truth about the incident, he did not provide details about how the official statement differed from other accounts. Another resident of Kalay told RFA they believe the inmates were killed when prison guards cracked down on those protesting the ill-treatment of political prisoners. A CNDF official confirmed to RFA that Van Dam, whose real name is Salai Shalom Siang Thang Lian, was a member of his paramilitary group. We do not believe what they have announced. Van Dam is one of our most reliable comrades. He has been detained for almost a year now. He was not the kind of guy [the military] described, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He was a man of good character. We are deeply saddened, not only for Van Dam but also for the other men. Van Dam was arrested in June last year while serving in the CNDF in Kalay and was facing terrorism charges. Other sources pointed out inconsistencies in the juntas statement about the shooting. According to the military, guards at the prison tried to disable the inmates by aiming below their waists. But residents noted that photos published by the junta on its online Viber Group platform to accompany the statement showed that at least some of those killed had been shot in the head and chest. A lawyer from Kalay, who also declined to be named, told RFA that the photos suggested guards had acted illegally in their response to the situation. Protecting the majority Khin Shwe, a spokesman for the juntas Department of Prisons, confirmed to RFA that political prisoners were among those killed and injured in Tuesdays shooting, but did not provide details on the number of political prisoners involved in the incident. When asked about the photos, he acknowledged that some of the victims might have been hit in the head when they tried to dodge the bullets and that prison guards may have misfired in an emergency situation. This kind of thing can happen when we are trying to protect the majority, he said. We are providing proper treatment to the injured, according to the seriousness of their injuries. They are getting treatment at the District Hospital. Khin Shwe said prison authorities will investigate the incident and take necessary action against those involved. A spokesman from the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) told RFA that prison guards may have fired indiscriminately at the political prisoners with malice. There is so much repression in prisons, and sometimes political prisoners stage protests, the spokesman said, adding that he thinks there is a good chance Tuesdays deaths were the result of a violent crackdown on such a protest. What we are sure of is that political prisoners are now being subjected to torture to some degree in almost every prison in Myanmar due to the ongoing political unrest, he said. Since seizing power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup, junta troops have killed at least 1,677 civilians and detained 12,691 political prisoners, according to the AAPP. Authorities have responded to earlier protests over ill-treatment by political prisoners in Yangons Insein Prison and Mandalays Obo Prison by beating protesters, denying them medical treatment, and putting them in solitary confinement. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. A forestry company sued farmers who stopped sending it a portion of their crops for rent. Coffee growers in Vietnams Central Highlands stage a protest to regain land rights they lost following a court ruling against those who refused to provide Buon Ja Wam Forestry Company Ltd. with a portion of their annual output as rent payment, March 2022. UPDATED at 10:24 A.M. ET on 2022-03-18 About 100 coffee growers in Vietnams Central Highlands staged a protest to regain land rights they lost after they stopped sending some of their crops to a forestry company that had allotted the parcels to them but did not invest in production, farmers involved in the demonstration said Thursday. The Southeast Asian country is one of the worlds leading exporters of coffee, with the Vietnam General Statistics Office predicting exports worth U.S. $3 billion for 2021, up more than 9.4% over the previous year. The Central Highlands are Vietnams largest coffee-growing area, The protest followed a court ruling against farmers who refused to provide Buon Ja Wam Forestry Company Ltd. with a portion of their annual output as rent payment. The group of farmers from the countrys majority Kinh ethnic group and ethnic minority people who live in Ea Kiet village of Cu MGar district have gathered for four days to object to the revocation of land-use rights, they said. The farmers say they cleared the land themselves, but then had to turn over what they produced to the company, which collected their crops without providing fertilizer, water or technical assistance. In 2018, Buon Ja Wam took legal action against 13 families that had failed to fulfill their responsibilities in accordance with leasing contracts they signed with the company. So far, the Cu MGar District Peoples Court has issued rulings against four of them, while the other nine are still waiting for decisions. Local authorities allocated 6,940 hectares (17,149 acres) of forest land in the Eo Kiet and Ea Kueh commnunes to Buon Ja Wam in 1993. Three years later, the company signed contracts with the residents stating that it would lease them 400 hectares (988) of land and receive part of their crops as rent payment each year. But since 2016, many farmers have refused to deliver their crops to the company, which then sued them for nonpayment of debt and demanded they return the land. A resident of one hamlet in the area, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said the farmers decided to fight for their rights in response to the companys dishonesty. As we all know, when doing business together, the company should have had some investments to enable farmers to do their farming work so that they could pay taxes and products to the company, he said. Although the company did not give farmers a single grain of fertilizer or a drop of water or any technical assistance, it still collected the farmers crops, he said. The villager also said that Buon Ja Wam used to send staff to intimidate and threaten farmers who failed to make their in-kind payments on time, beating some to the point where they sustained serious injuries. Local authorities told the villagers that they could not do anything to help them. We think there must be an interest group backing this company, the resident said. Their wrongdoings have been obvious, but as rank-and-file farmers, we had no choice but to work as slaves. RFA was unable to reach Buon Ja Wam for comment. Dialogue unlikely In an article published by Vietnams Business and Integration online newspaper in 2018, Phan Quoc Tan, Buon Ja Wams deputy director general, said the reason why farmers had stopped making in-kind payments was that bad guys had encouraged and incited them to do so. Local farmers wanted to meet with company officials to discuss the situation, but the company refused the request, said another farmer who also requested anonymity for the same reason. Although local residents requested in earnest that Buon Ja Wam Company, local authorities at all levels, and coffee growers sit down together, they [the company] refused to do so, he said. We want the local authorities to mediate the dialogue so that we can find a solution that is mutually beneficial and minimizes losses for both sides, he said. We have requested such a dialogue many times, but the authorities still have failed to make it happen. Residents say that they cleared the land in the 1980s when the government called for the development of new economic zones in the Central Highlands, and that officials did not allocate the land to Buon Ja Wam to grow coffee until 1996. Because of this, local residents argued that the government should have granted land-use rights to them instead of to the company. A farmer who lives in another hamlet in Eo Kiet said his family never received a land-use certificate for a parcel of land they bought from a family who had cleared it in the 1980s. Although his family has been living on the land for years, they fear they will lose it due to their lack of the certificate. What we want is for the authorities, especially the Dak Lak Peoples Committee, to revoke the land from the company and return it to the local government, he told RFA. Then the local government could allocate the land to local residents so that we can grow crops on our own land in order to pay taxes to the state and secure our livelihoods. RFA could not reach Cu MGa district officials for comment. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. CLARIFICATION: The article was updated to clarify that of the 13 families sued by Buon Ja Wam Forestry Company Ltd., four of them lost their cases, while the other nine are still waiting for court decisions. Speaking about the ongoing Russian military invasion of Ukraine, Artis Pabriks, the defense minister of NATO member Latvia, said there are other effective ways to help Ukraine defend itself besides a no-fly zone, which Kyiv has strongly called for and the alliance has rejected. According to Pabriks, the Baltic states will seek to change the decades-long military asymmetry on their borders with Russia in the face of Moscow's latest aggression. The Latvian defense minister spoke to Current Time on March 17 via a video link from Riga. The European Union has unveiled a proposal to ban Russian oil imports by the end of the year, impose more banking sanctions against Moscow, and cut off some Russian broadcasters in Europe saying that the Kremlin has to pay dearly for its aggression Ukraine. With Russia intensifying its attacks on eastern Ukraine on May 4, the EU said that its sixth round of sanctions against Moscow will comprise phasing out the importation of Russian crude and refined oil products by the end of the year despite pushback from some of the bloc's members, including Slovakia and Hungary. "We will phase out Russian supply of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year," the head of the bloc's executive European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. 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. "This will be a complete import ban on all Russian oil, seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined," she said, adding that "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin must pay a high price for his brutal aggression." Von der Leyen, however, conceded that getting unanimity on oil sanctions will not be easy. The commission chief, however, conceded that getting unanimity on oil sanctions will not be easy. The measures require approval from all 27 EU countries to take effect and soon after von der Leyen's announcement, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria announced that they would seek exemptions from the embargo voicing concerns about energy security. Hungary and Slovakia are heavily dependent on Russian energy imports. The Czech Republic, meanwhile, said it would seek a temporary exemption period of two or three years in order for pipeline capacities to be increased. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said EU countries blocking an oil embargo would be "complicit" in Russia's crimes in Ukraine. Whatever their arguments are, if they oppose (the) oil embargo, it means one thing: they play on the Russian side. They share responsibility for everything Russia does in Ukraine, full stop, Kuleba said in a video posted on Twitter. Von der Leyen also proposed that Sberbank, Russias largest bank, and two other major banks be disconnected from the SWIFT international banking payment system. The EU will also ban three Russian state-owned broadcasters, she said, without naming the channels directly. "They will not be allowed to distribute their content anymore in the European Union, in whatever shape or form, be it on cable, via satellite, on the Internet or via smartphone apps," von der Leyen told EU lawmakers. According to a document seen by RFE/RL, the package also contains a list of 58 individuals sanctioned over Russia's military action in Ukraine that includes the Patriarch of Russia's Orthodox Church, a close ally of Putin's. Von der Leyen also proposed launching a recovery package for Ukraine to help it rebuild after the war. "This package should bring massive investment to meet the needs and the necessary reforms," von der Leyen said. "Eventually, it will pave the way for Ukraine's future inside the European Union." The European Union accounts for nearly a half of Russia's crude and refined oil products. But the Kremlin, in a first reaction to Brussels' announcement, put on a brave face, warning that the embargo is a "double-edged sword" and that EU consumers will pay the price. "The cost of these sanctions to the citizens of Europe will grow by the day," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 4. Peskov said the Kremlin was looking at "various options" for its response to the new sanctions. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "open" to imposing more sanctions on Russia and would be discussing measures with allies from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations in the coming days. On the battlefront, Moscow deployed 22 battalions near Izyum, an eastern city, in a bid to push into the Donbas region, the British Defense Ministry said in its daily bulletin on May 4, adding that Russia's apparent goal is capturing the cities of Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk in the east, "despite struggling to break through Ukrainian defenses." A Russian battalion usually consists of 700-800 soldiers. According to the British intelligence bulletin, capturing the two cities "would consolidate Russian military control" of northeastern Ukraine. In neighboring Belarus, the armed forces began "surprise" large-scale drills on May 4 to test their combat readiness, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said there was "heavy fighting" at the Azovstal plant on May 4 and said city officials had lost contact with Ukrainian forces inside. Boychenko told Ukrainian television that Russian forces were attacking with heavy artillery, tanks, and warplanes, and said warships off the coast were also involved. Russian troops are on the territory of the plant, according to David Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation that has held now-stalled peace talks with Russia. "Attempts to storm the plant continue for the second day. Russian troops are already on the territory of Azovstal," Arakhamia said, citing the commander of the Azov Regiment, which is defending the plant with other Ukrainian troops. He contradicted Boychenko, saying Ukrainian authorities have contact with the defenders at the plant. The commander announced the storming of the plant by Russian troops the day before and called again for the evacuation of civilians. Boychenko said on May 3 that more than 200 civilians were still holed up with fighters in the sprawling plant. In his video address, Kuleba denied that Azovstal was under Russian control. On May 4, Peskov denied Ukrainian reports that Russian troops had stormed the Avozstal steel plant soon after the latest group of civilians made it out of the sprawling complex. "There is no storming," Peskov told reporters, contradicting claims by Ukrainian soldiers inside the steelworks. "The order was publicly given by the supreme commander-in-chief to cancel the assault," Peskov said, referring to a statement Putin made on April 21 that called off a direct assault on Azovstal because it would result in too many Russian casualties. Instead, forces should seal off Azovstal so tightly that "even a fly can't get out," Putin said. With reporting by RFE/RL's Rikard Jozwiak, Reuters, AP, and AFP Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) last year urged the judiciary to issue travel bans against several oil officials for fear they could expose the "secret" tactics Tehran has used to evade U.S. sanctions and sell its oil, according to a leaked confidential document. The highly confidential IRGC document was leaked to the London-based Iran International television station by Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice), a hacktivist group that has previously disclosed secret documents and videos to Persian-language media outside the country, including RFE/RL's Radio Farda. RFE/RL could not independently verify the authenticity of the document, which was written by the feared intelligence branch of the IRGC. The eight-page text contains the names and national identification numbers of 37 mid-ranking officials and managers, including from the Oil Ministry as well as two state-owned companies, the National Iranian Oil Company and the National Iranian Tanker Company. The document, dated September 6, 2021, addresses Tehran prosecutor Ali Alghasi-Mehr and cites the reasons the officials and managers should be banned from traveling abroad. They include preventing the individuals from revealing "secret information" about how Iran circumvents U.S. sanctions to sell its oil as well as alleged corruption and bribery. The officials that are named were employed by the administration of former President Hassan Rohani, a relative moderate. Irans presidential election last June brought to power an ultraconservative government led by President Ebrahim Raisi. It was unclear if the dozens of officials named in the leaked IRGC document retained their posts or were dismissed by the new government. The leaked document appears to highlight the IRGCs mistrust of Rohanis administration, which reached the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and attempted to improve ties with the West. An official from the National Iranian Oil Company named in the leaked document is accused of hiring dual nationals, who are viewed with suspicion by the IRGC. Several dual nationals have been arrested and convicted on espionage charges in recent years. The IRGC accuses another oil official of multilayered contacts with infiltration networks and the Washington-based National Iranian American Council (NIAC), which says it aims to give a voice to the Iranian-American community. An official with the Nikoo Oil Company, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, is accused of being a potential troublemaker due to his access to secret information as well as his brothers alleged ties to circles affiliated with the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), an exiled opposition group. The IRGC also cites the officials numerous nonbusiness trips outside the country as well as his familys residence in Spain. Evading Sanctions Irans hard-liners accused Rohanis government of being under the influence of Western ideas. Rohani, who came to power in 2013, pledged to improve Irans relations with the West. In 2015, his government signed an agreement with world powers that curbed Tehrans nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. In 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the deal and reimposed crippling sanctions against Iran, including its key energy sector. Despite the punitive measures, Tehran continues to sell a limited supply of its oil, mostly to China. Iran has also used covert and illicit methods, including disguising the origins of its exports, hiding its shipping activities, and changing the names of vessels. Washington has tried to prevent Tehran exporting oil by seizing Iranian oil tankers and sanctioning shipping companies. Washington has also reportedly reached out to China about cutting its oil purchases from Iran. For nearly a year, Iran and world powers have been locked in negotiations aimed at reviving the nuclear deal and lifting sanctions that have crippled Irans economy. Irans Oil Minister Javad Owji said on March 12 that the United States seizure of Iranian oil tankers in recent months has failed to stop Tehrans oil exports. The United States has on several occasions in the past months violated Iranian oil tankers to prevent the export of shipments," Javad Owji said in an interview carried by Iranian media. "When the enemy realized it could not stop our exports and contracts, they went after our ships," Owji said. Iranian oil exports increased to more than 1 million barrels per day for the first time in almost three years, Reuters reported in February, citing estimates from companies that track the flows. A number of confidential documents and audio recordings have been leaked in recent months that have served to highlight the intensifying power struggle in Iran amid the countrys nuclear negotiations with the West. Last year, leaked audio comments from former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about the IRGCs interference in foreign policy caused a political storm in the country. Almost 4,000 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on March 17, a senior official said, a far smaller number than on the previous day, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth week. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told a briefing that, out of the total, some 2,000 people managed to leave the besieged city of Mariupol on March 17. Live Briefing: Russia Invades 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. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a total of more than 60,000 people had been evacuated on March 16 from a number of cities and towns. Rescue teams were searching for possible survivors of what Ukraine said was a powerful air strike on a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people had been sheltering. Mariupol, a strategic Black Sea port city, has been encircled by Russian forces and subjected to fierce shelling that has entrapped hundreds of thousands of civilians. A statement from the local council said that about 30,000 residents had managed to escape so far, but more than 350,000 remained stuck in the city without adequate food, water, or medical supplies Russia's military denied bombing the theater or anyplace else in Mariupol. The Pentagon said that Moscow's advance into Ukraine has essentially stalled as Russian forces, which appear to be bogged down in their ground advance on most urban centers, resorted to relentless air attacks on civilian sites in multiple cities over the past few days. "They clearly were not prepared for them to be in the position they are three weeks in -- basically frozen around the country on multiple lines of axes, struggling to fuel themselves and to feed their troops and to supply them with arms and ammunition and meeting a very determined Ukrainian resistance," a senior Pentagon official told reporters on March 17. In the northern city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people have been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed during heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, the local governor, Viacheslav Chaus, told Ukrainian TV on March 17. Chaus said Chernihiv has experienced colossal losses and destruction from Russian artillery and air strikes. On March 16, Russian forces killed 10 people who were waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv, local officials and the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine reported. A Russian air strike just before dawn on March 17 killed 21 people and destroyed a school and community center in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, officials said. In Kyiv, at least one person was killed and three wounded after the remains of a downed missile hit a residential building, Ukraine's emergency services said on March 17. Meanwhile, Zelenskiy pleaded with German lawmakers to "tear down" the wall Russia is building to divide Europe, while warning them that Germany's strong economic ties with Russia helps it fund the ongoing war. "[I am addressing you] also after we saw how many ties your companies still continue to have with Russia -- the country that simply uses you and some other countries to finance the war," Zelenskiy told the Bundestag in a video address. He said the wall he referred to was not a Berlin Wall but a wall in Central Europe between freedom and bondage and this wall is growing bigger with every bomb." He implored German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to tear down this wall, evoking the iconic appeal by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan during a June 1987 speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate, where he challenged his Soviet counterpart, Mikhail Gorbachev, to do the same. Zelenskiy's address came after similar virtual speeches to lawmakers in Canada and the United States as he presses for more support to turn back Russian forces, who began their unprovoked attack on February 24. WATCH: Ukrainian forces say they launched a successful counterattack against a Russian armored column in the Kyiv region. Ukrainian troops report that they liberated a village and destroyed several Russian armored vehicles. On March 15, RFE/RL correspondent Levko Stek surveyed the aftermath of the battle. The bombing of the theater prompted Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov to urge EU legislators to follow the U.S. lead and recognize Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. Reznikov made the appeal a day after U.S. President Joe Biden for the first time called Putin a war criminal. "It's not simply a war. It's state terror. The regular army of the aggressor is conscientiously annihilating the civil population," Reznikov said. In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin issued a harsh warning to what he called "traitors" on March 17, saying the West would try to use them as a fifth column to destroy Russia, but that Russians would be quickly able to tell the "patriots from the scum." Biden will speak by phone on March 18 with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the White House announced, as Washington pressures Beijing not to provide support to Russia. Biden and Xi also will discuss the economic competition between the two countries, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in announcing the call. "President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news briefing on March 17. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP Multiple UN agencies are mobilizing to alleviate the suffering inflicted by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. But in the UN Security Council there is only gridlock as Russia wields veto power as one of the five permanent members. Russia has not only vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning its invasion, but used the council to spread Kremlin disinformation, including widely discredited claims about U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine, experts say. Live Briefing: Russia Invades 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 actions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, condemned as a "war criminal" by U.S. President Joe Biden on March 16, coupled with the Security Council's reaction so far, have sparked calls for reform with one European defense minister even suggesting that the UN be scrapped amid questions whether the world body is up to the task of maintaining global security and peace. And given the showdown in the Security Council, some UN watchers are predicting years of inaction ahead as during the darkest days of the Cold War. The current crisis is the most alarming episode of a longer-term trend at the Security Council, largely pitting Russia and its ally China against the West, said Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group think tank, in an interview with RFE/RL. "The Security Council has been on a path to irrelevance for quite some time. It's now over a decade since we first started to see the U.S. and Russia deadlock over Syria in the Security Council. Since 2011, Russia has cast its veto 17 times on issues related to Syria and China has often joined in these vetoes," Gowan said. The United Nations, which was established in 1945 in the wake of World War II, is facing its greatest challenge ever, according to Mark Malloch-Brown, a former UN deputy secretary-general and current president of the Open Society Foundations, a private funder of NGOs backed by investor and philanthropist George Soros. Russia's "brazen crime of aggression" is a "threat to the post-1945 order," Malloch-Brown told a virtual conference hosted by the International Peace Institute on March 11. "This is not just another war. This is a system-shaking, system-breaking conflict with huge consequences that go way beyond even the tragedy of the destruction of life and property in Ukraine itself." On February 25, a day after it invaded Ukraine, Russia was alone in the UN Security Council in voting against a resolution condemning its actions. China abstained, which was viewed as a win for Western diplomacy, given it came just weeks after Beijing and Moscow declared a "no limits" partnership. Vetoed in the Security Council, the same resolution passed in the General Assembly, where no country has veto power, but where resolutions are mostly symbolic as they are nonbinding. On March 2, during a special session dedicated to Ukraine, the resolution deploring Russia's actions was approved by 141 votes to five. Moscow won only the support of Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, and Syria. Thirty-five countries abstained. 'An Extraordinary Moment' "The message of the General Assembly is loud and clear," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "End hostilities in Ukraine now. Silence the guns now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy now." "This is an extraordinary moment," declared U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield after the General Assembly vote. "Now, at more than any other point in recent history, the United Nations is being challenged. If the United Nations has any purpose, it is to prevent war, it is to condemn war, to stop war." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the outcome as well, saying it showed "that a global anti-Putin coalition has been formed and is functioning. The world is with us." The momentum was short-lived, however. While Moscow suffered a setback in the General Assembly, back at the Security Council on March 11 Russia called for a debate amid claims its military had uncovered evidence of a U.S.-funded military biological program in Ukraine. Thomas-Greenfield said Russia was playing out a scenario put forth in the council last month by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken -- that Putin would "fabricate allegations about chemical or biological weapons to justify its own violent attacks against the Ukrainian people." Russia's claims were quickly discredited. UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said the "United Nations is not aware of any biological weapons programs." "The labs are not secret," said Filippa Lentzos, a senior lecturer in science and international security at King's College London, in an e-mail to the AP news agency. "They are not being used in relation to bioweapons. This is all disinformation." Since an agreement made in 2005, the Pentagon has assisted several Ukrainian public health laboratories with improving the security of dangerous pathogens and technology used in research. Describing the March 11 session as "high farce," Malloch-Brown said it highlighted how the Kremlin was using the Security Council to spread its disinformation. "Obviously a council member must have the right to bring issues to the council, but when the culture of council behavior is reduced to this sort of performative art for Russian prime-time news programs and is completely detached from any plausible truth about chemical activities inside Ukraine and is indeed being used as a rationale and a justification for a potential chemical weapons attack against the people of Ukraine, I think we have to really be concerned as to where this is going," Malloch-Brown told the IPI virtual gathering. The International Crisis Group's Gowan noted that while the claims may have been outrageous, it had been part of the Kremlin's playbook for a while. "Russia [has] convened a series of informal Security Council briefings, where it brought in essentially propagandists to lay out its version of what was happening in Ukraine and to accuse the Ukrainians of fascism," Gowan said. "And I think the reason that Russia does this is precisely that, in a world of more and more splintered official media and fragmented social media, the Russians can use screen grabs from these council meetings and broadcast their versions of events at home," Gowan said, noting that the Soviet Union accused the United States of using biological weapons during the Korean War in the 1950s. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been described by U.S. defense officials as the largest conventional military attack since World War II, with over 3 million Ukrainians fleeing the country amid Russia's widespread bombardment of civilian targets. While there have been calls by Ukraine and others for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone, most Western leaders are wary of such a move, fearing a wider conflict with Russia. Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova has called for the UN to step in with peacekeepers, arguing not to do so would question the point of having the UN around. "When something of this scale is happening and the UN is unable to take firm steps, then it is hopeless. They should find a way to send in blue helmets, that is, soldiers who would oversee respect for human rights and supplies. If the UN is incapable of doing that, then it is time to change it," Cernochova told Czech public TV on March 13. But such a force would need the approval of the Security Council, said Farhan Aziz Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, in written comments to RFE/RL. "Questions concerning the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine are in the hands of the Security Council. The secretary-general doesn't have this type of authority," Haq told RFE/RL. Humanitarian Relief While sending in peacekeepers is not easy, the UN has stressed that its agencies have been active on several fronts to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people impacted by Russia's aggression. "The UN and our humanitarian partners are committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine. Our staff are working on both sides of the contact line, always guided by the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity, and independence," wrote Haq. "We are providing lifesaving humanitarian relief to civilians in need, regardless of who or where they are." Haq cited the work of the United Nations' World Food Program, which he said was reaching 3.1 million people "through the use of cash-based transfers as well as in-kind food distributions." "Over the weekend, a UNICEF convoy of 22 trucks arrived in Ukraine with 168 tons of supplies, including midwifery kits, surgical kits, obstetric kits, oxygen concentrators, cold boxes, blankets and winter clothes, water, sanitation and hygiene kits, dignity kits, early childhood education kits, and adolescent kits," Haq added.HU 'Performative Black Arts' And 'Deadlock' Such efforts are what the UN should focus on, argued Malloch-Brown. "It needs to take stock of what it can do and what it can't do, and perhaps recognize it is in the humanitarian, human rights, information reporting, and possibly coordinating with the IFIs (international financial institutions) the development response to a global economic crisis that will follow this," he said. "[This] is where its comparative advantages lie, and the Security Council is perhaps condemned to remain performative black arts followed by deadlock for years to come." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the UN on March 2 to reconsider Russia's status as a permanent member of the Security Council. Kuleba called for a "thorough and unbiased" legal review of Russia's permanent membership. "We are confident that when the analysis is complete, it will be evident that Russia's presence at the UN Security Council is illegitimate," Kuleba said. That would be easier said than done. "There are clauses in the UN Charter about expelling members that egregiously break the organization's rules, but that requires a recommendation to do so from the Security Council, which Russia could block," said Gowan. "Similarly, there's a lot of talk, as we've seen in the past, over Syria, over rewriting the UN Charter to make it harder for Russia, or other permanent members to use their vetoes during situations like this, but again, Article 108 of the UN Charter says, you can't reform it without the ratification of all five permanent members of the council. So, Russia has a stranglehold on any serious reform proposals," said Gowan, adding that expelling Russia from the UN's Human Rights Council could be an option as it only requires two thirds of the General Assembly members to approve. Expelling Russia from the UN outright, Gowan said, could have unintended consequences. "Most U.S. diplomats and others recognize that forcing Russia out of the tent, in the long term is going to be more destructive than positive because just as Japan and Germany and Italy stormed out of the League of Nations in the 1930s and then became more destructive, we'd have to assume that Russia outside the UN would feel even less restraint than it does today, Gowan said. "Although, to be frank, Russia doesn't seem to feel very restrained right now." At a session of the municipal legislature in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on March 16, independent lawmaker Khelga Pirogova appeared wearing Ukrainian folk motifs and a garland of sunflowers. She stood out among about two dozen ruling United Russia party deputies who wore black masks with the image of a bear and the Latin letter Z. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, and particularly in the last two weeks or so, the letter Z has become the increasingly ubiquitous symbol of support for the war, for the military, for the Kremlin s policies, and most of all for President Vladimir Putin. However, many in Russia and abroad have grown increasingly concerned about the often aggressively brandished symbol, which they see as a fascistic emblem of state-mandated blind loyalty and a militarized society. Political commentator Vitaly Portnikov labeled the Z symbol a "stylized semi-swastika" and other commentators have taken to referring to it as the "Zwastika." At the Novosibirsk meeting, Pirogova introduced a question into the agenda, asking how much the city had spent to plaster the Z symbol all over the city, including on buses and other public transport. "I have been getting rather a lot of messages from residents who are asking that something be done about this symbol," Pirogova told RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities. "They don't like it. It arouses in them anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions." Deputy City Council Chairman Yevgeny Yakovenko launched into a blistering attack on Pirogova and others who oppose the war, denouncing them as "national traitors" who deserve to be sentenced to hard labor. The Z symbol, Yakovenko said, "fills me with only a feeling of gratitude for our president and for our armed forces because they were able to protect Russia from invasion." The symbol originated when people noticed the letter Z painted on many of the Russian military vehicles that have poured into Ukraine over the past three weeks. Although the Russian military has not explained the use of the letter, analysts believe it is used to indicate forces from the Western (zapadny) Military District. Other vehicles bore different symbols that seemed to refer to the Eastern, Southern, and Central military districts. The markings helped distinguish Russian equipment from similar equipment used by the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as to clarify lines of command. "About a week after the beginning of the war, the Kremlin propagandists decided to take the symbol Z, which already had mythical associations, into their arsenal for propaganda purposes," said Ruslan Leviyev, a military analyst at the Conflict Intelligence Team, an independent monitoring group. "Then they thought up various rather simplistic explanations such as that Z stands for For Victory (za pobedu in Russian)." To a lesser extent, the Latin letter V (for eastern, vostochny) has also been used in the same way. Leviyev noted that Z has become a Kremlin "brand," similar to the orange-and-black St. George ribbons that Putins government has promoted heavily in connection with the commemorations of the Soviet contributions to victory in World War II. The ribbons were also used to signify support for the previous Russian incursion into Ukraine in 2014. A Brand Appears Over the last few weeks, the Z symbol has cropped up everywhere. The Central Election Commission has managed to work it into its logo. Kemerovo Oblast Governor Sergei Tsivilyov has ordered that all official references to the region known as the Kuzbass be written using the Latin Z:, KuZbass. The Far Eastern Zabaikalye region adopted a similar measure. The Kremlin has barred Russians from calling the war in Ukraine a war, insisting that they use the term special operation. The state television channel RT has been officially calling the war in Ukraine "Special Operation Z" and has been marketing t-shirts with the Z logo. A Russia-based online shop, Wildberries, has been selling a whole line of Z-related products, including window stickers for cars. Riot police around the country have begun sporting the insignia on their black helmets. At state-run institutions, numerous well-organized "flash mobs" featuring the Z symbol have taken place, many of them involving students or schoolchildren. In Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, patients at a children's hospice stood in the Z formation in the snow, while in Khakasia, schoolchildren were photographed kneeling with signs bearing the St. George ribbon in the shape of the Z. "Russia is moving in the direction of clinical madness," said Moscow-based political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin in an interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "I couldn't imagine that there would be a war, but it has happened. This means that I am living in some other reality that is not accessible to my understanding." From Symbols To 'Traitors' Russian philosopher and essayist Mikhail Epstein, who teaches at Emory University in the United States, has described contemporary Russian society as "schizo-fascism," which he defines as "fascism that is hiding under the mask of fighting against fascism." "Schizo-fascism is a fragmented world view, sort of a caricature of fascism," he said in an interview with RFE/RL's North.Realities. "But it is a serious, dangerous, and aggressive caricature. Schizo-fascism is an hysterical hatred of freedom, democracy, everything foreign, and of people identified as 'others.' It is constantly seeking enemies and traitors." Putin seemed to reinforce this impression with an alarming speech to government ministers during a March 16 video conference in which he lambasted so-called "national traitors." "Any nation, in particular the Russian nation, will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a fly that has accidentally flown into their mouths, Putin said. "I am convinced that a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion, and readiness to answer any challenges." The online student publication Doxa reported on March 16 that the Z symbol and accusations of treason were spray-painted on the residences of Moscow student activists Dmitry Ivanov and Olga Misik. There were reports of similar intimidation techniques deployed against activists in St. Petersburg. The personal data of anti-war demonstrators has reportedly been posted on social media channels. Human rights lawyer Daniil Berman posted on Facebook on March 17 that the Investigative Committee in Moscow has been informally ordered to wind up all "economic cases" as quickly as possible because "in April they will all be inundated with criminal cases against 'enemies of the state' and 'national traitors.'" A White Rose Meanwhile, some Russians who oppose the war have taken inspiration from the few courageous individuals who took stands against the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler in Germany. In the Siberian city of Irkutsk on March 16, a lone protestor stood on a central square silently holding a single white rose. It was tribute to the White Rose student movement in Munich in the early 1940s that distributed leaflets calling for resistance to the Nazi regime. The group's three main leaders the brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friend, Christoph Probst were executed by guillotine four days after their arrest, on February 22, 1943. RFE/RL's Russian Service, Ukrainian Service, North.Realities, and Siberia.Realities contributed to this report. Written By Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December 2020 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. | Mountain Province Diamonds reports total proceeds of US$66.7 million in the first quarter of 2022 Mountain Province Diamonds, which is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine located in Canada's Northwest Territories, announced strong financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022. Petra rakes in $86.1mln from fifth tender cycle Petra Diamonds sold 635,806 carats of diamonds for $86.1 million at the fifth tender of the fiscal year 2022 from four of its mines in South Africa and Tanzania. It said the fifth tender cycle included one exceptional stone from the Cullinan mine, a... Yakutsk hosts Gokhran exhibition On April 27, 2022, Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) opened a visiting exhibition of valuables launched by Russias State Fund of Precious Metals and Precious Stones under the title National Treasures of Russia. Moscow... Christies Presents The Light of Africa Diamond at New York Magnificent Jewels Christies announces The Light of Africa Diamond (estimate: $11,000,000-18,000,000), which will lead the New York Magnificent Jewels sale on 8 June, as part of Christies Luxury Week. Dezan Shira & Associates offices across Asia have been examining the sanctions and financial issues concerning trade with Russia, and we will be continuing to update as developments occur. Concerning Russia-ASEAN trade, as of now major banks (Bank Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Bank Rossiya, Sovcombank, VEB, VTB, Sberbank) have suspended remittances between Russia and Singapore in view of the sanctions imposed by the west on the use of the SWIFT system on remittances to or from Russia. This has made it practically very difficult for Russian businesses to establish accounts in Singapore, which acts as a regional financial hub for the ASEAN region. ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and is a major Free Trade Area of about 600 million consumers, a GDP of just over US$3 trillion (many times larger than Russias) and a growth rate of about 7% per annum. ASEAN also has free trade agreements with China, India, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) bloc which additionally includes Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. It also has significant trade agreements with the European Union. However, while Singapore as an ASEAN member is currently off-limits to Russian businesses wishing to establish a business and bank accounts there, this route is available to some of the other ASEAN nations, including Indonesia and Vietnam. This will require some strategic thought as concerns trade, as the Indonesian Rupiah and Vietnamese Dong currencies are not freely tradable on global markets. However, that hasnt stopped Vietnam-Russia trade booming in recent years Vietnam signed a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union in 2016, which has proven successful. Vietnam will accept Russian rubles in FX. Lesser known are the Indonesian-Russian connections, although significant Russian investments have been made into the country including in automotive. Several Indonesian banks will accept ruble trade and will establish bank accounts for Russian businesses. Both options are dependent upon the formation of a local company. For details ask us here. The loss of Singapore as a centralized banking unit for ASEAN is a blow, as the country accepts all other ASEAN currencies with the ability to convert these (at the prevailing FX rates) into other globally traded currencies. The procedures for doing so elsewhere in ASEAN are typically more expensive, and administratively difficult and varies from country to country. This means some strategic thought needs to be put in place to facilitate this, perhaps using holding bank accounts in Dubai or elsewhere in the middle east. The situation for now remains fluid. Russian businesses looking at ASEAN may contact us to discuss strategic planning. Related Reading At a recent Viet Nam-US Business Summit in Ha Noi, Cong said the VCCI had introduced its Green Index initiative with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), aiming to promote environmental, institutional reform and sustainable investment activities. He believes that Vietnamese and US enterprises have good chances for successful cooperation in liquefied natural gas and clean and renewable energy in contribution to the countries trade growth and energy security. Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trades Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy Hoang Tien Dung noted Viet Nam had set a target that renewable electricity would account for 45 per cent of the national power generation capacity by 2030. The power source and grid development programme would cost an estimated US$14 billion, so Viet Nam needed the participation of businesses, especially those from the US, in resources and technology sharing. Ken Haig, Head of Energy and Environment Policy for Asia-Pacific & Japan at Amazon Web Services, suggested boosting investment attraction in the sector as Viet Nam needed a long-term strategy. He also expressed his support for increasing solar and offshore wind power use. He hoped the USs investment in renewable energy in Viet Nam would contribute to the nations sustainable development. Kris Karafa, Chief Operating Officer at Gen X Energy, said the firm was willing and ready to pour capital into wind power projects, particularly offshore ones. Gen X Energy has partnered with Binh Thuan Province in several renewable energy projects. Danvers, MA (01923) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. 29 Best Shaving Creams for Men of 2022 Put your best face forward by helping you find a shaving cream formulated for your skin. Like a lot of extreme savers, I am incredibly frugal. Therefore, I find myself constantly looking for the best deals and ways to cut costs to keep more money in my pocket. And I found a good one for cell phone savings through Gen Mobile. They offer super good quality phone service for as low as $9 per month. If you are curious, then check out the Gen Mobile review below. Summary of Gen Mobile Review I personally havent had the best experience with small cell phone operators, Therefore, I was definitely prepared for the worst when I began my Gen Mobile Review. However, Gen Mobile pleasantly surprised me. That said, this post is a full-on scorecard for the service, from delivery all the way to usage capabilities. Other necessary functions, such as tracking your phone, can be found in the app or web services. If you lose your phone, find it using callmyphone from your computer. With that said, here is a little bit of background on Americas phone plan costs. Americas Cell Phone Plan Costs America as a whole spends far too much on its monthly phone plans. For example, if we look at this data from CNBC, we see that Americans pay about $125 a month for their phone bill: Note that the information above is from 2019. However, things havent changed much. Some sources say that the average cell phone bill now is a little bit higher, at $144. Others say its gone down a little bit to $114. Either way, we pay over $100 per month for our phone service. Is that reasonable? Gen Mobile doesnt think so. What is Gen Mobile? Somewhat new to the market and making its debut in the summer of 2018, Gen Mobile was founded by Robert Yap a veteran in the wireless phone industry. The business is smaller than others. However, it is also family run, which has its appeal. Gen Mobile is part of a class of telecommunications businesses called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). MVNOs do not own their own wireless networks, but instead rent space from one of the major US carriers. There are more than 100 different MVNOs in the United States. By and large, MVNOs have better customer service than other cell phone service providers. Moreover, since they do not have infrastructure costs, they can offer lower prices to consumers. Gen Mobile is no exception. Their service piggybacks on Sprints network and their minimum plans cost $9 per month. Yes, just $9 per month. Actually, Gen Mobile offers several different kinds of plans. Its pricing starts as low as $9 and spans up to $30 per month. International calling plans start at just $13 per month. Youll find phone plans as well as data plans. Where Is Gen Mobile? Here is Gen Mobiles coverage map. As you can see, they have a presence in most of the United States. Theyre also in many other countries. Gen Mobile Review: Fun Facts You can keep your number the same when switching from another provider to Gen Mobile. You can buy a preowned phone from Gen Mobile, which is another great cost savings feature. Alternatively, you can bring your phone with you. Each plan comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee, nationwide 5G or 4G LTE service data, no annual contract, nationwide coverage, and unlimited global texting. Gen Mobile has a user-friendly app that helps you manage your account (track usage, make payments, etc.) If you miss your monthly bill payment, Gen Mobile grants you a 15-day grace period during which you are still allowed to text before shutting off your service. Gen Mobile Review: Phone Plans As part of my Gen Mobile review, we look at the actual phone plans Gen Mobile offers. There are two versions you can sign up for. First up is the one-month phone plan think about this as a month-to-month plan. This may be good for those who dont know what their future plans will look like. They also offer a three-month phone plan option. As you can see in the pictures below, these plans are a bit cheaper than just the one month plan. They are generally less expensive than signing up for one month of service. One Month Phone Plans: Three Month Phone Plans: Gen Mobile Overview: Positives and Negatives Gen Mobiles positives greatly outweigh its negatives. Lets lay out all the facts: Positives: Here are the best things about Gen Mobile: Versatile: They offer different plans for different kinds of people. As you saw above, you have a one-month or three-month plan with no contracts to get you stuck in. All of the plans offer different calling minutes, data, and texting abilities. They offer different plans for different kinds of people. As you saw above, you have a one-month or three-month plan with no contracts to get you stuck in. All of the plans offer different calling minutes, data, and texting abilities. Affordability : It is obviously far cheaper than the average phone plan. As discussed above, the average person spends between $114 and $144 on a phone plan per month. So, even if you purchase the most expensive Gen Mobile plan at $30 a month, you are saving about $100 a month, which is $1,200 a year!! Talk about cost savings. : It is obviously far cheaper than the average phone plan. As discussed above, the average person spends between $114 and $144 on a phone plan per month. So, even if you purchase the most expensive Gen Mobile plan at $30 a month, you are saving about $100 a month, which is $1,200 a year!! Talk about cost savings. Hotspot : Gen Mobile offers free tethering. This means you can enable your phone to be a hotspot. This is great for all my fellow travelers out there, trying to get your work done with inconsistent wifi. : Gen Mobile offers free tethering. This means you can enable your phone to be a hotspot. This is great for all my fellow travelers out there, trying to get your work done with inconsistent wifi. Pre-Owned phones : Maybe you no longer like the phone you have or you need a phone. Gen Mobile offers you the option of buying preowned phones, which cost a fraction of the price of regular phones that most service providers offer. : Maybe you no longer like the phone you have or you need a phone. Gen Mobile offers you the option of buying preowned phones, which cost a fraction of the price of regular phones that most service providers offer. Pair with phone number : No more new phone, who dis? By allowing you to pair with your pre-existing number, your contacts will stay intact and you dont have to worry about asking the question at the start of every new number conversation. : No more new phone, who dis? By allowing you to pair with your pre-existing number, your contacts will stay intact and you dont have to worry about asking the question at the start of every new number conversation. Customer service : Gen Mobile is dedicated to having great customer service. It offers three different ways to reach customers and is available for a large portion of the day. : Gen Mobile is dedicated to having great customer service. It offers three different ways to reach customers and is available for a large portion of the day. 100 countries : This unlimited calling to 100 countries is a game-changer for expatriates. Seriously. Many phone plans charge you over 50 cents a minute for international phone calls. This is definitely something to take advantage of. : This unlimited calling to 100 countries is a game-changer for expatriates. Seriously. Many phone plans charge you over 50 cents a minute for international phone calls. This is definitely something to take advantage of. No credit checks. If you are still trying to get your credit score back up to where it once was, or youve never had a credit card before, then this service will not discriminate against you! Gen Mobile Negatives: Data: Truthfully, this is the only real negative I can find. If you surpass your monthly data amount, then you have to buy more. If youre a heavy texter, then this could be problematic for you. However, they offer plans up to 6 GB of data per month. If you exceed that, then you have to contact customer service to add on which costs $5 per 500MB. My Personal Experience: As part of this Gen Mobile review, I reviewed one of their phones. My Gen Mobile package arrived very quickly. It took just a couple of days passed by between shipping it from them to my doorstep. When it arrived, after I took the bubble wrapping off, the package looked something like this: Then, upon opening, I saw my phone and instructions with specific phone plans and how to get started. It was super easy, by the way. All I had to do was charge the phone and then dial 611 (or you can dial in from a separate phone, if easier) and hook up my phone. I really liked that it provided a little reminder. It is small enough to keep on your fridge so you can always look back at it if needed. So, after setting up the phone, I was ready to put it to the test. During the weekend I did this review I headed to the White Mountains in New Hampshire for the weekend. The idea was to see how good their service is outside of a highly populated area the mountains were perfect for this purpose. I had service the whole time. There were no problems with calling, texting or using social media. These were all hugely important to me as I run a part-time business through my phone. Therefore, I had to make sure I was always available. Gen Mobile really did pleasantly surprise me with how great the service was. I have tried other random MVNOs that were just bunk. They were nothing that they said they were making you pay extra for every little thing. Gen Mobile delivered what they said that they would. In doing this Gen Mobile review I found them to be very transparent. They offer what they say. Yes, there are additional things that you can purchase with your plan. However, they are not mandatory. If you want to tailor your plan very specifically to your needs, though, then you can. Gen Mobile Review Wrap Up: Its Good, Get it! For anyone in the market of a new phone service provider, I would definitely recommend Gen Mobile. Heck, even for those who dont even need a new phone provider, I would still recommend it. Gen Mobile costs about one sixth the price of a regular phone plan, you get a tailored plan and excellent customer service. Learn how you can save $600 a year with Gen Mobile. Check their promotions page for current offers. Have you ever used Gen Mobile? If so, what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments! Read More: Come back to what you love! Dollardig.com is the most reliable cash-back site on the web. Just sign up, click, shop, and get full cashback! Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, savingadvice.com will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will add value. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Climate change in our backyard UofSC-trained scientists study impacts on the Palmetto State coast The debate is over. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that Earths rising temperatures and related phenomena more frequent and severe drought, flooding and wildfires are a result of human-caused climate change. But humans can also be part of the solution, and there is a veritable army of researchers working to better understand, mitigate or adapt to the effects of climate change. Three scientists who earned their graduate degrees from South Carolina are studying how climate change particularly sea level rise, drought and flooding affect the states coastal resources. Amanda Farris and Kirsten Lackstrom incorporate climate information into water, health and coastal management and decision making through the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments. Liz Fly, marine conservation director for The Nature Conservancy (S.C. chapter), is focused on sustainable fisheries and coastal resilience in the face of rising seas. Liz Fly Marine conservation director, The Nature Conservancy (S.C. chapter) Liz Fly Degree: Ph.D., biological sciences, 2012 Focus: sustainable fisheries and coastal resilience Why it matters: South Carolina is home to 20 percent of the East Coasts salt marshes, half a million acres that are a nursery for fisheries, a filter for water quality and a natural buffer to sea level rise. From her home on South Carolinas coast, Liz Fly has a front-row seat for observing sea level rise. Ive experienced flooding firsthand, and that experience has put into perspective what some people deal with routinely, Fly says. With all the disasters weve had, there has been a lot of state and federal post-disaster funding, and coastal communities are starting to think more creatively instead of just putting the same type of infrastructure in place that failed last time. Fly and other Nature Conservancy scientists are plotting strategies to help vital marshlands keep their noses above the rising tides and continue to protect nearby coastal communities. She points to a Mexican resort in the Gulf where a coral reef which affords some storm protection was insured. If that reef gets damaged by a hurricane, there are resources to immediately restore it, she says. Were exploring a similar idea for Southeastern salt marshes. Fly on the future: Its going to take some major changes across the globe to course correct the track were on now in terms of climate change. I find optimism in the baby steps people are taking at the local level. Amanda Farris Amanda Farris & Kirsten Lackstrom Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments Degrees: Farris, masters in Earth and Environmental Resources Management, 2012; Lackstrom, Ph.D., geography, 2015 Focus: Incorporating climate information into water, health and coastal management and decision making Why it matters: Leveraging the expertise of researchers from universities, government agencies, NGOs and the private sector leads to better climate information, climate change adaptation efforts and coastal management policies. With climate change supercharging the frequency and severity of hurricanes, drought, flooding and wildfire, county and municipal planners have their hands full. Were applying climate science and information and applying that to different types of decision making, from climate interactions with coastal communities to a public health focus centered on heat and a water resources focus on drought and flooding, says Kirsten Lackstrom, a research associate. Kirstin Lackstrom Supported by NOAA funding, CISAs goal is to conduct climate research, collaborate with other researchers in the Carolinas and convey the findings in practical terms to policymakers in government. Part of it is trying sto learn from one another so that we can take a case study that is going on in Charleston and make that more applicable to other coastal communities, says Amanda Farris, a CISA program manager. Lackstrom on the future: If people can get away from the political part of climate change, they'll realize that it is affecting the well-being of our state. Our environment and our communities really depend on us coming together. I think we are making progress in that regard Im optimistic. Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about A study recently suggested that exposure to medication-associated phthalates may add to the development of certain childhood cancers and that minimizing exposure to phthalates may help prevent some childhood cancers later on. As indicated in a EurekAlert! report, in first-of-its-kind research, a study from the University of Vermont Cancer Center has linked phthalates, commonly termed "everywhere chemical," to a higher occurrence of specific childhood centers. Essentially, phthalates are chemical additives used to enhance the durability or consistency of plastics and an array of consumer products. Humans are exposed routinely to the said compounds when they leach out of the products and into the environment. They are also used as inactive ingredients in certain medications, particularly those that need extended or delayed release of drugs to work properly, such as some inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. ALSO READ: Researchers Predict Increase in Cancer Cases That Need Surgery Link Between Phthalate Exposures and Childhood Cancer The study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute measured the link between gestational childhood phthalate exposure and the occurrence of childhood cancer. Thomas Ahern, Ph.D., MPH, the study's lead investigator and associate professor at the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine, collaborated with colleagues at Aarhus University and Odense University Hospital in Denmark. Utilizing data from the Danish Medical Birth Registry, the Danish Medicines Agency, and the Danish Cancer Registry, all backed by the country's universal healthcare system, researchers examined all live births from 1997 to 2017, totaling almost 1.3 million children. Out of more than 2,000 cases of childhood cancer, the study authors measured the link between gestational and childhood phthalate exposure and the occurrence of specific cancers. Adverse Effect on Human Health Results of the study showed that childhood, although not gestational in utero phthalate exposure was linked to a 20-percent higher rate of childhood cancer overall, with an almost three-fold higher rate of osteosarcoma diagnosis, a bone cancer, and a two-fold higher rate of cancer of the blood also known as lymphoma. Ahem explained that these results contribute to a growing body of evidence that suggests that these ubiquitous chemicals negatively affect human health. A similar Bioengineer.org report specified that the lead investigator also said their research characterized phthalate exposure according to prescriptions for phthalate-containing drugs. Study: Exposure to phthalates the 'everywhere chemical' may increase childrens cancer risk https://t.co/JhVadYwpkZ#science Bioengineer.org (@bioengineerorg) March 16, 2022 Whereas such exposures are usually much higher magnitude than what they would call "background environment exposure," his findings warrant concern. Endocrine Disruptors Frances Carr, Ph.D., fellow Cancer Center member, American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow, and UVM Larner College of Medicine professor noted that phthalates are now recognized endocrine disruptors as they interfere with the hormonal system and may impact thyroid function. Even though more studies are needed, phthalate exposure has been associated with thyroid, breast, and other solid tumors. More so, phthalates such as plasticizers like bisphenol A or BPA are ubiquitous in the environment; the age of exposure and chronic low dose exposure is substantial risk factors for negative health effects, Carr said. According to UVM Cancer Center director Randall Holcombe, MD, MBA, while no direct correlation has been made between phthalates in the region and increased risk of cancer, this research underscores the significance of environmental exposures and their link to cancer risk. The study's authors suggested that future research will explore which particular phthalate or combination of phthalates poses the greater risk and what mechanisms phthalates might drive the risk of lymphoma or osteosarcoma. Eventually, Holcombe explained, research like this will result in a better insight into how to mitigate the risks of environmental phthalates. Related information about phthalates is shown on Doctor Mike Hansen's YouTube video below: RELATED ARTICLE: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment: New Drug May Help Treat Blood Cancer in Children Check out more news and information on Cancer in Science Times. A new study recently showed that allergy seasons could become longer and grow stronger, leading to rising temperatures due to climate change. As specified in a EurekAlert! report, by the end of the century, pollen emissions could start 40 days ahead in the spring compared to what was observed between 1995 and 2014. The study from the University of Michigan also said that allergy sufferers could see that season last an additional 19 days before high counts of pollen may subside. In addition to that, the annual amount of pollen released every year could rise to 200 percent because of the rising temperatures and rising levels of carbon dioxide. ALSO READ: Scientists Uncover Approach That Could Reverse Age-Related Vision Loss Pollen Allergies Get Worse with Climate Change According to Yingxiao Zhang, a U-M graduate student research assistant in climate change and space sciences in engineering, pollen-induced "respiratory allergies are getting worse with climate change." Zhang, the first author of the study published in Nature Communications, added, their findings can be a starting point for further studies into the consequence of climate change on pollen and corresponding health impacts. The study investigators developed a predictive model that investigates the 15 most common types of pollens, and how their products will be affected by forecasted changes in temperatures and precipitation. The integrated climate data and socioeconomic conditions correlated their modeling with the data from 1995 to 2014. They then utilized their model to forecast pollen emissions for the past 20 years of the 21st century. Pollen A similar Eurasia Review report said that symptoms of allergies run the gamut from mildly irritating such as watery eyes, rashes, or sneezing, to more severe conditions like difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis. Longer, More Intense Allergy Seasons Could Result From Climate Changehttps://t.co/OBI5h3hhcJ Allergy seasons are likely to become longer and grow more intense as a result of increasing temperatures caused by manmade climate change, according to new research from the Univers... pic.twitter.com/dSce9TBwMS Eurasia Review (@EurasiaReview) March 17, 2022 According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 40 percent of children and 30 percent of adults suffer from allergies in the United States. The trees, weeds, and grasses that produce pollen are impacted by climate change. Increased temperatures are causing them to activate earlier compared to their historical norms. Hotter temperatures can increase as well, the amount of pollen produced. U-M professor of climate and space sciences and engineering Allison Steiner explained that the modeling developed by her team could ultimately allow for allergy season forecasts targeted to different geographical areas. They're hoping to include their pollen emissions model within a national air quality forecasting system to provide enhanced and climate-sensitive forecasts to the public. This study was backed by the National Science Foundation. Human-Caused Climate Change In 2021, a study published in PNAS specified that climate change had already turned worse in North American pollen seasons. They noted that climate change is not the lone factor that's making the pollen season more of a nightmare for sufferers of allergy in recent years. Nonetheless, based on the researchers' model, it is plausible that climate change is primarily responsible for approximately half of the additional days over time, along with roughly eight percent of the heavier counts of pollens. Moreover, researchers of this study found that climate change had a greater contribution to the pollen season as time went by, which does not exactly bode well word for what was to take place later on. Related information about climate change affecting allergy season is shown on CBS News's YouTube video below: RELATED ARTICLE: Study Suggests Climate Change Makes Allergy Sufferers' Lives Worse Check out more news and information on Pollen Allergies in Science Times. Google announced that the free Google hotel listing is released a year ago is now expanding. Google will now show these free hotel listings in Google Search and Google Maps. Plus, Google added some more reporting and hotel controls for management. Google said now these free Google Hotel listings will "show up on the Search results page and Google Maps." "After clicking on these links, travelers can complete their booking directly on the partners website," Google added. Google added new click reporting in the Google Hotel Center that shows hotel partners how many people clicked on their free booking links. Google said it "will expand the report to include other insights, like free booking link impressions and booking value, in the coming weeks." Also soon hotels can display their rates and availability on Google through Google Business Profiles. "Beginning next month, individual hotels that meet eligibility requirements can manually input their rates through their Google Business Profile to participate in free hotel booking links," Google said. The final point, is something that we covered in December, where Google now lets hotels use Google Posts to showcase the hotel. Forum discussion at Twitter. Jacom Stephens/Getty Image Richmond police said they were searching for a missing 16-year-old girl and her 1-year-old son. Kenia Cabrera-Delgado and her toddler son, Edgar, were last seen at their home in Richmond on Sunday, police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Transgender children and their parents from states that criminalize receiving gender-affirming care would be protected if they come to California under new legislation announced Thursday by state Sen. Scott Wiener. The legislation would keep families together by rejecting out-of-state court judgments that seek to remove transgender children from their parents custody due to gender-affirming health care. Also, California would not comply with subpoenas from states seeking to criminalize parents for allowing their children to receive care in California, and the legislation would establish a statewide policy to de-prioritize out-of-state arrest warrants for people violating laws prohibiting gender-affirming health care. The legislation will be formally introduced in the near future, his office said in a statement. An approximate date was not immediately released on Thursday. The announcement comes after Texas and Idaho pursued legislation and policies that seek to investigate and subsequently prosecute parents who let their children receive gender-affirming care. Similar legislation to criminalize gender-affirming health care in Alabama could be on the House floor for a vote anytime, according to a tweet by the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ rights group. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated in February that such medical care is considered to be child abuse under Texas state law, according to NBC News reports. In Idaho, state legislators last week introduced legislation that would make it a felony for parents to let their children receive gender-affirming care, Wieners office said. On Wednesday, the Human Rights Campaign announced that Idaho Senate Republicans decided against moving forward with the bill. What states like Texas and Idaho are doing to trans kids and their parents is unconscionable, and we must send a clear signal that California is a place of refuge for LGBTQ people, Wiener said in a statement. 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. Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) described the horrific transphobic legislation efforts in other states as forcing children and parents to flee their states in order to receive the medical care that they should have every right to seek. In December 2020, Californias insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara said that private health insurers in California must cover gender-reassignment surgery when physicians medically recommend it, no matter the patients age. Californias Medicaid program for low-income patients also funds surgeries for transgender patients in cases where physicians determine it is medically necessary. The legislation will be co-sponsored by Equality California and Planned Parenthood and will be co-authored by Sens. Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, and John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, and Assembly Members Evan Low, D-Campbell; Alex Lee, D-San Jose; Chris Ward, D-San Diego; Sabrina Cervantes, D-Corona (Riverside County); Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda; and Mia Bonta, D-Alameda. Lauren Hernandez (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez Most California voters think government is doing a terrible job addressing one of the states most vexing problems: homelessness. That dissatisfaction is driving a rare phenomenon in Sacramento: potential bipartisan support behind some solutions to help Californias estimated 161,000 homeless residents. That may be good news to voters frustrated by the lack of progress. Two of every three voters think Gov. Gavin Newsom is doing a poor job handling the homelessness crisis, according to a Berkeley IGS Poll released last month. Top Republicans rolled out a package of 17 proposals Wednesday to address the issue. Some were reheated ideas that have failed previously, and others have already been done or are in progress, but Democrats said some hold the potential for bipartisan backing. There was even tepid intrigue and support among top Republicans for Newsoms new CARE Court proposal. The idea, which Newsom first outlined in The Chronicle earlier this month, would create a mental health-focused arm of the civil courts in every county. The state would require counties to provide comprehensive treatment to those suffering from debilitating psychosis and risk sanctions if they dont. People in the program would be obligated to accept the care offered. I'm intrigued, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, said Wednesday. But its short on details. He promises that it will fix the epidemic of mental illness and addiction that you see on the streets by compelling treatment for those who need it. But what if they refuse? Although Gov. Newsoms CARE Court proposal is a step in the right direction, which I applaud, it wont be enough, said state Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel (Orange County). However, I believe this presents an opportunity for legislative Republicans and Democrats to move forward with legislation that changes the way we prioritize treatment. Bates said she wants to reform the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, the 1967 law that allows a judge to appoint a conservator to make treatment decisions for people considered gravely disabled because of chronic alcoholism or severe mental illness. So does Gallagher, who has introduced a measure that would allow counties to expand the definition of someone who is gravely disabled to include those who are unable to provide for their basic personal needs for food, clothing, or shelter without significant supervision and assistance. Thats not exactly where Newsom is at. The governor told KQEDs Forum show Wednesday, that in CARE Court, we create something brand-new, not a replacement for (the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act) but an opportunity to create a care plan that supports decision-making but doesnt substitute decision-making from individuals and gives them due process and rights by having a public defender and a new supporter helping them. Gallagher said that Republicans also are backing legislation that will require the governor to provide an annual report on state and local governments homelessness efforts so that we can see how effective these flashy programs really are. Newsom told KQED that before he took office, there was no statewide plan for homelessness and only $500 million in funding. A blistering state audit released early last year called Californias approach to the issue disjointed. Over the past year, the state has pledged $14 billion toward homeless programs, and Newsom said those programs will come with accountability requirements. Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, who chairs the Assembly housing committee, said Wednesday that the state added new accountability requirements to funding last year that required local governments to create homelessness action plans and set performance goals. Wicks was encouraged to see both parties aligned on the magnitude of Californias housing crisis and our collective responsibility as government to work toward fixing it, Wicks said. Wicks, however, had some concerns with a proposed bill by state Sen. Brian Jones, R-Santee (San Diego County), that would create street outreach teams that would assess the needs of the homeless individuals on the street, and immediately determine the best option for their housing and/or medical treatment. 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. Wicks was concerned that the teams would include a law enforcement officer. We need to lead our outreach with social workers who are in the best position to understand the challenges facing people experiencing homelessness, Wicks said. While the parties are inching closer to agreement on some issues, there remain fundamental differences. Wicks said any homeless-related program should be housing first, an approach that places homeless residents into housing before they are sober or successfully treated for mental illness. A 2016 California law required state housing programs to adopt the housing-first model. Republicans have long objected to the model and have urged funding for programs that dont adhere to it. We need to make it as easy as possible for people to access housing, and if were putting new barriers in place, were simply never going to get there on our housing goals, Wicks said. Bates said Wednesday that while housing is essential, California should expand beyond our housing first focus. We know that handing the keys to a subsidized apartment or a hotel room to individuals who are experiencing and struggling with addictions is probably not going to produce the results were hoping for, Bates said. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who chairs the Senate Housing Committee, said he was encouraged at first glance by some of the GOP proposals especially a proposal from state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, R-Yucaipa (San Bernardino County) to increase mental health hospital beds. But, he added, that the devil is always in the details. While there has always been some patchwork bipartisan support for homeless-related legislation, Wiener said this is the most organized its been. Now we have both parties saying, We need to solve this. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli California bars employers from asking job applicants about their physical or mental health, at least until theyve been offered a job. But an occupational health company requires job-seekers with thousands of California businesses to disclose, for example, whether theyve had venereal disease, diarrhea, constipation or menstrual problems. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court asked the state Supreme Court whether the ban on intrusive medical questioning applies to an employers agent, such as a job-screening company like U.S. Healthworks. The order was issued in a proposed class-action suit on behalf of about 500,000 job applicants in the last four years, according to their lawyers. California has millions of employees who could be impacted by a decision defining the scope of liability for business entities acting as agents of their employers, the three-judge panel said in an order referring the issue to the states high court. One of the millions is Kristina Raines, who applied for a job handing out meals to needy households for a San Diego-area company called Front Porch Communities and Services. The company said she could go to work after completing a medical screening exam from U.S. Healthworks, but withdrew the job offer when Raines refused to answer one of the questions the date of her most recent menstrual period. Raines is now a plaintiff in the case along with Darrick Figg, who was hired for an office job at the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District in Contra Costa County after completing a U.S. Healthworks exam despite describing many of its questions as inappropriate and intrusive. Im proud to stand up for the rights of California workers, Raines said in a statement released by her lawyers, also noting the support of state Attorney General Rob Bonta for her case. No one should have to reveal every aspect of their personal medical history to get a job in California. U.S. Healthworks said in a court filing that the states ban on pre-employment medical questioning applies only to employers. Some of its questionnaire might make job applicants uncomfortable but dont invade their privacy, the companys lawyers said, and medical professionals routinely ask patients about personal, private health history in the context of a medical exam. But job screeners arent doctors and job-seekers arent their patients, said Randy Erlewine, a San Francisco attorney representing the plaintiffs. He said employers and their agents can legally ask applicants job-related questions but not many of the inquiries in U.S. Healthworks standardized exam. Disability-rights advocates said such mandatory questioning disproportionately affects job-seekers with disabilities, who already suffer high rates of unemployment and poverty. These overbroad inquiries and exams will continue to effectively screen out applicants with disabilities, the nonprofit Legal Aid at Work said in a court filing. 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. Bonta agreed, saying applicants are often turned away after disclosing a disability that may be unrelated to the jobs they are seeking. Noting that the states 1980 Fair Employment and Housing Act forbids job discrimination by anyone acting as an agent of an employer, his office told the court, unlawful pre-employment medical exams that seek information regarding a job applicants disability or medical condition would only (create) further barriers to employment. The suit had been dismissed by a federal judge in San Diego, who noted that the state law exempts small employers those with fewer than five employees and said it should not be interpreted to apply to non-employers such as U.S. Healthworks. The state Supreme Court has also ruled, in 1998 and 2008, that the ban on job discrimination did not cover individuals acting as agents of potential employers. But the appeals court said Wednesday that the states high court, the final authority on the meaning of California law, has never decided whether the law applies to a business like U.S. Healthworks, the largest occupational health company in California. Facing two potentially plausible interpretations of the law, the court said, it would ask the California court to have the last word. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Courtesy U.S. District Court, San Francisco The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Bidens nomination of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley to become a federal judge in San Francisco, where she is Bidens first appointee to the court. The vote was 63-36, with all opposing votes coming from Republicans and 14 Republicans joining Democrats in support of Corley. She fills the vacancy created on the San Francisco-based Northern District of California in January 2021 when U.S. District Judge William Alsup transferred to senior status, with a reduced caseload. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Swift work by California lawmakers last week rescued the academic hopes of thousands of applicants to UC Berkeley who would have been barred because of a legal interpretation that limited next falls student enrollment. But the new law that nullifies the enrollment cap doesnt let UC Berkeley off the hook for addressing the environmental impacts of its growing presence in the city. If certain legal puzzle pieces fall into place, the campus could find itself having to halt growth all over again or find other ways to mitigate any ill effects its expansion has on the community. The new law is just a kick-the-can-down-the-road partial remedy, a fig leaf, Jennifer Hernandez, an environmental lawyer in San Francisco and Los Angeles, said of the new SB118, which state lawmakers unanimously approved last Monday and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law that evening. The university will have to do another environmental study and can be sued all over again. For the 5,000 or so applicants who will receive admission invitations this spring that they otherwise wouldnt have, SB118 is a very good partial remedy. Still, the new law leaves UC Berkeley with a lot of work to do. Thats because the university lost a court case last summer that challenged its seemingly unchecked growth a case it is appealing. The university also filed a separate appeal over the judges enrollment cap requirement and took it all the way to the state Supreme Court, but lost there. That defeat prompted the Legislature to act. Under that new law which is retroactive and covers UC Berkeleys situation campuses in a similar legal bind have 18 months from the time a court rules against them to rework their environmental impact plans. The question is, when does the clock start running? asked Chris Elmendorf, a law professor at UC Davis and an expert in California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, which is the law Cals antagonists relied on to block its expansion. Suffice it to say that its not clear when the clock would start, but theres a good argument that were already six months in. UC Berkeley isnt talking about its timing or what it needs to do to soften the impact of its rising population. A court can impose remedies other than an enrollment or population injunction when it finds (campus plans) to be inadequate, a campus spokesperson emailed. Money is one compelling way to soothe that kind of town-gown acrimony. In July, the city of Berkeley dropped its objections to campus growth in exchange for $82.64 million over 16 years to cover the citys costs in police and fire safety and other services because of students. But Phil Bokovoy, president of a group called Save Berkeleys Neighborhoods that sued the university, says he isnt interested in its money. The group filed suit against UC Berkeley and University of California regents in 2019 on grounds they had allowed campus enrollment to grow far beyond what was planned for, creating more noise, diverting police and fire services, displacing local residents and even harming students because the campus couldnt house them all. In fact, the schools 2005 long-range enrollment projection was off by nearly 9,000 students in 2020, hitting 42,237 instead of the predicted 33,450. Bokovoy and Save Berkeleys Neighborhoods hoped to force UC Berkeley to admit only students it could provide a bed for and to turn away everyone else. UC Berkeley accommodates just 22% of its students in university-owned housing, the worst rate of the nine undergraduate UC campuses. The states CEQA environmental quality law governs the impact of construction projects. Because of an earlier lawsuit from Save Berkeleys Neighborhoods, its scope includes the environmental effects of student enrollment. The groups latest suit focused on the Upper Hearst Project on Hearst Street, where UC Berkeley planned to build a small number of classrooms and faculty housing. We dont care about the Upper Hearst Project, Bokovoy told The Chronicle. Weve always said they can go ahead and build that. We care about them adding more people without building any housing for them. The strategy worked at first. In August, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman agreed with the groups claim about the environmental impact of burgeoning numbers of students. In his ruling, Seligman cited the universitys own 2017 research that found more than 10% of students had been homeless. He ordered UC Berkeley to cap its 2022 fall enrollment at 2020 levels no more than 42,237 students, or nearly 3,000 students fewer than this years enrollment of 45,057. The judge also halted the Upper Hearst Project and required the university to fix deficiencies in its environmental impact report. As part of its appeal, UC Berkeley filed court papers this month acknowledging that its enrollment exceeded what it had planned for, but arguing that it hadnt known extra students would be considered a project under CEQA, which requires government agencies to conduct an environmental review of new projects and include proposals for reducing any environmental harm they are likely to cause. The university said it went on to analyze the effect of those additional students as part of the environmental impact study it was required to do for the Upper Hearst Project. The university has said its analysis was properly done. 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. Enrollment can no longer be considered under CEQA, according to SB118. Now, its total population students and employees alike that counts. Specifically, the new law says that if a judge finds that the total population of any public college or university exceeds what the campus planned for in its long-range development plan (required every 15 years), and if it creates significant environmental impacts, campuses have 18 months from the courts order to create a new remediation plan. Which raises the question: How will UC Berkeley address the environmental impact of its students as required? The campus lost in court last August, and even if the appeals court sides with the university and overturns the August ruling, its unclear if that would happen by January 2023 the 18-month deadline, if the clock started ticking last summer. The new law authorizes the court to cap campus population if a new environmental impact report isnt certified within the time period. The university doesnt have time to wait for the appeals ruling, said Elmendorf, the CEQA expert, adding that UC Berkeley needs to get busy and prepare a new environmental impact plan with a range of methods for mitigating the effects of its population on the area. Building more student housing? Training students on partying etiquette? Its the universitys job to come up with options, he said. Part of the process is to circulate the new environmental impact report and solicit public comments. The public will suggest other methods, and in the final report, the university has to respond to every one, Elmendorf said. Meanwhile, UC Berkeley already has an updated long-range planning document, approved in early 2021, that projects its total population will grow another 22% by 2036: 8,500 more students and 3,600 more employees. We have not been designated (by the UC regents) as a growth campus, and so we expect the undergraduate student population to grow by an annual average of only 1% or less, said campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof. Bokovoy, of Save Berkeleys Neighborhoods, said the nuances dont matter much because only one kind of environmental fix matters, he said. We want the university to build housing before they add additional students. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Today is St. Patricks Day. As someone who grew up in Boston, a city that takes this holiday very seriously, I always took St. Patricks Day and its elaborate traditions for granted, as part of the natural order of the universe. Of course it was a day for drinking Guinness excessively, dressing in green and stamping shamrocks on your cheeks. In my younger years, I spent more March 17ths than I care to admit in Bostons North End drinking green-colored pints of Harpoon IPA. As I got a little older, however, I started to find the idea of green beer and all those drunk people pretty repulsive. So I started to ask myself a question that seems like it should have been obvious all this time: Why is this, specifically, the way we celebrate St. Patricks Day? As many of you undoubtedly already know (this sort of information was hidden from us Boston schoolchildren), the origins of St. Patricks Day have absolutely nothing to do with drinking or wearing green. As with many holidays in America another wintertime saints day comes to mind the way we celebrate today is curiously divorced from its historical reality. In fact, the saint himself wasnt even Irish! Patrick, nee Maewyn Succat, was born in England in the fifth century, which would have made him a Roman citizen. As a teenager, he was kidnapped, brought to Ireland and enslaved. While in captivity, he became a Christian; later, he escaped and became a priest. Rechristened as Patrick, he spent the rest of his life as a missionary, spreading the good word throughout Ireland. He died, supposedly, on March 17, and subsequently became known as the patron saint of Ireland. (Fun fact: He was never formally canonized.) Several centuries later, Irish Christians began celebrating March 17 in tribute to him but the celebrations likely involved quiet, contemplative visits to church, not raucous drinking parties in the streets. The party didnt really start until lots of Irish people started coming to America in the 1700s. For these immigrants, celebrating St. Patricks Day took on a new dimension of national pride. New York City held its first St. Patricks Day parade in 1762. In 1798, the year of the Irish Rebellion, green became the signature color of the holiday, according to Marion Casey, an expert quoted in Time. Theres something very moving about the idea of this holidays aesthetics taking form around a political protest in the case of the 1798 rebellion, a protest against Britains control over Ireland. While I remain uncomfortable with the idea that this holiday might reinforce negative stereotypes around Irish peoples drinking, I believe its still possible to see contemporary St. Patricks Day revelry in that more flattering light: as a commemoration of a peoples tireless, fighting spirit, even in the face of captivity. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Unfortunately, America did to St. Patricks Day what it tends to do with everything. America made it tacky. Largely to blame for this, as always, are big beer brands like Budweiser and Coors, which lodged the idea of beer-fueled St. Patrick's Day parties into the national consciousness through a series of 1980s television ads. Charming! Today, the aesthetic trappings of St. Patricks Day have devolved into a confused, gaudy cacophony of face paint, glittery top hats and public debauchery. The pandemic put this tackiness into stark relief. As you may recall, shelter-in-place orders officially began in the Bay Area on March 17, 2020. On one hand, the timing of those orders seemed like a cruel joke to the regions bars and restaurants, many of whom count on revenue for the holiday and whose businesses were about to suffer in unthinkable ways. On the other hand, in the face of an uncontrollable, deadly virus, the idea of fighting for ones right to drink green beer felt sillier than ever. This year, two years after that lockdown began, and approximately 1,500 years after St. Patrick died, Bay Area bars are easing back into something closer to normal. Vaccination requirements and mask mandates have been lifted in many public settings, including bars. I suspect that tonights St. Patricks Day celebrations will have an extra, pent-up level of excitement to them. I will choose to ignore the tackiness, and instead will consider this revelry a fitting expression of the admirable, indefatigable Irish spirit. But, if you must know, I will be staying home, and I wont be drinking green beer. Happy St. Patricks Day, everyone. Three months after Mayor London Breed promised to put more police officers in the Tenderloin to combat drug dealing and open-air drug use, the city added 20 officers during daytime hours, bumped up with 10 more on top of that on Wednesdays. Before the boost, there were about 108 officers assigned to the Tenderloin, although a little over 90 work at a time with officers out on leave. The estimated cost for the voluntary overtime is $175,000 a week. Officers will be deployed for at least three weeks, when the department will reassess. The move comes after Breed pledged in mid-December to add police to the area to address resident and business owner concerns about crime, but no additional resources were sent. Critics said more officers would only further traumatize a troubled neighborhood and risked criminalizing people struggling with addiction. Police Chief Bill Scott told The Chronicle outside the Tenderloin Police Station on Wednesday that the presence of cops deters drug dealing and use. Were working hard, Scott said. I know it hasnt been to everybodys satisfaction, but we will continue to ... do everything we can to disrupt this and make (drug dealers) go somewhere else. But he also said that officers alone arent going to solve the opioid epidemic. ... Police is a part of that, not the total answer ... but rest assured, we can make a difference when we have the right staffing out and they do what we need them to do. The increased deployment comes as Breeds emergency ended Thursday, although street cleaning, outreach and the linkage center to connect people on the streets to services will continue. Police say drug dealing and violent crime are their priorities, but Scott said with the linkage center now open, officers in some cases arrest people who repeatedly continue to use drugs on the streets. He tries to do what community members told him they want: Cops should deter drug activity and drug users should get directed to services, but arrests can be appropriate at times. Many residents have expressed frustration that the mayors pledged crackdown hasnt yet resulted in the changes on the streets and questioned whether more officers would make a dent in drug dealing. Three supervisors said this week that dealing was just as bad or even worse than three months ago. Community members have said problems worsen at night when community ambassadors go home, which Scott acknowledged was an issue, but new officers will only be on patrol during daylight hours. While many dont notice a difference on the streets, weekly police reports show officers seized more than 10 kilos of the opioid fentanyl in the 12 weeks since the emergency. That compared with 5 kilos before the emergency and less than 3 kilos during the same period last year. Drug arrests increased from 71 in the 12 weeks before the emergency to 143 after it. However, there were more drug arrests 161 in the same time frame last year. The reasons for arrests include possession, which results in drug seizure and a citation to show up for court, and possession with intent to sell, which can result in jail booking. Police data comparing Dec. 13 through Jan. 30 to the same time period last year show arrests for drug sales dropped slightly from 88 to 85 while possession arrests increased from 5 to 12. The mayor and her top official running the Tenderloin emergency response said the city would start by offering services to people using drugs on the streets, but police could arrest those who refused to go to the linkage center and continued harmful behavior. Randy Shaw, head of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic that runs housing for formerly homeless people, said the emergency was a crackdown on drug dealers that never happened. He said while the 300 block of Hyde Street was clear Wednesday morning, dealers were back in the afternoon. Scott said it was often a cat and mouse game, but that moving dealers to another block, and following them there, is worth it to disrupt their behavior. Deployment needs to be consistent, but the city needs more officers, he said. We cant spend money like this forever, he said of the new overtime. The mayor has said police short staffing the department is more than 500 officers below levels recommended by a consultant hindered her crackdown. Her spokesperson Andy Lynch said the delay in deploying officers in the Tenderloin was because of the shortage and the coronavirus omicron wave, which meant hundreds of police staff couldnt work at the start of the year. But some Tenderloin community members questioned city priorities with roughly 40 officers deployed to Union Square after mass looting of luxury stores the week before Thanksgiving. That started a month before the Tenderloin emergency and cost the city $2.4 million in overtime from Nov. 20 to Dec. 10 alone. Lynch defended the use of police in Union Square. We should be able to have sufficient police for every neighborhood in the city, which is why the mayor will continue to push for more officers in the upcoming budget, he said. Some supervisors, advocates and residents would rather see money funneled to alternative responses, housing and treatment. 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. Our concern is that by increasing police presence in the Tenderloin, we are increasing arrests and criminalization of these systemic issues that need other types of solutions than policing, said Juliana DePietro, interim deputy director of programs at Glide, who used to oversee harm reduction services for the nonprofit organization for people who use drugs. Even if drug dealers are arrested, judges can release them before trial, so they may return to the same streets. During the first nine months of last year, 65 people out of 337 arrested for dealing in the Tenderloin were arrested more than once, according to police. Four were arrested four times. When asked whether he had cooperation from judges and the district attorney, Scott said he would like to see more accountability, but added that doesnt mean people locked up for drugs for life. Police presented fewer narcotics cases to the district attorney over the past two years than 2019, although police presented fewer overall cases. District Attorney Chesa Boudin has charged a higher percentage of narcotics cases than his predecessor, but conviction rates are down. The Public Defenders Office said the number of drug charges hasnt changed in the past three months. Aref Elgaali, who runs a restaurant by the Tenderloin Police Station, said hes seen cleaner streets but not more police, which the community requested. He wanted officers to arrest more dealers and move people off the streets, saying its not humane to leave them there. Lets be fair, they cant do all those things in three months, he said. A neighborhood resident said he hasnt noticed a difference in enforcement. I havent seen them arrest a single person, said TJ Norton, who lives in the Tenderloin and was hanging out at U.N. Plaza on Tuesday. He has heard police tell people using drugs to go to the linkage center, where drug use is allowed, and has noticed fewer people on the streets during the day, but otherwise said its pretty much the same. Mallory Moench (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench Richmond Police Department Police in Richmond, Calif., are calling on the public to find a missing 16-year-old and her 1-year-old son. Kenia Cabrera-Delgado and her son, Edgar, were last seen at their residence in Richmond on Sunday, March 13, police said. Finnegan Elder and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, a pair of high school classmates from the Bay Area, have had their life sentences significantly reduced for the murder of an Italian police officer in July 2019. Elder, who is now 22, and Natale-Hjorth, now 21, have been in prison for more than three years. They were sentenced to life in May 2021, and their appeal has been working its way through the Italian courts since. It took the court three hours Thursday to uphold their murder conviction but reduce their sentences. Elder must now serve 24 years; Natale-Hjorth must serve 22. Elder and Natale-Hjorth, who met at Tamalpais High in Mill Valley, were on vacation in Italy in 2019 when they scuffled in the street with two Carabinieri officers. Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega, 35 years old and fresh off his honeymoon, was stabbed to death in the altercation. Neither prosecutors nor the defendants disputed that the incident was kicked off by Elder and Natale-Hjorth trying to buy cocaine from a local dealer in Trastevere, a nightlife district in Rome. I thought that it would be something that would help us enjoy the night, and from past experience, I thought the effect of the drug would make us feel better and give us some energy to walk around to get to bars and pubs, Elder said in court. According to police, Elder and Natale-Hjorth got upset when the man who showed up for the drug deal didn't give them the cocaine. In retaliation, they allegedly stole the man's backpack and demanded 100 euros and a gram of cocaine to get it back. Unbeknownst to them, the man was a Carabinieri informant; he then told police he'd been robbed by the pair. REMO CASILLI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images The informant arranged to meet back up with the Bay Area teens (Elder and Natale-Hjorth are identified as being from San Francisco in court documents). At that meeting, around 2:30 a.m., two plainclothes police officers Cerciello Rega and his partner Andrea Varriale arrived. Here is where the two sides' stories vastly deviated. Police and prosecutors said the officers identified themselves as law enforcement and showed their badges but were attacked "immediately" by the teens. Lawyers for the Americans said the officers did not identify themselves as such, and the fatal stabbing was an act of self defense by Elder. Elder told the court in March he brought a knife to the meeting because "it gave me a sense of protection." Prosecutors say he stabbed Rega 11 times. The pair were found guilty of murder Italian law punishes accomplices in the same way it punishes the murderer and given life sentences. During the appeal process, prosecutor Vincenzo Saveriano asked the court to keep Elder's punishment at life but reduce Natale-Hjorths sentence to 24 years. "Elder doesnt deserve forgiveness," Saveriano said in court. On Thursday, the Italian court affirmed its belief that Elder does deserve some measure of forgiveness, however. Both men will likely be in their 40s when they are released. "At 22 years of age and with three years in prison, I had much time to reflect," Elder said earlier this week, speaking in heavily accented, recently acquired Italian. He expressed "remorse for the pain I caused" and for the "endless mourning" suffered by Cerciello Regas family. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A new Lucky Supermarket outpost is in the works for San Franciscos Bayview neighborhood, as first reported by the San Francisco Standard. The proposed Lucky grocery store is anticipated to make home within Bayview Plaza at 3801 Third St. and replace the former Walgreens, which shuttered in 2019. Since the project is still within its preliminary phase, an opening date has yet to be announced. Lucky has recently signed a lease for a vibrant new grocery store in Bayview Plaza, Bobby McDowell, vice president of store operations for Lucky California, told the outlet. We are in the early stages of preparing for permitting and developing a plan for a Lucky store that will provide the community with convenient access to fresh, quality groceries. Earlier this month, Save Mart Supermarkets, the operator of Lucky Supermarkets in Northern California, submitted a planning application that was accepted by the San Francisco Planning Department on March 3. According to the project description, the building is expected to maintain its current exterior facade while adding a slew of interior updates that include replacing the main entrance, new freezers and coolers, lighting and product shelving, among other items that will cost about $850,000. Kevin Y. on Yelp As the San Francisco Standard points out, the Bayview Lucky will also be on a smaller scale at 9,549 square feet compared to the average Lucky retail stores, which are typically on the 30,000 square foot scale. But the new addition will be an advantage to the neighborhood, where large-scale supermarkets are scarce. The San Francisco Examiner reports that the existing full-service grocery stores in the Bayview are Grocery Outlet and Foods Co. but pointed to a lack of fresh produce and ingredient options at both storefronts. We have been a food desert, and people outside of Bayview have been OK with it, Supervisor Shamann Walton told the Examiner last year. Things are changing, but only because were focusing on bringing more food security. In 2013, Fresh & Easy at 5800 Third St. closed its doors in the Bayview, followed by the more recent closure of Duc Lois Pantry at 5900 Third St., which closed in 2019 after a brief three years. SFGATE reached out to the San Francisco Planning Department for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication. In 1966, Patrick Joseph Nolan, endearingly known as Paddy, opened the Dovre Club on 18th Street and Valencia in the heart of the Mission, in what is now known as the Womens Building. Back then, the Dovre became a boon for the likes of provocateurs and rogue writers. Its a true neighborhood Irish pub with a profound sense of history, timeworn with its fair share of hardships. But its also bound by a strong fabric of thirsty regulars looking for a good pour of Harp among common folks. It was a frequent watering hole for famed writers such as Hunter S. Thompson, who once penned San Francisco as a city on the edge of the Western world, where one can drink all night and sober up against the brisk morning air. After Nolan died in 1996, the Dovre was evicted from the Womens Building to make way for a nonprofit focused on providing women with social services, workshops and wellness classes. But two years later, the Dovre caught its second wind with longtime bartender Brian McElhatton at the helm. Charles Russo/SFGATE The Dovre then reopened in 1998, retaining its reputation as a favored dingy dive known for its proper pints of Guinness. Just a few blocks from its original home, McElhatton continued Nolans legacy and co-managed the corner bar alongside his brother, Brendan Elvis McElhatton, who moved to the U.S. from Ireland in 1999. But in 2008, Brian McElhatton died of cancer at 38 years old, leaving the Dovre to Elvis. Its been tough. But I see this as my brothers legacy, and I want to keep that going, McElhatton told SFGATE. I definitely felt like I should carry on his legacy, and at that stage, Id been working here for nine years. I felt like a part of the Dovre myself. Since then, McElhatton and crew have endured a pandemic, fought off an eviction scare and settled into a new lease securing the Dovres home at 1498 Valencia St. as a storied public house in San Franciscos history. On the cusp of St. Patricks Day, McElhatton said he anticipates the return of the Dovres annual celebration, which has been off the books for the past two years. As the Dovre ramps up for this years festivities, which include a live DJ and extended hours, McElhatton gives his no-frills take on a few St. Paddys Day traditions and misconceptions and even reveals why Irish car bombs arent as offensive as they are a pain in his ass to clean at the end of a raucous night. Charles Russo/SFGATE Charles Russo/SFGATE From left: The Dovre Club's new T-shirt (and slogan); the mantle above the back bar at the Dovre Club. (Photos by Charles Russo/SFGATE) From left: The Dovre Club's new T-shirt (and slogan); the mantle above the back bar at the Dovre Club. (Photos by Charles Russo/SFGATE) Never a one-pour Guinness For those pulling up a stool at the Dovre dont expect a one-pour Guinness. Here, a pint of Guinness is an act of patience as the dark stout takes time to settle in the glass. McElhatton recalls one of his American-born bartenders once made the mistake of pouring his deaf and mute father, who was visiting from Ireland, a quick Guinness straight from the tap. My American bartender tried to pour it in one. My dad, through sign language, talking to someone who doesnt know any sign language, was able to communicate thats not how you do it, McElhatton said. So hes like get another glass, come over here, you pour two-thirds of it and then you let it settle so the black and the white separate. Then, you go halfway to the top, let it settle and then you fill it to the top. That was just a beautiful moment. My dad was like, Im not taking any of that stty one-pour Guinness. Were already green Some bars that claim to be Irish for a day will serve many pints of green-dyed ale to get into the spirit of St. Patricks Day. But not the Dovre. McElhatton said that gimmick is tacky, and why ruin a perfectly fine Irish beer with green food coloring anyway? We dont do that. Its a real Irish bar. Its not a bar trying to be Irish on St. Patricks Day, he said. Theres a lot of bars in this country who claim to be Irish bars, but just because thats a good business model and people want to get in on that. So green beer, we dont do that. We dont do that because were already green. Charles Russo/SFGATE McElhatton added that although the Dovre is Irish-owned and Irish-run, its also a frequent stop for all walks of life. If you belong to the Dovre, he said, they take care of their own. Im very proud of our Irish heritage and all that, but were multiracial, multinational. Everyone feels comfortable here. Were very little aggro. It happens from time to time at every bar, but very rarely here, he said. Its just a nice neighborhood bar to hang out. Our regulars love it, and everyone feels cool and at peace and happy here. Its just an Irish drink While some bartenders may refuse to serve Irish car bombs because the name refers to the deadly explosions involving the Real Irish Republican Army against British soldiers and Northern Irish police officers in the late 90s, McElhatton said he doesnt flinch if someone orders the popular cocktail that relies on dropping a shot of Irish cream and whiskey into a glass of stout. He does, however, think the drink is hard to clean up, as the Baileys curdles in the glass if not chugged accordingly, forcing McElhatton to put a bit more elbow grease into scrubbing those pint glasses for the next round. Its just an Irish drink. Its not like people are saying, Oh, we would like to blow up some cars. My main issue with Irish car bombs is its a pain in the ass to wash the glasses, McElhatton said. About 10 years ago, Irish car bombs were a very popular feature here. But, Ive never come across someone who came in and ordered one of those in an offensive way. Its just a drink that [customers] like, and it will get you fked up real quick, as you probably know. Charles Russo/SFGATE Hands off at the Dovre While children in elementary schools across the country are familiar with wearing everything shamrock green on St. Paddys Day or facing stinging pinches from fellow classmates, McElhatton was puzzled by this American-born tradition. Pinching people? I wear green, and about 95% of people who will be here on St. Patricks Day will be wearing green. But Ive never heard about pinching people, he said. So if you didnt wear green, youre pinched? OK. Thats the first Ive ever heard about. Needless to say, keep your hands to yourself at the Dovre. The Dovre Club is located at 1498 Valencia St. Its annual St. Patricks Day party is back this year from noon to 2 a.m. (Ad) The City Club of San Francisco is the regions landmark social and business club destination. One step inside this architectural jewel and you're transported to an unsurpassed venue that is perfect for weddings, corporate celebrations, and private parties; The City Club stands ready to meet all your entertaining needs with style, breathtaking interiors, and priceless artwork. A premier event venue for rent in San Francisco, The City Club doesnt disappoint. Since 1929, in the heart of downtown San Francisco, The Club has remained a sophisticated Art Deco jewel, located on the top four floors of the historic Stock Exchange Tower. Many agree that a visit to The City Clubs famous Allegory of California mural by Diego Rivera is essential. 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Satellite photos from before the attack showed the word "children," written in large letters on the ground in Russian on both sides of the theater. Meanwhile, in the northern city of Chernihiv, where heavy fighting has been ongoing continued for weeks, at least 10 people were killed by Kremlin Russian forces Wednesday while waiting in line for bread, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared the Russian bombardment of Mariupol to the Nazis' attack on Leningrad during World War II, a siege that lasted more than two years and killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. "Our hearts are broken by what Russia is doing to our people. To our Mariupol," Zelensky said in a video address, one of several appeals he made Wednesday - one of them to Congress - for international assistance in repelling the Russian invasion. Ukrainian officials announced nine humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee besieged cities on Thursday, as well as plans to deliver aid to places in need - a day after they said escape routes were being targeted by Russian forces. More than 3 million refugees have left Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion last month, according to the United Nations. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues into a fourth week, the British Defense Ministry said Thursday that Kremlin forces have "largely stalled on all fronts" as they suffer heavy losses, with military operations on land, sea and air making "minimal progress." Washington Post photo by Demetrius Freeman. In an intelligence update, the ministry credited the Ukrainian resistance with being "staunch and well-coordinated." All major cities and the vast majority of Ukrainian territory remain under Kyiv's control. But Russia's lackluster military performance, the British military intelligence agency warned, means the Kremlin is likely to resort to older and less precise weapon systems as the drawn-out invasion uses up its stockpile of more sophisticated weaponry. These dated weapons are less militarily effective and more likely to cause civilian casualties, it said. In Washington, President Joe Biden for the first time publicly called his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a "war criminal." Moscow denounced the remark as "unacceptable and unforgivable." Washington is sending more military aid to Ukraine, and an adviser to Zelensky said Ukrainian forces are launching counteroffensives in several areas. The new U.S. weapons shipments were announced as the Pentagon assessed for the first time that Russia is discussing how to send "replacement" forces to Ukraine to make up for its combat losses. Russia, in addition to its continued bombardment of major Ukrainian cities by land, began shelling cities and towns around the key port city of Odessa on Wednesday, the Pentagon said. The United States also observed increased naval activity by Russian forces in the Black Sea, including by armored landing craft. The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol called a Russian strike on a local theater where civilians were sheltering a "terrible tragedy" in a video late Wednesday. "Today there was a terrible tragedy, another tragedy, in our already mangled Mariupol, of which there is already practically nothing left," Mayor Vadym Boychenko said in a video posted on Telegram. He said a "direct strike" hit the theater Wednesday and blamed Russian forces, who have denied responsibility. Satellite images from before the attack showed the word "children" written in large white letters on the ground in Russian on both sides of the theater. "We live in frightening times that are called war.. . . We want to close our eyes and forget, like a bad dream, everything that is happening to us now - but we open them and see war again, we see the devastation, we see all this horror," he added in a bleak video address. "We know that, unfortunately, today many were not lucky," Boychenko said. However, no official figures had been released on casualties as of Thursday morning. While the fate of hundreds of residents who had been sheltering in the Mariupol theater remained unclear, Ukrainian officials said Thursday that rescue efforts were being hampered by rubble and continued shelling. Serhiy Taruta, a Ukrainian politician, wrote on Facebook that there was "good news" Thursday and that many people had emerged alive from the theater. Oleksiy Honcharenko, a lawmaker from Odessa, also shared an update on Telegram saying that the bomb shelter in the theater's basement had withstood the strike and that, despite the debris, "people are coming out of the shelter alive and well!" The BBC also reported that a Ukrainian lawmaker, Dmytro Gurin, whose parents were in the city, said more than 1,000 people sought safety in the theater, among them children, but that it appeared "most of them have survived," he said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied Thursday that Moscow had bombed the theater, calling it a "lie." She added: "The Russian armed forces do not bomb cities, and everyone is well aware of this.. . . The truth will still break through." Boychenko, the Mariupol mayor, promised to raise his city from the ruins. Mariupol has faced intense attacks from Russian forces as a strategic southern port and has been largely cut off from the outside world for weeks. A maternity hospital made headlines last week after it came under bombardment. Ukrainians blamed Russian forces; Moscow has claimed, without evidence, that the hospital was emptied of patients and used as a base for Ukrainian military activity. - - - The Washington Post's David L. Stern, Mary Ilyushina, Amar Nadhir and Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed to this report. A Russian court handling the investigation into Brittney Griner's drug charge extended the American basketball star's detention until May 19, according to a report by Russian state news agency TASS. With no indication whether she could be released then, the latest news means Griner, 31, will have spent more than three months, at least, in Russian custody. Griner was arrested on Feb. 17 after Russian officials said they found vape cartridges containing hash oil in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo Airport outside of Moscow, an offense that could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Griner, a seven-time WNBA all-star, was returning at the time to Russia, where she plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg during her Phoenix Mercury offseasons. The TASS report, according to several U.S. outlets, cited the Khimki Court of the Moscow region for the update on Griner's status. Ekaterina Kalugina, a member of Russia's Public Monitoring Commission - an agency that monitors the treatment of prisoners - told TASS that Griner is sharing a cell with two other women who are also charged with drug-related offenses. Kalugina, according to CNN, was also quoted by TASS as saying officials from the U.S. Embassy had not visited Griner, despite the willingness of Russian officials to "create all conditions" for such a visit. This contradicts U.S. Congressman Colin Allred, D-Texas, who told The Washington Post last week that U.S. Embassy officials have been denied access to Griner. "The fact we've requested consular access and it has not been granted is very unusual and extremely concerning," Allred said at the time, accusing Russia of "violating international norms." A spokesperson for Allred did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the apparent discrepancy. According to NBC News, the TASS report quoted Kalugina as saying Griner's cellmates have helped her order books, specifically one by Dostoevsky and a biography of Rolling Stones members. Kalugina added Griner has had no complaints about her treatment but that her 6-foot-9 frame was too large for her bed. Griner's family and agents and officials from the WNBA and the Mercury have been purposely silent regarding her arrest and detainment, in hopes of keeping it from becoming a celebrity-political cause, which experts on Russian-American relations say could make it harder to obtain her release - particularly at a time of increased tensions between the two nations over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted support for Griner, sharing a news story with the caption "Free Brittney" on Twitter. CHICAGO (AP) Eugene Parker, a physicist who theorized the existence of solar wind and became the first person to witness the launch of a spacecraft bearing his name, has died, his son and the University of Chicago said Wednesday. His son, Eric Parker, said Eugene Parker died peacefully at a retirement community in Chicago on Tuesday, about a decade after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He was 94. NASA administrators and university colleagues hailed Parker as a visionary in his field of heliophysics, focused on the study of the sun and other stars. He is best known for his 1958 theory of the existence of solar wind a supersonic flow of particles off the sun's surface. Dr. Eugene Parkers contributions to science and to understanding how our universe works touches so much of what we do here at NASA, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. Dr. Parkers legacy will live on through the many active and future NASA missions that build upon his work. Parker recalled in 2018 that his solar wind theory was widely criticized and even mocked at publication. He was vindicated in 1962 when a NASA spacecraft mission to Venus confirmed his theory and solar wind's effect on the solar system, including occasional disruptions of communications systems on Earth. The experience became part of Parker's identity as an educator and mentor. If you do something new or innovative, expect trouble, he said in 2018 when asked to give advice to early career scientists. "But think critically about it because if youre wrong, you want to be the first one to know that. Parker was born in 1927 in Houghton, Michigan. He studied physics at Michigan State University and California Institute of Technology, then worked as an assistant professor at the University of Utah before coming to the University of Chicago in 1955. Eric Parker said he and his sister, Joyce, simply knew their dad was a scientist and didn't learn about his stature in the field until later in their lives. The elder Parker would occasionally rise from the dinner table to jot down an idea, his son said. But his children most remember Parker as an involved dad and an avid hiker, camper and craftsman who carved busts of famous figures from wood and made much of the family's furniture. He always felt like workaholics were missing out, Eric Parker said Wednesday. He loved his job and he would tell you that when he discovered physics, he would have done it as a side gig because he enjoyed it so much. But he would also go on and on that if youre getting over 40 hours a week in your job, you were missing out on the rest of life. In addition to his children, Eugene Parker is survived by his wife, Niesje, and three grandsons. NASA honored Parker's scientific contributions in 2018 by naming a spacecraft after him that was destined to travel straight into the sun's crown. The Parker Solar Probe's successful launch which the then-91-year-old Parker attended has since provided unprecedented close views of the sun. Angela Olinto, dean of the physical sciences division at the University of Chicago, accompanied Parker to the launch. She recalled his seemingly boundless energy in the early morning hours preceding the launch and his childlike grin when everything went smoothly. He was this ideal of a physicist: a person who has a strong intuition, who can see one step ahead and who can then sit down and show the intuition is correct, Olinto said Dr. Nicola Fox, director of NASA's Heliophysics Division, said Parker was a visionary," adding that she will miss sharing the latest data from the probe's travels with him. Even though Dr. Parker is no longer with us, his discoveries and legacy will live forever," Fox said. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger filmed a nine-minute long video in which he calls on the Russian people to reject their government's propaganda related to the invasion of Ukraine. Schwarzenegger opens the video by discussing his admiration for Russian weightlifter Yury Vlasov and the Russian people more broadly, a message that contrasts with others who have sought to punish the Russian people over the war. The celebrity then recounted some of his trips to Russia over the years as a bodybuilder and actor. "The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me," he said. "That is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine and what is happening there. No one likes to hear something critical of their government, I understand that, but as a longtime friend of the Russian people, I hope that you will hear what I have to say." The former governor goes on to debunk a number of popular Kremlin talking points, ranging from the "denazification" claim to the idea that Russian soldiers have sustained minimal casualties over the course of the war. The death toll is higher than Russian officials are letting on. Schwarzenegger tells soldiers that they have been lied to by their government, and invoked his father, Gustav Schwarzenegger, an Austrian who fought for the Nazis in World War II. "When my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government," he said. "When he left Leningrad, he was broken, physically and mentally. He lived the rest of his life in pain: pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of his terrible years, pain from the guilt that he felt. To the Russian soldiers listening to this broadcast, you already know much of the truth I've been speaking. You've seen it with your own eyes. I don't want you to be broken like my father." He concludes the video by asking Russians to share the video, and calls Russians protesting the war "my new heroes." The video amassed 1 million views on Twitter within three hours of its posting. He also shared the video on Telegram, which is one of the few social media apps viable for Russians to use as the Russian government restricts social media. Some Russians have been able to evade the social media ban of other apps with VPNs. Researchers looking to identify some of the most difficult finds in archaeology including sites used by nomadic hunter-gatherer communitiesare tapping technology to help in the search. Archaeologists at the Max Planck Institute and Simon Fraser University are gaining new insights from a computer predictive model that can assess the likelihood that landscapes contain such well-sought sites. Their work is newly published in the journal PLOS One. Preserving archaeological sites from destruction ensures that history is not lost and is especially important for communities that did not use written records; but before sites can be protected and studied, they must first be found, says SFU archaeology PhD student Rob Rondeau and interim director of SFUs Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Chris Carleton, now of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology developed the Locally-Adaptive Model of Archaeological Potential (LAMAP) a predictive model that considers distributions of values for landscape variables around known sites. LAMAP uses information from the landscape data to estimate the archaeological potential of land that has not been examined by archaeologists. Carleton successfully demonstrated the method on large, permanently occupied sites in Belize and Turkey. Rondeau, an experienced underwater archaeologist, connected with Carleton at the suggestion of SFU archaeology professor Mark Collard, who supervised Carleton while he was a PhD student and SFU post-doctoral fellow. Rondeaus interest is finding ancient sites on submerged landscapes off the B.C. coastthose occupied when sea levels were much lower than today. Their collaboration will play a major role in helping him to identify underwater the campsites of hunter-gatherers in the distant past. Carleton and Rondeau tested LAMAP on the Tanana Valley in Alaska with its rich record of hunter-gatherer sites stretching back to the last Ice Age, 14,500 years ago. They trained the model with data about the landscape around 90 known sites, randomly selected from the State of Alaskas Heritage Database. The pair predicted which parts of the landscape had the highest potential for producing more sites, and then returned to the database to evaluate their predictions. Areas that LAMAP identified as high potential proved to contain many of the remaining sites in the database, confirming that LAMAP was able to predict preferred campsite areas that may have been occupied by hunter-gatherers only for a few days or weeks. Significant computing power was needed to undertake the systematic comparison of millions of data points from the 7,000-square-kilometrere study area. Rondeau travelled to Alaska in 2019 to experience the landscape and will next apply what has been learned to the deep waters off the B.C. coast. Rondeaus ongoing research is also featured in this months issue of American Archaeology Magazine. Wood chips flew through the air over the weekend as woodcarvers from near and far descended upon the Shippensburg Fairgrounds to showcase thei Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form Try out LudingtonDailyNews.com for only 99 per month for the first 3 months, $9.99 a month after. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-Edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If shuttered shops, sinking graphs and televised AGMs narrate the tale of sagging business in Covid-times, here's a tale of a business that has grown multi-fold. With doctors and nurses achieving the cult-status of "Covid-warrior", healthcare apps such as Practo too have jumped the bandwagon reaping the benefits of changing consumer behaviour. The business at Practo has evolved to becoming India's largest tele-medicine app with subscribers soaring to eighteen crores. The lockdown and shutdowns have only shifted the spotlight to digital. Digital not only helps patients and businesses but could help save the country as much as $10 billion in 2025 according to a McKinsey report. The benefits would hold only if tele-medicine replaced 30-40% of in-person outpatient consultations. Apps such as Practo are certainly helping push India towards this objective. For those unaware, over 18 crore patients across 15 countries have connected with over 1 lakh+ verified healthcare providers through the Practo interface. Their recently released quarterly health insights report (based on data from five crore subscribers) and the need to understand its technology landscape forms the basis of this mail-conversation with Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, the Chief Health Strategy officer at Practo. Image: Practo Sify: Could you run us through some of the top insights? Dr Alexander Kuruvilla: Based on the 5 crore customer insights study, we found a 500% increase in online doctor consultations since March 2020 [to May 31, 2020]. 80% of all telemedicine users experienced Practo for the first time. We also realized In-person doctor visits drop by 67% and 44% of the teleconsultations were from non-metro cities. We also realized that Indians consulted doctors twice a month, using telemedicine. Image: Pexels.com. More insights from Practo: Over 200% Growth: COVID-19 continues to be India's top most concern: Unsurprisingly, concerns related to COVID-19 grew by 200% with 50% of all GP consults accounted for Coronavirus related symptoms Tele-Ophthalmology saw the highest growth among other specialities, grew by 700%: With a significant amount of time being spent in front of screens and the rise in irregular sleeping patterns,queries related to eye and vision increased significantly Tele-ENT witnessed 600% growth: Seasonal allergies were confused with COVID-19 symptoms Tele-Orthopedics was among the top consulted speciality by millenials: Bad work postures resulted in back pain among millennials leading to an increase of 400% Delay in immunization worries parents of newborns, Tele-Paediatrics witnesses 350% growth More than 100% growth: Gynaecology, GP and Dermatology emerged as the top most consulted specialities: Together, they accounted for 51% of the overall consultations Tele-Gastroenterology received a large number of consults from first time users: Majority of the consults were related to digestive problems caused by a sudden drop in active lifestyles Tele-Dermatology witnessed a growth in newer set of queries on skin issues caused by stress. Stress has been having an adverse effect on people's skin, hair, nails apart from the regular issues that are common during summer Mental health concerns rose notably due to uncertainty, loss of income, and job-related pressure besides COVID-19 fears One in every three consults from women were for Gynaecology Image: Associated Press Sify: How did Practo's tele-medicine usage grow by such a large margin? Dr Alexander Kuruvilla: The purpose of our brand is about leveraging technology in order to help people live longer and healthier lives. With doctor-patient interaction at the very core of our offerings, we've been able to address every touchpoint of this relationship. It is vital that we stay relevant for both, our consumers and providers, and also stay ahead of the curve. For our consumers, Practo is a platform which enables them to access everything that they need to take good care of themselves and their families from finding the best doctors to making consultation easier. Practo on the other hand also gives healthcare providers a platform for them to build their presence, to grow their practice or business, and to engage their patients in a way that was never possible before. Even though the market has been changing constantly, needless to say Practo as a brand has been constantly evolving itself and is up-to-date with the ongoing trends. Image: Practo Sify: Could you share an overview of Practo's technology platform? Dr Alexander Kuruvilla: At Practo, we built our first iteration of telemedicine solution a couple of years ago. We wanted to ensure patients and doctors can connect at any time, communicate asynchronously or synchronously depending on their needs. We also wanted to ensure the experience is fast and seamless, so both patients and doctors can focus on health rather than technology. There are four dimensions to this. Connect at Anytime: We have built a smart matching algorithm that connects a patient to verified and registered doctors, depending on the patient's health problem, the doctor's area of speciality and his availability. Once we have identified a pool of available doctors, we reach out to them in real-time to accept a new consultation. Our unique approach allows us to connect a patient with a doctor 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Communicate the way patient or doctor wants: We support 3 modes of communication on our platform. Real-time text-based chat which allows patients and doctors to talk asynchronously; where patients can share documents and photos with the doctor real time. For cases that require more attention especially where visual and verbal cues are important, we also support audio and video chat allowing patients and doctors to have an experience very similar to a physical appointment. Fast and Seamless: Our technology enables doctors with an option to respond swiftly to ask patients the relevant questions instantly, along with a way to share their prescriptions at the click of a button. Patients can then use these prescriptions to place a medicine delivery or test request at the click of a button. This enables patients to complete their entire healthcare journey seamlessly. Doctor Training: All doctors on Practo's online consultation platform undergo a training exercise basis the protocols and guidelines prepared by a panel of senior experienced doctors from the Industry. We have spent years refining each of the dimensions of our product creating one of the best teleconsult experiences for both patients and doctors. The goal really is to make the experience closest to an in-person consultation by enabling real time interaction and ensure that patients have access to a verified doctor, at all times. The Practo Insights report is available here, opens a PDF in a new window. About the author: Sairaj is an Associate Editor with Sifydotcom covering business, finance and technology. More by Sairaj Iyer: 'CMOs should narrate stories rather than tech-jargons' Zoom-In: Expect big numbers from Zoom in days to come How Jio revolution inspired Doosra's evolution in India's consumer telephony Pragyan is the ISO 9001 AND 20121 certified annual International Techno-Managerial fest of NIT Trichy. It is one of the biggest festivals of its kind in the country, which hosts and showcases the talent of students from various colleges across the nation, since its inception in 2005. Pragyan is acclaimed for the diverse experiences and opportunities it offers for technology and management enthusiasts. Pragyan 22 is all set to come back even bigger, following the success of the first virtual edition of the festival, thanks to Agnostiq, Pragyans Quantum Computing partner and is powered by Salesforce. Over the past 10 months, Pragyan has conducted a wide array of events to share the wonders of technology with other admirers as well as share its benefits with the less fortunate sections of society. This festival is just a few days away from achieving this feat. Catch up Pragyan 22 between 18-20th March, 2022 Pragyan 22 is scheduled to happen from 18th to 20th March. This year, the festival aims to evolve into its best version yet, sticking true to its tagline of Lets Celebrate Technology. With the fest being conducted through a hybrid model after 2 years, be ready to witness the wide plethora of events, workshops, guest lectures, panel discussions and so much more. There are various events planned for each of the 8 unique clusters. The different clusters for this edition of Pragyan are Concreate, Bytehoc, Manigma, Conception, Roborex, Pandora's Box, Phronesis and EWitts. A few of the mega events are TownTrace, Code Venatic, Attack on Robots, NoContact, Simdroid, M-Decoder and Biz Quiz. This years line-up of guest lectures aims to cover broad topics such as Clean Water Development, Space Laws, Diseases, and Electron Devices and Nanoelectronics. With lecturers coming from various walks of life, be sure to catch these transformative speeches. The Pragyan Podcast has released its first episode titled Women, Work and Feminism, in which the hosts explore the difficulties faced by women at their workplaces and the various factors that contribute to hold them back. With more intriguing episodes lined up, listeners are in for a ride. The Pragyan 22 Infotainment Programmes aim to ensure that this will be one of the most memorable editions of Pragyan. This year, Pragyan plans to host beautiful light paintings, an astonishing fire performance and the innovative LED POI by Kupava. A jaw-dropping performance by Laser Show India is also planned along with a comedy night by the acclaimed comedian Nishant Suri, to tie up the fest. The finals of Sangam and Ingenium will be conducted during Pragyan, which will see the top intellectuals of the country presenting their case studies in front of a distinguished panel of judges. Crossfire, the annual Panel Discussion, seeks to address the future of Cryptocurrencies and NFTs in India. Cryptocurrencies, powered by encryption algorithms, have established themselves as an alternative form of payment due to their accompanying ease of transaction and anonymity. While some countries have entirely banned cryptocurrencies, some have partially tried to regulate their flow in the economy. The magnitude of global stature that cryptocurrencies and NFTS may attain is anyone's guess. Therefore, it is imperative to discuss how they may evolve and impact the future, especially in populous countries like India. Stay tuned to Crossfire 22 to find out the answers to all your queries. Last but not the least, Pragyan also plans to organise Catalyst, an interactive session with a government school to help teach the basics of Science, Maths and English to the students. And to top it off, a session in Origami is also planned to ensure the kids leave with a smile on their face. See you at Pragyan 22 ! World Space Week (4-10 October) Cosmic Canvas, a poster-making contest, challenged the creative skills of participants. Space Labyrinth (a puzzle-solving contest) and Space Sherlocked (a mystery solving contest) put space enthusiasts knowledge of the cosmos to the test. Spacewalks and Star Talks, a comic strip about the lifespan of stars, was released to promote interest around space week. Furthermore, Pragyan in collaboration with Nakshatra, organised UFOs: Unverified and False Opinions on Space, an interactive workshop targeting the misconceptions and half-truths about the natural phenomena occurring in space. Attendees could sense the amount of misinformation circulating on online platforms and could realise ways to identify facts from myths. Additionally, a panel discussion, with the objective of determining If the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 is still valid in the current era of space exploration! was held. It was participated by four experts from different fields, and had a civil discussion on the pros & cons, and what to expect in the future. Pragyan Blog was kickstarted back into action following the end of Pragyan 21. Surviving the zombie apocalypse, entertaining the possibility of a real-life Iron Man, exploring the realms of robotics and AI, understanding the science behind music, assessing current economic reforms, questioning the extent of our privacy, learning to live with oneself; the Pragyan Blog remains the one-stop destination for science, technology and management related content. Ingenium, the national-level technical competition, was revitalised to put the finest minds from numerous colleges across the country to a battle for the most innovative ideas, creations and inventions. The competition encompassed the entire experience of realising a vision, one-step at a time. Sangam, in association with SCIEnT, held its flagship Hardware Hackathon for all the technophiles of NIT, Trichy. With themes revolving around Energy, Healthcare, Agriculture and Defence technology, teams were put to the task of coming up with innovations that break all previously known barriers. Sangam, in partnership with 180DC NIT Trichy, also organised a Case Study Competition for all budding business enthusiasts. The competition provided a platform for students to try their luck at the versatile field of business management. To increase the reach of the festival, Pragyan held multiple outreach events. The Logo Quiz tested participants' nimble minds and pictographic memory. Pragyan also held a Scavenger Hunt, which had teams competing to solve clues at the earliest and reveal the final secret. For the special occasion of Valentines day, Pragyan released Love is in the AIr, a comic strip highlighting a few unique conversation starters. India has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world. To raise awareness on this vital issue, Pragyan invited Ms. Sunayana Singh (CEO, ORGAN INDIA), for a webinar on organ donation. Ms. Sunayana highlighted the importance of organ donation and highlighted ways to sign up for donation. GyaanE, an interactive event was held for the students of VI-XII at an orphanage of Bhopal (Children's village), which was conducted by the social responsibility wing of Pragyan. The event consisted of sessions covering topics such as Cybercrime, Art & Crafts, and Social Skills; where the young minds came across guest lectures, activities and interactive sessions that proved very useful to them. The event was wrapped up with a valuable career guidance session. Canvas for Change, an exclusive poster contest for Students from LKG to 10th Grade targeting Awareness through Art. Pragyan, in collaboration with the Fine Arts Club of NITT, organised this event to increase awareness about global issues. This event stood apart from others as it gave a platform for participants to use their creativity to express real world issues. Kalpana Chawla continues to inspire hundreds of young women to pursue their aspirations and enter the professions of aerospace engineering and space exploration years after her painful death FREMONT, CA: Kalpana Chawla, India's National Hero, was born in Karnal, Haryana, on March 17, 1962. The first Indian woman to go to space was. She was an Indian-American astronaut who accomplished what most could not even dream about. At Punjab Engineering College, Kalpana Chawla was the first and only woman to pursue Aeronautical Engineering. She traveled to the United States to pursue her Master's degree after completing her Bachelor's degree. Later, Kalpana Chawla travelled to the United States in 1982 to pursue her Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering. In 1988, she earned a second Master's degree as well as a PhDPhD in Aerospace Engineering. Later in the same year, she joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ames Research Center in 1988. Kalpana Chawla did everything to live up to her motto, "follow your dreams." As a kid, Chawla was always enthralled by aviation, and she used to visit loal flying clubs with her father frequently. In 1997, she made her first trip to space as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. STS-107, Columbia's second trip, was the space shuttle's final flight in 2003. Chawla was one of seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy on February 1, 2003, when the spacecraft exploded as it re-entered the atmosphere. She received numerous awards posthumously and is considered a national hero in India. Jean Pierre Harrison was Kalpana Chawlas husband, and the couple was married for 20 years before death. NASA named seven hills on Mars in 2004 in honour of the seven astronauts who died in the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy. Years after Chawla's death, the agency named a commercial cargo spaceship after her. Chawla continues to inspire hundreds of young women to pursue their aspirations and enter the professions of aerospace engineering and space exploration years after her painful death. San Mateo, CA (94402) Today Some clouds. Low 47F. WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 47F. WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! ExxonMobil and BHP are planning to invest $400 million to deliver more gas from their ageing Bass Strait fields, in a move that could help avert the threat of winter gas shortfalls in Australias south-east. Esso Australia, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil and operator of the Gippsland Basin venture it jointly owns with BHP, on Thursday said had given the financial go-ahead to expand gas development from the Kipper field while also approaching a funding decision to boost production at the Turrum field. ExxonMobil operates the Bass Strait oil and gas fields in a joint venture with BHP. The Bass Strait oil and gas fields traditionally supplied up to half of Australias east-coast gas needs, but have recently been in rapid decline. There is still plenty of gas remaining in Bass Strait and we are working hard to unlock its full value, ExxonMobil Australia chair Dylan Pugh said. The petrol cost increase has been so sudden and so much that we are basically running around on empty all the time and just putting in what we need because the price of everything else is going up at the same time, Mr Sadler said. Its really hard. Once you put $60 or $80 of fuel in the car, if the kids, then come to us tomorrow and say, I need $10 for an excursion, that money is sitting in the car. Social service worker Karen Roe relies on her car to travel from her home in Newtown to homecare clients in Sans Souci. When you have 15 minutes to get between people, you cant depend on public transport, she said. We are also asked to take clients to doctors appointments and for outings. While she gets paid 72 cents per kilometre for the cost of mileage between clients, her daily travel cost from Newtown to Sans Souci is not covered. Faced with growing cost of living pressures, the federal government is debating whether it should cut some of its $20.8 billion in petrol and diesel excise in the March 29 budget. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has not dismissed the idea of changing the fuel excise worth about 44 cents in every litre to ease some price pressure but has, so far, avoided any commitment. Energy and Emission Reduction Minister Angus Taylor will step up the Morrison governments attack on Labors $20 billion promise to modernise the nations main electrical grid to cope with more renewables, in a sign an election clash is brewing over the issue. With wind and solar powers share of the grid hitting a record 35 per cent of the mix and continuing to push fossil fuels further out the market, large-scale upgrades will be urgently required across the network to handle the influx, hook up big batteries and better-enable the flow of energy around the country to ensure reliability. Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor has warned about the early departure of coal from the grid. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Federal Labor has committed $20 billion for a Rewiring the Nation policy, which it says would follow the Australian Energy Market Operator blueprint for transmission projects, known as the Integrated System Plan. But in a speech to be delivered on Friday, Mr Taylor will argue Labors policy must be balanced against efficient costs for consumers. After two years of lockdowns, our relationship with Zoom, Teams and similar online video platforms are here to stay. But while researchers now know Zoom fatigue is real a fact that academics from Stanford University confirmed over a year ago our ability to easily work from anywhere is shifting the bar for employers considering policies on flexible work. A recent study from Accenture on the future of work found that 63 per cent of high-growth companies have already adopted a productivity anywhere workforce model. With the right resources, the report states, people can be productive and healthy in any environment remote, onsite or a hybrid model. Laetitia Caron, Senior Digital Acquisition Strategist at ServiceNow, with her toy poodle Teddy, who is her regular companion when she works from home. ServiceNow is one company ready to take flexibility to the next level. From 2022, a Work from Anywhere benefit means ServiceNow employees are allowed to work for up to 30 calendar days a year from any location in Australia, New Zealand, or a country where they hold citizenship. Senior digital acquisition strategist with ServiceNow, Laetitia Caron, joined the company in August 2019. Her role is now far more home-based than pre-COVID, and she has colleagues based across Australia and Asia. Men think theyre brighter than they are and women underestimate their IQ. Why? When asked to estimate their own intelligence, most people will say they are above average, even though this is a statistical improbability. This is a normal, healthy cognitive bias and extends to any socially desirable trait such as honesty, driving ability and so on. This pattern is so common that its known as the above-average effect. In a recent study, my colleagues and I explored how consistently men and women estimated their own intelligence or IQ (intelligence quotient). We also assessed measures of general self-esteem and masculine and feminine personality traits. Why men have more confidence than women when it comes to estimating their own IQ. Credit:Monique Westermann We found the strongest predictors of overestimating IQ were biological sex and then psychological gender. Being born male and having strong masculine traits (both men and women) were associated with an inflated intellectual self-image. Ive just spent a week in Radelaide. Thats not a typo. Its how poet Sara Mansour referred to the 2022 Adelaide Writers Week, and it was the perfect description. Nobody marched in protest or stormed any barricades. But the mood was rebellious. Over and over again, audiences applauded speakers who didnt like where our leaders were taking us and wanted something completely different. Grace Tame was the star of Adelaide Writers Week. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The star of the show, often touted as an exemplary leader, hadnt written a book. A big crowd gathered for Grace Tame as she talked with passion about being groomed by the teacher who abused her, about an an ecosystem of abuse. She revealed that the person who called her when she became Australian of the Year and warned her not to diss the Prime Minister had threatened to cut off funding for her foundation. I have found that certain people, certain groups are more concerned with maintaining power and control than running the country, she said. But after she stood up to her abuser my fear about upsetting the apple cart died that day and it sure as hell died publicly standing next to Scott Morrison. Only days before Michael Williams launches the program for his second Sydney Writers Festival he has announced that he is stepping down from his role as artistic director after the May festival. But Williams says he hasnt had a change of heart about the job. Rather, undertaking it for a second year had been a change of mind. I was brought on, to quote The Godfather, as a wartime consigliere, to see the festival through the COVID period, and it was only ever a kind of interim posting. It was going to be the one year. Then, quite apart from anything else, last years was so much fun, it was such a wonderful job and wonderful organisation that I couldnt resist doing a matched pair. Michael Williams says COVID challenged the programming of writers festivals. Credit:James Brickwood But being in Sydney full time from the start of the year and having family back in Melbourne he has two sons meant that I couldnt in all conscience keep doing that indefinitely. SWF chair Mark Scott said Williams had brought an unsurpassed wealth of literary programming to the role: He is one of the best connected people in the Australian literary world, and we loved having him as artistic director. The countrys largest wildlife rehabilitation charity, the NSW Wildlife Rescue and Education Service, better known as WIRES, has yet to spend most of the $100 million in donations it raised after the Black Summer fires two years ago. Financial documents filed in January show WIRES received donations of $102,478,085, including $90,432,238 raised for a bushfire emergency fund, in the combined financial years of 2020 and 2021. A kangaroo licks its burnt limbs after escaping from the Liberation Trail fire in November 2019. Credit:Wolter Peeters Since receiving the donations, it disbursed $16,851,624 to WIRES Incorporated, the charitys corporate arm, which has spent the money on ongoing operations, as well as projects related to the bushfires. At the end of the 2021 financial year, the fund was sitting on a balance of $87,226,248, just over $1.5 million less than it held in mid-2020. Just three months after his departure from NSW cabinet, Don Harwin will step away from politics. The former arts minister and Gladys Berejiklian ally will announce on Friday his retirement from Parliament. During his long parliamentary career spanning 23 years, Harwin spent six years as president of the Legislative Council and five years as a minister. He is expected to tender his notice of resignation to the Governor on Tuesday. Its time to go, increasingly Im attracted to opportunities outside parliamentary life, he said. Its the right thing to retire and be replaced by a new member eager to make a contribution to public life. Retiring members of the upper house are replaced by parties at a joint sitting of the two houses without the need for a byelection. Harwin was among a core group of MPs who helped rebuild the Liberal Party before its return to government at the 2011 election. The 41-year-old Catholic and former boss of the right-wing shoppies union is the only opposition leader other than federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese to have kept his job since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. The footy-playing, Bob Hawke-admiring politician, whose chiselled six-pack received national attention last month, has invited business lobby groups to cabinet meetings if hes elected and uses creative communication methods to engage voters on social media. This photo of the SA Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas attracted national attention. Credit:Twitter Malinauskas says Marshalls claims of a prosperous economy are insulting to South Australians. He cites the states 4.8 per cent unemployment rate the worst in Australia and says the government has lost control of the states health system. Ambulance ramping is so bad that when people call triple-zero, theres a very good chance an ambulance wont be there on time, he tells The Age and the Herald. Malinauskas says he has occasionally sought advice from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. If successful, he will be another Labor voice at the national cabinet table, where he would back Andrews recent call for a structural increase in federal government funding for hospitals. Tasmania and NSW would be the only remaining states with a Coalition government. SA Labor leader Peter Malinauskas. Credit:Brett Hartwig People who are able to lead oppositions into government are rare and Dan Andrews was able to do that against a first-term conservative government. We want to replicate that, he said. Like other opposition leaders, Malinauskas was starved of airtime during the pandemic. Unlike some alternative premiers, this was partly due to his approach. He and NSW Labor leader Chris Minns decided early in the pandemic they would support public health measures and refrain from criticism. Malinauskas says the approach meant he was often absent from news bulletins, but it would help him maintain his trust with voters. Polls showed spikes in support for Marshall and his government hit peaks during the pandemic. His popularity has waned in recent months, however, and he now trails Malinauskas as preferred premier. Marshall has no substitute narrative post the pandemic Former South Australian Premier Mike Rann Malinauskas rise bears similarities to other political contests around the country. Albanese and Minns have been gaining ground in various polls and Matthew Guys Victorian Liberals speak of promising internal polling. It has political operatives in both major parties wondering if the nations incumbents are losing their halo. Former South Australian Premier Mike Rann, who led the state between 2002 and 2011, believes politics is normalising. Were back to old territory and out of that [COVID-19] mindset. People are asking OK, well, what are you doing for us now and in the future?, he said. Marshall has no substitute narrative post the pandemic. If predictions of a victory for South Australian Labor prove to be correct, it will be another indication that the Victorian and NSW elections are going to be tight contests, one Labor operative said. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Bipartisanship on pandemic policies ended in SA when Marshall stuck to his plan to reopen the states border in late November, just before the threat of the infectious Omicron variant materialised. Malinauskas backed the reopening but said hospitals and testing infrastructure needed to be ready. Instead, testing sites couldnt cope with the demand, more people died than forecast, and many were left wondering why the reopening plan wasnt adjusted to deal with the new variant. Malinauskas called the reopening a catastrophe, but the Premier regrets nothing. We opened up at the right time and Im happy to put our pandemic record alongside anyone elses, Marshall says. There was no option just to keep our borders closed. Rann argues Marshalls management of the Omicron wave caused his leadership to crumble. As one senior South Australian Liberal said: If this election was pre-Omicron, wed have shat it in. University of SA epidemiologist professor Adrian Esterman agreed the reopening plan was a big mistake. However, he gives the government credit for maintaining public health measures like mask-wearing and density limits throughout summer, and for longer into 2022 than other states, which he said limited the number of cases and deaths. Martin Haese, chief executive of major industry group Business SA, backed the reopening plan: Omicron did throw SAs economic recovery a curveball, but we have rebounded a fair way since then. On a warm Wednesday at Adelaides Modbury Bowling Club, in the key marginal seat of Newland, former Prime Minister John Howard flanked Marshall, talking up his achievements as premier. He said SA had come out of the slow lane and was now humming. He [Marshall] has put SA back on the national map economically, the former prime minister said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was absent from the final weeks of the campaign. He was due to travel to the state around the time he contracted COVID-19, and his cancellation was met with quiet relief by South Australian Liberals, who believe his unpopularity is a discernible drag on the government. Victorian Liberals believe the federal government is causing a 2 to 3 per cent primary vote reduction for the state opposition. Just like Howard did in 2007, Marshall faces the risk of losing his own seat. A recent seat-specific poll, which are notoriously inaccurate, suggested his electorate of Dunstan was on the precipice of being lost to Labor. Ambulance ramping where ambulances with patients are forced to wait outside emergency departments because of a lack of space inside has soared under the Liberal government. Malinauskas and the states ambulance union have run a brutal campaign on the issue, and the problems were underscored during election week by the deaths of three people, including a 20-year-old who waited more than 45 minutes for lights and sirens. Before you vote please read this, Malinauskas tweeted in reference to the deaths. This cant keep happening night after night. At a polling station where voters in Marshalls electorate cast early votes, a handful of voters spoken to by The Age and the Herald said ambulance ramping was the key election issue for them. But Danny Simons, a Liberal voter from Marshalls electorate, said the extent of the problem had been sensationalised a little bit. Katie Cooper, a 22-year-old Greens voter, said she believed strain on the health system would decide the election. Katie Cooper at the Glynde early polling centre. Its insane. You read about it on the news. Just the other day it was a 20-year-old, which is younger than me, and thats really scary to hear, she said of the ramping situation. Malinauskas ambulance delays mirrors the effective crusade on the same topic that allowed Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to defeat the Coalition in 2014 and make it Victorias first one-term government. The Marshall government has pursued a negative campaign against Malinauskas, who they claim slashed health services when he was health minister in 2017-18. The parallels with Victoria are striking. The Victorian Coalitions recent focus has been on the states health system and the role of Andrews, who has been health minister or premier for all but four years since 2007. Victorian Labor figures are closely watching whether a Liberal Party attack on the health credentials of a Labor Party a rarity because health policy is a traditional Labor strength can translate into electoral success. Loading Marshall is also facing blow back from voters in the outer suburbs over his governments decision to move the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar race. The event is loved by SAs revhead community, many of whom worked in the old Holden factory, but disliked by some in the inner-city whose transport routes are disrupted by the event. Marshall also angered some conservatives by supporting abortion and euthanasia reforms. Malinauskas has pledged to bring the race back to its original site and a South Australian political observer said Labors focus on the issue illustrates Marshalls inability to pitch to suburban voters. Many of the premiers major achievements such as renewable energy investment, a $200 million Indigenous art centre and a city precinct for new tech, space and professional services firms were not the types of practical policies that help win state elections. An architect of the National Disability Insurance Scheme says a compulsory doubling in hours for disability workers will increase costs for users, adding to fears of advocates and providers that services will be hit. The agency overseeing the scheme says it is reviewing its pricing following a Fair Work decision to increase the minimum hours for workers, with economists saying the overall cost of the NDIS is likely to increase and registered providers warn of more gig workers in the space. John Walsh (bottom right) in 2011, then associate commissioner of the Productivity Commission, with ministers in the then-Labor government, Jenny Macklin and Bill Shorten. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Retired National Disability Insurance Agency board member John Walsh, a former associate commissioner to the Productivity Commission and key designer of the NDIS, said every time more regulation was placed on the service structure of the program, it necessarily reduced the flexibility for consumers. Obviously the implication of this is that it increases the total cost of support because of the model that has been implemented, Mr Walsh, who also lives with quadriplegia, said. A diabetic truck driver suffered a severe and fast-onset hypoglycaemic episode that deprived him of his capacity to control his vehicle as it ploughed into a Hume Highway rest stop, killing an eight-year-old girl, a court has heard. The girl was wedged between two cars at the Partridge VC rest area at Menangle, south-west of Sydney, on July 10, 2020. She died at the scene, while her mother was among four adults injured. The fatal crash scene in Menangle on July 10, 2020. Credit:Nine News Brendon Paul Lidgard, 46, has pleaded not guilty in the District Court at Campbelltown to dangerous driving occasioning death and three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm. In his opening address on Thursday, defence barrister Simon Buchen, SC, said his type 1 diabetic client had a very severe and likely fast-onset hypoglycaemic episode shortly before the crash, in circumstances where he suffered from a phenomenon called hypoglycaemic unawareness. First published in the Sun Herald on March 19, 1972. Fifty-two-year-old Mr Alexander Wozniak stood at the Cross yesterday, looked down towards Hyde Park and said: Mr Wozniak takes a walk on the Thames in an earlier version of his Skinoes in 1966. Credit:AP The gradient is just right. The river could be 10ft wide or as wide as William Street itself. Im an expert in piping, and I know there would be no engineering problems. Sexual and domestic violence assaults are the only crimes increasing in NSW, after revelations of Brittany Higgins alleged rape inside Parliament House contributed to a 60 per cent increase in reports of sexual assault the next month, the states top crime statistician says. The severe spike in reports to police lasted only for the month March last year but forms part of an overall increase in reports of sexual assault in NSW, which have gone up by 4.8 per cent in the past five years. Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame at the National Press Club last month. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In the days after Ms Higgins went public with her alleged rape, the Herald revealed that an online petition was swamped with allegations from young women claiming they were assaulted by young men from Sydneys elite private schools. Subsequently, former federal attorney-general Christian Porter was accused of a historic rape. Its plausible [the increase in reports] could be either more sexual assaults, or more reporting to police, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said. The number of fish that have died after a detergent spill in a creek system in Melbournes west has climbed into the thousands, as the local council calls for the business involved to face tough penalties. The states Environment Protection Authority has revealed up to about 13,000 litres of detergent washed into Cherry Lake and Cherry Creek in Altona after a fire broke out at a nearby business on March 6. Thousands of fish have now perished in Cherry Lake and Cherry Creek at Altona. Credit:Jason South The authority expects it could take several weeks to resolve the issue, with people warned not to make contact with water in the creek and lake from south of Kororoit Creek Road to Port Phillip Bay. The regulator has refused to name the business involved, but said it is still investigating the exact circumstances of the spill and whether the company broke any laws. Hobsons Bay City Council, in a statement on Thursday, called for tough penalties to be imposed on the business responsible for the mass fish kill. WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following story contains an image of a deceased person. Three teenagers who tried to shield their mother from being stabbed by their father have told a court of the hurt and sadness her death had caused and the daily struggles they endure. Noeline Dalzell and her children were cornered in a bedroom of their home in Seaford, in Melbournes south-east, on the afternoon of February 4, 2020, when James Fairhall reached over his children and stabbed his ex-partner in the neck with a kitchen knife. Police at the scene after the stabbing in Seaford in February 2020. Credit:Nine News As Zachary, then aged 15, tackled his father to the floor, Ms Dalzell made it out of the house and into the street to raise the alarm. The 49-year-old collapsed and died shortly afterwards. The sister of Toby Richter, killed at a Pilbara mine site in 2019, has described the seven-year sentence his killer received on Thursday as disgraceful. What a slap in the face. Feel so gutted and let down, Vanessa Richter posted on Facebook after the decision was handed down. Troy Hausler pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Maintenance supervisor Troy Adam Hausler last week took a plea deal to reduce his charge from murder to manslaughter after killing his colleague. His sentence of seven years and three months will be backdated to when he was first taken into custody in November 2019, and he will be eligible for parole in two years. In handing down his decision on Thursday morning, Justice Joseph McGrath said: Nothing I do today will ease the ongoing pain and loss for the family. Assurances about the Australian response to the war in Ukraine can offer the impression of action when the reality is very different inside the machinery that has to maximise pressure on Russia if the conflict is to end. The wheels are turning too slowly in a Western political system that is being forced to adjust to the brutality of Vladimir Putin after years of thinking, foolishly and complacently, that he could be contained. And the daily fodder of domestic politics, like Scott Morrison chipping Anthony Albanese about his weight loss, is a poor distraction from an emergency that tests the federal governments ability to make hard decisions fast. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: The results suggest the government is wholly unready to act on the Prime Ministers language this week about sanctions on China if it aids the Russian invasion a step with enormous consequences for the Australian economy compared with the modest exposure to Russian business. Could the government really impose sanctions on people implicated in the Xi Jinping regime if their interests stretched from resources to property and finance? Perhaps. But it would be slow, complex and costly. The fate of two Russian oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg, proves the point. Three weeks into an invasion that alters every calculation about global power, with horrific war crimes that are almost certain to grow worse, the government has been scrambling to decide what to do about these two Russian billionaires with big stakes in Australia. Leading Indigenous advocacy groups have called on the Coalition and Labor to promise major reforms to the justice, health and welfare systems ahead of the federal election, and for a Voice to Parliament to be enshrined in the constitution. Change the Record, an alliance of legal, health and family violence prevention organisations, has demanded the major parties agree to increase Centrelink payments, raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and urgently build more housing in remote communities to address overcrowding. Cheryl Axleby is the co-chair of Change the Record, which has made several key demands for the Coalition and Labor. Cheryl Axleby, a Narungga woman and co-chair of Change the Record, said problems in areas such as housing were linked to other issues like social security. Weve been saying this for decades; if we have appropriate shelter and affordable housing that would solve a lot of issues for our families who are living under welfare or are struggling to make ends meet, she said. A High Court challenge to the Labor Partys federal intervention in Victoria will seek to wrest back members control of the preselection process amid fierce and emotional factional power-plays after Senator Kimberly Kitchings death. Earl Setches plumbers union boss, political ally and friend of the late senator said he had instructed lawyers to appeal last years failed Supreme Court bid to end the federal executives control of the state branch, against a backdrop of further talk within the party that Senator Kitching was shunned. Kimberley Kitching died earlier this month from a suspected heart attack. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The federal ALP executive took over the Victorian branch after The Age revealed wide-spread branch stacking, enabling it to choose candidates to run for election. Unions challenged the move but the Supreme Court ruled it had been lawful. A successful High Court challenge would put the already drawn-out preselection process back into the hands of rank-and-file members before candidates for the imminent federal election were finalised. Young people advocating for climate change action should consider how their liberties could be infringed upon in an aggressive invasion like Ukraine, the Deputy Prime Minister says, urging them to instead consider how they will pay for defending Australia. Barnaby Joyce, speaking at the Rural Press Club, also said Australia could not force China, Russia or Iran to comply with international climate goals, and that people carrying coffins out of Ukraine churches were not focused on climate change. He raised questions over who would support climate activist Greta Thunberg, calling it a premonition of tragedy that younger people were at the right age to suffer the outcome of other deadly and overwhelming encumbrances on the same liberties that allowed conservationists to bring a class-action case against a proposal by Whitehaven Coal to extend a NSW coal mine. This week, the Federal Court ruled that federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley did not have a duty of care to protect young people from climate change harm when considering fossil fuel projects such as mines. Washington: Bolshoi ballerina Olga Smirnova, an international ballet star who recently publicly denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has quit the famed Moscow company and joined the Dutch National Ballet. The whole company is thrilled and energised, artistic director Ted Brandsen said on Thursday (AEDT) . Shes a beautiful artist and a beautiful person. Theres something really magical about her; she dances with her entire soul. So to have her join our company is wonderful - even though the situation behind it is so tragic and so awful. Alexander Volchkov, plays the cruel Roman consul Crassus, and Olga Smirnova, who stole the show as the cunning seductress Aegina, in the Bolshoi Ballets Spartacus opening night at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in 2019. Credit:Darren Thomas In a brave but risky move, Smirnova had condemned the war in Ukraine last week in a post on the messaging platform Telegram, which is popular overseas. We cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe, Smirnova wrote. Kyiv: Rescue workers searched for survivors in the ruins of a theatre blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theatre in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000. More than a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city and movement difficult because of shelling and other fighting, there were conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theatre could survive, Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayors office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand airstrikes. Video and photos provided by the Ukrainian military showed that the three-story building had been reduced to a roofless shell, with some exterior walls collapsed. Other officials had said earlier that some people had emerged. Ukraines ombudswoman, Ludmyla Denisova, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelter had held up. As Russian troops appeared to stall in their advance on Ukrainian cities, the United States repeated concerns on Friday AEDT that China might assist Moscow with military equipment as the war entered its fourth week. Authorities in Mariupol say people are coming out alive after successfully hiding in a bomb shelter at the theatre where hundreds of people, including children, were sheltering, prompting hopes of a miracle in the besieged Ukrainian city. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden will hold a call on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as Washington piles pressure on China to not support Russias invasion of Ukraine, a step that would dramatically widen the gulf between Beijing and Western governments. Sergiy Taruta, the local MP, announced the news about survivors of the theatre bombing on Facebook, which was translated by an official adviser to the Ukrainian government on Telegram. Photo released by Donetsk Regional Civil-Military Administration Council shows the Mariupol Drama Theatre damaged after shelling. Credit:AP After a terrible and scary night of uncertainty on the morning of the 22nd day of the war, finally good news from Mariupol! Taruta wrote. If President Vladimir Putin was frightening when he was winning, now that his plans have gone awry he is even more terrifying. Anyone who doubts how unstable Mr Putin has become should read the transcript of the 35-minute televised address he made to the Russian people last night. While he claimed his invasion of Ukraine was going strictly to plan the rest of his speech suggested the opposite because he warned of a collapse in the Russian economy and called on citizens to make sacrifices so Russia could win the war. The most horrifying passage, however, was not directed against Ukrainians (whom he calls Nazis even though he knows president Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish) or against the corrupt and morally bankrupt West. Mr Putin reserved his bitterest words for his enemies inside Russia. Any people, and especially the Russian people, will always be able to distinguish the true patriots from the scum and the traitors and simply spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths. PHILIPSBURG:--- Detectives of the Major Crimes squad have confiscated a firearm and false documents in an early morning house search on Tuesday, March 15, in Cole Bay. One suspect with the initials S.L was arrested for violating the firearms ordinance. He remains in police custody pending further investigation. The search stemmed from an ongoing criminal investigation in which officers became aware that residents of a Cole Bay residence were allegedly in possession of firearms and other illegal items. The search yielded the firearm and forged documents among other items. The instructing judge supervised the search. KPSM Press Release. PHILIPSBURG:--- In her capacity as President of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, Member of Parliament Mrs. Grisha S. Heyliger Marten has scheduled several courtesy visits to various entities on Sint Maarten. Upon her election as President of Parliament on Friday, November 26, 2021, the Hon. Mrs. Grisha S. Heyliger-Marten deemed it necessary to meet with various entities on the island for an introductory visit. The first set of visits took place during the week of March 7 - 11, 2022. The Chairlady met with the Acting Vice Chairlady of the Council of Advice, Ms. Melinda Hoeve; Chairman of the General Audit Chamber, Mr. Alphons Gumbs; Member of the Integrity Chamber, Mr. Rafael Boasman; Chairman of the Social Economic Council, Mr. Damien Richardson and the Ombudsman, Mrs. Gwendolien Mossel. During her visit the President of Parliament discussed among others, the working relationship between the Parliament of Sint Maarten and the various entities visited and any relevant legislation that may require amendments and how Parliament could assist. The President of Parliament was accompanied by the Secretary-General of Parliament Mr. G.J. Richardson, and Public Relations Officer of Parliament, Ms. J.L. Peterson. PHILIPSBURG:--- On March 14th, 2022, the Minister of Justice, Ms. Anna E. Richardson, and the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (hereafter VROMI), Mr. Egbert Doran held a meeting to discuss ways in which both ministries can collaborate and coordinate working opportunities for inmates at the Pointe Blanche prison and House of Detention. Also present during the meeting were the Act Secretary-General and Head of New Projects, Mr. Kurt Ruan, Act Head of Infrastructure Management, Mr. Charlon Pompier, Section Head of Operations, Mr. Edelmiro Jansen, the Prison Director, Mr. Steven Carty, the Prison Program Manager, Mr. Rob Kievitsbosch, and supporting staff. In the efforts to expand the rehabilitation and reintegration programs for the inmates nearing their release date, the possibilities were explored between both ministers to relaunch an inmate work program. A similar inmate work program existed before, whereby the Ministry of VROMI collaborated with the Ministry of Justice in providing inmates with infrastructural and/or repair projects in the community that the inmates could partake in. There is a number of projects that have been executed with the assistance of inmates in the past such as the painting of the entire Festival Village and the Government Administration Building, welding of the Government Administration Building fences, maintenance of school grounds, and more. Both ministries are eager to relaunch the inmate work program for the betterment of inmates and their reintegration trajectory. The Minister of Justice stated: I am elated for and encourage the enthusiasm of our inmates to be constructive and productive. During the past few weeks, the positive feedback, willingness, and cooperation that our inmates have been displaying have been phenomenal. I am also happy that my colleague minister and I, together with our teams, we're able to discuss such a great initiative for our inmates; one in which they will be given the opportunity to be a part of a work program outside the walls of the prison. The goal of this initiative is to create motivation for a positive transition in re-socialization while reducing recidivism by connecting past offenders with positive opportunities for careers and positive lifestyles. Lifestyles that will keep them far away from criminal activities. The hope is that all participants will value this opportunity and work to establish good relationships with potential employers, giving themselves open doors once they have served their time. The Ministry of VROMI has an array of maintenance and repair projects that inmates can partake in such as re-painting buildings, clean-up projects, road signage, and more. Having the inmates participate in such projects has a number of positive effects for not only the inmates but the community at large. The inmates will learn the skills such as painting, welding, carpentry, mechanical work, and more within the prison walls. The inmate work program will then provide the inmates with an opportunity to apply their skills in practice. This skill development will increase the inmates chances of finding employment in similar fields after release. This ultimately can decrease the inmate recidivism rates and them returning to prison. The inmate work program therefore can serve as a deterrent for crime which in turn benefits society. "It is indeed an honor to work alongside my colleague Minister of Justice, the Honorable Anna Richardson on such a meaningful project such as this. The discussions on the inmate work program are of extreme importance as it maximizes job opportunities for individuals who have fallen through the cracks and are now willing to contribute meaningfully back to society. This program is meant to ensure that a larger number of these individuals are provided with the opportunity to learn skills and gain the working experience needed to prepare them for the workforce upon their return to society. As a former Minister of Justice myself, I know how important a project such as this is and I, therefore, commend the current Minister of Justice with this great undertaking and promise that my Ministry will do everything possible to assist in any possible way to ensure that this project is successful, stated the Minister of VROMI. I am very pleased with this initiative and commend both Ministers for their efforts in realizing this project. Proper reintegration is a key factor in the task of each and every prison, certainly in the Pointe Blanche prison and House of Detention, stated Mr. Carty, the prison director. Prior to matching inmates to the projects, the inmates will undergo an extensive intake and selection process whereby the prison can determine whether the inmates are fit for the specific task. The overall behavior of the inmates during incarceration, their skill sets, and the remaining sentence time will play a key role in the selection process. Guaranteeing the safety and security of the community and of the inmates themselves during these projects is of utmost importance and the starting point of each project that is considered. All participating inmates will be outfitted with an ankle bracelet and appropriate security will be present at all times. ~Island to host epicurean event June 14-17, 2022~ BONAIRE:--- The Dutch Caribbean Island of Bonaire is excited to announce a new event for rum and travel enthusiasts. Bonaire Rum Week, is a celebration of the world of Caribbean rum, featuring cocktail competitions, exquisite rum pairing dinners, beach parties, and the chance to taste some of the worlds finest rums. Set for June 14-17, 2022, Bonaire Rum Week is hosted by Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) and organized by Caribbean Journal, the worlds leading Caribbean travel media company and the team behind the annual Caribbean Rum Awards festival in St. Barth. The Bonaire Rum Week was announced on Friday, February 11th, 2022 in the presence of the CEO of TCB Miles Mercera, Commissioner of Tourism Hennyson Thielman, and from Caribbean Journal, editor, and publisher Alexander Britell, and managing editor and EVP Guy Britton. Were so excited to bring a high-end rum event to one of the most authentic, naturally beautiful, and eco-adventurous islands in the Caribbean, said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. Bonaire has long had a world-class culinary scene, and this week of rum-fueled fun is the perfect way for the destination to help spotlight it while elevating it to the next level. Bonaire Rum Week Partner Tourism Corporation Bonaire CEO, Miles B M Mercera, We are proud to introduce Bonaire Rum Week as a new signature gourmet experience on the island. Besides being known as the worlds divers paradise, we are also being discovered and recognized by foodies around the world for our culinary offerings. Our first annual Bonaire Rum Week serves as our invitation to adventure seekers around the world to come and experience our authentic cuisine, local rum and our island life. The festival will kick off with an opening celebration, followed by an island-wide cocktail competition at the islands premier cocktail bar, Tiki & Co, featuring Bonaires top bartenders; a rum-infused lunch; a spiced rum Happy Hour; a multi-course rum-pairing culinary experience followed by a rum-and-cigar pairing event. This event is a great way to showcase another side of Bonaire, as one of the Caribbeans foremost destinations for foodies and spirits lovers alike, said Guy Britton, managing editor, and EVP of Caribbean Journal. Bonaire has a thriving cocktail culture, from signature rum punches to microbreweries and beach bars. The island is also home to the Cadushy Distillery, which makes Rom Rincon, Bonaires sought-after, award-winning, and locally-made rum, which is the events Host Rum. Bonaire Rum Week is set for June 14-17, with a full slate of events that give travelers and locals the chance to sample some of the Caribbean regions top rums and indulge in Bonaires culinary culture. The event kicks off with an opening party by Rum Papiamento at Rum Runners; thats followed on June 15 by a rum-on-the-beach tasting at the Plaza Beach Resort and a cocktail competition at Tiki & Co. June 16 features a rum lunch prepared by the Harbour Village Beach Clubs talented Chef Britt Thomassen, followed by a Happy Hour at Buddy Dive by the celebrated Clifton Estate Rum from Nevis. On the morning of June 17 at the Delfins Beach Resort, theres a rum tasting seminar for local bartenders; and then theres the party piece: a final Bonaire Rum Week dinner at the Brass Boer, the Caribbean outpost of the three-Michelin-star culinary team of Johnny and Therese Boer, followed by Papas Pilars rum-and-cigar pairing evening at the Delfins Beach Resort. The festivals host rum is Bonaires Rom Rincon. Caradonna Adventures is the official travel partner for Bonaire Rum Week (you can find more on packages here). To reserve the final dinner at the Brass Boer, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . For the Harbour Village Rum Lunch, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Participating rums include Papas Pilar; Papiamento Rum; Goslings Rum; Don Q; Ron Barcelo; Clifton Estate; Rom Tambu; Havana Club; Dutch Head Rum; Ron Carupano; Ron Brugal; Siesta Key; San Juan Artisan Distillers. Bonaire Rum Week Partners include Tourism Corporation Bonaire; Caradonna Adventures; Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire; Captain Dons Habitat; Buddy Dive Bonaire; Harbour Village Beach Club; Plaza Beach Resort Bonaire; Bellafonte Bonaire; Bamboo Bonaire; Bonaire Tours & Vacations; Tiki & Co; Cadushy Distillery; JC Herrera; Bottles Bonaire; The Wine Factory Bonaire; Bonaire Tobacco & Liquor; Best Cellars and Best Brands Bonaire. For the most up to date information, schedule, events, and partners about Bonaire Rum Week, visit www.bonairerumweek.com 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 Protestors hold signs regarding Ukraine as they stand outside the security perimeter during a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. In talks at NATO's Brussels headquarters, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his counterparts are weighing what defenses to erect on the organization's eastern flank, from Estonia in the north through Latvia, Lithuania and Poland down to Bulgaria and Romania on the Black Sea. (AP Photo/Sylvain Plazy) News spotlight Councilor Nick Loose resigns; council hires community development director A seat on the Le Sueur City Council has opened up, and the council will appoint member of the community to fill the vacancy. At the Monday, March 14 meeting, the Le Sueur City Council accepted the resignation of Councilor Nick Loose after a three-month absence. The first term city councilor did not attend any of the City Council meetings in the months of December, January and February. The extended absence permits the council to declare the seat vacant under the city charter. In an interview, Loose stated that he couldnt make it to Le Sueur City Council meetings on account of a new job. The reason I resigned is I have a new job, and I work a 12-hour day. I dont even make it back to town in time for City Council meetings, said Loose. Loose submitted his letter of resignation before the March meeting. The council accepted the resignation and declared the seat vacant, opening up the opportunity to appoint a new member. Loose was a little more than one year into his term. Elected in November 2020, Looses term was set to expire in 2024, but due to his resignation, the seat will be on the ballot this coming November. In the meantime, a new council member will be appointed to take the reins through the end of the year. The councilor elected in November will then serve the remaining two years of Looses term. The Personnel and Budget Committee was charged with developing an appointment process. Community Development Director After a near one-year gap, the Le Sueur City Council has selected a new community development director to promote residential and commercial growth within the city. Mojra Hauenstein, currently the division director of planning and building for Washoe County, Nevada was chosen from a pool of 10 candidates and two finalists by city staff. She has over 25 years of experience in community development and architecture, is a certified planner (AICP), a licensed architect, a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB) and is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. Hauensteins start date is June 27 with a salary of $126,000 per year, as well as a $400 per month vehicle stipend and $100 stipend. [Shes] very experienced, very well qualified for our position, said City Administrator Jasper Kruggel. Shes a senior in her career, which is why you see the salary placed where it is. Councilor Dave Swanberg asked the city administrator if they could afford the salary when combined with benefits. When we talked about the salary, we were in that mid [$120,000] range. The stipend for a vehicle and a cell phone, that gets you up to [$132,000] before you even get started, and the performance pay is another potential $5,000-7,000, said Swanberg. In a time when we continue to raise taxes, I think we have to be really mindful of what were paying people. My question is, can we afford it in the budget? Kruggel answered that the salary was within the range the City Council budgeted for the community development director position this year. Though the salary is on the high end of that range, Kruggel said it was competitive for the area, and levy dollars would only be responsible for half of the community development directors salary. The other half is paid by the EDA. Councilor Newell Krogmann commented that the community development director subsidizes their own salary by bringing in grant dollars and increasing the tax base. He pointed to the last community development director, Samantha DiMaggio, who won an $850,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to reopen Main Street. The person must produce income for our city. These are people that are needed to be able to get things done, bringing industry, bringing people into the community and frankly, getting grants, said Krogmann. You look at the mall if we didnt have someone working with DEED, we would not have been able to accomplish what we did. We have to have a complete expectation that the person in that position produces those kinds of results, Krogmann added. If they dont, theyre no longer here. While grant dollars are not guaranteed, Kruggel said that Hauenstein indicated a strong interest in fighting to get outside funds for the city. If the city receives enough grant money, the community development director could pay for herself. We had Ms. DiMaggio on staff for a little over four years. In that time, the big grant of $853,000 was brought into the community. That more than paid for her time here, said Kruggel. Ideally, that happens again and again and again. Welcome To SpoilerTV We bring you a comprehensive and up to date spoiler service on all the major US TV shows and Movies. You can find specific show content by clicking the menu system at the top of the screen. We scour the Internet for spoilers as well as posting our own exclusive spoilers (Scripts, Casting Calls, Set Photos etc) as well as recaps and other fun articles and polls. We hope you enjoy your stay. London, 23, Febr 2022 (SPS) - The British Foreign Office reiterated its position on the question of Western Sahara and the peaceful solution of the conflict between the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco within the framework of the United Nations, a solution that guarantees the Saharawi people the exercise of their right to self-determination. This position was reaffirmed during the reception of a delegation from the POLISARIO, headed by Minister delegate to Europe and the European Union, Mr. Ubbi Bucharaya, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Commonwealth and Development. The Saharawi delegation briefed the British officials on the latest developments related to the conflict in Western Sahara, in light of the resumption of the war following the violation of the ceasefire by the Moroccan occupation army in the El- Guergarat, and following the appointment of the new Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General and his recent visit to the region. SPS 125/090/TRA Car thefts likely declined across Connecticut last year after experiencing a brief upturn early in the pandemic, according to new data presented to lawmakers on Thursday. Preliminary crime statistics from state and local police departments last year showed car thefts declining between 4 and 10 percent from the 7,773 incidents reported in 2020, which coincided with a nationwide increase in property crimes. The latest numbers were compiled by the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at the University of Connecticut, which presented the findings to members of a legislative committee with oversight of juvenile justice matters. Lawmakers and police officials have largely attributed the increase in car thefts during the pandemic to teenage thieves, causing some officials particularly Republicans to call for a renewed crackdown on crime and stiffer penalties for juvenile offenders. Despite the common association between car thefts and youths, Kenneth Barone, the associate director of IMRP, said on Thursday roughly a third of people arrested for car thefts are under the age of 18, though he pointed out a significant number are in their early 20s. Youths once made up nearly half of those arrested for car thefts in the early 1990s, Barone added, when the overall number of thefts was drastically larger than today. The state saw an all-time low in the number of reported car thefts in 2019, with 5,964. Since the records that [the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection] has made publicly available since 1985, weve generally been on a downward trend in auto thefts, Barone said. Were nowhere near where we were 20 and 30 years ago with this crime. Christina Quaranta, executive director of the Connecticut Criminal Justice Alliance, said the latest figures were a promising sign amid the focus on juvenile crime. Young people are dealing with things that we and you cannot imagine, Quaranta said. We need to invest in young people to have their needs met so we dont have to talk about this again next year. Barone added that the declines in vehicle thefts were seen across most of the the state last year, including a decrease of 11 percent in Hartford, 15 percent in New Haven. More than half of the towns with municipal police departments in Connecticut likely saw a decline in car thefts last year, Barone said. The preliminary data from 2021 showed car thefts beginning to decline in the second half of last year as pandemic-era restrictions were lifted, Barone said, adding that the earlier spike in thefts showed a pretty clear correlation to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. I think if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to remain under control, its likely that motor vehicle thefts will continue to decline through 2022, Barone said. Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed his own set of anti-crime initiatives during this legislative session, including funding to hire new police officers and deploy mobile crime labs, as well as giving officers the authority to ask people who openly carry firearms to show their permits. While car thefts have been declining, there has been a recent surge in catalytic converters stolen from vehicles. Lawmakers on Thursday separately considered legislation by House Democrats to slow the proliferation in thefts by preventing scrap metal shops and junk car dealers from accepting individual converters without proper documentation of where the parts came from. One victim, Edward Noivo, of Newington, told lawmakers that he had been forced to spend $1,500 equal to his Social Security check to replace his cars catalytic converter after it was stolen by juvenile thieves. If I hear a noise at night, I jump out of bed and fear someone is once again attempting to steal my car parts, Noivo said. Republicans have criticized Lamonts and other lawmakers crime-prevention approach, however, particularly any proposals that focus on placing new restrictions on guns. During Thursdays hearing on car thefts, state Rep. Pat Callahan, R-New Fairfield, questioned Barones statements that the temporary increase in thefts was linked to the pandemic or new technologies, such as key fobs that are being increasingly left in cars, making them easy targets for thefts. Its not the key fobs that are causing these cars to be stolen, Callahan said. Its why are individuals out there doing it? Barone responded that a number of factors during the pandemic could have contributed to the increase in car thefts, including a lack of school programs to occupy youths, fewer court interventions or the strain on police departments as more officers called out sick. I think theres a lot of reasons why society was impacted by COVID, which could be causing this, Barone said. I dont claim to understand or know the motive of individuals that go to steal a car. Barone added that the low clearance rate for car thefts, about 7.3 percent in 2020, indicates that increasing penalties on offenders who are caught would likely have little impact on the overall rate of the crimes. Barone said it would be several months before the final crime statistics for 2021 are released by state and federal agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigations most recent annual report, for 2020, showed homicides and motor vehicle thefts spiking in Connecticut, while overall rates of violent crime fell. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Darien Community Association will host its next Information and Inspiration presentation, featuring a talk on the topic of Navigating A New Direction With Your Career. The event will be held April 5, at the DCA at 274 Middlesex Road, with a tasting at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation at 7 p.m. The presentation will be led by Peter Doering, who will share his career philosophy and tell how he came to create the Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford with his fellow founders, Brad Hittle, Phil Markowski and Clement Pellani. By being open to new challenges, recalibrating his priorities and having a bit of luck, Doering has had a fascinating and varied career. After seven years of working on oil rigs, he attended Harvard Business School, then worked in banking, cogeneration power plant development, electricity trading and ship building. Today, he and his partners run the countrys 25th largest independent craft brewery. The cost is $30 per person for members, $40 per person for nonmembers. Registration and payment is required by noon, April 4, by visiting dariendca.org or by the calling 203-655-9050, Ext. 10. Alumni show calls for artists The Darien Alumni Art Show 2022 is looking for artists to participate in this years juried art show. The event returns this year after a successful inaugural run last year. It will run from June 10 through June 12. Artists are invited to submit up to seven pieces of their artwork by April 15 for consideration. At the show, emerging artists will once again be displaying and selling their art. The juried show will be held at the barn located at the Mather Homestead at 19 Stephen Mather Road. The artisan fair will be extended to run for both of the weekend days, and the artists can also sell smaller items, such as ceramics, clothing, prints, note cards, and small paintings, among other items. The show is open to artists who have come through the Darien Public Schools within the previous 10 years or so. To apply, go to the website for the show at darienalumniart.com for an application. Author to discuss debut novel The Darien Library and the Barrett Bookstore will welcome author, musician, educator and author Brendan Slocumb to a virtual event from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday to discuss his debut novel, The Violin Conspiracy. Registration for the event is available at darienlibrary.org/event/5610. The book is about Ray, a Black classical musician who discovers that his family heirloom violin, is a priceless Stradivarius. It is stolen on the eve of the most prestigous classical musical competition in the world. Now his family, and the descendants of the man who once enslaved Rays great-grandfather, are each claiming ownership of the instrument. With the odds stacked against him, the question becomes, whether Ray will ever see his beloved violin again. The Depots fundraiser returns The Depot, Dariens Youth Center. will hold its annual fundraiser at 7 p.m. March 26 at the Country Club of Darien. The event returns after it was sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic. Tickets are nearly sold out, but can still be purchased at dariendepot.com. All proceeds will go toward funding operations and programs at the center. Guests will be treated to dinner, dancing and a concert by the Rubix Kube, a New York City-based 1980s tribute band. There will also be a live auction and a silent auction. Items will include a stay in Park City, Utah; a stay at the Casa de Campo resort in the Dominican Republic; a pig roast for 50 people from the Darien Butcher Shop; tickets to Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen; and a variety of offerings from local spas, restaurants and other businesses. Scavenger hunt to help nonprofits The Community Fund of Darien will hold its second annual Mission: Possible, a web-based and townwide scavenger hunt from April 1 until April 3. The hunt was created in 2021 to bring the community together during a time of social distancing, to have fun and to raise money. It benefits its partners programs that strengthen youth adults and families in Darien, Norwalk and Stamford. Teams of four to six people can register on the organizations website and download the Mission: Possible! app for the hunt. They will receive a series of missions to complete. For more information and to register, visit communityfunddarien.org. The fee is $50 per team. Students head to symposium Two Darien High School students have been chosen to represent Connecticut at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. The event will be held from April 20 through April 23, in Albuquerque, N.M. Sebastian Mengwall, a senior, will present his research about improving cloud identification on Mars, using a deep learning model. Lily Donzeiser, a senior, will present her study of the evolutionary responses to climate change by the scarlet tanager, a migratory songbird. Mengwall won first place and Donzeiser was awarded fourth at the 59th annual Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, sponsored by UConn Health and organized by the Connecticut Area Health Education Center. It was held virtually. Author to visit Darien Library The Darien Library and the Barrett Bookstore will welcome author Amy Bloom for a discussion of her latest book, In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the community room of the library. The library is located at 1441 Post Road in Darien. Registration is available for the event at darienlibrary.org/event/5648. Bloom is also the author of Come to Me, a National Book Award finalist; and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You, which was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Global Players series returns The Darien Community Association announces the return of the Darien Neighbors, Global Players speaker series for 2022. The series is returning for a fifth year, with talks planned by industry innovators who call Darien home. The events will all open with a reception at 7 p.m. and the presentation at 7:45 p.m. at the DCA. On Wednesday, April 20, Tom Arrix, founder of Get Joy dog food and a former Facebook executive, will be in conversation with Charlie Hannigan, managing director of Oak Hill Advisors. On Thursday, May 12, Amy Brooks, chief innovation officer for the NBA, and Renie Anderson, chief revenue officer of the NFL, will be in conversation with Jay Alter, an ESPN broadcaster. On Thursday, June 2, Bob Sauerberg, lead director at reddit and former president/CEO of Conde Nast, will be in conversation with Jeff Hamill, EVP of Hearst Magazines. For more information, visit dariendca.org/darien-neighbors-global-players. A man who lived in East Hartford was sentenced to more than six years in prison trafficking heroin and fentanyl in Connecticut and Massachusetts, according to federal prosecutors. Angel DeJesus-Concepcion, 40, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty in September 2019 to charges related to drug trafficking and illegally reentering the United States. DeJesus-Concepcion is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who last resided in East Hartford, according to Leonard Boyle, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. The charges stem from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administrations Hartford Task Force that started in October 2016. Law enforcement were looking into an organization that trafficked large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and other narcotics in Connecticut and western Massachusetts, Boyles office said. Law enforcement charged 14 people with various narcotics, firearms and immigration offenses as a result of the investigation. Investigators discovered the organization received bulk quantities of heroin and fentanyl from out-of-state suppliers. They then stored, processed and packaged the drugs in multiple locations and sold the drugs in Hartford and the Springfield and Holyoke, Mass. areas. One of these packaging locations was an apartment on Collins Street in Hartford where some members lived, according to Boyles office. A significant amount of the drug trafficking occurred at the Neighborhood Supermarket on Farmington Avenue in Hartford, which was owned and operated by DeJesus-Concepcions girlfriend, Gisel De La Cruz. Investigators made multiple controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from De La Cruz, DeJesus-Concepcion and other members of the organization in and around the supermarket, according to Boyles office. During the investigation, law enforcement executed 12 search warrants in Connecticut and Massachusetts. These yielded about 10 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, much of which was packaged for resale. Investigators also seized numerous vials of Xylazine, which is a horse tranquilizer, and seven firearms, Boyles office said. Police also discovered that DeJesus-Concepcion had been deported from the United States after he was convicted on a federal narcotics offense. De La Cruz paid $20,000 to get her boyfriend smuggled back into the country and, in December 2016, DeJesus-Concepcion illegally reentered the country using fake Venezuelan identification documents, according to Boyles office. DeJesus-Concepcion has been in custody since his arrest in June 2017. In September 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. His girlfriend, De La Cruz, pleaded guilty to related charges in May 2018. She was sentenced to six years in federal prison in September 2018. NORWALK City officials took the first steps in looking to ban non-organic pesticides from public land with a presentation before the Common Council by pesticide researchers on the chemicals dangers. The Common Council Ordinance Committee discussed the matter Tuesday night following presentations by three leaders in pesticide and environmental research. Department of Public Works Chief Anthony Carr and Recreation and Parks Superintendent Ken Hughes spoke to the citys decision not to use pesticides in recent years. Three years now we stopped using Roundup on our property, Hughes said. We never mass treated for weeds or insects. Around 2019, the Parks and DPW teams shifted to BurnOut, a natural weed and grass killer, Hughes said. I picked up the product BurnOut which is citric acid and clove oil, Hughes said. We have used that on clay ball fields. A representative from Beyond Pesticides, a nonprofit organization that works to end the use of toxic chemicals and pesticides, spoke about the chemicals hazards and how municipalities can limit their use. Drew Toher, community resource and policy director for Beyond Pesticides, said while each town in Connecticut can restrict the communitys use of pesticides, they cannot be banned on private property. Pesticide restriction cannot apply to private properties in Connecticut. Preemption should not be a reason to forgo the consideration of a pesticide policy in your community, Toher said. By reigning in pesticide use on public lands, local officials can significantly reduce pesticide exposure to workers and residents that frequent public parks, and youll set an example for residents that organic land care is not only possible, but the right move for public and environmental health. Statistically, lower income and minority communities have higher rates of pesticides and chemicals in their systems, Toher said. Dr. Sarah Evans, who researches pesticides impacts on children with Mount Sinai Health System, previously lived in Norwalk for five years. Evans studies childhood development with chronic exposure to pesticides, and found the average person has more than 40 pesticides in their body. We all have greater than 200 chemicals in our bodies. Over 40 of those are pesticides, but we are not testing for every pesticide, Evans said, suggesting the number could be greater. But, we all have over 40 in our blood and urine and theyre higher in children and Black and Brown participants in our studies. The increase in pesticides in childrens systems is due to their lifestyles and anatomy as compared to adults, Evans said. Additionally, pesticides can be tracked indoors and build up among dust. Theyre closer to the ground, roll around, put things in their mouths, eat things higher in pesticide residue, like strawberries and apples, Evans said. Also, they breathe faster than adults and eat and drink more for their body weight, so are more likely to experience exposure through drinking water and food. Long-term side effects of chronic pesticide exposure include fertility complications, impaired cognitive function and an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and obesity, Evans said. Despite the city no longer using pesticides in its maintenance and landscaping work, the committee wants to finalize a policy against pesticides. Committee Chair Lisa Shanahan said the members were in discussion to implement a pesticide ban for a while. Stamford recently passed an ordinance that banned toxic chemicals on their lawns, and they require the use of either organics or no use of pesticides, Shanahan said. We are so lucky we have a DPW that has already, as a department, decided not to use pesticides on our city properties. Now we have this administration, if the administration were to change, we might not have the same excellent policy. Committee members will next begin drafting an ordinance which is then subject to a public hearing and full Common Council approval. abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com STAMFORD A Norwalk man convicted of murder as teenager in an armed robbery-turned-fatal shooting of a taxi driver has asked the court to consider lessening his prison sentence. If granted, the 34-year-old, who said the remorse he feels is indescribable, could be released as soon as next year. Rick Felix, 34, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2006 after a jury found him guilty of felony murder in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Ralph Morneau, a Yellow Cab driver, on Nov. 13, 2004. Felix and four friends, all teenagers at the time, had attempted to rob Morneau at gunpoint near the Roodner Court housing complex, but when Morneau tried to drive off, Felix shot him twice once in the leg and once in the chest. Felix has been imprisoned since December 2004 when he was arrested on the lam in Florida, where he was evading arrest on felony murder charges. After serving nearly 17 years in prison, Felix is now asking the court to consider cutting 10 years off his sentence, for an effective sentence of 30 years. As of now, the earliest Felix can be released from prison is after serving 24 years. Since he was convicted as a teenager, he can technically be released a year before completing the mandatory minimum of 25 years by applying for the juvenile parole program. If the sentence modification were granted, however, Felix could be released as soon as next year. Felix told court officials during a hearing Thursday that since being convicted of felony murder in 2005, he has spent a lot of time of reflecting on that fateful night in November and soul searching in prison. Although I did not intend for this to happen, the outcome remains the same. My actions placed a burden of pain on the Morneau family, as well as my own. The remorse I feel is indescribable. The regret and shame I feel will stay with me for the rest of my life, Felix said. Felix said his journey to seek rehabilitation began, in earnest, during his sentencing, when the prosecutor shared stories of Morneau and the kind acts he had done in life, which Felix said created an overwhelming feeling of shame in him for two reasons. First, because it was my actions that stripped the Morneau family of their loved one. Second, because of the lack of good I had done was being contrasted with Ralph Morneaus cornucopia of good deeds, Felix said. It was because of that shame that I sought transformation within myself. I thought to myself: Im in prison and Im still messing up. Enough was enough. I began to search for my identity. It was then I realized that I had no idea who I was, Felix said, his voice cracking with emotion. So many thoughts and feelings ran through me that I became overwhelmed. For the first time in my life, I could not escape the unresolved feelings that I had from my dysfunctional upbringing, my struggles with social acceptance and the hurt I felt for all the destruction I cause. While in prison, Felix said hes obtained a GED and an associates degree in science and is in the process of getting his bachelors degree in social science. In addition to steadily working while in prison, Felix said hes also served as a mentor to younger inmates and worked as the head graphic designer for the Cheshire Correctional Institutions graphic arts shop for over eight years. My journey of education allowed me to identify my problems and combat the street ideology that conditioned me for criminal behavior. As a result, I was able to create my own identity, which is true and honest, Felix said. Attorney Michael Brown, who represents Felix, said his clients journey to rehabilitation is prison is good cause to reduce his sentence, but States Attorney Paul Ferencek disagreed. While Ferencek was not present at Felixs trial, he said court records and transcripts reflect that Felix showed no remorse at the time of his conviction. Shortly after the murder, he admitted to killing the victim in a very nonchalant way. He did not appear to have any concern about the victims family, Ferencek said. So its a horrible case. This is a case where the victim was needlessly killed, was cut down in his youth by simply being at work. The possibility that Felix only serves 18 years on a murder conviction, Ferencek added, is just too short a period of time for taking someones life. Following Thursdays hearing, Judge Gary White said he wanted to speak with the victims family, if possible, and review court documents from his original sentencing prior to making a decision. White did not give a timetable for when he expects to make that decision. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD A 27-year-old city man is facing multiple felony gun charges and is being investigated for possible ties to two shootings that happened earlier this week, according to police. John Spencer was arrested following an early morning raid on his Perry Street apartment early Thursday, according to Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin. Spencer faces two counts of criminal possession of a firearm and single counts of altering the serial number on a firearm, criminal possession of ammunition, possession of a high-capacity magazine, possession of narcotics and violation of a protective order. Conklin said the arrest is the culmination of a weeks-long investigation into Spencer by the Stamford Police Departments Narcotics and Organized Crime (NOC) squad. Officers in Stamfords NOC squad, along with heavily armed members of the Special Response Team, raided Spencers home around 5:30 a.m. Thursday during the execution of a search warrant. Conklin said investigators recovered two guns a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun with its serial number shaved off and a .22-caliber revolver. Police also found an illegal high-capacity magazine and 2.5 grams of crack cocaine, Conklin said. Spencer, who has felony convictions for forgery, carrying a pistol without a permit and possessing a weapon in a motor vehicle, is barred from possessing any weapons, Conklin said. Conklin said police are also now investigating Spencer for a possible connection to two shootings that happened just around the block from his apartment on Monday. Conklin said an investigation revealed that at least one of those Monday shootings one of which happened around 3 p.m. in the area of Richmond Hill Avenue and Ann Street, the other around 7:45 pm. in the area of Rose Park Avenue near the intersection of West Main Street involved a 9 mm gun. We will certainly have the gun forensically compared to evidence from those shootings to see if they played a role in them, Conklin said Thursday. Each shooting involved at least one injury. Neither victim suffered life-threatening injuries, according to police. Conklin said the investigation into the two shootings remains active and open. Spencer is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday. He is being held in lieu of $200,000 bond. This is archive content that is no longer updated. Go to the up-to-date statistics page. Published: 17 March 2022 Discontinuation of education increased in upper secondary level particularly in vocational education and decreased in tertiary level education in 2020 In all, 6.8 per cent of students attending education leading to a qualification or a degree discontinued their studies and did not resume them in education leading to a qualification or degree in the academic year 2019/2020. Discontinuation of education in initial vocational education grew by 3.9 percentage points from the previous year. In initial vocational education the discontinuation percentage was 13.3, in general upper secondary education aimed at young people it was 3.6, in university of applied sciences education (university of applied sciences degrees) 7.2 and in university education (Bachelor's and Master's degrees) 5.4 per cent. These data derive from Statistics Finlands Education Statistics. Discontinuation of education leading to a qualification or degree 2919/2020, % The corona pandemic that started in late winter 2020 probably increased discontinuation in upper secondary education. In addition to initial vocational education, discontinuation of studies also increased in general upper secondary education aimed at young people in the academic year 2019/2020, but only by 0.6 percentage points, or clearly less than in vocational education. Discontinuation of tertiary level studies decreased from the previous year; in university of applied sciences education (university of applied sciences degrees) by 0.3 percentage points and in university education (Bachelor's and Master's degrees) by 0.4 percentage points. Discontinuation of tertiary level education decreased particularly among men Men discontinued their education leading to a qualification or degree more often than women. Altogether 8.0 per cent of men and 5.8 per cent of women discontinued education completely in the academic year 2019/2020. Women changed their sector of education slightly more than men did. Both men and women discontinued vocational education most often, women more than men. Among students in vocational education, men discontinued education leading to a qualification completely more often than women. Discontinuation decreased from the previous academic year in university of applied sciences and university education for both men and women, in university of applied sciences education by 0.5 percentage points for men and by 0.1 percentage points for women, in university education by 0.6 percentage points for men and by 0.3 percentage points for women. Discontinuation of education leading to a qualification or degree by sex and sector of education in academic year 2019/2020 1) Sex / sector of education Number of students used in the statistics on discontinuation of education 20 Sept. 2019 Discontinued in own sector of education Changed sector of education Discontinued completely education leading to a qualification or degree Pieces % % % Total 501 149 7,8 1,0 6,8 Men and women Upper secondary general education (aimed at young people) 96 389 3,6 1,7 1,8 Initial vocational qualifications 151 051 13,3 1,1 12,3 University of applied sciences education (university of applied sciences degrees) 119 262 7,2 0,9 6,2 University education (Bachelors and Masters degrees) 134 447 5,4 0,6 4,8 Men Total 236 867 8,9 0,9 8,0 Upper secondary general education (aimed at young people) 39 941 3,9 1,6 2,2 Initial vocational qualifications 78 215 13,3 0,8 12,5 University of applied sciences education (university of applied sciences degrees) 57 573 9,2 1,0 8,2 University education (Bachelors and Masters degrees) 61 138 6,2 0,6 5,6 Women Total 264 282 6,9 1,1 5,8 Upper secondary general education (aimed at young people) 56 448 3,3 1,8 1,5 Initial vocational qualifications 72 836 13,4 1,4 12,0 University of applied sciences education (university of applied sciences degrees) 61 689 5,3 0,9 4,3 University education (Bachelors and Masters degrees) 73 309 4,6 0,6 4,1 Large differences in fields of education by sector of education 1) Numbers of students used in calculating discontinuation differ from total numbers of students, because part of students had to be removed from the data (see the quality description, only in Finnish). The data do not include the Emergency Services Academy Finland, the Training Institute for Prison and Probation Services and WinNova, because discontinuation could not be calculated due to insufficient monitoring data. In the academic year 2019/2020, the highest total discontinuation rate was recorded for all sectors of education in services (17.2 per cent) and in agriculture and forestry (15.2 per cent) and the lowest in general education (3.6 per cent). Discontinuation in various sectors of education focuses on different fields of education. In initial vocational education, discontinuation was most common in the field of natural sciences (21.5 per cent) and services (20.5 per cent), and least in the field of business, administration and law (14.4 per cent). Discontinuation in university of applied sciences education was most common in ICT (11.3 per cent) and agriculture and forestry (10.0 per cent). Discontinuation in university education was biggest in natural sciences (11.2 per cent) and ICT (10.9 per cent). Discontinuation in both university of applied sciences education and university education was lowest in health and welfare, in university of applied sciences education 4.7 per cent and in university education 2.5 per cent. New information about discontinuation of education by sex and field of education The statistics on discontinuation of education now contain data for the first time on discontinuation of education in different fields of education by sex. Both men and women discontinued education most in services, men 17.6 per cent and women 16.8 per cent, and least in general education, that is, general upper secondary education, in the academic year 2019/2020. Discontinuation of education leading to a qualification or degree by field of education and sex in academic year 2019/2020 Discontinuation was biggest in fields of education strongly segregated by sex, especially in initial vocational education. In initial vocational education, men discontinued studies clearly more often in the field of health and welfare (19.1 per cent) than women (13.6 per cent), and correspondingly, women discontinued studies in the male-dominated ICT sector (31.2 per cent) clearly more often than men (17.2 per cent). In the field of technology, which is the biggest field of education measured by the number of students in initial vocational education, women's discontinuation percentage was also higher, 20.8 per cent, than men's, 14.4 per cent. In services, which is also a large field in vocational education, both sexes discontinued equally much. In university of applied sciences education (university of applied sciences degrees), men discontinued studies more often than women in all fields of education. Discontinuation of education was lowest for men in education (6.8 per cent) and for women in the fields of health and welfare (4.2 per cent). Both men's and women's discontinuation was high in ICT, 11.8 per cent for men and 9.6 per cent for women. In university education, men discontinued in nearly every field of education more often than women. Both men and women discontinued most in the field of natural sciences, 12.4 per cent for men and 10.1 per cent for women. Men discontinued (11.1 per cent) more often than women (10.0 per cent) in male-dominated ICT, but women discontinued considerably more than average in all fields of education (6.4 per cent). In female-dominated fields of education both sexes discontinued a little, for women 5.0 per cent and for men 6.0 per cent, similarly as in health and welfare, for women 2.4 per cent and for men 2.6 per cent. The statistics on discontinuation of education use the National Classification of Education 2016 in examining discontinuation. The discontinuation figures were calculated to levels 1 and 2 of the National Classification of Education. Data by sex have been added to the database tables by field of education. The database tables of the statistics contain information on discontinuation of studies by sector of education in different fields of education and regions. There is a new table on discontinuation of education by age of students. Calculation of discontinuation of education These statistics describe the discontinuation of post-comprehensive school education leading to a qualification. Data concerning discontinuation in the academic year 2019/2020 have been obtained by examining the situation in September 2020 of the students who attended education in September 2019. If a person has not obtained a qualification or continued education during this period, he/she is counted as having discontinued education. To monitor discontinuation of education, students have been followed in a certain logical order, in which the completion of the examination has been prioritised before continuing studies. The calculation of discontinuation and the definition of the population are explained in the quality description (in Finnish). More information related to the progress of studies is available from statistics describing Progress of studies and Employment of students. Source: Education. Statistics Finland Inquiries: Heli Hiltunen 029 551 3314, koulutustilastot@stat.fi Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala Publication in pdf-format (219.1 kB) Updated 17.3.2022 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Discontinuation of education [e-publication]. ISSN=1798-9302. 2020. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 5.5.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/kkesk/2020/kkesk_2020_2022-03-17_tie_001_en.html This is archive content that is no longer updated. Go to the up-to-date statistics page. Published: 17 March 2022 Completion within the target period of upper secondary education weakened and that of tertiary education improved in 2020 According to Statistics Finland's education statistics, completion of upper secondary education slowed down in 2020. Of those having started studies, 60 per cent completed vocational education in three-and-a-half years and 79 per cent completed general upper secondary education. The pass rate of university of applied sciences degrees within the target period remained on level with the previous year (57%). At universities, completion of masters degrees within the target period improved by four percentage points, rising to a pass rate of 34 per cent. Pass rates sector of education, % The pass rate indicates how many per cent of those that started the education have completed the education within the examined study time. The target period for general upper secondary education and vocational education is 3.5 years, for university of applied sciences education 4.5 years and for higher university degrees 5.5 years. Pass rates for upper secondary general education by gender in different reference periods in 2020 The coronavirus year had a negative impact on the completion of upper secondary education. In 2020, the pass rate of those having started general upper secondary education weakened by one percentage point from the previous year. In general upper secondary education (those having started in 2017), 79 per cent passed the matriculation examination in at most three-and-a-half years. Among men, 78 per cent completed the matriculation examination within the target period and among women 79 per cent. Fourteen per cent continued their general upper secondary studies and four per cent had switched to some other education. After 4.5 years of starting general upper secondary school studies (those having started in 2016), 89 per cent had completed the matriculation examination, 87 per cent of men and 90 per cent of women. Pass rates for initial vocational education by gender in different reference period in 2020 The pass rate for those having started initial vocational qualifications weakened by 2.5 percentage points from the year before. Sixty per cent completed initial vocational qualifications within the target time (those having started in 2017), as many men as women. Discontinuation of vocational education also increased in 2020, see Discontinuation of education . During the reference period, the pass rate of initial vocational education was at its highest in 2016, when 68 per cent of the students having started the education completed it within the target period. The pass rate of initial vocational education within the target period has fallen for the past four statistical years in a row. The pass rate increases as the study time lengthens. Four-and-a-half years after starting initial vocational qualifications (those having started in 2016), 68 per cent had completed them, and 5.5 years after (those having started in 2015), 73 per cent had completed them. Pass rates for university of applied sciences education by gender in different reference periods in 2020 Within the target time (4.5 years), 57 per cent of those having started university of applied sciences education passed their studies, 42 per cent of men and 71 per cent of women. The pass rate was highest in the field of health and welfare, 76 per cent, and lowest in the field of technology, 38 per cent. Of those who started studying in the field of technology in 2016 and had not completed the qualifications they had started, two per cent had completed some other qualification, 42 per cent still studied at a university of applied sciences and eight per cent were working full-time. Sixty-seven per cent of those having started studies completed a university of applied sciences degree in five-and-a-half years. The pass rate for men grew to 55 per cent and that of women to 78 per cent. Sixty-two per cent of men and 79 per cent of women completed their studies in eight-and-a-half years. After eight years, nine per cent of the men who had not completed their university of applied sciences degree had completed some other qualification, five per cent continued their university of applied sciences studies and 13 per cent were working full-time. Correspondingly, eight per cent of women had completed some other qualification, two per cent continued their university of applied sciences studies and five per cent worked full-time. Pass rates for higher university degree by gender in different reference periods in 2020 In 2020, more students than before passed university education than in the previous year. The pass rate of masters degrees within the target time (5.5 years) improved by four percentage points. Thirty-four per cent of those having started their studies passed within that time, 28 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women. The weaker employment situation of students in 2020 may also have had an impact on the acceleration of the pass rate, see Employment of students . The pass rate was highest in the field of education, 48 per cent, and lowest in the field of natural sciences, 22 per cent. The older the cohort of new students is examined, the higher the pass rate became: 58 per cent of those who started university studies had completed a masters degree in eight-and-a-half years, 52 per cent of men and 62 per cent of women. Twenty per cent had completed a bachelors degree. The database tables of these statistics have been renewed and comparison data between different cohorts in different target periods are easier to obtain from them than before. The database tables also contain data by region of education and field of education, as well as on the main type of activity in different years of students who did not pass their education. Source: Education Statistics, Statistics Finland Inquiries: Anna Loukkola 029 551 3678, koulutustilastot@stat.fi Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala Publication in pdf-format (180.8 kB) Updated 17.3.2022 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Progress of studies [e-publication]. ISSN=1799-1021. 2020. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 5.5.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/opku/2020/opku_2020_2022-03-17_tie_001_en.html More than half of the companies in Ukraine have suspended their activity after the outbreak of the war, said on Thursday, the director of the Ukrainian-Romanian Business Center in Chernivtsi, Liviu Rusu. According to the latter, more than a quarter of all Ukrainian factories, mainly concentrated in the developed regions of Ukraine, were destroyed by the Russian army bombings. "Unfortunately, the economic situation is not different from other areas. Since the country is at war, an economic crisis has begun, a huge crisis. At present, 54 percent of all economic agents in Ukraine have suspended their activity. About 37 percent of the industrial producers were completely destroyed, as well as all the production units," said Rusu. At the same time, he stated that the Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia, has depreciated by 10-12 percent against the US dollar or the single European currency. "This decline can only be stopped by foreign financial resources. Why? Because the currency in Ukraine comes from exports. Exports were organized through seaports, the port of Mariupol, the Nikolaev area, areas where heavy fighting is currently taking place and these exports cannot be carried out," Rusu said. The head of the Ukrainian-Romanian Business Center points out that, under wartime conditions, it will not be possible to work the agricultural lands, something that will cause great losses to Ukraine. More than 30 percent of the world's exports of sunflower and soy come from Ukraine. "Obviously, this crisis will deepen primarily because the fighting is currently going on in the East, South, North of Ukraine, areas that have had a very strong agricultural development. Let us not forget that Ukraine is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world. 10 percent of all wheat exports worldwide come from Ukraine. In war conditions, the land cannot be plowed and sown, so this harvest will no longer be, and in all countries that depend on Ukraine, there will be an increase in food prices," the director of the Ukrainian-Romanian Business Center added.AGERPRES Estonia and Romania have cooperation and partnership relations within NATO and work together to achieve common goals for the defense of Europe, President Alar Karis said on Thursday evening at Cotroceni Palace, noting that his country agrees that more action is needed on the Eastern Flank, given Russia's "aggressive" behavior. "I am glad to be here in Bucharest. I would've hoped to see you in a different context, yet here it is important that two NATO allies and EU members stand together for Ukraine. We celebrated last year 100 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Estonia. Our cooperation is a success story and so will it be in the future," Karis said after talks with President Klaus Iohannis. The President of Estonia noted that it is necessary to adapt the advanced military presence for defense, adding that this means that NATO must have on site capabilities in order not to give Russia any opportunity to advance on the Eastern Flank. "Estonia and Romania have cooperation and partnership relations within NATO and we are working together to achieve these common objectives of defending Europe and we have the same challenges that we face. The security situation in Europe has changed radically, which led to a more consolidated presence of NATO allies on the Eastern Flank. It sends a strong message to the aggressor. I want to give the time back, but unfortunately, it can't be done. We agree that more action is needed on this Eastern Flank. Given Russia's aggressive behaviour and military presence in Belarus, we need to adapt the advanced military presence for defence, which means that NATO must have capabilities on site in order not to give Russia any opportunity to advance on the Eastern Flank. NATO must come up with a credible response and we hope that it will do so at the next summit," Alar Karis said. According to him, Estonia is determined to continue to apply sanctions to Russia. "There is this package of sanctions imposed on Russia to pay the price of the aggressions committed. We are absolutely determined to continue with these sanctions, to supplement them. We know that they have an effect and this is extremely painful," president Karis added. France's ambassador to Romania, Laurence Auer, said on Thursday that Romania is showing exemplary solidarity with Ukrainian refugees, "displaced people who have gone through dramatic situations." The French diplomat participated in a debate on mobilizing Romanian and French local authorities to respond to humanitarian emergencies caused by the refugee crisis in Ukraine, held in the Elvire Popesco Hall of the French Institute, with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, Agerpres reports."Thirty years after the return of democracy and fifteen years after its accession to the European Union, Romania shows exemplary solidarity with these displaced people who have gone through dramatic situations. Civil society and local authorities show extraordinary mobilization. The commitment of the Romanian authorities to the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism has been exemplary. The Suceava humanitarian hub, a logistics platform for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, has been operational for several days," said Laurence Auer.The French ambassador said that, at the European level, "the response is also remarkable."Laurence Auer pointed out that "the presence for this day of numerous elected officials and representatives of local authorities of all ranks reflects the importance of the partnership between Romania and France."The Ambassador informed that the Delegation for External Action of the Territorial Communities of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs activated a fund dedicated to initiatives meant to support the civilian population, allowing French local authorities, regardless of their rank, to make financial contributions to humanitarian operations under an emergency regime and in a coordinated manner, in response to the needs of the beneficiaries.In his speech relayed by Secretary of State Akos Derzsi, the Minister of Development, Public Works and Administration Cseke Attila said that, in time, the twin communities have proved to be true bridges between Romania and France.During the event, the representatives of the Romanian and French local authorities presented examples of mobilization in order to respond concretely to the requests of the authorities in the front line of the reception of refugees, especially in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova.At the same time, participants in the event adopted a joint statement condemning "the firm invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and the threat it poses to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.""We are ready to mobilize in the long run to provide material assistance to Ukrainians in Ukraine and those in exile and to support local initiatives aimed at ensuring their access to basic services. We recall our unwavering commitment to the core values of peace, democracy, the rule of law, which are at the heart of the European project that unites our peoples and our countries," the statement reads.The meeting took place under the auspices of the National Union of Romanian County Councils, the Association of Romanian Cities, the Association of Romanian Municipalities and the Association of Romanian Communes, as well as the French Association of Councils of European Municipalities and Regions.The local authorities in France and Romania maintain dynamic links through cooperation, twinning and partnership projects, their representatives meeting frequently in the context of the Franco-Romanian Decentralized Cooperation Forum, which this year will take place in Brasov. Globalworth, a leading office investor in Central and Eastern Europe, is offering office floors in Romania to host 700 Ukrainian refugees, according to a press statement released on Thursday by the company, Agerpres reports. In Romania, Globalworth is offering two office floors in the BOB office building in Bucharest, which can host up to 700 refugees and a logistics space in Chitila Logistics Hub, where donations will be stored and sorted before reaching those in need.In Poland, the Warta Tower office building will host up to 500 refugees.In all, the company is offering 12,000 square metres of its portfolio in Romania and Poland under the SPACE FOR UKRAINE motto.The spaces will be used to accommodate refugees and provide them with related logistical support as well as depositing and sorting the donations.They will be operated by local authorities such as the City of Warsaw and the City of Bucharest and NGOs, such as the Red Cross Foundation and Geeks for Democracy."Providing shelter for refugees and storage for food and medical supplies is the first step in our humanitarian relief efforts," says Dimitris Raptis, Globalworth Group CEO. I think we need to act in two directions when it comes to the human resource in the health care system. In addition to increasing the income of this category, professional comfort conditions must be ensured to make the medical activity efficient, and the latter is essential to maintain in the country the professionals of the system, the Romanian Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said Thursday in Istanbul, at the high level reunion on health and migration in the European Region of the World Health Organisation. According to a press release from the Ministry of Health, Rafila participated in the first panel of the conference and addressed the need for a common health human resources strategy, as universal access to health services will not be possible if there are no professionals, including in less developed areas. "Over 15,000 doctors emigrated to other countries after Romania's accession to the European Union. In addition, other professionals from the health system emigrated. I think we need to act in two directions when it comes to the human resource in the health care system. In addition to increasing the income of this category, professional comfort conditions must be ensured to make the medical activity efficient, and the latter is essential to maintain in the country the professionals of the system," the Health Minister said. According to the source, in the second part of the panel, Alexandru Rafila presented the measures the Romanian Government has taken for the unhindered access to health services of refugees from Ukraine and the efforts the Ministry of Health is making to control tuberculosis, HIV and vaccine-preventable diseases among them. At the same time, the minister reaffirmed Romania's solidarity with the victims of the war in this country. "The Romanian Government is directly involved in providing aid to the Ukrainian authorities and citizens and has made available the platform "Ukraine - Together we help more" through which the humanitarian assistance offers are centralized and quickly directed to the beneficiaries. Ukrainian citizens who arrive in Romania have the same rights to access medical services as do Romanian citizens," the source said. Romania has also made available 3,300 beds that can receive injured from Ukraine in hospitals in all counties of the country. Also, all Ukrainian citizens arriving in Romania will benefit from health assessment, complete vaccination services and dental care. President Klaus Iohannis said that amid the current "highly concerning" security situation, there is an urgent need for a substantial and balanced reinforcement of NATO's entire eastern flank. The Romanian head of state had one-on-one talks and official talks on Thursday afternoon with visiting Estonian counterpart Alar Karis. "We had substantive discussions, given that the current security situation is highly concerning, particularly for the eastern flank states, both in the high north where Estonia is located, but especially in the southern Black Sea region where Romania sits. We urgently need a substantial and balanced reinforcement of the entire eastern flank, a united and strengthened forward presence. This is why Romania is working to further increase its allied military presence here," Klaus Iohannis said after meeting with Estonian President Alar Karis. He said that he will also present Romania's priorities at the NATO Summit in Brussels next week, which will be also attended by U.S. President Joe Biden. AGERPRES Romania is committed in supporting the Republic of Moldova during its accession process to the European Union, president Klaus Iohannis reiterated on Thursday. "Moldova submitted the application to accede to the European Union and last night I discussed at length with president Sandu and with PM Gavrilita regarding this matter. Romania is committed, not only is it willing to support the Republic of Moldova, in multiple ways and various levels. Now, at this moment, support is a political one, we are declaring that we support the accession of the Republic of Moldova, we are saying this in all formats and are explaining all partners why we believe this to be right," Iohannis declared, after a meeting with visiting Estonian counterpart, Alar Karis.AGERPRES Romania is prepared to provide its own infrastructure to diversify the supply of natural gas from multiple sources, considering that the aim is to eliminate energy dependence on the Russian Federation, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, Agerpres reports. "From the discussions that we had today it turns out that Romania and Spain have converging opinions regarding the importance that we grant to developing energy transport infrastructure, ensuring inter-connectivity between member states, increasing production and storage capacities. Romania is prepared to provide its own energy infrastructure so as to diversify supply of natural gas from multiple sources," the head of state said.He showed that the necessary measures for mitigating the impact of energy prices for European consumers will be discussed during the meeting of the European Council, which will take place next week."The measures taken at European level must also take into account the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine," added President Iohannis. Labor inspectors issued 2,276 misdemeanor citations as part of the national campaign regarding gas stations, of which 1,766 warnings and 510 fines, worth 2.21 million RON, announced, on Thursday, Labor Minister Marius Budai on his Facebook page. According to the quoted source, there were 2,453 control actions at gas stations employing 84,389 employees. There were 11 cases of illegal employment, and the activity of one economic operator was ceased, the Labor Minister also said. Several institutions, among which the Competition Council, the National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF), National Consumer Protection Authority (ANPC) and the Labor Ministry, have conducted control activities at gas stations in the past week after, a few days ago, gas stations were assaulted by drivers scared that the price of gas will exceed 10 RON per liter, as information in the public sphere claimed. Photos appeared on social media with drivers buying gas in bags, demijohns, containers, and barrels. At the time, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu urged Romanians to calm, saying that there are sufficient stocks and prices have no reason to increase. Furthermore, the Competition Council mentioned that it is monitoring the gas market and investigating situations where prices have risen very much without economic justification. According to the Competition Council, the anticipation of a certain price that should be practiced by a company and announcing it on the market can fall under the incidence of provisions in the Competition Law. Companies must establish their price policies independently, depending on their own strategy and the structure of costs involved in running their activity, agreements, while concerted actions regarding to market behavior are punished by the legislation in the domain. In these conditions, gas stations have received fines, up to now, from the Environment Guard, the National Consumer Protection Authority and the Labor Inspection. AGERPRES A lorry loaded with 18 tonnes of undocumented waste, second-hand goods was stopped at the Border Crossing Point (PTF) Bors by border police and Environmental Guard commissioners, with the waste being returned to the sending company, the Oradea Local Border Police Inspectorate (ITPF) reported on Thursday, Agerpres reports. The lorry was driven by a 46-year-old Romanian citizen. The Bihor border guards, who carried out on the way into Romania a specific check of the vehicle, found that it was allegedly shipping, according to the customs manifest, various second-hand goods from an Italian company for a Romanian company.As there were suspicions about the legality of the shipment in question, the border police requested the authorised support of the representatives of the Bihor County Commissariat within the National Environmental Guard.Following the checks, it was found that the lorry was loaded with 18,000 kilogrammes of waste consisting of second-hand goods, for which the driver did not present a manifest."Consequently, guards of the Bors border crossing point, together with workers from the Bihor County Commissariat within the National Environmental Guard, denied access to Romania of this mode of transportation, with the waste being returned to the shipping company." Dozens of children from Ukraine have enrolled as unattached pupils with two schools in Alba County, most of them being from among the refugees accommodated at the Dumbrava Monastery. The spokesperson for the Alba County School Inspectorate (ISJ), Gabriela Galea, on Thursday told AGERPRES that, until now, 42 children have enrolled in the county, as unattached pupils, with the secondary schools in Unirea and Almasu Mare.A number of 27 of them enrolled with the "Avram Iancu" Gymnasium School in Unirea, an educational unit where they receive help, including from a priest who knows Ukrainian language.According to the representatives of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Alba Iulia, at the Dumbrava Monastery, 50 people of Ukrainian citizenship benefit from accommodation and meals.Located near the National Road 1/European 8, in Cluj County, the Dumbrava Monastery was the first place in the county where refugees from Ukraine were accommodated. An abandoned childcare centre and a nursing home have been operating here for many years. A number of 929 Ukrainian citizens have reached in the past 24 hours the mobile transit camp for refugees set up in Husi City, inform representatives of the Vaslui County Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU Vaslui). According to the institution's spokesperson, Marius Stanciu, most refugees have moved towards other cities, and 14 requested they be hosted in the mobile camp. "In the past 24 hours, 929 Ukrainians have arrived in the mobile transit camp in Husi City, 915 of them later leaving for other cities. 732 persons left for Bucharest, 140 for Vaslui and 26 for Iasi. 157 persons running from the war preferred to be temporarily put up in different living spaces in the cities of Vaslui and Husi, while another 14 persons requested to be accommodated in the mobile camp operational in Husi City. Other spaces will be made available depending on the number of refugees who request accommodation in Vaslui County. The situation of refugees is dynamic, data regarding accommodation spaces changing continuously throughout the day," said the ISU Vaslui spokesperson. AGERPRES More than five tonnes of undocumented tobacco were discovered at the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point by customs authorities as they were checking a lorry that was about to exit Romania, and also 23 migrants from four countries hidden in the vehicle, Agerpres reports. According to a press statement by the Arad Border Police released on Thursday, the lorry was driven by a Turkish citizen, who was shipping, according to the cargo document, sundries for a Belgian company.Also discovered among the transported goods were several cardboard boxes containing the amount of 5,751.5 kg of hookah tobacco, for which the driver could not present a manifest.Police said the migrants were from Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan, between the ages of 18 and 42, and "intended to fraudulently enter a Schengen area."The entire amount of tobacco, estimated at 5.7 million lei, was impounded in order to continue the investigation.Border guards are investigating the case as attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border in the case of the persons hidden in the trailer, and the driver is being investigated for migrant trafficking and contraband. Spain will continue to be an example of how Ukrainian refugees should be received, visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared on Thursday in Bucharest, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to weaken the EU, but member states have provided a unitary response and condemn Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in unison. "I conveyed to President Iohannis the Spanish people's solidarity as regards the flow of refugees from Ukraine, but also from other countries. The Romanian people has taken them all in. Spain will continue to be an example as to how refugees should be received, not only those coming from Ukraine, but also those arriving through the Republic of Moldova. I spoke with the President of the Republic of Moldova and assured her of the Spanish people's support. 1,000 Ukrainian refugees will be taken from the Republic of Moldova to Spain in this exercise of solidarity," Sanchez said at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after talks with President Klaus Iohannis. He stressed that European states must also display unity as far as the sanctions against Russia are concerned. "We must show unity as far as sanctions are concerned, because it's important to send two very clear messages to Putin and his oligarchs: the sanctions package will keep expanding. This week we approved a new package of very harsh sanctions against Putin, the oligarchs and, of course, the Russian economy. We have imposed very tough sanctions on Russian oligarchs in Spain," Prime Minister Sanchez said. President Klaus Iohannis stated, on Thursday, that imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine cannot be done practically, as NATO does not desire a military conflict with the Russian Federation, mentioning that Romania has rallied to this clear position. "NATO does not desire a military conflict with the Russian Federation. NATO desires to perform whatever may be performed to not allow the war to extend beyond the borders it is currently in. The measures that NATO has taken, that the European Union has taken are of the economic sanction type. As a consequence, the imposition of a no-fly zone cannot be done practically, as such a no-fly zone can only be imposed militarily and we do not want to create the premises for the extension of the armed conflict in Ukraine. This position is very clear and Romania has rallied to this position," said Iohannis, asked on the topic at the joint press conference held together with Estonian President Alar Karis at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. The President of Estonia stated, in his turn, that imposing such a no-fly zone is a "difficult matter". He went on to say that while the Estonian Parliament adopted a statement in support of such a measure, the matter is difficult, as it would involve NATO and Russia coming in direct contact, which is something that is not desirable at this time. He also stated his belief that at some point such a zone may have to be instituted. The Parliament of Estonia (Riikokogu) has requested the institution of a no-fly zone over Ukraine and encouraged the European Union and NATO to consolidate the alliance with this country. The request was adopted with 90 votes for out of a possible 101 (number of MP seats). President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that the new security situation calls for a consistent strengthening of the defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, especially in its southern part, including the rapid creation of the Fighting Group based in Romania, Agerpres reports. "We have assessed (...) together the security situation in the immediate vicinity of the Eastern Flank and, of course, of the Black Sea in particular, as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This new situation requires a consistent consolidation of the defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, especially in its southern part, where Romania is located - including through the rapid creation of the Fighting Group based in our country. We count on Spain's support in this regard," Iohannis said, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, after the meeting with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain, Pedro Sanchez.The Romanian president appreciated the very good cooperation with Spain within NATO."The new allied Strategic Concept, to be adopted in Madrid, will have to adequately reflect the new security reality," Iohannis said.He thanked Spain for ensuring last year's air policing mission in Romania and for its contribution to NATO's command structures in Romania."I encourage the growth of these contributions in Romania and at the Black Sea, because the current extremely complicated context requires it," the head of state added.President Iohannis pointed out that Romania will continue to act, in its turn, as a responsible state, contributing to regional and Euro-Atlantic security alongside Spain and the other allies. The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, visiting Romania, was received on Thursday at Victoria Palace by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, Agerpres reports. The two senior officials will have an official meeting.During his visit to Bucharest, the President of the Spanish Government will be received by President Klaus Iohannis.After the one-on-one and official talks, the Romanian head of state and the President of the Spanish Government will make joint press statements. Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca had, on Thursday, a meeting with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, the discussions focusing mainly the multidimensional impact of the crisis in Ukraine, with emphasis on the topics regarding stability, refugees and energy, the Government informs. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES, the two heads of Government confirmed the necessity of a European solution to reform the energy market, as well as to respond to the needs of refugees from Ukraine. Both the Prime Minister of Romania, as well as his Spanish counterpart have appreciated the solidary response of NATO and the EU to the Ukraine crisis, confirming the importance of solidarity with states in the first line of managing refugee flows. He also noted the particular effort of the Republic of Moldova, who received the largest number of refugees in relation to the population of the country, accentuating the "urgent" need for European and bilateral support for Chisinau. The Spanish Prime Minister expressed his wish to continue to support efforts to help the Republic of Moldova, the release also shows. During discussions, Nicolae Ciuca also presented the measures had in view as part of the new scheme to cap and compensate energy and natural gas prices. He also expressed interest for organizing, with celerity, the first joint session of the two Governments, with the purpose of maximizing bilateral cooperation. "The Spanish Prime Minister showed appreciation for the relation between the two states, through the bridge represented by Romanian citizens living in Spain, and reiterated interest in developing and consolidating bilateral relations. At the same time, Prime Minister Sanchez offered thanks for the reaction and solidarity of Romanian people, offering Spain's continued support as part of the European effort to support refugees from Ukraine," the Government's release mentions. AGERPRES The 22nd day of war in Ukraine. Romania continues its actions to support Ukrainian refugees and Kyiv authorities. Here is a selection of the main news of Thursday, March 17: * President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday, that during the talks with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, he pointed out that the Republic of Moldova needs the support of the European Union and of the Member States to manage the increased influx of refugees. "The war in Ukraine means, first of all, a deep humanitarian crisis. The dramas of millions of Ukrainians who are forced to leave their bombed country are devastating. From the outset, Romania has given full support to all refugees from Ukraine who come to our country. I have discussed with the President of the Spanish Government the measures adopted by Romania in this regard, in particular the operationalization of the logistics center in [northeastern] Suceava, which collects and transfers in Ukraine and, if necessary, in the Republic of Moldova, international humanitarian aid. This humanitarian hub is the concrete expression of European solidarity, essential in such moments. I have drawn attention to the fact that the Republic of Moldova needs our support, that of the Union and of the Member States, to manage the increased influx of refugees," said the president, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, after the meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. * Estonia and Romania have cooperation and partnership relations within NATO and work together to achieve common goals for the defense of Europe, President Alar Karis said on Thursday evening at Cotroceni Palace, noting that his country agrees that more action is needed on the Eastern Flank, given Russia's "aggressive" behavior. "I am glad to be here in Bucharest. I would've hoped to see you in a different context, yet here it is important that two NATO allies and EU members stand together for Ukraine. We celebrated last year 100 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Estonia. Our cooperation is a success story and so will it be in the future," Karis said after talks with President Klaus Iohannis. * Spain will continue to be an example of how Ukrainian refugees should be received, visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared on Thursday in Bucharest, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to weaken the EU, but member states have provided a unitary response and condemn Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in unison. "I conveyed to President Iohannis the Spanish people's solidarity as regards the flow of refugees from Ukraine, but also from other countries. The Romanian people has taken them all in. Spain will continue to be an example as to how refugees should be received, not only those coming from Ukraine, but also those arriving through the Republic of Moldova. I spoke with the President of the Republic of Moldova and assured her of the Spanish people's support. 1,000 Ukrainian refugees will be taken from the Republic of Moldova to Spain in this exercise of solidarity," Sanchez said at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after talks with President Klaus Iohannis. * A number of 225 Ukrainian children who entered Romania unaccompanied are in the country's protection centers, the Minister of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities, Gabriela Firea, mentioned on Thursday on Facebook. "Since the beginning of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, 528 children have entered Romania unaccompanied, and 225 of them are still in the centers in our country," Gabriela Firea noted. "KidsUkraine is an online platform for the real-time management of the situation of Ukrainian children entering Romania. Ukrainian children are going through a immeasurable drama. From the beginning of this unprovoked military aggression in Ukraine, we have been constantly looking for solutions to help the orphans who have come to us in the country. And when it came to children not accompanied by their parents, we looked for solutions to get them back to their families. It is in relation to the delicate situation of these children that we designed the KidsUkraine app, an online platform intended exclusively for the integrated management of the situation of children entering Romania without a parent or legal guardian," noted Gabriela Firea. * Over 300 Ukrainians were registered at the Refugee Center in eastern Vrancea County since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine and until now, where they were accommodated in centers provided by authorities or individuals, according to the Vrancea Prefecture. "Until now, throughout the county, 314 refugees were registered in the Refugee Center in Vrancea, staying in centers designated by the authorities, as well as with private persons. On Thursday, the accommodation capacity in Vrancea in temporary housing for refugees / displaced persons, established by the Decision of the Vrancea County Council for Emergency Situations, was 232 places. Of these, 36 were occupied (14 women, one man and 21 children). Regarding refugees who are staying at individuals around the county of Vrancea and registered in the Refugee Center, we specify that their number is currently 129. For individuals in the county there have been 54 women counted, 14 men and 61 children," according to a reply sent to AGERPRES by the Vrancea Prefecture. * The occupancy rate of the accommodation centres of the General Inspectorate for Immigration is 68.3 per cent, the Ministry of Interior (MAI) informs on Thursday. Ever since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, 4,019 Ukrainian citizens applied for asylum in Romania, 45 of whom in the past 24 hours. These citizens benefit from all the rights stipulated by the national laws. "In respect to the traffic at the border crossing points, we mentioned that, in the past 24 hours, 19,104 vehicles entered our country, and 63,709 persons, out of whom 15,286 Ukrainian citizens," showed the abovementioned source. * Romania is an example in terms of the support granted to the Ukrainian refugees, Romanian Crown Custodian, Her Majesty Margareta, Romanian Red Cross President, said during a visit at the Isaccea border crossing point in Tulcea County. The Crown Custodian appreciated the manner in which the Romanian authorities have organised and voiced pride in the civil society having intervened to support Ukrainian refugees. "I find it well organised. I am very proud of what Romanians are doing, that they have opened their arms and hearts. It is a beautiful and necessary thing. It will last in time, and this is the problem. (...) It is a worldwide effort we are making now, nonetheless Romania has acted exemplarily and I am very proud. But we must make an effort in time," Her Majesty Margareta said. Her Majesty also mentioned the involvement of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), whose ad-interim representative in Romania, Pablo Zapata, participates in the coordination of support efforts for people leaving Ukraine. * France's ambassador to Romania, Laurence Auer, said on Thursday that Romania is showing exemplary solidarity with Ukrainian refugees, "displaced people who have gone through dramatic situations." "Thirty years after the return of democracy and fifteen years after its accession to the European Union, Romania shows exemplary solidarity with these displaced people who have gone through dramatic situations. Civil society and local authorities show extraordinary mobilization. The commitment of the Romanian authorities to the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism has been exemplary. The Suceava humanitarian hub, a logistics platform for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, has been operational for several days," said Laurence Auer. * A number of 929 Ukrainian citizens have reached in the past 24 hours the mobile transit camp for refugees set up in Husi City, inform representatives of the Vaslui County Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU Vaslui). According to the institution's spokesperson, Marius Stanciu, most refugees have moved towards other cities, and 14 requested they be hosted in the mobile camp. * Dozens of children from Ukraine have enrolled as unattached pupils with two schools in Alba County, most of them being from among the refugees accommodated at the Dumbrava Monastery. The spokesperson for the Alba County School Inspectorate (ISJ), Gabriela Galea, on Thursday told AGERPRES that, until now, 42 children have enrolled in the county, as unattached pupils, with the secondary schools in Unirea and Almasu Mare. A number of 27 of them enrolled with the "Avram Iancu" Gymnasium School in Unirea, an educational unit where they receive help, including from a priest who knows Ukrainian language. According to the representatives of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Alba Iulia, at the Dumbrava Monastery, 50 people of Ukrainian citizenship benefit from accommodation and meals. Located near the National Road 1/European 8, in Cluj County, the Dumbrava Monastery was the first place in the county where refugees from Ukraine were accommodated. An abandoned childcare centre and a nursing home have been operating here for many years. * The Union of Romania's Ukrainians (UUR) has so far collected over 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid and carried out more than 60 shipments in Ukraine, sheltering more than 700 refugees at its headquarters, according to Ukrainian minority lawmaker Nicolae-Miroslav Petretchi. "The invasion of Ukraine by the troops of the Russian Federation, the war launched by Putin's regime and its disastrous consequences have united millions of people around the world, who have shown unimaginable humanity, which is why we want to start by thanking them, the Romanian state, the Romanian people, in its entirety, the central and local administration, non-governmental organisations, volunteers, donors and all those involved in the campaign to support the Ukrainian people in these extremely difficult times, demonstrating an incredible capacity to mobilise," Petretchi says in a press statement released on Thursday. * Globalworth, a leading office investor in Central and Eastern Europe, is offering office floors in Romania to host 700 Ukrainian refugees, according to a press statement released on Thursday by the company. In Romania, Globalworth is offering two office floors in the BOB office building in Bucharest, which can host up to 700 refugees and a logistics space in Chitila Logistics Hub, where donations will be stored and sorted before reaching those in need. "Providing shelter for refugees and storage for food and medical supplies is the first step in our humanitarian relief efforts," says Dimitris Raptis, Globalworth Group CEO. * Refugees from Ukraine will have access to medical consultations by telephone in Ukrainian for general medicine and paediatric care, the Zi de BINE Association reports in a press release. The national telephone number 0040 373787805 is toll free and available 24/7. The hotline was opened by the Zi de BINE association in partnership Telios Care, a company that provides telemedicine services. The release carries data provided by the Romanian Border Police that show approximately 400,000 refugees from Ukraine have arrived in Romania since the outbreak of the war. Almost 305,000 people have already left for other countries, while 95,000 have remained in Romania. * The fourth shipment of humanitarian aid collected through the 'Timisoara for Ukraine' initiative leaves on Thursday from Timisoara for the city's Ukrainian twin Chernivtsi, mayor Dominic Fritz said. "Refugees from Ukraine are at the center of these actions, and their dignity comes first. This means that we do not treat them as anonymous victims, but we provide them support so that they are able to muster their own forces to manage these tragic events in their lives. (...) Two days after the outbreak of the Russian war in Ukraine - let us not forget who the aggressor is - we invited the civil society, whoever wants to get involved in Timisoara's response to this war. There was a meeting attended by organizations, universities and churches, and we agreed to found this umbrella organization, 'Timisoara for Ukraine'. Many other organizations, universities and companies have since joined us," mayor Fritz told a press conference. The Romanian Red Cross is announcing that it is sending the third convoy bearing humanitarian aid to Cernauti (Chernivtsi), in support of the persons affected by the war in Ukraine. "The situation of civilians in Ukraine is harder by each passing day, humanitarian needs increase, thousands of persons need food, water, bedding, and medicine," shows a release sent on Thursday to AGERPRES. The humanitarian convoy organized by the Romanian Red Cross will be formed of five tractor-trailers transporting 120 tons of food, personal hygiene items, bedding, medicine and pet food. The five trucks are leaving from different areas of the country - Bucharest, Cluj, Salaj and Sibiu - and will meet at the Siret Border Crossing Point from where they will leave together towards the Ukrainian Red Cross in Cernauti. Until this time, the only green corridor that allows for the safe passage of the humanitarian convoy is the Siret - Cernauti route. The products that will reach the population of Ukraine come from the warehouses of the Romanian Red Cross, from donations from companies, but also donations made by the population in the counties of Cluj, Salaj, Sibiu, Olt, Valcea, Bucharest's District 5, and more, the release shows. As many as 4,033 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 120 from the previous day, with over 35,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Thursday, Agerpres reports. Of the new cases, 506 were in re-infected patients, who tested positive more than 90 days after the first time they recovered from the disease.Most of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania since the previous reporting were recorded in Bucharest City - 1,129, and in the counties of Cluj - 379, and Timis - 305.As of Thursday, 2,806,881 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.- Hospitalisations -As many as 3,287 people with COVID-19, down 107 from the previous reporting, including 210 children, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 502 patients, down 14, including four children, are in intensive care.Of the 502 patients admitted to ICU, 448 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.- Deaths -According to the ministry, another 63 Romanians infected with SARS-CoV-2 - 43 men and 20 women - are reported dead in the last 24 hours.Out of the total 63 patients who died, 54 were unvaccinated and 9 vaccinated. The vaccinated patients were over 60 years of age. All vaccinated patients who died had comorbidities.Since the beginning of the pandemic, 64,581 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. Topical issues on the NATO and EU agendas, in the context of the complex security situation in the Black Sea region, were addressed on Thursday by the Minister of Defense, Vasile Dincu, in a meeting with the Italian Ambassador in Bucharest, Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni. According to a release from the Ministry of National Defense sent to AGERPRES, the Minister of National Defense conveyed the Romanian side's appreciation of Italy's commitment to strengthening the Allied position of deterrence and defense on the eastern flank and in the Black Sea region, especially the constant participation in strengthened air policing mission in Romania and supplementing this mission with four Eurofighter aircraft, amid the war in Ukraine.Dincu, at the meeting held at the Ministry of National Defense headquarters, underlined the importance of the recent decisions adopted on the occasion of the meeting of the defense ministers of the NATO member states, which took place on March 16 in Brussels, appreciating the fact that they from Madrid this year.The meeting also provided an opportunity to review the state of bilateral relations, highlighting the consistency of cooperation at the level of all categories of armed forces. The parties reiterated the readiness to expand and strengthen defense cooperation by including new areas of cooperation and the organization of relevant activities, the statement said. The fourth shipment of humanitarian aid collected through the 'Timisoara for Ukraine' initiative leaves on Thursday from Timisoara for the city's Ukrainian twin Chernivtsi, mayor Dominic Fritz said, Agerpres reports. "Refugees from Ukraine are at the center of these actions, and their dignity comes first. This means that we do not treat them as anonymous victims, but we provide them support so that they are able to muster their own forces to manage these tragic events in their lives. (...) Two days after the outbreak of the Russian war in Ukraine - let us not forget who the aggressor is - we invited the civil society, whoever wants to get involved in Timisoara's response to this war. There was a meeting attended by organizations, universities and churches, and we agreed to found this umbrella organization, 'Timisoara for Ukraine'. Many other organizations, universities and companies have since joined us," mayor Fritz told a press conference.He explained that this initiative organizes humanitarian aid transports for the needs of Ukraine, but almost 500,000 RON lei have also been raised and housing is offered to the refugees who stay in the city for one night or for longer.The 'Timisoara for Ukraine' initiative was launched through the joint efforts of the Timisoara Municipality Social Assistance Directorate, the Social Initiatives Group LOGS, the Timisoara Community Foundation, Banat IT and teams of volunteers.Other partners involved in this initiative were also present at the press conference, specifically director of the Timisoara Social Assistance Directorate Emese Esztero, executive director of the Timisoara Community Foundation Dana Chesaru, BanatIT president Costin Bleotu, BanatIT event manager and volunteer coordinator Ana Lukacs, and director of the Law Clinic for Civil Society of the West University of Timisoara's Law Faculty.The reception center for Ukrainian refugees has so far been called by almost 600 citizens from the neighboring country, who were directed to lodging facilities, received financial aid or other vital information on how to integrate their children in city schools, how to get a foothold in the job market, the legal procedures for asylum applications, marriages, baptisms or oncological treatments.Mayor Dominic Fritz also said that Timisoara has 1,708 beds available for war refugees, but only 73 were occupied last night. Refugees from Ukraine will have access to medical consultations by telephone in Ukrainian for general medicine and paediatric care, the Zi de BINE Association reports in a press release, Agerpres reports. The national telephone number 0040 373787805 is toll free and available 24/7. The hotline was opened by the Zi de BINE association in partnership Telios Care, a company that provides telemedicine services.The release carries data provided by the Romanian Border Police that show approximately 400,000 refugees from Ukraine have arrived in Romania since the outbreak of the war. Almost 305,000 people have already left for other countries, while 95,000 have remained in Romania."We cannot imagine what is in the hearts of people who are fleeing to save their lives and who are forced to leave behind their fathers, brothers, wives and other family members. But we can understand that now is the time, again to help. This time by a customised telemedicine service, which will provide them with the medical information they need, in the language they speak," according to Melania Medeleanu and Luciana Zaharia, founders of the Zi de BINE association.Early this March, together with partners and donors, the association sent almost 100 tonnes of products to both sides of the Romanian-Ukrainian border - food, medicine, blankets, personal care products, etc.Currently, the association is setting up in one of the transit centres in Iasi playgrounds for children and recreational areas for mothers, while in Bucharest, on April 1, it will open the gates to a Zi de BINE community centre designed for the Ukrainian community. The Union of Romania's Ukrainians (UUR) has so far collected over 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid and carried out more than 60 shipments in Ukraine, sheltering more than 700 refugees at its headquarters, according to Ukrainian minority lawmaker Nicolae-Miroslav Petretchi, Agerpres reports. "The invasion of Ukraine by the troops of the Russian Federation, the war launched by Putin's regime and its disastrous consequences have united millions of people around the world, who have shown unimaginable humanity, which is why we want to start by thanking them, the Romanian state, the Romanian people, in its entirety, the central and local administration, non-governmental organisations, volunteers, donors and all those involved in the campaign to support the Ukrainian people in these extremely difficult times, demonstrating an incredible capacity to mobilise," Petretchi says in a press statement released on Thursday.According to him, UUR got mobilised from the first hours of the Russian invasion, acting first in support of refugees from Ukraine in the border points located on the border with Ukraine.Subsequently, UUR prepared the headquarters of all its branches and local organisations in the counties of Arad, Botosani, Caras-Severin, Maramures, Suceava, Satu Mare, Tulcea, Timis, Bucharest City and also in other counties, equipping them to receive refugees from Ukraine.UUR also answered a call from local administration in western Ukraine, sending the first humanitarian shipment with essentials, primarily bedding sets, non-perishable food, personal care products and medicines.UUR officials are 24/7 at the border crossing points, accompanying humanitarian convoys, while UUR headquarters take over donations coming from business operators, NGOs, ordinary people and ship them to Ukraine."To date, the Union of Romania's Ukrainians has collected over 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid and carried out more than 60 shipments in Ukraine through the border crossings Sighet - Slatina, Halmeu - Diakove, Siret-Porubne, Isaccea-Orlivka. Simultaneously with the collection of humanitarian aid for refugees from Ukraine, the union continues its humanitarian and refugee support activities, thus tripling the number of accommodation and meals available to Ukrainian citizens affected by the war at the headquarters of the union, with the beneficiaries of the accommodation and catering services being over 700 people, without mentioning those who were accommodated at the members of the union."Petretchi adds that at the UUR headquarters on the border between Romania and Ukraine, children and adults are offered medical services and psychological counselling, as well as access to libraries containing Romanian-Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Romanian conversation guides, Ukrainian books and magazines, including for children, which can be distributed, on request, throughout the country.At the same time, UUR provides Ukrainian refugees, free of charge, with modes of transport, including to the Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest, so that those who have problems with their identity documents can solve them as soon as possible.In addition, UUR is involved in a campaign launched by the National Agency against Trafficking in Persons, ensuring the translation and distribution of information materials at border crossings, in order to raise awareness of the risks associated with human trafficking, says Petretchi."Under a partnership with Radio Romania, UUR representatives also distribute flyers with information on the frequencies on which local stations broadcast news bulletins in Ukrainian, with important information for refugees made by Radio Romania International. At the same time, UUR in partnership with TVR ensure the broadcast of Ukrainian-language news nationwide for Ukrainian refugees."The Union of Romania's Ukrainians opened on February 24 the fund "For peace in Ukraine and solidarity with the Ukrainian people" to provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainian citizens in conflict-torn areas, to which all those who want to lend a hand to the Ukrainian people can contribute, according to Petretchi. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LONDON Where you go. What you pass. Where you stop. What you listen to. What you watch. Your good habits. Your bad habits. Companies in Europe and beyond are vying for control of the crown jewels of the connected car era: your vehicles data. The contest is entering a pivotal phase as EU regulators look to hammer out the worlds first laws for the ballooning industry around web-enabled vehicles, pitting carmakers against a coalition of insurers, leasing companies and repair shops. European Commission sources said the EU executive should launch an industry consultation on in-vehicle data this week which could lead to legislation later this year the first of its kind globally. Many companies view data as the gold of the new wired world, though for some its more akin to air or water. If you dont have access to data in the future, eventually youll be squeezed out, says Tim Albertsen, CEO of ALD, Societe Generales car leasing division, which commands millions of vehicles. Youll not be efficient, youll not have the right services, you just cant operate at the end of the day. Car manufacturers, guarding their gatekeeper role in accessing data from their vehicles, have resisted specific regulations for in-vehicle data, saying that protecting consumers is paramount. Europes auto industry is committed to giving access to the data generated by the vehicles it produces, said a spokesperson for the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). However, uncontrolled access to in-vehicle data poses major safety, (cyber) security, data protection and privacy threats. Yet the companies lined up against them say limiting or charging what they deem unfair amounts for access to in-vehicle data could kill off competition for carmakers who already operate their own leasing firms, car subscription services and repair shops. In some cases, they say carmakers are already restricting access to vehicle data and charging independent repair shops more for access. The manufacturers are in direct contact with the vehicle, so they get all the data, says Sylvia Gotzen, CEO of the International Federation of Automotive Aftermarket Distributors, or FIGIEFA, which is part of a broader alliance of repair shops and parts makers that employs 3.5 million people in Europe. They get the full buffet and all we get is some crumbs. Carmakers: We share Vehicle manufacturers have big plans for data. For example Stellantis, the worlds No. 4 carmaker, expects to generate 20 billion euros ($22.4 billion) annually by 2030 from software products and subscription services. Such offerings are also central to General Motors plan to double annual revenue to around $280 billion. Volkswagen said data is becoming the key source of value creation and innovation, adding that customers have full control over it, citing vehicle security and customer sovereignty as its main focuses. BMW rejected suggestions it was withholding data. The German company said it can share nearly 100 data points with third parties if drivers requested it and could make more available if companies prove a real business need for them and a willingness to take responsibility for cybersecurity risks. Auto supplier groups like FIGIEFA say carmakers can access thousands of data points. A BMW spokesperson said the carmaker would like all sides to sit down with a mediator such as the European Commission and hammer out a list of data points that is acceptable to everyone. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares told reporters on Friday that the carmaker aggregated data, which cost money, and so needed to be paid for it. He cited, as an example, data that Stellantis sells to cities to measure how often anti-lock braking systems are engaged at junctions and gauge which are the most dangerous. It is not only collecting the data, it is also about crunching the data in a way that is going to create value for somebody willing to pay for it, Tavares said. Data is absolutely key Yet other companies in the auto ecosystem, such as ALD, say they want the European Union to ensure a level playing field. ALD, in the process of buying Dutch rival LeasePlan to give it a combined fleet of 3.5 million vehicles, has a car-sharing platform that needs to run diagnostics, read the odometer, check the fuel gauge and switch cars between users. It also offers an insurance product that lowers your premium based on good driving behavior monitoring how you accelerate and brake. Access to data is absolutely key for us to provide the services we do today, CEO Albertsen said. To extract car data, ALD plugs a wireless dongle into the vehicle that transmits information to an in-house developed platform that it pays U.S. startup Vinli to operate. Carmakers running similar services get that data directly, putting ALD at a competitive disadvantage, Albertsen said. Stellantis, for instance, offers car sharing and rentals through its Free2Move unit. Volkswagen could take over rental company Europcar to take advantage of car sharing and subscription services. And most major carmakers have their own leasing units, like BMWs Alphabet and Mercedes-Benzs Athlon. ALDs Albertsen said major fleet customers were willing to pay for the data but that he wanted regulations to ensure ALDs car-sharing unit paid the same as, for instance, Stellantis charges its own Free2Move division. Risks for repair shops Insurers and car repair shops say it is paramount that the EU let drivers choose who accesses their vehicles data. There is a need to regulate this, as you cannot leave this in the hands of car manufacturers, said Nicolas Jeanmart, industry group Insurance Europes head of personal and general insurance. It should be for each driver to decide what they want to do with their data. FIGIEFAs Gotzen said that would allow car owners to link their preferred repair shop to their car and have it run remote diagnostics if they had car trouble, instead of relying solely on the manufacturers recommendations. All of this is technically possible now, but we are hampered because car manufacturers prevent us from doing this, she said. She said FIGIEFAs members are willing to adopt carmakers cybersecurity processes and requirements, but added cybersecurity could serve as an excuse for carmakers to restrict access. Richard Knubben, deputy director general of Leaseurope, which represents Europes leasing and car rental firms, said the longer the EU took to legislate car data, the more independent repair shops are at risk of going out of business because they lack access to it. By the time we get legislation we may already be stuck with an imbalance that we cant fix anymore, Knubben said. Additional reporting by Victoria Waldersee in Berlin, Gilles Guillaume in Paris, Carolyn Cohn and Huw Jones in London. The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis returns Aug. 18-28 with its seventh edition: Tennessee Williams and Italy. A highlight of the festival will be a production of The Rose Tattoo," performed at the Big Top in Grand Center. In a statement, executive artistic director Carrie Houk said the festival will celebrate the resilience of love, passion, community, art and the human spirit. Directed by David Kaplan, "The Rose Tattoo" is set in the South and focuses on an Italian-American widow coping with grief but poised for a new romance. Other festival events will be presented in the Hill neighborhood. Among those featured: a series of one-act plays by Williams; screenings of "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (adapted from a short novel and starring Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty) and "Boom!" (based on a play and starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton); a scholars panel; and a walking tour of the Hill. Additional events will be announced. The full festival itinerary is available at twstl.org. Tickets may be purchased at metrotix.com beginning in July. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. If a movie puts two strangers together in a new city, or en route to one, two words tend to come up in comparison. They are: before and sunrise, thanks to the first, Vienna-set meetup in Richard Linklaters trilogy starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. Or brief and encounter, if its exquisitely thwarted British ardor. There are countless variations to be discovered among the bare bones of this kind of story. The bracing success of the new film Compartment No. 6 proves it. Its tough-minded and tender-hearted in equal measure. Its also slyly insightful on the theme of chance elements in solo travel and unexpected, emotionally tricky connections along the way. Director and co-screenwriter Juho Kuosmanen adapts, loosely, the 2011 Rosa Liksom novel, relocating the destination from Mongolia to northwestern-most Russia. Laura, a Finnish archeology student, is traveling to the icy port city of Murmansk, north of the Arctic Circle, to see some recently discovered petroglyphs. The trip wasnt supposed to be for one: Her sometime Moscow lover, Irina, whom we meet in early scenes at a cocktail party where the student feels conspicuously ill at ease, has contrived some airy reason not to go after all. Lauras sleeping compartment mate is an itinerant Russian miner, heading to Murmansk for work. Hes three-quarters in the bag when he and Laura meet; he makes a drunken, crude play for her, assuming shes heading north to turn tricks. Is this is a threatening situation for Laura? No. Yes. Maybe? Is this boor dangerous or lonely or both? Theres not a lot of overt judgement in Compartment No. 6, which may strike many American viewers as a deficiency, not a plus. After an unsuccessful bid to change compartments the stern conductor proves un-bribable Laura decides she can, and apparently must, put up with this guy, Ljoha. In a lurching sort of way they come to know each other. A friendly-looking Finnish man, lugging a guitar, joins them for a time, and Ljoha does not like this interloper. As the train makes its extended stops in St. Petersburg and other cities, Laura gradually realizes that she may have been wrong about the miner in the lower berth. You think Im a bad guy? he asks her at one point. Well, she answers, pausing. I only know what Ive seen. Thats a really good line, seriocomic in an easy, truthful way, and thats the film all over. Kuosmanen shot Compartment No. 6 with a tiny crew in cramped spaces, and you can practically smell the matted hair, the jars of pickles, the physical details of a long train trip. Laura films a lot of moments on that trip, just as she did in Moscow earlier. What did she capture there, Ljoha wonders? People. Parties. Flats. Laughter. Music. I loved it all. Shes talking about the idea of her fading lover, and Moscow, more than the everyday reality. But Laura is at a time in her life, as is Ljoha, when life is all about the sorting-through and wandering the messy accumulation of feelings, impressions, yearnings. This micro-cast of actors couldnt be better. Seidi Haarlas plaintive Laura offers a wealth of intricate emotion, never forcing the pathos or a comic reaction, always illuminating the characters inner life. As the edgy miner, bullet-headed Yuriy Borisov manages a challenging (and not entirely convincing, on the page) transition from overt lout to something more nuanced. There are other actors, other characters, but Compartment No. 6 belongs to these two. The movies not about movie-fed romantic love; as the director has said, its more of a fractious long-lost siblings sort of connection, though not entirely. However you take it, its a small but sure triumph. In theaters March 18. What Compartment No. 6 3 stars out of four Run time 1:47 Rating R for language and some sexual references Language In Russian and Finnish with English subtitles Aisha Sultan Aisha Sultan is home and family editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Aisha Sultan 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 Tricia Johnsons children started kindergarten and graduated high school in the same district where shes worked for 16 years. When they were younger she filled in as a substitute. For the past five years, however, shes taught classes on literacy and academic success at Festus Middle School. Its an average-sized middle school with about 500 students in a district with about 3,000 students. Its in Jefferson County, a politically conservative area in Missouri where 65% of voters supported Donald Trump in the last election. Johnson had never had a problem in the district until shortly into the start of this school year. She asked her students to research their learning styles and design an ideal workspace for themselves. They created these designs on a regular-sized piece of paper, and she hung them on a bulletin board in her classroom. Shes given this assignment several times before. This time, one of her students designs showed two anime characters holding hands in a room. In the upper corner of the page, she had put three small Pride flags. The flags associated with LGBTQ pride were about 1 inch tall and 4 inches across the paper. On the evening of Sept. 16, Johnson says her principal, Jacob Munoz, called her at home to say one of her students parents complained that she had displayed a picture of two girls in bed kissing. She informed him that wasnt true. He went to investigate in her class and noticed the paper with the 1-inch Pride flags. When Johnson showed up at work the next day, the students work was missing from the board. She immediately took down the other projects. I cant have one student left out, she explained. The principal asked to see her in his office. She says he pointed to the flags on the students paper, and said to her, We cant promote this. I dont see anything wrong with the picture, she said. You know Im a conservative Christian, he responded, according to Johnson. He also questioned her about a Love Languages quiz that is part of her curriculum. She explained that its the same quiz designed for children that the districts guidance counselors gives to fourth graders to help them better understand how they communicate. She remembers when her sons results were shared with her when he was in fourth grade. The principal told her it was inappropriate. The next day she received an electronic request from the superintendent and assistant superintendent to view her lesson plans, which she granted. Her principal asked for another meeting in which he gave her a disciplinary memo criticizing her teaching and judgment. It reprimanded her for having sexually suggestive content inappropriate for middle schoolers in her classroom. She told the principal that she didnt think the school should be censoring student work. He asked me if I would have hung up a swastika or Confederate flag, Johnson said. Those are not remotely the same thing, she replied. She recalls him saying the anime characters in the students drawing were standing too close to one another. He asked her to turn in her lesson plans in advance for him to review every week. At this point, Johnson followed the instructions given to her. She never displayed any of the other designs. She never administered the Love Languages quiz again. But she refused to back down in her support of her students work. She wrote a response to the reprimand and sent it to the principal and superintendent. The eventual reply from her principal criticized her professionalism and said she had violated students rights with the quiz at the beginning of the year. By the end of October, she filed a grievance against the district for discriminating against her student. She asked for the disciplinary note to be removed, for an independent investigation and for diversity training for all the staff in the district. I felt like if I let this go, this would be happening to other kids, and I didnt want that, she said. The first question the investigator asked me was Why did you choose this hill to die on? she said. His report found no evidence of discrimination. She appealed to the Festus School Board. They listened to her side and eventually denied that the district had violated any of the policies she outlined in her case. She filed a complaint in February with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Earlier this month, her principal informed her that they would not be rehiring her for the next school year. He gave her an annual review that said she was an ineffective teacher and unprofessional. After that meeting, she went to her classroom and cried. I love my job, she said. I love teaching. When I reached out to Superintendent Link Luttrell about Johnsons allegations he said privacy laws prevented the district from speaking about any personnel issues. The district released a statement saying, When any individual standards are not met, efforts are made to address those areas and work collaboratively with the employee to improve. It is disheartening when someone chooses instead to distribute a false narrative to discredit others. Johnson, who has shared the letters from her principal and her responses, says she knew that she might lose her job when she refused to back down. The whole reason I became a teacher is because I love kids, and I wanted to be a positive force in their lives, she said. If I let this go, then Ive failed. Her daughter started a Change.org petition asking the district to rehire her mother. More than 3,600 have signed in support of Johnson, so far. Shes received countless supportive messages from current and former students. We stand behind you, Mrs. Johnson, they said. Weve got your back. What a shame the district didnt have hers. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Q My daughter lost quite a bit of weight by drinking smoothies for several months but once she stopped, she gained it back fairly rapidly. She went from depressed to happy and then back to depressed all over her weight. The doctor said she could have one each day but must also eat at least two good, healthy meals each day and start exercising. She's 17 and now feels and looks better but it's still a struggle for not only her, but for all of us. Having only a smoothie for dinner is not acceptable. J.B. in Little Rock, Arkansas From Jodie Lynn Smoothies come in a wide variety of flavors and can sometimes feature many, many ingredients. They usually contain various fruits, vegetables, grains and/or yogurt. They are easily purchased from grocery stores or made at home. The vitamin and antioxidant content is often impressive and the nutrition is usually well over the expectation of our daily requirements. However, making them at home is cheaper and easier to ensure that there is nothing in them you don't want. Therefore, depending on each individual and their daily schedule and energy requirements, the number of smoothies, what kind and what size and where they come from (store or homemade) need to be taken into consideration, especially for kids who are still growing. For example, if your daughter is active, but not overly so, she may be able to get away with a couple each day. If you have a son who is is active and always running around and moving, he can do the same as long as he also eats his meals. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is the difference in their ages and stages of development plus activity levels. Everyone, including your daughter, needs protein each day. The best thing to do is to talk with their doctor about the situation and get help in monitoring their input and output of calories and exactly where those calories come from. CAN YOU HELP? My 10-year-old son only wants to stay indoors, play video games and eat chips and the like. He doesn't like sports. I'm trying to get him outdoors and moving but he complains about the heat. Any ideas on how to get him away from becoming a chubby couch potato? To share parenting tips or submit questions, write to: Parent to Parent, 2464 Taylor Road, Suite 131, Wildwood, MO 63040. Email: direct2contact@parenttoparent.com, or go to www.parenttoparent.com, which provides a secure and easy way to submit tips or questions. All tips must have city, state and first and last name or initials to be included in the column. Jodie Lynn is an award-winning parenting columnist, author of five books and mother to three children. She and her family live in Wildwood. In his gut-wrenching address to Congress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the United States for more and more he will get. U.S. leaders across the spectrum saluted Zelensky after he spoke to them Wednesday from Kyiv in his olive-drab T-shirt part Winston Churchill and part Che Guevara. For all the cheap politics of the moment (Republicans reflexively blaming President Joe Biden and refusing to applaud when Zelensky thanked Biden), Washington is uncommonly unified in purpose. Neither lawmakers nor the administration support a U.S.-led no-fly zone or any other troop commitment, and congressional hawks are successfully pushing Biden toward giving Ukraine whatever weaponry it desires, likely including aircraft. But Zelensky made another ask on Wednesday morning, and its something all Americans can help with. We can stop buying the products of businesses that continue to fund Vladimir Putins war machine, even after its full horrors indiscriminately targeting civilians, murdering children are obvious to the world. All American companies must leave Russia. Leave their market immediately, because it is flooded with our blood, the young leader said, asking lawmakers to make sure that the Russians do not receive a single penny that they use to destroy our people in Ukraine, the destruction of our country, the destruction of Europe. Peace is more important than income. Most American companies get that. Some 400 U.S. and other multinational firms have pulled out of Russia, either permanently or temporarily, according to Yales Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who has kept the authoritative list of corporate actions in Russia. Oil companies (BP, Shell, ExxonMobil) and tech companies (Dell, IBM, Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter) led the way, and many others (McDonalds, Starbucks, Coca-Cola) eventually followed. But, according to Sonnenfeld, there are, at the other extreme, 33 companies (as of Wednesday afternoon) that form a hall of shame, defying demands that they exit Russia or reduce their activities there. They are funding the Russian war machine, and they are undermining the whole idea of the sanctions, Sonnenfeld told me. The whole idea is to freeze up civil society, to get people out on the streets and outraged. Theyre undermining an effective resolution and increasing the likelihood of continued bloodshed. Those who want to stop Russias murderous attack against Ukraine should stop investing in or buying the products of these companies. Koch Industries, whose owners gave to right-wing causes for years, is now financing Putins war. The people who make Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Quilted Northern toilet paper, Vanity Fair napkins and Georgia-Pacific lumber are abetting the spilling of Ukrainians blood. Like Reebok shoes? Theyre being used to stomp on Ukraine. Authentic Brands Group, which also owns Aeropostale, Eddie Bauer, Brooks Brothers and Nine West, among others, is in the hall of shame. Before you bite into a Cinnabon (or Carvel ice cream, Schlotzskys sandwiches or Auntie Annes pretzel) consider that parent company Focus Brands is taking a bite out of democracy in Ukraine. So is Subway. While selling you the All-American Club, its giving Ukrainians the Cold-Cock Combo by refusing to cut loose its 446 Russian franchises. Several other household brands Truvia and Diamond Crystal salt (Cargill), Avon cosmetics (Natura), LG appliances, ASUS laptops, Mission tortillas (Gruma) and Pirelli tires are produced by companies on the shameful list. Are you or your mutual fund invested in Halliburton, Baker Hughes or Schlumberger? Then you should know that these oil services companies could deal a huge blow to Putins ability to wage war but they choose profit instead. Lets name and shame all the others among the 33: advertising firms BBDO, DDB and Omnicom; accountant Baker Tilly; industrial companies Air Liquide, Air Products, Greif, IPG Photonics, Linde, Mettler Toledo, Nalco and Rockwool; French hotelier Accor and retailers Auchan, Decathlon and Leroy Merlin; German wholesaler Metro; cloud service Cloudflare; International Paper; and Swedens Oriflame Cosmetics. An additional 72 multinationals have made only partial pullbacks from Russia, such as reducing current operations or holding off on new investments actions Sonnenfeld calls very questionable and smokescreens. Included here: Dunkin Donuts, General Mills, Mondelez (Oreos and other Nabisco products), candymaker Mars, Procter & Gamble, Yum Brands (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott. All these businesses could be doing more to stop Putins savagery and war crimes. Because they wont, we all should do more to stop them. Go to Sonnenfelds website via Yales School of Management to make sure you arent funding the businesses that are funding Putins war machine and reward the vast majority of companies that share Zelenskys belief that peace is more important than profit. Dana Milbank On Twitter: @Milbank Copyright The Washington Post People halted where they were walking, and drivers stopped their cars to get out of the vehicles as people bowed their heads in memory of the victims of the Nazi genocide. BONNE TERRE, Mo. A man fatally shot one police officer and injured another at a Motel 6 in Bonne Terre early Thursday. The gunman was then shot and killed when officers fired back. The shootout happened about 12:30 a.m. when police were summoned for a disturbance at the motel, at 1017 Highway K. Two Bonne Terre officers walked toward the room, and 31-year-old James J. Emery came out with a gun, shooting at them, said Cpl. Dallas Thompson of the Missouri Highway Patrol. Bonne Terre Patrolman Lane Burns died at a local hospital about an hour later. Burns, 30, was wearing a bulletproof vest but the shot to his upper body missed the vest by an inch or two, the St. Francois County coroner said. Cpl. Garrett Worley with Bonne Terre police was shot in the leg and taken by medical helicopter to Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. Worley, 28, underwent surgery at Mercy and was speaking with department officials after waking up Thursday afternoon, Thompson said. Emery was killed by police. He lived in Maplewood and also had a recent address in Ironton, which is farther south, in Iron County, Thompson said. Emery was by himself when he shot the officers. Thompson did not know what sparked the shootout. Authorities are trying to collect background on Emery to find out why he was at the motel. Online records show no felony convictions in Missouri and no federal cases in Missouri or Illinois for Emery. Records show only a misdemeanor and $118 fine for violating rules at a Missouri Conservation area in Washington County. No relatives answered at the home in Maplewood where Emery lived. The Missouri Highway Patrols Division of Drug and Crime Control is handling the investigation. The Motel 6 manager declined to speak to a reporter about the shooting or say what disturbance brought police there. After Burns was shot, paramedics rushed him by ambulance to Parkland North Hospital in Bonne Terre. Jason Coplin, coroner for St. Francois County, said rescuers and doctors tried for more than an hour to save Burns. They worked on him awhile and just couldnt get him to come back, Coplin said. Burns was pronounced dead at 1:46 a.m. Thursday, the coroner said. He did have a vest on, but it just barely missed his vest, Coplin said. By maybe an inch. Burns is survived by two children, ages 5 and 9, said Will Becker, a spokesman for The BackStoppers Inc. The nonprofit will be providing financial assistance to cover the funeral and to support the fallen officers children. Burns had been with the Bonne Terre police force about five years, and had worked for the St. Francois County sheriffs office and nearby municipal departments before that, Thompson said. Lt. Bill Stegall, assistant chief in Bonne Terre, called Burns a dedicated officer. Bonne Terre plans to put Burns patrol car on display at a local park Friday. The car will be draped in black bunting and serve as a makeshift memorial where townspeople can gather. Bonne Terre is about 50 miles south of St. Louis. The town of about 7,000 has 10 full-time police officers and 10 part-time officers. Burns worked full time. After the shooting, the department sent all of its officers home Thursday to mourn, and surrounding police agencies stepped up to handle calls for them, Stegall said. Local departments will make sure our community is covered, he said. Amy Brenneke, a part-time police officer for Bonne Terre, said of Burns: He would do anything for anyone and he gave up his life for this town. Business owners in downtown Bonne Terre rallied around the fallen officer. Shari House runs The Fancy Crow, a business along Highway 47 that sells household decor. She attached a black ribbon to her American flag. Were a small community, she said, and its heartbreaking. A vigil is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday on the football field at North County High School, 7151 Raider Road in Bonne Terre. Robert Cohen, Robert Patrick and Katie Kull of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Story has been updated to correct Emerys age. The patrol originally provided a wrong age. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. FERGUSON Gunfire pops and a police officer calls out as sirens wail on video footage released Wednesday of a Jan. 26 police chase and shootout in Ferguson that left two officers injured and another man dead. Im shot! Im shot!, the officer shouts in edited audio from police radio traffic. St. Louis County police released the 18-minute edited video capturing the moment a St. Louis police officer called for help, as well as portions of the high-speed chase that led up to the shootings. The video includes a police narrative of the shooting along with parts of the radio traffic and dashboard camera footage showing St. Louis police officers chasing for more than 4 minutes a white Toyota 4Runner that, police say, was linked to a homicide hours earlier. The chase went from north St. Louis into Ferguson where four men ran from the car, according to police accounts. While officers attempted to catch the group, one of the men, 23-year-old Equan Hopson, was killed and two officers were shot, including Colin Ledbetter, whose critical injuries left him hospitalized for more than a month. No body camera footage of the shooting was included in the release because the St. Louis officers body cameras were not recording at the time of the shooting, according to St. Louis County police spokesperson Sgt. Tracy Panus. We do not know the reason as to why they were not recording, Panus said. St. Louis police said in a statement Wednesday that once the investigation into the shooting is complete, the department will address any policy compliance issues, including those pertaining to the body-worn camera policy. St. Louis County Lt. Col. Stephen Sack, commander of the division of criminal investigation, gives an account of the shooting in the 18-minute video. According to Sack: St. Louis officers got a 911 call around 12:52 p.m. reporting four men wearing ski masks inside a white Toyota 4Runner in the Rivertrails Apartments complex in the citys Baden neighborhood. Responding officers immediately recognized that the Toyota was wanted in connection with a homicide from the night before on Natural Bridge Avenue. In that killing, police have said robbers approached a group of four people about 1 a.m. Jan. 26 outside Dianas Royal Palace, a bar at 4266 Natural Bridge Avenue in the Greater Ville neighborhood. The men announced a robbery and took some of their property. A security guard at the business fired shots, killing one of the suspected robbers. About 12 hours later, officers attempted to stop the Toyota when it sped off on Riverview Boulevard to Jennings Station Road and eventually onto West Florissant Avenue. Video footage released Wednesday shows the Toyota at some points crossing into oncoming traffic lanes and leaving the road to drive on the grass. In the video, officers can be heard updating dispatchers on the Toyotas progress until it comes back onto the road with four flat tires near West Florissant Avenue and Lang Drive in Ferguson. Hes gonna wreck out, said one officer, whose name was not released by county police. The officer continues: I got the driver. Dashcam footage shows a passenger in the Toyota jumping out of the car and dropping a pistol, before picking it up and running into the nearby neighborhood. At least four officers chase him, and within a few seconds gunshots can be heard over the police cars sirens. Shots fired! Shots fired! Im shot! Im shot! a St. Louis officer can be heard yelling over the police radio. Shots fired. Get all cars to county! Need cars here. Secure our cars. The recording ends with dispatchers promising to send EMS to the scene. A 28-year-old St. Louis officer, whose name has not been released by the department, was struck in the leg. Ledbetter was shot multiple times, including in the stomach. Ledbetter required lifesaving surgery after the shooting; he was released from the hospital Feb. 22. Hopson was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Sack said in the video Wednesday that officers fired 34 shots and Hopson had fired all the rounds in his pistol, which officers found near him after the shooting. That same day, police arrested two of the Toyotas three other passengers: August Burns, 23, of Florissant, and Clyde Thomas, 35, of Farmington. The third man in the car, Johnny Lewis, 23, was arrested more than a month later on March 11 by Las Vegas police in Nevada. All three surviving passengers were charged with resisting arrest. Burns is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. St. Louis County police allege he was in possession of a shotgun that fell out of the Toyota at the scene. The video released Wednesday is the third briefing video issued under St. Louis Countys new footage policy. The St. Louis County police board enacted the order in December in an effort to make the department more transparent, following recommendations by outside consultant, Teneo. To develop its policy, St. Louis County police worked with the Los Angeles Police Department, which makes similar critical-incident disclosures. The county added a staffer to meet a self-imposed 45-day deadline to release such videos. The video of the Jan. 26 shooting was released within 48 days. Panus said the delay was in part because one of the passengers in the car remained at large until last week. The shooting of the two officers came in the same week two other St. Louis police officers were struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Interstate 64. Less than two weeks earlier, St. Louis firefighter Benjamin Polson was killed in the line of duty. Im asking the public to pray for our officers, police Chief John Hayden said in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. This is a very rough time for law enforcement and for the fire department as well. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The shooting took place in the 4400 block of Page Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. One person who had been shot was found at the scene, and the city's homicide division was investigating. A 17-year-olds death has been ruled a homicide in connection to a shooting in November 2020 in St. Louis. Cameron Edwards, of the 1300 block of Switzer Avenue, died Dec. 18 just over a year after he was shot around midnight on Nov. 21, 2020, at Riverview Boulevard and McLaran Avenue. The Medical Examiners Office on Tuesday notified detectives it had ruled the death a homicide, police said. Edwards, who was 16 at the time, was with a 22-year-old man when they called police for help. Officers said both men were found with gunshot wounds and told them they had been shot by someone in a black car in the area of Riverview and McLaran. After the shooting, the two had run away and called police from the 8500 block of Park Lane. They were both taken to the hospital and treated. There were no known suspects as of Thursday morning, police said. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Three men from the Springfield, Missouri, area and a woman from Alabama were sentenced Thursday to probation for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Zachary Hayes Martin, 45, and Kari Dawn Kelley, 41, were sentenced to three years of probation, and brothers Stephen Brian Quick and Michael Aaron Quick, 44, received two years of probation. Martin and the Quicks also were fined $1,000 and ordered to complete 60 hours of community service. Martin, Kelley and Michael Quick will have to undergo a mental health assessment and treatment, as necessary. All four pleaded guilty Dec. 23 to one misdemeanor charge of demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol and each agreed to pay $500 toward the more than $1 million in damage caused by rioters. Prosecutors asked for jail time for Kelley and Martin and house arrest for the Quicks in a hearing held via videoconference Friday, and defense lawyers asked for probation. U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich told the lawyers she wouldn't sentence their clients to jail or house arrest, saying she considered probation to have more of a deterrent and rehabilitative effect. Friedrich also said the four had not engaged in any destruction in the building. The group drove to Washington on Jan. 5, after Kelley created a GoFundMe and raised $130 to rent a van to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally that was pushing false claims of election fraud. On Jan. 6, they entered the Capitol through a broken window on the Senate side, then "paraded" to the House side, prosecutors said, before leaving. All apologized to Friedrich and said they did not plan on going to the Capitol that day. "I am just truly sorry and it is just totally embarrassing to be here right now," Martin said. The U.S. Department of Justice said more than 775 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol. That number includes 245 people who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS An aldermanic committee on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the initial nine appointees to the citys new oversight board to deal with complaints at city jails. I think its going to be good for the people that are housed there (and for) the people that work there, said Public Safety Committee Chairman Joe Vaccaro, who also sponsored the bill setting up the new board. The board was proposed a year ago by a committee named by then-Mayor Lyda Krewson to investigate inmate disturbances at the citys main jail downtown, formally called the City Justice Center. The jail panel, which still must be OKd by the full Board of Aldermen, includes six appointees of Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and three named by Vaccaro. All were interviewed at the public safety panels teleconference meeting Wednesday. Two of the best-known are Pam Walker, the citys acting health director for 10 years under then-Mayor Francis Slay, and the Rev. Darryl Gray, a civil rights activist. Both also served on Krewsons committee last year. My focus will be to make sure that people in the system are treated humanely, including having adequate nutrition, sanitation and health care, said Walker, who was appointed to the new board by Jones. Gray, who was named by Vaccaro, repeated the 2021 committees view that the city eventually should build a new, more modern jail to replace the 20-year-old justice center. Im hoping that someone will have the guts in city government to move forward on that recommendation as well, Gray said. Many appointees represent people with particular experience required by the new ordinance. For example, Barbara Baker, a Jones appointee who works for the nonprofit Center for Women in Transition, fills a spot reserved for someone formerly incarcerated. And James Dahm Jr., a former Justice Center employee, was named by Jones to a slot set aside for someone with experience in corrections or criminal justice. But the slate fails to follow the ordinances requirement that one mayoral appointee be a retired judge or a retired or former attorney who practiced criminal law. Instead, Jones named Hillary Stuckey, a former paralegal in the St. Louis circuit attorneys office. Mayoral spokesman Nick Dunne said, Were confident she has the experience and meets the qualifications. He didnt elaborate. The ordinance also calls for a mayoral appointee to have professional experience in law enforcement or knowledge or expertise in the field. Dunne said appointee Tom Lawson, who has a criminology degree and has taught criminal justice courses at St. Charles Community College, meets that criteria. Jones also named Mike Milton, executive director of the Freedom Community Center. The other Vaccaro nominees are Janis Mensah, who works with incarcerated youths and their families for Metropolitan Congregations United, and Ornetha Lewis-Walls, a retired Metro bus driver and volunteer for nonprofits. A companion bill being prepared by Jones administration would form a full-time agency to investigate accusations about jail facilities and the police department. Details on how the jail board and the proposed agency would interact have yet to be released. Vaccaro, 23rd Ward, commended Jones and her office for their work on setting up the board. Ive been known to criticize the mayor a lot but I can tell you that the mayor and her office were outstanding on this, he said. But Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, 22nd Ward, expressed a little bit of trepidation at Jones appointment of Milton. Boyd said we havent necessarily seen eye to eye on issues such as closing the city medium-security jail, known as the workhouse, which Milton supported and Boyd has criticized. But Boyd said he wouldnt vote against Milton. Milton said his goal on the new board is to make sure there is accountability and transparency in jail operations. Originally posted at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Ethics Commission has declined to say whether candidates may tap their campaign accounts to pay for child care services. Elizabeth Ziegler, executive director of the commission, wrote in a letter dated Tuesday that the commission refused to address the question because there is a pending bill in the current legislative session which specifically addresses this issue. The identity of the letter recipient is redacted from the document obtained Thursday by the Post-Dispatch. But Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, told the newspaper he was behind the request for an official opinion. The south St. Louis lawmaker has three daughters; the oldest is 7. I know this is a major issue with my being able to continue doing this job, especially with the health challenges my third daughter has had, Merideth said. And I know from years of trying to recruit candidates that its a massive barrier to running, especially for many mothers weve tried to recruit. He asked the commission if candidates may use their accounts to pay for child care services while campaigning, if those child care expenses would not have existed but-for the candidate campaigning for office? He also asked if campaign accounts could be used for child care while the elected official is performing official duties, if the need wouldnt have existed but for the government job. Merideth said he believes current law allows candidates to pay for child care using campaign funds, but that he wanted ethics officials to officially acknowledge that. Im disappointed they wont issue an opinion on what current law is, which sure seems like their job, Merideth said Thursday. But (I) believe that to mean it should be considered allowable. Missouri law currently allows candidates to spend their campaign money on any ordinary expenses incurred relating to a campaign as well as any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the duties of a holder of elective office. Current legislation, House Bill 1648, clearly allowing for child care expenses, is sponsored by Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City. The measure has yet to gain traction. Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, had sponsored the measure in 2021 along with Nurrenbern but didnt do so this year. The legislation, while clearly allowing campaign funds for child care, forbids candidates from paying members of their household for services. The Federal Election Commission has found that federal candidates may tap their campaign accounts to pay for child care services connected to their bids for office. Originally posted at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CLAYTON A St. Louis County investigation into a Jan. 10 email from a public health employee that included a link to County Executive Sam Pages campaign website has concluded that the link was a mistake, officials say. In the original email, dated Jan. 10, Damon Broadus, county director of health promotion and public health research, included a link to Pages campaign website along with information about a county effort to collect reports of at-home test results. The email was a follow-up response to a local nonprofit representative who had asked about at-home tests; Broadus included the link in one paragraph of the email: Lastly, each week, the County Executives office does their best to help residents stay on top of the news in the County. There is a newsletter with useful resources that you can sign up for ... . The sentence concluded with the link. The county has refused to publicly release the internal report about the email, stating that the investigation is a personnel matter and therefore closed under state open records laws. The county on Wednesday denied a Post-Dispatch reporters request for the report. But, in a statement, the county said the investigation had revealed a second, unnamed employee had included the campaign link in two other public health emails about COVID-19. Rochelle Walton Gray, a former councilwoman whom Page hired in 2020 to conduct vaccine outreach, sent the emails Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 to more than 50 other email addresses, including those of St. Louis-area state representatives, representatives of nonprofits and some faith leaders, according to copies obtained through a records request. Gray had copied paragraphs from Broadus Jan. 10 email that included the paragraph with the link to Pages campaign, and added them to lengthy emails that included notice of a county mask mandate and suggestions for protective measures against COVID-19, a new public health department video on the surge from the omicron variant, and a report on the latest vaccination numbers in the county. The original Jan. 10 email was the subject of a complaint to the County Council of a possible violation of laws forbidding public resources from being used for political campaigns. Jane Dueker, a lawyer and frequent Page critic, has accused the health department of intentionally including the link. A County Council ethics committee discussed the complaint Feb. 25 and has said it will hold another hearing on the matter. At the time, Department of Public Health spokesman Chris Ave said the email mistakenly included a link to a campaign website, adding that the department would investigate as a personnel matter. The health department said in a statement Friday that the investigation had concluded and found Broadus had believed the link allowed recipients to sign up for information from a government office not a political campaign. Both employees acknowledged that they made a mistake in sharing a link that they had not fully identified, and both affirmed that they understand the Countys policy banning campaign activity. The investigation concluded that the matter involved a mistake by the first employee that was exacerbated by a mistake by the second employee. No evidence of anyone intentionally distributing the link or encouraging the distribution of the link was found. Ave, in response to a request for comment, said the report summary details specific disciplinary action involving an employee or employees. It is therefore a personnel matter, and our practice is not to release personnel information. As weve said, we found based on an internal investigation that the link was communicated in error, and employees involved acknowledged that error. We found no evidence that anyone else shared that link or encouraged anyone to share it. All DPH employees have been reminded of the County employee code of conduct and, specifically, the Countys guidelines restricting political activity. Originally posted at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS A year after surviving closure plans because of low enrollment, historic Sumner High School in the Ville neighborhood could soon be home to a new office connecting businesses and entrepreneurs to loan products, training and other resources. The Northside Economic Empowerment Center, funded with $1.5 million from St. Louis federal pandemic relief money, hopes to open its suite of business services by June in the annex on the eastern side of the Sumner campus. Through the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, the city will bring resources directly to the neighborhoods that have lacked access to these tools while collaborating to use community anchors in new and innovative ways, said Neal Richardson, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corp., whose board approved the plan Thursday morning. SLDC and the city are working with St. Louis Public Schools, which still needs its board to sign off on the agreement, as well as the Sumner Advisory Board, an independent group set up a year ago to develop programs to keep the school viable after the district shelved a plan to shutter it during a round of school closures. The school, designed by famed architect William B. Ittner for 1,100 students, saw enrollment dwindle to just under 200 by last school year, prompting its inclusion in the districts list of proposed school closures. But its history as the first public high school for Black students west of the Mississippi River and its roster of famous alumni that includes Tina Turner, Chuck Berry and Margaret Bush Wilson spurred neighborhood and city leaders to come up with a plan to save the school, drawing support from cultural groups to help build an arts focus on campus. We want to protect the school for our scholars, said Aaron Williams, chair of the Sumner Advisory Board who is active in the Villes neighborhood groups. Part of the challenge has always been Sumner is a very large campus. It was hard for SLPS to sustain the school. By bringing in partners, it makes their job a little bit easier. The new business service center will add another dimension to the campus, offering business counseling as well as staff to connect small businesses with SLDCs array of lending programs. There also will be staff to help companies certify as minority- or woman-owned, a designation that can help firms when bidding for projects. That certification office is currently based at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Partners in the business service effort include Lambert, Small Business Empowerment Center, Missouri Business Development Agency, Mastercard Digital Doors, Maryville University, and the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment. Richardson said the new center will bring along groups that have not had presence in north St. Louis before, and, in addition to helping the citys small businesses, it will bring year-round activity to Sumner High School and leverage the school as an anchor to that community. Williams and his group plan to find ways the business center can also aid Sumner students through job or entrepreneurship programs. Under a proposed two-year agreement, the district would charge SLDC $100,000 for the space at Sumner, with an option for a third year. But Richardson said the goal is to make the business services office self-sustaining and a pillar of the community long term. Originally posted at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. CHARLES COUNTY An O'Fallon, Missouri, man was killed Wednesday night when his motorcycle collided with a tractor-trailer in Foristell, authorities said. Mark C. Winger, 44, was on Highway W over Interstate 70 just after 9 p.m. when a tractor-trailer driven by a 63-year-old St. Charles man turned left into the path of Winger's 2017 Harley Davidson Street Glide motorcycle, a Missouri Highway Patrol report said. The motorcycle then struck the back end of the tractor-trailer, the highway patrol report said. Winger was pronounced dead at the scene, and a 46-year-old passenger on the motorcycle was seriously injured, the highway patrol report said. Brian P. Whaley, of Wright City, was taken to a hospital. An update on his condition was not available. Neither Winger nor Whaley was wearing a helmet, the highway patrol report said. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. An investigation into the incident continues. HONG KONG For decades Russia has, more than any other country, aided Chinas dramatic military modernization with weapons and technology and now Beijing has plenty that Moscow needs as its Ukraine invasion continues, military analysts say. At the top end, China has developed systems, such as reconnaissance and armed drones, guided weapons and battlefield communications, that might help Russia fill gaps that are being exposed on the Ukraine front. Russia might also need more common materiel, such as anti-tank weapons, trucks and ammunition, that China has in storage. The long-standing military relationship is under international scrutiny after media reports, sourced to U.S. security officials, that Moscow is seeking military aid and support from Beijing. Chinese and Russian officials have denied the reports. Recently, the U.S. has been spreading disinformation against China time and again on the Ukraine issue, with sinister intentions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday. Some foreign military analysts and diplomats are skeptical that Beijing would want to be drawn directly into the conflict by such a Russian request. Analysts also note that some of Chinas most advanced equipment could not be easily or quickly integrated with Russians other gear. But there is still plenty that Russia might want and need from the Chinese, reflecting a multibillion-dollar one-way trade that means at least some Chinese weapons and technology could be quickly utilized. If the reports are correct, it can be seen as interesting admission that the student is now better than the teacher, at least in some areas, Siemon Wezeman, a senior arms transfer researcher at the independent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), told Reuters. SIPRI data shows that during the last decade, China has obtained from Russia advanced turbofan engines for its aircraft, radars and advanced surface-to-air, anti-ship and anti-tank missiles as well as naval guns and transport aircraft. Although SIPRI doesnt list values for all transfers, some are large and have stretched over several years, such as Chinas $3 billion acquisition of eight state-of-the-art Russian S-400 air defense missile systems and a $2 billion purchase of 24 Su-35S fighter aircraft, its data shows. While Chinese military scientists have used Russian technology to develop their own weapons using proprietary systems or calibers that would be hard to convert, older munitions such as guided bombs would readily fit onto Russian aircraft and its associated GLONASS satellite systems, Wezeman said. No weapons transfers have been made in the other direction, according to SIPRI data so any Chinese move to meet Russian requests would be highly unusual, if not unique, diplomats say. Five foreign military analysts and three regional envoys said mounting Western pressure on China meant that Beijing may be wary of overtly transferring weapons or munitions, but could offer parts or communications help that was more discreet or deniable. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Chinas long land border with Russia means such transfers could be difficult to trace, the three diplomats said and China had comparatively ample supplies and more active factories than Russia. The bottom line is the Chinese military is growing and modernizing at a pace the Russian military really isnt... (it) is far weaker and more stagnant than Chinas military, with the exception of nuclear forces, said Tim Heath, a senior researcher with the U.S. government-linked RAND Corporation think tank. Heath said that Chinese parts and supplies would not turn Russias struggles around in Ukraine: Ultimately, its all Russian weapons and people fighting. And the Chinese bond is going to be extremely limited at most. Sam Roggeveen, director of Australias Lowy Institute International Security Program, said the reported Russian requests had put China in a bit of a bind even though it had considerable military help to offer. In Beijing, independent political analyst Wu Qiang said the U.S. officials statements had raised the stakes for Beijing over its military trade with Russia. The United States is sending an ultimatum to China, asking China to choose a side, Wu told Reuters. Pollard reported from Beijing. The new law being proposed by Republican state Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is getting a lot of attention because it would make it illegal for a woman to leave the state to have an abortion. Missouri already has a law making it illegal to get an abortion after eight weeks, making it one of the most restrictive states in the country. But this newly proposed law goes far beyond that restrictive law and far beyond any other state law so far. It would allow citizens who have no personal stake in a womans decision to sue her or anyone assisting her in arranging for an abortion out of state. In other words, it would create a new regime encouraging citizens to inform on one another. Abortion is one of the most divisive topics in America today, and I have always respected people on both sides of this issue. But the anti-abortion movement has become so extreme lately that it has ceased to be rational. Drawing on Christian sentiment while not honoring true Christianity, it has crossed the line and has become frightening, as it seeks to transform the relationship of the individual and the government. We have seen this before. Encouraging citizens to watch one another and inform on one another is characteristic of fascism. As Orlando Figes points out, Stalin encouraged mutual surveillance. If you lived in Russia under Stalin, you had to learn to keep your mouth shut, because anyone might turn you over for thinking or acting in a way sanctioned by the state. People lived in fear that they might reveal something that would put them in jeopardy. In Hitlers Germany, citizens were also encouraged to inform on one another and to pass information on to the Gestapo. This new Missouri law would encourage citizens to expose and potentially take to court not only someone seeking an abortion, but a friend who might drive her to a neighboring state. And if you worked on an abortion hot line phone, would you have to hide your identity, for fear of being brought to court? This proposed law is a betrayal of everything that America is supposed to be. It is important to call this proposed law out for what it is: Fascism. In his book How Fascism Works, Jason Stanley says that the most telling symptom of fascist politics is division. It aims to separate a population into an us and a them. This is exactly what this bill would do. Make no mistake about it. This law is not inspired by conservatism. Conservatives used to be champions of personal liberty, which this bill threatens to undermine. Conservatives were once champions of the doctrine of states rights, but this bill throws that out the window. Conservatives used to believe that states can and should be distinctive, so that the population of one state does not have to live by the standards of another: One state might allow a right turn on a red light and another might make that illegal. One state might legalize marijuana, and another might make the sale or use of it a crime. One state might define obscenity broadly and another narrowly. A DWI in one state should not have to conform to the standards for a DWI in another. But this proposed law throws conservatism out the window. This is not conservatism; it is the worst form of radicalism. If this bill passes, it will show no respect for the laws of other states or the citizens who live in them. At another time I might be confident that the Supreme Court would find this law unconstitutional, but times have changed and the members of the court have changed. My confidence is gone. Regardless of ones view of abortion, one should recoil in dismay from this proposed law. It is a law that would further polarize us, make us suspicious of one another, and encourage us to strike out at one another. Right now we need to find ways of coming together, even with our disagreements. The social trust that democracies depend upon has already begun to break down. How many more assaults on civility can we take before it becomes impossible for us to recover? This is a turning point in the history of America. The anti-abortion movement is a perfectly legitimate and important voice for many Americans, but the zeal of its leaders has turned it into an ugly attack on America itself. Solomon D. Stevens has a Ph.D. from Boston College. His publications include Religion, Politics, and the Law (co-authored with Peter Schotten) and Challenges to Peace in the Middle East. Ukraine is, more than Google Earth in 2005, demonstrating the usefulness of commercial satellite photos. Google Earth was made possible by a U.S. government decision to rely more on commercial communications satellites because it was too expensive to put up enough government satellites to deal with the demand during conflicts, especially once UAVs like Predator entered service using high-resolution digital cameras that streamed their video back to the U.S. and later to local American military users. Commercial communications satellites led the military in terms of technology because they served so many commercial users. That led to allowing commercial photo satellites and sharing some of the older government tech and giving a lot of business to one of the first commercial satellite firms, DigitalGlobe in the late 1990s. In 2005 Google used DigitalGlobe services to run Google Earth. Other American and European firms followed and in 2017 DigitalGlobe merged with SSL to create Maxar; the largest and best equipped commercial satellite photo provider in the world. Maxar is profitable with sales of nearly two billion dollars a year from clients like Google, news organizations and governments needing a steady and reliable supply of satellite photos covering customer specified areas. Commercial photo satellite firms continue to have an impact on government users. In 2021 the U.S. NRO (National Reconnaissance Office), which supervises the design, construction and operation of photo and other satellite imagery space satellites needed by the U.S., decided to embrace their commercial competitors. NRO wants to take advantage of the growing competition and technical advances in the commercial imagery satellite industry. This became particularly important since 2017, when the NRO took over from the NGA (National Geospatial Intelligence Agency) the job of finding and purchasing commercial satellite imagery that the NRO satellites were unable to obtain because of a shortage of satellites or because some commercial satellites were able to obtain forms of imagery that NRO satellites were not yet capable of. This new commercial satellite imagery procurement program is open to all major operators of commercial satellites who want to supply the Department of Defense with their products on a timely basis. Until 2017 NRO depended on two of the largest commercial satellite operators for this, but those two firms recently merged to form Maxar, eliminating the competition that kept prices low and quality high. That merger was not a problem, because there were also many new commercial satellite operators eagerly seeking to get a share of the market with new, innovative, and less expensive imagery. To take advantage of this, the NRO had to go about procurement more effectively in order to get the most for their imagery budget. The new NRO system is largely automated to allow many vendors to list what they can do and at what cost. Commercial imagery providers will provide special services to large customers and the NRO has become one of the largest. The only problem with NRO procurement was that there was a lot of bureaucracy involved that slowed down the process. Military users often found out about new satellite imagery developments from the trade publications and websites that report on new types of imagery or services available. NRO was criticized for delays in obtaining these new capabilities. The NRO has long been criticized for this and chronic failure to get military users what they could obtain as private users and do it in a timely manner. The military must obtain expensive and specialized commercial imagery services via the government agency with the money and authority to procure these new, and often expensive, commercial imagery products. The military is wanting for the situation to improve now that all imagery purchasing authority is concentrated in the NRO. Changes like the automated selection process should speed things up but so far, its hard to tell. Once the vendor for a new imagery product the military wants is selected, the bureaucrats still must sign off on purchase orders and ensure prompt delivery to the military users. What got all these reforms going was the NGA admitting in 2016 something everyone already suspected, that it obtained most of its satellite photos from commercial satellites. This was no secret inside the military. Thats because since the late 1990s, when commercial photo satellites began to show up, military users were quick to buy and use this unclassified data. The commercial photo satellites gradually caught up with their military counterparts in most capabilities. Military photo satellites first appeared in the 1960s and their images were meant for intelligence agencies, not combat commanders in the field. These military photo satellites were long the leader in the tech that delivered higher resolution photos and other forms of imagery. The military got most of the imagery but more and more went to other government agencies, like the NGA and government departments that supplied unclassified imagery to businesses. There was an unmet demand from commercial firms and military units who could use this imagery if they received it in time. Commercial firms created a demand for unclassified satellite photos and these eventually appeared, but you had to pay for them. The U.S. military then had no cash or authority to buy commercial satellite imagery. What changed all this was the 2005 appearance of Google Earth. This easy-to-use web-based app revolutionized military intelligence. The military didn't like to admit it at first. Google Earth was putting so much satellite photography at the disposal of so many people, in such an easy-to-use fashion that anyone could take advantage of new opportunities. In addition to the target audience of travelers, one could explore the world from anywhere. This revolutionized operations for the military professionals as well as terrorists, other criminals and academics. Military users quickly appreciated what a splendid new tool they had with freely available unclassified commercial satellite imagery. To the U.S. Department of Defense, Google Earth's major problem was not it's low cost and ease-of-use, but the way it showcased the shortcomings of the NGA/NRO, which was responsible for taking the satellite photos, spiffing them up as needed, and getting them to the troops. Trouble was, the government stuff still wasn't getting to the troops that needed it, when they needed it. This was made obvious when Google Earth showed up, and demonstrated how you can get satellite images to anyone, when they need them and do it with minimal hassle. The NRO, NGA and other government agencies liked to keep all their satellite (and aerial) imagery in classified archives, just in case they contained some secrets a potential enemy could use. Google Earth did great damage to this attitude. Changing minds in the military intelligence community isnt easy. Restricted access to satellite photos is an old problem. Since the 1980s, when lots more satellite images became available, often on very short notice, generals, and other officers with access to "satellite imagery" have been complaining about the difficulty they had in getting their hands on this stuff or permission to pass it on to the officers and troops in combat zones who need it most. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on photo satellites since the 1960s, and the troops always seem to get leftovers, if anything and usually too late to be of any use. At the same time the NRO regularly conned Congress out of more money so they could build more satellites, and neat systems that would get the satellite imagery "to the troops." The goods never arrived, or never arrived in time. Generals gave angry testimony before Congress about this non-performance after the 1991 Kuwait War. The satellite people seemed contrite and said they would make it right. If given the money to do it. They got the money and the troops got nothing. Then the troops got access to Google Earth in 2005 and saw firsthand what they have been missing. To make matters worse the software Google Earth uses to get the job done was first developed for the NGA. But the way the NGA operates you had to worry about security considerations and all manner of bureaucratic details before you could deploy a useful tool so they really couldnt use the Google interface on a wide scale. Mention that the troops are fighting a war and the NGA will point out that you still must deal with security and keeping the paperwork straight. Soon after 2005 the troops were beating NGA over the head with Google Earth and Congress took notice. However, NGA bureaucrats were close at hand and the angry troops are far away. Progress was still slow. But at least the troops had Google Earth. Unfortunately, so did the enemy. Nevertheless, over the next decade the army was able to go directly to commercial satellite photo providers who, every year, were putting up more capable photo satellites. Many of the photos from these new satellites were higher resolution and not available on Google Earth. But the army could afford to buy them, as could other commercial customers and give the troops instant access because all these commercial satellite photos were unclassified. After a while the NGA stopped pouting and got on board with the use of lots of unclassified satellite photos. This also spurred the NGA to make the high quality (high resolution and with other enhancements) spy satellite photos more easily available to the troops, or at least the army intel and planning specialists who worked out the details of how battles would be fought. This led to other intel agencies making their data (especially from electronic data collection satellites) available quickly, often in real time, to the troops who needed it. While Google Earth opened the floodgates and gave the troops instant access, what happened first was the availability of high-resolution satellite photos that could be of use to combat troops. This began in the 1960s with the first appearance of the KH (Key Hole) series of photo satellites. The first film camera satellite, KH 1, went up in 1959 but the first successful one was in 1960. Thus, until the 1970s the film-using satellites supplied coverage of hostile nations. The KH 1 through 9 series satellites sent film back in canisters (for high resolution pictures), to be developed. The Keyhole 9, the first of which went up in 1971, was not only the last of the film satellites but the largest and most capable. Its basic design was used by the subsequent digital camera birds. The KH 9 could cover large areas at high (for the time) resolution of .6 meters (24 inches). This was more than adequate to spot and count tanks, aircraft, and even small warships. The 19th, and last, KH 9 went up in 1984. The KH-9 was a 13-ton satellite with multiple cameras and 4 or 5 reentry vehicles for returning the film for developing and analysis. The KH-9s were nicknamed Big Bird. The age of film began to fade when the first digital satellite, the KH 11, was launched in 1976. These birds were large, nearly 15 tons, and the digital cameras could obtain better resolution and broadcast the photos back to earth. The resolution was such that objects 70mm (a few inches) in size could be identified from 200 kilometers up. Digital cameras were more flexible than film and eventually surpassed film in all categories. The KH-11 telescopic cameras operated like a high-resolution TV camera. Images were captured continuously and transmitted to earth stations. Computers were used to finish the process and produce photos identical to those taken by a conventional film camera. You could even have motion pictures, as well as indications of heat and the nature of the various items. KH-11 could often tell what kind of metal an object on the ground was made of. All this did not come cheap. These birds cost over (in current dollars) over $3 billion to build and launch and lasted three or four years, depending on fuel usage. Moreover, you needed two of them up at the same time in order to guarantee coverage and save the birds from having to change orbit too frequently. The most recent KH-11, the 18th, was launched in 2021. There have been at least four models of the KH-11 since the first of five "Block 1s" was launched in 1976. Since the 1960s over a hundred KH series satellites have been launched. The next generation, the KH-12, was supposed to have been launched in 1987. That was delayed because of problems with the space shuttle after one exploded during launch. A belated KH-11 was launched in October, 1987. The KH-12 was delayed, even though it had several advantages over the KH-11. Along with improvements in ground data processing equipment, the KH-12 could send back data in real time. You could watch events on a large, high-resolution screen as they were happening. This would also allow military headquarters and other users to get their satellite information directly, without going through a CIA or NRO processing center. Data from the more esoteric sensors would still have to be studied by the specialists elsewhere. The KH-12 was expected to make users even more enthusiastic about satellite reconnaissance. It did, in the form of a much-upgraded KH-11 which were called KH-12s but are still officially known as KH-11. The flood of photographic and electronic data was growing far larger than the force of analysts needed to make something of it. In addition to the KH series birds, there were radar and SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) satellites constantly broadcasting data. Then there are the Defense Support Program satellites, which use heat sensors to locate the hot plumes of missile launches. There still isn't a real (new design) KH-12, and that's partly because commercial photo satellites have become cheaper and more convenient for military use. Many KH-12 features were simply added to subsequent KH-11 models. This was cheaper than building the new KH-12 design and involved less paperwork. Thus, those in charge of American space operations are asking that less money be spent on developing new satellites and more spent on building up a reserve of GPS and communications satellites that can quickly be launched to replace wartime losses. The Department of Defense has already been buying more commercial satellites, rather than much more expensive, usually late, and sometimes canceled, custom designed military birds. Contributing to this change were bumbling bureaucrats who mismanaged development projects and journalists who headlined the failures. It has long been suggested that the government just rely on commercial photo satellites for their low resolution (able to detect vehicles and buildings) photo satellite needs. But the military and intelligence agencies often need more photo satellite time than the commercial companies can provide. The government also wants to ensure secrets are kept by having complete control over a pair of commercial grade satellites. The troops and military planners continue to be enthusiastic users of Google Earth, which annoys the people running the military satellite program. But for many military satellite needs, Google Earth does the job. The two military, commercial grade, photo satellites eliminated the potential for information leaks (about what the military is buying images of) and provide much more capacity to do low resolution jobs. Another bonus of Google Earth was the appearance of crowd-sourcing. This is what happens when a large number of people scrutinize open-source satellite photos and find useful military information before the professionals do. The people who run the military satellite system are increasingly concerned with wartime needs, and that is what brought out the request for spare GPS and communications satellites. These are relatively cheap, compared to the spy satellites, and most needed if a future war spreads to the orbital zone and puts some American birds out of action. There is also growing concern about the debris in orbit and the increasing risk of satellites being damaged, or destroyed, by these small fragments of older satellites and the rockets that put them there. The smaller, cheaper and lighter, but very capable commercial satellites became the model for a military program to have some ballistic missiles (including those in submarines) equipped with one or more of these smaller satellites for use in wartime when most of the military and commercial satellites have been disabled. This is something the NRO could get behind because they knew that the commercial satellites had taken the lead in satellite design innovation. There were few special military applications left that commercial satellites had not usurped. FILE PHOTO: A representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin is seen in this illustration taken August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration LONDON (Reuters) - Consumers risk losing all their money invested in cryptoassets and could fall prey to scams, the European Union's securities, banking and insurance watchdogs said in a joint statement on Thursday. "Consumers face the very real possibility of losing all their invested money if they buy these assets," the three EU authorities said in a statement. It marks a racheting up of direct warnings to consumers about cryptoassets by EU authorities, spelling out that consumers have no protections or recourse to compensation under existing EU financial services law. Regulators are increasingly worried that more consumers are buying 17,000 different cryptoassets, including bitcoin and ether, which account for 60% of the market, without being fully aware of the risks, the regulators said. "Consumers should be alert to the risks of misleading advertisements, including via social media and influencers. Consumers should be particularly wary of promised fast or high returns, especially those that look too good to be true," the statement said. Consumers should also be aware of that energy consumption for producing some cryptoassets is high and the environmental impact this has, the statement said. (Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Toby Chopra) FILE PHOTO: Accenture PLC logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed same logo in this illustration taken, December 1, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration (Reuters) -IT consulting firm Accenture Plc on Thursday forecast current-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates and flagged a potential impact to its business if the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict continued. The upbeat forecast, which did not include the impact from the war, helped drive shares 2.4% higher in early trading. Earlier this month, Accenture said it was discontinuing business in Russia. Revenue from the country stood at about $120 million during fiscal 2021, a fraction of its overall revenue of $50.53 billion in the year. Chief Financial Officer KC McClure told analysts the forecast took into account the revenue impact of discontinuing its business in Russia and the cost of winding it down. But it was difficult to predict the impact of the war since it was still very early, and hence the forecast "does not take into account any significant escalation or expansion of economic disruption or the complex current scope," she added. The company expects current-quarter revenue between $15.70 billion and $16.15 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $15.11 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Sanctions and other measures imposed on Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine have increased the level of economic and political uncertainty, Accenture said. The company, whose clients include more than three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500 companies across communications, media & technology as well as financial services industries, is also strategically investing in cloud, acquisitions and partnerships to gain more market share. Revenue for the second quarter stood at $15.05 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $14.65 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. On an adjusted basis, the company earned $2.54 per share, above analysts' average estimate of $2.39 per share. (Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTCQB: PEXZF) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with M Partners Inc. and Red Cloud Securities Inc., as co-lead agents and joint book runners ("Agents"), in connection with a "best efforts" brokered private placement offering of up to $6,398,000 (the "Offering"). Proceeds from this Offering will be used for the planned 5,000-metre diamond drill program at Pacific Ridge's flagship Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the prolific Quesnel Trough in northwest British Columbia (see Figure 1), for exploration on the Company's other projects, and for general working capital. The Offering will be comprised of 16.0M charity flow-through units ("CFT Units") at a price of $0.328 and 5.0M common share units ("CS Units") at a price of $0.23. The CFT Units issued in connection with the Offering shall consist of one flow-through common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). The CS Units issued in connection with the Offering shall consist of one non-flow-through common share of the Company and one-half of one Warrant. Each Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one additional non-flow-through common share at an exercise price of $0.35 for a period of 24 months. Pacific Ridge will grant the Agents an option (the "Over-Allotment Option") to increase the size of the Offering by up to an additional 15% of the Offering, exercisable in whole or in part at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing date of the Offering. Pacific Ridge has agreed to pay to the Agents a cash commission equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to the Agents compensation warrants of the Company exercisable for a period of 24 months, to acquire in aggregate that number of non-flow-through common shares of the Company which is equal to 6% of the number of CFT Units and CS Units sold under the Offering at a price of $0.23. The Agents' cash commission and compensation warrants will be reduced to 3% from investors on a president's list. All proceeds received from the sale of CFT Units will be used to incur eligible expenses ("Qualifying Expenses") that are "Canadian exploration expenses," within the meaning of subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act (Canada), which will also qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures," within the meaning of s. 127(9) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and will be eligible for the BC 20% Flow-Through Share Tax Credit. The Offering and payment of finder's fees are subject to regulatory approval. It is expected that the closing of the Offering will occur on or about April 19, 2022 (the "Closing Date"). This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Figure 1:Location of Kliyul To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5460/117183_f43323d8c436b95c_001full.jpg About the Kliyul Project Over 60 sq-km in size, Kliyul is located within the prolific Quesnel Trough in British Columbia, 50 km southeast of Centerra Gold Inc's Kemess mine and 5 km from the Omineca mining road in one of the most prospective areas for copper and gold porphyries in British Columbia. The Project contains five main target areas: the Kliyul Main Zone ("KMZ"), Bap Ridge, Ginger, M39, and Paprika, each representing an interpreted porphyry centre over a 4 km northwest striking trend. KMZ is the most intensely explored of these, with 36 drill holes (7,068 m) drilled since 1974, most of which targeted a near-surface copper-gold+magnetite zone. Deeper drilling in 2006 and 2015 encountered porphyry copper-gold mineralization. In 2021, Pacific Ridge completed 1,544 m in three diamond drill holes in the Company's first ever drill program at Kliyul. Every drill hole returned significant copper-gold mineralization (see Table 1). Hole KLI-21-037 returned 566.7 m of 0.48% copper equivalent (CuEq) or 0.76 g/t (grams per tonne) gold equivalent (AuEq), including 316.7 m of 0.75% CuEq or 1.17 g/t AuEq. Pacific Ridge's 2021 drill campaign at Kliyul successfully extended mineralization at KMZ to the west and at depth. Mineralization at KMZ remains open in all directions, and to depth. Pacific Ridge is planning to drill a minimum of 5,000 m at Kliyul in 2022 and anticipates that drilling will be underway by late June, early July. The focus of the drill campaign will be on expanding KMZ along strike and at depth. The Company also plans to test the Kliyul East and Kliyul West targets, which have never been drill tested. Both targets have high chargeability and moderate to high resistivity geophysical signatures, similar to KMZ. While the Kliyul West target is concealed under till cover, at Kliyul East there is outcropping porphyry-style alteration and encouraging geochemical pathfinders were encountered in surface sampling. In addition to drilling KMZ, Kliyul East and Kliyul West, an IP geophysical survey, possibly followed by drilling, is planned at Bap Ridge. Bap Ridge is one of five interpreted porphyry centres that occur along a 4 km northwest-striking mineralized trend. Pacific Ridge is also planning an airborne magnetic survey to help refine the understanding of the structure, geology and alteration over this highly prospective trend. The Project displays classic porphyry copper-gold deposit style alteration and mineralization patterns. Geological interpretation, supported by a variety of geophysical surveys, including IP, magnetics and magnetotellurics, suggest the potential to significantly expand the size of the Kliyul mineralized system. Table 1 2021 Kliyul Assay Results Summary Hole From(m) To(m) Width(m) Cu(%) Au(g/t) CuEq(%) AuEq(g/t) KLI-21-036 12.0 449.0* 437.0 0.22 0.60 0.61 0.96 Includes 12.0 65.0 53.0 0.22 0.83 0.75 1.17 And 12.0 33.0 21.0 0.34 1.30 1.17 1.84 And 47.0 65.0 18.0 0.22 0.89 0.79 1.23 Includes 143.3 435.0 291.7 0.28 0.74 0.75 1.18 And 294.0 435.0 141.0 0.36 1.11 1.07 1.68 KLI-21-037 12.3 579.0* 566.7 0.20 0.44 0.48 0.76 Includes 12.3 329.0 316.7 0.30 0.70 0.75 1.17 And 62.0 73.0 11.0 0.42 1.22 1.20 1.88 And 90.0 122.0 32.0 0.52 0.88 1.08 1.70 And 146.0 161.0 15.0 0.39 1.19 1.16 1.81 And 238.8 288.1 49.4 0.66 1.50 1.62 2.53 And 243.9 268.0 24.1 1.09 2.21 2.50 3.92 KLI-21-038 9.0 516.0* 507.0 0.15 0.39 0.40 0.63 Includes 9.0 351.0 342.0 0.17 0.50 0.50 0.78 And 9.0 43.0 34.0 0.27 0.72 0.73 1.15 And 108.0 136.0 28.0 0.21 0.60 0.59 0.93 And 153.1 186.0 32.9 0.24 0.78 0.73 1.15 And 261.0 349.0 88.0 0.26 0.84 0.80 1.25 * End of hole CuEq = ((Cu%) x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Au(g/t) x $Au x 0.032151)) / ($Cu x 22.0462) AuEq = ((Cu%) x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Au(g/t) x $Au x 0.032151)) / ($Au x 0.032151) Commodity prices: $Cu = US$4.00/lb and $Au = US$1,750/oz. Factors: 22.0462 = Cu% to lbs per tonne, and 0.032151 = Au g/t to troy oz per tonne. Recovery is assumed to be 100% - there has been no metallurgical testing on Kliyul mineralization Pacific Ridge has the right to earn a 51% interest in the Kliyul and Redton projects from AuRico Metals Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Centerra Gold Inc., by making cash payments totaling $100,000, issuing 2.0 million shares and spending $3.5 million on exploration by December 31, 2023. The Company then has the right to increase its interest in the properties to 75% by making additional payments totaling $60,000, issuing 1.5 million shares and completing an additional $3.5 million in exploration by December 31, 2025. About Pacific Ridge Our goal is to become one of the leading copper-gold exploration companies in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge's flagship project is the Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the Quesnel Trough, approximately 50 km southeast of Centerra Gold Inc's Kemess mine. In addition to Kliyul, the Company's project portfolio includes the RDP copper-gold project (optioned to Antofagasta Minerals S.A.), the Onjo copper-gold project, and the Redton copper-gold project, all located in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge will continue to search for projects that offer discovery opportunity in our regions of expertise. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Blaine Monaghan" Blaine Monaghan President & CEO Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. Corporate Contact: Blaine Monaghan President & CEO Tel: (604) 687-4951 www.pacificridgeexploration.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-ridge-exploration-ltd-pex- https://twitter.com/PacRidge_PEX Investor Contact: G2 Consultants Corp. Telephone: +1 778-678-9050 Email: [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Gerald G. Carlson, Ph.D., P.Eng., Executive Chairman of Pacific Ridge and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy. Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Offering, the planned 5,000 m drill program at Kliyul, the timing of the drill program, and the IP and airborne magnetic survey. Although Pacific Ridge believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117183 Highlights Murtolampi represents an at surface, satellite deposit opportunity located only 2 kilometers north of the 2019 NI43-101 Kaukua Open Pit Mineral Resource Estimate. 2.7 g/t Palladium Equivalent (Pd_Eq) over 5.7 meters within 2.1 g/t over 24.2 meters starting at a true depth of only 5 meters in hole LK21-137. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2022) - Drill hole LK21-137 at Murtolampi, Finland intersected up to 2.7 g/t Pd_Eq over 5.7 meters, within 2.1 g/t Pd_Eq over 24.2 meters, starting at a true depth of 5 meters (Figure 1 and 2), said Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) (OTCQB: NKORF) (FSE: 7N11) ("Palladium One" or the "Company"). Derrick Weyrauch, President and CEO, commented: "The Murtolampi zone has again delivered a high grade, at surface drill intercept, and represents a potentially valuable satellite open pit in the greater Kaukua Area. Additional regional exploration will be conducted in 2022 starting with an Induced Polarization (IP) survey which began this month on the far eastern portion of the Haukiaho Trend wherein the favourable marginal series changes orientation toward the north (see Figure 1)." The Company drilled a total of 11 holes totalling 1,514 metres into the Murtolampi Zone, with values of up to 3.4 g/t Pd_Eq over 7.0 meters within 1.8 g/t Pd over 78.5 meters in hole LK21-026, (Figure 1 and 2, Table 1). see news release November 16, 2020. The Murtolampi zone is interpreted to be a faulted offset of the Kaukua trend and shares many similarities with Kaukua resource pit area. The Murtolampi zone has been traced over 600 meters of strike with a Core Zone of 350 meters. Murtolampi's Core Zone is exposed on surface and represents a very low strip satellite open pit opportunity beside the main Kaukau open pit located only 2 kilometers to the south. 2022 Regional Exploration in Finland The first phase of 2022 regional exploration program consists of a drone based magnetic and IP survey over the far eastern portion of the Haukiaho Trend, referred to as the Lota area (Figure 1). This portion of the favourable basal marginal series has received very little exploration compared to the rest of the property. Limited drilling by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) in the 1990's returned narrow intervals up to 0.19% Ni and 0.31 g/t Pd in gabbroic and peridotitic rocks. Several boulders were also located by GTK down ice of the Lota area with anomalous PGE grades. The limited geological work to date indicates that not only does the marginal series turn north in this location but it also dips very shallowly to the west which would provide a very favourable geometry for open pit style mining. Figure 1. LK Project location map showing the NI43-101 compliant Kaukua and Haukiaho Mineral Resource Estimate, Murtolampi Zone, along with Induced Polarization (IP) grids (blue lines) and new 2022 IP survey area. Yellow lines represent Exploration Permits, red lines represent Exploration Permit Applications and orange lines Exploration Reservations held by the Company. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/117119_f3a98905f41d3ab5_001full.jpg Figure 2. Murtolampi plan map showing IP chargeability anomalies and drill holes. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/117119_f3a98905f41d3ab5_002full.jpg Table 1. LK Project, select Murtolampi Drill Hole Results Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Pd_Eq g/t* In-Situ Pd_Eq g/t* Estimated Recovered PGE (Pt+Pd+Au) Pd g/t Pt g/t Au g/t Cu % Ni % Co g/t LK20-012 5.8 92.9 87.2 1.28 0.77 0.53 0.32 0.17 0.04 0.08 0.18 126 Inc. 28.5 80.6 52.1 1.58 0.96 0.73 0.44 0.24 0.06 0.11 0.20 135 Inc. 28.5 48.7 20.2 2.02 1.25 1.05 0.63 0.35 0.07 0.13 0.24 150 LK20-026 11.0 89.5 78.5 1.82 1.17 1.07 0.62 0.37 0.09 0.14 0.17 108 Inc. 59.5 88.0 28.5 2.40 1.52 1.45 0.85 0.51 0.09 0.15 0.24 140 Inc. 67.0 74.0 7.0 3.42 2.18 2.19 1.29 0.78 0.11 0.21 0.32 169 LK21-135 32.0 36.0 4.0 0.61 0.37 0.06 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.10 0.10 86 LK21-136 5.5 75.0 69.5 0.76 0.48 0.38 0.22 0.13 0.02 0.07 0.08 75 Inc. 7.0 31.0 24.0 1.05 0.67 0.59 0.35 0.21 0.03 0.09 0.10 82 Inc. 21.0 26.0 5.0 1.33 0.86 0.77 0.46 0.26 0.05 0.12 0.12 92 LK21-137 5.8 30.0 24.2 2.05 1.31 1.04 0.61 0.32 0.11 0.20 0.22 134 Inc. 5.8 23.9 18.1 2.46 1.58 1.29 0.76 0.40 0.13 0.23 0.26 149 Inc. 5.8 11.5 5.7 2.70 1.75 1.43 0.84 0.45 0.15 0.27 0.27 155 * Pd_Eq calculated using in-situ values and prices from the 2021 NI43-101 Haukiaho Mineral Resource Estimate; $1,600/oz Pd, $1,100/oz Pt, $1,650/oz Au, $3.50 Cu, and $7.50/lb Ni, and $20/lb Co. Limited historical metallurgical work on the Kaukua Deposit indicates final recoveries in the range of 73% Pd, 56% Pt, 78% Au, 91% Cu, 48% Ni and 48% Co and are used in the Estimated Recovered Pd_Eq grade calculation. ** Orange shaded values previously released (see press releases August 25, 2020, November 16, 2020) Palladium Equivalent (Pd_Eq) The Company is calculating Palladium equivalent using US$1,600 per ounce for palladium, US$1,100 per ounce for platinum, US$1,650 per ounce for gold, US$3.50 per pound for copper, US$7.50 per pound for nickel, and $20 per pound cobalt consistent with the calculation used in the Company's September 2021 NI 43-101 Haukiaho Resource Estimate. Qualified Person The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 About Palladium One Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) is focused on discovering environmentally and socially conscious Metals for Green Transportation. A Canadian mineral exploration and development company, Palladium One is targeting district scale, platinum-group-element (PGE)-copper-nickel deposits in leading mining jurisdictions. Its flagship project is the Lntinen Koillismaa (LK) Project in north-central Finland, which is ranked by the Fraser Institute as one of the world's top countries for mineral exploration and development. LK is a PGE-copper-nickel project that has existing Mineral Resources. PDM's second project is the 2020 Discovery of the Year Award winning Tyko Project, a high-grade sulphide, copper-nickel project located in Canada. Follow Palladium One on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at www.palladiumoneinc.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Derrick Weyrauch" President & CEO, Director For further information contact: Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO Email: [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of Palladium One Mining Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and tax consequences to Canadian and U.S. Shareholders. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117119 New Viking Longships Further Increase Offerings on the Seine, Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers LOS ANGELES, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking (www.viking.com) today welcomed eight new river ships to its award-winning fleet during a celebration in Paris. Of the eight new Viking Longships, four ships Viking Fjorgyn, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid and Viking Skaga are built specifically to navigate the Seine River and bring guests to the heart of Paris with an exclusive docking location at Port de Grenelle, just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. The four additional ships Viking Egdir, Viking Gersemi, Viking Gymir and Viking Hervor will sail Viking's popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The naming of the new river ships comes as Viking continues its 25th anniversary and a year of multiple milestones. In January 2022, the company launched Viking Expeditions and its first Polar Class vessel, the Viking Octantis. By the end of the year, Viking will have also welcomed a second identical expedition ship, as well as two new identical ocean ships, new purpose-built vessels for the Nile and Mekong rivers and new Mississippi River voyages. "As we mark 25 years of sailing the iconic waterways of the world, it is always a proud day when we welcome new ships to our fleet and offer more opportunities for curious travelers to explore the world in comfort," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "Today we are especially pleased to honor eight talented and accomplished individuals as godmothers of our newest river ships, and we look forward to the start of another season of European river voyages." Viking Naming Ceremony In keeping with maritime tradition that dates back thousands of years, Viking invited eight distinguished cultural partners and important members of the company's extended family to serve as ceremonial godmothers of the new ships. The honored godmothers include: Alma Deutscher , Godmother of Viking Gymir A musical phenomenon, Alma captivates the classical world with her talents as a violinist, pianist, composer and conductor, and at just 17 years old was hailed as the "new Mozart" at an early age. She recently appeared on an episode of Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV ( Anne Diamond Welcomes Back Composer and Musician Alma Deutscher ), where she discussed her upcoming concert series, which will be exclusive for Viking guests on select river voyages visiting Vienna. , A musical phenomenon, Alma captivates the classical world with her talents as a violinist, pianist, composer and conductor, and at just 17 years old was hailed as the "new Mozart" at an early age. She recently appeared on an episode of Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV ( ), where she discussed her upcoming concert series, which will be exclusive for Viking guests on select river voyages visiting Vienna. Helen Deutscher , Godmother of Viking Egdir A violinist, pianist and vocalist, Helen is an accomplished musician who honed her musical and performance skills at the Music Gymnasium in Vienna and as a member of the Vienna State Opera's children's chorus; she has also performed in several productions of her sister Miss Alma Deutscher's opera, Cinderella. Helen and Alma recently appeared together on an episode of Viking.TV ( Anne Diamond Interviews Classical Musicians, Alma & Helen Deutscher ) where they discussed their remarkable lives and many musical milestones. , A violinist, pianist and vocalist, Helen is an accomplished musician who honed her musical and performance skills at the Music Gymnasium in Vienna and as a member of the Vienna State Opera's children's chorus; she has also performed in several productions of her sister Miss Alma Deutscher's opera, Cinderella. Helen and Alma recently appeared together on an episode of Viking.TV ( ) where they discussed their remarkable lives and many musical milestones. Dr. Janie Deutscher , Godmother of Viking Radgrid An author and educator, Dr. Deutscher is also an accomplished musician and earned an organ scholarship to Oxford University where she later taught medieval literature; in recent years, she has concentrated on homeschooling and supporting the musical ambitions of her two daughters, Alma and Helen, godmothers of Viking Gymir and Viking Egdir , respectfully. , An author and educator, Dr. Deutscher is also an accomplished musician and earned an organ scholarship to Oxford University where she later taught medieval literature; in recent years, she has concentrated on homeschooling and supporting the musical ambitions of her two daughters, Alma and Helen, godmothers of and , respectfully. Brenda Hunsberger , Godmother of Viking Hervor For more than four decades, Ms. Hunsberger, Senior Vice President of Travel Services with AAA Club Alliance, has worked in the industry as an accomplished travel agent; she believes in the power of travel to transform perspectives and change lives. , For more than four decades, Ms. Hunsberger, Senior Vice President of Travel Services with AAA Club Alliance, has worked in the industry as an accomplished travel agent; she believes in the power of travel to transform perspectives and change lives. Karryn Christopher, Godmother of Viking Gersemi Ms. Christopher is Executive Vice President of Preferred Partnerships & Marketing for Signature Travel Network, a member-owned travel cooperative established in 1956, where she has led the transformation of the company's sales and marketing division. Ms. Christopher is Executive Vice President of Preferred Partnerships & Marketing for Signature Travel Network, a member-owned travel cooperative established in 1956, where she has led the transformation of the company's sales and marketing division. Ghislaine Wood , Godmother of Viking Fjorgyn As the Deputy Director of the University of East Anglia's Sainsbury Centre, one of the most important public university art galleries in Great Britain, Ms. Wood carefully curates exhibitions, including the upcoming "Visions of Ancient Egypt," which was developed in partnership with Viking; opening in September 2022, the exhibit will honor the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb. Ms. Wood discussed her work at the Sainsbury Centre in a recent episode of Viking.TV ( Explore Alaskan Objects at the Sainsbury Centre with Ghislaine Wood ), including the origins of their Alaska collection which examines how indigenous Alaskan communities developed technologies and tools to adapt to their environment . , As the Deputy Director of the University of East Anglia's Sainsbury Centre, one of the most important public university art galleries in Great Britain, Ms. Wood carefully curates exhibitions, including the upcoming "Visions of Ancient Egypt," which was developed in partnership with Viking; opening in September 2022, the exhibit will honor the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb. Ms. Wood discussed her work at the Sainsbury Centre in a recent episode of Viking.TV ( including the origins of their Alaska collection which examines how indigenous Alaskan communities developed technologies and tools to adapt to their environment Muriel Wilson , Godmother of Viking Skaga As the Director of Event Strategy & Sponsorships for Virtuoso, Ltd., Ms. Wilson has been a distinguished staff member of the global network of agencies for more than 40 years and leverages her deep knowledge of the industry to develop quality hospitality and travel experiences for Virtuoso's travel advisors and preferred partners. , As the Director of Event Strategy & Sponsorships for Virtuoso, Ltd., Ms. Wilson has been a distinguished staff member of the global network of agencies for more than 40 years and leverages her deep knowledge of the industry to develop quality hospitality and travel experiences for Virtuoso's travel advisors and preferred partners. Kari Garmann, Godmother of Viking Kari Former member of The Parliament of Norway and Oslo City Council, Ms. Garmann has made valuable contributions to Norway in the areas of government, business and banking throughout her career. The naming event was executed by connecting the new ships via satellite across two European cities: Paris and Amsterdam. The Viking Fjorgyn, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid and Viking Skaga were docked in Paris at the Port de Grenelle, where they were named by their godmothers. The other four ships Viking Egdir, Viking Gersemi, Viking Gymir and Viking Hervor were docked in Amsterdam and named by their godmothers, who also joined the celebration in Paris. In keeping with another maritime tradition, a bottle of Gammel Opland aquavit was broken on the bow of each new ship. Gammel Opland hails from the same county in Norway where Chairman Hagen's mother, Ragnhild also lovingly known as "Mamsen" was born and was her favorite brand of aquavit. More information on the history of ship naming ceremonies and the special role that godmothers play can be found in a recent episode of Viking.TV (Explore the Role of a Ship's Godmother, a Revered Nautical Tradition), hosted by Viking Executive Vice President Karine Hagen. This year Viking will offer guests a Privileged Access performance led by Alma Deutscher at Vienna's illustrious Wiener Konzerthaus. She will conduct the historic Strauss Capelle orchestra and perform the music of Mozart, the waltzes of Strauss on the violin and her own compositions. New Offerings on the SeineBuilding on Viking's offerings in Paris and the four new Viking Longships sailing the Seine River, the company has announced today a new post-trip extension entitled Paris: A Culinary Experience that will explore the cuisine of the French capital. Available beginning in 2023 for guests sailing on the 8-day Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary, the new extension allows guests to immerse themselves in the culinary history of Paris and taste the gastronomic delights the city has to offer. Guests on the 3-night extension will disembark their ship in Paris and explore the city with a culinary guide, visiting the "Belly of Paris" and the Rue Montorgueil, home to the city's first patisserie, before checking into their hotel. The following day, guests will visit a Parisian cooking school to attend a croissant baking workshop with a local chef and learn about the pastry's origins, before enjoying an evening wine and cheese tasting with an expert sommelier at a private wine cellar. On the final day, guests journey to the Jacquemart-Andre Museum for a tour of the 19th century mansion and its private art collection followed by a special workshop delving into the art of table etiquette. Each day allows ample free time for guests to explore iconic Parisian landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees from their centrally located hotel. Additionally, Viking has announced a new holiday sailing, the 8-day Christmas on the Seine, sailing roundtrip from Paris. Available during the holiday season beginning in 2022, guests will sail through Normandy's snow-covered countryside while enjoying the festive Christmas markets. Guests can select from holiday-centric shore excursions such as baking homemade gingerbread at the 850-year-old Abbaye du Valasse or attending a festive Christmas ornament making workshop in Rouen. Onboard, guests will enjoy special holiday-themed festivities including regional dining specialties, seasonal treats and more. Booking DetailsFrom now through March 31, 2022, Viking is offering special savings plus airfare from $599 on all 2022 and 2023 departures of Paris & the Heart of Normandy. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent for details. Media AssetsFor more information, images and b-roll for Viking, contact [email protected]. About VikingViking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person's Cruise in contrast to mainstream cruises. With more than 250 awards to its name, Viking has been rated the #1 River Cruise Line and #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Conde Nast Traveler in the publication's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. Viking has also been consistently rated the #1 ocean cruise line and one of the best river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viking-expands-european-river-fleet-with-naming-of-eight-new-ships-and-marks-beginning-of-2022-river-season-301504714.html SOURCE Viking WASHINGTON A congressionally mandated Naming Commission for military assets has revealed 87 potential new names for nine Army installations that now honor Confederate generals from the Civil War, the group announced Thursday. Former President Dwight Eisenhower, former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, and abolitionist Harriet Tubman are among the recommendations that the Naming Commission made after deliberat[ing] extensively over the thousands of possible new names suggested, according to the announcement. The commission received more than 34,000 submissions from the public. The nine bases in question, all in former Confederate states, were named during the 1910s and 1940s amid the souths Jim Crow era. They are Fort Polk in Louisiana, Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee and Fort Pickett in Virginia, Fort Rucker in Alabama, and Fort Hood in Texas. Congress mandated a commission be formed in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which sets annual spending and policy priorities for the Defense Department. Army and Pentagon leaders began looking at stripping bases of Confederate-linked names in 2020 amid a nationwide racial reckoning after the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The list of recommendations also includes several of the Army's Medal of Honor recipients, such as Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, 1st Lt. Audie Murphy, Sgt. Alvin York, and the first Black man to receive the honor, Sgt. William Carney. The list also includes George Marshall, who was Army Chief of Staff during World War II and as Secretary of State led the effort to rebuild Europe after the war, and World War II Gen. Omar Bradley, who became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Alwyn Cashe, one of the most recent Medal of Honor recipients, died in 2005 after saving six soldiers from a Bradley Fighting Vehicle hit by a roadside bomb in Samarra, Iraq. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., who worked to secure his Medal of Honor, sent the commission a letter last month recommending his name for Fort Benning, where Cashe served as a drill sergeant and platoon sergeant. Audie Murphy is credited with single-handedly fighting off dozens of Germans during World War II in France by climbing aboard a burning tank destroyer while wounded and using its machine gun. He later became a Hollywood actor and starred in To Hell and Back, a movie about his service during the war. Alvin York fought in World War I and is credited with leading an attack on a German machine gun unit in France, killing 25 enemy troops and capturing 132 as prisoners. His service accomplishments were later dramatized in the 1941 film, Sergeant York. William Carney, who was born into slavery, earned his medal for protecting the Union flag during the charge on Fort Wagner during the Civil War. When his units color guard was fatally shot, Carney caught the flag from falling to the ground despite suffering several serious gunshot wounds himself and led troops to safety, according to the Army. The commission will now spend the next several months engaging with installation leaders, personnel and their counterparts in local communities to discuss the names before making the final decisions, which are due to Congress on Oct. 1, according to the Thursday announcement. The full list of names can be found at http://www.thenamingcommission.gov/names. Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. A surge in coronavirus infections in Western Europe has experts and health authorities on alert for another wave of the pandemic in the United States, even as most of the country has done away with restrictions after a sharp decline in cases. Infectious-disease experts are closely watching the subvariant of omicron known as BA.2, which appears to be more transmissible than the original strain, BA.1, and is fueling the outbreak overseas. Germany, a nation of 83 million people, saw more than 250,000 new cases and 249 deaths Friday, when Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the nations situation critical. The country is allowing most coronavirus restrictions to end Sunday, despite the increase. Britain had a seven-day average of 65,894 cases and 79 deaths as of Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center. The Netherlands, home to fewer than 18 million people, was averaging more than 60,000 cases the same day. In all, about a dozen nations are seeing spikes in coronavirus infections caused by BA.2, a cousin of the BA.1 form of the virus that tore through the United States over the past three months. In the past two years, a widespread outbreak like the one now being seen in Europe has been followed by a similar surge in the United States some weeks later. Many, but not all, experts interviewed for this story predicted that is likely to happen. China and Hong Kong, on the other hand, are experiencing rapid and severe outbreaks, but the strict zero covid policies they have enforced make them less similar to the United States than Western Europe. A number of variables including relaxed precautions against viral transmission, vaccination rates, the availability of antiviral medications and natural immunity acquired by previous infection may affect the course of any surge in the United States, experts said. Most importantly, it is unclear at this point how many people will become severely ill, stressing hospitals and the health-care system as BA.1 did. Another surge also may test the publics appetite for returning to widespread mask-wearing, mandates and other measures that many have eagerly abandoned as the latest surge fades and spring approaches, experts said. Its picking up steam. Its across at least 12 countries . . . from Finland to Greece, said Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, who recently posted charts of the outbreak on Twitter. Theres no question theres a significant wave there. Topol noted that hospitalizations for covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, are rising in some places as well, despite the superior vaccination rates of many Western European countries. At a briefing Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said about 35,000 cases of BA.2 have been reported in the United States to date. But she offered confidence that the tools we have including mRNA vaccines, therapeutics and tests are all effective tools against the virus. And we know because its been in the country. Kristen Nordlund, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an email Tuesday that although the BA.2 variant has increased in the United States over the past several weeks, it is not the dominant variant, and we are not seeing an increase in the severity of disease. CDC data shows that, as of last week, BA.2 accounted for 23.1% of all new coronavirus infections in the United States, the largest percentage yet up from 13.7% the week before. But BA.2 accounted for more than 38% of cases last week in parts of the Northeast and New England. The seven-day average of cases in the United States fell 17.9% in the past week, according to data tracked by The Washington Post, while the number of deaths dropped 17.2% and hospitalizations declined 23.2%. Predicting the future course of the virus has proved difficult throughout the pandemic, and the current circumstances in Europe elicited a range of opinions from people who have closely tracked the pathogen and the disease it causes. In the United States, just 65.3% of the population, 216.8 million people, are fully vaccinated, and only 96.1 million have received a booster shot, according to data tracked by The Post. In Germany, nearly 76% are fully vaccinated, according to the Johns Hopkins data, and Britain has fully vaccinated 73.6%. That lower vaccination rate is very likely to matter as BA.2 spreads further in the United States, especially in regions where it is significantly lower than the national rate, several experts said. And even for people who are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot, research data is showing that immunity to the virus fades over time. Vaccine-makers Pfizer and BioNTech asked the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday for emergency authorization to offer a fourth shot to people 65 and older. Any place you have relatively lower vaccination rates, especially among the elderly, is where youre going to see a bump in hospitalizations and deaths from this, said Celine Gounder, an infectious-diseases physician and editor at large for public health at Kaiser Health News. Similarly, as the public sheds masks every state has dropped its mask mandate or announced plans to do so another layer of protection is disappearing, several people tracking the situation said. Why wouldnt it come here? Are we vaccinated enough? I dont know, said Kimberly Prather, a professor of atmospheric chemistry and an expert on aerosol transmission at the University of California at San Diego. So Im wearing my mask still. . . . I am the only person indoors, and people look at me funny, and I dont care. Yet BA.2 appears to be spreading more slowly in the United States than it has overseas, for reasons that arent entirely clear, Debbie Dowell, chief medical officer for the CDCs covid-19 response, said in a briefing Saturday for clinicians sponsored by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The speculation Ive seen is that it may extend the curve going down, case rates from omicron, but is unlikely to cause another surge that we saw initially with omicron, Dowell said. One reason for that may be the immunity that millions of people acquired recently when they were infected with the BA.1 variant, which generally caused less-severe illness than previous variants. Yet no one really knows whether infection with BA.1 offers protection from BA.2. Thats the question, said Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Better yet, how long does it provide protection? Topol said the United States needs to improve its vaccination and booster rates immediately to protect more of the population against any coming surge. We have got to get the United States protected better. We have an abundance of these shots. We have to get them into people, he said. Biden administration officials said that whatever the further spread of BA.2 brings to the United States, the next critical step is to provide the $15.6 billion in emergency funding that Congress stripped from a deal to fund the government last week. That money was slated to pay for coronavirus tests, more vaccines and antiviral medications. That means that some programs, if we dont get funding, could abruptly end or need to be pared back, Psaki said at Mondays briefing. And that could impact how we are able to respond to any variant. ___ The Washington Posts Lena H. Sun contributed to this report. Frankfurt, West Germany, Jan. 26, 1957: Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., sits at the controls of a MATS (Military Air Transport Service) plane that has just arrived at the Frankfurt airport. Goldwater, on a tour as an Air Force Reserve colonel, was a skilled pilot who had earned the Air Medal for ferrying a P-47 Thunderbolt across the Atlantic during World War II. He also flew the supply routes to the China-Burma-India theater. A 1998 obituary noted that by the time he retired as a major general in 1967, he had piloted 165 types of aircraft. WASHINGTON House lawmakers on Thursday pressed Pentagon officials on the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, raising doubt over efforts to combat terrorism from afar and whether the U.S. is compensating civilian casualties of the 20-year war. Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Va., and Michael Waltz, R-Fla., said they worried the exit of U.S. troops more than six months ago has hampered counterterrorism operations in the region and created a breeding ground for the resurgence of groups such as the Islamic State. "I fear that we no longer have a good handle on where the terrorists are or what they're doing," Wittman said. Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, confirmed those concerns in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, acknowledging the difficulties of combating terrorism from outside Afghanistan. I regret that we no longer have the ability to be as effective as we would like to be on the ground, said McKenzie, who leads U.S. Central Command. The counterterrorism mission were doing that over the horizon and as Ive said, its much harder to do that over the horizon. The post-withdrawal over the horizon strategy depends on uncovering and neutralizing threats through aerial surveillance and drones launched from outside the country rather than with troops on the ground. The U.S. has not launched any strikes in Afghanistan since the last American troops departed its capital of Kabul in August, McKenzie said. But he characterized the February raid that killed an Islamic State leader in Syria as an example of the strategy working successfully. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself up after the U.S. used an intelligence tip to locate al-Qurayshi's home and sent in U.S. commandos to capture or kill him. Conducting such operations in Afghanistan remains "difficult but not impossible," McKenzie said. The U.S. lost significant intelligence capabilities by exiting the country and is now increasingly reliant on its relationship with neighboring Pakistan for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, he said. Pakistan is friendly with the ruling Taliban government in Afghanistan. Waltz, an Army veteran of the Afghanistan war, likened the dependency on Pakistan to an arsonist asking for access to the fire department to put out a fire. The U.S. is also counting on the Taliban, a sworn enemy of the Islamic State, to help counter the resurgence of Islamic State-Khorasan, the Afghan affiliate of ISIS. McKenzie warned ISIS-K was rejuvenated by the Talibans release of thousands of prisoners, including ISIS-K fighters, from U.S.-maintained jails last year and the general said the group would soon ramp up its attacks. We are very concerned about the potential for ISIS-K growth in Afghanistan, he said. We assess that they do retain a desire to attack us in our homeland here in the United States, and absent effective pressure, that threat will only grow and metastasize over time. The group is expected to establish the ability to attack the U.S. and its allies within 12 to 18 months, according to McKenzie. Al-Qaida, an ally of the Taliban, maintains a low-profile in Afghanistan but the terrorist group is likely looking to recruit and train fighters and restore the capacity to launch external attacks within a year or two, he said. About 153 U.S. citizens remain in Afghanistan, along with 2,100 long-term permanent residents, according to McKenzie. He told the Senate earlier this week that U.S. citizens are able to leave the country. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said she asked the Pentagon to provide a report on the status of Afghan women and girls following the withdrawal and update Congress on condolence payments for deaths caused by the U.S. military. Lawmakers authorized the Defense Department to spend up to $3 million a year to compensate for death, injuries or property damage. Speier grilled McKenzie and Sasha Baker, the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, on the status of payments for the 10 civilians killed in a botched drone strike as U.S. forces evacuated Kabul. The Pentagon initially said the Aug. 29 strike was necessary to prevent an attack on troops, but it resulted in the death of seven children. McKenzie said the U.S. was moving forward with those payments while Baker declined to discuss details in public. Visibly frustrated by the delay, Speier asked, Are you saying there hasnt been any payments made to these families yet?" I want to make sure that when we make a commitment we deliver on it," she said. Johannes Vermeer in his own day catered to a local clientele and so when he died, indebted, at age 43, with maybe 45 paintings to his credit, his name faded into obscurity until the late 19th century. Today hes among the most well-known painters of all time, if not by name, then by his signature piece, Girl With a Pearl Earring, played so well by Scarlett Johansson in the eponymous 2003 film with Colin Firth as the artist himself. Another of Vermeers now-famous works, Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, is in Tokyo, on exhibit, but hurry and plan ahead if you want to see it. The exhibit at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the first for the restored painting outside Germany, closes April 3. The exhibits popularity and lingering concerns over COVID-19 mean you must book a time online. Based on the lines to see the exhibit and the three days in advance I was barely able to book a time slot, the show is very popular. Its definitely worth seeing. Even the mildly enthusiastic art aficionado will get a kick standing in front of this famous painting, which was restored by its custodian, the Dresden State Art Collections, over 1 years starting in 2017. The restoration unveiled another painting within the painting, a Cupid figure looming on the wall above and behind the girl reading her letter. Cupids presence was known for decades, and scientific analysis showed it was covered up long after Vermeers death. Nearly an entire gallery is dedicated to the painting and an exposition of the restoration methods, which are painstaking but also fascinating as a process. But the result itself is stunning. The painting occupies a place of pride, and a handful of rapt viewers are clustered in front of it at all times. The revealed Cupid is interesting but the painting itself is much more vibrant, colorful and lively. Vermeers hand captured the womans figure in lifelike pose, along with a rich, detailed setting from her reflected image in the window glass to the woven pattern in the folds of fabric on a foreground table. The restored work is so much more alive than you would expect a 300-plus year-old oil painting to be. Wait, theres more. The Vermeer is a headliner for a more expansive showing of paintings by Dutch painters of the 17th century, 70 works, most by the old masters of the Golden Age in Holland. Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerard ter Borch and many others are represented in the collection on loan from Dresden. These painters turned to scenes of everyday life for their subjects. Selling poultry apparently was a popular motif, along with artist self-portraits, still life and landscape paintings. The exhibit is stacked on three floors and numerous galleries. You may grow weary of Dutch genius but the Vermeer is worth the trek. The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum is located in Ueno Park, so make a day of it and stroll the grounds for sakura before catching an eyeful of oil on canvas. On the QT Location: The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tokyo, 8-36 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0007 Directions: From Kanda Station take the Yamanote Line to Ueno Park. From the station its a straight shot past the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan on your left toward the zoo. At the Starbucks in the park, bear right and youre there. Signs mark the way. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday through Thursday; open to 8 p.m. Friday for special exhibits. Last admission 30 minutes prior to closing. Costs: Admission ranges from 2,100 yen, or $18.18 for adults to 1,500 yen, or $11 for students. Food: The museum has a restaurant but the area around Ueno Park is chock full of restaurants. Information: tobikan.jp/exhibition/2021_dresden.html New checkout lines at U.S. military commissaries will provide grocery shoppers a faster, more user-friendly experience, a spokesman for the Defense Commissary Agency recently told Stars and Stripes. DeCA is replacing its aging Commissary Advanced Resale Transaction system, or CART, at 46 commissaries worldwide with the next-generation, cloud-enabled, retail point-of-sale Emerald system, or NCR Emerald, according to an email Wednesday from DeCA spokesman Keith Desbois. The agency has already installed the system at 190 of its 236 commissaries, he said. Customers may expect quicker scanning speeds and payment processes at regular checkout lines, according to Desbois. The self-checkouts will be more user friendly with reduced transaction times. The changeover should be complete by August, Desbois said. The commissary at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, for example, put the new system into service on Wednesday, commissary officer Gene Davis told Stars and Stripes. The larger screens and new equipment will be noticeable right from the start, and like all things that change there will be some learning involved for customers and employees, he said. Yokota commissary shopper Jamie Stowers, 42, of Lumberton, Texas, said the new system improves the self-checkout experience. I think it is easier to see the screen, Stowers said at the store on Wednesday. I feel like it is much more modern. The new software will streamline the payment process for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Women, Infants and Children and is designed for further improvements to come, DeCA CEO Bill Moore said in an email Wednesday. The updated system will allow online payment that was not previously available for the Click2Go program, according to Davis. Click2Go permits shoppers to order online and pick up their bagged groceries at the commissary. The service came online at some DeCA commissaries during the pandemic. "DeCA continues to maximize the convenience and effectiveness of the commissary benefit to our patrons through the Emerald deployment that has enabled us to deliver a modernized customer experience for our well-deserving DOD Patrons," DeCA chief information officer Theon Danet said in an email Wednesday. DeCA last upgraded its point-of-sale systems between 2005 and 2007 and installed self-checkout lanes in 2008, according to Desbois and Davis. At the 190 stores already outfitted with the NCR Emerald system, feedback has been generally positive, Danet said. "Customers and employees alike have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of use of the new system at both the in-lane registers and self-check outs," he said. North Korean media organizations were silent Thursday in the wake of reports that the communist regimes 10th missile test this year had failed the previous morning. The North fired what military observers in South Korea and Japan deemed a ballistic missile test on Wednesday. The launch from Sunan Airport at around 9:30 a.m. failed immediately, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to reporters. The Japanese Ministry of Defense also announced the launch of a possible ballistic missile that morning, according to public broadcaster NHK. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command was aware of the launch and consulting closely with regional allies, it said in a statement Wednesday. The United States condemns these actions and calls on [North Korea] to refrain from further destabilizing acts, the statement said. The suspected missile exploded at an altitude below 12.4 miles, according to news reports citing South Korean military officials. Photos from Pyongyang indicated debris from the projectile had fallen on the capital city, NK News reported Wednesday. The suspected missile went unreported in North Koreas state-run news organizations. Propaganda outlets such as the Korean Central News Agency and Uriminzokkiri, or With Our People, typically trumpet missile launches the day after they occur. KCNA, for example, said North Korea had tested a reconnaissance satellite on March 5, the ninth missile launch and last successful test this year. It issued a similar report following a test Feb. 27. The absence of North Korean propaganda coverage does not necessarily mean the launch was a complete failure, said Yang Uk, an associate research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. The regime learns from its mishaps, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday. They will launch, eventually, Yang said. "I dont know if itll be a week, two weeks, or a month, but they will launch. Historically, North Korea conducts its weapons tests on significant anniversaries and birthdays of its leaders, Yang said, adding that one of the most important holidays is less than a month away. Day of the Sun on April 15 marks the birthday of Kim Il Sung, the countrys founder. The event is celebrated with vast military parades and the unveiling of new weapons. The Patriot Express will soon resume flights every two weeks between Guam and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, in time for moving season for military families, according to the Air Forces Air Mobility Command. The government-chartered air service will fly that route every other week between May and September to meet the demands of families making permanent changes of station, and once a month from October through April, Amelia Dickson, spokeswoman for the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing in Hawaii, said in an email Tuesday. The operations wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam oversees Air Mobility Command passenger terminals across the Indo-Pacific region. The Guam-Seattle route was added in March 2020 and became permanent in October after successful test runs involving more than 4,000 passengers and 400 pets. Demand for the Guam Patriot Express missions has been strong since the missions began, with most flights nearing capacity, Dickson wrote. Much of that demand is driven by a stop at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa that was added in late spring 2021, Dickson said. That stop is available only from May through September, according to an email Wednesday to Stars and Stripes from Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The plan for PCS season is to have aircraft leave Seattle, stop on Guam and then push on to Kadena. Those flights will then return to Guam before heading back to Seattle. The next inbound flights to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from Seattle are scheduled May 7 and 21, and outbound from Andersen on May 8 and 22, according to a schedule posted on the Andersen Air Force Base passenger terminals website. The Patriot Express sometimes referred to as the Rotator or Cat B flight ferries travelers on official duty to U.S. military installations around the globe. It also allows eligible passengers to fly on a space-available basis. The Guam-Seattle route was the brainchild of former Andersen commander Brig. Gen. Gentry Boswell, who requested the test-run following several highly publicized reports of service members needing to raise vast sums of money to defer PCS costs. Service members complained about a lack of commercial carrier options and burdensome restrictions that added unforeseen expense. In one case from January 2019, a Navy family had to raise $11,592 to ship two German shepherds from Virginia to Guam for a PCS move. Boswell also said he hoped more airmen would fly the route home for holidays and special occasions. The coronavirus pandemic stifled ridership on the route even as it gained popularity during its six-month test run, according to Air Mobility Command. The pilot program was extended another six months as a result. The Pentagon funded the route in fiscal year 2022 through the U.S. Transportation and Indo-Pacific commands. Travelers can make reservations for families and pets through their installation transportation office, according to Air Mobility Command. Families making PCS moves are permitted two animals, restricted to dogs and cats, and must meet all shipping and country entry requirements, according to the 36th Wing at Andersen. Capacity is limited based on the carriers cargo configuration. Space-A travelers may not travel with their pets. NEW DELHI - When Russia faced international condemnation and sanctions after President Vladimir Putin launched his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, India stayed on the diplomatic sidelines. Now, as those economic sanctions begin to bite, Moscow is again turning to India. India, the worlds biggest oil importer behind China and the United States, has agreed to purchase 3 million barrels of Russian oil at a heavy discount, an Indian official said Thursday. The purchase, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is relatively small given Russias production and Indian demand. But the volume could increase in the coming months and reinforce a growing perception that India is determined to preserve its extensive trade and military ties with Moscow, even as the United States and its allies urge governments around the world to isolate Russia. Aside from the oil deal, the Indian government is also exploring ways to maintain trade with Russia by reviving a Cold War-era arrangement called the rupee-ruble trade, according to two other Indian officials with knowledge of the matter. The mechanism, which would be akin to a ledger of trade between the two countries, would let Indian and Russian firms do business while bypassing the need to use U.S. dollars - the predominant currency of international trade - and lowering the risk of potential U.S. sanctions. The three Indian officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Eighty-five percent of Indias oil comes from imports, so we always look for good options, one of the officials said. If that includes a good package coming from the Russian side, and theres no bar on buying from Russia, then lets accept that. The Indian officials characterized the ruble-rupee ledgers, which will probably be set up at Russian and Indian banks that are not exposed to the U.S. financial system, as a solution to help the Indian economy and its exporters rather than a way to evade potential U.S. sanctions. India trades with Iran, another country under U.S. sanctions, using a similar riyal-rupee trade arrangement. In recent weeks, India has drawn condemnation from some U.S. lawmakers after it repeatedly abstained from criticizing Russia at the United Nations. But Biden administration officials have often stopped short of criticizing an Asian giant that is seen as a crucial part of its strategy to counter China. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters she did not believe that Indian purchases of Russian oil would violate existing U.S. sanctions. But also think about where you want to stand when history books are written about this moment, Psaki added, without explicitly naming India. Support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact. Indias special relationship with Russia was highlighted this month when the Russian military gave India special input about when and to where its stranded citizens should flee the besieged Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, while Russian military officers offered to fly Indians, specifically, out of the war zone. India is not the only country that is maintaining trade relations with Russia. Many European countries, including U.S. allies in NATO, continue to purchase Russian energy even though the United States and Britain have announced domestic bans. And Indias oil purchases probably would not amount to a game-changer for Putins war effort. Russias most important customers are Europe and China; India accounted for about 3% of Russias exports in 2021 and sources most of its oil from the Persian Gulf, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. But the two countries cooperation in the energy sector has deepened in recent years. In 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin oversaw a $13 billion deal between Rosneft and a refinery in Modis home state of Gujarat that represented Indias largest-ever injection of foreign investment and Russias largest-ever outbound deal. Indian energy companies, meanwhile, have invested $16 billion in Siberian oil fields. As talk about the oil purchase ramped up last weekend, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksander Novak called Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to express Russian interest in further attracting Indian investment to the Russian oil and gas sector and expanding Russian companies sales networks in India, according to a statement issued by the Kremlin. Puri said in the Indian Parliament this week that the Modi administration was working hard to keep gas prices low and that he was in talks with all levels of the Russian government about a deal. The Indian Oil Ministry has otherwise not publicly commented about the matter. Many Indian industry executives and observers argue it would be unfair for the West to pressure India to quit Russian oil. The European Union said this month it would wean itself off Russian energy as soon as possible, but large countries that depend on Russia, such as Germany, have not immediately cut imports. Has Europe or any other significant taker of Russian oil and gas reduced its consumption yet? said Subhash Kumar, the former chairman of the Indian state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, the countrys largest crude-oil company. If India, which is not involved in the Ukraine conflict, did not buy discounted Russian oil, there would be other takers on the market, he said. Other prominent commentators have cautioned against proceeding with the purchases, mostly due to its optics. From a moral standpoint, the decision to buy Russian oil and gas at a discounted rate because of the crisis in Ukraine could be questionable, Vikram Singh Mehta, the former chief executive of Shell India and former chairman of the Brookings Institutions India arm, told local media outlets this week. In the coming months, Indias trade with Russia is likely to continue in another crucial realm besides oil: defense. Largely as a legacy of the Cold War - when the Soviet Union gave India everything from help setting up steel plants to blueprints for MiG fighter jets - around 85% of Indian weapons today came from the Soviet Union or Russia, according to a 2021 analysis by the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Amit Cowshish, a retired Indian defense ministry official who previously oversaw Indias military acquisitions, said the armed forces would be badly crippled within a year if India could not trade with Russia. Theres ammunition, subassemblies, critical licenses, all of which would run out, and it wouldnt be in the U.S. interest to see an Indo-Pacific partner be crippled or alienated by sanctions, he said. So far, Biden administration officials have avoided criticizing Indias continued relationship with Russia. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, lawmakers asked Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs who has argued for a tougher U.S. posture against Beijing, why India was not siding with the West on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We recognize that India has a complicated history and relationship with Russia, Ratner responded. India is trying to diversify away from Russia, but it will take time, Ratner added. From the U.S. perspective, he said, India is an absolutely essential partner as we think about our strategy in the Indo-Pacific. - - - The Washington Posts Niha Masih and Anant Gupta contributed to this report. The United States and the Philippines will soon undertake what theyre billing as the countries largest-ever military exercise against the backdrop of Chinas expanding power and Russias invasion of Ukraine. After two lean pandemic years, the annual Balikatan drills are slated to kick off March 28 and run full tilt through April 8, a month shy of a consequential Philippine presidential election. This years Balikatan involves 5,100 U.S. and 3,800 Philippine troops, 3rd Marine Division spokesman Maj. Kurt Stahl said by phone Tuesday. The exercise was canceled in 2020 and limited to 225 U.S. and 736 Philippine service members last year to protect locals from the coronavirus. The drills this year will be the largest ever in terms of the personnel and distances involved, Stahl said. Forces will be spread throughout the Philippines. Live-fire training by U.S. Army and Marine Corps High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and a U.S. Air Force Special Operations AC-130J Ghostrider gunship is scheduled early in the exercise at Crow Valley Range near Clark Air Base. U.S. and Philippine marines will make amphibious landings and train for coastal defense on the north end of Luzon island, Stahl said. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, constituted March 3 on Hawaii for specialized work in expeditionary warfare, will send a headquarters element and train with a Philippine coastal defense regiment, he said. Meanwhile, U.S. soldiers will practice counterterrorism and urban warfare with local forces at Crow Valley and Fort Magsaysay, Stahl said. The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Ashland and expeditionary mobile base USS Miguel Keith will join in maritime security operations and the beach landings, he said. F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 13th Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan, arrived Saturday at Basa Air Base, Philippines, ahead of the exercise, according to a Monday report in the Inquirer. The Philippine newspaper cited military spokesman Col. Maynard Mariano, and Stahl confirmed that U.S. F-16s are at Basa. U.S. Army special operations troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force will also participate in Balikatan. Stahl said engineers are already at work on humanitarian construction projects at four schools on Luzon. Balikatan comes as the worlds attention is focused on Russias invasion of Ukraine, Marine Lt. Col. Dan Eagan, the U.S. joint force operations officer for Balikatan, said by phone Tuesday. It doesnt change our strategic situation here in the West Pacific where we have regional competitors, Russia being one of them, he said. The drills will conclude as Filipino voters look for a successor to incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 64, the son of the dictator of the same name who ruled the nation from 1965 to 1986, leads in opinion polls for the May 9 election, according to reports by Kyodo News, the BBC and other news outlets. Duterte is stepping down after a six-year term that he began by hurling insults at then-President Barack Obama and offering warm words to Russia and China. However, last summer, Duterte withdrew a threat to cancel a defense agreement that allows U.S. military forces to train in his country. U.S.-Philippine security engagement has strengthened recently, Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp., said by phone Wednesday. Russias invasion of Ukraine provides impetus to get the relationship right, Grossman said. The counterpoint to Russia in the Indo-Pacific is China, he said. In March 2021, then-U.S. Indo-Pacific Command commander Adm. Philip Davison warned that China might attack Taiwan "in the next six years," based on its rapid military expansion. The Philippines might play a role, and from the U.S. perspective, hopefully will play a role, in allowing the U.S. to project power from Philippines bases, Grossman said. KYIV, Ukraine A Russian airstrike hit a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people had taken shelter in recent days as a siege on the southern port city tightened, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, but there was no immediate word on casualties. If large numbers of civilians were inside in the building shown by satellite imagery earlier in the week to have the word children marked in large letters on the ground in front and at the back of it it could prove one of the worst atrocities of the nearly 3-week old conflict. Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, posted before and after photos of the stately, white-columned Drama Theater in the heart of the Russian-encircled city, saying that hundreds of innocent civilians were hiding within its walls. Mariupol, under heavy bombardment, was already the venue for some of the wars most harrowing reports of suffering. Writing on Twitter, Kuleba called the theater attack a horrendous war crime, but he did not say whether those who had taken refuge were thought to have been inside when the building was hit, or had managed to flee. Earlier, the Mariupol City Council said in a post on the messaging app Telegram that it was still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act. Russias Defense Ministry denied involvement and sought to cast blame on a right-wing Ukrainian militia, the state-run RIA news agency reported. Earlier, an around-the-clock curfew brought the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to a standstill and Russian forces stepped up fierce attacks on civilian areas across the country Wednesday. Casualties and damage were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities. President Joe Biden had earlier Wednesday echoed growing international condemnation of the wholesale leveling of civilian areas by Russian President Vladimir Putins forces. I think hes a war criminal, Biden said of the Russian leader, the first time he had publicly made such a characterization. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was speaking from his heart about televised scenes of barbaric actions, but did not specify a particular incident that had prompted the presidents remark. The Kremlin called the accusation unacceptable. With a spiraling humanitarian and refugee crisis arising from the fighting, Putin sought to bat aside assessments by Western military officials and analysts that his forces had become bogged down in their attempt to speedily subdue Ukraine. At a televised government meeting, he insisted that what Russia calls its special military operation was going successfully and according to plan. At the same time, the U.S. and Russia engaged in their highest-level encounter since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24. Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, talked by phone Wednesday with Gen. Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russias security council, and a spokeswoman said Sullivan warned against any Russian use of chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, kept up his string of appeals to allies around the world for more forceful action and more weaponry. In a video speech to the U.S. Congress, he requested additional military aid and heavier sanctions on Russia, and repeated his request for a no-fly zone over Ukraine an appeal rejected again Wednesday by NATOs chief. After a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, the alliances secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said a no-fly zone would risk sparking a wider war. NATO should not deploy forces on the ground or in the airspace over Ukraine because we have a responsibility to ensure that this conflict, this war, doesnt escalate beyond Ukraine, he said. In Kyiv, plumes of smoke rose Wednesday from a 12-story apartment building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, just a few miles northwest of the city center, after Russian shelling left at least two people injured in a predawn attack. Several floors became engulfed in flames, and the top floor was destroyed. In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest, two people were found dead and four were injured after artillery destroyed two residential buildings, Ukrainian officials said. Part of a school building was also damaged early Wednesday. In Chernihiv, about 80 miles northeast of the capital, 10 people were shot and killed while standing in line for bread, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Twitter. The assaults took place as a third day of negotiations was set to begin between Ukraine and Russia, the latest attempt to broker peace after the two sides failed to reach agreement during multiple rounds of previous talks. In an early-morning video, Zelenskyy said that the demands of both nations were sounding more realistic. But he said that time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine. In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed that a business-like spirit had begun to mark the talks. He told Russian channel RBK TV that a neutral status (for Ukraine) is being seriously discussed in connection with security guarantees, but there was no confirmation of that from Kyiv. Its unclear how much an outpouring of U.S. and Western assistance will help Ukraine, which has impressed the world by fending off a bigger, more militarily advanced enemy, but also suffered hundreds of deaths and severe losses of territory, especially in the east and south. Outside Mariupol, desperately needed aid convoys have been blocked in recent days. In Washington, a senior Defense Department official said that the Pentagon has reason to believe the Russians are considering their resupply and manning options, but added that there was no evidence of Russian efforts to bring in additional supplies. While he tries to rally more international support, Zelenskyy has appeared to shift on the key issue of NATO membership for Ukraine, pursuit of which is enshrined in the countrys constitution. On Tuesday, he said he accepted that his nation would not join the trans-Atlantic alliance. It is clear that Ukraine is not a member of NATO we understand this, Zelenskyy said in a speech to the Joint Expeditionary Force, a British-led group of 10 northern European countries committed to rapid crisis response. For years we heard about the apparently open door but have already also heard that we will not enter there, and these are truths and must be acknowledged. Putin has demanded that Ukraine never join the alliance and cited Kyivs desire to do so as a sign of Western aggression toward Russia. On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he agreed with Zelenskyy. Theres no way Ukraine is going to join NATO anytime soon, Johnson said during a visit to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy who is taking part in negotiations, tweeted Wednesday that our position at the negotiations is quite specific, saying Ukraine needed legally verified security guarantees; cease-fire; withdrawal of Russian troops. He also suggested that Russians were more likely to negotiate because of Ukrainian counteroffensives. In a PBS NewsHour interview, Podolyak said Russia was making adjustments to its demands because they see the war is not going according to their plans. They were planning to move in their troops, capture as much territory as possible in three days and basically have a blitzkrieg, he said in the interview. They did not do that, and they will not do that. They are stuck fighting in their current positions. ... Therefore, we have much confidence that we will have a cease-fire in coming days. In Kyiv, residents said it felt like the danger was getting closer even though Russian troops havent made deep inroads into the city, and routes in and out remained open. Maria Zhartovska, a 31-year-old journalist who works for the news website Babel.ua, said she awoke to the sounds of explosions for the second day in a row. She lives near the Lukyanivska subway station, which is three miles from Zelenskyys office and was shut down after Russian shelling damaged it Tuesday. By morning, we heard the air raid sirens five times, Zhartovska said. As afternoon came, a series of loud explosions rumbled through the city center, where the occasional car still drove on streets completely devoid of pedestrians. The citys curfew, imposed Tuesday evening because of what Mayor Vitali Klitschko described as a dangerous moment in the capital, is scheduled to end Thursday. ___ (Bulos reported from Kyiv, Kaleem from London and King from Washington. Times staff writers Eli Stokols and Anumita Kaur in Washington contributed to this report.) ___ 2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON Russian forces attempting to advance through Ukraine remain largely stalled as Ukrainians continue a strong defense of their country, destroying enemy equipment and inflicting an unexpected number of casualties after three weeks of fighting, a senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday. Russia has lost about 10% of its forces used to invade Ukraine, though the U.S. has not seen tangible proof that the Russians has tried to send reinforcements so far, the official said. They are suffering losses every day: losses of people, losses of equipment, losses of aircraft, the official said. So, it certainly stands to reason that they would want to be exploring options to replenish those losses. As the war enters its fourth week, the official said predicting how long the war in Ukraine will continue is a fools errand. It's difficult to predict how long things are going to go, the official said. I think we've all been impressed with how the Ukrainians have fought back and slowed the Russian progress. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin still has the vast majority of the military power he spent months amassing along Ukraines borders with Belarus and Russia in preparation for an invasion, the official said. Since the attack started Feb. 24, Russia has launched more than 980 missiles at Ukraine. Let's not forget they still have an awful lot of combat-credible capability available for them inside Ukraine, and they're using it every day, the official said. So far, Russia has deployed about 75% of its fast-response units known as battalion tactical groups in Ukraine. Those are the units that Putin has primarily relied upon in the war, the official said. Russia has nearly 170 BTGs that contain about 600 to 800 troops each kept on constant alert to deploy within an hour if called upon, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russias state-owned TASS news agency in August. Ukraine also has most of its military force available, which is putting up a stiff resistance against Russia, the official said. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the U.S. will send Ukraine an additional $800 million in military aid in the coming weeks. The U.S. has now pledged $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Biden took office in January 2021. The Pentagon is now collecting the weapons and other equipment that Biden directed the U.S. to send to Ukraine, the defense official said. The aid package includes 100 tactical drones, 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 portable anti-armor systems, various small arms, and body armor and helmets. We're sourcing these as fast as we can, the official said. The focus right now is on making sure that the things get to the Ukrainians as fast as possible because we understand the tyranny of time here." As of Wednesday, Russian forces had not made any significant advances toward Kyiv and remain about 18 miles east of the capital citys center, the official said. Ukraine also continues to control the nearby city of Brovary after days of Russian assaults. The official said Russia has mostly isolated Chernihiv, which is about 88 miles north of Kyiv. However, Ukrainians there are working to develop lines of communication to the south with some success. In southern Ukraine, where Russia has had more success, Russian troops have isolated Mariupol, the official said. Russian forces have been launching long-range missiles at the city for more than a week. They have destroyed civilian infrastructure, including a maternity hospital on March 9. In southwest Ukraine, the Russian navy has used several surface ships in the Black Sea to shell some southern Ukrainian towns near Odessa, but not in Odessa, the official said. The city of nearly 1 million people is the third largest in Ukraine, behind Kyiv and Kharkiv. Ukraine continues to defend and retain control of Odessa, as well as the nearby city of Mykolaiv, where Russian troops are stalled about six to nine miles outside the citys center, the official said. [Russia is] running into a stiff resistance, no doubt about it, the official said. They continue to be frustrated and not making much progress on the ground. Talks between the U.S. and fellow NATO member Slovakia about sending a Soviet-era long-range air defense system to Ukraine yielded no results Thursday, but the potential transfer remains under review, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Allies will keep looking at possibilities to get the S-300 system into Ukraine and potentially backfill the gap created by the delivery, Austin and his Slovakian counterpart said. I don't have any announcements this afternoon, Austin said. These are things that we will continue to work with all of our allies on. Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said his country is willing to furnish Ukraine with its air defense system, which can knock down warplanes and cruise missiles hundreds of miles away. But first, allies must provide Slovakia with a proper replacement, Nad said. Discussions about giving Ukraine longer-range air defenses come after repeated pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for more support from NATO countries. Among Ukraines requests: long-range defenses and a NATO-led no-fly zone. But for allies, the idea of instituting a no-fly zone in Ukraine remains a nonstarter. President (Joe) Biden has been clear: We will not have U.S. forces fighting in Ukraine, said Austin, who equated a no-fly zone with being in combat, since allies could be required to shoot down Russian aircraft to enforce such a zone. By delivering longer-range defenses, NATO could put Ukraine in a better position to protect its own skies. But so far, the majority of the support from the U.S. and other NATO states has centered on short- and mid-range air defense systems, which Austin said the Ukrainians have been using to great effect to counter Russian forces. On Wednesday, Biden announced that more short- and mid-range systems and other weapons are on the way to Ukraine. The transfer of $800 million worth of equipment includes 800 anti-aircraft systems and 9,000 anti-armor systems. Biden said the U.S. also is working with allies to identify and transfer longer-range anti-aircraft systems. Following Austins talks with Slovakia, Nad didnt spell out the exact requirements to enable his country to send S-300s into Ukraine. However, a new NATO battlegroup is planned for the country. The force will be equipped with Patriot air defense systems provided by Germany and the Netherlands, which could fill capability gaps. The 1,200-troop contingent also is expected to include forces from several countries, including the U.S. A launch date for the new unit hasnt yet been announced. STARYCHI, Ukraine (Tribune News Service) They hoisted the coffins into a pair of beat-up Humvees, then began the slow trek from the church to the village cemetery, past a muddy stream, railroad tracks and a stretch of woods. A couple of soldiers at the head of the procession held up a wooden cross and a Ukrainian flag. A man in a dark coat carried a picture of one of the fallen. A military brass band, its members decked out in camouflage gear, played dirges as the cortege moved forward under overcast skies. Residents came out of their homes to line the roadway and pay their respects. Many made the sign of the cross. Some knelt. A few cried. Tense expressions among the mourners betrayed a sense that this was only the beginning. More such scenes would come to Starychi, a village of 3,400 in western Ukraine where rise the gold domes of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, some 15 miles from the Polish border. But on Wednesday it was the wooden coffins of soldiers Roman Ruck, 48, who left a wife and two sons, and Mykola Mykytyuk 54, survived by a wife and four daughters, that were lowered into the earth. Their ranks were not given, but it was said both had been in the army for decades. The sounds of shovels scraped, echoing over a brown field and through branches of leafless trees. They were among at least 40 Ukrainian service members killed, authorities say, when Russian cruise missiles hit a nearby military training compound in the predawn hours Sunday. The base, known as the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, once housed military personnel from the United States and other NATO and allied nations. All foreign trainers are said to have left Ukraine when Russia attacked Ukraine last month. The strike was a jolt for the region close to the city of Lviv, which has long been largely insulated from the war despite being a way station for multitudes of refugees bound for Poland. Many Lviv residents barely take notice of the almost daily air raid sirens that echo across town. However, the surrounding region houses various military installations, including the bombed training base, a sprawling compound that dates from the Soviet era and is now reported to be a hub of instruction for the many foreign volunteers who have traveled to Ukraine to join the fight against Russia. The location of this and other Ukrainian bases is well known to Kremlin war planners. Sunday's attack might not be the last such bombardment in the vicinity, many acknowledge, even if the ground war raging around the capital, Kyiv, and elsewhere remains distant. "They said at first the war wouldn't last long," said a mourner who gave her name only as Myroslava, preferring, like others, not to be fully identified for privacy reasons. "Now it looks like it will drag on." Precise casualty numbers are among the most elusive figures in combat. All sides tend to underreport their own losses, while embellishing enemy casualties. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since Russia attacked on Feb. 24. It was the first official update since the first day of the war. Ukraine has said that some 12,000 Russian troops have been killed, a number unconfirmed in Moscow. The Russian military last reported about 500 dead troops two weeks ago, and said Ukrainian losses approached 3,000. As for civilians, the United Nations estimates that close to 700 have been killed and more than 1,140 injured since the invasion began. But an inability to confirm casualty counts amid ongoing fighting means the actual figures are likely much higher, the U.N. says. On Wednesday, authorities were still digging up remains at the site of the weekend's Russian missile strikes, said Volodymyr Yaroslavovych, mayor of the municipality of Novoyavorivsk, which includes Starychi. Like many others here, he is both appreciative of the support from the United States and its allies, and insistent that a no-fly zone is needed to neutralize Russia's aerial superiority a position also pushed by Zelenskyy. "We will win the war with Russia no matter what, with or without help from the EU (European Union) and NATO," the mayor said in an interview in his office. "It's just that it will be at a very high price for the Ukrainian people." The West will regret its reticence to counter Russian air power, he warned. "Your next generation will be ashamed to look into the eyes of our children who buried their parents, and parents who buried their children," said the mayor, an intense, muscular figure in a black T-shirt. Of course, imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine could put the United States and its allies into direct conflict with Russia, potentially triggering a much wider conflict. So far, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has ruled out the idea. However, that geopolitical logic doesn't go down well in Ukraine, where many see themselves fighting alone in a David versus Goliath struggle against a superpower. "I think that none of the NATO countries alone would stand in war against Russia for more than a week," the mayor said. "There is no country in the world that is so united and has such a high spirit for victory as Ukraine." Funerals like the one here in Starychi have been taking place throughout Ukraine as bodies are brought back from front lines and recovered from sites of clashes, bombings or other incidents. In the southern city of Mariupol, Russian shelling is so incessant that the dead are wrapped in blankets and hurried to a mass grave. At the Starychi cemetery, priests completed final prayers as family members listened and stared hard at the flag-draped coffins. One casket was opened, and an elderly woman dressed in black and wearing a veil, presumably the mother of the deceased soldier, kissed his forehead. He appeared to have a head wound. The caskets, each with a golden cross embedded on top, were then lowered into the ground. Soldiers and civilians shoveled dirt onto them. A commander in fatigues said that theirs would not be a lost cause. "We have vowed to these two warriors that we will banish Russians from our land," the commander said. "That is our promise." A volley of rifle shots signaled a final send-off. Afterward, official photos of the two deceased soldiers poked from beneath piles of flowers covering their final resting places. The two were buried next to the grave of Serhii Kulyk, 54, shot dead on March 3 while defending Kyiv, the military said. Kulyk, a resident of Starychi, left behind a wife and two daughters. The three plots are side by side in an empty stretch of land adjoining the town cemetery. There is some talk of a monument honoring the dead. The bare field has ample space for more victims in a war that shows no signs of concluding anytime soon. 2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. RIGA, Latvia Fake U.S. biowarfare labs. Fake killer birds. Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump cameos. Ukrainian Nazis everywhere. Russias domestic television propaganda machine has reached such an intensity amid President Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine that a tiny but previously unthinkable crack in Moscows state news juggernaut broke open earlier this week with an on-air protest. For three weeks, what are known as Russias federal channels separate state-controlled news networks that offer different flavors of the same Kremlin-fawning fare have been serving up Putins spin on a war that his government calls a special military operation. It goes like this: It was a necessary measure to save the people of the Moscow-backed separatist regions in Ukraines eastern Donbas and liberate the rest of the nation from illegitimate Nazi authorities armed by reckless Americans and the Russian military is hitting only Ukrainian military targets while its opponents are killing civilians. To watch is to gaze through the Kremlins looking glass. Its also a lesson in why Putin feels confident that his domestic apparatus, armed with a combination of propaganda and repression, can withstand the blowback of a war that U.S. officials say already has left thousands of Russian soldiers dead since the invasion Feb. 24. Anton Shirikov, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who studies Russian state propaganda, said trying to pierce the propaganda bubble can feel impossible. Shirikov compared it to telling a fervent Trump supporter and voracious consumer of right-wing U.S. media that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election fair and square. People who are genuinely supportive of Putin and the Putin government are really unlikely to believe stories that portray Ukraine positively and the same for the West, Shirikov said. They have this filter that even if they see this story from their relatives or their friends, they will just reject it. While ramping up wartime propaganda, the Kremlin has simultaneously cracked down on the last vestiges of Russias free press, pulling the plug on the radio station Echo of Moscow and passing a new restrictive law that threatens years in prison for those who publish fakes about the special military operation. The law prompted Russias independent TV Rain to shut down and caused many journalists from independent outlets and foreign media in Russia to leave the country. Digitally savvy Russians can still access independent news by using YouTube, the messenger app Telegram or virtual private networks, better known as VPNs. But older Russians tend to rely more on television and comprise the primary viewership of Russias state news apparatus. The state information bubble was pierced ever so briefly when Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee at Russias flagship state-controlled Channel One, stormed Monday nights live news broadcast to demand an end to the war and held up a sign reading, among other things, Youre being lied to here. Not long afterward, the independent Russian media outlet Meduza confirmed that one of Channel Ones star correspondents, Zhanna Agalakova, had quit in protest of the war as well. Despite those fissures, and the possibility of other turmoil behind the scenes, Russias state propaganda has continued to flow unabated, luring millions of Russians into supporting a large-scale war where no mention is ever made of anyone dying at the hands of the Russian military. Reporting of Russian military casualties is practically nonexistent, limited to official Defense Ministry statistics that dramatically understate losses. Gleb Pavlovsky, a former political strategist for Putin, said the government-controlled news channels have become a critical branch of Russian state power, as important as the General Prosecutors office or the Interior Ministry, albeit outside the Russian constitution. They provide everyone with a set of loyalty symbols, Pavlovsky said. We see that it is powerful enough to preserve that support. It works and it gets results, Pavlovsky said. Of course, without it, there would be no such results. The slickly produced reporting packages and talk shows, some of which have been airing extra hours since the war started, have fallen primarily into two thematic categories since the start of the war. The first presents Russian military operations as a necessary measure to subdue savage Ukrainian Nazis who are killing civilians indiscriminately for a country that only questionably exists. The second emphasizes how the United States and its European allies, through sanctions and other retributive measures, are trying to destroy Russia and must be counteracted with patriotic defiance and self-reliance. Dmitry Kiselyov, the Russian propagandist who anchors News of the Week on Rossiya-1, began his show Sunday by saying Kyiv would be forced to answer for war crimes and genocide, and warned of made up concentration camps and mass executions. He then quickly cut to a teaser of Fox News host Tucker Carlson lending credence to a false Russian state propaganda talking point claiming the United States operates secret biological weapons labs in Ukraine one of the myriad causes belli that Russia has promoted in recent days. Russian propaganda for years has targeted a Defense Department program started after the Cold War to ensure safety at foreign laboratories and identify potential biological threats. Ukraine is one of 27 countries where the program operates. During Sundays show, Kiselyov claimed the United States was trying to get the genetic code for Russians in those Ukrainian labs, exclaiming this alone confirms Americans think of us as one people. He told listeners that Americans were trying to figure out which chemicals would be most effective in targeting Russian genetic weaknesses. The two speeches Putin gave the week he started the war made long detours into history. State news programs have followed his lead, airing segment after segment questioning modern Ukraines boundaries and its validity as a nation. State news shows have been airing the map of an unrecognized self-declared Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic, which existed only in theory for about a month in 1918, to imply modern Ukraines boundaries are a fiction and the eastern part of the country belongs to Russia. Beyond questioning the borders, Russian state channels have been openly challenging the notion of an independent Ukraine. When we had a czar, there was no such thing as Ukraine, Kiselyov said on his Sunday show. At the end of the show, Kiselyov dedicated a segment to claiming images of Russias attack on a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city Mariupol were crude and cheap fakes. He brought on a military expert to say it wasnt clear whether one of the pregnant women photographed by the Associated Press in the aftermath of the attack was willingly taking part in this provocation or she was forced. Russian forces are portrayed as good-hearted liberators. On the Rossiya-1 nightly news on Monday, one Russian special forces soldier was shown shaking hands with a local man after liberating his town and another Russian soldier patted a crying woman on the shoulder. At the end of Kiselyovs show, three Chechen soldiers part of Russias military forces were shown giving medicine to a man in Ukraine and explaining how to take it. At the same time, Russian state news has been showing civilians allegedly maimed by Ukrainian forces. State news broadcasts earlier this week led with incredibly graphic imagery of civilians killed and maimed in central Donetsk. Russia and its separatist proxies blamed the attack on Ukrainian Tochka-U missile they said was intercepted, but Ukraine said it was a Russian missile. Ruslan Leviev, founder of a Russian analytical group that uses open-source data to track military activities, said photos from the incident suggest the missile flew from Russian-controlled territory and was not intercepted. Shortly after Russias invasion, state news channels echoed false comments by Russian officials that tried to present Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as having fled Kyiv. More recently, state broadcasts have portrayed Zelenskyy as unhinged in contrast to his hero status in much of the West. As the United States and its European allies have stepped up sanctions and economic restrictions on Russia, state news commentators and reporters have sought to show how bad things are in the West and also dismiss the economic threat posed to Russia. Russian state news broadcasts have regularly been airing segments about Americans panicking over rising gas prices. One segment included, as evidence of the panic, the Instagram video of a Philadelphia comedian, reposted by rapper 50 Cent, in which the parody actor cries, telling Biden he now has to walk these streets because the gas price is too high. Margarita Simonyan, head of the state controlled foreign language television network RT, appeared on the popular state news talk show Sunday Night with Vladimir Solovyov and told Russians that no matter what they think of the military operation in Ukraine, they must retain the stability of the country avoid a repeat of 1917 or 1991 the years, respectively, when the Russian Revolution took place and the Soviet Union collapsed. Simonyan, responding to Western sanctions, said the country would live without $1,000 bras and heralded the beginning of Russias economic freedom. It might be rougher or softer, but one way or another, all the television channels convey the same point of view, said Ilya Shepelin, a journalist who analyzed Russian state propaganda for a show on Russias now-shuttered independent channel TV Rain. It is very difficult for a person to break out of that, because if he is surrounded by a unified information wall, its difficult to even believe that in Kyiv they could possibly be bombing civilian homes that everything may not be so simple. (Tribune News Service) It's hard to think of a more unlikely combo than war zones and cinnamon buns. Yet there the buns are in the display cabinet of Khlibar, a high-end bakery and coffee shop (whose name means Bread Bar) in Podil, the hipster neighborhood in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Slathered in cream cheese frosting, they sit on trays laden with poppy seed pastries, cherry rolls, cheese braids and delicately constructed puff pastry cakes with a bouffant of icing. There's no lack of takers, with dozens of patrons lining up in a chaotic queue outside or sitting on high chairs inside for a sugar-and-caffeine fix despite the drumbeat of Russian artillery and rockets blasting on Kyiv's outskirts. It's one sign of the new normal here, as the city's remaining residents readjust to a life under conflict. The two columns of Russian armor thrusting toward the city spurred Kyiv to go on a war footing. Checkpoints with toy-jack-shaped antitank obstacles, concrete slabs and sandbags, manned by jittery soldiers and reservists, sprouted on every major street and boulevard. People lined up in front of supermarkets and pharmacies to stock up on supplies before hurrying home. Most other establishments were shuttered as possibly half of the city's 3 million people fled to safer areas. But three weeks into the invasion, some of those still here have begun to make a change. Khilbar closed at the start of the war but opened again three days later, first by offering loaves of bread to help alleviate supply shortages, said Sergei Chernets, 42, an entrepreneur who owns four businesses, including Khlibar. "We saw a problem. People even got into fights over bread, so there was a need. We opened up, and the lines were around the block," he said. Still, people were clamoring for something more. "When people came for bread, they kept asking, 'Where are the pastries? We want pastries!'" Chernets said. "So we decided to do that, too." He already had summoned his three bakers back to work; luckily, the rest of his staff was still in Kyiv, including two pastry chefs. He called them all back in. "Every day we're getting more customers," Chernets said, adding that up until this week his was the only pastry shop operating in Podil. "Before, it was just customers from Podil. Now we're getting them from the center and the other districts." For Victor Mozhovi, a cameraman with local public broadcaster Suspilne who was sitting down at a table and demolishing an eclair with a colleague, places such as Khilbar are a marker of what now seems a time long ago. "I drive in the car, we travel around and I see my office. I remember work. It's just been a few weeks but it feels like a year," he said. Mozhovi had volunteered as a military videographer in 2015, covering the war against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine for a year before returning to civilian life. Now he was back in a war again. "A lot of people can't understand this transformation. But I lived this in 2015 and already know war is war," he said, running his fork through the eclair, which split open with a soft, cream-filled crunch. "It's important to have this, just to feel I'm still living the life I used to have a few weeks ago." A stroll on a sunny spring day through Podil, a sort of Echo Park-on-the-Dnieper that once was the heart of Kyiv's industrial trade, shows others also trying to recapture a hint of their preinvasion lifestyle. A few blocks away from Khilbar, Valentina Yermak, 61, sat in a chair in the Koko Nailroom while Theresa Voloshyna trained her discerning eye on a lock of Yermak's hair, her hands a constant whirl around her customer's head. "I want to feel like a woman. I don't want my looks to go down, and I want to stay elegant," Yermak said. She gestured to Voloshyna. "And Theresa is excellent." The salon reopened Tuesday after the proprietor, who's now in Bulgaria, got many inquiries for appointments on her Instagram page. Voloshyna, 54, was one of three staff members still in Kyiv "all the rest have gone to Germany, to Poland, Lviv, everywhere," she said. The building she lives in has 300 units, but only 15 are still occupied. She initially volunteered with a group preparing medicines and other supplies, but there was less need for her there at the moment, so she decided to go back to work. But that, too, was a form of assistance, she found. "People are really happy when they see us. They pay for us to come to their house by taxi, and pay us extra. It's relaxing for them to see us," she said, adding that she was getting calls for something as simple as a manicure touch-up. Voloshyna, a fashionable woman with a blond pixie cut and an air of steely competence, said that although curfew meant the salon couldn't be open for the 12 hours daily as it was before the war, there were still plenty of walk-ins. "People tell us: 'Because I see you open the salon, we have hope,'" she said, adding that only one appointment was scheduled that day but that seven people had come in so far. The reopenings are more than just a psychological boost. The war in Ukraine is having a cataclysmic effect on the country's finances: This week, the International Monetary Fund said the Ukrainian economy is set to contract by 10% and possibly by as much as 35%, if the war drags on for a long time. Though the IMF has announced rapid-financing measures for Ukraine, they can't stop the devastation already wrought on the country's infrastructure, which is thought to be in the $100-billion range. That prompted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week in between speeches to lawmakers around the world pleading for more military aid to ease regulations and tax requirements for Ukrainian businesses, scrapping value-added tax and taxes on profit and levying only a single corporate tax of 2% on large companies. For smaller businesses, tax payments would be voluntary, Zelenskyy said. "That is, if you can pay. You can't no questions asked," he said in a video address this week. Inspections would also be canceled for all businesses "in order to allow everyone to work normally, in order to enable cities to return to life, in order to allow life to continue in all places where there is no fighting," he said, adding that the "economic suppression of Ukraine" was one of Russia's war aims. "There is only one condition: You must ensure the normal operation of your business within the framework of Ukrainian legislation," Zelenskyy said. Some entrepreneurs are also reorienting their businesses toward helping the government. Michael Chobanian, a Bitcoin maven who started Kuna, a cryptocurrency exchange, had already transferred much of his staff from the company office in Podil to the Balkan nation of Montenegro ahead of the hostilities. He, too, has left Ukraine but is leveraging his exchange to help the government in Kyiv convert the estimated $100 million in crypto donations received since the war began to U.S. dollars or other currencies. "We've already managed some of that, and now we're trying to scale up because a lot of donations are coming in through Bitcoin," he said. "My job is to make sure everything is going as fast as possible with minimum commissions and cost." Zelenskyy's message to reopen has also resonated with Kyivites engaged in more quotidian businesses. That's why Maria Liashenko, a 31-year-old barista ensconced amid the accoutrements of a Buck Coffee Roasters branch in Podil, reopened the store Tuesday. "I did it for the guests, for the economy. It needs to be supported. Our military needs to get paid," she said. "This is my country and I will not surrender it." 2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An international resistance of computer programmers and volunteer information warriors is racing to pierce Kremlin propaganda and expose ordinary Russians to the uncensored truth of a brutal war. Theyve built tools that allow anyone to surprise Russian citizens with text messages detailing the wars civilian death toll. Theyve published antiwar videos and news sites built to evade Russian government bans. Theyve even cobbled together databases with the personal details of Russian military personnel - all in the hopes of fomenting rebellion across the new Iron Curtain. Since the days of the Cold War, when U.S.-government-funded stations such as Radio Free Europe broadcast anti-communist messaging across the airwaves of Soviet states, the West has tried, often futilely, to pierce the propaganda bubble that surrounds and isolates the Russian populace. But the Internet has sent those information-war efforts into overdrive, allowing everyday people to pitch in on imaginative efforts designed to reach strangers thousands of miles away. The volunteers behind todays efforts say they hope to help overcome the Russian governments suppression of the wars devastated cities, bombed hospitals and humanitarian catastrophes. The human rights group OVD-Info says thousands of Russians have been arrested in antiwar protests since the invasion began. But some of the initiatives also could backfire due to their reliance on the personal data of Russians, many of whom are disconnected from the war effort and face grave risks for public protest. They could also prove ineffective due to the force and speed with which the Kremlin has worked to sever millions of Russians from the open Internet. The Russian government, decrying Western censorship, has blocked or restricted access to the social networks Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; the websites of publicly funded broadcasters such as the United Kingdoms BBC, Germanys Deutsche Welle and the United States Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America; and independent news sites appealing to Russian audiences. A new fake news law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened 15 years in prison for journalists who contradict state propaganda, including by calling the war a war, leading The Washington Post and other news organizations to pause reporting inside the country. Popular independent TV and radio outlets in Russia have been shut down or banned. But the Internet has helped reveal how porous such traditional blockades can be - and how quickly political messages can spread. After a Russian state TV producer named Marina Ovsyannikova burst onto a government news broadcast with a No War sign, the moment went viral almost immediately on the Russian Internet, and her Facebook page exploded with thousands of celebratory comments, some of which were in Russian. In a video message posted to Telegram before her arrest - which has since been widely copied and shared - she said, I am ashamed that Ive allowed the lies to be said on the TV screens . . . that I let the Russian people be zombified. Meduza, an independent Russian-language news site recently banned by Russia, reported on Tuesday that employees at Ovsyannikovas state-run network routinely watch Western news to understand the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recorded videos appealing directly to citizens of the country invading his own, saying in Russian, As long as your country has not completely closed itself off from the whole world, turning into a very large North Korea, you must fight. Ukrainian officials have promoted highly produced videos attempting to drive home the visceral shock of war. They also run a Telegram channel showing videos of killed or captured Russian soldiers as a way to alert their family members and stoke anti-military anger back home. Social media companies and media outlets in the West have also started helping Russians circumvent that censorship by using the special software Tor, which routes Internet traffic through a scattered network of servers, effectively neutralizing the website blockade. The BBC, Deutsche Welle and Twitter have published links to their Tor sites - accessible with a free browser - as well as Russian-language guides on how to view them. Some were first launched on the dark web years ago but were used only sparingly before the war. Our mission is to maintain a dialogue with the people of Russia, Peter Limbourg, a director at Deutsche Welle, wrote in one reader guide. A dialogue sometimes also includes unpleasant truths. VPN - or virtual private network - apps, which allow Russians to access otherwise-banned sites, have been downloaded millions of times in recent weeks on the Apple and Google app stores, market research data shows. And internal data from Tor, which began as a U.S. government project but now operates as a nonprofit, shows that use of the system inside Russia has soared, with thousands more computers connecting to its network since the invasion began. The U.S. government has also sought to protect the continued presence of companies such as Cloudflare, a cybersecurity company used by much of the Internet to keep their websites online. The company has faced calls to drop sites that echo Kremlin propaganda, but it has resisted due to concerns that could lead to its other clients - including independent media reaching Russians - falling offline, too. The State Department has supported them in that balancing act, with a spokesperson telling The Washington Post, It is critical to maintain the flow of information to the people of Russia to the fullest extent possible. The New York Times and The Post have launched channels on Telegram, the uncensored group-chat service popular in Russia, and made some war coverage free to access in Russia and Ukraine. The BBC, which also uses Telegram, says traffic to its Russian-language digital platforms has exploded, including breaking a record of nearly 17 million people in the first week of the war. But the British news giant has also turned to one of medias earliest marvels, shortwave radio, to reach Russian listeners, saying this month it would start broadcasting on new frequencies that can be received clearly in Kyiv and parts of Russia. Four hours of daily news reports are now broadcast in the early evening and just before midnight Ukraine time on the frequencies of 15735 kHz and 5875 kHz, the BBC said. In one of the BBC World Services first shortwave broadcasts, in 1932, King George V said it would connect those throughout the British Empire so cut off by the snow, the desert or the sea that only voices out of the air can reach them. Its last shortwave broadcast before the Ukraine war was in 2008. The U.S. Agency for Global Media, which runs Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is not transmitting over shortwave. But the owners of a shortwave station in Okeechobee, Fla., whose radio antennas tower over a cow pasture, told reporters that they have started beaming Voice of America broadcasts over the airwaves to Russia. (An online fundraiser for the operation has raised more than $12,000.) Thomas Kent, a former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, wrote in an essay last week that Western strategists should consider more imaginative options for fomenting internal dissent in Russia, including organizing campaigns to email audio files, holding closed discussions on small social networks and smuggling flash drives. Kremlin leaders cannot eternally ignore public discontent, even if they are willing for now to brutalize anyone who dares protest in the streets, Kent wrote. The Western world must demonstrate it respects Russias population, even if the regime doesnt. That means showing commitment to the principle that Russians deserve to be informed. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the BBC say theyve seen audiences for their Russian-language offerings grow dramatically since Russias invasion and crackdown on independent media. The RFE/RL website saw its number of unique visitors from Russia spike by 86% in the first two weeks of the war; on YouTube, many of its latest videos have surpassed 1 million views. People are also evading Russian censors by sending the stories over Telegram and email newsletters, said Jamie Fly, president and chief executive of RFE/RL. Certainly it is becoming more difficult if you are Russian sitting inside Russia to get independent news and information, but people are still looking to that content, whether theyre using VPNs or mirror sites, Fly said. As we saw throughout the Cold War, in a variety of countries, people always find a way no matter what the jamming tactics are. Beyond the official efforts, teams of computer programmers have also begun striking out to stir up Russian rage. One group, squad303, named for an air squadron that tore through Nazi warplanes during World War II, has built a website that shows a randomly selected Russian citizens email address, phone or WhatsApp number - as well as a pre-written message a visitor can send to strike up a conversation from their own accounts. Hello, my Russian friend, one text says, roughly translated. We dont know each other. I live abroad. I know that Russia invaded Ukraine and many soldiers and civilians died there. How do you live in Russia? How is it going? One of the groups programmers in Poland - using the name of Jan Zumbach, one of the squadrons ace fighter pilots - said he now works alongside more than 100 volunteers from Estonia, France, Germany, the United States and other countries, broken into teams devoted to software development, cyberdefense, social media and a help desk to get new messengers onboard. Millions of messages, some of which have showed photos of the war or tallies of civilian deaths, have been sent in less than two weeks to the Russian numbers, according to the programmer, who said their database includes tens of millions of phone numbers and email addresses taken from hacked Russian databases. The team has raced to expand its infrastructure, growing from one server earlier this month to 16 servers today. Other mass-distribution operations are currently in the works, he said. The project is all-consuming, he said, and hes getting about three hours of sleep a night. But he said he remembers how important outside information from Radio Free Europe was to his parents during the 1980s, when they took part in the Solidarity labor movement that shook the Soviet Union. He hopes his work today will have a similar impact. We do not expect instant rewards or instant replies. Its a process, he said. Every single text message sent to a person in Russia is a tiny bridge between two people. Dey Correa, a volunteer messenger in Panama, said she has sent hundreds of messages to Russians with help from the site, including 50 while she was at home breastfeeding her infant son. She shared screenshots with The Washington Post showing dozens of messages and conversations, including one in which a respondent said Russians were shocked by the war but afraid to protest due to police crackdowns. Correa doesnt know if it will have any impact, and she has worried about retaliation. But she said she felt motivated to do something when she saw photos of a devastated maternity ward in Mariupol, Ukraine. When I saw the hospital, it became personal, she said. I think how horrible the nights are for those mothers - the cold. Not all of them have the opportunity to hold their babies, like I do. Another group has created a search engine, called Rusleaks, that aggregates more than a dozen databases purported to feature the personal information of Russian military personnel, including tens of thousands of peoples names, addresses, phone numbers and passport details. The data have not been fully verified and some of the records have been released by the Ukrainian government, raising the risks of false information. But one of the groups members, a software developer formerly in Kyiv, said the data could be used to alert the Russian public to what their government is doing or help investigate war crimes. I dont know how soon it will happen. I dont know that it will happen at all. But I am doing what Ive been training for, he said. We are fighting on too many frontiers now. And this is clearly one of them. . . . Whatever it takes to make our voice louder. The Washington Posts Paul Sonne contributed to this report. The United States should do more to support Ukraine as Russias invasion of its western neighbor enters a fourth week, four retired U.S. generals who each served as NATOs top commander in Europe said Wednesday. The former supreme allied commanders for Europe also endorsed the establishment of a limited airlift or no-fly zone mission over Ukraine strictly for humanitarian purposes. They warned an audience with the Washington think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies that without further American or NATO intervention in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin might be emboldened to turn his forces farther west. I think we've been far too timid on the support that we are giving to the Ukrainians, retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston, who served as NATOs SAC-Europe from 2000 to 2003, told the think tank panel Wednesday. If we don't stand up, [Putin] is going to get worse. This is not going to stop with Ukraine. He's going to go on to NATO countries, and that is a problem. Ralston spoke alongside his direct predecessor as SAC-Europe, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, his direct successor, retired Marine Gen. James Jones, and retired Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who was SAC-Europe from 2013 to 2016, including when Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014. The former top officers all said a limited NATO or U.S. air mission to remove endangered civilians from Ukraine or at least to protect them from being targeted as they attempt to flee was feasible. President Joe Biden has vowed any incursion by Russian troops into NATO territory would be met with U.S. military power, but he has balked at sending American forces or aircraft into the war-torn country. Biden has sent thousands of American forces toward NATOs eastern flank in recent weeks to bolster alliance defenses, and he has shipped some $2 billion in defensive weapons including anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainians. On Wednesday, he approved a new $800 million package of aid including thousands of missiles, ammunition, drones and body armor and helmets for Ukrainian troops, who have mounted a strong defense of their nation against Russian forces. Bidens announcement Wednesday came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Congress, seeking even more aid including a full no-fly zone to close Ukrainian airspace to all Russian aircraft. But Biden and the Pentagon have dismissed a no-fly zone over widespread fears that U.S. military clashes with Russian forces could spark a world war. The retired generals who spoke Wednesday were critical of some of Bidens approaches, including his waiting until Russia invaded before announcing key sanctions. Breedlove labeled the administrations approach to Russia passive in nature, saying it gave Putin the confidence to launch his unprovoked invasion. Our leaders told us that we explained to [Putin] what was going to happen if he invaded, Breedlove said. He measured all that up, and he went in anyway. So, our passive deterrence statute did not deter. We need to be taking greater risks," added Clark, who led NATO forces in Europe from 1997 to 2000. We've been excessively timid in this. We don't know what the red lines are [for Putin] and of course we don't want World War III. But can we do more? Absolutely. Some 3 million refugees have already fled Ukraine as Russia has launched nearly 1,000 missiles into the country since invading Feb. 24, according to the Pentagon. Russian forces have been widely accused of striking civilian targets, and footage of the war has shown apartment buildings and homes destroyed in the fighting. The retired generals warned such attacks could become more frequent as Putin lashes out against the strong Ukrainian defenses that have largely stalled Russian advances for days and inflicted thousands of casualties and vehicles losses on Putins forces. A humanitarian airlift and no-fly zone would see NATO use cargo aircraft, such as C-17s, accompanied by fighter jets to move refugees out of Ukraine, said Jones, who also served as Marine commandant and as former President Barack Obamas first National Security Advisor. The mission would require making clear to Putin and his military that the NATO forces were not looking to engage Russians in air-to-air combat. But, if fired upon well retaliate, he said. There is a humanitarian need and a great suffering right now among the Ukrainians that needs to be addressed. If Vladimir Putin wants to oppose that, well that just adds another nail in the coffin of his reputation. Ralston said the limited humanitarian mission was something American service members certainly could do, and the Biden administration needs to be looking at. But such an operation must be established soon, warned Breedlove, who has previously called on Biden to establish a humanitarian no-fly zone in Ukraine. He warned as fighting in Ukraines western region ramps up such as Russias targeting of training bases this week miles from the Poland border NATO could lose the opportunity for any humanitarian operations that do not come with a high risk of sparking a NATO-Russia conflict. This humanitarian no-fly zone would be completely compatible with the [limited humanitarian] airlift and that gives us the best chance at not ending up in a bellicose situation, Breedlove said, labeling fighting in Ukraines east pretty hot. It's getting hotter in the west, and if we don't do something like [the humanitarian no-fly zone] in the west now, we're probably going to lose the opportunity to do it in the future. WASHINGTON The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday it will designate Afghanistan for temporary protected status, providing 18 months of deportation relief to Afghans who fled the country following its fall to the Taliban last year. The designation will provide immigration protections to tens of thousands of Afghans who were permitted to enter the U.S. without visas under humanitarian parole after the evacuation. It will also allow them to work legally, though many already sought work permits under the terms of humanitarian parole. This TPS designation will help to protect Afghan nationals who have already been living in the United States from returning to unsafe conditions, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing oppressive actions by the Taliban regime and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The designation will also provide additional protections and assurances to trusted partners and vulnerable Afghans who supported the U.S. military, diplomatic, and humanitarian missions in Afghanistan over the last 20 years, Mayorkas said. Following the Afghanistan governments collapse, the U.S. evacuated tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans, including individuals in line for special immigrant visas and their families as well as people not eligible for special immigrant visas but otherwise deemed vulnerable. After undergoing overseas security vetting, evacuees were processed on domestic military bases before being resettled across the U.S. In total, more than 75,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. under the sweeping effort known as Operation Allies Welcome. But roughly 36,000 lack a direct pathway to permanent residency in the U.S., according to a report released by DHS last month. Only Afghans who were in the U.S. as of March 15 will be eligible for TPS under Wednesdays announcement. TPS grants individuals from countries struck by natural disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary and temporary conditions the ability to stay in the U.S. without fearing deportation. But the designation does not provide a guaranteed path to permanent residency or citizenship. Earlier this month, the Biden administration also designated TPS for Ukraine as that nation continues to fight back Russias invasion. Immigrant and refugee advocates have raised concerns about Afghans who lack a pathway to permanent protection, calling for legislation that would allow them to adjust their status to lawful permanent residency. Our nations moral obligation to our Afghan allies and friends demands the stability that only a pathway to permanent residence can provide, said Krish OMara Vignarajah, president of the resettlement group Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. That legislation has yet to be introduced in Congress, but lawmakers hinted Tuesday that it could be unveiled in the coming weeks. I have a number of Republicans strongly interested in co-sponsoring, said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. We are negotiating final text. As of last week, I believe it was ready for introduction. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also said she was working on the legislation. ------ CQ-Roll Call reporter Suzanne Monyak contributed to this article. ___ 2022 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) President Joe Biden will speak Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the U.S. leader looks to shore up global pressure on Russia to halt its war in Ukraine. This is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Thursday. The two leaders will discuss managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russias war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern. The call is Biden and Xis first since November, and follows a meeting in Rome Monday between National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinas top diplomat, Yang Jiechi. China has aligned its rhetoric with that of Moscow, and Xi and Vladimir Putin declared in the weeks before the invasion that their countries friendship had no limits. China has also said it wants to avoid being impacted by U.S. sanctions over the war in Ukraine. The Biden administration has tried to persuade Beijing to use its influence to help end the war, but has generally been reluctant to publicly admonish Beijing for tacit support of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Instead, it has said every nation will be judged by history for its role in the war and U.S. officials have warned China both publicly and privately that theyd face serious consequences for helping Russia by softening the blow of sanctions. Beijing denied any efforts to help Moscow, and Chinese officials said they want to see the conflict end. Chinas foreign ministry on Thursday endorsed remarks by its envoy to Ukraine, in which Beijing delivered some of its most supportive comments yet toward the war-torn country. Ambassador Fan Xianrong had told Lviv Governor Maksym Kozytskyi during a meeting Monday that China was a friendly country for the Ukrainian people and would never attack Ukraine, according to a summary posted on the Lviv governments website. He went on to praise the strength and unity demonstrated by the Ukrainian people, in an apparent reference to their efforts to resist Russias ongoing invasion. Asked about Fans comments at a news conference Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: China surely supports these remarks by our ambassador in Ukraine. China supports all efforts that are conducive to easing the situation and for a political settlement. A day earlier, Zhao had said he was not aware of the comments, fueling uncertainty about whether Fan was expressing the central governments position. The worlds two largest economies also continue sparring over human rights and economic policies. The Biden administration has yet to unveil actions against what it considers Chinas harmful non-market practices. Biden and Xi last spoke in November, during a video conference in which Biden stressed that the two superpowers need to establish guardrails to ensure their competition doesnt veer into conflict. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) A massive spending bill signed by President Biden on Tuesday to fund the federal government and provide $13.6 billion to address Russias invasion of Ukraine also includes language on accountability on Haiti and modification to U.S. policy toward the crisis-wracked Caribbean nation. Tucked inside the omnibus spending bills 2,741-pages are reporting requirements for the State Department to brief congressional lawmakers on everything from Haitis ongoing governance crisis and individuals involved in acts of corruption to the events surrounding the 2018 massacre in Port-au-Princes La Saline neighborhood, to a status report on the ongoing investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Lawmakers are not just seeking an update on where the U.S. investigation stands, but they want an assessment on Haitis ability to carry out its stalled inquiry into the July 7 killing and what assistance the Biden administration has provided to the countrys dysfunctional judiciary to help. The push for accountability on Haiti was spearheaded by New York Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, and dates back to when Moise was still alive and U.S. lawmakers in both chambers were urging the Biden administration to drop its support for Moise and support a transition in Haiti. In addition, lawmakers are seeking a significant policy review of the U.S. policy to Haiti and a way to measure progress in addressing corruption, improved governance and advancement in the rule of law. While some Haiti watchers hope the new language and requirements will produce new policy toward the country, others hope that at the very least the reporting will show the shortcomings of U.S. policy in the country. Members of Haitian civil society, for example, had long complained about being dismissed by the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince and other State Department policy makers during their anti-government protests against Moise and in discussions about the countrys future after his death. Now lawmakers are mandating U.S. policy makers to provide updates on U.S. efforts to consult and engage with civil society groups, as well as Haitian government officials. They also want a description of the response by the government of Haiti to civic protests that have taken place since July 2018 and any allegations of human rights abuses, including attacks on journalists. Congress is also giving the State Department no later than 180 days after Tuesdays signing to provide an assessment of major corruption committed by members of the public and private sector in Haiti, including identification of any individual or entity that financed corrupt activities, and all corruption prosecutions investigated by the judiciary of Haiti since January 2015. That includes an overview of efforts by the government of Haiti to address allegations that more than $2 billion from Venezuelas PetroCaribe petroleum-import finance project were pilfered over eight years by several Haitian governments. According to damning investigations by Haitis Superior Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes, which until now have received no traction from either the Haitian government or the international community, most of the petrodollars were spent in the decade following the devastating Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. The court said the funds were wasted, embezzled and poorly managed as they were poured into hundreds of projects that did little to improve the lives of Haitians after the hemispheres worst natural disaster. Known as the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act, the Haiti language in the bill includes several modifications reflecting the current state the country finds itself in. In the time it has taken for the bill to make its way through committee before being passed as part of the omnibus spending bill, Haiti has slipped deeper into crisis. The assassination of Moise was followed by a deadly earthquake and powerful storm. And Haiti is seeing an increase in gang-related violence and kidnappings as well as a surge in maritime migration that has led to over 700 fleeing Haitians washing up on South Floridas shores since November. With no elected president or functioning parliament, the current interim government and members of civil society have been at loggerheads over the way forward, with U.S. lawmakers pushing for the Biden administration to support a plan by civil society over that of interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who wants to hold general elections later this year. Henrys critics in Congress contend that his government does not reflect a broad consensus and the Biden administration should instead support the civil society plan known as the Montana Accord. That plan proposes a two-year transition led by a five-member presidential college and a prime minister, whom accord supporters have already chosen. While it sticks to the U.S. stance of not providing direct funding to Haitis government, the new policy does lay out under what conditions support to the central government of Haiti may be considered: After free and fair elections produce a new president and parliament, or if the country is being led by a transitional governing authority with broad representation of Haitian society. The State Department, which has held several talks with Henry and civic leaders in recent weeks, has pushed back against critics who accuse it of supporting Henry over civil society. We know that the political situation in Haiti is at an impasse with de facto ruler Ariel Henry refusing to cooperate with the civil society-led process to a democratic transition, said Rep. Andy Levin, D-MI, noting that he was glad to see the Haiti legislation pass as part of the omnibus package, particularly because it sets a baseline that U.S. policy promote broad, inclusive and sustained political dialogue among the different actors in Haiti to restore democratic legitimacy and institutions in Haiti. A vocal supporter of the Montana Accord, Levin said that to fulfill this new mandate for U.S. policy, Biden administration officials should withdraw their support from Henry and start supporting a truly inclusive, Haiti-led path to democracy. 2022 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) The New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen will now be allowed to bury all National Guardsmen, Reservists and their spouses and children. President Joe Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 into law on Tuesday. Tucked into the so-called omnibus bill, which included supplemental aid to Ukraine, was a measure supported by the New Hampshire Congressional delegation to allow all Guard members and Reservists to be buried in veterans cemeteries that receive federal grant funding through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Until now, state veterans cemeteries were only allowed to inter Guard members and Reservists called to active duty. "Finally, Reservists and National Guard members will have the same burial rights as their fallen brothers and sisters in arms," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, the prime sponsor of a bipartisan Senate bill to allow the change. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH, who sponsored a similar House bill, said the change "guarantees long-overdue equity for members of the Guard and Reserves." Anna Thomas, Manchester's public health director and a former member of the New Hampshire National Guard, said she is pleased and grateful to Pappas for pushing for the equity bill. "To know as a former NH Army National Guardsman and Massachusetts Reservist that I can now potentially share the burial ground of my father and other veterans at the NH Veterans Cemetery is humbling and an overwhelming honor," Thomas said in an email. "This is deeply personal to me and I feel very blessed to be afforded such an opportunity. (c)2022 The New Hampshire Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.) Visit The New Hampshire Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.) at www.unionleader.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BRADENTON, Fla. (Tribune News Service) Warren Pizzello had a slice of chocolate cake, decorated in strawberries, roses and white frosting for his 100th birthday on Tuesday. His family will tell you that Pizzello is very special, as will his fellow members of Braden River VFW Post 12055. Pizzello, who served aboard a Navy communications boat in the Pacific during World War II, is one of only about 240,000 surviving vets from that war, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistic says. That's from a pool of 16 million Americans who served. Ron Babcock, chaplain of the VFW post, organized the birthday celebration, held under a covered pavilion at Tom Bennett Park. "It's a momentous occasion," Babcock said. John Van Horn, Pizzello's step-son, and Van Horn's wife, Colleen, came down from their home in Londonderry, N.H., for the birthday. "He has been real, real good to us. He is a life example for people," John Van Horn said. Amy Kippin, one of Pizzello's daughters, moved the retired sheet metal worker from Massachusetts to Bradenton in 2011. "He was in an assisted living facility there. He's very healthy. He's healthier than me," Kippin said. Asked if he had any advice on living a good, long life, Pizzello said: "My advice would be to be dedicated to helping other people, be persistent and do the best you can." (c)2022 The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.) Visit The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.) at www.bradenton.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) The Biden administration is proposing replacing much of the 100-year-old Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital which sits about 12 miles west of downtown Chicago as part of a national overhaul of the nations veterans health care system. The Department of Veterans Affairs released details earlier this week about how it plans to revamp its facilities across the country, sparking controversy with recommendations to close hospitals in some areas, such as Massachusetts, Ohio and New York. Under the plan, the Chicago area would keep its three main VA health care facilities Hines, the Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chicago and the Capt. James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago. But Hines, which has nearly 500 beds, would get a new building to house all of its patient care. At least some of Hines current buildings, including the one that now includes most of the hospitals patient care, would remain for administrative use, said James Doelling, Hines hospital director. Hines sits on a nearly 150-acre campus next to Loyola University Medical Center. The VA is also recommending building a new outpatient facility at Jesse Brown. The plan must still be reviewed by Congress and a presidentially appointed Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission, which will conduct public hearings and submit its own recommendations to the president in 2023. The VA came up with the recommendations under the requirements of the MISSION Act, signed into law in 2018 by President Donald Trump. The current Hines (hospital) campus has ongoing facility challenges, high operating and maintenance costs, and several buildings that do not meet modern health care standards, according to the report released this week. Replacing the part of the hospital that provides patient care would address those issues, provide a better environment for veterans and maintain the hospitals ability to provide complex inpatient and outpatient care, according to the report. Hines was originally built to help veterans returning from World War I, Doelling said. The current Hines facility would need $527.6 million worth of work to bring it up to where it should be now, if it were not replaced, according to the report. The veterans of today have different needs from the veterans of 100 years ago, Doelling said. Renovating these older buildings, its just not cost (effective) and it wouldnt give us the space to expand our services. The VA did not include a cost for replacing the Hines facility or building a new outpatient facility at Jesse Brown in its report. It has not yet been decided how many beds the new Hines facility might have, Doelling said. The recommendations also include moving long-term care, a residential rehabilitation treatment program and other rehabilitation services now provided at Jesse Brown to the new Hines facility. And the VA is recommending consolidating Jesse Brown and Hines leadership teams, administration and support services, though Hines and Jesse Brown would remain as two separate hospitals. Hines would also begin offering mammograms. The VA is also recommending modernizing parts of Lovell and is proposing building new community clinics near Morris and La Porte, Ind. Many of the VAs recommendations focus on outpatient care, in line with a national shift that began before the COVID-19 pandemic of patients needing less overnight care and more outpatient services, now that more procedures can be done without a hospital stay. In the Chicago area, demand for overnight hospital stays is expected to decrease this decade while demand for long-term care and outpatient services is expected to climb, according to the report. 2022 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) A New Mexico jury found two Texas men guilty of federal fraud charges for unlawfully obtaining more than $3 million in government contracts set aside for disabled veterans, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Nick Medeiros, 49, and Bobby Greaves, 62, both of San Antonio, Texas, each were found guilty of major fraud, making false statements, and conspiracy charges, court records show. The jury returned the verdict March 2 following a weeklong trial in the U.S. District Court of New Mexico. A federal indictment filed in 2018 said that Medeiros, a service-disabled veteran, relied on equipment and labor provided by his brother-in-law, Greaves, who is not a veteran, to complete 11 government contracts in New Mexico and Texas. Those projects included a $1.9 million contract to build the "Drop Zone" cybercafe at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, according to the indictment. In all, the two men submitted invoices to the U.S. Air Force valued at about $3.2 million from September 2012 through February 2016, the indictment said. (c)2022 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at www.abqjournal.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BROOKHAVEN, Ga. (Tribune News Service) Three former staff members at a Georgia nursing home pleaded guilty to their accused roles in the death of an elderly patient. The charges against the two former nurses and one former nurse aide stem from the 2014 death of James Dempsey, 89, who was a patient in their care at Northeast Atlanta Rehabilitation Center in Brookhaven, a city about 10 miles northeast of Atlanta, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston. Evidence shows that the workers failed to provide timely and necessary medical assistance, ultimately resulting in Dempseys death, according to a news release. Dempsey was a World War II veteran, according to local outlets including The Atlanta-Journal Constitution and WSB-TV. McClatchy News has reached out to the Brookhaven Police Department for further information. A hidden surveillance video placed in Dempseys room revealed he was suffering from respiratory distress and continually called out for help the day of his death, authorities said. On March 15, former nurse Loyce Pickquet Agyeman, 67, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, neglect to an elder person and concealing the death of another, the district attorney said. She was sentenced to eight years in prison. The next day, Wanda Nuckles, 65, also a former nurse, pleaded guilty to concealing the death of another and was sentenced to a year in prison, according to the release. Mable Turman, 66, who was a certified nurse assistant, pleaded guilty in February to charges of neglect of an elder person and concealing the death of another. As the least culpable of the three, Turman was sentenced to five years of probation, the district attorney said. Stop pushing the call button The day he died, Dempsey complained of chest pain and said he couldnt breathe, but Agyeman told him there was nothing wrong with his heart and to stop pushing the call button before leaving his room, according to the district attorney. When Dempsey called for help again, Turman is accused of arriving in his room 24 minutes later. By that time, officials said, Dempsey was unresponsive. Turman called Nuckles and Agyeman into the room, officials said, but neither of them attempted to revive the patient. Agyeman and Nuckles only began performing CPR an hour after Dempsey stopped breathing in a ruse for the emergency service personnel who had just arrived on the scene, according to the district attorneys office. Dempseys son had set up a camera after Dempsey told him that personal items were being taken from his room and that he often had to wait for help, according to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Video surveillance reportedly revealed Dempsey pressed the help button from his bed six times on the day he died. Video shows him yelling help repeatedly while pointing at his heart, according to WSB-TV. We would have just thought it was natural causes and everything was done that should have been done and he passed away in his sleep, his son told the TV station in 2015. This is a landmark case for the State of Georgia and for DeKalb County, Boston said in the March 17 release. As a result of this case, the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that families have a right to install video recording equipment in their loved ones nursing home spaces. 2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Stillwater, OK (74074) Today Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 59F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 59F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view. After two years of starvation, Bay of Plenty tourism operators say reopening the borders is a step towards a more secure future. However, a ski field says traffic light restrictions could still make operating impossible. Te Puia chief executive Tim Cossar finds it hugely encouraging, hugely positive that from April 12, our borders will be open to vaccinated Australians. May 1 will see a further opening for visa-waiver countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Wednesday. Cossar says it been a real grind, particularly through the Omicron phase and this will give a good lead-in to the next peak season. Its a step towards a more secure future, the last few years have been hell. Cossar told Stuff at the start of March that the uncertainty around reopening dates was making it nigh on impossible for tourism ventures to operate. He says the latest announcement creates a pathway back to what he describes as a new state of normal. Te Puia can now plan work such as bringing back their concert series, and that he expects a strong rebound from the Trans-Tasman market, though he admits peoples travel confidence will need to build up. Cossar expects to see some Asian markets such as Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand returning soon, and that events in Europe could boost New Zealand. They could spring back quite well, as long as theres air capacity. Thats our pipeline. I couldnt see why those markets wont be back quickly. Taupo Mayor David Trewavas hails the great news after what he says has been two years of starvation for the tourism sector. I think the rest of the world looks to us as a pretty safe place to visit, he says. Im sure theyll come. But Trewavas says traffic light restrictions need to be axed because they madk ventures like Mt Ruapehu Alpine Lifts impossible to operate, a sentiment shared by its chief executive Jono Dean. Jono says the border opening is exceptional news, and long overdue. The tourism sector has desperately needed this. However, he says that, at present, they can host a maximum of 100 visitors, and that will be catastrophic if still in place for the winter season. Jono raises another fear too. The reality is were one of the last countries to open our borders. We havent helped ourselves. Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick also welcomes the sooner-than-expected reopening. Seeing this happen ahead of schedule is very exciting, and the certainty this provides local businesses in very important. Chadwick says the announcement comes at a critical time, when businesses are under huge pressures in all areas. We need the benefits of having tourists back in our city more than ever. The return of international tourists wil deliver support for the industry, vibrancy to our city, economic movement and jobs for our people. Rotorua Economic Development chief Andrew Wilson is equally upbeat, calling the announcement great news for the city. The industry is ready, and our tourism operators will be ecstatic to have international visitors back. It will also provide a boost for the struggling hospitality sector. International tourism is absolutely critical to this city, he says. Rotorua MP and National Tourism spokesperson Todd McClay also joins the welcoming chorus. The day when the first Australian tourists walk off the plane into New Zealand will be a happy one for our struggling tourism industry, likewise when people from visa-waiver countries start to arrive. McClay says that pre-Covid, tourism was the countrys largest export earner, employing more than 300,000 people. It can be a thriving industry once again and todays steps are the first towards making that happen. -Stuff/Benn Bathgate. Every young person in school and kura will soon start learning about how New Zealands histories have shaped our lives, says Education Minister Chris Hipkins. The final curriculum content for New Zealands histories and Te Takanga o Te Wa has been released and is now available to all New Zealand schools and kura. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Ministers Kelvin Davis, Jan Tinetti, and Aupito William Sio are launching the Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum at Sylia Park School in Auckland. Tune into the livesteream above for more. The new curriculum was officially announced last February, following up on a pledge in September 2019 that history would be compulsory in all New Zealand schools. Hipkins says it means they can start planning now to teach it from the beginning of next year. However, ACT believes the new curriculum "threatens to indoctrinate students in left-wing ideas and it requires an overhaul". The Ministry of Education has been working with history and curriculum experts, iwi and mana whenua, Pacific communities, students and akonga, parents and whanau, and other groups with a strong interest in shaping how New Zealands histories and Te Takanga o Te Wa could be taught. The resulting draft curriculum content was tested in 2021 in schools and kura staffrooms, classrooms, and with the public through a survey and general submission process, says Hipkins. Education Minister Chris Hipkins. "The feedback the Ministry received was wide-ranging, clear, and at times confronting. New Zealanders have a lot to say about how our nations histories should be examined and discussed, and that is a good thing. Testing of the content with kura, schools, kaiako, and teachers has been very positive. We are confident the final curriculum incorporates the feedback and ideas that were provided." While some parts of it the curriculum will be taught right throughout the country, schools and kura can decide on what histories to include from their local area, in partnership with whanau, iwi, mana whenua and local communities. Hipkins says this will ensure their local curriculum or marau a-kura is reflective of the people, places and events that are important within their communities. The Ministry of Education will provide support and resources for schools and kura to ensure they can keep parents, whanau and the wider community, including iwi and hapu, informed and involved. "This is the first step in a five-year refresh that will make the whole national curriculum clearer and easier to use, and better able to deliver more inclusive and equitable learning experiences for all young New Zealanders," says Hipkins. "This exciting development in our education system means generations to come will better understand our place in the world and what has made us the nation we are." Despite Hipkins' positivity, ACT feels the "new history curriculum is taking us backwards". "The new history curriculum leaves huge gaps in our true history, excluding science, technology and the womens movement," says ACTs Education spokesperson Chris Baillie. Chris Baillie. The curriculum divides history into villains and victims, contains significant gaps, and pushes a narrow set of highly political stories from our past. We want children to be empowered and equipped with knowledge of the world they live in, not a narrow fragment of it promoted by the Ministry of Education. It leaves out or brushes over growing civil rights and liberties, technological and scientific innovation, and our citizens participation in two World Wars. ACT says the New Zealand history curriculum should be radically redrafted to give an honest and inclusive account of who the New Zealand people are. Read more here. More information including the final content is available at: Te Takanga o Te Wa https://kauwhatareo.govt.nz/mi/kaupapa/te-takanga-o-te-wa The Ministry of Health is reporting a further 10 deaths of people with Covid-19, including one in the Bay of Plenty, today. This figure takes the overall tally of Covid-related deaths at present to 151. A total of 19,566 new cases have been announced across the nation today. Of these, 1265 are in the Bay of Plenty and 624 are in the Lakes DHB region. Currently, 35 people are in hospital across the Bay of Plenty with Covid-19. Speaking in relation to the 10 deaths announced today, the MOH says, as well as the one in the Bay of Plenty, other deaths were confirmed in Northland, Hawkes Bay and the Hutt Valley. Five deaths are reported as being in Auckland. One of these people, one was in their 30s, one in their 50s, three in their 70s, two in their 80s and two in their 90s, says a MOH statement. Four were women and were five were men. Demographic information for one person is not available at this stage. Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this sad time. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment. A full MOH breakdown of the Covid-19 data can be seen below Vaccinations administered in New Zealand Vaccines administered to date: 4,023,623 first doses; 3,970,347 second doses; 34,240 third primary doses; 2,534,283 booster doses: 255,444 paediatric first doses and 19,764 paediatric second doses Vaccines administered yesterday: 369 first doses; 543 second doses; 28 third primary doses; 6,003 booster doses; 399 paediatric first doses and 4,083 paediatric second doses People vaccinated All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,070,293 first dose (96.7%); 4,013,796 second dose (95.4%), 2,535,944 boosted (72.9% of those eligible) Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,304 first dose (91.3%); 502,699 second dose (88%), 223,155 boosted (59.2% of those eligible) Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,803 first dose (98.3%); 276,318 second dose (96.4%), 133,151 boosted (59.7% of those eligible) 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 254,965 first dose (53.5%); 19,363 second dose (4.1%) 5 to 11-year-olds - Maori: 39,559 first dose (34.2%); 2,398 second dose (2.1%) 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 22,917 first dose (46.4%); 1,286 second dose (2.6%) Note that the number for People vaccinated differs slightly from Vaccines administered as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas. Vaccination rates for all DHBs* Northland DHB: first dose (90.5%); second dose (88.2%); boosted (69.9%) Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.5%); second dose (96.3%); boosted (70.9%) Waikato DHB: first dose (95.5%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (68.6%) Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.5%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (69%) Lakes DHB: first dose (93.8%); second dose (91.8%); boosted (69.3%) MidCentral DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (74.7%) Tairawhiti DHB: first dose (93.6%); second dose (91.1%); boosted (69.7%) Whanganui DHB: first dose (92.5%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (74.4%) Hawkes Bay DHB: first dose (97.5%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (72.8%) Taranaki DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (70.2%) Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.9%); second dose (95.3%); boosted (75.4%) Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.9%); second dose (98.1%); boosted (81.4%) Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.9%); boosted (77.4%) Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.3%) West Coast DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.5%); boosted (74.2%) Canterbury DHB: first dose (100%); second dose (99%); boosted (75.8%) South Canterbury DHB: first dose (95.6%); second dose (94.4%); boosted (76.9%) Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.3%); boosted (75.3%) *Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data - a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%. Hospitalisations* Cases in hospital: total number 930: Northland: 20; North Shore: 170; Middlemore: 250; Auckland: 202; Waikato: 66; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 7; Tairawhiti: 2, Hawkes Bay: 23; Taranaki: 10; MidCentral: 16; Hutt Valley: 22; Capital and Coast: 43; Wairarapa: 7; Nelson Marlborough: 11; Canterbury: 30; Southern: 16. Average age of current hospitalisations: 58 Cases in ICU or HDU: 23 Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (102 cases / 21%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (22 cases / 4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (208 cases / 36%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (208 cases / 36%); unknown (41 cases / 7%) *The figures show that just under 3% of people aged 12 and over in the Northern Region have had no doses of the vaccine, while of those aged 12 and over in Northland and Auckland hospitals with COVID-19 for whom we have vaccination status recorded, 15.7% have had no doses of the vaccine and are five times over-represented in our hospitalisation figures. Cases Seven day rolling average of community cases: 18,650 Number of new community cases: 19,566 Number of new community cases (PCR): 534 Number of new community cases (RAT): 19,032 Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (700), Auckland (4,867), Waikato (1,820), Bay of Plenty (1,265), Lakes (624), Hawkes Bay (1,101), MidCentral (821), Whanganui (269), Taranaki (661), Tairawhiti (385), Wairarapa (260), Capital and Coast (1,405), Hutt Valley (874), Nelson Marlborough (521), Canterbury (2,493), South Canterbury (212), Southern (1,220), West Coast (60); Unknown (8) Number of new cases identified at the border: 25 Number of active community cases (total): 199,645 (cases identified in the past 10 days and not yet classified as recovered) Confirmed cases (total): 437,414 Please note, the Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO. Tests The court battle over the fate of water from the Otakiri aquifer is continuing Consents that were granted to Creswell New Zealand, a subsidiary of Chinese water bottling giant Nongfu Spring, in 2018, were opposed by four groups on Wednesday and Thursday last week in the Court of Appeal. The consents being contested are a 25-year consent from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to increase the plants annual take from the Otakiri Aquifer to 1.1 million cubic metres and above ground consents granted by Whakatane District Council for the new plant, approving the increase to the size of the buildings, landscaping and traffic movement. Three iwi groups, Te Runanga o Ngati Awa, Ngati Pikiao Environmental Society and Te Runanga o Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Trust, oppose the regional councils consent, based on the damage the water bottling activity will have on the mauri (life force) of the water. Community group Sustainable Otakiri was formed to oppose the consents granted by the district council. All four cases have previously been heard unsuccessfully in both the Environment Court and the High Court, however, in October last year they were given leave to take the cases to New Zealands second highest court, the Court of Appeal. They appeared before a panel of three Appeal Court judges, Justices Mark Cooper, David Goddard and Robert Dobson in Wellington last week. Ngati Awa argues that material errors of law were made in approving the resource consents. The water will be put into 3.7 million largely plastic bottles a day, equating to 1.3 billion bottles a year. Most of the water will be exported to China for the Asian market and Ngati Awa will not be fulfilling its role as kaitiaki if the business went ahead as planned. Summarising the Ngati Awa opposition to Creswell, former and late chairman of the runanga Dr Hohepa (Joe) Mason was quoted as having said: This is too much water, to be sold, too far away. This view is supported by current chairman Joe Harawira who told Local Democracy Reporting that Creswells application is inconsistent with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. There are fundamental questions around the export of water, and the use of plastics, that need to be addressed and should be of concern to all New Zealanders. Why are we giving our water away for free to overseas companies whose shareholders will be the main beneficiaries? Why should a proposal to build a manufacturing plant with the capacity to create 1800 single-use plastic bottles per minute be able to proceed under the current law? Why are we exporting our purest water when our own people living in Whakatane, Murupara and Kawerau drink water of the lowest acceptable quality for human consumption? Spokeswoman for Sustainable Otakiri Maureen OKane says the crux of her groups case is that the consent has been able to go through without consultation with the community. This tiny water bottling plant was able to go through on limited notification because they decided that it was materially the same as what had been approved before, OKane told Local Democracy Reporting. What were saying is, you wouldnt expect a dairy to be able to turn into a supermarket [without consultation]. You wouldnt expect a backyard butcher to be able to turn into Afco, so why is it okay for a business that has maybe eight truck movements a day to be able to have over 200 truck movements a day and be able to push that through without public consultation. OKane says Sustainable Otakiri will be giving its right of reply in writing as its barrister wasnt available at the time. We were very pleased with what we presented and we were very pleased with the questions that the panel asked the district council in relation to how they applied the application for Creswell. OKane expected the appeal to be heard in December but due to Covid it had been dragged out. She expects it will take a number of months before the judges handed down a decision. She says the group has survived by fundraising activities, including a Givealittle page. They have previously survived liquidation proceedings by Creswell NZ to cover court costs from the previous hearings and still have court costs to pay for the appeal hearing. We managed to fundraise and survive the liquidation proceedings, and weve been fundraising quite hard out since then to get ourselves into the Court of Appeal. At the moment were applying for a top up from the [Ministry for the Environments] Environment Legal Assistance Fund. Weve applied to them multiple times previously, and weve been turned down because the ELA didnt believe that we were of enough public importance to receive funding. We received funding initially for our Court of Appeal Case but we applied for tens of thousands of dollars and were only granted $6175 excluding GST. So were applying again for a top up there, but any public assistance that we could get would be absolutely appreciated, given what we feel is the magnitude of the outcome of what this could be." The Whakatane District Council and The Bay of Plenty Regional Council declined to comment on the hearing. -Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air Get website access for only 99 per month for the first 3 months, then $8.50 a month after. Cancel anytime! 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Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist. The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) named Superintendent Dr. Teri Staloch the recipient of the 2022 Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award. The award recognizes excellent leadership and involvement in MASA and other educational organizations by an administrator who is a woman. Staloch was honored for her leadership, concern for students, and active involvement in professional and community affairs at the statewide recognition ceremony during the MASA/MASE Spring Conference held on March 10-11. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Thank you for Reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and Purchase a Subscription to continue reading. Recap: Google started hosting its annual I/O conference at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View in 2016. Before that, the event took place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Google canceled the conference entirely in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but brought it back last year as a virtual event. Google's annual developer conference will return to the Shoreline Amphitheatre this May, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has revealed. Google I/O 2022 will run from May 11-12. It'll be conducted in front of a limited live audience and like last year's event, will stream online. The "limited live audience" will apparently consist of select Google employees and some business partners, we're told. So in other words, it's mostly just an online event. We'll be back live from Shoreline Amphitheatre for this year's #GoogleIO! Join us online May 11-12 https://t.co/KgNKbaLeym pic.twitter.com/NUodJb7UCi Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 16, 2022 Google's FAQ notes that I/O 2022 will be free of cost for everyone, and that registration will open sometime later this month. Keynotes will air live and be available on-demand following the event. In fact, all sessions will be available on-demand to watch at your leisure, and Google will even host interactive experiences with virtual demos. Google also launched an interactive puzzle to go along with its I/O announcement which involves strings, music and a set of unclear controls. If you are into that sort of thing, give it a look and feel free to share the solution down in the comments section. (Photo : Unsplash/ ) Tencent Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings announced that they would lay off thousands of their employees this year due to the slow economic growth resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the regulatory crackdown in China. Alibaba and Tencent to Fire Thousands of Works Alibaba is China's biggest e-commerce company, and it could potentially lay off 15% of its total workforce, which is about 39,000 employees, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Tencent Holdings, the owner of China's messaging app WeChat plans to cut off redundant employees this year in some of its units. The unit overseeing businesses will see up to a 15% headcount cut. The job cuts at the two China-based companies would be their first major layoffs since the regulators launched an unprecedented campaign in 2020 to rein in its tech giants. Also Read: China Officially Omits Caixin as One of Internet News Sites The regulatory crackdown in the country and the slow economic growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic have slowed the sales growth for most companies, smashed their share prices, and made new capital raising and business expansion much tougher in China, forcing the two companies to look for ways to cut costs. Alibaba began to fire employees in February, according to Strait Times. It discussed job cuts with several business units and left it to them to make plans. The local consumer services segment, Ele.me, a food delivery business and other groceries delivery and mapping services, intends to fire up to 25% of its employees. The company's video-streaming unit Youku is planning layoffs as well. The layoff will include the team who were responsible for producing kids' shows. In February, Alibaba had its slowest quarterly revenue growth since 2014. It was hit by a fall in sales at its core business segment and tightened the competition. The stock has tumbled more than 60% since the start of 2022, according to Business Standard. The company has been under pressure since 2020 when its founder, Jack Ma, publicly criticized China's regulatory system, triggering a chain of events that saw Beijing slapping the firm with a record $3.8 billion fine and introducing a series of new rules for its internet sector. In 2016, Alibaba invested $1 billion into Lazada, making it a major shareholder. Alibaba, whose total headcount more than doubled to 251,462 in 2021 from 2019, will not be wielding the jobs axed indiscriminately. Two separate sources said that staff at growth engine Alibaba Cloud have not been informed of the firing yet. Starting with the Less Profitable Businesses Tencent Holding's layoffs are set to begin at its less profitable businesses like Tencent Video and Tencent Cloud. During an internal meeting at Tencent Holdings at the end of 2021, the company's chief executive Pony Ma told staff that the company should prepare itself for a "winter," which prompted insecurity among some staff about their jobs. Tencent had around 94,182 employees as of June 2021 compared with 70,756 employees in 2020. China's biggest ride-hailing firm Didi Global is also planning to reduce its overall headcount by 15% as the crackdown has impacted its domestic business. Didi, subject to a cyber security probe after a $4.4 billion listing in New York in 2021, aims to complete the layoffs by the end of March. In 2021, Alibaba's anti-monopoly probe launched after Chinese regulators called off IPO. Related Article: Why is China so Obsessed With Banning Games? Gaming Crackdown Details Explained This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sophie Webster 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. All NASA James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors were successfully focused at a star, capturing a new stunning image that exceeds the expectations of many space experts. Right now, JWST is the most advanced space telescope of the National Aeronautics Space Agency. But, with the newest captured image of a star called 2MASS J17554042+655127, experts said that the performance of JWST exceeded their expectations. "We've actually done a very detailed analysis of the images we're getting, and, so far, what we're finding is that the performance is as good if not better than our most optimistic prediction," said the NASA engineer, Lee Feinberg, via BCC News. All NASA James Webb Mirrors Focus on a Single Star According to CNN World's latest report, the newly captured image of the James Webb Space Telescope stunned many space experts. This is because JWST showed how sensitive its mirrors are. Also Read: Astra Successfully Reaches Orbit for Spaceflight Inc. Mission, Elon Musk Congratulates Company Thanks to the sensitivity of all James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors (a total of 18 mirror segments), the new image revealed by NASA was able to detail even the individual galaxies and stars behind the 2MASS J17554042+655127. What's astonishing about this new star image is being a test image. This means that the newly released photo is not the final output. Right now, NASA is expected to release the first collection of space images of JWST around June. But, this will still depend if certain issues are encountered. JWST's New Star Image Jane Rigby, the current operations project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, described the image as "sharp and crisp." Rigby added that the giant space telescope was able to achieve this since its mirrors can capture images that are not visible to the human eye. This is comparable to the capability of NASA Hubble Space Telescope but on a more advanced level. In other news, Russia calms Roscosmos ISS abandonment rumors by confirming the return of an American astronaut. Meanwhile, Mark Vande Hei is now the astronaut that has the longest time on the International Space Station. For more news updates about NASA JWST and other space topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Space Race 2022: China Seeks Dominance by Presenting Three-Step Lunar Exploration and Other 2030 Missions! This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Meta's Zucker-Vision, a new VR headset, is expected to replace iPhones, as well as other smartphones available in the market. This is what the company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, claims so far. He added that this new wearable VR gadget is a part of their effort to overthrow the use of smartphones. If this is true, then one of Meta's long-term efforts will revolve around the development and production of virtual reality headsets and other AR/VR gadgets. Meta's New Zucker-Vision According to The Sun's latest report, creating the perfect VR headset is really quite challenging. The billionaire added that the reasons include size and aesthetics. Also Read: Meta User Experiences Virtual Harassment on Horizon Venues? More Than 3 Male Avatars Involved "In order for VR to take off, it's going to have to look good. It's one of the most interesting challenges of the next decade. Miniaturizing things is much harder," said Zuckerberg. But, Mark claimed that creating virtual reality gadgets efficient enough to replace iPhones and other mobile devices is just a few years away. As of the moment, the exact release date of Zucker-Vision is not confirmed. Not much of its features are also known yet. But, you can expect more announcements from Meta as months or years go by. Right now, the tech firm is focusing on the newer models of Quest headset models, which are claimed to be comparable to iPhones when it comes to VR impact. Meta To Roll Out Supervision Tools in VR Aside from the new Zucker-Vision, Meta is also expected to release the Supervision tools in VR. Right now, these safety features are already available on Instagram. Meta's official website provided the benefits that the upcoming VR Supervision tools will offer: View how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits. View and receive updates on what accounts their teens follow and the accounts that follow their teens. Be notified when their teen shares they've reported someone. In other news, some rumors recently claimed that the advanced Oculus Quest 2 exposes children to harmful content, leading to some criticisms in the U.K. Meanwhile, Meta's new robotic eyeball is expected to track human eye movements. For more news updates about Meta and its upcoming VR techs, always keep your tabs open here at Tech Times. Related Article: Meta Introduces 'Safety Bubbles' To Protect People From Being Virtually Groped--But Is It Enough? This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Twitter rolled out the "Downvote" and "Dislike" features on its platform, and it will allow the public to express their disagreement or disbelief on specific content. It will go unseen by the people, and only the author themselves will see the new feature and their statistics. Two top Big Tech executives and founders, Marc Andreessen and Elon Musk, both expressed their excitement over the new feature of social media. Twitter Downvote, Dislike Now Available: How to Use the Feature Marc Andreessen made it known via the platform, like the many Twitter users that received the Downvote feature from the social media company. Andreessen said that he had not been excited to see a technology feature online since the release of the original iPhone, and the tech executive is known for being a venture capitalist firm co-founder. Twitter's Downvote feature is a button that users would see on the bottom part of the tweet, alongside the likes, retweet, share, and the three-dot menu. Downvoting the tweet would successfully register it to the author but would not let other users know how many downvotes it received, avoiding a negative connotation on the statement. Andreessen said users could make the Downvote feature public by showing a screenshot online. Read Also: Twitter Lets You Skip App Recommendations and Escape the Algorithm Marc Andreessen, Elon Musk is for Twitter's Downvote Andreessen's latest tweets show that he is excited about the new Downvote or Dislike feature on Twitter, and it offers a lot for the social media career. Another personality is excited about this feature, and it is none other than Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk that showed his agreement by replying to Andreessen's tweet about the new feature. Yeah Elona Musk (@elonmusk) March 16, 2022 Twitter's Many Features Twitter has many features it rolls out regularly, and it includes some functions that users can utilize to make their social media experience better, especially now that it is one of the most popular online platforms. There are rumors that the short word social media is planning to bring a Close Friends to feature like Instagram's stories. The company also focuses on a speculated project that will focus on Podcasts, and it would be a different feature than the recent Spaces function of the company. The new addition that got rumors from speculators looked into the availability of the audio available for the public to access its multiple episodes, and not like Twitter's Spaces that is live to air on the platform. The short word social media brings a lot of features for the public to use, and the main focus is to improve the usage of their application that connects the public online world. The likes of Andreessen and Musk are significant in using or talking about these features, as it gives a perspective on how social media affects those who are insanely wealthy. Related Article: Adreessen Horowitz Invests $2.2b in Cryptocurrency, Despite the Downward Trend of the Coins; 'Innovation is in Crypto' This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google's I/O 2022 Event gets confirmed for the famous internet company and its CEO, Sundar Pichai, and invited the world to participate in the showcase event happening this May. The I/O 2022 will take place on both a physical assembly and an online setup for those that plan to join the festivities, having different options for its attendance. Google I/O 2022: When is the Event? Sundar Pichai Confirms Google launched a countdown for its I/O 2022 event on the official website that talks about the upcoming showcase of the company. The Google I/0 2022 will take place on Wednesday, May 11 to Thursday, May 12, for the public to witness and join, and the countdown already places the event 55 days from now, less than two months wait for it. The Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also released an official teaser for the event, showing several themes of the upcoming I/O showcase via Twitter. The executive also invites the public to join the event, and it is now available for registering online. The event will bring more than devices and software from the internet company and more of what it has to offer for everyone. Read Also: Google Docs to Roll Out New Feature So You Can Easily Draft Emails We'll be back live from Shoreline Amphitheatre for this year's #GoogleIO! Join us online May 11-12 https://t.co/KgNKbaLeym pic.twitter.com/NUodJb7UCi Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 16, 2022 Google I/O 2022 is Streaming Online and Live The company's showcase event will air both on a live audience setup on the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, and via the company's live stream online. Interested participants may opt to go to the event itself or watch it via the live stream and experience the Google event based on their preference, especially now that the pandemic is still mellowing down. Google's Showcase Event For the last two years, Google's I/O showcase event focused on an online setup but only had one event for 2021, as 2020's showcase got canceled due to the pandemic. Last year saw the Project Starline, a hyper-realistic video conferencing device that almost looks like a mirror to the other side, a portal that would connect family members, friends, and more. The showcase event last year took place last May 18 onwards, and it is the same time as this year, focusing on an entirely virtual event that brought many of Google's offers for the public. The event focused on Google products and what it offers to the public, bringing other of what it aims to get to the public to be highlighted on the event. The Mountain View company's event brings news regarding new devices like the Pixel, its wireless audio devices, updates to its Google Suite enterprise, Android, and more. These are only some of what to expect from Google as the company has other concepts and focuses that are unknown to the public as of this moment. Related Article: Google I/O 2021 Summary: What We Got and We Didn't Get This Year This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new iPhone SE 2022 5G sales prediction is expecting the new budget smartphone of Apple to reach up to 30 million units of shipment this 2022. The third-generation iPhone SE, which introduces 5G support for the budget-friendly device of the Cupertino-based tech giant, has yet to release on Friday, Mar. 18. However, analysts from Taiwan are now predicting that Apple will be selling millions of units of the new iPhone for this year alone, as per a news story by MacRumors. iPhone SE 2022 5G Sales Prediction The new iPhone SE 5G estimates are from Taiwan-based research analysts Luke Lin and Sean Lin, saying that its shipments could reach up to 30 million sales in 2022. Meanwhile, according to a recent report by 9to5Mac, the prediction for the all-new iPhone SE 5G is around the same performance as its predecessor. To be more precise, the second-generation iPhone SE sold about 25-30 million during its first year of debut way back in 2020. That said, the sales performance of the next-gen 5G version of the mobile device is not expected to outperform the 2020 budget Apple phone. Apple's iPhone SE Shipments On the other hand, the iPhone maker has earlier announced that it has already prepared the parts or components that will be used for up to five million units of the new budget phone, at least for the first quarter of the year. On top of that, Apple said that it expects the new iPhone SE to increase its shipments to 11 million in the second quarter of the year. In the next quarter, the Cupertino tech giant also expects the sales to remain at 11 million before it dwindles in the last quarter of the year due to the release of the new flagship smartphone, the iPhone 14. Read Also: iPhone 12 is 2021's Best Selling Smartphone | Xiaomi, Samsung Budget Devices Enters Top 10 List iPhone SE 5G One of the biggest upgrades of the all-new iPhone SE is the arrival of 5G connectivity to the entry-level smartphone. Apple was confident in introducing the benefits of the 5G connection during the launch of the new iPhone SE, such as faster speeds for both downloads and uploads and lower latency, which improves the overall internet experience. Related Article: Millions of iPhone SE 3 To Be Shipped This 2022, Says Ming-Chi Kuo-Revealing More Details This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. iRobot Roomba vacuums introduce Apple Siri support, which adds to its previous Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice commands support. On top of that, the new software update of iRobot for Roomba vacuums also comes with new notable features. iRobot Roomba Siri Support As per a news story by The Verge, iRobot announced that it is adding Siri support for all of its smart Roomba vacuums and mops, allowing the integration of the voice assistant of Apple. The Siri voice command support for Roomba vacuums performs various basic activities, such as stop, start, pause, and send home and resume. Unlike other voice assistants, namely Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, the support for Apple Siri have yet to extend to room-specific commands for cleaning. However, the Director of Product Management of iRobot, Ryan Schneider, himself told The Verge in the same report that they will be including more commands to its Siri voice command support in the future. But for the meantime, the Siri commands are limited to basic stuff like starting and pausing the Roomba vacuums. Siri's voice command support for the Roomba vacuums works straight from the iRobot Home app. With that, users are no longer required to use the Shortcuts app of Apple to make it work. As such, users of Roomba vacuums could easily say commands like "Hey Siri, clean everywhere," and their smart cleaning device will follow it, according to a recent report by Apple Insider. The Siri support for the iRobot Roomba vacuums debuts in its new software update, known as the iRobot Genius 4.0 Home Intelligence, which also brings tons of new functionalities to the smart device. Read Also: iRobot's Roomba New Feature: Poop Detection - Automatic Replacement if Feature Fails iRobot Roomba New Features Aside from the additional voice assistant support, the new software update of Roomba also brings room-specific preferences for cleaning. For instance, users could specifically ask the smart vacuum to do a single pass for the empty guest bedroom. On the other hand, they could also ask it to perform two passes on the kitchen, which only makes sense as it typically houses more clutter and dirt. What's more, the Genius 4.0 update of iRobot also introduces new smart functionality that allows its robot vacuums or mops to detect some obstructions like clothing to avoid them while cleaning the floorings. Plus, there is also a new Do Not Disturb mode and additional options like Pet or Child lock to ensure their safety from the smart cleaning device. Related Article: iRobot Roomba Updates AI for the Holidays Can Now Identify Christmas Trees, Shoes, and Socks This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Reface, the popular face-swapping app, decided to leave Russia after Russian citizens gave it a lot of one-star reviews. The face-swapping app doesn't like the boycott-like movement of the people in Russia, especially when it is already making efforts to fight the censorship happening in Kremlin. Before Reface pulled out of Russia, it used its platform to share messages against the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict with its users. The app company also asks them to support the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other countries against the Russian government. Reface Flooded With One-Star Reviews According to Tech Crunch's latest report, Reface's efforts against the conflict between Russia and Ukraine already sent millions of messages. Also Read: Kaspersky Antivirus Software as Russian Cyberattack Exploiter? Germany Suggests Replacing It The tech startup said that it was able to send 13 million push notifications to around 2 million Russian Reface accounts. But, it seems like many residents don't like this activity. Instead of supporting Reface, they flooded the face-swapping app with one-star reviews. "Realizing that our efforts were not enough to compete with total state propaganda in Russia, we decided to remove the Reface app from Russian App Store and Google Play," said Reface. The company said that Russians who were able to download and subscribe before Mar. 10 can still use the app. But, new users will no longer be able to install or create an account. Russia Already lost Thousands of Apps Based on the latest data of Sensor Tower, the Apple App Store in Russia has already lost around 7,000 applications ever since the conflict between the two countries began. Aside from Russia, Belarus is also affected by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with almost 6,000 apps pulling out from the country. As of the moment, more and more tech startups are still voicing their concerns regarding the issue between Russia and Ukraine. In other news, Russia calms Roscosmos ISS abandonment rumors. Meanwhile, Sony's anime streaming service was suspended in Russia. For more news updates about app pull-outs in Russia and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: US Warns of Russian State-Sponsored Hackers Using Exploits of 'PrintNightMare,' MFA Defaults This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Youth in their 20s who have fallen into the swamp of preventing the return of Corona and poverty Telluride Elks Lodge (above) will host a traditional St. Patricks Day repast this evening replete with corned beef and all the fixings. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., and will be followed by live and silent auctions. (Courtesy photo) Pride Elementary fifth-grader Noah Allen addressed the Dawson Springs City Council at its meeting on Tuesday evening with a request for city-owned property to be used for the placement of his Courtyard of Curiosity memorial for tornado victims. Allen was recently awarded a grant of $2,000 for the project. Ada, OK (74820) Today Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. The sponsor of a bill that would rename the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans after the late Gov. Edwin W. Edwards, and remove today's name created by a Metairie fourth-grader, said Thursday he is dropping the proposal amid a growing controversy. Rep. Kyle Green Jr., D-New Orleans, simply said it was a "legislative decision" not to pursue the measure House Bill 132. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, who became a friend and neighbor of Edwards late in the governor's life, is co-sponsor of the measure that would honor the Democratic four-term governor whose checkered history still elicits controversy. But the then student at St. Clement of Rome school in Metairie who submitted the winning entry, sent a letter to Schexnayder spelling out how the bridge that connects the east and west banks of New Orleans got its name. Jennifer Grodsky Cataloglu said the Crescent City Connection structure is "already properly named through a publicly-voted contest and passed legislation with a name chosen to represent all of our citizens who cross the bridges daily." She told the speaker she respectfully hoped the legislation would be defeated. Schexnayder could not be reached for comment. Green said Wednesday he filed the name change because he has long admired the former governor. "Edwin is the only four-term governor this state has ever known," Green said. "Me, personally, I think the state benefited from his service." At first glance any bill to honor a former Democratic governor would face tough sledding in the GOP-controlled House and Senate. But the fact the proposal was co-sponsored by Schexnayder gave it political traction even though it was sure to spark opposition on several fronts, especially since Edwards spent eight years in jail. The measure was set to be heard Wednesday in the House Transportation Committee but was delayed. Green said Wednesday he was unsure when it would be discussed, and he emphasized that he was open to changes. "I am never one to think that whatever idea I have is the best and only idea," he said. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up How the Crescent City Connection bridge, which had been known as the Greater New Orleans bridge, got its name is unusual in itself. The Times-Picayune, with the assistance of then-state Sen. Fritz H. Windhorst, R-Harvey, held a name-the-bridge contest in 1989. Students in more than 600 classrooms over seven parishes took part, including Gay Herbert's class at St. Clement. Cataloglu said at the time she got the idea when her brother mentioned the annual Crescent City Classic run. She was announced as the winner on St. Patrick's Day of 1989 33 years ago Thursday in a contest that drew over 80,000 ballots. "This was due to all of the St. Clement of Rome students who, over countless hours, made handwritten ballots and went throughout the metropolitan New Orleans area to reach voters," Cataloglu said in her letter to Schexnayder. Students also got to watch the bill that included the new name move through the Legislature, and Cataloglu was on hand when then Gov. Buddy Roemer signed it into law. Mel Grodsky, Cataloglu's father and a New Orleans area retail clothing businessman for the past 55 years, said earlier he hoped to be on hand when the bill was heard in committee. "We don't want to disrupt what has been here so long," Grodsky said of the current name. The issue was starting to generate a buzz around the Legislature, with lawmakers saying they were getting emails urging them to oppose the measure. In 2017 a bill to rename the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches sparked a huge outcry, with dozens of students, teachers and others traveling to Baton Rouge to oppose the measure. The measure, which won final approval, added the late state Rep. Jimmy Long Sr. to the school's name after an extended debate. +3 LSMSA's name change gets House approval -- but with a few concessions for opponents Nearing final approval, a revamped and hotly-debated bill that would change the name of Louisiana's only residential high school won approval Sen. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, who has sponsored bills dealing with the bridge, said Thursday the legislation faced an uphill battle. "History will show that asking the Legislature to change the name of an established structure like the Crescent City Connection will be a difficult task," Connick said. "I feel there are better ways to honor the legacy of Gov. Edwin Edwards." Legislators have until March 25 to decide whether to challenge the Democratic governors veto of the new maps that would guarantee for another decade that five of the six people Louisiana sends to Congress would be Republicans. Letters were sent to 104 Louisiana representatives and 39 state senators explaining that should a majority agree, the current general legislative session would adjourn, then a veto session will commence at noon on the 40th day following adjournment of the most recent session, which in this case would be Wednesday, March 30, the letters sent by Senate Secretary Yolanda Dixon and House Clerk Michelle Fontenot. A special session, specifically to redraw the districts from which officials are elected, ran from Feb. 1 to Feb. 18. Actually, because the law is so complex, the veto session is automatic and can only be stopped if a majority of lawmakers declare by March 25 that a veto session is not necessary. If the majority doesnt act, then the veto session takes place. The House and Senate are traveling down an untread legal path. Never before has the day of the veto session, which is dictated by the state Constitution and state law, fallen during another gathering of the Legislature. There is no legal framework to guide lawmakers. So, leadership has decided to adjourn the current session, convene a short veto override session, which after the vote would adjourn and the current regular session would reconvene. +2 Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoes proposed Congressional district map Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday night vetoed the congressional redistricting map passed by the Republican-majority Legislature, saying it s Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the bills that redrew maps for the Public Service Commission and Board of Elementary & Secondary Education. He allowed the new maps for Louisiana House and state Senate members to become law without his signature. Edwards vetoed Senate Bill 5 and House Bill 1 that were identical and with some tweaks to match the latest U.S. Census Bureau findings, pretty much recreated similar constituencies that elected five White Republicans to Congress and one Black Democrat for the past 10 years. Edwards pointed out that the latest Census showed the number of White people in Louisiana declined during the past decade, while the number of minority people increased resulting in African Americans now making up a third of the states population meaning Louisiana should have two districts in which Black candidates have a reasonable chance of winning the election. This map is simply not fair to the people of Louisiana and does not meet the standards set forth in the federal Voting Rights Act, Edwards said. The Legislature should immediately begin the work of drawing a map that ensures Black voices can be properly heard in the voting booth. It can be done and it should be done. Democrats proposed about a dozen maps that showed enough Black voters live close enough together to allow for a second minority-majority district. Republicans counter that the Democratic proposals created districts that splintered other populations with shared interests and created districts with too few Black voters to guarantee a minority candidate would win. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Louisiana voters file impasse redistricting lawsuit to ask the court to create new maps Six Louisiana voters supported by the National Redistricting Action Fund are asking the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge to establi State Rep. John Stefanski, the Crowley Republican who led the House redistricting effort, said he and other House leaders are pretty sure that enough legislators would back the veto override session. But hes not quite sure if the House could muster the 70 votes necessary to force the measure into law over the objections of the governor. Its part of the process, Stefanski said. Well see. The House has 68 GOP members and would need every one of them to vote to override along with picking off a couple of Democratic or non-party aligned representatives willing to go against the governor. The state Senate has 27 Republican senators, which is one more than the two-thirds majority necessary to overturn a gubernatorial veto. On July 21, the House on a 68-30 vote failed to overturn legislation that limited participation of transgender youth in organized sporting events. Republican legislative majorities in Kansas and Kentucky overrode the vetoes of their Democratic governors over the maps and the Democratic majority in Maryland's general assembly overturned that states Republican governors rejection of a remap that he felt favored Democrats too much. Courts already have overturned Republican-leaning maps in Ohio and North Carolina. The maps in 15 states are in litigation, plus at least three civil and human rights organizations have filed lawsuits challenging Louisianas map. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission The mastunicola allaragosta pizza, aka lobster pizza at Di Stasio Carlton. Credit:Joe Armao In recent weeks, Smart has been preparing for P.A.R.A.D.E at Geelong Gallery, which opens this week. Her works for the show are sculptures, reimaginings of the costumes worn by dancers in the Ballet Russes, the most influential ballet company of the 20th century. It sits in such an important place in theatre design, costume design, interdisciplinary [design], she says. Every time I saw [the costumes at the NGA] there was something alive about them; even though they were artefacts, there was something tacit for me. The company commissioned music by Stravinsky and Debussy, and sets and costume designs by Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky and Pablo Picasso. Collage and assemblage being such a part of her practice, Smart wondered if work by Picasso sat alongside that of French artist Sonia Delaunay; she envisioned their histories intertwined. The answer was no, but Smart knew there were stories to be told through the famous costumes. I made digital collages mixing up Picasso with Delaunay, which were then interpreted by the artisans from a photo, she says. When I got them back they were the most exquisitely beautiful objects, they had to be performed. It was a prompt to one of the defining elements of her work, which now regularly features movement and dance. Cutting up photographs, textiles, and assembling them into collages, theyre all methodologies to paintings, dismantling or putting back together or rearranging. I usually say I work in installation, she says of how she describes her work. The receipt for lunch with artist Sally Smart. Dancers look like paintings, paintings look like place; I want to disrupt genres. Art can be what life can be, how sustaining it is. One of four female artists commissioned to create a response to the Matisse show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales last year, Smart says the French Impressionists work La Negresse had a massive impact on her when she first saw it decades ago. I saw the Matisse and it was visceral. I dont know what it is that I want but I need that the size, it was a big cutout, it was so alive and so giving. It was a critical moment, informing her masters at the Victorian College of the Arts, undertaken in the late 1990s. By the next year I was pinning things on to the canvas and then Id paint it but then I thought why am I painting? It really came out of the process of making, the methodology, metaphors of cutting, including an interest in the psychosis to cut. I often use the term the politics of cutting, cutting to change, cutting to rearrange, as a feminist, and as reference to the history and origins of the Dada art movement. Smart reimagines the costumes of the Ballet Russes in her latest show. Credit:Joe Armao The idea of cutting and the darn underpins her work its the prism through which she addresses big issues: feminism, the environment and climate, colonialism. The Large Darn [the title of a series of paintings using the patchwork quilt as a metaphor for Australian cultural history] was this idea of wanting to repair something but to show the marks of the repair because if you dont show the marks of the repair, you dont show where weve come from. I never do seamless, I want to see the seam. Like an unconscious wish, the thing that is there, its revealed, but its repaired. Shes doing it with the costumes, inserting herself and her vision; by doing so, she recalibrates them. Were constantly having to change nothing is static, she says. Theres an activation and a patching and a band-aiding, but at the same time theres also a reveal. Theres something very cathartic about cutting; when some people cut their bodies, the need can be powerful and harmful too, they are making declarations, they are marking bodies. In art, making a cut can be decisive and quite brutal, it can also be delicate and tender, theres a magic to it. Growing up in the outback, Smart experienced a theatre of sorts every day. Her education via the School of the Air was magical, a world she remembers fondly that informed, entertained and stimulated. Her work is ever-evolving, a mash-up of collage, painting, costume and dance, questioning histories and identity and relationships between the body, thought and culture. It is beautiful, often mesmerising, and unique. Installation view of Smarts The Violet Ballet, 2019, Adelaide Festival. Credit:Courtesy of the artist and Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne Smarts great-aunt was impressionist artist Bessie Davidson. As a young woman in the early 1900s, Davidson travelled from Adelaide to Paris with her teacher and lover, Margaret Preston. She settled in France and carved out an impressive career. Smarts Performance/ Punokawan/Chout (The Choreography of Cutting), 2017. I knew her all my life, it was important that I knew about her ... She died before I was born but she was always alive in my mind as a little girl. One of four sisters, Smart grew up on a sheep farm on the Heysen trail, named for Hans Heysen, the German-born Australian landscape painter. A stream of people made a pilgrimage to the famous artists home turf, often setting up easels to paint en plein air. There were lots of Sunday painters. Art was everywhere because people were painting all around me. I knew I didnt want to be one of those artists, but I knew that women artists could be a thing. Previously a vice-chancellors professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne, Smart is now an honorary professor at the Faculty of Fine Art and Music at Melbourne University and sits on the boards of the National Gallery of Australia and the advisory board of the VCA. The Exquisite Pirate, about female pirates, launched her career, an idea that came to her after taking her young son to see Treasure Island. Female pirates exist across all cultures, yet are not widely documented. The show references the Surrealist game Exquisite Corpse, in which someone draws on a sheet of paper, folds it and then passes it to the next person; William Dampier and the idea of a sanctioned pirate; and Kathy Ackers book Pussy, King of the Pirates. I found there were many women pirates in world history and thought this is such an interesting model, to give agency and to talk about post-colonial issues, she says. It was also round that time of the Tampa and politics around the ship and immigration. Having won a scholarship to New York after graduation, Smart mounted a show featuring the ship as the embodiment of the pirate. I love plans and mapping spaces, its like a big map. The ships were also assemblage and collage, pinned to the wall. Somehow, she managed to fit the entire exhibition in a suitcase, which later enabled it to travel the world, it was almost like the booty. One place it went was Indonesia, another significant moment, the catalyst for Smarts collaboration with artist Entang Wiharso, who also often uses cutouts. I would visit his studio in Yogyakarta. We worked separately but collaboratively around our discourses; a great friendship grew and [Ive developed] an extended network in Yogyakarta. It has been the most incredible awakening and now I maintain a studio there. Loading Smarts landmark exhibition with Wiharso at Galeri Nasional Indonesia in 2016 was the first time a collaboration of a female Western artist and Indonesian male artist had been staged. As to whats next, Smart is planning a little reflection. Nature is a big part of my thinking right now, with all my walks, animals and insects ... there will be performance and dance as well. I need to take a pause and reflect on everything ... and take the opportunity to breathe. The bill, please: Di Stasio Carlton, 224 Faraday St, Carlton; 9070 1110. Wed-Thurs 5.30pm-late; Fri-Sun 12pm-late Almost two years ago, a NSW parliamentary inquiry into koalas and their habitat handed down its report. It found climate change is having a severe impact on koalas, exacerbating the impact of other threats such as bushfire and drought with the species on track to go extinct before 2050. As committee members, wed heard how koalas were in big trouble even before the Black Summer fires due to ongoing logging and clearing of their habitat, but also due to dehydration. The severe drought dried up the landscape so much, including in the gum leaves that koalas feed upon, that they just werent getting the moisture in their diet they required. A saturated koala amid the latest flood crisis. Credit:Wildlife Rescue Incorporated Australia The committee heard swathes of evidence over 18 months but no one really talked about floods. Perhaps its always been assumed that koalas will usually be high enough in trees to not have to worry about floodwaters below, sitting it out until the waters recede. Not these floods. One photo Ive seen circulated on social media was of a saturated and terrified koala holding on for dear life to a wooden fence as floodwaters in the Lismore area raged around him. Its one of many distressing photos and videos that have emerged over the past fortnight of wildlife and livestock trapped, and most likely killed, by these floodwaters. It is beyond heartbreaking. Recently, while checking my sons pencil case for supplies, I came across his pen licence, a mock version of a drivers licence, granted to him in Year 4, which permits him to write his schoolwork in pen. This licence, like other licences, was earned through hours of practice, rule-learning and a demonstration of competence in the relevant field. Keeping your hand in? The art of handwriting is battle in the digital era. Credit:123rf.com It is proof to himself and others that he has acquired enough skill to commit his thoughts to indelible ink over erasable pencil. In a world where so much of our written life is conducted digitally, the art of good handwriting is becoming a rarity. I once had neat handwriting, often receiving backhanded compliments from people who would observe my awkwardly angled southpaw and remark: Your writing is so neat, for a left-hander. Sadly, with each year I put behind me, the worse my handwriting becomes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a wounded 16-year-old girl in a Kyiv hospital overnight and received some welcome news: He is a star on the TikTok video app. After handing Katya Vlasenko a bunch of white and pink flowers as she lay in bed, Zelensky said: It is not easy, but we do the right thing. resident Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shakes hands with a wounded Katya Vlasenko , 16, a refugee from Vorzel who covered her junior brother with her body during Russian shelling as they ran from their home town in a hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit:Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP Vlasenko, who was wounded when her familys car came under fire as they fled Russian forces, replied: And everybody supports you on TikTok, prompting a smile from the president and members of his entourage. So we have occupied TikTok? he asked. All talk about you, it is all about you. Reuters Busy Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, can be regarded as the heart of the battle royale between federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Monique Ryan, his independent challenger (and a former secret member of the ALP, temporarily) who is backed by the Voices movement and climate activist moneybags Simon Holmes a Ka-ching. Ted Baillieu back in 2013 when he was premier. Credit:Pat Scala And on Saturday Glenferrie Road doubled as a demilitarised zone between the two fiercely opposed political groups. In one section, Team Josh supporter Ted Baillieu, the 46th premier of Victoria from 2010-2013, was looking sporty in a white polo shirt, amid a sea of Delivering for Kooyong royal blue campaign T-shirts. Team Monique is crowing that its volunteer team is 1300-strong. On that same Saturday also on Glenferrie Road and in support of Team Monique was Robert Baillieu, an army officer in the Royal Australian Engineers and an LGBTQ and climate campaigner who unsuccessfully stood for Boroondara council in 2020. Oh, and hes also Ted Baillieus son. A Team Monique spokesman said Baillieu jnr, a life-long Kooyong resident, was a valued member of the team. Having Robs skills and experience onboard has been fantastic, the spokesman said. English departments will be chiefly responsible for teaching grammar, sentence structure and punctuation, under a draft new syllabus, after the decades-long approach of sharing the job among teachers from all subjects contributed to a steep decline in writing standards. The draft NSW English syllabus for years 3 to 10 will intensify focus on literacy skills amid concerns writing has been neglected in high schools, leaving even the brightest students struggling with crucial skills such as writing clear sentences and expressing ideas. English teacher Maureen Abrahams, from Asquith Girls High School, will spend more of her time teaching grammar, punctuation and syntax. Credit:Janie Barrett But the English Teachers Association (ETA) said the changes - to be released for consultation on Friday - would hand them an unnecessary burden because literacy skills differed from subject to subject. Returning sentence structure and all of that kind of stuff purely to English I think is unfortunate, said Eva Gold, executive officer at the ETA. In 2015, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was being labelled Orban the Awful and his country Fortress Hungary because of his anti-refugee policies. Lately, he has been opening his arms to Ukrainian refugees fleeing Putins invasion. In the arc of this seven-year period, a lot can be learned about the global response to providing refuge to those in need. And most of it isnt heartening. Refugees from Ukraine wait at a shelter in Krakow, Poland. Credit:Getty First, we need to recognise there are clear logistical differences between Ukrainian refugees and, say, those from the Middle East or Africa. Ukrainians are allowed to enter Europe freely on 90-day visas under existing European Union law. A further point is that a high proportion of asylum seekers tend to be male. Due to Ukraines law disallowing men aged 18 to 60 leaving the country because they are needed to defend their country most Ukrainian refugees are women and children. Listed casino giant The Star Entertainment Group appears to be rapidly heading for the same devastating fall as Crown casino. The future of one of Sydneys premier tourist and hospitality sites is now in the balance. There has only been a single day of hearings of the weeks-long royal commission style inquiry into Star. But, even at this stage, its fair to begin asking if Star will be able to retain its casino licence without undergoing the same sort of executive and board upheaval as Crown. The Star casino in Sydney. Credit:Brook Mitchell In February 2021, Crown was found unfit by the Bergin inquiry to hold its casino licence after Patricia Bergin confirmed allegations, first revealed by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes, that Crown had facilitated organised crime and money laundering due to appalling corporate governance. The public hearings into Star are looking at similar misconduct, unearthed in October by The Age and the Herald. Its no accident that Adam Bell, SC, is at the helm of The Star public probe. He was the quietly fearless and forensically ferocious counsel assisting Judge Bergin. It was Mr Bell who brought Crowns former executives and its main shareholder, James Packer, to their knees. COVID-19 lockdowns have contributed to a drop in burglaries, drug offences and reports of family violence, but police say the dip in the states overall crime rate is likely to be short-lived with one expert warning the real impact of the pandemic on family violence wont be known for some years. Data released by Victorias Crime Statistics Agency on Thursday showed Victorias overall crime rate fell by 12.6 per cent last year, with fewer thefts and drug offences. Assaults increased during 2021, but police said many of those incidents involved people known to each other such as neighbours. For the first time since 2017, there was a decline in the number of family violence incidents reported in the past 12 months, with about 1000 fewer incidents reported than in 2020. Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre director Kate Fitz-Gibbon said the true impact of the pandemic on rates of family violence would not be known for some years. Research shows that risk from heat begins to increase above 25 degrees, and standards for healthy buildings recommend keeping below this temperature, Better Renting executive director Joel Dignam said. But our data shows these rental properties were above 25 degrees for hours every day, with temperatures above 30 degrees happening for about an hour a day on average, he added, noting this was despite the milder summer seen across much of the country. Indoor temperatures in rental properties routinely exceeded recommended levels over summer. Credit:Peter Rae In Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, temperatures were above 25 degrees more than 70 per cent of the time. Mr Dignam said tenants reported struggling to work from home or self-isolate during the pandemic due to the heat. Renters also reported concerning heat levels in properties both old and new, and even those who had an air conditioner said it did not guarantee them a healthy temperature in their home. While all Australians were impacted by higher home temperatures, renters often faced greater affordability challenges in keeping their homes cool, the report found. They were also reliant on landlords to make improvements, and many tenants who participated in the project, including Mr Kreunen, flagged a reluctance to make such requests. Loading A lot of that is linked to the struggle in getting repairs, fears about rent increases but there is also this awareness of how tight the rental market is in general, and this phenomenon weve seen before of not wanting to rock the boat [with your landlord], Mr Dignam said. With almost eight million renters across Australia, Mr Dignam said there was a large proportion of people who could not install ceiling insulation, put in a ceiling fan or set up air conditioning to make their home more liveable. No Australian jurisdiction has cooling standards for rental properties, and what we are seeing is the outcome of this neglect, he said. Better Renting and Healthy Homes for Renters, a national collaboration of more than 100 organisations, has called for governments to implement minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties to enable tenants to stay cool and healthy, as heatwaves become more frequent and severe. Loading Improving energy efficiency standards for new buildings, improving the design of cities, and reducing climate emissions to mitigate climate impacts were also key responses, the report noted. Heatwaves were Australias most deadly natural disaster, said Dr Kate Wylie, Adelaide GP and chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners climate and environmental medicine group. Heat increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes, especially in vulnerable populations, she said, noting she worried about her patients in the heat, particularly those who lived in housing that increased the risk. Dr Wylie said there was a responsibility to ensure housing was equipped to deal with longer and more intense heatwaves expected in the future, adding that heat was a greater problem for those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Loading Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Dr Cassandra Goldie said renters should have a right to live in healthy homes that were affordable to cool, noting low-income earners in poor quality homes were getting sick, and in some cases dying, because they could not afford, or were unable to install, measures to keep their homes cool in summer. We urgently need all states and territories to commit to legally enforceable energy efficiency standards that require property investors to make rental properties habitable and safe, she said. Tenants Queensland chief executive Penny Carr said renters had been seeking assistance for heat issues over the summer, and that it would become a growing concern that needed to be addressed. Singapore: The scenes were identical to Sydney and Melbourne in October 2020. Beachgoers, maskless, were enjoying the sun as the coronavirus pandemic raged around them. The outrage was swift, the condemnation rapid, and the next day the beaches were closed. But this was not St Kilda or Bondi two years ago, this was Hong Kong on Wednesday. On the same day the city closed the beaches, it ordered more coffins. It remains stuck in a time warp more than a year after the rest of the world endured its worst COVID waves. A makeshift COVID-19 isolation facility in the San Tin area of Hong Kong on Friday. Credit:AP Hong Kong, the global port that opens to Chinas land of COVID zero, now has the highest death rate per capita in the world - higher than London, Milan or New York at the peak of the worlds deadliest global waves. One in 20 COVID-19 patients are dying. Many of them are elderly, suspicious of vaccines and the government that has distributed them. More than 70 per cent of its aged care home residents are not immunised and COVID is running rampant through its densely populated suburbs. Driven by a false sense of security that its COVID-zero status could hold, the public awareness campaigns have been minimal. It took until the end of February this year for the government to impose entrance restrictions on unvaccinated residents. Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that A Soldier's Play Charles Fuller's 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama will embark on a 20-week North American tour, starring Tony nominee Norm Lewis. Roundabout produced the play's debut Broadway production in 2020 (Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play), directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon, who reprises his direction for the tour. Lewis will take on the role of Captain Richard Davenport, played on Broadway by Blair Underwood. A Soldier's Play is described as follows: "In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered. And a series of interrogations triggers a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America." The Broadway design team reunites for the touring production, including Derek McLane (sets), Dede Ayite (costumes), Allen Lee Hughes (lights), and Dan Moses Schreier (sound). Lewis has over a dozen Broadway credits to his name, including Chicago, Side Show, Les Miserables, The Little Mermaid, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (Tony nomination), and Once on This Island. He was last seen on Broadway earlier this season in Douglas Lyons's new comedy Chicken & Biscuits. In 2014, he made history as The Phantom of the Opera's first Black Phantom on Broadway. Performances of A Soldier's Play are set to begin in December of 2022 with tour stops and additional casting to be announced soon. Work Light Productions has announced that 9 to 5 the Musical will begin touring North America this autumn. Featuring a book by Patricia Resnick (the original screenwriter of the 1980 comedy film starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton) and a score by Parton, 9 to 5 the Musical is about Doralee, Violet, and Judy, three co-workers pushed to the brink by their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot of a male boss. But will a misunderstanding over rat poison and a little light kidnapping provide just the opportunity to bring some much-needed reform to the office? Directed by Jeff Calhoun, this production opened at the West End's Savoy Theatre in 2019 before touring around the United Kingdom and premiering in Australia at Sydney's Capitol Theatre earlier this year. In her review of the West End run, Sarah Crompton of WhatsOnStage described 9 to 5 as, "Perfectly pitched for its audience who are all out to forget the 9 to 5 and have a really good time." The production features choreography by Lisa Stevens, set and costume design by Tom Rogers, lighting design by Howard Hudson, video design by Nina Dunn, and musical supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Mark Crossland. Tour stops and casting will be announced at a later date. Few contemporary musicals are as ripe for the Encores! treatment as The Life. Not seen in New York since its original yearlong run (1997-98), The Life is most notable for boasting the final Broadway score of the legendary Cy Coleman and making stars out of actors Lillias White and Chuck Cooper. But ignore those 12 Tony nominations it got in a relatively slow season nobody would accuse The Life of actually being a good show. Reviewers called this tale of hookers and pimps in pre-Disneyfied Times Square "impossibly hokey" and said it "reeks of bottom-drawer, B-movie melodrama." For Encores!, the estates of writers Coleman, Ira Gasman (lyrics), and David Newman (all of whom had a hand in the book) have given adaptor/director Billy Porter carte blanche to do whatever he wants to the show it's been sitting on the shelf this long, so why not? But Porter's new script ends up even worse than the original. In a noble effort to give a cartoony musical a social conscience, Porter has concocted a disjointed mess that lays on the City Center stage like a lump, and they pump the volume to painful, ear-piercing levels if only to keep the audience awake. I watched with envy as some of the audience left at intermission. Porter keeps the overall thrust of the show the same: It's the story of a motley arrangement of sex workers doggedly trying to get out of The Life. At the center is Queen (Alexandra Grey), a woman with a secret who has started turning tricks to support her cocaine-dependent, Vietnam-vet husband Fleetwood (Ken Robinson). The violent pimp Memphis (Antwayn Hopper) is in love with Queen and will stop at nothing to get her in his stable of pros (until, well, he finds something that stops him). Fleetwood, meanwhile, falls for a fresh-off-the-bus Minnesotan named Mary (Erika Olson), and sees in this beautiful blonde the opportunity to make some easy money. And then there's Sonja (Ledisi), the veteran prostitute who's "getting too old for the oldest profession" and may or may not have the disease not-yet-named AIDS. Narrating is Jojo (Destan Owens and Mykal Kilgore as older and younger versions), one of the men from back in the day who is telling us about that five-day span in the underbelly of Times Square. Even if the execution was kind of silly, the heart of The Life has always been in the right place, as the writers tried to make the audience think twice about the folks plying their trade outside Port Authority. The heart of Porter's production is in the right place, too, as he makes the politics (and, most especially, the treatment of the Black characters) of the show a little less retrograde. That would be fine on its own, but Porter's additions are embarrassingly heavy-handed, removing whatever comedy there was and replacing it all with a battering ram of political speechifying that doesn't trust the audience to get it on its own. There are some highlights. The real showstopper, as it's always been, is "My Body," a number that always kills. Ledisi's "The Oldest Profession" is almost worth the two-and-a-half hour wait (wisely or unwisely, this first-act showstopper has been shifted to the eleven o'clock slot) and earned a standing ovation on opening night (still, I believe White's version is definitive). Hopper also stops the show with "My Way or the Highway," though his book scenes are less successful. Grey, who, as far as I can tell, is making her stage debut, struggles to keep up, but it's not entirely her fault. Queen has to sing at least half a dozen variations on the same boring song, and even in the original, the result was soporific at best. Ultimately, it's obvious that Porter wanted to turn The Life into something that it's not, and the show itself, while not particularly well-built, is strong enough to resist it at every turn. The push-pull is particularly disastrous in the music department, where conductor James Sampliner has rearranged Coleman's big-band score with a more Funkadelic feel. Groovy? Certainly. Does it sound good? Hell no. Does it even sound like Coleman anymore? Also no. The new orchestrations render the music unintelligible (the never-ending ballads suck the air right out of the room), and the band is so loud that it throws the cast off (Kai Harada and Megumi Katayama's sound design makes your ears ring). More than once, the ensemble had trouble keeping up with the tempo, and the leading actors often found themselves with a surprising amount of difficulty getting to the right notes. They literally can't hear themselves. The Encores! rehearsal period is remarkably short two weeks or thereabouts. Still, Porter's staging is astonishingly unpolished for a main attraction in the New York City Center season. The band trails off while transitions are still in process, so the stage sits in silence as actors push on the same door frame and chaise lounge for every scene (the set, or lack thereof, is by Clint Ramos, the new Encores! producing creative director). Anita Yavich's costumes look straight off the rack from Spirit Halloween. And there are more than a few moments in the second act that feel like they've simply just run out of time. There's a certain quality we've come to expect from Encores! Even if the show isn't good, you know it's going to at least have some merit. The Life is the most disappointingly sung and played Encores! production I've ever seen, and that doesn't feel very much like Encores! at all. The iON products will initially be available in three designs at launch, in sizes between 18 and 22 inches: in Europe beginning in May 2022 as the Hankook Ventus iON S summer tire pattern, and from September 2022 for the winter as the Hankook Winter i*cept iON . The Hankook Ventus iON A tire will be available as an all-season version for the North American market. Further specific product designs are in the pipeline. Sooil Lee, CEO & President of Hankook Tire & Technology says, "With the introduction of this new iON tire family, our company is increasingly considering the rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles and the associated need for suitable tires, also in terms of the need for replacements. With an improved range per battery charge, this new generation of tires will help to further optimize the efficiency of electric vehicles in everyday use." According to forecasts by the information service IHS Markit, the global share of battery-powered electric automobiles in total vehicle sales will increase by 36.6 percent annually, from the current 6.4 percent market share to 29.5 percent by 2028. Because Hankook iON tires make it possible to drive more miles per battery charge compared to standard tires, they can also make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions from road traffic. Technology transfer between electric motorsport and the road As one of the world's leading original equipment manufacturers of electric vehicles from premium car brands, the Hankook development engineers have already documented their expertise in this demanding segment many times over. Original equipment tires from Hankook that have been optimized for electromobility are already being used by Audi, BMW, Porsche, VW and other leading brands. From the 2022/2023 season, the premium tire manufacturer also will be demonstrating the technical expertise it has acquired in the area of sustainability and high-performance mobility, as a supplier in the world of electric motorsport, as appointed by the Federation International Automobile. The new iON tires meet the demanding everyday requirements for EV (Electric Vehicle) tires thanks to an extensive set of technical measures. In particular, Hankook has countered the higher vehicle mass of EVs, caused by the considerable weight of the drive batteries, with a higher load capacity. In addition, ultra-resistant aramid fibers effectively counteract the deformation forces caused by the especially high torque in electric vehicles. The tread compound, which features a high proportion of natural resin, also ensures exemplary durability and reduced wear. Another special feature of the new compound is its high proportion of natural oils. This not only makes the iON products more sustainable overall, but also has a positive effect on the mileage of the tires. Optimized noise levels Another development goal was to make tires that would operate as quietly as possible. The Hankook Sound absorber, in combination with the specific pattern design integrated into the company's iON products, reduces the interior noise significantly. Bonhee Ku, Executive Vice President and CTO of Hankook Tire, adds, "We are particularly proud that the new Hankook iON summer tire, for example, has achieved an A/A/A rating on the EU tire label. This corresponds to the highest performance in terms of rolling resistance, wet grip and tire noise." About Hankook Tire America Corp. Hankook Tire America Corp. is a growing leader in the U.S. tire market, leveraging investments in technology, manufacturing and marketing to deliver high-quality, reliable products that are safer for consumers and the environment. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Hankook Tire America Corp. markets and distributes a complete line of high-performance and ultra-high-performance passenger tires, light truck and SUV tires as well as medium truck and bus tires in the United States. Hankook Tire America Corp. is a subsidiary of Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd., a Forbes Global 2000 company headquartered in Seoul, Korea. SOURCE Hankook Tire North America In this Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020 file photo, an American flag hangs in a classroom as students work on laptops in Newlon Elementary School early, which is one of 55 Discovery Link sites set up by Denver Public Schools where students are participating in remote learning in this time of the new coronavirus from a school in Denver. A voter begins to cast his ballot during voting at a poling place inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Closure of veterans' homes in two Maine communities could have significant impact, congressional representatives say. In this image from Veterans Day in 2020, Brent Brown of the American Legion Post 155 participates in a ceremony in Naples. Associate Editor Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky. Several pro-life candidates backed by Texas Right to Life won their primary races Staff Reporter RaeLynn Ricarte is the author of two books and an award-winning editor and reporter with more than 25 years in the newsroom. She now covers government in Eastern Washington for The Center Square. This photo provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Phoenix Division shows some of the 30,000 fentanyl pills the agency seized in one of its bigger busts, in Tempe, Ariz. Wisconsin voters cast their ballots in the state's primary April 5, 2016, at the South Shore Park Pavilion in Milwaukee. Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Cloudy with light rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low around 35F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy with light rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low around 35F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Wyoming Library Association and EveryLibrary to create new public-facing advocacy and outreach campaigns to identify, cultivate, and activate new support The Wyoming Library Association, EveryLibrary, and the EveryLibrary Institute are pleased to announce a new advocacy partnership program to benefit libraries across Wyoming. The partnership is focused on building new and more positive visibility for libraries in communities, schools, and campuses in every corner of Wyoming. The partnership program will include the development of a public-facing digital advocacy and outreach campaign, training and support for library leaders on communications and partnerships, and new systems of support for association policy and funding priorities. Our goal with this partnership program is to improve the future political power and standing of all Wyoming libraries in the eyes of the public, our donors, and elected officials, says Conrrado Saldivar, President of the Wyoming Library Association. Wyoming libraries are uniquely positioned to help people from all walks of life succeed. The core of our new partnership will be to update and expand the publics perception of libraries and librarians by telling stories of how library workers support thriving communities, schools, and campuses. The Wyoming Library Association represents 171 members from across the state in every county. EveryLibrary brings its unique experience and expertise in advocacy and political action to support WLAs statewide and local goals. EveryLibrary is excited to work closely with Wyoming Library Association leadership to develop and deploy a targeted, results-focused outreach and marketing plan. says John Chrastka, Executive Director of EveryLibrary. Our goal is to reach and activate 5% of Wyoming residents to become registered advocates for libraries. Through educational and informational efforts, the plan is to mobilize this segment of the population to take substantive actions as either activists, donors, or volunteers. From pandemic response to the fight for intellectual freedom, Wyoming libraries have supported resilient communities, schools, and campuses. This partnership program will leverage the excellent reputation of Wyoming libraries to advance a collective policy and funding agenda in local, state, and even federal settings. EveryLibrary will identify, cultivate, and empower supporters, using its proven direct action and digital engagement skills. Our hope is to build new infrastructure to positively influence the funding ecosystem for years to come. About the Wyoming Library Association (WLA) The Wyoming Library Association serves as the collective voice and advocate for the advancement of Wyoming libraries. WLAs training programs educate the library community and users about contemporary library services, issues, and technology. We are aligned to promote the profession of librarianship and participation of Wyoming libraries in regional, national, and global library arenas. About EveryLibrary and the EveryLibrary Institute EveryLibrary, the first nationwide political action committee for libraries, and the EveryLibrary Institute, a public policy, and tax policy think tank for libraries, are companion organizations focused on the funding future for libraries and library work. Since 2012, EveryLibrary has helped121 library communities in the United States with ballot measures for funding, operations, and buildings, winning more than 85% and securing over $392 million in funding on Election Days. EveryLibrary runs the SaveSchoolLibrarians.org initiative, a digital advocacy site focused on preserving budgets and positions for school libraries. The EveryLibrary Institute produces original research and high-quality training programs focused on stabilizing and extending library funding. It's "a wonderful opportunity for people to explore, learn to become creative and have a creative outlet, but also to build skills," said Suzanne Bonamici, and the Oregon U.S. Congresswoman got to see it for herself. Read more News featured GIANT and its customers raise money for DASD through Feeding School Kids initiative Elaine Haskins / Elaine Haskins On Wednesday, The GIANT Company commemorated its Feeding School Kids program by donating $8,444 to the DuBois Area School District. Shown holding the check are Superintendent Wendy Benton and DuBois Area Middle School Principal Darren Hack. Shown to the right of Hack is Joe Kelly, store manager at Martins in DuBois, along with other Martins employees and DASD staff. Students shown at right are: Mason Morris, Drayden Johnson, Will Cuba, Doug Peters, Jayden Rummell, Shane Smith, Jadzia Bernard, Joshua Turek, Keagan Krach, Shea Smith, Gavin McClain, Jackson Frantz, Lorelai Crawford, Addison Wells, Madyson Andres. DuBois Area School District receives check from Martins DuBOIS On Wednesday, The GIANT Company commemorated its Feeding School Kids program by donating $8,444 to the DuBois Area School District. The GIANT Company also donated four large picnic tables to supplement the schools meal programs and GIANT volunteers packed snack bags for students. In her opening remarks during the check presentation, Superintendent Wendy Benton said when schools were initially closed in the spring of 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, the district immediately began preparations to ensure that students had access to meals. Through the support of the districts Food Service Department, they were able to prepare and serve 98,075 meals for students during the 10-week closure. The Food Service Department operated a drive-thru, said Benton. The district office manned the phones to accept requests for meals to be delivered to the homes of families that lacked transportation to the school and over 100 community volunteers delivered the meals. Recognizing the need and an unwavering commitment to meet the needs of the students, Benton said the districts Business Manager, Jeanette Buriak, wrote a grant to purchase a food truck to reach students and to provide nutritional meals during the summer. The summer of 2021 marked the maiden voyage of our food truck and within weeks expanded from three site locations to six, said Benton. Generous donations from our local Martins and The GIANT Company provided us with the resources to supplement the free meals and to be able to provide nourishment during the evenings and weekends. While we are fortunate to be able to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, we realize that two meals is not enough nourishment for our neediest students, said Benton. Supplemental food and donations through our local Martins and The GIANT Company help us to ensure that our students have access to nutritious food outside of the school day. Together, we can meet the nutritional needs of our students and ensure that no child is hungry in the DuBois Area School District. Benton said, despite the districts efforts, according to the Pennsylvania Youth Survey, 2021-2022 students in 6th through 12th grade served through the Weekend Food programs included: High School 50 Middle School 31 + 25 for after-school programming CG Johnson 25 Juniata 34 Oklahoma 45 Wasson 31 Two hundred forty-one students; but these are only the students that we have been able to identify, said Benton. Many people may consider these students to be less fortunate. Rather, perhaps they are the most fortunate because they have us. These students have a school district and a community that will do everything we can to meet their needs, to give them a sense of hope and to prepare them for a bright future. Through the continued support of the local Martins and The GIANT Company, Benton said the district is able to supplement their free breakfast and lunch programs and maintain the operations of the food truck. Just two weeks ago, our local Martins delivered two large bins of breakfast items through the Stuff-a Truck event, said Benton. Upon receipt, we made sure the items were distributed to the schools and available for students that day. Shortly after, GIANT asked the district to assess their needs again and came through with an additional donation Wednesday which included: 2 cases of apples 2 cases of oranges 1 case of bananas 100 fresh fruit cups refrigerated 30 SB trail mix 8 pk (240 packs) 32 SB granola bars 18 pk (576 packs) 150 Nabisco go cups cookies 30 Capri Suns 10pk (300 drinks) Benton said The GIANT Company also expressed an interest in supporting the districts food truck through the donation of four collapsible picnic tables, said Benton. The school district and The GIANT Company value the opportunity for families to share meals together, said Benton. The picnic tables help us to support those family values and will create a welcoming environment for children and families to dine together. Individually, the needs can be overwhelming, said Benton. But together, and through the support of our community, we can make the greatest impact on the students that we serve, she said. It takes a lot of extra time, effort and especially compassion. This team has exactly what it takes. The Feeding School Kids campaign ran from Jan. 3 through Feb. 28 where customers at GIANT, Martins and GIANT Heirloom Market stores were invited to round up their grocery purchase to their nearest dollar or convert their CHOICE points into a donation for local schools food programs. The initiative launched in 2021 to address the issue of childhood hunger throughout local public school districts in the communities GIANT serves. This year, The GIANT Company together with its customers raised more than $1.4 million to address the ongoing need, said Joe Kelly, store manager, The GIANT Company. Its a privilege to do so because they always make the most of all our donations and our partnership with them to help the cause, which is very important to our company, and thats eliminating hunger and especially with children, said Kelly. Im very honored to be here today and to present this and some other things to the school through the Feeding Childrens program initiative that we have with The GIANT Company and our customers. While presenting the check to Benton, Kelly said, This is one of the greatest things of working with The GIANT Company and Martins food stores to be able to be actively involved with our community and have the support of our company in Carlisle. Its a privilege for me to be a store manager for this company and to be able to make a difference in the community I live in. People whove lost loved ones due to COVID-19 while they were in New York nursing homes attend a protest and vigil on March 25, 2021, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/TNS) This is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass. Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Forest City, NC (28043) Today A few passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable. 108 people were arrested by the Polk County Sheriffs Office Vice Unit during a six-day undercover human trafficking operation that began in Florida, on March 8, 2022. (Polk County Sheriff's Office) 4 Disney Workers Among 108 Arrested in Undercover Sting Targeting Traffickers, Sex Predators An operation by the Polk County Sheriffs Office in Florida that focused on human trafficking, prostitution, and child predators resulted in the arrest of 108 people, among them four Walt Disney Co. workers and a former county judge. The six-day undercover operation, called Operation March Sadness 2, started on March 8. According to a statement from the Polk County Sheriffs Office, detectives sought to identify and free any victims who were being forced into prostitution, and identify anyone participating in the human trafficking. They did that by seeking out people who posted online advertisements for prostitution as well as those who sought out the prostitutes through online communications. Detectives also investigated adults who spoke in a sexually charged manner online with those whom they believed to be children. A total of four men were arrested for preying on children online. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told a news conference that among those arrested was a Disney employee who is now alleged to be a child predator. Xavier Jackson, 27, was alleged to have sent sexual images of himself and graphic descriptions of what he wanted to do, to an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old girl. He was also allegedly bragging about having worked as a lifeguard at Disneys Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Judd said. Jackson was charged with three counts of transmission of material harmful to a minor and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device. Three other Disney workers were arrested for having each attempted to solicit a prostitute. They were identified as Wilkason Fidele, 24, Shubham Malave, 27, and Ralph Leese, 45. Fidele worked at Walt Disney Worlds Tomorrowland at the Cosmic Restaurant for four years. Malave, who is on a work visa from India, worked as a software developer for Disney. Leese has worked in information technology for Disney for nearly four years, and is married. Im sure Disneys not pleased. I bet his wifes not pleased, but were pleased that we arrested him, Judd said of Leese. Disney confirmed that Leese, Fidele, and Jackson have been placed on unpaid leave, and that Malave isnt an employee of the company, CBS News reported. Company officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Prostitution is illegal in the vast majority of the United States, with the exception of 10 counties in Nevada. Another notable arrest was that of 66-year-old Daniel Peters, a retired judge from Illinois, who was charged with soliciting a prostitute. Judd said that Peters told detectives that he was a retired judge in Cook County, and was a special assistant in legal affairs with the Cook County Sheriffs Office. The operation resulted in the arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators, which makes this whole operation worthwhile, Judd said in a statement. The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and victimizes those who are being trafficked. Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and find and arrest those who are profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Johns fuel the trafficking and victimization, he said. Where there is prostitution, there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction, and broken families. 400 Bulletproof Vests to Be Sent to Ukraine Stolen in NYC: Officials Thieves stole about 400 bulletproof vests that were supposed to be sent to humanitarian workers in Ukraine, officials said. The bulletproof vests were stolen from the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, a nonprofit organization based in Manhattan, the New York Police Department confirmed to news outlets on Wednesday. People right now in our community, theyre either in church praying or everyone is feeling disenfranchised. They have no power right now, and then this happens, and that absolutely affects people, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America spokesman Andrij Dobriansky told NBC 4. Police responded to a call of a burglary at around 9:15 a.m. before they were informed that approximately 400 bulletproof vests were removed from the location, NYPD Sergeant Edward Riley told the outlet. He said that those vests were meant to be sent to medics, aid workers, and othersbut not Ukrainian military members. Who isnt being supplied are territorial defenses, the people who are getting humanitarian supplies across. So these kinds of donationswhether they come from Suffolk County, we have a lot of police precincts in New Jersey and upstate New York also donating, these are why its important, said Dobriansky. As far as we can tell, maybe about three-quarters of that supply was taken last night, added Dobriansky. New Yorks Suffolk County Sheriffs Office told the New York Post that it donated vests to the group but wouldnt confirm the 400 vests that were stolen were the ones that it had donated. While we cannot confirm that the items the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office donated are the items in question, it is despicable that someone would break into a building and steal supplies and materials intended to aid those affected by this humanitarian crisis, a spokesperson told the paper. We offer the NYPD any assistance it needs in locating these stolen items. Vicki DiStefano, another spokesperson for the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office, told local media that it is despicable that someone would break into a building to steal supplies and materials intended to aid individuals who were affected during a humanitarian crisis. Since the start of the Feb. 24 conflict, a number of NATO countries, including the United States, have also deployed weapons, ammunition, and other military supplies to Ukraines military. The White House and NATO, however, have said that no troops will be deployed, and establishing a no-fly zone over the country is not being considered. Other details about the incident were not provided. Its not clear if anything else was stolen. Rich, cheesy, and over-the top, the state's famous hot turkey sandwich has serious staying power It isnt often that regional dishes cause a stir beyond their borders. But when they do, theyre usually here to stay. The Kentucky hot brown is a shining example of that. You could argue that the dish put Louisvilles Brown Hotel on the map. Often described as a cousin of the Welsh rarebit and the croque-monsieur, the hot brown is credited to the hotels enterprising chef, Fred Schmidt, who conceived of the open-face sandwich back in 1926. At that time, we had dinner dances, and when the band would go on break, our guests would routinely retire to the restaurant for a bite to eat, said Mark Salmon, long-time Brown Hotel employee and keeper of hot brown history. Salmon explained that Schmidts late-night-snack invention evolved out of creative ingenuity, using items he had on hand. The historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. (Courtesy of the Brown Hotel) What emerged was a rich, savory, stick-to-your-ribs dish, comprising thick Texas toast stacked with roasted turkey breast and tomato, smothered with Mornay sauce and pecorino Romano, and topped with crisp applewood bacon. The Browns version of Mornay sauce, a derivative of bechamel and one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine, stands out from others because of the employment of heavy cream, Salmon explained. The sandwich is broiled until golden and gooey, and arrives at the table bubbling hot in a ceramic skillet, ready to be devoured. An Instant Classic Patrons of the hotel knew almost immediately that the dish was something special. Pretty soon, the Kentucky hot brown became a sensation, with folks traveling from miles around to enjoy its cheesy, gooey deliciousness. It can be served anywhere, but people have to come here to get the original, said Salmon, adding that its part of the tourism experience and that visitors sometimes make a special quick stop just to order it. We valet park for them and when they are done, they move on to their next destination. The Brown Hotel knows which side its Texas toast is Mornay-ed; all employees are required to learn about the hot brown, its history, and how to make it. What may also be surprising is that the hotel isnt shy about sharing the recipe. We provide postcards upon request with the recipe on them if the customer orders the dish, Salmon said. Still, there must be something about having the dish at the place where it originated, or else the hotel wouldnt turn out 1,000 hot browns in a typical weekunless the Kentucky Derby is in town, in which case that number triples. These days, the Kentucky hot brown can be found all around town. GoToLouisville.com even features a Hot Brown Hop, taking hungry tourists to various places to get their hot brown fix. Kyle Kroeger, who operates a travel website at ViaTravelers.com, said he fell in love with the Hot Brown at the Bristol Bar & Grille in the heart of Louisville. I enjoyed it so much that I make it about once a month at home, he said. Salmon said theres little not to like, and perhaps thats the reason why the hot brown has held its appeal all these years. Its rich, its warm, its bubbly, he said. And its also the unofficial, official sandwich of Kentucky. The Original Kentucky Hot Brown Makes 2 hot browns 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter 1/4 cup (2 ounces) all-purpose flour 8 ounces heavy cream 8 ounces whole milk 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish Pinch of ground nutmeg Salt and pepper 4 slices Texas toast 14 ounces thick-sliced roasted turkey breast 4 slices crispy bacon 2 Roma tomatoes, halved Parmesan cheese, paprika, and fresh parsley to serve In a two-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Slowly whisk in flour until combined and the mixture forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook the roux for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk in the heavy cream and whole milk, and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in the pecorino Romano until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Trim the crusts of the Texas toast. Cut 2 of the slices in half diagonally (corner-to-corner), to make 4 triangles; leave the other 2 slices whole. For each hot brown, place 1 whole slice in an oven-safe dish. Cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Set 2 tomato halves and 2 toast triangles in the dish around the base of the turkey-topped toast. Pour half of the Mornay sauce over each stack, to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional pecorino Romano. Place the entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with parmesan, paprika, and parsley, and serve immediately. Recipe courtesy of The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky Travellers are photographed at Toronto Pearson International Airport, on Dec. 16, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Tijana Martin) Alberta Legislature Calls on Feds to Revoke COVID-19 Restrictions for Air Travellers A vote in favour of the motion calls for the lifting of vaccine passports Alberta is calling on the federal government to revoke its proof of vaccination mandate for air travellers. On March 16, members of Albertas legislative assembly voted in favour of a motion to recognize that Canadas current air travel restrictions have no measurable public health benefit and continue to impact hundreds of thousands of jobs in the air travel and tourism sectors. The motion was proposed by provincial health minister Jason Copping, United Conservative Party (UCP) MLA for Calgary-Varsity, on behalf of Government House Leader Jason Nixon, MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. Restrictions should be imposed only when necessary, and they should be removed as soon as possible when the situation warrants, Copping said during an assembly sitting on March 16. In the case of the travel industry, the harm from restrictions is obvious: these travel requirements are continuing to throttle a whole industry for no valid public health reason at this point in time. Copping noted that polls have shown the Canadian publics overwhelming support for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions across the country. The federal requirements reflect a situation that is passed; when the COVID virus posed a different threat and our ability to manage it and respond to it was different, he said. The reality now is that Omicron variant has spread widely enough to make our previous test-trace-isolate regimen simply obsolete. Copping said the number of Albertans testing positive for COVID-19 has declined steadily since the province began relaxing public health restrictions in early February. The number of hospitalizations has also decreased significantly. UCP MLA Roger Reid, who previously worked for West Jet, said the federal COVID-19 restrictions have led thousands of airline staff to lose their jobs, and continues to prevent them from returning to a normal life. The current federal imposition of pre-testing and vaccination proof prevents these very same people from returning to work, feeding their families and contributing to the recovery of our province and our country, he said. At a time when we are seeing every province in almost every jurisdiction in the world eliminate restrictions related to the pandemic, the federal Liberals continue to be painfully disconnected, and are failing to put forth policy that will allow us to effectively recover from the COVID pandemic. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney voiced his support for the motion on social media. Tonight @UCPCaucus members voted for a motion in Albertas Legislature calling on the federal government to stop pointless travel restrictions, including proof of vaccination for air travel, Kenney said in a Twitter post on March 16. The motion also called for the removal of the pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirement for international travellers entering Canada. On March 17, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that Canada will be moving into a transition phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and that fully vaccinated travellers entering the country will no longer be required to show proof of a negative test result as of April 1. Alberta Not Dominated by Oil and Gas, Economy as Diversified as Other Provinces: Study Despite frequent calls by activists and politicians to diversify Albertas economy, a recent study finds that the oil and gas sector does not dominate the provinces economy. On the contrary, its economy is as diversified as the rest of Canadas provinces. Demands for Edmonton to actively diversify the Albertan economy are often based on myths and a misunderstanding of the status quo, said study co-author Ben Eisen, a senior fellow with the Fraser Institute, in a press release on March 10. The study, titled Four Myths about Economic Diversification in Alberta, examines the commonly held notion that Albertas economy and public finances are largely dependent on natural resources, and that the government is capable of implementing top-down policies that would reorient the provinces economy toward other sectors. Despite misperceptions, oil and gas production in the province does not dominate economic activity or employment in Alberta to the point that the provincial economy is notably less diversified than other provinces or even other advanced, industrial economies like Germany or Japan, the authors said. In fact, with respect to employment, Albertas was the most diversified provincial economy in Canada in 2020. Using the Herfindahl Index that measures the concentration of employment and economic output, the study found that Alberta is even more diversified than other provinces. For example, when the index was calculated based on 16 industries, combined with the labour force data from Statistics Canada in 2021, the study shows that Alberta scores the lowest in terms of employment concentration at 0.022, compared to Quebec, Ontario, and B.C., at 0.031, 0.027, and 0.025 respectively. As for economic output, the authors noted that Alberta is not unusually concentrated in any given industry. Rather, their calculations show that the province ranked as the fourth most diversified provincial economy, as measured by GDP concentrationmore diversified than Ontario and British Columbiaacross 20 sectors in 2020. The second myth that the authors debunk is the perception that economic diversification is necessary to stabilize public finances. While it is true that Albertas public finances can be volatile, it is not the case that further economic diversification is required to reduce the volatility of public finances in Alberta, they said. The authors proposed that the province focus its taxation on consumption rather than on more volatile sources of revenue. The most obvious example is a sales tax, the study said. However, personal income taxes can also be designed to primarily tax consumption. This leaves out people who do not pay income taxes, such as tourists, but a personal income-tax system can nevertheless be designed to focus primarily on consumption. The authors also suggested the province direct a portion of non-renewable resource revenue to a sovereign wealth fund, such as the Albertas Heritage Fund, and use some of the earnings to pay a dividend to citizens. That could help limit the tendency for governments to increase program spending to unsustainable levels when there are large influxes of natural resources revenues, they said. As to the idea that top-down diversification efforts by the government are inherently effective, the authors have a different take. The study cited efforts undertaken by several provincial governments, including the one headed by Premier Peter Lougheed in the early 1970s. In 1972, the government created two Crown corporationsthe Alberta Agricultural Development Corporation and the Alberta Opportunity companytook equity stakes in energy and material companies, and purchased a commercial airline. However, the diversification efforts produced mixed results ranging from losing hundreds of millions of dollars on a telephone company to qualified successes such as purchasing shares of the Bank of Alberta, which went on to become part of Canadian Western Bank in subsequent years. The authors stressed that while some diversification efforts by governments of different periods qualified successes, they did not contribute substantially to the overall level of economic diversification in the province. The study also challenged the perception that economic diversification is inherently good. While it may seem obvious, it isnt. In fact, economic theory suggests that jurisdictions ought to pursue their comparative advantage rather than intentionally diversifying their economies, it said. The authors argued that many of the most successful economies are those that are highly specialized, such as San Francisco and Toronto in technology or finance, and Germany and Japan in advanced manufacturing. Governments shouldnt try to pick winners and losers but should foster a pro-economic growth environment that gives businesses and entrepreneurs in all sectors the best chance of success, Eisen said. Albertas economy is more diversified than commonly understood, and top-down efforts to further diversify the economy should be met with skepticism. A security guard (R) and a police officer (L) secure the area at the entrance to the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing on May 18, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images) Amateur Placed in Top Communist Secret Service Position Since Xi Jinping became Party leader in 2012, one of his goals has been to reorganize and take direct control of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) secret service system. This includes the Ministry of State Security, the military intelligence system, and the United Front Work Department (UFWD). Xis reorganizing efforts have been repeatedly stalled by senior rivals within the political faction of former leader Jiang Zemin. The secret service system is dominated by officials in Jiangs faction from top to bottom, making it difficult for Xi Jinping to intervene, a situation that continues to this day. A new course of action has taken place recently. Early this month, an amateur deputy minister was appointed to the key position of Chinas largest and most influential security agency, the UFWD. This shows that Xi Jinping is watching the battle for the top spot in the secret service system and has begun the process of seeding its leadership team with his allies. Chen Xu, 58, the newly appointed Deputy Minister of the UFWD, was most recently Secretary of the Party Committee for Tsinghua University where she graduated from and worked for the past 40 years. Chens appointment to this senior position raised some eyebrows since she has no direct experience working in the secret service system. Although her life-long experience has been limited to academia, she has been an official in the communist party system since 2006. After becoming aware of Chens appointment, Li Yanming, a current affairs commentator, speculated that Xi is introducing new blood to the secret service system and that a bigger purge of existing leaders may be to come. The UFWD or United Front reports directly to the Chinese Governments Central Committee. With a focus outside China, UFWD leads influence operations affecting ethnic and religious affairs as well as foreign actors and states. The latter is achieved via the recruitment of ethnic Chinese individuals living outside China and co-opting them to help legitimize the CCP and advance its aims. Recent examples of the UFWDs influence operations include the establishment of Confucius Institutes on college campuses around the world, the One Belt One Road initiative, the delegitimization of Taiwan as an independent country, and squelching opposition to persecution by Christians and Falun Dafa practitioners. This United Front Work Department has a successful and somewhat nasty track record of collecting domestic and foreign intelligence and influencing the policy-making of other governments via their social, economic, academic, scientific, and political activities. One example of UFWDs aggressive infiltration efforts was exposed earlier this year by MI5, Britains national security intelligence agency. On Jan. 13, MI5 sent a letter to Parliament warning that a Chinese female lawyer based in London was acting as an agent for the CCP and was interfering in British politics. Referencing the M15 letter, Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the British House of Commons confirmed that the lawyer in question was Christine Lee. Hoyle also stated that Lee works for the Chinese regimes UFWD. MI5 alleges that Lee leveraged donations to British politicians as a way of influencing their policies on behalf of the CCP. Lees exposure by M15 reveals how the UFWD secretly recruits a wide range of nondescript overseas targets and how this makes it difficult to identify and guard against them. In turn, these seemingly harmless operatives are taught how to make friends and exert soft power within political, business, and academic circles for the purpose of advancing the CCPs aims. However, gathering intelligence and using it to influence politicians is only one of the UFWDs aspirations overseas. It also organizes semi-overt secret service activities to cooperate with and carry out the CCPs instructions. One example of UFWDs semi-overt activities is their involvement in the ongoing persecution of Chinese individuals overseas who are affiliated with the Falun Gong spiritual practice. According to the World Organization to Investigate Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), the UFWD conducts its semi-overt activities in cooperation with the CCPs Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, and Religious Affairs Bureau. In a report published in 2008, the WOIPFG described an incident that took place in Flushing, N.Y., where Falun Gong practitioners were mobbed by hundreds if not thousands of UFWD operatives during a legal rally. The rally had been organized by Falun Gongs Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP. Its purpose was to show support for and celebrate the global Chinese who chose to discontinue their CCP membership. The mob activity in New York lasted more than 20 days before turning to street defamation attacks. During this period, the local police provided protection to the Falun Gong practitioners and arrested at least 16 UFWD-recruited operatives. A subsequent investigation into the matter confirmed the violence toward Falun Gong was premeditated. In addition, opposition to the rally was organized with the involvement of Chinas Consulate General in the State of New York. According to WOIPFG, UFWD launched the N.Y. mob activity to evaluate how the international community would react to their subversive activities. This information was later used by the CCP to recalibrate UFWDs tactics so future efforts to suppress the Falun Gong would be successful across the globe. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Dozens of Drivers formed a caravan outside an Amazon warehouse and Uber Greenlight hub in Redondo Beach, Calif., on March 16, 2022. (Courtesy of Tim Sandoval) Amazon and Rideshare Drivers Call for Pay Raise Amid High Gas Prices REDONDO BEACH, Calif.Dozens of Amazon and rideshare drivers gathered in front of an Amazon warehouse and Uber Greenlight hub in Redondo Beach early in the morning of March 16 to call for higher compensation as gas prices soar. At the rally, the drivers formed a caravan on Redondo Beach Avenue with signs stuck to their car that read, Running on empty, we cant afford gas, tech giants pay up. Nearby drivers honked their horns to show support. The rally was organized by SEIU 721, a labor union representing Southern California public service workers, and was joined by drivers with Mobile Workers Alliance, a group of more than 15,000 drivers. As independent contractors, rideshare and Amazon Flex drivers largely cover the cost of fuel on their own with little support from the tech companies they work for, according to a statement released by SEIU 721. Dozens of Drivers formed a caravan outside an Amazon warehouse and Uber Greenlight hub in Redondo Beach, Calif., on March 16, 2022. (Courtesy of Tim Sandoval) Martin Manteca, organizing director for SEIU 721, said the purpose of the rally was to make the drivers voices heard and negotiate a solution with the companies to help the drivers in need. [Drivers] need to earn a living, so they will be able to pay their bills. Right now, this is unsustainable. They will go broke, they will go bankrupt, they will be homeless. So, we are asking the company to sit down with the drivers so they could be just compensated, said Manteca. Khaterine Cote, a 30-year-old single parent who works for both Amazon and Uber, said she chose to work as a driver because she needs a flexible schedule, but she is paying too much to fill up her gas tank. I dont have savings. I pay for the gas. If I make $140 for a day, I spend about $16 for the gas. Thats a lot, said Cote. Khaterine Cote and her daughter joined a protest outside an Amazon warehouse and Uber Greenlight hub in Redondo Beach, Calif., on March 16, 2022. (Alice Sun/The Epoch Times) The drivers also said it was unfair when Amazon recently raised its Prime membership price but not the drivers rate. Theyre raising the price for Prime members. And these are Prime [customers] that ordered groceries, and we pick up for our Prime members and we dont get any raises at all, said Juan Cortez, a driver who has been working for Amazon Flex for over two years. Julian Perez, a 62-year-old driver working for Uber Ride and Uber Eats, said he has been working as a Uber driver for five years, but his pay has been stagnating. [We] still make the money that we were making five years ago, even though the cost of living has increased. And everything else has increased like gas, Perez said. In response to record-high gas prices, and to ease the burden for drivers, Uber is implementing surcharges of up to $0.55 per trip on Uber rides and up to $0.45 per order on Uber Eats from today through the next two months, according to Uber. Liza Winship, head of driver operations at Uber, said the surcharge will vary by location, with 100 percent going directly to drivers. Our hope is that this temporary measure will help ease the burden, but well continue to listen to feedback and may make changes in the future, said Winship in a statement. Meanwhile, Winship indicated that the company is working on transitioning to electric vehicles for drivers. Amazon didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. Anthony Albanese Avoids Investigation Into Labor Bullying Culture After Senators Death Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese avoided declaring his support for an investigation into whether there is a culture of bullying in the Labor Party after the death of Sen. Kimberley Kitching, 52. After allegations emerged that Kitching faced bullying by three senior female senators in the lead up to her death, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on March 15 cautioned Labor not to dismiss the allegations, calling them distressing. These are very distressing claims and I dont think they can be dismissed, Morrison said while in Perth. On March 16 when asked about whether an investigation should occur Albanese instead choose to take exception to the use of the term mean girls which News Corps The Australian first reported as a term the late senator allegedly used to refer to Labor senators Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher, and Kristina Keneally. Australian Labor Party members Sen. Penny Wong, Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese, Federal Members of Parliament Tanya Plibersek, and Sen. Kristina Keneally celebrate International Womens Day at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 24, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images) Speaking to reporters, Albanese said he found it astonishing to get a question using the term mean girls in 2022, saying he found it extraordinarily disrespectful to describe strong, articulate, principled women like Wong, Gallagher and Keneally that way. I find it astonishing and a throwback, he added. Details of the pattern of hostility Kitching allegedly faced by party colleagues in the lead up to her heart attack on March 10 were first revealed by The Australian, citing many unnamed sources. The Australian reported that Kitching had allegedly been accused of disloyalty, was kicked off the daily tactics committee meetings, was denied her ability to ask questions in the Senate during Question Time, and that Wong took credit for the Magnitsky Act Kitching had championed, and more. Kitching, who was a member of the Labor Right faction, played a pivotal role in Australias implementation of the Magnitsky Act, which gives the government the power to sanction overseas human rights violators. She was also honoured for her efforts with the prestigious 2021 Sergei Magnitsky Human Rights Award in London, which she ended up paying for herself after the Australian Labor Party refused to fund air tickets. The Australian reported that it was when, in 2018, Kitching and then Labor leader Bill Shorten and fellow Labor MP Michael Danby made their pitch to Wong about the Magnitsky Act that her relationship with senior Labor figures began to sour. In fact, The Australian reported that Kitching told the outlet during an interview in February that when they pitched the idea to Wong she said: Over my dead body will we have Magnitsky. Queensland Senate candidate Drew Pavlou, who much like Kitching is a China hawk, took to Twitter on March 15 to support the account, saying Kitching had personally told him what Wong had said. I will never forget hearing that, it shocked me to the core, Pavlou said. Sen. Penny Wong (R), beside Sen. Kimberley Kitching (L), reacts during the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Budget Estimates 202122 at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 2, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images) The accusations of bullying have been both backed up and denied by current and former Labor colleagues. Gallagher said the allegations were not true while Wong said she would not respond at this time. Senator Kitching has passed away. That was tragic and shocking and many in the Labor family are grieving and her loved ones are grieving. So Im simply not going to engage in commentary about some of the allegations which have been raised, even if I and others disagree with them, Wong said. Labors Shadow Minister for Women Tanya Plibersek has said Kitchings death shouldnt be politicised and denied ever having witnessed the late senator being bullied. She did not wish to be drawn on questions when interviewed on Sky News, saying we havent had her funeral yet. I dont want to keep raking over this terrible loss and treating it like its a political issue we need to focus on supporting her family, she said. Meanwhile, former Labor MP Danby has told Sky News Kitchings treatment was nothing short of bullying and that he was heartbroken by her passing. I can tell you, during the last year she certainly felt the stress of having her senate preselection dangled over her head by a cabal of Lilliputians, Danby said, referring to one of the issues that allegedly contributed to her stress in the lead up to her death. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has said the issue has revealed what things are really like in Labor. The Labor Party likes to portray itself as the party to represent its women that could not be further from the truth, she told Sky News. What were seeing being played out now is really what the Labor Party, and potentially the Greens, are really about. They dont stand up for women, they dont support women, and they need to, she said. Australian Army aircrewman prepares to conduct a rescue by winch of a community member from an MRH-90 Taipan, over Lismore, Australia, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Australian Defence Force) Australians Over 18 Should Join National Service to Defend Against Beijing: Analyst Young Australians should be encouraged to join a revamped, voluntary national service where over 18s can enlist in the military or community service, according to one defence industry expert. The suggestion from Lincoln Parker, chair of the Liberal Partys Defence and National Security Policy Branch, was one of several to overhaul the countrys defence force so it is better prepared for any conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. It is a very strong investment for the country and our future, he told The Epoch Times. Because not only does it take the burden off the Australian Defence Force (ADF) when emergencies occur, it also helps those communities in times of need because youve got that dedicated resource. Parker, who has 20 years experience in defence research and technology, said the last time Australia ran a national service program in the 1950s it enjoyed overwhelming public support. It also provides our youth with a sense of belonging and understanding giving back to the community, which weve seen in our studies of [countries like] Norway, he said. Kids are clamouring and there are waiting lists to get into the national and community service not just because they want to help their own community, but because they found that employers love the end result. Among other ideas to bolster Australias military was to move it away from disaster reliefan issue that has come to light following major flooding on the east coast of the country. One idea earmarked has been to establish a new unit within the ADF dedicated to disaster relief. An Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter from the School of Army Aviation flies over flood-affected properties in Lismore, Australia, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Australian Defence Force) Meanwhile, military expansion has been a major policy focus for the Morrison government over the past few years amid increasing tensions in the region. On March 9, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the largest expansion to the ADF in 40 years, aiming to expand the current force from 59,095 to 80,000 by 2040with support staff total numbers will reach 101,000. Other announcements include a new $10 billion (US$7.3 bilion) east coast base for the incoming nuclear-powered submarine fleet under AUKUS, as well as acquisitions of Tomahawk missiles, armoured vehicles, assault aircraft, and expanding existing military bases. Concerns have been raised, including criticisms from Labor, over delivery of the projects (slated 1015-year delivery times) as well as capability gapsthe gap between the introduction of new hardware, and when old hardware is retired. In the 2009 Defence White Paper the (Kevin) Rudd government outlined the need to change the force structure of the ADF to enhance our nations naval capabilities, opposition leader Anthony Albanese told the Lowy Institute on March 10. Yet here we are, nearly a decade after the Liberal Party was elected and still no actual progress. After a production line of six defence ministers in this governmentand two goes at landing on a [submarine] modelwe now have no contract for any submarine, and a looming submarine-shaped capability gap, he said. Parker expressed similar concerns saying the government needed to do everything to ensure Australia was not vulnerable. We need submarines. Are there possibilities for us to lease or buy off-the-shelf? he said. There are a bunch of Los Angeles-class submarines (in the U.S. Navy) due to be retired or refitted, he said. Could we do a deal with the Americans whereby we lease one of their submarinesthey crew half of it, and we crew the other half so we can get trained up? Then we have one or two LA-class submarines operating out of Australia, he added. I think it would provide us with capability in a much shorter amount of time, and at least have our adversaries thinking twice. Australias Rare Potoroos Bouncing Back After Bushfires An increased number of potoroosa rabbit-sized kangaroohas been detected in the Barry Mountains, a bushfire impacted area in Victoria, as the endangered marsupial shows signs of recovery after the Black Summer bushfires destroyed over 70 percent of its habitat. In Dec. 2021, a remote camera monitoring survey conducted in the area by the governments Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery Program confirmed that the species had survived the fires and were found at 35 of 120 surveyed locations. On March 2022, environment minister Lily DAmbrosio announced that this has increased to 53 sites across over 300,000 hectares of land. She said that the land is in a vulnerable state for the next few years due to the 2019-2020 bushfires, which killed over three billion animals, with the complete loss of some species believed to be permanent. The bushfires had devastating effects on our wildlife and biodiversitythats why its so important we continue supporting their recovery so they can survive and thrive, DAmbrosio said. The long-footed potoroo is one of the worlds rarest animals found only in Australia, particularly Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales. The potoroo had 70 percent of its habitat eradicated during the 2019-2020 bushfires. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) To aid in the recovery from the fires, an expanded fox baiting program is also underway in the Barry Mountains to safeguard the potoroos. Biodiversity Recovery Coordinator, Glen Johnson, said foxes pose a serious threat to the species. Fox baiting, a lethal poison intended to control fox numbers, was started following the 2003 Alpine Fires to protect and recover long-footed potoroo populations. The program has continued annually since then, covering an area of approximately 45,000 hectares, Johnson said. In response to the Black Summer fires, we are expanding the program to over 229,000 hectares to support the species recovery. Johnson said 10,080 baits would be buried, which is the most effective method because it makes them less likely to be removed by birds, attacked by ants, or deteriorate in the summer. These baits could pose a risk to domestic animals, and we ask nearby landholders to ensure their dogs and other pets are confined to their property, he said. The 2019-2020 mega-fires burnt over 17 million hectares across Australia and at least one billion animals. Conservative estimates project that 49 threatened species have more than 80 percent of their habitat burnt. President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House on March 16, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Biden to Call Chinas Xi to Discuss Ukraine, Economic Competition President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on March 18 by telephone to discuss a range of urgent issues, including Chinas stance on Russias invasion of Ukraine and economic competition between Washington and Beijing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on March 17. Psaki described the call as part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC [Peoples Republic of China]. The announcement follows warnings from Biden officials that the regime in Beijing would face consequences if it chooses to help Russia evade Western sanctions for its aggression against Ukraine. It also follows more than seven hours of talks between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinas top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Rome on March 14, when the topics of discussion included Taiwan and North Korea, as well as the Ukraine crisis. A senior administration official described the meeting as intense. They had an extensive conversation on Russia/Ukraine, with the national security adviser laying out where we are, how we got there, and what the risks are that we see lying ahead, the official said. We do have deep concerns about Chinas alignment with Russia at this time, and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions. The meeting in Rome was in response to reports that U.S. officials believed that Moscow had asked Beijing for military and economic aid, and that the regime had signaled its willingness to help. Both Russia and China have denied the report. Less than three weeks before Russias invasion, Xi and President Vladimir Putin met in Beijing, during which the two leaders declared a no limits strategic partnership. Since the attack, Beijing has refused to condemn Russias actions or join Western sanctions, a stance widely viewed as tacitly supporting Moscow, which has drawn growing international criticism. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov this week said the country was counting on China to help it contain the fallout from the unprecedented economic sanctions leveled by Western nations. Siluanov said sanctions had deprived Moscow of access to $300 billion of its $640 billion in gold and foreign exchange reserves, and added that there was pressure on Beijing to shut off more. We have part of our gold and foreign exchange reserves in the Chinese currency, in yuan. And we see what pressure is being exerted by Western countries on China in order to limit mutual trade with China. Of course, there is pressure to limit access to those reserves, he said. But I think that our partnership with China will still allow us to maintain the cooperation that we have achieved, and not only maintain, but also increase it in an environment where Western markets are closing. President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House on March 16, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Bidens Track Record Made Putins Invasion of Ukraine Inevitable Commentary The tragedy of Ukraine is that President Joe Bidens appeasement and weak response was predictable. Hes turned out to be who this author said he would be in December 2020. Biden doesnt comprehend deterrence, and neither does his party. I wrote here in The Epoch Times: Biden represents a return to the weak-kneed diplomacy and hollow military of the Obama years. As far back as 1975 Biden condemned what he called the idea that the United States should police the world by opposing communism. He has never comprehended the value of deterrence as a diplomatic tool. Aggressive foes such as Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Kim Jong-un pocket every concession they receive. Aimless diplomacy and trade measures seldom subdue an aggressor, the most prominent example being the appeasement of Adolf Hitler in 1938, which did nothing to prevent him from starting World War II a year later in 1939. Bidens lack of understanding of deterrence as the key point of U.S. defense policy would endanger our national security and that of our allies. Now here we are, and history is repeating itself. Here we are a year into Bidens presidency, and some argue that were in the opening phase of World War III. Polish leaders see a close correlation between the impotence of the West and the failure against Hitler between the time he invaded Poland in September 1939 and the invasion of France and the Low Countries six months later that was called The Phony War. Theyre right. A bully like Vladimir Putin only respects strength and looks at politicians like Biden with utter contempt. A former White House staffer who accompanied then-Vice President Biden to his first meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2011 noted that the then Russian prime minister intimidated him. I was standing in the room with him when he met with Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Putin body slammed him. He made him look like he didnt know what he was doing, former White House stenographer Mike McCormick told Fox News Radio in 2020. If youre a Hollywood actor and Joe Biden is your agent and hes out there, agenting for you with these people, you dont want to deal with that. You cant have him out there negotiating like that. Hed be a horrible negotiator. Under President Barack Obama and Biden, Putin seized Crimea, expanded operations in Syria, and ramped up hacking operations against the United States, because he knew he could get away with it. Candidate Biden barked that he would stand up to Putin during the campaign. President Biden has behaved toward Putin with weakness and cowardice just as was anticipated. Psychological profiles of Putin show he cant stand weakness. Biden treated Putin with kid gloves and refused to stand up to him when push came to shove. Putin cant stand those who are weak because he thinks he is above everyone else. Therefore, you can beat him, but not convince him, forensic psychologist Javier Urra told the Spanish publication MARCA. His personality led to [the invasion of] Ukraine and hes already threatening Sweden and Finland. The president could have done what candidate Biden promised to be and continued Trump policies aimed at keeping Putin in check by ramping up sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and by taking a tough stance against his German supporters. Biden didnt even bother to hold the line against Putin after his inauguration. He immediately caved to Putins demand for an unconditional renegotiation of the New START Treaty. President Donald Trumps team, led by Amb. Marshall Billingslea, pressed Putin to scrap his arsenal of battlefield nuclear weapons that threaten NATO and other Western nations, but Biden nixed preconditions as soon as he was inaugurated. Since Putin declared that Russian nuclear forces were on combat alert, this arsenal of battlefield nuclear weapons has been in the forefront of discussions. Apparently, Biden wanted any deal, even a bad deal, at any cost. Diplomacy means nothing without immediate, severe, tangible consequences for the other party. Putin read Biden and instantly knew he wasnt a threat to his ambitions. Pre-emption prevents wars. Biden failed to show resolve when Putin began his military buildup along Ukraines borders a year ago. Thats when he should have introduced sanctions and matched it with a ramping up of military presence in Poland and the Baltics, along with ramping up Ukraines ability to defend itself against Russias air force and navy. Biden reportedly refused suggestions to send military advisers to Ukraine in December, just as he rejected the Reagan administrations sending of Pershing II missiles to West Germany in the early 1980s. When Putin began his buildup along the Ukrainian border a year ago, the administration reacted tepidly and only voiced concern. Ukraine, however, warned that the Russian buildup threatened its security. Bidens passivity and weakness along with his incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan proved to Putin that he would not provide an effective deterrent to his designs for Ukraine. It paved the way for the invasion. Sun-Tzu went unheeded: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. Now Xi Jinping will look at Biden and see nothing will stop him from conquering Taiwan because of his botched handling of Ukraine. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (R) and Anoosheh Ashoori, who were freed from Iran, disembark after landing at RAF Brize Norton, in England, on March 17, 2022. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Iranian British Mother Arrives Home After 6 Years Detained in Iran Iranian British aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was reunited with her family on the morning of March 17, six years after she was detained in Iran. She and Anoosheh Ashoori, another Iranian British detainee, touched down on British soil at RAF Brize Norton at just after 1 a.m. local time. A video shared on social media showed the emotional homecoming as Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugged and kissed her 7-year-old daughter, and Ashooris family sobbed. Great to see both Anoosheh and Nazanin in such good spirits. An emotional moment for both families as they welcome them home. pic.twitter.com/ewtFeaYJ1s Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 17, 2022 Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori left Iran on March 16 after their release was secured. They were initially taken to the Gulf state of Oman, which has been closely involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations to secure their freedom. A third British detainee, Morad Tahbaz, has been released from prison on furlough but remains in Iran. Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the Omani government for its help in bringing the pair home. Speaking on a visit to Saudi Arabia, he said: It is fantastic news that Nazanin is out. I am thrilled also for Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz, who are also out. It has been a lot of work by a lot of people. I want to pay particular tribute to her husband, Richard. It is fantastic that she will be able to come back, see her family, see her daughter Gabriella. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 as she prepared to head back to Britain with her daughter after a family visit. She was later jailed after being convicted of plotting to overthrow Irans clerical establishment. Ashoori, 67, was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2019 for allegedly spying for Israels Mossad intelligence agency and two years for acquiring illegitimate wealth. Both have consistently denied the allegations. The release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori follows months of intensive diplomatic negotiations between London and Tehran, including the payment of a 400 million ($523 million) debt dating back to the 1970s owed to Iran by the UK. The UK government accepted that it should pay the legitimate debt for an order of 1,500 Chieftain tanks, which was not fulfilled after the shah was deposed and replaced by the Islamic regime. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that he had authorised the payment on March 10 to clear the historical debt in parallel with the release of the two. In the House of Commons, MPs warmly welcomed the news of the release, but some raised fears that the settlement could encourage the Iranian regime to take more hostages for political and financial gains. Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, reminded the government of a precedent in which the regime took more hostages after receiving ransom from the United States. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stressed that the debt and the detainees were two parallel issues in our bilateral relationship and said the UK is joining a group with the Canadians and other G-7 nations to end the practice of arbitrary detention. PA Media contributed to this report. Canada Scraps Pre-Entry COVID Test for Fully Vaccinated Travellers The Canadian government announced on March 17 that fully vaccinated travellers coming to Canada will no longer be subjected to pre-entry COVID-19 testing beginning on April 1. I think its fair to say that we are now entering into a transition phase of this pandemic, said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in a virtual press conference announcing the new border rules. As the weather warms, and people spend more time outside, we can expect to see transmission decline in the coming months, but we have to be prepared for a waning of collective and individual immunity. Duclos said fully vaccinated travellers may still be subjected to random testing on arrival and that non or partially-vaccinated travellers still need to be tested and submit to 14 days quarantine. All travellers must also still use the ArriveCan cellphone app. The government had removed the mandatory on-arrival testing of fully-vaccinated travellers on Feb. 28. Let us remember that all measures are subject to review. We will continue to adjust them as the epidemiological situation here in Canada and abroad evolve, Duclos said. The press conference was also attended by Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Tourism Minister Randy Boisonnault, and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Howard Njoo. Duclos was asked during the press conference why the vaccine mandate for air and train travel remains in place if two doses of vaccines have waning effectiveness against the virus, particularly the Omicron variant, and if the definition of fully vaccinated will subsequently be changed to three doses. The Health Minister didnt answer directly, mentioning in part the need to work with international partners on establishing rules, and that the measures are based on the current conditions which could change in the future. That all obviously depends on the evolution of possible things on which we have little evidence and absolutely no controlwhich is the arrival of possible new variants or future waves, he said. All of these decisions today are based on the current measure of the situation, on prudence, on precaution, but also on the knowledge and the acknowledgement that these will continue to be addressed and possibly evolve. Canada is one of the only countries in the world that bars the unvaccinated from travelling by air, train, and some types of marine vessels. Asked about whether the vaccine mandate would continue for public servants, Duclos said all measures will be reviewed, but we need to have mandatory vaccination at present. Transport Minister Alghabra also addressed the issue of mandatory masking in transportation and said they will continue to rely on public health advice. We will adjust our measures as the situation evolves. Just like we will ease our measures, if things appear to be evolving in a negative direction, we will also have to adjust our measures accordingly, he said. Ottawa has moved slowly in lifting restrictions compared to the provinces. Many provinces have or are in the process of completely removing all COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine passports. A member of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces looks at destruction following a shelling in Ukraine's second-biggest city of Kharkiv on March 8, 2022. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images) Canada Unable to Provide More Weapons to Ukraine as Inventory Exhausted: Defence Minister Canada has exhausted the weapons it can provide to Ukraine, says Defence Minister Anita Anand. I believe that we have exhausted inventory from the Canadian Armed Forces to the extent that we are able to provide weapons, Anand told host Vassy Kapelos on CBCs Power & Politics on March 16. There are capacity issues that we need to make sure we are on top of for the purposes of ensuring the Canadian Armed Forces is well resourced. Anand made the comments while in Brussels attending a meeting of NATO defence ministers. So far Canada has provided military equipment to Ukraine to the tune of $82.8 million according to the Department of National Defence (DND). The lethal aid includes 4,500 M72 rocket launchers, 7,500 hand grenades, 100 Carl Gustav anti-tank recoilless rifles with 2,000 rounds of ammunition, machine guns, pistols, and carbines with 1.5 million rounds of ammunition. Many other countries have also provided military hardware to Ukraine, with the U.S. leading the way. Washington announced on March 16 it would send an additional $800 million in equipment that will include more anti-tank weapons and air defence systems, as well as 100 drones. Anand said managing the needs of Canadas military and of Ukraine is a balancing act, and her government is looking at other options such as working with other allied countries. Ottawa announced in recent days that it was providing Ukraine with drone cameras. Anand said those are not only for reconnaissance but to help with drone strikes. The cameras actually allow precision with those strikes, she told Kapelos. On March 16, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was going to continue providing military hardware to Ukraine. We will continue to stand up and support Ukraine with humanitarian support, with refugee support, but also with equipmentmilitary equipment, and lethal equipment as well, Trudeau said while making a funding announcement at a Honda plant in Alliston, Ontario. Trudeau did not mention supply and inventory for the Canadian Armed Forces in the remarks. Were going to continue to get as much equipment as we have that they can use as possible. The challenging supply lines, getting things into Ukraine, are an issue that all of NATO is facing right now, he said. British military intelligence said on March 17 that Russias military operation in Ukraine is largely stalled on all fronts, with Ukrainian forces offering a staunch resistance. A sign for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service building is shown in Ottawa, May 14, 2013.(The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Case of Ex-space Agency Engineer Facing Breach of Trust Charge Put Off Until April A former Canadian Space Agency engineers breach of trust case was put off until mid-April during a brief hearing today at a courthouse south of Montreal. Wanping Zheng, 61, a resident of the Montreal suburb of Brossard, Que., faces a single count of breach of trust, accused of using his position to act on behalf of a Chinese aerospace company. Zheng was not present at the hearing as a judge was told the federal Crown in the case had divulged more evidence on Tuesday, and lawyers on both sides requested the case be put off. In recently released court documents used to secure search warrants, police allege that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had raised concerns about Zheng as early as 2015. Despite several warnings, an internal probe by the space agency only began in December 2018, and Zheng resigned in September 2019 after 26 years at the agency. Less than a week later, space agency officials contacted the RCMP. When Zheng was charged in December, the RCMP said in a statement the case involved the installation of satellite station facilities in Iceland, with the accused allegedly acting on behalf of a Chinese firm. The case will return before a judge on April 14. China Sold Thailand Submarines That Lack Engines Beijing is trying to make up for it with old boats only fit for training News Analysis Thailand is buying submarines that it doesnt need from China, and China has no engines to put in them. How could this happen? Perhaps the Thai navy got bad advice. Perhaps Thai officials got paid off by the Chineseit is one of Beijings favorite strategies when signing contracts for billions of dollars around the world. Whatever happened, China sold Thailand something it couldnt deliver: Chinese submarines with German engines. When Germanys engine maker, MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, refused to provide the engines due to European Union sanctions from the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, Beijing realized it had to provide something else, or lose the Thai contract and its own pride. The regime offered Thailand two old submarines, decommissioned from the Chinese navy. What an insult. They are only fit for training. Beijing also offered Bangkok two other kinds of engine to replace the German ones for the submarines. Vice Admiral Pokkrong Monthatphalin has signaled that so far, however, the Thai navy is rejecting all of what China has on offer. On March 14, The Wall Street Journal reported on Beijings failure to deliver the submarines, which are S26T export variants of its Yuan-class boat. The submarine that China is building for Thailand is missing something: engines, wrote Niharika Mandhana cuttingly. The single Chinese submarine bound for Thailand, which does not yet exist, cost Bangkok $410 million. China also sold eight submarines to Pakistan. These could also be missing their engines. Pakistan and Germany refused to comment when asked by the Journal. Luckily, 2020 protests in Thailand against the submarine deal scrapped the purchase of two additional boats, which would have made the total cost $1.1 billion. The additional money for the two submarines$683 millioncould have been used, argued opponents, to purchase 123 million AstraZeneca shots, 150 million units of PPE [personal protective equipment] gear, and rapid antigen test kits for some 64 million people, according to a 2021 article in The Diplomat by Tita Sanglee. Germanys defense attache in Bangkok was quoted in the Journal as saying that Beijing failed to ask Berlin first before inking the Thai deal. Apparently, Beijing thinks it has more influence in Europe than it actually does. Chinas foreign ministry is publicly pressuring Germany, so far to no avail, to ignore the EU embargo for its submarines. Beijing claims the embargo is inconsistent with the current international situation, the development of China-EU relations and the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU. What current international situation would that be? Beijings threats of war against Taiwan, the Philippines, and Australia? Thai citizens should take notice. European citizens should take notice. Americans, Australians, Filipinos, and Taiwanese should take notice. Beijing, which likely egged Russian President Vladimir Putin on in his invasion of Ukraine, is up to no good when it encourages an arms race in Southeast Asia. Critics argue that Thailand has no serious maritime threat since it is not a claimant state in the South China Sea, noted Sanglee in the Diplomat. Thailand has overlapping claims with Cambodia, as well as Malaysia and Vietnam, in the Gulf of Thailand, but these disputes have been carefully managed through negotiations and joint developments. Isnt that how international disputes should be handled? The Gulf of Thailand is too shallow for effective submarine activities anyway, Sanglee wrote. Another concern is that the Thai military has a history of wasteful spending. You can bet your bottom dollar that Chinas submarines could never be used to defend Thailand against the Chinese navyif they have obsolete technology, kill switches, or trackers built into them. Ultimately, China is the biggest threat to Thailand, as only China in Asia is aggressively expanding its maritime and territorial boundaries. The EU ban on defense equipment has been interpreted by some European nations as only applying to pure defense items, not to dual-use technologies that could also be used for civilian purposes. Indeed, MTU itself sold 56 of its diesel-electric engines to China since the massacre. They were used in its Song-class attack submarines. An additional 26 MTU engines were sold to China for its destroyers. An undated photo shows a nuclear-powered submarine of the Peoples Liberation Army Navys North Sea Fleet preparing to dive into the sea. The Chinese regime has begun deploying submarines armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles. (AFP/Getty Images) These German engines, and the deadly military equipment they enable, could be used against a peaceful democracy some day, in the same way that German purchases of gas from Russia have enabled Russias invasion of Ukraine. The engines could be used against the United States, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, or Australia. The more recent refusal of MTU to sell its engines to China apparently reflects a new regulation in Germany against their sale. That, at least, is progress. Democracies and their allies should stop selling dual-use military equipment to aggressive dictatorships like China and Russia. Countries like Thailand, India, and Turkey should stop buying defense equipment from these unscrupulous dictatorships. First, they cant deliver the highest in technical sophistication because they lack access to many Western and allied technologies. Second, they promise what they cant deliver, and then try to make up for it with sub-standard equipment later. Third, they have a track record of corrupting government purchasing agents and other officials with millions of dollars in bribes. This makes those officials contract deals that actually hurt their own countries, including with millions in defense expenditures that would be better used elsewhere. The United States, Europe, Japan, and allies must get tougher by not allowing dual-use technologies to be exported to Russia and China, including not only mainland China, but Hong Kong, through which export-controlled items are frequently transshipped. Until Moscow and Beijing improve their human rights and stop their territorial aggression, dual-use technologies should be the first export to these countries that are completely embargoed. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The logo for Russian state-owned television station RT is seen at the window of the company's office in Moscow, Russia on Oct. 27, 2017. (The Canadian Press/AP-Pavel Golovkin) CRTC Bans Russian State-Run Broadcaster RT From Canadian Airwaves Canadian broadcasters are no longer allowed to distribute Russias state-run broadcaster, RT, after the federal regulator found the programming has targeted Ukrainians during the ongoing Russian invasion. The Canadian Radio-television and Communications Commission is removing RT, formerly known as Russia Today, and RT France from its authorized list of non-Canadian programming services and stations. The commission can de-authorize services if it believes the content would violate regulations that apply to licensed Canadian broadcasters, and said that if RT and RT France were Canadian, it would have called them to account. It said the content constitutes abusive comment and is likely to expose the Ukrainian people to hatred or contempt on the basis of their race, national or ethnic origin. The federal government formally asked the CRTC to review the presence of the Kremlin-backed broadcaster on Canadian airwaves on March 2. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time that action was needed to combat falsehoods and disinformation by Russia about the invasion of Ukraine, including on social media. The commission said the Russian governments actions in limiting journalistic independence of news agencies and directing content on state-run broadcasters like RT goes against freedom of expression and journalistic independence, a key principle in Canadian broadcasting. Rogers, Bell, Telus and Shaw have already pulled RT from their channel lineups, meaning that as far as the CRTC is aware, no Canadian broadcaster was distributing it by the time it was under review. The European Union banned RT this month and the British broadcast regulator has launched multiple investigations into the impartiality of the channel. Canada has also imposed sanctions on RTs editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, whos been described by the EU as a central figure in Russian government propaganda. The Russian state-backed news channel was founded in 2005 and broadcasts in more than 100 countries in many languages. The CRTC asked for submissions from broadcasters and the public before making its decision. Only 16 of the 373 interventions were against a ban on RT. The commission said many submissions contained strong condemnation of Russian aggression in Ukraine and the impact of Russian state-owned media on the perception of Ukrainians. None of the interveners disputed the fact that RT is controlled by the Russian government and contains at least some government propaganda. While concerns were raised by some about freedom of expression and censorship, the CRTC said Canadians can still access RT online if they choose. By Sarah Ritchie Brazilian student Jose Neto (right) leans over to his mother Teresa Ribeiro (left) as he speaks at a press conference in Calgary, Alberta on Sept. 26 2008 about a shooting that left him totally blind. (The Canadian Press/Larry MacDougal) Dangerous Offender Who Blinded Student in 2008 Shooting Granted Day Parole A man who blinded a student in a 2008 shooting in Calgary, Alberta, has been granted day parole. In September 2008, Roland Warawa fired a gun during a dispute with a drug dealer in Calgary. A stray bullet hit Brazilian exchange student Jose Neto, who was left permanently blind in both eyes. Despite pleading guilty to several chargesincluding the aggravated assault of Neto and discharging a firearm with intent to wound, maim, disfigure or endanger lifeWarawa was declared a dangerous offender, which, under Canadian law, earned him a mandatory sentence to prison for an indeterminate period in 2010. The sentence means that he will remain under supervision indefinitely until the National Parole Board decides he is fit to be conditionally released. On March 16, Warawa, now in his 40s, appeared before the Parole Board of Canada virtually. During the hearing, he described the day when he blinded Neto, saying it was a dumb, cowardly action that I did, according to a Global News report. I was shooting and I missed my target, and here we are with a blinded innocent bystander, he said. Warawa attributed much of his criminal historywhich includes attempted murder, assaulting a peace officer, theft, break and enter, and robberyto drug addiction. He has been clean for two years, after being an addict for over 20 years, Global News reported. He told the board that he is ready to return to society and build a life with his wife and children. I know its not going to be easy and I need help and I want the help, Warawa said. Im ready to start living and get out of this system. The board said psychological assessments show him to be at high risk of reoffending. While the board denied Warawa full parole, it still granted him day parole for a period of six months, saying that he has made progress that outweighs the risks. Under day parole, Warawa is required to return to a halfway house each night and must follow other conditions, such as abstaining from drugs and alcohol, making no contact with his victims, continuing treatment for substance abuse, and receiving counselling to address violence issues. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) speaks at the start of a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on the governments response to the CCP virus outbreak in Washington on March 5, 2020. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Democrats Sue to Disqualify 3 GOP Congressmen From 2022 Ballot, Alleging Role in Insurrection, Election Manipulation Conservative senator calls partisan lawsuit 'total nonsense' Democratic Party activists in Wisconsin have filed a suit in federal court arguing that a pro-Trump senator and two pro-Trump congressmen should be barred from office for speaking out on 2020 election irregularities and allegedly attempting to manipulate the congressional certification of the presidential election results. The Wisconsin Republican lawmakers targeted by the suit are two-term Sen. Ron Johnson, two-term Rep. Tom Tiffany, and freshman Rep. Scott Fitzgerald. All are seeking reelection in November. The suit claims the lawmakers cannot serve in Congress because the disqualification clause in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment forbids it. That rarely invoked constitutional provision was enacted in the wake of the Civil War to keep former Confederates out of Congress. Johnson dismissed the lawsuit, telling The Epoch Times it is total nonsense. Democrats have ignored the Summer 2020 riots and relentlessly used January 6th [2021] as a political cudgel, Johnson said in an emailed statement. Now, theyve used January 6th to file a frivolous lawsuit against me, similar to the one dismissed by a court last week. The lawsuit claims the lawmakers used their public positions of authority to illegally foment an atmosphere meant to intimidate and pressure Vice President [Mike] Pence and Congress to take actions inconsistent with the facts and with their duties under the Electoral Count Act and the U.S. Constitution. The lawmakers used their powers as public officials and their respective bully pulpits to undermine public trust in the outcome of the election and to enable a criminal scheme to institute fraudulent electors (in Wisconsin and elsewhere) to manufacture a constitutional crisis on January 6, 2021, over how to count the electoral ballots. The legal action claims the lawmakers illegally pressured Pence, in his role as presiding officer at the joint session of Congress certifying the 2020 electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, to unilaterally reject the legitimate electoral votes of Wisconsin and six other states for the BidenHarris ticket. On Jan. 6, 2021, there was a security breach at the U.S. Capitol in which supporters of then-President Donald Trump delayed the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results for several hours. Democrats and some Republicans characterize the disturbance, from which some elected officials took cover, as an insurrection or coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the U.S. government, a claim that has been adamantly denied by Trump and his supporters. Democrats have attempted to use the disqualification clause to take two other sitting federal lawmakers off the 2022 ballot for their pro-Trump activities. While the challenges to Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) have both failed, a ruling in the Cawthorn case is under appeal. The 80-page legal complaint (pdf) in the case at hand, Stencil v. Johnson, court file 2:22-cv-305, was filed March 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Nancy A. Stencil is one of 10 plaintiffs, all of whom are registered Wisconsin voters. According to the complaint, the lawmakers engaged in overt acts in furtherance of a conspiracy meant to foment public distrust in the outcome of the 2020 election, undermine the rule of law, and assist an insurrection against the United States with the illegal goal of reversing the results of the election that made Joseph R. Biden the 46th President of the United States. The three lawmakers falsehoods about the integrity of Wisconsins election procedures began even before citizens were allowed to cast their ballots in the 2020 Presidential Election and continued long after their lies were disproven. The lawmakers repeatedly proclaimed lies about the election and its results, and those lies increased in frequency and intensity as January 6, 2021, approached. Fitzgerald also is accused in the complaint of supporting an alternate slate of Trump electors. He allegedly procured a room for ten fraudulent electors from Wisconsin [who] met at the State Capitol on December 14, 2020, the date designated by law for electoral votes to be cast, the complaint states. One of the plaintiffs lawyers told The Epoch Times the lawsuit isnt frivolous. Lawsuits are made up of facts and legal claims, attorney Joseph S. Goode said by email. The judge overseeing this case gets to decide how the law applies to the facts as our adversarial system provides. Every fact in our pleading is based on matters of public record. We look forward to litigating the case to fruition. The legal challenge is being underwritten by the Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC. In a March 13 statement on the left-wing political action committees website, founder Kirk Bangstad estimates the lawsuit could cost $300,000 to fight over the next six months. Bangstad is also the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Co., makers of progressive beers such as Biden Beer, Bernie Brew, AOC IPA, and Filibuster Ale. This lawsuit is BY FAR the biggest thing weve ever done, but its also the most important and 100% central to our mission of getting rid of Wisconsins traitors, he wrote. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on novel medication with poor effectiveness, while these dirt-cheap pills have been ignored, suppressed and outright criminalized. Yet the latest study proves it is far more effective than the one heralded as the gold standard. While ivermectin has been widely vilified as either useless, dangerous or both, studies have repeatedly demonstrated its usefulness against COVID-19. Most recently, a study published in the March 2022 issue of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases again found that treatment with ivermectin reduced mortality in COVID-19 patients and to a greater degree than remdesivir. In the video above, nursing educator John Campbell, Ph.D., reviews the findings of this paper. Importantly, the researchers compared the use of ivermectin against the use of remdesivir, which is one of the few drugs recommended for use against COVID in the U.S. To compare outcomes between the two treatments, they analyzed data from a network of 44 health care organizations with 68 million patients. Patients aged 18 and over with a recorded COVID-19 infection between January 1, 2020, and July 11, 2021, were included in the analysis. Patients who received only remdesivir but not ivermectin were compared against those who received ivermectin but not remdesivir. After controlling for a variety of confounding factors, including but not limited to comorbidities, other treatments that might affect COVID-19 survival, age, gender, ethnicity, nicotine use, diabetes, obesity and ventilator use, they concluded that treatment with ivermectin reduced mortality to a greater degree than remdesivir. As noted by Campbell, remdesivir is an extremely expensive drug, costing between $2,340 and $3,120 depending on your insurance. Ivermectin, meanwhile, costs between $48 and $95 for 20 pills depending on your location. The average cost is said to be about $58 per treatment. Ivermectin Outperforms Other Drug Options Another recent investigation by Cornell University, posted on the Universitys preprint server January 20, 2022, found ivermectin outperformed no less than 10 other drugs. Here, the researchers used a computational analysis to look at the Omicron variant, which has demonstrated a lower clinical presentation and lower hospital admission rates. After having retrieved the complete genome sequence and collecting 30 variants from the database, the researchers analyzed 10 drugs against the virus, including ivermectin, nirmatrelvir, ritonavir, lopinavir and boceprevir. While all of the 10 drugs had some degree of effectiveness against the virus, ivermectin was the most effective against the Omicron variant. Of special note here is the inclusion of nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), a new protease inhibitor that was granted emergency use authorization against COVID in December 2021. This drug, created by Pfizer, has cost U.S. taxpayers $5.29 billion $529 per course of treatment, not quite as expensive as remdesivir, but still nearly 10 times more costly than ivermectin, which is also more effective. Aside from affirming the benefit of ivermectin, these studies also reveal the governments incredible wastefulness. Billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on novel drugs with poor effectiveness, while dirt-cheap drugs have been ignored, suppressed and outright criminalized. How Ivermectin Works While ivermectin is best known as an antiparasitic, it also has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown it helps to lower the viral load by inhibiting replication. A single dose of ivermectin can kill 99.8% of the virus within 48 hours. It also impairs the spike proteins ability to attach to the ACE2 receptor on human cell membranes, which helps prevent infection of the cell. A meta-analysis in the American Journal of Therapeutics showed the drug reduced infection by an average of 86% when used preventively. An observational study in Bangladesh evaluated the effectiveness of ivermectin as a prophylaxis for COVID-19 in health care workers. Only four of the 58 volunteers who took 12 mg of ivermectin once a month for four months developed mild COVID symptoms, compared to 44 of the 60 health care workers who declined the medication. Ivermectin has also been shown to speed recovery, in part by inhibiting inflammation and protecting against organ damage.15 This pathway also lowers the risk of hospitalization and death. Meta analyses have shown an average reduction in mortality that ranges from 75%16 to 83%. The drug also prevents transmission of SARS-CoV-2 when taken before or after exposure, and helps prevent blood clots if youre infected by binding to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This prevents the spike protein from binding to CD147 on red blood cells and triggering clumping. (Please note, if you check this reference, youll find its retracted; however, journal editors point out the retraction was due to questions on the methodology and conclusions, not on the mechanisms of action of ivermectin.) So, added together, all of these benefits suggest ivermectin could easily have ended this pandemic within the first year, if not within months, had it been widely used. Whos Responsible for the Suppression of Ivermectin? I dont think any one person can be singled out as being responsible for the suppression of ivermectin. Many drug industry players have undoubtedly played a large role in it, as have regulators and government officials. The question is why? One obvious answer is that if ivermectin were recognized as a valid treatment for COVID-19, the emergency use authorization for the COVID jabs would disappear. Additionally, ivermectin is long off-patent and nearly worthless in terms of its profit potential. Meanwhile, new patented drugs were available, and there were enormous profits to be made. But first, ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine had to be eradicated. Certain researchers also appear to have been enlisted to blackball these drugs. One of them is Dr. Andrew Hill, an adviser to both the Clinton Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As explained in the video above, in October 2020, the World Health Organization asked Hill to do a meta-analysis of dozens of ivermectin studies. Hill had shared his excitement about the promising data with Dr. Paul Marik, Dr. Pierre Kory and Dr. Tess Lawrie, all of whom have publicly advocated for the use of ivermectin in all stages of the infection. Lawrie is a medical doctor, Ph.D., researcher and director of Evidence-Based Medicine Consultancy Ltd. She helped organize the British Ivermectin Recommendation Development (BIRD) panel and the International Ivermectin for COVID Conference, which was held online, April 24, 2021. (All of the lectures, which were recorded via Zoom, can be viewed on Bird-Group.org.) Ironically, as a consultant to the World Health Organization and many other public health organizations, her largest clients are the very ones who have been actively suppressing the use of ivermectin. According to Lawrie, in late 2020 she and Hill discussed working together to get ivermectin approved for use against COVID as soon as possible, as the drug looked like a cheap, safe and effective way to end the pandemic. Hills Betrayal That collaboration never happened. When a preprint of Hills analysis was posted, Lawrie was shocked by what she read. Hill stated that ivermectin was associated with reduced inflammatory markers, faster viral clearance, significantly shortened duration of hospitalization, and a 75% reduction in mortality in those with moderate to severe infection. All of those things were true then and are still true today. Yet Hills conclusion was that ivermectin should be validated in larger, appropriately controlled randomized trials before the results are sufficient for review by regulatory authorities. This was the complete opposite of what hed shared with Lawrie and the others. In mid-January 2021, Lawrie emailed Hill, asking him to retract his review and reframe his conclusions before publishing, as additional placebo-controlled RCTs are definitely not needed. She added that his review will do immeasurable harm. Marik and Kory were also alarmed by Hills misrepresentation, and they too asked him to correct his paper before publishing. In the video above, Lawrie shows the written assessment of Hills paper by a forensic communications expert, who concluded that there were multiple instances of interference (additional text added to the paper) from a shadow author. These additional, but unnamed authors, appear to have manipulated the paper to undermine the positive findings. Who are they? Lawrie confronted Hill with that question during their January 2021 Zoom call. Hill tried to shirk the question, but in the end, he admitted that Unitaid, the charity that sponsored the analysis, had a say in the conclusions of his paper. Incidentally, Unitaid has received at least $150 million from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Hills paper was published with its negative conclusion intact, and subsequent efforts by Lawrie to get her teams meta-analyses published were rejected, as Hills analysis had declared that more large-scale studies were still needed. According to Lawrie, they had all the evidence they needed in January 2020. They knew ivermectin could lower mortality by 75% or more. Additional studies werent needed. Hill Urged to Come Clean Hill, during that Zoom call, kept saying he was walking a fine line but promised Lawrie that he would not allow ivermectin to be ignored for very long. He predicted that by the end of February 2021, there would be enough evidence to push for approval. That didnt pan out either, in large part because of the false conclusion presented in Hills paper. That particular moment of history needed a man in Hills position to speak the truth, and he chose not to. Not only did his paper make it more difficult for scientists to publish positive findings, it was also used as justification to restrict access to the drug across the world. Theres no telling how many died as a result. His paper also paved the way for the emergency use authorization of novel mRNA COVID shots, which could not be authorized were there known safe and effective treatments available. So, clearly, Hill has blood on his hands for his participation in this suppression. As noted by Kory, that particular moment of history needed a man in Hills position to speak the truth, and he chose not to. Now, Lawrie is begging Hill to make up for his previous moral failure by exposing the corruption of science; to come forward and explain how the evidence on ivermectin was undermined, and to name the people who influenced his conclusion. We will forgive you, Andy, Lawrie says, but come forward. In the video below, Lawrie provides even more details about her conversations with Hill. Has the Shadow Author Been Identified? Producer/director Phil Harper now claims he may have identified the shadow author who fiddled with Hills conclusion. The Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) reports: The Digger on Substack (aka producer/director Phil Harper) has revealed the name of the person who could have edited the papers conclusions which led to the WHOs non-recommendation of the use of ivermectin. That decision could have led to the unnecessary deaths of millions across the world Harper studied the PDF of the paper, wanting to learn the identity of its ghost author. The hope was that some artifact on the PDF would reveal something, maybe a font was different, maybe there was a hidden comment, maybe some tracked changes had been saved to the document, said Harper. None of those lines of inquiry came to anything. Then it came to him. Was it in the PDFs metadata? Sometimes its the most obvious of things, Harper writes. The v1_stamped version of the paper did indeed have metadata. It even had author information inside the metadata. Expecting to see Andrew Hill listed as the author, instead, I saw a name I recognized. Andrew Owen. Unless someone used his computer, Andrew Owen has his digital fingerprint on the Andrew Hill paper. As it turns out, Andrew Owen is a Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and co-Director of the Centre of Excellence in Long-acting Therapeutics (CELT) at the University of Liverpool. He is also scientific advisor to the WHOs COVID-19 Guideline Development Group. Just days before Dr. Hills paper was to be published, a $40M grant from Unitaid, the papers sponsor, was given to CELT of which Owen is the project lead. The $40 million contract was actually a commercial agreement between Unitaid, the University of Liverpool and Tandem Nano Ltd (a start-up company that commercializes Solid Lipid Nanoparticle delivery mechanisms) for which Andrew Owen is a top shareholder, says Harper. If it turns out that Unitaid had anything to do with the alteration of Hills conclusion about ivermectin, then it has completely violated its mission and mandate, which is to [find] innovative solutions to prevent and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply and effectively. This is critical because, for COVID, ivermectin was one such solution. Front line doctors and researchers knew it in 2020; Hill knew it; and therefore Unitaid knew it. Did they subvert the truth and let people die? If so, for what? A commercial agreement for a novel lipid nanoparticle product? Perhaps. Originally published March 17, 2022 on Mercola.com Sources and References Dr. Oz Says He Would Renounce Turkish Citizenship If Elected to Senate Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is running to replace Pat Toomey as a Pennsylvania senator, said that he would renounce his Turkish citizenship to gain security clearance if elected to the U.S. Senate. On March 16, Pennsylvania news outlet PoliticsPA reported that Oz had said he would forego security clearance in order to keep his citizenship. According to the report, Oz explained that he keeps his Turkish citizenship in order to return to Turkey and care for his aging mother, who has Alzheimers disease. I can love my country [the United States] and love my mom, Oz reportedly said. Former Republican candidate Sean Parnellwho dropped out of the Pennsylvania Senate race in November 2021responded on social media, saying This is disqualifying. However, Casey Contres, campaign manager for the former television celebrity, denied the report in a tweet. Dr. Oz never said this, Contres wrote. I was standing right there. Ive asked the reporter to correct his reporting as its inaccurate. Also, Contres added, you can have a dual citizenship and full security clearance in congress. Even asking this question is ridiculous. Under current U.S. law, dual citizens are permitted to gain security clearance so long as they do not live in, vote in, receive benefits from, or carry the passport of the country in which they have dual citizenship. Still, following the storm that erupted over the issue, Oz told Fox News that he would give up his Turkish citizenship if elected. My dual citizenship has become a distraction in this campaign, Oz said March 16. I maintained it to care for my ailing mother, but after several weeks of discussions with my family, Im committing that before I am sworn in as the next U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania I will only be a U.S. citizen. The issue has long been an important one to Ozs opponents, and some say that the promise is too little, too late. In February, a spokesman for David McCormick, a rival Republican candidate, said that voters of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have a right to ask why Cleveland, Ohio-born Mehmet Oz wont renounce his Turkish citizenship and why he chose to serve in the Turkish military over Americas military. In a statement to The Epoch Times, McCormicks campaign added, The people of PA deserve a U.S. senator who will serve their interests and their interests onlyand not be conflicted on some of the most important security issues facing our country. Mehmet Oz sought out and maintains to this day dual citizenship with Turkey and chose to serve in the Turkish military. McCormick rejected Ozs contention that the issue was a distraction. Mehmet Oz was born in the U.S. and, as an adult, sought out dual citizenship with Turkeya country often hostile to the United States. He chose to serve in Turkeys military, he has connections to both the Turkish military and Erdogan government, and has significant financial assets in Turkey, the campaign said. Having such strong connections to a country with a history of hostility to U.S. interests raises significant concerns about where his loyalties lie. This is no distraction, this is rightfully a real concern for many voters. Oz is now saying he would renounce his dual citizenship to Turkey but only on the condition that the people of PA elect him to the U.S. Senate first, the statement said. If youre a PA voter rightfully concerned about Mehmet Ozs Turkish military and government ties, his response to you is you must elect him to the Senate first before he does anything to alleviate your concerns. McCormick added a renewed call for Oz to renounce his Turkish citizenship: He claims to put America Firstthen why doesnt he today? In a statement to another news outlet, Oz called the demand disgraceful and bigoted, and said it was reminiscent of slurs made in the past about Catholics and Jews. It is a sign of McCormicks desperate campaign that he has resorted to this disgraceful tactic, Oz added. According to polling data compiled by Real Clear Politics, McCormick is currently the GOP frontrunner with about 19.5 percent support. The next closest challenger is Oz, who has 17.8 percent support, putting him 1.7 points behind McCormick. Oz and his campaign could not be immediately reached for comment. Dubai-Owned Ferry Firm Firing 800 UK Staff Wholly Unacceptable: Minister The decision by a Dubai-owned ferry firm to fire 800 UK-based staff with no notice is wholly unacceptable, a UK minister has said. P&O Ferries, which was bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World in 2019, sparked outrage on Thursday when it fired 800 seafarers without any prior notice. The firm said the affected employees had been handed immediate severance notices with compensation packages for the lack of advance notice. It insisted the decision to cut jobs was very difficult but necessary as it was not a viable business in its current state. P&O Ferries said in a statement: We have made a 100 million ($132 million) loss year-on-year, which has been covered by our parent, DP World. This is not sustainable. Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries. Sailings were halted on Thursday morning and would remain suspended for the next few days, the firm told passengers. Transport minister Robert Courts delivers a statement to MPs about P&O after the ferry giant sacked 800 seafarers, in the House of Commons, London, on March 17, 2022. (PA) In a statement to the House of Commons, transport minister Robert Courts said: These are hardworking, dedicated staff who have given years in service to P&O. The way they have been treated today is wholly unacceptable and my thoughts are first and foremost with them. Reports of workers being given zero notice and escorted off their ships with immediate effect while being told cheaper alternatives would take up their roles shows the insensitive way in which P&O have approached this issue, a point I have made crystal clear to P&Os management when I spoke to them earlier this afternoon. Courts said he was extremely concerned and frankly angry at the way workers have been treated by the firm, and said the staff had been signposted to support from the Department of Work and Pensions. The main opposition Labour Party said this is not enough and urged the government to secure the livelihoods of the affected workers. Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: There are images circulating of what we are told are handcuff-trained security, some wearing balaclavas, marching British crew off their ships. She said this is not a corporate restructure but the action of thugs. An overseas conglomerate cannot not be given free rein to sack workers in secure jobs here in Britain at the click of a button and replace them with agency staff, she said. She said the government must not give the green light to this appalling practice and must act now to secure the livelihoods of these workers. The shadow minister insisted the sackings are the cruel consequence of the Conservative governments failure to outlaw fire and rehire. Courts denied the government had sided with bad bosses, adding ministers will continue to do everything we can to support British seafarers. PA Media contributed to this report. Elderly Man Detained on Suspicion of Killing Wife in Mission Viejo MISSION VIEJO, Calif.An elderly man was detained by police on March 15 after deputies determined there were suspicious circumstances surrounding his wifes death. Orange County Sheriffs Department deputies were called to the 28000 block of Via Arriaga in Mission Viejo on Tuesday regarding a woman in her 80s found dead inside a residence, according to the departments Twitter post. After deputies arrived on the scene, they determined that circumstances surrounding the death were suspicious, prompting the case to be investigated as a homicide. The deceased womans husband, who is also in his 80s, was subsequently detained by officers. Exact details that led deputies to investigate the matter as a homicide were unclear. The woman and her husbands names are not yet released. The Orange County Sheriff Departments Homicide Unit will be conducting a thorough investigation to determine what happened, they said, noting there was no ongoing threat to public safety. Elderly Man With Dementia Arrested in Wifes Death in Mission Viejo MISSION VIEJO, Calif.An elderly man diagnosed with dementia was arrested by police on March 15 after deputies determined there were suspicious circumstances surrounding his wifes death. William Wiley, 86, was arrested on Tuesday, after his wife, also in her 80s, was found dead inside a residence, according to the department. Orange County Sheriffs Department deputies were called to the 28000 block of Via Arriaga in Mission Viejo at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday. After deputies arrived on the scene, they determined that circumstances surrounding the death were suspicious, prompting the case to be investigated as a homicide. Wiley was subsequently detained by officers. Based on interviews and evidence at the scene, the officers later officially booked him into Orange County Jail. Wileys family members indicated he was previously diagnosed with dementia, the department said. Wiley is currently being held on a $1 million bail, according to the Sheriffs Department records. His next court appearance will take place on Thursday, March 17. Exact details that led deputies to investigate the matter as a homicide were unclear. The deceased womans name has not yet been released, pending autopsy by the Orange County Coroner. The Orange County Sheriff Departments Homicide Unit will continue to conduct an investigation to determine what happened, they said, noting there was no ongoing threat to public safety. EU Should Drop Talk With China for Ambiguous Stand on Russian Attack, Lithuania Says The European Union (EU) ought to cancel an upcoming meeting with China, intended to tame bilateral tensions, unless the latter states a clear stand on the Russia-Ukraine war, a senior Lithuanian official said on March 16. It is the time to show China that we mean businessthat they cannot expect to occupy this ambiguous role, on one hand supporting Russia, on one hand using trading opportunities with the WestEuropean Union, and expect no consequences, Lithuanian vice foreign minister Mantas Adomenas told Reuters. Three weeks ago, the group of 27 nations in Europe, including Lithuania, said it plans to hold a top-level, likely virtual, meeting with China on April 1 to defuse growing tensions between the two sides. The SinoEuropean relations remained in a freeze over the past year because of Beijings human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Lithuanias deepened ties to democratic Taiwan. Yet Adomenas said it was not the time for normalization in an interview during a visit to Washington. In our assessment, it is very ill-timed. In view of recent developments, it should be called off, or at least postponed significantly until we see which side China is on, he said. The vice foreign minister said Lithuania, a former Soviet republic concerned about Moscows broader intentions, had a lot of persuasions to do to convince other EU members that the summit should not go ahead. It came as U.S. President Joe Biden on March 16 called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal for the first time since Moscow waged a full-scale invasion on Ukraine on Feb. 24. President Biden said he will send an additional $800-million military aid to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials confirmed the same day, day 22 of the invasion, that Russian forces had bombed civilian shelters in the besieged Ukrainian port city Mariupol, including a theater where hundreds of people were taking refuge. More than 2,500 people have been killed in the city so far. Elderly residents cross a destroyed bridge while fleeing Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine on March 13, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP Photo) As most of the world is acting in unison to denounce Russian aggression, Beijing has been continuously distancing itself from the conflict between Russia and the West. In the latest move, the Chinese regime stood by Moscow in a March 16 UN vote, opposing a decision by the highest legal body of the United Nations to order Russia to immediately suspend its military operations in Ukraine. Beijing has never called the Russian attack an invasion or condemned the aggression. Beijing rebuked Lithuania after the Baltic nation announced last July that it would exchange representative offices with Taiwan. With Taiwan announcing it would open an office in Vilnyus, Beijing called on Lithuania to abide by the one-China principle. But the Communist regime did not live up to its own words of national sovereignty, given the absence of a clear stand over the Russian invasion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN earlier this month. Russia has allegedly asked China for military assistance amid its military operation in Ukraine, although officials on both sides have denied the allegations. The EU filed a complaint on Jan. 27 in the World Trade Organization against communist China over discriminatory trade practices on behalf of Lithuania. Reuters contributed to this report. A woman holds a smartphone with the Facebook logo in front of a displayed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta in this illustration picture taken on Oct. 28, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) Facebook Wont Fact-Check Politicians in Upcoming Australian Election: Meta Meta launches 'Dont be a Misinfluencer' campaign for content creators Meta has said it will not be fact-checking politicians in the next federal election in Australia as it outlined the companys extensive plans to limit the spread of misinformation and bolster election integrity in the upcoming Australian federal election by expanding its fact-checking network. According to comments obtained by ZDNet, Metas Australias Head of Public Policy Josh Machin said that politicians claims will not be fact-checked. The speech of politicians are already very highly scrutinised, he said. Its scrutinised by [journalists], but also by academics, experts, and their political opponents who are pretty well-positioned to push back or indicate they dont believe somethings right if they think theyre being mischaracterised. The Facebook and Instagram parent company has invested considerable resources working with local groups to put together a complete set of election integrity measures, Machin said in a press release from March 15. As part of the tech giants plans, Meta has expanded its local third-party fact-checking network to include RMIT FactLab and Australian Associated Press (AAP), in addition to pre-existing partner Agence France Presse. Meta is also providing additional funding to expand its ability to rate and review content as the election approaches. Well also be providing one-off grants to all our fact-checkers to increase their capacity in the lead up to the election, he said. Our fact-checkers work to reduce the spread of misinformation across Metas services. When they rate something as false, we significantly reduce its distribution, so fewer people see it. We also notify people who try to share something rated as false and add a warning label with a link to a debunking article. In addition to removing and limiting the reach of harmful or misleading electoral misinformation, Manchin said Australians need to be informed in how they can make an informed decision on what to read, trust and share. To facilitate this, Meta is partnering with monitoring organisation First Draft to develop its Dont be a Misinfluencer program across its tech platforms, which teaches creators and influencers to share tips on how to spot false news. They are also working with AAP on its Check The Fact campaigna series of short videos, that will be translated into Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, and Arabic. Those are the three largest communities of non-English speaking people within Australia, and weve been very conscious of the risk of potential misinformation, particularly amongst the Chinese-speaking community, Machin told AAP. Meta Will Enforce Community Standards on Politicians The comments from Machin on the election come after Meta was grilled by the leader of the United Australia Party Craig Kelly MP at a hearing of the Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety on March 2. Kelly, whose Facebook and Instagram pages were banned in 2021 by Meta for allegedly breaching the companys misinformation policy over posts containing information about the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 asked Machin to confirm that Meta would guarantee there will be no foreign interference by Meta in the Australian election by blocking, shadow-banning, or deplatforming political candidates or parties. We enforce our policies and our community standards consistently on users on our platform, whether theyre a private individual or a public figure, Machin said. If a piece of content violates our community standards, then, yes, well be removing it. Thats a really important protection that we have in place in order to protect the safety and the integrity of the election campaign. Kelly also queried whether Meta regarded its community standards as undermining or threatening Australias democracy using these standards. If someone whos a registered candidate at an election, or a registered political party, makes a particular statement, you are saying that, if it somehow doesnt go along with your community standards or if one of your fact-checkers disagrees with it, you will actually block, censor, shadowban or deplatform that political candidate or political party. Isnt that direct foreign interference in the Australian election campaign? Kelly questioned. Machin responded by clarifying that when a fact-checker tells Facebook that a piece of content is false. Well apply a label to itan interstitialso that people are only able to view the content if they choose to deliberately click through, and we will take steps in order to reduce the distribution of that piece of content: well remove it from recommendations and well show it lower in peoples feeds. But I do want to clarify that we dont wholesale remove content on the basis of a fact-checker finding it to be false; we remove content that violates our community standards, Machin said. Meta To Draw on Previous Election Experience Meta also noted in the press release that they would be drawing on its experience in more than 200 elections worldwide to tighten up cyber security and combat threats such as organised influence operations. In Australia alone, they have invested AU$7 billion (approximately US$5 billion) on safety and security Machin said. We have specialised global teams to identify and take action against threats to the election, including signs of coordinated inauthentic behaviour across our apps. We are also coordinating with the governments election integrity assurance taskforce and security agencies in the lead up to the election, he said. Weve also improved our AI so that we can more effectively detect and block fake accounts, which are often behind this activity. With the midterm elections coming up soon, Id like to highlight several developments related to election integrity. To start with, an elections official in the state of Michigan was recently charged with a felony count of illegally tampering with ballots during the primary election in 2020. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, it appears that the city of Milwaukee might be defying a direct order from the state Supreme Court. Despite the fact that the Supreme Court ordered that no drop boxes be used during the April primaries, it appears that the executive director for elections in Milwaukee is setting them up anyway. Lastly, while I was in Florida, I took the unique opportunity to sit down and speak with Doug Collinsa former congressman who used to sit on the House Judiciary Committeeand we discussed a broad range of topics including, from his insiders perspective, whats happening with the Durham investigation. Stay tuned for our newsletter so you wont miss out on our exclusive videos and private events. Facts Matter is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube. Follow Roman on Instagram: @epoch.times.roman Listen to Podcasts: iTunes Podcast: https://ept.ms/FactsMatterApplePodcast Spotify Podcast: https://ept.ms/FactsMatterSpotifyPodcast Google Podcast: https://ept.ms/FactsMatterGooglePodcast Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Parler: https://parler.com/#/user/EpochTV Afterpay logo is displayed in this illustration taken, Aug. 2, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/ Reuters /Illustration) Fast Path to Extreme Financial Hardship: Consumer Groups Call for Buy Now, Pay Later Regulation A group of international consumer groups across 10 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, are calling for the urgent regulation of the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) sector. Australian consumer advocacy group CHOICE said new data showed that many Australians were struggling with debt from BNPL. We are calling for governments across the worldincluding the Australian Governmentto ensure that buy now, pay later providers are subject to the same consumer protection laws as other credit providers, CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland said in a statement. Newly released data from CHOICE found that 30 percent of Australians have used a BNPL service in the last 12 months. Of those people, over one-in-five have used the service to pay for essential goods and services, such as groceries or utilities. Buy now, pay later credit providers are known for targeting people with existing loans, encouraging them to use buy now, pay later loans to pay for essential goods and services, such as food, electricity bills, and rent, Kirkland said. This is a fast path to extreme financial hardship. CHOICE noted that new BNPL providers were moving into targeting payments for essential services, such as childcare and rent. Australia already has some of the highest household debt in the world, CHOICE senior policy advisor Patrick Veyret said. Allowing the rapid expansion of unregulated debt is a serious cause for concern, for both individuals, households and the broader economy. The data also revealed that 15 percent of BNPL users have missed or been late on a payment. Of these users, 78 percent have, because of BNPL fees, experienced financial hardship, including taking out additional loans. PayPal launched its own buy now, pay later service in Australia on March 10, 2021. (PayPal) Kirkland said it was critical to close the loophole in the laws to ensure businesses cant create debt traps by providing credit that looks easy but is ultimately unaffordable. Its time to close the loophole in the buy now, pay later industry in Australia. For too long, companies have been allowed to sell unregulated loans to Australians, Kirkland said. The global statement (pdf) has six key asks for government and financial service authorities, including the regulation of BNPL products in the same way as other forms of credit, including measures such as caps on fees and charges. It also calls for the obligation of BNPL providers to make assessments for whether it is suitable to provide credit to certain people without the risk of causing financial harm. Global consumer advocacy groups are also concerned that BNPL could encourage people to buy more than they originally intended, leading to over-consumption. CHOICE also warns BNPL users that banks could consider the use of BNPL when it comes to checking a persons ability to repay debts when applying for a home loan. Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, and Westpac told CHOICE that all debts are considered when assessing home loan applications, including BNPL use. Meanwhile, BNPL provider Afterpay states on its website that its service cannot affect whats known as your credit score, which can determine your ability to get a home loan. Father to Over 400 Children: Monk in China Urges Single Mothers Against Abortion, Helps Them Raise Their Babies He is a monk, but he routinely interacts with women. He is not allowed to marry or have children, but is a father to more than 400 children. He has saved many lives, but has been given a hard time by the authorities. The 47-year-old monk grew up in the city of Nantong, in eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province. Before becoming a monk, his secular name was Wu Bing, and he was a successful small-business owner who also used to engage in international trade. Divorced in 2007, he became a monk in 2011 and was given the Buddhist name Dao Lu. After becoming a monk, Dao Lu noticed that most of the requests the monastery received for the ritual of freeing the souls of the deceased came from women for their aborted children, which puzzled him. How could these women bear to abort an unborn child? One evening in 2012, after all visitors had left the temple, Dao Lu was about to close the mountain gate when a young woman insisted on entering the temple to perform a ritual for her baby. It turned out that she was pregnant, and she was going to have an abortion after completing the ritual. Buddhism believes that abortion is an act of killing that incurs a huge amount of karma, and saving peoples lives is an act of compassion. No matter how hard Dao Lu tried to persuade her, the woman said desperately, What can I do? My family wont agree to me giving birth to the baby. I have nowhere to go, and no one can help me. It turned out that the woman was a college student whose ex-boyfriend wasnt serious about their relationship. He disappeared without a trace after she became pregnant. There was really no way out for her. It was then that Dao Lu realized that women choose to have abortions because of all kinds of unspeakable difficulties. He felt sympathy for the young woman and persuaded her wholeheartedly and painstakingly not to abort the baby, promising to offer financial help. If the woman couldnt take care of the baby after birth, he would help her raise the child. Soon after, Dao Lu posted a message on the internet: Anyone who is unintentionally pregnant and unwilling to have an abortion can come to me. I am willing to help. He also included his contact information. With this, a new chapter of his life began. Giving Single Moms a Chance After that, Dao Lu received requests for help from women of all social classesunmarried students, divorced women, single mothers. They all faced a dilemma after becoming pregnant, either because their marriage was in distress or because they were deceived in their relationship. Of all these women, there is no one who is not deceived, and some even lost all their money to their swindler partner, Dao Lu said. The woman who had the worst experience even mortgaged her apartment to help her boyfriend pay off a predatory loan. But in the end, that man disappeared when she was eight months into pregnancy. Dao Lu doesnt ask the women about their private lives and deliberately keeps a distance from them, because he knows that each has a traumatic story. The more you know, the more you would feel depressed and frustrated, he said. Dao Lus intention is very simple when trying to save the babies. It is better to live than not to live. As long as there is life, there is a chance and there is hope, he said. At first, many women didnt trust hima stranger offering to provide for all the expenses of round-trip travel, delivering the baby in a hospital, and child support, with the only requirement being that they were willing to give birth to the child. These days, swindlers are everywhere, and its hard to find people who help others for free. But once they get in touch with Dao Lu, they gradually come to trust him. He tells them that its their decision whether or not to have an abortion, but hes more than willing to help if they have any difficulties. The women who choose to deliver their baby need to sign a power of attorney document, promising that they willingly hand their child to Dao Lu, who will take care of the child until he or she is 18 years old. Dao Lu will bear all the expenses for child care. If there is an accident or death, he wont be held accountable. Mothers can visit their children at any time. They can also take their children back at any time once they are capable of raising them. This power of attorney gives the mothers one more option when they are most helpless. Unique Management At first, Dao Lu arranged to have these women go to a monastery in another province, where there was a place dedicated to helping babies. But the manpower and resources of the monastery became depleted, so Dao Lu returned to his hometown in Nantong and got personally involved in every step. He rented some cottages to help accommodate the mothers-to-be. As a former CEO, he has his own management style and methods. After the pregnant women arrive in Nantong, they are first sent to a hospital for medical examination, to ensure the health of the fetus and also to avoid cross-infection of diseases, as several women may share a cottage or even a room. After moving into a cottage, they must also abide by certain rules, be a good roommate, and not cause trouble. Dao Lu was thoughtful and meticulous in every aspect. He set up privacy requirements: Online shopping cannot be delivered directly to the place of residence, but can be delivered through temples; the location cannot be disclosed to the outside world; and photos of pregnant women and children cannot be leaked. These rules arent without reason. There was once a pregnant woman shopping online and having the items delivered to the cottage. The courier saw several pregnant women through the crack of the door and heard the cry of a newborn. He turned around and called the police, suspecting that there was a gang involved in stealing and selling babies. Although the situation was later clarified, the location was also exposed. Dao Lu had to find a new location. Some women have been turned away when they cant prove themselves decent. One woman asked a volunteer in Dao Lus team if her child could be sold after birth. She was immediately refused any help. We do not foster evil behavior, Dao Lu said. Father to Many Children In 2014, Dao Lu dedicated his own house in Nantong to accommodate the pregnant women and children. Its a three-story villa, originally reserved for his daughter to live in, that Dao Lu has renamed Caring Cottage. Pregnant women who need help first recuperate in the Caring Cottage, then go to the hospital when its time to give birth. Dao Lu knows all the hospitals in Nantong, because he has visited them many times, and even the cleaning staff at the hospital remember this monk. Hospitals require the mother-to-be to fill out a form on which the babys fathers name is recorded. Most pregnant women are reluctant to disclose this information and find the experience to be traumatic. Dao Lu had to write his name again and again in the Father column. When they learn to speak, all of the children call Dao Lu Dad. I treat all of them as my own, he said. For a childs growth, having a father makes his life complete. As a monk, Dao Lu lives in the temple most of the time, and returns to his hometown every now and then to visit the children. Each time he steps into the house, a group of children rush to the door excitedly yelling, Daddy! Daddy! Dao Lu interacts lovingly and affectionately with each of them. There is laughter all over the house. According to Dao Lus estimate, by the end of 2021, he had helped more than 400 pregnant women. That is to say, more than 400 children have called him Dad. Of course, Dao Lu cant do all this by himself. For newborn babies, he usually finds a local babysitter, one for each child, and pays the cost. After a child reaches the age of 3, he or she is brought back to the Caring Cottage. There are also long-term female volunteers who take care of the children inside the cottage. This unusual father has long attracted the attention of outsiders. There are often well-intentioned people reporting him to the police, suspecting him of kidnapping and selling children. By now, the police know the truth of the situation. Each time someone reports a case of suspected child trafficking and mentions that monk, the police tell him there is nothing to worry about. Chinese toddlers play at a Beijing nursery in 2009. Master of Business Administration preparatory classes for babies and toddlers have become popular in China among wealthy parents wanting to give their children a head start in education. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Most Mothers and Children Eventually Reunite To Dao Lus relief, many of the children eventually return to their mothers arms, one after another. One example is Liu Li (pseudonym), a woman helped by Dao Lu who gave birth to a lovely baby boy. Unable to bear to abandon her baby, Liu gathered the courage to tell her parents about the child. They gladly accepted this little life, and so she took the baby home with her. There are also mothers who took their children back when they could afford it after a few years. According to Dao Lu, most of the children have been reunited with their mothers, and he now has only about 60 children. When the mothers take the children back, he doesnt ask where they are going, as he feels he has fulfilled his mission of rescue. Most of the women helped by Dao Lu are grateful that he provided a haven for them when they were at their most vulnerable. One mother once said that the birth of a child is a particularly complicated process, and the fact that Dao Lu chose this kind of charity shows his great kindness. Single mothers may be common in Western countries, but in Chinese society, it has always been a taboo. Women are weak, but mothers are strong. It takes a lot of courage for them to give birth to a child without being married. If you dont help her, who else would you help? Dao Lu said. Adoption Not Allowed In China, there are many infertile people who want to have a child. Some people, after hearing that Dao Lu has healthy children in his home, inquire through various channels and try to adopt one. Some want to give money as a token of their appreciation, some inquire through acquaintances, some fly in from afar, and some vent their grievances to him. Dao Lu turns all of them away. Some ask why Dao Lu doesnt send these children to an orphanage. He says there are regulations involved. In China, orphanages are government-run and are only allowed to take in orphans, minors whose parents or guardians cannot be identified, and minors who have no means of support, while those whose biological parents cannot support them need a certificate of special hardship to be admitted. The children that Dao Lu takes in have mothers, but they consider their children to be a secret and cannot reveal their identities to outsiders. As a result, the children cant be given to an orphanage. How Finances Are Managed Its not easy to do a good deed. The first step is to solve the problem of funding. Even though Dao Lu was once financially well-off, he was faced with such a massive outlay that his wealth was depleted over the years. In 2018, Dao Lu did the math: The average yearly cost of rescuing a pregnant woman was around $1,900; the yearly cost of supporting a child was around $3,960 to $4,750, and now is more than $4,750, which covers a bare minimum. Although Dao Lus temple had an income, it wasnt much, and he had to start a WeChat-based e-commerce business. Having been a business owner, he managed it well. Many kind-hearted people have come forward to donate to Dao Lu after learning about what he is doing. A volunteer with financial expertise helps to keep track of the donations. The bills are made public every month, and the use of money is also severely restricted. The combination of these incomes basically keeps Dao Lus relief site afloat. He also keeps a year-round reserve in his account that he doesnt touch unless he has to, just in case. Household Registration Dilemma The real headache for Dao Lu is not money, but how to register the childrens household. Since the Chinese communist regime still has a strict household registration system, one cannot go to school without a registered household, and a series of troubles can ensue. If applying to register a household as a father, Dao Lu would have to provide proof of paternity. If the children were to follow their mothers, he would need to provide information about the birth mothers, but that would violate his promise to keep their names secret. So neither way worked. According to the law, Dao Lu isnt qualified to adopt abandoned babies, so he cant register a household as an adoptive parent. In order to keep the children, he has to avoid the issue of illegal adoption. Thus, he has repeatedly claimed that the children arent abandoned, but are in temporary foster care since the mothers are unable to raise them, and he is helping a disadvantaged group. But without a registered household, the children cannot have legal identities. Dao Lu made numerous phone calls and trips to government departments about this issue, but in the end, there was no solution. No government department could solve his problem. In this unprecedented civilian rescue, although Dao Lu has received moral support, he has no policy support. After 10 years, the household registration problem still exists, and Dao Lu can do nothing about it. Fortunately, there are many Buddhists in China, and some of them run schools. After learning about the situation, they accepted the children into their schools. The problem of schooling is solved for the time being. What problems they may encounter in the future remain to be seen. Survival in Dilemma As Dao Lus fame grew, more and more pregnant women sought him out, and gossip from outsiders began to grow. Some people suspected that he was hunting for women and secretly fathering children; others accused him of being a dandy monk. In response to this slander, Dao Lu simply laughs it off and doesnt take it seriously, but the many rumors have affected his monastery membership. In August 2014, the abbot of the monastery advised him not to engage in outside charity activities without permission. The abbot said, Such behavior is not in accordance with the law and temple rules, and may affect the entire temple. Dao Lu had no choice but to leave the monastery. He was also forced to terminate his monk certificate, which is the official certificate given to monks by the Chinese Communist Party to regulate religious officials. The lack of this certificate meant that he wasnt officially recognized, and Dao Lu became a false monk. In fact, the biggest pressure that Dao Lu has faced came from the authorities. From the very beginning, he has faced resistance from the local government. Its not doing the government any good. Its showing their incompetence. People will say, Look, even the government is not helping, yet this man is helping, Dao Lu said. Therefore, the more people he helped, the more embarrassed the local government officials felt. After leaving the monastery, Dao Lu found another temple without an abbot in the area, Wan Shan Temple. However, the Nantong City Religious Bureau soon deemed the temple an illegal structure. In 2017, three government departments in the area of the childrens home jointly issued a notice that Dao Lus status as a religious cleric hadnt been documented by the religious affairs department, and that his actions in helping pregnant women raise their babies didnt comply with current regulations. Is it wrong to help others? he said. Some of the mothers are only teenagers. How can they take care of [their children]? Later, all hospitals in Nantong City were notified by the health department that they were forbidden to accept pregnant women that he rescued. According to Dao Lu, a few years ago he helped a pregnant woman who had already dilated to four fingers wide, yet she was evicted from the hospital and temporarily transferred to a private hospital for delivery. In order not to create an overt obstacle to his rescue work, Dao Lu had to go underground. He recruited some male volunteers to take the pregnant women to the hospital and act as temporary fathers. He passed on his experience to them, repeatedly reminding them to be resourceful and alert, and to learn to deal with all kinds of complicated situations. Dao Lu hasnt and will not stop his humanitarian work. He said he will continue to do it as long as abortion exists, even though he has encountered many difficulties. A busy man, Dao Lu has more than 12,000 friends in his WeChat contacts. Rescuing pregnant women, communicating and coordinating, taking care of children, and running a business take up most of his life. What about cultivation? This is cultivation, he said. Cultivation is in the process of working for a cause. Kane Zhang contributed to this report. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), right, listens as Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes of the 2020 presidential election in the House Chamber on Jan. 6, 2021. (Getty Images) Federal Judge Dismisses Felony Obstruction Charge in Second Jan. 6 Case in 8 Days For the second time in eight days, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols has dismissed a felony obstruction charge alleging that a Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach defendant tried to prevent the certification of Electoral College votes in the 2020 presidential race. Nichols ruled in the case of United States v. Joseph W. Fischer that the statute used by prosecutors18 U.S.C. SS 1512(c)(2)doesnt apply to the allegations against Fischer. Joseph Wayne Fischer, 55, of Jonestown, Pa. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) The 1512 subsection of the U.S. Code is meant to prevent tampering or destruction of documents and records, and not alleged attempts to derail certification of the presidential election results, according to Nichols. Nothing in Count Three (or the superseding indictment generally) alleges, let alone implies, that Fischer took some action with respect to a document, record, or other object in order to corruptly obstruct, impede or influence Congresss certification of the electoral vote, Nichols wrote in a 10-page ruling. The Court will therefore grant Fischers motion to dismiss Count Three. Nichols threw out the same charge on March 7 in the case of Garret A. Miller, 35, of Richardson, Texas. Miller faces 11 other Jan. 6, 2021-related charges. The judge is still considering Fischers motion to dismiss two other counts in the indictment, both of which have to do with his alleged presence and behavior in a restricted building or grounds. Under U.S. Code, restricted means any posted, cordoned off, or otherwise restricted area of a building or grounds where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting. Fischer, 55, of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, argued that this part of the statute doesnt apply to Jan. 6, 2021. Vice President Mike Pence couldnt have been temporarily visiting the Capitol because he had a permanent office as president of the U.S. Senate and was present in his official role on Jan. 6, 2021. During oral arguments on Feb. 28, prosecutors said they were willing to amend the superseding indictment against Fischer to state that two members of Pences immediate family were present for the counting of Electoral College votes. Nichols gave the U.S. Department of Justice 14 days to either amend the indictment or state on the record why it wont do so. Fischer was indicted in November 2021 (pdf) on seven charges, including civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding police; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building; and the three charges mentioned above. Prosecutors say Fischera patrolman with the North Cornwall Township Police Department in Pennsylvaniaposted a nearly three-minute video to Facebook. Text appeared with the video. Made it inside received pepper balls and pepper sprayed. Police line was 4 deep, the text reads. Nichols is the first judge in the District of Columbia Circuit to rule that subsection 1512 cant be applied to behaviors that disrupted or attempted to disrupt certification of election results. In five recent Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach cases, Judges Amit P. Mehta, Timothy J. Kelly, Dabney L. Friedrich, Randolph D. Moss, and James E. Boasberg all rejected motions to dismiss the charge of obstructing a government proceeding. An exceptional retelling of George Washingtons early life 1hr 38min | History | 2022 There arent many films about George Washington that are worth seeing, and certainly none about his early life. So Washingtons Armor, which covers his time while he was a young officer in the British military, is a real treat. The story begins in 1752 at the village of Pickawillany, a strategic locale in the lush Ohio Valley that doubles as a valuable trading post. For many years, Pickawillany served as a French supply and communication line that stretched from Canada all the way down to Louisiana. But since the Miami Native American tribe that controls the area decided to begin trading with the British, the French, along with their Ottawa Native allies, raid the village and burn it to the ground. Christopher Gist (Tim Ross, L) and George Washington (Willie Mellina) set off on a dangerous journey in Washingtons Armor. (Tammy Lane Productions) We are introduced to a young George Washington (Willie Mellina), who is commissioned by the governor of Ohio to deliver a letter to French forces on the Ohio River. He is allowed to take veteran guide Christopher Gist (Tim Ross) on this journey, which by all accounts is fraught with peril. The two men set off on their trek, which spans a number of beautiful environs including rolling foothills, snow-covered forests, and fertile prairies. When they finally reach their destination, they meet with a French commandant. The letter entails a warning to the French that the British are claiming the Ohio Valley for themselves. Needless to say, the French arent exactly thrilled about this threat and both Washington and Gist barely manage to leave with their lives. Because of their dangerous journey, which includes being hunted by hostile Native Americans and nearly perishing crossing the rapids of the mighty Allegheny River, Washingtons reputation is not only boosted but he is also promoted to the rank of colonel. George Washington (Willie Mellina, L) meets Martha Dandridge Custis (Micah Lynn Hanson) in Washingtons Armor. (Tammy Lane Productions) During a brief respite from both military and political affairs, he meets a young Martha Dandridge Custis (Micah Lynn Hanson). Although the two butt heads at first, Martha famously becomes Washingtons wife years later after her husband dies. As the French begin to encroach on lands contested by both the British and French empires, Washington erects Fort Necessity in an area known as the Great Meadows (in what is now the state of Pennsylvania) in 1754. As he readies his men for action, not are his supplies beginning to wane but some of his mens morale also seems to be a bit low. Can Washington gird them for battle in time? Directed by Tammy Lane, the film is set nearly 20 years prior to the Revolutionary War and covers the events that led up to the French and Indian War (17541763), which was a conflict between the North American British and French colonies, and their respective Native American allies. Lane based the film on a book by author and historian David Barton titled The Bullet Proof George Washington. Both the film and book are based on Washingtons own recorded journals of his now-famous deeds. And both also describe how the Founding Father relied on the providence of God to help him through the many challenges he faced in his lifetime. George Washington (Willie Mellina, L) prepares one of hsi men for battle in Washingtons Armor. (Tammy Lane Productions) The excellent production values of this film are evident right away, with exquisite cinematography, costumes and make-up, sets, and dialects. Its almost as if youre being transported to the mid-18th century. The action scenes are also impressive, from the accurate portrayal of the weapons of that period, such as muskets, to the convincing fight choreography, theres a level of detail rarely seen in many Hollywood productions. However, some of the combat scenes can be rather bloody (and realistic), so viewers should take that into consideration. Washingtons Armor is impressive not only because of its exceptional presentation and top-notch acting and direction, but also because it compels one to look further into the history of our great nation. In these chaotic times, the movie serves as a reminder of our incredible past and our greatest national hero. Washingtons Armor Director: Tammy Lane Starring: Adelaide Aglio, Miguel Andrews, Bryce Barfield Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes MPAA Rating: Not rated Release Date: February 18, 2022 Rated: 4 stars out of 5 Watch on Epoch Cinemavisit the link here. Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Sushi maker Akio Hanzawa walks in front of his damaged restaurant in Shiroishi, Miyagi prefecture on March 17, 2022, after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted east Japan the night before. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Japan; 4 Dead, Dozens Injured: Officials At least four people have been killed and millions more were left without power after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Japans northeast coast off Fukushima on March 16. Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed the four deaths and said 107 people were injured, adding that officials are investigating whether the deaths occurred as a direct result of the earthquake. The earthquake hit at around 11:30 p.m. local time off the coast of Fukushima prefecture and had a preliminary epicenter depth of 60 kilometers (37 miles), Japans Meteorological Agency said. It was proceeded minutes earlier by a 6.1-magnitude temblor in the same area. The quake was reportedly felt across large swaths of the country, with injuries reported in Miyagi and Fukushima as well as Kanagawa, Ibaraki, Iwate, Akita, Tochigi, and Yamagata prefectures, according to local reports. Were doing our best to assess the extent of the damage, Matsuno told reporters overnight. Major aftershocks often happen a couple of days after the first quake, so please stay away from any collapsed buildings and other high-risk places. Video footage shared to social media showed buildings and other infrastructure violently swaying, while photos showed some of the damage caused to buildings, including a supermarket where the roof collapsed. Items lie on the ground at a convenience store in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, on March 16, 2022, after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook eastern Japan. (Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images) A man cleans the debris of a damaged ceiling at a supermarket in Shiroishi, Miyagi prefecture, on March 17, 2022, after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Japan the night before. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) Japans Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning along the coasts of Fukushima and Miyagi and urged people to stay away from the sea or the coast. Tsunami waves of up to 30 centimeters (about 11 inches) were earlier measured in Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture, the agency said. The agency, which lifted its low-risk tsunami advisory on March 17, also upgraded the magnitude of the quake to 7.4 from a preliminary 7.3 but warned that earthquakes of a similar scale could occur in hard-hit areas over the next week or so. Japans prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said the government would be on high alert for the possibility of further strong tremors over the next two to three days. Kishida said the earthquake knocked out power to more than 2 million customers across the country. Utility Tokyo Electric Power Company said 700,000 of those were in the capital. People along a street of a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo early on March 17, 2022, after a powerful 7.4-magnitude quake jolted eastern Japan. (Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images) People walk along a street of a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo early on March 17, 2022, after a powerful 7.4-magnitude quake jolted eastern Japan. (Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images) Tohoku Electric Power said around 36,400 homes were still without power early on March 17, although the majority of households in Tokyo had regained power almost immediately after the quake. According to local reports, the quake caused the derailment of a high-speed bullet train. A derailed Shinkansen bullet train in Shiroishi, Miyagi prefecture, on March 17, 2022, after a 7.4-magnitude quake jolted eastern Japan the night before. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) The Tohoku Shinkansen train had about 100 passengers on board when it derailed between Fukushima Station and Shiroishizao Station, although no injuries have so far been reported. Officials havent yet said when service on the derailed portion of the train track will resume. Among those dead included a man in his 60s in Soma city who fell from the second floor of his house while trying to evacuate, Kyodo News reported. Another man in his 70s allegedly suffered a heart attack after panicking, according to the news outlet. The earthquake occurred just days after the 11th anniversary of a similar disaster in 2011 when the same region of northern Japan was struck by a deadly 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that triggered nuclear plant meltdowns and left more than 22,000 people dead. It struck around 89 kilometers (55 miles) from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, which is in the process of being decontaminated and decommissioned following the 2011 disaster which knocked out the Fukushima Daiichi plants cooling systems, triggering the meltdown of three reactors. Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings said it had found no abnormalities at the site. Hundreds of people gather by TransCanada Highway 20 to show their support to truckers heading to Ottawa to protest against COVID-19 restrictions, in Levis, Quebec, on Jan. 28, 2022. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Free Speech, Freedom Among Top Issues of Concern for Canadians: New Poll Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned about the issues of free speech and freedom, a new poll finds. Conducted by Nanos Research, the poll found that of all national issues of concern, free speech and freedom came in second as the most important to Canadians at 8.3 percent, just behind the coronavirus at 13.1 percent, and of higher priority than the environment at 7.5 percent. With the latest numbers released on March 15, the ongoing survey has tracked Canadians top concerns every week since its launch in Jan. 2020. Nik Nanos, chief data scientist and founder of Nanos Research, said the concerns surrounding freedom are likely tied to the truckers protest against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions earlier this year. Ive been polling now, wow, I think its been for 35 years and, unprompted, freedom and free speech has not really been on the agenda or on the radar from a public opinion perspective, he said on CTV News Trend Line on March 16. But it looks like for a noticeable proportion of Canadians, unprompted, its on their minds as to the one thing that theyre worried about. The large convoy of trucks, dubbed the Freedom Convoy, arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 29 to stage a protest against federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers travelling between Canada and the United States. It turned into a larger movement after many Canadians from across the country began joining in or voicing their support for ending various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who refused to meet with the truckers himself or through representatives, invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 in response to the protests. The Act granted police additional tools to clear away protesters who had parked their trucks in downtown Ottawa for weeks. At the same time, it gave the state additional powers such as freezing the protesters personal and corporate bank accounts without a court order and cancelling the insurance coverage for trucking companies linked to the protests. The Nanos poll shows Canadians began expressing concerns over free speech and freedom in the final week of December 2020, polling at about 0.1 percent. The percentage gradually increased until it hit the week of Jan. 3 this year, when it jumped from 3 percent to its peak at about 10 percent in mid-February, trailing behind the coronavirus at 17 percent, and nearly on par with health care. Nanos said the trucker protest and general rise in concern for personal freedoms reflect a growing populist sentiment seen in Canada, the United States, the UK, and other major democracies. There is a noticeable proportion of Canadians who believe that their freedoms have been impinged on or infringed on by the governments as governments try to fight the pandemic, and vaccinations being at the top of the list, and restrictions on the movement of people, he said. Nanos Research conducted the poll based on 1,066 random phone interviews of Canadians 18 and above, up to March 11. The data collected is based on a four-week rolling average where each week the oldest group of 250 interviews is dropped and a new group of 250 is added. The poll is considered accurate within +/- 3 percentage points 19 times out of 20. Freeway Fighters Saved Newport Beach From Massive Freeway System The city of Newport Beach, Calif., would have had a large freeway running right through the heart of it, if not for a group of residents and politicians known as the Freeway Fighters. Theres a high demand for people to go up and down the coast, and that was the idea for the freeway plan, former Newport Beach city councilman and civil engineer Don Webb told the Epoch Times. The new coastal freeway was planned in the 1960s and would have been up to 12 lanes wide and separated the harbors and beaches from the city, along with connecting to whats now known as the Costa Mesa Freeway. The freeway system included a five-level interchange that would have destroyed area businesses and homes. It would have also brought in an estimated 187,000 vehicles on a daily basis. Cars look for parking on Balboa Island in Newport Harbor, Newport Beach, Calif., on Dec. 17, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) City councilman and future mayor of Newport Beach Howard Rodgers opposed the plan and led a group of people in writing letters, creating presentations, attending homeowner meetings, and even helping people getting their houses back from the state that were purchased to make way for the freeway. I worked with Howard along with the rest of the city council at the time, said Webb. The public works staff and I were connected in serving all the various departments in city hall. Newport Beach Civic Center in Newport Beach, Calif., on Aug. 25, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) However, the group called the Freeway Fighters had a huge fight ahead of them after Newport Beachs city council signed an agreement with the state of California to build the freeway in 1970. The connecting freeway was also already built in the neighboring city of Costa Mesa, where todays 55 Freeway comes to an end in the intersection of 19th Street and Newport Boulevard in sight of the Triangle Square shopping center. Triangle Square Shopping Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., on April 13, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The freeway plan would have not only required the removal of homes, businesses, and a post office, but it would also have included the location of what is now the Oasis Senior Center and Harbor View Hills elementary school. For the Freeway Fighters, the goal was to overturn the agreement with the state and create a charter amendment to ban Newport Beach from entering into agreements to allow freeway construction within the city limits without voter approval. The group lobbied state and federal officials along with collecting more than enough signatures to put two measures on the ballot in a special election in March 1971one for the charter amendment and one to rescind the freeway agreement. Ahead of the election, five out of seven city council members voted to support a no vote to both questions on the ballot, but both passed with overwhelming support from the public. In the next election for city council, Rodgers was reelected while those who supported the freeway were voted out, and the newly elected city councilors officially dropped the freeway plans. Californias governor at the time, Ronald Reagan, eventually agreed that there was to be no more critical disruptions by Californias highway systems along the coastline. However, the flow of traffic still needed to be diverted elsewhere. From a civil engineering standpoint, there ultimately needed to be a replacement route for the traffic going North and South along the coast, Webb told The Epoch Times. Ultimately that route would end up being the Highway 73 toll road. Rodgers, Webbs former colleague and Freeway Fighters member, would eventually serve the city as mayor in 1976, only to succumb to a heart attack later in the year. Yet the lasting impact of his efforts to halt the major freeway through Newport Beach continues to benefit residents to this day. Newport Beach, Calif., on May 1, 2009. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Impostor Posing as Ukrainian PM Calls UK Defence Secretary British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace hit out at Russian dirty tricks after being targeted by an impostor posing as the Ukrainian prime minister. Wallace said he became suspicious and terminated the call after several misleading questions. The Defence Secretary said it was a desperate attempt but no amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks could distract from the human rights abuses carried out during the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putins forces. Wallace revealed he had been targeted by the hoax call in a Twitter post. The fact that a hoax caller was able to speak directly to the Defence Secretary raises security questions, particularly given Mr Wallaces suggestion that Russia was behind it. He said: Today an attempt was made by an imposter claiming to be Ukrainian PM to speak with me. He posed several misleading questions and after becoming suspicious I terminated the call. No amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks can distract from Russias human rights abuses and illegal invasion of Ukraine. A desperate attempt. Irish Prime Minister Tests Positive for COVID-19 After Attending Event With Biden Irelands prime minister on March 16 tested positive for COVID-19 and left an event in Washington attended by U.S. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin tested negative for COVID-19 on an antigen test on Wednesday afternoon but was tested a second time after a member of his delegation tested positive, according to the Irish embassy. The second test, a polymerase chain reactionconsidered more reliable than the antigen versionreturned positive. Photographs showed Martin sitting next to Pelosi at the Ireland Funds Gala and Biden spoke at the event. The White House and Pelosis spokeswoman didnt respond to requests for comment. Pelosis office told news outlets on Thursday that the speaker tested negative after the interaction. Pelosi is the second in line in the presidential line of succession behind Harris. The president, who praised Martin during his remarks, was scheduled to meet with him in the White Houses Oval Office on Thursday. They were then both scheduled to participate in a luncheon hosted by Pelosi before a Shamrock presentation at the White House. The meeting was held, remotely, and the luncheon was moving forward without Martin. Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Harris tested negative but skipped an event at the White House that day out of an abundance of caution. Its not clear whether Harris has been tested since then or when Biden has last been tested. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Most cases are asymptomatic or mild but Biden, 79, and Pelosi, 81, are both in a high-risk category due to their advanced ages. Approximately three out of every four deaths attributed to COVID-19 have been among those 65 or older, according to federal data. Biden has received three shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and recent data suggest the third shot restores much of the waning effectiveness against severe disease, though the effect of the booster also wanes over time. Biden received the booster in September 2021. Pfizer and its partner asked U.S. regulators this week for emergency authorization for a second booster for all Americans 65 and older because of the waning protection. Martin, 61, the Irish prime minister, is staying at the Blair House, according to the Irish government. He is feeling well and is currently self-isolating on public health advice, the government said in a statement on Thursday. We are exploring alternatives to the in-person program of events. Judge Relents, Allows Jan. 6 Defendant to Plead Guilty A federal judge on March 17 allowed a Jan. 6 defendant to plead guilty to a single charge after initially resisting the move during a recent hearing. U.S. District Judge Randy Moss, an Obama appointee, repeatedly asked Lucas Denney, if he was aware of his rights and if he wanted to proceed with pleading guilty to assaulting an officer at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors violated the law by waiting months to file charges against Denney and only recently filed a one-count indictment despite initially having the Texas man arrested on additional charges. One of Denneys lawyers, William Shipley, moved at a hearing Monday for a guilty plea in part because he believes doing so would preclude the filing of more charges but Moss rejected him, surprised by the effort. During Thursdays hearing, the judge was particularly focused on telling Denney that pleading guilty to one charge didnt mean he wouldnt face more charges in the future. I just want to make sure you understand that its possible that the government is going to bring other charges against you, Moss said, noting that there was no plea bargain in place. Denney said he did not, and consulted with his lawyers for about 20 minutes before returning and saying he wanted to plead guilty. I talked to Mr. Denney about some of these issues, Shipley said after the break. He noted that appeals courts have split on whether double jeopardy would block any future charges concerning Denneys conduct on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said they have not made a decision on pursuing additional charges. Moss eventually relented and accepted Denneys plea after the defendant said he was satisfied with his lawyers and Moss determined there was a factual basis for the plea. Denney admitted to picking up a pole from the ground and swinging that item at a law enforcement officer. The purpose was to block the pepper spray, but I did, Denney said. According to charging documents, at approximately 1:37 p.m. on Jan. 6 Denney approached a line of officers and shouted at them before grabbing at metal barricades the officers were standing behind. After appearing to be sprayed by a chemical spray, Denney retreated but came back about two minutes later. Shortly thereafter, Denney shoved an officer, attempted to grab a canister of spray from another officer, and picked up a long metal pole from the ground and swung it at the latter officer. Denney was also captured on surveillance footage launching a tube towards a line of officers and joining a crowd pushing against officers at a passageway into the Capitol. After Jan. 6, Denney was said to have posted on Facebook bragging about his actions, including saying: it wasnt easy at all. I had to fight several cops.and didnt make it on my 1 st attempt. I charged the cops and got in a fight with a lot of them. I got beat tup [sic] and beat with theyre clubs and maced. But the 2nd time I won!! He also wrote, according to a criminal complaint, that we made history today and what we did today was totally epic!!! Denney later told the FBI that he was a member of the group Patriot Boys of North Texas, which he described as a conservative group that supported President Donald Trump. Denney was accused of lying about not knowing anybody who went to Washington to enter the Capitol and claiming he no longer had a Facebook account. If prosecutors had filed all the charges listed in the complaint, Denney would have faced some two dozen charges. Following his guilty plea, Denney faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Because of mitigating factors such as a lack of criminal history, Shipley told the court his client will likely be in the range of 41 to 51 months in jail. Prosecutors estimate was 57 to 71 months. Judges can go outside the guidelines but often stay within them when sentencing people who have pleaded guilty. Steve Bannon, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump, arrives at federal court in Washington for a hearing on March 16, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Judge Orders US Prosecutors to Give Documents to Steve Bannon A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to hand over records to Steve Bannon, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump. Bannon was charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a select House of Representatives committee thats investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, questioned why prosecutors are pursuing the charge against Bannon when the DOJs Office of Legal Counsel has previously found that current and former executive branch officials were immune from congressional subpoenas. Those legal opinions have never been withdrawn. How are those consistent positions? Nichols asked during a roughly two-hour hearing on March 16. In other words, how can the department simultaneously say someone in that position has absolute immunity from showing up and can be prosecuted for failing to show up? Amanda Vaughan, one of the prosecutors in the case, said the prior legal opinions werent relevant to the case. She failed to sway the judge, who ordered prosecutors to produce statements or writings reflecting official DOJ policy, including nonpublic opinions, that relate to the departments policy on prosecuting or not prosecuting government or former government officials raising executive privilege claims or defenses of immunity. However, the judge also said he would deny requests from Bannons team for access to sensitive materials, such as testimony that the government provided to the grand jury. Releasing such records would be a serious step, Nichols said, and he didnt think Bannons attorneys made a strong argument for why it would be material to their defense. Bannons attorneys had sought the records for preparation for motions to dismiss the case. Bannon also said in a recent filing that the previous guidance is clear in showing that he should be immune from prosecution. This has nothing to do with Jan. 6, Bannon told reporters after the hearing. All of this is noise. By the way, the judge is very fair. Robert Costello, one of Bannons attorneys, had told the House Select Committee on the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach that Bannon wouldnt cooperate with the panel because he had been told not to by Trump. Bannon told the court previously that he was advised that the subpoena for testimony from the panel was invalid because the committee wouldnt allow Trumps counsel to be present in order to protect executive privilege. His legal counsel also said he couldnt waive the privilege. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the panel, has said that the privilege doesnt cover the documents and testimony sought from Bannon. President Joe Bidens administration had declined to assert the privilege for documents and witnesses sought as part of the Jan. 6, 2021, probe, but the administration later said that it would examine each matter on a case-by-case basis. Jack Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report. Kanye West attends the WSJ Magazine 2019 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on Nov. 6, 2019. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Kanye West Suspended From Instagram for 24 Hours Over Policy Violation Kanye West has been suspended from Instagram for 24 hours for violating the platforms harassment policy in a post about Daily Show host Trevor Noah. A representative from Meta, formerly Facebook, told Variety that comments recently posted to the rappers account violated Instagrams policies on hate speech, bullying, and harassment, and have been deleted. As a result, West, also known as Ye, will be unable to post, comment, or send private messages on the account for 24 hours. The spokesperson added that the platform will take additional measures if they saw West committing further violations. Earlier on Wednesday, rapper West posted a screenshot of Noah taken from a Google search result that referred to the TV celebrity as a South African comedian, according to TMZ, who obtained screenshots of an alleged racial slur. West captioned the post by replacing the lyrics to Kumbaya with a racially offensive term. The post has since been removed. Prior to the incident, Noah had earlier on Tuesday expressed his thoughts about Wests divorce from Kim Kardashian on his program, The Daily Show. Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021 citing irreconcilable differences. She was declared legally single on March 2 after nearly seven years of marriage and has since begun dating Saturday Night Live star, Pete Davidson. The former couple shares four children: North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2. Its spun into a story that seems fully tabloid but I think deserves a little more awareness from the general public. I know everyone thinks its a big marketing stunt, Noah said of West and Kardashians divorce on Tuesdays show, alleging that West has become more and more belligerent in his attempts to get Kim back over time. Look at the coincidence: Kim is launching a new show, Noah continued. But only two things can be true. Kim likes publicity. Kim is also being harassed. Those things can be happening at the same time because, Ill be honest with you, what I see from this situation, I see a woman who wants to live her life without being harassed by an ex-boyfriend, ex-husband, or ex-anything. What [Kardashian is] going through is terrifying to watch, and it shines a spotlight on what so many women go through when they choose to leave, he added. All Im saying about the story is this: if Kim Kardashian cannot escape this, then what chance do normal women have? Wests account is currently still active but contains just eight posts, two of which are dedicated to his estranged wifes boyfriend and questioning Davidsons character to be a role model for his children. The Epoch Times has contacted a Meta spokesperson and West for comment over the suspension. This is not the first time that Meta has banned a high-profile individual from Instagram, having suspended former President Donald Trumps Facebook and Instagram accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol. Earlier this month, Meta announced a was temporary change to its content policy that would allow users to express their views against Russias attack on Ukraine, allowing posts such as death to Russian invaders. Just a day after the announcement, prosecutors started a criminal case, asking a court to designate Meta as an extremist organization and prohibit its activities in Russia. Nick Clegg, the global affairs president of Meta, later said in a statement on Twitter that the policy is only applicable in Ukraine and is a temporary decision taken in extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances. Russia's President Vladimir Putin (front) and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attend a session of the Council of Heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Sochi on Oct. 11, 2017. (Maxim Shemetov/AFP/Getty Images) Kremlin: Reports of Major Progress in Ukraine Talks Wrong Although there were reports of progress being made during UkraineRussia ceasefire talks, a top Kremlin spokesman disputed that assertion as incorrect but said that discussions are still being held on Thursday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Financial Times that the Kyiv government is in no rush and dragging its feet. On the whole, reports about the progress being made [are] wrong, Peskov said. He also criticized President Joe Biden for recently calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal as unforgivable. No, the work continues [on the talks], he also said, according to Russian state-backed media. He added Moscow will inform the public of any breakthrough in the negotiations. On Thursday, Peskov also told Reuters that a number of people inside Russia are acting like traitors, claiming the West wanted to use these individuals as a fifth column to destroy the country from within. In such difficult times many people show their true colors. Very many people are showing themselves, as we say in Russian, to be traitors, Peskov told the news agency. Peskov added: They vanish from our lives themselves. Some people are leaving their posts, some are leaving their active work life, some leave the country and move to other countries. That is how this cleansing happens. On Wednesday evening, Putin released a video issuing a warning to the so-called fifth column, or traitors, who earn money in Russia but live over there live, not in the geographical sense, but in the sense of their thoughts, their slavish thinking. Any people, and especially the Russian people, will always be able to distinguish the true patriots from the scum and the traitors, and just to spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths, Putin also remarked. It comes as Ukrainian officials in the city of Mariupol said that rescue efforts are now underway to extract people from a theater that was struck in an airstrike, although its not clear where it originated. Russian officials have denied striking the theater on Wednesday. The building withstood the impact of a high-powered air bomb and protected the lives of people hiding in the bomb shelter, Ukraines ombudswoman Ludmyla Denisova said on Telegram on Thursday. Work is underway to unlock the basement and surviving adults and children are coming out, she wrote. She said there is no information on casualties so far. Hundreds of men, women, and children had taken shelter in the basement of the theater. Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko told The Associated Press that between 1,000 and 1,500 people were sheltering at the theater when it was hit by an airstrike and called the attack the deliberate destruction of a refuge. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Lawmaker Group Asks EU to Withdraw Green Investment Label for Gas BRUSSELSAround 100 European Union lawmakers asked Brussels on Wednesday to withdraw plans to label energy investments in gas as green, saying this undermined Europes push to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels. Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, EU countries and lawmakers were divided over the European Commissions plan to label gas and nuclear investments as green in the blocs sustainable finance taxonomy, a rulebook for the classification of investments designed to help the EU meet its climate change goals. The invasion, which Russia calls a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine, has prompted the EU to overhaul its energy priorities and seek to end this decade its dependence on Russia, which provides around 40 percent of the EUs gas. We welcome your plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels. This stands in stark contrast with the proposal to incentivise investments in fossil gas through the Taxonomy Regulation, said the letter, signed by 102 lawmakers and seen by Reuters. There is a clear need to end our reliance on Russian gas and transition to renewable sources. Therefore, we demand the Commission to withdraw the Complementary Delegated Act, it said, referring to the taxonomy rules on gas and nuclear. The letter comes after the EUs chief adviser on the taxonomy said the proposed criteria for gas were not good enough to support climate change targets. Gas is viewed by some EU countries as a transition fuel as it emits less carbon dioxide when burned than coal. The taxonomy proposal could still be rejected by a majority of EU lawmakers or 20 of the EUs 27 countries by July. Some lawmakers are drafting motions to reject it. Im confident that there is a possibility to get an absolute majority, Green lawmaker Michael Bloss said. The letter was signed by representatives from five parliamentary groups, which together represent most of Parliaments 705 lawmakers. However, few groups have a firm position, since opinion is split among members. By Kate Abnett Jadyn Kang, adoption coordinator at the Pinal County Animal and Control shelter in Casa Grande, Ariz., holds "Jett," a 9-month old orange tabby on March 6, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Lifting of Eviction Moratoriums Driving New Wave of Pet Surrenders PINAL COUNTY, Ariz.Life during the COVID-19 pandemic could be an especially lonely time for homebound Americans, and to ease the stress, many families adopted a pet for daily companionship. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that in 2021 alone, 23 million householdsnearly 1 in 5had taken in a cat or dog since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. The vast majority of these households still have that pet in the home90 percent for dogs and 85 percent for catsand are not considering rehoming their pet in the near future, according to the society in a recent survey. Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO, said in a statement that this incredibly stressful period motivated many people to foster and adopt animals, as well as further cherish the pets already in their lives. Whats more, the organizations research found no significant risk of animals being rehomed now or in the near future as a result of the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, Bershadker said. Pets are still providing their families with joy and comfort, regardless of changes in circumstances, and loving owners continue to recognize and appreciate the essential role pets play in their lives. Eviction Pause Ends, Creates Problems Still, in many cases, if families have to find a new place to live after the lifting of the federal eviction moratorium on July 31, 2021, they might be unable to bring their pets. In Arizona, pet surrenders at community shelters began to climb with the end of the moratorium, with projections of 2,000 new intakes per month5,000 being a worst-case scenario. At the Pinal County Animal Care and Control shelter in Casa Grande, Arizona, director Audra Michael said the facility is now triple overcrowded, with 152 dogs and 30 cats as of March 6, placing a strain on the agencys budget and available resources. The Pinal County Animal Care and Control shelter in Casa Grande, Ariz., was triple overcrowded with 152 dogs and 30 cats on March 6, 2022. Officials attribute the overcrowding in part to the lifting of the federal eviction moratorium on July 31, 2021. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) It presents some problems, Michael said. People are being evicted or they cant take their pet with them. Or they dont have the resources to care for them anymore. Lindsay Hamrick, director of shelter outreach and engagement for The Humane Society of the United States, said the agency hasnt seen any nationwide increase in pet surrenders in recent months. In fact, overall pet intakes are actually down. We saw in the very beginning of the pandemic that people were going to be home and isolated, Hamrick told The Epoch Times. Still, The Humane Society remains concerned about the eviction crisis and its impact on pet surrenders, including the lack of affordable, pet-inclusive housing despite studies that show there are benefits to pet-friendly properties, she said. Outside Pet Owners Control Even though were pretty optimistic about pet adoptions, animal shelters are overwhelmed by a backlog of cats and dogs waiting for a home, Hamrick told The Epoch Times. The ASCPA acknowledges that even without a national surge in returns, there are a number of reasons making it difficult for people to adopt or keep a pet. Often, this is due to factors outside their control, she said. For these reasons, the organization encourages pet owners who may be considering surrendering a cat or dog to reach out to a friend or neighbor for help, or contact their local shelter for assistance. In July 2021, the Arizona Humane Society announced the formation of the Pet Housing Help AZ Task Force, a coalition of seven agencies, to provide resources to keep families and pets together. In Maricopa County, peoples ability to cover pet care costs and related expenses have been drastically affected by the pandemic, the organization said. Because the pandemic has exacerbated affordable housing shortages that already existed, renters across the country and low-income households often choose between paying rent and buying groceries, medicine and other necessitiesincluding pet-related expenses. Adoption coordinator Jadyn Kang greets a dog waiting to be adopted at the Pinal County Animal Care and Control shelter in Casa Grande, Ariz., on March 6, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) The task force was formed to expand temporary foster programs for pet owners and to increase public awareness of the many advantages of pet-friendly housing and landlords. Before the pandemic, Maricopa Animal Care and Control saw a 36 percent increase in owner surrenders of pets due to housing-related reasons, including evictions and homelessness. At the same time, the no-kill Pinal County animal shelter was housing around 25 dogsthe lowest number Michael has seen in years, she said. Now, triple crowding seems to be the new normal. We do have a waiting list for people who want to surrender their pet. We call them when we have space. It might take a week. It might take two weeks. Its not getting any better. Not yet. Im hoping it does, Michael said. Over the course of these last two years, doctors and experts have described an unprecedented assault on free and open scientific discourse, with potentially deadly consequences. In this special episode of American Thought Leaders, were at Hillsdale College, which is hosting a conference on the censorship of science during this pandemic. Well be sitting down with three thought leaders that weve previously interviewed on our show, namely former Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Martin Kulldorff, Stanford University professor of medicine Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and public health policy expert Dr. Scott Atlas. All three are fellows of Hillsdale Colleges Academy for Science and Freedom. Jan Jekielek: Over the course of these last two and a half years, doctors and experts have told me theyd seen an unprecedented assault on free and open scientific discourse with potentially deadly consequences. Today and tomorrow, Ill be joining the Censorship of Science Conference at Hillsdale Colleges Kirby Center in Washington, DC. Tonight, youll be watching the public part of the conference where well be hearing from three major thought leaders that Ive previously had on the show: former Harvard epidemiologist, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, Stanford Professor of Medicine, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow, Dr. Scott Atlas. All three are founding fellows at Hillsdale Colleges Academy of Science and Freedom. This is American Thought Leaders and Im Jan Jekielek. Dr. Scott Atlas: As we know, the pandemic and its management has exposed many issues beyond infection, and those issues include politicization of science. The scientific process has been damaged, and the free exchange of ideas, frankly, is under threat in the United States. To combat that, we need to do more than just fret about it. So, Dr. Arnn and his wisdom has initiated this new Academy for Science and Freedom. I am Scott Atlas, one of the co-founding fellows, along with my colleagues, Martin Kulldorff and Jay Bhattacharya, who Im sure everyone here knows as well. Its a great honor to be working as a group with everyone here. I have the particular pleasure of introducing Martin Kulldorff tonight as our guest speaker. He is someone who doesnt need an introduction, but its such a great introduction, Im going to give it. Martin was a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and for over a decade, one of the world experts on statistical analyses of spread of diseases and surveillance. He was a consultant on certain committees of the CDC and the FDA, and has helped with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and as a member on the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee of the FDA. Martin has developed statistical and epidemiological methods for disease surveillance and novel statistical analyses for indicating not just early detection of disease outbreaks, but also drug and vaccine safety surveillance, which is of some relevance these days. Martin has developed statistical analyses that are used today in the CDC and in places like New York City and other health departments to monitor COVID-19. He is truly an authority on all of the things that we think he might know, but he is more than that. Martin is really one of the most courageous people of all the colleagues that I have come to know during this pandemic. I almost said, During this fiasco. People may remember that I received a sort of a censure by a group of professors at Stanford University Medical School. And Martin Kulldorff was the only scientist in the country who had the guts to go public and write a letter to Stanford, not only in defense of what I said, but specifically challenging all the signatories to a debate on the issues. Needless to say, zero accepted that challenge to debate Martin Kulldorff. So, it is really a great pleasure and honor to introduce Martin, as a colleague in this new institute, as a courageous and honest individual, and as a friend. Martin. Dr. Martin Kulldorff: Thank you, Scott and to the Kirby Center and the Hillsdale College for hosting us both today and also for this initiative of the Academy for Science and Freedom. I think science is broken and we need to build new institutions that can help save science for the long term. I do a lot of statistical and epidemiological methods, but Im sorry to disappoint you. Im not going to show you a single mathematical formula today. So, instead, Im going to talk about censoring in science and its sort of a personal experience. As I tell you this story, you have to realize that there are other scientists who had more harsher censoring on them than I have had, but Ill tell you my story. And then, you can sort of imagine how other people have had similar stories. So, if you go back in history a little bit, two years, to March of 2020, when we first heard the news about this new disease outbreak in Wuhan. I was very afraid for about 20 minutes because as soon as this pandemic hit Italy and Iran, which were the two countries outside of China who got it first, I realized that were all going to get this. This is going to spread throughout the whole world. Theres absolutely no way that we can stop it. Its so contagious, it spreads without us knowing about it. So, that was very clear. Of course, Im a father of three children. So, as all parents, Im much more concerned about my kids than about myself. So, I wanted to know, are they at risk? So, I looked at the Wuhan data, which was sort of the only good data available then, and I saw this risk factor that while, of course, anybody could get the disease, be infected, there was more than a thousand-fold difference between the young and the old. And I thought, Well, this is sort of important information because it really determines what strategy we should use for this disease. I was no longer concerned about my kids. They would do fine. I was sort of in the middle group. And of course, for older people, we should be very concerned and make sure that they are protected. But I tried to sort of publish this sort of simple calculations, but it was difficult. I wasnt able to do that in the U.S. Maybe, its that I only have 20 years of experience as an infectious disease epidemiologist. Maybe you need 30 or 40 years, Im not sure. Or, maybe, its because I was the only professor at Harvard University, and maybe they wanted a more prestigious place. But Im not sure why, but I was unable to do so. So, eventually, I posted what I wrote on LinkedIn because I can post whatever I want there after three or four weeks of trying. Because I figured that, Okay. Nobody wants to hear this, but its important actually that, for historical purposes, that its clear that there were people already, back then, who knew these things and knew what sort of whats the appropriate approach of protecting the old, but not shutting down society for children and so on. So, I put it there just to have it as a historical document. Im a native of Sweden. So, I was reading the Swedish approach, which is a little bit different. But I was a little bit afraid because there was a debate in Sweden. So, I was sort of afraid that the public health authorities there, who didnt close schools, for example, that they would buckle under the pressure. So, I decided, Well, I should write in Swedish. So, I published in three op-eds in the two major the daily newspapers. There was no problem at all getting published in Sweden. And I figured that, Well, if Sweden can hold out until the summer, then everybody will see that that was the right approach. And then, everybody will follow the Swedish approach. Good. Boy, was I wrong. Eventually, I published it in English also in a sort of obscure UK online magazine. So, if we jump forward a little bit, it was sort of frustrating with the difficulty of getting ones voice heard. I tried many different things. Actually, I managed to get into CNN. I write an op-ed for CNN Espanol because I know how to write Spanish. The English version, CNN English, didnt want it. But I was so But we were trying to think, How can we sort of educate the journalists? Or, How can we get out this message? And Scott was, very heroically, saying things, but they were always dismissing him. Hes just one person and he is a radiologist and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And other people were sort of dismissed because they were one person, or they were not There was always something wrong with them, and so there was silence. So, we figured, Okay. If the three of us, me and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who is in the back here, and Dr. Sunetra Gupta, who is, in my view, the preeminent infectious disease technologist in the world We got together and we wrote the Great Barrington Declarationa one-page thing. We argued for better focused protection of older, high-risk people, at the same time, as we let children and young adults live near normal lives so as to minimize the collateral public health damage from these lockdowns and other measures. Well, it got some attention and it got enormously attacked. And every time I read an article about it, whatever newspaper, attacking it, they would always have the link to the declarations. And I said, Yes, because then at least some of those reading it would actually click on it, actually read it. By now, I think about 935,000 people have signed this declaration, which makes us very humble and thankful. The reaction from the director of NIH, Francis Collins, was he wrote to Tony, that is Dr. Fauci. Look at this, the proposal from these three fringe epidemiologists. You have two of these fringe epidemiologists here in the room today. who met with secretary Azar, who is secretary of Health and Human Services, seems to get attention. There needs to be a quick and devastating published take down of its premises. I dont see anything. Is it underway? So, what do you think Dr. Fauci responded? I am pasting below a piece from Wired that debunks this theory. Im sure this Journalist is probably a very fine young man, but its a little bit surprising that Dr. Fauci uses him as the authority on epidemiology. Hes a journalist who typically covers the climate, food and biodiversity for Wired magazine, but maybe he knows more than Dr. Fauci. I dont know about these matters. It wouldnt kind of surprise me, but Heres another email a few days later, also from Dr. Fauci. He thought that we were similar to those people who denied AIDS a couple of decades ago, which is kind of strange because the purpose of the Great Barrington Declaration was to argue for better focused protection of those that are at highest risk. That was a major part of it. So, why would we do that if we dont believe COVID is real? So, I dont quite get the logic, but thats actually what he wrote. So, there was sort of an organized campaign against the Great Barrington Declaration with various sort of strange accusations, that it was let-it-rip, which is the opposite. We thought that we were like exorcism, eugenics, clowns, anti-vaxxers, that we did financial gains, even though the opposite is true. We were accused of threatening others, which none of us have done, Trumpian, libertarian and Koch funded, pseudo scientists, and that we received a free lunch when we were at Great Barrington writing this declaration. One of these is actually true. There is such a thing as a free lunch, actually. Actually, we get two free lunches there. So, that was kind of nice. They were good food. Other than that, yeah. So, the focus of this talk is how censoring is both direct censoring and sort of other forms of it. So, when the Great Barrington Declaration came up, at the very beginning, it comes up at the top in the search engine in Google, but then suddenly it wasnt there. Instead, what was there was those who criticized it. Other search engines had it at the top, but not Google, and there was some sort of discussion of that. And then, eventually, a week or so later, it came back up. So, I guess But Google always denied that they did anything. There were some issues with CDC, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. So, Im going to tell you what was censored. So, here was CDC in April 2021. I was serving on a committee, a working group for vaccine safety of the COVID vaccines. And at one point, CDC decided to make a pause on the J&J vaccine because of some issues of blood clots, and those blood clots was in young women under age of 50, but they decided to pause the vaccine for all age groups. So, it was very clear from the data. And one of the things that I spent many years on is to figure out how to, as quickly as possible, find out whether there is a problem with adverse reactions or not using post-consequential analysis over weekly looking at data. And it was very clear to me that there was a concern for women under 50, yes, but there was absolutely no evidence. And there was actually evidence that there was no concern for those over 50. And those are the ones who really need these vaccines. The purpose is not for the young women or even young men, that wasnt the primary beneficiary of this vaccine. And the J&J vaccine is sort of important because its a one-dose. So, its good to reach hard to reach people, like people in rural areas or homeless people where its hard to get the second dose. So, its sort of important that After I sort of decided to They werent quite interested in my views on the matter. So, I wrote a thing in The Hill arguing against pausing this vaccine for older adults. And then, they removed me from the committee. And four days later, they lifted the pause. But then, the damage was kind of made because it already got a bad reputation and even This was during the height of the second wave. So, those who didnt get it, some of those people died. So, I guess, Im probably the only person whos been fired by CDC for being too pro-vaccine. Also in the Spring of 2020, I wrote on Twitter Somebody was asking, Do you think that young people should get vaccinated? Now, what about those who had COVID already? So, I said, No. Thinking that everyone must be vaccinated is as scientifically flawed as thinking that nobody should. COVID vaccines are important for older, higher risk people and their caretakers, not those with prior natural infection or for children. So, to me, thats sort of just basic epidemiology, nothing strange with that. But Twitter has some people who, I guess they consider themselves to be experts in this area and they didnt like it, so they censored it so that nobody could share it or reply to it, or like it, which basically means that pretty much nobody will find it. Later on, they locked me out for, I think, about three weeks or so because I tweeted about masks, saying that, By claiming that masks are a good protection, some older people will sort of believe that, and they will go and do things and get infected, thinking that it protects the way it doesnt. Thats not so good. So, they might die because of this misinformation about the masks. But I guess that made Twitter For three weeks, I had no access to Twitter because of this tweet. Heres another one. I asked There was an article published by [the] Brownstone Institute by Roberto Strongman, who is an associate professor of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And he wrote a very interesting historical expertise of how mask has been so used historically, for example, to silence slaves. And he talked about Anastacia, whos this Brazilian Saint, as a former slave, and that was not popular on Twitter, so that was also censored. Facebook, they took down the Great Barrington Declaration page for a week, no explanation. The offending post was that we argued that, with the vaccines, which at that time had just come out, we should prioritize giving it to the older, high-risk people. Thats what caused Facebook to close it down. And there was sort of some protest against it and, therefore, they picked it back up again after a week. But that was the Facebook censoring. On YouTube, we did a round table in April with Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida. It was me and Dr. Scott Atlas, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and Dr. Sunetra Gupta. And we talked, for example, about the fact that children dont need to have masks. And we argued against vaccine passport; there was some rumbling starting about vaccine passport. So, then, we sort of thought, Lets try to argue against that from the very beginning before it sort of takes off. So, that was removed by YouTube, which is owned by Google. LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, they also censor. So, this was an article It was an interview I did with The Epoch Times on the dangers of vaccine mandates. Now, they are a little bit nicer, I guess, because they, Only you can see this post. So, I could still read my post, but nobody else could. So, at least, they didnt remove it from me, so that was Yeah. This was another one. I actually didnt write anything. I just reposted a LinkedIn post by a guy from Iceland and what he did, he just cited what the Icelandic chief epidemiologist had said, which is sort of the equivalent of the CDC director in the U.S. So, this is the official public health authority in Iceland, but that was censored. Here, another one. Here, they were a little bit harsher because not even I was allowed to read this tweet, they removed it completely. I was arguing that since the people who have recovered from COVID, theyre the ones who have the best immunity, better than those who are vaccinated. So, they are the ones who are least likely to spread it to others. So, hospitals should hire nurses like that or doctors like that and use them for the most frail, oldest patients at the geriatric ward or the ICUs because theyre least likely to infect these patients. Instead, the hospitals were firing them. But LinkedIn did not enjoy that post. Heres another one. Together with Dr. Bhattacharya, we wrote a Newsweek article about how Fauci fooled America with the various things about public health, and LinkedIn took that away also. But Microsoft News, they actually republished it. So, one arm of Microsoft is censoring this article because LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, but another part of Microsoft is actually republishing it. So I shouldnt be too upset with Microsoft here, but its a little bit So, I guess, maybe theyre just sort of, skip it, I guess, censor themselves, I guess, or something like that. Heres another one that Microsoft or LinkedIn didnt like, sort of. During the AIDS pandemic, we blamed the sick, we stigmatized gays, we did fearmongering, we ignored the poor, slow with treatments, and NIAIDs was headed by you-know-who. And during the COVID pandemic, blame the sick, stigmatized unvaccinated, fearmongering, lockdowns harm the poor the most, slow with treatments, and NIAIDs is directed by you-know-who. So, when will we ever learn? Hopefully, one day, we will learn. Later on, LinkedIn actually closed down my account. And Jeffrey Tucker at Brownstone, he then wrote an article about it, which then got tweeted. So, I never asked to be reinstated, but they did it automatically. So, I think, somebody at LinkedIn read this, what Jeffrey wrote and sort of reversed the decision. So, this was the last post before suspension, By firing staff with natural immunity after COVID recovery, hospitals got rid of those least likely to infect others. I think this is sort of an anecdotal fact, but that was the tweet that got me in trouble. So, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, they have permanently suspended many accounts including scientists. I have continued to speak up, but I have since self-censored myself. Because these are important channels of communication, so I dont want to be removed. So, Im careful with what I say. For a while I was thinking, Well, I dont really want to do that because I should be able to tell what I want, and maybe I should just forget about Twitter and LinkedIn. And I talked to a dear friend of mine, who is also in the faculty at Harvard. Her family comes from Slovakia and her family was very active against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Her grandfather was one of the leading dissidents there. And she told me, No, no, no, no. You cant just walk away. You have to use whatever they allow you to use. And then, you just have to be careful how far you can go, so you can keep doing it. Because, otherwise, you let them win. So, she convinced me sort of to, Okay. I need to continue using these venues for communication. But censoring, it leads to self-censoring. And also, it leads to self-censoring of people who dont are victims of these censoring because they see that somebody else is censored. Okay. I dont want to be suspended. So, I better be careful with what I say. And of course, thats the purpose of authoritarians and the purpose of those things. And sometimes, where they sort of kind of randomly select who they censor, what they sensor, because they want people to be uncertain about what they can and cannot say. But there are things that are ways to fight censoring. I think, one, is through exposure using alternative platforms, but we cannot only use that. We also have to use the one that reach the most people. So, for example, when Robert Malone was censored [and] was removed from LinkedIn, other people were sort of complaining about it and saying that its important that scientists can have debates, otherwise, that leads to bad public health. So, he was removed from LinkedIn. So, I wrote this Twitter thing and I actually did this screenshot this morning. If you can see there on the right, theyre sort of suggesting other people I should follow. They think I should follow LinkedIn, which Im not doing. They also think I should follow Robert Malone, which I would be delighted to do. The only problem is that Twitter has suspended his account also, but they still want to recommend that I should follow him. So, at least, thats nice. Youll notice that they removed his bio when you click on his thing, but on the advertisements for his account, the bio is still intact. The alternative platforms, and I have I sometimes post on GETTR, GAB, Parler, and speaqs, and Ive never been censored there. Theres also Truth Social with its new platform. So, I think its important to use that, but I think we also need to use the existing ones. We can also try to make a little bit fun of people. So, once I wrote an op-ed in The Hill, and I didnt feel I should just Maybe if I post it on Twitter, that would censor me. So, I said, Twitter doesnt allow me to, vaccine scientists to freely discuss vaccines, but you can find it on these other accounts. Earlier this week, I said, Having been censored by Twitter, I must be careful what I write about masks. And then, I said, If you do surgery, please wear a surgical mask. Youll protect patients. And I think thats Nobody can argue with that, no? Do you agree that surgeons should wear a mask when they perform a surgery? You do? Okay, good. Were all in agreement. And nobody can say that I said something that was inappropriate. So, it has been really stunning to be a scientist during these last two years. Its kind of been absurd. We have NIH Director Collins and NIAID Director Fauci thinking that you promote science by silencing scientists through published takedowns. Its pretty absurd. We have a geneticist and a virologist thinking they know epidemiology better than epidemiologists at Oxford, Harvard and Stanford, and calling them instead fringe epidemiologists. We do lockdowns to protect young, low-risk members of the laptop class, instead of focusing protection on older, high-risk people. This mistake led to many deaths and many unnecessary death, where people pretending to care for the global poor who favored lockdowns that has caused more harm to the poor people around the world than anything other than war and slavery. That sort of astonishing and absurd, in my view. People have been accusing working class people who opposed these devastating lockdowns as being right-wing extremists. They are the one who are taking the biggest brunt of these lockdowns, and they have lived that experience of it. We had scientists signing in Lancet, a famous medical publishing, a petition questioning natural immunity after COVID recovery, something that we have known about for almost two and a half thousand years since the Athenian plague in 430 BC. Its not surprising that natural immunity is strong after COVID and that its better than the vaccine immunity. We would be very surprised if it was anything else. We had a CDC director who believed that face masks provide better protection against COVID than vaccines. And then, another CDC director who questions natural immunity after recovery. We fire people with natural immunity after COVID recovery, even though they are least likely to spread COVID to others. CDC was firing me, as a pro-vaccine, for being too pro-vaccine. Big tech censoring epidemiologist who got the pandemic right, while boosting those who got it wrong as COVID experts. Sometimes people sort of These are these COVID experts and theres people who actually are not even who dont understand infectious disease epidemiology and public health at all. And then, we have zero COVID, and I wont talk about that one. So, what are the alternatives? Well, we have debates instead of censoring and slander. Scott mentioned that I offered to debate any of these, was it 98 or so, Stanford faculty members who wrote this letter criticizing him, and that invitation is still open. If you know any of them, let them know that Im happy to debate them either here or somewhere else. We should have had discussion how better to protect high-risk, older people. We should have much more discussion about all these lockdown harms, the collateral public health damage from these Because public health is not just one disease, its multiple diseases. Its not just short term, its long term. So, those are basic principles of public health that we have to follow. We didnt, during this pandemic. We have to trust the public with honest information, otherwise theyre never going to trust public health and science. And thats exactly what happened. There are good reason why people dont trust public health and science. I think the Academy of Science and Freedom, one aim is to sort of restore it, so that we deserve that trust again. So, those were my remarks from the last two years. And I like, now, to invite up to the podium my colleagues, Dr. Scott Atlas, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya; to moderate a Q&A session here. Jan Jekielek, from Epoch Times. Mr. Jekielek: So, well jump right in. Its a pleasure and an honor to be here with these three American thought leadersgenuine thought leaders. And were actually going to do this as a audience Q&A mostly. So, Ill just get us started here. As Dr. Kulldorff mentioned, theres a lot of alternatives to absurdities that were offered. And weve also discussed a bit, certainly, in The Epoch Times and in discussions Ive had with all three of you, the cost, this collateral damage, of the lockdowns. And Ive learned recently that in the UK, at least, there were a lot of counter indications that the government had information that explained why not to do lockdowns. And the question that I have is, didnt this sort of thing exist in the U.S, and it was just either ignored or just sort of thrown out? Dr. Kulldorff: So, there was a paper in 2006 by Don Henderson, who is a famous infectious disease epidemiologist. He was instrumental in the eradication of smallpox. And hes laid out very clearly that lockdowns are not the way to go and for a variety of reasons. So, I think most countries had this sort of pandemic plan as to what to do. And they were all, Protect those who were most vulnerable and try to have a society function normally. Jeffrey Tucker wrote a very good article just recently in Brownstone Institute, about Don Henderson and what he said in that paper in 2006. Dr. Atlas: Yes. If I may add, I mean, this is something that I dont think the public understands, that this is not news, that lockdowns dont work and shouldnt be done and are extraordinarily harmful. The standard literature on pandemic management, before this pandemic, was that lockdowns should not be used because they dont work and theyre extraordinarily harmful. And the key paper that Martin is talking about was really accepted. This was a complete change in the accepted management of a pandemic, what was done. Mr. Jekielek: Do we have a mic going around? Lets do a question from the audience. Right over here, first hand. Audience Question: So, Dr. Kulldorff, thank you for your remarks. The whole time Im listening to you talk about the way that youve been censored, and all of youve been censored, the question is why? What is it that drove what weve seen over the last two years? Was it greed? Was it partisanship? Was it fear? Was it ignorance? What explains the way that we have seen, not just our government react, governments around the world, and big tech and pharma, all of that stuff? Why? Dr. Atlas: Oh, I can start because there are This is always the most challenging question. I get asked this all the time. Why? The answer to why is always very difficult, but in this case, I tend to think that there was a confluence of different interests, a confluence of different motivations, rather than this idea that there was one major motivation to do this. And what I saw in the White House gives me that basis because what I saw was a combination of gross incompetence, tremendous hubris by people who are protecting their own status and positions at all costs, people with bureaucratic sort of motivations, thats my phrase, really, which is not the same as the free exchange of ideas and debating like in typical science before this. Of course, there is a very complex web of funding science that one of This is one of the things that we want to expose and then fix, if we can, where there are funding streams coming from people who have massive power, not just over the funding of the research, but over everyones career doing the research. So, university professors, who are assistant professors, are not going to really feel very comfortable speaking out against the NIH, when the NIH is the determining factor for their own career and then big pharma and everything. So, the second part of it though, is that there I think we cannot underestimate the fear. And Im talking about the fear from COVID, even in the people who are making policy. Fear is a very powerful distractor from rational thinking. And when there is pressure in a situation, I think we all know this in our own personal lives, your true nature comes out. Your true character comes out. And this was a highly pressurized environment, of course, the biggest healthcare crisis in a century during an election year, which was another motivation that I dont think we can ignorethe political side. So, when you have people who are personally afraid and are motivated by extraneous things, its a very, very bad mix, particularly when they are intimidated by people who have their own personal names on the prescribed policy, which was the lockdowns. And so, theres no easy answer to why, in my view. Theres a tremendous amount of corruption, and I mean, moral corruption, not just financial, because the universities Ill give you an example. Stanford University receives over $500 million a year in NIH funding. There are some schools that have received over a billion dollars a year in NIH funding. What do you think the likelihood is that those recipients of that money can speak freely? So, theres a lot of motivations. I could go on and on, but I wont, first of all, Im going to let Jay answer, but also because there is no real short answer to the question, so- Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: Okay. So, I dont disagree with anything Scott just said. I think all of that is true, but let me just add a couple of notes too. So, in particular about the emails that you saw, the absolutely shocking emails you saw from Francis Collins and Tony Fauci and then Tony Fauci about me, Martin and Sunetra Gupta. One of the motivations for that was a motivation to create a consensus within the public that an illusion of consensus within the public that there was no scientific dissent against lockdowns. The reason why the Great Barrington Declaration, they reacted that way Because the idea is I mean, I love them, but theyre ancient. I mean, Martin told you, these are not, the idea of protecting the vulnerable. I bet you, everyone in the audience had that idea during the pandemic. Right? I saw several people in the audience, very brave people, who spoke up around this. But the fact that we are from Harvard, Stanford and Oxford I mean, I never cared before about coming from Stanford, Ill tell you, before the pandemic. But from Harvard, Stanford and Oxford, and we got this viral attention, was a problem for this group. It posed a political problem for them because they wanted to tell the public that there was no dissent. And so, they had to destroy us. They had to do a devastating takedown. It was a political problem they were solving, motivated by some of the things that Scott was saying. Right? So, I think thats the immediate context for why they did what they did. The other thing I So, I want to be as charitable as I can be. In science, the norm is we Frankly, science is just another way of fighting with each other in a structured way. I mean, its like, its really fun. I have an idea. Vinay Prasad has an idea. We fight with each other and then theres data. Theres some experiment and Vinay turns out to be right. Im like, God damn. Vinay got it right this time. I mean, thats what science is. Thats the warp and woof of science. Its a discussion among people who are were all equally struggling with a difficult thing. We dont know the answer. Thats the fun of science, right? It has to have that kind of norm of fun discussion with each other where we take each other in good faith. The norm in public health is a little different, right? In public health, if I, as a professor in a school of medicine, get up and say, Smoking is good for you. Ive committed a sin, right? The scientific literatures completely convincing that smoking is terrible for you. I should not ever get up and say smoking good for you. I shouldnt even hint at it. Frankly, joking about it right now is probably going to get me in trouble. So, I- Dr. Atlas: Thats going to be an excerpt on YouTube. Dr. Bhattacharya: Oh, God. Please, no. I violated a norm, a real true norm, a good norm, right? Because I have a responsibility because I act in public health and not crossing that line and misrepresenting whats in the scientific literature. Thats a true norm in public health. So, public health doesnt actually encourage complete free discussion of ideas, I mean, legitimately, doesnt. But the ethical basis for that norm is that theres a scientific consensus. And when you have a novel disease, when you have a situation where theres a whole lot of scientific ignorance because we just dont know about a whole how does the disease transmit, whos really most, whats the risk of dying if you get the disease, how best to treat it, so on and so forth. Well, you dont have that moral basis. Scientists need to be able to talk freely with each other about these things before you can apply the public health norm morally. And what happened was that the folks that Martin showed you, they applied the public health norm before the scientific discussion had actually been done, before the consensus happened. And it was an immoral act because they misapplied a legitimate norm in public health to scientific free discussion. Dr. Atlas: Can I add something to that? Because Im going to disagree a little bit. A lot of the stuff was known in the Spring of 2020. Dr. Bhattacharya: Thats true. Dr. Atlas: The first person that came out saying that the- Dr. Bhattacharya: See, I can censor you for Oh, sorry. Im just kidding Dr. Atlas: Targeted protection was John Ioannidis, to my knowledge, whos an epidemiologist at Stanford. And he was met with a backlash. And in March, I wrote a paper on calling for targeted protection, stating some facts about who was at risk because this was already known. There was a body of literature in March and April of 2020. And when I wrote my paper in March of 2020 asking for targeted protection, I sent it to the Wall Street Journal. Im naming them because I think a lot of people think, Oh, theres some kind of a left-wing media cabal. No, it really was much more pervasive than that. My rejection from the Wall Street Journal said, Oh, were already publishing all this stuff on targeted protection. Because people asked me, Why did the first paper you wrote go into the Washington Times? I put it in the Washington Times because it was rejected from the Wall Street Journal, and it was urgent that this stuff was laid out, that the risk to it was known in a very targeted group of people, that we need to protect those people, that its very harmful to do the lockdowns, et cetera. And so, there was an enormous amount of information known from studies all over the world. It was known by the end of Spring 2020, that we must open the schoolsit was proven. It was not arguable that children had an extremely low risk if they were healthy, that most children did not spread significantly the disease and that there was enormous harm for closing schools. That was known in the Spring of 2020. And when you said that, you were vilified, and as Martin articulated here, it was pointed out that you were dangerous. And thats how the lockdowns were accepted by the public, is that there were two things done. One, everyone who was calling for ending the lockdowns was called dangerous because they were somehow therefore calling for, what Martin said, let-it-rip, herd immunity strategy, no protection, which was a lie. And the second reason was they were claiming anyone who was against the lockdown was prioritizing the economy over lives. Yet, there was multiple decades of literature showing that severe economic downturns killed people. So, the answer of ending the lockdowns for saving the economy was because it was lives versus lives. So, everyone on this stage was vilified to varying extent and demonized as if you were dangerous. And that is why, in my view, the public bought into this, even though it defied all logic. Because when I speak, as these guys do all over the country, everyone in the audience says, Thats exactly what we thought when I go through all the data. Because its simple logic that you knew who was at risk, you do everything you can to protect them, and you dont destroy the people who did not have a significant risk. Dr. Bhattacharya: Now, Im really glad I didnt censor him since I just learned something from it. Mr. Jekielek: Super quick follow up. It seems to be pervasive that theres, whenever Many important issues like this one, the straw men are created and attacked. So, how do you counter that, especially when theyre amplified at such a great degree? Dr. Atlas: Well, countering a straw man argument It happens when I was raising my kids because that was our typical dinner conversation. But, honestly, the solution to all of this stuff, the number one solution, to me, is stopping the censorship and having transparency of information. You need to think critically when someone makes a straw man discussion, its easy to sort it out if you have the information. You cannot, in fact, beat Theres no such thing as critical thinking without hearing things that differ. If you only hear one viewpoint, by definition, theres no possibility. Dr. Bhattacharya: Let me give you an example of this. So, theyre saying that we wanted to let the virus rip. Thats a lot. We never wanted to let the virus rip. We wanted focused protection of the old. In the Washington Post, every single time they published an article talking about the Great Barrington Declaration, [they] would have a quote from Fauci saying that the strategy was nonsense, and that we wanted to let the virus rip. They never asked me to reply to that. They would just, As boilerplate put, let the virus rip. It seems like journalists have a responsibility to try to get the story, at least the other side of the story. They can put Faucis side, but let me answer. Audience Question: Yeah. Just one quick observation and then the question. So, I think that, just given the term, the war against the virus and the fight, I think from the very beginning, there was an analogue to war, to a war situation, rather than to managing an emergency. We all know what happens in war and everybodys striving for consensus. You cannot question anything. Im coming from a country that had a lot of wars. I was born in Israel. And I think that that was an analogy that can explain the mentality, and also many of the things that you talked about. What I wanted to ask though is The infrastructure of science are the universities. And one of the things that disturbs me is how universities behaved, not only in terms of what scientists expressed, what opinion scientists expressed or didnt express, but rather that how they manage themselves and their students. And to a large degree, universities were maybe the most extreme manifestation of all of these bad policies. They actually went to remote studies for the longest time possible, other than a few exceptions, they are now mandating boosters to the lowest risk population from the disease and the highest risk from side effects. Even for people that were recovered, 30 days later, they are mandated to be vaccinated. Then, I have to say, personally, Im asking myself very tough questions at home. And one of my conjectures is that universities are not managed anymore by academics and by scientists. They are managed by lawyers that just say, Hey, thats the CDC guidelines, without Thats how it So, I wonder what is your perspective on that? Dr. Bhattacharya: I mean, so a couple of notes on this. So, universities sent the they call them kids, they probably shouldnt call them kids or young adults home in Spring of 2020. One of the big problems of focused protection is multi-generational homes, right? You have older people living together with young people. We created multi-generational homes out of whole cloth by sending all of our university kids home. I keep calling them kids. People always tell me like Thats true. But I completely agree with you that the policies the universities followed had nothing to do with science. Its a form of groupthink. Each universitys copying all the other universities. Theyre not referring to science to justify their actions. The key thing is they want to make sure that no one dies of COVID in the university. Its fine if they die of COVID outside. Its fine if they kill themselves. Its fine if all kinds of bad things happen to their education. They failed in their mission. Its the top universities that have failed in their mission, the educational mission, the research mission, the commitment we have to the young adults in our charge. We have failed in all of those missions. Dr. Atlas: I can add one quick thing, which is, people dont know this because its been scrubbed from the internet. But October 2020, the CDC posted a paper on their policies about schools. I was in Washington in the White House at the time. And the CDC said, It is unethical to require testing of students if they dont want to be tested. Now, that doesnt even go toward forcing vaccinations to healthy people, young people, who do not have a significant risk for serious illness, an experimental vaccine. But they even have forced testing, even though the CDC itself in October 2020 said it was unethical. The point is we have had a breakdown of the ethical leadership of young people, a moral breakdown in the United States, not just by closing schools, but by forcing vaccines that are experimental, that have known side effects on young people who are healthy and have no significant risk of a serious illness. If, as a society, were going to claim we need to vaccinate children to use them as shields for adults, that is a complete break in the moral contract that we have, as human beings, to our children. You are the shields for your children. Your children are not meant to be shields for adults. Audience Question: Gentlemen, its a pleasure and honor. So, Ill make a brief observation and a question. The brief observation is that, Im an economist, and I look at you and youre all surprised because maybe for the first time or for a rare time, one of the precise scientists, science is suddenly The mentor is taken and we see how it politicizes. If you talk to economists, sociologists, literature department, everything else has been cleared of any alternative thought, of any alternative thinking, of anything that doesnt follow the party line long ago. So, you are surprised because of the nature of your work, youve been shielded from this complete I dont know what to call it- Mr. Jekielek: Monoculture? Audience Question: destruction. And Im also from Eastern Europe, so I spent the first part of my life under a similar system. So, Im particularly aggravated that these things start to look a little familiar. The question though, that I have for you is We all understand what was the situation here in 2020, the political context, how the whole bureaucracy, the whole monopolies, they were all against a certain politician and a certain group and everything worked in unison. So, my question is how these lockdowns happen around the world? In a sense, every country is an interesting, separate case. Did they have a similar political structure? Did they have the similar censoring? How, I know that Sweden had a little bit different but For example, Im originally from Bulgaria. So, this little stupidest European countries, they were all saluting EU and doing whatever they were told to do, pretending that they have local experts, which they didnt have any. So, a lot of damage was done to this much weak economies in the name of life and all this. So, do you have any views of how different countries, because of their institutional frameworks and their political politics, maybe was not so dictatorial when we were not so political? Maybe they did it better than us. Thank you. Dr. Bhattacharya: So, why dont you talk about Sweden? Dr. Atlas: Yeah. Why dont you talk about that? Dr. Kulldorff: Well, Sweden was very different, I think. And it was a huge contrast to see it, living here, but still following the news in Sweden. And every time I thought, Well, its completely crazy here. I read the Swedish newspapers and I feel like there is one place in the world where theres some sanity. And I think its not just Sweden because all the Scandinavian countries sort of have had a fairly similar policy with among the lowest amounts of lockdowns, as well as now, for two years, among the lowest COVID mortality and the lowest excess mortality. And there was a discussion in Sweden because those who opposed, those who wanted to lock down more, they had some powerful people arguing the case, including academics and the editor-in-chief of the sort of equivalent of The New York Times in Sweden. But if you go to other European countries, I think, in the UK, it was very similar in a sense to the U.S. If you go to Uganda, I think, the schools were closed for two years. So, there were many countries who sort of followed the leads of, I think, the U.S. and the UK on these matters. Dr. Atlas: And if I can add. I think thats my perception. Theres a massive influence of the Western countries we cannot underestimate. Its not just that the United States is economically intertwined and, therefore, if we lock down the U.S., theres a chain reaction; the Western European countries, everyone in the world suffers. When you have the head of the U.S. effort get on TV almost every single day for a year, talking about lockdowns, and when you have the United States federal guidance, that was, Lock down businesses, shut schools, restrict dont see your families, dont see the older people, dont even go into the hospital if youre ill When you have people like Dr. Fauci, the most visible person on the task force during the previous administration and the head of the whole effort now, and Dr. Birx, who was the task force medical side director, when they get up on stage with the President of the United States or next to the President, and they put that out there and its on TV and in the newspapers all over, these other countries dont just say, Were going to do what we want. I think thats sort of not the way it works. I may be overstating the influence of the United States, but I dont think so. They still quote what Dr. Faucis saying in these other countries and given that the statistical modelers, that Martin can talk about a lot better than I can, in the UK started this whole thing really, and in the U.S. And they were so wrong, their models were proven wrong, grossly wrong, making false assumptions. But those things were put on for some reason on TV, and there was just a herd mentality. And the influence of the United States public health leadership, in my view, is to blame for what happened in the rest of the world to some extent. Audience Question: We were told at my university that we couldnt come to work to do our research if it was non-essential. Nobody likes to hear that their work is not essential. So, I converted my lab to SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance. And for the past year and a half, Ive generated troves of data on virus transmission using wastewater. And one of the things that Ive realized is that you could plot these data and superimpose when mask mandates are put in or fines or whatever those things, and get a really amazing picture of how effective those policies are using wastewater. And so, Im wondering if you are if anybodys doing this on a bigger scale. Ive been doing it for my community, for San Luis Obispo. Ive gotten in trouble for saying some of the things that I have, but its grounded in science, its grounded in poop, and the transmission data that Im seeing. And Im just wondering if youve seen anybody if anybodys doing this kind of work, looking at wastewater and correlating trends in wastewater virus loads to certain interventions that have been used. Dr. Bhattacharya: So, there was a recent New York Times story, I dont know if you saw, where the CDC admitted to hiding data, hiding information. One of the things that they admitted to not really revealing was their wastewater surveillance. The idea that a premier public health agency in the United States is hiding data, I cant wrap my mind around this, right? We basically are owed transparency by this. Your work and the work of others who are tracking the spread of the virus efficiently has gotten no attention because I think, again, its the same thing. They wanted to create this illusion of consensus. This illusion of they are in control of the science. Anyone who was on the outside, well, you dont Youre just on the fringe. Just imagine how much better we wouldve done if wed had all our minds, all the minds of people, contribute to this discussion in a normal way. We wouldve had a lot more fights, but it wouldve We wouldve ended up in a much better place, I think. No. Im sorry. Hes next. And then- Dr. Atlas: Theres a microphone there. Audience Question: Oh, sorry. Yeah. So, we worked on a little paper very early on, looking at whether the IHME model was calibrated. And so, we were the ones that said, The 95 percent confidence intervals cover the next day, 20 percent of the time. That was us. So, we sent it to a journal. And of course, Were not going to Were sorry to tell you, but were not publishing yet, yada, yada, yada. And then, in the middle of the paragraph was, We dont want people to be complacent. So, you can parse that however you want to parse it. And then, they kept going. So, it was like this non sequitur sentence right in the middle, right in the middle of the thing. I dont know. To this day, it Every day I think about that sentence. But it seems like these journals were really guardians. They thought themselves as guardians of the universe. And basically- Dr. Bhattacharya: Can I ask, were you Gates funded? Audience Member: What? Dr. Bhattacharya: Were you Gates funded? Audience Member: Oh, yeah. Yeah. He gave them $400 million. Dr. Bhattacharya: Okay. Audience Member: Yeah. He gave that place four You cant you see the journals cant argue with that. Dr. Bhattacharya: So, theres a couple things there. One is that, early in the pandemic, actually even now, there was this idea that if you came out with a result that underplayed the lethality of the virus that you were going to cause people to act irresponsibly. Neil Ferguson, the guy who did the Imperial College model famously gave an interview where he said that it was fine if he got it wrong in the right direction, if you overpredicted. The irresponsible thing is to get it wrong in the wrong direction, underpredicting. But in fact, when the World Health Organization said, in the early days, the pandemic, that the death rate from the virus is three percent or four percent, theyre talking about case fatality rate. Its a very misleading number versus what your real true risk is if you are exposed to the virus. And as Martin said, theres just a thousand-fold difference by age. Are you underplaying the virus if you tell people truly, if youre young, your risk of dying is low? Its a use of science to control people, the behavior of people, that has no place in scientific discussion. I would love to see your story written up and told because its absolutely shocking. Dr. Atlas: Well, its not shocking to me because, I remember, you sent me your paper and you said, this is back in, I think, Spring/Summer 2020. Audience Member: Yeah. April. Dr. Atlas: April. And you said, I cant get this paper published. And, yes, this is an example of the internal So, theres two types of censorship going on here. One is by science itself, the journals, the universities, the NIH, the powerful people. And then, theres another type which is the media. And the media is the pathway, of course, the interface between the public and the science journals. So, regular people are not going to look up the science publication. So, the media is so critical. And when you have an interface that is the filter and is somehow the imprimatur of scientific truth, telling Martin Kulldorff that he doesnt know what he is talking about, about the vaccines, were in a very dangerous place. And so, this is one of the things were going to try to do with peer review here. Theres a need to get more rapid publication with accountable peer review or less obstructive peer review, and we So, the solutions are not obvious, but we know the problems are very, very profound, and we need to fix them. Audience Member: Okay, just one more point in that kind of vein. When Im very grouchy in the morning, I think, is there any way we could audit the journals? I mean, lets take a journal, and lets look at the papers on COVID that were accepted, and lets look at the papers that were rejected. And lets check. And lets get the comments between the editors about the papers. That would really I think, thats kind of a John Ioannidis kind of a project, but thats something Dr. Bhattacharya: Hes over here. Yeah. Weve got you next. Audience Question: You mentioned you were at the White House in October 2020. Im wondering if you can shed some light on why was President Trump and maybe his advisors didnt have any of you people advising him instead of Dr. Fauci? Dr. Atlas: Well, I was called I detailed this in my book. I dont want to bore everyone with all the details. But at the end of July, they asked if I would help the president. And so, I said, Yes. Okay, because there is no other answer. Its my country. When I got there, I was shocked at what I saw because the people on the task force on the medical side were incompetent, didnt know the data, and concerned about self-protection, and threatened when I would walk into a meeting with 12 or 15 scientific publications, and go through a little mini soliloquy of the data. And they had nothing, except, Youre an outlier, they would say. And they would go to the media. And what happened The question is what happened, really, why? There was a Somehow, we diverged into a country where our leaders have abrogated their responsibility to lead by saying, Oh, thats the CDC guidance. Thats what Fauci and Birx say. They were given the authority as opposed to just being there, advising and letting the people in charge have the authority. And so, now, we have somehow a CDC that is taken as a law issuer, a rule issuer. Thats not what the CDC ever was intended to be. It gives guidance, thats it, but thats not the current situation. The second point I want to make is I did view myself as an advisor that was needed to bring in the experts, who knew what they were talking about and who are actually doing the research. And so, I set up a meeting and brought in Martin Kulldorff, Jay Bhattacharya, Joe Ladapo, and others, people from Stanford and Harvard and UCLA and Tufts University, and we met with the President. And the people on the task force, specifically That meeting was scheduled so Dr. Birx could attend. Dr. Birx withdrew from the meeting right before it happened, didnt want to have the discussion with people doing the research. Thats not the mark of a scientist. Okay. Science is the debate. Science is being able to know the material enough so that you win on the basis of knowing more. And if you dont know more, your opinion doesnt carry the day. And so, we met with President Trump, and the next day we met with, the five of us, of the people, met with Vice President Pence. And then, later, I brought in Dr. Gupta, Bhattacharya and Kulldorff to meet with Secretary Azar because Secretary Azar wanted to hear answers to his questions. And so, we did the best we could, but the bottom line was the authority over the federal guidance to the pandemic was given to Doctors Fauci, Birx, and Redfield. And today, that continues because it is given, as youve heard our current President say many times, Whatever the CDC says, whatever Dr. Fauci says, and that is the really gross malfeasance of leadership, in my opinion. Mr. Jekielek: So, this will actually be the final question. But doctor, carry on. Audience Member: As follow up to that, I think this problem with the relationship between science and political authority is a very, very difficult one. All of the solutions seem to be in a sort of all or nothing extreme direction. And Ive thought a lot about, Okay. What created that? And it seems to me that the political authorities are going to anoint some scientist or group of scientists to be in the current climate, the experts that were going to listen to. And unfortunately, Dr. Atlas, you just named the ones that were anointed, and we all know sort of the results of that, but I think one of the challenges is that the answer to most scientific questions is nuanced. Right? The Great Barrington Declaration is nuanced, in the sense of, is COVID bad? Well, it depends. Are vaccines good or bad? Are they helpful or unhelpful? Well, it depends. It depends on your age group, your risk category. All of these nuances, which, at the journal club at the medical school, we discuss and itd get down into the weeds on. Politicians dont really seem interested in that. They want something for the stump speech. They want an answer. Especially early on in the pandemic, when the media was focused on COVID case counts and COVID death counts and state by state comparisons. There seemed to be this kind of mimetic rivalry between governors to do more and more extreme measures. Like, Im seen as doing more to address COVID if my lockdowns or my policies are sort of more extreme. But my question has to do with how can the nuances of science actually interact with the more binary or all or nothing sort of policy tendencies that people who are looking to get reelected or the media I think this has to do with the media as well, right? You get 60 seconds to do a sound bite, and its hard to get a lot of nuance in that context. How do scientists interact with those systems without compromising what we should be good at, which is subtlety? Dr. Kulldorff: I think- Dr. Atlas: Go ahead. Dr. Kulldorff: I think public health and public health scientists have no choice, but to trust the public. If it wants to be trusted, it has to trust the public by honestly saying what we know, by honestly saying what we dont know, both of those things. Because whats happening is that public health, CDC says something which then turns out to be wrong, nobodys going to trust CDC then. So, the only way forward is to be honest, even those things that we dont know about. Dr. Atlas: And it also requires courageous leaders. Okay. We do have people in this country who looked at the data and made a decision that used logic. I mean, I could point to several of them. One that everybody talks about is Governor DeSantis. We all had I had conversations with Governor DeSantis since the spring of 2020. Weve all appeared on panels and had many conversations. This is a person who makes it his business to know the data and then to make a common sense assessment of what needs to be done. And hes been proven right. Okay. He did better than a lot of states, most states that did the lockdowns, and better than my own state of California on a data-driven analysis. And so, you need people who are not afraid in I once wrote a book in my pre-health policy life called Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine. And I never I always thought there are people who dont really have a brain, but I never knew how few people had a spine. Dr. Bhattacharya: Erick, can I address one thing? You said its quite important. You have to have scientific advice. If youre a leader, you just have to. You cant expect political leaders to all have read the scientific literature. This is not realistic. The key thing is that the scientific advisors, they cannot be in a position to silence the rest of the scientific community so that they themselves are seen as the science. You cannot have a scientific advisor who goes around thinking that, If you challenge me, youre not simply challenging a man. You are challenging science itself. Right? I think that hubris has been a key part of the failed response to COVID in the United States and elsewhere. Audience Question: Is there a selection bias toward those who are sort of more all or nothing or lack nuanced because thats what some of the politicians want? If you wring your hands too much and say, Well, on one hand, or on the other hand, theyre not going to call you again. Do you know what I mean? Dr. Bhattacharya: Scott has a very good way of distilling scientific nuance into a compelling way. You can hear him when he speaks, right? Theres a reason why presidents speak with him. I think theres a skill to that. But Scott is also open to reading the literature and well have scientific arguments. Dr. Atlas: I mean, to be honest, I called these guys and John Ioannidis everyday and every other day for nine months straight because you need to hear peoples opinions. We all can read. Weve all reviewed papers. Weve all reviewed grants. Weve all submitted these things, but you need to hear what people think and bounce things off of people. That is what is the essence of really coming up with the right answer. I think Martin said something very important, too. The information is needed not just for the public and to trust the public, and that is. But its also needed because thats why I brought in a bunch of other people to talk to the President. The Presidents, these politicians, they need to hear it. They need to get enough divergent opinion so that they can be critical thinkers because its their responsibility. And so, I think, again, it all boils down to the lack of censorship, the transparency of information, and that really is the sort of most obvious solution to most of these things. Mr. Jekielek: Okay. I guess final thirty second thought from each panelist, starting with Martin, and then well finish. Dr. Kulldorff. Pardon me. Dr. Kulldorff: Well, thank you all for coming here and for listening. And I think the role of the task of restoring trust and restoring in public health and science is something that we all share. So, I hope thats something that we can all do together, both everybody here, as well as many people around this country and around this world. We have to do this together. Dr. Atlas: Yes. Ill sort of echo what Martin said. I want to thank everyone for understanding the seriousness and really the urgency of the problem here. The country and the world was harmed significantly and we cant let that happen again. And so, Im very delighted that so many people accepted our invitation to come here, also for our event tomorrow. I must say that there are still people who said they support us, but they wouldnt come tomorrow. Theyre afraid. So, this is a problem that is very serious. Theres no quick solution, but its going to take everybodys effort, and more, more people to have some sort of commitment and courage. And eventually, with a wide sort of population basis of getting something good accomplished, we will do it. Because it will not come from top down, all these things, these changes have to come from bottom up people. Dr. Bhattacharya: So, I just wanted to thank each of you thats come. From many of you, Ive learned during the pandemic. Ive read some of your papers. Frankly, you give me hope that scientific discussion, science is still alive. And Ive doubted that, sometimes, during the course of the pandemic. I think in order for science to have to revive, to be what it really should be, its in badly need of a reformation, a reestablishment of the norms of the enlightenment that, to me, its darkened during the pandemic. And I think this effort, you all that are in the room, I know, will be a big part of that reform and reestablishment of science as a force for good in this world. Mr. Jekielek: Well, and lets give them all a hand of applause. Thank you. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Subscribe to the American Thought Leaders newsletter so you never miss an episode. Download EpochTV Ebook for free. Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV The U.N. flag in front of their German headquarters in Bonn, Germany, on July 11, 2006. (Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images) Russia-Ukraine (March 17): Russia Wont Ask UN Council Vote on Its Ukraine Resolution The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, March 17. Click here for updates from March 16. Russia Wont Ask UN Council Vote on Its Ukraine Resolution Russia announced it will not ask the U.N. Security Council to vote Friday on its draft resolution on humanitarian relief for Ukraine, which has been criticized for making no mention of Moscows invasion of its neighbor. It will instead use the scheduled council session to again raise allegations that the United States has biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine, claims that Washington says are disinformation and part of a potential false-flag operation by Moscow. Russias U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, made the announcement at a Security Council meeting Thursday afternoon that was called by six Western countries, including the United States, to get an update on the three-week-old war. He said Russia is not withdrawing the resolution but decided not to seek a vote at this time because of what he called unprecedented pressure from Western nations, especially the United States and Albania, on U.N. member states to oppose the measure. ___ Japan Slaps New Sanctions on Russian Defence Officials, Arms Exporter Japan said on Friday it will impose sanctions against 15 Russian individuals and nine organisations, including defence officials and state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport. The sanctions, which include asset freezing, are the latest in a series of measures by Japan following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Japan has now slapped sanctions on 76 individuals, seven banks, and 12 other organisations in Russia, according to the finance ministry. The government on Friday designated Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and several military equipment makers including United Aircraft Corp, which manufactures fighter jets. ___ Russian Media: Detention of WNBAs Griner Extended to May 19 Russian media reported that the detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner was extended until May 19, a development that could see the two-time Olympic champion being held for at least three months before her case is resolved. The case of the 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in womens basketball, comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russias invasion of Ukraine. Griner was detained at a Moscow airport, reportedly in mid-February, after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges allegedly containing oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the U.S. citizen Griner until May 19, the court said, according to the state news agency Tass. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. ___ Biden Admin Lets Ukrainians Fleeing War Into US From Mexico U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said that Customs and Border Protection agents along the U.S.Mexico border have been instructed to allow Ukrainians to enter the country to seek asylum even as most people are turned back under a public health order instituted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine following Russias Feb. 24 invasion. More than half have gone to Poland. Most of the rest are in the surrounding countries of Eastern Europe, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Mayorkas told reporters Thursday that U.S. refugee officers have been sent to the region to work with the U.N. and determine whether some Ukrainians may seek to come to the United States through the refugee program. But he and other administration officials are not expecting many will want to come. The vast majority of Ukrainians are displaced in the countries in that region, with the hope, understandably, of being able to return to their country, the secretary said. ___ Blinken Says War Crimes Committed in Ukraine Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he agrees with President Joe Biden that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine and U.S. experts were gathering evidence to prove it. Biden told reporters a day earlier that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was a war criminal but the White House later said no formal determination had been made on potential violations of international law since Russias Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Personally, I agree, Blinken said in a news conference at the State Department. Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime, Blinken said, adding that he finds it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise after the destruction over the past few weeks. The Kremlin called Bidens comment unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric. Moscow says it is conducting a special military operation to disarm and denazify its neighbor and has rejected claims of targeting civilians. Blinken recounted recent incidents of Russia bombing hospitals, schools, and a theater where civilians were sheltering, and said they were part of a long list of attacks on civilian, not military, locations across Ukraine. ___ American Citizen Killed in Ukraine A U.S. citizen was killed during the war in Ukraine, a top U.S. official confirmed on March 17. I can confirm that an American citizen was killed. I dont have any more details for you than that, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters during a briefing in Washington. A State Department spokesperson told news outlets: We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment. Authorities in Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine, said earlier Thursday on social media that a U.S. citizen was among the casualties from Russian artillery attacks on unarmed civilians. Read the full article here ___ No Such Thing as No-Fly Zone Lite: Department of Defense The U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday that a NATO-enforced no-fly zone would do little to prevent some of Russias strikes inside Ukraine, coming after some members of Congress suggested the measure. The systems that are being used by the Russians to engage Ukrainian forces currentlytheyre using a lot of rockets and missiles and artillery, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told reporters. There are a number of things that can be used to counter that. But Austin said Russian forces have been using cruise missiles that are being launched from within Russias borders. So a no-fly zone would not have prevented that activity, Austin told reporters while speaking at a news conference with Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad in Bratislava, Slovakia. Read the full article here ___ Macron: Ukraine War Will Lead to Deep Food Crisis The war between Ukraine and Russia, two of the worlds top crop producers, will likely lead to a food crisis in the next 12-18 months in Africa and the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday. Making France a more self-sufficient country will be a key objective, he said, with proposals ranging from investing massively toward Frances agricultural and industrial independence to pushing ahead with building more nuclear reactors and strengthening the army. He said he wanted to build a European metaverse to compete with U.S. tech giants and make Europe more independent on that front too. ___ G-7 Decries Russias Indiscriminate Attacks Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven leading economies are calling on Russia to comply with the International Court of Justices order to stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw its military forces. In a joint statement, the G-7s top diplomats condemned what they described as indiscriminate attacks on civilians by Russian forces including the siege of Mariupol and other cities. They accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of conducting an unprovoked and shameful war that has forced millions to flee their homes and resulted in the destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, theatres, and schools. The G-7 said that those responsible for war crimes, including indiscriminate use of weapons against civilians, will be held responsible and welcomed work to investigate and gather evidence in this regard, including by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The group also said it stood ready to further increase the pressure of sanctions on Ukraine and provide further aid to those in need, including the small nation of Moldova. Moldova is offering shelter to the largest group of refugees from Ukraine per capita. ____ NATO Military Drills Starts Near Russia The NATO exercise, Cold Response, includes about 30,000 troops from over 25 countries from Europe and North America in NATO-member Norway that shares a nearly 200-kilometer (124-mile) land border with Russia. The drill was not linked to Russias invasion of Ukraine, but takes place against a dark backdrop, Bauer said. It has been 22 days since Russia has again invaded Ukraine, and again, in breaking international law. Therefore, for us, it is even more important to prepare for the worst and expect the unexpected. Russia has declined to be an observer at the exercise that aims at having Alliance members and partners practicing working together on land, in the air, and at sea, said the armed forces. The drill, which is held every two years, is due to end April 1. ____ US Earmarks $180 Million for Baltic NATO Allies Estonias defense ministry says the United States has earmarked $180 million in military assistance to the Baltic NATO members of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania this year under a scheme entitled the Baltic Security Initiative. The ministry said on Thursday that a budget package approved by the U.S. Congress represents an increase of more than $10 million from last year in security assistance to the three former Soviet republics which all border Russia and have assisted Ukraine with arms and material help after the start of Moscows invasion. The decision by Congress shows that the United States is committed to the defense of our region and clearly understands that the defense of their own country is connected with the Baltic countries, Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said. ____ Slovakia Discussing Transfer of Defense System The defense minister of NATO member Slovakia says his country would be willing to provide S-300 long-range air defense missile systems to Ukraine under certain conditions. Defense Minister Jaroslav Naj said at a news conference in Bratislava with visiting Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the matter is still under discussion. The Soviet-era anti-air defense systems use long-range missiles that are capable of flying hundreds of miles and knocking down cruise missiles as well as warplanes. They could be valuable in thwarting Russian air attacks on Ukraine. Naj said such a transfer would be possible if his country received a proper replacement for its S-300s or if Slovakia received a capability guaranteed for a certain period of time. He stressed that he could not responsibly transfer the S-300s to Ukraine in a manner that left a gap in his countrys defenses. He said Slovakia is open to making an arrangement that preserved its defenses against air threats. Austin declined to say whether the Pentagon was in a position to provide Slovakia with a replacement for its S-300s. These are things that we will continue to work with all of our allies on, and certainly this is not just a U.S. issue, its a NATO issue. ___ Putin Warns Traitors in Speech, Calls for Self-Purification in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a self-purification to rid Russia of individuals who are working to undermine the country. Russians, he said in a televised speech on Wednesday, will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, accusing the West of fostering a fifth column of Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about itthe destruction of Russia, he said, adding that he is convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. Putin further stipulated that he isnt judging those with villas in Miami or the French Riviera or Russians who cannot live without foie gras and mussels or so-called gender-based rights as long as they stood mentally with Russia after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Read the full article here ___ Reports of Major Progress in Ukraine Talks Wrong Although there were reports of progress being made during UkraineRussia ceasefire talks, a top Kremlin spokesman disputed that assertion as incorrect but said that discussions are still being held on Thursday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Financial Times that the Kyiv government is in no rush and dragging its feet. On the whole, reports about the progress being made [are] wrong, Peskov said. He also criticized President Joe Biden for recently calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal as unforgivable. No, the work continues [on the talks], he also said, according to Russian state-backed media. He added Moscow will inform the public of any breakthrough in the negotiations. Read the full article here _____ War Suspends Europe Rover Mission to Mars Europe wont be attempting to send its first rover to Mars this year because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The European Space Agency confirmed Thursday that it is indefinitely suspending its ExoMars rover mission with partner Roscosmos, Russias state space corporation. The ESA had previously said that the mission was very unlikely because of Russias war in Ukraine. The rovers primary mission was to determine whether Mars ever hosted life. The decision to suspend cooperation with Roscosmos was taken by ESAs ruling council, at a meeting this week in Paris. Because of their respective orbits around the Sun, Mars is readily reachable from Earth only every two years. The next launch window for Mars would be 2024. The mission has already been pushed back from 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for more tests on the spacecraft. ____ No Death Reports Yet From Mariupol Theater; Rescue Began Ukraines ombudswoman Ludmyla Denisova says a theater in the besieged city of Mariupol has withstood the impact of an airstrike, and that the rescue of civilians from under the rubble of the destroyed building has begun. The building withstood the impact of a high-powered air bomb and protected the lives of people hiding in the bomb shelter, she said on the messaging service Telegram on Thursday. Work is underway to unlock the basement and surviving adults and children are coming out, she wrote. She said there is no information on casualties so far. ___ Zelensky Outlines Demands for UkraineRussia Negotiations Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an address on Thursday outlined the countrys key priorities for peace talks with Russia. Negotiations are ongoing. Negotiations for the sake of Ukraine, said Zelensky. My priorities in the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country, he said. His remarks come after Mykhailo Podoliyak, adviser to Zelensky and one of Ukraines representatives at the RussiaUkraine ceasefire negotiations, signaled that the two countries appear to have found some common ground amid talks. Read the full article here ____ Kremlin Rejects the Ruling of the International Court of Justice Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Moscow rejects the ruling of the International Court of Justice that ordered Russia to halt its operation in Ukraine. During his daily conference call with reporters, Peskov noted that both sides need to agree on implementing the ruling, and on Russias side there can be no consent. Peskov also said that talks between Russia and Ukraine will continue on Thursday in some form. I dont know if they are already underway or not, but they should be today, in one direction or another, Peskov said. The Kremlin spokesman stressed that the Russian delegation is ready to work 24/7 and claimed that unfortunately, we dont see the same zeal on [the] Ukrainian side. ____ No Death Reports Yet From Mariupol Theater A Ukrainian lawmaker says there are reports of injuries but not deaths in a strike on a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter. Lesia Vasylenko said between 1,000 and 1,500 people were sheltering at the theater when it was hit by an airstrike, and called the attack the deliberate destruction of a refuge. ___ Kremlin Says Talks With Ukraine Continue, No Deal Yet The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia was putting colossal energy into talks on a possible peace deal with Ukraine that could swiftly stop the Russian military operation there. Our delegation is putting in colossal effort and demonstrates more readiness towards them than the other side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Agreeing such a document, the observance of all its parameters and their implementation could very quickly stop what is happening. Asked about a Financial Times report that Ukraine and Russia had made significant progress on a tentative peace plan, Peskov said, It is not rightthere are elements there that are right but on the whole it is incorrect. The Kremlin, he said, would announce progress when there was progress to report. Address all other questions to the Financial Times though, Peskov quipped. Peskov said President Joe Bidens claim that President Vladimir Putin was a war criminal was unacceptable and that the United States had no right to lecture Russia after its involvement in so many conflicts. ___ Zelensky Says Germany Prioritized Economy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Germany of putting its economy before his countrys security in the run-up to the Russian invasion. In an address to Germanys parliament Thursday, Zelensky criticized the German governments support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project meant to bring natural gas from Russia. Ukraine and others had opposed the project, warning that it endangered Ukrainian and European security. Zelensky also noted Germanys hesitancy when it came to imposing some of the toughest sanctions on Russia for fear it could hurt the German economy. The Ukrainian president called on Germany not to let a new wall divide Europe, urging support for his countrys membership of NATO and the European Union. ____ Ukrainian Officials: Status of People Sheltering in a Theater in Mariupol Is Still Uncertain Ukrainian officials say the status of people sheltering in a theater in Mariupol is still uncertain because the entrance was under the rubble caused by a Russian airstrike. Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration, claimed on Telegram on Wednesday evening that several hundred residents of Mariupol were sheltering in the Drama Theater. He rejected claims by the Russian military that the Azov battalion was headquartered in the theater, stressing that only civilians were in it when it was struck earlier Wednesday. At least as recently as Monday, the pavement outside the once-elegant theater was marked with huge white letters spelling out CHILDREN in Russian, according to images released by the Maxar space technology company. ____ About 300 Mariupol Refugees Arrive in Russia: Interfax Thirteen buses carrying around 300 refugees from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol have arrived in Russias Rostov region, Russias Interfax news agency cited the Russian defense ministry as saying on Thursday. Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday civilians waiting in line for bread and sheltering in a theater in Mariupol had been killed by Russian forces. Russia has denied attacking the theater. ___ Ukraines Military Says It Hit Kherson Airport Ukrainian military forces have hit the airport in Kherson, which Russian troops had seized early in the war, the General Staff said late Wednesday. It said the Russians were trying to remove any surviving military equipment. Ukraines military said it hit the airport on Tuesday. Satellite photos taken afterward by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press show helicopters and vehicles on fire at the airbase. Russia seized the southern port city without a fight in the first days of the war. Control over Kherson allows Russia to restore freshwater supplies to Crimea; Ukraine cut off the water after Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014. The General Staff said Russias ground offensive on major Ukrainian cities has largely stalled. ___ Ukraine, Russia Continue Talks Over Video Ukrainian and Russian delegations held talks again Wednesday by video. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops, and legal security guarantees for Ukraine from a number of countries. This is possible only through direct dialogue between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said on Twitter. Zachary Stieber, Isabel van Brugen, Jack Phillips, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report. Brittany Higgins, a former Liberal Party staff member addresses the media at the National Press Club on February 09, 2022 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Man Alleged of Raping Brittany Higgins to Seek Trial Halt, Prevent Media Reporting Lawyers for the man accused of sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins will seek a permanent stay to criminal proceedings and a takedown order for media articles reporting on the case. Bruce Lehrmann, 26, has been charged with allegedly raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in the office of the former defence industry minister, Linda Reynolds. He has denied the alleged assault and is pleading not guilty. A tentative date of June 6, 2022, was provided, with the trial expected to last between three to four weeks. However, following Prime Ministers apology to Higgins in February, Lehrmanns barrister David Campbell indicated they would lodge a permanent stay application, which, if successful, could see the trial delayed or aborted indefinitely. Campbell argued the publicity of the case could prejudice a fair trial and said they would apply for a temporary stay if the permanent stay was not granted. He also foreshadowed an application for a takedown order of media articles and an application to prevent any future publication of the issue. The defence barrister said he would be writing to the press by Friday asking them to remove articles before an official application is made. If the media outlets refuse to take them down, Lehrmann will seek a court order to remove the articles and an order preventing future reporting of the accusation. Crown prosecutor Shane Drumgold told the court that an order suppressing the names of witnesses and parties would stop the issue growing from today because Higgins name had become a key search term in the lead-up to the case. The concern is the headline will be stay application in the Higgins matter, he told the court. It appears the concern in this matter is the story becomes the story, and then the story of the story becomes the story. Details of the stay application would be ventilated in a hearing at the ACT Supreme Court scheduled on April 1. Chief Justice Lucy McCallym on March. 10 advised those with an interest in the case risk to be careful about the words they publish before the jury hearing on Jun 6 as they could be held in contempt of court by prejudicing a trial. However, on Wednesday, McCallum said she was not convinced that the reporting of a stay application would prejudice the trial but added that she could revisit the matter when it next comes before the court. She noted the current decision did not hand the press free licence to publish whatever may interest the public about the case. Higgins, a former media adviser with Senator Linda Reynolds, said that the alleged attack took place in the early hours of March 23, 2019, when she was drunk and at one point fell over. She claimed a male colleague offered to drop her home in a taxi after buying her lots of drinks, but he took her to the ministers office instead. She remembers lying on the couch, and waking up half-dressed and mid-rape, before crying and urging the accused repeatedly to stop. Although Higgins reported the incident to officers soon after, she ultimately decided not to pursue a formal complaint at the time out of fear it would block her path in politics. Higgins decided to lodge a formal complaint in 2021, which prompted a lengthy investigation by the Australian Federal Police. I have only been made aware of key elements of my own sexual assault as a result of coming forward publicly with my story, she said in a statement in February 2021. I didnt know security guards let me into Minister Reynolds suite. I didnt know that security guards came into the office multiple times, seeing me in a state of undress. I didnt know they were undertaking an internal review into how the matter was handled at the time. I didnt know that they debated calling an ambulance at the time of the incident. This photo taken in October 2016 shows an aboveground section of Enbridge's Line 5 at the Mackinaw City, Mich., pump station. (The Canadian Press/AP-John Flesher) Michigan Wants To Have Its Cake and Eat It Too on Line 5: Chambers of Commerce Business leaders from the United States and Canada are again wading into the fray over Line 5, accusing the state of Michigan of dragging its heels to ensure the controversial cross-border pipeline remains in a state of legal limbo even as both countries contend with a looming energy crisis. In a new joint amicus brief, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, its U.S. counterpart and chambers in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin reiterate their concern that shutting down the Enbridge Inc. pipeline would have tremendous negative consequences on both sides of the border. Such a shutdown would constrain an already disrupted energy supply, an especially problematic development given recent decisions related to importation of petroleum products from Russia, reads the brief, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press. Gasoline prices have been spiking across the U.S. and Canada, a combination of production and supply-chain pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated by bans on imports of Russian energy, part of the global effort to sanction Russia over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The dispute over Line 5 has been raging since November 2020, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmerciting the risk of a spill in the ecologically sensitive Straits of Mackinac, where the line crosses the Great Lakesabruptly revoked the easement that had allowed it to operate since 1953. Enbridge insists the pipeline is safe and has already received a level of state approval for a $500-million concrete tunnel beneath the straits that would house the lines twin pipes and protect them from anchor strikes. The company has repeatedly insisted it would not shut down the pipeline voluntarily. The court dispute, however, has less to do with pipeline safety and environmental impact than it does with legal jurisdiction. Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel have been trying to get the case heard in state court, while Calgary-based Enbridge has argued successfully that it belongs before a federal judge. Enbridge won that argument last fall, prompting Michigan to abandon that challenge, instead taking up a separate case that was still at the county court level. That case is once again seized with the identical question of whether the dispute should be elevated to federal court. Their tactics suggest state officials are trying to have their cake and eat it too, the chambers argue in their latest filing. The governor abandoned efforts to enforce the shutdown orderfor the explicit reason of avoiding resolution of these arguments by the federal court. The fact that shutdown order remains in place, albeit unenforced, carries real harm to Enbridge and to businesses that depend on the interstate and international energy economy to function smoothly, they argue. With the order still in place, Michigan regulators, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, may be required to consider Enbridges applications for the tunnel project as if the original pipeline didnt exist. Arguments to that effect have already been made before the Michigan Public Service Commission. In other words, whether the project is environmentally beneficial is a more complicated analysis if governmental agencies must analyze a fictional reality in which resources no longer flow through the pipelines. The federal government in Ottawa has already submitted two amicus briefs of its own, the latest of which makes clear that Canada and the U.S. are engaged in talks to settle the dispute under the terms of a 1977 bilateral treaty designed to ensure the continued flow of energy between the two countries. Advocates for the pipeline say Line 5 delivers more than half the propane and home heating oil consumed in Michigan, and is a vital source of energy for Ohio and Pennsylvania as well, to say nothing of Ontario and Quebec. Shutting it down would be an environmental disaster in its own right, they argue, resulting in gasoline shortages, price spikes and some 800 additional oil-laden railcars and 2,000 tanker trucks per day on railways and highways throughout Central Canada and the U.S. Midwest. It is time for the federal court to resolve the question of the legality of the governors shutdown order, said Mark Agnew, the Canadian chambers senior vice-president of policy and government relations. In a statement, Agnew described the case as a litmus test for North American energy securityone that could have a major impact on consumers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border amid the ongoing transition to more sustainable forms of energy. Reliable access to energy products (is) needed to create predictable market and political conditions that support our transition to net zero in the years to come, and thats why the Line 5 court case is so important. Environmental groups, however, arent giving up the fight. A new brief filed this week by a non-profit known as For Love of Water argues that Michigan is obliged to shut down any non-public trust use that poses a threat to public trust uses such as navigation and fishingand also to revoke permission for that use in the event the public trust is violated. The group argues that when another Enbridge pipeline in Michigan, Line 6B, ruptured and polluted the Kalamazoo River in 2010, state authorities were obliged to reconsider the companys easements. The resulting inquiry found that Enbridge had flouted the terms and conditions of the easement for decades and had altered its pipeline operations without authorization from the state. Based on these collective findings, the state fulfilled its duty under the public trust doctrine to revoke and terminate the 1953 easement. By James McCarten Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Russian government via teleconference in Moscow on March 10, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Mississippi Attorney Files Lawsuit Requesting $10 Billion Judgment Against Putin A Mississippi attorney has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Madison County against Russian President Vladimir Putin alleging negligence, gross negligence, recklessness, and intentional war mongering. Attorney David Merideth, who listed himself as the plaintiff in the lawsuit (pdf), requested a judgment against Putin, the defendant, and relief in the amount of $10 billion, with the expectation that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seated at The Hague in the Netherlands will address Putin, whom the lawsuit names as the criminal. Vladimir Putin (hereinafter Putin) is a war criminal for his vicious attack on the Ukrainian people on 24 February 2022, the lawsuit states. This is a civil action against Putin and his cronies, John Does A-Z (John Does yet to be determined). To be subpoenaed, Putin might be served deep inside a bunker, in the bowels of The Kremlin, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit cites Putins invasion of Ukraine and the causalities, destruction of infrastructure, and ripple effect of global chaos, instability, uncertainty, economic loss, and physical and mental pain and suffering as the alleged facts of the case. Merideth told The Epoch Times that he was motivated to file the complaint after seeing a photograph of a father at a train station in Kyiv holding his hands up to his daughter, who was behind a window on a train going to Poland. It was a profound moment to see, Merideth said. Merideth said he is seeking a favorable verdict for the client that makes the client whole again. It would be impossible [to make the client whole again] in this situation with the amount of destruction and death, because as we often say, you cant return a life with money, Merideth said. Putin in the Courts Hypothetically, if the case were to go to trial, Merideth explained that Putin would have to get an attorney in Mississippi to defend his case. On Feb. 26, Ukraine filed an application instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation before the ICJthe principal judicial arm of the United Nationsin relation to a dispute relating to the interpretation, application, and fulfillment of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention), the ICJ announced Feb. 27 (pdf). The ICJ press release states that Ukraine contends that the Russian Federation has falsely claimed that acts of genocide have occurred in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblast of Ukraine, and on that basis recognized the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic, and then declared and implemented a special military operation against Ukraine. According to the press release, Ukraine emphatically denies the allegation of genocide. The ICJ announced March 16 that it delivered its Order on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Ukraine. Among the provisional measures in the order (pdf), the Russian Federation must cease its military operations. Putin Served Like the United States, the ICJ follows a service of process procedure, which requires a representative to notify Putin that legal action has been taken against him. When reached for a more specific explanation on how that would work, the ICJ didnt immediately respond to The Epoch Times for comment. Theres a formula in The Hague we have to follow, then hopefully it wouldtheoretically speakingget a representative to knock on the front door of the Kremlin and put it in his hand, Merideth said. Wouldnt that be something? A spokesperson for Putin did not respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. A Ripple Effect My father once told me that the solution to any legal problem is only limited by the creativity of the lawyers mind. So, if youve got flexible thinking on something that seems unsolvable, if you think about it long enough, you may figure out how to solve it, Merideth said. Im hopeful that having done this creates a ripple effect or tidal wave of dozens and dozens of others inside and outside the United States to follow. Carol Litkouhi, a parent in the Rochester Community Schools district, is taking legal action to learn what books are being used to teach her children. (File photo by jakkaje879/Shutterstock) Mom Sues School District to See Childrens Ethnic and Gender Studies Curriculum A mother of two has gone to court to force her local school district to let her see and copy educational materials related to gender studies and diversity, equity, and inclusion training used in her childrens schools. In the fall of 2021, Michigan resident Carol Litkouhi, a parent in the Rochester Community Schools (RCS) district, learned from a teachers social media post that some books being used in a new high school course on ethnic and gender studies could be a cause for concern. When Litkouhi contacted the teacher for more information, she was told to go to the districts director of diversity equity and inclusion, and the superintendent of schools. The result was months of runaround, delay, partial cooperation, and outright denial, according to Litkouhi. In a March 15 statement, Litkouhi said it was incredibly disappointing that the district continues to refuse to be transparent and has stonewalled my efforts to learn more about what is being taught in the classroom. Parents have a right to know what is being taught to our children, she stated. Jonathan Broadbent of Geauga County in northeast Ohio, has pulled his two middle-school-age children out of two schools because he pursues academic excellence. (Courtesy of Jonathan Broadbent). According to her complaint filed on March 14 in Oakland County Circuit Court, Litkouhi repeatedly asked school officials to see the materials. She says she was given contradictory answers and insufficient information that did not reasonably address the topics requested. Asking for more detailed information, Litkouhi was told she must submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which she did in December 2021. Rochester Community Schools partially complied with the FOIA request, once again giving Litkouhi what the complaint calls limited information. In January 2022, Litkouhi filed an appeal of the administrations partial compliance decision with the district. Her appeal was denied on February 8, on the grounds that the school administration had provided all the documents requested and that no other relevant documents existed. According to the complaint, Litkouhi did not accept the denial. She pointed out that a course called History of Ethnic and Gender Studies had been taught in the high school for more than six months. She reasoned the course could not have been taught without employing at least some classroom materials, which she continued to request. Parents concerned about Critical Race Theory took home these buttons from a school board activist training on Jan. 19 in Sarasota, Florida. (Courtesy of Alexis Spiegelman) The complaint also alleged the district forbids members of the public from requesting curriculum materials directly from individual teachers and building administrators. Parents are required to seek the material from the central office. It further alleged that the central office administration refused to acquire such records, materials, and information from its own schools, teachers, and administrators, in order to fulfill the plaintiffs requests. When the central office was asked by the plaintiff to provide those materials and documents, the administration replied it was not in possession of any such records. According to the complaint, the people who have the desired records cannot be asked by a parent to provide them and the people a parent is required to ask for the desired records (central office staff) claim such records are not in their possession. Thus, the plaintiff is caught in a catch-22, the complaint stated. In a separate freedom of information request filed by Litkouhi on Dec. 27, 2021, she asked to see and copy training materials used by the district related to diversity, equity, and inclusion for the years 2020 through 2022. On Feb. 11, 2022 RCS allowed Litkouhi to see the materials but refused to provide her copies of some of themeven though she paid a $400 depositdue to alleged copyright concerns. In a case summary attorneys from the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, who are representing Litkouhi, contend that the Rochester Community School District has an obligation under Michigan law to provide her with copies of the requested documents. The summary states in part that RCSs refusal to do this significantly hinders the goal of FOIA, which is to provide all people with full and complete information regarding the affairs of government so that they may fully participate in the democratic process. Mackinac Center spokesperson Steve Delie said in a statement, Schools must make curricula available to parents under Michigan law It shouldnt take months of back and forth, hundreds of dollars, and a lawsuit just to see what is being taught in your community. When Rochester Community Schools was asked to comment on the case, spokesperson Lori Grein, told The Epoch Times, We wish we could discuss the complaint, but because it is in litigation, we are restrained from doing so. Police tape is seen in this stock photo. (Carl Ballou/Shutterstock) Multiple Fatalities After Pile-Up Involving up to 50 Cars on I-57 in Missouri Multiple people died in a massive car pile-up in Missouri involving as many as 50 vehicles on Thursday on Interstate 57 in Charleston, officials said. Mississippi County Coroner Terry Parker told KFVS-2 that there are five confirmed deaths in the pileup. A mobile morgue was set up at McMikles Funeral Home in Charleston, Missouri, he said. The Mississippi County Sheriffs Office, however, declined to release the number of fatalities, saying it is not releasing that information at this time. Still an active accident scene with multiple agencies working to help all involved and clear the scene. Zach Bolden, the head of the Mississippi County EMS, told local media that between 40 and 50 vehicles were involved in the crash. And Robert Hearnes, the head of the Charleston Department of Public Safety, told KFVS-2 in a video interview that due to thick fog, the visibility was 50 feet, and there were between 30 and 50 vehicles involved in the crash. The Missouri Department of Transportation said it closed I-57 in Mississippi County from the MissouriIllinois border to the Mississippi River until Interstate 55. I-57 is closed in both directions from I-55 to the Illinois state line until further notice due to a multi-vehicle incident. Other river crossings include: I-155 in Caruthersville Rte 74 in Cape Girardeau I-255, I-64, I-70, I-270 in STL I-55 in Memphis, Tennessee pic.twitter.com/jNlfEp95NS MoDOT Southeast (@MoDOTSoutheast) March 17, 2022 All road[s] leading into are being shut down due to traffic and emergency vehicles, the Mississippi County Sheriffs Office also warned on Facebook. Other details about the incident were not provided. Murdaugh Friend Charged With Aiding Insurance Fraud Scheme COLUMBIA, S.C.A longtime friend of South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh now faces 18 charges involving the theft of more than $3 million in insurance money from the family of Murdaughs dead housekeeper, according to newly unsealed court documents. An indictment made public Wednesday accuses Cory Fleming of working with Murdaugh to defraud the sons of Gloria Satterfield, who died following a fall at the Murdaugh home in 2018, by suing Murdaugh on behalf of the sons but diverting the resulting insurance payouts to Murdaugh and himself. Fleming also wrote himself checks from Satterfields estate to pay for his own mortgage, credit card debt, tax payments, video games, and other purchases, prosecutors said. The sons said in a lawsuit that they never got any of the money. They said Murdaugh convinced them at their mothers funeral to use Fleming as their attorney and sue him for wrongful death, without disclosing that Fleming had been his college roommate and godfather to at least one of Murdaughs sons. According to the latest indictment, Fleming, 53, chose not tell Satterfields sons about two settlements he secured from insurers. He instead knowingly moved money from both agreements to a fraudulent bank account Murdaugh had named similarly to that of a company that handles settlements, authorities said. Fleming has previously said he was helping the sons new lawyers and maintained he was not a willing participant in Mr. Murdaughs scheme but was used, according to a joint statement between Fleming and the sons attorneys in October. Attorneys listed for Fleming did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Fleming plans to turn himself in before a virtual bond hearing scheduled for Thursday, said Robert Kittle, a spokesman for the state attorney generals office. Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, attorneys for the Satterfield sons, said Wednesday that the grand jury clearly did not believe Flemings defense that he was yet another of Murdaughs victims: Justice may move slow but when it moves it comes crashing down like a tidal wave, they said in a statement. Grand jurors also issued four new charges for Murdaugh. Murdaugh currently faces 75 state charges, among them trust, forgery, money laundering, computer crime, and now criminal conspiracy with Fleming, altogether accusing him of stealing nearly $8.5 million intended for victims of wrongful death and insurance settlements. Hes also accused of trying to arrange his own death so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. Murdaugh, 53, has been jailed since October. A judge set his bail at $7 million and refused to reduce it, even as Murdaughs lawyer argued his bank accounts were seized in civil lawsuits and he could barely afford to buy underwear at the Richland County jail. He has pinned his problems on a years-long drug addiction. His legal troubles were revealed after his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were killed in a shooting at the familys home in June. Murdaughs lawyers insisted he had nothing to do with it, calling on investigators to work as hard to find their killers as they are trying to unravel Murdaughs finances. Murdaughs great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all elected prosecutors in Hampton County, where his family law firm bore the Murdaugh moniker until recently. The South Carolina Supreme Court has suspended Murdaugh and Fleming from practicing law in the state. By Michelle Liu Nepals Decision to Ratify US Grant Should Be Respected by All Sides, Including China: Government Official Nepals decision to ratify a $500 million American grant should be respected by all sides, a government official said Sunday, following Chinas opposition to the project and pressure from political parties not to ratify the grant. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, made an agreement with Nepals government in 2017 to fund the countrys 187-mile electricity transmission line and road improvement project. Washington said the aid does not need to be repaid, and it comes without conditions. But major political parties were divided on concerns that it would undermine Nepals laws and sovereignty due to a lack of control over the projects, causing the agreement to be delayed. Nepals Parliament eventually ratified the agreement on Feb. 27, with the government assuring that the MCC compact was not part of Washingtons IndoPacific strategy and served no military purpose. Prakash Sharan Mahat, the Nepali Congress partys spokesperson and former foreign minister, told WION that Nepals decision to ratify the MCC compact should be respected by all sides, including China, which had publicly expressed opposition to the project. I have heard some statements made by the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. But as far as Nepal is concerned, we want to conduct our bilateral relations with each of our allies based on mutual benefits and principles, Mahat said. If there is a bilateral corporation between the U.S. and Nepal, we are capable of deciding what is best for Nepal. The same thing will be done with China; India too. So, we would like to see that is respected by all sides, he added. China had publicly commented on the MCC compact ahead of its ratification, saying that it opposes coercive diplomacy, referring to the Feb. 28 deadline set by Washington to ratify the aid. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit Nepal this month for negotiations, but Mahat claimed that the visit was just a coincidence after the MCC ratification. I am not exactly sure what [Chinas delegations] have to say during the meet. As far as Nepal is concerned, it is basically about development corporation which is mutually beneficial to both countries. From our side, we will focus on national interest and necessities, he said. The Epoch Times has reached out to Nepals Foreign Affairs Ministry and Mahat for comment. Nepal signed the Framework Agreement on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project led by China, in May 2017, four months before signing the MCC compact with the United States. But not a single project under the BRI has taken off in Nepal even after five years of the agreement. Nepal initially identified 35 projects under the BRI, but China requested that Nepal prioritize the list and reduce it to a single number, resulting in nine confirmed projects. Negotiations on all of the nine projects have stalled since July 2019, The Kathmandu Post reported. Reuters contributed to this report. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at the New York State Capitol in Albany, N.Y., on Aug. 24, 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) New York Passes Sexual Harassment Bills Sparked by Cuomo Probe New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday signed bills to expand harassment protection for all public employees, including prohibiting the release of anyones employment records in retaliation for speaking up about alleged abuse. From day one, it has been one of my top priorities to clean up Albany, change a culture of harassment and abuse, and ensure safe, respectful workplaces, Hochul said. Everyone has the right to a workplace free of unlawful discrimination and harassment, and I will never stop fighting for gender equity. While theres more work to be done, I am proud of the steps we are taking to promote safety, dignity, and respect for all New Yorkers, the governor added. State law had previously excluded personal staff of elected officials and judges from anti-discrimination protection under New Yorks Human Rights Law. One bill launches a statewide, toll-free confidential hotline to report sexual harassment in both the pubic and private sector. Many victims of workplace sexual harassment are unable to exercise their legal rights because they are not aware of what those rights are, Hochuls office said. The hotline will connect complainants with experienced pro-bono attorneys who will help make them aware of their legal rights and advise them on the specifics of their individualized cases. The laws were proposed by Democratic lawmakers after the state attorney generals office launched an investigation against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The probe found that Cuomo, a Democrat, sexually harassed at least 11 women in violation of state and federal civil rights law. Cuomos office leaked the employment records of former employee Lindsey Boylan after she accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. Cuomo resigned in August last year amid the growing harassment scandal. Hochul at the time said that his resignation was the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers. In the wake of last years events, New Yorkers have made it abundantly clear that they stand with survivors of sexual harassment and will not tolerate any failure to hold abusers accountable in the workplace, state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a Democrat, said. The new laws were welcomed by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Today is an important day in our collective efforts to combat sexual harassment, and I am grateful to Governor Hochul and the legislative sponsors for their work on these issues, James said. Most importantly, I am grateful to the advocates who shined a light in the dark corners of our society and fought tirelessly to make these critical protections a reality. Hochul said during a bill signing ceremony at the Javits Center that the move marks a new day in New York. Im proud to sign bills that will address sexual harassment in the workplace and say that once and for all, my administration has cleaned house, she said. We created a human resources department, a real one, so actual real complaints can be heard by real people, who will take action. We actually have an outside law firm available for people to complain to, so theres no sense that anybody within my administration can cover up or sweep something under the rug. No longer will women have to live in fear in any workplace, particularly in our administration, Hochul added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Demonstrators carry a banner of the New Black Panther Party during a protest at Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington on June 7, 2020. (Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images) New York School Insists on Inviting Convicted Murderer for Intellectual Talk on Black Resistance A public university in New York has come under fire for its plan to host an intellectual conversation with Jalil Muntaqim, a former Black Panther who spent nearly 50 years behind the bars for ambushing and killing two police officers in 1971. Muntaqim, who remained in prison until October 2020, is invited to speak at an April 6 event by the State University of New York at Brockport. The event, titled History of Black Resistance, U.S. Political Prisoners & Genocide: A Conversation with Jalil Muntaqim, originally was to be funded in part by a Promoting Excellence in Diversity (PED) grant. Facing intense pushback from the campus community and the general public, SUNY Brockport on Wednesday announced that the PED fund wont be used to pay the speaker, but the event itself will proceed as planned. Born Anthony Bottom in 1951 in Oakland, California, Muntaqim joined the socialist Black Panther Party when he was 16 and the Black Liberation Army (BLA) at 18. The two radical left-wing groups, during the height of their anti-police activities, were connected to a series of murders of police officers. On May 21, 1971, Muntaqim and two fellow BLA members made a fake 911 call to lure in two police officers, Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini, to a residence in Harlem, New York. The ambushers killed Jones with one shot in the back of his head, but shot Joe Piagentini more than 20 times as the patrolman begged for life. Piagentini, then 28, died from his injuries en route to a local hospital. Officers Joseph Piagentini (L) and Waverly Jones (R) were killed in an ambush on May 21, 1971, in Harlem, New York. (New York Police Department) When previously asked why he killed Jones, who is black, Muntaqim allegedly responded, A pig is a pig, according to Piagentinis widow, Diane, who wrote a letter urging SUNY Brockport administrators to cancel the event. While my husband lay on the ground pleading with them not to kill him, pleading he had a wife and children, Piagentini wrote in her letter (pdf), Bottom took his service revolver and emptied it into his body. There were 22 bullet holes in his body. A description for the April 6 event on the university website doesnt mention the role Muntaqim played in the Harlem killings, but mentions a shoot-out in San Francisco that resulted in his capture. It further characterizes the man in a benign way, describing him as a grandfather, father, mentor to many, and loving human being. New York state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, along with several other Republican lawmakers, took issue with the characterization of Muntaqim as a political prisoner, and asked the university to consider students and staff who have family members in law enforcement. I am not sure how Anthony Bottom makes any student feel safer on campusespecially those who have family members in law enforcement, said Ortt. In response to criticism, SUNY Brockport President Heidi Macpherson said the school the school has received strong feedback since announcing the event, arguing that Muntaqims talk isnt meant to glorify his crimes, but serves as an opportunity for audience to gain a new perspective. We do not support the violence exhibited in Mr. Muntaqims previous crimes, and his presence on campus does not imply endorsement of his views or past actions. However, we believe in freedom of speech, Macpherson said Wednesday in a statement. SUNY Brockport has routinely held speaking events involving controversial speakers from various backgrounds and viewpoints, and will continue to do so. These conversations are uncomfortable. They are meant to be, she added. Theyre about gaining a new perspective. Muntaqim is also known as a co-founder of the Jericho Movement, a group advocating for the release of long-time inmates associated with radical left-wing groups, such as Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther and NPR journalist who is serving life without parole for killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981; and Mutulu Shakur, a former BLA member who organized the 1981 robbery of an armored truck in which one guard and two police officers were killed. The Jericho Movement describes Muntaqim and those who were sentenced to prison of similar crimes as political prisoners and prisoners of war. When Muntaqim was released on parole in 2020, the groups website published an article celebrating his return and praising him for maintaining the highest level of disciple (sic), integrity and self-respect and respect for others. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey fields a question at the Confederation Building in St. John's, N.L. on July 28, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan) Newfoundland Government Opening Office in Poland to Help Relocate Ukrainian Refugees The Newfoundland and Labrador government is opening an office in Poland to help Ukrainian refugees relocate to the province. Premier Andrew Furey announced the plan today in St. Johns, saying the Warsaw office will work in tandem with the Canadian Embassy and be staffed by members of the provincial Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism who speak the languages in the region. Provincial Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne joined Furey for the announcement and said the initiative is unique in Canada. Byrne says there is a Ukrainian diaspora in Newfoundland and Labrador, with about 1,400 people in the province who identify as being of Ukrainian descent. He says a team is already on the ground in Warsaw to gather information and figure out how the province can best serve Ukrainian refugees. Furey and Byrne said the Warsaw office is an extension of the provinces Ukrainian Family Support Desk that was launched on March 2 to help residents bring loved ones in Ukraine to the province. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin holds a joint press conference with the Slovak Minister of Defense, at the Slovak Ministry of Defense in Bratislava, Slovakia, on March 17, 2022. (Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images) No Such Thing as No-Fly Zone Lite: DOD Rejects Zelenskys Request The U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday that a NATO-enforced no-fly zone would do little to prevent some of Russias strikes inside Ukraine, coming after some members of Congress suggested the measure. The systems that are being used by the Russians to engage Ukrainian forces currentlytheyre using a lot of rockets and missiles and artillery, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told reporters. There are a number of things that can be used to counter that. But Austin said Russian forces have been using cruise missiles that are being launched from within Russias borders. So a no-fly zone would not have prevented that activity, Austin told reporters while speaking at a news conference with Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad in Bratislava, Slovakia. President Joe Biden was clear, we would not have U.S. forces fighting in Ukraine, he added. No-fly zone means you are in combat with Russia, our president said we are not getting into a fight with Russia. So what this really means is that in order to control the skies, you have to shut down the air defenses there on the ground, Austin elaborated. And some of those air defense systems are in Russia and so, again, theres no easy or simple way to do this. Theres no such thing as a no-fly zone lite. A no-fly zone means youre in a conflict with Russia. So from a U.S. perspective, were, again, our position remains that were not going to do that, he added. Since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has frequently called for the United States and NATO to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine. During a speech to Congress, Zelensky called on lawmakers to close the skies, meaning they should establish a no-fly zone over his country. Previously, NATO officials said that a no-fly zone would spread the conflict outside Ukraine and potentially start a world war with Russia. Rather than use a no-fly zone, U.S. officials have instead opted to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. Biden said earlier this week that his administration would provide Kyiv with 3,000 shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles that include about 800 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and 2,000 Javelin missiles that have been reportedly highly effective against Russian armored vehicles. Ukraine has also asked for MiG-29 fighter jets, S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, and other systems instead of a no-fly zone. Slovakia reportedly possesses Soviet-era S-300s, and Nad told reporters that his government is looking into sending weapons to Ukraine. Should Slovakia send the missile systems to Ukraine, Nad suggested that the defensive system would likely need to be replaced by the United States. Slovakia, which used to be the eastern half of former Czechoslovakia, is a former Warsaw Pact nation that shares a small border with Ukraine. Were willing to do so immediately when we have a proper replacement, Nad said, adding that the S-300 systems are its only strategic air defense system. So what would happen immediately when we decided to give it to Ukrainians is that we actually create a gap, a security gap, in NATO, he added. Hospitals closed, transportation halted, residents banned from leaving their own homesa new wave of infections has over 30 million in China adapting to a new normal. An incident erupts in a Chinese hospital. A reported COVID-19 case coverup sparks a fight among medical staff. Is North Korea reactivating its nuclear power? Satellite imagery may hold the answerand insight for the future. China may come to regret its stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. But is it winning another long-plotted, yet quiet conflict? And can the West fight back? Is China trying to distance itself from Russia? Beijing gives one of its most explicit statements yet on the global sanctions against Russia. Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus Subscribe to our newsletter for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit us on Gettr and Twitter. NYPD officers investigate a double stabbing inside the lobby of MOMA, New York, on March 11, 2022. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/TNS) NY Museum Stabbing Suspect Arrested in Pennsylvania After Setting Fire to Motel Room By Rocco Parascandola From New York Daily News NEW YORKThe crazed patron who police say stabbed two workers at the Museum of Modern Art in a caught-on-camera attack after his membership was revoked was caught in Philadelphia early Tuesday after setting his motel room on fire, the NYPD said. Gary Cabana, 60, was nabbed about 1:30 a.m.and had plenty to say when he was walked out of a Philadelphia police station in handcuffs. Best cops in the United States right here, buddy, Cabana said, wearing a black surgical mask, boots, jeans, and a dark-colored hoodie under a flannel shirt, videos tweeted by Philadelphia Fox News reporter Steve Keeley show. They just made the United States safeIm public enemy number one. Cabana set his fifth-floor room on fire about 6 p.m. Monday inside a Best Western motel in Philadelphia, police said. There were no injuries, but the room was badly damaged and the hotel was evacuated. The arson sparked a manhunt and police found Cabana sleeping on a bench inside the Philadelphia Greyhound station. They quickly realized he was also wanted for the Manhattan museum stabbings. Asked by a reporter after his arrest why he stabbed the museum workers, Cabana shot back, Man, read my Instagram. Praying for all the haters who believe the Moma/media LIES, Cabana commented on one of his Instagram posts Monday, part of a back and forth with commenters taunting him and telling him to turn himself in. After the arson fire, local Investigators determined who checked into that room and reviewed surveillance footage. They soon discovered their suspect matched the description of the man wanted in the New York stabbing incident and alerted the NYPD. The fire department almost immediately deemed the fire was an arson, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told Philadelphias WPVI-TV. We dont know why he came to Philadelphia. While on the lam, Cabana posted online that he is bipolar and the victim of a frame job. Police said Cabana stabbed the workers because he wasnt allowed into the famed museum to see a movie after his membership was revoked because of two past disruptions. He insisted his membership was unfairly revoked because he laughed in a movie. Cabana will appear at an extradition hearing before he is returned to New York City to face charges in the caught-on-video attack. On Saturday afternoon, Cabana allegedly barreled through the museums revolving door, leaped across a counter and stabbed the victims. The workers, a woman, 24, stabbed in the neck and back and a man, also 24, stabbed in the collarbone, are both recovering. Moments after the attack, police searched the museum looking for Cabana but he was already on the run. Police pursued leads placing Cabana in New Jersey and Manhattans Church of St. Francis of Assisi on W. 31st near Sixth Ave. They evacuated the house of worship before going inside and conducting a search, according to witnesses. Cabana was not there. The U.S. Secret Service was also involved in the case because the suspect had also made threats against former President Donald Trump, officials said. Cabana had ranted online about Trump, and said he didnt do enough to stop the spread of coronavirus. The Museum of Modern Art reopened to the public Tuesday morning. 2022 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Ohio Supreme Court Rejects States Legislative Maps for 3rd Time The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a pair of state legislative maps for a third time and ordered them to be redrawn, casting doubt on the states upcoming May 3 primary. In yet another 43 decision, the high court found the bipartisan Ohio Redistricting Commissions third attempt at drawing the House and Senate maps had once again failed to pass constitutional muster, and ordered a new set of maps to be drawn by March 28. The seven-member redistricting commission should draft maps in public, convene meetings regularly, and use a different mapmaker in its fourth attempt of drafting the legislative maps, the courts majority said in its decision, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The commission should retain an independent map drawerwho answers to all commission members, not only to the Republican legislative leadersto draft a plan through a transparent process, the court wrote. Resolving this self-created chaos thus depends not on the number of hands on the computer mouse but, rather, on the political will to honor the peoples call to end partisan gerrymandering, the decision reads. Substantial and compelling evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the main goal of the individuals who drafted the second revised plan was to favor the Republican Party and disfavor the Democratic Party, the majority wrote on Wednesday. Two justices in the minority called the decision an exercise of raw political power. Nothing less. Nothing more. Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, Justice Michael Donnelly, Justice Melody Stewart, and Justice Jennifer Brunner formed the majority opinion, while Justices Sharon Kennedy and Patrick Fischer dissented. Justice Patrick DeWine, son of Gov. Mike DeWine, also dissented. Kennedy and DeWine wrote the judgment is guaranteed to disrupt an impending election and bring Ohio to the brink of a constitutional crisis. Through its actions today, the majority undermines the democratic process, depriving the voters of the constitutional amendment they enacted and leaving in its place only the majoritys policy preferences, the pair wrote. In so doing, it threatens the very legitimacy of this court. The Ohio Supreme Courts decision to again reject the states legislative maps effectively slashes any hope of a primary with both legislative and statewide races on May 3. State election officials were expected to send out the first slate of absentee ballots to voters in the military and overseas later this week. The process was supposed to be completed last fall well into the 2022 primary season. In 2015, Ohioans overwhelmingly supported a constitutional amendment that mandated that the committee proportionally distribute districts to reflect Ohios 54 percent Republican, 46 percent Democratic split as part of an effort to avoid partisan favoritism in nationwide elections. The map-making process is something states are required to undertake once per decade to reflect population changes from the U.S. Census. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A view shows the Donetsk Regional Theatre of Drama destroyed by an airstrike amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 16, 2022. (Press service of the Donetsk Regional Civil-Military Administration/Handout via REUTERS) People Coming Out Alive From Bombed Mariupol Theatre Shelter: Ukrainian Officials Some of the hundreds of people who had been sheltering in a Mariupol theater that Ukraine said was hit by a powerful Russian air strike are alive and are being rescued from the rubble, according to Ukrainian officials. Sergei Orlov, the deputy mayor of Mariupol, told the BBC that most of what he estimated was between 1,000 and 1,200 people seeking refuge in the building had survived. Citing Ukrainian Parliament member Serhiy Taruta, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information said in a tweet Thursday that the bomb shelter underneath the Mariupol Drama Theatre had survived the shelling and people are coming out alive as the rubble is being cleared. The Mariupol City Council posted a photo of the destroyed building to social media on Wednesday, saying that Russian troops purposefully and cynically destroyed the Drama Theater in the heart of Mariupol. The plane dropped a bomb on a building where hundreds of peaceful Mariupol residents were hiding, the council stated. The Epoch Times has evaluated the picture and confirmed that its of the theater in the city, but it has not been able to corroborate any other claims related to the incident, which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called a horrendous war crime. The building is now fully ruined. Russians could not have not known this was a civilian shelter. Save Mariupol! Stop Russian war criminals! Kuleba wrote in a post on Twitter. The Russian Embassy in the United States has denied shelling the theater, labeling it as fake news. It claimed that Ukrainian militants from the Azov battalion held civilians there as hostages and committed a bloody provocation by exploding a mined cultural object. Rescue workers were continuing to search for survivors in the rubble of the theatre on Thursday, according to Reuters. Satellite images of the theatre taken prior to the strike show a large structure with a red roof and the Russian word for children painted in large white letters on the tarmac at the front and back. Mariupol has seen some of the fiercest bombardment of the conflict and remains encircled by Russian forces. Roman Hryshchuk, a Ukrainian Member of Parliament, cited the deputy mayor of Mariupol as saying that between 80-90 percent of the city has been destroyed and that there is no building without damage. Russias invasion of Ukraine entered its 22nd day on Thursday, with British intelligence indicating that Russian forces were mostly bogged down amid staunch Ukrainian resistance. Port of LA Adopts Wait and See Strategy for Future Cargo Surges The Port of Los Angeles is watching events closely in China as container ships stack up outside Chinese ports affected by new COVID-19 outbreaks and manufacturing shutdowns. After a year of cargo bottlenecks at the port, Executive Director Gene Seroka laid out his wait and watch strategy for what many industry experts say could upend the progress made on easing the supply chain. There are a few unknowns here, Seroka said during a March 16 press conference when asked about factory shutdowns in Shenzhen and other cities. Well continue to watch this. Shenzhen is the hub of electronics manufacturing in China, home to Tencent and Huawei Technologies. Cargo from South China represents about one-third of Los Angeles Ports inbound cargo. The ports officials will continue talking with friends and colleagues overseas and try to keep up with some other observations around factory strength so they can have a better look at the situation, Seroka said. You cant jump at shadows, Seroka said. You cant run around with your hair on fire. Were going to look at everything for what its worth, based on data and the facts. Were going to continue to be as resilient as possible. Trains with cargo containers prepare to leave the Port of Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Shipping industry experts say possible port closures and Chinas zero-tolerance policy for COVID-19 cases could worsen supply chain delays and reduce inventories. Before factoring in more shipping backups, retail experts were predicting imports at the nations container ports to be at near-record levels this spring and summer. Consumer demand and supply chain challenges continue to cause congestion, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released March 8 by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. Consumers are still spending and the supply chain is still working to keep up, NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a statement. Growth rates have slowed down from the off-the-charts numbers we saw last year, but volume is close to the highest weve ever seen. Congestion at the ports continues to plague ports on both coasts, according to the report. However, Seroka said congestion did not exist at the Port of LA. The port terminals are not congested, Seroka said. Instead, Seroka said unused trucking gates and regional labor shortages were to blame for delays. More than half of the truck gates at the terminals are not used, he said. That means, we could double the productivity on trucks and double the amount of cargo that moves in and out purely by the numbers of truck gates, Seroka said. Shipping containers wait to be transferred from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 14, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) California ramped up a program to issue more trucking licenses last year to ease the supply chain disruption. Port officials in Los Angeles said more than 65 percent of cargo stored at the docks for more than nine days has been cleared, but nearly 13,500 of the long-term containers still remained. Nearly 37,000 containers were on hand at the port, waiting up to four days for delivery. Retailers are also planning for more possible disruptions this summer from West Coast port labor contract negotiations, Gold said. The Port of Los Angeles does expect labor negotiations to continue past the June 30 deadline but that should not be a concern, Seroka said. Well keep a close tab on this, Seroka said. Problems remain with clearing import containers on the port terminals, according to a statement by Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett. Until supply chain problems are sorted out with more drivers, trucks and inland storage space, we do not expect to see a rapid decline in the backlogs being experienced, Hackett said. The Port of LA reported record imports again in February while exports continued to decline. The port received more than 424,000 containers, an increase of nearly 3 percent from last year. Loaded export reached more than 95,000, a nearly 6 percent decline. About 44 cargo ships were headed across the Pacific Ocean to the Los Angeles-area ports, which is down from a record 109 in January. Professor Objects to UC Schools Allowing Academic Departments to Issue Political Statements Entire departments in the University of California (UC) system may be allowed to take political sides in what could be a massive policy change to neutral education institutions, but at least one UC professor is opposed to the idea. Ethan Miller, a professor of computer engineering at UCSanta Cruz, told NTD Television that the proposed change in policy could lead to decreased state and local funding, as well as unnecessary divisions among students. My reaction when I first saw the policy, and I first found out about it about two weeks ago, was shock, Miller said. For decades, UC schools have adopted a politically neutral stance. In 1970, UC chancellors outlined a number of restrictions limiting the use of university resources and facilities for political activities. There are both educational and legal reasons why the University must remain politically neutral, the chancellors wrote at the time. Educationally, the pursuit of truth and knowledge is only possible in an atmosphere of freedom, and if the University were to surrender its neutrality, it would jeopardize its freedom. Legally, Article IX, section 9, of the State Constitution provides in part that The University shall be entirely independent of all political or sectarian influence and kept free therefrom in the appointment of its regents and in the administration of its affairs. However, in an October 2021 letter, the University Committee on Academic Freedom proposed to the UC Assembly of the Academic Senate that university departments be allowed to issue and endorse political statements. The committee wrote in its proposal that department statements wont be representing the universities. Our conclusion is that, while such statements are sometimes ill-advised and have the potential to chill or intimidate minority views, departments should not be precluded from issuing or endorsing statements, so long as a) such statements make clear that they are not intended to represent the views of the University as a whole and b) allowances are made for minority views to be expressed in some reasonable fashion, the letter reads. The letter also noted that others have argued that restricting the ability of departments to make or endorse statements would itself violate the academic freedom and/or free speech of faculty members in these departments. Miller believes that each professor has a right to his or her own opinion on political issues. He cautioned that if an entire department issues or endorses a specific political position, it could lead to more serious consequences. If a department says something, you cant say, Oh, but its just those two people. No, its the whole department, and thats the big difference. Thats what I want to make very clearthat it is not individuals that are an issue, he said. Students could potentially feel threatened if an entire department endorses a specific position on a political issue, according to Miller. If I as an individual say something about Ukraine, and a Russian student says, Well, I dont agree with that, they can either discuss it with me or just avoid me. But if a department takes a position on Ukraine, now a Russian student might feel threatened taking a class in that department, he said. Miller also noted that university staff and colleagues could feel similarly threatened. Or a colleague, perhaps a colleague from Russia, might feel threatened by the departments stance, and thats particularly important if its a colleague who happens to be a junior faculty member without tenure, he said. Or a visiting lecturer or non-tenure-track professor, this can be a problem for those people and it could mean that they have to shut up because the department said something. Miller said local governments could terminate university funding over politics. For example, legislators voted in February to terminate funding for the University of Wyomings Gender and Womens Studies program, according to The Hill. Legislators said the program was biased and offered a one-sided education. I dont want to see that happen at the University of California, where the legislature decides, We dont like your departments politics; were going to defund you, Miller said. But they did exactly that. Conversely, he said private schools, such as Stanford, are allowed to make political statements since theyre privately owned. Its different for public schools, which are funded by taxpayers. The University of California is the overarching system in charge of 10 schools: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. The UC Board of Regents didnt respond to NTDs request for comment by press time. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Russian government via teleconference in Moscow on March 10, 2022. (SputnikAFP/Getty Images/Mikhail Klimentyev) Putin Can Weather Economic Punishment Better Than the West: Former Australian Defence Head Russian President Vladimir Putins ability to absorb economic punishment outstrips that of democratic leaders, who will face pressure from voters from rising living costs in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, according to the former head of Australias Department of Defence. He doesnt face elections. He doesnt have to worry about petrol prices. He doesnt have to worry about the cost of livings, former head of the defence department, Dennis Richardson, told the National Press Club on March 16. Thats not just a reference to what we see in Australia today. The United States will face mid-term elections in Novemberbetween now and then they have their driving season and the summer holidaypetrol prices are already starting rise there, he said. The former diplomat said that in the longer-term, liberal democracies were stronger, but in the short to mid-term, he expected the bevy of sanctionsover 460 so far aimed at Russian oligarchs and state-owned enterprisesto have little effect. Fellow speaker at the Press Club, Professor Paul Dibb, former director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation, also could not see the sanctions being effective. They will bite now these sanctions, but can the oligarchs actually get their heads together and overthrow him? I could be terribly wrong. I hope I am. (But) I dont think so, he said. Along with sanctions from democratic nations, some of the worlds largest corporations have engaged in major boycotts of the Russian market to bring pressure on Putin. The Russian leader has responded in part by signing into law on March 14, a new initiative to re-register foreign-owned aircraft for Russian domestic use, according to state-run news outlet TASS. The new law will aim to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of activities in the field of civil aviation. As Russian troops edge closer to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was unlikely the country would be joining NATO. We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we cant enter those doors, he said. This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is. In response to the invasion, a 2015 video of U.S. political scientist John Joseph Mearsheimer has circulated online in which he criticises successive U.S. foreign policy experts and presidents for misreading the UkraineRussia relationship and oversimplifying the situation by blaming Putin without considering his strategic interests. NATO expansion was driven by 21st-century men and women. They believe balance of power politics is dead, thats what happened here. [But] Putin is a 19th-century man. He does view the world in terms of the balance of power politics, Mearsheimer said, in reference to Russian concerns that a westernised and militarised Ukraine would pose a threat. We thought we could drive right up to his doorstep, and it wouldnt matter. We should create a neutral Ukraine, which is a buffer state between NATO and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Russian government in Moscow, on March 10, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Putin Warns Traitors in Speech, Calls for Self-Purification in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a self-purification to rid Russia of individuals who are working to undermine the country. Russians, he said in a televised speech on Wednesday, will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, accusing the West of fostering a fifth column of Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about itthe destruction of Russia, he said, adding that he is convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. Putin further stipulated that he isnt judging those with villas in Miami or the French Riviera or Russians who cannot live without foie gras and mussels or so-called gender-based rights as long as they stood mentally with Russia after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. The problem does not lie in this, but I repeat, the fact that many of these people inherently, mentally, live elsewhere and not here with us, with our people, with Russia, Putin said, adding, This is, in their opinion a belonging to the higher caste, the higher race, according to a translation. On Thursday, top Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed Putins remarks and said that many people are acting to undermine Russia. In such difficult times many people show their true colors. Very many people are showing themselves, as we say in Russian, to be traitors, Peskov told reporters, according to the Reuters news agency. Its not clear what new domestic policies Putin or the Kremlin may pursue following his address. Following the start of the conflict and in addition to sanctioning senior Russian officials like Putin and Peskov, the Biden administration has frozen the Russian Central Banks assets, sanctioned several Russian oligarchs, sanctioned the nations largest banks, and it has removed these financial entities from the worlds largest financial transactions systems. European countries have also issued similar sanctions against the Russian economy. The White House also banned the import of Russian oil and shut down Russian commercial flights to the United States. His remarks come as Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Putin about the latest developments of the RussianUkrainian conflict and the humanitarian situation on the ground. Erdogan stressed that some issues could be resolved through a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and repeated his offer to host them in Istanbul or Ankara, according to a read-out released by the Turkish presidencys communications directorate. Erdogan added his hopes that a lasting cease-fire would open the path to a long-term solution and emphasized the importance of diplomacy. He also added humanitarian corridors should function in both directions effectively and without issues, according to the statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Why does existence exist? This is the first spiritual question we asked (in Part 2 of this series). The answer: because creationthe cosmosis good, very good, and the correct response to it is joy. But there are two other spiritual questions we now need to consider. The first of these, to be discussed here in part 3, is extremely well known to anyone who has ever done a serious personal development course. Namely, what is the meaning (or sometimes the word purpose is used) of my life? There is the question, in its naked intensity! There is an apocryphal story about the world-famous English philosopher Bertrand Russell, who had been appearing on television as an all-purpose-wisdom pundit and so was recognized by a London taxi driver whom Russell had hailed for a lift. In getting into the taxi, the driver simply asked, Whats it all about, Bert? The story is very funny, not least in the overly familiar way the driver addressed Russell, but the important thing is that the questionwhat is the meaning of my life?is not something reserved for academics and philosophers. All thoughtful people consider it at some time or other; in fact, its usually when the chips are down and life isnt making sense. Indeed, long ago, but post-World War II, Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl observed, More and more patients are crowding our clinics and consulting rooms complaining of an inner emptiness, a sense of total and ultimate meaninglessness of their lives, as Colin Wilson cites in his book The Essential Colin Wilson. Wilson goes on to say, I coined the term nothingness neurosis to describe this state. Man evolves through a sense of external meaning. When his sense of meaning is strong, he maintains a high level of will-drive and of general health. Without this sense of external meaning, he becomes the victim of subjective emotions, a kind of dream that tends to degenerate into a nightmare. His uncontrolled fantasies and worries turn into an octopus that strangles him. The Greatest Illness of All But what does this strangulation look like? It looks like increased incidences of depression, anomie, and suicide, say Nathan Mascaro and David H. Rosen in their article Existential Meanings Role in the Enhancement of Hope and Prevention of Depressive Symptoms. Their research from the University of Texas gives the general flavor: A phenomenon that may parallel increased rates of depression and hopelessness is the loss of existential meaning, or existential neurosis, which could be considered the disorder of our age: Consider the demise of the idealism typically provided by religion, metaphysical philosophy, and other such activities that engage humans in vertical or transcendent cogitation, [the] dying out of the old-world activities of planting and harvesting that gave people concrete purpose as well as a deeper communion with nature, and the concurrent rise of materialism, reductionism, and nihilism. Virtually all the statistics that one could drum up in the United States and the UKover the last 20 years or morepoint to big increases in depression, suicide, and anomie. Anomie, according to the dictionary, refers to the lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group. And what might one expect from those suffering from anomie? Right! An increase in selfish and/or criminal behaviorsall too evident, and all too around us. American psychoanalyst James Hollis expressed it so well: When we live without meaning, we suffer the greatest illness of all. In Seeking, We Find If we seek our purpose in life, we will find it. Dream of Solomon, circa 16941695, by Luca Giordano. Oil on canvas; 8 feet by 11 feet, 9 1/4 inches. The National Museum of Prado, Madrid. (Public Domain) And the truth is, there is no real reason for people to believe that life is meaningless, since there is so much evidence to the contrary; of course, keeping in mind, as English philosopher Aldous Huxley noted, that Those who detect no meaning in the world generally do so because, for one reason or another, it suits their books that the world should be meaningless. Leaving aside those, then, those with vested interests in promoting meaninglessness and nihilism, the genuine human searcher will find that The universe does not inherently lack meaning. If it seems to do so, it is because we were created to provide this sense of meaning and are failing to do our job. This is the belief of American philosopher Richard Smoley, who wrote that in his book Inner Christianity. In other words, we need to try harder. We need to look, to seek, because as the old parable said, then we will find. That we will find if we honestly seek, British scholar and novelist C.S. Lewis assures us: If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. This surely is a most brilliant observation. We can only say there is no meaning from a vantage point of meaning; meaninglessness cannot provide a structure or basis from which we can interrogate meaning. Meaning Is Primary Again, it is the great spiritual traditions that continually uphold this pivotal role of meaning. Even the pagans saw this. The whole point of Zeuss fight with the Titans and afterward the Giants was to sustain the orderthe meaningof the cosmos. If Typhon had prevailed against Zeus, the universe would have slid into chaos, which is to say, meaninglessness. Similarly, and more spectacularly, the opening of Johns Gospel testifies to the Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word for Word here is Logos, which means word but also meaning. A paraphrase then might be: In the beginning was the meaning, and this meaning was with God, and this meaning was God! Finally, the further equation between word and meaning is made when George Steiner, the distinguished Franco-American critic, often described as a polyglot and polymath, commented in his book Real Presences that Any coherent understanding of what language is and how language performs, that any coherent account of the capacity of human speech to communicate meaning and feeling is, in the final analysis, underwritten by the assumption of Gods presence. If we dont like the word, God, then we can say Transcendental Realitysomething bigger than we are, something or someone on whom all reality, the cosmos itself, depends. This, clearly, is the very opposite of meaninglessness and nihilism. Therefore, it is no good shrugging ones shoulders as if ignoring the question were the most sensible approach, as many people dotheir justification being: We cant know the meaning of our lives, so theres no point in trying. This can only lead, ultimately, to the problems we have outlined above, that greatest illness of all. No, we have to seek so that we might find; its the odyssey of our lives, in other words. Why has the Odyssey by Homer become the archetypal text for Western humanity (and also relevant to the East as well)? The journey of Odysseus is all our journeys. All of us face tribulations as we sail toward home. Odysseus and Polyphemus, 1896, by Arnold Bocklin. (Public Domain) On the one hand, its the journey of the hero homeat long last after 20 years away, finding ones home after all the distracting detours, monsters, and enchantments. And on the other, mythically, it is the reuniting of the male with the female, which can be read literally but also read as the body and mind at last in reunification with the soul, for Penelope is the anima to Odysseuss animus. The Beauty Behind Meaningfulness We have to be heroes or heroines, we have to go on a journey, as staying where we are is a prescription for death and decay. In an article like this, which is necessarily brief, we have to understand (I mean really understand) one simple thing that holds true at all times. The famous anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss put it this way in his book Myth and Meaning: It is, I think, absolutely impossible to conceive of meaning without order. Order is all around us, order is behind all languages, and order is the organizing principle of the cosmos. Human beings may disrupt this order through their own evil at a personal, local, regional, national, and even international level, but always the universe comes back into balance. This order is the same thing as the Logos that Johns Gospel mentions. But by framing it with the word order, there is an important and extra implication. Namely, order always produces beauty; indeed, it is beauty. Scientists grow rapturous about the beauty of certain equations; artists wax lyrical about the beauty of sculpture, canvas, and much else besides; and the heavens declare the handiwork of God, as Psalm 19.1 proclaims. Heck, the British are famous for their ability to form and endure long lines for services, any services! It may not be great art, but people functioning in an orderly way has its own beauty. Actively looking for beauty, and to increase the beauty in ones own life, is a starting point for finding meaning. Perhaps more obviously, clinical psychologist Jordan B. Petersons words from his book 12 Rules for Life might ring very true here: In the West, we have been withdrawing from our tradition-, religion- and even nation-centered cultures, partly to decrease the danger of group conflict. But we are increasingly falling prey to the desperation of meaninglessness, and that is no improvement at all. We have to go back to these three areas (tradition, religion, nation), rather than trying to be modern and progressive, regarding them as some form of obsolescence. Our mental health, not to mention our souls, actually depends on it. In our fourth and final article in this series, we will tackle the last key spiritual question that all people who wish to lead a full, fulfilling and joyful life (which of course will never be conflict-free) must address. Part 1, Reviewing 2021 in the Month of Janus: Abandoning Purpose in Life for Our Feelings, looks at how we tend to focus on our physical and emotional states rather than our spiritual one. Part 2, The Importance of the Question: Why Do We Exist? discusses that if we truly ponder this question, we realize that creation itself is self-evidently good. A firefighter walks outside a destroyed apartment building after a bombing in a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. (Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo) Russia Launched Nearly 1,000 Missiles Since Invasion, Fired Huge Amount Overnight: Officials Russian warships on Wednesday night launched missiles and artillery at the Ukrainian sea coast near Tuzla, a village to the south of Odesa, a top Ukrainian official said. They fired a huge amount of ammunition from a great distance, Anton Gerashchenko, a former deputy minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed in a statement on Facebook. Gerashchenko said that he believes Russia wanted to test Ukraines coastal defense system, adding that there was no attempt to land paratroops. He didnt clarify whether any of the shelling hit anything. More than 950 missiles were fired since Russian forces started their attack on the former Soviet nation about three weeks ago, up from an estimated 900 on Monday, a senior U.S. Defense Department (USDOD) official said on Tuesday, adding that both Russia and Ukraine still retain about 90 percent of their combat power. As airstrikes continue, the United States has seen indications that Russia may believe it needs more troops and supplies than it has on hand in the country, and is considering ways to get resources brought in, said the USDOD official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. military assessments. Ukrainian servicemen carry a washing machine as they help to relocate goods from a destroyed market in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. (Andrew Marienko/AP Photo) The official did not elaborate on the indications, and said that as of Tuesday, however, there has been no actual movement of reinforcement troops currently in Russia going into Ukraine. According to the official, Russian ground forces are still about 912 miles northwest of Kyiv and 1219 miles east of the city, which is being increasingly hit by long-range strikes. The official said Ukrainian troops continue to put up stiff resistance in Kharkiv and other areas. British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) also said in a March 17 update that the advance of Russian forces had mostly bogged down on all fronts amid what it described as staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance. Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea, or air in recent days and they continue to suffer heavy losses, SIS said in the update. On Thursday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that Russia has lost about 14,000 personnel in addition to 1,435 armored combat vehicles, 444 tanks, 201 artillery systems, 86 aircraft, 108 helicopters, three ships, among other equipment since the war on Ukraine began on Feb. 24. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News Russia-Linked Oil, Fuel Cargoes Rush to US Before Ban Starts HOUSTONAt least 10 vessels carrying Russia-linked cargoes of crude and refined products were approaching the United States on Wednesday, as suppliers rushed to deliver ahead of the U.S. governments deadline to wind down Russian energy purchases, data from traders and Refinitiv Eikon showed. The United States, the worlds biggest oil consumer, this month banned imports of Russian energy products due to the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special operation. Washingtons ban gives importers until April 22 to discharge cargoes moving under pre-ban contracts. At least one tanker carrying fuel oil heading to the United States has diverted, and at least two others that stopped at Russian terminals are awaiting discharge at U.S. ports, according to Refinitiv data, one since March 7. U.S. crude and products arrivals from Russia are provisionally forecast at 18 million barrels, or 597,000 barrels per day (bpd) on average this month, said energy strategist Clay Seigle, citing Vortexa data. That compared with an average of 672,000 bpd last year, according to U.S. government data. U.S. importers need to consider not only the legal risk, but also the reputational risk for dealing in sanctioned or stigmatized oil products, Seigle added. Tankers Arrive Oil tanker Elli, which was bound for the United States after docking at a Russian port, is now anchored near toward Ceuta on Moroccos northern coast. Beijing Spirit, carrying Russian crude, was bound for the United States, diverted to France, and now signals a March 26 arrival in Philadelphia, Refinitiv showed. Halkidon Shipping Corp., which manages the Elli, said the vessel was instructed by her charterers to remain and await orders off Gibraltar, while en-route from Novorossiisk, Russia, to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, The U.S. ban on Russian imports does not prohibit trading in CPC crude, the U.S. Treasury said last week. In an advisory, it said the CPC can segregate Russian origin crude to market and load non-Russian oils separately. CPC Blend is composed primarily of oil from Kazakhstan that is often mixed with Russian crude and loaded at Russias Novorossiisk port on the Black Sea. By Arathy Somasekhar A member of the Ukrainian military surveys an area next to a residential building that was hit by an intercepted missile, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 17, 2022. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) Russian Advance Bogged Down Amid Staunch and Well-Coordinated Ukrainian Resistance: UK Intelligence As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth week, British intelligence says Russian forces are mostly bogged down on all fronts amid what it described as a staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance. Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea, or air in recent days and they continue to suffer heavy losses, British intelligence said in a March 17 update. Heavily outnumbered Ukrainian forces have prevented Russian troops from capturing any of Ukraines biggest cities so far despite the largest assault on a European state since World War II. The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands, British intelligence said. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled the country, and thousands of civilians and military service members have been killed amid the fighting. Mariupol has been the scene of the worst humanitarian catastrophe, with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in their basements with no food, water, or power. Russian forces agreed on March 14 to allow for a humanitarian corridor out of the besieged port city, with Sky News reporting that some 20,000 people have now managed to flee. The aftermath of an attack on Mariupol Hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 9, 2022, in this image taken from video provided by the Mariupol City Council. (Mariupol City Council via AP) Some of the suburbs of Kyiv have been reduced to rubble by heavy fighting, although the capital itself has held firm. The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia traveled to Kyiv on March 15, braving a risky train trip through a war zone to demonstrate their support for Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki described the struggle as one between freedom and tyranny. It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made. It is here, that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that the future of us all hangs in the balance. EU supports UA, which can count on the help of its friends we brought this message to Kyiv today. pic.twitter.com/Us7k9xTq5f Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) March 15, 2022 Retired Polish Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak, former commander of the countrys land forces, told Polskie Radio 24 in a recent interview that, in his assessment, the ferocity of the initial clashes has mostly given way to positional warfare, limited largely to Russian artillery and rocket fire, with much of it directed at civilian infrastructure. Russia has denied targeting civilian infrastructure or civilians. Skrzypczak said both sides have ceased major maneuvers and have mostly dug in defensively, with troop-on-troop combat mostly confined to small-scale, localized offensives and counter-attacks. Theres now a race on for which side can gain an advantage by mobilizing their respective reserves and launching counter-offensives or large-scale assaults against opposing forces, he said. The retired general added that he believes Russian troops have been heavily battered by three weeks of combat against Ukrainian forces. Russian forces are tired and spent from this fight. It makes no difference whether theyre being resupplied with ammunition or not, 20 days of combat is a huge effort for soldiers to undertake and absorbs a lot of energy, Skrzypczak said. Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a residential apartment building after it was hit by a Russian attack in the early hours of the morning in the Sviatoshynskyi District in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) British intelligence assessed on March 16 that Russias lack of significant progress in its advance was likely leading to the use of older, less precise weapons, which are less militarily effective and more likely to result in civilian casualties. Latest U.N. reporting indicates that 1,900 civilian casualties, including 726 deaths, have already occurred in the conflict to date. The true casualty figure is likely to be significantly greater and will continue to rise as long as the conflict continues, British intelligence said. Both sides have said theres been progress in peace talks. Ukrainian officials have said they think Russia is running out of troops to keep fighting and could soon come to terms with its failure to topple the Ukrainian government. Moscow has said an agreement is close on an arrangement that would keep Ukraine neutral, a key demand by Russia, which fears Kyivs ambitions to join NATO. Moscow said peace talks resumed on March 17 by video link for a fourth straight day, focusing on military, political, and humanitarian issues. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at a press conference in Brussels on March 16 that its up to Ukraine as a sovereign nation to decide if it aspires to membership in the alliance. He reiterated NATOs earlier pledge that no alliance troops would engage in the conflict, but said the organization would continue to support Ukraine by providing military aid. We support Ukraine because we know what they can achieve on the negotiating table is of course very closely linked to the situation on the battlefield, Stoltenberg said. So I strongly also believe that one reason why the Ukrainians also are saying that they have seen some steps in the right direction is because they have been able to fight back. They have been able to fight back against the invading Russian forces. Reuters contributed to this report. Protesters stand atop a truck in downtown Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022, at the beginning of the Freedom Convoy demonstration. (Noe Chartier/The Epoch Times) No Russian Money Behind Freedom Convoy, Says GoFundMe Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe said Russia played no role in the financing of the Freedom Convoy in testimony before the House Finance Committee Thursday, with a Liberal MP suggesting it was the case. Sophie Chatel prefaced her questioning of GoFundMe by saying that Russia has been engaged in misinformation warfare for years and that it has $1 trillion in dark money that is circulating, dedicated to undermine our democracy. So you accumulate $10 million from donors, Chatel said in reference to the amount collected by GoFundMe before it shut down the fundraiser to support the Freedom Convoy. GoFundMe president Juan Benitez told the Finance Committee that 88 percent of donations originated from within Canada, information it gave to the Public Safety Committee on March 3. Chatel cast doubt on whether the funds were indeed really mostly from Canadians. Because, you know, we know Russia and all other money launderers, they are holding bank accounts in every country under several shell companies, or even companies that appear legitimate. So whats your due diligence to look beyond the credit card holder? Benitez provided an explanation of the various measures taken by his company. We stepped up our donation reviews and proactively did that review of foreign sources, and so we feel comfortable with our policies and processes associated with those reviews, he said. Another MP on the committee called out Chatel for pursuing the Russian angle. With respect, I think one of my colleagues was a little bit irresponsible in talking about speculation of connection with the Russian government, said Conservative MP Philip Lawrence, who then proceeded to ask GoFundMe about any Russian donations. In your search, in the way that you review transactions, did you uncover any connection between the illegal protests or blockades and the Russian government? Lawrence said. For this campaign, we did review the source of donations extensively and there was virtually only perhaps a handful at most of donations from Russia, said Benitez. In our opinion, and the evidence we see, there was just no coordinated effort there to have any kind of contribution or impact. Chatel defended pursuing the Russian angle by saying that disinformation warfare is absolutely real. Theres no doubt in our mind. It entices people to donate for causes that are harmful to our democracy. The claim that Russia was supporting the Freedom Convoy, a cross-country movement demanding the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, had been previously made by the state broadcaster CBC. In late January, a CBC host suggested that Russia could be backing the protest movement, but the network later issued a clarification. The Emergencies Act was invoked by the Liberal government on Feb. 14 to suppress the protests and blockades related to the Freedom Convoy. It was lifted on Feb. 23. Marina Ovsyannikova, the editor at the state broadcaster Channel One who protested against Russian military action in Ukraine during the evening news broadcast at the station late March 14, leaves the Ostankinsky District Court after being fined for 30,000 rubles (about $270) for breaching protest laws in Moscow on March 15, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images) Russian On-air Protester Fined, Faces Possible Prison Term NEW YORKAn employee of Russian state television who interrupted a live news program to protest the war in Ukraine was released from custody Tuesday and fined about $270, but still could face a prison sentence. Marina Ovsyannikova told reporters she was not allowed to sleep while held in police custody and that she was interrogated for 14 hours. Ovsyannikova, an employee of Channel 1, walked behind the presenter during Mondays evening news show with a poster saying stop the war, dont believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here. In English, it said no war at the top of the poster and Russians against the war at the bottom. An image of Russian Channel One employee Marina Ovsyannikova entering Ostankino on-air TV studio in Moscow during Russias most-watched evening news broadcast on March 14, holding up a poster that reads as No War and condemning Moscows military action in Ukraine, taken on March 15, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images) In a video recorded earlier, she urged Russians to join anti-war protests and said that Russia is the aggressor country and one person, Vladimir Putin, solely bears responsibility for that aggression. The state news agency Tass said Ovsyannikova was fined for the video and remains under investigation for the on-air protest under a law banning dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of Russian armed forces. The new law carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence. Ovsyannikova, whose father is Ukrainian and her mother Russian, spent the night in police custody. These were very difficult days of my life because I literally went two full days without sleep, the interrogation lasted for more than 14 hours and they didnt allow me to contact my family and close friends, didnt provide any legal support, Ovsyannikova said. The court ordered her to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles (about $270) on charges of organizing unsanctioned actions for her call to take part in demonstrations against the war. San Clemente Looks to Withdraw from Orange County Library System SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.San Clemente city officials are considering withdrawing the citys public library from the countys library system, citing the citys taxpayers have been paying hundreds of thousands more than the cost of services received from the county. Meanwhile, residents are worried that withdrawal means fewer resources and services at the San Clemente Library. Im not interested in throwing the baby out with the bathwater, Mayor Gene James told The Epoch Times. Im interested in San Clemente getting what its paying for. According to James, the latest County Library Analysis report from 2021 indicated that San Clemente Librarys operation and furnishing costs approximately $889,000 annually. However, Orange County Public Library system takes $1.3 million a year from the citys property tax revenue, leaving approximately $400,000 in excess funds. Because the city pays more than the cost of library operation, the countys library system dubs San Clemente a donor city, according to a 2014 library analysis report. However, system-wide expenses are often excluded when cities calculate how much they have to pay for running their libraries. System-wide expensesor centralized expensescover the operations of the library system, which supports its branch libraries, but do not directly cover a specific librarys operating costs like administrative, maintenance, and supplies. Excluding system-wide expenses makes it difficult for member cities to know the total actual cost of the services received, the 2014 report said. Donor cities like San Clemente or Irvine that pay more than the cost of their operations have three alternatives if they wish to get their excess payment back from the countys library system. The system could either directly allocate funding on a one-time or continuing basis to libraries for additional services or hours of operation. A city could request the system refund excess funding back to the city for alternative library service options. Or a city could completely withdraw its library from the system, redirecting the librarys property tax revenue back to the city for the city to operate and maintain its library on its own. During the March 1 city council meeting, San Clemente residents also voiced their concern about the councils proposal to withdraw, fearing the citys library could not sustain itself without the county library systems support. Withdrawing from the county library system would be the last thing I would want to do, James said. By being a part of the system, our residents have access to more books they can request from other libraries in the Orange County System. The council eventually was unable to discuss further due to the lack of recent data available at the time of the meeting. If the council later approves the withdrawal, city staff has until the Jan. 1, 2023, deadline to notify the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The discussion could resurface in the council as early as April 5. The Orange County Public Library Systemprimarily funded by property taxes from participating citiesserves 1.6 million residents in 24 cities with 34 libraries and support facilities and is the third-largest local library system in California after the Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City systems. An 1887 illustration of a Maclear's rat (Rattus macleari) which was last seen on Christmas Island 119 years ago supplied Thursday, March 10, 2022 shows. (AAP Image/Supplied, Joseph Smit) Scientist Exploring De-Extinction Issues With Aussie Rat Species Australias extinct Christmas Island rat is the subject of a scientists exploration into the possibility of and ethics behind de-extinction. Tom Gilbert, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) in Denmark, is attempting to reconstruct the extinct Christmas Island rat otherwise known as Maclears rat. The Christmas Island rat has been extinct since 1903. The Aussie marsupial was wiped out by deadly diseases introduced to its home by the European black rats that were brought to the island by British explorers in 1886. Gilbert in a UCPH media release on March 9 said that Maclears rat is a good candidate for de-extinction because it went extinct only 119 years ago so its genome has not largely diverged from modern rat species. To bring something back by genome editing, you find the closest living relative, and that is the animal alive today with the genome that is most similar to the extinct one. This requires the fewest edits, said Gilbert in an email to the Epoch Times. The further back in time they diverged from each other, the more differences they will have evolved. Thus far scientists working on de-extinction have mainly focused on animals that died out earlier than Maclears rat such as the woolly mammoth. Reconstructions of earlier animals are less accurate to the original animal because a larger portion of the extinct animals genome cannot be identified. The modern genome of an extinct animals closest living relative is used to interpret the older genome and if it has significantly evolved away from the extinct creatures then large chunks of the genome will remain unidentifiable. If we try and use the genome of more and more distantly related species to get back the extinct species genome sequence, we miss more and more information, said Gilbert. Model of a Woolly Mammoth at Royal BC Museum. (CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia) He said that a full intact book is like a modern living species genome, a lot about it can be deciphered, even if the book was put through a shredder, with enough time it could be deciphered by going through all of the book pieces. However say the book is written in 15th century English. And say you arent a scholar in 15th century English, he said. Sure you could look at all the fragments and guess what some are about, others will be less clear. One thing you could do is take all the fragments and compare them to a 20th century version of the book that you can understand, said Gilbert. A lot of the fragments will match. But some wontas parts of the language have changed too much in 500 years. This is essentially our point. DNA changes, in some parts of the genome fast, other parts slower, he said. When we take our crappy fragmented Christmas rat sequence and compare to a modern sequenceabout 95% of the sequences we can identify as they are still similar-ish to the modern rat. But 5% have changed too much to be identified. Although five percent of the Christmas Island rats genome cannot be identified, 95 percent has been determined through sequencing and comparing the extinct rats DNA with a Norway brown rats genome. A brown rat. (Pete Beard/Flickr CC BY 2.0) In theory, the partially identified genome could be used to manufacture a hybrid of the extinct rat. Scientists could hypothetically use CRISPR technology to edit the living species DNA to match that of the extinct creature, which is a significant scientific development. According to Yourgenome.org, CRISPR technology consists of two molecules, an enzyme called Cas9 and a piece of RNA called guide RNA or gRNARNA delivers messages from DNA to a cells protein-making factories. The enzyme acts like a scissor, cutting the two strands of a DNA helix at a specific location in the genome so that DNA can be removed or added. The RNA sequence acts as a map for the enzyme, instructing it on where to make its cut. Once the enzyme makes a cut the cell recognizes that it has been damaged and attempts to repair the cut, allowing for scientists to use the cells DNA repair machinery to introduce mutations to that region of the genome. Although this study communicates a large scientific development, it also strengthens the ethical argument against the process of de-extinction. The study proves that the animals manufactured through this process cannot fully be the extinct animal they are meant to be. Gilbert said that the genome sequencers that cannot be recognized cluster in regions of the genome that are probably important, like the region responsible for a creatures sense of smell. And given that at Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics we believe that the genome shapes the microbiome and that the microbiome shapes how things live, it leads me to question what effect this missing genetic information might have on the microbiome of the animal, said Gilbert in the UCPH media release. In the email to the Epoch Times Gilbert said that the aim of his work is not to re-establish the Maclear rat population in Christmas Island but to explore whether the extinct rat could be reconstructed through gene editing. If it was released, given it wont be a perfect match to the lost form, my guess is it will die quickly as its biologically screwed up. And certainly not have the right microbiome which is key for survival, he said. Gilbert said that the choice between spending money to try and bring an extinct animal back and spending money to save currently endangered animals is a no brainer. He said that the process of de-extinction cannot produce a 100 percent replica of an extinct creature and therefore the replica cannot function as the lost one, so focusing on saving currently endangered animals is the better choice. Of course, the reality is that money doesnt work like that, said Gilbert. Some rich philanthropist wants to only support de-extinctionthen great. Im all for people trying. But our message isyou wont get exactly what you hope to get. Meanwhile, the Maclears rat is not the only Aussie marsupial currently up for de-extinction. In Melbourne, Australia, scientists are trying to bring back a Tasmanian tiger population and are building a $5 million genetic restoration lab. Tasmanian tiger (Thylacine) displayed at the Australian Museum in Sydney, 2002. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images) Prof. Andrew Pask, from the School of BioSciences at the University of Melbourne has said that of all the species proposed for de-extinction, the thylacine has one of the most compelling case. This is because the Tasmanian habitat has remained largely unchanged, providing the perfect environment to re-introduce the thylacine, Pask argued. Nearly nine years after a metal detectorist in Scotland first stumbled on the largest hoard of Viking-age treasure ever unearthed in Britain or Ireland, its contents continue to yield new discoveries in the hands of researchers. The Galloway Hoard, found in 2014 by one Derrick McLennan from Ayrshire, consists of over 100 gold, silver, crystal, stone, glass, and earthen objects from the Viking age (a period from around A.D. 800 to 1050). In this trove, consisting of objects from as far away as the Middle East and Central Asia, was found a mysterious clump of wrapped, extremely fragile and rarely surviving textiles, through which could only partially be observed an object made of rock crystal and gold. (Courtesy of Neil Hanna via National Museums Scotland) The entire treasure, uncovered on glebelands owned by the Church of Scotland, is currently on display at Kirkcudbright Galleries in Dumfries and Galloway, which features this exciting new reveal. The object was examined with 3D X-ray, allowing researchers to see what it looks like under the wrapping without damaging it. The artifact has since been unwrapped and identified as a rock crystal jar, measuring 5 cm high and resembling an ornate perfume bottle. It is wrapped in gold with a gold inscription on the base, which reads: Bishop Hyguald had me made. The jar is believed to have belonged to an ecclesiastic. The inscription is in Latin, which was the universal language of the Western Church in those days, said Professor Alex Woolf, senior lecturer at the University of St. Andrews. The sources and records of the period are incomplete, but what we do know from them is that there were several ecclesiastics in early Medieval Northumbria with the name Hyguald. (Courtesy of Neil Hanna via National Museums Scotland) (Courtesy of Neil Hanna via National Museums Scotland) He added: We dont know of a Bishop Hyguald, specifically, but our lists of Northumbrian bishops are incomplete after 810. It is accordinglyand frustratinglydifficult to be more precise but it may well be that what were looking at is an otherwise undocumented mid-9th-century bishop of either Whithorn or Hexham. The inscription is the clearest evidence that some of the material in the hoard may have come from a church in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, National Museums Scotland stated in a press release. That kingdom included Dumfries and Galloway and stretched as far north as Edinburgh and as far south as Sheffield. Carved artifacts like this rock crystal jar have been observed before. One researcher surmises that the jar was repurposed after serving a different function. (Courtesy of Neil Hanna via National Museums Scotland) It looks, from the carved surface of the Galloway Hoard rock crystal, that this was once the capital of a Corinthian-style crystal column, said Dr. Martin Goldberg, principal curator of Medieval Archaeology & History at National Museums Scotland. This is unique in early medieval Britain but there are parallels within the Roman Empire for objects of this type. The ones that I have seen are in the Vatican collection, where there are different forms of carved crystal columns. And so it was maybe 500 years old by the time it was transformed in the late-8th or early-9th century into a gold-wrapped jar. Such superior craftsmanship exhibited in this jar opens the possibility that it was made in an ecclesiastic workshop of some kind. The precious materials, too, were highly valued in those days and might have held spiritual significance of some kind. (Courtesy of Neil Hanna via National Museums Scotland) Rock crystal is unusual in itself, said Dr. Leslie Webster, former keeper of Britain prehistory in Europe at the British Museum. It is one of those materials that was greatly prized in the antique world, for its transparency and translucency, and so its associated with purity. So it was, I think even in its time, very, very special. She added: And you can see from the way that the gold almost enshrines it, its made into a sort of relic. Its a showcasing piece from a very high-status workshop, such as one that you might expect a bishop to have in one of his monasteries. This object is absolutely fascinating. Ive seen a lot of Anglo-Saxon finds over the years in my professional career, some of them amazing. But this absolutely knocks them all into a cocked hat. The exhibition Galloway Hoard: Viking-age Treasure is currently open at Kirkcudbright Galleries and runs until July 10, 2022. It will then show at Aberdeen Art Gallery from July 30 to Oct. 23. Additionally, a new film showcasing the rock crystal jar with the inscription will be featured from Dec. 20. The treasure will eventually be put on long-term display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, with a representative portion being shown long term at Kirkcudbright Galleries. 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 A soldier in the Afghan National Army walks past a burn pit at a command outpost in Kandahar Province, Zhari District, Afghanistan, on March 22, 2013. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Senators Hear Testimony on Soldiers Exposure to Toxic Burn Pits Controversial method still used in CENTCOM 'when it's a military operational necessity': Defense official Experts testified at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on March 16 about the long-term health effects of exposure to burn pits that used jet fuel to incinerate medical waste, chemicals, human waste, and other trash at U.S. military installations during the First Gulf War and subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The hearing coincided with a new proposal from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), chair of the SASCs subcommittee on personnel, that would provide Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care to U.S. service members with a myriad of serious diseases who worked on bases that used burn pits. Her proposal, Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2021, would automatically entitle veterans who served in southwest Asian theaters from 1990 onward to disability benefits if they suffer from various cancers, post-service asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and other health conditions that have been linked to burn pit exposure. While other bills to address burn pit victims have been proposed, Gillibrand told The Epoch Times at a March 16 press conference that her proposal is the only one to offer presumptive benefitsmeaning veterans wouldnt have to undergo medical examinations to prove their ailments were related to service. One of those less expansive bills is the bipartisan Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, which would require the VA to screen veterans for burn pit toxin exposure, establish an outreach program to make contact with such veterans, and notify them of benefits to which they are entitled. Hundreds of Thousands Exposed Co-sponsored by the personnel subcommittees ranking Republican and the co-leader of the March 16 hearing, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), the measure passed the Senate unanimously in February. A previous version of Gillibrands bill was approved by the House on March 3 as part of the Honoring Our Pact Act. It received 256 yeas, including 34 from Republicans, and 174 nays, all from Republicans. I think the bill can pass [the Senate] as is if we had an up or down vote today, Gillibrand told reporters. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the relevant portion of the House version of Gillibrands bill would cost $63.1 billion in direct spending over 10 years, including $15.7 billion for the reevaluation of claims that were previously denied. In addition, it would raise spending subject to appropriation by $18.8 billion. The VA estimates that roughly 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans may have been exposed to burn pits, and hundreds of thousands of veterans are already on the VAs burn pit registry. Thats why the score is so high. But when I look at this number, its the cost of war, Gillibrand told reporters. The CBO hasnt released a cost estimate for Tilliss bill. While Gillibrand told reporters at the press conference that we understand [burn pits are] not being used, an expert at the hearing offered contradictory information. Dr. Terry Rauch, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for health readiness policy and oversight, told Gillibrand that burn pits are being used in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) when its a military operational necessity. Pits a Military Necessity Did they determine that all past burn pits in the last 20 years were operationally necessary? Gillibrand asked Rauch. Rauch responded: Burn pits that were used in the past were used because when you establish a base camp in an immature theater, and each service member in the deployed force is generating 10 or more pounds of waste every day, and you have 300 to 3,000thats a lot of daily waste, and we have to manage it somehow. In an immature theater, before you can install incinerators or contract to have it removed, burn pits were used. Both Gillibrand and Tillis requested additional information on the current use of burn pits. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked Rauch what the Pentagon has done to enhance its collection of data that can link a particular disease with airborne toxin exposure. Its a part of the data that we already collect by preventative medicine units and store in our databases, but linking those exposures to illnesses has been somewhat challenging, Rauch responded. Capt. Brian Feldman, commander of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps public health center, told the senators that Navy Medicine is conducting research and development on silicone band wearables that soldiers can wear to assess individual-level exposure to toxins. Tom Porter, executive vice president of government affairs for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America organization, told senators that he suffered lung damage due to burn pit exposure. Before I went downrange, I had completely healthy lungs. Shortly after I arrived in Kabul in 2010, where the air is particularly bad, my lungs had a severe reaction and became infected. It was controlled with medication, but I was diagnosed with asthma as soon as I got back home a year later, he said. I have to still take the medications to keep breathing. Steven Thompson and his wife at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, on March 15, 2022. (David Lam/The Epoch Times) SACRAMENTO, Calif.Every pianist knows how important accuracy is in the arts. With Shen Yun Performing Arts, the accuracy of the dancers impressed Steven Thompson, a classical pianist. I can say that the incredible accuracy, every hand position, every arm position was so accurate among all of them. I dont even know how they could do that, said Mr. Thompson. Very emotional, and extremely accurate. I feel like modern ballet, European style ballet could learn a lot from them, he added. Shen Yun is based in New York, and although they are known for their synchronicity and technical mastery, the spiritual side of the performance has also touched many. Youve really felt that compassion. And the feeling that came out, it really was kind of hard to keep it together, but I did. It was really amazing, Mr. Thompson said. He also shared that seeing Shen Yun has helped him to come through a rough patch in life. This has really helpedpicked me up. I really needed to see this show. Steven Thompson This has really helpedpicked me up. I really needed to see this show. Including just my music in general, I think its going to very inspire a lot of creativity in me, Mr. Thompson said. The digital backdrop of Shen Yun is the companys own patented technology. The backdrop is an endless extension of the stage and it gives the dancers the ability to take audiences on journeys to other worlds. The projection was fantastic and the way they would jump in and out of that reality, I have no idea how you could plan thatless than a second off would ruin it. Actually, it was really really good picture quality. Very great projectors they must have to do that, he said. Shen Yun, Very moving, motivating, and inspiring Terry Harrison at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, on March 15, 2022. (Yawen Hung/The Epoch Times) Terry Harrison, a general contractor, was also in the audience on March 15. He was impressed with the skill of the dancers and their composure on stage. I love the fluidity of the dancing. I love even the countenance of the performers, the looks on their faces, the smiles, said Mr. Harrison. It was very touching to me. It was just a thousand different things that made it wonderful. The pandemic had been a barrier for many. People have been reluctant to come out to experience everything that life has to offer. I think anyone who took themselves out of their comfort zone and came to watch it and be with a crowd of people would leave absolutely having loved it and having felt so glad that they did that. I think its very uplifting, very moving, motivating, and inspiring, said Mr. Harrison. Shen Yun is focused on showcasing China before communism. Mr. Harrison knows someone who personally felt the effects of communism in their life. We just met someone just a couple of weeks agowho was a lawyer in China and, and professed to have faith in God. And because of that, they took her everything. Took her house, her finances, her passport, shared Mr. Harrison. As I was watching [the performance,] what touched me about it was I saw what she went through. All that stuff was true, everything that they were saying and what they were enacting. He also expressed his appreciation for Shen Yun putting on such a production for the world to see. I think it was a production that was well put together and that has a lot of meaning. I just so very much appreciate your company putting it on, he said. Reporting by David Lam, Yawen Hung 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 Starbucks sign hangs above the entrance of one of the chain's coffee shops in the Loop in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 4, 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson Announces Retirement; Founder Howard Schultz to Return In Interim Role After 13 years at Starbucks Corp and five years at the helm of the company, CEO Kevin Johnson has announced his retirement. What To Know Johnson will transition from CEO on April 4, but he will continue to work with Starbucks as a partner and special consultant to the company and board through September. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz will return to the company he helped build as interim CEO, while the board searches for a long-term replacement. This will be the third time Shultz has led the coffee giant. As I make this transition, we are very fortunate to have a founder who is able to step in on an interim basis, giving the board time to further explore potential candidates and make the right long-term succession decision for the company, said Johnson. I have enjoyed every minute of the job and am proud of what we have achieved together. Starbucks has formed a working committee to oversee the search process and has already come up with a strong group of potential candidates. As interim CEO, Schultz will focus on building an innovation framework and guiding the next permanent CEO of Starbucks. The Starbucks founder is volunteering his time and will receive $1 of total compensation. When you love something, you have a deep sense of responsibility to help when called. Although I did not plan to return to Starbucks, I know the company must transform once again to meet a new and exciting future where all of our stakeholders mutually flourish, said Schultz. Investors can expect an update during the 2022 Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders, scheduled for later today. By Adam Eckert 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. State Department Confirms US Citizen Killed in Ukraine A U.S. citizen has been killed in Ukraine, a top U.S. official has confirmed. I can confirm that an American citizen was killed. I dont have any more details for you than that, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters during a March 17 briefing in Washington. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss, a State Department spokesperson told media outlets. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment. Authorities in Chernihiv, Ukraine, said earlier on March 17 on social media that a U.S. citizen was among the casualties from Russian artillery attacks on unarmed civilians. Cheryl Hill Gordon, a New Mexico resident, posted on Facebook around the same time that her brother, Jimmy Hill, had been killed in Chernihiv. He was waiting in a bread line with several other people when they were gunned down by Russian military [snipers]. His body was found in the street by the local police, Gordon wrote. According to KIFI-TV, Hill had traveled to Ukraine in December 2021 so his partner, Irina, a Ukrainian citizen, could receive treatment at a local hospital for multiple sclerosis. Karin Moseley, a family friend, told the broadcaster that, according to U.S. officials, Ukrainian police officers found Hill dead in the street. KIFI-TV previously reported that Hill had been trapped in a hospital in the city, which is about 90 miles north of Kyiv. Blinken told reporters that Russia continues to attack civilian sites, including a hospital, preschools, and a boarding school, as well as people standing outside a building waiting in line for bread. Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction in the past three weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise, he said. U.S. President Joe Biden said this week that Russians are carrying out war crimes, and Blinken said he agrees with the assessment. The Kremlin said Bidens statements were absolutely impermissible, unacceptable, and unforgivable. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Biden heads a country which has for many years bombed people across the world so he has no right to make such statements. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a conference in Jerusalem, Israel, on Oct. 12, 2021. (Amir Levy/Getty Images) Taiwan Needs Strong Support to Resist Chinese Regime Emboldened by Western Policy Errors: Pompeo The growing threat that communist China poses to Taiwan calls for a rethinking of the United States role in the Indo-Pacific region and for a show of diplomatic and military support for Taiwan to prevent Chinas rulers from growing increasingly emboldened by the recent strategic failures of Western powers. Thats according to former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who spoke at a Heritage Foundation event on March 16. As the world focuses its attention on the Ukraine crisis, its crucial for the United States and its allies not to fall prey to short-sightedness and ignore the growing danger to self-governed Taiwan, Pompeo stressed. We need to make sure that we continue to focus on things that present the next risk, the next great challenge to human dignity, our civilization, and our way of life here at home, he said. After visiting Taiwan just over a week ago, Pompeo said it became clear to him that ensuring that Taiwan can defend itself from external threats requires the world to recognize the islands identity as a sovereign nation. Only a small handful of countries diplomatically recognize Taiwan as a country, while most countries, including the United States, maintain unofficial ties with the island. The Chinese Communist Party considers the self-ruled island as part of its territory, to be seized by force if necessary. It is not part of China. If it became part of China, this would not be reunification, this would be an aggressive action to destroy the sovereignty of an independent country, and for an awfully long time. But the West has moved away from this [stance] under coercive threats from the Chinese Communist Party, Pompeo said. So no leaders in the West have been prepared to state the simple fact that this is an independent sovereign nation. We need to protect Taiwans sovereignty. It is time that the U.S. do so. Pompeo spoke on the same day that reports emerged that Taiwans minister of foreign affairs had refused to comment on the veracity of a purported document, allegedly leaked by a member of Russias intelligence service, claiming that Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to invade Taiwan before the end of the year. In Pompeos analysis, Xi has definitely grown emboldened over the chaotic U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, which many view as one of the worst foreign policy fiascos of recent years. The Chinese leader, he said, has found further encouragement in Western dithering over how to meet the gathering threat to Ukraine in the months leading up to the Feb. 24 invasion. We in the West united only after there had been enormous suffering and devastation in Ukraine, Pompeo said. The lesson for the Indo-Pacific region that Xi draws from these recent failures is clear, in Pompeos view. Xi must surely wonder if he wont get one free pass, one free bite at the apple, before the West begins to protect sovereign nations in the region. We cannot let that be the case, he said. Further adding to the appeal of Taiwan as a target for invasion is the islands prosperity, Pompeo argued, describing Taiwan as one of the few countries in the world that managed, amid the upheaval of the pandemic, to achieve sustained economic growth for five years and counting. We need to make sure that the Taiwanese people, who will be prepared to fight and defend their nation, have the tools and resources they need, Pompeo said. The former official further suggested that the scope of Xis territorial ambitions in the region is hardly limited to Taiwan. He recalled having met with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un during his time as secretary of state. In the course of one of these meetings, Pompeo asked Kim what the Korean Peninsula might look like in the absence of any U.S. forces in South Korea. To Pompeos surprise, Kim said that this scenario didnt really interest him. The North Korean leader was aware that the U.S. presence protected him as much as the leaders of free nations in the region, he said. Kim views Americas presence on the peninsula as a bulwark against the real threat, which comes from Xi Jinping, Pompeo said. Xi continually seeks a little more territory, a little more real estate, and a little less freedom on the Chinese border, he said. A truck transports new Tesla cars at its factory in Shanghai, China, on May 13, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters) Tesla Halts Work at Shanghai Factory for 2 Days Amid China COVID-19 Curbs: Notice SHANGHAITesla is suspending production at its Shanghai factory for two days, according to a notice sent internally and to suppliers, as the Chinese regime tightens COVID-19 restrictions to curb the countrys latest outbreak. The Shanghai factory runs around the clock, and suppliers and Tesla staff were told on Wednesday in the notice, reviewed by Reuters, that production would be suspended for Wednesday and Thursday. It did not give a reason for the stoppage at the plant, also known as the Gigafactory 3, which makes the Tesla Model 3 sedan and the Model Y crossover sport utility vehicle. Many cities across China, including Shanghai, have been rolling out strict movement controls to stem the countrys largest COVID-19 outbreak in two years. The measures have also caused factory shutdowns in parts of the country, putting pressure on supply chains. Tesla did not have immediate comment. Its Shanghai factory produces cars for the China market and is also a crucial export hub to Germany and Japan. It delivered 56,515 vehicles in February, including 33,315 for export, according to the China Passenger Car Association. That amounts to an average of around 2,018 vehicles a day. It was not immediately clear whether the suspension of work would apply to other plant operations over the two days. Two people briefed on the notice said they understood it applied to Teslas general assembly lines. They declined to be identified because the information was not public. The notice did not specify whether the measures would correspond to a loss of production, or whether Tesla could make up for any lost output. Authorities in Shanghai have asked many residents not to leave their homes or work places for 48 hours to as long as 14 days as they conduct COVID-19 tests or carry out contact tracing. In a separate notice issued on Wednesday that was also seen by Reuters, Tesla asked suppliers to estimate how many workers were needed to achieve full production and to provide details of workers affected by COVID-19 restrictions. It also asked suppliers to prepare workers to live, sleep, and eat at the factories in an arrangement similar to Chinas closed-loop management process. Apple supplier Foxconn was allowed to resume some operations at its Shenzhen campus on Wednesday after it set up such an arrangement. Any protracted China lockdowns will further rattle Asian supply chains, OCBC economist Wellian Wiranto said in a research note, noting the southern manufacturing hub of Shenzhen alone produces 11 percent of Chinas exports. By Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh This almost mythical substance deserves a place in your medicine cabinet Frankincense, a popular essential oil, has been revered for millennia for religious, medicinal, and beautification purposes. A literal testament to its value comes from the Bible, where many know it as one of the three gifts the wise men brought to the birth of Jesus. Frankincense comes from the Boswellia tree, which is native to Africa, much of the Middle East, parts of India, and Pakistan. An incision is made in the trunk of the Boswellia tree, which exudes a milky sap that hardens upon contact with the air, turning it into a resin. The resin also can be steam-distilled, producing a fragrant essential oil. Frankincense Throughout History The ancient Egyptians used frankincense resin as incense in religious rituals and for beautification by charring it and grinding it into a powder for eyeliner and tattoos. The Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, dated to 1500 B.C., prescribes frankincense resin for throat infections and asthma attacks. The Iranian physician Avicenna (9801037) recommended frankincense for tumors, ulcers, and fevers in his ancient medical texts. There are earlier medicinal references to frankincense in the Chinese herbal manuscript, the Ming Yi Bie Lu, in the 6th century. Several mentions of frankincense are found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Judeo-Christian bible, sometimes in regard to its use as an offering, and other times as a metaphor for what it means to endure without grievance. Frankincense also had various uses in everyday life. Melted incense resin was used to repair pots and jars, creating a watertight seal, and the bark of the Boswellia tree made dye for cotton and leather clothing. Frankincense in Chinese Medicine In Chinese medicine, frankincense is the herb ru xiang and has been used medicinally for thousands of years. It has pungent, bitter, and warming properties and works specifically on the liver, heart, and spleen. Frankincense is in a class of herbs that move blood, strongly stimulating blood flow. In the Eastern view, many health problems are caused by a stagnation or blockage of either qi (energy) or blood flow. When qi and blood are flowing freely in our bodies, the system is balanced, and we are healthy. But, when there is a blockage in this flow, problems arise. Pain is one example. Pain is a symptom of a blockage or stagnation of the qi or blood flow. Frankincense is often prescribed for pain because of its strong blood-moving properties and ability to break up stagnation. Tumors, cysts, and other masses are considered accumulations of blood in Chinese medicine. The thinking is that if the blockage goes untreated for long enough, it will accumulate into a mass or tumor. Because of its powerful blood-moving actions, ru xiang is used to treat tumors and other masses. A lot of scientific research is being dedicated to its cytotoxic, anti-tumor effects. Its known as the king of oils because it benefits every system in the body. (Madeleine Steinbach/Shutterstock) Frankincense and Cancer Research has been affirming frankincense and its potential effectiveness against cancer. In one study published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, frankincense essential oil induced cell death in human pancreatic cancer cells. This research is hopeful as it might offer a more natural alternative to chemo and radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer, an often aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. In a research review published in 2016, researchers noted that the boswellic acids of frankincense have an antiproliferative effect on tumors. They inhibit proliferation of tumor cells of the leukaemia and glioblastoma subset. They have an anti-tumour effect since they inhibit topoisomerase I and II-alpha and stimulate programmed cell death (apoptosis), they wrote. Contraindications Frankincense shouldnt be used in pregnancy and should be used with caution for those with digestive problems because of its strong moving actions and potential toxicity. For these reasons, long-term use isnt recommended. As an additional warning, if you are considering taking frankincense internally, be sure that you are using a 100-percent pure oil that is labeled for internal use and not an aromatic or scented oil, and do so under the supervision of a health care professional. Frankincenses Everyday Uses Frankincense is an incredibly versatile oil with many practical uses. You can use the oil topically on the skin, or put a few drops in a carrier oil such as coconut, jojoba, almond, or avocado for pain or inflammation. To reap its beneficial effects, you can also add a few drops to an essential oil diffuser or vaporizer. Frankincense and Health Frankincense has antiseptic, astringent, antiinflammatory, disinfectant, digestive, diuretic, and expectorant properties. Its known as the king of oils because it benefits every system in the body. It strengthens the immune system and helps the body to absorb nutrients. Frankincense helps healthy cell regeneration and keeps existing cells and tissues at optimum levels, giving it a wide variety of applications in medicine to treat a multitude of conditions. Here are some ways you can use frankincense essential oil at home. Stress A few drops of frankincense essential oil in the bath will calm the nervous system and help you relax, making it a great thing to do right before bed to ensure a restful, rejuvenating sleep. This aspect of frankincense also has been studied by researchers. In one study on rats published in the Journal of Oleo Science in 2019, researchers declared, Frankincense essential oil can counter the effects of stress by effectively relieving sleep debt and maintaining antioxidant capacity without increasing oxidative stress, and, therefore, may be beneficial in the management of stress. Known for its ability to treat skin conditions and heal wounds, frankincense is also an astringent and helps protect skin cells. It reduces acne and the size of pores, heals blemishes, prevents wrinkles, and lifts and tightens skin naturally. You can use it topically anywhere you have loose skin (six drops to an ounce of carrier oil on the skin). Frankincense also strengthens gums and hair roots, stops bleeding from wounds on the skin, speeds healing of cuts, acne, insect bites, and boils. Oral Hygiene Frankincense prevents tooth decay, cavities, bad breath, as well as oral infections. Reseach published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2018 found that The antimicrobial properties of essential oil derived from frankincense, a compound with well-known traditional use, showed that it possesses a clear potential as a natural antimicrobial agent. It also helps to strengthen gums. You can add a drop of Frankincense oil to your toothpaste to help improve oral health. Anti-Inflammatory Research has shown that frankincense reduces inflammation, in particular helping to inhibit the breakdown of cartilage and painful swelling associated with both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Pain Killer You can use frankincense oil directly on the skin or with a carrier oil such as coconut or jojoba for pain relief because of its blood-moving, as well as anti-inflammatory, properties. Colds and Respiratory Health Frankincense breaks up phlegm in the respiratory tract and the lungs, relieves congestion, and eases bronchitis. Add a few drops of the essential oil to a diffuser or vaporizer to clear the respiratory tract. Diffusing frankincense will also deodorize and disinfect your home of germs, bacteria, and viruses. As you can see, frankincense has many health benefits. The fact that so many cultures have been using it for centuries is a testament to its healing prowess. When using essential oils externally, always ensure that you are getting high-quality, organic oils. They are very concentrated, so a drop or two goes a long way. If you are interested in using frankincense internally, be sure to do so under the supervision of a health care practitioner. Frankincense is a wonderful addition to your life and your home and is yet another example of how nature can heal us, body, mind, and spirit. Michael Danby MP, introduces the Magnitsky Bill (The International Human Rights and Corruption Bill 2018) in the Lower House of the Australian Parliament on Dec. 3, 2018. (Parliament of Australia) Treatment of Kimberly Kitching Nothing Short of Bullying: Former Labor MP Retired Labor MP Michael Danby has come forward to confirm recent claims that former Victorian Senator Kimberly Kitching was mistreated by her Labor colleagues. In an interview with Sky News Australia on March 16, Danby described Kitchings treatment within the Labor party as nothing short of bullying. Danby attributes much of Kitchings ordeal to political Left factions who he says dominate Labor. The reason she was difficult is because she represented the mainstream a Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, Kim Beasley point of view that is now not in the ascendency in Labor and people were envious of her cosmopolitanism, her charm, her international and national support. Her support across the aisles, Danby said. Its a point of view that Kimberly had and I have, that the left-wing of the Labor party is too strong, he said. Danby also took aim at the nameless actors in Labors political right who he says caused her considerable stress threatening her pre-selection as reported by The Australian. No rational person would say that you can trace the differences in politics directly to her death, but I can tell you during the last year she certainly felt the stress of having her senate preselection dangled over her head, by a cabal of Lilliputians, thats how Id describe them, in the Victorian right whose names will never been known, who always lurk in the shadows, who only have transitory power. Kitching passed away on Thursday, March 10 at age 52 of a suspected heart attack. Danby lamented the wasted potential of a highly capable politician. The problem is for those of us who knew Kimberly there isnt her like to be seen easily in the Australian parliament. She spoke five languages, she was instantly familiar with the legislation, she was left in there for 10 hours at a time during the midnight shifts in the senate for too long, too many days, as a sort of punishment, because she didnt agree with peoples ideological views, he said. She would have been a future foreign affairs or defence minister. Particularly in these dangerous times her what are described by some as her hawkish views were absolutely appropriate for the times, he said. Kitching is well-known for championing the Magnitsky Act so that Australia along with the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada could impose sanctions on human rights abusers. A global movement promoting the Act was led by entrepreneur Bill Browder. The Act is named after his lawyer who was persecuted and killed by the Russian authorities. Kimberley was a brave justice warrior who never stood down or was intimidated by the evil regimes she advocated against, Browder posted on Twitter. Former President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) in a file photo. (Jim Watson and Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Surprised Putin Would Order Ukraine Invasion Former President Donald Trump said he didnt believe Russian President Vladimir Putin would order the invasion of Ukraine, adding he believed that the massing of troops along Ukraines borders was a negotiation tactic. Im surprisedIm surprised. I thought he was negotiating when he sent his troops to the border. I thought he was negotiating, Trump told the Washington Examiner this week. I thought it was a tough way to negotiate. Trump added that he figured Putin was going to make a good deal like everybody else does with the United States and the other people they tend to deal with like every trade deal. And then he went in and invaded Ukraine, Trump added. And I think hes changed. I think hes changed Hes very much changed. Meanwhile, the former-commander-in-chief categorically denied claims that he was soft on Putin or Russia. Since the 2016 election, Democrats and corporate news pundits have claimed, without evidence, that Moscow colluded Trumps campaignthe origins of which are now the subject of special counsel John Durhams investigation. Ive been very, very tough on Putin. I get a bad rap on that, Trump told the news outlet, adding that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he was president. At the same time, I got along with him very well. But I got along with most [world leaders] very well. When you think of it, who was tougher on Russia than me? Trump then asked, adding that when he was president, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany was blocked. Late last year, the Biden administration waived U.S. sanctions on the company building the pipeline. Days after the start of the Feb. 24 RussiaUkraine conflict, the White House announced it placed sanctions on the firm and its corporate officers. Ive been very critical of Putin from the standpoint of the pipeline, from the standpoint of raising billions and billions of dollars in NATO to protect, primarily, Europe against Russia, Trump said. Nobody else did that. During NATOs 70th anniversary summit in London in 2019, Trump said that NATO should always be in dialogue with Russia [and] can have a very good relationship with Russia. People walk through Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix where new COVID-19 cases are down but health experts warn cases may rise with the introduction of the omicron strain in Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) TSA Issued Over $600,000 in Fines to Air, Transit Passengers Violating Mask Mandate The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued more than 900 civil penalties and over 2,700 warnings since February 2021 against individuals who failed to comply with federal face mask requirements, the government reported on Monday. In a TSA report (pdf), the U.S. agency said it had proposed $644,398 in fines to 922 people who did not comply with a transit mandate requiring people to wear a mask. The fines were issued on commercial flights, in airports and train stations, or on public transit services. Most fines came from onboard aircraft incidents, where 788 individuals were fined for a total of $501,388, averaging $636. The highest average came from airport checkpoint fines, where 18 people received a civil penalty, totaling $57,065, averaging $3,170. Since the start of 2021, the FAA has investigated reports of 6,800 unruly airplane passengers including about 4,800 for not wearing masks. It has opened 450 investigations and proposed more than $5 million in fines. Other fines include surface transportation incidents, where 44 individuals were fined for a total of $28,150, while 72 other individuals at airports premises received fines totaling $57,795. In late October, TSA said it had proposed $85,990 in fines for 190 mask violators and issued warnings to more than 2,200. The U.S. agency announced last week it is extending its mask mandate for at least another month until mid-April at airports and on airplanes. The mandate, which stems from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order that was issued on Jan. 29, 2021, and applies to transportation such as trains and transportation hubs such as airports, had been due to expire on March 18. Two major aviation groups have also recently called for COVID-19-related restrictions to be lifted, citing a downward trend of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus hospitalizations and deaths due to herd immunity and a study that shows the effects of those measures are limited. The Airports Council International Europe (ACI) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for all remaining COVID restrictions applying to intra-EU and Schengen area travel to be dropped, including all testing requirements, the need to present proof of vaccination, or complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF), reads a statement. ACI Europe is a trade group representing over 500 airports in 55 countries, covering over 90 percent of commercial air traffic in Europe. IATA represents 290 airlines in 120 countries and carries 83 percent of air traffic worldwide. Allen Zhong and Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (centre left) speaks with officers in front of the Saab Giraffe surveillance radar (C), a key component of the Sky Sabre air defence system at the Royal Artillery's change of colours parade at Baker Barracks, Thorney Island, southern England, on Jan. 27, 2022. (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images) UK Deploys Missile System and Troops to Protect Polish Airspace From Russia The UK is to deploy a medium-range missile system and 100 personnel to Poland to protect the countrys airspace from Russian aggression, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday. Speaking on a visit to Warsaw, Wallace called Poland a very old ally. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, Poland has taken in nearly 1.9 million refugees and has also been the primary route for supplies being shipped into Ukraine. It is very right that Britain stands by Poland as Poland carries much of the burden of the consequence of this war and stands tall and brave to stand up to the threats from Russia, Wallace told a news conference. The announcement of the deployment of the Sky Sabre missile defence system to Poland comes after last Sundays Russian missile attack on the Yavoriv military training site in western Ukraine, just 12 miles away from the Polish border. UK Cabinet minister Michael Gove said at the time that the strikes on targets so close to Poland, a NATO member, marked a significant escalation in the conflict. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons official spokesman said on Thursday that the missile deployment will be supporting the Polish armed forces at the request of the Polish government. He said, It is, as ever, a purely defensive capability which we are providing on a bilateral basis to Poland. He said it will be a short-term deployment and the missile system will remain under UK control at all times. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of Polands ruling party, on Tuesday travelled to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa. There they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Speaking in Kyiv, Morawiecki once again called on the European Union to fast-track Ukraines admission into the bloc and pledged more military aid. He shared a video of the deliberations in Kyiv in a Twitter post on Wednesday, in which he called for Western Europe to wake up and back Ukraine more forcefully. The nation of Ukraine has reminded all of Europe what the fight for freedom looks like, what courage is, and what greatness is all about, he said. Its high time for Old Europe, a sleepy and slothful Europe, to wake up and spring into action. For it to break through its wall of apathy and give Ukraine hope. Tom Ozimek and PA Media contributed to this report. UK University Watchdog to Review Post-Pandemic Blended Learning The UKs higher education watchdog has launched a review of blended-learninga combination of in-person and online delivery of the courses. The Office for Students (OfS) said the review came amid concerns that the poor quality of the online experience for some students during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic has undermined the positive potential of the blended-learning model. The OfS said that many universities have continued to deliver some elements of their courses online despite the fact therere no longer legal restrictions preventing them from fully returning to in-person teaching. A panel of expert academic reviewers, led by Professor Susan Orr, current Learning and Teaching Pro Vice Chancellor at York St John University and incoming Education Pro Vice Chancellor at De Montfort University, will examine the different approaches to blended-learning by universities. According to OfS Chief Executive Nicola Dandridge, the review will aim to gain a deeper understanding of whetherand whyuniversities and colleges propose to keep certain elements online. The panel is expected to produce a report in the summer to set out which approaches represent high-quality teaching and learning and which approaches fell short of the OfSs requirements. Dandridge said there are clear benefits to in-person learning and that the return to relative normality is important after the enormously challenging two years for students and staff. She stressed that universities and colleges need to be clear with current and prospective students about how their courses will be delivered and provide face-to-face teaching where it is promised. If universities decide that certain elements are to remain online, this should be made explicit, she said, adding the quality of either method must be good. A Department for Education spokesperson said: The government has removed all restrictions on in-person teaching, meaning providers are able to offer the full face-to-face teaching experience that they were offering before the pandemic. The Education Secretary has made clear that we want universities to be open and transparent with students by publishing the proportion of in-person teaching students can expect. Virtual learning is a fantastic innovation, one that can be used to complement and enhance a students learning experience, not detract from it, but it should not be used as a cost-cutting exercise. The OfS should ensure that students receive the educational experience that their provider has promised and so we look forward to seeing the outcome of this review. In January, Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said students should absolutely apply for refunds if they are unsatisfied with their education. Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab speaks during Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons on March 16, 2022. (House of Commons/PA) UK Vows to Stop Russian Oligarchs Abusing British Courts to Silence Critics The UK government has announced reforms to libel laws in order to stop Russian oligarchs abusing British courts to silence their critics. In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to tackle what he described as the chilling effect of a new kind of lawfare being used by oligarchs and the super-rich who can afford to threaten legal action against journalists trying to expose wrongdoing. The Ministry of Justice said wealthy corrupt elites and powerful corporations had been put on notice by the government as it set out plans to speed up changes to rules on so-called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The move follows news the High Court dismissed a libel claim brought by Kazakh mining giant Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) against Financial Times journalist Tom Burgis about passages in his book Kleptopia: How Dirty Money Is Conquering the World. Introducing the proposals in the House of Commons on Thursday, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab urged MPs from all parties to embrace the opportunity to put President [Vladimir] Putin and his cronies on notice. We wont allow our courts to be abused to censor those brave enough to call out corruption. We will protect our free press which is there precisely to hold the powerful to account. We will defend freedom of speech, the liberty that guards all of our other freedoms in this country, and our reforms will further strengthen free speech so that those with blood on their hands, those with dirty money in their bank accounts, are no longer free to hide in the shadows. Raab said the measures have become more urgently needed as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the urgency of tackling what is a recent but nonetheless growing problem because the same kleptocrats availing themselves of SLAPPS are often found bankrolling President Putins war machine, he said. The government is considering updating defamation laws to strengthen the public interest defence available to protect those who publish private information from being sued if it was done for the public good. Ministers are also considering capping the costs claimants can recover to try to stop people weaponising the high cost of litigation to stifle free speech. They may also be required to prove actual malice by a defendant in libel claims as part of a bid to deter spurious claims. Other measures could see courts able to throw out claims seen to be using such tactics early on in proceedings and impose bans, called Civil Restraint Orders, to prevent people from bringing repeated legal challenges. PA Media contributed to this report. Ukraine Conflict Leads to Largest US Military Buildup in Europe in Years There are currently 100,000 U.S. troops in Europe, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed this week. During a news conference with Germanys minister of foreign affairs on Thursday and during a news conference with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, Stoltenberg confirmed the number of U.S. troops in Europe amid the war in Ukraine. We are reinforcing our collective defense. Hundreds of thousands of troops on heightened alert100,000 U.S. troops in Europe, he said Wednesday, according to a Department of Defense transcript. And then 40,000 troops under the NATO command the most in the eastern part of the alliance supported by naval and air forces. On Thursday, Stoltenberg said that troop buildup is meant to send a clear message to Moscow that an attack on one ally will trigger a response from the whole alliance and that deterrence of defense is not about provoking a conflict but prevents a conflict. Its about preserving peace. Military publication Stars and Stripes, citing U.S. European Command records, reported that the last time the troop levels were this high in Europe was in 2005. As of January 2022, there were about 80,000 troops stationed across Europe, the records show. Citing those records, the publication noted that there were nearly 350,000 American troops in Europe in 1987, but after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the United States began a steady drawdown of forces from the continent. Before that, there were nearly 3 million U.S. troops in Europe in 1945 toward the end of World War II. Starting last month, President Joe Biden ordered more U.S. troops to Europe amid heightened tensions after Russias invasion of Ukraine. The United States has also sent more troops to NATO countries that share a border with Russia and Ukraine, including Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. The White House, meanwhile, said this week that Biden will travel to Brussels, Belgium, to attend an extraordinary summit convened by NATO on March 24. Biden will discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russias unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, as well as to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked NATO to set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine, top U.S. officials have rejected the proposal. So what this really means is that in order to control the skies, you have to shut down the air defenses there on the ground, Austin, the U.S. Defense secretary, told reporters in Slovakia on Thursday. And some of those air defense systems are in Russia and so, again, theres no easy or simple way to do this. Theres no such thing as a no-fly zone lite. A no-fly zone means youre in a conflict with Russia. So from a U.S. perspective, were, again, our position remains that were not going to do that, he added. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) introduces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to speak to the U.S. Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (J. Scott Applewhite-Pool/Getty Images) Ukraine Foreign Legion Seeking Volunteers In Fight Against Russian Invasion Are you an able-bodied person with military experience and knows how to use firearms? If so, the Ukraine Foreign Legion wants you. That is the organizations message as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its third week. In response to the crisis, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has called upon citizens and foreign nationals to join in the fight. He ordered all Ukrainian males between 18 to 60 to enlist in Ukraines military. He also created the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine (ILDTU) as an auxiliary combat force. Were getting thousands of online applications per day on our website, ILDTU spokeswoman Kristina Zagorulko told The Epoch Times in an email. As of March 10, 31 percent of applications were from the United States, 18 percent from the United Kingdom, 6.8 percent from Germany, 4.7 percent from Canada, and 2.8 percent from India, Zagorulko said. Two foreign fighters from the UK are ready to depart to the front line from Lviv, Ukraine, on March 5, 2022. (Kal Pfaffenbach/Reuters) The organization also has received applications from Israel, Denmark, Poland, Latvia, and Croatia. However, Zagorulko did not give an exact number of applications received so far. On the organizations website, ukrforeignlegion.com, the rules for volunteers are spelled out. First and foremost, they should have military experience and know first-hand how to handle weapons. They should also be confident in military and high-stress situations, and have a strong will to defend world peace [and] are ready to join right now. After Russia ruthlessly invaded Ukraine, the website states that Ukrainian soldiers have not surrendered to a superior military force. It adds that the ILDTU was created for foreign citizens who want to combat the occupiers. Ukraine is fighting for freedom at this very moment. Join the brave, the website proclaims. On background, a U.S. State Department spokesperson stated that Ukrainians have shown their courage and they are calling on every resource and lever they have to defend themselves. We applaud their bravery. However, our Travel Advisory remains. U.S. citizens should not travel to Ukraine, and those in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using commercial or other privately available options for ground transportation, the spokesperson told The Epoch Times. Women and children who have fled war-torn Ukraine emerge from the main railway station near the Ukrainian border in Przemysl, Poland, on March 9, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) U.S. citizens who travel to Ukraine, especially in order to participate in fighting there, face significant risks to personal safety, including the very real risk of capture or death. The spokesperson noted that the United States is not able to provide assistance to evacuate American citizens from Ukraine. This includes Americans who travel to Ukraine to engage in the ongoing war. In addition to other risks to personal safety, U.S. citizens should be aware that Russia has stated it intends to treat foreign fighters in Ukraine as mercenaries, rather than as lawful combatants, the spokesperson added. While the United States expects Russia to respect all of its obligations under the law of war, in light of this statement, U.S. citizens who are detained by Russian authorities in Ukraine may be subject to potential attempts at criminal prosecution and are at heightened risk of mistreatment. The American people have demonstrated an incredible outpouring of support for Ukraine in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression. It truly reflects the generosity and compassion of the American people. We encourage U.S. citizens to continue looking for ways to help Ukraine and its people, the spokesperson said. Recent estimates place the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed at nearly 3,000, with 3,700 wounded and 572 captured since the fighting began Feb. 24. Deaths among Russian troops could be as high as 7,000, with between 14,000 and 21,000 wounded. UKs Controversial Online Safety Bill Reaches Parliament The UK governments updated legislation on regulating online spaces, which would be the first major set of regulations for the internet anywhere in the world, was introduced in Parliament on March 17. Social media platforms are expected to be forced to remove content that is deemed harmful in the ambitious Online Safety Bill, as well as protect freedom of speech. Ofcom will be the new regulator of online platforms, with powers to fine companies or block access to sites that fail to comply with the new rules. Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Nadine Dorries said the bill is about bringing some accountability to Silicon Valley and protecting the vulnerable, but critics have said the bill is an incoherent mess and fails to strike the right balance between protecting users from illegal content and protecting the freedom of expression. Updates From Previous Draft As the updated bill is yet to be published, the government has confirmed a number of changes, including the power to hold company executives criminally liable if they fail to comply with Ofcom information requests just two months after the bill becomes law, rather than the two years previously drafted. In addition, company managers will now be held criminally liable for destroying evidence, failing to attend or providing false information in interviews with Ofcom, and obstructing the regulator when it enters company offices. The revised bill has also changed its approach to so-called legal but harmful content. Under the updated bill, the biggest social media platforms must carry out risk assessments on the types of harms that could appear on their services and how they plan to address it, setting out how they will do this in their terms of service. But the agreed categories of legal but harmful content will now be set out in secondary legislation approved by Parliament, which the government says will not leave harmful content debates in the hands of social media executives or cause them to over-remove content over fears of being sanctioned. Other updates include a new requirement to report child sexual abuse to the National Crime Agency. UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Nadine Dorries, in an undated file photo. (James Manning/PA) The government has also said news content will be exempt from any of the regulations as part of efforts to protect free speech. A new amendment expected to be added to the bill will require online platforms to notify the publisher if they intend to remove posts of news content and not remove any content until after an appeal is heard. A number of other recently announced changes to the draft bill include bringing paid-for scam adverts into scope; requiring sites that host pornography to ensure their users are 18 or over; criminalising cyber-flashing; and widening the scope of most harmful illegal content and criminal activity to include revenge porn, hate crime, fraud, the sale of illegal drugs or weapons, the promotion or facilitation of suicide, people smuggling, and sexual exploitation. In an article published in The Telegraph on Thursday, Dorries said the bill will hold platforms to account in protecting children and the vulnerable by urgently removing illegal content; enforcing their own terms and conditions against racism, misogny, anti-Semitism, and other forms of toxic abuse; and protecting free speech and journalism online. Rights Group: New Bill a Censors Charter However, critics lambasted the bill over its potential to hamper freedom of speech. Matthew Lesh, head of public policy at free-market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, called the bill an incoherent mess that will seriously undermine free speech and privacy, and the proposed rules on legal but harmful speech a recipe for disaster. He disagreed that parliamentary oversight will prevent overzealous removals of the so-called legal but harmful content. Big Tech will still be forced to censor legal speech, and take a cautious approach to anything that could potentially be unlawful, or else face massive fines, he said, adding, The planned new communications offences will force platforms to remove speech merely on the suspicion that it could cause psychological harm. Lesh also criticised other aspects of the bill. The bill will give Ofcom the power to force platforms to use tools to automatically censor speech. Age gating and the porn block will undermine user privacy. The bill also creates extraordinary regulatory burdens on start-ups that will scare away investment and cement the power of Big Tech, he said, adding that the focus on criminal sanctions for tech bosses, during a free speech clampdown in Russia, is frankly horrifying. Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, labeled the bill a censors charter, arguing it failed to strike the right balance between the need to protect users from illegal content and the right to freedom of expression. The bill includes some free speech protections, but the penalty for ignoring them will not be nearly as great as the penalties for failing to comply with the new safety duties, he said. No social media company executive is going to be sent to jail for failing to uphold free speech. In the absence of more robust speech protections, this bill is a censors charter. In an email to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport said: The misleading statements by these groups were issued before the bill was even published suggesting they had already made up their minds without seeing its contents. They also do not offer any solutions to the abuse perpetrated on a daily basis on unregulated online platforms. They should be clear: Nothing in the bill will stop people accessing or posting legal content, and it will boost free speech online by putting legal duties on companies and Ofcom to protect peoples right to free expression, access to journalism and content of democratic importance. PA Media contributed to this report. Firemen work to clear the rubble and extinguish a fire by a heavily damaged building after a Russian rocket exploded just outside it in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv on March 14, 2022. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images) UN Court Orders Russia Immediately Suspend Military Action in Ukraine; Moscow, Beijing Vote Against It The Chinese regime sided with Russia in another U.N. vote on March 16, when the two nations dissented against a decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Moscow to immediately suspend its military operations in Ukraine. Ukraine filed a suit against Russia at the ICJ, the highest legal body of the United Nations, on Feb. 26, arguing that Moscow had violated the 1948 Genocide Convention when it wrongfully justified its military actions as preventing genocide in Luhansk and Donetsk. The courts decision (pdf) ruled that Ukraine has a plausible right not to be subjected to military operations by the Russian Federation for the purpose of preventing and punishing an alleged genocide in the territory of Ukraine. The special military operation being conducted by the Russian Federation has resulted in numerous civilian deaths and injuries. It has also caused significant material damage, including the destruction of buildings and infrastructure, according to the court judgment. In a 13-2 vote, the court ordered Russia to immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022. Russias Kirill Gevorgian and Chinas Xue Hanqin voted against the decision. The Russian and Chinese judges also voted against another decision: that Russia must ensure its military units take no steps to further its military operations in Ukraine. The 13 other judges voted in favor. The latest vote marked the third time that China has supported or not opposed Russia in U.N. votes. On Feb. 25, China abstained from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Moscow stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw its troops immediately. On March 2, China again abstained from voting on a U.N. General Assembly resolution, denouncing Russia over its Ukraine invasion and calling on Moscow to immediately withdraw its forces. The resolution was adopted after 141 of the 193 member states voted in favor. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has so far refused to call the Russian attack an invasion or condemn Moscow over its aggression. Weeks before the war, the two neighboring countries elevated their bilateral ties to a no limits partnership. ICJ President Joan Donoghue, in delivering the ruling, explained the difficult living conditions now facing the Ukrainian population. Many persons have no access to the most basic foodstuffs, potable water, electricity, essential medicines or heating. A very large number of people are attempting to flee from the most affected cities under extremely insecure conditions, she said. Over 3 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighboring countries, according to data from the U.N.s refugee agency. The ICJs ruling has limited implications, since the court cannot enforce its rulings. Still, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the court decision a complete victory for his country. The ICJ ordered to immediately stop the invasion. The order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further, Zelensky wrote on Twitter. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement said the ruling clearly and unequivocally ordered Russia to immediately suspend its military actions in Ukraine. We welcome the courts order and call on the Russian Federation to comply with the order, immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine, and to establish unhindered humanitarian access in Ukraine, Price said. Earlier on Wednesday, Zelensky delivered an impassioned speech via video link to members of Congress, urging Washington to provide more military assistance to his country. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis) said Zelenskys speech was a powerful reminder that America must lead in order to prevent further death, chaos, and destruction in Ukraine, according to a statement from his office. We also need to send a clear message to the Chinese Communist Party that we will punish them if they intervene in the conflict in order to help Russia, he stated. The CCP must know we will make public any evidence of military assistance to Russia. In recent days, several media outlets, citing unnamed U.S. officials, have stated that Russia had requested military assistance and financial aid for its war from Russia, and Beijing had signaled a willingness to comply. The two nations have denied the allegations. The CCP and Russia have been waging a New Cold War against America and our allies for over a decade. It is time for us to wake up and start doing what is necessary to win, Gallagher concluded. The seal of the United States Department of Justice is seen on the building exterior of the United States Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York in Manhattan on Aug. 17, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters) US Navy Officer Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison Over Scheme to Ship Military Boats to China A U.S. Navy officer has been sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in purchasing handguns for the owner of a Chinese defense firm and for hiding the relationship, according to the Justice Department (DOJ). Yang Fan, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, was convicted by a federal jury in November 2021 and sentenced on March 16. Yang was trained in anti-submarine warfare and had previously worked in a patrol aircraft and as a tactics instructor at a Navy facility in Florida, according to the DOJ. He held a top-secret security clearance and was serving on active duty at the time of his crimes. Fan Yang held a position of trust with the U.S. government working on anti-submarine warfare, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen said in a March 16 statement. Today, the court held him accountable for violating that trust by lying to the government about significant foreign relationships. According to the DOJ, Yang formed an online relationship with Chinese citizen Ge Songtao prior to becoming a naval officer. However, photographic evidence presented during the trial shows that the two met in person in 2013, while Yang was in Navy flight training. Then in 2016, while Yang was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, he recommended that Ge hire Yangs wife as an employee. Ge hired Yangs wife to work at his company, Shanghai Breeze Technology, headquartered in Shanghai. That company exported maritime equipment from the United States to China. In 2021, both Ge and Yangs wife were sentenced for using the company in an attempt to illegally import U.S. military raiding boats to China. Yangs wife allegedly received more than $300,000 in payments from Shanghai Breeze, its creditors, and Ges executive assistant and co-defendant, Zheng Yan. The money was used to pay her salary, business expenses in the United States, and for goods that Ge ordered Yang and his wife to purchase. The funds were frequently routed through the Yangs family business, according to prosecutors. Yang purchased two 9 millimeter handguns for Ge at his request and was reimbursed for both purchases, according to the DOJ. Each time he purchased a firearm, Yang filed a Firearms Transactions Record on which he falsely claimed to be purchasing the firearm for himself. He was sentenced for these transactions. Prosecutors say Yang also hid from the Navy his and his familys relationship with Ge. During one incident in 2018, Yang allegedly asked for time off from his Navy chain of command and claimed that he and his wife were going to Disney World. In reality, they traveled to Nebraska for an in-person meeting with Ge, according to the DOJ. Yang also lied about his relationship with Ge in a questionnaire, failed to disclose the extent of his contacts with Ge, hid a bank account that he maintained in China, and hid the fact that he had an expired Chinese passport, according to prosecutors. Lt. Fan Yang swore an oath to protect this country, but instead he posed a significant risk to U.S. national security when he failed to report his contact with the head of a Chinese Defense Contracting firm, Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks of the FBIs Jacksonville Field Office said in the statement. Alysa Liu of Team United States skates during the Women Single Skating Free Skating on day thirteen of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on Feb. 17, 2022, in Beijing. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) US Olympic Figure Skater, Father Targeted in Alleged Chinese Spy Plot A U.S. Olympic figure skater and her father were among those targeted in an alleged conspiracy by secret agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to silence dissidents abroad, according to a report by The Associated Press. Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu and her father, Arthur Liu, were allegedly targeted in the CCPs effort to stalk and intimidate critics of the regime living in the United States. The FBI informed the elder Liu last year that he and his then-16-year-old daughter Alysa, who was preparing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, were being targeted by the CCP. The elder Liu said he didnt tell his daughter because he worried that it would frighten her, AP reported. Arthur Liu was a political refugee who fled China following his involvement in the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989, which was violently suppressed by the CCP military, resulting in an estimated thousands of protestors being killed. He settled in the United States, earned his law degree, and raised his daughter. His connection to the events of Tiananmen in 1989 was also shared by Yan Xiong, a congressional hopeful in New York City, whom the CCPs secret police also allegedly conspired to slander and physically injure. The revelation of Lius identity follows the unsealing of three criminal cases by the Department of Justice (DOJ) accusing five men of acting as agents for the Chinese regime and engaging in expansive attempts to suppress dissident voices in America through harassment, stalking, intimidation, and violence. These cases expose attempts by the government of the Peoples Republic of China [PRC] to suppress dissenting voices within the United States, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen said during a March 16 press conference, referring to the Chinese regimes official name. They demonstrate how the PRC seeks to stalk, intimidate, and silence those who oppose them. The DOJ described the cases as part of the Chinese communist regimes campaign of transnational repression. The unveiling of the cases follows a month behind the Biden administrations decision to terminate the Trump-era China Initiative, a DOJ program aimed at combating CCP espionage, and less than a week after one military leader accused the CCP of spreading authoritarianism abroad. The elder Liu told AP that a man called him in November claiming to be an official with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. The man demanded the Lius passport numbers, but Liu refused to provide them. The man who called was allegedly Matthew Ziburis, a U.S. citizen whom prosecutors say was hired to conduct surveillance on the family. Ziburis also is accused of destroying a statue created by a pro-democracy Chinese artist and installing tracking devices on dissidents cars in the United States for the CCP. Ziburis was arrested on March 17 on charges including conspiring to commit interstate harassment and criminal use of a means of identification; he was released on a $500,000 bond. After the incident, Liu said he received assurances from the State Department and U.S. Olympic Committee that his daughter would be protected while competing in the recent Beijing Winter Olympics. They said she would have at least two people escorting her during the event, AP reported. The figure skater ultimately competed and placed seventh in the womens event. Alysa Liu told her father that she was approached by a stranger one night while in Beijing for the Olympics, and that the man followed her and asked her to come to his apartment. Ive kind of accepted my life to be like this because of what I chose to do in 1989, to speak up against the government, the elder Liu said, according to AP. And I know the Chinese government will extend their long hands into any corner in the world. Im not going to let them win, to stop me, to silence me from expressing my opinions anywhere. FBI Director Christopher Wray arrives to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 2, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via Reuters) US Pays $127 Million to Settle Allegations of FBI Negligence in Florida Mass Shooting The U.S. government has agreed to pay $127 million to settle approximately dozens of cases brought by parents of children who were killed in a mass shooting in Florida in 2018. The finalized settlement resolves all the cases, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement. The settlement does not amount to an admission of fault by the United States, it added. The lawsuits alleged that FBI negligence meant Nikolas Cruz was able to kill 17 students and teachers at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The FBI knew that Cruz had the desire and capability to carry out a mass school shooting, the initial suit, filed by parents Frederic and Jennifer Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was murdered by Cruz, stated. The FBI received multiple warnings about Cruz before the fateful day, including a tip from a bail bondsman after Cruz posted on social media that he was going to be a professional school shooter. But the bureau failed its obligations to investigate tips concerning potential school shootings, the parents charged. Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz sits at the defense table during his appearance at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Oct. 20, 2021. (Amy Beth Bennett/Pool via Reuters) Contrary to its own established rules, the FBI failed to take any action whatsoever with the information it received. If the FBI had complied with its mandatory obligations to investigate and intervene in Cruzs plans to carry out a mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, Cruz would not have succeeded in carrying out his attack and Jaime Guttenberg would not have been killed, the suit said. Approximately 39 other cases were later filed making similar claims. An FBI official told Congress that the FBI could have and should have done more to investigate the information it was provided prior to the shooting, though he said we will never know if any such investigative activity would have prevented this tragedy. The FBI is part of the DOJ. Lawyers for plaintiffs in several of the cases, many of which had been consolidated into the Guttenberg case, did not respond to requests for comment. A settlement was initially reached in 2021 but the parties told the court at the time that they were working to finalize details before presenting the agreement for final approval by a top DOJ official. In a filing on Tuesday, the parties said the associate attorney general approved the settlement on March 1. The cases will not be officially dismissed until the U.S. government pays the $127.5 million it agreed to, a position the government did not oppose. Payment in one of the cases has already been rendered. Cruz in 2021 pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. His death penalty trial was recently pushed back until April. U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai speaks to members of the media following a tour of a silicon wafer plant being expanded by South Korean semiconductor manufacturer SK Siltron CSS, in Bay City, Michigan, U.S., March 16, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook US Trade Chief Seeks to Mitigate Impact of Russia Sanctions on US Ambassador Katherine Tai, the current U.S. trade representative, said on March 16 that policymakers need to consider how to mitigate the impacts of Western sanctions imposed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine. Tai was in Michigan on March 16 with South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the U.S.Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). She told reporters at an SK siltron silicon wafer plant that such sanctions could impose costs on the United States and its allies such as the European Union and the United Kingdom. President Joe Biden announced on March 11 that he will sign bipartisan legislation that will revoke Russias permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status with the United States, effectively making it harder for Russia to do business with the West. The legislation has yet to be approved by Congress, but if it is, it will allow the Biden administration to impose new tariffs and sanctions on Russia. In turn, this could have a knock-on effect on businesses who source goods from Russia, and they will need to carefully analyze the duty implications and new tariffs. When asked about the effect this would have on U.S. automakers, Tai said the move was aimed at imposing costs on Russia, but that the United States would also bear some costs. What we need to doand this is really a key to policymakingis to figure out how to take action that maximizes the consequences for Russia while we figure out how to mitigate the impacts on our economic interests, Tai said. Tai did not provide any further details as to whether certain metals imported from Russia and used in vehicle exhaust catalytic converters would be exempt from the higher tariffs. The U.S. trade representative also said that the Moscow-led invasion of Ukraine had eroded global economic integration and would have ripple effects across the entire world economy. The presidents been very clear that first we have a responsibility to democracy and the rule of law in the world. We also have a responsibility to thinking through and doing the best that is strategically possible, she said. Biden said on March 11 that the move to end normal trade relations with Russia was done in coordination with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Western nations have imposed a string of sanctions on Russia in recent weeks which target the countrys finances and exports, and individuals with close ties to Putin. The United States has also imposed a ban on Russian energy imports. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin must pay the price, Biden said. He cannot pursue a war that threatens the very foundations of international peace and stability, and then ask for financial help from the international community. Biden said the United States is banning a number of Russian goods from being imported into the country, including seafood, vodka, and diamonds. Biden is also prohibiting the export of luxury goods into Russia and increasing the list of Russian nationals and their families who will be hit with sanctions, including billionaire businessman and financier Yury Kovalchuk, bank executives, and Duma members who sponsored legislation to recognize the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic,' the president said. Reuters contributed to this report. Victorias Health Minister Self-Quarantine From COVID-19 The health minister of the Australian state of Victoria has gone into a seven-day self-isolation following a family member testing positive for COVID-19. Martin Foley said that although his rapid antigen test produced a negative result, he had to enter quarantine as a close contact, causing him to miss out on the first half of the Victorian parliament sitting week. I feel healthy, so Ill continue working remotely and will be doing regular tests, he said on Twitter on the afternoon of March 16. This afternoon, a family member tested positive to COVID-19. I have done a rapid antigen test and had a negative result, but as a close contact Ill be quarantining for the next seven days. I feel healthy, so Ill continue working remotely and will be doing regular tests. Martin Foley (@MartinFoleyMP) March 16, 2022 Earlier on the same day, the minister organised a press conference on vaccinations in the suburb of Sunshine in Melbourne. The Victorian government is pushing for booster vaccination among its residents before winter arrives as the state has reported a 10 percent increase in COVID-19 case numbers week-on-week. Were seeing over the last couple of weeks around a 10 percent underlying increase week-on-week of case numbers, COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters. We would expect to see case numbers continue to trend upwards over March and April as people spend more time indoors and mix more, he said. At the same time, wastewater analysis showed that the BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron strain had spread widely through Victoria in February and now appeared in over half of the wastewater samples in the state. Those numbers are starting to trickle up again, and if we look at the sequencing were doing, were now seeing BA.2, the sub-lineage, in around half of our wastewater sequencing results, Weimar said. Victorian health authorities said that even though the BA.2 sub-variant was more infectious than the previous sub-lineage, the booster shot would still be effective against it. Covid Response commander Jeroen Weimar speaks to the media in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 18, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) If you are up to date with your vaccination status, you shouldnt need to worry on duty around that. All those normal COVID type behaviours will stand you in good stead, Weimar said. We are now in a position where you need to ensure youve had your third dose protection because were going to see (in) colder months more people gathering and greater spread particularly on this BA.2 sub-lineage thats now starting to increase its prevalence. Foley also echoed Weimars remark, saying that the BA.2 sub-lineage had emerged from nowhere and quickly become the dominant virus strain, but there had been no evidence that it was more virulent than other variants, reported Sky News. Nevertheless, health experts have expressed concerns that COVID-19 vaccines may enhance the disease since they target an old version of the virus, and that taking more vaccine doses may actually lead to lower protection. Meanwhile, the state is introducing 120 pop-up vaccination clinics in local areas that have the lowest rates of people getting booster shots. In addition, the state government is set to close the largest vaccination hub at the Royal Exhibition Building on March 23 as there are more GPs, pharmacies and clinics providing the service. Victoria reported that 62.9 percent of its residents aged 18 and above had received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so far. Were a Free State: DeSantis Defends Floridas New Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Florida is leading the way on rational guidance regarding the risks and benefits for children and COVID-19 vaccines, Gov. Ron DeSantis said on March 16 as he defended the states new guidance. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, a DeSantis appointee, on March 8 issued the guidance for parents, asserting that the risks to their child from getting a jab may outweigh the benefits. Based on currently available data, healthy children aged 5 to 17 may not benefit from receiving the currently available COVID-19 vaccine. The department recommends that children with underlying conditions are the best candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine, the guidance states. Ladapo is leading on this, DeSantis told reporters at an unrelated press conference in Hialeah on Wednesday. And I think his viewand I agree with itis the burden of proof is on the people that say you should get a 5-year-old kid vaccinated for COVID, okay? And they have to carry that burden. Its not the burden for a parent to prove why you shouldnt do it. And if you look at the clinical trial, for example, with the Pfizer [shot] for the 5- to 11-[year-olds], there was no severe COVID in the vaccine arm, but there was also a no severe COVID in the placebo arm, DeSantis added. The low risk that COVID-19 poses to healthy children and the elevated risk of heart inflammation, particularly for young men, from the vaccine led to the guidance, the Republican said, noting that parents are still free to get healthy kids vaccinated. What he wanted to do was just say, Hey, heres the recommendation, youre free to do what you want as a parent. But I think a lot of parents were feeling pressured to do it, even though they didnt necessarily think that was the right thing to do. And so in Florida, were a free state, you can make those decisions, the governor said, drawing applause from attendees. DeSantis was holding an event announcing funding for Floridas educational programs. Ladapo, a former professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, announced during an event in early March that he would soon recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children. The states guidance doesnt go that far, but has drawn outcry because it goes against advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which continues to say that all children, save for those with a small number of contraindications, should get one of the vaccines. The Florida guidance cites, among other sources, trial data from Pfizer that Ladapo says shows healthy children with no underlying conditions have a limited risk of severe illness due to COVID-19; data collected by the CDC indicating a majority of children in the country have recovered from COVID-19; an absence of data informing benefit of COVID-19 vaccination among children with existing immunity; and a recent study from New York researchers that indicates Pfizers vaccine protection has declined rapidly, particularly against infection. Underlying conditions include chronic lung disease, obesity, and neurologic disorders. Asked about the guidance, Kathryn Edwards, a professor in pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told The Epoch Times in an email that she disagrees with the state guidance and believes all children between 5-11 years old should be vaccinated. The risk of disease is greater than the risk of myocarditis, she said, referring to a form of heart inflammation that has been reported in higher-than-expected rates in youth, especially young men. Thats not a universal view. A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Miami, Fla., in a file image. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Its important for parents to understand that the risk of hospitalization, particularly in a healthy child or adolescent, is very low. And also, the risk of myocarditis following administration of the messenger RNA vaccines is also very low, and effectively, probably pretty similar. So the benefit roughly equals the risk of harm, Dr. Cody Meissner, one of the Food and Drug Administration advisers who voted in 2021 to recommend authorization of Pfizers shot for the 5 to 11 age group, told The Epoch Times after reviewing some of the more recent papers. Pfizers vaccine, the only one available to those under 18 in the United States, is built on messenger RNA technology. Under DeSantis, Floridas approach to the pandemic, besides a short period of harsh restrictions mirroring much of the rest of the country, has been one that focuses on protecting the vulnerable while keeping government rules to a minimum. Florida, for instance, banned vaccine passports in 2021. Many jurisdictions that kept vaccine passports and mask mandates have rolled them back in recent weeks. I think what youll see increasingly, over the next year, is you will see more and more people come out and say, probably if you have a healthy 5- or 6-year-old kid, you probably dont need to be doing [the vaccine], DeSantis said. Meissner and other members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, except for one, were supportive of authorizing the jab for 5- to 11-year-olds but before they voted to advise the Food and Drug Administration, multiple members expressed concern about vaccine mandates, noting the lack of data supporting vaccinating kids without comorbidities. Actually, if you look at [that], most of those people that were contributing to that were saying, Im torn on this, because I feel if we approve it for 5- to 11-year-olds, it may be mandated in schools. And we think thats a bad idea. We think for high-risk kids, we want to make it available,' De Santis said. So I think just in the next six to 12 months, youll see more people move in his direction, and I think thats just the reality. And so, because you have this thing where people are saying youre not a good parent unless you do the COVID [shot] for very young kids, thats just not true. It really is your choice. Just understand what the data shows, he said. I dont think you can say that the data has shown certainly a huge benefit. At best, youre looking at maybe marginal risks that may outweigh that. Thats just the reality. And people can make those decisions. White House COVID Czar Zients to Step Down The White House announced Thursday its coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients is stepping down after managing the federal response to the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus for more than a year, which included coordinating the largest-ever government distribution of vaccines. In a statement, President Joe Biden announced that Zients will be replaced by the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, Dr. Ashish Jha, to lead what the White House has characterized as a new moment in its fight against the virus. Zients will leave the role next month and return to private life. Biden praised Zients as a man of service and an expert manager adding that he will miss his counsel and [is] grateful for his service. Biden touted Zientss role in the federal effort to vaccinate 80 percent of American adults, reopen schools, and distribute at-home COVID tests. Thanks to all the progress weve made, Americans are safely moving back to more normal routines, using the effective new tools we have to enable us to reduce severe COVID cases and make workplaces and schools safer, Biden said. But our work in combatting COVID is far from done. Critics of the Biden administrations virus response have pointed to confusing messaging and ever-changing recommendations from public health officials on how Americans should adjust their lives with respect to COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. Biden says hes excited to name Jha as the new White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, touting him as a leading public health expert in America with a wise and calming public presence. In his statement, Jha made a promise to the American people to be straightforward and clear in sharing what we know, in explaining what we dont know and how we will learn more, and what the future will ask of all of us. The change in leadership comes as the White House is making the case to Congress to approve more funding to fight the virus. The Biden administration called for $22.5 billion in new funding that was negotiated down and then ultimately left out of the omnibus spending bill approved by Congress on March 11. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday that absent the new funding, fewer monoclonal antibodies will be sent to states, the federal government will not be able to purchase additional treatments and tests, surveillance for future variants will be limited, and it may create a shortage of vaccines. Waiting to provide funding until were in a worse spot with the virus will be too late, Psaki said. We need funding now, so were prepared for whatever comes. Zients and his team released the latest national COVID-19 strategy earlier this month that made calls for new funding and outlined plans to fight the virus while people return to their normal routines after two years of varying degrees of federal restrictions. The 90-page National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan seeks to drive limit serious illness and deaths from the virus and prepare for potential new variants while keeping schools and businesses open. Republicans in Congress have fought against approving new COVID spending pending an accounting of already approved pandemic relief funds. The number of new coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 17 percent from the previous week as of March 15, while COVID-19 infections rose, according to the World Health Organization. Before his service in the Biden administration, Zients served as vice-chair of Bidens transition. In the Obama administration, he was the director of the National Economic Council, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, and led the effort to fix HealthCare.gov after its disastrous rollout in 2013. He was also a top executive at the Advisory Board Company. The Associated Press contributed to this report. White House on No-Fly Zone: We Are Not Interested in Getting Into WWIII The White House on Wednesday stood firm on its opposition to a no-fly zone over Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an appeal for further assistance during a rare wartime speech to both chambers of Congress. In his address to Congress, Zelensky again called on the Biden administration to help enforce a no-fly zone in Ukraine to protect civilians, as Russias invasion of Ukraine approached its fourth week. You are the leader of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace, Zelensky said in a message directed to U.S. President Joe Biden. The White House had previously shut down requests from Zelensky to help implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying the move could amount to an escalatory action that could lead the United States into an expanded war with Russia. The White House press secretary echoed prior remarks after Zelenskys speech on Wednesday. We are in very close touch with the Ukrainians. Nothing that he asked for or said today was a surprise in that sense. If we were President Zelensky, we would be asking for everything possible as well, Psaki told reporters. He is watching his country and his people be attacked and brutalized by President Putin and the Russian military. But, how President Biden makes decisions is through the prism of our own national security and as we have said before, a no-fly zone would require implementation, it would require us potentially shooting down Russian planes, NATO shooting down Russian planes, and we are not interested in getting into World War III. Psaki was also questioned on whether Zelensky views a humanitarian no-fly zone and a blanket no-fly zone as the same thing. Psaki suggested that both risk causing a war with Russia. There have been descriptions of both of those over the past couple of weeks and sometimesand I dont want to put words in his mouthbut a humanitarian no-fly zone can be specific geography or parts of western Ukraine whereas a no-fly zone sometimes people refer to it as the totality of the country, Psaki said. In our view, and in the view of the military, theres not a difference in terms of the implementation and the escalatory impact, she added. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this month rejected Ukraines request to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying that it would lead to a larger, more devastating conflict across Europe. We are not part of this conflict, and we have a responsibility to ensure it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine, Stoltenberg told a news conference on March 4. We understand the desperation but we also believe that if we did that (a no-fly zone), we would end up with something that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe involving much more countries and much more suffering, Stoltenberg said. An 11-year-old girl puts on a mask in Barcelona, Spain, on April 26, 2020. (Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images) White House Veto of Senate Anti-Mask-Mandate Resolution Would Be Totalitarian Commentary Mr. Biden, tear off that mask! We should all be saying that in unison in response to the White House threat to veto the resolution approved by the Senate on March 15 to repeal mask mandates on all public transportation, including airplanes. In fact, we should have been saying that months or even years ago now. The masked mouth has literally become a symbol of authoritarianism, of a slavish obedience to power associated with the most totalitarian states. Masks have literally become an American form of Mao suits. Our children have been forced to wear them, even though it has now been thoroughly documented that their intellectual and emotional development has been stunted for years by having their facial expressions hidden from each other and from their teachers. This generational child abuse will have horrendous ramifications for our society far into the future. All this for a form of protection that no one has been able to show really works. Yet many people are so habituated that theyll continue wearing them for decades to come as a kind of political fashion statement. We see them every day, when they drive by us all alone in their cars, still sporting masks, or pass us on hiking trails far from other human beings with masks plastered across nose and mouth. These same people are the reliable foot soldiers of a nascent fascist state thats already partly here under the bogus guise of protecting our health. Watching Volodymyr Zelenskys speech to the Canadian Parliament the other night was a shocking display of how far this has come and of where Western culture is now. Zelensky appeared onscreen from his benighted home country, looking informal, maskless in a T-shirt. Then the camera cut to his Ottawa audience of parliamentarians, who were all sitting there in rows, every single one masked like zombified clones in some dystopian science fiction movieonly it was reality. To say it was chilling is an understatement. Soon enougha week, maybe a monththe dreadful Ukrainian war will finally be over, and well be back to normal. But what is that? What is normal? Weve been far from normal for a long time. Maybe we dont remember what that is. Maybe we dont know how to go back. In the midst of the fog of war, the Rasputin of our time, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who had mercifully disappeared for a bit, suddenly surfaced to remind us that we arent done with COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. In fact, we may never be over them. Get used to it. The gas pump may be empty, but the hypodermic needle is always there ready to fill you up. For Fauci, masks, too, will always be a necessary part of our lives. Dont forget to wear one wherever you go. And dont laugh at those people in cars. Theyre just being prepared. Theyre good citizens. This is the kind of control freak thinking and behavior that must be resisted with civil disobedience at every turn. As I write this, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have announced that theyre removing mask mandates from their flights. We can fly to London comfortably, but not to Chicago. That we needed masks on planes was one of the biggest lies of all. A Department of Defense study released in October 2020 showed that planes, because of HEPA-refiltered air circulation, were safer from COVID-19 than operating rooms. Nevertheless, we all cooperated with stewardesses and wore our masks, reluctantly pulling them over our noses when reminded. We had to if we wanted to travel. I was among them on a few occasions, I regret to say. No more. Hell no, I wont go, until our U.S. airlines follow the lead of the British. Actually, we should all wait until Biden tears off that mask. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. WHO: New COVID Deaths Fell 17 Percent Last Week, but Cases Rising GENEVAThe number of new coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 17 percent in the last week while COVID-19 infections rose, reversing a decline in cases that first began in January, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.N. health agencys weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday, WHO said there were more than 11 million new COVID-19 infections last weekabout an 8 percent riseand 43,000 new deaths. The number of COVID-19 deaths globally has been dropping for the past three weeks. The biggest increase in cases were seen in the Western Pacific and Africa, where infections rose by 29 percent and 12 percent respectively. Elsewhere, cases dropped by more than 20 percent in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Americas. In Europe, cases inched up by about 2 percent. WHO said those numbers should be interpreted with caution. It noted that many countries are changing their COVID-19 testing strategies as they exit the acute phase of the pandemic, and are testing far less than previously, meaning that many new cases are going undetected. In recent weeks, countries including Sweden and the U.K. have announced plans to drop widespread testing for COVID-19, saying the massive investment is no longer worth the effort. Still, infections, hospitalizations and deaths have increased slightly in Britain, driven by the more infectious omicron subvariant BA.2. Another contributing factor has been the suspension of nearly all COVID-19 protocols as more people abandon masks and gather in larger numbers. WHO noted that although COVID-19 has been dropping in numerous regions, the Western Pacific has seen rising numbers since December. China banned most people from leaving a coronavirus-hit northeastern province and mobilized military reservists Monday, as the fast-spreading stealth omicron variant fuels the countrys biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Officials also locked down the southern city of Shenzhen, which has 17.5 million people and is a major tech and finance hub that borders Hong Kongwhich itself has reported some of the highest COVID-19 death rates recently. An elections worker is seen in a November 2020 file photo. (Elaine Cromie/Getty Images) Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Rejects Calls to Decertify 2020 Election Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said that he doesnt believe that decertifying the 2020 election would be legally possible. Vos, a Republican, met with GOP activists at the state Capitol on March 16 who are seeking to decertify the 2020 election in the state before he rejected calls to decertify. I still believe that the Constitution and my oath that I took as an elected official does not allow me to decertify any election whether I want to or not, Vos told reporters in Madison. Thats not going to happen. Vos also said there are some people who think that the Legislature has a unilateral ability to overturn the election. We do not, he said. I think there was widespread fraud, and I think we are going to see more and more data that comes out following an investigation headed by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, Vos said. In 2021, the speaker tapped Gableman as a special counsel to investigate the 2020 election in Wisconsin. However, some Wisconsin Republicans say they believe Vos is incorrect in his assessment. This isnt a Democrat or Republican issue, and I think some of the people inside that are accountable are in that room right now, state Rep. Timothy Ramthun, a Republican, told NBC15. I think those people dont want to see closure on this. Thats why theyre dragging us all along. Ramthun said he attempted to attend the March 16 meeting between Vos and the Republican activists, but was kicked out of the room. More obstruction, Ramthun told The Associated Press as he left. This is what I have been dealing with now for 17 months. Earlier this month, a 136-page interim report released by Gableman, the special counsel, said he has uncovered numerous instances of lawbreaking in Wisconsin during the 2020 election. In the March 1 report, Gableman wrote that his investigation had uncovered instances of numerous votes cast by mentally incompetent nursing home residents, noncitizens, and ineligible felons. He cited the use of unstaffed absentee ballot drop boxes by municipal and county clerks, in violation of state law. Laws also allegedly were violated when the Wisconsin Elections Commission exceeded its authority by ordering local election officials to disregard state statutes that regulate absentee voting, according to the report. Wisconsin Elections Commission officials didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. Steven Kovac contributed to this report. Riley D. Kasper, 23, of Pulaski, Wis., is charged with attacking police with pepper spray at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Wisconsin Man Charged For Allegedly Attacking Police Officers at US Capitol on Jan. 6 A Wisconsin man arrested for allegedly attacking police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and telling a friend there is definitely something satisfying about pepper-spraying cops in riot gear and watching them run faces six criminal charges in federal court. Riley Douglas Kasper, 23, of Pulaski, was charged in a criminal complaint in Washington D.C. with assaulting, resisting, or impeding police with a dangerous weapon to inflict bodily injury; civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and several related offenses. Riley Douglas Kasper, 23, of Pulaski, Wis. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Kasper is seen on YouTube videos spraying orange pepper spray at police. He then bragged about his actions in private Facebook messages, prosecutors said. I pepper sprayed three cops so bad they got undressed and went home, Kasper wrote to someone identified only as N.L. Gently brazed many others several times. I basically organized my own little militia and we [expletive] took over Congress. Kasper described the chaotic scenes inside the Capitol. We got inside the capital [sic] then they started shooting rubber bullets at peoples heads, even when me and another guy were carrying a barely conciliatory dude with blood dripping off his knees from his head to the ambulance, they kept shooting at the back of the three of us, he wrote in one message. Kasper told Facebook user S.B. the keys to successfully attacking police. Dude, cops are [expletive], they absolutely do not want to get pepper-sprayed! he said. You charge that line and start spraying, they start running for cover like youre coming at them with an AK. He encouraged his correspondent to come along next time, according to the criminal complaint. Its pretty exciting. Its like the most real version of paintball ever, Kasper wrote. But with pepper spray, flashbangs, and tear gas grenades to throw back at those [expletive]. And a huge team of people who all got your back. And will beat the cops off of you if they ever get ahold of you. Kasper complained about the rubber bullets used by police on some of the rioters. Rioting is Not Easy Work Rubber bullets though, yeah those are different and should not even be legal, he wrote. Rubber bullets is a misrepresentation. Theyre technically called less-than-lethal ammunition, which only means it was not designed to kill, not that it wont kill you or [expletive] you up. My advice, if they use rubber bullets, Id skip right to the real ones to shoot back. He encouraged S.B. to bring his paintball gun to do battle against police declaring, Rioting is not easy work, man. Were gonna be the heros [sic] of the battle, bro. Were gonna bring our paintball guns with [expletive] pepper balls, a can of bear spray each, a baton, taser, and my extension ladder, lol, he wrote. Those cops will [expletive] themselves when hundreds of us set up a latter [sic] and hold the [expletive] so they cant kick it down and start climbing up the roof with them and start pepper spraying and pepper balling them. He told police that the crowd came to the Capitol to be heard. Im on a warpath with those capital [sic] police now. Before anything crazy happened I sat there at the fence talking to their dear gang and I told him we didnt want a fight and didnt want to hurt any of you, Kasper wrote. Just please go home, its not worth it, we came to be heard and were not leaving. And he straight just pulled out his pepper spray and [expletive] me right in the face. Kasper recounted one officer who was pulled into a crowd of protesters and lost his club, pepper spray, handcuffs, and radio. Armed with his own baton, Kasper said he got into the officers face and screamed just go home, the criminal complaint said. Im pretty sure dude thought he was gonna die that day, lol. Charges against Kasper are part of a recent uptick in Jan. 6 arrests. The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice have arrested and charged more than 775 people for alleged crimes at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Critics have complained that dozens of defendants have been held in jail without bail for more than a year, some for non-violent offenses. One man accused of a violent crime on Jan. 6 was released this week by a federal magistrate judge. Ralph J. Celentano III, 54, of Broad Channel, New York, is accused of knocking a police officer over a barrier at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (DC Fire and EMS YouTube/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Ralph Joseph Celentano III, 54, of Broad Channel, New York, was charged March 9 with seven federal counts, including the blind-siding of a U.S. Capitol Police officer. The blow to the officers back knocked him over a barrier onto officers standing below. Video shows a man identified as Celentano striding up behind the officer and plowing into the officers back with his shoulder, sending the officer flying over the barrier. Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather ordered Celentano released and told him to appear for a hearing on May 17. The judge said Celentano cannot possess firearms or other weapons, and must register for supervision by the U.S. Probation Office for the Eastern District of New York. Zelensky Outlines Demands for UkraineRussia Negotiations Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an address on Thursday outlined the countrys key priorities for peace talks with Russia. Negotiations are ongoing. Negotiations for the sake of Ukraine, said Zelensky. My priorities in the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country, he said. His remarks come after Mykhailo Podoliyak, adviser to Zelensky and one of Ukraines representatives at the RussiaUkraine ceasefire negotiations, signaled that the two countries appear to have found some common ground amid talks. The only thing we confirm at this stage is a ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees from a number of countries, he wrote in a Twitter post, encouraging a direct dialogue between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin launched a full-scale invasion against Ukraine on Feb. 24, describing it as a special military operation. Three weeks in, Britains Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update that the offensive has largely stalled on all fronts. Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea, or air in recent days and continue to suffer heavy losses, while Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated, the update said. The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands, the ministry said. Podoliyak confirmed the authenticity of a draft ceasefire deal reported on by the Financial Times, but said it represents only the position of the Russian side. Zelensky on Tuesday signaled that Ukraine does not expect to join NATO, a critical Russian concern that was used to justify the invasion. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We understand that. We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. Its a truth and it must be recognized, Zelensky said during an address by video conference to leaders of the the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force. I am glad that our people are beginning to understand this and rely on themselves and on our partners who assist us, Zelensky added. Zelensky in his address early Thursday also thanked the United States for lending strong support amid the invasion. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine. Im grateful to President Biden for that. I am grateful for the leadership that has united the democratic world, he said. Allen Zhong contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK A state agency revoked the law enforcement certifications of two former city cops after an internal investigation by the Norwalk Police Department found they betrayed the public trust by consuming alcohol on the job, documents show. The Police Officer Standards and Training Council voted last week to decertify former Norwalk police officers Michael DiMeglio, 39, and Sara Laudano, 32, effectively barring the two from working as police officers in Connecticut. I was not surprised by their decision, Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik said of the councils actions. Norwalk police arrested DiMeglio and Laudano in January 2021, about three months after the two were caught in hotel room under the influence of alcohol while on duty, according to arrest warrants and court records. At the time of their arrest, police said officers found the pair at a Main Street hotel after a dispatcher could not reach Laudano over the radio or on her cellphone. Police also said Laudano had consumed alcohol and used a marijuana vape pen before driving her cruiser with a baby and another person while on duty. The officers were charged with second-degree larceny and second-degree reckless endangerment in connection with the incident. Laudano was also charged with risk of injury to a minor. Both were placed on administrative leave without pay before resigning last fall. The state council voted to decertify the officers on March 10 after Norwalk police shared the findings of its internal affairs investigation and arrest warrants filed in the criminal case, according to agency memorandums obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media Group. The departments internal probe, the memos show, found that DiMeglio knowingly consumed alcohol on duty, left his post, slept on duty and neglected his police responsibilities. The department also found that Laudano knowingly consumed alcohol on duty, transported civilians in her police vehicle after consuming alcohol, left her post, slept on duty and neglected her responsibilities, the documents show. The memos reveal that DiMeglio and Laudano waived their right to a hearing with the council and voluntarily surrendered their certifications. Kulhawik said the officers resigned before the department could formally conclude its internal investigation and hand down a punishment. There was no discipline issued outside the fact that they were suspended without pay pending the criminal case, he said. States Attorney Paul Ferencek said last week the state offered DiMeglio and Laudano a deal to plead guilty to a pair of misdemeanor charges and to pay a $1,000 fine in exchange for dropping the felony charge. The officers were expected to accept the offer at a remote hearing last week, but prosecutors asked the court to delay the proceedings to allow the state council to rule on the certification. Court records show DiMeglio is next scheduled to appear before a judge on March 24, while Laudano is set to appear April 21. Attorney Jessica Kordas, who represents DiMeglio, declined to comment. She previously said the former officer is now living out of state and is employed with a private company. Raymond Hassett, an attorney for Laudano, did not return a request for comment. DiMeglio and Laudano are the first Norwalk police officers to have their certifications revoked in nearly 25 years. In 1998, according to state records, officials stripped Donnie Sellers Sr., a veteran Norwalk cop who also served in the state legislature, of his certification after he was convicted of taking a bribe. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com Instant unlimited access to all of our content on thenewsguard.com. The News Guard E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) BudgIT, a foremost civic-tech organisation leading the advocacy for fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria, has called on the National Assembly to eliminate infractions and corruption loopholes in the 2022 Approved Budget. This call was made on Thursday, March 17, 2022, after BudgIT published its 2022 Federal Government Budget Analysis Consultative Memo titled Leveraging Budget Reforms for Economic Development. Recall that BudgITs preliminary analysis of the 21,108 capital projects in the 2022 approved budget revealed 460 duplicated projects amounting to N378.9billion. Further analysis by the research team has revealed other critical causes for concern, infractions and corruption loopholes that need to be urgently reviewed by the National Assembly in its current budget review process. In its analysis, BudgIT noticed that some projects linked to MDAs that do not have the mandate to execute them are directly connected to the leadership of the Legislative arm of government. A case in point is the cumulative allocation of N1.45billion to the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institution and Nigerian Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation in Ilorin, Kwara State, to construct the Femi Gbajabiamila Public Junior Secondary School, Itire Ikate. BudgIT notes that both agencies in Kwara State have no expertise in supervising the construction or staffing of a school in Lagos State when the country has a Federal Ministry of Education. Another case in point is the allocation of N1billion to the Nigerian Institute of Marine and Oceanography to install street lights in Delta Central Senatorial District, represented by Hon. Ovie Omo-Agege, the deputy Senate President. Another cause for concern is the timeframe within which the 6,576 capital projects were generated and inserted into the FG budget by legislators. BudgIT has valid concerns on whether the Project Design Documents (PDD) were created as required by the 2022 Budget Public Investment Guidelines. A poorly designed and costed public sector project is almost destined to fail ab initio and lead to poor value for money for taxpayers. Also, the insertions of these 6,576 projects bloated the budgets of different federal ministries, contributing further to a breach of the budget ceiling safeguards announced by the Budget Office of the Federation on August 19, 2021. While speaking on capital budget padding, Gabriel Okeowo, BudgITs Country Director, said, Several projects do not meet the definition for capital expenditures according to the Fiscal Responsibility Act. For example, N5.6billion allocated to over 150Meetings, Conferences, and Board Meetings was listed as capital expenditures across different MDAs. Another case is the N28million allocated to the Federal Ministry of Information & Culture-HQTRS for Quarterly Interaction With Foreign Media/Pr Lobby in its capital budget. Also worrisome is the federal governments selective opacity in its budget transparency as it concerns certain agencies that have been indicted for fraud. For emphasis, while the budgets of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Galaxy Backbone, amongst many others, were entirely missing from the 2022 approved budget, that of the Niger Delta Development Commissionalthough included in the 2022 approved budget, has no breakdown of capital expenditure. It is no gainsaying that the National Assembly must demonstrate a stronger commitment to publishing, vetting and appraising the budget proposal from the Executive and their agencies, especially using feedback from the countrys Auditor General to assess allocations to agencies involved in misappropriations, extra-budgetary allocations, and other forms of corruption in the previous years. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for the amendment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007, before the National Assembly, to be given a speeding hearing and corresponding presidential assent to empower the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to enforce fiscal discipline. Nigeria currently loses trillions of naira in revenues due to MDAs breaching provisions of the FRA 2007, Last week, BudgIT also embarked on consultative engagements with critical institutions and stakeholders in the budget process to galvanise stakeholders into action concerning these infractions, Okeowo added. Likewise, BudgIT is aware that the budget is currently with the National Assembly for review; thus, we call on the citizens, CSOs, private sector, and the international community to urgently prevail on the National Assembly and Presidency to immediately redress and eliminate these violations in the FGs 2022 Approved Budget to ensure public funds work for all Nigerians and not for a privileged few politicians. Kindly download the full consultation memo here: https://yourbudgit.com/data/[1] Signed Iyanu Fatoba Ag Head, Media and Communications @[email protected] this should be excluded from the press statement\ _Assigned to Adetunji Adetoye_ Yobe State governor and chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee, Mai Mala Buni, has returned to Nigeria following a medical trip abroad. Buni returned to the country on Thursday and took control of the party. The governors return was announced by Mamman Mohammed, his director general of press and media relations. According to the statement, the Yobe governor asked APC members to support the party ahead of its March 26 national convention, while urging them to shun issues capable of hindering the party from success. Put the recent events in the party behind you and work towards a successful convention, Buni was quoted as saying. The success of the party remains paramount and needs the support of every member. As we head towards the national convention, the party needs the support of every stakeholder and member to succeed. As democrats and committed party members, we should avoid issues that are capable of diverting our attention from the path of success. On March 7, Abubakar Sani Bello, governor of Niger, took over as the acting chairman of the APC. Subsequently, reports emanated that the Buni-led caretaker committee was working to scuttle the APC national convention. Days later, Bello reorganised the sub-committees for the convention set up by Buni and reduced the number to 107, saying they were too many. On March 10, the Niger governor announced that an emergency meeting of the partys national executive council will be held on March 17. Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected the notice of the NEC meeting, saying it was not signed by Buni and John Akpanudoedehe, the national secretary. On Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari asked APC governors to allow Buni to plan the national convention. Earlier on Thursday, Akpanudoedehe released names of the sub-committee members for the convention, adding that it supersedes any other list in circulation. However, Buni, in a subsequent letter, disowned Akpanudoedehes announcement, saying all decisions taken by Bello are valid. Aussie Phuket Town shoplifter arrested in Krabi PHUKET: Australian man Joshua Aaron Jerome Madeira, 31, has been charged with theft for shoplifting from a snack store in the heart of Phuket Town. crimepolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Thursday 17 March 2022, 02:03PM Australian Joshua Madeira, 31, arrested in Krabi, now on his way back to Phuket to face charges. Photo Phuket City Police and Phuket Tourist Police together issued a statement confirming that Madeira was arrested in Krabi last night (Mar 16). Madeira was arrested at Ao Nam Mao Pier, located at a small beach between Ao Nang and Krabi Town, at about 10pm. He was taken into custody under arrest warrant Jor 64/2565 (.64/2565) for theft from the the Kin Fit Fin snack shop in the Phuket Old Town area on Sunday (Mar 13), the report said. Madeira was caught on the shops security CCTV stealing two items, together worth B186. The CCTV footage showed him picking up some snacks and putting them in his trousers, and leaving the shop without paying. Madeira also stands accused of stealing snacks from the same shop in January, that time stealing snacks worth B228. Madeira confessed to the thefts, saying that he needed some reprieve from the constant stress in his life. He had been under a lot of stress, said the report. Madeira was handed over to Phuket City Police for further legal action, the report concluded. Phuket elderly to get booster jabs PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) will launch an intensive campaign next Monday (Mar 21) to provide third-dose booster injections to people in Phuket over 60 years old. COVID-19Coronavirushealth By The Phuket News Thursday 17 March 2022, 11:29AM The latest report on the mass vaccination campaign in Phuket. Image: PPHO PPHO Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon announced the campaign during a live broadcast by the Phuket branch of Radio Thailand yesterday (Mar 16). The elderly were specifically at greater risk of suffering greater consequences from being infected with COVID-19, he said, noting that the elderly had always been under close watch by health officials as they were a large segment of the Group 608 patients. Group 608 has become Phuket officials preferred term for higher at-risk patients, comprising people over 60 years old along with those suffering from any of the seven recognised medical conditions that place patients at higher risk of developing serious signs of infection, plus women more than 12 weeks pregnant. Phuket health officials were specifically concerned with the elderly being exposed to greater risk of infection during the upcoming Thai New Year Songkran festival, when many people return to their family homes to visit their elders, he said. Of this group [the elderly], 96% have not received a third-dose booster shot, Dr Kusak pointed out. Of those, more than 70% have not received any vaccination injections at all, he added. This is a very important segment of our community, he added. Dr Kusak pointed out that currently 92.88% of the 539,183 target population of Phuket had received at least one COVID-19 vaccination injection, while 87.48% of the target population had received a second jab. So far 67.92% of the target population had received a third-dose booster injection, he said. We are looking to increase that to over 70%, Dr Kusak noted. Some 20,000 people in Phuket recognised as Group 608 patients were registered to receive a third-dose booster shot, he said. Their names will be distributed to all tambon hospitals and health officials will go to their houses to vaccinate them, especially the elderly who are bed-ridden, he said. Dr Kusak urged people to test themselves for COVID-19 by antigen test kit (ATK) before travelling home to visit their elderly relatives during Songkran. They should always wear a face mask while visiting their elders, and take extra caution when performing the traditional rod nam dam hua blessings [the pouring of water over elders hands], and strictly observe social distancing, he added. Dr Kusak noted that daily infection rates have been falling. On Tuesday (Mar 15), provincial health officials recorded 384 new local cases. In addition, three Phuket Sandbox tourists and 21 Test & Go tourists had tested positive, he added. However, he cautioned that the low number of people arriving from abroad testing positive was a result of the falling number of international arrivals. The number of infections from this group still represents about 2.02% of all arrivals, he said. Pre-travel COVID tests set for axe BANGKOK: The government is set to allow tourists to enter Thailand without the need to show proof of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travel as required by the Test & Go scheme. CoronavirusCOVID-19healthtourism By Bangkok Post Thursday 17 March 2022, 08:47AM Travelers are at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province late last month. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for the Public Health Ministry, said the ministry will propose the easing of certain pre-travel requirements to a meeting of the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) tomorrow (Mar 18). Under the proposed entry rules, travellers under the Test & Go scheme would no longer be required to show negative RT-PCR test results up to 72 hours before departure to the kingdom, he said yesterday. They will only need an RT-PCR test upon arrival and an antigen self-test on Day 5, while health insurance coverage for foreign visitors will be reduced from at least US$50,000 B1.6 milion) to $10,000, Dr Kiattiphum said. He will also present to the CCSA a plan detailing steps to downgrade the COVID-19 pandemic to the status of an endemic, reports the Bangkok Post. The downgrade to an endemic disease will lead to changes in the way the disease is controlled, and how people will be looked after, while social and legal measures issued during the pandemic will be revised to suit the current circumstances, Dr Kiattiphum said. In particular, the government will replace the emergency decree imposed to contain the spread of the disease with the Communicable Disease Act to prepare for a post-pandemic society, he said. However, the government may also have to wait for an announcement on downgrading COVID-19 to an endemic disease from the World Health Organisation, he said. Dr Kiattiphum said the National Communicable Disease Committee has approved a COVID-19 management plan which is divided into four phases, in line with the full reopening of the country and downgrading COVID-19 to an endemic disease. The plan will also be discussed at the CCSA meeting tomorrow, he said. The move comes after neighbouring countries have begun easing their entry rules in a bid to attract foreign tourists. He said the downgrade of COVID-19 to an endemic disease and the easing of restrictions must proceed step-by-step on condition there are no new mutations of the virus posing a serious threat. Under the plan for the virus downgrade to an endemic disease, the first phase called combatting between Mar 12 and early April aims to flatten the infection curve. During this phase, tourists under the Test & Go scheme are still required to take an RT-PCR test upon arrival and an antigen test on Day 5. Unvaccinated tourists will be quarantined for 10 days. These requirements will remain in force if infections are detected in more than 3% of foreign arrivals. The second phase, known as plateau, between April-May, is to stabilise the level of infections. Tourists who are fully vaccinated can enter the country without the need to show negative RT-PCR test results but still must take an RT-PCR upon arrival and an antigen test on Day 5. Unvaccinated tourists are subject to five days of quarantine. These rules will be enforced with infections detected in 1-3% of tourists. The third phase, called declining, between late May and June 30, aims to reduce the daily number of new infections to 1,000-2,000. Tourists who are fully vaccinated can enter the country without any requirements. Unvaccinated tourists need to take an antigen test upon arrival. The Test & Go scheme will be scrapped but Thailand Pass remains. These rules will be enforced should infections be detected in less than 1% of tourist arrivals. The fourth phase, called post-pandemic, from July 1, will see the COVID-19 pandemic downgraded to endemic status. Tourists can enter the country regardless of whether they are vaccinated. Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, backed the virus downgrade and called on the government to ease further restrictions to resuscitate the economy. Thailand should speed up the virus downgrade to an endemic disease and relax restrictions. The private sector is ready to discuss the matter with the government to support efforts to reopen the country more quickly, he said. Thai blood slave saved from death SA KAEO: Eight Thai people were rescued after being lured into illegal work in Cambodia, including a woman whose blood was withdrawn before she was due to be killed for organs. Chinesedeathpolice By MCOT Online Thursday 17 March 2022, 01:02PM The eight Thais after being rescused by police. Photo: MCOT online A delegation of assistant police chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn went to the Ban Klong Luek border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district on Mar 9 to receive one man and seven women from Cambodian immigration police. The eight Thais were victims of a Chinese human-trafficking gang, reports MCOT online. They had previously been lured into working for the gangs call scam but later managed to seek help from the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. Finally they were rescued from a building in Sihanoukville city. Among the victims was a 25-year-old woman from Bangkok. She was assaulted and knocked unconscious with electric shocks. During her subsequent detention, three bags of her blood were withdrawn from her arm. Fortunately, officials of the Thai embassy and Cambodia rescued her from death. Investigation revealed that the Chinese gang wanted to sell her organs. It planned to kill her with blood withdrawal before getting her organs. Pol Lt Gen Surachate warned Thai people to check carefully claimed job opportunities in Cambodia and not to sneak into the neighboring country for work. He said about 3,000 Thai people were working illegally in Cambodia. Clearfield, PA (16830) Today Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low around 45F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low around 45F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. From an office in the Press Corps of the Indiana Statehouse, the journalism majors of Franklin College's Pulliam School of Journalism work alongside the best reporters in the state, digging into the behind-the-scenes stories of Indiana politics. We're a student newsroom, but our work doesn't sit on a professor's desk. We create daily content for this website and 35 professional media partners around the state. SAVING LOCAL HISTORY - Reading Historical Commission (RHC) members presented their annual Preservation Award to the Schoolhouse Condo Trustees at the Reading Public Library. Pictured are Jonathan Barnes, Virginia Adams and Pino D'Orazio of the Historical Commission, Janice Jones, a Schoolhouse Condo trustee, Sharlene Reynolds Santo of the Historical Commission, Robert Smith, Condo Trustee and Amelia Devin Freeman of the RHC. SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked for a second time to decide whether a state law requiring gun owners to have a firearm permit is unconstitutional a question the court previously declined to answer. The case involves a White County resident, Vivian Claudine Brown, who was charged in March 2017 with possession of a firearm without a Firearm Owners Identification, or FOID card. The charge was filed after her husband had called the White County Sheriffs Office to report that she had fired a gun in their home. When officers arrived, they found a rifle beside her bed but no evidence that she had fired it. Nonetheless, she was charged with the crime. But a circuit judge in White County threw out the charge, saying the Illinois law requiring potential gun owners to fill out a form, provide a picture ID, undergo a background check and pay a $10 fee to obtain a FOID card was unconstitutional, at least as it applied to Brown. The judge said it imposed a burden on Browns Second Amendment right to keep a firearm in her own home for self-defense. The circuit court went on to say, even though Browns attorneys never raised the issue, that it is impossible to comply with the act in ones own home. Thats because it would mean anybody who had knowledge of a firearm in the home and exclusive control over the area where it was kept could be construed as possessing the gun and therefore would have to have their FOID card on their person 24 hours a day. The state appealed that decision directly to the state Supreme Court, but in April 2020, the high court declined to answer the question of the laws constitutionality. Instead, it said the White County court had rushed to rule on the laws constitutionality and sent the case back to White County with instructions to enter a modified order that did not touch on the constitutionality question. The White County court did that, but then Browns attorneys asked the court to reconsider, arguing the modified order forced Brown to take a position she didnt want to take and one that would ultimately be overturned on appeal, thus delaying any final resolution of the case, possibly for years. The circuit court agreed and reinstated the charges against her. Browns attorneys then filed a new motion to dismiss on constitutional grounds. The judge upheld that motion, finding that any fee associated with exercising the core fundamental Constitutional right of armed self-defense within the confines of ones home violates the Second Amendment. The state appealed that decision back to the Illinois Supreme Court. During oral arguments Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Garson Fischer argued the law imposes only a minimal burden on people wishing to own firearms and serves a legitimate state interest of keeping guns out of the hands of felons and mentally ill individuals. Fischer said Brown never applied for a FOID card in the first place and therefore should not be allowed to argue the law was overly burdensome. Appellate defense attorney David Sigale argued the law imposes a significant burden because it provides for criminal penalties against those who dont comply, even if they are otherwise entitled under state and federal law to own a firearm. He argued the law is duplicative because there are already state and federal laws prohibiting people with felony convictions or certain kinds of mental illness from owning a gun. He said the screening process the state uses to determine whether someone falls into one of those categories is fallible, which results in people who are eligible for a FOID card having to file appeals, and sometimes even hire attorneys, to overturn a wrongful denial. So the burden is not de minimis, and the effect is not de minimis, Sigale said. It is not quick, it is not easy. Some of the justices still seemed to question whether the Supreme Court needs to address the constitutional question. Chief Justice Anne Burke questioned why Browns attorneys asked the White County court to reconsider a decision that effectively dropped the charges against her. Justice Mary Jane Theis also hinted the court could send the case back to White County as it did before. The court took the case under advisement but did not indicate how long it might take to issue a decision. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 John Badman Show More Show Less 2 of 3 John Badman Show More Show Less 3 of 3 WEST ALTON Workers on Thursday were spreading fresh concrete for the first pour on the new elevated lanes of southbound U.S. 67 in West Alton, Missouri. Even though a machine forms the main portion of the poured traffic lane, workers must finish the job by hand. About a dozen concrete mixer trucks from Kienstra Illinois, LLC., were lined up or heading to refill back in Illinois Thursday so the concrete pour could continue. EDWARDSVILLE The sale of the county-owned Plum Street property was overwhelmingly approved by the Madison County Board at Wednesdays meeting. The roughly 15-acre property was sold to The Staenberg Group, a multi-state development company with offices in St. Louis and Denver, for $3.86 million. The company is also the developer of the Orchard Town Center in Glen Carbon. The board voted 20-4 in favor of the sale; opposing wereMichael Doc Holliday, D-Alton; Bill Stoutenborough, D-Alton; Victor Valentine Jr., D-Edwardsville; and Jack Minner, D-Edwardsville. Four members were absent and one county board seat is vacant. One person spoke against the development during the public comment phase of Wednesday's meeting. The Staenberg Group was the sole bidder citing the appraised value of the land and the lowest figure county officials had said they would accept. By statute this is what the county must do put the property up for auction, Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. Since 2017, the county had considered selling the property which once was part of a tuberculosis sanitarium and later became the countys nursing home before much of the area was sold to make way for the Edwardsville Crossing development. The county has been actively considering selling the property since 2017. It was once part of the tuberculosis sanitarium, which later became the countys nursing home before much of the property was sold to make way for the Edwardsville Crossing development. More than 1,200 people signed petitions asking that the land not be sold until the developer disclosed exactly what is planned for the site. Opponents' concerns included the loss of green space and traffic congestion. Several board members emphasized the county does not operate parks. Prenzler noted the site is located within Edwardsvilles corporate boundaries. By selling the land, the county no longer has to maintain it, saving taxpayers money around $16,000 annually. In February, the county voted to transfer six-tenths of an acre to Madison County Transit. The acreage at the southwest corner of Plum Street and Governors Parkway along with Illinois Department of Transportation easements totals around three acres. The land was too small for development, Prenzler said. MCT plans to develop a trailhead connection that will connect with the surrounding development, including Edwardsville Crossing. The land will remain green space. In other business, the county board approved four zoning requests Wednesday: A request by the Prairietown Improvement Association on behalf of Lutheran Church Properties for a variance to place a 138.48-square-foot LED sign along Renken Road in Worden; A request by the Prairie Fire Protection District for a similar variance for a 122.29-square-foot LED sign/message board at 8452 Prairietown Road in Worden. The signs are planned as companion projects and are being funded by local businesses. A request for a special use permit for a mobile home at 1705 Union St., Staunton, by property owner Hailey Ratterman. A request by Dale Krump, owner of property at 302 Park Road, Highland, had requested a variance to construct an agricultural building five feet from a property line, instead of the required 50 feet. Krump owns the adjoining property; because one property is in the village of Grantfork and another in unincorporated Madison County, this is considered the best option. All four requests had unanimously approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Building & Zoning Committee. Also approved was a $1.38 million contract to Juneau Associates Inc. for professional engineering and land surveying for the Long Lake outfall Lake Drive and MCT Schoolhouse Trail Bridge projects. The project, estimated to cost slightly more than $4 million, includes work on water flow and related trail bridge projects. The board also approved $142,771.64 in environmental grants. Funded through landfill hosting fees, the grants of $15,000 or less will provide funding for a variety of projects by the municipalities of Bethalto, Glen Carbon, Highland, Livingston and Troy; the Collinsville, Edwardsville, Nameoki and New Douglas townships; and the Roxana and Tri-Township park districts. For the Telegraph GODFREY The Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society will hold its annual meeting April 10-12 in The Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. The three-day annual chapter meeting will feature about 20 presenters discussing wildlife monitoring, management, disease, ecology and other topics. Open to the public, the event allows either in-person or virtual attendance. A workshop, banquet and business meeting also is planned. Westerly, RI (02891) Today A shower or two around the area early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight A shower or two around the area early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. The takeover of FTSE 100 antivirus group Avast by US rival Norton LifeLock has been thrown into doubt after a warning from regulators. The 6billion tie-up between Norton and Prague-based Avast was originally announced in August last year and had been due to complete at the start of next month. However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) pumped the brakes yesterday after it said the tie-up raises competition concerns and could be subject to an in-depth investigation. 'Concerns': The 6bn tie-up between Norton and Prague-based Avast has been thrown into doubt after a warning from regulators The watchdog added that as the companies were close competitors with few major rivals the deal could lead to a reduction in competition in the UK market. We are living more of our lives online and it is vital that people have access to competitive cyber safety software when seeking to protect themselves and their families, said CMA executive director David Stewart. He added: Norton LifeLocks proposed purchase of Avast could lead to a reduction in competition in the UK and ultimately a worse deal for consumers. Both Norton and Avast now have five working days to submit proposals to the CMA to address its concerns in order to avoid a detailed probe that could scupper the deal. Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said the regulators involvement was a spanner in the works for both companies, noting that the CMAs aggressive response could have been brought on by fears of cyber warfare sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The move sent Avasts shares down 13.3 per cent, or 85.6p, to 559.8p, their lowest level in four months. However, the stock is still 11 per cent higher than in mid-July, when news of a potential deal first broke. Responding to the announcement, Norton regarded the CMAs decision as surprising but it was confident the merger would be approved and did not plan to make any proposals to the regulator. Delayed: The takeover was originally announced in August last year and had been due to complete at the start of next month The company also noted that the deal had already been cleared by authorities in the US, Germany and Spain. However, as a result of the CMAs intervention, the Arizona firm now expected the tie-up to be completed in mid-to-late 2022, later than the original date of April 4. An Avast spokesman said the logic for the merger remains the same and that it would continue to collaborate with the CMA in the next phase of the review process. Founded under the name ALWIL Software in 1991 after the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia, Avast grew into a major player in the global cyber security market and offers customers a range of services including antivirus software, internet browsing security and identity protection. It floated on the London Stock Exchange in May 2018 with a market cap of nearly 2.4billion, making it one of the biggest tech listings in the UK at the time. According to its website, Avast has over 435m monthly active users, a customer base Norton is eager to tap into. If the merger eventually gets the go-ahead, the combined business will have over half a billion customers. Moscow was last night on the brink of the first default on its international debts since the Bolshevik Revolution. Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov insisted the debt interest payment worth 90million had been made. But there was no clarification from Washington, leaving the country close to its first default on overseas debts since 1918. Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov (pictured) insisted the debt interest payment worth 90m had been made. But there was no clarification from Washington Moscow was due yesterday to pay $117million in interest on two dollar bonds it sold in 2013, the first payments since President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. The repayment marks a crucial test of Moscows ability to continue to pay its way on the global stage. Siluanov said the payment had been sent to the US bank that usually handles such transactions. But he warned there was a risk the cash would not get through. It is not known whether Russia paid in dollars or roubles. The Kremlin has said it will make the payments in roubles if dollar payments fail to go through but ratings agency Fitch has said that would still be a default. If missed, the default would be a huge embarrassment for Putin and viewed across the globe as a sign of weakness and a blow to national prestige. And if the war in Ukraine continues it could be the first of many. In 1918 Lenin refused to pay debts as the Bolshevik regime would not recognise Tsarist-era loans on the basis that they had been issued by the Tsarist government, who the Bolsheviks had declared an unauthorised regime. A Lloyd's of London underwriter has been slapped with a 1million fine for its raucous 'boys' nights out'. Atrium Underwriters was found to have held the annual event until 2018 that included heavy drinking, initiation games and sexual remarks about female staff. The nights out saw two senior executives taking part and leading the proceedings, Lloyd's found. Fined: Atrium Underwriters was found to have held an annual 'boys' nights out' until 2018 that included heavy drinking, initiation games and sexual remarks about female staff The fine of 1.05million is the largest ever imposed by the independent disciplinary committee at Lloyd's, and its first for non-financial misconduct. Atrium must also pay Lloyd's costs of 562,713. Lloyd's said: 'Two senior executives in leadership roles engaged in unprofessional and inappropriate conduct, including initiation games, heavy drinking and making inappropriate and sexualised comments about female colleagues, which were both discriminatory and harassing to female members of staff.' The fine comes as Lloyd's tries desperately to clean up its image. It banned daytime drinking for its own staff in 2019, but the 100 insurers that make up its market do not follow the same rules. The area around Lloyd's is renowned for its pubs and heavy drinking culture. Pubs at Leadenhall Market remain busy throughout much of the day and are full at night. Separately, Atrium was also found to have bullied a junior employee over several years. Lloyd's said Atrium failed to take adequate steps to deal with the 'systematic campaign of bullying against a junior employee over a number of years and failed to notify Lloyd's of the case'. Atrium said it accepted the ruling, was sorry for the hurt caused and would ensure it never happened again. The firm admitted serious errors in handling the matters and said it had been working to update its procedures. One broker at Lloyd's who refused to be named said: 'I'm not surprised by this fine, it is a wake-up call for us all.' Explaining his day he added that insurance brokers and underwriters convene in the Lloyd's building at 11am and head out for lunch at 1pm, when the drinking begins. Lloyd's chief executive John Neal said: 'Discrimination, harassment and bullying have no place at Lloyd's. 'We will not tolerate poor conduct in our market.' Atrium chairman Christopher Stooke said: 'We are sorry for the hurt that this caused and how difficult this has been for those affected. 'The behaviour outlined in the notice of censure has no place in our business or our industry, and we recognise that we must go further to ensure that this situation is never allowed to happen again.' Retreat: Anton Bilton (pictured with wife Lisa B) set up Raven Property in 2005 A property company set up by millionaire tycoon Anton Bilton has pulled out of Russia and delisted from the London Stock Exchange. Raven Property, which owns warehouses in cities including Moscow and St Petersburg, said sanctions imposed on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine have completely compromised its business. The firm, set up in 2005 by Bilton, husband of American model and actress Lisa B, was among a handful of Russia-focused firms booted out of the FTSE indices earlier this week, dealing a blow to its reputation and depriving it of investment from tracker funds. Matters worsened yesterday when Raven said sanctions made it impracticable for the business to continue in its current form. It has drawn up plans to scrap its LSE listing and transfer its business to a Cyprus-based company controlled by its Russian management team. The sale, which will be for a nominal cost, and the de-listing are expected to be backed by major shareholders, which include asset managers Quilter and Schroders. Bilton, 57, who serves as the groups executive deputy chairman, has also backed the plans alongside the rest of the companys directors. The plans mean Raven Property will effectively be left as a shell company, with any assessment of its value or that of its Russian business deemed to be unfeasible unless sanctions were lifted. The end of the companys stock market listing follows a brutal period for its share price, which has plunged 88 per cent so far this year. It left the firms shareholders nursing heavy losses, with Bilton seeing over 12million wiped off his fortune. Trading in the shares was suspended yesterday morning. Austrian based Raiffeisen Bank International, which makes a third of its profits in Russia, is considering leaving the country just weeks after it vowed to stay. The lender has 4.2m customers and 9,400 staff in the country. A fortnight ago, its chief executive Johann Strobl told investors: Its very important that you understand, we are not walking away. SPARKS [mdash] Mrs. Mattie L. Clements Martin, 93, of Sparks, Georgia, passed away at her granddaughter's home on April 25, 2022. Mrs. Martin was born on January 17, 1929 in Colquitt County to the late Ivey Lane Hart and Ola Gay Hart. She lived most of her life in Cook County and was of the Instant unlimited access to all of our content on tillamookheadlightherald.com. The Headlight Herald E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) Carrollton, GA (30117) Today Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Princeton, KY (42445) Today Partly to mostly cloudy. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable. Kingsport, TN (37660) Today A few passing clouds. Low 51F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 51F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. "It's unfortunate the school system shut down on some of its financial duties and wasn't as cooperative as the could have been." - Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower. Webster Groves, MO (63119) Today Rain likely. Low around 55F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low around 55F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. With some exceptions, most major U.S.- and European-based businesses have cut ties with Russia since it invaded neighboring Ukraine on February 24. For publicly traded corporations like Apple, it's a shrewd maneuver, regardless of ethical calculations. But whatever the motivation, cutting off access to familiar technology, retail and other creature comforts and necessities has fomented considerable agitation among Russia's residents, not all of whom support President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked attack on Ukraine's sovereignty. And those who oppose the war hope that unrest becomes one more means of pressuring Putin toward compromise. Along with tech giants and big-name manufacturers, notable franchises have followed suit and indefinitely ceased operations inside Russia. And as the brutal assaults on innocent Ukrainians persist and outrage from global consumers swells, more will likely be added to the list. Related: Where Apple, Twitter and Other Major U.S. Companies Stand With Russia Here is a brief roll call of select, high-profile franchises that have closed their doors or otherwise halted commerce in Russia over the past several weeks, along with links to their public statements. We will update the list if/when additional high-profile companies make similar announcements. McDonald's On March 8, the Golden Arches formally announced temporary closure of all locations in Russia. Although this has demonstrably anguished customers, CEO Chris Kempczinski assured the public that, "We understand the impact this will have on our Russian colleagues and partners, which is why we are prepared to support all three legs of the stool in Ukraine and Russia. This includes salary continuation for all McDonalds employees in Russia." Meanwhile, Russia has an apparent plan B. A trademark was recently filed for an alternative fast-food hub dubbed Uncle Vanya's. Does the logo look familiar? Burger King This one comes with a caveat. Burger King's parent company, Restaurant Brands International (RBI), announced on March 7 that, "Burger King has suspended all of its corporate support for the Russian market, including operations, marketing and supply chain in addition to refusing approvals for investment and expansion." But because all BK locations in Russia are run by a "local master franchisee," RBI does not have the authority to close those restaurants. It has, however, committed to "redirecting any profits from franchised operations to humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees" and working to distribute vouchers for free Whopper meals to Ukrainian refugees across Europe. Starbucks On March 4, the Seattle-based coffee behemoth fully paused both retail operations and importation of products to Russia. In a statement, then-CEO Kevin Johnson (Johnson separately announced his imminent retirement this week) said, "Through this dynamic situation, we will continue to make decisions that are true to our mission and values and communicate with transparency." (Franchising a Starbucks location is not an option in the U.S. or Canada, but is overseas.) Like McDonald's, Starbucks pledges to financially support the "nearly 2,000 partners in Russia who depend on Starbucks for their livelihood" amid its temporary break in business. Related: What You Can Do to Help Ukraine: A List of Top-Rated Relief Organizations and Additional Resources Shell After getting heat for purchasing a large shipment of Russian crude oil early in the invasion of Ukraine, Shell issued a public apology, stating, We are acutely aware that our decision ... was not the right one and we are sorry." The company has since avowed to stop buying Russian crude amid the conflict and shut all service stations across the country, among other measures. Said CEO Ben van Beurden, These societal challenges highlight the dilemma between putting pressure on the Russian government over its atrocities in Ukraine and ensuring stable, secure energy supplies across Europe." Crocs The Colorado-based casual-footwear giant shared on March 9 that it "made a decision to pause its direct-to-consumer business, inclusive of ecommerce and retail operations in Russia," along with temporarily ceasing importation of its products. Crocs will continue compensating both corporate and retail staff in Russia and has touted its charitable contributions to UNICEF to support those impacted by the war. IKEA The Swedish-founded home-goods chain was quick to cut ties, releasing an announcement on March 3 that read, in part, "The war has had a huge human impact already. It is also resulting in serious disruptions to supply chain and trading conditions. For all of these reasons, the company groups have decided to temporarily pause IKEA operations in Russia." (Ceasing of imports and exports extends to Belarus as well.) Like the other franchises on this list, IKEA intends to acknowledge the everyday Russian employees this will affect in the immediate, adding, "These decisions have a direct impact on 15,000 IKEA co-workers. The ambitions of the company groups are long term and we have secured employment and income stability for the immediate future and provide support to them and their families in the region." Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Once home to epic nights filled with music, partying and performances by famous musicians like Gregg Allman, Joey Ramone and Dave Matthews, the building at 59 Tinker St. in Woodstock that used to house the Tinker Street Cafe has undergone a dramatic transformation. Bearsville Center owner Lizzie Vann has purchased the building from the Center for Photography at Woodstock for nearly $1 million. And Woodstock artist Mike DuBois has relocated his shop and gallery, Happylife Productions, into the space. The two are now preserving the spirit of Woodstock even as the town, like much of the Hudson Valley, undergoes change. The Tinker Street building previously housed the Center for Photography at Woodstock, which was the Tinker Street Cafes landlord. Prior to the photography center, it was home to the Cafe Espresso and Bob Dylan, who lived upstairs. According to the website for the now-Kingston-based Center for Photography at Woodstock, Dylan for a while in 1964 lived on the second floor of the Cafe Espresso and wrote the songs Subterranean Homesick Blues and Mr. Tambourine Man there. Preserving history, but dont call it a throwback John W. Barry Now, inside the new location of Happylife Productions, which opened March 1, you can find artwork by a range of artists, including DuBois, and merchandise emblazoned with his artwork. DuBois over decades has created art for official merchandise sold by the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Allman Brothers Band, Levon Helm and other notable names. Renovations on the building continue on the first floor in advance of a new cafe coming in April that will be run by Judy Steele and Cody Riston of Rock Da Casbah in Saugerties. Work also continues upstairs, although what will unfold there has yet to be decided. And plans by DuBois to host live music on the front deck will involve Jerry Mitnick, who used to run the old Tinker Street Cafe. The site will also offer Vanns Bearsville Center home to the Bearsville Theater, Bear Cantina and soon The Bear in the former Little Bear Chinese restaurant increased exposure in downtown Woodstock, with merchandise and concert tickets for sale. With this latest incarnation of 59 Tinker Street, Vann and DuBois are summoning the spirit of the Tinker Street Cafe and Cafe Espresso and, in the face of ongoing change accelerated by the pandemic, the spirit of Woodstock. That was the whole idea, said DuBois, who grew up in Syracuse and graduated from SUNY New Paltz. My part is, what I can do with this space, to evoke the friendly, welcoming, open spirit of what has been and what can be. I dont want to be a throwback to anything. I want to be a continuation of the unbridled creative spirit and positive vibrations of Woodstock. Woodstock since the onset of the global health crisis, like much of the region, has seen an influx of New York City residents, an increase in home sales and a surge in real estate prices, said Town of Woodstock Supervisor Bill McKenna. McKenna noted that Woodstock saw a population increase of nearly 10 percent from 2010 to 2020, as recorded by the census. And after the pandemic tightened its grip two years ago, folks who owned second homes were staying in town on a more regular basis. McKenna said the number of people in Woodstock on a weekend can double with second homeowners in town, a stark change, he said, from when he moved to Woodstock in the late 1980s, and fewer people had vacation homes there. John W. Barry He gives the late Levon Helm a lot of credit for keeping live music going in town with the launch of his Midnight Ramble house concerts nearly two decades ago. Levon Helm Studios, the Colony Woodstock, Pearl Moon and Bearsville Theater continue to keep live music going these days. Downtime is the best time Make the most of your Hudson Valley weekend, every week with our newsletter. Asked about the potential for Happylife Productions and its new location to channel the communitys roots in music and art, McKenna said, Absolutely. It's bringing back a piece of history. Tim Sutton of Highland, a musician who grew up in Woodstock, knows plenty about the creativity that unfolded at 59 Tinker St. Suttons grandfather, artist Anton Refregier, originally came to town to live at the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, and he later welcomed Dylan and Joan Baez to his Woodstock home for visits. Sutton said his mother once sold Dylan a horse. And as a kid, Sutton would accompany his mother to the Tinker Street Cafe to see live music. Later, he played there himself, and saw acts like Living Colour and a member of Ozzy Osbournes band perform. There was something about the Tinker Street that felt special, he said. It had something that made it feel incredible. John W. Barry The Tinker Street Cafe, Sutton said, made Woodstock feel like a town. Even as young kids, if you couldnt get in, you could hang out on the sidewalk and just vibe out, listen to the bands. There were always people on the porch, hanging out. That was when everything was flowing when Woodstock worked. These days, Sutton said, Woodstock has to claim some of its vibe back. Vann bought the Bearsville Theater complex, sight unseen, for $2.5 million in August 2019, spent millions on an overhaul and renamed the destination Bearsville Center. She enlisted DuBois to paint portraits of musicians, with ties to the complex, inside the theater. And the two forged a working relationship that became stronger when 59 Tinker St. came up for sale, she bought it and DuBois moved his business there. The fact that Dylan lived in the building was a big selling point for Vann. I wanted to preserve this amazing part of Woodstock, she said of the Tinker Street Cafe building, while standing on the second floor, where the room that Dylan lodged in once was. I wanted to preserve it, and celebrate it. I dont want history to be lost. ALBANY The County Legislature is discussing the creation of a program to assist residents living in public housing who have fallen behind on their rent and may be facing eviction. Chairman Andrew Joyce confirmed that legislators are working to figure out how to address housing needs in the county, including residents in public housing in Albany, Cohoes and Watervliet. Joyce said no definitive proposal had come together yet and he expected it would take several months. The county is being asked to address concerns about the eviction of public housing residents because if they should become homeless, the county would be responsible for supplying them with emergency housing. Public housing residents and those living in Section 8 housing were given the lowest priority when it came to eligibility for the state's emergency rental assistance program (ERAP). If those in arrears on rent were to be evicted, the addition of hundreds of residents in need of emergency housing would be a huge strain on the countys social services. Joyce said housing was among the county lawmakers' top priorities but that any discussion about how to pay for it would also have to involve County Executive Dan McCoys office, especially as the county works to address the impacts of the pandemic. The effects of COVID, we're going to be feeling those for years," he said. "The discussion is evolving as the days and weeks go on." Its unclear how much American Rescue Plan (ARP) money the county will put toward public projects rather than revenue replacement. It received $56 million, half delivered last year and the other half due to hit the countys coffers this spring. In January, the Center for Law and Justice sent County Executive Dan McCoy a letter urging him to use federal funding to pay off the roughly $3 million in back rent Albany public housing residents had accumulated during the pandemic. Housing advocates warned of an imminent wave of evictions as the moratorium on evictions was lifted. The Albany Housing Authority (AHA), run by the city of Albany, has pushed back against some of the advocates' claims, saying that it is looking to work with its residents to keep them in their homes, rather than pushing for evictions. AHA Executive Director Chiquita DArbeau and its attorney, Brian Kremer, did not return emailed messages this week seeking comment. At the beginning of the year, AHA said that nearly 1,500 households had fallen behind on their rent during the pandemic. It said it would bring those residents to housing court but would encourage them to sign long-term repayment agreements to prevent them from being evicted. Last month AHA updated the number of residents facing eviction. According to the agency's website, 395 public housing residents owed more than $500, for a total of more than $1.4 million. Another 209 residents that use housing vouchers owed more than $590,000. And another 140 residents living in unsubsidized apartments owed more than $792,000. Just 27 families in those living situations had received ERAP funding as of last month. AHA has also tried to alert residents that United Tenants of Albany has funding available to help those facing evictions. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Canyon Ryan, ERAP coordinator and housing counselor at United Tenants of Albany, said there were other pots of money available to tenants struggling to pay their back rent, including a state emergency services grant meant to help those impacted by the pandemic. United Tenants, Legal Aid, and the Albany Housing Coalition are trying to fill in the gaps where ERAP failed, he said. Any discussion about the County Legislature stepping in to provide additional aid beyond that gap appears to still be in its infancy. County Legislator Carolyn McLaughlin said she still had reservations about the county using American Rescue Plan funding to cover back rent for public housing residents but added that it was a topic the county should explore. McLaughlin said it needed to be a conversation between the legislature and the cities with housing authorities. I believe we do have a responsibility to address this, she said. McLaughlin said the county had not begun the larger conversation around how much ARP money would be set aside for community projects. That in turn, would affect how much money could be put toward housing issues. It would be premature for me to say X amount should go to a certain pot when I dont know what the other concerns are, she said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY New Yorkers accustomed to traveling north are celebrating news that Canada plans to drop its COVID-19 border testing requirement on April 1 for vaccinated travelers. Thursday's announcement followed two years of regulations that severely limited transit across the U.S.-Canada border. "After a challenging two years, we all want the Canadian economy ... to rebound," said Randy Boissonnault, Canada's tourism minister. "The economy, workers and tourism business owners will benefit from this next step." Politicians, local residents and business advocates from New York's border regions have also expressed relief at the change. "We have spent thousands of dollars on obtaining COVID tests to see each other," said Jessica Herries, an Ontario mother whose family members live 30 minutes away in Buffalo. Herries' comments were included in a statement by Faces of Advocacy supporting the policy change. The group has pushed for Canada to lower border restrictions and reunite separated families throughout the pandemic. "This is the major step we and so many of our partners in both countries have been calling for," said Garry Douglas, who has also been pressing for the update as president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. Douglas noted that two years of strict border measures have impacted the "special social connection" across the northern border. But Canada's testing requirements had already begun to shift, including when border officials began to accept negative antigen "rapid tests" on Feb. 28, after formerly requiring a molecular or PCR test result for every traveler. All foreign visitors entering Canada will still need to prove they are fully vaccinated, except in specific circumstances. They must also fill out a government app called ArriveCAN prior to entry. "This decision is a positive step forward for our upstate New York and North Country families, tourism, and small businesses," said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, who co-chairs the congressional northern border caucus with Democrat Brian Higgins. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Higgins also applauded the news; both leaders are continuing to push for the two governments to drop their remaining pandemic-era border requirements. "As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures," said Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's health minister. The border rules had triggered massive protests this winter during which Canadian truckers and their supporters occupied parts of Ottawa and blocked border crossings in response to the nation's testing restrictions and vaccination mandates. The protesters faced off against the policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who invoked emergency powers to restore order. The blockades, in addition to snarling parts of Ottawa, had disrupted supply chains between the U.S. and Canada and temporarily caused auto manufacturers to scale back production. Canada's 1988 Emergencies Act had never before been invoked but Trudeau said it was necessary to respond to the gatherings that he said "constitute illegal and dangerous activities." ALBANY Federal officials say the aging Albany Stratton VA Medical Center needs to be replaced and are proposing a $1.5 billion project to reconstruct the main hospital and restructure outpatient care throughout the Capital Region. The proposal was outlined in an asset and infrastructure review (AIR) report published by the Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday. Required by the VA MISSION Act, the AIR report contains recommendations for overhauling and modernizing the VAs aging and obsolete infrastructure to better meet changing demographics and improve health care delivery. It will be a long process, said Stratton VA spokesperson Peter Potter of the timeline for such a project. The recommendations which include proposals to close or completely reconstruct 35 medical centers nationwide must be reviewed and approved by the AIR Commission, an independent body that will be appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. That process could take one to two years, Potter said. From there they would go to the president and Congress for approval, which could add many more years to the process, he said. Going through congressional debate its going to be some time probably at least 10 to 15 years, Potter said. It could very well be 20 years down the pike. So its not a result thats gonna happen right away. Built in 1951 on 29 acres off of Holland Avenue, the Albany Stratton VA facility hasnt been renovated since 1985, according to the AIR report. It currently has $222.4 million worth of deficiencies and costs $8.7 million a year to maintain and operate, the report states. The Albany VAMC campus was built in 1951 and over time, the hospital buildings use has evolved to include inpatient medical and surgical, inpatient mental health, (community living centers), and outpatient care, the report states. Both the current infrastructure and layout do not meet modern health care standards, and the existing facility requires significant capital investment. The department recommended reconstructing the hospital in Albany, but did not recommend specific sites. Potter said the hospital could be built on an entirely new site, or somewhere else on the VAs 29-acre plot, which sits across from Albany Medical Center. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Once constructed, the new medical center would offer inpatient mental health services, community living centers, residential rehabilitation treatment programs, urgent care, primary care, outpatient specialty care, and outpatient mental health services. The department is also recommending that the VA transition inpatient medical and surgical services to a nearby academic affiliate (Albany Medical College), as well as outpatient surgical services with VA providers delivering the care at the partner facility. Demand for inpatient medical and surgical services is decreasing, while demand for inpatient mental health, long-term care, and outpatient care is increasing, the report said. In addition to replacing the main hospital, the department recommends the Albany VA consolidate and relocate some of its outpatient services. A community-based outpatient clinic in Glens Falls would close and relocate to Saratoga Springs, which has a larger veteran population, the report says. Meanwhile, other outpatient service sites in Clifton Park, Schenectady and Troy would close and be absorbed into the new Albany VA site, according to the proposal. SCHENECTADY If youre a Schenectady native named April and you studied at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida during the mid-1990s, Ricardo is looking for you. You may have known him as Reno. While nearly three decades have passed since their whirlwind student romance, Ricardo Nairn still remembers that girl from the Electric City. Nairn now runs a taxi-and-tour business in the Bahamas. A chance encounter with a Schenectady tourist in Nassau on Wednesday rekindled his search for his long-lost love. Memories came flooding back when Schenectady native Abby Jones chatted up Nairn in his cab. Right before being dropped off, Jones told Nairn she was from Schenectady, her beloved hometown. Schenectady?!, he said. As a student at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach in 1996, Nairn recounted falling for a Schenectady girl named April. It was a whirlwind romance lasting only about a month. Nairn and his roommate would go on double dates with April and her roommate, Sheryl. Nairn introduced April to West Palm Beachs club circuit, where they would dance to reggae and calypso. When temperatures cooled, theyd go for walks on the beach. He still remembers their conversations. We were from two different worlds and she blended in my world so easily, Nairn told the Times Union. I taught her how to dance and she moved like an island girl. Jones, who recounted the exchange in a Facebook post on Wednesday, didnt immediately respond for an interview. Nairn, 50, recalls his beloved as having short blond hair. Her last name remains a mystery, he said. He was too enamored to find out. The fling ended when April went home for spring break and never came back. Nairn lost his cellphone, so she may have called, he said. But back in 1996, it wasnt as easy to replace lost phones. He kept an eye on his Hotmail account, which yielded nothing. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Ive always thought about her, Nairn said. After working for nearly a decade for Bell South, Nairn returned to the Bahamas in the mid-2000s. Now he makes his living shuttling around tourists. And while he remains single, he just wants to reconnect. No pressure. She really made an impression on me over the years, Nairn said. I think about her all the time. I just want to see how shes doing and catch up. Jones asked Facebook users to spread her attempt at rekindling the magic far and wide. He doesn't even care if your life's not at a place to be romantic, Jones wrote. This dude just cares about you and just wonders how you are. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SCOTIA Democrat Joe Rizzo, a village trustee for the past 20 years, said he never got a straight answer from the local party leaders on why they opted to endorse newcomer Joe Talbot over him in the mayors race. As a result, Rizzo, 69, is out collecting signed petitions in hopes of forcing a primary election against Talbot. I know more about the workings of the village than my opponent does, and I have a very strong background in getting the job done, he said. One-term Mayor Tom Gifford bowed out of the race after failing to get his partys backing. Cathyrn Bern-Smith, chairwoman of the Scotia-Glenville Democratic Commitee, said Tuesday that party leaders chose Talbot over Rizzo and Gifford because they "wanted to move in another direction and we think we have a great candidate." "He's been involved in the community and he's got a great financial background," she added. She also said village residents see transparency as a problem and that's part of the reason Talbot was chosen to run for mayor. The GOP slate features mayoral candidate Dave Bucciferro, along with trustee candidates Amanda Gonzalez-Barone and Dave Lindsay, chairman of the Scotia-Glenville Republican Committee. With mayor and two trustee seats up for grabs, the Republicans are hoping to make some inroads into the five-member, all-Democratic governing body. Lindsay blasted Democrats for breaking the tax cap and mismanaging Scotias finances. There is very little transparency in the village, they appear to be trying to hide things from the taxpayers, he said. Lindsay said the GOP had to put in a Freedom of Information Law request to find out the fund balance for the past few years since that figure wasnt included in the document outlining the spending plan. He also said meetings were not being posted in a timely manner on the municipal website. He also contends that the governing body was flouting open government rules related to the required time to let people know about upcoming meetings. They would not give us those figures (fund balance) in an email or over the phone, added Lindsay. On the tax cap, Bern-Smith said "the mayor and trustees did what they thought was in the best interest of village residents." Talbot, a lifelong Scotia resident who according to his online candidate profile is active as a part of community organizations, headlines a ticket that includes incumbent Heather Gray, an attorney, and Keith Brown, who currently serves as Schenectady County interim public health director. But some Scotia Republicans see Browns candidacy as problematic because of his job. Its never a healthy thing to have to recuse yourself on important votes, which he will have to do, said Lindsay. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. He also said that Brown may also have to sit out participating in the municipal budget because of his employment with the county. Bern-Smith defended Brown's right to run and accused Lindsay of "fishing for straws." "I don't believe that there is any rule or regulation or ethic statute that says someone who's employed by the county can't run for a village seat, a local seat, and I'm not sure that there's any village budget that supports a county budget, specifically Keith Brown's position," she said, adding that if there was ever a conflict of interest that "Keith would do the right thing and recuse himself." As for the mayoral Democratic primary shaping up, Talbot said in his online profile that some of his top priorities will be to increase communication between the administration and residents, explore opportunities to maximize village services and find ways to support existing small businesses as well as foster new business. Rizzo cited his leadership in, among other things, spearheading the effort to keep the local branch of the post office open when it was in jeopardy of being closed, saving Scotia residents money by getting a water pump station on Vly Road tax-exempt status, and actively lobbying the county for money for upgrades to Collins Park. Rizzo also talked about the challenges of a shrinking tax base and that he was among the Democrats who voted against exceeding the tax cap and the 2022 budget. Gifford said "we feel that we're being very responsible with the village's money" and that he and trustees tried to "stay as close to the tax cap as we possibly can and still maintain our services." "The tax cap is not designed for progress, let's put it that way," added Gifford. In New York, primary elections are scheduled to take place on June 28 while the general election is Nov. 8. ALBANY Following the release last week of draft regulations that would allow those with marijuana convictions to get priority in New Yorks retail cannabis industry, the unprecedented move has stoked controversy in the fledgling industry. Confusion about the plan emerged after regulators issued their proposed eligibility requirements for retail cannabis licenses that include terms such as "justice involved," prompting questions, for instance, about how a potential applicant whose marijuana conviction had been expunged or sealed could access those records to prove they qualify. State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, D-Rochester, who has been a proponent of equity programs within the state cannabis industry, noted that the eligibility requirements drafted for the first 100-plus conditional retail licenses are very specific. Individuals applying must demonstrate they have owned a profitable business for at least two years, as well as confirm their marijuana-related offense; nonprofits can also apply, but face more requirements. "I think that (typically) we're going to see an older applicant, someone who had a conviction maybe 20 years ago but has moved on in their career to do other things maybe they own a cleaning business, maybe they have a small corner store," Cooney said, noting that this could leave out many younger or recently incarcerated individuals, as well as those with off-the-books businesses. In a news conference after the draft regulations were released, Office of Cannabis Management Director Chris Alexander emphasized that the conditional licenses would constitute a "small segment of the potential dispensary licenses," and is just one of many steps in laying the industrys foundation. But that did little to assuage its detractors concerns. "I think its really problematic," said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Pulaski. "It just sends the wrong message that you would be rewarded for committing a crime in the past (by) getting preference." Michelle Bodian, an attorney at a law firm that represents a range of emerging players in New York's cannabis sector, said she has been reminding clients that the draft regulations could shift significantly during the ongoing 60-day public comment period. "There's a lot of strong reactions on both sides of the equation. You know, these didn't go far enough, these went too far," Bodian said. "I think this is the opening foray, and well see potential revisions." Who is in the running The regulations coined a new term for its applicant pool when they restricted eligibility to "justice involved" individuals. Last week, mixed messages circulated around the type of criminal justice involvement that would qualify: a press release from the governors office referred to "cannabis-related criminal offenses," which would rule out non-criminal violations. In a Cannabis Control Board meeting, OCM senior policy Director Axel Bernabe nodded to a more inclusive category, those "arrested or convicted of a marijuana-related offense." But the regulations, as drafted, land somewhere in between: they say applicants are eligible if they were "convicted" of a marijuana-related offense or had a family member who was, whether or not that offense was a misdemeanor or felony conviction that required the person to be fingerprinted. Freeman Klopott, an OCM spokesman, said that the regulators will not alter the category of eligible offenses since the control board "cannot promulgate regulation that expands on what is prescribed by law." The law, Klopott said, excludes marijuana-related arrests that did not lead to convictions, but does account for individuals convicted of violations. Eli Northrup, a criminal defense attorney with The Bronx Defenders, thinks the initial license category is "a really positive thing." But he still hopes it will be open to anyone arrested on marijuana charges, and not only those who were convicted of an offense. "People may be arrested and face consequences based on a cannabis arrest, but then the case gets resolved based on a conviction for another offense," Northrup said. "There are so many consequences that stem just from an arrest." Albany County District Attorney David Soares said he understands the push to address previous harms perpetrated against communities of color, and even the preference for people with minor charges; but he is questioning whether those involved in more serious criminality should be considered. "I'm concerned about the message we'd be sending out if members of violent street organizations 10 years ago would be in line to receive that (priority) benefit," Soares said, "rewarding individuals who were protecting their market share through violence." Steve DeAngelo, a cannabis rights advocate, said he finds it "refreshing" that New York regulators are prioritizing formerly incarcerated people. But he is focused on New Yorks ability to pull in those legacy operators people who have been selling cannabis illegally into the formal market, and doesnt think the regulations are set up for them, due to the business ownership requirement. The regulations would disqualify, for instance, someone who operated a business but was not able to turn a net profit for a two-year period. "I think that the broader question is whether this even serves the social equity communities, if we're really talking about just people who have already been successful enough to be 10 percent owners of a (profitable, on-the-books) business for two years in a row," DeAngelo said, pointing to the fact that the regulations dont mention any equity categories besides the "justice involved." Uncharted territory When drafting New Yorks license requirements, lawmakers specified that regulators should attempt to give at least 50 percent of the final licenses to social equity applicants. Their focus should be "communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition or who qualify as a minority or women-owned business, distressed farmers, or service-disabled veterans." The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Eyeing this wording, potential cannabis businesses fronted by people in each of the categories have sprung up across the state in the past year. According to attorneys and representatives for equity companies now left out of the conditional licensing, the move to restrict the early applications to "justice involved" contenders was unexpected. The decision to focus on potential retailers with marijuana convictions in New York means the applicant pool could lead to more minority candidates, due to the disproportionate rate of arrests. "Its certainly drawing from that population," said Melissa Moore, a director at Drug Policy Alliance. "As a result of stop-and-frisk and targeted racist policing practices, in New York, 80 to 90 percent of arrests were of Black and Latinx young people." According to federal legal precedent, even regulations that specify a category that appears to be a "proxy" for race may be subject to constitutional challenge on the basis of discrimination, according to Edward Jay Blum, a legal strategist whose cases against affirmative action practices were recently granted review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Blum said that racial quotas "have been declared unconstitutional, regardless of the area of public policy" though there is a carve-out for those intended to remedy "purposeful discrimination." State Sen. Liz Krueger, who was instrumental in the passage of the law and its equity provisions, said she could not speak to whether regulators considered constitutional challenges when drafting the regulations, though she said they are in line with the law. But, she added, nothing in government is immune from lawsuits. "I learned a long time ago, you can sue on constitutional grounds almost on anything you want. Then its up to the courts to decide," Krueger said. Even with no legal challenges courts would be tacitly drawn into the regulations since each applicant will need to prove their marijuana conviction record. For many applicants, that may be accomplished automatically since they will be required to submit to a criminal background check. But advocates, stakeholders and even one Office of Court Administration official worried that some records would not be accessible since convictions are in the process of being expunged deleted from most places a move also mandated by the states legalization bill. Anthony R. Perri, deputy counsel for criminal justice of the New York State Unified Court System, said that "an individual may access their own sealed (or) expunged criminal court records." However, expunged records would not show up on a background check by a state agency, making them harder to verify. And it becomes more complicated if a persons "justice involved" status depends on the conviction of a family member unable to access the records themselves, such as a since-deported parent. "In that case, there's no way for them to access the record once it's been expunged," said The Legal Aid Societys Emma Goodman. "A group of us have talked about whether there should be a specific ability for OCM to access records for that very specific purpose." Alexander, the OCM's director, said last week that the regulations represented a different strategy from other states and are certain to face questions and challenges. "(But) if we want a different outcome for our equity entrepreneurs in this state, then we have to take a different approach," Alexander said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering substantial changes to the state's bail laws, which have been a fiercely guarded cornerstone of Democratic leadership in the Legislature and among the criminal justice advocates who fought for the changes they said create greater equity in the justice system around race and wealth. The changes were first reported by the New York Post, in an apparent leak of an internal 10-point overhaul of the bail statute and other criminal justices measures that had been prepared by the governor's office. The memo was independently obtained by the Times Union. The plan includes four main changes to the state's bail laws, mostly centered around providing judges with discretion to set bail in gun-related cases. It also would give police the ability to arrest repeat offenders for certain low-level crimes, instead of issuing an appearance ticket, which would create the ability for judges to set bail in those cases. The proposal would ensure that individuals with violent criminal histories could have bail set or be incarcerated by a judge. Generally in many of those cases a judge already was already allowed to set bail or hold someone in custody but now it would require them to do so. Hochul's memo also offers alterations to the state's pre-trial discovery and "Raise the Age" laws, while supplying additional resources for pretrial services which the initial changes to the bail laws failed to do. A substantive proposal by the governor also seeks permanent changes to "Kendra's Law," which allows the state to require severely mentally ill individuals to be ordered to participate in outpatient treatment. Those proposals are already included in guidance the state Office of Mental Health recently had issued. A firestorm of comments emerged Thursday after the governor's memo was leaked as advocates who fought for the criminal justice changes lashed out at Hochul while many Republicans and law enforcement officials applauded the proposals they have been pushing the governor and Legislature to adopt. Both sides stuck to their talking points, with the advocates saying the bail changes have not increased crime and law enforcement officials contending they have greatly contributed to the surge in crime. "Bail reform has been widely successful, allowing our clients to stay in their communities with their families with no measurable impact on public safety," Marie Ndiaye, supervising attorney of the decarceration project at The Legal Aid Society, said in a statement. "The Legislature must reject outright any bail rollback proposal." Similarly, the proposal would "wind back the clock decades on justice, safety, and equity in New York," said Rodney Holcombe, a criminal justice reform director with New York's FWD.us. Republican leadership in the Legislature generally was in agreement with much of the policies, but were skeptical if Democratic lawmakers would agree to them. State GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy asserted that the plan was a "whiplash" response to a demonstrative call for changes to the bail laws that former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made earlier Thursday. (The governor's memo had been drafted before Thursday.) Cuomo, with millions of dollars in campaign cash, spoke to church leaders in the Bronx Thursday morning and unveiled a speech centered around the state's need to alter a law he helped to push through in 2019. He said the changes must be included within the budget and that the issues around crime, which he attributed to the bail laws, are the top problem in New York City. New York has "a major crime problem," Cuomo said. The Hochul administration has been quietly working on potential changes to the state's bail laws for weeks, if not months, according to Thomas Mungeer, president of the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association. "It's a common sense change and one that's much needed," Mungeer said Thursday. Mungeer and his union have been pushing lawmakers, like other law enforcement groups, for similar changes during the legislative session, which began in January. He said he recently spoke about bail with multiple senators, including state Sen. James Gaughran, a Long Island Democrat. Gaughran, according to Mungeer, relayed information to Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, who may have been involved in crafting the memo. The reported changes were also welcomed by Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who supported so-called "bail reform" but has been a staunch critic of the changes that were crafted. "This is a significant development in public safety," Soares said. "The idea of depriving judges from considering public safety in public safety policy is lunacy and the citizens of the state of New York can no longer afford to have a public safety policy that does not consider the dangerous behavior of individuals who exist." Benjamin's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hochul's office noted that "consistently since becoming governor, she does not negotiate in public." "We look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to deliver a budget that serves New Yorkers," spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays said in a statement. Spokespeople for the state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie did not respond to requests for comment. Both leaders have been staunch proponents of the criminal justice changes and have offered no indication that significant changes are needed. About 2 percent of nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors, which fall under the state's cashless bail laws, led to a rearrest on a violent felony prior to the conclusion of the initial, based on state data over a recent 12-month span that was analyzed by the Times Union. Criminal history and firearm use A judge is required to set bail or send a person to jail at their arraignment for certain serious felonies and other factors are in play including: a prior violent felony in the last five years; violation of an order or protection; a "history of use or possession of a firearm," or they are a credible threat of serious harm to an individual or pose a clear and imminent risk of flight. The goal would be to "reasonably assure the safety of any person or persons or the community," according to the memo. The serious felony charges include: murder; manslaughter; aggravated criminally negligent homicide; aggravated manslaughter; criminal use of a firearm; criminal possession of a weapon; criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, or first-degree assault with an underlying weapon or gun charge. 'Repeat offenses subject to arrest and bail-eligible' In instances where a person who was released on a prior charge and then rearrested on any felony or misdemeanor prior to the disposition of their case, a judge would be able to set bail. Currently, a judge can only do so if the person has been charged with a certain felony or a misdemeanor involving harm to a person or property. On crimes that are subject to a desk appearance ticket, police would be able to arrest the person if within the last 18 months they either either received an appearance ticket or were charged with a crime, regardless of whether they spent time in jail or prison. Currently, police can arrest a person instead of issuing an appearance ticket if they have an outstanding arrest warrant or have failed to appear in court within the last two years. Based on the arrest, a judge could set bail on send the person to jail, although they could still release the person on their own recognizance or under certain conditions. Arrests, not tickets, for certain crimes Arrests could be made for certain gun crimes, including criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds and criminal sale of a firearm to a minor. A person charged with a hate crime also could be arrested. A person charged with a crime against a person or employee for an incident on any train, bus or facility operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority or the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey could lead to an arrest. Public transportation outside of the New York City metropolitan area does not appear to be included in the proposed changes. 'Gun-related offenses bail-eligible' Criminal possession of a firearm and criminal sale of a firearm to a minor would all become bail eligible under the proposed changes. I support it; it gives students an advantage for scholarships. I'm not sure; there are pros and cons. I don't support it; it's unfair. I don't know. Vote View Results Bet on Everton and get a deposit bonus with bet365 at TheFreeBetGuide.com In this quick post we share a few local crime links and then take a quick peek at a national news story with a bit of local context . . . Here's TKC news gathering . . . Local Slice Of Life KC man sentenced for 2020 deadly stabbing outside halfway house KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A 29-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man has been sentenced for the deadly stabbing in November 2020 of 35-year-old Daniel Atkinson outside of a halfway house in the city's northeast. A Jackson County judge sentenced Trever A. Young to 20 years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Legal Consequences Debated After Tragic Killing Mother sues KCPS over handling of daughter's 2019 shooting death KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The mother of Anjanique Wright, the then-15-year-old girl who in February 2019 was shot outside Central Academy of Excellence , is suing Kansas City, Missouri, Public Schools for how they handled the circumstances surrounding her daughter's death. Show-Me Tech Tracking Killers Missouri lawmakers propose 'murderer registry' JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri lawmaker proposed a new registry that would track people convicted of murder after they are paroled. Lane Roberts, R-Joplin, sponsored House Bill 1705 which is under consideration. The bill would rename the state's current sex offender registry. Justice Delayed Grain Valley couple's murder, dismemberment trial delayed to 2023 KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The trial for a man and woman charged with murdering a woman and burying her body has been delayed at least six months. A judge granted a request from an attorney representing Michael Hendricks. The request asked for the July 25, 2022, trial to be delayed until next year to give them time to prepare. Rock Chalk Gun Training Mandate?!? Bill would require Kansas State Board of Education to develop school gun safety program Democrats in Topeka slammed a hearing Monday on a gun safety program for schools. Edibles For Everybody Lawmakers look ready to legalize medical marijuana, but likely won't let Kansans vape or smoke it TOPEKA, Kansas - State lawmakers find themselves on the verge of legalizing marijuana for medical use, but with stricter rules than the way cannabis has been cleared for use in other states. The Kansas House passed a legalization bill last year. Legal Fair Play Akin To Former KCPD Detective Free On Appeal Bond Despite Outrage Court orders Jussie Smollett release from jail during appeal Jussie Smollett can be sprung from jail on bond while lawyers appeal his conviction for staging a hate crime, an Illinois state appellate court ruled Wednesday. The ruling came two days after Smollett's lawyers filed an emergency motion to postpone his five-month sentence on five counts of felony disorderly conduct for lying to police. Developing . . . The parade starts in an hour but the party lasts all night. Accordingly, we share this quick bit of inf on the festivities that involve a great many puffy suburbanites showing an inordinate amount of ethnic pride that they might resent from anyone else. Don't get it twisted TKC LOVES ST. PADDY'S DAY!!! In fact, as we often repeat on this occasion . . . I have a great deal of affection for the Irish because they're living proof that white supremacy is a myth. Check TKC links . . . Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade route, parking KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade kicks off at 11 a.m. Thursday. The route begins at West 33rd Street and Broadway Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri. After heading south past Uptown Theater and marching through Westport, the parade ends at West 43rd Street where Broadway Boulevard and Mill Creek Parkway meet. St. Patrick's Day party returns to P&L District KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A St. Patrick's Day celebration returns to the Power & Light District. It all begins Thursday at 5 p.m. with green beer, themed food specials and a free show from Loud Luxury and DJ Ashton Martin. The event is free, with an option to upgrade to several different VIP experiences including an all-inclusive ticket. Tradition Returns: KC's St. Patrick's Day Parade is back! Hide Transcript Show Transcript AFTER A TWO-YEARIA HTUS A CITY TRADITION IS BACK. THAT'' RIGHT, KANSAS CITY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY PARADE RETURNS THIS YEAR EVERYONE'S IRISH WHEN ISTH THING GET STARTED THURSDAY EXPECT CROWDS AT THE LONGSTANDING CELEBRAONTI AS IT WISND FROM MIDTOWN TO COUNTRY CLUB. St. Patrick's Day in Kansas City: A list of events KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - While the City of Fountains may be a good distance from the Emerald Isle, there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate the renowned Irish holiday of St. Patrick's Day locally. Parades 9 a.m. - 4 5th annual World's Shortest and Smallest St. Saint Patrick, the man behind St. Patrick's Day holiday, wasn't even Irish St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 because that's the day historians believed he died. The holiday wasn't always the way we see it today. It was once a solemn time in Ireland where bars remained closed. Though credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland, St. Have fun, be safe, we hope to see you back soon . . . Today's report of a massive drug bust stands out if only because of the scale of the illicit narcotic. Here are the deets . . . "The Kansas City Police Department said its Drug Enforcement Unit intercepted a fentanyl brick which could have killed thousands. Officers estimate the brick would have been broken down into approximately 10,000 tablets resembling oxycodone." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Two Kansas City officers taken to hospital for fentanyl exposure during arrest KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two Kansas City, Missouri police officers were taken to the hospital Tuesday night for a possible fentanyl exposure during an arrest. The Kansas City Police Department said its Drug Enforcement Unit intercepted a fentanyl brick which could have killed thousands. Kansas City police intercept massive fentanyl brick The Kansas City, Missouri police department says their drug enforcement unit has intercepted a massive fentanyl brick. The department posted a picture of the recovered drugs to their social media pages. Police say that the squad members estimated the brick would have been broken down into approximately 10,000 tablets resembling oxycodone. Developing . . . Amanda Gatien (seen here in 2020) made the hard call to close the four-year-old restaurant-turned-general-store City Betty on March 15. - Dan Pearce/Metroland file photo COVID-19 is raging up north, as several First Nations communities fight their toughest battles of the pandemic "There is the sense that the south is putting the pandemic behind them, but for us the pandemic is not over," says doctor in Sioux Lookout health authority. A 25-year-old Toronto man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a February homicide in North York. Barbara Lazar and her daughter, Ilana, donate blood together every four months. Barbara has been giving blood every few months for the past 51 years. - Dan Pearce/Metroland Pedestrian taken to hospital in critical condition after being hit by car in East York Things to do on St. Patricks Day in Toronto: Share your photos with us Reflecting the mood. Mirroring the mood of pandemic, war and economic hardship, the unseasonable weather of yesterday has turned into puddles. A cyclist navigates the puddles on the bike path at Woodbine beach. - Richard Lautens / Toronto Star Cases are expected to rise with most restrictions lifted and the increase of BA.2, but were not expected to hit the peak numbers of January. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the masking end was the decision of Dr. Kieran Moore, the chief medical officer of health, who said the decision was based on science. - Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO "Bad review" extortionists and their fake reviews have the potential to impact businesses from loss of clients and damage to reputation all the way to closure. - David Tonelson Dress for Success Toronto campaign will help more women into the workforce 'This initiative is asking members of the public to donate just one hour of their pay,' writes Kait Green The myth of zero risk: Have two years of a pandemic taught us anything about navigating uncertainty? While some risks do pose serious or even mortal danger, writes Alanna Mitchell, there are others we must take in order to progress and thrive. When it comes to COVID the key is to know the difference. Jamaican-Canadian chef Suzanne Barr talks about her new memoir and her mothers cherished apple pie In her new book, "My Ackee Tree" (out April 5), Barr searches for the answer to "How can I keep the things I love?" Woburn, MA (01801) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chip Minemyer is the editor and general manager of The Tribune-Democrat and TribDem.com, GM of The Times-News of Cumberland, Md., and CNHI regional editor for Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina. He can be reached at 814-532-5091. Follow him on Twitter @MinemyerChip. Local airport officials said they are confident a U.S. Department of Transportation order gives them the time they need to enable a smooth shift from their current carrier to a new one this summer. Instant unlimited access to all of our content on triplicate.com. The Triplicate's E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) The number of civilians killed as a result of enemy shelling near a bread shop in Chernihiv has risen to 13. "Russian troops launched insidious heavy artillery strikes on one of Chernihiv's residential neighborhoods. The shells hit a high-rise building and fell near a shop. There were a lot of people standing there, in a queue for bread. As a result of the enemy attack, 13 civilians were killed and dozens of people were injured," Chief of the Chernihiv Region Police Department Volodymyr Nidzelsky posted on Facebook. Nidzelsky noted that police investigators were working at the scene of the war crime. They carefully documented the circumstances and consequences of the enemy shelling. Police officers also evacuated the injured citizens to healthcare facilities. Earlier it was reported that ten people were killed in the enemy attack. ol Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov spoke at an extraordinary meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Defence Ministers, noting that the Kremlin switched to terror tactics with mass killings of civilians, destruction, and brutality after the failure of the blitzkrieg tactics. According to the minister, the Kremlin is the collective Hitler of 21st century. Addressing NATO Defence Ministers, Reznikov informed that the Russian occupiers had already killed 103 Ukrainian children, maimed more than 100, and killed about 3,000 civilians over three weeks of the active phase of the war, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine posted on Facebook. He informed that Russian invaders were committing a real act of genocide in Mariupol as about 20,000 civilians had been killed so far. The occupiers are committing a real act of genocide in Mariupol. It is being wiped off the face of the earth by aircraft, missiles, and artillery. Local authorities estimate the loss of civilians at about 20,000. And this number is growing every minute, Reznikov said. As he noted, war against Ukraine is war against the world. Wanting to destroy Ukraine, Russia has started the war against humanism, international law, peace, and freedom values that make us human, not machines or beasts. In the fields and cities of Ukraine, people, our people are fighting against animals in machines. The Ukrainian army is controlled and combat-ready, the minister underscored. Tens of thousands of patriots have taken up arms to defend Ukraine. All our military units act as a single body and according to the plan of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters in Kyiv. Reznikov also informed that Russia had already lost more soldiers than in the two Chechen wars. More than 13,000 soldiers, more than 400 tanks and 1,200 armored vehicles. We shot down 80 planes and almost 100 helicopters. We eliminated a few Russian generals, he said However, he noted, the consequences of the criminal actions of the Russian occupiers may be catastrophic as they have already captured two Ukrainian nuclear power plants Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia. The Kremlin is already attacking a nuclear facility, endangering millions of people. Already three million refugees from our country are being rescued in neighboring countries. There may be several times more. The migration crisis over the Syrian war, which was also largely inspired by Russia, will be outmatched if NATO sits on its hands, the defence minister of Ukraine underscored. In his opinion, Russian strikes on a neutral country or NATO country in Europe is only a matter of time. The Kremlin is the collective Hitler of the 21st century. This is not a metaphor or an exaggeration. Time of words, declarations, declarations of intentions has passed. It's time to act. Now is a time for strong decisions that will shape the new world order. Based on law, humanism, truth, and justice. The one where terrorists and tyrants will not be able to dictate will, Reznikov stressed. On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops destroy key infrastructure, massively shell residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and ballistic missiles. Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced. Ukraine repels Russian invaders. ol Enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRGs) and fire spotters can be found all over Ukraine at the moment. The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to the Government portal. According to Monastyrkyi, there are no places in Ukraine at the moment, which would not have an obvious military threat. The ministry can no longer name the regions, which are free of shelling and SRGs. Unfortunately, this has become a common phenomenon for us. For example, in Kyiv, I receive information about the enemy SRG representatives and fire spotters detained every day. They can be also found in Lviv Region, Ivano-Frankivsk Region and Rivne Region. Today it is a problem all over the country, Monastyrskyi noted. A reminder that, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops are shelling and destroying the key infrastructure facilities, launching missile and air strikes on residential areas in Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians in Ukraine. mk The situation in the city of Mariupol is catastrophic and extremely difficult. The relevant statement was made by Advisor to Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Vadym Denysenko on Ukrainian TV channels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The situation is catastrophic, the situation is horrible there. So far, we do not have any more or less stable information, which could be reported to the country. Unfortunately, the situation is extremely difficult there, Denysenko told. In his words, Russia also launched an air strike on a school, which is situated in the city of Merefa, near Kharkiv. Now it is on fire, and Ukrainian rescuers are working there. Meanwhile, Member of Parliament, Member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Fedir Venislavskyi (Servant of the People faction) noted that the enemy was also destroying the peaceful city of Chernihiv. I have the impression that Putin probably has some existential anger at Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol. As for Mariupol, it is obvious that the situation is horrible there, everyone is aware of that. Chernihiv is one of the oldest cities, which actually gave birth to Kyivan Rus and was the cradle of our ancestors. Putin is destroying it, same as the city of Kharkiv. As for Kharkiv, he probably thought it to be a stronghold of the Russian world, but Kharkiv met him with such unprecedented and unheard resistance that he is simply wiping it off, destroying the whole quarters. Saltivka, downtown Kharkiv are being continuously hit with shells, Venislavskyi told. In his words, the enemy failed to achieve any significant results in Chernihiv Region and, thus, is killing civilians. According to Venislavskyi, Russian President Vladimir Putin is destroying our statehood and our nation, and it is already obvious to the whole world. A reminder that, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops are shelling and destroying the key infrastructure facilities, launching missile and air strikes on residential areas in Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians in Ukraine. mk Japan's military on Thursday spotted four large Russian amphibious warfare ships sailing close to its islands as they traveled west, possibly towards Europe. That's according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports. Pictures of the amphibious transports, typically used for landing expeditionary forces ashore, published by Japan's defense ministry showed what appeared to be military trucks loaded onto the deck of one of the vessels. When asked whether these ships could be bound for Ukraine, a ministry spokesman said: "We don't know where they are heading, but their heading suggest it is possible." A Japanese Self Defense Force maritime patrol first detected the Russian vessels, which can carry dozens of tanks, other military vehicles and hundreds of troops, on Tuesday and monitored them as they passed West from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan through the narrow Tsuruga Strait separating Japan's main Honshu island from Hokkaido island on Wednesday. At the same time, the spokesman said that it is unusual for Russian ships to pass through the strait so close to Japanese territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rebuked Germany for realizing too late who Russia is. Addressing the Bundestag via video link, Zelensky thanked Germany for assistance, but stressed that "many steps to support [Ukraine] were late and insufficient," according to an Ukrinform correspondent. Zelensky recalled close ties between German and Russian businesses, adding that Ukraine had long warned that the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was part of preparation for war, "but in response, it heard only: economy, economy, economy." Zelensky also recalled that German politicians constantly said that Ukraine's membership in NATO was "not on the table and not in the foreseeable future." Currently, according to him, the situation is similar with the issue of Ukraine's EU membership. "For many, it's politics, but it's the stone for a new wall," he warned. At the same time, he thanked ordinary Germans who help refugees, journalists who tell the truth about the war, German companies that "put morale above profit." "We need help from Europe," Zelensky said. Zelensky said that Russian troops do not distinguish between military and civilian objects, for them everything is a target. He also mentioned the tragedy in Mariupol and other cities. "You'll see it all if you look through the wall." He stressed that "every year they repeat in Germany: Never again. But these words are worthless today." Zelensky concluded his speech with words by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev: Mr. President, tear down this wall. "And I ask you, dear Chancellor, to tear down this wall, to give Germany the leading role it deserves. Support Ukraine, stop this war, help us stop this war!" On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying infrastructure, residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems and ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, some Syrian mercenaries see participation in the war on the side of Russia as a chance to eventually defect and illegally cross to the EU. Thats according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Ukrinform reports. The command of Russias Khmeimim military base in Syria was instructed to send 300 Syrian fighters to the Ukraine war on a daily basis. On March 15, some 150 mercenaries were transported to Russia through the Khmeimim military base to take part in combat operations against Ukraine. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, there are plans to transfer weapons, military hardware, and other resources from Syria to Russia and Belarus in the near future to support Russian occupation troops. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has promised to provide Russia with 40,000 fighters for the war in Ukraine. As they are being recruited, mercenaries are promised they will perform exclusively policing functions to restore order in the occupied territories. However, reports have been reaching Syrian candidates lately about Russias plans to directly involve them in combat operations. This has significantly reduced the "fighting spirit" of the Syrians, the intelligence agency noted. In addition, more than 30 fighters who had been wounded in battles against Ukrainian defenders have recently arrived at the Khmeimim military base from Russia. This had a negative impact on the morale and psychological condition of some Syrians, leading to some of them recalling their applications. There have even been cases where Syrian fighters would injure themselves to evade deployment. At the same time, some of the mercenaries see their deployment to Russia and Belarus as a chance to subsequently defect and flee to the EU. As reported by Ukrinform, on March 16, an Adviser to the Presidents Office, Oleksiy Arestovych, said that Russian appeals to Syria and Libya regarding the sending of mercenaries for the war in Ukraine remained unanswered for the time being. One of the key aspects of the peace agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, which will be concluded after the negotiation process, is the immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. "Immediate ceasefire and immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine is one of the key aspects of the peace agreement. No other way. The negotiations are a large-scale process involving not only Russia and Ukraine. Our partners, including Poland, are also indirectly involved. Because we must not just sign an agreement. We want to develop a concrete mechanism that will guarantee our security in the future. So far, both the Russian and Ukrainian delegations hold their ground. Reconciliation of disputes can take from a few days to a week and a half. During this time, we must move closer to a peace agreement. Taking into account, first of all, the interests of Ukraine, which has suffered enormous destruction from the Russian Federation," Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Wiadomosci Polish newspaper, Ukrinform reports. The Adviser to the Head of the Presidents Office stressed that once the peace agreement was concluded, the Russian Federation would have no other choice than to start to withdraw immediately its armed forces from Ukrainian territory. "Once the agreement is signed, the Vienna Convention will enter into force for both parties. It clearly states that the peace treaty can be annulled if the warring parties do not withdraw their troops from enemy territory. Therefore, any attempts to keep Russian soldiers on Ukrainian territory will be legally unfounded," Podolyak argued. He underscored that in order to ensure the further escalation of the military situation in Ukraine, it is planned to prescribe in detail a specific plan for the withdrawal of Russian troops in the final document. "To legally verify it and get the support of our partners. In addition, it is foreign countries that will guarantee compliance with the conditions and security of Ukraine in the future. This will be a document that describes in detail the procedure in case of repeated aggression by Russia," said the Adviser. The representative of the Presidents Office noted that this was an innovative formula, authored by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, which might underpin a completely new security system in Europe. In addition, Podolyak stated that Ukraine's position in negotiations with Russia on the occupied territories remains unchanged it is impossible to change the country's borders. "However, I believe that we must be realistic in our judgments. De jure, Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk remain the part of Ukraine, but we do not control them de facto, the Russian administration works there. One of the key issues is how to manage these territories. The problem is that the Russian Federation came to us with the war, not started a conversation," he added. Asked whether the possibility of restoration of Ukraines control over Donetsk and Luhansk is considered, Podolyak noted that negotiations are underway, as well as the search for a legal formula. "Once it is found, the presidents of Ukraine and Russia will continue negotiations at a special meeting," he added. At the same time, the Adviser to the Head of the Presidents Office expressed the opinion that the signing of a peace treaty by the parties can only end the acute phase of the conflict. However, he expressed doubts that this would be the end of the war for Ukrainians and stated that Russia had no chance to prove that anyone but it was to blame for this large-scale catastrophe. On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops destroy key infrastructure, massively shell residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and ballistic missiles. Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced. Ukraine repels Russian invaders. ol Four people have been killed and 10 civilians have been wounded in shelling by Russian troops in the city of Rubizhne, Luhansk Region, over the past 24 hours. The relevant statement was made by Luhansk Regional Military Administration Head Serhii Haidai on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Over the past 24 hours, four people have been killed and 10 civilians have been wounded in shelling in Luhansk Region, all of them in Rubizhne, Haidai wrote. As a result of heavy shelling on Sievierodonetsk, Rubizhne and Popasna, more than 46 facilities have been damaged over the past day, including 12 apartment blocks and 28 detached houses, outbuildings and infrastructure facilities. Rescuers were involved in extinguishing 16 fires, which broke out due to shelling by Russian troops. In addition, today firefighters have dismantled the debris, transported 32 tonnes of water to meet the needs of local residents, delivered more than 11 tonnes of humanitarian aid across bomb shelters, Haidai noted. A reminder that, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops are shelling and destroying the key infrastructure facilities, launching missile and air strikes on residential areas in Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians in Ukraine. mk An air defense unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has shot down an enemy drone near Odesa. Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman for the operational headquarters of the Odesa regional military administration, said this in a statement posted on his Facebook page, Ukrinform reports. "On March 17, Russian ships were spotted near Odesa. They suffered losses during a demonstrative line-up at a safe distance. The Operational Command South said on the evening of March 17 that during the demonstration of their inability to storm Odesa, rather than of their strength, the enemy lost an Orlan-10 drone," Bratchuk said. According to him, in the afternoon, Russian ships lined up off the coast. "It was a kind of putting some psychological pressure on all of us in order for our defense systems to reveal their positions, but it was in vain," Bratchuk said. On February 24, Russian President Putin announced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying infrastructure, residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles. Many wounded Russian servicemen are being treated in hospitals in Belaruss Gomel region, while the bodies of those killed in action are being shipped to Russia by rail and air. This was reported by Radiyo Svaboda, Ukrinform reports. An employee of the Gomel Regional Clinical Hospital told the newspaper that as of late last week, more than 2,500 corpses had been taken from Belarus to Russia by rail and air. "We were admitted with a domestic injury to the Mozyr hospital. There are so many wounded Russians there just awful. Terribly mutilated. Their moans are all over the hospital, it's impossible to listen to that," locals say. Read also: Zelensky comes to hospital to visit people wounded when evacuating from Kyiv Region Another source from among the medics told the newspaper that "about a hundred Russians underwent surgery in Mozyr on Sunday alone." "On Monday, even more were admitted. All doctors, including therapists and otolaryngologists, are involved in their treatment and surgeries. Local are still receiving medical assistance, but problems may arise to this end quite soon, the source said. Meanwhile, a full-fledged field hospital has been set up in Narovlya. "There are many military tents on the premises of a former motor depot. There is also a field kitchen and a laundry facility. It is hardly possible to count the wounded, but there are clearly hundreds," said city residents. Apparently, the wounded are now being brought not only by PAZ buses with a red cross, but also by helicopters. "The wounded dont stay long there. They get patched up here and taken to Mozyr and Gomel. Corpses are shipped by rail from Mozyr to Russia," city residents report. Another source from Narovlya notes that their district center is being transformed into a kind of a military town, where locals are not allowed there. "Now we have a lot of equipment and military deployed there. They stay at various sites that havent been used. At a former district sawmill, equipment is being repaired after being damaged in battles in Ukraine, the interlocutor told the outlet. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has expanded the list of critical import goods, namely with the goods required for industrial manufacturing and construction. The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Economy Ministry, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Last time the list of critical import goods was updated and approved at a meeting of the Ukrainian government, it was expanded with water (mineral and carbonated), fermented dairy products, salt, tobacco raw materials, raw materials required for the light industry, medicine, the report states. Now the list of critical import goods also includes the goods required for industrial manufacturing and construction, namely polymers, soldering and welding agents, glass, metal structures, etc. A reminder that, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops are shelling and destroying the key infrastructure facilities, launching missile and air strikes on residential areas in Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians in Ukraine. mk President Zelensky has outlined the priorities in the talks with Russia: the end of the war, restoration of territorial integrity, security guarantees for Ukraine. He said in his address that the Ukrainian delegation spoke with the Russian delegation for the sake of peace for our country. I want all our citizens, citizens of Ukraine, to hear me now. Negotiations are ongoing. Negotiations for the sake of Ukraine. My priorities in the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country, the Head of State explained. On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops destroy key infrastructure, massively shell residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and ballistic missiles. Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced. Ukraine repels Russian invaders. ol Turkey does not recognize the temporary occupation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia, while supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Thats according to a statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the anniversary of an illegal referendum Russia ran in Crimea, Ukrinform reports. "Ukraines Autonomous Republic of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation following the illegitimate referendum held on 16 March 2014. Turkey and the international community do not recognize this act which is a clear violation of international law., "the statement said. The Turkish Foreign Ministry points out that the country will continue to closely follow the events in Crimea, particularly the situation of the Crimean Tatars, who are among principal constituents in the region. "On this occasion (of the anniversary of the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia - ed.), we reaffirm our support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a strategic partner of Turkey," the statement concludes. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on March 16, Russian aggressors detained in the temporarily occupied Crimea a rights activist, Abdureshit Dzhepparov. Memo: on March 16, 2014, the sham "referendum" concerning the status of Crimea was held in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, temporarily occupied by Russia, contrary to the Ukrainian legislation and that of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, at gunpoint of the Russian military and local Russia-supervised "militias." According to the aggressor power, 96.77% of Crimean residents allegedly supported the peninsula's accession to Russia, while in Sevastopol, it was 95.6%. Two days later, on March 18, 2014, the Kremlin signed the so-called "Agreement on the Accession of the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation." Most UN member states and other international organizations have declared the rigged Crimean "referendum" staged by the occupiers illegitimate. Ukraine intends to end the war with the Russian Federation by forming a new international security coalition. What matters to us is not status, but allies who are really ready to fight alongside us. The invasion of Ukraine has shown that the whole architecture of European security must be reconsidered. We know that Putin can only be stopped by force. NATO does not have that force. In our opinion, this is an organization whose main activity is to organize summits where the generals show that they are cool So we want to end this war with a new coalition, so powerful that it will be able to stop Russia if it wants to attack someone again," Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Wiadomosci Polish newspaper, Ukrinform reports. He explained that the basis of the coalition would be fundamentally different from the Budapest Memorandum but would provide a specific condition in line with all the rules of international law. According to the Adviser to the Head of the Presidents Office, the document will describe the mechanisms that should be implemented if an attack on Ukraine occurs again. "We want to make sure that we will not be left alone on the battlefield again. The guarantor states will make certain commitments. In the future, this document can be developed and underpin a completely new alliance to ensure security all over Europe," Podolyak added. He declined to name the states that expressed readiness to join the coalition as talks continue. At the same time, the representative of the Presidents Office assured that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky would present the whole concept when they ended. In addition, Podolyak noted that the formation of the coalition was one of the key topics of the meeting of the President of Ukraine with Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, and Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Jansa in Kyiv on March 15. Podolyak stressed that Poland's accession to the new union was very important for Ukraine. "Poland is one of Ukraine's best friends today. We are infinitely grateful for the help provided and we believe that Poland and Ukraine should participate together in all negotiations on security in Europe," he said. On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops destroy key infrastructure, massively shell residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and ballistic missiles. Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced. Ukraine repels Russian invaders. ol Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is currently on a visit to Ukraine. "In focus: the heroic defense of Ukraine against Russia's full-scale aggression; numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian army in Ukraine and the inevitable responsibility for them; Turkey's solidarity with Ukraine, practical political and humanitarian support, as well as readiness to consider the possibility of becoming one of the guarantors of Ukraine's security in the future," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine posted on Facebook. In addition, Turkeys foreign minister informed Kuleba about his visit to Moscow on March 16. He stressed Ankara's readiness to continue mediation efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine. As reported, Mevlut Cavusoglu arrived in Ukraine on Thursday to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on ending Russian aggression. During yesterdays visit to Moscow, Cavusoglu pointed out his country's mediating role as a facilitator between Ukraine and Russia, assuring that the country's position is based on the legal framework and impartiality. ol Over the ten days of March, Ukraine received 70,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid from abroad. "We are actively increasing the volume of humanitarian aid. Over ten days of March, 70,000 tonnes were imported," Spokesperson to the Head of the President's Office Darya Zarivna said on the air of the nationwide telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. As noted, humanitarian goods are sent to the eastern and southern regions of the country and Kyiv region through regional humanitarian hubs. Humanitarian aid is delivered by road and Ukrzaliznytsia trains. In addition, Zarivna informed that more than two million people had been evacuated by rail since the beginning of the war. As reported, the Coordination Headquarters of Humanitarian and Social Affairs functions in Ukraine to help citizens overcome difficult life circumstances which arose due to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. ol UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visits a girls' high school in the Saracha area of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. UNHCR/Hafizullah Habib KABUL, Afghanistan Declaring that the world must deliver sustained support to the people of Afghanistan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, appealed for robust assistance to address the countrys humanitarian needs and those of Afghan refugees abroad. As much as the world is rightfully preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, Afghanistan is experiencing a very grave crisis, Grandi said at the end of a four-day visit to the country. We speak with people who do not know what they will eat for their next meal; women heads of households afraid for the health and well-being of their children; mothers and fathers desperate to provide for their families. The needs here are enormous, Grandi declared after a visit that included the opening of a UNHCR-built health centre in Kandahar and to a girls school which UNHCR constructed in Jalalabad. Grandi arrived in Afghanistan on Monday and met with the interim Afghan government as well as UN and NGO workers who continue to provide vital assistance throughout the country. During his meetings, Grandi said UNHCRs commitment to stay and deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan is unwavering. So far in 2022, the UN Refugee Agencys assistance and relief programmes have helped more than 500,000 Afghans, including more than 130,000 people who received relief items or direct financial assistance to survive the winter and more than 370,000 people who benefited from health centres, schools, water systems and other infrastructure that UNHCR has built in areas prioritised for the return of refugees and IDPs. Some 3.4 million people are internally displaced due to conflict, the healthcare system is experiencing severe shortages amid the COVID crisis and a measles outbreak, key workers in vital services like schools and hospitals are without salaries, while the liquidity crisis, rising global food and energy costs are having a devastating effect, Grandi declared. Overall, 24 million people throughout Afghanistan require humanitarian support this year and we appeal to donors to fund a large humanitarian effort which I have seen is delivering critical results. The UN Refugee Agency has been in Afghanistan for four decades providing emergency assistance and support to displaced and returning Afghans. UNHCR is currently engaged via 55 area-based programmes that assist reintegration and build community resilience and stability under its Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees, which focuses support on more than 11,000 villages in Afghanistan and also in refugee hosting areas in neighbouring countries. Protecting the rights and well-being of Afghans requires long-term political and economic stability, Grandi said. The international community must remain engaged in Afghanistan. Yet humanitarian approaches alone will not suffice. Revitalizing Afghanistans banking system and economy and resuming development projects can help lay the foundations upon which displaced Afghans, as well as refugees, can consider voluntary return when conditions permit. This also, he said, requires the de facto authorities to build trust with those who have been displaced. In my meetings with them, I have conveyed that the best way to do that is to ensure that all Afghans, including minorities, men, women, girls and boys, can exercise their rights and have access to work and services on an equal basis. Grandi said he welcomed what he heard from authorities in this regard not only in Kabul, but also in Kandahar and Jalalabad, with all officials recognizing the importance of service provision to all Afghans. He also conveyed to all interlocutors that now the proof of these good intentions lay in concrete decisions and actions, starting with the re-opening of schools for both girls and boys. Agencies working in Afghanistan urgently require $4.44 billion under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) to meet the critical needs of 22 million Afghans and stave off hunger, disease, malnutrition, death, and displacement. Additionally, under the UNs Transitional Engagement Framework (TEF), agencies require a further $3.6 billion to sustain essential social programmes to help the countrys 38 million residents. UNHCR needs $340.3 million for Afghanistan this year to support its response to displaced people and other vulnerable Afghans. The agencys work in Afghanistan is currently only 28 per cent funded, with $97 million received to date. The consequences of late or inadequate funding for these appeals will be very real, Grandi declared. The TEF and the HRP, alongside the $623 million Refugee Response Plan (RRP) to support almost 6 million Afghan refugees and others residing in neighbouring countries, together underpin a cross-border vision that ultimately seeks to improve the overall humanitarian situation of Afghans, and advance their protection, including for solutions, Grandi said. The needs are indeed great, said Grandi, but so too are the opportunities as I saw at the girls school in Jalalabad. It is now up to the international community to step up and help the resilient people of Afghanistan so they can make the most of their potential. Without support to the UN and partners work, however, the hardship I witnessed this week in Jalalabad, Kandahar and Kabul will mount. For more information on this topic, please contact: From a tent in Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan, the song of an elderly woman mixes with the sounds of heavy raindrops hitting the ground and the roofs. The voice belongs to Fandia, a 74-years-old Syrian refugee. She is the sole provider for her orphaned grandchildren and one of the Syrians in Jordan, who were considered particularly vulnerable and therefore received a special winter cash assistance from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, during the cold season. While the first signs of spring are starting to show and temperatures are increasing, the winter as always has been harsh for refugees in Jordan and other countries in the region. Heavy rain or snow have flooded homes and it is difficult, if not impossible, for many Syrian refugees, to afford gas, warm clothing, and other items to get through the cold season. If I had not received the winter cash assistance, I would have been helpless, says Fandia, adding: My concern is to provide warmth for the children and money for the expenses. There are a lot of needs. Zaatari refugee camp is home to around 80,000 Syrian refugees and as the crisis in Syria is entering its 12th year, many have little prospect of returning home in the near future. Syria remains the worlds largest displacement crisis. 6.6 million Syrians have fled the country, while 6.7 million remain displaced within Syria. The vast majority of the refugees outside Syria 5.6 million are hosted in nearby countries. This winter, UNHCR provided assistance to a total of 2.3 million Syrians in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq. The agency also supported refugees of other nationalities and vulnerable members of the host communities. With additional cash assistance, they can buy what they need to get through the winter, such as gas and food, while also supporting local economies and businesses. Besides cash, UNHCRs winter assistance also included distribution of mattresses, blankets, and other items for keeping warm to families in need. UNHCR also repaired homes and drainage systems to prepare camps and settlements for the heavy rain and snow expected during the winter season. UNHCRs winter assistance is made possible with support from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, who all contributed to the Syria operation in 2021. In addition, the Nordic countries are amongst the top donors to UNHCR and their high level of flexible and unearmarked funding is also contributing to UNHCRs response in Syria. Many Syrian refugees have spent 11 winters in displacement. The significant contributions from countries in the Nordic and Baltic region have helped make a big difference for many vulnerable families. Thanks to the flexible support provided to UNHCR, we were able to distribute essential cash assistance, thermal blankets and winter clothes and prepare the camps and settlements for the harsh winter weather, says Henrik M. Nordentoft, UNHCRs Representative to the Nordic and Baltic Countries. In Jordans Zaatari camp, Fandia is grateful. I spent 100 Jordanian dinars on the shelter maintenance. We paid our debts. And I bought a gas cylinder and paid for gas refill. We thank those who helped us for their support, she says. Denmark as a donor Denmark is among UNHCRs top ten donors and provided UNHCR with USD approximately 101.2 million in 2021, of which 34% was unearmarked, allowing UNHCR to respond rapidly to emergencies and underfunded crises. In 2021, Denmark donated approximately USD 8 million to the Syria situation response, which provides humanitarian aid in Syria and the neighboring countries. Estonia as a donor Estonia provided nearly USD 700,000 to UNHCR in 2021, of which approximately USD 100,000 was unearmarked, allowing UNHCR to respond rapidly to emergencies and underfunded crises. In 2021, Estonia donated USD 91,500 to the Syria situation response, which provides humanitarian aid in Syria and the neighboring countries. Finland as a donor Finland provided approximately USD 26.6 million to UNHCR in 2021, of which 31% was unearmarked, allowing UNHCR to respond rapidly to emergencies and underfunded crises. In 2021, Finland donated USD 5.97 million to the Syria situation response, which provides humanitarian aid in Syria and the neighboring countries. Norway as a donor Norway is among UNHCRs top ten donors and provided USD 107.4 million to the UNHCR in 2021. 74% was unearmarked, making Norway the biggest government donor of unearmarked funding in 2021. In 2021, Norway donated nearly USD 2 million to the Syria situation response, which provides humanitarian aid in Syria and the neighboring countries. Sweden as a donor Sweden is among UNHCRs top ten donors and the biggest multi-year donor of unearmarked funding. In 2021, Sweden provided UNHCR with USD 122.9 million, of which 61% was unearmarked. In 2021, Sweden donated USD 7.1 million to the Syria situation response, which provides humanitarian aid in Syria and the neighboring countries. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Restaurant review: Canlis first female chef is cause for all kinds of celebration Jennifer Ann Hancock was born Nov. 20, 1956, in Atlanta, to William Roy and Martha Jones Hancock. She went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Gray. She was preceded in death by her father, William Roy Hancock, and her brother, Timothy Roy Hancock, as well as grandparents Union Springs, AL (36089) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. (Photo : Adeolu Eletu via Unsplash) The real estate business is an extremely competitive and can be very daunting to get into, especially for people who are just starting out. Things always feel simpler when you glance at them from a distance, but once you actually participate in an endeavor, you find out how difficult things actually are. It may feel like you lack a lot of the necessary socialization skills and contacts, the people at the top seem to stay at the top and it seems impossible to get your foot in the door. But trust me, the ladder is not stagnant, everyone is climbing and falling simultaneously and in order to progress and stay put, you need to inculcate exceptional socialization skills while at the same time, keeping yourself abreast of the daily changes that are taking place around you. If you wish to get off to a strong start and set yourself up for success in the real estate space, you need to establish yourself from the start, market your business and build a name for yourself. You must have that burning fire and ambition to progress. This thirst to succeed will see you off to the finish line. Without any real motives, you just cannot attain success. To help you get started, here are some real estate marketing tips that will at least orient your mind. 1. Establish and maintain a social media presence This is perhaps true for any and all businesses in the 21st century, not having a consistently updated and maintained profile on any and all social media platforms is considered a huge detriment to businesses. Make a profile on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat etc. For your real estate business and upload all your listings and professionally made videos of the properties. 2. Every person you speak to matters Word of mouth is a powerful tool in the real estate space and offering your services to family, friends and members in your community will go a long way in providing you with a network of people who are aware of your presence in the real estate market. 3. Document and share your success stories Every time you close a deal successfully, have your customers review your services, preferably in video form and upload it to a well-made, easily accessible website. Share your businesses success, structure and services on the website. Make a separate area on your website for testimonials and make sure it is visible to new customers. 4. Go the extra mile for your clients Offering consultation services for people hoping to invest in the real estate space, providing moving services, guides to the area where the property is being sold, and being available to your customers 24/7 are all small ways you can show people how your business is one that is customer centric and sets you apart from the already established big names. Who may not be able to show the same level of closeness with every customer. 5. Partner yourself with real estate websites There is no shortage of real estate listing websites in every area and a great way to get your name out there is to partner with these platforms and show your own listings on these services, allowing a much broader audience to be aware of your presence. Conclusion Building your name in the real estate space is like any other business, you need to use all the tools available to you in a smart manner and spread the positive words about your services. Showing accessibility and care in your dealings with clients is a sure-fire way to find success. Date: 31 Mar 2022 - 31 Mar 2022 Town/City: Online Following two years of socially distanced events, the Scottish Design Awards are returning to serve the design and architecture professions face to face again. The world might have changed in that time but the need to recognise, celebrate and reward top talent, creativity and ideas remain as important as ever. Open to all architects, engineers, graphic, interior and digital designers the Scottish Design Awards celebrate class-leading work, best practice, sustainability and innovation in all its forms. For over a quarter-century the Scottish Design Awards have communicated the best of the best without fear or favour and we remain dedicated to surfacing the best talent and projects when the country has never been in greater need of inspiration. Entries open Tuesday 1 February. Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Mar, 2022 ) :NASA's massive new rocket is poised to make its first journey to a launchpad on Thursday ahead of a battery of tests that will clear it to blast off to the Moon this summer. It will leave the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building at 5:00 pm Eastern Time (2100 GMT) and begin its glacially slow, 11-hour crawl on a transporter to the hallowed Launch Complex 39B, four miles (6.5 kilometers) away. Here's what you need to know. - Huge rocket, huge cost - With the Orion crew capsule fixed on top, the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 stands 322 feet (98 meters) high -- taller than the Statue of Liberty, but a little smaller than the 363 feet Saturn V rockets that powered the Apollo missions to the Moon. Despite this, it will produce 8.8 million Pounds of maximum thrust (39.1 Meganewtons), 15 percent more than the Saturn V, meaning it's expected to be the world's most powerful rocket at the time it begins operating. "This is a flagship rocket you're about to see, it's a symbol of our country," Tom Whitmeyer, associate administrator for exploration systems development, told reporters on a call this week. A symbol that comes at an estimated price tag of $4.1 billion per launch for the first four Artemis missions, NASA Inspector General Paul Martin told Congress this month. Once it reaches the iconic launch pad, where 53 Space Shuttles took off, engineers have roughly two more weeks' worth of checks before what's known as the "wet dress rehearsal." On the morning of April 3, the SLS team will load more than 700,000 gallons (3.2 million liters) of cryogenic propellant into the rocket and practice every phase of launch countdown, stopping ten seconds before blast off. The propellant will then be drained to demonstrate safely standing down a launch attempt. - To the Moon and beyond - NASA is targeting May as the earliest window for Artemis-1, an uncrewed lunar mission that will be the first integrated flight for SLS and Orion. SLS will first place Orion into a low Earth orbit, and then, using its upper stage, perform what's called a trans-lunar injection. This maneuver is necessary to send Orion 280,000 miles beyond Earth and 40,000 miles beyond the Moon -- further than any spaceship capable of carrying humans has ventured. On its three-week mission, Orion will deploy 10 shoebox size satellites known as CubeSats to gather information on the deep space environment. It will journey around the far side of the Moon and finally make its way back to Earth, where its heat shield will be tested against the atmosphere. Splashdown takes place in the Pacific, off the coast of California. Artemis-2 will be the first crewed test, flying around the Moon but not landing, while Artemis-3, now planned for no earlier than 2025, will see the first woman and first person of color touch down on the lunar south pole. NASA wants to use the Moon as a proving ground for testing technologies necessary for a Mars mission, sometime in the 2030s, using a Block 2 evolution of the SLS. - SLS v Starship - NASA calls SLS a "super heavy lift exploration class vehicle." The only currently operational super heavy rocket is SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, which is smaller. Elon Musk's company is also developing its own deep space rocket, the fully reusable Starship, which he has said should be ready for an orbital test this year. Starship would be both bigger and more powerful than SLS: 394 feet tall with 17 million pounds of thrust. It could also be considerably cheaper. The tycoon has suggested that within years, the cost per launch could be as little as $10 million. Direct comparisons are complicated by the fact that while SLS is designed to fly direct to its destinations, SpaceX foresees putting a Starship into orbit, and then refueling it with another Starship so it can continue its journey, to extend range and payload. NASA has also contracted a version of Starship as a lunar descent vehicle for Artemis. Other super heavy rockets under development include Blue Origin's New Glenn, China's Long March 9 and Russia's Yenisei. (@FahadShabbir) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated the newly elected President of Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol and expressed desire for a close working relationship with him. "I congratulate H.E Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol on his election as the President of the Republic of Korea," he said in a tweet. The prime minister said he looked forward to working with the new Korean president. "I look forward to working with him to further strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Republic of Korea," he said. Retamas, Peru, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2022 ) :Rescuers digging through a landslide in northern Peru said Wednesday they had recovered three dead bodies, including a one-month-old baby. A landslide Tuesday in the town of Retamas, around 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Lima, buried several homes and trapped at least eight people, five of whom are still missing, authorities said. "We were able to recover the body of a third person, a 62-year-old man," Lieutenant Carlos Alberto Valderrama, the village's chief of police, told AFP. Hours earlier emergency crews recovered the bodies of the baby girl and an adult male who was likely trying to protect the infant when the landslide buried them both, a police spokesman said. All three victims were found under the rubble of a market. Defense Minister Jose Gavidia said the eight missing include three children. On Tuesday, authorities had said there were 15 people missing from the mining village of around 5,000. Gavidia also corrected a claim from Tuesday by La Libertad governor Manuel Llempen, who said at least 60 homes were buried, lowering that figure to "about seven. " "I managed to get out in time (but) my house was buried. The landslide has left us with nothing," said Ledy Leiva, who escaped with five family members. Rescue efforts went on all night into Wednesday with only a couple hours' break. But the work was suspended late Wednesday due to heavy rain in the area. Peruvian President Pedro Castillo arrived at the village early Wednesday to supervise rescue efforts. "In Peru we lack a risk map, there are people who dare to put a roof over a river or drill a hole in a hill to make homes," said Castillo, referring to poor people with no other option than to build makeshift homes in precarious places. In 2009, at least 13 people were killed by another landslide in Retamas, which is considered a high-risk area. Landslides are frequent in the wet summers of the Peruvian Andes. Tuesday's landslide is believed to have been caused by heavy recent rainfall. The world could face its biggest oil supply "shock" in decades as major crude exporter Russia is hit by sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency warned Wednesday Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Mar, 2022 ) :The world could face its biggest oil supply "shock" in decades as major crude exporter Russia is hit by sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency warned Wednesday. The Paris-based agency, which advises developed countries on energy policy, lowered its forecast for international oil demand for 2022, saying surging commodity prices and sanctions on Russia are expected to "appreciably depress global economic growth". "Faced with what could turn into the biggest supply crisis in decades, global energy markets are at a crossroads," the IEA said in a monthly report. "While it is still too early to know how events will unfold, the crisis may result in lasting changes to energy markets," it said. Russia, the world's biggest exporter of oil, has been hit with a slew of international sanctions over the war in Ukraine, which sent oil prices soaring. While the measures exclude the energy market, the IEA said major oil companies, trading houses, shipping firms and banks have "backed away from doing business with the country". The United States and Britain have announced their own bans on Russian oil imports. "The implications of a potential loss of Russian oil exports to global markets cannot be understated," the IEA said. "The prospect of large-scale disruptions in Russian production due to wide-ranging sanctions as well as decisions by companies to shun exports after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine is threatening to create a global oil supply shock," it said. - Shortfall could worsen - The agency said Russian oil production could fall by three million barrels per day from April and could worsen if "restricions or public condemnation escalate". There are also "scant signs of increased supplies coming from the middle East, or of a significant reallocation of trade flows", it said. The agency lowered its forecast for demand growth by nearly one million barrels per day. It now expects world oil demand to grow by 2.1 million barrels a day to total 99.7 million barrels per day this year. OPEC, the Saudi-led cartel of major oil producers, on Tuesday maintained its forecast for 2022 demand growing by 4.2 million barrels per day. But the group warned that its forecast was "subject to change in the coming weeks, when there is more clarity on the far-reaching impact of the geopolitical turmoil". OPEC and allies including Russia have only modestly increased output in recent months. Crude prices soared to a 14-year high close to $140 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but fell back under $100 this week. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday the alliance was looking to substantially bolster forces on its eastern flank after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but would not send troops to the war-torn country Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Mar, 2022 ) :NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday the alliance was looking to substantially bolster forces on its eastern flank after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but would not send troops to the war-torn country. NATO member Poland on Tuesday suggested the alliance deploy an armed "peace mission" in Ukraine to provide humanitarian aid in the face of Moscow's devastating onslaught. "We support peace efforts, we call on Russia, on President (Vladimir) Putin to withdraw its forces, but we have no plans of deploying NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine," Stoltenberg told journalists after a meeting of NATO defence ministers. NATO has already rebuffed pleas from non-member state Ukraine to intervene in the conflict, including by imposing a no-fly zone to help halt Russian bombings. The US-led alliance says its direct involvement could spark a confrontation with Russia that may spill over into nuclear war. NATO allies have instead been sending weapons to help Ukrainian forces to defend their country, especially vital portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems. Moscow has warned that any deliveries are legitimate targets for its military to strike. "Ministers addressed this today, they reinforced the message of the importance of providing support with equipment, advanced equipment, air defence systems, anti-tank weapons and many other types of support," Stoltenberg said. "But no NATO deployment of air or ground capabilities in Ukraine." - Defence 'reset' - While the 30-nation alliance has refused to intervene directly in the war in Ukraine, it has already temporarily shifted tens of thousands of troops closer to prevent any spillover from the conflict. Stoltenberg said defence ministers had now tasked military commanders to come up with plans to "reset our collective defence and deterrence for the longer term". "On land, our new posture should include substantially more forces in the eastern part of the alliance, at higher readiness with more pre-positioned equipment and supplies," he said. "In the air: more allied air power and strengthened integrated air and missile defence. At sea: carrier strike groups, submarines and significant numbers of combat ships on a persistent basis." NATO leaders are set to hold an emergency summit next week in Brussels on the Ukraine war and their response to Russia's assault. Ukraine and Russia are currently locked in negotiations that Kyiv hopes will lead to a ceasefire and peace deal. The Kremlin is pushing for Ukraine to drop any ambitions of joining NATO, while Kyiv insists it needs concrete security guarantees that prevent any future attack. Stoltenberg said it was up to the Ukrainians "to decide whether they aspire for NATO membership or not". He called on Russia to engage in peace talks in "good faith" but warned there were not yet any signs on the ground that Moscow was looking to pull back. "What Ukraine can achieve around the negotiating table is very closely linked to the situation on the ground and therefore the support we give to them to stand up against and to resist the Russian invasion also helps," Stoltenberg said. A Russian-European mission to land a rover on Mars has been suspended due to sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and its "tragic consequences", the European Space Agency said Thursday Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2022 ) :A Russian-European mission to land a rover on Mars has been suspended due to sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and its "tragic consequences", the European Space Agency said Thursday. "We deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine," the agency said as it confirmed the suspension of the ExoMars mission. The mission had been planned to launch in September using a Russian launcher and lander to put the rover on Mars to drill into the soil, searching for signs of life. However, Russian space agency Roscosmos responded to EU sanctions over the invasion by suspending launches and withdrawing more than 100 of its workers from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana's Kourou. The ESA's ruling council said in a statement Thursday that its director general would now "carry out a fast-track industrial study to better define the available options for a way forward to implement the ExoMars rover mission". ExoMars had originally been planned to launch in 2020, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was set to be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by a Russian Soyuz rocket, then taken down to the Martian soil by Russia's Kazachok lander. Getting the Rosalind Franklin rover, named after an English chemist and DNA pioneer, into space without Russian help will likely require huge revisions -- and the window to launch only comes around every two years. All other ESA missions using Russia's Soyuz rocket have been suspended, the agency said. They are two satellites for Europe's Galileo GPS system, the Euclid space telescope mission and the European-Japanese EarthCARE observation satellite. The ESA statement added that "the International Space Station programme continues to operate nominally". Over the weekend, Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin again warned again that Western sanctions on Russia could cause the ISS to crash. There have been fears that soaring tensions between the US and Russia could leave American astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who is due to return to Baikonur on a Soyuz rocket later this month, stranded on the outpost. (UroToday.com) The 86th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association was host to a State-of-the-Art Lecture by Dr. Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc discussing implications of postponing cancer treatment during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Dr. Klaassen began his talk by highlighting the heavy demand for resources during the current pandemic, which has been further exacerbated by a limited health system capacity leading to overwhelmed hospitals. Furthermore, medical governing bodies have recommended re-prioritizing surgical cases, attempting to balance the risks of potential increased COVID-19 infections with those of delayed surgery. This is of particular significance in the genitourinary oncology field as patients with such malignancies have baseline characteristics similar to high risk COVID-19 patients. In an early study from Lombardy, Italy published in 2020, 1,591 patients admitted to intensive care units had a median age of 63 years, 82% were male, 68% had at least one comorbidity, and 26% eventually experienced a COVID-19 related mortality.1 Subsequently, the mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative COVID-19 infections was evaluated in 1,128 patients undergoing surgery (835 emergent, 280 elective). Two hundred and ninety-four patients (26.1%) tested positive pre-operatively. The 30-day mortality rate was 23.8% with a pulmonary complication rate of 51.2%. Significantly, patients undergoing an oncology operation had increased odds of experiencing 30-day mortality (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.01 2.39).2 Dr. Klaassen acknowledged that while these issues were most relevant at the start of the pandemic in the Spring of 2020, these concerns remain significant today due to the continued emergence of novel viral strains with periodic, crippling COVID-19 surges. In 2020, led by Drs. Christopher Wallis and Klaassen, European Urology published a collaborative review to aid in the triage and management of genitourinary malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic.3 Dr. Klaassen emphasized that the recommendations from this collaborative review are not necessarily guideline-based and should strictly be used for triaging operative cases when resources/operative time are at a premium. Beginning with low-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), Dr. Klaassen highlighted its indolent natural history with long-term bladder cancer-specific mortality rates of 1-2%. This contrasts with patients with high-grade NMIBC who have high rates of progression (21-53%) and bladder cancer-specific mortality rates of 14-34%. Importantly, this group of patients also benefits from: Prolonged intravesical therapy with maintenance BCG regimens which have shown to significantly improve recurrence-free survival from a median of 36 to 77 months Re-resection with residual tumor found in 17-71% of Ta-T1 tumors and muscle invasive disease in 8% of initial pTa and 32% of initial pT1 cases. Re-resection is furthermore associated with lower recurrence rates. Based on this evidence, the collaborative review had the following recommendations for NMIBC: Management of low-grade NIMBC (low-or intermediate-EORTC risk) may safely be deferred Patients with high-grade NIMBC should receive at least induction and one maintenance course of BCG Re-resection can be considered on a case-by-case basis but is particularly valuable in those with pT1 disease or no muscle in the original specimen Next, Dr. Klaassen addressed the management of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). A systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies with 17,532 patients assessed the association between time to cystectomy and survival outcomes.4 A longer delay between bladder cancer diagnosis and radical cystectomy resulted in a pooled hazard ratio of 1.34 (95% CI: 1.18 1.53) for overall death. A longer delay between transurethral resection and cystectomy resulted in a pooled hazard ratio of 1.18 (95% CI: 0.99-1.41) for overall death. A longer delay between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy was associated with a pooled hazard ratio of 1.04 (95% CI: 0.93-1.16). Patients with variant histology and cT2-4 bladder cancer managed without neoadjuvant chemotherapy similarly had worse survival outcomes if radical cystectomy was delayed beyond eight weeks. Based on this evidence, the collaborative review had the following recommendations for MIBC: Delays up to 12 weeks before cystectomy may be safe for patients with MIBC (<8 weeks for variant histology) Oncologic principles, including the importance of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, should be considered at this time while acknowledging the risks of neutropenia Trimodal therapy could be considered based on patient and hospital factors With regards to advanced/metastatic bladder cancer, the collaborative review had the following recommendations: Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains preferred Gemcitabine/Cisplatin may be preferred to MVAC due to lower rates of neutropenia Immune checkpoint inhibitors can be considered Dr. Klaassen next addressed the management of low-risk prostate cancer patients. Long-term follow up of Dr. Klotzs Sunnybrook active surveillance cohort of 993 men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer demonstrated low rates (1.3%) of metastasis or prostate cancer mortality with long-term (15 years) follow up.5 Notably, the rate of metastases was significantly higher in intermediate versus low-risk prostate cancer patients undergoing active surveillance. Next, timing of surgical treatment for patients with localized, intermediate/high risk disease was addressed. Using a cohort of 2,303 patients treated with radical prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins University, Gupta et al. compared outcomes of patients treated less than three months from diagnosis to those treated 3-6 months from diagnosis.6 No significant differences were noted for: Pathologic outcomes: positive surgical margin rates, extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion, lymph node invasion or use of adjuvant therapy Two- or five-year biochemical recurrence rates Two-, five-, or ten-year metastasis free survival Another report by Fossati et al. evaluated the association between time from prostate cancer diagnosis to radical prostatectomy and biochemical/clinical recurrence in 2,653 patients treated with radical prostatectomy at San Raffaele. Worse biochemical recurrence rates were restricted to patients with high-risk disease only:7 There does not appear to be a role for neoadjuvant androgen deprivation prior to local treatments, as such an approach has: Marginal benefit for recurrence (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55 1.00) No difference in prostate cancer-specific mortality (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.75-1.32) No difference in overall survival (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.67 1.85) With regards to localized prostate cancer, the collaborative review had the following recommendations: Patients with low-risk prostate cancer should receive active surveillance Patients with intermediate/high-risk prostate cancer may safely defer treatment for 3-6 months With regards to metastatic prostate cancer, the collaborative review acknowledged that there is very little data to guide decision making and had the following recommendations: Androgen receptor-targeted agents may be preferable to docetaxel due to oral administration and decreased risk of neutropenia Longer formulations of ADT are preferable Next, Dr. Klaassen addressed the management of localized (cT1-T2) kidney cancer. Using data from the Delayed Intervention and Surveillance for Small Renal Masses (DISSRM) registry, Pierorazio et al. evaluated 497 patients with small renal masses (i.e. <4 cm) who underwent primary intervention versus active surveillance. Although five-year overall survival was superior in the primary intervention group (92% versus 75%), there was no significant difference in cancer-specific survival rates (99% versus 100%).8 Next, the significance of growth kinetics of small renal masses was addressed. In 2014, Mehrazin et al. assessed 68 patients with small renal masses initially undergoing active surveillance, of whom 23 underwent delayed intervention. Amongst patients who opted for delayed intervention, the annual growth rate was significantly higher (0.73 versus 0.37 cm/year). After a mean follow up of 38.9 months, none of the patient had progressed to metastatic disease and 13% died of other causes.9 The collaborative review recommendations for localized (cT1-2) kidney cancer are accordingly as follows: Surveillance of small renal masses is safe When treatment is necessary (mass growth) delayed during COVID-19 cT1b/cT1b: delays of 3-6 months appear safe The same does not apply to locally advanced (cT3) kidney cancer, where the impact of delayed intervention is unknown and such patient undergo expedited surgery. The collaborative review acknowledged the paucity of such data and recommended prioritizing such patients for surgical intervention both to maximize oncologic outcomes while minimizing symptomatic complications from bleeding or IVC occlusion. The role and timing of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) remains an evolving subject of interest. SURTIME, which randomized 99 patients to immediate CN followed by sunitinib therapy versus three cycles of sunitinib followed by CN in the absence of disease progression, found no difference in 28-week progression-free rates (42-43%).10 CARMENA, which randomized 450 patients in a 1:1 fashion to CN + sunitinib versus sunitinib alone, demonstrated non-inferior median overall survival in the sunitinib alone arm (18.4 months) compared to the CN + sunitinib arm (13.9 months).11 The collaborative review recommendations regarding the role CN in metastatic kidney cancer are accordingly as follows: Upfront systemic therapy: prioritized over CN in asymptomatic patients with metastatic kidney cancer Nephrectomy: reserved for symptomatic patients Dr. Klaassen went on to discuss the management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients. Management of UTUC is guided by disease grade and patient comorbidity status. Numerous studies have demonstrated that endoscopic management of low-grade UTUC is safe. However, impact of delayed radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for those requiring intervention remains less clear. A retrospective analysis by Waldert et al. evaluated the impact of a three-month RNU delay. Forty-one patients underwent RNU at least three months after diagnosis (median time to RNU: 110 days) whereas 146 patients underwent RNU less than three months after diagnosis (median time to RNU: 33 days). There was no significant difference in risk of disease recurrence and cancer-specific mortality. However, the delayed intervention group had worse pathologic stage, increased lymph node involvement, lymphovascular invasion, tumor necros and infiltrative tumor architecture.12 A similar analysis of the MD Anderson cohort evaluated 54 and 186 patients undergoing delayed (3 month) and early RNU, respectively, with a median follow up of 29 months. There was no significant difference in five-year cancer-specific (71-72%) or overall survival (59-60%) rates].13 Dr. Klaassen next highlighted results from the recent published POUT trial that randomized pT2-4 or pN1-3 UTUC patients to either surveillance (n=129) or adjuvant gemcitabine + cisplatin/carboplatin (n=132) within 90 days of RNU. Adjuvant chemotherapy led to improved disease-free survival (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.30-0.68).14 The collaborative review recommendations regarding the management of UTUC are thus as follows: Patients with suspected UTUC may be initially investigated with urine cytology and CT urogram forgo diagnostic ureteroscopy Low-grade UTUC: often managed by nephron-sparing approaches likely to have no/minimal risk of surgical delay High-grade UTUC: delays up to 12 weeks may not be associated with changes in survival, but may have worse pathological outcomes have worse pathological outcomes First-line treatment for metastatic disease should be commenced when possible Likely feasible to delay adjuvant chemo for 90 days With regards to the management of localized testicular cancer, it is widely accepted that one must proceed expediently with an orchiectomy. Following surgical treatment, active surveillance remains the standard of care for the management of clinical stage 1 germ cell tumors. Chemotherapy remains the preferred initial approach for N+ non-seminomatous germ cell tumors. Post-chemotherapy masses <1 cm are typically observed, however the impact of delaying post-chemotherapy RPLNDs for masses >1cm remains unknown. The collaborative review recommendations regarding the management of testicular cancer are thus as follows: Guidelines and expert opinion: avoid surgical delays for radical orchiectomy, particularly given the minimal burden on the healthcare system (same-day surgery) Surveillance: preferred for most/all patients with clinical stage 1 disease Insufficient data to provide guidance on the effects of delaying post-chemotherapy RPLND Dr. Klaassen next went on to discuss the management of primary penile cancer. There are no studies assessing the effect of delayed partial, total or radical penectomy. Due to social stigma concerns, there have long been known delays between the initial appearance of a penile lesion and first consultation. A single center study in Italy of 113 patients identified a period of 53 days between the known appearance of a penile lesion and first consultation. With regards to the management of inguinal nodes, the EAU guidelines recommend a modified inguinal lymphadenectomy or dynamic sentinel-node biopsy in all patients with intermediate/high-risk tumors and non-palpable nodes. In a report of 84 patients from the Moffitt Cancer Center evaluating the impact of delayed inguinal lymphadenectomy (ILD) more than three months following treatment of primary disease, it was demonstrated that delayed ILD was associated with significantly worse five-year recurrence-free (37.8% versus 77.0%) and disease-free survival (39.5% versus 64.1%).15 The collaborative review recommendations regarding the management of penile cancer are thus as follows: Given the rarity, symptomatology and high-risk of metastatic progression: avoid delays in primary surgery Dr. Klaassen next went on to present a report from the European Urology team that provides an evidence-informed, expert-derived review of genitourinary cancer management moving forward following the initial COVID-19 pandemic.16 Telemedicine was uncommonly used in urology prior to the pandemic. One of the limitations of telemedicine is the inability to perform a physical exam. This is potentially less troublesome in the follow up of prostate cancer patients (rectal exam less critical in the MRI era) and kidney/bladder cancer patients. In contrast, the clinical exam component is a significant component of the work up/follow up of testes and penile cancer patients. Advantages of telemedicine include: Improved access for those with long commutes, full-time employment Less time consuming Enables tertiary level care for remote patients Decreases carbon emissions Notable disadvantages are: Makes delivering bad news more difficult Patient nonverbal clues may be lost May exacerbate health care disparities Need sufficient technology Many platforms only available in English More challenging for elderly patients Concerns regarding privacy and confidentiality Challenges with billing and remuneration Other potential virtual avenues include: Remote multi-disciplinary tumor boards Electronic consults improve specialty expertise Virtual education: Urology collaborative online video didactics EMPIRE Virtual conferences (ASCO, ESMO, EAU, AUA, etc.) Dr. Klaassen went on to discuss potential avenues to optimize treatment selection during the current pandemic: Encourage active surveillance for: Low/favorable intermediate risk prostate cancer Small renal mass Low grade NMIBC Hypofractionation for prostate cancer radiotherapy (equivalent oncologic outcomes as longer regimens) Long duration ADT formulations (3-6 months) Prioritize BCG induction and only early maintenance BCG for high grade NMIBC Use of filtration for CO2 release during laparoscopic/robotic surgery (SAGES recommendation) Less frequent surveillance cystoscopies for low grade NMIBC Fewer biopsies and MRIs in active surveillance for prostate cancer De-intensification of imaging surveillance post-nephrectomies It is important to acknowledge the mental health effects of this pandemic. Social distancing is associated with significant stress and loss of motivation, meaning, and self-worth, with women and younger patients at significantly higher risk. Increased uptake of expectant management may be associated with added psychological burden due to the concept of forgoing treatment. Dr. Klaassen went on to reference his work from Ontario-based administrate datasets that examined patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders and found an association with worse cancer related outcomes, particularly patients with a pre-cancer diagnosis psychiatric hospitalization who had a wore cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.73).17 Dr. Klaassen concluded his talk with the following messages: It is unlikely that COVID-19 will disappear we will likely have intermittent spikes, resulting in increases in hospitalizations, that will affect operating room resources Risk of viral transmission will continue to affect the practice of medicine Within the constraints of COVID-19: we need to consider how to best optimize the care of patients with genitourinary cancer Presented By: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Urology, Ronald W. Lewis Endowed Chair in Urologic Education, Augusta University, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta, GA Written By: Rashid Sayyid, MD, MSc Urology Chief Resident, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @rksayyid on Twitter during the 86th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association, San Juan, PR, Mar 16 19, 2022 References: Lincoln, RI (02865) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. The experience of the Synod consultations continues to draw many of the Catholic faithful in the different dioceses of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome (CEAST). Anastacio Sasembele - Luanda, Angola. This time around, the Synod of Bishops is not being celebrated only in the Vatican but in each particular Church of the five continents. The Synod is following an itinerary that consists of listening, discernment and consultation. A Synod in three phases At the request of Pope Francis, the next XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops Synod has been divided into a three-year journey. The idea is to have the people of God at the centre of the Synod itself. The three-phase synodal journey inaugurated by the Pope last year in October comprises a diocesan phase, then a continental phase, culminating in a third and conclusive phase. In this last stage, the world's Bishops will gather at the Vatican in October 2023 to deliberate on issues collected from the whole Church. Angola is also living this particular moment of the Church that began in October last year. A decentralised process Fr Joao Pedro, President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious Institutes in Angola, speaking after a meeting with the religious, stressed that the Synod experience in religious congregations is progressing well. It is the first time in the history of the Church that a synod begins via a decentralised process. There had been initial fears that perhaps the faithful in Angola could miss out on this vital journey launched by Pope Francis. The fears have since been allayed. Fr Bonifacio Tchimboto, the parish priest of the Sao Pedro, do Liro community in Lobito, Benguela Diocese, highlights the motto of this experience: Communion, participation and mission. He says that the Synod is the proper way of doing and being Church. Cardinal Czerny visits the home of a Greek Catholic priest whose family is welcoming Ukrainian refugees Cardinal Michael Czerny, the interim prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, continues his mission to Slovakia to bring Pope Francis' closeness and solidarity to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, holding a prayer service in the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod and visiting reception centers in Slovakia on the first day of his visit. By Vatican News staff writer Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, Pope Francis' special envoy for refugees from Ukraine arrived in Slovakia on Wednesday, 16 March. In the city of Kosice, he met with the Greek Catholic and Latin-rite Bishops of dioceses in the eastern part of Slovakia. Accompanied by Archbishop Cyril Vasil, S.J., Eparch of Kosice, the Cardinal also visited the Slovak-Ukrainian border at Vysne Nemecke, where there are reception facilities for people fleeing Ukraine and moving on to other places. The Cardinal also visited the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, where he participated in a prayer service for peace in Ukraine at the city's Cathedral. Cardinal Czerny takes part in a prayer service for peace in Uzhhorod Read also 14/03/2022 Cardinal Czerny to travel to Slovakia on the border with Ukraine Cardinal Michael Czerny continues in his role as Pope Francis' special envoy, departing for Slovakia on Wednesday before traveling toward Ukraine to bring the Pope's closeness to ... The Popes closeness At the border in Vysne Nemecke, Cardinal Czerny expressed the Holy Fathers closeness to the people fleeing Ukraine, reiterating the Popes words that the border should be a place of encounter and not of division. The Cardinal also expressed appreciation for the efforts of all those who offer help and welcome to the refugees who stop for a while at the border before continuing on their way. It is a blessed place and I pray for everyone who is working here, and I bring you warm greetings from Pope Francis. Cardinal Czerny at a Malteser Aid Slovakia reception point Archbishop Vasil thanked the Pope for his closeness expressed through the presence of Cardinal Czerny. Continuing mission to Ukrainian refugees Cardinal Czerny visited Hungary last week, and briefly entered Ukraine (7-10 March), while Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner, visited Ukraine, entering via the Polish-Ukrainian border. The Holy See Press Office said that the Holy Father wishes, through his envoy, to convey his prayerful closeness to those fleeing the fighting in Ukraine and suffering violence at the hand of others. Some of the speakers who will take part in the conference "Educating for democracy in a fragmented world" with Monsignor Guy-Real Thivierge Representatives from 20 countries, and experts from 14 universities, unite for the conference organised by the Gravissimum Educationis Foundation to rediscover the value of education for democracy. By Francesca Merlo "Educating for democracy in a fragmented world" is the title of a conference taking place between 17 and 19 March in Rome's LUMSA (Libera Universita Maria Santissima Assunta) university. The conference is organised by the "Gravissimum Educationis" Foundation, which was set up in 2015 with the aim of implementing the provisions of the Second Vatican Council. The aim of the conference The aim of the conference, was explained by Msgr. Guy-real Thivierge, Secretary-General of the Gravissimum Educationis Foundation, during a Press Conference in the Holy See Press Office on 16 March. He described it as a conference working towards understanding local issues from all angles, from the academic and intellectual to the economic or spiritual. Speaking then to Vatican News' Fausta Speranza, Msgr. Thivierge noted that representatives from more than 20 countries, including professors from 14 universities in 13 countries around the world will be participating. Filipino professor Amongst these is Professor Allan De Guzman, from the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines. Professor Allan De Guzman first of all highlights one aspect among many to be considered when talking about the value of education: that of the power of education, the immense potential in terms of social promotion. Listen to our interview with Professor Allan De Guzman "Given the flaw in democracy in the Philippines, we started looking at the power of education, because we believe that schooling will lead to democracy, and because we still believe in the power of education", he says, speaking to Fausta Speranza. He explains that he would like to see "if the learners we are producing in the Philippines are capable of responding to the problems and concerns of the Filipino society". Teachers are not the mere implementors of curriculum, he continues, adding that they will have to ensure "a kind of disposition to be able of course to lead in their respective classrooms". Lebanese professor Another professor attending the conference is Annie Tohme Tabet from l'Universite Saint-Joseph in Beirut, Lebanon. Professor Tabet told Fausta Speranza about the difficult situation in Lebanon, with its economic crisis and political impasse, to emphasize how decisive the role of education for democracy can be in a society like Lebanon. She explains that despite its serious emergencies, it is also a country doing all it can to defend its model of peaceful coexistence. "Unfortunately," she says, "young people are trying en masse to leave the country, while society needs its most promising generation". According to Professor Tabet, all the delicate aspects of the extremely difficult political balance currently being experienced in Lebanon require moments of confrontation. "We also need to be creative in defending the best part of the Lebanese system," she adds, "by ensuring that the right reforms are in place to combat cronyism and corruption. This particular experience can be enriched by comparison with others". MARISSA HARVEY is a News and Features Reporter for The Vidette. Harvey can be contacted at mcharv1@ilstu.edu. Follow Harvey on Twitter at @marissaharvey16 IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of digital media, please contribute to this most important cause. Thank you. GRACE PIZZINI is a News and Features Reporter for The Vidette. Pizzini can be contacted at gepizzi@ilstu.edu. Follow Pizzini on Twitter at @gepizzini IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of digital media, please contribute to this most important cause. Thank you. An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2022 will provide readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Vietnam.... This painting by Jack Ragland is the winner of both the People's Choice and Best of Show awards at the Temecula Valley Art League Competition in February. Village News/Courtesy photo FALLBROOK Jack Ragland recently ran across a 10 year old painting of his wife, Marilee, that he had started as a demo painting for an art association workshop but never completed. He said he didn't like the original painting very much, so he decided to repaint it, making many changes. Since they had returned from a trip to Italy, he decided to set her in romantic Venice with San Marcos in the background and a gondola approaching from the Grand Canal. This time he posed her in the sunlight with her hat shading her eyes and, he said, "featuring her great legs in open-toed heels that were obscured by a table in the first version." He continued, "I painted the legs in three different angles before I got the look I wanted. I put her arm resting on a little table and put a mirror on it to reflect her bracelets and the little glass of water which reflected the red-orange in her dress." He also repainted the hands and arms several times before he came up with the cup of espresso held in her lap. He had had her silhouetted against the light creamy sky which made her look very washed out, he said. So he decided to add the dark background on the left to make the reds and oranges pop. He also obscured the architecture in the background to focus on the figure and even put lots of rings on her hands, which she rarely wears, to contrast with the soft material of the dress. Ragland also explained that the turquoise cover of the gondola was the perfect complement to add zing to the warm colors; "I used to paint things the way they appear. Now I paint things the way I wish they were. It was fun to breathe new life into an old work and make us both feel 10 years younger." Ragland submitted the 40"x30" oil painting of his wife to the Temecula Valley Art League Competition Feb. 8. The work was awarded the People's Choice Award as well as the judge's Best of Show. Submitted by Jack Ragland. Taiwanese citizens and their government are sending donations to war-torn Ukraine as a show of extra sympathy, analysts say. They argue that many on the Asian Pacific island fear they could become the next place to be targeted by a major military power. China claims the island as part of its territory and has not renounced use of force, if needed, to bring it under the Chinese flag. Most Taiwanese oppose any formal unification with China. Their dispute goes back to the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalists lost to Communists and rebased in Taiwan. Since mid-2020, the more militarily powerful China has flown air force planes almost daily over a corner of Taiwans air defense identification zone. Taiwan has followed up with orders for modern weaponry, both built onshore and sourced from the United States. To be attacked this way and through rather unfair means makes people feel a sense of compassion and empathy (toward Ukraine). So, Taiwanese are quite willing to donate aid, said Ku Chung-hua, a standing board member in Taipei with the advocacy group Citizens Congress Watch. On February 28, the Taiwan government sent 27 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine. As of March 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan had massed donations of $10.5 million through a special account. A Taiwan government office in Poland and Polands reciprocal office in Taipei will coordinate delivery of the funds to a refugee agency approved by the Polish government, the ministry says. Some 1,730 Taiwanese donors have, so far, marshaled cookies, blankets, masks, diapers and feminine hygiene products for Ukrainian war refugees, the ministry in Taipei said on its website. The ministry is taking in-kind donations through March 18. Taiwans super-wealthy, church groups and overseas advocacy organizations have collected additional donations, according to the islands media outlets as well as individual donors. Joanna Lei, CEO of the Chunghua 21st Century Think Tank in Taiwan, donated through her Taipei-based Protestant church, which happens to follow humanitarian causes. She said the church decided on day three of the Ukraine invasion to donate several million Taiwan dollars. Taiwanese have a record of donating to humanitarian causes, Lei said. Among them were the March 2011 tsunami in Japan and the 2008 earthquake in southwestern China. Some Taiwanese have kicked in support because of so many discussions in the international media about Ukraine today and Taiwan tomorrow, she added. If we say solidarity, it makes Russia and China allies, Lei said. Its not solidarity, but humanitarian concerns. Taiwan political activist Koo Kwang-ming donated $1 million to humanitarian relief, Taiwan-based Liberty Times said. He told the Chinese-language news outlet that Russia had attacked without a legitimate reason. Among the vibrant Taiwanese population of Los Angeles, four advocacy groups are recruiting donations. Ken Wu, vice president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, pitched in $100 on February 26 and is considering whether to make another donation. Taiwanese donors throughout North America interpret Russias invasion of Ukraine as being about the free world versus China and Russia, he said. Now the Taiwanese people, I think, they have moved beyond the fright of China, said Wu, whose organization lobbies Congress to take pro-Taiwan action. Theyre feeling a bit more confident that if they stand behind Ukraine now and save Ukraine, they will be able to stop the aggression once and for all, he said. This is a really good lesson for the Chinese to see the cost of an aggressor. Ukrainian and Russian delegations opened their fourth round of peace talks Monday after Russia ordered a deadly missile attack on a western Ukraine military base 25 kilometers from NATO-member Poland. At least 35 people were killed and 134 were hurt. No doubt people in Taiwan feel a special sympathy for Ukrainians, whose situation has many similarities with that of Taiwans people, said Denny Roy, senior fellow at the East-West Center think tank in Honolulu. In the background, Taiwan also wants to show that it did what it could to help another invaded people free, in case Taiwan ever finds itself similarly pleading for the international communitys help against an aggressor. Taiwanese are backing Ukraine now for the same reasons they sympathized with Hong Kong during the Chinese territorys 2019 anti-government protests, Ku said. He said they wanted then to protect freedoms that they enjoy in Taiwan and felt were under fire in Hong Kong. Hardly anyone in Taiwan backs Russia and many Taiwanese feel respect for Ukrainians for fighting back against Moscows forces, Ku said. They feel Ukrainians courage is respectable and of value, he said. China has rejected parallels between its intentions for Taiwan and Russias war in Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference earlier this month that the situations are not at all comparable because Taiwan is a domestic matter, according to the state-run China Daily news website. Two British-Iranian nationals who had been jailed in Iran arrived Thursday in Britain to emotional homecomings. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was met by her husband Richard Ratcliffe, and their daughter, Gabriella, 7, at the Brize Norton air force base west of London in the early hours of Thursday morning. It was the first time the family had been together in six years. Also on the flight was British-Iranian businessman Anoosheh Ashoori, 67, who was jailed in 2017 for espionage. Few details have emerged on the negotiations for the pair's freedom, but London confirmed that it had repaid a long-standing debt to Tehran ahead of the detainees release. Critics say Iran is increasingly engaging in hostage diplomacy in its dealings with the West. Speaking hours before his wifes arrival home, Richard Ratcliffe described their emotions. "We can stop being a moment in history and start being a normal family again, he told reporters in London. It's been a long time, hasn't it? We were just saying, you know, last night, Gabriella was asking us, Is Mummy really coming back tomorrow? I said, 'Well, I don't, I don't know for sure. I think we're closer.' I now know pretty surely she is coming home. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in 2016 while returning from a holiday seeing family and was convicted of plotting to overthrow the government. She was repeatedly held in solitary confinement. Ashoori was detained while visiting his mother in Tehran in August 2017 and jailed for espionage. His family said he had been tortured. Hostage diplomacy' Both Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori have consistently denied the charges and believe they were victims of hostage diplomacy by Tehran. Negotiations between London and Tehran for their release had been going on for several months. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss gave few details as she spoke Thursday to reporters at Brize Norton. I thank the families for how stoical they've been during this really, really difficult period, Truss said. We talked about the process that we've been through, the difficult last part of making sure that they were able to leave Iran. But it's so fantastic to welcome them back safe and well here in Britain. $530 million debt Britain confirmed that in recent days it had paid a $530 million debt owed to Iran for an unfulfilled order of tanks and other weapons, dating back more than 40 years. The order was placed in the 1970s by then-Iranian leader Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. When he was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Britain refused to deliver the tanks or repay the money. The British government cited concerns about human rights abuses, alleged support for terrorism and proxy militias in the region, and global sanctions against Iran. Britain said it had received guarantees that the repaid debt would be used only for humanitarian purposes. Both Britain and Iran denied Wednesdays prisoner release was related to the debt. Tehran, however, will see this as a victory, said analyst Allan Hassaniyan of the University of Exeter. Most importantly for Iran, it is a kind of victory, seeing that they can, through untraditional means and mechanisms, blackmail and extort the international community, he said. Many other dual nationality citizens are still being detained in Iran, including American, Australian, Canadian and European nationals. I dont think it will be the final one and we will see the repetition of this pattern both as a measure of leverage to access financial resources but also when it comes to negotiating on different matters, among them the nuclear deal and so on, Hassaniyan told VOA. Geopolitics Iran and six world powers are negotiating the resurrection of the 2015 nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, which saw a lifting of some Western sanctions in return for limits on Irans nuclear program. Then-U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, citing Irans ballistic missile program and support for proxy militias in the region. Tehran resumed its nuclear enrichment program in 2019. Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Other geopolitical forces are at play, said Hassaniyan. "Iran is negotiating a new nuclear deal with the West, including Russia," he said. "And then we have a very deteriorated Iranian economy, resulting in different kinds of internal issues. We have the Ukrainian-Russian war, which has really provided [Iran] with a kind of opportunity, but also very big difficulties for the West, especially when it comes to the access to energy sources. A lifting of sanctions on Iran under a new nuclear deal could boost global oil supplies. Prices were high on the agenda as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week. Prime minister's role Johnsons role in Irans detention of Zaghari-Ratcliffe is under scrutiny. In 2017 as then-British foreign secretary he wrongly claimed that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran to train journalists. Richard Ratcliffe campaigned tirelessly for his wifes release. Last year he went on a hunger strike outside Britains Foreign Office. Speaking Wednesday, he said lessons must be learned. I'm relieved that the problems been solved," he said. "I think the government has two jobs: protect people in situations like this, to make sure it doesn't happen again. Part of that is to do what you need to do to get people home, and part of that is making sure those who took part learn the lesson not to continue doing that. That second part is for another day, but for today, I'm really glad about the way things went. For the freed prisoners and their families, debate over the shifting geopolitics that may have led to their release is for another day. Writing on Twitter beneath a picture of the reunited family, Ratcliffes sister Rebecca said, A little girl has finally got her mummy and daddy back. Less than a month before Frances first round of presidential elections, incumbent Emmanuel Macron finally laid out his campaign platform for reelection at a lengthy news conference Thursday outside Paris. The war in Ukraine has lifted Macrons popularity, and his rivals are scrambling to make an impact. If he wins, Macron would be the first French president reelected in two decades. Macron was on a war footing Thursday, saying France must face multiple crises ahead not with nostalgia for the past, but by confronting them and planning for the future. He spoke from the working-class Paris suburb of Aubervilliers a striking choice for a candidate who has been derided as the president of the rich. Some of his key campaign proposals include raising the retirement age from 62 to 65, boosting spending on security, improving educational opportunities and abolishing certain taxes. Macron waited until the last minute to announce his candidacy. He has barely campaigned holding just a citizens debate outside Paris and he has refused any direct first-round debates with the 11 other presidential hopefuls. But Frances 44-year-old president is scoring strongly in the polls, with about 30% of intended votes more than 10 points ahead of his leading rival, far-right politician Marine Le Pen. For now, polls also forecast he will win the April 24 runoff by a large margin. The war in Ukraine has especially burnished Macrons image as a European statesman. The French leader did participate in an indirect debate with his rivals this week, hosted by TF1 TV, that focused on the conflict and its fallout. Analysts say he appeared to stand above the squabbling fray. Besides Le Pen, Macrons other main rivals include 70-year-old Jean-Luc Melenchon from the far left, with about 14% of intended votes, and Valerie Pecresse of the center-right, with about 11%. Ratings for another hopeful, far-right pundit Eric Zemmour, have slipped since Russias invasion of Ukraine, apparently because of his previous pro-Russia positions. But Macron has not been a popular president, and his five-year term has been marked by crises. First, the yellow vest protest movement in 2018 sent tens of thousands of people to the streets protesting high fuel prices and economic inequalities. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020. Now, Ukraine. And as the conflict and sanctions against Russia grind on, analysts warn Macron or whomever succeeds him may be faced with rising discontent once again, as France confronts higher energy prices and possibly a massive influx of refugees. U.S. President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday about Russias war against Ukraine and economic competition between the two countries, the White House announced Thursday. This is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. Biden will speak with the Peoples Republic of China leader by telephone. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi in Rome on Monday for seven hours. Fridays call comes as Biden works to complete his administrations foreign policy adjustment, known as the pivot to Asia, to more accurately reflect Washingtons view of China as Americas most important military and economic competitor. China, a close ally to Russia, has refused to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine. Sullivan sought more transparency on Beijings position on Russia at Mondays meeting in which he warned any Chinese attempts to help Russia avoid western sanctions would cost Xis government. After the meeting, the United States voiced concern over the alignment between Russia and China, both nuclear powers ruled by authoritarian leaders. The U.S. informed Asian and European allies on the same day that U.S. intelligence had concluded that China had indicated to Russia it would agree to provide military and financial support to Russia. U.S. officials have warned that Beijing has helped spread Russian disinformation that could be a pretext for Russia to attack Ukraine with biological or chemical weapons. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian last week reiterated unfounded Russian claims that there were 26 bio-labs and related facilities in Ukraine in which the U.S. Department of Defense has absolute control. The United Nations has said it has no information supporting the accusations. In early February, weeks before Russias invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Xi in Beijing for the start of the Winter Olympics. During the visit, the two leaders declared in a 5,000-word statement that their friendship was limitless. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. A Cambodian court on Thursday convicted exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy and 20 other opposition figures and activists of treason and other charges. The court in Phnom Penh sentenced Rainsy and seven exiled leaders to 10 years in prison. Rainsy is a co-founder of the disbanded Cambodia National Rescue Party and a critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen. He has been in exile since 2016. The charges are linked to Rainsys 2019 planned return to Cambodia that was blocked by the government. Human Rights Watch criticized the courts ruling Thursday, saying the trial was unfair and no credible evidence was brought against the defendants. The trial appears to have been aimed at sidelining political opponents of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, the group said in a statement. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. In the weeks before he ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to China for a meeting with President Xi Jinping in which they signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement aligning their countries in the ongoing struggle for global influence between Western democracies and rising authoritarian states. Now, its not completely clear that China knew what it was getting into. Three weeks after Xi put his name on the document declaring that friendship between Russia and China has no limits and no forbidden areas of cooperation, Putins invasion of Ukraine has turned Russia into an international pariah, facing devastating sanctions and condemnations from around the globe. Diplomatic tightrope For their part, Chinese diplomats have been attempting to walk a tightrope, making high-minded statements about the importance of peace and respect for other countries territorial integrity, while studiously avoiding any mention of the fact that it was Chinas close ally that launched the bloody war raging in Ukraine. Writing in The Washington Post on Tuesday, Chinas ambassador to the U.S., Qin Gang, insisted that his country had been taken by surprise by the invasion. He sidestepped the question of whether Russia has requested weapons and other supplies from China, as a number of news outlets have reported. Chinas position on Ukraine, he wrote, is that the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter must be fully observed; the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine, must be respected; the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously; and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported. Slight distancing While China cant be said to have distanced itself from Russia over the invasion, the comments by its senior leaders have also fallen short of an endorsement of Putins actions. This may reflect a desire to maintain relations with Moscow without damaging Chinas reputation with the rest of the world, according to analysts. This new partnership agreement that Putin and Xi signed on February 4 certainly raised the possibility as this war rages that China could be judged guilty by association, Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale Universitys Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, told VOA. Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at the California-based RAND Corporation, told VOA in an email that a desire to maintain good relations with the West may affect Chinas willingness to provide assistance to Russia as the conflict continues. I do not think China will change its pro-Russia stance any time soon, but it is likely to continue limiting how much help it provides Russia due to Beijings desire to maintain good relations with the West, which is far more important to Chinas economic development than Russia, he wrote. Unexpected results Experts say whether or not China knew what was coming in Ukraine, its leaders probably hoped Russias invasion would be over quickly. Perhaps Beijing was hoping for a short, sharp action through which the Russian military would roll over Ukrainian forces and annex the eastern part of Ukraine in the same manner as it did in the Crimea in 2014, said Anthony Saich, a professor of international affairs and director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government. In that scenario, Western outrage would have soon died down, and China would have continued undisturbed in its attempts to present a united front with Russia against a declining and divided West, he told VOA. The resistance of Ukrainian forces and its people has put an end to that illusion, and the Wests united and relatively strong response has changed the calculus. Chinas leverage Roach said China may have a better chance than any Western government at persuading Russia to change course. China is in a unique position because of its partnership agreement with Russia to exercise leverage over Vladimir Putin, he said. That is considerably greater than the sanctions that have been imposed by the U.S. and the West. Putin has not changed his military posture in response to unprecedented sanctions, and that's a source of enormous frustration in the West. But China has something that the West does not have, and that is the partnership and the support that comes from that partnership. Russia is a tiny economy, it cannot possibly support a massive conventional war against a country like Ukraine, and it doesn't have the wherewithal to do it. Robert Ross, a professor of political science at Boston College and an associate of Harvards Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, said the United States could make the prospect of limiting support for Russia more attractive to China. There needs to be some way for America to signal China that there will be some appreciation for Chinese restraint and that the Americans would take this into account as we go forward, because they (China) want to be sure that there is a value in cooperating with America, he said. This is the price Americans pay because now, we're asking for Chinas cooperation in the ongoing crisis. VOA Mandarin Service reporters Si Yang and Lin Yang contributed to this story. Senegals army has launched a new offensive aimed at dismantling a separatist rebel group in the countrys southern region, causing more than 2,000 people to flee. The military operation comes less than two months after rebels killed four Senegalese soldiers and captured seven others. The Senegalese army began its offensive on March 13 with the aim of dismantling rebel group bases along the Gambian border. The rebels, known as the MFDC, or the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, are suspected of trafficking cannabis and rosewood, which is exported to China, in order to fund their separatist movement. As of Tuesday, the latest flare-up had left more than 2,000 people displaced. Alasan Senghore, the secretary-general of the Gambia Red Cross Society, says this latest episode of fighting is one of the worst hes ever seen. "There is fear and panic because fighting happens most of the time. Theres firing of gunshots and also helicopters flying overhead, he said. People are abandoning their villages to cross into The Gambia from Casamance. And those living along the border are moving further into The Gambia to seek safety, he said. The conflict is one of the oldest in Africa. It began in 1982 and has since claimed thousands of lives. The region in southern Senegal is distinct from the rest of the country. Geographically, its separated from northern Senegal by Gambia. Historically, it was a Portuguese colony, while the rest of Senegal was colonized by the French. The region also has different religious, ethnic and linguistic traditions. Dame Beye leads several civil society organizations in Casamance. He says the region has been relatively stable and peaceful since 2013, but now the situation is dire. He adds, people are fleeing with their children in tow, taking nearly nothing with them. "We think that the solution is an open dialogue, because the results we achieved from 2013 to present happened because they agreed to lay down their arms and talk, he said. Thats the only thing that could bring peace to Casamance. Because weve suffered too much from this conflict. Senegalese President Macky Sall had made achieving peace in Casamance a priority for his second term in office. A group of 128 Cubans who took part in unprecedented anti-government protests last July were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to 30 years, the Supreme Court said Wednesday. In trials held in mid-December, 129 Cubans were "accused of committing and provoking serious disturbances and acts of vandalism" while participating in the protests, the court said in a statement. Of the defendants, 128 were found guilty of sedition and theft, according to the statement. Two were sentenced to 30 years in prison. The court did not give the ages of those convicted. It said the protesters overturned vehicles and threw stones, bottles and Molotov cocktails at police and Interior Ministry agents. Thousands of Cubans demonstrated in numerous towns and cities across the island nation demanding "freedom" as the country reeled from its worst economic crisis for almost 30 years. The response by security forces left one dead, dozens injured and more than 1,300 people detained. In late January, authorities admitted that more than 700 people had been charged and 172 already convicted over the protests. On March 10, 12 of the protesters were sentenced to between five and 16 years in prison, convicted of sabotage, public disorder and theft. In addition to the pair jailed for 30 years according to the court statement, another 125 people were sentenced to between six and 26 years in prison, while one defendant received four years of correctional work without internment, and one was acquitted. They are allowed to appeal their sentences. Miami-based NGO Cubalex has criticized the long sentences imposed on protesters and claims they have been denied their right to a fair trial. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday voted to revoke the authorization for Chinese telecom Pacific Networks and its wholly owned subsidiary ComNet to provide U.S. telecommunications services. The 4-0 vote to revoke the authority that had been granted in 2001 is the latest move by the American regulator to bar Chinese telecommunications carriers from the United States because of national security concerns. The FCC said Pacific Networks and ComNet are indirectly and ultimately owned and controlled by the Chinese government. Jeffrey Carlisle, a U.S. lawyer representing Pacific Networks, declined comment. In January, he told the FCC that Pacific Networks and ComNet are owned by CITIC Telecom International Holdings Ltd. 1883.HK. The FCC says the carriers are ultimately controlled by CITIC Group Corp, a Chinese state-owned limited liability company. Carlisle's letter said the carriers "engage in very limited and small scale facilities-based operations in the United States that do not pose national security concerns. The primary business of the companies is providing retail calling cards." The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks noted the three-year commission effort to address Chinese telecom carriers. "Taken as a whole, our actions have strengthened our national security," Starks said. In March 2021, the FCC found Pacific Networks and ComNet had failed to "dispel serious concerns regarding their retention of their authority to provide telecommunications services in the United States." In January, the FCC voted to revoke a similar authorization for the U.S. unit of China Unicom 0762.HK to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns. In October, the FCC revoked the U.S. authorization for China Telecom 0728.HK (Americas), saying it "is subject to exploitation, influence and control by the Chinese government." China Telecom failed to persuade a U.S. court to reverse the decision. In 2019, the FCC rejected a bid by China Mobile Ltd. 0941.HK to provide U.S. telecommunications services, citing national security risks. It is a metal found in products used by people worldwide, unthinkingly every day. Whether its scrolling on a mobile phone or commuting to work in an electric car, nickel is a key part of these high-tech devices. Now nickel a prime component in batteries has the markets in turmoil and one Chinese company facing billions of dollars in losses. Chinese nickel giant Tsingshan Holding Group Co wagered that nickel prices would fall, but instead, Russias invasion of Ukraine sent the commoditys trading prices through the roof last week, driven by concerns about disruptions to the Russian company Nornickel, one of the worlds largest suppliers. At one point the price surged by 250%, prompting the London Metal Exchange (LME) to suspend trading. The price fell back somewhat when the market reopened Wednesday, but the exchange quickly suspended trading again, saying it was investigating a technical error. The market turmoil has been bad news for Tshingshan, the worlds largest supplier of nickel, which like many Chinese mining companies has considerable interests in Africa specifically nickel-rich Zimbabwe. The Wenzhou-based company, which recorded $19 billion in revenues last year, is building a massive $1 billion iron-ore mine and carbon steel plant in Zimbabwe with a capacity of 1.2 million tons. Asked by VOA on Wednesday if she is concerned the companys potential losses will halt or slow the developments in her country, Zimbabwe Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa was emphatic. No, not at all, she said. Project full steam ahead. Mutsvangwa stressed that the Zimbabwe projects are funded from the core capital budget of the stainless-steel business definitely NOT London Metal Exchange commodity derivative margin trades." However, Christian Geraud Neema Byamungu, a policy and mining analyst and an editor at the China Africa project, said the losses incurred by Tsingshan could delay its operations in Zimbabwe for a short period of time. This would be bad news for Zimbabwe, which has high expectations for this project, he added. At this stage of the situation we can only assume that its a setback and not a real long-term problem since we havent measured the real impact of its losses yet. Emails to Tsingshans headquarters by VOA went unanswered, while Benson Xu, the managing director of the companys subsidiary in Zimbabwe, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. An email to the Chinese Embassy in Harare also went unanswered. However, in a brief statement posted to the companys website Tuesday, the group said it had reached an agreement with a consortium of hedge bank creditors on a standstill arrangement. On Wednesday, Reuters reported the giant had reached a deal with two unnamed companies to close out the short positions it holds. Tsingshan may be reeling from the nickel crisis, but Muchadeyi Masunda, the chairman of one Zimbabwe-based company, Bindura Nickel Corporation, told VOA he was feeling bullish and hoped BNC would get some of this windfall. Weve been watching with interest and concern the developments on the LME with particular reference to the nickel price, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said Masunda. At first, he said, we were rubbing our hands together in fiendish glee, at the surge in the commoditys prices. But things moved so quickly the company would now have to play catch-up and accelerate a number of projects, possibly even bringing a disused mine back into operation, he said. Masunda, who said some of BNCs products inevitably end up in China, would not discuss Tsingshan. Cobalt conundrum What happens to nickel prices now depends very much on what happens with sanctions on Russia, said Geoffrey Sambrook, who traded on the LME for decades. Consumers -- principally stainless steel producers and battery makers -- will be concerned about the robustness of their supply chain, he told VOA, noting that could encourage companies already looking to develop batteries that dont use expensive nickel or cobalt. The latter commodity has proven a recent headache for another Chinese giant with a foothold in Africa. Earlier this month, a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the worlds largest source of cobalt, ordered mining giant China Molybdnenum to suspend operations at its massive Tenke Fungurume cobalt and copper mine until a shareholder dispute is resolved. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi vowed last year to clean up the mining sector and review infrastructure-for-minerals deals between the previous government and the Chinese. While the court ruling on China Moly may be a rare slap on the wrist for a Chinese company, analyst Neema said Chinese interests in the country remain solid. A judge in Honduras has granted a U.S. request to extradite former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. The decision Wednesday came a month after Honduran authorities arrested Hernandez at his home in Tegucigalpa. Hernandez has denied any wrongdoing and can appeal the judges ruling. The U.S. extradition request said that since 2004, Hernandez allowed tons of cocaine from Venezuela and Colombia to travel through Honduras on its way to the United States, while protecting drug traffickers from investigation, in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. Hernandez was repeatedly implicated as a co-conspirator in his brothers 2019 drug trafficking trial by New York prosecutors. The brother, Juan Antonio Tony Hernandez, was found guilty of drug and weapons charges and sentenced to life in prison. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. The Malian government says it will suspend broadcasts of Radio France Internationale and France 24 television in the country. The announcement followed reports by French media and a rights group that the Malian army has committed human rights abuses in recent months. Malis military government issued a statement Thursday that it will initiate proceedings to suspend, until further notice RFI and France 24 broadcasts in Mali. The move came after RFI and Human Rights Watch reported on human rights abuse allegations against Malis army. The government said the allegations are false and are part of a strategy aimed at destabilizing the transition, demoralizing the Malian people, and discrediting the valiant armed forces. Human Rights Watch published a report on Tuesday that included alleged witness accounts of executions and other abuses committed by Malian soldiers and, separately, by Islamist extremists. The report also includes interviews with those who visited the site of a mass grave near Diabaly, Mali. The grave contained the bodies of several victims who were burned with their hands tied behind their backs, videos of which have been circulating on social media in recent weeks. Locals have accused the army of committing the executions, and say the victims are ethnic Fulani men who were unfairly targeted. Malis army denied claims that they were responsible for executions that occurred near Diabaly. Malis military government, which took power in a 2021 coup, in February suspended the accreditation process for foreign journalists. Regarding the threatened suspensions, France Medias Monde, the parent company of RFI and France 24, issued a press release Thursday stating that it will investigate all avenues of appeal to ensure that such a decision is not implemented. Officials from the Central Bank of Myanmar are attempting to counter rumors that newly printed and legitimate banknotes are counterfeit currency. U Win Thaw, vice governor of the Central Bank, told VOA Burmese on Thursday that the newly printed currency in circulation was real even though it looks and feels slightly different when compared with older bills. There is no counterfeit banknote issue, said Win Thaw. The Central Bank issues the banknotes and we have the responsibility to ensure the quality and security. After the European Union issued sanctions that prevented companies from doing business in Myanmar after the military junta seized power on February 1, 2021, the German company Giesecke+Devrient of Munich, ceased banknote production, according to the news agency AFP. Although the junta-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar did not officially announce that it was printing new money, fresh banknotes began entering circulation in August 2021, according to The Irrawaddy, a local news outlet. As the colors of some new notes were said to have faded or changed, people began to question them, with the most recent round of doubt coming earlier this month. Win Thaw said the bank will identify and take action against people who posted false information about the new currency being counterfeit, a move he said was the work of an indiscriminate, destructive opposition to attack the prospering banking sector. This is the third and fourth time that this has happened." There is a history of counterfeiters targeting Myanmars currency, the kyat. By 2014, the government had started to issue banknotes with security features to make it easier to discern fake currency. Yet on March 5, workers at a garment factory in Hlaing Tharyar, a township in the western part of Yangon, found counterfeit 10,000-kyat notes in their pay. A 10,000 kyat note is worth about $5.60. The latest rumors of counterfeit bills tapped into the post-coup erosion of confidence in the kyat, which left the military facing what Lindsay Maizland, a senior writer/editor, Asia for the Council on Foreign Relations, called widespread, fierce opposition, organized citizen militias and a shadow government formed by officials from the deposed administration. The kyats value against the dollar has declined from 1,329 on January 31, 2021, the day before the coup, to 1,775 on March 16, 2022. Economist Than Soe told VOA Burmese, "People are already losing faith in the kyat, which has led to a decline in the value of the currency. People are less willing to hold on to the kyat." People in northeast Japan were cleaning up and surveying the damage on Thursday after a powerful 7.4-magnitude quake derailed a bullet train, opened cracks in highways and initially cut power to over two million homes. At least one death was directly caused by the overnight quake, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said, but the toll is still being finalized after two suspected fatalities were found to be unrelated to the tremor and one remains under investigation. Matsuno said 161 people had been injured after the undersea quake off the coast of Fukushima a region still scarred by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami that led to a nuclear catastrophe rattled large parts of eastern Japan, including the capital, Tokyo. A tsunami warning for waves of up to a meter (3.28 feet) in parts of northeast Japan was lifted in the early hours of Thursday, after authorities recorded water levels up to 30 centimeters higher than usual in some areas. Multiple smaller jolts continued to hit the region, straining nerves just days after Japan marked the 11th anniversary of the massive quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in the area. Damage appeared comparatively minor, in a country with tough building codes intended to protect against devastation from frequent earthquakes, and officials said there were no abnormalities at nuclear plants. "We've received reports that there are no data irregularities in the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear plants and the Onagawa nuclear plant," Matsuno said, referring to the facility crippled in 2011 and two others in the region. The quake struck at a depth of 60 kilometers (37 miles) at 11:36 pm (1436 GMT) on Wednesday, and was preceded minutes earlier by a 6.1-magnitude shake in the same area, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. "We had two huge earthquakes. The first one was very big and shook hard. I prepared to evacuate, then the second, bigger one hit," a municipal official in the Fukushima city of Soma told AFP. "I was on the second floor of a two-story house and I couldn't stay standing, it was very extreme." Power being restored In Shiroishi city, employees at a supermarket were cleaning up damage including products that toppled from shelves and a partially caved-in ceiling. "This is really ironic. Exactly a year ago, we also had a similar-scale earthquake," store employee Yoshinari Kiwaki told AFP. "When we felt the tremor last night, we already knew what we would have to work on here in the morning," the 62-year-old added, saying it would take around a month to get the store back in business. Blackouts hit around two million homes in Tokyo and elsewhere in the immediate aftermath of the quake, but power was progressively restored throughout the night. Matsuno said on Thursday afternoon that around 2,800 houses in the northeast still had no power, but most should have it restored by the end of the day. Around 8,700 households don't have access to running water and the military is deploying disaster relief troops to supply water to Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, he added. Elsewhere, some damage was reported, including the collapse of a stone wall at the site of Aoba Castle in Sendai, and a Shinkansen bullet train derailed north of Fukushima city. There were no injuries in the derailment, but 75 passengers and three staff on board were trapped for four hours before being able to escape the train. Several dozen people were still at an evacuation center in Soma, where 82-year-old Yuzuru Kobashi was collecting food and water. Some of his roof slates fell off in the quake, but he told AFP he cannot climb up to fix emergency tarpaulin in place because of his age. "So instead of using tarps to cover the roof, we are using them to cover important items in the house so they won't get wet when it rains," he said. Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. The country is regularly hit by quakes, but it remains haunted by the memory of the 2011 catastrophe which left 18,500 people dead or missing, most in the tsunami. Around the stricken Fukushima plant, extensive decontamination has been carried out, and no-go zones now cover just 2.4 percent of the region, down from 12 percent, though populations in many towns remain far lower than they were before. Using the same kind of rough street language he used 22 years ago when talking about rubbing out Chechen rebels even when theyre in their outhouses, Russian President Vladimir Putin midweek took aim at Russians who oppose his invasion of Ukraine, saying Russia should undergo self-cleansing and get rid of bastards and traitors. The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, spit them out on the sidewalk, he said. An estimated 200,000 Russians have not waited to be spat out and have left Russia already. Thousands more are planning to leave. Most Russians who have already exited have gone to Armenia, Georgia and Turkey, the easiest countries to reach as airline bans were imposed. Russians also dont need visas to enter any of the three. Many of the new Russian exiles contacted by VOA say they chose exile because they felt they had to demonstrate opposition to Russias invasion of its neighbor; others feared remaining in a Russia isolated from most of the rest of the world. Still others said they fled because they feared if they stayed, they would fall afoul of the Kremlins intensifying crackdown on dissent and end up in jail. I realized I could not stay in Russia. I knew I couldnt be silent, says Katya, a 27-year-old, who worked in Russia as a PR manager and game blogger. So, there were two ways: stay in Russia and be imprisoned, or express myself abroad. I also think I can do more in other countries than in prison, she added. Untouchables The new exiles classify themselves as political refugees, but even so despite being critics of the invasion of Ukraine and deeply opposed to Putin many say theyre encountering hostility abroad. And they say not enough media attention is being given to their plight. They complain Russias pariah status has turned them into untouchables, too. Now the whole world hates us, says Alexandra, 39, a Russian who was born in Tajikistan and whose family fled to Moscow in the 1990s because of the Tajik civil war. She was 7 years old then, and she remembers how my parents tried not to panic, but my mother could not hold back her tears when we had to leave her books. My library was much more modest, but it was hard to leave my books. I sobbed and remembered my mother, she said. Now in Tbilisi, Alexandra says: I did not choose this [Putin] government, I went to all the rallies, donated to human rights organizations, and attended court trials of political prisoners. But for the whole world now, I am a representative of fascists who, to my great regret, ended up in power in my country. Some Russian refugees say they feel guilty complaining about their plight after all despite what they have lost, from the physical proximity of family, homes and jobs and a settled way of life, they acknowledge they are citizens of a country that invaded a neighbor where people are losing their lives. Even so, they remain shocked at the hostility openly expressed towards them. Nadya, who was the head of marketing team in Kaluga, a town in western Russia, says she was surprised by the Russophobia shes encountered in Georgia since arriving in Tbilisi. She says she and her husband know Georgia well, having vacationed in the country every year for the past half-decade. Never before have we encountered discrimination against Russians on the contrary we have always been welcome guests here. But we have been deeply struck by how quickly a wave of Russophobia rose among the Georgians, she says. Many Georgians have this logic: if you are against Putin, you should be in Russia now and fighting him there; and they are also afraid that since we have arrived, Russian troops will come to save us. They blame us for the aggression of the Russian authorities, but we are also victims of this war, just on the other side of the front, she added. She notes Ukrainians are now living through events thousand times more monstrous than what the Russian refuseniks are suffering, and she stressed it right for everyone to try to help the embattled Ukrainians. But we did not vote for Putin; we fought against him in every possible way the last 10 years, she adds. Aside from anti-Russian hostility in Tbilisi, Istanbul and Yerevan, Russian refugees say they are facing practical challenges. Their Russian bank cards dont work; it is difficult to find accommodation to rent; jobs are in short supply; and their savings have halved in value thanks to the collapse of the ruble. Dozens of chat channels have sprung up on social-media platforms, such as Telegram, for the new political exiles to swap tips and information. Activists are also organizing meetings. Its important now to be together, says Alexey. It helps to overcome all this nightmare, I feel this unity, he adds. As they try to get their footing and adjust to their new lives and attenuated circumstances, the refuseniks also appear to be struggling with guilt for what Russia has unleashed on Ukraine and grief for what they have lost. Lost world I had established a comfortable life in Moscow, says Alexandra, the Tajikistan-born Russian. All this changed on February 24. The main fear is of never being able to return home to Russia. I also worry about loved ones who cannot or dont want to leave. It is obvious that the standard of living will fall sharply. Russia is becoming a cross between North Korea, Venezuela and Germany in the 1930s. Understanding this is completely unbearable, she adds. But for her the strongest emotion is one of dread. I can't believe there's a war going on. That my country unleashed this war. That we are at war with close neighbors, she says. Anton, a 42-year-old Muscovite and father of a four-year-old boy, shares the same sense of overwhelming horror. My wife and I left Russia because it became impossible to stay in a country that sends people to kill other people, officially claiming creepy and terrible and nonsense grounds for doing so, he told VOA from the Armenian capital of Yerevan. Of course, I was concerned about what work I could do outside Russia. Im not ready for unskilled labor. I have to support my family. But I cannot be with people who do not admit aggression anymore. For me, it's clear now we, like Germans, will repent for generations. It is Fascism 2.0, he said. Anton said he was nervous they would not get out of Russia. I was not sure until our plane took off, he says. He had heard FSB intelligence officers were searching peoples phones and laptops and were stopping people from leaving. For us, it went easily, but I was still pretty nervous, he says. He says he has no future plans, and they will have to live off savings when he loses a remote job he has with a European firm, which will happen soon. I cannot predict what might happen next, so we will take this time to lie low, watch what comes and try to figure out what to do with our torn lives, he says. Anastasia, a 23-year-old Muscovite, who has launched one of the most popular Telegram channels for Russian expats in Georgia, says she didn't have time to think about what exile would mean as she rushed to flee. Standing finally under a warm shower, I slowly begin to realize my position, she said. I am a political refugee [not officially, but actually]. In Moscow, before the war, I had everything, now I have arrived with one suitcase and a backpack in a country where initially I knew no one, she added. I huddle like a stray cat, she says. The mass exodus of Russians has now slowed thanks to travel obstacles. But the impact of devastating Western sanctions, along with the ever intensifying crackdown on freedom of speech and the criminalization of opposition to the war, as well as the prospects of job losses and poverty, is prompting thousands of others to plan an escape. Western diplomats say their consulates in Russia are being inundated with visa requests. Wait times for visa appointments at Israels consulates are now running at eight months. For many Russians who do not support the war, its not safe to stay in Russia anymore, says a Russian political activist. He worries, though, that the exodus of so many Putin opponents will weaken the opposition to the Kremlin. South African medical students, who were evacuated from Ukraine, are now looking for ways to complete their studies. South African universities are discussing options for the students, some of whom are still shaken by the attacks they witnessed and are fearful for teachers and classmates left behind. Concerned students have already launched a Save Our Studies campaign with the goal of helping about 50 repatriated medical students find spots at South African universities. Twenty-five-year-old Mandisa Malindisa, a fourth-year medical student who was studying at Kharkiv National Medical University, is one of those who wants to get placed. Her studies were interrupted when Russian forces entered Ukraine in late February. She says that after a few days of hearing bombs in Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine, she and five friends decided to flee by train to the Hungarian border. The scene at the train station, she says, was pure chaos. Everybodys losing their mind. Everybodys trying to get on it. People have knives out. People are screaming. People are fighting. People are biting each other. You know, just trying to get onto this train. We looked, we were just watching. Cause we were like this is not our train. This train is going to Kyiv. This is not for us, Malindisa recalled. Eventually, a train that would take them to Lviv in western Ukraine did arrive, but much to their horror it stopped in Kyiv which theyd been hoping to avoid because its a high-risk area. They waited there for six hours. When we saw what Kyiv actually looks like, everything is just burning. Theres smoke. Everyone was just looking outside the window in just terror, Malindisa said. After 24 hours they reached Lviv and Malindisa made her way into Hungary, where she managed to book a flight home. Sixth-year medical student Luphumlo Ntengu is also hoping to be able to continue his studies in South Africa. He was studying at Vinnytsia National Medical University in Ukraine. Safely home now in South Africa, he says he often thinks about those he left behind. Yes, I am very worried about my friends and my teacher you know. Ukraine has been my home for the past six years, they are like family to me. So, its so sad everything that is going on there. Right now, it feels like my own home that is being destroyed like that, Ntengu said. The chairperson of the South African Committee of Medical Deans, Professor Lionel Green-Thompson, confirmed that schools are discussing ways to help the repatriated students. Issues relating to students in the [sic] Ukraine have been brought to the attention of the South African Committee of Medical Deans. We have initiated conversations around this issue. The responses are complex and we continue to discuss these things, Green-Thompson said. But finding places may be problematic. The professor noted that many other South African students who returned due to the COVID-19 pandemic have also been seeking placement. Suspected jihadists attacked a bus and a truck in southwest Niger, killing 21 people in the troubled Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso, local and security sources said on Thursday. Niger, the world's poorest country according to the UN's Human Development Index, is fighting extremists on multiple fronts. Tillaberi is located in the flashpoint "three borders" zone of Niger, Burkina and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) operate. "A terrorist attack on Wednesday afternoon by heavily armed men travelling on motorcycles and in a vehicle killed 19 people travelling in a bus, including two police officers," a security source said. "Two others were killed in an attack on a truck," added the source, who asked to remain anonymous. They burned to death when the truck, carrying fruit and vegetables, was set on fire. Five people including a policeman were wounded in the attack on the bus, which was also torched. They were taken to the capital, Niamey, for treatment, the source said. Seven passengers -- four women and three men -- managed to escape from the bus. The attack occurred near the Petelkole border post, 10 kilometres (six miles) from the border with Burkina, a local official said. In October 2021, three police officers were killed and several others wounded in a suspected jihadist attack on the Petelkole border post. The Nigerien Modern Transport Company confirmed one of its buses "returning from Ouagadougou was the subject of a deadly attack" in a statement. "After this unfortunate event, we inform our customers that departures to Burkina Faso are suspended until further notice," added the company, one of the country's largest serving multiple western African capitals. Since 2017, western Niger has been regularly targeted by Islamist groups, despite the deployment of thousands of anti-jihadist troops and the imposition of a state of emergency. Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum has previously said 12,000 of the country's soldiers are involved full-time in anti-jihadist operations. Earlier this month, five soldiers were killed by a mine in Niger's southwestern Torodi region, where jihadist attacks using improvised explosive device (IEDs) are increasingly frequent. And in southeastern Niger, suspected jihadists from Nigeria's Boko Haram group killed 10 people in villages near the town of Diffa this month. Bazoum announced late February the start of "discussions" with jihadists as part of "the search for peace." Engineers have linked Ukraine to an electricity grid spanning much of continental Europe, allowing the country to decouple its power system from hostile Russia, officials said Wednesday. Belgium-based ENTSO-E, which represents dozens of transmission system operators in Europe, said the electricity grids of Ukraine and its smaller neighbor Moldova were successfully synchronized with the Continental European Power System on a trial basis. "This is a significant milestone," the group said. Grid operators had been preparing such a move after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, but the large-scale Russian military assault on Ukraine last month prompted an emergency request by Kyiv to speed up a process that was expected to take years more to complete. ENTSO-E, whose 39 members operate the world's largest interconnected electrical grid, said the move means they will be able to help maintain the stability of the Ukrainian and Moldovan power systems. The two countries were previously part of the Integrated Power System that also includes Russia and Belarus. This made Ukraine dependent on Russia's grid operator despite having had no electricity trade between the two countries for years. "This step will give Ukraine the opportunity to receive electricity if [Russia] continues to destroy our power infrastructure, and thus to save our power system," said Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, who chairs the management board of Ukraine's grid operator, Ukrenergo. "We are sincerely grateful to our European partners for their great support and assistance during these difficult times." Portugal to Poland Georg Zachmann, an expert with the Brussels think tank Bruegel, said the switch would allow energy suppliers in the continental grid that stretches from Portugal to Poland to supply electricity to Ukraine if necessary. This could allow Ukraine to turn off some of the coal-fired power plants it currently keeps running to ensure grid stability, saving precious fuel in wartime, he said. In the long term, Ukraine could export surplus electricity generated by its nuclear power plants to the rest of Europe. "It's a nice win-win situation," Zachmann said. "It might even be good for the climate." Washington turned its gaze at Beijing, with U.S. President Joe Biden scheduling a rare phone call Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a high-stakes conversation as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy begged the world for help fighting against a three-week Russian invasion. China has played an increasingly important role in the conflict amid reports that Russia asked China for military assistance. The U.S. is providing the bulk of military assistance to Ukraine, with Biden announcing another $800 million defense package this week. "We have made clear our deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia and the potential implications and consequences of that," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Friday's call, she said, "is an opportunity for President Biden to assess where President Xi stands. There's been, of course, rhetorical support or the absence of clear rhetoric and denunciation, or the absence of denunciation by China of what Russia is doing. This flies in the face, of course, of everything China stands for, including the basic principles of the U.N. Charter, including the basic principles of respect for sovereignty of nations. And so the fact that China has not denounced what Russia is doing in and of itself speaks volumes." Russia still stalled As for fighting on the ground, U.S. defense officials say it appears Russian advances remain stalled, making little to no progress as they continue to encounter what has repeatedly been described as a stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces. Russian forces "are, three weeks in, basically frozen around the country struggling to fuel themselves and to feed their troops and to supply them with arms and ammunition," a senior U.S. defense official told reporters, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence. Russian troops attempting to move on Kyiv, in particular, have failed to get any closer to the Ukrainian capital over the past 24 hours, the official said. Instead, Russian commanders have been trying to move up artillery units to the front lines and increase mortar attacks in a bid to "wear the city down," the official said. The fighting, however, seems to be taking a toll only on the Russian troops. "We have anecdotal indications that Russian morale is flagging," the official said. "Some of that, we believe, is a function of poor leadership, [a] lack of information the troops are getting about their missions and objectives, and I think disillusionment from being resisted as fiercely as they have." There are also indications that Russian commanders are beginning to question how much longer they can sustain their invasion. "Just that they're talking about resupply and re-sourcing tells you that they're beginning to get concerned about longevity here," the U.S. official said. U.S and Western officials also note Russia's missile attacks are increasingly relying on so-called dumb bombs instead of on precision-guided munitions, an indication that Russian forces may be facing shortages. At the same time, the U.S. and its NATO allies are working on ways to further strengthen Ukraine's defensive capabilities, including answering demands for Russian-made S-300 air defense systems and Russian-made fighter planes. "We've been in discussion with United States, with Ukraine and also with other allies on the possibility to deploy or to send or to give S-300 systems," Slovak Defense Minster Jaroslav Nad said Thursday after meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. "We're willing to do so immediately when we have a proper replacement," he said, noting Slovakia currently depends on its S-300s and MiGs for its own defense. "What we're discussing is the options of how to fill in this gap." U.S. officials say that those discussions are ongoing and that, for now, NATO allies are working to provide Kyiv with other defensive systems that have proved themselves on the battlefield. "[The Russians are] using a lot of rockets and missiles and artillery, and so there are a number of things that can be used to counter that," Austin told reporters. "We've seen that drones have been very effective. We've also seen having the ability to conduct counterfire with rockets and in artillery is also very effective." 'Freedom and bondage' Meanwhile, Zelenskyy appealed for Germany's help Thursday, telling the German parliament that a new wall was being erected in Europe "between freedom and bondage." "And this wall is getting bigger with every bomb that falls on Ukraine, with every decision that is not taken," Zelenskyy said in his video address. He has been asking allies to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine a request the United States has denied. Also Thursday, Washington officials turned up the volume in condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying he agreed with Biden's claim that Putin is a "war criminal." Russia continues to target civilian sites in Ukraine, including a theater in Mariupol where women and children were sheltering on Wednesday, Blinken told reporters. "Actually targeting civilians is a war crime," he said. "After all the destruction of the past three weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise." But he went on to say that those attacks have to be carefully documented and investigated, and that the U.S. welcomed the efforts of various institutions to do that. When asked about ongoing virtual peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Blinken said: "We commend Ukraine for being at the table despite being under bombardment every minute of the day. At the same time, I have not seen any meaningful efforts by Russia to bring this war that it is perpetrating to a conclusion through diplomacy." On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Biden's remarks were "absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable." On the ground In the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, rescue efforts were continuing Thursday at the theater where hundreds of civilians had been sheltering. Satellite images of the site released by the Maxar space technology company showed the word "children" written in Russian on the pavement outside the theater as recently as Monday. Also Wednesday, Russian airstrikes hit a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children were sheltering, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the regional Donetsk administration. No casualties were reported from the attack on the pool complex; however, the governor of the northern city of Chernihiv said Thursday that at least 53 people killed in heavy Russian aerial and ground attacks had arrived at morgues in the past 24 hours. Russia has denied any involvement. In the meantime, the Ukrainian government said Russia conducted more airstrikes on Mariupol and attacks on other areas of Ukraine early Thursday, including on the town of Kalynivka and city of Brovary outside the capital, Kyiv. The mayor of the eastern town of Merefa said Russian artillery had leveled a school and community center overnight but did not immediately report any casualties. VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara and Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson contributed to this report. Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The Russian Wagner Group mercenary organization has tried to enlist some of its units in Africa to fight for Russia in Ukraine, the top commander of U.S. military forces in Africa told VOA. We're seeing some efforts to recruit Wagner units for Ukraine, Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said in an exclusive interview with VOA this week. Townsend added those units would likely transfer primarily from Libya, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries are supporting eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar. Watch related video by Salem Solomon: Townsend said AFRICOM has transferred some resources to the U.S. European Command as Russia invaded Ukraine. He said his command had provided EUCOM about 30 personnel, mostly intelligence analysts and planners, along with some of the combatant commands shared intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and aircraft. We've seen some impacts to things like airlift because we're reinforcing NATO, Townsend said. We're also supplying aid to Ukraine, and so those flights have slowed down some things for AFRICOM, but I wouldn't say that they've had a significant impact on our operations, he said. In January, Townsend told VOA Russias military had helped deliver Russian troops to Mali. There are now about 1,000 Russian mercenaries in Mali who have run a few operations, he said, but the group has seen less support in recent weeks from the Russian military, probably because of the invasion of Ukraine. Wagner mercenaries are also in the Central African Republic and, to a lesser extent, Sudan, he said. Al-Shabab suspected to have power to strike outside Africa Townsend also said he suspects the al-Shabab terror group in Somalia may now have the capability to strike Americans outside of Africa, including in the United States. I suspect that they do. Thats not widely accepted in Washington or in the intel community, but my instincts as a commander are that they do, he told VOA. As recently as last month, U.S. officials had said that while Somalias al-Qaida affiliate aspires to go after Western targets outside of Somalia, it lacks the capacity to attack the United States. Townsend conceded the groups exact capabilities were uncertain, calling their ability to launch attacks against the homeland an open question. WATCH: VOA's interview with General Stephen Townsend He said al-Shabab remains the greatest threat on the continent, and over the last year it had enjoyed great freedom of movement throughout Somalia. They have grown bigger, stronger and bolder, he said. In late 2020, then-President Donald Trump ordered most of the 800 U.S. troops out of Somalia in one of his last foreign policy moves in office. In the roughly 15 months since then, U.S. forces have continued to commute to work, flying in and out of Somalia for missions while leaving fewer than 100 troops in the war-torn country. I think its inefficient, its certainly less effective. Were not there long enough to get momentum, and then we start over, he told VOA, adding that it also increases the risk to U.S. troops who must reestablish security each time they move in and out. Asked about the situation by Republican Senator Thom Tillis during Senate Armed Services Committee testimony Tuesday, Townsend said, we are marching in place at best, we may be backsliding in the security in Somalia, the security situation. Townsend told VOA he believed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had provided his advice to the White House and was giving administration leaders the time and space to make their decisions. No Chinese base plans for Equatorial Guinea Townsend said in January that the United States believed China is trying to establish a base on Africas Atlantic Coast, with Equatorial Guinea as the place where the Chinese were receiving the most traction. Last month, Molly Phee, the U.S. State Departments top Africa official, led a delegation to Equatorial Guinea that included representatives from AFRICOM. The leaders there [in Equatorial Guinea] emphatically deny that they plan to have a Chinese base in their country. So, for now well take them at their word, and well watch what they do, Townsend told VOA when asked about any reassurances the delegation had received. Were not trying to tell them that they have to choose between the U.S. and the West and China, he said. They just have to respect what our concerns would be, our security concerns would be. China has its only overseas military base in the small East African nation of Djibouti. Townsend said talks of a Chinese base in Tanzania had slowed with a change in Tanzanias government, so China was now soliciting for bases, with all countries along the Mozambique Channel, to include the waterways small island nations. China has even discussed basing with the Somali government, which, in turn, had assured the United States it would not partner with the Chinese military, he added. Plot to Kill Ambassador Disrupted in 2020 Townsend also said Iran had a hand in a 2020 plot to kill the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, following the U.S. airstrike that killed the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force leader, Qasem Soleimani. That plot was disrupted, he said, adding that there have been no recent plot attacks by Iran against Americans in Africa. He said that Irans interest level with Africa has increased since 2020, with the United States now seeing the emergence of Iranian drones on the continent as Tehran continues to offer equipment to African nations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for Germanys help Thursday, telling the German Parliament that a new wall is being erected in Europe between freedom and bondage. "And this wall is getting bigger with every bomb that falls on Ukraine, with every decision that is not taken," Zelenskyy said in his video address. He criticized Germany for its support of the now-suspended Nord Stream 2 pipeline project meant to carry natural gas from Russia, saying that Germany had put its economic concerns ahead of Ukraines security. "We turned to you," he said. "We told you that Nord Stream was a kind of preparation for the war, Zelenskyy said. In the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, rescue efforts were continuing Thursday at a theater where Ukraine said Russia carried out an airstrike Wednesday on the site, where hundreds of civilians had been sheltering. Satellite images of the site released by the Maxar space technology company showed the word children written in Russian on the pavement outside the theater as recently as Monday to alert pilots of Russian warplanes of people inside. Also Wednesday, Russian airstrikes hit a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children where sheltering, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the regional Donetsk administration. There were no reports of casualties from the attack on the pool complex, but the governor of northern city of Chernihiv said Thursday that at least 53 who were killed in heavy Russian aerial and ground attacks arrived at morgues in the past 24 hours. Russia has denied any involvement. In the meantime, the Ukrainian government said Russia conducted more airstrikes on Mariupol and attacks on other areas of Ukraine early Thursday, including on the towns of Kalynivka and Brovary outside the capital of Kyiv. The mayor of the eastern town of Merefa said Russian artillery leveled a school and community center overnight but did not immediately report any casualties. On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden answered Ukraines plea for help with an $800 million assistance package that includes a range of weapons and defensive gear a response that falls short of the no-fly zone Zelenskyy has sought. Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago. His forces have struck hospitals, schools and homes. Zelenskyy said Wednesday that about 100 children have been killed in the full-scale attack. The new U.S. aid package brings the total of new U.S. security assistance to Ukraine to $1 billion just this week, Biden said. This new package on its own is going to provide unprecedented assistance to Ukraine, the president added. It includes 800 anti-aircraft systems to make sure the Ukrainian military can continue to stop the planes and helicopters that have been attacking their people and to defend their Ukrainian airspace. The Pentagon Wednesday said efforts to deliver the equipment are already underway. We understand the tyranny of time here, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters. We've already started working on how to source all these all these items and get them there as quickly as possible, the official said, noting that despite Russian threats, things are still getting into the hands of the Ukrainians Those routes are still open. At a news conference Thursday in Bratislava with Slovakian Defense Minister Jaroslav Naj, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, Enforcing a no-fly zone actually means that youre in combat, youre in a fight with Russia. Defense minister Naj said that Slovakia, a NATO member, would be willing to provide S-300 long-range air defense missile systems to Ukraine if his country received a proper replacement for its S-300s or if it received a capability guaranteed for a certain period of time. Austin was non-committal on Slovakias proposal, telling reporters, These are things that we will continue to work with all of our allies on, and certainly this is not just a U.S. issue, its a NATO issue. Western officials said Thursday that significant differences remain between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators who held talks Wednesday by video. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there is a very, very big gap between the positions in question. Patsy Widakuswara, Anita Powell and Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Stephanie Kelly and Patricia Vicente Rua LONDON (Reuters) - Retail gasoline and diesel prices soared to record highs in many countries across the world this week, prompting governments from Brazil to France to consider pumping up subsidies or trimming taxes to shield consumers from the financial strain. The moves reflect the economic and political risks governments see in the current energy spike, which has been driven by a rebound in fuel demand since the darkest days of the coronavirus pandemic and supply disruptions in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. If prices keep rising - as many analysts expect - they could take a bite out of economic growth, force lower consumption, and in some cases trigger political unrest. In past years, rising fuel prices have caused deadly protests in countries including Kazakhstan, Iran and Zimbabwe. "Sky-high energy prices for a prolonged period of time, risks of energy rationing, and ultimately a recession are growing by the day," Livia Gallarati, oil markets analyst at Energy Aspects told the Reuters Global Markets Forum. Global benchmark oil prices were trading around $115 a barrel on Thursday, up from around $80 a barrel at the end of last year. The United States on Tuesday imposed a ban on oil imports from Russia, the world's third biggest producer, as retaliation for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and Britain also said it would phase them out. Read full story Analysts at JP Morgan Chase & Co and Bank of America have predicted disruptions to Russian oil flows could push oil prices to $185 to $200 per barrel. In the United States, the average price for gasoline has already reached a record $4.3 per gallon this week. Pump prices could rise to around $5 per gallon in time for the Memorial Day holiday in late May, when the country's summer driving season begins to ramp up, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. Devin Gladden, manager for federal affairs for the American Automobile Association, said if oil goes as high as $200 per barrel, gasoline could reach $6-$7 per gallon. Many U.S. motorists are considering ways to cut other expenses to afford to pay for fuel. Read full story In Britain, the average price of unleaded petrol at the pump rose to 1.58 pounds per liter, while diesel hit 1.65 pounds per liter, both record highs, data from automotive services firm RAC unit Fuel Watch showed. Australia's gasoline prices are also at record highs, just under A$2 per liter. SHIELDING CONSUMERS The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to combat rising consumer energy costs in the U.S and abroad by orchestrating the release of millions of barrels of crude oil from emergency stockpiles in concert with other consumer nations. But Washington has so far declined to intervene directly at the retail pumps with tax holidays or direct subsidies. Not so elsewhere. Ireland said on Wednesday it will cut the excise duty on petrol and diesel until the end of August to ease the burden of rapidly increasing gasoline prices. Read full story Portugal will also lower the special tax levied on fuels from Friday to tackle an unprecedented spike in energy prices. Read full story Over the weekend, many people across the country had rushed to gas stations to fill up tanks, expecting a further increase in prices that have already surpassed 2 euros per liter. Other countries are planning similar moves. In France, with the presidential election only a month away, President Emmanuel Macron, said his government will soon unveil measures to help households dealing with high fuel prices, and pointed out it had already spent 20 billion euros a year to moderate gasoline and power costs. "I won't let anyone say the government hasn't done anything," Macron said during a campaign event on Monday. Brazil's government is also considering a new diesel and gasoline subsidy program to help consumers, newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo reported this week. Read full story The Czech government will scrap mandatory blending of bio-components into fuels and abolish a road tax to counter soaring prices. Read full story RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams, meanwhile, called on the UK government to cut the nation's Value Added Tax to save homes and businesses from financial pain. "A cut to 15% would save drivers 6.5p on petrol based on the current average... it doesn't seem fair that the government's coffers should benefit from the hike in the oil price while drivers suffer," he told Reuters. A UK Government spokesperson said the government will do everything it can to mitigate high prices and help people. "The 12 billion in support that weve already announced to help with the cost of living includes a freeze on fuel duty for the twelfth year in a row the longest sustained freeze in British history," the spokesperson told Reuters. In the meantime, high prices for fuel could force some changes to consumer behavior, said AMP Chief Economist Shane Oliver. Those changes could range from reduced driving through measures like carpooling or working from home, to reduced spending on other goods and services, or by accelerating a shift to more efficient or all-electric vehicles, according to Oliver and AAAs Gladden. Goldman Sachs said it expects demand to drop by 1 million barrels per day - or almost 1% of global consumption - if prices rally to $150 barrels. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Kate Holton in London, Patricia Rua in Lisbon, Sonali Paul in Melbourne, Stephanie Kelly and David Gaffen in New York, Michel Rose and Benjamin Mallet in ParisEditing Richard Valdmanis, Alexandra Hudson, Kirsten Donovan) WARSAW Russian warships bombarded targets near Odesa Wednesday morning, possibly as a part of a buildup to an attack on the Ukrainian port city. But some military strategists say Russian forces are struggling to hold territory they have seized and have suffered some serious reversals in fierce skirmishes elsewhere that will likely delay an assault on Odesa. Britains Defense Ministry in its daily update on the state of battle assessed that Russian forces are struggling to overcome challenges posed by Ukraine's terrain and that Russian units have remained largely tied to Ukraines roads, demonstrating reluctance to go off-road to maneuver. It said Ukrainian forces have also managed to stall Russian advances by blowing up bridges. The tactics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have adeptly exploited Russias lack of maneuver, frustrating the Russian advance and inflicting heavy losses on the invading forces, the British Defense Ministry concluded. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Wednesday in a tweet that a series of counter offensives in several operational areas had altered the warring parties' dispositions. And Oleksiy Arestovych, another aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said small-scale Ukrainian counterattacks meant Russian forces have not managed to clear the main hotspots around Kyiv and there is little chance they will as Russia has used up its resources. Two-thirds of Russian rockets are striking civilian buildings and infrastructure, Arestovych said in a video briefing. Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces continued intense bombardment of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, and surrounding towns. A high-rise apartment block was hit in the latest shelling attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, Wednesday, smashing the top floor and igniting a blaze. There were reports of two victims, but there has been no confirmation on whether they were killed or injured. So far, Ukrainian authorities estimate Russia has destroyed 3,500 buildings in 21 days of war, including more than 200 schools. Ukraines military claims 13,800 Russian soldiers have been killed or captured since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. They also say they have destroyed or taken out of action 430 tanks and 1,375 armored vehicles. The Ukrainian claims have not been independently verified. A fourth Russian general, Oleg Mityaev, the 47-year-old commander of Russia's 150th motorized rifle division, was reportedly killed. Kyiv said Mityaev, who fought in Syria, died near the city of Mariupol and released a photo purportedly of his body. Moscow has not confirmed the death. If the claim is accurate, he would be the fourth Russian general to have been killed and 13th officer since February 24, when the invasion of Ukraine began. The other generals killed were: Major General Andrei Kolesnikov, commander of the 29th Combined Army; Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, a deputy commander of Russia's 41st army, another combat veteran who fought in Syria, and Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky, who was reportedly killed by a sniper. Four Russian colonels have also been killed and a Chechen general, Magomed Tushaev, has been reported by Kyiv as killed in an ambush near Hostomel, near the Ukrainian capital, which has seen some of the heaviest ground fighting since Russia invaded. Military analysts suggest the high death tally of senior officers is because they have had to move closer to the front lines to sort out logistical supply problems and to coax ground troops forward. Moscow has only acknowledged that 498 of its soldiers have been killed and 1,597 wounded, and that was on March 2 with no updates since. Western defense officials have lower estimates than Ukraines for the Russian death toll, with a consensus of a likely 6,000 Russian dead, around the number of U.S. service personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq during two decades of fighting. Russian military spokesmen have a different view of the state of battle, saying its forces shot down in the past 24 hours two Ukrainian Su-25 warplanes and one MiG-29 fighter jet as well as four drones. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov also said Wednesday that Russian forces destroyed 128 Ukrainian military facilities the past day. Independent military observers and strategists concur with the assessment of Britains Defense Ministry, saying that the outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian defense forces have managed to frustrate Russias invasion force, especially in northern and eastern Ukraine. Putin has check-mated himself: his armor-mechanized forces cannot enter Kiev [sic] without suffering huge casualties, and neither can they stay outside without being attacked by drones and AT [anti-tank] missiles, tweeted Edward Luttwak, a renowned American military strategist. In south Ukraine, Russian forces have made more progress but have not been able to subjugate the smaller port-town of Mariupol, which has been besieged and without water, food supplies and electricity for days. And a Russian advance on Odesa has also been stalled because of a dogged Ukrainian defense of the town of Mykolayiv, 120 kilometers east of Odesa, where Ukrainian defenders managed to recapture the local airport a few days ago. Ukrainian and Western military officials say they still think Russia is planning an assault on Odesa, and Russian warships have been gathering off the coast nearby, they say. One option for the Russians would be to bypass Mykolayiv and conduct an amphibious landing. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said last week that a seaborne assault on Odesa had been planned but was abandoned because of poor weather conditions. Odesa has been preparing for a Russian attack, fortifying streets for close fighting and mining beaches. A popular Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporter Godfrey Karembera, who is affectionately known as Madibaba veShanduko, was allegedly severely beaten up today by the police in Zimbabwes capital, Harare. According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Karembera is now facing charges of disorderly conduct. In a tweet, ZLHR said, Godfrey Karembera popularly known as Madzibaba veShanduko is facing a charge of disorderly conduct for allegedly wearing yellow regalia & telling people in Harare's CBD to vote for @nelsonchamisa. He is detained at Harare Central Police Station. CCC spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere, released a video in a tweet showing Karembera with wounds on his back and breathing heavily following the assault. Mahere said, This video shows the deep cuts sustained by Madzibaba Shanduko earlier today when he was beaten by @ZimbabwePolice in town for wearing yellow. After beating him up, they arrested him for disorderly conduct. He is in pain. Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, was unreachable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone. In a tweet, Zimbabwes Ministry of Information said, We have seen allegations of someone being ill-treated in Police custody. Facts are currently being gathered and once information becomes available, it will be released to the public. In her response to this tweet, Mahere noted that this is our member Madzibaba veShanduko who's been badly assaulted on his back by the @ZimbabwePolice for wearing his yellow regalia. The continued violence & harrassment against our members by the regime in Harare through @ZimbabwePolice & ZANUPF thugs must be stopped now. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. On 13 March 2022, Ukrainian television channel 24 (24 ) - controlled by the TRK Group of Kateryna Kit-Sadova (wife of the Lviv mayor) - broadcast a show hosted by Fakhrudin Sharafmal. This is what he said on the air: I know that as a journalist, I have to be objective, I have to be balanced, in order to report information to you with a cold heart, but to tell you the truth, its very hard to hold on now, especially at a time like this, and since we are called Nazis, fascists, and so on in Russia I will allow myself to quote Adolf Eichmann, who said that in order to destroy a nation, you must destroy, first of all, children. Because if you kill the parents, the children will grow up and take revenge. However, by killing children, they will never grow up, and the nation will disappear. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot kill Russian children because the rules of war forbid it, and it is prohibited by various conventions, including the Geneva Convention. But I am not from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And when I get the chance to take down Russians, I will definitely do it. "Since you call me a Nazi, I adhere to the doctrine of Adolf Eichmann, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that you and your children never live on this earth so that you can feel what it is like when innocent civilians die and bear all the pain and suffering. You say you didnt start this war, you dont want it, its Putins fault. But we havent started it either. Now you must understand, it is no longer about peace, it is about the victory of the Ukrainian people. "We need victory. And if we have to slaughter your families to do it Ill be one of the first to do it. Glory to the nation! And hope that there will never be such a nation as Russia and the Russians on this earth again because they are just scum who are destroying this land. If the Ukrainians have the opportunity, which they are basically doing right now, to destroy, slaughter, kill, and strangle the Muscovites. And I hope that everyone contributes and whacks at least one Moskal. The video of this rant is being played non-stop on Russian television as proof of the true nature of Ukrainian nationalists. The Russian diplomatic mission brought the matter before the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, the international organization emanating from the Helsinki agreements. The Rooney Farm in the Mud City area of Morristown milks a herd of 50 carefully curated cows, with ubiquitous Holsteins for a reliable base and a mix of Ayrshires, Jerseys, Guernseys and Norwegian Reds to add better butter content and lower bacteria counts quality measures that fetch a higher price from the buyer. Local news is important. It's the information that will directly impact your life because its going on around you, every day. Join our group of dedicated readers today ... Subscribe Last week, Lamoille County sheriff Roger Marcoux found himself repaying a favor from three decades ago, donating surplus body armor to help in a conflict far from Vermonts mountains. Gov. Phil Scott last week called on Vermont law enforcement agencies and any person with unused body armor to donate it to the Ukrainian war effort. Marcoux said he is familiar with people needing help protecting themselves from violence, from the receiving end. When he was working for the federal Drug Enforcement Agency in the 1990s, often undercover, stationed in Haiti with local police surrounded by violent gangs, he reached out to Vermonts state police force and Sen. Patrick Leahy to help get body armor shipped to the country. Marcoux said Kevlar couldnt simply be exported during that era, because of the tight rein on the technology. It was a big game changer, he said. Marcoux said his department last week was able to donate outdated body armor capable of holding ceramic plate inserts. Ceramic is used in armor to break bullets apart, which slows it down, making it less likely to penetrate. Marcoux said ballistic vests are only suitable for use in American law enforcement agencies for about five years. As technology improves, the vests get lighter, and the heavier ones get retired. The request for vests is the latest of Scotts acts of solidarity with Ukraine. Those include canceling any purchase contracts with Russia and removing Russian vodka from liquor stores and bars; severing official relations with Vermonts sister state in Russia and asking Vermont cities and towns to suspend similar sister city relationships; and asking the Legislature to appropriate $643,077 for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine one dollar for every Vermonter. The bravery and resolve of the Ukrainian people is heroic and inspiring. This body armor drive is something we can do to help them protect themselves in their fight for freedom, Scott said. I appreciate the Vermont National Guard bringing this opportunity to our attention, and the efforts of the Vermont State Police, local law enforcement agencies and any members of the public who can contribute to this effort. Morristown and Stowe police departments do not have any old body armor of the sort being sought. Stowe police chief Donald Hull said the vests being collected to send to Ukraine is a heavier type than his department uses. If, in the future, they are looking for other type levels of body armor, we will help out if we can, Hull said. In South Burlington, Chief Shawn Burke found six vests that the department was able to donate to the project. We are proud to be able to assist the Ukrainian people and are thankful that the Vermont National Guard and Vermont Sate Police brought this opportunity to our attention, Burke said. Chittenden County Sheriff Kevin McLaughlin said his team is also checking to see if they have older vests that could be sent to Ukraine; if they have some, theyll be donating them, he said. Both Shelburne and Hinesburg have only tier 2 body armor, which is typically only used for small police departments and everything they have is in use, so they have no armor to donate to the Ukranian effort. Marcoux said he is well-read on World War II and is worried about what hes seeing in eastern Europe, seeing too many parallels between President Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler. He said both men started wars because they not gotten over the loss of some of their homelands perceived loss of territory Hitler, as a member of the German army during World War I, saw Germany cede territory as part of the 1918 Treaty of Versailles; and Putin, as a former KGB agent, is said to have never gotten over the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. I hope that, in some small way, this helps out, he said. This story first ran in Buffering, Vultures newsletter about the streaming industry. Head to vulture.com/buffering and subscribe today! Photo: Courtesy of Netflix Peak TV has been very, very good for adult animation. Once the domain of Fox and a handful of cable networks, new non-anime cartoons geared toward grown-ups have exploded in number in the past few years, with almost all of the growth coming from streaming. By one estimate, there were over 100 adult-animation projects in production or the works last spring, double the tally from a year earlier. And while some of the increase can be credited to platforms looking to find pandemic proof programming during the earliest days of COVID, the trend can mostly be chalked up to the fact that streamers big and small have decided adult animation, like reality shows and young adult drama, has become an essential programming category. Thats certainly true at Netflix. While it wasnt the first digital TV network to embrace adult animation Hulu got there in 2013 with The Awesomes the streamer has been aggressively programming the genre since BoJack Horseman and F Is for Family arrived on the scene back in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Netflix has developed a wide variety of animated shows, from sci-fi (Neo Yokio, The Midnight Gospel) to drama (the upcoming Blue Eye Samurai) as well as a slew of comedies. And while there have been some shows that didnt work out (RIP, Hoops), Netflix has also produced what are arguably streamings biggest animated hits to date between BoJack and the still-in-production Big Mouth. On Friday, Netflixs adult-animation unit will celebrate yet another milestone with the premiere of its first spinoff, Human Resources. The Big Mouth offshoot, which revolves around the Hormone Monsters and other emotional helpers seen in the original series, actually marks the first time any Netflix comedy has spawned a sequel and theres more riding on its success than whether the service can chalk up another hit. With conglomerates such as WarnerMedia and Disney now using their extensive content libraries to build their streaming services, Netflixs ability to tap into the biggest preexisting brands for programming has been severely restricted (though not completely shut off, as evidenced by this weeks deal for more Dr. Seuss series). Anticipating this, Netflix has been rushing to build up its library of intellectual property, hoping a handful of its biggest shows can be turned into franchises. And as both The Simpsons and Family Guy have shown with their respective spinoffs, adult animation very much lends itself to universe-building. Overseeing Netflixs efforts in adult animation is Mike Moon, whos been at the streamer for a bit more than four years and has previously served long stints as an exec at Disney and Sony Animation. Unlike most TV suits, Moon started his career as an artist, working for more than 15 years as an animator at companies such as Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Hanna-Barbera. Ahead of the Human Resources launch, Buffering caught up with Moon to talk about how he decided to green-light a Big Mouth spinoff, whether he thinks the animation boom is a good thing for the industry, and why he believes an upcoming animated project from Kid Cudi could be one of the biggest TV events of the year. So let me start by asking how you got to the point of doing a Big Mouth spinoff. Was it something you had been pushing the producers to think about, or was it something more organic, where they came to you one day with an idea? It was pretty organic. The team had had tremendous success with the launch of the show, and at the same time, we were broadening our relationship with the creators because we love working with them so much. And they reached out and said, We have an idea that really expands the universe, and we want to talk to you about it. We heard the pitch, and it was like, Yes, of course. Since Netflix is relatively young and has mostly focused on continually doing new things, there havent been many spinoffs. I believe this will be the first spinoff of a Netflix comedy series. Does it feel like something of a watershed? For us, it really felt like it was a real signal to us of the maturity of our adult animation offering that were in the place where we can have the success on a show that really justifies spinning it off and going deeper in the world while Big Mouth is still going. Its also a testament to the show and how much it has resonated with people all over the world. And I love that its our first animated spinoff. We have executives all over the planet who are developing all sorts of content slates. When there is an amazing adult-animated title that comes in, it definitely gets flagged for everyone pretty quick. Mike Moon And now that youre in the spin-off business, how many more can we expect? There are some extensions that you will see within the adult animation action slate, where I think its organic for those to have an extension. But I think within the comedy world, Human Resources is the only one currently. Do you worry about doing too many of them? Broadcast TV is now filled with three versions of every hit show it seems. Do you think at some point you start doing a lot more? We havent had that many spin-offs actually pitched. I think a lot of [producers] have felt that their shows have come to a logical conclusion, or theyre not to that point yet in the life cycle. I think its always a challenge, especially in the comedy space, with spinoffs. A lot of times spinoffs sort of get smaller from the source material. I would always want to make sure with any of the spinoffs of any of our characters, that its expansive of the world versus somehow feeling a bit smaller, a bit narrower. Adult animation has boomed as more big companies launch streaming services. It seems like every new streamer has a half-dozen or more shows in the works, even the smaller ad-supported ones. Is it possible the marketplace is already oversaturated, and that could be bad for the genre? I dont know if reality TV got better when we went from 50 shows to 500. I think high water raises all boats. Its really made everybody bring their A game across the entire industry. Its awesome to see how much animation production is going on. As someone whos worked in the business for over 30 years, Ive never seen it like this across all content categories thats kids, thats adults, thats preschool, its film. How do you make sure you remain a leader with so much new competition? There are lots of strategic things that we have done, whether its overall deals with select talent, overall deals with outside studios, building our internal studio for select projects and select relationships. So making the right bets on talent, making the right bets on partnerships I think all of those issues are crucial to our success. And being really proactive with development, too, not just sitting around passively, waiting for the pitches to come in. Really going after talent that we think has a great voice, has a great point of view, has been a huge part of the strategy as well. A risk that we all have with so much business, with so much activity in the industry, is that in animation youve got a thousand points of potential failure in the pipeline because so many hands and so many bodies touch it at every single step. Thats really the piece that Im super mindful of: There is such an alchemy to how any of these shows come together. And all of those pieces need to be rowing in the same direction and in total alignment. I think staying ahead of the challenges thats crucial for the business. It looks like nothing else. It just looks like candy, and you just want to jump into it. Moon on Kid Cudi's upcoming series Entergalactic. You dont have access to so much IP from big studios now that Warner Bros. and Disney and Universal are all using their animation libraries to launch new shows. Is that more of a challenge for Netflix? We actually do have quite a bit of IP that weve pursued on the action and genre slate. Some of the IP that weve looked at has been really rooted at the creator level. A lot of these creators have such a distinct point of view and such a distinct execution, whether its someone like Matt Groening, who did Disenchantment for us, or Waco OGuin and Roger Black (Paradise PD), who are doing Farzar for us, or Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls), who were developing with. They all have very unique bodies of work, and to tell more stories with them, with new characters in a new way, I think thats been an awesome path for us, and weve been really successful at it. Weve built our own IP. A healthy balance is whats most important. Some of the biggest successes in adult animation, including Big Mouth, have been shows that very much embrace the raunchier side of comedy, even if they do so in a smart way. Is expanding the definition of what breaks out in adult animation one of your goals? Oftentimes people reduce it to super-raunchy, dorm-room humor. And I think the real story is so much broader than that. The key for us with the raunchier shows is that theyre offset by heart, and youre earning the ability to be adult with the content. Big Mouth does that beautifully; I think Human Resources does it beautifully. Most people who have watched Human Resources so far have commented on the episodes that made them cry. I think long term, youre going to see a lot of different tones, and youre going to see shows that live all over the spectrum. So I think youre going to have things that feel more living-room appropriate, or more in that almost PG-13, network-adjacent space. And then youll have the more adult ones, and I think theyre both going to have tons of fans and tons of people who come to them for a different experience. And as long as youve got boatloads of heart and character and warmth, I think it allows success on both sides of the equation. Kid Cudis upcoming event series Entergalactic seems like the kind of show that fits in with that attempt to break out of the usual adult animation boxes, right? Its going to be a monumental show for the industry. This is something we did with Kenya Barris and Kid Cudi. Its a very modern, street fashionforward, art-forward, culture-forward execution on what would be a traditional rom-com. And its going to blow peoples minds. The cast is incredible. People are laughing screening it, people are crying screening it. Its obviously got a ton of music in it. It looks like nothing else. It just looks like candy, and you just want to jump into it. Its so aspirational, its so different, yet its completely inviting and warm and a delight. Ive been excited for your animated remake of Good Times. It was ordered back in 2020, but since then, you havent said much about it. Where is it in the development pipeline? That is such an iconic, gigantic title. It means so much to so many people all over the world. I think the timing is all about us getting it right. Its going to be exquisite. Its got an amazing team behind it, not to mention Norman Lear, Seth MacFarlane, and Steph Curry. The real challenge there, which all the producers were keenly aware of, is how do you justify it being animated without just making it an animated retelling of the same story. Thats always the case when you take something from live-action into animation. And I think the team has absolutely figured that piece out. Given the lead times for animation, Im guessing itll be at least another year before we see it? Yeah, I think youre a year out. Netflix has had such success finding shows from around the world and making them into global hits. How much is international adult animation aside from anime part of your plan over the next few years? everybody in this moment in time understands the power of animation and how it can travel so incredibly well. It can come from anywhere. The whole animation industry has really opened up. Moon We have executives all over the planet who are developing all sorts of content slates. And when there is an amazing adult-animated title that comes in, it definitely gets flagged for everyone pretty quick. Weve got all sorts of different ways of collaborating. Tear Along the Dotted Line was one of the most recent launches that was totally driven by the team out in Italy, and they completely stuck the landing. The show is so good. Theres a show were doing right now with some Norwegian creators who are in Oslo doing all the scripting, but were actually producing the show here in-house. We had another title that we just released out of London a few months back called The House that was fully produced by Nexus Studios in London, but they worked with our team. So its a real mixture, and there are so many exciting things on the horizon. I think everybody in this moment in time understands the power of animation and how it can travel so incredibly well. It can come from anywhere. The whole animation industry has really opened up. Even a show like Entergalactic the pre-production crew on that title lives in 20 different countries, which is just amazing and unheard of in terms of how a lot of these shows typically get produced. Historically, broadcast networks liked animation because it was much more cost-effective. The price tag was just smaller. Is that still the case these days? I think the truth is there is such a huge scale.There is stuff that is produced at a real modest price point. Theres also stuff that is super-premium and super-expensive. I think its hard to say exactly. I do think one of the challenges is how long the timelines have been to produce shows. Over the next few years, youre going to see a lot of innovation in terms of a quicker, more reactive pipeline. Most of these shows are still produced in a pipeline that dates back to the 1970s. So I think youre going to see a lot of innovation. That doesnt necessarily make anything cheaper, but I dont think its about that. I think what it is going to be about is just being more reactive with the storytelling, being more iterative with the jokes and the characters and the sequences and the storyboards. I think youre going to see ideas get to screen a lot quicker in the next few years. Its top of mind for pretty much everyone in the industry. Youve done a lot of deals with big names in animation, people like Mike Judge and Matt Groening or even the talent behind Big Mouth. How important is it for you to get newer voices, both in terms of experience but also in terms of life experience and cultural diversity? It is absolutely crucial for our success. Part of the joy of having an in-house studio is we can incubate so many of those relationships. And it gives us the opportunity to nurture talent, nurture new voices. Weve got an incredible inclusion and diversity team embedded in the animation team. Weve got an incredible outreach team embedded in our process. It affects everything we do, from the hiring of the showrunners to development to the staffing of storyboard artists and designers and writers and editors. I think when you look at the slate in the coming years, you will see the products of that. Right now, your shows are released via the binge model, like most titles on Netflix. But some other specialty genres, most notably unscripted, have started playing with release schedules, putting out a few episodes every week. Is that something youre thinking about with animation? I think nothing is off the table. There are a couple secret things that we are working on right now that really experiment with how were releasing things. Beyond that, youre also going to see a lot of different formats.Were working on our first hour-long animated drama right now, Blue Eye Samurai, which is a real treat, and its totally different. So I think in the next few years, youll see us trying different things. One decision Netflix made a couple years back that really shocked animation fans was the cancellation of Tuca & Bertie after just one season. It got such amazing reviews and seemed beloved by folks who watched it. Does the way that show ended mean we shouldnt expect to see more from those producers, who also worked on your first breakout animated hit, BoJack Horseman? Look, we loved Tuca, and unfortunately, it just didnt find an audience on service. We love the creative team. We would love to do more with them. So do you think it would be possible wed see something new from those producers? I think its entirely possible. We had such a great experience with them. And I would like to think our relationship is fantastic. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. The $17 billion transportation package dubbed Move Ahead Washington, is on its way to the Governors office for final signature. House legislators passed the 16-year plan on a pair of votes of 54-44 and 57-41 on the final day of the 2022 legislative session. State Senators voted an hour later, passing the package with a 29-20 and a 30-19 vote. One of the packages sponsors, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, said in a news release: Were investing in projects from rural to urban areas across our state, letting kids ride free on buses, ferries and trains, and so much more and all without punting the cost to working families. The plan includes billions of funding to be used for transit programs, fish-barrier removal and the electrification of the states ferry fleet. The largest highway construction project included in the plan sets aside nearly $1 billion for replacing the century-old I-5 bridge at the Oregon border between Portland and Vancouver. The estimated $3.2 to $4.8 billion cost of construction would be split three ways, with money coming from Washington, Oregon and the federal government. The I-5 bridge replacement funded by this package is the reason I came to Olympia 10 years ago, Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, said in a statement. The ancient, inadequate I-5 bridge we rely on every day is decades overdue for replacement, and I know our community could not move forward until we have a bridge designed for todays traffic, transit and climate need. The package draws funding from various sources including the federal government, higher fees from vehicle and driver licensing, and fee revenue from the states new cap-and-trade system established in the Climate Commitment Act. Lawmakers scrapped the idea of instituting a 6-cent-per-gallon tax on exported fuel after receiving threats of potential lawsuits from neighboring states. To backfill the loss of the estimated $2 billion, legislators settled on annually pulling $57 million from the Public Works Assistance Account and $57 million from the operating budget. I made a promise to my constituents that we werent going to raise gas taxes in this difficult moment, Liias said. Im proud that were delivering on that promise to invest in our infrastructure without asking struggling families to take on more of that cost. Republican opponents of the plan said even without the inclusion of a gas tax increase, Washingtonians would still bear the burden of the cost, seeing price increases in places other than the pump. Fees for license renewals, car registrations and stolen vehicle checks would increase. For example, buying plates for a new car would rise from $10 to $50 depending on the type of license plate, and the Enhanced Drivers License fee would go from $24 to $42. Unfortunately, the partisan transportation package from the majority will punish drivers throughout Washington with higher fees and taxes, said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, in a joint statement with Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia. It isnt right to make our citizens pay more to own a car. The minority party criticized the one-sided nature of the plan from the beginning, breaking the tradition of transportation being handled as a bipartisan issue. Im extremely disappointed the process was partisan and does not reflect the true transportation needs of every corner of our state, Barkis said. Washingtonians deserve real solutions from their transportation leaders and tax dollars. Having passed both chambers of the Legislature the two bills outlining sources of revenue and spending went to Gov. Jay Inslee to be signed into law. The Washington State Journal is a non-profit news website operated by the WNPA Foundation. To learn more, go to wastatejournal.org. Decatur, IL (62521) Today Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Placeholder while article actions load You cant buck the market, the late U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously said. In a different context, U.S. heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson observed that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Both were expressing variations of the same principle. Faced with an unopposable force, the only course is to capitulate. And thats what Chinas government just did. The flurry of assurances emanating from the countrys top financial policy committee Wednesday go beyond the standard official response to a market in freefall: They amount to a significant change in direction. After more than 18 months of pursuing a program that placed the Communist Partys political objectives ahead of the concerns of investors, the tone has abruptly shifted. China supports overseas listings; the rectification of internet platform companies will be wound up soon and regulation will henceforth be transparent and predictable; the imploding real estate sector will get support; policies will be market-friendly and look to safeguard stability. Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index surged 9.1%, the most since 2008, while the mainlands CSI 300 Index climbed 4.3%. The question now is whether this is a dead cat bounce or if it marks the start of a sustainable recovery. The Hong Kong benchmark remains down 14% this year and is trading at close to its lowest multiple of estimated earnings since the global financial crisis. China has a record of botched attempts at market rescues. This time might just be different, if it signals a genuine change of heart over the governments approach to markets. Advertisement Since moving in the second half of 2020 to restrain developer leverage and exert tighter control over technology corporations, President Xi Jinping has appeared to pay markets little heed. Hundreds of billions of dollars were wiped off the value of offshore-listed companies such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Meituan last year as the tech crackdown widened. The online education sector was wiped out by government decree almost overnight. Didi Global Inc. was told to delist from the New York Stock Exchange. Most of this arrived with little to no forewarning or explanation, unnerving foreign investors. As president, Xi has sought to revive core Communist values and reassert the primary role of the state sector in the economy. The governments tighter grip on tech companies forms part of his common prosperity campaign to reduce excesses of wealth and address Chinas yawning inequality. Its an approach that places markets in a distinctly subordinate role to the visible hand of government. The trouble is, as others before have discovered, markets arent always that easy to control. And China still needs them. Officials may have reacted with indifference last year to the evaporation of value at Alibaba and a handful of other internet companies, but everyone has their limit. For Beijing, that moment appears to have arrived Tuesday, when the countrys stocks were hit by a wave of panic-selling driven by the risk of sanctions should China aid Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, combined with the prospect of forced delistings from U.S. markets. Advertisement Arguably, China has been unlucky in timing. The Ukraine war was an exogenous risk that was beyond Beijings control, and has arrived just as a renewed spike of Covid outbreaks darkens the outlook for the economy. Against that, nobody forced Xi to align so closely with Vladimir Putin just before the Russian president decided to invade. Own goals cannot be denied. The uncomfortable truth is that trust and confidence in Chinese assets have already been eroded by many months of capricious and opaque policy-making. Wednesdays statement, which cited top economic official Liu He and didnt mention Xi, represents a belated recognition that, at least where markets are concerned, China isnt yet ready to throw off the yoke of Western orthodoxy and dictate its own terms. A course correction is better late than never. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Advertisement This Potemkin Property Tax Isnt Going Anywhere: Matthew Brooker Xi Jinping Doesnt Care if China Is Uninvestable: Shuli Reng Its Not Deja Vu in China All Over Again: Tim Culpan This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Matthew Brooker is a columnist and editor with Bloomberg Opinion. He previously was a columnist, editor and bureau chief for Bloomberg News. Before joining Bloomberg, he worked for the South China Morning Post. He is a CFA charterholder. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Ever since the 1970s, European Green parties have argued passionately for cutting carbon emissions from the continents energy, while at the same time reflexively shunning the worlds only reliable source of zero-carbon electricity: nuclear power. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Russias Ukrainian invasion is punching big holes in the logic of this position. That is especially true in Germany and Belgium, countries where the Greens sit in coalition governments committed to the phaseout of all nuclear power. Germany closed three of its last six reactors last year and the rest will follow by the end of 2022. Belgium has promised to close all of its seven units, which generate half its electricity, by 2025. In Germany, the need to replace its heavy dependence on Russian oil and gas at the same time as nuclear is roiling the governing coalition and leading to the bizarre situation where a Green-dominated economic and energy ministry would rather burn dirty coal than operate zero-carbon atomic reactors. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, the minister of economic affairs and climate action and a former co-chairman of Germanys Greens, has announced the creation of a coal stockpile, and stations are being kept open to burn it should they be needed, which they certainly will if Russian gas pipelines close along with the three last reactors this year. (On March 15, some 36% of Germanys electricity came from coal, according to data from Entso-E.) Advertisement In Belgium, where the final decision on phaseout has yet to be taken, the government is wriggling uncomfortably on the hook. The Green energy minister, Tinne van der Straeten, tweeted on March 7 that she had an open mind on nuclear, and an energy security override built into the phaseout plan could yet allow her to reprieve the two most modern reactors without totally losing face. The coalitions plan has been to replace the lost plants with renewables and gas, but that would weaken Belgiums energy security as well as raising both prices and emissions hardly the ideal outcome. Research by the climate think tank Ember suggests that, if nuclear power is abandoned, the carbon intensity of Belgiums grid could go up by a quarter by 2030. The phaseouts are not inevitable. Even in Germany, experts believe that at least two of the three recently closed reactors could be restored to action, albeit with a time lag, as well as the three unclosed ones saved from the chop. In Belgium, the nuclear regulator has developed the safety case for life extensions. One barrier is a European Union requirement to carry out a cross-border public consultation on continued operation, although few regard that as a deal-breaker. The biggest barrier is dogma. The European Green movement has long cherished an almost theological aversion to nuclear power. (Prior to the 1970s, environmentalists had a more nuanced view, often seeing nuclear as preferable to hydroelectric schemes which dammed rivers and flooded habitats.) It is an antipathy that has even spilled into violence. Before Russias shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant last week, the only time an atomic facility had been attacked came in 1982, when a Swiss Green party activist, Chaim Nissim, shot several rocket-propelled grenades at the (then unfinished) Superphenix fast-breeder reactor near Chambery in France, almost hitting some workers. Advertisement The statistics may suggest that nuclear power is one of the safest energy sources, responsible for just 0.07 deaths per terawatt hour generated, compared to 24.6 for coal and four for natural gas. But at their 2017 conference, the European Greens reaffirmed their opposition to nuclear on grounds of safety and risk. The technology of nuclear power is uncontrollable, can at worst be poisonous and even deadly, they said. Established political parties in Europe have long indulged this hostility, needing to build governing coalitions in which Greens perforce play a part. Seven European nations at the last count included Greens in their administrations, and both the German and Belgian governments are sustained by their support. The real question now is whether Greens can look beyond the dogma to the wider issues in play, such as Europes lack of energy security, so glaringly exposed by the crisis, and the contribution existing nuclear plants can make to emissions reduction. Some think the Greens will find it hard to drop their blanket opposition. Mark Lynas, a British environmental activist who underwent such an apostasy more than a decade ago, believes many will worry that such a shift could be existential. Being anti-nuclear is just so firmly fixed in their DNA, he says. Advertisement Some Green parties have softened their position. The Finnish one, which has been in government since 2019, still opposes large nuclear reactors, but now favors the development of the smaller modular kind. This follows the adoption last September of an energy policy promising the use of all sustainable solutions to reduce the use of fossil fuels. It was easy to take un-nuanced positions when the Greens were electorally powerless, or when proposed nuclear phaseouts were decades away. But those years are long past. Belgiums Greens drafted its closure policy as far back as 2003 their price for supporting the then-government. Now all such parties must take responsibility at a time of hard choices, when countries need to reconcile their climate goals with the imperative of security. Do they favor technologies that allow Europe to shun Vladimir Putins Russia without brownouts or beggaring consumers? How they rise to such challenges may determine their fortunes in coming years. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Advertisement Climate Change Will Kill National Sovereignty As We Know It: Andreas Kluth Abandoning Nuclear Power Would Be Europes Biggest Mistake: Jonathan Ford Why Germany Will Regret Its Nuclear Plant Shutdowns: Javier Blas This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Jonathan Ford is a freelance writer. He was the chief leader and city editor of the Financial Times, and has held senior editorial positions at Prospect Magazine, Reuters and Breakingviews. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 and its repeated attacks on civilian targets have led to calls in the U.S., U.K. and Europe to hold President Vladimir Putin and his subordinates accountable. U.S. President Joe Biden called Putin a war criminal March 16 as news emerged that a theater sheltering hundreds of civilians in the Ukrainian city Mariupol had been levelled. The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine. However, its far from certain that anyone will be brought to justice under international law, especially if Russia doesnt lose the war. 1. What are war crimes? The definition used by the International Criminal Court in the Hague is extensive. It includes willful killing, torture, rape, forced prostitution, corporal punishment, hostage taking, unlawful deportation, using starvation as a weapon and shooting combatants whove surrendered, among many other acts. War crimes can also include using banned weapons such as chemical and biological arms, deliberately attacking civilians and non-military targets, targeting hospitals and other places where the sick and wounded are gathered, looting and carrying out attacks that will cause severe damage to the environment. Russias invasion could also be considered a so-called crime of aggression. Advertisement 2. Whats a crime of aggression? Its the planning, preparation and execution by a state military or political leader of an act of aggression which, by its character, gravity and scale, constitutes a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations, according to the ICC, which adopted it as the fourth crime under its jurisdiction as of 2018, after war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. An act of aggression means the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another State and can include invasion, occupation and annexation by the use of force, as well as the blockade of ports. The crime applies only to the highest ranking leaders who exercise control over or direct the political or military action of a state. 3. How are war crimes prosecuted? Advertisement The ICC was born out of an international treaty called the Rome Statute in 2002 as the first permanent, independent arena for holding people accountable for acts of mass inhumanity. It started with 60 countries and its membership has more that doubled since then. Notable countries that have not ratified the treaty are the U.S., China, Russia and India. (The U.S. says putting its citizens under the courts jurisdiction would violate their constitutional rights.) The ICC can pursue war crimes cases when alleged offenses were committed by a citizen of a member state, or in the territory of a member state or a non-member state thats accepted the courts jurisdiction, or when allegations are referred to the courts prosecutor by the United Nations Security Council. The ICC prosecutors office can pursue crimes of aggression upon referral by the Security Council, upon request by a member state, or on its own initiative. 4. Whats this mean for Ukraine? Ukraine is not an ICC member but it accepted the courts jurisdiction for incidents on its territory starting in November 2013. That enabled the court to consider alleged crimes committed during and after Russias invasion and annexation of Ukraines Crimea peninsula in early 2014. On Feb. 28, the courts chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, said that based on a preliminary assessment by his office conducted mostly in 2020, there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine. He said the investigation he was opening would also encompass any new offenses committed in the expansion of the conflict since Russias full-scale invasion. Dozens of countries have asked the ICC to investigate in the wake of that action. Advertisement 5. What are the challenges to prosecuting war crimes? Its easy enough to prove that Russian forces have struck civilian targets, including apartment blocks, hospitals, public squares, municipal buildings and a nuclear power plant. A flood of video recordings have been posted on social media, sometimes within minutes of such attacks occurring. And theres the testimony of Ukrainians experiencing the carnage. But such evidence doesnt tie specific strikes to specific individuals, which would be necessary for a prosecution. On the other hand, the U.S. has said it is already on the ground searching for evidence of whos culpable. 6. What are the prospects of trying Russian officials? Not good. The ICC doesnt permit trials in absentia, and the court, which has no police force, is unlikely to gets its hands on Putin or his lieutenants. It relies on its member states to make arrests. But they havent always respected their obligations to honor the courts warrants. And the accused could always avoid traveling to any country that might turn them over. The ICC has mainly been able to prosecute war crimes in cases where the accused was on the losing side of a conflict and was turned in by the winning side. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load A rare point of bipartisan consensus in Washington is the desire to spend more than $50 billion to bolster U.S. chip production. Thats a key part of bills pending in both houses of Congress intended to increase U.S. competitiveness with China. The bills are similar, but not identical, and differences on auxiliary issues threaten to stall their progress. 1. What does Congress propose to do? Both the Senate bill, passed last June, and the House bill, passed on Feb. 4, provide $52 billion over five years in emergency appropriations to support semiconductor research and development, legacy chip manufacturing, packaging research and microelectronics development. (Legacy chips are frequently used in cars, aircraft and a variety of military hardware.) The vast majority of that money, $50 billion, would be distributed through a new fund overseen by the Commerce Department; the other $2 billion would be overseen by the Defense Department. On top of that, the House version authorizes $45 billion for grants and loans to support supply chain resilience and manufacturing of critical goods in the U.S. Both measures authorize billions more for research and development at the National Science Foundation, the Energy Department and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Advertisement 2. Why is this necessary? While the U.S. is a leader in chip design, roughly 90% of global chip manufacturing capacity is elsewhere -- primarily in Taiwan and South Korea. That puts the U.S. at high risk of supply chain disruptions in the event of trade disputes, military conflicts or, as seen in the past two years, a pandemic. Chinas state-led industrial policies, which aim to achieve self-sufficiency in all stages of chip production, also threaten U.S. competitiveness. The Chinese government plans to boost its domestic production using government subsidies and tax preferences. 3. How are the House and Senate bills different? The House bill would authorize $8 billion over two years in contributions to the Green Climate Fund, a United Nations-overseen initiative to help developing countries address climate change. Republicans are opposed; Representative Michael McCaul of Texas said the money would go to an unaccountable U.N. slush fund. The two bills also take different approaches to creating a new directorate at the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that funds basic research in science and engineering. The Senates version would focus it on technology issues. The House bill would focus it on research and development to address societal issues such as climate change and inequality. Advertisement 4. In what way are the bills aimed at China? Neither bill explicitly states the U.S. is in a race with China for semiconductor sovereignty, but lawmakers regularly describe the bills that way. The Senate bill will allow the United States to out-compete countries like China in critical technologies like semiconductors, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said last May. Any doubt that China is the real target of the bills is put to rest by the many provisions unrelated to semiconductors. 5. What are those provisions? Both bills include funding to develop alternatives to Chinese 5G telecommunications equipment, which the U.S. worries could be used to carry out cyberattacks or espionage. (China denies that.) Both bills would impose sanctions on China for its treatment of the predominantly Muslim Uighurs in the far-western region of Xinjiang and elevate the rank of U.S. special coordinator for Tibetan issues at the State Department. The Senate bill would require U.S. agencies to treat Taiwans elected government as the legitimate representative of the people of Taiwan and to stop using Chinas preferred term, Taiwan authorities. The Senate would also impose additional sanctions on China for cyberattacks and theft of trade secrets. The House bill would allow Hong Kong residents to apply for temporary protected status in the U.S. and extend an export ban on certain crowd control equipment to the Hong Kong police. After the Senate passed its bill last June, Chinese lawmakers said the legislation smears Chinas development path and domestic and foreign policies and interferes in Chinas internal affairs under the banner of innovation and competition. Advertisement 6. What are the prospects? There is broad agreement on the need to support domestic chip production and research, as both bills would do. A bipartisan group of over 140 lawmakers wrote to House and Senate leaders to urge them to make sure the $52 billion for chips is included in whatever final bill emerges from negotiations. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said in March that he was hopeful the legislation would be finished in the coming months. The Biden administration stated its support for both chambers to reconcile differences and put a bill on the presidents desk as soon as possible. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Lets talk about presidenting during a crisis. A crisis, the late political scientist Nelson W. Polsby used to say, is a period where everybody believes that something must be done. The Russian invasion of Ukraine certainly fits that definition and its both an opportunity and a danger for a presidency. The opportunity side of it is captured in the phrase attributed to everyone from former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to Winston Churchill: Never let a good crisis go to waste. (Which brings to mind another Polsbyism: Famous words migrate into famous mouths.) Getting things done in any democracy is difficult, and its probably harder in the U.S. system than most. A crisis is often when the systemic bias in favor of the status quo is at its weakest, and when the agenda of what is considered politically possible is most open to change. The key is that defining the crisis is what opens those political doors. Advertisement Russias aggression against Ukraine is a rationale for more domestic production of oil and gas for those who already favor it. It becomes part of the case for more energy alternatives presented by the groups that already support them, or for balancing the budget or cutting spending or raising taxes or funding favored programs. Every politician plays this game, but presidents have the biggest megaphone. President George W. Bush used his in 2001 when he defined the proper response to the Sept. 11 attacks as a war on terrorism, and later when he operationalized that war into the invasion of Iraq and used it to give the Federal Bureau of Investigation and intelligence agencies more latitude and to justify the use of torture. Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, decided that a government reorganization was the relevant response, and so we got the Department of Homeland Security. The logic is that of the so-called politicians syllogism, as memorably explained in the 1980s British sitcom, Yes Minister: Advertisement We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this. So far, President Joe Biden does not appear to be attempting to use the Ukraine crisis to achieve any of his previous unrelated or loosely related goals, or really for anything not directly relevant to helping Ukraine. Emanuel and Churchill might think thats a failure on his part, and Id say they have a point. But the risk is that the things that politicians jump to do during a crisis things they might fail to accomplish otherwise might be things best left alone. In normal times, the democratic system makes it hard to execute a pointless government reorganization, or embark on a program of torture, or invade a country. Status-quo bias can block worthy objectives, but it can also block foolhardy schemes, as those invested in stopping them work to activate one or more of the many veto points in the U.S. political structure. Advertisement Which brings me to the suggestion that Biden should declare and enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine. During a crisis, especially one in which people are dying, the pressure to Do More can be enormous. Its not surprising that some out-party politicians and some pundits will grab hold of some idea that experts think would be a dangerous mistake. Even tougher for Biden is that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is among those urging the U.S. to Do More, including possibly establishing a no-fly zone over his country. After all, not only do people find Zelenskiy immensely appealing and wish to help him, but a big part of U.S. policy is to help him draw sympathy and support. And yet Ukrainian interests are not always identical to U.S. interests. The ability to ignore whatever folks on cable news networks and Twitter are demanding has become an important attribute of a good 21st-century president. That ability becomes exponentially more important during a crisis, when the pressure to do something is the greatest and the barriers to doing something stupid may drop away. Skilled presidenting in those situations can be all about avoiding the politicians syllogism in the face of temptation. To be sure, experts arent always right, and presidents should seek out information from all sorts of sources, including cable news and Twitter. Thats a good way to guard against groupthink. The trick is to mine the useful information while refusing to forfeit the agenda-setting role. Advertisement Were three weeks into the invasion, and Im not trying to judge Bidens specific policy choices. Even if I had more expertise in war and foreign affairs, Id probably say it was too soon to tell. But as for process, I think it is fair to say that he gets poor marks for taking advantage of a crisis but a very good grade for restraint when theres pressure to keep doing more. Thats giving him both good and bad reviews for the exact same set of actions. It was with good reason that presidency scholar Richard Neustadt said that the White House is no place for amateurs. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load In the late 1960s, smelling genocide in the air, Sushil and Anjana Patel fled Uganda for the U.K. They thrived in their new country, establishing a chain of news agents in London and Hertfordshire, while Idi Amin slaughtered their fellow Gujaratis back home. Today their daughter is the biggest obstacle to Ukrainians seeking refuge in Britain from Vladimir Putins merciless war machine. Priti Patels Home Office has almost gone out of its way to make life difficult for Ukrainian asylum seekers, limiting visas to refugees with family members in Britain, demanding fiddly documentation have you tried downloading your photo onto a form while fleeing invaders? claiming that it had established a visa processing center in Calais when in fact the nearest one was 70 miles away in Lille. While Germany took in tens of thousands of refugees in the first fortnight after the invasion and next-door Poland took in more than a million Britain only managed 4,000. A cartoon on the cover of the normally euroskeptic Spectator magazine summed up the situation: A line of European leaders receives Ukrainian refugees with welcome signs in various languages, while Patel greets them with a long-document labeled criteria. Patels foot-dragging attitude to refugees was out of sync with Britains can-do attitude to supplying the Ukrainians with weapons and other aid. It was also not in keeping with public opinion. On March 14, Michael Gove, who, as minister for housing and communities shares responsibility for immigration policy with the Home Office, shoved Patels policies aside and announced a very different way forward. Britain will now take in an unlimited number number of Ukrainian refugees for three years provided that householders are willing to sponsor them and put them up in their homes. Advertisement Patel is one of natures hard-liners when it comes to immigration. She has devoted her time as Home Secretary to two things: introducing a points-based system aimed at reducing the total number of immigrants while giving Britain access to the best and brightest; and fending off those who try to make it to Britain through other means. Her determination to clamp down on refugees who try to reach Britain in flimsy rubber dinghies is so fierce that she has considered a number of far-fetched ideas such as using wave machines and water canon to drive them backwards or carting off detained refugees to the Ascension Islands, more than 4,000 miles away. Her position on immigration is part and parcel of her attitude on everything that matters. She has worked at various times as a lobbyist for Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol (reading her CV brings to mind Christopher Buckleys satirical novel Thank You for Smoking). In 1995-97, she left the Tories to work for James Goldsmiths Referendum Party, which campaigned for a vote on Britains membership in the EU, as chief press officer. In 2013, her father was a candidate for the pro-Brexit U.K. Independence Party in Hertfordshire. Shes constitutionally incapable of seeing a left-wing shibboleth without giving it a kick. In September 2011, she argued in favor of restoring the death penalty on the BBCs Any Questions. In November 2017, during delicate Brexit negotiations with the EU, she declared that I would have told the EU to sod off with their excessive financial demands. In June 2020, she described the toppling of the statue of a slave-owner, Edward Colston, in Bristol utterly disgraceful. Asked why refugees wanted to cross the Channel to Britain rather than staying in France, she mused they could be worried France was a racist country that might subject them to torture. Advertisement Why didnt Patel modify her stance on Ukrainian refugees when it became clear that she was out of line not only with her party but also with the country? And what does the fact that she has lost control of a central part of her portfolio mean for her future as Home Secretary? The answer to the first question lies mainly in inflexibility. Patel is a bulldozer compared with Goves precision machine: During her Any Questions debate on capital punishment she displayed what Conservative Home, a normally sympathetic website, described as a remarkable imperviousness to argument. Her personal inflexibility is reinforced by the institutional rigidity of the Home Office which is much more interested in dotting the is and crossing the ts than it is in producing imaginative solutions to unexpected challenges. In a world of dull-brained behemoths, the Home Office is the most dull-brained and over-sized. The answer to the second question is more nuanced. Patel has slipped down the greasy pole before. In 2017, Theresa May sacked her from a job as international development secretary because she had unauthorized meetings with Israeli government officials that she had failed to reveal. And shes certainly lost face as well as power: When you occupy one of the three great offices of state (the other two are the Foreign Office and the Treasury) you dont expect a colleague from a johnnie-cum-lately department such as Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to steal part of your portfolio. But it would be premature to regard her as either a lame duck or a candidate for demotion. Advertisement Patel represents two important (and overlapping) constituencies in her party: The Norman Tebbit tendency (named after the hard-right former MP for Chingford who told the unemployed in the 1980s to get on their bikes) and immigrant voters. Patel once said that if you think Im right wing you should look at the average voter. Many Conservative MPs are much more worried about losing votes to their right than to their left. In the European elections in May, 2019, the Brexit Party came first and the Conservatives a dismal fifth. Immigrant voters are increasingly important to the Conservative Party, not just for purely numerical reasons but also because they explode the Labour Partys accusation that the Tories are the party of white privilege. In the 2015 election, the Conservatives got more than 1 million votes from minorities, beating Labour among Hindus and Sikhs by eight points. In 2017, those voters deserted May Patels nemesis and played a big role in denying the Tories a majority, forcing a coalition with the Democratic Union Party of Northern Ireland. In 2019, they returned to the Conservative fold to give Boris Johnson its huge minority. Patel is an ideal emissary to these voters because she understands their mixture of fierce ambition, socially conservative values and loathing for metropolitan liberals who want to see them as victims. It is at Johnsons own peril if he alienates a woman who is so in touch with the partys grass roots no doubt one reason he downplayed a report into bullying behavior from the Home Secretary following numerous allegations. This means that the Tory Party is currently pointing in two directions on refugees toward Gove-style generosity when it comes to Ukrainians and Patel-style bureaucratic bamboozling when it comes to everyone else. This will no doubt cause significant problems in the future. Britains sudden conversion to generosity towards Ukrainians comes at a time when there are 48,500 asylum seekers, many of them Syrians, who have been waiting for more than six months to have their cases processed. It raises an obvious question: What is the difference between Ukrainians escaping direct Russian terror in Eastern Europe and Syrians escaping Russian-backed terror in the Middle East other than their color and religion? Advertisement But pointing in two directions at once is not necessarily a bad thing in politics. Ronald Reagan liked to joke that his right hand didnt know what his far right hand was doing; and Johnson has frequently profited from the same selective knowledge. It would be nice to imagine that the current mood of generosity will last for as long as it is needed given the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine. And the government is doing its best to cater to the expected surge of refugees by harnessing the good will of home owners. But moods change and patience wears thin. The refugees will inevitably impose more strains on an already over-burdened school system and the National Health Service. Hosts may discover that they have bitten off more than they can chew. Some refugees may be reluctant to go back home if and when the Russians withdraw. Patels hard line approach to newcomers may be out of tune with Britains attitude at the moment but that wont last forever. Another word for inflexibility is consistency. More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion: Advertisement The War in Ukraine Prompts the Kindness of Strangers: Therese Raphael Portraits of Power-in-Waiting: Whos Next After Boris Johnson: Adrian Wooldridge Putins Refugees Will Make or Break Europe: Andreas Kluth Banning Tchaikovsky Wont Win the War in Ukraine: Martin Ivens (Corrects spelling of slave owner Edward Colstons name in the sixth paragraph.) 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. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Two years ago, China was being lauded by the World Health Organization for its success in beating the coronavirus. But its insistence on adhering to a so-called Covid Zero policy is leaving it increasingly isolated as other countries, most of which suffered far worse outbreaks and higher death tolls, wean themselves off harsh countermeasures and return to a semblance of pre-pandemic life. Their populations have built up a large degree of protection through previous infections and more effective vaccines. Chinese officials have said vaccines alone arent enough and stringent curbs aimed at wiping out the virus are needed to avoid a health care calamity. 1. Does Covid Zero mean zero cases? Yes, ideally anyway. Beijings perception of Covid hasnt changed much since the virus first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan: its a public health threat that must be eliminated at all costs, whether its spreading via people or animals or lurking on frozen food or mail from abroad. To achieve this, China requires at least two weeks in quarantine for anyone arriving from other countries. Domestically, even the slightest flareup is met with a barrage of targeted testing, contact tracing and quarantines to nip it in the bud, with building, neighborhood or citywide lockdowns as a last resort. The approach, which has become known as dynamic clearing, acknowledges that infections occur but aims to prevent future cases by stopping the forward transmission of the virus. But the highly infectious delta and omicron variants are making it more difficult for China, which hasnt gone a day with zero new local cases reported since October. In March the daily tally topped 5,000 for the first time since the peak of the initial outbreak in Wuhan in early 2020. Advertisement 2. Why is China sticking to it? In its calculus, the benefits of Covid Zero outweigh the costs. The government estimates the strategy has avoided 1 million deaths and 50 million illnesses. Fewer than 5,000 people died from Covid in the country, and most of those occurred during the virus initial spread in Wuhan. That compares to more than 900,000 deaths in the U.S., which has a population less than a quarter the size of Chinas. Beijing has used those figures to portray its system of governance as superior. Covid Zero has also allowed the Chinese economy, the worlds second biggest, to grow while other major economies contracted in 2020. Growth continued last year and 2022 got off to a stronger-than-expected start, although the outlook is clouded not only by Covid but the global repercussions from Russias invasion of Ukraine. Thats prompted China to experiment with a closed-loop system to allow some factories to keep operating while sticking to Covid Zero. Workers are effectively put in a bubble, ferried from their company-run dormitories to the plant and back home, with regular testing and temperature checks. 3. Whats the domestic downside? Advertisement As the virus has mutated to become more contagious, its led to more frequent outbreaks, some of which have resulted in hardcore lockdowns, where residents are asked to remain at home and barred from leaving town. A handful have dragged on for weeks and led to shortages of food and medical care, and even cost lives in the western city of Xian. Movement restrictions were imposed in March on the tech hub of Shenzhen, home to 17.5 million people, while outbreaks in other major cities including Beijing and Shanghai have been tackled without citywide lockdowns. Still, consumers facing travel restrictions and fearing infections have avoided vacations, shopping and dining, dampening retail spending. The gloom has added to weak investment and a broader downturn in the property market. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut its forecast for Chinas growth in 2022 by 0.5 percentage points due to the increased difficulty of containing the omicron variant. In an extreme case where a national lockdown were imposed, economic growth could plunge to 1.5%, the lowest in more than four decades, the bank said. 4. What are the hurdles to getting back to normal? There are several: Advertisement While nearly 90% of the population has been vaccinated and a growing number received boosters, many analysts point to the lower efficacy of vaccines developed in China. The most widely used are inactivated shots, which offered less protection against infection caused by the original strain of the virus in clinical trials than the novel mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. The inactivated vaccines also appear to produce fewer protective antibodies against the latest variant, omicron, than those induced by shots developed in the West after three doses. Chinese health officials have made it clear that vaccination alone isnt enough to keep the virus at bay, since breakthrough infections are common even with Western vaccines. Modeling by researchers at Peking University estimated China would face a colossal outbreak, with more than 630,000 infections a day if it were to reopen in a similar manner to the U.S. The run on hospitals across the world, both in under-resourced places like India and in the developed world, is a constant reminder about how Chinas patchy hospital network could easily crash under a sudden spike in infections. Advertisement Switching tactics to let the virus infect a large swath of the population could create bad optics ahead of the national congress of the ruling Communist Party slated for later this year, where Xi Jinping is expected to try to extend his power. 5. Whats the cost to the rest of the world? Covid Zero has sent ripples through the global supply chain. Outbreaks have led to temporary production halts at the China-based factories of top carmakers in the northern port city of Tianjin for people to undergo mass testing. Foxconn briefly suspended operations in March at its Shenzhen sites, one of which produces iPhones, then partially resumed under the closed-loop model. The monthlong lockdown of Xian caused disruption and delays for leading chipmakers Micron Technology Inc and Samsung Electronics Co. But abandoning the policy could cause far greater disruptions, at least temporarily, if workers were too sick to show up at work, given how much the global economy relies on China for everything from raw materials to finished consumer and industrial products. Advertisement 6. Whats the endgame for China? China has given no sign of backing away from its strategy of reacting forcibly to every flareup in the hope that it is quickly contained with few economic and social ramifications. While local lockdowns cause disruptions and spur complaints on social media, the strategy ensures people in the rest of the country can generally carry on with normal life. One of Chinas top Covid advisers signaled in an August interview that the country would consider dropping the strategy when the dividend is gone. He also urged leaders to closely watch reopening trailblazers like the U.K. and Singapore to learn from their experiences. Some experts think Chinas strategy will eventually crumble as the virus becomes too transmissible to control. Another possibility is a new variant may emerge thats mild enough for the government to relent without harming the population. 7. Whats the outlook for Hong Kong? Advertisement The financial hub and gateway to China has prioritized aligning its policy with the Chinese mainland in an effort to reopen the border. Successive outbreaks on both sides have kept that from happening for the past two years. Chief Executive Carrie Lam has vowed to stick with Covid Zero while conceding the city doesnt have the resources to roll out a lockdown and conduct citywide testing as swiftly as the mainland does to extinguish outbreaks. As omicron swept through the city this year, public hospitals became overcrowded and the governments priorities shifted to vaccinating the elderly and reducing fatalities. Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan told Bloomberg Television in mid-March that Hong Kong cant commit to a date for reopening or lifting its flight ban. We are unable to tell how the pandemic will develop, so we are taking a prudent approach, he said. Bloomberg Opinions Adam Minter asks how popular Covid Zero really is among the Chinese people, Shuli Ren looks at dynamic clearing, and Therese Raphael and Sam Fazeli examine why China cant loosen up yet. Eric Zhu from Bloomberg Economics looks at what might happen if omicron wins. Advertisement Businessweek digs into the mounting economic damage from Covid Zero, and a Big Take looks at the havoc it wreaks. More QuickTakes on what we know about omicron and Covid therapies. Bloombergs Covid Resilience Ranking charts the best and worst places to be during the pandemic. Some of the stranger things that have been in the crosshairs during the push for Covid Zero. (Updates sections 2 and 5 with closed-loop system for some factories) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Court allows climate factor in rulemaking Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight An appeals court on Wednesday lifted a ban blocking the federal government from factoring damage from rising greenhouse gas emissions into its decisions, offering a temporary reprieve for President Bidens plans to tackle climate change. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stayed an order issued last month by a U.S. District Court judge in Louisiana that prevented agencies from considering the harm climate change causes, known as the social cost of carbon. This figure is used across the federal government in rulemaking, from issuing new drilling permits to assessing the growing potential for damage such as crop losses and flood risks. The decision means that, at least until theres a ruling on the cases merits, the Biden administration can continue to consider the economic cost of climate change as it writes new rules, and strengthen existing ones, that could inch the country closer to Bidens goal of cutting emissions in half by the end of the decade compared with 2005 levels. With sweeping climate legislation stalled in Congress, the administration is counting on these regulations to meet its emissions reduction targets. Advertisement The ruling also raises questions about whether Biden officials will restart federal oil and gas leasing, which they paused after Judge James Cain blocked the government from considering the real-world cost of climate change. Last month, the Interior Department delayed decisions on new drilling, including a large lease sale of more than 170,000 acres in Wyoming that had been planned for this spring. An Interior Department spokesperson said officials are reviewing the decision. Anna Phillips Senate passes bill on abortion ban Kentucky lawmakers took another step Wednesday toward banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy with an eye toward a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion rights. The bill, which won Senate passage 31 to 6, is modeled after a Mississippi law under review by the nations high court in a case that could dramatically limit abortion rights in the United States. The Kentucky measure next advances to the House. Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers. Advertisement By taking preemptive action, Kentuckys stricter ban would withstand challenge and be immediately enforceable if the Mississippi law were to be upheld, said state Sen. Max Wise (R), the bills lead sponsor. Kentucky law currently bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Two states have enacted 15-week abortion bans Mississippi and Louisiana, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. Associated Press Owners of homes built on landfill to be paid A group of New Orleans residents whose homes were built on a toxic landfill decades ago have won a $75.3 million court judgment against the city, its housing authority and the local school board. District Judge Nicole Sheppards ruling said 5,000 residents are entitled to that total amount for emotional distress and property damage involving the former Agriculture Street landfill, according to the Times-Picayune/the New Orleans Advocate. Advertisement Sheppards Monday ruling said the housing authority and the parish school board were liable for building two residential communities Gordon Plaza and Press Park and Moton Elementary School atop the landfill, which was later named a federal Superfund site. Homes in the area were built in the 1970s and 1980s and marketed to Black, low- and middle-income residents who werent told that the site was a onetime landfill. As awareness grew and environmentalists raised concerns, the area was named a federal Superfund cleanup site in 1994. Amid reports that the soil was contaminated with lead and carcinogens, including arsenic, residents began a decades-long effort to be relocated at government expense. Associated Press Surfside mayor voted out after condo crash The small-town mayor who became a fixture on national TV last summer after 98 people died in a South Florida beachfront condominium collapse has been voted out of office after a campaign marked by accusations of grandstanding. Advertisement Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett came in third in Tuesdays election, according to the Miami-Dade County Elections Department. Business owner Shlomo Danzinger, 42, who stayed out of the bickering, won with 499 votes. Vice Mayor Tina Paul got 476 votes and Burkett received 466. Burkett, 61, became the face of the 6,000-resident town after the abrupt June 24 collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South. Burkett visited the site daily during the weeks-long search for survivors, speaking along with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the county mayor, and fire and police officials at internationally televised news conferences. Associated Press Manatee feeding program to end soon The experimental program that has fed tons of lettuce to starving manatees in Florida will begin to wind down as the weather warms, wildlife officials said Wednesday. Advertisement The feeding program at a power plant on Floridas east coast so far has provided the slow-moving marine mammals with more than 128,000 pounds of food financed almost entirely by donations from across the United States and beyond. The federal-state effort is aimed at preventing, as much as possible, another die-off of manatees like Florida saw in 2021. This year, as of March 4, there have been 400 confirmed manatee deaths in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Last year at this time, the number of deaths was 430. Ron Mezich, who oversees the manatee provisioning effort for the Florida commission, said the feeding program will continue for another week or so until the manatees move away from the winter, warm-water foraging spots. Associated Press Man killed supervisor at office, police say A man shot and killed his supervisor Wednesday in a high-rise office building in Houston, police said. Advertisement The shooting happened around noon on the 10th floor of the 20 Greenway Plaza office tower just off Interstate 69 west of downtown, Executive Assistant Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said. At a news conference, Satterwhite said the gunman was known to co-workers, and officers swarmed the building, searching for him floor by floor. Eventually, police tracked the suspect to the Houston House Apartments, a downtown high rise 5 miles east of the shooting scene, where he surrendered to officers in the building garage, Satterwhite said. Associated Press GiftOutline Gift Article People look at cars abandoned in the Bronx borough of New York City after a night of extremely heavy rain last September. (Getty Images) Researchers say individuals should respond to the hazard most pressing at the time and be prepared to move locations if necessary. Billions of people around the world are watching helplessly as Russias invasion of Ukraine accelerates into its third week, continuing to kill more innocent people every day, while destroying infrastructure throughout the country and forcing millions of refugees into neighbouring European countries. There is one positive step that the US and like-minded countries should begin developing immediately to ensure that Russia at least is held responsible for the cost of humanitarian assistance, reparations and eventual reconstruction: Tap Russian foreign exchange reserves that are held in central banks outside the country and that have been frozen by their governments. Damaged vehicles and buildings in Kharkiv city centre on Wednesday: Russia should pay reparations for the destruction of Ukraine. Credit:AP According to the most recent data supplied by Russias central bank, as of June 30, 2021, Russias foreign currency reserves totalled $US585 billion ($803 billion), though not all of this would be accessible to pay for damages. Thats because Russia holds a good portion of the total in gold at home (22 per cent), a substantial amount of renminbi in China (14 per cent), and some in international institutions (5 per cent). Subtracting these amounts leaves about $US350 billion ($480 billion) in available reserves for distribution mostly held by France (12 per cent), Germany (10 per cent), Japan (10 per cent) and the US (7 per cent), with the rest scattered among many other countries. Australias taxi industry is urging state and federal governments to ease pressure on cab drivers paying for soaring petrol prices out of their own pockets by allowing for an increase in regulated cab fares and slashing the fuel excise. While ridehailing services such as Uber and Didi have implemented new surcharges to pass on higher fuel costs onto passengers, drivers in the traditional taxi industry have been forced to absorb them because cab fares are based on rates regulated by government agencies that differ in every state. The taxi industry is calling for cab fares to be increased to help drivers cover the rising cost of fuel. Credit:Anna Kucera The NSW Taxi Council and 13cabs owner A2B Australia have told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age they are both lobbying NSW and Victorian governments to increase taxi rates, slash the fuel excise, or provide some alternate form of relief for drivers. It is our hardworking cabbies that bear the brunt, said A2B Australia head of public affairs David Samuel. 13cabs is asking state governments across the country to adjust regulated taxi fares to account [for] the sharp increase in fuel prices. Washington: US President Joe Biden has called Vladimir Putin a war criminal for the first time in public, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an impassioned speech to US Congress in which he played a graphic video of war injuries and deaths. Biden initially said no, when asked by a journalist at a press conference if Putin was a war criminal, but then asked the reporter to repeat the question. I think he is a war criminal, the President said. His remarks were swiftly condemned by the Kremlin. We consider unacceptable and unforgivable such rhetoric from the head of the country whose bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people, said Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov. Putin insisted his special military operation in Ukraine was going to plan. Salisbury, MD (21801) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. KYIV, Ukraine Survivors began to emerge Thursday as authorities worked to rescue hundreds of civilians trapped in the basement of a theater blasted by Russian airstrikes in the besieged city of Mariupol, while ferocious Russian bombardment killed dozens in a northern city over the past day, the local governor said. The strikes the previous evening had left a large section of the grand, 3-three story theater building in the center of Mariupol collapsed in a smoking ruin, according to photos released by the city council. Inside, hundreds of men, women and children up to 1,000 according to some officials had taken shelter in the basement, seeking safety amid Russias strangulating 3-week siege of the strategic southern port city. Rescuers worked to clearing rubble that had blocked the entrance to the basement, despite new strikes reported elsewhere in the city Thursday. Miraculously, the shelter stood firm, officials said. The building withstood the impact of a high-powered air bomb and protected the lives of people hiding in the bomb shelter, Ukraines ombudswoman Ludmyla Denisova said on the Telegram messaging app Thursday. She and Ukrainian parliament member Sergiy Taruta said some survivors had emerged. People are coming out alive, Taruta wrote on Facebook, though he did not say how many. It was not known if there were injuries or deaths among those inside. Another lawmaker, Lesia Vasylenko, who was in London in a delegation visiting Parliament Thursday, said there were reports of injuries but no deaths. At least as recently as Monday, huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theater spelled out CHILDREN in Russian to alert warplanes of those inside, according to images released by the Maxar space technology company. The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. The strike against the theater was part of a furious bombardment of civili an targets in multiple cities over past day. Also struck in Mariupol on Wednesday was a municipal pool where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. Hours later, there was no word on casualties in that strike. To the north, at least 53 people were brought to morgues over the past 24 hours in the city of Chernihiv, killed amid heavy Russian airtrikes, artillery bombardment and ground fire, the local governor Viacheslav Chaus told Ukrainian TV on Thursday. Ten people were killed while lining up for bread in the city, the Ukrainian General Prosecutors Office said Wednesday. Russia has denied involvement. Chaus said civilians were hiding in basements and shelters without access to utilities in the city of 280,000 people. The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction, he said. Chernihiv, which is near the borders with Belarus and Russia, was among the first Ukrainian cities to come under attack from Russian forces when the invasion began three weeks ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more help for his country in a video address to German lawmakers, saying thousands of people have been killed so far, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol. Everything is a target for them, he said, including a theater where hundreds of people found shelter that was flattened yesterday. The address began with a delay because of a technical problem caused by an attack in the immediate vicinity of where Zelenskyy was speaking from, Bundestag deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt said. Zelenskyys address to the Bundestag came a day after he delivered a speech via video to the U.S. Congress that garnered several ovations as he called for more help. Zelenskyys office said Russia carried out further airstrikes on Mariupol early Thursday, as well as artillery and airstrikes around the country overnight, including in the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. There was no immediate word on casualties. In Kyiv, where residents have been huddling in homes and shelters, emergency services said a fire broke out in an apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket early Thursday, killing one person and injuring at least three. Firefighters evacuated 30 people from the top floors of the 16-story building and extinguished the blaze within an hour. Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center in Merefa, a city near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Merefas mayor Veniamin Sitov. There were no known civilian casualties. The Kharkiv region has seen heavy bombardment as stalled Russian forces try to advance in the area. The U.N. Security Council is to meet Thursday at the request of six Western nations that sought an open session on Ukraine ahead of an expected vote on a Russian humanitarian resolution that they have sharply criticized for making no mention of Moscows war against its smaller neighbor. Cheap but lethal Turkish drones bolster Ukraines defenses ANKARA, Turkey Despite three weeks of Russian bombardment, Ukraine has kept up a stiff def Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians, Britains U.N. Mission tweeted, announcing the call for the meeting that was joined by the U.S., France and others. Russias illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all. Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television Wednesday to excoriate Russians who dont back him. Russians will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths, he said. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country. He said the West is using a fifth column of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest. And there is only one goal, I have already spoken about it the destruction of Russia, he said. The speech appeared to be a warning that his authoritarian rule, which had already grown tighter since the invasion began on Feb. 24, shutting down Russian news outlets and arresting protesters, could grow even more repressive. In a sign of that, Russian law enforcement announced the first known criminal cases under a new law that allows for 15-year prison terms for posting what is deemed to be false information about the Ukraine war. Among those charged was Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a Russian-language cookbook author and blogger living abroad. Both Ukraine and Russia this week have reported some progress in negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said talks should continue on Thursday in some form. Some negotiators were breaking into working groups, but there should be contacts today, he said during his daily conference call with reporters. He also said Moscow cant take into account an International Court of Justice ruling ordering Russia to halt its operation in Ukraine, noting that both sides need to agree on implementing the ruling, and on Russias side there can be no consent. Talks held by video Wednesday appeared to wade deeply into technicalities. Zelenskyy adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees for Ukraine from several countries. An official in Zelenskyys office told The Associated Press that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where the borders would be. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on a legally binding document with security guarantees for Ukraine. In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral military status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. The fighting has led more than 3 million people to flee Ukraine, the U.N. estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. ___ Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau, in Lviv, Ukraine, and other AP journalists around the world contributed to this report. Vietnamese travel firm stops receiving Russian customers The last 300 Russian tourists left Cam Ranh City in the southern coastal province of Khanh Hoa on Thursday. Vietnam started receiving Russians holding Covid-19 vaccine passports last December Khanh Hoa-based Anex Vietnam Travel and Trading Co., Ltd (Anex Vietnam), the largest company bringing Russian tourists to Vietnam, has decided to temporarily stop receiving customers from the country. Deputy director of Anex Vietnam, Bui Quoc Dai, said that the decision came after the Russian government warned airlines to limit flights to and from the country following sanctions from the US and some European countries. "We chartered a plane from Russia to come and pick up our last 300 customers in Cam Ranh today," Dai said. "We will stop conducting tours for customers from Russia at least until March 28 when we hope that the flights to the country can be reconnected." Dat added that the number of Russian customers had fallen sharply since the end of February after the Russia- Ukraine war broke out. "Since we started receiving Russians holding Covid-19 vaccine passports last December, we have received nearly 6,000 Russian tourists but we have incurred losses due to our being unable to fill our charter flights. The Russian federal agency for aviation transport earlier recommended that all Russian airlines which have planes registered abroad under leasing contracts with foreign partners halt flights from Russia to destinations outside the country from 6 March and halt flights from foreign countries on 8 March. The reason for this measure is the high level of risk of planes being detained or arrested abroad. Vietnamese tour operators specialising in Russia and Eastern European countries have also expressed concerns that the devaluation of the Russian rouble will affect the inbound market in the coming time. From the beginning of November 2021 to February 20, 2022, the locality received 48 flights with more than 10,000 international tourists from Russia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, accounting for about 90 percent of the total number of international tourists holding vaccine passports to Vietnam. Floridas Stand Your Ground statute and similar laws in other states can offer immunity from prosecution when someone uses deadly force to defend themselves, and affords them quick access to an appellate review if the case doesnt go their way. In other words, if a defendant involved in a defensive shooting invokes a Stand-Your-Ground defense, their case can be dismissed before a trial even begins if it is proven they are entitled to statutory immunity, or appellate judges can be brought in quickly to make sure the case gets handled correctly. When a defendant files a Stand Your Ground motion, their case is put on hold. Prosecution is halted. The trial court must hold a Stand Your Ground hearing a sort of mini trial to determine whether the defendants use of force meets the standards for Stand Your Ground immunity. At this point, the burden shifts to the prosecutors, who must then prove by clear and convincing evidence why the defendant is not entitled to immunity from prosecution. After this mini trial, the judge can either dismiss the charges or allow the case to go forward. However, if the charges are not dismissed, the defendant can file a Writ of Prohibition, which quickly bumps the case up to an appellate court for review. This writ can save the time it normally takes to get to the appellate level usually as much as 18-months to two years because it allows the defendant to forego a jury trial, sentencing and other delays and present their case directly to the appellate judges, who can affirm or deny their writ. Stand Your Ground was created to protect people from unjust, malicious or politically motivated prosecutions after they acted in self-defense. ..... Weatherford, TX (76086) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. 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Project Manager, Chisinau, Moldova Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme Country: Moldova City: Chisinau Office: UNDP Moldova Closing date: Tuesday, 29 March 2022 Job Identification : 2408 Locations : Chisinau, Moldova Posting Date : 03/14/2022, 08:55 AM Apply Before : 03/29/2022, 03:59 AM Degree Level : Advanced/Postgraduate Degree Job Schedule : Full time Agency : UNDP Grade : NB5 Vacancy Type : National Personnel Service Agreement Practice Area : Governance Bureau : Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS Contract Duration : 1 Year with Possibility for extension Education & Work Experience : Masters Degree - 5 year(s) experience Other Criteria : Experience in the design, management and implementation of programmes Required Languages : English, Romanian, Russian Desired Languages : Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language Vacancy Timeline 2 Weeks Mobility required/no mobility no mobility required Job Description Background UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. The AdTrade Project facilitates cross-river cooperation and expands access of enterprises from Transnistria region (particularly micro, small and medium sized enterprises - MSMEs) to export promotion mechanisms available on the right bank. The project provides tailored support and develops capacities based on specific needs of current and future exporters, but also provisions methodological and practical assistance to establish long-term trade links and to promote exports. In the framework of this initiative, existing companies and start-ups will be supported to create new jobs for women and vulnerable groups. These goals will be achieved through cross-river exchange of knowledge and experience, but also by understanding the opportunities provided by the on the Strategic Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed between the UK and Moldova and DCFTA to companies from the Transnistria region. At the same time, benefiting companies and associations will learn from best practices of businesses from Eastern and Central Europe. Main efforts will be dedicated to reviving the MSMEs sector which is underdeveloped in the Transnistria region. The overall objective and expected outcome of the Support to confidence building across the Nistru river through advanced cross-river capacities for trade project is to ensure that men and women on both banks of the Nistru river have better livelihoods and living conditions, cross-river cooperation will be improved allowing to access opportunities offered by Moldovas external trade arrangements, contributing to an environment of trust and cooperation: Support cross-river exchange of information and awareness-raising on the opportunities provided by on the Strategic Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed between the UK and Moldova and DCFTA in the region; Develop exporting capacities of companies from both banks of Nistru river and diversify exports by supporting emerging businesses; Promote expansion of the MSMEs sector in the Transnistria region by developing new or emerging businesses, in particular those led by women, with impact on representatives most vulnerable groups of people. The Project duration is envisaged between 2018- 2023 with support from Governments of Sweden and United Kingdom. Duties and Responsibilities Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Inclusive Growth Cluster Analyst, the incumbent provides effective and efficient coordination of the Support to confidence building across the Nistru river through advanced cross-river capacities for trade Project, through a range of actions contributing to the design, planning, management and monitoring of project activities. The Project Manager applies and promotes the principles of results-based management (RBM), as well as a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations, as follows: Ensuring effective content and operational management of the project Oversee day-to-day operations and implementation of project activities; Exercise close monitoring of project activities and produce monitoring reports; Ensure the timely and efficient delivery of Project outputs and products, as per the Project Document, leading to the achievement of expected results; Develop Work Plan, periodic narrative progress and final reports and expenditures status reports and submit to the supervisor; Ensure the implementation of the activities under the Project work plan according to indicators for achieving planned results, as well as the overall management of the Project in line with UNDP rules, regulations and procedures; Support UNDP CO in effectively managing human resources pertaining to the Project, including staff, consultants and short-term experts; conduct periodic performance appraisals; build, lead and motivate a solid team of professionals; Support the efficient management of the Project financial resources, including budgeting and budget revisions, as well as expenditure tracking and reporting; Continuously record and maintain Project issues and risks and suggest mitigation measures. Lead and coordinate the organization of meetings, workshops, conferences, trainings, study visits and related activities relevant to the implementation of the Project; Maintain a continuous effective dialogue with the key stakeholders, central and local government authorities, other UN agencies and actors active in the sector, CSOs, partner organizations, international and national experts in the areas of the Project intervention in view of identifying synergies and avoiding overlapping of assistance; Maintain a close collaboration with other related UNDP programmes to ensure synergies and complementarities; Ensure high quality information and visibility of the programme activities to the mass media and stakeholders and support mechanisms for exchange of information, experience and lessons learned at the local, national, and as required at international levels; Perform any other duties connected directly with the implementation and evaluation of the Project as required. Knowledge Management and Sharing Assist in coordinating the exchange of information internally and between relevant project stakeholders; Ensure timely and proper documentation of the programme implementation process and products produced in accordance with the UNDP guides; Capture and disseminate good practices locally, nationally and as required internationally; Provide required substantive and administrative support in organizing / conducting variety of programme activities and events. Key Results: The key results have a direct impact on the overall successful achievement of the Support to confidence building across the Nistru river through advanced cross-river capacities for trade Project. Accurate analysis and presentation of information enhances UNDPs position as a strong development partner. The information provided facilitates decision-making of the Project Board, the Beneficiary and UNDP Management. Institutional Arrangement The Project Manager will work under the supervision of the Inclusive Growth Cluster Lead and will ensure the provision of development services and products commensurate with the scope of the Project and assigned area of responsibility of the highest quality and standards to national and local counterparts and clients through applying HRBA and GE approaches. The Project Manager will coordinate the project team, consisting of up to 4 persons, as envisaged in project organizational chart. The Project Manager will work in close cooperation with the team in the Country Office (CO) for effective achievement of results, anticipating and contributing to resolving complex programme/project-related issues and information delivery. The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems. Nationals or others legally authorized to work in Moldova are eligible. (country of citizenship or place of permanent residence) Competencies Core Behavioral Competencies - Level 3 Achieve Results Demonstrate focus on achieving quality results and impact Consistently strive to meet or exceed excellence standards Hold self and others accountable for results Efficiently establish appropriate plans and resources for self and others to accomplish goals Think Innovatively Look beyond conventional approaches and established methods Propose new ideas, approaches and solutions to problems Seek patterns and clarity outside boxes and categories while resisting false certainty and simplistic binary choice Learn Continuously Actively pursue opportunities for learning and self-development professionally and personally Keep abreast of new developments in ones professional area dAF68wq Dh7qKS Proactively seek feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from experiences, both positive and negative Contribute to the learning of others Adapt with Agility Be flexible in handling change, and adopt new ideas, approaches and ways of working Seamlessly adapt to working within new situations or contexts, with new people, and in different ways Participate in, support, contribute to or drive meaningful change in UNDP Be comfortable with ambiguity and effectively managing multiple demands Act with Determination Pursue everything with motivation and drive Not give up in the face of adversity and setbacks; demonstrate resilience and composure Demonstrate courage, self-motivation and initiative to act on opportunities without being prompted by others Be authentic and modest, get things done without unnecessary noise Engage and Partner Act in a way that demonstrates empathy and emotional intelligence, showing consideration for the needs and feelings of others Demonstrate and encourage teamwork and co-creation internally and externally to achieve joint objectives and results Establish and develop networks that deliver powerful collaborations Encourage and respect the views of others; accept views and ideas other than ones own Enable Diversity and Inclusion Treat all individuals with respect, consider ethical implications and respond sensitively to all differences among people Fully accept and value all people, creating an inclusive environment Understand that inclusion is multi-faceted (e.g. race, gender, age, disability, culture, etc.) Understand and appreciate issues from the perspective of others Treat everyone fairly and equally Demonstrate honesty and transparency. People Management Competencies UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. Required Skills and Experience Education: Masters Degree in business administration, economics, public administration, international relations, development studies or related areas. Bachelors Degree with additional two years of experience can be taken into consideration in lieu of Master`s degree. Experience: 5 years (with Masters Degree) of progressive working experience in the design, management and implementation of development programmes, and/or experience related to business development and support at the national or international level; 7 years (with Bachelors Degree) of progressive working experience in the design, management and implementation of development programmes, and/or experience related to business development and support at the national or international level; Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based management systems. Required Languages: Fluency in oral and written English, Romanian and Russian. Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language is an asset. Additional Desired Skills and Experience Work experience in Transnistria region is a very strong advantage. Previous experience in development assistance or related work for a donor organization, governmental institutions, NGO or private sector / consulting firm is a very strong advantage. Prior experience with UN/DP Project management and/or implementation is an asset. Professional Certificates Additional training and certification in project management and/or business administration would be an advantage. Travel: Official travel within the country is envisaged. The following documents shall be required from the applicants: a) Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers. b) A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him- /herself to be suitable for the position. Disclaimer Important information for US Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications. Applicant information about UNDP rosters Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements. Scam warning The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Link to the organizations job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1647294770298 Willmar, MN (56201) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 46F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. In an effort to stem the rise of mental health disorders among teenagers, state lawmakers this week advanced legislation that would require parental consent for children under the age of 16 to engage in social media. The legislatures Childrens Committee gave unanimous consent to the bill on Tuesday after receiving supportive testimony from several childrens welfare organizations, including the Connecticut PTA and the states Office of the Child Advocate. Supporters of the bill pointed to studies linking social media use to a rise in mental health and mood disorders impacting teenagers, such as depression, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts. Other issues, including cyberbullying and sexual exploitation, are also a concern as children begin using social media at younger ages. The co-chair of the Childrens Committee, state Sen. Saud Anwar, D- South Windsor, said that social media platforms like Facebook have exacerbated the issue by using data collected from teens social media accounts to target them with advertising that encourages spending even more time online. They make money on a young boy or girl spending more time on their website and increasing their screen time, Anwar said. Social media companies that target their platforms to children under the age of 13 are currently regulated by the federal Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires parental consent for websites to collect personal information about children covered by the law. In order to ease complaince with the law, many social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter already require that users be over the age of 13. Advocates for tougher regulations, however, argue that the law and the platforms age restrictions are too easy for children to bypass by entering a different name or date of birth. Anwar said lawmakers are seeking to address those concerns by establishing a new method for platforms to obtain a parents consent before allowing teenagers to create a profile, though they have yet to settle upon a solution. We dont want it to be just a click, we want it to be more than that at the entry point, Anwar said. None of the major tech platforms provided testimony on the bill to the Childrens Committee during a hearing last week, though Anwar said lobbyists for the companies are keeping track of the bills progress. Representatives from The Connecticut Group, a Farmington lobbying firm that has previously represented Facebooks parent company, Meta Platforms, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The legislation received bipartisan support on its way out of committee this week, and is sponsored by three Republicans in addition to Anwar, the Democratic committee chairman. Kids don't grasp the impact an online history can have on their future, '' said one of the co-sponsors, state Rep. Christie Carpino, R- Cromwell, in a statement. It also has the potential to expose them to difficult situations they may not be equipped to navigate. This bill would create a tool for parents to better protect their children and their sensitive information. In addition to requiring parental consent for children under 16 to use social media, Anwar said the bill will be revised before heading to the Senate floor to include a provision allowing parents to request that a social media platform remove their childs account. If passed, the legislation would go into effect on Oct. 1. STAMFORD After Stamford court officials said they wouldnt enforce a condition of release for two defendants accused of possessing child sexual abuse imagery, a Superior Court judge needed to reaffirm the need for internet surveillance. Moses Trujillo, 19, of Wilton, and Thomas Finn, 55, of Norwalk, were both released from custody after their arrests on child pornography charges earlier this year on the condition that Stamford Superior Courts probation officers be allowed to monitor their internet use, among other conditions. But earlier this week, Stamford Superior Courts Bail Services, a department charged with overseeing pretrial supervision services, informed a judge that they would no longer enforce that condition of release without a direct order from the court even though the state and both defendants attorneys agreed to the condition at the time it was imposed. As a result, two last-minute hearings were scheduled for Wednesday to discuss whether bail services would continue to monitor the defendants use of the internet. I was not given a fair reason as to why they had made this decision; there were only vague allusions to constitutional issues, Assistant States Attorney Daniel Cummings during the hearing for Trujillo. Im honestly astounded that bail went about this situation the way they did. These conditions are imposed to protect the public, to ensure the defendant is complying with the criminal law, given the nature of these conditions. Cummings said bail officials called for Wednesdays hearing without alerting the States Attorneys Office that they would be asking to remove the condition. By not conferring with the States Attorneys Office and going directly to the court to try to remove the condition, Cummings said Bail Services created a significant risk to public safety. Im very troubled that there were ex parte communications involving this issue. Im troubled that the state and the defense counsel were kept out of the loop on this. And Im troubled, most of all, that bail unilaterally decided to make such a drastic decision without considering the impact it could have on public safety here, he said. A representative of Stamford Superior Courts Bail Services department declined to comment after the hearing. The imposition of internet monitoring on defendants charged with child pornography possession and similar crimes is very common in Connecticut and around the country, according to Cummings. He wrote in a motion intended to reaffirm the condition with a court order that it is necessary to ensure that Trujillo and Finn do not possess or promote child pornography or material that is obscene as to minors while out on bond. Neither attorney Christine Landis, who represents Trujillo, nor Andrew Gould, who represents Finn, opposed Cummings motion, which Judge Gary White ultimately granted. Finn was arrested in late January on charges of first-degree possession of child pornography and promoting a minor in an obscene performance. Norwalk police began investigating Finn after the departments Special Victims Unit was contacted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that they intercepted suspected child sexual abuse imagery on the messaging application Kik. In September 2020, Norwalk police executed a search warrant at Finns home and seized an Apple iPhone that stored at least two images of child pornography and conversations on messaging application Kik where Finn and another man allegedly discussed acts of sexual abuse against minors, Norwalk police Sgt. Nathaniel Paulino said in a warrant for Finns arrest. Attorney Mark Sherman, who has since been replaced by Gould, said at the time of Finns arrest that the explicit images, conversations and videos obtained by Norwalk police from a cellphone found at Finns home may be related to the 55-year-olds identity being stolen. Trujillo was arrested in early February on three counts of possession of child porn. Wilton police said the charges stem from an investigation that began in July 2021. Finn and Trujillo are next scheduled to appear in court on May 11. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WILTON Organizers are excited to have secured a new location for the Wilton Farmers' Market, which will be held Wednesday afternoons in Wilton Center on the Town Green starting June 1. The Planning and Zoning Commission gave final approval to the markets new location on Monday, which is leaving its initial lot at the Wilton Historical Society and leasing the new downtown space gratis from Paragon Management Group, which leases the land from the town. We're very optimistic about this move, Camille Carriero, director of the market, as well as executive director of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce, said on Wednesday. It'll benefit not just the vendors at the farmers market, but all the local businesses in town. While the market has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the historical society, organizers have sought to centralize in a location with more foot traffic that could also benefit other local commerce within walking distance. We started 12 years ago and it started at the library initially, said Carriero, who took over as director just a few years ago. While it provided ample parking, the society's location on Danbury Road was not conducive to pedestrian visitors. We believe that this relocation will increase foot traffic to the market, promote surrounding businesses in Wilton Center, provide a venue for community gatherings and promote amenities in Wilton Center, Carriero explained to P&Z. Commissioners, who unanimously approved the open-ended lease, expressed mostly cheer at the change. I love that this is moving to Wilton Center, said Chair Rick Tomasetti, suggesting that the market try to expand to one or two Saturdays each month as well to foster visitors. Commissioner Christopher Pagliaro agreed. I like generating a buzz. I like generating foot traffic and vehicular traffic in the village, he said. As the P&Z is currently crafting a new Master Plan for the downtown area, commissioners said this kind of change was right in line with what they're hoping to achieve. We are excited to be relocating the farmers market to Wilton Center, said Susan Goldman, president of the chamber board. Not only will this new location help to showcase the variety of vendors and all they have to offer, but it will also bring awareness to our many fine restaurants and retail establishments located in Wilton Center. Carriero explained that two nearby properties were making their lots available for market parking, as attendees would be prohibited from parking at certain locations, including the Village Market lot. Signs will be posted accordingly, Carriero said. People will be invited to park at the Piersall Building lot to the north of the green, which is owned by MCL Ventures, and Fairfield County Bank is allowing use of some spaces to the south of the green. Vendors, who will number close to two dozen, will be dropping off their wares at the green, then leaving their vehicles behind the chamber's offices at the nearby Barringer Building to park. While she spoke in favor of the event, Commissioner Florence Johnson raised a question about the impact of the weekly event on the grass and green itself. I'm just wondering if it's appropriate for the level of use, she said. Town Planner Michael Wrinn said he didn't believe it would cause a problem, but also pointed out that there was really nowhere else to hold events downtown. "If we can't do events here, we're going to be very hard-pressed to do any events in that downtown area," he said. Recently revised plans for the proposed Winchester Grove mixed-use apartment and shopping complex in the 1900 and 2000 blocks of Valley Avenue show that the total number of buildings on the property has been reduced from seven to five. THE Russian invasion of Ukraine will hurt the developing world through food shortages and rising prices. THE Russian invasion of Ukraine will hurt the developing world through food shortages and rising prices. Andy Harrington, executive director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, envisions a troubling time for the worlds poorest people. Noting Russia and Ukraine together provide much of the worlds cereal crops (wheat, barley and maize), he said the fighting will have a major impact. "Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe," Harrington said. "It is the fifth-largest exporter of wheat. Russia is No. 1. Any disruption to production will be a huge hit to the worlds food supply." Along with the fighting, global supply chain issues, a rise in shipping costs, and sanctions on Russian exports are causing dramatic increases in food prices. "We will feel that in Canada, but the impact will be even greater in poor countries," Harrington said. Although the Foodgrains Bank no longer ships food from Canada to the developing world it buys food locally or provides cash vouchers to food-insecure people rising prices means the organization is paying more for food than a year ago and the amount of food people can buy with vouchers is reduced. "Everyone will pay more for food, but people in poor countries are really going to suffer," Harrington said, adding: "We expect prices to continue to rise." The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Fifty countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for 30 per cent or more of their supply of wheat, Harrington said, a number of them are located in the developing world. Countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Syria and Lebanon are especially vulnerable. The result could be a "full-blown food crisis," for the worlds 800 million food-insecure people, he said, adding 45 million are already facing starvation. In Ukraine, the Foodgrains Bank is working through its members to provide food, water and shelter to some of the almost three million refugees who have fled that country. "We are really grateful for those who have supported our work there," said Harrington. "We hope they will also continue to be mindful of the broader impacts of the war in Ukraine." Last year, the Foodgrains Bank provided $49 million in food and related programming for 989,000 people in 33 countries. In the 2021-22 budget year (ending this month), $17. 2 million has been donated to the organization, with $4.2 million of that coming from Manitoba. faith@freepress.mb.ca CALGARY - Close to 3,000 employees of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. could be off the job early Sunday morning. Canadian Pacific Railway locomotives are shuffled around a marshalling yard in Calgary, Wednesday, May 16, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh CALGARY - Close to 3,000 employees of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. could be off the job early Sunday morning. Calgary-based CP Rail said in a release Wednesday that it has issued 72-hour notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference of its plan to lock out employees at 00:01 eastern time on Sunday if the union and the company are unable to come to a negotiated settlement or agree to binding arbitration. CP Rail said it tabled an offer Tuesday to address 26 outstanding issues, including the union's key issues of wages, benefits and pensions through final and binding arbitration. The company said the union rejected the offer and continues to table additional demands. For the sake of our employees, our customers, the supply chain we serve and the Canadian economy that is trying to recover from multiple disruptions, we simply cannot prolong for weeks or months the uncertainty associated with a potential labour disruption, said CP Rail President and CEO Keith Creel in a release. The world has never needed Canadas resources and an efficient transportation system to deliver them more than it does today. Delaying resolution would only make things worse. We take this action with a view to bringing this uncertainty to an end. Teamsters Canada said in a release that the company's move was expected and noted its members voted 96.7 per cent to authorize strike action. Teamsters' spokesman Dave Fulton said the union is committed to working with federal mediators and reaching a negotiated settlement. He said the union is willing to remain at the bargaining table until the March 20 lockout deadline and beyond. "At the bargaining table, CP continues to dismiss our members demands and are unwilling to negotiate the issues they have created," he said. "Our members are fully engaged and will be ready in the event CP carries out the notice." The union represents about 3,000 locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers across Canada. Many of CP Rail's customers have raised concerns about the possibility of a labour disruption at a time when supply chains are already strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian manufacturers, grain shippers, and farmers have all warned of potential wide-ranging impacts. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Labour Minister Seamus ORegan issued a statement Wednesday night about the lockout notice. He said the federal government strongly encourages both parties to consider making compromises necessary to reach a deal that is fair for workers and the employer. "Our government respects and has faith in the collective bargaining process, because we know that the best deals are the ones reached by the parties at the bargaining table," O'Regan said. "The Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, and I understand the impacts of a potential work stoppage and are monitoring the situation closely. We are encouraged to see that both parties are still negotiating. "We have been in touch with the parties directly, urging them to work together to resolve their issues and reach a deal as quickly as possible, and will continue to do so." This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2022. Companies in this story: (TSX:CP) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Cambodia on Thursday announced new measures that significantly ease pandemic-related restrictions for foreign visitors, including dropping mandatory COVID-19 tests for travelers who have been vaccinated. FILE - A vendor prepares gas bottles for local customers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Cambodia on Thursday, March 17, announced new measures that significantly ease pandemic-related restrictions for foreign visitors, including dropping mandatory COVID-19 tests for travelers who have been vaccinated. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Cambodia on Thursday announced new measures that significantly ease pandemic-related restrictions for foreign visitors, including dropping mandatory COVID-19 tests for travelers who have been vaccinated. Fully vaccinated travelers no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken 72 hours before their arrival in Cambodia, according to a statement issued by Health Minister Mam Bunheng. The new regulations go into effect immediately. Foreign visitors also no longer need to take a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 upon arrival, though they are encouraged to do so on their own, the statement said. Visas on arrival are also being restored for entry by air, sea and land, the health minister said. Travelers who are not fully vaccinated are still required to undergo a 14-day quarantine after arriving in Cambodia. Before the pandemic, Cambodia had developed its tourism industry into an important source of revenue and in 2019 welcomed a record high 6.61 million foreign tourists who spent about $5.31 billion, just under 20% of the countys gross national product, according to Tourism Ministry statistics. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The number of tourist arrivals in 2020 plunged to 1.31 million, accounting for $1.12 billion in revenue, or just over 4% of GNP. Tourist arrivals last year declined even further to 196,495, accounting for just $184 million in revenue. Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke about the eased measures Thursday when he visited an orphanage in the eastern province of Prey Veng. He said the spread of COVID-19 was controllable now, as reflected in the declining number of daily new infections. The Health Ministry on Thursday reported 132 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nations total since the pandemic began to 134,624 cases, with 3,049 deaths. Hun Sen said the new rules would make visiting Cambodia easier for tourists and investors, and also help the government cut expenses for health care equipment, workers and tests. Cambodia had already opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers on Nov. 15, two weeks earlier than originally planned, in an effort to revitalize the economy. More than 80% of Cambodias almost 17 million people have received at least two COVID-19 shots. TORONTO - When the winter doldrums set in earlier this year, Scott Taber headed for warmer climes but he didnt leave work behind. Scott and Anne Marie Taber, shown in a family handout photo, spent weeks in Florida with their daughter Avery after Scott's employer launched a new workcation program. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO TORONTO - When the winter doldrums set in earlier this year, Scott Taber headed for warmer climes but he didnt leave work behind. The public relations worker spent two weeks working in the Florida sun taking advantage of an initiative by his employer, Toronto firm Media Profile, that allows staff to spend a short period of time working from anywhere in the world. The arrangement, often called a "workcation," isn't wholly new to corporate Canada but it has seen renewed interest from both employees and employers since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Now companies that seldom saw staff take them up on the opportunity to head abroad or across Canada for a few weeks or months are seeing workers jonesing to participate, while other businesses are offering programs for the first time. A December study of 1,000 people from vacation booking company Kayak estimates 27 per cent of employed Canadians and 38 per cent workers in Gen Z aged 18 to 24 will take a workcation this year. Media Profile gives staff who have been with the company at least six months between two and four weeks to work remotely and up to $3,000 for travel or accommodation costs. The program is meant to help staff maintain a healthy work-life balance and offer them some flexibility. As soon as it was announced in November 2021, workers were hooked. "Immediately the chat blew up. People were so excited," Taber recalled. Taber, along with his wife and daughter, chose Floridas Siesta Key because they wanted to escape the heaviness of living through two years of a pandemic. "It was nice to go somewhere where the sun was shining and you could go out for a walk, you could get a coffee and not have to bundle up," he said. Taber has a colleague that ventured to San Diego. Another will head to Nicaragua. Workcations are also underway at Thomson Reuters Corp., where staff can work from anywhere in Canada for up to eight weeks. Some are using the program to care for elderly or ill loved ones they don't live with, while others are visiting family they seldom see or heading to a more scenic workspace, said Mary Alice Vuicic, the media conglomerate's chief people officer. Her plan is to push the program even further to allow staff to venture outside of Canada, but first Thomson Reuters must figure out foreign tax obligations and how to track time spent working overseas. Vuicic hopes the program will give workers the flexibility they desire, but also sees it as good way to attract talent in a market that has pushed many to rethink their careers and realize a paycheque is no longer enough to keep them in gruelling jobs. Workers are now looking for unique perks that respect their work-life balance. In response, many companies are offering wellness, daycare and elder care stipends, flexible schedules and extra vacation time. "The companies that don't deliver the experience that people want won't be able to attract and retain the talent," said Vuicic. "The talent is in the driver's seat today." Talent is part of why Kitchener, Ont.-based energy technology company EnPowered allows workcations lasting up to three months. Employees have shown up to meetings from the balcony of a Costa Rica vacation home and another attending a wedding in India got to extend their stay to catch up with family. "When I started in human resources, somebody who wanted to go home for a wedding had to save up vacation for a whole year to go for three or four weeks ... so it's nice that she didn't have to do that," said Deidre Falkiner, people and culture director at EnPowered. But there are some difficulties. The woman in India, for example, was in a completely different time zone and felt disconnected from colleagues. She eventually switched her hours to be able to join team meetings. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Others have raised questions around what privacy and security laws they may be subject to elsewhere and what health care coverage they receive abroad, so the company studies local laws and software before anyone travels and limits workcation time to three months to minimize instances where people can't receive coverage for illnesses or accidents. As new issues are raised, the company adapts. "Unless you keep that conversation going, you're never going to identify the best way to do things," said Falkiner. "We will keep learning." This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2022. Companies in this story: (TSX:TRI) FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) A Florida couple has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) A Florida couple has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Amber Bruey, 35, of Lehigh Acres, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Fort Myers federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and illegal monetary transactions, according court records. Her husband, Anthony Bruey, pleaded guilty to the same charges last month. A sentencing date wasn't immediately set for the couple. According to court documents, the Brueys conspired to submit a total of 26 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications to the Small Business Administration, as well as approved lenders and loan processing companies, between April 2020 and June 2020. The applications contained numerous false and fraudulent representations, including the applicants dates of operation, payroll, gross revenues, total number of employees and the criminal histories of the applicants or business owners. Lenders and the SBA approved 12 of the loans, allowing the Brueys to collect $881,058.35 in PPP and EIDL funds. The couple used the money to buy a $211,457 home in North Carolina, two vehicles and to make a $23,566 restitution payment in a previous criminal case for Amber Bruey. The Paycheck Protection Program represents billions of dollars in forgivable small-business loans for Americans struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's part of the coronavirus relief package that became federal law in 2020. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Efforts to propel Kansas' renewable energy future are at a standstill, mired in legislative stalemate. At its center is a former TV weather personality who is using his chairmanship of a key committee to promote questionable claims about green energy and to spotlight complaints from opponents of wind and solar energy projects. Kansas state Sen. Mike Thompson, left, R-Shawnee, confers with state Sen. Kellie Warren, R-Leawood, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, during a committee meeting at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Thompson denies the link between human activity and climate change and has a key role in energy policy as the Senate Utilities Committee chairman. (AP Photo/John Hanna) TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Efforts to propel Kansas' renewable energy future are at a standstill, mired in legislative stalemate. At its center is a former TV weather personality who is using his chairmanship of a key committee to promote questionable claims about green energy and to spotlight complaints from opponents of wind and solar energy projects. Republican state Sen. Mike Thompson's pushback against renewable energy is pitting him not only against environmentalists, whose bills can't get a vote in his committee, but also against big utilities and GOP colleagues, who say his measures to restrict new wind turbines and solar farms go too far. While lawmakers in GOP-led states continue to resist the global push to drop fossil fuels, Kansas is unusual in giving such a big policy role to someone who publicly denies the link between human activity and climate change. Resistance to addressing climate change "is now starting to turn a little bit more towards the solutions side, said Mandy Warner, the national Environmental Defense Funds climate and clean air policy director. You wont say that you deny the problem, that there is an issue, that its happening, Warner said. Thompson is an often-affable, 64-year-old retired television meteorologist from the Kansas City area. His focus as Utilities Committee chair on fighting wind companies and building a case against renewable energy has left his committee with time for little else. Its the worst possible place to put this person, said Rabbi Moti Rieber, executive director of Kansas Interfaith Action, which lobbies on climate issues. Even with the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislatures conservative bent, environmentalists had hoped for modest green initiatives, such as studying green hydrogens potential, doing more to encourage energy efficiency or getting more electric vehicle charging stations along highways. While Democratic states enacted dozens of laws last year aimed at combatting climate change, Republican states moved to protect fossil fuels, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. For example, Kansas and at least nine other states now bar cities from ending natural gas service. Yet renewable-energy advocates make headway even in conservative states by pitching its potential to create jobs and economic growth. For example, Oklahoma formed a task force last year that drafted proposals for launching a hydrogen fuel industry there. There may be individuals that dont believe in climate change or whatnot, but theyre not driving the policy agenda because the economic opportunity is whats really driving the policy agenda, said Kimberly Svaty, a lobbyist for an alliance of renewable energy companies and investors with projects from Texas to the Canadian border. In Minnesota, with Republicans trying to roll back clean cars standards, GOP state Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, who chairs a committee on environmental spending, laughed when reminded of his 2011 comments calling climate change a fallacy. He now agrees that the climate is warming and said the real question is, Can we possibly make a change as human beings? Kansas renewable-energy advocates argue that Thompsons opposition is from an earlier political era. Kansas moved from renewables representing only 1.1% of its capacity for generating electricity in 2002 to 50% now, supplanting coal as the top source, according to federal data. Eliminating those investments is a bad bet for consumers. Its a bad bet for the environment, said Chuck Caisley, a senior vice president at Evergy, the largest electric company in Kansas. Thompson said hes defending frustrated property owners who are overmatched in countering big companies' pressure on them, their neighbors and local officials. He said landowners are treated like theyre collateral damage, and, Im just sick of it. He sees renewable energy as unreliable and ultimately expensive, both outdated descriptions. He also promotes highly disputed arguments that noise and light flicker from turbine blades create health problems. Thompson also stands out because of comments like his response to scientists' concerns that coastal cities are in danger as polar ice caps melt and sea levels rise. Only 20 percent of the Earths history have we had polar ice caps. People assume theyve always been there, and thats not the case, Thompson said during an interview. (The Earth has had ice caps at both poles for about the last 3 million years; modern humans have been on the planet for roughly 300,000 years.) Thompson's defenders include landowners fighting wind companies' plans to build turbines in rural areas. Debra Cramer acknowledged initially being amazed at Thompsons willingness to go far outside his district to talk to landowners. She has been tracking a German energy companys leases for land for new turbines around her home of Labette County in southeast Kansas. In December, voters there recalled one of their three county commissioners. Cramer backs Thompsons efforts to set statewide restrictions on wind turbines. Senate President Ty Masterson, a conservative Wichita-area Republican, said he named Thompson chair of the Utilities Committee at the start of last year because of his professional background and his passion for energy issues. This whole process is about asking questions, Masterson said. Thompson, a U.S. Navy weather observer and forecaster as a young man, retired as a television meteorologist at the end of 2018 after spending most of his career in Kansas City. Local Republicans picked him to fill a state Senate vacancy at the start of 2020, and he won a full, four-year term that November. He regularly pushes colleagues to question scientific consensus, telling them recently in a committee meeting that for his entire career, I did my own homework and I thought outside the box." Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. But when Thompson pushed his committee to approve a bill to require new wind turbines to have technology for dimming their lighting at night, members tabled the measure. Sen. Rob Olson, a conservative Kansas City-area Republican, told him: I don't want to send a message that I don't want wind in this state. ___ Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna TORONTO - Lynx Air says it will begin flying out of Hamilton later this summer in an effort to expand its service in the Toronto region. Merren McArthur, CEO of Lynx Air, announces the startup of the new airline at a news conference announcing Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Lynx Air says it will be flying out of Hamilton this summer as it expands service from the Toronto region.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh TORONTO - Lynx Air says it will begin flying out of Hamilton later this summer in an effort to expand its service in the Toronto region. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The new discount airline says it will fly twice per week between Hamilton and Calgary beginning June 29, increasing to four flights weekly a month later. Hamilton's John C Munro International Airport, about 75 kilometres west of Toronto Pearson Airport, offers service on WestJet, Swoop, Transat and Sunwing. Lynx says it will fly to six destinations from the Toronto: Halifax, St. John's, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The airline, which launches next month, also plans to increase the frequency of its flights between Toronto and Calgary to 12 flights per week from seven as of June 28. By the end of July, Lynx will offer 92 flights per week on its Boeing 737 aircraft in and out of the Toronto area. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2022. WASHINGTON - Business leaders from the United States and Canada are again wading into the fray over Line 5, accusing the state of Michigan of dragging its heels to ensure the controversial cross-border pipeline remains in a state of legal limbo even as both countries contend with a looming energy crisis. This photo taken in October 2016 shows an aboveground section of Enbridge's Line 5 at the Mackinaw City, Mich., pump station. Business leaders from across the United States and Canada are again wading into the fray over Line 5, accusing the state of Michigan of dragging its heels to ensure the controversial cross-border pipeline remains in a state of legal limbo even as both countries contend with a looming energy crisis. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-John Flesher WASHINGTON - Business leaders from the United States and Canada are again wading into the fray over Line 5, accusing the state of Michigan of dragging its heels to ensure the controversial cross-border pipeline remains in a state of legal limbo even as both countries contend with a looming energy crisis. In a new joint amicus brief, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, its U.S. counterpart and chambers in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin reiterate their concern that shutting down the Enbridge Inc. pipeline would have "tremendous negative consequences" on both sides of the border. "Such a shutdown would constrain an already disrupted energy supply, an especially problematic development given recent decisions related to importation of petroleum products from Russia," reads the brief, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press. Gasoline prices have been spiking across the U.S. and Canada, a combination of production and supply-chain pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated by bans on imports of Russian energy, part of the global effort to sanction Russia over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The dispute over Line 5 has been raging since November 2020, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer citing the risk of a spill in the ecologically sensitive Straits of Mackinac, where the line crosses the Great Lakes abruptly revoked the easement that had allowed it to operate since 1953. Enbridge insists the pipeline is safe and has already received a level of state approval for a $500-million concrete tunnel beneath the straits that would house the line's twin pipes and protect them from anchor strikes. The company has repeatedly insisted it would not shut down the pipeline voluntarily. The court dispute, however, has less to do with pipeline safety and environmental impact than it does with legal jurisdiction. Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel have been trying to get the case heard in state court, while Calgary-based Enbridge has argued successfully that it belongs before a federal judge. Enbridge won that argument last fall, prompting Michigan to abandon that challenge, instead taking up a separate case that was still at the county court level. That case is once again seized with the identical question of whether the dispute should be elevated to federal court. Their tactics suggest "state officials are trying to have their cake and eat it too," the chambers argue in their latest filing. "The governor abandoned efforts to enforce the shutdown order for the explicit reason of avoiding resolution of these arguments by the federal court." The fact that shutdown order remains in place, albeit unenforced, "carries real harm to Enbridge and to businesses that depend on the interstate and international energy economy to function smoothly," they argue. With the order still in place, Michigan regulators, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, may be required to consider Enbridge's applications for the tunnel project as if the original pipeline didn't exist. Arguments to that effect have already been made before the Michigan Public Service Commission. In other words, "whether the project is environmentally beneficial is a more complicated analysis if governmental agencies must analyze a fictional reality in which resources no longer flow through the pipelines." The federal government in Ottawa has already submitted two amicus briefs of its own, the latest of which makes clear that Canada and the U.S. are engaged in talks to settle the dispute under the terms of a 1977 bilateral treaty designed to ensure the continued flow of energy between the two countries. Advocates for the pipeline say Line 5 delivers more than half the propane and home heating oil consumed in Michigan, and is a vital source of energy for Ohio and Pennsylvania as well, to say nothing of Ontario and Quebec. Shutting it down would be an environmental disaster in its own right, they argue, resulting in gasoline shortages, price spikes and some 800 additional oil-laden railcars and 2,000 tanker trucks per day on railways and highways throughout Central Canada and the U.S. Midwest. "It is time for the federal court to resolve the question of the legality of the governor's shutdown order," said Mark Agnew, the Canadian chamber's senior vice-president of policy and government relations. In a statement, Agnew described the case as a "litmus test" for North American energy security one that could have a major impact on consumers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border amid the ongoing transition to more sustainable forms of energy. "Reliable access to energy products (is) needed to create predictable market and political conditions that support our transition to net zero in the years to come, and that's why the Line 5 court case is so important." Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Environmental groups, however, aren't giving up the fight. A new brief filed this week by a non-profit known as For Love of Water argues that Michigan is obliged to shut down any "non-public trust use" that poses a threat to public trust uses such as navigation and fishing and also to revoke permission for that use in the event the public trust is violated. The group argues that when another Enbridge pipeline in Michigan, Line 6B, ruptured and polluted the Kalamazoo River in 2010, state authorities were obliged to reconsider the company's easements. The resulting inquiry found that Enbridge had "flouted" the terms and conditions of the easement "for decades" and had altered its pipeline operations without authorization from the state. "Based on these collective findings, the state fulfilled its duty under the public trust doctrine to revoke and terminate the 1953 easement." This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2022. HONG KONG (AP) As a COVID-19 outbreak overwhelms Hong Kong, its hard for its 7.4 million residents to know whats next. People wearing face masks walk across a closed store in Hong Kong, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Hong Kong on Monday reported 26,908 new coronavirus cases and 249 related deaths in its latest 24-hour period. The city counts its cases differently than the mainland, combining both rapid antigen tests and PCR test results. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG (AP) As a COVID-19 outbreak overwhelms Hong Kong, its hard for its 7.4 million residents to know whats next. Uncertainty is the only certainty as store shelves are stripped of goods, mainland Chinese companies throw up sprawling isolation and testing centers and the government sends mixed messages on whether it will lock down the population for a citywide mass testing. Pandemic restrictions have sucked much of the energy out of a cosmopolitan city known for its neon lights and dense crowds. The latest closure, announced Wednesday, is public beaches. An overburdened health system means those who get infected often have to fend for themselves. And the death toll, particularly among the elderly, keeps rising. Its a helpless situation, said Wong Wing-tsang, a single mother who spent days trying to get a doctors appointment for her 10-year-old daughter who tested positive earlier this month. We can only count on ourselves. A woman wearing a face mask rides on a tram in Hong Kong, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) After keeping the virus mostly at bay for nearly two years, Hong Kong authorities have been unable to bring under control an outbreak driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant. So many people have been infected that there arent enough drivers for the city buses and subways or clerks to keep some stores open. China has responded by sending experts, medical staff and construction crews, expanding capacity but also raising fears that Hong Kong might adopt tough mainland-style restrictions, notably its lockdowns of entire cities. Anxious residents have stockpiled daily necessities, as the government flip-flops on plans for mass testing and a possible lockdown. Infections among truck drivers interrupted shipments of meat and vegetables from mainland China, prompting worries of shortages and deliveries by sea. Honestly, I think government policies keep changing all the time and its hard for residents to follow, said Alison Hui, a Hong Kong resident. We dont know if an announcement is real or not. It really makes us feel very worried. Last month, officials announced citywide, mass testing slated for March but said there were no plans for a lockdown. Days later, as cases surged, officials acknowledged that a lockdown was under consideration, prompting residents to wipe out supermarket shelves to stock up on food. People walk on a quiet street usually packed with shoppers in Causeway Bay, a famous shopping district in Hong Kong Thursday, March 10, 2022. Hong Kong's neon lights are still on, but COVID-19 has turned off a lot of the city's usual energy. Instead, now there is an unusual sense of limbo. Busy shopping streets and office districts are very much emptier than ever before. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Then, two weeks after the February announcement, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said that the citywide testing had taken a temporary backseat as authorities focused on reducing the number of deaths and critical cases, but she didnt say when the testing might happen. Hong Kong was able to stamp out four earlier outbreaks with tough zero COVID restrictions that temporarily shuttered businesses, limited public gatherings and imposed entry curbs such as lengthy quarantine stays for arrivals and flight bans from countries deemed high-risk. That has changed with the fifth wave. Since it began at the end of December, over 760,000 infections have been reported, with more than 4,300 deaths. Mortuaries are so full that refrigerated containers had to be set up to store some of the bodies. Many more infections are likely going unaccounted for as residents self-test with rapid antigen tests and isolate at home. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong estimated that nearly 3.6 million people about half of the citys population have been infected as of March 14, based on modelling and data. Lam, who has begun holding daily news conferences on the outbreak, said Wednesday that it appears to have peaked on March 3 and then showed a downward trend, though it has leveled off since last Friday. A man sits on an empty tram usually packed with passengers in Causeway Bay, a famous shopping district in Hong Kong Thursday, March 10, 2022. Hong Kong's neon lights are still on, but COVID-19 has turned off a lot of the city's usual energy. Instead, now there is an unusual sense of limbo. Busy shopping streets and office districts are very much emptier than ever before. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Mainland authorities have helped build emergency hospitals and inflatable testing labs. This is an unprecedented situation," Lam said earlier, saying it had outgrown the capacity of the city government. Wong, the single mother, said the only help she got from the government was a pack of five rapid antigen test kits. She sent her daughter to live with her mother-in-law, who was also infected, because there was no way to isolate at their home. I had no choice. I couldnt let her isolate at home alone, and we dont have enough bedrooms to separate us properly, she said. The pandemic has brought many businesses to their knees. Some restaurants, once again restricted to takeout and delivery after 6 p.m., have shuttered for good. Many shops in malls have temporarily closed some for lack of business, others because they are understaffed as workers have tested positive. Hair salons were allowed to reopen recently, but gyms and bars were ordered shut in January and wont reopen until after mid-April at the earliest. Fewer subway trains and buses are running as hundreds of employees contract the coronavirus. Some multinational companies have relocated outside of Hong Kong, while others have temporarily sent senior executives elsewhere amid the uncertainty. Mak Sin Chang, a Singaporean who has lived in Hong Kong for eight years, said he would consider leaving if he got a job elsewhere. He said the government should offer a road map for exiting the pandemic so people could see light at the end of the tunnel. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Now we are all living in darkness, guided by the blind, he said. Its a major setback from late last year, when Hong Kong had gone months without any locally spread cases and was working to get the quarantine requirement in mainland China lifted for people entering from Hong Kong. Everything was really starting to look up by the end of 2021, because we were looking forward to opening up with China, said Francis Lun, an investment manager and a veteran market commentator. But all of a sudden, the omicron hit, and its completely out of control now. After two years, he said, theres no end in sight. ___ Soo reported from Singapore. Associated Press news assistant Janice Lo in Hong Kong contributed to this report. Candy from Ukraine is displayed at Moscow on the Hudson in New York, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Angered by the deadly violence and the humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia's war on Ukraine, some Americans are dumping their frustrations on Russian businesses and brands or anything that sounds Russian. Business owners and experts say it's the most intense anti-Russian sentiment they've seen, but they call the behavior irrational and misplaced, especially when so many owners are denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion, not to mention the fact that some of them are not even Russian. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) NEW YORK (AP) They're pouring out vodka, boycotting Russian restaurants and even leaving threatening voicemail messages at Russian businesses. Angered by the deadly violence and the humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia's war on Ukraine, some Americans are taking it out on Russian businesses and brands in the U.S. or anything that sounds Russian. Business owners and experts say it's the most intense anti-Russian sentiment theyve seen. They also call the behavior irrational and misplaced, especially when so many owners are denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion and supporting Ukraine, not to mention the fact that some are not even Russian. Olga Sagan, the owner of Russian bakery Piroshky Piroshky in Seattle, which has offered handcrafted Russian pastries since 1992, described a recent call from someone threatening a terrorist attack on her store. But Sagan immigrated from Russia in 1999 and is an American citizen. Of her 60 staff members, she is the only one from Russia; three others are from Ukraine. People make fun of Russians we drink vodka," Sagan said. But never, ever anything like this. It make me feel very sad. I understand peoples emotions and how strong they are about the situation, and I truly appreciate it because I have strong emotions. But most Russian people are against (the war). To clarify their position and placate customers, many business owners have posted Ukrainian signs on their doors or have turned to social media to pledge their support for Ukraine and condemn Russias actions. Some restaurants are scrubbing any Russian references off their menu. Even Ukrainians have been caught up in the backlash. Alan Aguichev, 26, opened a restaurant in Manhattan two years ago with his mother, Svetlana Sveta Savchitz, who was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine. They named their restaurant Sveta and advertised it as an Eastern European and Russian eatery a description that was intended to help people easily understand the food but now draws unwanted attention. Aguichev, who was born in the U.S., said he has received emails from people using expletives about Russia, and telling the business owners to go back home. The owners have since removed references to Russia from the restaurants menu. Gleb Gavrilov, owner of Moscow on the Hudson, helps a customer at his store in New York, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Angered by the deadly violence and the humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia's war on Ukraine, some Americans are dumping their frustrations on Russian businesses and brands or anything that sounds Russian. Business owners and experts say it's the most intense anti-Russian sentiment they've seen, but they call the behavior irrational and misplaced, especially when so many owners are denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion, not to mention the fact that some of them are not even Russian. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Her two blood sisters are hiding under a bunker, Aguichev said of his mother's family. And then she gets these nasty phone calls saying, youre not Ukrainian, youre Russian. Thats terrible. Aguichev notes that many others have been supportive of him and his mother but it shouldnt matter even if either of them were Russian because many of his Russians friends also dont want this war. Its just one man who wants to do this, and thats President Putin," he said. Its not only affecting Ukrainian lives its affecting Russian lives as well. Moscow on the Hudson, a specialty store that sells Russian, Ukrainian and other international products about nine miles north of Sveta, has also received calls from people cursing out Russia and requesting that the store owners ask Putin to stop the war. I was like good luck with that, said Gleb Gavrilov, who is Russian, Polish and Greek and runs the store with his mother. I just hung up. Gavrilov said he used to sell Putin magnets, and even nesting dolls that feature the Russian president as well as former U.S. President Donald Trump, because some Americans liked the products. But he stashed them away when the war started, thinking they might have more value in the future. He also doesnt want to be seen as aligned with Putin. Im not really with him, Gavrilov said. I just sell the stuff, and it sells good. Sarah E. Mendelson, the head of Carnegie Mellons Heinz College in Washington and a longtime expert on Russia, said she cant recall such intense anti-Russian backlash translating into people protesting restaurants or products, even after Russia's bombing campaigns in Syria and its invasion of Crimea in 2014. Mendelson noted that the constant barrage of real-time images of Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country has created a groundswell of emotions but the boycotts themselves are hurting emigrants who fled Russia as well as Ukrainians. Its an emotional response its not actually a rational response," she said. People ought to take the time to figure out whats going on. Consumer anger has been misdirected in the past. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many Middle Eastern businesses suffered when customers aimed their hostility at them. In the years since, social media has made it easier for people to protest and organize boycotts via hashtags but the lack of context also makes it easier to get things wrong. Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a New York-based brand loyalty research consultancy, noted that a recent poll of 1,200 U.S. shoppers found 84% on a bipartisan basis indicated they would boycott Russian brands as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Still, only 8% of them could correctly name any Russian consumer brands without being assisted. It's a nice sentiment, but problematic, Passikoff said. The reality is there arent many well-known Russian brands readily evident in American stores." One product that became an easy but misguided target of consumer angst was Stolichnaya, a vodka brand incorrectly linked with Russia. Stoli, the brand's better-known nickname and now official name, is actually made in Latvia and the parent company is based in Luxembourg. Its owner, Russian-born tycoon Yuri Shefler, left Russia in 2002 and hasnt been back since. Damian McKinney, CEO of the Stoli Group, was horrified to see people posting videos on social media of bartenders pouring the drink down the drain and stores dropping it from shelves. To counteract, McKinney said the company let its distributors and retailers know that it was against Russias invasion and that it supported Ukraine, as well as pointing out its true roots. McKinney said that sales globally took a hit for seven days, but business has rebounded to higher than normal levels. Its also marketing the vodka bottles with pro-Ukranian messages. Whether a Russian brand or not, McKinney said companies must choose a side. We have been tested. As soon as that invasion occurred, you got to stand up and to be counted," he said. I have Russians on the team. You have to decide which side youre on. But some just want to stay neutral at least publicly. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Tigran Elchyan, chef and owner of Kalinka Russian Cuisine, a restaurant in Glendale, California, said he has received threatening calls a couple of times a week since the war in Ukraine started. Business is down about 20%. Elchyan is Armenian-born, and his restaurant highlights food not only from Russia but from his native country as well as former Soviet Union countries like Georgia and Kazakhstan. Most of his staff are from the Russian region. But Elchyan said he wants to stay out of politics. Russians and Ukrainians are sitting next together and eating the food, he said. Its all about the food. Its not political. We are here for peace everywhere. ____ Follow Anne DInnocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio Follow Haleluya Hadero: http://twitter.com/masayett VATICAN CITY (AP) A once-powerful cardinal testified Thursday that he donated 125,000 euros ($140,000) of Vatican money to a Sardinian diocese for purely charitable reasons, rejecting Vatican prosecutors claims that the money benefitted his brother who ran the charity. FILE - Cardinal Angelo Becciu talks to journalists during press conference in Rome, on Sept. 25, 2020. A once-powerful cardinal testified Thursday that he donated 125,000 euros of Vatican money to a Sardinian diocese for purely charitable reasons, rejecting Vatican prosecutors claims that the money benefitted his brother who ran the charity. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the first-ever cardinal to testify before the Vaticans criminal tribunal, said he couldnt deny that his brother Antonino Becciu was the legal representative of the Spes charity, which is the operational arm of the Diocese of Ozieris Caritas charity operation. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File) VATICAN CITY (AP) A once-powerful cardinal testified Thursday that he donated 125,000 euros ($140,000) of Vatican money to a Sardinian diocese for purely charitable reasons, rejecting Vatican prosecutors claims that the money benefitted his brother who ran the charity. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the first-ever cardinal to testify before the Vaticans criminal tribunal, said he couldnt deny that his brother Antonino Becciu was the legal representative of the Spes charity, which is the operational arm of the Diocese of Ozieris Caritas charity operation. But Becciu insisted that Spes had a long track record of doing good works in his home diocese, and that the donations of Holy See money, which he was authorized to distribute, responded to verifiable needs requested by the Ozieri bishop: One initiative concerned rebuilding a burned-down bakery that employed disadvantaged youths, while another was to build a multi-use social center for the poor. Prosecutors have accused Becciu of embezzling Holy See funds and placed him on trial along with nine other people accused of defrauding the Vatican of tens of millions of euros, much of the money donations from the faithful. The key focus of the trial concerns the Vaticans 350-million-euro investment in a London real estate venture, but the trial also encompasses unrelated investigations, including Beccius Sardinian donations. The 10 defendants have denied wrongdoing. Becciu, who was once the powerful No. 2 in the Vatican secretariat of state, had been scheduled as the first suspect to be questioned on the stand Thursday. But Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi, who has spearheaded the Vatican investigation for nearly three years, advised the court that he wasnt prepared for the interrogation. Diddi cited other work that had taken up his time and cases of COVID-19 in his office that left him unprepared to question Becciu. As a result, Becciu read an introductory statement to the court, insisting on his innocence and denouncing the violent, vulgar media campaign that erupted against him after Pope Francis forced his resignation in September 2020. Francis yanked Becciu's rights and privileges as a cardinal based on preliminary reports he had received about the wiring of Holy See funds to the Spes charity. Becciu hadnt yet been placed under investigation by Vatican prosecutors, but his very public downfall prompted months of salacious news reports in the Italian media. Some reports accused him of plotting to finance the sex abuse prosecution against his nemesis Cardinal George Pell, others accused him of having intimate relations with another defendant, while still others delved into his family's businesses. I have been described as a corrupt man. Greedy for money. Disloyal to the pope. Concerned only with the welfare of my family, Becciu told the court Thursday. They have insinuated infamy on the integrity of my priestly life, having financed witnesses in a trial against a confrere, even being the owner of oil wells or tax havens. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Absurd accusations. Incredible. Grotesque. Monstrous. One wonders who wanted all this and for what purpose, he said. Becciu insisted that his conscience was clear, that he had always acted in the interest of the Holy See, never intended any Vatican money to be misused, and trusted the Vatican tribunal would arrive at the truth. Responding to a few questions from Judge Giuseppe Pignatone, Becciu insisted he didnt know how the Ozieri diocesan bank accounts were organized and merely wired the funds to the IBAN account number indicated by the bishop. Becciu is to return to the stand on April 6 for further questioning, including surrounding his hiring of a purported Sardinian intelligence analyst as an external Vatican consultant to negotiate the freedom of Catholic hostages in Africa. Becciu authorized more than half a million euros in payments to the analyst which, according to bank records, went to buy furniture and high-end luxury items. Becciu has so far refused to discuss his dealings with Cecilia Marogna, citing the pontifical secret. Pignatone ruled Thursday that the tribunal would ask the Vatican secretariat of state to weigh in on whether Becciu could be released from the pontifical secret to testify about Marogna, who has also cited official secrecy in refusing to be interrogated. Winnipegs mayor renewed his call for a public inquiry into the controversy-laden police headquarters construction project Wednesday after a judge found the citys former top bureaucrat accepted a bribe from a key contractor. Winnipegs mayor renewed his call for a public inquiry into the controversy-laden police headquarters construction project Wednesday after a judge found the citys former top bureaucrat accepted a bribe from a key contractor. "This is one of the biggest scandals in Winnipegs history," Brian Bowman told reporters. Ex-Winnipeg CAO accepted bribe, could be on hook for $700K, court rules Former City of Winnipeg chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files) Posted: 11:11 AM Mar. 16, 2022 Former City of Winnipeg CAO Phil Sheegl could be on the hook for more than $700,000 in damages and restitution after a judge agreed with the citys claim he accepted a bribe tied to construction of the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters. The city has persuaded me that the elements of bribery have been satisfied, Queens Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal said in a 126-page ruling released Tuesday. Read Full Story Court of Queens Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal issued a 126-page ruling Tuesday finding former chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl accepted a $327,000 bribe from Caspian Construction owner Armik Babakhanians. Serious concerns over the renovation of the onetime Canada Post facility, at 266 Graham Ave., have plagued city council for years. The building opened in June 2016 at a cost of about $214 million, well above its original $135 million price tag, and an external audit found the project was severely mismanaged. In February 2017, city council endorsed Bowmans original call for the province to open a public inquiry. The RCMP conducted a lengthy investigation into fraud and forgery allegations, but no criminal charges were laid. In 2020, the city launched a civil suit, alleging a fraudulent scheme took place. Bowman described the legal challenge as a last resort to seek answers and compensation for Winnipeggers. "Taxpayers need to have confidence that when there are claims of bribery individuals need to be held accountable," he said. In his ruling Tuesday, Joyal concluded that Sheegl should pay damages that could exceed $700,000. That figure includes $327,200 to equal the alleged bribe, $250,000 to equal a severance package he received from the city and $100,000 in punitive damages, along with "reasonable" city court costs that have yet to be determined. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Im absolutely renewing my call today for the province to consider calling a public inquiry now, Mayor Brian Bowman said Wednesday. "Based on the evidence before me, were I to find that Sheegls undisclosed receipt of the $327,200 payment from Armik (for whatever reason), while Sheegl was an officer with the city and while he was negotiating a multi-million-dollar contract with Armiks company, did not constitute a breach of fiduciary duty, I would in my view be sending a preposterous message," the decision states. "That message would be nothing short of suggesting that high-ranking public officials can do business in secret with persons seeking contracts from the very public bodies for whom public officials work. Neither the law nor common sense support or justify such a dubious conclusion or message." Click to Expand Court of Queens Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyals ruling states there is ample evidence of a conspiracy to induce the city to award Caspian Construction contracts on the HQ project. He says that involved Phil Sheegl and members of Caspian and includes the following: On Dec. 15, 2010, after Sheegl blind-copied Armik Babakhanians (Caspians owner) on an email to the city advocating for the bid bonding to be lowered (as requested by Babakhanians), Babakhanians thanked Sheegl, stating YOU ARE MY MAN I WILL DO YOU PROUD. The city says this occurred before Caspian formally submitted a bid for the Phase 1 contract. On. Jan. 26, 2011, Babakhanians reminded Sheegl that Caspian really wanted this project, to which Sheegl stated I know and I will do everything I can to help us all succeed here together. Joyal wrote: It would appear that by Sheegls own words, there is clearly a common purpose and a common intention to get Caspian the WPS HQ project. On Feb. 7, 2011, a Caspian email exchange states Phil and (former mayor) Sam (Katz) are pulling for us and Phil assured us (that Caspian would get through phase 1). Bowman said the ruling has raised serious concerns that a public inquiry could help address. "(Its) one of the best ways to compel the testimony on record, of individuals who may no longer be in the city of Winnipeg (and) better ensure that these sorts of things dont happen again," he said. The mayor noted the city is still pursuing legal action against additional defendants, which could secure greater compensation, since the original civil suit was split up into smaller components. "There is another action that is ongoing that involves much more significant dollars that were hoping to be able to recover," he said. Neither he nor city staff were able to pinpoint the precise amount of damages being sought Wednesday. Despite Bowmans argument, it doesnt appear the province will take Bowmans advice any time soon. Premier Heather Stefanson told reporters it would be "premature" to do so. "There was just a ruling on one part of this," she said. "This remains before the courts and obviously, before we make any decisions on whether or not to call any public inquiry, we need to make sure that all avenues are exhausted before that." The city alleged in the suit that in July 2011, shortly after Sheegl awarded the contract to Caspian, the company paid $200,000 to co-defendant Mountain Construction (also owned by Babakhanians), which then paid the same amount to Sheegls company, Financial Support Services Inc. A year later, the city says Babakhanians paid Sheegl another $127,000. Sheegl claimed it wasnt a bribe, but payment for a real estate deal to purchase an acre of land he and then-Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz owned in Tartesso, Ariz. Joyal rejected that explanation. BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Phil Sheegl (left) claimed it wasnt a bribe, but payment for a real estate deal to purchase an acre of land he and then-Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz owned in Tartesso, Ariz. "The acceptance of the related explanation requires a suspension of reasonable belief not to mention an acceptance of a line of reasoning that only the most naive could endorse or accept," he wrote. Coun. Jeff Browaty said the judges ruling appears "damning" and hes concerned about the way the project was initially described to council. Sheegl finally paying for his monkey business MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES In 2013, an internal city report concluded Phil Sheegl had exerted inappropriate influence over an $18-million land deal with Shindico, another company closely associated with the CAO and Katz. Posted: 7:00 PM Mar. 16, 2022 Of all the images that Phil Sheegl conjured during his time as Winnipegs top bureaucrat, the most lasting has to be those damned monkeys. In 2011, shortly after he was promoted to serve as Winnipegs chief administrative officer, Sheegl placed a statue of the three wise monkeys outside his city hall office. The iconic monkeys which see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil appeared suddenly and without explanation, and sat chained to a wooden bench with a bicycle cable. Read Full Story "The changes that came about, the reasons that they gave us for (cost) overruns. It brings into question a lot of what we were told at that time. Its deeply concerning and very frustrating," said Browaty (North Kildonan), who was on council at the time. Coun. Brian Mayes, who was elected in 2011, said he understands the city has a vested interest to take court action. But he said its not clear how much compensation that could secure. "I dont know that well make all our money back, especially because we are suing dozens of other people, alleging some pretty serious things and I think we may be on the hook for legal costs. On the other hand, if there was serious wrongdoing, you have to try and go after them," said Mayes (St. Vital). Sheegl, Babakhanians and Katz, as well as Sheegls lawyer Robert Tapper could not be reached for comment. Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga A Winnipeg palliative care doctor is demoralized that too many patients are spending their final hours languishing in stretcher areas of emergency rooms because hospitals are full. A Winnipeg palliative care doctor is demoralized that too many patients are spending their final hours languishing in stretcher areas of emergency rooms because hospitals are full. "We are lacking the capacity to bring them somewhere where they can have care in a dignified location that allows quiet, compassionate, dignified care," said Dr. Tim Hiebert, an internist who consults with emergency room staff at city hospitals and treats patients dying in the ER. "Patients who have sudden, horrible events like big strokes and big heart attacks, that cant be rescued or a surgical problem that cant be operated on who will die because of their illness, we try very hard to provide them with dignified, compassion-based care and, if at all possible, to get them out of the emergency room," the doctor said Wednesday. "Of late, increasing numbers of patients are coming in, and we cant." JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Dr. Tim Hiebert is an internist who consults with emergency room staff at city hospitals and treats patients dying in the ER. It is a disheartening situation, Hiebert said. "Instead of going to a hospital ward, where this kind of gentle care can be provided, they wait in the emergency room in the stretcher area and they might wait for days," he said. "There are no spaces in the hospital for them to go to," said Hiebert, noting demand for Winnipegs 45 designated palliative care beds often exceeds capacity. Patients who need end-of-life care may instead end up in emergency departments that are "very full and very busy," with hospitals under further pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of going to a hospital ward, where this kind of gentle care can be provided, they wait in the emergency room in the stretcher area and they might wait for days." Dr. Tim Hiebert In the past when a palliative care bed hasnt been available, there were other places for such patients, he said. "What we would be able to do the vast majority of the time is find some dignified place in the hospital where they could get care in a quiet location, where they can have some privacy with their family... Its much more frequent right now that were struggling with not being able to provide that," Hiebert said. "Its very hard for a person to die in a crowded space, when only a small number of visitors can come, if visitors can come at all, because of the realities of of the emergency room." JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Hiebert said it is stressful for all involved, and he himself feels "demoralized." The doctor said he was speaking up to let the public know about the situation, not to cast blame. "Increasingly, Manitobans are dying in emergency rooms and no one wants this," said Hiebert. "No one seems to be aware, outside of the people who provide the direct care. "Emergency room staff do their best but theyre doing it in the midst of a crowded, noisy environment where there isnt any privacy or necessarily even room for the family to be visiting." Hiebert said it is stressful for all involved, and he himself feels "demoralized." "A person only dies once. A family will only go through losing their dad or their mom one time and they never forget it... We want to do the best we can for each one of these families, and its very difficult to do right now when were stuck in these so far-away-from-ideal situations." Shared Health has announced COVID-19 hospitalizations are dropping and it has contingency plans to deal with potential surges to staff-up critical care beds. Increasingly, Manitobans are dying in emergency rooms and no one wants this. No one seems to be aware, outside of the people who provide the direct care." Dr. Tim Hiebert On Tuesday, it released a seven-page "COVID-19 Health System Recovery Plan" for the addition of overcapacity and flex medicine beds to reduce congestion across the health system "and better support the timely transfer of patients from ICU to medical units to help preserve critical care capacity." Hiebert said there was no mention in it of the need for additional beds for patients in the ER who are at the end of their lives. Hes uncertain where the staff or the space will be found to add any more hospital capacity. "If theres another significant wave of people who require hospital care, were going to have a lot of difficulty providing care. Its not simply about having enough ICU beds," the doctor said. "There are several others who need another level of care that still essential. When you only have a limited amount of resources, it can only go around so far," Hiebert said. "It feels like were rationing care." Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Health Minister Audrey Gordon was not made available to comment Wednesday. Her press secretary referred questions to Shared Health. Its spokesperson issued a statement saying: "Patients or families are encouraged to contact the appropriate site or regions patient relations department to discuss any concerns relating to care that they may have." The recovery plan, the statement said, "provides a blueprint for restoring health services to pre-pandemic levels and the identification of opportunities to increase ICU and medicine capacity, improve patient flow and reduce congestion in our emergency departments." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca THE Russian invasion of Ukraine will hurt the developing world through food shortages and rising prices. THE Russian invasion of Ukraine will hurt the developing world through food shortages and rising prices. Andy Harrington, executive director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, envisions a troubling time for the worlds poorest people. Noting Russia and Ukraine together provide much of the worlds cereal crops (wheat, barley and maize), he said the fighting will have a major impact. "Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe," Harrington said. "It is the fifth-largest exporter of wheat. Russia is No. 1. Any disruption to production will be a huge hit to the worlds food supply." Along with the fighting, global supply chain issues, a rise in shipping costs, and sanctions on Russian exports are causing dramatic increases in food prices. "We will feel that in Canada, but the impact will be even greater in poor countries," Harrington said. Although the Foodgrains Bank no longer ships food from Canada to the developing world it buys food locally or provides cash vouchers to food-insecure people rising prices means the organization is paying more for food than a year ago and the amount of food people can buy with vouchers is reduced. "Everyone will pay more for food, but people in poor countries are really going to suffer," Harrington said, adding: "We expect prices to continue to rise." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Fifty countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for 30 per cent or more of their supply of wheat, Harrington said, a number of them are located in the developing world. Countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Syria and Lebanon are especially vulnerable. The result could be a "full-blown food crisis," for the worlds 800 million food-insecure people, he said, adding 45 million are already facing starvation. In Ukraine, the Foodgrains Bank is working through its members to provide food, water and shelter to some of the almost three million refugees who have fled that country. "We are really grateful for those who have supported our work there," said Harrington. "We hope they will also continue to be mindful of the broader impacts of the war in Ukraine." Last year, the Foodgrains Bank provided $49 million in food and related programming for 989,000 people in 33 countries. In the 2021-22 budget year (ending this month), $17. 2 million has been donated to the organization, with $4.2 million of that coming from Manitoba. faith@freepress.mb.ca WINNIPEG - An Indigenous woman whose newborn was taken by police and social workers shown in a video broadcast live on social media has proposed a class-action lawsuit against the Manitoba government. A proposed class action has been filed against Manitoba by a woman who had her newborn removed by police and social workers in a video broadcast live on social media. An eagle feather and a baby hospital ID bracelet sit on a photo of a newborn baby during a press conference in support of the mother who's newborn baby was seized from hospital by Manitoba's Child and Family Services, in Winnipeg on Friday, January 11, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods WINNIPEG - An Indigenous woman whose newborn was taken by police and social workers shown in a video broadcast live on social media has proposed a class-action lawsuit against the Manitoba government. The woman says in a statement of claim filed this week that birth alerts are unlawful, breach charter rights and cause significant harm to mothers and children. "There was a feeling I had that this isn't right," the mother said Thursday in an interview with The Canadian Press. "The betrayal." The Canadian Press is not identifying the mother so as not to identify the child. A video in 2019 of the two-day-old infants apprehension at a Winnipeg hospital caused significant public outcry. The broadcast on Facebook showed the mother weeping nearby before officers took the baby away in a car seat. Court documents said while the woman was still pregnant, she had reached out to social services for help and to make arrangements for the baby to be placed with her aunt. She only learned she was subject to a birth alert when authorities showed up at the hospital to take the child, the court documents said. The mother said she felt completely blindsided and manipulated when she learned the alert had been placed on her for seeking help before giving birth. About two months after the baby was taken, guardianship was transferred to the aunt. Court documents say the woman remains in her babys life and cares for her on a regular basis. The province said Thursday it was unable to provide comment on the lawsuit because the matter is before the court. The mother said many other Indigenous mothers approached her after seeing the video and told her they had been through a similar experience. She said she realized she wanted to do something to ensure what happened to her wouldn't happen again. "I feel like it's my job to help put an end to this, to help make it right for the mother, for the child, and hopefully for the system all together because this is not right." The mother is represented by Alisa Lombard, a Saskatchewan-based lawyer who also worked on a class action involving Indigenous women who alleged they were forcibly sterilized. Birth alerts have long been criticized by Indigenous leaders who say the practice is stacked against their families. The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls said the alerts are "racist and discriminatory and are a gross violation of the rights of the child, the mother, and the community." Grand Chief Arlen Dumas with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said systemic racism exists in child and family services. "We cannot rely on the government to have our best interest and to ensure the well-being of our children and families," Dumas said in a news release. The statement of claim says birth alerts are typically issued by social workers. The alerts may occur because the pregnant woman is, or was, in care, or because she is looking for help from a social worker. The alert is issued without meeting any specific requirements and is not later reviewed, the lawsuit says. A document is issued to hospitals containing information about the pregnant woman, including alleged child protection concerns. The lawsuit alleges that birth alerts are motivated by discriminatory and harmful stereotypes about the parenting capabilities of persons of certain backgrounds. The inevitable result of this process has, therefore, been that most birth alerts in Manitoba are issued against Indigenous or racialized persons, or persons living with a mental or physical disability, at rates wholly disproportionate to their representation in the Canadian population at large. Statistics from the Manitoba government at the time of the 2019 video showed that newborn apprehensions occurred, on average, once a day. There are about 10,000 children in care in Manitoba and about 90 per cent are Indigenous. The province stopped using birth alerts in 2020 after a review found the practice was discouraging expectant mothers and families from reaching out for prenatal support. The alerts have also been stopped in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Yukon. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Cora Morgan, First Nations family advocate for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said her office continues to receive calls from mothers who have had their newborns taken from them. "Newborn apprehensions and the removal of children is an extremely traumatic practice that has long-lasting physical, mental and emotional effects for First Nations families," Morgan said in a news release. The mother said she feels lucky that her aunt was able to step in. But three years after her daughter's birth, the woman is still navigating the courts to get the child home one day. She said other mothers she talks with don't have the same support or are unable to speak out about injustices they may face. "I was given that strength, that power, that courage. I'm going to say something if something is not right." This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2022. The Manitoba agency that investigates public complaints about officer misconduct is getting overhauled amid growing calls for greater police scrutiny, CBC News has learned. The Manitoba agency that investigates public complaints about officer misconduct is getting overhauled amid growing calls for greater police scrutiny, CBC News has learned. "I don't want to prescribe the solution. I know there's a problem," provincial Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in response to a CBC News investigation into Manitoba's Law Enforcement Review Agency (LERA). Goertzen said the province will introduce legislation this session to address the "outdated" parts of LERA, an independent civilian agency that looks into complaints about the conduct of municipal police officers. To read more of this story first reported by CBC News, click here. This content is made available to Free Press readers as part of an agreement with CBC that sees our two trusted news brands collaborate to better cover Manitoba. Questions about CBC content can be directed to talkback@cbc.ca. Operations at a Winnipeg-based plastic packaging giant were disrupted for about two weeks after its computer network was held ransom in a sophisticated cyberattack thats becoming increasingly common in Canada. Operations at a Winnipeg-based plastic packaging giant were disrupted for about two weeks after its computer network was held "ransom" in a "sophisticated" cyberattack thats becoming increasingly common in Canada. Hackers infiltrated Winpak Ltd., which has manufacturing plants in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, in a ransomware attack, sources told the Free Press. Tasks had to be done manually while computers were "down," and everything from order processing to email and phone systems were disrupted, the sources said. JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES A spokesman for Winpak said the company learned last month its network had been targeted through sophisticated and unauthorized means. One source was unable to contact employees at the Winnipeg plant for a "significant" period of time following the attack. A spokesman for Winpak, based at 100 Saulteaux Cres. in the Murray Industrial Park in St. James, said the company learned on Feb. 21 its network had been "targeted through sophisticated and unauthorized means." Operations didnt return to normal until early last week, he said. Winpak would not say how much money was demanded or if a ransom was paid. Such attacks can be very profitable for cyber criminals, netting them tens of thousands or even millions of dollars. "Winpak immediately took action to protect our infrastructure and we are back resuming normal business operations," the company said a prepared statement. "We are working with a team of third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and are taking all the necessary steps to respond to the incident. "This matter is of the utmost concern to Winpak and is being treated as our highest priority. We thank everyone for their patience during this time." This matter is of the utmost concern to Winpak and is being treated as our highest priority. We thank everyone for their patience during this time. Winpak A Winpak spokeswoman said details were given to staff and customers, and the matter was being dealt with internally by senior management and the legal department. She was "not sure" if the cyberattack had been reported to police. A Winnipeg police spokeswoman said the service "does not have anything further to add beyond Winpaks statement." Unifor Local 830, which represents Winpak employees, declined to comment. Most ransomware attacks begin with a hacker sending malicious software, or malware, in a phishing email disguised as being from a trustworthy sender, said experts. When opened, the malware infiltrates a network and encrypts files, essentially locking out an entire company. Usually, a message pops up demanding the victim pay a ransom in cryptocurrency to regain access. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winpak Limited headquarters on Saulteaux Crescent. Earlier this month, Winpak reported a record $1 billion in revenue for the 2021 fiscal year, a 17.5 per cent increase from $852 million in 2020. Everything run by a hacked network is disrupted. This can include email servers, phones, security cameras and swipe cards, software to process orders and access to sensitive employee or financial data. "It will lock up everything it can and make nothing usable," said Matthew Manaigre, a cybersecurity expert and president and CEO of Winnipeg-based Avenir IT. "Its quite crippling." Most ransomware attacks are kept quiet, but they happen all the time, said Manaigre and Toronto-based cybersecurity and tech analyst Ritesh Kotak. "Its a lot more common than people realize," said Kotak. "There has been a significant increase." In a survey of more than 1,000 Canadian businesses last September, 55 per cent of respondents said their organization had been a recent victim of ransomware. Of those, almost 60 per cent paid a ransom, and 14 per cent paid more than once. Its a lot more common than people realize... There has been a significant increase. Ritesh Kotak, tech analyst Canadian companies pay an average ransom of $458,247, according to the poll conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks. Of those polled, 17 per cent paid between $500,000 and $5 million. "My position has always been not to pay," said Kotak. If a ransom is paid, the hackers could refuse to give a decryption key or demand more cash, or the money could end up funding terrorism or organized crime, he said. Of the businesses polled by Angus Reid, 58 per cent needed more than a month to recover from an attack. In December, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the national cyberspy agency, said Canada is among the top countries affected by ransomware. More than half of Canadian victims in the first half of 2021 were critical infrastructure providers, including the energy, health and manufacturing sectors, the CSE said. It said the frequency of global ransomware attacks soared 151 per cent from 2020 to 2021, and the average cost of recovery had more than doubled to $2.3 million last year. Manaigre and Kotak said the trends show more companies need to back up their data and do a better job of blocking malware to ensure employees dont open harmful files. Publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Winpak makes packaging materials mostly for perishable food, drinks, pharmaceuticals and medical and personal care products. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winpak would not say how much money was demanded or if a ransom was paid. Such attacks can be very profitable for cyber criminals, netting them tens of thousands or even millions of dollars. It has 12 manufacturing plants in North America that employ about 2,500 people, including roughly 700 in Winnipeg. Earlier this month, Winpak reported a record $1 billion in revenue for the 2021 fiscal year, a 17.5 per cent increase from $852 million in 2020. Net income was $106 million, as sales volumes jumped by almost 10 per cent to mark the firms highest annual growth rate since 2014. In its 2021 annual report, Winpak said it had "successfully" managed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while also dealing with"extremely difficult" supply chain problems and a labour shortage that were likely to continue in 2022. Last month, the company closed a production line as it struggled to obtain raw material while anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate protesters blocked the Canada-U.S. border in Emerson. CEO Olivier Muggli told the Free Press the blockade "hurt us significantly." with files from Carol Sanders chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching For two years, Carole Manzie-Burk has been a 10-minute drive from half of her family, but hasnt been able to visit them. For two years, Carole Manzie-Burk has been a 10-minute drive from half of her family, but hasnt been able to visit them. Manzie-Burk lives on the Canadian side of the international border near Emerson; her brother lives on the American side. Feds to drop COVID tests for vaccinated travellers A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, May 13, 2019. Airlines are facing a second headwind of skyrocketing oil prices which could make airfares even more expensive.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward Posted: 4:19 PM Mar. 16, 2022 OTTAWA - Vaccinated travellers will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test to come to Canada as of April 1, according to a source in the federal government. The change is welcome news, just in time for the tourist season, said Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable. Read Full Story COVID-19 has slammed the door on non-essential land crossings between the two countries for most of the pandemic. Even when non-essential travel has been allowed, since November, virus testing requirements discouraged many Manitobans from making the trip. Now, such family reunions and day trips arent far away. A federal source, who is not authorized to speak publicly, told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that Canadians will no longer need to show a negative COVID-19 test at international border crossings, starting April 1. The official announcement is set for later this week. "Thats super," Manzie-Burk, 80, said Wednesday. "It was two years ago, in January, I last saw my brother. I miss my brother. I miss my friends there. "Thats great news." Manzie-Burk said she hasnt been able to visit her sibling, who lives in a small town in Minnesota, since early in 2020. Even when non-essential trips at land and ferry ports began to be allowed late last year, she didnt go across, citing the expense for a molecular test when all she wanted was to spend an afternoon visiting before returning to Canada. "It was two years ago, in January, I last saw my brother. I miss my brother. I miss my friends there," said Carole Manzie-Burk. Manzie-Burk, who was born in the United States and came to Canada decades ago after marrying a Canadian, said even a recent change allowing a Canadian to present a negative rapid test at the border proved unhelpful because there was no place near the border to obtain it. "If youre triple-vaxed, like I am, why should we have to do anything?" she said. "If I have my vaccination card, why cant I just show that?" Simon Resch, co-owner of the Emerson Duty Free Shop, said having to find someplace in the United States to get a rapid test and have it monitored by a health professional was the last big hurdle stopping Manitobans from venturing across the border. Whether it is to pick up packages at a private postal outlet in Pembina, N.D., or a weekend shopping trip to Grand Forks or Fargo, Resch said he is looking towards a long-awaited surge in business, as more Canadians stop in to get discounted liquor, perfume or other items before crossing the border. "My phone has been lit up for the last two hours," he said Wednesday, after news of the upcoming change. "We most definitely have champagne here. This is two years in the making and hopefully the official announcement comes (Thursday) to confirm it." Simon Resch said having to find someplace in the United States to get a rapid test was the last big hurdle stopping Manitobans from venturing across the border. (John Woods / Candian Press files) However, Resch said, his outlook is tempered by the knowledge it could quickly change if novel coronavirus case numbers surge again. "Weve been waiting a long time to hear this, but Omnicron (variant) is still out there and COVID is still out there," he said. "But we do seem to be in a good spot now." Resch said the next step would be for Ottawa to drop the need for Canadians to fill in the ARRIVECan app, where they input proof of vaccination and other information before arriving at the border station. "Im in favour of dropping all of the requirements," he said. Meanwhile, Manzie-Burk said shes especially pleased with the upcoming rules change, because her family has been in a health-care race to get across the border. "My sister has been diagnosed with dementia," she said. "I want to take her to see our brother in Minnesota. I also want to take her to see our family in South Dakota before she gets any worse. "Im not going for shopping Im glad this is changing." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Police, parents and neighbours alike are worried after a man grabbed and assaulted a young girl this week on her way to Dalhousie School. Police, parents and neighbours alike are worried after a man grabbed and assaulted a young girl this week on her way to Dalhousie School. The girl (described as middle-school aged) was walking east on Greencrest Avenue toward Ulster Street between 8:30 am. and 9:30 a.m. Monday, when a man approached her from behind and pulled her to the ground, Winnipeg Police Service Const. Dani McKinnon told reporters Wednesday. The man tried to drag the girl before she kicked herself free and ran home in the Fort Richmond neighbourhood, police said. She didnt need medical attention. The suspect fled on foot. He was reported to be in his 20s or 30s, approximately 5-10, with an average build and unkempt appearance, McKinnon said. The man was wearing a dark hoodie, dark baggy jeans and a tuque, as well as a black face mask. "Somebody that maybe is in the area, perhaps living a transient lifestyle theres just not enough information at this time but I want to provide that context," McKinnon said, adding the incident was "very disturbing." "Ive been doing this job now for almost 20 years, Im a parent these kind of random events are extremely concerning," she said. "Its scary, parents will have to use their own judgment perhaps kids can start walking together Well continue to patrol the areas, the school has been very actively working with us." Pembina Trails School Division superintendent Ted Fransen said officials were upset to learn of what had happened but pleased the student is safe. "The school and WPS were able to respond quickly, since the student reported the incident to a trusted adult ASAP," he wrote in a statement Wednesday. Pembina Trails has a long-standing association with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, which runs a program called "Kids in the Know." "It provides a very effective strategy for students to be aware of their surroundings and to be mindful of how they interact with each other and adults," Fransen said. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The girl (described as middle-school aged) was walking east on Greencrest Avenue toward Ulster Street Monday morning, when a man approached her from behind and pulled her to the ground. Police are asking for any businesses or residents in the area with information or security camera footage to contact the child investigations unit at 204-986-3296. "We do believe that somebody may have inadvertently seen something," McKinnon said. Chris Mitchell, who was picking up his five-year-old daughter from kindergarten at the elementary school Wednesday, said hes going to be even more careful with her safety than he already was. "When I saw (the notification from the school) it freaked me out a little bit It couldve been my daughter, anybodys kid that goes to this school," the 39-year-old father of two said. "Now Im going to be a little bit more overprotective making sure shes actually in the class before I leave the property." The stretch of Greencrest Avenue where the incident occurred is a quiet residential street, lined with single-family homes on one side and a thick patch of trees on the other, about a block south of thoroughfare Dalhousie Drive. On Wednesday afternoon, a police cruiser circled the block. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A 34-year-old mother of two, Riti, has lived on the street for 10 years (she requested the Free Press withhold her surname because the suspect is still at large). Her five-year-old daughter goes to Dalhousie School, while her 13-year-old son goes to a nearby junior high. "Its shocking to hear, because this is a very well-used street, we see a lot of kids walking around we havent heard anything (criminal) on this street for 10 years," said Riti. "You would feel kids going to school are safe, right? It feels like we got to watch out for our kids." erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @erik_pindera Some Manitoba MPs are scratching their heads after being left off a black list that bars most of those sitting in the House of Commons from entering Russia. Some Manitoba MPs are scratching their heads after being left off a black list that bars most of those sitting in the House of Commons from entering Russia. Niki Ashton, Raquel Dancho and Leah Gazan were among the 45 MPs who can still enter Russia, which had banned their other 293 colleagues, as of Tuesday. Russias foreign ministry published what it called a "black list" of 313 names just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Parliament. In a statement, the ministry argued a "feverishly imposed" Canadian political class was indulging in anti-Russian sentiment by imposing sanctions, and thus Russia had to ban them from setting foot on its soil. "This step is forced, and taken in response to the outrageous hostility of the current Canadian regime, which has tested our patience for so long," reads the statement. Russia has previously banned some MPs, such as SelkirkInterlakeEastman MP James Bezan for his opposition of the 2014 invasion of Crimea. Niki Ashton, who represents northern Manitoba, called on vile Putin to stop his unbelievable and horrific invasion during a Tuesday podcast.. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES /Sean Kilpatrick The new list, which also included bureaucrats and civil society activists, misspelled a handful of names. That led to speculation on social media it was incompetence that caused some MPs to be left off the list. For example, Toronto Liberal MP Judy Sgro was dubbed "Jugy," while Vancouver colleague Taleeb Noormohameds name was spelled "Taaleeb." The NDP had eight of its caucus of 25 MPs left off the list. The party did not make Ashton and Gazan available for an interview, but said the NDP wasnt going easy on Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We dont know what the criteria was for getting on this list, but it wont stop our folks from continuing to speak out against the horrific crimes Putin is committing against people in Ukraine," the party wrote in a statement. Gazan, who represents Winnipeg Centre, faced criticism in January, over a tweet in which she said Ottawa providing "funding for an anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi & fascist militia is horrifying," referring to a $120-million aid package to Ukraine. "The rise of white supremacy and fascism is real. Time to stop the cowboy politics!" her tweet said. Ukraines army includes the Azov Battalion, a neo-Nazi group Canada has avoided working with in its military support for Ukraine. Russia has seized on concerns about the Azov Battalion to delegitimize Ukraine as a Nazi state, despite being led by a Jewish president. Conservative MP Raquel Dancho also wasnt sure why shes still able to visit Russia, saying she has a clear record of standing with Ukraine. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES/Sean Kilpatrick Gazan clarified she did not mean to equate Ukrainian society with Nazism, and said Russia needs to stop incurring on Ukraine and avoid provoking a war. This week she published several tweets in opposition of Russia's invasion. Ashton, who represents northern Manitoba, has faced push-back over the years for her views on regimes in countries such as Venezuela. But she called on "vile" Putin to stop his "unbelievable and horrific" invasion during a Tuesday podcast. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Dancho, the Conservative MP for KildonanSt. Paul, also wasnt sure why shes still able to visit Russia. "I have a clear record of standing with Ukraine against the Russian invasion, and was proud to speak in Parliament on behalf of my constituents to condemn the monstrous actions of Putin and the Russian regime and their horrific onslaught in Ukraine," she wrote. Among those left off the list were MPs who have been vocal in opposing the Putin regime for years, including Conservative MP Tom Kmiec, NDP MP Heather McPherson, both of Alberta, as well as Toronto Liberal MP Yvan Baker. "A lot of us are sort of scratching our heads," Baker said in a radio interview. Russias embassy in Ottawa did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca WHY do some Christians, especially some evangelicals, distrust science? Why do they turn to YouTube or social media for information about something like the pandemic? Why are they reluctant to rely on experts? WHY do some Christians, especially some evangelicals, distrust science? Why do they turn to YouTube or social media for information about something like the pandemic? Why are they reluctant to rely on experts? Those are some of the questions that will be addressed by Josh Reeves, author of the book Redeeming Expertise: Scientific Trust and the Future of the Church at the Providence Seminary Science and Faith Symposium on Saturday. Reeves, director of the Samford Center for Science and Religion at Samford University, a Christian university in Birmingham, Ala., will speak twice on the topics "Christianity and Science: Where the Problem Lies" and "How to Trust an Expert: Becoming a Wise Consumer of Science." In his first presentation, Reeves will talk about the reasons why some Christians distrust science. One reason is the idea that God gives Christians special knowledge through the Bible and the Holy Spirit nothing else is needed, he said. Another is a distrust of anything not explicitly Christian or founded on a biblical worldview. Reeves, who grew up evangelical, understands why many conservative Christians are skeptical about science. "Some people take the Bible literally, and anything in science that doesnt support the Bible, like evolution, can be seen as being of the devil, trying to cause believers to lose their faith," he said. In the second presentation he will talk about how Christians can find expert advice. "Its not about whether we trust an expert, but which one," he said. "Its important to verify who we trust." People "need to ask critical questions and understand which sources they are using for information so they can tell good information from bad," he said. His goal is to help Christians become "better consumers" of scientific information, including about things like COVID-19, and to see science as a part of healthy Christian discernment. For Christians science and faith can go together, he said, adding the two need each other. "Without science, theology can turn into superstition. Without theology, science can try to explain too much," he said. Other topics that will be addressed at the symposium, titled "In Him All Things Hold Together," include "Gods Kaleidoscope: Where Faith and Science Meet" and "Living with Science and Faith." Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. For Robert Dean, who teaches theology and ethics at Providence Seminary, the symposium is a way for the school to "speak into the pandemic" and other scientific questions and issues. Its also a way for people to learn how science works; "what it can and cant do, and how science advances," he said. Like Reeves, Dean knows many evangelicals have been taught "to be distrustful of science." The symposium is a way to have a dialogue with people who are skeptical and help pastors navigate divisions in their churches over approaches to the pandemic, he said. Attendance at the online event is free; people can register at http://wfp.to/Q8s. faith@freepress.mb.ca Of all the images that Phil Sheegl conjured during his time as Winnipegs top bureaucrat, the most lasting has to be those damned monkeys. Of all the images that Phil Sheegl conjured during his time as Winnipegs top bureaucrat, the most lasting has to be those damned monkeys. In 2011, shortly after he was promoted to serve as Winnipegs chief administrative officer, Sheegl placed a statue of the "three wise monkeys" outside his city hall office. The iconic monkeys which see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil appeared suddenly and without explanation, and sat chained to a wooden bench with a bicycle cable. To many, the monkeys seemed like a message. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES In 2011, shortly after he was promoted to serve as Winnipegs chief administrative officer, Phil Sheegl placed a statue of the three wise monkeys outside his city hall office. Although they can mean different things to different people, the three wise monkeys are largely viewed in western societies as a tribute to the wilful ignorance of impropriety. Was this Sheegls way of telling us he was more than prepared to overlook the impropriety of others? Or, that most of us were too stupid (monkeys, right?) to notice what he was doing in the commission of his duties? If it was the latter, then Sheegl made a profound miscalculation. This week, Justice Glenn Joyal of the Court of Queens Bench issued a summary judgment in a civil lawsuit brought by the city, determining Sheegl accepted a $327,000 bribe from Caspian Construction in exchange for the CAOs help in securing a $130-million contract to build the downtown Winnipeg Police Service headquarters. Joyal ruled Sheegl must repay $327,000 equal to the bribe he is alleged to have accepted. He also awarded the city $250,000 in severance paid to Sheegl when he left the CAO post, and interest, and a $100,000 in punitive damages. The judge will likely also order Sheegl to pay the citys legal costs. The civil judgment is, to many who have followed his career, merely a qualified victory. Joyal ruled Sheegl must repay $327,000 equal to the bribe he is alleged to have accepted. In 2019, after a five-year RCMP investigation, Manitoba Justice declined to file criminal charges against Sheegl and his associates. How could Sheegl be condemned in a civil proceeding while escaping criminal charges? Civil proceedings do not rely on proving a charge beyond a reasonable doubt; the standard for culpability is lower, based on a "balance of probabilities." Even based on a lower threshold of proof, his decision is hardly shocking to all those who felt strongly, from the moment in 2008 when former mayor Sam Katz first hired Sheegl, that wed all rue the day a shark from the citys real estate and development industry was allowed into the guppy tank. WAYNE GLOWACKI/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES In 2012, barely a year after Phil Sheegl took over the CAO position, it was learned he had sold an Arizona shell company to Katz, a highly unusual and unethical transaction between a mayor and his chief administrator. When he entered public administration in 2008 as head of the citys planning property and development department, Sheegl was well known as a close personal and business associate of Katz. However, he had absolutely no experience as a public administrator, a fact that Katz tried to parlay into an advantage. Similar concerns were expressed in 2011 when Sheegl was appointed CAO, the citys top bureaucrat and the highest paid public servant in Manitoba. Katz denied he had any role in the promotion, but few believed him; Sheegl was the only one of seven short-list candidates who had exactly no experience running a municipal corporation. Not surprisingly, while the two men ruled city hall, the ethical transgressions started to pile up. In 2012, barely a year after Sheegl took over the CAO position, it was learned he had sold an Arizona shell company to Katz, a highly unusual and unethical transaction between a mayor and his chief administrator. The plot thickened when it was learned Katz had purchased a million-dollar home in Scottsdale reportedly in a cash transaction from a relative of an executive of a big Winnipeg developer long linked to both Katz and Sheegl. In 2012, barely a year after Sheegl took over the CAO position, it was learned he had sold an Arizona shell company to (former mayor) Katz, a highly unusual and unethical transaction between a mayor and his chief administrator. In 2013, an internal city report concluded Sheegl had exerted inappropriate influence over an $18-million land deal with Shindico, another company closely associated with the CAO and Katz. The report said Sheegl had been guilty of "favouritism" in the approval of the land deal and also of efforts to keep council from learning the details. Although it did not appear his behaviour was criminal, Sheegls transgressions were definitely firing offences. Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for everyone else, he resigned his post and collected a gaudy severance payment just days before the Shindico report was released. And then, of course, we have the WPS headquarters. A contract awarded to a questionable contractor, under questionable circumstances that not surprisingly was $80 million over budget. If and its a big if new evidence came forward in the civil proceeding, there is always a possibility Manitoba Justice could reconsider its decision not to prosecute. In many respects, Sheegls luck seems to have run out. The civil judgment recounts how the former real estate baron refused to comply with demands for disclosure or provide reasonable answers to questions from city lawyers. If and its a big if new evidence came forward in the civil proceeding, there is always a possibility Manitoba Justice could reconsider its decision not to prosecute. While we await Sheegls future legal travails, Id like to return once more to those monkeys. When I first saw the statue, I couldnt escape the feeling that the monkeys were actually laughing at me, on Sheegls behalf. However, now that Sheegl has been held financially responsible for his ethically fluid approach to public administration, there is an obvious question left hanging in the air. Whos laughing now? dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This week marks the 11th anniversary of the start of the Syrian civil war. This week marks the 11th anniversary of the start of the Syrian civil war. Looking back at more than a decade of war, many members of Manitoba's Syrian community are painfully reminded of its effects as they witness the devastating invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. In 2021, 80,000 refugees were resettled in Canada, with approximately 2,500 of them resettling in Manitoba, according to Immigrate Manitoba. To read more of this story first reported by CBC News, click here. This content is made available to Free Press readers as part of an agreement with CBC that sees our two trusted news brands collaborate to better cover Manitoba. Questions about CBC content can be directed to talkback@cbc.ca. The newest State of Equity in Education reports call attention to the dearth of teacher diversity data that Manitoba school divisions collect and make public. The newest State of Equity in Education reports call attention to the dearth of teacher diversity data that Manitoba school divisions collect and make public. The reports highlight the underrepresentation of both Indigenous and racialized newcomer educators in Winnipeg, and include calls to action to graduate more teachers from marginalized communities. They are authored by the Winnipeg Indigenous Executive Circle and Newcomer Education Coalition, in partnership with the Community Education Development Association. "A guiding principle of the report is that to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students, they need to see themselves better reflected in the curriculum and all staff positions within the public education system," states an excerpt from the WIEC document that was released this week. This years reports, which were released 17 months after the inaugural editions were published, draw on survey data collected from six metro boards, four faculties of education, and the provincial government. The Winnipeg School Division, in which approximately 27 per cent of students are Indigenous, is the only division that provided a 2018-19 breakdown of its school leader and teacher demographics. Roughly 11 per cent of WSD principals, nine per cent of permanent teachers, and 14 per cent of educational assistants self-identify as either First Nations, Metis or Inuit. The Louis Riel School Division recently implemented a workforce survey, while River East Transcona and St. James-Assiniboia have indicated interest in carrying out such surveys, per the WIEC and NEC reports. The report authors note that Seven Oaks provided them with a workforce survey completed in 2020-21, although the division declined to formally participate in the 2021 State of Equity in Education survey. The internal data show approximately 12 per cent of employees who work in the division in northwest Winnipeg identify as Indigenous The co-author of WIECs report said there is much more work to be done to improve let alone acknowledge the lack of representation in city schools. The collective estimates as many as 700 additional Indigenous teachers are needed to address the current representation gap. "(Schools) have an obligation to help us move these gaps and help us have better outcomes for our youth and thats not to say school divisions dont already have initiatives in place and that theyre not already doing something, but we just know that whatevers happening right now isnt enough and we need to continue to move forward," said Heather McCormick, chairwoman of WIECs education committee, during a news conference at Merchants Corner on Wednesday. "So I think that in the spirit of reconciliation, people should feel that they do need to participate." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Kevin Chief, former MLA for Point Douglas, said Wednesday that WIEC continues to build momentum and will not stop drawing attention to issues of representation. "Ive always believed that its irresponsible of us to ask any young person to overcome hardship and challenge unless we can show them others whove done it. You simply cant tell them. You have to be able to show them," Chief told reporters. Based on their student populations, Pembina Trails, Louis Riel, St. James-Assiniboia, River East Transcona, and Seven Oaks would need to hire enough Indigenous teachers to account for 7.8, 13.5, 16.1, 16.3, and 16.5 per cent of their respective staff rosters so they are proportionate. In its new report, WIEC has proposed a detailed plan to scale up the number of Indigenous teacher candidates immediately. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie The recent freedom convoy protests across the country revealed that many Canadians are angry at government and have a growing distrust of some democratic institutions. Even though the protesters actions may not represent how a majority of Canadians feel about vaccine mandates, theres reason to believe their negative views about government are not unique. Opinion The recent freedom convoy protests across the country revealed that many Canadians are angry at government and have a growing distrust of some democratic institutions. Even though the protesters actions may not represent how a majority of Canadians feel about vaccine mandates, theres reason to believe their negative views about government are not unique. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute asked respondents if Canada could be accurately described as having a good system of government 45 per cent said it could not. The poll also found no region of the country had a majority of residents who felt the federal government cared about issues important to them. None of this is surprising in a country where Western alienation is still a concern and opinions are divided on federal government actions to battle climate change. A common refrain from politicians is that Canada is a democracy where everyone is entitled to vote, so if you dont like what the government is doing, then you can vote it out of office. Implicit in that response is that everyone enjoys an equal opportunity to determine who forms government. But the refrain is also at odds with our current democratic process. For quite some time, whats united a majority of Canadians is that they dont like the vision of the government in power, no matter what their political colours are. Whats needed to release tensions of growing divisions is a recalibration of our basic democratic institution. Canada has had 12 elections since 1984, when the Progressive Conservatives under Brian Mulroney were the last party to enjoy the support of a majority of voters. In all 11 elections since 1984, a majority of Canadians most times in excess of 60 per cent have not supported the government in power. What voters cant agree upon is whose vision they prefer. These figures have not been lost on the countrys political leaders. They have given up on seeking a true majority of voters and have designed their policies often in very cynical fashion, such as transport subsidies for urban voters or gun law freedoms for rural voters to appeal only to what they consider their electoral base, believing this base can give them a shot at forming government. Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievres support of the freedom convoy was the latest example of the appeal to your base strategy. Its not the number of people you can attract to your party; its more important to focus on which electorate voters reside in. For example, I live in the electoral riding of Windsor West. Herb Gray held the riding for the Liberal party from 1962 to 2002 sometimes with 73 per cent of the popular vote, but most times around the 55 per cent mark. In a 2002 byelection, Brian Masse was elected for the NDP with 42 per cent and he still represents the riding. In my riding, if you are a Conservative or Green voter, you may as well stay at home. In the 12 federal elections held over the last 37 years, five resulted in minority governments. Obviously, we are not experiencing the electoral stability that supporters of first-past-the-post system have always argued as a strength of the current electoral process. How, then, do we recalibrate our basic democratic system to ensure that everyones vote counts, that political leaders are incentivized to court every voter and construct policy aligned with that goal, and to ensure those who feel alienated are heard? The answer lies in moving to some form of proportional representational electoral system. This idea is not new, but now more than ever it is necessary to revitalize our democracy and provide a pathway for unity. Among those alternative systems, New Zealands Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system has many advantages. Canadians cant leave electoral reform to mainstream politicians and the current Liberal government has already reneged on a promise to eliminate the first-past-the-post system. New Zealands system would require changes to be suitable for Canada, but some form of proportional representation is the best way to ensure that every vote counts and that we do truly get the government we deserve. In New Zealand, everyone has two votes one for the candidate to represent their riding and one for the party of their choice. Riding candidates are elected on the basis of first past the post, but the composition of the parliament is also based on the popular vote share across the country. So if a party gets 35 per cent of the popular vote, but holds only 25 per cent of the seats in parliament, its allotted extra seats that are drawn from a list of candidates put forward by their party. There are currently 75 electorate members and 45 list members in New Zealand. These lists have widened the diversity of candidates, providing an additional strength to a representative democracy. Maori MPs in New Zealand have increased to 20 per cent from five per cent (Maori make up 15 per cent of the population) and Pacific Islanders (seven per cent of the population) to seven per cent from one per cent. Gender parity has largely been obtained (48 per cent of MPs are women and 11 per cent are from the LGBTTQ+ community). Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In practice, New Zealands proportional system has resulted in several forms of government. There have been true minority governments where a party has gained only 42 per cent of the popular vote and has held government with 45 per cent of the seats. There have been true majority governments the current one elected in 2020 being one of them. But more often, there have been true coalition governments where parties have agreed on particular policy items, including holding ministerial portfolios, signed an accord and have governed accordingly. Their legitimacy comes from the fact that in coalition they represent a true majority of the voters. Most New Zealand voters use their two votes for the same party, but vote-splitting does occur. If this system was brought to Canada, I might want to vote NDP for my riding MP, but give more say to the Green Party because I believe strongly in climate change and thats where I would give my party vote. For a Conservative voter in Windsor West, under a proportional voting system, their party vote has the same value as everyone else in the country. That would dissuade parties from only appealing to their base with policies that alienate the majority of the electorate. Jeff Berryman is a distinguished university professor and professor of law at the University of Windsor. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. Opinion "SIGN here, please." Anyone who has ever accepted a UPS delivery, signed a permission slip for a school field trip or filled out a legal document has likely seen or heard this phrase. Although it takes only a few seconds to sign a document, our handwritten signature means we have read the document and accepted its terms. The signature makes an agreement legal. But signatures might soon become a relic. Fewer students are learning cursive writing, as evidenced by it being optional in Ontario, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Thankfully, Manitoba still requires students to learn this skill. Many educators dont see a problem with dropping cursive writing. After all, handwritten signatures are being replaced by electronic signatures and PIN codes. If the only reason for learning cursive writing is to sign legal documents, perhaps we should phase it out of education. But handwriting is far more important than for signing documents. For example, a recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology showed handwriting engages the persons thinking in more ways than typing on a keyboard does. In this study, researchers compared the brain activity of children while writing by hand with children who were typing. Not surprisingly, they found writing produced far more brain activity than typing. Children were much more likely to remember words they wrote than words they typed. In another study, Dr. Hetty Roessingh, a professor at the University of Calgary and an expert in language and literacy, found handwriting assists young students recognize letter shapes and plays a fundamental role in their development as readers. According to Roessingh, connecting letters together by handwriting moves the information from the students short-term memories into their long-term memories. Thus, the material is more likely to be remembered. Obviously, handwriting remains useful long after students have finished elementary school. In 2014, Dr. Pam Mueller and Dr. Daniel Oppenheimer published an excellent article in Psychological Science showing university students who took notes by hand retained considerably more information than students who typed notes on laptops. Mueller and Oppenheimer attributed their results to the fact students who wrote by hand usually summarized the main points in their own words, and the information was more likely to be processed by their brains. This process helped these students to retain the most important information in their long-term memories. Laptops made it too easy for students to transcribe lectures almost word-for-word without having their brains work the ideas over. Consequently, students who typed had a worse understanding of the material. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Clearly, students should hand write notes because it helps them retain more information. But students need to learn how to write cursively. If they dont learn to hand write in school, they are unlikely to acquire this critical skill later in their lives. Learning is hard work, because our brains are not naturally wired for the foundational skills of reading and writing. To master these skills, they must be taught, regularly practised, constantly evaluated and reinforced. The evidence is very clear: handwriting is a useful skill students need to learn in elementary school. Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher, a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, and the author of A Sage on the Stage: Common Sense Reflections on Teaching and Learning. Troy Media With violence escalating in Ukraine, the International Owl Center has found a unique way to provide some help to Ukrainian children. The center in Houston is hosting an online auction of different pieces of artwork that it has received from Ukrainian children, with all of the proceeds going to UNICEF and their efforts in Ukraine. For Executive Director Karla Bloem, there wasnt a better way to utilize the art than to help the children involved in the conflict. When things broke out in Ukraine, we knew we had all this art from Ukraine. We didnt know how much we had. I knew we had some and so I just shared some of the pictures on our social media, along with artwork from children from Russia, as theyre being impacted in some ways also, Bloem said. And it really touched people and we had so many people respond to it and share it and many asked, Can we buy some of this artwork, and then I also shared it in one of our E-newsletters for the owl center ... and again, really strong response. The artwork is part of a collection of hundreds of submissions the center receives for its coloring contest that was started in 2003. Staff went through all the art we had in storage and we realized we had over 300 pieces, Bloem said. In the process of setting up the online auction, Bloem was thankful for the help she received from the Houston Area Community Foundation, as well as the technology from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, SMIF. It was way easier because Jayne Overstreet who works for SMIF ... Shes just doing this as an independent volunteer. Shes the one thats done the bulk of the setting up, Bloem said. While this is the first online auction for the center, it has had its fair share of auctions with the support of the Houston community. But this auction for Bloem means just a little bit more. I feel very blessed that were in the position were in, where we can help connect people who want to help the kids and the people in Ukraine, Bloem said. Bloem added the real connection is made with the children of Ukraine as this is all work made with their own hands and their own creativity. There will be multiple auctions for the artwork coming in future weeks. The first auction opened March 16 and will close on March 20 at 8 p.m. Future auction dates will be announced on the centers website and social media pages. To learn more about the International Owl Center or partake in the auction, visit https://www.internationalowlcenter.org/ Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Brother Michael Fehrenbach, FSC, Visitor of the Christian Brothers of the Midwest District, accepts an honorary doctorate in educational leadership on behalf of Blessed James Miller. Cotter Schools announced plans to buy Maria Hall (pictured) and the Tau Center from Winona State University. WSU's third West Campus building, Lourdes Hall, was also up for sale last fall, but no sale has been announced. JUNEAU Dodge County authorities will share developments Friday in a 2009 case where a dead infant was found wrapped inside a garbage bag in the woods near the town of Theresa. The Dodge County Sheriffs Office and Dodge County Medical Examiners Office will discuss the death investigation of the newborn girl, who was dubbed by authorities as Baby Theresa because she was found near the Theresa March. Authorities were not able to locate the infants mother at the time of her death. Baby Theresa was found on Lone Road less than a mile from Highway 175 and less than three miles from Highway 41, on April 29, 2009. The man who found the body was cutting wood on private property. The press conference Friday is limited to members of the media. The Dodge County District Attorneys Office is also expected to join the conference, according to a release from the Sheriffs Office. Relatedly, a hearing is scheduled in Dodge County Circuit Court on Friday stemming from charges filed in 2014 against an unknown woman believed to be involved in Baby Theresas death. The eight-year-old charges against a woman identified only as Jane Doe are for felony counts of hiding a corpse and concealing the death of a child. According to the complaint, a now 61-year-old man found a white plastic garbage bag on his property. He opened the bag and saw a bloody towel and possible fetus or baby in the bag. The baby was taken to Fond du Lac Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy. According to the complaint, the female infant was consistent with full-term gestation. An umbilical cord and small portion of membranes were present. There was no placenta present and no traumatic injuries. The cause of death was fetal demise. According to the complaint, a maxi pad was found in the bag, and a womans DNA profile was detected from the dried blood on the pad. A mixture of DNA from two or more people was detected from the wrapper of the maxi pad. Checking it against genetic markers of Baby Theresa, the analyst determined one of the DNA profiles was the biological mother of the infant. In 2009, authorities said the infant, who was 8 lbs. and 20.5 inches, had died within 24 hours of the body being found. The medical examiner at the time said that Baby Theresa did not suffer trauma that would result in her death. In addition, a complete toxicology screen was performed for drugs and was negative. The autopsy also indicated she was likely born within two days of her body being found. Tips came into the Dodge County Sheriffs Office right after Baby Theresa was found but they dried up soon after. The Wisconsin State Crime Lab in Madison analyzed evidence recovered from the scene and identified what is believed to be a DNA profile of the biological mother at the time. The DNA profile is run through a national database of convicted felons and sex offenders to look for a match. Members of the community came forward to support Baby Theresa. The Lowell Cemetery Association provided a cemetery plot so Baby Theresa could be laid to rest. Cornerstone Funeral Home and community members donated money and items to make the burial possible. About 50 people attended her funeral in May of 2009, which was presided over by the Rev. Timothy Bauer. Baby Theresa was buried in a 24-inch-long, white casket and dressed in a pink one-piece outfit and a white sweater. Dodge County has four other cold cases listed on its website: Jerrold D. Stege, 43 at the time, was reported missing on Oct. 11, 2002, by his father. He was last seen on Oct. 2, 2002, at his place of employment in Waupun. His apartment was unlocked and there was no signs of a disturbance. Christine D. Stenulson, 38 at the time, was last seen in her home in Milwaukee, on Sept. 2, 1997. Her body was found in a cornfield in southeastern Dodge County on Sept. 14, 1997. Laura A. Babe, then 39-years-old, was beaten to death while at her apartment on Washington Street in Horicon on Sept. 6, 2007. The apartment was then set on fire and damaged the apartment complex. Lori Bogenschneider, 34 at the time, was last seen in Mayville between Aug. 29 and Sept. 3, 1993. Her skeletal remains were found along a county road between Iron Ridge and Mayville on Dec. 7, 1995. Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or contact her at 920-356-6760. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last month communities where hospitals arent under high strain could relax masking protocols, many Columbia County school districts have done away with mandatory masking. Some districts did away with required masking months ago, while others made the move more recently. Columbia County is considered to have low community spread of the coronavirus areas where the CDC no longer recommends mandatory masking. The Pardeeville School District was ahead of the CDC in easing up on masking, making face coverings optional beginning on Nov. 29. Buses in the district have had an optional policy on masking since March 1. District Administrator Jason LeMay says around 5% to 10% of Pardeeville students and staff still wear masks. Lodi schools, on the other hand, moved to make masks optional in schools on Feb. 25. According to Lodi Superintendent Vince Breunig, the district remains vigilant in monitoring cases and contact tracing. COVID testing is still being offered at Lodi High School. While masking in the district is still recommended, Breunig, like LeMay, says many in the district have chosen to go without. The vast majority are not wearing masks, Breunig said. I think with the school and CDC both moving away from required masking, people who may have been hesitant to go without a mask have felt more comfortable going without a mask. In the Poynette School District, school board members moved to end the mask mandate on March 1. The mandate ended earlier for Rio students on Feb. 16. While the district continues to monitor positive COVID cases, Rio is no longer contact tracing. Like Lodi, the Poynette and Rio school districts are also offering testing. However, Rio superintendent Craig Vetter says that in his district, tests arent in high demand. We have been offering COVID testing in our schools for a number of months, he said. Not too many are utilizing the testing at this time. In neighboring Dane County, where the Madison School District still requires masks to be worn indoors and on buses, things look a lot different. Transmission levels in both counties are currently listed as low on the CDC website. According to CDC data, Columbia County has a seven-day average of 31 new cases each day, contrasting Dane Countys average of 423. On June 7, 1635, the first of the American generations of Dawes arrived in Boston from Sudbury, County, Suffolk, England. A tiny vessel sailing about April 10, disembarking a full load of emigrants, some close to death from two months of nausea. A healthy one was 15-year-old William Dawes. In the course of time, William had a son, Ambrose. Ambrose had a son, Thomas. Thomas had a son, William. William had a son, William Jr., who rode with Paul Revere on April 18, 1775, to warn of the British approach. Almost every school child knows Paul Revere counted the signal lanterns in the Old North Church, then raced on horseback from Boston to Concord warning, The Redcoats are coming! Revere became famous for his midnight ride on the eve of the American Revolution largely thanks to the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Longfellow, in the interest of rhyming, likely did not include Dawes in the ride for that reason. As early as 1817, many of the Dawes family members had relocated to Malta, Ohio. Henry Dawes, grandson of William Jr. came to Mauston, and on May 18, 1855, recorded extensive land purchases in Seven Mile Creek. Henry Dawes made arrangements to enter his two sons, Ephraim and Rufus, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The summer of 1858, the two boys spent at Mauston helping clear the Dawes farmland. Soon a large new home was erected on the farm. This house still stands several miles south of Mauston on Highway K at the top of Keegan Hill. It is known as the Shelton place. Henry Dawes was elected as Juneau County coroner and served on the county board. He also owned land in the town of Wonewoc. When the War Between the States became a reality, President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for volunteers, To Arms! This call to rally did not go unanswered in Juneau County. Within five days, 47 men answered the call at a meeting in Langworthys Hall, located near the site of McKinneys Store. On July 6, 1861, 94 men boarded the train for Camp Randall in Madison, among the enlistees was John Holden from Wonewoc, who had walked 16 miles to join the company of Lemonweir Minute Men. Before leaving, Rufus Dawes was selected as captain of the company. Rufus Dawes went on to become a superior officer in Company K of the 6th Regiment during the Civil War. After the War, he spent most of his life in Ohio, where he was elected as a member of Congress. The last documented visits of Rufus to Mauston were in 1867, when his father died, and 1868, when he closed the extensive estate. He had an auction, the largest ever held, at that time, in the county. Currently, those homestead buildings are listed on The National Register of Historic Places. Feb. 15, 1975Feb. 28, 2022 WISCONSIN DELLS/PORTAGEStephanie Gunderson, age 47, of Wisconsin Dells, passed away on Monday, February 28, 2022. Stephanie was born on February 15, 1975, in Portage, the daughter of Steven and Vickie (Anacker) Greenwold. She was a 1993 graduate of Portage High School. Stephanie was happily married on September 9, 2006 to Todd Gunderson, in Wisconsin Dells, where she loved working as a manager for the Original Wisconsin Ducks and Boat Tours. Stephanie also worked tirelessly for the Portage Area Caring Tree as a passionate Co-Chair to bring a bit of joy to children who were not as fortunate as she was. Steph represented the true essence of selflessness. She had a way of making every life she touched feel important and accepted. Her giggly smile and gleaming eyes would light up whenever you would see her. She had a way of making everyone feel like they were connecting with a long-lost friend. She was more than just a good person, she was genuine. Steph was known for her compassion, kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, and positivity. Steph understood the truest meaning of life and it reflected in the way she lived it. Those fortunate enough to have known Steph became better people just by having her touch their lives. Steph knew the importance of life and always put her family first. She and her brother were always close and when they were together laughter filled the room. Steph was an excellent cook and enjoyed sharing her passion with others. She was a definite foodie and loved trying new recipes and restaurants. She and her Mom were always looking for new places for dinner or just apps. Whether they were shopping for bargains or on one of their many trips, the search for good food was on the agenda. Steph deeply loved her grandparents and enjoyed spending time with them sharing family stories and making memories. Steph was also a loving aunt, always bursting with pride and never missing milestones, birthdays, or a chance to make every moment special. Steph looked forward to date night with her hubby enjoying a good bottle of wine in the hot tub or attending a concert of their favorite band. They spent many happy hours on the patio watching the birds or catching up on their day. Steph felt blessed to have so many loving friends in her life. She also enjoyed many simple pleasures: hanging out with her best friend, Doug, camping, card games and puzzles, sitting on their back patio, movies, and a good scarf. Steph had a way of finding peace and serenity in life and in everything she enjoyed. She is survived by her loving husband, Todd Gunderson; her mother, Vickie Greenwold; her brother, Brian (Kim) Greenwold; her nephew, Peyton Greenwold; her grandmother, Carol Anacker; her best friend, Doug; her aunts and uncles: Dawn (Roger) Lochner, Mike (Lori) Greenwold and Larry (Ellen) Greenwold; her in-laws, Michael and Susan Gunderson; her brother-in-law, Kevin Gunderson; her niece, Madison Gunderson; many cousins and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her father, and her grandparents, Arthur Anacker, Eleanor and Frank Greenwold. Stephanie will leave a hole in the hearts of her family and those who knew and loved her. She was one of a kind. A Celebration of Life will be held on April 2, 2022 at Trappers Turn in Wisconsin Dells from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage (www.pmmfh.com) is assisting the family. A Kenosha Unified school resource officer who spoke out against the districts mask mandate while providing security during a School Board meeting wants his job back and called for the board presidents resignation Tuesday night. David Molinaro, who called on the board to lift the mandate at the Jan. 25 School Board meeting, addressed the board again during public comments prior to its unanimous decision to end the district-wide requirement for face coverings. Masks will be optional beginning Wednesday. This time, Molinaro stood at the podium having been replaced by other security personnel. Molinaro, a retired Kenosha Police Department lieutenant, said he had previously been asked to provide security for the board and showed up to his job each day and did it the right way. The problem with speaking, Ms. Adams, is it went against your agenda, he said. Adams had stopped an in-person meeting on Aug. 24 when overflow crowds would not distance and relocate into an overflow room to watch the proceedings. Two days later, the meeting was held virtually and a board majority approved the masking requirement. Molinaro called her a bully and unprofessional, demanding she resign immediately. If Unifieds bullying policy had a high bar, you would clear it in street shoes, he said. According to Molinaro, Adams in an e-mail had accused him of not doing his job while he had stood in the meeting room doorway. During Tuesdays session he asked women in the audience to hold up their purses. Show me which purse has a weapon in it. Show me which person in this room can do carnage, great bodily harm or death. You cant show me that, he said. So, I stood in the doorway and I watched their eyes and I watched their hands. Addressing interim Superintendent Bethany Ormseth he asked to be reinstated. To Adams, he said he may run against her in 2023. Ms. Adams, I suggest you resign from the board tonight, he said. If not, you might find my name next to yours when your term is up. Resign tonight because you cannot be trusted for doing your job in an ethical manner. You are a bully. I want my job back. Tanya Ruder, Unifieds spokesperson, said Molinaro had not been fired and is still employed as a school resource officer, but was not currently performing security duties for the board. Adams said his being replaced had nothing to do with his speaking out against the masking requirement. It had to do with the fact that he was being paid by the board to do security and he was acting as an attendee at that meeting, she said. Sizemore Journalism Funds Page Menu Journalism Programs Mason Sizemore Travel and Graduate Funds Sharp Seminar Collaboration with the Pulitzer Center Facebook Departments & Programs Departments & Programs * Graduate Study Offered Africana Studies American Studies * Anthropology * Applied Science * Art & Art History Biology * Biochemistry Business Chemistry * Classical Studies Computational & Applied Mathematics & Statistics Computer Science * Data Science Economics Education English Environment & Sustainability Film & Media Studies Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies Geology Global Studies Government History * Integrative Conservation International Relations Judaic Studies Kinesiology Linguistics Marine Science Mathematics Medieval & Renaissance Studies Military Science Modern Languages Music Neuroscience Philosophy Physics * Psychological Sciences * Public Health Public Policy * Religious Studies Self-Designed Sociology Theatre, Speech & Dance All Majors and Minors Mason Sizemore graduated from William & Mary in 1963, where he was editor of the College's newspaper, The Flat Hat. Following his graduation from William & Mary, Mason went on to receive his graduate degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1965 and his Master's of Business Administration from the University of Washington in 1985. From 1985-2001 Mason served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Seattle Times and has been active on a number of different Boards including The Seattle Times Communications Co., The Newspaper Association of American, Associated Press Managing Editors, The Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, and The College of William & Mary Alumni Association. After his retirement from the Seattle Times in 2002, Mason traveled the world with his wife Connie, enjoyed his granddaughter, and continued corporate-board service. Thanks to the generosity of Mason and Connie Sizemore, the College has created the Sizemore Journalism Travel Fund and the Sizemore Fellowship for Graduate Study in Journalism. The Sizemore Journalism Travel Fund Created in 2014, the income from this endowment is used to fund undergraduate student travel to conduct interviews and to meet other costs associated with research for journalism projects. While William & Mary does not have a degree program in journalism, there are a growing number of courses that provide students with opportunities to write for non-academic audiences. This fund is intended to support travel and research for these academic courses. Contact the Charles Center for more information on the Sizemore Travel Fund. The Sizemore Fellowship for Graduate Study in Journalism The Sizemore Fellowship for Graduate Study in Journalism was created through the generosity of Mason and Connie Sizemore to assist in the costs associated with graduate school. Applicants must be graduating seniors who plan to enroll in a graduate school of journalism in the fall immediately after graduation. Shannon Crawford was the last Sizemore Fellow selected to receive the $17,500 award to support her graduate study at the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism. Fourth grade students ask a teacher questions about the new semester at a primary school in Wenming Yao Township, Rucheng County, Hunan Province on Sept 1, 2021. [Xinhua] New measures aim to further reduce academic workload on students No academic competitions should be organized for students in primary and middle schools, and the results of any other competitions must not be used for student enrollment in higher-level schools, a new guideline said on Tuesday. The guideline, issued by the Ministry of Education, the State Commission Office of Public Sector Reform, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, is aimed at further reducing the academic workload on students caused by attending various competitions. The number of competitions will be strictly limited and the regulation of them will be strengthened, the guideline said. The competitions should not be profit-driven and the hosts of competitions are not allowed to charge students or schools any fees. No competition-related training, summer or winter camps, or study tours are allowed, and there should be no teaching materials or books used in competitions, or any grading tests conducted in the name of such competitions, the guideline said. Students should only attend competitions on a voluntary basis and no one should coerce and induce schools, students or parents to take part in them, it said. The State Commission Office of Public Sector Reform is responsible for verifying competition hosts that are government institutions, while the Ministry of Civil Affairs should verify those that are social organizations, and the Ministry of Education has the final say on whether to allow the competition to be held and to publish a "white list" of competitions. In the latest white list published by the ministry, only 36 competitions, mainly nonacademic ones, were given the green light last year. This year's list will be published in August. Certificates issued by a competition should note its approval by the Ministry of Education and be clearly marked "not to be used for school enrollment", the guideline said. Local education authorities, schools and other organizations should not organize any competitions that are not on the white lists. Any organizers caught seriously violating the regulation will be removed from the list and will not be allowed to apply to host a competition again, it said. International competitions hosted by Chinese and foreign organizations should also comply with the regulation, it said. Yin Houqing, former deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, said that for a long time there have been all kinds of competitions for primary and secondary school students, leading to an excessive academic burden on students and a big financial burden on parents. The new guideline aims to make the competitions become nonprofit and promote the diversified development of students, he said, adding that organizers should also make sure competitions have a fair grading system by impartial experts. Tian Lin, principal of the High School Affiliated to Minzu University of China, said many competitions have claimed they can be used to boost students' chances of enrolling in a good school and parents have signed up their children for training and lead-up competitions to obtain good results. "As a school principal, I want to remind parents to not blindly sign up their children for too many competitions, which should be based on students' true interests," he said. (Source: China Daily) People enjoy peach blossoms in Galai Village , Nyingchi City , Tibet Autonomous Region , on March 27, 2021. [Xinhua] Operators of tourism businesses in the countryside will reap huge benefits as the central government steps up efforts to push forward rural vitalization work. Late last month, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, China's Cabinet, jointly released a guideline focused on rural vitalization. It clarifies the need to improve leisure tourism in the countryside and encourages villagers to open or operate homestays. Qualified leisure tourism programs will be used to popularize science and knowledge among primary and high school student tourists, and they will have the chance to take part in farming activities. Fu Yonglin, a member of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said in a recent interview with China Tourism News that rural vitalization is a major task, so developing tourism in the countryside won't be easy. Fu said it's important to turn the development of byproducts from manufacturing, rural tourism and e-commerce into integrated components of the vitalization effort. "Take Sichuan as an example," he said. "The western part of the province is rich in bamboo. Villagers not only use it to make products that can be sold online, but have also developed cultural programs to invite tourists to weave bamboo and create products themselves." He added that the guideline also proposed the establishment of industrial clusters to make it more practical to build homestays in rural areas. Zhu Shengxuan, founder and president of the Xband Tourism Group, which concentrates on rural homestay development, said some areas had trouble in the past with such businesses due to poor management, a talent shortage and inadequate infrastructure, which lead to low returns on investments. He said that it's necessary to take a collective view of rural vitalization rather than splitting the industries involved in the work into independent parts. "Rural areas should be planned as a whole, to make it easier to solve problems like education and healthcare," he added. With rural tourism growing to be one of the pillar industries supporting vitalization work, many other members of the 13th CPPCC National Committee also offered suggestions during a recent gathering to promote better development of the sector. Liu Muhua, vice-president of Jiangxi Agricultural University and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, said that it's necessary to use the existing assets of villages, such as land and houses, to support rural tourism. He suggested that the government make every effort to develop rural tourism and leisure agriculture to lend sustainable support to the vitalization of the countryside. (Source: China Daily) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held phone talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President-elect Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Xi congratulated Turkmenistan on the successful presidential election, and again congratulated Serdar Berdimuhamedov on his election as the president of the country, wishing Turkmenistan new and greater achievement in the Revival of a New Era of a Powerful State. Xi noted that China-Turkmenistan relations have achieved leapfrog development in recent years, with the two sides establishing strategic partnership and bilateral cooperation in various fields reaching the highest level in history. The Chinese side attaches great importance to China-Turkmenistan relations, Xi said, adding that China will continue to firmly support Turkmenistan's domestic and foreign policies, and firmly oppose external interference in Turkmenistan's internal affairs. China stands ready to build on past achievements and move forward with Turkmenistan, so as to lift bilateral relations to higher levels and jointly build an even closer community with a shared future between the two countries, Xi said. Xi stressed that the China-Turkmenistan cooperation fully reflects the high level of mutual trust and sincere friendship between the two countries. The two sides have signed a five-year inter-government cooperation plan, which has drawn up a road map for all-round cooperation between China and Turkmenistan in the coming period and identified key areas and priorities for cooperation, Xi said. The two sides should continue to promote cooperation in such fields as energy and natural gas, and strengthen the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan's development strategy to revive the Great Silk Road, Xi said, so as to make the cake of mutually beneficial cooperation ever bigger, achieve more new progress and improve the well-being of the two nations. Noting that the current international and regional situation is complex and sensitive, Xi said both sides should maintain timely communication, close cooperation and mutual support on major issues, uphold true multilateralism, and contribute to promoting the democratization of international relations as well as international fairness and justice. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Serdar Berdimuhamedov spoke highly of the achievements made in the development of bilateral relations in recent years. They said that the Turkmen side will continue to firmly adhere to the policy of friendly cooperation with China, and keep on making joint efforts with China to actively promote all-round practical cooperation in various fields, adding that they believe that Turkmenistan-China relations will see further development, which will better benefit the people of the two countries. (Source: Xinhua) Photo taken on Jan. 8, 2022 shows a test bullet train running over Anning River in Dechang County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. [Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing] BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) The late autumn of 2015 beheld a memorable occasion in Chinese history: At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward a new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, setting in motion a profound reform of China's economic development. In the following years, this philosophy, key component of "Xiconomics," or the economic wisdom of Xi, has been continuously developed and enriched, producing a growing resonance across the world and an increasingly far-reaching impact. With a strong awareness to balance human and nature, the economy and the society, the economic foundation and the superstructure, efficiency and equity, as well as the present and the future, the philosophy not only offers a guide to high-quality development in China, but also enlightens the global community in addressing development challenges. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (C) attends the launching ceremony of a 50-megawatt solar farm in Garissa, Kenya, Dec. 13, 2019. [Xinhua/Xie Han] Conserving Nature In desert-capped northeastern Kenyan county of Garissa, neat and dense solar panels line up to form an "energy oasis" to benefit thousands of local families and businesses. This Chinese-built plant, also the largest solar power station in East Africa, has set Kenya on the path of achieving green energy sufficiency. The Garissa solar plant is a miniature of China's years of overseas implementation of the concept of green development, a vision Xi has kept advocating against the backdrop of pressing environmental degradation and fragmented global environmental governance. "Clean waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver." This aphorism of harmony between environmental protection and economic development, also dubbed the "two mountains" concept that Xi has repeatedly brought up on various occasions at home, made its international debut in September 2013 when the Chinese president visited Kazakhstan, and has been reiterated by him on global occasions ever since. "To protect the environment is to protect productivity, and to improve the environment is to boost productivity," Xi said in a speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate via video link in late April of 2021. "We need to speed up efforts to foster a green way of development and secure a win-win economic growth and environmental protection, so as to build a homeland of coordinated advancement of economy and the environment," he said several months later at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Xi's thought on coexistence between the humankind and nature has not only set the course for the green transition of the Chinese economy, but also resonated with the rest of the world. In 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme's 27th council meeting adopted a decision on promoting China's ecological civilization. Besides, the "two mountains" concept has become the work philosophy of Laos' Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. "Xi's overarching thesis," The Diplomat wrote in December 2021, "allows mankind to go beyond the mode of production and consumption triggered by the Industrial Revolution, and enter into a more advanced stage of development, marked as a harmonious co-existence with nature." Photo taken on Nov. 22, 2021 shows wind turbines of the De Aar wind power project invested by China's Longyuan Power and its South African partners in De Aar, South Africa. [Xinhua/Lyu Tianran] Promoting Equity "Today, the world is very unequal indeed ... half of all assets around the world are now controlled by the richest 1 percent of the global population," founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab wrote in "The Fourth Industrial Revolution." The global development imbalance Schwab noted in his book in 2016 has even worsened amid the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and new technology applications. In this context, the new development philosophy proposed by Xi, with a focus on promoting equal development opportunities, has not only set a guideline for China's own development, but also offered a recipe for narrowing the global development gap. "The international community should keep its eyes on the long run, honor its commitment, and provide necessary support to developing countries and safeguard their legitimate development interests. Equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules should be strengthened, so that all countries will benefit from the opportunities and fruits of development," Xi said in January 2021 at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda via video link. "We need to work together to steer global development towards a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. To this end, I would like to propose a Global Development Initiative," Xi said via video at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021. Guided by Xiconomics, China has been trying to promote common prosperity with a series of measures, such as adjusting overly high incomes through channels like taxes, offering more help to low-income groups through the provision of stronger public benefits, and expanding the size of the middle class. To realize common prosperity, the nation should first "make a bigger and better cake" through joint efforts of the people, and then divide and distribute the cake properly through rational institutional arrangements, read a statement released after China's annual Central Economic Work Conference held in December 2021. Moreover, China has been walking the talk to help developing countries enhance their self-reliance and sustainability through a variety of projects, such as promoting the Belt and Road cooperation, establishing the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, and building agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa. Xi's economic thought, which focuses on improving people's well-being in a long-term and effective way, is worth learning as it reflects a comprehensive and profound philosophy on governance and development, said Naeem Bukhari, chief executive of Pakistan's Human Capital Management Institute. Noting Xiconomics' emphasis on balance, Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, said keeping balance in many aspects is very important for avoiding tensions and conflicts. Wind turbine blades wait for shipment at Lianyungang Port, east China's Jiangsu Province , April 16, 2021. [Photo by Wang Chun/Xinhua] Building Future "We need to focus on current priorities, and balance COVID response and economic development. Macroeconomic policy support should be stepped up to bring the world economy out of the woods as early as possible. More importantly, we need to look beyond the horizon and strengthen our will and resolve for change. We need to shift the driving forces and growth models of the global economy and improve its structure, so as to set the course for long-term, sound and steady development of the world economy," Xi said in January 2021. One year later, Xi said at the 2022 World Economic Forum virtual session that "countries around the world should uphold true multilateralism. We should remove barriers, not erect walls. We should open up, not close off. We should seek integration, not decoupling. This is the way to build an open world economy." The remarks by Xi, with a thorough analysis of the constraints facing world economic recovery and a good grasp of the global development trends and economic rules, came in time for a worldwide sustainable development agenda challenged by COVID-19, a weak world economy, poverty and turmoils. Guided by Xi's wisdom, China has adopted strong measures to coordinate pandemic control and economic growth, expanded high-level opening-up, actively built a "dual circulation" development paradigm, and upheld multilateralism and win-win cooperation to share its development opportunities with the rest of the world. While China's solutions have facilitated consensus in the international community, its actions have injected a fresh momentum into global sustainable development. Xi's economic thought emphasizes that the right to development should be shared by countries around the world, said Natee Taweesrifuengfung, president of the Thailand-based Siam Think Tank, adding that the thought, which calls for jointly building an open world economy, is devoted to pushing forward global sustainable development. (Source: Xinhua) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) "What we take from nature should be well-measured, and how we use these things should be restrained" was once proposed by an ancient Chinese official, and the proposal has deeply resonated with President Xi Jinping. "The well-measured use of natural resources is key to ecological conservation," Xi said, quoting the proposal when addressing the opening ceremony of the International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing in April 2019. The quote was taken from a policy proposal from Lu Zhi in Tang Dynasty (618-907). Lu held that what nature can offer and what humans can produce both have their limits, so people should obtain and use natural resources in a measured and restrained manner. Lu's argument inherited a temperate attitude toward nature from ancient sages such as Confucius and Mencius, and was acknowledged by literati of later times particularly the renowned historian Sima Guang, who quoted him in his masterpiece "Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government." The Chinese government today has learnt from the ancient wisdom and incorporated the idea in its efforts to balance ecological conservation and human development. "We need to promote a simpler, greener and more low-carbon lifestyle, oppose excessiveness and foster a culture of living green and living healthy," Xi said in his April 2019 speech. Under Xi's leadership, China issued a regional 10-year ban on fishing to protect its longest river, the Yangtze, while working to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. "We must move faster to define and enforce strict controls, including red lines for environmental protection, minimum standards for environmental quality, and ceilings on resource utilization," Xi once said. Joining deliberations with fellow lawmakers at the annual session of the national legislature, which concluded last week, Xi again promised to take proactive and prudent steps to advance the peaking of carbon emissions and the achievement of carbon neutrality. (Source: Xinhua) First minister announces offers free rail travel across Wales for Ukrainian refugees Refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine can travel for free on Transport for Wales services, the first minister has announced. The scheme will help the refugees while they are settling in Wales, with the free travel scheme running for six months. Ukrainian nationals can claim free travel by showing a Ukraine passport to conductors and station staff. The scheme is an extension of an ongoing Welsh Government programme which provides free public transport for asylum seekers in Wales, as part of its ambition to become the worlds first Nation of Sanctuary as endorsed by the United Nations. First Minister Mark Drakeford said: My message to the people of Ukraine is clear; there is a warm welcome waiting for you in Wales. Transport for Wales providing free travel for all refugees is another action which shows Wales is a place of safety and sanctuary for those who need our help. I am also proud that Wales intends to become a super-sponsor for the UK Governments Homes for Ukraine scheme, which will provide a safe route for people to come to the UK for up to three years. James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said: All of us will have seen the shocking and distressing scenes from Ukraine over the past few weeks. Many of us have been deeply affected by whats happening, and we want to do what we can to support the Ukrainian people in their time of need. Were proud of our record of supporting groups with free travel, including being a part of the nation Rail to Refuge scheme offering free travel for people fleeing domestic abuse, and offering free rail travel for NHS workers during 2020. This is a further extension of our commitment to social justice and helping make the world a better place. Guildhall reception to reopen to members of the public for first time in two years Wrexham Council will reopen its public buildings next week for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Some buildings, such as the countys libraries, community resource centres and Ty Pawb, have been open to customers for some time, whilst others have remained closed while the pandemic was more severe. The local authority has confirmed that from Monday March 21 the Guildhall reception area and local housing estate offices will reopen to the public as Wales continues to learn to live with coronavirus. Contact Wrexham the councils customer contact centre on Lord Street has been open for appointments since last year. However, the centre will resume full face-to-face services for customers next week including walk-in enquiries (appointments will still be needed for more complex enquiries). Ian Bancroft, Chief Executive of Wrexham Council, said: Although Covid-19 hasnt gone away, were in a much better place now thanks to high vaccination rates and immunity in the population. Like the rest of Wales and the UK, it feels like were now moving out of the emergency phase of the pandemic and into a phase where were learning to manage and live with the virus. As a result, any public buildings or face-to-face points of access that still havent opened yet, will reopen on March 21. This also reflects the continued easing of Covid restrictions across Wales. Wrexham Council is encouraging people to still contact the local authority via phone or online where possible. Biden administration looking for ways to help Ukrainian refugees join family members in the US The Manchester Evening News (MEN) published an interview with 98-year-old Ukrainian nationalist Iwan Kluka in which he boasted that he fought against Stalins Red Army as it took the country in the Second World War. The article published on its online website on March 5, 2022 by the Manchester Evening News. The headline reads: "He fought Stalin... now this Ukrainian hero doesn't know if his nephew has been killed in combat" (screenshot-WayBackMachine) That Kluka was a Nazi collaborator is clear from his comments to the newspaper. It reports, [H]e tells the MEN that 30,000 of his fellow volunteer soldiers were executed by the Soviets after the fall of Berlin. The newspaper states: Iwan was one of the lucky ones, being given refuge by the British Army in Glossop [England] shortly after the end of the war. How shortly is not explained. The interview continues: And now, he [Kluka] says, Russias inhumane invasion might have claimed the life of his nephew. Its terrible, he says. I live here, but in my heart I am Ukrainianthats my country. What Putin is doing is unbelievable. Its inhumane. What I experienced [in the 1940s]... to see those atrocities... they just dont have any feeling for the human being. From the moment the article was published on the MENs online site on March 5, replete with praise from the journalist responsible, including that Kluka was the most remarkable man Ive ever met, it evoked a justly hostile response. Hundreds attacked the article on social media, noting immediately that as Kluka had fought Stalin in World War Two, this meant he had been fighting alongside Hitlers fascist forces. Kluka has no right to speak of atrocities or inhumanity. The crimes carried out by the Ukrainian nationalists and outright fascists in alliance with Hitler in World War II are well documented. One of the key elements of Operation Barbarossa, Hitlers June 22, 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, was the offensive launched from southern Poland into Ukraine. Barbarossa resulted in the loss of 27 million Soviet lives, half of them civilians. On Ukrainian territory alone, according to the German DPA news agencyciting Ukrainian sourcesbetween 8 and 10 million Soviet residents perished between 1939 and 1945. Ukrainian fascism in World War II In its two-part series Nationalism and fascism in Ukraine: A historical overview, the World Socialist Web Site noted: Among the most significant organisations that collaborated with the Nazis was the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). Its members were recruited mainly from veterans of the Civil War who had fought on the side of [Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Army Symon] Petliura against the Bolsheviks. The article went on to explain that Petliura, one of the many Social Democrats who became nationalists, headed a directorate that took power in Kiev. It continued: This body also sought the backing of the Western powers in its war against the Soviet government and was responsible for the murder of more than 30,000 Jews. Both Petliura and Stepan Bandera, who emerged later as a leading figure, are regarded as role models by present-day Ukrainian nationalists. Supporters of far-right parties carry torches and a banner with a portrait of Stepan Bandera during a rally in Kiev, Ukraine, January 1, 2019. The banner reads, "Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come". (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) The WSWS article explained: In 1940, the OUN split into the Bandera (B) and [Andriy Atanasovich] Melnyk (M) factions, which bitterly fought each other. Banderas more extreme group was able to attract more followers than Melnyks. It began by establishing Ukrainian militia (the Roland and Nightingale Legions) on German-occupied territory in Poland, which, in league with the Wehrmacht (German army), invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. After the withdrawal of the Red Army from areas conquered by the Germans, the legions and special militias acted as auxiliary troops in countless massacres of Jews. Following the entry of the OUN-B into Lviv on June 29, 1941, the Bandera militias (Nightingale Legion) unleashed murderous pogroms against the Jews lasting several days. Ukrainian militia continued massacring Jews in Ternopil, Stanislau (today Ivano-Fankisk) and other places. Documentary evidence relating to the first few days of the Wehrmachts advance reveals that about 140 pogroms were perpetrated in western Ukraine, in which 13,000 to 35,000 Jews were murdered. On June 30, 1941, Bandera and his deputy head of the OUN-B, Yaroslav Stetsko, proclaimed the independence of Ukraine in Lviv. Stepan Lenkavski, the OUN-B governments director of propaganda, openly advocated the physical extermination of Ukrainian Jewry. The Nazis used their Ukrainian collaborators to commit murders and acts of brutality that were too disturbing even for the SS units. For example, SS task force 4a in Ukraine confined itself to the shooting of adults while commanding its Ukrainian helpers to shoot [the] children. The article continues: When Hitlers armies went into retreat after their defeat at Stalingrad, members of the OUN legions returned to Ukraine and formed the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in 1943. The UPA was supplied with German weapons and attempted to implement an extensive ethnic cleansing program in order to create the conditions for an ethnically pure Ukrainian state. In 1943 and 1944, the UPA organised massacres that claimed the lives of 90,000 Poles and thousands of Jews. It also brutally terrorised, tortured and executed Ukrainian peasants and workers who wanted to join the Soviet Union. The UPA went on to kill some 20,000 Ukrainians before the insurrection was completely crushed in 1953. Given the hostility the article elicited from MEN readers, who live in a city that was itself heavily bombarded in 1940 by Hitlers Luftwaffewith almost 700 killed in the raids and more than 2,000 injuredthe MEN was forced to take down the article from its website. The journalist involved, Ethan Davies, then removed his tweet publicising the article. An absolute failure of critical thinking and a serious dereliction of editorial staff duty The main discussion thread on Klukas endorsement by the MEN began on March 7 on Twitter. Showing images of the deleted article and Daviess deleted post, it was retweeted 4,000 times, eliciting 497 quote tweets and over 21,000 likes. The Manchester Evening News online page which the story was deleted from, with the URL ending with with the words "fought-stalin-now-ukrainian-hero..." Among the comments in opposition were: An absolute failure of critical thinking and a serious dereliction of editorial staff duty. What in the absolute f*** was Ethan Davies MEN playing at here? So the people who literally machine gunned Jews and buried them alive in mass graves are getting platformed by mainstream media now? This guy would be right at home with the [fascist Ukrainian] Azov Battalion If nice cuddly Iwan fought Stalin & was given refuge in Britain shortly after WW2, its possible he was one of the 8,000 strong-division of Ukrainian Nazi Waffen SS war criminals settled in the UK by the Atlee [Labour] gov in 1947. Some were later recruited into British intelligence. Iwan Kluka fought Stalins Red Army as it took [Ukraine] in the Second World War you mean he fought with the Nazis? I dread to think what comes next after this Nazi collaborators were good actually stage of the propaganda war Andy Bell, a former investigative journalist for ITVs World In Action and BBCs Panorama, and ex-editor of the Searchlight anti-fascist magazine, tweeted on another thread in reply to Davies and the MEN, You mean he was a nazi collaborator? You utter moron. Comments on the MENs Facebook page included: Wait, one sec. He was part of a volunteer fascist brigade fighting with the nazis? Lets hope his grandson isnt part of the Azov brigade Wait a sec. If he was fighting against Stalin in WW2, who was he fighting for? A reply noting that the MEN had taken down the story read, judging by the current state of the web page.. I would guess the Nazis Another comment, Erm.... doesnt that make him a Nazi? was responded to, pretty much yes, isnt it clever how the story was subverted to fighting stalin instead of fighting for the nazis? Defending Kluka was at least one fascist group, Hope and Destiny. It wrote describing Kluka as a hero and opposing the MEN taking down its article: Meanwhile Mr Klukas fellow Ukrainiansincluding the Azov Regiment whose official video we posted this morningbravely continue their remarkably successful defence against Moscow aggression. Before being forced to take down the article after two days delay, the MEN ran it under two separate headlines knowing that it was boosting a Nazi collaborator. The article was first published online, as verified by the Way Back Machine archive, at 20:02 on March 5, 2022, under the headline, He fought Stalin... now this Ukrainian hero doesnt know if his nephew has been killed in combat. The article featuring Iwan Kluka in the March 7, 2022 print edition of the Manchester Evening News (screenshot-Manchester Evening News) MEN published the piece in the newspapers print edition on March 7, 2022 with a headline omitting the description of Kluka as a hero: I fought Stalinwhat Putin is doing is unbelievable... The author of the article is a young journalist. But even assuming he came out of university with a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics still ignorant of the basic facts of the Second World Warand no one in the MEN editorial staff was competent to inform himthe paper was warned by its readers of what it had done. It republished in print anyway. The newspapers overarching imperative was to contribute to the media crusade against all things Russian, drumming up support for the pro-NATO forces in Ukraine and the broader campaign for regime-change in Moscow. Nothing was going to stand in the way, even if it required whitewashing some of the worst crimes of the 20th Century. Klukas interview is of a piece with the MENs record of promoting such elements to this same end. In an article published online on February 26, the paper drew attention to a Stefan Jajecznyk, 32, from Salford, who took part in the 2014 revolution and later followed army volunteers bringing supplies to soldiers fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine. The 2014 revolution is a reference to the overthrow of the pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in a US-backed coup, led by far-right and openly fascist military and political forces, including the Azov Battalion, the Right Sector and Svoboda. The MEN article continued: Stefans grandparents, from the village of Hajvoronka in the Ternopil region of west Ukraine, settled here after World War II. Grandad Mychailo had served in a Ukrainian army unit which fought the Russians and which was co-opted by the Nazishe and it surrendered to the British, and he ended up making a life for himself here, from 1948, working on farms and in factories. Grandad Mychailo is photographed in the MEN piece sitting alongside the first president of Ukraine (1991-94), Leonid Kravchuk. Kravchuk is one of the three Stalinist officials, along with then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Stanislav Shushkevich of Belarus, who announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. This was the final act of treachery in the decades of betrayal by the Stalinist bureaucracy of the October 1917 Revolution, which created the worlds first workers state, and of the socialist and internationalist programme upon which the revolution was based. The MEN provided no explanation for why it took down the Kluka article, let alone an apology to its readers for publishing it in the first place. It gave no response to a March 14 letter from the WSWS that asked a series of questions and offered a right of reply. Mondays declaration by the British Supreme Court to refuse to hear an appeal by Julian Assange against his extradition to the United States has passed with barely a mention in the Australian political and media establishment. To the extent that it is reported in the press, the indefinite detention in Britain and threatened life imprisonment in the US of an Australian citizen and journalist is treated as minor news. The unending persecution of Assange has been normalised, when it has not been buried entirely. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters from a balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London. [Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File] The state-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and most corporate outlets published only a brief wire report on the judgment. Barely concealing its solidarity with the US-led attempt to destroy Assange, the report stated that American prosecutors were pursuing him for the release of vast troves of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables, which they said had put lives in danger. That the cables revealed historic war crimes, including the killings of thousands of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, was not mentioned. Nor was the fact that the US claims about Assange having put lives in danger have never been backed up with a shred of evidence. The official media, like the CIA and the US Justice Department, is presenting standard journalism, critical of the US and its allies like Australia, as illegitimate and criminal. The muted response to the Supreme Court verdict is all the more striking, because of its sweeping implications for the Assange case. The Supreme Court justices declined to hear the appeal, despite the High Court having earlier this year accepted that Assange had an arguable point of law. The Supreme Court judgment forecloses any defence against extradition on the grounds of Assanges ill-health, stemming from a decade-long persecution. The District Court blocked extradition in January 2021, on the grounds that Assange would likely die in US custody. That ruling was overturned by the High Court, based on worthless US diplomatic assurances. And now the Supreme Court is refusing to hear an appeal to the High Court judgment. Assanges only remaining avenues within the British legal system, are to petition Home Secretary Priti Patel, whose government fully supports the extradition, and to appeal the substantive political points of the case, which were decided in favour of the US during the first District Court hearings, in the British courts. Those points include the political character of the prosecution, its violation of the British-US extradition treaty and its character as a frontal assault on press freedom. Given the entire record of Assanges treatment, the prospects of such an appeal are very poor. In other words, he is closer to being dispatched to a hell-hole US prison for the rest of his life than ever before. Despite this, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said nothing, and nor has opposition Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Both of the major parties have collaborated in the US campaign to destroy Assange and WikiLeaks and have rejected demands that they exercise diplomatic and political powers to secure Assanges freedom. As the WSWS has noted, the accelerating moves towards Assanges extradition are bound up with the massive US-NATO war drive against Russia, intensified following the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine. The British and US authorities are seeking to make an example of Assange, to intimidate widespread anti-war sentiment, and to create a precedent for further political persecutions targeting opposition to war and militarism. At the same time, the incessant media propaganda over Ukraine is being seized upon, to drown out other crucial issues, including Assanges plight. The same processes are at work in Australia. Morrison and Albanese have marched in lockstep with the NATO intervention in Ukraine. The Australian government has pledged more than $70 million in military aid to the right-wing, US-backed Ukrainian regime. In line with Australias role as deputy US sheriff in the Asia-Pacific, Morrison and Albanese are exploiting the Ukrainian crisis to place maximum pressure on Beijing. Morrison has denounced an arc of autocracy extending from Russia to China; both have demanded that the Chinese Communist Party condemn the Russian invasion, and they have made duelling announcements of a further military build-up, directed towards a US-led conflict with China. For its part, the Australian media, including the ABC, is gripped by war fever. Publications and pundits, who have gone along with every US and Australian military intervention of the past thirty years, and have covered up the atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan, have rediscovered the horrors of war crimes. Their selective outrage, however, is focused solely on the reactionary actions of the Russian state. In this climate, Assanges record of exposing US and Australian imperialism is even more of an inconvenience than before. WikiLeaks revelations, to the extent that they are mentioned, have to be dismissed as a reckless release of confidential information. The standpoint of the major parties is no surprise, given their protracted hostility to Assange, their assault on democratic rights at home, and their full-throated support for US-led militarism. More striking is the way in which any reference to Assange has been dropped amid the Ukraine crisis, by those who previously claimed to defend him. The Greens have never waged a campaign demanding Assanges freedom, because it would cut across the pro-war positions of their affluent upper middle-class base, and their attempts to form a coalition government with Labor. Individual Greens MPs have, however, occasionally issued statements of concern over Assanges plight. Party leader Adam Bandt has said nothing about the Supreme Court verdict. Instead, he has been demanding that the right-wing Coalition government intensify Australias participation in the anti-Russian campaign, including through the imposition of expanded sanctions. Bandt and other Greens MPs are part of a cross-party parliamentary grouping, ostensibly established to advocate for Assanges rights. In the more than two years of its existence, the grouping has not waged any sort of campaign, limiting its activities to occasional token statements, and the promotion of fatal illusions that polite requests to the Biden administration will compel it to end the US vendetta against Assange. Julian Hill, the only Labor MP in the group to have made frequent statements on Assange, does not appear to have uttered his name in 2022. Hill is feverishly campaigning for Albanese in the May federal election, as Labor pitches itself to the ruling elite as the party best placed to deepen Australias integration into the US-confrontation with China, and to implement sweeping pro-business restructuring. Hill has previously carried water for Albanese on the Assange question. Last year, he claimed Albanese privately stated that enough is enough when it comes to the attempted prosecution of the WikiLeaks founder. Then he touted a Labor Party motion, committing the party to nothing at all, as a major advance in the fight for Assanges freedom. The vast majority of the groups members have similarly said nothing this year. That includes right-wing populist National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. The MPs have effectively shelved their mealy-mouthed statements of concern, so the question of Assange is buried in the election campaign amid the Ukraine war crisis. This demonstrates the fraudulent character of the grouping from the outset. Its aim was always to promote the illusion that there is a constituency for the defence of Assange and democratic rights within the parliamentary set-up when none exists. For their part, the pseudo-left organisations, including Socialist Alliance and Socialist Alternative all but abandoned Assange years ago. They did so, on the basis of the frame-up allegations of sexual misconduct in Sweden, in line with their support for identity politics, and as they were aligning ever more directly with imperialist war. Socialist Alliance occasionally carries brief news reports on Assanges persecution but has not mobilised in his defence. Socialist Alternative scarcely mentions the WikiLeaks founder. Both have enlisted in the war propaganda campaign, blaming the Ukrainian crisis exclusively on Russia and calling for uncritical support for the US-NATO backed Ukrainian regime. The pseudo-left, speaking for an affluent layer of the upper middle-class is completely hostile to any independent movement of the working class, including against war. The response to the verdict, and the entire record of Assanges persecution, demonstrates that his freedom can only be won in a struggle against the political establishments of the US, Britain and Australia. The working class, which is the constituency for a fight against war and in defence of democratic rights, must be mobilised to block extradition and to secure Assanges unconditional freedom. Only the WSWS and the Socialist Equality Parties have based the fight to end the persecution of Assange on a turn to the working class. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision, this task takes on a new urgency. Boris Johnsons UK government is acting as the attack dog for US/NATO war plans against Russia. It is intensifying anti-Russian propaganda, whipping up nationalism and stepping up censorship. Schools and schoolchildren are not exempt from this assault. On March 3, a chain of 1,800 school students from All Saints Roman Catholic school formed around York Minster cathedral in York linked by a ribbon in Ukraines national colours yellow and blue. Pictures of children holding yellow and blue placards proclaiming, Stand with Ukraine, Support Ukraine, Save UkraineStop the War, Innocent People are Dead, are shown throughout the media. Year 7 pupils arrive back at Great Academy Ashton in Manchester as schools reopen after the summer holidays, Ashton-Under-Lyne, England, Friday, Sept. 3, 2021. ( AP Photo Jon Super) Other schools have told pupils to come into school in yellow and blue in order to support Ukraine. Children and their families who want to provide aid for refugees and call for peace are being roped into the governments war propaganda. They are being used to glorify an oligarchic Ukrainian state, established in a 2014 US/German-backed coup, defended by fascist militias, and was used as a stalking horse to lure the Putin regime into a conflict which could spiral into a world war. The government is actively encouraging discussion in schools about the war in Ukraine, but only if it toes the official line. The governments The Education Hub website features a section: Help for teachers and families to talk to pupils about Russias invasion of Ukraine and how to avoid misinformation. It offers advice on How to spot mis-and disinformation and how to help pupils do the same. The only acceptable information source is a totally compliant corporate media. The BBCs Newsround, a current affairs programme established in 1972 that targets children aged 6-12 years old, is no exception. Newsrounds website states, Many people in the Ukraine want the country to join NATO to avoid being dominated by Russia. There is no mention of the eastward expansion of NATO since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, or of the long-term geopolitical strategy of the US to take on both Russia and China, or that the costs of this insane enterprise will be diverted from the education, health and welfare budgets. UK government Education Hub offering "Help for teachers and families to talk to pupils about Russias invasion of Ukraine and how to help them avoid misinformation." Professed concern by the government and its allies for the effect that daily scenes of carnage and destruction are having on childrens mental well-being is sickening in its hypocrisy. Thanks to government pandemic policy, backed by the Labour opposition and education unions, children and their families have been subjected to devastating waves of infection, illness and death. In the UK, 155 children have lost their lives to COVID-19 and at least 10,000 suffered the trauma and heartbreak of losing a parent or grandparent to the disease. Out of 119,000 children suffering Long COVID symptoms on March 3, 21,000 had suffered symptoms for a year or more. They government is equally unconcerned about the refugees fleeing from the Ukraine conflict, making it very difficult for them to enter the UK. When children protest the illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel and the imperialist wars in the Middle East that have killed millions, they are referred to the governments counter-terrorism Prevent programme. Anti-imperialist agitation is dubbed extremism and radicalism while pro-NATO protests are in defence of democracy. After demonstrations in 2021 against the 11-day military assault on Gaza by Israeli forces, the Middle East Eye reported that school students in Birmingham, Manchester, Rochdale, Leeds and London were disciplined and referred to Prevent for such misdemeanours as wearing Free Palestine badges and keffiyeh scarves, or putting up posters. Some students said they faced detention, expulsion and being barred from exams if they protested for Palestinian rights on school property. At the time, a person from Leeds tweeted, The headteacher of Allerton Grange High school publicly calling the Palestinian flag a call to arms and a symbol of anti- Semitism. What does this tell any Palestinian child or child from a country fighting oppression!! Students involved in school strikes against climate change have also been threatened with Prevent. The hypocrisy knows no bounds. Recently, a group of year six (11 years old) pupils at Welbeck primary school in Nottingham wrote a letter to their local Labour MP Lilian Greenwood regarding the partygate scandal. The children appeared on Twitter holding their letters, which called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign. The Conservative party accused teachers of brainwashing children. On February 9, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi responded, No school should be encouraging young people to pin their colours to a political mast. Two weeks later, the government hastily issued new, non-statutory guidance on political impartiality in schools. The guidance states, When teaching about an ongoing humanitarian crisis and whether the UK should intervene militarily, teachers may just outline broad arguments in favour and against this option. Also, many topics relating to empire and imperialism, on which there are differing partisan political views should be taught in a balanced manner. Oppositional or socialist ideas that challenge the establishments narrative are barred: Schools are responsible for ensuring that speakers, tools, and resources do not undermine the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty So-called British values were introduced into the school curriculum in 2014 as part of the Prevent strategy. Presumably, many political and historical works available in UK libraries are now forbidden as source material. Any differing partisan political viewssuch as the Marxist concept that democracy under capitalism is only democracy for the ruling oligarchy, that the rule of law defends the profit system, that individual liberty is the liberty to expropriate the wealth of society by exploiting the working classare off limits. The guidance spreads the net of censorship as far as possible, continuing, Schools should not under any circumstances work with, or use materials produced by, external agencies that take extreme political positions on these matters. This is the case even if the material itself is not extreme, as the use of it could imply endorsement or support of the organisation. As examples of extreme political positions, the guidance includes promoting the adoption of non-democratic political systems rather than those based on democracy, for any purpose; a publicly stated desire to abolish democracy, to end free and fair elections, or violently overthrow capitalism. The real concerns of the government are growing social tensions and the escalating class struggle, which threatens to derail the government and opposition parties warmongering. Political impartiality advice for schools is in fact a tool for imposing the ideology of the ruling class on children and families. The education unions do nothing to oppose this reactionary agenda. Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), responded to the new guidance by saying simply, very good guidance already exists. The NEU supports the 1996 the Education Act which states the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school is forbidden (Section 406). It also requires that when political issues are discussed, pupils are offered a supposedly balanced presentation of opposing views (Section 407). The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has joined other unions in supporting sanctions against Russia, which will devastate the living standards of ordinary Russians who are not responsible for the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine. The ASCL, and councils like Labour-controlled Manchester and Salford, are urging the government to remove Russian energy supplier Gazprom from the Crown Commercial Services School Switch Scheme, designed to help schools find the cheapest energy supplier. Tracking critical public health statistics like death and their causes is intended, at least in theory, to assist governments in addressing their populations social needs and assess the response to various measures employed. Public health statistics function as a sort of cartography to locate on a social map the life and wellness of the community and chart a safe course for the inhabitants. Deliberately shutting down the collection of such statistics, as is now being done in the United States, is like a mariner trying to steer his ship blindfolded. It demonstrates that the essential goal of public health measures is being perverted by censorship, not to ensure the wellbeing of the population, but to maintain something even more vitalunder capitalismthe profitability of the ruling class. It is determined by political considerations based on class interests. As medical historian and public health giant Dr. George Rosen observed, There can be no real comprehension of the history of public health at any period without a thorough understanding of the political, economic and social history of that period in its relation to the contemporary public health situation. These words, written more than six decades ago, remain very relevant today, as the world has entered the third year of the pandemic, and the leaders of capitalist nations have shed all pretense of concern for the well-being or even the physical survival of humanity. They have abandoned any attempts to mitigate against the repeated outbreaks of infections and deaths caused by ever more contagious versions of the coronavirus, which will have significant consequences. Instead, they have turned their attention to war to deflect the ever-growing internal tensions accelerated by their disastrous response to the pandemic. The third year of the pandemic may well prove to be a decisive period in world history and one of the most dangerous for mankind. In this context, the recent peer-reviewed study published in the Lancet on global estimates of excess deaths offers a window into the criminal policies that have been employed in country after country for the last two years, with the ruling elite placing profit over life at whatever the cost to their populations. The breadth and scale of the loss of life is immensely revealing, and the reader is encouraged to review the scientific document linked above. Stacked bar chart of regional distribution of excess deaths for 202021 (Credit: Lancet study on excess deaths, Creative Commons) It is no hyperbole to compare the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to World War I, with each wave of infections akin to another bloody and pointless battle slaughtering tens of thousands. Except, in this instance, rather than trenches and frontlines, the battlelines were drawn in the neighborhoods of densely populated cities and towns. In both instances, war and pandemic have been foreseeable, preventable, and, in the final analysis, completely unnecessary. The scale of death during the last two years has been mind boggling, especially as the means to bring the pandemic to an end in mere weeks has always been within grasp. All the resources, technological, scientific, and medical, have been available to end the public health emergency and suppress the virus within weeks of taking that decision. Instead, the mantra continues to be learn to live with the virus indefinitely. In the Lancet report, the authors collected data on all-cause mortality from 74 countries and territories and 266 subnational locations, including 31 locations in low- and middle-income nations that had reported the data either on a weekly or monthly basis since the beginning of 2020. These observed mortalities were then compared to expected mortality based on complex ensemble modeling that also accounted for regions where mortality records were incomplete. From January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, before the Omicron variant had begun its global assault, there were 5.94 million COVID-19 deaths reported worldwide. The new study estimates that excess mortality, above and beyond what would have been seen in a normal period, was more than three-fold higher, at 18.2 million. Global distribution of estimated excess mortality rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the cumulative period 202021 (Credit: Lancet study on excess deaths, Creative Commons) Co-author Dr. Haidong Wang, an associate professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, said, Our estimates of COVID-19 excess mortality suggest the mortality impact from COVID-19 pandemic has been more devastating than the situation documented by official statistics [which] provide only a partial picture of the true burden of mortality. The report notes, The cumulative global excess deaths from the pandemic makes COVID-19 potentially one of the leading global causes of death during the period of the pandemic, given the rates and trends in other causes of deaths before the pandemic. At the country level, India suffered the largest loss of life, with an estimate of more than four million deaths. The US was second with 1.13 million followed by Russia with 1.07 million deaths. Mexico (798,000), Brazil (792,000), Indonesia (736,000), and Pakistan (664,000) were also countries that incurred a massive loss of life. In addition, six more countries, Bangladesh, Peru, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, and Italy, all had more than a quarter-million in excess deaths. On a per capita basis, the highest estimated excess mortality rate due to COVID-19 was in Bolivia with 735 deaths for every 100,000 population. Peru saw 500 deaths per 100,000. The two South American countries are adjacent, sharing a border in the Andes Mountains. Russias excess mortality rate reached 375 deaths per 100,000. Mexico saw 325 deaths per 100,000. Brazil and the US were on the same order of magnitude with 187 and 179 deaths per 100,000, respectively. Global distribution of the ratio between estimated excess mortality rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reported COVID-19 mortality rate, for the cumulative period 202021 (Credit: Lancet study on excess deaths, Creative Commones) In sharp contrast, countries that adhered to a Zero-COVID strategy actually experience negative excess deaths, with people living longer than expected, even under conditions of a global pandemic by a killer virus. When excess deaths were compared between regions based on per capita income, high-income regions saw excess deaths rates near the global average of 126 deaths per 100,000. Poorer Eastern Europe averaged 345 deaths per 100,000 while wealthier Western Europe averaged only140 deaths. The authors note, At the regional level, the highest estimated excess mortality rates were in Andean Latin America, with several locations outside these regions having similarly high rates, particularly Lebanon, Armenia, Tunisia, Libya, several regions in Italy, and several states in Southern USA. Figures for individual states in the US offer a comparison to countries around the globe. Some of the poorest states in the USAlabama (294), Arkansas (256), Kentucky (242), Louisiana (257), Mississippi (330), Oklahoma (249), South Carolina (248), New Mexico (240), and West Virginia (278)had rates comparable to Mexico and Russia. Exceptionally noteworthy are the findings on China. Estimated excess deaths are only 17,900 total, for a country of 1.4 billion people, a per capita rate of excess deaths at 0.6 per 100,000 people, a figure 300 times lower than in the US. The BA.2 variant of Omicron creates a perilous situation for China, but this is not a result of moving away from a policy of Zero-COVID. Rather, it is caused by the malign policy of ruling elites in most other countries, who have allowed the virus to persist, spread and mutate, generating new and more transmissible and dangerous variants. The third year of the pandemic will only continue the mass killing of the poorest and most vulnerable people. Since the New Year, 600,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the course of the Omicron wave. Multiplying this by three, upwards of two million more excess deaths are likely to have occurred worldwide in the first three months of 2022, underscoring the deadliness of the Omicron strain. In a recent compelling commentary published in the journal Nature Reviews Microbiology, the authors, who include renowned virologist Dr. Aris Katzourakis, argue that evolutionary pressures will select for higher intrinsic transmissibility and immune escape. They write: The notion that viruses will evolve to be less virulent to spare their hosts is one of the most persistent myths surrounding pathogen evolution. Unlike viral immune escape and transmissibility, which are under strong evolutionary pressure, virulence is typically a by-product, fashioned by complex interactions between factors in both the host and the pathogen. Viruses evolve to maximize their transmissibility and sometimes this may correlate with higher virulence, for example, if high viral loads promote transmission but also increase severity. If so, pathogens may evolve towards higher virulence. If severity manifests late in infection, only after the typical transmission window, as in SARS-CoV-2, but also influenza virus, HIV, hepatitis C virus and many others, it plays a limited role in viral fitness and may not be selected against. [Emphasis added] Forecasting virulence evolution is a complex task, and the lower severity of Omicron is hardly a good predictor for future variants. The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to undergo antigenic evolution as it responds to the pressures placed on it by greater population immunity due to mass vaccination. The direction of these mutations towards immune escape implies, on a population level, a rising rate of reinfection and overall severe illness. Additionally, these antigenic evolutions, like overall population health, are a political phenomenon, driven not simply by automatic biological processes, but by the policies of governments that allow the virus access to the conditions it needs to survive and adaptnamely, the human host. The working class should heed the scientific knowledge that has accumulated in only a short time on the nature of the pandemic and support a global effort to eliminate the virus worldwide. This includes defense of Chinas efforts to suppress new outbreaks coming in to that huge country from outside. It is the war against COVID-19, not the imperialist war against Russia, that is the urgent necessity confronting working people. Large areas of the Australian east coast were devastated by severe flooding over the past fortnight. Beginning in Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW), the torrential rains continued down the coast hitting areas of Sydney, Australias most populous city. The WSWS spoke to residents in suburbs of northwest Sydney. For many this was their third year in a row in which such flooding occurred. With each year getting progressively worse, the latest inundation was record-breaking. Residents were left on their own, with little warning and next to no government assistance as the flood waters rapidly rose. The flooding continues in parts of far western NSW. Broken Hill has had record rainfall and flash flooding which has claimed another victim, bringing the total death count for NSW and Queensland to 23. More than 5000 homes have been deemed unlivable as the true extent of the damage continues to be revealed. **** Noah, a 19-year-old childcare worker studying to be a primary school teacher, and his brother Thomas, 20-year-old landscaper, spoke to the WSWS. They live with their two other brothers, mother, and father in northwest Sydney near the Hawkesbury River. Noah [WSWS Media] Noah said: Last year the first floods hit and then we got hit with COVID. I was a plumber at the time and was not working, mum is in childcare and wasnt working either. We werent prepared. My brother woke up at ten oclock and stepped in ankle deep water. We lost a lot of furniture and the whole of downstairs was messed up. We had to refurbish the whole thing. This year we got everything out from downstairs and we were safe. Thomas added: We werent expecting it to come upstairs. We lost power for six days. The wires run through the downstairs roof and because the water came upstairs through the floorboards all the insulation got wet. We have to re-wire half the house basically. Noah explained: Weve lost AC, heating, Wi-Fi, we didnt have hot water for a couple of days. By the time we realised we needed to get furniture out from upstairs the water was hip deep. Noah's brother, Nick, indicating the high water mark in their backyard [WSWS Media] Thomas described evacuating the house: On Tuesday [March 8] night I had water coming in through the doors of my four-wheel drive up to the pedals. We had to swim the dogs out to the car, put stuff on our shoulders and we got out by 9 p.m. When we came back the next morning you could kayak through the house. We were more prepared this year, but it was still not enough. There were a lot of Facebook posts predicting it would rise to 14 metres compared to 11 metres last year, so we raised everything up. We got text messages to get prepared to evacuate. When we were packing up to leave everyone in the street came together and helped each other. We didnt have SES [State Emergency Service], or firefighters to help, it was only after in the clean-up they came, he stated. Noah added: Flood insurance for our house is $30,000 a year because we are in a high flood risk zone. We cant afford that. I would love to have the money to fix up all this and help my mother out, but Ive got to fix my own room, same with my brothers. I know there are people who have it worse, who dont even have houses. Its got to change. Thomas said, It doesnt matter how much money they give to businesses if one of them has something go wrong it is the emergency services that would do something about it. My mum runs a family day care from home, if emergency services were supported and we got more warning she could go back to work next week. But she cant open yet, were looking at two to three weeks. Everyone else in the family has to go back to work because we cant afford not to, but that means the clean-up process is slower. I got $1,000 as a relief payment to replace my mattress, bed, all my cabinets, paint the walls, thats the money gone. Theres also damage to my car. I could say Im lucky because its just my furniture, but my old man has to rewire the whole of downstairs, replace the walls, fix the ceiling, thats easily well above $1,000. I have a yard to store my landscaping materials, but one of our neighbours had all his stuff in the basement downstairs, which had waist deep water in it. Now he must replace them, but he cant charge the client double, he has to lose money on the next few jobs till he gets himself back up, he said. Noah asked: Whats to say next years flood wont be worse than this years? So, do we re-do the house, or do we wait? This is a great place to live but if you have to deal with this every year then do we leave, or do we try to make the house more flood-proof? But theres not much more we can do unless we put our house on floaties. The only time weve had floods like this was last year and this year. Noahs mother pointed out that even with the flood danger her sons are priced out of the area. One two story house on the street is valued at close to $2 million because it comes with 5 acres, which are now under water. When asked about the war in Ukraine, Noah noted that the conflict and sweeping Western sanctions against Russia were sending gas prices up worldwide, compounding a social crisis facing working people. It does open your eyes when you see how slow SES came out to help us compared to how quickly the government sent massive military aid to help a whole other country, he said. People dont want a war, but no one listens. I just want it to stop. Russia isnt the best place to live in right now, nor is Ukraine, and were not the best place either. Blake next to high water flood mark (on left) for 2022 [WSWS Media] Blake, a Windsor resident and builder, said: Weve been here three years and each of those years it has flooded. Were always worse off. The first year it came into the backyard, the second year it came into the house, this year it came 1.4 metres into the house. Weve lost our kitchen, wardrobes, everything. Weve got fans trying to dry the walls out. That will take three to four weeks. Then well have to get an assessor in to check the moisture in the walls. Then well be allowed to start rebuilding the kitchen, the wardrobes, and the cupboards. Well be out of our home for three to four months. Blake in kayak next to his flooded home in Windsor, 60 km northwest of central Sydney [WSWS Media] I think this will be our last year here. If we do all that renovation and it floods again in six months, I dont want to go through that. I dont want to sell, its my dream house, but I couldnt deal with the heartbreak of another flood, he said. Id still like to see more action on the Warragamba dam. They were letting out water for about three to four weeks before the flood but that was already too late. They shouldve started in summer when it was at 70 per cent full. We knew we were having an El Nina weather event, which always means heavy rainfall. Instead, they waited until it was 95 percent full. They only had to look at what happened last year to see what would happen if they kept the dam as high as they did, he said. Blake's flooded home [WSWS Media] Patrick, a 23-year-old refrigeration, air conditioning and electrical worker, bought his house in Windsor in early 2021, just two months before it was badly damaged in last years flood. He said: My uncles property is at the same height. Hes lived there 25 years and he told me before I moved in, Ive never seen a flood in my life. On that advice, I bought it. Maybe it is a one-in-100-year event, but theyve been holding the Warragamba Dam at 98 percent full. Why? Weve never run out of water, even in a ten-year drought. The flood came up higher than last year. I didnt think it was going to come up as high because there was less communication about what was going to happen. I didnt get a text message warning me to evacuate. You just end up having to watch the water and react. The flood ruined all the cabinetry in the kitchen, all the built-in wardrobes, the laundry, sections of gyprock, and two of the doors. The $1,000 from the government might pay for one wardrobe. I dont have flood insurance. They put the premiums upthey wanted $14,900 this year. Patrick noted that the unaffordable price of insurance came on top of the rapidly rising cost of living. Fuel prices are going through the roof, everything is going through the roof, and its only going to get worse with this war. In a couple of years no-one will be able to afford to live. Gerald Brevard III was arrested Tuesday morning by agents of the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives bureau in southeast Washington, D.C. Brevard, 30, is wanted in connection with a string of shootings and stabbings of homeless persons in the District and in Manhattan, New York. Brevard was turned in to authorities after a multiple-city manhunt which involved federal authorities as well as the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). He is suspected of the killing of two people and the serious injury of three others in the two cities. On March 3, Brevard allegedly shot three homeless District residents as they lay asleep. One man, 54-year old Morgan Holmes, was killed and left inside his tent, which was set on fire. Police found his body a day later. Alleged suspect, Gerard Brevard (Twitter/NYPDNews) On March 9 in lower Manhattan, Brevard allegedly shot two men, one fatally. The victim had lain in the street for hours before authorities were summoned, wrote the Associated Press. Two more men were attacked last Saturday, again in New York. Brevard was connected to the shootings in both cities through surveillance video and the .22 caliber bullets used on his victims. According to the AP, the two cities Democratic mayors credited their swift coordination in response to the killings for bringing Brevard into custody. However, a tip from Brevards family was ultimately the key to his apprehension. Gerald Brevard, Jr., the suspects father, texted a reporter for the New York Times, stating that his son suffers from mental illness and that the failure of the judicial system to find treatment for him was ultimately to blame. The elder Brevard extended his deepest condolences to his sons victims and their families. The younger Brevard had a history of mental health issues as well as violent behavior. According to relatives, he had also been homeless for a time. In 2018, he was arrested for assault charges and later pled guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. A 2019 court ruling determined him to be mentally incompetent and he spent time at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC. According to the elder Brevard, [the city] said he was healthy so they let him out I knew he wasnt healthy. I know my son. News reports have compared the string of killings to a recent New York City incident where a woman was pushed in front of an oncoming subway train by a homeless man suffering from schizophrenia. Despite Brevards clear history of mental disorder, Eric Adams, New York Citys Democratic Mayor, sought to paint the crimes in purely moral terms. Gun violence against anyone, let alone our most vulnerable populations, is sick, he stated. Adams hypocritically declared those experiencing homelessness can breathe a sigh of relief today. Adams, who came into office preaching a tough-on-crime message, recently enacted a homeless-removal program which the Times was compelled to admit would push many people to the street who refuse to stay in the citys barracks-like group shelters. Nearly 47,000 people stay in New York Citys homeless shelters, which the Times states are rife with crime and interpersonal conflict. Of this number, nearly 14,000 are children. Many thousands more remain un-housed in the city. The District of Columbia has enacted a similar homeless removal program called Coordinated Assistance and Resources for Encampments (CARE). The program is designed to provide rapid re-housing for homeless individuals found in the citys massive encampments. In a letter published by the Washington Post last October, local ward administrators stated that while Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowsers concept may seem appealing in the abstract, in practice, this carrot-and-stick approach is harming the very residents it hopes to help. According to the local government advisers, CARE is not principally meant to assist unhoused residents with their transition into housing. Instead, it prioritizes the removal of encamped residents and places a prohibition on their return, even if they have not moved into housing. The Post noted in a separate article published in January, One of the points made repeatedly by those opposed to the swift dismantling of encampments was that those forced evictions were tearing apart established communities and pushing the unhoused into more isolated places where vulnerable individuals can be singled out and victimized. The way the city is doing this is a war. Its a war on the most vulnerable among us, stated lawyer Tara Vassefi. You have to be out there to understand that on any given night, things change so fast, and you can end up with a world of hurt you never know when someone is going to come at you, maybe to rob you or bonk you on the head, stated Gregory Hammett, a 62-year old homeless veteran, in comments to the AP. Listen, the streets are dangerous, said Marty Mercer, who lives at an encampment outside of the Districts Union Station. Just because someone is doing this on a serial basis is no different. The District of Columbia has wound down its pandemic aid programs. A March 2021 Post article quoted Amber Harding of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, who warns that absent the various stimulus programs, a much, much deeper recession, or depression is just lying in wait to explode family homelessness.' In August, the city ended its moratorium on evictions, while claiming that a federally-funded rent assistance program would fill the gaps. In September, members of the citys Democratic Party-controlled legislature denounced the mayors STAY DC program, stating it was not nimble enough to issue payments before these evictions occur. Caption: U.S. F-35 fighter jet preparing for deployment at Al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (Staff Sgt. Chris Thornbury/U.S. Air Force via AP) A few days after the German government announced a tripling of military spending, the biggest rearmament drive since Hitler is being put into action. The first purchase being made with the Bundeswehrs 100 billion euro special fund is 35 US F-35 Lightning II stealth bombers, which can be used for nuclear strikes, among other things. Lockheed Martins supersonic jets are currently considered the most modern fighter aircraft in the world and are used by seven European countries in addition to the US. Equipped with nuclear weapons, they can hide from enemy radar and, depending on the design, are capable of vertical take-off and landing. Their operational range of 1,090 kilometres corresponds to the distance between Passau in eastern Bavaria and Lviv in western Ukraine. The acquisition costs alone are estimated at well over 4 billion euros. On Monday, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht (Social Democratic Party, SPD) confirmed that the procurement of the F-35 fighter jets was to enable the German government to fight a nuclear war. Specifically for the task of nuclear sharing, the decision had been made in favour of the American carriers, which offered a unique potential for cooperation at the European and NATO level. Luftwaffe (Air Force) Inspector Ingo Gerhartz added that in the face of Putins aggression, a credible deterrence and unity in NATO were the only answer. Under the NATO concept of so-called nuclear sharing, partner countries of the USGermany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkeycan deploy US nuclear weapons stationed in Europe. The possible armaments include free-falling nuclear weapons in addition to a variety of guided and unguided missiles as well as cruise missiles and bombs, says an article on the official website of the Defence Ministry. At the US airbase in Buchel alone, 20 B61 thermonuclear gravity bombs are currently being fitted with precision-guidance systems. Although each of these hydrogen bombs has an explosive power several times those dropped on Hiroshima, they are considered small and versatile tactical weapons with high military operational value. According to Gerhartz, all 35 new F-35s will go to Tactical Air Wing 33 in Buchel, where we also perform the role of nuclear sharing. With the acquisition of F-35 fighter aircraft, the German ruling class is massively accelerating its war plans. It represents a departure from earlier proposals to procure either American F/A-18 bombers or new Eurofighters to ensure nuclear sharing, as both these models would first have to be converted and certified for nuclear weapons use. This potentially years-long process has now been eliminated. Apparently, the selection was also about securing key German-European technologies against possible US interference. Newsweekly Der Spiegel, for example, writes that the potential conversion of the Eurofighters to nuclear bomb capability would have required the cooperation of the American side among other things, for the systems that would have been necessary for docking and releasing the nuclear weapons. This would also have meant disclosing large parts of the Eurofighter technology to the Americans. Against this background, even the head of Airbus Defence and Space, Michael Schollhorn, eventually conceded that the F-35 represents the simpler and faster way for the Bundeswehr to fulfil its tasks for nuclear sharing, Der Spiegel reports. Schollhorn and Airbus are also rejoicing because the upgrading of the Luftwaffe is not being limited to the procurement of the American F-35 fighter jets. By 2030, all 93 of its Tornados are to be replaced, including those covering the so-called Electronic Combat Role (ECR) and the conventional fighter-bomber role. And here, the decision was made for the further development of the Eurofighter, Lambrecht announced. Immediately, 15 Eurofighter ECRs will be procured. A tweet from the Defence Ministry says: The Eurofighter will also be retained for the armed forces and will be further developed for the electronic warfare role. Thus, important key technology will be retained in Germany & Europe. In addition, we are securing a strong German role in the future FCAS system. The Future Combat Air SystemFCAS is an air combat system driven by Germany, France and Spain, which is to be operational by 2040. The plan is for an integrated system combining a manned sixth-generation multi-role combat aircraft, unmanned escort aircraft (remote carriers), drones, satellites and command and control aircraft, and possibly also having its own nuclear component. The costs for the project are gigantic and go far beyond the 100 billion euros estimated in the Special Assets of the Bundeswehr. Financial daily Handelsblatt reported in 2019 that the system will devour up to 500 billion euros by the middle of the century. In a daily order on the use of the 100 billion euro special assets of the Bundeswehr, also published on Monday, Lambrecht and Inspector General Eberhard Zorn left no doubt that the just announced rearmament was only the beginning of preparing the German military for full-scale war. First, he said, it was necessary to close gaps in the current stockpiles. Our formations, the companies, battalions, brigades, divisions, ships, boats, batteries, and aircraft units will not only be fully equipped, but also with uniform materiel, the order says. In addition, new capabilities will be built, and research and development will be advanced to this end ... for example, in the fields of artificial intelligence or space. There was a need for a Bundeswehr that maintains capabilities across the entire military spectrumabove all, for national and alliance defence, but also for international crisis management. The goal was a fully equipped force that can hold its own in combat immediately and everywhere. Every soldier must be ready to be deployed at short notice in our core mission of national and alliance defence. The Defence Report, which was presented yesterday by Eva Hogl (SPD), the commissioner for the armed forces, took the same line. According to the report, 2022 will be a year in which the Bundeswehr will be challenged more than ever before in its core mission of national and alliance defence. The decisive action of the government and the announcement to create a special fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr as well as to increase the defence budget were therefore very welcome. The Daily Order justifies the massive rearmament and war plans with Putins war of aggression on Ukraine, which calls into question fundamental rules of the European peace order. Similar formulations can be found in the Defence Report. It is the familiar, mendacious propaganda. In fact, the now proclaimed foreign policy turning point was meticulously prepared behind the backs of the population for a long time. The special assets of the Bundeswehr were also discussed by the SPD, Liberal Democrats (FDP) and Greens during their coalition negotiations last October. This is not about the defence of peace or freedom but the enforcement of geostrategic and economic interests by military means. It is a fact that the first war of aggression in Europe since the end of the Second World War was not waged by Russia but by the imperialist powers. Thirty years ago, the recognition of Croatia and Slovenia, in violation of international law, at the instigation of Germany and the USA triggered a terrible civil war in the former Yugoslavia. This was followed in 1999 by NATOs bombing of Serbia, which culminated in the violent secession of Kosovo. Then came the interventions and regime change operations in Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003), Libya (2011) and Syria (since 2014), which were in violation of international law which cost millions of lives and reduced entire countries to rubble. Putins invasion of Ukraine is reactionary, but NATO is also the aggressor in Eastern Europe. It has systematically encircled Russia, and it orchestrated a right-wing coup in Ukraine in 2014 to bring a pro-Western regime to power in Kiev. The same regime change operation is now being pursued by the imperialist powers against Moscow itself, threatening to provoke a third world war. Like Chancellor Scholzs earlier war speech in the Bundestag, the Defence Report and the Order of the Day are warnings. Eighty years after the invasion of the Soviet Union by Hitlers Wehrmacht (Army) and the war of extermination in the East, Germany is again preparing for war against Russia. The Luftwaffe, which is now being massively upgraded and prepared for the use of nuclear weapons, is already playing a key role in this. We, as an air force, were the first to have an answer to the crisis in Ukraine, Gerhartz boasted in a recent Luftwaffe video on the procurement of the F-35 fighter jets. We were the first as an air force to move our Eurofighters to Romania. We are flying our jets over Poland; we flew with the Tornados over the Baltic Sea to pick up electronic signals. More tanker aircraft are now being brought to Eastern Europe, and air defence will also be moved. The Morozov Collection of Russian and European impressionist and post-impressionist art is on exhibit at the Louis Vuitton Foundation (LVF) in Paris. It includes masterworks by dozens of artists including Repin, Korovin, Larionov, Goncharova and Malevitch from Russia, and Monet, Rodin, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Matisse and Picasso from Europe. Over 1 million people have visited it; by its scheduled end on April 3, it is set to be the most widely visited art exhibit ever in Paris. The exhibit revives the profound, imperishable link established between Russian and European culture as they flowered in the decades before the 1917 October Revolution. The collection itself was nationalized and made available to the public by Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Brigitte Macron visit the exhibition 'The Morozov Collection, Icons of Modern Art' Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. (Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP) As such, the Morozov Collection cuts across the nationalist media campaign that has been whipped up in France since Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, in order to legitimize the NATO war drive against Russia. The exhibit has become the target of an outpouring of hatred in the French media and cultural establishment. There are mounting calls for the art to be seized by the French state or the LVF, which is owned by Europes richest man, multi-billionaire luxury magnate Bernard Arnault (net worth: $159 billion). The loan agreement, made privately between Arnault and Putin at the Kremlin in 2016, requires that the works be returned to Russia by April 6. The morning after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a coordinated campaign began in the French press debating the possibility of seizing the Morozov Collection. Le Monde wrote that after the Russian armys offensive, keeping the exhibit open is bound to raise questions. Le Figaro raised the possibility of selling it off to wealthy collectors to buy useful weapons for the Ukrainian resistance. These proposals testify to the debased character of the anti-Russian campaign whipped up in France, which amounts to an assault on art and human culture. The seizure of the 200 works of this priceless collection would arguably be the biggest single theft of art in Europe since the Nazi plunder of the continent during World War II. Yet this is precisely what powerful voices in the media and what passes for the French intelligentsia are proposing. This month, Gilles Hertzog, the editor of La Regle du Jeu magazine, penned an editorial demanding that the Morozov Collection stay in Paris until the end of hostilities in Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian invaders. Referring to Picassos painting of the fascist bombing of Guernica in the Spanish Civil War, Hertzog claims that it would now be a moral insult to Picasso and to art as a whole for the exhibit to return to Russia. He wrote, To be exposed under the patronage of Vladimir Putin, for the creator of Guernica, has become an intolerable insult. The hypocrisy of this argument is staggering. In the 30 years since the 1991 Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union eliminated their main military rival, the American and European imperialist powers rampaged across the world. Invading or bombing countries including Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Mali, they killed millions and turned tens of millions into refugees. If one accepted Hertzogs reactionary claim that art cannot be exhibited in a country at war, one would have to close down virtually every art museum in Europe and North America. Hertzog does not, however, denounce the exhibiting of the Guernica painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City as an affront to Picasso. Nor does he claim that the French bombing last year of a wedding in northern Mali, killing at least 19 civilians, made Paris unworthy of greeting the Morozov Collection. Self-interested hypocrisy is an inherent feature of the affluent and corrupt milieu around Hertzog, a grandson of Stalinist Senator Marcel Cachin and friend of post-1968 New Philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy. Levy and Hertzog are infamous for justifying wars based on selective invocations of human rights. Hertzog has called for NATO to invade Syria and end its policy of No troops on the ground and denounced the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Putins invasion of Ukraine, which this milieu sees as an intolerable threat to NATOs monopoly on the use of military force, has driven it into a war frenzy. Levy, who led the promotion of the 2011 war in Libya, long backed the anti-Russian provocations that incited Putin to invade Ukraine. Levy has repeatedly toured the Donbass with far-right Ukrainian nationalist militias and is currently in Odessa, campaigning for more NATO involvement in Ukrainedespite the danger that this could provoke a Third World War between nuclear armed powers. In La Regle du Jeu, Hertzog tries to give a somewhat polished expression to his anti-Russian bile. He admits that in this exhibit, another face of eternal Russia is offered to us, open to the world, a friend of the arts, passionate about culture and nourished by exchange with Europe. After his brief nod to the artistic achievements of the Russian people, Hertzog denounces it for being supposedly unworthy of Russian art. He calls for the Morozov Collection to be confiscated, only to return to the walls of Russian state museums when Russia is once again worthy of welcoming back the best of French and Russian art. Hertzogs reactionary calls to punish the Russian people for the actions of their government has dire implications for artistic freedom. During the careers of Monet and Rodin, France was engaged in the bloody conquest of Indochina, Syria, and Morocco and the pillage of Algeria and West Africa. During the careers of Matisse and of Hertzogs mother, Stalinist lawmaker Marcelle Hertzog-Cachin, France waged and lost bloody colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria that claimed over a half million lives and sent millions to internment camps. Does Hertzog consider the French people worthy of Monet, Rodin or Matisse? Should they have been denied the right to exhibit their works in France because of Frances colonial crimes? Should museums in Hanoi, Damascus, Casablanca, Algiers or Dakar confiscate French art exhibited there, arguing, as Hertzog does in Russia, that the French people should suffer collective punishment for the crimes of their government? The petty-bourgeois supporters of humanitarian imperialism are no doubt too busy for such questions, hard at work on their press campaign for war with Russia. However, their campaign against Russia has no legitimate artistic, political or, one might add, moral basis. Indeed, for all their denunciations of Putin and Russia, they share a key element of Putins Russian nationalism. As he invaded Ukraine and launched a war dividing Russian and Ukrainian workers, Putin, the heir of the Stalinist restoration of capitalism, denounced the October Revolution. He attacked Lenin, Trotsky and the other great Marxists for making too many concessions to non-Russian nationalities in the founding of the Soviet Union. The anti-communist underpinnings of the forces targeting the Morozov Collection were spelled out in the National Review, the right-wing US publication founded by ex-CIA agent William F. Buckley, Jr. It raises the Morozov Collection stash in Paris, which the French should keep until Putin gets out of Ukraine. Denouncing the Soviet Union, it concludes: Keep the art in Paris. Its a fitting way to draw a line under the utopian hell that started in 1917. Such threats to steal the artistic heritage of the Russian people expose the utterly anti-democratic character of the ongoing NATO war drive against Russia. I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. attributed to Albert Einstein In 2017, the World Socialist Web Site published a series of interviews with leading experts on the subject of nuclear war. They spoke on both the inherent dangers of such a conflict, even of a limited nuclear exchange, as well as the decades-long effort by the American military, media and political establishment, to conceal the true horror that such a war would bring. On Monday, we published an interview with scientist and anti-nuclear activist Steven Starr. On Tuesday, we published an interview with Greg Mello, who spoke on the underlying political and economic interests driving the world toward nuclear war. Today we are republishing the third of these interviews, conducted with Michael Mills, a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research who has studied the climatic effects of nuclear detonations for more than a decade. Dr. Mills spoke on how nuclear weapons can create firestorms, turning whole cities and their inhabitants into nothing more than ash, soot and debris. The threat of nuclear war is now more acute than at any time in history. The continuous eastward expansion of NATO following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 has culminated in the US-NATO provocation of Russias invasion of Ukraine, which has already had immense global repercussions. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed in Ukraine and nearly 3 million people have been displaced. The Western media and sections of the political establishment recklessly demand that NATO impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine in which NATO aircraft would attempt to shoot down their Russian counterparts. This would immediately provoke a direct confrontation between the worlds two largest nuclear-armed powers, with incalculable consequences. Amid the war in Eastern Europe, the coronavirus pandemic continues unabated. According to estimates of excess deaths, between 18 and 20 million people have likely died directly or indirectly from COVID-19 during the past two years. A nuclear war would raise such a scale of death from the millions to the billions. The pandemicwhich amounts to a social crime of staggering dimensionshas proven once again the willingness of the capitalist ruling elites to sacrifice the lives of millions of people, as took place in World War I and World War II. The same ruling elites are entirely capable of starting a nuclear war, which could quickly snuff out all human life and potentially all life on Earth. The fundamental conclusion that must be drawn from the present drive to World War III and the ongoing pandemic is that capitalism is a bankrupt social system which threatens the health and very existence of humanity. The international working class must overthrow world capitalism and build a new society upon socialist foundations, based on nuclear and military disarmament, social equality and scientific planning. All workers who understand the present dangers and the need to build a revolutionary movement to stop the drive to war and stop the pandemic should make the decision to join and build the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) as the world party of socialist revolution. * * * * * Bryan Dyne: What would happen to a city in a nuclear exchange between the US and North Korea? [ This interview was conducted in mid-April 2017, when the Trump administration was ratcheting up tensions with North Korea ] Michael Mills: Our work is based on the idea that if a nuclear bomb exploded over a large modern city, the explosion would cause fires that would ignite over the entire area, eventually becoming what is known as a firestorm. This means that the fires have become so hot that the city itself becomes fuel for the fire, which releases much more energy than the nuclear weapon itself. This is what happened during the incendiary bombings of Hamburg, Dresden and Tokyo and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Essentially, if a city is ignited on this scale, the fires produce millions of tons of black smoke, also called soot, from the burning buildings and other materials. Heat from the fires causes the soot-filled air to rise, and the soot absorbs sunlight, further heating the air so that it rises into the stratosphere, 10 to 30 miles above Earths surface. These particles are so high that they dont get rained out, since there is no weather in the stratosphere. So it can take decades for the soot to settle back down to the surface. The main effect from all this soot being trapped in the stratosphere is that it continuously absorbs sunlight. In our models, which are based off of the detonation of 100 small nuclear weapons by India and Pakistan, global temperatures become the coldest theyve been in the past 1,000 years. In a big exchange between major powers, you basically get ice age temperatures. The second problem is that heating up the stratosphere destroys up to 50 percent the ozone layer by producing changes in the chemical reaction rates that produce ozone. While this happens today in Antarctica, that is a seasonal effect that occurs in the Antarctic spring and early summer. The loss of ozone from stratospheric heating is constant and worldwide. As a result, crops and ecosystems face not only freezing temperatures, but also intense ultraviolet light from the Sun as a result of a diminished ozone layer. This research is not something that Ive ever been funded to study. Ive been able to pursue this in my spare time because I work on models of atmospheric chemistry and climate and it seemed like a very important issue to me. I usually work on the climatic effects of particles from volcanoes, which are liquid droplets that tend to scatter light rather than absorbing it. They have a similar cooling effect in that after a volcanic eruption, these droplets are ejected into the stratosphere and reflect sunlight away from Earth. But the black absorbing smoke particles are much more effective at the same thing. They have a bigger effect on the Suns radiation than the volcanic particles. BD: Whats the significance of using a model of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan? MM: The initial motivation for our recent studies is that we wanted to revisit the nuclear war studies that were done in the 1980s, using the vastly more sophisticated climate models that had been developed since. So Alan Robock looked at impacts of a war between the US and Russia using a NASA climate model. But we also wanted to look at the increasing number of new nuclear powers and their expanding arsenals. The India-Pakistan scenario served to show that even relatively small nuclear weapons can have a global effect. In 2007, when I was working on this with Brian Toon, each country had only about 50 Hiroshima-sized weapons each, the smallest nuclear weapons in existence. Even an exchange with these weapons, which are much smaller than those used by the US, Russia, Britain or France, can still cause global planetary environmental damage from the smoke thats released. Brian Toon was trying to get the people in the military interested in paying attention to this issue. The United States has a current arsenal of about 1,700 nuclear weapons. Its difficult to justify having so many because even if you used them and no enemy retaliated, you would suffer from the global effects. BD: In that vein, is there such a thing as a limited nuclear war? MM: We obviously had a limited nuclear war in World War II when the US used its entire stockpile of nuclear weapons, which was two. Given the number of weapons that now exist, however, once you start using them you quickly reach a point where you are producing so much damage to millions of people. And then there are the smoke effects, which damage the whole planet. I think people in charge of making military decisions need to be well aware that the idea of a limited nuclear war is a very dangerous concept. BD: Could you go a bit more into the science of how the cities are turned into smoke? MM: The firestorm was something that the Allies intentionally devised in World War II in raids against Hamburg, Dresden and Tokyo, with many, many incendiary bombs designed to ignite fires close to one another. When you have fires all over a city, they tend to join together and intensify, creating temperatures so hot that even asphalt and concrete become fuel. Thats where the black smoke comes from. As we saw with Hiroshima, when you detonate a nuclear weapon in the air above a city, it has the same effect of igniting fires all over the city. The heat from the fires then acts like a thunderstorm, lifting air up very quickly. This means that air has to come in from below to replace it. So from all directions, air gets sucked in, adding more oxygen to the fire. Moreover, the air is so fast that it carries with it debris, animals and even people. To quote from the book Fire and Ice by David Fisher: On July 27, 1943 nearly a thousand British bombers dropped over two thousand tons of bombs on Hamburg, most of them incendiaries, turning that city into a burning, melting quagmire of horror. The temperature reached one thousand degrees in the center of town, igniting the world's first firestorm. The superheated air rose so fast it sucked in outside air in the form of hurricane-strength winds, which force-fed the fire still further and blew helpless people like leaves into the burning center of destruction where they actually melted into pools of burning fat. On the outskirts of the storm other people were stuck in molten asphalt, suffocating and igniting. More than 40,000 people died that night. In the early spring of 1945 the American Twentieth Air Force topped the RAF's record by burning Tokyo, starting a conflagration that totaled sixteen square miles of intensely populated city, killing more than 80,000 people. BD: Are the fires something that can be started by radioactive fallout or is it just the initial explosion of the bomb? MM: There are two kinds of ways of dropping a nuclear bomb over a city: there is an airburst, where it explodes high, and there is a ground burst, when it explodes when it hits the ground. Airbursts are most effective at creating firestorms, igniting cities. And its much more widespread damage than a ground burst. Ground bursts are what create fallout, which is when it sends up material from the ground that is radioactive, which can spread in the wind. There would be more fallout from a ground burst, and more fire from an airburst. BD: What would the world look like after a nuclear exchange between the US and China? MM: In that case, you're talking about two powers with very large stockpiles of nuclear weapons. You could get a tremendous amount of smoke if you started dropping bombs in cities across the US and China. Thats the sort of thing that Alan Robock modeled in a US/Russia war. Its what we call a true nuclear winter, in the sense that in some places in the interior of continents, for example in Ukraine, the temperatures remain below freezing all year long, so you can't grow crops at all under those conditions. Similar things happen in the center of the US and China. On all continents, basically. You have global average temperatures that get basically as cold, for a year or so, as what we had in the last ice age. BD: What would happen after the first year? MM: When we modeled an India/Pakistan war in 2014, we found that when you include interactive components in your model, such as the effects of the full ocean, expanding sea ice, that the changes to climate are more prolonged. This is largely thanks to the oceans ability to store lots of heat. Although global temperatures cool more slowly when one considers the ocean, the lower temperatures are more prolonged. After 24 years of our simulation, temperatures were still below normal, whereas in other studies that didnt include the full impact of the oceans, they showed that the temperatures had recovered in ten years. And this is a small nuclear war. Its really hard to say how much destruction something like this would cause, how many species would be wiped out and if ours would be among them or not. What Ive studied shows that even a small event could cascade. Weve seen food shortages in the past few decades that have been intensified by societal reactions. There was a global rice crisis in 2008 after India and Vietnam stopped exporting rice, for example, leading to a severe shortage in the Philippines and food riots in Haiti. Certainly food shortages have been tied to uprisings in the Arab Spring. So all sorts of things could happen that are destabilizing. But with a large war, its somewhat unknowable, but also so horrific it doesnt matter exactly how damaging it is. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden gave a speech announcing the deployment of $1 billion in weapons to Ukraine, including combat drones and long-range anti-aircraft systems, for use in Ukraines war with Russia. Making no mention of ongoing efforts to find a diplomatic settlement to the war, Biden warned that the United States should be prepared for a long and difficult battle. Biden announced that Ukraine would receive 9,000 anti-armor systems, 800 anti-aircraft systems, 7,000 small arms and 20 million rounds in ammunition. US officials subsequently clarified that they would provide Ukraine with offensive drones and Soviet-era long-range anti-aircraft missiles. Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces members train to use an NLAW anti-tank weapon in Kyiv outskirts, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) But the most significant aspect of the speech was Bidens statement regarding the background of the war, which exposes the extent to which the US had systematically prepared Ukraine for the conflict with Russia. Biden presented a narrative of a years-long proxy conflict, in which the United States has been pumping billions of dollars in weapons into Ukraine. In fact, we started our assistance to Ukraine before this war began, Biden said. We sent Ukraine more security assistance last year$650 million in weapons, including anti-air and anti-armor equipment before the invasionmore than we had ever provided before. So when the invasion began, they already had in their hands the kinds of weapons they needed to counter Russian advances. And once the war started, we immediately rushed $350 million in additional aid to further address their needs: hundreds of anti-air systems, thousands of anti-tank weapons, transport helicopters, armed patrol boats, and other high-mobility vehicles, radar systems that help track incoming artillery and unmanned drones, secure communications equipment and tactical gear, satellite imagery andand analysis capacity. And its clearly helped Ukraine inflict dramatic losses on Russian forces. These statements refute the medias presentation of Ukraine as a small and hapless nation suddenly set upon by a ruthless larger power. The Ukrainian military, assisted by US advisers working within the country, was ready for war, which the Biden administration instigated. Ukrainian civilians caught in the crossfire were written off as the expendable losses of US imperialisms anti-Russia strategy. The very fact that Ukraine is not a member of NATO has allowed it to be used as a proxy, armed to the teeth and used to bait the Russian government into its disastrous and deadly invasion. Understanding the background of the war is not the same as condoning the Russian invasion, which is as strategically imbecilic as it is politically reactionary. It was the desperate response of the bankrupt regime that emerged from the dissolution of the USSR. But it is necessary to refute the lying narrative within which this warwhich has cost thousands of lives and can still escalate into a nuclear warhas been framed by the propaganda organs of the US and NATO powers. In 2013, then-Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland reported that the United States had spent $5 billion to help Ukraine achieve its European aspirations and other goals. The outcome of this influx of cash and more direct forms of intervention by the imperialist powers was the 2014 US-backed coup, led by fascist forces like Svoboda and the Right Sector. Within months, the Ukrainian parliament renounced its countrys non-aligned status and announced plans to deepen its cooperation with NATO in order to achieve the criteria which are required for membership in the alliance. The 2014 coup triggered the secession of Donetsk and Lugansk in Eastern Ukraine, as well as Russias annexation of Crimea, a mostly Russian-speaking region, following a referendum. In an effort to contain the war raging in Eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk and Lugansk republics signed a ceasefire known as the Minsk agreements, which have been systematically under siege in subsequent years. Despite the ceasefire, the United States continued to pump billions of dollars in weapons into Ukraine and to actively train its military. A critical inflection point in this process was the first impeachment of Donald Trump, which centered around allegations that Trump predicated the disbursement of US weapons to Ukraine on Zelensky ordering an investigation of Bidens son, Hunter, who received approximately $1 million per year for sitting on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. During the impeachment, it became clear just how central Ukraine was to US geopolitical strategy. In her testimony, former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovich declared that Ukraine, with an enormous land mass and a large population, has the potential to be a significant force multiplier on the security side... And now Ukraine is a battleground for great power competition with a hot war for the control of territory and a hybrid war to control Ukraines leadership. As the impeachment was taking place, the United States was withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and developing medium-range nuclear weapons that could reach Russias borders from Eastern Europe or even Ukraine. The withdrawal from the INF treaty was a critical element of the US preparations for great-power competition, which the 2018 national security strategy document deemed the primary concern in US national security. Bidens comments clearly indicate that last year saw a major escalation in military assistance to Ukraine, with the US giving Ukraine, according to Biden, more military aid than we had ever provided before. A key turning point that year was the US-Ukraine Strategic Partnership, announced on September 1, 2021, which declared that the US would never recognize Russias attempted annexation of Crimea and intends to support Ukraines effort to counter armed aggression. The strategic partnership effectively endorsed the doctrine, codified in a Ukrainian state strategy document in March 2021, for Ukraine to recover Crimea and the Donbas, by force if necessary. In announcing the strategic partnership, the White House noted that The United States has committed $2.5 billion in support of Ukraines forces since 2014, including more than $400 million this year alone. As the US continued pumping billions of dollars in arms sales into Ukraine, Russia published a set of demands for security guarantees last December, including that Ukraine would not become a member of NATO. In subsequent interviews, Russian President Vladimir Putin explained that Ukraines admission to NATO would make war inevitable. The Biden administration refused to accept Russias demands for security guarantees, goading Russia to take this action. As Biden declared in December, I dont accept anybodys red lines. This antecedent history explains the confidence with which the White House predicted Russias invasion of Ukraine. As Biden put it on January 20, My guess is he will move in. He has to do something. If Biden was able to predict this situation so directly, it was because his administration worked to bring about this outcome. On Monday, police in San Antonio, Texas, killed a man they claimed pulled out a gun while they were trying to arrest him. Following the shooting, a crowd of protesters confronted police, who used pepper spray against the group. The victim, identified by family members as 27-year-old Kevin Johnson, was wanted on two felony warrants for being in possession of a firearm, stemming from a February incident in which Johnson met up with two friends and fired a gun in the air. Kevin Johnson (Credit: Johnson family) In a media briefing Police Chief William McManus said the shooting occurred after three officers spotted Johnson on the citys westside near North Hamilton Street and West Laurel. Police claimed that they were attempting to arrest Johnson when he fled. According to police, Johnson reached for a gun in his waistband during the encounter, at which point he was shot. He died at the scene, where a handgun was recovered, McManus said, adding that he could not provide details of the exchange since he had not reviewed body camera footage. Johnsons sister, Jasmine Johnson, said witnesses told Johnsons family that police shot him nine times in the back. She noted that Johnson had a troubled past and suffered from mental health disorders but was working to change his life. Hes not a bad person so theres no reason why this should have happened, Jamie Johnson told the Associated Press. Nobody deserves to get shot in the back nine times. They shot my son from behind, and thats wrong, said Johnsons mother, Arlene Garcia. They shot him nine times, and nobody here has nothing to say to me. Nobody has nothing to say. Immediately after the shooting, family, friends and community members demanded transparency from San Antonio police. Video footage of the demonstrations show an angry multiracial crowd protesting and calling on the San Antonio Police Department to release body camera footage of the incident. With no commitment forthcoming, the crowd became incensed with police, who used pepper spray on a group which began rocking a police car. Family members and activists are demanding the release of body cam footage. Regardless of whether he was armed or not, this is a clear show of excessive force, Ananda Tomas of the police accountability groups ACT 4 SA told KENS5. The response of the community that we saw yesterday shows a critical need and urgency to release the body cam footage, not to give answers and some relief, but to show you are accountable to us and transparent to us. A memorial of candles, flowers and religious items was erected for Johnson on the block where he died. His family held a candlelight vigil and balloon release on Tuesday evening. Speaking to Texas Public Radio during Tuesdays vigil, Johnsons mother, Arlene Garcia, explained that she had been bruised and pepper-sprayed by police during Mondays protest when she demanded answers about her sons death. For asking questions, this happened to me yesterday because I wanted answers, Garcia said. And someone, one of them officers, put their hand on me, and they pepper-sprayed me as well. The three police officers involved in the killing have been placed on administrative leave. Johnsons death was the first fatal police shooting in San Antonio this year. The department reported six shootings last year where someone was killed or injured through the month of April, while there were 18 such shootings in 2020. There have been at least 15 fatal police shootings in Texas since the first recorded shooting of 2022 in the state on January 31, when Nathan Humphrey was shot down in Harris County, Texas. According to a database maintained by the Washington Post, which compiles police shootings based on local news, social media and police reports, Johnson was the 168th person killed by police in the United States so far this year. Since mass protest erupted across the US and internationally in the wake of the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, American police officers have killed more than 1,800 people. As in previous years, so far in 2022 the police have claimed victims of every race, ethnicity and gender. Where race has been identified in the Posts database the largest share is white, following by African Americans and then Hispanics. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka are holding an online public meeting titled Oppose the US - NATO war drive and the Russian intervention in Ukraine on Sunday, March 20. The meeting is part of the struggle being waged by the International Committee of the Fourth International and its Socialist Equality Parties, through the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS), to build a working-class anti-war movement based on socialist internationalism. Workers and youth have responded strongly to SEP and IYSSE campaigns in working-class areas, such as the Katunayake Free Trade Zone and Colombo Harbour, and the universities, with many registering for the online meeting. A worker from Colombo Harbour Naval Division said: I believe that the Russian intervention against Ukraine is a result of provocations by America and NATO against Russia. Russia is a capitalist country. The capitalist system is in a serious crisis and it is in this situation that the American imperialists have prepared their war strategy against Russia. Their objective is to fragment Russia and loot its enormous resources. The harbour worker pointed out that world oil and gasoline prices have increased as a result of the war. The continuous devaluation of the Sri Lankan rupee against the US dollar, he said, has pushed up the price of gasoline and other essential goods. Workers cannot make ends meet. If the war develops further America will intervene in Asia, he continued. As the SEP and WSWS point out, an anti-war movement of the international working class has to be built to prevent war. A young worker from Katunayake FTZ said: I came to know about the war situation in Ukraine through the media but could not get a clear-cut idea of the situation. The US and Europe are powerful countries in the world and theyre involved in the Ukraine war, which will have an impact on us, she said. Referring to rising prices and shortages of essential items, she added, Already there is no kerosene. Prices of goods are high. Ruchira Madawa [WSWS Media] Ruchira Madhava, logic teacher at a leading school in Colombo, said he would attend the SEP/IYSSE meeting. As soon as I heard about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I felt that it would have criminal consequences for humanity, he said. As someone who lived in a country with horrific experiences of war, I had a strong feeling that this devastation must be stopped. Its true that Russia started this invasion but simply turning Russia into a monster does not reveal the true roots of this war. The US is the culprit with a long record of invading other countries and launching conspiracies there to achieve its own interests. This is what the bourgeois media hide from the reports on the Ukraine crisis, he added. We now see many of the capitalist media articles blaming Russia in the name of defending Ukraine. This sort of analysis is helping American imperialism and Im against it. In fact, the working class does not want a war and Im confident that the majority of workers support world peace, Madhava said. The SEP and IYSSE held lively discussions with students at Sri Jayawardenepura University. Pahan, a science faculty student, asked: The masses in Sri Lanka face a massive social and economic crisis. What is its relationship with your struggle against war? Campaigners explained that government attacks on the living conditions and democratic rights of workers and the oppressed masses and the growing danger of world war were driven by the same underlying global crisis of the capitalist system, which had been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. After listening carefully, he said: Its clear that an anti-war movement of the international working class can be built as the workers in the advanced capitalist countries face the same situation. America and the capitalist media say Russia is doing all this but the background to this situation is NATOs work. I feel that their interest is to maximise profit by seizing oil, gas and other resources in Russia. Pahan added: Last week I saw that Germany had increased its war spending. After speaking with you, Im clear that this spending has been obtained by imposing more austerity measures on the masses. Austerity measures will come to Sri Lanka as a result of the war. You cannot understand what is really developing, from the media, he continued. War needs to be stopped as you say. All the imperialist countries are competing to increase their interests and this paves the way for war. Im ready to join with you and build up an anti-war movement and speak more about this. Dasun [WSWS Media] Dasun, a humanities student, supported the forthcoming meeting and wanted to know more about the war drive and the pandemic. After the discussion, he was determined to show his solidarity with the Ukraine and Russian working class and his support for a socialist anti-war movement by posing for a photograph with the IYSSE poster. Piumi Hansika, a political science student at the University of Peradeniya, said: I oppose the US and NATO dragging the entire world into this catastrophe, ignoring the danger of a nuclear war. Every country has been impacted by the US drive for its interests. I really appreciate the analysis of the WSWS on the war situation in Ukraine because it helps me understand whats at stake and how to face it. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has raised the danger of a nuclear third world war but only Russia is being accused of the destruction of the lives and property of thousands of people. The main reason for this situation is the long-term strategic plans of US imperialism to secure its world hegemony and its reckless expansion of NATO forces, he said. Piyumi Hansika [WSWS Media] D. Tharmikan, an advanced level student at Vavuniya Tamil Maha Vidyalayam in Sri Lankas war-ravaged north, said: War is a horrible thing that ordinary people do not like because all people face devastation. He referred to Colombos almost three-decade communalist war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Northern and Eastern provinces, noting that hundreds of thousands were killed in that conflict. Of course, we cannot compare the war in this country with the situation developing around the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, he said. America and the other NATO powers are with Ukraine. If the war develops and they use nuclear weapons, there will be no creature left in the world. War should be stopped. A post graduate student of Moratuwa University said that the NATO provocation against Russia was an operation well-planned. He added: Not only Russia but the Ukrainian rulers, as well as America which drove the country to war, are responsible for the enormous war destruction now facing the people in Ukraine. Dhananjani, the deputy principal of a leading school in Colombo, said: While the devastation faced by mankind from the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet faded away, we are now facing the danger of a terrible war. Both of those catastrophes have emerged from the criminality of the capitalist ruling class. The US has consistently pursued plans to dominate the world under pretexts like protecting human rights and defeating terrorism. How many military alliances have been formed under the leadership of the US in Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean region? The US-led anti-China alliance, involving Japan, India and Australia under the guise of maritime security in the Indian Ocean, was an Asian NATO, she said. The US has been operating to dominate Russia in the same manner for many years. We are now experiencing its dire consequences in Ukraine. The international working class must put an end to this destructive drive of the imperialist powers. The relevance of the WSWS call for an international anti-war movement is very much confirmed now. Vimal Ranatunga, a writer, said the world media reportage on the war in Ukraine upends the view of workers and the oppressed masses in all countries. The same was true in Sri Lanka. They say hurrah to America and its catastrophic war plans but America started war operations after the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 and in order to build its domination, Ranatunga said. The US had carried forward its wars, he continued, by demonising people, such as Iraqs Saddam Hussein. Washington had falsely claimed he had weapons of mass destruction, and that it was defending human rights. Now they have demonised Putin. This is when more than 10 million people have died of COVID-19 around the world. I fully agree that the only solution to burning issues like war and the pandemic is world socialism. A Ukrainian television newscaster went on a fascist rant on national television on March 12, calling for the massacre of Russian children and the elimination of Russia from the face of the earth. Channel 24 anchor Fahruddin Sharafmal made the statement following a report on the death of his friend, a Ukrainian Armed Forces member, who was killed fighting Russian forces over the weekend. He used the occasion to broadcast a photo of the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann over his right shoulder and appeal for the murder of millions of Ukrainian citizens who are also Russians. I know that as a journalist, I have to be objective. I have to be balanced, in order to report information with a cold heart. But to tell you the truth, its very hard to keep going, said Sharafmal. Ukrainian TV news anchor quotes Adolf Eichmann (SS Nazi, one of the major organizers of the Holocaust) and urges a genocide on Russians Especially at a time like this, since in Russia they call us Nazis, fascists and so on. Ill allow myself to quote Adolf Eichmann, who said that in order to destroy a nation you must first of all destroy its children. Because by killing their parents the children will grow up and take revenge. By killing children they will never grow up and the nation will disappear. The Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot destroy Russian children because it is forbidden by the rules of war and it is also forbidden by various conventions including the Geneva Conventions. But I am not from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And when I get the chance to settle things with the Russians I will be obliged to do it. Since you call me a Nazi, Ill adhere to the doctrine of Adolf Eichmann and will do everything in my power to ensure that your children never live on this earth. So that you can feel what its like when innocent civilians die. So that you can feel all the pain and suffering when you say, We didnt start the war. It was all Putin. We didn't want this war. We didn't want it either. But you have to understand its about the victory of the Ukrainian people. Its not about peace. We need victory. And if we have to slaughter all your families to do it, Ill be the first to do it. Glory to the nation! And lets hope there will [not] be such a nation as Russia and the Russians on this earth again. Because they are just scum that pollute this land. If Ukrainians have the opportunity, which they are basically doing right now, to destroy, to slaughter, to kill, to strangle the Muscovites, I hope everyone will do their part and whack at least one Muscovite. This is nothing short of an appeal for ethnic cleansing. Channel 24 is a Kiev-based station, but is owned by TRX-Lux Media. In 2019 its website was ranked 13th out of Ukraines 25 top most-visited news outlets. The company is run by Katerina Kit-Sadova, the wife of the mayor of the western Ukrainian city of L'viv, home to 720,000 people. Tens of thousands of its residents identify as Russian and/or use Russian as their primary language. The first half of Sharafmal's rant remains on the station's YouTube channel, but now cuts off before Adolf Eichmann is mentioned. The major Western media has no coverage of the incident, which became more widely known because it was reported by the Russian state news service Sputnik and picked up on Twitter. A Nazi SS Officer, Eichmann played a major role in managing the logistics of the Holocaust and was later found guilty of war crimes and executed in 1962. Eichmann is today cited in the positive only by neo-Nazis. Sharafmal issued an apology the next day, but this has little weight. One does not call for genocide as a slip of the tongue or in a fit of rage over a deceased friend. His ravings are an expression of the political outlook that has gripped a section of the Ukrainian ruling class. The 2014 United States-backed coup that removed pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was carried out with the help of far-right forces, such as the Svoboda political party and the paramilitary gang Right Sector. These layers have grown like weeds in Ukraine ever since and have been incorporated into Ukraines military and police apparatus. They form the core of forces like the Azov Battalion, whose members wear neo-Nazi emblems on their uniforms and proudly display banners with the image of Ukrainian fascist and mass murderer Stepan Bandera at their marches. The Ukrainian far right is now being armed to the teeth and trained, with billions of dollars of military aid from the US and NATO flooding into the country. The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will send the country another $1 billion. Since the beginning of Russias invasion, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and various far-right and neo-Nazi elements have taken delight in posting photos of dead Russian soldiers, often accompanied by dehumanizing jokes and exhortations to commit war crimes. In response to the shelling of cities by Russia's armed forces, the Facebook account of the Commander of Ukraines special forces announced it would no longer take Russian artillerymen prisoner, but kill them on the spot. The post also threatened that surrendering to Ukraines special forces would be worse than death and that captured Russian artillerymen would be cut up like pigs. These posts are an announcement of the intent to commit war crimes, fully aligned with the spirit and content of Sharafmals appeal. Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers in Indiana... White River at Edwardsport. White River at Elliston. Wabash River at Montezuma. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days 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. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated within the next 12 to 24 hours. && ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Montezuma. * WHEN...Until Monday 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 Wednesday the stage was 13.0 feet. - Forecast...The river will rise to 13.4 feet just after midnight tonight. It will then fall to 13.3 feet and begin rising again early tomorrow afternoon. It will rise above flood stage early Friday morning and continue to rise to 17.1 feet early Saturday afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage Monday morning. - Flood stage is 14.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && Chandler Halderson sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of his parents Press Release March 17, 2022 De Lima bares 5-point legislative agenda Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima detailed her five-point legislative agenda which banks on good governance that aims to genuinely and timely respond to the needs of every Filipino. De Lima articulated on her 5-point legislative agenda labeled as "5 Securities 4 Filipinos" or "Limang Kasiguruhan para sa Filipino'', namely: (1) Civil and Political Security through Good Governance, Human Rights and Rule of Law, (2) Food Security; (3) Health Security; (4) Economic Security; and (5) National Security. First off, De Lima said civil and political security should be promoted by the next leadership after the elections by upholding transparency and valuing accountability. She also pushed for intensified and more effective anti-corruption strategies. "The allegations of premeditated plunder during the time of the pandemic have not only resulted in lost faith and trust in the government, it caused actual damages and loss of lives to many Filipinos," she said. To prevent abuse by public officials given extraordinary powers and human rights abuses from uniformed personnel, De Lima stressed the need to re-examine the procurement laws, especially in times of disasters, and strengthen the safeguards and protocols of law enforcement units during operations. De Lima further pointed out the urgent need for laws on prosecution service reform to speed up the progress of the government's cases, on protection of human rights defenders, as well as legislation on prison reforms. As the country faces food insecurity, De Lima stressed that achieving food security, entails maximum support to farmers, fisherfolks and agricultural workers, should be the number one priority of the next administration. "We need to protect our farmlands and food-producing areas by enacting a Comprehensive Land Use Act which would prevent destructive developments and exploitation of land areas to the point of endangering our food security," she said. De Lima added the need to increase the country's border control to prevent food smuggling which endangers consumers and farmers, saying, "Food smuggling must be absolutely stopped. Markets must be continuously monitored for smuggled food." On health security, the lady Senator from Bicol said the government needs to make sure that "the hospitals and health centers in the country are up to the task." De Lima underscored the need to enact a Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and create permanent positions for them while encouraging investments in local manufacturers of medical equipment and medicine. Moreover, De Lima said the next administration must be able to "simultaneously focus on Micro- and Macroeconomics, address concerns and balance the interests of Labor, Small and Medium Enterprises, Long-term Investors, especially in the Manufacturing and Service Sectors." At the same time, De Lima said it should be able to re-invest, massively, in education. "We need to double our efforts in educating our students to make up for time lost during the pandemic. Our graduates need to be competitive if we are to encourage investments here." Lastly, discussing National Security, De Lima pointed out that "we need to ensure that our rights as a sovereign nation is reflected in our treaties and policies. Our rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) remains non-negotiable and we should only work on the exploration of its wealth with countries which respect our exclusive economic rights over it." "We should likewise blacklist corporations which participate in activities that violate our rights over our territory," she added. Since being elected in office in 2016, De Lima has already filed 692 bills and resolutions. Some of those she has authored which have been enacted into law include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Institutionalization Act, Magna Carta of the Poor Act and the National Commission for Senior Citizens Act. Crowded Subway In New York City - Credit: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images In a pandemic full of mixed messaging, you would not be alone if you found this past week in Covid news particularly confounding. While outbreaks in Europe and Asia are on the rise and a spike in cases in the United States likely on the horizon, Congress this week removed $15 billion in Covid-related funding from a $1.5 trillion spending bill. The White House warns this will mean dire cuts to testing, treatment and vaccine distribution, with some services suspended as soon as next week. That same day the Senate voted to overturn the public health order requiring masks on airplanes and public transit. More from Rolling Stone All of this has left many public health and infectious disease expertsand confused members of the publicconcerned about whats coming our way next, and how we, as a country, are going to deal with it. What is this new Covid-19 variant? Omicron, which ravaged the country at the beginning of this year including a record-shattering 1.35 million new infections reported in a single day was technically a subvariant of the strain known as BA.1. Its sister, the BA.2 subvariant, has been spreading rapidly throughout Europe and Asia for weeks. On March 16, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified BA.2 as the worldwide dominant variant, estimating that its now responsible for approximately 75 percent of new Covid cases (BA.1 accounts for the remaining 25 percent). Initial reports out of Europe and Asia indicate that BA.2 is spreading faster than BA.1. Im not sure what difference thatll make in the short-term because a lot of people have been vaccinated or recently had Covid, says Claudia Hoyen, MD, director of pediatric infection control at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospitals in Cleveland. But it could certainly be a problem for us in the upcoming months, as immunity starts to wane. Story continues At this point, BA.2 accounts for 23 percent of infections in the U.S., with the highest concentration of cases in New York, New Jersey, and New England, where the prevalence of the emerging strain is nearly 40 percent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. Preliminary research suggests that BA.2s increased transmissibility may be because it has eight more mutations in the gene for the viruss spike protein than BA.1 and not because its more adept at evading immunity from previous infections or vaccines. In fact, early data from the U.K. and Qatar show that existing vaccines remain highly effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization from a Covid-19 infection. According to the WHO, it appears as though the Covid infections from the subvariant are no more severe than those from BA.1. I mean, its not great news to have another variant around, Hoyen says. But if youre going to have one thats very similar to one youve had before, then at least you can hope that because of the underlying immunity resulting from the BA.1 surge, perhaps this would fizzle out and not be a big problem. Scientists and physicians are also tracking a hybrid variant, known as Deltacron. At this point, Hoyen says its too soon to know how much of a threat Deltacron poses, noting that there will be more information on the variant in the weeks to come. You would worry that if its got the protein of Omicron, itll be really contagious, she explains. And then if the rest is Delta, whether that means it would be more severe. Where did the mask mandates go? Thanks to falling infection rates, on Feb. 25, the CDC introduced updated Covid prevention guidelines based on new metrics. Under these guidelines, more than 70 percent of Americans could ditch their face masks, including in crowded indoor spaces, where they no longer needed to practice physical distancing. Prior to that, several states including California, New York, and New Jersey had eased or lifted their mask mandates. Even some of the people who had spent two years diligently following the rules took this as a signal that the pandemic was finally over, seemingly glossing over the roughly 1,300 Covid deaths in the country every day. While getting rid of widespread mandates as a new variant enters the population may seem risky, its important to keep in mind that mask requirements will come back if things start looking bad, according to Howard P. Forman, MD, professor of radiology and public health, as well as the director of the health care management program at the Yale School of Public Health. We shouldnt forget that CDC guidance adjusts, he says. Prevalence is going down now, so were seeing masks come off. But prevalence could very well go back up, as were seeing in England, Germany, China, Korea and in so many other places throughout the world. But if were still in the midst of a global pandemic, why not keep masking rules in place to prevent things from getting worse? I think were lifting mask mandates partly because the public demanded better guidance on masking, and because it just seemed untenable for us to maintain universal mask mandating, Forman explains. This is a great example of decision analysis in action: If we really want to save lives and preserve health, we would keep mask mandates in place for as long as possible and recommend the highest quality masks and proper compliance of masks. But the population is fatigued. Municipalities and businesses are finding mandates harder and harder to enforce. For now, things are still up in the air. We may very quickly see a U-turn in our trajectory, Forman says. BA.2 may not be anywhere near as severe as the [first] Omicron wave was, but we may still have another wave at our door. I think what makes this a little bit more risky is that at the same time, our federal government is seemingly willing to step away from their financial responsibility and negotiating responsibility over things like testing vaccines and therapeutics. What about the White House Covid-19 programs? At the beginning of this month, the White House requested $22.5 billion in emergency funding from Congress to bankroll the Covid-19 programs that Americans have come to depend on, including free testing, vaccines, and treatments. But Congress opted to leave that funding out of the $1.5 trillion government spending package they passed last week something Republican lawmakers warned would happen unless the White House first released more information about how the trillions of dollars already granted to Covid-19 programs have been used. On Tuesday, the White House hit back, sending lawmakers a letter outlining all the cuts to Covid-19 services that will result if they dont get the money they asked for. We want to be clear: Waiting to provide funding until were in a worse spot with the virus will be too late, a senior administration official told reporters in a press call that day. Importantly, when you consider the cost of all these investments compared to the cost of what we will prevent in terms of hospitalizations, deaths, and damage to our healthcare system and our economy it is not a close call. A scenario like this would look familiar to the millions of uninsured or underinsured Americans who regularly have to make healthcare decisions based on cost. Existing health disparities would be exacerbated if the most basic tools of the pandemic Covid testing, treatments, and vaccines are limited to those who could afford them. But Forman says that if these programs are eliminated, and the federal government is no longer negotiating with pharmaceutical companies and purchasing massive quantities of treatments like Pfizers antiviral drug Paxlovid, for example it could make them difficult to access for everyone, regardless of financial means. States and hospitals may be able to purchase things, but now youre getting to a situation where an individual who previously would have readily gone for a free Covid test, and then gotten monoclonal antibodies, now has to be afraid of being charged for it, and whether they can afford it, he explains. It makes them less likely to get tested, less likely to isolate when necessary, less likely to be treated, more likely, ultimately, to be hospitalized, [and] more likely to die. Additionally, if the pandemic gets to the point where hospitals are overwhelmed yet again , Forman says that elective surgeries and other routine procedures that weve gotten used to accessing again could fall by the wayside. Theres no question that were suffering fewer deaths per infection now than we did two years ago, and have more of an understanding of this disease, Forman says. But I do think, without any exaggeration, were talking about tens of thousands of people that could be at risk if our federal government specifically, Congress is not able to get its act together and come up with the funding to support Covid testing, vaccines, and therapeutics for the upcoming year. We cannot undo the progress weve made because of political bickering. This is not exactly the position wed like to find ourselves in two years into the pandemic especially with a new variant spreading, and masking now being the exception rather than the norm. But its not March 2020. This time, we do have the tools to prevent and treat severe infections: we just may not be able to access them. The pandemic isnt over, says Hoyen. And its really important that we dont dismantle all the really amazing channels like medicines and vaccines that we developed during the pandemic. We have learned that we need to stay ahead of these surges, because they can come quickly. This is a game where readiness counts. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy Reunited With Family After Making His Way to Slovakia Alone Slovak Police Force Facebook 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy Reunited With Family After Making His Way to Slovakia Alone A Ukrainian boy who successfully crossed the border into Slovakia by himself amid Russia's invasion of his home country has reunited with his mom and grandma, according to authorities. The official Facebook page for the Slovakian police this week shared photos of Hassan, the 11-year-old boy, and his siblings with their mom along with more information about the reunion. As a translation of the post detailed, the family's journey was complicated, with the three sisters traveling from their home in the southeast of Ukraine to Bratislava, Slovakia, to meet their older brother and ensure that Hassan would also be able to enter the country. When it was determined that Hassan could cross the border, he made the journey alone, with his mother, Julia Pisecka, staying behind to take care of her own, ailing, mom. "Hassan spent more than a day on the train," the police wrote on Facebook. "He had his brother's number written on his hand." Finally, he made it, as earlier reports have detailed, and was soon hailed a "hero of the night" after successfully crossing the border into Slovakia by himself, CNN reported. (As the police noted on Facebook, the young boy's journey went viral via various media outlets and was even shared by celebrities including Khloe Kardashian.) RELATED: 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy Becomes 'Hero of the Night' After Making His Way to Slovakia Alone 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy Reunited With Family After Making His Way to Slovakia Alone Slovak Police Force Facebook 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy Reunited With Family After Making His Way to Slovakia Alone "He came all alone because his parents had to stay in Ukraine," the Slovak Ministry of Interior separately posted on Facebook, according to CNN. "Volunteers took care of him, took him to a warm place and gave him food and drink." Hassan was then picked up by relatives and joined his siblings so the group could "start from scratch," that Facebook post said. Story continues Meanwhile, the children's mother ultimately decided to make her own escape with the grandmother, due to the continued threat of Russian bombing. Along with their small dog, the two women took "a very difficult journey on the evacuation train," finally re-joining the children on Monday, authorities said. 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy Reunited With Family After Making His Way to Slovakia Alone Slovak Police Force Facebook 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy Reunited With Family After Making His Way to Slovakia Alone Now, they're all back together with the reunion sparking hope for the future while also dredging up painful memories. The Slovakian police wrote on social media this week that this "wasn't the first time Hassan's family ran away from war," as they came to Ukraine after fleeing Syria years ago. During that war, their father "didn't make it." "The family is together again," the police wrote on Facebook. "They lost everything again, but this time the war didn't take anyone away from them. They are together and that's all that matters." Hassan had opened up about his harrowing journey during a virtual interview with Good Morning Britain from Bratislava last week. Sitting beside his four older siblings who translated for him he reflected on the "difficult" journey and being back with his loved ones. Hassan's sister, meanwhile, expressed her concerns about her brother's ordeal, saying in the morning broadcast that she was worried about the trek, given that he is the youngest of the five. "I was very, very worried ... and it was surprising," she said of reuniting with Hassan. Looking ahead, Hassan also spoke about the future and what comes next. "He said the most important [thing] is to be in the place where [his family is]," Hassan's sister said. "He's not thinking about the future," she continued of her younger brother. "He just wants to stay with us." In a video posted by authorities in Slovakia earlier this month, the kids' mother, Julia Pisecka, expressed her gratitude for everyone who tended to her son's needs while he made the solo journey and she shed some light on why she was waiting to leave, the BBC reported. "Next to my town is a power plant that the Russians are shelling," Pisecka, a widow, reportedly said. "I couldn't leave my mum she can't move by herself so I sent my son to Slovakia." RELATED: Ukrainian 'Hero of the Night,' 11, Reunites with Siblings After Crossing Slovakian Border Alone Meanwhile, Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 the first major land conflict in Europe in decades. Details of the fighting change by the day, but hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says. The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia. With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for peace talks so far unsuccessful while urging his country to fight back. "Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness." The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen during a photo op with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during his visit to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, September 22, 2021. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he made the case to steady rising gas prices with oil-producing nations Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during a visit to the Middle East this week. Johnson visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE seeking to promote more oil production after gas prices skyrocketed globally amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, though his visit also followed Saudi Arabia's mass execution on Saturday of 81 people convicted of various crimes. The prime minister told The Guardian he raised human rights concerns with Saudi Arabia, but said the country was "changing" and there was agreement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on avoiding "damaging economic consequences." "We see value in engaging with Saudi Arabia and why we see value in the partnership," he told the British outlet. Johnson was criticized by some for the visit, including human rights group Reprieve, which said three more people were executed by Saudi Arabia during the prime minister's visit to the country. "Travelling to Saudi Arabia after a mass execution signaled the UK will tolerate the gravest human rights abuses," the organization wrote on Twitter. "Today's executions are the immediate result. Johnson has blood on his hands." The U.S., which last week banned Russian oil imports, has joined calls for increased oil production from OPEC+, a group of oil-producing nations that includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week said it was important oil-producing nations "stabilize global energy markets, to make sure that there remains an abundant supply of energy around the world." Average gas prices in the U.S. hit $4.34 per gallon on Wednesday, according to Gasbuddy. Photo: TheCorgi (Shutterstock) Here we go again with another incredibly racist school incident. A white high school student has been charged with a hate crime after someone caught a video of him whipping a Black student with his belt, reported The Associated Press. The student was also reported to have thrown cotton balls at him. Per video footage, the incident happened in the school cafeteria at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma March 9. The 15-year-old white freshman walked up behind the Black student and proceeded to throw cotton balls at him and whipped him with his belt. The Black student stood up and pushed him away. Read more The teen was arrested Tuesday on hate crime and battery charges. From AP News: Im very pleased that the school took a front stand on this, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet said in a news release. When we received the complaint, we immediately put our detectives on it. They worked through the weekend so we could get to this point, Soignet said. My officers did a good job handling it and working with the school to get this case to where it is now. Vandebilt Catholic President Jeremy Gueldner said the school does not tolerate bullying or racism. These actions by a few are not consistent with the values and mission of our school, the archdiocese statement said. Well its a given that tolerating racism isnt written in the fine print of a schools mission. However, this is the third incident, nationally, in the past two weeks where a student has experienced a racially motivated attack. Terrebone Parish NAACP President Jerome Boykin acknowledged how quickly the school and sheriff responded and said he hopes the teen can learn from his mistake, per AP News. The family of the victim also responded in a statement. We will continue to pray for our school community as a whole, that we not only get through this together but that we each learn a valuable lesson from what has taken place, they said, per AP News. Photo credit: Leslie Brown When online marketing educator and podcaster Amy Porterfield and her husband made the move from California to Nashville in 2020, they wanted to bring their California roots to their new touch-of-country home. And when a friend referred them to Orange County designer Lindye Galloway, it was a match made in design heaven. We had a great relationship, recalls Galloway. They were very easygoing. We had a lot of creative freedom. The couple's main wish, as Galloway customized the underwhelming spec home that they had bought for ease and speed, was to bring a feeling of California coastal living to the Southern city. And customize is exactly what she didmost of the house is decorated with bespoke items (along with products from the Lindye Galloway Shop). One of the things that was most important to my clients was to bring the feeling of indoor-outdoor space, says the designer. We did that by creating a comfortable environment that integrated the great room onto the patio, with its fireplace and swinging chairs. Its comfortable, but elevated. Tour the entire residence below. Entry Photo credit: Leslie Brown When Galloway began the project, the big open area wasnt a formal entry but only wasted space. To remedy that, she added a console and table to provide a sense of entering the home. Table, chair, console, and vases: Lindye Galloway Shop. Living Room Photo credit: Leslie Brown This was Galloways favorite room of the house. The tall ceilings provided interesting challenges [that] allowed us to be more creative and find ways to enhance and highlight certain features, while infusing it with a feeling of warmth and coziness. She continues, I always like to create statements. In this case, that meant chairs with wood and leather for a California-meets-Tennessee feel. Chairs, cocktail table, pillows, vases, and decorative objects: Lindye Galloway Shop. Dining Room Photo credit: Leslie Brown What I like is that its open to the kitchen but it feels disconnected, so it feels a bit more formal. They wanted a moody moment, so we had tweed wallpaper made in dark green, a custom table and leather chairs, and oversize pendants to fill the space beneath the high ceilinga design challenge throughout the 6,800-square-foot home, Galloway says. Story continues Table: Custom. Pendant lamps: Circa Lighting. Leather chairs: Lindye Galloway Shop. Kitchen Photo credit: Leslie Brown The starting point was simple and basic, says Galloway, so we changed everything. We wanted a calm feeling but with a slight masculine touchhence the sandstone, the designer notes. Barstools, cutting boards, glassware, and decorative cookware and utensils: Lindye Galloway Shop. Work Domain Photo credit: Leslie Brown The clients team works remotely, but sometimes they gather in her home for meetings. She wanted to avoid an office vibe and keep things relaxed with her colleagues, so Galloway added an oversize couch, sling chairs, an oversize coffee table, and a table for working or end-of-day wine. Rug: Lindye Galloway Shop. Couch, chairs, coffee table, and side table: custom. Home Offices Photo credit: Leslie Brown Some of the clients must-haves were personal offices [including a recording studio] that really spoke to her specific style while still being functional for everyday use, recalls the designer. Photo credit: John Branch IV The leather piping on the couch adds a warm touch, while ceramic disks take the place of a traditional art piece. Built-ins on one side add extra storage beneath (and are just pretty on top), and theres a desk section so the client can swivel her chair to access an additional workspace. The overall result was cozy and comfortable. Office chair, coffee table, side table, pillows, and decorative objects: Lindye Galloway Shop. Sconces: Aerin from Circa Lighting. Upper Landing Photo credit: Leslie Brown The landing at the top of the stairs is a passageway to the guest area. Its a grounding moment for guests, she says, with neutral, earthy tones. Rugs, throws, artwork, and pendant lamps: Lindye Galloway Shop. Primary Bedroom Photo credit: Leslie Brown This was another big, lofty ceilinged room, so Galloway filled some of the height with a canopy bed, and also brought in neutral tones and earthy elements. She added a reading nook beside the window to create an area for waking life in the room. Finally, the family dog, Scout, is very important to the clients, so she created a custom bench for the foot of the bed. Its the perfect height for Scout to be near them at nightthis dog is living in luxury. Bed and bench: custom. Lamp, pillows, side table, and decorative accessories: Lindye Galloway Shop. Guest Bedroom Photo credit: Leslie Brown It has a cozy vibe, so someone would want to hang out in the bedroom, but its still elevated and styled, says Galloway. I love the bed. Nightstand: Hedge House. Chandelier and sconces: Aerin from Circa Lighting. Pillows and bedding: Lindye Galloway Shop. Patio Photo credit: Leslie Brown The swinging chairs create a fun environment, says the designer, noting that her client works from homeand sometimes works while swinging in one of the chairs. (Every creative should be so lucky!) Swinging chairs: Magnolia Porch Swings. Rug and planter: Lindye Galloway Shop. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram. You Might Also Like Comedian Alex Stein told Insider that his rap on Ukraine was "satire," and meant to draw attention to Russia's invasion of the country. Alex Stein/YouTube During a Texas city council meeting on Tuesday, comedian Alex Stein performed a rap about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stein's rap included references to putting a "bullet in Putin's brain" and being a "Zelenskyy stan." He later told Insider his performance was "100% satire" and was meant to get people thinking about the war in Ukraine. A comedian went viral this week for performing a rap opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine during a city council meeting in Texas. Alex Stein who introduced himself as "Primetime 99 Alex Stein" rapped in front of nine people for nearly four minutes during the Tuesday meeting in Plano, Texas. "Go insane, for Ukraine, a bullet in Putin's brain!" Stein rapped, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also paid tribute to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "Zelenskyy! Is a VIP! Ukraine and I go insane." "I am a Zelenskyy stan! I love you, Volodymyr Zelenskyy!" he added. Stein also began to dance and gyrate around a minute into his performance. "One more time, I'm 99, you know I grind and shine. Gas prices way too high, Vladimir Putin, needs to die!" he continued. Rapping to a stony-face audience did not appear to deter Stein, who grew more worked up as the song went on at one point removing his jacket and screaming into the microphone. The council members' reactions at Tuesday's meeting were later featured in a video uploaded to YouTube by Stein, titled "Going Insane for Ukraine." As his time at the podium came to a close, Stein said, "we need to take out Vladimir Putin like Lindsey Graham said." He was referring to Sen. Lindsey Graham's call for a "Brutus in Russia" to carry out a Julius Caesar-style assassination of Putin. The clip of Stein's rap quickly went viral, with one tweet of his performance receiving more than 27,000 retweets and over 46,000 likes within 10 hours. Story continues Stein's performance on Tuesday was not the first stunt he has pulled at a city council meeting. His Instagram page appears to feature dozens of appearances at such meetings in places like Houston, Dallas, and New York during which he performs raps or comedic bits. Stein wants to use satire to spotlight Russia's invasion of Ukraine Speaking to Insider late on Wednesday, Stein said his performance the day before was "100% satire" and aimed at "blurring the lines of reality because people won't know if it's real or fake." "I don't really want to kill Putin. I'm a vegetarian. But I think we have to have some diplomacy. And you got guys like Lindsey Graham that are on the right, going on national TV, Fox News, talking about killing world powerful leaders," he said. "That's not right. That's not diplomatic. That's the opposite of that," Stein added. "So I was just trying to expose [Graham] for that because that's ridiculous. That's not how we should talk about each other. That was shameful." Born and raised in Dallas, Stein works as a car dealer when not doing comedy. He told Insider that he first started attending city council meetings in March 2020. He said he initially spoke seriously at the meetings about issues like COVID-19 but felt that politicians were giving him tepid responses akin to non-playable characters in video games. "And then the goofier I got, the more I got them to react. So that's really what's effective is you have to get an emotional response. That's how you kind of trigger somebody," Stein told Insider. Stein said he wanted to spotlight what's happening in Ukraine by doing something ridiculous so that people would get on Google and find out more about Russia's invasion. He has plans to do more bits on Ukraine and is open to giving a second rap performance on the topic at a council meeting that features a better microphone. "I'm just getting started. Is this just the tip? This is just the start of a long journey of making people laugh," he said. Read the original article on Insider It seems that every time I turn my television to my favorite news networks I ask myself the same question: Whats wrong with this picture? Of course, its a rhetorical question. I know the answer. It is an answer that is so sad and truly a disgrace for our nation. Yes, the answer is monetary greed and careless management of our most precious asset, the American people. I recently heard a United States Senator state a fact that we are all aware of, or should be. He stated that China would like to destroy our way of life. Well, why then are we accepting the fact that most of our prescription medicine is manufactured in China? And if not most, then much of our medicine is made on Chinese soil. President Joe Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 15, 2021. The question pops up once again: What is wrong with this picture? Why would our government allow this to be true? The American people were outraged that COVID-19 originated in China. We know that the Chinese dictator Xi Jinping would like to overcome our currency being the world standard. We know that the Chinese government has expressed interest in becoming the worlds leading superpower. So the handwriting is on the wall. As a patriotic American, I would like to know what the answers are. And, of course, the straw that breaks the camels back is when President Biden seeks assistance from China to influence Vladimir Putin to end Russia's invasion. That picture truly was out of focus. Perhaps not only Congress, but the President of the United States needs to answer that question. Eugenio M Albano is a former resident of New Hope who now lives in Harrisburg. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Guest Opinion: Let's stop helping an ambitious dictator's economy Sheriffs officials said John Ayyoub, 31, was located in Los Angeles County after he went missing nearly a week ago from a home in Victorville. San Bernardino County Sheriffs officials announced Thursday that a 31-year-old man, who went missing nearly a week ago from a home in Victorville, has been found. Sheriffs spokeswoman Tricia Blake confirmed that John Ayyoub was found safe in the Los Angeles area, but offered no details on how he was located. His wife, Nicole Gaggero, told the Daily Press that Ayyoub was located in Cerritos, very near to where authorities found his abandoned van on Tuesday. Someone called the Cerritos police concerned for Johns mental health, Gaggero said. They transferred him to a hospital in La Palma for mental health treatment. Ayyoub, who grew up in Orange County, may have been traveling there when he became disoriented and abandoned his vehicle, his wife said. Cerritos is located along the L.A. County and Orange County border. Missing On March 9, Ayyoub left a home on Lorene Drive in a 2007 light blue Honda Odyssey Van with a California license plate No. 6BCK264, the Victorville Sheriffs Station reported. Authorities found and impounded the van on Tuesday, but could not locate Ayyoub, according to Gaggero. She said the van had a history of mechanical problems and its gas tank was half full when he left the residence. Ayyoub did not have his cell phone or wallet when he was last seen, Gaggero said. She also said her family became worried because Ayyoub has been struggling with mental health issues. John is a family man and he stays at home, said Gaggero during the search. We have three children, and it's not normal for him to wander off from home. Im trying not to think the worst. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Missing Victorville man John Ayyoub found safe in Los Angeles County You are never too old to experience something new. Just ask Sister Jean. Loyola-Chicago arrived in Pittsburgh on Wednesday with Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, their 102-year-old team chaplain and Americas favorite nun. Its her first time in the city not that shes here to sightsee. For the first time since 1964, the year after it won the national title, Loyola is in the NCAA mens tournament for a second consecutive season. Im excited to come here because of the NCAA having chosen (Pittsburgh) to be the spot of the games, Sister Jean said. This is something our team has been talking about all year long long before the season began. When we won the conference (title), we were so happy because we had the past week to be thinking about it. Ever since Loyolas unexpected run to the Final Four in 2018, Sister Jean has become as much a part of March Madness as brackets and buzzer-beaters. Jimmy Fallon mentioned her in his monologue Tuesday night, and shes featured in a prop bet. If you watch any tournament coverage Friday, youll no doubt see her a time or 10, wearing her Loyola letter jacket and her maroon-and-yellow scarf. Loyola, the 10th seed in the South, plays seventh-seeded Ohio State. MARCH MADNESS BRACKET GAME: Create a pool and invite your friends! PRINT OUT YOUR BRACKET: Fill out your mens tournament bracket FUN FACTS ABOUT EVERY TOURNEY TEAM: From elephant races to blood shooting lizards Though Sister Jean enjoys her time in the spotlight how could she not? She enjoys everything in life celebrity hasnt gone to her head. Shes happy to take photos when people stop her when shes out walking thats figuratively speaking, Im in a wheelchair and do interviews, but what makes her most happy is being with the Ramblers and watching them play. I have a lot of fun with our team, she said, theyre great guys. Sister Jean hasnt finished her scouting report on the Buckeyes, not that shed share it if she had. But shell have it done before she gathers with the Ramblers to pray before they go out for their final warmups. Story continues I always tell them this, I tell them they have to play with their mind and their heart and their hands and their feet, she said. They say, 'Sister Jean, why our feet? Because you have to get those fast breaks and just go! Sister Jean made no secret last year of her irritation with the selection committee, believing Loyola should have been higher than an eighth seed. She was proven right when the Ramblers knocked off top-seeded Illinois in the second round. She has no issues with Loyola being seeded 10th this year. Though Lucas Williamson, a star of that 2018 team, returned for the extra year granted because of COVID, the Ramblers are a different team than the one from last years tournament. Sister Jean at her 100th birthday celebration in August 2019. Drew Valentine replaced Porter Moser as head coach after Moser went to Oklahoma. Chris Knight, a starter the second half of the season, and Ryan Schwieger, Loyolas third-leading scorer, are Ivy League transfers. Loyolas patented suffocating defense has only recently returned. Still, Sister Jean says she sees similarities in last years team. And the one from 2018. They play as a team, she said. This team, they dont care who gets the ball in the basket as long as it doesnt bounce out again. Sister Jean says she has Loyola going to the Elite Eight, just as she did last year. But she'd like nothing more than for the Ramblers to bust her bracket. Well see how that happens, she said. Asked if she has any hesitations about praying for something as frivolous as a game when there are so many troubles in the world, Sister Jean said no. She prays for those, too, she said, mentioning the war in Ukraine. God hears all prayers, she said. (So) I dont have any problem praying for the team. If its Gods will, itll happen. If Loyola wins Friday, Sister Jean might even find time to go explore Pittsburgh. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sister Jean in Pittsburgh to watch Loyola Chicago in NCAA Tournament A Black family in West Allis says they've been the target of racist threats and vandalism over the past two months. The West Allis Police Department said it is investigating the incidents. The West Allis Police Department said it's looking into reports of racist crimes being committed against a Black West Allis family. The crimes have included smashing a vehicle's window, slashing its tires and leaving threatening, racist notes on the car, according to a Facebook post by the family about the incidents. The couple being targeted, Reginald Wilkerson and Tanathie Addison, who live near South 88th and West Mitchell streets, said in the post the incidents have gone on for "the last couple of months." They could not immediately be reached for an interview. Meanwhile, a national organization has called for the repeated vandalism to be investigated as hate crimes. "Keep speeding in MY neighborhood, (n-word). Next time it will be your windshield," said one of the notes, in part, according to photos shared by the family on social media. The police department said the department is aware of the incidents and investigating them. "A police report has been filed and the incidents are being thoroughly investigated," West Allis Deputy Police Chief Robert Fletcher said in an email. Fletcher said because it's an active investigation, specific details will not be released, but that the city of West Allis is committed to be a diverse and supportive community and racially motivated crimes undermine this commitment. "In addition to any physical or financial loss associated with these crimes, there is a serious emotional loss suffered by the victims," Fletcher said. "The West Allis Police Department is committed to making the City of West Allis a safe community for all, and as such, takes these incidents very seriously and will ensure that they are thoroughly investigated." Mayor Dan Devine said the incidents make him 'sad and angry' West Allis Mayor Dan Devine said he learned of the incidents through social media. He said it made him sad and angry. "This does not represent West Allis or what West Allis stands for," Devine said in an email. "We have worked hard towards becoming a more welcoming and inclusive community to all. Story continues "I feel like we have made some progress, but then a story like this arises and reinforces that we still have work to do. This ignorant, hateful rhetoric has absolutely no place in our city, or anywhere else." Alderwoman calls racist threats and vandalism 'completely unacceptable' Alderwoman Danna Kuehn, who represents District 3, along with Alderwoman Suzzette Grisham, called the incidents "completely unacceptable." "No person should feel unsafe in their community regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation really anything, for that matter," Kuehn said. "What's happening is 100% unacceptable. It's not what West Allis is about, and I hope that they catch whoever's doing this and prosecute them to the fullest extent." Grisham, who also called for the person or persons responsible to be apprehended and prosecuted, said she learned of the incidents when she was tagged in a social media post. "I was absolutely shocked that this is taking place in our community," Grisham said. She described the crimes as "deplorable acts of hate." "I don't want anyone in our community, of color or otherwise, to think that there's no place here for them, and to be to be run off," she said. "I think that's what this individual's trying to do." Both said they've reached out to the family to show their support. Kuehn said the couple's infant daughter no longer stays with them out of fear. "It's completely heart wrenching that they don't even feel safe enough to have their child," Kuehn said. "So I just really hope that this individual gets caught and that they realize that the majority of West Allis is not like this, and they choose to stay and make West Allis their home ... and they can hopefully get justice and find peace and feel safety within their own home." National organization calls for a hate crime investigation The crimes have captured the attention of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nations largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, which has called for a hate crime investigation into the incidents. "These disturbing attacks demonstrate the seriousness of the threat posed by racism and white supremacy in Wisconsin and nationwide," CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said in a March 15 news release. "We urge law enforcement authorities to investigate this incident as a possible hate crime." He said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and white supremacy. Contact Bob Dohr at 262-361-9140 or bob.dohr@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BobDohr1. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Black family in West Allis the target of racist threats and vandalism BEVERLY, Mass., March 17, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Easterly Asset Management ("Easterly"), a multi-affiliate asset manager of high-performing boutique investment firms, today announced the hiring of Peter McCarthy, CFA, as Senior Vice President, Head of Institutional Sales. McCarthy brings with him nearly 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Prior to joining Easterly, he was Senior Vice President of Institutional for Westwood Holdings Group ("Westwood"). In his role at Westwood, McCarthy was responsible for business development in the Eastern region of the U.S., covering institutional consultants, direct plans, OCIOs and large RIAs. Having joined the firm in 2018, Pete was responsible for significant sales growth in his territory. Prior to Westwood, McCarthy spent eight years at OFI Global Asset Management ("OppenheimerFunds"), serving in a number of roles covering the domestic and international institutional markets, with his final role as Managing Director of Business Development for the Northeast and Canada. Earlier, McCarthy held positions with Credit Suisse and New York Life Insurance Company. "We are thrilled to welcome Pete McCarthy to the firm," said Mike Collins, Head of Distribution at Easterly. "We have institutional-grade offerings across the full spectrum of investments, and Petes deep experience and success in working with a wide range of institutional investors will enable him to be a pivotal force in raising awareness of our offering and expanding our business in this space." McCarthy added, "Im excited to be joining Easterly during a time of exponential growth driven by new partnerships and robust performance. Im looking forward to helping further connect institutional investors with the firms growing platform of boutique managers and teams." McCarthy, who is based in New Jersey, earned his M.S. degree in Finance from the Stevens Institute of Technology and his B.A. degree in History from York College of Pennsylvania. He holds his Series 7 and 63 licenses and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Story continues About Easterly Asset Management Easterly Asset Management (Easterly) is a multi-affiliate platform of high-performing boutique investment managers. Easterly is committed to bringing investors innovative investment strategies by partnering with quality managers who possess deep domain expertise and are craftsman in their respective asset classes and investment processes. We support our partners by delivering best-in-class solutions in marketing, sales, technology, operations, human resources, and finance to scale their businesses. We also offer affiliates, through our platform partnerships, the opportunity to access our retail & institutional distribution services. With our 19 investment professionals across our seven affiliates, we offer a range of products including separate accounts, SMAs, 40 Act Funds, CITs and private placements. At the end of February 2022, Easterly had $4.1 billion in assets under management. For more information, please visit Easterly at https://easterlyam.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005242/en/ Contacts Erin Daigle The Hubbell Group, Inc. Mobile: 781-815-2827 Email: edaigle@hubbellgroup.com A former officer of the Dyer County Sheriff's Office is suing the county and Sheriff Jeff Box wrongful termination. Former lieutenant Kenneth Simpson filed a lawsuit against Dyer County, Box and Chief Deputy Mike Boals. In a complaint letter from Attorney Michael Weinman's office, Simpson claims he was treated unfairly and terminated from his position as lieutenant while running for Sheriff of Dyer County. Simpson began his employment with the Dyer County Sheriffs Department as a patrol deputy in July of 2006. While working for the Dyer County Sheriffs department, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and handled court operations and transports at the time of his termination. On Feb. 7, Simpson filed the necessary paperwork and declared his candidacy running for Sheriff of Dyer County. Simpson has made public statements about numerous issues and problems he had become aware of while working in the Sheriffs Department under Boxs leadership. These statements were made to numerous citizens and were protected speech under the First Amendment. Simpson claims to not have campaigned on the job during his candidacy for sheriff. It was further stated in the complaint that these issues he spoke about were all matters of public importance. They included, but were not limited to, the failure of the Sheriffs Department to conduct adequate murder investigations resulting in numerous unsolved cases, the failure of the department to utilize and follow a chain of command, several deputies, including high ranking officers, performing work at outside employment while on duty for the Sheriffs Department and the need for a new direction in the department. On Feb. 11, Simpson was informed that he was being placed on indefinite leave without pay because of alleged violations of the departments policy prohibiting campaigning and/or engaging in political activity while on duty. He was given a signed letter by Boals, who also told him to turn in all county issued property. Story continues Simpson never received any previous warnings nor disciplinary actions in the 16 years of employment by the Dyer County Sheriffs Office. Gavel and balance graphic Since that meeting on Feb. 11, he has not been contacted by the county nor the Sheriffs Department. There has been no further information from human resources and no updated status concerning his job, the complaint alleges. According to the issued statement, Simpson believes the real reason for his termination was because he engaged in protected speech about matters of public importance, in violation of his rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Kenneth Simpson files lawsuit against Dyer County, Sheriff Jeff Box and Mike Boals Mar. 17The Austin softball team completed a 5-0-1 trip to Gulf Shores on Wednesday and came home co-champions of the Gulf Coast Classic. After getting a win and a tie on Monday, the tournament was a no-go on Tuesday due to rain. Teams hit the field Wednesday trying to play as many games as possible. The Black Bears went 4-0 with wins over Sparkman, 6-0, Hillcrest, 6-2, American Christian, 6-5, and Alabama Christian, 7-0. Austin and Bob Jones were declared co-champions. The Class 7A, Area 8 rivals have already played once this season with Austin winning 4-3 on March 3. The teams are scheduled to meet again April 14. The Black Bears dominated with their senior pitching duo of Kenley Hilleary and Katie Bracken. Hilleary threw a no-hitter in the afternoon against Sparkman in the final game of the day with 13 strikeouts. In the morning, she threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts vs. Alabama Christian. Austin is scheduled to visit Hatton next Tuesday. Lauderdale County 5, Elkmont 3: Mary Joyce Woodfin and Savannah Williams both hit home runs for Elkmont, but it wasn't enough to get the win Wednesday. Baseball Hartselle series delayed: More rain made conditions unplayable at Muscle Shoals on Wednesday. That means the Class 6A, Area 14 game between Hartselle and Muscle Shoals that was originally scheduled for Tuesday will now be played today. The doubleheader between the teams at Hartselle that was originally scheduled for today will be pushed back to Friday or Saturday, depending on the weather. West Limestone 6, Wilson 5: Cooper Phillips went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs to lead the Wildcats to victory Wednesday. Owen Lauderdale had two hits, including a double. Golf Hartselle's Wisener wins: Tristin Wisener of Hartselle took the Gulf Shores Invitational championship Tuesday with an even score of 144. He was the only player to shoot par over the two days in the tournament that was played under windy and wet conditions. The event was held on the Cotton Creek course at Craft Farms. Story continues Hartselle shot 667 as a team. Other members of the team are Chandler Voss, Easton Agee, Garrett Little and Garrett Styles. Soccer Priceville 1, Hartselle 1: Tori Staats had 15 saves for Priceville on Tuesday. Carly Jo Nelson scored the Priceville goal with an assist from Anna Katherine Hopkins. Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered an unsettling warning to any Russians who might be supportive of the United States and other Western countries. "Any people, and particularly the Russian people, will always be able to tell apart the patriots from the scum and traitors and spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into their mouths," Putin said during a televised address on Wednesday. "I am convinced that this natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion, and readiness to meet any challenge." Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, anti-war protesters have been demonstrating in the streets, leading to thousands of arrests. Earlier this week, Marina Ovsyannikova, a producer at the state-run Channel One television station, held up an anti-war sign during a news broadcast. Putin mentioned in his speech the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries, and said these "steps are aimed at worsening the lives of millions of people." Despite foreign countries withdrawing their business from Russia and Moscow's stock market remaining closed, Putin said having to deal with the repercussions is worth it because "the struggle we are waging is a struggle for our sovereignty, for the future of our country and our children." Russia's military actions in Ukraine, he declared, "fully justified themselves." Putin's speech was "in part, an informal and indirect sanctioning of mass repression," Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the political analysis firm R. Politik, told The New York Times. She said the Russian president was making it clear to law enforcement authorities that "all spheres of society that show any sympathy to the Western way of life" should be targeted, and that "was scary very scary." You may also like Russian state propagandists laugh at new 'correspondent' Tucker Carlson in Colbert sendup GOP senator says a war between NATO and Russia 'would end pretty quickly' The Senate just voted to abolish Standard Time and make Daylight Saving Time permanent ASHEBORO The Randolph County Sheriffs Office has announced its participation in the 2022 spring Operation Medicine Drop campaign in partnership with Safe Kids Randolph County (safekidsnc.org) and area police departments, Sunday-Saturday, March 20-26, during National Poison Prevention Week. What is Operation Medicine Drop? OMD is a free drug take-back program that gives people a safe and secure way to dispose of unwanted over-the-counter and prescription medications. The opioid epidemic is not only a national crisis but is a North Carolina crisis. An average of four people per day are dying from overdose in the state with 79 percent of those deaths involving some type of opioid. Drugs not properly disposed of may end up getting into the wrong hands or end up in our water system. You are encouraged to bring all expired and unused medicine or medications you no longer need; however, all are unable to accept liquid medication. Citizens may bring expired medication to the Randolph County Sheriffs Office, 727 McDowell Road, Asheboro, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Archdale Police Department, 305 Balfour Drive, 24 hours a day, seven days a week; Asheboro Police Department, 205 E. Academy St., Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Liberty Police Department, 451 W. Swannanoa Ave., 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and Randleman Police Department, 101 Hillary St., 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This article originally appeared on The Courier-Tribune: Randolph County Sheriffs Office Operation Medicine Drop March 20-26 Mar. 17A Santa Maria man released on bail in a burglary investigation was charged Wednesday with the first-degree murder of a 50-year-old woman in connection to a robbery that occurred early Monday on State Street in Santa Barbara. The felony complaint was filed against 46-year-old Gabriel Jose Zepeda, who is accused of killing Theresa Carina around 3 a.m. in the 100 block of State Street, close to the pier, according to Supervising Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Ladinig. Additionally, Zepeda is charged with a special circumstance of committing murder during the commission of a robbery. The complaint further alleges that Zepeda committed the murder while out on bail on his own recognizance, and has convictions that include a serious felony and a prior "strike," according to Ladinig. California law adds more prison time to defendants again convicted of serious felonies that are considered strikes. Zepeda appeared for an initial arraignment in Department 8 of Superior Court in Santa Barbara on Wednesday but did not enter a plea, according to records. The arraignment was continued to 8:30 a.m. Friday in Department 8 of the Figueroa Division. Court records show that Zepeda had been arrested on burglary charges in 2021 and was subsequently released at least two times. The first occurrence came after Zepeda agreed to a "supervised" pretrial release on Nov. 10, before he was taken into custody approximately two weeks later after a bench warrant was issued. He was set free again on March 10 after agreeing to be released on his own recognizance, according to court records. Zepeda is currently being held in Santa Barbara County Jail with no bail amount listed. Anyone with more information on the incident can contact Santa Barbara Police Detective Adam Mik at 805-897-2300. Yakima police are trying to determine the circumstances behind a shooting outside Eisenhower High School on Tuesday where a 15-year-old is accused of killing his cousin and injuring another student. Moment of blessing, prayer memorial set for slain teen The Yakima School District set up a community memorial at the Yakima Online School for Shawn Tolbert, who was killed in a shooting Tuesday at Eisenhower High School. The area is in the parking lot of the YV-Tech skills center, 1120 S. 18th St., and will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. People will be able to drive through and say a prayer, leave a car or flower for Tolbert. The Yakima Association of Faith Communities will conduct a "Moment of Blessing" at noon Thursday in the 4000 block of West Tieton Drive, near the school. Association members say the ceremony is meant to restore peace and harmony to the community following a violent crime. The community is invited to attend the ceremony. Submit An Obituary Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form Greensboro, NC (27407) Today Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has launched an investigation into allegations of overpriced computer science training courses reported by independent MP Akos Hadhazy in November. According to Hadhazy, the same courses cost Ft 1,000 per hour if the student paid for them but Ft 4,000 per hour if the state did. The difference is not justified, Hadhazy argues, even if new education materials had to be prepared, as the government provided Ft 4 billion in EU funding for this purpose. As a result, he calculated, the budget paid out Ft 2.25 billion in unfounded costs. Hadhazy wrote about the case on whistle-blower website Korrupcioinfo. Former US President Donald Trump has expressed his support to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the upcoming general election in a letter sent on the occasion of Hungarys March 15 national holiday. The letter was published by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on his Facebook page. Now with whats going on with Russia and Ukraine, among many other things, the great and wonderful people of Hungary need the continued strong leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orban more than ever. He is tough, smart, and loves his country, Trump said. In the upcoming Election next month he already has my Complete and Total Endorsement! the former US president said. YORK The long, all-local succession of WyAd Enterprises of York owner/operators transitioned again just less than a year ago. This time the Heinies Karl and Nancy handed the reins to the Sandall family Sheldon, wife Kelsey and his father Frank. That happened April 1, 2021, just the latest change of ownership for the excavation, trucking and site preparation specialty company with a current staff of eight. WyAd founders Roger Wyatt and Lee Adams (thus the name WyAd) began operations in 1973. Wyatt bought out his partner and was the sole owner until he passed in 1993. In 1986, when he wasnt farming, Karl Heine pitched in to help Wyatt, citing one of his first jobs as installing underground fuel tanks, according to information printed in a Business Beat column by David Sjuts on the pages of the York News-Times. At that time underground tanks leaking fuel and other liquids into the groundwater was a hot, front-burner topic in Nebraska. Heine said nearly every service station in Nebraska was mandated by the state to either replace its old, vulnerable tanks or stop selling fuel. That kept Wyatt and Heine hopping. In January 1994, Roy Heine, Karl Heine and Bill Williamsen, who also helped Wyatt, took up ownership in partnership. Three years later Roy Heine sold his share and the other two partners continued. Then, in 2005, Karl and Nancy bought out Williamsen. Last April 1, the Sandall clan stepped up to take WyAd on the next leg of its journey to the future. Sheldon Sandall says this first year has been a handful, but less so thanks to his dad. Hes just a phone call away when I am either stressing or need advice, and that has brought great comfort, said the younger Sandall. This took a lot of commitment. At first, he said, Kelsey had lingering doubts, declaring herself cautiously optimistic, but no more. Shes on board. Shes having fun now, said her husband. Among many other challenges, he said Kelsey does a lot of the bookkeeping required of such a diverse enterprise. The companys eight employees, he said, are the ones who really make this place run. Brian Ackerman, Mike Brungardt and Rick Garner stayed on after the change of ownership. Clearly, their skill, breadth of knowledge and experience are the foundations upon which the Sandalls built their first year in business. The new staff, though, is a vital cog in the gearbox, too. The new guys have jumped in and got dirty just like everyone else, he complimented. The first couple months Im not going to lie I was in pretty deep, he acknowledged. However customer and community supports helped prop him up. I am very thankful for that, he said. His background and that of his father, too, lay primarily in Advance Services, a York company that plays matchmaker between potential employees and firms with openings to fill. Id done some excavation before taking the big career leap removing trees for farmers and the like, he said. I have always loved running big equipment and the bigger the better. Anything with a motor. Franks background includes success as a self-sufficient, do-everything farmer, too. WyAd projects now in progress run the gamut from leveling the old sewer plant on Nobes Road to ground preparation for a filling station in Geneva and another east on I-80 at Greenwood. We kind of serve a unique niche, typically ricocheting quickly from project to project, he said, describing the workflow. Were lucky if were on a (job) site for a week. We keep a few trucks running for the local Co-Op hauling mostly fertilizer directly to the field. Some sand and rock trucking is part of the package, too. The busiest season? There are two, Sandall answered. Spring and fall are biggest. Those are our two construction rushes. The last word for this dynamic father and son duo of go-getters? This is a dream come true for both of us, Sheldon said. I am very thankful for everybody who has given a piece of advice and for customers who have brought us projects big and small, adding with a shrug , I am only a small part of this. WyAd has complete contact information and details of its many services online, simply Google WyAd Enterprises, York, Nebraska to find the website. YORK -- The York NAPA Auto Parts store is only one of 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores in the country. NAPA has been known for their excellent reputation, high quality parts and rapid availability since the early 1920s. The NAPA store in York first opened its doors in 1985 with the Bedient family. At the time, the NAPA store was located on Eighth Street in York until Rex and Maggie Ramussen bought the store in 1990. In 1995, the new NAPA store was built on 1020 Lincoln Ave where it currently sits. Rasmussen grew up as a farm kid in Richfield, Nebraska. Rasmussen said, After high school, I went to a vocational trade school where I learned how to become an auto technician. Then, I got into automotive parts sales and over a five-year span, I was employed by three Fortune 500 auto parts manufacturers. Rasmussen brought plenty of automotive experience to the table when he bought NAPA in 1990. During his time as sole owner, he and his team increased their product line and inventory. To keep up with their competition, they increased their hours by staying open Sunday afternoons as well. Our inventory went from $200,000 to close to $1,000,000 in inventory now. Inventory and service will ultimately win the sales war in the future, Rasmussen said. Ramussen said he and Maggie had a good run with NAPA for 30 years. When deciding to pass on their store to Brian and Cindy Fehlhafer of Seward, Rasmussen said there were multiple factors leading them to their decision. We had too many things going on while trying to run the NAPA store, he said. We bought 24 additional rental properties and we just became grandparents. The sale process ran smoothly. Ramussen said he had known the Fehlhafers for years which made the process that much easier. Brian Fehlhafer said he has been doing mechanics ever since high school. He graduated from Milford with an automotive technology degree and bought his grandfather's shop, Long Motors in Utica, soon after. Fehlhafer has also owned two NAPA stores located in Seward and Milford prior to buying the one in York just last year. This year, the NAPA store will be having an inventory upgrade. Fehlhafer said they are expecting to increase inventory by 50%. One advantage theyve had is their product availability due to their recently added shuttle service where they can pull parts from other NAPA stores in the state. Fehlhafer and Rasmussen both commented on the footprint of NAPA in comparison to other competitors. Fehlhafer said, NAPA is one of the bigger warehouses in the automotive industry. Our quality is superior and thats why a lot of shops come to us. They know they are going to get high quality products. In the same way, NAPAs customer service is unmatched. There are six employees currently at the York location who are committed to doing their best to put their customers first. Fehlhafer said, We want to continue the great service the Ramussens had for years. One thing we try to do is treat our customers the way we would want to be treated if we were on the other side of the counter and we know the rest will take care of itself. Back in 2020, when the world was recovering from Covid-19's first wave, there was a growing demand to use personal mobility for travelling, more specifically four-wheelers. This gave a boost to car rental and leasing companies as most of the travellers were waiting for the correct time to buy a vehicle, or in some cases, chose not to buy a vehicle due to uncertainty and settled for leasing options only to realize its benefits. Zoomcar, a car rental and leasing company grew tremendously during the last couple of years and is now looking to expand by inducting EVs in the fleet. We got in touch with Greg Moran, CEO & Co-Founder, Zoomcar; India's leading vehicle rental and leasing company to understand the viability of electric vehicles in the rental industry and what the future holds for this segment. Here's our conversation - Also read: Toyota Mirai Hydrogen car to run on Indian roads, Nitin Gadkari inaugurates pilot project Tell us about the pros and cons of using EVs for rental fleet Electric Vehicles (EVs) have become sought after for a variety of reasons, including their environment-friendly nature and long-term cost savings offered to users. In fact, Indias EV market, despite being at a nascent stage overall, has been witnessing steady growth in recent years, with an increasing number of consumers taking the EV route and the government introducing policies to facilitate an EV-conducive environment. However, one cannot disagree with the fact EVs come with their fair share of pros and cons. One of the biggest pros is the fact that these vehicles do not consume fuel as their traditional counterparts. Hence, an organisation can tick a significant amount of expense from the income statement. As compared to combustion fuel-based vehicles, annual maintenance charges are also significantly low. Oil changes do not exist and brake maintenance is also negligible as against traditional vehicles. Needless to mention, the usage of EVs shall have a positive impact on the environment. The Government of India intends to promote EVs and hence there are several tax benefits including a lower GST rate of 5% which is almost 8 times lesser than the traditional vehicles. Furthermore, income tax benefits up to Rs. 1,50,000 are also available on the first purchase of EV along with subsidy offers differing in various states. Hence, as a corporate decision, the introduction of EVs brings along a variety of financial incentives. However, as we discuss the pros, its important to analyze the cons, too. Even though the automobile companies are making efforts to bring down total production costs so that the benefits can be transferred to the end-consumers, the total capital expenditure needed to procure an EV is still too high, especially with the traditional options available. The total time taken to charge the battery of an EV depends on its capacity and miles offered. High-end vehicles will undoubtedly take a longer time for getting fully charged Even though governments are trying to improve the availability of charging stations and further increase electricity generation, the presence of merely 1800 charging stations in a geographically large country such as India is not enough to present a strong case for EVs as part of the rental fleet. Hence, there is a need for a stellar public-private partnership to knock down this significant issue in the universal acceptance of EVs in India. Also read: Tata Power partners Battery Smart to install EV charging stations in North Delhi How can automobile usage be made affordable and sustainable in India? People are now looking for shorter-term mobility access as opposed to a long-term investment. We have seen a rise in demand for cars for personal work and emergency use cases. Rentals for intercity travel are up. The notion of owning a car amidst such an intensifying emphasis on social distance may have taken the backseat. Still, the necessity of a mobility service remains as relevant as before. As people would avoid public transport to keep themselves safe from contracting the virus, the need for rental cars will only go up. The industry is looking at various car subscription models to serve the needs of the customers. We also see more demand for in-city trips compared to outstation ones and a strong focus on shorter-term subscriptions. One of our focus areas has been increasing this exponentially by adding more and more vehicle models which will be offered on a subscription basis. As car subscriptions continue to evolve into flexible plans with longer lease durations such as 12, 24, or 36 months, people feel more inclined towards it. Even in the post-pandemic world, the rental car industry will leverage its advantage of hassle-free unlike the case of car ownership that demands maintenance expenses. There is always a running expenditure with self-owned cars, besides the problem of inadequate parking space, volatile fuel prices and rising insurance premium. How tech will be a game changer for the automotive industry? Technological innovations have become an integral part of the automotive industry. Besides hardware and software, business models are evolving at a rapid pace as there is also a huge shift in preference toward usage, particularly subscription-based usage, over vehicle ownership. Todays customers are much more interested in mobility-on-demand, cost-effectiveness, and convenience and the sooner industry players can adapt to the changing requirements, the better. Armed with more data-driven capabilities, the data science team of Zoomcar started building new models to upgrade its mobility-as-a-service portfolio. Zoomcar uses an intelligent assistant called Cadabra. It leverages Bluetooth and 4G connectivity to track distance travelled, fuel usage, engine, and clutch performance, and connects with emergency services in case of on-road accidents. This also positively affects the automobile industry as it eliminates the economic barrier to entry of various socioeconomic groups. The automotive industry is moving towards the concept of connected vehicles where vehicles become connected to each other, to different technologies, and to people. More and more will come with built-in applications based on automotive telematics, telecommunication, and informatics. Zoomcar has launched Indias first vehicle model agnostic Driver Score Tech Stack for the passenger car segment. The AI-Powered algorithm with machine learning capabilities tracks the mechanical specs of the car being driven, driving style of the customer, and identifies critical events of driving and rates it on a scale of 0-100. How is the rental business impacted by COVID-19? Each industry needs to adapt itself to the new normal. The car rental industry, to that end, is well-equipped and prepared to serve its customers. Covid-19 has changed the dynamics of our economy indeed. What used to be the norm till last year may well become obsolete in the coming weeks. The scope for personal mobility is substantially high in India due to low penetration compared with other developing countries. This led to a high crunch situation in the Indian households during the pandemic, as there was the looming scare of catching the virus through shared vehicles. Although these shared mobility services have picked up post-pandemic, the need for personal mobility is still felt. This could be gauged from the demand for cars in 2021, bypassing the pre-pandemic levels. With safety being the top priority right now, you need to make choices that keep you and your loved ones secure. People are now looking for shorter term mobility options as opposed to a long-term expense of owning a car. Personal mobility has come across as the safest way to travel because it allows for social distancing, and thereby minimizes transmission risk. You can rent a self-drive car to fulfil all your travel requirements be it for your daily commute to the office, your personal errands, or for helping a friend or family out. Especially during the COVID-19 crisis, if buying a car does not seem to be a feasible option, you can easily avail a self-drive car rental service. It offers you with the same benefits you achieve with a personal vehicle of your own. The notion of owning a car amidst such an intensifying emphasis on social distance may have taken the backseat. Still, the necessity of a mobility service remains as relevant as before. As people would avoid public transport to keep themselves safe from contracting the virus, the need for rental cars will only go up. Live TV #mute NEW DELHI: The festival of colours, Holi is just around the corner and people are gearing up to celebrate the joyous festival with their friends and closed ones. While Holi is celebrated in every part of the country, one of the most unique celebrations occurs in the holy land of Radha-Krishna, Braj located in the centre of Vrindavan-Mathura. Since it is celebrated in the village of Braj Bhumi, the festival is called Braj ki Holi. Here, the celebrations often begin from Basant Panchami and extend till 2-3 days after the last day of Holi! This unique celebration of Holi is internationally popular for its grandness but this year, the festivities will remain small and contained due to the social distancing guidelines. However, the traditions of Braj ki Holi will remain the same. Here are the types of Holi celebrations included in Braj ki Holi this year: Laddu's Holi, Barsana: This is the first day of Braj ki Holi. It's held at Radha Rani's village Barsana. Laddu Mar Holi consists of devotees gathering in temples, dancing, singing and later throwing laddus at each other, which is ultimately consumed as Prasad. Lathmar Holi, Barsana in Rangili Gali: On this day, women of Barsana take up sticks or lathis and chase men away from the area. This practice comes from the story of Lord Krishna, who once visited Radhas village to tease her and her friends. At the time, gopis of the village took offence to this and chased him away with sticks. After the celebrations in Radhas village Barsana, Lathmar Holi is celebrated in Nandgaon on the following day. Holi of flowers and Rangbarni Holi: In Mathura, Lord Krishna's birthplace, Phool ki Holi or Holi of flowers takes place at the Bankey Bihari Temple. Here, the idols of Radha-Krishna are served with beautiful and freshly bloomed garlands. Local priests and dwellers only use flowers and petals to play with each other during this Holi celebration. Gulal's Holi for widows, Vrindavan: Traditionally, widows are told to strictly wear white after their husbands departure. However, on this day, they get to break the rules of the previous tradition. On this day, we see widows smearing gulal on each other and painting one another with colour and liveliness. Holika Dahan, Banke Bihari Temple: Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi is celebrated with a bonfire that signifies the burning of the demon Holika. It is usually performed the evening before the Rangwali Holi. Coloured Holi: Much like the rest of the world, Mathura-Vrindavan will celebrate Rangwali Holi with vibrant gulal often made organically with flowers. Huranga of Dauji Temple, Nandgaon: Observed a day after the coloured Holi, this is a slightly violent celebration as it involves women thrashing and stripping men off their clothes. This exclusive ritual only takes place in the courtyard of the Dauji Temple which is located about 30 km outside Mathura. The practice is considered to be a way for women to take revenge on men for teasing them and playing pranks on them. Live TV New Delhi: The festival of colours Holi is here. This year it will be marked on March 18 with Chhoti Holi and Holika Dahan being celebrated a day prior on March 17 respectively. The festival of Holi represents more than just vibrant hues and fun time with family and friends. Holi brings an opportunity to indulge in delightful, mouth-watering, sweet and savoury dishes. To give this years celebrations a nutritious and innovative twist, here are some flavorful Oats Holi recipes by Quaker. Prepare these easy-to-make delicacies, and celebrate this Holi, the healthy way: Quaker Oats Burfi by Institute of Home Economics: INGREDIENTS: Quaker Oats* (Roasted and Powdered) - 50g Sugar (optional) - As per taste Khoa (Grated and Mashed) - 15g Ghee (optional) - As per taste Almonds (Powdered) - 15g Cardamom (Powdered) - 1 Instructions 1. Roast Quaker Oats* powder mildly (optional with Ghee) till it gives aroma. 2. Add Khoa to the pan and cook for a few minutes on a slow fire with continuous stirring. 3. Add Sugar / sugar syrup (optional / to taste). Cook it again with continuous stirring on a slow fire till the mixture leaves the side of the pan. 4. Remove from the fire and add almond powder and cardamom powder. 5. Spread on a greased thali and allow it to cool. 6. Cut Into Burfi and Serve. *For Powdered Quaker Oats, Roast Quaker Oats For 2-3 Mins. Cool And Grind in A Mixer. Quaker Oats Namakparas by Institute of Home Economics INGREDIENTS: Roasted And Powdered Quaker Oats* - 20g Refined Flour- 30g Oil - 5g Salt To Taste - As per taste INSTRUCTIONS: - Add Seasonings and Roasted Quaker Oats* To Maida. Rub In Oil. - Make A Stiff Dough Using Water. - Roll The Dough Flat To 1/8 Thickness and Cut into Namakpara Shapes. - Grease The Baking Tray and Bake Them till Golden Brown. - Store In Air-tight Jar. *For Powdered Quaker Oats, Roast Quaker Oats For 2-3 Mins. Cool And Grind in A Mixer. Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Holi 2022! Washington: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy`s series Servant of the People, which inspired him to enter into politics, is back for streaming on Netflix in the US. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the satirical series originally streamed on Netflix from 2017 to 2021. Servant of the People follows a teacher (Zelenskyy) who unexpectedly becomes president after a rant against corruption goes viral on social media. The show ran for three seasons and ended when Zelenskyy decided to run for President of Ukraine in 2019 under the banner of a new political party floated by him Servant of the People. After much demand from the public due to ongoing Russias military operations in Ukraine and the heroism of Zelenskyy in defending his country, Netflix is currently streaming the series for its US subscribers. Russia launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24 which was condemned by the Western nations.Zelenskyy, recently addressed the US Congress, virtually. The President called on the United States to do more to help Ukraine in its "darkest time", according to a media report. "In the darkest time for our country, for the whole Europe, I call on you to do more. New packages of sanctions are needed, constantly, every week until the Russian military machine stops. Restrictions are needed for everyone on whom this unjust regime is based," CNN quoted Zelenskyy as saying. The Ukrainian President received a standing ovation from the US lawmakers both at the beginning and the conclusion of his address. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today announced launching an anti-corruption helpline in the state from March 23, Shaheed Diwas. Moreover, the helpline number will be "Bhagwant Mann's personal mobile number", his office said. "On March 23, Shaheed Diwas I'll launch helpline that'll be my personal WhatsApp number. In Punjab,if someone demands a bribe from you, don't refuse, make a video/audio recording and send it to that number. My office will investigate&no culprit will be spared," Mann was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal urged people to make videos and send them to government's WhatsApp nuber if someone asks for a bribe in Punjab. "When someone asks you for a bribe then don't say no, instead record the conversation and send the video/audio to the WhatsApp no," AAP chief Kejriwal said. "We assure you that immediately strict action will be taken," he added. In a video message, Mann reminded people that when the AAP came to power in Delhi, people were asked to provide videos of corrupt officials. "With this, corruption ended completely in Delhi," he claimed. "In the coming days, we will launch such a helpline number that will be my personal WhatsApp number. If anyone demands a bribe from you, do not refuse it. Record a video or audio of it and send it to this number. I guarantee you, our office will examine it and no corrupt person will be spared and strict action will be taken," he said. Mann said this helpline number will be launched on March 23, the death anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The chief minister said it will be a big announcement in the history of Punjab. During an online briefing, Kejriwal recalled he had done something similar in his first stint in Delhi that lasted 49 days. "When I had formed the government for the first time, I had also issued a WhatsApp number. During those 49 days, we took action against 30-32 officials by sending them to jail. Corruption was eradicated in Delhi and the phone became the biggest weapon of empowerment of the common public," he said. "It's been 75 years since we have gained independence but we still have to pay bribes. All parties have indulged in corruption. The Aam Aadmi Party is the first party to run an honest government. "Kejriwal and his ministers, Mann and his ministers are not corrupt. We don't want 'hafta' (protection money). Just like we eradicated corruption in Delhi, we will end it in Punjab as well," he said. Kejriwal assured people that strict action will be taken on their complaints. Mann took oath as Punjab chief minister on Wednesday. The AAP stormed to power after winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath on Thursday. The time of the meeting is yet to be finalized from the party chief`s office. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are expected to remain present in the meeting, according to sources. Senior Congress leader and member of the dissident "G-23" group of leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad's meeting with Sonia Gandhi holds significance in view of the recent poll debacle of Congress in five states and a row and accountability over leadership. Earlier on Wednesday, the leader of Congress' dissident group, informally known as G-23, met to discuss the outcome of the party's dismal performance in the recently concluded assembly elections. The group, has senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Manishankar Aiyer, PJ Kurian, Manish Tewary Shashi Tharoor and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, issued a joint statement, saying, "that the next steps will be announced soon". "We believe that the only way forward is for the Congress to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all the levels," the leaders said in a joint statement after the G23 meeting concluded at senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad`s residence. The leader congregated there to deliberate on the `demoralizing outcome` of the recent results of the Assembly elections. They said that the only way forward for the party is to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels. The statement said that it is necessary to strengthen the Congress Party to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), adding "We demand the Congress party to initiate dialogue with other likeminded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative for 2024 and the next steps in this regard will be announced soon." As per the statement, the meeting was held in the knowledge of party chief Sonia Gandhi and "she was informed of the meeting when Azad and the party chief had a telephonic conversation on Tuesday to have a meeting on Thursday." G23 leaders including Shashi Tharoor, Kapil Sibbal, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manish Tiwari, and others were seen leaving the residence of Azad after the meeting ended, said ANI report. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV Dakshina Kannada: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) OBC Morcha General Secretary and Udupi College Development Committee Vice-president Yashpal Suvarna on Thursday alleged that the girls who moved to the Karnataka High Court against the hijab ban in education institutions are members of a "terrorist organisation". Suvarna told ANI, "Those six students who went to court saying, they will respect the decision of the court, have given statements which have brought disrepute to our judiciary. They have proved themselves like I earlier said, those six- are not students they are members of a terrorist organisation. The way they have given statements against the three judges have proved they belong to a terrorist organisation." He further alleged that a terrorist organisation from Hyderabad came here and trained them on what statements should be given in the media. "We have demanded the relevant agencies to take strict action against them. People who make these kinds of statements they shouldn`t be allowed to live or work here. They should go to a country where they want to practice their faith. They should not disturb other poor students," Suvarna added. The BJP leader said that the intention of the girls was to destroy the education policy and to disturb the other students. "We tried our level best to clear the issues but their intention was not that. They don`t want to study; they don`t want to sit for exams. Their intention was to destroy the education policy and to disturb the other students. Later they only filed the application in the High Court fighting for their rights. The High Court has rejected their application which means there is no provision in our Constitution to wear hijab in the classroom so they should obey the High Court order and come to the class if they want to," he said. Suvarna said that whoever violates the rules and regulations of the court they are not fit to be a citizen of India. "Later they addressed the press stating that it is influenced by the government, it is against the Constitution, they are blaming our judges. If they don`t trust our judiciary then they are not fit to be in India. Whoever violates the rules and regulations of the court then you can`t be the citizen of India," he added. Notably, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on hijab in educational institutions and said that wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. The High Court, while upholding the Karnataka government`s order which directed strict enforcement of school and college uniform rules, had dismissed petitions challenging the hijab ban, saying that they are without merit. In its order, Karnataka High Court observed that the Holy Quran does not mandate the wearing of the hijab, and stated that it is a cultural practice and used as apparel as a measure of social security. Live TV New Delhi: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Thursday held the second India-Indonesia Security Dialogue in Jakarta where both the nations shared mutual priorities, including review of the current global and security issues, countering terrorism and violent extremism. The meet was co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Mohammad Mahfud MD and Ajit Doval. The IISD is a forum that brings the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Security Adviser of the Republic of India together to discuss and enhance cooperation between the two countries on political and security issues. At the dialogue, Minister Mahfud and Doval discussed several shared priorities, including a review of the current global and security issues, countering terrorism and violent extremism, and enhancing maritime, defence, and cyber security cooperation. Mahfud and Doval also recognized the importance of a traditionally rich relationship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries and expressed confidence that the IISD would strengthen the cooperation between them to overcome common challenges and identified opportunities for further close collaboration in the field of political and security issues. India and Indonesia also signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Security Dialogue between the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Security Council Secretariat of the Republic of India. Doval also conveyed his gratitude to Minister Mahfud for hosting the meeting in Indonesia and extended an invitation to host Indonesia in India to co-chair the 3rd IISD. National Security Adviser also met the Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs and Minister for Foreign Affairs. Live TV Since the guns of India and Pakistan felt silent after the ceasefire agreement between both the countries armies at the Line of Control, the people living in those areas are leading a life of peace. Its not only the fear of bullets and shells that has gone, but also other day-to-day problems were still hunting the common people of those far-flung areas. At that time its again the Indian army who continuously is making efforts in those border areas of Kashmir to make common people's life better and comfortable has taken a new responsibility. Nowadays as the sun rises in the snow clad valley of Gurez in Bandipora district of north Kashmir, the valleys youth are seen getting assembled in snow surrounded ground of Gurez practising with Indian army officers. Indian army have kick started a Pre Recruitment Rally training for the youth of Gurez till March- 31 March 2022, in order to ensure maximum selection rate of Gurezis youth in the upcoming recruitment rallies of forces. A total of 153 youth registered themselves for the training and after deliberate scrutiny of documents and thorough medical check up 54 candidates were found fit and are presently being trained by the Indian Army personnel for their physical and written examinations. The instructors training the youth said that the enthusiasm and dedication of the selected candidates is extraordinary and they are working very hard to achieve their goal. This initiative has come as a ray of hope for the youth of the valley. Selection of youth in the Indian Army will not only provide financial stability to their whole family but will also strengthen the army-civilian bond in the entire valley. A local youth Mubashir Ahmad said, "We live in an area where heavy snow happens and we have a major issue of unemployment here, as now the army is conducting pre recruitment rally practices we are being trained we hope this will help us to get job in forces as during recruitment we can give our best". Many more youth who are interested to join the training and were unable to register due to the closure of Bandipora-Gurez road are now approaching the Army for the training and for them a second batch for training is being planned in the month of April. New Delhi: President Joe Biden will speak to his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping on Friday to discuss the ongoing economic and trade race between the two major economies and the Russia-Ukraine war, reported PTI. In the Thursday statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that the upcoming call is part of efforts being made to mend the relationship between China and the US. The call follows an intense seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi. At the meeting, Sullivan wanted more transparency on Beijing's posture regarding Russia and repeated that any attempts by China to help Russia avoid sanctions would be costly for Xi's government. US officials have also warned that China has amplified Russian disinformation that could be a pretext for Vladimir Putin's forces to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. Some reports, which are so far denied by Kremlin also suggest that Russia has reached out to China for aid as it faces sanctions and an invasion that faces stiff resistance by Ukrainians. Russia, which shares a conflicting relationship with the US, has launched a military operation on Ukrainian soil on February 24. Moscow claimed that the attack was in fact a retaliation after the Donetsk and Luhansk people`s republics requested help in defending themselves. Since then, Western nations including UK and France have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Russia to condemn the war. Live TV Bengaluru: Muslim organisations in Karnataka have given a call for a bandh in the state on Thursday (March 17) opposing the recent verdict of the Karnataka High Court on the hijab row. It may be recalled that the high court had on Tuesday dismissed all the petitions seeking direction to the government for allowing hijab inside classrooms. The court had also stated that wearing hijab is not an essential part of Islam. The Amir-E-Shariat of Karnataka, Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Rashadi, on Wednesday gave a call for a state-wide bandh on Thursday, which has been supported by hundreds of organisations across the southern state. "Expressing our anger against the sad order of the Karnataka High Court regarding hijab, a state-wide bandh will be observed on Thursday," Rashadi stated, as he appealed to the entire Muslim community to support the bandh between 6 am and 6 pm on Thursday. The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the Campus Front of India (CFI) have also supported the bandh call. Both the organisations maintained that the high court verdict is against the constitutional rights of an individual. CFI office-bearers said that the high court verdict is against individual and religious rights. However, barring a few incidents of protests, the schools and colleges in Karnataka resumed functioning across the state on Wednesday after the Special Bench of the High Court passed a verdict dismissing the petitions seeking permission to allow hijab in classrooms. As many as 22 students in Chikkamagaluru IDSG College staged a protest demanding their right to wear hijab. They gathered at the entrance of the college and staged the agitation holding placards. The students at Madhugiri Government College in Tumakuru district also protested after they were turned away from classes. The schools and colleges saw mostly full attendance and a large number of students, including those belonging to the minority community, attended classes without hijab as per the prescribed uniform. The pre-university education institutes also started operating with police cover in the coastal town of Udupi. The Udupi Pre-University College where the agitation on hijab, which turned into a major crisis threatening law and order situation in the state, also started working without any incidents of disturbance. The six students, who started the agitation, have stated that they won`t attend classes until they are allowed into classes with hijab. Udupi BJP MLA Raghupathy Bhat, who is also the President of the Pre-University College had requested them to attend classes following rules of uniform and he has also assured that the school management would arrange for making up for the loss of classes and they shouldn`t keep any bitterness towards them. However, the girls have rejected the offer. Udupi district administration has continued the prohibitory orders on gathering, celebration, protests. The police department has deputed three platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and five platoons of the District Armed Reserve (DAR) in Udupi. The students attended classes normally in the Shivamogga district, which witnessed large-scale violence after the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha. In the Yadgir district, many students have returned to their homes after the college management refused to allow them to write preparatory exams with hijab. The government college management in Chikkaballapur asked a girl student, who attended classes with a hijab, to go to a separate room and remove the hijab. Live TV Samajwadi Party has announced Dr Kafeel Khan as its candidate from Deoria for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections. Polling for 36 seats of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council will be held on April 9, and the counting of votes will take place on April 12. Earlier, Kafeel Khan had met SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Tuesday. In August 2017, several children lost their lives at Gorakhpurs BRD hospital. Dr Kafeel Khan was reportedly involved in stealing oxygen cylinders from the BRD hospital for his private clinic. He was later on arrested. The state-run BRD hospital attracted global attention when more than 70 children, mostly infants, died within the span of a week last month. The issue also acquired a political colour with the opposition attacking the government over it. Apart from Deoria, the party also announced the names of candidates from Gonda, Ballia, Ghazipur and Sitapur for the MLC elections. New Delhi: Washington has expelled another state-owned Chinese phone carrier from the US market over national security concerns amid rising tension with Beijing. The Federal Communications Commission revoked authorization for Pacific Networks Corp to provide domestic and international service under an order issued Wednesday. The US government is reducing Chinese access to American markets and investment over possible spying and Beijing's military development. The FCC cited 'significant national security and law enforcement risks' that Pacific Networks could monitor or disrupt U.S. Communications. It said there were no steps that could eliminate those risks while the company operated in the United States. President Joe Biden has extended efforts begun under his predecessor, Donald Trump, to limit access to U.S. Technology, investment and markets for Chinese companies due to concern they are security risks or helping military development. In October, a unit of China Telecom Ltd., one of China's three main state-owned carriers, was expelled by the FCC from the U.S. Market on similar grounds. The FCC said in 2019 it planned to revoke licenses granted two decades earlier to China Telecom and another state-owned carrier, China Unicom Ltd. It rejected a license application by the third carrier, China Mobile Ltd. The FCC also cited unspecified 'conduct and representations' by Pacific Networks to regulators and Congress that 'demonstrate a lack of trustworthiness and reliability.' Pacific Networks owns an American company, ComNet (USA) LLC, which provides international service, calling cards and global SIM cards, as well as network management, business phone systems and website services, according to a U.S. Senate report in 2020. The companies ultimately are owned by the Chinese Cabinet's main holding company, CITIC Group, which 'may be able to access U.S. Customer records,' said the report by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The companies are obligated by Chinese law to 'support the Chinese government's intelligence work,' the report said. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Indian Army has issued a notification for the recruitment of eligible individuals for several vacancies. For candidates who wish to join the Indian Armed Forces, this is a great opportunity for them. Indian Army has invited applications from eligible unmarried male and unmarried female Engineering Graduates and from Widows of Indian Armed Forces Defence Personnel who died in harness for grant of Short Service Commission (SSC). The interested and eligible candidates can apply for the same on the official website of the Indian Army- joinindianarmy.nic.in. According to the notification, the Course will commence in October 2022 at Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Indian Army Recruitment 2022: Vacancy details For SSC(Tech) - 175 For SSCW(Tech) - 14 For Widows of Defence Personnel - 02 (SSC(W) Tech - 01 and SSC(W)(Non Tech)(Non UPSC) - 01) Indian Army Recruitment 2022: Educational qualification Candidates who have passed the requisite Engineering Degree course or are in the final year of the Engineering Degree course are eligible to apply. Indian Army Recruitment 2022: Age limit SSC (Tech) and SSCW(Tech) - 20 to 27 years as on October 1, 2022 (Candidates born between 02 Oct 1995 and 01 Oct 2002, both days inclusive). For widows of Indian Armed Forces Defence Personnel: A maximum of 35 years of age as on October 1, 2022. Indian Army Recruitment 2022: How to apply Applications will only be accepted ONLINE on www.joinindianarmy.nic.in. Click on Officer Entry Appy/Login Click Registration (Registration is not required, if already registered on www.joinindianarmy.nic.in). Fill the online registration form after reading the instructions carefully. After getting registered, click on Apply Online under Dashboard. A page Officers Selection Eligibility will open. Then click Apply shown against Short Service Commission Technical Course. A page Application Form will open. Read the instructions carefully and click Continue to fill details as required under various segments After filling details on the last segment, click on Submit. The candidates are required to take out two copies of their application having Roll Number, 30 minutes after final closure of online application on last day. Indian Army Recruitment 2022: Last date Candidates need to apply by April 6 (3 PM). Candidates are advised to keep visiting the official website for the latest updates. Live TV NEW DELHI: B-Town diva and actress Kareena Kapoor Khan was recently papped jetting out of Mumbai with her kids - Taimur and Jeh Ali Khan, and sister Karisma Kapoor. The Kapoor sisters headed to the Maldives and their Instagram account is filled with photos and stills from their vacation. On Wednesday, the actress teased her fans as she shared a photo from her exotic vacation where she was seen with her son Jeh. While the actress exuded hotness in a black monokini and faced her back towards the camera, Jeh was spotted playing with a toy spade. A day later, the actress once again dropped a fresh picture of herself, that also featured her sis Karisma. Bebo's close pal Natasha Poonawalla was also seen chilling out with the gals in the tropical island. Kareenas face glowed pink with the tan she has got at the beach. Natasha too took to Instagram and dropped a couple of photos where the girls are seen chilling and posing in the blue water. Kareena was seen in a stylish neon monokini. Karisma and Natasha looked equally glamorous in black and printed blue bikinis respectively. Take a look at their pictures below: Speaking on the work front, Kareena will next be seen opposite Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha which will release on April 14, 2022, on the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi in theatres worldwide. The film is a remake of the Hollywood hit Forrest Gump and also stars Naga Chaitanya. Also Read: Kareena Kapoor Khan chills with little Jeh at the beach, drops vacation pics from Maldives! Kareena is also set to make her Netflix debut with an untitled murder mystery series, based on Japanese author Keigo Higashino's novel, 'The Devotion of Suspect X. The series will also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma. Streaming platform Netflix announced the film through a video of Kareena, Jaideep and Vijay during a script reading session for the film led by the director. Reports are there she has been approached for a project opposite Hrithik Roshan. While there is no official confirmation on the same A Bollywood Life report caimed that a renowned filmmaker approached the two for a project that will be produced by Junglee Pictures. The title of the film is 'Ulaj' and the film is under a very initial process. New Delhi: Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez is busy promoting her upcoming releases. The actress recently shared a hot and sizzling photoshoot on Instagram from the promotions of her upcoming 'Attack'. The actress took to her social media sharing some pictures in her hot brown dress which she is wearing during the promotions of her upcoming release 'Attack'. She mentioned the film in the caption saying: Attack Jacqueline Fernandez has been simultaneously promoting two big films, 'Bachchhan Paandey' and 'Attack'. The actress is all set to conquer this season with her back-to-back releases. Apart from that, the actress is also shooting for her forthcoming projects. On the film front, she will soon be seen in 'Bachchhan Paandey', 'Ram Setu', 'Kick 2', 'Cirkus' and 'Attack' along with a Hollywood project and a few unannounced projects. New Delhi: Actress Kriti Sanon, who is gearing up for the release of her and Akshay Kumar starrer Bachchhan Paandey on March 18, had a successful last year with two releases Hum Do Hamare Do and Mimi. Both the films were very well received by the audience and in Mimi, Kriti was the main lead and successfully shouldered the film. The actress is now enjoying the recognition, fame and offers coming her way. She however, also opened up on insecurities that male actors have when women have even a slighter chunkier role than them. Sharing details on the same, Kriti told the Indian Express, There are very, very few who would let others share screen space equally. Ive been in situations where most men were not willing to do a film where 60% was me and 40% was a male actors role. Nobody was willing to do it. So, I obviously think that these things need to change a little. What Akshay did in Atrangi Re was so commendable. It was a small but good role. Akshay is so not insecure of anyone, and plays his part honestly. Talking about finally getting noticed by the directors and writers, after earlier being typecasted, Kriti shared, After doing Bareilly Ki Barfi, 99 per cent of the films coming to me were small town films in similar genre. And now it is nice to reach a point where people are coming to me asking, What kind of film do you want to do? Something which was very rare for me before this year. I am now able to tell people what I want to do, what world I would want to get in, or Id love to play a grey character. This change is really nice to see. Sometimes it happens so gradually that you dont even realise. Apart from Bachchhan Paandey, Kriti has a slew of interesting projects lined up. She will be seen in Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan starrer Adipurush, horror-cmedy Bhediya opposite Varun Dhawan and Ganapath opposite Tiger Shroff. Kriti doesnt come from a filmy background and made her Bollywood debut in 2014 with Heropanti opposite Tiger Shroff. NEW DELHI: South superstar Dhanush sent the internet into a tizzy after he congratulated his estranged wife and filmmaker Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth for her new music video 'Payani' on social media. Dhanush, who has been keeping himself away from social media ever since he announced his separation from his wife in January this year, took to Twitter to wish her. Aishwaryaas music video was unveiled on Thursday (March 17) in four languages - Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil. Sharing the Tamil link of the video, Dhanush tweeted, "Congrats my friend, @ash_r_dhanush, on your music video. God bless." Aishwaryaa too responded to his tweet and wrot, "Thank you Dhanush Godspeed!" For the unversed, this was the first social media exchange ever since the duo announced their split early this January. However, Dhanushs tweet left his fans heartbroken as the actor addressed Aishwaryaa as his 'friend'. Rumours were rife that the former couples families were trying hard to resolve the differences between Aishwaryaa and Dhanush. Aishwaryaa was recently hospitalised after experiencing severe fever and vertigo. Before that, she was in hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Dhanush and Aishwarya Rajinikanth announced their separation on January 17, with identical notes on social media. The news left their fans shocked as they did not suspect any trouble in their marital life. A part of the actors note read, "Aishwaryaa and I have decided to part ways as a couple and take time to understand us as individuals for the better. Please do respect our decision and give us the needed privacy to deal with this. Om Namashivaaya! Spread love, D." While fans were shocked by the news, Dhanushs father Kasthuri Raja deemed Aishwaryaa and Dhanushs separation as 'a family quarrel'. A report had also claimed that Rajinikanth was 'badly affected' by Aishwaryaa and Dhanushs decision to separate. It was also said that Rajinikanth wanted Aishwaryaa to 'mend her marriage' with Dhanush. The report added that Dhanushs family was also pressuring the couple to reconcile. Dhanush and Aishwaryaa have two sons - Yatra Raja and Linga Raja. The two have remained tight-lipped about the reason for their separation. Both Dhanush and Aishwaryaa are, however, busy on their career front. Aishwaryaa is working on her debut Hindi single, a romantic song, Musafir. Apart from Naane Varuven, for which Dhanush is busy shooting, the actor is also part of the Hollywood action flick 'The Gray Man' that also stars Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling. Dhanush was last seen in Anand L Rais Atrangi Re along with actors Sara Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar. New Delhi: Have you invested in mutual funds via Paisabazaar? If yes, you need to carefully go through a mail sent by the fintech company a few days. The mail sent to a few Paisabazaar customers pointed out that their mutual fund account will be terminated effective 25 March. But that wasnt the complete truth. In the e-mail, Paisabazaar had said that the customers mutual fund services account will be terminated effective 25th March 2022. Post 25th March, 2022, you will not be able to redeem your existing investments in direct plans or make any new investment in them through the Paisabazaar platform," the company had said in its e-mail. The mail led to concerns related to Paisabazaars mutual fund business. Soon after the mail was sent to customers, reports surfaced that firm is shutting down its mutual fund business. The company has now clarified that such reports were unsubstantiated. Investors also got worried about their mutual fund investments. However, Paisabazaar has clarified that the particular mail was sent to a select list of customers who havent updated their data and who cant be migrated to the platform the company is using. Paisabazaar told Mint that it has not been onboarding new customers as the platform is transitioning to a new external platform, which is managed by NSE. The transition move was taken to streamline back-end operations, the company added. Also Read: Statistics Ministrys Twitter account hacked; name changed to Elon Musk briefly We have moved 99% of our consumers and their mandates to the NSE platform. These consumers continue to invest, set SIPs, redeem through the Paisabazaar platformthere is a small set of 478 consumers (less than 0.5% of total consumers) whose data on our platform was not updated and hence, could not be migrated to the new platform," the companys statement was quoted in a Mint report. Also Read: TCS bags multi-year deal from Australia's Western Power Live TV #mute New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad said that there were no plans now for considering any proposal to bring back the old pension scheme for the central government employees. Karad in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha said that there is no proposal under consideration for scrapping the National Pension System and reverting all officials of the Central government under the Old Pension Scheme. Replying to a query on whether the union government would also scrap NPS and revert all officials of Central government under Old Pension Scheme on the line of the state government of Rajasthan, Karad said, "there is no such proposal under consideration of Government of India." In a major announcement in its budget presented on 23 February 2022, the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government decided to implement the old pension scheme from next fiscal for all employees appointed on or after January 1, 2004. The old pension scheme for government employees was discontinued in the country from April 1, 2004, and the new National Pension Scheme (NPS) was implemented. National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS), an umbrella body of more than 14 lakh central and state government employees, had recently written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for NPS modification. Live TV #mute Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government, in its bid to ensure 100 per cent Aadhaar coverage, has decided to enrol newborns, right after they are born in hospitals. The idea was mooted after it was noticed that Aadhaar enrolment for children in the age group of 0-5 years was "minimal", and this initiative, if implemented, could ensure they get immediately enlisted. "Though Baal (children) Aadhaar coverage was introduced across the country earlier, Odisha will be the first state to introduce such facility in hospitals," Manoj Mishra, the secretary of the Electronics and Information Technology Department, told PTI. As per the government decision, the newborns will be enrolled without biometrics. The Baal Aadhaar, too, will have a 12-digit unique identification number, just like the ones issued to adults. The unique identification number of the newborns will be processed on the basis of demographic information and facial photographs, which would also be linked to the Aadhaar card of their parents. "When they turn 5 and then 15, they need to update their biometrics (fingers, iris and facial photograph)," the official said, adding that around 14.83 lakh of 40.36 lakh children in the age bracket of 0-5 years have been enrolled in the state thus far. Live TV #mute New Delhi: South star Yash paid a heartfelt tribute to late superstar Puneeth Rajkumar on his 47th birth anniversary. Yash, who shared a close bond with the 'Appu' actor, took to his Twitter handle and shared a throwback candid picture featuring him with Rajkumar from the promotional event of 'Bhajarangi 2', they attended a few days before the latter's demise. "The smile that never fades, The warmth which can never be matched, An Energy which can never be stopped, A Power which can never be taken away. He lives on. Happy Birthday Appu sir," Yash wrote alongside the picture. The late Kannada superstar`s last film was 'James' was also released on Thursday to commemorate his 47th birth anniversary. Puneeth Rajkumar passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on October 29 last year. New Delhi: Skagen Falster Gen 6 and Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch users can now take advantage of Amazon Alexa on their smartwatches. The two companies announced that they would bring Alexa to a select few Wear OS smartwatches, and it appears that the support is finally here. The launch of the Skagen Falster Gen 6 brought with it the reveal of a partnership between Amazon and Fossil that would bring Alexa to select Wear OS smartwatches. According to 9To5Google, Alexa runs well on the Skagen and Fossil smartwatches. There are just a few limitations, one can not access Alexa using voice commands and a user needs to do it manually on the smartwatch. The app will recommend how to use a shortcut button to make the process faster. The company recently launched A'Fossil Gen 6' in India that offers several hardware upgrades over the previous model.The features include new Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chipset, fast-charging support and a new SpO2 sensor. The watch is offered in two variants: 42mm case in four colour options and 44mm case in three colour finishes. The wearable comes in Smoke Stainless Steel, Brown Leather, Green Camo Grosgrain and Gold/Purple options. The Fossil Gen 6 costs Rs 23,995 for the 42mm model and Rs 24,995 for the 44mm version. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Google is gearing up to release Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones and now a new report has claimed that the upcoming handsets could launch earlier than its usual timeframe. According to GizmoChina, it is being speculated that the phones could launch sometime in September, a bit earlier than its usual launch in October. The Pixel 7 will be equipped with a 6.3-inch display, which means it will be slightly smaller than the 6.4-inch screen available on the Pixel 6. The upcoming series is reported to be powered by a new Tensor processor and have up to 512GB of internal storage. Furthermore, the Google Pixel 7 is rumoured to be significantly smaller than the Pixel 6, measuring 155.6 x 73.1 x 8.7 mm vs 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm for the Pixel 6. Pixel 7 Pro's rear design will not be too different from its predecessor. It will continue to sport a dual-tone design with a horizontal camera module housing a triple camera unit, a microphone, and an LED flash. Google is expected to release the Pixel 6a, the successor to the Pixel 5a, ahead of the Pixel 7 series debut. Pixel 6a is one of the most eagerly-awaited smartphones in 2022. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Google Pixel 6A is rumoured to pack a dual rear camera setup featuring a 12.2MP primary camera, and a 12MP camera. The smartphone may come with a single front camera setup for selfies, an 8MP primary camera. It is said to feature a mid-range Tensor processor, probably a Tensor Lite SoC or Snapdragon 778G.Pixel 6a may have 6GB or 8GB of RAM with 128GB of internal storage running on Android 12 out of the box, with guaranteed up to three years of version upgrades and security updates up to five years. Live TV #mute San Francisco: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has changed his name on Twitter to "Elona Muska after his challenge to fight Russian president Vladimir Putin grabbed the attention of Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic. In a statement on Telegram, which was shared by the Tesla and Space X chief executive, the Chechen leader cautioned him against seeking out a challenge with the Russian president, reports The Independent. "Elon Musk, a word of advice: Don't measure strength against that of Putin's," wrote Kadyrov. "Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin's middle name) will look unsportsmanlike when he beats the hell out of you, a much weaker opponent. Therefore you will need to pump up those muscles in order to change from the gentle (effeminate) Elona into the brutal Elon you need to be. I propose training at one of several centres in the Chechen Republic," Kadyrov added. He then offered Musk training in three Chechan institutes: The Russian Special Forces University, the Akhmat Fight Club and the Grozny Chechen State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. "You will return from the Chechen Republic a completely different person Elona, that is, Elon," he said. "Thank you for the offer, but such excellent training would give me too much of an advantage," Musk, in response, wrote on Twitter. "If he is afraid to fight, I will agree to use only my left hand and I am not even left-handed," Musk added and signed off the message as "Elona". On Monday, Musk had challenged the Russian president to a "single combat" fight over his invasion of Ukraine. He had tagged the official Kremlin Twitter account in one of the posts, asking in Russian whether it would "agree to this fight". He is yet to receive any official response from the Russian government. Musk has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both on his Twitter feed and through his companies. He has also mocked Russian officials on social media, as well as providing Starlink space internet equipment to Ukraine. Live TV #mute San Francisco: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will soon arrive on Instagram. Addressing one of the sessions at the South By Southwest event late on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said that "over the next several months, the ability to bring some of your NFTs in, hopefully over time be able to mint things within that environment". The Meta CEO said that "a bunch of technical things that need to get worked out before that'll really be seamless to happen." "We're working on bringing NFTs to Instagram in the near term," the Meta Founder said at the conference. Instagram Head Adam Mosseri said recently that the team was "actively exploring NFTs" but didn't have further details. Placing a strong bet on India's creator and developer community, Zuckerberg said recently that as the social network begins initial steps to create augmented reality (AR)-driven Metaverse experiences for billions, the country and its vast pool of talent is going to be a huge part of that journey. Speaking at the company's 'Fuel for India' event, Zuckerberg said that he is really excited about the role that India will play in building the future of Metaverse, which is going to be the successor to the mobile internet. Earlier this year, Twitter introduced a feature that let some users set an NFT they own as their profile picture. Live TV #mute New Delhi: The festival of colours, Holi, is celebrated across the country with great zeal and enthusiasm. And interestingly, the festival is celebrated in incredibly different ways with uniqueness by each Indian state with a beautiful blend of different cultures and traditions. In sync with the festive spirit of Khushiyon ke har rang &TV ke sang, &TV artists talk about how the festival is celebrated differently in their hometowns. These include Varanasi native, Vidisha Srivastava (Anita Bhabi, Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai), Kolkata native, Mouli Ganguly (Mahasati Anusuya, Baal Shiv), Delhite, Pawan Singh (Zafar Ali Mirza, Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai?), Indorian, and Kamna Pathak (Rajesh, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan). Taking about Holi celebrations in Uttar Pradesh, Vidisha Srivastava, who recently entered &TVs Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai as new Anita Bhabi, shares, "Holi is one of the biggest festivals in Uttar Pradesh revolving around the legend of the love and romance of the celestial couple Radha and Krishna. The Holi celebration happens in various ways in different cities. In Mathura, it's a one-of-its-kind, "Lath Mar Holi," played in the compound of the Radha Rani Temple. Thousands of people gather there to witness this Holi when women beat up men with sticks (lath) as those on the sidelines become hysterical and sing popular Holi songs and chants Shri Radhey, or Shri Krishna." Vidisha Srivastava She further said, "In Kanpur, Holi lasts seven days and is filled with colour. The last day is commemorated with a grand fair called the Ganga Mela, or the Holi Mela. In Varanasi, known as Shiv Nagri, Holi starts with Holika Dahan (the great bonfire to celebrate the victory of good over evil) and Ganga Ghaat, filled with beautiful Holi colours." Mouli Ganguly, essaying Mahasati Anusuya in &TV's Baal Shiv, shares, "Back in my hometown, Kolkata, we celebrate Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima, which is like Holi, and people celebrate it more traditionally. This festival is stretched over two days, while the entire country wraps up the festivities in a day. Dol Jatra is known for its festive colours and is reminiscent of the divine romance of Lord Krishna and Radha." Mouli Ganguly "As we travel through the roadways to the cities of Kolkata, you can cherish the mesmerising view of trees flooded with Gulmohar and Palaash flowers. The Dol tradition starts with applying Abir (Gulal) on the feet of the elderly who plan to visit Shantiniketan to celebrate Basant Utsav. Typically, my favourite part is that Mishti Pulao and Gujiya are prepared for consumption during Holi," she added. Pawan Singh, essaying Zafar Ali Mirza in & TVs Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai?, shares, "Being in a metro city, we can see Delhi is an amalgamation of cultures and traditions. The Holi celebration often starts with the "Tilak" tradition, where a mark of colour is drawn on a persons forehead to symbolise honour and represent confidence. On the eve of Holi, bonfires, or Holika, are lit in the city's important centres to celebrate good over evil. Delhiites celebrate the holy day with endless music and are perceived to have a "musical Holi." Pawan Singh Kamna Pathak, essaying Mrs. Rajesh in &TVs Happu Ki Ultan Paltan, shares, "Madhya Pradesh is a land of celebration, and Holi celebration continues here for two long days. On day one, a bonfire is organised by the different temples. On day two, the real fun begins as people bid goodbye to winter and welcome the new season by colouring each other with colours and sharing sweets like Gujiya and laddoos." Kamna Pathak "Singing, dancing, and the traditional beats of Dhol add to the occasion's gaiety. Five days after Holi, Rang Panchami is celebrated by the tribal community of the state. I adore my hometown, and I enjoy celebrating Holi with my Madhya Pradesh-based family and friends, " she added. Lucknow: To maintain peace and order, the Islamic Centre of India has urged mosques to change the timings of Friday prayers given that Holi will be celebrated on the same day. Since Holi, Shab-e-Barat and Friday prayers are on the same day, all efforts should be made to ensure peace and order in keeping with the composite culture of the country, appealed the chairman of the Islamic Centre of India Farangi Mahal and Lucknow Idgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed appealed on Wednesday. Apart from seeking change in the timings of Friday prayers, he urged Muslims to offer prayers in local mosques. At least 22 mosques, including some prominent ones like Jama Masjid Idgah, Masjid Aishbagh, Ek Minara Masjid at Akbari Gate, Masjid Shahmina Shah and Masjid Chowk have changed the timing of the Friday prayers pushing it after 1.30 pm. With Shab-e-Barat also falling on the same day, the Islamic Centre of India has also asked the Muslims to visit mosques and the graves of their loved ones after 5 pm when the playing Holi is over and that there should not be fireworks on the day. Four years ago, there was a similar situation and then also the clerics had shifted the timings of the Friday prayers. Live TV Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to take a decision within two months on the representation that seeks the inclusion of the state`s Bhar/Rajbhar community in the Scheduled Tribes (STs) list. Till now, this community was treated as part of the Other Backward Class (OBC) in the state. Disposing of a writ petition filed by `Jago Rajbhar Jago Samiti` and another, a division bench comprising Justices Siddhartha Varma and Dinesh Pathak observed that since the Central government has forwarded the petitioner`s representation to the Uttar Pradesh government, therefore, no useful purpose would be served to keep the matter pending before this court. Earlier, Agnihotri Kumar Tripathi, the counsel for the petitioner, had contended that keeping in view the past records, the Bhar/Rajbhar community should be treated as ST, but the state government has given them the OBC status. The members of this community have a strong presence in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. The petitioner had applied the plea through a sitting MLA for inclusion in the Rajbhar community of Uttar Pradesh state in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST). The matter reached the Centre, which had written on October 11, 2021 to the principal secretary, social welfare department, government of Uttar Pradesh, that it could not process the matter unless the proposal for including Bhar/Rajbhar community in the ST list had been processed by the state government. After hearing all sides, the court noted that nowhere from the record, it transpired that the petitioners had approached the appropriate authority of the state government. The communication dated October 11, 2011, of the Central government further revealed that the representations, which the petitioners had sent to the various authorities, had been forwarded to the principal secretary, social welfare department, government of Uttar Pradesh, for taking actions. In its order dated March 11, while observing that "under these circumstances, no useful purpose would be served by keeping this writ petition pending before the high court, the division bench accordingly directed the principal secretary, social welfare department, government of Uttar Pradesh to take a decision on the representations, which have been forwarded to him by the Central Government within a period of two months in accordance with law". Live TV New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, officials said on Thursday. Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and his wife Rujira Banerjee have been asked to depose before the investigation officer here next week, they said. The Delhi High Court had on March 11 dismissed a plea by the couple challenging the summons that asked them to appear before the ED. The earlier summons was issued to them on September 10 last year and the couple had sought direction from the court to the ED that they should not be summoned for appearance in Delhi since they are residents of West Bengal. Banerjee has once been questioned by the ED in this case in September last year at an agency office in the national capital. The ED lodged a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, based on a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. Local coal operative Anup Majhi alias Lala is alleged to be the prime suspect in the case. The ED had claimed that the 34-year-old TMC parliamentarian was a beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. He has denied all charges. Live TV Kolkata: The West Bengal assembly on Thursday accepted a privilege motion against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who allegedly threatened four rebel BJP MLAs with Income Tax raids for disrupting his speech in the House. A privilege motion has been accepted by the House against Adhikari and it is being forwarded to the Privilege Committee, Speaker Biman Banerjee announced as proceedings began at 11 am. The Treasury Benches thumped desks, welcoming the announcement, while BJP MLAs protested. Following this, discussion on the state Budget began, in which both ruling and opposition MLAs participated. The four rebel BJP MLAs - Krishna Kalyani (Raiganj), Tanmoy Ghosh (Bishnupur), Soumen Roy (Kaliaganj) and Biswajit Das (Bagda) - had joined the TMC last year without giving up membership of the House. They have not yet been disqualified under the anti-defection law and continue to occupy the opposition benches. When Adhikari was speaking in the House on the Home Department's budget on Wednesday, they repeatedly interrupted him "for lying and spreading canards against the state government". They later complained to the speaker that when a visibly infuriated Adhikari walked out of the House, he allegedly threatened them with I-T raids for interrupting his speech. The speaker took note of the complaint and said the four MLAs will be provided with protection in accordance with the rules of the House. Adhikari dubbed the allegations baseless, and told reporters, "The way the ruling party tried to create disturbance during my speech by using turncoat MLAs is unprecedented. Let them first prove it (the allegations), let them bring privilege motion." One of the rebel MLAs, Soumen Roy, also alleged outside the House that Adhikari had threatened to shoot him. "He has also threatened to shoot me. But I did not mention it in the assembly," he claimed. According to sources in the state government, the four MLAs have been accorded additional security by the police. The speaker has also been requested to ensure the MLAs are given separate seats in the House. Live TV Kabul: The Taliban will allow girls around Afghanistan to return to class when high schools open next week, an education official said on Thursday, after months of uncertainty over whether the group would allow full access to education for girls and women. "All schools are going to open to all boys and girls," Aziz Ahmad Rayan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, told Reuters. "But there are some conditions for girls," he said, adding that female students would be taught separately from males and only by female teachers. In some rural areas where there was a shortage of female teachers, he said that older male teachers would be allowed to teach girls. "There is no school that will close for this year. If there is any school that closes, it is the responsibility of the education ministry to open it," Rayan added. Allowing girls and women into schools and colleges has been one of the key demands the international community has made of the hardline Islamist movement since it toppled the Western-backed government last August. Most countries have so far refused to formally recognise the Taliban, amid concerns over their treatment of girls and women and allegations of human rights abuses against former soldiers and officials from the ousted administration. The Taliban have vowed to investigate alleged abuses and say they are not seeking revenge on their former enemies. The last time the group ruled Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, they banned female education and most employment. Since regaining power, boys and men have returned to education in far greater numbers than girls and women. The Taliban is seeking to run the country according to its interpretation of Islamic law while at the same time accessing billions of dollars in development aid that it desperately needs to stave off widespread poverty and hunger. Sanctions against some leading members of the group have complicated the situation. The Taliban say they respect women`s rights in accordance with Islamic law and local custom. But many women have reported restrictions on access to public life, including jobs, forcing some to drop out of the workforce. Heather Barr, associate women`s rights director at Human Rights Watch, urged the international community against complacency after the announcement. "There has been a huge focus by donors on girls` secondary schools multiple donors have told me they see this issue as `totemic`," she said. Barr added that reopening schools would not necessarily mean that the broader rights of women and girls in society would be protected. Seventeen-year-old Farzana said she was already washing and ironing her uniform as she anticipated joining her friends in her Kabul classroom. After six months at home, she said she and others had struggled mentally being away from studies. "I feel very powerful. We can show not only (the Taliban) but also the world (that) we never stop, and Afghanistan won`t return to previous decades," she said. Live TV Kabul: As many as 180 media outlets out of 475 have been closed in Afghanistan in the past seven months following the takeover by the Taliban in August this year, local media reported. On Tuesday, Afghanistan`s National House of Journalists in its latest survey said Afghan media outlets have been affected the most after the Taliban takeover as a result only 290 media outlets are active in the war-torn country, Khaama Press reported. A recent survey released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) indicates that about 43 percent of Afghan media outlets have shut down their operations, leaving almost 60 percent of journalists unemployed. Head of Afghanistan`s National House of Journalists Sayed Yaseen Mateen said that reason behind the mass closure of media was economic woes and migration of professional media workers in the country. Apart from the economic woes and stoppage of foreign support of the media in Afghanistan, the lack of access to information cited by Afghan journalists is said to be another big issue for media in the country, Khaama Press reported. On the other hand, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always denied the claim. They said that the closure of media outlets in Afghanistan is owing to the stoppage of their donors. They denied having restricted Afghan journalists and media, Khaama Press reported. The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban`s return to power in August last year. Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated. The Taliban have committed and continue to commit human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, a massive rollback of the rights of women and girls, censorship of and attacks against the media. Moreover, people in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, that have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system. Live TV Russian forces in Ukraine are blasting cities and killing civilians but no longer making progress on the ground, Western countries said on Thursday, as the war, Moscow was thought to have hoped to win within days, entered its fourth week. Local officials said rescuers in the besieged southern port of Mariupol were combing the rubble of a theatre, where women and children had been sheltering, bombed by Russian forces the previous day. "The bomb shelter held. Now the rubble is being cleared. There are survivors. We dont know about the (number of) victims yet," mayoral adviser Petro Andrushchenko told Reuters by phone. Russia denied striking the theatre, which commercial satellite pictures showed had the word "children" marked out on the ground in front before it was blown up. Mariupol has suffered the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the war, with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in basements with no food, water or power for weeks. Russian forces have begun letting some people out in private cars this week but have blocked aid convoys from reaching the city. Viacheslav Chaus, governor of the region centred on the frontline northern city of Chernihiv, said 53 civilians had been killed there in the past 24 hours. The toll could not be independently verified. In the capital Kyiv, a building in the Darnytsky district was extensively damaged by what the authorities said was debris from a missile shot down early in the morning. As residents cleared glass and carried bags of possessions away, a man knelt weeping by the body of a woman which lay close to a doorway, covered in a bloody sheet. Although both sides have pointed to limited progress in peace talks this week, President Vladimir Putin, who ordered Russia`s invasion on Feb. 24, showed little sign of relenting. In a vituperative televised speech, he inveighed against "traitors and scum" at home who helped the West, and said the Russian people would spit them out like gnats. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Putin's security council, said the United States had stoked "disgusting" Russophobia in an attempt to force Russia to its knees: "It will not work - Russia has the might to put all of our brash enemies in their place." Kyiv and its Western allies believe Russia launched the unprovoked war to subjugate a neighbour Putin calls an artificial state. Moscow says it is carrying out a "special operation" to disarm and "denazify" Ukraine. Heavily outnumbered Ukrainian forces have prevented Moscow from capturing any of Ukraine's biggest cities so far despite the largest assault on a European state since World War Two. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and thousands of civilians and combatants have died. `STALLED ON ALL FRONTS` British military intelligence said in an update on Thursday that the invasion had "largely stalled on all fronts", and Russian forces were suffering heavy losses from a staunch and well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance. Ukraine`s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed the German Bundestag by video link, pulling no punches in a speech that invoked the Holocaust and the Berlin Wall, and seemed intended to shame pro-Russian politicians in Moscow`s main energy buyer. "Every year politicians repeat `never again`," said Zelenskiy, who is of Jewish heritage, citing a slogan used to mark the Holocaust. "And now we see that these words are simply worthless. In Europe a people is being destroyed, they are trying to destroy everything that is dear to us, what we live for." He accused Germany of helping to build a new wall "in the middle of Europe between freedom and unfreedom", by isolating Ukraine with its business ties to Russia and its earlier support for Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline it has since frozen. Russia has assaulted Ukraine from four directions, sending two massive columns towards Kyiv from the northwest and northeast, pushing in from the east near the second biggest city Kharkiv, and spreading in the south from Crimea. Northeastern and northwestern suburbs of Kyiv have been reduced to rubble by heavy fighting, but the capital itself has held firm, under a curfew and subjected to deadly nightly rocket attacks. Amid the unrelenting fighting, both sides have spoken of progress at talks. Ukrainian officials have said they think Russia is running out of troops to keep fighting and could soon come to terms with its failure to topple the Ukrainian government. Moscow has said it is close to agreeing a formula that would keep Ukraine neutral, long one of its demands. Moscow said peace talks resumed on Thursday by videolink for a fourth straight day, discussing military, political and humanitarian issues. A top aide to Zelenskiy said Ukraine still maintained its core demand, that it retain sovereignty over areas occupied since 2014 by Russian and pro-Russian forces. KYIV/LVIV: International outrage over Russia`s invasion of Ukraine grew on Thursday as US and Ukrainian officials said civilians waiting in line for bread and sheltering in a theatre had been killed by Russian forces. President Joe Biden called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal in comments the Kremlin said were "unforgivable" as it insisted the war in Ukraine was "going to plan" amid talk of compromise at peace talks. Moscow has yet to capture any of Ukraine`s biggest cities despite the largest assault on a European state since World War Two. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and thousands have died as the war enters its fourth week. Ukraine`s foreign ministry said Russian forces dropped a powerful bomb on a theatre in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, leaving many civilians trapped and an unknown number of casualties. Maxar Technologies, a private U.S. company, distributed satellite imagery it said was collected on March 14 and showed the word "children" in large Russian script painted on the ground outside the red-roofed building. The theatre had been housing at least 1000 civilians, according to Human Rights Watch. "This raises serious concerns about what the intended target was in a city where civilians have already been under siege for days and telecommunications, power, water, and heating have been almost completely cut off," Belkis Wille from the rights group said. Moscow denies targeting civilians and Russia`s defence ministry said its forces had not struck the building, RIA news agency said. Thirteen buses carrying around 300 refugees from Mariupol have arrived in Russia`s Rostov region, Russia`s Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Thursday. The US Embassy in Kyiv said Russian forces had shot dead 10 people waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv. Russia denied the attack and said the incident was a hoax. The United Nations` top court for disputes between states ordered Russia on Wednesday to immediately halt its military operations in Ukraine, saying it was "profoundly concerned" by Moscow`s use of force. `NEUTRAL STATUS` Ukraine`s armed forces are conducting small-scale counterattacks on several fronts and Russian troops have not been able to gain ground because of a lack of resources, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Wednesday. There were signs of compromise and progress at ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin said negotiators were discussing a status for Ukraine similar to that of Austria or Sweden, both members of the European Union that are outside the NATO military alliance. "Neutral status is now being seriously discussed along, of course, with security guarantees," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "There are absolutely specific formulations which in my view are close to an agreement." Vladimir Medinsky, Russia`s chief negotiator, told state TV: "Ukraine is offering an Austrian or Swedish version of a neutral demilitarized state, but at the same time a state with its own army and navy." Austria and Sweden, the biggest of six EU members outside NATO, both have small militaries that cooperate with the alliance. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukraine could accept international security guarantees that stopped short of its longstanding aim to join NATO. That prospect has been one of Russia`s primary concerns. "My priorities during the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, guarantees of security, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country," Zelensky said in a video address released early on Thursday. In a speech on Wednesday to the U.S. Congress by video link, Zelensky repeated a request for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something the West won`t introduce. "In the darkest time for our country, for the whole of Europe, I call on you to do more," he said. The United States announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine to fight Russia, with the new package including drones, anti-armour and anti-aircraft systems. "More will be coming as we source additional stocks of equipment that ... we are ready to transfer," Biden said, later condemning Putin. "He is a war criminal," he told reporters. NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels also pledged more arms supplies to help Ukraine. The UN Security Council is due to vote on Friday on a Russian-drafted call for aid access and civilian protection, but diplomats say the measure is set to fail because it does not push for an end to the fighting or withdrawal of troops. Live TV New York: The UK permanent mission to the UN on Wednesday (March 16, 2022) said that six countries - including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States - have requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine. "The UK and [Albania, France, Ireland, Norway, and the United States] have called for a Security Council meeting on #Ukraine. Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians. Russia`s illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all," the mission said on its Twitter page. Amid this development, Russia and Ukraine are making continuous efforts to reach a negotiated settlement through the talks being held in Belarus. As the conflict reached the fourth round of talks continued on Wednesday, some details emerged suggesting that talks might be reaching some headway with a Ukrainian delegation member saying that the two sides are now willing to reach a compromise. "The positions of the parties were very different and we have only now begun to reach some kind of compromise," Ukrainian delegation member Mykhailo Podolyak told the Ukraina 24 broadcaster, he added that Kyiv and Moscow will reach a peace agreement sooner or later, Sputnik News Agency reported. ALSO READ | Russia-Ukraine war: Joe Biden brands Vladimir Putin a war criminal as Russia says mission 'going to plan' Podolyak also later tweeted that a draft peace plan circulating in the media calling for severe concessions from Ukraine was actually just a draft of the Russian side`s request. "Briefly. FT published a draft, which represents the requesting position of the Russian side. Nothing more. The side has its own positions. The only thing we confirm at this stage is a ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops, and security guarantees from a number of countries," the tweet said. Earlier in the day, the head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said that the preservation and development of Ukraine`s neutral status, the country`s demilitarization, as well as issues related to the size of the Ukrainian army, had been discussed at the talks. The Ukrainian side proposed "the Austrian, Swedish version of a neutral demilitarized state, yet a state with its own armed forces and navy," he said. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later today that this option "can be seen as a real compromise," Sputnik News Agency reported. "[Ukraine`s] neutral status is now being seriously discussed in conjunction with security guarantees, of course," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.A businesslike spirit at the talks gives hope that it will be possible to agree on the issue of the neutral status of Ukraine, the minister added. (With ANI inputs) Live TV The Hague: Russia must immediately suspend military operations in Ukraine, the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled, marking the first verdict handed down by the world court since Moscow began its invasion of Kyiv on February 24. By a vote of 13 to two, with Vice-President Kirill Gevorgian of Russia and Judge Xue Hanqin of China dissenting, the ICJ ruled that Russia "shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on February 24", the UN said in a statement. Of the 13 votes in favour, one was cast by Indian ICJ Judge Dalveer Bhandari. Wednesday`s ruling came in response to a suit filed by Ukraine on February 27, accusing Russia of manipulating the concept of genocide to justify its military aggression. In a tweet shortly after the ruling, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the majority decision "fully reinforces my repeated appeals for peace". The Court began by recalling that on February 26, Ukraine filed an application against Russia concerning "a dispute" on the interpretation, application and fulfilment of the Genocide Convention. Ukraine contended that having falsely claimed acts of genocide against the people of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Russia declared and implemented a "special military operation" to prevent and punish the purported acts. The ICJ asked Russia to immediately suspend its attacks and cease all military operations as they were based on Moscow`s stated purpose of preventing or punishing Ukraine for committing genocide. The Court also noted that Russia had decided not to participate in oral proceedings and later, presented a document setting out its position that in this case, the Court lacks jurisdiction and requested it to "refrain from indicating provisional measures and to remove the case from its list". In delivering the ruling, President of the Court Joan Donoghue outlined that the necessary conditions were met to give the ICJ the authority to indicate provisional measures, namely that the rights asserted by Ukraine are plausible and the condition of urgency was met in that acts causing irreparable prejudice can "occur at any moment". "Indeed, any military operation, in particular one on the scale carried out by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, inevitably causes loss of life, mental and bodily harm, and damage to property and to the environment," said the ICJ President. On behalf of the world court, she said: "The civilian population affected by the present conflict is extremely vulnerable," adding that Russia`s aggression has resulted in "numerous civilian deaths and injuries... significant material damage, including the destruction of buildings and infrastructure. "Attacks are ongoing and are creating increasingly difficult living conditions for the civilian population. Many persons have no access to the most basic foodstuffs, potable water, electricity, essential medicines or heating. A very large number of people are attempting to flee from the most affected cities under extremely insecure conditions." The judges were unanimous in their order that both parties refrain from any action that might "aggravate or extend the dispute... or make it more difficult to resolve". Live TV Washington: The United States remains in touch with Indian leaders and continues to encourage them to work closely with it to stand up against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the White House said Wednesday. "As you know, we remain in touch through a range of channels from our national security team with leaders in India and continue to encourage leaders to work closely with us to stand up against President Putin's invasion of Ukraine," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. Over the past two weeks, the Biden administration has shown an understanding of India's position on Russia given the complexity of its ties with Russia and over-dependence on Moscow for military and security needs. During a Congressional hearing last week, Admiral John Christopher Aquilino, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, described India as tremendous partners and said that the mil to mil relationship is probably at its highest point. "From the US perspective, I think India is an absolutely essential partner as we think about our strategy in the Indo-Pacific, and both in terms of how we're building coalition partners as well as dealing with potential adversaries. "We recognise that India has a complicated history and relationship with Russia," Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, told members of the House Armed Services Committee during a separate hearing. Live TV Press Release March 17, 2022 Bong Go highlights Department of Migrant Workers law as a gift to OFWs through the collective efforts of legislators and concerned sectors Senator Christopher "Bong" Go told the media on Monday, March 14, that the establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers was only made possible through the hard work and determination not only of its proponents but also of every Filipino migrant worker. During an ambush interview after his monitoring visit to the Malasakit Center at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, Go once again thanked fellow senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate Labor Committee, who worked with him to get the Senate approval of the then proposed measure. "Nagpapasalamat din po ako kay Senator Joel Villanueva. S'ya po ang kasama ko talaga," shared Go who thanked Sen. Villanueva for spearheading and sponsoring the passage of the measure in the Senate. "Nung una, hirap na hirap po kaming nakikiusap sa mga kasamahan namin sa Senado na suportahan po ito dahil para po ito sa OFWs natin at pangako po ito ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte, pangako po natin ito sa kanila," he recounted. Go authored and co-sponsored the Senate version of Republic Act 11641, Senate Bill No. 2234. It is the consolidated version of an earlier measure he filed which sought to create the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of key government services to the country's modern-day heroes. The DMW will focus the resources of the government on protecting the rights and advancing the interests of Filipino migrant workers. In so doing, the DMW will absorb all powers and functions of government agencies currently in charge of matters related to overseas Filipino employment, such as the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs under the Department of Foreign Affairs; Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Philippine Overseas Labor Office, International Labor Affairs Bureau, and National Maritime Polytechnic under the Department of Labor and Employment; National Reintegration Center for migrant workers under the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; and Office of the Social Welfare Attache under the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Pursuant to Section 23 of the DMW Act, the Office of the President had issued a memorandum constituting the Transition Committee to facilitate the complete and full operation of the new department. President Duterte has also recently appointed Abdullah "Dabs" Mama-o as the secretary of DMW. With the appointment of Mama-o, Go said that the Implementing Rules and Regulations are now being prepared, with the hope of making the new department fully operational before the President's term ends. "Pini-prepare na po ang IRR ngayon since meron nang secretary," noted Go. "Hopefully po, sana bago matapos ang termino ni Pangulong Duterte ay talagang nandiyan na ang departamentong lalapitan nyo na mag-aasikaso sa ating mga OFWs," he added. Earlier, the senator urged the government to ensure that there will be no disruptions in the delivery of government services to Filipino migrant workers as the functions, assets, and funds of relevant agencies are gradually transferred to the DMW under a two-year transition period. "Regalo natin ito sa mga (migrant workers) na nagsasakripisyo. Malaki ang ambag sa ating bayan ng modern heroes natin. Para po ito sa inyo, itong Department of Migrant Workers," he concluded. Press Release March 17, 2022 Lacson: Strict Regulation Needed for E-Sabong More at: https://pinglacson.net/article/lacson-strict-regulation-needed-for-e-sabong If the Executive Department will not suspend or stop e-sabong, it must at least subject it to strict regulation to address its social costs, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson said. Lacson said the social costs of e-sabong may be intangible but will cause major problems as Filipinos - from children to policemen - become addicted to it. "At least man lang strict regulation. Huwag 24 hours (At least subject e-sabong to strict regulation. Making sure it does not operate 24 hours would be a start)," he said at a press conference in Maddela, Quirino Wednesday. "Dapat mahigpit regulatory authority ng Pagcor (The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Authority should be strict in exercising its regulatory authority)," he added, noting the online nature of e-sabong makes it hard to monitor. He added the social cost is too high, with overseas Filipino workers not being able to come home due to gambling debts or parents having to pay the debts their addicted children incur. There have also been reports of people committing suicide due to e-sabong, and policemen robbing convenience stores to pay off debts, he added. "Ito ang hindi tangible pero lumalabas na may nangyayaring actual problema sa e-sabong (These are not tangible but they show there is a problem with e-sabong)," Lacson said, adding the P1.6 billion in revenues a day come from ordinary Filipinos addicted to e-sabong. Earlier, Lacson said there are many ways to generate much-needed revenues - including better implementation of tax laws, and revisiting existing laws like the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. He noted he had sought to introduce an amendment to the TRAIN law where more than 100 exemptions to the Value-Added Tax would be reduced - but was outvoted at the time. Another way to generate the needed revenue is to digitalize all government processes and transactions, to ensure there is little room for human intervention - and corruption. Your browser does not support the video tag. LO LOGRAMOS! ?? ???? Nuestro Pabellon Peru ha sido elegido como el mejor, entre los 192 paises presentes en la @expo2020dubai, al ganar el premio World Expo Awards en la categoria Peoples Choice Awards de la revista especializada @EXHIBITOR.#PROMPERU #OrgulloPeruano pic.twitter.com/zBQPAzOiGD The event took place at Callao Naval Base, according to the Government Palace Press Secretariat. On December 30, 2021, the BAP Carrasco set sail for Antarctica to embark on the 28th Scientific Expedition of Peru to the white continent. The ship carried 98 expedition staff members, including scientists and soldiers, whose mission was to continue research projects in the fields of oceanography, science, and biology. On Wednesday, Mr. Castillo attended an executive meeting with mayors from more than 400 municipalities across the country and State ministers at the Lima Convention Center. Before the meeting, he visited the town of Retamas, located in Pataz province, La Libertad region, where he supervised the situation in the landslide-hit area and the care provided to the affected population. Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: "Tras dos anos de pandemia, el Peru volvio a la Antartida para recuperar su presencia. Un hecho que debe llenar de orgullo a todos los peruanos en el Ano del Fortalecimiento de la Soberania Nacional". pic.twitter.com/d41Ol3449v YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, Member of the European Parliament, Marina Kaljurand, has expressed her concerns about the current humanitarian situation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). In a statement she called for the speedy resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement. On 8 March, the natural gas pipeline supplying Nagorno-Karabakh was damaged in an area under the control of Azerbaijan. Despite freezing temperatures, the pipeline has not been repaired yet and the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh has been without gas supplies already for a week. It is urgent that unhindered access is provided to the damage site without delay in order to restore supplies as soon as possible, she said in a statement. At the same time, reports of ceasefire violations have multiplied since early March, along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact, as well as on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reports of Azerbaijans high-calibre mortar shelling of several Nagorno-Karabakh villages. Over the past weeks, Azerbaijani army loudspeakers directed at these villages have been calling on the local Armenian population to leave the area, intensifying the psychological pressure and threatening the use of force. I am seriously concerned by these developments and the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and strongly condemn any hostile actions aimed at civilians. I reiterate my call for the speedy resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement and recall the EUs readiness to step up assistance to build confidence and address humanitarian and other issues, the MEP said. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The 2022 Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will be held on April 20-22 at Boao, Hainan Province of China under the theme of The World in COVID-19 & Beyond: Working Together for Global Development and Shared Future, the BFA said in a statement on March 17. The Annual Conference will be an on-site occasion supplemented with online links, where delegates from governments, business, academia and media all over the world will gather and discuss the post-pandemic development agenda for Asia and the world, focusing on green development, innovative development, inclusive development and collaborative development, so as to promote international solidarity and cooperation, the statement says. The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is an international organization jointly initiated by 29 member states. BFA holds its annual conference in Boao, Hainan on a regular basis. The founding purpose of BFA was to promote economic integration in Asia. Its mission now is to pool positive energy for the development of Asia and the world. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The reports of an alleged deadly provocation committed by the Azerbaijani military against the Armenian Armed Forces on March 16 are false, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said. The information circulating on social media and in various media outlets claiming that on March 16 the Azerbaijani Armed Forces committed a provocation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border which resulted in one Armenian servicemember being killed and another one wounded is false, the Ministry of Defense said, calling on media outlets and social media users to use exclusively official information while publishing reports on the border situation. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory letter to Prime Minister of Ireland Micheal Martin on the occasion of the countrys national day, the PMs Office said. The letter runs as follows, Your Excellency, I warmly congratulate you on St. Patricks Day, the national day of Ireland. The Republic of Armenia attaches importance to the further expansion and development of mutually beneficial cooperation with Ireland, which is based on democratic values and practical interests. I am full of hope that through joint efforts we will give a new impetus to bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our countries and peoples. I congratulate you once again, wishing you good health and new success, and well-being and prosperity to the friendly people of Ireland. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan received today the delegation led by head of the Yerevan Resident Office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Dimitri Gvindadze, the ministry said in a news release. Mr Gvindadze introduced George Akhalkatsi to the Minister. George Akhalkatsi has been appointed as the new head of the EBRD Yerevan Office and will take up his new role on 1 May 2022. The Minister of Finance thanked for the productive cooperation and said that the working discussions with the EBRD have always been at a high level, adding that all necessary preconditions exist to promote and effectively implement the joint programs and ideas. According to the Minister, currently the protection of Armenias economic interest is priority for Armenia especially under the latest regional developments. Dimitri Gvindadze thanked Tigran Khachatryan for the productive cooperation and many programs implemented with the Finance Ministry. Topics relating to green economy, water infrastructure, development of political environment and improvement of transportation network were discussed during the meeting. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Nearly 4000 citizens of Ukraine arrived to Armenia in the last three weeks, according to the Ukrainian Charge d'affaires in Armenia Denis Avtonomov. Avtonomov said at a news conference that most of these 4000 Ukrainian citizens are ethnic Armenians. Avtonomov said those who arrived are either refugees, immigrants or tourists. The peculiarity is that almost all of them are ethnic Armenians, and they have friends, families, homes here, thats why they arent asking for help, Avtonomov said. He added that the Ukrainian Embassy in Yerevan has some possibilities to solve the accommodation issues for the arriving nationals, however the employment issue is far more difficult to solve. According to Avtonomov, many citizens of Armenia be it in Yerevan or in other cities are applying to the Ukrainian embassy and expressing willingness to help the Ukrainian refugees in finding homes. Overall, according to Avtonomov, tens of thousands of people from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have come to Armenia since February 24 as refugees, immigrants or tourists. YEREVAN, 17 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 17 March, USD exchange rate down by 8.55 drams to 490.49 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 7.00 drams to 541.89 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.65 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 4.84 drams to 646.66 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 533.14 drams to 30170.43 drams. Silver price down by 1.89 drams to 393.37 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has decided to suspend relations with Belarus due to the situation in Ukraine, ARMENPRESS reports the Permanent Representation of Iceland to the Council of Europe informed. "The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has today decided to suspend all relations with Belarus due to the countrys active participation in the Russian aggression against Ukraine," says the statement of the Permanent Representation of Iceland to the Council of Europe. At the same time, the Committee decided to maintain and strengthen relations with the Belarusian civil society and the opposition outside the country. Later, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry announced that the decision of the Council of Europe suspends constructive cooperation with the Republic of Belarus in a number of areas, including the issue of the death penalty. YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with NATO First Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana in Brussels on March 17. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press servic eof the MFA Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan expressed satisfaction with the existing political dialogue with NATO. In this context, the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan was highlighted as an effective tool for developing cooperation. The sides also referred to the participation of Armenian peacekeeping units in international peacekeeping missions and Armenia's contribution to strengthening international security and stability. Issues related to regional security were discussed. Ararat Mirzoyan presented the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, the ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan, the actions aimed at creating a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh, the facts of psychological pressure on the civilian population. Ararat Mirzoyan and Mircea Geoana exchanged views on the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. On the same day the Armenian FM delivered a speech at the North Atlantic Council, where he referred to the Armenia-NATO cooperation over the past 30 years, the consequences of Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh in 2020, the humanitarian issues that need to be urgently resolved, in particular, the issues of Armenian prisoners of war illegally detained in Azerbaijan and the entry of international organizations into Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the prospects and opportunities for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the negotiations on a peace treaty without preconditions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as a number of international and regional security issues. At around 9:10pm on Wednesday, a conscript of a military unit of Armenia, was found deadwith a gunshot wound to the jawin a combat position located in the southeastern direction of the country. March 17, 2022, 09:18 Serviceman found dead in military position STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: On March 16, around 21:10, the body of conscripted serviceman Private Albert L. Siroyan (born 2002) of a military base of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia was found with a gunshot wound to the jaw in a military position deployed in the countrys south-eastern direction. An investigation is underway to fully determine the circumstances of the incident, the Ministry of Defense said. Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, Member of the European Parliament, Marina Kaljurand, has expressed her concerns about the current humanitarian situation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). March 17, 2022, 10:45 MEP seriously concerned by current humanitarian situation in Artsakh STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: In a statement she called for the speedy resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement. On 8 March, the natural gas pipeline supplying Nagorno-Karabakh was damaged in an area under the control of Azerbaijan. Despite freezing temperatures, the pipeline has not been repaired yet and the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh has been without gas supplies already for a week. It is urgent that unhindered access is provided to the damage site without delay in order to restore supplies as soon as possible, she said in a statement. At the same time, reports of ceasefire violations have multiplied since early March, along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact, as well as on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reports of Azerbaijans high-calibre mortar shelling of several Nagorno-Karabakh villages. Over the past weeks, Azerbaijani army loudspeakers directed at these villages have been calling on the local Armenian population to leave the area, intensifying the psychological pressure and threatening the use of force. I am seriously concerned by these developments and the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and strongly condemn any hostile actions aimed at civilians. I reiterate my call for the speedy resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement and recall the EUs readiness to step up assistance to build confidence and address humanitarian and other issues, the MEP said. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Notice body In a culmination of four years of study, seniors in Auburn University Theatre and Dances Bachelor of Fine Arts class head to Atlanta to perform a collection of scenes and song excerpts as part of their final showcase on March 21, 4 p.m. EST. In partnership with the Alliance Theatre, these students will put their work out into the world for agents and casting professionals to see. This performance is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that students in this class are performing in-person for industry professionals, marking the "light at the end of the tunnel" and the beginning of a return to normalcy. The students, over the course of three months, pooled together their collective minds and knowledge of industry tactics to put together a showcase that portrays their best work. While they had the watchful eyes of their acting professors, the vast majority of the work being presented was organized by the students, ranging from professional marketing photos and scene selections to website creation and industry outreach. Through this, students learned what it takes to market oneself and the preparation it takes to be successful post-graduation. The collaborative team for the showcase is overseen by professors Andrew Schwartz and Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha, as well as guest professor Lindsay Rae Taylor and director of production Bram Sheckels, with music direction by James Mablin. The cast includes Ashleigh Avallone, Ashley Digiovanni, Julianna Devaney, Sydney Golden, Charlcie Hathorn, Mary Keyton, Holden Mathison, Katie Pappas, Addison Peacock, Dexter Pilcher, Lauren Selvia and Jenna Viana. The run time for this showcase is approximately one hour with no intermission. The showcase will take place at the Alliance Theatre and contains intense moments, adult themes and adult language. Buy Tickets: Tickets for the showcase are first-come, first-served based on an RSVP system. Visit here to reserve a seat. Showtimes: Monday, March 21, 4 p.m. EST Ticket Prices: General: Free Senior Citizen: Free Faculty and Staff: Free AU Student with ID: Free Non-Auburn University student: Free Virtual Option: This showcase will be recorded to be streamed at a later date, as well as another reworking being professionally filmed later in the semester. To stay up-to-date on these virtual options and their release dates, follow @auburnshowcase22 on Instagram. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit here. At around 10:30am on Thursday, Private Eduard Rustamyan (born 2003), a conscript, was found dead in a military unit located in the southern part of Armeniaand with a gunshot wound. March 17, 2022, 13:32 One more Armenian serviceman found dead, investigation underway STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: On March 17, at around 10:30, the body of conscripted serviceman Eduard R. Rustamyan (born in 2003) was found with a gunshot wound in N military unit of the Defense Ministry located in the southern direction of the Republic, the ministry said in a statement, adding that investigation is underway to clarify the circumstances of the incident. Russias special military operation in Ukraine is not aimed at ruining that countrys statehood or ousting its president, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Thursday, Tass informs. March 17, 2022, 14:59 Russias special operation is not aimed at ruining Ukraines statehood Russian Foreign Ministry STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: "Let me stress once again what both the Western mass media and the Western establishment refuse to see: this operation is not targeted at the civilian population. It does not pursue the aim of seizing the countrys territory, ruining its statehood or ousting the current president. We keep saying this again and again." The West is turning a blind eye to Ukraines atrocities against civilians in Donbass, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday, Tass informs. March 17, 2022, 15:00 Russia diplomat castigates Wests silence on Ukrainian atrocities in Donbass STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: "Once again we see sheer apathy from the West. They zealously ignored and remained silent over yet another atrocity by their Ukrainian subordinates. As if nothing had happened. As if there was no mass slaughter of civilians," she stressed. Zakharova spotlighted the March 14 attack on Donetsk, when the Ukrainian military fired a Tochka-U rocket with cluster munition into the city center, killing more than 20 people and wounding 37 others. "This is a barbaric terrorist act," she emphasized, adding that Russia deeply resents the methods that the Ukrainians have resorted to when conducting hostilities. The diplomatic spokeswoman also highlighted the fact that this type of weaponry was used repeatedly by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Makeyevka. "Thanks to the coordinated work of the Donetsk People's Republic militia, it was possible to avoid horrific consequences. Fortunately, no one was killed then, but civilians, including children, were injured," she noted. The Russian side has reached an agreement with the Ukrainian military on joint security at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, news.am informs, citing RIA Novosti. March 17, 2022, 15:26 Moscow and Kyiv agree on joint protection of Chernobyl nuclear power plant STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: The taking of control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant by the Russian military was carried out in such a way as not to damage its safety. An agreement was reached with the military personnel of the Ukrainian branch of the station's security battalion on the joint security of its power units and the sarcophagus," Zakharova said at a briefing. We intend to continue to make every effort to (ensure) the safety of this facility, she noted. Beijing opposes the US sanctions against Russia, which destabilize the global market, and intends to protect the interests of its national enterprises, Gao Feng, an official representative of the Ministry of Commerce of China, told a press conference on Thursday, TASS reports. March 17, 2022, 17:02 China Opposes US Sanctions Against Russia, Intends to Protect Its Interests STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: "We are against any unilateral sanctions, which do not consider the rules of international law. <...> They destabilize the global market," he said when asked how Beijing would behave amid Washingtons mounting pressure on Moscow over the Ukrainian crisis and the growing risk of Chinese companies being restricted by the US. "China will definitely take necessary measures and protect the legal rights, as well as the interests of its companies involved in ordinary trade," he noted. Apart from making it hardly possible to settle the security problem, Washingtons sanctions may also have a negative impact on consumers, Gao Feng said. "The US is therefore creating additional difficulties for the global economy, which is experiencing a turmoil," he noted. Gao Feng added that despite the Ukrainian crisis, China would continue cooperating with Russia on a regular basis. "China will continue regular trade and economic cooperation both with Russia and Ukraine," he said when asked to comment on the plans of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in the context of the situation in Ukraine. Beijing plans to expand economic ties with Moscow on an equal footing, Gao Feng said. "We will cooperate in accordance with the principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit," he pointed out. Small businesses are booming across Cayuga County. All you have to do is visit various main streets in the region to see that local bakeries, restaurants, yoga studios, gift shops and other storefronts are bustling with locals and tourists alike. Look even closer, and youll notice that these businesses all have something in common: more and more, they are women-owned. Despite the challenges many faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, women-owned businesses are thriving in the area. And if you ask them what their secret to business success has been, many of them will tell you the same thing: women supporting women. Take Little Yard Farm, for example, founded and owned by chef and farmer Laura Hahn. In 2017, she purchased 25 acres in Sempronius with the idea of expanding her business of raising chickens into a culinary destination. As she grew the business, she collaborated with other women entrepreneurs in the area. I started making soups and selling them through Farm Girl Greens, Laura recalls. The apples that grew in our orchard, I trade those to Gail, at Kelloggsville Farm Cidery. Eventually, we started catering parties in the area, and since I couldnt offer dessert items to my customers, I partnered with Michelle Meyers, who owns Little Cow Ice Cream and Confections. We grew together. Michelle shares Lauras sentiment that collaboration with other women-owned businesses is a key to entrepreneurial success in the region. After a few post-college years in New York City, she eventually moved back to her hometown of Union Springs and began making ice cream for her mother. That venture turned into a business, and Michelle credits the support of other women entrepreneurs for the success shes seen. Its more of a collaboration than competition with women in the business, she said. We want to help others grow. Well tell the customers who to go to if they request something we cant provide. She added, theres enough business to go around for all of us. Over in Auburn, a yoga studio and a farm-direct matcha company have discovered the many benefits of partnering with other women entrepreneurs. Erin Schillace founded the Zen Den yoga studio four years ago, with a location right in the heart of the historic downtown. When she learned that Luciana Torous, the founder and owner of 3 Leaf Tea down the street was looking for a bigger space for her cafe, she asked Luciana if shed like to move into the cafe space adjacent to her yoga studio. Luciana agreed, and theyve been growing their businesses symbiotically for the past two years. We saw the benefits immediately, said Erin. Not only is it practical to share the cost of rent, as a business owner, being able to collaborate with someone who has similar ideas and values is incredibly motivating and helpful. We were just down the street from each other, she added, why not team up? Luciana notes that working together can help grow a client base. We were able to introduce clients to each others business, who might otherwise not have found us, she said. Were promoting each other. Both women remarked on how downtown Auburn was growing, and that women-owned businesses were the ones leading the way. And they count the support they see women entrepreneurs giving one another among the main reasons so many have found success. If any woman is hesitant about opening a business they should go for it they will have a lot of support, said Luciana. A common feature of women-owned businesses in Cayuga County is how much they spread that support not just to other businesses, but throughout the entire community. Ashley McLeod, director of In Our Words Apparel, knows all about giving back. The company is a division of Gwen Inc., a company devoted to supporting mid-level to executive level leaders as they navigate their careers. With In Our Words Apparel, Ashley said she wanted to inspire women to show up as themselves, unapologetically. The company sells clothing with empowering statements, including #BeLikeHarriet, and #WeArentGoingAnywhere. Every product I create is made with the intention of helping women be who they truly are, and to stop making themselves small, as I used to do, she says. I want women to have a vision for their lives, and to do things intentionally. In addition to selling online, In Our Words Apparels products, which have expanded to include more than just clothing, are carried by The Life @ Salt City Market in Syracuse. I believe in community, said Ashley, which is why we share the proceeds we receive from sales at the market with the Good Life Foundation. They provide local youth with career mentors, an entrepreneurial education, and life skills, through the use of hip hop culture. This collaboration helps build the community, she emphasized. Ashley also remarks on how she and other women entrepreneurs are supporting each other. We pride ourselves on working with women, she said, noting that women-owned businesses manage her web design, product development, and other aspects of In Our Words Apparel. Im forever grateful to these women who have helped me bring my vision to life, and as women, we have to continue to work together to help other women-owned businesses - it propels all of us forward. Propelling an entire community forward is exactly what happened in Fair Haven when the simple act of women going for a walk together led to the development of a thriving arts community. At the heart of it all is the Fair Haven Community Arts Center, founded and owned by Susan Lemon and Pat Hanford. As Susan, who also owns the Hardware Cafe and General Store, tells it: One day, I joined a group of 10 women for a writing workshop, we took a walk along Lake Ontario, and we all just clicked. Thats where I met Pat. She and I decided to buy a building and start an artist center. We didnt even know each other that well, we took a risk, but we thought it was a good thing to have in the community and we wanted to do something meaningful in our retirement years. Today, their risk has paid off. Their organization is the center of a thriving arts community in Fair Haven. Hosted in a lovingly renovated 1864 home, the center hosts a busy schedule of year-round art classes and art shows. We are open to everybody, noted Susan. We have one big show in the spring, several in the summer, and one in the fall, and weve also renovated the barn behind the building where we host performances - and we want to do more! To think this all started when several women decided to take the chance and come together one fall afternoon for a walk on the beach, she remarked. It shouldnt come as a surprise that the women of Cayuga County are teaming up to revitalize historic downtowns, support and grow each others businesses, and give back to the community. After all, the county has a rich history of women taking the lead. From an emancipated Harriet Tubman establishing her home and her incredible lifes work in Auburn, to the nearby Seneca Falls Convention, which launched the womens suffrage movement in 1848, to the modern women who are following in the footsteps of their community-leading foremothers, in and around Cayuga County, women supporting women is a long tradition. And for those looking to explore that tradition, Brave Women FLX, a division of the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council, provides itineraries and recommendations to help you plan your ideal visit. Today, women entrepreneurs across the region are demonstrating how collaboration can be a boon, not only for profits, but also for a stronger, healthier community. This Womens History Month, be sure to check out a woman-owned business during your visit upstate. One shouldnt be hard to find thanks to the power of women, business in Cayuga County is booming. The Cayuga County Office of Tourism can be reached at (315) 255-1658. Visit tourcayuga.com to learn more. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The first couple of spring weekends in upstate New York bring not only the hope for some better weather following the grueling winter, but also a sugary prize for getting through those dark and cold days. Maple sap starts running in late February and early March in this region, and for 25 years, New York sugar shack operators have been welcoming visitors as part of the statewide Maple Weekend promotion. The tradition continues the next two weekends March 19-20 and 26-27. Roughly 160 maple syrup producers and sellers across the state will be holding open houses, including a handful in the central New York region. "During both weekends, producers from across the state will welcome families to their farms to experience firsthand how real, mouthwatering maple syrup and other related maple products are made," the New York State Maple Producers Association said in a press release. "Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy fun, family-friendly activities, taste New York's freshest syrup, and purchase maple products directly from the source. ... Maple Weekend offers visitors and residents alike the opportunity to taste this 'liquid gold' in all its forms." According to the Maple Weekend website, the following CNY sites are planning events: Smokey Hollow Maple, 8597 Pierce Road, Brutus: Pancake breakfasts running 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. each day, featuring coffee, orange juice, sausage patty, hashbrowns, and all you can eat New Hope Mills pancakes with Smokey Hollow Maple syrup. Cost for adults is $10, children 4 to 10 is $5.50 and under 4 is free. Tours will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the store will be open those same hours. "Come out and see our new equipment, we were not able to have open house the last two years due to COVID 19," the sugar shack said in a press release. "Take a tour, see how maple syrup is made, and try various maple samples in our store. Sit around the fire pit and enjoy maple cotton candy or maple ice cream!" Call Smokey Maple at (315) 730-5150 or visit smokeyhollowmaplesyrup.com. Komrowski Maple, 7584 Tater Road, Lysander: "Bring the kids and tap a maple tree. Taste the sap. Confused by new grades, sample each before you buy. Also sample maple cotton candy, cream and coated peanuts. Our maple cream is smoother than most without stirring in a layer of syrup. Call Komrowski Maple at (315) 447-2407 or email mapleharry@aol.com Pied Piper Maple Products, 1335 West Valley Road, Preble: Daily activities include demonstrations of maple syrup production equipment and tree tapping, storytime and maple movie, samples and cooking demonstrations. Maple tea and scones with maple cream available for $5, and horse-drawn wagon rides along Otisco Lake offered for $5 per person (children under 3 free). Wagon ride reservations are recommended. Call Pied Piper at (315) 636-8569 or 315-345-5374 or email at barbhamlinpiedpiper@gmail.com. The Maple Producers Association says most Maple Weekend sites will be operating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, but advises contacting them ahead of time to be sure about hours. Dressing for potentially cold and muddy conditions is also advised. For a full list of participating Maple Weekend producers and details about their plans for this year's event, visit mapleweekend.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON Canada will begin welcoming vaccinated travelers to enter the country without first taking a COVID-19 test starting on April 1, Canadian officials announced on Thursday. The move, coming more than two years into the global pandemic, is the most dramatic Canada has taken yet to open its border. Border agents will continue to randomly hand out PCR tests to some travelers, but Canadian officials struck a remarkably positive tone about welcoming Americans and others into their country. "We have it all: beautiful, breathtaking landscapes, internationally acclaimed festivals, premier national parks and outdoor recreation, diverse options from northern peaks to our downtown cores and first and foremost, safety," said Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault, who joined Canadian public health officials in announcing the change. "The time has come to experience it for yourself." Canada and the United States jointly closed their border to nonessential travel on March 22, 2020, and began the process of reopening the border last August. But traveling to Canada remained arduous for Americans driving into the country. Canada required proof of a negative PCR test for COVID-19 until Feb. 28, when the requirement was weakened slightly to give travelers the option of showing proof of a lab-administered antigen test. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sam Roberts has served at nearly every level of government. He hopes to check the last box in November. Roberts, of Syracuse, is running for the Democratic nomination in the 22nd Congressional District. He is one of seven Democrats vying for the nod in the new district, which is comprised of Onondaga and Tompkins counties, plus portions of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Ontario, Schuyler and Seneca counties. A General Motors retiree and member of United Auto Workers, Roberts is a former Onondaga County legislator and state assemblyman. He is also the former commissioner of the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Roberts told The Citizen he recalls a time when there were "pathways to running" for higher office a point he highlighted because many of the Democratic candidates in the field have never been elected officials. "You laid the groundwork," he said. "Start off with school board, city council, county Legislature, state Assembly. You learned along the way what legislation was about, what constituent service is about. I've done all that. I'm ready to continue my service from the state level to the congressional level. I want to be that voice that represents us in Congress." In a 10-minute phone interview, Roberts rattled off several of his priority issues. He started with the economy and jobs. He believes it's important to keep people employed and to ensure that businesses are in a strong position. With his labor background, he wants to advocate for living wages and benefits for workers. He supports providing a quality, affordable education and offering free tuition to public colleges, including community colleges. He thinks more needs to be done to address student loan debt. He agrees with President Joe Biden's actions to forgive some student loans, but questioned whether it goes far enough. Without endorsing a specific proposal, he believes health care should be accessible and affordable for everyone and that mental health should be included. When he headed the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, he said one of the issues they worked on is homelessness. Mental health, he noted, is a factor that contributes to some individuals becoming homeless. Roberts supports the Green New Deal, a proposal to address climate change and create jobs, and reproductive rights for women. As a member of the Assembly, he voted to codify the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision into state law. There are other issues on his agenda, too. He wants to ensure central New Yorkers have access to broadband, a problem affecting individuals in rural and urban areas. On immigration, he supports providing a pathway to citizenship for refugees and undocumented immigrants. He also wants to be an advocate for family farms and agriculture in the district. Roberts' willingness to outline his policy agenda is one example of his experience the one thing that could set himself apart from his competition in a crowded primary field. But it's not just his experience as an elected official that could help him win the race. In 2010, Roberts won a three-way Democratic primary in the 119th Assembly District. It was considered an upset because one of the candidates he defeated, Phil LaTessa, was endorsed by the Onondaga County Democratic Committee. That primary is similar to the one he faces in the 22nd district. He did not win the Democratic Party's endorsement that went to Francis Conole and there are multiple candidates in the field. The winner of the June 28 primary will likely be the district's next congressional representative since there are 50,000 more Democrats than Republicans. Roberts believes when voters look at his history of service, they will choose him. "I stand on my record. I have a record to stand on," he said. "I'm very proud of what I've been able to accomplish and do while being an elected representative ... My whole life has been about service to the people in my community." Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. More than $18 million in financial assistance has been approved for a drinking water project for Jordan and Elbridge. Officials recently announced that the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors has approved more than $725 million in financial assistance to help 13 municipalities and public authorities advance critical infrastructure projects that protect or improve water quality. One of the projects approved for funding involves the Town of Elbridge, Village of Elbridge and Village of Jordan. That plan is a joint project to install approximately 51,000 linear feet of watermain, new storage tanks and pump stations at the city of Syracuse connection and Hamilton Road, a new chlorine booster station on Jordan Road, replace and relocate an existing confined space pump station and consolidation of the Champions Mobile Home Park public water system. The short-term financings and previously announced grants approved by the EFC will provide capital to local governments to help them get shovels in the ground for their projects. The board also approved several long-term financing conversions that provide interest relief for existing projects and reduce debt for municipalities. The funding includes: Town of Elbridge - $2,686,259 in short-term, interest free financing and $5,372,516 in short-term, market rate financing for the town. Village of Elbridge - $1,748,602 in short-term, interest free financing and $3,497,204 in short-term, market rate financing for the village. Village of Jordan - $2,697,199 in short-term, interest free financing and a $3,000,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grant. "Every single community in New York deserves access to clean water, which is why investing in clean water infrastructure is a top priority," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release. "With a surge in funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and historic investment in clean water initiatives in my Executive Budget, we will work together with local governments to modernize New York's water infrastructure to protect public health and the environment and help ensure a robust economy." The board's approvals include financings through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and grants pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act. Visit EFC's website to learn more about water infrastructure funding opportunities. Meanwhile, EFC is urging municipalities to participate in the Environmental Protection Agency Clean Watersheds Needs Survey, which EFC kicked off in New York on March 1. Participation may impact how much federal funding will be allocated to New York state to fund future clean water infrastructure projects. Municipalities are asked to document their community's wastewater infrastructure needs for submittal to the EPA. Municipalities are encouraged to go to efc.ny.gov/needs to submit documentation and for resources to assist with submissions. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In eight years as a member of Congress, U.S. Rep. John Katko hasn't seen anything like it. Katko, R-Camillus, was in the audience on Wednesday as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Congress. After Zelenskyy's impassioned pleas for help and images showing the devastation caused by Russia's invasion, Katko reached an inescapable conclusion. "That was the most impactful event that I've been at since I've been a member of Congress, and I've been at quite a few," he told The Citizen. "To hear the leader of a country who is under siege by the Russian army and the way he spoke so eloquently and so powerfully and forcefully about his cause was nothing short of inspiring." Zelenskyy urged Congress to provide additional military assistance to Ukraine for its fight against Russia. He also repeated his request for a no-fly zone over the country. Katko supports giving more weapons to Ukraine. He referred to a statement issued by the Problem Solvers Caucus he is a member of the group that endorses specific forms of assistance, including Stinger missiles, air defense systems and fighter jets. So far, the United States has provided some forms of lethal assistance but President Joe Biden has opposed giving Polish fighter jets to Ukraine. "If they want to take those jets to fight themselves, that's not an act of war on our part that's something we should do," Katko said. One of Zelenskyy's requests that Katko is hesitant to support is establishing a no-fly zone. He worries that could lead to a scenario in which a U.S. fighter jet shoots down a Russian jet and sparks World War III. While he has concerns, Katko won't rule out backing a no-fly zone. "I don't want to take anything off the table, but we got to be mindful of the fact that because we're in more of a defensive position here and we didn't control the situation at the outset by preventing Russia from coming in, we're in a difficult situation," he said, adding that "we all want to help people as much as we possibly can." What Katko is certain of is that the United States should increase the economic pressure on Russia. Sanctions have already been imposed, but he supports eliminating "every single possible exception ... to put the screws to the Russian economy as best as we possibly can." But even with the sanctions that have severely damaged Russia's economy, the invasion continues. The Russian military has launched missiles targeting civilian infrastructure. Cities, including Kyiv, have been under attack for days. Ultimately, Katko thinks what will stop Putin is an uprising within his own country as the war drags on and the economy crumbles. "I don't see Putin backing down, no matter what, unless his own people stand up to him as well," he said. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The first killing of an American journalist in Ukraine came last week; Brent Renaud was a freelance video journalist. The U.S. State Department would not give details of his death, but other sources said he was shot. He had done work for HBO, PBS and the New York Times. It's a dark day for people in my line of work. He's not the first journalist to be killed in a war, nor will he be the last. In fact, he's not the first journalist killed in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A Ukrainian camera operator was killed when Russians shelled a TV tower, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists. Russians also fired on journalists for the Britain-based Sky news, and robbed a Swiss journalist. What most caught my eye wasn't the deaths in Ukraine. As brutal as it may sound, journalists going into a war zone have some idea of the danger they face. Artillery shells, bombs and land mines kill whatever's in the blast radius, and the area has quite a few armed people pumped up enough on adrenaline and fear to just shoot rather than check. And sometimes it doesn't require adrenaline and fear to just shoot first. No, what caught my attention is the risks journalists face in Russia, some just reporting on the war in their own hometowns think America with a cyrillic alphabet. They face up to 15 years in prison for reporting information the Russian government doesn't like, including, apparently, calling the Russian presence in Ukraine an "invasion," or describing the activities as "a war." (Actually, all journalists in Russia face this risk, and a number of international news agencies have pulled out of Russia, including BBC, CNN, Bloomsberg and the New York Times, although some later returned.) The tools in Russia and Ukraine to control the news are different from what you might find in America, but the desire to control the news is not. The First Amendment generally protects journalists from criminal charges if they publish the news so long as they did not violate laws in acquiring the news but we've seen sources use any number of means to stymie a reporter. The simplest legal, perfectly ethical is simply to not answer questions or not return a reporter's call. Happens all the time, and there's not a lot journalists can do about it. Nobody is ever legally required to speak to journalists. We've seen an increasing tendency to try to control the news through other means and a number of sources make no bones about their goal. "Control the message" is how many of them phrase it. Sunshine Week To learn more about Sunshine Week, visit www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-about, follow @SunshineWeek and look for #SunshineWeek hashtags on Twitter. Most commonly, we see public bodies require reporters to interact with only one person a gatekeeper, whose mission is to keep the gate closed. Calls are unreturned; what news releases are issued do not answer the basic questions; no sources are made available to provide in-depth comment or insight. They call it "controlling the message;" we call it "avoiding public scrutiny." Frankly, this undercuts the efforts of any number of public relations people I know, who actively seek to help reporters. I've written supervisors more than once to commend the efforts of particular public relations people who go above and beyond to help reporters get accurate and important information out to the public. The latest curtain to block the sunshine of public scrutiny is to blame the technology. The COVID-19 pandemic forced public bodies across America to find new ways to conduct public business, typically through a teleconference, such as Zoom or Webex. After two years, we still find public meetings that we and you cannot access because the public officials responsible say they don't know how to set them up, or that the person responsible for creating the Zoom meeting is out of town. (Which, when you think about it, is no excuse at all because Zoom meetings are meant to be done at a distance.) This week is Sunshine Week, a week created by the trade group News Leaders Association, to call attention to the fragile protection of your right to watch your government in action. We mark this week with a bit of darkness and sorrow for the loss and risk our colleagues must face to tell you the news. But perhaps, if we keep at it, we'll let a little sunshine in. Todd R. McAdam is managing editor of the Cortland Standard. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Hyundai, in 2019, had said that it would invest $1.55 billion up to 2030, with starting capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year, to be later expanded to 250,000 annually. Hyundai Motor Group has launched a new automotive manufacturing plant to produce Indonesia's first locally assembled electric vehicle. This move is in line with President Joko Widodo's goal of developing a full EV supply chain by utilising the country's mineral resources. Hyundai's manufacturing site in Indonesia comes at a time when the government is providing incentives and has removed red tape to try to boost investment in EV development. "We need to be an important player in the global supply chain of electric cars," Widodo told Reuters, adding, "Our country has large mineral resources that can be used for development of electric cars." Indonesia is a major nickel ore producer, an element that is an important material for EV batteries. The country also produces cobalt, also used for batteries, and has large deposits of bauxite and copper ores, which can be used for EV production. Referring to this, Widodo said that by 2024, all EVs produced in Indonesia will use locally made batteries and other key components. (Also read | Hyundai Motor, Iveco to explore collaboration on shared vehicle tech, supply) Hyundai, in 2019, had said that it would invest $1.55 billion up to 2030, with starting capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year, to be later expanded to 250,000 annually. The group's chairman Euisin Chung also said that the new manufacturing plant would also be linked with a Hyundai-LG joint venture battery plant, which is scheduled to open in 2024. The construction of the $1.1 billion EV battery plant with LG Energy Solution (LGES) was started in September last year and its full capacity is expected to produce 10 gigawatt hours of battery cell power. The carmaker is dedicated towards its commitment to shift towards electric mobility. It recently confirmed plans to bring in as many as 11 new EVs by the end of this decade. The company has an ultimate objective of selling 1.87-million all-electric EVs for a seven per cent share in the global EV space (Read full report here). (with inputs from Reuters) First Published Date: Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Presale of the Honda e:NS1, the first Honda-branded full-electric vehicle model dedicated to China, will start on March 18 via Dongfeng Honda's mini program. Honda Motor said in October last year it would introduce the first 10 Honda-branded EV models in China, under the e:N Series, in the next five years. The first set of e:N Series models would go on sale in spring 2022, of which the e:NS1 is managed by Dongfeng Honda and the e:NP1 will sold by GAC Honda. Dongfeng Honda e:NS1 Unveiled in late October 2021, the e:NS1 looks largely the same as the e:Prototype SUV. It has revised headlight and taillight clusters, narrower daytime running lights, regular front fog lights, traditional side mirrors, regular front door handlers, and hidden rear door handlers. Fast- and slow- charging ports are located underneath the close-off grille, where a non-backlit Honda logo is in the center. Inside, the electric SUV features a Driver Monitoring Camera (DMC), a 15.2-inch HD portrait touchscreen infotainment system, a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster, and Honda Connect 3.0 with 20+ connected vehicle functions. The vehicle measures 4,390mm long, 1,790 wide, and 1,560mm tall with a wheelbase that spans 2,610mm. According to the information from China's MIIT, customers would be able to choose from two lithium-ion battery packs, a 53.6 kWh unit that offers a 420 km of range (CLTC) and a 68.8 kWh unit that provides 510 km of range (CLTC). The standard-range variant would have a low-output permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) that pumps out 134 kW and 310 Nm of peak torque. The long-range one would have a high-output PMSM producing 150 kW and 310 Nm. POMPANO BEACH, Fla. The Swiss Navy team unveiled its newest product, Deep Throat Spray, at this years Altitude Intimates Show. The trade show was held in person this year after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. We wanted our first in-person show to feel like a celebration, said Briana Watkins, M.D. Sciences vice president of sales and marketing. So, we felt that the Altitude Show was the perfect place to unveil our newest productSwiss Navy Deep Throat Spray featuring a delicious, salted caramel flavor and scent. Many deep throat sprays dont include a scent, which can really help elevate the experience for users. Following the successful additions of salted caramel to Swiss Navys 4-in-1 Playful Flavors and the flavored lubricant collection, utilizing this popular flavor again was "practically mandatory," the company said. Several buyers in attendance shared positive feedback. It tastes just like salted caramel! And its good, said Martin Puentes of LSMT/New Fine Arts. Holy Moly! Thats good stuff! said Janel Hargreaves of Lotions and Lace. Yep, I feel it! Its a great flavor, said Syndy Clark of Fairvilla. We are having a very productive show, said Watkins. If this show is any indication of how 2022 is going to go for our Swiss Navy team, we are on target to set new sales records! Pre-orders are now being accepted for Swiss Navys Deep Throat Spray in salted caramel. Contact your sales representative to learn more. To view the Swiss Navy collection, visit swissnavy.com. To visit Swiss Navys Business-to-Business (B2B) Resource Center, visit B2BSwissNavy.com. Barnes & Noble is officially out. The Route 66 and Milton Road bookstore closed earlier this month after the landlord opted not to renew the lease, making way for a new Goodwill location to move in later this year. The chain bookstore was completely empty Wednesday, along with the parking lot, after months of sales as their closing date loomed. The front door was tied with yellow caution tape and multiple signs taped to the windows reminded hopeful patrons that they're closed -- permanently. "We have truly enjoyed serving our customers in Flagstaff for the past 23 years and would have loved to continue for many more," a sign announcing the closure said. The company did not respond to a request for comment from the Arizona Daily Sun, but the same sign stated that the store is "doing everything we can to find a new store in this area" and solicited ideas from the public for a potential new home. An exact opening date for the new Goodwill location has yet to be set, according to Courtney Nelson, Goodwill communications director for northern and central Arizona. Nelson said that it will likely be later this year, but added the caveat that the timeline could change due to ongoing supply chain issues. The actual changes to the building will be pretty minimal, Nelson said. The integrity of the existing building will remain relatively the same, with some minor renovations inside to better adapt the space to Goodwill's needs. There will be minimal exterior changes -- primarily updates to the building, according to Nelson. The floor plan will resemble other Goodwill locations. The Milton location, however, is expected to differ from the other Goodwill locations in town. The store, which is across the street from Northern Arizona University, will be more geared to college students. "We anticipate having items in there that fit that Gen Z/Millennial set," Nelson said. The new location set to open in the former Albertsons at the corner of Switzer Canyon Drive and Route 66 will have a more traditional floor plan. Nelson said they expect that store to open in the late spring or early summer. The two new locations won't mean any changes to the current location at the Flagstaff Mall. The future of the West Route 66 store remains unknown, though. Goodwill closed the drop-off-only location last year. They leased the building, leaving it to the landlords as to what will move in there next. The three Goodwill locations are a clear sign of the recent boom in thrifting. Nelson said the decision to open two additional locations was motivated by the significant opportunity in the market. "Thrift has really grown as an industry," Nelson said. "We have seen an increase in shoppers turning to thrift for the first time, and we saw that really growing here in Flagstaff." Reporter Bree Burkitt can be reached at 928-556-2250 or bburkitt@azdailysun.com. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 5 Angry 19 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Since 1959, Trout Unlimited has been working from coast to coast to protect, reconnect, restore and sustain trout habitat on behalf of today's sportsmen and women. TU remains committed to our mission to conserve North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. With that comes opportunities to protect public lands that support healthy ecosystems for all wildlife, such as the landscape surrounding the Grand Canyon from uranium mining. In 2012 the Department of Interior issued a 20-year uranium mining moratorium near the Grand Canyon that had dedicated funding to study the impacts of uranium mining on the water, wildlife and habitat of the region. Results from a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2010 that spurred the moratorium, documented 15 springs and five wells containing dissolved uranium that exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for drinking water. Uranium mining poses a serious risk to wildlife and to the people who live in the region as well as those who enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking and camping there. Water in this area is scarce and small springs and streams that are not visibly connected on the surface provide conduits for contamination to locations far from the original source. The incredible Lees Ferry Fishery on the Colorado River could potentially be harmed because of the interconnectedness of perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams. Since 2012, nothing has been done to clean up the 500 already contaminated mines in the region, new instances of uranium contamination from existing mines have occurred, and funding for the originally intended studies has been cut. At the same time, foreign-owned mining interests continue to lobby the Department of Interior and Department of Commerce to re-open the area to new mining. Reacting to the USGS study and an outcry from Arizonans, Senator Sinema and Senator Kelly introduced the Grand Canyon Protection Act (GCPA), S.387. This legislation will prevent uranium mining on one million acres surrounding the Grand Canyon, lands that have long been sought for uranium mining. This bill would still allow for multi-use of the landscape: logging, grazing and outdoor recreation. Hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts come from a broad range of backgrounds across the political spectrum. One thing that ties us all together, a truly American ideal, is the conservation of wildlife and wild-places. Wildlife, fisheries, and the water that supports us are not partisan issues. The GCPA is a responsible approach based on science and with a vision for the future. Uranium mining near the Grand Canyon is unacceptable given the best science available and the known risks to our natural resources, the economy of northern Arizona and the communities that depend on Colorado River water. Its time to stop gambling with the future of the Grand Canyon region. As sportsmen we value multi-use of our public lands and insist on practical and science-based approaches to managing our natural resources. The GCPA meets that test and we strongly support it. As a sportsman, and the Arizona Public Lands Coordinator for Trout Unlimited, I commend our elected officials from Arizona who are working to protect these lands and waters from the irreversible harm of uranium mining in this region. There is clear evidence that the benefits simply do not outweigh the risks to water and wildlife. With the nations goal of protecting 30% of public lands and waters by 2030, conserving this large swath of land will help accomplish this goal. We cannot undo the toxic history that's been left in this region, but we can prevent new contamination from destroying its future. Senator Sinema and Senator Kelly, we need action from Congress now to pass S.387. Lets work together to protect the Grand Canyon and the lands and waters surrounding it. Nathan Rees is the Arizona Public Lands Coordinator for Trout Unlimited. He can be reached at nathan.rees@tu.org. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 On March 8, the US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine claimed that Ukraine has biological research facilities, which in fact we are now quite concerned Russian troops may be seeking to gain control of. Why is the US so concerned with the prospect of Russias seizure of such biological research facilities? Nulands confession seems to lay bare some truths of the latest finger-pointing between the US and Russia over the real purpose of the US-funded biolabs in Ukraine. Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry revealed that the ministry received documents from employees at the Ukrainian biological laboratories confirming the urgent steps to eradicate traces of the military-biological program in the labs on Feb 24. The labs, according to Russia, were for research on bird, bat and reptile pathogens as well as African swine fever and anthrax, with which the US planned to establish a mechanism for the stealthy spread of deadly pathogens. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that there were some 30 US-controlled labs on the Ukrainian soil. The US embassy in Ukraine said on its website that the US collaborates with Ukraine under the Department of Defenses Biological Threat Reduction Program, which aims to ensure Ukraine can detect and report outbreaks caused by dangerous pathogens before they pose security or stability threats. While attempting to justify its involvement in the biological labs in Ukraine, the US government shifted the focus by accusing Russia of plotting chemical or biological warfare in Ukraine, or simply dismissing Russias evidence as disinformation. In fact, back at the beginning of the Russias special operation in Ukraine, Robert Pope, director of the BTRP, had indicated that the Russias military actions may put at risk a network of US-linked labs in Ukraine that work with dangerous pathogens and his program had lost contact with some of the labs. According to the research by US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, BTRP was run and funded by the US DoD, which has so far invested over $200 million into the program. BTRP initially focused on securing and dismantling biological weapons and technologies from the former Soviet Union. It later expanded its mission to carry out research on infectious diseases in host countries from Middle East and Asia. As acknowledged by the US government, the DoD established and controls 336 biological labs across 30 countries around the world and 26 of them are located in Ukraine. According to the 2005 agreement between the DoD and the Ukrainian side, representatives of the DoD have access to all related activities at the research facilities in Ukraine. Information marked or designated by the DoD as sensitive should be withheld from public disclosure by Ukraine. With absolute control of the labs, the US government has used its overseas research facilities to its own favor and conducted the most dangerous biological experiments for years, putting all potential risks to the host countries. If the program is truly of scientific nature, why the world or at least the host countries fail to access the results of its over three-decade long research? The hasty and disorganized destruction of the pathogens stored in the biolabs in Ukraine once again raises questions about the real purpose of the program. Has the US ever considered experimenting with the viruses to create biological weapons in Ukraine? Many are still perplexed at the fact that the US has, for four decades, spared no efforts obstructing the establishment of a United Nations Biological Weapons Convention verification mechanism. Plus, of the 182 signatories to the convention, the US is the only country that pulled out of the negotiation process for such a mechanism since 2001. Research on biological safety and infectious diseases should be an inclusive and collaborative mechanism that benefits all countries around the world. The 336 biological labs under the US control are the real threat to the world. Its time for the US to open up the labs for international independent inspection before its dirty secrecy drags the world into a real biological warfare. The news that India may accept a Russian offer to buy crude oil and other commodities at discounted prices with payment via a rupee-rouble transaction has obviously irritated some US and European "experts" who condemned the move. The US government should sanction India, according to Fox Business Network anchor Trish Regan in a tweet on Tuesday, warning that US sanctions would devastate the Indian economy. On Wednesday, CNBC quoted White House press secretary Jen Psaki as warning India "think about where you want to stand when history books are written at this moment in time." The American elites are not yet used to the world turning against the US, but they will become more accustomed. It wants global support to sanction and suppress Russia, but each country has its own history and situation, as well as a different historical entanglement with the US and Russia. Regan tweeted: "You are with us or you are against us." These words were famously spoken by George W. Bush before the US launched its "war on terror" in 2001. Does Regan believe the US retains the kind of mobilization power it had 20 years ago? Since then, US influence to rally and mobilize other nations has greatly waned. Only its little brothers would still listen to its command. Americans like Regan probably forget that unlike Japan and Australia, which are formal treaty allies of the US, India is just a strategic partner with no treaty obligations or security commitments in ties with the US. This means that India has more capabilities to ignore the will of the US. At least when it comes to national sovereignty, India has more capabilities and will to determine its own national destiny than those pawns of the US. India has gone through a lot of frictions and distrust between itself and the US over the years. It was subjected to sanctions since its nuclear tests in 1998, leading India to be wary of the US. Despite being seemingly congenial, when it comes to critical issues, the US does not have much influence on India. India has advocated a balanced diplomatic strategy and followed a course of multi-alignment so that it can gain benefits from relations with all major powers. India's relationship with Russia is far better than its relationship with the US. India never wanted the US to take over Russia's place in its foreign policy. Russia is one of the largest providers of arms, including advanced weapons. This has strong security, political and diplomatic connotations. As oil prices soar and India faces economic pressure due to the COVID-19 epidemic, it should take advantage of the opportunity to obtain discounted resources. Under globalization, the US can make its sanctions lethal only by uniting all other countries - its unilateral sanctions are useless as India can find a plan B. It's not easy for the US to crush the world's sixth-largest economy in a country of 1.38 billion people. The US wants to divide the world into two camps again, but its allies are not in line with the US, not to mention other strategic partners like India, or even the majority of developing countries. Although more than 140 countries signed the UN resolution to condemn Russia, only dozens followed the US, imposing sanctions. In other words, they may say what the US wants to hear, but won't necessarily do what Washington prefers. The US imports approximately 96 percent of the country's potassium fertilizer from Russia, and relies on Russia and its allies Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for roughly half of the uranium powering its nuclear plants. Neither the potassium fertilizer nor the uranium is on the sanction list. In addition, its "ban" on Russia's crude oil and gas accounts for only 8 percent of its imports. Sanctions backfire in today's world. The more the US imposes sanctions on other countries, the more they will weaken the US itself. Even the US won't completely sanction Russia as it would be putting its own economy at risk. India and US allies in NATO will consider their own interests in terms of energy and economics. (Global Times) A warrant was issued Wednesday for a fence contractor facing 13 felony charges after taking more than $86,000 in area fencing contracts, but failing to do the work. Travis J. Kechely, 34, was scheduled to appear in Gage County District Court for a pretrial conference Wednesday morning, but failed to appear. District Court Judge Rick Schreiner issued a warrant for Kechelys arrest following the missed hearing, and set a new bond in the case at $50,000 with a 10% deposit. Kechely is charged with three counts of theft by deception valued at over $5,000, nine counts of theft by deception valued at $1,500-$5,000, two counts of theft by deception valued at $500-$1,500 and one count of issuing a bad check valued at $1,500-$5,000. All but two of the charges are felonies. According to court documents, police began investigating Kechely in December 2020 after they were informed of a fencing company, Patriot Fencing, was taking deposits of at least 50% for jobs and then never starting the projects. Police posted on social media asking anyone who had been a victim of fraud by the company to contact police. More than 16 alleged victims came forward. The majority were determined to have paid deposits in the spring and summer of 2020 for fencing projects that were never started. Arrest documents stated most cases followed a similar pattern, and noted that one person did receive a refund check for the project, however the check could not be cashed due to insufficient funds. Documents stated the total Kechely collected from the victims was $86,058. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As Montanas population grows, and with new residents building trophy homes in rural areas, septic service providers like Chad Frank are bumping into problems. All these (municipal) sewer plants are near maximum capacity, said Frank, of R.L. Frank Septic Service in Laurel. Consequently, his company is no longer allowed to unload the septage pumped from homes and businesses at sewer plants in small towns like Columbus, Roberts and Red Lodge, even though the surrounding lands are seeing continued growth. All these rural areas are blowing up, Frank said. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality defines septage as: the liquid and solid material removed from a septic tank, cesspool, portable toilet, or similar treatment works. Frank said a home system, depending on its size, may require 1,000 to 3,000 gallons to be pumped every year-and-a-half to two years. Land app One alternative to wastewater treatment facilities Frank and other haulers have found is land application of septage. In addition to providing some moisture, the septage is a source of nutrients for plant growth, substituting a farmers or ranchers need for fertilizer. Back East, Frank said farmers pay to have septage spread on farm fields. Here, he pays friends to allow him to spread septage on their property because its cheaper than the cost of taking it to wastewater treatment plants in Laurel and Billings. The DEQ is currently taking public comment on Franks application for a license to apply septage to 199 acres of the Richard Popp property about five miles west of Park City. It would be Franks fifth land application site for septage in Stillwater County. The agency is taking comment through April 9. Flush In 2020, just under 24 million gallons of septage was applied to land in Montana, according to the DEQ. Another 14.5 million gallons went to publicly owned wastewater treatment plants while minor amounts of dewatered pumpings are dumped in landfills, the agency said. Thats up from the 22 million gallons of septage the National Biosolids Data Project calculated Montanans applied to land in 2018. Back then, 64% of all septage was applied to land, with almost 12 million gallons hauled to the 50 wastewater treatment facilities in the state accepting additional waste. The Billings Wastewater Treatment Plant saw its intake of septage increase from more than 4 million gallons in 2019 to 4.7 million in 2021, according to Bruce Souder, Water Reclamation Facility manager. He added the facility prefers to take septage from inside Yellowstone County since its a city-owned facility. Meanwhile, Flathead County is considering building a new regional septage plant and biosolids facility because its treatment plant is at capacity and the valley is so developed that haulers are running out of places to apply septage on land. Pumpers are facing much more public opposition to the land application of septage, Mary Hendrickson, of the DEQ, told Onsite Installer magazine in a 2016 online article titled Land application misunderstood in Big Sky country. As developments emerge in rural locations, homeowners find the concept of land application distasteful and hazardous, Hendrickson told the magazine. Theres still lots of land around here, luckily, Frank said. But in 50 to 100 years, maybe not, he speculated. Growing Still relatively rural, Stillwater County saw its population grow by about 500 people in the past 10 years to 9,600 residents. For these residents, the county sanitarian counts about 2,000 septic systems that have either been installed or upgraded since the 1970s. Still being developed, just west of the Popp property, are two subdivisions with about 300 lots. How much septage has increased in Montana in the past decade or even five years is unknown, said Kevin Stone, of DEQ. According to the National Biosolids Data Project, more than 20% of Montanans (roughly 213,000 people) rely on septic systems for their wastewater disposal. Nationally, the figure is about 60 million, or about one in five households. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates more than 4 billion gallons of wastewater per day is dispersed below the grounds surface from septic systems. For comparison, thats more than 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Water is a precious resource, said Guy Alsentzer, executive director of the Upper Missouri River Waterkeepers conservation group. I would argue this is the exact wrong direction were going. Septic The issue of nutrients leaching from septic systems into the groundwater and nearby streams has been on the Upper Missouri Waterkeepers radar due to four years of algal blooms in the Gallatin River, downstream of the growing mountain community of Big Sky. Likewise, the Flathead Valley for years has detected septic leachate containing bacteria, phosphorous and other ingredients from improperly maintained systems leaking into Flathead and Whitefish lakes, the Missoulian reported. A 2015 U.S. Geological Survey study found pharmaceuticals, hormones and personal care products associated with everyday household activities are finding their way into groundwater through septic systems in New York and New England. Septic systems nationwide are receiving increased attention as environmental sources of chemical contamination, USGS scientist Patrick Phillips, lead author of the study, stated in a news release. Rising ground water levels along coastal regions is compounding the problem because septic systems need dry ground to properly function. Concerns arent isolated to ground and surface waters, landowners across Maine are struggling with past septage applications that were contaminated with cancer-causing forever chemicals. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection plans to test more than 700 sites where farmers used the septage, according to a Maine Public Radio story. It's like a nightmare you can't wake up from, the story quotes DEP Commissioner Melanie Loyzim telling lawmakers last month. People's homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. And the scale of the tragedy keeps growing with every sample that we take." New spread R.L. Frank Septic Service is looking for authorization to spread up to 500,000 gallons of waste each year on the Popp property, according to the DEQ draft environmental assessment. Frank said thats a maximum, with his trucks likely spreading only a quarter to one-half that amount annually. About 140 acres of the farm land would be used to grow corn, hay and beans. The rest would be dryland pasture. The property is adjacent to Interstate 90 and about a half mile from the Yellowstone River, which is on the other side of the highway. Land application by pumpers allows for safe disposal of septage without overloading Montanas wastewater treatment plants, DEQ writes in its draft EA. Land application also reduces Montana farmers reliance on chemical fertilizers to improve soil. When properly done, land application of septage has no adverse public health effects, DEQ added. Setbacks apply to where the septage can be applied, including 500 feet away from occupied buildings, 150 feet from any surface water or wetlands and 100 feet from public roads and drinking water sources. The application is not supposed to exceed 28,846 gallons per acre each year for the pasture grass, which is equal to 1.06 inches of liquid, the draft EA noted. For the corn, hay and bean fields the application can be 38,462 gallons per acre each year, which is equal to 1.42 inches of liquid. It is recommended the application be rotated to allow plants to maximize their use of the nitrogen in the septage. Despite the amount of waste, the DEQ concluded there would be no environmental impact. The agency and the Stillwater County sanitarian would conduct periodic inspections of the site to ensure compliance. In 2021, at two of the four other properties where R.L. Frank applies septage, 212,500 gallons were applied. Septage applied to the two other approved sites in the county were not reported, according to the DEQ, which is not unusual given that the septage is also a fertilizer and may be used or not depending on a landowners crop rotation, the DEQs Stone said. Water Concerns about the states population growth and rural development come as Montana and much of the West continues to suffer through an extended drought with little relief in sight for some areas. The Colorado River Basin has been especially hard hit, partly because demands on the waterway from cities and agriculture far exceed capacity. With the current megadrought in mind, people need to be more thoughtful about how they dispose of wastewater, said Alsentzer, of the Upper Missouri Waterkeepers. Who is taking a look at the cumulative impacts? he questioned. How many of these systems exist in a watershed? This is a question of how do we grow in Montana. In a state that values waterways, for recreation as well as agricultural, municipal and residential use, Montana should be taking a cautious approach, Alsentzer said. Derf Johnson, of the Montana Environmental Information Center agreed, saying his group shares concerns about land application of septage. He called the activity antiquated and the science in regards to its environmental and human health impacts "dubious." Johnson pointed to the DEQ's alteration of water quality standards from science-based numeric limits as an example of the state's lack of planning in the face of continued growth. "We're going to have to make some big decisions about whether we step up and make sure our water quality is protected, because the trajectory we're on is really frightening," he said. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 5 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. At the 2022 Jobs Jamboree in Billings on Wednesday, the consensus was the job market favors employees. The Montana Pavilion at MetraPark was packed with both employers and job seekers. Theres been a lot of activity, and energy seems high, especially compared to last year when we were here, said Holly Lake, district sales coordinator at Aflac Insurance. Theres been a lot more conversations and engaged types of conversations instead of just browsing. Aflac is seeking five salespeople and an administrator, she said, and people can work remotely if need be. Forterra, Inc., a company that constructs cement structures, is short about 12 employees. About 40 people currently work there. It's offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus, referral bonuses for current employees, attendance incentives, improved health insurance, and increased starting pay. Finding the right person has been pretty tough, said Chris Lingemann operations manager for the region. JD Boucher is an employment specialist for the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch in Billings. He spoke with employers at the event. Luckily, Ive seen all of these employers trying their best to be flexible and offer them incentives. Weve had a shortage of kids because so many kids have been able to get jobs recently, he said. The biggest struggle in finding jobs for kids is transportation and hours, Boucher said. Employers seeking younger workers would benefit from offering flexible hours and weekend hours, he said. He added that having a car is pretty crucial when it comes to holding a job in Billings. Rimrock Foundation, an addiction treatment center, is short-staffed in part because they are competing with local hospitals for nurses, said Alexis Goffena, a medical unit manager. The non-profit has re-evaluated its benefits package and pay, she said. Were not running at full capacity, but we are super fortunate to have the resources and the staff we do have, so we can help the clients that need to come to treatment, Goffena said. Nurses and certified nursing assistants are in high demand. Goffena finds they often need a break after COVID-19 burnout. People are just re-evaluating their lives and what they want to do for themselves, Goffena said. Business owner Amber Fowler attended with her two sons. Theyve worked with her to make and sell jewelry since they were about 10. Nearing 16-years-old and seeking formal employment, Ransom Fowler is looking for a job where he can be busy. He likes to get his work done quickly so he can help others. Its a great opportunity for parents to bring their kids out to see what jobs are in the community, said Amber, who owns Elichai Fine Jewlery. Its a soft start to kids building the idea of their future. The jewelry industry has felt disruptions from the pandemic as well as from the war in Ukraine. Russia has a huge influence in both the diamond and precious metals market, Fowler said. Overnight, one of our main metals, palladium, went from $2,200 to $3,000 overnight per ounce. For us, that has a huge impact. Fowler is grateful to build and sell locally because it helps offset some of the disruptions in the supply chain, she said. Dana Waldo, a school bus driver and recruiter with First Student Transportation, is seeking 12 drivers for the Billings area. Billings public schools have cut routes and merged routes, causing students to be late by 20 or 30 minutes a couple times a week on her route, she said. Others at the job fair appeared to search for new careers at their leisure because of the widespread shortages. Patrick Hare and Alexis Wolff, both 22, were just engaged and are looking to find better paying and more meaningful careers. I want to find something that Im more connected with and feel more passionate about, Wolff said. Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Another Billings resident is facing child sex abuse charges for allegedly trying to arrange to rape a child and possessing child sex abuse material. Jude Babs Longmire, 41, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Yellowstone County District Court to attempted sexual abuse of children and sexual abuse of children. Longmire is the most recent in a growing list of people charged with attempting to arrange for sex with children in Billings during the past six months. In February 2022, Longmire started speaking with someone via social media they thought to be a man advertising a child for sex in another county, prosecutors allege. During their conversation, Longmire tried to arrange a meeting with the 12-year-old for the purpose of sex, and sent a video showing a man raping a child, documents say. Longmire allegedly had more child sex abuse material, telling the person who posted the ad that it ranged from "really young to mid teens, boys and girls. A local FBI agent, with the assistance of the Billings Police Department, investigated this conversation and searched a home believed to be Longmires residence March 15 after receiving a warrant. They arrested Longmire at the home that same day. Investigators allegedly found multiple videos and images of child sex abuse material during a search of Longmires phone March 16. If convicted of attempted sexual abuse of children, Longmire could be sentenced up to 100 years in prison, not eligible for parole for 25 years and a fine of up to $10,000. A conviction for sexual abuse of children comes with similar consequences. In the alternative to the aforementioned felony, Yellowstone County prosecutors have also charged Longmire with another count of sexual abuse of children, alleging that Longmire knowingly possessed a video of the rape of a child. If convicted of the alternative charge, Longmire could be sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Since November 2021, at least eight others have appeared in Yellowstone County District Court on child sex abuse charges. Trials against those men are scheduled to begin in April. One of those men Danny Allen Haydal, 64, is facing 11 felonies after county prosecutors filed additional charges earlier this month alleging that Haydal possessed child sex abuse material. Charging documents did not specify whether a law enforcement officer was posing as the man who Longmire allegedly engaged with online. Longmire is currently in custody at Yellowstone County Detention Center pending future court hearings. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 7 Angry 69 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wherever the Irish have gone they have left their mark. For hundreds of years, fleeing from troubles in their own country, they have carried their general enthusiasm for living to every part of the globe. In America, with the possible exception of Massachusetts, they have had more influence upon Montana than any other state. Outside the capitol building in Helena, there is a statue of a man born in County Waterford, Thomas Francis Meagher. He was at one time acting governor of Montana. Outside the School of mines in Butte there is a statue of another Irishman, Marcus Daly from County Cavan. An Irishman, Thomas Ashley, named the state and a son of an Irishman, A.B. Gutherie, coined Big Sky. Montana has seldom been without Irish representation in the National Congress, while the list of State legislators, county attorneys, and school superintendents reads like the Irish telephone book. Schools built by priests, trained in seminary in County Tipperary, are strewn all over. Irishmen, Nicholas M. McDonnell and John Hackett Kent built both the cathedrals in Helena and in Great Falls. The State Capitol might never have been erected without the work of Irishman Michael Kennedy or without the money supplied by Irishman Thomas Cruise. Three Irishmen initiated the War of the Copper Kings which looms large in Montana history. Three of our counties have been named after Irishmen, Meagher, Toole, and Fergus. At least four of Montana Governors have been full-blooded Irishmen. In 1805 when the area was first mapped by the Lewis and Clark, there was among them an Irishman who would be drawn back time and time again. His name was Thomas Fitzpatrick. He joined several other expeditions and guided the first two emigrant trains that set out from the West coast by the Oregon Trail. It was he who conducted Father DeSmet on his missionary journey into the remote country of the Flatheads. Father DeSmet was not Irish, but several Irish missionaries arrived in the middle of the nineteenth century, and one Jesuit who came in 1840s, claimed that he discovered among the Flatheads, a chief who had been born in Ireland and wanted his numerous children baptized. A wealthy Irishman from County Sligo, Sir George Gore, financed an expedition out of his own funds in 1854. He set out from Saint Louis in July of that year taking with him 40 men, 120 horses, 12 yoke of cattle, 14 dogs, 6 wagons and 12 carts and having no other purpose in mind than pure pleasure and curiosity. Sir George and his group crossed all through what is now Wyoming and Montana. They took three years to make the trip and lost only one man in all that time although they often traveled through unfriendly territory. Gold was first discovered in Montana in 1852 and many prospectors, whose appetites had been whetted in the gold fields of California, began to dribble in. They traveled on the Mullen road, which stretched from Walla Walla, Washington to Fort Benton and was named for the Irish man who constructed it. The first wheeled-vehicle to enter the state was brought in by an Irishman, Thomas McClean. In 1852, the exodus from Ireland to the United States reached its peak as a result of the terrible potato famine, which caused the death of one third of the population of Ireland. By 1860 the Irish constituted 40% of the total inhabitants of the U. S. Many were poor laborers willing to work for a pittance. In the Eastern part of the country they created problems by their sheer number and lack of skill. Gradually, the Irish began to work there way westwards, first with the building of the Eerie Canal, then the building of the railway. When gold was discovered in Montana, the Irish turned up to investigate. Montana, at the beginning of the 1860s, was far from civilized. Those arriving to seek their fortunes in the gold mines of Virginia City or Bannock found themselves in a very unnerving situation. They had outrun the law. Montana was not yet a territory and there were no courts in which differences could be settled. Henry Plummer, sheriff of Bannock, had the face of an angel but the heart of a devil. With his gang of desperados, Henry kept the place in an uproar of chaos until rounded up by the Vigilantes and summarily hanged in the winter of 1863-64. Heading the Vigilantes was Irishman, James Williams, whose words erroneously appear under the statue of Wilbur Fisk Sanders in the capitol at Helena: Men do your duty. When Montana became a territory in 1864, Sydney Edgerton was appointed Governor. He remained in Montana only a few months, however, and then returned to the East. The job of acting governor fell into the hands of Thomas Francis Meagher from Ireland. Meagher had had a colorful career. A member of the Young Ireland, he had been condemned to death in Ireland at the age of twenty- five for his part in the uprising of 1845. This was the year when famine ravaged his country, thousands were dying of starvation and England was exporting food from Ireland to fill its coffers. The sentence had been commuted to life imprisonment and exile from his native land to Tasmania. He escaped from Tasmania and made his way to America. During the Civil War he formed and led the Irish Brigade, and they fought bravely if not successfully at Fredicksburg and Bull Run. President Lincoln knew of his talents and greatly admired him. President Johnson had appointed him Secretary to the Territory of Montana, and this is how he happened to be in Montana when Edgerton left. Meagher had hopes of establishing another Ireland in the territory. He wrote a series of articles about his journey to Montana for Harpers magazine under the pseudonym of OKeefe. Thus to an Irish man goes the honor of being the first to write about the beauty and grandeur of the state. Meagher might have achieved much had he actually been Governor and had any real power. He was a man of ability, intelligence and charm. But the title of acting Governor crippled his style. The actions of the Legislature he convened were declared null and void. When he asked for help from Washington to subdue the Indians, he was refused. Both Civil War southern sympathizers and Republicans expected him to side with them in their quarrels with each other. In his attempts to placate both sides he only succeeded in making enemies all around. Then, on the night of July 1, 1867, he disappeared. He was last seen falling off a boat on the Missouri river. His body was never recovered. It is now believed that the Vigilantes under the leadership of Wilbur Fisk Sanders had ordered his demise. Trappings of civilization gradually began to appear in the new territory. When courts were set up, the first civil suit to be tried involved an Irishman, Cornelius O Keefe and an Indian called Tin Cup Joe. The latter had apparently let his horse run free in OKeefes oats. When the animal was chased away, it fell in a hole and died before it could be rescued. In court, O Keefe acted as his own counsel, and when the judge asked for his credentials, the flamboyant Irishman rolled up his sleeves and let the judge have his credentials between the eyes! He was fined $40 but the fine was never collected. In the late 1860s more Irish began to appear on the scene. Some of them were the residues of the Irish Brigade left over from the Civil War. Peter Mahan made a quick fortune in Virginia City; Dennis OLeary located the rich buffalo Placer; Michael Hickey and his brother Edward found the Anaconda mine which was to lay the foundations for Marcus Dalys millions. Marcus Daly had fled the famine in Ireland to be greeted in New York with signs No Irish need apply. In a city, which claimed to call to its bosom the poor, the tired, the huddled masses yearning to breath free Daly was appalled, and vowed that one day he would change all this. After a stint in the mine of California and Nevada he made his way to Montana. When fortune had filled his coffers, Daly guaranteed jobs in his mines to anyone who was even vaguely Irish. He recruited workers from his native land and sent boats over to bring them to America. This is what accounts for the large number of Irish in Butte. Polks directory for the 1889 lists 354 names beginning with Mc, 155 Sullivans, and 162 families whose names started with O. It was Daly who started the city of Anaconda. Apparently he saw a cow lying in the pasture and decreed that the main street should run in the direction in which the cow was lying. This doubtless was a left over from his childhood. Children in schools in Ireland are still taught that Irish roads were determined by the way the cows came home! Where the old cow led, we all follow. Daly became fabulously rich. He bought up newspapers, banks, hotels, and racetracks and built a beautiful estate in the Bitterroot valley. Then another Irishman, William Andrew Clark sought to rival him. William Andrew Clarks origins were as humble as were Dalys. He was born of Irish parents in Pennsylvania. As a young man, he availed himself of all the educational opportunities that he could and became a teacher. His ambitions however went far beyond teaching. He moved to Butte, got experience working in the mines there, and then went into the banking business. Some time later he went to New York to attend the Columbia School of Mines, then returned to Butte and bought up several small claims. Eventually he became rich. At the time of his death he was grossing 1seventeen million dollars a day from his vast holdings. One could live fairly comfortably on that! And he did. Clark and Daly were at first close friends and their relationship was further cemented when Clarks brother married the sister of Dalys wife. Then Clark began to display political ambitions and this is where the two parted company. Daly was also interested in politics but felt at a great educational disadvantage. When Clark ran for the United States Senate, Daly publicly supported him but privately directed his friends to vote for the opponent. Clark was a man of means and ambition and would brook no opposition. He determined he would be a Senator with or without Dalys help. By bribing the legislators he was elected to the position. (At the time, their respective state legislators chose U.S. Senators.) The U.S. Senate refused to seat Clark because of the bribery scheme. Thus to an Irishman goes the glory of being the first Senator to be refused his seat in the U.S. Senate! (In responding to criticism of his bribery of the Montana legislature, Clark is reported to have said, "I never bought a man who wasn't for sale.") Clark blamed Daly for stunting of his ambition, and it did not take long before he had the opportunity to get his own back. Daly, when he built the city of Anaconda, had fully intended that it should be the state capitol. He had already built the Montana Hotel to accommodate the legislators and had spared no expense in its construction. The bar room floor displayed a mosaic of his horse Tammany, done for him by Tiffanys of New York. Clark determined that the capital should be at Helena. Battle lines were drawn up. The War of the Copper Kings was on. (It would draw into it a third man, Heinze, whose mother was Irish!). Clark had his way and Helena became the State Capitol on November 8, 1894. He later again campaigned for the Senate and was successful. He served a single term from 1901 until 1907. The Irish continued to drift into Montana. The railway arrived in Butte in 1881, and many who had come decided to remain. That part of Butte, which was known as Town Gulch was changed to Dublin Gulch. Irishman John McGuire livened things up in Butte by introducing live theater. The first performance was titled American Flowers and Shamrock Leaves. The first Governor of the State of Montana was Irishman, Joseph K. Toole. Governor Toole served twice in that office, from 1889 to 1893 and again from 1900 to 1908. It was during his term that the corner stone of the capitol was laid and E.B. Kennedy headed the commission to build it. Thomas Cruise came to the rescue when money ran short. He was another famine emigrant. He discovered the fabulous Drumlomand mine in 1876 which he called after his parish in Ireland. Thomas Cruise made millions and was very generous. He not only provided money for building the state capitol, but also supplied the funds for the building of the Cathedral in Helena. This was one of the first projects of Irishman Bishop John Carroll when he arrived in Helena in 1904. It is patterned after the cathedral in Cologne, Germany. It is hardly surprising that the influence of the Irish in the Catholic Church should have been great. Some 90% of those who have served in both dioceses of the state have either been directly from Ireland or of Irish decent. They have built schools and colleges. Irishmen, Bishop Carroll and Father Rooney developed both Carroll College and the College of Great Falls. On the political scene it is almost impossible to estimate the Irish influence. Except for a brief periods from 1911 to 1913, Montana has had an Irish Senator in Washington; McClean was territorial delegate, followed by Cavanaugh, Claggett, McGinnis, Toole, Powers, Carter, Clark, Walsh, James Murray, Mansfield, Melcher, Burns, Tester. In the U.S House of Representatives were James and Jerry O Connoll, Joseph Monaghan and William McCormick. Irish Governors were Meagher, Ashley, Crosby, Toole, Cooney, Judge and Schweitzer. Irishmen have served in all capacities in the State and local government. There have been Burkes, Kennedys, McCarthys, Murrays, O Briens, O Learys, Sullivans, Fitzptricks, McNamers, color the political picture wherever you go in the state. Of course the Irish have been occupied with business as well. When the city of Anaconda was founded, M.J. Fitzgerald was the first businessman on the scene. D.J. Hennessy of Butte opened his first store in 1898. It had been built at a cost of $600,000. Huge beveled windows from France framed in copper, displayed the merchandise. Hennessy proported to sell everything new in silks and velvets, imported trimmings and hand made lace, which will readily transform an ordinary dress into the richest gown a reigning society bell can desire. Kennedys furniture store opened in Butte in 1898 carrying a large assortment of luxury goods. The Beer Brewing Company in Butte was taken over by Irishman, Collins. On the death of Marcus Daly the Anaconda Company took, as its new President, one of Dalys compatriots, William Scallon. Cornelius Kelly who guided the company through many stormy years in turn followed him. It was Michael Fox from Kildare who organized the first trade and labor council in the state; a man called Murphy started and was first President of the Helena National Bank. Dr. Thomas Murray founded the first hospital in the state (later he became the Vice President of the American Medical Association). Dr. John Boyle from County Antrim distinguished himself in the field of medicine as did and Dr. John Donovan for his work on injuries to the eye through blasting in the mines. The town of Ennis is named for a merchant from County Down. Tom Driscoll from Cork came to Butte in 1886 and became a power in the Butte Miners Union, which at that time was the largest labor local in the world. Later he became sheriff of Butte. The Irishman who bore its name started the Cooney Brokerage Firm of Butte. In Billings, Paul McCormick started the McCormick of Montana Seed House, which enjoyed national reputation. The first saw Thomas O Connor ran mill in the state. J.E. McClug was one of the early day merchants in Virginia City. Patrick Largey, one of eleven children of Irish emigrant parents, founded the State Savings Bank in Butte, and there sadly another Irishman, O Reilly, murdered him in January of 1898. John D. Ryan became President of the Amalgamated Copper Company. Thomas O Rourke started the first shoe store in the state. John O Meara was one of the first Presidents of the Olympia Brewing Company. William Kennedy was the first business manager of the Anaconda Standard and it was this same man, who, which serving in the Legislature in 1887 led and won the fight for secret balloting, thus making Montana voters the first in the nation to exercise this right. Kennedy was editor of The Missoulian for many years, and later started a newspaper of his own called The Boulder Age. Irishman John Blake edited the first newspaper in the state. It was The Virginia Post. Irishman Jeremiah Collins ran The Great Falls Tribune and The Fort Benton River Press. Dan Whetstone, whose mother was Bridget O Shea from County Kerry, came to Cut Bank in 1906 to start The Pioneer Press. The Butte Miner, the The Anaconda Standard and the Butte Evening News were all products of the War of the Copper Kings. The early Montana Bar Association boasted many Irish among its members. The first Chief Justice was Irish, Justice Henry Blake. Everywhere one turns in those early days, one finds the Irish. They were in business, in the professions, in education, in the church. They were in the writing of the news and the making of it. Attempts were made to preserve their ethnic identity. Several clubs were formed. In 1879 Jeremiah D. Murphy, Daniel Dwyer and Patrick John Sullivan formed The Ancient Order of the Hibernians in Butte. For parades, they had the Meagher Guards, the Emmet Guards and the Parnell rifles (all called after Irish heroes). For those with an intellectual bent, Butte boasted The Sarsfield Literary Society and The Robert Emmett Literary Society. Later, after the 1916 Irish uprising, there was the Pierce-Connelly Society. The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick was organized in 1906 and is the only Irish society still in existence in the state today. As conditions improved for them in the East, the Irish no longer came in large numbers to Montana. Inevitably those who were already in Montana began to intermarry with the Cornish, English, Serbs, Italian and others. The pure Irish began to fade out and old customs began to die. Today, few people think of Montana as a second Ireland. But it was truly the Irish who had built it. Yet every year, as March appears on the calendar, and the green begins to appear on front lawns and in shop windows, chauvinism comes to the fore. By the arrival of Saint Patricks Day, most will admit to having at least a few drops of Irish blood in their veins. For the charm, the wit and the bounding good nature of the Irish are qualities which few deny possessing. Dr. Elizabeth McNamer is a professor at Rocky Mountain College in Billings. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The wind was blowing fiercely on a recent drive to the Paradise Valley, which is no surprise considering Livingston is known as one of the windier places in the state. Semi-tractor trailers blown over on Interstate 90 is a common occurrence. Luckily, we escaped the gale force winds after arriving at our destination up Mill Creek. Located about 27 miles southeast of Livingston, the large drainage is a favorite play area for locals and visitors. The road is plowed in the winter to a parking area just past the Mill Creek Guard Station, a popular Forest Service rental cabin. From the parking area, its a well-beaten path down the Mill Creek Road which features a gentle incline for beginning skiers, snowshoers or snowmobilers. For those seeking more cardio and some downhill gliding on the return trip, cross Mill Creek to the south and take the Wicked Creek Road uphill on its windy path. Or continue up the road about 2.5 miles to the Wallace Creek Trailhead that climbs to Passage Falls. From the trailhead its another 2.5 miles to the falls, so roughly a 10-mile roundtrip. Skinny skis can be trickier on this route in the winter. The area features almost 12 miles of marked and groomed trails for snowmobilers, thanks to a partnership between Park County, the Big Sky Snowriders and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The Snowbank parking area includes a picnic area, outhouse and fire pit. If the snow holds into spring, this would be a great spot to warm up around a campfire after a trek uphill. Most roads in the Gallatin open in mid-May for vehicle travel, depending on road conditions. This area burned in the 2007 Wicked Creek fire, caused by a lightning strike. The fire spread across more than 26,000 acres. Consequently, theres still standing dead trees among the new growth as the forest regenerates. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Vietnam always protects and promotes fundamental rights of citizens: spokesperson Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang on March 17 affirmed Vietnams consistent policy of protecting and promoting fundamental rights of citizens, including rights of women. Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang (Photo: VNA) Hang made the affirmation when asked to comment on the US Department of States naming Pham Thi Doan Trang as a recipient of the 2022 International Women of Courage Award, at the ministrys regular press conference held virtually. She stressed that Vietnams efforts and achievements in ensuring and promoting human rights have been acknowledged and commended by the international community. "Vietnam holds that the US Department of States presentation of the award to Pham Thi Doan Trang, a person who has violated Vietnamese law and has been brought to trial and is serving her prison sentence, is a subjective act that is neither appropriate for nor conducive to the development of the Vietnam-US relations," the spokesperson said. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad ADY Express LLC, a structural subdivision of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, increases the volume of cargo traffic along the East-West transport corridor. In this regard, the company is planning to transport fuel oil from Kazakhstan to the Georgian port of Batumi in March 2022. The fuel oil will be loaded into tank cars at the Tekesu station in Kazakhstan and then delivered to the port of Alat, from where it will be transported by rail to the port of Batumi. In addition, part of the cargo will be transported along the route Kazakhstan-Russia-Azerbaijan-Georgia. Moreover, ADY Express has already started transporting fuel from Kazakhstan to the west. It is noted that the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries affected the transport and logistics system too, and cargo owners have already changed the direction of cargo flows. "This is primarily due to closed borders of Russia with Europe and the restriction of seaports. The East-West transport corridor passing through the territory of Azerbaijan is chosen as one of the alternative routes. Cargo owners in Kazakhstan have already started using the corridor for transportation to the West," the company noted. East-West or Trans Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM) is intended for the growth of freight traffic from China to Turkey, as well as to the EU countries and vice versa. The management and development of the transport corridor are carried out by a consortium created by the participating countries. Consortium members are: in China Chinese Railways, in Kazakhstan KTZ Express. In the Caspian Sea Caspian Shipping Company, in Azerbaijan ADY Express, in Georgia Trans Caucasus Terminals. Cargo is transported to Europe in two directions along this corridor. One of them is via the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi, the other is through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. President Joe Biden on Thursday appointed a Bismarck-area state lawmaker to a top U.S. Department of Agriculture role in North Dakota. Sen. Erin Oban, D-Bismarck, will begin March 28 as state director for USDA Rural Development. She told the Tribune she has accepted the appointment and will resign her Senate seat effective March 27. The Ray native also will be resigning her position as director of community engagement for the Central Regional Education Association. She will stay in Bismarck. Oban said her primary duties "will be to support the programs, the staff and the outreach to our rural and tribal communities, to expand economic opportunities and improve the quality of life through the programs of USDA Rural Development." Rural Development supports economic development and strives to improve the quality of life in rural areas, offering programs, loans, grants and technical assistance for rural residents, communities and organizations. Oban was first elected to the District 35 Senate seat in 2014. She is Bismarck's only Democrat in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Last November she announced she wouldn't seek reelection, citing the divisive nature of politics. Oban said she did not know about the job opportunity before her announcement, saying she was first invited to interview in December. "I am tremendously fortunate to have an opportunity to continue public service in a different way, to connect people with programs and problems with solutions, which is what I enjoyed the most about being a legislator, and to work with a great staff of an important agency to a state like North Dakota," she said. The District 35 Democratic-NPL Party will appoint a senator to fill Oban's seat until Nov. 30, when her term ends. The party last month endorsed Tracy Potter for the seat, which he held from 2006-10 and is seeking again in this year's election. Oban said she didn't know whether her Senate resignation is legally required for her new role, but "of course there are very clear limitations on the kinds of activities of a federal employee, but it is obviously a very full-time job, and I don't want to shortchange anybody in the process." U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., who served with Oban in the state Senate, congratulated her in a statement, saying "She is smart, thoughtful, and will work hard every day for the people of North Dakota." Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 6 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Its hard to believe that the first spring light goose conservation order in North Dakota arrived more than 20 some years ago when I was working as a game warden. Time flies. The purpose then -- and remains today -- was to reduce light goose (snow goose) populations during spring as the birds migrate north to their nesting grounds. While the opening of the first season was unique, I don't remember much about it. From a game warden's perspective, that's usually a good sign. Often, the most memorable events involve violations or complaints. I do remember seeing massive waves of geese in eastern North Dakota, where the birds were trying to consume enough food during their long migration to prepare for spring nesting. North Dakotas spring light goose conservation order opened Saturday, Feb. 19, and continues through Sunday, May 15. Residents must have a valid current season 2021-22 (valid through March 31) or 2022-23 (required April 1) combination license; or a small game, and general game and habitat license. Resident youth under age 16 need only the general game and habitat license. Nonresidents need a 2022 spring light goose conservation order license. The cost is $50; the license is valid statewide. Nonresidents who hunt in the spring remain eligible to buy a fall season license. The spring license does not count against the 14-day fall waterfowl hunting season regulation. In addition, nonresident hunters younger than 16 can purchase a license at the resident fee if their state has youth reciprocity licensing with North Dakota. A federal duck stamp is not required for either residents or nonresidents. Resident and nonresident licenses are available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Hunters must register annually with the Harvest Information Program before hunting in each state. The HIP number can be obtained online. The HIP number obtained for North Dakotas spring conservation order is also valid for North Dakotas fall hunting season. The spring conservation order is open only to light geese -- snows, blues and Rosss geese. Species identification is important because white-fronted and Canada geese travel with light geese. The conservation order is closed to whitefronts, Canada geese, swans and all other migratory birds. To maintain good landowner relations, hunters should seek permission before hunting on private land or attempting any off-road travel during the spring season. Sprouted winter wheat is considered an unharvested crop. Therefore, hunting or off-road travel in winter wheat is not legal without landowner permission. For more information on regulations, refer to the 2022 Spring Light Goose Hunting Regulations and the North Dakota 2021-22 Hunting and Trapping Guide. Doug Leier is a biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 President Donald Trump met today with Vladimir Putin for a summit in Helsinki, Finland. Here are five facts you should know about the powerful and controversial Russian president. 1. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born in Cold War era Russia in 1952. His mother worked in a factory during World War II, and his father was drafted into the army, where he served on a submarine fleet. During his younger years, Putin was an atheist. He says he turned to the church after two major accidents in the 1990shis wifes car accident and a house fire. He now considers himself to be a devout member of the Russian Orthodox Church. 2. In 1970, Putin became a student at Leningrad State Universitys law department, where he wrote a thesis on The Most Favored Nation Trading Principle in International Law. It was during his time in college that he became a member of the Communist Party. (In 2016, he said he still likes the ideas of theoretical communism very much and still has his Communist Party membership card at his home.) When he was there as a student, Leningrad State Universitys law department was a training ground for the KGB (Committee for State Security). Putin has said that the KGB targeted him for recruitment even before he graduated in 1975. You know, I even wanted it, he said of joining the KGB. I was driven by high motives. I thought I would be able to use my skills to the best for society. 3. Putin served 15 years as a foreign intelligence officer for the KGB, including six years in Dresden, East Germany. While in Germany, his roles likely included recruiting members for the East German Communist Party and the secret police (Stasi), stealing technological secrets, and compromising visiting Westerners. In 1990, he retired from active KGB service with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After his retirementand the collapse of the Soviet UnionPutin returned to his former university and served for 18 months as the assistant to the rector. He later admitted that he was a KGB officer under the roof, as we say, whose roles were to recruit and spy on students. While at the school, he reconnected with his former law professors, Anatoly Sobchak, a leader in the first wave of democratic reformers in the Gorbachev years who was elected chairman of the Soviet-era Leningrad council. Putin served as Sobchaks aide and later became the first deputy mayor of St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad). In 1996, Putin moved to Moscow and served on the presidential staff as deputy to the Kremlins chief administrator. Two years later Russian President Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin to be the director of the Federal Security Service, the domestic successor to the KGB, and later as head of the Kremlin Security Council. Putin somehow managed, while working important roles at the Kremlin, to write a 218-page dissertation and earn a prestigious Candidate of Science degreethe equivalent of a Ph.D.from the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg. 4. Although Putin only earns a salary equivalent to $137,000 a year, because of corruption and cronyism hes believed to secretly be one of the wealthiest men in the world. Putin is reported to have used his political influence to acquire stakes in several Russian and Ukrainian corporations (especially oil and gas companies) that would make him worth between $30 and $70 billion (in comparison, Amazon.com founder Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is worth $74 billion). According to a former Russian deputy prime minister, Putin owns 20 palaces (including one valued at $1 billion), four yachts, 58 aircraft, and a collection of watches worth half a million dollars. Most of his assets are hidden through shell companies and other tactics used to shield his net worth from public scrutiny. 5. Putins style and agenda have given rise to the term Putinism. As M. Steven Fish explains, Putinism is a form of autocracy that is conservative, populist, and personalistic. Fish says its conservative not only in its promotion, at home and abroad, of a traditionalist social agenda, but also because it prioritizes the maintenance of the status quo while evincing hostility toward potential sources of instability. Fish adds that Putinisms populism overlaps with its conservatism in the form of crowd-pleasing efforts to resist what Russian leaders cast as the advance of decadent liberalism on such issues as gay rights and womens equality. Finally, as a personalist autocracy, Putinism rests on an unrestricted one-man rule and the hollowing out of parties, institutions, and even individuals other than the president as independent political actors. On foreign policy matters, Putin espouses a nationalist agenda that seeks to re-establish Russia as a great world power and to offset Americas global leadership position. Under Putins watch, Russia has moved to expand its geopolitical influence by going to war with Georgia (2008), seizing Crimea (2014), intervening in eastern Ukraine (2014), and deploying military forces in the Syrian civil war (2015). Putin has also strengthened ties with China, India, the Arab world, and Iran in an attempt to reduce American and Western influence in Asia. We may live in benighted times, but consider the world of just over a hundred years ago. Recurrent cultural or political shock, and often premature or violent death, was quite familiar to the generation emerging in the early years of the 20th century. It sometimes seems almost surprising that anyone got out of the so-called Golden Age in one piece. In the space of less than a decade, the world staggered from the Russo-Japanese War to the bloody and sustained upheaval in Morocco, from revolts in Bosnia, and both internal and external revolution in Mexico, to a wholesale crisis in the Balkans, and then the unprecedented trauma of the First World War and the global flu pandemic that followed. And those were just the set-piece conflicts. The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 was only one, if the most vividly reported, of the individual human tragedies of the era. There was also the continuing bloodletting of the American Red Scare, with its sundry bombings, assassination attempts, and mass roundups owing to the Palmer raids, and the seeds of racial and sexual ferment whose fruit we reap today. Certain artistic works, too, quickened the pulses of the average ticket-buying customer both at home and abroad. Perhaps the most notorious of these came in May 1913 with the Paris debut of Stravinskys ballet Le Sacre du printemps. The composer himself later attributed the riot that ensued to the works disturbing prelude played on a bassoon at the very top of its register. Those six reedily evocative notes, rising up like the waking cry of a forest animal, were revolution superbly controlled. In the resulting frenzy, there were reports of actual fistfights both among the audience and between the audience and the police, and one well-dressed patron is said to have climbed a safety rope and thence swung, ape-like, from the rigging. The accounts are as various and confused as the scenes they claim to describe, and the only certainty is that following the premiere Stravinsky took to bed in a rest home for six weeks, and that on his reappearance he found himself to be the most notorious young composer in the world. Or a few years later there was the uproar on the streets of Paris that greeted the exhibition of nudes by the painter Amedeo Modigliani, a cornucopia of rounded female bodies presented against dark backgrounds, with little darting smudges of pink and orange, arrestingly attached to heads that seemed to have been modelled on the elongated shapes of primitive African masks. The show was closed by police on its opening day on the grounds of indecency, amid churning protests and counterprotests on the street, and resumed only after the gallerys owners had removed several of the paintings on display in the front window. One of the offending works, with the self-explanatory title Nu Couche, was thrown into the basement as a result and emerged to be sold at auction for $170 million some 98 years later. For sheer drama, however, none of these presentations could hold a candle to the events surrounding the premiere of John Millington Synges play The Playboy of the Western World at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on January 26, 1907. Admittedly the work itself invited a certain degree of polarization among its first-night audience. Distilled to its essence, Synge gives us a tale in which the village loon splits his fathers head open with a shovel, runs away, shouts out to people hes killed his da, and is acclaimed as a hero by excitable women and drunken men. Not exactly the stuff of the slyly subversive fables of OCasey, nor of Shaws moralistic souffles, nor for that matter of Yeatss elegant retellings of native folklore that might all be said to represent the so-called Irish Literary Revival of the early part of the 20th century. Rage in the hall soon turned to riot when Synges protagonist voiced his love for a young woman with what might seem to us an almost ludicrously decorous allusion to ladies underclothes: Its Pegeen Im seeking only and whatd I care if you brought me a drift of chosen females, standing in their shifts? Synge wrote. It was left to the dramatist Isabella Augusta to telegraph her friend Yeats with a review of the occasion. Play generally a success, she observed, before adding almost as an afterthought: Audience broke up in disorder at the word shift. Rest of the performance continued as a dumbshow. Of course there was more to the audience reaction to Synges allegory than mere squeamishness at the taboo reference to womens unmentionables. Some critics thought it bordering on sacrilegious to stage a play at Irelands national theater written in English, the language of the colonial oppressor. Others seem to have been troubled by the authors less-than-uplifting depiction of the human spirit as a whole. The correspondent of the Irish Times perhaps spoke for many when he wrote: It is as if a mirror were held up to our faces and we found ourselves hideous. We fear to face the thing. We scream. Delusions of Tragic Grandeur It seems only a logical, chronological progression to link Synge with the man who was in many ways his artistic successor, the Irish American playwright Eugene ONeill (18881953). ONeills works, prominent among them Strange Interlude (1928), 1946s The Iceman Cometh, and the posthumously staged A Long Days Journey into Night and A Touch of the Poet, deal for the most part in themes of drunkenness, prostitution, revenge, repressed desire, and tortured family relationships. Taken as a whole, these arent plays destined to leave the average audience member walking home whistling the chorus of What a Wonderful World. Addiction is everywhere in ONeills work, frequently accompanied by its real-life companions of deceit and betrayal. Perhaps it could hardly have been otherwise for a man whose mother was a junkie, whose father died painfully of cancer, and whose elder brother drank himself to death at the age of 45, another brother having died as an infant from measles. Life to ONeill was a Sisyphean endeavor in which we constantly struggle to come to terms with the ineluctable fact of human suffering. A young artist exposed to the spectacle of pain-racked loved ones and human degradation doesnt have the same instincts as one weaned on the products of Walt Disney. As ONeill once put it, his plays aimed to convey the quality of understanding that is born only in pain and rises to perception to reach the truths of human passion. For life to be felt as noble, it must be seen as tragic. The observable throughline to these various works is surely that of deception. These are plays in which the balance of power is constantly shifting as the lies and postures the characters adopt to make life tolerable for themselves are one by one exposed. Experiencing them can be like sitting on the shoulder of an acutely intelligent, world-weary traveler as he guides us through one fractured domestic landscape after another. ONeill had not only his own family members collectively tragic flaws and mutual illusions to feed his drama but a fair number of his own as well. It has to be said that he consistently demonstrated self-destructive skills of a high order. ONeill would struggle with depression and illness throughout his adolescence and adult life, suffused as they were by alcohol, narcotics, and prostitutes. When he won the Nobel Prize in 1936, it had to be brought to him in his hospital bed. Both of ONeills sons would commit suicide; his daughter Oona, disowned by her father when as a teenager she married the serial monogamist Charlie Chaplin, succumbed to alcoholism later in life and died at the age of 66. Of course, we, the audience, are also among the deceived by the likes of Synge and ONeill. Like almost anything of any value in the arts, their best plays, full of warning, and irrepressibly somber, operate on both the superficial and symbolic levels. You can enjoyably read The Playboy as a searing indictment of Edwardian morals or as a kind of floorplan for the casts successive comic turns. The characters in Strange Interlude or The Iceman Cometh, or for that matter Long Days Journey or Mourning Becomes Electra, can be seen as cynical, dissipated individuals estranged from polite society and trapped in abusive love-hate relationships with their own family. Or theres the nigh-occult dimension to them, in their authors lyrical preoccupation with myths, ghosts and folklore, surely among the sustaining ingredients of a peculiarly Irish sense of drama. A communal shudder, midway between joy and foreboding, almost palpably spreads through the audience when the curtain rises at the start of a Playboy or Deirdre of the Sorrows, or an Iceman or A Touch of the Poet. On some fundamental level, we need to be deceived. Most of our relationships with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, and perhaps above all with family members, require some degree or another of mutual blindness to what were all thinking and feeling. Conveying this essential truth of the human condition in hard, unflinching prose is at the heart of ONeills work, which also contains the pathos of the disillusioned idealist. Im going on the theory that the United States, instead of being the most successful country in the world, is the greatest failure, he remarked in a 1946 interview considered scandalous at the time but strangely prescient now. It was given everything, more than any other country. Through moving as rapidly as it has, it hasnt acquired any real roots. Its main idea is that everlasting game of trying to possess your soul by the possession of something outside of it, thereby losing your own soul and the thing outside of it, too. These lines, or some suitably abridged version, should surely be etched in stone in every public square in the United States today. He Who Must Be Named Its of course impossible to leave any discussion of the Irish literature of the first half of the 20th century without mentioning James Joyce, who looms over the whole genre like a male version of the Statue of Liberty. This happens to be the centenary year of the first appearance of Ulysses in book form. Whatever one makes of the nearly 300,000-word, joyously deranged text that broadly shadows the episodes in Homers Odyssey, its surely a tribute to the enduring appeal of Joyces absurdist soap opera that each June 16, the date of the books action, if it can fairly be called that, tens of thousands of people around the world dress up as their favorite Ulysses figures and attempt to speak in their voices and re-create their movements around Dublin or whatever location they happen to find themselves in. There may be no other fictional characters in Western literature, not excluding those of P.G. Wodehouse, who continue to excite such fanatical and, at times, slightly dotty devotion. I leave it to others to debate whether Ulysses can best be read as a religious tract or as a perhaps more practical guide to matters such as how to tell a joke to best effect, how to be frank about death, how to walk and think at the same time, or how to purge love of possessiveness, but I can offer the tentative conclusion that much of the books enduring appeal a century after its original publication lies in the fact that it presents us with a fantasy universe that may well be a more attractive one to inhabit than our own. And that, finally, is what lies at the heart of our continuing affection for Synge, ONeill, and some of the others noted above. Their imaginative worlds, at once whimsical and at times hallucinatory, but also plausible and fully recognizable, can never stale. Each of these authors has created a self-contained reality for us to live and engage in. All their plays or books can be picked up, read, and enjoyed by virtually anybody without scholarly guides, theories, and intricate explanations, which is surely the fundamental definition of a work of durable genius. Can we recognize the general truths within the most harrowing individual scenes of Synge or ONeill? Might we glimpse in Joyce the essential universality of all human relationships? Those are the tests. Theyre the rare artists who make us complicit in our own deception, drawing us down the kind of escapist vistas we yearn for in good writing. You could do much worse than to pick up one of them to celebrate this St. Patricks Day. Chapman University business professor David Berkovitz claims that he found test questions from his exams on the Course Hero website that he thinks were posted by students seeking to cheat. So he's suing the students, who remain unknown, for copyright infringement. According to the suit filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, the students allegedly "infringed Berkovitz's exclusive right to reproduce, make copies, distribute, or create derivative works by publishing the Midterm Exam and Final Exam on the Course Hero website without Berkovitz's permission." From the Washington Post: Berkovitz, who is also a lawyer, has no intention of gouging the students for money, [his attorney Marc] Hankin clarified. His real goal is to force Course Hero to reveal who posted the questions and find out whether they received help answering them last spring. Then he plans to pass the names on to Chapman's honor board for possible disciplinary action. "He's not trying to bankrupt his students or their parents," Hankin said. "What he's trying to do is prevent cheating and have a chilling effect on students cheating going forward."[] Berkovitz's motivation is more nuanced than just holding students accountable forcheating on his exams, his attorney said. Because Chapman's business school grades students on a curve, anyone who cheated and may have received a higher grade possibly affected the curve for students who followed the honor code and received a lower score. Struggling Buffalo biopharmaceutical company Athenex is getting short on cash and it's planning deep cost cuts to help it get by. Athenex had just $62 million in cash and short-term investments at the end of 2021, down 72% from about $225 million a year earlier. That raised questions about whether the company even had enough money to fund its operations into next year. So Athenex officials said late Wednesday that it will undergo a major shift to slash its expenses by 50% and focus on "promising cell therapy programs," while selling off "non-core" assets. Company officials did not say how many jobs would be lost because of the cost-cutting. "We are taking action to swiftly redirect our resources and have begun executing on cost-saving measures to right-size the company and support our transformation to a lean, focused cell therapy company," CEO Johnson Lau said. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. What's at stake is the future of a homegrown innovative company that was born as Kinex nearly two decades ago, a firm that employs about 600 people worldwide roughly one-third of whom are in Western New York. Athenex had been one of the great hopes for building the medical industry in the region and the recipient of millions in funding from the state. But it was dealt a stunning blow almost a year ago when a drug it was developing to treat breast cancer was set back by years after federal regulators raised questions about the late-stage clinical trial underway to gauge its effectiveness. Athenex officials were counting on that drug to begin generating significant revenue and provide a funding pathway to the company a route that was abruptly closed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision. Its next chapter won't come easy. What's the plan? Lau, one of the company's founders, pointed out three key parts of the "strategic pivot." First, Athenex plans to focus its research and development on cell therapy, which the company believes has the best opportunity to create long-term value. Further, Lau said, Athenex believes cell therapy will drive the next major innovation cycle in cancer treatment. That means Athenex will lean harder into its May 2021 acquisition of Kuur Therapeutics, which develops cell therapies that can be used to treat blood cancer and solid tumors. Athenex buys Houston immunotherapy company for $185 million The acquisition of Kuur Therapeutics includes an upfront payment of $70 million and includes additional payments that could reach another $115 million in cash or stock if the business meets certain performance targets. Second, that streamlined plan means Athenex will discontinue most of its research and development initiatives around its oral discovery program apart from oral paclitaxel the drug being reviewed by regulators in the United Kingdom to treat metastatic breast cancer. Third, Lau said, Athenex aims to strengthen its finances by selling non-core assets. That included Athenex selling the leasehold interest in the state-funded Dunkirk manufacturing plant to ImmunityBio last month for about $40 million. What to know as California biotech firm assumes lease of state's $200 million Dunkirk plant California-based ImmunityBio on Tuesday announced it has completed its acquisition of the lease on the state-funded Dunkirk manufacturing plant that was built for Athenex. Here's what you should know in the months ahead. Major cost cutting The sale of the Dunkirk lease also comes with significant overhead cost savings, which fits into Athenex's plan to reduce its operating expenses. The lease sale also reduced Athenex's headcount by 70 employees, who joined ImmunityBio as the California company attempts to get the Dunkirk plant up and running, said Joe Annoni, Athenex's new chief financial officer. Athenex hires private-equity veteran as CFO to help key financial turnaround The company on Tuesday announced it has hired Joe Annoni as its chief financial officer, effective immediately. Annoni has been managing director of boutique advisory firm GFW Partners since 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile, which says he is based in Los Angeles. It's not clear how many job cuts could come to Athenex's headquarters in the Conventus Building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and to its Clarence compounding facility. Caileigh Dougherty, the company's investor relations director, noted Athenex also has operations in China, Taiwan and Latin America but declined to say where the workforce reduction is coming from. "This is a sensitive matter," Dougherty said. What it does is raise serious questions about whether Athenex can meet the hiring obligations it agreed to meet in Buffalo. In exchange for the $25 million the state spent to expand and improve the sixth floor of the Conventus Building, Athenex committed to spending $100 million in the Buffalo area during the lease's first 10-year term, which ends in July 2025. It also must hire 250 permanent employees in the Buffalo area. As of Dec. 31, Athenex had hired 211 permanent employees in the Buffalo area, according to a regulatory filing. The bottom line With the streamlined business, selling of non-core assets and a headcount reduction, Lau said Athenex expects to extend its "cash runway to beyond 18 months," putting the company on more stable financial footing. The company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 results, disclosed Wednesday, show the extent of what it's trying to reverse. Athenex's total revenue for the year, for one, came in at $120.2 million, down from $144.4 million in 2020. The 17% decrease, the company said, was primarily due to one-time Covid-related sales in 2020 as well as international supply chain disruptions. The company's losses also are getting bigger. Athenex's loss for 2021 totaled about $202 million, higher than the $148 million loss logged in 2020. Athenex's stock, which traded for more than $12 before the FDA ruling in February 2021, closed at 96 cents a share on Wednesday, up from about 85 cents on Tuesday. Jon Harris can be reached at 716-849-3482 or jharris@buffnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByJonHarris. 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. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has said that in total Azerbaijan has delivered 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The minister added that at present, more than 28 million cubic meters of gas are transported to Europe daily. "The TAP does not only increase its contributions to the consumers' energy supply but also strengthens the integrations of Azerbaijan to the European gas market," he wrote on his official Twitter page. Azerbaijan started commercial gas supplies to Europe via this route, with the completion of the TAP construction on December 31, 2020. The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is an extension of the Southern Gas Corridor that takes Azerbaijani natural gas to European markets, has transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe in 2021. Of the total amount of transported gas, over 6.8 billion cubic meters reached Italy and approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters were delivered to Greece and Bulgaria. Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that about 19 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas will be exported in 2022. Of this volume, more than 8 billion cubic meters will be exported to Turkey and more than 7 billion cubic meters to Italy. The remaining gas will be divided between Georgia, Bulgaria, and Greece. The Southern Gas Corridor is an initiative of the European Commission to build a natural gas supply route from the Caspian and Middle Eastern regions to Europe. The South Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline link Azerbaijan to Europe (TAP). The pipeline is powered by natural gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas field in the Caspian Sea's second stage. If interim Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Tonja Williams had any notion that she would ease into the job, that should have been put to rest when she saw the items to be discussed Wednesday during her first School Board meeting in her new job. On the agenda: the Covid-19 pandemic and trying to make schools safer. By the time the meeting was over, plans were announced to deal with both. Her administration presented a plan that calls for the hiring of 40 additional security staff, creating emergency plans specific to each school building and employing weapons detectors and security camera upgrades. The move comes after the district came under fire for what some see as inadequate safety measures at some district schools following the stabbing of a 14-year-old student and the shooting of a security guard outside McKinley High School on Feb. 9, along with poor communication with parents and families. The incident was a factor in the board's decision to approve a termination agreement with former Superintendent Kriner Cash and to name Williams to replace him on an interim basis. Teacher stabbing, student assault fuel safety concerns in Buffalo schools More examples of violence involving Buffalo Public Schools have come to light following the stabbing and shooting at McKinley High School on Feb. 9. "It is time for our district to move to a new level," Williams said. "In our district, families and community stakeholders must work together collectively, now speaking with one voice, focusing on one vision to achieve one mission, which is to ensure that the brilliance of our children all of our children is realized and celebrated every single day in all of our Buffalo Public Schools," she added. Meanwhile, the board approved by a vote of 8-1 a measure aimed at soon making daily life in the district look much like it did prior to the pandemic. Terrance Heard, an at-large member on the board, was the lone vote against the resolution by at-large member Larry Scott that will lift all Covid-19 restrictions for in-person classes and events by Monday. That means parents will be allowed into schools. Students can go on field trips. Rugs can be put back into elementary classrooms. Student concerts, field days, open houses and other events can resume in person. The change will bring the district in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as New York State and Erie County laws and guidance, Scott said. "With Covid-19 rates continuing to decline across the country, state, county and in our schools, it's more than time for the Buffalo Public Schools to resume in-person access, like all other school districts and non-public schools," Scott wrote a Facebook post announcing the measure that he introduced. During the seven-day period ending Tuesday, 32 out of the more the 36,000 students, teachers and staff in the district tested positive for Covid-19, according to the State Department of Health. That is a positivity rate of .09%. McKinley administrators knew of potential for violence that day, stabbing victim's mother alleges "Common sense would dictate that the administration of the school would make sure that this child had safe passage from school at the end of the day, and they neglected to do that," said John V. Elmore, attorney for Aurielle Austin, Sirgio Jeter's mother. On April 4, after-school programs will begin at half of the district's elementary schools, Williams said. "We have opened our buildings to visitors," she added, noting a policy that went into effect on March 7. Williams said students also will be able to go to proms for the first time in two years. She noted a new variant of Covid-19 and that the district will be in consultation with the state and medical experts on its progression. Williams also talked about a listening tour that she had taken in the district since she was appointed interim superintendent two weeks ago. They include appearing on local radio programs and visiting churches. "I want to hear from the community what their concerns are," she said. In a letter to employees and families on Tuesday, Williams acknowledged cases of "bullying, fighting and other disturbing behavior" in the Buffalo Public Schools over the past few weeks, which was echoed by many parents and some students who spoke at Wednesday's board meeting. However, schools across the country are experiencing similar issues, Williams wrote. She pointed to the pandemic as a key factor. "Many experts have attributed this erratic and troubling behavior to the arrested social emotional development of our students resulting from the pandemic," Williams wrote. "The physical disconnection that our students experienced has manifested into behaviors signaling an outcry for help." She said the district will pursue additional training for staff and other strategies to address the concerns, but did not offer specifics. Staff writer Mary B. Pasciak contributed to this report. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON The stark speech that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered before Congress on Wednesday moved lawmakers who represent upstate New York but it didn't move them to support his call for a no-fly zone to protect the nation from Russian air attacks. Democrats and Republicans alike agreed that Zelenskyy's speech and a harrowing accompanying video of the war's atrocities united lawmakers in a sense of repulsion and resolve against Russia. But they also said that a NATO no-fly zone of any kind over Ukraine could put American military pilots in confrontation with their Russian counterparts: a move that could provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin and escalate a two-nation war into something much larger and much more dire. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, a New York Democrat who serves on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, said Zelenskyy made "an urgent and very emotional appeal" to Congress. But she added: "I have not changed my view that we should not enforce a no-fly zone over Russia because one of the things that President Putin would love to do is to turn this into a world war. He would love to use his nuclear weapons. He would love to decimate more cities in Ukraine and he'd like to expand that to Poland, other NATO countries and even America. So we are not going to play into President Putin's irresponsible and power-hungry war." Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, also warned that giving Zelenskyy a no-fly zone would be dangerous. "He advocated a humanitarian no-fly zone, but that could be seen as an act of war because you're basically shooting down the enemy from flying over the airspace in Ukraine," Higgins said. "The concern is that that will escalate this thing." Rep. Tom Reed, a Corning Republican, said he does not favor a no-fly zone at this time but that it's an option that should be kept on the table. "When it comes to things like a no-fly zone, when it comes to things like even men and women of American military having to be put in potential harm's way, to me that's the last resort," Reed said. "And it is something I'm not advocating for, but it is something that needs to be kept in the toolbox so that we can keep our enemies guessing." And Reps. Chris Jacobs and Claudia Tenney, both Republicans, offered the same alternative to a no-fly zone. Jacobs noted that Zelenskyy himself proposed that alternative that Poland, a NATO member, provide Ukraine with some of its Russian-built MiG fighter jets. Combined with other Ukrainian aircraft, "that would allow them to create their own no-fly zone," said Jacobs, an Orchard Park Republican. Zelenskyy probably proposed that alternative because he realizes a NATO-led no-fly zone is "not in the cards" because of concerns about how Putin would react, said Jacobs, who urged NATO to shift those Polish fighter jets to Ukraine as soon as possible. Tenney, a Utica-area representative who's running to represent a redrawn district that includes southern Erie County and the Southern Tier, agreed. Calling a no-fly zone "a very dangerous alternative," she said: "Backfilling (the Ukrainian Air Force) with some of the MiGs and other aircraft that Ukrainians are trained to be able to operate effectively, I think, is something we have to do." Upstate lawmakers also praised the Biden administration for following up Zelenskyy's speech by announcing another $800 million in military aid to Ukraine. "This means funding for anti-tank, anti-aircraft missiles and other weapons that have been the most effective on the battlefield for the Ukrainians," Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a Senate floor speech. Schumer avoided any mention of a no-fly zone or sending fighter jets to Ukraine, but in his speech, he agreed with other members of the New York delegation that Zelenskyy's presentation was extraordinarily powerful. "It is one of the highest honors of any Congress to welcome remarks by a foreign head of state, but it is unheard of to hear from a leader fighting for his life, fighting for his countrys future, and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy," Schumer said. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON The CEO of Starbucks said Wednesday that he's stepping down. A day earlier, the National Labor Relations Board accused the coffee conglomerate of retaliating against union organizers in Phoenix. And an organizing drive that started in one store in Buffalo has spread to 135 stores in 26 states. Against that backdrop, Starbucks union organizers from Buffalo met virtually Wednesday with their friends in Congress: the House Labor Caucus. And afterward, they spoke of the growing unionization effort now as every bit of a challenge as it has been from the beginning. "No one, no worker anywhere, should have to go through what we are going through to organize our union," said Jaz Brisack of the Starbucks on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, which, in December, became the first unionized Starbucks in the nation. Brisack noted that after the unionization effort began, Starbucks sent the president of Starbucks North America to Buffalo to fight the organizers by bringing in managers to watch them and try to stop them from speaking with other workers or signing union cards. But the unionization succeeded at the Elmwood Starbucks nevertheless. Kevin Johnson, the company's top executive for the past five years, said in a press release Wednesday that he signaled to the board a year ago that he wanted to retire when the pandemic ended. His tenure as CEO will end April 4, and his temporary successor will be Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO who traveled to Buffalo to fight the unionization effort. "Howard Schultz inserted himself into the union-busting campaign, cheerleading managers to bust the union, telling us that we were ungrateful, that we should be ashamed of being poor the way he was, and even making really inappropriate comparisons," Brisack said. "And obviously, with today's news, he's coming out of the shadows to lead this fight against the union." Starbucks workers vote to join union at three more Buffalo Niagara stores Workers at the Starbucks store on Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga voted 8-7 to be represented by Starbucks Workers United. It's now a multi-pronged battle, one in which Starbucks finds itself fighting organizing efforts across the country and crossing federal labor regulators in one locale. The NLRB complaint filed Tuesday accuses Starbucks of retaliating against the two workers in Phoenix because they supported the unionization effort. One worker was reprimanded and the other given a work schedule she didn't want in hopes of discouraging others from joining the unionization effort, the agency said. In response, Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges said: "A partner's interest in a union does not exempt them from the standards we have always held. We will continue enforcing our policies consistently for all partners and we will follow the NLRB's process to resolve this complaint." That dispute in Phoenix comes as the Starbucks unionization has spread across the country. If all the stores where unionization efforts are underway vote to join a union, some 3,500 workers will be covered, noted Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat and member of the Labor Caucus. "This is growing," he said. "This is going to continue to grow." And it all started with the "brave baristas in Buffalo," Higgins added. Rep. Mark Pocan, the Wisconsin Democrat who co-chairs the Labor Caucus, joined in the praise of the unionization effort. "I'm just extremely impressed by the organizers," Pocan said. "This is taking on the 14th largest employer in the United States, 9,000 stores, with a winning record of six out of seven" in union votes so far. "You can't ask for much more." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. For four years, I found myself in maximum and medium-security prisons in New York State shooting a documentary that would eventually become the PBS series College Behind Bars. It was a profound and unforgettable experience and it upended every preconception I had about the people who are behind bars in America. The dozens of incarcerated men and women I got to know while making the film were working towards college degrees in the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI). Their stories revealed many dimensions of the grievous intersections of race, class, poverty and criminal justice in America, but they also revealed so much about resilience, determination, the joy of learning, and the transformative power of education. Over those four years, the students who appeared in our film shared their individual hopes, fears and dreams about the future. But no matter who I talked to, one thing was clear, they all wanted a chance at a better life once they got out. For them, the opportunity to go to college was not just the chance of a lifetime, it was a second chance. For some it may have felt like it was their last chance, for many, too often excluded from meaningful education prior to finding BPI, it was a first chance. That is why we must seize this moment to correct a historic wrong and back Gov. Kathy Hochul's effort to restore the Tuition Assistance Program eligibility for people in prison. The idea that college in prison is the most cost-effective and impactful approach to reforming our criminal legal system is far less controversial than it was a generation ago. In fact, new polling shows New York State voters strongly favor ending the state ban on TAP grants for incarcerated people by 30 points, with 58% in support and only 28% opposed. The value of college in prison also isnt a new idea, as college programs were common in most American prisons from the 1970s until the 1994 federal Crime Bill banned Pell Grants for people in prison. When our film was released in 2019, there was already broad bipartisan support for the restoration of Pell eligibility. In December 2020, Congress finally lifted the Pell ban. New Yorks ban on TAP funding came in 1995, on the heels of the Pell ban and shut down college-in-prison programs across New York almost instantly. These hateful and shortsighted laws came at the height of retributive tough on crime politics that ignored all the evidence and sent a message that although the vast majority of people in prison will come home someday, their futures are of no consequence to the rest of us. But small programs such as the Bard Prison Initiative that have emerged over the last few decades despite these bans have proved that idea totally wrong. Access to meaningful education changes the trajectory of peoples lives, and those of their families and communities. Restoring TAP is a long time in the making and is desperately overdue. Lynn Novick, director of College Behind Bars, has co-directed with Ken Burns several PBS series. On Friday, North Tonawanda Mayor, Austin Tylec, stood shoulder to shoulder with Democrat Assemblyman Bill Conrad and derided the Republican-led city council and former Mayors Rob Ortt and Art Pappas for neglecting the citys wastewater treatment plant. Tylec blames now-State Sen. Ortt (who hasnt been mayor for eight years) and his predecessor Pappas for not addressing this issue. If the problems at the wastewater treatment plant were so prevalent and terrible, where was his concern when he was serving on the city council? Tylec served on the City Council for years and did nothing to address the issues at the wastewater treatment plant. As the article stated, the water treatment plant is in the midst of upgrades set forth by the individuals Tylec now blames for inaction but the facilities breakdown has created this new need for emergency funds. Situations change, and so must our actions. It seems that all Tylec has done thus far in his tenure is play victim and complain. It will be a long four years for the residents of North Tonawanda if the default to every issue Tylec runs into is to blame mayors from decades ago. William Paton North Tonawanda green power renewable energy Written by Ambrose O'Callaghan at The Motley Fool Canada Happy St. Patricks Day, Foolish readers! In the spirit of the day, I want to look at four of the top GREEN energy stocks on the Canadian market. Why four? Uh, lets just say its in honour of the four-leaf clover. Anyway, lets dive in. This top green energy stock offers a solid dividend Algonquin Power & Utilities (TSX:AQN)(NYSE:AQN) is an Oakville-based company that owns and operates a portfolio of regulated and non-regulated generation, distribution, and transmission utility assets in Canada, the United States, Chile, and Bermuda. Shares of this green energy stock have increased 4.8% in 2022 as of mid-morning trading on March 17. The stock is down 4.8% from the previous year. The company unveiled its fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 earnings on March 3. Total revenue climbed 36% year over year to $2.28 billion in 2021. Meanwhile, adjusted EBITDA increased 24% to $1.07 billion. Moreover, adjusted net earnings were reported at $449 million, or $0.71 on a per-share basis, in 2021 up 23% and 11%, respectively, from the previous year. Shares of this green energy stock are trading in favourable value territory compared to its industry peers. It offers a quarterly dividend of $0.171 per share, which represents a 4.5% yield. Here are two green energy stocks that offer big income Investors chasing income in the middle of March should look to green energy stocks like TransAlta Renewables (TSX:RNW). This Calgary-based company develops, owns, and operates renewable power-generation facilities. The stock has dropped 2.7% in the year-to-date period. Its shares have declined 8% from the prior year. TransAlta released its final batch of 2021 earnings on February 24. It posted adjusted EBITDA of $463 million, which was mostly in line with the previous year. Meanwhile, earnings before income taxes jumped 23% year over year to $150 million. This green energy stock is also trading in favourable value territory with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 34. Better yet, it last paid out a monthly dividend of $0.078 per share. That represents a strong 5.1% yield. Story continues Capital Power (TSX:CPX) is another income-oriented green energy stock Id look to target today. Its shares have jumped 4.9% so far in 2022. The stock is up 14% year over year. In its final 2021 earnings report, the company saw total revenue rise marginally to $1.99 billion. Meanwhile, adjusted EBITDA was reported at $1.12 billion up from $955 million in 2020. Capital Power still offers solid value at the time of this writing. Moreover, it offers a quarterly dividend of $0.547 per share, representing a tasty 5.3% yield. One more stock to snatch up today Northland Power (TSX:NPI) is the fourth and final green energy stock Id look to snatch up on St. Patricks Day. This stock has climbed 14% so far this year. Its shares are still down 3.5% compared to the same period in 2021. The company released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 earnings on February 24. Sales rose 2% from 2020 to 2021, reaching $2.09 billion. Meanwhile, gross profit increased 1% to $1.85 billion. Northland Power also offers a monthly distribution of $0.10 per share, which represents a 2.8% yield. The post 4 Green Energy Stocks to Buy This St. Patricks Day appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day With Our Stock Advisor Canada Flash Sale Take 73% off our nearly 2X market-beating service Stock Advisor Canada until midnight only. Click Here for Your Limited Time Offer! More reading Fool contributor Ambrose O'Callaghan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 2022 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the "Agreement on Trust Fund Project between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". The agreement for approval was signed in Paris on December 20, 2021. According to the decree, after the enforcement of the agreement specified in the first part of this decree, the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan must ensure the implementation of its provisions. Besides, the decree has obliged Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry to notify the institution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) about the completion of internal procedures necessary for the enforcement of the agreement. The U.S. Navy employs geostationary and medium earth orbit satellite communications in support of global training event RESTON, Va., March 17, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SES Government Solutions (SES GS) supported Task Force 59 and US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) communications requirements for the International Maritime Exercise (IMX) and Cutlass Express 2022. IMX is the largest multinational training event in the Middle East, involving more than 60 nations and international organizations committed to enhancing partnerships and interoperability to strengthen maritime security and stability. At IMX, SES GS provided a resilient, redundant, integrated transport layer via satellite that seamlessly interconnected US and Partner Nation afloat Mission Operations Centers (MOCs), the TF-59 Headquarters Robotic Operations Center (ROC), multiple Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems. The ROC was manned by several coalition navy personnel who were able to have full situational awareness throughout the exercise through Full Motion Video (FMV), Electro-Optical (EO), and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) images, complemented by numerous other sensor data packages. This was only possible because the SES GS solution comprised a fully managed end-to-end network using the latest in afloat Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) capable stabilized SATCOM, including terminals from our partners General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) and GetSAT. The combination of SES GS high throughput and low-latency satellite network as well as its terrestrial network enabled TF-59 to present unprecedented real-time sensor data to the international partners in the ROC in a "single-pane-of-glass" format. This greatly enhanced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics products employed by TF-59 across the multiple operational areas and provided significantly enhanced situational awareness as TF-59 moves towards its goal of a digital ocean operating posture. Story continues SES GS is the only satellite operator with operational experience delivering multi-orbit, multi-band managed SATCOM services to the Department of Defense (DoD) and coalition forces. It provides the critical elements to meet the DoDs Fighting SATCOM posture and deliver assured communications in a contested environment. "We greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue supporting the US Navy and its forward-deployed commands with advanced SATCOM at geostationary and medium earth orbits," said Pete Hoene, President and CEO of SES Government Solutions. "This exercise is a great example how we enable the Navy and others to improve on their information sharing and maritime awareness requirements while leveraging multi-orbit constellations." Follow us on: Read our Blogs > Visit the Media Gallery > About SES Government Solutions SES Government Solutions (SES GS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions. SES GS operates under a proxy board allowing them to provide services through contracts with the U.S. Government, including classified work. SES GS is exclusively focused on meeting the satellite communications needs of the U.S. Government. Leveraging more than four decades of experience in the government SATCOM market, SES GS offers robust and secure end-to-end satellite communications solutions. Further information can be found at www.ses-gs.com. About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the worlds only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the worlds leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SESs video network carries 8,400 channels and has an unparalleled reach of over 355 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005643/en/ Contacts For further information please contact: Jon Bennett Government Affairs, Marketing & Communications, SES GS Tel. +1 703 610 0998 jon.bennett@ses-gs.com A driver reaches for a gas pump at a station in St. John's. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC - image credit) Jeremy Eaton/CBC Fuel prices are down for the most part across Newfoundland and Labrador Thursday morning. The price of gasoline is down four cents per litre, according to the province's Public Utilities Board. That puts the maximum price of a litre of unleaded self-serve at as much as $1.886 on the Avalon Peninsula. Prices in other parts of the province vary, including $1.911 in central Newfoundland, $1.89 in Deer Lake and Corner Brook, $1.902 in Stephenville, and $1.952 in Western Labrador. Central Labrador continues to have the cheapest gas prices in the province at $1.596, while Ramea is still the most expensive place to fill up at $2.01. The maximum prices of all other fuels with the exception of propane are also down Thursday. The price of diesel is down 4.8 cents per litre, furnace oil is down 1.65 cents per litre and stove oil is down 6.2 cents a per litre in Newfoundland and just under 3.5 cents in Labrador. Propane is up 4.1 cents per litre. Province continues to address cost of living: Coady Fuel prices and the rising cost of living in the province were a hot-button topic during Wednesday's sitting of the House of Assembly, leading to debate about what can and can't be done to help people in the province tackle rising prices. The provincial government announced increases to the income supplement and seniors' benefit by 10 per cent on Tuesday. Finance Minister Siobhan Coady also announced a one-time benefit for those receiving income support, which will come in the first week of April. Individuals will receive $200 and families will receive $400. Opposition Leader David Brazil questioned how the increase to the income supplement will help the 162,000 individuals and families who receive it each year, saying the changes will only translate to an extra $11.25 every three months. "We all understand the importance of the cost of living. I think we're all here because we want to make a difference," Premier Andrew Furey said in response. "We're caring, compassionate parliamentarians who recognize this incredible issue for the people of the province. Yesterday we launched a plan that was meant to address the acute, immediate need of those in need the most." Story continues CBC Furey, who was in Ottawa for Tuesday's announcement, said the province is taking a "fulsome approach" to tackling the cost of living, saying government doesn't need to take a knee-jerk response when looking after the most vulnerable people in the province. Discussion on the federal and provincial gas taxes were also brought to the house by PC MHA Tony Wakeham, who called on Finance Minister Siobhan Coady to write to her federal counterpart to defer the HST on gas until prices normalize. "It's about choices, and this government has a choice to make. It has a choice to make for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador," Wakeham said. Coady called Wakeham "misinformed," saying she doesn't have the power to lower the HST on fuel prices. "It's not me or the people on this side that actually set global oil prices. But I will say to the member opposite, we're doing everything that we can to support the people of the province." Coady didn't answer Wakeham's question on if she would write to the federal minister. The following chart shows how gas prices have changed recently at Newfoundland and Labrador retailers, as reported by users of the GasBuddy.com website. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Readiness Intel, NSF to Invest $150M in Semiconductor Education, Research and Workforce Development Over the next decade, Intel will partner with universities, community colleges and technical educators across the United States to establish semiconductor manufacturing education and research collaborations, bolster the workforce and tackle technical challenges in the industry. Together with the National Science Foundation, it has pledged $150 million toward the effort: The company will invest $50 million directly in Ohio higher education institutions and $50 million (matched by an additional $50 million from the NSF) in national funding opportunities. A key goal is to "establish comprehensive and collaborative programs with higher education institutions to accelerate readiness and enable the workforce needed for operations of [Intel's] new semiconductor fabrication facilities and of ecosystem partners," the company explained in a news announcement. Investments will go toward creating new curricula, certifications, faculty training reskill and upskill programs for the existing workforce, laboratory equipment upgrades and more. "In the past year, Intel has announced manufacturing investments that will create 6,700 high-tech, U.S. jobs, including 3,000 in Ohio. Intel is on a mission to lead domestic chip capacity and capability growth, and for this, we need the very best talent available," said Keyvan Esfarjani, executive vice president and chief global operations officer for Intel, in a statement. "That is why Intel is investing in educational and research programs in Ohio and across the U.S. to address the technical challenges and workforce shortages in our industry." "At Intel, we strongly believe that investing in education is necessary to ensure we have the right talent to support our growth and help the U.S. regain leadership in semiconductor manufacturing," added Christy Pambianchi, Intel executive vice president and chief people officer. "Our goal is to bring these programs and opportunities to a variety of two-year and four-year colleges, universities and technical programs, because it is critical that we expand and diversify STEM education. Intel is committed to preparing America's workforce with the technology skills needed now and into the future." For more information, visit the Intel site. When a staffer from CBS news magazine 60 Minutes called Sen. Kathy Berniers office, she didnt hesitate to take the call. The national news organization wanted to interview the Lake Hallie-area Republican about her statements that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in a fair and free presidential election. I didnt have to think long and hard about saying yes to that, Bernier said. A crew from 60 Minutes interviewed her at a hotel in Madison on Feb. 8. The segment lasted about 15 minutes during the episode that aired Sunday, March 13. 60 Minutes was the highest-rated prime-time program on Sunday, averaging 8 million viewers, according to Nielsens ratings. Bernier said she voted for Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020, and generally agreed with his policies. However, she is discouraged at his attacks on the election process, both in Wisconsin and nationwide, since he lost in November 2020. Overall, Bernier was happy with the experience of being on a nationally-viewed news program. There was a lot more detail, Bernier said. I sat in that chair and answered questions for two hours. Even last week, leading up to the airing of the episode, Berniers office was still verifying information with 60 Minutes to make sure everything was accurate. The folks at 60 Minutes were very professional. They verified, and verified, and verified information, she said. What impressed me was their attention to detail. It was an honor and privilege to sit for 60 Minutes. The reaction has been somewhat expected, she added. Its about 50-50 of calls coming in to yell at me, or to praise me, she said. Bernier says her Christian values have led to her decision to break with Trump and Republicans who say, without offering proof or evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. When she receives negative emails, she writes back the words of the Bible verse II Peter 2:1, which warns about following false prophets. I will not apologize for speaking the truth, Bernier said. Ive had people from across the country calling me, telling me Im a liar and not a Christian. I dont dislike Donald Trump for his mean tweets. If he really cared about the Republican Party, he would step back and stop spewing lies about the election. Bernier, who served as Chippewa County Clerk for 13 years before being elected to the Legislature, knows election laws and has routinely defended the practices implemented across the state. She doesnt hold back on her thoughts on former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who is investigation the Wisconsin election outcome. Their logic baffles me, Bernier said. Weve made months of review on election integrity. Michael Gableman (in his report) came out with nothing new. I cant grasp what they are thinking; we cant decertify the election. Hes a charlatan, in my opinion. But no one should think Bernier, a staunch Republican, has had a change of heart. She quickly criticized Joe Bidens job as president. I cant stand the left or the right they are driving me crazy, Bernier said. I dont know what they want from (Assembly leader) Robin Vos, or from me. Bernier announced in January she would not seek re-election. The 15-minute segment also featured an interview with Secretary of State Doug La Follette, and Meagan Wolfe, head of the non-partisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, which was established by Republicans under then-Gov. Scott Walker. The news piece also focused on Gablemans investigation into the election. Besides Bernier, no Republicans would agree to appear on the national program. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 From a peer respite center in La Crosse, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed three bills into law Wednesday that increase the penalties for fentanyl distribution, decriminalize fentanyl testing strips and centralize data on substance abuse throughout the state. Surrounded by state and local leaders at La Crosse Lighthouse, Inc., Evers signed Senate Bills 352, 600 and 49 into law, which have received overwhelming bipartisan support. These are all incredibly important legislation pieces, parts of which my administration has worked for years to support that will provide life saving and meaningful changes to our state, Ever said, saying they will continue to create a healthier and safer state. The bills come as overdose rates continue to climb, in part due to the rise of fentanyl. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was shared by Evers office, more than 93,000 people died by overdose in 2020, the highest number ever recorded in a single year in the U.S. Overdose deaths in La Crosse County are already on pace to beat the record 39 fatal overdoses in 2020. There were nine suspected fatal drug overdose cases through the first two months of 2022, many of them linked to fentanyl. We have to change this reality for Wisconsinites, folks, and thats why were here doing that today, Evers said. The first of the three bills would align the penalties for manufacturing, distributing or delivering fentanyl with that of heroin. The idea for the bill was developed by La Crosse law enforcement, and La Crosse investigators James Mancuso and Andrew Tolvstad testified in front of the Assembly on behalf of the bill. We hope this will deter people from bringing these large amounts into our communities and hold those accountable who do bring it in and sell it, Tolvstad said at Wednesdays press conference. The second bill which was originally proposed on Evers budget and was removed from the adopted version decriminalizes strips that test for the presence of fentanyl or a fentanyl analog. These strips are a harm reduction tool, officials said, as fentanyl has become more commonly used to lace certain drugs, increasing the potency and danger. According to Wisconsin Department of Health Services Director of Opioid Initiatives, Paul Krupski, fentanyl is likely present in all drugs these days, from heroin and cocaine to marijuana. He said that while this bill does not include free testing strips, the DHS has discussed that option. Ultimately the goal is to reduce harm and hopefully prevent overdose and death by increasing the likelihood of getting treatment rather than entering our justice system, Evers said. The third bill will create a centralized data and information system on substance abuse around the state, helping better connect the many different pieces and agencies focused on the crisis. These bills were described by officials as a bipartisan win, receiving nearly unanimous approval from the state Legislature and committees. This is a perfect example. We have a significant issue in the state of Wisconsin, Evers said. People are dying because of it. And weve brought together a really good group of folks to make it happen in a bipartisan way. This was especially true for the bill on fentanyl strips, which was previously axed from Evers biennial budget. The good news it that we have people that stuck with it, Evers said, chalking its removal up to politics. He said, thank God officials pushed to create the bill. Rep. Jill Billings, D-La Crosse, who sponsored all three bills, said a Milwaukee representative she was mentoring first noticed the fentanyl strip bill was missing and helped keep the momentum. My first piece of advice was: find your champions on both sides of the aisle. And she did and so we got it through, which, as the governor said, thats the most important thing, Billings said Wednesday. She also gave a nod to fellow sponsor Rep. Jesse James, R-Altoona, and recent state Senate candidate, for his work on the bills. Its no surprise right? Western Wisconsin knows how to work in a bipartisan manner, and we know that these issues need a bipartisan approach, Billings said. State officials commended the Coulee Region for its services to mental health and substance abuse, including host of the press conference La Crosse Lighthouse. It serves as a short-term residency and support system for those in recovery. DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake and other officials said that the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic go hand-in-hand, as many of the same core local services have been instrumental in tackling both and the pandemic has only exacerbated mental health and substance abuse issues. Timberlake touted the success of that network by plugging the Evers administrations statewide tour thanking COVID-19 heroes. While COVID-19 is not over, we are at a place where hospitalizations are way, way down, cases are way, way down, everybodys feeling better, kids are back in school, not wearing masks perhaps, and we all have something to celebrate, Timberlake said. COVID-19 precautions have begun to drop around the state and country, though new surges in Europe and around the globe caution that this lull in cases at home may not last. La Crosse Lighthouse encouraged guests to wear masks on Wednesday, and Gov. Evers wore a mask due to a bad cold that he did not want to spread, he said. These new bills are only one tool in the shed, officials said. Timberlake also promoted federal funding that will go towards treatment and build another data system that increases accessibility to treatment, among other similar initiatives. IN PHOTOS: Gov. Tony Evers visits vaccination site at UWL Uploaded Photos Evers at UWL Gov. Tony Evers, center, is accompanied by numerous officials Tuesday, including UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow, UW System President Tommy Th Uploaded Photos Gov. Evers at UWL Gov. Tony Evers, right, is accompanied by numerous officials including UW System President Tommy Thompson, center, during a tour of the new CO Uploaded Photos Gov. Evers at UWL Gov. Tony Evers tours the new COVID-19 vaccination clinic Tuesday at the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center on the UW-La Crosse campus. Lifestyles web only Governor Evers tours vaccine clinic at UWL Evers at UWL Gov. Tony Evers speaks at the opening of La Crosse County's COVID-19 vaccination clinic at UW-La Crosse on Tuesday. Initially, the clinic will Tour of site Aron Newberry, vaccine lead for the La Crosse County Health Department, leads Gov. Evers and other state officials on a tour of the site. Education top story Meet these 28 notable UW-La Crosse alumni This list, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, highlights some of the most accomplished people who have studied there. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Despite questions about the cost to ratepayers, Wisconsin regulators have given three utility companies the green light to buy a Kenosha County solar farm that will include the states first large-scale battery storage system. The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to allow Madison Gas and Electric and two subsidiaries of the WEC Energy Group to buy the Paris solar farm for $433 million. The 200-megawatt solar plant will generate enough electricity to supply about 60,000 homes and will be coupled with a battery system that can deliver 110 megawatts for up to four hours, allowing the plant to provide power even when the sun is not shining. WEC argued it needs the plant to replace some 1,600 megawatts of fossil fuel generation slated for retirement in the next two years. MGE, which will own a 10% share of the project, said it is the lowest-cost option to fill its needs as the company retires about 200 megawatts of coal-fired generation. Consumer advocates say the utilities particularly We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. failed to show the purchase would benefit ratepayers or properly assess the risks associated with battery storage, which has not been deployed at this scale in Wisconsin. The Citizens Utility Board said the official record was devoid of a facility-specific analysis of the project and relied on WECs flimsy, albeit voluminous $3.5 billion plan to replace coal-fired generation with clean energy. CUB said MGEs analysis was more appropriate but should have considered more variables. PSC staff confirmed the solar plant analysis, but staff could not independently verify the cost-effectiveness of the battery storage. Chair Rebecca Valcq and Commissioner Tyler Huebner faulted WEC for relying on an opaque generation plan that was first presented to shareholders and did not evaluate alternatives. The applicants need to do better, Valcq said. They owe it to their customers. But Valcq said the commission is bound by state law, which requires approval if a project meets certain criteria. We only have the authority to do what has been given to us, she said. Commissioner Ellen Nowak said the project would save customers money over time. MGE president Jeff Keebler said battery storage is a new and important technology that will help the company eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. WEC president Scott Lauber said the project would provide affordable, reliable and clean energy for a sustainable future. The PSC voted in late 2020 to authorize Chicago-based developer Invenergy to build the project on about 1,500 acres in the town of Paris with a 50-megawatt storage system, which would be larger than any deployed in Wisconsin. The commission later approved a larger battery system. Invenergy began grading the Paris site in October and plans to complete the project by May of next year, according to the latest progress report. The commission is currently evaluating Invenergys plans to build a 165-megawatt battery system coupled with a 300-megawatt solar farm in southeastern Dane County, which WEC and MGE are also seeking approval to purchase. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get up, get out, and get after it. In what would seem to be nothing more than great timing, Dr. Laymon Hicks stopped by the CHSAA office on Tuesday, to visit with assistant commissioner Rashaan Davis. Dr. Hicks, who is from Florida, is in Colorado to speak with students and staff at Manitou Springs High School.Dr. Hicks is the author of multiple books, including: N Laymons TermsWords of Wisdom and A Treasure Chest of Motivation: 8 Jewels of Wisdom for a Young Adults Success. He is also a youth motivational speaker who focuses on overcoming bullying, increasing student performance in-and-out of the classroom, and taking personal responsibility for actions (among others). To add to his resume, Hicks received his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and is currently a part-time professor of leadership studies at the University of Southern Maine.Davis and Hicks have a friendship that goes back nearly a decade, to Davis time as a student leadership teacher and adviser at Highlands Ranch High School. They met at a national leadership conference and from that initial meeting, Davis knew that he had to have Hicks at his school. Dr. Hicks presented at Highlands Ranch High School to a student body that immediately found strength and purpose in his message.It was the right person, with the right message, at the right time for our kids," Davis said. "There were tears of joy, a great deal of laughter, and some mindsets were shifted by his presentation. During his visit to HRHS, I can remember him having a dance party in the hallway during a passing period. The kids just fell in love with him. He spent the entire day on campus, just talking with kids and adults about how to create their own success, understand their why, and to enjoy life. When you find a person who can relate to a large group of kids, some who were struggling with things that we didnt know about until after his presentation, you know that person must be in your circle."Since the two of them connected, Dr. Hicks has worked with schools across Colorado. He presented at a CHSAA Fall Conference, hosted by student leadership adviser Lindsey Welsh and Arvada West High School, which helped to cement his message in leadership programs across the state. In a quote from his presentation Dr. Hicks says, Get up, get out, and get after it.We look forward to sharing the Manitou Springs High School student perspective on Dr. Hicks visit to their campus later this month. Eligible homeowners in David City may be able to receive funding for house rehabilitation through a program the City of David City is applying to. The city is applying for $621,900 for a proposed owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program, offered by the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This assistance would include structural, mechanical, electrical, weatherization and plumbing improvements. The housing unit must be inside city limits, and there are eligibility requirements in regards to income, assets and homeownership. Mobile homes and rental properties are not eligible for program participation. David City Special Projects Coordinator Skip Trowbridge said that residents can apply for up to $40,000 in assistance. Information provided by Trowbridge says that financial assistance per household ranges from $5,000 to $23,000 for each unit. If a home is unable to meet basic standards with $40,000 in assistance, that unit will not qualify for the program. Applicants who are at or below 100% of the median household income of Butler County may be eligible. This includes $49,812 for one person; $56,937 for a family of two; $64,062 for three people; $71,125 for four people; $76,875 for five people; $82,562 for six people; $88,250 for seven people; and $93,937 for eight people. Trowbridge said the more residents who apply for this grant, the more likely that David City will receive the funding. For more information on the housing rehabilitation funding, contact Jim Warrelmann, housing program manager at Southeast Nebraska Development District, at 402-475-2560 or jwarrelmann@sendd.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At the time of this publication, the legislature is more than two-thirds of the way through this years 60 day session. With all of our committee hearings completed, we have begun full-day debate on the floor. Our focus remains on senator, speaker, and committee priority bills, in addition to consent calendar legislation. We have also begun debating the budget, including taxation and spending measures, and bills that appropriate federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Much of last week was spent debating LB773, a bill I have co-sponsored introduced by Senator Brewer, which authorizes the concealed carry of handguns without a permit in Nebraska. LB773 overcame a filibuster after eight hours of debate and was advanced to Select File. It is important to note that this bill does not get rid of the current concealed handgun licensing process, that will stay in place if this bill becomes law. Permits may still be needed to conceal carry a handgun when traveling in certain states that allow reciprocity with a Nebraska permit. My priority bill, LB1099, passed on Final Reading and was sent to Governor Ricketts desk for his signature. This bill establishes a Hydrogen Hub Industry Work Group to submit a proposal to the federal government to receive available grant funding to establish a regional clean hydrogen hub in Nebraska. Last week, I had an opportunity to attend a roundtable event organized by the Nebraska Water Resources Association. Each year, a group of individuals interested in water policy enjoy an update from the chair of the Natural Resources Committee on the status of the committee, the bills before it, and an outlook on the rest of the session. Two water-related bills were debated by the legislature last week and both advanced past the first round of debate. LB1015, introduced by Speaker Hilgers at the request of Governor Ricketts, would secure Nebraskas water supply from the South Platte River under the 1923 South Platte Compact signed with Colorado, and exercise Nebraskas water rights by giving the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) all the necessary authority to develop, construct, and operate the Perkins County Canal project, ensuring Nebraskas continued access to water as guaranteed by the compact. LB1023, also introduced by Speaker Hilgers, is the result of the work of the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) special committee of the legislature, which I am a member of. The bill would authorize several water-related projects, including flood control measures in the Wahoo Creek watershed and construction of jetties west of Schuyler along the Platte River. As amended, the bill also extends the STAR WARS committee for oversight until 2026. I appreciate hearing from constituents on issues affecting District 23 and encourage you to contact my office on legislation at 402-471-2719 or bbostelman@leg.ne.gov. When Columbus Rescue Mission Executive Director Nathan Joslin talks about the new additions coming to the shelter, its easy to see why hes excited. The shelter will include amenities never before offered such as two transitional apartments, as well as being able to offer more including additional family rooms. Columbus Rescue Mission is in the process of moving locations from its current shelter, 1471 25th Ave., to a bigger facility at 1112 15th St. Joslin said the timetable to move into the facility will be sometime in 2023. Lately, Columbus Rescue Mission is finalizing the floor plan for the building which will come with several new features. The nonprofit previously closed on the facility in October. Were excited about the floor plan, Joslin said. The nonprofits goal is to provide food, shelter and guidance to the homeless, helping them become responsible members of society and the Lord, according to Columbus Rescue Missions website. The building will have both a mens wing and a wing for women and family. The latter of the two wings will allow for four to five good size family rooms, Joslin said. The shelter currently has one designated space but even then the room was small, he added. Its a pretty significant change to the ministry, Joslin said. The same wing will house two or three womens dormitories, a space for laundry and computer room, he added. On the mens end, there will be two large dorms, four rooms for the shelters long-term discipleship program, another computer room and a nice large size classroom, Joslin said. The facility will also have common rooms on each side, he added. Since the shelter is staffed 24 hours a day, there will be a staff apartment for a staff member to live on-site, Joslin said. Also, the new location will be the home of two transitional apartments. Its (transitional apartments) for people who have gone through the long-term program and want some extra accountability before they can have an actual apartment here on site, Joslin said. Columbus Rescue Missions new facility is the former location of Morys Haven, a nursing home facility that closed in November 2019. Its (the relocation) going to expand our reach and our ability to serve families in Columbus, said Columbus Berean Church Pastor Justin Bebb who is also on the Rescue Mission board of directors. Well have the ability to house families which is something we can kind of do right now but we will really be able to do in the future. There is still plenty of work that has to be done before the shelter can open at its new location, Joslin said. Columbus Rescue Mission recently fixed water damage that was sustained by the buildings fire sprinkler system. It caused a significant amount of water damage in the basement and the fire sprinkler throughout (the building)," Joslin said. Weve removed all of that and removed all the damage due to the water in the basement and some of the flooring upstairs. Electrical work was also done for the facility as it didnt have any power at first, Joslin added. Columbus Rescue Mission also has to install some features to the building as per the city's unified land development ordinance. Columbus Rescue Mission will also do any other repair and remodel of the existing facility. The nonprofit is accepting donations for the renovation on its website, columbusrescuemission.org/building. Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on Wednesday approving the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey on the supply of natural gas". According to the decree, the "Memorandum of Understanding on the supply of natural gas between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey" signed on December 22, 2021 in Baku is being approved. After the Memorandum of Understanding specified in the first part of this decree enters into force, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan must ensure the implementation of its provisions. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry must notify the government of the Republic of Turkey about the completion of the domestic procedures necessary for the Memorandum of Understanding to enter into force. For the first-time ever, Habitat for Humanity of Columbus will host a build day that will be female-led. Habitat has announced it will have a womens build day on Tuesday, May 10 for the future home of Kelly Garcia and her family. There will have three shifts for the day. Shift one will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the second will be from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the final shift will be from noon to 4:30 p.m. Lunch will be from noon to 1 p.m. on that day. Habitat for Humanity of Columbus Executive Director Lori Peters said the womens build day started after she asked female board members about volunteering for a build day. The list just grew from there, she added. There is still room for more volunteers for the day, Peters said. No prior experience is needed for build day. The goal of having a women's build day is to empower our local female community to build strength, stability and independence, Peters said. We at Habitat have the ability to provide opportunities for hands-on learning, and given these tools, women can succeed in changing their communities. Columbus has an amazing group of female leaders both past and present who tirelessly work to make Columbus a great place to live, work and learn. The women's build day is one more opportunity for them to serve and shine. Peters said Habitat International holds womens build days frequently so the local nonprofit decided now was a good time to have its first such build day. Women's build day is also a terrific way to involve your other women friends and family in crucial work that has a lasting impact, Peters said in a message sent out to potential volunteers. Women helping women sends a positive and powerful message. This isnt the only unique kind of build that will happen for the Garcia family home. Last month, the Habitat for Humanity of Columbus board of directors approved a hybrid blitz build for the house. A blitz build is in which a home is quickly constructed. Starting on April 28, the house will go from foundation to complete enclosure within two weeks. The home will be worked on every day during that time with assistance from RV Care-a-Vanners from Habitat International, a group of volunteers who travel around the country helping with builds. Afterward, Habitat will have its regular Saturday build days to finish up the house. The change came down to a few reasons mainly consisting of supply issues, professional labor shortages and the familys needs, Peters previously told The Columbus Telegram. Garcias home will also be the first one at Habitats New Hope 2 subdivision which is on 41st Avenue between 13th and 14th streets. It also has the distinction of having a basement. The houses at the nonprofits New Hope 1 subdivision do not come equipped with ones. Peters said the women's build day will help bring the Garcia family be closer to having their own home. This day will bring together Kelly as a future homeowner and dedicated volunteers to help build a better future not only for her family but also our community, Peters said. For more information, contact Peters at info@hfhcolumbusne.org, searching Habitat for Humanity of Columbus, NE on Facebook or 402-564-4663. Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. This Saturday at 2 p.m., the Columbus Public Library will be hosting a signing and meet-the-author event for These Three Things, a work of historical fiction by Sheryl Schmeckpeper, an author and historian from Norfolk. Schmeckpeper, a Nebraska native and self-proclaimed history buff, wrote the book after learning about the use of German prisoners of war on Nebraska farms in World War II. The protagonist, after losing her father to disease and her husband to World War I, struggles with keeping the farm operational and the possibility of her son going into service. To add to her woes, a German POW is assigned to help her on the farm. A lot of women had to leave their regular routines and go to work," Schmeckpeper said. "Women had to all of a sudden take on a different role on the farms. Emotional turmoil befalls the main three women friends who are Jewish, German and Japanese who struggle with not only the war and their work, but their prejudices and their relationship since the beginning of the war. I think they were strong characters. All the women in the book are strong characters whove lived through adversity, challenges and persevered. The whole scenario kind of tests their friendship, Schmeckpeper said. Schmeckpeper found inspiration in and enjoys the works of Willa Cather. Cathers themes often involve similar tales of strife and hardship living on the prairies of the Midwest, fighting the elements, growing crops and surviving. I think when you grow up or live in the Midwest you develop a strength and a tenacity to carry on and carry through that you really dont find in other parts of the country. Its a different mindset I think, Schmeckpeper said. Kelli Keyes, customer service manager for the Columbus Public Library, said WWII has been their theme for recent educational events, bringing in authors to talk about their WWII-related works. Its a fictional story, but the things that she talks about are actual history. You can relate to it, its things that happened in Nebraska, Keyes said. For Keyes, the most impactful thing about this event is the historical basis on which Schmeckpeper wrote a fictional narrative. A lot of people do remember that. It brings back all the things weve gone through as a country and why were so strong. Its very interesting and invigorating to read what theyve gone through, Keyes said. As for the books title, Schmeckpeper said it is a reference to Bible verse, 1 Corinthians 13:13, And now these three things remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is love. I think in the end, it took a lot of faith and hope to survive the war and in the end, love persevered, love remained, Schmeckpeper said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LOS ANGELES No one mentioned the party affiliation of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry on Wednesday as a judge questioned prospective jurors on their ability to be fair to the nine-term Republican congressman from Nebraska. But the elephant in the room, so to speak, eventually bared its head. Juror No. 24 walked up to the microphone where jurors were answering such basic questions as whether they ever had committed a crime or been a victim of one, ever served on a jury and whether they had any political biases. The property manager from Ohio said he didnt have any animus specifically toward Republicans or Democrats. Just politicians, the middle-aged white man said. Theyre hard to trust. Youve got the one party and youve got the spineless party on the other side. ... They spend their whole careers not telling the truth. He paused, then turned toward Fortenberry, seated next to his attorneys on the right side of the courtroom. No offense, the potential juror said, nodding at the congressman. And so it went Wednesday, as the purportedly streamlined jury-selection process with a judge, not attorneys, asking questions nonetheless ground into the tedium that accompanies virtually every jury selection. By days end, attorneys were scrambling to strike those they didn't want and seat the jury. The trial likely will go into the middle of next week. Opening statements are expected Thursday morning. Such jury selection isnt so much a selection as it is an elimination. Attorneys on both sides winnow down the pool of more than 50 potential jurors until they come up with 12 jurors and a couple of alternates who they dont think will ruin their chances. Though his party wasnt identified to prospective jurors, the Nebraska Republican stands accused of lying to FBI agents and trying to conceal the fact that Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury donated $30,000 to his campaign at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles. The defense argues that Fortenberry was set up by a 10-minute phone call from an informant that he didn't know about Chagoury's donation and that he didnt try to conceal anything. Fortenberrys lead attorney, John Littrell, had requested that the entire case be moved to Nebraska, primarily because he feared that Fortenberry wouldnt get a fair jury in the predominantly Democrat state of California. U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., however, kept the trial in California, noting that the fundraiser that was the source of the felony allegations was held in Los Angeles. Though he kept the case in California, the judge promised to ferret out anyone who couldnt put aside political biases and decide the case on its merit. The biggest difference between this California jury and a Nebraska jury wasnt necessarily ideology. It was demography. While Nebraska juries are typically 90% white, just five of the 12 jurors in this case are white. Ultimately, Fortenberrys fate will be decided by a jury of three men and nine women a mix of Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander and white jurors. Regardless of demographics, most prospective jurors said they didnt view life through a political lens. A couple of jurors even said they would need definitions of political parties and political terms, just like legal jargon. The political queries produced plenty of discussion. Juror No. 21, a Latino business owner who deals in rebuilt truck chassis, declined to say which party he couldnt stand. I lean to one side, but I dont want to disclose that, he said. When Blumenfeld tried to drill down to his concern, the man hemmed and hawed and eventually said that they ask for your money but never do what they say theyre going to. Pressed further, he finally blurted his nemesis: Democrats. Juror No. 29 had a different take. A middle-aged Black woman, she cut to the chase. Republicans I dont like them, she said, because of the recent voter suppression efforts in states across the country. Blumenfeld: Would you have a problem if, say, you were told the defendant was a Democrat? Maybe, but especially if he was a Republican. I specifically do have a problem with the Republican Party. Sorry, I am who I am. Juror 31, an Asian-American engineer, revealed his leanings in a different way. I will try hard to check my conscious bias. Whats your bias? the judge asked. The juror told the judge he used to watch a certain cable TV station. I dont necessarily do Fox (News) anymore, so you can guess ... my bias, the juror said. The one who stole the show had nothing to do with politics. Juror 19, a 20-something from Calabasas who sells appliances for use on Hollywood sets, disclosed, as required, all the brushes with the law she or her family had had. A sister was arrested for stealing from a Nordstrom. The juror said she was the victim of a hit-and-run. And as she pushed her blond hair back over her ears, she said she might have gotten a minor-in-possession charge when she was 16. How do you not know? Blumenfeld asked gently. I just smoked a lot of weed when I was younger, she said with a breathless laugh. So I dont remember. The past is in the past. Were good. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 " " A VPN connection to a business's main office can help its employees be productive when they're on the go. chokkicx/Getty Images As a business grows, it might expand to multiple shops or offices across the country and around the world. To keep things running efficiently, the people working in those locations need a fast, secure and reliable way to share information across computer networks. Traveling employees like salespeople need an equally secure and reliable way to connect to their business's computer network from remote locations. Even while on leisure, people want to keep their computers safe when on an unfamiliar or unsecured network. One popular technology to accomplish these goals is a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN is a private network that uses a public network (usually the internet) to connect remote sites or users together. The VPN uses "virtual" connections routed through the internet from the business's private network or a third-party VPN service to the remote site or person. VPNs help ensure security anyone intercepting the encrypted data can't read it. Advertisement Several years ago, the most common way to connect computers between multiple offices was by using a leased line. Leased lines, such as ISDN (integrated services digital network, 128 Kbps), are private network connections that a telecommunications company can lease to its customers. Leased lines provide a company with a way to expand its private network beyond its immediate geographic area. These connections form a single wide-area network (WAN) for the business. Though leased lines are reliable and secure, the leases are expensive, with costs rising as the distance between offices increases. Today, the internet is more accessible than ever before, and internet service providers (ISPs) continue to develop faster and more reliable services at lower costs than leased lines. To take advantage of this, most businesses have replaced leased lines with new technologies that use internet connections without sacrificing performance and security. Businesses started by establishing intranets, private internal networks designed for use only by company employees. Intranets enabled distant colleagues to work together through technologies such as desktop sharing. By adding a VPN, a business can extend all its intranet's resources to employees working from remote offices or their homes. However, these days, VPNs can do much more and they're not just for businesses anymore. Individuals interested in securing their communications over unsecured public WiFi networks and remaining anonymous during their online transactions have begun subscribing to paid VPN services. These services function very much like business VPNs but go through a VPN provider to reach the internet, rather than via a private business. In other words, a VPN can keep your computer, smartphone, and any other device you connect to the internet safe from hackers and malware, while keeping all your personal data and communications safe from prying eyes. With cybercrime on the rise, it's easy to see why so many people have started using them. Paid VPN services function very much like business VPNs but go through a VPN provider to reach the internet, rather than via a private business. These services are incredibly easy to use. All you have to do is download the software, install it on your device, and connect to the server of your choice. As long as your VPN is connected, no one (not even your ISP) can know who you are, where you're located, or what you're doing online. If you use public WiFi networks, a VPN can keep your connection secure and anonymous. If you travel, a VPN can give you access to geoblocked websites and streaming content from your home country (even you local Netflix library) while you're away. A few select VPNs can even keep you connected to all your favorite websites while you're visiting countries with strict censorship policies, like China or Russia. This article describes VPN components, technologies, tunneling and security. First, let's explore an analogy that describes how a VPN compares to other networking options. Ex-Regulator Tells US Senators That Crypto Can Empower and Protect the Innocent Michael Mosier. Source: a video screenshot, United States Senators will hear testimony today on crypto and its role in the world of crime but a former senior regulator has warned that politicians coming down too hard on the crypto sector risked throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The Senates Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs meet today in an open session, hybrid format for a hearing named Understanding the Role of Digital Assets in Illicit Finance. In written testimony pre-submitted to the committee, Michael Mosier, the former Deputy Director and Digital Innovation Officer of the Treasury Departments anti-money laundering Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) bureau warned policymakers that the key was to find a [regulatory] balance that doesnt merely chase bad actors but also prevents exploitation of the vulnerable from the start. He conceded that while crypto has undoubtedly found many uses in the world of crime, wed be naive to think they are not also powerful tools to empower and protect the innocent. As an example, he noted that in the past few weeks, tens of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency were donated by the public to Ukraine adding that this was done faster and more aid than the UN provided. Further, Mosier claimed, the transparency of government-identified wallets on a public ledger had provided what he termed a substantial improvement in accountability from UN aid through traditional banking. He also noted: Over-attributing cybercrime to cryptocurrency misses significant operating models and preventive measures that can be taken. The former regulator, now a sometime legal advisor to the blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, claimed that cryptocurrency has become the recent payment of choice because of the speed and its perceived anonymity. The italicized word was crucial, however, as Mosier claimed that most transactions were not quite as discrete as many would-be criminals assumed. Regardless, he noted it greatly oversimplifies the issue to blame cryptocurrency for payments increasing in spheres such as ransomware. He noted that regulators would do well to take a leaf out of the book of their predecessors. While the Internet has also opened up new avenues for criminals of all stripes, he suggested, regulators have moved carefully with their responses. He wrote: We havent decided to shut down the internet. We work persistently to find the balance and prioritize risks. Not everyone appears keen to take such a balanced approach Shane T. Stansbury, the Robinson Everett Distinguished Fellow at the Duke University School of Law, claimed that coin mixing chain-hopping and the use of privacy coins such as monero (XMR) were indeed powerful anonymity tools that were being put to use by digital criminals. In his own written testimony, Stansbury explained that these and other obfuscation methods make cryptoassets attractive for the actual execution of crimes like ransomware, as well as for money laundering and other efforts to conceal and promote criminal conduct. That criminals would adopt this new tool, he opined, was not surprising. Furthermore, the academic opined that cryptocurrency itself can create entirely new avenues for criminal activity in the form of crypto-flavored fraud and scams. He explained: The threat is not just from ordinary criminals. Rogue nation-states have turned to cryptocurrency theft and other crimes to finance their regimes, as witnessed by North Koreas reported theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Michael Chobanian, the President of the Blockchain Association of Ukraine and the founder of the Kuna crypto exchange, was also invited to submit testimony and took the opportunity to call for crypto trading platforms to support the Ukrainian cause in the military struggle with Russia. In his own testimony, the Kuna chief wrote: To stop Russia in its tracks, and to bring about a more democratic world with personal freedom through cryptocurrency, we appeal to crypto exchanges worldwide, including Binance, to block any interaction with sanctioned individuals until the fall of [Russian President Vladimir] Putins regime and [the] end of aggression against Ukraine. ____ Learn more: - Fed Raises Interest Rate by 25 Basis Points in First Rate Hike Since 2018 - As New Crypto Sanction Screening Tool Launched, Tornado Cash Keeps Mixing and FBI Chimes In - Russia Sanctions May Lead More Countries To Consider CBDCs, Ex-Central Banker Says - Russia Sanctions Means Countries May Transition to Bitcoin Reserves - Panteras CEO - Ukraine Launches Crypto Fundraising Site With FTX as Donations Slow Down - Elliptic Claims Breakthrough in Search for Russian Crypto Sanctions Evaders Christian radio host Chris Arnzen will continue his 30-year effort of treating ministers to an annual free pastor's luncheon with an event in Perry County in April. Arnzen, who is the host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, will hold the free luncheon for men in ministry leadership from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 7 at Church of the Living Christ, 2401 Fort Robinson Road, Loysville. Daniel Buttafuoco, founder and president of the Historical Bible Society, will be the speaker, and the free lunch will also include historical Bibles and Christian books on display, as well as free books from a number of publishers. Those interested in participating can contact Arnzen at 631-291-7002 or ChrisArnzen@gmail.com. RSVP is by April 4. For more information, visit www.IronSharpensIronRadio.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 FRANKLIN A man who fatally shot a guest at his cabin in Pennsylvania nine times did so out of self-defense, a county district attorney has determined while pushing back against criticism that the investigation lacked transparency. Evidence from the case supported witness accounts that Peter Spencer, 29, of Pittsburgh, was shot early Dec. 12 at the cabin in Venango County while he was high on psychedelic mushrooms, firing an assault rifle and threatening others. No charges will be filed, District Attorney D. Shawn White said Tuesday. Spencers family and their attorney had criticized the state police investigation as lacking transparency. A few dozen people marched last month in Pittsburgh calling for justice in the case. White said his silence on the matter was due to policies barring him from commenting on an ongoing case until the investigation was over. A message was left Wednesday with White to ask whether the policies barred him from updating the family. Paul Jubas, an attorney representing Spencers family, said the DAs decision was disappointing but not surprising. Spencer, a Jamaican immigrant, was Black, and the others who were at the cabin are white, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The man who shot Spencer had invited him and three other people to his familys cabin for a weekend getaway. Some members of the group consumed alcohol and marijuana and later psychedelic mushrooms, White said. Members of the group told authorities Spencer began acting erratically, demanding that the others build the fire larger, talking loudly and sometimes unintelligibly and claiming to be a deity. He then got an assault rifle he had brought and began firing into the air, White said. A neighbor confirmed hearing sporadic gunfire from the camp before the final shooting, he said. Spencer took the keys to vehicles at gunpoint from two members of the group who tried to leave and then threatened to shoot up the place, White said. The host of the gathering, who said he had been trying to calm him down but now feared that all would be killed, drew and fired his own pistol repeatedly at Spencer, who was facing him, White said. Images on Spencers phone confirmed that he and the shooter knew each other and images from earlier in the day showed the group amicably taking part in activities, White said. Toxicology tests on Spencer revealed the presence of a mushroom hallucinogenic that can cause panic attacks and psychosis, White said. While such mushrooms can cause euphoric hallucinations, an overdose can quickly send someone not accustomed to them to a dark place full of anger, distrust and anxiety, White said. It was unclear whether the man who shot Spencer also consumed drugs or alcohol. White said the evidence didnt support any suggestion that Spencer was shot while fleeing, wounded then executed or lured to the cabin to be killed. The Pennsylvania State Police Heritage Affairs Section, which investigates hate crimes, said they were brought in to look for indications of racial bias and found none. The shooting constituted self-defense under state law, White said. PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia prosecutors are again asking a judge to jail a Virginia man arrested in November 2020 on weapons charges after he traveled to the Pennsylvania Convention Center where votes were being counted. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office on Wednesday filed a motion asking a judge to revoke the $850,000 bail of Joshua Macias, saying he violated the conditions of his bail by attending political events and posting on social media. A hearing is scheduled for next week on the motion. It centers on complaints that Macias allegedly can be heard narrating a live video from behind the camera during a recent trucker protest in Washington and that he attended at least one political rally for a Virginia candidate who has called for the execution of everyone involved in President Joe Bidens election. William J. Brennan, an attorney representing Macias, declined to comment on the motion. Macias, 43, was initially arrested in November 2020, after he and Antonio LaMotta drove from Virginia to Philadelphia in a Hummer adorned with a QAnon sticker and carrying an AR-15-style rifle, more than 100 rounds of ammunition and other weapons. Both men were charged with weapons violations for guns they were carrying as they walked to the Convention Center in the early morning hours of Nov. 5, where Philadelphia elections workers counted ballots over multiple days. They also face charges of interfering with an election. It's the second time prosecutors have asked to revoke bail for Macias. Prosecutors had asked in January 2021 that both men be sent back to jail, saying they had violated conditions of their release by attending the Jan. 6 rally in the nation's capital that turned into a siege of the Capitol building. A judge declined to revoke bail at that time, but increased the amount by $100,000 and warned the men to stay off social media and not attend any political rallies. The latest motion does not apply to LaMotta. Both men remain free on bail. District Attorney Larry Krasner said during a news conference Thursday that the communication between the pair before they came to Philadelphia was dangerous." They should have been locked up from the jump, Krasner said. Harrisburg Academy on Thursday announced efforts to help those in Ukraine, and specifically three high school students displaced in the Russian invasion. The academy said it will offer academic scholarships to three Ukrainian high school students who have been displaced during the crisis. With the help of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral and the International Baccalaureate organization, the academy will identify Ukrainian students and families eligible for the opportunity. The academy can also be contacted by community organizations and families. The academy is also teaming up with Mission Central in Mechanicsburg to sponsor a fundraiser on March 23. Though the fundraiser will involve $1 pledges from its students, staff and families for the humanitarian effort, Mission Central will also collect item donations from the school community, as well as from the public, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. Items will be donated to Ukraine through the nonprofit. Suggested donations include hand and foot warmers, pillar candles (no glass), small first-aid kits, feminine hygiene products, wrapped bars of soap, flashlights with batteries attached (not inside), alcohol swabs/pads, personal hygiene items, baby food in plastic containers, blankets and wound care items, including Band-Aids, gauze rolls and adhesive and nonadhesive dressings. The humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people are overwhelming as they undergo this horrific siege of their country. It is imperative that we answer the call of responsible global citizenship by offering our resources to help alleviate some of their suffering, said Adrian Allan, head of Harrisburg Academy. Mission Central is located at 5 Pleasant View Drive, Mechanicsburg. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The crash on Interstate 81 southbound between Exit 52, US 11/Middlesex and one mile south of Exit 49, High Street, has been cleared, PennDOT says. Reported earlier on Cumberlink: A crash on Interstate 81 south has closed all southbound lanes Wednesday afternoon and is causing delays in the northbound lanes, according to PennDOT's website. PennDOT's 511pa.com shows that traffic is backlogged southbound from the Middlesex exit, near where the crash occurred, to the Mechanicsburg exit as of 5:15 p.m. PennDOT said rubbernecking is also causing some backlogs on the northbound lanes in the Carlisle area, and traffic is stop-and-go to nearly the South Hanover Street exit. Heavy traffic was also reported in Carlisle as motorists on I-81 sought other routes. Pennsylvania State Trooper Megan Ammerman told ABC27 that the road was closed due to a fuel leak that happened during the crash. State Police are also telling people to avoid the area. No further details about the crash were immediately available. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on Wednesday approving the "Memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the labor sphere between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". The memorandum was originally signed July 13, 2021 in Baku and Riyadh. After the entry into force of the memorandum, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan must ensure the implementation of its provisions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan must notify the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the completion of the local procedures necessary for the entry into force of the Memorandum of Understanding. Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images ROMEThe queue outside the Baobob refugee soup kitchen in central Rome is filled with desperate migrants and refugees every single day of the week. In recent months, most are from Afghanistan and war-torn African nations like Somalia, Sudan and the Tigray region of Ethiopia. There arent any Ukrainian war refugees standing in the cold, though. They have been welcomed into warm homes and care facilities. They are white, so they get special treatment, a man from Afghanistan who worked as a translator for Italian peacekeepers in Afghanistan before the Taliban regained control over the country told The Daily Beast as he crouched beside the tent nearby where he sleeps. But the worst part is that people who used to give spare clothes and food to us are now giving them to Ukrainians. The man doesnt want his name published out of fear it will negatively impact his asylum request, which he launched more than a year ago. He and thousands of other war refugees in Italy are stuck in bureaucratic limbo that can take two or three years before they learn if they can legally stay even when they are from countries that have suffered longer wars than the four-week invasion of Ukraine, whose refugees do not have to go through the same processeven though they are not part of the European Union. Ukrainian refugees are automatically granted a right to stay for 90 daysno questions asked. If they want to extend the stay, they can apply for a 90-day extension. While no one disagrees that Ukrainians need assistance and support as their country is besieged in this unfair war, there is a growing sense of a double standard when it comes to the color of refugees skin and their treatment. Andrea Costa, who runs the Baobab center in Rome, told The Daily Beast that while he agrees wholeheartedly that the Ukrainian refugees need help, so do the African and Middle Eastern refugees. And he sees hypocrisy in calling those helping Ukrainians saviors while those who save African refugees are often prosecuted for people smuggling, referring to a number of NGO rescue boat captains currently facing charges in Italy for rescuing migrants and refugees. It is not acceptable to call the people accepting women and children on the border between Ukraine and Poland heroes, but to call those who help people shipwrecked in the Mediterranean sea criminals, he says. Wars are all the same. Refugees are all the same. Its Good to Be a White Refugee Story continues The discrepancy between types of refugees was made crystal clear in the days after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Thousands of Africans who were working and studying in Ukraine were stopped at the Polish border while white Ukrainians were quickly ushered through, according to Human Rights Watch. Its a harrowing situation for everyone trying to get out of harms way, and everyone escaping the war, no matter where they come from, should be allowed to leave, Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch says. Ukrainian authorities should not discriminate based on nationality or race, and neighboring countries should allow everyone in with a minimum of bureaucracy. But that is not happening at Ukraines borders and tensions are rising in countries like Italy and Greece among the thousands of African refugees who wish they could get even a modicum of the good will being showered on Ukrainians. At the Santa Sofia Ukrainian Church in Rome, organizers have had to turn people who are delivering supplies including clothing and medicine away due to the outpouring of generosity. We have told them to give the excess to other refugee groups in the city, a church official told The Daily Beast. We are overwhelmed with donations. Meanwhile the Baobob center regularly publishes its list of needs: canned food, childrens clothing and shoes, diapers, and medicine. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that he hopes the Ukrainian refugee crisis helps shift the view of war refugees in general, and highlight other areas where people are indiscriminately killed by oppressive regimes, including his own home country of Ethiopia. Yes, Im from Tigray. And this crisis affects me, my family and my friends very personally, he said. But as the director general of WHO, I have a duty to protect and promote health wherever its under threat. And there is nowhere on earth where the health of millions of people is more under threat than in Tigray. Just as we continue to call on Russia to make peace in Ukraine, so we continue to call on Ethiopia and Eritrea to end the blockade, the siege, and allow safe access for humanitarian supplies and workers to save lives. Migrants Rescued at Sea Between Death and Hope During the initial invasion of Ukraine, Human Rights Watch interviewed scores of people from Morocco, India, Nigeria, Uganda, and Tunisia in Lviv, Ukraine and again at the border with Poland. Most people were interviewed in groups, all of whom confirmed having had the same or similar experiences, the group said in early March. Those experiences range from one woman from Sierra Leone being told all Blacks must get off the bus to being forcefully pulled out of queues of people waiting to cross into Poland, according to Human Rights Watch. Human Rights groups in Ukraine put out a joint statement calling on European nations not to hold up old biases against African and Middle Eastern refugees. We call on all parties involved, both as regulators and on the ground, to counter any instances of personal or institutional discrimination, xenophobia or racism amidst this crisis, providing support to representatives of underrepresented or historically marginalised groups currently staying in Ukraine, the group said. Back in Italy at the food line, there is little belief that the Ukrainian situation will make any difference to how war refugees from elsewhere are received. We would love to see such emotional and operational participation also in respect to other armed conflicts and to refugees who are equally worthy, the Baobab group said in a Facebook post. For the Afghans that we have abandoned to the violence of the Taliban regime, after twenty years of Italian occupation. Or, for example, for the thousands of women, girls and children, victims of rape in the invisible war in Ethiopia, former Italian Colony. There is talk of genocide of Tigrian civilians and there is a humanitarian catastrophe that, evidently, does not raise empathy. Or maybe for the Yemenite population, devastated by 8 years of armed conflict, where there are hundreds of thousands of displaced people and 80% of which are women and children. Italy has allotted 13,000 places in refugee centers for Ukrainians. We were wondering if there was a place to sleep even for Sudanese fleeing a civil war who has already seen the deaths of 300,000 people or for Afghans stranded from Europe on the border between Bosnia and Croatia. We asked ourselves if they deserve peace too. Beyond skin color, thats it. The Baobob group posted, noting that Italy set up a National Emergency Fund with 10 million to respond to the serious crisis: The Ukraine one. Only the Ukrainian one. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Wednesday, March 16. Follow here for the latest updates and news from Thursday, March 17, as Russia's invasion continues. President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that an additional $800 million in military aid will be sent to Ukraine, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to the U.S. Congress, a speech Biden called "convincing." Biden said the U.S. is adding to its assistance, which now totals $1 billion just this week, to help "fend off Russia's assault." "America is leading this effort, together with our allies and partners, providing enormous levels of security and humanitarian assistance that we're adding to today, and we're going to do more in the days and weeks ahead," he said, adding the fight is "about the right of people to determine their own future, about making sure Ukraine never will be a victory for Putin, no matter what advances he makes on the battlefield." Biden, speaking for just over seven minutes early Wednesday afternoon, said the war in Ukraine is a struggle that pits the appetites of an autocrat against humankinds desire to be free. On a day when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal'' for the first time publicly, Biden also stressed the U.S. will not get involved militarily, but added that it will help Ukraine for as long as it takes. "We're going to stay the course," he said, while warning, "This could be a long and difficult battle.'' USA TODAY ON TELEGRAM: Join our new Russia-Ukraine war channel to receive updates straight to your phone THE NEWS COMES TO YOU: Get updates on the situation in Ukraine. Sign up here. Earlier Wednesday, Zelenskyy gave an impassioned address to an overwhelmingly supportive Congress, pleading for more military support, a "no-fly" zone over his country and even tougher sanctions on Russia. Zelenskyy's presentation included a gripping video showing graphic images of the brutal human and property damage inflicted by the Russians as the invading forces continued their relentless attack. Story continues In his virtual address three weeks into his nation's fierce struggle to repel invading Russian troops Zelenskyy drew parallels to horrific moments in American history to explain his country's plight and called on the U.S. to ramp up its aid to Ukraine. "Right now, the destiny of our country is being decided, the destiny of our people," said Zelenskyy, who drew a standing ovation from Congress at the start of his speech from Kyiv. "Whether Ukrainians will be free, whether they will be able to preserve their democracy." Latest developments: Ukrainian military forces have hit the airport in Kherson, which Russian troops had seized early in the war, the General Staff said late Wednesday. It said the Russians were trying to remove any surviving military equipment. Ivan Fedorov, the 33-year-old mayor of the southeastern city of Melitopol (pop. 150,000), was freed from Russian captivity, Ukrainian officials said. The 2015 Ukrainian satirical comedy series "Servant of the People," which Zelenskyy starred in, is available on Netflix. Zelenskyy plays a teacher who unexpectedly becomes president after a video of him complaining about corruption goes viral. The International Chess Federation suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus from participation in official tournaments "until further notice." Chess is extremely popular in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing foreign planes to be seized and used domestically, Russia's Tass News Agency reported. Most foreign airlines have paused service to Russia due to the war and sanctions. At least 103 children have died and more than 100 others have been injured, said Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. FULL COVERAGE: Latest updates, analysis, commentary on Ukraine Biden calls Putin a war criminal for the first time For the first time in public, President Joe Biden on Wednesday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal for his continued assault on Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of civilians. I think he is a war criminal, Biden said in response to a question from a reporter after delivering remarks at the White House on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Earlier in the afternoon, Biden authorized an additional $800 million in military aid for Ukraine. He vowed that the American people will be steadfast in our support of the people of Ukraine in the face of Putin's immoral, unethical attacks on civilian populations. We are united in our abhorrence of Putin's depraved onslaught, he said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president was speaking from his heart and speaking from what youve seen on television, which is barbaric actions by a brutal dictator through his invasion of a foreign country. The State Department has said it is reviewing Russia's actions for potential war crimes, a legal process Psaki said is ongoing. -- Joey Garrison Missile strike destroys theater that served as shelter in besieged Mariupol The fate of hundreds of Ukrainians hung in the air Wednesday as the Mariupol theater where they were sheltering was destroyed by Russian forces, Ukrainian authorities said. There was no immediate word on deaths or injuries in what the Mariupol city council said was an airstrike on the theater. The word children in Russian was written in large white letters in front of and behind the theater, as shown by an image taken Monday by the Maxar space technology company, in what appeared to be an attempt to dissuade the Russians from targeting the theater. Mariupol, a southern port city of 430,000, has been the site of some of the fiercest attacks since the invasion began Feb. 24. Local officials say missile strikes and shelling have killed more than 2,300 people, and a siege that has lasted more than two weeks has left people struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Local authorities said Russian forces took hundreds of people hostage at a Mariupol hospital and were using them as human shields. In central Kyiv, a 12-story apartment building burst into flames after being hit by shrapnel. And in the northern city of Chernihiv, 10 people were killed while standing in line for bread, the Ukrainian General Prosecutors Office said. Presidential adviser warns Russia not to deploy chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned a Russian counterpart against the use of chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine, the White House said Wednesday. Sullivan "warned General (Nikolay) Patrushev about the consequences and implications of any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine," said a White House readout of a phone call with Nikolay Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council. Biden did not mention Russian threats of chemical and biological weapons during his remarks on U.S. assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday. In the call, Sullivan repeated "the United States firm and clear opposition to Russias unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine," the readout said. It added: "Mr. Sullivan clearly laid out the United States commitment to continue imposing costs on Russia, to support the defense of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to reinforce NATOs eastern flank, in continued full coordination with our Allies and partners." David Jackson Russia ponders how to replenish; Odesa now in its sights Russian commanders are deliberating how to replace troops, equipment and aircraft theyve lost in their invasion of Ukraine, a senior Defense Department official said Wednesday. The losses mount daily due to spirited resistance from Ukrainian forces, said the official, who discussed intelligence assessments on condition of anonymity. However, the Russians still have the majority of the combat forces they deployed for the invasion. The Russian advance on Ukraines major cities, including Kyiv, remains largely stalled. In the south, Russian naval vessels have begun shelling towns around the port city of Odesa, possibly in advance of an attack by ground forces, the official said. Meantime, the United States and its allies continue to send weapons to Ukraine on a daily basis, the official said. The latest shipment of war materiel, announced Wednesday by President Joe Biden, includes 100 drones. The official indicated the drones will be armed, saying they will deliver a punch. U.S. Defense officials are working with other European countries to provide Ukraine with air defense systems. Among those systems are S-300 surface-to-air missiles launchers, according to a congressional source. -- Tom Vanden Brook Biden: We're providing up to $1 billion in new military assistance President Joe Biden on Wednesday emphasized the strength of the new military assistance, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons aimed at helping Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion. Biden said the $800 million package, combined with a previous appropriation, adds up to $1 billion "just this week." In total, the administration has committed $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Biden took office. The new package includes: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems 2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems 100 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns and 400 shotguns Over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds 25,000 sets of body armor 25,000 helmets "More will be coming," Biden said. David Jackson Biden: Humanitarian aid will continue to flow President Joe Biden on Wednesday spelled out the $300 million in humanitarian assistance tens of thousands of tons of food, water, medicine and other basic supplies that the U.S. has provided both to Ukraine and the neighboring countries that have harbored their refugees. He said that aid, which is separate from the $800 million announced Wednesday in security assistance, would not stop. We're going to continue to mobilize humanitarian relief to support people within Ukraine and those who have been forced to flee Ukraine, he said. Our experts on the ground in Poland and Moldova and other neighboring countries are there to make real-time assessments of a rapidly evolving crisis to get urgently needed humanitarian supplies to the people in need when they need it. And we will support Ukraine's economy with direct financial assistance as well, Biden said, though he did not provided specifics. Ledyard King Putin: The West underestimates Russia, laments losses on battlefield In a speech aired on Russian TV, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russias so-called special operation in Ukraine is going according to plan, again declining to call it an invasion. The West thinks we will step back, Putin said, according to a translation from Meduza, a Latvia-based media outlet. The West does not understand Russia. Putin repeated a number of false claims about the invasion, including the conspiracy theory that Ukraine was developing weapons of mass destruction like nuclear and bioweapons. There is no evidence, though Russia watchers note the argument may be a reference to Putins continued anger over the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Putin said that in enacting sanctions, the West is trying to cancel Russia and that measures targeting Russias Central Bank showed that foreign currency reserves can be stolen. Signaling an even greater crackdown on Russian civil liberties at home, Putin called for a purge of traitors by patriots, arguing that such a natural and necessary self-purification of the society will only strengthen our country." Matthew Brown McConnell: US not doing enough, says its depressing to compare Biden to Zelenskyy After listening to Zelenskyys speech, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said President Joe Biden needs to step up his game. Were not doing enough, quickly enough to help the Ukrainians. And I think comparing Zelenskyy (to Biden) is depressing. President Biden needs to step up his game right now before its too late. The Kentucky Republican said he agrees with the president on one point: the U.S. shouldnt be creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine due to concerns that it could potentially escalate a direct confrontation with Russia. Ledyard King Lindsey Graham's resolution would pressure Biden on jets for Ukraine South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is planning to bring a resolution to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon that would put pressure on the Biden administration to reverse course and accept Poland's proposal to provide up to 28 Soviet-built MiG-29 fighter jets to the U.S. to give to Ukraine. Zelenskyy has asked the U.S. for more air power and Graham believes theres enough bipartisan support to pass the nonbinding resolution calling for the administration to deliver the planes and change the trajectory of the war. Control of the skies is the missing link, Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill shortly after listening to Zelenskyy's address to Congressional lawmakers. Its the biggest advantage the Russians have. Ledyard King NATO chief: Efforts aimed at stopping war between allies, Russia NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said his alliances main goal with the invasion of Ukraine is to keep it from escalating into full-fledged war between NATO and Russia. Stoltenberg told CNN that he understands Zelenskyys desperation and pleas for help, noting that NATO has provided significant support to Ukraine. NATO's core responsibility, main responsibility is to protect 1 billion people living 30 NATO allied countries, he said, adding that the alliance has implemented the biggest reinforcements on collective defense since the end of the Cold War to prevent Russian attacks from spilling over Ukraines borders. Stoltenberg declined to give specifics on what military aid is being sent to Ukraine beyond describing advanced systems also to protect them in the air, air defense systems, drones and other means to also deal with attacks that are faced within the airspace. He said he welcomed President Joe Bidens announcement on increased military aid from the U.S. Katie Wadington Russian assault continues as Zelenskyy pleads US for more help As Zelenskyy spoke to Congress, Kyiv residents huddled in homes and shelters amid a citywide curfew while Russian troops shelled neighborhoods, homes and businesses. In central Kyiv, shrapnel from an artillery shell slammed into a 12-story apartment building, obliterating the top floor and igniting a fire, according to a statement and images released by the Kyiv emergency agency. The neighboring building was also damaged. The agency reported two victims, without elaborating. Russian forces also have intensified fighting in Kyiv suburbs, notably around the town of Bucha in the northwest and a highway leading west, said Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the Kyiv region. To the south, Russian forces also continued pounding beleaguered Mariupol, a seaport city of 430,000 that has faced three weeks of siege, leaving people struggling for essentials including food, water and heat. It has also has forced the digging of mass graves. Remember Pearl Harbor': Zelenskyy invokes US tragedies as he pleads with Biden, Congress for help Zelenskyy speech draws rave reviews from Congress Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Zelenskyys address to Congress differed from his past remarks in that it was not a more desperate ask, but a more resolved ask. Zelenskyy was very firm, very clear in what he needed, Murkowski said. And if his words were not enough, if you did not look at that video and feel that there is an obligation for not only the United States, but for countries of the world to come together in support for Ukraine, you had your eyes closed. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the U.S. needs to do more, specifically mentioned MIG-29s, anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems and armed drones. "Theres a powerful message that came out of that video," Portman said. "For all that weve done, its not enough to protect innocent lives." We need to do more and specifically we need to provide them the armaments they need at a minimum to be able to protect themselves, he added. Sen. Murphy questions public US debate over military support Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, said he doesnt think its wise for Congress and the Biden administration to broadcast disagreements over the best military support for Ukraine. I'm open to increasing our level of military commitment to Ukraine, I just don't think it is wise policy for all of those debates to play out in public in the United States Congress, Murphy said. This is a bit of a strange way to prosecute a war to have daily, open, public debates about exactly which weapons and exactly which planes we're sending, Murphy said. Russia is not doing that, Russia is not having a public debate about how many planes they send in Ukraine and exactly what weapons systems they send in. Dylan Wells Europe's human rights group expels Russia The Council of Europe's ministers has decided to exclude Russia as a member following its invasion of Ukraine. The council, focused on human rights and democracy, was founded after World War II and Russia joined in 1996, following the Soviet Union's collapse. A day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the group began to assess Russia's membership. On Tuesday, Russia informed the council it would be withdrawing and the ministers formally expelled Russia on Wednesday. As leaders of the Council of Europe we expressed on several occasions our firm condemnation of the Russian Federations aggression against Ukraine," the council said in a statement. "This unjustified and unprovoked aggression led to the decision of the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly to initiate the procedure of expulsion." Katie Wadington Ukraine terrain adds to Russian military struggles Russias invading troops are struggling with Ukrainian terrain, forcing them to remain on roads where Ukrainian forces have slowed their progress, according to British Defense Ministry assessment. The Russians have been reluctant to drive off-road in Ukraine, and Ukrainians have further stalled their advance by blowing up bridges, British defense attache Mick Smeath said in a statement Wednesday morning. Russian warplanes have failed to control Ukrainian airspace, according to the British and U.S. military, further limiting the invaders ability to protect its ground forces. The tactics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have adeptly exploited Russias lack of maneuver, frustrating the Russian advance and inflicting heavy losses on the invading forces, Smeath said in the statement. Tom Vanden Brook Zelenskyy calls for new alliance, U24 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the creation of a United for Peace alliance of "responsible countries that have the strength and consciousness to stop conflict immediately." "We need to create new tools to respond quickly and stop the war the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine," he said. Dubbing it U-24, Zelenskyy referenced 24 nations that are actively working with Ukraine to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Matthew Brown Zelenskyy asks US companies to pull out of Russia Saying Russia is flooded with our blood, Zelenskyy called on U.S. companies to abandon their operations in Russia. As he made his address to a joint session of Congress, the Ukrainian president asked for more U.S. sanctions against the Kremlin and to establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine. We propose that the United States sanctions all politicians in the Russian federation who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are responsible for the aggression against Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. Rick Rouan House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., right, greets Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova as they arrive to hear Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speak to the U.S. Congress by video at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Blinken: Russia, Ukraine peace deal must be 'irreversible' Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that a diplomatic solution ending Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine will require irreversible moves on Moscows part should global backlash to the conflict end. We will want to make sure, (the Ukrainians) will want to make sure, that anything thats done is in effect irreversible. That this cant happen again, Blinken said during an interview with NPRs Steve Inskeep. Blinken left the door open to lifting crippling Western sanctions on Russias economy should the invasion end while cautioning that the moves are already making global business and finance hesitant of investing in Russia in the long term. If the war ends, Ukraines independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty are restored then many of the tools that were using to get to that result of course, thats the purpose of them, theyre not designed to be permanent, Blinken said. Blinken declined to say whether the U.S. is in active communication with the Kremlin over Putin's invasion but said there are always ways of communicating should it be necessary. Matthew Brown Mom who fled Ukraine now worries about life in US: 'I don't know what to do' Last week, single mom Olga Kovalchuk was hunkered down in a Ukraine basement with her children in a basement while bombs and missiles rained over Cherkasy, a city of 278,000 on the Dnieper River. This week, they are in a foreign land San Diego where Kovalchuk has no place to live, no relatives, no job. But her kids are safe. Like more than 3 million other Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, the 37-year-old says she is simultaneously looking back and ahead. In Ukraine, a career as an interpreter allowed Kovalchuk to work mostly from home, looking after the children. Now, the kids will need to find schools, learn English, adapt to a new culture. I was very angry. I didnt want to leave. Im a patriot," she says, adding that she had to go "to save the lives of our children. Still, sometimes I feel shame because I left." Read more here. Dennis Wagner International students trapped at Ukraine university finally get home International students who had been studying at Ukraine's Sumy State University have finally returned to their home countries after being trapped in the school's six hostels for two weeks with little food and water as the war raged. The students from India, Nigeria, Turkey and South Africa, among other countries eventually found their way home over the course of last week and weekend after many days of travel by bus, train and plane throughout Ukraine and across borders. Students had turned to social media to plead for help, using the hashtag SaveSumyStudents. But with limited access to electricity, calling attention to their plight was also difficult. "We never had a plan, and every method of communication was lost, I couldn't communicate with my parents," said Samuel Olaniyan, a fourth-year student who returned to Nigeria a few days ago. "It was very, very scary." Read more here. Christine Fernando and Cady Stanton Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine recap: Biden calls Putin 'war criminal', pledges $800M In recent weeks, there have been frequent reports about the rise of the more transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.2 around the world. BA.2 now makes up nearly all the new cases in Denmark, the U.K., Switzerland, Sweden, India, Belgium, Norway, South Africa, The Philippines, Hong Kong and many more regions. Throughout the first few weeks of the year, however, as it spread rapidly abroad, BA.2 did not see significant growth in the United States. No longer. More from Deadline In the second and third weeks of March, the percentage of new U.S. cases sequenced that were attributed to BA.2 was nearly 1 in 4, or 23%. That, per data from Covariants.org, which pulls worldwide data on the genomically-sequenced samples submitted to the GISAID data-sharing hub. In fact, since late January, identified cases of BA.2 have doubled (and sometimes tripled) every two weeks in the U.S. The growth of Omicron variant BA.2 shown, in lavender, vs. the original Omicron, in purple - Credit: Covariants.org Covariants.org The first identified cases of BA.2 in the United States appeared at roughly the same time as they did in the U.K. and Denmark: late November & early December 2021. But from that period through mid February, BA.2 made little headway in the U.S., accounting for just 3% of all sequenced cases in the country by the 21st, per Covariants.org. But during the same timeframe, the percentage of sequences attributable to BA.2 in the U.K. grew to 34%. By February 21 in Denmark, the variants conquest was nearly complete; It accounted for 95% of all sequences. The percentage of Omicron BA.2, in lavender, vs. the percentage of the original Omicron, in purple - Credit: Covariants.org Covariants.org A late January report from the Statens Serum Institut, which operates under the auspices of the Danish Ministry of Health, found that BA.2 may be approx. 30% more transmissible than BA.1 (the original Omicron). Some analyses since then have claimed the variants transmissibility advantage is even higher. Story continues The good news is that the Omicron strains are much less virulent than Delta, but as the U.S. saw in early February of this year, Omicrons increased transmissibility can create a wave of deaths equal to or surpassing that of Delta by the sheer number of infections alone. Ominously, there may be indications of a new wave in cases in some nations where BA.2 is dominant. The 7-day average number of new cases in the U.K. has more than doubled from a recent low of about 27,000 on February 24 to more than 61,000 on March 14, per Johns Hopkins. The same average in Denmark, however, has fallen from more than 24,000 to 8,800 in the same time period. And the U.S. has shown no according rise in new cases, even as its share of BA.2 has grown. The reasons for the differences in rates of spread among countries are unclear. The difference in growth potential between countries may be linked to differences in vaccination coverage and contact patterns arising because of restrictions, population densities, etc., a WHO report suggested. Denmark and the U.K. lifted restrictions earlier than the U.S., but their citizens are more highly vaccinated than are Americans. Yet the U.S. has not experienced the kind of BA.2 growth those European countries, even as weve also broadly lifted masking and other restrictions. As for population density, the U.K. is overall far more concentrated than Denmark, which itself is denser than the United States which, of course, does have its own highly dense urban centers. Muddying the analysis is that testing is way down in the U.S. Also on the way down are the number of tests getting sequenced a pricey process. The number of sequences in the U.S. dropped from about 25,000 on March 7 to about 200 on March 14. And visibility into trends might get even worse. The White House told NPR today that the program that pays to test, treat and vaccinate people who dont have health insurance will be winding down after Congress declined to add funding to a larger spending bill last week. The Biden administration warned lawmakers this week that, as a result, the country risks being blindsided by future variants. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A Bonne Terre police officer was killed and another officer was injured early Thursday morning outside Motel 6 formerly Bonneville Motel in Bonne Terre. Missouri State Highway Patrol Spokesperson Dallas Thompson said the officers were dispatched to a disturbance at the motel at about 12:24 a.m. He said as they approached the door of the room where the disturbance was reported, a man exited the room and began firing shots at the officers with a handgun. Both officers, Patrolman Lane Burns and Cpl. Garrett Worley, were struck by gunfire. Thompson said the two officers returned fire, killing the suspect. Thompson said Burns, 31, was taken to Parkland Health Center-Bonne Terre in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at 1:46 a.m. Coroner Jason Coplin said Burns did have a vest on but it just barely missed his vest. Bonne Terre Police Chief Doug Calvert said his officers were ambushed. He indicated first responders and doctors worked hard to save Burns. Officials said Worley, 28, was seriously injured and flown to a St. Louis hospital where he was undergoing surgery for a gunshot to the lower leg. Thompson said the MSHP Division of Drug and Crime Control was heading up the investigation. The suspect was identified as James J. Emery, 31, of the St. Louis area. He lived in Maplewood and also had a recent address in Ironton, Thompson said. Emery was by himself when he shot the officers. Thompson did not know what sparked the shootout. Authorities are trying to collect background on Emery and find out why he was at the motel. Online records show no felony convictions in Missouri and no federal cases in Missouri or Illinois for Emery. Records show only a misdemeanor and $118 fine for violating rules in a Missouri Conservation area in Washington County. 'Hero' Both officers were full-time officers for the Bonne Terre Police Department. Burns had been with the department about five years and had worked for other departments in the community before that. After the shooting, the department sent all of its officers home Thursday as they mourn, and surrounding police agencies stepped up to handle calls for them, Lt. Bill Stegall said. "Local departments will make sure our community is covered," he said. Amy Brenneke, a part-time police officer for Bonne Terre and a full-time St. Francois County deputy, said of Burns: "He would do anything for anyone and he gave up his life for this town." Burns worked for the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department early in his career. "He worked for me prior to going to Bonne Terre," said Sheriff Dan Bullock. "He was a good officer and did a good job for me." St. Francois County Lt. Hardy White said Burns worked for him at the jail before moving on to a patrol officer position in Bonne Terre. He said Burns was a good guy who made the greatest sacrifice possible protecting the community Thursday morning. "It's hard to find the words in a time like this," said White. "We're all brothers and sisters. Law enforcement is like a second family. "When something like this happens, we get tight," he said. "We rally around each other; we support each other and try to remember the best things we can." White, who has worked in the area for 27 years, explained that these situations don't typically happen in this smaller community. "You just don't feel like that's something that will ever find its way down here, but it did," said White. "It opened our eyes to the reality of policing and the new world we live in, and we had to suffer a great loss for that to happen." White said he had faith that the community would show its support to Bonne Terre and the fallen officer's family. "I hope everybody keeps Bonne Terre and Lane's family in their thoughts and prayers," White added. "It's important that he's remembered the way he ought to be remembered as a hero." In a social media post on Thursday, Burns' fiancee, Shannon Chasteen, said Burns died protecting his community and his fellow officers. "I love you Lane, and I know that you're still with me," Chasteen's post read. "I know you're watching over your daughter, your family, your police officers, and I." Burns had two young children. Community outpour The police department has received enormous support from the community with many offering their condolences and prayers, even planning a candlelight vigil for Burns. If anyone would like to make a monetary donation directly to the family of Officer Burns, Stegall recommends placing the donation in a sealed envelope and marking it For Lane Burns Family and dropping it off either inside Bonne Terre City Hall or placing it in the dropbox at Bonne Terre Police Department inside the hallway by the big window. The Bullpen Sports Grill in Leadington announced their proceeds Thursday night would go to Burns' family. The business was so busy that customers had to use a few area lots for parking. The BackStoppers Inc. is assisting the family of Burns with immediate and long-term financial assistance. BackStoppers is providing a payment of assistance to Worleys family. My heart is heavy and is with everyone who loved Officer Lane Burns. This is a great tragedy and there have been far too many. We will support the family of Officer Burns and his legacy will be honored, said Ron Battelle, executive director of BackStoppers. Donations for BackStoppers are being accepted at St. Francois County Sheriffs Department, St. Francois County Ambulance District in Farmington, Farmington Police and Fire Departments, Park Hills Police Department, Bismarck Police and Fire Departments, Leadwood City Hall, Desloge Police Department, Leadington Police Department, Terre Du Lac Association Office, Big River Fire Department, Bonne Terre Police Department, Marlers Towing in Park Hills, Midwest Sports in Farmington, and any branch of First State Community Bank. Donations to BackStoppers can also be made by visiting https://backstoppers.org/donate/ The candlelight vigil for Burns will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at North County High School football field. Food trucks will be present and will donate the proceeds of sales to BackStoppers. About BackStoppers The BackStoppers Inc. provides ongoing needed financial assistance and support to the spouses and dependent children of all police officers, firefighters and volunteer firefighters, and publicly-funded paramedics and EMTs in their coverage area who have lost their lives in the line of duty. St. Francois County is part of the coverage area. In addition, BackStoppers provides assistance to first responders who suffer a catastrophic injury performing their duty. The BackStoppers supports families of fallen heroes by paying off all debt, providing health and dental insurance, reimbursing for out-of-pocket medical expenses, covering tuition and educational costs from day care through university, and assisting with miscellaneous extraordinary expenses. The organization currently supports approximately 95 families with 75 dependent children. It has supported more than 180 families since 1959. It provides roughly $2.5 million in assistance annually. The BackStoppers assistance is immediate and ongoing. Upon the death of a police officer, firefighter, publicly-funded paramedic or EMT, his or her family receives a check for $10,000 from The BackStoppers with assurance of further help. Within a few weeks, BackStoppers representatives meet with the surviving spouse to identify the familys other financial obligations. The organizations goal is to make the family debt-free, and then to provide ongoing support for education and other extraordinary expenses. Elected officials voice condolences "This morning, Bonne Terre Police Officer Lane Burns tragically lost his life in the line of duty," US Sen. Roy Blunt said in a press release. "Officer Burns fiance said he loved being a police officer and he loved the department. Officer Burns lived a life of service and purpose in protecting those around him. "Abby and I send our deepest condolences to his family and the Bonne Terre Police Department. Our thoughts are also with Corporal Garrett Worley who was injured and remains hospitalized. Gov. Mike Parson also made a post on Facebook. "This morning, two Bonne Terre Police Officers were shot while responding to a disturbance, and Officer Lane Burns has now passed away. Our hearts go out to the Bonne Terre community and Officer Burns' family and friends. "We know Missourians respect law and order, but as a former Sheriff it alarms me to see some of the attitudes toward those who have taken an oath to defend our communities and keep us safe. "Three of Missouris finest have now been killed in the line of duty in a little more than one week. This violence against law enforcement is unacceptable and MUST end. "Our administration is taking a renewed look at public safety and how best to fight violent crime, and criminals who direct harm on Missouris law enforcement will be held accountable. We must continue to support our law enforcement who put their lives on the line to protect our families, and you can rest assured that this administration will always back our men and women in blue." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch contributed to this story. Love 4 Funny 18 Wow 2 Sad 101 Angry 31 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Teresa Ressel Editor Follow Teresa Ressel 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 LevelUp Physical Therapy opened its doors in Ruckersville one year ago. This week, co-owners Martine Barre and Natasha Pena celebrated their first year with an official Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting at the business, which is located off Route 29 North behind Fabios Pizza. I think this was a tech company previously there used to be a garage door right there at the front, and then there was a wall that kind of went right down the middle, Pena said. And it had really bad linoleum flooring. The duo enlisted the services of handyman Buddy Barre, who not only replaced the flooring but built in a wall and two private exam rooms, adding large mirrors to one wall of the adjacent fitness space. Both ladies are licensed physical therapists and have been in practice for more than 10 years. We were working at a corporate PT clinic, and we both left because the corporate model is trying to see as many patients as you can every day, Pena said. You have anywhere from two to four patients in an hour, so you see roughly 16 to 24 patients in a day. Its not bad therapists; its just a different model than what we thought patient care deserved. With the support of their husbands, Pena and Barre branched out to open up their own practice where they only work with patients one-on-one. We see one patient an hour (each) and it just allows us to work with peoplegive them that care that we feel like they deserve, Pena added. And we are able to get them better faster because we are spending an entire hour with just one person. Weve gotten a lot of good, positive feedback from patients; they really feel like its a place that they can come and really get the attention that they deserve. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LevelUps one-on-one model made it easier to adhere to social distancing and masking guidelines, as there are already separate therapy rooms for each practitioner to work with her patient. Both practitioners are fully vaccinated and they say their patients are as well, so with recently relaxed guidelines they are no longer requiring masks except by personal preference. Pena said that many patients found them at their new location after working with them in their previous Charlottesville-based business, and the client base has just spread by word of mouth since then. Virginia is a direct-access state, so you dont have to have a referral from your physician; you can just come in, she said. In addition to rehabilitation services from injuries or surgery, LevelUp offers balance training, health and wellness classes and pain management services and they are also available via telehealth. They are also contracted in network with Medicare and Tricare but can work with other insurance plans as well. For more information on LevelUp Physical Therapy, visit levelupptva.com or call (434) 939-9524. The office is located at 6420 Seminole Trail, Suite L4 in Barboursville. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Four college administrators from across the country are in the running to lead the Piedmont Virginia Community College. The finalists will visit PVCC next month for interviews and open forums with staff, students and faculty. Interviews will be held the weeks of April 4 and April 11, according to a news release from PVCC. A search committee with the Virginia Community College System picked the four finalists from among 96 candidates. Frank Friedman, the current president, is retiring at the end of this school year after more than two decades at the helm. The finalists are Julie Leidig of Centreville, Virginia; Jean Runyon of Fort Collins, Colorado; Walt Tobin of Columbia, South Carolina; and Patrick Tompkins of Onancock, Virginia, according to the release. Details on the forums will be announced before April 4. More information can be found at pvcc.edu. Those who attend the forums will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the College Board, which will recommend a candidate to the Virginia Community College System Chancellor, who will make the final decision. PVCC said in the release that a new president will likely be announced in the coming months. Leidig has been the provost of the Loudoun Campus at Northern Virginia Community College since 2010. Before Loudoun, she worked at community colleges in Texas. Runyon is the campus vice president of Front Range Community College in Colorado and serves as the top executive of the Larimer campus. Shes been in that role since 2015. Previously, she worked at Anne Arundel Community College in a variety of roles. Tobin currently is president of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in South Carolina, which he has led since 2011. Before becoming president, he was the colleges vice president for academic affairs for nine years. Tompkins currently works as a vice president at Eastern Shore Community College. Prior to starting that job in 2019, he worked at Thomas Nelson Community College in several roles. Before moving into administrative positions, he taught at John Tyler Community College for 20 years. The next president should focus on increasing student success rates in terms of retention, completion, and/or transfer as well as student access to different courses, programs and services, among other priorities, according to the search committee. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Two years after the first positive COVID-19 case in the Blue Ridge Health District, the Charlottesville area is starting to open up even more, but officials and doctors say pandemic is not yet over. While COVID is certainly on the wane right now, it is fair to say were not going to overcome COVID, and what we need to do now is to learn how to live with it and go about our daily life in a way that is safe for all of our community members, Dr. Denise Bonds, director of the Blue Ridge Health District, said at a press conference Wednesday. Since March 16, 2020, 44,000 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 and 435 community members have died due to the virus in the health district, which includes the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday voted to end the countys local emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The county, which has been holding virtual public meetings for almost two years, plans to return to some in person meetings next month. In the region, only Charlottesville and Scottsville still have COVID-19 related local emergency in place. All of the localities in the district fall under the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions medium COVID-19 community level, which recommends those who have been vaccinated for the virus may go without facemask. COVID-19 cases are continuing to decrease in the district as hospitals see fewer patients with the virus than just a few weeks ago. Still, the pandemic isnt over. Bonds said there will continue to be cases in the community as it moves towards an endemic state of continuous infection. There will likely be additional variants that happen in the community and we will likely see additional outbreaks as time goes by, she said. There might be a future need to reinstitute mitigation measures and additional boosters or different variations of the vaccines that are needed. As part of that, I want to acknowledge that some members of our community will remain at higher risk than other members of our community and we need to be kind and caring to those individuals who continue to distance and wear masks and avoid those indoor spaces that we know now are the highest risk areas, she said. Theres no bright line when a virus or disease has crossed into the endemic stage where theres a constant level of it. It can be a constant low level or it can be a constant high level. Its just a disease that we expect and will always have in the community, like the common cold, for example, Bonds said. She said the health district is looking to the CDC for moving into that stage, but she would prefer that there is a longer period of time without big spikes in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths before that is considered. Over the last six months, weve had several big spikes when weve had new variants come through. It would be really helpful to have several months where theres a lower, steadier rate to make that call, she said. But it really shouldnt change peoples behavior. You should be able to go to the websites and see what is happening in your community and base your behavior on the rates that are happening in the community and your personal risk levels, Bonds said. Dr. Bill Petri, an immunologist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, said in an interview that two things may mean were not out of the woods just yet new variants arising and vaccine or natural infection acquired immunity being short-lived. The best estimates are that immunity against reinfection could be as short as three months or as long as five to six years, and the best bet is theres probably about a year and a half or so, he said. So if thats true, thats really good news, because then that means that that would probably take us into the fall or even the winter with sustained high levels of immunity. A new version of the most recent omicron variant, called BA.2, is creeping into the area, Bonds said. Many people who are testing positive, however, still have the BA.1 omicron variant. We, probably more than Europe, had a higher infection rate with omicron generally in the United States, and so that should mean that more people are resistant and in that immediate post recovery stage where your immunity is the highest, Bonds said. Hopefully, its not a big impact. So far, it has not been. Petri said its important that people who have not yet been vaccinated do so. If you fall into one of these risk groups that dont respond well to the vaccine, like people whove received kidney transplants, for example, there are now ways to passively immunize you by giving you the monoclonal antibodies against the spike glycoprotein, he said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The 70th annual Daily Progress Spelling Bee Regional Finals, which were postponed last week due to the winter storm that tracked across our region, will take place this Saturday at Albemarle High School. The spelling competition is slated to start around 9:30 a.m. Community members are invited to attend, and there is no entrance fee. A total of 16 student-finalists will take the stage, coming from public school districts across the region, as well as seven private schools in Charlottesville, Waynesboro and Staunton. The winner, sponsored by The Daily Progress, will move on to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is annually held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland. This years national finals will take place during the week of Memorial Day. Last year was the first time since 1952 the Daily Progress Regional Spelling Bee Finals were canceled due to COVID-19. All attendees are required to wear an appropriate face covering. Gov. Glenn Youngkin topped a state record by raising more than $5 million for his inaugural fund, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. The Republicans $5.1 million tally topped the $4.3 million then-Gov. Tim Kaine raised for his inauguration in 2006. Kaine, a Democrat, is now a U.S. senator. Youngkin was inaugurated Jan. 15 as Virginias 74th governor. The largest donation to Youngkins inaugural fund was $250,000 from The Breeden Company Inc., a real estate developer in Virginia Beach. The fund also received contributions of $100,000 each from COSTAR Realty Information Inc., a research and analytic leader in commercial real estate; the Franklin Johnston Group, a Virginia Beach-based developer and manager of apartment buildings; the Virginia Automobile & Truck Dealers PAC and The American Economic Freedom Alliance. Individual donations include $100,000 from Charles Hobbs of Norfolk, with Hobbs & Associates, an HVAC contractor. Dominion Energy Services Inc. contributed $50,000 to the fund in December following an election campaign in which Dominion provided $250,000 in funding for a secretive federal political action committee that funded misleading attacks on Youngkin. The ads were meant to undercut Youngkin with his Republican base by painting him as weak on the Second Amendment. Dominion CEO Bob Blue apologized last year and said the company failed to properly vet the PAC, while Youngkin attacked the utility for helping his Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe. The fund also received $50,100 in December from Caren Merrick. That month Youngkin named her secretary of commerce and trade. Merrick, who previously worked in venture capital, had prior ties to Youngkin. She had led his nonprofit organization that focused on workforce training during the pandemic. The fund also received $25,000 in January from Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Commanders, who could find his teams next stadium in Northern Virginia. Fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees, through March 31, New Morning Bakery, 219 SW Second St., Corvallis. Owner Keara James will donate 20% of sales off six-packs of Hamantaschen to the Corvallis Sister Cities Association's Uzhhorod Refugee Fund. Hamantaschen are triangular cookies; New Morning's cookies have apricot, marionberry and poppy seed fillings. In the Jewish world, Haman represents great evil. Those who eat the cookies are symbolically doing away with/overcoming evil in the form of a threat to their existence. "Read Beyond the Beaten Path: Get Out and Explore Oregon," Monday through March 25, Lebanon Public Library, 55 Academy St. Spring break activities for children of all ages. Hike the Library scavenger hunt in the children's section for ages 5 to 12; find all the hidden items on the inventory sheet for a small treat. Ages 13 to 18 can stop by and pick up a do-it-yourself crystal necklace take-and-make kit containing all materials. Those ages 8 to 12 can pick up a knot-tying take and make kit. Magical Story Jars will return for those age 8 or under. Each jar is filled with items children can use to create their own story. The jars will be hidden in locations around Lebanon every day during spring break. Location clues will be posted on the library's social media. Story jars encourage imagination, creativity and cooperation, and are designed to bring adults and children closer. Jars contain small pieces; adult supervision is strongly advised. Supplies for all activities are limited and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The Azerbaijani army is conducting regular warrant officer training courses, the Defence Ministry has reported. Under the training plan, the participants carried out shooting exercises at the Training-Educational Center of the Armed Forces, the report added. Prior to the shooting, training sessions were undertaken to increase the cadets' theoretical understanding. The tactical and technical characteristics of weapons, as well as the regulations of their usage, the fundamentals of marking and shooting, and safety standards, were also explained. The shooting drills, which took place in the open field, sought to improve cadets' practical talents, such as their ability to identify targets quickly and destroy them with precise fire while adhering to the principles of correct marking. The cadets successfully completed all of the tasks assigned to them during the shooting exercises, the report added. Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve its military personnels combat readiness. The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills. When youre wounded and desperate, you dont care about the expiration date on the medical supplies keeping you alive. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is cutting off the flow of supplies to the beleaguered Eastern European nation. More than 5,000 miles from the third week of fighting, Samaritan Health Services is pitching in to help medical workers in the war zone. Most medical supplies carry an expiration date. After that date, its not legal to use the items, according to Todd Heustis, who manages Samaritans Belvue Street warehouse in Corvallis. Samaritan culls the expired supplies and stores them at the warehouse, and they are later donated to countries with less strict regulations and more immediate need. A lot of these countries really dont have anything, Heustis said. Youll see pictures of people who are sleeping on a pad on the ground and theyre in a hospital. To have any medical supplies is a step up for them. At the warehouse the morning of Tuesday, March 15, a group worked its way through around a dozen pallets of medical supplies, hunting up the most crucial gear for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Its important to choose carefully because of the costs and logistics of shipping under pandemic conditions, let alone shipping to a war-torn foreign nation, Heustis said. From a health care perspective, Im here to help save lives, Heustis said. Ultimately, yes were here for our patients, and were doing business here, but were here for patients around the world. If we can put a product in a physician or nurses hand that can take care of a patient somewhere else, lets do it. The supply sorting was led by Dr. Sam Scheinberg, a former orthopedic surgeon and Army veteran. He and his wife Cherrie Scheinberg founded a medical device company, SAM Medical, in 1984 with a garage-based factory and have been growing it ever since. In 1993, Sam Scheinberg retired from active practice to focus on new product development. About 80% of everything that comes out our door, we actually manufacture in Portland, and 50% is exported, Sam Scheinberg said. Its different than what you think about for a normal American company that just buys stuff and puts their name on it and ships it. We actually make stuff and export it. In sorting through the pallets, he found that some of the products being shipped out were made by Sam Medical. Sam Scheinberg connected with a pair of doctors while teaching medical techniques in Ukraine around seven years ago. The Russo-Ukrainian war from which the current conflict stems was ongoing at the time. One of those doctors, Brian McMurry, is back in Ukraine and calling for a long list of needed medical supplies. Ukraine's wish list of medical supplies includes surgical tubing for chest wounds, belts that close and support pelvic fractures (which bleed badly), suture material for sewing wounds and tying-off bleeding, surgical instruments, needle drivers and anesthetics. Antibiotics are high on the list, but Sam Scheinberg said he hadnt found any to send. I spent a year in Vietnam as a trauma surgeon, so Im well aware of what is needed in those circumstances, he said. Thank God for these generous people at Good Samaritan here in Corvallis who are willing to donate their expired or almost-expired products which believe me, in a war zone doesnt matter a wit. The donated supplies, which cost more than $100,000, first are headed to Nashville before shipping overseas, where they will be spread around to various facilities. While its possible the supplies could be captured by Russian forces before they reach the destination, they still have only one use saving lives. In either case, nobody wants to run out of medical supplies, Sam Scheinberg said. Operating as a war surgeon, I experienced running out of supplies, Sam Scheinberg said. And then you make due with whatever youve got. In Vietnam we took care of everybody; they were all in the same war. The war's human toll has been devastating the number of Ukrainians forced to flee their country since the invasion started has now surpassed 3 million; the vast majority of them women and children. More than a million children have fled the country, and many more have been internally displaced. Thousands of soldiers and civilians are dead. Aid groups have warned that large numbers of people could face starvation. Bodies are now being buried in mass graves. The U.S. added more sanctions Tuesday, whose targets include senior Russian military officials. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cody Mann covers Benton County and the cities of Corvallis and Philomath. He can be contacted at 541-812-6113 or Cody.Mann@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @News_Mann_. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As Colorado legislators, lobbyists, public health officials and law enforcement seek ways to confront the fentanyl crisis, efforts are complicated by the synthetic opioid's deadly and increasingly omnipresent nature and differing opinions on how the next phase of the drug war should be waged. Citing next generation telecommunications business opportunities as a driver, Straits CommNet Solutions has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysian telecommunications infrastructure company Edgepoint Towers. Straits CommNet Solutions is a 70% indirect subsidiary of Straits Energy Resources, whose interests include oil bunkering (the provision of marine fuels to ships and other ocean-faring vessels) and trading. EdgePoint Towers, the operating entity of EdgePoint Group in Malaysia, services the telecommunications infrastructure needs of mobile network operators with more than 800 towers. It holds both NFP (network facilities provider) and NSP (network services provider) licences. Parent company EdgePoint Infrastructure says it is focused on building and leasing shareable, fibre-integrated, and modern telecom structures as well as providing solutions such as small cells and in-building systems. EdgePoint also says it aims to be the leading 5Gready provider in the region, which is appropriate given the language used in the filing of the MoU, whose purpose is described as to collaborate and participate in the vast business opportunities of 4G and 5G as well as private network rollout, digital transformation and Industry 4.0 aspirations in the oil and gas, port management and transportation sectors through smart technologies and IoT in Malaysia and regionally. Straits CommNet CEO Sunny Ho Khin Choy has been quoted in local press reports as saying that through the partnership his company will become the equipment and service provider to complement EdgePoints telecommunication infrastructure offerings. The opportunity offered by next generation technology to the private sector is not a new theme for industry in fact Straits Energy Resources last November entered into an MoU with US company Baicells Technologies, which provides 4G LTE and 5G NR access solutions. Here again reference was made to the business opportunities of 4G and 5G rollout and also to the digital transformation of the oil and gas industry through the Internet of Things. Could established brands be keen customers for a white-label, fully-customizable solution that would turn them into telecom carriers? OXIO, the first telecom-as-a-service platform for brands and enterprises, is hoping so after it raised $40 million in Series B funding. Among the markets it is targeting is Latin America. The Series B follows OXIOs $12 million Series A in November 2020, which, together with earlier seed rounds, brings total proceeds raised to $65 million to date. The funding will support OXIO as it accelerates its continued growth in Mexico and launches its business in the US using what it calls its innovative web3-built technology to strengthen the company's role in creating the telecom-as-a-service (TAAS) category. Launched in 2018, OXIO says it is the first, fully-customizable mobile TAAS platform for brands and enterprises. The company allows organizations to offer telecom services for end users and to create bespoke enterprise solutions, easily accessing and packaging 4G and 5G carrier infrastructure capabilities through modern UI and API methods. This white-label technology makes it possible for any brand to launch a customized mobile service, effectively acting as a mobile operator, but without the cost or complexity. The result provides end consumers with a fast, affordable and reliable mobile service from a well-loved brand. In Mexico, OXIOs clients include some of the largest brands in the country, such as Grupo Bimbo, (the world's largest bread maker), Grupo Coppel, (Mexico's premier white goods 1,200-store retail chain), and Rappi (Latin Americas preeminent food delivery and services app). This approach of turning brands into mobile carriers is, Oxio believes, poised to revolutionize the telecom industry, and not just in Mexico and the US. The company also plans to expand into new markets in Latin America, most notably Brazil, Latin Americas largest phone market with over 250 million mobile users. Funding will also be used to grow the companys team in the US and Mexico, starting with senior roles in revenue and finance alongside aggressive hiring in product and engineering departments. Helios Towers is looking to make more acquisitions in Africa and the Middle East, despite reporting widening losses in its 2021 financial results. Speaking to Developing Telecoms, CEO designate Tom Greenwood says: We see a significant runway ahead in terms of both organic and potentially more inorganic growth over time just given the dynamics of our markets coming out from low levels of penetration and new technologies coming through 4G and 5G. Greenwood noted there is high demand for towers in developing markets. Helios footprint is mainly in Africa, although it gained a foothold in the Middle East last year in Oman. There is rising (network) densification and which means more towers are required. We're seeing continued inorganic opportunities across Africa and the Middle East driven by mobile operators continuing to look to divest their non-core assets of towers for all the reasons that we know about. As a result, we see opportunities for us to grow further over the next five years. Operators have been cashing in on tower assets globally to pay off high debts accrued from acquiring spectrum and upgrading networks. The GSMA forecasts that this will collectively cost the industry US$890 billion between 2020 and 2025. Greenwood acknowledges this trend will be mirrored in developing markets with some operators planning to launch 5G in the near future as uptake of mobiles increases. Currently, there is high tower ownership among operators, with around 75% still owned by MNOs notes Greenwood, which leaves plenty of scope for tower companies in developing markets. He did not detail potential acquisitions. There are multiple countries in both Middle East and Africa where mobile operators are thinking about selling their towers in the not too distant future, or are almost certainly going to do so. Theres more than a handful of countries with big tier-one mobile operators who could well be looking to divest those towers in the short to medium term, says Greenwood. Ethiopia Telcos have been eyeing Ethiopia since its government opened the market to foreign players in 2021. It has long been seen as one of the very few nascent markets with low mobile penetration and huge opportunity from a population of over 100 million. Greenwood says Helios has been tracking Ethiopia for over 10 years and theres clearly huge attraction for the business, but Ethiopia is yet to open itself to tower companies, having only granted its first telecom licence to Safaricom, with a second player still being mulled. Greenwood explains a market attractive to tower companies is one with multiple players with the sweet spot being around three to four operators. The firm will continue to monitor the market situation in the East African country. Full-year 2021 results Helios added 2,204 towers to a total of 9,560 sites by the end of December last year. Tower tenancies grew by 3,120 to 18,776, which was almost a split between organic (1,262) and acquired (1,858). The company is now looking to target organic tenancy additions of 1,200 1,700 (prior 1,000 -1,500), and have 60% of tenancy additions to be on new sites (prior 40%). Revenue grew 8% to US$449.1m, while EBITDA increases 6% to US$240.6m, and operating profit is also slightly up by 5% to US$59m, but net debt amounted to $948m up year-on-year from $692m. Throughout 2021 the company has been on an acquisition spree and expects to finalise its buys in Oman, Malawi and Gabon this year. Upon closure of these deals the company will hit its 2025 targets ahead of schedule, one of which is to attain 12,000 towers. Following news that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe V. Wade, pro-choice protesters took to the streets of Moscow, and Planned Parenthood officials want to remind people that its health centers are still open and abortion services are currently legal. By Trend Members of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) appealed to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports citing the International Center. "We acknowledge and appreciate the offer you have made to host representatives of Russia and Ukraine for peace talks. Baku is a neutral venue for such discussions, having already been a platform for a meeting of top Russian and NATO generals for negotiations on preventing military incidents. We hope that the parties will accept this offer, and that Baku can play an important role in solving this, the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced since the end of World War II," said the letter. According to the letter, every possible channel should be used in order to stop this horrific humanitarian crisis. "We are already seeing its potential for having a catastrophic impact on our world as it generates the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II, as well as a growing global food security threat and the destabilization of global energy supply. We see the very serious impact on life within Ukraine, with rising civilian deaths and injuries, large scale internal displacement, and the destruction of key infrastructure, including of homes and health care facilities. Fighting and shelling around nuclear power plants in Ukraine are is also of great concern," the members of the Center noted. The letter also said that implications of the conflict were serious for the world as a whole, but particularly for those losing their lives on both sides. "We, as members of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) call for urgent results-oriented dialogue between Russia and Ukraine on ending hostilities immediately. Time is of the essence. Too many lives are being lost. Too many children, women, and other innocent people are being forced from their homes and families with every moment that passes. This horrific situation cannot be allowed to continue," said the letter. The inaugural graduating class of Certified Medication Assistants from Wallace Community College-Dothan received a 100% pass rate on their Medication Assistant Certification Exam. All eight members of the first class, which was held in the fall of 2021, passed the exam enabling them to become certified medication assistants, or MACs, granting them the credentials necessary to administer medication to individuals who need assistance receiving medications, such as the elderly, disabled, or those in treatment facilities. In the case of many of these graduates, the additional certification led to increased compensation at their current places of employment. The medication assistant course is a great example of how short-term training can have a long-term, positive impact on an individuals career, said Joe Johnson, WCCD Director of Workforce Development. We are so excited and proud that our graduates have obtained a 100% certification pass rate. Success is achieved when you combine great faculty with dedicated and driven students; we are fortunate to have both in our Workforce Development courses. The second class of MACs began this year with 15 students who are employed at five different long-term care or mental health facilities around the Wiregrass. All students participating in the current six-week program are receiving their training at no expense thanks to an Alabama Workforce Stabilization Grant (AWSP) provided by the Alabama Community College System and the Alabama Department of Commerce. The majority of the first class of MACs was also funded by this grant. A MAC is typically a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) who works in a long-term care or mental health facility under the direction of a licensed nurse. The program is designed to relieve some of the workforce stress on nurses and long-term care facilities and mental health facilities by upskilling members of their existing workforce. For more information on the Certified Medication Assistants program at WCCD, please contact Joe Johnson at jjohnson@wallace.edu or 334-556-2390. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded grants totaling $11.1 million to help low-income households with water service costs statewide, including nearly $1.4 million for residents in Southeast Alabama. The grants for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program will enable community service agencies to aid with residential water and wastewater services costs for low-income households in all 67 counties, according to a news release from the governors office. A priority is given to the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with young children. To qualify for assistance, household income must not exceed 150% of the federally established poverty level. Low-income families often need assistance in paying for necessities during difficult times, and access to clean, fresh water is vital to any household, Ivey said. These grants will provide emergency assistance with water bills so that families will have less worry about access to water service. Ivey awarded the grants to 18 community agencies that will manage the program at the local level and receive applications from individuals seeking assistance. The Southeast Alabama Community Action Partnership Inc. was awarded $668,757. Based in Enterprise, the agency serves Barbour, Coffee, Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties. The agency can be reached by calling 334-347-0881. Another $683,448 was award to the Organized Community Action Program Inc. in Troy for residents in Bullock, Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Lowndes, and Pike counties. Residents in those counties can call 334-566-1712 for more information. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from a one-time allocation made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ADECA stands with Gov. Ivey in supporting those who need help most with covering vital utility bills, ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. These partnerships with local community agencies ensure that those who truly need assistance have access to it. Conglomerate Imex Pan Pacific Group has apprised the Ministry of Transport about its interest in bidding for the contract to upgrade Phu Quoc International Airport. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen, its chairman, said the company is seeking to bid for upgrading the international terminal, cargo facility and runway. IPPG built the VND3.73-trillion ($163 million) international terminal at Cam Ranh airport in the central Khanh Hoa Province. It has received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to operate the countrys first cargo airline. Many other private enterprises in Vietnam have also expressed interest to invest in other airports, including budget airline Vietjet, conglomerate Vingroup and Bamboo Airways owner FLC group. Phu Quoc International Airport is operated by the Airports Corporation Of Vietnam. It has one terminal with a capacity of 2.5 million passengers a year and can handle wide-body aircraft like Boeing 767 and Boeing 747-400. One of Vietnams busiest airports, it received 3.7 million passengers in 2019, or 50 percent higher than its designed capacity. A Vietnam Airlines aircraft is seen at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Vietnam Airlines proposed to raise the price cap for domestic travel from April 1 and add a fuel surcharge for local routes. The current price cap of air transportation services is no longer suitable, the airline said in its proposal sent sent to the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Finance on March 14. The current maximum fare is VND2.2 million ($96) for routes under 850 kilometers, and VND3.75 million for those above 1.280 kilometers. The higher cap would serve to offset costs of rising oil prices and improve service quality, the airline said. Its proposal also advocated for a fuel surcharge on domestic routes and full environmental tax exemption for aviation fuel in 2022, which would save the airline more than VND600 billion if approved. Previously, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam had repeatedly requested the airfare cap be removed, but to no avail. Last year, the national carrier proposed to set price floors between VND560,000 and VND1.4 million for air tickets on domestic routes, but the Ministry of Transportation rejected the idea. Nghi Son Refinery in Thanh Hoa Province. Photo courtesy of Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Llc Vietnam is working on administrative procedures to build a third oil refinery amid apparent shortages and surging prices due to dependency on global supply. The factory is set to have a capacity of 10 million tonnes per year and be located in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh told lawmakers Wednesday. Vietnam now has two refineries, Nghi Son and Binh Son (also known as Dung Quat), which together have a combined capacity of 13 million tonnes per year. The two plants meet around 70 percent of domestic demand. The country imports the rest. With the new plant, Vietnams total capacity would reach 23 million tonnes, expected to be enough for domestic use. The country will also increase crude oil drilling, as current supply only meets 50 percent of production demand. Gasoline prices in Vietnam are heavily affected by the fluctuation of global rates. They climbed to a record high of VND29,820 ($1.30) per liter last week. Prices have been surging partly because Nghi Son refinery had to cut production since February due to financial difficulties. Gasoline stations across the country have reported shortages and some have shut down shop temporarily in recent weeks, but authorities have affirmed that supply is adequate. Gasoline imports will continue until Nghi Son resumes normal operation, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said Wednesday. Specialized vehicles at the dumping site. Work on Long Thanh airport, which will replace HCMCs Tan Son Nhat International Airport as Vietnams biggest once completed, began on Jan. 5 last year after many years of preparations and lengthy land acquisitions. In February, a year after work began, only fencing and demining had been done, causing Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to complain over the progress. However, until now, Dong Nai Province has yet to hand over enough cleared land designated for the project. An airport staffer guides a passenger at the Tan Son Nhat Airport, HCMC, Jan 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran The Foreign Affairs Ministry says Vietnam has resumed visa exemption and e-visa issuance to what it used to be before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. "Vietnam has resumed visa exemption for foreign nationals in accordance with international conventions that Vietnam is a party to, applied visa exemptions on reciprocal basis with countries, as also visa exemption agreements with other Southeast Asian nations," foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday. Hang said that the resumption was in conformity with policy that the Vietnamese government had announced for March 15, approving a proposal by the foreign ministry to restore immigration policies for foreign nationals and Vietnamese nationals residing abroad to what they were prior to Covid-19 restrictions. Accordingly, Vietnam has resumed the application of visa granting processes and visa exemptions in accordance with the Law on Foreigners Entry Into, Exit From, Transit Through and Residents in Vietnam, including the granting of electronic visas. Visitors coming to Vietnam from 24 countries including ASEAN members do not require a visa. Their single-entry stay ranges from 14 to 90 days. The country also grants e-visas to citizens of 80 countries that allows them to apply for 30-day, single entry visas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed relevant agencies to work together and facilitate visa applications for tourists as well as individuals and organizations wishing to explore trade and investment opportunities. "This means that after March 15, travel agencies will be able to receive and process visa applications," Hang told VnExpress International. Vietnam has announced the lifting of most travel restrictions from March 15, allowing foreign tourists to visit the country without booking tour packages. It had halted inbound tourism and granting of visas for foreign tourists in March 2020. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijan has set up the Migrant Council under the State Migration Service, Trend has reported. State Migration Service Head Vusal Huseynov made the remarks at a conference on the 15-year partnership for inclusive, progressive and better migration management, the report added. "Our goal is to put forward initiatives for the integration of foreigners living in Azerbaijan. Discussions are underway to create integration centers in the future," Huseynov underlined. Addressing the event, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva said that Azerbaijan was one of the first nations to join the United Nations' global migratory network. She highly appreciated the Azerbaijani State Migration Services contribution and added that the European community is currently dealing with a migrant issue, which all countries must address jointly. Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Azerbaijan Guido Ambroso said that Azerbaijan is committed to the fundamental principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - Leave no one behind (LNOB) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "Azerbaijan liberated its lands from Armenian occupation, began the process of de-mining and returning citizens to the liberated territories," Ambroso stressed. Head of the International Organization for Migration Mission to Azerbaijan Vladimir Giorgiyev said that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) develops a number of joint projects with Azerbaijan. "We really appreciate our partnership with Azerbaijan. The partnership with the State Migration Service is only getting stronger over the years," Giorgiyev said. He expressed hope for further fruitful cooperation and wished the Azerbaijani State Migration Service successful participation in the International Migration Review Forum to be held in New York on 17- 20 May 2022. People in Mostyska, Ukraine, go to the Shehyni border crossing with Poland by foot and in cars on February 27 as Russian military operations continue. Photo by Reuters/Thomas Peter Vietnam supports international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to people in Ukraine, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said Wednesday. He was speaking with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba by telephone, according to a press release from the Vietnamese foreign ministry. He expressed condolences for the loss of lives and property in the conflict. It is now nearly three weeks since Russia launched its attack on Ukraine. Son said Vietnam's consistent stance is that international disputes and disagreements should be resolved through peaceful means in compliance with the U.N. Charter and international law, especially the principle of respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. He also repeated what he had told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a call on Tuesday about Vietnam being a close traditional friend of both countries and so sincerely wishes they exercise restraint, reduce tensions and continue to talk to find a lasting solution in conformity with international law and taking into account their legitimate interests. Vietnam is willing to join the international community in facilitating this process, he said. Son also asked Ukraine to keep humanitarian corridors open and ensure the safety of civilians, including Vietnamese, and enable them to evacuate. He agreed to work with Ukraine to resume exchanges and cooperation between the two countries once peace and stability are restored in the country. Kuleba promised that Ukraine would make every effort to assist in the safe evacuation of Vietnamese from the war zone. As of March 16 around 4,600 Vietnamese nationals had left Ukraine and reached neighboring countries. They include nearly 1,200 who have returned to Vietnam on rescue flights. Two more flights sponsored by a private company carrying 480 people are scheduled to arrive in Hanoi on March 17 and 19. There were around 7,000 Vietnamese living in Ukraine, mainly in Kharkiv, Odessa and Kiev, when Russia began its "special military operation" in late February. A woman holds a girl at the Covid-19 testing area for people flying in from HCMC at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, July 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy Vietnam will consider delisting Covid-19 as a Class A infectious disease, the list of diseases that are classified as "especially dangerous," the government announced Thursday. The announcement was made in accordance with a 2022-2023 Covid-19 prevention program issued the same day. Class A infectious diseases include those with high infection and death rates, like polio, influenza A-H5N1, plague, smallpox, Ebola, Lassa and Marburg hemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, yellow fever and cholera. The removal of Covid-19 from the Class A list of infectious diseases would be a milestone in Vietnam's strategy to fight the novel coronavirus, and serve as a premise for authorities to issue new adaptation policies. In February 2020, the then Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had declared Covid-19 as a Class A infectious disease. It was declared a national epidemic in April 2020. This year, Vietnam aims to fully vaccinate its 12-18 population within the first quarter, while giving third vaccine shots to all adults and ensuring children aged 5 to 11 are vaccinated before September. Le Thi Kim Phi (L) stands before the An Giang People's Court, March 16, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/An Binh A 63-year-old woman was sentenced to six years in jail Wednesday for joining a terrorist organization and conducting anti-state activities. Le Thi Kim Phi was charged with "conducting activities against the people's government", the An Giang People's Court in the southern province determined. Since September 2020, Phi used her Facebook account to make friends with several members of the organization "Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi" (Provisional National Government of Vietnam). The organization is classified as terrorist by the Ministry of Public Security. She often used her account to share articles, videos and images with contents said to be "against the Party and State," the indictment said. At the end of 2020, she asked to join the organization, participating in its meetings and classes. An investigation into over 400 pages of documents and videos from Phi's Facebook account confirmed the contents were against the state, with the intention to overthrow it. She was arrested in July 2021. The terrorist organization, established in 1990 by 70-year-old Dao Minh Quan in the U.S., aims to overthrow the Vietnamese government through violence and acts of terrorism, according to the public security ministry. Under Vietnam's Penal Code, conducting activities to overthrow the government is punishable by death while anti-government propaganda can be punished with up to 20 years in jail. Apparently some people in Vietnam want professors to teach in high schools. Makes no sense, if you ask me. The jobs of a professor doing scientific research and a teacher instilling knowledge into children and adolescents are vastly different from one another. I was surprised when someone asked me whether in Australia, where I work as a university professor, high school students are taught by people with PhDs. In fact, I was so flabbergasted by the question that I actually took some time to check it out. It turns out that Hoa Binh Province in northern Vietnam is proposing to spend a chunk of the provincial budget to hire professors to teach at specialized high schools in the province. A proposal says that those who are committed to teach there for at least 10 years would get a one-time payment of VND1 billion ($43,705) as incentive. The policy is intended to attract talented people to support students participating in national and international competitions, and help with the province's research efforts apart from training school faculty members, officials have said. And this is part of a bigger plan. Hoa Binh's developmental project for its specialized high schools, to be continued until 2032, aims to increase the percentage of teachers at specialized high schools with Masters and PhD degrees. There are no specialized schools, otherwise known as "schools for the gifted", in New South Wales. However, there are some selective schools for students with exceptional achievements and special talents. All primary school and high school teachers in Australia have Bachelor's degrees, while some others have Masters degree holders. There are a small number of teachers who have PhDs in education, but these are exceedingly rare. Most high schools here don't hire professors to teach. So why is there a need for professors to teach in high schools, even if they are for "gifted students?" The main goal of doctorate programs is to build a community for scientific research. Their main work environments are universities and laboratories. Doctoral degrees are akin to "passports" for a career in scientific research. These are not intended for a career in teaching. Doctors and professors usually have very specialized fields of interest, and they are not equipped with pedagogical skills, especially for high school students. This is why many professors, while stellar in their fields, are not very good teachers. Teaching, especially at high school level, is much harder than in universities. University and college students mostly study on their own with their professors mostly nudging them in the right direction. That is not exactly teaching. In high schools, teachers are required to guide their students through every step of the way with questions and answers and exercises, using pedagogical skills honed over years. High school subjects are also vastly different from what's taught in universities. I often say that basic education levels, including high schools, only serve to turn someone from knowing nothing to knowing a bit of something. Universities are where the real work happens, building upon the foundations laid in high school to climb up the ladder of academic pursuit. A good teacher is someone who knows not only to transfer knowledge to their students, but also inspire them. A good teacher doesn't need to have a PhD. Some people say professors can help "gifted students" to do academic research, but I'm afraid that's not feasible. At high school level, students do not have enough resources to do actual, proper scientific research. Some student research projects in Chinese high schools were eventually revealed to have been done by the teachers themselves. High school students are also not academically equipped to handle falsifiability in scientific research. Another important job for high school teachers is to mold personalities, to teach students how to be good, balanced human beings in the first place. At universities, the transference of knowledge takes precedence. I believe authorities need to reconsider the proposal regarding both its feasibility and effectiveness. Instead of hiring professors, teachers' skills need to be upgraded. Nowadays, the criteria to enroll students in the field of education are much easier than for other disciplines, like medicine or pharmacies. Teachers are also not very well-paid. How will we get highly skilled teachers then? There are many such problems to be tackled and it is better that the focus is on doing that instead of chasing after frivolous goals like sending students from elite schools to international competitions. After all, what's good about a society with only a few exceptional individuals rising while the rest remain stuck at the bottom? *Nguyen Van Tuan is a professor of medicine in Australia. The opinions expressed are his own. The Statue of Liberty in Check-in An Sapa, an unlicensed tourism complex in Sa Pa Town, April 2021. The site has since been shut down. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy Bad experiences and the lack of an oomph factor are among major reasons that deter tourists from visiting a place again. The sense of shame I felt recently after seeing a foreign tourist receive a cutthroat bill akin to extortion was distressing and revealing. This is one of many reasons why so many decide not to return to Vietnam, ever. We can't blame the foreigners. Most of us who've traveled can think of a destination or two in the country that we would never come back to. Why? First, our tourism service doesn't offer anything particular that leaves a lasting positive impression on visitors and earns their loyalty. Scenic views aren't enough on their own. These must be backed up with quality service. For example, my last trip to the Monkey Island in Khanh Hoa Province's Nha Trang Town was neither unique nor interesting. The only thing that stood out was the monkeys. People won't recommend such a destination to friends and families, let alone coming back. Second, tourists are still being hassled, tricked and taken advantage of. It has happened in many places for a long time, stretching from north to south. I have personally fallen prey to such tactics before, learning the hard lesson: don't return. My friend and I were sitting at the HCMC Post Office one day when a foreigner came to us for help. She handed over a slip of paper, similar to a bill from a shop in Ben Thanh market, and asked me details about some things she'd bought. From her looks and gestures, I understood that she was doubtful about the bill. My jaw dropped as I looked at the absurdly high prices she'd been charged. I explained things and directed her to another shop with more reasonable prices. I couldn't believe something like that had happened at the Ben Thanh Market, one of the oldest, most iconic landmarks in Saigon. Third, several tourism sites are "developing" themselves for short-term financial gains without paying attention to the bigger picture and possible environmental impacts. We can see this happening in Da Lat, Sa Pa and some locations in the Central Highlands. Erecting messy buildings and sky trams without proper safety measures and skilled personnel to operate them, only creates bland, boring destinations not worth a second look. And finally, people are just looking to profit from tourism sites in any way possible, including by selling goods and souvenirs that can be found anywhere else and have nothing to do with what makes a site unique. From Can Tho to Da Nang and Ninh Binh, I see the same mass-produced wooden statuettes being sold with the exact same model and serial number. How can such a thing make a tourist site special? I have only recounted some examples off the top of my head. Our tourism industry is still flawed in many ways, and if we don't try to mend them, this "key" industry would forever be locked into a rut. Domestic carriers plan to expand international services later this month after the government fully reopened its border with relaxed tourism policies. Vietnam Airlines said it would resume its regular service from Singapore to Da Nang with three weekly flights from late this month and one weekly flight from tourist beach towns Phu Quoc, Nha Trang to Singapore each from April 15. Currently, the national flag carrier operates 10 weekly flights from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi to Singapore and will increase its frequency to 21 a week from March 27. In early July, the carrier will resume its service to China with six flights a week and Indonesia with three weekly flights. It also plans to reopen commercial flights connecting Da Nang, Nha Trang to Japan and South Korea, Vietnam's major tourism markets, from July. From January, Vietnam Airlines resumed commercial flights to many Asian destinations, the U.S. and Europe. From Feb. 15, the carrier also resumed flights to Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Bamboo Airways this month launched new routes from Hanoi, HCMC to Melbourne and Hanoi to Frankfurt with one to two flights a week. It plans to operate its Hanoi-London route from March 22, HCMC-Sydney from March 29 with two weekly flights. In Northeast Asia, Bamboo Airways also increased its frequency to two weekly flights on each of the Hanoi-Tokyo, Hanoi-Taipei and Hanoi-Incheon routes. The carrier has begun selling air tickets for the HCMC-Bangkok route scheduled from April 28 and HCMC-Singapore route that will take off a day later, with each having two weekly flights. A Vietjet Air representative said the low-cost airline would increase the frequency of routes connecting Hanoi, HCMC to Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul. In the best case scenario, Vietnam's aviation industry would transport 42-43 million passengers in 2022, or around 50 percent of pre-pandemic numbers, Bui Minh Dang, deputy head of the air transportation department at the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said. Vietnam fully reopened its inbound tourism on Tuesday after nearly two years of closure and resumed its visa exemption policy for 13 countries, including Japan, South Korea and European countries. The Ministry of Health said Wednesday foreigners entering Vietnam only need to furnish a negative Covid-19 test certificate and are not required to quarantine. The test can be done using the RT-PCR method within 72 hours before departure or the rapid antigen process within 24 hours. Those who cannot take a test before arrival have to be tested within 24 hours after entering and can leave their accommodation if not infected. Make your plan: More int'l flights ready for outbound tours Passengers wait at Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC, June 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa With many Vietnamese tourists interested in traveling abroad as countries lift Covid-19 testing and quarantine requirements, here's a review of available international flights to enable such travel plans. National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines currently operates three weekly flights from Hanoi and HCMC to Bangkok while Vietjet Air has doubled its frequency on the HCMC-Bangkok route to six daily flights. Bamboo Airways is scheduled to resume its HCMC-Bangkok route on March 17. On February 1, Thailand began a quarantine-free travel program it calls Test & Go allowing fully vaccinated travelers from Vietnam to enter without quarantine. Singaporean authorities have decided to restore two-way quarantine-free travel with Vietnam starting March 16. Those wishing to visit Singapore can book air tickets through Vietnam Airlines, which operates three weekly flights from HCMC and Hanoi to the island state. From March 27, there would be four weekly flights from HCMC to Kuala Lumpur. The Philippines has also reopened international tourism in February with quarantine exemption and Vietnamese tourists can book services through Philippines Airlines and Cebu Pacific, which have resumed flights from HCMC to Manila. Vietnam Airlines is also operating three weekly flights from Hanoi to Vientiane and six from HCMC. Those wishing to fly to Phnom Penh from HCMC can also book Vietnam Airlines tickets with three weekly flights. Vietnamese carriers have not yet resumed flights from Vietnam to India. Therefore, Vietnamese tourists wishing to visit the country can fly from Hanoi or HCMC to Bangkok on Vietnam Airlines or Vietjet Air and catch another flight on Indigo Airlines. In addition, tourists also can fly from Hanoi and HCMC and transit in Singapore or Malaysia where you can catch another flight to New Delhi on Indigo or Air India airlines. For a holiday trip to Maldives, tourists can book air tickets with Singapore Airlines from HCMC or Hanoi and transit in Singapore. For the Middle East region, Emirates Airlines has resumed commercial flights from Dubai to HCMC and Hanoi from March 13 while Turkish Airlines has reopened a direct flight from HCMC to Istanbul, flying continuously for nearly 12 hours. Tourists departing from Hanoi for Dubai can use Qatar Airways and transit at Doha or Malaysia Airlines with transit at Kuala Lumpur. Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways are operating direct flights to Frankfurt and London with limited frequency. Europe reopened to Vietnamese tourists from March 1. So far, more than 50 countries around the world have lifted Covid testing and quarantine requirements for Vietnamese tourists. The United States is committed to disrupting and dismantling the illicit funding of terrorist organizations, including all branches of ISIS. In Africa, the United States is working with its partners, including South Africa, to dismantle ISIS financial support networks on the continent. The United States is particularly concerned about the increasing terrorism threat in Africa. ISIS and its branches and networks have metastasized in pockets across Africa and grafted extremist ideology onto long-simmering conflicts, providing them new volatility and lethality. Financing continues to be the lifeblood for terrorists, warned U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Senior Advisor for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations. We must bolster our efforts to go after terrorist financiers and financial facilitators, and stymie vital resource streams that exploit weak regulatory oversight in vulnerable jurisdictions. Toward this goal, the United States designated four ISIS and ISIS-Mozambique, or ISIS-M, financial facilitators in South Africa. Farhad Hoomer, Siraaj Miller, Abdella Hussein Abadigga, and Peter Charles Mbaga are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, which targets terrorist groups and their supporters, among others. ISIS members and associates in South Africa are playing a role in facilitating the transfer of funds from the top of the ISIS hierarchy to branches across Africa. These designees have provided financial support or served as leaders of ISIS cells in South Africa. ISIS and ISIS-M are distinct and separately-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations under the Immigration and Nationality Act and Specially Designated Global Terrorists pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended. Some ISIS elements have attempted to expand influence in Africa through large-scale operations. ISIS branches in Africa rely on local fundraising schemes such as theft, extortion of local populations, kidnapping for ransom, as well as financial support from the ISIS hierarchy. The United States will continue to take action to disrupt and expose key ISIS and ISIS-M supporters who raise revenue for ISIS and exploit South Africas financial system to facilitate funding for ISIS branches and networks across Africa. ELKO An Elko woman was arrested Wednesday on child endangerment and firearms charges after she allegedly refused to release a child she was babysitting back to her mother. The mother told a sheriffs deputy that Sierra N. Monti, 28, was making several statements in regards to threatening to put her child in the ground and that (she) was not allowed to come get her child, according to a declaration of probable cause. Deputies went to the residence off West Bullion Road and found Monti to be belligerent, extremely intoxicated, and at one point Monti reached for a handgun that was located on her person. A preliminary breath test registered .237 blood alcohol content. Two small children were in the living room, where deputies found several half empty alcoholic beverages, prescription medications, and firearms within the reach of the children. The mother was able to take custody of her child and Montis child was placed in a safety plan with the Nevada Department of Child and Family Services. Monti was booked at Elko County Jail on two felony counts of child endangerment, and for possession of a gun while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Her bail was listed at $50,640. Love 0 Funny 9 Wow 2 Sad 5 Angry 18 ELKO A Utah man accused of possessing a stolen vehicle has been given a suspended sentence. West Wendover police patrolling a casino parking lot on May 24 noticed a Toyota Corolla with a Utah license plate wedged in where the license plate bracket is. Dispatch confirmed it was a stolen vehicle. As a towing company prepared to impound the vehicle, a man with pink hair approached and told the tow truck driver it was his car, according to court documents. Police viewed surveillance video showing someone with pink hair parking the car a day earlier. Police said the man gave a false name and birth date. Blake L. Edmunds, 23, of Lehi was arrested for possessing stolen vehicle and making a false statement to obstruct a public officer. According to Elko County Jail records, Edmunds was arrested again on Jan. 23 at the West Wendover Police Department on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a felony crime. Edmunds then pleaded no contest to attempted possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and was given a suspended sentence of one year in jail on Feb. 22 by District Judge Kriston Hill. He was also ordered to pay $4,310.07 restitution to the victim, pay $382.19 restitution to the State of Nevada Attorney Generals Office for extradition fees, and was placed on probation for one year. This weeks felony and gross misdemeanor arrests: Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu have discussed regional issues, the ministry reported on March 16. In a telephone conversation, the ministers exchanged views on the current situation in the region, including issues surrounding Ukraine, the report added. The parties also discussed other issues of mutual interest. On June 15, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, during Erdogans first official visit to Shusha, eight months after Azerbaijans victory in the war with Armenia in 2020. The document focuses on defence cooperation, promoting regional stability and prosperity, and establishing new transportation routes. 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. Eleven agreements were signed between the two countries within the Azerbaijani-Turkish business forum held in Ankara on February 18. The agreements envisage the development of the Azerbaijani-Turkish cooperation in the economic, trade, and other spheres. The two countries set up a goal to bring the mutual trade turnover to $15 billion in 2023. 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. Azerbaijan and Turkey periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units. In 2021 number of joint drills took place with the participation of servicemen of the two countries. A Canadian former soldier who went to fight against the Russians in Ukraine has conducted an interview proving the stories about his death were false. Dubbed by Russian media as the deadliest sniper in the world for a quick propaganda win, Wali, as he is known, left the armed forces back in 2012 but has returned to the fray. Former Canadian Armed Forces sniper "Wali" says he was the last to learn of his own death in Ukraine. Spoke to him this am. He returned from battling Russian forces on the frontlines in the Kyiv region & learned about a Russian disinformation campaign declaring he was killed. pic.twitter.com/XTIbgemPGT Ashley Burke (@AshleyBurkeCBC) March 22, 2022 Theres two things I know for sure: that theres a Russian invasion of Ukraine and that people think Im dead", he told Alex Boyd of Canadian newspaper The Record on Tuesday. Here's what else he said in his comeback. What else did he say in his interview? Wali says he had been fighting near Kyiv for the last week and it was too dangerous to reveal his position to friends and family using a phone. A training centre in western Ukraine was hit by Russian jets with rumours that the use of phone signals allowed the Russians to triangulate the large mass of troops. Wali for his part had left his phone in a secure location during his latest round of combat. "I'm alive, as you can see," Wali said in the video call. "Not a single scratch." "I'm a good sniper," said Wali. "Nothing less, nothing more ... I didn't kill any Russians yet. I help doing so because the sniper is doing a lot of observation, reporting." Wali said that he's seen Russian forces indiscriminately shelling, corroborating images and reports of attacks on hospitals and apartment blocks around eastern Ukraine. "They use a lot of artillery and rifles and shelling," he said. "They just shoot everywhere. I think I received maybe hundreds of shells in the past days." Related stories: How have his unit responded? Wali is reported to have been fighting alongside the Norman Brigade, a British and Candain fighting troop made up of volunteers. In a Facebook post on the group's official Facebook page, the unit was less enthusiastic with his media recognition. "We warned him multiple times that the chain of command did not endorse his actions with the media", the statement reads. "Wali is a free spirit and I had to send him to another unit of his choice because he was bypassing clear instructions and OPSEC guidelines. This is not a game. He was becoming a danger for the mission , for his family and for himself." Who is Wali? Wali served in Afghanistan as a part of the Royal Canadian Infantrys 22nd Regiment in Kandahar. His real name is unknown; Wali is a nom de guerre. The news organization CBC reported that Wali had travelled to Ukraine through Poland to provide his support. In an interview with CBC he described the events of his journey saying that when he and three other fighters arrived they were greeted with "hugs, handshakes, flags and photos." "They were so happy to have us" said Wali, adding that when he arrived and met the Ukrainian troops they became friends "right away." But it had been reported, unverified and untrue as is now known, that he had been killed in the Russian siege of Mariupol. More infor: Wali speaks to El Pais The sniper spoke to our sister paper, El Pais, in April, several weeks after this article was originally published, to confirm he was still fighting for Ukraine and did not know how long he would be in the country for. Officials from Russia and Ukraine are expressing cautious optimism that a compromise can be reached in the ongoing peace negotiations to end nearly three weeks of fighting. Although each side has been speaking to the heads of state of third-party nations, no face-to-face meeting has yet been scheduled to take place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Also see: Russian delegation lead by a revisionist aide to Putin Four days after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in what he wants called a special military operation to de-militarize, de-nazify and save ethnic Russians from a non-existent genocide, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for the first time to end hostilities. There wasnt much hope for those negotiations given who the Kremlin sent to the negotiations which took place in Belarus just across the border from Ukraine. Leading the Russian delegation, which included officials from the foreign and defense ministries and presidential administration, was Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin. Prior to becoming an advisor to Putin on history and humanities policy in 2020, he spent eight years as Russias Minister of Culture. He is known for being a military enthusiast and ultraconservative nationalist firebrand, using his positions to promote inaccurate portrayals of Russias past. Peskov claims Ukraine who picked Gomel as a venue for peace talks. He reveals the Russian delegation is headed by former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky, who grew up into Ukraine but then eventually became one of the main architects of Putin's nationalist revision of history max seddon (@maxseddon) February 27, 2022 Given the sensitivity of the situation after Putin put the nations strategic deterrence on high alert any number of people from the Russian government would have been far more qualified to negotiate peace with Ukraine according to Rebecca Adeline Johnston writing for Slate. Initially the Russians were demanding that Ukrainians capitulate but the performance of the Russian forces along with the fierce resistance theyve encountered has slowed down and stalled their advance changing the Russian negotiating stance. The Ukrainian delegation sees Russian demands softened significantly At the beginning of negotiations Russia was talking about ultimatums but has now softened significantly according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation for peace talks. Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to President Zelenskyy is leading the team of Ukrainian negotiators has said despite fundamental contradictions between the two sides there is certainly room for compromise, and is confident that a ceasefire can be achieved. But he wants to see direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin which the Kremlin says can only happen once an agreement is already hammered out in order to finalize the details. He is joined at the table by the head of Zelenskyys Servant of the People party, the defense and deputy foreign ministers and the Ukrainian parliaments People's Deputy as well as the Ukrainain deputy head to the Trilateral Contact Group formed in 2014 to resolve the conflict started by Russias earlier invasion and occupation of Ukraine. Our position at the negotiations is quite specific - legally verified security guarantees; ceasefire; withdrawal of Russian troops. This is possible only with a direct dialogue between the heads of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Details are in an interview with the @NewsHour pic.twitter.com/TlPUl3XfGK (@Podolyak_M) March 16, 2022 The two sides discussed a 15-point draft proposal for peace on Monday according to the Financial Times. This is the first time a full tentative deal has been on the table which would see a ceasefire and Russian troops withdrawing from Ukraine. In return Kyiv would need to give up the idea of joining NATO and guarantee that neither foreign weaponry nor forces would be hosted on Ukrainian soil. Both sides think a compromise could be reached Zelenskyy said of the negotiations that they were becoming "more realistic" and in a major shift stated that Ukraine could accept not joining NATO on the condition of international security guarantees. However, there remain many obstacles regarding such guarantees and the Ukrainian territories that Russia has recognized as independent states as well as Crimea which Putin annexed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for his part said, there is some hope for reaching a compromise, with the Kremlin discussing with Ukraine that it could have a status similar to that of Austria, Finland or Sweden according to Reuters. All three are members of the European Union, something which Russia has opposed for Ukraine until now, but are not members of NATO. Russian invasion of Ukraine headlines - President Biden held a two hour call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the White House has said China is not looking to join the West in condemning the Russian invasion. - Over 3.2 million Ukrainians, half of which are children, have fled since the invasion by Russia began - Negotiations betweenRussia and Ukraine continue, while reports have been more hopeful many experts do not believe an agreement will be reached at this time. - Russia has imposed sanctions on US officials including President Biden and former First Lady Hillary Clinton - Mariupol mayor confirms that around 350,000 people are still trapped in the city. Officials report that the city's "last reserves of food and water are running out Russia - Ukraine conflict information - Can families in the US sponsor Ukrainian refugees? - How have sanctions impacted the Russian economy? - What are the key dates for Russia to pay its state bonds? Related News BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- "What we take from nature should be well-measured, and how we use these things should be restrained" was once proposed by an ancient Chinese official, and the proposal has deeply resonated with President Xi Jinping. "The well-measured use of natural resources is key to ecological conservation," Xi said, quoting the proposal when addressing the opening ceremony of the International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing in April 2019. The quote was taken from a policy proposal from Lu Zhi in Tang Dynasty (618-907). Lu held that what nature can offer and what humans can produce both have their limits, so people should obtain and use natural resources in a measured and restrained manner. Lu's argument inherited a temperate attitude toward nature from ancient sages such as Confucius and Mencius, and was acknowledged by literati of later times -- particularly the renowned historian Sima Guang, who quoted him in his masterpiece "Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government." The Chinese government today has learnt from the ancient wisdom and incorporated the idea in its efforts to balance ecological conservation and human development. "We need to promote a simpler, greener and more low-carbon lifestyle, oppose excessiveness and foster a culture of living green and living healthy," Xi said in his April 2019 speech. Under Xi's leadership, China issued a regional 10-year ban on fishing to protect its longest river, the Yangtze, while working to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. "We must move faster to define and enforce strict controls, including red lines for environmental protection, minimum standards for environmental quality, and ceilings on resource utilization," Xi once said. Joining deliberations with fellow lawmakers at the annual session of the national legislature, which concluded last week, Xi again promised to take proactive and prudent steps to advance the peaking of carbon emissions and the achievement of carbon neutrality. Editor: JYZ Photo taken on Jan. 8, 2022 shows a test bullet train running over Anning River in Dechang County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The late autumn of 2015 beheld a memorable occasion in Chinese history: At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward a new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, setting in motion a profound reform of China's economic development. In the following years, this philosophy, key component of "Xiconomics," or the economic wisdom of Xi, has been continuously developed and enriched, producing a growing resonance across the world and an increasingly far-reaching impact. With a strong awareness to balance human and nature, the economy and the society, the economic foundation and the superstructure, efficiency and equity, as well as the present and the future, the philosophy not only offers a guide to high-quality development in China, but also enlightens the global community in addressing development challenges. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (C) attends the launching ceremony of a 50-megawatt solar farm in Garissa, Kenya, Dec. 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Xie Han) CONSERVING NATURE In desert-capped northeastern Kenyan county of Garissa, neat and dense solar panels line up to form an "energy oasis" to benefit thousands of local families and businesses. This Chinese-built plant, also the largest solar power station in East Africa, has set Kenya on the path of achieving green energy sufficiency. The Garissa solar plant is a miniature of China's years of overseas implementation of the concept of green development, a vision Xi has kept advocating against the backdrop of pressing environmental degradation and fragmented global environmental governance. "Clean waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver." This aphorism of harmony between environmental protection and economic development, also dubbed the "two mountains" concept that Xi has repeatedly brought up on various occasions at home, made its international debut in September 2013 when the Chinese president visited Kazakhstan, and has been reiterated by him on global occasions ever since. "To protect the environment is to protect productivity, and to improve the environment is to boost productivity," Xi said in a speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate via video link in late April of 2021. "We need to speed up efforts to foster a green way of development and secure a win-win economic growth and environmental protection, so as to build a homeland of coordinated advancement of economy and the environment," he said several months later at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Xi's thought on coexistence between the humankind and nature has not only set the course for the green transition of the Chinese economy, but also resonated with the rest of the world. In 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme's 27th council meeting adopted a decision on promoting China's ecological civilization. Besides, the "two mountains" concept has become the work philosophy of Laos' Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. "Xi's overarching thesis," The Diplomat wrote in December 2021, "allows mankind to go beyond the mode of production and consumption triggered by the Industrial Revolution, and enter into a more advanced stage of development, marked as a harmonious co-existence with nature." Photo taken on Nov. 22, 2021 shows wind turbines of the De Aar wind power project invested by China's Longyuan Power and its South African partners in De Aar, South Africa. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran) PROMOTING EQUITY "Today, the world is very unequal indeed ... half of all assets around the world are now controlled by the richest 1 percent of the global population," founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab wrote in "The Fourth Industrial Revolution." The global development imbalance Schwab noted in his book in 2016 has even worsened amid the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and new technology applications. In this context, the new development philosophy proposed by Xi, with a focus on promoting equal development opportunities, has not only set a guideline for China's own development, but also offered a recipe for narrowing the global development gap. "The international community should keep its eyes on the long run, honor its commitment, and provide necessary support to developing countries and safeguard their legitimate development interests. Equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules should be strengthened, so that all countries will benefit from the opportunities and fruits of development," Xi said in January 2021 at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda via video link. "We need to work together to steer global development towards a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. To this end, I would like to propose a Global Development Initiative," Xi said via video at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021. Guided by Xiconomics, China has been trying to promote common prosperity with a series of measures, such as adjusting overly high incomes through channels like taxes, offering more help to low-income groups through the provision of stronger public benefits, and expanding the size of the middle class. To realize common prosperity, the nation should first "make a bigger and better cake" through joint efforts of the people, and then divide and distribute the cake properly through rational institutional arrangements, read a statement released after China's annual Central Economic Work Conference held in December 2021. Moreover, China has been walking the talk to help developing countries enhance their self-reliance and sustainability through a variety of projects, such as promoting the Belt and Road cooperation, establishing the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, and building agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa. Xi's economic thought, which focuses on improving people's well-being in a long-term and effective way, is worth learning as it reflects a comprehensive and profound philosophy on governance and development, said Naeem Bukhari, chief executive of Pakistan's Human Capital Management Institute. Noting Xiconomics' emphasis on balance, Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, said keeping balance in many aspects is very important for avoiding tensions and conflicts. Wind turbine blades wait for shipment at Lianyungang Port, east China's Jiangsu province, April 16, 2021. (Photo by Wang Chun/Xinhua) BUILDING FUTURE "We need to focus on current priorities, and balance COVID response and economic development. Macroeconomic policy support should be stepped up to bring the world economy out of the woods as early as possible. More importantly, we need to look beyond the horizon and strengthen our will and resolve for change. We need to shift the driving forces and growth models of the global economy and improve its structure, so as to set the course for long-term, sound and steady development of the world economy," Xi said in January 2021. One year later, Xi said at the 2022 World Economic Forum virtual session that "countries around the world should uphold true multilateralism. We should remove barriers, not erect walls. We should open up, not close off. We should seek integration, not decoupling. This is the way to build an open world economy." The remarks by Xi, with a thorough analysis of the constraints facing world economic recovery and a good grasp of the global development trends and economic rules, came in time for a worldwide sustainable development agenda challenged by COVID-19, a weak world economy, poverty and turmoils. Guided by Xi's wisdom, China has adopted strong measures to coordinate pandemic control and economic growth, expanded high-level opening-up, actively built a "dual circulation" development paradigm, and upheld multilateralism and win-win cooperation to share its development opportunities with the rest of the world. While China's solutions have facilitated consensus in the international community, its actions have injected a fresh momentum into global sustainable development. Xi's economic thought emphasizes that the right to development should be shared by countries around the world, said Natee Taweesrifuengfung, president of the Thailand-based Siam Think Tank, adding that the thought, which calls for jointly building an open world economy, is devoted to pushing forward global sustainable development. Editor: WPY Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov has called on EU countries to take a number of systemic decisions to block trade with Russia as a terrorist country, Kubrakov conveyed the message via Facebook on Wednesday evening. The minister called for closing all ports for Russian and related companies, and closing access to the automobile network for Russian and Belarusian carriers. "We know that at the level of the European Commission and most EU countries there is readiness for these decisions. In particular, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia can block the transit of trucks from Belarus and Russia, but there are a number of countries that are not ready to take such steps," Kubrakov said. For example, according to Kubrakov, German leaders are worried that Russia supplies food and coal to their country. In this regard, the minister cited to his German colleague Volker Wissing the example of Ukraine, which, under extremely difficult conditions, managed to successfully rebuild the logistics of coal supplies, in particular, by purchasing it from Latin America, Asia and Africa. "This is not a critical problem that cannot be solved, especially for Germany, the largest economy in Europe. I feel that there is progress and our arguments are being heard," Kubrakov said. At the same time, Kubrakov said the anti-Russian coalition is growing stronger thanks to former Soviet states, which are familiar with the Russian civilizational choice. "Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria understand that Ukraine is protecting not only its own, but also their borders. It is because of the hard work of the leaders of these countries in the international arena that pressure on the occupier in Europe and the world as never before," he said. Pharmaceutical company Darnytsia (Kyiv) since the beginning of the military invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine has transferred medicines totaling UAH 26.6 million to Ukrainian medical institutions and volunteer organizations, the company is provided with transport for logistics, but feels shortage of truck drivers for delivering products. "During 19 days of Russia's military aggression, Darnytsia donated about 600,000 packages of medicines worth UAH 26.6 million to medical institutions and volunteer organizations that help Ukrainian military and civilians free of charge," the company's press release says. According to it, the Main Military Hospital, the Kyiv City Clinical Emergency Hospital, the Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 17, the National Heart Institute, Okhmatdyt, Zakarpattia Territorial Center for Emergency Medical Care, the Come Back Alive and Tabletochki charitable foundations, Zhytomyr city council, Kozelets intensive care hospital and military units received free medicines. Darnytsia reported that its products are delivered to almost all hot spots in the country, including Mariupol, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr. At the same time, according to agreements with partners, the company is provided with a sufficient number of cars, but it does not have enough drivers for trucks. "So, if you or your friends have a driving license of category C and above, the desire and opportunity to join the country's pharmaceutical defense, fill out the form at the link. Darnytsia HR specialists will process each application and return to you with feedback," the company said in a press release. The form for contacting the company is available at the link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=NOPPl6nHz0CKbqlOlvk7IJPCh2DhW21BqwT5oLeKsolUNTlKSUlaSExaSlc4SjFaUzNGWENDTjZQRS4u Pharmaceutical company Darnytsia is a leader of Ukrainian pharmaceutical market in physical terms. The company was founded in 1930. The strategic areas of portfolio development are cardiology, neurology and pain management. The beneficiaries of the company are Zahoriy family. At the end of 2020, Darnytsia increased its net profit by 33.7% compared to 2019, to UAH 814.994 million. Assets increased by 24.8% - up to UAH 4.3 billion. The Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet) is studying world experience in order to processing military equipment into scrap metal. "We have global experience in the processing of military equipment and are already studying processing technologies that will be presented to members and partners of our association," the Association said on Wednesday. At the same time, the company's website on Facebook provides information about a German company engaged in the disposal of military equipment. The site also provides a link to the ICTV channel and an interview, titled "Russian tanks for scrap! Is it possible to make money on enemy equipment? Is it possible to sell an enemy tank for scrap?" Board Chairman of Interpipe Vtormet scrap processing company Valentyn Makarenko said there is a shortage of scrap metal in Ukraine, but now scrap supplies have increased. "We will deal with it, we will recycle it! This is the product we need," Makarenko said, noting that serviceable equipment in the form of a tank, armored personnel carrier or other equipment is a military trophy. But if it is unusable, then it is considered scrap metal. Individuals can return tank and other used equipment as scrap metal and receive money for it. Before the war, the rate was UAH 9,000 per tonne. The Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet), the Ukrainian Association of Scrap Metal Exporters and the Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals and Resources operate in Ukraine. Interpipe Vtormet is part of Interpipe. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says that negotiations with the management of Nestle about unethical work in Russia did not bring results. "I spoke with Nestle CEO Mark Schneider about the unethical work of the company in Russia. Unfortunately, I did not find understanding. Jobs and taxes are paid into the budget of the terrorist country - this is the financing of killing of defenseless children and women. I hope Nestle will change its mind," Shmyhal wrote on his Telegram channel. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev has hailed the international communitys support to the Azerbaijan governments post-war reconstruction efforts. He made the remarks on his official Twitter page on March 16. "We had a fruitful discussion with EU, UN and World Bank joint 'Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment' team. Support of the international community to efforts of the Azerbaijan government post-conflict reconstruction agenda is important, the presidential aide wrote. Hajiyev said that field missions were conducted in liberated Agdam, Fuzuli, and Jabrayil regions. A mission consisting of experts from the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Bank earlier visited Azerbaijan to assess the needs of restoration and reconstruction in liberated territories. The mission visited Azerbaijans liberated Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Jabrayil regions and familiarized themselves with the reconstruction work. During the visit, the experts were shown the monuments destroyed during the occupation and were informed about the future development plan. As a part of their visit, the delegation met with the leadership of the Interdepartmental Center of the Coordination Headquarters established for the centralized settlement of issues in Azerbaijans liberated territories and the heads of working groups operating under the Center. Currently, the work is underway to restore Azerbaijan's liberated lands. Azerbaijan will rebuild its recently liberated areas in four stages. The initial stage includes the solution of the issues of governance and security, infrastructure, while the subsequent stages include the solution of the issues of social services activities, reconstruction, and development of the economy. In 2021, Azerbaijan allocated $1.5 billion for the reconstruction of liberated territories, followed by AZN 2.2 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2022. These funds will be used primarily to restore infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, and so on) as well as cultural and historical monuments. The State Agency for Land Reclamation and Fisheries of Ukraine has launched the Fish-Help-Protection online platform with data on the availability of fish and fish products from processing enterprises and business entities that can be sent to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in conditions of military aggression of the Russian Federation. Information about the relevant website http://darghelp.com is published on the website of the State Fisheries Agency. According to it, the platform is designed for use in martial law. It collects data on Ukrainian fish processing facilities, fish product sellers, logistics facilities, as well as volunteer and other organizations that can in one way or another contribute to ensuring the food security of the warring country. The State Fisheries Agency reported that since the beginning of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have received more than seven tonnes of fish and fish products through the online platform. According to the department, a significant part of the departments employees joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defense units and other military formations. In addition, employees of the territorial departments of the State Fisheries Agency regularly donate nets for weaving camouflage to the defenders of Ukraine, volunteer, help civilians with clothing, housing, food, etc. As reported, on February 28, the State Fisheries Agency called on Ukrainian businesses to establish communication with the agency to launch the production of canned fish on tolling terms in order to provide for the Ukrainian army. The agency said that it is ready to provide raw materials for processing, only the production of canned food is required from manufacturers. According to the Kernel agro-industrial group, it found enterprises that were able to resume the production of canned fish for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since February 24, Ukrainians and foreigners have transferred UAH 12 billion in equivalent to a special account opened by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), including in foreign currency from abroad - the equivalent of UAH 3.6 billion. According to the NBU website, the money came, including from the United States, UK, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, China, France and Canada. According to the regulator, today the balance of funds on the special account is UAH 86 million. The NBU transferred UAH 950 million to the needs of the National Guard, UAH 1.65 billion to the National Police, UAH 8.4 billion to the needs of the Ministry of Defense, and UAH 980.2 million to the needs of the State Border Service. In addition, the account of the Ministry of Social Policy, which the NBU opened on March 1 for humanitarian purposes, received a total of UAH 282.4 million in equivalent, including UAH 143 million received from abroad in foreign currency. Russian occupiers will not be able to supply electricity from Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), which they control so far, to Crimea due to the lack of network infrastructure, Volodymyr Kudrytsky, head of NPC Ukrenergo, said. "Connecting something to the Crimea, for example, Zaporizhia NPP is technically a story from the category of launching spacecraft into space using a catapult. There is no such line that is called ZNPP-Crimea or ZNPP-Dzhankoi. Crimea is not directly connected with ZNPP by network infrastructure. It was technically impossible to supply something to Crimea from Zaporizhia NPP even before synchronization, and after it, it is the more technically impossible," he told at a press conference on Thursday. "If some 'talented Kulibins' from Russia are thinking about it, if there are such plans, then they are absolutely unrealistic," the Ukrenergo head assured. Kudrytsky also said that at present Zaporizhia NPP is generating 1.5 GW of power through two transmission lines, and the company intends to repair one of the damaged lines to increase the plant's output to 2 GW. "Of course, the network infrastructure that connects ZNPP with the power grid is damaged. We plan to start restoration work in the near future in those places where the situation will allow it and where, at a minimum, the absence of hostilities will be ensured," he said. In turn, Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko again emphasized that Russian troops should leave the ZNPP territory and, thereby, stop "nuclear terrorism," for which the aggressor country in will have to answer to Ukraine and the world community the future. As reported, Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant was captured by Russian troops on March 4. As of Thursday morning, Zaporizhia NPP lost the ability to deliver power through three out of five transmission lines. The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) called on the international grain business to stop cooperation with Russian business and the aggressor state of the Russian Federation due to its invasion of Ukraine and the buildup of military aggression. The organization sent corresponding letters calling for stopping work on the Russian market to the first persons of international grain traders, including Vittera, OLAM, COFCO, LDC, ADM, Soufflet and others, according to the UGA website on Thursday. The association called on international grain traders to immediately stop their activities in Russia, stop purchasing goods and services from it, stop supplying resources and goods to the Russian Federation, which is committing war crimes against Ukrainians, killing civilians, terrorizing the world with a new nuclear accident and shelling Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia region. Moreover, Russian troops are actively bombing agricultural enterprises, granaries and infrastructure facilities, seizing agricultural equipment and in every possible way hindering the sowing campaign in order to influence the disruption of world food security, the UGA stressed in an open letter. The association also called on grain traders to support the Ukrainian economy by buying feed grains, oilseeds, meal and oil from it, and thereby help the Ukrainian economy defend itself against Russian aggression and support the civilian population. "The UGA is confident that the responsible actions of international business will help stop the unprecedented aggression against Ukraine," the association summed up in the appeal. As reported, on March 4, the leading Ukrainian agrarian associations turned to international grain trading companies with a request to stop buying grain and any cooperation with the Russian Federation as an aggressor country. Health Ministry urges volunteers to join forces to help Ukrainian hospitals in frontline areas The Ministry of Health called on volunteers to join forces to help Ukrainian hospitals in the frontline areas. "The Ministry of Health calls for joining forces to help our healthcare system. Today, frontline hospitals need medicines, supplies and much more," the ministry reports on its website. In addition, the Ministry of Health asks business owners or philanthropists to support Ukrainian hospitals along with volunteers. The ministry notes that over the past three weeks, the warehouses of the Ministry of Health have received a lot of assistance from Ukrainian and international partners. U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a bipartisan government funding bill that provides Ukraine with a historic $13.6 billion. "I just signed the Bipartisan Government Funding Bill into law keeping the government open and providing a historic $13.6 billion in funding to Ukraine," he said on Twitter. Biden also said that "Putin's aggression against Ukraine has united people all across America and united the freedom-loving world." The President of the United States thanked the leadership of the Congress for the prompt work, which confirms that the country has the resources necessary to "continue our forceful response to this crisis." In turn, The Hill said the budget is for the period until September. The bill was agreed upon for months until it was presented in its final form to the U.S. Congress last week. After that, he quickly gained support from Republicans and Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Kuleba on exclusion of Russia from EU Council: no place for Russia in European bodies Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba welcomes a decision taken by the Council of Ministers to immediately expel Russia from the Council of Europe. "I welcome the decision to immediately exclude Russia from the Council of Europe just taken by the Council of Ministers. No place for Russia in European bodies as it wages a barbaric war of aggression against Ukraine and commits multiple war crimes," he wrote on Twitter. Earlier, the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to exclude Russia from this organization. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in a conversation with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, agreed to support Ukrainian citizens - temporarily displaced persons (TDPs). In a video message on Thursday night, he also said that "during the day he spoke with friends of Ukraine Turkish President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and Canadian Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau. Thanks for the support. We agreed on new steps for the sake of peace for our country." According to him, in a conversation with Prime Minister of Ireland Micheal Martin he expressed condolences over the murder of an Irish citizen, journalist Pierre Zakrzewski, by the Russian military. "On Thursday morning I will address the German parliament. I will continue to fight for even more support for Ukraine, for even more pressure on Russia," the President of Ukraine said. As a result of the fall of the remnants of an enemy missile in Kyiv, a residential multi-storey building is on fire, one person was killed, three ones were injured, the State Emergency Service said. "On March 17 at 05:02, the 101 Rescue Service received a message about a fire and the destruction of a residential building in Darnytsky district of the capital. Upon arrival, the rescuers found that as a result of the fall of the remnants of the downed missile, the structures of the house on the 16th and technical floors were destroyed, as well as a fire in the apartment on the 16th floor. At 05:49 a fire broke out in an area of 20 square meters contained. People are being evacuated from the 11th floor of the house and rescue operations are being carried out to dismantle structures and search for people. Ten units of basic and special fire and rescue equipment, as well as 60 personnel are involved at the site. According to preliminary information, some 30 people were evacuated on the spot, of which three were injured. One person killed," the service said in the Telegram channel on Thursday. In the sky over Kyiv region, Ukrainian military destroyed the SU-25 fighter and shot out the SU-35 fighter of the Russian military, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valeriy Zaluzhny said. "In the sky over Kyiv region, an SU-25 fighter was destroyed and an enemy SU-35 fighter was shot down. In general, 10 Russia's air targets destroyed in a day," he wrote on Facebook on Thursday. Foreign companies keen to expand business in China despite pandemic Xinhua) 07:38, March 17, 2022 * The 2022 Special Report on the State of Business in South China, released by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China), shows that more than 70 percent of the assessed companies have reinvestment plans in China for 2022. * The report shows that 58 percent of the respondents consider their overall return on investment in China to be higher than other places. * China's adherence to the dynamic zero-COVID policy and stringent anti-virus measures have proved effective and helped curb COVID-19 infections quickly, thus ensuring the resumption of normal life. GUANGZHOU, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Despite the protracted COVID-19 pandemic and the downward pressure on the macro-economy, foreign companies are optimistic about the Chinese market and plan to further expand their investment in China. Press conference on the release of 2022 White Paper on the Business Environment in China &2022 Special Report on the State of Business in South China held by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China), in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on March 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Le) Foreign enterprises have faith in the comprehensive competitive advantages of China over market size, industrial support and business environment, according to the 2022 Special Report on the State of Business in South China, released by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China) on March 1. More than 70 percent of the assessed companies have reinvestment plans in China for 2022. Roughly 72 percent of the companies intend to expand in China over the next three years, with the estimated reinvestment reaching 26.5 billion U.S. dollars, the report said. A promising investment prospect, high return and excellent environment have turbocharged the investment of foreign enterprises in China. STRONG INVESTMENT WILL In the Nansha District of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, a factory expansion project announced in 2021 by a subsidiary of French chemical producer Arkema is now moving in full swing. Slated to start operation in 2023, the expanded facility is expected to help double the factory's production capacity of UV curing resin. Besides selling its products to China, Arkema has built 10 production bases and two research and development centers in the country over the past two decades. The new production plant will allow the company to provide its customers and partners in Asia with the latest product solutions and tailored services, said Laurent Peyronneau, vice president of Arkema's coating solutions. In Guangzhou, the host city of the China Import and Export Fair (known as Canton Fair), multinational companies including LG, ZEISS, AstraZeneca, Panasonic and Mars Wrigley have been launching new projects or adding production lines. People visit the 130th session of the China Import and Export Fair, or the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) A total of 4,048 foreign-funded enterprises were newly established in Guangzhou in 2021, up 50.2 percent year on year. Among them, the service industry, new energy, intelligent vehicle and bio-pharmacy sectors saw a significant increase in foreign investment utilization, according to statistics from the Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau. The Ministry of Commerce said Monday that foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 37.9 percent year on year to 243.7 billion yuan in the January-February period. In U.S. dollar terms, the inflow went up 45.2 percent year on year to 37.86 billion dollars. Among the total, the service industry saw FDI inflows jump by 24 percent year on year to 175.7 billion yuan (about 27.6 billion U.S. dollars), while that of high-tech industries surged by 73.8 percent from a year earlier, data from the ministry showed. "China is still the NO. 1 destination for every investment by our members," said Harley Seyedin, president of AmCham South China, adding that the fastest growing investment areas are the services areas and financial areas. An overwhelming majority of the assessed companies choose China as one of the preferred investment destinations, the report noted, adding that China will be the priority for over half the professional services companies. Consulting firm Ernst &Young (EY) has been operating in China for more than 40 years. William Huang, managing partner at EY China South, said the company will continue to deepen and expand its business in China. In 2022, EY will develop with a focus on the advantages of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, such as technological innovation, financial openness and green and sustainable development. STABLE PROSPECTS, BETTER ENVIRONMENT Even in the face of intensified competition and increased cost, the Chinese market sees robust growth potential. The stable business environment and industrial clustering effects have enhanced China's attractiveness to foreign investment. For many foreign companies, China is the "main engine" of their global profit growth. According to the report, 63 percent of the assessed enterprises saw their revenues increase in 2021, which returned to the pre-COVID levels, while 82 percent of them achieved profits in China. The report shows that 58 percent of the respondents consider their overall return on investment in China to be higher than other places. "China is the fastest-growing market in the world and continues to open up for foreign investment. New opportunities are being created here almost every day," said Seyedin. China's adherence to the dynamic zero-COVID policy and stringent anti-virus measures have proved effective and helped curb COVID-19 infections quickly, thus ensuring the resumption of normal life. The National Health Commission has sent work teams to regions where the recent resurgence of infections was reported in order to help local authorities implement targeted epidemic-control measures and contain cluster infections. "The Chinese market is popular, big and safe. At present, enterprises at home and abroad are treated equally and reasonably. They have a warm feeling of protection," said Bekar Mikaberidze, founder of Belt and Road Georgian Business House. Bekar Mikaberidze (R), founder of Belt and Road Georgian Business House, introduces products to customers in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, February 2022. (Xinhua) "With local technology upgrades and new orders from new energy vehicle companies, we are more confident to achieve the sales target of 800 million yuan in 2022," said Zhong Minghui, a vice section chief with the TACHI-S Trim (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Due to the situation in Ukraine, another 184 Azerbaijani citizens, including 16 children, have been evacuated from the Romanian city of Iasi to their homeland. Citizens evacuated to their homeland thanked the head of state for his attention and care. First of all, women, children, the elderly, and people with health problems are evacuated. So far, approximately 10,000 Azerbaijani citizens have been evacuated from Ukraine, according to the State Migration Service. Due to the situation in Ukraine, Azerbaijani citizens are still being evacuated via charter flights and buses across neighboring countries' territories. Azerbaijani citizens who have left Ukraine can contact Azerbaijan's diplomatic missions to return home. It was noted that in connection with special cases, Azerbaijani citizens can contact the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kyiv by phone: (+380 73) 5050000 and by e-mail: [email protected], the Honorary Consulate in Kharkiv by phone: (+38057) 7000531 and by email: [email protected] Ambassador Vladislav Kanevsky earlier thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani government, and all the Azerbaijani people for providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid at "such a critical and difficult time for Ukraine". "Azerbaijan provides the necessary needs - medicines, medical equipment, food. This is what Azerbaijan and Ukraine have demonstrated for many years. We are not just strategic partners, we are friends," Kanevsky said. The air defense of Ukraine destroyed three Russian Su-30cm fighter jets, one Su-34 fighter bomber, one aircraft of an unknown type, two helicopters and one operational-tactical UAV during the day on March 16, according to the Telegram channel of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, the air defense of the Ground Forces reported another downed Su-34 fighter bomber and a Ka-52 helicopter in the northern and southern directions, respectively. "Fighter aviation continues to conduct air battles with the superior air forces of the occupiers. There were launches of guided missiles, we will clarify and check whether the targets were hit," the AFU General Staff said. Russian invaders are trying to install pseudo government bodies in Russia-occupied occupied Kherson, Information Resistance (IR) has reported. "Today, Russian occupiers announced the creation of the 'Rescue Committee for Peace and Order,' which included local pro-Russian politicians and collaborators," IR's Telegram channel said. IR said the "committee" included the ex-mayor of Kherson Volodymyr Saldo, previously accused of kidnapping and murdering businessman Ihor Pashchenko. He is suspected of treason (Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), pro-Russian activist Tetiana Kuzmych, Ihor Semenchev, former chairman of the Antonivka rural council, who is accused in a number of corruption cases, Hryhoriy Kalenov (wanted under Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), who was exchanged for Ukrainian servicemen during a prisoner swap, Kyrylo Stremousov, a pro-Russian activist from Kherson, suspected of treason (Part 1, Article 111 of the Criminal Code) and Dmytro Savluchenko, former activist of the pro-Russian organization "Ukrainian Choice." IR said Russian media have already begun to popularize the "committee," saying it is the acting authority in Kherson. "It's good that the city has real power, activists and volunteers, every day proving to the whole world that Kherson is Ukraine," IR said. Lay down your arms, it is better than die on battlefield Zelensky to Russian soldiers President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing Russian soldiers, suggested that they lay down their arms rather than die on the battlefield in Ukraine. "Every Russian soldier who lays down his arms will get a chance. A chance to survive. I appeal specifically to them, to the conscripts who were thrown into the cauldron of this war. Someone else's war. And to the rest of the Russian soldiers who still have a self-preservation instinct. Lay down your arms! It is better than dying on the battlefield, on our land," Zelensky said in a video statement on Thursday night. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented 1,900 civilian casualties (1,834 a day before) in the country, including 726 (691) killed (from February 24 when the Russia invaded Ukraine to 24:00 midnight on March 15, 2022 (local time). "OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, especially in Government-controlled territory and especially in recent days, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration," the UN said in the document. According to him, this applies, for example, to Izium (Kharkiv region), and Mariupol and Volnovakha (Donetsk region) where there are allegations of hundreds of civilian casualties. These figures are being further corroborated and are not included in the above statistics. "Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the UN said in the report. According to confirmed UN data, some 141 men, some 104 women, 13 boys and seven girls killed, while the sex of 32 children and 429 adults has not yet been known. Among the 1,174 injured, some15 girls and four boys, as well as 44 children, whose sex is yet unknown. Compared to the previous day, four children were killed, and one child was wounded, according to the UN. OHCHR said that in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as of midnight March 16, there were 143 (134) dead and 463 (448) injured in government-controlled territory, and 43 (39) dead and 131 (130) injured in territory controlled by self-proclaimed "republics." In other regions of Ukraine under government control (Kyiv, as well as in Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions), the UN recorded 518 (518) killed and 580 (565) wounded. OHCHR notes the report of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, according to which as of 10 a.m. (local time) 16 March, 103 (97) children had been killed and more than 100 injured. The increase in the figures in this report compared to the figures in the previous report should not be attributed only to new cases that occurred on March 15, since OHCHR also verified a number of cases that occurred in previous days during the day, according to the document. As a result of the Russian military aggression on the territory of Ukraine, some 108 children were killed, more than 120 were wounded, the Prosecutor General's Office has said. "The Russian armed forces continue to launch missile attacks on civilians, including children, cynically disregarding the norms of international humanitarian law. As of the morning of March 17, 2022, some 108 children were killed and over 120 wounded," the PGO said in the Telegram channel. According to the department, most children suffered in Kyiv region some 52 ones, some 34 children in Kharkiv, some 25 in Donetsk, some 24 in Chernihiv, some 20 in Mykolaiv, some 15 in Zhytomyr, some 14 in Sumy and ten children in Kherson regions. The PGO said in the report, that more than 411 educational institutions were damaged as a result of bombing and shelling, some 63 of them were completely destroyed. According to the PGO, most educational institutions were damaged in Donetsk region, namely 119 ones, some 77 in Kharkiv, some 20 in Mykolaiv, some 23 in Sumy, some 35 in Kyiv, some 21 in Kherson regions and 24 in Kyiv city. As noted in the prosecutor's office, the invaders fired at more than 11 medical facilities, three rehabilitation centers, including for disabled children. The data are not final due to the lack of the possibility of inspecting the scenes of the incident, where active hostilities are taking place and in the temporarily occupied territories. In particular, according to the PGO, on March 16, 2022, the occupiers dropped a bomb on Donetsk Regional Drama Theater in Mariupol, where about a1,000 civilians, mostly women and children, found shelter. "It is not possible to establish the exact number of victims, since shelling continues in Mariupol. There is information about the first victims, among whom there are children," the PGO said. According to the PGO, in Zaporizhia region, as a result of mining by the military of the aggressor country, a car with civilians exploded, resulting in the death of a six-year-old child. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed by phone the situation in Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation in this country on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State said. "Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu discussed the Kremlin's war against Ukraine and ongoing diplomatic efforts to stop President Putins war of choice," the Department of State said in a press release. As noted in the document, Blinken provided his Turkish counterpart with an update on U.S. support for the people of Ukraine, as well as efforts to follow up on Russia. In addition, the U.S. Secretary of State thanked Ankara "for its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as Turkeys efforts to assist Ukraine in its time of need." Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda condemned the attack of the Russian aggressor on the drama theater in Mariupol and also called for the creation of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine. "Russia's terror attack against innocent Ukraine's people in the Mariupol drama theatre is a war crime. Those inside were civilians hiding from shelling. We cannot allow Russia to proceed with this bloodbath. We must act now by imposing humanitarian corridors in Ukraine!" Nauseda said on Twitter on Wednesday evening. Ukraine has created a National Information Bureau in accordance with the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereschuk has said. "From today, we have established a national information bureau in accordance with the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949. It was determined that the state-owned enterprise Ukrainian National Center for Peace Development, under the aegis of the Ministry for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, will be a special legal entity of public law and perform the functions of the national information bureau," Vereschuk said. According to her, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine informed the International Red Cross about the establishment of the bureau. "We hope that our work will be fruitful, and most importantly, productive," she said. Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan has sent an official request to the Russian Federation to meet with representatives of the competent authorities and discuss the situation in Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has said, citing the prosecutor's statement. "The work of the prosecutor's office on the situation in Ukraine will always be carried out in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Rome Statute. We conduct our work independently, impartially and in good faith. I emphasize that I want to interact with all parties to the conflict," Khan said. He emphasized the importance of the active participation of the Russian Federation in this investigation and that he is "ready to meet with them." Ukraine is not a member of the ICC, but has filed two applications, recognizing the court's jurisdiction over possible crimes committed on the territory of the country, since November 21, 2013. Given the expansion of the conflict, on February 28, Khan announced his intention to include in the investigation process new possible crimes falling under the jurisdiction of the ICC. As reported, on March 3, Khan said that after the appeal of 39 member states of the court, the ICC was launching a full-scale investigation into crimes related to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. Later, the number of countries that applied to the court increased to 41. On March 7, public hearings on "Genocide charges in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russia)" began. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow rejects allegations of war crimes in Ukraine, adding that Russia is not a member of the ICC. On Wednesday, March 16, more than 6,400 people evacuated from Mariupol arrived in Zaporizhia, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereschuk has said. "Our convoy with food and evacuation buses was never allowed to enter Mariupol. In view of the situation, a gathering of people who got out of the blocked Mariupol to Berdiansk was organized. Now all 15 buses with Mariupol residents have arrived in Zaporizhia, where they are provided with the necessary assistance. In total, some 6,426 Mariupol residents arrived in Zaporizhia today, some 2,039 of them are children. Private transport columns continue to move in the direction of Zaporizhia at this time. We left food and medicines in Berdiansk, where help points are organized for everyone who continues to leave the besieged city," Vereschuk said on briefing on Wednesday. She said that negotiations on a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors will continue on Thursday. In addition, it is planned to organize corridors for the supply of humanitarian aid to the blocked settlements of Kharkiv and Kyiv regions. By Azernews By News Center Turkey is continuing to play a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine in order to resolve the ongoing conflict peacefully, Yeni Shafak has reported. Turkey took a new step in the process by bringing Russia and Ukraine together in Antalya for a cease-fire. Following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on March 16, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will travel to Lviv via Poland to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, according to the report. Cavusoglu is meeting with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts for the second time in a week. Making a joint press statement following the historic two-hour summit, Cavusoglu said: "We have made efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and we are continuing to do so. We did our part to reduce tensions and make room for diplomacy." He added that Turkey could host a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Cavusoglu emphasized that during their meeting with Lavrov, the parties exchanged views and discussed efforts to end the Ukraine crisis peacefully. "Turkey has taken a clear stance from the very beginning. He has clearly shown his balanced, objective, right and legal stance. As a country that has good relations with both sides, we have maintained our role as an honest mediator and facilitator despite all the difficulties, Cavusoglu stressed. In response to the implementation of the Montreux Convention, he stated that Moscow welcomed Ankara's decision to bar four Russian ships from transiting the straits. Emphasizing that they have been working with Russia on many difficult cases such as Syria and Libya, Cavusoglu added: "We are around the table thanks to the trust built up within the framework of these efforts." Cavusoglu emphasized the importance of putting an end to the bloodshed and tears in Ukraine, saying that Turkey has done its part to reduce tensions and make room for diplomacy. The current state of affairs must be ended and the bloodshed and tears must be stopped. There is no winner in wars and no losers in peace. We will continue to increase our efforts in prioritizing diplomacy in this process. Without the trust of Russia and Ukraine, we would not have been able to carry out these efforts adequately, he stressed. Furthermore, Lavrov also underlined that Turkey did not join the unilateral sanctions imposed on Russia and maintained a balanced stance. Reminding their meeting with Cavusoglu at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 10, Lavrov emphasized the importance of the bilateral relations and coordination with Turkey in a period when international relations are developing rapidly and negatively. Lavrov emphasized the importance of bilateral relations and coordination with Turkey in a period when international relations are developing "rapidly" and "negatively" in a meeting with Cavusoglu at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 10. Lavrov praised Turkey's approach to Ukraine and said: "We have some differences of opinion regarding Ukraine. However, Turkey's balanced stance is extremely valuable to us. We approach it with great respect. We try to be as consistent as possible in response to today's needs and demands." He underlined that Turkey exhibits a responsible attitude toward the Montreux Convention. "We value Ankara's responsible approach to the fulfillment of the Montreux Convention," Lavrov added. Lavrov stated that they are in constant contact with Turkey at various levels, referring to the friendship and brotherhood agreement signed between Russia and Turkey on March 16, 1921. Cavusoglu stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak on the phone soon. In response to the evacuation of Turkish citizens from Ukraine, he stated that over 15,000 people had returned to Turkey, with some of the evacuations taking place through Russia. The Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have said that in Mykolaiv region, the Ukrainian military seized an enemy truck with ammunition, which was handed over to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "In Mykolaiv region, during the cleansing of one of the settlements from orcs, border guards with marines captured a trophy. The enemy fled, leaving a truck full of ammunition for various types of small arms," the Ground Forces said on the Telegram channel. The trophies were handed over to the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As result of missile attack in Podilsky district of Kyiv, one wounded, several buildings destroyed As a result of missile fire by occupiers of the private sector in Podilsky district of the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday evening, there was one victim, several buildings were destroyed, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) said. "On March 16, 2022, at about 19:00, the occupiers, using missile weapons, shelled a private residential sector in Podilsky district of the capital. Several buildings were destroyed as a result of the shelling. One person was wounded," the Prosecutor General's Office said in a Telegram channel on Thursday. The PGO said in the report that under the procedural leadership of Podilsky district prosecutor's office in Kyiv, an investigation has been launched into violations of the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that many sanctions against Russia came too late to stop the war. "I am addressing you after numerous meetings, statements and requests, after steps many of which were too late, after sanctions that were too few to stop the war," he said, addressing the Bundestag on Thursday afternoon. "After we saw how many contacts your companies have left in Russia, with the state, which is simply using you and your companies to finance the war. You are again with a wall, not a Berlin one, but a wall between freedom and captivity. When we told you that Nord Stream 2 is a weapon, it is a preparation for a large war, we heard in response that it is the economy, the economy, the economy. It was the cement for the new wall. When we asked what Ukraine should do to become a member of NATO, to be safe, we were told that there is no such decision on the table yet," he said. "When we asked for preventive sanctions, such that the aggressor felt that you are a force, we saw a delay. We felt resistance. We understand that you want to continue trading with Russia. And now the trade routes between you and the state that once again brought a brutal war to Europe is barbed wire over the Wall. Over the new wall that divides Europe," Zelensky said. He expressed gratitude to "those who support us: ordinary Germans who sincerely help Ukrainians in your land. To journalists who do their job honestly, showing all the evil that Russia has brought to us. I am grateful to the German business that put morality and humanity above accounting. And I am grateful to the politicians who are trying to break this wall." "Former actor, U.S. president once said in Berlin: 'tear down this wall!' And I want to say today. Chancellor Scholz! Tear down this wall. Give Germany the leadership you deserve! And what will your descendants be proud of!" Zelensky said. The European Parliament provided Ukraine with a location for the operation of the Ukrainiancivil society hub, which was opened on Thursday in Brussels. According to an Interfax-Ukraine's own correspondent, the opening ceremony of the hub, which is located in the building of the European Parliament in the so-called "Station of Europe" on Luxembourg Square in Brussels, was attended by President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, Ukrainian Civil Society Coordinator Natalia Melnyk, Representative of Ukraine to the European Union, Ambassador Vsevolod Chentsov and Head of NGO Promote Ukraine Marta Barandyi. "In these days of brutal attack, the European Parliament supports Ukraine, expresses its solidarity and commitment to stand next to the Ukrainian people in your resistance to the enemies who have seized your territory. We promise to do everything in our power to ensure that the EP is on the front line to help Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in any way we can. We have decided to open our home to Ukrainian civil society and we have decided to call it the Ukrainian Hub," Metsola said. In turn, Melnyk thanked the European Parliament, the President of the European Parliament and MEPs for their support. "We understand that these days we are standing side by side. What you are doing for Ukraine, especially these days, goes far beyond the traditional responsibility of the European Parliament. We appreciate that you host us in your home," she said. According to Barandyi, the created Ukrainian Hub will serve as a communication platform for Ukrainian resistance and European support. "We invite you here with your initiatives. We also plan to organize press conferences, conferences, round tables, exhibitions, and more, so that you can feel the spirit of our brave nation," she said. After opening remarks, Metsola presented the Ukrainian side with symbolic keys tied with ribbons symbols of Ukraine and the European Union. The participants also honored those who had died in the war with a minute of silence. The Seimas of Lithuania unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the UN to close the skies over Ukraine. "The Seimas of Lithuania unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the UN to take immediate action to secure a no-fly zone over Ukraine in order to stop the mass death of civilians," the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania's official Twitter said on Thursday. Russian occupiers continue to shell civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv region, which leads to casualties and injuries among the civilian population. "Zolochiv community was destroyed, where a woman killed as a result of shelling of a residential area. She covered her four-year-old daughter with her body and thereby saved her life. The child and husband were wounded," the communications department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kharkiv region said. In addition, on the night of March 17, the Russian armed forces fired on the town of Merefa. Missiles hit a school, a cultural center, and a scientific institution was damaged. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties among the civilian population. Minister of Education calls for creation of fund in EU to restore Ukraine's educational and scientific infrastructure Minister of Education and Science Serhiy Shkarlet has called for the creation of a fund among the countries of the European Union for the restoration of the educational and scientific infrastructure and the functioning of the educational and scientific industry in Ukraine. "Now an urgent issue is the operational support and satisfaction of the educational needs of displaced Ukrainian citizens: children, pupils, students," Shkarlet wrote on the Telegram channel following a meeting with the Ministers of Education of the Council of the European Union. The minister welcomes the idea of establishing a support group for Ukraine by the ministers of education of the EU countries, which will coordinate the solution of educational and scientific issues. "I also appealed to the EU Council of Ministers with a request to consider the possibility of creating a separate program or a fund among the EU countries for the restoration of the educational and scientific infrastructure and the functioning of the educational and scientific industry in Ukraine," the minister added. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved budgetary financing of the state-owned enterprise Information Agency Re-inform. According to government decree No. 293 of March 16, the government established that budget funds are directed to the news agency in order to: meet the cultural and information needs of the population living in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as the territories adjacent to them; creating conditions for the free development of the Crimean Tatar language, the languages of other indigenous peoples and national minorities living in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea; dissemination in Ukraine and abroad of socially important information on issues within the competence of the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, which is the founder of the information agency. In particular, funds will be directed to: collection, processing, translation and dissemination of information about the activities of public authorities; providing the media and subscribers with information on the most important political, social and other issues; production, and distribution of socio-political printed media; creation and maintenance of correspondent points; creation and distribution of an information product in the leading world and domestic mass media, on the Internet, print media, on television and radio, external advertising media, on printing and publishing products; production and post-production, distribution and demonstration of advertising, including social advertising; development of models of information products, in particular of a graphic nature, as well as event scenarios, multimedia projects, audio and video information products. According to the register, the director of "Re-inform" is Oleksandr Vasylchenko. Syrian mercenaries consider participation in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia as an opportunity to migrate to EU countries, the press service of the Defense Intelligence Agency of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has said. "The command of Khmeimim Air Base operated by Russia was instructed to send up to 300 militants to Ukraine daily. On March 15, 150 mercenaries were sent from Khmeimim Air Base to Russia to participate in hostilities against Ukraine," the Defense Intelligence Agency said. The agency said there are plans to transfer weapons, military equipment and other resources from Syria to Russia and Belarus to provide for the Russian occupation forces. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has promised to provide Russia with 40,000 fighters for the war in Ukraine. "During recruitment, mercenaries are promised that they will perform exclusively police functions to restore order in the occupied territories, that is, purely police functions. But recently, information has begun to spread among mercenaries about direct participation in hostilities against the Ukrainian army. This has significantly reduced the fighting spirit of the Syrians," the agency said. They add that recently more than 30 fighters injured in hostilities in Ukraine arrived at Khmeimim Air Base from Russia. "This had a negative impact on the moral and psychological state of other mercenaries and led to the refusal of some of them to participate in hostilities. Among the Syrian militants, there were even cases of self-mutilation. Some of the mercenaries consider being sent to Russia and Belarus as a chance to illegally migrate to EU countries," the agency said. NPC Ukrenergo is trying to restore a reliable power supply scheme for the Chornobyl site, which would provide for the possibility of supplying it with at least two power lines, now there are no nuclear safety threats associated with the power supply of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) and the fuel assembly cooling system, Head of the company Volodymyr Kudrytsky has said. "We are still continuing to restore a reliable Chornobyl power supply scheme. Reliable means that the Chornobyl nuclear power plant must be connected to the Ukrainian power system by at least two power lines to have a reserve in case one is damaged," he said at a briefing in Lviv Media Center on Thursday. "Until this work is completed and while our people are forced to negotiate corridors, travel to dangerous territory, I cannot disclose more details regarding the status of these repairs so as not to endanger them," Kudrytsky added. At the same time, he said that there is no reason to worry about the threat to the nuclear safety of Ukraine and Europe, associated with problems in the power supply of the station or the supply of cooling systems for fuel assemblies, now. "The situation is under control. We are trying to fully restore the reliable power supply scheme for the Chornobyl nuclear power plant," the head of Ukrenergo said. By Azernews By News Center Many Turkish humanitarian organizations are still operating in the region, providing medical and food assistance to Ukrainian refugees, Yeni Shafak has reported. Mariglen Shehi, the European coordinator of the Turkish non-governmental organization IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation), stated that they provide a lot of support to Ukrainian citizens waiting at border crossings. Shehi added that the organization provides everything from food to medical supplies to those affected by the war in Ukraine and that it distributes 2,000 loaves of bread every day in the region. He said when the Ukrainian soldiers realized the NGO members were from Turkey, they greeted them warmly. "The soldiers help us at the entrances and exits, as well as in some buffer zones. This is a priority not because we are helping, but because we are Turkish. When Turkey is mentioned, all doors open here," Shehi stated emphatically. He added that some humanitarian organizations from other countries have observed their hard work and asked: "Are you not Muslims, what are you doing here?" We continue to work saying that Muslims do not look at the religion of the oppressed. This situation surprises foreigners," he stressed. Three million civilians became refugees as a result of Russia's intervention in Ukraine. Ukrainians who flock to the borders of Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Slovakia are taken into the countries through the border gates in groups. A catastrophic humanitarian situation has developed in the occupied Ivankivska, Dymerska and Poliska merged territorial communities of Vyshgorodsky district of Kyiv region, there is no communication, electricity, food and medicine, according to the Telegram channel of Kyiv regional military administration. Slavutych is also completely isolated. The evacuation of people from the occupied Dymerska community continues. In the neighboring Buchansky district, the village of Borodianka is blocked, the evacuation of the civilian population and the delivery of humanitarian aid are being prepared. There is no water supply, gas, electricity, communications in Makariv community. The village is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but is under constant enemy fire. In the Borodiansk, Bucha and Hostomel communities, the movement of the occupying troops is recorded, the infrastructure has been destroyed. Movements of enemy equipment were recorded on the territory of Baryshivska, Kalytianska, Velykodymerska and Kalynivska communities of Brovarsky district. On the night of March 16 and 17, the enemy launched a missile attack on Kalynivska community, one of the settlements was damaged, according to preliminary data, there were no casualties. Also, the area of the village of Yasnohorodka, Fastivsky district, was fired from the hailstones multiple launchmissile systems, but there were no casualties, deaths, or significant damage. Throughout the region there is a struggle against sabotage groups. The most dangerous directions for movement in the regional administration were called the Zhytomyr highway, the Bucha-Irpin-Jostomel agglomeration, Makarivsky district, and the north of Vyshgorodsky district. On Thursday, the evacuation of the population through humanitarian corridors continues in the region. Humanitarian aid is sent to all seven districts. The United States is actively sharing intelligence information with Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official said at a press briefing in Brussels. "We absolutely are sharing, we are actively sharing information and intelligence with Ukrainians that we believe can be helpful to them in their fight every day," he said, answering a question from journalists. "And by helpful I mean helpful, and I think I really," he added, without going into details. The name of the high-ranking Pentagon official was not indicated under the terms of the briefing. The text of the briefing is published on the website of the U.S. Department of Defense. The Russian occupiers are trying to continue the strategic offensive operation against Ukraine and do not abandon their attempts to reach the administrative borders of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. There is no success, the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports on Thursday. "In order to constrain the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the enemy is trying to block the settlements to the north of the capital. At the same time, the enemy does not refuse to launch rocket and bomb strikes on civilian infrastructure in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk and other regions where there is no active hostilities underway," the statement said. It says that in Volyn direction, intensive use of the territory and infrastructure of the Republic of Belarus by a group of troops of the Russian Federation for delivering strikes on the territory of Ukraine and logistical support for the group of occupying forces operating in the Polissia direction is recorded. "There is still a possibility of participation of certain units of the Belarusian armed forces in hostilities on the side of the Russian Federation," the General Staff says. They note that in Polissia direction, the enemy made attempts to seize the previously occupied lines, lost as a result of the successful actions of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They does not have success in this direction, suffering losses. They are trying to regroup troops and establish logistics. The enemy did not conduct active offensive operations in Siversky direction, and continues to prepare for resumption of the offensive with the aim of further blocking Kyiv from the northeast direction. The enemy performs chaotic attacks on the positions of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, tries to conduct reconnaissance. In Slobozhansky direction, the invaders tried to carry out offensive operations from the area of the city of Izium, but were unsuccessful. Attempts are being made to gain a foothold on the occupied lines and improve the system of logistics. "The Russian invaders reinforce the grouping with additional units of the 1st Tank Army and coastal units of the Baltic Fleet," the General Staff notes. They specify that the enemy carried out offensive operations in Donetsk and Tauride directions. "The eenemy had partial success in the area of Rubizhne (fixed on the western and northwestern outskirts of the city, moving towards the southern part of the city). On Popasna and Volnovakha directions, the enemy conducted unsuccessful assault operations in the areas of the settlements of Verkhniotoretsk and Maryiynka. The enemy suffered losses,conducts a regrouping of troops, carries out replenishment of supplies. The assault on the city continues in the Mariupol direction," the General Staff said. It is noted that the occupiers did not carry out active offensive operations in Zaporizhia direction, and the enemy carried out reconnaissance in Pivdennobuzske direction, carried out engineering equipment of the positions occupied. The enemy tried to carry out offensive actions in Kryvy Rih direction, took control of the Mala Shesternia settlement, however, did not have a general success, having fixed in its positions. "In the Tauride direction, the enemy continued to build up the system of logistics for the group of troops. A collection point for damaged equipment has been deployed at Dzhankoy airfield," the General Staff said. Head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy Danylo Hetmantsev suggests that the government and the military leadership of the country consider the possibility of seizing the property of those business representatives who, under martial law, significantly and unmotivatedly increase prices for accommodation services, transportation and a number of goods. "Regarding information about a significant (multiple) economically unmotivated increase in prices for services for accommodation, transportation and some goods by individual businessmen in different regions of Ukraine who are trying to get super profits on the grief of fellow citizens, I believe that such behavior is a sufficient basis for withdrawing funds from such activities for the benefit of the Ukrainian army in accordance with the laws of war," Hetmantsev said on the Telegram channel on Thursday. He said he considers such activities not business, but looting. "I ask the government and the military leadership to consider this possibility and take appropriate measures," Hetmantsev said. During a charity concert in Estonia, EUR 700,000 were collected to help Ukraine, the Estonian embassy in Ukraine has reported. "More than 700 000 euros were raised during the SlavaUkraini charity concert organised by Estonian musicians & volunteers in Tallinn," the embassy said in Twitter on Thursday. The donations collected will be used to purchase ambulances and minibuses, equip them with the necessary things and send immediately to the cities where this help is needed urgently. "We share the pain of the thousands of people who have been killed and the millions who have fled," Estonian President Alar Karis said. As result of enemy shelling of Chernihiv center on Thursday, there are killed, wounded, including US citizen police As a result of the shelling of the center of Chernihiv by Russian invaders on Thursday, there were killed and wounded, among them a U.S. citizen, the police of Chernihiv region said. "The police are documenting the consequences of enemy shelling of civilians in the center of Chernihiv. Today, the invaders once again attacked unarmed civilians from heavy artillery on unarmed civilians in the city. There are killed and wounded. Among them is a U.S. citizen," Chernihiv region police said on Facebook. The police are helping to evacuate injured citizens to medical facilities. The Russian army resorts to brutal and massive extermination of the local population in cities near Kyiv, adviser to the head of the President's Office Oleksiy Arestovych said. "In the cities around Kyiv, the use of violence against the local population is systematically observed. If earlier there were isolated cases, the situation has worsened. The Russian army deliberately demolishes Ukrainian population. This is genocide. There are hundreds of such cases, not even dozens," Arestovych said during a briefing in Media Center of Ukraine. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer discussed the organization of urgent humanitarian corridors for the population in the war zones. "In a number of cities blocked by Russian troops, in particular, Mariupol, a critical situation has developed. The actions of the aggressor state are a crime of genocide against the Ukrainian people. We look forward to a rapid expansion of the activities of the Red Cross Committee, in particular, through the Rapid Deployment Mechanism in Ukraine," Shmyhal was cited by the government's press service following the meeting. The Prime Minister said that millions of people urgently need food, medicine, water and other critically needed goods. He also said Ukraine is counting on active work with donors to raise funds to provide humanitarian assistance to the country. Shmyhal said the Ukrainian side allowed the free movement of personnel and goods of the Red Cross Committee as quickly as possible. "We are ready to continue to provide the necessary assistance to the humanitarian activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine," the head of government said. Shmyhal urged the ICRC to take more active and persistent steps to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from Ukrainian cities under siege and exposed to fire every day. There remains a possibility that the enemy will attempt to storm the capital, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk has said. "Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Mykolaiv are extremely important cities in the offensive operation by the Russian Federation. In almost all of these cities, the enemy has had no success and cannot take control of these cities. Therefore, the enemy resorts to terrorist acts and opens fire chaotically, without targeting these cities with artillery and rockets. I want to emphasize that there is still a possibility that the enemy will attempt to storm the capital," he said at a briefing at the Ukrainian media center in Kyiv on Thursday. At the same time, he assured that the defense of Kyiv is a strategic task for the entire state, as the capital of Ukraine. According to Motuzianyk, the best units of the ground forces, air assault troops, special operations forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are defending Kyiv. Investigators of Ukraine's SBU (State Security Service) in Kharkiv region, under the procedural leadership of the regional prosecutor's office, have initiated a pretrial investigation into the shelling of Merefa by Russian servicemen, as a result of which 15 people were killed and 25 were injured. "According to the investigation, on March 17, 2022, at about 3:30 am, Russian servicemen fired artillery at the city of Merefa, Kharkiv region, as a result of which a comprehensive school and a city center of culture were destroyed. Some 15 people were killed and 25 people injured, 10 of who are in serious condition. The debris clearing continues," the press service of Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office says. Criminal proceedings were opened under Part 2 of Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. By Azernews By Yusuf Ozdemir Turkey inaugurates the Canakkale 1915 Bridge, a project that connects Asia and Europe for the sixth time, the Yeni Shafak newspaper has reported. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of Turkeys latest megaproject on March 18, the report added. Transportation projects that have been implemented have played a significant role in Turkey's four-fold economic growth over the past 20 years. The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the Marmaray intercontinental commuter rail line, the Eurasia Tunnel, and the Canakkale 1915 Bridge, built alongside the 15 July Martyrs and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges, connected the two continents for the sixth time and became an alternative route between Asia and Europe. A total of $169.2 billion has been invested in transportation and communication over the past 20 years. While Turkey's divided road length increased from 6,100 kilometers to 27,000 kilometers, 14,516 kilometers of high-standard roads and 2,418 kilometers of highways were put into service. Tunnels, in particular, were used to bypass impassable mountains during the winter months. In this regard, Eurasia, Ovit, Bolu, Orhangazi/Samanl, and Pirinkayalar became significant tunnel projects. The 589-kilometer total tunnel length will be increased to 700 kilometers with the addition of 470 new tunnels until 2023. Major progress was also made in air transportation. While the number of airports has grown from 39 to 56, it is expected to rise to 61 in 2022 as new airports are built. Significant progress has also been made in railway construction. The railway's length has increased to 16,675 kilometers as a result of new investments in high-speed trains and conventional lines. The entire 12,800-kilometer railway network was rebuilt from the ground up. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Project cemented Turkey's rail system's international prominence. Many ports have been modernized for maritime transportation, which is an important way of trade and logistics. Filyos Port, with a capacity of 25 million tons (a 150-year-old Turkish dream), was inaugurated in 2021, and the ports have been linked to railway lines. Professor Mustafa Ilicali, evaluating the impact of transportation projects on Turkey's economic development, stated that Turkey is in a geopolitical location where 67 countries can be reached in a 4-hour flight. Turkey has attracted investors due to its transportation projects and logistical opportunities, he added. Due to its geographical location, Turkey is attractive for 1.6 billion people, with 38-trillion dollar GDP and 7-trillion dollar trade volume, Ilicali stressed. "International investors, too, cannot overlook our country's potential. Turkey has now achieved investment-grade status as a result of its increased accessibility. With the Baku-Kars-Tbilisi and Marmaray railways, Turkey has become more advantageous in terms of time and cost in trade logistics between China and Europe, compared to the northern and southern corridors. Fuel, time, and the environment save Turkey 14 billion dollars per year. The annual contribution of these projects to employment has reached an average of 703, 000," he stated. Active hostilities in Irpin and activities of enemy saboteur groups continue. There are reports from Bucha about violent crimes and property theft by Russian soldiers. That's according to Kyiv Regional Police Chief Andriy Nebytov, who said the enemy has occupied several villages in the region. On Thursday, at a briefing in Kyiv, he said Russian troops fired on Novi Petrivtsi for the first time. "It's an absolutely peaceful village, without any military installations. They raided private houses, a store and wrecked social infrastructure. There were no Ukrainian soldiers there," he said. As for Irpin, active hostilities are taking place there. "The enemy had certain defensive positions there, which were destroyed in a certain way. The enemy regrouped. Their saboteurs acted vilely throughout the village. Journalists and civilians have been killed when the enemy suddenly appears from the forest belt or in other locations," he said. In Bucha, according to Nebytov, there are also many Russian troops who continue to resist the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "We constantly receive information about the commission of crimes there: from property theft to violent crimes," he said. Nebytov said Russian soldiers are running out of food and water and are looting. "They have no desire to move forward, fearing a response from Ukrainian military units," he said, noting that the occupier does not have the support of the local population. "There is a partisan movement The Russian soldiers understand that they made a big mistake by coming to Ukraine," he stressed. In recent days, we have been observing that the shelling has been carried out chaotically, we have recorded the destruction of civilian facilities, social and humanitarian infrastructure Either it brings them pleasure, or it is intimidation of the population. But they will not intimidate our people. With each shelling, we become even more united. There are no more strikes on some military facilities, they cannot give a worthy rebuff to the armed forces of Ukraine. They attack civilian targets out of anger or uncertainty," he said. Nebytov said local authorities are working normally in Brovary. "But there are problematic issues regarding Bohdanivka, Shevchenkovo and Pobeda, town which are occupied by Russian troops. There are reports of crimes and atrocities there," he said. The Ukrainian military shot down a Russian KA-52 helicopter in Bucha district of Kyiv region, head of Kyiv Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Pavliuk said. "At 11:45 a.m., two enemy helicopters were detected that entered the zone of destruction of Ukrainian troops. As a result of the work of our air defense, one enemy helicopter was damaged," he wrote on his Telegram channel. At the same time, Pavliuk stressed that the invaders were forced to return, and their combat mission was frustrated. The immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territories of Ukraine are among the key aspects of a peace agreement that could be signed following negotiations with Russia to end the war against Ukraine. But strategically, our state wants to have a specific mechanism that will guarantee its security in the future. Adviser to the President's Office head Mykhailo Podoliak said this in an interview with WP Wiadomosci, the press service of the head of state reported. "The immediate ceasefire and the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the territories of Ukraine are one of the key aspects of the peace agreement. Otherwise, nothing. However, negotiations are a large-scale process in which not only Russia and Ukraine take part. Our partners are also involved. After all, we do not just have to sign an agreement. We want to develop a specific mechanism that will guarantee our security in the future," he stressed. Podoliak stressed that at the moment the Ukrainian and Russian delegations are defending their positions at the talks, so it may take some time to agree on the controversial issues. "During this time, we should get closer to concluding a peace agreement. First of all, taking into account the interests of Ukraine, which suffered huge destruction from the Russian Federation," he said. He also expressed confidence that after the signing of such an agreement, Russia will have no choice but to immediately begin the withdrawal of armed forces from the territory of Ukraine. Thus, after the signing of the treaty, the Vienna Convention will come into force for both sides, according to which the peace treaty can be annulled if the belligerent states do not withdraw their troops from enemy territories. Thus, attempts to detain Russian soldiers in Ukraine would be legally unjustified. Podoliak noted that in order to prevent another violation of international law and treaties by Russia, Ukraine wants to spell out in detail a specific plan in the agreement for the withdrawal of Russian troops, legally verify this, and also get the support of international partners. "In addition, it is foreign states that will guarantee the fulfillment of the conditions and the security of Ukraine in the future. This will be a document detailing the procedure for actions in the event of repeated aggression from Russia. This is an innovative formula, authored by President Volodymyr Zelensky, which can become the basis for creating a completely new security system in Europe," he said. Podoliak also stressed that Ukraine would not agree to compromises that could damage its interests. "We are not Russia. We know how and we will conduct a dialogue with our society. And we always hear our society. Unlike the Russian Federation, we can discuss any issues that we should have been talking about for a long time, but we will not agree to a single ultimatum," he said. A halt in exports of agricultural products from the Black Sea region due to the blockade by Russian ships will immediately lead to a food crisis, and not only to an energy crisis due to the war with Russia. The solution to this problem is a global issue, and not only for Ukraine as one of the largest global agricultural exporters, Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Roman Leschenko has said. I am very sorry that many world analysts and experts write that they are "deeply concerned about food security in Ukraine," but they do not understand that it is not about Ukraine Ukraine and Russia today provide 30% of world wheat exports, almost 30% of corn and 80% of sunflower oil... The end of the war and the solution of these basic problems is a global issue," the minister said during a press conference with foreign journalists in Kyiv on Thursday. Leschenko stressed that Ukraine is in the TOP-5 of the world's largest exporters of agricultural products and provides food for over 400 million people, excluding its population. However, the timely fulfillment by it of all its contractual obligations was violated by the blockade of Ukrainian seaports, through which about 80% of the country's exports pass. Due to the inability of Ukraine to supply agricultural products to foreign markets, the countries of Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia will be especially affected. "Countries such as Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Syria and dozens of others have a budget for food with stocks of 3-6 months. Some have stocks for only month. The wave of the food crisis will lead to instability in many regions of the world, hunger, change of political regimes, waves of migration that will affect the whole world," Leschenko said. The minister stressed the fallacy of some experts' attempts to "localize" the war in Ukraine, calling the conflict its own problem. The blockade of Ukrainian ports and the restrictions recently introduced by Russia on grain exports will lead to the fact that 30% of the total volume of food wheat will disappear from the world market at once, which will inevitably lead to a global food crisis. According to Leschenko, even the price of $500/tonne of wheat on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange will not solve this problem, since the necessary volumes of grain will not be available on the market due to the loss of agricultural products from the Black Sea region. The minister explained that the current crisis in the grain market is similar to the situation with the energy crisis in 2021-2022, when spot prices for natural gas exceeded the limits of possible market pricing, but it was impossible to buy it on the exchange due to its physical absence. "Today we are in the problem of both the energy crisis and the food crisis, which in the short term will inevitably lead to a global economic crisis. Ending the war and resolving the crises is a global issue," he said. Alex Lissitsa, General Director of the IMC agricultural holding, earlier said that if the aggression of the Russian Federation continues, Ukraine in the 2022/2023 marketing year (MY, July-June) will not be able to export 50 million tonnes of grain crops and will sow only 30-50% of the planned area. "Ukraine, together with Russia, supplies about 30% of wheat to global markets. Ukraine occupies a leading position in the export of corn, sunflower oil and other food products to the EU. In general, the country provides almost 14% of the global food market. And this means that if now if the war is not stopped and Ukraine will not be weeded out and will not be able to supply 50 million tonnes of grain to global markets, the poorest countries in the world will be left without food. That is, hundreds of thousands of people will simply be doomed to starvation," Lissitsa explained. A similar opinion was expressed by Petro Melnyk, the president of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club. He called on the world community to stop Russia's aggression against Ukraine by refusing to do business in Russia until April this year, as the continuation of the war would disrupt the sowing campaign in both countries and lead to a significant food shortage on the world market. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Thursday decided to suspend relations with Belarus in connection with the situation in Ukraine, the Iceland Permanent Representation reported. "The Council of Europe Committee of Minister today decided to suspend all relations with Belarus as a result of the countrys active participation in Russias aggression against Ukraine. It also decided to maintain and enhance relations with Belarusian civil society and opposition in exile," the Iceland Permanent Representation said on Twitter. The day before, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe expelled Russia from the organization. Losses inflicted on Ukrainian infrastructure by the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine increased by $8.3 billion over the week, to $62.6 billion, estimates the analytical division of the Kyiv School of Economics, KSE Institute. "During the week, damage to Ukraine's infrastructure in the war started by Russia increased by at least $8.3 billion. As of March 17, this amount is UAH 1.8 trillion, or $62.6 billion," the KSE Institute said in a release, citing data analysis from the Russia Will Pay project. Since the beginning of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the KSE Institute estimates that at least 411 educational institutions, 36 health care facilities, 1,600 residential buildings, 26 factories/their warehouses, 15 airports, 6 thermal power plants/hydroelectric power plants have been damaged, destroyed or captured in the country. etc. In addition, more than 15,000 km of roads, 5,000 km of railways have been "lost," 15 airports, 350 bridges and overpasses, etc. have been destroyed/put out of action. As reported, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Economics and the analytical center at the Kyiv School of Economics, KSE Institute, launched the Russia Will Pay project - a portal to collect information about the destroyed objects in the country as a result of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. On a special website https://damaged.in.ua/ you can provide information about the damage caused as a result of the war against Ukraine. In the future, this information will be used by the Ukrainian government as evidence in international courts for Russia to compensate for the damage caused. Zelensky visits residents of Kyiv region who were injured as result of enemy shelling in hospital President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited residents of Kyiv region who suffered from shelling by Russian troops in a hospital, the President's Office reports. "President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Vlasenko family in a hospital, which came under fire from the invaders during the evacuation from the city of Vorzel, Kyiv region. Vlasenko moved to Kyiv region from Crimea after the beginning of the Russian occupation of the peninsula, because they did not want to acquire Russian citizenship," the statement said. After the start of a full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, the family decided to leave Vorzel, but their car came under enemy fire. "Then eldest 16-year-old daughter Katia covered her younger eight-year-old brother Ihor with her body and received significant injuries. Seeing his sister bleeding, Ihor got out of the car and started shouting at the invaders for what they had done. Shrapnel wounds were also received by mother Tetiana. Father Roman carried the wounded daughter in his arms to get help," the President's Office said. It is noted that the family survived and is now undergoing treatment. The President wished the Vlasenko family a speedy recovery and expressed confidence that soon they would all be celebrating Ukraine's victory together. "It can't be otherwise when there are such strong families in our country," Zelensky said. At the hospital, the President of Ukraine also spoke with other residents of the region undergoing treatment there, with a territorial defense fighter and a driver of the American journalist Brent Renaud, who was killed in Irpin. Invaders fire cluster bombs at Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv region, at least six dead, number of wounded being established - community head On March 17, the Russian Armed Forces fired cluster bombs at Kozacha Lopan of Kharkiv region, Viacheslav Zadorenko, head of Derhachi community, said. "A few hours ago, the Russian army fired cluster bombs at Kozacha Lopan. As a result, at least six people were killed, the number of injured is being investigated," Zadorenko wrote on his Facebook page. According to him, the invaders bombed the railway station, shops, pharmacies and other civilian buildings in the center of the village. At the same time, the military infrastructure facilities that the invaders placed in Kozacha Lopan, as well as the Russian military, were not affected. Zadorenko recalled that the use of cluster bombs is prohibited by the 2008 Dublin Convention. "All this testifies to the deliberate cynical provocation of the Kremlin invaders in order to blame the Ukrainian side, sow panic and hatred of the local population towards the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims. I am sure that the residents of Kozacha Lopan are smart thinking people who do not succumb to hostile propaganda. You remember very well how our village developed under Ukraine, and you perfectly see what the 'Russian world' has brought to our homes today only pain, suffering, hatred and devastation," Zadorenko wrote. Bratislava is ready to transfer the Soviet-made S-300 system to Ukraine, but on the condition that the Slovak army receives a replacement, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said at a joint press conference with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin on Thursday. "I understand what Ukraine needs now. We all try to help Ukraine in any way we can. But I am the Minister of Defense of Slovakia, and I must first of all meet the needs of the Slovak defense. At the moment, we have the only S-300 system in Slovakia, so I cannot give it away without having an alternative," Nad commented on rumors that the S-300 could be sent from Slovakia to Ukraine. Previously, Poland offered to send Soviet-made MiG-29s in service to Ukraine, but also in exchange for more modern American aircraft. The Pentagon also came to the conclusion that the transfer of these aircraft to Ukraine would not bring significant benefits to Kyiv, and besides, it could lead to an escalation of relations with Russia. Since the beginning of the open armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, more than 320,000 Ukrainians, most of them men, have returned to their homeland, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reports on its Telegram channel. "Our guys do not give up, so we need to help, we need to fight for our country. Ukraine must be free, like all people," one of the Ukrainians who arrived from Poland says. By Trend Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his intense diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine war on Wednesday as he hosted his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, discussing the issue of migration, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. In a joint press conference, the two presidents hailed bilateral ties as Duda conveyed his gratitude to Erdogan for "sharing all the knowledge" on hosting migrants. "Turkey is a very important state in the region. It has been making a lot of contributions and it plays a great role for peace," said the Polish president after the two leaders' meeting. The most "important topic" in their discussions was the Russia-Ukraine war, said Duda, extending "gratitude" to Erdo?an and saying: "I know how hard he tries to ensure that peace prevails." He also called on international organizations to join efforts to establish peace in Ukraine. There are many opportunities and a great capacity to advance bilateral relations between the two countries, Duda said. "We have reiterated one more time that we hope our trade volume will exceed the figure of $10 billion." Stressing that Poland wants military cooperation between the two countries to continue as well as economic cooperation, Duda said, "Last year we started very good cooperation in the field of defense. I believe that we will continue to develop this cooperation." For his part, Erdogan said: "As two NATO allies, we have exchanged views (on the Ukraine matter)." He also said he would continue his contacts on the continuing war at the upcoming NATO leaders summit in Brussels on March 24. "As Turkey, we continue our efforts to achieve a cease-fire. Indeed, my minister of foreign affairs (Mevlut Cavushoglu) is holding talks in Moscow today. He will go to Ukraine tomorrow." Erdogan also announced that Turkey and Poland aim to establish a high-level strategic partnership council to further strengthen ties. Kuleba, Cavusoglu hold talks: Turkey ready to consider possibility of becoming guarantor of Ukraine's security in future Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is visiting Ukraine, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reports. Kuleba briefed his Turkish colleague on the defense of Ukraine from full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation, condemned the numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, and noted the inevitability of responsibility for them. The minister also expressed gratitude to Cavusoglu for Turkey's unwavering solidarity with Ukraine, practical political and humanitarian support, and readiness to consider becoming one of the guarantor states of Ukraine's security in the future. Cavusoglu, in turn, informed Kuleba about his visit to Moscow on March 16. He stressed Ankara's readiness to continue mediation efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine. "Our state highly appreciates the diplomatic efforts of Turkey to force the Russian Federation to stop armed aggression and withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine. I am ready to continue the dialogue in the format of the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Turkey and Russia, if Russia is determined to have a serious dialogue for the sake of concrete results," Dmytro Kuleba said. He recalled that the Ukrainian side insists on the immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of food. The Minister also expressed gratitude to the President of Turkey for the proposal to organize a meeting between Presidents of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Kuleba expressed special gratitude to Turkey for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian citizens who suffered from Russian aggression. The United Kingdom has fully suspended the exchange and sharing of tax information with Russia and Belarus. "Suspending exchange of tax information means that Russia will not receive information under any of the UK's exchange of information agreements: Exchange of Information on Request (EoIR), Common Reporting Standard (CRS) or Country-by-country Reporting (CBCR)," the HM Treasury said in a statement. The UK exchanges tax information with Russia under the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters and Russia and Belarus under bilateral double tax agreements. The decision to suspend tax information exchange ensured the UK is not supplying Russian authorities with information that could lead to an increased tax benefit or yield for Russia, the statement said. The UK seeks to put Russian authorities "under decisive economic pressure, it would not be right to continue to exchange tax information with Russia and Belarus," Financial Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Frazer said. If Russia doesn't comply with order of International Court of Justice, it must waive right of veto in UN Security Council - MFA If the Russian Federation does not comply with the mandatory order of the International Court of Justice, then it must give up the right of veto in the UN Security Council, Oleh Nikolenko, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said. "Russia wants to sit on two chairs at the same time. On the one hand, not to comply with the mandatory order of the International Court of Justice, and on the other hand, to continue enjoying the privileges of international law. But international law cannot be wagged like a dog's tail. By refusing to comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice, Russia must then waive all rights under the UN Charter, primarily the right of veto in the Security Council, as well as immunities," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday. The speaker recalled that the International Court of Justice ordered Russia to immediately stop all military operations that it launched on the territory of Ukraine on February 24. "The court order is binding and, in accordance with the norms of international law, creates legal obligations for the Russian Federation. The assertion of the Russian side that the court has no jurisdiction to consider the claim of Ukraine, and, accordingly, to execute it, is void. During the hearing, the court rejected Russia's objections and confirmed the powers to issue its orders," he said. Nikolenko stressed that despite the attempt to freely interpret the decision of the International Court of Justice, Russia will not be able to avoid responsibility for its crimes against the Ukrainian people. Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak at an online meeting with representatives of the world's leading investment companies spoke about the ongoing bombing of Ukrainian cities, the press service of the President's Office reports. "The whole world is talking about the terrible situation in Mariupol today. The situation in Kharkiv, in the settlements around Kyiv, is not much better. But Ukraine will never surrender, will never give up its independence. And the country's army, which is not a member of NATO, has stopped and continues to fight against one of the largest armies in the world," Yermak stressed. He noted that negotiations with the Russian Federation to end the war are not easy, and it is very difficult to predict everything that the parties may eventually agree on. But for Ukraine there are definitely no compromises on its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Yermak expressed his conviction that Russia's war against Ukraine had destroyed the structure of not only European, but also world security, and it was necessary to build a new one, where Ukraine would hold one of the key positions. He also noted that after the end of the war, the Ukrainians will very quickly restore their country. For this, Ukraine plans to attract funds from international partners, as well as reparations that the Russian Federation must pay. He urged businesses to invest in the purchase of war bonds of the Ukrainian government, and responsible companies that have already left or are leaving Russia to reorient themselves to Ukraine in the future. Also, according to Yermak, it would be right to consider the issue of creating special funds or individual programs for the restoration of Ukraine. "The best response to the inhuman acts that we are now seeing on the territory of our country will be the appearance of the most modern houses and enterprises on the site of the destroyed buildings, where Ukrainians will be able to work. And we really hope that thanks to this, people who are now forced to leave Ukraine, will quickly return to their homeland," Yermak concluded. A new team of staff from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will arrive in Mariupol as soon as safe access to the city becomes possible, President of the international humanitarian organization Peter Maurer said. Maurer said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine and the Ukraine 24 TV channel that their team left Mariupol together with thousands of other residents, since their employees could not move and work in those specific conditions (blockade and shelling). But they have prepared humanitarian aid and a new team, which, as soon as there is a possibility of safe access to the city will come and take the place of the employees who left the city. Answering the question whether humanitarian mission personnel have access to Ukrainian cities and towns that have now come under the temporary control of the Russian army, he said that in the context of hostilities, the ICRC has not yet had the opportunity to expand its activities, but over time, the organization would like to be present in all territories of Ukraine, no matter who controls them. Maurer also clarified that due to the unstable situation in the country, no new ICRC offices and representations are currently opening. Maurer said they send their people to where there is such an opportunity. For example, Odesa. They live in a hotel. They adapt to the development of the situation. Now Red Cross employees are present in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Severodonetsk, Poltava, Dnipro and Kamianets-Podilsky. Also, part of the representatives, as in the past eight years, are in Donetsk and Luhansk in order to provide for the humanitarian needs of the local population, he said. Zelensky thanks President of Guatemala for clear position, support in Ukraine's fight against Russian invasion President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the President of Guatemala and his people for their support during Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression. "We appreciate the support of the friendly people of Guatemala and personally Alejandro Giammattei during Ukraine's struggle against Russian aggression. We will remember a clear and strong position of Guatemala. We need to expand the anti-war coalition. Let's stop the war together," he said on Twitter on Thursday. All federal states of Germany will provide quick assistance to Ukrainians who are fleeing the war, and its procedure will be simple, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. "Overcoming this challenge is the common task of our entire state," he tweeted on Wednesday evening. Scholz thanked the many volunteers whose "tireless efforts allow us to help people fleeing the terrible war in Ukraine." The German chancellor also said that it is completely unacceptable when immigrants from Russia are insulted or even subjected to physical attack. "Because this is Putin's war. He, and only he, is responsible for this," Scholz stressed. The G7 countries consider it necessary to increase humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and remind that a number of states depend on food supplies from this country, the group said in a statement following the talks of the G7 foreign ministers. The document notes that humanitarian efforts are essential for Ukraine, and the situation around this country has massive consequences for food security and prices in many countries that depend on the supply of the Ukrainian agricultural sector. The ministers also reaffirmed the importance of increasing international assistance to countries that border Ukraine and are facing an unprecedented flow of refugees from Ukraine. In this regard, the ministers made special mention of Moldova, which hosts the most refugees on a per capita basis. The G7 countries also agreed to discuss issues of assistance to Moldova within the framework of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The ministers also welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice on the need for Russia to stop the invasion of Ukraine and called on Moscow to act in accordance with the interim measures that need to be taken in this case. High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell, on behalf of the entire EU, issued a statement in which he condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attacks by the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies on the civilian population and civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, as well as the siege of Mariupol, the corresponding statement was released in Brussels on Thursday. "The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies continued targeting of Ukraines civilian population and civilian infrastructure, as well as their siege of the city of Mariupol. The Mariupol Drama Theatre was heavily shelled on Wednesday, despite having served as a well-known and clearly marked shelter for civilians including children. Human Rights Watch reports that Russian forces attacked the city of Mykolaiv with cluster munition rockets in three separate attacks. Such deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are shameful, reprehensible and totally unacceptable. They constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law," he stated. "In line with the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of March 16, Russia must cease its military action and withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine immediately and unconditionally, fully respect Ukraines territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognized borders. The EU calls on Russia to establish unhindered humanitarian access to Ukraine," he said. "Russia has no right under international law, as confirmed most recently by the ICJ, to use unilateral force on the territory of a third country and thus bears full responsibility for these acts of military aggression and all the destruction and loss of life it causes. The perpetrators of these serious violations and war crimes, as well as the responsible government officials and military leaders will be held accountable," the official said. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov appealed to foreign partners supplying weapons, ammunition and other products for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with a call to clarify the powers of recipients of products in the embassies and offices of military attaches of Ukraine. "Unfortunately, as in any war, there are those who want to make money on grief. These people can present themselves as 'advisers,' 'assistants,' 'heads of departments,' and also demonstrate 'documents' fakes. As a minister, I responsibly declare: they are all scum, marauders and traitors who have nothing to do with the defense of Ukraine, but work for their own pocket and/or the enemy. With this in mind, I call on the world community to be vigilant and ask to clarify the powers of 'authorized persons' in the embassies and offices of the military attaches of Ukraine, and to transfer all these 'arms barons' with fake documents to law enforcement agencies," Reznikov said in an appeal published by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on Facebook. He also thanked the states, international and non-governmental organizations that have provided, are providing and will continue to provide any assistance to Ukraine, and especially those who provide military-technical assistance. "I officially declare that all military assistance, down to the last bullet and a cent, is and will continue to be used for its intended purpose for defense and protection from Russian invaders. And marauders have a place behind bars," the minister stressed. By Trend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the German parliament on Thursday, he said in a new video message, Trend reports citing UNIAN. According to him, during the day he held talks with partners and friends of Ukraine. Zelensky stressed that he would continue to fight for even more support for Ukraine, for even more pressure on Russia. "For the sake of peace for us, the delegation of Ukraine speaks with the delegation of Russia. And I want all our citizens, citizens of Ukraine, to hear me now: negotiations continue, negotiations for the sake of Ukraine," he said. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has direct contacts with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation regarding the organization of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, president of the organization Peter Maurer said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency and the Ukraine 24 TV Channel. "From the Russian side, we communicate with the Ministry of Defense, and it provided us with contacts of high-ranking officers who are responsible for actions in Ukraine," Maurer said. Asked by the agency about how effective such contacts are and whether it was possible to open this or that humanitarian corridor thanks to them, the interlocutor noted that he "definitely saw positive steps." "I would like to note that this work is indispensable. The Red Cross communicates directly with the Russian and Ukrainian sides. And in this direction, I definitely saw positive steps. And in more direct contacts between Ukraine and Russia. For example, you saw a major evacuation operation from Sumy. This is an important signal that the work is producing results, but nevertheless, I must admit that it does not always work and that there is still a lot of work to be done to get results," he said. At the same time, Maurer specified that cooperation with the Russian Red Cross concerns only issues of assistance to refugees on the territory of the Russian Federation. "We are working with the Russian Red Cross on issues of assistance to refugees on the territory of the Russian Federation. So far there has not been a need to provide them with significant support. We are in constant contact, and if the need arises, we will provide support, but at the moment our priority is to strengthen our activities on the territory of Ukraine," the president of the humanitarian organization stressed. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to act as a mediator if Ukraine and Russia agree on the release of prisoners, Peter Maurer, the president of the humanitarian organization, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine and Ukraine 24 TV channel. "As you know, according to the norms of the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are released after the end of hostilities. But if there is a possibility of an agreement between the parties on an earlier release, then we are ready to fulfill our role as a neutral mediator in the negotiations," Maurer said. The ICRC president noted each of the parties to the armed conflict has obligations under international humanitarian law, and Ukraine has already taken steps to fulfill its part of the obligations. "I am pleased to announce that Ukraine has taken concrete steps to fulfill its part of the obligations. Today, during a meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, he confirmed that the Ukrainian Red Cross will centrally collect the names of all Russian prisoners of war on the Ukrainian territory," he said. Asked by the agency whether he himself or other members of the humanitarian mission visited Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine, Maurer said that "the ICRC is making very serious progress in its efforts to visit prisoners of war from both sides." The State of Israel should abolish the principle of quotas on the reception of citizens of Ukraine, against which Russia has been waging an open war for more than three weeks. This is stated in the of the Embassy of Ukraine regarding the Israeli policy on Ukrainian refugees, published on the official Facebook page of the diplomatic mission. The recently updated immigration policy of Israeli Government towards Ukrainians is not covering the main challenges for non-Jewish refugees from Ukraine. Russia is committing genocide of Ukrainians, killing thousands of civilians, while the Israeli Government inspects each and every refugee from Ukraine with a fine-toothed comb. We urge those who takes decision to cancel policy of quotas and other artificial obstacles towards women and children fleeing war-torn Ukraine, - the statement said. The Embassy of Ukraine also points to the need to allow Ukrainians to come to Israel (until the war ends) - family members of an Israeli citizen or a citizen of Ukraine who has legal status in Israel, including those who are in Israel with a valid visa. This category shall not fall under any quotas and should be able to enter Israel upon presentation of evidence of family relationship, - the diplomatic mission said. In addition, the Embassy asks the competent authorities shall also elaborate alternative mechanism that will enable entry of Ukrainians who have friends in Israel upon presenting written legally biding obligation of the hosting side. As for the Ukrainian citizens currently residing in Israel, it should be temporarily stipulated that the declared non-enforcement policy will also apply to their temporary employment in Israel, in order to allow them to support themselves until the crisis passes, - the statement said. The Embassy added: We hope that the government, whos nation experienced the refugee life throughout its existence, will embrace those, who are saving their own lives and lives of their children - looking for a temporary shelter from horrors of war. Ukrainians who is seeking temporary shelter in Israel do not make a random destination choice. All of those, who are coming have family or friends in Israel which are ready to host them. Ihor Zhdanov, Information Defence Informational Defence of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine, morning of March 17th, based on an analysis of open sources. 1. The russian occupiers have not achieved success in any of the operational areas and have sustained heavy losses as a result of counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the position and nature of the actions of defence forces have not changed significantly over the last 24 hours. In the Volyn direction, the russian forces, with the full support of the military and political leadership of Belarus, continue to use its territory to deploy missile systems, launch missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine and organise all kinds of troops. In the Polissya direction, the enemy continues to focus its main efforts on conducting reconnaissance and trying to organise a counter-battery fight. This has had no significant success. There are no active offensive actions by the enemy in the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions. The occupiers are trying to gain a foothold on the previously captured borders, regroup troops and replenish supplies. The enemy did not abandon attempts to occupy the south of Izium, probably in order to continue the offensive attacks in the direction of Sloviansk. It is not successful. In the Pivdennyi Buh area, the enemy continues to gain a foothold. Following their occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the Russian military tried to seize the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant, but the Ukrainian military stopped the offensive attack and the invaders did not enter it. The russian Black Sea Fleet continues to block shipping in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. The aggressor's losses are growing. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 17.03 were approximately: about 14,000 combatants, tanks - 444 units, armoured combat vehicles - 1,435 units, artillery systems - 201 units, MLRS - 72 units, air defence - 43 units, aircraft - 86 units, helicopters - 108 units, motor vehicles - 864 units, ships / boats - 3 units, fuel tanks - 60, UAVs of operational and tactical level - 11, special equipment - 10. During the past 24 hours, Ukrainian defenders destroyed the command post and support units of the 35th All-Military Army of the Eastern Military District of the Armed Forces of the russian federation. Ukraine has captured about a thousand of the russian servicemen. Ukrainian citizens return to the country to protect it. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian federation, more than 300,000 Ukrainians have returned to Ukraine from abroad, most of them are men. According to the UK Ministry of Defence on March 16th, the russian forces continue to slip because they are tied to the road network and because Ukraine has not lost control in the air. Ukraine's decision to blow up bridges on offensive routes played a key role in curbing their advance. In their tactics, the Armed Forces skilfully took advantage of the insufficient manoeuverability of the russian forces, disrupting their advance and inflicting heavy losses. Pentagon officials are convinced that the large number of russians killed in the war in Ukraine could destroy the will to continue hostilities. These estimates coincide with the opinion of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which is convinced that enemy combatants have been demoralized, which has led to an increase in desertions and refusals of servicemen of the russian Armed Forces to participate in the war in Ukraine. Conservative estimates of US intelligence agency report on 7,000 russian soldiers killed in the war, with another 14 to 21 wounded. The sources of The New York Times stressed that their death toll could be inaccurate. A recent US intelligence agency report was focused on low morale among russian servicemen and described soldiers simply parking their cars and escaping to the woods. The Pentagon also notes that because russia's ground forces are in disarray, russian president putin is increasingly attacking Ukrainian cities, homes, hospitals, and schools. According to intelligence agency, this aerial bombardment helped to mask the inadequate actions of the russian military on the ground. 2. The russian occupiers continue to violate international humanitarian law. Enemy aircraft continue to launch missile and bomb strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Sumy, and Donetsk regions, actively using the airfield network of the Republic of Belarus and occupied Crimea. In the Black Sea operational zone, warships shelled the coast in the areas of the settlements of Lebedivka, Sanzheika, Zatoka, and Bilenke. During the 21st day of the full-scale war, russian troops inflicted hundreds of times more damage on Ukraine than in Donbas during eight years. Civilians continue to die from the shelling. On the night of March 17th, russian troops fired artillery and launched missile strikes near Kyiv, chaotic shelling continued in Kharkiv, enemy artillery fired on Chernihiv and near Sumy, hail was struck in the Kherson region, and an air strike was launched on Mariupol. In Chernihiv, in one of the city's dormitories, russian troops fired on people standing in line for bread. The shelling killed at least 10 civilians. Occupying troops dropped a heavy bomb on the Mariupol Drama Theatre, where refugees who lost their homes were hiding. Satellite images show that in front of and behind the building of the Drama Theatre CHILDREN was written in large letters for the attention of aviation aviation pilots. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi noted that russian aircraft purposefully dropped a heavy bomb on the building where the children were hiding. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the international community to increase sanctions on russia after a targeted bomb attack on the Mariupol Drama Theatre. Okhmatdyt Hospital in Kyiv was startled by the rocket attack at 6 am on March 16th. Because of the explosions in Kyiv, the windows in the rooms were damaged and many shell fragments were found on the floor. In Kyiv, as a result of the fall of a downed russian missile, a high-rise building was destroyed and set on fire. One person was killed and three others were injured. Residents of occupied Skadovsk in the Kherson region went on a peaceful rally demanding the release of the city leadership detained by the russian military, the occupiers used tear gas and opened fire. In Merefa (the Kharkiv region), at 3:30 am as a result of the russian shelling, a school and a house of culture were destroyed, neighbouring houses were damaged and there are casualties among the military. The bodies of 5 victims, including 3 children, were found under the rubble of a dormitory in Chernihiv destroyed by russian troops. The russian occupiers were shelling Rubizhne in the Luhansk region all night, at least 27 houses were damaged, and houses in Popasna and Severodonetsk were burned. On March 15th, 2022, in the village of Chkalovske, the Chuhuiiv district, the Kharkiv region, servicemen of the Armed Forces of the russian federation entered the garage of a thirty-year-old local resident. Seeing the man, one of the russian servicemen shot him with an automatic weapon. The man died on the spot. After that, the aggressors took the deceased's phone, money, seized his car "Volkswagen T4" and fled. russian aggressors are taking peaceful Ukrainian citizens hostage and looting. russian invaders abducted six people who were in the Bucha City Council building and provided assistance to residents until the last one was rescued. Among the prisoners are City Council officers and volunteers. At noon on March 16th, it became known that they were all released. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was released from russian captivity. Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said that the special operation to release Fedorov from russian captivity, which had been exchanged for nine captured russian conscripts, had ended. The russian military is looting the Chernobyl zone, taking out overalls and computer equipment. According to the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremin, in the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Russians announced the resumption of education in schools, but without teaching the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literature, and history of Ukraine. The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague Karim Khan and the investigative team of the International Criminal Court arrived in Ukraine to collect evidence of war crimes of the russian federation. 3. Under attacks by the russian occupiers, evacuation through humanitarian corridors continues. On March 16th, at about 3:30 p.m., a column of civilians evacuating from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia was fired by the russian occupiers from the BM-21 Grad MLRS. On Wednesday, 6,426 people arrived in Zaporizhzhia from Mariupol, including 2,039 children. At the same time, the Mariupol City Council reports that about 11,000 people left Mariupol for Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday. 4 . Ukrainian-russian communications. According to the publication in The Financial Times , Ukraine and russia are negotiating a 15-point peace deal in bilateral talks, including Kyiv announcement of a refusal to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from allies and the withdrawal of russian troops from Ukraine who had been there since their invasion began on February 24th. The publication emphasises that the nature of Ukraine's Western security is guaranteed and their acceptability for Moscow could be a major obstacle to concluding any agreement. The status of Ukrainian territories seized by russia and its puppets in 2014 may also be an obstacle. Under the agreement, Ukraine will retain its Armed Forces, but will be required to remain outside military alliances, such as NATO, and refrain from deploying foreign military bases on its territory. Although Moscow and Kyiv stated on Wednesday that they had made progress under the terms of the agreement, Ukrainian officials are skeptical that russia's president putin is ready for peace. They fear that Moscow is trying to gain time to regroup and resume the offensive. Adviser to the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak informed in the publication that any agreement would include a clause stating that russian troops will leave the territory of Ukraine captured since the invasion on February 24th, the southern regions along the Azov and the Black Seas, as well as the territory to the east and north of Kyiv. He also stressed in The Financial Times publication that the draft peace agreement is nothing more than a request from the russian side. According to the forecasts of Information Defence experts, any agreement that will be concluded because of these negotiations will be a compromise and may not satisfy radical Ukrainian citizens. This may lead to a certain split in Ukrainian society. 5. The Ukrainian government, business, and citizens are demonstrating solidarity and consolidating their efforts to confront the enemy. President Volodymyr Zelensky introduced a nationwide minute of silence to honour all those killed in the Russian invasion. Well-known figures in the Ukrainian film industry opposed the russian invasion and called for a boycott of russian culture. In particular, russia was condemned by actress Ada Rohovtseva, art director of the Molodist Film Festival Andrii Khalpakhchi, directors Serhii Bukovskyi, Mykhailo Illienko and Roman Balaian, and film critics Volodymyr Voitenko and Liubomyr Hoseiko. 6. International support and assistance to Ukraine. Both chambers of the US Congress have demonstrated strong support for Ukraine. Speaking to congressmen, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi asked the United States for air defence systems to close Ukraine's skies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi proposed to the United States to create a new Union - United for peace, which will be able to provide all necessary assistance in 24 hours. Finally, a decision was made to supply Ukraine with air defence systems. According to CNN, the United States and its NATO allies have begun providing Ukraine with air defence systems. These are the Soviet-era mobile air defence systems SA-8 (Osa military anti-aircraft missile system), SA-10 (S-300PT air defence system), SA-12 (S-300V complex) and SA-14 (Strela MANPADS)-3"). Although these systems are outdated compared to modern models of Western air defence systems, they have demonstrated their effectiveness in shooting down russian aircraft. On Wednesday, The US President Joe Biden announced another $ 800 million in military aid to Ukraine. According to the White House website, the new aid package includes: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems; 2000 Javelin, 1000 light anti-tank guns and 6000 anti-tank systems AT-4; 100 tactical unmanned aerial vehicles; 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns and 400 rifles; more than 20 million rounds of ammunition for small arms, grenade and mortar shots; 25,000 sets of bulletproof vests; as well as 25,000 helmets. As the Minister of Defence of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace stated on Wednesday, a decision has been made to supply Ukraine with modern Starstreak anti-aircraft mobile missile systems. UN International Court of Justice in The Hague on March 16th ordered russia to cease hostilities, which began on February 24th, 2022 in Ukraine, whose stated goal was to prevent and punish alleged genocide in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. The decision was made by 13 votes to two, with russia and china voting against. The energy security of our state is growing. Ukraine has become a member of the "Energy European Union", i.e. joined the European energy system ENTSO-E. Financial assistance continues. As a part of a campaign launched by the Czech government to raise funds to help Ukraine, more than $ 30 million has already been raised. Since the initiative's inception, more than 100,000 people have made donations. The campaign is coordinated by the Czech government, and the money goes to the Ukrainian embassy in Prague. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhan Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that about 100 tons of goods had already been shipped to Ukraine with the help of the organization he heads, and that another 108 tons would be delivered soon. King Philip of Belgium and Queen Matilda decided to provide shelter for Ukrainian refugees. The royal couple will provide two apartments that can accommodate three refugee families. 7. Provocations and fakes of russian aggressors. russian hackers broke the news feed on Ukraine 24 and launched a fake statement of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's surrender. The head of state immediately recorded a video message and offered to lay down arms to the russians. The security service calls another statement by russian aggressors about the alleged use of poisonous substances against civilians fake. According to the official statement, "a new fake from the russian Ministry of Defence: it turns out that the Security Service of Ukraine allegedly" with the support of Western countries is preparing a provocation with the use of toxic substances against civilians. I wonder if this is not about those fighting Bandera bats, which, according to "secret and very accurate data" of the occupiers, had to carry biological weapons? The allegations of "SBU provocation" came after the russian occupiers fired on a peace column near Mariupol and dropped a bomb on the city Drama Theater, where hundreds of women and children were hiding. The Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine warns of the possibility of sabotage groups entering Ukraine with the credentials of journalists of the video agency Ruptly which is a subsidiary of russia Today. 7. Sanctions against russia are intensifying, and more and more companies are leaving the russian trade market. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has decided to exclude russia from the organisation, which is the first time since its founding. This morning, at an extraordinary meeting, the Committee of Ministers, in the context of the procedure initiated under Article 8 of the Statute of the Council of Europe, decided that the russian federation would cease to be a member of the Council of Europe after 26 years. Switzerland has adopted additional European Union sanctions against russian individuals and legal entities, issued on Tuesday in response to russia's invasion of Ukraine. russia's position in the financial markets is deteriorating. American index provider S&P Dow Jones after consulting with market participants decided to withdraw bonds of russian and Belarusian issuers from the indices. New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Exchange decided to temporarily suspend trading in shares of russian-based companies amid the country's aggression against Ukraine. The international community continues to block energy supplies from russia. The International Energy Agency has estimated russia's oil losses due to sanctions at 3 million barrels per day (bpd). russia exports 7-8 million bpd. Germany's largest energy company E.ON has stopped buying new volumes of gas from Gazprom's trading companies in Europe. After the russian invasion of Ukraine, the russian App store lost 6,982 mobile applications (105% more than on February 1-14th), currently among the leaders in downloads - VPN services. russian companies are shutting down due to sanctions. AvtoVAZ sent all employees on corporate leave from April 4th to April 24th "due to the ongoing crisis in the supply of electronic components and in order to prevent a significant reduction in employee earnings". AvtoVAZ produces Lada and Renault cars. The Swiss drug manufacturer Novartis will stop investing and marketing activities in russia, as well as conducting all scientific activities. However, the company's plant in St. Petersburg will continue to produce medicines for the russian market. Tour operators in russia believe that in the summer prices for holidays in russian hotels and resorts will increase by 10-30%. Some hotels have already announced an increase in the cost of services. Sotheby 's and Christie's are canceling auctions of russian art scheduled for June amid russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Council of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has decided to hold the 2022 World Chess Olympiad in India (Chennai) instead of russia. By Trend Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who is visiting Brussels to attend an extraordinary meeting of NATO defense ministers, held a number of bilateral meetings, Trend reports citing the press service of the Ministry. Thus, Akar held bilateral meetings with counterparts from the US, UK and France Lloyd Austin, Ben Wallace and Florence Parley. During the meetings, bilateral and regional issues of defense and security, and in particular the latest developments in Ukraine, were discussed. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Some 1,500 kilometers of roads have been built in the Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Second Karabakh War. Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov made the remarks during a plenary session of the parliament's discussion of the Cabinet of Ministers' report on activities in 2021. The most important issue, he said, was reviving Karabakh and creating the conditions for former internally displaced people to return to their homes. He also described the further improvement of people's living conditions in other parts of the country as a priority. Asadov emphasized that a single approach is used in all regions. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijan Automobile Roads State Agency published the most recent information on road infrastructure projects completed in the economic regions of Karabakh and East Zangazur. Fuzuli-Hadrut highway The12km Fuzuli-Hadrut highway falls under the first technical category and contains four lanes on it. Forty percent of the earthwork, 23 percent of the paving, and 21 percent of the pipe construction is completed. A 300m stretch of the road has been paved with asphalt concrete. The road project is expected to be completed in 2022. Hadrut-Tug-Azykh highway This 22-km highway falls into the fourth technical category. It has two lanes. The road surface is being milled, the lower layer of asphalt concrete pavement is being laid on a 2.7-km section, and a new road base is being built on an 800-m section. The road project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Barda-Aghdam highway This 45-km highway falls under the first technical category. It contains four lanes. Fifty-seven percent of the earthworks, 19 percent of the paving, 45 percent of the pipe construction, and 93 percent of the bridge construction have been completed. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Gubadli-Eyvazli highway The 28,5-km highway falls under the fourth technical category. There are two lanes on it. Work on the destruction of rocks and the construction of a subgrade is currently underway. The regulatory expansion of the highway has been completed at the 8th km of the highway. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Gubadli-Mahmudlu-Yazduzu highway The highway is 26,4 km long and falls under the fourth technical category. There are two lanes on it. The road planning work is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Road infrastructure in Kalbajar, Lachin The highway is 726, 3 km long and belongs to the fourth technical category. There are two lanes on it. Earthworks are completed by 83 percent, road construction and paving by 25 percent, pipe laying by 95 percent, and road sign installation by 82 percent. The road work is scheduled to be completed in 2022. New road to bypass Lachin The highway is 32 km long. It falls under the third technical category. It contains three lanes. Along with the design of the highway, earthworks and the construction of a subgrade and a bridge are being carried out on sections 13-24 km. The road works are planned to be completed in 2022. Lachin Airport The highway is undergoing construction and mobilization. In addition, drilling and blasting operations are underway to clear a 10-hectare area. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Talish-Tapgaragoyunlu-Gashalti-Naftalan highway The highway is 22 km long and classified as 2-4 technical. There are two lanes on it. Earthworks on the first 8.5 kilometers and sections 9-22 kilometers of the road have been completed; work on water pipes and pavement is currently underway. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Khudafarin-Gubadli- Lachin highway The highway is 70,4 kilometers long and falls under the first technical category. There are four lanes on it. Construction of a subgrade and bridges is underway at 45 km in the direction of Gubadli-Lachin and 14 km in the direction of Khanlig. Earthworks have been completed in 47 percent of cases, pavement works in 10 percent of cases, pipe laying and underground passage construction in 25 percent of cases, bridge construction in 24 percent of cases, and retaining wall contraction in 22 percent of cases. Shukurbayli - Jabrayil Hadrut highway The highway is 39,7 km long and falls under the first technical category. There are four lanes on it. Earthworks have been completed in 58 percent of cases, pavement works in 17 percent of cases, pipe laying and underground passageway construction in 64 percent of cases, and bridge construction in 56 percent of cases. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023. Aghdam-Fuzuli highway The highway is 64,8 km long, it falls under the first technical category. It contains four lanes. Earthworks are 3 percent complete, and projecting is also underway. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023. Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway The highway is 81,6 km long, it falls under the first technical category. It contains four-six lanes. Construction of a subgrade, as well as eight bridges, six tunnels, and five underpasses, is currently underway. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023. Ahmadbayli-Horadiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Aghband new highway The highway is 123,6 km long, it falls under the first technical category. It contains four lanes. Earthworks are 50 percent complete, pipe laying and underground passageway construction is 35 percent complete, and bridge construction is 48 percent complete. The road construction is expected to be finished in 2024. Kalbajar-Lachin highway The highway is 72,3 km long and is classified as first and second technical. It has two to three lanes and a 9.8-kilometer tunnel. Earthworks and mobilization efforts are currently underway. Approximately 2 percent of the work has been completed. The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2025. Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway The highway is 80,7 km long and falls into the first and second technical categories. It has two-three lanes. Tunnel 1 is 6.3 km long and the Murovdag tunnel is 11.6 km long. Subgrade construction is currently underway, as is the installation of water pipes in the 12-13 km and 26-28 km areas. Work to relocate existing canals has been completed in sections 8.5 - 8.7 and 12.8 - 13.5 km; water pipe laying has been completed in some areas, and canal construction continues in sections 26 - 26.5 km. Drilling of 1,857 m was completed at the Murovdag tunnel's entrance and exit. Drilling operations began at the tunnel's exit. The project is expected to be completed in 2026. EgyptAir carried 680 Egyptian Coptic pilgrims on Thursday evening to visit the holy sites in Jerusalem, after pilgrimage trips had been suspended for two years due to the pandemic, sources at EgyptAir said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later Tuesday, a government source said, as Tokyo expressed "grave concern" about the risk of a Russian invasion. Tokyo was preparing for the call on Tuesday evening local time, as diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution step up after an apparent opening from Russia, and with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz due in Moscow later in the day. Kishida said Tuesday that Japan was "watching the situation with grave concern". "We'll continue to monitor the situation with high vigilance, while coordinating closely with G7 countries to deal with any developments appropriately," he said at a meeting between government ministers and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. On Monday, a statement by finance ministers from the G7 group of most developed nations warned that Russia faced tough sanctions if it proceeded with military action against Ukraine. The allies stood ready to "collectively impose economic and financial sanctions which will have massive and immediate consequences on the Russian economy", the statement said. Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Tuesday stressed Tokyo's support for "the integrity of Ukraine's sovereignty and territory", but declined to give details on what form any sanctions might take. "If a Russian invasion occurs, Japan will deal with it appropriately, including through imposing sanctions, in response to what has actually happened and in cooperation with the international community including the G7," he told reporters. Japan's defence minister meanwhile warned of an increased Russian naval presence in the Sea of Japan and the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. "It is thought that they intend to show off the capability to operate in the East and West, along with the Russian military's recent movement around Ukraine," Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said in a tweet. Japan's relations with Russia are complicated: the two countries never signed a peace treaty after World War II because of a lingering dispute over four islands claimed by Moscow in the closing days of the conflict. The islands, off the northern coast of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, are known as the southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan. Search Keywords: Short link: Some 235 films from all over the world are being screened during the 24th edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TDF) in Greece, which kicked off on 10 March with measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The TDF returned this year in a hybrid format following a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10-day festival kicked off in the Olympion Theater in Thessaloniki, Greece, and will announce its awards on 20 March during its official closing ceremony. More than 235 films from all over the world are participating in this hybrid edition making use of both physical and online screenings, with rigorous precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The exact details of the precautionary measures are unknown. American filmmaker and former Oscar nominee David France opened the festival with his new film How to Survive a Pandemic, reminding us of all we had to go through in the past two years. The film documents the scientists hard work to win the pandemic fight and create and develop vaccines, working behind the scenes in their labs while the world is waiting to be saved. The TDF has three main competitions: International Competition, Newcomers Competition, and Film Forward Competition. Each competition offers two awards, the Golden Alexander and a Special Jury Award, accompanied by cash prizes. 12 films over 70 minutes in length are competing in the International Competition. Members of its jury include Russian film director Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, Swiss film director Alexandre O. Philippe and Latvian film director Laila Pakalnina. The 12 films tell very interesting stories. Femicidio by Nina Maria Paschalidou and Spanton vs The French Police by Ovidie are dealing with womens problems and how the #metoo movements helped. Ovidies film tells the story of Emily Spanton, who was raped by two French police officers in 2014 who almost got away with it before #metoo. Paschalidou is trying, in her film, to understand the growing phenomenon of femicide in Italy, tracking cases of violence and murder against women. Off the Rails by BBC filmmaker Peter Day gives us a glimpse into the risks some youths take to build a career as YouTubers, by following the precarious lives of Rikke Brewer and Aiden Knox as they struggle to get over the death of their best friend Nye Newman. Turn Your Body to the Sun by Aliona van der Horst tells a story of a Soviet prisoner of war in World War II, through the lens of his daughter who decided to track his path through his diaries, various personal and public archives and registries. The Other Half by Giorgos Moutafis is about refugee stories, and A House Made of Splinters by Simon Lereng Wilmont is about war victims. Young Plato by Neasa Ni Chianain and Declan McGrath is about a teacher trying to save the children from a dark future in a dangerous neighborhood by teaching them philosophy. The remaining films are ANIMA My Fathers Dresses by Uli Decker, A Marble Travelogue by Sean Wang, Tilos Weddings by Panayotis Evangelidis, and Second Chance by Ramin Bahrani. The Newcomers Competition features debut and sophomore films by young directors. Its 12 films will be judged by three filmmakers including Angeliki Aristomenopoulou from Greece, Michael Graversen from Denmark and Laurien ten Houten from Netherlands. Two Arab filmmakers are competing for the awards in this competition. Mohammed Abugeth co-directed The Devils Drivers with Daniel Carsenty, where they followed a story in south of Hebron about two Bedouin drivers smuggling construction workers across the border to find work. The film had its world premiere in Toronto international film festival. Lebanese filmmaker Rita Baghdadi is competing with her film Sirens, about an all female thrash metal band in Lebanon. It premiered at Sundance International Film Festival. Film Forward Competition is hosting 12 films that question film conventions and brings forth radical films. The jury members are Toby Lee, professor of cinema studies at NYU, Babis Makridis from Greece, and Marta Popivoda from Germany. Five Arab filmmakers are participating in noncompeting sections. In the Post-Reality section, this includes Lauren Alexander and Ghalia Elsrakbis film Baby Come Home. Ghalia Elsrakbi is a Syrian artist based between Amsterdam and Cairo. Her film is one of Foundland Collective projects, an Art and design group she formed in 2009 with South African Lauren Alexander. Suzannah Mirghani from Sudan is participating in the same section with a seven minute film called Virtual Voice about the fake life some girls live on social media. The Top Docs section has one film made by Syrian filmmaker Diana El Jeiroudi called Republic of Silence. The Open Horizons section has two Arab films, Homemade Stories by Nidal Al Dibs who is a Syrian filmmaker based in Egypt, and Batata by Lebanese director Noura Kevorkian. The TDF was founded in 1999. It is an international documentary festival held every March in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is organised by the Thessaloniki Film Festival cultural institution, which also organises the annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival, held in November The TDF ranks among the world's leading documentary festivals, and since 2018, TDF is one of the 28 festivals included in the American Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival List. French producer Elise Jalladeu is TDF's general director and film critic Orestes Andreadakis is the director. Search Keywords: Short link: The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine since Russia's invasion grew by more than 100,000 over the past 24 hours, the United Nations said Thursday. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,169,897 Ukrainians had fled across the border since the war began on February 24, a figure up 106,802 since Wednesday's update. "More than three million people have fled the country, the vast majority women, children and older people who left behind their homes and often family members, not knowing what's to come," the agency said. "Hour by hour, minute by minute, people are fleeing the terrifying reality of violence in Ukraine. Unless the conflict ends, this heart-breaking crisis is set to grow. We need peace, now." The UNHCR said that more than two million people still within Ukraine's borders had also fled their homes. The UN's International Organization for Migration said 162,000 third-country nationals had fled the country, as of Wednesday. The UNHCR initially estimated that up to four million people could leave Ukraine, but last week admitted that figure might well be revised upwards. Before the conflict, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in the regions under government control, excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist regions in the east. Here is a breakdown of where Ukrainian refugees headed to, according to the UNHCR: Poland Six in 10 Ukrainian refugees crossed the Polish border, or some 1,916,445 people so far. The Polish border guards said incoming numbers were down 11 percent on Wednesday compared to Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people are also entering Ukraine from Poland -- mostly those returning to fight but also others seeking to care for elderly relatives or returning to bring their families out to Poland. Before the crisis, around 1.5 million Ukrainians lived in Poland, the vast majority working in the EU nation. The data of arrivals into Ukraine's neighbouring countries which are in Europe's Schengen open-borders zone -- Poland, Hungary and Slovakia -- only represent border crossings into that country. "We estimate that a large number of people have moved onwards to other countries," UNHCR said. Romania The UNHCR said 491,409 people had made their way into neighbouring Romania, including people who had crossed over from Moldova to reach the EU member state. The UNHCR figures per neighbouring country are 271,283 higher than their overall total -- a difference which the agency says reflects the number of people who crossed between Moldova and Romania. The vast majority are thought to have made their way onto other countries further into Europe. Moldova The UNHCR said 350,886 Ukrainians had crossed into the non-EU state. It is the closest border to the major port city of Odessa. Many Ukrainians fleeing the fighting transit through Moldova, a small nation of 2.6 million people and one of the poorest in Europe, en route westwards to Romania and other countries beyond. Hungary A total of 282,611 Ukrainian refugees crossed into Hungary. Hungary has five border posts with Ukraine and several frontier towns, including Zahony, where local authorities have turned public buildings into emergency centres for refugees. Slovakia Some 228,844 refugees made it across Ukraine's shortest border into Slovakia. Russia Some 168,858 refugees have sought shelter in Russia. In addition, UNHCR said 50,000 people had crossed into Russia from the pro-Russian Donetsk and Lugansk regions of eastern Ukraine between February 21 and 23. Belarus Some 2,127 refugees have made it to Belarus, the UNHCR says. Search Keywords: Short link: Expressing his gratitude on social media, Mohamed Hefzy has stepped down from the presidency of the Cairo International Film Festival, leaving the repositioned festival to his successor, iconic actor Hussein Fahmy. The Egyptian producer and scriptwriter served as the festivals president for four consecutive years, between 2018 and 2021. Hefzy made numerous improvements during his presidency, returning the festivals strength on an international scale while creating an important platform for the support and development of Egyptian and other Arab independent filmmakers. Hefzy expressed his pride over the four years of his presidency, and underscored that he had been working with a great team of talented individuals, all of whom aimed to lift the festival to a higher level in local, regional and international cinema. While stepping down, Hefzy said that his initial intention had been to head the festival for three years, but due to the circumstances and pandemic, they ended up being four great and memorable years, the most important time in my career in cinema thus far. Hefzy thanked Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem for her constant support and to my team who worked tirelessly for the festival year after year. He also wished success to iconic actor Hussein Fahmy, who is succeeding Hefzy for the festivals 44th edition, scheduled to take place at the end of 2022. Fahmy, who is in his early 80s, is in fact a returning president of the CIFF, having headed the festival between 1998 and 2001. The multi-awarded actor starred in over 125 films as well as dozens of TV and radio series and theatre plays. Fahmy placed himself in the hearts of the Egyptian and Arab viewers since the 1970s, and over the six-decades of his illustrious career, he has collaborated with many generations of Egypts most important crews, filmmakers, and actors. Hefzys post has sparked strong reactions from the artistic field, with many commenting on the four years he dedicated to the festival. You did an amazing job, Hefzy. I know the effort it took to modernise the festival and propel it into the 21st century. Thank you, wrote film director Yousry Nasrallah. Scriptwriter Rana Abu Rish noted: We were all very proud of you and felt the tangible changes and the facelift you gave the festival. You did a sensational job to the extent that you made it very hard for whoever comes next. They certainly have big shoes to fill. Many voices emphasised Hefzys work on repositioning the festival, the changes and passion to develop a network that can support hundreds of independent filmmakers in the region while shedding important light on them. Among the fundamental developments implemented by Hefzy was launch of Cairo Industry Days (CID) in partnership with the Arab Cinema Centre. Running for five days during the 10-day-long festival, CID provides an important space for discussions, networking, meetings, workshops, masterclasses, and partnership opportunities between Arab talents and regional and international key industry professionals to further support Arab cinema. For example, the fourth edition of CID (2021) hosted Netflix representatives as well as the second edition of Because She Created, an initiative that sheds light on Arab female directors and role of women in the entertainment industry in the Arab world. The CID also boosted the Cairo Film Connection (CFC), an older initiative held by CIFF. Under Hefzys presidency, the CFCs support for new film projects increased tremendously, totalling $600,000 throughout the four years. In 2021 alone, during the 43rd edition of the CIFF, the CFC distributed $300,000, the largest support extended to new film projects in the CFCs eight-year history. This was achieved through a dynamic network created by Hefzy with multiple partners. They include numerous heavyweights of the cinema industry such as the Arab Cinema Center (which extended an invitation to a chosen producer to participate in the Rotterdam Lab workshop), MAD Solutions and investment firm Ergo (which provided a grant for distribution across the Arab world), the Arab Radio and Television Network (ART), Arabia Pictures, Rotana, OSN, and numerous other partners supporting projects with many other services. This support has been especially palpable since the 41st CIFF, in which Hefzy decided to expand the Horizons of Arab Cinema section. The facelift included raising the number of films from eight to 12; introducing two new awards for the best non-fiction film and the best acting performance to those already existing. Hefzys presidency has also created an important impact internationally, such as intensifying the presence of Arab cinema in major festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Toronto. In the second year of his presidency, and during the 41st CIFF (2019), the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) awarded the Festival OSCAR qualifying film festival status, making it the only festival in North Africa on the list of international Oscar qualifying festivals. This procedure placed CIFF on the list of other prestigious qualifying international festivals, such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Sundance. During the past four years, the CIFF worked in the sphere of creating gender equality in the film industry. In 2018, the festival joined the Gender Parity Pledge 50502020, boosting the CIFFs image in the international campaign for gender-equality. Among numerous assets, this Cannes-born initiative opens doors to numerous women filmmakers and their work, empowering women in the local, regional and international film industry. The 2020 edition launched a special award for best female representation and included 21 pictures by female directors in its line-up. Following the festivals tradition, CIFF honored many remarkable figures from Egyptian and international film industry. He has also introduced the festival to many international film figures, honoring them and/or hosting special meetings, workshops and seminars, inviting many on jury panels. Names include Serbian director Emir Kusturica who headed the International Competition Jury during the 43rd CIFF, Russian director and scriptwriter Alexander Sokurov who headed the International Jury a year earlier, honoring director of the Cannes International Film Festival Thierry Fremaux (43rd CIFF), honoring of the internationally acclaimed Indian composer A. R. Rahman, a masterclass with director and award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky (42nd CIFF), among dozens of others. Hefzys appointment as the president of CIFF in 2018 (one of the oldest and the only festival in Africa and the Middle East to be given a Category A accreditation by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations in Paris) came with immediate positive feedback from the cinema industry on an international level. The 40th edition and the first that Hefzy presided over saw over 2200 film submissions from over 120 countries, giving the festival a truly international character. The submissions only multiplied over the following years, allowing the festival to host the best local, regional and international productions, many of which premiered in Cairo. The 2021 edition witnessed more than 100 films including 34 world premieres. The 2020 edition saw 20 world premieres, with 83 films screened in competitive sections, and hailing from 43 countries. Under Hefzys presidency, the CIFF hosted a large number of international, world and regional premieres of important features from various countries. Many other films had its regional premieres, such as Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, which opened the 41st CIFF (2019). Florian Zellers The Father, starring Academy Award winners Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, was screened during the opening of 42nd CIFF (2020). This was one of the 33 MENA premieres held that year. Hefzy also returned daily Red Carpet screenings, which had previously been held at the festival before it was abandoned. The screenings included showing important productions, with many having their premieres, with directors and stars in attendance. The 40th CIFF immersed its audience in the latest film technologies, including virtual reality, screening 11 of the 360-degree productions. In fact, the 2018 editions theme was to embrace the virtual technology, making its entry to Egyptian cinema, being the second such development at festivals held in the Arab world. With the 2020 edition especially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, CIFF made sure to comply with all precautionary measures set by the World Health Organisation. This included a reduced audience, social distancing, free-of-charge PCR tests for the festivals guests and staff, and setting up a medical assistance unit at the hotel where stars were staying. This article enumerates only a handful of achievements and important decisions that Hefzy managed to implement during the festival, raising its status while boosting significantly the presence of Arab filmmakers on an international scale. As Rana Abu Rish noted, no doubt the upcoming president will have big shoes to fill. With Fahmy taking over the presidency, time will only show the new strengths that the iconic actor could add to the festival. Hefzy is among the best known figures in the Egyptian cinema with a filmography boasting over 30 films, many of which garnered international acclaim. They have been screened and awarded at festivals in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca garnering more than 100 recognitions including numerous major prizes. Among the best known films he has produced or co-produced are Microphone (2010), Villa 69 (2013), Rags and Tatters (2013), Clash (2016), Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim (2016), Sheikh Jackson (2017), You Will Die At 20 (2019), Feathers (2021), Souad (2021), Paranormal, Netflix's first Egyptian original series (2020), among others. In 2005, Hefzy founded Film Clinic, which over almost two decades has become one of the most important production companies in the MENA region, supporting commercial blockbusters and art-house films. Later Hefzy founded Film Clinic Indie Distribution, with a mission to create opportunities for Arab independent films within and beyond festival circuits and co-founded Meem Creative Circle which produced Paranormal. Hefzy has been listed in 'Variety500', an index released by Variety that includes the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry in year 2020. A few years prior to that, in 2016, Variety also chose him for the top spot on the list of Ten Names You Need to Know in the Arab Film Industry. Since 2013, Hefzy has been a board member of the Egyptian Chamber of Cinema and continues to represent and lobby for independent filmmakers in Egypt and throughout the Arab world. He was granted the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year award by the Hollywood Reporter and Arab Cinema Center. Hefzy is an official member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences in the producers' branch. He was also a jury member in various international festivals including the 75th Venice International Film Festival. Prior to that, he was a jury member at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival (2011). Most recently, Hefzy was on the jury of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2022 (20 - 30 January). In 2021, in recognition of his significant contribution to the Arab film scene, Hefzy was honored as a "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres" from France. Aside from his work as a writer and producer, Hefzy is a film activist who offers workshops and training programs conducted in cooperation with international organisations and institutes. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla discussed on Thursday with CEO of Siemens Middle East Dietmar Siersdorfor investment opportunities in oil and gas in Egypt as well as the preparations for hosting the UN climate change summit COP27. According to the ministry, El-Molla and Siersdorfor also discussed the sharp volatility in current global prices and their impacts on countries economies. During the meeting, El-Molla pointed out Egypts importance as a regional energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean, underscoring the need to take advantage of its distinguished geographical location, especially during the current energy transition period. He also stated that the green energy industry and markets are still emerging, noting that they need advanced technologies and further development. The petroleum minister said Egypt is engaged in a great partnership with German engineering and technology group Siemens and its affiliated agencies. This partnership has resulted in creating many success stories, El-Molla said, noting that there are opportunities to bolster this cooperation in the field of oil and gas. Siemens has been operating in Egypt since 1859, with its technologies having been implemented in different areas across the country. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry delivered a message on Thursday to Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on behalf of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, reflecting Egypts desire to strengthen bilateral relations between both countries. During their meeting, Shoukry and Loong discussed ways to advance ongoing efforts to prepare for the 27th session of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27), which Egypt will host next November, according to a statement by the ministry. Shoukrys visit to Singapore is the second stop on his Asian tour, which started with Malaysia and is set to include Indonesia and Pakistan. In Pakistan, top the Egyptian diplomat will participate in the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which will be held in Islamabad from 22 to 23 March. Earlier the same day, Shoukry also met with Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan to discuss means of promoting cooperation between each side in line with the friendly relations between the two countries. Shoukry and Balakrishnan agreed to step up cooperation between both countries to address key issues and priority fields during coming period, according to Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Hafez, adding that they have already exchanged views on a number of international and regional affairs. The two ministers agreed to continue exchanging views in line with Egypt and Singapores desire to strengthen relations, achieve the interests of the two countries and meet the aspirations of the two friendly peoples, Hafez said. On Wednesday, Shoukrys first day in Singapore, he met with Singapore's Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, who also oversees the National Climate Change Secretariat, where they exchanged views on the most important regional and international issues. Both ministers also discussed ways to build on efforts to address climate change and to cooperate in fighting terrorism as well as expanding cooperation on a number of issues of common interest between both countries, according to a separate statement. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend The deputy powers of the Azerbaijani Parliament's member Shahin Seyidzade have been terminated, Trend reports. This issue was discussed at a meeting of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on March 16. During the meeting, Seyidzade made an appeal on the termination of his duties. Following discussions, the issue was put to a vote and approved. Egypt offered its condolences to Japan after a quake in its northeast left several people dead or injured late on Wednesday. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said that Egypt stands in full solidarity with Japan in this ordeal. Related Four dead after powerful Japan quake rattles east coast The ministry also offered its condolences to the families of the victims and wished speedy recoveries for the injured. Four people were reported dead and more than 100 injured after the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rattled large parts of the east coast and prompted a tsunami warning in Japan. Search Keywords: Short link: More than 8,000 Ukrainian tourists were evacuated from Egypt to Ukraines neighbouring countries in recent days, Ukrainian Charge dAffaires in Egypt Ruslan Nechai said on Wednesday. In media statements, Nechai said that 8,608 Ukrainian tourists have been evacuated on 36 EgyptAir flights. In early March, EgyptAir and Cairo Air airlines began flying out Ukrainian tourists who want to leave at the expense of the Egyptian government. Ukraines airspace was closed to civilian flights following the Russian invasion of the country in late February. The Ukrainian embassy in Cairo coordinated with the Egyptian foreign and tourism ministries to evacuate nearly 20,000 Ukrainian tourists to Ukraines neighbouring countries, especially Poland, Hungry and Slovakia, in two stages. The Ukrainian Charge dAffaires in Egypt expressed his appreciation for Egypt, the Egyptian foreign and tourism ministries, as well as the Egyptian Hotel Association for supporting and hosting Ukrainian tourists who could not return due the invasion. When the crisis started, Egypts Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that all Ukrainian and Russian tourists were welcome to extend their stay at Egyptian hotels. The Egyptian Hotel Association announced that the Tourism and Antiquities Fund would pay for Ukrainian tourists stranded in the country to stay at three-star hotels. Ruslan Nechai also revealed that according to the latest information from his Egyptian counterparts, around 3,000 Egyptians have been evacuated from Ukraine. Prior to the Russian invasion, around 6,000 Egyptians lived in Ukraine, including 3,000 students studying at the country's universities, especially in medicine. Over the past weeks, scores of Egyptian expats crossed the border into Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia and returned to Egypt with the help of the Egyptian foreign ministry. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Ambassador in Russia Nazih El-Najari visited on Thursday Egypts pavilion in the 28th Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (MITT), held from 15 to 17 March. El-Najari's visit was meant to boost Egypts cooperation with Russia in the field of tourism, read a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The MITT is the largest B2B travel and tourism trade show in Russia, receiving thousands of travel industry professionals from around the world. Egypts pavilion, administered by the Tourism Development Authority, held a number of meetings with representatives of Russian travel and tourism agencies to discuss means to enhance cooperation between Egypt and Russia in the field of tourism, the statement added. Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, two Russian airlines Aeroflot and Ural Airlines have recently suspended flights to and from Egypt and several other countries due to the circumstances that prevent the performance of flights." Egyptian Cabinet Spokesperson Nader Saad said that the decisions to suspend flights to Egypt from Russia and Ukraine due to the war were a big hit to the Egyptian tourism sector. Both countries are main exporters of tourists to Egypt. Saad added that the Egyptian government was looking for alternatives to compensate for this loss. On Thursday, the Egyptian ambassador reviewed with officials from the Tourism Development Authority opportunities to boost Russian tourism to Egypt. Egypt was one of the three most popular destinations for Russian tourists before the crash of a Russian airliner over Sinai in 2015, with some 3.3 million Russians visiting Red Sea resorts in 2014. In 2018, Russia resumed flights to Cairo after a three-year suspension while in July 2021 it lifted a flight ban on the popular Red Sea tourist cities of Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh. According to Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgy Borisenko, about 125,000 Russian tourists visited Egypt during the first two weeks of 2022. Some 700,000 Russian tourists visited Egypt in 2021. Search Keywords: Short link: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown that xenophobia against non-Europeans is still prevalent in Eastern Europe, where Arabs and Africans are subject to racial discrimination, an Egyptian human rights group has said. The Cairo-based Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue (FDHRD) issued on Thursday a report documenting instances of discrimination against Arabs and Africans during the exodus from Ukraine on the heels of the Russian invasion, which started on 24 February. The report stressed that xenophobia and racism are condemned by the international humanitarian law and all human rights conventions. Inhumane treatment The Russia-Ukraine war has so far forced around 4 million people of different nationalities, including Arabs and Africans, to seek refuge in Ukraines neighbouring countries. However, instances of discrimination have been reported, particularly against people of African and Arab origin who were reportedly barred from crossing the Ukrainian border. Arabs and Africans including women and children have not been provided the necessary protection or help to return to their country, the FDHRD's report added. "Everyone of Arab or African descent was prevented from getting food and drink until Ukrainian citizens got it first. They were also prevented from boarding trains and were forced to cross the road on foot, and Ukrainian soldiers kept telling them 'Ukrainians first'," the report added. Ukrainian and Polish border guards follow a discriminatory policy against non-Europeans by impeding the crossing of Africans while allowing Ukrainians to cross and providing them with food and first aid, the report added. At the same time that European countries welcome Ukrainian refugees and provide them with official and safe transit routes, seven asylum seekers of non-European origin died after their boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece, with their distress calls having gone unanswered. The report reviewed how the discrimination extended to the official political levels, citing the controversial remarks by officials, including by Kirill Petkov, the Bulgarian prime minister. Petkov has said, These people are smart, they are educated people...This is not the refugee wave we are used to, people we were not sure of who they were, people with an ambiguous past, who could even be terrorists. Major European countries have shown flexibility, welcomed Ukrainian refugees, and issued decisions to facilitate their reception and residence. The report said this represented a "stark contrast to the policy of expulsion and retaliation" when dealing with asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa. Although Arab officials have called on the Ukrainian authorities to stop such racist practices, the situation of Arab and African refugees has not improved. Ukraine halted the evacuation of Jordanian students from Sumy, the report noted, citing media reports published on 7 March. Two-faced media The FDHRD said the war also revealed how European journalists and media adopted racist speech, describing Ukrainian refugees as civilised, as opposed to refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. Arab and African refugees have been described as terrorists and uncivilised, the report highlighted, citing as an example remarks made by CBS foreign correspondent Charlie D'Agata. D'Agata has said on television that, This is not a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, which has seen increasing conflict for decades. This is a relatively civilised place and relatively European. The report added that Al-Jazeera English presenter Peter Dubey made a discriminatory comparison between Ukrainian refugees and refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. "What is convincing is just looking at them, the way they dress, these are thriving middle-class people, who obviously, these are not refugees trying to escape from areas of the Middle East that are still in a state of great war, these are not people trying to escape from areas in North Africa, they look like any European family living next door," Dubey said on air. Racist statements have also been made by politicians, the FDHRD said, adding that the former Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General David Sakvarilidze said in an interview with BBC that, "It is very moving for me because I see Europeans with blue eyes and blond hair being killed, and children being killed every day by Russian President Putin's missiles and helicopters." The report called for humane treatment of refugees of different races, religions and nationalities, and condemned double standards in dealing with humanitarian issues, which indicate dangerous discriminatory thinking and ignorance of basic human rights principles. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt launched a new initiative at the Human Rights Council in Geneva to support the economic empowerment of women in international forums, according to a statement on Thursday. The Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, in cooperation with the missions of Spain, Sweden, Costa Rica and Malaysia, called on the international community to renew its commitment to ensure gender equality, womens economic empowerment and preserve their full rights. The initiative sheds light on the importance of enabling women to have access to education, economic resources, opportunities, decent work and equal pay, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva Ahmed Ihab Gamal El-Din issued a statement on Thursday on behalf of the initiatives founding member. Women's economic empowerment can be advanced through the realisation of a wide range of basic human rights, including but not limited to the right to education, work and health, as well as full participation in political, public, economic and social life, the statement noted. The new initiative will seek to activate the economic empowerment agenda for women in multilateral forums, including the Human Rights Council, taking into account what the pandemic has revealed about the need to strengthen national and international efforts and policies in this regard, the statement highlighted. It will further seek to take into account the new barriers that prevail over women's economic empowerment, including work-life balance, new technologies and artificial intelligence, the increasing informality of work, the mobility of female workers and climate change, among others. Gamal El-Din called on countries to pay sufficient attention to promoting women's economic empowerment during the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh. Egypt will host COP27 in November with the aim to gather policymakers and turn their attention to pressing matters on top of which is climate change. It is worth noting that Egypts National Human Rights Strategy was launched in September 2021, emphasising the need to achieve equal job opportunities in all sectors, with the aim to develop plans to increase womens participation in the labour force, especially in Upper Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: US President Joe Biden will speak Friday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about issues including Russia's war in Ukraine, the White House said. Beijing has refused to condemn its close ally Russia over its invasion of Ukraine while blaming the United States and NATO's eastward expansion for worsening tensions. "The two leaders will discuss managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russia's war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern," the White House said in a statement. China is under intense diplomatic pressure from the United States and its European allies to pull its lifeline from an isolated Russia. But three weeks after the invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has shown few signs of abandoning its friends in the Kremlin. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party's chief diplomat, met in a Rome hotel this week for what a White House readout described as a "substantial" session. The United States later expressed concern about what it called "alignment" between Russia and China. Moscow and Beijing have drawn closer in what Washington sees as an increasingly hostile alliance of the authoritarian nuclear powers. The US-China discussions in Rome aimed to test the depth of China's commitment to Russia as it struggles to vanquish Ukraine, with images of bomb-scarred buildings and refugees fleeing in their millions horrifying the world. Since the war erupted, China has refused to condemn Putin's actions -- or even describe the invasion as a war. Instead, as recently as last week Beijing called the partnership between the two countries "rock-solid." Search Keywords: Short link: Five tombs from the Old Kingdom and First Intermediate eras were recently uncovered during excavations carried out on the northeastern side of King Merenre Pyramid in Saqqara necropolis. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri toured early on Thursday the excavation work carried out by an Egyptian excavation team. The team is still busy at work, brushing the toll of time off the tombs walls and identifying the colours of the tombs decorations. El-Enany entered one of the newly discovered tombs to inspect the teams work, thanking them for their efforts revealing the secrets of Saqqara. For his part, Waziri explained that the five tombs, which belonged to top officials, are in a state of good preservation. The first tomb, which belonged to an official with the rank of Iry, consists of a deep burial shaft leading to a chamber decorated with funerary scenes depicting offering tables, the seven sacred oils and a facade of the palace. A limestone sarcophagus was also uncovered inside the tomb. The second tomb belongs to a woman that could be the wife of a man named Yaret and has a rectangular burial shaft. The third tomb belongs to Pepi Nefhany, who held the positions of supervisor of the great house, priest, and purifier of the house. It has a six metre deep burial shaft. The fourth one is for a woman named Petty, who was a priest of Hathor and was responsible for the kings beautification. It also consists of a six metre deep burial shift. The fifth tomb is for a man named Henu, the overseer and supervisor of the royal house. It consists of a seven metre deep rectangular burial shaft. More work and studies will be carried out to reveal the secrets of these tombs. Search Keywords: Short link: The UK lifted on Thursday a travel advice for the southern part of South Sinai governorate and Fayoum governorate, the UK Embassy in Cairo announced. "Today, the UK announces a change in our Travel Advice for Egypt. We no longer advise against all but essential travel to the southern part of South Sinai governorate and Faiyum governorate," the embassy said. This means its now easier than ever for the hundreds of thousands of Brits who visit Egypt every year to discover more of this amazing country, the embassy said on its official Facebook page. Egypts Ambassador to the UK Sherif Kamel expressed his appreciation for the British governments decision to adjust the travel classifications. According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassador Kamel said that this decision reflects the continuous progress in bilateral relations between Egypt and the UK in various fields. Kamel added that this decision should contribute to strengthening the efforts of tourism companies in the British market to expand in tourist destinations in Egypt and restoring the UK as one of the main exporters of tourists in Egypt. An estimated 476,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2019, according to UK government figures. Search Keywords: Short link: Russia is no longer part of the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights monitor organization, following its invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, Russia announced it would leave, and on Wednesday the 47-nation COE made it official. After the decision, members of the COE went outside the organization's headquarters in Strasbourg and lowered the Russian flag, ending a 26-year relationship. "Russia's actions alone have led to this outcome," Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said. "We sincerely hope that Russia will one day return to the ideals of peace and democracy and regain its membership." North Korea on Wednesday launched a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, but it blew up in mid-air a few seconds after launch. It remains unclear if the latest launch was an attempt to test the maximum range of a new ICBM or an earlier-stage experiment. U.S. and South Korea military officials believe the chances are high of more provocations by North Korea and have deployed all of their intelligence assets for surveillance. The Joint Chiefs of Staff here said North Korea launched what is believed to have been a ballistic missile from the Sunan area of Pyongyang at around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, but it failed immediately after takeoff. Military officials believe the missile blew up at an altitude of less than 20 km after liftoff. The fact that it took place in the Sunan area, where other ballistic-missile tests were conducted on Feb. 27 and March 5, has persuaded the military here to suspect it was an ICBM. India is a vital engine of Investcorps growth with its current India footprint comprising 13 private equity investments, with combined revenues of $700 million, said Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman, Investcorp. Speaking at India: Expanding The Possibilities Conference on March 17 in its lounge at Expo 2020 Dubai, Alardi said: On the real estate side, we have helped develop over 20 million square feet of affordable housing and have a strategic investment in one of the largest warehousing platforms in India. Investcorp is the only global alternative investment firm that has occupied a prime space at the Expo over the past 6 months, where it hosted a series of events, meetings, thought leadership sessions and global conversations, bringing together industry leaders and experts from key markets. The conference gathered industry experts, CEOs and investors to discuss attractive opportunities and challenges in India and the most pressing investment trends including technology, healthcare, e-commerce and social infrastructure. Harsh Shethia, Head of Investcorp India said: The theme of our India Conference 2022 India: Expanding The Possibilities, reflects the growing global aspirations to invest in India, which is home to a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are delighted that 10 Indian founder-entrepreneurs participated in our conference hosted at the Dubai Expo 2020. As the only glocal mid-market alternatives firm with a strong India presence, Investcorp is uniquely positioned to bridge aspirations of Indian entrepreneurs on a global scale. Speakers at the event included Mark Mobius, Advisor to India Advisory Board of Investcorp and renowned emerging markets investor and founders from Investcorps portfolio companies and others, including Sathyanarayana Vemula, CEO, V-Ensure Pharma Technologies; Vikram Vuppala, Co-Founder of Nephroplus; Amitava Saha, Co-Founder of XpressBees; Shan Kadavil, Co-Founder of FreshToHome; Ashwini Asokan, Co-Founder of Mad Street Den; Suchit Bachalli, CEO of Unilog; Atul Temurnikar, Co-Founder of Global Indian International School and Amrutesh Reddy, Founder of NDR Warehousing. In India, Investcorp is active in the mid-market private equity segment and has invested across the consumer technology, healthcare, financial services, retail, SaaS, e-commerce and technology sectors. Investcorps India realty team invests in domestic real estate projects located in top tier cities.-- TradeArabia News Service South Korea and the U.S. militaries could resume a massive long-range bomber drill for the first time in five years in response to North Korea's flurry of missile launches, a government official here said Wednesday. The warning came after North Korea conducted several tests geared toward building a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile. The "Blue Lightning" exercise practices bombing key facilities in the North by sending B-52H long-range bombers or B-1B strategic bombers from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to the Korean Peninsula. It involves bombers, fighters, electronic-warfare aircraft, and air-to-air refueling aircraft of both the South Korean and U.S. air forces, as well as fighter jets from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. A military source here said the combined fleet "could incapacitate most key facilities in the North." The last time Blue Lightning was staged was 2017, when North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations were at their peak. In May 2018, the U.S. also conducted the exercise outside South Korean airspace because Seoul declined to take part amid a deceptive thaw in ties with North Korea. The U.S. military is expected to mobilize a variety of other strategic weapons depending on Pyongyang's provocations. On Tuesday, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command conducted a show of force over the West Sea by scrambling F-35C stealth fighters from an aircraft carrier. A military spokesman here said, "The military will also conduct its own missile defense training and a joint exercise with the U.S. military if the North launches an ICBM." The world's second-largest economy has gone from reporting under 100 daily infections just three weeks ago to more than 1,000 per day for over a week. More than 2,400 cases were reported Thursday, according to the National Health Commission. But the highly transmissible omicron variant is posing a stern challenge to that strategy, prompting authorities to close off cities, including the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, home to 17.5 million people. The country where the virus emerged in late 2019 has largely kept subsequent outbreaks under control thanks to a combination of strict border controls, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns, and has not reported any coronavirus-related deaths for over a year. Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday the country will "stick with" its zero-COVID strategy, state TV reported, as the world's most populous nation battles its largest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. Speaking at a meeting of China's top leaders, Xi said the country should "continue to put people and life at the forefront, stick with scientific accuracy and dynamic-zero, and curb the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible," according to state broadcaster CCTV. Beijing must "raise the level of scientifically accurate prevention and control and continuously optimize disease control measures," the report quoted Xi as saying. He called to "strengthen technological key areas like vaccination, rapid testing and drug research" to make virus curbs more "targeted," CCTV said. Xi also urged tighter virus controls at ports of entry and stressed the need to "swiftly control local clustered outbreaks." Tens of millions of people are currently under stay-at-home orders across China to try to stamp out the latest outbreak. Flare-ups Beijing's communist leadership has made its handling of the pandemic a matter of political capital, saying the low death rate demonstrates the strength of its governance model. Racing to tamp down outbreaks in multiple cities, Chinese officials have also moved to free up hospital beds over fears the virus could put the health system under strain. Northeast China's Jilin province -- which has reported thousands of cases over the past week -- has built eight "makeshift hospitals" and two quarantine centers to stem the surge in infections. State news outlets this week broadcast footage of dozens of giant cranes assembling temporary medical facilities in Jilin, which has only around 23,000 hospital beds for some 24 million residents. Authorities also said people with mild cases could isolate at central quarantine facilities, having previously sent all patients with any symptoms to specialist hospitals. The latest flare-ups have prompted long queues to form outside mass testing sites and seen tight controls at ports, raising fears of trade disruption. In Shanghai, China's biggest city and home to 25 million people, authorities have closed school campuses, locked down some residential compounds and launched a rigorous round of mass testing, according to state media. KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 07:05 | All, World Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday sought more help from the United States to defend against Russia's aggression during an online appearance before Congress, saying President Joe Biden should become the world's "leader of peace" as he rallies other countries to stand by Kyiv. Zelenskyy, who has also made virtual addresses to parliaments in Europe and Canada, reiterated his call for air support to protect the skies over Ukraine as the country is under bombardment. The Biden administration has continued to turn down the request, citing fear the move could prompt a direct war between the United States and Russia. "Today the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine, we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world, sacrificing our lives in the name of the future," said the 44-year-old comedian-turned-president who has emerged as a heroic war leader. "As the leader of my nation, I'm addressing President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world," he said, adding, "Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace." During his speech, a video was aired to show parts of Ukraine being reduced to ruins, children becoming victims of the attacks and scenes of dead bodies lying on the ground, ending with an appeal to "close the sky over Ukraine." The Biden administration has been providing security assistance to the former Soviet republic, but it has remained cautious about any moves that could be deemed "escalatory," such as the creation of a so-called no-fly zone, which officials say would essentially mean U.S. aircraft "shooting down Russian planes and them potentially shooting back." Zelenskyy raised the question with U.S. lawmakers as to whether a no-fly zone is "too much" to ask for, saying what Ukraine is facing now is similar to the U.S. experience in two of the most significant attacks in its history -- the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor in 1941, which drew the United States into World War II, and the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001. As an alternative, he called for "powerful" aircraft to fight back against Russian military and anti-aircraft missile systems. The Biden administration has also been against the idea of helping to transfer Russian-made MiG warplanes into Ukraine, while repeatedly ruling out putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine, warning that being drawn into a direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia would result in "World War III." Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine on Feb. 24 after asserting that its own security was under threat from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastward expansion and the possibility of Kyiv joining the alliance. The move has triggered condemnation from around the world and a wave of tough economic sanctions from the United States, Europe and U.S. allies and partners including Japan to isolate Russia from the global financial system. Zelenskyy told the U.S. Congress that he would like to see the United States impose sanctions against "all politicians" in Russia who remain in office and do not sever ties with those responsible for the aggression. He also said all American companies should leave the Russian market, which is "flooded with our blood." Following the Ukrainian leader's appeal, Biden announced an additional $800 million in security assistance, which comes from a massive spending bill he signed into law on Tuesday. He said the package includes hundreds of anti-aircraft systems and small arms and drones. The latest announcement nearly doubles the total security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration to more than $2 billion, the U.S. government said. Biden also stepped up his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, acknowledging him as a "war criminal" to reporters, according to U.S. media. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was "speaking from his heart" as the world sees the "barbaric actions by a brutal dictator through his invasion of a foreign country." But she also noted that investigations are under way on whether Russia can be judged to have engaged in acts that would constitute war crimes. The State Department has been looking into whether Russia has perpetrated deliberate attacks on civilians or other atrocities, documenting the information so that relevant institutions can make a judgement. KYODO NEWS - Mar 18, 2022 - 01:06 | All, World, Japan Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrial powers on Thursday agreed to keep up pressure on Russia and provide more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as the war between them has entered its fourth week, Japan's foreign minister said. The ministers also agreed to strengthen support for Moldova and other countries near Ukraine as they try to deal with a flood of refugees from the war-torn country, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters after meeting his counterparts virtually. As Russia continues to shell residential areas across large parts of Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of many civilians, Hayashi said, "We reaffirmed that we urge Russia to immediately stop its attack." In particular, to back Moldova's struggling efforts to accept refugees from Ukraine, Hayashi said top diplomats representing Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union, agreed to set up a special support group. The group will also involve other countries and international organizations, and the G-7 nations will determine its specific functions and members "as soon as possible," he said. The number of people fleeing Ukraine is estimated to have topped three million as of Wednesday, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Despite international condemnation and efforts for a cease-fire, Russia, which started invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, has not indicated that it plans to end the largest assault on a European country since World War II anytime soon. The virtual meeting comes after G-7 leaders pledged last week to revoke Russia's "most favored nation" status at the World Trade Organization, enabling it to trade goods on the best possible terms, such as low tariffs, as part of fresh economic sanctions on Moscow. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a government meeting on Wednesday that his country will continue military operations in Ukraine until its goals are achieved. At cease-fire talks with Kyiv, the Kremlin has so far called for its sovereignty over Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, to be recognized, as well as the "demilitarization" and "neutralization" of the country that was formerly a part of the Soviet Union but has moved closer to the West in recent times. On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, including hundreds of anti-aircraft systems, small arms and drones, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's virtual address to the U.S. Congress, in which he sought more help. Under a widening array of economic penalties that the United States and its partners have imposed, several Russian banks have already been excluded from a key international payment network known as SWIFT. They have also frozen the assets of Putin, senior Russian government officials, lawmakers and oligarchs. Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, has faced similar economic sanctions for its role in aiding Russia's aggression. The foreign chiefs of the seven countries and the European Union last held talks on March 4, in which they agreed to "continue to impose further severe sanctions" on Russia and Belarus if Moscow does not change course. KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 14:41 | All, World Companies and organizations worldwide paid out the equivalent of about $620 million in cryptocurrencies in 2021 due to cyberattacks, with hackers based in Russia causing the most damage, a study by a U.S. data and software firm showed Thursday. According to Chainalysis Inc., the amount paid in such currencies to hackers due to ransomware cyberattacks is likely to increase and reach a record high. Extortion fees have greatly increased over the years rising from $39 million in 2018 to $152 million in 2019 and $692 million in 2020. Russia-based ransomware gang Conti, which recently expressed support for Moscow's invasion into Ukraine, received $180 million in 2021. The organization is said to have targeted Ukraine to destroy the country's infrastructure systems. Another Russian criminal hacking group DarkSide, which is known for its ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline in the United States in May last year, was also prominent, Chainalysis said. Cyberattacks in the form of ransomware are often delivered via infected emails, with hackers demanding companies pay up in order to restore encrypted data. Cryptocurrencies are favored by hackers to make it difficult for them to be traced. Chainalysis calculated the extortion fees by identifying internet bank "addresses" and looking through monetary records. The study confirmed 140 different types of malware, of which 21 were Iranian and 16 were Russian. Four were Chinese and two were North Korean. Japan has also been hit by malware attacks, with the National Police Agency receiving 146 such reports last year. Among those affected was Toyota Motor Corp., which shut all of its plants on March 1 after one of its domestic suppliers suffered a computer system glitch caused by a cyberattack. Related coverage: Japan's SDF launches new cyber-defense unit Toyota to restart all suspended plants in Japan on March 2 Personal info leaks from listed Japan firms hit record high in 2021 KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 22:21 | All, Japan Prosecutors on Thursday posthumously dropped an arson case against a man over charges of murder and arson at an Osaka mental health clinic last December that left him and 26 others dead. The investigation into the suspected arson on Dec. 17 ended as the 61-year-old suspect, Morio Tanimoto, died in the hospital on Dec. 30 before police could question him. The police referred the case to the prosecutors on Wednesday. Tanimoto was suspected of spraying gasoline and starting a fire at the clinic, killing 26 people, including regular visitors to the facility and its director, Kotaro Nishizawa, 49. He was also suspected of igniting a fire at a house he lived in just before the incident. Surveillance cameras near the scene showed Tanimoto spraying the gasoline and igniting a fire around the clinic's entrance in the western Japan city's Kita Ward, according to the police. The police said they have found from data on his smartphone that he was looking into "extended suicide," in which an individual who wishes to die commits mass murder, in October last year. His motive remains unclear, but the police suspect he felt alone and wanted to die by suicide. At the time of the incident, he had no money in his bank account and no log of phone calls with acquaintances. After analyzing his smartphone, the police believe Tanimoto was planning an arson attack on a Friday when many people visited the clinic for a scheduled group therapy session to help individuals on leaves of absence to return to work. Some people offered flowers and prayers near the scene on Thursday, three months since the incident. "Time has stood still since that day," an acquaintance of one of the victims said, lamenting that there will never be any closure and that investigators can no longer find out why such an incident occurred. "I prayed for those who had passed away, hoping they would find some peace," said a woman in her 50s who visited the scene from the city of Takatsuki in Osaka Prefecture. Related coverage: Death toll of victims from Osaka mental clinic arson in Dec. rises to 26 Suspect in fatal Osaka mental clinic fire dies KYODO NEWS - Mar 18, 2022 - 05:38 | All, World A Peruvian court on Thursday granted the pardon of former President Alberto Fujimori who is serving a 25-year jail term for human rights abuses during his presidency in the 1990s, local media reported. With the court's decision, Fujimori, who was born in Peru to Japanese immigrants, is likely to be released from a detention facility near the capital Lima. The Peruvian government pardoned Fujimori on medical grounds in 2017, but the Supreme Court rescinded the decision the following year at the request of relatives of the victims in the human rights cases. After spending time in a hospital, Fujimori was detained again in January 2019. He was hospitalized on March 3 this year due to an abnormal heart rate and returned to the detention facility on Monday. Fujimori was elected president in 1990. He was credited with rebuilding the economy and suppressing leftist guerrilla uprisings. He also led an armed operation to free hostages from the Tupac Amaru insurgency during a siege of the Japanese ambassador's official residence in Lima from 1996 into 1997. In 2000, Fujimori fled to Japan following a corruption allegation against his aide, and was later dismissed as president by the Congress. After traveling to Chile in 2005, he was extradited to Peru two years later and convicted of involvement in human rights abuses that claimed the lives of civilians. KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 18:15 | World, All A North Korean propaganda website aimed at the South on Thursday accused South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol of threatening regional security by pledging to seek preemptive strike capability against any potential attack from the North. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been trying to bolster the country's nuclear capabilities against what Pyongyang says is the threat posed by the United States, and is expected to adopt a more confrontational approach to the South under Yoon, who is scheduled to take office in May. North Korea on Wednesday appears to have conducted an unsuccessful ballistic missile launch, and the country is expected to continue missile tests around the time of Yoon's inauguration, including testing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to anywhere on the U.S. mainland, foreign affairs experts said. Uriminzokkiri, the North Korean website, said South Korea's "confrontational feelings" against the North "have not changed at all," while lambasting Yoon's conservative main opposition People Power Party. As long as the party exists in the South, the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula "will never go away," the website added, although it did not single out Yoon. North Korea's official media reported last Friday on Yoon's victory in South's presidential election on March 9 without comment. Pyongyang and Seoul remain technically in a state of war as the 1950-1953 Korean War, in which U.S.-led U.N. forces fought alongside South Korea against the North supported by China and the Soviet Union, ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korea also has no diplomatic relations with the United States. Their direct negotiations have been stalled for more than two years due largely to the gap between Washington's insistence on denuclearization and Pyongyang's demand for sanctions relief. Related coverage: North Korea appears to have failed in ballistic missile test By Supriya Singh, KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 18:32 | All, Japan Former Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba on Thursday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine after the Russian leader put his nuclear forces on high alert following his launch of an invasion of the country last month. Akiba, who started a petition earlier this month demanding Putin and world leaders declare they will not use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine crisis, said at a news conference Putin's move has left atomic bomb survivors and many other people appalled. He said the victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki went through a "living hell" and "despicable reality they somehow managed to survive," and urged leaders of nuclear states to visit the two cities to learn about the damage a nuclear attack can bring. The former mayor requested Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to meet Putin and other heads of nuclear weapons states to "convey the convictions of hibakusha," as atomic bomb survivors are called in Japan, seeking the abolition of nuclear weapons. The premier, elected from a Hiroshima constituency, has the "power to persuade" them, Akiba said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo. Since the start of its invasion on Feb. 24, Russia has targeted several nuclear facilities in Ukraine, raising fears of a nuclear catastrophe. The petition Akiba started on March 1 has so far gathered over 92,000 signatures, against its target of 150,000. He warned against former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent suggestion that Tokyo should start discussions about the possibility of a nuclear weapon sharing arrangement with Washington, saying such a move would provoke Japan's neighbors and could result in a war. Such "conflict-causing rhetoric should not be lightly expressed, especially from a former prime minister," he added. Meanwhile, a group of local mayors in Japan called on the Russian military to cease attacks on Ukraine's nuclear power plants in an emergency statement Thursday, saying they threatened to "spread nuclear contamination on a wide scale, exposing people in Russia and many other countries to radiation." The Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan also demanded Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukraine. The group was formed in 2012, a year after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, triggered by a quake-caused tsunami, to promote a shift in Japan's policy to renewable energy. Earlier in the month, Moscow shelled a nuclear research institute in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, after attacking the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant -- Europe's largest nuclear power station, located in the southern part of the country. Russia also captured the Chernobyl nuclear power complex in the north. KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 23:46 | All, Japan A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake off northeastern Japan late Wednesday left three people dead and more than 180 injured across 12 prefectures, and caused a high-speed shinkansen to derail. Workers on Thursday rushed to repair damage to railway tracks after the derailment, while about 34,000 homes in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, where the temblor was strongly felt, remained without water. The Self-Defense Forces were dispatched for disaster relief in Fukushima and Miyagi to provide water service in areas where supply has been disrupted. A Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train derailed between Fukushima Station and Shiroishizao Station, but all 78 passengers and crew members aboard were unharmed, according to East Japan Railway Co. JR East subsequently halted the operation of bullet trains between Nasushiobara Station and Morioka Station, and whether it can resume from next week remains unclear. The operator added that the bullet train service between Fukushima and Sendai stations running in that section is unlikely to resume within this month, pending restoration work. Shiroishizao Station is located between the two. The quake also caused power outages in northeastern and eastern Japan, affecting a total of more than 2.2 million households, including some 700,000 in Tokyo, according to TEPCO Power Grid Inc. and Tohoku Electric Power Network Co. Power was later restored to most. According to East Nippon Expressway Co., the section connecting Shiroishi in Miyagi and Kunimi in Fukushima on the Tohoku Expressway fully reopened, after cracks were found along a 50-meter stretch. The operator also aims to open the Joban Expressway on Friday after it was partially closed. The 11:36 p.m. quake left many Japanese, particularly those in northeastern Japan, unsettled, as it was reminiscent of the M9.0 quake on March 11, 2011, that devastated the region and triggered a nuclear crisis. But the Japanese government said there have been no problems with safety at nuclear power plants in the quake-hit areas following the Wednesday night quake. The quake, which occurred in waters off Fukushima, was also felt across a wide swath of the country. Injuries were reported in not just Miyagi and Fukushima but also Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Chiba and Niigata prefectures, a Kyodo News tally showed. As of Thursday morning, 476 schools and universities temporarily closed in the four prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima, data collected by the education ministry showed. Meanwhile, some manufacturing companies including Toyota Motor Corp. were forced to suspend factory operations in the Tohoku region. Related coverage: Tohoku residents scared, anxious by quake reminiscent of 2011 tragedy The automaker said it halted its daytime operations at a plant in Iwate, while semiconductor maker Renesas Electronics Corp. stopped operations at its factories in Ibaraki and Gunma. As for logistics, Yamato Transport Co. said deliveries to Hokkaido in northern Japan and the Tohoku region could be delayed, while Japan Post Co. and Sagawa Express Co. said there have been delays in delivery of packages in the areas. Smithsonian's National Zoo kicks off celebration of giant panda program's 50th anniversary Xinhua) 08:23, March 17, 2022 Tourists take photos of giant pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has kicked off a months-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of its giant panda program. Located in northwest Washington, D.C., the famed zoo announced a series of online and on-site events starting March 16 through Aug. 27 to mark "50 years of unprecedented achievement in the care, conservation, breeding, and study of giant pandas." "After 50 years, giant pandas remain an iconic species for our zoo," said Brandie Smith, John and Adrienne Mars director, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, in a statement. "More importantly, they represent how great conservation outcomes can be achieved through great partnerships with our Chinese colleagues," Smith underlined. "Being able to introduce hundreds of millions of people worldwide to pandas and inspiring them to care about their conservation for five decades, coupled with our scientific breakthroughs, is a milestone truly worth celebrating." At least hundreds of visitors -- mostly parents and their children -- explored the zoo's giant panda habitat around Wednesday noon. While the fluffy bears in black and white were all sleeping, people still enjoyed the sight of them while curious to learn knowledge of the valuable species through posters on the wall. In the outdoor exhibit is the Giant Panda Family Tree Photo Gallery, where there are photos and information about the zoo's giant panda breeding program and how cubs born there are contributing to their species' survival in China. More events will come next month. On April 16, visitors can enjoy lion dance performances, panda-shaped buns, and calligraphy demonstrations at the habitat, while the giant pandas will receive special enrichment treats. There are currently three giant pandas living in the zoo -- 23-year-old female Mei Xiang, 24-year-old male Tian Tian, and their 18-month-old male cub Xiao Qi Ji. Mei Xiang gave birth to three other cubs in the zoo, all of who returned to China when they were four years old as part of the institute's cooperative agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA). Ever since their arrival at the zoo, giant pandas have symbolized cross-cultural collaboration between the United States and China. In 1972, then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai gifted two giant pandas to the United States as a gesture of goodwill following then-U.S. President Richard Nixon's groundbreaking visit. Nixon and his wife, Pat Nixon, selected the Smithsonian's National Zoo as female Ling-Ling and male Hsing-Hsing's home in the United States. Then-Zoo Director Theodore Reed personally escorted the bears from China, and they arrived in Washington, D.C., on April 16, 1972. Four days later, Pat Nixon formally welcomed the giant panda pair to the zoo. For five decades, the zoo has cared for the giant pandas by creating and maintaining one of the world's foremost panda conservation programs. Collaboration between Chinese colleagues and the zoo's team of animal care staff, scientists, and researchers has been the cornerstone of those efforts. The unified effort to create and share knowledge is saving this species from extinction. Giant pandas are listed as "vulnerable" in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are an estimated 1,800 in the wild. The zoo has renewed its Giant Panda Cooperative Research and Breeding Agreement with the CWCA three times since 2000. The current research agreement extension was signed on Dec. 7, 2020, and stipulates the zoo's pandas will continue to live at the zoo through 2023. In exchange, the zoo contributes funds and expertise toward conservation efforts in China. Tourists take photos of giant pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Tourists take photos of giant pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows giant panda Mei Xiang at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows giant pandas Mei Xiang (L) and Xiao Qi Ji at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows the giant panda family tree at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Visitors look at the giant panda family tree at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows giant panda Xiao Qi Ji at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC), a wholly owned company of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has signed an agreement with Saudi National Bank (SNB) to sell a real estate financing portfolio worth SR1 billion ($266.58 million), which is considered to be the largest bank refinancing in the kingdom. The agreement was signed in the presence of Majid bin Abdullah Al Hogail, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, and Ammar Alkhudairy, Chairman of SNB by Fabrice Susini, CEO of SRC, and Majed Al Ghamdi, Chief Executive Officer of Retail at SNB. The agreement aims to refinance the portfolio to provide long-term liquidity to the Saudi home financing market and facilitate risk management in the sector. Susini said the company continues to expand its partnerships with originators to boost the rate of Saudi homeownership to 70% by 2030, in line with the objectives of the Vision 2030 housing program through supporting the home financing market and originators by providing the best innovative financial solutions and increase the home finance sectors contribution to the GDP. He added that the agreement signed with SNB is the largest home refinancing agreement in the banking sector, which is an evidence of the company's continuous support for home financing originators through liquidity and risk management solutions to provide affordable home financing and to increase home ownership. Al Ghamdi said: "Our long-term partnership with SRC will enable us to provide housing finance solutions that fulfil the needs and requirements of Saudi families. The liquidity generated through this partnership will enable us to provide more home financing solutions to citizens in the Kingdom, broadening our already-large beneficiary base. The partnership also provides us with the capital and risk management tools that are critical to our overall operations and capital allocation to achieve the objectives of the Housing Program - one of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 programs." The home financing sector has witnessed a significant growth in recent years in the number of loans reaching 300,000 loans worth SR140 billion in 2020. In 2021, more than 260,000 contracts worth more than SR150 billion were registered, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 22:01 | All, World, Japan Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed Thursday to bolster cooperation on stabilizing global crude oil markets after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent prices surging. Kishida expressed hope for Saudi Arabia's "strong leadership" in bringing calm to the markets amid supply concerns, the prime minister told reporters after speaking by phone with the crown prince. They also confirmed close coordination in responding to the crisis in Ukraine, Kishida said. Saudi Arabia is a major oil exporter to Japan, along with the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this week, Kishida also asked the UAE to make "proactive contributions" as an oil producer and agreed with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during phone talks that the two countries will jointly help crude oil markets stabilize. Soaring fuel and food prices have prompted calls for the Japanese government to take action to ease the financial burden on households when the economy has yet to fully recover from a slump caused by COVID-19 restrictions. Separately, Kishida held phone talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday to discuss Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The two leaders agreed to cooperate in dealing with the crisis and promoting reform of the U.N. Security Council, Kishida said. Kenya is currently a nonpermanent member of the council that has permanent member Russia. KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2022 - 15:04 | World, All, Coronavirus South Korea saw a record-high number of coronavirus cases on Thursday, with more than 600,000 new infections reported in a single day amid the ongoing spread of the Omicron variant. The country confirmed a total of 621,328 COVID-19 infections over a 24-hour period, exceeding the previous record of 400,741 set a day earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The number of cases in South Korea is the most tallied in any country in the world over the past 28 days, according to Johns Hopkins University. Since Monday, results of antigen tests conducted by medical professionals have been added to the tally, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency, contributing to the rapid increase in reported cases. There were 429 coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday, raising the cumulative number to 11,481, the agency said. Justice Minister Park Beom Kye tested positive for COVID-19 late Wednesday and is receiving treatment at home, his ministry said Thursday, according to another Yonhap report. Meanwhile, the Japanese Embassy in Seoul said Japan's Ambassador to South Korea, Koichi Aiboshi, has tested positive for the virus and his scheduled meeting with South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday is postponed. South Korea has seen a surge in cases since it registered a five-digit daily figure for the first time in late January. Related coverage: Opposition's Yoon wins South Korea's close presidential election South Korea's daily COVID cases exceed 200,000 amid fast Omicron spread South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases hit record above 170,000 RIO DE JANEIRO, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Brazil forward Hulk has extended his contract with Atletico Mineiro until December 2024, the reigning Brazilian Serie A champions said on Wednesday. Hulk's deal had been due to expire in December but will now run until December 2024. "Hulk has renewed his contract to continue piling up goals, titles and excitement," Atletico said in a brief statement on social media. The 35-year-old joined the Belo Horizonte club in January last year after parting ways with Shanghai SIPG. He was the leading scorer in Brazil's Serie A and the Copa do Brasil last year, and was named the best player of the country's 2021 domestic season. A man takes his belongings from his house in Kharkov, Ukraine, March 13, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua) - Numerous Western journalists have focused on the look, skin color, race and religion of Ukranian evacuees, and made a comparison between them and refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. - The reason why a military conflict is taking place on a so-called "civilized" continent has shocked most Western journalists and partly lies in the penetration of West-centrism across their industry, but the theory is plainly grounded upon race superiority. BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The sharp difference in Western media coverage of the Ukraine situation and other conflicts has laid bare their deep-rooted racist bias and double standards. Their emphasis on the Ukrainians' race and disregard for tragedies in other parts of the world have drawn criticism particularly from the Middle East. RACIST BIAS In their reports, numerous Western journalists have focused on the look, skin color, race and religion of Ukranian evacuees, and made a comparison between them and refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. The unspoken implication is that the former are superior to the latter and have less reason to suffer from any plight. "To put it bluntly, these are not refugees from Syria, these are refugees from Ukraine ... They're Christian, they're white, they're very similar (to us)," said Kelly Cobiella, an NBC News correspondent based in London, on video. On BFM TV, France's most-watched cable news channel, journalist Phillipe Corbe said: "We're not talking here about Syrians ... We're talking about Europeans leaving in cars that look like ours to save their lives." Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, remarks of a racist nature have been circulating on Western media, irritating people from around the world, especially those who have fled their homes due to color revolutions or wars waged by the West. Mohammed al-Jubouri, a professor of the media college at Al-Iraqia University in Baghdad, said that the West has been playing dumb over the refugee issues of Iraq, Syria and Yemen, as well as Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, as if people in those places were inherently inferior and unworthy of respect. RACE SUPERIORITY The reason why a military conflict is taking place on a so-called "civilized" continent has shocked most Western journalists and partly lies in the penetration of West-centrism across their industry, but the theory is plainly grounded upon race superiority. When reporting from Kiev in late February, Charlie D'Agata, a senior foreign correspondent with CBS News, said: "This isn't a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades," but "a relatively civilized, relatively European" city. "They seem so like us. That is what makes it so shocking," wrote Daniel Hannan in Britain's The Telegraph. "War is no longer something visited upon impoverished and remote populations. It can happen to anyone." "We are in the 21st century, we are in a European city and we have cruise missiles fired as if we were in Iraq or Afghanistan, can you imagine," a commentator said on BFM TV. The truth is apparent how Western governments and Western media view the conflict in Ukraine, a country they have abandoned, in comparison to the wars they waged in particular against West Asian countries, said a recent opinion article published in Iran's Tehran Times. "The idea that a conflict inside 'civilized' Europe is so alarming because wars only happen in countries that are 'uncivilized' is such disturbing double standards and hypocritical analyses," it said. "All the wars outside Europe, the vast majority of which in West Asia and Africa, occurred as a result of Western imperialism, plots and military adventurism." Speaking of the racist reports, Amiya Mohan, a veteran Indian journalist and analyst, regards race supremacy as "the root cause," saying many Western media outlets "are unable to hide their bias," which is "really sad and disappointing." Earlier this month, the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association based in New York issued a statement on relevant reporting, condemning the "racist implications that any population or country is 'uncivilized' or bears economic factors that make it worthy of conflict." "This type of commentary reflects the pervasive mentality in Western journalism of normalizing tragedy in parts of the world such as the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America," it continued. Calling those racist reports "abhorrent," Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar, noted that many African countries have been subject to the West's stereotypical and negative reporting, which only made local people "tired and weary of misreporting, disinformation and stereotype journalism from some Western media outlets." Travelers are seen at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 15, 2022. (VNA via Xinhua) The Vietnamese government's decision to fully open borders to international visitors from March 15 rekindled hopes for millions of people in the service sector. However, a new round of infections triggered by the fast-spreading Omicron variant is challenging Vietnam's ambitious plan. HANOI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Tuesday seems to be a big day for Nguyen Hai Phong, a 34-year-old international tour guide in Hanoi. He is excited to resume work at a travel company after nearly two years of "frozen career" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the Vietnamese government decided to fully open borders to international visitors from March 15, which rekindled hopes for millions of people in the service sector, including tour guides like Phong. "I can't wait to see my customers, the foreign visitors, again," Phong told Xinhua, recalling the beautiful days guiding the tourists through corners of his city, telling them about the unique cultural features and introducing to them the must-try street food. Photo taken on April 1, 2020 shows an almost empty street in the center of Vietnam's southern Ho Chi Minh City. (VNA/Handout via Xinhua) In March 2020, the Southeast Asian country was forced to close its borders and ground all international flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anti-COVID-19 measures, including social distancing, forced tourism businesses and personnel to spend their last two years essentially on ice. Tran Thu Huyen, the founder of a travel agency based in Hanoi's Long Bien district, spent the last few days recruiting employees and getting ready for the normal operation of her business. "It's the proper timing for reopening international tourism in Vietnam," Huyen said, noting that the country would host the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May, which will help "attract more visitors to the country, particularly those from ASEAN nations participating in the region's largest sporting event." However, the service provider is worried that Vietnam may lose its attractiveness as a destination if detailed guidance on entry fails to come out soon, especially when other regional countries have already been working very actively to welcome back international travelers. People select products at a store in an ancient block in Hanoi, Vietnam, Oct. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Jiang Shengxiong) At a press briefing held Tuesday to announce the border reopening, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said all foreigners can now enter Vietnam by air, road, sea routes and railway at all border gates as long as they meet the COVID-19 prevention and control requirements. Prior to this policy, foreign tourists could only travel to Vietnam by air after booking a tour package with a designated travel agency under the trial vaccine passport program. Despite being offered a quarantine waiver, foreign tourists were restricted to visit just a few localities under heavily monitored conditions for COVID-19 prevention and control purpose. On Monday, the Vietnamese government ordered its health ministry to ease entry requirements for foreign tourists, which aims to exempt them from most travel restrictions as per a proposal submitted in February. Under the drafted plan, international tourists will only have to prove that they have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, and show a negative test result as per requirements by local health authorities. They are also required to have insurance coverage of at least 10,000 U.S. dollars for possible COVID-19 treatment in Vietnam. As part of the efforts, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said that from Tuesday, immigration procedures for foreigners will be restored like before the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has also resumed the visa exemption policy for citizens from 13 nations including Japan, South Korea, and Russia from the same day. Travelers are seen at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 15, 2022. (VNA via Xinhua) Vietnam received a record number of over 18 million international arrivals in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from its General Statistics Office. In 2020 and 2021, the number of international arrivals to Vietnam respectively plunged 78.7 percent and 95.9 percent, mainly due to impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. In addition to an urgent need for reviving the tourism sector, a vital part of the Vietnamese economy, high vaccination coverage is believed to back the government's decision for reopening. As of Tuesday, the country had administered over 200.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for a population of about 98 million, with 183.5 million shots on people aged 18 and above, according to official data. Most of the 63 localities nationwide had completed inoculating the primary two doses for the adult group, while being urged to accelerate the third doses as a booster. However, a new round of infections triggered by the fast-spreading Omicron variant is challenging Vietnam's ambitious plan. In the past week, the Southeast Asian country logged nearly 166,700 COVID-19 cases per day on average, up 24 percent compared to the previous week. The total COVID-19 tally has doubled in just over two weeks, reaching 6,552,918 cases on Tuesday. According to Vietnamese health authorities, the recent infection hike is mainly due to the spread of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant, which has been detected in most of the analyzed samples across the country. "It's quite worrisome. Foreign travelers will not favor a destination where the pandemic situation remains complicated," Huyen expressed her concerns, hoping that the infection wave will subside in the next few days. TEHRAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 16 crew members of an Emirati merchant shipwreck in the Gulf have been rescued, a local Iranian official told Tasnim news agency on Thursday. Operators were dispatched to the accident zone to rescue other crew members of the ship, said Director General of Iran's Bushehr Province Crisis Management Jahangir Dehqani. Earlier in the day, the official IRNA news agency reported that the ship belonging to the United Arab Emirates sank 30 miles (48 km) from Iran's southern port city of Assaluyeh with 30 crew members floating on water. The Emirati cargo ship, carrying vehicles, sank in bad weather conditions, IRNA said. The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link and continued into Wednesday. According to the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days. Zelensky on Wednesday asked the United States to "do more" to help Ukraine defend itself against the ongoing military operation by Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey and Poland agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to end the Ukrainian crisis. Produced by Xinhua Global Service SYDNEY, March 17 (Xinhua) -- As Australia adapts to living with the COVID-19 pandemic and opens its borders, the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 has begun to trouble authorities as the most transmissible variant of the pandemic. Professor Robert Booy, infectious diseases paediatrician from the University of Sydney told Xinhua on Wednesday that early studies show the new sub-variant is "at least 30 to 40 percent more transmissible" than the original Omicron strain. "It's proving to be the case because it's supplanting in many countries BA.1, the original Omicron variant, which itself was highly transmissible," said Booy. In recent weeks health authorities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state, have flagged the variant as "very concerning" and have expected it to overtake the original Omicron strain as the dominant strain and for daily cases to more than double in the next six weeks. Since the beginning of March, daily cases in NSW have climbed from under 10,000 to more than 15,000, representing a slow but steady increase. On Thursday, NSW recorded 20,087 new positive cases. Health authorities in the state of Victoria have also seen an upward trend in daily infections, with 9,752 new cases recorded on Thursday. They said the new sub-variant BA.2 had been found in half of all wastewater tests in the state, suggesting it's quickly becoming the dominant COVID-19 strain in the state. While there is now strong evidence that the BA.2 sub-variant is the most transmissible strain yet, the scientific jury remains out on whether it may be more severe. Among the experts whom Xinhua spoke to, some said there are early reports that BA.2 could be more severe while others said it could be less, but they all agreed that more data collection and research would be needed to find a conclusive answer. They also suggested that before a better understanding of the whole picture was made, people should continue to stick to some necessary protective measures, especially given that southern hemisphere countries including Australia are entering colder months. "Although we don't have any indication that the BA.2 is more severe than BA.1, the more people that get it, the more chance we're going to have severe cases," Nancy Baxter, head of the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health, told Xinhua. Late last month the NSW government scrapped its mask mandate for most indoor spaces including shops, offices and hospitality venues. The topic of mask mandates has sparked heated debates across the Australian society. "I know that masks are unpopular amongst our politicians, and I can understand that. It's kind of a constant reminder of the pandemic," said Baxter. "But masks are effective against any variant. They're not variant specific. So indoors, encouraging mask wearing is very important, and the highest quality mask that's available; so N95, P2 masks are definitely what I'd recommend." Booy said that as Australia heads into winter, the new variant, coupled with a host of other infectious diseases, has the potential to put states' hospital systems under pressure. "As winter approaches, there's a real concern that another variant will arise as well," he said. "(The) uplifting of travel restrictions, winter viruses will spread around the world from the north to the south, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), influenza and other respiratory viruses will spread and become a problem." Baxter said despite the fact that Australia's winters were mild when compared to countries in the northern hemisphere, behavioural changes in winter could have a major impact. "There's a number of things converging to result in us probably having another significant wave of Omicron." She said that it would be very important to maintain the quality of the air in indoor spaces and continue mask wearing as people spend more time in enclosed spaces. The experts agreed that the way forward would be continuing to push the community to take booster shots. Australia's booster uptake has lagged with just under 50 percent of its eligible population having received the booster. In NSW, the worst-hit state in the pandemic, health authorities data showed more than 330,000 people aged over 60, and more than 836,000 people under 30s are yet to receive the booster jab, said report of local newspaper Sydney Morning Herald. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the country's peak advisory group on immunisation, is currently weighing offering up a fourth shot, or second booster, and has already begun issuing them to severely immunocompromised individuals. Adrian Esterman, chair of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the University of South Australia, told Xinhua on Wednesday as case numbers rise, it would be an important extra barrier for those with waning immunity. "Importantly, it is the elderly and those with underlying health conditions who now have little protection against infection from Omicron after their third dose. These should be a priority for a fourth dose." COPENHAGEN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Denmark and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an extradition agreement on Thursday, paving the way for suspected perpetrators of crimes relating to Denmark to be extradited and prosecuted. The agreement aims to expedite "two specific criminal cases," said a press release issued by the Ministry of Justice. The Danish authorities are seeking the extradition of suspected perpetrators in a high-profile dividend tax case along with a motorist accused of the hit-and-run killing of a police officer in Copenhagen in 2019. According to the Ministry of Justice, the new agreement, which comes after two years of negotiations, will also promote mutual legal assistance between Denmark and the UAE in criminal cases. Denmark now joins other European Union (EU) countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, that have recently concluded similar agreements with the UAE. An ultra-Orthodox child wearing costume for Purim reads the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Many Israelis put on costumes and celebrate Jewish Purim. Throughout the centuries, Purim has been celebrated to mark the salvation of Jews from the ancient Persian Haman's genocidal plot. It has been traditionally a happy, carnival-like holiday for the Jews. In Israel, reading the Megillat Esther, exchanging gifts of food and drink, and handing out food parcels to the poor are among the activities to celebrate the holiday, which often falls in March. An ultra-Orthodox child wearing costume for Purim attends a reading of the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jews read the Scroll of Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim in Meron, northern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Jewish biblical story. (David Cohen/JINI via Xinhua) People buy costumes ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim at a shopping center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 14, 2022. Throughout the centuries, Purim has been celebrated to mark the salvation of Jews from the ancient Persian Haman's genocidal plot. It has been traditionally a happy, carnival-like holiday for the Jews. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) More than one-quarter of business decision-makers in the UAE are now investing in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) ahead of developing new products/services (24%) or growing shareholder value (15%). Most knowledge workers also believe as much as 49% of the data their business uses on a day-to-day basis should be focused on doing good for the communities it serves, a new research report by enterprise data cloud company Cloudera reveals. This is a sentiment 66% of business decision-makers agree with a clear indication that profit and ESG are no longer mutually exclusive pursuits. The comprehensive survey, which unearthed exclusive insights from a total of 2,213 enterprise business decision-makers globally including the UAE examines the fact that ESG is identified as a top priority for business leaders and those who fail to act for the good of communities put business growth and talent at huge risk. The study also explores the shift in attitude towards Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Data Analytics. The survey dubbed Limitless: The Positive Power of AI Study also targeted C-Suite and a total of 10,880 knowledge workers among which 528 are UAE based. Thirty-three per cent of the UAE business decision-makers and knowledge workers surveyed believe that their respective companies should publicly support sustainable business practices. Additionally, the vast majority of knowledge workers (56%) argue there is a need to use Data Analytics to deliver more sustainable business practices that benefit both their organisation and the communities it serves. The data also found that 61% of decision-makers claim to be very active regarding the implementation of these technologies. However, 31% claim to be active but lack the required knowledge in order to implement these technologies. Companies that address these gaps now gain a real competitive advantage in the battle for customers and talent. According to the report, businesses that truly want to embed sustainability at their core, its leaders must start to use data to deliver more sustainable outcomes and quickly. Failure to act and 35% of knowledge workers and 32% of business decision-makers believe employees would leave the business. This, the report reveals, could be a business-destroying move amidst a global talent shortage, especially if all of a companys competitors are addressing the gap. I think businesses, regardless of the industry they operate in, should today act in a socially responsible manner. As the research points out, doing this can start with data. Companies can, and should, use big data and AI to make more sustainable business decisions, said Karim Azar, Regional Director, Middle East & Turkey, Cloudera. The research findings also dispel the long-held belief that workers were afraid of AI taking over their jobs. An explosion in the volume of data now available to businesses has made AI/ML a common threat to many job roles and a powerful ally. Over half of UAE-based knowledge workers say their daily tasks have been augmented or automated by AI (73%), ML (63%), and Data Analytics (78%) in the last 12 months. The biggest benefits of this have been saving time (40%) and allowing them/their team to focus more on strategic work (32%). Whats more, 88% of knowledge workers are now comfortable taking on a new role due to AI/ML/Data Analytics. To capitalise on this, businesses have to do more and invest in employee reskilling. 96% of business decision-makers in the UAE said their organisation will commit to continuous investment in reskilling employees as more tasks are automated. But the investment in people cant stop there. Companies also need to make employees partners in the upskilling and reskilling processes to ensure a level playing field for staff. The study reveals a new wave of economics, focused on doing equally great things for profit, planet, and people - driven by automation and AI is emerging. For business leaders, this means its time to refocus how they think about technology investment identifying not only the data that will support growth but also the technology that will help employees and communities gain meaningful access to it. At Cloudera, we work with our customers to transform their economic output with Data Analytics and AI, said Mick Hollison, President, Cloudera.-- TradeArabia News Service A health worker prepares a dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Cornella, Spain, April 7, 2021.(Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua) The EMA called non-vaccinated citizens to get jabbed as soon as possible, emphasizing that there are now five COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the EU using different technologies. BRUSSELS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Cases of Omicron BA2, a COVID-19 subvariant, are rising across the European Union (EU), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Thursday. "While many EU countries are lifting restrictions, we notice that the infection rates are increasing again in some member states, partly because of the circulation of Omicron BA2, which seems to be more transmissible than other variants," Marco Cavalieri, head of the EMA's strategy on biological health threats and vaccines, told journalists here. A woman wearing a face mask waits for a train in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Feb. 2, 2022. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua) What matters the most, he said, is how this increase in cases will stress the healthcare systems. The EMA called non-vaccinated citizens to get jabbed as soon as possible, emphasizing that there are now five COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the EU using different technologies. "There is currently no evidence that immune response after vaccination is significantly different with Omicron BA2. Vaccines continue to offer high protection against hospitalization and death," he said. The vaccines that have received conditional marketing authorization from the EMA are those produced by Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax. Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2022 shows a COVID-19 test site at the Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.(Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua) A freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany, is ready to depart at the Shijiazhuang international land port in north China's Hebei Province, on April 17, 2021. (Photo by Zhang Xiaofeng/Xinhua) BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Bilateral trade between China and the European Union (EU) saw a rapid growth in the January-February period, demonstrating vitality and resilience in their trade cooperation, a commerce spokesperson said Thursday. China-EU trade jumped 14.8 percent year on year to 137.16 billion U.S. dollars in the first two months this year, making the EU the largest trade partner of China during the period, said Gao Feng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce. As significant trading partners to one another, China and the EU enjoy a high degree of economic complementarity, broad areas of cooperation, and great potential for development, Gao told a regular press conference. China is ready to work with the EU to further liberalize and facilitate trade and investment and safeguard the stable and smooth operation of industrial and supply chains, Gao said. WINDHOEK, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's President Hage Geingob on Wednesday declared three days of national mourning to pay respects to the late former President of Zambia Rupiah Bwezani Banda. The Republic of Namibia and African Union flags will fly at half-mast until Friday, when Banda's body will be buried in the Zambian capital Lusaka. "Indeed, with his passing, Namibia has lost a dependable friend," Geingob has said previously. "But, we are comforted by his indelible contributions to the liberation movements of our region and the socio-economic development of its people." Geingob extended sympathies to Banda's wife and children and the "fraternal people of Zambia." "May his soul rest in peace," he added. Banda, who served as the fourth president of Zambia from 2008 to 2011, passed away at his home on March 11 at the age of 85 after more than a year battling colon cancer. Goitseone Ishmael, a Chinese language assistant teacher, gives a lesson at Legae English Medium school in Gaborone, Botswana, on Feb. 23, 2022. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua) GABORONE, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Excitement and joy could be felt as students at Legae English Medium School in Gaborone, Botswana, greeted their teacher Goitseone Ishmael with the Chinese phrase "ni hao," which literally translates to "hello" in English, before she began her Chinese language lesson. "Today we are going to begin our class by watching a Chinese movie," she says, and the students jump up and down with joy. Some of the students ask if it's about the well-known actor Jackie Chan. Finally, she manages to get them to settle down. Ishmael, also known as Liu Weiwei in Chinese, started her job as a Chinese assistant teacher at Legae English Medium School in 2022. Now she teaches around 350 students consisting of 14 classes per week from Standard 3 to Standard 6. After graduating from university with an associate's degree in business information systems, Ishmael was encouraged by her sister to enroll in the Confucius Institute at the University of Botswana (CIUB) in 2017. "During my study at CIUB, I developed a strong interest in the Chinese language, culture and lifestyle, especially in August 2018 I set my foot for the first time in China through the Summer Camp by CIUB," she told Xinhua during an interview. Ishmael went to study at Shanghai Normal University in China in 2019. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, she couldn't go back to China to finish the last semester and ended up finishing it online and graduating while in Botswana. As a Chinese assistant teacher, Ishmael has her main teaching work done like teaching students Chinese songs, teaching them how to make paper cutting or lanterns. She also helps Zhang Lu, the only Chinese teacher who comes from the CIUB, to teach the Chinese language. "Teaching a language is really interesting and kids are always interested in learning more, especially about the Chinese culture, the food and they even ask a lot of questions during my lesson like what the thing they like is called in Chinese," she said, adding that most of the students want to visit China now since she started teaching them. According to Ishmael, Batswana can benefit a lot from learning the Chinese language. She said, in China, everything is convenient like transportation and payment methods, so Batswana can learn and see how they can improve services here. Batswana can also go teach English in China because of the demand for English teachers. The 33-year-old woman teacher encouraged people to consider a career in the Chinese language. "It is not only for communication, it will open another opportunity for them. There are different types of jobs that one can do after learning Chinese like working as a Chinese language teacher, a translator or interpreter," she said. Basel Ncaagae, the head of Legae English Medium School, said Chinese was introduced full-time in 2018 after management expressed a desire to move away from the Chinese club, given that the club was not reaching out to many students. And as a result of the large number of students who expressed an interest in learning Chinese, the school implemented Chinese as a full-time language study program called Confucius Classes. Some of the content the class teaches are Chinese greetings, teaching kids how to count numbers in the Chinese language, how to introduce themselves in Chinese, their age, the weather and time. Kids also participate in the Primary School Chinese Bridge where the winner gets an opportunity to travel to China and represent the school. There are also competitions like Talent Show where students can also take part in. Goitseone Ishmael, a Chinese language assistant teacher, is pictured at Legae English Medium school in Gaborone, Botswana, Feb. 23, 2022. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua) Goitseone Ishmael, a Chinese language assistant teacher, gives a lesson at Legae English Medium school in Gaborone, Botswana, on Feb. 23, 2022. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua) Goitseone Ishmael (R), a Chinese language assistant teacher, talks with Zhang Lu, a Chinese instructor, at Legae English Medium school in Gaborone, Botswana, on Feb. 23, 2022. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua) by Xinhua writer Guo Yage BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Washington dumbfounded the world again earlier this week after it had the brass to pitch itself as the one standing "on the side of the rules-based order" on the Ukraine issue and accuse others of violating "the basic tenet that big countries cannot bully small countries." Apparently, it never crossed Washington's mind to look in the mirror before speaking out. The reflection would be appalling: a bellicose history of overseas military intrusions and covert subversions. Washington's bullying has long been evident on the world stage. The primal American culture of piracy that advocates pillage and conquest has been sharpened by Washington into a hegemonic foreign policy to flex its muscles wherever possible, bully others whenever it sees fit and dictate the world's rules of the road as a matter of course. As former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said in his farewell address, "the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist" in the country. Indeed, Washington's reckless interference has pushed countries in the Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe into war and strife, leaving behind death and destruction. The U.S.-led NATO forces carried out continuous airstrikes for 78 days against Yugoslavia, leaving more than 8,000 civilians dead or injured and nearly 1 million displaced. The U.S.-launched war in Afghanistan killed around 50,000 Afghan civilians from 2001 to mid-April 2020 and reduced some 11 million to refugees. The scenes of terrified Afghan civilians trying to scale airport fences and chase airplanes in Kabul was a chilling echo of what happened in 1975 when U.S. Army helicopters lifted evacuees from the roof of the U.S. embassy in Saigon. Furthermore, years of bloodshed have left more than 200,000 Iraqi civilians dead and dragged Libya into greater turmoil. Last year, the anti-war group CODEPINK revealed that an average of 46 bombs have been dropped on other countries per day by Washington and its allies since 2001. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said in 2019 that his country has only enjoyed 16 years of peace in its 242-year history, making it "the most warlike nation in the history of the world." Textbook cases of Washington bullying small countries with sanctions also abound. Washington's sanctions have increased tenfold in the past 20 years. It has long put Cuba, Venezuela, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Syria and others on its blacklist, wantonly disrupting their economies and damaging people's livelihoods even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To eliminate what it sees as a threat to its technological hegemony, Washington has used nearly every available means, including blacklisting tech companies, imposing chip trading sanctions and impeding cooperation and exchanges between countries. "It is the age-old 'with us or against us' strategy, and delivers all the consequences that a hegemon can inflict upon non-compliant states," read an op-ed published early December in the South China Morning Post. The op-ed made a good point of Washington's arbitrary mentality. The arrogant minds of the White House have long undermined international rules, coerced others to pick sides and retaliated against whoever refused to comply. This perverse logic was laid bare once again when Washington earlier in the week threatened "every country" to "make very clear where it stands" on Ukraine. Against Washington's will, many people have realized that the fundamental way to resolve the Ukraine crisis lies in a ceasefire, followed by dialogue and negotiation. And just as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday, most countries agree that "the world needs peace, not war; it calls for justice, not hegemony; it aspires for cooperation, not confrontation." If Washington truly cares about easing the situation in Ukraine, it should learn to stand on the right side of peace and justice. Pondering its past misdeeds could be a good start. Jalna: In the wake of incidents of medical professionals in Maharashtra's Jalna facing discrimination and exclusion for the fear of spreading COVID- 19, some political leaders have appealed to the people to respect and appreciate their work and stop harassing them. The appeal came after the functioning of four private hospitals in Jalna city was largely affected as some people prevented the medical staff there from performing their duty. Some people even accused the health professionals of being responsible for spreading COVID-19. According to officials, 18 health personnel have tested coronavirus positive in the district and several of their colleagues have been quarantined. "Four private hospitals in the city were almost shut since the last week as people were not allowing the medical staff to carry out their duty. They say these health professionals themselves were carriers of the infection," an official said. Congress MLA from Jalna Kailash Gorantyal, in a video circulated on social media, said that he came to know that doctors and nurses were facing harassment and ostracism by people. He said doctors, nurses and healthcare workers were risking their own lives to serve the community, but some people were harassing them and discouraging them from performing their duty. He urged the people not to treat them badly and allow them to do their service. In a statement issued on Saturday, former Maharashtra minister Arjun Khotkar said people should treat doctors and nurses with respect as they are doing selfless service. Dr Sanjay Rakh, managing director of Deepak Hospital, one of the four affected hospitals in Jalna, said there was a massive shortage of medical staff as the people desist them from working, terming them as spreaders of coronavirus. So far, 124 people have tested coronavirus positive in Jalna district. No death due to the infection has been reported till now. New Delhi: PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of much-awaited Ram Mandir today in Ayodhya. The city of Ram is decked up to witness the historic auspicious occasion of Ram Janm Bhoomi Pujan. The city of Lord Ram Ayodhya got immersed into the lighting of lakh of Diyas day before the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony. A total of 3,51,000 Diyas were lit to welcome Lord Ram in Ayodhya resembling the Diwali twilight. All temples of Ayodhya city including Ram's Paadi were decorated with the brilliant lighting. As per the itinerary released by the Prime Minister Office (PMO), PM Modi will stay for three hours in Ayodhya. He will also visit the Hanuman Gadhi today before laying the foundation stone. PM Modi will leave for Ayodhya at 9.35 am and is expected to reach around 11.30 am at the ceremony ground. Only five distinguished guests - PM Narendra Modi,Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and trust chief Nritya Gopaldas Maharaj will be present on the dais. Here is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's full schedule in Ayodhya: Departure from New Delhi at 9:35 am Arrival at Ayodhya at 11:30 am PM Modi will spend around seven minutes in pooja and darshan at Hanumangarhi PM will then visit Shree Ram Janmabhoomi and will take part in pooja and darshan of Bhagwan Shree Ramlala Virajman PM Modi will plant a sapling of Parijat and subsequently perform bhoomi pujan with a 22.6-kg made of pure silver brick. He will also unveil a plaque to mark the laying of foundation stone and also release commemorative postage stamp on Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir PM will depart for Lucknow at 2:20 pm. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. highlights The three hero K9s had secured the Indian Embassy at Kabul for past 3 years with great bravery professional competence and fierce loyalty to Indian ITBP troops. Roobi and Bobby along with the troops of the ITBP K9 wing New Delhi: ITBP hero K9s Maya, Bobby and Roobi along with troops were airlifted by the IAF C-17 aircraft from Kabul to the Air Force Station Jamnagar in Gujarat, and today they have reached ITBP Chawala Camp at Delhi. The three hero K9s had secured the Indian Embassy at Kabul for past 3 years with great bravery, professional competence and fierce loyalty to Indian ITBP troops. They had detected many IEDs and protected lives and limbs of not only the Indian Diplomats but also the local Afghan Civilians working in the embassy. DIG(Vet) Sudhakar Natarajan of ITBP expressed his unalloyed pride on the superb professionally sound performance of the brave darlings, Maya, Roobi and Bobby along with the troops of the ITBP K9 wing, who have worked with zero error to sniff terror and secure Indian assets in Kabul, during their deployment. HC Kishan Kumar, HC Bijender Singh and Ct Atul Kumar were the handlers of these hero K9s and have done an outstanding job in securing the Embassy. They report that all three brave darlings are extremely happy to touch Indian Soil and come back to familiar sights, smells and sounds of our nation. The three Heroes had been trained at NTCD Bhanu , the elite dog training school at dist Panchkula in Haryana. IG Ishwar Singh Duhan has sent his congratulations to the K9 handlers and their three brave and loyal K9s for the excellent account given in keeping with the rich ethos and traditions of ITBP. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Delhi: Expressing concern over the sadistic violent attacks perpetrated by Islamic Jihadists in Purnia, Bihar, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has demanded fast justice for the victimized Maha-Dalit families. VHP's Secretary General Milind Parande said that on Wednesday midnight, an armed mob of Muslim louts in their hundreds, attacked and set fire to nearly two dozen houses, brutally killed a Hindu Maha-Dalit named Mewa Lal Rai, broke out the head of a pregnant woman, committed inhuman atrocities on other members of the community including women, boys, girls, children, elderly and attacked them with weapons. A three year old boy Deewana is still missing from the locality. The word is in the air that Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslim infiltrators were also part of these Jihadi mob-lynchers. Even after three days of the gruesome incident, neither have the culprits been caught as yet nor did anything happen about the safety, security, assistance or rehabilitation of the victims! The VHP Secretary General demanded that FIRs be registered forthwith against the aggressors under relevant sections of law and they be arrested without delay and meaningful steps taken right away by the local administration for the protection, financial assistance and rehabilitation of the victim families. Milind Parande said that the immeasurable havoc wrecked on the Maha-Dalits by the Muslim community on May 19 Wednesday midnight in the Manjhwa village in Khapra Panchayat of Bayasi subdivision of Purnia district, was a replication of their Bengal experiment of brutal violent attacks committed this month, and it has once again dared to test the patience of the Hindu society! The apathy of the local police, administration and government on these heinous incidents of attacks, beatings, looting, violence and arson is also very worrying. There is a suspicion in the minds of the people that this is happening due to pulls and pressures from the local public representatives. He has also demanded that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Commission for Women (NCW), National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) take suo motu cognizance of this horrific episode and initiate appropriate action in the matter directly. The VHP Secretary General also said that this heinous attack has also again exposed the "Meem-Bheem" slogan. Shady characters hiding behind such fake slogans for petty political gains have long been making this mighty Dalit community of Hindu society the victim of violence. Without getting confused by and trapped in such agenda-led strategies and tactics, our Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes brothers and sisters need to remain very much watchful and guarded. Also censuring and confronting the secularists and the so-called messiahs of Dalits on their wrong doings, he asked why do they set curd in their mouth, why does the cat get their tongue, why can they speak just nothing on attacks by the Ghazwa-e-Hind Jihadis? The VHP also said that until and unless the protection, compensation and rehabilitation of all the aggrieved Maha-Dalit fa milies are ensured, and the most rigorous action taken against the thug aggressors, the Hindu society wont sit silent. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: The intelligence agencies have issued a high-placed alert for a major terror attack in Mumbai. The terrorist organisations may target Mumbai airport this time. According to the alert issued by the agency, there may be a major terror attack on Mumbai Airport on 26 December. Intelligence agencies have said that a group of 22 terrorists can carry out this attack. Read Also :Delhi facing third wave of coronavirus: CM Kejriwal The intelligence agencies have said that the group of terrorists are in constant contact with each other. The alert says that a reward of Rs 20 lakhs have also been announced for terrorists to carry out this attack. The intelligence agencies have provided all informations to Mumbai Police. Read Also :India News NDA spent last decade meeting people's 'need', now focus on 'aspiration': PM Modi Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a madrasa teacher from Murshidabad district of West Bengal who is allegedly said to be connected with terrorist organization Al Qaeda and a 'conspirator' for carrying out terror attacks in India. According to the NIA, accused Abdul Momin Mandal (32) was arrested on Sunday. The accused was also trying to recruit new members for the organization and was mobilizing financial help to accelerate the terrorist activities. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The World Environment Education Congress (WEEC), for the first time in the region, will address the role and significance of education for environmental work and sustainability at all levels, in both official and informal education. Individuals, institutions, networks, and alliances involved in environmental education utilise the congress in 2024 as a venue for exchanging knowledge and discourse. WEEC, which is held every two years, is one of the most important global events that brings together environmental educational experts on an international level. They meet to review best practices, experiences, and research on environmental education methods and outcomes under the supervision of a scientific committee representing all continents and with the help of a national committee from the host country. Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Rulers Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi will host the 12th World Environment Education Congress (WEEC). The congress has been planned in collaboration and coordination with the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi. WEEC, which is one of the most important events and conferences in the field of environmental education in the world, will take place from January 29 until February 2, 2024, under the theme Connecting People, Creating Tomorrow. The hosting of the congress by EAD was officially announced during the 11th edition of WEEC in Prague, Czech Republic, in March 2022. The congress is an important international event for people who work within the field of environmental education and sustainable development, as well as those with an interest in it. It also provides an opportunity for researchers, educators, students, decision-makers, as well as those working for NGOs or working in the media field, to learn more about a range of significant topics pertaining to the environment and sustainable development. The congress will feature several personalities from around the world discussing environmental issues, providing a valuable opportunity for those who want to share or present their own work. Furthermore, the congress will help to increase investment in the use of information technology in the areas of open education, distance learning, and knowledge dissemination for all. Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD said: We are honoured to represent Abu Dhabi in hosting the 12th World Environment Education Congress, a significant event that brings together a diverse group of experts and professionals committed to disseminating environmental education ideas. We all know that the potential to instigate change in any society begins with the adoption of environmentally responsible behaviour, which can only be accomplished through environmental education. We are fortunate to live in an era where governments have begun to establish policies and plans that prioritise the environment at the top of their national agenda. We are also fortunate that more members of the community are becoming conscious of the need of environmental preservation to rescue the planet. She added: This conference gives an opportunity to activate and strengthen EAD's position in the field of environmental education, as well as to activate environmental and sustainable development policies. In line with the UAE Centennial 2071, the congress also contributes towards the exchange of local, regional, and global educational experiences, to promote a competitive economy based on innovation, whilst encouraging investment in the country's youth. This will equip them with skills and knowledge that respond to rapid changes and transform educational institutions in the country into global research centres. Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director, Environmental Information, Science & Outreach Management: I am extremely grateful that the Organising Committee of WEEC selected my country, the UAE for the momentous occasion of hosting WEEC 2024. We are thrilled that an event as significant as WEEC will be on our home turf, and we will work endlessly to ensure that it is a huge success and inspiration for positive action towards the conservation of the environment. He added: We respect and encourage the exchange of information and dialogue between experts and those who are interested in the field of environmental education, whether they work on an individual or institutional level. This is because we know what a vital role education plays in creating awareness of significant topics that threaten our planet. It is only through education that can we mitigate the effects of negative behaviour that directly harms our precious environment, and this is the role of all of us working in this field. Events like WEEC facilitate the development of policies and initiation of projects that can help us protect nature. Since 2003, the network has hosted ten worldwide conferences, with thousands of participants from over 100 countries, including university professors, government officials, international organisations, journalists, political representatives, foundations, and NGOs.-- TradeArabia News Service New Delhi: Addressing the Delhi Assembly special session today, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the people of Delhi have been able to control Corona to a large extent, and it became possible only with the support of the two crores people of Delhi. He said that the Delhi Model is being discussed across the world due to various measures taken by the government. CM Kejriwal said, "First, we need to understand that the situation of Corona was the toughest in Delhi across the country. We must keep this in mind whenever we compare the situation from other states. Corona in India came from outside, India did not have any Corona cases of its own. Corona had a huge impact in countries such as Italy and London, and many other countries and the Indians living there asked the governments of those cities that they wanted to go back to Delhi. The Indian government decided to bring these people back to India by sending special flights. Delhi is the national capital of India, and so 80%-90% of all the flights landed in Delhi. Corona was a new disease, and nobody knew about any protocol or guidelines to be followed, no quarantine, and no isolation. Our Health Secretary wrote a letter to all the district magistrates on March 22, specifying that 32000 passengers have come back to India in a single month. He also wrote that all 32000 people landed in Delhi have gone to different parts of the city, and the need is to identify them". Read Also:India News A teacher far beyond the classroom He added further that corona cases were not in number, there were 5000-6000 cases in Delhi when Corona started. we had nothing, no PPE or testing kits. Delhi started monitoring the situation, and we have been able to control the situation of Corona to a great extent. This is the result of teamwork. He also said that if Delhi would have tried to handle single-handedly, we would not have been able to do it. We took help from everyone. CM Kejriwal thanked Centre for supporting at every step to curb the corona spread. He said that center provioded us PPE kits, oxygen cylinders and testing kits. No government can handle it alone. 'The society came forward to help us, the two crore people of Delhi, many social organizations, many doctors' associations helped us. An NGO StepOne helped us, religious organizations such as Radhaswami Satsang and Jain Dharamshala helped us", said CM Kejriwal. CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "Delhi Model is being discussed all across the world. This Delhi Model is not because of Kejriwal, it is because of the two crore people of Delhi. The biggest strength of the people of Delhi is that they have an honest, hardworking, and educated government. In the last 5-6 months, the people of Delhi have shown the path not only in Corona management but in a lot of developmental issues. The maximum number of tests across the world and all the nations are conducted in Delhi. Around 60,000 tests are conducted in Delhi on a daily basis, which means that 3000 tests are conducted per day on 1000000 people, said Arvind Kejriwal. On the per day testing front, which is 3000 per day per 1000000 across the country, Delhi is at the top, Andhra Pradesh is second at 1362, Gujarat is third at 1000 which is one-third of us, Karnataka at 983, Haryana is 990, Maharashtra is 802, Uttar Pradesh is 670, and the average of the whole nation is 819. Just like 3000 tests per day per million in Delhi, England is also testing at 3000 per day per million, the USA is at 1388 per day per million, Russia is at 2300, Peru is at 858 tests per day per million, which means that the tests in Delhi are the maximum, added Delhi CM. Arvind Kejriwal added that we have tested around 21,00,000 lakh people in Delhi until now, which is 11% of the 2 crore population of Delhi. No other state or city in the world has tested 10% of its total population. Talking about tests in specuial session, he said that we have conducted micro-audits of the Corona cases, hospitals, and the process a patient goes through in Delhi. We conducted micro-management of all hospitals in Delhi. Today, the death rate in Delhi is 0.6%, which I think is the least in all the states. Second, the home isolation idea was invented in Delhi for the first time across the world. Read Also:Pakistan adopts new tactic for cross-border terrorism in valley Arvind Kejriwal said,"We have treated around 115254 people in home isolation until now, out of which 16568 people are still in home isolation and 96288 people have recovered. Only 30 people have died out of 1.25 lakh people in home isolation, which is 0.03% and is most probably the least in the world. Many countries have praised the home isolation model of Delhi, even the ambassador of Korea is studying the home isolation model of Delhi". Arvind Kejriwal said that we conducted plasma therapy trials as we come to know about this in China. We got the nod for Phase 1, 2, and 3. He expressed happiness that the world's first plasma bank was set up in ILBS hospital in Delhi. The work that we started in April and May, the President of the USA Donald Trump allowed that on August 19, 2020. Delhi CM concluded saying that this is a very difficult phase for everyone. In the history of mankind, no other pandemic has ever hit the world. We have to keep our politics aside and work together for humanity, added CM Kejriwal. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a major announcement on Sunday morning said that the Ministry of Defence was ready for a big push to the "Atma Nirbhar Bharat" initiative and would introduce import embargo on 101 items beyond given timeline to boost domestic defence production. The list of 101 embargoed items comprises of not just simple parts but also some high tech weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircraft, LCHs, radars & many other items to fulfil needs of our Defence Services: Defence Minister https://t.co/adSforDvW5 pic.twitter.com/TUBcfthOO6 ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2020 Defence Minister said that Embargo on imports is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024. Our aim is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the Armed Forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenisation: Defence Minister. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Srinagar: Jammu Kashmir has registered a drastic decline in the incidents of violence after the abrogation of article 370 last year. Ministry of Home Affairs in a report has said that there is a decline by 35 Percent in the incidents of violence in the valley. The Data says a total of 120 incidents have been reported till July 15 this year while 188 incidents were reported last year. Read Also :Jammu Kashmir tourism department to restore 300-year-old Raghunath Temple in valley Jammu Kashmir Police says total 178 Militants have been killed in the year 2020 that includes 6 top commanders like Riyaz Naikoo, Junaid Sehrai,and Waleed. MHA says that 15 foreign terrorists were killed in the valley till July 2020 which included nine unidentified and rest were locals. While the biggest victory for security forces is that there are no stone pelting incidents around the encounter sites. Security forces have managed to deal with the problem and there havent been any major incidents of violence in the valley after the abrogation of article 370. However, Police says that they enjoy 95 percent support of locals in the valley and soon there will be 100 percent support and peace will prevail in the valley. Read Also :India News Another year of recession for Kashmirs apple industry IG JK Police Vijay Kumar says, People of Jammu Kashmir have always supported the security forces. There are only 5-6 percent who are involved in stone pelting". He added further that because of ongoing COVID pandemic, they are unable to engage youths in sport this time, but the process will continue after tahe pandemic era is over. Jammu Kashmir Police say that total 79 youngsters from valley have joined various terror outfits, 38 have been killed and 12 have been arrested. The rest are still active in the valley. Kashmir Polices Cyber Cell has a big role in bringing down the incidents of law and order. The stone pelting incidents have come down drastically after the cyber police sprung into action and those responsible for gathering mobs have been detained or cyber cell is keeping an eye on their activities. Yes, there is a control and its a collective effort of cyber police and local police of managing the encounter sites. We are upgrading all our efforts to control the situation. Cyber cell also plays a very important role in controlling the propaganda and mob gathering.Says Tahir Ashraf, SP Cyber Cell, Kashmir. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Patna: Being the Chief Minister of Bihar, all limelight of polls has shifted on Nitish Kumar who is hopeful to be elected the Chief Minister of the state for the fourth time. A single word that can elaborate his tenure as the Chief Minister of Bihar is the tag of 'Good Governance'. Bihar voted in his favor back in 2000 for the first time after the media-hyped 'Jungle Raj' became the center-issue in Bihar. What Bihar has achieved in this transition period from 'Jungle Raj' to 'Sushasan Sarkar' may be the subject of debate and discussion, but, this has shifted for sure the attention of Bihar political agenda. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing major challenges on several fronts in this assembly poll. Media has reported slogans being raised in support of Tejaswi-led RJD in Chief Minister's rallies which was unthinkable even a few weeks ago. Even, ruling NDA and Chief Minister himself would not have been aware of such a level of anti-incumbency. Bihar election is being fought in between two fronts - NDA and Mahagathbandhan. However, other stakeholders of Bihar election like Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, Upendra Kushwaha led RLSP, Pappu Yadav led an Adhikar Party along with BSP and AIMIM with negligible influence can not be ignored in the election. Undoubtedly, the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar is facing major challenges from former Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav who is the CM candidate of Congress and Left party-backed Grand Alliance. However, the poll has turned into all vs one. Other stakeholders of Bihar assembly polls including RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha, Pappu Yadav, and others have started blatantly attacking CM Nitish. CM Nitish Kumar is also facing major challenges from Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party. Chirag Paswan was with Nitish Kumar for the last three years, but, he refused to fight the election with NDA and has taken his own course in the assembly election this year. Chirag Paswan has categorically clarified several times that his agenda is to remove Nitish Kumar from the chief minister post and to form the government with the support of BJP. Another fear factor in this election for Nitish Kumar is Tejashwi Yadav's recent announcement about 10 lakhs government jobs which has become the hot agenda of Bihar in the election. Undoubtedly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing the anti-incumbency in the election which is common in democracy after such a long period of fifteen years. Bihar is witnessing the wave of change this time for sure. However, none of any opponents can refute that some sections of society are unhappy, but, Nitish Kumar is still preferred Chief Minister of Bihar. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Total seven patients were killed in a fire accident at a hotel which was converted as COVID-19 care facility in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada on Sunday morning. Over 20 people were rescued from massive fire outbreaks. The district official said,"We have recovered seven bodies. The hotel was taken by a private hospital to treat COVID-19 patients. The fire broke out in the early hours. Rescue operations are on'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to deceased families and said he had discussed about the situation with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Prime Minister Modi tweeted, 'Anguished by the fire at a Covid Centre in Vijayawada. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover as soon as possible. Discussed the prevailing situation with AP CM'. Read Also: Death toll in Air India Express flight crash at Kozhikode rises to 18 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock over this incident. Vijayawada police Commissioner B Srinivasulu told P T I that they have shifted about 20 patients to various hospitals. There were 30 patients undergoing treatment at the facility and 10 hospital staff. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra has been admitted to a private hospital in Gurgaon after he showed symptoms of COVID-19, PTI quoted sources as saying. Sambit is admitted to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon, hospital sources said told PTI. The BJP leader has shown symptoms of COVID-19, a source said. Patra, with over 4.4 million followers on Twitter, is one of the most visible BJP faces on various TV news channels. He is also very active on social media and posted several tweets on Thursday as well. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: US President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation banning the entry of Chinese students and researchers having ties with the People's Liberation Army to dismantle China's efforts to use graduate students to acquire intellectual property and technology from America. Trump's announcement came amidst escalating confrontation between the US and China over trade, the origins of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Beijing's security crackdown in Hong Kong and the communist giant's aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea. Issuing the proclamation on Friday, Trump said China is engaged in a wide-ranging and heavily resourced campaign to acquire sensitive US technologies and intellectual property to modernise its massive military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA). This action of China is a threat to the US' long-term economic vitality and the safety and security of the American people, he said. Trump alleged that China uses some Chinese students, mostly postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, to operate as non-traditional collectors of intellectual property. Therefore, Chinese postgraduate students or researchers who are or have been associated with the PLA are at high risk of being exploited or co-opted by the Chinese authorities and provide particular cause for concern. "In light of the above, I have determined that the entry of certain" Chinese nationals "seeking to enter the US pursuant to an 'F' or 'J' visa to study or conduct research in the US would be detrimental to the interests" of America, he said. China on Friday had termed Trump's threat to slap sanctions on its students in America as racist, saying it is a brazen political persecution and reminiscent of the McCarthy era. McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the plan exposes a deep-rooted Cold War and zero-sum mentality that permeates the thinking of some Americans and warned the US not to violate the legal rights of the Chinese students in America. While the F-1 visa is for students attending a full-time degree or academic programme at a school, college or university in the US, the J-1 visa offers cultural and educational exchange opportunities in America through programmes overseen by the US State Department. The F-1 visa is valid for as long as it takes the student to finish his or her course of study. An F-1 Visa also allows students to work on campus and in some situations even off campus. Describing the proclamation as a good step, Congressman Mike Rogers, Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said China is committed to a long-term campaign for global technological leadership, even if it means stealing their way to the top. China has taken concerted steps to extract the latest technologies from leading American institutions and transfer information back to China's defense industrial base and state-run industries. "This is a wholesale attack on American competitiveness. I commend the President for issuing this proclamation. It is a good step forward to safeguard our national security and American economic competitiveness," he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: India celebrated 74th independence day on Saturday. PM Modi adresed the nation on the occasion and congratulated citizens.Addressing the nation from the rampant of historical Red Fort on completing seventy three years of independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is moving towards 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India must become self-reliant and use its vast natural resources to produce for the domestic as well as the global market. Emphasising on Vocal for Local and the domestic production, PM Modi said India should strive for meeting the needs of the world as well. He said that India is full of natural resources and the need of the hour is value addition. He also preasented the roadmap to fight COVID19 before the nation. Read AlsoIndia News SC holds Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt for tweets against judiciary PM Modi said that three vaccines are being developed to fight the novel coronavirus in India. He said that these vaccines are at different stages of testing. He added further that his government will ensure every Indian gets vaccinated against coronavirus, adding, 'as soon as the scientists give a green signal, the country will begin their large-scale production'. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi also unvieled today National Digital Health Mission program which would every citizen to get a health ID number. "National Digital Health Mission will bring a new revolution in India's health sector," PM Modi said, adding, "Health updates will be logged in the health ID on every visit to a pharmacy or a doctor." PM Modi also offered condolences for those who lost their loved ones in the pandemic due to the virus that has claimed over 48,000 lives in the country so far. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bengaluru: Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday congratulated NASA and SpaceX for their manned mission and termed it as 'historic.' 'Congratulations to #NASA and #SpaceX for historic first launch of manned mission after 2011. Great job !' ISRO tweeted. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft with two NASA astronauts on Sunday successfully docked with the International Space Station after a historic launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the dawn of a new age in commercial space travel. Saturday's liftoff also assumes significance as it marks the launch of humans into orbit from US soil for the first time in nearly a decade. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley had lifted off at 3:22 pm EDT Saturday atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. India too is preparing for its first manned space mission 'Gaganyaan'. The Rs 10,000-crore ambitious project is expected to be launched in 2022, the year of the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. Four Indian Air Force fighter pilots are currently undergoing training in Moscow, and are going to be the potential candidates for the Gaganyaan project. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Former president and Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee died on Monday evening following a long battle with multiple ailments. He was 84. He was admitted to the Armys Research and Referral Hospital on August 10 for brain clot removal. Former president had also tested positive for COVID19 on the same day of admission in the hospital. Former President's mortal remains reached his Delhi residence at Raja Ji Marg. Meanwhile, the Centre has declared seven-day state mourning following the demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee. The last rites of former president was performed by his son Abhijit Mukherjee. Read Also :India thwarts China's attempt to transgress, reports fresh clashes near Pangong lake Because of ongoing COVID pandemic, the mortal remains of Pranab Mukherjee arrived at the crematorium in a hearse van instead of the gun carriage. Defence Ministry officials said that due to the requirement of following social distancing norms and other Covid-19 related protocols, the mortal remains of the former President were taken in a hearse van instead of the normal gun carriage. Read Also: Exclusive News Rift emerges in Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress committee over state president President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chiefs of three defence services were among the dignitaries who paid their last respects to Bharat Ratna former President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday morning. Earlier, expressing grief over demise of former president Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a scholar par excellence and a towering statesman who was admired across the political spectrum. The PM said Mukherjee has left an indelible mark on the nations development. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Israel has discovered a previously unknown variant of Covid-19 a combined variety of the Omicron sub-variants BA.1 and BA.2 its Ministry of Health said in a statement. Two such cases have been confirmed so far by the authorities. This strain is not yet known in the world, and the verifications were discovered thanks to the PCR test performed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, the Ministry said in a Tweet. The infected showed mild symptoms including fever, headaches and muscle ailments. Salman Zarka, the chief Covid-19 officer in the country, has dismissed the new variant as a matter of serious concern. The phenomenon of combined variants is well known At this point, were not concerned about (the new variant leading to) serious cases, Zarka was quoted as saying by Times of Israel. The BJP is going to hold a month-long campaign starting from June to mark the first anniversary of the Modi 2.0 government. (Photo Credit: News Nation) New Delhi: The BJP is going to hold a month-long campaign starting from June to mark the first anniversary of the Modi 2.0 government and will hold digital rallies in all districts across the country, its general secretary Bhupendra Yadav said. Underlining that the party stood with the general public in the fight against COVID-19, Yadav said the party workers distributed 19 crore food packets and more than 4 crore packets of ration across the country. Addressing a press conference via video conference, he said, 'Amid the corona crisis the BJP workers were on the ground. They were serving people in all 909 organisational districts across the country and providing them all necessary help. Besides food, the party workers also distributed more than 5 crore masks, made people aware Aarogya Setu app, motivated them to contribute in PM Cares fund. Talking about the first anniversary of the Modi 2.0 government, Yadav said, 'The party will hold digital rallies across the country and its all seven wings will also hold 500 digital rallies in their respective fields. BJP president JP Nadda will also address the party workers through Facebook Live on this occasion, he said. The party will reach out to people with a letter written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi talking about self-reliant India, achievements of the government and will distribute them in ten crore families, Yadav said. It will be a month-long campaign starting from June, he said. When asked about upcoming Bihar elections, Yadav, who is also party's in-charge for the state, said it is for the Election Commission to decide when and how polls should be held. 'As far as the BJP is concerned, the party has been preparing for the elections and will use new technologies for campaigning and communicating with the people,' he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jammu: At the time, when Pulwama is in news for all the terror incidents and threats to political workers, a Sarpanch from valley is setting an outstanding example of patriotism in South Kashmir. He has shown exemplary courage despite surviving an attack that changed his life for ever. 12 Bullets in his body did not deter his courage. The Sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Mir says that every drop of his blood is dedicated for the nation. He is a India born and will die as an Indian. He says, I am born from Indian motherland, I am Indian and will live as an Indian and die as an Indian. My Father was Indian and will always remain so. I will remain Indian always.'' Ghulam Mohamad Mir was shot at 12 times by militants outside his residence. He was literary lying in a pool of blood before being shifted to the hospital. He survived multiple surgeries and still unable to walk on properly even after 19 years of that incident. However, such brutal attack has not deterred his courage to fight back. Read Also:India News Restoring internet in Kashmir leads hundreds of dubious profiles and propaganda videos on Social Platforms Revisiting those painful memories, Ghulam Mohamad Mir Sarpanch says, "Militant asked me what I was doing, I replied that we searching the missing cows of villagers. But, millitants shot me on my legs with 12 bullets in two rounds. Government has done nothing for me. I sold out everything to get propoer treatment". Mir contested Panchayat Elections as an independent candidate in 2018 and later in 2019. He won Block Develpoment Council Polls. Mir decided to Join BJP earlier this year. Mir blames regional parties like NC and PDP for deterioting law and order situation ans planned attack on BJP members and Sarpanches across the valley. Sarpanch Ghulam Mohamad Mir said "what will Government do ? Thses attackes on BJP members and Sarpanch have started after the release of NC and PDP leaders. I doubt it is done at their behest. Hizb' SalaUddin had said dont kill Sarpanch's but since these politicians were released, such brutal killings have started in valley, Security should be given to Panch and Sarpanch''. Read Also:India News India thwarts China's attempt to transgress, reports fresh clashes near Pangong lake Mir is planing to contest coming assembly elections from pulwama. He says he will fight for the rights of poor people and make them aware how India and PM modi is working for the betterment of kashmir. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Delhi: The Minister of Tribal affairs Arjun Munda and the Minister of Forests and Environment Prakash Javdekar made a joint statement on giving community rights over forest management to tribal folk, through a joint notification signed by chief secretaries of both the ministries. The main objective behind this is to give rights to Gramsabhas and tribal communities to manage forest resources as provided in the Forest Right Act (2006). Akhil Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram welcomes the move. Though late, its a right step on the part of central government especially Union Minister Arjun Munda and Prakash Javadekar. ABVKA also hopes that any anomalies arising out of the implementation of agreed provisions of the joint notification (made by Minister of Tribal Affairs and Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) would be timely corrected and implemented in their letter and spirit both at the central as well as state levels of administration. Mr. Arjun Munda had tweeted few months back that in coming two years time, the government would start granting community rights in relation to the management of forest resources. This would jointly be done by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Todays announcements are a right step in fulfilling that commitment. Ministry of Tribal Affairs is a nodal agency for the implementation of this work. It has issued appropriate guidelines and directions to chief secretaries of all the states in this regard. But the point of concern is the lack of co-ordination between the departments of tribal affairs and forests in certain states resulting into deprivation of the tribal societies/groups over their rights to manage forest resources. In spite of implementation of the Forest Right Act 2006, due to diverse rules and regulations of the forest departments and also due to misinterpretations by forest bureaucracy, many states havent granted the rights of reconstruction, protection, conservation and management of their forests. This has been the reason why the implementation was not even 10% since 2007. The states like Maharashtra and Odisha have extended monitory support to some Gramsabhas for planning micro-projects by giving these Gramsabhas forest rights CFRR (Community Forest Resources Rights ). The courses such as Diploma in Community forest Management have proven crucial in educating peoples representatitives to Gramsabhas. In Maharashtra and Odisha, a financial help is also extended to Gramsabhas through a district level convergence committee for reconstruction and conservation of community forest area. Following todays milestone initiative, the work of giving community rights will speed up in other states also. Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram urges all the groups of tribal communities, especially their political representatives, social activists and educated youth of the community to help tribal people in villages, tolas, padas, and bastis understand the provisions in relation to community forest rights and also help them to apply for the same following the prescribed procedure. ABVKA also appeals them all to create awareness and unite people to preserve, protect and reconstruct forest resources. Such people led initiatives would be crucial for the protection of forests, environment and bio-diversity and will create opportunities of local livelihood for villagers and tribals. This also would reduce their displacement to other places in the search of bread and butter. We also urge the state governments to implement the provisions of this declaration by the central government in their entirety and accept rightful community forest rights claims from every village and every gramsabha. We further urge them to empower Gramsabhas by aiding and assisting them with technical and financial support so that they can become instruments of making tribal people self dependant and live dignified life. Gandhijis idea of Gramswarajya, the Antyodaya of Pandit Din Dayal Upadhyayaji and PM Modijis vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat could only be realized when such policies are implemented substantively on ground level. Therefore, we firmly believe, the bigger responsibility for the implementation of the announcements made today lie primarily with the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and forest departments of the respective states. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann said that the Punjab and the Union government should make expeditious arrangements for free vaccination for the people so that they could be immune from the Covid-19 virus and its complications. In a statement issued from the party headquarters here on Wednesday, Bhagwant Mann appealed to the people of Punjab to take vaccines, which was the only way to fight Covid-19 amid the governments failures. He said that Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government of the state had failed to provide health services and save lives in the state during the ongoing pandemic. Mann said that the new strain of Covid virus was spreading rapidly in the entire country including Punjab, which was also affecting the youth; but neither the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led centre government nor Captain Amarinder Singh's government in Punjab had made proper arrangements for the treatment of the Covid victims. He further said that the mortality rate of Covid victims in Punjab was 2.4 per cent, which was much higher than the average death rate of the entire country. Mann requested the people not to be anxious and take their dose of Covid vaccine. Taking a dig at the Captain government, Mann said that the pace of vaccination against Covid, in Punjab was very slow. . The order of 30 lakh doses is not enough and Punjab needs over 2.5 crore doses. With only 3.3 lakh doses at his disposal, Captain Amarinder Singh's planning to tackle Covid-19 has turned out to be a failure, he said. Mann said that hoarding and black marketing of essential Covid-19 medicines, drugs, vaccines and even oxygen cylinders was also rampant with the Punjab government failing to crackdown on the same. He said that various private hospitals in Punjab were charging upto Rs 1,250 for Covid vaccine. Mann termed it as incompetence of the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government to tackle the situation in the state amid the Covid outbreak by not coming up with better infrastructure and health facilities after the first wave that hit last year. He said that the Punjab and Union government should provide free vaccination to the people to protect them from the Covid pandemic. Further slamming the Captain government for its failure, Bhagwant Mann said that there was shortage of Covid Fateh Kits which was launched by the Punjab government for Covid patients in hospitals and home isolation and moreover the essential oxymeters which was part of the kits had gone missing. The Fateh Kits are short in supply for Covid-19 patients. Even in the available kits, the very essential Pulse Oxymeter is found to be missing, he added. Mann said that the pulse oxymeters were essential for monitoring saturation or oxygen level, however, in their absence; the patients under home isolation were left to fend for themselves in these tough times. He said that the device that was available for just Rs 300 was now being sold for thousands in black markets and the Punjab government had failed to check such illegal activities and hoarding. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: India on Thursday said it was engaged with China to peacefully resolve the ongoing border row, signalling an indication that it was not open to accepting US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate between the two Asian giants to end their military standoff in eastern Ladakh. 'We are engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve it,' External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at an online media briefing while replying to a volley of questions on India's reaction to the US president's mediation offer. He said India was engaged with China at military and diplomatic levels to resolve the standoff in eastern Ladakh, but at the same time asserted that the country is 'firm' in its resolve to protect its sovereignty and national security. In the midst of the latest flare-ups between Indian and Chinese armies, Trump on Wednesday said he was 'ready, willing and able to mediate' between the two countries. 'We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute,' Trump said in a tweet on Wednesday morning. The sudden offer was seen as an attempt to irk Beijing as it came following rising hostilities between the US and China on a range of issues. When asked, the MEA spokesperson did not reply to questions like whether the US had approached India with the offer, whether New Delhi has communicated its response over it to Washington or whether the Trump administration has been briefed about the current standoff between Chinese and Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh. Trump previously offered to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, a proposal which was rejected by New Delhi. Asked about the situation in Eastern Ladakh, Srivastava said India is committed to the objective of maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and Chinese and Indian armed forces scrupulously follow the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries on the matter. 'At the same time, we remain firm in our resolve to ensuring India's sovereignty and national security,' he said. The MEA spokesperson said the Indian troops take a very responsible approach towards border management and strictly follow the procedures laid out in various bilateral agreements and protocols with China to resolve any issue that may arise in the border areas. 'The two sides have established mechanisms both at military and diplomatic levels to resolve situations which may arise in border areas peacefully through dialogue and continue to remain engaged through these channels,' he said. Trump's unexpected offer came on a day when China took an apparently conciliatory approach by saying that the situation at the border with India is 'overall stable and controllable.' In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday that both China and India have proper mechanisms and communication channels to resolve the issues through dialogue and consultations. The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on the evening of May 5 which spilled over to the next day before the two sides agreed to 'disengage' following a meeting at the level of local commanders. Over 100 Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in the violence. It is learnt that the Chinese side was particularly peeved at India laying a key road in the Finger area of Pangong Tso Lake besides another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley. The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in north Sikkim on May 9. It is learnt that both India and China are looking at a solution to the issue through talks. On May 5, the Indian and the Chinese army personnel clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in the Pangong Tso lake area in which soldiers on both sides sustained injuries. In a separate incident, nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector on May 9. At least 10 soldiers from both sides sustained injuries. The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017 which even triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it. Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A Rajya Sabha Secretariat official tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the fourth such case reported in the Parliament complex so far, sources said here. Out of the four, three were found to have contracted the infection after Parliament resumed operations on May 3 when Lockdown 2.0 ended and were on duty. The director-level officer, who attended work on May 28, was found positive for the infection along with his family members, they said. Two floors of the Parliament's Annexe building have been sealed, the sources added. This is the second case of an official posted in the building testing positive for the infection. Earlier, an official of the Lok Sabha Secretariat working in the editorial and translation (E&T) services department was found positive for COVID-19. The first employee posted at Parliament to test positive for the virus was a housekeeper, who had been at home since the Budget Session was adjourned on March 23, the sources said, adding that the other one was a security official. After the Lok Sabha Secretariat official contracted the disease, the authorities had sanitised the entire premises on the building before resuming operations and continued to take all precautions thereafter. Employees are now allowed to enter Parliament only after proper screening. All vehicles are also sanitised before entering the complex. The sources suggested that there have been a few symptomatic cases of coronavirus among employees working in different secretariats and branches at Parliament and its adjoining buildings. Government buildings in the vicinity of the Parliament complex such as Krishi Bhawan, Shastri Bhawan and NITI Aayog, which have offices of several ministries and ministers, were sealed for a day or two following the detection of COVID-19 cases there. Home Just In Dating apps are getting popular in Nepal, yet there are several issues to deal with The idea of dating apps is new to Nepal although the idea of dating is not. While many people do not think seriously about it, Nepali people have been dating and have been in relationships since their teenage. We can already see the effects of this concept that has been heavily influenced by western culture. I, myself, am an example, as my family is still unaware of my teenage dating life, hookups, and flings. Teens today are heavily engaged in dating and hookups, even though their parents are strictly bound by the traditional culture. Throughout Nepal, dating has become a prevalent practice as society has evolved, and in recent days, daters have been using dating apps. Today, we will examine the use of dating apps in Nepal and their major prospects and problems. Dating and dating apps in Nepal Photo: Jonathan J. Castellon/ Unsplash The definition of dating varies from person to person, especially between generations. In general, we define dating as an intimate relationship between two people. The process of dating, as it is generally understood today, involves getting to know someone, asking flirty questions to girls you like and similar questions to boys, and waiting for mutual feelings to develop. The relationship may be sexual, but it does not have to be. A relationship may be serious or casual, monogamous or open, short-term or long-term, straight or gay. People in Nepal are usually connected through social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and dating apps. Since Nepal is a traditional society and approaching unknown girls person to person is less common, the direct approach is less likely used. Moreover, after having interacted on online dating sites, couples sometimes meet at cafes and restaurants and seem to visit places together. In the past few years, dating apps have made it easier to meet new people and hang out. People usually find great romantic partners or good friends on dating apps. The concept of dating apps has been popular mostly in major cities such as Kathmandu and Pokhara but is growing in other major cities too. Prospects of dating apps in Nepal Photo: Pixabay There is no denying that the Covid pandemic has been good for dating apps no matter how tasteless it may sound to refer to the past year as a great time for any entity, for any reason. The number of users of dating apps has soared since the start of the pandemic, and those apps have the numbers to back it up. Also, due to the rise in digitalisation in Nepal, users have increased even more than before. There has been a major surge in activity among major online dating apps and platforms since the beginning of the pandemic, and these trends have been steady for the past year. The importance of online dating to romantic partnerships has only increased between people, and that is evident from the numbers. Online dating has forever changed how people meet. In the last year, nearly one in three people who married people found their partners on the internet, and this years and last years data suggest that the number might be closer to one in two. This is a green signal for Nepal too. It will soar even more when people engage more in dating apps as the trend of these apps has been so prevalent among Nepal citizens. As dating apps become more and more prevalent in Nepal, it will change forever how people meet and interact with each other. Issues with dating apps in Nepal Photo: Pixabay 1. Traditional society and people The Nepali people and their society still hold traditional values, and dating apps remain unacceptable. Despite the fact that people in urban areas are educated and society has evolved into a modern society, dating apps might still take some time to be accepted by society as a way to meet someone. This is evident in an experience shared by operators of matrimonial apps in Nepal also. 2. Fewer users Apps like Tinder and Bumble are popular among Nepali teenagers. However, the number of users is still lower than social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This could be due to a variety of factors like a lack of awareness, internet, and mobile devices among the Nepalis. 3. Lack of awareness While the trend of using dating apps is widely increasing in Nepal, most people in rural areas are still unaware of it. As Nepal continues to develop, technology and awareness are rapidly improving, but these apps are still unheard of. Due to traditional beliefs, dating before marriage is still not accepted by many Nepali parents. 4. Difficulty to match With dating apps, it is difficult to match and engage with someone that shares the same interest. It is even harder when there are fewer users, and people are scattered in many different places and busy with their own lives. 5. Safety You might have heard about many crimes involving such apps. The apps still warn their users not to meet strangers and to have a bit of knowledge about them before the meeting. At the end of the day, there is a high risk of meeting strangers, and they might not be the people you expected. Final words As there is a good market for dating apps in Nepal, the country might see its own apps that allow people to meet new people and find potential partners. It seems that the practice of love marriage instead of an arranged marriage has gained a lot of traction in Nepal since people can find their own potential partners through dating apps and social media today. By the way, getting married may cause you to regret not dating a partner earlier to determine their compatibility and true nature. The decision to start a family with your new partner should not be taken lightly, and dating should be used as a tool to get to know other people and find a common ground and compatibility. Kathmandu, March 17 Nepals central bank has relaxed criteria that foreign banks had to meet to open their branch offices in the country. Issuing a new Foreign Bank Branch Licensing Policy on Wednesday, the Nepal Rastra Bank has decreased the minimum paid-up amount required for a foreign bank to open its branch in Nepal. Until now, as per the 2010 policy, the banks were required to have a paid-up capital of Rs 8 billion, equal to the amount required for a commercial bank to launch its operation. But, as per the new policy, it is just USD 20 million (approximately Rs 2.4 billion). The Bank and Financial Institution Regulation Department of the central bank says the provision has been revised to make it easy for the foreign banks to open their branches in Nepal. Description Southampton dining hotspot Union Burger Bar will be serving a special St. Patricks Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Sandwich on Irish Soda Bread as well as a variety of Beer specials all day long on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Later that night, Union Burger Bar will host a Ladies Night Special starting at 9:00pm with DJ Professor and crazy drink specials throughout the evening. Union Burger Bar continues to offer an assortment of specialty gourmet burgers, fresh hand-cut fries, maniacal milkshakes and desserts and an elaborate craft beer and small batch bourbon selection during normal business hours. Also, the incredible demand for the Hamptons most popular ghost kitchen popup, The Coop, has made the foodie favorite gain a permanent home at Union Burger Bar. Customers can expect the same outstanding variety of fried and roasted chicken options that will be available with a wide assortment of first-rate sides. With daily specials Union Burger Bar continues to be one of Southamptons most popular dining hot spots. Come experience Union Burger Bar! For more information, visit www.unionburgerbar.com 631-377-3323 Colussi, J., G. Schnitkey and C. Zulauf. " War in Ukraine and its Effect on Fertilizer Exports to Brazil and the U.S. ."Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The Russian invasion of Ukraine substantially elevates the risk of disruptions in the global fertilizer trade. Russia is the worlds largest exporter of fertilizers, accounting for 23% of ammonia exports, 14% of urea exports, 10% of processed phosphate exports, and 21% of potash exports, according to data from The Fertilizer Institute. The primary destinations of fertilizers from Russia are Brazil (21%), China (10%), the US (9%), and India (4%). Compared to the US, Brazil will be affected more directly as Brazil imports 85% of its fertilizers. Supply in the US should be less of an issue as the US has robust domestic production. However, US farmers are likely to face higher prices because of the global interconnectedness of the global fertilizer industry. On March 11, both nations announced plans to support additional fertilizer production to address rising costs. This article focuses on the dependence on imported fertilizers and actions coming to reduce it by the US and Brazil, the top global exporters of many agricultural commodities. Sources of Brazil Fertilizer Brazil is responsible for 8% of global fertilizer consumption and is the worlds fourth-largest fertilizer importer, behind China (24%), India (14.6%), and the United States (10.3%). About one-fifth of Brazilian imports come from Russia. Adding in fertilizer from Belarus closely related to Russia raises the amount imported by Brazil to nearly 30%. In terms of direct import from Russia and Belarus, potash is the largest fertilizer import, with Russia and Belarus accounting for 44% of the potash imported by Brazil (see Figure 1). Brazil is likely to seek more of its potash from Canada, which currently is its largest supplier. Brazil imports 95% of its nitrogen fertilizers, and Russia is the leading supplier, accounting for 21% of the amount imported, followed by China, Qatar, and Algeria (see Figure 1). In 2020, Brazil produced 224,000 tons of nitrogen fertilizers, which met slightly more than 4% of the countrys demand. Brazil currently has only three nitrogen producers. Brazil imports 75% of its phosphate needs, the lowest percentage of the three essential fertilizer components. The main supplier is Morocco, followed by Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and China (see Figure 1). These countries account for more than 70% of the worlds production of phosphates. The breakdown of fertilizers applied in Brazil: potassium (38%), phosphorous (33%), and nitrogen (29%). Soybean, corn, and sugarcane production account for more than 73% of fertilizer consumption in the country. Sources of American Fertilizer The U.S is the worlds third-largest fertilizer importer and is responsible for 10.3% of global consumption. Unlike Brazil, the United States has a robust fertilizer industry. Still, it also could be affected by global supply and regard to prices. The United States, the European Union, and other nations have imposed economic sanctions on Russia, which could hinder Russias exports of natural gas, potash, and nitrogen. Belarus, Russias ally, is already subject to European and U.S. sanctions restricting its potash exports. Together, Russia and Belarus control 40% of the worlds potash supply. In 2021, the U.S. imported about 93 percent of the potash needs. Canada provides 83% of the potash used in the U.S.; Russia and Belarus provided 12% used in the U.S. in 2021 (see Figure 2). The American dependence on nitrogen and phosphate imports is much smaller, 12.5% and 9%, respectively. Ammonia (nitrogen fixed), for example, was produced by 16 companies at 35 plants in 16 U.S. states in 2020. About 60% of total U.S. ammonia production capacity was in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas because of those states enormous reserves of natural gas, the primary ingredient for ammonia. Phosphate was mined by five firms at 10 mines, in Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, and Utah. Before the Ukraine conflict, farmers worldwide were struggling with much higher prices and supply disruptions (see farmdoc daily March 8, 2022). The US imports a non-trivial amount of all three components and thus US prices are likely to be connected to world prices of fertilizer. Price increases in the world market are likely to translate into similar price increases in the US market. Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict has started, fertilizer prices reported in the Illinois Production Cost Report have increased. Brazilian Plan to Lower Dependence On March 11, the Brazilian government instituted a plan to lower its dependence on imports after Russias invasion of Ukraine caused a global supply-chain bottleneck. The program, which aims to reduce Brazilian fertilizer imports from the current 85% to 45% by 2050, includes a new tax policy for the sector and provides support for private firms to expand fertilizer production capacity. In 2021, Brazil imported more than 41 million tons of fertilizers, a record, 21% more than last year (see Figure 3). The increase in fertilizers consumption is mainly pushed by the growth of acreage in the last years. The Brazilian plan has 80 goals and 130 specific actions to increase the domestic production of fertilizers. The program also includes: (a) incentives to increase the use of organic fertilizers; (b) financial investments in research; and (c) visits to producers across the country by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa) to promote increased efficiency in the use of fertilizers and inputs in the field. The government says Embrapas effort alone is expected to reduce Brazils demand by 20% in the 2022/23 crop. Experts say some soils have a residual fertilizer from the past season. If it is analyzed correctly, it is possible to postpone a percentage of the component to the next crop, but with some potential drop in yields. Brazil has two, sometimes three, crops per year. American Plan to Support Local Production On March 11, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would support additional fertilizer production for American farmers to address rising costs. This summer, the USDA will provide $250 million through a new grant program to support independent, innovative, and sustainable American fertilizer production. Additionally, to address growing competition concerns in the agricultural supply chain, USDA will launch a public inquiry seeking information regarding seeds and farming inputs, fertilizer, and retail markets. The USDA will use funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation in September for market disruptions to develop a grant program that provides financing to encourage new, independent production. The application process will be announced in the summer of 2022, with the first awards expected before the end of the year. It is essential to highlight that the proposed US actions are unlikely to impact this years availability and price of fertilizer, and its impacts may be several years down the road. Summary The Russia-Ukraine crisis caused further disruptions and concerns in the global fertilizer industry. Farmers should expect higher fertilizer prices, leading to management decisions about the profitable use of fertilizers. Given the geopolitical consequences of the conflict, these disruptions could play out over many years. International Maritime Industries (IMI), the largest shipyard in the MENA region, and SAMI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore collaborations in the provision of defence vessels and services to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and other navies in the region. The partnership aims to provide an in-Kingdom solution to the Ministry of Defense and Royal Saudi Naval Forces, which will include the construction of defence vessels, as well as the procurement, installation, and integration of mission, combat and weapons systems, with other potential projects in the pipeline. As a preliminary step, IMI and SAMI will engage in discussions on how best to position a future localised offering to the Saudi Armed Forces and Security Forces, said a statement. The MoU was signed in the presence of Ahmed Al Saadi, Chairman of IMI, by Dr Abdullah Al Ahmari, President and CEO of IMI, and Eng Walid Abukhaled, CEO of SAMI. Dr Abdullah Al Ahmari, President and CEO of IMI, said: We are proud to partner with an industry leader like SAMI, which is dedicated to supporting the development of the local maritime industry and the fulfillment of Saudi Vision 2030. The agreement will contribute to our broader localization efforts within the Kingdom and lay the foundation for the establishment of a Saudi one-stop-shop where all activities will take place. Dr Al Ahmari added: This important milestone will also enhance our offerings in a range of areas within the defense sector, reflecting our focus on developing strategic partnerships that will help expand our business capabilities. We look forward to supporting the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and other regional navies with our advanced maritime services and offerings. Walid Abukhaled, CEO of SAMI, said: We are pleased to cooperate with IMI. This partnership will undoubtedly contribute to the achievement of SAMIs key objectives, the expansion of our operational scope, and the realisation of our Saudi Vision 2030 goal to localize over 50% of the Kingdoms military spending. This strategic economic agreement will strengthen relations between the two parties and support our efforts to build national capabilities and support the Kingdom's defense system. - TradeArabia News Service NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest AI Infrastructure Market research report by Technavio infers that the rise in investments and R and D in AI start-ups is driving this market's growth. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled AI Infrastructure Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Resulting in market growth of USD 18.82 billion from 2021 to 2026, with an accelerating CAGR of 18.46%. Read additional information about the market, get FREE sample report . Vendor Landscape The market structure is expected to remain fragmented during the forecast period. Vendors are deploying different organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Arm Ltd., Cadence Design Systems Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Intel Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., NVIDIA Corp., Oracle Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SK Inc., Synopsys Inc., Toshiba Corp., Wave Computing Inc., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Graphcore Ltd. among others are some of the few key vendors competing to maintain their market position in the market. Various players in the market are engaging in strategic partnerships and joint ventures coupled with launching differentiated products to up their game in the AI infrastructure industry. View more about the market's vendor landscape highlights with a comprehensive list of vendors and their offerings. AI Infrastructure Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026) North America - size and forecast 2021-2026 Europe - size and forecast 2021-2026 APAC - size and forecast 2021-2026 South America - size and forecast 2021-2026 Middle East and Africa - size and forecast 2021-2026 Key Market Segmentation Segmentation by Type: Request a FREE Sample of this report for more highlights into the market segments. Regional Market Outlook North America will contribute to 49% of the market growth during the forecast period. The growth of this region can be attributed to the early adoption of AI and increasing investments in technology Story continues Apart from regions, if we look at the country-wise market growth, the US, China, Japan, UK, and Germany will contribute to the highest market growth. Download our FREE sample report for more key highlights on the regional market share of most of the above-mentioned countries. Latest Trends, Driving the Global AI Infrastructure Market Market Trend: In order to implement AI technologies in an on-premises data centre, businesses must have enough processors and data storage to handle the data quickly. Furthermore, organisations considering developing their own in-house products have discovered that doing so might be costly. As a result, cloud-based software and platforms assist businesses in overcoming the challenges of AI adoption. Furthermore, for most businesses, particularly start-ups and SMEs, using cloud-based AI services is a more viable and cost-effective alternative. As a result, during the projection period, the growing availability of cloud-based solutions will fuel the rise of AI infrastructure. Market Challenge: Data on numerous parameters, such as customers' buying history, internet activities, and payment information, is obtained using modern data mining algorithms. E-commerce behemoths like Amazon, for example, employ machine learning in conjunction with collaborative filtering and next-in-sequence models to forecast customer buying behaviour and recommend products based on previous purchases. To improve its forecasts, Amazon has access to a massive database of consumer buying behaviour. The possibility that attackers may weaponize AI and utilize it to expand and strengthen their cyberattacks is one of the major worries with AI's progress. Such threats are projected to have a negative influence on market growth over the predicted period. Find additional information about various other market drivers & trends mentioned in our FREE sample report . Need More? Are You Looking for Information Not Covered in This Report? Want to understand more about the various research methodology? Evaluate a specific segment or region in detail Identify key suppliers, customers, or other market players Analyze market regulations Tailor this report according to your needs. Get it done with our $1000 worth of free customization. Speak to Our Analyst Now ! Related Reports: Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems Market by Component and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Online Travel Agencies IT Spending Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 AI Infrastructure Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 18.46% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 18.82 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 17.56 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 49% Key consumer countries US, China, Japan, UK, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Arm Ltd., Cadence Design Systems Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Intel Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., NVIDIA Corp., Oracle Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SK Inc., Synopsys Inc., Toshiba Corp., Wave Computing Inc., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Graphcore Ltd., Imagination Technologies Ltd., and Micron Technology Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis 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 Contents: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition 5 Market Segmentation by Type 5.1 Market segments 5.2 Comparison by Type 5.3 Processor - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 5.4 Storage - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 5.5 Memory - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 5.6 Market opportunity by Type 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation 7.2 Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.12 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.13 Market opportunity by geography 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape 9.3 Landscape disruption 9.4 Industry risks 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Advanced Micro Devices Inc. 10.4 Alphabet Inc. 10.5 Cadence Design Systems Inc. 10.6 Cisco Systems Inc. 10.7 Intel Corp. 10.8 International Business Machines Corp. 10.9 Micron Technology Inc. 10.10 Microsoft Corp. 10.11 NVIDIA Corp. 10.12 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology 11.5 List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Technavio (PRNewsfoto/Technavio) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-infrastructure-market-size-to-grow-by-usd-18-82-bn-49-of-the-growth-to-originate-from-north-america-technavio-301503408.html SOURCE Technavio OTTAWA, ON, March 17, 2022 /CNW/ - The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) urges the Government of Canada, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Teamsters Canada to work together to prevent serious damage to the Canadian economy and keep critical goods moving in Canada. CIAC rail fact sheet (CNW Group/Chemistry Industry Association of Canada) "The compounding events of recent years (the pandemic, severe weather, global supply chain issues) have created a fragile supply chain in Canada. This work stoppage is yet another blow to Canada's economic recovery and our reputation as a reliable supplier to global markets," said Bob Masterson, President and CEO of CIAC. "Fully $31 million worth of industrial chemical products rely on CP's network to get to their destinations every single day and the economic impact of a work stoppage is $1 million per day per facility that is shutdown. Some of those goods are also essential to core public services such as water treatment. We urge both sides to consider the far-reaching and urgent economic implications the work stoppage at CP will have on industry." In many cases, chemical facilities are continuous operations that require reliable, uninterrupted rail service to produce and deliver essential products to customers. In the event of an interruption, they quickly run out of storage capacity and incur shortages for incoming raw materials. The impacts of a CP work stoppage are immediate, severe, and long-lasting as there are no viable alternatives for shipments. Many CIAC members are captive to CP's network. Even those served by both CP and Canadian National Railway (CN) understand CN's network is not in a position to take on much extra capacity. CIAC believes that a negotiated solution is always the preferred outcome. Should negotiations fail, however, the Government of Canada must be prepared to act quickly and in the national interest to order the parties to return to work and enter binding arbitration. Related Links www.canadianchemistry.ca/ Story continues About CIAC The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada is the association for leaders in Canada's chemistry and plastic sectorsadding $55 billion and $30 billion respectively to the Canadian economy. The association represents over 100 members and partners across the country. We provide coordination and leadership on key issues including innovation, investment, plastics, taxation, health and safety, environment, and regulatory initiatives. SOURCE Chemistry Industry Association of Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2022/17/c6351.html HARRISBURG, Ill., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearwave Fiber announced plans to expand the company's ultra-fast, state-of-the art, all-fiber Internet network into residential neighborhoods in Carrier Mills, IL. The company began serving businesses in Southern Illinois in 1996, and the expansion into residential areas is part of Clearwave Fiber's long-term goal to bring the most advanced and fastest Internet available in the world to more than 500,000 homes and businesses across the United States by 2027. Clearwave Fiber logo (PRNewsfoto/Clearwave Fiber) "This investment will be a driver of the Carrier Mills community's economic growth long into the future." Mayor Felty Clearwave Fiber's Midwest President, Byron Cantrall, stressed the importance of the company's investment to consumers and the broader local community. "We are committed to providing underserved communities with the high-speed connectivity that is essential for families, businesses, and local economies; without these essential services, many of the communities we are targeting will not survive," said Cantrall. "We are excited to extend services to Carrier Mills, and we look forward to becoming long-term partners to the community." Featuring gigabit download and upload speeds, Clearwave Fiber will bring ten times more speed to consumer doorsteps at a time when fast, reliable Internet is becoming increasingly critical to modern households. "Carrier Mills is very excited to have this technology upgrade to our village and bring us into "Gigabit City" status, said Carrier Mills Mayor Tracy Felty. We are looking forward to our partnership with Clearwave Fiber, as we enter the next stage of the future for our community. We thank Clearwave for making this commitment to our town, our residents, and the region. This major investment will help the Carrier Mills community keep up with today's connectivity demands, such as working and schooling from home, telemedicine, and it will be a driver of economic growth for our community long into the future. " Story continues For many consumers, Internet touches every facet of daily life. Remote work, telehealth, and virtual learning all require robust, reliable connections. A 2021 study by Deloitte indicated that 55% of U.S. households include one or more remote workers, and 43% include at least one household member attending virtual classes. Clearwave Fiber is slated to begin construction in May 2022. For more information, visit clearwave.com/home. About Clearwave Fiber Midwest Clearwave Fiber is an Internet service provider based in Savannah, GA that operates a more than 2,000 route-mile fiber network serving cities across the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States. Delivering advanced telecommunications solutions with an emphasis on exceptional customer care and community engagement, they provide fiber to business, enterprise, and residential customers in more than 90 municipalities in Illinois, including Harrisburg, Marion, Carbondale, and Eldorado. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clearwave-fiber-expands-ultra-fast-fiber-internet-to-carrier-mills-il-301505418.html SOURCE Clearwave Fiber Report highlights progress on key environmental, social and governance (ESG) data CHICAGO, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced the publication of its Fiscal 2021 Citizenship Report, which shares the company's progress against key ESG initiatives and actions that support each of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The report details Conagra's efforts to nourish people, the planet and communities, and focuses on four different topic areas: Good Food, Responsible Sourcing, Better Planet and Stronger Communities. Conagra Brands, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. (PRNewsfoto/Conagra Brands) Highlights from the report include: Strengthening an inclusive culture: As part of Conagra's comprehensive D&I strategy, the company introduced inclusive behaviors, which provide employees with a common framework for fostering unity and effectively working across differences, launched new professional development programs for people of color to advance racial equity and enhance leadership capabilities, and made progress on 2025 representation goals related to women and people of color. In addition, for the seventh year in a row, Conagra achieved a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. Announcing approximately 93% of packaging materials by volume 1 were renewable, recyclable or compostable: To combat the growing issue of waste from plastic packaging, Conagra made meaningful progress on its goal to make 100% of its current plastic packaging renewable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Innovating through sustainable operations: Through its 12 th annual employee-led Sustainable Development Awards program, the company conserved 64 million gallons of water, decreased its carbon footprint by 91,000 metric tons, reduced waste by more than 12,300 tons and minimized material use by 17.6 million pounds. Donating 30 million pounds of food to Feeding America and its network of food banks, which is the equivalent of 25 million meals: Conagra continued its longstanding partnership with Feeding America, the nation's leading hunger relief nonprofit, to fight food insecurity in the communities its employees call home. Story continues "At Conagra, Integrity is among our timeless values: we work hard to do the right things and do things right. Every day, our employees exhibit their commitment to Integrity by building more sustainable production and business practices, advancing our culture of belonging and giving back to help end food insecurity in our communities," said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of Conagra Brands. "I am grateful to our team for their continued commitment to nourish our people, the planet and our communities." In addition, the report includes supplementary ESG data addressing the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards, elements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, and CDP disclosures related to climate change, water stress and deforestation. Data in the 2021 Citizenship Report primarily covers the company's fiscal year 2021, which ended May 30, 2021, unless otherwise specified. To read Conagra Brands' Fiscal 2021 Citizenship Report in its entirety, please visit www.conagrabrands.com. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, and Slim Jim, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.ConagraBrands.com. 1 Estimates are based, in part, on industry-wide average weights and post-consumer recycled content levels, guided by best practices on environmental footprint accounting. For more information, please contact: MEDIA: Tim Wrona 312-549-5400 tim.wrona@conagra.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/conagra-brands-issues-fiscal-2021-citizenship-report-301504715.html SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. Rating Action: Moody's assigns A3 to Sacred Heart University's (CT) proposed Series L revenue bonds; outlook stableGlobal Credit Research - 16 Mar 2022New York, March 16, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned an A3 to Sacred Heart University's (CT) proposed $100 million of Revenue Bonds, Sacred Heart University Issue, Series L. The bonds will be issued through the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority and have an expected final maturity in fiscal 2053. Moody's has also affirmed the A3 issuer and outstanding revenue bond ratings. The outlook is stable. The university has pro forma debt of about $422 million.RATINGS RATIONALEThe affirmation of Sacred Heart University's (SHU) A3 issuer rating is supported by its very good brand and strategic positioning, consistently excellent operating performance, and solid liquidity. Prudent financial management and planning will help maintain above 2x debt service coverage even after incorporating the added $100 million of new debt from the Series L bond issuance. However, the proposed debt will further weaken an already elevated debt burden relative to wealth, scale and operations. Prospects for sustaining strong financial operations are enhanced by the economies of scale provided by a substantial $314 million revenue base as well as a relatively flexible expense structure. Further, a combination of high demand academic program offerings, updated facilities, and focus on the student experience will help sustain favorable student demand and steady revenue growth despite ongoing competitive and demographic headwinds. Nominal wealth and financial reserve coverage of expenses remain modest relative to peer competitors, but unrestricted liquidity will continue to provide coverage of above 365 days of expenses despite some planned spend down on capital priorities.The assignment and affirmation of the A3 on the university's revenue bonds reflects the general obligation characteristics of the pledge without material benefit of additional collateral or security.RATING OUTLOOKThe stable outlook reflects Moody's expectations of maintenance of excellent operating performance providing sufficient cash flow to support at least 2x debt service coverage. It also reflects our expectations of continued strong liquidity and gradual improvement in leverage relative to wealth and scale.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OF THE RATINGS- Growth in wealth vastly outpacing peer competitors and substantially strengthening coverage of adjusted debt and expenses- Further improvement to brand and strategic position, reflected by student market expansion, along with growth in student and donor generated revenueFACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS- Erosion in student demand leading to a downturn in operating performance and a move to below 2x debt service coverage- Inability to gradually improve total cash and investments to adjusted debt and debt to revenue metrics beyond fiscal 2023LEGAL SECURITYAll bonds are unconditional general obligations of the university with a secured interest in tuition receipts until the payoff or maturity of the Series I & J bonds. There is also a negative pledge on the core campus.SHU will maintain ample headroom above the two financial covenants included in the bonds' security package. Under the covenants, the university is required to maintain at least 1.25x debt service coverage and 0.5x total cash and investments to debt. A breach of either covenant would not constitute an event of default or be grounds for debt acceleration. Rather, the university could be required to retain the services of a consultant to work to restore covenant compliance. As calculated under the indenture, the university recorded debt service coverage at 4.04x and total cash and investments to debt at 1.0x for fiscal 2021.USE OF PROCEEDSProceeds from the proposed Series L bonds will be used to finance a portion of the costs associated with constructing two new student residence halls that will add 480 new beds, expanding the Center for Healthcare Education, and improving various other campus facilities.PROFILESacred Heart University is a sizeable private university in the Catholic intellectual tradition located in Fairfield, Connecticut. It offers diverse programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels, as well as professional certificate programs. The university is organized into six colleges: arts and sciences, business and technology, health professions, nursing, education and human development, and St. Vincent's College. For fall 2021, the university served just under 10,000 headcount students and has a revenue base of $314 million.METHODOLOGYThe principal methodology used in these ratings was Higher Education Methodology published in August 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBM_1257002. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.REGULATORY DISCLOSURESFor further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1288235.Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. Christopher Collins Lead Analyst Higher Education Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 7 World Trade Center 250 Greenwich Street New York 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Ferdinand Perrault Additional Contact Housing JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 2022 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. MOODYS DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT OR IMPAIRMENT. 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Mr Kaine spoke to The Independent in the Capitol basement after one of his Republican counterparts, Sen Josh Hawley of Missouri, tore into Judge Ketanji Brown Jacksons sentencing record on cases of individuals convicted for possessing child sexual abuse images. In a lengthy Twitter thread posted on Thursday, Mr Hawley listed a number of examples (without providing much, if any, context) of Ms Jackson dispensing lower sentences to individuals convicted of such crimes and cited her writings and past quotations on the subject as troubling. Mr Kaine said early on Thursday afternoon that he wasnt familiar with Mr Hawleys remarks on the subject, but said he had heard the senator had made some wild claims about the Supreme Court nominee. He did, however, respond to reporting in The New York Times which indicated that the Republican National Committee had come out firmly against Ms Jackson and had passed around a background paper to GOP senators attacking the judges time as a public defender working on cases for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the notorious US prison in Cuba. My belief is that there is no way that the daughter of a police officer who, [as] an incredibly rare thing has the support of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), is soft on crime, Mr Kaine said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have made the claim that Ms Jacksons nomination is evidence of the left wing of Mr Bidens party having a hold over the president; Mr Kaine appeared to pan that assertion directly in his interview, citing the support of Ms Jackon by the FOP. FOP virtually never endorses folks on my side of the aisle, the senator went on. So when the FOP comes out for somebody like Judge Brown Jackson, that tells me, Wow, I gotta know how to do that. So they must feel that shes very credible on law and order. Story continues Mr Kaines claim about the FOP is generally accurate; the organisation is the nations largest police union and has a history of supporting Republican candidates including the two candidacies of Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. At the presidential level, the union hasnt supported a Democrat since the re-election of former President Bill Clinton in 1996. The organisations support has done little so far to quell the grumbling from Republicans, some of whom were hoping that Mr Biden would instead nominate Michelle Childs, a US District Court judge based in South Carolina who had been touted as a pick with potential bipartisan support by one of the states US senators, Lindsey Graham. Mr Graham lamented Mr Bidens decision to go with Ms Jackson instead in the minutes after it was reported by media outlets, writing on Twitter that the radical Left has won President Biden over yet again. He met briefly with Ms Jackson in recent days, but has yet to indicate how hell vote. Other senators around the Capitol on Thursday including potential swing vote Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona told The Independent that they werent aware of Mr Hawleys criticism. Mr Graham rushed by reporters and flatly declined to comment, exclaiming: Im not gonna say anything about it, just show up. Ms Jackson herself was back on Capitol Hill on Thursday as well, and arrived at the Senate alongside former Sen Doug Jones of Alabama. Mr Jones won a special election for his seat in 2017, but lost handily when running for a full term in 2020 and is now serving as an adviser to Mr Biden on his Supreme Court nomination fight. Hearings for Ms Jacksons nomination are set to begin before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week. BOSTON and MONTREAL, March 17, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - enGene Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering novel non-viral gene therapies for local administration into mucosal tissues enabled by its proprietary DDX platform, today announced the appointment of James C. Sullivan, PhD, as its Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). In his role as CSO, Dr. Sullivan will lead research and development efforts that focus on new ways to expand the use of the company's gene therapy platform and assets. enGene Logo (CNW Group/enGene) Dr. Sullivan's experience includes end-to-end drug development across multiple therapeutic modalities and IND and s/NDA filings. He has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications. "I have been very impressed with the entire enGene team and its platform technology," stated Dr. Sullivan. "I believe that I am joining the organization at an incredibly momentous time in its history. By leveraging our unique platform, we are capable of creating so many opportunities for meaningful gene therapies that will benefit patients' lives around the globe. The tremendous potential of our pipeline and technology, combined with the compelling clinical results of enGene's NMIBC trial, has firmly positioned us to develop first-and best-in-class therapies." Dr. Sullivan joins enGene from Translate Bio, a Sanofi company, following its $3.2 billion acquisition in 2021, as Senior Vice President, Head of Pulmonary Discovery where he assisted in the development and advancement of mRNA therapeutics across rare and common diseases. Dr. Sullivan was also an Executive Director focused on cell and gene therapy at Sana Biotehnology, responsible for building the translational science function and build-out for clinical trial design and PK/PD biomarker development for gene therapy programs. At Vertex Pharmaceuticals, he was an s/NDA team member for several innovative products, including, Kalydeco, Orkambi, Symdeko, Incivek, as well the first-ever CRISPR-based gene editing therapeutic product for the treatment of certain hemoglobinopathies. Dr. Sullivan obtained his PhD in Biology at Boston University. Story continues "We are remarkably excited to welcome James to the enGene team," said Jason Hanson, Chief Executive Officer at enGene. "James is joining enGene at a pivotal time as we continue to see strong results emerge from our Phase 1/2 registrational study for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC). He brings an extensive range of expertise that spans basic research and clinical development, along with a robust track record of developing and executing innovative strategies that have realised significant impacts on patients' lives. We look forward to his scientific expertise as we grow our portfolio of genetic medicines for mucosal tissues and expand the clinical development repertoire of EG-70 for difficult-to-treat cancers." Editor's Notes About enGene's DDX platform - EG-70 Based on enGene's DDX platform, EG-70 is a novel non-viral gene therapy encoding two RIG-I agonists to stimulate the innate immune system, and IL-12 to stimulate the adaptive immune system. By stimulating both arms of the immune system, intravesically administered EG-70 yields remarkable tumor regression in preclinical models of bladder cancer, with induction of effective immunological memory and minimal signs of toxicity. About the LEGEND study The LEGEND study, both first-in-human and first-in-class, is an open-label, monotherapy, multi-center, dose-escalation trial evaluating safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy of EG-70 administered by intravesical instillation. To learn more about the first-in-human clinical trial of EG-70 in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov. For additional information about the LEGEND study, please visit thelegendstudy.com. About enGene Inc. enGene Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies based on localized delivery of nucleic acid payloads to mucosal tissues. The dually derived chitosan (DDX) platform has a high-degree of payload flexibility including DNA and various forms of RNA with broad tissue and disease applications. In preclinical models, enGene's DDX technology has been demonstrated to effectively induce expression of therapeutic genes following delivery to the lung, gastrointestinal tract and urinary bladder. Engene has developed scalable GMP-compliant manufacturing of DDX products. http://www.engene.com Note regarding forward-looking statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on currently available data and information. These forward-looking statements fall within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "target," "believe," "expect," "will," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "would," "positioned," "future," and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on enGene's current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions that by definition involve risks, uncertainties, that are difficult to predict and are subject to factors outside of management's control and that could cause actual results to differ substantially from statements made including but not limited to: risks associated with the success of preclinical studies, clinical trials, research and development programs, as well as regulatory approval processes. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. enGene has no approved drugs available for sale marketing at this time and may never have an approved drug. You are cautioned not to rely on enGene's forward-looking statements, which are only made as of the date hereof. The Company is under no obligation to update these statements. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/engene-appoints-james-c-sullivan-phd-as-chief-scientific-officer-301505249.html SOURCE enGene Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2022/17/c9084.html By Elizabeth Howcroft LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields slipped slightly in early trading on Thursday, while money markets raised their bets on European Central Bank raising rates following the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate hike. The Fed raised interest rates for the first time since 2018 on Wednesday, as expected. It signalled that there would be equivalent 25 basis point hikes at every meeting for the remainder of the year as the central bank seeks to combat inflation. Stock markets were firm as investors' risk appetite was supported by signs of progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Analysts said that market optimism was also helped by China signalling it will roll out support measures for the economy and markets. Germany's benchmark 10-year government bond yield initially edged higher in early trading, extending the previous session's gains to hit 0.408%, its highest since November 2018 . But by 0837 GMT, it had eased slightly to 0.382%, down 2 bps on the day. Italy's 10-year yield was flat on the day at 1.9%. U.S. Treasury yields eased, having spiked to three-year highs on Wednesday following the Fed rate hike. Focus remained on central banks, with the Bank of England expected to raise rates at its meeting later in the session. The more upbeat sentiment means there are "fewer excuses for central banks to delay policy tightening," ING rates strategists said in a note to clients. "Optimism gives rates markets more room to overshoot on the pricing of tightening cycles as the scenarios of severe growth impact get priced out again." Euro zone money markets were pricing in 50 basis points of European Central Bank rate hikes by year-end, up from around 44 bps on Wednesday. The economic impact of the war in Ukraine at this stage does not justify a return to "whatever it takes" style policies, French central bank chief Francois Villeroy de Galhau said Final HICP euro zone inflation figures for February are due at 1000 GMT and are expected to show 5.8% price increases year-on-year. ECB President Christine Lagarde and Chief Economist Philip Lane are due to speak at the "ECB and Its Watchers" conference later in the session. (Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft; Editing by Toby Chopra) FACT.MR Excavator Sales as Construction Machinery 5.5x Higher than Sales as Forestry and Agricultural Equipment: Fact.MR Study ROCKVILLE, Md., March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a recently published Fact.MR report, the global Excavator market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 3.2% through 2026. The Fact.MR study finds that the demand for excavator will improve as the heavy construction equipment industry has been recovering from a major slump. Owing to the positive growth of the construction industry, especially in developing countries, excavator market is expected to witness steadily increasing growth in the future. For Critical Insights on This Market, Request a Sample Report https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2459 Excavators are commonly used in a wide range of sectors including construction, mining, agriculture, and forestry. However, according to the Fact.MR report, the construction industry is expected to hold the largest volume share approximately 72% -- by the end of 2019. Manufacturers in the excavator market are focusing on introducing performance features that will suit the requirements of end-users from the construction industry to capitalize on the increasing demand for excavators as a construction equipment. Emerging Stakeholders and New Entrants will Hold a Sizeable Share in Excavator Market According to the Fact.MR report, Caterpillar Inc., KUBOTA Corporation, and Doosan Bobcat Inc. are the Tier 1 manufacturers in the excavator market and they collectively account for around 30% revenue share. Tier 2 and Tier 3 players, including CNH Industrial N.V., Deere & Co., and Sany Group Co. Ltd., continue to grow rapidly to intensify the competitive environment in the excavator market. Due to the slowdown in the excavator market, a majority of manufacturers are focusing on introducing innovative performance features of excavators to boost sales. Leading vendors are investing in technology and R&D to capture lucrative sales opportunities in developed countries. Story continues To learn more about Excavator Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=2459 Key Segments Covered in the Excavator Industry Survey By Product Crawler Wheeled Mini/Compact Others By Application Construction Others By Region North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia & Oceania Middle East & Africa Competitive Landscape Caterpillar Inc. worlds leading player in the excavator market recently announced that the incorporation of its latest Cat Connect Technology in the design of its three new Next Generation 20-ton size class excavatorsthe 320 GC, 320 and 323has resulted in enhanced efficiency, productivity, and reduced operating cost of excavators. Volvo Construction Equipment and Services, Inc. announced that, with the use of cable-connected and dual-powered, 70-ton excavator prototype EX1 in its Electric Site research project, the company reduced carbon emissions by 98%, energy costs by 70%, and operational cost by 40%. The company carried out this experiment with its customer Skanska AB, a Swedish construction and development company. Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer of construction equipment, recently launched new generation of mining excavators the EX-7 series, with which the company aims to introduce Industrial Internet of Things to the mining industry. The series includes excavators with sizes ranging from100 tons to 800 tons. Connectivity, productivity, and safety features to suit its mining-specific applications are among the salient features of these excavators. Get Customization on this Report for Specific Research Solutions https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=2459 Key players in the Excavator Market Caterpillar Inc. Deere & Co. Hitachi Ltd. KUBOTA Corporation CNH Industrial N.V. Volvo Construction Equipment and Services Inc. Doosan Bobcat Inc. Yanmar Co. Ltd. JCB Inc. Nagano Industry Co. Ltd. Stringent Environmental Regulations Create Challenges for Excavator Manufacturers Despite steady demand from construction industry, stringent environmental regulation and high quality standards for conventional excavators continue to create manufacturing challenges for market players. Conventional excavators are subject to guidelines regulating the use and operation of heavy equipment. Manufacturers in the excavator market need to conform to these stringent regulatory requirement, which may add to the production cost, ultimately restricting manufacturers from maintaining competitive prices. Key Questions Covered in the Excavator Market Outlook Report How are the developing countries contributing to the growth of the excavator market? What are the salient strategies adopted by Tier 1 players in the excavator market? Why is the demand for standard/full-size excavators highest across the globe? How can emerging players establish a stronger position in the excavator market in the upcoming years? What are the key takeaways from the detailed explanation of growth prospects of the excavator market during 2017-2026? Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Automotive Domain Small Motors Market Forecast- The demand for small motors is being sustained by consumers' growing preference for compact electronic products. A fundamental feature of compact motors that has been pushing their sales in recent years is the elimination of additional accessories that are utilized in conventional motors. Furthermore, the growing trend of shrinking in the electronics industry has aided in the use of small motors. The small motors market is expected to expand due to rising demand for small motors in medical equipment due to its high efficiency, longer life, and reduced replacement costs as compared to their conventional counterparts. In-wheel Motor Market Analysis- The most significant propulsion sector in the worldwide In-wheel motor market is expected to be the in-wheel motor for electric cars battery. Consumer demand for electric mobility, combined with increased awareness of gasoline and diesel pollution, has fuelled tremendous expansion in the in-wheel motor sector. Reduced motor weight, which controls four wheels centrally, and increased allocations for space in electric vehicles are pushing demand for in-wheel motors. In comparison to other motors in the electric mobility business, the use of in-wheel motors is increasing at a rapid rate. Automotive Sunroof Motor Market Size- As the world's population grows, so does demand for automobiles, resulting in increased production. Significant advancements in component materials, together with an increase in the number of pre-installed sunroofs, are likely to boost the market for automotive sunroof motors. The rise in demand for automotive sunroof motors is likely to be fueled by an increased focus on the installation of motors with noiseless operation in premium vehicles, as well as the introduction of innovative technologies into automotive designs. Manufacturers are also investing in the development of sunroofs that use IoT for automated operations. About Us: Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner. Contact: Mahendra Singh Japan Sales Office 4-1-1 Nakano, 9F Nakano Sunplaza Tokyo, 164-8512 Japan E: sales@factmr.com Mashreq, one of the leading financial institutions in the UAE, has entered into a strategic partnership with Sharjah Investors Services Center (Saeed), which offers streamlined business setup services in under 60 minutes. As part of the partnership between the two entities, businesses registered with Saeed, operating under the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), will have access to a wide variety of banking services through Mashreqs digital business banking platform, NEOBiz. Under the MoU, Mashreqs NEOBiz solution will be the exclusive platform supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs with priority access to banking services along with instant account opening services and a dedicated Mashreq relationship manager. Customers of Saeed will also benefit from a range of other value-added services such as discounted access to accounting packages, cloud infrastructure, digital tools and a suite of mobile Point-of-sale solutions, payment gateways and software systems to support the SME ecosystem and value chains across the development. Marwan Alichla, Managing Director of Sharjah Investors Services Center, said: The new MoU with Mashreq aligns with our goals to continuously expand our portfolio of fully integrated and streamlined services to high-growth investors, SMEs and entrepreneurs in Sharjah, and to help them set up their businesses with maximum efficiency and propel their growth and expansion. He added: Our collaboration with Mashreq is one Saeeds major strategic partnerships with the private sector and will enable investors to have access to safe and secure digital channels for all aspects of their business banking needs. It will enable us to expand our services to 60,000 SMEs who are currently operating in Sharjah, contributing to our growing GDP which is currently valued at AED133 billion. The range of financial services offered for startups and entrepreneurs will power the next generation of companies and further elevate the status of the emirates business-friendly environment. Vikas Thapar, Head of Business Banking and NEOBiz, Mashreq Bank, said: Through this collaboration, we aim to facilitate SMEs and companies in the emirate of Sharjah by providing them with a robust portfolio of banking and financial solutions. Customers enjoy seamless onboarding to NEOBiz with strategic partners through our NEOBiz Connect Open API Banking and blockchain platforms. The demand for NEOBiz is clear and this is reflected in a 400 per cent growth in customer acquisition for 2021. While the use of both NEOBiz online and mobile channels is three times higher than the conventional business. We believe Mashreq can act as a catalyst for business growth and further enhance the emirates economic competitiveness by empowering businesses with unique set of financial services to meet their banking requirements and propel them to the next stage of their growth journey. The UAEs thriving SME sector is a key enabler for sustainable growth, helping to unlock the potential of the economy. According to the Ministry of Economy, SMEs represent more than 94 per cent of the total number of companies operating in the country and provide jobs for over 86 per cent of the private sector's workforce. TradeArabia News Service Former Russian Pop Star provides Aid to Ukrainian Refugees PR Newswire AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2022 AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Christian Ray Flores, a former Russian pop star whose song Our Generation energized the youth to vote against the Communists in the 1996 presidential election, is now campaigning for Ukrainian refugees. The Co-founder of the Ascend Mission Fund, focusing on entrepreneurial humanitarian projects is a former Russian pop-star turned entrepreneur, evangelist, and investor based in Austin, TX. The Ukraine Relief Network uses a decentralized approach to quickly and flexibly reach refugees. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees are stranded in bomb shelters or seeking safety in relatives' apartments and villages. Any place that offers relative safety from the bombing, shelling, and street-to-street fighting. Most of these refugees leave their homes in a hurry, with only their clothes on their backs. They quickly ran out of the essentials: food, warm clothing, medicine, clean water, gas. Because they're in a war zone most of them do not have access to humanitarian aid. The Ukraine Relief Network uses a network of Christian churches on the ground, deeply connected to the local communities to find groups of people in need of immediate aid. The aid is dynamically distributed through "nodes" - coordinators on the ground who also provide mutual accountability and reporting for the aid being delivered. This decentralized network is able to quickly respond to needs in a constantly changing chaos of war providing essential supplies, organizing volunteer drivers to evacuate people from hot spots, helping people get to the border, where neighboring countries are providing more long-term help. The Ukraine Relief Network is quickly expanding to include Angel Partners: individuals, businesses, and non-profits looking to provide direct help for refugees and get daily updates on the ground from the people being helped through photos, videos on the AMF website, and Facebook Page. This active engagement in aid to Ukraine also means Christian Ray Flores is unable to travel to Russia under the current regime as a law has been passed that makes it a crime to speak out against the war, with jail time for up to 15 years as punishment. Story continues "My grandfather was Ukrainian, my grandmother was Russian. My two oldest daughters were born in Moscow and my youngest in Kyiv. The consequences for speaking out against the war are dire, but standing up against evil in this manifestation is not optional for me." - Christian Ray Flores Extra Information: The Ukraine Relief Network: www.ascendmission.fund/ukraine Ascend Mission Fund Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AscendMissionFund Christian Ray Flores newsletter: www.christianrayflores.com Pictures of Christian Ray Flores: Pic 1, Pic 2 Media contact: Karla Braithwaite +1 (973) 809-8343 332131@email4pr.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-russian-pop-star-provides-aid-to-ukrainian-refugees-301504888.html SOURCE Ascend Mission Fund FILE PHOTO: Workers clean up the burnt remains of a Christmas tree outside the News Corp. and Fox News building in New York By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fox News on Thursday appealed a judge's decision to let voting systems company Smartmatic pursue a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit alleging that the network falsely accused it of rigging the 2020 U.S. presidential election against incumbent Donald Trump. The network, part of Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corp, also countersued Smartmatic to recoup legal costs, saying the lawsuit was designed to stifle its constitutionally protected right to inform viewers about newsworthy events. Thursday's filing came nine days after Justice David Cohen of the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan found a "substantial basis" to suggest that the network "turned a blind eye to a litany of outrageous claims" about Smartmatic, evincing a "reckless disregard" for the truth. "It is ironic that Fox claims that Smartmatic's lawsuit is without basis" after that decision, Smartmatic's lawyer J. Erik Connolly said in an email. He said courts around the country reviewing similar claims "are saying something very different." Smartmatic accused Fox News and several on-air personalities in its February 2021 lawsuit of decimating its business with a bogus narrative that its election software helped Democrat Joe Biden steal the 2020 election from Trump, a Republican. The Florida-based company said Fox News did this to cater to Trump supporters, boost ratings and keep viewers from defecting to the smaller right-wing networks Newsmax and One America News. In Thursday's filings, Fox News called the $2.7 billion damages claim "pure fiction." It cited a report by University of Chicago law professor Daniel Fischel that Smartmatic had been a "failing enterprise" with $82.8 million of losses over five years and four straight years of declining revenue. Fox News also said Smartmatic's claims violated New York's November 2020 "anti-SLAPP" law, short for "strategic lawsuits against public participation" and meant to protect journalists from frivolous lawsuits designed to harass critics. Story continues "New York's anti-SLAPP statute was made for lawsuits like this one," Fox News said. "The best way to deter baseless attacks on the freedoms of speech and efforts to chill the press is to provide robust protection for speech on matters of public concern." In a separate case, a federal judge on March 11 rejected Trump's bid to invoke the anti-SLAPP law against E. Jean Carroll, a writer who said Trump defamed her in 2019 by denying he raped her in the mid-1990s. Cohen also let Smartmatic sue anchor Maria Bartiromo and former anchor Lou Dobbs and pursue some claims against former Trump lawyer and on-air guest Rudy Giuliani. In December, a Delaware judge rejected Fox News' attempt to dismiss a similar $1.6 billion lawsuit by another voting technology company, Dominion Voting Systems. The case is Smartmatic USA Corp et al v Fox Corp et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 151136/2021. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. GUADALAJARA, Mexico, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) announced today that it successfully completed the issuance of 50 million long-term bond certificates in Mexico (Certificados Bursatiles) at a nominal value of Ps. 100 each (One hundred pesos 00/100), for a total value of Ps. 5.0 billion, through a dual tranche strategy. The amount of the issuance was up to Ps. 4.0 billion with a greenshoe option of Ps. 1.0 billion, which was reached at the closing of the issuance. The order book reached an over-subscription of 4.04x. The bond certificates were issued in accordance with the following terms: 20 million 5-year bond certificates were issued under the ticker symbol GAP22, at a nominal value of Ps. 100 (One hundred pesos 00/100) each, for a total value of Ps.2.0 billion (Two billion pesos 00/100). Interest will be payable every 28 days at a variable rate of TIIE-28 plus 18 basis points; the principal will be due at maturity on March 11, 2027, with an early payment option. 30 million 10-year bond certificates were issued under the ticker symbol GAP22-2, at a nominal value of Ps. 100 (One hundred pesos 00/100) each, for a total value of Ps. 3.0 billion (Three billion pesos 00/100). Interest will be payable every 182 days at a fixed rate of 9.67%; the principal will be due at maturity on March 4, 2032, with an early payment option. Proceeds from the issuance will be allocated to fulfilling investments committed under the Master Development Program in Mexico for 2022, as well as commercial investments. In addition, the proceeds will be allocated to the paying of financial liabilities due in March of this year. The issuances obtained credit ratings of Aaa.mx by Moodys and MxAAA by S&P, on a national scale. Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concessioner Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica and took control of the operation in October 2019. Story continues This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that June involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01 800 563 00 47. The web site is www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap . GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. Saul Villarreal, Chief Financial Officer svillarreal@aeropuertosgap.com.mx Alejandra Soto, IR and Corporate Finance Director asoto@aeropuertosgap.com.mx Gisela Murillo, Investor Relations gmurillo@aeropuertosgap.com.mx / +523338801100 ext. 20294 Guzman Energy Inclusion on Inc. and Fast Company lists underscores momentum for Denver-based wholesale power provider DENVER, Colo. , March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the second time this month, Guzman Energy has received award recognition from a top business publication. The company was recently ranked on the third annual Inc . 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain list of the fastest-growing private companies in the region with a two-year revenue growth rate of 257%. Earlier this month, Guzman Energy appeared on Fast Companys Worlds Most Innovative Companies list for 2022. The companies featured on the Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain list are based in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, and had an average growth rate of 252% percent. In 2020 alone, they added 4,176 jobs and nearly $1 billion to the Rocky Mountain regions economy. Fast Companys Worlds Most Innovative Companies list recognizes those organizations that are creating the future today with some of the most inspiring accomplishments of the 21st century. Other organizations on the list include Microsoft and SpaceX. Guzman Energy set out to be a mobilizer of change for energy transition, and we pioneered the concept of helping communities, largely rural, who have not historically been participants in the new opportunities that have come with energy transition, said Christopher M. Riley, CEO of Guzman Energy. While our positive impact on customers communities is what we are most proud of, this recognition from Inc. and Fast Company bolsters our position that there is no better time for the solutions we offer. By bringing reliable, highly renewable power generation projects to local communities, Guzman Energy provides new economic opportunities spanning construction and maintenance jobs, new tax dollars, and revenue streams from new services such as electric vehicle infrastructure. For example, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) in New Mexico partnered with Guzman Energy in 2016 and set a goal to become 100% daytime solar powered. KCEC expects to meet that goal in 2022 and has since developed 41MW of local solar power supported by 15MW of battery storage. Electric vehicle charging, new local jobs and new tax revenue are a few of the many benefits of transforming KCEC into one of the cleanest power cooperatives in the country. Story continues Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/rocky-mountain. ### About Guzman Energy Guzman Energy is a wholesale power provider dedicated to communities in search of affordable and reliable energy. We partner with cooperatives, municipalities, companies, and tribes across North America to customize energy portfolios that make economic and environmental sense for today and tomorrow. Together, we are lighting the way forward. Visit guzmanenergy.com. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . CONTACT: Jill Petersen Fitzgerald Petersen Communications for Guzman Energy M: 303-968-5092 jill@fitzgeraldpetersen.com LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvey Nash Group has announced it is expanding the global delivery capability of its NashTech technology solutions business by opening new offshore development centers in Latin America dedicated to clients based in North & South America. Harvey Nash Group Logo The centers, in Costa Rica, El Salvador and Colombia, will support NashTech's plans to grow its North American footprint by taking a dedicated development capability to the world's largest technology market. The new centers, in partnership with FusionHit, will provide near-shore capability to clients, while complementing the work of its development centers across the world, including Vietnam and Poland. Nick Lonsdale, CEO of NashTech, said: "We have seen significant growth from the North American market, and this move will help us fulfill increasing client demand. The opening of this development center will further globalize our delivery footprint and offer our North & South American clients a time zone friendly location and service which can also be delivered via a blended near-shore and offshore model. We have built up a strong market reputation for our highly skilled staff who deliver leading edge technology solutions to our clients. This new center will be an extension of this service excellence with added client-centric flexibility." Bev White, CEO of the Harvey Nash Group, commented: "I am delighted the Group is continuing to grow its footprint in the important North American market. Our NashTech business compliments our technology talent acquisition business, which has seen major growth in the last 18 months, and together we are able to offer our clients the widest possible ways of building and scaling their digital capability. It forms part of our wider strategy of becoming a global leader in talent and technology, building on the Group's significant strength." Yacdani Lopez, CEO FusionHit said: "Harvey Nash Group and FusionHit have a remarkably close fit for culture, values and ambitions, and we are very excited about the growth possibilities through this new partnership. Latin America supplies a unique talent pool suited for app development, custom software development, process automation and much more. At FusionHit, our nearshore development centers provide technical know-how, cultural affinity to US market, and the ability to build client teams very quickly." Story continues Full release here Media Contacts: David Pippett ProServ PR david@proservpr.com +44 (0) 7899 798197 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1680703/Harvey_Nash_Group_Logo.jpg Hyundai Canada donates $50,000 to Indspire's Bursary Program for Indigenous Post-Secondary Students The Hyundai Canada Bursary aims to create dedicated post-secondary education opportunities for Indigenous youth, add diversity to the automotive industry and raise awareness about the sector's career opportunities Indspire is a national Indigenous charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada MARKHAM, ON, March 17, 2022 /CNW/ - Hyundai Canada is proud to announce a $50,000 donation to Indspire's Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program. The Hyundai Canada Bursary aims to create dedicated opportunities for Indigenous students seeking a post-secondary education and to raise awareness about career opportunities in the automotive sector. The award will be distributed to Indigenous students who are attending post-secondary institutions across Canada such as college, university, technical college or an apprenticeship program, and who are enrolled in business administration and/or automotive programs. While financial need will be the primary consideration for the award, other factors such as community involvement, as well as academic merit and performance will also be determining factors. Hyundai Logo (CNW Group/Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.) Indspire has been named a Top 10 Canadian Impact Charity by Charity Intelligence Canada for five consecutive years. The organization is the largest Indigenous-led and Indigenous-focused national charity in Canada and invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people across the country. Indspire will manage and distribute the Hyundai Canada Bursary through its Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships, and Awards program, in which all funds are matched by the Government of Canada. "Through this donation, we hope to create new and exciting opportunities for Indigenous post-secondary students in the automotive and business administration sectors and to improve their access to the many career paths on offer in these fields," says Kirk Merrett, director of human resources at Hyundai Canada. "We are proud and humbled to support Indspire's mission to break down barriers, so Indigenous youth can achieve their highest potential through education." Story continues "The Hyundai Canada Bursary represents a bright new opportunity for Indigenous learners to pursue their dreams of a career in the automotive or business administration fields," says Mike DeGagne, president & CEO of Indspire. "We are very pleased to be working with Hyundai Canada on this important initiative and, with the creation of this Bursary, to be laying good groundwork for further collaborations which will empower Indigenous learners." Students can apply for the Hyundai Canada Bursary before the following deadlines: August 1, November 1, and February 1 through https://indspirefunding.ca/hyundai-auto-canada-corp/ . Hyundai Canada remains committed to its vision for 'Progress for Humanity' by partnering with organizations that help build resilient futures for Canada's youth. About Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 223 dealerships nationwide. Hyundai is also the first to offer a second-generation zero-emissions Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle to Canadian customers, called the NEXO. More information about Hyundai and its vehicles can be found at www.HyundaiCanada.com . For more information about Hyundai and its products, please visit www.hyundainews.ca or contact: Jenn McCarthy, National Manager, Public Relations, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. Phone: 416-770-0842, Email: jmccarthy@hyundaicanada.com Charlotte Hefner, Account Executive, Public Relations, Middle Child Phone: 416-580-7727, Email: charlotte.hefner@wearemiddlechild.com About Indspire Indspire is an Indigenous national charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire provides financial awards, delivers programs, and shares resources so that First Nations, Inuit, and Metis students will achieve their highest potential. In 2020-2021, Indspire provided more than $20 million through 6,245 bursaries and scholarships to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis students across Canada. For more information, please contact: Brandon Meawasige Director, Communications & Marketing bmeawasige@indspire.ca 1-855-463-7747 x 2350 SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2022/17/c3538.html The country's premier smart city environment and its Curiosity Lab have been the first stop for several top Israeli technology developers entering the U.S. market Israel leads a large international presence, with smart mobility, cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT) and more companies proving out technologies alongside everyday residents and commuters using city-owned smart infrastructure and 5G PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Peachtree Corners one of the nation's first smart city environments powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G recently hosted a visit by Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the southeastern United States. The Israeli Consulate, located in Atlanta, has worked closely with the City of Peachtree Corners and its Curiosity Lab to provide a launching pad for Israeli tech and mobility firms to expand into the United States and across North America. Israel was the first international country to focus attention on this leading smart city, closely followed by France, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico and more regions flocking to the technology hotspot. Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon and Deputy Consul General Alex Gandler visit the Curiosity Lab in Peachtree Corners, Georgia - at the heart of Silicon Orchard. "I was thoroughly impressed with my visit to Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners. It's no surprise that some of the brightest Israeli technology developers and startups have been gravitating to Peachtree Corners at the heart of what's being called 'Silicon Orchard' where opportunities to collaborate with some of the world's most prominent telecommunications, mobility and overall technology companies are unmatched. The 'city street of the future' is a real thing here, where companies are able to prove out emerging solutions with smart infrastructure owned by the local government giving them an edge in terms of deploying and scaling those solutions in a way that is not possible in closed test environments." Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the southeast Peachtree Corners and Curiosity Lab have hosted numerous Israel-born technology startups also helping to create critical new partnerships and opportunities to expand. Story continues "For decades, Technology Park has been home to several international companies responsible for revolutionary technological developments with massive global impact, and we are proud to continue fostering the same pioneering spirit with our Israeli partners. I was honored to host Consul General Sultan-Dadon and Deputy Consul General Alex Gandler to give them a first-hand look at the amazing work being done by all of our international companies. Curiosity Lab was designed to create a collaborative environment capable of helping companies develop technologies quicker and more effectively and we are very excited to be a part of their journey. The success of our national and international partners highlights why Peachtree Corners is quicky emerging as the premier smart city environment in the United States." Brian Johnson, city manager of Peachtree Corners Emerging Global Technology Leaders From the Middle East to Silicon Orchard: o IPgallery International technology innovator and developer of integrated, artificial intelligence-based smart city/IoT management systems. This technology serves as the heart of Peachtree Corners' "IoT central control room" the first-ever of its kind to be implemented by a U.S. city, where data from all IoT devices across the city's smart infrastructure is managed, analyzed and activated through a single pane of glass. IPgallery's AI/ML based program allows the city to leverage its intelligent connectivity and data points for visualization, as well as formulate decisions based on information and events coming from all connected devices across the smart city environment. o Brodmann17 Leading developer of state-of-the-art Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology, Brodmann tested its technology in Curiosity Lab for several months using the lab's Level 3 autonomous test vehicle. Brodmann successfully developed and proved out its software-only perception technology for assisted driving in real-world conditions and recently joined the 5G Open Innovation Lab (5GOILab), bringing its technology to corporate partners Accenture, Dell, Intel, Microsoft and T-Mobile. o Cynamics Developers of a scalable, cost-effective network visibility/cybersecurity solution that detects threats on smart networks as they emerge. Cynamics' AI-based solution presents a holistic view of the network to predict attacks, providing critical protection for smart cities around the globe. As part of Curiosity Lab, Cynamics has free access to the living laboratory's unique testing infrastructure which includes 5G, DSRC units, an autonomous vehicle test lane and its IoT Central Control Room. o Cyber 2.0 Innovators of new, revolutionary and game-changing technology designed to stop the spread of all known and previously unknown cyberattacks including viruses, ransomware, browser hijacking and more. Unlike other solutions, its innovative technology combines Zero-Trust and Network-Obscurement solutions using breakthrough technology based on the Mathematical Chaos model. o Cawamo Developers of revolutionary artificial intelligence-powered camera technology aimed at assisting local authorities to increase public safety and enforce public ordinance by monitoring movement using existing equipment. Cawamo's feature rich platform combines onsite edge and cloud AI technologies that work together to generate high-quality, accurate alerts with virtually zero false alerts. Cawamo's system conducts object detection without facial recognition, so no personal identifiable information is used or stored. For more information or to schedule a briefing with city leaders, contact Peachtree@GoDRIVEN360.com. About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro-Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that's home to more than 45,000 residents, 45,000 jobs and an innovation hub that houses some of the world's most disruptive technology companies. As the United States' premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business. From the world's first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle fast-charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its citizens, and the world. For more information, visit http://www.peachtreecornersga.gov . About Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled intelligent mobility and smart city living laboratory located in the southeastern United States near Atlanta, Georgia. Designed as a proving ground for IoT, mobility and smart city emerging technologies, the centerpiece of the lab is a three-mile autonomous vehicle lane leveraging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies. Additional infrastructure includes intelligent traffic cameras and traffic signals, smart streetlights, the country's first "IoT Central Control Room" implemented in a city and a 25,000 square foot technology incubator. Owned and operated by the City of Peachtree Corners, Curiosity Lab is one of North America's only real-world testing environments and is available for use free of charge. Additional information can be found at www.curiositylabptc.com Peachtree Corners, Georgia is a vibrant municipality thats home to more than 40,000 residents and an innovation hub that houses some of the worlds most disruptive technology companies. Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled autonomous vehicle and smart city living laboratory located in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, a northern suburb of Atlanta. The centerpiece of the lab is a 1.5-mile test and demo track which provides a real-world environment to explore emerging technologies. (PRNewsfoto/Peachtree Corners) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/israeli-consul-general-visits-city-of-peachtree-corners-curiosity-lab--reinforcing-influx-of-tech-companies-into-heart-of-silicon-orchard-301505066.html SOURCE Peachtree Corners TSXV: JK OTCQB: JKHCF FRA: 68Z The Company Will Also License its Signature Food Brands and Proprietary JKOS Software to Third Parties under a New Turnkey Offering VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2022 /CNW/ - Just Kitchen Holdings Corp. ("JustKitchen" or the "Company") (TSXV: JK) (OTCQB: JKHCF) (FRA: 68Z), an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development of delivery-only food brands, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a commercial arrangement (the "Arrangement") to expand its suite of business-to-business ("B2B") services to Hsinchu Science Park ("HSP"), located in the East District of Hsinchu City, Taiwan. HSP is a vast professional and industrial area that houses over 530 companies employing more than 152,000 people.1 JustKitchen will be the first ghost kitchen operator to serve employees in HSP as delivery drivers are not permitted to enter the area. JustKitchen (TSXV: JK, OTCQB: JKHCF, FRA: 68Z) (CNW Group/Just Kitchen Holdings Corp.) Pursuant to the terms of the Arrangement, JustKitchen will work with a large food service contractor to provide JustKitchen-branded meals to employees and their guests at HSP during business hours. As previously announced on November 25, 2021, the Company operates a ghost kitchen location within the nearby Hotel Indigo Hsinchu Science Park. JustKitchen is also in the process of pursuing other B2B opportunities within HSP. Licensing of JKOS Software and In-House Brands to Third-Party Operators The Company also announces that it has begun licensing the rights to its proprietary food brands ("Proprietary Brand License") to qualified third-party operators of commercial kitchens across Taiwan and and Hong Kong. Since inception, many of JustKitchen's wholly owned food brands have gained a loyal following. Granting Proprietary Brand Licenses to proven counterparties is expected to enable the Company to more quickly and cost effectively scale up its brand exposure and sales output without having to invest in additional kitchens, staff or other infrastructure. Story continues Third parties are also required to implement the Company's vertically integrated JKOS software, which promotes operational success while enabling JustKitchen to retain, analyze and monitor all applicable data under each licensing arrangement. To reduce third-party risk, JustKitchen is seeking out prospective counterparties and performing due diligence on their commercial kitchens, operating practices, and levels of output. Under the terms and conditions of a Proprietary Brand License, a qualified third party currently operating a commercial kitchen, such as in an underutilized restaurant, hotel or conference facility, can add one or more of JustKitchen's delivery-only food brands on a turnkey basis and quickly become part of the cloud kitchen industry. This offers a counterparty the ability to generate incremental revenue from its existing assets, with a minimal up-front capital outlay and seamless integration with their current operations. Management Commentary "Providing JK's meals and services to the people at HSP, which is the home of Taiwan's flagship semiconductor industry that ranks second in the world by revenue and serves almost all of the world's tech giants, is a great opportunity for JustKitchen to showcase its brands to even more consumers and businesses. Notable corporate tenants of HSP include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company; MediaTek, which is the world's second-largest mobile chip developer; United Microelectronics Corp. which is the world's third-largest contract chipmaker; as well as computer-maker Acer," said Jason Chen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JustKitchen. "Our other new initiative to license our proprietary food brands and JKOS software platform to third parties in a turnkey way unlocks the potential for incremental brand equity and even greater scalability to be earned by our most popular in-house menus," added Mr. Chen. ABOUT JUSTKITCHEN JustKitchen is primarily an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development and marketing of proprietary and franchised delivery-only food brands for customers. The Company currently operates in Taiwan and Hong Kong with plans to expand operations to other Asian countries. JustKitchen uniquely utilizes a hub-and-spoke operating model, which features advanced food preparation taking place at larger hub kitchens and final meal preparation taking place at smaller spoke kitchens located in areas with higher population densities. The Company combines this operating model with online and mobile application-based food ordering fulfilled by third-party delivery companies, to minimize capital investments and operating expenses and reach more customers in underserved markets. The Company's other business, JustMarket, is an e-commerce grocery delivery platform that allows customers to purchase groceries for delivery or add select grocery items to meals ordered through JustKitchen. For more information about the Company, please visit investors.justkitchen.com. JustKitchen's final prospectus, financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, among other documents, are all available on the Company's profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur including but not limited to the Company's comments regarding it working with a large food service contractor to help fulfill the terms of its contract by providing JustKitchen-branded meals to employees and their guests at HSP during business hours; pursuing other B2B opportunities within HSP based on the Arrangement having acted as a beachhead to foster similar dialogues with other third parties; and licensing the rights to its proprietary food brands to qualified third-party operators of commercial kitchens across Taiwan. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks, including those risk factors identified in the Company's prospectus dated March 26, 2021, and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Endnotes 1. "Introduction to the Hsinchu Science Park", Ministry of Science and Technology, accessed on March 3, 2022, https://www.most.gov.tw/folksonomy/list/a365d856-3247-4937-8c76-0488f488d6ee?l=en SOURCE Just Kitchen Holdings Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2022/17/c6855.html SINGAPORE, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has resumed flights to Bali for the first time since April 2020. The first flight from Amsterdam, with a stop in Singapore arrived at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport on 9th March 2022. KLM resumes flights to Bali KLM Logo (PRNewsfoto/KLM) KLM will operate two flights a week until mid-May and then plans to increase flights to three times weekly until end of September, subsequently increasing to five times weekly until end of October. KLM's first flight on 9th March was welcomed by KLM's Country Manager for Indonesia, Mr. Jose Hartojo who said, "Being able to finally welcome our KLM flight again to the beautiful island of Bali and supporting the return of International tourism is a positive sign for travel. With the easing of quarantine measures we are hoping we can introduce more KLM flights soon." Before the COVID-19 pandemic until 2 April 2020 KLM flew daily between Amsterdam and Bali via Singapore. From 28 March 2022, KLM flights between Denpasar and Singapore are designated Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights offering quarantine free travel to Singapore. Travellers must meet all Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) requirements. Flight schedule between Denpasar-Bali and Amsterdam Route Period (2022) Flight number Day Departure Arrival DPS-AMS 09 March to 23 March KL836 Wed, Sat 20:55 08:15+1 24 March to 16 May Mon, Thu 20:35 07:50+1 17 May to 04 Sep Mon, Tue, Thu 05 Sep to 28 Oct Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun AMS-DPS 09 Mar 26 Mar KL813/KL835 Tue, Fri 20:05 19:45 27 Mar 16 May KL835 Wed, Sun 21:00 19:25 17 May 04 Sep KL835 Mon, Wed, Sun 05 Sep 28 Oct KL813/KL835 Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun Flight Schedule between Denpasar-Bali and Singapore Route Period (2022) Flight number Day Departure Arrival DPS-SIN VTL from 28 March 2022 09 March to 23 March KL836 Wed, Sat 20:55 23:35 24 March to 16 May Mon, Thu 20:35 23:15 17 May to 04 Sep Mon, Tue, Thu 05 Sep to 28 Oct Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun SIN-DPS 09 Mar 26 Mar KL813/KL835 Tue, Fri 17:00 19:45 27 Mar 16 May KL835 Wed, Sun 16:50 19:25 17 May 04 Sep KL835 Mon, Wed, Sun 05 Sep 28 Oct KL813/KL835 Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun For more information and bookings visit: www.klm.com Story continues Before travelling to Bali please check travel requirements here About KLM Royal Dutch Airlines For over a century, KLM has been a pioneer in the airline industry. KLM is the oldest airline still operating under its original name and aims to be the leading European network carrier in customer centricity, efficiency and sustainability. The KLM network connects the Netherlands with all of the world's key economic regions and is a powerful engine driving the Dutch economy. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is part of the Air FranceKLM Group. KLM is also a member of the global SkyTeam Alliance, which has 19 member airlines. For more information about KLM, please visit KLM.com , KLM Newsroom , Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn or Twitter . SOURCE KLM The Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex 2022), from September 26 to October 2, will be the largest event of its kind in the Middle East and Africa region. Exhibitors consider that the main reasons for participating at Adihex are to network, to increase direct sales, meeting new agents and partners, making deals, entering new markets, connecting with specialists in various industries, raising brand awareness and launching innovative new products. The richness and comprehensiveness of Adihex is evident in its 11 diverse sectors, which are: Arts and Crafts, Equestrian, Falconry, Hunting Tourism and Safari, Hunting and Camping Equipment, Hunting Guns, Promotion and Preservation of Environment and Cultural Heritage, Outdoor Leisure Vehicles and Equipment, Veterinary Products and Services, Fishing Equipment and Marine Sports, and Media. The Emirates Falconers Club has begun its preparations for organising the show, which in its last edition witnessed the participation of 680 companies and brands from 44 countries. The event attracted more than 105,000 visitors from 120 nationalities in 2021. The visitors of Adihex were very satisfied last year with the diversity of the products and services provided, in addition to more than 80 activities and events that were organised during the days of the exhibition, said a release. Adihex 2021 also presented more than 120 workshops and hosted about 90 speakers and more than 800 official falconry representatives and sustainable hunting associations and institutions from around the world. Majid Ali Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of Adihex, Secretary General of the Emirates Falconers Club, expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation for the great support provided to the exhibition from the ruling family. The auctions of falcons, horses, and camels, as well as the most beautiful captive-bred falcons, and Saluki beauty contest (pure Arabian hunting dog) are among the most prominent events, in addition to educational and environmental activities and heritage shows for horses, birds of prey and police dogs, which give families more fun and learning opportunities, and enhances the event's attractiveness as a family mass festival.-- TradeArabia News Service NEW YORK, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Axylyum Charter, the parent company of the growth enablement product, AXY Wrap, announced today that they have entered into an agreement with Matador Lending. Effective immediately, all loans within the Matador Lending portfolio are optioned through Axylyum Charter's exclusive product, AXY Wrap. One of the most innovative products to hit the mortgage-backed security market, AXY Wrap acts as a safeguard for retail and wholesale private lenders. In the event of default, Axylyum Charter acquires the distressed asset at 100% of the origination price. 'Wrapping' a portfolio with AXY Wrap accomplishes what was previously unheard of in the industry it eliminates the significant risk of financial loss associated with a defaulted asset. "We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Matador Lending and their executive team. Well known throughout the industry, Matador Lending is not only respectedthey are what many private lending firms strive to be like. We are pleased to be a part of their growth strategy," stated Jane Petroff, Director of Capital Markets at Axylyum Charter. Feeling restricted by the limited lending products available on the market, Matador Lending became an independent mortgage brokerage in 2019 with the purpose of developing their lender relationships and serving non-traditional consumers. Currently, they serve the Texas, California, Georgia, and Florida markets, with plans to expand into other states. "We have been looking for a way to give our borrowers more effective loan products when they don't qualify for agency loans. Our partnership with Axylyum Charter helps us accomplish this by allowing us to confidently lend to borrowers who may not have qualified in the past. We are very excited and are looking forward to working together," stated Apurva Sanghavi, President of Matador Lending. In 2021, Axylyum Charter was recognized by The New York Real Estate Journal as 'Company of the Month' and has been featured in numerous notable publications such as Real Estate Weekly, National Mortgage News, Mortgage Banker Magazine, and Globe Street. Story continues ABOUT AXYLYUM CHARTER: Axylyum Charter has disrupted the commercial lending space with their growth enablement product, AXY Wrap. Specifically designed for private money lenders, AXY Wrap supports portfolio expansion by removing the risk of default. For more information about AXY Wrap, visit www.axylyum.com. ABOUT MATADOR LENDING: Matador Lending was founded in 2019 in Houston, Texas by a team of 4 mortgage professionals whose goal was to provide their clients with a variety of lending options. By partnering with hundreds of lenders, they serve nearly every type of consumer in the marketnot just a small subset of borrowers. For more information about Matador Lending, visit www.matadorlending.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/matador-lending-aligns-with-axylyum-charter-and-secures-their-lending-portfolio-301505192.html SOURCE Axylyum Oksana Bashuk Hepburn Im 5 years old. Im hoisted through the broken window of a train that is heading out of Ukraine to God only knows where. My mother and I are fleeing Russian-controlled Ukraine behind the Iron Curtain; we are leaving everything behind to unite with my father, who had been freed from Auschwitz in Poland. That is if we are lucky and the train isnt bombed and if we are able to avoid the snipers that may be in place along our route. It is 1946. Today, in the tropical tranquility of Florida, I am an old woman who is watching the refugees of Ukraine flee their country just as we did 76 years ago. They are better dressed and better nourished than we were after three years of German occupation followed by Russian looting, burning, shelling, killing and starvation. But most of them also know what it's like to live in a nation subjected to Russian occupation it wasn't until 1991, after all, that Ukraine finally gained its independence. Unlike Germany, the Kremlin was never punished for its crimes against humanity, which has provided an open invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin to resurrect Russias hell on Earth. And yet there are some in the West who actually applaud Putin's madness. Ukraine wants to be a western democracy like America or Europe. It rejects Putin's bigoted precepts that Ukraine doesn't exist as an actual nation, and that Ukrainians are destined to serve the whims of Russia. And it rejects Putin's predatory desire to control it and to kill it, if necessary, if there is resistance. This is why Putin must be stopped from proving to the world -- and to other dictators -- that international law, murder and destruction are fair game if you can get away with it. To date, however, the West, led by America, has shown a pro-Russia bias. It has failed to honor the Bucharest agreement that made Ukraine give up its nukes to Russia for guarantees of security and sovereignty. It has failed to punish Russia for occupying Georgia, or for using chemical weapons to kill civilians in Syria. It has denied Ukraine membership in NATO while expanding the alliance to include other former Soviet republics that had similar not meeting standards demerits. Story continues Meanwhile, Russia continues to infiltrate Americas corridors of power. How else to explain how U.S. leaders allowed Russia to manipulate America's elections or the ongoing strife between pro-Russia lawmakers and those who oppose Putin? The Russian leader is pushing the "divide and conquer" buttons both in Washington and in other places he wants to control. And heres the kicker: Even though Putin knows that America's nuclear deterrent is much more powerful than Russias, President Joe Biden has failed to effectively counter Putins bullying and fearmongering. Biden is failing to heed the words that President Franklin D. Roosevelt used to defeat another monster, Adolf Hitler: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." It's morally reprehensible for the world's most powerful military forces -- NATO and America to watch and do nothing while Putin wages a proxy war against them in Ukraine (and make no mistake, thats what it is). Its time to turn this heinous war around and beat Putin, but that takes a moral compass and leadership. Lets bring it on. Oksana Bashuk Hepburn is a former senior policy adviser and president of a consulting firm doing business in Ukraine. She is a part-time resident of Longboat Key and also resides in Canada. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Ukraine's past agony is being relived today - but we can stop it Join the celebrations as Australias favourite online casino celebrates its fifth birthday SYDNEY, March 17, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The party is still very much in full swing at Fair Go Casino, which is celebrating its five-year anniversary as the most popular online casino in Australia throughout the month of March. And this is a party where everyone is invited! Since it launched in 2017, Fair Go Casino has offered players the widest selection of popular pokies, including Plentiful Treasure, Cash Bandits 3 and Halloween Treasures, alongside generous bonuses and a loyalty scheme that keeps you coming back for more. Fair Go Casino is the casino of choice for thousands of players across Australia, and that is why its birthday celebrations are all about giving back to you. In recent years, Fair Go Casino has become famous for its freeroll casino tournaments so to mark the occasion it is offering one of its biggest pokie races to date. The $5,000 Casino Guarantee Freeroll Tournament runs each week throughout March which means there is a total of $25,000 to play for. Entries are free with $10 add-ons available to help improve your chances of hitting the top prizes. The special freeroll tournament only gets the party started Fair Go Casino is also turning up the volume on its hugely popular Fair Draw Raffle which runs each week and is one of the most popular promotions among players. This means that for the next five weeks, raffle prizes will be doubled as per below: Previously: $50 - Anniversary edition: $100 Previously: $100 - Anniversary edition: $200 Previously: $250 - Anniversary edition: $500 Previously: $500 - Anniversary edition: $1,000 Of course, there are going to be more hidden prizes, special rewards and promos to come. You just need to keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. These bonuses are being offered in addition to the daily rewards available to Fair Go Casino players, which include cashback, deposit method rewards, seasonal promotions as well as deposit matches, free spins and much, much more. Story continues Rebecca Ryder, Fair Go Casino Manager, said: "The party is in full swing at Fair Go Casino so why not come and join the celebrations and take advantage of the special tournaments, raffles and bonuses that we are running throughout the month to mark our fifth birthday." ENDS Editors notes: About Fair Go Casino: www.fairgox.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005004/en/ Contacts Media Enquiries Sarah Blackburn Go Marketing T: 0034628499459 HUMACAO, Puerto Rico, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) ("Red Cat" or "Company"), a hardware-enabled software provider to the drone industry, reports its financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended January 31, 2022 and provides a business update. Red Cat Holdings Logo (PRNewsfoto/Red Cat Holdings, Inc.) Recent Corporate Highlights: Teal Drones ("Teal") Selected by U.S. Army for Short Range Reconnaissance Tranche 2 Drone Program Teal Awarded Customs and Border Protection Contract Worth up to $90 Million over Five Years Teal Manufacturing Facility Doubled in Size Skypersonic collaborating with NASA to deploy remotely piloted drones in a variety of vehicles and environments Appointed Venture Capitalist and Cargo Drone Entrepreneur Christopher R. Moe to Board of Directors Third Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights: Revenue for the fiscal third quarter ended January 31, 2022 decreased 13% compared to the same period in fiscal 2021 as the Company focused its efforts on doubling the manufacturing capacity for its Teal subsidiary. Revenue for the nine months ended January 31, 2022 increased 64% compared to the nine months ended January 31, 2021 Operating Expenses for the quarter ended January 31, 2022 increased to $3.2 million compared to $1.1 million for the same period in fiscal 2021, reflecting the acquisitions of Skypersonic and Teal. Headcount at Teal has doubled with the addition of skilled engineering talent required to design an expanded manufacturing facility and incorporate technical product enhancements requested by customers Cash and marketable securities were approximately $56 million as of January 31, 2022 "All our business divisions are well-positioned to benefit from current tailwinds in the drone industry. The current conflict in Ukraine is leading to many inquiries for Teal's Golden Eagle drone and we are optimistic that many of these will be converted into material contracts," commented Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson. "Over the longer term, our selection as one of just two companies awarded the Short Range Reconnaissance Tranche 2 $1.5 million prototype contract, which may lead to a production contract award. The production award for Tranche 1 was $100 million. Ultimately, there is the Tranche 3 prototype and production awards that Teal will also be competing for. We are committed to increasing Teal's production capacity to meet the strong demand we see from current contracts and in our pipeline. Story continues "Skypersonic and its unique drone inspection service platform is ideally positioned to benefit from the federal Infrastructure Bill that was passed in 2021. We would expect increased commercial activity related to this opportunity later in 2022 and into 2023. "With our strong balance sheet and numerous opportunities ahead, we look forward to keeping investors informed of our commercial progress and thank investors for their continued support," concluded Mr. Thompson. "We invested significantly in hiring the engineering talent required to support our expanded manufacturing facility at Teal including the technical enhancements that our military customers are seeking," stated Joseph Hernon, Chief Financial Officer. "Our financial position remains strong with almost $56 million of cash and marketable securities and debt obligations less than $3 million." RED CAT HOLDINGS Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) January 31, April 30, 2022 2021 ASSETS Cash and marketable securities $ 55,557,829 $ 277,347 Inventory, including deposits 3,879,159 841,011 Intangible assets, including goodwill 28,012,942 10,049,502 Other 2,934,752 525,505 TOTAL ASSETS 90,384,682 11,693,365 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Accounts payable and accrued expenses 2,351,451 1,202,049 Debt obligations 2,466,728 269,045 Warrant derivative liability 1,350,099 2,812,767 Other 876,156 2,143,209 Total Liabilities 7,044,434 6,427,070 Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' capital 106,011,208 21,076,223 Accumulated deficit (22,670,960) (15,809,928) Total Stockholders' Equity 83,340,248 5,266,295 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 90,384,682 $ 11,693,365 RED CAT HOLDINGS Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) Three months ended January 31, Nine months ended January 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Revenues $ 1,856,751 $ 2,145,988 $ 5,116,741 $ 3,122,077 Cost of goods sold 1,516,970 1,576,265 4,521,974 2,351,153 Gross Margin 339,781 569,723 594,767 770,924 Operating Expenses Operations 334,278 146,539 794,390 353,295 Research and development 811,288 167,968 1,548,983 341,892 Sales and marketing 238,624 48,719 524,642 97,534 General and administrative 1,337,183 499,155 3,264,071 929,874 Stock based compensation 782,123 854,195 2,066,146 1,068,317 Total operating expenses 3,503,496 1,716,576 8,198,232 2,790,912 Operating loss (3,163,715) (1,146,853) (7,603,465) (2,019,988) Other Expense (Income) (598,898) 7,837,407 (740,275) 8,069,797 Net loss ($2,564,817) ($8,984,260) ($6,863,190) ($10,089,785) Loss per share - basic and diluted $ (0.05) $ (0.34) $ (0.15) $ (0.46) Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted 53,592,927 26,232,755 46,604,898 22,161,745 RED CAT HOLDINGS Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows Statements (Unaudited) Nine months ended January 31, 2022 2021 Cash Flows from Operating Activities Net loss $ (6,863,190) $ (10,089,785) Non-cash expenses 1,083,885 9,217,301 Changes in operating assets and liabilities (6,259,810) (44,532) Net cash used in operating activities (12,039,115) (917,016) Cash Flows from Investing Activities Purchases of marketable securities, net (48,446,302) - Other, net (67,715) (48,368) Net cash used in investing activities (48,514,017) (48,368) Cash Flows from Financing Activities (Payments) proceeds of debt obligations (2,663,931) 1,200,368 Proceeds from issuance of equity, net 70,051,243 - Net cash provided by financing activities 67,387,312 1,200,368 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 6,834,180 234,984 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 277,347 236,668 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 7,111,527 471,652 Marketable securities 48,446,302 - Cash and marketable securities $ 55,557,829 $ 471,652 Conference Call Today Jeff Thompson, CEO and Joseph Hernon, CFO will also host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 17 to review financial results and provide an update on corporate developments. Following management's formal remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. To listen to the conference call, interested parties within the U.S. should dial 1-866-777-2509 (domestic) or 1-412-317-5413 (international). All callers should dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and ask to be joined into the Red Cat Holdings, Inc. conference call. Participants can also pre-register for this event using the following link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10164315/f1ca1b35e3 . The conference call will also be available through a live webcast that can be accessed at https://dpregister.com/sreg/10164315/f1ca1b35e3 . The webcast replay will be available until June 17, 2022 and can be accessed through the above link or on the Company's website. A telephonic replay will be available until March 31, 2022, by calling 1-877-344-7529 (domestic) or 1-412-317-0088 (international) and using access code 5639695. About Red Cat Holdings, Inc. Red Cat provides drone-based products, services, and solutions through its five subsidiaries and services the enterprise, military, and consumer markets. Teal Drones is a leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and its Golden Eagle is one of only five drones approved by the Department of Defense for reconnaissance, public safety, and inspection applications. Skypersonic's technology enables drones to complete inspection services in locations where GPS is not available, yet still record and transmit data even while being operated from thousands of miles away. Fat Shark is a leading provider of First Person View (FPV) video goggles. Rotor Riot, LLC is a reseller of FPV drones and equipment, primarily to the consumer marketplace. Learn more at https://www.redcatholdings.com/ . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "seek," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "target," "aim," "should," "will" "would," or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on Red Cat Holdings, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the final prospectus related to the public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Red Cat Holdings, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. For Investor Relations Inquiries: CORE IR Phone: (516) 222-2560 E-mail: Investors@redcat.red Website: https://www.redcatholdings.com/ Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/red-cat-holdings-reports-financial-results-for-fiscal-third-quarter-2022-and-provides-corporate-update-301505387.html SOURCE Red Cat Holdings, Inc. Pala-Gomez Creek Energy Storage Project Will Provide 10 Megawatt / 60 Megawatt-Hours of Reliable Power LAKE MARY, Fla., March 17, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), a regulated public utility that provides energy service to 3.7 million people, has awarded Mitsubishi Power an order for a 10 megawatt (MW) / 60 megawatt-hour (MWh) energy storage solution for its Pala-Gomez Creek Energy Storage Project in Pala, California. The battery energy storage system (BESS) will add capacity to help meet high energy demand, support grid reliability and operational flexibility, maximize use of renewable energy, and help prevent outages during peak demand. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220316005987/en/ Mitsubishi Power will supply its Emerald storage solution to SDG&Es Pala-Gomez Creek Energy Storage Project in Pala, California. The 10 megawatt (MW) / 60 megawatt-hour (MWh) energy storage solution will add capacity to help meet high energy demand, support grid reliability and operational flexibility, maximize use of renewable energy, and help prevent outages during peak demand. (Rendering Credit: Mitsubishi Power) The BESS project is Mitsubishi Powers eighth in California, bringing total capacity to 280 MW / 1,140 MWh of storage to help meet Californias clean energy goals with reliable power to complement renewables. Mitsubishi Powers Emerald storage solution for SDG&E includes full turnkey design, engineering, procurement, and construction, as well as a 10-year long-term service agreement. It is scheduled to be online in early 2023. The project will repower an existing energy storage site. It will employ Mitsubishi Powers Emerald Integrated Plant Controller, which is an Energy Management System (EMS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system with real-time BESS operation and a monitoring/supervisory control platform. Mitsubishi Power leverages its decades of technology monitoring and diagnostics to turn data into actionable insights to maximize reliability. The Mitsubishi Power Emerald Integrated Plant Controller complies with North American Electric Reliability Corporation critical infrastructure protection (NERC CIP) standards and meets the highest security certification in the energy storage industry (IEC/ISA 62443, NIST 800-53) for maximum protection from cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities. Story continues For added physical safety, Mitsubishi Powers solution employs lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry. Compared with other chemistries, LFP provides longer life and superior thermal stability and chemical stability, while meeting UL 9540 and UL 9540A safety standards. Fernando Valero, Director, Advanced Clean Technology, SDG&E, said, "SDG&E is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. We are increasing our portfolio of energy storage assets to reach this goal. These assets enhance grid reliability and operational flexibility while maximizing our use of abundant renewable energy sources in California." Tom Cornell, Senior Vice President, Energy Storage Solutions, Mitsubishi Power Americas, said, "As more and more renewables come online during the energy transition, BESS solutions are essential to support a reliable and stable grid. We look forward to providing SDG&E with our BESS solution to add capacity, energy, and ancillary services to Californias grid. Mitsubishi Powers Emerald storage solutions are enabling a smarter and more resilient energy future for our customers in California and around the globe." Read more about some of Mitsubishi Powers BESS projects: About Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. (Mitsubishi Power) headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, employs more than 2,300 power generation, energy storage, and digital solutions experts and professionals. Our employees are focused on empowering customers to affordably and reliably combat climate change while also advancing human prosperity throughout North, Central, and South America. Mitsubishi Powers power generation solutions include gas, steam, and aero-derivative turbines; power trains and power islands; geothermal systems; PV solar project development; environmental controls; and services. Energy storage solutions include green hydrogen, battery energy storage systems, and services. Mitsubishi Power also offers intelligent solutions that use artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation of power plants. Mitsubishi Power is a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, MHI is one of the worlds leading heavy machinery manufacturers with engineering and manufacturing businesses spanning energy, infrastructure, transport, aerospace, and defense. For more information, visit the Mitsubishi Power Americas website and follow us on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220316005987/en/ Contacts Christa Reichhardt +1 407-484-5599 Christa.Reichhardt@amermhi.com A month ago, Ukraine's parliament passed a bill to legalize cryptocurrency, preparing a framework for the regulation and management of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Today, the country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signed into law that bill, "On Virtual Assets," which establishes a legal framework for the country to operate a regulated crypto market. "The Parliament has adopted a law on virtual assets. I think the president is about to sign it into law in a matter of days. So we strive to be as friendly to virtual assets as possible. And we are continuing this effort during wartime as well," Ukraine's vice prime minister and minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, told TechCrunch in an interview earlier this week. According to reports coming out of Cointelegraph, Coindesk and other digital asset-focused outlets, crypto exchanges and firms handling digital assets will now be required to register with the government to operate legally in Ukraine, and banks will be allowed to open accounts for crypto firms. The law also reportedly empowers Ukraines National Securities and Stock Market Commission with the ability to determine the countrys policies on digital assets, issue licenses to businesses dealing with crypto, and act as a financial watchdog. (Indeed, Ukraine's parliament previously passed a law legalizing cryptocurrency back in September, but President Zelenskyy vetoed the bill soon afterward, saying the country couldnt afford to stand up a new regulatory body for managing crypto.) The law on virtual assets was signed today! Now crypto is legalized in Ukraine. Thank you, President @Zelenskyy for the support. We believe that crypto industry offers new economic opportunities. We will do our best to bring the bright new future closer as soon as possible. Alex Bornyakov (@abornyakov) March 16, 2022 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js If you thought crypto was already legal in Ukraine, you have plenty of company. Even without formal regulation, Ukrainians, Russians and Venezuelans (in that order) had become among the active retail users of digital currencies by the fall of 2020, according to blockchain analysis outfit Chainalysis. At the time, Chainalysis's head of research told Coindesk a few trends were driving Ukraine's rise to the top, including a "really tech-native population and an "industrious startup environment. (Coindesk also noted that there is also more cybercrime activity in Eastern Europe than in other regions, which likely also played a role in driving so much trading volume.) Story continues The types of regulations that were just passed into law have taken on new urgency, with Ukraine receiving tens of millions of dollars' worth of crypto donations in the weeks since Russia invaded the country and began killing soldiers and civilians alike, prompting an estimated 3 million people to flee the country of 42 million. (NPR just likened the number of Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Poland alone -- roughly 1.8 million -- to the population of Warsaw.) With the new law in place, Ukraines first crypto exchange, Kuna, will no longer be limited to helping the country spend the donations directly with crypto-friendly suppliers but to convert crypto to much-needed fiat. In the meantime, the country has also partnered with the Bahamas-based exchange giant FTX to convert crypto contributions to aid Ukraines war effort into fiat for deposit at the National Bank of Ukraine. More specifically, as reported on Monday by Coindesk, FTX and Kuna and a staking platform called Everstake have partnered with Ukrainian government officials to launch a donation website for users called Aid for Ukraine that accepts donations in Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, Polkadot, Solana, Dogecoin, Monero, Icon and Neo to support people in their fight for freedom. Crypto donations have been key when it comes to raising funds from all around the world. "We have been able to raise $55 million. And all of that has been directed toward the needs of the Ukrainian army," Fedorov told TechCrunch on Tuesday. Whether it's true that the initiative represents the "first instance of a cryptocurrency exchange providing a conduit for crypto donations to a public financial institution," as Everstake has since stated, we don't know, but it's probably safe to say it's among the first. Certainly, none of this is happening the way that Ukrainian officials expected just a few short months ago, when the country was profiled in The New York Times under the headline, "The Crypto Capital of the World." "The big idea is to become one of the top jurisdictions in the world for crypto companies, Alex Bornyakov, deputy minister at Ukraine's years-old Ministry of Digital Transformation, told the outlet for that story in November, before the unimaginable happened. We believe this is the new economy, this is the future, and we believe this is something that is going to boost our economy. A rush of Brazilian sugar cargoes unusually heads to Russia -data FILE PHOTO: Ship loaded with sugar is docked at the port of Santos By Marcelo Teixeira NEW YORK (Reuters) -At least five vessels are headed toward Russia with nearly 200,000 tonnes of Brazilian raw sugar sold by European traders, according to shipping data seen by Reuters, about double the country's normal annual imports of the sweetener. Sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine have boosted demand for sugar and other food staples there, and store shelves have been emptying due to food hoarding. Yet sanctions may also make it harder for shippers to get paid for their cargoes. The volume of sugar being shipped is unusually high, traders said, noting Russia tends to import roughly 100,000 tonnes of sugar per year. Russia is not a notable importer or exporter of sugar, but Russians have started to hoard the sweetener. While sugar sales are not covered by the sanctions, financial transactions are. Also, analysts said security issues in the Black Sea may hinder the vessels. Black Sea shipping routes have been tangled as the war has shut ports in Ukraine and as companies refuse to buy some commodities from Russia. A U.S.-based trader said the Russia-bound ships are waiting in the Black Sea area for clearance to move to the Novorossiysk port in Russia's Krasnodar Krai area. In addition to the Russian shipments, there are also three vessels with nearly 100,000 tonnes of sugar heading to Russia's neighbor Georgia, according to port movement data provided by shipping agencies in Brazil and information from sugar market traders. Russia was expected to import only around 100,000 tonnes of sugar in the whole year from all suppliers, not just Brazil, according to data from the International Sugar Organization. Georgia was expected to import 130,000 tonnes. "Well, all that sugar might land in Georgia, but then it will be sent to Russia," said a U.S.-based sugar trader. Another sugar trader, based in Brazil, said the volumes are too high for a short period of time, both for Russia and for Georgia, saying buyers were probably looking to boost stocks. Story continues Shipments to both Russia and Georgia were loaded on vessels leaving Brazil, the world's largest sugar exporter, with three European food traders and one Brazilian company behind the deals: Sucden, Louis Dreyfus Co and Tereos in Europe, and Raizen in Brazil. Sucden is the largest player in those deals, with one vessel heading to Georgia and four ships going to Russia with a total amount of 188,250 tonnes of raw sugar. The company did not respond to questions about safety and payment for the cargoes. Dreyfus said the vessel Pu Lan Hai, which left Brazil late in February declaring Russia as its destination, will now leave part of the load in Egypt and the remainder in Georgia. It declined to comment further. Dreyfus, one of the world's largest commodities traders, said on March 4 it was stopping operations in Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, which Moscow has called a "special operation." Tereos said the vessel with 50,000 tonnes of sugar heading to Russia had been resold to another shipper and it is not in charge of that deal anymore. It says it complies with current European rules. Raizen declined to comment. (Reporting by Marcelo Teixeira; additional reporting by Nigel Hunt and Maytaal Angel in London; Editing by David Gregorio and Marguerita Choy) The Nebraska Public Service Commission has levied a huge fine against a South Dakota grain dealer that did business in the state without a license. The order approved by the PSC at its Tuesday meeting says Banghart Properties LLC of Gettysburg, South Dakota, must pay a fine of $290,000 for operating without a license and failing to properly document grain purchases. PSC spokeswoman Deb Collins said the fine is the "largest in recent memory" handed down by the commission. According to a complaint filed in October, the company, which also used the name Fearless Grain Marketing, operated for months in the state without a license and made numerous deals with farmers. The complaint said that owner Jan Banghart acknowledged that she started operating before inquiring about licensing requirements and then continued to operate after being told she needed to cease doing so until she obtained a license. The PSC held a hearing on the complaint in January, and staff at that time had recommended a fine as high as $870,000, which represented the maximum $10,000 penalty for 87 separate violations that were alleged, which included both the unlicensed purchases and the failure to document them. The commission decided to reduce the amount to $290,000, which would reflect a $10,000 fine for each of the 29 unlicensed transactions that were documented in the complaint, although it was acknowledged that Banghart's business records showed another 21 unlicensed transactions. This companys flagrant violation of Nebraska law along with its unwillingness to comply led to the conclusion that this civil penalty is warranted, Commission Chair Dan Watermeier said in a statement. Banghart has 30 days to either pay the fine or appeal it. Robert Konrad, an attorney representing the Banghart, told agricultural publication AgWeek that the company is disappointed in the ruling and is considering an appeal. Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Long before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an impassioned plea for help to the U.S. Congress, Ben Sasse, a U.S. senator from Nebraska, was urging the White House to arm the Eastern European country. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy presented a video address asking lawmakers to send more aid to Ukraine, now under attack by Russia. The address included heart-wrenching and graphic video that spoke even louder than the Ukraine presidents call for help. Scenes of buildings being bombed, bloodied children and adults burying the dead in mass graves flashed across the screen as members of the U.S. Congress watched. Zelenskyy urged Americans to remember when innocent people were attacked at Pearl Harbor and the 9-11 terrorist attacks in the United States. He said Ukraine is currently experiencing the same thing every day. Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death, Zelenskyy said. Hours after Zelenskyys address, President Joe Biden said the U.S. is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones to Ukraine to assist in its defense against Russia. The president formerly announced his administration was sending an additional $800 million in military assistance. This makes a total of $2 billion in such aid sent to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, since Biden took office more than a year ago. About $1 billion in aid has been sent in just the last week, the Associated Press reported. Were going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead, Biden said. The news comes after Sasse a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, a Fremont High School graduate and former Midland University president had been stressing the need to arm Ukrainians for weeks. Indifference is not an option, Sasse said in February. Nobody wants a shooting war with Russia. We should, however, have been arming the Ukrainian people to the teeth for months. (President Vladimir) Putins calculus is pretty straightforward: hes going to go as far as he can until he feels that his intervention is too costly. In a statement to the Fremont Tribune on Wednesday, Sasse made straightforward comments. Every mom and dad, with all sorts of discretion for the littlest ones, should watch that video with their family. Everybody knows who Zelenskyy is. The man has the courage of his convictions. Everybody knows who Putin is. He believes in murdering women and children you can see it in the video, Sasse said. Sasse spoke in a press conference after Zelenskyys address to Congress. The question in (Zlenskyys) speech this morning was, who are we going to be? Were a superpower and Zelenskyy challenged us to act like it, Sasse said. If it shoots, we should ship it. More S-300s, more Javelins, more drones, more Stingers, more everything. Sasse criticized the Biden administration for what he described as giving processed answers. The administration talks about this like its somehow some nerd lawyer discussion, not like its a moral battle between good guys and bad guys, and we need the good guys to win, Sasse said. He said the administration spends time talking about how to help the Ukrainians lose a little bit slower. What the administration should be telling us is what their plan is to help the Ukrainians win, Sasse said. Sasse also expressed concern for young Russians losing their lives. We should not overlook the humanity of these Russians who will also die, Sasse said on the Senate floor on Feb. 28. For the Wests battle, freedoms battle, is not with Russian moms who didnt even know their boys were being deployed, women who would not desire to have the dictator Putin send their sons to ruin. Sasse laid the responsibility for these deaths squarely on Putin. Human beings are made in the image of God and theyre dying, and Vladimir Putin alone bears responsibility, Sasse said. His evil ambitions are destroying not just Ukrainian bodies and souls, but also Russian bodies and souls. Sasse said Putin would stop if he actually cared for his people and the generations of Russians who this war is going to impoverish. The senator made an ages-old observation. War is started by the old, but usually waged by the young and no one in their right mind would ever wish for war, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Company (Sadafco) has officially opened its state-of-the-art ice cream factory adding 1,570 sq m to its production area. The unit was opened by the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef and other senior dignitaries. Located in Jeddah's Modon Industrial City No 1, the new ice cream factory, combined with the existing Sadafco milk factory, covers over 45,000 sq m and boasts the highest output per square metre in the Middle East. Designed to help meet the kingdom's current production needs and facilitate further growth, the facility is expected to facilitate future expansion. The opening of this facility is in line with the Ministrys Made in Saudi initiative which encourages both local manufacturing and consumers to buy local produce. In addition, there is still 1,060 sq m of open space available to meet future demand. Sadafco now has a frozen warehouse capacity of 6,000 pallets and has doubled its mixing and pasteurisation capacities in anticipation of upcoming opportunities. In addition, the new factory will enhance local production of the Saudia Ice Cream range, including its iconic Ice Cream Sandwich, as well as contribute to the country's vision of Made in Saudi. It will contribute to efforts to build an industrial base in the kingdom. On the occasion, Patrick Stillhart, CEO, Sadafco said: The ice cream market in Saudi Arabia has been registering positive annual growth since 2015. Despite the challenging conditions brought on by the pandemic in the last two years, demand has remained strong. With this new ice cream factory, we aim to meet this growing demand and increase our customer base targeting the younger, more adventurous population. Commenting on Sadafcos role in the community, he added: A larger facility means more jobs and employment opportunities. We are proud to be one of the key contributors to the socio-economic development in the country and to empower women in our society as we look to enhance our female workforce in various levels and across most functions. Sadafco is the leader in the UHT (long life) Milk market in Saudi Arabia, with a product portfolio ranging from Breakfast Cream, Cheese, Butter to Tomato Paste and Ice Cream among others. Through the diversification of its key product offerings and adopting the use of best-in-class operating standards, the company strives to delight its consumers, maintain a happy working culture and increase shareholder value.-- TradeArabia News Service JoEllen Schwanke was known for her strong-minded attitude. The Fremont woman was a leader in the floral industry and part of a longtime, local family business. She and her husband, Mel, received national recognition for her floral dresses and his matching ties. And, for decades, she was a breast cancer survivor who sought to encourage others receiving the same diagnosis. JoEllen known as Joey died March 10. She was 91. Her funeral will start at 2 p.m. Friday in Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont. Joey was born Jan. 9, 1931, to Carnation Joe and his wife, Lily, Green. Joey grew up in Fremont just a block away from the family business, Greens Greenhouses. She graduated from Fremont High School and she and Mel a World War II veteran married in 1948. Mel then joined Greens Greenhouse, Inc. Joey was a national floral commentator for 40 years and won several lifetime achievement awards. She advocated for florists in the nations capital and met several dignitaries including Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and their first ladies. I would describe my mom as a firecracker, because thats what she was. She was never going to hide her opinion and that made her a force to be reckoned with because she had very strong feelings about everything, said her son, J, who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. J remembers how his mom advocated for him, confronting a teacher who wanted him to write his name as Jay on his schoolwork even though his first name is a single letter as stated on his birth certificate. I always knew my mom had my back, J said. J recalls his mothers spirited nature. We were both big stars in the flower industry, J said. It was kind of a Judy Garland/Liza Minnelli relationship. My mom was always very competitive, but my parents allowed me to land exactly where I needed to be to do what I do today. J hosts a national television show called, J Schwankes Life in Bloom, which reaches 92 million people weekly, and is an award-winning author. He wasnt alone in receiving parental encouragement. Joey and Mel supported their daughters, Jo Heinz Staffelbach, of Dallas, and Cindy McKown, of Fremont, in their dreams, J said. J said hes received hundreds of emails, comments and letters since his mothers death. Everybody has a different story about her, J said. Kids I went to school with said, Your mom was the kindest, most wonderful woman I ever met. Everybody that knew mom had a wonderful story about her and had wonderful memories. J said hes enjoyed hearing how his mom affected other people in positive ways. Thats really cool, he said. One way Joey Schwanke encouraged others was as a 40-year breast cancer survivor. Diagnosed in 1982, Joey knew her mother-in-law had lost circulation in her arm due to repeated breast cancer surgeries and, eventually, had to have a hand amputated. Joey, a floral designer, was concerned about losing not only a hand, but her life even though the cancer was small and had been caught early. Much more medical knowledge has been obtained since the 1980s. Joey had a mastectomy and radiation treatments. With many friends also being diagnosed with breast cancer, she started the Bosom Buddies club. She had red, blue, yellow and white-striped hot air balloon pins made with cards attached that read: We shall soar to new heights. She visited breast cancer patients in the hospital and gave them a pink rose in a vase and a pin. Recipients didnt buy the pins, but could make a $5 donation for someone else. She sent proceeds to breast cancer research. I think that was my moms way of taking tragedy and turning it into something inspirational, J said. She always tried to turn a negative into a positive. J expressed gratitude. Im so thankful moms at peace now and that shes with Dad, which is great, J said. Mel Schwanke was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who earned a Purple Heart. He and other Marines landed at Okinawa on Easter Sunday in 1945. Only five members of Schwankes original platoon of 60 were still alive with him on June 12, when a grenade exploded at his feet. Hed carry shrapnel in his body for the rest of his life. Decades after the war, Mel and Joey were recognized for something else - their matching apparel. They appeared on the "Today" show with Al Roker, Adam Sandler and Justin Bieber in New York City. The Schwankes also were featured in Readers Digest and Redbook magazine. Mel and Joey Schwanke, who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, were known for being together all the time. Mels death in December 2018 had been difficult for Joey. Now, theyre reunited, J said, adding: Together again forever. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Donald Anthony, who is accused of fatally stabbing Said Abdullahi Farah on Feb. 15, had his case bound over to Hall County District Court on Tuesday. Farah, a 30-year-old homeless man, was stabbed inside an apartment complex at 303 Pine St. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Grand Island Fire Department paramedics. Anthony, 34, was arrested two days later in St. Paul. Hall County Judge John Rademacher scheduled Anthonys district court arraignment for April 5. Anthony is charged with first-degree murder, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person. Anthony appeared at the preliminary hearing via video. Another resident of the apartment building called 911 at 6:03 a.m. Feb. 15. The first police officer arrived minutes later. The only witness called at Anthonys preliminary hearing was Grand Island Police Investigator Bryce Collamore, who answered questions from prosecutor Stephen West and public defender Gerry Piccolo. Earlier in the evening, Collamore said, Anthony had a fight with another man in the same building over a stolen bicycle. Collamore described a verbal dispute between Anthony and Farah that soon became physical. Anthony told officers he punched Farah twice, knocking him down. Anthony feared that he had killed Farah, but he could tell Farah was still alive from his snoring. Anthony said he was going to give Farah whats known as a buck fifty, a permanent scar above an eyebrow. Collamore said that Anthony stomped or kicked Farah in the face. At the apartment, Anthony was with his girlfriend, Marrisa Stephens. Collamore said Stephens cried out to Anthony, asking him to stop assaulting Farah. Anthony said he assaulted Farah on behalf of a gang called the Latin Kings, Collamore said. Collamore said that Anthony used a knife to make one incision in Farahs neck, through one layer of clothing. At one point, Anthony told police he thought Farah might have a weapon on him. That was found not to be the case, Collamore said. Surveillance video shows Anthony and Stephens leaving the apartment building at 5:57 a.m. Another video shows them walking past the building, presumably on their way to entering it, at 5:50 a.m. After the assault, Collamore said, Anthony went to the Blackstone Apartments at 319 S. Walnut and then went to 1831 Sylvan St. At the latter address, Anthony left a pair of boots and a pair of gloves that he had been wearing, Collamore said. An autopsy, performed on Farahs body in Douglas County, found that the cause of death was an embolism triggered by the incision, Collamore said. The knife has not been found, Collamore said. Piccolo asked Collamore about the video evidence, focusing on the arrival and departure of Anthony and Stephens. He also asked if anyone in the apartment actually witnessed the stabbing. Collamore said one neighbor heard what he believed was a fight but no one saw it. Rademacher ruled that the state had met its burden of showing probable cause. Rademacher also bound Anthony over to district court in another case in which he is accused to possessing methamphetamine in January. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A bill that would require Gov. Pete Ricketts to apply for $120 million of federal rent and utility assistance money cleared another hurdle in the Legislature. LB1073 passed the second of three rounds of debate Wednesday afternoon without any discussion. Lawmakers squeezed the bill into their agenda during the second day of budget discussions. The bill needs to get through one more round of debate before it goes to Ricketts' desk, where it could be vetoed. Ricketts has repeatedly said he is not interested in seeking the money, arguing that Nebraska doesn't need it. Ricketts noted in a column last week that Nebraska still has about $30 million of unused federal funding from the first round of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Nebraska is not a welfare state, Ricketts said in the column. Its not who we are. But if we take these funds, it will be. Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers of Lincoln said he is committed to getting the bill through the legislative process in time to meet a March 30 federal deadline if senators ultimately pass the bill. That includes time to debate a potential veto override, he said. Ricketts' office has not commented on whether the governor would veto the legislation. LB1073 still had a fair amount of naysayers in Wednesday's voice vote, but they were clearly outnumbered by the bill's supporters. The bill passed its first round of debate last week in a 29-7 vote. Opponents of the bill previously argued that the federal assistance would hurt Nebraska taxpayers. Supporters argued the opposite. State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha said last week that the money would help taxpayers because the state would accrue interest, and could just return the funding that wasnt allocated by the 2025 deadline. This is a no-brainer, Vargas said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Colorado Springs woman accused of selling fentanyl pills to teenage girls, in a deal that led to the death of a classmate at Mitchell High School, is a known drug dealer who advertised her product on Facebook, an arrest affidavit states. Alexis Nicole Wilkins, 26, was arrested Tuesday; she's accused of giving two girls fentanyl pills in the parking lot of The Citadel mall on Dec. 2. They took the pills to school the next morning, sharing one with a classmate who overdosed in class after taking the fentanyl, according to the affidavit. One of the girls told an FBI agent that the girl who died "snorted more than she should have," the affidavit states. The court documents state a teacher called for help toward the end of class after seeing the student "foaming at the mouth." She was taken to a local hospital, where she died from "fentanyl intoxication," the documents say. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that's far more powerful and lethal than morphine or heroin. Though it has legitimate medical use as an anesthetic, fentanyl has become increasingly prominent in the illicit drug market, thanks to shifts in the trade, its potency and its low cost of production and transportation. Wilkins is a member of the Rolling 60s Crips, a Colorado Springs-based criminal street gang, according to the affidavit. She met one of the girls through a Denver gang member and sold the girls two pills for $40, the affidavit states. The affidavit says Wilkins was part of Facebook groups centered around dealing drugs. She interacted with other users about buying or selling drugs as her Facebook page had hundreds of pictures and posts of what she was selling, the affidavit says. "Facebook data shows Wilkins has been engaged in the distribution of fentanyl for many months," the affidavit states. Before her arrest, Wilkins pleaded guilty to child abuse/negligence in December, court documents show. She was also sentenced to a 12-month probation three times between April 2016 and April 2019 for misdemeanor thefts; twice her probation was revoked. A search of Wilkins' house on the day of her arrest found $7,000 in cash and more than 100 blue pills marked with "M" and "30," which, the affidavit says, means the controlled substance in these pills is indeed fentanyl and not oxycodone. It also added that fentanyl pills are "sold under the guise of oxycodone 30 mg tables (that) are blue in color" and have those imprints. Distributing fentanyl carries a penalty of at least 20 years in prison to a life sentence, a fine up to $1 million and at least three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado said in a news release. Earlier this month, District 11, which includes Mitchell High School, launched its Fake and Fatal campaign, an initiative focused on educating and training staff members, students and families about the dangers of the synthetic opioid. The 2021 statistics are expected to be available in May, but Colorados 2020 overdose numbers are staggering. State health data show there were 10 times as many overdoses involving fentanyl in 2020 than there were just four years earlier. In a letter, spokeswoman Devra Ashby asked the District 11 community to stay engaged in its campaign to "keep our students healthy, strong and thriving." "Here is whats happening: teens are purchasing what they think are OxyContin, Percocet, or Xanax pills via social media, but drug dealers are selling fake pills with the cheaper, stronger, and a more deadly synthetic drug called fentanyl," Ashby wrote. "Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. Teens never know what theyre getting." She added: "One pill can kill them. One pill." Colorado Springs police have asked the community for help finding two men suspected of trying to kill two women at a bar east of downtown in January, officers said. On Jan. 21, a male customer fired shots into Babylonia Bar & Grill as he left the area in a vehicle, injuring two female customers around 10:44 p.m., police said. Officers described one of the men as 25 to 35 years old, of medium build, with short dark hair, a goatee, mustache and wearing a gray hoodie. The other man was described as the same age, heavy build with facial hair, brown eyes, a dark tattoo on the left side of his neck and wearing a yellow, black and white Iowa Hawkeyes beanie, a jacket with a black torso and white arms and faded blue jeans. Police requested anyone that who knows the men's identities or has information to call officers at 719-444-7000, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 719-634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477. A Colorado Springs woman suspected of distributing fentanyl pills to two juveniles could face life in prison, a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Colorado announced Wednesday. Alexis Nicole Wilkins, 26, was accused of giving two girls fentanyl pills in the parking lot of The Citadel mall in Colorado Springs on Dec. 2. The girls took the pills to school the next morning, where they shared them with a third student who overdosed in class, according to the release. The student took the fentanyl in the school bathroom before she became unresponsive in class, according to court documents obtained by Gazette news partner KKTV. Emergency responders took the student to the hospital, where she later died. Wilkins, a member of the Rolling 60s Crips, a Colorado Springs-based criminal street gang, met one of the girls through a Denver gang member and sold the girls two pills for $40, the affidavit said. The penalty for distributing fentanyl is no less than 20 years in prison with up to a life sentence, a fine of no more than $1 million, and no less than three years of supervised release, the release said. The Colorado Secretary of States Office has until Tuesday to respond to a statement of grounds for a recall of 12th Judicial District Attorney Alonzo Payne, who has been the top law enforcement officer for the San Luis Valley area for 14 months. After more than a year of public debate on the topic, Clear Creek County officials have selected a new name to replace Mount Evans. Officials made the decision after considering five proposed options, including Mount Cheyenne-Arapaho, Mount Soule, Mount Rosalie, Mount Evans and Mount Blue Sky. They selected the latter, Mount Blue Sky, which was submitted by Southern Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes. Now that county officials have made their endorsement for a moniker for the 14,264-foot peak, the decision goes to Gov. Jared Polis' office and then to the federal government. It is likely the change will ultimately push through. The Mount Evans name comes from Colorado Territory Gov. John Evans, who was rebuked for his role in the Sand Creek Massacre and his brutal treatment of Native Americans. In November 1864 and during Evans term in office, Col. John Chivington ordered 700 cavalry troops to attack a peaceful Native American encampment, resulting in more than 100 deaths. Evans later decorated Chivington and his men for their efforts. Evans was later accused of a cover-up of the massacre and forced to resign as governor in 1865 after a federal investigation. Despite controversy surrounding Evans as a politician and the Sand Creek Massacre, Mount Rosalie was renamed Mount Evans in 1895. Clear Creek County Commissioner Randy Wheelock hopes the change to Blue Sky will be official by the end of 2022. This change is set to follow several other recent instances in which the name of a geographic feature has been changed. Another mountain in Clear Creek County got a new name in December 2021, removing the name Squaw Mountain and adopting Mestaa'ehehe Mountain. The new name rids the mountain of a term deemed offensive to Native Americans and adds a nod to a Native American known as "Owl Woman," who helped negotiate trades among many at Bent's Fort, something credited for forming good relations between Native Americans and settlers. The term "squaw" has been addressed on a national level, with the federal government recently announcing that the term would be removed from federal locations, including the 650 place names on federal lands. Multiple states, including Maine, Minnesota and Montana have already banned the word, according to Reuters. In September 2020, the Polis-appointed Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board held its first meeting, with 12 spots ultimately selected for renaming. Among these spots were Chinaman Gulch in Chaffee County, Redskin Mountain in Jefferson County and Mount Evans. At the time, proposed names for Mount Evans were only Mount Rosalie, Mount Soule and Mount Cheyenne Arapahoe, with Mount Blue Sky proposed as an option at a later date.